bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design and Performance Evaluation of an Algorithm Based on Source Term Estimation for Odor Source Localization
Authors: Rahbar Faezeh , Marjovi Ali , Martinoli Alcherio
Published: February 2019

Finding sources of airborne chemicals with mobile sensing systems finds applications across safety, security, environmental monitoring, and medical domains. In this paper, we present an algorithm based on Source Term Estimation for odor source localization that is coupled with a navigation method based on partially observable Markov decision processes. We propose a novel strategy to balance exploration and exploitation in navigation. Moreover, we study two variants of the algorithm, one exploiting a global and the other one a local framework. The method was evaluated through high-fidelity simulations and in a wind tunnel emulating a quasi-laminar air flow in a controlled environment, in particular by systematically investigating the impact of multiple algorithmic and environmental parameters (wind speed and source release rate) on the overall performance. The outcome of the experiments showed that the algorithm is robust to different environmental conditions in the global framework, but, in the local framework, it is only successful in relatively high wind speeds. In the local framework, on the other hand, the algorithm is less demanding in terms of energy consumption as it does not require any absolute positioning information from the environment and the robot travels less distance compared to the global framework.
The Use of Wearable Sensors for the Movement Assessment on Muscle Contraction Sequences in Post-Stroke Patients during Sit-to-Stand
Authors: Hsu Wei-Chun , Chang Chao-Chin , Lin Yi-Jia , Yang Fu-Chi , Lin Li-Fong , Chou Kuan-Nien
Published: February 2019

Electromyography (EMG) sensors have been used to study the sequence of muscle contractions during sit-to-stand (STS) in post-stroke patients. However, the majority of the studies used wired sensors with a limited number of placements. Using the latest improved wearable technology with 16 sensors, the current study was a thorough investigation to evaluate the contraction sequences of eight key muscles on the trunk and bilateral limbs during STS in post-stroke patients, as it became feasible. Multiple wearable sensors for the detection of muscle contraction sequences showed that the post-stroke patients performed STS with abnormal firing sequences, not only in the primary mover on the sagittal plane during raising, but also in the tibialis anterior, which may affect anticipatory postural adjustment in the gluteus medius, which may affect balance control. The abnormal tibialis anterior contraction until the early ascending phase and the delayed firing of the gluteus muscles highlight the importance of whole-kinetic-chain monitoring of contraction sequences using wearable sensors. The findings can be helpful for the design of therapeutic exercises.
LiDAR-Based 3D Scans of Soil Surfaces and Furrows in Two Soil Types
Authors: Foldager Frederik F. , Pedersen Johanna Maria , Haubro Skov Esben , Evgrafova Alevtina , Green Ole
Published: February 2019

Soil surface measurements play an important role in the performance assessment of tillage operations and are relevant in both academic and industrial settings. Manual soil surface measurements are time-consuming and laborious, which often limits the amount of data collected. An experiment was conducted to compare two approaches for measuring and analysing the cross-sectional area and geometry of a furrow after a trailing shoe sweep. The compared approaches in this study were a manual pinboard and a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor. The experiments were conducted in coarse sand and loamy sand soil bins exposed to three levels of irrigation. Using the LiDAR, a system for generating 3D scans of the soil surface was obtained and a mean furrow geometry was introduced to study the geometrical variations along the furrows. A comparison of the cross-sectional area measurements by the pinboard and the LiDAR showed up to 41% difference between the two methods. The relation between irrigation and the resulting furrow area of a trailing shoe sweep was investigated using the LiDAR measurements. The furrow cross-sectional area increased by 11% and 34% under 20 mm and 40 mm irrigation compared to non-irrigated in the coarse sand experiment. In the loamy sand, the cross-sectional area increased by 17% and 15% by irrigation of 20 mm and 40 mm compared to non-irrigated measured using the LiDAR.
An Investigation on Pervasive Technologies for IoT-based Thermal Monitoring
Authors: Giusto Edoardo , Gandino Filippo , Greco Michele Luigi , Grosso Michelangelo , Montrucchio Bartolomeo , Rinaudo Salvatore
Published: February 2019

Indoor thermal monitoring is a crucial requirement for home automation, which fits inside the ever-growing Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm. The IoT ecosystem aims at connecting every device exploiting specific functions, deployed in a particular place, in order to give the chance to the users to monitor and/or control some aspects of their life, or to demand this task to a proper software. In the thermal monitoring context, IoT provides new opportunities for a dense and/or large-scale distribution of sensors, which have to gather data in order to effectively control the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system. Several wireless technologies can be exploited for this scope. However, they involve different benefits and drawbacks. In particular, this study is focused on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Bluetooth®, which represent two well-known wireless technological standards used by commercial electronics but suitable also for pervasive IoT systems. These technologies are discussed and compared from several points of view, i.e., flexibility, reliability, battery life and cost of the system. A theoretical analysis highlights their benefits for the application context and evaluates their suitability to dense and large-scale monitoring systems. The theoretical results are supported by an experimental analysis based on the implementation and test of two different systems, one using RFID and the other using Bluetooth technology.
Multistage Attitude Determination Alignment for Velocity-Aided In-Motion Strapdown Inertial Navigation System with Different Velocity Models
Authors: Li Shutong , Gao Yanbin , Liu Meng
Published: February 2019

A novel multistage attitude determination alignment algorithm with different velocity models is proposed to implement the alignment process of in-motion attitude determination alignment (IMADA) aided by the ground velocity expressed in body frame ( V b ) in this paper. Normally, The V b -based IMADA is used to achieve the coarse alignment for strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS). The higher the coarse alignment accuracy, the better initial condition can be achieved to guarantee the performance of the subsequent fine alignment. Consider the influence of the principal model errors and the calculation errors on the alignment accuracy in traditional V b -based IMADA, this paper deals with a novel alignment algorithm by integrating two different velocity-based IMADAs and the multiple repeated alignment processes. The power of this novel alignment algorithm lies in eliminating the principal model errors and decreasing the calculation errors. Then, the higher alignment accuracy is achieved. Simulations and vehicle experiment are performed to demonstrate the validity of the proposed algorithm.
High-Accuracy Globally Consistent Surface Reconstruction Using Fringe Projection Profilometry
Authors: Cheng Xu , Liu Xingjian , Li Zhongwei , Zhong Kai , Han Liya , He Wantao , Gan Wanbing , Xi Guoqing , Wang Congjun , Shi Yusheng
Published: February 2019

This paper presents a high-accuracy method for globally consistent surface reconstruction using a single fringe projection profilometry (FPP) sensor. To solve the accumulated sensor pose estimation error problem encountered in a long scanning trajectory, we first present a novel 3D registration method which fuses both dense geometric and curvature consistency constraints to improve the accuracy of relative sensor pose estimation. Then we perform global sensor pose optimization by modeling the surface consistency information as a pre-computed covariance matrix and formulating the multi-view point cloud registration problem in a pose graph optimization framework. Experiments on reconstructing a 1300 mm × 400 mm workpiece with a FPP sensor is performed, verifying that our method can substantially reduce the accumulated error and achieve industrial-level surface model reconstruction without any external positional assistance but only using a single FPP sensor.
The Spatiotemporal Coupling Characteristics of Regional Urbanization and Its Influencing Factors: Taking the Yangtze River Delta as an Example
Authors: Xu Dong , Hou Guolin
Published: February 2019

The research on the coupling coordination of regional urbanization is of great significance for achieving sustainable urbanization. Based on the theories of coordinated development, this paper constructs an index system for comprehensive evaluation of the three sub-systems of urbanization (population, economy and land urbanization). Then, the entropy method, coupling coordination degree model and spatial autocorrelation analysis are used to explore the spatiotemporal characteristics of overall and pairwise coordination among population, land and economy urbanization. Finally, the geographic detector model is used to analyze the influencing factors in the urbanization process. The results show that: (1) the levels of population, land and economy urbanization in the Yangtze River Delta have been improved from 2001 to 2016. The overall and pairwise coupling coordination degrees among them also continue to improve and the stage characteristics are presented. (2) The spatial distribution of low-level and high-level coupling coordination cities shows a certain spatial dependence and a Z-shaped pattern, respectively. The spatiotemporal characteristics of pairwise coupling coordination indicate regional imbalance of the urbanization. (3) The overall coupling coordination degree of urbanization has an apparent spatial autocorrelation, with its local spatial correlation patterns dominated by the High–High and Low–Low type agglomeration. Significant differences in local spatial correlation patterns of the pairwise coupling coordination suggest that regional synergy should not be neglected. (4) The economic development level is the main factor influencing the spatiotemporal differentiation of the coupling coordination of urbanization. Location traffic conditions and population agglomeration effect are the second most influencing factors. The evolution mechanisms of coupling coordination of urbanization are affected by factors in change. The findings highlight the importance of dealing with the relationship among population, land and economy in the process of regional urbanization and have implications for promoting the integration of urban agglomerations.
A Spatial Forestry Productivity Potential Model for Pinus arizonica Engelm, a Key Timber Species from Northwest Mexico
Authors: Martínez-Salvador Martin , Mata-Gonzalez Ricardo , Pinedo-Alvarez Alfredo , Morales-Nieto Carlos R. , Prieto-Amparán Jesús A. , Vázquez-Quintero Griselda , Villarreal-Guerrero Federico
Published: February 2019

Pinus arizonica is a widely distributed tree species growing in temperate forests of Northwest Mexico where it is utilized through different regeneration harvest methods. Yet, management models based on estimations of its productive potential are sorely lacking. In this study, a procedure to create a productive map using site index (SI) equations and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was developed. A SI model for P. arizonica was created for the study area and used to classify a group of randomly sampled plots on three productivity categories (High, Medium, and Low) for management purposes. Climatic, topographic and edaphic variables were determined on the sampled plots. Then, a statistically-based analysis was performed to identify the climatic, topographic and edaphic variables significantly influencing the productivity levels. Based on the values of these significant variables, a map of productive potential was elaborated for the whole study area. Sites with the highest productivity were those with slopes ≤12°, soil depths ≥0.46 m, minimum and maximum mean annual temperatures of 5 °C and 18 °C respectively, and precipitation ≥900 mm. This methodology could be considered for similar species/conditions where productivity models do not exist or to update old models rendered obsolete by climate change.
Segmenting the Generation Z Cohort University Students Based on Sustainable Food Consumption Behavior: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Kamenidou Irene C. , Mamalis Spyridon A. , Pavlidis Stavros , Bara Evangelia-Zoi G.
Published: February 2019

In-depth knowledge of sustainable food consumption behavior regarding university students, and especially the younger ones, reveals tendencies of the worlds’ sustainable future. This study aims to explore the sustainable food consumption behavior of the Generation Z cohort (18–23 years of age) that is studying at Greek universities and living away from home, and to segment them according to their behavior. Quantitative research was implemented with an online questionnaire, which resulted in a collection of 252 valid samples. The results revealed that the focus of sustainable food consumption behavior is limited to eating seasonal fruits and vegetables and purchasing regional food. Additionally, it identified two student segments based on sustainable food consumption behavior.
Land Competition under Telecoupling: Distant Actors’ Environmental versus Economic Claims on Land in North-Eastern Madagascar
Authors: Andriamihaja O. Ravaka , Metz Florence , Zaehringer Julie G. , Fischer Manuel , Messerli Peter
Published: February 2019

In north-eastern Madagascar, maintenance of biodiversity competes with expansion of land for agriculture and mining. The concept of “telecoupling” provides a framework for analysis of distant actors and institutions that influence local land use decisions. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the extent of telecoupling of land governance in north-eastern Madagascar and a lack of evidence regarding its role in driving land use change and land competition. Using a descriptive Social Network Analysis, we disentangled distant interactions between actors in terms of flows and institutions. Our findings show that the domains of economic and environmental interactions are dominated by actors from different sectors that have claims on the same land but generally do not interact. Distant influences occurring via remote flows of goods, money, and institutions serve to reinforce local land competition. Balancing economic and environmental land claims for more sustainable regional development in north-eastern Madagascar requires collaboration between actors across sectors, scales, and domains.
A Framework for Evaluating the Business Analytics Maturity of University Programmes
Authors: Muntean Mihaela , Bologa Ana-Ramona , Corbea Alexandra Maria Ioana , Bologa Razvan
Published: February 2019

The impact that business analytics (BA) has on companies’ performance will cause, in the near future, a significant increase in the demand for specialists in the field. Universities will play an important role in covering the deficit of professionals already reported by companies, provided that their offer is tailored to real market demands and their students are prepared to acquire the appropriate knowledge and skills. This paper proposes a framework for assessing the maturity level of BA in economic university programmes, based on the knowledge and technical skills needed by BA professionals. This maturity framework is applied to Romanian economic study programs to assess their analytical level and to identify their possible development directions. The educational programmes offer is then confronted with the real demand on the Romanian labour market, highlighting the types of jobs needed in the BA field and the related requirements for each of the analytical levels of the proposed model.
A Verifiable Fully Homomorphic Encryption Scheme for Cloud Computing Security
Authors: EL-YAHYAOUI Ahmed , ECH-CHERIF EL KETTANI Mohamed Dafir
Published: February 2019

Performing smart computations in a context of cloud computing and big data is highly appreciated today. It allows customers to fully benefit from cloud computing capacities (such as processing or storage) without losing confidentiality of sensitive data. Fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) is a smart category of encryption schemes that enables working with the data in its encrypted form. It permits us to preserve confidentiality of our sensible data and to benefit from cloud computing capabilities. While FHE is combined with verifiable computation, it offers efficient procedures for outsourcing computations over encrypted data to a remote, but non-trusted, cloud server. The resulting scheme is called Verifiable Fully Homomorphic Encryption (VFHE). Currently, it has been demonstrated by many existing schemes that the theory is feasible but the efficiency needs to be dramatically improved in order to make it usable for real applications. One subtle difficulty is how to efficiently handle the noise. This paper aims to introduce an efficient and symmetric verifiable FHE based on a new mathematic structure that is noise free. In our encryption scheme, the noise is constant and does not depend on homomorphic evaluation of ciphertexts. The homomorphy of our scheme is obtained from simple matrix operations (addition and multiplication). The running time of the multiplication operation of our encryption scheme in a cloud environment has an order of a few milliseconds.
Venomics of Trimeresurus (Popeia) nebularis, the Cameron Highlands Pit Viper from Malaysia: Insights into Venom Proteome, Toxicity and Neutralization of Antivenom
Authors: Tan Choo Hock , Tan Kae Yi , Ng Tzu Shan , Quah Evan S.H. , Ismail Ahmad Khaldun , Khomvilai Sumana , Sitprija Visith , Tan Nget Hong
Published: February 2019

Trimeresurus nebularis is a montane pit viper that causes bites and envenomation to various communities in the central highland region of Malaysia, in particular Cameron’s Highlands. To unravel the venom composition of this species, the venom proteins were digested by trypsin and subjected to nano-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for proteomic profiling. Snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMP) dominated the venom proteome by 48.42% of total venom proteins, with a characteristic distribution of P-III: P-II classes in a ratio of 2:1, while P-I class was undetected. Snaclecs constituted the second most venomous protein family (19.43%), followed by snake venom serine proteases (SVSP, 14.27%), phospholipases A2 (5.40%), disintegrins (5.26%) and minor proteins including cysteine-rich secretory proteins, L-amino acid oxidases, phosphodiesterases, 5′-nucleotidases. The venomic profile correlates with local (painful progressive edema) and systemic (hemorrhage, coagulopathy, thrombocytopenia) manifestation of T. nebularis envenoming. As specific antivenom is unavailable for T. nebularis, the hetero-specific Thai Green Pit viper Monovalent Antivenom (GPVAV) was examined for immunological cross-reactivity. GPVAV exhibited good immunoreactivity to T. nebularis venom and the antivenom effectively cross-neutralized the hemotoxic and lethal effects of T. nebularis (lethality neutralizing potency = 1.6 mg venom per mL antivenom). The findings supported GPVAV use in treating T. nebularis envenoming.
Chronic In Vivo Effects of Repeated Exposure to Low Oral Doses of Tetrodotoxin: Preliminary Evidence of Nephrotoxicity and Cardiotoxicity
Authors: Boente-Juncal Andrea , Vale Carmen , Cifuentes Manuel , Otero Paz , Camiña Mercedes , Rodriguez-Vieytes Mercedes , Botana Luis Miguel
Published: February 2019

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is one of the most potent naturally occurring neurotoxins. Initially TTX was associated with human food intoxications in Japan, but nowadays, concerns about the human health risks posed by TTX have increased in Europe after the identification of the toxin in fish, marine gastropods, and bivalves captured in European waters. Even when TTX monitoring is not currently performed in Europe, an acute oral no observable effect level (NOAEL) of 75 μg/kg has been recently established but, to date, no studies evaluating the chronic oral toxicity of TTX have been released, even when EFSA has highlighted the need for them. Thus, in this work, the chronic effects of low oral TTX doses (below the acute lethal dose 50) were evaluated following internationally adopted guidelines. The results presented here demonstrate that low oral doses of TTX have deleterious effects on renal and cardiac tissues. Moreover, alterations in blood biochemistry parameters, urine production, and urinalysis data were already detected at the oral dose of 75 µg/kg after the 28 days exposure. Thus, the data presented here constitute an initial approach for the chronic evaluation of the in vivo toxicity of tetrodotoxin after its ingestion through contaminated fishery products.
Molecular Detection of Bovine Papillomavirus DNA in the Placenta and Blood of Healthy Mares and Respective Foals
Authors: Savini Federica , Gallina Laura , Mazza Francesca , Mariella Jole , Castagnetti Carolina , Scagliarini Alessandra
Published: February 2019

Despite the characteristic species specificity of Papillomaviruses (PVs), the bovine papillomavirus (BPV) types 1, 2, and—more rarely—13, can cross-infect equids, where they are involved in the pathogenesis of sarcoid neoplasms. Sarcoids are locally invasive fibroblastic skin tumors that represent the most common skin neoplasms in horses worldwide. The transmission mechanism of BPV is still controversial in horses. Thus far, direct and indirect routes have been implicated, while vertical transmission has been suggested after the detection of viral DNA in the semen of healthy stallions. Testing of the blood and placenta of non-sarcoid baring mares and their respective foals revealed that the equine placenta can harbor BPV DNA, leading us to speculate a possible prenatal vertical DNA transmission in equids.
The impact of multidimensional physical activity feedback on healthcare practitioners and patients
Authors: Western Max J , Thompson Dylan , Peacock Oliver J , Stathi Afroditi
Published: February 2019

Background

Promotion of physical activity in primary care has had limited success. Wearable technology presents an opportunity to support healthcare practitioners (HCPs) in providing personalised feedback to their patients.

Aim

To explore the differing thoughts and feelings of both HCPs and at-risk patients provided with personalised multidimensional physical activity feedback.

Design & setting

Qualitative study with HCPs (n = 15) and patients at risk of cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes (n = 29), recruited from primary care.

Method

HCPs and patients wore a physical activity monitor for 7 days and were subsequently shown their personalised multidimensional feedback, including sedentary time, calorie burn, short (1-minute) or long (>10-minute) bouts of moderate-to-vigorous activity during semi-structured interviews. Transcripts were analysed thematically with comparisons made between individuals of high (n = 21) and low (n = 23) physical activity levels as to their cognitive–affective responses to their data.

Results

Personalised feedback elicited positive emotional responses for highly active participants and negative emotional responses for those with low activity. However, individuals with low activity demonstrated largely positive coping mechanisms. Some low active participants were in denial over feedback, but the majority valued it as an opportunity to think of ways to improve physical activity (cognitive reappraisal) and started forming action plans (problem-focused coping). Around half of all participants also sought to validate their feedback against peers.

Conclusion

Personalised, visual feedback elicits immediate emotional and coping responses in participants of high and low physical activity levels. Further studies should explore whether multidimensional feedback could help practitioners explore diverse ways for lifestyle change with patients.
Reusable and highly enantioselective water-soluble Ru(II)-Amm-Pheox catalyst for intramolecular cyclopropanation of diazo compounds
Authors: Mandour Hamada S A , Nakagawa Yoko , Tone Masaya , Inoue Hayato , Otog Nansalmaa , Fujisawa Ikuhide , Chanthamath Soda , Iwasa Seiji
Published: February 2019

A reusable and highly enantioselective catalyst for the intramolecular cyclopropanation of various diazo ester and Weinreb amide derivatives was developed. The reactions catalyzed by a water-soluble Ru(II)-Amm-Pheox catalyst proceeded smoothly at room temperature, affording the corresponding bicyclic cyclopropane ring-fused lactones and lactams in high yields (up to 99%) with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee). After screening of various catalysts, the Ru(II)-Amm-Pheox complex having an ammonium group proved to be crucial for the intramolecular cyclopropanation reaction in a water/ether biphasic medium. The water-soluble catalyst could be reused at least six times with little loss in yield and enantioselectivity.
ROAD IDENTIFICATION FOR ITS‐INTEGRATED SYSTEMS OF AUTOMOTIVE ACTIVE SAFETY
Authors: Ivanov Valentin , Shyrokau Barys , Siakhovich Vladzimir
Published: February 2019

The paper discusses several aspects of active safety control for automotive application. Particular emphasis is placed on the fuzzy logic determination of friction properties of a tyre‐road contact. An example of vehicle control systems equipped with off‐board sensors of road roughness, temperature, moisture and rain intensity demonstrates the implementation of this approach. The paper proposes conceptual solutions for preventive active safety control applied to vehicles which are integrated in an intelligent transportation system.
PARAMETERS OF FUEL JET EXTRACTION IN VIDEO
Authors: Eskov Alexsander , Svistula Andrey , Dolmatov Alexey
Published: February 2019

The statistical rating of the image of a fuel jet allows to allocate the zones with homogeneous brightness, to define the distribution of masses and the concentration in a fuel jet and to look after their dynamics. In the research the coding with the usage of Byeses's definition of the aposteriory probability of the presence of the given brightness in the image is described. The bright zones of a fuel jet in a diesel engine will give to the conclusion how the fuel is distributed in the engine combustion camera.
MOTORS FOR TRAM DRIVES
Authors: Glinka Tadeusz , Kulesz Barbara , Jakubiec Mieczysław
Published: February 2019

This paper compares five different motor types used in variable speed drives: a dc motor with a mechanical commutator and with electromagnetic or permanent magnets excitation, a cage induction motor, asynchronous cascade with a slip‐ring motor and a brushless motor with PM excitation. These motors are to be used for tram drive and they should all be characterised by identical external dimensions and a cooling system. Rated power and efficiency are the principal comparison criteria.
AN INPUT-OUTPUT MATHEMATICAL MODEL FOR MEASURING THE PRODUCTIVITY OF ROAD‐TRANSPORT COMPANIES
Authors: Oke Sunday Ayoola
Published: February 2019

This paper presents a mathematical model for measuring the productivity of a transport company that is engaged in commercial transport activities. The model is input‐output based and takes into account the inflation factor that the system resources are subjected due to the changes in prices of these input items. Drawing from the principles of composite variable formulation in differential calculus, the productivity framework was formulated to mimic Maclaurin series function in mathematical sciences. Based on this boundary conditions were set in order to have a definite model that measures the productivity of the transport system. A hypothetical case study was formulated and solved to demonstrate the practical applicability of the model proposed. Arising from this there is a number of graphical presentations of the results that validate the feasibility of measuring the productivity of the transport company using the model developed.
THE INFLUENCE OF EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION DEGREE OF DIESEL ENGINE CYLINDER AIR CHARGE ON SOOT EMISSION AND INDICATED EFFICIENCY
Authors: Matievsky Dmitry , Svistula Andrew
Published: February 2019

Mathematical simulator results of the influence of effective utilization degree of (a diesel engine) cylinder air charge on soot emission and connected losses of heat are given in this paper. Increase reserve of the indicated efficiency by the reduction of inopportunity of soot burning and radiation heat exchange loss is shown.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE DEFINITIONS OF LOGISTICS CENTRES
Authors: Meidute Ieva
Published: February 2019

A logistics centre is a center for all the companies which participate in activities related to transport and logistics in the broadest meaning. LCs provide collective equipment needed to develop these activities and have common services for the companies installed there. Together with the values of location and centrality a logistics centre provides quality service and effective selection of the most efficient means of transportation due to its truly multi‐modal transport possibilities.
THE MAIN PRINCIPLES OF MODELLING THE INTERACTION BETWEEN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMY
Authors: Jurkauskas Algirdas , Micevičiene Diana , Prunskiene Jurgita
Published: February 2019

The practical need of measuring the interaction between transport infrastructure development and economic growth is determined by the neccesity to justify huge invetsments in infrastructure projects. As it was established the actualify of the topic analysed is proved by many authors working in the field. However, the main shortcoming in the presented work (stress only on the relationship transport infrastructure ‐ economy expressed in the terms of additional production of GDP) is the existence of the playback between the interdependent items. Considering the practice to be cardinally inadequate in the terms of economic theory and modern attitude to ecological problems,the authors of the article present the main principles of quantitive evaluation of the aforementioned realationship taking into account overlaping links of the categories analysed.
NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS FOR NON CONSERVATIVE HYPERBOLIC SYSTEM. APPLICATION TO TRANSIENT TWO-PHASE FLOW WITH CAVITATION PHENOMENON
Authors: Idrissi Abdelmjid Qadi El , Achchab Boujemâa , Agouzal Abdellatif
Published: February 2019

A numerical method for simulating transient flows of gas-liquid mixtures is proposed. The mathematical model, established for a suspension of gas bubbles in liquid, includes an equation taking into account the relative velocity between the gas and liquid. A numerical technique based on the Mac Cormack scheme combined with the method of characteristics is presented. Theoretical results for transients initiated by a rapid closing valves are compared with measurements. A good agreement is found particularly for large values of initial dissolved gas concentration.
Automated Swirl Detection Algorithm (ASDA) and Its Application to Simulation and Observational Data
Authors: Liu Jiajia , Nelson Chris J. , Erdélyi Robertus
Published: February 2019

Swirling motions in the solar atmosphere have been widely observed in recent years and suggested to play a key role in channeling energy from the photosphere into the corona. Here, we present a newly developed Automated Swirl Detection Algorithm (ASDA) and discuss its applications. ASDA is found to be very proficient at detecting swirls in a variety of synthetic data with various levels of noise, implying our subsequent scientific results are astute. Applying ASDA to photospheric observations with a pixel size of 39.2 km sampled by the Solar Optical Telescope on board Hinode suggests a total number of 1.62 × 105 swirls in the photosphere, with an average radius and rotating speed of ∼290 km and <1.0 km s−1, respectively. Comparisons between swirls detected in Bifrost numerical MHD simulations and both ground-based and space-borne observations suggest that (1) the spatial resolution of data plays a vital role in the total number and radii of swirls detected, and (2) noise introduced by seeing effects could decrease the detection rate of swirls, but has no significant influences in determining their inferred properties. All results have shown that there is no significant difference in the analyzed properties between counterclockwise or clockwise rotating swirls. About 70% of swirls are located in intergranular lanes. Most of the swirls have lifetimes of less than twice the cadences, meaning future research should aim to use data with much higher cadences than 6 s. In the conclusions, we propose some promising future research applications where ASDA may provide useful insight.
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey Reverberation Mapping Project: Systematic Investigations of Short-timescale C IV Broad Absorption Line Variability
Authors: Hemler Z. S. , Grier C. J. , Brandt W. N. , Hall P. B. , Horne Keith , Shen Yue , Trump J. R. , Schneider D. P. , Vivek M. , Bizyaev Dmitry , Oravetz Audrey , Oravetz Daniel , Pan Kaike
Published: February 2019

We systematically investigate short-timescale (<10 day rest-frame) C iv broad absorption-line (BAL) variability to constrain quasar-wind properties and provide insights into BAL-variability mechanisms in quasars. We employ data taken by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Reverberation Mapping project, as the rapid cadence of these observations provides a novel opportunity to probe BAL variability on shorter rest-frame timescales than have previously been explored. In a sample of 27 quasars with a median of 58 spectral epochs per quasar, we have identified 15 quasars (

%), 19 of 37 C iv BAL troughs (

%), and 54 of 1460 epoch pairs (3.7% ± 0.5%) that exhibit significant C iv BAL equivalent-width variability on timescales of less than 10 days in the quasar rest frame. These frequencies indicate that such variability is common among quasars and BALs, though somewhat rare among epoch pairs. Thus, models describing BALs and their behavior must account for variability on timescales down to less than a day in the quasar rest frame. We also examine a variety of spectral characteristics and find that, in some cases, BAL variability is best described by ionization-state changes, while other cases are more consistent with changes in covering fraction or column density. We adopt a simple model to constrain the density and radial distance of two outflows appearing to vary by ionization-state changes, yielding outflow density lower limits consistent with previous work.
Thermal Emission and Magnetic Beaming in the Radio and X-Ray Mode-switching PSR B0943+10
Authors: Rigoselli Michela , Mereghetti Sandro , Turolla Roberto , Taverna Roberto , Suleimanov Valery , Potekhin Alexander Y.
Published: February 2019

PSR B0943+10 is a mode-switching radio pulsar characterized by two emission modes with different radio and X-ray properties. Previous studies, based on simple combinations of blackbody and power-law models, showed that its X-ray flux can be decomposed in a pulsed thermal plus an unpulsed nonthermal components. However, if PSR B0943+10 is a nearly aligned rotator seen pole-on, as suggested by the radio data, it is difficult to reproduce the high observed pulsed fraction unless magnetic beaming is included. In this work, we reanalyze all of the available X-ray observations of PSR B0943+10 with simultaneous radio coverage, modeling its thermal emission with polar caps covered by a magnetized hydrogen atmosphere or with a condensed iron surface. The condensed surface model provides good fits to the spectra of both pulsar modes, but, similarly to the blackbody, it cannot reproduce the observed pulse profiles, unless an additional power law with an ad hoc modulation is added. Instead, the pulse profiles and phase-resolved spectra are well described using the hydrogen atmosphere model to describe the polar cap emission plus an unpulsed power law. For the X-ray brighter state (Q-mode) we obtain a best fit with a temperature

, an emitting radius

m, a magnetic field consistent with the value of the dipole field of 4 × 1012 G inferred from the timing parameters, and a small angle between the magnetic and spin axis, ξ = 5.° The corresponding parameters for the X-ray fainter state (B-mode) are

and R ∼ 170 m.
Observations of a Fast-expanding and UV-bright Type Ia Supernova SN 2013gs
Authors: Zhang Tianmeng , Wang Xiaofeng , Zhao Xulin , Xu Dong , Reguitti Andrea , Zhang Jujia , Pastorello Andrea , Tomasella Lina , Ochner Paolo , Tartaglia Leonardo , Benetti Stefano , Turatto Massimo , Harutyunyan Avet , Elias-Rosa Nancy , Huang Fang , Zhang Kaicheng , Chen Juncheng , Jiang Zhaoji , Ma Jun , Nie Jundan , Peng Xiyan , Zhou Xu , Zhou Zhimin , Zou Hu
Published: February 2019

In this paper, we present extensive optical and ultraviolet (UV) observations of the type Ia supernova (SN Ia) 2013gs discovered during the Tsinghua-NAOC Transient Survey. The photometric observations in the optical show that the light curves of SN 2013gs are similar to those of normal SNe Ia, with an absolute peak magnitude of M

B
 = −19.25 ± 0.15 mag and a post-maximum decline rate Δm
15(B) = 1.00 ± 0.05 mag. Gehrels Swift Ultra-Violet/Optical Telescope observations indicate that SN 2013gs shows unusually strong UV emission (especially in the uvw1 band) at around the maximum light (M

uvw1 ∼ −18.9 mag). The SN is characterized by relatively weak Fe ii
iii absorptions at ∼5000 Å in the early spectra and a larger expansion velocity (v
Si ∼ 13,000 km s−1 around the maximum light) than the normal-velocity SNe Ia. We discuss the relation between the

color and some observables, including Si ii velocity, line strength of Si ii
λ6355 and Fe ii/iii lines, and Δm
15(B). Compared to other fast-expanding SNe Ia, SN 2013gs exhibits Si and Fe absorption lines with similar strength and bluer

color. We briefly discussed the origin of the observed UV dispersion of SNe Ia.
Evolution of Spiral Galaxies in Nonlocal Gravity
Authors: Roshan Mahmood , Rahvar Sohrab
Published: February 2019

We study the evolution of simulated disk galaxies in the context of a nonlocal theory of gravity. In this theory, the appearance of the dark matter problem in cosmology and astrophysics is a manifestation of the nonlocality of the gravitational interaction. Using high-resolution N-body simulations, we investigate the dynamical evolution of disk galaxies and compare the result with the standard dark matter viewpoint. Specifically, we construct two exponential galaxy models, one in nonlocal gravity (NLG) and the other surrounded by a Plummer dark matter halo. Both systems start from the same baryonic matter distribution, particles velocities, and random velocities and the initial Toomre’s parameter. However, although the initial conditions are the same in both models, their long-term dynamics reveal some notable differences. For example, it turns out that the bar instability happens with a higher rate in the NLG model compared with the standard case. On the other hand, at the end of the simulation, we find that bars are weaker and faster in NLG compared with the standard case.
Dense Particle Clouds in Laboratory Experiments in Context of Drafting and Streaming Instability
Authors: Schneider Niclas , Wurm Gerhard , Teiser Jens , Klahr Hubert , Carpenter Vincent
Published: February 2019

The streaming instability, as an example of instabilities driven by particle feedback on a gas flow, has been proven to have a major role in controlling the formation of planetesimals. These instabilities in protoplanetary disks occur at the transition from being gas-dominated to being dust and ice particle dominated. Here, we present experiments to approach this situation in the laboratory for particles in the Knudsen flow regime. In these experiments, we observe a particle cloud trapped for about 30 s in a rotating system under Earth’s gravity. For average dust-to-gas ratios up to 0.08, particles behave like individual test particles. Their sedimentation speed is identical to that of a single free-falling particle, even in locally denser regions. However, for higher dust-to-gas ratios, the motion of particles becomes sensitive to clumping. Particles in locally denser regions now sediment faster. Their sedimentation speed then depends linearly on the overall dust-to-gas ratio. This clearly shows a transition from tracerlike behavior to collective behavior. Beyond these findings, these types of experiments can now be used as a gauge to test particle feedback models in astrophysical hydrocodes, which are currently used for numerical simulations of streaming instabilities.
Modeled Temperature-dependent Clouds with Radiative Feedback in Hot Jupiter Atmospheres
Authors: Roman Michael , Rauscher Emily
Published: February 2019

Using a general circulation model with newly implemented cloud modeling, we investigate how radiative feedback can self-consistently shape condensate cloud distributions, temperatures, and fluxes in a hot Jupiter atmosphere. We apply a physically motivated but simple parameterization of condensate clouds in which the temperature determines the cloud distribution, and we evaluate how different assumptions of vertical mixing and aerosol opacity affect predictions. We compare results from cases in which the aerosols are simply included in the last step of the simulation (i.e., postprocessed) to cases in which clouds and their radiative feedback are actively included throughout the duration of the simulation. When clouds and radiative feedback were actively included, cloud cover decreased at equatorial regions and increased toward the poles relative to the postprocessed solutions. The resulting phase curves also differed between the two approaches; the postprocessed cloud simulations predicted weaker day–night contrasts in emission and greater eastward shifts in the maximum emission compared to the active cloud modeling. This illustrates the importance of cloud radiative feedback and shows that postprocessing can provide inaccurate solutions when clouds are thick enough to provide significant scattering.
Discovery of the First Low-luminosity Quasar at z > 7
Authors: Matsuoka Yoshiki , Onoue Masafusa , Kashikawa Nobunari , Strauss Michael A , Iwasawa Kazushi , Lee Chien-Hsiu , Imanishi Masatoshi , Nagao Tohru , Akiyama Masayuki , Asami Naoko , Bosch James , Furusawa Hisanori , Goto Tomotsugu , Gunn James E , Harikane Yuichi , Ikeda Hiroyuki , Izumi Takuma , Kawaguchi Toshihiro , Kato Nanako , Kikuta Satoshi , Kohno Kotaro , Komiyama Yutaka , Koyama Shuhei , Lupton Robert H , Minezaki Takeo , Miyazaki Satoshi , Murayama Hitoshi , Niida Mana , Nishizawa Atsushi J , Noboriguchi Akatoki , Oguri Masamune , Ono Yoshiaki , Ouchi Masami , Price Paul A , Sameshima Hiroaki , Schulze Andreas , Shirakata Hikari , Silverman John D , Sugiyama Naoshi , Tait Philip J , Takada Masahiro , Takata Tadafumi , Tanaka Masayuki , Tang Ji-Jia , Toba Yoshiki , Utsumi Yousuke , Wang Shiang-Yu , Yamashita Takuji
Published: February 2019

We report the discovery of a quasar at z = 7.07, which was selected from the deep multi-band imaging data collected by the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) Subaru Strategic Program survey. This quasar, HSC J124353.93+010038.5, has an order of magnitude lower luminosity than do the other known quasars at z > 7. The rest-frame ultraviolet absolute magnitude is M
1450 = −24.13 ± 0.08 mag and the bolometric luminosity is

erg s−1. Its spectrum in the optical to near-infrared shows strong emission lines, and shows evidence for a fast gas outflow, as the C iv line is blueshifted and there is indication of broad absorption lines. The Mg ii-based black hole mass is

, thus indicating a moderate mass accretion rate with an Eddington ratio

. It is the first z > 7 quasar with sub-Eddington accretion, besides being the third most distant quasar known to date. The luminosity and black hole mass are comparable to, or even lower than, those measured for the majority of low-z quasars discovered by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and thus this quasar likely represents a z > 7 counterpart to quasars commonly observed in the low-z universe.
Rifampicin resistant tuberculosis in presumptive pulmonary tuberculosis cases in Dubti Hospital, Afar, Ethiopia
Authors: Gebrehiwet Gebremedhin Bizayene , Kahsay Atsebeha Gebrekidan , Welekidan Letmichael Negash , Hagos Amlsha Kahsay , Abay Getahun Kahsay , Hagos Dawit Gebreegziabiher
Published: February 2019

Introduction: Ethiopia stood third in drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) in Africa, and more than 5,000 MDR-TB patients are reported each year. Greater than 90% of rifampicin (RIF) resistant strains are resistant to isoniazid (INH) and hence the objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors of RIF resistant MTB among presumptive TB cases at Dubti General Hospital, Afar, Ethiopia.

Methodology: In this cross-sectional study, 384 presumptive TB cases were recruited and a structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and clinical data. Sputum samples were collected and examined using X-pertMTB/RIF assay. Bivariate, multivariate logistic regressions, and fishers' exact analysis were done to assess the associations between the prevalence of TB and MDR-TB with different socio-demographic and clinical variables.

Results: In the present study, the overall prevalence of pulmonary TB was 24.5% (94/384), of this 4 (4.3%) isolates were resistant to RIF. History of anti-TB treatment (AOR = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.3-4.4 and TB contact (AOR = 3.6, 95% CI: 2.1-6.2 were significantly associated with gene X-pert MTB/RIF positive TB. Moreover, resistance to rifampicin was statistically associated with the history of TB contact with multi-drug resistant TB (P = 0.027) and khat chewer cases (P = 0.04).

Conclusions: The overall prevalence of TB and its drug-resistant were relatively higher than that of in the general population in Ethiopia. History of anti-TB treatment and TB contact were significantly associated with X-pert MTB/RIF positive MDR-TB.
Risk factors associated with horizontal transmission of hepatitis B viral infection from parents to children in Mexico
Authors: Escobedo-Melendez Griselda , Panduro Arturo , Celis Alfredo , Roman Sonia
Published: February 2019

Introduction: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in children is a health problem worldwide. In Mexico, a high prevalence rate of HBV infection and occult HBV infection have been reported in high-risk adults and children. However, studies regarding HBV infection transmitted from HBV-infected parents to children are limited. This study aimed to determine the risk factors associated with HBV transmission of HBV from parents to children in Mexico.

Methodology: A retrospective case-control study was carried out in 24 pediatric patients with clinical HBV infection and 48 healthy controls. Bivariate and forward conditional logistic regression analysis was used to compare demographic variables, the status of HBV vaccination, and risk factors for HBV infection transmission among children and their parents.

Results: No newborns were diagnosed with HBV infection, and no significant differences were found in age (p = 0.209) or gender (p = 0.612) compared to the control group. The independent risk factor associated with HBV transmission was the presence of a parent with a history of promiscuity (OR = 30.95, 95%CI = 3.382-283.326; p = 0.002), whereas having completed the HBV vaccination schedule for their age was a protective factor against HBV infection in the children (OR = 0.245, 95%CI = 0.079-0.764; p = 0.015).

Conclusions: HBV infection in Mexican children is associated with close interpersonal contact with a parent engaged in high-risk sexual practices suggesting that the horizontal route could be the primary mode of infection. Child and adult vaccination campaigns should be reinforced to avoid HBV infection in Mexico.