bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adhesion Promoters in Bituminous Road Materials: A Review
Authors: Oliviero Rossi Cesare , Teltayev Bagdat , Angelico Ruggero
Published: May 2017

This review focuses on certain classes of organic compounds known variously in the specific literature of asphalt as adhesion promoters, antistripping agents, wetting agents, antistrips, or adhesion agents. These kinds of organic additives are currently formulated to enhance the bitumen coating of mineral aggregates and improve the workability of asphalt mixtures. In this review, the term “adhesion promoters” includes both synthetic organic compounds as well as those extracted from natural resources, mixed in trace amounts to bitumen. Their main role is to alter the interfacial energy, so that the presence of water, even in trace, does not weaken the bitumen-aggregate bond and tends to favor adhesion. The report also considers the chemical functionalities that play a predominant role in bonding, as well as the effects of surface modification of the aggregate due to the presence of adhesion promoters in pre-blended bituminous mixtures. Although bitumen is widely used in road pavement construction and the discussion is mainly addressed to the improvement of adhesion in road materials, adhesion and wetting properties can also represent a general issue in various bitumen-based industrial products.
Combined Operation of Electrical Loads, Air Conditioning and Photovoltaic-Battery Systems in Smart Houses
Authors: Romano Roberto , Siano Pierluigi , Acone Mariano , Loia Vincenzo
Published: May 2017

In this paper, a novel Energy Management System (EMS) is proposed for a hybrid energy system with photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage system for a smart house. The EMS is designed to control the shiftable loads, the air conditioning and the electric storage system. The aim is to reduce the electrical energy consumption cost without compromising the end-user comfort. Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) is used to estimate the optimal size of the hybrid system considering energy saving and investment costs. Simulations results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed EMS in decreasing the electrical energy consumption and costs. The proposed method for the sizing of the hybrid system is also able to select the best size of the PV-battery system in smart houses.
Application of Pulsed Laser-TIG Hybrid Heat Source in Root Welding of Thick Plate Titanium Alloys
Authors: Shi Jipeng , Zhou Yanbin , Liu Liming
Published: May 2017

Laser-TIG (tungsten inert gas) hybrid welding process is applied to produce stable back beads in the first layer during one-side multilayer welding. To explain why stable back beads can be formed, a comparison is conducted between single TIG and laser-TIG hybrid welding. Results indicate that during laser action the arc column is enhanced and deflected to the keyhole, which changes the spatial distribution of plasma by strong attraction. The keyhole plasma possesses extreme electric conductivity. After laser action, the enhanced arc is restituted, the low energy density arc acts on the molten pool, and the bottom of the molten pool is solidified to prevent its collapse. The heat and force are redistributed over the top of molten pool under the alternative action of the enhanced arc and original arc. In this case the thermal distribution and mechanical situation in the molten pool must be more balanced and reasonable, and the back bead appearance is continuous, stable and uniform. This process gives high quality and efficient root welding of the thick plate.
Innovation of New Occlusion Devices for Cancers
Authors: Hsiao Hao-Ming , Lin Tzu-Yuan , Lin Chien-Erh , Lee Han-Yu , Wang Yi-Ping
Published: May 2017

Liver cancer, a life-threatening disease, can be cured if found early. A common treatment for liver tumors that cannot be removed by surgery is hepatic artery embolization. It involves injecting small beads to block the blood flow towards cancer cells. In this paper, we propose the world’s first nitinol spherical occlusion device, which can be deployed in the upstream of an artery to reduce the blood flow to the downstream cancer cells. Finite element models were developed to predict the device’s mechanical integrity during manufacturing and deployment. Computational fluid dynamics were applied to simulate the device’s clinical occlusion performance. Simulation results suggested that devices with a metal density of 14–27% would reduce the average blood flow rate by 30–50%. A conceptual prototype was first cut by pulsed-fiber optic laser, and a series of expansions and heat treatments were used to shape the device to its final geometry. Flow experiments were conducted for proof of concept, and results showed that the spherical occlusion device successfully reduced the flow as designed. The occlusion device with the metal density of 27% was able to reduce 44% of flow, which agreed well with the simulation results.
Fundamental Limits on Spatial Resolution in Ultrafast X-ray Diffraction
Authors: Kirrander Adam , Weber Peter
Published: May 2017

X-ray Free-Electron Lasers have made it possible to record time-sequences of diffraction images to determine changes in molecular geometry during ultrafast photochemical processes. Using state-of-the-art simulations in three molecules (deuterium, ethylene, and 1,3-cyclohexadiene), we demonstrate that the nature of the nuclear wavepacket initially prepared by the pump laser, and its subsequent dispersion as it propagates along the reaction path, limits the spatial resolution attainable in a structural dynamics experiment. The delocalization of the wavepacket leads to a pronounced damping of the diffraction signal at large values of the momentum transfer vector q, an observation supported by a simple analytical model. This suggests that high-q measurements, beyond 10–15 Å − 1 , provide scant experimental payback, and that it may be advantageous to prioritize the signal-to-noise ratio and the time-resolution of the experiment as determined by parameters such as the repetition-rate, the photon flux, and the pulse durations. We expect these considerations to influence future experimental designs, including source development and detection schemes.
Decomposition Kinetics of Non-Volatile Alkanes on Urban Aerosol
Authors: Karali Dimitra , Rapsomanikis Spyridon , Christoforidis Achilleas
Published: May 2017

The decomposition kinetics of non-volatile n-alkanes that were collected in an urban environment were studied. The quartz filters that they were collected on were exposed in two reactors, in dark and natural light conditions, for four days. Ambient air that was passed through the reactors continuously, ensured a supply of exogenic oxidants to the surface of the filters. The lifetimes of the non-volatile n-alkanes were experimentally determined to be in the order of 3–6 days. The results from the light reactor exhibited approximately a 10% decrease in their lifetime. The results obtained for the prevailing atmospheric conditions and for the duration of the experiments, were in agreement with values from the literature.
Sensitivity of a Mediterranean Tropical-Like Cyclone to Different Model Configurations and Coupling Strategies
Authors: Ricchi Antonio , Miglietta Mario , Barbariol Francesco , Benetazzo Alvise , Bergamasco Andrea , Bonaldo Davide , Cassardo Claudio , Falcieri Francesco , Modugno Giancarlo , Russo Aniello , Sclavo Mauro , Carniel Sandro
Published: May 2017

In November 2011, an Atlantic depression affected the Mediterranean basin, eventually evolving into a Tropical-Like Cyclone (TLC or Mediterranean Hurricane, usually designated as Medicane). In the region affected by the Medicane, mean sea level pressures down to 990 hPa, wind speeds of hurricane intensity close to the eye (around 115 km/h) and intense rainfall in the prefrontal zone were reported. The intensity of this event, together with its long permanence over the sea, suggested its suitability as a paradigmatic case for investigating the sensitivity of a numerical modeling system to different configurations, air-sea interface parameterizations and coupling approaches. Toward this aim, a set of numerical experiments with different parameterization schemes and levels of coupling complexity was carried out within the Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Wave Sediment Transport System (COAWST), which allows the description of air-sea dynamics by coupling an atmospheric model (WRF), an ocean circulation model (ROMS), and a wave model (SWAN). The sensitivity to different initialization times and Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) parameterizations was firstly investigated by running a set of WRF standalone (atmospheric-only) simulations. In order to better understand the effect of coupling on the TLC formation, intensification and trajectory, different configurations of atmosphere-ocean coupling were subsequently tested, eventually including the full coupling among atmosphere, ocean and waves, also changing the PBL parameterization and the formulation of the surface roughness. Results show a strong sensitivity of both the trajectory and the intensity of this TLC to the initial conditions, while the tracks and intensities provided by the coupled modeling approaches explored in this study do not introduce drastic modifications with respect to those resulting from a fine-tuned standalone atmospheric run, though they provide by definition a better physical and energetic consistency. Nevertheless; the use of different schemes for the calculation of the surface roughness from wave motion, which reflects the description of air-sea interface processes, can significantly affect the results in the fully coupled runs.
Configuration Interaction Effects in Unresolved 5p65dN+1−5p55dN+2+5p65dN5f1 Transition Arrays in Ions Z = 79–92
Authors: Liu Luning , Kilbane Deirdre , Dunne Padraig , Wang Xinbing , O’Sullivan Gerry
Published: May 2017

Configuration interaction (CI) effects can greatly influence the way in which extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft X-ray (SXR) spectra of heavier ions are dominated by emission from unresolved transition arrays (UTAs), the most intense of which originate from Δn = 0, 4p64dN+1−4p54dN+2+4p64dN4f1 transitions. Changing the principle quantum number n, from 4 to 5, changes the origin of the UTA from Δn = 0, 4p64dN+1−4p54dN+2+4p64dN4f1 to Δn = 0, 5p65dN+1−5p55dN+2+5p65dN5f1 transitions. This causes unexpected and significant changes in the impact of configuration interaction from that observed in the heavily studied n = 4 – n = 4 arrays. In this study, the properties of n = 5 – n = 5 arrays have been investigated theoretically with the aid of Hartree-Fock with configuration interaction (HFCI) calculations. In addition to predicting the wavelengths and spectral details of the anticipated features, the calculations show that the effects of configuration interaction are quite different for the two different families of Δn = 0 transitions, a conclusion which is reinforced by comparison with experimental results.
A Control Strategy of DC Building Microgrid Connected to the Neighborhood and AC Power Network
Authors: Ma Thi , Yahoui Hamed , Vu Hoang , Siauve Nicolas , Morel Hervé
Published: May 2017

Recently, the use of DC microgrid distribution system has become more attractive than traditional AC systems due to their energy efficiency and ability to easily integrate with renewable energy sources and batteries. This paper proposes a 500 V DC microgrid which consists of a 20 kWp photovoltaic panel, batteries, and DC loads. A hierarchical control strategy to ensure balance power of the DC microgrid and the maintenance of common DC bus voltage is presented. The capability of exchanging power energy of the microgrid with the power system of neighborhood buildings is also considered. Typical operation modes are simulated in the Matlab/simulink environment to confirm the good performance of the controllers and the efficiency of appropriately controlling the charge–discharge of the battery system. This research is expected to bring benefits to the design and operation of the system, such as reducing the capacity of batteries, increasing the self-supply of buildings, and decreasing the electricity demand from the AC grid.
Catalytic Behaviour of CuO-CeO2 Systems Prepared by Different Synthetic Methodologies in the CO-PROX Reaction under CO2-H2O Feed Stream
Authors: Cecilia Juan , Arango-Díaz Ana , Marrero-Jerez Jaasiel , Núñez Pedro , Moretti Elisa , Storaro Loretta , Rodríguez-Castellón Enrique
Published: May 2017

CuO-CeO2 catalysts, with 6 wt % of Cu, have been synthesised by different preparation methods (calcination of nitrate precursors, thermal urea-nitrate combustion, freeze-drying method, using polymethyl metacrylate PMMA microspheres as template and precipitation using NaOH or the decomposition of urea as precipitating agents). The obtained materials have been characterised by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, N2 adsorption-desorption at −196 °C, H2 thermoprogrammed reduction (H2-TPR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The catalysts displayed high dispersion of copper oxide, obtaining CO conversion values of 90–100% at 115 °C in the CO preferential oxidation in excess of hydrogen (CO-PROX) and maintaining this activity even after 48 h of time on stream. The incorporation of CO2 and H2O in the feed stream (simulating a PROX unit) caused a decrease in the CO conversion, except for the catalyst synthesised using PMMA microspheres as a template which maintained a CO conversion of 95% at 115 °C. This catalyst exhibits an excellent catalytic performance, also under real operating conditions, thanks to many and concomitant factors, such as the very small CeO2 particle size (5.6 nm), the surface being rich in copper (atomic ratio Cu/Ce = 0.35) that is easily reducible, and the peculiar morphology and porosity of the material.
Reactivity of Copper Electrodes towards Functional Groups and Small Molecules in the Context of CO2 Electro-Reductions
Authors: Schmid Bernhard , Reller Christian , Neubauer Sebastian , Fleischer Maximilian , Dorta Romano , Schmid Guenter
Published: May 2017

The direct electro-reduction of CO2 to functional molecules like ethene is a highly desirable variant of CO2 utilization. The formation of, for example, ethene from CO2 is a multistep electrochemical process going through various intermediates. As these intermediates are organic species, the CO2 reducing electro-catalyst has to be competent for a variety of organic functional group transformations to yield the final product. In this work, the activity of an in situ-grown nano-structured copper catalyst towards a variety of organic functional group conversions was studied. The model reagents were selected from the product spectrum of actual CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) experiments and from proposals in the literature. The CO2 bulk electrolysis benchmark was conducted at 170 mAcm−2 current density with up to 43% Faradaic Efficiency (FE) for ethene and 23% FE for ethanol simultaneously. To assure relevance for application-oriented conditions, the reactivity screening was conducted at elevated current densities and, thus, overpotentials. The found reactivity pattern was then also transferred to the CO reduction reaction (CORR) under benchmark conditions yielding additional insights. The results suggest that at high current density/high overpotential conditions, also other ethene formation pathways apart from acetaldehyde reduction such as CH2 dimerization are present. A new suggestion for a high current density mechanism will be presented, which is in agreement with the experimental observations and the found activity pattern of copper cathodes toward organic functional group conversion.
Polymorphism and Structural Distortions of Mixed-Metal Oxide Photocatalysts Constructed with α-U3O8 Types of Layers
Authors: King Nacole , Boltersdorf Jonathan , Maggard Paul , Wong-Ng Winnie
Published: May 2017

A series of mixed-metal oxide structures based on the stacking of α-U3O8 type pentagonal bipyramid layers have been investigated for symmetry lowering distortions and photocatalytic activity. The family of structures contains the general composition Am+((n+1)/m)B(3n+1)O(8n+3) (e.g., A = Ag, Bi, Ca, Cu, Ce, Dy, Eu, Gd K, La, Nd, Pb, Pr, Sr, Y; B = Nb, Ta; m = 1–3; n = 1, 1.5, 2), and the edge-shared BO7 pentagonal pyramid single, double, and/or triple layers are differentiated by the average thickness, (i.e., 1 ≤ n ≤ 2), of the BO7 layers and the local coordination environment of the “A” site cations. Temperature dependent polymorphism has been investigated for structures containing single layered (n = 1) monovalent (m = 1) “A” site cations (e.g., Ag2Nb4O11, Na2Nb4O11, and Cu2Ta4O11). Furthermore, symmetry lowering distortions were observed for the Pb ion-exchange synthesis of Ag2Ta4O11 to yield PbTa4O11. Several members within the subset of the family have been constructed with optical and electronic properties that are suitable for the conversion of solar energy to chemical fuels via water splitting.
Can a Robot Have Free Will?
Authors: Farnsworth Keith
Published: May 2017

Using insights from cybernetics and an information-based understanding of biological systems, a precise, scientifically inspired, definition of free-will is offered and the essential requirements for an agent to possess it in principle are set out. These are: (a) there must be a self to self-determine; (b) there must be a non-zero probability of more than one option being enacted; (c) there must be an internal means of choosing among options (which is not merely random, since randomness is not a choice). For (a) to be fulfilled, the agent of self-determination must be organisationally closed (a “Kantian whole”). For (c) to be fulfilled: (d) options must be generated from an internal model of the self which can calculate future states contingent on possible responses; (e) choosing among these options requires their evaluation using an internally generated goal defined on an objective function representing the overall “master function” of the agent and (f) for “deep free-will”, at least two nested levels of choice and goal (d–e) must be enacted by the agent. The agent must also be able to enact its choice in physical reality. The only systems known to meet all these criteria are living organisms, not just humans, but a wide range of organisms. The main impediment to free-will in present-day artificial robots, is their lack of being a Kantian whole. Consciousness does not seem to be a requirement and the minimum complexity for a free-will system may be quite low and include relatively simple life-forms that are at least able to learn.
Bayesian Inference for Latent Factor Copulas and Application to Financial Risk Forecasting
Authors: Schamberger Benedikt , Gruber Lutz , Czado Claudia
Published: May 2017

Factor modeling is a popular strategy to induce sparsity in multivariate models as they scale to higher dimensions. We develop Bayesian inference for a recently proposed latent factor copula model, which utilizes a pair copula construction to couple the variables with the latent factor. We use adaptive rejection Metropolis sampling (ARMS) within Gibbs sampling for posterior simulation: Gibbs sampling enables application to Bayesian problems, while ARMS is an adaptive strategy that replaces traditional Metropolis-Hastings updates, which typically require careful tuning. Our simulation study shows favorable performance of our proposed approach both in terms of sampling efficiency and accuracy. We provide an extensive application example using historical data on European financial stocks that forecasts portfolio Value at Risk (VaR) and Expected Shortfall (ES).
Remittances and Household Expenditure in Nepal: Evidence from Cross-Section Data
Authors: Thapa Sridhar , Acharya Sanjaya
Published: May 2017

This paper examines the effect of remittances on household expenditure patterns applying propensity score matching methods that allow designing and analyzing observational data and enable reducing selection bias. We use data from the Nepal Living Standards Survey 2010/2011. In general, remittance recipient households tend to spend more on consumption, health and education as compared to remittance non-receiving households. Although the findings do not clearly provide evidence of either the productive or non-productive use of remittances, expenditures on non-food investment categories, such as durable goods, health and education, are more apparent among remittance-receiving households compared to remittance non-receiving households, which signal the prospect of a sustainable long-term welfare gain among the former.
Sensitivity Enhancement of a PPM Level Capacitive Moisture Sensor
Authors: Kumar Lokesh , Islam Tarikul , Mukhopadhyay Subhas
Published: May 2017

Measurement of moisture at ppm or ppb level is very difficult and the fabrication of such sensors at low cost is always challenging. High sensitivity is an important parameter for trace level (ppm) humidity sensors. Anelectronic detection circuit for interfacing the humidity sensor with high sensitivity requires a simple hardware circuit with few active devices. The recent trends for increasing the sensitivity include fabricating nanoporous film with a very large surface area. In the present work, the sensitivity of a parallel plate capacitive type sensor with metal oxide sensing film has been significantly improved with an aim to detect moisture from 3 to 100 ppm in the industrial process gases used to fabricate semiconductors and other sensitive electronic devices. The sensitivity has been increased by (i) fabricating a nanoporous film of aluminum oxide using the sol-gel method and (ii) increasing the cross-sectional area of a parallel plate capacitor. A novel double sided capacitive structure has been proposed where two capacitors have been fabricated—one on the top and one on the bottom side of a flat alumina substrate—and then the capacitors are connected in parallel. The structure has twice the sensitivity of a single sensor in the same ppm range but the size of the structure remains unchanged. The important characteristics of the sensors such as the sensitivity (S = Δ C Δ p p m × 100 ), the response time (tr), and the recovery time (tc) are determined and compared with a commercial SHAW, UKdew point meter. The fabricated double sided sensor has comparable sensitivity (S = 100%, tr (s) = 28, tc (s) = 40) with the commercial meter (S = 100.5%, tr (s) = 258) but has a faster response time. The proposed method of sensitivity enhancement is simple, and mass producible.
The Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Rogue Paramutation is Accompanied by Alterations in the Methylation Pattern of Specific Genomic Sequences
Authors: Santo Tatiana , Pereira Ricardo , Leitão José
Published: May 2017

The spontaneous emergence among common pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivars of off-type rogue plants exhibiting leaves with narrower and pointed leaflets and stipules and the non-Mendelian inheritance of this new phenotype were first described in the early 20th century. However, so far, no studies at the molecular level of this first identified case of paramutation have been carried out. In this study, we show for the first time that the pea rogue paramutation is accompanied by alterations in the methylation status of specific genomic sequences. Although, no significant differences were observed in the genome-wide DNA methylation in leaves of non-rogue cv. Onward in comparison to its rogue paramutant line JI2723, 22 DNA sequences were identified by methylation-sensitive amplified fragment length polymorphisms (MS-AFLP) analysis as differentially methylated in the two epigenomes. Mitotically inherited through all leaf tissues, the differential methylation patterns were also found to be meiotically inherited and conserved in pollen grains for 12 out of the 22 sequences. Fourteen of the sequences were successfully amplified in cDNA but none of them exhibited significant differential expression in the two contrasting epigenotypes. The further exploitation of the present research results on the way towards the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms behind this interesting epigenetic phenomenon is discussed.
Drought Influence over Radial Growth of Mexican Conifers Inhabiting Mesic and Xeric Sites
Authors: Pompa-García Marín , González-Cásares Marcos , Acosta-Hernández Andrea , Camarero Jesús , Rodríguez-Catón Milagros
Published: May 2017

Drought is a major constraint of forest productivity and tree growth across diverse habitat types. In this study, we investigated the drought responses of four conifer species growing within two locations of differing elevation and climatic conditions in northern Mexico. Two species were selected at a mesic site (Cupressus lusitanica Mill., Abies durangensis Martínez) and the other two species were sampled at a xeric site (Pinus engelmannii Carr., Pinus cembroides Zucc.). Using a dendrochronological approach, we correlated the radial-growth series of each species and the climatic variables. All study species positively responded to wet-cool conditions during winter and spring. Despite the close proximity of species at a mesic site, A. durangensis had high responsiveness to hydroclimatic variability, but C. lusitanica was not responsive. At the xeric site, P. engelmannii and P. cembroides were very responsive to drought severity, differentiated only by the longer time scale of the response to accumulated drought of P. engelmannii. The responsiveness to hydroclimate and drought of these tree species seems to be modulated by site conditions, or by the functional features of each species that are still little explored. These findings indicate that differentiating between mesic and xeric habitats is a too coarse approach in diverse forests with a high topographic heterogeneity.
Branch Wood Decomposition of Tree Species in a Deciduous Temperate Forest in Korea
Authors: Cha Sangsub , Chae Hee-Myung , Lee Sang-Hoon , Shim Jae-Kuk
Published: May 2017

Woody debris, which is supplied by branch litter, is an important component of forest ecosystems as it contains large quantities of organic matter and nutrients. We evaluated changes in branch wood dry weight and nutrient content of six common species (Fraxinus rhynchophylla, Pinus densiflora, Prunus sargentii, Quercus mongolica, Acer pseudosieboldianum, and Symplocos chinensis for. pilosa) in a deciduous temperate forest in Korea for 40 months. Branch wood disk samples 1.4–1.6 cm thick were cut, and mass loss was measured over time using the litterbag method. No significant differences in mass loss were recorded among the six tree species. Further, mass loss was negatively correlated with initial lignin concentration and positively correlated with both initial cellulose concentration and wood density for each species. Species with high wood cellulose content had high wood density while the lignin content in wood was relatively low. Accordingly, cellulose contributed to wood density, creating a relatively lower lignin content, and the decreased lignin concentration increased the wood decomposition rate.
A Simple Approach to Dynamic Optimisation of Flexible Optical Networks with Practical Application
Authors: Grout Vic
Published: May 2017

This paper provides an initial introduction to, and definition of, the ‘Dynamically Powered Relays for a Flexible Optical Network’ (DPR-FON) problem for opto-electro-optical (OEO) regenerators used in optical networks. In such networks, optical transmission parameters can be varied dynamically as traffic patterns change. This will provide different bandwidths, but also change the regeneration limits as a result. To support this flexibility, OEOs (‘relays’) may be switched on and off as required, thus saving power. DPR-FON is shown to be NP-complete; consequently, solving such a dynamic problem in real-time requires a fast heuristic capable of delivering an acceptable approximation to the optimal configuration with low complexity. In this paper, just such an algorithm is developed, implemented, and evaluated against more computationally-demanding alternatives for two known cases. A number of real-world extensions are considered as the paper develops, combining to produce the ‘Generalised Dynamically Powered Relays for a Flexible Optical Network’ (GDPR-FON) problem. This, too, is analysed and an associated fast heuristic proposed, along with an exploration of the further research that is required.
Mugilids Display Distinct Trait-Mediated Patterns with a Reinvasion of Para Grass Urochloa mutica in a Tropical Estuary
Authors: Sakihara Troy , Fukunaga Atsuko , Peyton Kimberly
Published: May 2017

Aggressive invasions by species such as para grass Urochloa mutica (Forssk.) are pervasive throughout the tropics, but the impacts on estuarine habitats and biota are poorly understood. After weed control was reduced in a tropical estuary, U. mutica reinvaded this area composed of two contiguous habitats: a shallow pond and a deeper river. These habitats are especially important for Mugil cephalus, a culturally prized native mullet, and introduced Moolgarda engeli not targeted in the fishery. We investigated the potential impacts of U. mutica on juvenile and adult mullets by comparing the catch per unit effort (CPUE) of the two mullet species and the physiochemical measurements from the two contiguous habitats during different stages of its reinvasion. Overall, negative effects on the CPUE of M. cephalus and M. engeli were found as a result of the U. mutica reinvasion. The M. cephalus CPUE was consistently higher in the shallow pond habitat compared to the deeper river habitat. It decreased after U. mutica was established, correlative to the invasive grass canopies smothering the shallow habitat favored by juveniles. The M. engeli CPUE significantly declined during the initial periods of U. mutica reinvasion, but did not decline further after the grass became established. No differences in the M. engeli CPUE between habitats were found, indicating that M. engeli are habitat generalists. These findings are among the first in an insular tropical estuary demonstrating a negative relationship between an invasive grass and relative abundances of two confamiliar fish, while revealing distinct patterns attributed to species-specific traits. Importantly, the broad overlapping biogeographic distribution of M. cephalus and U. mutica, and the negative relationship between these species, raises widespread concern for this mullet as a globally important fisheries species.
Instability and Route to Chaos in Porous Media Convection
Authors: Vadasz Peter
Published: May 2017

A review of the research on the instability of steady porous media convection leading to chaos, and the possibility of controlling the transition from steady convection to chaos is presented. The governing equations consisting of the continuity, the extended Darcy, and the energy equations subject to the assumption of local thermal equilibrium and the Boussinesq approximation are converted into a set of three nonlinear ordinary differential equations by assuming two-dimensional convection and expansion of the dependent variables into a truncated spectrum of modes. Analytical (weak nonlinear), computational (Adomian decomposition) as well as numerical (Runge-Kutta-Verner) solutions to the resulting set of equations are presented and compared to each other. The analytical solution for the transition point to chaos is identical to the computational and numerical solutions in the neighborhood of a convective fixed point and deviates from the accurate computational and numerical solutions as the initial conditions deviate from the neighborhood of a convective fixed point. The control of this transition is also discussed.
Emotions and Behavior Regulation in Decision Dilemmas
Authors: Gómez-Miñambres Joaquin , Schniter Eric
Published: May 2017

We introduce a dynamic model of emotional behavior regulation that can generalize to a wide range of decision dilemmas. Dilemmas are characterized by availability of mutually exclusive goals that a decision maker is dually motivated to pursue. In our model, previous goal pursuant decisions produce negative emotions that regulate an individual’s propensity to further pursue those goals at future times. This emotional regulation of behavior helps explain the non-stationarity and switching observed between so-called “preferences” revealed in repeated decision dilemmas (e.g., by choosing A over B at time 1, then choosing B over A at time 2). We also explain how behavior regulation under dilemma conditions is affected by the set of available options and how the strength and decay rate of emotions affect the tendency to choose behaviors pursuant of extremely (rather than moderately) different options over time. We discuss how emotional behavior regulation insights provided by our model can extend to a variety of topics including approach and avoidance, temptation and self-control, moral balancing, impulse buying and shopping momentum, dieting and exercise, work and leisure, sleep regulation, cooperation, and competition.
Comparing Manual and Semi-Automated Landslide Mapping Based on Optical Satellite Images from Different Sensors
Authors: Hölbling Daniel , Eisank Clemens , Albrecht Florian , Vecchiotti Filippo , Friedl Barbara , Weinke Elisabeth , Kociu Arben
Published: May 2017

Object-based image analysis (OBIA) has been increasingly used to map geohazards such as landslides on optical satellite images. OBIA shows various advantages over traditional image analysis methods due to its potential for considering various properties of segmentation-derived image objects (spectral, spatial, contextual, and textural) for classification. For accurately identifying and mapping landslides, however, visual image interpretation is still the most widely used method. The major question therefore is if semi-automated methods such as OBIA can achieve results of comparable quality in contrast to visual image interpretation. In this paper we apply OBIA for detecting and delineating landslides in five selected study areas in Austria and Italy using optical Earth Observation (EO) data from different sensors (Landsat 7, SPOT-5, WorldView-2/3, and Sentinel-2) and compare the OBIA mapping results to outcomes from visual image interpretation. A detailed evaluation of the mapping results per study area and sensor is performed by a number of spatial accuracy metrics, and the advantages and disadvantages of the two approaches for landslide mapping on optical EO data are discussed. The analyses show that both methods produce similar results, whereby the achieved accuracy values vary between the study areas.
Racial Differences in Patient-Reported Post-Stroke Disability in Older Adults
Authors: Ellis Charles , Magwood Gayenell , White Brandi
Published: May 2017

Longstanding disparities have been reported in stroke-related outcomes with blacks experiencing more post-stroke disabilities. Little is known about long-term disability outcomes among older stroke survivors. This study was a retrospective analysis of data from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). A group of 655 stroke survivors (541 white and 114 black) age 65 and older were asked to rate their ability to complete 10 functional tasks without special equipment. Univariate comparisons were completed using t-tests and chi-square statistics for racial comparisons of disability reports. Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine odds of reporting disability after controlling for relevant covariates. The mean age of the sample was 76.6 years. After controlling for relevant covariates, white stroke survivors were less likely to report the following tasks being “very difficult/can’t do at all” without using special equipment compared to blacks: reach overhead (OR = 0.39, 95% CI 0.23–0.65; p = 0.000) and grasp small objects (OR = 0.42, 95% CI 0.25–0.73; p = 0.002). Both black and white older stroke survivors experience significant post-stroke disability across a range of functional tasks. Slightly greater long term post-stroke disability appears to exist among older blacks.
The Standardization and Harmonization of Land Cover Classification Systems towards Harmonized Datasets: A Review
Authors: Yang Hui , Li Songnian , Chen Jun , Zhang Xiaolu , Xu Shishuo
Published: May 2017

A number of national, regional and global land cover classification systems have been developed to meet specific user requirements for land cover mapping exercises, independent of scale, nomenclature and quality. However, this variety of land-cover classification systems limits the compatibility and comparability of land cover data. Furthermore, the current lack of interoperability between different land cover datasets, often stemming from incompatible land cover classification systems, makes analysis of multi-source, heterogeneous land cover data for various applications a very difficult task. This paper provides a critical review of the harmonization of land cover classification systems, which facilitates the generation, use and analysis of land cover maps consistently. Harmonization of existing land cover classification systems is essential to improve their cross-comparison and validation for understanding landscape patterns and changes. The paper reviews major land cover classification standards according to different scales, summarizes studies on harmonizing land cover mapping, and discusses some research problems that need to be solved and some future research directions.
Neurotrauma: The Crosstalk between Neurotrophins and Inflammation in the Acutely Injured Brain
Authors: Da Silva Meirelles Lindolfo , Simon Daniel , Regner Andrea
Published: May 2017

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among young individuals worldwide. Understanding the pathophysiology of neurotrauma is crucial for the development of more effective therapeutic strategies. After the trauma occurs, immediate neurologic damage is produced by the traumatic forces; this primary injury triggers a secondary wave of biochemical cascades together with metabolic and cellular changes, called secondary neural injury. In the scenario of the acutely injured brain, the ongoing secondary injury results in ischemia and edema culminating in an uncontrollable increase in intracranial pressure. These areas of secondary injury progression, or areas of “traumatic penumbra”, represent crucial targets for therapeutic interventions. Neurotrophins are a class of signaling molecules that promote survival and/or maintenance of neurons. They also stimulate axonal growth, synaptic plasticity, and neurotransmitter synthesis and release. Therefore, this review focuses on the role of neurotrophins in the acute post-injury response. Here, we discuss possible endogenous neuroprotective mechanisms of neurotrophins in the prevailing environment surrounding the injured areas, and highlight the crosstalk between neurotrophins and inflammation with focus on neurovascular unit cells, particularly pericytes. The perspective is that neurotrophins may represent promising targets for research on neuroprotective and neurorestorative processes in the short-term following TBI.
The Impact of SMAD4 Loss on Outcome in Patients with Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Treated with Systemic Chemotherapy
Authors: Ormanns Steffen , Haas Michael , Remold Anna , Kruger Stephan , Holdenrieder Stefan , Kirchner Thomas , Heinemann Volker , Boeck Stefan
Published: May 2017

The role of the tumor suppressor mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4 (SMAD4) has not yet been defined in patients (pts) with advanced pancreatic cancer (aPC). This translational research study was designed to evaluate the impact of tumoral SMAD4 loss on clinicopathological parameters and outcome in PC patients receiving palliative chemotherapy. Using immunohistochemistry, we examined SMAD4 expression in tumor tissue of 143 aPC pts treated within completed prospective clinical and biomarker trials. In uni- and multivariate analyses, SMAD4 expression status was correlated to clinicopathological patient characteristics and outcome. At chemotherapy initiation, 128 pts had metastatic PC; most pts (n = 99) received a gemcitabine-based regimen. SMAD4 loss was detected in 92 pts (64%); patient characteristics such as gender, age, tumor grading, disease stage or number of metastatic sites had no significant impact on tumoral SMAD4 status. In univariate analyses, SMAD4 loss had no impact on overall survival (hazard ratio (HR) 1.008, p = 0.656); however, we observed a prolonged progression-free survival (HR 1.565, p = 0.038) in pts with tumoral SMAD4 loss. This finding was confirmed in multivariate analyses (HR 1.790, p = 0.040), but only for gemcitabine-treated pts. In contrast to previous studies in resectable PC, loss of SMAD4 expression was not associated with a negative outcome in patients with advanced PC receiving systemic chemotherapy.
How Ketamine Affects Livers of Pregnant Mice and Developing Mice?
Authors: Cheung Hoi , Chow Tony , Yew David
Published: May 2017

It is well known that ketamine abuse can induce liver damage in adult addicts, but the effects of ketamine abuse in pregnant mothers on their offspring have received less attention. In this study, we investigated the effects of 5-day ketamine injections (30 mg/kg) to pregnant Institute for Cancer Research (ICR) mice during early gestation or mid-gestation on the aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities of the mothers and the offspring. We also looked into whether administering ketamine treatment to the mothers had any effects on the extent of fibrosis, cell proliferation and cell death in the livers of the newborns. No significant biochemical differences were found between treatment and control groups in the mothers. In the offspring, ketamine treatment mildly suppressed the gradual increase of hepatic AST activity in neonates during liver maturation. Measurements of hepatic ALP activity and lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) immunoreactivity revealed that ketamine treatment may lead to increased cell death. Proliferation of liver cells of the newborns was also retarded as shown by reduced proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunoreactivity in the ketamine groups. No obvious fibrosis was evident. Thus, we demonstrated that ketamine administration to pregnant mice suppressed hepatic development and also induced liver cell death of the offspring.
Oxidative Stress: Promoter of Allergic Sensitization to Protease Allergens?
Authors: Van Rijt Leonie , Utsch Lara , Lutter René , Van Ree Ronald
Published: May 2017

Allergies arise from aberrant T helper type 2 responses to allergens. Several respiratory allergens possess proteolytic activity, which has been recognized to act as an adjuvant for the development of a Th2 response. Allergen source-derived proteases can activate the protease-activated receptor-2, have specific effects on immune cells by cleaving cell membrane-bound regulatory molecules, and can disrupt tight junctions. The protease activity can induce a non-allergen-specific inflammatory response in the airways, which will set the stage for an allergen-specific Th2 response. In this review, we will discuss the evidence for the induction of oxidative stress as an underlying mechanism in Th2 sensitization to proteolytic allergens. We will discuss recent data linking the proteolytic activity of an allergen to its potential to induce oxidative stress and how this can facilitate allergic sensitization. Based on experimental data, we propose that a less proficient anti-oxidant response to allergen-induced oxidative stress contributes to the susceptibility to allergic sensitization. Besides the effect of oxidative stress on the immune response, we will also discuss how oxidative stress can increase the immunogenicity of an allergen by chemical modification.
Analysis of the Aerodynamic and Structural Performance of a Cooling Fan with Morphing Blade
Authors: Suman Alessio , Fortini Annalisa , Aldi Nicola , Pinelli Michele , Merlin Mattia
Published: May 2017

The concept of smart morphing blades, which can control themselves to reduce or eliminate the need for active control systems, is a highly attractive solution in blade technology. In this paper, an innovative passive control system based on Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) is proposed. On the basis of previous thermal and shape characterization of a single morphing blade for a heavy-duty automotive cooling axial fan, this study deals with the numerical analysis of the aerodynamic loads acting on the fan. By coupling computational fluid dynamics and finite element method approaches, it is possible to analyze the actual blade shape resulting from both the aerodynamic and centrifugal loads. The numerical results indicate that the polymeric blade structure ensures proper resistance and enables shape variation due to the action of the SMA strips.
A Two-Stage Joint Model for Domain-Specific Entity Detection and Linking Leveraging an Unlabeled Corpus
Authors: Zhang Hongzhi , Zhang Weili , Huang Tinglei , Liang Xiao , Fu Kun
Published: May 2017

The intensive construction of domain-specific knowledge bases (DSKB) has posed an urgent demand for researches about domain-specific entity detection and linking (DSEDL). Joint models are usually adopted in DSEDL tasks, but data imbalance and high computational complexity exist in these models. Besides, traditional feature representation methods are insufficient for domain-specific tasks, due to problems such as lack of labeled data, link sparseness in DSKBs, and so on. In this paper, a two-stage joint (TSJ) model is proposed to solve the data imbalance problem by discriminatively processing entity mentions with different degrees of ambiguity. In addition, three novel methods are put forward to generate effective features by incorporating an unlabeled corpus. One crucial feature involving entity detection is the mention type, extracted by a long short-term memory (LSTM) model trained on automatically annotated data. The other two types of features mainly involve entity linking, including the inner-document topical coherence, which is measured based on entity co-occurring relationships in the corpus, and the cross-document entity coherence evaluated using similar documents. An overall 74.26% F1 value is obtained on a dataset of real-world movie comments, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed approach and indicating its potentiality to be used in real-world domain-specific applications.
eButterfly: Leveraging Massive Online Citizen Science for Butterfly Conservation
Authors: Prudic Kathleen , McFarland Kent , Oliver Jeffrey , Hutchinson Rebecca , Long Elizabeth , Kerr Jeremy , Larrivée Maxim
Published: May 2017

Data collection, storage, analysis, visualization, and dissemination are changing rapidly due to advances in new technologies driven by computer science and universal access to the internet. These technologies and web connections place human observers front and center in citizen science-driven research and are critical in generating new discoveries and innovation in such fields as astronomy, biodiversity, and meteorology. Research projects utilizing a citizen science approach address scientific problems at regional, continental, and even global scales otherwise impossible for a single lab or even a small collection of academic researchers. Here we describe eButterfly an integrative checklist-based butterfly monitoring and database web-platform that leverages the skills and knowledge of recreational butterfly enthusiasts to create a globally accessible unified database of butterfly observations across North America. Citizen scientists, conservationists, policy makers, and scientists are using eButterfly data to better understand the biological patterns of butterfly species diversity and how environmental conditions shape these patterns in space and time. eButterfly in collaboration with thousands of butterfly enthusiasts has created a near real-time butterfly data resource producing tens of thousands of observations per year open to all to share and explore.