bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
V L Ginzburg and the Atomic project
Authors: Ritus V I
Published: March 2017

This paper is an expanded version of the author’s talk presented at a session of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences celebrating the 100th anniversary of V L Ginzburg’s birth. Tamm’s Special group was organized in June 1948 with the task to clarify the feasibility of constructing a hydrogen bomb. Having verified and confirmed the calculated results by Ya B Zel’dovich’s group, the Tamm group proposed an original hydrogen bomb design, which, following A D Sakharov’s idea, consisted of an atomic bomb surrounded spherically by nested uranium and heavy water layers: the heavy water, on V L Ginzburg’s suggestion, was replaced by higher-calorie solid lithium-6 deuteride. The ionization implosion of deuterium by uranium, both heated by the atomic bomb’s explosion, greatly accelerates nuclear reactions in deuterium and uranium and increases the total energy release. Upon their approval by the KB-11 top researchers, the Atomic project leadership, and the government, the proposals were implemented in the RDS-6s bomb, which was successfully tested on 12 August 1953. Lithium-6 deuteride turned out to be a convenient multipurpose nuclear fuel. The paper highlights the recognition by the leaders of the country and of the Atomic project that fundamental science plays a crucial role in promoting scientists’ ideas and proposals.
About recognition of mirror-like objects
Authors: Kyurkchan A G
Published: March 2017

We discuss the problem of the visual recognition of mirror-like objects, i.e., bodies with an ideally smooth (analytic) surface. The visual perception of such objects is essentially dependent on their environment, in contrast to bodies with an irregular (rough) surface, whose visual images are independent of the environment.
Design and Performance of Modular 3-D Printed Solid-Propellant Rocket Airframes
Authors: Hernandez Rachel , Singh Harpreet , Messimer Sherri , Patterson Albert
Published: March 2017

Solid-propellant rockets are used for many applications, including military technology, scientific research, entertainment, and aerospace education. This study explores a novel method for design modularization of the rocket airframes, utilizing additive manufacturing (AM) technology. The new method replaces the use of standard part subsystems with complex multi-function parts to improve customization, design flexibility, performance, and reliability. To test the effectiveness of the process, two experiments were performed on several unique designs: (1) ANSYS CFX® simulation to measure the drag coefficients, the pressure fields, and the streamlines during representative flights and (2) fabrication and launch of the developed designs to test their flight performance and consistency. Altitude and 3-axis stability was measured during the eight flights via an onboard instrument package. Data from both experiments demonstrated that the designs were effective, but varied widely in their performance; the sources of the performance differences and errors were documented and analyzed. The modularization process reduced the number of parts dramatically, while retaining good performance and reliability. The specific benefits and caveats of using extrusion-based 3-D printing to produce airframe components are also demonstrated.
Stakeholder Perceptions of Welfare Issues and Indicators for Extensively Managed Sheep in Australia
Authors: Doughty Amanda , Coleman Grahame , Hinch Geoff , Doyle Rebecca
Published: March 2017

An online survey was designed to form the basis of a framework for the welfare assessment of extensively managed sheep in Australia. The survey focused on welfare compromise and useful welfare indicators. A total of 952 people completed the survey in its entirety, representing four stakeholder groups: Public (53.6%), Producer (27.4%), Scientist (9.9%), and Service provider (9.1%). Animal welfare was considered to be important by all participating groups in this survey (average score of 3.78/4). Respondents felt the welfare of grazing sheep was generally adequate but improvement was desired (2.98/5), with female members of the public rating sheep welfare significantly worse than other respondents (p < 0.05). Environmental issues were considered to pose the greatest risk to welfare (3.87/5), followed by heat stress (3.79), lameness (3.57) and husbandry practices (3.37). Key indicators recognised by all respondents were those associated with pain and fear (3.98/5), nutrition (4.23), mortality/management (4.27), food on offer (4.41) and number of illness/injures in a flock (4.33). There were gender and stakeholder differences in the perceived importance of both welfare issues and indicators with women and the public consistently rating issues (all p < 0.01) and indicators (all p < 0.05) to be of greater significance than other respondents. These results highlight the importance of including all stakeholders and an even balance of genders when developing a welfare framework that can address both practical and societal concerns.
Seismic Damage Evaluation of Concrete-Encased Steel Frame-Reinforced Concrete Core Tube Buildings Based on Dynamic Characteristics
Authors: Zeng Lei , Xiao Yunfeng , Chen Yiguang , Jin Siqian , Xie Wei , Li Xianjie
Published: March 2017

To evaluate damage state and residual resistance of concrete-encased steel frame-reinforced concrete core tube buildings under earthquake actions, a criterion of damage assessment based on dynamic characteristics is proposed in this paper. Dynamic characterization experiments were conducted on a 10-story and 1/5 scaled building model using velocity sensors on each floor, and natural frequencies were obtained based on the measured data. Modal analysis was carried out using a nonlinear finite element program, and the simulation results of the dynamic characteristics agreed well with experimental ones. Then, the damage processes under different seismic wave inputs were revealed based on finite element analysis, and the max story drift angle was chosen to reflect the damage state and to quantify the degree of damage. A criterion of seismic damage assessment is proposed based on the relationship between the quantitative damage value and the dynamic characteristics, in which the higher order modes were considered. Moreover, influencing factors, including earthquake intensity and structural stiffness ratio, were analyzed, and the results indicated that the proposed damage index based on dynamic characteristics can account for the higher-order modes and provides an innovative approach to evaluate the seismic damage.
Three-Dimensional TiO2 Structures Incorporated with Tungsten Oxide for Treatment of Toxic Aromatic Volatile Compounds
Authors: Lee Joon , Jo Wan-Kuen
Published: March 2017

This study assessed 3D WO3–TiO2 nanoflowers (WTNF) synthesized by a combined hydrothermal–ultrasonication–impregnation method for their applicability to the treatment of aromatic volatile compounds under visible-light illumination. The scanning electron microscopy exhibited the formation of 3D structures in the prepared WTNF samples. The X-ray diffraction patterns and energy dispersive X-ray results indicated a successful incorporation of WO3 into TNF structures. The UV-visible spectroscopy showed that the prepared WTNF samples can be functioned under visible light irradiation. The output-to-input concentration ratios of toluene and o-xylene with WTNF samples were lower than those of TiO2 nanoflowers. These findings were illustrated on the basis of charge separation ability, adsorption capability, and light absorption of the sample photocatalysts. The input-to-output concentration ratios of the target chemicals were lowest for 10 M NaOH and highest for 5 M NaOH. The photocatalytic degradation efficiencies of WTNF sample photocatalysts increased with increasing WO3 content from 0.1% to 1.0%, and dropped gradually with increasing WO3 content further to 4.0%. Light-emitting-diodes (LEDs) are a more highly energy-efficient light source compared to a conventional lamp for the photocatalytic degradation of toluene and o-xylene, although the photocatalytic activity is higher for the conventional lamp.
Synthesis, Characterization and Catalytic Performance of Well-Ordered Crystalline Heteroatom Mesoporous MCM-41
Authors: Qin Jing , Li Baoshan , Yan Dongpeng
Published: March 2017

Mesoporous heteroatom molecular sieve MCM-41 bulk crystals with the crystalline phase were synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal method using an ionic complex as template. The ionic complex template was formed by interaction between cetyltrimethylammonium ions and metal complex ion [M(EDTA)]2− (M = Co or Ni)]. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, and X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. The results showed that the materials possess a highly-ordered mesoporous structure with a crystalline phase and possess highly uniform ordered arrangement channels. The structure is in the vertical cross directions with a crystalline size of about 12 µm and high specific surface areas. The metal atoms were incorporated into the zeolite frameworks in the form of octahedral coordinate and have a uniform distribution in the materials. The amount of metal complexes formed by metal ion and EDTA is an essential factor for the formation of the vertical cross structure. Compared to Si-MCM-41, the samples exhibited better conversion and higher selectivity for cumene cracking.
Leveraging Receiver Message Side Information in Two-Receiver Broadcast Channels: A General Approach †
Authors: Asadi Behzad , Ong Lawrence , Johnson Sarah
Published: March 2017

We consider two-receiver broadcast channels where each receiver may know a priori some of the messages requested by the other receiver as receiver message side information (RMSI). We devise a general approach to leverage RMSI in these channels. To this end, we first propose a pre-coding scheme considering the general message setup where each receiver requests both common and private messages and knows a priori part of the private message requested by the other receiver as RMSI. We then construct the transmission scheme of a two-receiver channel with RMSI by applying the proposed pre-coding scheme to the best transmission scheme for the channel without RMSI. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, we apply our pre-coding scheme to three categories of the two-receiver discrete memoryless broadcast channel: (i) channel without state; (ii) channel with states known causally to the transmitter; and (iii) channel with states known non-causally to the transmitter. We then derive a unified inner bound for all three categories. We show that our inner bound is tight for some new cases in each of the three categories, as well as all cases whose capacity region was known previously.
Small Scale Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC): A Techno-Economic Review
Authors: Tocci Lorenzo , Pal Tamas , Pesmazoglou Ioannis , Franchetti Benjamin
Published: March 2017

The Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) is widely considered as a promising technology to produce electrical power output from low-grade thermal sources. In the last decade, several power plants have been installed worldwide in the MW range. However, despite its market potential, the commercialization of ORC power plants in the kW range did not reach a high level of maturity, for several reasons. Firstly, the specific price is still too high to offer an attractive payback period, and secondly, potential costumers for small-scale ORCs are typically SMEs (Small-Medium Enterprises), generally less aware of the potential savings this technology could lead to. When it comes to small-scale plants, additional design issues arise that still limit the widespread availability of the technology. This review paper presents the state of the art of the technology, from a technical and economic perspective. Working fluid selection and expander design are illustrated in detail, as they represent the bottleneck of the ORC technology for small-scale power production. In addition, a European market analysis is presented, which constitutes a useful instrument to understand the future evolution of the technology.
Robust Operation of Energy Storage System with Uncertain Load Profiles
Authors: Kim Jangkyum , Choi Yohwan , Ryu Seunghyoung , Kim Hongseok
Published: March 2017

In this paper, we propose novel techniques to reduce total cost and peak load of factories from a customer point of view. We control energy storage system (ESS) to minimize the total electricity bill under the Korea commercial and industrial (KCI) tariff, which both considers peak load and time of use (ToU). Under the KCI tariff, the average peak load, which is the maximum among all average power consumptions measured every 15 min for the past 12 months, determines the monthly base cost, and thus peak load control is extremely critical. We aim to leverage ESS for both peak load reduction based on load prediction as well as energy arbitrage exploiting ToU. However, load prediction inevitably has uncertainty, which makes ESS operation challenging with KCI tariff. To tackle it, we apply robust optimization to minimize risk in a real environment. Our approach significantly reduces the peak load by 49.9% and the total cost by 10.8% compared to the case that does not consider load uncertainty. In doing this we also consider battery degradation cost and validate the practical use of the proposed techniques.
Analyzing the Impacts of System Parameters on MPC-Based Frequency Control for a Stand-Alone Microgrid
Authors: Nguyen Thai-Thanh , Yoo Hyeong-Jun , Kim Hak-Man
Published: March 2017

Model predictive control (MPC) has been widely studied for regulating frequency in stand-alone microgrids (MGs), owing to the advantages of MPC such as fast response and robustness against the parameter uncertainties. Understanding the impacts of system parameters on the control performance of MPC could be useful for the designing process of the controller to achieve better performance. This study analyzes the impact of system parameters on the control performance of MPC for frequency regulation in a stand-alone MG. The typical stand-alone MG, which consists of a diesel engine generator, an energy storage system (ESS), a wind turbine generator, and a load, is considered in this study. The diesel engine generator is in charge of primary frequency control whereas the ESS is responsible for secondary frequency control. The stand-alone MG is linearized to obtain the dynamic model that is used for designing MPC-based secondary frequency control. The robustness of MPC against the variation of system parameters is also analyzed in this study. A comparison study of MPC and proportional–integral (PI) control is presented. Simulation results show that MPC has a faster response time and lower overshoot compared to PI control. In addition, the robustness of MPC against the system uncertainties is stronger than conventional PI control.
Scale-Dependent Light Scattering Analysis of Textured Structures on LED Light Extraction Enhancement Using Hybrid Full-Wave Finite-Difference Time-Domain and Ray-Tracing Methods
Authors: Lee Tsung-Xian , Chou Ching-Chia
Published: March 2017

A multiscale model that enables quantitative understanding and prediction of the size effect on the scattering properties of micro- and nanostructures is crucial for the design of light-emitting diode (LED) surface textures optimized for high light extraction efficiency (LEE). In this paper, a hybrid process for combining full-wave finite-difference time-domain simulation and a ray-tracing technique based on a bidirectional scattering distribution function model is proposed. We apply this method to study the influence of different pattern sizes of a patterned sapphire substrate on GaN-based LED light extraction from the micro-scale to the nano-scale. The results show that near-wavelength–scale patterns with strong diffraction are not expected to enhance the LEE. By contrast, micro-scale patterns with optical diffusion behavior have the highest LEE at a specific aspect ratio, and subwavelength-scale patterns that have antireflection properties show a marked enhancement of the LEE for a wide range of aspect ratios.
The EU Electricity Security Decision-Analytic Framework: Status and Perspective Developments
Authors: Fulli Gianluca , Masera Marcelo , Covrig Catalin , Profumo Francesco , Bompard Ettore , Huang Tao
Published: March 2017

Electricity security, generally referring to a system’s capability to provide electricity to its users, is a multi-faceted problem attracting mounting attention from policy makers and scientists around the world. Electricity security encompasses largely different properties based upon the time/geographical scales of the factors affecting electricity delivery; it is challenged by threats surfacing in spheres far beyond the physical one; it involves a myriad of stakeholders spanning manifold disciplines and with considerably different expectations from the electricity commodity or services; it can be studied as a complicated techno-economic problem or as a complex socio-economic problem. All the above reasons, in a framework of changing European Union (EU) and global energy scenarios, render electricity security ever more challenging to assess and critical to safeguard. Against this background, this work presents recommendations to bring science and policy making closer towards evaluating and handling EU electricity security. More in detail, this is done by:

Characterising electricity security via features at the cross-roads of policy and science.

Reviewing the electricity security modelling and assessment approaches across sectors.

Proposing elements for a novel electricity security decision-analytic framework for the EU.

Contextualising the proposed framework in EU’s Energy Union grid design initiatives.
Modeling and Analysis of a DC Electrical System and Controllers for Implementation of a Grid-Interactive Building
Authors: Kim Youngjin
Published: March 2017

As the penetration of photovoltaic (PV) systems on building rooftops increases, the accumulated effect of the rooftop PV power outputs on electric network operation is no longer negligible. Energy storage resources (ESRs) have been used to smooth PV power outputs, particularly when building load becomes low. In commercial buildings, the batteries of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) can be regarded as distributed ESRs. This paper proposes a DC electrical system in a commercial building that enables PEVs to compensate for rooftop PV power fluctuation and participate in tracking signals for grid frequency regulation (GFR). The proposed building system and associated controllers are modeled considering steady-state and dynamic operations of the PV system and PEV batteries. Simulation case studies are conducted to demonstrate the performance of the proposed building system under various conditions, determined by such factors as the maximum voltage, minimum state-of-charge, and desired charging end-time of PEVs batteries.
Mixed-Species Effects on Soil C and N Stocks, C/N Ratio and pH Using a Transboundary Approach in Adjacent Common Garden Douglas-Fir and Beech Stands
Authors: Dawud Seid , Vesterdal Lars , Raulund-Rasmussen Karsten
Published: March 2017

Mixed forest of Douglas-fir and beech has been suggested as one of the possible future forest types in Northwest Europe but the effects of this mixed forest on soil properties relative to monoculture stands are unknown. In a transboundary investigation of adjacent common garden Douglas-fir and beech stands, we determined the effects on topsoil properties. However, responses of C and N stocks, the C/N ratio and pH were site- and soil layer-specific and were mainly single-sided and without synergistic effects. Beech reduced the soil C and N stocks in Douglas-fir at the nutrient-poor site, caused an increase in the C/N ratio in the forest floor and mineral soil at both nutrient-poor and -rich sites, and reduced the acidifying effect of Douglas-fir at the nutrient-poor site. These results do not support the hypothesis that mixture effects would be consistent across sites and soil layers. The lack of synergistic effects may be attributed to the relatively similar litter quality or rooting depth that prevented any larger niche differentiation and complementarity. The results indicate that the transboundary approach within a mature common garden proved useful as a platform to test tree species interactions, and this approach could be explored in soil studies until dedicated mixed-species common gardens reach maturity.
Differences in the Bacteriome of Smokeless Tobacco Products with Different Oral Carcinogenicity: Compositional and Predicted Functional Analysis
Authors: Al-hebshi Nezar , Alharbi Fahd , Mahri Mohammed , Chen Tsute
Published: March 2017

Smokeless tobacco (ST) products vary significantly in their oral carcinogenicity. Much is known about the differences in the chemical, but not the bacterial, constituents of these products. In this study, we explored the composition and function of the bacteriome in ST products from four countries using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and 16S rRNA-based next generation sequencing. The bacterial load (16S rRNA copies/gram) was lowest in Swedish snus (3.4 × 106) and highest in Yemeni shammah (6.6 × 1011). A total of 491 species-level taxa, many of which are potentially novel, belonging to 178 genera and 11 phyla were identified. Species richness and diversity were highest for Swedish snus and lowest for Yemeni shammah. Bacillus, Paenibacillus, and Oceanobacillus spp. were the most abundant in American snuff; species of Pseudomonas, Massilia, Propionibacterium, Puniceispirillum, and Gloeothece predominated in Swedish snus. In Sudanese toombak, Facklamia, Desemzia, Atopostipes, and Lysinibacillus spp. accounted for the majority of the bacteriome. Yemeni shammah exclusively contained Bacillus spp. Functional prediction by phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states (PICRUSt) showed that genes encoding cadmium/zinc and nickel transport systems were enriched in the presumptively “high carcinogenicity” products. The bacteriome of ST products thus differed qualitatively, quantitatively, and functionally. The relevance of these differences, particularly with respect to nickel and cadmium, to oral carcinogenesis warrants further investigation.
A Novel k-Means Clustering Based Task Decomposition Method for Distributed Vector-Based CA Models
Authors: Li Zhenqiang , Guan Xuefeng , Wu Huayi , Gong Jianya
Published: March 2017

More and more vector-based cellular automata (VCA) models have been built to leverage parallel computing to model rapidly changing cities and urban regions. During parallel simulation, common task decomposition methods based on space partitioning, e.g. grid partitioning (GRID) and recursive binary space partitioning (BSP), do not work well given the heterogeneity of VCA parcel tasks. In this paper, to solve this problem, we propose a novel task decomposition method for distributed VCA models based on k-means clustering, named KCP. Firstly, the polygon dataset is converted into points based on centroids, which combines the size of two parcels and the outer distance. A low-cost recursive quad-partition is then applied to decide the initial cluster centers based on parcel density. Finally, neighbor parcels can be allocated into the same subdivision through k-means clustering. As a result, the proposed KCP method takes both the number of tasks and computing complexity into consideration to achieve a well-balanced local workload. A typical urban VCA growth model was designed to evaluate the proposed KCP method with traditional spatial partitioning methods, i.e. GRID and BSP. KCP had the shortest total simulation time when compared with GRID and BSP. During experimental urban growth simulations, the time spent on a single iteration was reduced by 15% with the BSP and by 25% with the GRID method. The total simulation time with a 120 m neighborhood buffer size was reduced by more than one hour to around three minutes with 32 cores.
Combined Effects of Curcumin and Lycopene or Bixin in Yoghurt on Inhibition of LDL Oxidation and Increases in HDL and Paraoxonase Levels in Streptozotocin-Diabetic Rats
Authors: Assis Renata , Arcaro Carlos , Gutierres Vânia , Oliveira Juliana , Costa Paulo , Baviera Amanda , Brunetti Iguatemy
Published: March 2017

Combination therapy using natural antioxidants to manage diabetes mellitus and its complications is an emerging trend. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes promoted by treatment of streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats with yoghurt enriched with the bioactives curcumin, lycopene, or bixin (the latter two being carotenoids). Antioxidants were administered individually, or as mixtures, and biomarkers of metabolic and oxidative disturbances, particularly those associated with cardiovascular risk, were assessed. Treatment of STZ-diabetic rats with natural products individually decreased glycemia, triacylglycerol, total-cholesterol, oxidative stress biomarkers, including oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL), and increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Individual carotenoids increased both high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and paraoxonase levels, whereas curcumin increased only paraoxonase. Treatments with mixtures of curcumin and lycopene or bixin had combined effects, decreasing biomarkers of carbohydrate and lipid disturbances (curcumin effect), increasing the HDL levels (carotenoids effects) and mitigating oxidative stress (curcumin and carotenoids effects). The combined effects also led to prevention of the LDL oxidation, thereby mitigating the cardiovascular risk in diabetes. These findings provide evidence for the beneficial effect of curcumin and carotenoid mixtures as a supplementation having antioxidant and antiatherogenic potentials, thus appearing as an interesting strategy to be studied as a complementary therapy for diabetic complications.
Effects of Melatonin on Liver Injuries and Diseases
Authors: Zhang Jiao-Jiao , Meng Xiao , Li Ya , Zhou Yue , Xu Dong-Ping , Li Sha , Li Hua-Bin
Published: March 2017

Liver injuries and diseases are serious health problems worldwide. Various factors, such as chemical pollutants, drugs, and alcohol, could induce liver injuries. Liver diseases involve a wide range of liver pathologies, including hepatic steatosis, fatty liver, hepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocarcinoma. Despite all the studies performed up to now, therapy choices for liver injuries and diseases are very few. Therefore, the search for a new treatment that could safely and effectively block or reverse liver injuries and diseases remains a priority. Melatonin is a well-known natural antioxidant, and has many bioactivities. There are numerous studies investigating the effects of melatonin on liver injuries and diseases, and melatonin could regulate various molecular pathways, such as inflammation, proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis, and autophagy in different pathophysiological situations. Melatonin could be used for preventing and treating liver injuries and diseases. Herein, we conduct a review summarizing the potential roles of melatonin in liver injuries and diseases, paying special attention to the mechanisms of action.
Magnetically Bioprinted Human Myometrial 3D Cell Rings as A Model for Uterine Contractility
Authors: Souza Glauco , Tseng Hubert , Gage Jacob , Mani Arunmani , Desai Pujan , Leonard Fransisca , Liao Angela , Longo Monica , Refuerzo Jerrie , Godin Biana
Published: March 2017

Deregulation in uterine contractility can cause common pathological disorders of the female reproductive system, including preterm labor, infertility, inappropriate implantation, and irregular menstrual cycle. A better understanding of human myometrium contractility is essential to designing and testing interventions for these important clinical problems. Robust studies on the physiology of human uterine contractions require in vitro models, utilizing a human source. Importantly, uterine contractility is a three-dimensionally (3D)-coordinated phenomenon and should be studied in a 3D environment. Here, we propose and assess for the first time a 3D in vitro model for the evaluation of human uterine contractility. Magnetic 3D bioprinting is applied to pattern human myometrium cells into rings, which are then monitored for contractility over time and as a function of various clinically relevant agents. Commercially available and patient-derived myometrium cells were magnetically bioprinted into rings in 384-well formats for throughput uterine contractility analysis. The bioprinted uterine rings from various cell origins and patients show different patterns of contractility and respond differently to clinically relevant uterine contractility inhibitors, indomethacin and nifedipine. We believe that the novel system will serve as a useful tool to evaluate the physiology of human parturition while enabling high-throughput testing of multiple agents and conditions.
Continuous Leakage Resilient Lossy Trapdoor Functions
Authors: Li Sujuan , Mu Yi , Zhang Mingwu , Zhang Futai
Published: March 2017

Lossy trapdoor functions (LTFs) were first introduced by Peikert and Waters (STOC’08). Since their introduction, lossy trapdoor functions have found numerous applications. They can be used as tools to construct important cryptographic primitives such as injective one-way trapdoor functions, chosen-ciphertext-secure public key encryptions, deterministic encryptions, et al. In this paper, we focus on the lossy trapdoor functions in the presence of continuous leakage. We introduce the new notion of updatable lossy trapdoor functions (ULTFs) and give their formal definition and security properties. Based on these, we extend the security model to the LTFs against continuous leakage when the evaluation algorithm is leakage resilient. Under the standard DDH assumption and DCR assumption, respectively, we show two explicit lossy trapdoor functions against continuous leakage in the standard model. In these schemes, using the technology of matrix kernel, the trapdoor can be refreshed at regular intervals and the adversaries can learn unbounded leakage information on the trapdoor along the whole system life. At the same time, we also show the performance of the proposed schemes compared with the known existing continuous leakage resilient lossy trapdoor functions.
Spectral Signatures of Immature Lucilia sericata (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae)
Authors: Warren Jodie-A. , Ratnasekera T. D. Pulindu , Campbell David A. , Anderson Gail S.
Published: March 2017

Hyperspectral remote sensing is an innovative technology with applications in many sciences and is a non-destructive method that may offer more precise aging within development stages. Hyperspectral reflectance measurements from the anterior, midsection, and posterior of Lucilia sericata (Meigen) larvae and pupae were conducted daily from samples of the developing insects beginning at second instar. Only midsection measurements were conducted on second instar larvae due to their size, to ensure that the measurement was not of reflective surroundings. Once measured, all insects were washed with deionized water, blotted with filter paper, and re-measured. Daily age prediction during the post-feeding stage was not impacted by the unwashed insect measurements and was best predicted based on posterior measurements. The second and third instar larvae, which move about their food source, had different contributing coefficients to the functional regression model for the hyperspectral measurements of the washed compared with unwashed specimens. Although washing did not affect the daily prediction within these stages, it is still encouraged in order to decrease the effect of food source on spectral reflectance. Days within the intra-puparial period were best predicted based on anterior measurements and were not well distinguished from one another in the first few days based on midsection and posterior measurements.
Telemedicine Applications in Pediatric Retinal Disease
Authors: Pathipati Akhilesh , Moshfeghi Darius
Published: March 2017

Teleophthalmology is a developing field that presents diverse opportunities. One of its most successful applications to date has been in pediatric retinal disease, particularly in screening for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Many studies have shown that using telemedicine for ROP screening allows a remote ophthalmologist to identify abnormal findings and implement early interventions. Here, we review the literature on uses of telemedicine in pediatric retinal disease and consider future applications.
Cu6Sn5 Whiskers Precipitated in Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu/Cu Interconnection in Concentrator Silicon Solar Cells Solder Layer
Authors: Zhang Liang , Liu Zhi-quan , Yang Fan , Zhong Su-juan
Published: March 2017

Cu6Sn5 whiskers precipitated in Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu/Cu interconnection in concentrator silicon solar cells solder layer were found and investigated after reflow soldering and during aging. Ag3Sn fibers can be observed around Cu6Sn5 whiskers in the matrix microstructure, which can play an active effect on the reliability of interconnection. Different morphologies of Cu6Sn5 whiskers can be observed, and hexagonal rod structure is the main morphology of Cu6Sn5 whiskers. A hollow structure can be observed in hexagonal Cu6Sn5 whiskers, and a screw dislocation mechanism was used to represent the Cu6Sn5 growth. Based on mechanical property testing and finite element simulation, Cu6Sn5 whiskers were regarded as having a negative effect on the durability of Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu/Cu interconnection in concentrator silicon solar cells solder layer.
Electric Field-Driven Assembly of Sulfonated Polystyrene Microspheres
Authors: Mikkelsen Alexander , Wojciechowski Jarosław , Rajňák Michal , Kurimský Juraj , Khobaib Khobaib , Kertmen Ahmet , Rozynek Zbigniew
Published: March 2017

A designed assembly of particles at liquid interfaces offers many advantages for development of materials, and can be performed by various means. Electric fields provide a flexible method for structuring particles on drops, utilizing electrohydrodynamic circulation flows, and dielectrophoretic and electrophoretic interactions. In addition to the properties of the applied electric field, the manipulation of particles often depends on the intrinsic properties of the particles to be assembled. Here, we present an easy approach for producing polystyrene microparticles with different electrical properties. These particles are used for investigations into electric field-guided particle assembly in the bulk and on surfaces of oil droplets. By sulfonating polystyrene particles, we produce a set of particles with a range of dielectric constants and electrical conductivities, related to the sulfonation reaction time. The paper presents diverse particle behavior driven by electric fields, including particle assembly at different droplet locations, particle chaining, and the formation of ribbon-like structures with anisotropic properties.
Photocatalytic Water Splitting for O2 Production under Visible Light Irradiation Using NdVO4-V2O5 Hybrid Powders
Authors: Chiang Tzu Hsuan , Chen Tso-Ming
Published: March 2017

The study investigated photocatalytic water splitting for O2 production under visible light irradiation using neodymium vanadium oxide (NdVO4) and vanadium oxide (V2O5) hybrid powders. The results in a sacrificial agent of 0.01 M AgNO3 solution were obtained, and the highest photocatalytic O2 evolution was 2.63 μmol/h, when the hybrid powders were prepared by mixing Nd and V at a volume ratio of 1:3 at a calcination temperature of 350 °C for 1 h. The hybrid powders were synthesized by neodymium nitrate and ammonium metavanadate using the glycothermal method in ethylene glycol at 120 °C for 1 h. The hybrid powders consisted of two shapes, NdVO4 nanoparticles and the cylindrical V2O5 particles, and they possessed the ability for photocatalytic oxygen (O2) evolution during irradiation with visible light. The band gaps and structures of the hybrid powders were analyzed using UV-visible spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy.
Codoping and Interstitial Deactivation in the Control of Amphoteric Li Dopant in ZnO for the Realization of p-Type TCOs
Authors: Catellani Alessandra , Calzolari Arrigo
Published: March 2017

We report on first principle investigations about the electrical character of Li-X codoped ZnO transparent conductive oxides (TCOs). We studied a set of possible X codopants including either unintentional dopants typically present in the system (e.g., H, O) or monovalent acceptor groups, based on nitrogen and halogens (F, Cl, I). The interplay between dopants and structural point defects in the host (such as vacancies) is also taken explicitly into account, demonstrating the crucial effect that zinc and oxygen vacancies have on the final properties of TCOs. Our results show that Li-ZnO has a p-type character, when Li is included as Zn substitutional dopant, but it turns into an n-type when Li is in interstitial sites. The inclusion of X-codopants is considered to deactivate the n-type character of interstitial Li atoms: the total Li-X compensation effect and the corresponding electrical character of the doped compounds selectively depend on the presence of vacancies in the host. We prove that LiF-doped ZnO is the only codoped system that exhibits a p-type character in the presence of Zn vacancies.
An Overview of the Protective Effects of Chitosan and Acetylated Chitosan Oligosaccharides against Neuronal Disorders
Authors: Hao Cui , Wang Wei , Wang Shuyao , Zhang Lijuan , Guo Yunliang
Published: March 2017

Chitin is the second most abundant biopolymer on Earth and is mainly comprised of a marine invertebrate, consisting of repeating β-1,4 linked N-acetylated glucosamine units, whereas its N-deacetylated product, chitosan, has broad medical applications. Interestingly, chitosan oligosaccharides have therapeutic effects on different types of neuronal disorders, including, but not limited to, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and nerve crush injury. A common link among neuronal disorders is observed at a sub-cellular level, such as atypical protein assemblies and induced neuronal death. Chronic activation of innate immune responses that lead to neuronal injury is also common in these diseases. Thus, the common mechanisms of neuronal disorders might explain the general therapeutic effects of chitosan oligosaccharides and their derivatives in these diseases. This review provides an update on the pathogenesis and therapy for neuronal disorders and will be mainly focused on the recent progress made towards the neuroprotective properties of chitosan and acetylated chitosan oligosaccharides. Their structural features and the underlying molecular mechanisms will also be discussed.
An Investigation on the Softening Mechanism of 5754 Aluminum Alloy during Multistage Hot Deformation
Authors: Huang Chang-Qing , Deng Jie , Wang Si-Xu , Liu Lei-lei
Published: March 2017

Isothermal interrupted hot compression tests of 5754 aluminum were conducted on a Gleeble-3500 thermo-mechanical simulator at temperatures of 350 °C and 450 °C, and strain rates of 0.1 s−1 and 1 s−1. To investigate the metadynamic recrystallization behavior, a range of inter-pass delay times (5–60 s) was employed. These tests simulated flat rolling to investigate how softening behaviors respond to controlled parameters, such as deformation temperature, strain rate, and delay times. These data allowed the parameters for the hot rolling process to be optimized. The dynamic softening at each pass and the effect of metadynamic recrystallization on flow properties and microstructural evolution were analyzed in detail. An offset yield strength of 0.2% was employed to calculate the softening fraction undergoing metadynamic recrystallization. A kinetic model was developed to describe the metadynamic recrystallization behaviors of the hot-deformed 5754 aluminum alloy. Furthermore, the time constant for 50% recrystallization was expressed as functions related to the temperature and the strain rate. The experimental and calculated results were found to be in close agreement, which verified the developed model.
Measuring Plasticity with Orientation Contrast Microscopy in Aluminium 6061-T4
Authors: Ghodrat Sepideh , Riemslag Anton , Kestens Leo
Published: March 2017

Orientation contrast microscopy (i.e., electron backscattered diffraction, EBSD) was employed to monitor the plastic strain in loaded tensile samples of aluminium alloy Al6061 in T4 condition. The kernel average misorientation (KAM) is known to be an appropriate parameter in orientation contrast microscopy which has the potential to characterise the plastic strain by monitoring the local misorientations. This technique was applied here to gauge the extent of the plastic zone around a fatigue crack. To establish the magnitude of strain (which can be identified by the KAM parameter), a series of tensile samples were strained in the range of 1% to 25%. KAM maps were compared, and the average misorientations were related to the tensile strain values. The KAM distribution functions for all the strained samples were derived from a large scanned area. In addition, Vickers microhardness tests were conducted for these series of samples. This allowed the comparison of the mesoscopic plastic strain measured by Vickers microhardness with the micro plastic strain locally obtained by KAM. Noise was observed in the average KAM values up to a plastic strain of 1.5%. For the plastic strain exceeding 1.5%, noise no longer dominates the KAM map, and a positive—though not linear—correspondence between plastic strain and KAM was observed. The observed plastic zone at the tip of the fatigue crack by micro-Vickers hardness measurements was about an order of magnitude higher than the plastic zone observed on the KAM maps. In view of the calibration of KAM values on the tensile samples, it could be concluded that in the larger area of the plastic zone, the strain did not exceed the critical value of 1.5%.
Microfluidic Technology for the Generation of Cell Spheroids and Their Applications
Authors: Vadivelu Raja , Kamble Harshad , Shiddiky Muhammad , Nguyen Nam-Trung
Published: March 2017

A three-dimensional (3D) tissue model has significant advantages over the conventional two-dimensional (2D) model. A 3D model mimics the relevant in-vivo physiological conditions, allowing a cell culture to serve as an effective tool for drug discovery, tissue engineering, and the investigation of disease pathology. The present reviews highlight the recent advances and the development of microfluidics based methods for the generation of cell spheroids. The paper emphasizes on the application of microfluidic technology for tissue engineering including the formation of multicellular spheroids (MCS). Further, the paper discusses the recent technical advances in the integration of microfluidic devices for MCS-based high-throughput drug screening. The review compares the various microfluidic techniques and finally provides a perspective for the future opportunities in this research area.
Two-Dimensional Magnetic Field Sensor Based on Silicon Magnetic Sensitive Transistors with Differential Structure
Authors: Yang Xianghong , Zhao Xiaofeng , Bai Yunjia , Lv Meiwei , Wen Dianzhong
Published: March 2017

A two-dimensional (2D) magnetic field sensor consisting of four silicon magnetic sensitive transistors (SMSTs) with similar characteristics is presented in this paper. By use of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) and integrated packaging technology, this sensor fabricated by using the silicon wafer with a <100> orientation and high resistivity, was packaged on printed circuit boards (PCBs). In order to detect the magnetic fields in the x and y axes directions, two of the four SMSTs with opposite magnetic sensitive directions were located along the x and −x axes directions, symmetrically, and the others were located along the y and −y axes directions. The experimental results show that when the VCE = 10.0 V and IB = 6.0 mA, the magnetic sensitivities of the sensor in the x and y axes directions are 366.0 mV/T and 365.0 mV/T, respectively. It is possible to measure the 2D magnetic field and improve the magnetic sensitivity, significantly.
A New Procedure for Deep Sea Mining Tailings Disposal
Authors: Ma Wenbin , Schott Dingena , Lodewijks Gabriël
Published: March 2017

Deep sea mining tailings disposal is a new environmental challenge related to water pollution, mineral crust waste handling, and ocean biology. The objective of this paper is to propose a new tailings disposal procedure for the deep sea mining industry. Through comparisons of the tailings disposal methods which exist in on-land mining and the coastal mining fields, a new tailings disposal procedure, i.e., the submarine–backfill–dam–reuse (SBDR) tailings disposal procedure, is proposed. It combines deep sea submarine tailings disposal, backfill disposal, tailings dam disposal, and tailings reuse disposal for the deep sea mining industry. Then, the analytic network process (ANP) method is utilized to evaluate the performances of different tailings disposal methods. The evaluation results of the ANP show that the new proposed tailings disposal procedure is the most suitable for the deep sea mining industry.
Metabolic Profile of Skimmianine in Rats Determined by Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Huang Aihua , Xu Hui , Zhan Ruoting , Chen Weiwen , Liu Jiawei , Chi Yuguang , Chen Daidi , Ji Xiaoyu , Luo Chaoquan
Published: March 2017

Skimmianine is a furoquinoline alkaloid present mainly in the Rutaceae family. It has been reported to have analgesic, antispastic, sedative, anti-inflammatory, and other pharmacologic activities. Despite its critical pharmacological function, its metabolite profiling is still unclear. In this study, the in vivo metabolite profiling of skimmianine in rats was investigated using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS). The metabolites were predicted using MetabolitePilotTM software. These predicted metabolites were further analyzed by MS2 spectra, and compared with the detailed fragmentation pathway of the skimmianine standard and literature data. A total of 16 metabolites were identified for the first time in rat plasma, urine, and feces samples after oral administration of skimmianine. Skimmianine underwent extensive Phase I and Phase II metabolism in rats. The Phase I biotransformations of skimmianine consist of epoxidation of olefin on its furan ring (M1) followed by the hydrolysis of the epoxide ring (M4), hydroxylation (M2, M3), O-demethylation (M5-M7), didemethylation (M14–M16). The Phase II biotransformations include glucuronide conjugation (M8–M10) and sulfate conjugation (M11–M13). The epoxidation of 2,3-olefinic bond followed by the hydrolysis of the epoxide ring and O-demethylation were the major metabolic pathways of skimmianine. The results provide key information for understanding the biotransformation processes of skimmianine and the related furoquinoline alkaloids.