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  • Articles  (19,973)
  • MDPI Publishing  (15,862)
  • American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
  • 2015-2019  (19,973)
  • 2017  (19,973)
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  • 2015-2019  (19,973)
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  • 101
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    IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 318: Exploring Impacts of Taxes and Hospitality Bans on Cigarette Prices and Smoking Prevalence Using a Large Dataset of Cigarette Prices at Stores 2001–2011, USA (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-03-21
    Description: In the USA, little is known about local variation in retail cigarette prices; price variation explained by taxes, bans, and area-level socio-demographics, and whether taxes and hospitality bans have synergistic effects on smoking prevalence. Cigarette prices 2001–2011 from chain supermarkets and drug stores (n = 2973) were linked to state taxes (n = 41), state and county bar/restaurant smoking bans, and census block group socio-demographics. Hierarchical models explored effects of taxes and bans on retail cigarette prices as well as county smoking prevalence (daily, non-daily). There was wide variation in store-level cigarette prices in part due to differences in state excise taxes. Excise taxes were only partially passed onto consumers (after adjustment, $1 tax associated with $0.90 increase in price, p 〈 0.0001) and the pass-through was slightly higher in areas that had bans but did not differ by area-level socio-demographics. Bans were associated with a slight increase in cigarette price (after adjustment, $0.09 per-pack, p 〈 0.0001). Taxes and bans were associated with reduction in smoking prevalence and taxes had a stronger association when combined with bans, suggesting a synergistic effect. Given wide variation in store-level prices, and uneven state/county implementation of taxes and bans, more federal policies should be considered.
    Print ISSN: 1661-7827
    Electronic ISSN: 1660-4601
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Medicine
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  • 102
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    IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 316: Risk of Suicide and Dysfunctional Patterns of Personality among Bereaved Substance Users (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-03-21
    Description: Background: Research has shown that suicide is a phenomenon highly present among the drug dependent population. Different studies have demonstrated an upraised level of comorbidity between personality disorders (PD) and substance use disorders (SUD). This study aimed to describe which PDs are more frequent among those patients with a risk of suicide. Methods: The study was based on a consecutive non-probabilistic convenience sample of 196 bereaved patients attended to in a Public Addiction Center in Girona (Spain). Sociodemographic data, as well as suicide and drug related characteristics were recorded. The risk of suicide was assessed with the Spanish version of “Risk of suicide”. Personality disorders were measured with the Spanish version of Millon Multiaxial Clinical Inventory. Results: The PDs more associated with the presence of risk of suicide were depressive, avoidant, schizotypal and borderline disorders. However, the histrionic, narcissistic and compulsive PDs are inversely associated with risk of suicide even though the narcissistic scale had no statistical correlation. Conclusions: The risk of suicide is a significant factor to take into account related to patients with SUD and especially with the presence of specific PDs. These findings underline the importance of diagnosing and treating rigorously patients with SUD.
    Print ISSN: 1661-7827
    Electronic ISSN: 1660-4601
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Medicine
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  • 103
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    IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 317: Associations among Substance Use, Mental Health Disorders, and Self-Harm in a Prison Population: Examining Group Risk for Suicide Attempt (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
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    Publication Date: 2017-03-21
    Description: Substance use disorders (SUD) and mental health disorders are significant public health issues that co-occur and are associated with high risk for suicide attempts. SUD and mental health disorders are more prevalent among offenders (i.e., prisoners or inmates) than the non-imprisoned population, raising concerns about the risk of self-harm. This cross-sectional study examined the population of a state prison system (10,988 out of 13,079) to identify associations among SUD (alcohol, cannabis, intravenous drugs, narcotics, and tobacco smoking), mental health disorders (anxiety, bipolar, depression, and psychotic disorders), and suicide attempts. The primary aim was to determine which groups (SUD, mental health disorders, and co-occurrences) were strongly association with suicide attempts. Groups with a documented SUD or mental health disorders compared to peers without these issues had 2.0 and 9.2 greater odds, respectively, for attempting suicide, which was significant at p 〈 0.0001 for both conditions. There were also significant differences within SUD and mental health disorders groups in regard to suicide attempts. Groups with the greatest odds for suicide attempts were offenders with comorbid bipolar comorbid and anxiety, alcohol combined with depression, and cannabis co-occurring with depression. Documentation of suicide attempts during imprisonment indicates awareness, but also suggest a need to continue enhancing screening and evaluating environmental settings.
    Print ISSN: 1661-7827
    Electronic ISSN: 1660-4601
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Medicine
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  • 104
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    Sensors, Vol. 17, Pages 636: A Networked Sensor System for the Analysis of Plot-Scale Hydrology (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Sensors
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-03-21
    Description: This study presents the latest updates to the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania (ASWP) testbed, a $50,000 USD, 104-node outdoor multi-hop wireless sensor network (WSN). The network collects environmental data from over 240 sensors, including the EC-5, MPS-1 and MPS-2 soil moisture and soil water potential sensors and self-made sap flow sensors, across a heterogeneous deployment comprised of MICAz, IRIS and TelosB wireless motes. A low-cost sensor board and software driver was developed for communicating with the analog and digital sensors. Innovative techniques (e.g., balanced energy efficient routing and heterogeneous over-the-air mote reprogramming) maintained high success rates (>96%) and enabled effective software updating, throughout the large-scale heterogeneous WSN. The edaphic properties monitored by the network showed strong agreement with data logger measurements and were fitted to pedotransfer functions for estimating local soil hydraulic properties. Furthermore, sap flow measurements, scaled to tree stand transpiration, were found to be at or below potential evapotranspiration estimates. While outdoor WSNs still present numerous challenges, the ASWP testbed proves to be an effective and (relatively) low-cost environmental monitoring solution and represents a step towards developing a platform for monitoring and quantifying statistically relevant environmental parameters from large-scale network deployments.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-8220
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
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  • 105
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    Sustainability, Vol. 9, Pages 459: Decomposition and Attribution Analysis of Industrial Carbon Intensity Changes in Xinjiang, China (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
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    Publication Date: 2017-03-21
    Description: Xinjiang’s industrial sector accounted for more than 80% of the total energy-related carbon emissions. A further understanding of each industrial sub-sector’s carbon intensity is very necessary to make differentiated policies and measures. This paper applied index decomposition analysis and attribution analysis to examine the influencing factors and each sub-sector’s contributions to the changes in influencing factors. The results demonstrated the following: (1) energy intensity effect contributed most to the decreases in industrial carbon intensity, and mining and quarrying, foods and tobacco, and other manufactures were the most representative industrial sub-sectors; (2) energy structure effect showed a positive effect on industrial carbon intensity, but its effect was not significant, and fuel processing, smelting and pressing of metals, metal products, and textile were mainly responsible for the increases in energy structure effect; (3) industrial structure effect showed significant fluctuations, but its accumulative effect promoted the increases in industrial carbon intensity, and fuel processing, mining and quarrying, and textiles were the main sub-sectors, which exerted negative effects on the decreases in industrial structure effect; (4) fuel processing, smelting and pressing of metals, and mining and quarrying significantly influenced these three decomposed factors from 2000 to 2014; (5) since 2009, energy-intensive sub-sectors increased rapidly, and the energy structure was not optimized, while attention was not paid to controlling the energy efficiency, thus all decomposed factors promoted the increases in industrial carbon intensity; and (6) mining and quarrying, textiles, fuel processing, and transport equipment were primarily responsible for the increases in energy structure effect. Fuel processing, chemicals, and smelting and pressing of metals were primarily responsible for the increases in energy intensity effect. Fuel processing, chemicals, smelting and pressing of metals, and other manufactures were primarily responsible for the increases in industrial structure effect.
    Electronic ISSN: 2071-1050
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 106
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    Sustainability, Vol. 9, Pages 460: Impacts of Global Warming and Sea Level Rise on Service Life of Chloride-Exposed Concrete Structures (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-03-21
    Description: Global warming will increase the rate of chloride ingress and the rate of steel corrosion of concrete structures. Furthermore, in coastal (atmospheric marine) zones, sea level rise will reduce the distance of concrete structures from the coast and increase the surface chloride content. This study proposes a probabilistic model for analyzing the effects of global warming and sea level rise on the service life of coastal concrete structures. First, in the corrosion initiation stage, an improved chloride diffusion model is proposed to determine chloride concentration. The Monte Carlo method is employed to calculate the service life in the corrosion initiation stage; Second, in the corrosion propagation stage, a numerical model is proposed to calculate the rate of corrosion, probability of corrosion cracking, and service life. Third, overall service life is determined as the sum of service life in the corrosion initiation and corrosion propagation stages. After considering the impacts of global warming and sea level rise, the analysis results show that for concrete structures having a service life of 50 years, the service life decreases by about 5%.
    Electronic ISSN: 2071-1050
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 107
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    Sustainability, Vol. 9, Pages 462: A Carbon Emission Evaluation for an Integrated Logistics System—A Case Study of the Port of Shenzhen (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-03-21
    Description: The port is an important node in logistics, and its energy consumption constitutes a considerable proportion of the transportation industry. In port logistics, not only does the energy consumption generate carbon emissions, but other business activities do as well. This paper firstly characterizes the sources of carbon emissions and the basic elements in the port system, and proposes the concept of a port-integrated logistics system. Secondly, a case study of The Port of Shenzhen is conducted and a method is provided to measure the carbon emissions in the port-integrated logistics system. This paper then suggests two approaches to reducing carbon emissions, and their economic and environmental benefits are compared. Finally, some policies are put forward to reduce carbon emissions, such as improving the efficiency of loading and unloading, and replacing the heavy fuel oil by low sulfur fuel oil and shore power. The proposed method of carbon emission reduction for port-integrated logistics systems can be generalized for the analysis of various types of ports.
    Electronic ISSN: 2071-1050
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 108
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    Sensors, Vol. 17, Pages 634: Detrimental Effect Elimination of Laser Frequency Instability in Brillouin Optical Time Domain Reflectometer by Using Self-Heterodyne Detection (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Sensors
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-03-21
    Description: A useful method for eliminating the detrimental effect of laser frequency instability on Brillouin signals by employing the self-heterodyne detection of Rayleigh and Brillouin scattering is presented. From the analysis of Brillouin scattering spectra from fibers with different lengths measured by heterodyne detection, the maximum usable pulse width immune to laser frequency instability is obtained to be about 4 µs in a self-heterodyne detection Brillouin optical time domain reflectometer (BOTDR) system using a broad-band laser with low frequency stability. Applying the self-heterodyne detection of Rayleigh and Brillouin scattering in BOTDR system, we successfully demonstrate that the detrimental effect of laser frequency instability on Brillouin signals can be eliminated effectively. Employing the broad-band laser modulated by a 130-ns wide pulse driven electro-optic modulator, the observed maximum errors in temperatures measured by the local heterodyne and self-heterodyne detection BOTDR systems are 7.9 °C and 1.2 °C, respectively.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-8220
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
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  • 109
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    Sustainability, Vol. 9, Pages 463: Political Response to Foot-and-Mouth Disease: A Review of Korean News (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
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    Publication Date: 2017-03-21
    Description: The 2010/2011 foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in Korea produced about 4500 burial sites for 3.5 million animal carcasses, which can be summarized as quick, mass burials, at or near the outbreak farms. An FMD outbreak has occurred nearly every year since the big outbreak, although the sizes of these outbreaks have been small. This article presents the rationale behind government policies for FMD outbreaks and disposal sites, the secrecy of the government administration and the neglect of scientific data. We compared government news announcements with news from the non-governmental sector by analyzing all the news for FMD and disposal sites from 29 October 2010, the first day of the big outbreak to August 2016. We found that the Korean response to the FMD outbreak originated from political purposes. We present four rationales for our arguments including: (1) a military collision between North and South of Korea; (2) the reformation of four big rivers; (3) the incident at the Fukushima Atomic Energy Plant of Japan; and (4) the national elections. We believe that the next response should be based on scientific data and proof, and also from the environmental perspective, not the political or industry perspective.
    Electronic ISSN: 2071-1050
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 110
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    Sensors, Vol. 17, Pages 626: A Colorimetric Sensor for the Highly Selective Detection of Sulfide and 1,4-Dithiothreitol Based on the In Situ Formation of Silver Nanoparticles Using Dopamine (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Sensors
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-03-21
    Description: Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has attracted attention in biochemical research because it plays an important role in biosystems and has emerged as the third endogenous gaseous signaling compound along with nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO). Since H2S is a kind of gaseous molecule, conventional approaches for H2S detection are mostly based on the detection of sulfide (S2−) for indirectly reflecting H2S levels. Hence, there is a need for an accurate and reliable assay capable of determining sulfide in physiological systems. We report here a colorimetric, economic, and green method for sulfide anion detection using in situ formation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using dopamine as a reducing and protecting agent. The changes in the AgNPs absorption response depend linearly on the concentration of Na2S in the range from 2 to 15 μM, with a detection limit of 0.03 μM. Meanwhile, the morphological changes in AgNPs in the presence of S2− and thiol compounds were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The as-synthetized AgNPs demonstrate high selectivity, free from interference, especially by other thiol compounds such as cysteine and glutathione. Furthermore, the colorimetric sensor developed was applied to the analysis of sulfide in fetal bovine serum and spiked serum samples with good recovery.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-8220
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
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  • 111
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    Materials, Vol. 10, Pages 316: Experimental Study on the Fire Properties of Nitrocellulose with Different Structures (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Materials
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-03-21
    Description: In order to ensure the safety of inflammable and explosive chemical substance such as nitrocellulose (NC) mixtures in the process of handing, storage, and usage, it is necessary to obtain the fire properties of NC with different exterior structures. In present study, fire properties of two commonly used nitrocelluloses with soft fiber structure and white chip structure were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the ISO 5660 cone calorimeter. Experimental findings revealed that the most important fire properties such as ignition time, mass loss rate and ash content exhibited significant differences between the two structures of NC. Compared with the soft fiber NC, chip NC possesses a lower fire hazard, and its heat release rate intensity (HRRI) is mainly affected by the sample mass. In addition, oxygen consumption (OC) calorimetry method was compared with thermal chemistry (TC) method based on stoichiometry for HRRI calculation. HRRI results of NC with two structures obtained by these two methods showed a good consistency.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1944
    Topics: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
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  • 112
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    Materials, Vol. 10, Pages 315: Microwave-Assisted Catalytic Synthesis of Bio-Based Copolymers from Waste Cooking Oil (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Materials
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    Publication Date: 2017-03-21
    Description: Solvent-free copolymerization of epoxides derived from fatty esters of waste cooking oil with phthalic anhydride using (salen)CrIIICl as catalyst and n-Bu4NCl/DMAP (tetrabutylammonium chloride/4-(dimethylamino)pyridine) as co-catalysts was carried out for the first time under microwave irradiation, where reaction time was reduced from a number of hours to minutes. The polyesters were obtained with molecular weight (Mw = 3100–6750 g/mol) and dispersity values (D = 1.18–1.92) when (salen)CrIIICl/n-Bu4NCl was used as catalysts. Moreover, in the case of DMAP as a co-catalyst, polyesters with improved molecular weight (Mw = 5500–6950 g/mol) and narrow dispersity values (D = 1.07–1.28) were obtained even at reduced concentrations of (salen)CrIIICl and DMAP. The obtained products were characterized and evaluated by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) Techniques.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1944
    Topics: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
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  • 113
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    Remote Sensing, Vol. 9, Pages 292: Preliminary Evaluation of the SMAP Radiometer Soil Moisture Product over China Using In Situ Data (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-03-21
    Description: The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite makes coincident global measurements of soil moisture using an L-band radar instrument and an L-band radiometer. It is crucial to evaluate the errors in the newest L-band SMAP satellite-derived soil moisture products, before they are routinely used in scientific research and applications. This study represents the first evaluation of the SMAP radiometer soil moisture product over China. In this paper, a preliminary evaluation was performed using sparse in situ measurements from 655 China Meteorological Administration (CMA) monitoring stations between 1 April 2015 and 31 August 2016. The SMAP radiometer-derived soil moisture product was evaluated against two schemes of original soil moisture and the soil moisture anomaly in different geographical zones and land cover types. Four performance metrics, i.e., bias, root mean square error (RMSE), unbiased root mean square error (ubRMSE), and the correlation coefficient (R), were used in the accuracy evaluation. The results indicated that the SMAP radiometer-derived soil moisture product agreed relatively well with the in situ measurements, with ubRMSE values of 0.058 cm3·cm−3 and 0.039 cm3·cm−3 based on original data and anomaly data, respectively. The values of the SMAP radiometer-based soil moisture product were overestimated in wet areas, especially in the Southwest China, South China, Southeast China, East China, and Central China zones. The accuracies over croplands and in Northeast China were the worst. Soil moisture, surface roughness, and vegetation are crucial factors contributing to the error in the soil moisture product. Moreover, radio frequency interference contributes to the overestimation over the northern portion of the East China zone. This study provides guidelines for the application of the SMAP-derived soil moisture product in China and acts as a reference for improving the retrieval algorithm.
    Electronic ISSN: 2072-4292
    Topics: Architecture, Civil Engineering, Surveying , Geography
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  • 114
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    Future Internet, Vol. 9, Pages 9: Improved Recommendations Based on Trust Relationships in Social Networks (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
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    Publication Date: 2017-03-22
    Description: In order to alleviate the pressure of information overload and enhance consumer satisfaction, personalization recommendation has become increasingly popular in recent years. As a result, various approaches for recommendation have been proposed in the past few years. However, traditional recommendation methods are still troubled with typical issues such as cold start, sparsity, and low accuracy. To address these problems, this paper proposed an improved recommendation method based on trust relationships in social networks to improve the performance of recommendations. In particular, we define trust relationship afresh and consider several representative factors in the formalization of trust relationships. To verify the proposed approach comprehensively, this paper conducted experiments in three ways. The experimental results show that our proposed approach leads to a substantial increase in prediction accuracy and is very helpful in dealing with cold start and sparsity.
    Electronic ISSN: 1999-5903
    Topics: Computer Science
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  • 115
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    Geosciences, Vol. 7, Pages 15: Spatio-Temporal Mapping of Plate Boundary Faults in California Using Geodetic Imaging (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
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    Publication Date: 2017-03-22
    Description: The Pacific–North American plate boundary in California is composed of a 400-km-wide network of faults and zones of distributed deformation. Earthquakes, even large ones, can occur along individual or combinations of faults within the larger plate boundary system. While research often focuses on the primary and secondary faults, holistic study of the plate boundary is required to answer several fundamental questions. How do plate boundary motions partition across California faults? How do faults within the plate boundary interact during earthquakes? What fraction of strain accumulation is relieved aseismically and does this provide limits on fault rupture propagation? Geodetic imaging, broadly defined as measurement of crustal deformation and topography of the Earth’s surface, enables assessment of topographic characteristics and the spatio-temporal behavior of the Earth’s crust. We focus here on crustal deformation observed with continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) data and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) from NASA’s airborne UAVSAR platform, and on high-resolution topography acquired from lidar and Structure from Motion (SfM) methods. Combined, these measurements are used to identify active structures, past ruptures, transient motions, and distribution of deformation. The observations inform estimates of the mechanical and geometric properties of faults. We discuss five areas in California as examples of different fault behavior, fault maturity and times within the earthquake cycle: the M6.0 2014 South Napa earthquake rupture, the San Jacinto fault, the creeping and locked Carrizo sections of the San Andreas fault, the Landers rupture in the Eastern California Shear Zone, and the convergence of the Eastern California Shear Zone and San Andreas fault in southern California. These examples indicate that distribution of crustal deformation can be measured using interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and high-resolution topography and can improve our understanding of tectonic deformation and rupture characteristics within the broad plate boundary zone.
    Electronic ISSN: 2076-3263
    Topics: Geosciences
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    Geosciences, Vol. 7, Pages 14: Ophiolitic Remnants from the Upper and Intermediate Structural Unit of the Attic-Cycladic Crystalline Belt (Aegean, Greece): Fingerprinting Geochemical Affinities of Magmatic Precursors (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
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    Publication Date: 2017-03-22
    Description: The ophiolitic rocks of the Attic-Cycladic crystalline belt are considered of key importance for understanding the Mesozoic tectonic evolution of the Aegean region. Unresolved questions concern their tectono-stratigraphic relationships across the region. The mode of occurrence of the Cycladic ophiolites varies, as they appear as: (a) dismembered blocks (olistoliths) within the supra-detachment units of Paros and Naxos; (b) mélange formations in the upper structural unit of western Samos and Skyros; and (c) meta-ophiolitic mélange in the Cycladic Blueschist Unit (CBU) from central Samos. The trace element geochemistry and Pb-Sr-Nd isotopes of the mafic ophiolitic rocks indicate four geochemical groups: (a) the upper unit metabasites from Paros and western Samos (Kallithea) display an evolved basaltic composition (Mg# 40.2–59.6), with low Zr/Nb values (5–16) and high Ce/Y values (1.3 to 2.6) compared to MORB, indicating island-arc tholeiite affinities; (b) Naxos upper unit metabasalts show spider diagrams patterns indicating ocean island basalt (OIB-type) affinities; (c) Central Samos metagabbros (CBU) are primitive rocks with Back-Arc Basin basalt affinities; (d) the Skyros metadolerites and Tinos (Mt Tsiknias) and S. Evia (CBU) metagabbros, cluster as a separate geochemical group; they exhibit high MgO values (>10 wt %), very low TiO2 values (0.1–0.2 wt %), Y and Yb, and depleted trace element N-MORB normalized patterns, similar to volcanic rocks formed in modern oceanic fore-arc settings, such as boninites. A combination of the Pb- and Sr-isotopic compositions of Cycladic metabasites indicate that the Pb and Sr incorporated in the Cycladic ophiolites correspond to mixtures of magmatic fluids with seawater (206Pb/204Pb = 18.51–18.80; 207Pb/204Pb = 15.59–15.7; 208Pb/204Pb = 39.03–39.80 and initial 87Sr/86Sr80 = 0.705–0.707). Furthermore, peridotite relicts from Samos, Paros, and Naxos—irrespective of the structural unit—display chemical affinities of ocean floor peridotites formed in a supra-subduction zone. The characteristics of harzburgite relicts in Cycladic serpentinites and Skyros indicate a highly residual nature of the mantle source. Geochemical data from this study shed further light on the complex structure of the oceanic lithosphere from which the Cycladic ophiolites originated.
    Electronic ISSN: 2076-3263
    Topics: Geosciences
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    IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 325: The Development of Psychiatric Services Providing an Alternative to Full-Time Hospitalization Is Associated with Shorter Length of Stay in French Public Psychiatry (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
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    Publication Date: 2017-03-22
    Description: International recommendations for mental health care have advocated for a reduction in the length of stay (LOS) in full-time hospitalization and the development of alternatives to full-time hospitalizations (AFTH) could facilitate alignment with those recommendations. Our objective was therefore to assess whether the development of AFTH in French psychiatric sectors was associated with a reduction in the LOS in full-time hospitalization. Using data from the French national discharge database of psychiatric care, we computed the LOS of patients admitted for full-time hospitalization. The level of development of AFTH was estimated by the share of human resources allocated to those alternatives in the hospital enrolling the staff of each sector. Multi-level modelling was carried out to adjust the analysis on other factors potentially associated with the LOS (patients’, psychiatric sectors’ and environmental characteristics). We observed considerable variations in the LOS between sectors. Although the majority of these variations resulted from patients’ characteristics, a significant negative association was found between the LOS and the development of AFTH, after adjusting for other factors. Our results provide first evidence of the impact of the development of AFTH on mental health care and will provide a lever for policy makers to further develop these alternatives.
    Print ISSN: 1661-7827
    Electronic ISSN: 1660-4601
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Medicine
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    IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 324: Public Preferences for the Use of Taxation and Labelling Policy Measures to Combat Obesity in Young Children in Australia (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
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    Publication Date: 2017-03-22
    Description: Objective: Childhood obesity is a serious concern for developed and developing countries. This study aimed to assess the level of support in Australia for regulation and to assess whether systematic differences occur between individuals who support increased regulation and individuals who oppose it. Methods: An online survey (n = 563) was used to assess parental/caregiver preferences for taxation policy options and nutrition labelling designed to address the incidence of childhood obesity. Participants were parents or caregivers of young children (3 to 7 years) who were actively enrolled in an existing birth cohort study in South-East Queensland, Australia. Results: The majority of the parents (over 80%) strongly agreed or agreed with labelling food and drink with traffic light or teaspoon labelling. Support for taxation was more variable with around one third strongly supporting and a further 40% of participants equivocal about using taxation; however, a quarter strongly rejected this policy. Cluster analysis did not detect any socio-demographic differences between those who strongly supported taxation and those who did not. Conclusions: Better food labelling would be welcomed by parents to enhance food choices for their children. Taxation for health reasons would not be opposed by most parents. Implications for Public Health: Governments should consider taxation of unhealthy drinks and improved labelling to encourage healthy food purchasing.
    Print ISSN: 1661-7827
    Electronic ISSN: 1660-4601
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Medicine
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    IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 327: Is Accessibility to Dental Care Facilities in Rural Areas Associated with Number of Teeth in Elderly Residents? (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-03-22
    Description: Given that public transportation networks are less developed in rural than in urban areas, a lack of accessibility to dental care facilities could be a barrier to routine dental checkups. Thus, we hypothesized that the distance to the dental care facilities is a risk factor for tooth loss. The aim of this study was to test whether there is an association between the distance to dental care facilities, estimated by geographic information systems, and number of teeth, assessed by an oral examination, among elderly residents of a rural area in Japan. Data were collected in 2016 from a cross-sectional study conducted in Shimane prefecture, Japan. After excluding participants with missing data (n = 21), we analyzed data from 710 participants. Of them, 40.6% were male and the mean (standard deviation) age was 67.4 (7.4) years. Further, 68.0% (n = 483) had at least 20 teeth. We found that the distance to dental care facilities was significantly associated with the number of teeth (less than 20) (odds ratio = 1.07, 95% confidence interval = 1.01–1.12) after adjustment for potential confounders. This result suggested that individuals without easy access to dental care facilities may be important targets for dental care.
    Print ISSN: 1661-7827
    Electronic ISSN: 1660-4601
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Medicine
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    Energies, Vol. 10, Pages 403: Power Controlling, Monitoring and Routing Center Enabled by a DC-Transformer † (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Energies
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-03-22
    Description: The penetration of various types of renewable sources and on-site storage devices have recently focused attention towards DC power distribution in consumer grids to achieve the target of zero/positive energy buildings and communities. To achieve this target, the most important component is the DC consumer grid architecture which can integrate not only renewable sources and storage, but also enable the implementation in any conventional AC distribution network without any significant upgrade. To this end, a unique DC Transformer enabled DC microgrid architecture is presented in this paper. The architecture, called PCmRC (power controlling monitoring routing center) is proposed to manage distributed energy sources and storage at any stage and also directly interconnects the DC consumer grid with the conventional AC power grid. This paper also investigates detailed control algorithms of each component and the DC Transformer topology in addition to proposing four unique stages of grid operational modes to enhance the overall grid stability in any operational condition. The main objectives are to maximize the exploitation of renewable sources, to decrease reliance on fossil fuels, to boost the overall efficiency of the grid by reducing the power conversion losses and demand side management in all possible forms. The simulation platform is designed in MATLAB/Simulink. Simulation results of several types of case studies show the effectiveness of the proposed power distribution and management model.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1073
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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    Energies, Vol. 10, Pages 405: Environmental Potential of Using Coal-Processing Waste as the Primary and Secondary Fuel for Energy Providers (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Energies
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-03-22
    Description: The main anthropogenic emissions (CO, CO2, NOx, SOx) produced by the processing (combustion) of wastes (coal filter cakes) were measured directly for the first time. The research considered the most widespread coal filter cakes: those of nonbaking, low-caking, coking, flame, and gas coals. These filter cakes are regarded as promising components for the technologies of coal-water slurry (CWS) and coal-water slurry containing petrochemicals (CWSP). According to our estimates, the annual increment of such wastes in the world is as high as 100 million tons. Consequently, the effective utilization of these wastes in the power industry is of high interest. The evaluation of hazardous emissions from the combustion of such wastes shows that filter cakes produce a similar amount of CO and CO2 as the initially-used coals but filter cakes are more cost-effective. We have established that CWS and CWSP technologies can be used to reduce NOx and SOx emissions. To reduce CO and CO2 emissions when burning filter cakes, we need to switch to low-temperature combustion. Lowering the combustion temperature of filter cakes from 850 °C down to 650 °C decreases the underburning insignificantly while decreasing CO and CO2 emissions by 30–40%.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1073
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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    Energies, Vol. 10, Pages 411: Modeling and Analysis of Double Stator Slotted Rotor Permanent Magnet Generator (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Energies
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-03-22
    Description: This paper discusses the modeling and analysis of three phase double stator slotted rotor permanent magnet generator (DSSR-PMG). The use of double stator topology through the double magnetic circuit helps to maximize the usage of flux linkage in the yoke structure of the single stator topology. The analytical computation is done using Permeance Analysis Method (PAM). Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is used for numerical verifications and to verify the design structure a prototype laboratory is performed. The analysis is done with various loading conditions to derive the electromagnetic torque, output power and efficiency for the proposed structure. The analytical, numerical and experimental results from the analysis are found to be in good agreement. The maximum power developed by this generator at rated speed of 2000 rpm is of 1 kW with the operational efficiency of 75%. A rectifier bridge circuit is used to make the generated voltage a storage capable constant voltage to make it suitable for mobile applications (such as Direct Current DC generator). The proposed generator structure is highly recommended for applications such as micro-hydro and small renewable plants.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1073
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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    Energies, Vol. 10, Pages 410: Accurate and Efficient Torque Control of an Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor in Electric Vehicles Based on Hall-Effect Sensors (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Energies
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-03-22
    Description: : In this paper, an effective method to achieve accurate and efficient torque control of an interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) in electric vehicles, based on low-resolution Hall-effect sensors, is proposed. The high-resolution rotor position is estimated by a proportional integral (PI) regulator using the deviation between actual output power and reference output power. This method can compensate for the Hall position sensor mounting error, and estimate rotor position continuously and accurately. The permanent magnetic flux linkage is also estimated based on a current PI controller. Other important parameters, such as the d-axis and q-axis inductances, stator resistance, and energy loss, are measured offline by experiments. The measured parameters are saved as lookup tables which cover the entire current operating range at different current levels. Based on these accurate parameters, a maximum torque per ampere (MTPA) control strategy, combined with the feedforward parameter iteration method, can be achieved for accurate and efficient torque control. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by both simulation and experimental results.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1073
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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    Sensors, Vol. 17, Pages 644: Efficient and Security Enhanced Anonymous Authentication with Key Agreement Scheme in Wireless Sensor Networks (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Sensors
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-03-22
    Description: At present, users can utilize an authenticated key agreement protocol in a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) to securely obtain desired information, and numerous studies have investigated authentication techniques to construct efficient, robust WSNs. Chang et al. recently presented an authenticated key agreement mechanism for WSNs and claimed that their authentication mechanism can both prevent various types of attacks, as well as preserve security properties. However, we have discovered that Chang et al’s method possesses some security weaknesses. First, their mechanism cannot guarantee protection against a password guessing attack, user impersonation attack or session key compromise. Second, the mechanism results in a high load on the gateway node because the gateway node should always maintain the verifier tables. Third, there is no session key verification process in the authentication phase. To this end, we describe how the previously-stated weaknesses occur and propose a security-enhanced version for WSNs. We present a detailed analysis of the security and performance of our authenticated key agreement mechanism, which not only enhances security compared to that of related schemes, but also takes efficiency into consideration.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-8220
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
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    Sensors, Vol. 17, Pages 643: An Electricity Price-Aware Open-Source Smart Socket for the Internet of Energy (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Sensors
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-03-22
    Description: The Internet of Energy (IoE) represents a novel paradigm where electrical power systems work cooperatively with smart devices to increase the visibility of energy consumption and create safer, cleaner and sustainable energy systems. The implementation of IoE services involves the use of multiple components, like embedded systems, power electronics or sensors, which are an essential part of the infrastructure dedicated to the generation and distribution energy and the one required by the final consumer. This article focuses on the latter and presents a smart socket system that collects the information about energy price and makes use of sensors and actuators to optimize home energy consumption according to the user preferences. Specifically, this article provides three main novel contributions. First, what to our knowledge is the first hardware prototype that manages in a practical real-world scenario the price values obtained from a public electricity operator is presented. The second contribution is related to the definition of a novel wireless sensor network communications protocol based on Wi-Fi that allows for creating an easy-to-deploy smart plug system that self-organizes and auto-configures to collect the sensed data, minimizing user intervention. Third, it is provided a thorough description of the design of one of the few open-source smart plug systems, including its communications architecture, the protocols implemented, the main sensing and actuation components and the most relevant pieces of the software. Moreover, with the aim of illustrating the capabilities of the smart plug system, the results of different experiments performed are shown. Such experiments evaluate in real-world scenarios the system’s ease of use, its communications range and its performance when using HTTPS. Finally, the economic savings are estimated for different appliances, concluding that, in the practical situation proposed, the smart plug system allows certain energy-demanding appliances to save almost €70 per year.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-8220
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
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    Sensors, Vol. 17, Pages 650: The Optimization and Characterization of an RNA-Cleaving Fluorogenic DNAzyme Probe for MDA-MB-231 Cell Detection (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Sensors
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-03-22
    Description: Breast cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in females worldwide and lacks specific biomarkers for early detection. In a previous study, we obtained a selective RNA-cleaving Fluorogenic DNAzyme (RFD) probe against MDA-MB-231 cells, typical breast cancer cells, through the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential process (SELEX). To improve the performance of this probe for actual application, we carried out a series of optimization experiments on the pH value of a reaction buffer, the type and concentration of cofactor ions, and sequence minimization. The length of the active domain of the probe reduced to 25 nt from 40 nt after optimization, which was synthesized more easily and economically. The detection limit of the optimized assay system was 2000 MDA-MB-231 cells in 30 min, which is more sensitive than the previous one (almost 5000 cells). The DNAzyme probe was also capable of distinguishing MDA-MB-231 cell specifically from 3 normal cells and 10 other tumor cells. This probe with high sensitivity, selectivity, and economic efficiency enhances the feasibility for further clinical application in breast cancer diagnosis. Herein, we developed an optimization system to produce a general strategy to establish an easy-to-use DNAzyme-based assay for other targets.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-8220
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
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    Materials, Vol. 10, Pages 145: Modeling of Processing-Induced Pore Morphology in an Additively-Manufactured Ti-6Al-4V Alloy (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Materials
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-09
    Description: A selective laser melting (SLM)-based, additively-manufactured Ti-6Al-4V alloy is prone to the accumulation of undesirable defects during layer-by-layer material build-up. Defects in the form of complex-shaped pores are one of the critical issues that need to be considered during the processing of this alloy. Depending on the process parameters, pores with concave or convex boundaries may occur. To exploit the full potential of additively-manufactured Ti-6Al-4V, the interdependency between the process parameters, pore morphology, and resultant mechanical properties, needs to be understood. By incorporating morphological details into numerical models for micromechanical analyses, an in-depth understanding of how these pores interact with the Ti-6Al-4V microstructure can be gained. However, available models for pore analysis lack a realistic description of both the Ti-6Al-4V grain microstructure, and the pore geometry. To overcome this, we propose a comprehensive approach for modeling and discretizing pores with complex geometry, situated in a polycrystalline microstructure. In this approach, the polycrystalline microstructure is modeled by means of Voronoi tessellations, and the complex pore geometry is approximated by strategically combining overlapping spheres of varied sizes. The proposed approach provides an elegant way to model the microstructure of SLM-processed Ti-6Al-4V containing pores or crack-like voids, and makes it possible to investigate the relationship between process parameters, pore morphology, and resultant mechanical properties in a finite-element-based simulation framework.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1944
    Topics: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
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    Materials, Vol. 10, Pages 140: Silicon Nitride Background in Nanophotonic Waveguide Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Materials
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-09
    Description: Recent studies have shown that evanescent Raman spectroscopy using a silicon nitride (SiN) nanophotonic waveguide platform has higher signal enhancement when compared to free-space systems. However, signal-to-noise ratio from the waveguide at a low analyte concentration is constrained by the shot-noise from the background light originating from the waveguide itself. Hence, understanding the origin and properties of this waveguide background luminescence (WGBL) is essential to developing mitigation strategies. Here, we identify the dominating component of the WGBL spectrum composed of a broad Raman scattering due to momentum selection-rule breaking in amorphous materials, and several peaks specific to molecules embedded in the core. We determine the maximum of the Raman scattering efficiency of the WGBL at room temperature for 785 nm excitation to be 4.5 ± 1 × 10−9 cm−1·sr−1, at a Stokes shift of 200 cm−1. This efficiency decreases monotonically for higher Stokes shifts. Additionally, we also demonstrate the use of slotted waveguides and quasi-transverse magnetic polarization as some mitigation strategies.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1944
    Topics: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
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    Materials, Vol. 10, Pages 139: Creep Rupture of the Simulated HAZ of T92 Steel Compared to that of a T91 Steel (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Materials
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-09
    Description: The increased thermal efficiency of fossil power plants calls for the development of advanced creep-resistant alloy steels like T92. In this study, microstructures found in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of a T92 steel weld were simulated to evaluate their creep-rupture-life at elevated temperatures. An infrared heating system was used to heat the samples to 860 °C (around AC1), 900 °C (slightly below AC3), and 940 °C (moderately above AC3) for one minute, before cooling to room temperature. The simulated specimens were then subjected to a conventional post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) at 750 °C for two hours, where both the 900 °C and 940 °C simulated specimens had fine grain sizes. In the as-treated condition, the 900 °C simulated specimen consisted of fine lath martensite, ferrite subgrains, and undissolved carbides, while residual carbides and fresh martensite were found in the 940 °C simulated specimen. The results of short-term creep tests indicated that the creep resistance of the 900 °C and 940 °C simulated specimens was poorer than that of the 860 °C simulated specimens and the base metal. Moreover, simulated T92 steel samples had higher creep strength than the T91 counterpart specimens.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1944
    Topics: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
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    Materials, Vol. 10, Pages 141: Carrier Compensation Induced by Thermal Annealing in Al-Doped ZnO Films (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Materials
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-09
    Description: This study investigated carrier compensation induced by thermal annealing in sputtered ZnO:Al (Al2O3: 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 wt %) films. The films were post-annealed in a N2 atmosphere at low (1 × 10−23 atm) and high (1 × 10−4 atm) oxygen partial pressures (PO2). In ZnO:Al films with low Al contents (i.e., 0.25 wt %), the carrier density (n) began to decrease at annealing temperatures (Ta) of 600 °C at low PO2. At higher PO2 and/or Al contents, n values began to decrease significantly at lower Ta (ca. 400 °C). In addition, Zn became desorbed from the films during heating in a high vacuum (i.e., 〈1 × 10−7 Pa). These results suggest the following: (i) Zn interstitials and Zn vacancies are created in the ZnO lattice during post-annealing treatments, thereby leading to carrier compensation by acceptor-type Zn vacancies; (ii) The compensation behavior is significantly enhanced for ZnO:Al films with high Al contents.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1944
    Topics: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
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    Sensors, Vol. 17, Pages 332: A Web of Things-Based Emerging Sensor Network Architecture for Smart Control Systems (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Sensors
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: The Web of Things (WoT) plays an important role in the representation of the objects connected to the Internet of Things in a more transparent and effective way. Thus, it enables seamless and ubiquitous web communication between users and the smart things. Considering the importance of WoT, we propose a WoT-based emerging sensor network (WoT-ESN), which collects data from sensors, routes sensor data to the web, and integrate smart things into the web employing a representational state transfer (REST) architecture. A smart home scenario is introduced to evaluate the proposed WoT-ESN architecture. The smart home scenario is tested through computer simulation of the energy consumption of various household appliances, device discovery, and response time performance. The simulation results show that the proposed scheme significantly optimizes the energy consumption of the household appliances and the response time of the appliances.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-8220
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
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    Sensors, Vol. 17, Pages 328: Proof of Concept of Integrated Load Measurement in 3D Printed Structures (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Sensors
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Currently, research on structural health monitoring systems is focused on direct integration of the system into a component or structure. The latter results in a so-called smart structure. One example of a smart structure is a component with integrated strain sensing for continuous load monitoring. Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, now also enables such integration of functions inside components. As a proof-of-concept, the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technique was used to integrate a strain sensing element inside polymer (ABS) tensile test samples. The strain sensing element consisted of a closed capillary filled with a fluid and connected to an externally mounted pressure sensor. The volumetric deformation of the integrated capillary resulted in pressure changes in the fluid. The obtained pressure measurements during tensile testing are reported in this paper and compared to state-of-the-art extensometer measurements. The sensitivity of the 3D printed pressure-based strain sensor is primarily a function of the compressibility of the capillary fluid. Air- and watertightness are of critical importance for the proper functioning of the 3D printed pressure-based strain sensor. Therefore, the best after-treatment procedure was selected on basis of a comparative analysis. The obtained pressure measurements are linear with respect to the extensometer readings, and the uncertainty on the strain measurement of a capillary filled with water (incompressible fluid) is ±3.1 µstrain, which is approximately three times less sensitive than conventional strain gauges (±1 µstrain), but 32 times more sensitive than the same sensor based on air (compressible fluid) (±101 µstrain).
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-8220
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
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    Sensors, Vol. 17, Pages 327: Alternative cDEP Design to Facilitate Cell Isolation for Identification by Raman Spectroscopy (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Sensors
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Dielectrophoresis (DEP) uses non-uniform electric fields to cause motion in particles due to the particles’ intrinsic properties. As such, DEP is a well-suited label-free means for cell sorting. Of the various methods of implementing DEP, contactless dielectrophoresis (cDEP) is advantageous as it avoids common problems associated with DEP, such as electrode fouling and electrolysis. Unfortunately, cDEP devices can be difficult to fabricate, replicate, and reuse. In addition, the operating parameters are limited by the dielectric breakdown of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). This study presents an alternative way to fabricate a cDEP device allowing for higher operating voltages, improved replication, and the opportunity for analysis using Raman spectroscopy. In this device, channels were formed in fused silica rather than PDMS. The device successfully trapped 3.3 μm polystyrene spheres for analysis by Raman spectroscopy. The successful implementation indicates the potential to use cDEP to isolate and identify biological samples on a single device.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-8220
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
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    Sensors, Vol. 17, Pages 320: Investigation of Pristine Graphite Oxide as Room-Temperature Chemiresistive Ammonia Gas Sensing Material (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Sensors
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Graphite oxide has been investigated as a possible room-temperature chemiresistive sensor of ammonia in a gas phase. Graphite oxide was synthesized from high purity graphite using the modified Hummers method. The graphite oxide sample was investigated using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry. Sensing properties were tested in a wide range of ammonia concentrations in air (10–1000 ppm) and under different relative humidity levels (3%–65%). It was concluded that the graphite oxide–based sensor possessed a good response to NH3 in dry synthetic air (ΔR/R0 ranged from 2.5% to 7.4% for concentrations of 100–500 ppm and 3% relative humidity) with negligible cross-sensitivity towards H2 and CH4. It was determined that the sensor recovery rate was improved with ammonia concentration growth. Increasing the ambient relative humidity led to an increase of the sensor response. The highest response of 22.2% for 100 ppm of ammonia was achieved at a 65% relative humidity level.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-8220
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
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    Sustainability, Vol. 9, Pages 236: A New Optimization Model for the Sustainable Development: Quadratic Knapsack Problem with Conflict Graphs (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: New information technology constantly improves the efficiency of social networks. Using optimization and decision models in the context of large data sets attracts extensive attention. This paper investigates a novel mathematical model for designing and optimizing environmental economic policies in a protection zone. The proposed model is referred to as the quadratic knapsack problem with conflict graphs, which is a new variant of the knapsack problem family. Due to the investigated problem processing a high complex structure, in order to solve efficiently the problem, we develop a metaheuristic which is based on the large neighborhood search. The proposed method embeds a construction procedure into a sophistical neighborhood search. For more details, the construction procedure takes charge of finding a starting solution while the investigated neighborhood search is used to generate and explore the solution space issuing from the provided starting solution. In order to highlight our theoretical model, we evaluate the model on a set of complex benchmark data sets. The obtained results demonstrate that the investigated algorithm is competitive and efficient compared to legacy algorithms.
    Electronic ISSN: 2071-1050
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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    Water, Vol. 9, Pages 99: Collaborative Modeling to Assess Drought   Resiliency of Snow‐Fed River Dependent  Communities in the Western United States:   A Case Study in the Truckee‐Carson River System (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Water
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Assessing the drought resilience of snow‐fed river dependent communities in the arid  Western United States has taken on critical importance in response to changing climatic conditions.  The process of assessing drought resiliency involves understanding the extent to which snow‐fed  dependent communities can absorb the effects of uncertain and variable water supplies while  acknowledging and encouraging their capacity for adaptation. Participatory research approaches  are particularly well suited to assess resiliency in this context because they rely upon local water  managers’ knowledge and perspectives. The research presented here provides measured insight  into local water managers’ perceptions of drought resiliency in the Truckee‐Carson River System in  northwestern Nevada. These findings are reported in the context of the collaborative modeling  research design developed for this case study. The objectives of this study are: (1) to define  resiliency and present a rationale for a participatory approach to assess drought resiliency in  snow‐fed arid river basins in the Western United States; (2) to outline collaborative modeling as a  participatory research design developed for the Truckee‐Carson River System case study area; (3)  to  describe  the  development and implementation of a resiliency  assessment  undertaken  to  implement this research design; (4) to highlight selected results of the assessment, summarizing  interviews with 66 water managers in the case study area; (5) to discuss the use of assessment  findings to inform collaborative modeling toward adaptation strategies; and (6) to review lessons  learned  to  date  from  the  collaborative  modeling  case  study  and  note  opportunities  for  further  exploration.  According to  water managers  surveyed,  climate  change  is  very  important  and  is  mobilizing  adaptation  strategies that include improvements in communication and coordination with  other water managers,  monitoring and  data collection,and planning. The majority of water managers  indicate  that future adaptation  requires modifying institutionalized water management regimes to  allow  for  temporary  water  leasing  programs,  water right stacking on the  most  productive  agricultural lands while  fallowing  marginal  lands,incentivizing water conservation, reducing or  eliminating  residential  landscaping, and recruiting less water intensive industry to the region.
    Electronic ISSN: 2073-4441
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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    Water, Vol. 9, Pages 103: Assessing the Impact of Climate Change and   Extreme Value Uncertainty to Extreme Flows across  Great Britain (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Water
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Floods are the most common and widely distributed natural risk, causing over £1 billion of damage per year in the UK as a result of recent events. Climatic projections predict an increase in  flood risk; it becomes urgent to assess climate change impact on extreme flows, and evaluate  uncertainties related to these projections. This paper aims to assess the changes in extreme runoff  for the 1:100 year return period across Great Britain as a result of climate change using the Future  Flows Hydrology database. The Generalised Extreme Value (GEV) and Generalised Pareto (GP)  models are automatically fitted for 11‐member ensemble flow series available for the baseline and  the 2080s. The analysis evaluates the uncertainty related to the Extreme Value (EV) and climate  model  parameters.  Results  suggest  that  GP  and  GEV  give  similar  runoff  estimates  and  uncertainties. From the baseline to the 2080s, increasing estimate and uncertainties is evident in  east England. With the GEV the uncertainty attributed to the climate model parameters is greater  than for the GP (around 60% and 40% of the total uncertainty, respectively). This shows that when  fitting both EV models, the uncertainty related to their parameters has to be accounted for to assess  extreme runoffs.
    Electronic ISSN: 2073-4441
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by MDPI Publishing
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    [Research Article] A prominent glycyl radical enzyme in human gut microbiomes metabolizes trans-4-hydroxy-l-proline (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: The human microbiome encodes vast numbers of uncharacterized enzymes, limiting our functional understanding of this community and its effects on host health and disease. By incorporating information about enzymatic chemistry into quantitative metagenomics, we determined the abundance and distribution of individual members of the glycyl radical enzyme superfamily among the microbiomes of healthy humans. We identified many uncharacterized family members, including a universally distributed enzyme that enables commensal gut microbes and human pathogens to dehydrate trans-4-hydroxy-l-proline, the product of the most abundant human posttranslational modification. This “chemically guided functional profiling” workflow can therefore use ecological context to facilitate the discovery of enzymes in microbial communities. Authors: B. J. Levin, Y. Y. Huang, S. C. Peck, Y. Wei, A. Martínez-del Campo, J. A. Marks, E. A. Franzosa, C. Huttenhower, E. P. Balskus
    Print ISSN: 0036-8075
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    Topics: Biology , Chemistry and Pharmacology , Geosciences , Computer Science , Medicine , Natural Sciences in General , Physics
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    [Research Article] Deficiency of microRNA miR-34a expands cell fate potential in pluripotent stem cells (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) efficiently generate all embryonic cell lineages but rarely generate extraembryonic cell types. We found that microRNA miR-34a deficiency expands the developmental potential of mouse pluripotent stem cells, yielding both embryonic and extraembryonic lineages and strongly inducing MuERV-L (MERVL) endogenous retroviruses, similar to what is seen with features of totipotent two-cell blastomeres. miR-34a restricts the acquisition of expanded cell fate potential in pluripotent stem cells, and it represses MERVL expression through transcriptional regulation, at least in part by targeting the transcription factor Gata2. Our studies reveal a complex molecular network that defines and restricts pluripotent developmental potential in cultured ESCs and iPSCs. Authors: Yong Jin Choi, Chao-Po Lin, Davide Risso, Sean Chen, Thomas Aquinas Kim, Meng How Tan, Jin Billy Li, Yalei Wu, Caifu Chen, Zhenyu Xuan, Todd Macfarlan, Weiqun Peng, K. C. Kent Lloyd, Sang Yong Kim, Terence P. Speed, Lin He
    Print ISSN: 0036-8075
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    Topics: Biology , Chemistry and Pharmacology , Geosciences , Computer Science , Medicine , Natural Sciences in General , Physics
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    [Review] Merging paleobiology with conservation biology to guide the future of terrestrial ecosystems (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Conservation of species and ecosystems is increasingly difficult because anthropogenic impacts are pervasive and accelerating. Under this rapid global change, maximizing conservation success requires a paradigm shift from maintaining ecosystems in idealized past states toward facilitating their adaptive and functional capacities, even as species ebb and flow individually. Developing effective strategies under this new paradigm will require deeper understanding of the long-term dynamics that govern ecosystem persistence and reconciliation of conflicts among approaches to conserving historical versus novel ecosystems. Integrating emerging information from conservation biology, paleobiology, and the Earth sciences is an important step forward on the path to success. Maintaining nature in all its aspects will also entail immediately addressing the overarching threats of growing human population, overconsumption, pollution, and climate change. Authors: Anthony D. Barnosky, Elizabeth A. Hadly, Patrick Gonzalez, Jason Head, P. David Polly, A. Michelle Lawing, Jussi T. Eronen, David D. Ackerly, Ken Alex, Eric Biber, Jessica Blois, Justin Brashares, Gerardo Ceballos, Edward Davis, Gregory P. Dietl, Rodolfo Dirzo, Holly Doremus, Mikael Fortelius, Harry W. Greene, Jessica Hellmann, Thomas Hickler, Stephen T. Jackson, Melissa Kemp, Paul L. Koch, Claire Kremen, Emily L. Lindsey, Cindy Looy, Charles R. Marshall, Chase Mendenhall, Andreas Mulch, Alexis M. Mychajliw, Carsten Nowak, Uma Ramakrishnan, Jan Schnitzler, Kashish Das Shrestha, Katherine Solari, Lynn Stegner, M. Allison Stegner, Nils Chr. Stenseth, Marvalee H. Wake, Zhibin Zhang
    Print ISSN: 0036-8075
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    Topics: Biology , Chemistry and Pharmacology , Geosciences , Computer Science , Medicine , Natural Sciences in General , Physics
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    [Editorial] Act for science (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: This year's American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS, the publisher of Science) Annual Meeting in Boston (16 to 20 February) promises again to be one of the world's most recognized forums for communicating the excitement, beauty, power, and relevance of science. Attendees from dozens of countries, from nearly every field of study, and from all sectors will share ideas and build collaborations. Attendees share a cherished understanding that science practiced with diligence and reverence for evidence illuminates the human condition, leads to measurable progress, and provides the best insurance against error and deception. These amazing benefits depend on open communication as a fundamental ingredient of science. This is why President Trump's recent immigration ban has been a jolt across the global scientific enterprise. Author: Rush Holt
    Print ISSN: 0036-8075
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    Topics: Biology , Chemistry and Pharmacology , Geosciences , Computer Science , Medicine , Natural Sciences in General , Physics
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    [Feature] Clear findings, smoggy debate (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Proposed rules to cut air pollution regulations often prompt fierce debate, despite decades of studies showing that dirtier air contributes to heart, lung, and other health problems that shorten lives, and that as air gets cleaner, premature deaths decline. The World Health Organization, for instance, has estimated that nations could prevent some 3 million premature deaths annually by 2050 if they could simply prevent outdoor soot and ozone levels from rising above 2010 levels. But although there is technical agreement that cleaner air is healthier air, there's fierce conflict over how to calculate the economic costs and benefits of cutting pollution and how much society should pay to make it happen. The clash highlights the tension between evidence and societal values, scholars say. Author: David Malakoff
    Keywords: Evidence in Action
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    Topics: Biology , Chemistry and Pharmacology , Geosciences , Computer Science , Medicine , Natural Sciences in General , Physics
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    [In Depth] World's most endangered marine mammal down to 30 (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Only 30 vaquitas, a small porpoise in Mexico's Gulf of California, remain. A just-released report shows that the cetacean's numbers dropped by almost half from 2015 to 2016 because of gillnets. Scientists expect the vaquita to be extinct in a few years' time, unless they intervene. If that happens, the vaquita will become the second marine mammal species to go extinct in this century. To save the porpoise, a recovery team plans to capture some of the remaining animals in October for captive breeding. U.S. Navy bottlenose dolphins may help locate the shy vaquitas, which will be cared for in sea pens in the gulf. Author: Virginia Morell
    Keywords: Conservation
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    Topics: Biology , Chemistry and Pharmacology , Geosciences , Computer Science , Medicine , Natural Sciences in General , Physics
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    [Feature] How to be heard (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Paul Cairney, a political scientist at the University of Stirling in the United Kingdom, has a message for those who want facts and research findings to guide policy. "'Evidence based policy making' is a good political slogan, but not a good description of the policy process," he writes on his blog, which has become a popular read for policy wonks (paulcairney.wordpress.com). "If you expect to see it, you will be disappointed." It's a typically blunt assessment from Cairney, who last year published a well-received book entitled The Politics of Evidence-Based Policy Making. But his goal isn't to discourage efforts to inject evidence into statecraft; rather, he aims to arm scientists with some nuggets of political theory and psychology that might help them do better. In a recent interview, Cairney offered some do's and don'ts for getting involved. Author: Erik Stokstad
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    Topics: Biology , Chemistry and Pharmacology , Geosciences , Computer Science , Medicine , Natural Sciences in General , Physics
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    [Feature] Genetic divide (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: How much evidence is enough evidence? When it comes to genetically modified (GM) organisms, the answer depends on where you live—and what it is. In the United States and Canada, for example, farmers, consumers, and regulators have been largely persuaded by studies showing that GM crops and foods are safe to eat and pose little risk to the environment. Chinese officials are taking a similar stance. In Europe and India, however, policymakers and the public remain skeptical. Why the variation? Scholars have fingered an array of factors, including trade policies; public trust in regulators, advocacy groups, and agribusiness; the tenor of media coverage; and levels of scientific literacy. But no single factor, they say, explains it all. Author: David Malakoff
    Keywords: Evidence in Action
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    Topics: Biology , Chemistry and Pharmacology , Geosciences , Computer Science , Medicine , Natural Sciences in General , Physics
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    [Feature] A simple recipe for saving lives (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: A liter of water. A fistful of sugar. A half-teaspoon of salt. Years of basic biochemical research and field trials. Widespread adoption of findings by public health agencies and funders. That's the recipe for one major evidence-based public health breakthrough: oral rehydration therapy (ORT), which has helped cut childhood deaths from diarrhea and dehydration in half and saved millions of lives. ORT is credited with helping cut the number of deaths of children under age 5 from some 1.2 million per year to 600,000. In many developing nations, nearly every child suffering from diarrhea receives ORT, in either a prepackaged or homemade form. But in about 15 poor nations, the therapy is still vastly underutilized, studies suggest. Author: David Malakoff
    Keywords: Evidence in Action
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    Topics: Biology , Chemistry and Pharmacology , Geosciences , Computer Science , Medicine , Natural Sciences in General , Physics
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    [In Depth] Why are grizzlies dying on Canada's railway tracks? (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: In Banff National Park in Canada, grizzlies have used the railroad tracks since the park was created in 1885, gorging on the buffaloberries that thrive along the right-of-way and the occasional carcass of an elk hit by a train. Nearly 2 decades ago, the behavior turned risky, as trains began striking and killing the bears. At least 17 grizzlies have died since 2000—a major hit to the local population of about 60. In a brace of recent or forthcoming studies, scientists identify culprits ranging from blind curves to spilled grain. They also propose steps for making the tracks safer, including systems to warn of approaching trains, trails to provide escape routes, clearing vegetation around the tracks, and fencing around hot spots. Author: Colette Derworiz
    Keywords: Conservation Biology
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    [Policy Forum] Science advice in the Trump White House (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: As President Trump takes office, he has the enormous undertaking of making thousands of political appointments across the federal government, including nearly 800 nominations requiring Senate confirmation. Among his top priorities should be to nominate a science adviser and to staff the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the single agency in the government responsible for the health of the entire federal science and technology (S&T) portfolio. OSTP is the sole voice in the White House focused on using and supporting scientific research, advancing the nation's technological capability, and advising the president on all policy issues as they relate to S&T. Here, we describe the vital role of OSTP and its policy councils and offer recommendations on selecting the president's science adviser and OSTP leadership. A strong OSTP will be critical for maintaining U.S. leadership in S&T and innovation (1). Authors: Kirstin R. W. Matthews, Kenneth M. Evans, Neal F. Lane
    Keywords: Science and Politics
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    Topics: Biology , Chemistry and Pharmacology , Geosciences , Computer Science , Medicine , Natural Sciences in General , Physics
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    [Feature] Putting the brakes on highway deaths (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Thank an imaginary moose for a major but little-heralded improvement in auto safety. In 1997, a European journalist test driving a new Mercedes-Benz hatchback tried the so-called moose maneuver—an S-shaped swerve to avoid an animal—and flipped the car. He survived, but the high-profile wreck drew attention to rollover risks. And it ultimately led automakers and regulators in Europe and the United States to accelerate policies aimed at equipping all cars with electronic stability control, a combination of antilock brakes and throttle and steering sensors that studies had shown helped drivers keep control. Researchers say it is a little known success story in the world of evidence-based policy. Author: David Malakoff
    Keywords: Evidence in Action
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    Topics: Biology , Chemistry and Pharmacology , Geosciences , Computer Science , Medicine , Natural Sciences in General , Physics
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    [Perspective] TZAP or not to zap telomeres (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Telomeres play vital roles in genome stability, protecting chromosome ends from degradation and rearrangements. Telomere erosion with aging occurs in most human somatic cells. This limits cellular life span and suppresses uncontrolled proliferation of premalignant cells. On the other hand, short telomeres may prevent continued tissue renewal and contribute to organismal aging. Therefore, maintaining an optimal telomere length is crucial for long-term survival. On page 638 of this issue, Li et al. (1) report that a protein present at long telomeres triggers trimming at these chromosome ends, maintaining telomere length homeostasis. Authors: Gérald Lossaint, Joachim Lingner
    Keywords: Chromosomes
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    [This Week in Science] Double trouble for the Deccan Traps (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Author: Brent Grocholski
    Keywords: Geophysics
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    Topics: Biology , Chemistry and Pharmacology , Geosciences , Computer Science , Medicine , Natural Sciences in General , Physics
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    [This Week in Science] Robustness of protein networks (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Author: Laura M. Zahn
    Keywords: Gene Evolution
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    Topics: Biology , Chemistry and Pharmacology , Geosciences , Computer Science , Medicine , Natural Sciences in General , Physics
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    [This Week in Science] Intraneuronal control of protein expression (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Author: Stella M. Hurtley
    Keywords: Neuroscience
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    [This Week in Science] A target for intracranial aneurysms (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Author: Wei Wong
    Keywords: Vascular Biology
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    Topics: Biology , Chemistry and Pharmacology , Geosciences , Computer Science , Medicine , Natural Sciences in General , Physics
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    [Perspective] Mobile elements control stem cell potency (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are of great interest for tissue replacement therapies and for the study of mammalian development. Cultured ESCs as well as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are generated from somatic cells, can self-renew indefinitely and give rise to all cell types of the body including the germline. However, such stem cells are not totipotent because they are inefficient at generating extra embryonic tissues, such as the placenta (1). What underlies this developmental restriction? On page 596 of this issue, Choi et al. (2) report a mechanism that prevents totipotency. The barrier involves mobile genetic elements embedded throughout the genome and a small noncoding microRNA (miRNA). Authors: Hidetoshi Hasuwa, Haruhiko Siomi
    Keywords: Stem Cells
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    Topics: Biology , Chemistry and Pharmacology , Geosciences , Computer Science , Medicine , Natural Sciences in General , Physics
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    IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 170: Policy, Research and Residents’ Perspectives on Built Environments Implicated in Heart Disease: A Concept Mapping Approach (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: An underrepresentation of stakeholder perspectives within urban health research arguably limits our understanding of what is a multi-dimensional and complex relationship between the built environment and health. By engaging a wide range of stakeholders using a participatory concept mapping approach, this study aimed to achieve a more holistic and nuanced understanding of the built environments shaping disease risk, specifically cardiometabolic risk (CMR). Moreover, this study aimed to ascertain the importance and changeability of identified environments through government action. Through the concept mapping process, community members, researchers, government and non-government stakeholders collectively identified eleven clusters encompassing 102 built environmental domains related to CMR, a number of which are underrepresented within the literature. Among the identified built environments, open space, public transportation and pedestrian environments were highlighted as key targets for policy intervention. Whilst there was substantive convergence in stakeholder groups’ perspectives concerning the built environment and CMR, there were disparities in the level of importance government stakeholders and community members respectively assigned to pedestrian environments and street connectivity. These findings support the role of participatory methods in strengthening how urban health issues are understood and in affording novel insights into points of action for public health and policy intervention.
    Print ISSN: 1661-7827
    Electronic ISSN: 1660-4601
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Medicine
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    [Report] Activity-dependent spatially localized miRNA maturation in neuronal dendrites (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression by binding to target messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and preventing their translation. In general, the number of potential mRNA targets in a cell is much greater than the miRNA copy number, complicating high-fidelity miRNA-target interactions. We developed an inducible fluorescent probe to explore whether the maturation of a miRNA could be regulated in space and time in neurons. A precursor miRNA (pre-miRNA) probe exhibited an activity-dependent increase in fluorescence, suggesting the stimulation of miRNA maturation. Single-synapse stimulation resulted in a local maturation of miRNA that was associated with a spatially restricted reduction in the protein synthesis of a target mRNA. Thus, the spatially and temporally regulated maturation of pre-miRNAs can be used to increase the precision and robustness of miRNA-mediated translational repression. Authors: Sivakumar Sambandan, Güney Akbalik, Lisa Kochen, Jennifer Rinne, Josefine Kahlstatt, Caspar Glock, Georgi Tushev, Beatriz Alvarez-Castelao, Alexander Heckel, Erin M. Schuman
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    [Report] A switch from canonical to noncanonical autophagy shapes B cell responses (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Autophagy is important in a variety of cellular and pathophysiological situations; however, its role in immune responses remains elusive. Here, we show that among B cells, germinal center (GC) cells exhibited the highest rate of autophagy during viral infection. In contrast to mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1–dependent canonical autophagy, GC B cell autophagy occurred predominantly through a noncanonical pathway. B cell stimulation was sufficient to down-regulate canonical autophagy transiently while triggering noncanonical autophagy. Genetic ablation of WD repeat domain, phosphoinositide–interacting protein 2 in B cells alone enhanced this noncanonical autophagy, resulting in changes of mitochondrial homeostasis and alterations in GC and antibody-secreting cells. Thus, B cell activation prompts a temporal switch from canonical to noncanonical autophagy that is important in controlling B cell differentiation and fate. Authors: Nuria Martinez-Martin, Paula Maldonado, Francesca Gasparrini, Bruno Frederico, Shweta Aggarwal, Mauro Gaya, Carlson Tsui, Marianne Burbage, Selina Jessica Keppler, Beatriz Montaner, Harold B. J. Jefferies, Usha Nair, Yan G. Zhao, Marie-Charlotte Domart, Lucy Collinson, Andreas Bruckbauer, Sharon A. Tooze, Facundo D. Batista
    Print ISSN: 0036-8075
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    Topics: Biology , Chemistry and Pharmacology , Geosciences , Computer Science , Medicine , Natural Sciences in General , Physics
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    [New Products] New Products (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: A weekly roundup of information on newly offered instrumentation, apparatus, and laboratory materials of potential interest to researchers.
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    Topics: Biology , Chemistry and Pharmacology , Geosciences , Computer Science , Medicine , Natural Sciences in General , Physics
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    [Working Life] Coping with class in science (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Author: Curtis D. Holder
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    Topics: Biology , Chemistry and Pharmacology , Geosciences , Computer Science , Medicine , Natural Sciences in General , Physics
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    Habitat diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality--The importance of direct and indirect effects (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Ecosystems worldwide are facing habitat homogenization due to human activities. Although it is commonly proposed that such habitat homogenization can have negative repercussions for ecosystem functioning, this question has yet to receive explicit scientific attention. We expand on the framework for evaluating the functional consequences of biodiversity loss by scaling up from the level of species to the level of the entire habitats. Just as species diversity generally fosters ecosystem functioning through positive interspecies interactions, we hypothesize that different habitats within ecosystems can facilitate each other through structural complementarity and through exchange of material and energy across habitats. We show that experimental ecosystems comprised of a diversity of habitats show higher levels of multiple ecosystem functions than ecosystems with low habitat diversity. Our results demonstrate that the effect of habitat diversity on multifunctionality varies with season; it has direct effects on ecosystem functioning in summer and indirect effects, via changes in species diversity, in autumn, but no effect in spring. We propose that joint consideration of habitat diversity and species diversity will prove valuable for both environmental management and basic research.
    Electronic ISSN: 2375-2548
    Topics: Natural Sciences in General
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    [Report] Lifetime of the solar nebula constrained by meteorite paleomagnetism (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: A key stage in planet formation is the evolution of a gaseous and magnetized solar nebula. However, the lifetime of the nebular magnetic field and nebula are poorly constrained. We present paleomagnetic analyses of volcanic angrites demonstrating that they formed in a near-zero magnetic field (〈0.6 microtesla) at 4563.5 ± 0.1 million years ago, ~3.8 million years after solar system formation. This indicates that the solar nebula field, and likely the nebular gas, had dispersed by this time. This sets the time scale for formation of the gas giants and planet migration. Furthermore, it supports formation of chondrules after 4563.5 million years ago by non-nebular processes like planetesimal collisions. The core dynamo on the angrite parent body did not initiate until about 4 to 11 million years after solar system formation. Authors: Huapei Wang, Benjamin P. Weiss, Xue-Ning Bai, Brynna G. Downey, Jun Wang, Jiajun Wang, Clément Suavet, Roger R. Fu, Maria E. Zucolotto
    Print ISSN: 0036-8075
    Electronic ISSN: 1095-9203
    Topics: Biology , Chemistry and Pharmacology , Geosciences , Computer Science , Medicine , Natural Sciences in General , Physics
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    State dependence of climatic instability over the past 720,000 years from Antarctic ice cores and climate modeling (2017)
    Dome Fuji Ice Core Project Members:, Kawamura, K., Abe-Ouchi, A., Motoyama, H., Ageta, Y., Aoki, S., Azuma, N., Fujii, Y., Fujita, K., Fujita, S., Fukui, K., Furukawa, T., Furusaki, A., Goto-Azuma, K., Greve, R., Hirabayashi, M., Hondoh, T., Hori, A., Horikawa, S., Horiuchi, K., Igarashi, M., Iizuka, Y., Kameda, T., Kanda, H., Kohno, M., Kuramoto, T., Matsushi, Y., Miyahara, M., Miyake, T., Miyamoto, A., Nagashima, Y., Nakayama, Y., Nakazawa, T., Nakazawa, F., Nishio, F., Obinata, I., Ohgaito, R., Oka, A., Okuno, J., Okuyama, J., Oyabu, I., Parrenin, F., Pattyn, F., Saito, F., Saito, T., Saito, T., Sakurai, T., Sasa, K., Seddik, H., Shibata, Y., Shinbori, K., Suzuki, K., Suzuki, T., Takahashi, A., Takahashi, K., Takahashi, S., Takata, M., Tanaka, Y., Uemura, R., Watanabe, G., Watanabe, O., Yamasaki, T., Yokoyama, K., Yoshimori, M., Yoshimoto, T.
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Climatic variabilities on millennial and longer time scales with a bipolar seesaw pattern have been documented in paleoclimatic records, but their frequencies, relationships with mean climatic state, and mechanisms remain unclear. Understanding the processes and sensitivities that underlie these changes will underpin better understanding of the climate system and projections of its future change. We investigate the long-term characteristics of climatic variability using a new ice-core record from Dome Fuji, East Antarctica, combined with an existing long record from the Dome C ice core. Antarctic warming events over the past 720,000 years are most frequent when the Antarctic temperature is slightly below average on orbital time scales, equivalent to an intermediate climate during glacial periods, whereas interglacial and fully glaciated climates are unfavourable for a millennial-scale bipolar seesaw. Numerical experiments using a fully coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model with freshwater hosing in the northern North Atlantic showed that climate becomes most unstable in intermediate glacial conditions associated with large changes in sea ice and the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Model sensitivity experiments suggest that the prerequisite for the most frequent climate instability with bipolar seesaw pattern during the late Pleistocene era is associated with reduced atmospheric CO 2 concentration via global cooling and sea ice formation in the North Atlantic, in addition to extended Northern Hemisphere ice sheets.
    Electronic ISSN: 2375-2548
    Topics: Natural Sciences in General
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    [Report] Gene duplication can impart fragility, not robustness, in the yeast protein interaction network (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: The maintenance of duplicated genes is thought to protect cells from genetic perturbations, but the molecular basis of this robustness is largely unknown. By measuring the interaction of yeast proteins with their partners in wild-type cells and in cells lacking a paralog, we found that 22 out of 56 paralog pairs compensate for the lost interactions. An equivalent number of pairs exhibit the opposite behavior and require each other’s presence for maintaining their interactions. These dependent paralogs generally interact physically, regulate each other’s abundance, and derive from ancestral self-interacting proteins. This reveals that gene duplication may actually increase mutational fragility instead of robustness in a large number of cases. Authors: Guillaume Diss, Isabelle Gagnon-Arsenault, Anne-Marie Dion-Coté, Hélène Vignaud, Diana I. Ascencio, Caroline M. Berger, Christian R. Landry
    Print ISSN: 0036-8075
    Electronic ISSN: 1095-9203
    Topics: Biology , Chemistry and Pharmacology , Geosciences , Computer Science , Medicine , Natural Sciences in General , Physics
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    [Report] Deterministic entanglement generation from driving through quantum phase transitions (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Many-body entanglement is often created through the system evolution, aided by nonlinear interactions between the constituting particles. These very dynamics, however, can also lead to fluctuations and degradation of the entanglement if the interactions cannot be controlled. Here, we demonstrate near-deterministic generation of an entangled twin-Fock condensate of ~11,000 atoms by driving a arubidium-87 Bose-Einstein condensate undergoing spin mixing through two consecutive quantum phase transitions (QPTs). We directly observe number squeezing of 10.7 ± 0.6 decibels and normalized collective spin length of 0.99 ± 0.01. Together, these observations allow us to infer an entanglement-enhanced phase sensitivity of ~6 decibels beyond the standard quantum limit and an entanglement breadth of ~910 atoms. Our work highlights the power of generating large-scale useful entanglement by taking advantage of the different entanglement landscapes separated by QPTs. Authors: Xin-Yu Luo, Yi-Quan Zou, Ling-Na Wu, Qi Liu, Ming-Fei Han, Meng Khoon Tey, Li You
    Print ISSN: 0036-8075
    Electronic ISSN: 1095-9203
    Topics: Biology , Chemistry and Pharmacology , Geosciences , Computer Science , Medicine , Natural Sciences in General , Physics
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    Determination of band offsets, hybridization, and exciton binding in 2D semiconductor heterostructures (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Combining monolayers of different two-dimensional semiconductors into heterostructures creates new phenomena and device possibilities. Understanding and exploiting these phenomena hinge on knowing the electronic structure and the properties of interlayer excitations. We determine the key unknown parameters in MoSe 2 /WSe 2 heterobilayers by using rational device design and submicrometer angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (μ-ARPES) in combination with photoluminescence. We find that the bands in the K-point valleys are weakly hybridized, with a valence band offset of 300 meV, implying type II band alignment. We deduce that the binding energy of interlayer excitons is more than 200 meV, an order of magnitude higher than that in analogous GaAs structures. Hybridization strongly modifies the bands at , but the valence band edge remains at the K points. We also find that the spectrum of a rotationally aligned heterobilayer reflects a mixture of commensurate and incommensurate domains. These results directly answer many outstanding questions about the electronic nature of MoSe 2 /WSe 2 heterobilayers and demonstrate a practical approach for high spectral resolution in ARPES of device-scale structures.
    Electronic ISSN: 2375-2548
    Topics: Natural Sciences in General
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    [Report] TZAP: A telomere-associated protein involved in telomere length control (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    In: Science
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Telomeres are found at the end of chromosomes and are important for chromosome stability. Here we describe a specific telomere-associated protein: TZAP (telomeric zinc finger–associated protein). TZAP binds preferentially to long telomeres that have a low concentration of shelterin complex, competing with the telomeric-repeat binding factors TRF1 and TRF2. When localized at telomeres, TZAP triggers a process known as telomere trimming, which results in the rapid deletion of telomeric repeats. On the basis of these results, we propose a model for telomere length regulation in mammalian cells: The reduced concentration of the shelterin complex at long telomeres results in TZAP binding and initiation of telomere trimming. Binding of TZAP to long telomeres represents the switch that triggers telomere trimming, setting the upper limit of telomere length. Authors: Julia Su Zhou Li, Javier Miralles Fusté, Tatevik Simavorian, Cristina Bartocci, Jill Tsai, Jan Karlseder, Eros Lazzerini Denchi
    Print ISSN: 0036-8075
    Electronic ISSN: 1095-9203
    Topics: Biology , Chemistry and Pharmacology , Geosciences , Computer Science , Medicine , Natural Sciences in General , Physics
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    Coordinated infraslow neural and cardiac oscillations mark fragility and offline periods in mammalian sleep (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Rodents sleep in bouts lasting minutes; humans sleep for hours. What are the universal needs served by sleep given such variability? In sleeping mice and humans, through monitoring neural and cardiac activity (combined with assessment of arousability and overnight memory consolidation, respectively), we find a previously unrecognized hallmark of sleep that balances two fundamental yet opposing needs: to maintain sensory reactivity to the environment while promoting recovery and memory consolidation. Coordinated 0.02-Hz oscillations of the sleep spindle band, hippocampal ripple activity, and heart rate sequentially divide non–rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep into offline phases and phases of high susceptibility to external stimulation. A noise stimulus chosen such that sleeping mice woke up or slept through at comparable rates revealed that offline periods correspond to raising, whereas fragility periods correspond to declining portions of the 0.02-Hz oscillation in spindle activity. Oscillations were present throughout non-REM sleep in mice, yet confined to light non-REM sleep (stage 2) in humans. In both species, the 0.02-Hz oscillation predominated over posterior cortex. The strength of the 0.02-Hz oscillation predicted superior memory recall after sleep in a declarative memory task in humans. These oscillations point to a conserved function of mammalian non-REM sleep that cycles between environmental alertness and internal memory processing in 20- to 25-s intervals. Perturbed 0.02-Hz oscillations may cause memory impairment and ill-timed arousals in sleep disorders.
    Electronic ISSN: 2375-2548
    Topics: Natural Sciences in General
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    Evaporative fractionation of zinc during the first nuclear detonation (2017)
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-10
    Description: Volatile element and compound abundances vary widely in planets and were set during the earliest stages of solar system evolution. Experiments or natural analogs approximating these early conditions are limited. Using silicate glass formed from arkosic sands during the first nuclear detonation at the Trinity test site, New Mexico, we show that the isotopes of zinc were fractionated during evaporation. The green silicate glasses, termed "trinitite," show +0.5 ± 0.1/atomic mass unit isotopic fractionation from ~200 m to within 10 m of ground zero of the detonation, corresponding to an α fractionation factor between 0.999 and 0.9995. These results confirm that Zn isotopic fractionation occurs through evaporation processes at high temperatures. Evidence for similar fractionations in lunar samples consequently implies a volatile-depleted bulk Moon, with evaporation occurring during a giant impact or in a magma ocean.
    Electronic ISSN: 2375-2548
    Topics: Natural Sciences in General
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    IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 177: Factors Influencing the Incidence of Obesity in Australia: A Generalized Ordered Probit Model (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-11
    Description: The increasing health costs of and the risks factors associated with obesity are well documented. From this perspective, it is important that the propensity of individuals towards obesity is analyzed. This paper uses longitudinal data from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey for 2005 to 2010 to model those variables which condition the probability of being obese. The model estimated is a random effects generalized ordered probit, which exploits two sources of heterogeneity; the individual heterogeneity of panel data models and heterogeneity across body mass index (BMI) categories. The latter is associated with non-parallel thresholds in the generalized ordered model, where the thresholds are functions of the conditioning variables, which comprise economic, social, and demographic and lifestyle variables. To control for potential predisposition to obesity, personality traits augment the empirical model. The results support the view that the probability of obesity is significantly determined by the conditioning variables. Particularly, personality is found to be important and these outcomes reinforce other work examining personality and obesity.
    Print ISSN: 1661-7827
    Electronic ISSN: 1660-4601
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Medicine
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    IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 173: An Artificial Turf-Based Surrogate Surface Collector for the Direct Measurement of Atmospheric Mercury Dry Deposition (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-11
    Description: This paper describes the development of a new artificial turf surrogate surface (ATSS) sampler for use in the measurement of mercury (Hg) dry deposition. In contrast to many existing surrogate surface designs, the ATSS utilizes a three-dimensional deposition surface that may more closely mimic the physical structure of many natural surfaces than traditional flat surrogate surface designs (water, filter, greased Mylar film). The ATSS has been designed to overcome several complicating factors that can impact the integrity of samples with other direct measurement approaches by providing a passive system which can be deployed for both short and extended periods of time (days to weeks), and is not contaminated by precipitation and/or invalidated by strong winds. Performance characteristics including collocated precision, in-field procedural and laboratory blanks were evaluated. The results of these performance evaluations included a mean collocated precision of 9%, low blanks (0.8 ng), high extraction efficiency (97%–103%), and a quantitative matrix spike recovery (100%).
    Print ISSN: 1661-7827
    Electronic ISSN: 1660-4601
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Medicine
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    IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 176: Temporal Trends in Satellite-Derived Erythemal UVB and Implications for Ambient Sun Exposure Assessment (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-11
    Description: Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) has been associated with various health outcomes, including skin cancers, vitamin D insufficiency, and multiple sclerosis. Measurement of UVR has been difficult, traditionally relying on subject recall. We investigated trends in satellite-derived UVB from 1978 to 2014 within the continental United States (US) to inform UVR exposure assessment and determine the potential magnitude of misclassification bias created by ignoring these trends. Monthly UVB data remotely sensed from various NASA satellites were used to investigate changes over time in the United States using linear regression with a harmonic function. Linear regression models for local geographic areas were used to make inferences across the entire study area using a global field significance test. Temporal trends were investigated across all years and separately for each satellite type due to documented differences in UVB estimation. UVB increased from 1978 to 2014 in 48% of local tests. The largest UVB increase was found in Western Nevada (0.145 kJ/m2 per five-year increment), a total 30-year increase of 0.87 kJ/m2. This largest change only represented 17% of total ambient exposure for an average January and 2% of an average July in Western Nevada. The observed trends represent cumulative UVB changes of less than a month, which are not relevant when attempting to estimate human exposure. The observation of small trends should be interpreted with caution due to measurement of satellite parameter inputs (ozone and climatological factors) that may impact derived satellite UVR nearly 20% compared to ground level sources. If the observed trends hold, satellite-derived UVB data may reasonably estimate ambient UVB exposures even for outcomes with long latency phases that predate the satellite record.
    Print ISSN: 1661-7827
    Electronic ISSN: 1660-4601
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Medicine
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    Materials, Vol. 10, Pages 158: Study of Thermal Electrical Modified Etching for Glass and Its Application in Structure Etching (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Materials
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-11
    Description: In this work, an accelerating etching method for glass named thermal electrical modified etching (TEM etching) is investigated. Based on the identification of the effect in anodic bonding, a novel method for glass structure micromachining is proposed using TEM etching. To validate the method, TEM-etched glasses are prepared and their morphology is tested, revealing the feasibility of the new method for micro/nano structure micromachining. Furthermore, two kinds of edge effect in the TEM and etching processes are analyzed. Additionally, a parameter study of TEM etching involving transferred charge, applied pressure, and etching roughness is conducted to evaluate this method. The study shows that TEM etching is a promising manufacture method for glass with low process temperature, three-dimensional self-control ability, and low equipment requirement.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1944
    Topics: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
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    Materials, Vol. 10, Pages 157: Boundary Layer Effect on Behavior of Discrete Models (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Materials
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-11
    Description: The paper studies systems of rigid bodies with randomly generated geometry interconnected by normal and tangential bonds. The stiffness of these bonds determines the macroscopic elastic modulus while the macroscopic Poisson’s ratio of the system is determined solely by the normal/tangential stiffness ratio. Discrete models with no directional bias have the same probability of element orientation for any direction and therefore the same mechanical properties in a statistical sense at any point and direction. However, the layers of elements in the vicinity of the boundary exhibit biased orientation, preferring elements parallel with the boundary. As a consequence, when strain occurs in this direction, the boundary layer becomes stiffer than the interior for the normal/tangential stiffness ratio larger than one, and vice versa. Nonlinear constitutive laws are typically such that the straining of an element in shear results in higher strength and ductility than straining in tension. Since the boundary layer tends, due to the bias in the elemental orientation, to involve more tension than shear at the contacts, it also becomes weaker and less ductile. The paper documents these observations and compares them to the results of theoretical analysis.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1944
    Topics: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
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    Materials, Vol. 10, Pages 160: Cr13Ni5Si2-Based Composite Coating on Copper Deposited Using Pulse Laser Induction Cladding (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Materials
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-11
    Description: A Cr13Ni5Si2-based composite coating was successfully deposited on copper by pulse laser induction hybrid cladding (PLIC), and its high-temperature wear behavior was investigated. Temperature evolutions associated with crack behaviors in PLIC were analyzed and compared with pulse laser cladding (PLC) using the finite element method. The microstructure and present phases were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Compared with continuous laser induction cladding, the higher peak power offered by PLIC ensures metallurgical bonding between highly reflective copper substrate and coating. Compared with a wear test at room temperature, at 500 °C the wear volume of the Cr13Ni5Si2-based composite coating increased by 21%, and increased by 225% for a NiCr/Cr3C2 coating deposited by plasma spray. This novel technology has good prospects for application with respect to the extended service life of copper mold plates for slab continuous casting.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1944
    Topics: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
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    Materials, Vol. 10, Pages 152: Experimental Parametric Model for Indirect Adhesion Wear Measurement in the Dry Turning of UNS A97075 (Al-Zn) Alloy (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Materials
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-11
    Description: In this work, the study of the influence of cutting parameters (cutting speed, feed, and depth of cut) on the tool wear used in in the dry turning of cylindrical bars of the UNS A97075 (Al-Zn) alloy, has been analyzed. In addition, a study of the physicochemical mechanisms of the secondary adhesion wear has been carried out. The behavior of this alloy, from the point of view of tool wear, has been compared to similar aeronautical aluminum alloys, such as the UNS A92024 (Al-Cu) alloy and UNS A97050 (Al-Zn) alloy. Furthermore, a first approach to the measurement of the 2D surface of the adhered material on the rake face of the tool has been conducted. Finally, a parametric model has been developed from the experimental results. This model allows predicting the intensity of the secondary adhesion wear as a function of the cutting parameters applied.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1944
    Topics: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
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    Materials, Vol. 10, Pages 156: Chemical and Morphological Characterization of Magnetron Sputtered at Different Bias Voltages Cr-Al-C Coatings (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Materials
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-11
    Description: MAX phases (M = transition metal, A = A-group element, and X = C/N) are of special interest because they possess a unique combination of the advantages of both metals and ceramics. Most attention is attracted to the ternary carbide Cr2AlC because of its excellent high-temperature oxidation, as well as hot corrosion resistance. Despite lots of publications, up to now the influence of bias voltage on the chemical bonding structure, surface morphology, and mechanical properties of the film is still not well understood. In the current study, Cr-Al-C films were deposited on silicon wafers (100) and Inconel 718 super alloy by dc magnetron sputtering with different substrate bias voltages and investigated using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and nanoindentation. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) was used to analyze the correlation between the growth of the films and the coating microstructure. The XPS results confirm the presence of Cr2AlC MAX phase due to a negative shift of 0.6–0.9 eV of the Al2p to pure aluminum carbide peak. The XRD results reveal the presence of Cr2AlC MAX Phase and carbide phases, as well as intermetallic AlCr2. The film thickness decreases from 8.95 to 6.98 µm with increasing bias voltage. The coatings deposited at 90 V exhibit the lowest roughness (33 nm) and granular size (76 nm) combined with the highest hardness (15.9 GPa). The ratio of Al carbide to carbide-like carbon state changes from 0.12 to 0.22 and correlates with the mechanical properties of the coatings. TEM confirms the columnar structure, with a nanocrystalline substructure, of the films.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1944
    Topics: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
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    Materials, Vol. 10, Pages 163: Pore Formation Process of Porous Ti3SiC2 Fabricated by Reactive Sintering (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Materials
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-11
    Description: Porous Ti3SiC2 was fabricated with high purity, 99.4 vol %, through reactive sintering of titanium hydride (TiH2), silicon (Si) and graphite (C) elemental powders. The reaction procedures and the pore structure evolution during the sintering process were systematically studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Our results show that the formation of Ti3SiC2 from TiH2/Si/C powders experienced the following steps: firstly, TiH2 decomposed into Ti; secondly, TiC and Ti5Si3 intermediate phases were generated; finally, Ti3SiC2 was produced through the reaction of TiC, Ti5Si3 and Si. The pores formed in the synthesis procedure of porous Ti3SiC2 ceramics are derived from the following aspects: interstitial pores left during the pressing procedure; pores formed because of the TiH2 decomposition; pores formed through the reactions between Ti and Si and Ti and C powders; and the pores produced accompanying the final phase synthesized during the high temperature sintering process.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1944
    Topics: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
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    Remote Sensing, Vol. 9, Pages 144: Spatio-Temporal LAI Modelling by Integrating Climate and MODIS LAI Data in a Mesoscale Catchment (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-11
    Description: Vegetation is often represented by the leaf area index (LAI) in many ecological, hydrological and meteorological land surface models. However, the spatio-temporal dynamics of the vegetation are important to represent in these models. While the widely applied methods, such as the Canopy Structure Dynamic Model (CSDM) and the Double Logistic Model (DLM) are solely based on cumulative daily mean temperature data as input, a new spatio-temporal LAI prediction model referred to as the Temperature Precipitation Vegetation Model (TPVM) is developed that also considers cumulative precipitation data as input into the modelling process. TPVM as well as CDSM and DLM model performances are compared and evaluated against filtered LAI data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The calibration/validation results of a cross-validation performed in the meso-scale Attert catchment in Luxembourg indicated that the DLM and TPVM generally provided more realistic and accurate LAI data. The TPVM performed superiorly for the agricultural land cover types compared to the other two models, which only used the temperature data. The Pearson's correlation coefficient (CC) between TPVM and the field measurement is 0.78, compared to 0.73 and 0.69 for the DLM and CSDM, respectively. The phenological metrics were derived from the TPVM model to investigate the interaction between the climate variables and the LAI variations. These interactions illustrated the dominant control of temperature on the LAI dynamics for deciduous forest cover, and a combined influence of temperature with precipitation for the agricultural land use areas.
    Electronic ISSN: 2072-4292
    Topics: Architecture, Civil Engineering, Surveying , Geography
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    Remote Sensing, Vol. 9, Pages 146: A Novel and Inexpensive Method for Measuring Volcanic Plume Water Fluxes at High Temporal Resolution (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-02-11
    Description: Water vapour (H2O) is the dominant species in volcanic gas plumes. Therefore, measurements of H2O fluxes could provide valuable constraints on subsurface degassing and magmatic processes. However, due to the large and variable concentration of this species in the background atmosphere, little attention has been devoted to monitoring the emission rates of this species from volcanoes. Instead, the focus has been placed on remote measurements of SO2, which is present in far lower abundances in plumes, and therefore provides poorer single flux proxies for overall degassing conditions. Here, we present a new technique for the measurement of H2O emissions at degassing volcanoes at high temporal resolution (≈1 Hz), via remote sensing with low cost digital cameras. This approach is analogous to the use of dual band ultraviolet (UV) cameras for measurements of volcanic SO2 release, but is focused on near infrared absorption by H2O. We report on the field deployment of these devices on La Fossa crater, Vulcano Island, and the North East Crater of Mt. Etna, during which in-plume calibration was performed using a humidity sensor, resulting in estimated mean H2O fluxes of ≈15 kg·s−1 and ≈34 kg·s−1, respectively, in accordance with previously reported literature values. By combining the Etna data with parallel UV camera and Multi-GAS observations, we also derived, for the first time, a combined record of 1 Hz gas fluxes for the three most abundant volcanic gas species: H2O, CO2, and SO2. Spectral analysis of the Etna data revealed oscillations in the passive emissions of all three species, with periods spanning ≈40–175 s, and a strong degree of correlation between the periodicity manifested in the SO2 and H2O data, potentially related to the similar exsolution depths of these two gases. In contrast, there was a poorer linkage between oscillations in these species and those of CO2, possibly due to the deeper exsolution of carbon dioxide, giving rise to distinct periodic degassing behaviour.
    Electronic ISSN: 2072-4292
    Topics: Architecture, Civil Engineering, Surveying , Geography
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    Sensors, Vol. 17, Pages 339: Context Sensing System Analysis for Privacy Preservation Based on Game Theory (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Sensors
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-11
    Description: In a context sensing system in which a sensor-equipped mobile phone runs an unreliable context-aware application, the application can infer the user’s contexts, based on which it provides personalized services. However, the application may sell the user’s contexts to some malicious adversaries to earn extra profits, which will hinder its widespread use. In the real world, the actions of the user, the application and the adversary in the context sensing system affect each other, so that their payoffs are constrained mutually. To figure out under which conditions they behave well (the user releases, the application does not leak and the adversary does not retrieve the context), we take advantage of game theory to analyze the context sensing system. We use the extensive form game and the repeated game, respectively, to analyze two typical scenarios, single interaction and multiple interaction among three players, from which Nash equilibriums and cooperation conditions are obtained. Our results show that the reputation mechanism for the context-sensing system in the former scenario is crucial to privacy preservation, so is the extent to which the participants are concerned about future payoffs in the latter one.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-8220
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
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    Sensors, Vol. 17, Pages 331: Geometric Shape Induced Small Change of Seebeck Coefficient in Bulky Metallic Wires (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Sensors
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-11
    Description: In this paper, we report the results of slight changes in the thermopower of long W, Mo, Zn, Cu, brass, and Ti wires, that resulted from changes in the wire’s diameter or cross-sectional area. The samples used in the tests had a round shape with a diameter that ranged from tens of micron to 2 mm, which was much larger than the corresponding mean free paths of these materials. Nevertheless, a small change in thermopower, at the order of 1–10 nV/K, was repeatedly observed when the wire diameter was changed, or when the cross-sectional area of the wire was altered by mechanical methods, such as grinding or splitting. The results are consistent with previous observations showing that the thermopower in metallic thin film stripes changes with their width, from 100 μm to as little as 70 nm, implying a universal, geometric-boundary-related size effect of thermopower in metal materials, that occurs at the nanometer scale and continuously decreases all the way to the millimeter scale. This effect could be applied in the manufacturing of high-temperature sensors with simple structures.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-8220
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
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    Remote Sensing, Vol. 9, Pages 148: Adaptive Mean Shift-Based Identification of Individual Trees Using Airborne LiDAR Data (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-11
    Description: Identifying individual trees and delineating their canopy structures from the forest point clouddataacquiredbyanairborneLiDAR(LightDetectionAndRanging)hassignificantimplications in forestry inventory. Once accurately identified, tree structural attributes such as tree height, crown diameter, canopy based height and diameter at breast height can be derived. This paper focuses on a novel computationally efficient method to adaptively calibrate the kernel bandwidth of a computational scheme based on mean shift—a non-parametric probability density-based clustering technique—to segment the 3D (three-dimensional) forest point clouds and identify individual tree crowns. The basic concept of this method is to partition the 3D space over each test plot into small vertical units (irregular columns containing 3D spatial features from one or more trees) first, by using a fixed bandwidth mean shift procedure and a small square grouping technique, and then rough estimation of crown sizes for distinct trees within a unit, based on an original 2D (two-dimensional) incremental grid projection technique, is applied to provide a basis for dynamical calibration of the kernel bandwidth for an adaptive mean shift procedure performed in each partition. The adaptive mean shift-based scheme, which incorporates our proposed bandwidth calibration method, is validated on 10 test plots of a dense, multi-layered evergreen broad-leaved forest located in South China. Experimental results reveal that this approach can work effectively and when compared to the conventional point-based approaches (e.g., region growing, k-means clustering, fixed bandwidth or multi-scale mean shift), its accuracies are relatively high: it detects 86 percent of the trees (“recall”) and 92 percent of the identified trees are correct (“precision”), showing good potential for use in the area of forest inventory.
    Electronic ISSN: 2072-4292
    Topics: Architecture, Civil Engineering, Surveying , Geography
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    Sensors, Vol. 17, Pages 350: A Novel Strain-Based Method to Estimate Tire Conditions Using Fuzzy Logic for Intelligent Tires (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Sensors
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-11
    Description: The so-called intelligent tires are one of the most promising research fields for automotive engineers. These tires are equipped with sensors which provide information about vehicle dynamics. Up to now, the commercial intelligent tires only provide information about inflation pressure and their contribution to stability control systems is currently very limited. Nowadays one of the major problems for intelligent tire development is how to embed feasible and low cost sensors to obtain reliable information such as inflation pressure, vertical load or rolling speed. These parameters provide key information for vehicle dynamics characterization. In this paper, we propose a novel algorithm based on fuzzy logic to estimate the mentioned parameters by means of a single strain-based system. Experimental tests have been carried out in order to prove the suitability and durability of the proposed on-board strain sensor system, as well as its low cost advantages, and the accuracy of the obtained estimations by means of fuzzy logic.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-8220
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
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    Sensors, Vol. 17, Pages 349: Compact Planar Ultrawideband Antennas with 3.5/5.2/5.8 GHz Triple Band-Notched Characteristics for Internet of Things Applications (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Sensors
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-11
    Description: Ultrawideband (UWB) antennas, as core devices in high-speed wireless communication, are widely applied to mobile handsets, wireless sensor networks, and Internet of Things (IoT). A compact printed monopole antenna for UWB applications with triple band-notched characteristics is proposed in this paper. The antenna has a very compact size of 10 x 16 mm2 and is composed of a square slotted radiation patch and a narrow rectangular ground plane on the back of the substrate. First, by etching a pair of inverted T-shaped slots at the bottom of the radiation patch, one notched band at 5-6 GHz for rejecting the Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) is generated. Then, by cutting a comb-shaped slot on the top of the radiation patch, a second notched band for rejecting 3.5 GHz Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) is obtained. Further, by cutting a pair of rectangular slots and a C-shaped slot as well as adding a pair of small square parasitic patches at the center of the radiating patch, two separate notched bands for rejecting 5.2 GHz lower WLAN and 5.8 GHz upper WLAN are realized, respectively. Additionally, by integrating the slotted radiation patch with the narrow rectangular ground plane, an enhanced impedance bandwidth can be achieved, especially at the higher band. The antenna consists of linear symmetrical sections only and is easy for fabrication and fine-tuning. The measured results show that the designed antenna provides a wide impedance bandwidth of 150% from 2.12 to 14.80 GHz for VSWR 〈 2, except for three notched bands of 3.36–4.16, 4.92–5.36, and 5.68–6.0 GHz. Additionally, the antenna exhibits nearly omnidirectional radiation characteristics, low gain at the stopbands, and flat group delay over the whole UWB except at the stopbands. Simulated and experimental results show that the proposed antenna can provide good frequency-domain and time-domain performances at desired UWB frequencies and be an attractive candidate for portable IoT applications.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-8220
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
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    Sensors, Vol. 17, Pages 341: A Review of Wearable Technologies for Elderly Care that Can Accurately Track Indoor Position, Recognize Physical Activities and Monitor Vital Signs in Real Time (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Sensors
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-11
    Description: Rapid growth of the aged population has caused an immense increase in the demand for healthcare services. Generally, the elderly are more prone to health problems compared to other age groups. With effective monitoring and alarm systems, the adverse effects of unpredictable events such as sudden illnesses, falls, and so on can be ameliorated to some extent. Recently, advances in wearable and sensor technologies have improved the prospects of these service systems for assisting elderly people. In this article, we review state-of-the-art wearable technologies that can be used for elderly care. These technologies are categorized into three types: indoor positioning, activity recognition and real time vital sign monitoring. Positioning is the process of accurate localization and is particularly important for elderly people so that they can be found in a timely manner. Activity recognition not only helps ensure that sudden events (e.g., falls) will raise alarms but also functions as a feasible way to guide people’s activities so that they avoid dangerous behaviors. Since most elderly people suffer from age-related problems, some vital signs that can be monitored comfortably and continuously via existing techniques are also summarized. Finally, we discussed a series of considerations and future trends with regard to the construction of “smart clothing” system.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-8220
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
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    Energies, Vol. 10, Pages 205: Technical Feasibility Study of Thermal Energy Storage Integration into the Conventional Power Plant Cycle (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Energies
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-12
    Description: The current load balance in the grid is managed mainly through peaking fossil-fuelled power plants that respond passively to the load changes. Intermittency, which comes from renewable energy sources, imposes additional requirements for even more flexible and faster responses from conventional power plants. A major challenge is to keep conventional generation running closest to the design condition with higher load factors and to avoid switching off periods if possible. Thermal energy storage (TES) integration into the power plant process cycle is considered as a possible solution for this issue. In this article, a technical feasibility study of TES integration into a 375-MW subcritical oil-fired conventional power plant is presented. Retrofitting is considered in order to avoid major changes in the power plant process cycle. The concept is tested based on the complete power plant model implemented in the ProTRAX software environment. Steam and water parameters are assessed for different TES integration scenarios as a function of the plant load level. The best candidate points for heat extraction in the TES charging and discharging processes are evaluated. The results demonstrate that the integration of TES with power plant cycle is feasible and provide a provisional guidance for the design of the TES system that will result in the minimal influence on the power plant cycle.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1073
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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    Sustainability, Vol. 9, Pages 256: The Resource Benefits Evaluation Model on Remanufacturing Processes of End-of-Life Construction Machinery under the Uncertainty in Recycling Price (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-12
    Description: In the process of end-of-life construction machinery remanufacturing, the existence of uncertainties in all aspects of the remanufacturing process increase the difficulty and complexity of resource benefits evaluation for them. To quantify the effects of those uncertainty factors, this paper makes a mathematical analysis of the recycling and remanufacturing processes, building a resource benefits evaluation model for the end-of-life construction machinery. The recycling price and the profits of remanufacturers can thereby be obtained with a maximum remanufacturing resource benefit. The study investigates the change regularity of the resource benefits, recycling price, and profits of remanufacturers when the recycling price, quality fluctuation coefficient, demand coefficient, and the reusing ratio of products or parts are varying. In the numerical experiment, we explore the effects of uncertainties on the remanufacturing decisions and the total expected costs. The simulated analysis shows when the quality fluctuation coefficient is approaching to 1, the values of the profits of remanufacturer, the maximal resource benefits and recycling price grade into constants.
    Electronic ISSN: 2071-1050
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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    Sustainability, Vol. 9, Pages 246: Do Private Sustainability Standards Contribute to Income Growth and Poverty Alleviation? A Comparison of Different Coffee Certification Schemes in Ethiopia (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-12
    Description: Private sustainability standards are increasingly important in food trade with developing countries, but the implications for smallholder farmers are still poorly understood. We analyze the implications of different coffee certification schemes in Ethiopia using cross-sectional survey data, and regression and propensity-score-matching techniques. We find that: Rainforest Alliance (RA) and double Fairtrade-Organic (FT-Org) certifications are associated with higher incomes and reduced poverty, mainly because of higher prices; Fairtrade (FT) certification hardly affects welfare; and Organic (Org) certification reduces incomes, chiefly due to lower yields. Cooperative heterogeneity importantly shapes these results. Results imply that private standards may not always deliver what they promise to consumers.
    Electronic ISSN: 2071-1050
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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    Atmosphere, Vol. 8, Pages 35: A Simple Two-Dimensional Ray-Tracing Visual Tool in the Complex Tropospheric Environment (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-14
    Description: This paper introduces a simple two-dimensional ray-tracing visual tool, Ray-VT, for simulating propagations in the tropospheric environment. It is capable of tracing ray paths through range-dependent refractive conditions as well as arbitrary terrain cases. The fundamental computations are based on the piece-wise application of Snell’s law including a small angle approximation. The Ray-VT can be used to investigate the effects of ducting propagations and to assess the performances of radar systems. It can also be used as an educational aid for understanding the propagation characteristics in complex environments.
    Electronic ISSN: 2073-4433
    Topics: Geosciences
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  • 191
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    IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 180: The Impact of Heat Exposure and Sleep Restriction on Firefighters’ Work Performance and Physiology during Simulated Wildfire Suppression (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-13
    Description: This study was designed to examine the effects of ambient heat on firefighters’ physical task performance, and physiological and perceptual responses when sleep restricted during simulated wildfire conditions. Thirty firefighters were randomly allocated to the sleep restricted (n = 17, SR; 19 °C, 4-h sleep opportunity) or hot and sleep restricted (n = 13, HOT + SR; 33 °C, 4-h sleep opportunity) condition. Firefighters performed two days of simulated, intermittent, self-paced work circuits comprising six firefighting tasks. Heart rate, and core temperature were measured continuously. After each task, firefighters reported their rating of perceived exertion and thermal sensation. Effort sensation was also reported after each work circuit. Fluids were consumed ad libitum. Urine volume and urine specific gravity were analysed. Sleep was monitored using polysomnography. There were no differences between the SR and HOT + SR groups in firefighters’ physiological responses, hydration status, ratings of perceived exertion, motivation, and four of the six firefighting tasks (charged hose advance, rake, hose rolling, static hose hold). Black out hose and lateral repositioning were adversely affected in the HOT + SR group. Working in hot conditions did not appear to consistently impair firefighters work performance, physiology, and perceptual responses. Future research should determine whether such findings remain true when individual tasks are performed over longer durations.
    Print ISSN: 1661-7827
    Electronic ISSN: 1660-4601
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Medicine
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    Sensors, Vol. 17, Pages 355: A Novel Fiber Optic Based Surveillance System for Prevention of Pipeline Integrity Threats (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Sensors
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-13
    Description: This paper presents a novel surveillance system aimed at the detection and classification of threats in the vicinity of a long gas pipeline. The sensing system is based on phase-sensitive optical time domain reflectometry (ϕ-OTDR) technology for signal acquisition and pattern recognition strategies for threat identification. The proposal incorporates contextual information at the feature level and applies a system combination strategy for pattern classification. The contextual information at the feature level is based on the tandem approach (using feature representations produced by discriminatively-trained multi-layer perceptrons) by employing feature vectors that spread different temporal contexts. The system combination strategy is based on a posterior combination of likelihoods computed from different pattern classification processes. The system operates in two different modes: (1) machine + activity identification, which recognizes the activity being carried out by a certain machine, and (2) threat detection, aimed at detecting threats no matter what the real activity being conducted is. In comparison with a previous system based on the same rigorous experimental setup, the results show that the system combination from the contextual feature information improves the results for each individual class in both operational modes, as well as the overall classification accuracy, with statistically-significant improvements.
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    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
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    Sensors, Vol. 17, Pages 356: A Real-Time High Performance Computation Architecture for Multiple Moving Target Tracking Based on Wide-Area Motion Imagery via Cloud and Graphic Processing Units (2017)
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    In: Sensors
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-13
    Description: This paper presents the first attempt at combining Cloud with Graphic Processing Units (GPUs) in a complementary manner within the framework of a real-time high performance computation architecture for the application of detecting and tracking multiple moving targets based on Wide Area Motion Imagery (WAMI). More specifically, the GPU and Cloud Moving Target Tracking (GC-MTT) system applied a front-end web based server to perform the interaction with Hadoop and highly parallelized computation functions based on the Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA©). The introduced multiple moving target detection and tracking method can be extended to other applications such as pedestrian tracking, group tracking, and Patterns of Life (PoL) analysis. The cloud and GPUs based computing provides an efficient real-time target recognition and tracking approach as compared to methods when the work flow is applied using only central processing units (CPUs). The simultaneous tracking and recognition results demonstrate that a GC-MTT based approach provides drastically improved tracking with low frame rates over realistic conditions.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-8220
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
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    Remote Sensing, Vol. 9, Pages 152: Validation and Analysis of Long-Term AATSR Land Surface Temperature Product in the Heihe River Basin, China (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-14
    Description: The Advanced Along-Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) land surface temperature (LST) product has a long-term time series of data from 20 May 2002 to 8 April 2012 and is a crucial dataset for global change studies. Accuracy and uncertainty assessment of satellite derived LST is important for its use in studying land–surface–atmosphere interactions. However, the validation of AATSR-derived LST products is scarce in China, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. In this study, we evaluated the accuracy of the AATSR LST product using ground-based measurements from 2007 to 2011 in the Heihe River Basin (HRB), China. The AATSR-derived LST results over Yingke site are closer to ground measurements than those over A’rou site for both daytime and nighttime temperatures. For nighttime, the averaged bias, STD, RMSE and R2 over both sites are 0.67 K, 3.03 K, 3.13 K and 0.93 K, respectively. Based on the accuracy assessment, we analyzed the AATSR-derived annual LST variations both in the HRB region and the two validation sites for the period of 2003 to 2011. The results at the A’rou site show an obvious increasing trend for daytime from 2003 to 2011. For the whole HRB region, the warming trend is clearly shown in the downstream of HRB.
    Electronic ISSN: 2072-4292
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    Sensors, Vol. 17, Pages 362: Projections onto Convex Sets Super-Resolution Reconstruction Based on Point Spread Function Estimation of Low-Resolution Remote Sensing Images (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Sensors
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-14
    Description: To solve the problem on inaccuracy when estimating the point spread function (PSF) of the ideal original image in traditional projection onto convex set (POCS) super-resolution (SR) reconstruction, this paper presents an improved POCS SR algorithm based on PSF estimation of low-resolution (LR) remote sensing images. The proposed algorithm can improve the spatial resolution of the image and benefit agricultural crop visual interpolation. The PSF of the highresolution (HR) image is unknown in reality. Therefore, analysis of the relationship between the PSF of the HR image and the PSF of the LR image is important to estimate the PSF of the HR image by using multiple LR images. In this study, the linear relationship between the PSFs of the HR and LR images can be proven. In addition, the novel slant knife-edge method is employed, which can improve the accuracy of the PSF estimation of LR images. Finally, the proposed method is applied to reconstruct airborne digital sensor 40 (ADS40) three-line array images and the overlapped areas of two adjacent GF-2 images by embedding the estimated PSF of the HR image to the original POCS SR algorithm. Experimental results show that the proposed method yields higher quality of reconstructed images than that produced by the blind SR method and the bicubic interpolation method.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-8220
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
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    Sustainability, Vol. 9, Pages 259: The Influence of Natura 2000 Sites on Land-Taking Processes at the Regional Level: An Empirical Analysis Concerning Sardinia (Italy) (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-14
    Description: This article focuses on the role that the provisions of the Natura 2000 Network play in affecting land-taking processes by looking at the Italian region of Sardinia, where strict rules on land development have been enforced since 1993 through regional landscape plans and where an extensive Natura 2000 Network, covering nearly 19% of the regional land mass, was established in compliance with Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora and Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds. The results and inferences of our study could be easily generalized to other European Union regions, provided that similar geographic datasets are available. By shedding some light on the relation between land take on the one hand, and nature conservation and landscape protection on the other, it is possible to enhance regional planning policies to prevent or hinder land-taking processes, and, by doing so, to help implementing the European Commission recommendation on no net land take by 2050 into the EU regional policies.
    Electronic ISSN: 2071-1050
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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    Sustainability, Vol. 9, Pages 261: Blueberry Supply Chain in Italy: Management, Innovation and Sustainability (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-14
    Description: The growing trend market of fresh products is driven by a consumer oriented to new lifestyles and environmental issues. The berries market in Europe represents a good example of a consumer driven supply chain, due to the capacity to answer all the sequences of the system. To explore the process developed by fruit growers’ associated groups in Italy, the research is organized into four stages. The first stage provides a review of the organization of the fresh fruit supply chain (FFSC) and the need to innovate it in light of the driven demand. The second section focuses on the innovation displayed towards storing, managing and maintaining the quality of fruit during the supply. The third section considers the case study. The manuscript concludes by summarising the main results and discussing the implications for future research. The use of a modified active packaging system (MAP) with “green” films has enabled the maintenance of the quality of the fruits for two months, as well as the presence of the company blueberries market for longer periods, and has finally led to improving the exports, thus reaching new European countries, increasing the turnover of the associated group and better remuneration for the fruit growers as a consequence.
    Electronic ISSN: 2071-1050
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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    Sustainability, Vol. 9, Pages 265: Surplus, Scarcity and Soil Fertility in Pre-Industrial Austrian Agriculture—The Sustainability Costs of Inequality (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-14
    Description: This paper takes a Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research (LTSER) perspective to integrate important aspects of social inequality into Socio-Ecological Metabolism (SEM) research. SEM has dealt with biophysical features of pre-industrial agricultural systems from a largely apolitical perspective, neglecting social relations and conditions of peasant production and reproduction. One of the politically and economically most important manorial systems in Early Modern Austria (Grundherrschaft Grafenegg) serves as a case study to reconstruct the unequal distribution of central resources between ruling landlords and subjected peasants. We show that peasant land use systems generated small surpluses only, whereas landlords enjoyed significant economies of scale. Furthermore, we explore what these conditions of landlord surplus and peasant scarcity implied for their respective agro-ecological sustainability. Finally, we argue that within pre-industrial agrarian systems sustainability costs of inequality were severely limiting margins for agricultural intensification and growth of peasant economies.
    Electronic ISSN: 2071-1050
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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    Sustainability, Vol. 9, Pages 264: HierarchicalModelPredictiveControlforSustainable Building Automation (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
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    Publication Date: 2017-02-14
    Description: A hierarchical model predictive controller (HMPC) is proposed for flexible and sustainable buildingautomation. Theimplicationsofabuildingautomationsystemforsustainabilityaredefined, and model predictive control is introduced as an ideal tool to cover all requirements. The HMPC is presented as a development suitable for the optimization of modern buildings, as well as retrofitting. The performance and flexibility of the HMPC is demonstrated by simulation studies of a modern office building, and the perfect interaction with future smart grids is shown.
    Electronic ISSN: 2071-1050
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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    Materials, Vol. 10, Pages 20: Experimental Study on Mechanical Properties and Porosity of Organic Microcapsules Based Self-Healing Cementitious Composite (2017)
    MDPI Publishing
    In: Materials
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    Publication Date: 2017-01-02
    Description: Encapsulation of healing agents embedded in a material matrix has become one of the major approaches for achieving self-healing function in cementitious materials in recent years. A novel type of microcapsules based self-healing cementitious composite was developed in Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Durability for Marine Civil Engineering, Shenzhen University. In this study, both macro performance and the microstructure of the composite are investigated. The macro performance was evaluated by employing the compressive strength and the dynamic modulus, whereas the microstructure was represented by the pore structure parameters such as porosity, cumulative-pore volume, and average-pore diameter, which are significantly correlated to the pore-size distribution and the compressive strength. The results showed that both the compressive strength and the dynamic modulus, as well as the pore structure parameters such as porosity, cumulative-pore volume, and average-pore diameter of the specimen decrease to some extent with the amount of microcapsules. However, the self-healing rate and the recovery rate of the specimen performance and the pore-structure parameters increase with the amount of microcapsules. The results should confirm the self-healing function of microcapsules in the cementitious composite from macroscopic and microscopic viewpoints.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1944
    Topics: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
    Published by MDPI Publishing
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