bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nozzle Aspect Ratio Effect on Supersonic Elliptic Jet Mixing
Authors: Aravindh Kumar S. M. , Rathakrishnan E.
Published: May 2017

Nozzle aspect ratio effect on the mixing of Mach 2 elliptic free jet, issuing from convergent–divergent elliptic nozzles of aspect ratios 2, 3, and 4, in the presence of adverse and marginally favorable pressure gradients at the nozzle exit has been studied experimentally. The results show that AR4 jet enjoys better mixing than AR2 and AR3 jets at all nozzle pressure ratios. The AR2 and AR3 jets displayed axis switching, whereas there is no axis switching for AR4 jet. The shadowgraph shows that the waves in AR4 jet are weaker than those in AR2 and AR3 jets.
Pitting Degradation Modeling of Ocean Steel Structures Using Bayesian Network
Authors: Bhandari Jyoti , Khan Faisal , Abbassi Rouzbeh , Garaniya Vikram , Ojeda Roberto
Published: May 2017

Modeling depth of long-term pitting corrosion is of interest for engineers in predicting the structural longevity of ocean infrastructures. Conventional models demonstrate poor quality in predicting the long-term pitting corrosion depth. Recently developed phenomenological models provide a strong understanding of the pitting process; however, they have limited engineering applications. In this study, a novel probabilistic model is developed for predicting the long-term pitting corrosion depth of steel structures in marine environment using Bayesian network (BN). The proposed BN model combines an understanding of corrosion phenomenological model and empirical model calibrated using real-world data. A case study, which exemplifies the application of methodology to predict the pit depth of structural steel in long-term marine environment, is presented. The result shows that the proposed methodology succeeds in predicting the time-dependent, long-term anaerobic pitting corrosion depth of structural steel in different environmental and operational conditions.
Alternative method to fabricate microdevices on a freestanding Si3N4 window
Authors: Wang Zhenhai , Yang Fan , Han Danhong , Li Gang , Xu Jingjing , Xu Shengyong
Published: May 2017

In this paper, the authors introduced a novel method for the fabrication of microdevices on freestanding Si3N4 thin-film windows with a single-side mask aligner. A thin-film microdevice located on the front surface of such a freestanding window was demonstrated, where the backside of Si wafer was performed with KOH wet etching. The results showed that an alignment error could be controlled in condition less than 20 μm. By using the freestanding device, a weak change in local temperature under an e-beam in a scanning electron microscope (FEI QUANTA 600F) was detected with better sensitivity.
Bacterial colonization and succession in a newly opened hospital
Authors: Lax Simon , Sangwan Naseer , Smith Daniel , Larsen Peter , Handley Kim M. , Richardson Miles , Guyton Kristina , Krezalek Monika , Shogan Benjamin D. , Defazio Jennifer , Flemming Irma , Shakhsheer Baddr , Weber Stephen , Landon Emily , Garcia-Houchins Sylvia , Siegel Jeffrey , Alverdy John , Knight Rob , Stephens Brent , Gilbert Jack A.
Published: May 2017

Patients share their microbiota with their rooms and with nursing staff, and this shapes the microbial ecology of the hospital environment.
Comment on “Epigenetic activation of the drug transporter OCT2 sensitizes renal cell carcinoma to oxaliplatin”
Authors: Winter Stefan , Fisel Pascale , Büttner Florian , Nies Anne T. , Stenzl Arnulf , Bedke Jens , Schwab Matthias , Schaeffeler Elke
Published: May 2017

Although the combination of decitabine and platinum drugs may be promising for therapy of renal cell carcinoma, the role of OCT2 needs further investigations.
The brain microenvironment mediates resistance in luminal breast cancer to PI3K inhibition through HER3 activation
Authors: Kodack David P. , Askoxylakis Vasileios , Ferraro Gino B. , Sheng Qing , Badeaux Mark , Goel Shom , Qi Xiaolong , Shankaraiah Ram , Cao Z. Alexander , Ramjiawan Rakesh R. , Bezwada Divya , Patel Bhushankumar , Song Yongchul , Costa Carlotta , Naxerova Kamila , Wong Christina S. F. , Kloepper Jonas , Das Rita , Tam Angela , Tanboon Jantima , Duda Dan G. , Miller C. Ryan , Siegel Marni B. , Anders Carey K. , Sanders Melinda , Estrada Monica V. , Schlegel Robert , Arteaga Carlos L. , Brachtel Elena , Huang Alan , Fukumura Dai , Engelman Jeffrey A. , Jain Rakesh K.
Published: May 2017

The brain microenvironment triggers HER3-dependent de novo resistance to therapies targeting PI3K or HER2 in HER2-positive and/or
PIK3CA
-mutant breast cancer cells.
Response to Comment on “Epigenetic activation of the drug transporter OCT2 sensitizes renal cell carcinoma to oxaliplatin”
Authors: Zheng Xiaoli , Liu Yanqing , Yu Qinqin , Wang Hua , Tan Fuqing , Zhu Qianying , Yuan Lingmin , Jiang Huidi , Zeng Su , Yu Lushan
Published: May 2017

OCT2 plays a key role in synergy between decitabine and oxaliplatin in renal cell carcinoma cell lines.
Signal Integration in Quorum Sensing Enables Cross-Species Induction of Virulence in
Pectobacterium wasabiae
Authors: Valente Rita S. , Nadal-Jimenez Pol , Carvalho André F. P. , Vieira Filipe J. D. , Xavier Karina B.
Published: May 2017

Bacterial communities can sense their neighbors, regulating group behaviors in response to cell density and environmental changes. The diversity of signaling networks in a single species has been postulated to allow custom responses to different stimuli; however, little is known about how multiple signals are integrated and the implications of this integration in different ecological contexts. In the plant pathogen
Pectobacterium wasabiae
(formerly
Erwinia carotovora
), two signaling networks—the N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) quorum-sensing system and the Gac/Rsm signal transduction pathway—control the expression of secreted plant cell wall-degrading enzymes, its major virulence determinants. We show that the AHL system controls the Gac/Rsm system by affecting the expression of the regulatory RNA RsmB. This regulation is mediated by ExpR2, the quorum-sensing receptor that responds to the
P. wasabiae
cognate AHL but also to AHLs produced by other bacterial species. As a consequence, this level of regulation allows
P. wasabiae
to bypass the Gac-dependent regulation of RsmB in the presence of exogenous AHLs or AHL-producing bacteria. We provide
in vivo
evidence that this pivotal role of RsmB in signal transduction is important for the ability of
P. wasabiae
to induce virulence in response to other AHL-producing bacteria in multispecies plant lesions. Our results suggest that the signaling architecture in
P. wasabiae
was coopted to prime the bacteria to eavesdrop on other bacteria and quickly join the efforts of other species, which are already exploiting host resources.

IMPORTANCE
Quorum-sensing mechanisms enable bacteria to communicate through small signal molecules and coordinate group behaviors. Often, bacteria have various quorum-sensing receptors and integrate information with other signal transduction pathways, presumably allowing them to respond to different ecological contexts. The plant pathogen
Pectobacterium wasabiae
has two N-acyl homoserine lactone receptors with apparently the same regulatory functions. Our work revealed that the receptor with the broadest signal specificity is also responsible for establishing the link between the main signaling pathways regulating virulence in
P. wasabiae
. This link is essential to provide
P. wasabiae
with the ability to induce virulence earlier in response to higher densities of other bacterial species. We further present
in vivo
evidence that this novel regulatory link enables
P. wasabiae
to join related bacteria in the effort to degrade host tissue in multispecies plant lesions. Our work provides support for the hypothesis that interspecies interactions are among the major factors influencing the network architectures observed in bacterial quorum-sensing pathways.
Kisameet Glacial Clay: an Unexpected Source of Bacterial Diversity
Authors: Svensson Sarah L. , Behroozian Shekooh , Xu Wanjing , Surette Michael G. , Li Loretta , Davies Julian
Published: May 2017

Widespread antibiotic resistance among bacterial pathogens is providing the impetus to explore novel sources of antimicrobial agents. Recently, the potent antibacterial activity of certain clay minerals has stimulated scientific interest in these materials. One such example is Kisameet glacial clay (KC), an antibacterial clay from a deposit on the central coast of British Columbia, Canada. However, our understanding of the active principles of these complex natural substances is incomplete. Like soils, clays may possess complex mixtures of bacterial taxa, including the
Actinobacteria
, a clade known to be rich in antibiotic-producing organisms. Here, we present the first characterization of both the microbial and geochemical characteristics of a glacial clay deposit. KC harbors surprising bacterial species richness, with at least three distinct community types. We show that the deposit has clines of inorganic elements that can be leached by pH, which may be drivers of community structure. We also note the prevalence of
Gallionellaceae
in samples recovered near the surface, as well as taxa that include medically or economically important bacteria such as
Actinomycetes
and
Paenibacillus
. These results provide insight into the microbial taxa that may be the source of KC antibacterial activity and suggest that natural clays may be rich sources of microbial and molecular diversity.

IMPORTANCE
Identifying and characterizing the resident microbial populations (bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi) is key to understanding the ecology, chemistry, and homeostasis of virtually all sites on Earth. The Kisameet Bay deposit in British Columbia, Canada, holds a novel glacial clay with a history of medicinal use by local indigenous people. We previously showed that it has potent activity against a variety of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, suggesting it could complement our dwindling arsenal of antibiotics. Here, we have characterized the microbiome of this deposit to gain insight into what might make the clay antibacterial. Our analyses suggest that the deposit contains a surprising diversity of bacteria, which live in at least three distinct environments. In addition, the clay harbors bacteria that may have interesting potential as biocontrol/bioremediation agents or producers of novel bioactive compounds.
Neuroprotective Effect of Electroacupuncture and Upregulation of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α during Acute Ischaemic Stroke in Rats
Authors: Li Ce , Zhang Tingting , Yu Kewei , Xie Hongyu , Bai Yulong , Zhang Li , Wu Yi , Wang Nianhong
Published: May 2017

Background

Acupuncture is a traditional method that has been widely used in various fields of medicine with therapeutic effect. However, evidence of effectiveness to support the application of electroacupuncture (EA) during the process of ischaemia is scarce.

Objectives

To investigate dynamic changes in hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α expression as well as its association with neurological status in rats subjected to acute ischaemic stroke and EA intervention.

Methods

Forty adult male rats were randomly divided into three groups that received sham surgery (Control group, n=10) or underwent middle cerebral artery occlusion and EA (MCAO+EA group, n=15) or minimal acupuncture as a control treatment (MCAO+MA group, n=15). The rats in the MCAO+EA and MCAO+MA groups received EA or acupuncture without any electrical current, respectively, during 90 min of ischaemia. Rats in the Control group received the same surgical procedure but without MCAO. EA involved electrical stimulation of needles inserted into the quadriceps at 50 Hz frequency and 3 mA current intensity. Neurological status was evaluated on postoperative day 1, and cerebral infarction volume (IV) and HIF-1α expression 24 hours later.

Results

Neurological scores were improved and cerebral IV was decreased in the MCAO+EA group compared to the MCAO+MA group (both p<0.05). Moreover, HIF-1α expression was higher in the MCAO+EA group versus the MCAO+MA group (p<0.05).

Conclusions

EA enhanced recovery of neurological function, decreased cerebral IV and increased HIF-1α expression in ischaemic rats. Further research is needed to determine whether EA is effective for stroke treatment through the stimulation of muscle contraction.
Three-dimensional lattice Boltzmann method benchmarks between color-gradient and pseudo-potential immiscible multi-component models
Authors: Leclaire Sébastien , Parmigiani Andrea , Chopard Bastien , Latt Jonas
Published: May 2017

In this paper, a lattice Boltzmann color-gradient method is compared with a multi-component pseudo-potential lattice Boltzmann model for two test problems: a droplet deformation in a shear flow and a rising bubble subject to buoyancy forces. With the help of these two problems, the behavior of the two models is compared in situations of competing viscous, capillary and gravity forces. It is found that both models are able to generate relevant scientific results. However, while the color-gradient model is more complex than the pseudo-potential approach, numerical experiments show that it is also more powerful and suffers fewer limitations.
New York city taxi trips: Dynamic networks following inconsistent power law
Authors: Qin Jianjun , Zheng Maohui
Published: May 2017

The present paper maps the records of urban taxi trips into dynamic networks, where nodes are the communities and links represent the recorded taxi trips between them. The dynamic urban taxi trip networks, where nodes are the communities and links represent the recorded taxi trips between them, are formulated here as a special type of large-scale traffic system with an enormous impact on the city, in which the existence of uncertainties together with the spatial and temporal variation in the distribution of the taxi trips are considered. Three types of indicators are proposed to facilitate the measurement of the activities between and inside the communities (nodes of the network) from qualitative and quantitative perspectives. It could be found from the analysis of the records within the New York city that these indicators are inconsistent to each other, and nevertheless, none of them distributes uniformly within the city but generally follows the power law in spite of their time-dependent properties. Further, the unusually low values of the scaling parameters from the curve fitting with power law for all the proposed indicators illustrate the severe inhomogeneity of the networks (also the city).
Micro-defects and optical properties of YAG:Ce crystals prepared by optical floating zone method
Authors: Deng Wen , Chen Zhenying , Meng Yan , Cao Xiuqing , Xiong Dingkang , Huang Yuyang
Published: May 2017

The Y3Al5O[Formula: see text] (YAG):Ce ceramic rods and single crystals were prepared by solid state reaction and optical floating zone method, respectively. The XRD results showed that the phases in the YAG:Ce ceramics are mixture of YAG phase and YAlO3 (YAP) phase. There is only a single YAG phase in the single crystals of YAG:Ce. The mean positron lifetime of the YAG:Ce crystal decreases with increasing Ce content, and reaches minimum at 1 at.% Ce, then increases with Ce content. The mean positron lifetime of the YAG:Ce crystal is higher than that of YAG:Ce ceramic with the same chemical composition. The UV–visible absorption spectra of the YAG:Ce crystals indicated that the transmittances of the YAG:Ce crystals are higher than 90% in the wavelength range from 550 nm to 800 nm. The photoluminescence spectra of the YAG:Ce crystals showed wide luminescence emission peaks located in the range of 525–529 nm. A relatively high luminescence intensity is found in the YAG:Ce crystal with 1 at.% Ce. With further increase of Ce content, the luminescence decreases due to the fluorescence quenching effect.
Preparation, characterization and optical properties of Dy-doped yttrium aluminum garnet
Authors: Cao Xiuqing , Li Xiaolan , Chen Xiaowei , Xu Shoulei , Xiong Dingkang , Deng Wen
Published: May 2017

The Y[Formula: see text]Dy[Formula: see text]Al5O[Formula: see text] (Dy:YAG) ceramic rods were sintered at different temperatures from 1000[Formula: see text]C to 1450[Formula: see text]C by solid-state reaction method and the Dy:YAG single crystals were grown by the optical floating zone method. The XRD found the Y4Al2O9 (YAM) phase after sintering at 1000[Formula: see text]C and disappeared after sintering at 1450[Formula: see text]C. The YAG phase and the YAlO3 (YAP) phase were found in the ceramic sintered at [Formula: see text]1200[Formula: see text]C. As the sintering temperature increases, the amount of the YAG phase increases, while YAP phase decreases. There is only a single YAG phase in the Dy:YAG single crystal. The SEM images showed that the grain size in the Dy:YAG ceramic increases with the sintering temperature. There are several emission bands in the photoluminescence spectrum of the Dy:YAG single crystal located at 483 nm in the blue region, 580 nm in yellow region and 670 nm in red region. Dy:YAG is a good candidate crystal for white light emission.
Physical and optical properties of sodium borate glasses doped with Dy3+ ions
Authors: Alajerami Y. S. M. , Abushab K. M. , Alagha S. I. , Mhareb M. H. A. , Saidu A. , Kodeh F. S. , Ramadan Kh.
Published: May 2017

The photoluminescence, optical and physical properties of sodium borate (NB) doped with different concentrations of Dy[Formula: see text] were determined and well discussed. The samples were prepared by the melt-quenching technique and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Photoluminescence and absorption spectra of NB glasses doped with different concentrations of Dy[Formula: see text] are reported. Ten absorption bands with hypersensitive transition at 1272 nm ([Formula: see text] [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]) and two emission bands for the transitions at [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text][Formula: see text] (blue color) and [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text][Formula: see text] (yellow color) with an excitation of 330 nm have been recorded. A series of considerable physical properties (oscillator strengths, refractive index, ions concentration, polaron radius) was calculated for each dopant concentration.
Theoretical solutions for degree distribution of decreasing random birth-and-death networks
Authors: Long Yin , Zhang Xiao-Jun , Wang Kui
Published: May 2017

In this paper, theoretical solutions for degree distribution of decreasing random birth-and-death networks [Formula: see text] are provided. First, we prove that the degree distribution has the form of Poisson summation, for which degree distribution equations under steady state and probability generating function approach are employed. Then, based on the form of Poisson summation, we further confirm the tail characteristic of degree distribution is Poisson tail. Finally, simulations are carried out to verify these results by comparing the theoretical solutions with computer simulations.
Adaptive Stretching Method for Underwater Image Color Correction
Authors: Ao Jun , Ma Chunbo
Published: May 2017

The physical properties of water lead to attenuation of light that travels through the water channel. The attenuation is dependent on the color spectrum wavelength, that results in low contrast and color cast in image acquisition. Several methods have been proposed to handle these problems, such as Linear Stretching, Histogram Equalization (HE) and their variants. Considering the advantages of HE and Linear Stretching, this paper presents a new Adaptive Linear Stretch method (ALS) which can efficiently improve the subjective impression of the traditional Linear Stretching and keep the computational cost low at the same time. To achieve adaptability, the adaptable threshold is deduced from the histogram of image. Performance analysis reveals that the proposed method significantly enhances the image contrast, reduces the color cast and meanwhile, keeps the computational consumption low.
A Novel Method Based on Hilbert Transform for Signal Processing of Coriolis Mass Flowmeter
Authors: Lin Wei , Zhao Jing-Lei
Published: May 2017

The signal phase differences of Coriolis sensor and the mass flow are proportional. To improve the measurement accuracy of flow signal processing for Coriolis mass flowmeter, a novel method based on Hilbert Transform algorithm was proposed. The main method is as follows, two signals enhanced by LZ-filter with noise-canceling were considered as Hilbert Transform, then, the phase difference of the two filtered signals was calculated by a triangle characteristic of sin function. Synchronously, the instantaneous frequency was estimated by the structure of the analytical signal. Finally, the mass flow value was obtained by calculating the phase difference. The simulation experiments and Digital Signal Processing system (DSP) verification testing demonstrate that the new signal processing method, which is the LZ algorithm, has better characteristics of real-time and high-precision than the others. The experimental results show that the accuracy of phase difference measurement is 0.02% and the tracking accuracy of frequency is better than 0.07%.
An Effort Estimation Taxonomy for Agile Software Development
Authors: Usman Muhammad , Börstler Jürgen , Petersen Kai
Published: May 2017

In Agile Software Development (ASD) effort estimation plays an important role during release and iteration planning. The state of the art and practice on effort estimation in ASD have been recently identified. However, this knowledge has not yet been organized. The aim of this study is twofold: (1) To organize the knowledge on effort estimation in ASD and (2) to use this organized knowledge to support practice and the future research on effort estimation in ASD. We applied a taxonomy design method to organize the identified knowledge as a taxonomy of effort estimation in ASD. The proposed taxonomy offers a faceted classification scheme to characterize estimation activities of agile projects. Our agile estimation taxonomy consists of four dimensions: estimation context, estimation technique, effort predictors and effort estimate. Each dimension in turn has several facets. We applied the taxonomy to characterize estimation activities of 10 agile projects identified from the literature to assess whether all important estimation-related aspects are reported. The results showed that studies do not report complete information related to estimation. The taxonomy was also used to characterize the estimation activities of four agile teams from three different software companies. The practitioners involved in the investigation found the taxonomy useful in characterizing and documenting the estimation sessions.
Minimal controllability time for the heat equation under unilateral state or control constraints
Authors: Lohéac Jérôme , Trélat Emmanuel , Zuazua Enrique
Published: May 2017

The heat equation with homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions is well known to preserve non-negativity. Besides, due to infinite velocity of propagation, the heat equation is null controllable within arbitrary small time, with controls supported in any arbitrarily open subset of the domain (or its boundary) where heat diffuses. The following question then arises naturally: can the heat dynamics be controlled from a positive initial steady state to a positive final one, requiring that the state remains non-negative along the controlled time-dependent trajectory? We show that this state-constrained controllability property can be achieved if the control time is large enough, but that it fails to be true in general if the control time is too short, thus showing the existence of a positive minimal controllability time. In other words, in spite of infinite velocity of propagation, realizing controllability under the unilateral non-negativity state constraint requires a positive minimal time. We establish similar results for unilateral control constraints. We give some explicit bounds on the minimal controllability time, first in 1D by using the sinusoidal spectral expansion of solutions, and then in the multi-dimensional case. We illustrate our results with numerical simulations, and we discuss similar issues for other control problems with various boundary conditions.
Mutation invariance of the arc index for some montesinos knots
Authors: Jin Gyo Taek , Lee Ho
Published: May 2017

For the alternating knots or links, mutations do not change the arc index. In the case of nonalternating knots, some semi-alternating knots or links have this property. We mainly focus on the problem of mutation invariance of the arc index for nonalternating knots which are not semi-alternating. In this paper, we found families of infinitely many mutant pairs/triples of Montesinos knots with the same arc index.
Right-angled Artin groups and full subgraphs of graphs
Authors: Katayama Takuya
Published: May 2017

For a finite graph [Formula: see text], let [Formula: see text] be the right-angled Artin group defined by the complement graph of [Formula: see text]. We show that, for any linear forest [Formula: see text] and any finite graph [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] can be embedded into [Formula: see text] if and only if [Formula: see text] can be realized as a full subgraph of [Formula: see text]. We also prove that if we drop the assumption that [Formula: see text] is a linear forest, then the above assertion does not hold, namely, for any finite graph [Formula: see text], which is not a linear forest, there exists a finite graph [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] can be embedded into [Formula: see text], though [Formula: see text] cannot be embedded into [Formula: see text] as a full subgraph.
THE EVALUATION OF ELECTRICAL IMPEDANCE OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL FRACTAL NETWORKS EMBEDDED IN A CUBE
Authors: TANG S. W. , WANG L. , CAI R. J. , CAI X. H. , HE Z. , CHEN E.
Published: May 2017

This paper presents a preliminary work to evaluate the electrical impedance of three-dimensional pore fractal networks embedded in a cube. The construction and structural parameters of pore and electrical networks are illustrated in detailed. The total impedance response (modulus and phase) of networks is primarily associated with structural parameter of network, pore structure parameter of cube, conductivity of pore and solid phases. The impedance response of cube with the evolution of fractal network is analyzed comprehensively in this work. Besides, the influence of conductivity of pore phase caused by different types of electrolytes, electrical frequencies and conductivity of solid phase on the total impedance response is systematically studied.
EFFECTS OF LOADS ON HIGH-TEMPERATURE FRICTION-WEAR PROPERTIES OF CATHODIC ARC ION PLATED TiALSiN COATINGS
Authors: DEJUN KONG , CHENGJIAN TANG
Published: May 2017

A TiAlSiN coating was deposited on H13 hot work mould steel using a cathodic arc ion plating (CAIP). The friction-wear performances of the obtained coating under different loads were characterized on an HT-1000 type high temperature tribological tester at 800[Formula: see text]C. The morphologies and chemical compositions of the worn tracks were analyzed using a scanning electronic microscope (SEM) and its configured energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), respectively, and the corresponding wear mechanisms were discussed. The results show that the average coefficient of friction (COF) of the TiAlSiN coating at the loads of 2, 4 and 6[Formula: see text]N is 0.3072, 0.3040, and 0.4114, respectively, the COFs of the coating are stable at the loads of 2 and 4[Formula: see text]N, while those at the load of 6[Formula: see text]N are obviously increased. Under the load of 2[Formula: see text]N, a small amount of large and scattered white debris disperses on the worn track, the wear mechanism is adhesive wear. While the white wear debris appears on the worn track under the load of 4[Formula: see text]N, the COFs are relatively stable, due to the effects of oxide layer on the worn track, and the wear mechanism is abrasive wear and oxidation wear. Under the load of 6[Formula: see text]N, a number of shallow grooves and cracks appear on the worn tracks, showing that the coating is basically worn out, the wear mechanism is abrasive wear and oxidation wear.
ADSORPTION OF THIOPHENE ON N-DOPED TiO2/MoS2 NANOCOMPOSITES INVESTIGATED BY VAN DER WAALS CORRECTED DENSITY FUNCTIONAL THEORY
Authors: ABBASI AMIRALI , SARDROODI JABER JAHANBIN
Published: May 2017

Comparison of structural and electronic properties between pristine and N-doped titanium dioxide-(TiO2)/molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanocomposites and their effects on the adsorption of thiophene molecule were performed using density functional theory calculations. To correctly estimate the adsorption energies, the van der Waals interactions were taken into account in the calculations. On the TiO2/MoS2 nanocomposite, thiophene molecule tends to be strongly adsorbed by its sulfur atom. The five-fold coordinated titanium atom of TiO2 was found to be an active binding site for thiophene adsorption. The results suggest that the thiophene molecule has not any mutual interaction with MoS2 nanosheet. The electronic structures of the complex systems are discussed in terms of the density of states and molecular orbitals of the thiophene molecules adsorbed to the TiO2/MoS2 nanocomposites. It was also found that the doping of nitrogen atom is conductive to the interaction of thiophene with nanocomposite. Thus, it can be concluded that the interaction of thiophene with N-doped TiO2/MoS2 nanocomposite is more energetically favorable than the interaction with undoped nanocomposite. The sensing capability of TiO2/MoS2 toward thiophene detection was greatly increased upon nitrogen doping. These processes ultimately lead to the strong adsorption of thiophene on the N-doped TiO2/MoS2 nanocomposites, indicating potential applicability of these nanocomposites as novel gas sensors.
REMOVAL ENHANCEMENT OF BASIC BLUE 41 BY RGO–TiO2NANOCOMPOSITE SYNTHESIZED USING PULSED LASER
Authors: GHASEMI FATEMEH , KIMIAGAR SALIMEH , SHAHBAZI MOZHGAN , VOJOUDI HOSSEIN
Published: May 2017

Graphene oxide (GO) and GO-TiO2nanocomposite was produced then reduced under pulse laser irradiation (RGO–TiO[Formula: see text]. Basic blue 41 (bb41) dye was removed from aqueous solutions by using RGO–TiO2nanocomposites. The UV–Vis absorption and FTIR analysis were utilized to confirm the reduction of GO-TiO2to RGO–TiO2. The results showed complete reduction of GO. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis were applied to approve the RGO–TiO2nanocomposite structure. The effect of pH on the bb41 removal by RGO–TiO2was studied varying the pH from 1 to 11. The optimum pH and adsorbent dosage were found to be 9 and 0.2[Formula: see text]g/L with 98% efficiency, respectively. The calculated coefficients demonstrated that the Langmuir model was fixed to the experimental data. The results indicated that RGO–TiO2could be engaged as an exceptional sorbent to remove bb41 dye which is in aqueous solution.
Calabi–Yau properties of nontrivial Noetherian DG down-up algebras
Authors: Mao X.-F. , He J.-W. , Liu M. , Xie J.-F.
Published: May 2017

In this paper, we introduce and study differential graded (DG) down–up algebras. In brief, a DG down–up algebra [Formula: see text] is a connected cochain DG algebra such that its underlying graded algebra [Formula: see text] is a graded down–up algebra. We describe all possible differential structures on Noetherian DG down–up algebras. For those Noetherian DG down-up algebras with nonzero differential, we compute their DG automorphism groups; study their isomorphism problems; and show that they are all Calabi–Yau DG algebras.
An Analytical Approach for Evaluation of ATM Deployment Problem Criteria
Authors: Turkoglu Derya Celik , Genevois Mujde Erol
Published: May 2017

Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) are one of the most important key touch-points to reach the customers. The investment in ATMs and the impact on the banking industry is growing steadily. Therefore, in order to increase the profitability, banks seek to make their investments in the right places for ATMs. Banks have to take into consideration many factors such as traffic flow, competition, cost and safety in order to determine the optimum locations of ATMs. This paper proposes a decision support system that determines the importance value of ATM deployment decision criteria which can be used to decide the best ATM locations afterwards. Fuzzy Analytic Network Process (FANP) methodology is preferred to evaluate the importance levels of deployment criteria and Chang’s extent analysis is employed for eliminating the vagueness of the decisions from the evaluation process. The decision-makers are asked to express their opinions on the comparative importance of various factors in linguistic terms. These linguistic variable scales are then converted into fuzzy numbers, since it becomes more meaningful to quantify a subjective measurement into a range rather than an exact value. Finally, the relative importance of the criteria is obtained. The decision process includes the identification of 17 criteria grouped into 5 clusters which are named financial, commercial, traffic, demographic and strategic. The application of the proposed method was performed for Turkish banking industry. Number of Bank’s ATMs, Expected Level of Commission Income and Expected Level of Transaction Income were found as the three most significant criteria that should be analyzed deeply by the decision makers in ATM location selection decision. The results of the proposed method considered applicable and valid by the experts who included in the decision process and this analysis demonstrated by their responses to a set of questions.
An Exploration of Crime Prediction Using Data Mining on Open Data
Authors: Saltos Ginger , Cocea Mihaela
Published: May 2017

The increase in crime data recording coupled with data analytics resulted in the growth of research approaches aimed at extracting knowledge from crime records to better understand criminal behavior and ultimately prevent future crimes. While many of these approaches make use of clustering and association rule mining techniques, there are fewer approaches focusing on predictive models of crime. In this paper, we explore models for predicting the frequency of several types of crimes by LSOA code (Lower Layer Super Output Areas — an administrative system of areas used by the UK police) and the frequency of anti-social behavior crimes. Three algorithms are used from different categories of approaches: instance-based learning, regression and decision trees. The data are from the UK police and contain over 600,000 records before preprocessing. The results, looking at predictive performance as well as processing time, indicate that decision trees (M5P algorithm) can be used to reliably predict crime frequency in general as well as anti-social behavior frequency.
A Combined Approach Based on K-Means and Modified Electromagnetism-Like Mechanism for Data Clustering
Authors: Mehdizadeh Esmaeil , Teimouri Mohammad , Zaretalab Arash , Niaki S. T. A.
Published: May 2017

Clustering is one of the useful methods in many scientific fields. It is a classification process to group data in specific clusters based on their similarities. Many heuristic and meta-heuristic algorithms have been successfully applied in the literature to solve clustering problems. Among them, the K-means is one of the best due to its simplicity and computational efficiency. However, it suffers from several drawbacks, the most significant of which is its dependency on the initial state that leads to trapping in local optima. In this paper, the K-means method is combined with a modified electromagnetism-like mechanism (MEM) algorithm to develop a new algorithm called K-MEM in order to avoid trapping in local optima. In addition, two modifications are made in this paper to improve the performance of the EM algorithm. First, a modified local search procedure is adopted to improve searching. Second, an elitism approach is imported to improve the moving procedure. The proposed algorithm is tested on four standard datasets chosen from the UCI Machine Learning repository and several artificial datasets, where its performance is compared with those of EM, MEM, K-means, combination of K-means and EM (K-EM), genetic algorithm (GA), simulated annealing (SA), ant colony optimization (ACO), honey bee mating optimization (HBMO) and particle swarm optimization (PSO). The results illustrate that the proposed K-MEM algorithm has a good performance to find desired results.
Spectroscopic investigation of 2-(4-benzoyl-1,5-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)-4H-naphto[2,3-d][1,3]oxazin-4-one molecule
Authors: Sert Yusuf , Gümüş Mehmet , Kamaci Volkan , Gökce Halil , Kani İbrahim , Koca İrfan
Published: May 2017

In this present study, the experimental and theoretical vibrational frequencies of an important pharmacological molecule 2-(4-benzoyl-1,5-diphenyl-1[Formula: see text]-pyrazol-3-yl)-4[Formula: see text]-naphto[2,3-[Formula: see text]][1,3]oxazin-4-one have been researched. The experimental FT-IR and laser-Raman spectra of the title compound have been taken in the region (4000–400[Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text]) and (4000–100[Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text]), respectively. The vibrational modes and optimized structure parameters have been computed by using DFT/B3LYP methods with 6-311[Formula: see text]G(d,p) basis set. In our calculations, Gaussian 09W software program has been used. Assignments of theoretical vibrations have been obtained by potential energy distribution analysis using VEDA 4 software program. This program is important because it performs assignments with 10% precision. We have obtained a fairly good agreement between experimental and theoretically obtained results, and these results have supported the literature. Additionally, we have examined the highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energies, the other related molecular energy values, nuclear magnetic resonance ([Formula: see text]C and1H-proton) chemical shifts, and UV–Vis wavelengths (electronic absorption wavelengths of the title compound) by using the mentioned calculation level. The nonlinear optical properties of the title compound have also been determined by using DFT/B3LYP/6-311[Formula: see text]G(d,p) level.
Integrable geometric flows of interacting curves/surfaces, multilayer spin systems and the vector nonlinear Schrödinger equation
Authors: Myrzakul Akbota , Myrzakulov Ratbay
Published: May 2017

In this paper, we study integrable multilayer spin systems, namely, the multilayer M-LIII equation. We investigate their relation with the geometric flows of interacting curves and surfaces in some space [Formula: see text]. Then we present their Lakshmanan equivalent counterparts. We show that these equivalent counterparts are, in fact, the vector nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE). It is well known that the vector NLSE is equivalent to the [Formula: see text]-spin system. Also, we have presented the transformations which give the relation between solutions of the [Formula: see text]-spin system and the multilayer M-LIII equation. It is interesting to note that the integrable multilayer M-LIII equation contains constant magnetic field [Formula: see text]. It seems that this constant magnetic vector plays an important role in the theory of “integrable multilayer spin system” and in nonlinear dynamics of magnetic systems. Finally, we present some classes of integrable models of interacting vortices.
Quantum effects on the deflection of light and the Gauss–Bonnet theorem
Authors: Jusufi Kimet
Published: May 2017

In this paper, we apply the Gauss–Bonnet (GB) theorem to calculate the deflection angle by a quantum-corrected Schwarzschild black hole in the weak limit approximation. In particular, we calculate the light deflection by two types of quantum-corrected black holes: the renormalization group improved Schwarzschild solution and the quantum-corrected Schwarzschild solution in Bohmian quantum mechanics. We start from the corresponding optical metrics to use then the GB theorem and calculate the Gaussian curvature in both cases. We calculate the leading terms of the deflection angle and show that quantum corrections modify the deflection angle in both solutions. Finally by performing geodesics calculations we show that GB method gives exact results in leading-order terms.
Size-Dependent Postbuckling of Piezoelectric Microbeams Based on a Modified Couple Stress Theory
Authors: Li Xingjia , Luo Ying
Published: May 2017

This paper aims to investigate the postbuckling behavior of piezoelectric microbeams (PMBs) using a modified couple stress theory (MCST) and a Euler–Bernoulli–von Kármán beam model. The critical buckling force, voltage and the deformation amplitude were calculated for the buckling of the axially compressed microbeams with a clamp–clamp boundary condition. It is found that the stiffness of microbeams considering the MCST is higher than that given by the classical model when the feature size decreases to the microscale. Moreover, the microscale size effect has a strong influence on the critical buckling loads and the amplitude of postbuckling deformation. This study brings an improved understanding of the postbuckling behavior of PMBs, and offers useful guidance for the design of piezobeam-based sensors, actuators and stretchable microelectronics.
Sturm’s operator for scalar weight in arbitrary genus
Authors: Maurischat Kathrin
Published: May 2017

In contrast to the well-known cases of large weights, Sturm’s operator does not realize the holomorphic projection operator for lower weights. We prove its failure for arbitrary Siegel modular forms of genus [Formula: see text] and scalar weight [Formula: see text]. This generalizes a result for genus two in [K. Maurischat and R. Weissauer, Phantom holomorphic projections arising from Sturm’s formula, preprint (2016)].
Overconvergent Eichler–Shimura isomorphisms for quaternionic modular forms over ℚ
Authors: Salazar Daniel Barrera , Gao Shan
Published: May 2017

In this work, we construct overconvergent Eichler–Shimura isomorphisms over Shimura curves over [Formula: see text]. More precisely, for a prime [Formula: see text] and a wide open disk [Formula: see text] in the weight space, we construct a Hecke–Galois-equivariant morphism from the space of families of overconvergent modular symbols over [Formula: see text] to the space of families of overconvergent modular forms over [Formula: see text]. In addition, for all but finitely many weights [Formula: see text], this morphism provides a description of the finite slope part of the space of overconvergent modular symbols of weight [Formula: see text] in terms of the finite slope part of the space of overconvergent modular forms of weight [Formula: see text]. Moreover, for classical weights these overconvergent isomorphisms are compatible with the classical Eichler–Shimura isomorphism.
Photon penetration depth in human brain for light stimulation and treatment: A realistic Monte Carlo simulation study
Authors: Li Ting , Xue Chang , Wang Pengbo , Li Yan , Wu Lanhui
Published: May 2017

Light has been clinically utilized as a stimulation in medical treatment, such as Low-level laser therapy and photodynamic therapy, which has been more and more widely accepted in public. The penetration depth of the treatment light is important for precision treatment and safety control. The issue of light penetration has been highlighted in biomedical optics field for decades. However, quantitative research is sparse and even there are conflicts of view on the capability of near-infrared light penetration into brain tissue. This study attempts to quantitatively revisit this issue by innovative high-realistic 3D Monte Carlo modeling of stimulated light penetration within high-precision Visible Chinese human head. The properties of light, such as its wavelength, illumination profile and size are concern in this study. We made straightforward and quantitative comparisons among the effects by the light properties (i.e., wavelengths: 660, 810 and 980[Formula: see text]nm; beam types: Gaussian and flat beam; beam diameters: 0, 2, 4 and 6[Formula: see text]cm) which are in the range of light treatment. The findings include about 3% of light dosage within brain tissue; the combination of Gaussian beam and 810[Formula: see text]nm light make the maximum light penetration ([Formula: see text][Formula: see text]cm), which allows light to cross through gray matter into white mater. This study offered us, the first time as we know, quantitative guide for light stimulation parameter optimization in medical treatment.
Environment-friendly, flame retardant thermoplastic elastomer–magnesium hydroxide composites
Authors: Tang Hao , Chen Kunfeng , Li Xiaonan , Ao Man , Guo Xinwen , Xue Dongfeng
Published: May 2017

Halogen-free and environment-friendly magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2) was synthesized to enhance the flame retardant properties of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). When the Mg(OH)2content was optimized to 35[Formula: see text]wt.%, the TPE–Mg(OH)2composites exhibited the best flame retardant properties. The results showed that there was a delay of ignition time of the samples containing Mg(OH)2; compared with the samples without Mg(OH)2, the heat release rate and total heat release decrease by 31.4% and 35.6%, while total smoke production and mass loss rate reduce by 56% and 34.2%, respectively. This work opens a door to manufacture fire-resistant polymer-based composites with environmental-friendly flame retardant additives by controllable crystallization and chemical strategies.
Electron beam welding of Fe–Mn–Al–Ni shape memory alloy: Microstructure evolution and shape memory response
Authors: Krooß P. , Günther J. , Halbauer L. , Vollmer M. , Buchwalder A. , Zenker R. , Biermann H. , Niendorf T.
Published: May 2017

The present study reports on the impact of abnormal grain growth (AGG) on the microstructural evolution following electron beam (EB) welding of Fe–Mn–Al–Ni shape memory alloy (SMA). Polycrystalline sheet-like material was EB-welded and a cyclic heat treatment, studied in previous work, was conducted for inducing AGG and a bamboo-like microstructure, respectively. Optical and electron microscopy were carried out to characterize the prevailing microstructure upon cyclic heat treatment. For characterization of the functional properties following AGG, a load increase test was conducted. The current results clearly show that good shape memory response can be obtained in Fe–Mn–Al–Ni SMA upon EB welding and subsequent post-heat treatment. These results further substantiate the potential use of conventional processing routes for Fe–Mn–Al–Ni SMA.