bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An American looks at Europe, March 2017
Authors: Goldhammer Arthur
Published: July 2017

This speculative essay considers, from an American perspective, the state of Europe in late March 2017. With the United States seeming to distance itself from Europe both militarily and economically in the wake of the election of Donald Trump, the EU finds itself facing new challenges. Will member states seek closer cooperation on border and security matters owing to their inability to make further progress toward economic integration? Will populist opposition to the EU intensify the crisis provoked by the British vote to leave? What implications do impending elections in France and Germany hold for the future of “ever closer union?”
La pensée administrative de Tocqueville à l’épreuve de l’Académie des sciences morales et politiques
Authors: Moreau Pierre-Yves
Published: July 2017

La dimension « politico-administrative » de L’Ancien Régime et la Révolution, soulignée par François Furet, est expliquée par l’engagement politique direct d’Alexis de Tocqueville dans les années (1848-1851) qui précèdent la rédaction de l’ouvrage. Elle renvoie sans doute aussi à fa période antérieure, durant laquelle Tocqueville observe et participe à l’engouement de la société de Juillet pour l’étude de l’administration. Membre de l’Académie des sciences morales et politiques depuis 1838, il suit en particulier le déroulement du concours sur « la formation de l’administration monarchique » que la section d’Histoire de l’Académie organise entre 1842 et 1847. C’est aussi dans cette expérience vécue que se forge l’intérêt de Tocqueville pour l’histoire de l’administration, dont L’Ancien Régime porte encore la trace. Elle révèle aussi l’isolement de l’académicien Tocqueville, critique de la centralisation, au sein d’une assemblée qui se sert d’un concours savant pour la défendre. L’Ancien Régime et la Révolution permettra en tout à cas à son auteur de livrer sa propre histoire de l’administration, sorte de réponse tardive, « à travers le gouffre de la Seconde République qui les sépare », aux historiens de l’Académie.
Fukuzawa Yukichi and Maruyama Masao: Two “Liberal” readings of Tocqueville in Japan
Authors: Matsumoto Reiji
Published: July 2017

Unlike in China and Korea, Tocqueville and his works have been known in Japan for more than a century. Of course he has not had such a wide and lasting influence on Japanese intellectual life as Karl Marx or Max Weber. And his popularity as a classical thinker never attained such national fame in this country as in the United States and France. His intellectual influence has not spread over a great many people of the country. But several key figures of Japanese intellectual history sharply reacted to certain Tocquevi.llian ideas. In the fairly long history of Japanese reading of Tocqueville, I would like to concentrate on two significant periods, the early Meiji era and the post-war period, and choose two key figures to focus on, Fukuzawa Yuki.chi and Maruyama Masao, who at each period played a leading role in Japanese intellectual life.
Si- and Sn-containing SiOCN-based nanocomposites as anode materials for lithium ion batteries: synthesis, thermodynamic characterization and modeling
Authors: Rohrer Jochen , Vrankovic Dragoljub , Cupid Damian , Riedel Ralf , Seifert Hans J. , Albe Karsten , Graczyk-Zajac Magdalena
Published: July 2017

Novel nanocomposites consisting of silicon/tin nanoparticles (n-Si/n-Sn) embedded in silicon carbonitride (SiCN) or silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) ceramic matrices are investigated as possible anode materials for Li-ion batteries. The goal of our study is to exploit the large mass specific capacity of Si/Sn (3 579 mAh g−1/994 mAh g−1), while avoiding rapid capacity fading due to the large volume changes of Si/Sn during Li insertion. We show that a large amount (∼30–40 wt.%) of disordered carbon phase is dispersed within the SiOC/SiCN matrix and stabilizes the Si/Sn nanoparticles with respect to extended reversible lithium ion storage. Silicon nanocomposites are prepared by mixing of a polymeric precursor with commercial and “home-synthesized” crystalline and amorphous silicon. Tin nanocomposites, in contrast, are prepared using a single precursor approach, which allows the in-situ generation of Sn nanoparticles homogeneously dispersed within the SiOC host. The best electrochemical stability along with capacities of 600 – 700 mAh g−1 is obtained when amorphous/porous silicon is used. Mechanisms contributing to the increase of storage capacity and the cycle stability are clarified by analyzing elemental composition, local solid-state structures, intercalation hosts and Li-ion mobility. Our work is supplemented by first-principles based atomistic modeling and thermochemical measurements.
Transportation Cost Modeling of Containerized Soybean Exports in the United States
Authors: Bai Yun , Liu Xiang , Higgins Christian , Chiu YuPo , Chen Jihong
Published: July 2017

Intermodal container transportation is a growing market for soybean exports in the United States. In an effort to understand the optimal strategies for improving the United States’ economic competitiveness in this emerging market, this research developed a detailed, multi-modal transportation cost analysis model focusing on U.S. soybean container shipments. By using mode-specific transportation network and cost information, the model estimated and compared the “point-to-point” supply chain costs of alternative shipment routes from a domestic production site to a foreign port. For each candidate route, the analysis estimated the transportation time, distance, and cost of each modal segment. This cost analysis model is a building block for a larger research effort that aims to develop strategies to improve freight transportation infrastructure and operations in the context of existing and potential changes in the transportation industry and global market.
Driving Mode Decision Making for Intelligent Vehicles in Stressful Traffic Events
Authors: Yan Lixin , Wu Chaozhong , Zhu Dunyao , Ran Bin , He Yi , Qin Lingqiao , Li Haijian
Published: July 2017

The development of autonomous vehicles provides effective solutions and opportunities for reducing the probability of traffic accidents. However, because of technical limitations and economic and social challenges, achieving fully autonomous driving is a long-term endeavor. One principal research question is how to choose the suitable driving mode of an intelligent vehicle during stressful traffic events. For this purpose, an on-road experiment with 22 drivers was conducted in Wuhan, China; multisensor data were collected from the driver, the vehicle, the road, and the environment. Driving modes were classified into three categories on the basis of the driver’s self-reported records, and two physiological indexes that use the k-means cluster method were adopted to calibrate the self-reported driving modes. A feature-ranking algorithm based on the information gained was adopted to identify significant factors, and a driving mode decision-making model was established with the multiclass support vector machine algorithm. The results indicated that the SD of the front wheel angle, driver experience, vehicle speed, headway time, and acceleration had significant effects on the driving mode decision making. The driving mode decision-making model demonstrated a high predictive power with a prediction accuracy of 0.888 and area under the curve values of 0.918, 0.91, and 0.929 for the receiver operating characteristic curves. The conclusions provide theoretical support for decision making by the controller of a semiautomated vehicle.
Multiobjective Optimization Framework for Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control Vehicles in the Automated Vehicle Platooning Environment
Authors: Zhong Zijia , Lee Joyoung , Zhao Liuhui
Published: July 2017

Automated longitudinal control technology has been tested through cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC), which is envisioned to improve highway mobility drastically by forming a vehicle platoon with short headway while maintaining stable traffic flow under disturbances. Compared with previous research efforts with the pseudomultiobjective optimization process, this paper proposes an automated longitudinal control framework based on multiobjective optimization (MOOP) for CACC by taking into consideration four optimization objectives: mobility, safety, driver comfort, and fuel consumption. Of the target time headways that have been tested, the proposed CACC platoon control method achieved the best performance with 0.9- and 0.6-s target time headways. Compared with a non-optimization-based CACC, the MOOP CACC achieved 98%, 93%, 42%, and 33% objective value reductions of time headway deviation, unsafe condition, jitter, and instantaneous fuel consumption, respectively. In comparison with a single-objective-optimization-based approach, which optimized only one of the four proposed objectives, it was shown that the MOOP-based CACC maintained a good balance between all of the objective functions and achieved Pareto optimality for the entire platoon.
Method for Gauging Usage Opportunities for Partially Automated Vehicles with Application to Public Travel Survey Data Sets
Authors: Laberteaux Kenneth P. , Hamza Karim , Berger Alan , Brown Casey L.
Published: July 2017

Vehicle automation has garnered a significant amount of interest in recent years. When the automated driving (AD) capability of a vehicle is assessed, it is important to distinguish between full automation, in which no human driver is required, and partial automation, in which a human driver may be required to intervene or take control of the vehicle occasionally for portions of the trip. This paper presents a method for assessing usage opportunities of partial AD in light-duty vehicle fleets. Key assumptions are that ( a) the longer the time fraction of driving in which AD is active, the better, and ( b) drivers will value having longer contiguous sections of AD-active time over having to frequently regain vehicle control. Given second-by-second records of real-world driving trips, the method uses a fuzzy inference system to estimate the fraction of driving time at a certain quality-of-use level. Performing the quality-of-use assessment for all trips and vehicles in a representative data set can then provide insight into the fraction of the population that would likely find partial AD desirable. To demonstrate the proposed method, data on vehicle trips from public travel surveys in California (California Household Travel Survey) and Atlanta, Georgia (Atlanta Regional Commission Travel Survey), were used along with simplified prototypical models for partial AD. Simulation results were generally in agreement with common perceptions but showed a wide range of possibilities, which could have been narrowed down further when more detailed trip data became available.
Risk Analysis of Autonomous Vehicles in Mixed Traffic Streams
Authors: Bhavsar Parth , Das Plaban , Paugh Matthew , Dey Kakan , Chowdhury Mashrur
Published: July 2017

The introduction of autonomous vehicles in the surface transportation system could improve traffic safety and reduce traffic congestion and negative environmental effects. Although the continuous evolution in computing, sensing, and communication technologies can improve the performance of autonomous vehicles, the new combination of autonomous automotive and electronic communication technologies will present new challenges, such as interaction with other nonautonomous vehicles, which must be addressed before implementation. The objective of this study was to identify the risks associated with the failure of an autonomous vehicle in mixed traffic streams. To identify the risks, the autonomous vehicle system was first disassembled into vehicular components and transportation infrastructure components, and then a fault tree model was developed for each system. The failure probabilities of each component were estimated by reviewing the published literature and publicly available data sources. This analysis resulted in a failure probability of about 14% resulting from a sequential failure of the autonomous vehicular components alone in the vehicle’s lifetime, particularly the components responsible for automation. After the failure probability of autonomous vehicle components was combined with the failure probability of transportation infrastructure components, an overall failure probability related to vehicular or infrastructure components was found: 158 per 1 million mi of travel. The most critical combination of events that could lead to failure of autonomous vehicles, known as minimal cut-sets, was also identified. Finally, the results of fault tree analysis were compared with real-world data available from the California Department of Motor Vehicles autonomous vehicle testing records.
Challenges to Using Environmental Product Declarations in Communicating Life-Cycle Assessment Results: Case of the Asphalt Industry
Authors: Mukherjee Amlan , Dylla Heather
Published: July 2017

The objective of this paper is to discuss the challenges encountered in creating an environmental product declaration (EPD) program for asphalt mixtures that ensures the consistent, transparent, and reliable communication of life-cycle assessment (LCA) results between stakeholders in the paving industry. The formal process outlined in ISO 14025 for developing an EPD program has partially ameliorated the challenges that have deterred the adoption of LCA by requiring stakeholder participation and industrywide agreement on assumptions that define an LCA. This requirement has led to a new set of challenges, both technical and organizational, in addressing issues of data quality, validation, consistency, and transparency during the product category rules (PCR) development process. The paper provides an overview of the EPD program development process and establishes the role played by stakeholders in the decision-making process given their affiliations and relationship to the asphalt materials industry. Some of the LCA results that supported the decision-making process in developing the PCR are discussed. In addition, the paper highlights how the analysis supporting an EPD can also be used to improve plant operational efficiencies, while providing insights into the asphalt mixture design process, accounting for performance and environmental impacts.
Coordination of User and Agency Costs Using Two-Level Approach for Pavement Management Optimization
Authors: Moreira André V. , Fwa Tien F. , Oliveira Joel R. M. , Costa Lino
Published: July 2017

Pavement maintenance and rehabilitation programming requires the consideration of conflicting objectives to optimize its life-cycle costs. While there are several approaches to solve multiobjective problems for pavement management systems, when user costs or environmental impacts are considered the optimal solutions are often impractical to be accepted by road agencies, given the dominating share of user costs in the total life-cycle costs. This paper presents a two-stage optimization methodology that considers maximization of pavement quality and minimization of agency costs as the objectives to be optimized at the pavement section level, while at the network level, the objectives are to minimize agency and user costs. The main goal of this approach is to provide decision makers with a range of optimal solutions from which a practically implementable one could be selected by the agency. A sensitivity analysis and some trade-off graphics illustrate the importance in balancing all the objectives to obtain reasonable solutions for highway agencies. Multiobjective optimization problems at both levels are solved using genetic algorithms. The results of a case study indicate the applicability of the methodology.
Incorporating Braking Distance Evaluation into Pavement Management System for Safe Road Operation
Authors: Chu Longjia , Fwa Tien F.
Published: July 2017

Maintaining a sufficiently short stopping distance is an important requirement for safe road operation. Stopping sight distances of road sections are decided during the highway alignment and roadway geometric design phase of the road development process. A pavement friction coefficient is used in the calculation of the stopping distances. Since pavement friction coefficient deteriorates with time under traffic action, and the available friction also reduces in wet weather, it is important for pavement maintenance engineers to ensure that sufficient skid resistance is maintained under actual operating conditions so that the stopping distances of road sections are less than the required safe stopping distance. This result requires pavement engineers to monitor regularly the available pavement skid resistance and the corresponding stopping distance of individual road sections. Because skid resistance is an accepted pavement condition to be measured in a pavement management system, it is proposed in this study that braking distance assessment be included as a part of the pavement condition monitoring program of a pavement management system. The proposed procedure consists of two parts: ( a) measurement of skid resistance and evaluation of braking distance and stopping distance and ( b) monitoring of the deterioration trends of individual road sections. The detailed procedure and the analytical tools necessary for the evaluation and prediction of braking and stopping distances, including a finite element skid resistance simulation model, are presented. A numerical example is presented to illustrate the concept and working of the proposed procedure.
Epidemiology of intrauterine fetal death in Dhaka National Medical College Hospital
Authors: Bakshi Lipy , Hoque Samira , Tanjin Farhana , Dey Sukla , Bakshi Mithun
Published: July 2017

Intrauterine fetal death (IUFD) and still births is a tragic event for the parents and an important cause of perinatal mortality. This retrospective study study was conducted in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Dhaka National Medical College Hospital from January 2015 to June 2016 with the intention to understand the incidence, socio-epidemiological and etiological factors of intrauterine fetal death (IUFD). A total of 1838 pregnancies were studied retrospectively during the study period & out of them 48 were IUFDs. Ante partum and intra partum events leading to fetal demise were recorded, socio-demographic and clinical characters were noted. there were 1838 deliveries . The incidence of prenatal loss was 26 per 1000 live births. Despite advances in diagnostic and therapeutic modalities the rate of IUD is unacceptably high. Socio-cultural background, lack of adequate antenatal care and inaccessible health care are some of the reasons that predispose women to IUFD. Majority of fetal wastage can be prevented with universal and improved antenatal care.Bangladesh Med J. 2016 Sep; 45 (3): 131-133
Risk Factors of urinary tract infection in preschool children in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Authors: Ferdaus Jannatul , Moinuddin Golam , Islam Mohammad Tariqul , Rashid Md Harun Or , Shawly Mahjabin Rahman , Alim Abdul
Published: July 2017

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is the leading cause of death in children below five years of age in Bangladesh. Identification of modifiable risk factors of UTI may reduce the chances of the disease. This hospital based case-control study was conducted from January 2008 to December 2008 in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka to determine risk factors associated with UTI in preschool children. A group of 201 children with UTI on the basis of urgency and frequency in micturition & lower abdominal pain with or without fever were considered as case subjects under this study. Analysis was conducted comparing data from case group against a control group of 311 healthy children who were reported to have no fever and abdominal pain. Wiping (from back to front), circumcision status, nappy use, obstructive uropathy, neurogenic bladder, poor personal hygiene and constipation were found to be potential factors for UTI under logistic regression. Among them, nappy use was the main contributing factor and circumcision status and constipation were the second and third largest contributing factors for UTI. Age and sex had no statistically significant association.Bangladesh Med J. 2016 Sep; 45 (3): 134-137
New Methodology to Approximate Type-Reduction Based on a Continuous Root-Finding Karnik Mendel Algorithm
Authors: Ontiveros-Robles Emanuel , Melin Patricia , Castillo Oscar
Published: July 2017

Interval Type-2 fuzzy systems allow the possibility of considering uncertainty in models based on fuzzy systems, and enable an increase of robustness in solutions to applications, but also increase the complexity of the fuzzy system design. Several attempts have been previously proposed to reduce the computational cost of the type-reduction stage, as this process requires a lot of computing time because it is basically a numerical approximation based on sampling, and the computational cost is proportional to the number of samples, but also the error is inversely proportional to the number of samples. Several works have focused on reducing the computational cost of type-reduction by developing strategies to reduce the number of operations. The first type-reduction method was proposed by Karnik and Mendel (KM), and then was followed by its enhanced version called EKM. Then continuous versions were called CKM and CEKM, and there were variations of this and also other types of variations that eliminate the type-reduction process reducing the computational cost to a Type-1 defuzzification, such as the Nie-Tan versions and similar enhancements. In this work we analyzed and proposed a variant of CEKM by viewing this process as solving a root-finding problem, in this way taking advantage of existing numerical methods to solve the type-reduction problem, the main objective being eliminating the type-reduction process and also providing a continuous solution of the defuzzification.
Mechanical and Permeability Characteristics of Latex-Modified Fiber-Reinforced Roller-Compacted Rapid-Hardening-Cement Concrete for Pavement Repair
Authors: Lee Seung-Kee , Jeon Myong-Jin , Cha Sang-Sun , Park Chan-Gi
Published: July 2017

This study evaluated the effects of reinforcement fibers on the mechanical characteristics, chloride ion penetration properties and abrasion resistance of roller-compacted latex-modified fiber-reinforced rapid-hardening-cement concrete (RCLMFRRHCC) for use in the emergency repair of concrete pavements. The reinforcement fibers tested included macro synthetic fibers (a structural fiber) as well as PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) and natural Jute fibers (non-structural fibers). In the experiment, compressive strength, flexural strength, splitting tensile strength, chloride ion penetrating properties, abrasion resistance tests and impact resistance tests were performed. Test results were compared with traffic open standards of concrete for concrete pavement emergency repair. RCLMFRRHCC satisfied all traffic open standards for concrete emergency repair. Mixes with reinforcement fibers showed superior results to the mix without, in terms of compressive strength, flexural strength, splitting tensile strength, chloride ion penetration resistance, abrasion resistance and impact resistance. With regard to the reinforcement fibers, the compressive strength, flexural strength, splitting tensile strength, and impact resistance of the mix with macro synthetic fiber showed improved results as a structural fiber compared to mixes containing natural jute and PVA fibers, namely the non-structural fibers. However, using the reinforcement fiber type had little effect on chloride ion penetration resistance or abrasion resistance. Thus, the addition of reinforcement fibers was effective in improving the performance of RCLMFRRHCC. The use of macro synthetic fibers improved the mechanical characteristics of concrete.
Therapeutic Potential of Milk Whey
Authors: Gupta Charu , Prakash Dhan
Published: July 2017

Milk whey—commonly known as cheese whey—is a by-product of cheese or casein in the dairy industry and contains usually high levels of lactose, low levels of nitrogenous compounds, protein, salts, lactic acid and small amounts of vitamins and minerals. Milk whey contains several unique components like immunoglobulins (Igs), lactoferrin (Lf), lactoperoxidase (Lp), glycomacropeptide (GMP) and sphingolipids that possess some important antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Some whey components possess anticancer properties such as sphingomyelin, which have the potential to inhibit colon cancer. Immunoglobulin-G (IgGs), Lp and Lf concentrated from whey participates in host immunity. IgGs binds with bacterial toxins and lowers the bacterial load in the large bowel. There are some whey-derived carbohydrate components that possess prebiotic activity. Lactose support lactic acid bacteria (such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli). Stallic acids, an oligosaccharide in whey, are typically attached to proteins, and possess prebiotic properties. The uniqueness of whey proteins is due to their ability to boost the level of glutathione (GSH) in various tissues and also to optimize various processes of the immune system. The role of GSH is very critical as it protects the cells against free radical damage, infections, toxins, pollution and UV exposure. Overall GSH acts as a centerpiece of the body’s antioxidant defense system. It has been widely observed that individuals suffering from cancer, HIV, chronic fatigue syndrome and many other immune-compromising conditions have very poor levels of glutathione. The sulphur-containing amino-acids (cysteine and methionine) are also found in high levels in whey protein. Thus, the present review will focus on the therapeutic potential of milk whey such as antibiotic, anti-cancer, anti-toxin, immune-enhancer, prebiotic property etc.
Can Integrin Agonists Have Cards to Play against Cancer? A Literature Survey of Small Molecules Integrin Activators
Authors: Tolomelli Alessandra , Galletti Paola , Baiula Monica , Giacomini Daria
Published: July 2017

The ability of integrins to activate and integrate intracellular communication illustrates the potential of these receptors to serve as functional distribution hubs in a bi-directional signal transfer outside-in and inside-out of the cells. Tight regulation of the integrin signaling is paramount for normal physiological functions such as migration, proliferation, and differentiation, and misregulated integrin activity could be associated with several pathological conditions. Because of the important roles of integrins and their ligands in biological development, immune responses, leukocyte traffic, haemostasis, and cancer, their potential as therapeutic tools is now widely recognized. Nowadays extensive efforts have been made to discover and develop small molecule ligands as integrin antagonists, whereas less attention has been payed to agonists. In recent years, it has been recognized that integrin agonists could open up novel opportunities for therapeutics, which gain benefits to increase rather than decrease integrin-dependent adhesion and transductional events. For instance, a significant factor in chemo-resistance in melanoma is a loss of integrin-mediated adhesion; in this case, stimulation of integrin signaling by agonists significantly improved the response to chemotherapy. In this review, we overview results about small molecules which revealed an activating action on some integrins, especially those involved in cancer, and examine from a medicinal chemistry point of view, their structure and behavior.
Roles of Integrin α6β4 Glycosylation in Cancer
Authors: Kariya Yoshinobu , Kariya Yukiko , Gu Jianguo
Published: July 2017

Malignant transformation is accompanied with aberrant glycosylation of proteins. Such changes in glycan structure also occur in the integrins, which are a large family of cell surface receptors for the extracellular matrix and play key roles in tumor progression. There is now increasing evidence that glycosylation of integrins affects cellular signaling and interaction with the extracellular matrix, receptor tyrosine kinases, and galectins, thereby regulating cell adhesion, motility, growth, and survival. Integrin α6β4 is a receptor for laminin-332 and the increased expression level is correlated with malignant progression and poor survival in various types of cancers. Recent studies have revealed that integrin α6β4 plays central roles in tumorigenesis and the metastatic process. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the molecular mechanisms of tumor progression driven by integrin α6β4 and also discuss the modification of glycans on integrin β4 subunit to address the important roles of glycan in integrin-mediated tumor progression.
Rate-Distortion Bounds for Kernel-Based Distortion Measures
Authors: Watanabe Kazuho
Published: July 2017

Kernel methods have been used for turning linear learning algorithms into nonlinear ones. These nonlinear algorithms measure distances between data points by the distance in the kernel-induced feature space. In lossy data compression, the optimal tradeoff between the number of quantized points and the incurred distortion is characterized by the rate-distortion function. However, the rate-distortion functions associated with distortion measures involving kernel feature mapping have yet to be analyzed. We consider two reconstruction schemes, reconstruction in input space and reconstruction in feature space, and provide bounds to the rate-distortion functions for these schemes. Comparison of the derived bounds to the quantizer performance obtained by the kernel K -means method suggests that the rate-distortion bounds for input space and feature space reconstructions are informative at low and high distortion levels, respectively.
Power Balancing Control for Grid Energy Storage System in Photovoltaic Applications—Real Time Digital Simulation Implementation
Authors: Vavilapalli Sridhar , Padmanaban Sanjeevikumar , Subramaniam Umashankar , Mihet-Popa Lucian
Published: July 2017

A grid energy storage system for photo voltaic (PV) applications contains three different power sources i.e., PV array, battery storage system and the grid. It is advisable to isolate these three different sources to ensure the equipment safety. The configuration proposed in this paper provides complete isolation between the three sources. A Power Balancing Control (PBC) method for this configuration is proposed to operate the system in three different modes of operation. Control of a dual active bridge (DAB)-based battery charger which provides a galvanic isolation between batteries and other sources is explained briefly. Various modes of operation of a grid energy storage system are also presented in this paper. Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) simulation is carried out to check the performance of the system and the PBC algorithm. A power circuit (comprised of the inverter, dual active bridge based battery charger, grid, PV cell, batteries, contactors, and switches) is simulated and the controller hardware and user interface panel are connected as HIL with the simulated power circuit through Real Time Digital Simulator (RTDS). HIL simulation results are presented to explain the control operation, steady-state performance in different modes of operation and the dynamic response of the system.
Stochastic Navigation in Smart Cities
Authors: Martín García Rubén , Prieto-Castrillo Francisco , Villarrubia González Gabriel , Prieto Tejedor Javier , Corchado Juan
Published: July 2017

In this work we show how a simple model based on chemical signaling can reduce the exploration times in urban environments. The problem is relevant for smart city navigation where electric vehicles try to find recharging stations with unknown locations. To this end we have adapted the classical ant foraging swarm algorithm to urban morphologies. A perturbed Markov chain model is shown to qualitatively reproduce the observed behaviour. This consists of perturbing the lattice random walk with a set of perturbing sources. As the number of sources increases the exploration times decrease consistently with the swarm algorithm. This model provides a better understanding of underlying process dynamics. An experimental campaign with real prototypes provided experimental validation of our models. This enables us to extrapolate conclusions to optimize electric vehicle routing in real city topologies.
Capacitive Emulation for LCL-Filtered Grid-Connected Converters
Authors: Espi Jose , Garcia-Gil Rafael , Castello Jaime
Published: July 2017

This paper proposes an effective capacitive emulation (CE) technique to reduce the grid current distortion when the converter currents are controlled (converter current feedback (CCF)) in grid-connected converters with an LCL filter. Although the CCF scheme is preferable to the grid current feedback (GCF) scheme in terms of stability and inherent current limitation of the power semiconductors, the former presents a problem of additional grid-current harmonic distortion due to the LCL capacitor, which generates a distorted current by line voltage differentiation. To solve this problem, the distorting capacitive current is reproduced on the converter output, so that both cancel out each other on the grid. That is, the converter emulates a negative capacitance while delivering the active and reactive power at the fundamental frequency. This is achieved by adding an estimation of the distorting capacitive current to the converter current reference. Moreover, an effective CE technique requires a current control capable of tracking all harmonics added to the current reference and compensating for any control delay. To compensate this delay, the paper proposes a buffer-based method to advance and filter the current reference. The effectiveness of the CE method has been tested on a 10-kVA transformerless inverter with CCF and a simple proportional-integral (PI) control with grid-voltage feedforward cancellation. Experimental results prove that the proposed solution reduces the line current THD (total harmonic distortion) compared with the GCF strategy with proportional-resonant (PR) control.
Optimizing the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model for Mapping the Near-Surface Wind Resources over the Southernmost Caribbean Islands of Trinidad and Tobago
Authors: Chadee Xsitaaz , Seegobin Naresh , Clarke Ricardo
Published: July 2017

Numerical wind mapping is currently the wind power industry’s standard for preliminary assessments for sites of good wind resources. Of the various available numerical models, numerical weather prediction (NWP) models are best suited for modeling mesoscale wind flows across small islands. In this study, the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) NWP model was optimized for simulating the wind resources of the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago in terms of spin-up period for developing mesoscale features, the input initial and boundary conditions, and the planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterizations. Hourly model simulations of wind speed and wind direction for a one-month period were compared with corresponding 10 m level wind observations. The National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)-Department of Energy (DOE) reanalysis of 1.875° horizontal resolution was found to be better suited to provide initial and boundary conditions (ICBCs) over the 1° resolution NCEP final analysis (FNL); 86% of modeled wind speeds were within ±2 m/s of measured values at two locations when the coarse resolution NCEP reanalysis was used as compared with 55–64% of modeled wind speeds derived from FNL. Among seven PBL schemes tested, the Yonsei University PBL scheme with topographic drag enabled minimizes the spatial error in wind speed (mean bias error +0.16 m/s, root-mean-square error 1.53 m/s and mean absolute error 1.21 m/s) and is capable of modeling the bimodal wind speed histogram. These sensitivity tests provide a suitable configuration for the WRF model for mapping the wind resources over Trinidad and Tobago, which is a factor in developing a wind energy sector in these islands.
Optimal Scheduling for Electric Vehicle Charging under Variable Maximum Charging Power
Authors: Han Jinil , Park Jongyoon , Lee Kyungsik
Published: July 2017

The large-scale integration of electric vehicles (EVs) into power systems is expected to lead to challenges in the operation of the charging infrastructure. In this paper, we deal with the problem of an aggregator coordinating charging schedules of EVs with the objective of minimizing the total charging cost. In particular, unlike most previous studies, which assumed constant maximum charging power, we assume that the maximum charging power can vary according to the current state of charge (SOC). Under this assumption, we propose two charging schemes, namely non-preemptive and preemptive charging. The difference between these two is whether interruptions during the charging process are allowed or not. We formulate the EV charging-scheduling problem for each scheme and propose a formulation that can prevent frequent interruptions. Our numerical simulations compare different charging schemes and demonstrate that preemptive charging with limited interruptions is an attractive alternative in terms of both cost and practicality. We also show that the proposed formulations can be applied in practice to solve large-scale charging-scheduling problems.
A High-Efficiency Isolated LCLC Multi-Resonant Three-Port Bidirectional DC-DC Converter
Authors: Wang Cheng-Shan , Li Wei , Wang Yi-Feng , Han Fu-Qiang , Chen Bo
Published: July 2017

In this paper, an isolated multi-resonant three-port bidirectional direct current-direct current (DC-DC) converter is proposed, which is composed of three full bridges, two inductor-capacitor-inductor-capacitor (LCLC) multi-resonant tanks and a three-winding transformer. The phase shift control method is employed to manage the power transmission among three ports. Relying on the appropriate parameter selection, both of the fundamental and the third order power can be delivered through the multi-element LCLC resonant tanks, and consequently, it contributes to restrained circulating energy and the desirable promoted efficiency. Besides, by adjusting the driving frequency under different load conditions, zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) characteristics of all the switches of three ports are guaranteed. Therefore, lower switching loss and higher efficiency are achieved in full load range. In order to verify the feasibility of the proposed topology, a 1.5 kW prototype is established, of which the maximum efficiencies under forward and reverse operating conditions are 96.7% and 96.9% respectively. In addition, both of the bidirectional efficiencies maintain higher than 95.5% when the power level is above 0.5 kW.
Access to HIV Care and Resilience in a Long-Term Conflict Setting: A Qualitative Assessment of the Experiences of Living with Diagnosed HIV in Mogadishu, Somali
Authors: Kulane Asli , Owuor John , Sematimba Douglas , Abdulahi Sacdia , Yusuf Hamdi , Mohamed Lul
Published: July 2017

Background: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) continues to take a heavy toll on the lives of many people, with the worst impact on health and wellbeing for the affected individuals in fragile states. The HIV situation in Somalia is not clearly known and experiences of the people living with HIV in this war-torn region are often unexpressed. This pilot qualitative study sought to explore the experiences of people diagnosed with HIV living in Mogadishu, and their resilience in access to care and social support. Methods: Participants were recruited through drug dispensers at the HIV clinic in Banadir Hospital. Face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted in Somali in May 2013 among patients who were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) from the HIV clinic in Mogadishu. These were tape-recorded, transcribed, and translated for content analysis. Results: Three women and four men who were living with HIV shared the following narratives. Their perception was that they had either got HIV from their spouses or through health care contamination. They were very knowledgeable about the realities of HIV, how the medication works, nutritional requirements, and drug adherence. They were always willing to go an extra mile to secure a good life for themselves. However, the external HIV stigma impacted their access to care. They faced challenges in their homes and at work which compelled them to seek support from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or close family members. This stigma often affected their disclosure to the wider community due to the uncertainty of the repercussions, leading to a life of extreme loneliness and financial difficulties. The participants’ coping mechanisms included living together and starting their own NGO for support with very strong optimism about their prognosis. Conclusions: The people diagnosed with HIV living in Mogadishu are highly knowledgeable about HIV transmission, the realities of living with a diagnosed HIV infection, and the efficacy of HIV treatment. Our small sample suggests adequate access to ART through NGOs. However, widespread HIV stigma limits HIV status disclosure to families and communities, which creates a risk of self-isolation and ill health. Still, affected individuals have developed resilient mechanisms for managing the risks. They strive to remain employed for economic security, adhere to HIV treatment, engage in support groups, and maintain the utmost optimism about their prognosis.
A Spatial Data Infrastructure for Environmental Noise Data in Europe
Authors: Abramic Andrej , Kotsev Alexander , Cetl Vlado , Kephalopoulos Stylianos , Paviotti Marco
Published: July 2017

Access to high quality data is essential in order to better understand the environmental and health impact of noise in an increasingly urbanised world. This paper analyses how recent developments of spatial data infrastructures in Europe can significantly improve the utilization of data and streamline reporting on a pan-European scale. The Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community (INSPIRE), and Environmental Noise Directive (END) described in this manuscript provide principles for data management that, once applied, would lead to a better understanding of the state of environmental noise. Furthermore, shared, harmonised and easily discoverable environmental spatial data, required by the INSPIRE, would also support the data collection needed for the assessment and development of strategic noise maps. Action plans designed by the EU Member States to reduce noise and mitigate related effects can be shared to the public through already established nodes of the European spatial data infrastructure. Finally, data flows regarding reporting on the state of environment and END implementation to the European level can benefit by applying a decentralised e-reporting service oriented infrastructure. This would allow reported data to be maintained, frequently updated and enable pooling of information from/to other relevant and interrelated domains such as air quality, transportation, human health, population, marine environment or biodiversity. We describe those processes and provide a use case in which noise data from two neighbouring European countries are mapped to common data specifications, defined by INSPIRE, thus ensuring interoperability and harmonisation.
Influence of the Periodontal Disease, the Most Prevalent Inflammatory Event, in Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors Linking Nutrition and Energy Metabolism
Authors: Román-Malo Lourdes , Bullon Pedro
Published: July 2017

Periodontal disease is considered one of the main pathologic diseases occurring in humans. Its pathologic process involves inflammatory reactions producing periodontal bone resorption and the tooth loss. But some patients do not present an evident clinical inflammation with bone resorption, and in others, the inflammation is prominent without bone resorption. A key question could be to investigate a different way of responding to aggression. Inflammation requires a complex intracellular metabolic process, starting with the harmful recognition and activation of the inflammasome, continues the energy supply with the alteration of oxidative stress conditions, and finishes with the elimination of the aggression with autophagy/apoptosis mechanisms, then concludes with recovery. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are essential molecules produced in inflammation, and its genes and its activation have been related to periodontal disease. Also, an important aspect is the influence of PPARs in bone metabolism; the main periodontitis symptom is bone loss and PPARγ activation that can downregulate the bone resorption in experimental periodontitis, PPARγ-coated titanium dental implant surfaces could carry the antiinflammatory gene and restrain inflammation. PPARs could be one of the meeting background points with atherosclerosis/cardiovascular disease, diabetes and metabolic syndrome showing a modified proinflammatory statement such as it is described in periodontitis.
The Immune Adjuvant Effects of Flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) Interleukin-6 on E. tarda Subunit Vaccine OmpV
Authors: Guo Ming , Tang Xiaoqian , Sheng Xiuzhen , Xing Jing , Zhan Wenbin
Published: July 2017

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) as a pleiotropic cytokine was widely used as an effective adjuvant for vaccines in mammals. In this study, the immune adjuvant effects of two forms of flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) IL-6, including recombinant IL-6 (rIL-6) and pcDNA3.1-IL-6 (pcIL-6), were evaluated and comparatively analyzed on E. tarda subunit vaccine recombinant outer membrane protein V (rOmpV). The results showed that the relative percent survivals of flounder vaccinated with rOmpV plus rIL-6 or pcIL-6 were significantly higher than that in the two control groups, rOmpV plus recombinant 6× histidine-tag (rHis) or empty expression vector pcDNA3.1 (pcN3). The levels of specific serum antibodies and surface membrane immunoglobulin-positive (sIg+) lymphocytes in peripheral blood, spleen, and head kidney in the two adjuvant groups were also much higher than that in the two control groups. Compared with the two control groups, higher upregulated expressions of major histocompatibility complex class Iα (MHCIα), cluster of differentiation 8α (CD8α), MHCIIα, CD4-1, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were detected in flounder vaccinated with rOmpV plus rIL-6 or pcIL-6 after challenge. In addition, the rOmpV plus rIL-6 could induce significant higher levels of specific serum antibodies, sIg+ lymphocytes and four genes expressions than rOmpV plus pcIL-6. These results demonstrated that both rIL-6 and pcIL-6 used as adjuvants could enhance the immune response and evoke immune protections against E. tarda infection, which has a significant value in controlling diseases using vaccines in flounder.
Multifaceted Interpretation of Colon Cancer Stem Cells
Authors: Hatano Yuichiro , Fukuda Shinya , Hisamatsu Kenji , Hirata Akihiro , Hara Akira , Tomita Hiroyuki
Published: July 2017

Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, despite recent advances in clinical oncology. Accumulating evidence sheds light on the existence of cancer stem cells and their role in conferring therapeutic resistance. Cancer stem cells are a minor fraction of cancer cells, which enable tumor heterogeneity and initiate tumor formation. In addition, these cells are resistant to various cytotoxic factors. Therefore, elimination of cancer stem cells is difficult but essential to cure the malignant foci completely. Herein, we review the recent evidence for intestinal stem cells and colon cancer stem cells, methods to detect the tumor-initiating cells, and clinical significance of cancer stem cell markers. We also describe the emerging problems of cancer stem cell theory, including bidirectional conversion and intertumoral heterogeneity of stem cell phenotype.