bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of Transdisciplinary Research for Agricultural Climate Change Adaptation Strategies
Authors: Schermer Markus , Stotten Rike , Strasser Ulrich , Meißl Gertraud , Marke Thomas , Förster Kristian , Formayer Herbert
Published: October 2018

While science widely acknowledges the necessity of climate change adaptation (CCA), concrete strategies for CCA by major land-use actor groups at a local level are largely missing. Immediate economic challenges often prevent the establishment of long-term collective strategies. However, collective decisions on a communal level regarding land use are crucial for CCA strategies, given the interdependencies of farming with forestry, tourism, and other economic sectors, especially in mountain areas. This paper presents inter- and trans-disciplinary learning processes, which have evolved into a project modelling the hydrological effects of combined future climate and land-use changes based on the combined scenarios of climate and socio-economic change in an Alpine valley (Brixental in Tyrol/Austria). Locally adapted scenarios illustrate future land-use changes as a result of both climate change and different socio-economic developments. The hydrological results show how an increase in the forested area reduces streamflow (as a measure of water availability) in the long term. For local stakeholders, the process demonstrated clearly the interdependence of different economic sectors and the necessity for collective action at a regional level to influence socio-economic development. Moreover, it made them aware that local decisions on future land use may influence the effects of climate change. Consistent storylines helped stakeholders to visualize a desired future and to see their scope of influence. The transdisciplinary research process allowed local stakeholders to translate the hydrological modelling results into a concrete local CCA strategy.
Detection of Thermal Strain in Steel Rails with BOTDA
Authors: Gu Lijuan , Zhang Liang , Bao Xiaoyi , Zhang Merrina , Zhang Chengxian , Dong Yongkang
Published: October 2018

Rail transportation is one of the most important and efficient forms of transportation. Large thermal strain can develop in the rail steel due to extreme climatic conditions resulting in safety related issues. We carried out a thermal-strain monitoring test on the rail specimen over a large temperature range from −40 ∘ C to +50 ∘ C using a Brillouin optical time-domain analyzer (BOTDA) for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. Two jacketed fibers and small-diameter carbon/polyimide-coating single-mode fiber were used for the purpose of investigating the jacket effect of thermal-strain detection on the rail. Although a nonlinear response to the temperature of the loose jacketed fiber was found, it was applicable for thermal strain monitoring when glued on the surface of the rail sample. The measured thermal strain in the rail specimen was validated by the results obtained by the strain gauge. The thermally induced strain from the large rail specimen was found to have suppressed the nonlinear impact of the fiber jacket.
Adaptive Kinetic Scrolling: Kinetic Scrolling for Large Datasets on Mobile Devices
Authors: Jeong Jongwook , Kim Neunghoe , In Hoh Peter
Published: October 2018

Scrolling is a frequently used Graphical User Interface widget that enables users to interact with a large amount of data using a limited viewport. However, if excessive data is included in the scroll, users are required to spend a substantial amount of time and effort to find the required information. In this paper, we present adaptive kinetic scrolling (AKS), a technique based on kinetic scrolling by which users can access target information more rapidly on mobile devices. Based on the user’s behavior, AKS detects situations when the user intends to access certain information that may be distant from the current viewport. At this point, AKS amplifies the speed of kinetic scrolling. Furthermore, the scrolling speed adapts according to the size of the remaining data to be scrolled. The more data that the scrolling widget contains, the more rapidly it scrolls so that the user can quickly reach the target. Kinetic scrolling is frequently used in scrolling widgets, and with AKS, users can save time and energy wasted on repetitive meaningless scrolling. We conducted a user study and verified that the proposed scrolling technique enables users to access target information more rapidly, particularly when there is a large dataset to navigate.
Multiaxial Damage Characterization of Carbon/Epoxy Angle-Ply Laminates under Static Tension by Combining In Situ Microscopy with Acoustic Emission
Authors: Kalteremidou Kalliopi-Artemi , Murray Brendan R. , Tsangouri Eleni , Aggelis Dimitrios G. , Van Hemelrijck Danny , Pyl Lincy
Published: October 2018

Investigating the damage progression in carbon/epoxy composites is still a challenging task, even after years of analysis and study. Especially when multiaxial stress states occur, the development of damage is a stochastic phenomenon. In the current work, a combined nondestructive methodology is proposed in order to investigate the damage from the static tensile loading of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites. Flat angle-ply laminates are used to examine the influence of multiaxial stress states on the mechanical performance. In situ microscopy is combined with acoustic emission in order to qualitatively and quantitatively estimate the damage sequence in the laminates. At the same time, digital image correlation is used as a supporting tool for strain measurements and damage indications. Significant conclusions are drawn, highlighting the dominant influence of shear loading, leading to the deduction that the development of accurate damage criteria is of paramount importance. The data presented in the current manuscript is used during ongoing research as input for the damage characterization of the same material under fatigue loads.
An Integrated Credit-Based Incentive Protocol for Symbol-Level Network-Coded Cooperative Content Distribution among Vehicular Nodes
Authors: Chang Ing-Chau , Yen Chin-En , Lo Jacky
Published: October 2018

In traditional symbol-level network coding (SLNC)-based cooperative content distribution approaches, they ignore nodes in the vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) having various network-coded content pieces and distinct levels of interests and selfishness for different kinds of content data, which further prevents these vehicular nodes from forwarding their content information to other nodes. With these approaches, these nodes suffer from the low ratio and the long latency to receive all content information. In this paper, based on distinct levels of node interests and selfishness on different content information, we first categorize vehicular nodes into four classes, that is, the destination, intermediate, irrelevant and overhearing ones and then designate their associated credit-based incentive approaches. Second, we modify the flow of traditional SLNC-based cooperative content distribution operations and propose the content bitmap to realize the difference of network-coded content pieces among vehicular nodes. Further, we rigidly combine the proposed credit-based incentive approach with the modified SLNC-based cooperative content distribution operations in SocialCode to encourage all classes of vehicular nodes to rise their incentives for sharing content data in the cooperative content distribution process. Finally, we perform NS-2 simulations on a street map of downtown Taipei, Taiwan to exhibit the high efficiency of SocialCode over related credit-based incentive approaches by analyzing the following performance metrics, that is, average decoding percentage, file downloading delay and credits, with respect to different file sizes and total numbers of vehicular nodes. As the best knowledge we have, SocialCode is one of the first few researches that works on the integration between the credit-based incentive protocol and the SLNC-based cooperative content distribution.
Unified Friction Formulation from Laminar to Fully Rough Turbulent Flow
Authors: Brkić Dejan , Praks Pavel
Published: October 2018

This paper provides a new unified formula for Newtonian fluids valid for all pipe flow regimes from laminar to fully rough turbulent flow. This includes laminar flow; the unstable sharp jump from laminar to turbulent flow; and all types of turbulent regimes, including the smooth turbulent regime, the partial non-fully developed turbulent regime, and the fully developed rough turbulent regime. The new unified formula follows the inflectional form of curves suggested in Nikuradse’s experiment rather than the monotonic shape proposed by Colebrook and White. The composition of the proposed unified formula uses switching functions and interchangeable formulas for the laminar, smooth turbulent, and fully rough turbulent flow regimes. Thus, the formulation presented below represents a coherent hydraulic model suitable for engineering use. This new flow friction model is more flexible than existing literature models and provides smooth and computationally cheap transitions between hydraulic regimes.
Influence of the Precipitation of Secondary Phase on the Thermal Diffusivity Change of Al-Mg2Si Alloys
Authors: Kim Yu-Mi , Choi Se-Weon , Kim Young-Chan , Kang Chang-Seok , Hong Sung-Kil
Published: October 2018

Al-Si-Mg alloys are investigated to determine the relationship between changes in the thermal diffusivity and precipitation behavior of the Mg2Si phase with various contents of Mg2Si and aging treatment conditions. The samples were solid solution-treated and then quenched with water (80 °C). Aging treatments were implemented at temperatures ranging from 180 to 240 °C for 5 h. The precipitation behavior of Mg2Si was observed using a heat flow curve using differential scanning calorimetry analysis. The thermal diffusivity of Al-Mg2Si alloy was affected by the precipitation of the Mg2Si phase, particularly in the meta-stable β phase. In the temperature range of precipitation occurrence, the thermal diffusivity of the alloy increased with the temperature when the precipitation of the meta-stable β phase of the sample was incomplete. However, at the same temperature, the samples in which precipitation had completed did not have any increased thermal diffusivity. The thermal diffusivity of the samples decreased when the meta-stable Mg2Si phase had dissolved in the matrix. The precipitation and dissolution of Mg2Si mainly affected the variation of thermal diffusivity in Al-Si-Mg. In contrast, the stable Mg2Si phase was not affected by changes in thermal diffusivity at a high temperature.
3D Numerical Analysis of Synergetic Interaction between High-Rise Building Basement and CFG Piles Foundation
Authors: Niu Xirong , Yao Yangping , Sun Yanfang , He Yuhao , Zhang Haiqing
Published: October 2018

A strong bearing capacity and the satisfaction of strict settlement requirements are necessary for high-rise buildings. A single-raft foundation cannot meet certain settlement requirements, in which case CFG (cement/fly ash/gravel, an emerging and sustainable construction material) piles can be used in the foundation to set up a cushion between the top of the pile and the raft slab, where the piles act as settlement reducers. The rafts of disconnected piles (DPs) exhibit complex synergetic interactions involving the raft, cushion, pile, and soil under the load of the superstructure. Multiple piles in particular lead to an increase in the number of degrees of freedom of the problem, resulting in difficulty in solving it. However, when the number of piles is very large and the structure is complex—for example, many buildings are placed on the same raft with basement structures—even if the embedded pile element is used during numerical calculations, either the method remains prone to non-convergence or the time needed for numerical calculations is too long. It is, thus, difficult to satisfy the requirement of an efficient scheme of evaluation in practice. To solve this problem, a method that uses a simulation of the integral equivalent of the CFG pile reinforcement zone is proposed in this paper. In the CFG pile reinforcement zone, the effect of the pile is reflected in the enhancement of parameters of the soil in the strengthened zone, and the reinforcement zone (including the soil and the pile) is regarded as an anisotropic elastoplastic material. As the structure of the pile is no longer needed in the model, its elimination significantly reduces the complexity of the model and improves its calculation efficiency. An example of a numerical calculation is provided to verify the viability and accuracy of the integral equivalent simulation method in comparison with the embedded pile element simulation method. Finally, the proposed method is applied to the three-dimensional numerical analysis of a scheme for the treatment of foundations of high- and low-rise buildings with basements, and its effectiveness is further verified through comparison with theoretical results.
FRoG—A New Calculation Engine for Clinical Investigations with Proton and Carbon Ion Beams at CNAO
Authors: Choi KyungDon , Mein Stewart B , Kopp Benedikt , Magro Giuseppe , Molinelli Silvia , Ciocca Mario , Mairani Andrea
Published: October 2018

A fast and accurate dose calculation engine for hadrontherapy is critical for both routine clinical and advanced research applications. FRoG is a graphics processing unit (GPU)-based forward calculation tool developed at CNAO (Centro Nazionale di Adroterapia Oncologica) and at HIT (Heidelberg Ion Beam Therapy Center) for fast and accurate calculation of both physical and biological dose. FRoG calculation engine adopts a triple Gaussian parameterization for the description of the lateral dose distribution. FRoG provides dose, dose-averaged linear energy transfer, and biological dose-maps, -profiles, and -volume-histograms. For the benchmark of the FRoG calculation engine, using the clinical settings available at CNAO, spread-out Bragg peaks (SOBPs) and patient cases for both proton and carbon ion beams have been calculated and compared against FLUKA Monte Carlo (MC) predictions. In addition, FRoG patient-specific quality assurance (QA) has been performed for twenty-five proton and carbon ion fields. As a result, for protons, biological dose values, using a relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of 1.1, agree on average with MC within ~1% for both SOBPs and patient plans. For carbon ions, RBE-weighted dose (DRBE) agreement against FLUKA is within ~2.5% for the studied SOBPs and patient plans. Both MKM (Microdosimetric Kinetic Model) and LEM (Local Effect Model) DRBE are implemented and tested in FRoG to support the NIRS (National Institute of Radiological Sciences)-based to LEM-based biological dose conversion. FRoG matched the measured QA dosimetric data within ~2.0% for both particle species. The typical calculation times for patients ranged from roughly 1 to 4 min for proton beams and 3 to 6 min for carbon ions on a NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1080 Ti. This works demonstrates FRoG’s potential to bolster clinical activity with proton and carbon ion beams at CNAO.
Enhanced Ricinoleic Acid Preparation Using Lipozyme TLIM as a Novel Biocatalyst: Optimized by Response Surface Methodology
Authors: Sun Shangde , Guo Jingjing
Published: October 2018

Ricinoleic acid (RA) is an important raw material for plasticizers, emulsifiers, and nanomaterials. In this work, a green and efficient method was developed for RA production. Results showed that Lipozyme TLIM can be used as a novel biocatalyst to catalyze the hydrolysis of castor oil (CO) for RA preparation. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to evaluate and optimize the effects of reaction variables on the hydrolysis of CO. Reaction conditions were optimized as follows: 41.3 °C, enzyme load 8.9%, 39.2 h, and 40:1 molar ratio of water to oil. Under these optimized reaction variables, the maximum hydrolysis ratio of CO (96.2 ± 1.5%) was obtained. The effect of hydrolysis variables on the reaction was as follows: enzyme load > hydrolysis time > temperature. In conclusion, this is a green, simple, and efficient method for RA preparation and can provide a good alternative method for RA industrial production.
Effective Photocatalytic Activity of Mixed Ni/Fe-Base Metal-Organic Framework under a Compact Fluorescent Daylight Lamp
Authors: Nguyen Vinh Huu , Nguyen Trinh Duy , Bach Long Giang , Hoang Thai , Bui Quynh Thi Phuong , Tran Lam Dai , Nguyen Chuong V. , Vo Dai-Viet N. , Do Sy Trung
Published: October 2018

Mixed Ni/Fe-base metal-organic framework (Ni/Fe-MOF) with different molar ratios of Ni2+/Fe3+ have been successfully produced using an appropriate solvothermal router. Physicochemical properties of all samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, field emission scanning electron microscopes (FE-SEM), fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), N2 adsorption-desorption analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectra (UV-Vis DRS), and photoluminescence spectra (PL). The photocatalytic degradation performances of the photocatalysts were evaluated in the decomposition of rhodamine B (RhB) under a compact fluorescent daylight lamp. From XRD, IR, XPS, and Raman results, with the presence of mixed ion Fe3+ and Ni2+, MIL-88B (MIL standing for Materials of Institut Lavoisier) crystals based on the mixed metal Fe2NiO cluster were formed, while MIL-53(Fe) was formed with the presence of single ion Fe3+. From UV-Vis DRS results, Ni/Fe-MOF samples exhibited the absorption spectrum up to the visible region, and then they showed the high photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation. A Ni/Fe-MOF sample with a Ni2+/Fe3+ molar ratio of 0.3 showed the highest photocatalytic degradation capacity of RhB, superior to that of the MIL-53(Fe) sample. The obtained result could be explained as a consequence of the large surface area with large pore volumes and pore size by the Ni2+ incorporating into the MOF’s structure. In addition, a mixed metal Fe/Ni-based framework consisted of mixed-metal cluster Fe2NiO with an electron transfer effect and may enhance the photocatalytic performance.
Reproducibility of Preschool Personnel and Guardian Reports on Energy Balance-Related Behaviors and Their Correlates in Finnish Preschool Children
Authors: Määttä Suvi , Vepsäläinen Henna , Lehto Reetta , Erkkola Maijaliisa , Roos Eva , Ray Carola
Published: October 2018

Valid and reliable non-objective assessments of guardian and preschool personnel reports are necessary when estimating young children’s health behaviors. This study examines the test-retest reproducibility of (a) guardian and preschool personnel questionnaires about correlates of preschool-aged children’s energy balance-related behaviors (EBRBs), (b) a screen time diary, and (c) a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) reported by a guardian. A sample of guardians having preschool-aged children (N = 69) and preschool personnel (N = 61) completed questionnaires twice within a five-week time interval during April–May 2018 in Finland. Intra-class correlations (ICC), kappas, and percentage agreement were calculated to test the test-retest-reproducibility. The guardian questionnaire for correlates of the children’s EBRBs demonstrated mainly moderate to good reproducibility whereas the preschool personnel questionnaire of preschool correlates for children’s EBRBs was mostly good. The reproducibility of the screen time diary was good and FFQ food items showed mostly moderate reproducibility. The reproducibility of the FFQ foods items for vegetables, fruit, and berries was slightly better for the amount consumed than for the frequency of consumption. To conclude, all the instruments are acceptable for use in future studies.
Understanding the Recent Global Surface Warming Slowdown: A Review
Authors: Tung Ka-Kit , Chen Xianyao
Published: October 2018

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) noted a recent 15-year period (1998–2012) when the rate of surface global warming was a factor of 4 smaller than the mean of the state-of-art climate model projections and than that observed in the previous three decades. When updated to include 2014 by Karl et al. using the new version of NOAA data, the observed warming trend is higher, but is still half or less, depending on dataset used, that of previous decades and the multi-model mean projections. This period is called a surface warming slowdown. Intense community efforts devoted to understanding this puzzling phenomenon—puzzling because atmospheric greenhouse gas accumulation has not abated while surface warming slowed—have yielded insights on our climate system, and this may be an opportune time to take stock of what we have learned. Proposed explanations differ on whether it is forced by counteracting agents (such as volcanic and pollution aerosols and stratospheric water vapor) or is an internal variability, and if the latter, on which ocean basin is responsible (Pacific, Indian, or Atlantic Ocean). Here we critically review the observational records, their analyses and interpretations, and offer interpretations of model simulations, with emphasis on sorting through the rather confusing signals at the ocean’s surface, and reconciling them with the subsurface signals.
Degradation and In Vivo Response of Hydroxyapatite-Coated Mg Alloy
Authors: Husak Yevheniia , Solodovnyk Oleksandr , Yanovska Anna , Kozik Yevhenii , Liubchak Iryna , Ivchenko Viktoriia , Mishchenko Oleg , Zinchenko Yevhen , Kuznetsov Vladimir , Pogorielov Maksym
Published: October 2018

Nowadays there is a need for new generation of biodegradable implants, which should be able to stimulate the healing responses of injured tissues at the molecular level. Magnesium alloys attract great attention as perspective bone implants due to their biocompatibility, physical properties and ability to degrade completely under physiological conditions. The main purpose of this research was assessment of in vitro corrosion and surface morphology after short term in vivo implantation of Mg based implant covered by hydroxyapatite (HA). Mg alloys with the addition of Zr (0.65%), Al (1.85%) and Nd (1.25%) were used. In our work, we propose dipping method for hydroxyapatite coatings formation which has been shown to reduce the corrosion rate of magnesium implants in vivo. Simulated body fluid (SBF; pH 7.4) with ion concentrations approximately equal to those of human blood plasma resembling physiological conditions and citrate buffer with pH 5—simulating inflammation were selected as modelling environments for in vitro degradation test. The rod samples were implanted into the tibia bone of rats and after 1 day and 5 days of implantation were taken out to observe cells adhesion on surface samples. SEM was used to assess surface morphology after in vitro and in vivo tests. SBF solution causes some cracks on the surface of HA coatings, while citrate solution at pH 2 caused complete dissolving of the coating. The HA coating favoured cell adhesion and rapid fibrous tissue formation.
Specific Features of Structure, Electrical Conductivity and Interlayer Adhesion of the Natural Polymer Matrix from the Layers of Branched Carbon Nanotube Networks Filled with Albumin, Collagen and Chitosan
Authors: Savostyanov George V. , Slepchenkov Michael M. , Shmygin Dmitriy S. , Glukhova Olga E.
Published: October 2018

This paper considers the problem of creating a conductive matrix with a framework made of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for cell and tissue engineering. In silico investigation of the electrical conductivity of the framework formed by T-junctions of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) (12, 12) with a diameter of 1.5 nm has been carried out. A numerical evaluation of the contact resistance and electrical conductivity of seamless and suture T-junctions of SWCNTs is given. The effect of the type of structural defects in the contact area of the tubes on the contact resistance of the T-junction of SWCNTs was revealed. A coarse-grained model of a branched SWCNT network with different structure densities is constructed and its electrical conductivity is calculated. A new layered bioconstruction is proposed, the layers of which are formed by natural polymer matrixes: CNT-collagen, CNT-albumin and CNT-chitosan. The energy stability of the layered natural polymer matrix has been analyzed, and the adhesion of various layers to each other has been calculated. Based on the obtained results, a new approach has been developed in the formation of 3D electrically conductive bioengineering structures for the restoration of cell activity.
Growth of NbC Thin Film Using CH4 as a Carbon Source and Reducing Agent
Authors: Kim Kwan-Woo , Kim Bum Jun , Lee Sang Hoon , Nasir Tuqeer , Lim Hyung Kyu , Choi Ik Jun , Jeong Byung Joo , Lee Jaeyeong , Yu Hak Ki , Choi Jae-Young
Published: October 2018

Transition metal carbides (TMCs) have high melting points, hardness, and chemical stabilities in acidic media. In this work, a chemical vapor deposition method using CH4 as a carbon source and reducing agent was employed to make an NbC film. NbCl5 carried by Ar gas was used as an Nb precursor. An NbC thin film, deposited on a c-plane sapphire, exhibited a preferential orientation of the (111) plane, which can be explained by domain-matching epitaxy. A nanoindentation test showed that the NbC film with the preferential orientation of the (111) plane was stronger than that with a random orientation. Moreover, the results showed that H2, which is conventionally used as a reducing agent in NbC synthesis, degraded the crystallinity and hardness of the fabricated NbC.
Exponents of Spectral Functions in the One-Dimensional Bose Gas
Authors: Schlottmann Pedro
Published: October 2018

The one-dimensional gas of bosons interacting via a repulsive contact potential was solved long ago via Bethe’s ansatz by Lieb and Liniger (Exact Analysis of an Interacting Bose Gas. I. The General Solution and the Ground State). The low energy excitation spectrum is a Luttinger liquid parametrized by a conformal field theory with conformal charge c = 1 . For higher energy excitations the spectral function displays deviations from the Luttinger behavior arising from the curvature terms in the dispersion. Adding a corrective term of the form of a mobile impurity coupled to the Luttinger liquid modes corrects this problem. The “impurity” term is an irrelevant operator, which if treated non-perturbatively, yields the threshold singularities in the one-particle and one-hole Green’s function correctly. We show that the exponents obtained via the finite size corrections to the ground state energy are identical to those obtained through the shift function.
The Study of the Mechanism of Protein Crystallization in Space by Using Microchannel to Simulate Microgravity Environment
Authors: Yu Yong , Li Kai , Lin Hai , Li Ji-Cheng
Published: October 2018

Space is expected to be a convection-free, quiescent environment for the production of large-size and high-quality protein crystals. However, the mechanisms by which the diffusion environment in space improves the quality of the protein crystals are not fully understood. The interior of a microfluidic device can be used to simulate a microgravity environment to investigate the protein crystallization mechanism that occurs in space. In the present study, lysozyme crystals were grown in a prototype microchannel device with a height of 50 μm in a glass-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-glass sandwich structure. Comparative experiments were also conducted in a sample pool with a height of 2 mm under the same growth conditions. We compared the crystal morphologies and growth rates of the grown crystals in the two sample pools. The experimental results showed that at very low initial supersaturation, the morphology and growth rates of lysozyme crystals under the simulated microgravity conditions is similar to that on Earth. With increasing initial supersaturation, a convection-free, quiescent environment is better for lysozyme crystal growth. When the initial supersaturation exceeded a threshold, the growth of the lysozyme crystal surface under the simulated microgravity conditions never completely transform from isotropic to anisotropic. The experimental results showed that the convection may have a dual effect on the crystal morphology. Convection can increase the roughness of the crystal surface and promote the transformation of the crystal form from circular to tetragonal during the crystallization process.
Multi-Modal Deep Hand Sign Language Recognition in Still Images Using Restricted Boltzmann Machine
Authors: Rastgoo Razieh , Kiani Kourosh , Escalera Sergio
Published: October 2018

In this paper, a deep learning approach, Restricted Boltzmann Machine (RBM), is used to perform automatic hand sign language recognition from visual data. We evaluate how RBM, as a deep generative model, is capable of generating the distribution of the input data for an enhanced recognition of unseen data. Two modalities, RGB and Depth, are considered in the model input in three forms: original image, cropped image, and noisy cropped image. Five crops of the input image are used and the hand of these cropped images are detected using Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). After that, three types of the detected hand images are generated for each modality and input to RBMs. The outputs of the RBMs for two modalities are fused in another RBM in order to recognize the output sign label of the input image. The proposed multi-modal model is trained on all and part of the American alphabet and digits of four publicly available datasets. We also evaluate the robustness of the proposal against noise. Experimental results show that the proposed multi-modal model, using crops and the RBM fusing methodology, achieves state-of-the-art results on Massey University Gesture Dataset 2012, American Sign Language (ASL). and Fingerspelling Dataset from the University of Surrey’s Center for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing, NYU, and ASL Fingerspelling A datasets.
Effect of Zr Addition on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of CoCrFeNiMn High-Entropy Alloy Synthesized by Spark Plasma Sintering
Authors: Zhang Hongling , Zhang Lei , Liu Xinyu , Chen Qiang , Xu Yi
Published: October 2018

As a classic high-entropy alloy system, CoCrFeNiMn is widely investigated. In the present work, we used ZrH2 powders and atomized CoCrFeNiMn powders as raw materials to prepare CoCrFeNiMnZrx (x = 0, 0.2, 0.5, 0.8, 1.0) alloys by mechanical alloying (MA), followed by spark plasma sintering (SPS). During the MA process, a small amount of Zr (x ≤ 0.5) can be completely dissolved into CoCrFeNiMn matrix, when the Zr content is above 0.5, the ZrH2 is excessive. After SPS, CoCrFeNiMn alloy is still as single face-centered cubic (FCC) solid solution, and CoCrFeNiMnZrx (x ≥ 0.2) alloys have two distinct microstructural domains, one is a single FCC phase without Zr, the other is a Zr-rich microstructure composed of FCC phase, B2 phase, Zr2Ni7, and σ phase. The multi-phase microstructures can be attributed to the large lattice strain and negative enthalpy of mixing, caused by the addition of Zr. It is worth noting that two types of nanoprecipitates (body-centered cubic (BCC) phase and Zr2Ni7) are precipitated in the Zr-rich region. These can significantly increase the yield strength of the alloys.
Complexity of Products: The Effect of Data Regularisation
Authors: Angelini Orazio , Di Matteo Tiziana
Published: October 2018

Among several developments, the field of Economic Complexity (EC) has notably seen the introduction of two new techniques. One is the Bootstrapped Selective Predictability Scheme (SPSb), which can provide quantitative forecasts of the Gross Domestic Product of countries. The other, Hidden Markov Model (HMM) regularisation, denoises the datasets typically employed in the literature. We contribute to EC along three different directions. First, we prove the convergence of the SPSb algorithm to a well-known statistical learning technique known as Nadaraya-Watson Kernel regression. The latter has significantly lower time complexity, produces deterministic results, and it is interchangeable with SPSb for the purpose of making predictions. Second, we study the effects of HMM regularization on the Product Complexity and logPRODY metrics, for which a model of time evolution has been recently proposed. We find confirmation for the original interpretation of the logPRODY model as describing the change in the global market structure of products with new insights allowing a new interpretation of the Complexity measure, for which we propose a modification. Third, we explore new effects of regularisation on the data. We find that it reduces noise, and observe for the first time that it increases nestedness in the export network adjacency matrix.
Checks and Balances: Enforcing Constitutional Constraints
Authors: Holcombe Randall G.
Published: October 2018

Constitutional political economy has focused heavily on designing constitutional rules sufficient to constrain governmental power. More attention has been devoted to designing rules that are effective constraints than on the institutions that would be required to enforce them. One problem is that rules are interpreted and enforced by the political elite, who tend to interpret and enforce them in ways that favor their interests over those of the masses. Democratic oversight is ineffective because voters realize they have no influence over public policy, and are therefore rationally ignorant. A system of checks and balances within government is necessary for enforcing constitutional constraints because it divides power among elites with competing interests and enables one group of elites to check the power of others. Checks and balances within governmental institutions are necessary to constrain the government from abusing its power.
Peer Effects on Vocabulary Knowledge: A Linear Quantile Mixed-Modeling Approach
Authors: Quinn Jamie M. , Folsom Jessica Sidler , Petscher Yaacov
Published: October 2018

Do your peers in the classroom have an effect on your vocabulary learning? The purpose of this study was to determine if group-level peer characteristics and group-level peer achievement account for individual-level differences in vocabulary achievement using a large sample of students in kindergarten through second grade (n = 389,917). We applied a mixed-modeling approach to control for students nested among peers, and used quantile regression to test if group-level peer effects functioned similarly across the range of conditional student ability in vocabulary knowledge. Group-level peer effects were more strongly related to vocabulary achievement for students at the low end of the conditional distribution of vocabulary. The difference in vocabulary achievement between children with and without an individualized education program increased as quantiles of the conditional vocabulary distribution increased. Children with lower relative fall scores had better spring scores when they were in homogenous classrooms (i.e., their peers had similar levels of achievement). The importance of classroom composition and implications for accounting for peer effects are discussed.
A Study on the Mainstream of Real Estate Education with Core Term Analysis
Authors: Kim Dong-hyun , Pior Myoung-young
Published: October 2018

This study was conducted to provide basic information about the curricula of real estate education with respect to globalization. The literature, such as the histories and characteristics of real estate education in the United Kingdom and the United States that have historically lead real estate education, are reviewed. We also extract the core terms used in the curricula of departments accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business—International that are leading the globalization of education, and Meikai University, the only university with a real estate department in Japan. In extracting core terms from each country, we proceed with basic terms that constitute the subject titles, not the entire subject title itself. After extracting core terms from each country, we discuss the overall characteristics of real estate education in each country and clarify the main stream of the globalization of real estate education. In addition, by comparing core terms and calculating proximities among Japan, the United Kingdom and United States, Japan’s specificities of real estate education are identified.
A Review of Advanced CMOS RF Power Amplifier Architecture Trends for Low Power 5G Wireless Networks
Authors: Vasjanov Aleksandr , Barzdenas Vaidotas
Published: October 2018

The structure of the modern wireless network evolves rapidly and maturing 4G networks pave the way to next generation 5G communication. A tendency of shifting from traditional high-power tower-mounted base stations towards heterogeneous elements can be spotted, which is mainly caused by the increase of annual wireless users and devices connected to the network. The radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA) performance directly affects the efficiency of any transmitter, therefore, the emerging 5G cellular network requires new PA architectures with improved efficiency without sacrificing linearity. A review of the most promising reported RF PA architectures is presented in this article, emphasizing advantages, disadvantages and concluding with a quantitative comparison. The main scope of reviewed papers are PAs implemented in scalable complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) and SiGe BiCMOS processes with output powers suitable for portable wireless devices under 32 dBm (1.5 W) in the low- and high- 5G network frequency ranges.
Real-Time Particle Swarm Optimization on FPGA for the Optimal Message-Chain Structure
Authors: Lee Heoncheol , Kim Kipyo , Kwon Yongsung , Hong Eonpyo
Published: October 2018

This paper addresses the real-time optimization problem of the message-chain structure to maximize the throughput in data communications based on half-duplex command-response protocols. This paper proposes a new variant of the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to resolve real-time optimization, which is implemented on field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) to be performed faster in parallel and to avoid the delays caused by other tasks on a central processing unit. The proposed method was verified by finding the optimal message-chain structure much faster than the original PSO, as well as reliably with different system and algorithm parameters.
Impact Evaluation of Wind Power Geographic Dispersion on Future Operating Reserve Needs
Authors: Manuel Carvalho da Silva Santos Fernando , Elizeire Bremermann Leonardo , Da Mata Medeiros Branco Tadeu , Issicaba Diego , Augusto da Rosa Mauro
Published: October 2018

This paper evaluates the potential of diverse wind power patterns to balance the global power output of wind farms using the concept of operating reserve assessment. To achieve this, operating reserve assessment models are utilized to evaluate bulk generation systems under several conditions of wind power geographic distribution. Different wind behavior patterns and wind power penetration levels are tested using a modified configuration of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Reliability Test System 96 (IEEE RTS-96). The results highlight that on a large country scale system with different wind characteristics, the diversification of wind behavior might be conducive to a compensation of wind power fluctuations, which may significantly decrease the need for system operating reserves. This effect is verified using probability distribution functions of reserve needs estimated by sequential Monte Carlo simulations (SMCS), such that useful information regarding generation capacity flexibility is drawn from the evaluations.
Low-Voltage Ride-Through Operation of Grid-Connected Microgrid Using Consensus-Based Distributed Control
Authors: Lee Woon-Gyu , Nguyen Thai-Thanh , Yoo Hyeong-Jun , Kim Hak-Man
Published: October 2018

Since the penetration of distributed energy resources (DERs) and energy storage systems (ESSs) into the microgrid (MG) system has increased significantly, the sudden disconnection of DERs and ESSs might affect the stability and reliability of the whole MG system. The low-voltage ride-through (LVRT) capability to maintain stable operation of the MG system should be considered. The main contribution of this study is to propose a distributed control, based on a dynamic consensus algorithm for LVRT operation of the MG system. The proposed control method is based on a hierarchical control that consists of primary and secondary layers. The primary layer is in charge of power regulation, while the secondary layer is responsible for the LVRT operation of the MG system. The droop controller is used in the primary layer to maintain power sharing among parallel-distributed generators in the MG system. The dynamic consensus algorithm is used in the secondary layer to control the accurate reactive power sharing and voltage restoration for LVRT operation. A comparison study on the proposed control method and centralized control method is presented in this study to show the effectiveness of the proposed controller. Different scenarios of communication failures are carried out to show the reliability of the proposed control method. The tested MG system and proposed controller are modeled in a MATLAB/Simulink environment to show the feasibility of the proposed control method.
A New Input Selection Algorithm Using the Group Method of Data Handling and Bootstrap Method for Support Vector Regression Based Hourly Load Forecasting
Authors: Yu Jungwon , Park June Ho , Kim Sungshin
Published: October 2018

Electric load forecasting is indispensable for the effective planning and operation of power systems. Various decisions related to power systems depend on the future behavior of loads. In this paper, we propose a new input selection procedure, which combines the group method of data handling (GMDH) and bootstrap method for support vector regression based hourly load forecasting. To construct the GMDH network, a learning dataset is divided into training and test datasets by bootstrapping. After constructing GMDH networks several times, the inputs that appeared frequently in the input layers of the completed networks were selected as the significant inputs. Filter methods based on linear correlation and mutual information (MI) were employed as comparison methods, and the performance of hybrids of the filter methods and the proposed method were also confirmed. In total, five input selection methods were compared. To verify the performance of the proposed method, hourly load data from South Korea was used and the results of one-hour, one-day and one-week-ahead forecasts were investigated. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed method has higher prediction accuracy compared with the filter methods. Among the five methods, a hybrid of an MI-based filter with the proposed method shows best prediction performance.
Influence of Policy, Air Quality, and Local Attitudes toward Renewable Energy on the Adoption of Woody Biomass Heating Systems
Authors: Young Jesse D. , Anderson Nathaniel M. , Naughton Helen T.
Published: October 2018

Heat produced from woody biomass accounts for a significant portion of renewable energy in the United States. Economic and federal policy factors driving institutional adoption of woody biomass heating systems have been identified and examined in previous studies, as have the effects of state policies in support of biomass heating. However, plans for a number of mid- to large-scale biomass facilities have been abandoned after being proposed in communities with many of the factors and policies considered favorable to the adoption of such systems. In many of these cases, opponents cited potential negative impacts on local air quality, despite being generally in favor of renewable energy. This study employed a zero inflated negative binomial (ZINB) statistical model to determine if state policies, air quality, and local attitudes toward renewable energy have a significant effect on the adoption and retention of distributed-scale biomass combustion systems used for institutional heating. State policy appears to have a negligible effect, while the influences of historic and current air pollution and local emissions appear insignificant. However, local attitudes in favor of renewable energy are associated with the adoption and retention of distributed-scale woody biomass heating systems. This is an indication of the importance of local support in determining the fate of future biomass energy projects.
A Clamping Force Performance Evaluation of the Electro Mechanical Brake Using PMSM
Authors: Baek Seung-Koo , Oh Hyuck-Keun , Kim Seog-Won , Seo Sung-Il
Published: October 2018

This paper deals with clamping force simulation and experimental result of the Electro Mechanical Brake (EMB) for the High-Speed-Train (HST). Three phase Surface Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (SPMSM) is applied to the clamping force control of EMB. At the initial development stage, Proportional Integral (PI) current control under synchronous d-q axis frame was applied to the SPMSM torque control. In addition, an anti-windup controller, which is advantageous for fast current tracking, is proposed to improve the torque output. Matlab/Simulink simulation results were compared with the experimental results measured by the clamping force sensors of the EMB test rig. The experimental results were verified compared to the brake design specification of the High-Speed Electric Multiple Unit-430 Experimental (HEMU-430X) train.
Guidelines for Optimal Selection of Subcritical Low-Temperature Geothermal Organic Rankine Cycle Configuration Considering Reinjection Temperature Limits
Authors: Zhang Chao , Fu Jinglun , Yuan Pengfei , Liu Jianjun
Published: October 2018

General guidelines are proposed to select the optimal subcritical organic Rankine cycle configuration considering reinjection temperature limits for a low-temperature geothermal brine power plant. Saturated/superheated, non-regenerative/regenerative cycles are investigated. Evaporating temperature and overheating degree at the turbine inlet are selected as design variables, and highest plant exergy efficiency is pursued for current optimizations. Through theoretical analysis of mathematical modelling and typical case studies, a simple optimization approach is presented. The new approach consists of up to three judgements on reinjection temperature and evaporating temperature in comparison two optimization calculations along the saturated line and along the given reinjection temperature line. The potential optimal cycle configurations are saturated non-regenerative cycle, saturated regenerative cycle and superheated regenerative cycle. Then, this new optimization approach is applied to obtain optimal cycle configuration and relevant working condition. The working fluids investigated are R245fa, R1234ze(Z), isopentane, and isobutane. The saturated non-regenerative cycle is the optimal cycle when the reinjection temperature limit is equal or less than the optimal reinjection temperature with no reinjection constraint. Otherwise, the reinjection temperature limit influences not only the optimal cycle configuration but also the optimal working condition. Working fluid isobutane always achieves highest plant exergy efficiency for optimal cycles with either reinjection temperature limit.