bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Emotional temporal difference Q ‐learning signals in multi‐agent system cooperation: real case studies
Authors: Abdi Javad , Moshiri Behzad , Abdulhai Baher 
Published: August 2013

Chaotic non‐linear dynamics approach is now the most powerful tool for scientists to deal with complexities in real cases; and artificial neural networks and neuro‐fuzzy models are widely used for their capabilities in non‐linear modelling of chaotic systems. Chaos, uncertain behaviours, demanding fluctuation, complexity of the traffic flow situations and the problems with those methods, however, caused the forecasting traffic flow values to lack robustness and precision. In this study, the traffic flow forecasting is analysed by emotional concepts and multi‐agent systems (MASs) points of view as a new method. Its architecture is based on a temporal difference (TD) Q ‐learning with a neuro‐fuzzy structure. The performance of TD Q ‐learning method is improved by emotional learning. The concept of emotional TD Q ‐learning method is discussed for the first time in this study. The forecasting algorithm which uses the Q ‐learning algorithm is capable of finding the optimal forecasting approach as the one obtained by the reinforcement learning. In addition, in order to study in a more practical situation, the neuro‐fuzzy behaviours can be modelled by MAS. The real traffic flow signals used for fitting the proposed methods are obtained from interstate I‐494 in Minnesota City in USA and the E17 motorway Gent–Antwerp in Belgium.
Second‐order sliding‐mode controller design and tuning for grid synchronisation and power control of a wind turbine‐driven doubly fed induction generator
Authors: Susperregui Ana , Martinez Miren Itsaso , Tapia Gerardo , Vechiu Ionel 
Published: August 2013

This study presents a second‐order sliding‐mode control (2‐SMC) scheme for a wind turbine‐driven doubly fed induction generator (DFIG). The tasks of grid synchronisation and power control are undertaken by two different algorithms, designed to command the rotor‐side converter at a fixed switching frequency. Effective tuning equations for the parameters of both controllers are derived. A procedure is also provided that guarantees bumpless transfer between the two controllers at the instant of connecting the DFIG to the grid. The resulting 2‐SMC scheme is experimentally validated on a laboratory‐scale 7 kW DFIG test bench. Experimental results evidence both the high dynamic performance and the superior robustness achieved with the proposed control scheme.
Design and implementation of a grid‐tied wind power micro‐inverter
Authors: Chiang Hsuang‐Chang , Tsai Hsuan‐Yu 
Published: August 2013

Small wind turbine generator (WTG) below 300 W capacity is suitable to generate power in residential or city area, where no large space for installing kilowatt scale WTG. The modularised micro‐inverter which can feed WTG power to the grid directly has the merit of increasing the installed flexibility and omitting the battery in this application. This study proposes a grid‐tied micro‐inverter combining the boost and flyback‐based inverter topology and specially designed for the small WTG with permanent magnetic (PM) generator. The boost converter is used to step up the input voltage and track the maximum power point (MPP) of the WTG. The flyback‐based inverter is used to feed power to the grid with unity power factor. A fast MPP tracking (MPPT) method is presented to track the wind power to fit for the wind speed with fast variation. The variable frequency peak current mode control method is adopted for the control of the flyback‐based inverter. An interleaving technique is also applied to the inverter for increasing its power capacity. Quantitative controller design of the boost converter with the WTG input and the grid‐tied flyback‐based inverter is presented. A 240 W experimental system is built. A WTG emulator implemented with the M–G set is developed for testing the proposed system. Some simulation and measured results are provided for demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed system.
Ternary semiconductor ZnSe0.7Te0.3 nanowires
Authors: Li Shanying , Su Qing , Zhao Haipeng , Tian Damin 
Published: August 2013

Ternary semiconductor ZnSe0.7Te0.3 nanowires (NWs) are synthesised by using a thermal evaporation method, and the as‐synthesised NWs have a wurtzite structure with a growth direction of [001]. The electrical measurements are carried out based on nano‐field‐effect transistors fabricated by individual NWs, and the electron transport characteristics reveal that the ZnSe0.7Te0.3NWs have p‐type conductivity with a high‐mobility (μh) of 0.9 cm2V−1S−1 and carrier concentration (nh) 5 × 1018 cm−3. Photoluminescence measurements for ZnSe0.7Te0.3NWs show a dominant emission peaked at 478 nm which is the emission of free exciton.
Controlled growth of SnO2 nanostructures with small diameters and their photocatalytic properties
Authors: Cheng Guoe , Hao Tingting , Ke Hanzhong , Gong Fujun , Chen Jinyan , Shang Jin 
Published: August 2013

SnO2 nanocrystals with small diameters including nanorods, nanowires connected by nanorods and nanoparticles have been obtained in mixed solvents of oleic acid (OA) and ethanol. By simply adjusting the volume ratio of these solvents, the morphologies and structures of the SnO2 crystals can be easily varied. All the products show pure tetragonal SnO2 with a rutile structure and the obtained nanorods can be connected with each other in various ways to form nanowires. The nanocrystals with a volume ratio of OA and ethanol of 1:1 present the best photocatalytic properties which shows 100% degradation of Rhodamine B within 60 min.
Ternary nanocomposites of graphene@SiO2@NiO nanoflowers: synthesis and their microwave electromagnetic properties
Authors: Wang Lei , Huang Ying , Ding Xiao , Liu Panbo , Zong Meng 
Published: August 2013

The ternary composites of graphene@SiO2@NiO nanoflowers were fabricated by a multi‐step route. Graphene oxide (GO)@SiO2 sheets were formed by a layer of silica nanosheets coated on the surface of GO. Then, GO@SiO2 sheets were introduced as substrates for the growth of NiO nanoflowers. The microwave absorption property of the ternary composites was studied in the frequency ranging from 2 to 18 GHz, and the effect of the thickness of the ternary composites on microwave absorption was also investigated. The results indicate that graphene@SiO2@NiO nanoflowers composites exhibit enhanced microwave absorption compared with graphene@SiO2. The reflection loss of graphene@SiO2@NiO nanoflowers below −10 dB is 5 GHz (from 10 to 15 GHz) and the maximum absorption is −20.5 dB at 11.3 GHz with a thickness of 3 mm.
Carbon and hydrogen stable isotope fractionation associated with the anaerobic degradation of propane and butane by marine sulfate‐reducing bacteria
Authors: Jaekel Ulrike , Vogt Carsten , Fischer Anko , Richnow Hans‐Hermann , Musat Florin 
Published: August 2013

SummaryThe anaerobic degradation of propane and butane is typically initiated by activation via addition to fumarate. Here we investigated the mechanism of activation under sulfate‐reducing conditions by one pure culture (strain BuS5) and three enrichment cultures employing stable isotope analysis. Stable isotope fractionation was compared for cultures incubated with or without substrate diffusion limitation. Bulk enrichment factors were significantly higher in mixed vs. static incubations. Two dimensional factors, given by the correlation of stable isotope fractionation of both carbon and hydrogen at their reactive positions (Lambda reactive position, Λrp), were compared to analyse the activation mechanisms. A characteristic reactive position isotope fractionation pattern was observed, distinct from aerobic degradation. Λrp values ranged from 10.5 to 11.8 for propane and from 7.8 to 9.4 for butane. Incubations of strain BuS5 with deuterium‐labelled n‐alkanes indicated that butane was activated solely at the subterminal C atom. In contrast, propane was activated mainly at the subterminal C atom but also significantly at the terminal C atoms. A conservative estimate suggests that about 70% of the propane activation events occurred at the subterminal C atom and about 30% at the terminal C atoms.
When Good Intentions Go Astray: Policy Framing Processes and the Europeanization of Children's Rights
Authors: Iusmen Ingi 
Published: August 2013

Research Highlights and Abstract Empirical evidence of how Commission policy framing processes shape the Europeanization of Member States Analytical and empirical evidence of how and why Commission services develop and promote divergent policy frames in relation to children's rights Challenges faced by the EU's promotion of policy measures that have a cross-sectoral dimension Analytical and empirical evidence of how Commission services conceive their legal role and scope with respect to children's rights This article examines how and why Commission policy framing processes impact on the Europeanization of children's rights at the national level. By employing the Hotline for Missing Children as a case study, it is demonstrated that Commission services failed to adopt a coherent policy line regarding the issue of missing children. Instead, Commission services promoted conflicting Hotline templates, which conveyed mixed messages and shaped the differential implementation of the Hotline at the national level. The contradictory Hotline templates are rooted in Commission services' embrace of divergent policy frames, which are determined by institutional fragmentation and conflicting interpretations of Commission legal competence to address the issue of missing children and the protection of child rights.
Effect of Penicillium roqueforti and incorporation of whey cheese on volatile profiles and sensory characteristics of mould‐ripened Civil cheese
Authors: Cakmakci Songul , Dagdemir Elif , Hayaloglu Ali A , Gurses Mustafa , Cetin Bulent , Tahmas‐Kahyaoglu Deren 
Published: August 2013

In this study, four different types of mould‐ripened Civil cheese were manufactured. A defined (nontoxigenic) strain of a Penicillium roqueforti (SC 509) was used as secondary starter for the manufacture of mould‐ripened Civil cheese with and without addition of the whey cheese Lor; in parallel, secondary starter‐free counterparts were manufactured. A total of 83 compounds were identified. Ketones, alcohols and esters were the principal classes of volatile components. Principal component analysis of the headspace volatiles grouped cheeses by age and type. P. roqueforti inoculated cheese was clearly separated from the other cheeses at 180 days of ripening, and these cheeses were characterised with high levels of ketones (e.g., 2‐butanone, 2‐heptanone). Differences in the panel scores between the cheese samples were not significant during the first stage of ripening (up to 60 days); as ripening proceeded, these differences were become evident and P. roqueforti inoculated cheeses received higher scores than others. Addition of Lor in the manufacture of mould‐ripened Civil cheese caused lower points by the sensory panel, and the cheese inoculated with P. roqueforti and Lor‐free was the best type of mould‐ripened Civil cheese. The results showed that the use of P. roqueforti in the manufacture of mould‐ripened Civil cheese has significant impact on the volatile profiles and sensory attributes.
Stated and Inferred Attribute Attendance Models: A Comparison with Environmental Choice Experiments
Authors: Kragt Marit E. 
Published: August 2013

AbstractThere is increasing evidence that respondents to choice experiment surveys do not consider all attributes presented in the choice sets. Not accounting for this ‘attribute non‐attendance’ leads to biased parameter estimates, and hence biased estimates of willingness to pay. Various methods exist to account for non‐attendance in the analysis of choice data, with limited agreement as to which method is ‘best’. This paper compares modelling approaches that can account for non‐attendance, based on stated and inferred attribute non‐attendance. Respondents' stated non‐attendance is incorporated in the specification of multinomial and mixed logit models. Inference of non‐attendance is based on equality constrained latent class models. Results show that model fit is significantly improved when attribute non‐attendance is taken into account, and that welfare estimates are lower when incorporating non‐attendance. The inference based on equality constrained latent class models provides the best model fit. There is little concordance between stated and inferred non‐attendance, suggesting that respondents may not answer attendance statements truthfully.
To Cheat or Not To Cheat: Moral Hazard and Agri‐environmental Policy
Authors: Fraser Rob 
Published: August 2013

AbstractThis Address examines the moral hazard problem in agri‐environmental policy. It begins with a theoretical analysis of moral hazard in this context, including the identification of eight potential causes of cheating behaviour among farmers. But is cheating behaviour among farmers actually a problem for agri‐environmental policy? And if it is, which are the statistically significant causes of concern? The answer seems to be: “we don't know” as there are currently no empirical analyses of the moral hazard problem and its causes in agri‐environmental policy. On this basis I analyse a set of policy solutions – to a problem for which we have no evidence of its causes or extent!
Food Security and Cardioprotection: The Polar Lipid Link
Authors: Zabetakis Ioannis 
Published: August 2013

AbstractThe projected increase in world population and therefore demand for food in the foreseeable future pose some risks on how secure is the food production system today. Millions of people are threatened by malnutrition, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), diabetes, and obesity. This is a multidimensional challenge: the production of food needs to be increased but also the quality of food needs to be improved so less people suffer from undernourishment and CVDs. This hypothesis paper addresses this problem by critically evaluating recent developments on the role of food components against CVDs, presenting recent insights for assessing the nutritional value of food and suggesting novel approaches toward the sustainable production of food that would, in turn, lead to increased food security. The issue of the sustainability of lipid sources and genetically modified crops is also discussed from a food security point of view.
Sensory Profiles for Dried Fig (Ficus carica L.) Cultivars Commercially Grown and Processed in California
Authors: Haug Megan T. , King Ellena S. , Heymann Hildegarde , Crisosto Carlos H. 
Published: August 2013

AbstractA trained sensory panel evaluated the 6 fig cultivars currently sold in the California dried fig market. The main flavor and aroma attributes determined by the sensory panel were “caramel,” “honey,” “raisin,” and “fig,” with additional aroma attributes: “common date,” “dried plum,” and “molasses.” Sensory differences were observed between dried fig cultivars. All figs were processed by 2 commercial handlers. Processing included potassium sorbate as a preservative and SO2 application as an antibrowning agent for white cultivars. As a consequence of SO2 use during processing, high sulfite residues affected the sensory profiles of the white dried fig cultivars. Significant differences between dried fig cultivars and sources demonstrate perceived differences between processing and storage methods. The panel‐determined sensory lexicon can help with California fig marketing.
Fluorescence Imaging Spectroscopy (FIS) for Comparing Spectra from Corn Ears Naturally and Artificially Infected with Aflatoxin Producing Fungus
Authors: Hruska Zuzana , Yao Haibo , Kincaid Russell , Darlington Dawn , Brown Robert L. , Bhatnagar Deepak , Cleveland Thomas E. 
Published: August 2013

AbstractIn an effort to address the problem of rapid detection of aflatoxin in grain, particularly oilseeds, the current study assessed the spectral differences of aflatoxin production in kernels from a cornfield inoculated with spores from 2 different strains of toxigenic Aspergillus flavus. Aflatoxin production in corn from the same field due to natural infestation was also assessed. A small corn plot in Baton Rouge, La., U.S.A., was used during the 2008‐growing season. Two groups of 400 plants were inoculated with 2 different inocula and 1 group of 400 plants was designated as controls. Any contamination detected in the controls was attributed to natural infestation. A subset of each group was imaged with a visible near infra red (VNIR) hyperspectral system under ultra violet (UV) excitation and subsequently analyzed for aflatoxin using affinity column fluorometry. Group differences were statistically analyzed. Results indicate that when all the spectral data across all groups were averaged, any potential differences between groups (treated and untreated) were obscured. However, spectral analysis based on contaminated “hot” pixel classification showed a distinct spectral shift/separation between contaminated and clean ears with fluorescence peaks at 501 and 478 nm, respectively. All inoculated and naturally infected control ears had fluorescence peaks at 501 nm that differed from uninfected corn ears. Results from this study may be useful in evaluating rapid, noninvasive instrumentation and/or methodology for aflatoxin detection in grain.
Antimicrobial Activity of a Pullulan–Caraway Essential Oil Coating on Reduction of Food Microorganisms and Quality in Fresh Baby Carrot
Authors: Gniewosz Małgorzata , Kraśniewska Karolina , Woreta Marcin , Kosakowska Olga 
Published: August 2013

AbstractThis research evaluated the antimicrobial efficacy of pullulan films containing caraway essential oil (CEO). The films were prepared from a 10% of pullulan, containing from 0.12% to 10.0% of CEO. The composition of the CEO was analyzed with the use of gas chromatography. The antimicrobial activity of the CEO was evaluated with the method of serial microdilutions, and the films containing CEO—with the agar diffusion method against selected Gram‐negative, Gram‐positive bacteria, and fungi. The structure of the film surface and its cross‐section were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Analyses were also carried out to determine the efficacy of a pullulan coating with 10% CEO on baby carrots experimentally inoculated with Salmonella enteritidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, or Aspergillus niger and stored at a room temperature for 7 d. At a concentration of 0.12%, CEO inhibited the growth of all the tested microorganisms. Pullulan films containing 8% to 10% of CEO were active against all tested microorganisms. Populations of S. aureus on carrot samples were reduced by approximately 3 log CFU/g, while those of A. niger and S. cerevisiae by, respectively, 5 and 4 log CFU/g, after 7 d of storage. S. enteritidis was the most resistant among the tested species, since it was not significantly reduced after 7 d of storage. At the end of storage, samples treated with pullulan–caraway oil coating maintained better visual acceptability than control samples. Results of this study suggest the feasibility of applying a pullulan film with incorporated CEO to extend the microbiological stability of minimally processed foods.
Beneficial effects of silibinin against the progression of metabolic syndrome, increased oxidative stress, and liver steatosis in Psammomys obesus, a relevant animal model of human obesity and diabetes (在一种与人类肥胖以及糖尿病相关的动物模型肥沙鼠中，水飞蓟素具有拮抗代谢综合征进展、拮抗氧化应激增加以及拮抗肝脏脂肪变性的有益作用)
Authors: Bouderba Saida , Sanchez‐Martin Carlos , Villanueva Gloria R. , Detaille Dominique , Koceïr E. Ahmed 
Published: August 2013

AbstractBackgroundInsulin resistance and oxidative stress are major pathogenic mechanisms leading to chronic liver diseases in diabetic subjects. The gerbil Psammomys obesus is a unique model of nutritional diabetes resembling the disease in humans. This study investigated whether the natural ingredient silibinin, known as hepatoprotective, could decrease oxidative stress and reduce liver damage in obese gerbils.MethodsControl animals were fed their vegetable‐based low caloric diet while two other rat groups ingested a high calorie diet for 14 weeks. Silibinin, or its vehicle, was administrated by gastric intubation (100 mg/kg per day) from the 7th week of treatment, which corresponds to an established insulin resistance state. At the end of the experiments, the hepatic biochemical profile, markers of oxidative stress in either plasma or liver tissue, and histological alterations were examined.ResultsDiabetic P. obesus displayed many metabolic disturbances (hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia), which were aggravated for the last 8 weeks. These events were coupled with greater oxidative stress (decline in glutathione, rise in lipoperoxidation). In addition, glutathione peroxidase activity was reduced while the level of superoxide dismutase was elevated. Interestingly, treatment with silibinin alleviated most of the metabolic defects, especially high triglyceride levels, reduced insulin resistance and largely restored antioxidant status. Also, Masson's trichrome staining revealed distinct steatosis, yet silibinin partially reversed this manifestation.ConclusionSilibinin affords substantial protection against the progression of insulin resistance in Type 2 diabetes mellitus for P. obesus by hampering the oxidative process and improving hepatic metabolism.
Virtual airway simulation to improve dexterity among novices performing fibreoptic intubation
Authors: De Oliveira G. S. , Glassenberg R. , Chang R. , Fitzgerald P. , McCarthy R. J. 
Published: August 2013

SummaryWe developed a virtual reality software application (iLarynx) using built‐in accelerometer properties of the iPhone® or iPad® (Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, USA) that mimics hand movements for the performance of fibreoptic skills. Twenty novice medical students were randomly assigned to virtual airway training with the iLarynx software or no additional training. Eight out of the 10 subjects in the standard training group had at least one failed (> 120 s) attempt compared with two out of the 10 participants in the iLarynx group (p = 0.01). There were a total of 24 failed attempts in the standard training group and four in the iLarynx group (p < 0.005). Cusum analysis demonstrated continued group improvement in the iLarynx, but not in the standard training group. Virtual airway simulation using freely available software on a smartphone/tablet device improves dexterity among novices performing upper airway endoscopy.
Embryonic development and nourishment in the viviparous fish Poecilia vivipara (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae)
Authors: Arcanjo Rachel B. , de Souza Leonardo P. , Rezende Carla F. , Silva José R. F. 
Published: August 2013

AbstractWhile viviparity confers protection to the embryos during gestation, it increases energetic costs for the mother, which acquires new relations to its offspring. Maternal–fetal transfer of nutrients can occur in different patterns: as lecithotrophy (nourished by yolk) or matrotrophy (nourished by the mother). The development of Poecilia vivipara embryos was described macroscopically and microscopically, and the form of nutritional provisioning was identified. Embryonic development was divided into three prefertilization and seven postfertilization stages. The first organ to appear is the notochord, followed by the nervous, digestive and cardiovascular systems, and then by muscles and eyes. Embryonic nutritional provisioning was lecithotrophic, with yolk persisting until the last developmental stages and rich in proteins and polysaccharides. This kind of embryonic nutrition confirms the pattern found in the family Poeciliidae.