bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Thorough approach toward cylindrical MMW image reconstruction using sparse antenna array
Authors: Mandi Sanam Pourya , Seyyed Talebi Mohammad Javad , Kazemi Mahmoud , Kavehvash Zahra , Shabany Mahdi 
Published: March 2018

In this study, a thorough analysis of image reconstruction in an active millimetre‐wave (MMW) cylindrical imaging system is performed. To improve the system's performance in terms of the total cost as well as the coupling effect, sparse multi‐static arrays are desired. Nevertheless, the existing reconstruction methods fail to operate in sparse multi‐static antenna‐array systems. Therefore, to address these shortcomings, in this study, at first, the existing MMW mono‐static cylindrical image reconstruction methods are modified in both single‐frequency and wideband reconstruction platforms. Moreover, in order to further improve the image quality and the system cost, a sparse multi‐static one‐dimensional antenna array has been proposed. To use this sparse array in the cylindrical MMW imaging system, a novel multi‐static cylindrical image reconstruction method is also proposed. The performances of the proposed reconstruction methods for both mono‐static and sparse multi‐static cylindrical imaging structures are validated through numerical simulations. Through the obtained results, 83% reduction in antenna array cost along with a 25 dB decrease in coupling effect is achieved at the cost of a minor reduction in the reconstructed image quality.
Minimising the impact of IPv6 neighbour discovery messages on energy consumption in small objects networks
Authors: El Ksimi Ali , Leghris Cherkaoui 
Published: March 2018

Nowadays, it is important to evaluate the use of IPv6 wireless networks. Indeed, the implementation of IPv6 mechanisms and features must be examined. IPv6 requires many objects exchanges like IPv6 routing information which could be communicated by different messages multicast. These messages are too frequent; they could impact energy consumption related to battery‐powered objects. Therefore, the energy consumption is nowadays, one of the most important issues in small object networks with IPv6. Thus, the aim of this study is to suggest a new algorithm called minimising energy consumption under connectivity constraint. The performance evaluation is based on several parameters that would help in maintaining connectivity between the mobile objects and their default router. The results showed that energy consumption could be minimised by optimising IPv6 multicast messages. Overall, this method results a significant effectiveness and might be used as a future wireless networks improvements.
Economic feasibility of hybrid energy generation with reduced carbon emission
Authors: Kirmani Sheeraz , Jamil Majid , Akhtar Iram 
Published: March 2018

Increasing concern about the shortage of energy resources and harmful outcome of fossil fuel emission has initiated new requirement of reliable and cleaner green power sources. Hence, solar photovoltaic and wind power system are fastest developing sources among different renewable energy sources. In the proposed work, the urgency of the national policy to upgrade the existing coal‐based plant as integrated solar, wind and coal‐based power plant to reduce the carbon emission and to evaluate the feasibility of developing grid‐connected hybrid energy system in Ramapuram Chennai, India has been presented. Moreover, the regression models for estimation of global solar radiation using different metrological parameters are developed and compared with the results of other models. In this work, Ramapuram, Chennai, India area is chosen to install the wind and solar photovoltaic systems to feed three types of load (residential, commercial and industrial). In this study, ENNORE thermal power station, Chennai is considered to reduce the carbon emission as the integration of solar photovoltaic system and wind system to the grid reduce the units generation from this plant. Hence, study shows that 110329.56 kg emission is reduced from ENNORE thermal power station by using this system.
Improving combined solar power forecasts using estimated ramp rates: data‐driven post‐processing approach
Authors: Abuella Mohamed , Chowdhury Badrul 
Published: March 2018

Several forecasting models are combined together to mitigate the uncertainty associated with the solar power generation resource and improve the power generation forecasts. The common ensemble approach in wind and solar power forecasting is the blending of meteorological data from several sources. In this study, the present and the past solar power forecasts, as well as the associated meteorological data, are incorporated into an ensemble learning tool. Since forecasts based on numerical weather prediction systems are more valuable in horizons longer than 6 h, the proposed approach includes the simple persistence model of hour‐ahead forecasts along with the different models of day‐ahead forecasts so that the combined forecasts become hour‐ahead solar power forecasts. In addition, the proposed approach combines the ramp rates of the forecasts to enhance the ensemble learning. Furthermore, the approach improves the ensemble learning by using two loss functions – the first function to minimise errors of the forecasts, and the second to minimise errors of the ramp rates of the forecasts. The performance of the combined forecasts is evaluated over the entire year and compared with other techniques.
Carbon composite coatings on Ti for corrosion protection as bipolar plates of proton exchange membrane fuel cells
Authors: Gao Pingping , Xie Zhiyong , Ouyng Chun , Wu Xiaobo , Lei Ting , Liu Chunbo , Huang Qizhong 
Published: March 2018

A highly corrosion resistant and conductive composite coating on Ti bipolar plates was prepared by the hydrothermal and impregnation method. The composite coating consisted of amorphous carbon immersed in suspension solution [polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) 10 wt.% + TiN nanoparticles 3 g/l]. The surface of coating was completely smooth and nano‐holes on the surface of coatings were filled by PTFE and TiN particles. TiN particles were uniformly distributed in the coating when 0.1 mol/l of glucose was used as carbon source. The composite coating exhibited excellent conductivity and corrosion resistivity. It was revealed that corrosion current density, interfacial contact resistance, and contact angle were 0.009 µA/cm2, 13 mΩ cm2, and 115.53°, respectively. Meanwhile, it was shown that the corrosion current density of the coating was below 1 µA/cm2 with a potentiostatic polarisation test (0.6 and −0.1 V). In summary, the Ti substrate with a carbon composite film immersed in suspension solution showed a great potential application in bipolar plates of proton exchange membrane fuel cells.
Water-like anomalies as a function of tetrahedrality
Authors: Russo John , Akahane Kenji , Tanaka Hajime 
Published: March 2018

Significance
Water is the most common and yet least understood material on Earth. Despite its simplicity, water tends to form tetrahedral order locally by directional hydrogen bonding. This structuring is known to be responsible for a vast array of unusual properties, e.g., the density maximum at 4 °C, which play a fundamental role in countless natural and technological processes, with the Earth’s climate being one of the most important examples. By systematically tuning the degree of tetrahedrality, we succeed in continuously interpolating between water-like behavior and simple liquid-like behavior. Our approach reveals what physical factors make water so anomalous and special even compared with other tetrahedral liquids.
Scapular kinematics during scaption in competitive swimmers
Authors: Blache Y. , Gillet B. , Selin J. , Sevrez V. , Rogowski I. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThis study aimed (1) to describe and compare scapular kinematics between three groups of swimmers of different levels and a group of non‐swimmers, and (2) to assess whether swimming practice alters the asymmetries in scapular kinematics between the dominant and non‐dominant sides, both during unilateral arm raising and lowering in the scapular plane. Scapular kinematics were assessed bilaterally during arm raising and lowering in the scapular plane using an electromagnetic system in 42 healthy males, which were split into four groups: control (n = 11), adolescent elite swimmers (n = 11), adult elite swimmers (n = 10), and club‐level adult swimmers (n = 10). One‐Way ANOVA SPM(t) on two repeated measures showed that the three groups of swimmers had more protracted shoulder between 30° and 90° of arm raising and lowering (p < .001). The three groups of swimmers presented no bilateral difference in scapular upward rotation, while the dominant scapula was more upwardly rotated than the non‐dominant one between 74° and 104° of arm elevation in the control group (p < .001). The scapula of adult elite swimmers was more internally rotated between 67° and 116° of humeral elevation during arm raising, and between 81° and 54° during arm lowering in comparison to the other swimming and control groups (p ≤ .02), who presented similar scapular positioning in internal rotation. In conclusion, the findings of the study pointed out that swimming practice generated protracted shoulders and removed bilateral differences in scapular upward rotation during scaption, while accumulation of swimming practice at elite level enlarged scapular internal rotation.
Oxidative stress in elite athletes training at moderate altitude and at sea level
Authors: León‐López Josefa , Calderón‐Soto Carmen , Pérez‐Sánchez Matías , Feriche Belén , Iglesias Xavier , Chaverri Diego , Rodríguez Ferran A. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractUsing a controlled parallel group longitudinal trial design, we investigated the effects of different training interventions on the prooxidant/antioxidant status of elite athletes: living and training at moderate altitude for 3 (Hi‐Hi3) and 4 weeks (Hi‐Hi), and for 4 weeks too, living high and training high and low (Hi‐HiLo) and living and training at sea level (Lo‐Lo). From 61 swimmers, 54 completed the study. Nitrites, carbonyls, and lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels were assessed in plasma. Enzymatic antioxidants glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GRd), and non‐enzymatic antioxidants total glutathione (GST), reduced glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) were analysed in the erythrocyte fraction. At the end of the intervention, nitrites levels were similar in all altitude groups but higher than in the Lo‐Lo controls (P = .02). Hi‐HiLo had greater GPx activity than Hi‐Hi and Hi‐Hi3 during most of the intervention (P ≤ .001). GRd activity was higher in Lo‐Lo than in Hi‐Hi at the end of the training camp (P ≤ .001). All groups showed increased levels of LPO, except Lo‐Lo, and carbonyls at the end of the study (P ≤ .001). Training at altitude for 3 or 4 weeks drives oxidative stress leading to cellular damage mainly by worsening the antioxidant capacities. The GSSG/GSH ratio appears to be related to perceived exertion and fatigue. The stronger antioxidant defence showed by the Hi‐HiLo group suggests an inverse relationship between redox alterations and performance. Further studies are required to investigate the role of oxidative stress in acclimatization, performance, and health.
Alteration of transporter activities in the epididymides of infertile initial segment-specific Pten knockout mice†
Authors: Xu Bingfang , Turner Stephen D , Hinton Barry T 
Published: March 2018

AbstractA fully functional initial segment, the most proximal region of the epididymis, is important for male fertility. Our previous study generated a mouse model to investigate the importance of initial segment function in male fertility. In that model, phosphatase and tensin homolog (Pten) was conditionally removed from the initial segment epithelium, which resulted in epithelial de-differentiation. When spermatozoa progressed through the de-differentiated epithelial duct, they developed angled flagella, suggesting compromised sperm maturation, which eventually resulted in male infertility. To understand the molecular mechanisms, by which PTEN regulates epididymal sperm maturation, we compared the transcriptome profile of the initial segment between controls and initial segment-specific Pten knockouts and revealed that water, ion, and organic solute transporter activities were one of the top molecular and cellular functions altered following loss of Pten. Alteration in protein levels and localization of several transporters following loss of Pten were also observed by immunofluorescence analysis. Epithelial cells of the initial segment from knockouts were more permeable to fluorescein isothiocyanate–dextran (4000 Da) compared to controls. Interestingly, conditional deletion of Pten from other organs also resulted in changes in transporter activity, suggesting a common role of PTEN in regulation of transporter activity. Taken together, our data support the hypothesis that loss of Pten from the initial segment epithelium results in changes in the transporting and permeability characteristics of the epithelium, which in turn altered the luminal fluid microenvironment that is so important for sperm maturation and male fertility.
Surfactant protein A suppresses preterm delivery induced by live Escherichia coli in mice†
Authors: Agrawal Varkha , Jaiswal Mukesh K , Beaman Kenneth D , Hirsch Emmet 
Published: March 2018

AbstractPreterm birth accounts for the majority of neonatal morbidity and mortality in the developed world. A significant proportion of cases of spontaneous preterm labor are attributable to infections within gestational tissues. Surfactant protein A (SP-A), a collectin produced in the fetal lung and other tissues, has been shown previously in mice to suppress preterm delivery due to intrauterine (IU) instillation of sterile proinflammatory substances. Here we report a powerful antilabor effect for SP-A after IU infection with live Escherichia coli. SP-A abolished preterm birth (rate reduced from 100% to 0%) when it was administered into the uterus simultaneously with bacterial infection, reducing it by 75% when administered intravenously at the same time as IU bacterial inoculation, and by 48% when administered intravenously 4 h after IU bacterial infection. This effect on preterm delivery was accompanied by a parallel benefit on fetal survival in utero. SP-A had no effect on bacterial growth but reversed several major consequences of infection, including increased production of inflammatory mediators and a shift in macrophage polarization to the M1 phenotype. These findings suggest that exogenous SP-A has potential use to counteract infection-induced labor by reversing its proinflammatory consequences.
The Ups and Downs of Cognitive Function: Neuroticism and Negative Affect Drive Performance Inconsistency
Authors: Munoz Elizabeth , Stawski Robert S , Sliwinski Martin J , Smyth Joshua M , MacDonald Stuart W S 
Published: March 2018

AbstractObjectivesResponse time inconsistency (RTI)—or trial-to-trial variability in speeded performance—is increasingly recognized as an indicator of transient lapses of attention, cognitive health status, and central nervous system integrity, as well as a potential early indicator of normal and pathological cognitive aging. Comparatively, little research has examined personality predictors of RTI across adulthood.MethodsWe evaluated the association between the personality trait neuroticism and RTI in a community-dwelling sample of 317 adults between the ages of 19–83 and tested for two indirect pathways through negative affect (NA) and cognitive interference (CI).ResultsThe personality trait neuroticism predicted greater RTI independent of mean response time performance and demographic covariates; the results were age-invariant. Furthermore, NA (but not CI) accounted for this association and moderated mediation model results indicated that older adults were more vulnerable to the adverse effects of NA.DiscussionNeuroticism predicts greater RTI irrespective of mean performance and this effect is driven largely by heightened negative emotionality that may be particularly detrimental for older adults.
The Epidemiology of Social Isolation: National Health and Aging Trends Study
Authors: Cudjoe Thomas K M , Roth David L , Szanton Sarah L , Wolff Jennifer L , Boyd Cynthia M , Thorpe Roland J 
Published: March 2018

Abstract

Objectives
Social isolation among older adults is an important but under-recognized risk for poor health outcomes. Methods are needed to identify subgroups of older adults at risk for social isolation.

Methods
We constructed a typology of social isolation using data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) and estimated the prevalence and correlates of social isolation among community-dwelling older adults. The typology was formed from four domains: living arrangement, core discussion network size, religious attendance, and social participation.

Results
In 2011, 24% of self-responding, community-dwelling older adults (65+ years), approximately 7.7 million people, were characterized as socially isolated, including 1.3 million (4%) who were characterized as severely socially isolated. Multinomial multivariable logistic regression indicated that being unmarried, male, having low education, and low income were all independently associated with social isolation. Black and Hispanic older adults had lower odds of social isolation compared with white older adults, after adjusting for covariates.

Discussion
Social isolation is an important and potentially modifiable risk that affects a significant proportion of the older adult population.
The first whole transcriptomic exploration of pre-oviposited early chicken embryos using single and bulked embryonic RNA-sequencing
Authors: Hwang Young Sun , Seo Minseok , Choi Hee Jung , Kim Sang Kyung , Kim Heebal , Han Jae Yong 
Published: March 2018

Abstract

Background
The chicken is a valuable model organism, especially in evolutionary and embryology research because its embryonic development occurs in the egg. However, despite its scientific importance, no transcriptome data have been generated for deciphering the early developmental stages of the chicken because of practical and technical constraints in accessing pre-oviposited embryos.

Findings
Here, we determine the entire transcriptome of pre-oviposited avian embryos, including oocyte, zygote, and intrauterine embryos from Eyal-giladi and Kochav stage I (EGK.I) to EGK.X collected using a noninvasive approach for the first time. We also compare RNA-sequencing data obtained using a bulked embryo sequencing and single embryo/cell sequencing technique. The raw sequencing data were preprocessed with two genome builds, Galgal4 and Galgal5, and the expression of 17,108 and 26,102 genes was quantified in the respective builds. There were some differences between the two techniques, as well as between the two genome builds, and these were affected by the emergence of long intergenic noncoding RNA annotations.

Conclusion
The first transcriptome datasets of pre-oviposited early chicken embryos based on bulked and single embryo sequencing techniques will serve as a valuable resource for investigating early avian embryogenesis, for comparative studies among vertebrates, and for novel gene annotation in the chicken genome.
Classifying Spaces for the Family of Virtually Cyclic Subgroups of Braid Groups
Authors: Flores Ramón , González-Meneses Juan 
Published: March 2018

Abstract
We prove that, for n ≥ 3, the minimal dimension of a model of the classifying space of the braid group $B_{n}$, and of the pure braid group $P_{n}$, with respect to the family of virtually cyclic groups is n.
The Impact of Environmental Cooperation on Peacemaking: Definitions, Mechanisms, and Empirical Evidence
Authors: Ide Tobias 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThe literature on environmental peacemaking claims that groups in conflict can put aside their differences and cooperate in the face of shared environmental challenges, thereby facilitating more peaceful relations between them. This study provides the first comprehensive review of the widely dispersed empirical evidence on such environment-peace links. In order to do so, it distinguishes three understandings of peace and identifies four mechanisms connecting environmental cooperation to peace. The results suggest that environmental cooperation can facilitate the absence of violence within states as well as symbolic rapprochement within and between states, although such links are strongly dependent on the presence of several contextual factors. The most relevant mechanisms connecting environmental cooperation to peace are an increase in understanding and trust and especially the build-up of institutions. By contrast, environmental peacemaking is unlikely to have an impact on substantial integration between states or groups. Based on these findings, the article offers four suggestions for future research: (i) assess the relevance of environmental cooperation vis-à-vis other (presumably less context-dependent) drivers of peacemaking, (ii) pay more attention to the mechanisms connecting environmental cooperation to peacemaking, (iii) focus on the interactions between and the different time horizons of the three understandings of peace, and (iv) study the downside of environmental peacemaking to provide a more nuanced assessment and identify further relevant contextual factors.
A new ultraluminous X-ray source in the galaxy NGC 5907
Authors: Pintore F , Belfiore A , Novara G , Salvaterra R , Marelli M , De Luca A , Rigoselli M , Israel G , Rodriguez G , Mereghetti S , Wolter A , Walton D J , Fuerst F , Ambrosi E , Zampieri L , Tiengo A , Salvaggio C 
Published: March 2018

Abstract
We report on the serendipitous discovery of a new transient in NGC 5907, at a peak luminosity of 6.4 × 1039  erg s−1. The source was undetected in previous 2012 Chandra observations with a 3σ upper limit on the luminosity of 1.5 × 1038  erg s−1, implying a flux increase of a factor of &gt;35. We analysed three recent 60 ks/50 ks Chandra and 50 ks XMM–Newton observations, as well as all the available Swift/XRT observations performed between 2017 August and 2018 March. Until the first half of 2017 October, Swift/XRT observations did not show any emission from the source. The transient entered the ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) regime in less than two weeks and its outburst was still on-going at the end of 2018 February. The 0.3–10 keV spectrum is consistent with a single multicolour blackbody disc (kT ∼ 1.5 keV). The source might be an ∼30 M⊙ black hole accreting at the Eddington limit. However, although we did not find evidence of pulsations, we cannot rule out the possibility that this ULX hosts an accreting NS.