bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tribological Behavior of Nano-Sized SiCp/7075 Composite Parts Formed by Semisolid Processing
Authors: Jiang Jufu , Xiao Guanfei , Wang Ying , Liu Yingze
Published: February 2018

The tribological behavior of the rheoformed and thixoformed nano-sized SiCp/7075 composite parts is investigated. The semisolid stirring temperature has a little influence on the friction coefficient and wear resistance of the rheoformed composite parts. As for the thixoformed composite parts, the average value of the steady-state coefficient of friction increases firstly and then decreases with increasing reheating temperature. Higher wear resistance is achieved at a reheating temperature of 580 °C. The average value of the steady-state friction coefficient of the rheoformed composite parts varies from 0.37 to 0.45 upon applied loads of from 20 to 50 N. Weight loss increases slightly upon an increase of applied load from 20 to 40 N. An applied load of 50 N leads to a significant increase of the weight loss. The wear rate decreases firstly and then increases with increasing applied load. As for the thixoformed composite part, the average value of the steady-state friction coefficient and the weight loss decreased with an increasing applied load. However, the wear rate decreases firstly with increasing applied load and then increases. As for the rheoformed composite part, the average value of the steady-state friction coefficient decreases firstly and then increases a little with increasing sliding velocity. Weight loss and wear rate show a first increase and a followed decrease with increasing sliding velocity. As for the thixoformed composite part, the average value of the steady-state friction coefficient shows a decrease with increasing sliding velocity. Weight loss and wear rate exhibit, at first, an increase, and then a decrease with increasing sliding velocity. The average friction coefficient varies from 0.4 to 0.44 with increasing volume fraction of SiC. Weight loss and wear rate decrease with increasing volume fraction of SiC. An increase in dislocation density around the nano-sized SiC particles and the mismatch of the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between 7075 matrix and nano-sized SiC particles during solidification improve the wear resistance of the composite. The dominant wear mechanisms of the rheoformed and thixoformed composite parts are adhesive wear, abrasive wear and delamination wear.
Geochemistry of Toxic Elements and Their Removal via the Preparation of High-Uranium Coal in Southwestern China
Authors: Duan Piaopiao , Wang Wenfeng , Sang Shuxun , Tang Yuegang , Ma Mengya , Zhang Wei , Liang Bin
Published: February 2018

High-uranium (U) coal is the dominant form of coal in Southwestern China. However, directly utilizing this resource can also harm the environment because this element is radioactive; it is, therefore, necessary to clean this kind of coal before burning. This research studied the geochemistry of toxic elements and their partitioning during the preparation of high-U coal in China. The results show that high-U coals are mainly distributed in Southwestern China and are characterized by a high organic sulfur (S) content and vanadium (V)-chromium (Cr)-molybdenum (Mo)-U element assemblage. These elements are well-correlated with one another, but are all negatively related to ash yield, indicating that all four are syngenetic in origin and associated with organic materials. A mineralogical analysis shows that U in Ganhe and Rongyang coal occurs within fine-grained anatase, clay minerals, guadarramite, and pyrite, while V occurs in clay minerals, pyrite, and dolomite, and Cr occurs in dolomite. Other elements, such as fluorine (F), lead (Pb), selenium (Se), and mercury (Hg), mainly occur in pyrite. By applying a gravity separation method to separate minerals from coal, the content of the enrichment element assemblage of V-Cr-Mo-U in Rongyang coal is still shown to be higher than, or close to, that of the original feed because this element assemblage is derived from hydrothermal fluids during syngenetic or early diagenetic phases, but other elements (beryllium [Be], F, manganese [Mn], zinc [Zn], Pb, arsenic [As], Se, Hg) can be efficiently removed. Once cleaned, the coal obtained by gravity separation was subject to a flotation test to separate minerals; these results indicate that while a portion of V and Cr can be removed, Mo and U remain difficult to extract. It is evident that the two most commonly utilized industrialized coal preparation methods, gravity separation and flotation, cannot effectively remove U from coal where this element occurs in large proportions. Finally, dilute hydrochloric acid (HCl) leaching experiments show that the majority of Mo and a portion of V, Cr, and U are adsorbed in clay minerals and organic matter and, therefore, exist in an adsorbed state. In this state, these elements can be removed using the acid method. Thus, as U cannot be fully removed from coal, the use of high-U coals is not recommended.
Virtual Reality and Games
Authors: Cruz-Neira Carolina , Fernández Marcos , Portalés Cristina
Published: February 2018

n/a
Novel Antimicrobial Titanium Dioxide Nanotubes Obtained through a Combination of Atomic Layer Deposition and Electrospinning Technologies
Authors: López de Dicastillo Carol , Patiño Cristian , Galotto María Jose , Palma Juan Luis , Alburquenque Daniela , Escrig Juan
Published: February 2018

The search for new antimicrobial substances has increased in recent years. Antimicrobial nanostructures are one of the most promising alternatives. In this work, titanium dioxide nanotubes were obtained by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process over electrospun polyvinyl alcohol nanofibers (PVN) at different temperatures with the purpose of obtaining antimicrobial nanostructures with a high specific area. Electrospinning and ALD parameters were studied in order to obtain PVN with smallest diameter and highest deposition rate, respectively. Chamber temperature was a key factor during ALD process and an appropriate titanium dioxide deposition performance was achieved at 200 °C. Subsequently, thermal and morphological analysis by SEM and TEM microscopies revealed hollow nanotubes were obtained after calcination process at 600 °C. This temperature allowed complete polymer removal and influenced the resulting anatase crystallographic structure of titanium dioxide that positively affected their antimicrobial activities. X-ray analysis confirmed the change of titanium dioxide crystallographic structure from amorphous phase of deposited PVN to anatase crystalline structure of nanotubes. These new nanostructures with very large surface areas resulted in interesting antimicrobial properties against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Titanium dioxide nanotubes presented the highest activity against Escherichia coli with 5 log cycles reduction at 200 μg/mL concentration.
Clozapine Patients at the Interface between Primary and Secondary Care
Authors: Barrett Marita , Keating Anna , Lynch Deirdre , Scanlon Geraldine , Kigathi Mary , Corcoran Fidelma , Sahm Laura
Published: February 2018

Patients receiving clozapine must undergo routine blood monitoring to screen for neutropenia, and to monitor for potential agranulocytosis. In Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland, clozapine is dispensed in the hospital pharmacy and the pharmacists are not aware of co-prescribed medicines, potentially impacting upon patient safety. The aim of this study was to examine the continuity of care of patients prescribed clozapine. A retrospective audit was conducted on patients attending the clozapine clinic at Cork University Hospital and assessed patients’ (i) independent living, (ii) co-prescribed medicines and (iii) knowledge of their community pharmacists regarding co-prescribed clozapine. A list of prescribed medicines for each patient was obtained, and potential drug-drug interactions between these medicines and clozapine were examined using Lexicomp® and Stockley’s Interaction checker. Secondary outcomes included patients’ physical health characteristics, and a review of co-morbidities. Data were collected between the 29 May 2017 and 20 June 2017. Local ethics committee approval was granted. Patients were eligible for inclusion if they were receiving clozapine treatment as part of a registered programme, were aged 18 years or more, and had the capacity to provide written informed consent. Microsoft Excel was used for data analysis. Of 112 patients, (33% female; mean age (SD) 43.9 (11.3) years; 87.5% living independently/in the family home) 86.6% patients reported that they were taking other prescribed medicines from community pharmacies. The mean (SD) number of co-prescribed medicines in addition to clozapine was 4.8 (4) per patient. Two thirds of community pharmacists were unaware of co-prescribed clozapine. Interactions with clozapine were present in all but 3 patients on co-prescribed medicines (n = 97). Lexicomp® reported 2.9 drug-drug interactions/patient and Stockley’s Interaction Checker reported 2.5 drug-drug interactions/patient. Secondary outcomes for patients included BMI, total cholesterol, and HbA1c levels, which were elevated in 75%, 54% and 17% respectively. Patients prescribed clozapine did not receive a seamless service, between primary and secondary care settings. Community pharmacists were not informed of clozapine, prescribed for their patients, in two thirds of cases. Patients in this study were exposed to clozapine-related drug-drug interactions and hence potential adverse effects. This study supports reports in the literature of substandard management of the physical health of this patient group. This study shows that there is an opportunity for pharmacists to develop active roles in the management of all clozapine-related effects, in addition to their traditional obligatory role in haematological monitoring. This study supports the need for a clinical pharmacist to review inpatients commencing on clozapine, monitor for drug-drug interactions and provide counselling.
Efficiency Limits of Solar Energy Harvesting via Internal Photoemission in Carbon Materials
Authors: Boriskina Svetlana , Zhou Jiawei , Ding Zhiwei , Chen Gang
Published: February 2018

We describe strategies to estimate the upper limits of the efficiency of photon energy harvesting via hot electron extraction from gapless absorbers. Gapless materials such as noble metals can be used for harvesting the whole solar spectrum, including visible and near-infrared light. The energy of photo-generated non-equilibrium or ‘hot’ charge carriers can be harvested before they thermalize with the crystal lattice via the process of their internal photo-emission (IPE) through the rectifying Schottky junction with a semiconductor. However, the low efficiency and the high cost of noble metals necessitates the search for cheaper abundant alternative materials, and we show here that carbon can serve as a promising IPE material candidate. We compare the upper limits of performance of IPE photon energy-harvesting platforms, which incorporate either gold or carbon as the photoactive material where hot electrons are generated. Through a combination of density functional theory, joint electron density of states calculations, and Schottky diode efficiency modeling, we show that the material electron band structure imposes a strict upper limit on the achievable efficiency of the IPE devices. Our calculations reveal that graphite is a good material candidate for the IPE absorber for harvesting visible and near-infrared photons. Graphite electron density of states yields a sizeable population of hot electrons with energies high enough to be collected across the potential barrier. We also discuss the mechanisms that prevent the IPE device efficiency from reaching the upper limits imposed by their material electron band structures. The proposed approach is general and allows for efficient pre-screening of materials for their potential use in IPE energy converters and photodetectors within application-specific spectral windows.
Dimensional Changes of Tracheids during Drying of Radiata Pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) Compression Woods: A Study Using Variable-Pressure Scanning Electron Microscopy (VP-SEM)
Authors: Zhang Miao , Smith Bronwen , McArdle Brian , Chavan Ramesh , James Bryony , Harris Philip
Published: February 2018

Variable-pressure scanning electron microscopy was used to investigate the dimensional changes in longitudinal, tangential and radial directions, on wetting and drying, of tracheids of opposite wood (OW) and three grades of compression woods (CWs), including severe CW (SCW) and two grades of mild compression wood (MCW) (MCW1 and MCW2) in corewood of radiata pine (Pinus radiata) saplings. The CW was formed on the underside and OW on the upper side of slightly tilted stems. In the longitudinal direction, the shrinkage of SCW tracheids was ~300% greater than that of OW tracheids, with the shrinkage of the MCW1 and MCW2 tracheids being intermediate. Longitudinal swelling was also investigated and hysteresis was demonstrated for the tracheids of all corewood types, with the extent of hysteresis increasing with CW severity. A statistical association was found between longitudinal shrinkage and the content of lignin and galactosyl residues in the cell-wall matrix. The galactosyl residues are present mostly as (1→4)-β-galactans, which are known to have a high capacity for binding water and swell on hydration. The small proportions of (1→3)-β-glucans in the CWs have similar properties. These polysaccharides may play a functional role in the longitudinal shrinking and swelling of CW tracheids. Tangential shrinkage of tracheids was greater than radial shrinkage but both were greatest for OW and least for SCW, with the MCW1 and MCW2 being intermediate.
Green Hydrogen Production from Raw Biogas: A Techno-Economic Investigation of Conventional Processes Using Pressure Swing Adsorption Unit
Authors: Marcoberardino Gioele , Vitali Dario , Spinelli Francesco , Binotti Marco , Manzolini Giampaolo
Published: February 2018

This paper discusses the techno-economic assessment of hydrogen production from biogas with conventional systems. The work is part of the European project BIONICO, whose purpose is to develop and test a membrane reactor (MR) for hydrogen production from biogas. Within the BIONICO project, steam reforming (SR) and autothermal reforming (ATR), have been identified as well-known technologies for hydrogen production from biogas. Two biogases were examined: one produced by landfill and the other one by anaerobic digester. The purification unit required in the conventional plants has been studied and modeled in detail, using Aspen Adsorption. A pressure swing adsorption system (PSA) with two and four beds and a vacuum PSA (VPSA) made of four beds are compared. VPSA operates at sub-atmospheric pressure, thus increasing the recovery: results of the simulations show that the performances strongly depend on the design choices and on the gas feeding the purification unit. The best purity and recovery values were obtained with the VPSA system, which achieves a recovery between 50% and 60% at a vacuum pressure of 0.1 bar and a hydrogen purity of 99.999%. The SR and ATR plants were designed in Aspen Plus, integrating the studied VPSA model, and analyzing the behavior of the systems at the variation of the pressure and the type of input biogas. The SR system achieves a maximum efficiency, calculated on the LHV, of 52% at 12 bar, while the ATR of 28% at 18 bar. The economic analysis determined a hydrogen production cost of around 5 €/kg of hydrogen for the SR case.
Methanol Synthesis: Optimal Solution for a Better Efficiency of the Process
Authors: Leonzio Grazia
Published: February 2018

In this research, an ANOVA analysis and a response surface methodology are applied to analyze the equilibrium of methanol reaction from pure carbon dioxide and hydrogen. In the ANOVA analysis, carbon monoxide composition in the feed, reaction temperature, recycle and water removal through a zeolite membrane are the analyzed factors. Carbon conversion, methanol yield, methanol productivity and methanol selectivity are the analyzed responses. Results show that main factors have the same effect on responses and a common significant interaction is not present. Carbon monoxide composition and water removal have a positive effect, while temperature and recycle have a negative effect on the system. From central composite design, an optimal solution is found in order to overcome thermodynamic limit: the reactor works with a membrane at lower temperature with carbon monoxide composition in the feed equal to 10 mol % and without recycle. In these conditions, carbon conversion, methanol yield, methanol selectivity, and methanol production are, respectively, higher than 60%, higher than 60%, between 90% and 95% and higher than 0.15 mol/h when considering a feed flow rate of 1 mol/h. A comparison with a traditional reactor is also developed: the membrane reactor ensures to have a carbon conversion higher of the 29% and a methanol yield higher of the 34%. Future researches should evaluate an economic analysis about the optimal solution.
Subcellular Proteomics: Application to Elucidation of Flooding-Response Mechanisms in Soybean
Authors: Komatsu Setsuko , Hashiguchi Akiko
Published: February 2018

Soybean, which is rich in protein and oil, is cultivated in several climatic zones; however, its growth is markedly decreased by flooding. Proteomics is a useful tool for understanding the flooding-response mechanism in soybean. Subcellular proteomics has the potential to elucidate localized cellular responses and investigate communications among subcellular components during plant growth and during stress. Under flooding, proteins related to signaling, stress and the antioxidative system are increased in the plasma membrane; scavenging enzymes for reactive-oxygen species are suppressed in the cell wall; protein translation is suppressed through inhibition of proteins related to preribosome biogenesis and mRNA processing in the nucleus; levels of proteins involved in the electron transport chain are reduced in the mitochondrion; and levels of proteins related to protein folding are decreased in the endoplasmic reticulum. This review discusses the advantages of a gel-free/label-free proteomic technique and methods of plant subcellular purification. It also summarizes cellular events in soybean under flooding and discusses future prospects for generation of flooding-tolerant soybean.
Investigation of Structure and Dynamics in Disordered Materials Using Containerless Techniques with In-Situ Quantum Beam and Thermophysical Property Measurements
Authors: Kohara Shinji , Ohara Koji , Ishikawa Takehiko , Tamaru Haruka , Weber Richard
Published: February 2018

The use of levitation (containerless) techniques can enable new scientific discoveries because deeply undercooled and metastable liquids can be achieved over a wide temperature range. This review article summarizes the state-of-art instrumentation for structure measurements at synchrotron radiation/neutron sources and for thermophysical property measurements not only on the ground but also in microgravity utilizing the International Space Station (ISS). Furthermore, we introduce recent scientific topics on high-temperature oxide liquids and oxide glasses synthesized from levitated undercooled liquids by the use of quantum beam measurements analyzed using advanced computation.
“In The End, God Helped Me Defeat Myself”: Autobiographical Writings by Camilla Battista da Varano1
Authors: Hudon William
Published: February 2018

Camilla Battista da Varano (1458–1524), a mystic and Franciscan nun, spent most of her life in Camerino in east-central Italy. Now a saint—since 17 October 2010—she composed two autobiographical treatises across a ten-year period mid-way through a literary career that spanned the end of the fifteenth and the early part of the sixteenth centuries. In one, La vita spirituale (My spiritual life, 1491), she delivered a complete spiritual life story, tracing her religious devotion from the ages of eight to thirty-three. She described her relationship with a number of men, including her father and several clerics who—to one degree or another—inspired and guided her devotional life. By the time she wrote, she had been a professed Franciscan nun for seven years. She presented herself at that point as one who had undergone visionary, mystical experiences and as a woman who had both benefitted and suffered under the control of men like her father and her spiritual directors. In the other, Istruzioni al discepolo (Instructions to a disciple, 1501), she told the story of her affectionate relationship with a male disciple she was directing spiritually but used a literary conceit to hide her own identity. She wrote about the spiritual director the male disciple loved and admired in the third person, apparently in a self-deprecating manner inspired by humility but thinly veiling her obvious self-confidence. In these texts, and in other of her devotional treatises, she claimed the ability to provide spiritual direction of her own and wrote in bold imagery, creatively manipulating scripture at times. She exercised a do-it-yourself approach to discernment of God’s will and even to the process of confession. She criticized inattentive spiritual directors and asserted that both her visions and the impetus for her devotional writings came directly, unmediated, from God. But Camilla also exhibited deferential attitudes and strong connections to traditional Franciscan theology while including female authors in that tradition she apparently admired, like Caterina da Bologna (1413–1463). She also wrote at times with vivid expressions of obedience to the variety of men who held some authority over her. She was, apparently, not an individual easily understood through the standard images usually associated with late medieval and early modern women. A fuller portrait of Camilla is emerging as scholars today seek to recover her original voice.
Religiosity and the Wish of Older Adults for Physician-Assisted Suicide
Authors: Lapierre Sylvie , Castelli Dransart Dolores , St-Amant Kim , Dubuc Gabrièle , Houle Maude , Lacerte Marie-Michelle , Maggiori Christian
Published: February 2018

In industrialized countries, population ageing is associated with intense discussions on the issue of dying with dignity. Some countries have legalized assisted suicide and authorized physicians to provide the knowledge and/or means for suffering patients to end their life. The goal of this study was to ascertain if religiosity could be a predicting factor of older adults’ wish for physician-assisted suicide (PAS). A sample of 216 men and women over 60 years (M = 72.5) answered the following question: “Would you disagree or agree with assisted suicide for yourself if you were very sick and would die in the near future?” They also completed questionnaires on religiosity, ageism and death anxiety. A regression analysis showed that religiosity explained a significant (F(1211) = 19.62; p < 0.001) proportion (7.7%) of the variance in the wish for PAS (full model R2 = 0.17). Religiosity seems to reduce the likelihood that older adults would ask for PAS if they had a terminal illness, while ageism and death anxiety seemed to have the opposite effect. Health professionals and legislators must be aware that psychosocial and spiritual variables have an important influence on the wish for PAS.
Study of Impact Damage in PVA-ECC Beam under Low-Velocity Impact Loading Using Piezoceramic Transducers and PVDF Thin-Film Transducers
Authors: Qi Baoxin , Kong Qingzhao , Qian Hui , Patil Devendra , Lim Ing , Li Mo , Liu Dong , Song Gangbing
Published: February 2018

Compared to conventional concrete, polyvinyl alcohol fiber reinforced engineering cementitious composite (PVA-ECC) offers high-strength, ductility, formability, and excellent fatigue resistance. However, impact-induced structural damage is a major concern and has not been previously characterized in PVA-ECC structures. We investigate the damage of PVA-ECC beams under low-velocity impact loading. A series of ball-drop impact tests were performed at different drop weights and heights to simulate various impact energies. The impact results of PVA-ECC beams were compared with mortar beams. A combination of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) thin-film sensors and piezoceramic-based smart aggregate were used for impact monitoring, which included impact initiation and crack evolution. Short-time Fourier transform (STFT) of the signal received by PVDF thin-film sensors was performed to identify impact events, while active-sensing approach was utilized to detect impact-induced crack evolution by the attenuation of a propagated guided wave. Wavelet packet-based energy analysis was performed to quantify failure development under repeated impact tests.
Quadrature Errors and DC Offsets Calibration of Analog Complex Cross-Correlator for Interferometric Passive Millimeter-Wave Imaging Applications
Authors: Wang Chao , Xin Xin , Liang Bingyuan , Li Zhiping , Miao Jungang
Published: February 2018

The design and calibration of the cross-correlator are crucial issues for interferometric imaging systems. In this paper, an analog complex cross-correlator with output DC offsets and amplitudes calibration capability is proposed for interferometric passive millimeter-wave security sensing applications. By employing digital potentiometers in the low frequency amplification circuits of the correlator, the outputs characteristics of the correlator could be digitally controlled. A measurement system and a corresponding calibration scheme were developed in order to eliminate the output DC offsets and the quadrature amplitude error between the in-phase and the quadrature correlating subunits of the complex correlator. By using vector modulators to provide phase controllable correlated noise signals, the measurement system was capable of obtaining the output correlation circle of the correlator. When injected with −18 dBm correlated noise signals, the calibrated quadrature amplitude error was 0.041 dB and the calibrated DC offsets were under 26 mV, which was only 7.1% of the uncalibrated value. Furthermore, we also described a quadrature errors calibration algorithm in order to estimate the quadrature phase error and in order to improve the output phase accuracy of the correlator. After applying this calibration, we were able to reduce the output phase error of the correlator to 0.3°.
A Neural Network Approach for Building An Obstacle Detection Model by Fusion of Proximity Sensors Data
Authors: Farias Gonzalo , Fabregas Ernesto , Peralta Emmanuel , Vargas Héctor , Hermosilla Gabriel , Garcia Gonzalo , Dormido Sebastián
Published: February 2018

Proximity sensors are broadly used in mobile robots for obstacle detection. The traditional calibration process of this kind of sensor could be a time-consuming task because it is usually done by identification in a manual and repetitive way. The resulting obstacles detection models are usually nonlinear functions that can be different for each proximity sensor attached to the robot. In addition, the model is highly dependent on the type of sensor (e.g., ultrasonic or infrared), on changes in light intensity, and on the properties of the obstacle such as shape, colour, and surface texture, among others. That is why in some situations it could be useful to gather all the measurements provided by different kinds of sensor in order to build a unique model that estimates the distances to the obstacles around the robot. This paper presents a novel approach to get an obstacles detection model based on the fusion of sensors data and automatic calibration by using artificial neural networks.
Archetype-Based Modeling of Persona for Comprehensive Personality Computing from Personal Big Data
Authors: Guo Ao , Ma Jianhua
Published: February 2018

A model describing the wide variety of human behaviours called personality, is becoming increasingly popular among researchers due to the widespread availability of personal big data generated from the use of prevalent digital devices, e.g., smartphones and wearables. Such an approach can be used to model an individual and even digitally clone a person, e.g., a Cyber-I (cyber individual). This work is aimed at establishing a unique and comprehensive description for an individual to mesh with various personalized services and applications. An extensive research literature on or related to psychological modelling exists, i.e., into automatic personality computing. However, the integrity and accuracy of the results from current automatic personality computing is insufficient for the elaborate modeling in Cyber-I due to an insufficient number of data sources. To reach a comprehensive psychological description of a person, it is critical to bring in heterogeneous data sources that could provide plenty of personal data, i.e., the physiological data, and the Internet data. In addition, instead of calculating personality traits from personal data directly, an approach to a personality model derived from the theories of Carl Gustav Jung is used to measure a human subject’s persona. Therefore, this research is focused on designing an archetype-based modeling of persona covering an individual’s facets in different situations to approach a comprehensive personality model. Using personal big data to measure a specific persona in a certain scenario, our research is designed to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the generated personality model.
Probabilities of False Alarm for Vital Sign Detection on the Basis of a Doppler Radar System
Authors: Phuoc Van Nguyen , Tang Liqiong , Mukhopadhyay Subhas , Nguyen Duc , Hasan Faraz
Published: February 2018

Vital detection on the basis of Doppler radars has drawn a great deal of attention from researchers because of its high potential for applications in biomedicine, surveillance, and finding people alive under debris during natural hazards. In this research, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the remote vital-sign detection system is investigated. On the basis of different types of noise, such as phase noise, Gaussian noise, leakage noise between the transmitting and receiving antennae, and so on, the SNR of the system has first been examined. Then the research has focused on the investigation of the detection and false alarm probabilities of the system when the transmission link between the human and the radar sensor system took the Nakagami-m channel model. The analytical model for the false alarm and the detection probabilities of the system have been derived. The proposed theoretical models for the SNR and detection probability match with the simulation and measurement results. These theoretical models have the potential to be used as good references for the hardware development of the vital-sign detection radar sensor system.
New Keypoint Matching Method Using Local Convolutional Features for Power Transmission Line Icing Monitoring
Authors: Guo Qiangliang , Xiao Jin , Hu Xiaoguang
Published: February 2018

Power transmission line icing (PTLI) problems, which cause tremendous damage to the power grids, has drawn much attention. Existing three-dimensional measurement methods based on binocular stereo vision was recently introduced to measure the ice thickness in PTLI, but failed to meet requirements of practical applications due to inefficient keypoint matching in the complex PTLI scene. In this paper, a new keypoint matching method is proposed based on the local multi-layer convolutional neural network (CNN) features, termed Local Convolutional Features (LCFs). LCFs are deployed to extract more discriminative features than the conventional CNNs. Particularly in LCFs, a multi-layer features fusion scheme is exploited to boost the matching performance. Together with a location constraint method, the correspondence of neighboring keypoints is further refined. Our approach achieves 1.5%, 5.3%, 13.1%, 27.3% improvement in the average matching precision compared with SIFT, SURF, ORB and MatchNet on the public Middlebury dataset, and the measurement accuracy of ice thickness can reach 90.9% compared with manual measurement on the collected PTLI dataset.
High-Precision Ionosphere Monitoring Using Continuous Measurements from BDS GEO Satellites
Authors: Yang Haiyan , Yang Xuhai , Zhang Zhe , Zhao Kunjuan
Published: February 2018

The current constellation of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) consists of five geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellites, five inclined geosynchronous satellite orbit (IGSO) satellites, and four medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites. The advantage of using GEO satellites to monitor the ionosphereis the almost motionless ionospheric pierce point (IPP), which is analyzed in comparison with the MEO and IGSO satellites. The results from the analysis of the observations using eight tracking sites indicate that the ionospheric total electron content (TEC) sequence derived from each GEO satellite at their respective fixed IPPs is always continuous. The precision of calculated vertical TEC (VTEC) using BDS B1/B2, B1/B3, and B2/B3 dual-frequency combinationsis compared and analyzed. The VTEC12 precision based on the B1/B2 dual-frequency measurements using the smoothed code and the raw code combination is 0.69 and 5.54 TECU, respectively, which is slightly higher than VTEC13 and much higher than VTEC23. Furthermore, the ionospheric monitoring results of site JFNG in the northern hemisphere, and CUT0 in the southern hemisphere during the period from 1 January to 31 December 2015 are presented and discussed briefly.
Predictors of Swimming Ability among Children and Adolescents in the United States
Authors: Pharr Jennifer , Irwin Carol , Layne Todd , Irwin Richard
Published: February 2018

Swimming is an important source of physical activity and a life skill to prevent drowning. However, little research has been conducted to understand predictors of swimming ability. The purpose of this study was to understand factors that predict swimming ability among children and adolescents in the United States (US). This was a cross-sectional survey conducted between February and April of 2017 across five geographically diverse cities. Participants were accessed through the Young Christian Men’s Association (YMCA) and included parents of children aged 4–11 years old and adolescents aged 12–17 years old. Independent t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. Several factors were significant (p ≤ 0.05) predictors of swimming ability and explained 53% of the variance in swimming ability. Variables that were positively associated with swimming ability included: ability of parent(s) to swim, child/adolescent age, a best friend who enjoys swimming, water-safety knowledge, pool open all year, and encouragement to swim from parent(s). Variables that were negatively associated with swimming ability included: fear of drowning, being African American, and being female. Interventions and programs to improve the swimming ability of children and adolescents could be developed with these predictors in mind.
Examination of Performance Levels of Wheelchair Basketball Players Playing in Different Leagues
Authors: Yüksel Mehmet , Sevindi Tarık
Published: February 2018

This research was conducted to examine the anthropometric and biometric features of the elite wheelchair basketball players in different league levels, and to evaluate them with regards to field tests particular to wheelchair basketball. A sample of 21 male players volunteered to participate in the research with similar classification points, 12 of whom were from Turkey Wheelchair Basketball First League and 9 of whom were from the Second League. Anthropometric measurements, biometric features of the players and their skill test scores particular to wheelchair basketball were detected. The anthropometric measurements were taken over dominant extremity. SPSS 21.0 program was used in the analysis of the data, and minimum, maximum, arithmetic mean, and standard deviation values were determined. Intergroup differences were determined with Mann–Whitney U analysis. Significance level was admitted as p < 0.05. As a conclusion, it was determined that wheelchair basketball players had similar anthropometric features in the First and Second League levels, and that there was no difference based on the league level they were playing, and moreover, that bio-motor features and skills particular to wheelchair basketball were decisive on the levels of the leagues the players were taking part.
Monitoring and Managing Fatigue in Basketball
Authors: Edwards Toby , Spiteri Tania , Piggott Benjamin , Bonhotal Joshua , Haff G. Gregory , Joyce Christopher
Published: February 2018

The sport of basketball exposes athletes to frequent high intensity movements including sprinting, jumping, accelerations, decelerations and changes of direction during training and competition which can lead to acute and accumulated chronic fatigue. Fatigue may affect the ability of the athlete to perform over the course of a lengthy season. The ability of practitioners to quantify the workload and subsequent fatigue in basketball athletes in order to monitor and manage fatigue levels may be beneficial in maintaining high levels of performance and preventing unfavorable physical and physiological training adaptations. There is currently limited research quantifying training or competition workload outside of time motion analysis in basketball. In addition, systematic research investigating methods to monitor and manage athlete fatigue in basketball throughout a season is scarce. To effectively optimize and maintain peak training and playing performance throughout a basketball season, potential workload and fatigue monitoring strategies need to be discussed.
The Effect of Employees’ Perceptions of CSR Activities on Employee Deviance: The Mediating Role of Anomie
Authors: Choi Yun Hyeok , Myung Jae Kyu , Kim Jong Dae
Published: February 2018

This study hypothesizes that employees’ positive perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities at the individual level have a negative effect on employee deviance—a negative job-related behavior—and that anomie plays a mediating role in this relationship. In order to verify the relationship, this study conducts an empirical analysis with a questionnaire survey on employees of firms that implement CSR activities at the company level. Based on Social identity theory, this study examines the causal relationship between the employees’ perceptions of CSR activities and their deviance, and mechanisms by which anomie decreases in the process. The findings are as follows. First, employees’ perceptions of CSR activities had a negative effect on employee deviance. Second, employees’ perceptions of CSR activities had a negative effect on anomie. Third, anomie had a positive effect on employee deviance. Fourth, anomie fully mediated the relationship between employees’ perceptions of CSR activities and employee deviance. This study is the first to document this relationship, which has great practical and academic significance, as it indicates the importance for companies to consider employees’ perceptions of CSR activities. In addition, the study identifies the mediating role of anomie as mentioned above. The results suggest that methodological considerations of CSR awareness enhancement at the company level be discussed more in depth, helping top management and middle managers understand that enhancing employees’ positive perceptions of CSR activities should be the first priority for reducing collective normlessness under the pressure of goal attainment and resolving ethical conflicts among employees.
Lorentz Transformation, Poincaré Vectors and Poincaré Sphere in Various Branches of Physics
Authors: Tudor Tiberiu
Published: February 2018

In the frame of a generic language extended from the polarization theory—comprising the notions of Poincaré vectors, Poincaré sphere, and P-spheres—a geometric approach to Lorentz transformations alternative to the Minkowskian one is given. Unlike the four-dimensional Minkowskian approach, this new approach operates in the three-dimensional space of Poincaré vectors.
Factors influencing recording of drug misuse in primary care: a qualitative study of GPs in England
Authors: Davies-Kershaw Hilary , Petersen Irene , Nazareth Irwin , Stevenson Fiona
Published: February 2018

Background

Drug misuse is a serious public health problem. Evidence from previous epidemiological studies show that GPs are recording drug misuse in electronic patient records (EPR). However, although the recording trends are similar to national surveys, recording rates are much lower.

Aim

To explore the factors that influence GPs to record drug misuse in the EPR, and to gain a clearer understanding of the gap between the amount of drug misuse recorded in primary care and that in national surveys and other studies.

Design and setting

A semi-structured qualitative interview study of GPs working in general practices across England.

Method

Purposive sampling was employed to recruit 12 GPs, both with and without a special interest in drug misuse, from across England. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted to consider whether and why GPs record drug misuse, which methods GPs use for recording, GPs’ actions if a patient asks for the information not to be recorded, and GPs’ actions if they think a patient misuses drugs but does not disclose the information. Resulting data were analysed using a combination of inductive and deductive thematic analysis.

Results

The complexity of asking about drug misuse preceded GPs’ decision to record. They described how the context of the general practice protocols, interaction between GP and patient, and the questioning process affected whether, how, and in which circumstances they asked about drug use. This led to GPs making a clinical decision on whether, who, and how to record in the EPR.

Conclusion

When making decisions about whether or not to record drug misuse, GPs face complex choices. Aside from their own views, they reported feelings of pressure from the general practice environment in which they worked and their clinical commissioning group, as well as government policies.
Spectra of Hydrogen-poor Superluminous Supernovae from the Palomar Transient Factory
Authors: Quimby Robert M. , Cia Annalisa De , Gal-Yam Avishay , Leloudas Giorgos , Lunnan Ragnhild , Perley Daniel A. , Vreeswijk Paul M. , Yan Lin , Bloom Joshua S. , Cenko S. Bradley , Cooke Jeff , Ellis Richard , Filippenko Alexei V. , Kasliwal Mansi M. , Kleiser Io K. W. , Kulkarni Shrinivas R. , Matheson Thomas , Nugent Peter E. , Pan Yen-Chen , Silverman Jeffrey M. , Sternberg Assaf , Sullivan Mark , Yaron Ofer
Published: February 2018

Most Type I superluminous supernovae (SLSNe-I) reported to date have been identified by their high peak luminosities and spectra lacking obvious signs of hydrogen. We demonstrate that these events can be distinguished from normal-luminosity SNe (including Type Ic events) solely from their spectra over a wide range of light-curve phases. We use this distinction to select 19 SLSNe-I and four possible SLSNe-I from the Palomar Transient Factory archive (including seven previously published objects). We present 127 new spectra of these objects and combine these with 39 previously published spectra, and we use these to discuss the average spectral properties of SLSNe-I at different spectral phases. We find that Mn ii most probably contributes to the ultraviolet spectral features after maximum light, and we give a detailed study of the O ii features that often characterize the early-time optical spectra of SLSNe-I. We discuss the velocity distribution of O ii, finding that for some SLSNe-I this can be confined to a narrow range compared to relatively large systematic velocity shifts. Mg ii and Fe ii favor higher velocities than O ii and C ii, and we briefly discuss how this may constrain power-source models. We tentatively group objects by how well they match either SN 2011ke or PTF12dam and discuss the possibility that physically distinct events may have been previously grouped together under the SLSN-I label.
Gut microbiota characterisation in obese patients before and after bariatric surgery
Authors: Campisciano G. , Palmisano S. , Cason C. , Giuricin M. , Silvestri M. , Guerra M. , Macor D. , De Manzini N. , Crocé L.S. , Comar M.
Published: February 2018

Intestinal microbiota analysis of obese patients after bariatric surgery showed that Proteobacteria decreased after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG), while it increased after laparoscopic gastric bypass (LGB). Comparing to normal weight (NW) patients, obese patients that were selected for SG showed an almost equal amount of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes and the ratio was not affected by the surgery. Obese patients before LGB showed a predominance of Bacteroidetes, whose amount regained a relative abundance similar to NW patients after surgery. Obese patients before LGB showed the predominance of Bacteroides, which decreased after surgery in favour of Prevotella, a bacterium associated with a healthy diet. The bacteria detected at the highest percentages belonged to biofilm forming species. In conclusion, in this study, we found that the characterization of the gut microbial communities and the modality of mucosal colonisation have a central role as markers for the clinical management of obesity and promote the maintenance of good health and the weight loss.
Meta-ranking de universidades. Posicionamiento de las universidades españolas
Authors: Luque-Martínez Teodoro , Faraoni Nina , Doña-Toledo Luis
Published: February 2018

Este estudio propone la elaboración de un meta-ranking con las 14 universidades españolas que aparecen en al menos cuatro de los cinco rankings globales considerados, que son de reconocida notoriedad internacional. Se puede diferenciar entre rankings de investigación con datos bibliométricos y rankings que tienen en cuenta otros aspectos y otras formas de recabar datos basadas en encuestas. Las universidades españolas alcanzan mejores posiciones en los primeros que en los segundos. Se pone de relieve una debilidad mayor en la internacionalización, la reputación o el ratio estudiante-profesor que en los indicadores de investigación. Son excepción las universidades que destacan en las dos dimensiones. A la vista de estas conclusiones resulta evidente la necesidad de profundizar en una mayor internacionalización, en mejorar la reputación y mejorar la visibilidad internacional de la universidad española.
Patrones y estrategias en la colaboración científica: la percepción de los investigadores
Authors: Gómez-Ferri Javier , González-Alcaide Gregorio
Published: February 2018

La colaboración constituye una práctica generalizada en las actividades de investigación, cuyas características e implicaciones se han analizado generalmente a partir de las coautorías de las publicaciones científicas. Con el objeto de profundizar en el conocimiento de este fenómeno, se ha administrado un cuestionario a una muestra de 3070 investigadores de las universidades de la Comunidad Valenciana (España), analizando por ramas de conocimiento (Artes y Humanidades, Ciencias, Ciencias de la Salud, Ciencias Sociales y Jurídicas e Ingeniería y Arquitectura), categorías académicas y sexo, cómo se establecen los contactos entre los investigadores (pre-colaboración), el desarrollo de la colaboración como proceso (tareas y motivos principales para colaborar, número de colaboradores habituales y factores personales y a nivel de grupos de investigación que hacen que la colaboración resulte exitosa), el grado de satisfacción con la plasmación del trabajo en colaboración a través de las publicaciones científicas e identificando los problemas y barreras que dificultan la colaboración.