bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study of Mandatory Lane Change Execution Behavior Model for Heavy Vehicles and Passenger Cars
Authors: Cao Xiaoying , Young William , Sarvi Majid , Kim Inhi
Published: December 2016

Lane changing is one of the basic driver behavior interactions in microscopic traffic simulations for traffic, safety, and transportation system analysis. Although many traffic simulations pay attention to the decision process for lane changing, the execution process is often simplified or even ignored. This paper presents a study of lane change execution of heavy vehicles and passenger cars in a traffic situation with a blocked lane. A video camera was used to collect data from an arterial road in Melbourne, Australia. This paper investigates the behavior of heavy vehicles and passenger cars in mandatory lane changes and proposes a model framework for the execution of lane changes with regard to the emergency status and the impact of surrounding traffic for individual drivers who are changing lanes. The distance to the blockage was used to denote the emergency status. For the impact of the surrounding traffic, it was assumed that the driver would adjust the execution if a traffic conflict were detected and would continue the lane change if there were no conflict. A probability model was developed to interpret the driver’s choice of whether to continue the lane change. The data analysis found that the lane change performance of heavy vehicles differed from that of passenger cars. Therefore, the model was calibrated for heavy vehicles and passenger cars separately. In conclusion, the paper provides a framework of the future work of lane change execution models on traffic simulation to assess the traffic safety and road efficiency.
Investigating the Speed and Rear-End Collision Relationship at Urban Signalized Intersections
Authors: Islam M. Tazul
Published: December 2016

Rear-end collisions are often the overrepresented type of collisions at urban signalized intersections. Although these collisions can occur for a variety of reasons, speed can always play a significant role in rear-end collisions, as the stopping distance increases with speed. The study presented in this paper investigated the relationship between speed and rear-end collisions at urban signalized intersections. Collisions, speed characteristics, traffic volume, and geometry data for a group of urban signalized intersection approaches were collected for the analysis. Negative binomial safety performance functions were developed to establish the relationship between collisions and various speed characteristics, while controlling for the traffic volume and road geometry. The goodness of fit of the estimated models was checked with several measures to ensure model adequacy. The results revealed intuitive findings for various parameter estimates of the models. It was found that a 1-km/h increase in the standard deviation of speed was associated with 6.3%, 8.2%, and 5.7% increases in the frequency of total, injury, and property-damage-only (PDO) rear-end collisions, respectively. For both the average and the 85th percentile speed change, the estimated collision reductions were almost the same. An increase in 85th percentile speed by 1 km/h was associated with 1.1%, 1.6%, and 0.9% increases in the frequency of total, injury, and PDO rear-end collisions, respectively. Moreover, as the level of speeding increased, collision frequencies increased exponentially. The results of the study suggest that speed management upstream of the intersection approach could reduce rear-end collisions at urban signalized intersections.
Investigating the Heterogeneity of Postencroachment Time Thresholds Determined by Peak over Threshold Approach
Authors: Zheng Lai , Ismail Karim , Meng Xianghai
Published: December 2016

Inconsistency in the definition of conflict is a fundamental issue of the traffic conflict technique and raises questions about the validity of this technique. A significant aspect of inconsistency is that thresholds to distinguish traffic conflicts from normal events have not been clearly determined. The study presented in this paper proposed a peak-over-threshold (POT) approach to determine postencroachment time thresholds between traffic conflicts and normal events. The determined thresholds were evaluated by testing the correlation between the defined conflicts and observed crashes. A further regression analysis was conducted to explain heterogeneity of POT-determined thresholds. The results show that traffic conflicts defined by POT-determined thresholds have a relatively strong relationship with observed crashes, and the Pearson’s correlation coefficient is .66. Moreover, the threshold heterogeneity in this study mainly stems from the variety of exposure (i.e., traffic volume). This study also implies that the POT approach, which can account for possible heterogeneity in thresholds, is promising for improving the validity of the traffic conflict technique.
Cohort-Based Analysis Structure for Modeling Driver Behavior with an In-Vehicle Data Recorder
Authors: Wu Kun-Feng , Jovanis Paul P.
Published: December 2016

In recent years, the increasing availability of in-vehicle data recorder technologies has resulted in more safety studies that have unobtrusively observed the behavior of drivers during actual driving. The research in this paper proposes and applies a flexible analysis structure that can be applied to data that reflect events of interest—including crash data and safety critical event data—from naturalistic driving studies and alert warnings from onboard safety warning systems. The fundamental requirements for the data include a need for GPS and a geographic information system to allow positioning the vehicle on a network and the occurrence and recording of events of interest with attributes, which may include those reflecting the roadway, environment, driver, and event. A distinguishing feature of the formulation is the explicit inclusion of exposure to risk. The analysis approach responds to four challenges facing researchers using in-vehicle data recorder data to assess driving behavior with surrogate safety performance measures: inclusion of exposure to risk; allowance for inclusion of driver, event, environment, and roadway attributes in a structured formulation; modeling of driving exposure in different contexts, including both roadway and environment; and allowance for comparison to a baseline hazard where no events occur. A hierarchical mixed-effects Poisson regression model is used with data from University of Michigan Transportation Institute’s curve speed warning system field operation test in the application of the method. The model identifies drivers who have significantly higher alert frequency than similar drivers, both for all driving and for driving on major and minor arterials. The paper concludes with a discussion of potential applications beyond field operational test settings, which include analysis of crash and other naturalistic driving study–observed events.
Application of the Location–Movement Classification Method for Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Typing
Authors: Schneider Robert J. , Stefanich Joseph
Published: December 2016

Annual pedestrian and bicycle fatalities remained steady while motor vehicle fatalities declined in the United States during the past decade; this balance underscores the need for better methods of pedestrian and bicycle safety analysis. This study presents a new method for classifying pedestrian and bicycle crashes called the location–movement classification method (LMCM) and shows that the LMCM provides useful information that is not captured by a well-established NHTSA crash typology. Both typologies were applied to a sample of 296 pedestrian and 229 bicycle crashes reported in Wisconsin between 2011 and 2013. The LMCM revealed that pedestrian crashes of all injury severity levels were significantly more likely to be on the farside than the nearside of intersections. Pedestrian crashes were significantly more likely to be fatal than nonsevere when they involved motorists traveling straight, were along roadways between intersections, and involved pedestrians approaching from the motorist’s left. Bicycle crashes were significantly more likely to be fatal than nonsevere when they involved motorists traveling straight, were along roadways between intersections, and involved motorists traveling in the same direction as the bicyclist. The LMCM can be used to support engineering, education, and enforcement treatments to reduce pedestrian and bicycle, crashes, injuries, and fatalities.
Applications of Generalized Additive and Bayesian Hierarchical Models for Areal Safety Analysis: Case Study of an Urban Multimodal Transportation System in Chicago, Illinois
Authors: Tasic Ivana , Porter Richard J. , Brewer Simon
Published: December 2016

Areal crash modeling has gained increased attention in the past decade because of initiatives to incorporate safety performance–based decision making in transportation planning. Particularly in urban multimodal transportation systems, safety outcomes may be influenced by long-term planning decisions at the area and network levels. How multimodal facilities are layered and prioritized eventually affects conflicts that may result between modes, influencing expected crash frequencies and severities for various road user types. The emphasis on areal crash modeling has opened the door for various innovative statistical methods, applied to explain factors that contribute to crashes, as well as to address issues that arise in spatially aggregated count data. These issues include spatial autocorrelation, ecological fallacy, and the modifiable areal unit problem. Previous studies used generalized linear models with fixed and random effects to address these issues, while the Bayesian framework has become a dominant approach in areal crash analysis—particularly at the county level—in the past decade. This paper explores an alternative frequentist approach to areal crash modeling with generalized additive models with smooth functions across the location and compares these models to negative binomial and Bayesian hierarchical models. The results, based on data from Chicago, Illinois, show that generalized additive models can account for spatial autocorrelation in the data, particularly when autocorrelation is lower and more data are available to reduce the number of potentially omitted variables.
Before–After Safety Evaluation Using Full Bayesian Macroscopic Multivariate and Spatial Models
Authors: Islam M. Tazul , El-Basyouny Karim , Ibrahim Shewkar E. , Sayed Tarek
Published: December 2016

Many studies have addressed spatial correlation in traffic collision modeling. It has been generally concluded that the inclusion of spatial correlation improves model goodness of fit and the precision of parameter estimates. However, the application in before–after safety evaluation has rarely been documented in the traffic safety literature. The objectives of the presented study were to ( a) apply both the univariate and multivariate full Bayesian (FB) spatial models in before–after safety evaluation and ( b) compare the results with those of nonspatial FB models. A reduction of the posted speed limit in urban residential neighborhoods in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada was used as a case study for the before–after safety evaluation. Yearly collision data and other neighborhood characteristics data were collected for a group of treated and reference neighborhoods to develop macroscopic models. The four models considered in this study were ( a) Poisson–lognormal, ( b) Poisson–lognormal with conditional autoregressive (CAR) distribution, ( c) multivariate Poisson–lognormal, and ( d) multivariate Poisson–lognormal with CAR distribution. The results showed that the multivariate Poisson–lognormal with CAR distribution model for collision severities outperformed the other three models according to the deviance information criteria. Parameter estimates showed slight differences across the models. However, for the current data set, the results of the before–after safety evaluation showed similar findings across the models. Estimated collision reductions were 13%, 24%, and 12% for total, severe, and property-damage-only collisions, respectively.
Checklist of mosses (Bryophyta) of Gangetic Plains, India
Authors: Rawat Krishna Kumar , Alam Afroz , Verma Praveen Kumar
Published: December 2016

An updated account of 79 taxa of mosses of Gangetic plains, representing 40 genera and 19 families, is provided. The family Pottiaceae with 17 taxa belonging to 9 genera appears most dominant and diversified family in the area while at generic level, the genus Fissidens (Fissidentaceae) with 19 species shows maximum diversity, followed by Hyophila and Physcomitrium each with five species.Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 23(2): 97-106, 2016 (December)
Mycoflora associated with infected fruits of Momordica cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng.
Authors: Shamsi Shamim , Hosen Sarowar , Al-Mamun Md. , Begum Momtaz
Published: December 2016

Eleven species of anamorphic fungi associated with anthracnose and fruit rot symptoms of Momordica cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng. (Ban Kakrol) have been described. The associated fungi were Aspergillus niger Van Tieghem, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Sacc., C. orbiculare (Berk. & Mont.) Arx., Corynespora cassiicola (Berk. & Curt.) Wei, Curvularia clavata Jain, Dendryphiella vinosa (Berk. & Curt.) Reisinger, Fusarium moniliforme J. Sheld., Lasidiodiplodia theobromae (Pat.) Griff. & Maubl., Pestalotiopsis guepinii (Desm.) Stey., Penicillium digitatum Sacc. and Xylohypha pinicola D. Hawksw. Xylohypha pinicola is a new record for Bangladesh.Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 23(2): 181-188, 2016 (December)
A new species of Laportea Gaudich. (Urticaceae) from Himalaya, India
Authors: Bhellum Bachan Lal , Singh Bikarma
Published: December 2016

A new herb species of Urticaceae, Laportea stolonifera B. L. Bhellum & B. Singh, is described and illustrated from a restricted habitat of subtropical forest of Northwest Himalaya, India. The new taxon is vegetatively similar to Laportea ovalifolia (Schumach. & Thonn.) Chew, an African endemic species and Laportea interrupta (L.) Chew but differs by phenotypic characters such as cordate leaves, unbranched inflorescence, stem hairs types, linear cystoliths with varying shapes, and presence of 2 to 3 stolons arising from basal node of stems. The similarity with the allied species is due to similar habitats occupancy, but isolated geographically from each other. Laportea stolonifera is assessed as Endangered, and the population data, ecological parameters and associated taxa are also presented. A key to the genus Laportea is prepared for India has been presented in the text.Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 23(2): 189-194, 2016 (December)
Palynological study of some Iranian species of Scabiosa L. (Caprifoliaceae)
Authors: Mostafa Ebadi-Nahari , Siahkola Nikzat
Published: December 2016

The pollen morphology of six species of Scabiosa L. (Caprifoliaceae) from Iran has been examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Pollen grains were tricolpate in S. columbaria and triporate in the rest studied species. Two types of exine ornamentation were revealed: spinulate and gemmate. The pollen shape in polar view varied from triangular to circular among investigated taxa. Statistical analysis showed that some quantitative morphological features such as polar axis (P), equatorial axis (E) and aperture diameter were main characters in identification of the taxa studied. These taxa were separated from each other using cluster analysis and placed within two clusters. Our result based on UPGMA analysis is in agreement with morphological classification and recent findings on taxonomic position of the Scabiosa.Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 23(2): 215-222, 2016 (December)
A new combination in the genus Diplacrum R. Br. (Cyperaceae) from India
Authors: Chandramohan K.
Published: December 2016

Not available.Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 23(2): 259-260, 2016 (December)
Outcome of Very Low Birth Weight Neonates in a Tertiary Level Hospital Outside Capital of Bangladesh: A Study in Faridpur Medical College Hospital
Authors: Hasan ANM Saiful , Biswas Barun Kanti , Saha Alok Kumar , Kundu Lakshman Chandra , Khan Mohammad Zahirul Islam , Rashid MA , Sarker Mst Naznin , Akter Tahmina , Akter Shahnaz
Published: December 2016

Very low birth weight (VLBW) is an important cause of infant mortality and still a challenge for achieving Millennium Development Goal (MDG) in Bangladesh. Our study was to see the risk factors and its outcome of VLBW neonates in a tertiary level Faridpur Medical College Hospital (FMCH), outside capital Dhaka. This prospective cross sectional study was conducted in neonatal Unit of pediatric department in FMCH. All neonates who were admitted here had been selected and we find out the very low birth weight neonates for our study purpose. All anthropometric measurements were taken by us in our department. We took all the informations about neonates within our study period of six months (November 2013 to April 2014) through a prescribed protocol. Total 1126 neonates admitted within our study period of 6 months. Among 1126 neonates 76 of them were VLBW. Among 76 VLBW neonates 38 (50%) were male and 38 (50%) were female, but 22 of them were expired, which was 28.94% of total VLBW neonates. Most expired on month of March which was 38.46%. Among expired VLBW neonates 10 (45.45%) of them were male and 12 (54.55%) of them were female. Total 48 (63.15%) mothers of VLBW neonates delivered at hospital of them Caesarean section occurs in 40 (52.63%) mothers of VLBW neonates and normal vaginal delivery (NVD) occurs in 36 cases (47.37%). Home delivery occurs in mothers of 28 VLBW neonates. Among them 15 (53.57%) were done by traditional birth attendance (TBA), 8 (28.57%) by local dai and 5 (17.86%) by relatives of the family of VLBW neonates. We found mothers of 41 (53.95%) VLBW neonates had premature rupture of membrane (PROM), 8 (10.53%) had eclampsia, 4 (5.26%) had leaking membrane and 4 (5.26%) had history of accident. Maternal age of VLBW neonates are more common between 18 to 24 years of age that was 53.95% (41 in number) but 27 mothers (35.52%) were below 18 years of age . We found in our study that the survival rate of VLBW neonates in our institute is not like developed countries but it is better than many developing countries around the world.Faridpur Med. Coll. J. Jan 2016;11(1): 15-19
Radiation Induced Second Malignancies (RISM): Risk, Diagnosis, Treatments and Review of Literature
Authors: Haque Md Nizamul , Chowdhury ASM Jahangir , Ali Md Yusuf
Published: December 2016

Information concerning radiation-induced malignancies comes from the A-bomb survivors and from medically exposed individuals, including second malignancies in radiation therapy patients. The A-bomb survivors show an excess incidence of carcinomas in tissues such as the gastrointestinal tract, breast, thyroid, and bladder, which is linear with dose up to about 2.5 Sv. There is great uncertainty concerning the dose-response relationship for radiationinduced carcinogenesis at higher doses. Some animal and human data suggest a decrease at higher doses, usually attributed to cell killing; other data suggest a plateau in dose. Modern treatment modalities such as passive proton therapy and intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) produce large amounts of scatter, leakage and neutron radiation, which has been found to be directly proportional to the risk of second malignancy incidence. Organs closer to the target typically receive higher and less homogeneous doses of cell killing and repopulation effects play an increasing role. The most common type of cancer caused by radiation is sarcoma, which is typically a cancer of muscle, bone, or blood vessel origin. We reviewed the literature with key words "Radiation induced second malignancies, second primary tumour, second cancer" to find relevant articles describing risk, diagnosis and treatments of radiation induced second malignancies.Faridpur Med. Coll. J. Jan 2016;11(1): 33-35
Assisted convective heat transfer and entropy generation in a solar collector filled with nanofluid
Authors: Nasrin R. , Alim M.A. , Hasanuzzzaman M.
Published: December 2016

Heat transfer phenomena of flat plate solar collector filled with different nanofluids has been investigated numerically. Galerkins Finite Element Method is used to solve the problem. Heat transfer rate, average bulk temperature, average sub-domain velocity, outlet temperature, thermal efficiency, mean entropy generation and Bejan number has been investigated by varying the solid nanoparticle volume fraction of water/Cu, water/Ag and water/Cu/Ag nanofluids from 0% to 3%. It is found that the solid nanoparticle volume fraction has great effect on heat transfer phenomena. It is observed that the increases of the solid volume fraction (up to 2%) enhances the heat transfer rate and collector efficiency where after 2% the rate of change almost constant. Higher heat transfer rate and collector efficiency has been obtained 19% and 13% for water/Ag nanofluid respectively.
Dual-Fuel Combustion for Future Clean and Efficient Compression Ignition Engines
Authors: Benajes Jesús , García Antonio , Monsalve-Serrano Javier , Boronat Vicente
Published: December 2016

Stringent emissions limits introduced for internal combustion engines impose a major challenge for the research community. The technological solution adopted by the manufactures of diesel engines to meet the NOx and particle matter values imposed in the EURO VI regulation relies on using selective catalytic reduction and particulate filter systems, which increases the complexity and cost of the engine. Alternatively, several new combustion modes aimed at avoiding the formation of these two pollutants by promoting low temperature combustion reactions, are the focus of study nowadays. Among these new concepts, the dual-fuel combustion mode known as reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) seems more promising because it allows better control of the combustion process by means of modulating the fuel reactivity depending on the engine operating conditions. The present experimental work explores the potential of different strategies for reducing the energy losses with RCCI in a single-cylinder research engine, with the final goal of providing the guidelines to define an efficient dual-fuel combustion system. The results demonstrate that the engine settings combination, piston geometry modification, and fuel properties variation are good methods to increase the RCCI efficiency while maintaining ultra-low NOx and soot emissions for a wide range of operating conditions.
A Review on Polymer Crystallization Theories
Authors: Zhang Michael , Guo Bao-Hua , Xu Jun
Published: December 2016

It is the aim of this article to review the major theories of polymer crystallization since up to now we still have not completely comprehended the underlying mechanism in a unified framework. A lack of paradigm is an indicator of immaturity of the field itself; thus, the fundamental issue of polymer crystallization remains unsolved. This paper provides an understanding of the basic hypothesis, as well as relevant physical implications and consequences of each theory without too much bias. We try to present the essential aspects of the major theories, and intuitive physical arguments over rigorously mathematical calculations are highlighted. In addition, a detailed comparison of various theories will be made in a logical and self-contained fashion. Our personal view of the existing theories is presented as well, aiming to inspire further open discussions. We expect that new theories based on the framework of kinetics with direct consideration of long-range multi-body correlation will help solve the remaining problems in the field of polymer crystallization.
Microstructure, Residual Stress, Corrosion and Wear Resistance of Vacuum Annealed TiCN/TiN/Ti Films Deposited on AZ31
Authors: Li Haitao , Rong Shoufan , Sun Pengfei , Wang Qiang
Published: December 2016

Composite titanium carbonitride (TiCN) thin films deposited on AZ31 by DC/RF magnetron sputtering were vacuum annealed at different temperatures. Vacuum annealing yields the following on the structure and properties of the films: the grain grows and the roughness increases with an increase of annealing temperature, the structure changes from polycrystalline to single crystal, and the distribution of each element becomes more uniform. The residual stress effectively decreases compared to the as-deposited film, and their corrosion resistance is much improved owing to the change of structure and fusion of surface defects, whereas the wear-resistance is degraded due to the grain growth and the increase of surface roughness under a certain temperature.
The Effect of Iron Content on Glass Forming Ability and Thermal Stability of Co–Fe–Ni–Ta–Nb–B–Si Bulk Metallic Glass
Authors: Hitit Aytekin , Şahin Hakan
Published: December 2016

In this study, change in glass forming ability (GFA) and thermal stability of Co–Fe-based bulk metallic glasses were investigated as a function of iron content. Cylindrical samples of alloys with diameters of up to 4 mm were synthesized by a suction casting method in an arc furnace. Structures and thermal properties of the as-cast samples were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), respectively. It was found that the critical casting thickness of the alloys reduced as iron content was increased and cobalt content was decreased. It was determined that GFA parameters, reduced glass transition temperature (Tg/Tl) and δ (= Tx/(Tl − Tg)), show a very good correlation with critical casting thickness values. It was also observed that changing iron content did not effect thermal properties of the alloys.
Synthesis and Single Crystal Structures of Substituted-1,3-Selenazol-2-amines
Authors: Hua Guoxiong , Du Junyi , Slawin Alexandra , Woollins J.
Published: December 2016

The synthesis and X-ray single crystal structures of a series of new 4-substituted-1,3-selenazol-2-amines is reported. The efficient preparation of these compounds was carried out by two-component cyclization of the selenoureas with equimolar amounts of α-haloketones. The selenoureas were obtained from the reaction of Woollins’ reagent with cyanamides, followed by hydrolysis with water. All new compounds have been characterized by IR spectroscopy, multi-NMR (1H, 13C, 77Se) spectroscopy, accurate mass measurement and single crystal X-ray structure analysis.
Recirculation: A New Concept to Drive Innovation in Sustainable Product Design for Bio-Based Products
Authors: Sherwood James , Clark James , Farmer Thomas , Herrero-Davila Lorenzo , Moity Laurianne
Published: December 2016

Bio-based products are made from renewable materials, offering a promising basis for the production of sustainable chemicals, materials, and more complex articles. However, biomass is not a limitless resource or one without environmental and social impacts. Therefore, while it is important to use biomass and grow a bio-based economy, displacing the unsustainable petroleum basis of energy and chemical production, any resource must be used effectively to reduce waste. Standards have been developed to support the bio-based product market in order to achieve this aim. However, the design of bio-based products has not received the same level of attention. Reported here are the first steps towards the development of a framework of understanding which connects product design to resource efficiency. Research and development scientists and engineers are encouraged to think beyond simple functionality and associate value to the potential of materials in their primary use and beyond.
Dibasic Ammonium Phosphate Application Enhances Aromatic Compound Concentration in Bog Bilberry Syrup Wine
Authors: Wang Shao-Yang , Li Yi-Qing , Li Teng , Yang Hang-Yu , Ren Jie , Zhang Bo-Lin , Zhu Bao-Qing
Published: December 2016

A nitrogen deficiency always causes bog bilberry syrup wine to have a poor sensory feature. This study investigated the effect of nitrogen source addition on volatile compounds during bog bilberry syrup wine fermentation. The syrup was supplemented with 60, 90, 120 or 150 mg/L dibasic ammonium phosphate (DAP) before fermentation. Results showed that an increase of DAP amounts accelerated fermentation rate, increased alcohol content, and decreased sugar level. Total phenol and total flavonoid content were also enhanced with the increase of DAP amounts. A total of 91 volatile compounds were detected in the wine and their concentrations were significantly enhanced with the increase of DAP. Ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, phenethyl acetate, ethyl butanoate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl decanoate, isobutanol, isoamyl alcohol, levo-2,3-butanediol, 2-phenylethanol, meso-2,3-butanediol, isobutyric acid, hexanoic acid, and octanoic acid exhibited a significant increase of their odor activity value (OAV) with the increase of DAP amounts. Bog bilberry syrup wine possessed fruity, fatty, and caramel flavors as its major aroma, whereas a balsamic note was the least present. The increase of DAP amounts significantly improved the global aroma attributes, thereby indicating that DAP supplementation could promote wine fermentation performance and enhance the sensory quality of bog bilberry syrup wine.
On the Use of the Electrospinning Coating Technique to Produce Antimicrobial Polyhydroxyalkanoate Materials Containing In Situ-Stabilized Silver Nanoparticles
Authors: Castro-Mayorga Jinneth , Fabra Maria , Cabedo Luis , Lagaron Jose
Published: December 2016

Electro-hydrodynamic processing, comprising electrospraying and electrospinning techniques, has emerged as a versatile technology to produce nanostructured fiber-based and particle-based materials. In this work, an antimicrobial active multilayer system comprising a commercial polyhydroxyalkanoate substrate (PHA) and an electrospun PHA coating containing in situ-stabilized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was successfully developed and characterized in terms of morphology, thermal, mechanical, and barrier properties. The obtained materials reduced the bacterial population of Salmonella enterica below the detection limits at very low silver loading of 0.002 ± 0.0005 wt %. As a result, this study provides an innovative route to generate fully renewable and biodegradable materials that could prevent microbial outbreaks in food packages and food contact surfaces.
Methionine and Choline Supply during the Periparturient Period Alter Plasma Amino Acid and One-Carbon Metabolism Profiles to Various Extents: Potential Role in Hepatic Metabolism and Antioxidant Status
Authors: Zhou Zheng , Vailati-Riboni Mario , Luchini Daniel , Loor Juan
Published: December 2016

The objective of this study was to profile plasma amino acids (AA) and derivatives of their metabolism during the periparturient period in response to supplemental rumen-protected methionine (MET) or rumen-protected choline (CHOL). Forty cows were fed from −21 through 30 days around parturition in a 2 × 2 factorial design a diet containing MET or CHOL. MET supply led to greater circulating methionine and proportion of methionine in the essential AA pool, total AA, and total sulfur-containing compounds. Lysine in total AA also was greater in these cows, indicating a better overall AA profile. Sulfur-containing compounds (cystathionine, cystine, homocystine, and taurine) were greater in MET-fed cows, indicating an enriched sulfur-containing compound pool due to enhanced transsulfuration activity. Circulating essential AA and total AA concentrations were greater in cows supplied MET due to greater lysine, arginine, tryptophan, threonine, proline, asparagine, alanine, and citrulline. In contrast, CHOL supply had no effect on essential AA or total AA, and only tryptophan and cystine were greater. Plasma 3-methylhistidine concentration was lower in response to CHOL supply, suggesting less tissue protein mobilization in these cows. Overall, the data revealed that enhanced periparturient supply of MET has positive effects on plasma AA profiles and overall antioxidant status.
Characterization of Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) and Ag-Carbon Black TPU Nanocomposite for Potential Application in Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Patton Steven , Chen Chenggang , Hu Jianjun , Grazulis Lawrence , Schrand Amanda , Roy Ajit
Published: December 2016

Electromechanical, adhesion, and viscoelastic properties of polymers and polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) are of interest for additive manufacturing (AM) and flexible electronics. Development/optimization of inks for AM is complex, expensive, and substrate/interface dependent. This study investigates properties of free standing films of a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) polymer and an Ag–carbon black (Ag-CB) TPU PNC in a lightly loaded low strain compression contact as a rough measure of their suitability for AM. The TPU exhibited high hysteresis and a large viscoelastic response, and sufficient dwell time was needed for polymer chain relaxation and measurable adhesion. A new discovery is that large enough contact area is needed to allow longer time constant polymer ordering in the contact that led to higher adhesion and better performance/reliability. This has previously unknown implications for interface size relative to polymer chain length in AM design. The standard linear model was found to be a good fit for the viscoelastic behavior of the TPU. The PNC exhibited no adhesion (new result), low electrical resistance, and relatively small viscoelastic response. This implies potential for AM electrical trace as well as switch applications.
Joint Sparse Sub-Pixel Mapping Model with Endmember Variability for Remotely Sensed Imagery
Authors: Xu Xiong , Tong Xiaohua , Plaza Antonio , Zhong Yanfei , Xie Huan , Zhang Liangpei
Published: December 2016

Spectral unmixing and sub-pixel mapping have been used to estimate the proportion and spatial distribution of the different land-cover classes in mixed pixels at a sub-pixel scale. In the past decades, several algorithms were proposed in both categories; however, these two techniques are generally regarded as independent procedures, with most sub-pixel mapping methods using abundance maps generated by spectral unmixing techniques. It should be noted that the utilized abundance map has a strong impact on the performance of the subsequent sub-pixel mapping process. Recently, we built a novel sub-pixel mapping model in combination with the linear spectral mixture model. Therefore, a joint sub-pixel mapping model was established that connects an original (coarser resolution) remotely sensed image with the final sub-pixel result directly. However, this approach focuses on incorporating the spectral information contained in the original image without addressing the spectral endmember variability resulting from variable illumination and environmental conditions. To address this important issue, in this paper we designed a new joint sparse sub-pixel mapping method under the assumption that various representative spectra for each endmember are known a priori and available in a library. In addition, the total variation (TV) regularization was also adopted to exploit the spatial information. The proposed approach was experimentally evaluated using both synthetic and real hyperspectral images, and the obtained results demonstrate that the method can achieve better results by considering the impact of endmember variability when compared with other sub-pixel mapping methods.
Young Hungarian Students’ Knowledge about HPV and Their Attitude Toward HPV Vaccination
Authors: Balla Bettina , Terebessy András , Tóth Emese , Balázs Péter
Published: December 2016

(1) Background: Hungarys’s estimated cervical cancer mortality was 6.9/100,000 in 2012, above the average of the EU27 countries (3.7/100,000) in the same year. Since 2014, the bivalent HPV vaccine has been offered to schoolgirls aged 12–13. (2) Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 1022 high school seniors (492 girls, 530 boys) in 19 randomly selected schools in Budapest. Our anonymous questionnaire contained 54 items: basic socio-demographic data, knowledge about HPV infection/cervical cancer and HPV vaccination. (3) Results: 54.9% knew that HPV caused cervical cancer, and 52.1% identified HPV as an STD. Knowledge of risk factors such as promiscuity (46.9%) and early sexual activity (15.6%) was low, but higher than that of further HPV-induced diseases: genital warts (in females 9.9%, in males 9%), anal cancer (in females 2.2%, in males 1.9%), penile cancer (9.4%), and vulvar cancer (7.8%). A percentage of 14.6% feared getting infected, and 35.7% supported compulsory HPV vaccination. A percentage of 51.2% would have their future children vaccinated—significantly more girls than boys. (4) Conclusion: Our results support the findings of previous studies about young adults’ HPV-related knowledge, which was poor, especially regarding pathologies in men. Despite the low level of awareness, the students’ attitude was mostly positive when asked about vaccinating their future children.
Pinus ponderosa: A checkered past obscured four species
Authors: Willyard Ann , Gernandt David S. , Potter Kevin , Hipkins Valerie , Marquardt Paula , Mahalovich Mary Frances , Langer Stephen K. , Telewski Frank W. , Cooper Blake , Douglas Connor , Finch Kristen , Karemera Hassani H. , Lefler Julia , Lea Payton , Wofford Austin
Published: December 2016

PREMISE OF THE STUDY:

Molecular genetic evidence can help delineate taxa in species complexes that lack diagnostic morphological characters. Pinus ponderosa (Pinaceae; subsection Ponderosae) is recognized as a problematic taxon: plastid phylogenies of exemplars were paraphyletic, and mitochondrial phylogeography suggested at least four subdivisions of P. ponderosa. These patterns have not been examined in the context of other Ponderosae species. We hypothesized that putative intraspecific subdivisions might each represent a separate taxon.

METHODS:

We genotyped six highly variable plastid simple sequence repeats in 1903 individuals from 88 populations of P. ponderosa and related Ponderosae (P. arizonica, P. engelmannii, and P. jeffreyi). We used multilocus haplotype networks and discriminant analysis of principal components to test clustering of individuals into genetically and geographically meaningful taxonomic units.

KEY RESULTS:

There are at least four distinct plastid clusters within P. ponderosa that roughly correspond to the geographic distribution of mitochondrial haplotypes. Some geographic regions have intermixed plastid lineages, and some mitochondrial and plastid boundaries do not coincide. Based on relative distances to other species of Ponderosae, these clusters diagnose four distinct taxa.

CONCLUSIONS:

Newly revealed geographic boundaries of four distinct taxa (P. benthamiana, P. brachyptera, P. scopulorum, and a narrowed concept of P. ponderosa) do not correspond completely with taxonomies. Further research is needed to understand their morphological and nuclear genetic makeup, but we suggest that resurrecting originally published species names would more appropriately reflect the taxonomy of this checkered classification than their current treatment as varieties of P. ponderosa.
Multicomponent synthesis of spiropyrrolidine analogues derived from vinylindole/indazole by a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction
Authors: Narayanarao Manjunatha , Koodlur Lokesh , Revanasiddappa Vijayakumar G , Gopal Subramanya , Kamila Susmita
Published: December 2016

A new series of spiropyrrolidine compounds containing indole/indazole moieties as side chains have been accomplished via a one-pot multicomponent synthesis. The method uses the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction between N-alkylvinylindole/indazole and azomethine ylides, prepared in situ from cyclic/acyclic amino acids. The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition proceeds efficiently under thermal conditions to afford the regio- and stereospecific cyclic adducts.
OBSERVATIONAL SIGNATURES OF A MASSIVE DISTANT PLANET ON THE SCATTERING DISK
Authors: Lawler S. M. , Shankman C. , Kaib N. , Bannister M. T. , Gladman B. , Kavelaars J. J.
Published: December 2016

The orbital element distribution of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) with large pericenters has been suggested to be influenced by the presence of an undetected, large planet at >200 au from the Sun. To find additional observables caused by this scenario, we present here the first detailed emplacement simulation in the presence of a massive ninth planet on the distant Kuiper Belt. We perform 4 Gyr N-body simulations with the currently known solar system planetary architecture, plus a 10 M
⊕ planet with similar orbital parameters to those suggested by Trujillo & Sheppard or Batygin & Brown, and 105 test particles in an initial planetesimal disk. We find that including a distant super-Earth-mass planet produces a substantially different orbital distribution for the scattering and detached TNOs, raising the pericenters and inclinations of moderate semimajor axis (50 < a < 500 au) objects. We test whether this signature is detectable via a simulator with the observational characteristics of four precisely characterized TNO surveys. We find that the qualitatively very distinct solar system models that include a ninth planet are essentially observationally indistinguishable from an outer solar system produced solely by the four giant planets. We also find that the mass of the Kuiper Belt’s current scattering and detached populations is required to be 3–10 times larger in the presence of an additional planet. We do not find any evidence for clustering of orbital angles in our simulated TNO population. Wide-field, deep surveys targeting inclined high-pericenter objects will be required to distinguish between these different scenarios.
A SELF-CONSISTENT AND SPATIALLY DEPENDENT MODEL OF THE MULTIBAND EMISSION OF PULSAR WIND NEBULAE
Authors: Lu Fang-Wu , Gao Quan-Gui , Zhang Li
Published: December 2016

A self-consistent and spatially dependent model is presented to investigate the multiband emission of pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe). In this model, a spherically symmetric system is assumed and the dynamical evolution of the PWN is included. The processes of convection, diffusion, adiabatic loss, radiative loss, and photon–photon pair production are taken into account in the electron’s evolution equation, and the processes of synchrotron radiation, inverse Compton scattering, synchrotron self-absorption, and pair production are included for the photon’s evolution equation. Both coupled equations are simultaneously solved. The model is applied to explain observed results of the PWN in MSH 15–52. Our results show that the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of both electrons and photons are all a function of distance. The observed photon SED of MSH 15–52 can be well reproduced in this model. With the parameters obtained by fitting the observed SED, the spatial variations of photon index and surface brightness observed in the X-ray band can also be well reproduced. Moreover, it can be derived that the present-day diffusion coefficient of MSH 15–52 at the termination shock is

, the spatial average has a value of

, and the present-day magnetic field at the termination shock has a value of

and the spatial averaged magnetic field is

. The spatial changes of the spectral index and surface brightness at different bands are predicted.
THE EFFECT OF ROTATION ON OSCILLATORY DOUBLE-DIFFUSIVE CONVECTION (SEMICONVECTION)
Authors: Moll Ryan , Garaud Pascale
Published: December 2016

Oscillatory double-diffusive convection (ODDC, more traditionally called semiconvection) is a form of linear double-diffusive instability that occurs in fluids that are unstably stratified in temperature (Schwarzschild unstable), but stably stratified in chemical composition (Ledoux stable). This scenario is thought to be quite common in the interiors of stars and giant planets, and understanding the transport of heat and chemical species by ODDC is of great importance to stellar and planetary evolution models. Fluids unstable to ODDC have a tendency to form convective thermocompositional layers that significantly enhance the fluxes of temperature and chemical composition compared with microscopic diffusion. Although a number of recent studies have focused on studying properties of both layered and nonlayered ODDC, few have addressed how additional physical processes such as global rotation affect its dynamics. In this work, we study first how rotation affects the linear stability properties of rotating ODDC. Using direct numerical simulations, we then analyze the effect of rotation on properties of layered and nonlayered ODDC, and we study how the angle of the rotation axis with respect to the direction of gravity affects layering. We find that rotating systems can be broadly grouped into two categories based on the strength of rotation. The qualitative behavior in the more weakly rotating group is similar to nonrotating ODDC, but strongly rotating systems become dominated by vortices that are invariant in the direction of the rotation vector and strongly influence transport. We find that whenever layers form, rotation always acts to reduce thermal and compositional transport.
PHOTOPHORETIC LEVITATION AND TRAPPING OF DUST IN THE INNER REGIONS OF PROTOPLANETARY DISKS
Authors: McNally Colin P. , McClure Melissa K.
Published: December 2016

In protoplanetary disks, the differential gravity-driven settling of dust grains with respect to gas and with respect to grains of varying sizes determines the observability of grains, and sets the conditions for grain growth and eventually planet formation. In this work, we explore the effect of photophoresis on the settling of large dust grains in the inner regions of actively accreting protoplanetary disks. Photophoretic forces on dust grains result from the collision of gas molecules with differentially heated grains. We undertake one-dimensional dust settling calculations to determine the equilibrium vertical distribution of dust grains in each column of the disk. In the process we introduce a new treatment of the photophoresis force which is consistent at all optical depths with the representation of the radiative intensity field in a two-stream radiative transfer approximation. The levitation of large dust grains creates a photophoretic dust trap several scale heights above the mid-plane in the inner regions of the disk where the dissipation of accretion energy is significant. We find that differential settling of dust grains is radically altered in these regions of the disk, with large dust grains trapped in a layer below the stellar irradiation surface, where the dust to gas mass ratio can be enhanced by a factor of a hundred for the relevant particles. The photophoretic trapping effect has a strong dependence on particle size and porosity.