bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimal Contracts for Agents with Adverse Selection
Authors: Li Chao , Qiu Zhijian
Published: January 2020

Due to information asymmetry, adverse selection exists largely in the multiagent market. Aiming at these problems, we develop two models: pure adverse selection model and mixed adverse selection and moral hazard model. We make the assumption that a type of agent is discrete and effort level is continuous in the models. With these models, we investigate the characters that make an optimal contract as well as the conditions under which the utility of a principal and agents can be optimized. As a result, we show that, in the pure adverse selection model, the conditions to reach the optimal utility of a principal and individual agents are that a principal needs to design different contracts for different types of agents, and an individual agent chooses the corresponding type of contracts. For the mixed model, we show that incentive constraint for agents plays a very important role. In fact, we find that whether a principal provides high-type contract or a separating equilibrium contract depends on the probability of existence of low-type agents in the market. In general, if a separating equilibrium contract is issued, then information asymmetry will cause the utility of the high-type agents to be less than that of the case in full information.
Regional Disparity in Asthma Prevalence and Distribution of Asthma Education Programs in Texas
Authors: John Jessica , Baek Juha , Roh Taehyun , Cabrera-Conner Lucia , Carrillo Genny
Published: January 2020

Objectives. To identify the distribution of asthma education programs that are currently active in Texas and examine whether there is a geographical disparity between asthma prevalence and locations of asthma education programs in the Public Health Regions (PHRs) of Texas. Methods. The data for adult asthma prevalence in PHRs was obtained from the Texas Department of State and Health Services (DSHS) 2015 Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Public Use Data File. The Geographic Information System (GIS) program was used to show the distribution of asthma education programs and visually identify the isolated areas for asthma education programs on the maps. To examine the areas covered by the asthma education programs, we illustrated 50 miles and 70 miles of buffer zones from each program by proximity (multiple ring buffer) functions in GIS. Results. We identified that 27 asthma education programs are active in Texas as of July 2019. The analysis showed that PHRs 1, 2, and 7 had the highest rate of asthma prevalence but had fewer asthma education programs. Also, the distribution of asthma education programs is concentrated around major cities, leading to a regional imbalance between asthma prevalence and locations of asthma education programs. The central and western areas of Texas proved to be marginalized areas for asthma education programs, particularly PHRs 2 and 9 because they may not be covered by the buffer zones of 70 miles from any asthma education programs. Discussion. This study revealed the marginalized regions in Texas lacking asthma education programs. The findings could help policymakers and health care professionals enhance opportunities to develop asthma education programs using different venues in isolated areas and prioritize these regions, for funds, to establish new asthma education programs.
The Reconstructed Cohort Design: A Method to Study Rare Neurodegenerative Diseases in Population-Based Settings
Authors: Logroscino Giancarlo , Kurth Tobias , Piccininni Marco
Published: January 2020

Rare neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by high heterogeneity and high clinical complexity, as well as low incidence and prevalence, thus making tracking small numbers of incident cases in the general population very challenging. Since it is not possible to use classical cohort studies to estimate the incidence of these rare diseases, we can “reconstruct” a theoretical cohort using case information from a well-defined geographic region collected through a surveillance system. The incidence rate is estimated as the ratio between the number of individuals at risk who were diagnosed with the disease of interest during the study period and the estimated overall amount of time individuals in the reference population spent at risk during the study period. If a series of assumptions are met, the approximate incidence proportion of a closed theoretical cohort without competing events and with the same follow-up duration can be calculated by multiplying the incidence rate with the length of the study time. This rationale relies on the presence of an effective referral system, which links all levels of the healthcare system together in the region, from general practitioners to specialized clinical centers. The reconstructed cohort design is a valid and cost-effective method to collect data on the incidence of rare neurodegenerative diseases and represents the theoretical framework for building up population-based registries.
Sizing inductors of an axial flux synchronous generator
Authors: Lahouel D. , Hedjazi D. , Abdessemed R.
Published: January 2020

This given the outcome of environmental situations in recent years, it has become necessary to use other resolutions for the energy production we need, and among these wind power sources. Since the advent of windmills to the first wind turbines, the technology of aero-motors (or wind sensors) has evolved rapidly. This article presents a study of an axial flow generator, and this mechanism is based on the energy of the wind turbine, this structure solves the problem of the distribution of the magnetic field lines in the armature coils and the inductor of the generator, observing the influence on the voltage from the linear velocity, the density of the injected current and the position along its axis; and that by the method of Finite Elements and is used the computer aided design (CAD), and more particularly the software comsol multiphysics to obtain the results that the good operation of the generator.
Wavelet based performance analysis of AC transmission systems with unified power flow controller under power quality issues
Authors: Nagaraju M. , Reddy V. V. K. , Sushama M.
Published: January 2020

The developments in power quality are fast and difficult to predict. The majority of power quality issues experienced by industrial customers can be attributed to momentary interruptions, voltage sags or swells, transients, harmonic distortion, electrical noise, and flickering lights, among others. A new device may be invented tomorrow solving power quality problems. The FACTS devices could provide fast control of active and reactive power through a transmission line. The unified power-flow controller (UPFC) is a member of the FACTS family with very attractive features. This device can independently control many parameters, so it is the combination of the properties of a static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) and static synchronous series compensator (SSSC).The performance of AC Transmission system with Unified power flow controller under various power quality problems analysis described. The proposed system is formulated and research work is done by wavelet multi resolution analysis using Bior1.5 mother wavelet with MATLAB/SIMULINK software. It is observed that the effectiveness of AC power transmission through Unified power flow controller under power quality problems of sag, swell, transient, temporary faults and capacitive switching.
Palaeoplex gen. nov. and Lufubuchromis gen. non, two new monotypic cichlid genera (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from northern Zambia
Authors: SCHEDEL FREDERIC D.B. , KUPRIYANOV VIVIANE M.S. , KATONGO CYPRIAN , SCHLIEWEN ULRICH K.
Published: January 2020

Two monotypic haplochromine cichlid genera (Teleostei: Cichlidae) of the Pseudocrenilabrus group are described from northern Zambia. One new genus is Palaeoplex gen. nov., with Pa. palimpsest sp. nov. as the type species, from the Luongo and Kalungwishi Rivers (Upper Congo drainage, Luapula subdrainage). It is diagnosed by a unique combination of morphological characters: (1) a fully developed infraorbital series without a distinct gap between the lachrymal and second infraorbital bone, (2) fused hypuralia 1+2 and hypuralia 3+4, (3) molariform teeth on the sagittal series of the lower pharyngeal jaw, and (4) a large maximum size. The second new genus, Lufubuchromis gen. nov., with L. relictus sp. nov. as the type species, is restricted to the upper Lufubu River catchment (Upper Congo drainage, Lake Tanganyika subdrainage). It is diagnosed by a unique combination of morphological characters: (1) a fully developed infraorbital series without a distinct gap between the lachrymal and second infraorbital bone, (2) fused hypuralia 1+2 (rarely with a visible suture) and fused hypuralia 3+4, (3) a unique male coloration pattern, i.e. deep crimson red colored areas on the anterior ventral flank parts, chest and belly and on the lower head; remaining parts of flanks and caudal peduncle bluish), and (4) a Pseudocrenilabrus blotch present in both sexes. Both new genera are compared with all remaining taxa of the Pseudocrenilabrus group and with all representatives of all other major haplotilapiine lineages.
Effect of Barrier Thickness and Height on the Transmission Coefficient of GaAs/Ga1–xAlxAs Quantum Cascaded Laser (QCL)
Authors: Yadav Manish Kumar , Pandey Bramha P. , Kumar Dharmendra
Published: January 2020

This paper demonstrates the impact of barrier thickness on the transmission coefficient of GaAs/Ga1–xAlxAs quantum cascaded laser (QCL). The transmission coefficient is the important measurable quantity to predict the properties of quantum cascaded
laser (QCL). This paper also includes the effects of the change in composition 'x' of the barrier height on transmission coefficient. In this study, GaAs/Ga1–xAlxAs QCL structures have been selected with operating temperature at T
= 10 K. The calculated results show that at lower temperature when the thickness of barrier is less, the probability of electron tunneling is high, therefore, transmission coefficient is high. When we increase the barrier height it results in lowering the probability of electron tunneling,
hence transmission coefficient is decreases. The calculated results justified the reported results of other workers.
Solar Photovoltaic Technology—A Review
Authors: Mishra Praveen Kumar , Tiwari Prabhakar
Published: January 2020

With growing the necessity of alternative energy, this demand will be lead to in the interest of solar research in order to extend the properties containing concentration, charge transfer, absorption and charge separation of solar cell devices along with materials. The solar energy
are most abundant, infinite, inexhaustible and clean among all the renewable power resources till now. It can be used by various techniques such as making full use of sunlight to directly generate electricity or by using heat from the sun as a thermal energy. The Photovoltaic technologies
are one of the best ways to harness the solar power. The aforementioned one script reviews the photovoltaic technology, its power producing efficiency, the different actual light appealing materials used, its substantial prospect as well various its applications. The Photovoltaic (PV) power
generation are one of the most promising power generation among others alternative sources. In this literature survey, we summarize the significance of solar photovoltaic power generation. Solar power generation is likely one of the well-known sectors to give a boost to the sustainability
of India. Solar power has giant capability in India due to that it lies in tropical zone. The Solar energy are on the pace to become the fastest rising energy sources in human history.
Ionogels: Present Opportunities, and Challenges for Future in Energy Storage Applications
Authors: Gupta Sarvesh Kumar , Gupta Shivani , Gupta Abhishek Kumar
Published: January 2020

From the last several decades, in the area of energy storage like batteries, electrochemical supercapacitors and dye-sensitized solar cells etc. electrolytes are playing an important role. Electrolytes are able to overcome the concern related to existing conventional energy storage
devices. Selection of better electrolyte is a very important and wise task. It is challenging work to develop very suitable and sophisticated electrolytes for energy storage devices. Currently, many researchers are working to meet the above challenges for better outcomes so that a suitable
electrolytes can be developed for energy storage devices. It is not surprising that energy storage has long been mentioned as the most important part of energy technologies. This review paper will be focused on the past achievement in the field of electrolyte and their development up to recent
ionogel electrolytes. Further future direction for required properties and applications of ionogel electrolytes have been highlighted.
Growth of n-Ga doped ZnO nanowires interconnected with disks over p-Si substrate and their heterojunction diode application
Authors: Al-Hadeethi Yas , Badran Rashad I. , Umar Ahmad , Al-Heniti Saleh. H. , Raffah Bahaaudin M. , Alharbi Abdulrazak M.
Published: January 2020

In this paper, the heterojunction diode based on n-Ga doped ZnO nanowires interconnected with disks/p-Si assembly was fabricated and their low-temperature electrical properties were examined. The Ga-doped ZnO nanowires interconnected with disks were grown over p-Si
substrate and studied by numerous techniques to understand the structural, compositional and morphological characteristics. Electrical properties, at lowtemperatures ranging from 77 K–295 K, were examined for the fabricated heterojunction diode assembly both in reverse and forward biased
conditions which exhibited an excellent stability over all the temperature range. The detailed electrical characterizations revealed that the current decreases gradually from 1.9 μA, to 0.87 μA to 0.84 μA when temperature increases from 77 K, 100 K to 150 K and
then increases gradually from 1.86 μA–3.36 μA and to 9.95 μA when temperature increases from 200 K–250 K and to 295 K, respectively. Both the highest rectifying ratio at 100 K and the lowest one at 295 K occur in the voltage range of 2–5 V.
Interfacial characteristics between mineral fillers and phenolic resin in friction materials
Authors: Zhao Xiaoguang , Ouyang Jing , Tan Qi , Tan Xiumin , Yang Huaming
Published: January 2020

Mineral fillers are indispensable constituent part of friction materials, which are capable of improving and stabilizing coefficient of friction, decreasing wear, enhancing thermal conductivity and reducing costs of friction materials, in addition, decreasing the noise in brake application.
Based on their roles in the friction materials, mineral fillers are classified into abrasives, lubricants, functional fillers, and space fillers. Herein, four typical commercial mineral fillers, namely quartz, graphite, expanded vermiculite, and barite were studied for revealing their effects
on the performance of friction materials. The composition, thermal stability, structural characteristics such as surface area, pore volume, and distribution of the pore size, and thermal conductivity of these mineral fillers were researched mainly by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning
calorimetry and thermogravimetry (DSC-TG), N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms, and thermal conductivity tester. Moreover, in order to illustrate the interfacial characteristics of mineral-based in friction materials, four ideal brake pads only consisting of mineral filler,
BaSO4 and phenolic resin were prepared. Microstructure and combination of mineral fillers and phenolic resin were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), polarizing microscope, and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results showed that different
types of material fillers had special functions for friction materials, and they combined with phenolic resin mainly in a physical way.
miR-222 targets VGLL4 to promote growth of tongue squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Shi Liang , Song Xiaobin , Wang Ketao , Liu Shaohua , Wang Yong
Published: January 2020

We investigated whether regulation of VGLL4 by miR-222 affects proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis in human tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) cells. Nanometer Magnetic beads were prepared to extract RNA in CAL27/human oral keratinocytes (HOK). Correlation between expression
of miR-222 and VGLL4 in CAL27/human oral keratinocytes (HOK) was analyzed using RT-PCR and western blot. The cellular effects of miR-222/VGLL4 interactions were detected by cck8, transwell, and cell scratch assays, and flow cytometry after miR-222 was silenced or overexpressed in CAL27 cells.
We assessed tumor growth in vivo, in a subcutaneous tumor model in mice, and assessed VGLL4 protein expression in tumors by immunohistochemistry. We found that miR-222 expression is higher in CAL27 cells than that in HOK cells. VGLL4 was highly expressed in HOK cells relative to CAL27
cells. When miR-222 was overexpressed, VGLL4 mRNA expression was reduced in CAL27 cells, and protein expression was reduced in the in vivo tumor model. Thus, miR-222 may down-regulate VGLL4 to promote proliferation, migration, and invasion of TSCC cells.
Are immigrant youth involved in voluntary organizations more likely than their non-immigrant peers to be engaged in politics? Survey evidence from Norway
Authors: Ødegård Guro , Fladmoe Audun
Published: January 2020

The aim of this paper is to examine the link between associational involvement and political participation among youth in Norway and how this link varies between boys and girls of an immigrant or non-immigrant background. We examine the relationship between activities in instrumental and expressive types of voluntary organizations. The paper draws on the survey Ung i Oslo 2015 (Young in Oslo 2015), which was carried out among students in almost all high schools (30 schools) in Oslo, Norway. The results indicate that those who are actively involved in socially oriented organizations are most likely to participate in politics. However, the relationship between organizational activity and political participation is often stronger among youth of immigrant background and is visible even among those who are active in less socially oriented organizations. Most notably, the results suggest that being active in a sports organization is positively related to political participation among immigrant youth. We found no such effect among non-immigrant youth. In accordance with Robert Putnam’s theoretical framework on social capital, the paper discusses why youth of immigrant background seem to benefit more, politically speaking, from associational involvement.
Setting Our Sails: Counseling Psychology in the Age of Integrated Health Care
Authors: Perrin Paul B. , Elliott Timothy R.
Published: January 2020

Counseling psychology has a documented ability to adapt to the winds of societal, market, and professional change. Adjusting our sails to the winds of integrated care will require realizing that (a) the value systems and approaches that define our field compel us to become more involved in the movement and (b) we have the requisite expertise to do so. This article echoes the others in this Major Contribution highlighting the importance of interprofessional training for counseling psychologists and the need for integrated care professional role models. Barriers to involvement in integrated care for counseling psychologists include time and effort without institutional support, integrated care being seen as on the fringe of the field, limited training in evidence-based practices, and hesitance to move into integrated care clinics despite their high proportion of underserved patient populations. Integrated care is an incredible opportunity for counseling psychology to draw on its historical strengths and be a flagship of this paradigm shift.
Experiences of Early Career Counseling Psychologists Working in Integrated Health Care
Authors: Berkel LaVerne A. , Nilsson Johanna E. , Joiner Alyssa V. , Stratmann Sally , Caldwell Kaylor K. , Chong Wen Wen
Published: January 2020

Psychologists are increasingly represented among interprofessional health care teams, yet little is known about counseling psychologists who fulfill these roles. We interviewed 13 early career counseling psychologists in different settings across the country about their roles and functions, the nature of their relationships with other health professionals, and counseling psychology identity and values. Results showed that counseling psychologists perform a variety of duties by adapting their counseling psychology training to medical settings, and that they find this work both challenging and rewarding. Participants incorporated traditional counseling psychology pillars of prevention, diversity, social justice, and strength-based interventions to make contributions to patient and community care in integrated health care settings. Implications for training and future research are discussed.
Integrated Health Care and Counseling Psychology: An Introduction to the Major Contribution
Authors: Nilsson Johanna E. , Berkel LaVerne A. , Chong Wen Wen
Published: January 2020

Integrated health care is playing an increasingly important role in the U.S. health care system by improving coordination of care and reducing health disparities and cost. Despite its promise, the field of counseling psychology has been slow in responding to this trend and in preparing its future workforce for this health care modality. In a series of articles, in this Major Contribution we highlight (a) the rise and benefits of integrated health care; (b) two counseling psychology programs’ training models and assessment methods for preparing their students for careers in integrated health care; and (c) the experiences, satisfaction, and challenges of counseling psychologists working in integrated health care settings.
Steering control based on model predictive control for obstacle avoidance of unmanned ground vehicle
Authors: Hu Chaofang , Zhao Lingxue , Cao Lei , Tjan Patrick , Wang Na
Published: January 2020

In this paper, a strategy based on model predictive control consisting of path planning and path tracking is designed for obstacle avoidance steering control problem of the unmanned ground vehicle. The path planning controller can reconfigure a new obstacle avoidance reference path, where the constraint of the front-wheel-steering angle is transformed to formulate lateral acceleration constraint. The path tracking controller is designed to realize the accurate and fast following of the reconfigured path, and the control variable of tracking controller is steering angle. In this work, obstacles are divided into two categories: static and dynamic. When the decision-making system of the unmanned ground vehicle determines the existence of static obstacles, the obstacle avoidance path will be generated online by an optimal path reconfiguration based on direct collocation method. In the case of dynamic obstacles, receding horizon control is used for real-time path optimization. To decrease online computation burden and realize fast path tracking, the tracking controller is developed using the continuous-time model predictive control algorithm, where the extended state observer is combined to estimate the lumped disturbances for strengthening the robustness of the controller. Finally, simulations show the effectiveness of the proposed approach in comparison with nonlinear model predictive control, and the CarSim simulation is presented to further prove the feasibility of the proposed method.
Attitude anti-interference federal filtering algorithm for MEMS-SINS/GPS/magnetometer/SV integrated navigation system
Authors: Zhang Hongmei , Zhang Huaqing , Xu Guangyan , Liu Hao , Liu Xin
Published: January 2020

The attitude measurement systems composed of magnetic, angular rate and gravity sensors in the navigation system of an unmanned aerial vehicle are vulnerable to disturbed magnetic field observations. In this paper, an anti-interference integrated navigation federal Kalman filter is designed with fusing the information of microelectromechanical-system-based strapdown inertial navigation system, gravity field, geomagnetic field and solar vector (direction of sun). The filter works in the mode of fusion reset or no reset according to environmental conditions or manual setting. In addition, the characteristic is discovered that disturbed magnetic field observations can interfere with the state estimation covariance matrixes of quaternions, which in turn affect the fusion update of estimated quaternions in no reset mode of the federal filter. In order to eliminate the effect of magnetic field observations on the attitude information of pitch and roll angles, a method of correction update for a yaw angle component in quaternions using the magnetometer is designed, and an Euler angle information fusion method is developed by constructing a pseudo-covariance matrix of Euler angels in fusion update of the filter. Thus, when there exist disturbed magnetic field observations and the filter is in no reset mode, the estimated pitch and roll angles of the main filter after fusion update are not affected, and the yaw angle estimation errors of the main filter decrease relative to the estimation errors of the sub-filter which is corrected by a magnetometer. The effectiveness of the algorithm is illustrated by a numerical simulation and a semi-physical simulation.
The efficiency of PSO-based MPPT technique of an electric vehicle within the city
Authors: Kariem Habib , Touti Ezzedine , Fetouh Tamer
Published: January 2020

Electrical vehicle fed by photovoltaic energy represents a complex system, which needs a high-performance control algorithm. Regarding the real situations, mostly the electric vehicle will be moving inside the city. If this system is covered by photovoltaic cells, the efficiency of this renewable energy source will depend on various factors. The shade areas or sunlight zones which exist in the city make the solar system unstable. Resolving this problem can increase the battery autonomy and allow addition of some running kilometers to the vehicle. Based on this objective, this study deals with the problem of solar variation and its influence on vehicle efficiency within the city. The problem is how to extract the maximum energy in this case. In order to maximize the global energy performance and increase vehicle autonomy, the optimal control method will be applied to this photovoltaic system taking into account some performance indicators such as the obtained power, the tracking speed, and the chattering level. Therefore, this study explores two control techniques in order to extract the maximum power from the solar energy system, which are the incremental method and the particle swarm optimization method. Simulink/MATLAB tool is used for simulation and comparison study based on the offered performance indicators. The obtained results show that the particle swarm optimization method has high global performance and an energy gain is obtained.
A study on geometrical features of electric discharge machined channels on AA6061-4%B4C composites
Authors: Gudipudi Suresh , Selvaraj N , Chandra DTS , Kanmani Subbu S , Rao CSP
Published: January 2020

The aluminum alloy AA6061-4wt.% boron carbide (B4C) particulate metal matrix composites were fabricated by the stir casting method. The die-sinker electric discharge machining was performed to make the rectangular mini channels on these composites. The full factorial experimental design that consists of three input conditions, the current ( I), discharge duration ( T-on), and discharge idle time ( T-off) at three levels each (33 = 27 total runs), was used for experimentation. The volume, V, the taper, θ (along with the depth), the lateral overcut (along the width), and the difference in depth, Δ d (between total depth and depth up to the tapered profile) at entrance and exit cross-sectional profiles of the channel were considered as output responses. The θ, lateral overcut, and Δ d were calculated from the entrance and exit profiles which were obtained by extracting the data points of each channel with the help of an optical profile projector. The computer-aided geometric model was developed to estimate the volume. A set of optimum electric discharge machining parameter levels were identified for maximum V and a minimum of θ, lateral overcut, and Δ d. Analysis of variance was performed to identify the significant parameter and the contribution toward output responses. Results showed that the volume was found to be maximum at higher I (8 A) and lower T-On (25 µs) conditions. The taper was found to decrease with the increase in current but both lateral overcut and Δ d increased. Both I and T-On are found to be the significant parameters affecting both V and Δ d, whereas current is for θ and lateral overcut. In some cases, it was observed that there is a considerable difference in the θ and the lateral overcut values in the entrance and exit portions for the same channel. It is because of the randomly dispersed B4C particles which alter the material removal mechanism.
Moving target tracking method for unmanned aerial vehicle/unmanned ground vehicle heterogeneous system based on AprilTags
Authors: Liang Xiao , Chen Guodong , Zhao Shirou , Xiu Yiwei
Published: January 2020

Using the characteristics of unmanned aerial vehicle/unmanned ground vehicle, heterogeneous systems can accomplish many complex tasks cooperatively. Moving target tracking is an important basis for the relative positioning and formation maintenance of heterogeneous cooperative systems. This paper first introduces the unmanned aerial vehicle/unmanned ground vehicle collaborative tracking task and heterogeneous system. In order to maintain the original stability of unmanned aerial vehicle, a control method based on SBUS protocol to simulate remote control is proposed. About unmanned ground vehicle with Mecanum wheel, a detailed description of control method is designed. For the problems of real-time performance and occlusion, a tracking scheme based on AprilTag identification is studied. The scheme tracks the Tag target in the case of no occlusion. When occlusion occurs, the scheme tracks the color feature around the Tag. The accuracy of the tracking algorithm and the problem of occlusion are greatly improved. Finally, the scheme is applied to the heterogeneous systems. Simulation and experimental results show that the proposed method is suitable for unmanned aerial vehicle/unmanned ground vehicle heterogeneous system to perform the collaborative tracking task.
A vibrant crossbreed social spider optimization with genetic algorithm tactic for flexible job shop scheduling problem
Authors: Kavitha S , Venkumar P
Published: January 2020

Job shop scheduling is one of the major issues in which the scheduling process is associated with the real-time manufacturing industry. A flexible job shop scheduling problem is one of the most important issues among the hardest combinatorial advancement issues. Flexible job shop scheduling is extremely a nondeterministic polynomial combinatorial problem. In this paper, it is proposed that a mixture of improvement demonstrates to make makespan minimization in the flexible job shop scheduling problem issue. This paper includes the hybridization of social spider optimization and genetic algorithm that is effectively controlled by the calculation via optimization techniques. Most of the part in this method is given as the scavenging methodology of social insects, which use the vibrations spread over the bug-catching network to decide the position of the target. These hybridization approaches after arachnid upgrading process hereditary calculation chromosomes are chosen to produce new arrangements nearer to the minimum makespan time. The main objective of this paper is to minimize the makespan time of “ n” jobs and “ m” machines. The proposed algorithms have effectively investigated many benchmark problems and the computational results were compared with existing metaheuristic, including progressive calculations and algorithms for the swarm intelligence in the flexible job shop scheduling problem.
Adaptive stochastic synchronization of delayed reaction–diffusion neural networks
Authors: Zhang Weiyuan , Li Junmin , Sun Jinghan , Chen Minglai
Published: January 2020

In this paper, we deal with the adaptive stochastic synchronization for a class of delayed reaction–diffusion neural networks. By combing Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional, drive-response concept, the adaptive feedback control scheme, and linear matrix inequality method, we derive some sufficient conditions in terms of linear matrix inequalities ensuring the stochastic synchronization of the addressed neural networks. The output coupling with delay feedback and the update laws of parameters for adaptive feedback control are proposed, which will be of significance in the real application. The novel Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional to be constructed is more general. The derived results depend on the measure of the space, diffusion effects, and the upper bound of derivative of time-delay. Finally, an illustrated example is presented to show the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed scheme.
Introducing the Targeted Mass Killing Data Set for the Study and Forecasting of Mass Atrocities
Authors: Butcher Charles , Goldsmith Benjamin E. , Nanlohy Sascha , Sowmya Arcot , Muchlinski David
Published: January 2020

This article describes a new data set for the study of genocide, politicide, and similar atrocities. Existing data sets have facilitated advances in understanding and policy-relevant applications such as forecasting but have been criticized for insufficient transparency, replicability, and for omitting failed or prevented attempts at genocide/politicide. More general data sets of mass civilian killing do not typically enable users to isolate situations in which specific groups are deliberately targeted. The Targeted Mass Killing (TMK) data set identifies 201 TMK episodes, 1946 to 2017, with annualized information on perpetrator intent, severity, targeted groups, and new ordinal and binary indicators of genocide/politicide that can serve as alternatives to existing measures. Users are also able to construct their own indicators based on their research questions or preferred definitions. The article discusses the concept and operationalization of TMK, provides comparisons with other data sets, and highlights some of the strengths and new capabilities of the TMK data.
Education versus Punishment? Silo Effects and the School-to-prison Pipeline
Authors: Brown Samantha J. , Mears Daniel P. , Collier Nicole L. , Montes Andrea N. , Pesta George B. , Siennick Sonja E.
Published: January 2020

Objectives:

This article examines the influence of social context on punishment decisions. To this end, we present a theoretical framework to identify outcomes that can occur when police and probation officers work in schools.

Method:

The proposed framework draws on organizational theory as well as scholarship on school discipline and punishment and the effects of placing officers in schools. It also draws from insights gathered from site visits, interviews, and focus groups conducted as part of a process evaluation of a school-based delinquency prevention program. We then present data from interviews and focus groups with 41 school-based safety staff to examine the plausibility of the hypothesized framework.

Results:

We find that officers’ goals interact with the goals of school-based actors to influence punishment-related outcomes. We also find that officers are not always the more punitive force in the schools and that placing officers in schools may have positive as well as negative effects for youth.

Conclusions:

The findings suggest that current accounts of officers in schools are incomplete. Dynamic interactions may occur within organizational partnerships and should be considered when seeking to understand punishment decisions not only in schools but also in other settings.
Teacher Mentoring in Service of Preservice Teachers’ Learning to Teach: Conceptual Bases, Characteristics, and Challenges for Teacher Education Reform
Authors: Orland-Barak Lily , Wang Jian
Published: January 2020

Preservice teacher education programs worldwide are increasingly becoming field based with student teaching as the capstone experience for preservice teacher learning in the program. Consequently, mentor teachers at field-placement program schools are bestowed with new and unique functions to support preservice teachers’ learning to teach, which calls for new conceptualizations of teacher mentoring approaches. This article critically examines the theoretical underpinnings of four existing approaches to teacher mentoring during student teaching, analyzes the focuses and practices associated with each approach, and identifies the major challenges that each approach faces in guiding preservice teachers to learn to teach as expected by the field based teacher education reforms. Finally, it proposes an integrated approach to teacher mentoring for field-based teacher education that transcends the four existing teacher mentoring approaches.
Characterization of a versatile glycoside hydrolase Cel5M from Pectobacterium carotovorum HG-49 for ramie degumming
Authors: Wang Yawei , Bai Yun , Shu Tong , Fan Pei , Zhang Huashan , Turunen Ossi , Xiong Hairong , Yu Longjiang
Published: January 2020

A novel versatile glycoside hydrolase Cel5M was identified from Pectobacterium carotovorum and used in ramie degumming. The full-length Cel5M (GenBank: MH544226) containing the catalytic domain Cel5MD and its carbohydrate-binding module (CBM3) were expressed in E. coli. Both Cel5M and Cel5MD showed a broad substrate spectrum cleaving konjac glucomannan (KGM), carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and oat spelt xylan. The optimal temperature of Cel5MD was 55oC with CMC and KGM, whereas the optimum temperature of Cel5M was 65oC with KGM and 60oC with CMC. The improved thermal activity with KGM was probably reflected also in the much lower K m with KGM than with CMC, indicating stronger binding of the full-length enzyme with KGM. Both enzymes were highly stable over a broad pH range from pH 5.0 to 9.0 with KGM. The use of the Cel5M enzyme together with the wild-type P. carotovorum HG-49 strain showed significant improvement when compared to using the mere strain HG-49 for application in ramie degumming. Moreover, the whole P. carotovorum Cel5M gene was over-expressed in P. carotovorum HG-49 itself to improve the ramie-degumming capacity. Altogether, this study indicates that in situ production of processing enzymes could be utilized in the textile industry.
Multifunctional silk fabric via surface modification of nano-SiO2
Authors: Gao Li-Zhi , Bao Yu , Cai Hai-Hua , Zhang Ai-Ping , Ma Yan , Tong Xiao-Ling , Li Zhi , Dai Fang-Yin
Published: January 2020

Silk fabrics have poor resistance to ultraviolet (UV) light and to wrinkles. To improve these properties, we propose a finishing method of coating the silk fabric surface with nano-silica (nano-SiO2). The results show that the UV protective factor (UPF) value could reach a maximum of 84.52 after finishing in 10 g/L nano-SiO2 and 20 g/L silane coupling agent (KH570) solution at 80℃. Moreover, the treated silk fabrics showed improved wrinkle resistance and hydrophobicity. The surface morphology and crosslink action of the treated silk fabrics were characterized by scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectrometer and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, which proved that nano-SiO2 particles were grafted on to the silk fabric. There was no apparent difference in color between untreated and treated silk fabrics. Thermal stability and cytotoxicity tests showed that the treated silk fabrics had good thermostability and cytocompatibility. The UPF value could be maintained at 77.31 after washing 20 times, which demonstrated that the treated silk fabrics had laundry resistance. Multifunctional silk fabrics with good hydrophobic properties and excellent UV and wrinkle resistance were developed, showing good prospects for their application in self-cleaning, protective and non-ironing clothes.
The kaleidoscope of gentrification in post-socialist cities
Authors: Kubeš Jan , Kovács Zoltán
Published: January 2020

Countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) have transformed from a centrally planned communist system to a market economy and liberal democracy after 1990. The rapidly changing social and power relations have been gradually manifested in the spatial pattern of cities. After the turn of the millennium, a growing number of papers reported that the regeneration of inner-city neighbourhoods intensified, generating population change in certain areas. Authors writing on urban renewal and gentrification in CEE have been inspired by the typology of gentrification elaborated in Western contexts, even though historical legacies and specific local conditions set serious limitations on the use of such concepts. The aim of this paper is to scrutinise the essential features of urban change and gentrification in post-socialist cities, discussing the main pre-conditions for, actors in and the resulting types of this process. Existing literature in the field has been systematically collected, analysed and compared. According to our findings the classic stage model of gentrification cannot be used in post-socialist cities, partly because the process is still in its infancy and partly because several hybrid forms of gentrification-like processes hide the spatial effects of market-based renewal. The variegated forms of urban change are the result of historical legacies, path dependencies and a set of factors embedded in local contexts. The paper highlights some of the research gaps in the field.
Intergenerational Income Elasticities, Instrumental Variable Estimation, and Bracketing Strategies
Authors: Mitnik Pablo A.
Published: January 2020

The fact that the intergenerational income elasticity (IGE)—the workhorse measure of economic mobility—is defined in terms of the geometric mean of children’s income generates serious methodological problems. This has led to a call to replace it with the IGE of the expectation, which requires developing the methodological knowledge necessary to estimate the latter with short-run measures of income. This article contributes to this aim. The author advances a “bracketing strategy” for the set estimation of the IGE of the expectation that is equivalent to that used to set estimate (rather than point estimate) the conventional IGE with estimates obtained with the ordinary least squares and instrumental variable (IV) estimators. The proposed bracketing strategy couples estimates generated with the Poisson pseudo–maximum likelihood estimator and a generalized method of moments IV estimator of the Poisson or exponential regression model. The author develops a generalized error-in-variables model for the IV estimation of the IGE of the expectation and compares it with the corresponding model underlying the IV estimation of the conventional IGE. By considering both bracketing strategies from the perspective of the partial-identification approach to inference, the author specifies how to construct confidence intervals for the IGEs, in particular when the upper bound is estimated more than once with different sets of instruments. Finally, using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, the author shows that the bracketing strategies work as expected and assesses the information they generate and how this information varies across instruments and short-run measures of parental income. Three computer programs made available as companions to the article make the set estimation of IGEs, and statistical inference, very simple endeavors.
Offending Histories and Typologies of Suspected Sexual Offenders Identified Via Untested Sexual Assault Kits
Authors: Lovell Rachel , Huang Wenxuan , Overman Laura , Flannery Daniel , Klingenstein Joanna
Published: January 2020

In this study, we present findings that detail the criminal offending histories and typologies of suspected sexual offenders identified from an initiative to follow up on the testing of thousands of previously untested sexual assault kits (SAKs). This study advances our understanding of sexual offenders by incorporating data from criminal justice system records (“detected” criminal offending) with data from newly tested SAKs that were not previously adjudicated (“undetected” sexual offending). Our findings demonstrate that these offenders have extensive criminal histories, very frequently continued to offend after the SAK-associated sexual assault, and, more often than not, have criminal histories that do not include a prior arrest(s) for rape. A latent class analysis identified three classes of offenders based on their offending history, “High-Volume Generalists,” “Low-Volume Offenders,” and “Sexual Specialists.” Most were generalists, with a large proportion committing lots of serious crimes.
An improved fruit fly algorithm-unscented Kalman filter-echo state network method for time series prediction of the network traffic data with noises
Authors: Han Ying , Jing Yuanwei , Dimirovski Georgi M
Published: January 2020

With the complexity of the network system rapidly increasing, network traffic prediction has great significance for the safety pre-warning of the network load, network management and control, and improvement of the quality of the network service. In this paper, the time series analysis is used for the network traffic prediction, and a prediction method combined with an optimized unscented Kalman filter (UKF) by an improved fruit fly algorithm (IFOA) and echo state network (ESN) is proposed, which is named by IFOA-UKF-ESN. The researches mainly solve the problem that the prediction accuracy might be greatly affected by the actual network traffic data with unknown and time-varying noises. UKF is used to train the best state vector (formed by spectral radius, scale of the reservoir, scale of the input units and connectivity rate) of ESN; and the proposed IFOA algorithm is proposed to optimize the weights of the predicted state value and the covariance in UKF, which makes UKF have adaptive ability for unknown and time-varying noise. Three actual network traffic data sets with different Gaussian white noise distributions are constructed for experiments, and the experimental results show that the proposed prediction method makes an average improvement by reducing at least 20.60%, 43.23% and 41.85% of RMSE, at least 23.66%, 52.38% and 47.50% of MAE, and at least 23.58%, 52.10% and 47.28% of MAPE, which verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Stationary wavelet singular entropy based electronic tongue for classification of milk
Authors: Kaushal Pauroosh , Mudhalwadkar Rohini
Published: January 2020

Electronic tongue mimics human gustatory sensation and is used to characterize and discriminate beverages and foods. Feature extraction plays a key role in improving the classification accuracy by preserving the distinct characteristics while reducing high dimensionality of data generated from electronic tongue. This paper presents a new feature extraction method based on stationary wavelet singular entropy for a developed electronic tongue system to classify pasteurized cow milk. The electronic tongue consists of an array of five working electrodes along with a reference and a counter electrode to characterize milk sample. The feature extraction of acquired data is done by computing stationary wavelet transform to obtain detail and approximate coefficients at different level of decomposition. These coefficients are processed using singular value decomposition followed by calculation of entropy to obtain stationary wavelet singular entropy values. These values form the feature set and feed to two classifiers, k-nearest neighbor and back propagation artificial neural network, and their classification accuracy is evaluated with variation in their model parameters. The proposed method is compared with other wavelet transform-entropy methods in terms of classification accuracy, which indicates that the proposed method is more effective in discriminating milk samples.