bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Kayseri ili merkez ilçelerinde süs bitkileri üzerinde bulunan yaprakbitleri (Hemiptera: Aphididae)’nin parazitoitleri ve avcı Coccinellidleri
Authors: ÖZTÜRK Deniz Özkan , MUŞTU Murat
Published: June 2018

Bu çalışma, 2014 ve 2015 yılları arasında Kayseri ili merkez ilçelerindeki

(Melikgazi, Kocasinan, Talas, Hacılar, İncesu) park, yol plantasyonu ve peyzaj

alanlarındaki ağaç ve çalılar üzerindeki yaprakbitlerinin parazitoit ve avcı

Coccinellidlerini belirlemek için yürütülmüştür. Bu sörvey sonucunda, dokuz parazitoit tür tespit edilmiş, bir parazitoit

ise cins düzeyinde teşhis edilebilmiştir. Bu türler Aphidius sp., A. hortensis

Marshall 1896, A. matricariae Haliday

1834, A. urticae Haliday 1834,

A. rosae Haliday 1834, Binodoxys angelicae Haliday 1833,

Lysiphlebus fabarum Marshall 1896, L. testaceipes Cresson 1880,

Praon abjectum Haliday 1833 and P.

volucre Haliday 1833’dir. Ayrıca,

yaprakbiti avcısı olarak Coccinellidae familyasından 11 tür belirlenmiştir. Bu

türler Adalia (Adalia) bipunctata (L.) 1758, A. (Adalia) decempunctata (L.) 1758, A. fasciatopunctata revelierei (Mulsant) 1866, Chilocorus

bipustulatus (L.) 1758, Coccinella (Coccinella) septempunctata

L. 1758, Exochomus (Exochomus) quadripustulatus (L.) 1758, Hippodamia (Adonia) variegata (Goeze) 1777, Oenopia (Synharmonia) conglobata (L.) 1758, Propylea

quatuordecimpunctata (L.) 1758,

Scymnus (Scymnus) apetzi Mulsant 1846, S. (Pullus) subvillosus (Goeze) 1777’dır.
Evaluation of Information System Effectiveness Level Using COBIT Framework 5
Authors: Mesa Budi Hartono , Andry Johanes Fernandes
Published: June 2018

PT XYZ Expo is a company engaged in the MICE industry (Meeting, Incentive, Conference, and Exhibition). The company has implemented an information system to facilitate the process of leasing building. Problems that have occurred in the operational activities is a discrepancy between the stocks of physical goods with the stock in the system. Audit information system is conducted to find out how the company coordinate operational activities and manages the existing problems through the evaluating the effectiveness level of information systems. The research starting from observation, then identify problem and collecting data, then determine the domain that will be used in interview, after conducting interview the author do analysis and also calculate capability level, last the author give a report and recommendation for feedback. This research uses capability model in framework COBIT 5 to measure capability level in each process. This study focuses on the process of DSS01 and DSS03. Based on this research, it was found that the sub-domains of DSS01 and DSS03 were at 2.4. The conclusion obtained from the level of capability level is PT. XYZ Expo has been running well and effective but still needs to make some improvements to improve the capability level.
How can LOCK&LOCK lead the way in China
Authors:   Asia-Europe Perspective Association, Park Kyunghee , Park Jung-Ji , Byun Jinho , Shin Jung-Soon
Published: June 2018

Lock&Lock containers have transformed small trading company into global household and has quickly controlled the market with high ranking products. Lock&Lock specializes in manufacturing kitchenware, securing 60% share of the domestic market and exporting its products to more than 130 countries as a global company. Lock&Lcok became the brand leader in the Chinese market because of product quality, new marketing techniques.
First, Lock&Lock is a totally new concept in air&liquid tight containers. With revolutionary four locking mechanism and a resilient silicon seal, food is kept fresh for longer without having to worry about any leakage. Second, Lock&Lock positioned itself as a high-end quality brand in China. So they import from Korea factory and sale the products to China’s flagship store. Third, Lock & Lock has secured a variety of distribution channels using a localization strategy. And Lock&Lcok unlike most of the companies, they entered the global market first before they raised brand awareness in domestic. This case very worth due to the success in overseas expansion, before advanced South Korea. We analyze how was Lock&Lock able to transform their success into a sustainable business model by using the findings in strategic marketing analysis.
Analisis kinerja keuangan dilihat dari sudut pandang investor, kreditor, dan manajemen pada perusahaan semen yang terdaftar di bei
Authors: Sari Desfriana , Abaharis Hendryanto
Published: June 2018

Jurnal ini membahas mengenai kinerja keuangan dilihat dari sudut pandang investor, kreditor,  dan manajemen. Berdasarkan kinerja keuangan dan dengan memperhitungkan rasio perusahaan, investor akan mengambil keputusan apakah menginvestasikan dananya kepada perusahaan atau tidak? Pihak kreditor juga membutuhkan analisis rasio untuk mengambil keputusan apakah akan memberikan pinjaman kepada perusahaan atau tidak. Begitu juga dengan pihak manajemen, dengan rasio perusahaan dapat dilihat apakah manajemen perusahaan telah mampu menjalankan perusahaan dengan baik atau belum
Model Dinamik Paritas Suku Bunga Indonesia Menggunakan Error Correction Model
Authors: Dona Elva
Published: June 2018

The purchasing power parity doctrine in determining exchange rate changes focuses on  price factor changes (Jiang, Li, Chang, & Su, 2013)This study examines how currency and interest rates interact with each other to achieve a balance position in the foreign exchange market.Through this approach the exchange rate is determined by the balance of demand and supply between two currencies. This approach also explains how the influence of economic variables such as money supply, national income, price level, and interest rate on the formation of currency rates. Data using  the first quarter of 2000 through the fourth quarter of 2013, With econometric analysis through cointegration approach and Error Correction Model will be tested the validity of interest rate parity condition in Indonesi.Estimation of the error correction model variable (V), indicating that the variable passed the t test at 5% confidence level. It indicates that the models specification is acceptable and there is cointegration between the observed variables.
Analisis Efektivitas Pengendalian Biaya, Perputaran Modal Kerja, dan Rentabilitas Ekonomi Menggunakan Regresi Data Panel
Authors: Hadya Rizka , Begawati Nova , Yusra Irdha
Published: June 2018

Economic Rentability depend on the factor of the efficiency of cost control and working capital turnover (Khoyri, 2014; Vidiyastutik, 2013). This paper investigatesthe impact of cost control effectiveness and working capital turnover on Economic Rentability. The type of data used was quantitative data taken from the company's annual financial statements. Using panel data for 14companiesthat is all manufacturing companies of metal sub sector and the like that listed on Indonesia Stock Exchange and the observation period from 2012to 2016, we tested the relationships between the efficiency of cost control and working capital turnover by building panel model. The sampling technique used is purposive sampling. Meanwhile, the statistical method used is multiple linear regression analysis. Our findings showed that the efficiency of cost control does not have a significant effect on Economic Rentability. The results of this paperis indicated by the significance value of the efficiency of cost control greater than alpha (0.869> 0.05). This study also reveals that Working Capital Turnover has a significant effect on Economic Profitability. The statistical test shows that the significance value of Working Capital Turnover is smaller than alpha (0.000 <0.05).
Ethnic Muslims and the ‘Halal Movement’ in Tatarstan
Authors: Benussi Matteo
Published: June 2018

The ‘halal movement’ is an orientation predominantly mobilised by urban youth and by the emerging urban middle class in Tatarstan. It articulates a cosmopolitan, universal Islamic discourse, explicitly separates ethnicity and Muslimness, and stages religion as an ethical issue, tied neither to a nation nor to a theological doctrine.
Challenging the Absurd?
Authors: Bogaerts Jo
Published: June 2018

In 1943, Jean-Paul Sartre published several important
articles of literary criticism on Blanchot, Camus and Bataille. In
addition to propounding his own literary views, these articles functioned
as a means of marking out his own version of existentialism,
which risked being conflated with the Camusian absurd. Whereas
Camus, according to Sartre, advocated a detached attitude in the
face of the meaninglessness of existence, Sartre maintained that the
subject cannot withdraw from the (historical) situation and that existence
is ultimately meaningful. One author in particular, Franz
Kafka, acts as the figurative ‘prism’ through which Sartre challenges
rival versions of existential thinking. He does so by introducing the
concept of le fantastique (the fantastic) on account of Kafka’s work.
In so doing, Sartre not only rebutted the dominant interpretation,
according to which Kafka was an absurd author, but also uncovered
a historical critique implicit in the Prague author’s work.
Forstwirtschaft oder die Strategie des a«muddling-through» (Essay)
Authors: von Detten Roderich
Published: June 2018

Forestry or the strategy of muddling-through (essay)

The claim of foresters to steer and manage forests in the long term (“sustainability strategy”) is in striking contrast to the indication that our forests present themselves, in effect, as a multiform conglomerate of planned and unforeseen, expected and accidental features. If one accepts the fact that the future is generally unknown and our images of the future are mere fiction, stemming from experiences and knowledge from the past, a comparative view on forest sciences and practice shows how differently both realms deal with uncertainty regarding the future. In the sciences, working with future models has become an established approach: based upon various suppositions and simplifications, they first and foremost inform about established, basic assumptions and expectations instead of leading to reliable prognoses. In contrast, long-term decision making in practical forest management is informed by the experience that the future will prove “different” and unexpected. Hence, the principle of sustainability cannot be based on a long-term strategy, but is characterized by a permanent process of intelligent muddling-through.
Neo-Victorian Visions of the Future: Science, Crime, and Modernity
Authors: Ioannidou Elisavet
Published: June 2018

Neo-Victorian texts frequently associate science and technology with criminal acts, which their perpetrators perceive as acts of progress, because of their potential to initiate the world's passage to the future. Stemming from Victorian apprehensions of science, most notably the possibility of the scientist's malevolence, the abuse of science by neo-Victorian villains presents a criminal past that will give birth to a dystopian future. As the future of neo-Victorian narratives constitutes the present or recent past of the time of narration, the presuppositions of modernity are problematised both within the texts' Victorian narratives and in retrospect; and especially when neo-Victorian employments of science and technology echo concrete twentieth-century instances of scientific misapplication. Neo-Victorian texts expose their complex temporality and defy their integration within genres such as steampunk or science fiction. Considering the difficulty of generic classification, this essay suggests that neo-Victorian instances of scientific crime manifest nineteenth-century scientific and technological progress in a way that illuminates the Victorian era, while remaining relevant for contemporary audiences. The relationship that is thus effected between past and present underlines neo-Victorianism's perception of time as a continuum, in order to problematise contemporary understandings of progress and modernity.
Simple Controller Design Based on Internal Model Control for Twisted and Coiled Polymer Actuator
Authors: Suzuki Motoya , Kamamichi Norihiro
Published: June 2018

A twisted and coiled polymer actuator (TCPA) is a novel soft actuator. TCPA is fabricated by twisting nylon fibers. The TCPA extends and contracts by heating and cooling. By applying conductive nylon fibers to the actuator, the electroactive TCPA can be driven by the Joule heating of the applied voltage. It has noteworthy properties such as a high power/mass ratio, large deformation, and low hysteresis. By applying conductive nylon fibers to the actuator, it can be driven by the electrical input. From these properties, many soft robots using the electroactive TCPA have been demonstrated, such as robotic hands, locomotion robots, robot skins, biomimetic robots, and so on. In this paper, to realize a simple controller design, an internal model control based on the identified model is applied. The applied controller can be designed easily without experience in parameter-tuning based on controls theory. The validity of the applied method is investigated through experiments.
Inhibitory Effects of Bamboo Leaf on the Growth of Pyricularia grisea Fungus
Authors: Toan Nguyen Phu , Xuan Tran Dang , Thu Ha Pham Thi , Tu Anh Truong Thi , Khanh Tran Dang
Published: June 2018

In this study, the effects of bamboo leaf were examined on mycelial growth of Pyricularia grisea, a fungus of rice blast disease that causes a great loss in rice production. The hexane extract exhibited maximal reduction on growth of P. grisea (IC50 = 0.62 mg/mL), followed by aqueous and ethyl acetate extracts, while the methanol extract was least effective (IC50 = 9.71 mg/mL). At 0.5–1.0 mg/mL doses, all extracting solvents showed inhibition on the growth of P. grisea, but at a 0.1 mg/mL concentration, the antifungal activity was solely observed on hexane and ethyl acetate extracts. By GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry), 25 constituents were identified, principally belonging to long-chain fatty acids, sterols, phenols, phenolic acids, volatile oils, and derivatives of terpenes. It was suggested that compounds originated from hexane and ethyl acetate extracts such as fatty acids, oils, and phenols, and their derivatives were responsible for the antifungal activity of bamboo leaf. Non-polar constituents were accountable for the antifungal activity, although water-soluble compounds may play a role. Bamboo leaf appears to be a potent natural source to manage the infestation of P. grisea in rice cultivation.
Forensic Use of the Five Domains Model for Assessing Suffering in Cases of Animal Cruelty
Authors: Ledger Rebecca A. , Mellor David J.
Published: June 2018

Conceptual frameworks for understanding animal welfare scientifically are widely influential. An early “biological functioning” framework still influences expert opinions prepared for Courts hearing animal cruelty cases, despite deficiencies in it being revealed by the later emergence and wide scientific adoption of an “affective state” framework. According to “biological functioning” precepts, indices of negative welfare states should predominantly be physical and/or clinical and any that refer to animals’ supposed subjective experiences, i.e., their “affective states”, should be excluded. However, “affective state” precepts, which have secure affective neuroscience and aligned animal behaviour science foundations, show that behavioural indices may be utilised to credibly identify negative welfare outcomes in terms of negative subjective experiences, or affects. It is noted that the now very wide scientific acceptance of the “affective state” framework is entirely consistent with the current extensive international recognition that animals of welfare significance are “sentient” beings. A long list of negative affects is discussed and each one is described as a prelude to updating the concept of “suffering” or “distress”, often referred to in animal welfare legislation and prosecutions for alleged ill-treatment of animals. The Five Domains Model for assessing and grading animal welfare compromise is then discussed, highlighting that it incorporates a coherent amalgamation of “biological functioning” and “affective state” precepts into its operational features. That is followed by examples of severe-to-very-severe ill-treatment of dogs. These include inescapable psychological and/or physical abuse or mistreatment, excessively restrictive or otherwise detrimental housing or holding conditions, and/or seriously inadequate provision of the necessities of life, in each case drawing attention to specific affects that such ill-treatment generates. It is concluded that experts should frame their opinions in ways that include negative affective outcomes. Moreover, the cogency of such analyses should be drawn to the attention of the Judiciary when they are deliberating on suffering in animals, thereby providing a basis for them to move from a current heavy reliance on physical and/or clinical indices of cruelty or neglect towards including in their decisions careful evaluations of animals’ negative affective experiences.
Quantitative Phase Imaging for Label-Free Analysis of Cancer Cells—Focus on Digital Holographic Microscopy
Authors: El-Schich Zahra , Leida Mölder Anna , Gjörloff Wingren Anette
Published: June 2018

To understand complex biological processes, scientists must gain insight into the function of individual living cells. In contrast to the imaging of fixed cells, where a single snapshot of the cell’s life is retrieved, live-cell imaging allows investigation of the dynamic processes underlying the function and morphology of cells. Label-free imaging of living cells is advantageous since it is used without fluorescent probes and maintains an appropriate environment for cellular behavior, otherwise leading to phototoxicity and photo bleaching. Quantitative phase imaging (QPI) is an ideal method for studying live cell dynamics by providing data from noninvasive monitoring over arbitrary time scales. The effect of drugs on migration, proliferation, and apoptosis of cancer cells are emerging fields suitable for QPI analysis. In this review, we provide a current insight into QPI applied to cancer research.
Enhanced Model-Based Predictive Control System Based on Fuzzy Logic for Maintaining Thermal Comfort in IoT Smart Space
Authors: Hang Lei , Kim Do-Hyeun
Published: June 2018

Researchers have reached a consensus on the thermal discomfort known as the major cause of sick building syndrome, which hurts people’s health and working efficiency greatly. As a result, the thermal environment satisfaction is important and thus many studies have been dedicated to thermal comfort over the past few decades. Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) is one of the globally used standards to express users’ comfort satisfaction with the given thermal moderate environments. It has been widely used in most of the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems to maintain this standard of thermal comfort for occupants of buildings. However, the PMV model is developed on indoor experimental data without taking into account conditions of outdoor space, which greatly affects the performance of the existing HVAC systems and varies with the seasons. In this paper, an enhanced Model-based Predictive Control practical system for maintaining the indoor thermal comfort is demonstrated, including a multiple linear regression predictive model and an innovative fuzzy controller considering both the PMV index and the outdoor environment conditions. To verify the usability of the designed system, an Internet of Things (IoT) smart space prototype was chosen and experimentally tested in a building in Jeju, Korea. Moreover, thermal comfort regulation performances using the proposed approach have been compared with the existing one. The results of our work indicate that the proposed solution is capable of optimizing the thermal comfort condition according to seasonality and outperforms the conventional approaches in different performance indexes.
An Early Study on Imaging 3D Objects Hidden Behind Highly Scattering Media: a Round-Trip Optical Transmission Matrix Method
Authors: Zhuang Bin , Xu Chengfang , Geng Yi , Zhao Guangzhi , Chen Hui , He Zhengquan , Ren Liyong
Published: June 2018

Imaging an object hidden behind a highly scattering medium is difficult since the wave has gone through a round-trip distortion: On the way in for the illumination and on the way out for the detection. Although various approaches have recently been proposed to overcome this seemingly intractable problem, they are limited to two-dimensional (2D) intensity imaging because the phase information of the object is lost. In such a case, the morphological features of the object cannot be recovered. Here, based on the round-trip optical transmission matrix of the scattering medium, we propose an imaging method to recover the complex amplitude (both the amplitude and the phase) information of the object. In this way, it is possible to achieve the three-dimensional (3D) complex amplitude imaging. To preliminarily verify the effectiveness of our method, a simple virtual complex amplitude object has been tested. The experiment results show that not only the amplitude but also the phase information of the object can be recovered directly from the distorted output optical field. Our method is effective to the thick scattering medium and does not involve scanning during the imaging process. We believe it probably has potential applications in some new fields, for example, using the scattering medium itself as an imaging sensor, instead of a barrier.
An Improved Abrasive Flow Processing Method for Complex Geometric Surfaces of Titanium Alloy Artificial Joints
Authors: Zhang Li , Yuan Zhimin , Tan Dapeng , Huang Yi
Published: June 2018

Precise processing for complex geometric surfaces of titanium alloy artificial joints has higher technical difficulties. This paper addresses the matter by proposing an improved abrasive flow processing method. According to the micro-cutting principle, the processing mechanism on curvature surface of the titanium alloy workpiece by the abrasive flow is analyzed. A new material removal model of abrasive flow is proposed to reveal the processing regularities for complex geometric surfaces of titanium alloy artificial joints. Based on the model, in combination with the realizable k-ε turbulence model, the total force affecting on a wall region of constrained flow passage is obtained to estimate the quantity of material removal. A multi-segment profiling constrained flow passage is designed, and an optimized flow passage scheme is provided. Numerical results show that the optimized flow passage can improve the pressure/velocity profile uniformities of abrasive particles; by the product of velocity and pressure, the cutting coefficient for complex surface is obtained. A processing experimental platform is developed, and the processing experiment results indicate that the proposed material removal model can estimate the processing effects and removal regularities, and the size accuracy and surface quality of the titanium alloy surface are improved.
Reply to “Comments on ‘Spatial and Temporal Trends in the Location of the Lifetime Maximum Intensity of Tropical Cyclones’”
Authors: Ellis Kelsey , Tennille Sarah
Published: June 2018

n/a
Targeting TGFβ Signaling to Address Fibrosis Using Antisense Oligonucleotides
Authors: March James T. , Golshirazi Golnoush , Cernisova Viktorija , Carr Heidi , Leong Yee , Lu-Nguyen Ngoc , Popplewell Linda J.
Published: June 2018

Fibrosis results from the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix in chronically injured tissue. The fibrotic process is governed by crosstalk between many signaling pathways. The search for an effective treatment is further complicated by the fact that there is a degree of tissue-specificity in the pathways involved, although the process is not completely understood for all tissues. A plethora of drugs have shown promise in pre-clinical models, which is not always borne out translationally in clinical trial. With the recent approvals of two antisense oligonucleotides for the treatment of the genetic diseases Duchenne muscular dystrophy and spinal muscular atrophy, we explore here the potential of antisense oligonucleotides to knockdown the expression of pro-fibrotic proteins. We give an overview of the generalized fibrotic process, concentrating on key players and highlight where antisense oligonucleotides have been used effectively in cellular and animal models of different fibrotic conditions. Consideration is given to the advantages antisense oligonucleotides would have as an anti-fibrotic therapy alongside factors that would need to be addressed to improve efficacy. A prospective outlook for the development of antisense oligonucleotides to target fibrosis is outlined.
Transfer Learning for Improved Audio-Based Human Activity Recognition
Authors: Ntalampiras Stavros , Potamitis Ilyas
Published: June 2018

Human activities are accompanied by characteristic sound events, the processing of which might provide valuable information for automated human activity recognition. This paper presents a novel approach addressing the case where one or more human activities are associated with limited audio data, resulting in a potentially highly imbalanced dataset. Data augmentation is based on transfer learning; more specifically, the proposed method: (a) identifies the classes which are statistically close to the ones associated with limited data; (b) learns a multiple input, multiple output transformation; and (c) transforms the data of the closest classes so that it can be used for modeling the ones associated with limited data. Furthermore, the proposed framework includes a feature set extracted out of signal representations of diverse domains, i.e., temporal, spectral, and wavelet. Extensive experiments demonstrate the relevance of the proposed data augmentation approach under a variety of generative recognition schemes.
Pallidal Stimulation Modulates Pedunculopontine Nuclei in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Galazky Imke , Kluge Christian , Schmitt Friedhelm C. , Kopitzki Klaus , Zaehle Tino , Voges Jürgen , Büntjen Lars , Kupsch Andreas , Hinrichs Hermann
Published: June 2018

Background: In advanced Parkinson’s disease, the pedunculopontine nucleus region is thought to be abnormally inhibited by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) ergic inputs from the over-active globus pallidus internus. Recent attempts to boost pedunculopontine nucleus function through deep brain stimulation are promising, but suffer from the incomplete understanding of the physiology of the pedunculopontine nucleus region. Methods: Local field potentials of the pedunculopontine nucleus region and the globus pallidus internus were recorded and quantitatively analyzed in a patient with Parkinson’s disease. In particular, we compared the local field potentials from the pedunculopontine nucleus region at rest and during deep brain stimulation of the globus pallidus internus. Results: At rest, the spectrum of local field potentials in the globus pallidus internus was mainly characterized by delta-theta and beta frequency activity whereas the spectrum of the pedunculopontine nucleus region was dominated by activity only in the delta and theta band. High-frequency deep brain stimulation of the globus pallidus internus led to increased theta activity in the pedunculopontine nucleus region and enabled information exchange between the left and right pedunculopontine nuclei. Therefore, Conclusions: When applying deep brain stimulation in the globus pallidus internus, its modulatory effect on pedunculopontine nucleus physiology should be taken into account.
Development of Two Novel Processes for Hydrogenation of CO2 to Methanol over Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 Catalyst to Improve the Performance of Conventional Dual Type Methanol Synthesis Reactor
Authors: Rahmatmand Behnaz , Rahimpour Mohammad Reza , Keshavarz Peyman
Published: June 2018

Conventional methanol synthesis process (CR configuration) consists of water-cooled and gas-cooled reactors in which methanol and water are condensed inside the gas-cooled reactor which deactivates the catalyst. In this study, two novel configurations (AW and ACW configurations) are represented to address this problem in which the gas-cooled reactor is replaced with adiabatic reactor. Moreover, a condenser is applied between adiabatic and water-cooled reactors in ACW configuration. Results show that temperature increases somewhat along the adiabatic reactor that prevents gas condensate formation. Besides, the adiabatic reactor maximum temperature is less than that of first reactor in CR configuration which prevents copper based catalyst thermal sintering. Moreover, a high cross section-to-length ratio of the adiabatic reactor leads to negligible pressure drop along the reactor and improvement in CO2 conversion to methanol that has positive environmental effects. Also, water mole fraction decreases along the reactors of AW and ACW configurations to prevent the deactivation of catalyst active sites. Eventually, methanol production rates by AW and ACW configurations are improved around 25.5% and 43.1% in comparison with CR configuration. So, novel AW and ACW configurations provide many benefits including improvement in catalyst activity and durability, CO2 conversion, and the methanol production rate.
Hydrogen Production from Chemical Looping Reforming of Ethanol Using Ni/CeO2 Nanorod Oxygen Carrier
Authors: Li Lin , Jiang Bo , Tang Dawei , Zheng Zhouwei , Zhao Cong
Published: June 2018

Chemical looping reforming (CLR) technique is a prospective option for hydrogen production. Improving oxygen mobility and sintering resistance are still the main challenges of the development of high-performance oxygen carriers (OCs) in the CLR process. This paper explores the performance of Ni/CeO2 nanorod (NR) as an OC in CLR of ethanol. Various characterization methods such as N2 adsorption-desorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), H2 temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), and H2 chemisorption were utilized to study the properties of fresh OCs. The characterization results show the Ni/CeO2-NR possesses high Ni dispersion, abundant oxygen vacancies, and strong metal-support interaction. The performance of prepared OCs was tested in a packed-bed reactor. H2 selectivity of 80% was achieved by Ni/CeO2-NR in 10-cycle stability test. The small particle size and abundant oxygen vacancies contributed to the water gas shift reaction, improving the catalytic activity. The covered interfacial Ni atoms closely anchored on the underlying surface oxygen vacancies on the (111) facets of CeO2-NR, enhancing the anti-sintering capability. Moreover, the strong oxygen mobility of CeO2-NR also effectively eliminated surface coke on the Ni particle surface.
Semiconducting Metal Oxides Nanocomposites for Enhanced Detection of Explosive Vapors
Authors: Marchisio Andrea , Tulliani Jean-Marc
Published: June 2018

In recent years, the detection of ultratraces of nitroaromatic compounds (NACs), such as 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), has gained considerable attention due to associated problems related to environment, security against terrorists and health. The principle of NACs detection is simple since any explosive emits a rather small, but detectable number of molecules. Thus, numerous detection techniques have been developed throughout the years, but their common limitations are rather large sizes and weights, high power consumption, unreliable detection with false alarms, insufficient sensitivity and/or chemical selectivity, and hyper-sensitivity to mechanical influences associated with very high price. Thus, there is a strong need of cheap, rapid, sensitive, and simple analytical methods for the detection and monitoring of these explosives in air. Semiconducting metal oxides (SMOs) allow the preparation of gas sensors able to partially or totally overcome these drawbacks, and this paper aims to shortly review the most recent SMOs nanocomposites able to sense explosives.
Modelling Hydrological Components of the Rio Maipo of Chile, and Their Prospective Evolution under Climate Change
Authors: Bocchiola Daniele , Soncini Andrea , Senese Antonella , Diolaiuti Guglielmina
Published: June 2018

We used the Poly-Hydro model to assess the main hydrological components of the snow-ice melt driven Maipo River in Chile, and glaciers’ retreat under climate change therein until 2100. We used field data of ice ablation, ice thickness, weather and hydrological data, and precipitation from TRMM. Snow cover and temperature were taken from MODIS. We forced the model using weather projections until 2100 from three GCMs from the IPCC AR5, under three different radiative concentration pathways (RCPs 2.6, 4.5, 8.5). We investigated trends of precipitation, temperature, and hydrology until 2100 in the projection period (PR, 2014–2100) and the whole period (CM 1980–2100, composite), against historical trends in control period (CP, 1980–2013). We found potentially increasing temperature until 2100, except for Spring (OND). In the PR period, yearly flow decreases significantly under RCP85, on average −0.25 m3·s−1·year−1, and down to −0.48 m3·s−1·year−1, i.e., −0.4% year−1 against CP yearly average (120 m3 s−1). In the long run (CM) significant flow decrease would, occur under almost all scenarios, confirming persistence of a historical decrease, down to −0.39 m3·s−1·year−1 during CM. Large flow decreases are expected under all scenarios in Summer (JFM) during PR, down to −1.6 m3·s−1·year−1, or −1% year−1 against CP for RCP8.5, due to increase of evapotranspiration in response to higher temperatures. Fall (AMJ) flows would be mostly unchanged, while Winter (JAS) flows would be projected to increase significantly, up to 0.7 m3·s−1·year−1 during 2014–2100, i.e., +0.9% year−1 vs. CP under RCP8.5, due to large melting therein. Spring (OND) flows would decrease largely under RCP8.5, down to −0.67 m3 s−1·year−1, or −0.4% year−1 vs. CP, again due to evapotranspiration. Glacier down wasting is projected to speed up, and increasingly so with RCPs. Until 2100 ice loss would range from −13% to −49% (−9%, and −39% at 2050) of the estimated volume at 2012, which changed by −24% to −56% (−21%, and −39% at 2050) vs. ice volume in 1982, thus with rapider depletion in the first half of the century. Policy makers will have to cope with modified hydrological cycle in the Maipo River, and greatly decreasing ice cover in the area.
A System for Acquisition, Processing and Visualization of Image Time Series from Multiple Camera Networks
Authors: Tanis Cemal Melih , Peltoniemi Mikko , Linkosalmi Maiju , Aurela Mika , Böttcher Kristin , Manninen Terhikki , Arslan Ali Nadir
Published: June 2018

A system for multiple camera networks is proposed for continuous monitoring of ecosystems by processing image time series. The system is built around the Finnish Meteorological Image PROcessing Toolbox (FMIPROT), which includes data acquisition, processing and visualization from multiple camera networks. The toolbox has a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) for which only minimal computer knowledge and skills are required to use it. Images from camera networks are acquired and handled automatically according to the common communication protocols, e.g., File Transfer Protocol (FTP). Processing features include GUI based selection of the region of interest (ROI), automatic analysis chain, extraction of ROI based indices such as the green fraction index (GF), red fraction index (RF), blue fraction index (BF), green-red vegetation index (GRVI), and green excess (GEI) index, as well as a custom index defined by a user-provided mathematical formula. Analysis results are visualized on interactive plots both on the GUI and hypertext markup language (HTML) reports. The users can implement their own developed algorithms to extract information from digital image series for any purpose. The toolbox can also be run in non-GUI mode, which allows running series of analyses in servers unattended and scheduled. The system is demonstrated using an environmental camera network in Finland.
A Moment-Based Maximum Entropy Model for Fitting Higher-Order Interactions in Neural Data
Authors: Cayco-Gajic N. Alex , Zylberberg Joel , Shea-Brown Eric
Published: June 2018

Correlations in neural activity have been demonstrated to have profound consequences for sensory encoding. To understand how neural populations represent stimulus information, it is therefore necessary to model how pairwise and higher-order spiking correlations between neurons contribute to the collective structure of population-wide spiking patterns. Maximum entropy models are an increasingly popular method for capturing collective neural activity by including successively higher-order interaction terms. However, incorporating higher-order interactions in these models is difficult in practice due to two factors. First, the number of parameters exponentially increases as higher orders are added. Second, because triplet (and higher) spiking events occur infrequently, estimates of higher-order statistics may be contaminated by sampling noise. To address this, we extend previous work on the Reliable Interaction class of models to develop a normalized variant that adaptively identifies the specific pairwise and higher-order moments that can be estimated from a given dataset for a specified confidence level. The resulting “Reliable Moment” model is able to capture cortical-like distributions of population spiking patterns. Finally, we show that, compared with the Reliable Interaction model, the Reliable Moment model infers fewer strong spurious higher-order interactions and is better able to predict the frequencies of previously unobserved spiking patterns.
Novel Brain Complexity Measures Based on Information Theory
Authors: Bonmati Ester , Bardera Anton , Feixas Miquel , Boada Imma
Published: June 2018

Brain networks are widely used models to understand the topology and organization of the brain. These networks can be represented by a graph, where nodes correspond to brain regions and edges to structural or functional connections. Several measures have been proposed to describe the topological features of these networks, but unfortunately, it is still unclear which measures give the best representation of the brain. In this paper, we propose a new set of measures based on information theory. Our approach interprets the brain network as a stochastic process where impulses are modeled as a random walk on the graph nodes. This new interpretation provides a solid theoretical framework from which several global and local measures are derived. Global measures provide quantitative values for the whole brain network characterization and include entropy, mutual information, and erasure mutual information. The latter is a new measure based on mutual information and erasure entropy. On the other hand, local measures are based on different decompositions of the global measures and provide different properties of the nodes. Local measures include entropic surprise, mutual surprise, mutual predictability, and erasure surprise. The proposed approach is evaluated using synthetic model networks and structural and functional human networks at different scales. Results demonstrate that the global measures can characterize new properties of the topology of a brain network and, in addition, for a given number of nodes, an optimal number of edges is found for small-world networks. Local measures show different properties of the nodes such as the uncertainty associated to the node, or the uniqueness of the path that the node belongs. Finally, the consistency of the results across healthy subjects demonstrates the robustness of the proposed measures.
Analytical and Numerical Treatments of Conservative Diffusions and the Burgers Equation
Authors: Prodanov Dimiter
Published: June 2018

The present work is concerned with the study of a generalized Langevin equation and its link to the physical theories of statistical mechanics and scale relativity. It is demonstrated that the form of the coefficients of the Langevin equation depends critically on the assumption of continuity of the reconstructed trajectory. This in turn demands for the fluctuations of the diffusion term to be discontinuous in time. This paper further investigates the connection between the scale-relativistic and stochastic mechanics approaches, respectively, with the study of the Burgers equation, which in this case appears as a stochastic geodesic equation for the drift. By further demanding time reversibility of the drift, the Langevin equation can also describe equivalent quantum-mechanical systems in a path-wise manner. The resulting statistical description obeys the Fokker–Planck equation of the probability density of the differential system, which can be readily estimated from simulations of the random paths. Based on the Fokker–Planck formalism, a new derivation of the transient probability densities is presented. Finally, stochastic simulations are compared to the theoretical results.
A Dimensionless Parameter Analysis of a Cylindrical Tube Electromagnetic Vibration Energy Harvester and Its Oscillator Nonlinearity Effect
Authors: Liu Zhenwei , Wang Xu , Zhang Ran , Wang Liuping
Published: June 2018

This paper investigates a single degree of freedom oscillator in a cylindrical tube vibration energy harvester which is applicable in a low-frequency range. A duffing-type nonlinear dynamic differential equation of the oscillator was developed for the nonlinear analysis and solved by using the harmonic balance method in order to widen energy harvesting frequency bandwidth. The exploitation of nonlinear spring force interactions of the oscillator to enhance the generator’s performance is also presented in this paper. The dimensionless harvested power formula of the nonlinear mass-spring-damper system was derived, and a parameter study was conducted for the design optimization of the harvester. The main contribution of this paper is to establish a dimensionless performance analysis method of a nonlinear electromagnetic vibration energy harvester system and to disclose the effects of the parameters and nonlinearity of the system on the harvesting performance.
Evolution of the Size Distribution of an Emulsion under a Simple Shear Flow
Authors: Leiva Jairo M. , Geffroy Enrique
Published: June 2018

Understanding the rheology of immiscible liquids mixtures, as well as the role played by its micro-structures are important criteria for the production of new materials and processes in industry. Here, we study changes over time of the droplet size distributions of emulsions induced by slow shearing flows. We observe that the initial heterogeneous microstructure may evolve toward more complex structures (such as bimodal distribution) as a result of coalescence and rupture of droplets. These dynamic structures were produced using a flow cell made up of two parallel disks, separated by a gap of 100 µm. The steady rotation of the lower disk generates a simple shear flow of γ˙=0.75 s−1, during ~400 s. After a brief rest time, this procedure was repeated by applying a step ramp until the maximum shear rate of 4.5 s−1 was reached, using step increments of 0.75 s−1. During the last portion of the flow and during the rest time in between flows, structures of emulsions were characterized. Initially, a broad single-peak distribution of drops was observed, which evolved toward a rather narrower bimodal distribution, at first due to the coalescence of the smaller droplets and subsequently of the larger drops. The rupture of drops at higher shear rates was also observed. The observed evolutions also presented global structures such as “pearl necklaces” or “bands of particles”, the latter characterized by alternating bands of a high density of particles and regions of the continuous phase with only a few droplets. These changes may indicate complex, time-dependent rheological properties of these mixtures.
Where She Blows! A Ten Year Dust Climatology of Western New South Wales Australia
Authors: Leys John , Strong Craig , Heidenreich Stephan , Koen Terry
Published: June 2018

Dust emissions contribute significantly to atmospheric processes impacting the functioning of various earth and human systems. The question is often asked “how much dust is acceptable?” From a land management perspective, the aim is to reduce the degradation effects of wind erosion over time. To do this, we need to know the range of dust activity over a long time period and to set a target that shows a reduction in dust activity. In this study, dust activity is described by the number of dust hours per July to June period (dust storm year, DSY). We used the DustWatch network of high resolution particulate matter less than 10 µm (PM10) instruments to characterise the dust climatology for a ten year period for western New South Wales (NSW), Australia. The ten year study period covered one of the driest and wettest periods in south-eastern Australia, providing confidence that we have measurements of extremes of dust (0 to 412 h/DSY), rainfall (98 to 967 mm/DSY), and ground cover (0 to 99% of area/DSY). The dust data are then compared to remotely sensed ground cover and measured rainfall data to develop targets across a rainfall gradient. Quantile regression was used to estimate the number of dust hours for a given DSY rainfall at 21 DustWatch Nodes (DWN). The 75th percentile is used to determine the target number of dust hours for a ten year average DSY. The monitoring network clearly identified locations of high dust activity and changes in dust and ground cover that are associated with rainfall. The dust hour targets for NSW indicated that for every 100 mm increase in DSY rainfall (between 250 and 650 mm) there is a 10 h decrease in dust hours. The dust target enables us to evaluate whether wind erosion is decreasing with time for sites with different rainfall.
Rethinking China’s Frontier: Archaeological Finds Show the Hexi Corridor’s Rapid Emergence as a Regional Power
Authors: Clydesdale Heather
Published: June 2018

The Chinese government’s expansion of infrastructure in Gansu province has led to the discovery of a number of important ancient tombs in the Hexi Corridor, a thousand kilometer stretch of the Silk Roads linking China to Central Asia. This study investigates recent finds in the context of older excavations to draw a more cohesive picture of the dramatic cultural and political changes on China’s western frontier in the Wei-Jin period (220–317 CE). A survey of archaeological reports and an analysis of tomb distribution along with structural and decorative complexity indicate that after the fall of the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), the nexus of regional power shifted from the eastern Hexi Corridor to Jiuquan and Dunhuang in the west. This phenomenon was related in the rise of magnate families, who emerged from Han dynasty soldier-farmer colonies and helped catalyze the region’s transformation from a military outpost to a semi-autonomous, prosperous haven that absorbed cultural influences from multiple directions. This dynamism, in turn, set the stage for the Hexi Corridor’s ascent as a center of Buddhist art in the fifth and sixth centuries.