bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Remote Sensing of Wildland Fire-Induced Risk Assessment at the Community Level
Authors: Ahmed M. , Rahaman Khan , Hassan Quazi
Published: May 2018

Wildland fires are some of the critical natural hazards that pose a significant threat to the communities located in the vicinity of forested/vegetated areas. In this paper, our overall objective was to study the structural damages due to the 2016 Horse River Fire (HRF) that happened in Fort McMurray (Alberta, Canada) by employing primarily very high spatial resolution optical satellite data, i.e., WorldView-2. Thus, our activities included the: (i) estimation of the structural damages; and (ii) delineation of the wildland-urban interface (WUI) and its associated buffers at certain intervals, and their utilization in assessing potential risks. Our proposed method of remote sensing-based estimates of the number of structural damages was compared with the ground-based information available from the Planning and Development Recovery Committee Task Force of Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB); and found a strong linear relationship (i.e., r2 value of 0.97 with a slope of 0.97). Upon delineating the WUI and its associated buffer zones at 10 m, 30 m, 50 m, 70 m and 100 m distances; we found existence of vegetation within the 30 m buffers from the WUI for all of the damaged structures. In addition, we noticed that the relevant authorities had removed vegetation in some areas between 30 m and 70 m buffers from the WUI, which was proven to be effective in order to protect the structures in the adjacent communities. Furthermore, we mapped the wildland fire-induced vulnerable areas upon considering the WUI and its associated buffers. Our analysis revealed that approximately 30% of the areas within the buffer zones of 10 m and 30 m were vulnerable due to the presence of vegetation; in which, approximately 7% were burned during the 2016 HRF event that led the structural damages. Consequently, we suggest to remove the existing vegetation within these critical zones and also monitor the region at a regular interval in order to reduce the wildland fire-induced risk.
Features of Cross-Correlation Analysis in a Data-Driven Approach for Structural Damage Assessment
Authors: Camacho Navarro Jhonatan , Ruiz Magda , Villamizar Rodolfo , Mujica Luis , Quiroga Jabid
Published: May 2018

This work discusses the advantage of using cross-correlation analysis in a data-driven approach based on principal component analysis (PCA) and piezodiagnostics to obtain successful diagnosis of events in structural health monitoring (SHM). In this sense, the identification of noisy data and outliers, as well as the management of data cleansing stages can be facilitated through the implementation of a preprocessing stage based on cross-correlation functions. Additionally, this work evidences an improvement in damage detection when the cross-correlation is included as part of the whole damage assessment approach. The proposed methodology is validated by processing data measurements from piezoelectric devices (PZT), which are used in a piezodiagnostics approach based on PCA and baseline modeling. Thus, the influence of cross-correlation analysis used in the preprocessing stage is evaluated for damage detection by means of statistical plots and self-organizing maps. Three laboratory specimens were used as test structures in order to demonstrate the validity of the methodology: (i) a carbon steel pipe section with leak and mass damage types, (ii) an aircraft wing specimen, and (iii) a blade of a commercial aircraft turbine, where damages are specified as mass-added. As the main concluding remark, the suitability of cross-correlation features combined with a PCA-based piezodiagnostic approach in order to achieve a more robust damage assessment algorithm is verified for SHM tasks.
Performance Analysis of Two-Way Satellite Multi-Terrestrial Relay Networks with Hardware Impairments
Authors: Guo Kefeng , An Kang , Zhang Bangning , Guo Daoxing
Published: May 2018

In this paper, we investigate the performance of a two-way hybrid satellite multi-terrestrial cooperative network with hardware impairments (HIs). Particularly, opportunistic relay selection scheme is employed in the considered network, which can substantially enhance the spectral efficiency and spatial diversity gain. By considering both the amplify-and-forward (AF) and decode-and-forward (DF) relay protocols, the closed-form expressions of the outage probability (OP) and throughput for the system are derived. Furthermore, in order to observe the effects of HIs level and the number of terrestrial relays on the system performance at high signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), the asymptotic expressions of the system performance are also derived. Finally, computer results are presented to reveal the correctness of the analytical results.
Broadband Circularly Polarized Slot Antenna Loaded by a Multiple-Circular-Sector Patch
Authors: Trinh-Van Son , Yang Youngoo , Lee Kang-Yoon , Hwang Keum
Published: May 2018

In this paper, a microstrip-fed broadband circularly polarized (CP) slot antenna is presented. CP operation can be attained simply by embedding an S-shaped strip. By loading with a multiple-circular-sector patch, which consists of 12 circular-sector patches with identical central angles of 30° and different radii, the 3 dB axial ratio (AR) bandwidth is significantly broadened. To validate the performance of the proposed antenna, an antenna prototype is fabricated and tested. The fabricated antenna is 54 mm × 54 mm × 0.8 mm in size. The measured −10 dB reflection and 3 dB AR bandwidths are 81.06% (1.68–3.97 GHz) and 70.55% (1.89–3.95 GHz), respectively. Within the 3 dB AR bandwidth, the measured peak gain is 3.81 dBic. Reasonable agreement is also obtained between the measured and simulated results.
Leveraging Energy Harvesting and Wake-Up Receivers for Long-Term Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Ait Aoudia Fayçal , Gautier Matthieu , Magno Michele , Berder Olivier , Benini Luca
Published: May 2018

Wireless sensor nodes are traditionally powered by individual batteries, and a significant effort has been devoted to maximizing the lifetime of these devices. However, as the batteries can only store a finite amount of energy, the network is still doomed to die, and changing the batteries is not always possible. A promising solution is to enable each node to harvest energy directly in its environment, using individual energy harvesters. Moreover, novel ultra-low power wake-up receivers, which allow continuous listening of the channel with negligible power consumption, are emerging. These devices enable asynchronous communication, further reducing the power consumption related to communication, which is typically one the most energy-consuming tasks in wireless sensor networks. Energy harvesting and wake-up receivers can be combined to significantly increase the energy efficiency of sensor networks. In this paper, we propose an energy manager for energy harvesting wireless sensor nodes and an asynchronous medium access control protocol, which exploits ultra-low power wake-up receivers. The two components are designed to work together and especially to fit the stringent constraints of wireless sensor nodes. The proposed approach has been implemented on a real hardware platform and tested in the field. Experimental results demonstrate the benefits of the proposed approach in terms of energy efficiency, power consumption and throughput, which can be up to more than two-times higher compared to traditional schemes.
Masculinity, Organizational Culture, Media Framing and Sexual Violence in the Military
Authors: Kuhl Steven , Kosloski Anna , Ryon Stephanie , Monar Astrid
Published: May 2018

Sexual violence in the military is woven into history, with stories and myths that date back to the times of ancient Rome. For example, military conquests thousands of years ago involved looting, pillaging, and raping—the “spoils of war” for the winning side. Over time, women, seen as sexual outlets, continued to be used to boost soldier morale in combat. Today, instances such as the Marine sexual misconduct scandal are still associated with notions of male empowerment through victimization of enlisted and civilian women, despite female officers making up 14% of service members across all military branches. To determine if the optics of violent and predatory behavior within the military has changed from the “spoils of war”, the current study utilized qualitative content analysis to analyze the media frames of military sexual assault and sexual harassment over the past 20 years. Through holistic reflection, the inquiry explores military framing by the media during high-profile incidents of misconduct from 1996 to 2013. The Aberdeen Proving Ground, Lackland Airforce Base, and Airforce Academy sexual assault cases demonstrate that responsibility and human-interest frames are the most prominent optics used by the media to describe these events. Further, since the first case in 1996, media coverage of sexual harassment and assault within the military has declined significantly. This suggest that, while media framing may accurately reflect these offenses, these offenses are considered less and less news worthy.
Examining the Effectiveness of Government Policy for Retail Districts: Evidence from Korea
Authors: Kim Woohyoung , Hallsworth Alan , Kim Hyun
Published: May 2018

This paper seeks to measure the effects of policy on the self-employed conducting business in traditional retail districts. To verify policy we performed a practical analysis utilizing the multinomial logit model on the relationship between consumption behaviors and the attendant satisfaction level of consumers in the urban commercial districts. We first identified traditional retail districts that had received government policy support and those that had not. We then visited these districts to survey the satisfaction levels of customers. In total, 400 people were surveyed for this study. The results show that political support for the self-employed who conduct business inside the traditional retail districts has a partial effect. Especially, for the policy beneficiaries, the customer’s satisfaction level in specific political support has a very important meaning. The study analyzed the factors necessary for the continuous growth of traditional retail districts, considering consumption behaviors and shop selection attributes. We argue that government support can help sustain regional commercial districts and the individual self-employed through consumer behavior and the magnification of satisfaction levels.
Seismic and Energy Renovation: A Review of the Code Requirements and Solutions in Italy and Romania
Authors: Georgescu Emil-Sever , Georgescu Mihaela , Macri Zina , Marino Edoardo , Margani Giuseppe , Meita Vasile , Pana Radu , Cascone Santi , Petran Horia , Rossi Pier , Sapienza Vincenzo , Voica Marius
Published: May 2018

Most European cities are characterized by very large areas, often formed by buildings of low quality, from a series of perspectives (architectural, technological, materials, technical systems, etc.). The possibility of renovating them is strategic to improve both the quality of life and to the possibility of economic recovery for building companies. In the last decades, the attention of the scientific community has been addressed to the energy renovation, thanks to the strong activities of the European Community in this field. However, since a relevant part of the EC territory is at risk of earthquake, the possibility to combine both energy and seismic renovation actions may be strategic for many countries. In particular, Italy and Romania are linked by a common social tradition that springs from the Roman Empire. Nowadays, this link is stronger, thanks to common interests in social, cultural and business fields. Therefore, the investigation of possible synergies for seismic and energy renovation strategies may be really interesting for both countries. In this paper, after an overview of regulations and common practices for buildings with reinforced concrete structures, in both states, some key combined renovation interventions will be described and discussed, as well as advantages and perspectives of integrated renovation approaches. The outcomes of this work are to show the way to transform existing energy-consuming and seismic-prone buildings into energy-efficient and seismic-resistant ones.
The Sustainable Child Development Index (SCDI) for Countries
Authors: Chang Ya-Ju , Lehmann Annekatrin , Winter Lisa , Finkbeiner Matthias
Published: May 2018

Despite the relevance of children in inheriting and shaping society, an index assessing sustainable development with a focus on children is missing. To tackle this gap, this study established the Sustainable Child Development Index (SCDI) by considering child development topics in the context of inter-generational equity and applying indicators with available statistical data on country level. The SCDI at present addresses health, education, safety, economic status and environmental aspects described by 25 indicators. By taking reference points derived from the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the SCDI scores for the year 2015 were calculated for 138 countries and then classified into four sustainable child development levels (very high, high, medium and low). The results showed great regional inequality on the status of sustainable child development. European countries generally have better status of sustainable child development. By contrast, 90% of African and 76% of Asian countries were classified as countries with medium and low levels. Moreover, the comparison of the SCDI, the Human Development Index (HDI) and the Child Development Index (CDI) based on correlation analysis and 10-year (2006–2015) country rankings demonstrated that the SCDI can complement existing development indices to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of sustainable development.
A Multi-Stage Intelligent Model for Electricity Price Prediction Based on the Beveridge–Nelson Disintegration Approach
Authors: Zhao Haoran , Guo Sen , Zhao Huiru
Published: May 2018

Accurate electricity price prediction is key to the orderly operation of the electricity market. However, the uncertain, stochastic and fluctuant characteristics of electricity pricees make prediction difficult. With the aim of solving this issue, this investigation proposed a multi-stage intelligent model integrating the Beveridge–Nelson decomposition (B-N-D) model, the least square support vector machine (LSSVM), and a nature-inspired optimization model named the whale optimization algorithm (WOA). Firstly, the B-N-D model was utilized to decompose the hourly electricity price time series into determinacy component, periodic trend, and stochastic item. Secondly, the WOA–LSSVM model was proposed to forecast the future hourly data of three components respectively, of which the optimal parameters of LSSVM were determined by using WOA. Finally, the future hourly electricity price data were computed by multiplying the forecasted data of those terms. To verify the validity of the proposed electricity price prediction model in this paper, five comparison approaches based on the B-N-D approach were selected, which are auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), single LSSVM, LSSVM optimized by the fruit-fly optimization algorithm (FOA), LSSVM optimized by particle swarm optimization (PSO) models, and WOA–LSSVM without B-N-D. By comparatively analyzing the error criteria values of the above models through testing on the objective data of the Pennsylvania–New Jersey–Maryland (PJM) electricity market collected from 11 December 2017 to 18 December 2017, from 15 January 2018 to 22 January 2018, and from 1 February 2018 to 25 February 2018, we conclude that the constructed intelligent model in this paper can greatly enhance the prediction precision of electricity prices.
Improving Soil and Water Conservation of Riparian Vegetation Based on Landscape Leakiness and Optimal Vegetation Pattern
Authors: Xu Shanshan , Zhao Qinghe , Ding Shengyan , Qin Mingzhou , Ning Lixin , Ji Xiaoyu
Published: May 2018

Soil erosion inflicts multiple and severe damage throughout the world. The importance of vegetation spatial patterns in conserving soil and water has been widely acknowledged. In this study, by using the leakiness index (LI), which indicates the soil and water conservation function of the landscape by integrating landscape patterns closely with hydrological processes, we analyzed the changes in this function of riparian vegetation under different patterns with the aim of identifying the optimal pattern for improving soil and water conservation in severely eroded riparian buffer zones. Prior to this, the relationship between the erosion modulus and LI was discussed to provide certain evidence for the potential application of LI to the study area given the limited empirical works. Results showed that LI illustrated a significantly linear correlation with the erosion modulus (R2 = 0.636, p < 0.01), thereby suggesting a promising application of LI in the Beijiang riparian vegetation buffer zone. A comparison of the LI values regarding four different vegetation patterns indicated that under the premise of the same coverage (40%), the aggregation degree and patch orientation with low LI values exerted improved performance for soil and water conservation, so we selected the horizontal distribution and compact aggregation as the optimal pattern for vegetation regulation. The spatial variations of LI values in the study area showed that five regions were suffering from severe erosion, thus becoming the targeted area for regulation. The final regulation with the optimal vegetation pattern in severely eroded areas performed well given that the soil and water conservation was improved to a high level with a LI value less than or equal to 0.2. The results described in this study provide an alternative screening method to figure out the severe erosion areas needing improvement, a further understanding of the effect of vegetation pattern on soil and water conservation and a theoretical basis for the extended application of LI.
Design of Green Cold Chain Networks for Imported Fresh Agri-Products in Belt and Road Development
Authors: Fang Yan , Jiang Yiping , Sun Lijun , Han Xingxing
Published: May 2018

The development of Belt and Road has seen a boom of imported fresh agri-products in China. This stimulates the growth of refrigerated transport, which accounts for much more carbon emissions than traditional transport. Designing a sustainable cold chain network is of vital importance from both financial and environmental perspectives. In this research, a multi-objective linear programming model is proposed for green cold chain design for multiple imported fresh agri-products in China to balance between the two competing goals—the total cost and carbon emissions. The effect of the outdoor air temperature on the carbon emissions of transportation and maintaining distribution centers is considered. By applying the ε-constraint method, the multi-objective model is solved. Numerical examples derived from the scenario of imported fresh-agri products in China are conducted to shed light on green cold chain design under Belt and Road development.
Understanding Out-of-Home Food Environment, Family Restaurant Choices, and Childhood Obesity with an Agent-Based Huff Model
Authors: Li Yingru , Du Ting , Peng Jian
Published: May 2018

Out-of-home eating plays an increasingly important role in the American diet and weight. This research studied out-of-home food environment and restaurant choices in one rural county of eastern Alabama, United States, and examined the impact on African American children’s weight status. A mixed methods approach was used in this study. Questionnaires were collected for 613 African American children at all four public elementary schools in the county. The healthfulness of restaurants was assessed with the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey-Restaurant (NEMS-R). An agent-based model integrated with Huff’s model was developed in order to examine family dining patterns with consideration for individual and community socio-demographics; restaurant location, size, and healthfulness; and the spatial dynamics between consumers and food retailers. We found that this model performed well, as evidenced by validation with the 2013–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (p, 0.54–0.96), and by comparison with the original Huff model. Frequency of dining at low-quality full-service restaurants (r = 0.084; p <0.05) was associated with rural children’s body mass index (BMI) percentile. These findings may increase public awareness of the importance of family restaurant choices as well as the potential unhealthiness of full-service restaurants.
Optimal Price Subsidy for Universal Internet Service Provision
Authors: Zhu Hailing , Ouahada Khmaies , Nel Andre
Published: May 2018

Universal service has been adopted by many countries to bridge the digital divide between Information and communication technologies (ICTs) “haves” and “have-nots”. The key goal of universal service is to provide telecommunications services to “needy persons” at “reasonable” rate. It is, therefore, critical for policymakers to make decisions on what is a “reasonable” price or subsidy for “needy persons” so that the targeted users do utilize ICTs and benefit from them. This paper analyzes universal service subsidies in providing subsidized Internet access from a pricing point of view through a hypothetical scenario where the subsidized users being subsidized through a price subsidy and non-subsidized users share the same network operated by a service provider. We propose a service differentiation system based on priority queuing to accommodate both groups of users, and model such a system as a Stackelberg game from both a revenue-maximizing service provider perspective and a social welfare maximizing planner’s perspective. We then analyze the optimal prices that maximize the service provider’s revenue and social welfare respectively, investigate how the revenue maximizing price and social welfare maximizing price are effected by users’ willingness to pay and the subsidy ratio, and evaluate the revenue maximizing solution on welfare grounds using the social-maximizing solution as a benchmark. Interestingly, the optimal revenue maximizing solution corresponds to the socially optimal solution in terms of social welfare under the optimum subsidy ratio that maximizes the social welfare. This suggests that the subsidy ratio can be used as a tool to induce the revenue maximizing service provider to set a price that leads to social optimality.
Public Preferences for the Design of a Farmland Retirement Project: Using Choice Experiments in Urban and Rural Areas of Wuwei, China
Authors: Yao Liuyang , Zhao Minjuan , Cai Yu , Yin Zhaowei
Published: May 2018

This paper presents an application of a choice experiment measuring public preferences for a farmland retirement project (FRP) in the Gansu environmental degraded region of China. The project helps improve China’s long-term food security, and information on public preferences can be used to cost-effectively design such policies. FRP is conceptualized with four attributes relating to public preferences: Areas enrolled in the program, duration of the contract, priority zone for conservation, and vegetation type for planting. The analysis employs a mixed logit model, allowing for preference heterogeneity, and explores the differences between the willingness to pay of urban and rural residents. Results identify substantial benefits for FRP, and these benefits are closely linked to the program design. Results also show that the willingness to pay for a longer period of the program of urban residents is significantly higher than that of rural residents. Finally, this study proposes policy recommendations that the number of areas and years of the current FRP in the study area can be increased moderately, but not excessively, to further benefit local residents.
Environment-Smart Agriculture and Mapping of Interactions among Environmental Factors at the Farm Level: A Directed Graph Approach
Authors: Noor-E-Sabiha  , Rahman Sanzidur
Published: May 2018

Environment-smart agriculture (ESA) aims at sustaining increased agricultural production while limiting negative impacts on the environment. The present study develops an index of composite on-farm environmental impacts (COEI) as a proxy measure to evaluate ESA and validates the index by mapping interactions amongst agriculture related environmental impacts and potential constraints to practice ESA by using the directed graph approach. The cost of mitigation to practice ESA was calculated by estimating the cost of reducing on-farm environmental impacts by using the damage–cost method. The approach was empirically applied to a sample of 317 High Yielding Variety (HYV) rice farms from three intensive rice-growing regions of northwestern Bangladesh. Results showed that the use of chemical pesticides contributed towards higher level of uncertainty in practicing ESA than the use of chemical fertilizers, irrigation and household pollution. The combined effect of the influence from these factor interactions was estimated at 2.3, which falls in the critical region of influence and implies extreme level of uncertainty in practicing ESA. The cost of mitigating negative environmental impacts is higher for the problems of ‘decline in soil fertility’, ‘increases in crop diseases’ and ‘reduction in fish catch’ as compared to other soil and water related impacts. Policy implications include investments in addressing the problems of ‘soil fertility decline’, ‘increases in crop diseases’ and ‘reduction in fish catch’ and raising farmers’ awareness on using farm chemicals to promote ESA practices for HYV rice production.
The Local Theory for Regular Systems in the Context of t-Bonded Sets
Authors: Bouniaev Mikhail , Dolbilin Nikolay
Published: May 2018

The main goal of the local theory for crystals developed in the last quarter of the 20th Century by a geometry group of Delone (Delaunay) at the Steklov Mathematical Institute is to find and prove the correct statements rigorously explaining why the crystalline structure follows from the pair-wise identity of local arrangements around each atom. Originally, the local theory for regular and multiregular systems was developed with the assumption that all point sets under consideration are ( r , R ) -systems or, in other words, Delone sets of type ( r , R ) in d-dimensional Euclidean space. In this paper, we will review the recent results of the local theory for a wider class of point sets compared with the Delone sets. We call them t-bonded sets. This theory, in particular, might provide new insight into the case for which the atomic structure of matter is a Delone set of a “microporous” character, i.e., a set that contains relatively large cavities free from points of the set.
CRISPR/Cas9 Mutagenesis of UL21 in Multiple Strains of Herpes Simplex Virus Reveals Differential Requirements for pUL21 in Viral Replication
Authors: Finnen Renée , Banfield Bruce
Published: May 2018

Studies from multiple laboratories using different strains or species of herpes simplex virus (HSV) with deletions in UL21 have yielded conflicting results regarding the necessity of pUL21 in HSV infection. To resolve this discrepancy, we utilized CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis to isolate pUL21 deficient viruses in multiple HSV backgrounds, and performed a side-by-side comparison of the cell-to-cell spread and replication phenotypes of these viruses. These analyses confirmed previous studies implicating the involvement of pUL21 in cell-to-cell spread of HSV. Cell-to-cell spread of HSV-2 was more greatly affected by the lack of pUL21 than HSV-1, and strain-specific differences in the requirement for pUL21 in cell-to-cell spread were also noted. HSV-2 strain 186 lacking pUL21 was particularly crippled in both cell-to-cell spread and viral replication in non-complementing cells, in comparison to other HSV strains lacking pUL21, suggesting that the strict requirement for pUL21 by strain 186 may not be representative of the HSV-2 species as a whole. This work highlights CRISPR/Cas9 technology as a useful tool for rapidly constructing deletion mutants of alphaherpesviruses, regardless of background strain, and should find great utility whenever strain-specific differences need to be investigated.
Zika Virus Induces Autophagy in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells
Authors: Peng Haoran , Liu Bin , Yves Toure , He Yanhua , Wang Shijie , Tang Hailin , Ren Hao , Zhao Ping , Qi Zhongtian , Qin Zhaoling
Published: May 2018

Autophagy is a common strategy for cell protection; however, some viruses can in turn adopt cellular autophagy to promote viral replication. Zika virus (ZIKV) is the pathogen that causes Zika viral disease, and it is a mosquito-borne virus. However, its pathogenesis, especially the interaction between ZIKV and target cells during the early stages of infection, is still unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that infecting human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) with ZIKV triggers cellular autophagy. We observed both an increase in the conversion of LC3-I to LC3-II and increased accumulation of fluorescent cells with LC3 dots, which are considered to be the two key indicators of autophagy. The ratio of LC3-II/GAPDH in each group was significantly increased at different times after ZIKV infection at different MOIs, indicating that the production of lipidated LC3-II increased. Moreover, both the ratio of LC3-II/GAPDH and the expression of viral NS3 protein increased with increasing time of viral infection. The expression level of p62 decreased gradually from 12 h post-infection. Expression profile of double fluorescent protein labelling LC3 indicated that the autophagy induced by ZIKV infection was a complete process. We further investigated the role of autophagy in ZIKV replication. We demonstrated that either the treatment with inhibitors of autophagosomes formation or short hairpin RNA targeting the Beclin-1 gene, which is critical for the formation of autophagosomes, significantly reduced viral production. Taken together, our results indicate that ZIKV infection induces autophagy of HUVEC, and inhibition of ZIKV-induced autophagy restrains viral replication.
Correction: Vitetta, L.; et al. Adjuvant Probiotics and the Intestinal Microbiome: Enhancing Vaccines and Immunotherapy Outcomes. Vaccines 2017, 5, 50
Authors: Vitetta Luis , Saltzman Emma , Thomsen Michael , Nikov Tessa , Hall Sean
Published: May 2018

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper due to a typesetting error in the conclusion of this article which was recently published in Vaccines[...]
Tick Paralysis: Solving an Enigma
Authors: Pienaar Ronel , Neitz Albert , Mans Ben
Published: May 2018

In comparison to other arachnids, ticks are major vectors of disease, but less than 8% of the known species are capable of inducing paralysis, as compared to the ~99–100% arachnids that belong to venomous classes. When considering the potential monophyly of venomous Arachnida, this review reflects on the implications regarding the classification of ticks as venomous animals and the possible origin of toxins. The origin of tick toxins is compared with scorpion and spider toxins and venoms based on their significance, functionality, and structure in the search to find homologous venomous characters. Phenotypic evaluation of paralysis, as caused by different ticks, demonstrated the need for expansion on existing molecular data of pure isolated tick toxins because of differences and discrepancies in available data. The use of in-vivo, in-vitro, and in-silico assays for the purification and characterization of paralysis toxins were critically considered, in view of what may be considered to be a paralysis toxin. Purified toxins should exhibit physiologically relevant activity to distinguish them from other tick-derived proteins. A reductionist approach to identify defined tick proteins will remain as paramount in the search for defined anti-paralysis vaccines.
Computational Fluid Dynamics for Modeling Gravity Currents in the Presence of Oscillatory Ambient Flow
Authors: Stancanelli Laura , Musumeci Rosaria , Foti Enrico
Published: May 2018

Gravity currents generated by lock release are studied in the case of initially quiescent ambient fluid and oscillating ambient fluid (regular surface waves). In particular, the dynamics of the density currents are investigated by means of CFD numerical simulations. The aim is to evaluate the influence of the ambient fluid velocity field on the observed mixing and turbulent processes. Results of two different turbulence closure models, namely the standard k − ε turbulence model and the LES model, are analyzed. Model predictions are validated through comparison with laboratory measurements. Results show that the k − ε model is able to catch the main current propagation parameters (e.g., front velocity at the different phases of the evolution of the current, gravity current depth, etc.), but that a LES model provides more realistic insights into the turbulent processes (e.g., formation of interfacial Kelvin–Helmholtz billows, vortex stretching and eventual break up into 3D turbulence). The ambient fluid velocity field strongly influences the dynamics of the gravity currents. In particular, the presence of an oscillatory motion induces a relative increase of mixing at the front (up to 25%) in proximity of the bottom layer, and further upstream, an increase of the mixing process (up to 60%) is observed due to the mass transport generated by waves. The observed mixing phenomena observed are also affected by the ratio between the gravity current velocity v f and the horizontal orbital velocity induced by waves u w , which has a stronger impact in the wave dominated regime ( v f / u w < 1).
Estimation of Future Probable Maximum Precipitation in Korea Using Multiple Regional Climate Models
Authors: Lee Okjeong , Kim Sangdan
Published: May 2018

In this study, future probable maximum precipitations (PMPs) based on future meteorological variables produced from three regional climate models (RCMs) of 50-km spatial resolution provided by Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) are projected. In order to estimate future PMPs, the hydro-meteorological method is applied. The key future meteorological variable used to analyze the rate of change of future PMPs is the dew-point temperature. Future 12-h persistence 100-year return period extreme dew-point temperatures obtained from future daily dew-point temperature time series by using the scale-invariance method are applied to estimate future PMPs. As a result of estimating future PMPs using several RCMs and representative concentration pathways (RCPs) scenarios, the spatial distribution of future PMPs is expected to be similar to that of the present, but PMPs tend to increase in the future. In addition, it can be seen that the difference in PMPs estimated from various RCMs and RCP scenarios is getting bigger in the future. Especially after 2070, the difference has increased even more. In the short term, it is proposed to establish climate change adaptation policies with an 18% increase in PMPs, which is the ensemble average in the future year 2050.
Daily Evapotranspiration Estimation at the Field Scale: Using the Modified SEBS Model and HJ-1 Data in a Desert-Oasis Area, Northwestern China
Authors: Yi Zhenyan , Zhao Hongli , Jiang Yunzhong , Yan Haowen , Cao Yin , Huang Yanyan , Hao Zhen
Published: May 2018

Accurate continuous daily evapotranspiration (ET) at the field scale is crucial for allocating and managing water resources in irrigation areas, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. The authors integrated the modified perpendicular drought index (MPDI) as an indicator of water stress into surface energy balance system (SEBS) to improve ET estimation under water-limited conditions. The new approach fed with Chinese satellite HJ-1 (environmental and disaster monitoring and forecasting with a small satellite constellation) images was used to map daily ET on the desert-oasis irrigation fields in the middle of the Heihe River Basin. The outputs, including instantaneous sensible heat flux (H) and daily ET from the MPDI-integrated SEBS and the original SEBS model, were compared with the eddy covariance observations. The results indicate that the MPDI-integrated SEBS significantly improved the surface turbulent fluxes in water-limited regions, especially for sparsely vegetated areas. The new approach only uses one optical satellite data and meteorological data as inputs, providing a considerable operational improvement for ET mapping. Moreover, HJ-1 high-resolution data promised continuous daily ET at the field scale, which helps in understanding the corresponding relationships among field, crop, and water consumption. Such detailed ET information can greatly serve water resources management in the study area as well as other arid and semi-arid regions.
Life cycle cost analysis of alternative vehicles and fuels in Belgium
Authors: Turcksin Laurence , Macharis Cathy , Sergeant Nele , Van Mierlo Joeri
Published: May 2018

This paper investigates whether the vehicle taxation system in Belgium is stimulating the demand of clean vehicle technologies. A life cycle cost analysis will be performed to evaluate the cost-efficiency of several vehicle technologies within the current fiscal system. This life cycle cost will be weighted against the environmental performance of each vehicle to discover the market potential of environmental friendly vehicles and to define necessary fiscal regulations. Additionally, the yearly taxes and external costs (environmental, congestion, accident costs) of each vehicle will be compared, identifying the strenghts and distortions of the Belgian fiscal system with respect to the promotion of clean vehicles. Moreover, it will be examined whether a new vehicle taxation system, based on the environmental performance of vehicles, would be effective in tackling the current distortions while keeping the good incentives for stimulating the demand of clean vehicle technologies. This new vehicle taxation system will be based on a environmental rating tool, the so-called Ecoscore. The Ecoscore enables a comparison of the environmental burden caused by vehicles with different drive trains and using different fuels and is in this respect a very appropriate instrument to introduce a technology neutral reform of the fiscal system. By calculating the tax burden of several vehicles within the current and new fiscal system, it will be assessed whether this new fiscal system is able to evoke a shift in the composition of the vehicle fleet towards a more environmental friendly one.
Design and Implementation of a Thermoelectric- Photovoltaic Hybrid Energy Source for Hybrid Electric Vehicles
Authors: Zhang Xiaodong , Chau K. , Chan C.
Published: May 2018

With ever-increasing demand on energy conservation, there is fast growing interest in the technologies to improve the fuel economy for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), especially the exhaust gas waste heat energy recovery. Meanwhile, the use of solar energy in HEVs is also proposed to promote on-board renewable energy and hence improve their fuel economy. In this paper, an overview of on-board renewable energy sources is first presented. Then, a new thermoelectric-photovoltaic hybrid energy source is designed and implemented for HEVs. Finally, experimental results are given to verify the validity of the proposed system.
Study on Power Management Strategy of HEV using Dynamic Programming
Authors: Lee Heeyun , Kang Changbeom , Park Yeong-il , Cha Suk
Published: May 2018

For hybrid electric vehicle, it is necessary to control power distribution among multiple power sources to improve fuel economy performance of vehicle. In this paper, power management strategy of hybrid electric vehicle using Dynamic programming is studied. Deterministic dynamic programming could present outstanding fuel economy, while its application as real time control of vehicle is limited. Thus, different kinds of power management strategy using dynamic programming are studied. Stochastic dynamic programming, artificial neural networks and rule-based power management strategy using results from dynamic programming are studied. Simulations using parallel type hybrid electric vehicle model are conducted. Simulation results including fuel economy performance on diverse driving cycles are compared and analysed.
Data Management for Geographically and Temporally Rich Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle “Big Data”
Authors: Vore Spencer , Kosowski Mark , Wilkins Zachary , Bradley Thomas
Published: May 2018

The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and its project partners have developed some of the highest resolution and most complete Light- and Medium-Duty Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Truck operational data for Odyne and Via trucks. This data was collected through a CDMA / GMS transmitter plugged into the CAN communication bus of the fleet. This paper discusses the process of transforming these raw datasets into a scientific database of driving and charging events using data quality management, filtering, processing and decision support tool development. The result is a dataset with demonstrable utility for vehicle design, policy analysis, and operator feedback.
Impact of Fuel Cell and Storage System Improvement on Fuel Consumption and Cost
Authors: Kim Namdoo , Moawad Ayman , Vijayagopal Ram , Rousseau Aymeric
Published: May 2018

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Vehicle Technologies Program (VTP) is developing more energyefficient and environmentally friendly highway transportation technologies that will enable America to use less petroleum. The VTP includes studies of the potential benefit of advanced technologies and also attempts to clarify and refine the requirements for vehicle components. Owing to the large number of component and powertrain technologies considered, the benefits of the VTP research and development portfolio were simulated using Autonomie, Argonne National Laboratory’s vehicle simulation tool. This paper evaluates advanced fuel cell and hydrogen storage systems for a midsize car in different model years, in conjunction with advancements in the rest of the powertrain, as part of DOE baseline and scenario analysis (BaSce). In addition, this paper quantifies the fuel displacement and costs of advanced hydrogen storage and fuel cell systems, without considering advancements in the rest of the powertrain.
Energy Optimal Operation of Hybrid Battery Systems and Comparison to a Single-Cell Reference System for Electric Vehicles Including the Aged State of High Energy Cells
Authors: Wegmann Raphael , D¨oge Volker , Sauer Dirk
Published: May 2018

In battery electric vehicles the battery system has to satisfy demanding requirements. On the one hand, high power capabilility has to be provided for varying states of charge and temperature. On the other hand, the battery system should achieve a maximum service life, optimal energy efficiency and a high overall driving range. This paper compares a conventional single-cell battery system with two hybrid battery system topologies that aim at improving the mentioned aspects of the conventional system. The hybrid battery systems each comprise two battery parts connected via a dc-to-dc converter, one part including lithium-ion battery cells optimized for high energy density and the other part equipped with high power density type lithium-ion cells. An optimal control problem is formulated and solved with Dynamic Programming. The mentioned topologies are then compared in terms of energy efficiency, power capability and current distribution. A real life driving cycle power demand is used for this comparison. It can be shown that the hybrid battery system reduces the occurrence of high current rates on the high energy battery part and shows better energy efficiency when operated with aged high energy battery cells. Furthermore the hybrid battery system’s potential to obtain a high power capability in low state of charge regions is shown.
Supercapacitors State-of-Health Diagnosis for Electric Vehicle Applications
Authors: Mejdoubi Asmae , Chaoui Hicham , Gualous Hamid. , Oukaour Amarne , Slamani Youssef , Sabor Jalal
Published: May 2018

(SoH) estimation is an important feature since aging introduces degradation in supercapacitors’ performance, which might eventually lead to their failure. The diagnosis model is based on a sliding mode observer as a well-known technique for its high nonlinear parameters estimation performance. The main objective of this paper is the online State-of-Health diagnosis based on supercapacitors’ aging indicators estimation. The effectiveness of the proposed online observer is shown through experimental results.
Experimental Protocols and First Results of Calendar and/or Cycling Aging Study of Lithium-Ion Batteries – the MOBICUS Project
Authors: Ben-Marzouk Mohamed , Chaumond Agnès , Redondo-Iglesias Eduardo , Montaru Maxime , Pélissier Serge
Published: May 2018

This paper presents the MOBICUS project experiment protocols with some first results. Twelve partners from companies and research labs have joined forces to conduct a large study on lithium-ion batteries (LIB) aging under real automotive conditions. Experiments include not only calendar or cycling aging tests, which a part of them was built using a D-optimal design, but also mixed sequences with calendar and cycling experiments. The collected data will enable to build rigorous aging laws taking into account combined calendar and cycling phases. Two different technologies of LIB are tested.
Measurements of GDL Properties for Quality Control in Fuel Cell Mass Production Line
Authors: Yuan Xiao-Zi , Li Hui , Gu Elton , Qian Weimin , Girard Francois , Wang Qianpu , Biggs Taryn , Jaeggle Matthew
Published: May 2018

National Research Council Canada (NRC) has been reorienting its fuel cell activities towards manufacturing challenges. Some challenges in industrialization of fuel cell manufacturing concern quality control, supplier development and process development. As the gas diffusion layer (GDL) of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell plays a critical role in cell performance, NRC has been working closely with Vancouver-based fuel cell companies to develop and validate quality assurance methods to characterize GDL attributes and properties, which strongly correlate with PEM fuel cell performances.
Techno-Economics of a New High Throughput Process for Proton Exchange Membranes Manufacturing
Authors: Toupin Mathieu , Malek Kourosh , Mokrini Asmae
Published: May 2018

NRC developed an innovative process for efficiently producing one of the PEMFC key components; the polymeric electrolyte. The process developed is based on the use of bifunctional additives and highthroughput melt-processing technologies. This work demonstrates the Techno-economic Cost Modeling (TCM) methodology to model the economics of production scale-up of NRC technology, and to analyze the feasibility of commercialization for different Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCV) annual production scenarios. Results were compared with the SOTA process used to manufacture e-PTFE reinforced composite perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membranes based on solution-casting.