bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study on Dislocation-Dopant Ions Interaction in Ionic Crystals by the Strain-Rate Cycling Test during the Blaha Effect
Authors: Kohzuki Yohichi
Published: January 2018

The interaction between a dislocation and impurities has been investigated by measurements of yield stress and proof stress, micro-hardness tests, direct observations of dislocation, internal friction measurements, or stress relaxation tests so far. A large number of investigations has been carried out by the separation of the flow stress into effective and internal stresses on the basis of the temperature dependence of yield stress, the strain rate dependence of flow stress, and stress relaxation. Nevertheless, it is difficult to investigate the interaction between a dislocation and obstacles during plastic deformation by the mentioned methods. As for the original method which combines strain-rate cycling tests with the Blaha effect measurement, the original method is different from above-mentioned ones and would be possible to clear it up. The strain-rate cycling test during the Blaha effect measurement has successively provided the information on the dislocation motion breaking away from the strain fields around dopant ions with the help of thermal activation, and seems to separate the contributions arising from the interaction between dislocation and the point defects and those from dislocations themselves during plastic deformation of ionic crystals. Such information on dislocation motion in bulk material cannot be obtained by the widely known methods so far. Furthermore, the various deformation characteristics derived from the original method are sensitive to a change in the state of dopant ions in a specimen by heat treatment, e.g., the Gibbs free energy (G0) for overcoming of the strain field around the dopant by a dislocation at absolute zero becomes small for the annealed KCl:Sr2+ single crystal (G0 = 0.26 eV) in comparison with that for the quenched one (G0 = 0.39 eV).
Influence of Abrasive Shape on the Abrasion and Phase Transformation of Monocrystalline Silicon
Authors: Shi Junqin , Wei Xinqi , Chen Juan , Sun Kun , Fang Liang
Published: January 2018

The effect of abrasive shape on the three-body abrasion behaviors of monocrystalline silicon was investigated via molecular dynamics. The axial ratio of abrasive particle varied from 1.00 to 0.40 to mimic abrasive shape. It has been observed that the particle’s movement became sliding instead of rolling when the axial ratio was smaller than a critical value 0.46. In the abrasion process, the friction force and normal force showed an approximately sinusoid-like fluctuation for the rolling ellipsoidal particles, while the front cutting of particle caused that friction force increased and became larger than normal force for sliding particles. The phase transformation process was tracked under different particle’ movement patterns. The Si-II and Bct5 phase producing in loading process can partially transform to Si-III/Si-XII phase, and backtrack to original crystal silicon under pressure release, which also occurred in the abrasion process. The secondary phase transformation showed difference for particles’ rolling and sliding movements after three-body abrasion. The rolling of particle induced the periodical and inhomogeneous deformation of substrates, while the sliding benefited producing high-quality surface in chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process. This study aimed to construct a more precise model to understand the wear mechanism benefits evaluating the micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) wear and CMP process of crystal materials.
Sigma-Holes in Battery Materials Using Iso-Electrostatic Potential Surfaces
Authors: Roman-Vicharra Cristhian , Franco-Gallo Franz , Alaminsky Ryan , Galvez-Aranda Diego , Balbuena Perla , Seminario Jorge
Published: January 2018

The presence of highly electronegative atoms in Li-ion batteries anticipates the formation of σ-hole regions that may strongly affect the ionic conductivity. The σ-hole consists of a region of positive electrostatic potential extending in the direction of the covalent bond between atoms of groups IV–VII due to anisotropic charge distribution. Graphite electrodes in Li-ion batteries that become halogenated due to the electrolyte, as well as some solid electrolyte materials, can exhibit these σ-holes. Since Li-ions should be able to drift in any part of the battery, the fact that they can be attracted and eventually absorbed by regions of strong negative potentials produced by high-electronegativity counterions becomes detrimental to ionic conductivity. Therefore, the presence of positive well-defined regions, repulsive to the Li-ions, might act as lubricant for Li-ions drifting through electrolytes, thus improving the Li-ion conductivity. In addition, the σ-holes might also have a strong effect on the formation of the passivating layer, known as the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) at electrode surfaces, which is of paramount importance for the performance of rechargeable batteries. Here we investigate the existence of σ-holes on surfaces of graphite anodes and of a few solid electrolytes by examining the electrostatic potentials calculated using density functional theory.
Acoustic Detection of a Fixed-Wing UAV
Authors: Harvey Brendan , O’Young Siu
Published: January 2018

The following paper presents results obtained from experiments conducted to investigate the viability of acoustic sensing to form the basis of a non-cooperative aircraft collision avoidance system. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) fitted with two microphones was flown in the vicinity of another airborne UAV to determine the maximum distance at which the intruding aircraft could be detected. A two-dimensional analytical model to approximate the minimum detection distance required to facilitate an avoidance maneuver for a given spatial configuration is presented. A method to increase detection distances by exploiting the harmonic nature of acoustic signals generated by propeller-driven aircraft is also presented. The method significantly increases the detection distances compared to the commonly used incoherent spectral mean. It was found that a small gasoline-powered UAV could be detected at distances up to 678 m, which is more than double the minimum required to avoid a head-on collision.
Biological Networks Entropies: Examples in Neural Memory Networks, Genetic Regulation Networks and Social Epidemic Networks
Authors: Demongeot Jacques , Jelassi Mariem , Hazgui Hana , Ben Miled Slimane , Bellamine Ben Saoud Narjes , Taramasco Carla
Published: January 2018

Networks used in biological applications at different scales (molecule, cell and population) are of different types: neuronal, genetic, and social, but they share the same dynamical concepts, in their continuous differential versions (e.g., non-linear Wilson-Cowan system) as well as in their discrete Boolean versions (e.g., non-linear Hopfield system); in both cases, the notion of interaction graph G(J) associated to its Jacobian matrix J, and also the concepts of frustrated nodes, positive or negative circuits of G(J), kinetic energy, entropy, attractors, structural stability, etc., are relevant and useful for studying the dynamics and the robustness of these systems. We will give some general results available for both continuous and discrete biological networks, and then study some specific applications of three new notions of entropy: (i) attractor entropy, (ii) isochronal entropy and (iii) entropy centrality; in three domains: a neural network involved in the memory evocation, a genetic network responsible of the iron control and a social network accounting for the obesity spread in high school environment.
Chaotic Dynamics of the Fractional-Love Model with an External Environment
Authors: Huang Linyun , Bae Youngchul
Published: January 2018

Based on the fractional order of nonlinear system for love model with a periodic function as an external environment, we analyze the characteristics of the chaotic dynamic. We analyze the relationship between the chaotic dynamic of the fractional order love model with an external environment and the value of fractional order (α, β) when the parameters are fixed. Meanwhile, we also study the relationship between the chaotic dynamic of the fractional order love model with an external environment and the parameters (a, b, c, d) when the fractional order of the system is fixed. When the parameters of fractional order love model are fixed, the fractional order (α, β) of fractional order love model system exhibit segmented chaotic states with the different fractional orders of the system. When the fractional order (α = β) of the system is fixed, the system shows the periodic state and the chaotic state as the parameter is changing as a result.
Entropy of Iterated Function Systems and Their Relations with Black Holes and Bohr-Like Black Holes Entropies
Authors: Corda Christian , FatehiNia Mehdi , Molaei MohammadReza , Sayyari Yamin
Published: January 2018

In this paper we consider the metric entropies of the maps of an iterated function system deduced from a black hole which are known the Bekenstein–Hawking entropies and its subleading corrections. More precisely, we consider the recent model of a Bohr-like black hole that has been recently analysed in some papers in the literature, obtaining the intriguing result that the metric entropies of a black hole are created by the metric entropies of the functions, created by the black hole principal quantum numbers, i.e., by the black hole quantum levels. We present a new type of topological entropy for general iterated function systems based on a new kind of the inverse of covers. Then the notion of metric entropy for an Iterated Function System ( I F S ) is considered, and we prove that these definitions for topological entropy of IFS’s are equivalent. It is shown that this kind of topological entropy keeps some properties which are hold by the classic definition of topological entropy for a continuous map. We also consider average entropy as another type of topological entropy for an I F S which is based on the topological entropies of its elements and it is also an invariant object under topological conjugacy. The relation between Axiom A and the average entropy is investigated.
Granger Causality and Jensen–Shannon Divergence to Determine Dominant Atrial Area in Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Cervigón Raquel , Castells Francisco , Gómez-Pulido José , Pérez-Villacastín Julián , Moreno Javier
Published: January 2018

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is already the most commonly occurring arrhythmia. Catheter pulmonary vein ablation has emerged as a treatment that is able to make the arrhythmia disappear; nevertheless, recurrence to arrhythmia is very frequent. In this study, it is proposed to perform an analysis of the electrical signals recorded from bipolar catheters at three locations, pulmonary veins and the right and left atria, before to and during the ablation procedure. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to reduce data dimension and Granger causality and divergence techniques were applied to analyse connectivity along the atria, in three main regions: pulmonary veins, left atrium (LA) and right atrium (RA). The results showed that, before the procedure, patients with recurrence in the arrhythmia had greater connectivity between atrial areas. Moreover, during the ablation procedure, in patients with recurrence in the arrhythmial both atria were more connected than in patients that maintained sinus rhythms. These results can be helpful for procedures designing to end AF.
Joint Content Recommendation and Delivery in Mobile Wireless Networks with Outage Management
Authors: Li Yaodong , Chen Lingyu , Shi Haibin , Hong Xuemin , Shi Jianghong
Published: January 2018

Personalized content retrieval service has become a major information service that consumes a large portion of mobile Internet traffic. Joint content recommendation and delivery is a promising design philosophy that could effectively improve the overall user experience with personalized content retrieval services. Existing research mostly focused on a push-type design paradigm called proactive caching, which, however, has multiple inherent drawbacks such as high device cost and low energy efficiency. This paper proposes a novel, interactive joint content recommendation and delivery system as an alternative to overcome the drawbacks of proactive caching systems. We present several optimal and heuristic algorithms for the proposed system and analyze the system performance in terms of user interest and transmission outage probability. Some theoretical performance bounds of the system are also derived. The effectiveness of the proposed system and algorithms is validated by simulation results.
Simulation-Based Analysis of the Potential of Alternative Fuels towards Reducing CO2 Emissions from Aviation
Authors: Kieckhäfer Karsten , Quante Gunnar , Müller Christoph , Spengler Thomas , Lossau Matthias , Jonas Wolfgang
Published: January 2018

The mid-term framework of global aviation is shaped by air travel demand growth rates of 2–5% p.a. and ambitious targets to reduce aviation-related CO2 emissions by up to 50% until 2050. Alternative jet fuels such as bio- or electrofuels can be considered as a potential means towards low-emission aviation. While these fuels offer significant emission reduction potential, their market success depends on manifold influencing factors like the maturity of the production technology or the development of the price of conventional jet fuel. To study the potential for adoption of alternative jet fuels in aviation and the extent to which alternative fuels can contribute to the reduction targets, we deploy a System Dynamics approach. The results indicate that the adoption of alternative fuels and therefore their potential towards low-emissions aviation is rather limited in most scenarios considered since current production processes do not allow for competitive prices compared to conventional jet fuel. This calls for the development of new production processes that allow for economic feasibility of converting biomass or hydrogen into drop-in fuels as well as political measures to promote the adoption of alternative fuels.
Development and Test Application of an Auxiliary Power-Integrated System
Authors: Zhang Hong , Xing Zhuang , Song Jiajian , Yang Qiangqiang
Published: January 2018

This paper focuses on the design and test technique of an auxiliary power unit (APU) for a range-extended electric vehicle (RE-EV). The APU system is designed to improve RE-EV power and economy; it integrates the power system, generator system, battery system, and APU controller. The parameters of the APU parts are computed and optimized considering the vehicle power demand and the matching characteristic of the engine and generator. The hardware and software systems are developed for the APU-integrated control system. The APU test bench, combined with the displaying part, the control part, and the bench with its accessory, is constructed. Communication connection in the APU system is established by controller area network (CAN) bus. The APU controller outputs a corresponding signal to the engine control unit (ECU) and motor controller. To verify the rationality of the control strategy and the validity of the control logic, the engine speed control and integrated control experiment of the APU system are completed on the test bench. The test results showed that the test control system is reliable and the relevant control logic is in agreement with simulation analysis. The APU-integrated system could be well suited for application in RE-EVs.
A Novel Algorithm for Optimal Operation of Hydrothermal Power Systems under Considering the Constraints in Transmission Networks
Authors: Nguyen Thang , Dinh Bach , Quynh Nguyen , Duong Minh , Dai Le
Published: January 2018

This paper proposes an effective novel cuckoo search algorithm (ENCSA) in order to enhance the operation capacity of hydrothermal power systems, considering the constraints in the transmission network, and especially to overcome optimal power flow (OPF) problems. This proposed algorithm is developed on the basis of the conventional cuckoo search algorithm (CSA) by two modified techniques: the first is the self-adaptive technique for generating the second new solutions via discovery of alien eggs, and the second is the high-quality solutions based on a selection technique to keep the best solutions among all new and old solutions. These techniques are able to expand the search zone to overcome the local optimum trap and are able to improve the optimal solution quality and convergence speed as well. Therefore, the proposed method has significant impacts on the searching performances. The efficacy of the proposed method is investigated and verified using IEEE 30 and 118 buses systems via numerical simulation. The obtained results are compared with the conventional cuckoo search algorithm (CCSA) and the modified cuckoo search algorithm (MCSA). As a result, the proposed method can overcome the OPF of hydrothermal power systems better than the conventional ones in terms of the optimal solution quality, convergence speed, and high success rate.
Determination of Cost-Effective Energy Efficiency Measures in Buildings with the Aid of Multiple Indices
Authors: Zachariadis Theodoros , Michopoulos Apostolos , Vougiouklakis Yannis , Piripitsi Katerina , Ellinopoulos Christodoulos , Struss Benjamin
Published: January 2018

Energy refurbishments of buildings can substantially contribute to economy-wide energy efficiency improvements, leading to decarbonisation and additional sustainability benefits. Prioritising the most economically promising investments is not straightforward because apart from cost-effectiveness calculations, several real-world constraints have to be taken into account. This paper describes an approach to assess the economically viable energy efficiency potential in the building sector of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, with a combination of detailed engineering modelling, cost-effectiveness calculations and real-world considerations of budgetary, technical, behavioural and market constraints. We examine diverse cost-effectiveness indices and come up with a proposal for prioritising specific energy investments such as the installation of heat pumps, insulation of roofs, and replacement of lighting and electronic equipment—without however ignoring other measures that may be economically less favourable but can realistically be implemented in a limited number of buildings. Finally we address the governance of energy efficiency policies, focusing on weaknesses of the current regulatory environment in Cyprus, which can be generalised for many other countries facing similar dilemmas.
Impact on Congestion and Fuel Consumption of a Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control System with Lane-Level Position Estimation
Authors: Talavera Edgar , Díaz-Álvarez Alberto , Jiménez Felipe , Naranjo José
Published: January 2018

In recent years, vehicular communications systems have evolved and allowed for the improvement of adaptive cruise control (ACC) systems to make them cooperative (cooperative adaptive cruise control, CACC). Conventional ACC systems use sensors on the ego-vehicle, such as radar or computer vision, to generate their behavioral decisions. However, by having vehicle-to-X (V2X) onboard communications, the need to incorporate perception in the vehicle is drastically reduced. Thus, in this paper a CACC solution is proposed that only uses communications to make its decisions with the help of previous road mapping. At the same time, a method to develop these maps is presented, combining the information of a computer vision system to correct the positions obtained from the navigation system. In addition, the cut-in and cut-out maneuvers for a CACC platoon are taken into account, showing the tests of these situations in real environments with instrumented vehicles. To show the potential of the system in a larger-scale implementation, simulations of the behavior are provided under dense traffic conditions where the positive impact on the reduction of traffic congestion and fuel consumption is appreciated.
Measuring the Regional Availability of Forest Biomass for Biofuels and the Potential of GHG Reduction
Authors: Zhang Fengli , Johnson Dana , Wang Jinjiang , Liu Shuhai , Zhang Shimin
Published: January 2018

Forest biomass is an important resource for producing bioenergy and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The State of Michigan in the United States (U.S.) is one region recognized for its high potential of supplying forest biomass; however, the long-term availability of timber harvests and the associated harvest residues from this area has not been fully explored. In this study time trend analyses was employed for long term timber assessment and developed mathematical models for harvest residue estimation, as well as the implications of use for ethanol. The GHG savings potential of ethanol over gasoline was also modeled. The methods were applied in Michigan under scenarios of different harvest solutions, harvest types, transportation distances, conversion technologies, and higher heating values over a 50-year period. Our results indicate that the study region has the potential to supply 0.75–1.4 Megatonnes (Mt) dry timber annually and less than 0.05 Mt of dry residue produced from these harvests. This amount of forest biomass could generate 0.15–1.01 Mt of ethanol, which contains 0.68–17.32 GJ of energy. The substitution of ethanol for gasoline as transportation fuel has potential to reduce emissions by 0.043–1.09 Mt CO2eq annually. The developed method is generalizable in other similar regions of different countries for bioenergy related analyses.
Performance Study of a Cylindrical Parabolic Concentrating Solar Water Heater with Nail Type Twisted Tape Inserts in the Copper Absorber Tube
Authors: Bhakta Amit , Panday Nitesh , Singh Shailendra
Published: January 2018

This paper reports the overall thermal performance of a cylindrical parabolic concentrating solar water heater (CPCSWH) with inserting nail type twisted tape (NTT) in the copper absorber tube for the nail twist pitch ratios, 4.787, 6.914 and 9.042, respectively. The experiments are conducted for a constant volumetric water flow rate and during the time period 9:00 a.m. to 15:00 p.m. The useful heat gain, hourly solar energy collected and hourly solar energy stored in this solar water heater were found to be higher for the nail twist pitch ratio 4.787. The above said parameters were found to be at a peak at noon and observed to follow the path of variation of solar intensity. At the start of the experiment, the value of charging efficiency was observed to be maximum, whereas the maximum values of instantaneous efficiency and overall thermal efficiency were observed at noon. The key finding is that the nail twist pitch ratio enhances the overall thermal performance of the CPCSWH.
Comparison of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Potential through Renewable Energy Transition in South Korea and Germany
Authors: Maennel Alexander , Kim Hyun-Goo
Published: January 2018

Germany and South Korea are the world’s sixth and seventh largest emitters of greenhouse gases, respectively; their main sources of pollution being fossil-fueled power plants. Since both countries signed the Paris Agreement in 2016, renewable energy transition is emerging as an effective means and method for avoiding air pollutant emissions and for replacing old fossil-fueled power plants. This paper attempts to evaluate—by using a grid emission factor dependent on a series of energy mix scenarios—the potential for South Korea and Germany to reduce their air pollutants (CO2, NOx, SOx, PM (particulate matter)) until 2030. South Korea plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by increasing nuclear power, while Germany aims to do so by shutting down its nuclear power plants and expanding the proportion of renewable energy in the energy mix to over 50%. Therefore, both countries are able to achieve their voluntary greenhouse gas reduction targets in the power sector. However, since the uncertainty of the CO2 emission factor of coal power plants in South Korea is as high as 10%, efforts to reduce that uncertainty are required in order to produce a reliable assessment of the avoided emissions.
Mixed Finite Element Simulation with Stability Analysis for Gas Transport in Low-Permeability Reservoirs
Authors: El-Amin Mohamed , Kou Jisheng , Sun Shuyu
Published: January 2018

Natural gas exists in considerable quantities in tight reservoirs. Tight formations are rocks with very tiny or poorly connected pors that make flow through them very difficult, i.e., the permeability is very low. The mixed finite element method (MFEM), which is locally conservative, is suitable to simulate the flow in porous media. This paper is devoted to developing a mixed finite element (MFE) technique to simulate the gas transport in low permeability reservoirs. The mathematical model, which describes gas transport in low permeability formations, contains slippage effect, as well as adsorption and diffusion mechanisms. The apparent permeability is employed to represent the slippage effect in low-permeability formations. The gas adsorption on the pore surface has been described by Langmuir isotherm model, while the Peng-Robinson equation of state is used in the thermodynamic calculations. Important compatibility conditions must hold to guarantee the stability of the mixed method by adding additional constraints to the numerical discretization. The stability conditions of the MFE scheme has been provided. A theorem and three lemmas on the stability analysis of the mixed finite element method (MFEM) have been established and proven. A semi-implicit scheme is developed to solve the governing equations. Numerical experiments are carried out under various values of the physical parameters.
Landscape Transformation under Global Environmental Change in Mediterranean Mountains: Agrarian Lands as a Guarantee for Maintaining Their Multifunctionality
Authors: Varga Diego , Vila Subirós Josep , Barriocanal Carles , Pujantell Josep
Published: January 2018

The analysis of past and present patterns of agrarian mountain areas allows researchers to characterize the influence of landscape heterogeneity on biodiversity, cultural heritage, and forest fire hazard. This process was mapped, quantified, and described through the use of digital mapping (GIS) and landscape indexes in a protected area in Alta Garrotxa (Catalonia, Spain). These areas require urgent management and modelling to provide alternative management scenarios, in order to maintain and recover habitats. A set of different scenarios have been designed using a multi-criteria evaluation and geospatial information available for the study area to identify the key areas for management action and to predict the potential effects on agricultural lands by prioritizing one or another management objective: biodiversity, landscape structure and perception, cultural heritage, fire hazard, and management cost. The observed progressive land abandonment of open areas with a small size and greater isolation will have a large impact on biodiversity and cultural heritage, and increase fire risk. Sustainable development will require planning objectives compatible with the conservation of biodiversity and the preservation of Mediterranean features with support for agricultural activities. This methodology can contribute to and be easily implemented by land managers, which could help to strengthen the link between managers and stakeholders.
Predicting Volume and Biomass Change from Multi-Temporal Lidar Sampling and Remeasured Field Inventory Data in Panther Creek Watershed, Oregon, USA
Authors: Poudel Krishna , Flewelling James , Temesgen Hailemariam
Published: January 2018

Using lidar for large-scale forest management can improve operational and management decisions. Using multi-temporal lidar sampling and remeasured field inventory data collected from 78 plots in the Panther Creek Watershed, Oregon, USA, we evaluated the performance of different fixed and mixed models in estimating change in aboveground biomass ( ∆ AGB ) and cubic volume including top and stump ( ∆ CVTS ) over a five-year period. Actual values of CVTS and AGB were obtained using newly fitted volume and biomass equations or the equations used by the Pacific Northwest unit of the Forest Inventory and Analysis program. Estimates of change based on fixed and mixed-effect linear models were more accurate than change estimates based on differences in LIDAR-based estimates. This may have been due to the compounding of errors in LIDAR-based estimates over the two time periods. Models used to predict volume and biomass at a given time were, however, more precise than the models used to predict change. Models used to estimate ∆ CVTS were not as accurate as the models employed to estimate ∆ AGB . Final models had cross-validation root mean squared errors as low as 40.90% for ∆ AGB and 54.36% for ∆ CVTS .
A Velocity-Aware Handover Trigger in Two-Tier Heterogeneous Networks
Authors: Ait Mansour Asmae , Enneya Nourddine , Ouadou Mohamed
Published: January 2018

The unexpected change in user equipment (UE) velocity is recognized as the primary explanation for poor handover quality. In order to resolve this issue, while limiting ping-pong (PP) events we carefully and dynamically optimized handover parameters for each UE unit according to its velocity and the coverage area of the access point (AP). In order to recognize any variations in velocity, we applied Allan variance (AVAR) to the received signal strength (RSS) from the serving AP. To assess our approach, it was essential to configure a heterogeneous network context (LTE-WiFi) and interconnect Media-Independent Handover (MIH) and Proxy Mobile IPv6 (PMIPv6) for seamless handover. Reproduction demonstrated that our approach does not only result in a gain in relatively accurate velocity but in addition reduces the number of PP and handover failures (HOFs).
Clay-Facilitated Aqueous Dispersion of Graphite and Poly(vinyl alcohol) Aerogels Filled with Binary Nanofillers
Authors: Liu Lei , Wang Yuxin , Alhassan Saeed , Sun Hua , Choi Kyungwho , Yu Choongho , Schiraldi David
Published: January 2018

Dispersion of graphite in water was achieved using clay as dispersing aid. In the absence of polymer, the clay/graphite suspensions were sufficiently stable to produce aerogels composed of very thin layers of uniformly dispersed nanoparticles. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) aerogels containing binary nanofillers (clay plus graphite) were then fabricated and tested. These composites were found to maintain low thermal and electrical conductivities even with high loading of graphite. A unique compressive stress-strain behavior was observed for the aerogel, exhibiting a plateau in the densification region, likely due to sliding between clay and graphite layers within the PVOH matrix. The aerogels containing only graphite exhibited higher compressive modulus, yield stress and toughness values than the samples filled with binary nanofillers. X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra for the same composite aerogel before and after compression testing illustrated the compression-induced dispersion changes of nanofillers. Composites containing 50 wt % graphite demonstrated a downshift of its 2D Raman peak implying graphite exfoliation to graphene with less than 5 layers.
Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Identifies Putative Genes Involved in Steroid Biosynthesis in Euphorbia tirucalli
Authors: Qiao Weibo , Li Changfu , Mosongo Isidore , Liang Qin , Liu Mengdi , Wang Xin
Published: January 2018

Phytochemical analysis of different Euphorbia tirucalli tissues revealed a contrasting tissue-specificity for the biosynthesis of euphol and β-sitosterol, which represent the two pharmaceutically active steroids in E. tirucalli. To uncover the molecular mechanism underlying this tissue-specificity for phytochemicals, a comprehensive E. tirucalli transcriptome derived from its root, stem, leaf and latex was constructed, and a total of 91,619 unigenes were generated with 51.08% being successfully annotated against the non-redundant (Nr) protein database. A comparison of the transcriptome from different tissues discovered members of unigenes in the upstream steps of sterol backbone biosynthesis leading to this tissue-specific sterol biosynthesis. Among them, the putative oxidosqualene cyclase (OSC) encoding genes involved in euphol synthesis were notably identified, and their expressions were significantly up-regulated in the latex. In addition, genome-wide differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the different E. tirucalli tissues were identified. The cluster analysis of those DEGs showed a unique expression pattern in the latex compared with other tissues. The DEGs identified in this study would enrich the insights of sterol biosynthesis and the regulation mechanism of this latex-specificity.
Analysis of Emission Effects Related to Drivers’ Compliance Rates for Cooperative Vehicle-Infrastructure System at Signalized Intersections
Authors: Liao Ruohua , Chen Xumei , Yu Lei , Sun Xiaofei
Published: January 2018

Unknown remaining time of signal phase at a signalized intersection generally results in extra accelerations and decelerations that increase variations of operating conditions and thus emissions. A cooperative vehicle-infrastructure system can reduce unnecessary speed changes by establishing communications between vehicles and the signal infrastructure. However, the environmental benefits largely depend on drivers’ compliance behaviors. To quantify the effects of drivers’ compliance rates on emissions, this study applied VISSIM 5.20 (Planung Transport Verkehr AG, Karlsruhe, Germany) to develop a simulation model for a signalized intersection, in which light duty vehicles were equipped with a cooperative vehicle-infrastructure system. A vehicle-specific power (VSP)-based model was used to estimate emissions. Based on simulation data, the effects of different compliance rates on VSP distributions, emission factors, and total emissions were analyzed. The results show the higher compliance rate decreases the proportion of VSP bin = 0, which means that the frequencies of braking and idling were lower and light duty vehicles ran more smoothly at the intersection if more light duty vehicles complied with the cooperative vehicle-infrastructure system, and emission factors for light duty vehicles decreased significantly as the compliance rate increased. The case study shows higher total emission reductions were observed with higher compliance rate for all of CO2, NOx, HC, and CO emissions. CO2 was reduced most significantly, decreased by 16% and 22% with compliance rates of 0.3 and 0.7, respectively.
Contamination and Risk Assessment of Estrogens in Livestock Manure: A Case Study in Jiangsu Province, China
Authors: Xu Pengcheng , Zhou Xian , Xu Defu , Xiang Yanbing , Ling Wanting , Chen Mindong
Published: January 2018

This study investigated the occurrence and contamination risk of estrogens in livestock manure in Jiangsu Province, China. Four estrogens—estriol (E3), 17β-estradiol (17β-E2), bisphenol A (BPA), and 17α-ethinyloestradiol (EE2)—were detected in livestock manure from hens, ducks, swine, and cows. The respective mean concentrations of each estrogen found in these manures were 289.8, 334.1, 330.3, and 33.7 μg/kg for E3; 38.6, 10.9, 52.9, and 38.8 μg/kg for 17β-E2; 63.6, 48.7, 51.9, and 11.7 μg/kg for BPA; and 14.3, 11.3, 25.1, and 21.8 μg/kg for EE2. Estrogens were most frequently detected at high concentrations in the manure of finishing pigs, followed by the manure of growing pigs and piglets. Estrogens can be partially degraded after banking up for seven days; yet, great quantities of estrogens remain in livestock manure. The total estradiol equivalent quantity (EEQt) estimated to be present in aquatic environments but originating from livestock waste was 10.5 ng/L, which was greater than the hazard baseline value (1 ng/L) and also higher than the proposed lowest observable effect concentration (10 ng/L) of E2 in aquatic environments. The results of our study demonstrate that livestock waste is an important source of estrogens, which may potentially affect the hormonal metabolism of aquatic organisms.
Atmospheric Environment Vulnerability Cause Analysis for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Metropolitan Region
Authors: Zhang Yang , Shen Jing , Li Yu
Published: January 2018

Assessing and quantifying atmospheric vulnerability is a key issue in urban environmental protection and management. This paper integrated the Analytical hierarchy process (AHP), fuzzy synthesis evaluation and Geographic Information System (GIS) spatial analysis into an Exposure-Sensitivity-Adaptive capacity (ESA) framework to quantitatively assess atmospheric environment vulnerability in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region with spatial and temporal comparisons. The elaboration of the relationships between atmospheric environment vulnerability and indices of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity supports enable analysis of the atmospheric environment vulnerability. Our findings indicate that the atmospheric environment vulnerability of 13 cities in the BTH region exhibits obvious spatial heterogeneity, which is caused by regional diversity in exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity indices. The results of atmospheric environment vulnerability assessment and the cause analysis can provide guidance to pick out key control regions and recognize vulnerable indicators for study sites. The framework developed in this paper can also be replicated at different spatial and temporal scales using context-specific datasets to support environmental management.
Mental Health and Drivers of Need in Emergent and Non-Emergent Emergency Department (ED) Use: Do Living Location and Non-Emergent Care Sources Matter?
Authors: McManus Moira , Cramer Robert , Boshier Maureen , Akpinar-Elci Muge , Van Lunen Bonnie
Published: January 2018

Emergency department (ED) utilization has increased due to factors such as admissions for mental health conditions, including suicide and self-harm. We investigate direct and moderating influences on non-emergent ED utilization through the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. Through logistic regression, we examined correlates of ED use via 2014 New York State Department of Health Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System outpatient data. Consistent with the primary hypothesis, mental health admissions were associated with emergent use across models, with only a slight decrease in effect size in rural living locations. Concerning moderating effects, Spanish/Hispanic origin was associated with increased likelihood for emergent ED use in the rural living location model, and non-emergent ED use for the no non-emergent source model. ‘Other’ ethnic origin increased the likelihood of emergent ED use for rural living location and no non-emergent source models. The findings reveal ‘need’, including mental health admissions, as the largest driver for ED use. This may be due to mental healthcare access, or patients with mental health emergencies being transported via first responders to the ED, as in the case of suicide, self-harm, manic episodes or psychotic episodes. Further educating ED staff on this patient population through gatekeeper training may ensure patients receive the best treatment and aid in driving access to mental healthcare delivery changes.
Short Vacation Improves Stress-Level and Well-Being in German-Speaking Middle-Managers—A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Blank Cornelia , Gatterer Katharina , Leichtfried Veronika , Pollhammer Doris , Mair-Raggautz Maria , Duschek Stefan , Humpeler Egon , Schobersberger Wolfgang
Published: January 2018

Stress in the work place has a detrimental effect on people’s health. Sufficient recovery is necessary to counteract severe chronic negative load reactions. Previous research has shown that vacationing for at least seven consecutive days provided an efficient recovery strategy. Yet, thus far, the effects of short vacations and the mode of vacation (whether at home or in a new environment) have rarely been studied. We investigated the immediate and long-term effects of a short vacation (four nights) on well-being and perceived stress and whether the mode of vacation impacted on these results. Data was obtained from 40 middle managers (67.5% men and 32.5% women). The intervention group (n = 20) spent a short vacation in a hotel outside their usual environment. The control group (n = 20) spent their vacation at home. Results indicated that one single short-term vacation, independent of the mode, has large, positive and immediate effects on perceived stress, recovery, strain, and well-being. Strain levels decreased to a greater extent in the intervention group compared to the control group. The effects can still be detected at 30 days (recovery) and 45 days (well-being and strain) post-vacation. Encouraging middle management employees to take short vacations seems to be an efficient health promotion strategy; environmental effects seem to play a minor role.
Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Tea Leaves and Potential Health Risk Assessment: A Case Study from Puan County, Guizhou Province, China
Authors: Zhang Jian , Yang Ruidong , Chen Rong , Peng Yishu , Wen Xuefeng , Gao Lei
Published: January 2018

This study features a survey of the concentrations of aluminum (Al) and heavy metals (Mn, Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Zn) in tea leaves and the corresponding cultivation soils (0–30 cm), carried out in Puan County (Guizhou Province, China). The average concentrations of Al, Mn, Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Zn in the soil were 106 × 103, 214, 20.9, 0.09, 0.12, 17.5, 121, 27.8, 131.2, and 64 mg·kg−1, respectively. The heavy metals’ pollution indexes in the soil can be ranked as follows: Cu > Cr > Hg > As > Ni > Zn > Pb > Mn > Cd. The soil was moderately polluted by Cu because of the high geochemical background value of Cu in the area. The potential environment risk index (RI) showed that 7.69% out of the total sample sites were within the moderate level. Moreover, the ranges of Al, Mn, Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Zn concentrations in young tea leaves were 250–660, 194–1130, 0.107–0.400, 0.012–0.092, 0.014–0.085, 0.073–0.456, 0.33–1.26, 6.33–14.90, 14.90–26.10, and 35.8–50.3 mg·kg−1, respectively. While in mature tea leaves, they were 4300–10,400, 536–4610, 0.560–1.265, 0.040–0.087, 0.043–0.089, 0.189–0.453, 0.69–2.91, 3.43–14.20, 6.17–16.25, and 9.1–20.0 mg·kg−1, respectively. Furthermore, the concentrations of Pb, Cu, As, Hg, Cd, and Cr in young tea leaves and mature tea leaves were all lower than the standard limit values (5.0, 30, 2.0, 0.3, 1.0, and 5.0 mg·kg−1 for Pb, Cu, As, Hg, Cd, and Cr, respectively) in China. Besides, the accumulation ability of tea leaves to Mn was the strongest, and the average bioconcentration factor (BCF) of Mn in mature tea leaves was 12.5. In addition, the average target hazard quotients (THQ) were all less than one for the young tea leaves and the average aggregate risk hazard index (HI) to adults was 0.272, indicating that there was not a potential health risk for adults through the consumption of the infusions brewed by young tea leaves. However, for mature tea leaves, the percentage which HI values were above one was 38.46%, and the risk to adults via the consumption of mature tea infusions were mainly contributed by Mn and Al.
How Does Counselling in a Stationary Health Care Setting Affect the Attendance in a Standardised Sports Club Programme? Process Evaluation of a Quasi-Experimental Study
Authors: Titze Sylvia , Lackinger Christian , Grossschaedl Lena , Strehn Albert , Dorner Thomas , Niebauer Josef , Schebesch-Ruf Wolfgang
Published: January 2018

Actions in partnership across sectors is one principle for the promotion of health behaviours. The objective of this study was to describe the participation in a sports club-based exercise programme—named JACKPOT—following an intervention in a health care setting. Focus was given to the recruitment into JACKPOT, the attendance level, and whether the different programme elements were implemented as intented. The practicability of the project was also retrospectively rated. Participants were 238 inactive people (50% women) between 30 and 65 years of age who attended a health resort. Of these, 77% were assigned to the intervention group (IG). The recruitment into the 12 JACKPOT sessions and the attendance levels were recorded via attendance lists. The implementation of the intervention standards was assessed with structured interviews and participatory observation. The Pragmatic Explanatory Continuum Indicator Summary (PRECIS)-2 tool served to rate the practicability of the project. Almost 50% of the IG subjects attended JACKPOT sessions at least once and 54% of the attenders visited ≥75% of the 12 sessions. Some of the programme elements were not delivered fully. The process evaluation results showed that the project worked in a real-world setting, and also uncovered potential reasons such as incomplete information delivery for the moderate recruitment and attendance level.
A Long-Term Follow-Up of the Efficacy of Nature-Based Therapy for Adults Suffering from Stress-Related Illnesses on Levels of Healthcare Consumption and Sick-Leave Absence: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Corazon Sus , Nyed Patrik , Sidenius Ulrik , Poulsen Dorthe , Stigsdotter Ulrika
Published: January 2018

Stress-related illnesses are a growing health problem in the Western world; which also has economic significance for society. As a consequence; there is a growing demand for effective treatments. The study investigates the long-term efficacy of the Nacadia® nature-based therapy (NNBT) by comparing it to the efficacy of a validated cognitive behavioral therapy, called STreSS. The study is designed as a randomized controlled trial in which 84 participants are randomly allocated between the treatments. Long-term efficacy is investigated through data extracts from the national database of Statistics Denmark on the sick leave and the health-care consumption. The results show that both the NNBT and the STreSS lead to a significant decrease in number of contacts with a general practitioner in the period from twelve months prior to treatment to twelve months after treatment; and, a significant decrease in long-term sick leave from the month prior to treatment to twelve months after treatment. The positive long-term effects provide validation for the NNBT as an efficient treatment of stress-related illnesses.
Inverse Parametrization of a Regional Groundwater Flow Model with the Aid of Modelling and GIS: Test and Application of Different Approaches
Authors: Usman Muhammad , Reimann Thomas , Liedl Rudolf , Abbas Azhar , Conrad Christopher , Saleem Shoaib
Published: January 2018

The use of inverse methods allow efficient model calibration. This study employs PEST to calibrate a large catchment scale transient flow model. Results are demonstrated by comparing manually calibrated approaches with the automated approach. An advanced Tikhonov regularization algorithm was employed for carrying out the automated pilot point (PP) method. The results indicate that automated PP is more flexible and robust as compared to other approaches. Different statistical indicators show that this method yields reliable calibration as values of coefficient of determination (R2) range from 0.98 to 0.99, Nash Sutcliffe efficiency (ME) range from 0.964 to 0.976, and root mean square errors (RMSE) range from 1.68 m to 1.23 m, for manual and automated approaches, respectively. Validation results of automated PP show ME as 0.969 and RMSE as 1.31 m. The results of output sensitivity suggest that hydraulic conductivity is a more influential parameter. Considering the limitations of the current study, it is recommended to perform global sensitivity and linear uncertainty analysis for the better estimation of the modelling results.