bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Features in Detection of Dislike Responses to Audio–Visual Stimuli from EEG Signals
Authors: Feradov Firgan , Mporas Iosif , Ganchev Todor
Published: April 2020

There is a strong correlation between the like/dislike responses to audio–visual stimuli and the emotional arousal and valence reactions of a person. In the present work, our attention is focused on the automated detection of dislike responses based on EEG activity when music videos are used as audio–visual stimuli. Specifically, we investigate the discriminative capacity of the Logarithmic Energy (LogE), Linear Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (LFCC), Power Spectral Density (PSD) and Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT)-based EEG features, computed with and without segmentation of the EEG signal, on the dislike detection task. We carried out a comparative evaluation with eighteen modifications of the above-mentioned EEG features that cover different frequency bands and use different energy decomposition methods and spectral resolutions. For that purpose, we made use of Naïve Bayes classifier (NB), Classification and regression trees (CART), k-Nearest Neighbors (kNN) classifier, and support vector machines (SVM) classifier with a radial basis function (RBF) kernel trained with the Sequential Minimal Optimization (SMO) method. The experimental evaluation was performed on the well-known and widely used DEAP dataset. A classification accuracy of up to 98.6% was observed for the best performing combination of pre-processing, EEG features and classifier. These results support that the automated detection of like/dislike reactions based on EEG activity is feasible in a personalized setup. This opens opportunities for the incorporation of such functionality in entertainment, healthcare and security applications.
Topological Defect Arrays in Nematic Liquid Crystals Assisted by Polymeric Pillar Arrays: Effect of the Geometry of Pillars
Authors: Kim MinSu , Serra Francesca
Published: April 2020

Topological defects that spontaneously occur in condensed matter and structured fluids such as liquid crystals are useful for their elastic and optical properties, but often the applicability of defect arrays to optics and photonic devices relies on the regularity and tunability of the system. In our recent work [Adv. Opt. Mater. 8, 1900991 (2020)], we showed the formation of regular, reconfigurable, and scalable patterns by exploiting the elastic response of a defect array in liquid crystals in the presence of a polymeric pillar array. In this work, we experimentally investigate the role of size and shape of the pillars on the defect array. We find that the pillar size and geometry provide additional means to regulate the response time, the threshold voltage for the defects’ formation, and the spatial arrangement of the defects.
Photoaligning and Photopatterning: New LC Technology
Authors: Chigrinov Vladimir , Sun Jiatong , Wang Xiaoqian
Published: April 2020

We demonstrate a physical model of photoalignment and photopatterning based on rotational diffusion in solid azo-dye nanolayers. We also highlight the new applications of photoalignment and photopatterning in display and photonics such as: (i) liquid crystal (LC) E-paper devices, including optically rewritable LC E-paper on flexible substrates as 3D E-paper, as well as optically rewritable technology for photonics devices; (ii) photonics LC devices, such as LC Switches, polarization controllers and polarization rotators, variable optical attenuators, LC filled photonic crystal fiber, switchable diffraction grating; (iii) patterned micro-polarizer array using photo-alignment technology for image sensor; (iv) electrically tunable liquid crystal q-plates; (v) electrically switchable liquid crystal Fresnel lens; (vi) liquid crystal optical elements with integrated Pancharatnam-Berry phases. We are sure, that in the field of (LC), the main point is no longer display research, but new photonic applications of LC are emerging in telecommunication, fiber optical communication systems, sensors, switchable lenses, LC light converters and other LC photonics devices.
Switching LPS to LED Streetlight May Dramatically Reduce Activity and Foraging of Bats
Authors: Kerbiriou Christian , Barré Kévin , Mariton Léa , Pauwels Julie , Zissis Georges , Robert Alexandre , Le Viol Isabelle
Published: April 2020

Artificial light at night is considered a major threat to biodiversity, especially for nocturnal species, as it reduces habitat availability, quality, and functionality. Since the recent evolution in light technologies in improving luminous efficacy, developed countries are experiencing a renewal of their lighting equipment that reaches its end-of-life, from conventional lighting technologies to light emitting diodes (LEDs). Despite potential cascading impacts of such a shift on nocturnal fauna, few studies have so far dealt with the impact of the renewal of street lighting by new technologies. Specifically, only one study, by Rowse et al.2016, examined the effects of switching from widely used low pressure sodium (LPS) lamps to LEDs, using bats as biological models. This study was based on a before-after-control-impact paired design (BACIP) at 12 pairs in the UK, each including one control and one experimental streetlight. If Rowse et al. 2016 showed no effect of switching to LEDs streetlights on bat activity, the effects of respective changes in light intensity and spectrum were not disentangled when testing switch effects. Here, we conduct a retrospective analysis of their data to include these covariates in statistical models with the aim of disentangling the relative effects of these light characteristics. Our re-analysis clearly indicates that the switches in spectrum and in intensity with replacement of LPS with LED lamps have significant additive and interactive effects, on bat activity. We also show that bat activity and buzz ratio decrease with increasing LED intensity while an opposite effect is observed with LPS lamps. Hence, the loss or the gain in bat activity when lamp types, i.e., spectrum, are switched strongly depends on the initial and new lamp intensities. Our results stress the need to consider simultaneously the effects of changes in the different lights characteristics when street lighting changes. Because switches from LPS to LED lamps can lead to an increase in light intensity, such technological changes may involve a reduction of bat activity in numerous cases, especially at high LED intensities. Since we are currently at an important crossroad in lighting management, we recommend to limit LED intensity and improve its spectral composition toward warmer colors to limit potential deleterious impacts on bat activity.
MicroRNA Profile of Patients with Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia
Authors: Syed Muzammil H. , Zamzam Abdelrahman , Valencia Jason , Khan Hamzah , Jain Shubha , Singh Krishna K. , Abdin Rawand , Qadura Mohammad
Published: April 2020

Chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) results in devastating complications such as lower-limb amputations. In this study, a genome-wide plasma microRNAs (miRNA) sequencing was performed to identify miRNA(s) associated with CLTI. Blood samples were collected from early stage CLTI patients (ABI < 0.9) and non-PAD controls (ABI ≥ 0.9) for 3 experiments: discovery phase (n = 23), confirmatory phase (n = 52) and validation phase (n = 20). In the discovery phase, next generation sequencing (NGS) was used to identify miRNA circulating in the plasma CLTI (n = 13) patients, compared to non-PAD controls (n = 10). Two down-regulated miRNAs (miRNA-6843-3p and miRNA-6766-5p) and three upregulated miRNAs (miRNA-1827, miRNA-320 and miRNA-98-3p) were identified (≥2-fold change). In the confirmatory phase, these 5 deregulated miRNAs were further investigated in non-PAD (n = 21) and CTLI (n = 31) patients using qRT-PCR. Only miRNA-1827 was found to be significantly upregulated (≥3-fold, p-value < 0. 001) in the CLTI group. Lastly, to minimize the influence of confounding factors, miRNA-1827 plasma levels were validated in a third cohort of CLTI patients (n = 10) matched to non-PAD controls (n = 10). Our analysis demonstrated that miRNA-1827 expression was increased in the CLTI cohort (≥2-folds, p-value < 0.001). In summary, circulating miRNA-1827 is significantly elevated in patients with CLTI.
Postmortem Determination of Short-Term Markers of Hyperglycemia for the Purposes of Medicolegal Opinions
Authors: Nowak Karolina , Jurek Tomasz , Zawadzki Marcin
Published: April 2020

Diabetes mellitus is classified as the epidemic of the 21st century. Due to the fact that acute carbohydrate metabolism disorders usually do not indicate morphological change, postmortem diagnosis is required to perform biochemical tests. The authors decided to evaluate the usefulness of determining glucose, lactate, acetone, β-hydroxybutyric acid (BHB), and 1,5-anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG) in postmortem blood/serum, urine, and vitreous humor (VH). Biological material was collected during autopsies. The study group consisted of 50 diabetics, while the control group consisted of 50 non-diabetics, who died a sudden death, with negative test results for the presence of ethyl alcohol and were not resuscitated before death. Statistical analysis was performed using the IBM SPSS Statistics 25 software package. The most statistically significant difference between the two groups was observed for mean 1,5-AG concentration. The authors found many correlations between the concentration of the examined markers in different materials, mainly between blood/serum and VH. The most suitable short-term glycemic marker in postmortem diagnosis is 1,5-AG. Diagnosis may be supported with determinations of acetone and BHB. For medicolegal assessment, the interpretation of the biochemical test results should comprise information on circumstances of death, medical history, results of other toxicological and histopathological tests, and autopsy report.
Association of Plasma Oligomerized Beta Amyloid with Neurocognitive Battery Using Korean Version of Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease in Health Screening Population
Authors: Lee Jung-Ju , Choi Youngki , Chung Soie , Yoon Dae Hyun , Choi Seung Ho , Kang Sung-Min , Seo David , Park Kyung-Il
Published: April 2020

The increasing prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has become a global phenomenon presenting serious social and health challenges. For detecting early molecular changes in the disease, several techniques to measure varied species of amyloid beta in the peripheral blood have been recently developed, but the efforts to associate them with cognitive assessments have yet to produce sufficient data. We prospectively collected participants from the consecutive population who visited our center for brain health screening. In total, 97 participants (F:M = 58:39) aged 69.4 ± 7.52 were assessed. Participants performed the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s disease (CERAD-K), the clinical dementia rating (CDR), plasma oligomeric amyloid-β (OAβ) level tests, routine blood tests, ApoE genotype, and brain MRI. Among total population, 55.7% had a CDR of 0, and 40.2% had a CDR of 0.5. The results showed that word memory and word recall, and the total scores of the CERAD-K were negatively correlated with the plasma OAβ level. With a cut-off value of 0.78 ng/mL for the OAβ level and a −1.5 standard deviation of age/sex/education adjusted norms for the CERAD-K; naming, word memory, word recall, word recognition, and total score were significantly correlated with the OAβ level. No correlation between the OAβ level and mini-mental status examination was found. Our results demonstrate that the level of plasma OAβ was well correlated with the measure of cognitive function through the CERAD-K in the field data collected from consecutive populations. Studies on longitudinal comparisons with large cohorts will further validate the diagnostic value of plasma OAβ as a useful biomarker for screening AD and predicting progression.
Optimal Power and Efficiency of Multi-Stage Endoreversible Quantum Carnot Heat Engine with Harmonic Oscillators at the Classical Limit
Authors: Meng Zewei , Chen Lingen , Wu Feng
Published: April 2020

At the classical limit, a multi-stage, endoreversible Carnot cycle model of quantum heat engine (QHE) working with non-interacting harmonic oscillators systems is established in this paper. A simplified combined cycle, where all sub-cycles work at maximum power output (MPO), is analyzed under two types of combined form: constraint of cycle period or constraint of interstage heat current. The expressions of power and the corresponding efficiency under two types of combined constrains are derived. A general combined cycle, in which all sub-cycles run at arbitrary state, is further investigated under two types of combined constrains. By introducing the Lagrangian function, the MPO of two-stage combined QHE with different intermediate temperatures is obtained, utilizing numerical calculation. The results show that, for the simplified combined cycle, the total power decreases and heat exchange from hot reservoir increases under two types of constrains with the increasing number (N) of stages. The efficiency of the combined cycle decreases under the constraints of the cycle period, but keeps constant under the constraint of interstage heat current. For the general combined cycle, three operating modes, including single heat engine mode at low “temperature” (SM1), double heat engine mode (DM) and single heat engine mode at high “temperature” (SM2), appear as intermediate temperature varies. For the constraint of cycle period, the MPO is obtained at the junction of DM mode and SM2 mode. For the constraint of interstage heat current, the MPO keeps constant during DM mode, in which the two sub-cycles compensate each other.
Environmental Response of 2D Thermal Cloak under Dynamic External Temperature Field
Authors: Li Yiyi , Zhang Haochun , Sun Mingyuan , Zhang Zhenhuan , Zhang Haiming
Published: April 2020

As a typical representative of transformation thermodynamics, which is the counterpart of transformation optics, the thermal cloak has been explored extensively while most current research focuses on the structural design instead of adaptability and practicability in a dynamic environment. The evaluation of energy processes involved in the thermal cloak under dynamic conditions are also lacking, which is essential to the engineering application of this functional structure. In this paper, based on the dynamic environment of a sinusoidal form with ambient amplitude, distribution density, phase, and temperature difference as variables, we evaluated the cloaking performance and environmental response of a 2D thermal cloak. Considering the heat dissipation and energy loss in the whole procedure, local entropy production rate and response entropy were introduced to analyze the different influences of each environmental parameter on the cloaking system. Moreover, we constructed a series of comprehensive schemes to obtain the fitting equation as well as an appropriate scope to apply the thermal cloak. The results are beneficial to the novel use of the concept of entropy and valuable for further improving the working efficiency and potential engineering applications of the thermal cloak.
Cross-Domain Recommendation Based on Sentiment Analysis and Latent Feature Mapping
Authors: Wang Yongpeng , Yu Hong , Wang Guoyin , Xie Yongfang
Published: April 2020

Cross-domain recommendation is a promising solution in recommendation systems by using relatively rich information from the source domain to improve the recommendation accuracy of the target domain. Most of the existing methods consider the rating information of users in different domains, the label information of users and items and the review information of users on items. However, they do not effectively use the latent sentiment information to find the accurate mapping of latent features in reviews between domains. User reviews usually include user’s subjective views, which can reflect the user’s preferences and sentiment tendencies to various attributes of the items. Therefore, in order to solve the cold-start problem in the recommendation process, this paper proposes a cross-domain recommendation algorithm (CDR-SAFM) based on sentiment analysis and latent feature mapping by combining the sentiment information implicit in user reviews in different domains. Different from previous sentiment research, this paper divides sentiment into three categories based on three-way decision ideas—namely, positive, negative and neutral—by conducting sentiment analysis on user review information. Furthermore, the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) is used to model the user’s semantic orientation to generate the latent sentiment review features. Moreover, the Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) is used to obtain the cross domain non-linear mapping function to transfer the user’s sentiment review features. Finally, this paper proves the effectiveness of the proposed CDR-SAFM framework by comparing it with existing recommendation algorithms in a cross-domain scenario on the Amazon dataset.
Digital Teaching Materials and Their Relationship with the Metacognitive Skills of Students in Primary Education
Authors: Lara Nieto-Márquez Natalia , Baldominos Alejandro , Pérez-Nieto Miguel Ángel
Published: April 2020

Metacognition is a construct that is noteworthy for its relationship with the prediction and enhancement of student performance. It is of interest in education, as well as in the field of cognitive psychology, because it contributes to competencies, such as learning to learn and the understanding of information. This study conducted research at a state school in the Community of Madrid (Spain) with a sample of 130 students in Grade 3 of their primary education (8 years old). The research involved the use of a digital teaching platform called Smile and Learn, as the feedback included in the digital activities may have an effect on students’ metacognition. We analyzed the implementation of the intelligent platform at school and the activities most commonly engaged in. The Junior Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (Jr. MAI) was the measuring instrument chosen for the external evaluation of metacognition. The study’s results show a higher use of logic and spatial activities. A relationship is observed between the use of digital exercises that have specific feedback and work on logic and visuospatial skills with metacognitive knowledge. We discuss our findings surrounding educational implications, metacognition assessment, and recommendations for improvements of the digital materials.
Recent Technical Developments in Energy-Efficient 5G Mobile Cells: Present and Future
Authors: Abd-Alhameed Raed A. , Elfergani Issa , Rodriguez Jonathan
Published: April 2020

The chapter of 4G (4th Generation) mobile systems is finally coming to an end, with waves of 4G systems having been deployed throughout Europe and worldwide [...]
Chiplet Heterogeneous Integration Technology—Status and Challenges
Authors: Li Tao , Hou Jie , Yan Jinli , Liu Rulin , Yang Hui , Sun Zhigang
Published: April 2020

As a heterogeneous integration technology, the chiplet-based design technology integrates multiple heterogeneous dies of diverse functional circuit blocks into a single chip by using advanced packaging technology, which is a promising way to tackle the failure of Moore’s law and Dennard scaling. Currently, as process nodes move forward, dramatically rising cost, design cycle, and complexity are driving industry to focus on the chiplets. Chiplets allows IC designers to merge dies fabricated at different process nodes and reuse them in different projects, which helps to reduce the cost during design and improve yield. In this review, we look back at the industry’s efforts over the past decade and summary the concepts and techniques associated with chiplets. In the end, a discussion and conclusion will be given to forecast the future of chiplets.
Combining Artificial Intelligence with Physics-Based Methods for Probabilistic Renewable Energy Forecasting
Authors: Haupt Sue Ellen , McCandless Tyler C. , Dettling Susan , Alessandrini Stefano , Lee Jared A. , Linden Seth , Petzke William , Brummet Thomas , Nguyen Nhi , Kosović Branko , Wiener Gerry , Hussain Tahani , Al-Rasheedi Majed
Published: April 2020

A modern renewable energy forecasting system blends physical models with artificial intelligence to aid in system operation and grid integration. This paper describes such a system being developed for the Shagaya Renewable Energy Park, which is being developed by the State of Kuwait. The park contains wind turbines, photovoltaic panels, and concentrated solar renewable energy technologies with storage capabilities. The fully operational Kuwait Renewable Energy Prediction System (KREPS) employs artificial intelligence (AI) in multiple portions of the forecasting structure and processes, both for short-range forecasting (i.e., the next six hours) as well as for forecasts several days out. These AI methods work synergistically with the dynamical/physical models employed. This paper briefly describes the methodology used for each of the AI methods, how they are blended, and provides a preliminary assessment of their relative value to the prediction system. Each operational AI component adds value to the system. KREPS is an example of a fully integrated state-of-the-science forecasting system for renewable energy.
Biowaste Treatment and Waste-To-Energy—Environmental Benefits
Authors: Pavlas Martin , Dvořáček Jan , Pitschke Thorsten , Peche René
Published: April 2020

Biowaste represents a significant fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW). Its separate collection is considered as a useful measure to enhance waste management systems in both the developed and developing world. This paper aims to compare the environmental performance of three market-ready technologies currently used to treat biowaste—biowaste composting, fermentation, and biowaste incineration in waste-to-energy (WtE) plants as a component of residual municipal solid waste (RES). Global warming potential (GWP) was applied as an indicator and burdens related to the operation of facilities and credits obtained through the products were identified. The environmental performance of a WtE plant was investigated in detail using a model, implementing an approach similar to marginal-cost and revenues, which is a concept widely applied in economics. The results show that all of the treatment options offer an environmentally friendly treatment (their net GWP is negative). The environmental performance of a WtE plant is profoundly affected by its mode of its operation, i.e., type of energy exported. The concept producing environmental credits at the highest rate is co-incineration of biowaste in a strictly heat-oriented WtE plant. Anaerobic digestion plants treating biowaste by fermentation produce fewer credits, but approximately twice as more credits as WtE plants with power delivery only.
Dynamic Reconfiguration Systems for PV Plant: Technical and Economic Analysis
Authors: Schettino Giuseppe , Pellitteri Filippo , Ala Guido , Miceli Rosario , Romano Pietro , Viola Fabio
Published: April 2020

Solar plants suffer of partial shading and mismatch problems. Without considering the generation of hot spots and the resulting security issues, a monitoring system for the health of a PV plant should be useful to drive a dynamic reconfiguration system (DRS) to solve bottlenecks due to different panels’ shading. Over the years different DRS architectures have been proposed, but no suggestions about costs and benefits have been provided. Starting from technical subjects such as differences of the topologies driving the hardware complexity and number of components, this paper identifies the cost of DRS and its lifetime, and based on these issues it provides an economic analysis for a 6 kWp PV plant in different European Union countries, in which the dissimilar incentive policies have been considered.
Testing of Electrical Energy Meters Subject to Realistic Distorted Voltages and Currents
Authors: Bartolomei Lorenzo , Cavaliere Diego , Mingotti Alessandro , Peretto Lorenzo , Tinarelli Roberto
Published: April 2020

This paper presents a study on revenue active electrical energy meters. The huge installation along the distribution network of these devices made them a key element for energy billing, but also for monitoring the grid status. Hence, it is evident that the relevance of guaranteeing a trusty metering performance, and consequently a proper standardization, is needed. The operation of the meters is regulated by standards harmonized with the European Directive 2014/32/EU (known as MID). Still, and not infrequently, compliance to some legacy standards is declared on the device specifications. Thus, a brief comparison between the latest standards is presented. In particular, the focus was set on evaluating the potential impact of the harmonic disturbances on the energy meter accuracy, since they are omnipresent in the modern power networks. The evaluation has been carried out on three off-the-shelf class B meters by means of a new test procedure that considers realistic and quasi-realistic harmonic disturbances. Such tests showed that realistic harmonic disturbances affect significantly only some energy meters. Therefore, the standards should not neglect this kind of scenario.
Flywheel Energy Storage and Dump Load to Control the Active Power Excess in a Wind Diesel Power System
Authors: Sebastián Rafael , Peña-Alzola Rafael
Published: April 2020

Wind Diesel Power Systems (WDPS) are isolated microgrids which combine Wind Turbine Generators (WTGs) with Diesel Generators (DGs). The WDPS modelled in this article is composed of a DG, a WTG, consumer load, Dump Load (DL) and a Flywheel Energy Storage System (FESS). In the Wind-Diesel (WD) mode both the DG and WTG supply power to the consumers. The WDPS is simulated in the WD mode in the case that the WTG produced power exceeds the load consumption. This WTG excess power case is simulated in the subcases of DL and FESS turned off, only-DL and only-FESS. Simulations for the DL and FESS-off case show that the WTG excess power leads to a continuous system frequency increase, so that the tripping of the WTG Circuit Breaker (CB) is required to guarantee the WDPS power supply continuity. Simulations for the only-DL/only-FESS cases show that commanding the DL/FESS to consume controlled power, so that the required DG power to balance the system active power is positive, enables the DE speed governor to regulate the system frequency. Furthermore, the frequency and voltage variations in the DL/FESS cases are moderate and there is no need to trip the WTG-CB, so that the WDPS reliability and power quality are greatly improved. Additionally, the only-FESS case obtains better WDPS relative stability than the only-DL case.
Ground-State Redox Potentials Calculations of D-π-A and D-A-π-A Organic Dyes for DSSC and Visible-Light-Driven Hydrogen Production
Authors: Mohammadpourasl Sanaz , Fabrizi de Biani Fabrizia , Coppola Carmen , Parisi Maria Laura , Zani Lorenzo , Dessì Alessio , Calamante Massimo , Reginato Gianna , Basosi Riccardo , Sinicropi Adalgisa
Published: April 2020

The prediction of ground-state redox potentials by quantum chemical methods has a prominent role in the rational design of novel organic photosensitizers both for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and photocatalytic systems for the production of H2. Indeed, the ground-state redox potential of the photosensitizers is one of the key parameters to identify the most promising candidates for such applications. Here, the ground-state redox potentials of 16 organic donor-π-acceptor D-π-A and donor-acceptor-π-acceptor D-A-π-A dyes having a medium to large size of the conjugated scaffold are evaluated, using the methods of the Density Functional Theory (DFT), in terms of free energy differences between their neutral and oxidized ground-state forms. These results are compared to the available experimental data and to the computed highest occupied molecular orbital energy −ε(HOMO) values as an approximation of ground-state redox potentials according to Koopmans’ theorem. Using the MPW1K functional in combination with the 6-31+G* basis set, the strategy based on the free energy cycle, including solvent effects, reproduces with a good level of accuracy the observed values (mean absolute error (MAE) < 0.2 eV) and trend of redox potentials within related families of dyes. On the other hand, the −ε(HOMO) values are only able to capture the experimental trends in redox potential values.
A Numerical Pinch Analysis Methodology for Optimal Sizing of a Centralized Trigeneration System with Variable Energy Demands
Authors: Jamaluddin Khairulnadzmi , Wan Alwi Sharifah Rafidah , Hamzah Khaidzir , Klemeš Jiří Jaromír
Published: April 2020

The energy and power sectors are critical sectors, especially as energy demands rise every year. Increasing energy demand will lead to an increase in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Improving the thermal efficiency of conventional power systems is one way to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions. The previous study has developed a new methodology called Trigeneration System Cascade Analysis (TriGenSCA) to optimise the sizing of power, heating, and cooling in a trigeneration system for a Total Site system. However, the method only considered a single period on heating and cooling demands. In industrial applications, there are also batches, apart from continuous plants. The multi-period is added in the analysis to meet the time constraints in batch plants. This paper proposes the development of an optimal trigeneration system based on the Pinch Analysis (PA) methodology by minimizing cooling, heating, and power requirements, taking into account energy variations in the total site energy system. The procedure involves seven steps, which include data extraction, identification of time slices, Problem Table Algorithm, Multiple Utility Problem Table Algorithm, Total Site Problem Table Algorithm, TriGenSCA, and Trigeneration Storage Cascade Table (TriGenSCT). An illustrative case study is constructed by considering the trigeneration Pressurized Water Reactor Nuclear Power Plant (PWR NPP) and four industrial plants in a Total Site system. Based on the case study, the base fuel of the trigeneration PWR NPP requires 14 t of Uranium-235 to an average demand load of 93 GWh/d. The results of trigeneration PWR NPP with and without the integration of the Total Site system is compared and proven that trigeneration PWR NPP with integration is a suitable technology that can save up to 0.2% of the equivalent annual cost and 1.4% of energy compared to trigeneration PWR NPP without integration.
Experimental and Simulation Modal Analysis of a Prismatic Battery Module
Authors: Xia Bizhong , Liu Fan , Xu Chao , Liu Yifan , Lai Yongzhi , Zheng Weiwei , Wang Wei
Published: April 2020

The battery pack is the core component of a new energy vehicle (NEV), and reducing the impact of vibration induced resonance from the ground is a prerequisite for the safety of an NEV. For a high-performance battery pack design, a clear understanding of the structural dynamics of the key part of battery pack, such as the battery module, is of great significance. Additionally, a proper computational model for simulations of battery module also plays a key role in correctly predicting the dynamic response of battery packs. In this paper, an experimental modal analysis (EMA) was performed on a typical commercial battery module, composed of twelve 37Ah lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) prismatic cells, to obtain modal parameters such as mode shapes and natural frequencies. Additionally, three modeling methods for a prismatic battery module were established for the simulation modal analysis. The method of simplifying the prismatic cell to homogenous isotropic material had a better performance than the detailed modeling method, in predicting the modal parameters. Simultaneously, a novel method that can quickly obtain the equivalent parameters of the cell was proposed. The experimental results indicated that the fundamental frequency of battery module was higher than the excitation frequency range (0–150 Hz) from the ground. The mode shapes of the simulation results were in good agreement with the experimental results, and the average error of the natural frequency was below 10%, which verified the validity of the numerical model.
Replacing Fossil Fuels and Nuclear Power with Renewable Energy: Utopia or Valid Option? A Swiss Case Study of Bioenergy
Authors: Lemm Renato , Haymoz Raphael , Björnsen Gurung Astrid , Burg Vanessa , Strebel Tom , Thees Oliver
Published: April 2020

The transition towards a reliable, sustainable, low-carbon energy system is a major challenge of the 21st century. Due to the lower energy density of many renewable energy sources, a future system is expected to be more decentralized, leading to significant changes at the regional scale. This study analyzes the feasibility of the energy transition in the Swiss canton of Aargau as an illustrative example and explores different strategies to satisfy the local demand for electricity, heat, and fuel by 2035. In particular, we assess the potential contribution of biomass. Four scenarios demonstrate what energy demand proportion could be covered by bioenergy if different priorities were given to the provision of heat, electricity, and fuel. The impact of improved conversion technologies is also considered. The results show that the sustainably available renewable energy sources in canton Aargau will probably not be sufficient to cover its forecasted energy demand in 2035, neither with present nor future biomass conversion technologies. At best, 74% of the energy demand could be met by renewables. Biomass can increase the degree of autarky by a maximum of 13%. Depending on the scenario, at least 26–43% (2500–5700 GWh) of total energy demand is lacking, particularly for mobility purposes.
An Accurate Time Constant Parameter Determination Method for the Varying Condition Equivalent Circuit Model of Lithium Batteries
Authors: Zhang Liang , Wang Shunli , Stroe Daniel-Ioan , Zou Chuanyun , Fernandez Carlos , Yu Chunmei
Published: April 2020

An accurate estimation of the state of charge for lithium battery depends on an accurate identification of the battery model parameters. In order to identify the polarization resistance and polarization capacitance in a Thevenin equivalent circuit model of lithium battery, the discharge and shelved states of a Thevenin circuit model were analyzed in this paper, together with the basic reasons for the difference in the resistance capacitance time constant and the accurate characterization of the resistance capacitance time constant in detail. The exact mathematical expression of the working characteristics of the circuit in two states were deduced thereafter. Moreover, based on the data of various working conditions, the parameters of the Thevenin circuit model through hybrid pulse power characterization experiment was identified, the simulation model was built, and a performance analysis was carried out. The experiments showed that the accuracy of the Thevenin circuit model can become 99.14% higher under dynamic test conditions and the new identification method that is based on the resistance capacitance time constant. This verifies that this method is highly accurate in the parameter identification of a lithium battery model.
Fold-Change-Specific Enrichment Analysis (FSEA): Quantification of Transcriptional Response Magnitude for Functional Gene Groups
Authors: Wiebe Daniil S. , Omelyanchuk Nadezhda A. , Mukhin Aleksei M. , Grosse Ivo , Lashin Sergey A. , Zemlyanskaya Elena V. , Mironova Victoria V.
Published: April 2020

Gene expression profiling data contains more information than is routinely extracted with standard approaches. Here we present Fold-Change-Specific Enrichment Analysis (FSEA), a new method for functional annotation of differentially expressed genes from transcriptome data with respect to their fold changes. FSEA identifies Gene Ontology (GO) terms, which are shared by the group of genes with a similar magnitude of response, and assesses these changes. GO terms found by FSEA are fold-change-specifically (e.g., weakly, moderately, or strongly) affected by a stimulus under investigation. We demonstrate that many responses to abiotic factors, mutations, treatments, and diseases occur in a fold-change-specific manner. FSEA analyses suggest that there are two prevailing responses of functionally-related gene groups, either weak or strong. Notably, some of the fold-change-specific GO terms are invisible by classical algorithms for functional gene enrichment, Singular Enrichment Analysis (SEA), and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). These are GO terms not enriched compared to the genome background but strictly regulated by a factor within specific fold-change intervals. FSEA analysis of a cancer-related transcriptome suggested that the gene groups with a tightly coordinated response can be the valuable source to search for possible regulators, markers, and therapeutic targets in oncogenic processes. Availability and Implementation: FSEA is implemented as the FoldGO Bioconductor R package and a web-server.
What Pulsating H2 Emissions Suggest about the H2 Resource in the Sao Francisco Basin of Brazil
Authors: Cathles Lawrence , Prinzhofer Alain
Published: April 2020

Proterozoic sedimentary basins very often emit natural hydrogen gas that may be a valuable part of a non-carbon energy infrastructure. Vents in the Sao Francisco Basin in Brazil release hydrogen to the atmosphere mainly during the daylight half of the day. Daily temperature and the regular daily tidal atmospheric pressure variations have been suggested as possible causes of the pulsing of H2 venting. Here, we analyze a ~550 m-diameter depression that is barren of vegetation and venting hydrogen mainly at its periphery. We show that daily temperature changes propagated only ~1/2 m into the subsurface and are thus too shallow to explain the H2 variations measured at 1-m depth. Pressure changes could propagate deeply enough, and at the depth at which the cyclic variations are measured hydrogen concentration will have the observed phase relationship to atmospheric pressure changes provided: (1) the pressure wave is terminated by geologic barriers at about 25% of its full potential penetration distance, and (2) the volume of gas in the vents is very small compared to the volume of gas tapped by the venting. These constraints suggest that there is a shallow gas reservoir above the water table under the ~550 m-diameter barren-of-vegetation depression. The 1D-analytical and finite-element calculations presented in this paper help define the hydrogen system and suggest the further steps needed to characterize its volume, hydrogen flux and resource potential.
Influence of Parental Physical Activity and Screen Time on the BMI of Adult Offspring in a Saudi Population
Authors: Mattoo Khurshid , Shubayr Mosa , Al Moaleem Mohammed , Halboub Esam
Published: April 2020

Saudi Arabia is witnessing a drastic rise in adult obesity. Geographic limitations hamper somatic activities to counter this rise. Parental physical inactivity in the region has never been addressed. This study’s purpose is to determine the differences between parent and adult child (the subjects here) levels of physical activity (PA) and screen time (ST) between normal weight and obese adults in the Saudi Arabian population. Two hundred and forty adult subjects (18 to 35 years) were screened for their body mass index (BMI) values (18.5 ≤ 25 as normal and 25 ≤ 30) or above as overweight/obese), followed by their congregation into normal weight (N) (n = 150) and overweight/obese (Ov/Ob) (n = 90) groups. A self-reported questionnaire assessed parenting practices, while a physical activity record diary calculated existing levels of PA and ST. Statistical significance was determined by a chi-squared test (p < 0.01) and BMI correlation was found by Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Maternal age (87.8% ≤ 20 years in the Ov/Ob group (Gp) and consanguineous marriage (88.9% in the Ov/Ob Gp) showed significant differences. A high prevalence of inactivity was observed among families (father 53.3%, mother 53.3%, subject 80.0%) in the Ov/Ob Gp. Higher amounts of ST (76.7% ≥ 9 h/day) were found in the Ov/Ob Gp, which significantly differed. Differences in the parent and child levels of PA and ST exist between normal weight and obese Saudi Arabian adults. Physically active parents having adult children inspire them to develop healthy physical behaviors which counter the development of obesity. Consanguineous marriage and early maternal age may be associated with progressive adult obesity.
Spatial Reliability Assessment of Social Media Mining Techniques with Regard to Disaster Domain-Based Filtering
Authors: Gulnerman Ayse Giz , Karaman Himmet
Published: April 2020

The data generated by social media such as Twitter are classified as big data and the usability of those data can provide a wide range of resources to various study areas including disaster management, tourism, political science, and health. However, apart from the acquisition of the data, the reliability and accuracy when it comes to using it concern scientists in terms of whether or not the use of social media data (SMD) can lead to incorrect and unreliable inferences. There have been many studies on the analyses of SMD in order to investigate their reliability, accuracy, or credibility, but that have not dealt with the filtering techniques applied to with the data before creating the results or after their acquisition. This study provides a methodology for detecting the accuracy and reliability of the filtering techniques for SMD and then a spatial similarity index that analyzes spatial intersections, proximity, and size, and compares them. Finally, we offer a comparison that shows the best combination of filtering techniques and similarity indices to create event maps of SMD by using the Getis-Ord Gi* technique. The steps of this study can be summarized as follows: an investigation of domain-based text filtering techniques for dealing with sentiment lexicons, machine learning-based sentiment analyses on reliability, and developing intermediate codes specific to domain-based studies; then, by using various similarity indices, the determination of the spatial reliability and accuracy of maps of the filtered social media data. The study offers the best combination of filtering, mapping, and spatial accuracy investigation methods for social media data, especially in the case of emergencies, where urgent spatial information is required. As a result, a new similarity index based on the spatial intersection, spatial size, and proximity relationships is introduced to determine the spatial accuracy of the fine-filtered SMD. The motivation for this research is to develop the ability to create an incidence map shortly after a disaster event such as a bombing. However, the proposed methodology can also be used for various domains such as concerts, elections, natural disasters, marketing, etc.
Watershed Segmentation Algorithm Based on Luv Color Space Region Merging for Extracting Slope Hazard Boundaries
Authors: Zhang Mingmei , Xue Yongan , Ge Yonghui , Zhao Jinling
Published: April 2020

To accurately identify slope hazards based on high-resolution remote sensing imagery, an improved watershed segmentation algorithm is proposed. The color difference of the Luv color space was used as the regional similarity measure for region merging. Furthermore, the area relative error for evaluating the image segmentation accuracy was improved and supplemented with the pixel quantity error to evaluate the segmentation accuracy. An unstable slope was identified to validate the algorithm on Chinese Gaofen-2 (GF-2) remote sensing imagery by a multiscale segmentation extraction experiment. The results show the following: (1) the optimal segmentation and merging scale parameters were, respectively, minimum threshold constant C for minimum area Amin of 500 and optimal threshold D for a color difference of 400. (2) The total processing time for segmentation and merging of unstable slopes was 39.702 s, much lower than the maximum likelihood classification method and a little more than the object-oriented classification method. The relative error of the slope hazard area was 4.92% and the pixel quantity error was 1.60%, which were superior to the two classification methods. (3) The evaluation criteria of segmentation accuracy were consistent with the results of visual interpretation and the confusion matrix, indicating that the criteria established in this study are reliable. By comparing the time efficiency, visual effect and classification accuracies, the proposed method has a good comprehensive extraction effect. It can provide a technical reference for promoting the rapid extraction of slope hazards based on remote sensing imagery. Meanwhile, it also provides a theoretical and practical experience reference for improving the watershed segmentation algorithm.
Exploring Resilient Observability in Traffic-Monitoring Sensor Networks: A Study of Spatial–Temporal Vehicle Patterns
Authors: Tang Junqing , Wan Li , Nochta Timea , Schooling Jennifer , Yang Tianren
Published: April 2020

Vehicle mobility generates dynamic and complex patterns that are associated with our day-to-day activities in cities. To reveal the spatial–temporal complexity of such patterns, digital techniques, such as traffic-monitoring sensors, provide promising data-driven tools for city managers and urban planners. Although a large number of studies have been dedicated to investigating the sensing power of the traffic-monitoring sensors, there is still a lack of exploration of the resilient performance of sensor networks when multiple sensor failures occur. In this paper, we reveal the dynamic patterns of vehicle mobility in Cambridge, UK, and subsequently, explore the resilience of the sensor networks. The observability is adopted as the overall performance indicator to depict the maximum number of vehicles captured by the deployed sensors in the study area. By aggregating the sensor networks according to weekday and weekend and simulating random sensor failures with different recovery strategies, we found that (1) the day-to-day vehicle mobility pattern in this case study is highly dynamic and decomposed journey durations follow a power-law distribution on the tail section; (2) such temporal variation significantly affects the observability of the sensor network, causing its overall resilience to vary with different recovery strategies. The simulation results further suggest that a corresponding prioritization for recovering the sensors from massive failures is required, rather than a static sequence determined by the first-fail–first-repair principle. For stakeholders and decision-makers, this study provides insightful implications for understanding city-scale vehicle mobility and the resilience of traffic-monitoring sensor networks.
A Method for Generating Variable-Scale Maps for Small Displays
Authors: Zhao Rong , Ai Tinghua , Wen Chen
Published: April 2020

With the rapid development of the internet and information technology, visualization techniques for mobile and interactive web maps have developed different requirements. Small screens make it difficult to simultaneously present information details and the surrounding context. Aiming at this problem, this paper proposes a novel variable-scale method that can allow users to properly specify the size, shape, and number of the focus area(s). Our method first establishes a hierarchical data structure for representing geographic data and then the client-side can request and represent the information according to only the operational command input by users. Experimental results show that this method can realize the variable-scale representation of real geographic data on a single screen. It can effectively solve the contradiction between a small-screen display and a large quantity of information.