bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Two-Level Evolutionary Multi-objective Optimization of a District Heating System with Distributed Cogeneration
Authors: Casisi Melchiorre , Costanzo Stefano , Pinamonti Piero , Reini Mauro
Published: December 2018

The paper deals with the modeling and optimization of an integrated multi-component energy system. On-off operation and presence-absence of components must be described by means of binary decision variables, besides equality and inequality constraints; furthermore, the synthesis and the operation of the energy system should be optimized at the same time. In this paper a hierarchical optimization strategy is used, adopting a genetic algorithm in the higher optimization level, to choose the main binary decision variables, whilst a MILP algorithm is used in the lower level, to choose the optimal operation of the system and to supply the merit function to the genetic algorithm. The method is then applied to a distributed generation system, which has to be designed for a set of users located in the center of a small town in the North-East of Italy. The results show the advantage of distributed cogeneration, when the optimal synthesis and operation of the whole system are adopted, and significant reduction in the computing time by using the proposed two-level optimization procedure.
Active Dielectric Window: A New Concept of Combined Acoustic Emission and Electromagnetic Partial Discharge Detector for Power Transformers
Authors: Sikorski Wojciech
Published: December 2018

The detection and location of partial discharge (PD) is of great significance in evaluating the insulation condition of power transformers. This paper presents an active dielectric window (ADW), which is a new concept of combined acoustic emission (AE) and electromagnetic PD detector intended for assembly in a transformer’s inspection hatch. The novelty of this design lies in the fact that all structural components of an ultrasonic transducer, i.e., the matching and backing layer, an active piezoelectric element with electrodes, and electrical leads, were built into a dielectric window. Due to the fact that its construction was optimized for work in mineral oil, it is characterized by much higher sensitivity of PD detection than a general-purpose AE sensor mounted outside a transformer tank. Laboratory tests showed that the amplitude of the AE pulses generated by creeping discharges, which were registered by the ADW, was around five times higher on average than the pulses registered by a commonly used contact transducer. A possibility of simultaneous detection of acoustic and electromagnetic pulses (with an integrated ultra-high frequency (UHF) antenna) is an important advantage of the ADW. It allows for an increase in the reliability of PD detection, the accuracy of defect location, and the effectiveness of disturbance identification. This paper describes in detail the applied methods of designing and modeling the ADW components, the manufacturing process of the prototype construction, and the results of preliminary laboratory tests, in which the detector’s sensitivity as well as the efficiency of the PD source location were evaluated.
Vehicle Electrification: New Challenges and Opportunities for Smart Grids
Authors: Monteiro Vitor , Afonso Jose A. , Ferreira Joao C. , Afonso Joao L.
Published: December 2018

Nowadays, concerns about climate change have contributed significantly to changing the paradigm in the urban transportation sector towards vehicle electrification, where purely electric or hybrid vehicles are increasingly a new reality, supported by all major automotive brands. Nevertheless, new challenges are imposed on the current electrical power grids in terms of a synergistic, progressive, dynamic and stable integration of electric mobility. Besides the traditional unidirectional charging, more and more, the adoption of a bidirectional interconnection is expected to be a reality. In addition, whenever the vehicle is plugged-in, the on-board power electronics can also be used for other purposes, such as in the event of a power failure, regardless if the vehicle is in charging mode or not. Other new opportunities, from the electrical grid point of view, are even more relevant in the context of off-board power electronics systems, which can be enhanced with new features as, for example, compensation of power quality problems or interface with renewable energy sources. In this sense, this paper aims to present, in a comprehensive way, the new challenges and opportunities that smart grids are facing, including the new technologies in the vehicle electrification, towards a sustainable future. A theoretical analysis is also presented and supported by experimental validation based on developed laboratory prototypes.
Recent Developments in Solar Thermal Desalination Technologies: A Review
Authors: Ullah Ihsan , Rasul Mohammad G.
Published: December 2018

Fresh water resources are depleting rapidly as the water demand around the world continues to increase. Fresh water resources are also not equally distributed geographically worldwide. The best way to tackle this situation is to use solar energy for desalination to not only cater for the water needs of humanity, but also to offset some detrimental environmental effects of desalination. A comprehensive review of the latest literature on various desalination technologies utilizing solar energy is presented here. This paper also highlights the environmental impacts of desalination technologies along with an economic analysis and cost comparison of conventional desalination methods with different solar energy based technologies. This review is part of an investigation into integration of solar thermal desalination into existing grid infrastructure in the Australian context.
An Innovative Calibration Scheme for Interharmonic Analyzers in Power Systems under Asynchronous Sampling
Authors: Guo Qiang , Wu Jing , Jin Haibin , Peng Cheng
Published: December 2018

Power-quality analyzers are commonly used in power systems to estimate waveform distortion, including the parameters of harmonics/interharmonics. In our study, a calibration scheme was developed and verified. This scheme is capable of calibrating the interharmonics specification of power-quality analyzers under asynchronous sampling. In our scheme, the hardware structure is composed of an interharmonic signal source, a wide-frequency resistive voltage divider, a broadband current shunt, and a data acquisition system. A new algorithm, based on discrete Fourier transform and interpolation, is presented. The procedure is implemented by LabVIEW software to process the sampling data and obtain the final interharmonic parameters. The test results of the amplitudes of the interharmonic current and voltage indicate that the calibration accuracy is 3.0‰ (16 Hz–6 kHz) and 6.8‰ (6 kHz–9 kHz) for the voltage signal, and 3.5‰ (16 Hz–6 kHz) and 6.5‰ (6 kHz–9 kHz) for the current signal. This index is higher than that acquired by the recommended methods in the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard.
Experimental and Numerical Thermal Analysis of Multi-Layered Microchannel Heat Sink for Concentrating Photovoltaic Application
Authors: Al Siyabi Idris , Khanna Sourav , Sundaram Senthilarasu , Mallick Tapas
Published: December 2018

Concentrating photovoltaic has a major challenge due to the high temperature raised during the process which reduces the efficiency of the solar cell. A multi-layered microchannel heat sink technique is considered more efficient in terms of heat removal and pumping power among many other cooling techniques. Thus, in the current work, multi-layered microchannel heat sink is used for concentrating photovoltaic cooling. The thermal behavior of the system is experimentally and numerically investigated. The results show that in extreme heating load of 30 W/cm2 with heat transfer fluid flow rate of 30 mL/min, increasing the number of layers from one to four reduces the heat source temperature from 88.55 to 73.57 °C. In addition, the single layered MLM heat sink suffers from the highest non-uniformity in the heat source temperature compared to the heat sinks with the higher number of layers. Additionally, the results show that increasing the number of layers from one to four reduces the pressure drop from 162.79 to 32.75 Pa.
Performance of C2H4 Reductant in Activated-Carbon- Supported MnOx-based SCR Catalyst at Low Temperatures
Authors: Liu Guangli , Han Dongtai , Cheng Jie , Feng Yongshi , Quan Wenbin , Yang Li , Saito Kozo
Published: December 2018

Hydrocarbons as reductants show promising results for replacing NH3 in SCR technology. Therefore, considerable interest exists for developing low-temperature (<200 °C) and environmentally friendly HC-SCR catalysts. Hence, C2H4 was examined as a reductant using activated-carbon-supported MnOx-based catalyst in low-temperature SCR operation. Its sensitivity to Mn concentration and operating temperature was parametrically studied, the results of which showed that the catalyst activity followed the order of 130 °C > 150 °C > 180 °C with an optimized Mn concentration near 3.0 wt.%. However, rapid deactivation of catalytic activity also occurred when using C2H4 as the reductant. The mechanism of deactivation was explored and is discussed herein in which deactivation is attributed to two factors. The manganese oxide was reduced to Mn3O4 during reaction testing, which contained relatively low activity compared to Mn2O3. Also, increased crystallinity of the reduced manganese and the formation of carbon black occurred during SCR reaction testing, and these constituents on the catalyst’s surface blocked pores and active sites from participating in catalytic activity.
Comparison and Optimization of Methane Hydrate Production Process Using Different Methods in a Single Vertical Well
Authors: Liang Yun-Pei , Liu Shu , Wan Qing-Cui , Li Bo , Liu Hang , Han Xiao
Published: December 2018

Natural gas hydrate (NGH) is a potential type of clean and efficient energy that is widely distributed in the ocean and permafrost, and most of the present researches are mainly focused on finding out efficient exploitation methods. Taking the effects of natural gas productivity and extraction time into account, one of the exploitation methods that are most commonly investigated is depressurization combined with thermal stimulation. However, few studies considered the effect of different mining methods on NGH production in vertical wells, especially aiming at the in-situ electric heating without mass injection and the comparison of production efficiency in different modes. Considering the current research status, four exploitation methods which are pure depressurization (PD), pure heating (PH), simultaneous depressurization combined with electric heating (SDH) and huff and puff (H&P) were carried out in this paper to study the influences of different production methods on NGH exploitation in a vertical well. Some parameters such as gas production (VP), water production (CP) and the energy efficiency (η) were investigated to evaluate the production performance of these methods. The results suggest that the temperature in the reactor is affected by the exploitation methods as well as the water production during exploitation. For PD, although it has no extra energy consumption, the longest production period is seen in it due to the insufficient pressure driving force. On the contrary, the NGH cannot be completely exploited only triggered by heating driving force with PH method. So there is a limited decomposition effect with it. Taking the gas production time, the VP, and the NGH dissociation rate into account, the production effects of SDH are more beneficial than other methods as the dual decomposition driving force was adopted in it. Furthermore, a reasonable heating power can result in a better production performance. On the other hand, promoted by pressure difference and discontinuous heating, H&P shows its obvious advantage in shortening production duration and improving energy efficiency, which is therefore believed to have the best commercial exploitation value among the four methods.
Fatty Acids, Hydrocarbons and Terpenes of Nannochloropsis and Nannochloris Isolates with Potential for Biofuel Production
Authors: López-Rosales Alan Rodrigo , Ancona-Canché Katia , Chavarria-Hernandez Juan Carlos , Barahona-Pérez Felipe , Toledano-Thompson Tanit , Garduño-Solórzano Gloria , López-Adrian Silvia , Canto-Canché Blondy , Polanco-Lugo Erik , Valdez-Ojeda Ruby
Published: December 2018

Marine microalgae are a promising feedstock for biofuel production given their high growth rates and biomass production together with cost reductions due to the use of seawater for culture preparation. However, different microalgae species produce different families of compounds. Some compounds could be used directly as fuels, while others require thermochemical processing to obtain quality biofuels. This work focuses on the characterization of three marine microalgae strains native in Mexico and reported for the first time. Ultrastructure and phylogenetic analysis, suggested that they belong to Nannochloropsis sp. (NSRE-1 and NSRE-2) and Nannochloris sp. (NRRE-1). The composition of their lipid fractions included hydrocarbons, triacylglycerides (TAGs), free fatty acids (FFAs) and terpenes. Based on theoretical estimations from TAG and FFA composition, the potential biodiesels were found to comply with six of the seven estimated properties (ASTM D6751 and EN 14214). On the other hand, hydrocarbons and terpenes synthesized by the strains have outstanding potential as precursors for the production of other renewable fuels, mainly green diesel and bio-jet fuel, which are “drop-in” fuels with quality properties similar to fossil fuels. The validity of this theoretical analysis was demonstrated for the oxygenates of strain NSRE-2, which were experimentally hydrodeoxygenated, obtaining a high-quality renewable diesel as the reaction product.
Design and Analysis of a Repetitive Current Controller for a Single-Phase Bridgeless SEPIC PFC Converter
Authors: Kim Jinwoo , Han Sanghun , Cho Wontae , Cho Younghoon , Koh Hyunsoo
Published: December 2018

This paper studies a repetitive controller design scheme for a bridgeless single-ended primary inductor converter (SEPIC) power factor correction (PFC) converter to mitigate input current distortions. A small signal modeling of the converter is performed by a fifth-order model. Since the fifth-order model is complex to be applied in designing a current controller, the model is approximated to a third-order model. Using the third-order model, the repetitive controller is designed to reduce the input current distortion. Then, the stability of the repetitive controller is verified with an error transfer function. The proposed controller performance is validated by simulation, and the experiment results show that the input current total harmonic distortion (THD) is improved by applying the proposed controller for an 800 W bridgeless SEPIC PFC converter prototype.
Flow and Temperature Characteristics of a 15° Backward-Inclined Jet Flame in Crossflow
Authors: Hsu Ching Min , Mosiria Dickson Bwana , Jhan Wei Chih
Published: December 2018

The flow and flame characteristics of a 15° backward-inclined jet flame in crossflow were investigated in a wind tunnel. The flow structures, flame behaviors, and temperature fields were measured. The jet-to-crossflow momentum flux ratio was less than 7.0. The flow patterns were investigated using photography and Mie-scattering techniques. Meanwhile, the velocity fields were observed using particle image velocimetry techniques, whereas the flame behaviors were studied using photographic techniques. The flame temperatures were probed using a fine-wire R-type thermocouple. Three flame modes were identified: crossflow dominated flames, which were characterized by a blue flame connected to a down-washed yellow recirculation flame; transitional flames identified by a yellow recirculation flame and an elongated yellow tail flame; and detached jet dominated flames denoted by a blue flame base connected to a yellow tail flame. The effect of the flow characteristics on the combustion performance in different flame regimes is presented and discussed. The upwind shear layer of the bent jet exhibited different coherent structures as the jet-to-crossflow momentum flux ratio increased. The transitional flames and detached jet dominated flames presented a double peak temperature distribution in the symmetry plane at x/d = 60. The time-averaged velocity field of the crossflow dominated flames displayed a standing vortex in the wake region, whereas that of the detached jet dominated flames displayed a jet-wake vortex and a wake region source point.
Generating Tree-Level Harvest Predictions from Forest Inventories with Random Forests
Authors: Kilham Philipp , Hartebrodt Christoph , Kändler Gerald
Published: December 2018

Wood supply predictions from forest inventories involve two steps. First, it is predicted whether harvests occur on a plot in a given time period. Second, for plots on which harvests are predicted to occur, the harvested volume is predicted. This research addresses this second step. For forests with more than one species and/or forests with trees of varying dimensions, overall harvested volume predictions are not satisfactory and more detailed predictions are required. The study focuses on southwest Germany where diverse forest types are found. Predictions are conducted for plots on which harvests occurred in the 2002–2012 period. For each plot, harvest probabilities of sample trees are predicted and used to derive the harvested volume (m³ over bark in 10 years) per hectare. Random forests (RFs) have become popular prediction models as they define the interactions and relationships of variables in an automatized way. However, their suitability for predicting harvest probabilities for inventory sample trees is questionable and has not yet been examined. Generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) are suitable in this context as they can account for the nested structure of tree-level data sets (trees nested in plots). It is unclear if RFs can cope with this data structure. This research aims to clarify this question by comparing two RFs—an RF based on conditional inference trees (CTree-RF), and an RF based on classification and regression trees (CART-RF)—with a GLMM. For this purpose, the models were fitted on training data and evaluated on an independent test set. Both RFs achieved better prediction results than the GLMM. Regarding plot-level harvested volumes per ha, they achieved higher variances explained (VEs) and significantly (p < 0.05) lower mean absolute residuals when compared to the GLMM. VEs were 0.38 (CTree-RF), 0.37 (CART-RF), and 0.31 (GLMM). Root means squared errors were 138.3, 139.9 and 145.5, respectively. The research demonstrates the suitability and advantages of RFs for predicting harvest decisions on the level of inventory sample trees. RFs can become important components within the generation of business-as-usual wood supply scenarios worldwide as they are able to learn and predict harvest decisions from NFIs in an automatized and self-adapting way. The applied approach is not restricted to specific forests or harvest regimes and delivers detailed species and dimension information for the harvested volumes.
On the Generalized Kinetic Equation for Surface Gravity Waves, Blow-Up and Its Restraint
Authors: Andrade David , Stuhlmeier Raphael , Stiassnie Michael
Published: December 2018

This article is concerned with the non-linear interaction of homogeneous random ocean surface waves. Under this umbrella, numerous kinetic equations have been derived to study the evolution of the spectral action density, each employing slightly different assumptions. Using analytical and numerical tools, and providing exact formulas, we demonstrate that the recently derived generalized kinetic equation exhibits blow up in finite time for certain degenerate quartets of waves. This is discussed in light of the assumptions made in the derivation, and this equation is contrasted with other kinetic equations for the spectral action density.
Verification of Photometric Parallaxes with Gaia DR2 Data
Authors: Malkov Oleg , Karpov Sergey , Kovaleva Dana , Sichevsky Sergey , Chulkov Dmitry , Dluzhnevskaya Olga , Kniazev Alexey , Mickaelian Areg , Mironov Alexey , Murthy Jayant , Sytov Alexey , Zhao Gang , Zhukov Aleksandr
Published: December 2018

Results of comparison of Gaia DR2 parallaxes with data derived from a combined analysis of 2MASS (Two Micron All-Sky Survey), SDSS (Sloan Digital Sky Survey), GALEX (Galaxy Evolution Explorer), and UKIDSS (UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey) surveys in four selected high-latitude | b | > 48° sky areas are presented. It is shown that multicolor photometric data from large modern surveys can be used for parameterization of stars closer than 4400 pc and brighter than g S D S S = 19 . m 6 , including estimation of parallax and interstellar extinction value. However, the stellar luminosity class should be properly determined.
Simulations of Fine-Meshed Biaxial Tests with Barodesy
Authors: Medicus Gertraud , Schneider-Muntau Barbara
Published: December 2018

Recent experimental studies showed that shear band development starts at the beginning of triaxial tests. In experimental testing, it is impossible to obtain a soil sample with a homogeneous void ratio. Therefore, a homogeneous deformation, i.e., an element test, is questionable well before the peak. In this article we carry out finite element simulations of fine-meshed biaxial tests with the constitutive model barodesy, where the stress rate is formulated as a function of stress, stretching and void ratio. The initial void ratio in the simulations is normally distributed over all elements in a narrow range. In this article, we evaluate the pre-peak shear band development. We further compare stress paths and stress-strain curves of the biaxial test of relevant elements (e.g., in- and outside the shear band) with the results of the average response of all elements. We show how the response in an element test differs from the average response of the fine-meshed test. We present the resulting potential for understanding (early) shear band development and stress-strain behaviour in a biaxial test: The inhomogeneous void ratio distribution in a sample favours early shear band development. This effect is modelled with barodesy. The obtained stress paths and stress-strain curves show that the maximum deviatoric stress is higher in the element test than it is in the average response of the fine-meshed test.
Analysis of the Spatial Patterns of Rainfall across the Agro-Climatic Zones of Jema Watershed in the Northwestern Highlands of Ethiopia
Authors: Taye Mintesinot , Simane Belay , Zaitchik Benjamin F. , Setegn Shimelis , Selassie Yihenew G.
Published: December 2018

The association between elevation (agro-climatic zones, ACZs) and the mean annual total rainfall (MATRF) is not straightforward in different parts of the world. This study sought to estimate the amount of MATRF across four elevation zones of Jema watershed, which is situated in the northwestern highlands of Ethiopia, by employing an appropriate interpolation method. The elevation of the watershed ranges from 1895 to 3518 m a.s.l. For the sake of this study, 34 sample MATRF data were extracted from satellite and nearby gauge stations that were recorded from 1983 to 2010. These data sources were reconstructed by International Research Institute for Climate and Society at Columbia University, USA, at a scale of 10 km by 10 km. An elevation data set generated from a digital elevation model with 30-m resolution (DEM 30 m) was considered as a covariable to estimate the MATRF. To identify the optimal interpolation model, mean errors were computed using cross-validation statistics. The root-mean-square error (RMSE) analysis showed that ordinary cokriging (OCK) was the most accurate model with a predictive power of 87.3%. The root-mean-square standardized (RMSSE) analysis showed that the best precision value (0.72) occurred in OCK. Stable and Gaussian trend lines together with local polynomial types of trend removal, and an elliptical neighborhood search function could perform best to maximize the accuracy and the precision of estimating MATRF. Elevation, as a covariable, enhanced the degree of accuracy and precision of estimation. The value of the trend line function (least square) between the MATRF and elevation was very weak (R2 = 0.07), whereas the value of trend line function (least square) between the MATRF and the longitude coordinates (east–west direction) was medium (R2 = 0.34). The estimated MATRF for the entire watershed under study ranged from 1228 to 1640 mm. To conclude, elevation could contribute to the estimation of the MATRF. The value of the MATRF showed a declining pattern from the lower to higher elevation areas of the watershed.
Delirium Stigma Among Healthcare Staff
Authors: Mukaetova-Ladinska Elizabeta B. , Cosker Glynis , Chan Mahathir , Coppock Michael , Scully Ann , Kim Seon-Young , Kim Sung-Wan , McNally Richard J. Q. , Teodorczuk Andrew
Published: December 2018

Older people with delirium occupy more than one third of acute medical beds and require increased medical attention, as care at present is suboptimal. In addition, since delirium is undetected, it should form a target for teaching in wards. Moreover, as people with delirium are largely dependent on daily interactions and care by inpatients professional staff, it is important to address stigmatisation of these vulnerable patients. This is especially important as previous studies have shown that negative staff attitudes towards these patients undermine good care. This single center cross-sectional study was designed to determine the extent of institutional stigma among health professionals involved in the care of people with delirium. For this, professional staff working on medical wards and in communities were approached to fill in a questionnaire containing the adapted Delirium Stigma Scale and the EuroQol five dimensions (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire. Additional demographic information concerning their education and professional and personal experience with delirium was also collected. The characteristics associated with stigma were determined from the sample. The findings of our study provide an insight into the high level of stigmatisation of delirium patients among professionals (mean 11.66/18 points). This was not related to professionals’ own experiences of delirium, their educational and professional backgrounds, or them having received formal delirium education. However, working closely with people with delirium seems to have a positive impact on the de-stigmatisation of this population among health professionals. Our findings that attitudes are not influenced by formal delirium teaching need to be incorporated into the design of interprofessional educational interventions. Accordingly, we advocate more direct patient-oriented and care delivered teaching interventions.
What can Secondary Data Tell Us about Household Food Insecurity in a High-Income Country Context?
Authors: Ejebu Ourega-Zoé , Whybrow Stephen , Mckenzie Lynda , Dowler Elizabeth , Garcia Ada L , Ludbrook Anne , Barton Karen Louise , Wrieden Wendy Louise , Douglas Flora
Published: December 2018

In the absence of routinely collected household food insecurity data, this study investigated what could be determined about the nature and prevalence of household food insecurity in Scotland from secondary data. Secondary analysis of the Living Costs and Food Survey (2007–2012) was conducted to calculate weekly food expenditure and its ratio to equivalised income for households below average income (HBAI) and above average income (non-HBAI). Diet Quality Index (DQI) scores were calculated for this survey and the Scottish Health Survey (SHeS, 2008 and 2012). Secondary data provided a partial picture of food insecurity prevalence in Scotland, and a limited picture of differences in diet quality. In 2012, HBAI spent significantly less in absolute terms per week on food and non-alcoholic drinks (£53.85) compared to non-HBAI (£86.73), but proportionately more of their income (29% and 15% respectively). Poorer households were less likely to achieve recommended fruit and vegetable intakes than were more affluent households. The mean DQI score (SHeS data) of HBAI fell between 2008 and 2012, and was significantly lower than the mean score for non-HBAI in 2012. Secondary data are insufficient to generate the robust and comprehensive picture needed to monitor the incidence and prevalence of food insecurity in Scotland.
Influence of Heat Waves on Daily Hospital Visits for Mental Illness in Jinan, China—A Case-Crossover Study
Authors: Liu Xuena , Liu Hui , Fan Hua , Liu Yizhi , Ding Guoyong
Published: December 2018

Background: Given that more frequent and intensive extreme heat events have been projected based on climate change modeling, it is of significance to have a better understanding of the association between heat waves and mental illnesses. This study aimed to explore the effects of heat waves on daily hospital visits for mental illness in the summer of 2010 in Jinan, China. Methods: A symmetric bidirectional case-crossover study was firstly conducted to determine the relationship between daily hospital visits for mental illness and heat waves in Jinan in 2010. Multifactor logistic regression analysis was then used to analyze the influencing factors for daily hospital visits for mental illness during the heat wave periods. Results: Multivariable analysis showed that the heat wave events were associated with an increased risk of mental illness. The largest odds ratios (ORs) of the heat waves for daily hospital visits for mental illness were 2.231 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.436–3.466) at a 3-day lag, 2.836 (95% CI: 1.776–4.525) at a 2-day lag, 3.178 (95% CI: 1.995–5.064) at a 3-day lag, and 2.988 (95% CI: 2.158–4.140) at a 2-day lag for the first, second, third, and fourth heat waves, respectively. The elderly, urban residents, outdoor workers, and singles may be high-risk populations for developing heat wave-related mental illness. Conclusions: Our study has supported that there is a positive association between heat waves and hospital visits for mental illness in the study site. Age, home address, occupation, and marital status were associated with daily hospital visits for mental illness during the heat wave periods.
Beyond Commuting: Ignoring Individuals’ Activity-Travel Patterns May Lead to Inaccurate Assessments of Their Exposure to Traffic Congestion
Authors: Kim Junghwan , Kwan Mei-Po
Published: December 2018

This research examines whether individual exposures to traffic congestion are significantly different between assessments obtained with and without considering individuals’ activity-travel patterns in addition to commuting trips. We used crowdsourced real-time traffic congestion data and the activity-travel data of 250 individuals in Los Angeles to compare these two assessments of individual exposures to traffic congestion. The results revealed that individual exposures to traffic congestion are significantly underestimated when their activity-travel patterns are ignored, which has been postulated as a manifestation of the uncertain geographic context problem (UGCoP). The results also highlighted that the probability distribution function of exposures is heavily skewed but tends to converge to its average when individuals’ activity-travel patterns are considered when compared to one obtained when those patterns are not considered, which indicates the existence of the neighborhood effect averaging problem (NEAP). Lastly, space-time visualizations of individual exposures illustrated that people’s exposures to traffic congestion vary significantly even if they live at the same residential location due to their idiosyncratic activity-travel patterns. The results corroborate the claims in previous studies that using data aggregated over areas (e.g., census tracts) or focusing only on commuting trips (and thus ignoring individuals’ activity-travel patterns) may lead to erroneous assessments of individual exposures to traffic congestion or other environmental influences.
A Data-Driven Assessment of the Metabolic Syndrome Criteria for Adult Health Management in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Ming-Shu , Chen Shih-Hsin
Published: December 2018

According to the modified Adult Treatment Panel III, five indices are used to define metabolic syndrome (MetS): waist circumference (WC), high blood pressure, fasting glucose, triglycerides (TG), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Our work evaluates the importance of these indices. In addition, we attempted to identify whether trends and patterns existed among young, middle-aged, and older people. Following the analysis, a decision tree algorithm was used to analyze the importance of the five criteria for MetS because the algorithm in question selects the attribute with the highest information gain as the split node. The most important indices are located on the top of the tree, indicating that these indices can effectively distinguish data in a binary tree and the importance of this criterion. That is, the decision tree algorithm specifies the priority of the influence factors. The decision tree algorithm examined four of the five indices because one was excluded. Moreover, the tree structures differed among the three age groups. For example, the first key index for middle-aged and older people was TG whereas for younger people it was WC. Furthermore, the order of the second to fourth indices differed among the groups. Because the key index was identified for each age group, researchers and practitioners could provide different health care strategies for individuals based on age. High-risk middle-aged and healthy older people maintained low values of TG, which might be the most crucial index. When a person can avoid the first and second indices provided by the decision tree, they are at lower risk of MetS. Therefore, this paper provides a data-driven guideline for MetS prevention.
Risk Assessment of Benzene, Toluene, Ethyl Benzene, and Xylene Concentrations from the Combustion of Coal in a Controlled Laboratory Environment
Authors: Masekameni Masilu Daniel , Moolla Raeesa , Gulumian Mary , Brouwer Derk
Published: December 2018

A D-grade type coal was burned under simulated domestic practices in a controlled laboratory set-up, in order to characterize the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs); namely, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX). Near-field concentrations were collected in a shack-like structure constructed using corrugated iron, simulating a traditional house found in informal settlements in South Africa (SA). Measurements were carried out using the Synspec Spectras GC955 real-time monitor over a three-hour burn cycle. The 3-h average concentrations (in µg/m3) of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene, and o-xylene were 919 ± 44, 2051 ± 91, 3838 ±19, 4245 ± 41 and 3576 ± 49, respectively. The cancer risk for adult males and females in a typical SA household exposure scenario was found to be 1.1 and 1.2 respectively, which are 110- and 120-fold higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated risk severity indicator (1 × 10−6). All four TEX (toluene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene and o-xylene) compounds recorded a Hazard Quotient (HQ) of less than 1, indicating a low risk of developing related non-carcinogenic health effects. The HQ for TEX ranged from 0.001 to 0.05, with toluene concentrations being the lowest, and ethylbenzene the highest. This study has demonstrated that domestic coal burning may be a significant source of BTEX emission exposure.
TMT-Based Quantitative Proteomics Analysis Reveals Airborne PM2.5-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis
Authors: Liu Shan , Zhang Wei , Zhang Fang , Roepstorff Peter , Yang Fuquan , Lu Zhongbing , Ding Wenjun
Published: December 2018

Epidemiological and experimental studies have documented that long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) increases the risk of respiratory diseases. However, the details of the underlying mechanism remain unclear. In this study, male C57BL/6 mice were exposed to ambient PM2.5 (mean daily concentration ~64 µg/m3) for 12 weeks through a “real-world” airborne PM2.5 exposure system. We found that PM2.5 caused severe lung injury in mice as evidenced by histopathological examination. Then, tandem mass tag (TMT) labeling quantitative proteomic technology was performed to analyze protein expression profiling in the lungs from control and PM2.5-exposed mice. A total of 32 proteins were differentially expressed in PM2.5-exposed lungs versus the controls. Among these proteins, 24 and 8 proteins were up- and down-regulated, respectively. Gene ontology analysis indicated that PM2.5 exerts a toxic effect on lungs by affecting multiple biological processes, including oxidoreductase activity, receptor activity, and protein binding. Furthermore, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that extracellular matrix (ECM)–receptor interaction, phagosome, small cell lung cancer, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)-protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathways contribute to PM2.5-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Taken together, these results provide a comprehensive proteomics analysis to further understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying PM2.5-elicited pulmonary disease.
Geo-Tagged Social Media Data-Based Analytical Approach for Perceiving Impacts of Social Events
Authors: Zhu Ruoxin , Lin Diao , Jendryke Michael , Zuo Chenyu , Ding Linfang , Meng Liqiu
Published: December 2018

Studying the impact of social events is important for the sustainable development of society. Given the growing popularity of social media applications, social sensing networks with users acting as smart social sensors provide a unique channel for understanding social events. Current research on social events through geo-tagged social media is mainly focused on the extraction of information about when, where, and what happened, i.e., event detection. There is a trend towards the machine learning of more complex events from even larger input data. This research work will undoubtedly lead to a better understanding of big geo-data. In this study, however, we start from known or detected events, raising further questions on how they happened, how they affect people’s lives, and for how long. By combining machine learning, natural language processing, and visualization methods in a generic analytical framework, we attempt to interpret the impact of known social events from the dimensions of time, space, and semantics based on geo-tagged social media data. The whole analysis process consists of four parts: (1) preprocessing; (2) extraction of event-related information; (3) analysis of event impact; and (4) visualization. We conducted a case study on the “2014 Shanghai Stampede” event on the basis of Chinese Sina Weibo data. The results are visualized in various ways, thus ensuring the feasibility and effectiveness of our proposed framework. Both the methods and the case study can serve as decision references for situational awareness and city management.
LAIPT: Lysine Acetylation Site Identification with Polynomial Tree
Authors: Bao Wenzheng , Yang Bin , Li Zhengwei , Zhou Yong
Published: December 2018

Post-translational modification plays a key role in the field of biology. Experimental identification methods are time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, computational methods to deal with such issues overcome these shortcomings and limitations. In this article, we propose a lysine acetylation site identification with polynomial tree method (LAIPT), making use of the polynomial style to demonstrate amino-acid residue relationships in peptide segments. This polynomial style was enriched by the physical and chemical properties of amino-acid residues. Then, these reconstructed features were input into the employed classification model, named the flexible neural tree. Finally, some effect evaluation measurements were employed to test the model’s performance.
Neutrophil-Initiated Myocardial Inflammation and Its Modulation by B-Type Natriuretic Peptide: A Potential Therapeutic Target
Authors: Liu Saifei , Chirkov Yuliy Y. , Horowitz John D.
Published: December 2018

Activation of neutrophils is a critically important component of the innate immune response to bacterial and chemical stimuli, and culminates in the “neutrophil burst”, which facilitates neutrophil phagocytosis via the release of superoxide anion radical (O2−) from NADPH oxidase. Excessive and/or prolonged neutrophil activation results in substantial tissue injury and increases in vascular permeability—resulting in sustained tissue infiltration with neutrophils and monocytes, and persistent vasomotor dysfunction. Cardiovascular examples of such changes include acute and chronic systolic and diastolic heart failure (“heart failure with preserved ejection fraction”), and the catecholamine-induced inflammatory disorder takotsubo syndrome. We have recently demonstrated that B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), acting via inhibition of activation of neutrophil NADPH oxidase, is an important negative modulator of the “neutrophil burst”, though its effectiveness in limiting tissue injury is partially lost in acute heart failure. The potential therapeutic implications of these findings, regarding the development of new means of treating both acute and chronic cardiac injury states, are discussed.
OsASN1 Plays a Critical Role in Asparagine-Dependent Rice Development
Authors: Luo Le , Qin Ruyi , Liu Tao , Yu Ming , Yang Tingwen , Xu Guohua
Published: December 2018

Asparagine is one of the important amino acids for long-distance transport of nitrogen (N) in plants. However, little is known about the effect of asparagine on plant development, especially in crops. Here, a new T-DNA insertion mutant, asparagine synthetase 1 (asn1), was isolated and showed a different plant height, root length, and tiller number compared with wild type (WT). In asn1, the amount of asparagine decreased sharply while the total nitrogen (N) absorption was not influenced. In later stages, asn1 showed reduced tiller number, which resulted in suppressed tiller bud outgrowth. The relative expression of many genes involved in the asparagine metabolic pathways declined in accordance with the decreased amino acid concentration. The CRISPR/Cas9 mutant lines of OsASN1 showed similar phenotype with asn1. These results suggest that OsASN1 is involved in the regulation of rice development and is specific for tiller outgrowth.
Contact-Less Real-Time Monitoring of Cardiovascular Risk Using Video Imaging and Fuzzy Inference Rules
Authors: Casalino Gabriella , Castellano Giovanna , Pasquadibisceglie Vincenzo , Zaza Gianluca
Published: December 2018

Conventional methods for measuring cardiovascular parameters use skin contact techniques requiring a measuring device to be worn by the user. To avoid discomfort of contact devices, camera-based techniques using photoplethysmography have been recently introduced. Nevertheless, these solutions are typically expensive and difficult to be used daily at home. In this work, we propose an innovative solution for monitoring cardiovascular parameters that is low cost and can be easily integrated within any common home environment. The proposed system is a contact-less device composed of a see-through mirror equipped with a camera that detects the person’s face and processes video frames using photoplethysmography in order to estimate the heart rate, the breath rate and the blood oxygen saturation. In addition, the color of lips is automatically detected via clustering-based color quantization. The estimated parameters are used to predict a risk of cardiovascular disease by means of fuzzy inference rules integrated in the mirror-based monitoring system. Comparing our system to a contact device in measuring vital parameters on still or slightly moving subjects, we achieve measurement errors that are within acceptable margins according to the literature. Moreover, in most cases, the response of the fuzzy rule-based system is comparable with that of the clinician in assessing a risk level of cardiovascular disease.
Eye Gaze Markers Indicate Visual Attention to Threatening Images in Individuals with Chronic Back Pain
Authors: Franklin Zoë C. , Holmes Paul S. , Fowler Neil E.
Published: December 2018

Research into attentional biases and threatening, pain-related information has primarily been investigated using reaction time as the dependent variable. This study aimed to extend previous research to provide a more in depth investigation of chronic back pain and individuals’ attention to emotional stimuli by recording eye movement behavior. Individuals with chronic back pain (n = 18) were recruited from a back rehabilitation program and age and sex matched against 17 non-symptomatic controls. Participants’ eye movements were recorded whilst they completed a dot probe task, which included back pain specific threatening images and neutral images. There were no significant differences between chronic pain and control participants in attentional biases recorded using reaction time from the dot probe task. Chronic pain participants, however, demonstrated a significantly higher percentage of fixations, larger pupil diameter, a longer average fixation duration and faster first fixation to threatening compared to neutral images. They also had a significantly longer average fixation duration and larger pupil diameter to threatening images compared to control participants. The findings of this study suggest eye gaze metrics may provide a more sensitive measure of attentional biases in chronic pain populations. These findings may have important therapeutic implications for the patient and therapist.
Magnetic Resonance Conditional Microinjector
Authors: Wineland Adam , Chen Yue , Boland Brian , Chan Kevin , Tse Zion
Published: December 2018

Glaucoma, one of the leading causes of blindness, has been linked to increases in intraocular pressure. In order to observe and study this effect, proposed is a specialized microinjector and driver that can be used to inject small amounts of liquid into a target volume. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guided remotely activated devices require specialized equipment that is compatible with the MR environment. This paper presents an MR Conditional microinjector system with a pressure sensor for investigating the effects of intraocular pressure (IOP) in near-real-time. The system uses pressurized air and a linear actuation device to push a syringe in a controlled, stepwise manner. The feasibility and utility of the proposed investigative medical research tool were tested and validated by measuring the pressure inside an intact animal donor eyeball while precise, small volumes of water were injected into the specimen. Observable increases in the volume of the specimen at measured, specific target pressure increases show that the system is technically feasible for studying IOP effects, while the changes in shape were depicted in MRI scan images themselves. In addition, it was verified that the presence and operation of the system did not interfere with the MRI machine, confirming its conditional compatibility with the 3T MRI.