bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rapeseed and Raspberry Seed Cakes as Inexpensive Raw Materials in the Production of Activated Carbon by Physical Activation: Effect of Activation Conditions on Textural and Phenol Adsorption Characteristics
Authors: Smets Koen , De Jong Mats , Lupul Iwona , Gryglewicz Grazyna , Schreurs Sonja , Carleer Robert , Yperman Jan
Published: July 2016

The production of activated carbons (ACs) from rapeseed cake and raspberry seed cake using slow pyrolysis followed by physical activation of the obtained solid residues is the topic of this study. The effect of activation temperature (850, 900 and 950 °C), activation time (30, 60, 90 and 120 min) and agent (steam and CO2) on the textural characteristics of the ACs is investigated by N2 adsorption. In general, higher activation temperatures and longer activation times increase the BET specific surface area and the porosity of the ACs, regardless of the activation agent or raw material. Steam is more reactive than CO2 in terms of pore development, especially in the case of raspberry seed cake. The performance of the ACs in liquid adsorption is evaluated by batch phenol adsorption tests. Experimental data are best fitted by the Freundlich isotherm model. Based on total yield, textural characteristics and phenol adsorption, steam activation at 900 °C for 90 min and CO2 activation at 900 °C for 120 min are found as the best activation conditions. Raspberry seed cake turns out to be a better raw material than rapeseed cake. Moreover, AC from raspberry seed cake produced by steam activation at 900 °C for 90 min performs as well as commercial AC (Norit GAC 1240) in phenol adsorption. The adsorption kinetics of the selected ACs are best fitted by the pseudo-second-order model.
Modelling and Microstructural Characterization of Sintered Metallic Porous Materials
Authors: Depczynski Wojciech , Kazala Robert , Ludwinek Krzysztof , Jedynak Katarzyna
Published: July 2016

This paper presents selected characteristics of the metallic porous materials produced by the sintering of metal powders. The authors focus on materials produced from the iron powder (Fe) of ASC 100.29 and Distaloy SE. ASC 100.29 is formed by atomization and has a characteristic morphology. It consists of spherical particles of different sizes forming agglomerates. Distaloy SE is also based on the sponge-iron. The porous material is prepared using the patented method of sintering the mixture of iron powder ASC 100.29, Fe(III) oxide, Distaloy SE and Fe(III) oxide in the reducing atmosphere of dissociated ammonia. As a result, the materials with open pores of micrometer sizes are obtained. The pores are formed between iron particles bonded by diffusion bridges. The modelling of porous materials containing diffusion bridges that allows for three-dimensional (3D) imaging is presented.
Fluorinated Polyurethanes, Synthesis and Properties
Authors: Smirnova Olga , Glazkov Alexey , Yarosh Alexander , Sakharov Alexey
Published: July 2016

Fluorinated polyurethanes with a glass transition temperature as low as −139 °C and a decomposition onset temperature of 247–330 °C were prepared by a reaction of fluorinated alcohols with aromatic and cycloaliphatic diisocyanates in solution or melt.
The Interference of Selected Cytotoxic Alkaloids with the Cytoskeleton: An Insight into Their Modes of Action
Authors: Wang Xiaojuan , Tanaka Mine , Krstin Sonja , Peixoto Herbenya , Wink Michael
Published: July 2016

Alkaloids, the largest group among the nitrogen-containing secondary metabolites of plants, usually interact with several molecular targets. In this study, we provide evidence that six cytotoxic alkaloids (sanguinarine, chelerythrine, chelidonine, noscapine, protopine, homoharringtonine), which are known to affect neuroreceptors, protein biosynthesis and nucleic acids, also interact with the cellular cytoskeleton, such as microtubules and actin filaments, as well. Sanguinarine, chelerythrine and chelidonine depolymerized the microtubule network in living cancer cells (Hela cells and human osteosarcoma U2OS cells) and inhibited tubulin polymerization in vitro with IC50 values of 48.41 ± 3.73, 206.39 ± 4.20 and 34.51 ± 9.47 μM, respectively. However, sanguinarine and chelerythrine did not arrest the cell cycle while 2.5 μM chelidonine arrested the cell cycle in the G2/M phase with 88.27% ± 0.99% of the cells in this phase. Noscapine and protopine apparently affected microtubule structures in living cells without affecting tubulin polymerization in vitro, which led to cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase, promoting this cell population to 73.42% ± 8.31% and 54.35% ± 11.26% at a concentration of 80 μM and 250.9 μM, respectively. Homoharringtonine did not show any effects on microtubules and cell cycle, while the known microtubule-stabilizing agent paclitaxel was found to inhibit tubulin polymerization in the presence of MAPs in vitro with an IC50 value of 38.19 ± 3.33 μM. Concerning actin filaments, sanguinarine, chelerythrine and chelidonine exhibited a certain effect on the cellular actin filament network by reducing the mass of actin filaments. The interactions of these cytotoxic alkaloids with microtubules and actin filaments present new insights into their molecular modes of action.
A Review of Evidence that Equine Influenza Viruses Are Zoonotic
Authors: Xie Tai , Anderson Benjamin , Daramragchaa Ulziimaa , Chuluunbaatar Maitsetset , Gray Gregory
Published: July 2016

Among scientists, there exist mixed opinions whether equine influenza viruses infect man. In this report, we summarize a 2016 systematic and comprehensive review of the English, Chinese, and Mongolian scientific literature regarding evidence for equine influenza virus infections in man. Searches of PubMed, Web of Knowledge, ProQuest, CNKI, Chongqing VIP Database, Wanfang Data and MongolMed yielded 2831 articles, of which 16 met the inclusion criteria for this review. Considering these 16 publications, there was considerable experimental and observational evidence that at least H3N8 equine influenza viruses have occasionally infected man. In this review we summarize the most salient scientific reports.
Multi-Section Sensing and Vibrotactile Perception for Walking Guide of Visually Impaired Person
Authors: Jeong Gu-Young , Yu Kee-Ho
Published: July 2016

Electronic Travel Aids (ETAs) improve the mobility of visually-impaired persons, but it is not easy to develop an ETA satisfying all the factors needed for reliable object detection, effective notification, and actual usability. In this study, the authors developed an easy-to-use ETA having the function of reliable object detection and its successful feedback to the user by tactile stimulation. Seven ultrasonic sensors facing in different directions detect obstacles in the walking path, while vibrators in the tactile display stimulate the hand according to the distribution of obstacles. The detection of ground drop-offs activates the electromagnetic brakes linked to the rear wheels. To verify the feasibility of the developed ETA in the outdoor environment, walking tests by blind participants were performed, and the evaluation of safety to ground drop-offs was carried out. From the experiment, the feasibility of the developed ETA was shown to be sufficient if the sensor ranges for hanging obstacle detection is improved and learning time is provided for the ETA. Finally, the light-weight and low cost ETA designed and assembled based on the evaluation of the developed ETA is introduced to show the improvement of portability and usability, and is compared with the previously developed ETAs.
An Optically-Transparent Aptamer-Based Detection System for Colon Cancer Applications Using Gold Nanoparticles Electrodeposited on Indium Tin Oxide
Authors: Ahmadzadeh-Raji Mojgan , Ghafar-Zadeh Ebrahim , Amoabediny Ghasem
Published: July 2016

In this paper, a label-free aptamer based detection system (apta-DS) was investigated for detecting colon cancer cells. For this purpose, we employed an aptamer specific to colon cancer cells like HCT116 expressing carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) on their surfaces. Capture aptamers were covalently immobilized on the surface of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) through self-assembly monolayer of 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (11-MUA) activated with EDC (1-Ethyl-3-[3-dimethylaminopropyl]carbodiimide)/N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS). The cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronopotentiometry (CP) methods were used for electrodeposition of GNPs on the surface of indium tin oxide (ITO). In this work, the CV method was also used to demonstrate the conjugation of GNPs and aptamers and identify the cancer cell capturing events. Additionally, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) confirmed the deposition of GNPs on ITO and the immobilization of aptamer on the apta-DS. The electrodeposited GNPs played the role of nanoprobes for cancer cell targeting without losing the optical transparency of the ITO substrate. A conventional optical microscope also verified the detection of captured cancer cells. Based on this study’s results relying on electrochemical and optical microscopic methods, the proposed apta-DS is reliable and high sensitive with a LOD equal to 6 cell/mL for colon cancer detection.
An Overview of Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Air Quality Measurements: Present Applications and Future Prospectives
Authors: Villa Tommaso , Gonzalez Felipe , Miljievic Branka , Ristovski Zoran , Morawska Lidia
Published: July 2016

Assessment of air quality has been traditionally conducted by ground based monitoring, and more recently by manned aircrafts and satellites. However, performing fast, comprehensive data collection near pollution sources is not always feasible due to the complexity of sites, moving sources or physical barriers. Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) equipped with different sensors have been introduced for in-situ air quality monitoring, as they can offer new approaches and research opportunities in air pollution and emission monitoring, as well as for studying atmospheric trends, such as climate change, while ensuring urban and industrial air safety. The aims of this review were to: (1) compile information on the use of UAVs for air quality studies; and (2) assess their benefits and range of applications. An extensive literature review was conducted using three bibliographic databases (Scopus, Web of Knowledge, Google Scholar) and a total of 60 papers was found. This relatively small number of papers implies that the field is still in its early stages of development. We concluded that, while the potential of UAVs for air quality research has been established, several challenges still need to be addressed, including: the flight endurance, payload capacity, sensor dimensions/accuracy, and sensitivity. However, the challenges are not simply technological, in fact, policy and regulations, which differ between countries, represent the greatest challenge to facilitating the wider use of UAVs in atmospheric research.
FOG Random Drift Signal Denoising Based on the Improved AR Model and Modified Sage-Husa Adaptive Kalman Filter
Authors: Sun Jin , Xu Xiaosu , Liu Yiting , Zhang Tao , Li Yao
Published: July 2016

In order to reduce the influence of fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) random drift error on inertial navigation systems, an improved auto regressive (AR) model is put forward in this paper. First, based on real-time observations at each restart of the gyroscope, the model of FOG random drift can be established online. In the improved AR model, the FOG measured signal is employed instead of the zero mean signals. Then, the modified Sage-Husa adaptive Kalman filter (SHAKF) is introduced, which can directly carry out real-time filtering on the FOG signals. Finally, static and dynamic experiments are done to verify the effectiveness. The filtering results are analyzed with Allan variance. The analysis results show that the improved AR model has high fitting accuracy and strong adaptability, and the minimum fitting accuracy of single noise is 93.2%. Based on the improved AR(3) model, the denoising method of SHAKF is more effective than traditional methods, and its effect is better than 30%. The random drift error of FOG is reduced effectively, and the precision of the FOG is improved.
Structural Parameters Calibration for Binocular Stereo Vision Sensors Using a Double-Sphere Target
Authors: Wei Zhenzhong , Zhao Kai
Published: July 2016

Structural parameter calibration for the binocular stereo vision sensor (BSVS) is an important guarantee for high-precision measurements. We propose a method to calibrate the structural parameters of BSVS based on a double-sphere target. The target, consisting of two identical spheres with a known fixed distance, is freely placed in different positions and orientations. Any three non-collinear sphere centres determine a spatial plane whose normal vector under the two camera-coordinate-frames is obtained by means of an intermediate parallel plane calculated by the image points of sphere centres and the depth-scale factors. Hence, the rotation matrix R is solved. The translation vector T is determined using a linear method derived from the epipolar geometry. Furthermore, R and T are refined by nonlinear optimization. We also provide theoretical analysis on the error propagation related to the positional deviation of the sphere image and an approach to mitigate its effect. Computer simulations are conducted to test the performance of the proposed method with respect to the image noise level, target placement times and the depth-scale factor. Experimental results on real data show that the accuracy of measurement is higher than 0.9‰, with a distance of 800 mm and a view field of 250 × 200 mm2.
Exploiting Outage and Error Probability of Cooperative Incremental Relaying in Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Nasir Hina , Javaid Nadeem , Sher Muhammad , Qasim Umar , Khan Zahoor , Alrajeh Nabil , Niaz Iftikhar
Published: July 2016

This paper embeds a bi-fold contribution for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs); performance analysis of incremental relaying in terms of outage and error probability, and based on the analysis proposition of two new cooperative routing protocols. Subject to the first contribution, a three step procedure is carried out; a system model is presented, the number of available relays are determined, and based on cooperative incremental retransmission methodology, closed-form expressions for outage and error probability are derived. Subject to the second contribution, Adaptive Cooperation in Energy (ACE) efficient depth based routing and Enhanced-ACE (E-ACE) are presented. In the proposed model, feedback mechanism indicates success or failure of data transmission. If direct transmission is successful, there is no need for relaying by cooperative relay nodes. In case of failure, all the available relays retransmit the data one by one till the desired signal quality is achieved at destination. Simulation results show that the ACE and E-ACE significantly improves network performance, i.e., throughput, when compared with other incremental relaying protocols like Cooperative Automatic Repeat reQuest (CARQ). E-ACE and ACE achieve 69% and 63% more throughput respectively as compared to CARQ in hard underwater environment.
An Experimental/Numerical Study on the Interfacial Damage of Bonded Joints for Fibre-Reinforced Polymer Profiles at Service Conditions
Authors: Orefice Agostina , Mancusi Geminiano , Dumont Serge , Lebon Frédéric
Published: July 2016

In this paper a study on double lap joints made of glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) adherents and an epoxy resin as a glue is performed. Both an experimental procedure and a theoretical model with an associated numerical discretization are presented. Experimental and numerical results are discussed and compared. They indicate the possibility of performing an advanced mechanical analysis of adhesive joints based on a preliminary characterization of a few mechanical parameters.
Insights into the Evolution of a Snake Venom Multi-Gene Family from the Genomic Organization of Echis ocellatus SVMP Genes
Authors: Sanz Libia , Calvete Juan
Published: July 2016

The molecular events underlying the evolution of the Snake Venom Metalloproteinase (SVMP) family from an A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase (ADAM) ancestor remain poorly understood. Comparative genomics may provide decisive information to reconstruct the evolutionary history of this multi-locus toxin family. Here, we report the genomic organization of Echis ocellatus genes encoding SVMPs from the PII and PI classes. Comparisons between them and between these genes and the genomic structures of Anolis carolinensis ADAM28 and E. ocellatus PIII-SVMP EOC00089 suggest that insertions and deletions of intronic regions played key roles along the evolutionary pathway that shaped the current diversity within the multi-locus SVMP gene family. In particular, our data suggest that emergence of EOC00028-like PI-SVMP from an ancestral PII(e/d)-type SVMP involved splicing site mutations that abolished both the 3′ splice AG acceptor site of intron 12* and the 5′ splice GT donor site of intron 13*, and resulted in the intronization of exon 13* and the consequent destruction of the structural integrity of the PII-SVMP characteristic disintegrin domain.
HybPiper: Extracting coding sequence and introns for phylogenetics from high‐throughput sequencing reads using target enrichment
Authors: Johnson Matthew G. , Gardner Elliot M. , Liu Yang , Medina Rafael , Goffinet Bernard , Shaw A. Jonathan , Zerega Nyree J. C. , Wickett Norman J.
Published: July 2016

Premise of the study:

Using sequence data generated via target enrichment for phylogenetics requires reassembly of high‐throughput sequence reads into loci, presenting a number of bioinformatics challenges. We developed HybPiper as a user‐friendly platform for assembly of gene regions, extraction of exon and intron sequences, and identification of paralogous gene copies. We test HybPiper using baits designed to target 333 phylogenetic markers and 125 genes of functional significance in Artocarpus (Moraceae).

Methods and Results:

HybPiper implements parallel execution of sequence assembly in three phases: read mapping, contig assembly, and target sequence extraction. The pipeline was able to recover nearly complete gene sequences for all genes in 22 species of Artocarpus. HybPiper also recovered more than 500 bp of nontargeted intron sequence in over half of the phylogenetic markers and identified paralogous gene copies in Artocarpus.

Conclusions:

HybPiper was designed for Linux and Mac OS X and is freely available at https://github.com/mossmatters/HybPiper.
MAXIMIZING THE VALUE OF RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS USING FUZZY RULE BASED LINEAR PROGRAMMING
Authors: USTUNDAG Alp , CEVIKCAN Emre
Published: July 2016

Optimizing the allocation of residence types has a great impact on efficient management of resources for con­struction projects. Hence, determining appropriate allocation of residence types provides effective financial activities, especially for large-scaled residential projects. Subjectivity and vagueness in the determination of price per m2 for resi­dences requires the consideration of fuzzy logic, since the modeling of imprecise and qualitative knowledge, as well as the transmission and handling of uncertainty at various stages are possible through the use of fuzzy sets. This study pro­poses an approach that integrates Fuzzy Rule Based System (FRBS) with mathematical programming. In the proposed hybrid approach, FRBS is used to set price per square meter and it provides input for Net Present Value (NPV) formula­tion. Mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model is developed for the maximization of (NPV) of the project. The proposed model is applied to a residential project in Istanbul to demonstrate its performance. The optimal NPVs and allocation results for four types of residences are analyzed depending on the different factor levels of total construction area, sales rate and bank loan interest rate. The results indicate that the optimal NPV and allocation of residences are significantly influenced by the factor of construction area.
ESTABLISHING ENGINEERING S-CURVES TO EVALUATE SUPERVISION ENGINEER ALLOCATIONS FOR HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
Authors: WANG Shih-Hsu , WANG Wei-Chih , HSU Pei-Yuan , CHEN Ci-Hao , WANG Kun-Chi
Published: July 2016

An engineering consultant firm needs to allocate engineers to supervise a highway construction project in each month during the construction phase. Properly assigning the supervision engineers under a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract has been a key factor affecting the profitability of the firm and the quality assurance of the project. Assigning too many engineers will be a waste, while allocating too few engineers may harm the supervision quality. This work proposes a two-stage model to develop engineering S-curves (called ES-curves) for planning and controlling the engineering super­vision schedule. In the planning stage, a predictive ES-curve model is established based on historical ES-curves. In the controlling stage, an ES-curve is built according to the relationships between the engineering progress and construction progress. A cluster analysis and regression analysis are applied to the model development. A case study demonstrates that the produced ES-curves can help management in planning and evaluating when to increase or decrease the number of supervision engineers assigned to a project.
INFORMATION PLATFORM TO IMPROVE TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION CAPABILITIES: ROLE OF CLOUD PLATFORM
Authors: YANG Li-Ren , HUANG Chung-Fah
Published: July 2016

Conceptualizing technological innovation capabilities and cloud platform implementation in the construc­tion management context is still rudimentary. The primary objective of this study was to validate a model for assessing the relationships among information platform usage, technological innovation capabilities, and capital facility project performance. This study also evaluated the moderating role of type of platform in the relationships. This study empirically investigated a sample of projects in the Taiwanese construction industry. The structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was used to validate the research model. In testing the moderation effect, two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used. The findings indicate that implementation of information platform contrubutes significantly to technological innovation capabilities. In addition, these analyses suggest that technological innovation capabilities have a positive effect on project performance. The results also show that the relationship between information platform usage and technological innovation capabilities depends on type of platform (i.e., traditional or cloud-based informa­tion management platform). This indicates that the association between technological innovation capabilities and project performance is more strongly evident for projects that use cloud platform.
PROPOSING A NEURAL NETWORK MODEL TO PREDICT TIME AND COST CLAIMS IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
Authors: YOUSEFI Vahidreza , HAJI YAKHCHALI Siamak , KHANZADI Mostafa , MEHRABANFAR Ehsan , ŠAPARAUSKAS Jonas
Published: July 2016

Despite broad improvements in construction management, claims still are an inseparable part of many con-struction projects. Due to huge cases of claim in construction industry, this study argues that claim management is a significant factor in construction projects success. In this study, the most possible causes of these emerging claims are identified and statistically ranked by Probability-Impact Matrix. Subsequently, by classifying claims in different cases, the most important ones are ranked in order to achieve a better understanding of claim management in each project. In this regard, a new index is defined, being able to be applied in a variety of projects with different time and cost values, to calculate the amount of possible claims in each project along with related ratios with respect to the cost and time of each claim. This study introduces a new model to predict the frequency of claims in construction projects. By using the proposed model, the rate of possible claims in each project can be obtained. This model is validated by applying it into fitting case studies in Iran construction industry.
AT HOME IN SHENZHEN? HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES AND HOUSING PREFERENCES OF CREATIVE WORKERS IN A WANNABE CREATIVE CITY
Authors: BONTJE Marco
Published: July 2016

Shenzhen grew fast as a city of industrial mass-production, but is transforming to an innovative and creative city. Shenzhen’s policies to encourage the creative industries are mostly aimed at companies and entrepreneurs. To really become an attractive creative city, housing policies for creative talent should be added. This article reports on an interview-based analysis of the housing situation and residential preferences of creative workers in Shenzhen. While creatives with good salaries have no problems finding attractive homes and neighbourhoods in Shenzhen, there is a shortage of affordable neighbourhoods meeting the demands of recent graduates and starting creatives. Shenzhen’s creative city strategy should take the socio-economic diversity of creative workers into account.
SIGNIFICANCE OF DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES FOR TARGETING OF INTERNET ADVERTISEMENTS
Authors: STŘÍTESKÝ Václav , STŘÍTESKÝ Marek , QUIGLEY Martin John David , ŘÍHA David
Published: July 2016

Broad ad targeting options belong among the major advantages of internet advertising. Demographic targeting has become a standard option in most of on-line advertising systems. There are more ways how to target on-line advertisements by using demographic variables. In some cases, e.g., social media, we can use data from user registrations. Modern technologies enable to estimate the demographic profile of internet users using on behavioural data. The traditional approach to the demographic targeting of advertisements based on affinity targeting assumes the existence of internet servers with sufficient homogeneity of visits. The aim of this article is to identify the differences in the internet content consumption habits of Czech internet users based on gender and age. The analysis is based on the data from the extensive research which was carried out by the Netmonitor project, and which was provided for the purposes of this study by the Association for Internet Development (SPIR). The research results show that the traditional affinity-based method of targeting according to gender and age is still suitable on the Czech internet. On the other hand, in some cases, the traditional approach of ad targeting based on affinity leads to wasted ad impressions that miss defined target group.
EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF THE EU STRUCTURAL SUPPORT ON THE COMPETITIVENESS OF LITHUANIAN ECONOMICS
Authors: GASPARĖNIENĖ Ligita , REMEIKIENĖ Rita
Published: July 2016

Increasing amounts of the EU structural support in Lithuania require theoretical and practical research to disclose the determinants that have a significant impact on the competitiveness of Lithuanian economics. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the impact of the EU structural support on the competitiveness of Lithuanian economics. The methods of the research include systematic and comparative analysis of the scientific literature, expert evaluation and linear regression. The research disclosed the main determinants of country’s competitiveness. The results have revealed that EU structural support has the most significant impact on Lithuanian engineering and technological infrastructure. The impact of the support on country’s macroeconomic, scientific and social environment can also be considered as significant. The EU structural support has medium strong impact on education and business environment conditions in Lithuania. It has been established that, in the field of business advancement, Lithuanian should be rated as medium competitive. Hence, the increase in country’s competitiveness by employing EU structural funds should be treated as one of priority aims. In addition, responsible authorities should perform with higher efficiency seeking for higher competitiveness of the country.
THE CONCEPT OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES INTEGRATION – ANALYSIS OF SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS
Authors: KOZŁOWSKA Justyna
Published: July 2016

Currently, global economy tends to turn into functional economy what triggered the birth of new terms and research fields such as integration of products and services (in literature termed: Product-Service Systems). Though the subject is often discussed in scientific and academic publications, there are still many aspects of developing and delivering integrated solutions to customers insufficiently explored or even neglected. The paper presents the concept of an integrated product-service solution. The analysis of publications in terms of research topics connected with Product-Service Systems was carried out and the achieved results were discussed.
CATEGORIES OF SUPPLY CHAIN PERFORMANCE INDICATORS: AN OVERVIEW OF APPROACHES
Authors: LEOŃCZUK Dorota
Published: July 2016

The increasing complexity of supply chains, whose structure is changing from a linear to network form creates the need to track a growing amount of information allowing the evaluation of the functioning of the entire supply chain. Developing a system for measuring the performance of the supply chain requires the proper selection of indicators. Performance measurement should be done in a particular context, the analysed dimensions of indicators resulting from the purpose and focus of the survey should be determined. The article reviews Polish and foreign literature in terms of the proposed framework and methods for measuring the performance of the supply chain and the indicated categories (dimensions) of indicators. The authors approach the subject of evaluation of the performance of the supply chain in very different ways. Indicators are divided according to the level of the decision-making process: strategic, tactical, and operational. They are also divided into cost and non-cost or financial and non-financial ones. There are also approaches using the already well established methods and models. An example of this is the selection of perspectives according to the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) and the SCOR model.
THE CONCEPT OF A SMART CITY IN URBAN MANAGEMENT
Authors: HAJDUK Sławomira
Published: July 2016

Analyzing the literature covering public management, the author noticed that the urban planning is a crucial fac-tor in urban development. Cities which have an adequate intellectual resources and proper institutions as well as developed infrastructure are called smart cities. According to the author, proper local spatial development plans should be applied in those cities. Crucial parts of the city, places of the highest investors interest such as technology parks, R&D companies, business incubators, technology transfer centers and industrial complexes should definitely be incorporated in these plans. The ISO 37120 Standard is the most practical method to measure a city’s perfor-mance. The factor which decides about special management is the level of investment pressure. If this indicator is decreasing then the area does not have to be covered by local spatial development plans. This elaboration aims to examine the role of the smart city in urban management. The research shows the relationships between coverage planning, investment pressure and green areas. The main result is the author’s classification of selected 34 Medium-Size Cities in Poland. The test procedure exploited taxonomic methods as Ward’s hierarchical analysis.
THE ORBITAL AND PHYSICAL PARAMETERS, AND THE DISTANCE OF THE ECLIPSING BINARY SYSTEM OGLE-LMC-ECL-25658 IN THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD
Authors: Elgueta S. S. , Graczyk D. , Gieren W. , Pietrzyński G. , Thompson I. B. , Konorski P. , Pilecki B. , Villanova S. , Udalski A. , Soszyński I. , Suchomska K. , Karczmarek P. , Górski M. , Wielgórski P.
Published: July 2016

We present an analysis of a new detached eclipsing binary, OGLE-LMC-ECL-25658, in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). The system consists of two late G-type giant stars on an eccentric orbit with an orbital period of ∼200 days. The system shows total eclipses and the components have similar temperatures, making it ideal for a precise distance determination. Using multi-color photometric and high resolution spectroscopic data, we have performed an analysis of light and radial velocity curves simultaneously using the Wilson–Devinney code. We derived orbital and physical parameters of the binary with a high precision of

%. The masses and surface metallicities of the components are virtually the same and equal to

and

dex. However, their radii and rates of rotation show a distinct trace of differential stellar evolution. The distance to the system was calculated using an infrared calibration between V-band surface brightness and (V–K) color, leading to a distance modulus of

(statistical) ± 0.046 (systematic). Because OGLE-LMC-ECL-25658 is located relatively far from the LMC barycenter, we applied a geometrical correction for its position in the LMC disk using the van der Marel et al. model of the LMC. The resulting barycenter distance to the galaxy is

(stat.) kpc, and is in perfect agreement with the earlier result of Pietrzyński et al.
SPECTRAL CLASSIFICATION AND PROPERTIES OF THE O Vz STARS IN THE GALACTIC O-STAR SPECTROSCOPIC SURVEY (GOSSS)
Authors: Arias Julia I. , Walborn Nolan R. , Díaz Sergio Simón , Barbá Rodolfo H. , Apellániz Jesús Maíz , Sabín-Sanjulián Carolina , Gamen Roberto C. , Morrell Nidia I. , Sota Alfredo , Marco Amparo , Negueruela Ignacio , Leão João R. S. , Herrero Artemio , Alfaro Emilio J.
Published: July 2016

On the basis of the Galactic O Star Spectroscopic Survey (GOSSS), we present a detailed systematic investigation of the O Vz stars. The currently used spectral classification criteria are rediscussed, and the Vz phenomenon is recalibrated through the addition of a quantitative criterion based on the equivalent widths of the He i
λ4471, He ii
λ4542, and He ii
λ4686 spectral lines. The GOSSS O Vz and O V populations resulting from the newly adopted spectral classification criteria are comparatively analyzed. The locations of the O Vz stars are probed, showing a concentration of the most extreme cases toward the youngest star-forming regions. The occurrence of the Vz spectral peculiarity in a solar-metallicity environment, as predicted by the fastwind code, is also investigated, confirming the importance of taking into account several processes for the correct interpretation of the phenomenon.
HST IMAGING OF DUST STRUCTURES AND STARS IN THE RAM PRESSURE STRIPPED VIRGO SPIRALS NGC 4402 AND NGC 4522: STRIPPED FROM THE OUTSIDE IN WITH DENSE CLOUD DECOUPLING
Authors: Abramson A. , Kenney J. , Crowl H. , Tal T.
Published: July 2016

We describe and constrain the origins of interstellar medium (ISM) structures likely created by ongoing intracluster medium (ICM) ram pressure stripping in two Virgo Cluster spirals, NGC 4522 and NGC 4402, using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) BVI images of dust extinction and stars, as well as supplementary H i, Hα, and radio continuum images. With a spatial resolution of ∼10 pc in the HST images, this is the highest-resolution study to date of the physical processes that occur during an ICM–ISM ram pressure stripping interaction, ram pressure stripping's effects on the multi-phase, multi-density ISM, and the formation and evolution of ram-pressure-stripped tails. In dust extinction, we view the leading side of NGC 4402 and the trailing side of NGC 4522, and so we see distinct types of features in both. In both galaxies, we identify some regions where dense clouds are decoupling or have decoupled and others where it appears that kiloparsec-sized sections of the ISM are moving coherently. NGC 4522 has experienced stronger, more recent pressure and has the “jellyfish” morphology characteristic of some ram-pressure-stripped galaxies. Its stripped tail extends up from the disk plane in continuous upturns of dust and stars curving up to ∼2 kpc above the disk plane. On the other side of the galaxy, there is a kinematically and morphologically distinct extraplanar arm of young, blue stars and ISM above a mostly stripped portion of the disk, and between it and the disk plane are decoupled dust clouds that have not been completely stripped. The leading side of NGC 4402 contains two kiloparsec-scale linear dust filaments with complex substructure that have partially decoupled from the surrounding ISM. NGC 4402 also contains long dust ridges, suggesting that large parts of the ISM are being pushed out at once. Both galaxies contain long ridges of polarized radio continuum emission indicating the presence of large-scale, ordered magnetic fields. We propose that magnetic fields could bind together gas of different densities, causing nearby gas of different densities to be stripped at the same rate and creating the large, coherent dust ridges and upturns. A number of factors likely play roles in determining what types of structures form as a result of ram pressure, including ram pressure strength and history, the location within the galaxy relative to the leading side, and pre-existing substructure in the ISM that may be bound together by magnetic fields during stripping.
PHOTOMETRIC, SPECTROSCOPIC, AND ORBITAL PERIOD STUDY OF THREE EARLY-TYPE SEMI-DETACHED SYSTEMS: XZ AQL, UX HER, AND AT PEG
Authors: Zola S. , Baştürk Ö. , Liakos A. , Gazeas K. , Şenavcı H. V. , Nelson R. H. , Özavcı İ. , Zakrzewski B. , Yılmaz M.
Published: July 2016

In this paper, we present a combined photometric, spectroscopic, and orbital period study of three early-type eclipsing binary systems: XZ Aql, UX Her, and AT Peg. As a result, we have derived the absolute parameters of their components and, on that basis, we discuss their evolutionary states. Furthermore, we compare their parameters with those of other binary systems and with theoretical models. An analysis of all available up-to-date times of minima indicated that all three systems studied here show cyclic orbital changes; their origin is discussed in detail. Finally, we performed a frequency analysis for possible pulsational behavior, and as a result we suggest that XZ Aql hosts a δ Scuti component.
IMPACT OF AN L5 MAGNETOGRAPH ON NONPOTENTIAL SOLAR GLOBAL MAGNETIC FIELD MODELING
Authors: Mackay Duncan H. , Yeates Anthony R. , Bocquet Francois-Xavier
Published: July 2016

We present the first theoretical study to consider what improvement could be obtained in global nonpotential modeling of the solar corona if magnetograph data were available from the L5 Lagrange point, in addition to from the direction of Earth. To consider this, we first carry out a “reference Sun” simulation over two solar cycles. An important property of this simulation is that random bipole emergences are allowed across the entire solar surface at any given time (such as can occur on the Sun). Next, we construct two “limited data” simulations, where bipoles are only included when they could be seen from (i) an Earth-based magnetograph and (ii) either Earth- or L5-based magnetographs. The improvement in reproducing the reference Sun simulation when an L5 view is available is quantified through considering global quantities in the limited data simulations. These include surface and polar flux, total magnetic energy, volume electric current, open flux, and the number of flux ropes. Results show that when an L5 observational viewpoint is included, the accuracy of the global quantities in the limited data simulations can increase by 26%–40%. This clearly shows that a magnetograph at the L5 point could significantly increase the accuracy of global nonpotential modeling and with this the accuracy of future space weather forecasts.
LUNAR SURFACE AND DUST GRAIN POTENTIALS DURING THE EARTH’S MAGNETOSPHERE CROSSING
Authors: Vaverka J. , Richterová I. , Pavlu˚ J. , Šafránková J. , Němeček Z.
Published: July 2016

Interaction between the lunar surface and the solar UV radiation and surrounding plasma environment leads to its charging by different processes like photoemission, collection of charged particles, or secondary electron emission (SEE). Whereas the photoemission depends only on the angle between the surface and direction to the Sun and varies only slowly, plasma parameters can change rapidly as the Moon orbits around the Earth. This paper presents numerical simulations of one Moon pass through the magnetospheric tail including the real plasma parameters measured by THEMIS as an input. The calculations are concentrated on different charges of the lunar surface itself and a dust grain lifted above this surface. Our estimations show that (1) the SEE leads to a positive charging of parts of the lunar surface even in the magnetosphere, where a high negative potential is expected; (2) the SEE is generally more important for isolated dust grains than for the lunar surface covered by these grains; and (3) the time constant of charging of dust grains depends on their diameter being of the order of hours for sub-micrometer grains. In view of these results, we discuss the conditions under which and the areas where a levitation of the lifted dust grains could be observed.
IRON: A KEY ELEMENT FOR UNDERSTANDING THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF INTERSTELLAR DUST
Authors: Dwek Eli
Published: July 2016

The origin and depletion of iron differ from all other abundant refractory elements that make up the composition of interstellar dust. Iron is primarily synthesized in Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) and in core collapse supernovae (CCSN), and is present in the outflows from AGB stars. Only the latter two are observed to be sources of interstellar dust since searches for dust in SN Ia have provided strong evidence for the absence of any significant mass of dust in their ejecta. Consequently, more than 65% of the iron is injected into the ISM in gaseous form. Yet ultraviolet and X-ray observations along many lines of sight in the ISM show that iron is severely depleted in the gas phase as compared to expected solar abundances. The missing iron, comprising about 90% of the total, is believed to be locked up in interstellar dust. This suggests that most of the missing iron must have precipitated from the ISM gas by a cold accretion onto preexisting silicate, carbon, or composite grains. Iron is thus the only element that requires most of its growth to occur outside the traditional stellar condensation sources. This is a robust statement that does not depend on our evolving understanding of the dust destruction efficiency in the ISM. Reconciling the physical, optical, and chemical properties of such composite grains with their many observational manifestations is a major challenge for understanding the nature and origin of interstellar dust.
THE TIME-DOMAIN SPECTROSCOPIC SURVEY: UNDERSTANDING THE OPTICALLY VARIABLE SKY WITH SEQUELS IN SDSS-III
Authors: Ruan John J. , Anderson Scott F. , Green Paul J. , Morganson Eric , Eracleous Michael , Myers Adam D. , Badenes Carles , Bershady Matthew A. , Brandt William N. , Chambers Kenneth C. , Davenport James R. A. , Dawson Kyle S. , Flewelling Heather , Heckman Timothy M. , Isler Jedidah C. , Kaiser Nick , Kneib Jean-Paul , MacLeod Chelsea L. , Paris Isabelle , Ross Nicholas P. , Runnoe Jessie C. , Schlafly Edward F. , Schmidt Sarah J. , Schneider Donald P. , Schwope Axel D. , Shen Yue , Stassun Keivan G. , Szkody Paula , Waters Christoper Z. , York Donald G.
Published: July 2016

The Time-Domain Spectroscopic Survey (TDSS) is an SDSS-IV eBOSS subproject primarily aimed at obtaining identification spectra of ∼220,000 optically variable objects systematically selected from SDSS/Pan-STARRS1 multi-epoch imaging. We present a preview of the science enabled by TDSS, based on TDSS spectra taken over ∼320 deg2 of sky as part of the SEQUELS survey in SDSS-III, which is in part a pilot survey for eBOSS in SDSS-IV. Using the 15,746 TDSS-selected single-epoch spectra of photometrically variable objects in SEQUELS, we determine the demographics of our variability-selected sample and investigate the unique spectral characteristics inherent in samples selected by variability. We show that variability-based selection of quasars complements color-based selection by selecting additional redder quasars and mitigates redshift biases to produce a smooth quasar redshift distribution over a wide range of redshifts. The resulting quasar sample contains systematically higher fractions of blazars and broad absorption line quasars than from color-selected samples. Similarly, we show that M dwarfs in the TDSS-selected stellar sample have systematically higher chromospheric active fractions than the underlying M-dwarf population based on their Hα emission. TDSS also contains a large number of RR Lyrae and eclipsing binary stars with main-sequence colors, including a few composite-spectrum binaries. Finally, our visual inspection of TDSS spectra uncovers a significant number of peculiar spectra, and we highlight a few cases of these interesting objects. With a factor of ∼15 more spectra, the main TDSS survey in SDSS-IV will leverage the lessons learned from these early results for a variety of time-domain science applications.
MAPPING THE MONOCEROS RING IN 3D WITH PAN-STARRS1
Authors: Morganson Eric , Conn Blair , Rix Hans-Walter , Bell Eric F. , Burgett William S. , Chambers Kenneth , Dolphin Andrew , Draper Peter W. , Flewelling Heather , Hodapp Klaus , Kaiser Nick , Magnier Eugene A. , Martin Nicolas F. , Martinez-Delgado David , Metcalfe Nigel , Schlafly Edward F. , Slater Colin T. , Wainscoat Richard J. , Waters Christopher Z.
Published: July 2016

Using the Pan-STARRS1 survey, we derive limiting magnitude, spatial completeness, and density maps that we use to probe the three-dimensional structure and estimate the stellar mass of the so-called Monoceros Ring. The Monoceros Ring is an enormous and complex stellar sub-structure in the outer Milky Way disk. It is most visible across the large Galactic Anticenter region,

,

. We estimate its stellar mass density profile along every line of sight in 2° × 2° pixels over the entire 30,000 deg2 Pan-STARRS1 survey using the previously developed match software. By parsing this distribution into a radially smooth component and the Monoceros Ring, we obtain its mass and distance from the Sun along each relevant line of sight. The Monoceros Ring is significantly closer to us in the south (6 kpc) than in the north (9 kpc). We also create 2D cross-sections parallel to the Galactic plane that show 135° of the Monoceros Ring in the south and 170° of the Monoceros Ring in the north. We show that the northern and southern structures are also roughly concentric circles, suggesting that they may be waves rippling from a common origin. Excluding the Galactic plane

, we observe an excess mass of

across

. If we interpolate across the Galactic plane, we estimate that this region contains

. If we assume (somewhat boldly) that the Monoceros Ring is a set of two Galactocentric rings, its total mass is

. Finally, if we assume that it is a set of two circles centered at a point 4 kpc from the Galactic center in the anti-central direction, as our data suggests, we estimate its mass to be

.