bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Elast PQ Ultrasound - a Noninvasive, Reproducible, Easily Performed Method and a New Era in Liver Fibrosis Assessment
Authors: Rahman Hafizur
Published: August 2018

Liver fibrosis represents the repair mechanism in liver injury and is a feature of most chronic liver diseases. The degree of liver fibrosis in chronic viral hepatitis infection has major clinical implications and presence of advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis determines prognosis. Treatment initiation for viral hepatitis is indicated in most cases of advanced liver fibrosis and diagnosis of cirrhosis entails hepatology evaluation for specialized clinical care. Liver biopsy is an invasive technique and has been the standard of care of fibrosis assessment for years; however, it has several limitations and procedure related complications. Recently, several methods of noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis have been developed which require either serologic testing or imaging of liver. Imaging based noninvasive techniques are reviewed here and their clinical use is described. Some of the imaging based tests are becoming widely available, and collectively they are shown to be superior to liver biopsy in important aspects. Clinical utilization of these methods requires understanding of performance and quality related parameters which can affect the results and provide wrong assessment of the extent of liver fibrosis. Familiarity with the strengths and weakness of each modality is needed to correctly interpret the results in appropriate clinical content. A new technique called Elast PQ uses ultrasound shear wave elastography to provide a noninvasive, reproducible, easily performed method of assessing liver fibrosis. It can easily combine a routine ultrasound imaging exam of the liver anatomy with targeted tissue stiffness values, assess liver fibrosis in patient with clinically suspected disease even before abnormalities are detected with ultrasound imaging, evaluate and obtain a baseline stiffness value in patients with chronic liver disease, follow up patients under treatment to monitor progression, stabilization or regression of liver disease and help avoid the need for liver biopsies when elastography results are consistent with other clinical findings. Both the prognosis and potential treatment of chronic liver diseases greatly depend on the progression of liver fibrosis, which is the ultimate outcome of chronic liver damage. Historically, liver biopsy has been instrumental in adequately assessing patients allows clinicians both to obtain diagnosis information and initiate adequate therapy. However, the technique is not exempt of deleterious effects. Multiple diagnostic tests have been developed for the staging of fibrosis using noninvasive methods, most of them in the setting of chronic hepatitis C. The goal of this paper is to review available data on the staging and assessment of liver fibrosis with two methods: serum markers & transient elastography (FibroScan).Faridpur Med. Coll. J. Jan 2018;13(1): 44-46
Sociodemographic status of rape victims in Dhaka Metropolitan area
Authors: Bose PK , Ara M , Rahaman MS , Kabir MZ , Sultana N , Biswas P , Masud MAA
Published: August 2018

Our objective of the study was to find out the victims of common age group with relation to their educational and social status to set up a local and national policy to create nationwide awareness and taking necessary steps to stop this heinous crime. This is a cross-sectional descriptive type of study which was done in the Department of Forensic Medicine, Dhaka Medical College from January 2016 to December 2016 with maintaining ethical issues. A total of 69 cases, from 23 police stations of Dhaka Metropolitan area, were sent for a medicolegal opinion regarding forceful sexual intercourse and victims who ultimately agreed to do medicolegal examinations were examined and opinion was given, whether the signs of forceful sexual intercourse were present or not. Our study shows that female of >10-≥20 years of age group were the main victims and 69.6% of the victims belong to this age group followed by 14.5% with >20-≥30 years of age. Majority of the victims, 68.1% were from lower socioeconomic status. Educational knowledge of the victims was poor; 31.9% victims had the primary level of education, 24.6% were completely illiterate followed by 37.7% of victims had the education level as secondary and higher secondary, and 5.8% had the above higher secondary level. Victims of rape lead to very painful lives. They are just the victims of this heinous and supposed to get sympathy and empathy from the family, society, and state. But unfortunately, the victims of rape do not get proper attention from them. Sometimes victims are blamed by their surroundings. As a result, many victims commit suicide following rape. So, it should be addressed properly.Mediscope Vol. 5, No. 2: Jul 2018, Page 8-11
A study on the incidence of tuberculosis in Narail district of Bangladesh
Authors: Mallick MS
Published: August 2018

The aim of this descriptive type of study on diagnosed tuberculosis (TB) cases was to evaluate the incidence of TB in Narail district to have a situational analysis with the achievement of National TB Control Program. Related data were collected from the Civil Surgeon Office, Narail district. The data of 3 upazilas- Narail Sadar, Kalia, and Lohagora were used. The study period was from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016. The overall TB case rate was 156.6 per 100000 population and separately 170.9 per 100000 population in Narail Sadar, 142.2 per 100000 population in Kalia and 156.6 per 100000 population in Lohagora. Of the cases, 56.4% were male and 43.6% female. Overall, 89.7% of the TB cases had pulmonary TB and 10.3% had extra-pulmonary TB. The population with higher age had higher proportion having TB. The highest number of patients were referred for diagnosis by sastha sebika (nurse) and non-government field staff. The TB incidence in Narail district was considered to be lower than the National situation. However, it seems that TB will remain as a continuous concern for many years in future for the country as well as Narail district. The activities of National TB Control Program of the Government of Bangladesh needs to be strengthened further to combat TB in BangladeshMediscope Vol. 5, No. 2: Jul 2018, Page 12-15
Hypertension status among the adult population in a rural community of Keraniganj Upazila, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Authors: Farhana A , Shakil M , Khan BU , Laskar MS , Alam M
Published: August 2018

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a growing public health concern among the Bangladeshi adult population. The objective of this cross-sectional descriptive type of study was to estimate the proportion of hypertension in an adult population of Keraniganj Upazila, Dhaka. The sample size was 199 selected purposively. Among them, 53.8% were female, 82.4% Muslims. Of the total respondents, 15.6% were hypertensive and highest proportion (29.0%) of hypertensive patients was found in the age group of ≥50-<60 years. The study revealed that people who took extra fatty food for 3-5 days per week, people who took extra salt in their food, respondents had a positive family history of hypertension or diabetes mellitus were more prone to develop hypertension. The study also revealed that smokers were in higher risk of development of hypertension than the non-smokers were and the rate of hypertension was 36.8% among those having higher waist circumference within 100 cm - 109 cm than those having lower waist circumference within 60 cm - 69 cm. Newly identified hypertensive cases were 7.0% of the study population. Results of this study have profound implications for hypertension prevention programs in the rural community, pointing out the need for increased focus in addressing hypertension along with its all background causes.Mediscope Vol. 5, No. 2: Jul 2018, Page 21-29
Number of Childbearing Partners, Status, and the Fertility of Men and Women in the U.S.
Authors: Hopcroft Rosemary L.
Published: August 2018

Theory from evolutionary biology suggests that status and access to resources will influence the number of mating partners somewhat differently for men and women, yet little previous research has examined the relationship between status and number of childbearing partners for men and women in the U.S. This paper uses newly available data on a large probability sample of the U.S. population (the Survey of Income and Program Participation) to evaluate the relationship between the number of childbearing partners, socioeconomic status, and subsequent fertility for men and women in the U.S. Results show that education (net of income and net worth) is always negatively related to the number of childbearing unions and fertility for both men and women. For men, personal income and personal net worth are positive predictors of both number of childbearing partners and fertility, while for women personal income and personal net worth are negative predictors of number of childbearing partners and fertility. For men, the positive effect of income on number of childbearing partners is because low income men are more likely to have no childbearing partners at all and not because high income men are more likely to have multiple partners. Men with a higher net worth do have more childbearing partners than other men, all else being equal. Both men and women who have a larger number of childbearing partners do have more children, all else being equal, although this effect is stronger for men than for women. Of those with multiple childbearing unions, men and women with both very high and very low incomes have more children than those with middle incomes.
The Performance and Potentiality of Monoecious Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Cultivars as a Multipurpose Crop
Authors: Baldini Mario , Ferfuia Claudio , Piani Barbara , Sepulcri Angela , Dorigo Gaia , Zuliani Fabio , Danuso Francesco , Cattivello Costantino
Published: August 2018

Given the growing interest in multipurpose hemp crop, eight monoecious cultivars were compared in a two-year trial for quantitative and qualitative yield in a Mediterranean environment characterized by a temperate and humid climate with hot summers. All hemp cultivars were evaluated for yield potential of (i) seed plus stem at seed maturity, and (ii) essential oil yield from inflorescences harvested at full flowering. The second goal was set to test the ability of cultivars to supply new seeds after the removal of inflorescence at full flowering. Among the cultivars, Fedora obtained the best results for seed (0.79 and 0.52 t ha−1) and vegetable oil yield (0.17 and 0.09 t ha−1) normally and with inflorescence removed plants, respectively. Futura, conversely, showed the best results for inflorescence (3.0 t ha−1), essential oil (9 L ha−1), and stem yield at seed maturity (8.34 t ha−1), as means across the two years. The cultivars studied generally reached the grain-filling stage during a period that was drier and warmer than the average of the same multi-year period, and this negatively affected seed quality. The oil fatty acid composition was mainly composed of polyunsaturated fatty acids (75% on average) and not affected by the cultivar. In conclusion, although the hemp grower should always clearly know the main production objective of the crop, the monoecious cultivars available today allow a multipurpose use of hemp crop, improving the sustainability of the cultivation activity.
Methylome and Epialleles in Rice Epilines Selected for Energy Use Efficiency
Authors: Schmidt Martin , Byzova Marina , Martens Cindy , Peeters Marrit , Raj Yog , Shukla Shailesh , Verwulgen Tom , De Block Marc , Van Lijsebettens Mieke
Published: August 2018

Epigenetics offers important opportunities in breeding to improve the potential yield in a wide variety of crops. Starting from a pure breeder seed lot of a rice (Oryza sativa ssp. indica) inbred population, repeated testing for improved cellular respiration rates and energy use efficiency (EUE) over three generations identified performant epilines with distinct epigenetic signatures and with improved seed yield in field trials. Epiline DNA methylomes were characterized by genome-wide bisulfite sequencing to discern cytosine methylation changes in relation to transcriptome and phenotype. Regional methylation changes were dispersed over the epiline genomes. A number of upstream-associated differentially methylated regions (DMRs) correlated with differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with a role in particular molecular functions like transmembrane transport and protein kinase activity. Targeted bisulfite sequencing confirmed epiline DMRs that anti-correlated with DEGs, identifying putative epialleles that were susceptible for cytosine methylation changes that might affect gene expression and contribute to the phenotype. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing revealed the extensive enrichment of gene-associated histone H3 lysine-4 trimethylation (H3K4me3), which correlated with gene activation and reduced cytosine methylation. Our data indicate that seed formation is prone to epigenetic changes that might be used as a resource in crop improvement.
Correction: Moeker, N.; et al. Antibody Selection for Cancer Target Validation of FSH-Receptor in Immunohistochemical Settings. Antibodies 2017, 6, 15
Authors: Möker Nina , Peters Solveig , Rauchenberger Robert , Ghinea Nicolae , Kunz Christian ,   Antibodies Editorial Office
Published: August 2018

The authors wish to make the following correction to the Conflict of Interests section in their published paper[...]
Study on EEMD-Based KICA and Its Application in Fault-Feature Extraction of Rotating Machinery
Authors: Fang Liang , Sun Hongchun
Published: August 2018

A method is proposed to improve the feature extraction of vibration signals of rotating machinery. Firstly, the single-channel vibration signal is decomposed with ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD). Then, the number of fault signals can be estimated with singular-value decomposition (SVD). Finally, the fault signals can be extracted with kernel-independent component analysis (KICA). The advantage of this method is that it can estimate the number of fault signals of single-channel vibration signals and can extract the fault features clearly. Compared with wavelets, empirical mode decomposition (EMD), variational mode decomposition (VMD) and EEMD, the better performance of this method is proven with three experimental analyses of faulty gear, a faulty rolling bearing and a faulty shaft. The results demonstrate that the proposed method is efficient to extract the fault features of single-channel vibration signals of rotating machinery.
Accurate RANS Simulation of Wind Turbine Stall by Turbulence Coefficient Calibration
Authors: Zhong Wei , Tang Hongwei , Wang Tongguang , Zhu Chengyong
Published: August 2018

Stall, a complex phenomenon related to flow separation, is difficult to be predicted accurately. The motivation of the present study is to propose an approach to improve the simulation accuracy of Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes equations (RANS) for wind turbines in stall. The approach is implemented in three steps in simulations of the S809 airfoil and the NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Phase VI rotor. The similarity between airfoil and rotor simulations is firstly investigated. It is found that the primary reason for the inaccuracy of rotor simulation is not the rotational effect or the 3-D effect, but the turbulence-related problem that already exists in airfoil simulation. Secondly, a coefficient of the SST turbulence model is calibrated in airfoil simulation, ensuring the onset and development of the light stall are predicted accurately. The lift of the airfoil in the light stall, which was overestimated about 30%, is reduced to a level consistent with experimental data. Thirdly, the calibrated coefficient is applied to rotor simulation. That makes the flow patterns on the blade properly simulated and the pressure distribution of the blade, as well as the torque of the rotor, are predicted more accurately. The relative error of the predicted maximum torque is reduced from 34.4% to 3.2%. Furthermore, the procedure of calibration is applied to the MEXICO (Model Experiments in Controlled Conditions) rotor, and the predicted pressure distributions over blade sections are better than the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) results from the Mexnext project. In essence, the present study provides an approach for calibrating rotor simulation using airfoil experimental data, which enhances the potential of RANS in accurate simulation of the wind turbine aerodynamic performance.
New Approximation Methods Based on Fuzzy Transform for Solving SODEs: II
Authors: ALKasasbeh Hussein , Perfilieva Irina , Ahmad Muhammad Zaini , Yahya Zainor Ridzuan
Published: August 2018

In this research, three approximation methods are used in the new generalized uniform fuzzy partition to solve the system of differential equations (SODEs) based on fuzzy transform (FzT). New representations of basic functions are proposed based on the new types of a uniform fuzzy partition and a subnormal generating function. The main properties of a new uniform fuzzy partition are examined. Further, the simpler form of the fuzzy transform is given alongside some of its fundamental results. New theorems and lemmas are proved. In accordance with the three conventional numerical methods: Trapezoidal rule (one step) and Adams Moulton method (two and three step modifications), new iterative methods (NIM) based on the fuzzy transform are proposed. These new fuzzy approximation methods yield more accurate results in comparison with the above-mentioned conventional methods.
Modeling the 2013 Zika Outbreak in French Polynesia: Intervention Strategies
Authors: Gwalani Harsha , Hawamdeh Faris , Mikler Armin R. , Xiong Katherine
Published: August 2018

The ongoing Zika virus (ZIKV) in the Americas has been a serious public health emergency since 2015. Since Zika is a vector-borne disease, the size of the vector population in the affected area plays a key role in controlling the scale of the outbreak. The primary vectors for Zika, the Aedes Agypti and Aedes Albopictus species of mosquitoes, are highly sensitive to climatic conditions for survival and reproduction. Additionally, increased international travel over the years has caused the disease outbreak to turn into a pandemic affecting five continents. The mosquito population and the human travel patterns are the two main driving forces affecting the persistence and resurgence of Zika and other vector-borne diseases. This paper presents an enhanced dynamic model that simulates the 2013–2014 French Polynesia Zika outbreak incorporating the temperature dependent mosquito ecology and the local transit network (flights and ferries). The study highlights the importance of human travel patterns and mosquito population dynamics in a disease outbreak. The results predict that more than 85% of the population was infected by the end of the outbreak and it lasted for more than five months across the islands. The basic reproduction number ( R 0 ) for the outbreak is also calculated using the next-generation-matrix for validation purposes. Additionally, this study is focused on measuring the impact of intervention strategies like reducing the mosquito population, preventing mosquito bites and imposing travel bans. French Polynesia was chosen as the region of interest for the study because of available demographic, climate and transit data. Additionally, results from similar studies for the region are available for validation and comparison. However, the proposed system can be used to study the transmission dynamics of any vector-borne disease in any geographic region by altering the climatic and demographic data, and the transit network.
Role of the HPRG Component of Striated Muscle AMP Deaminase in the Stability and Cellular Behaviour of the Enzyme
Authors: Ronca Francesca , Raggi Antonio
Published: August 2018

Multiple muscle-specific isoforms of the Zn2+ metalloenzyme AMP deaminase (AMPD) have been identified based on their biochemical and genetic differences. Our previous observations suggested that the metal binding protein histidine-proline-rich glycoprotein (HPRG) participates in the assembly and maintenance of skeletal muscle AMP deaminase (AMPD1) by acting as a zinc chaperone. The evidence of a role of millimolar-strength phosphate in stabilizing the AMPD-HPRG complex of both AMPD1 and cardiac AMP deaminase (AMPD3) is suggestive of a physiological mutual dependence between the two subunit components with regard to the stability of the two isoforms of striated muscle AMPD. The observed influence of the HPRG content on the catalytic behavior of the two enzymes further strengthens this hypothesis. Based on the preferential localization of HPRG at the sarcomeric I-band and on the presence of a Zn2+ binding motif in the N-terminal regions of fast TnT and of the AMPD1 catalytic subunit, we advance the hypothesis that the Zn binding properties of HPRG could promote the association of AMPD1 to the thin filament.
Visually Evoked Response Differences to Contrast and Motion in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Shuffrey Lauren C. , Levinson Lisa , Becerra Alexis , Pak Grace , Moya Sepulveda Dayna , Montgomery Alicia K. , Green Heather L. , Froud Karen
Published: August 2018

High-density electroencephalography (EEG) was used to examine the utility of the P1 event-related potential (ERP) as a marker of visual motion sensitivity to luminance defined low-spatial frequency drifting gratings in 16 children with autism and 16 neurotypical children. Children with autism displayed enhanced sensitivity to large, high-contrast low-spatial frequency stimuli as indexed by significantly shorter P1 response latencies to large vs. small gratings. The current study also found that children with autism had larger amplitude responses to large gratings irrespective of contrast. A linear regression established that P1 adaptive mean amplitude for large, high-contrast sinusoidal gratings significantly predicted hyperresponsiveness item mean scores on the Sensory Experiences Questionnaire for children with autism, but not for neurotypical children. We conclude that children with autism have differences in the mechanisms that underlie low-level visual processing potentially related to altered visual spatial suppression or contrast gain control.
Distinct 3D Structural Patterns of Lamin A/C Expression in Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg Cells
Authors: Contu Fabio , Rangel-Pozzo Aline , Trokajlo Peter , Wark Landon , Klewes Ludger , Johnson Nathalie A. , Petrogiannis-Haliotis Tina , Gartner John G. , Garini Yuval , Vanni Roberta , Knecht Hans , Mai Sabine
Published: August 2018

Classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma (cHL) is a B-Cell lymphoma comprised of mononuclear Hodgkin cells (H) and bi- to multi-nucleated Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells. Previous studies revealed that H and RS cells express lamin A/C, a component of the lamina of the nuclear matrix. Since no information was available about the three-dimensional (3D) expression patterns of lamin A/C in H and RS cells, we analyzed the 3D spatial organization of lamin in such cells, using 3D fluorescent microscopy. H and RS cells from cHL derived cell lines stained positive for lamin A/C, in contrast to peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs), in which the lamin A/C protein was not detected or weak, although its presence could be transiently increased with lymphocyte activation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Most importantly, in H and RS cells, the regular homogeneous and spherically shaped lamin A/C pattern, identified in activated lymphocytes, was absent. Instead, in H and RS cells, lamin staining showed internal lamin A/C structures, subdividing the nuclei into two or more smaller compartments. Analysis of pre-treatment cHL patients’ samples replicated the lamin patterns identified in cHL cell lines. We conclude that the investigation of lamin A/C protein could be a useful tool for understanding nuclear remodeling in cHL.
Seventh Annual Conference of inVIVO Planetary Health on Transforming Life: Unify Personal, Public, and Planetary Health
Authors: Prescott Susan , Kozyrskyj Anita , Logan Alan , Campbell Dianne
Published: August 2018

inVIVO Planetary Health is a progressive, humanist scientific movement promoting both evidence and advocacy around concepts of planetary health which denote the interdependence between human health and place at all scales. Our seventh annual conference was held in Canmore, Alberta 4-6th April 2018, themed “Transforming Life: Unify Personal, Public, and Planetary Health” included diverse topics and perspectives to emphasise the interdependent vitality of all natural and anthropogenic ecosystems—social, political and otherwise. A key outcome of this meeting was the The Canmore Declaration: Statement of Principles for Planetary Health (published separately) which underscores that improving the health of all systems depends on: mutualistic values; planetary consciousness; advocacy; unity of purpose; recognition of biopsychosocial interdependence; emotional bonds between people and the land; efforts to counter elitism, social dominance and marginalization; meaningful cross-sectoral and cross-cultural narrative; self-awareness; and a personal commitment to shaping new normative attitudes and behaviors. Here we present the collection of abstracts of invited lectures and oral communications presented during the meeting. These formed the foundations and direction for discussions that became the basis of The Canmore Declaration.
Laboratory Observations of Linkage of Preslip Zones Prior to Stick-Slip Instability
Authors: Zhuo Yan-Qun , Guo Yanshuang , Chen Shunyun , Ji Yuntao , Ma Jin
Published: August 2018

Field and experimental observations showed that preslip undergoes a transition from multiple to single preslip zones, which implies the existence of linkage of preslip zones before the fault instability. However, the observations of the linkage process, which is significant for understanding the mechanism of earthquake preparation, remains to be implemented due to the limitations of observation methods in previous studies. Detailed spatiotemporal evolutions of preslip were observed via a high-speed camera and a digital image correlation method in our experiments. The normalized length of preslip zones shows an increase trend while the normalized number of preslip zones (NN) shows an increase followed by a decrease trend, which indicate that the expansion of the preslip undergoes a transition from increase to linkage of the isolated preslip zones. The peak NN indicates the initiation of the linkage of preslip zones. Both the linkage of the preslip zones and the decrease in the normalized information entropy of fault displacement direction indicate the reduction of spatial complexity of preslip as the instability approaches. Furthermore, the influences of dynamic adjustment of stress along the fault and the interactions between the asperities and preslip on the spatial complexity of preslip were also observed and analyzed.
Geometry and Entanglement of Two-Qubit States in the Quantum Probabilistic Representation
Authors: López-Saldívar Julio Alberto , Castaños Octavio , Nahmad-Achar Eduardo , López-Peña Ramón , Man’ko Margarita A. , Man’ko Vladimir I.
Published: August 2018

A new geometric representation of qubit and qutrit states based on probability simplexes is used to describe the separability and entanglement properties of density matrices of two qubits. The Peres–Horodecki positive partial transpose (ppt) -criterion and the concurrence inequalities are formulated as the conditions that the introduced probability distributions must satisfy to present entanglement. A four-level system, where one or two states are inaccessible, is considered as an example of applying the elaborated probability approach in an explicit form. The areas of three Triadas of Malevich’s squares for entangled states of two qubits are defined through the qutrit state, and the critical values of the sum of their areas are calculated. We always find an interval for the sum of the square areas, which provides the possibility for an experimental checkup of the entanglement of the system in terms of the probabilities.
Fractal Structure and Non-Extensive Statistics
Authors: Deppman Airton , Frederico Tobias , Megías Eugenio , Menezes Debora P.
Published: August 2018

The role played by non-extensive thermodynamics in physical systems has been under intense debate for the last decades. With many applications in several areas, the Tsallis statistics have been discussed in detail in many works and triggered an interesting discussion on the most deep meaning of entropy and its role in complex systems. Some possible mechanisms that could give rise to non-extensive statistics have been formulated over the last several years, in particular a fractal structure in thermodynamic functions was recently proposed as a possible origin for non-extensive statistics in physical systems. In the present work, we investigate the properties of such fractal thermodynamical system and propose a diagrammatic method for calculations of relevant quantities related to such a system. It is shown that a system with the fractal structure described here presents temperature fluctuation following an Euler Gamma Function, in accordance with previous works that provided evidence of the connections between those fluctuations and Tsallis statistics. Finally, the scale invariance of the fractal thermodynamical system is discussed in terms of the Callan–Symanzik equation.
A Broadband Switch-Less Bi-Directional Amplifier with Negative-Group-Delay Matching Circuits
Authors: Meng Yuwei , Wang Zhongbao , Fang Shaojun , Shao Te , Liu Hongmei
Published: August 2018

A broadband switch-less bi-directional low noise amplifier based on negative group delay (NGD) matching circuits with a non-Foster characteristic is proposed. To validate the feasibility, two circuits were designed and compared, which are matched by NGD circuits and traditional lumped elements respectively. The structure proposed in this paper has a measured relative bandwidth (RBW) of 32.6% rather than 5.1% for the traditional one. From 797 MHz to 1095 MHz, the input and output return losses (RL) are more than 10 dB with a noise factor (NF) of about 3.5 dB and peak gain of 12.2 dB. Meanwhile, the reverse isolation and stability factor (SF) are greater than 20 dB and 1, respectively. The group delay (GD) value is 0.5 ns ± 0.25 ns in the operating frequency band, which is much flatter and lower compared to that of the traditional one.
Study on Consulting Air Combat Simulation of Cluster UAV Based on Mixed Parallel Computing Framework of Graphics Processing Unit
Authors: Kung Chien-Chun
Published: August 2018

This paper combines matrix game theory with negotiating theory and uses U-solution to study the framework of the consulting air combat of UAV cluster. The processes to determine the optimal strategy in this paper follow three points: first, the UAV cluster are grouped into fleets; second, the best paring for the joint operations of the fleet member with the enemy fleet members are calculated; thirdly, consultations within the fleet are conducted to discuss the problems of optimal tactic, roles of main/assistance, and situational assessment within the fleet. In order to improve the computing efficiency of the framework, this article explores the use of the NVIDIA graphics processor programmed through MATLAB mixed C++/CUDA toolkit to accelerate the calculations of equations of motion of unmanned aerial vehicles, the prediction of superiority values and U values, computations of consultation, the evaluation of situational assessment and the optimal strategies. The effectiveness evaluation of GPGPU and CPU can be observed by the simulation results. When the number of team air combat is small, the CPU alone has better efficiency; however, when the number of air combat clusters exceeds 6 to 6, the architecture presented in this article can provide higher performance improvements and run faster than optimized CPU-only code.
Performance Analysis on the Optimum Control of a Calorimeter with a Heat Recovery Unit for a Heat Pump
Authors: Amoabeng Kofi Owura , Choi Jong Min
Published: August 2018

Heat pumps are used in many applications, both in households and industries, for space air conditioning and hot water provision. The calorimeter is the equipment used in testing the heat pump system to obtain performance data. In the conventional testing mode and under standard conditions, the calorimeter utilizes a lot of energy through refrigeration and heating systems. In this study, a newly developed calorimeter with a heat recovery unit was used to test the performance of a water-to-water heat pump system. The aim was to minimize the rate of energy used in the conventional calorimeter. Two heat recovery control methods were adopted. In the control (1), the heat recovery unit was used to control the inlet water temperature setpoint for the heat pump indoor heat exchanger, whereas in control (2), the heat recovery unit was used to control the inlet water temperature setpoint for the heat pump outdoor heat exchanger. Tests were executed by varying the operating mode and test conditions. For the heating operating mode, the inlet water setpoint temperatures for the indoor and outdoor heat pump heat exchangers were 40 °C and 5 °C, respectively, whereas for the cooling mode, the inlet water setpoint temperatures for the outdoor and indoor heat pump heat exchangers were 25 °C and 12 °C, respectively. The analyses of the experimental results revealed that the energy saving of the calorimeter with heat recovery was about 71% in cooling mode and 73% in heating mode compared to the conventional calorimeter. Also, the energy consumption of the proposed calorimeter was analyzed based on the control methods. In heating mode, the calorimeter performance was enhanced when the control (2) strategy was used because the energy saving was about 8 to 13% compared to control (1). However, in the cooling mode test, it was the control (1) method that resulted in energy savings of about 6.4 to 21% compared to the control (2) method.
An Assessment of Near-to-Mid-Term Economic Impacts and Energy Transitions under “2 °C” and “1.5 °C” Scenarios for India
Authors: Mittal Shivika , Liu Jing-Yu , Fujimori Shinichiro , Shukla Priyadarshi Ramprasad
Published: August 2018

The goal of limiting global temperature rise to “well below” 2 °C has been reaffirmed in the Paris Agreement on climate change at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21). Almost all countries submitted their decarbonization targets in their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and India did as well. India’s nationally determined contribution (NDC) aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity of national GDP in 2030 by 33–35% compared to 2005. This paper analyzes how India’s NDC commitments compare with emission trajectories consistent with well below 2 °C and 1.5 °C global temperature stabilization goals. A top-down computable general equilibrium model is used for the analysis. Our analysis shows that there are significant emission gaps between NDC and global climate stabilization targets in 2030. The energy system requires significant changes, mostly relying on renewable energy and carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. The mitigation costs would increase if India delays its abatement efforts and is locked into NDC pathways till 2030. India’s GHG emissions would peak 10 years earlier under 1.5 °C global temperature stabilization compared to the 2 °C goal. The results imply that India would need financial and technological support from developed countries to achieve emissions reductions aligned with the global long-term goal.
In Operando Neutron Radiography Analysis of a High-Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Based on a Phosphoric Acid-Doped Polybenzimidazole Membrane Using the Hydrogen-Deuterium Contrast Method
Authors: Lin Yu , Arlt Tobias , Kardjilov Nikolay , Manke Ingo , Lehnert Werner
Published: August 2018

In order to characterize high temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cells (HT-PEFCs) in operando, neutron radiography imaging, in combination with the deuterium contrast method, was used to analyze the hydrogen distribution and proton exchange processes in operando. These measurements were then combined with the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. The cell was operated under different current densities and stoichiometries. Neutron images of the active area of the cell were captured in order to study the changeover times when the fuel supply was switched between hydrogen and deuterium, as well as to analyze the cell during steady state conditions. This work demonstrates that the changeover from proton to deuteron (and vice versa) leads to local varying media distributions in the electrolyte, independent of the overall exchange dynamics. A faster proton-to-deuteron exchange was re-discovered when switching the gas supply from H2 to D2 than that from D2 to H2. Furthermore, the D2 uptake and discharge were faster at a higher current density. Specifically, the changeover from H to D takes 5–6 min at 200 mA cm−2, 2–3 min at 400 mA cm−2 and 1–2 min at 600 mA cm−2. An effect on the transmittance changes is apparent when the stoichiometry changes.
The Effect of Renewable Energy Generation on the Electric Power Spot Price of the Japan Electric Power Exchange
Authors: Maekawa Jun , Hai Bui Hien , Shinkuma Sarana , Shimada Koji
Published: August 2018

This study aims to explore the relationship between renewable energies and the electric power spot price of the Japan Electric Power Exchange (JEPX). By using panel data analysis and proxy modeling, this work attempts to estimate how renewable energies (displayed through the proxies) and other factors influence the electric power spot price in Japan. Based on an analysis of the estimations, some policy implications have been proposed, such as to incorporate weather information into the price forecast, or to provide a guide to more effectively transact on the JEPX.
Combinatory Finite Element and Artificial Neural Network Model for Predicting Performance of Thermoelectric Generator
Authors: Kishore Ravi , Mahajan Roop , Priya Shashank
Published: August 2018

Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are rapidly becoming the mainstream technology for converting thermal energy into electrical energy. The rise in the continuous deployment of TEGs is related to advancements in materials, figure of merit, and methods for module manufacturing. However, rapid optimization techniques for TEGs have not kept pace with these advancements, which presents a challenge regarding tailoring the device architecture for varying operating conditions. Here, we address this challenge by providing artificial neural network (ANN) models that can predict TEG performance on demand. Out of the several ANN models considered for TEGs, the most efficient one consists of two hidden layers with six neurons in each layer. The model predicted TEG power with an accuracy of ±0.1 W, and TEG efficiency with an accuracy of ±0.2%. The trained ANN model required only 26.4 ms per data point for predicting TEG performance against the 6.0 minutes needed for the traditional numerical simulations.
Hydrodynamic Analysis of a Marine Current Energy Converter for Profiling Floats
Authors: Wu Shuang , Liu Yanjun , An Qi
Published: August 2018

With the continuous improvement of people’s interest in ocean exploration, research on deep-water profiling floats has received more and more attention. Energy supply is the key factor that restricts the working hours of deep-water floats. For this consideration, a marine current energy converter for deep-water profiling floats is proposed in this paper. A spiral involute blade is designed so that energy can be captured in two directions. Specifically, in the shallow sea area, the energy of the radial current is captured, and in the deep-sea area, the axial relative flow energy of the floats’ autonomous up and down motions is captured. This captured energy is then converted into electrical energy to charge the battery and extend the working time of the floats. The novel spiral involute blade has unique hydrodynamic characteristics. The turbine’s self-starting performance and its capacity coefficient are the main research topics studied using the computational fluid dynamics technique. Through numerical analysis and simulation, the self-starting response range and energy capture were obtained. This paper verifies the feasibility of this innovative idea using a theory analysis and provides the basis for future prototype testing and further applied research.
Patents Analysis of Thermal Bridges in Slab Fronts and Their Effect on Energy Demand
Authors: Bienvenido-Huertas David , Quiñones Juan Antonio Fernández , Moyano Juan , Rodríguez-Jiménez Carlos E.
Published: August 2018

Nowadays, the building sector is one of the main sources emitting pollutant gases to the atmosphere due to its deficient energy behaviour. Among the elements of the envelope, the thermal bridges are where the heat losses and gains mainly occur, depending on the season of the year. To reduce the effect of the thermal bridges, there are different patented technologies which give provide solutions. In this paper, the thermal behaviour of five patented slab front (slab-façade) thermal bridges are analysed in a case study located in the south of Spain. Moreover, the influence of the thermal bridge on the energy demand from the building analysed was evaluated, both in the current scenario and future ones (2020, 2050 and 2080). The results reveal that the use of the patents in slab fronts can mean reductions by up to 95.74% in the linear thermal transmittance. Likewise, due to the improvement of the thermal bridge of slab fronts by using the patented designs which offered the best features, a savings in the global energy demand for heating higher than 18% as well as a savings in the global energy demand for cooling higher than 2.80% could be achieved in all the time scenarios considered.
Modeling of Multiple Master–Slave Control under Island Microgrid and Stability Analysis Based on Control Parameter Configuration
Authors: Liang Haifeng , Dong Yue , Huang Yuxi , Zheng Can , Li Peng
Published: August 2018

The stable operation of a microgrid is crucial to the integration of renewable energy sources. However, with the expansion of scale in electronic devices applied in the microgrid, the interaction between voltage source converters poses a great threat to system stability. In this paper, the model of a three-source microgrid with a multi master–slave control method in islanded mode is built first of all. Two sources out of three use droop control as the main control source, and another is a subordinate one with constant power control which is also known as real and reactive power (PQ) control. Then, the small signal decoupling control model and its stability discriminant equation are established combined with “virtual impedance”. To delve deeper into the interaction between converters, mutual influence of paralleled converters of two main control micro sources and their effect on system stability is explored from the perspective of control parameters. Finally, simulation and analysis are launched and the study serves as a reference for parameter setting of converters in a microgrid.
Hybridizing Chaotic and Quantum Mechanisms and Fruit Fly Optimization Algorithm with Least Squares Support Vector Regression Model in Electric Load Forecasting
Authors: Li Ming-Wei , Geng Jing , Hong Wei-Chiang , Zhang Yang
Published: August 2018

Compared with a large power grid, a microgrid electric load (MEL) has the characteristics of strong nonlinearity, multiple factors, and large fluctuation, which lead to it being difficult to receive more accurate forecasting performances. To solve the abovementioned characteristics of a MEL time series, the least squares support vector machine (LS-SVR) hybridizing with meta-heuristic algorithms is applied to simulate the nonlinear system of a MEL time series. As it is known that the fruit fly optimization algorithm (FOA) has several embedded drawbacks that lead to problems, this paper applies a quantum computing mechanism (QCM) to empower each fruit fly to possess quantum behavior during the searching processes, i.e., a QFOA algorithm. Eventually, the cat chaotic mapping function is introduced into the QFOA algorithm, namely CQFOA, to implement the chaotic global perturbation strategy to help fruit flies to escape from the local optima while the population’s diversity is poor. Finally, a new MEL forecasting method, namely the LS-SVR-CQFOA model, is established by hybridizing the LS-SVR model with CQFOA. The experimental results illustrate that, in three datasets, the proposed LS-SVR-CQFOA model is superior to other alternative models, including BPNN (back-propagation neural networks), LS-SVR-CQPSO (LS-SVR with chaotic quantum particle swarm optimization algorithm), LS-SVR-CQTS (LS-SVR with chaotic quantum tabu search algorithm), LS-SVR-CQGA (LS-SVR with chaotic quantum genetic algorithm), LS-SVR-CQBA (LS-SVR with chaotic quantum bat algorithm), LS-SVR-FOA, and LS-SVR-QFOA models, in terms of forecasting accuracy indexes. In addition, it passes the significance test at a 97.5% confidence level.
Ratio of Mercury Concentration to PCB Concentration Varies with Sex of White Sucker (Catostomus commersonii)
Authors: Madenjian Charles , Stevens Andrew , Stapanian Martin , Krabbenhoft David , DeWild John , Ogorek Jacob , Edwards William , Ogilvie Lynn , McIntyre Peter
Published: August 2018

The whole-fish total mercury (Hg) concentrations were determined in 25 mature female and 26 mature male white suckers (Catostomus commersonii) caught during their spawning run in the Kewaunee River, a tributary to Lake Michigan. The age of each fish was estimated using thin-sectioned otoliths, and total length (TL) and weight were determined for each fish. When adjusted for the effect of age, males were found to be 7% higher in Hg concentration than females. Nearly all (about 98%) of the Hg found in the white suckers was determined to be methylmercury. In an earlier study on the same 51 white suckers from the Kewaunee River spawning run, males were found to be 18% higher than females in polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentration. We determined that the ratio of Hg concentration to PCB concentration in females was significantly higher than that in males. Thus, sex significantly interacted with contaminant type (Hg or PCBs) in determining contaminant concentrations. The most plausible explanation for this interaction was that males eliminated Hg at a faster rate than females, most likely due to the boosting of the Hg-elimination rate by certain androgens such as testosterone and 11-ketotestosterone. Hg concentrations in the white suckers were well below federal guidelines for fish consumption.