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  • 1
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    Public Library of Science (PLoS)
    In:  EPIC3PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science (PLoS), 18(7), pp. e0286036-e0286036, ISSN: 1932-6203
    Publication Date: 2023-08-01
    Description: Euphausia superba is a key species of the Southern Ocean, impacted by climate change and human exploitation. Understanding how these changes affect the distribution and abundance of krill is crucial for generating projections of change for Southern Ocean ecosystems. Krill growth is an important indicator of habitat suitability and a series of models have been developed and used to examine krill growth potential at different spatial and temporal scales. The available models have been developed using a range of empirical and mechanistic approaches, providing alternative perspectives and comparative analyses of the key processes influencing krill growth. Here we undertake an intercomparison of a suite of the available models to understand their sensitivities to major driving variables. This illustrates that the results are strongly determined by the model structure and technical characteristics, and the data on which they were developed and validated. Our results emphasize the importance of assessing the constraints and requirements of individual krill growth models to ensure their appropriate application. The study also demonstrates the value of the development of alternative modelling approaches to identify key processes affecting the dynamics of krill. Of critical importance for modelling the growth of krill is appropriately assessing and accounting for differences in estimates of food availability resulting from alternative methods of observation. We suggest that an intercomparison approach is particularly valuable in the development and application of models for the assessment of krill growth potential at circumpolar scales and for future projections. As another result of the intercomparison, the implementations of the models used in this study are now publicly available for future use and analyses.
    Repository Name: EPIC Alfred Wegener Institut
    Type: Article , isiRev
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  • 2
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    Public Library of Science (PLoS)
    In:  EPIC3PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science (PLoS), 18(8), pp. e0290437-e0290437, ISSN: 1932-6203
    Publication Date: 2023-08-31
    Description: Due to its involvement in numerous feedbacks, sea ice plays a crucial role not only for polar climate but also at global scale. We analyse state-of-the-art observed, reconstructed, and modelled sea-ice concentration (SIC) together with sea surface temperature (SST) to disentangle the influence of different forcing factors on the variability of these coupled fields. Canonical Correlation Analysis provides distinct pairs of coupled Arctic SIC–Atlantic SST variability which are linked to prominent oceanic and atmospheric modes of variability over the period 1854–2017. The first pair captures the behaviour of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) while the third and can be associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) in a physically consistent manner. The dominant global SIC–Atlantic SST coupled mode highlights the contrast between the responses of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice to changes in AMOC over the 1959–2021 period. Model results indicate that coupled SST–SIC patterns can be associated with changes in ocean circulation. We conclude that a correct representation of AMOC-induced coupled SST–SIC variability in climate models is essential to understand the past, present and future sea-ice evolution.
    Repository Name: EPIC Alfred Wegener Institut
    Type: Article , isiRev
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  • 3
    Publication Date: 2024-02-28
    Description: The superfamily Orthalicoidea comprises approximately 2,000 species of terrestrial gastropods, mostly concentrated in the Neotropics but also present in southern Africa and Oceania. We provide a multi-marker molecular phylogeny of this superfamily, reassessing its \nfamily- and genus-level classification. We exclude two families from the group, Odontostomidae and Vidaliellidae, transferring them to Rhytidoidea based on their phylogenetic relationships as recovered herein. Two new families are recognized herein as members of \nOrthalicoidea, Tomogeridae and Cyclodontinidae fam. nov. The family Megaspiridae and \nthe subfamily Prestonellinae are paraphyletic but are retained herein for taxonomic stability. \nThe subfamily Placostylinae is synonymized with Bothriembryontinae. The new genera \nAlterorhinus gen. nov. and Sanniostracus gen. nov. containing some Brazilian species are \ndescribed here to better reflect the phylogeny. The fossil record and paleobiogeographic \nhistory of the group is explored under the new phylogenetic framework.
    Repository Name: National Museum of Natural History, Netherlands
    Type: info:eu-repo/semantics/article
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  • 4
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    Public Library of Science (PLoS)
    In:  PLOS Computational Biology vol. 19 no. 10, pp. e1011541-e1011541
    Publication Date: 2024-03-12
    Description: Insect population numbers and biodiversity have been rapidly declining with time, and monitoring \nthese trends has become increasingly important for conservation measures to be \neffectively implemented. But monitoring methods are often invasive, time and resource \nintense, and prone to various biases. Many insect species produce characteristic sounds \nthat can easily be detected and recorded without large cost or effort. Using deep learning \nmethods, insect sounds from field recordings could be automatically detected and classified \nto monitor biodiversity and species distribution ranges. We implement this using recently \npublished datasets of insect sounds (up to 66 species of Orthoptera and Cicadidae) and \nmachine learning methods and evaluate their potential for acoustic insect monitoring. We \ncompare the performance of the conventional spectrogram-based audio representation \nagainst LEAF, a new adaptive and waveform-based frontend. LEAF achieved better classification \nperformance than the mel-spectrogram frontend by adapting its feature extraction \nparameters during training. This result is encouraging for future implementations of deep \nlearning technology for automatic insect sound recognition, especially as larger datasets \nbecome available.
    Repository Name: National Museum of Natural History, Netherlands
    Type: info:eu-repo/semantics/article
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  • 5
    Publication Date: 2024-03-08
    Description: Biodiversity loss is a major global challenge and minimizing extinction rates is the goal of \nseveral multilateral environmental agreements. Policy decisions require comprehensive, \nspatially explicit information on species\xe2\x80\x99 distributions and threats. We present an analysis of \nthe conservation status of 14,669 European terrestrial, freshwater and marine species (ca. \n10% of the continental fauna and flora), including all vertebrates and selected groups of \ninvertebrates and plants. Our results reveal that 19% of European species are threatened \nwith extinction, with higher extinction risks for plants (27%) and invertebrates (24%) compared to vertebrates (18%). These numbers exceed recent IPBES (Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) assumptions of extinction risk. Changes in \nagricultural practices and associated habitat loss, overharvesting, pollution and development are major threats to biodiversity. Maintaining and restoring sustainable land and water \nuse practices is crucial to minimize future biodiversity declines.
    Repository Name: National Museum of Natural History, Netherlands
    Type: info:eu-repo/semantics/article
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  • 6
    Publication Date: 2023-06-21
    Description: Multiomics approaches need to be applied in the central Arctic Ocean to benchmark biodiversity change and to identify novel species and their genes. As part of MOSAiC, EcoOmics will therefore be essential for conservation and sustainable bioprospecting in one of the least explored ecosystems on Earth.
    Repository Name: EPIC Alfred Wegener Institut
    Type: Article , NonPeerReviewed
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  • 7
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    Public Library of Science (PLoS)
    In:  EPIC3PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science (PLoS), 17(9), pp. e0273623-e0273623, ISSN: 1932-6203
    Publication Date: 2023-10-23
    Description: While the output of a team is evident, the productivity of each team member is typically not readily identifiable. In this paper we consider the problem of measuring the productivity of team members. We propose a new concept of coworker productivity, which we refer to as eigenvalue productivity (EVP). We demonstrate the existence and uniqueness of our concept and show that it possesses several desirable properties. Also, we suggest a procedure for specifying the required productivity matrix of a team, and illustrate the operational practicability of EVP by means of three examples representing different types of available data.
    Repository Name: EPIC Alfred Wegener Institut
    Type: Article , peerRev
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  • 8
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    Public Library of Science (PLoS)
    In:  EPIC3PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science (PLoS), 15(8), pp. e0237704-e0237704, ISSN: 1932-6203
    Publication Date: 2023-06-21
    Description: Since plastics degrade very slowly, they remain in the environment on much longer timescales than most natural organic substrates and provide a novel habitat for colonization by bacterial communities. The spectrum of relationships between plastics and bacteria, however, is little understood. The first objective of this study was to examine plastics as substrates for communities of Bacteria in estuarine surface waters. We used next-generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to characterize communities from plastics collected in the field, and over the course of two colonization experiments, from biofilms that developed on plastic (low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polycarbonate, polystyrene) and glass substrates placed in the environment. Both field sampling and colonization experiments were conducted in estuarine tributaries of the lower Chesapeake Bay. As a second objective, we concomitantly analyzed biofilms on plastic substrates to ascertain the presence and abundance of Vibrio spp. bacteria, then isolated three human pathogens, V. cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus, and V. vulnificus, and determined their antibiotic-resistant profiles. In both components of this study, we compared our results with analyses conducted on paired samples of estuarine water. This research adds to a nascent literature that suggests environmental factors govern the development of bacterial communities on plastics, more so than the characteristics of the plastic substrates themselves. In addition, this study is the first to culture three pathogenic vibrios from plastics in estuaries, reinforcing and expanding upon earlier reports of plastic pollution as a habitat for Vibrio species. The antibiotic resistance detected among the isolates, coupled with the longevity of plastics in the aqueous environment, suggests biofilms on plastics have potential to persist and serve as focal points of potential pathogens and horizontal gene transfer.
    Repository Name: EPIC Alfred Wegener Institut
    Type: Article , NonPeerReviewed
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  • 9
    Publication Date: 2022-01-31
    Description: Aquatic ecosystems worldwide continue to experience unprecedented warming and ecological change. Warming increases metabolic rates of animals, plants, and microbes, accelerating their use of energy and materials, their population growth, and interaction rates. At a much larger biological scale, warming accelerates ecosystem-level processes, elevating fluxes of carbon and oxygen between biota and the atmosphere. Although these general effects of temperature at finer and broader biological scales are widely observed, they can lead to contradictory predictions for how warming affects the structure and function of ecological communities at the intermediate scale of biological organization. We experimentally tested the hypothesis that the presence of predators and their associated species interactions modify the temperature dependence of net ecosystem oxygen production and respiration. We tracked a series of independent freshwater ecosystems (370 L) over 9 weeks, and we found that at higher temperatures, cascading effects of predators on zooplankton prey and algae were stronger than at lower temperatures. When grazing was weak or absent, standing phytoplankton biomass declined by 85%–95% (〈1-fold) over the temperature gradient (19–30 °C), and by 3-fold when grazers were present and lacked predators. These temperature-dependent species interactions and consequent community biomass shifts occurred without signs of species loss or community collapse, and only modestly affected the temperature dependence of net ecosystem oxygen fluxes. The exponential increases in net ecosystem oxygen production and consumption were relatively insensitive to differences in trophic interactions among ecosystems. Furthermore, monotonic declines in phytoplankton standing stock suggested no threshold effects of warming across systems. We conclude that local changes in community structure, including temperature-dependent trophic cascades, may be compatible with prevailing and predictable effects of temperature on ecosystem functions related to fundamental effects of temperature on metabolism.
    Type: Article , PeerReviewed
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  • 10
    Publication Date: 2023-03-09
    Description: Almost all animals and plants are inhabited by diverse communities of microorganisms, the microbiota, thereby forming an integrated entity, the metaorganism. Natural selection should favor hosts that shape the community composition of these microbes to promote a beneficial host-microbe symbiosis. Indeed, animal hosts often pose selective environments, which only a subset of the environmentally available microbes are able to colonize. How these microbes assemble after colonization to form the complex microbiota is less clear. Neutral models are based on the assumption that the alternatives in microbiota community composition are selectively equivalent and thus entirely shaped by random population dynamics and dispersal. Here, we use the neutral model as a null hypothesis to assess microbiata composition in host organisms, which does not rely on invoking any adaptive processes underlying microbial community assembly. We show that the overall microbiota community structure from a wide range of host organisms, in particular including previously understudied invertebrates, is in many cases consistent with neutral expectations. Our approach allows to identify individual microbes that are deviating from the neutral expectation and are therefore interesting candidates for further study. Moreover, using simulated communities, we demonstrate that transient community states may play a role in the deviations from the neutral expectation. Our findings highlight that the consideration of neutral processes and temporal changes in community composition are critical for an in-depth understanding of microbiota-host interactions.
    Type: Article , PeerReviewed
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  • 11
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    Public Library of Science (PLoS)
    In: PLoS ONE
    Publication Date: 2018-12-14
    Description: by Cedric Alaux, Samuel Soubeyrand, Alberto Prado, Mathilde Peruzzi, Alban Maisonnasse, Julien Vallon, Julie Hernandez, Pascal Jourdan, Yves Le Conte Honeybee colonies are increasingly exposed to environmental stress factors, which can lead to their decline or failure. However, there are major gaps in stressor risk assessment due to the difficulty of assessing the honeybee colony state and detecting abnormal events. Since stress factors usually induce a demographic disturbance in the colony (e.g. loss of foragers, early transition from nurse to forager state), we suggest that disturbances could be revealed indirectly by measuring the age- and task-related physiological state of bees, which can be referred to as biological age (an indicator of the changes in physiological state that occur throughout an individual lifespan). We therefore estimated the biological age of bees from the relationship between age and biomarkers of task specialization (vitellogenin and the adipokinetic hormone receptor). This relationship was determined from a calibrated sample set of known-age bees and mathematically modelled for biological age prediction. Then, we determined throughout the foraging season the evolution of the biological age of bees from colonies with low (conventional apiary) or high Varroa destructor infestation rates (organic apiary). We found that the biological age of bees from the conventional apiary progressively decreased from the spring (17 days) to the fall (6 days). However, in colonies from the organic apiary, the population aged from spring (13 days) to summer (18.5 days) and then rejuvenated in the fall (13 days) after Varroa treatment. Biological age was positively correlated with the amount of brood (open and closed cells) in the apiary with low Varroa pressure, and negatively correlated with Varroa infestation level in the apiary with high Varroa pressure. Altogether, these results show that the estimation of biological age is a useful and effective method for assessing colony demographic state and likely detrimental effects of stress factors.
    Electronic ISSN: 1932-6203
    Topics: Medicine , Natural Sciences in General
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  • 12
    Publication Date: 2018-12-14
    Description: by Maganizo B. Chagomerana, William C. Miller, Jennifer H. Tang, Irving F. Hoffman, Bryna J. Harrington, Bethany DiPrete, Shaphil Wallie, Allan Jumbe, Laura Limarzi, Mina C. Hosseinipour Background In Malawi’s PMTCT Option B+ program, HIV-infected pregnant women who are already receiving ART are continued on their current therapy regimen without testing for treatment failure at the first antenatal care (ANC) visit. HIV RNA screening at ANC may identify women with treatment failure and ensure that viral suppression is maintained throughout the pregnancy. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of HIV-infected pregnant women who had been receiving ART for at least 6 months at the first ANC visit under the PMTCT Option B+ program at Bwaila Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi from June 2015 to December 2017. Poisson regression models with robust variance were used to investigate the predictors of ART treatment failure defined as viral load ≥1000 copies/ml. Results The median age of 864 women tested for ART failure was 31.1 years (interquartile range: 26.9–34.5). The prevalence of treatment failure was 7.6% (95% confidence interval (CI): 6.0–9.6). CD4 cell count (adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.50–0.65) was strongly associated with treatment failure. Conclusion The low prevalence of treatment failure among women presenting for their first ANC in urban Malawi demonstrates success of Option B+ in maintaining viral suppression and suggests progress towards the last 90% of the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets. Women failing on ART should be identified early for adherence counseling and may require switching to an alternative ART regimen.
    Electronic ISSN: 1932-6203
    Topics: Medicine , Natural Sciences in General
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  • 13
    Publication Date: 2018-12-14
    Description: by Rie Matsushima-Nishiwaki, Noriko Yamada, Kouki Fukuchi, Osamu Kozawa A bioactive lipid, sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), acts extracellularly as a potent mediator, and is implicated in the progression of various cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). S1P exerts its functions by binding to five types of specific receptors, S1P receptor 1 (S1PR1), S1PR2, S1PR3, S1PR4 and S1PR5 on the plasma membrane. However, the exact roles of S1P and each S1PR in HCC cells remain to be clarified. In the present study, we investigated the effect of S1P on the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-induced migration of human HCC-derived HuH7 cells, and the involvement of each S1PR. S1P dose-dependently reduced the HGF-induced migration of HuH7 cells. We found that all S1PRs exist in the HuH7 cells. Among each selective agonist for five S1PRs, CYM5520, a selective S1PR2 agonist, significantly suppressed the HGF-induced HuH7 cell migration whereas selective agonists for S1PR1, S1PR3, S1PR4 or S1PR5 failed to affect the migration. The reduction of the HGF-induced migration by S1P was markedly reversed by treatment of JTE013, a selective antagonist for S1PR2, and S1PR2- siRNA. These results strongly suggest that S1P reduces the HGF-induced HCC cell migration via S1PR2. Our findings may provide a novel potential of S1PR2 to therapeutic strategy for metastasis of HCC.
    Electronic ISSN: 1932-6203
    Topics: Medicine , Natural Sciences in General
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  • 14
    Publication Date: 2018-12-14
    Description: by Mircea Zloteanu, Nigel Harvey, David Tuckett, Giacomo Livan The Sharing Economy (SE) is a growing ecosystem focusing on peer-to-peer enterprise. In the SE the information available to assist individuals (users) in making decisions focuses predominantly on community-generated trust and reputation information. However, how such information impacts user judgement is still being understood. To explore such effects, we constructed an artificial SE accommodation platform where we varied the elements related to hosts’ digital identity, measuring users’ perceptions and decisions to interact. Across three studies, we find that trust and reputation information increases not only the users’ perceived trustworthiness, credibility, and sociability of hosts, but also the propensity to rent a private room in their home. This effect is seen when providing users both with complete profiles and profiles with partial user-selected information. Closer investigations reveal that three elements relating to the host’s digital identity are sufficient to produce such positive perceptions and increased rental decisions, regardless of which three elements are presented. Our findings have relevant implications for human judgment and privacy in the SE, and question its current culture of ever increasing information-sharing.
    Electronic ISSN: 1932-6203
    Topics: Medicine , Natural Sciences in General
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  • 15
    Publication Date: 2018-12-14
    Description: by Tucker Maxson, Candace D. Blancett, Amanda S. Graham, Christopher P. Stefan, Timothy D. Minogue Development and implementation of rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing is critical for guiding patient care and improving clinical outcomes, especially in cases of sepsis. One approach to reduce the time-to-answer for antimicrobial susceptibility is monitoring the inhibition of DNA production, as differences in DNA concentrations are more quickly impacted compared to optical density changes in traditional antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Here, we use real-time PCR to rapidly determine antimicrobial susceptibility after short incubations with antibiotic. Application of this assay to a collection of 144 isolates in mock blood culture, covering medically relevant pathogens displaying high rates of resistance, provided susceptibility data in under 4 hours. This assay provided categorical agreement with a reference method in 96.3% of cases across all species. Sequencing of a subset of PCR amplicons showed accurate genus level identification. Overall, implementation of this method could provide accurate susceptibility results with a reduced time-to-answer for a number of medically relevant bacteria commonly isolated from blood culture.
    Electronic ISSN: 1932-6203
    Topics: Medicine , Natural Sciences in General
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  • 16
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    Public Library of Science (PLoS)
    In: PLoS ONE
    Publication Date: 2018-12-14
    Description: by Ágota Nagy, Levente Kovács, Zoltán Lipinszki, Margit Pál, Péter Deák In most Eukaryotes, ubiquitin either exists as free monoubiquitin or as a molecule that is covalently linked to other proteins. These two forms cycle between each other and due to the concerted antagonistic activity of ubiquitylating and deubiquitylating enzymes, an intracellular ubiquitin equilibrium is maintained that is essential for normal biological function. However, measuring the level and ratio of these forms of ubiquitin has been difficult and time consuming. In this paper, we have adapted a simple immunoblotting technique to monitor ubiquitin content and equilibrium dynamics in different developmental stages and tissues of Drosophila . Our data show that the level of total ubiquitin is distinct in different developmental stages, lowest at the larval-pupal transition and in three days old adult males, and highest in first instar larvae. Interestingly, the ratio of free mono-ubiquitin remains within 30–50% range of the total throughout larval development, but peaks to 70–80% at the larval-pupal and the pupal-adult transitions. It stays within the 70–80% range in adults. In developmentally and physiologically active tissues, the ratio of free ubiquitin is similarly high, most likely reflecting a high demand for ubiquitin availability. We also used this method to demonstrate the disruption of the finely tuned ubiquitin equilibrium by the abolition of proteasome function or the housekeeping deubiquitylase, Usp5. Our data support the notion that the ubiquitin equilibrium is regulated by tissue- and developmental stage-specific mechanisms.
    Electronic ISSN: 1932-6203
    Topics: Medicine , Natural Sciences in General
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  • 17
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    Public Library of Science (PLoS)
    In: PLoS ONE
    Publication Date: 2018-12-14
    Description: by Huirong Cheng, Pei Hu, Weihua Wen, Ling Liu Three arsenic species in urine are measured using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. RT-PCR is performed to detect the expression levels of AS3MT, 3 miRNAs, and 17 relative mRNAs in 43 workers producing arsenic trioxide, 36 workers who stopped exposure to arsenic for 85 days, and 24 individuals as the control group. The concentrations of urinary arsenic are very high in workers. A negative correlation between AS3MT and MiR-5 48c-3p is found. There exist significant changes for most selected miRNAs and mRNAs in workers. There are no significant differences between workers who stopped exposure to arsenic and the control group for most miRNAs and mRNAs, but the MiR-5 48c-3p levels show significant changes. Similar positive correlations between the expression of AS3MT and all selected mRNAs are found. Negative correlations between the expression of MiR-5 48c-3p and many relative mRNAs are found as well. AS3MT and MiR-5 48c-3p may regulate arsenic methylation jointly, which when involved in a group of relative mRNAs may play roles in arsenic metabolism and epigenetic changes caused by this metabolism.
    Electronic ISSN: 1932-6203
    Topics: Medicine , Natural Sciences in General
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  • 18
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    Public Library of Science (PLoS)
    Publication Date: 2018-12-14
    Description: by Stefanie Hoehl, Gabriela Markova Infants’ cognitive development and learning rely profoundly on their interactions with other people. In the first year, infants become increasingly sensitive to others’ gaze and use it to focus their own attention on relevant visual input. However, infants are not passive observers in early social interactions, and these exchanges are characterized by high levels of contingency and reciprocity. Wass and colleagues offer first insights into the neurobehavioral dynamics of caregiver–infant interactions, demonstrating that caregivers’ scalp-recorded theta band activity responds to their infant’s changes in attention, and parental brain activation is associated with infants’ sustenance of attention. This research opens up entirely new ways of exploring caregiver–infant interactions and to understand early social attention as a reciprocal and dynamic process.
    Print ISSN: 1544-9173
    Electronic ISSN: 1545-7885
    Topics: Biology
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  • 19
    Publication Date: 2018-12-14
    Description: by Xinyi Liu, Diane L. Lister, Zhijun Zhao, Cameron A. Petrie, Xiongsheng Zeng, Penelope J. Jones, Richard A. Staff, Anil K. Pokharia, Jennifer Bates, Ravindra N. Singh, Steven A. Weber, Giedre Motuzaite Matuzeviciute, Guanghui Dong, Haiming Li, Hongliang Lü, Hongen Jiang, Jianxin Wang, Jian Ma, Duo Tian, Guiyun Jin, Liping Zhou, Xiaohong Wu, Martin K. Jones
    Electronic ISSN: 1932-6203
    Topics: Medicine , Natural Sciences in General
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  • 20
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    Publication Date: 2018-12-14
    Description: by Itamar Daniel Landau, Haim Sompolinsky We present a simple model for coherent, spatially correlated chaos in a recurrent neural network. Networks of randomly connected neurons exhibit chaotic fluctuations and have been studied as a model for capturing the temporal variability of cortical activity. The dynamics generated by such networks, however, are spatially uncorrelated and do not generate coherent fluctuations, which are commonly observed across spatial scales of the neocortex. In our model we introduce a structured component of connectivity, in addition to random connections, which effectively embeds a feedforward structure via unidirectional coupling between a pair of orthogonal modes. Local fluctuations driven by the random connectivity are summed by an output mode and drive coherent activity along an input mode. The orthogonality between input and output mode preserves chaotic fluctuations by preventing feedback loops. In the regime of weak structured connectivity we apply a perturbative approach to solve the dynamic mean-field equations, showing that in this regime coherent fluctuations are driven passively by the chaos of local residual fluctuations. When we introduce a row balance constraint on the random connectivity, stronger structured connectivity puts the network in a distinct dynamical regime of self-tuned coherent chaos. In this regime the coherent component of the dynamics self-adjusts intermittently to yield periods of slow, highly coherent chaos. The dynamics display longer time-scales and switching-like activity. We show how in this regime the dynamics depend qualitatively on the particular realization of the connectivity matrix: a complex leading eigenvalue can yield coherent oscillatory chaos while a real leading eigenvalue can yield chaos with broken symmetry. The level of coherence grows with increasing strength of structured connectivity until the dynamics are almost entirely constrained to a single spatial mode. We examine the effects of network-size scaling and show that these results are not finite-size effects. Finally, we show that in the regime of weak structured connectivity, coherent chaos emerges also for a generalized structured connectivity with multiple input-output modes.
    Print ISSN: 1553-734X
    Electronic ISSN: 1553-7358
    Topics: Biology , Computer Science
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  • 21
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    Public Library of Science (PLoS)
    Publication Date: 2018-12-14
    Description: by Maria E. Sousa, Michael H. Farkas
    Print ISSN: 1553-7390
    Electronic ISSN: 1553-7404
    Topics: Biology
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  • 22
    Publication Date: 2018-12-14
    Description: by Jonas R. Kunst, Esther N. Phillibert It is well-established that experiences of discrimination influence immigrants’ acculturation. Yet, whereas a large body of research has demonstrated the role of discrimination by members of the dominant societal group, surprisingly little is known about how being discriminated by members of one’s own group relates to the way immigrants acculturate. With a sample of 162 African first- and second-generation immigrants living in Norway, the present research investigated the relationship between both types of discrimination, acculturation and psychological well-being. It did so, focusing on discrimination based on one’s skin tone, a type of discrimination Africans can experience from White as well as African individuals. Results showed that skin-tone discrimination by Whites was associated with a lower host culture orientation. By contrast, skin-tone discrimination by Africans was associated with a lower heritage culture orientation. Mediation analyses showed that the positive relationship of skin-tone discrimination by Whites and Africans with life satisfaction was mediated by a lower host and heritage culture orientation respectively. This indirect relationship did not reach significance with self-esteem as dependent variable. Participants’ actual skin tone was unrelated to experiences of skin-tone discrimination. We discuss our results in light of previous research and highlight potential limitations.
    Electronic ISSN: 1932-6203
    Topics: Medicine , Natural Sciences in General
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  • 23
    Publication Date: 2018-12-14
    Description: by Christian Agebratt, Edvin Ström, Thobias Romu, Olof Dahlqvist-Leinhard, Magnus Borga, Per Leandersson, Fredrik H. Nystrom
    Electronic ISSN: 1932-6203
    Topics: Medicine , Natural Sciences in General
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  • 24
    Publication Date: 2018-12-14
    Description: by Heïdi Serra, Kyuha Choi, Xiaohui Zhao, Alexander R. Blackwell, Juhyun Kim, Ian R. Henderson During meiosis, chromosomes undergo DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), which can be repaired using a homologous chromosome to produce crossovers. Meiotic recombination frequency is variable along chromosomes and tends to concentrate in narrow hotspots. We mapped crossover hotspots located in the Arabidopsis thaliana RAC1 and RPP13 disease resistance genes, using varying haplotypic combinations. We observed a negative non-linear relationship between interhomolog divergence and crossover frequency within the hotspots, consistent with polymorphism locally suppressing crossover repair of DSBs. The fancm , recq4a recq4b , figl1 and msh2 mutants, or lines with increased HEI10 dosage, are known to show increased crossovers throughout the genome. Surprisingly, RAC1 crossovers were either unchanged or decreased in these genetic backgrounds, showing that chromosome location and local chromatin environment are important for regulation of crossover activity. We employed deep sequencing of crossovers to examine recombination topology within RAC1 , in wild type, fancm , recq4a recq4b and fancm recq4a recq4b backgrounds. The RAC1 recombination landscape was broadly conserved in the anti-crossover mutants and showed a negative relationship with interhomolog divergence. However, crossovers at the RAC1 5'-end were relatively suppressed in recq4a recq4b backgrounds, further indicating that local context may influence recombination outcomes. Our results demonstrate the importance of interhomolog divergence in shaping recombination within plant disease resistance genes and crossover hotspots.
    Print ISSN: 1553-7390
    Electronic ISSN: 1553-7404
    Topics: Biology
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  • 25
    Publication Date: 2018-12-14
    Description: by Enrico Lavezzo, Michele Berselli, Ilaria Frasson, Rosalba Perrone, Giorgio Palù, Alessandra R. Brazzale, Sara N. Richter, Stefano Toppo G-quadruplexes are non-canonical nucleic-acid structures that control transcription, replication, and recombination in organisms. G-quadruplexes are present in eukaryotes, prokaryotes, and viruses. In the latter, mounting evidence indicates their key biological activity. Since data on viruses are scattered, we here present a comprehensive analysis of potential quadruplex-forming sequences (PQS) in the genome of all known viruses that can infect humans. We show that occurrence and location of PQSs are features characteristic of each virus class and family. Our statistical analysis proves that their presence within the viral genome is orderly arranged, as indicated by the possibility to correctly assign up to two-thirds of viruses to their exact class based on the PQS classification. For each virus we provide: i) the list of all PQS present in the genome (positive and negative strands), ii) their position in the viral genome, iii) the degree of conservation among strains of each PQS in its genome context, iv) the statistical significance of PQS abundance. This information is accessible from a database to allow the easy navigation of the results: http://www.medcomp.medicina.unipd.it/main_site/doku.php?id=g4virus. The availability of these data will greatly expedite research on G-quadruplex in viruses, with the possibility to accelerate finding therapeutic opportunities to numerous and some fearsome human diseases.
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  • 26
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    Public Library of Science (PLoS)
    In: PLoS ONE
    Publication Date: 2018-12-14
    Description: by Motoyasu Honma, Yuri Masaoka, Shinichi Koyama, Takeshi Kuroda, Akinori Futamura, Azusa Shiromaru, Yasuo Terao, Kenjiro Ono, Mitsuru Kawamura Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with various cognitive impairments. However, the nature of cognitive modification in patients with PD remains to be elucidated. In the present study, we examined whether patients with PD could correct and maintain subjective time duration and line length estimation. After training sessions, in which participants repeatedly memorized either a duration or a length, we compared a learning performance in 20 PD patients with 20 healthy controls. In the case of duration in the PD patients, the learned durations immediately returned to baseline of pre-training within a few minutes. However, the patients’ ability to learn length estimation remained unimpaired. In contrast, healthy controls were able to retain the learned duration and length estimations. Time compression in PD's internal clock may become entrained to their altered duration estimation even after learning of accurate time duration. These deficits may be associated with disrupting cognitive modification in PD.
    Electronic ISSN: 1932-6203
    Topics: Medicine , Natural Sciences in General
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  • 27
    Publication Date: 2018-01-02
    Description: Energies, Vol. 11, Pages 44: Transient Stability Analysis of Islanded AC Microgrids with a Significant Share of Virtual Synchronous Generators Energies doi: 10.3390/en11010044 Authors: Chang Yuan Peilin Xie Dan Yang Xiangning Xiao As an advanced control method that could bring extra inertia and damping characteristics to inverter-based distributed generators, the virtual synchronous generator (VSG) has recently drawn considerable attention. VSGs are expected to enhance the frequency regulation capability of the local power grid, especially the AC microgrid in island mode. However, the cost of that performance promotion is potential instability. In this paper, the unstable phenomena of the islanded microgrid dominated by SGs and distributed generators (DSs) are addressed after mathematical modeling and detailed eigenvalue analyses respectively. The influence of VSG key parameters, e.g., virtual inertia, damping factor, and droop coefficient on system stability is investigated, and the corresponding mathematical calculation method of unstable region is obtained. The theoretical analysis is well supported by time domain simulation results. The predicted frequency oscillation suggests the consideration of stability constrain during the VSG parameters design procedure.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1073
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 28
    Publication Date: 2018-01-02
    Description: Energies, Vol. 11, Pages 77: Anisotropy in Thermal Recovery of Oil Shale—Part 1: Thermal Conductivity, Wave Velocity and Crack Propagation Energies doi: 10.3390/en11010077 Authors: Guoying Wang Dong Yang Zhiqin Kang Jing Zhao In this paper, the evolution of thermal conductivity, wave velocity and microscopic crack propagation both parallel and perpendicular to the bedding plane in anisotropic rock oil shale were studied at temperatures ranging from room temperature to 600 °C. The results show that the thermal conductivity of the perpendicular to bedding direction (KPER) (PER: perpendicular to beeding direction), wave velocity of perpendicular to bedding diretion (VPER), thermal conduction coefficient of parallel to beeding direction (KPAR) and wave velocity of parallel to beeding direction (VPAR) (PAR: parallel to bedding direction) decreased with the increase in temperature, but the rates are different. KPER and VPER linearly decreased with increasing temperature from room temperature to 350 °C, with an obvious decrease at 400 °C corresponding to a large number of cracks generated along the bedding direction. KPER, VPER, KPAR and VPAR generally maintained fixed values from 500 °C to 600 °C. 400 °C has been identified as the threshold temperature for anisotropic evolution of oil shale thermal physics. In addition, the relationship between the thermal conductivity and wave velocity based on the anisotropy of oil shale was fitted using linear regression. The research in this paper can provide reference for the efficient thermal recovery of oil shale, thermal recovery of heavy oil reservoirs and the thermodynamic engineering in other sedimentary rocks.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1073
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 29
    Publication Date: 2018-01-02
    Description: Energies, Vol. 11, Pages 64: Practical On-Board Measurement of Lithium Ion Battery Impedance Based on Distributed Voltage and Current Sampling Energies doi: 10.3390/en11010064 Authors: Xuezhe Wei Xueyuan Wang Haifeng Dai Battery impedance based state estimation methods receive extensive attention due to its close relation to internal dynamic processes and the mechanism of a battery. In order to provide impedance for a battery management system (BMS), a practical on-board impedance measuring method based on distributed signal sampling is proposed and implemented. Battery cell perturbing current and its response voltage for impedance calculation are sampled separately to be compatible with BMS. A digital dual-channel orthogonal lock-in amplifier is used to calculate the impedance. With the signal synchronization, the battery impedance is obtained and compensated. And the relative impedance can also be obtained without knowing the current. For verification, an impedance measuring system made up of electronic units sampling and processing signals and a DC-AC converter generating AC perturbing current is designed. A type of 8 Ah LiFePO4 battery is chosen and the valuable frequency range for state estimations is determined with a series of experiments. The battery cells are connected in series and the impedance is measured with the prototype. It is shown that the measurement error of the impedance modulus at 0.1 Hz–500 Hz at 5 °C–35 °C is less than 4.5% and the impedance phase error is less than 3% at <10 Hz at room temperature. In addition, the relative impedance can also be tracked well with the designed system.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1073
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 30
    Publication Date: 2018-01-02
    Description: Energies, Vol. 11, Pages 80: Well Test Analysis for Fractured and Vuggy Carbonate Reservoirs of Well Drilling in Large Scale Cave Energies doi: 10.3390/en11010080 Authors: Cuiqiao Xing Hongjun Yin Kexin Liu Xingke Li Jing Fu A well test analysis model for fractured and vuggy carbonate reservoir of wells drilling in large scale cave considering wellbore storage and skin factor is established in this paper. The Laplace transformation and Stehfest numerical inversion are applied to obtain the results of wellbore pressure. Through the sensitivity analysis of different parameters for the well test typical curves, it is found that the change of the well test curves is in accordance with the theoretical analysis. With the increase of skin factor, the hump of well test typical curves is steeper. The storage ratio influences the depth and width of the concave in the pressure derivative curves. The cross flow coefficient mainly affects the position of the concave occurrence in the pressure derivative curves. The dimensionless reservoir radius mainly affects the middle and late stages of the log-log pressure type curves, and the later well test curves will be upturned for sealed boundary. The duration of the early stage of the log-log curves will become longer when drilling in large scale cave. The effective well radius is increased to a certain extent, which is in full agreement with the conclusions in this paper. The size of the caves has the same effect on the well test typical curves as wellbore storage coefficient. Due to acidification, fracturing, and other reasons, the boundary of the cave will collapse. Therefore, considering the wellbore storage coefficient and skin effect is very important during well testing. However, the existing models for well testing of fractured and vuggy carbonate reservoir often ignore the wellbore storage coefficient and skin effect. For fractured and vuggy carbonate reservoirs of well drilling in large scale cave, the existing models are not applicable. Since the previous models are mostly based on the triple-porosity medium and the equivalent continuum. The well test model for well drilling in large scale cave of fracture-cavity carbonate reservoirs with wellbore storage coefficient and skin factor in this work has significant application value for oil field.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1073
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 31
    Publication Date: 2018-01-02
    Description: Energies, Vol. 11, Pages 32: High-Precision Speed Control Based on Multiple Phase-Shift Resonant Controllers for Gimbal System in MSCMG Energies doi: 10.3390/en11010032 Authors: Jian Feng Qing Wang Kun Liu The high precision speed control of gimbal servo system in magnetically suspended control moment gyro (MSCMG) suffers from periodic torque disturbances, which lead to periodic fluctuations in speed control. This paper proposes a novel multiple phase-shift resonant controller (MPRC) for a gimbal servo system to suppress the periodic torque ripples whose frequencies vary with the operational speed of the gimbal servo motor and high-speed motor. First, the periodic torque ripples caused by cogging torque, flux harmonics and the dynamic unbalance of the high speed rotor are analyzed. Second, the principle and structure of MPRC parallel with proportional integral (PI) controllers are discussed. The design and stability analysis of the proposed MPRC plus PI control scheme are given both for the current loop and speed loop. The closed-loop stability is ensured by adjusting the phase in the entire operational speed range. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed control method is verified through simulation and experimental results.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1073
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 32
    Publication Date: 2018-03-13
    Description: by Anne Keitel, Joachim Gross, Christoph Kayser During online speech processing, our brain tracks the acoustic fluctuations in speech at different timescales. Previous research has focused on generic timescales (for example, delta or theta bands) that are assumed to map onto linguistic features such as prosody or syllables. However, given the high intersubject variability in speaking patterns, such a generic association between the timescales of brain activity and speech properties can be ambiguous. Here, we analyse speech tracking in source-localised magnetoencephalographic data by directly focusing on timescales extracted from statistical regularities in our speech material. This revealed widespread significant tracking at the timescales of phrases (0.6–1.3 Hz), words (1.8–3 Hz), syllables (2.8–4.8 Hz), and phonemes (8–12.4 Hz). Importantly, when examining its perceptual relevance, we found stronger tracking for correctly comprehended trials in the left premotor (PM) cortex at the phrasal scale as well as in left middle temporal cortex at the word scale. Control analyses using generic bands confirmed that these effects were specific to the speech regularities in our stimuli. Furthermore, we found that the phase at the phrasal timescale coupled to power at beta frequency (13–30 Hz) in motor areas. This cross-frequency coupling presumably reflects top-down temporal prediction in ongoing speech perception. Together, our results reveal specific functional and perceptually relevant roles of distinct tracking and cross-frequency processes along the auditory–motor pathway.
    Print ISSN: 1544-9173
    Electronic ISSN: 1545-7885
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  • 33
    Publication Date: 2018-03-13
    Description: by Hao Ge, Pingping Wu, Hong Qian, Sunney Xiaoliang Xie Within an isogenic population, even in the same extracellular environment, individual cells can exhibit various phenotypic states. The exact role of stochastic gene-state switching regulating the transition among these phenotypic states in a single cell is not fully understood, especially in the presence of positive feedback. Recent high-precision single-cell measurements showed that, at least in bacteria, switching in gene states is slow relative to the typical rates of active transcription and translation. Hence using the lac operon as an archetype, in such a region of operon-state switching, we present a fluctuating-rate model for this classical gene regulation module, incorporating the more realistic operon-state switching mechanism that was recently elucidated. We found that the positive feedback mechanism induces bistability (referred to as deterministic bistability), and that the parameter range for its occurrence is significantly broadened by stochastic operon-state switching. We further show that in the absence of positive feedback, operon-state switching must be extremely slow to trigger bistability by itself. However, in the presence of positive feedback, which stabilizes the induced state, the relatively slow operon-state switching kinetics within the physiological region are sufficient to stabilize the uninduced state, together generating a broadened parameter region of bistability (referred to as stochastic bistability). We illustrate the opposite phenotype-transition rate dependence upon the operon-state switching rates in the two types of bistability, with the aid of a recently proposed rate formula for fluctuating-rate models. The rate formula also predicts a maximal transition rate in the intermediate region of operon-state switching, which is validated by numerical simulations in our model. Overall, our findings suggest a biological function of transcriptional “variations” among genetically identical cells, for the emergence of bistability and transition between phenotypic states.
    Print ISSN: 1553-734X
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  • 34
    Publication Date: 2018-03-13
    Description: by Gerry Q. Tonkin-Hill, Leily Trianty, Rintis Noviyanti, Hanh H. T. Nguyen, Boni F. Sebayang, Daniel A. Lampah, Jutta Marfurt, Simon A. Cobbold, Janavi S. Rambhatla, Malcolm J. McConville, Stephen J. Rogerson, Graham V. Brown, Karen P. Day, Ric N. Price, Nicholas M. Anstey, Anthony T. Papenfuss, Michael F. Duffy Within the human host, the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is exposed to multiple selection pressures. The host environment changes dramatically in severe malaria, but the extent to which the parasite responds to—or is selected by—this environment remains unclear. From previous studies, the parasites that cause severe malaria appear to increase expression of a restricted but poorly defined subset of the PfEMP1 variant, surface antigens. PfEMP1s are major targets of protective immunity. Here, we used RNA sequencing (RNAseq) to analyse gene expression in 44 parasite isolates that caused severe and uncomplicated malaria in Papuan patients. The transcriptomes of 19 parasite isolates associated with severe malaria indicated that these parasites had decreased glycolysis without activation of compensatory pathways; altered chromatin structure and probably transcriptional regulation through decreased histone methylation; reduced surface expression of PfEMP1; and down-regulated expression of multiple chaperone proteins. Our RNAseq also identified novel associations between disease severity and PfEMP1 transcripts, domains, and smaller sequence segments and also confirmed all previously reported associations between expressed PfEMP1 sequences and severe disease. These findings will inform efforts to identify vaccine targets for severe malaria and also indicate how parasites adapt to—or are selected by—the host environment in severe malaria.
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  • 35
    Publication Date: 2018-03-13
    Description: by Michael Pablo, Samuel A. Ramirez, Timothy C. Elston Polarity establishment, the spontaneous generation of asymmetric molecular distributions, is a crucial component of many cellular functions. Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) undergoes directed growth during budding and mating, and is an ideal model organism for studying polarization. In yeast and many other cell types, the Rho GTPase Cdc42 is the key molecular player in polarity establishment. During yeast polarization, multiple patches of Cdc42 initially form, then resolve into a single front. Because polarization relies on strong positive feedback, it is likely that the amplification of molecular-level fluctuations underlies the generation of multiple nascent patches. In the absence of spatial cues, these fluctuations may be key to driving polarization. Here we used particle-based simulations to investigate the role of stochastic effects in a Turing-type model of yeast polarity establishment. In the model, reactions take place either between two molecules on the membrane, or between a cytosolic and a membrane-bound molecule. Thus, we developed a computational platform that explicitly simulates molecules at and near the cell membrane, and implicitly handles molecules away from the membrane. To evaluate stochastic effects, we compared particle simulations to deterministic reaction-diffusion equation simulations. Defining macroscopic rate constants that are consistent with the microscopic parameters for this system is challenging, because diffusion occurs in two dimensions and particles exchange between the membrane and cytoplasm. We address this problem by empirically estimating macroscopic rate constants from appropriately designed particle-based simulations. Ultimately, we find that stochastic fluctuations speed polarity establishment and permit polarization in parameter regions predicted to be Turing stable. These effects can operate at Cdc42 abundances expected of yeast cells, and promote polarization on timescales consistent with experimental results. To our knowledge, our work represents the first particle-based simulations of a model for yeast polarization that is based on a Turing mechanism.
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  • 36
    Publication Date: 2018-03-13
    Description: by Britta U. Westner, Sarang S. Dalal, Simon Hanslmayr, Tobias Staudigl Single-trial analyses have the potential to uncover meaningful brain dynamics that are obscured when averaging across trials. However, low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can impede the use of single-trial analyses and decoding methods. In this study, we investigate the applicability of a single-trial approach to decode stimulus modality from magnetoencephalographic (MEG) high frequency activity. In order to classify the auditory versus visual presentation of words, we combine beamformer source reconstruction with the random forest classification method. To enable group level inference, the classification is embedded in an across-subjects framework. We show that single-trial gamma SNR allows for good classification performance (accuracy across subjects: 66.44%). This implies that the characteristics of high frequency activity have a high consistency across trials and subjects. The random forest classifier assigned informational value to activity in both auditory and visual cortex with high spatial specificity. Across time, gamma power was most informative during stimulus presentation. Among all frequency bands, the 75 Hz 95 Hz band was the most informative frequency band in visual as well as in auditory areas. Especially in visual areas, a broad range of gamma frequencies (55 Hz 125 Hz) contributed to the successful classification. Thus, we demonstrate the feasibility of single-trial approaches for decoding the stimulus modality across subjects from high frequency activity and describe the discriminative gamma activity in time, frequency, and space.
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  • 37
    Publication Date: 2018-03-13
    Description: by Moran Brenner, Lior Lobel, Ilya Borovok, Nadejda Sigal, Anat A. Herskovits Listeria monocytogenes ( Lm ) is a saprophyte and intracellular pathogen. Transition to the pathogenic state relies on sensing of host-derived metabolites, yet it remains unclear how these are recognized and how they mediate virulence gene regulation. We previously found that low availability of isoleucine signals Lm to activate the virulent state. This response is dependent on CodY, a global regulator and isoleucine sensor. Isoleucine-bound CodY represses metabolic pathways including branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) biosynthesis, however under BCAA depletion, as occurs during infection, BCAA biosynthesis is upregulated and isoleucine-unbound CodY activates virulence genes. While isoleucine was revealed as an important input signal, it was not identified how internal levels are controlled during infection. Here we show that Lm regulates BCAA biosynthesis via CodY and via a riboregulator located upstream to the BCAA biosynthesis genes, named Rli60. rli60 is transcribed when BCAA levels drop, forming a ribosome-mediated attenuator that cis -regulates the downstream genes according to BCAA supply. Notably, we found that Rli60 restricts BCAA production, essentially starving Lm , a mechanism that is directly linked to virulence, as it controls the internal isoleucine pool and thereby CodY activity. This controlled BCAA auxotrophy likely evolved to enable isoleucine to serve as a host signal and virulence effector.
    Print ISSN: 1553-7390
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  • 38
    Publication Date: 2018-07-25
    Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1171: Multi-Criteria Evaluation of Snowpack Simulations in Complex Alpine Terrain Using Satellite and In Situ Observations Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081171 Authors: Jesús Revuelto Grégoire Lecourt Matthieu Lafaysse Isabella Zin Luc Charrois Vincent Vionnet Marie Dumont Antoine Rabatel Delphine Six Thomas Condom Samuel Morin Alessandra Viani Pascal Sirguey This work presents an extensive evaluation of the Crocus snowpack model over a rugged and highly glacierized mountain catchment (Arve valley, Western Alps, France) from 1989 to 2015. The simulations were compared and evaluated using in-situ point snow depth measurements, in-situ seasonal and annual glacier surface mass balance, snow covered area evolution based on optical satellite imagery at 250 m resolution (MODIS sensor), and the annual equilibrium-line altitude of glaciers, derived from satellite images (Landsat, SPOT, and ASTER). The snowpack simulations were obtained using the Crocus snowpack model driven by the same, originally semi-distributed, meteorological forcing (SAFRAN) reanalysis using the native semi-distributed configuration, but also a fully distributed configuration. The semi-distributed approach addresses land surface simulations for discrete topographic classes characterized by elevation range, aspect, and slope. The distributed approach operates on a 250-m grid, enabling inclusion of terrain shadowing effects, based on the same original meteorological dataset. Despite the fact that the two simulations use the same snowpack model, being potentially subjected to same potential deviation from the parametrization of certain physical processes, the results showed that both approaches accurately reproduced the snowpack distribution over the study period. Slightly (although statistically significantly) better results were obtained by using the distributed approach. The evaluation of the snow cover area with MODIS sensor has shown, on average, a reduction of the Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) from 15.2% with the semi-distributed approach to 12.6% with the distributed one. Similarly, surface glacier mass balance RMSE decreased from 1.475 m of water equivalent (W.E.) for the semi-distributed simulation to 1.375 m W.E. for the distribution. The improvement, observed with a much higher computational time, does not justify the recommendation of this approach for all applications; however, for simulations that require a precise representation of snowpack distribution, the distributed approach is suggested.
    Electronic ISSN: 2072-4292
    Topics: Architecture, Civil Engineering, Surveying , Geography
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  • 39
    Publication Date: 2018-07-25
    Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1169: Multi-Year Analyses of Columnar Aerosol Optical and Microphysical Properties in Xi’an, a Megacity in Northwestern China Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081169 Authors: Xiaoli Su Junji Cao Zhengqiang Li Kaitao Li Hua Xu Suixin Liu Xuehua Fan A thorough understanding of aerosol optical properties and their spatio-temporal variability are required to accurately evaluate aerosol effects in the climate system. In this study, a multi-year study of aerosol optical and microphysical properties was firstly performed in Xi’an based on three years of sun photometer remote sensing measurements from 2012 to 2015. The multi-year average of aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 440 nm was about 0.88 ± 0.24 (mean ± SD), while the averaged Ångström Exponent (AE) between 440 and 870 nm was 1.02 ± 0.15. The mean value of single scattering albedo (SSA) was around 0.89 ± 0.03. Aerosol optical depth and AE showed different seasonal variation patterns. Aerosol optical depth was slightly higher in winter (0.99 ± 0.36) than in other seasons (~0.85 ± 0.20), while AE showed its minimum in spring (0.85 ± 0.05) due to the impact of dust episodes. The seasonal variations of volume particle size distribution, spectral refractive index, SSA, and asymmetry factor were also analyzed to characterize aerosols over this region. Based on the aerosol products derived from sun photometer measurements, the classification of aerosol types was also conducted using two different methods in this region. Results show that the dominant aerosol types are absorbers in all seasons, especially in winter, demonstrating the strong absorptivity of aerosols in Xi’an.
    Electronic ISSN: 2072-4292
    Topics: Architecture, Civil Engineering, Surveying , Geography
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  • 40
    Publication Date: 2018-07-25
    Description: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2593: Visual Analysis of the Height Ratio between Building and Background Vegetation. Two Rural Cases of Study: Spain and Sweden Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082593 Authors: Jacinto Garrido-Velarde María Jesús Montero-Parejo Julio Hernández-Blanco Lorenzo García-Moruno The perception of apparent sizes of buildings in a rural environment depends on the height ratio between the building and its surrounding vegetation, and it is this parameter which is currently used to assess the built landscapes. The impact of a contrasting height is less strong if the building does not exceed the horizon line. For buildings overshooting the skyline, the building’s level of sharpness and number of lines in contrast to the sky determines the impact of the scales, and vegetation in the background helps to reduce impact. The specific objectives of the present study were: (1) finding height–ratio thresholds between building and background vegetation, which may improve the integration of rural buildings in sky-sensitive locations, and; (2) comparing the results in two rural contexts with very different climatic conditions: Spain and Sweden. A survey of eighteen scenarios (nine Spanish and nine Swedish), all digitally modified with different relative height ratios between vegetation and buildings, was performed. The survey was evaluated by the public from both countries. Regardless of the country of origin, integration of the building was good or very good when the vegetation in background did not exceed one half of the height of the construction. These results may be translated to technical criteria for planning assessment.
    Electronic ISSN: 2071-1050
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 41
    Publication Date: 2018-07-25
    Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2406: Adaptive Robust Unscented Kalman Filter via Fading Factor and Maximum Correntropy Criterion Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082406 Authors: Zhihong Deng Lijian Yin Baoyu Huo Yuanqing Xia In most practical applications, the tracking process needs to update the data constantly. However, outliers may occur frequently in the process of sensors’ data collection and sending, which affects the performance of the system state estimate. In order to suppress the impact of observation outliers in the process of target tracking, a novel filtering algorithm, namely a robust adaptive unscented Kalman filter, is proposed. The cost function of the proposed filtering algorithm is derived based on fading factor and maximum correntropy criterion. In this paper, the derivations of cost function and fading factor are given in detail, which enables the proposed algorithm to be robust. Finally, the simulation results show that the presented algorithm has good performance, and it improves the robustness of a general unscented Kalman filter and solves the problem of outliers in system.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-8220
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
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  • 42
    Publication Date: 2018-07-25
    Description: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2586: Conserving Tropical Forests: Can Sustainable Livelihoods Outperform Artisanal or Informal Mining? Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082586 Authors: Joshua Fisher Poonam Arora Sophia Rhee The viability of conservation efforts, including protected areas and buffer zones, depends on finding ways to make those strategies more attractive and viable for local populations. This paper presents a pilot study utilizing a rapid rural appraisal of livelihoods in the buffer zone of Tambopata National Reserve in Madre de Dios, Peru, threatened by illegal gold mining and logging. We evaluated three predominant economic activities—artisanal gold mining, Brazil nut harvesting, and fish farming—in terms of potential economic returns. The main research question we ask is whether the latter two potentially sustainable land uses can match or exceed the returns from mining. Contrary to popular belief, we find that enhancing value creation at product origin could make existing forest-friendly livelihoods as or more lucrative than extractive ones. This has implications on local conservation policy encouraging implementable strategies incentivizing sustainable livelihoods in tandem with, and in support of, conservation goals.
    Electronic ISSN: 2071-1050
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 43
    Publication Date: 2018-07-25
    Description: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 969: Assessment of Runoff Components Simulated by GLDAS against UNH–GRDC Dataset at Global and Hemispheric Scales Water doi: 10.3390/w10080969 Authors: Meizhao Lv Hui Lu Kun Yang Zhongfeng Xu Meixia Lv Xiaomeng Huang The current evaluations of global land data assimilation system (GLDAS) runoff were generally limited to the observation-rich areas. At the global and hemispheric scales, we assessed different runoff components performance of GLDAS (1.0 and 2.1) using the University of New Hampshire and Global Runoff Data Centre (UNH-GRDC) dataset. The results suggest that GLDAS simulations show considerable uncertainties, particularly in partition of surface and subsurface runoffs, in snowmelt runoff modeling, and in capturing the northern peak time. GLDAS1.0-CLM (common land model) produced more surface runoff almost globally; GLDAS-Noah generated more surface runoff over the northern middle-high latitudes and more subsurface runoff in the remaining areas; while the partition in GLDAS1.0-VIC (variable infiltration capacity) is almost opposite to that in Noah. Comparing to GLDAS1.0-Noah, GLDAS2.1-Noah improved the premature snow-melting tendency, but its snowmelt-runoff peak magnitude was excessively high in June and July. The discrepancies in northern primary peak times among precipitation and runoff is partly caused by the combination of rainfall and melting-snow over high-latitude, as well as the very different temporal–spatial distributions for snowmelt runoff simulated by GLDAS models. This paper can provide valuable guidance for GLDAS users, and contribute to the further improvement of hydrological parameterized schemes.
    Electronic ISSN: 2073-4441
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 44
    Publication Date: 2018-07-25
    Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1166: Inventory of Glaciers in the Shaksgam Valley of the Chinese Karakoram Mountains, 1970–2014 Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081166 Authors: Haireti Alifu Yukiko Hirabayashi Brian Alan Johnson Jean-Francois Vuillaume Akihiko Kondoh Minoru Urai The Shaksgam Valley, located on the north side of the Karakoram Mountains of western China, is situated in the transition zone between the Indian monsoon system and dry arid climate zones. Previous studies have reported abnormal behaviors of the glaciers in this region compared to the global trend of glacier retreat, so the region is of special interest for glacier-climatological studies. For this purpose, long-term monitoring of glaciers in this region is necessary to obtain a better understanding of the relationships between glacier changes and local climate variations. However, accurate historical and up-to-date glacier inventory data for the region are currently unavailable. For this reason, this study conducted glacier inventories for the years 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000 and 2014 (i.e., a ~10-year interval) using multi-temporal remote sensing imagery. The remote sensing data used included Corona KH-4A/B (1965–1971), Hexagon KH-9 (1980), Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) (1990/1993), Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) (2000/2001), and Landsat Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) (2014/2015) multispectral satellite images, as well as digital elevation models (DEMs) from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), DEMs generated from Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) images (2005–2014), and Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) World 3D 30 m mesh (AW3D30). In the year 2014, a total of 173 glaciers (including 121 debris-free glaciers) (>0.5 km2), covering an area of 1478 ± 34 km2 (area of debris-free glaciers: 295 ± 7 km2) were mapped. The multi-temporal glacier inventory results indicated that total glacier area change between 1970–2014 was not significant. However, individual glacier changes showed significant variability. Comparisons of the changes in glacier terminus position indicated that 55 (32 debris-covered) glaciers experienced significant advances (~40–1400 m) between 1970–2014, and 74 (32 debris-covered) glaciers experienced significant advances (~40–1400 m) during the most recent period (2000–2014). Notably, small glaciers showed higher sensitivity to climate changes, and the glaciers located in the western part of the study site were exhibiting glacier area expansion compared to other parts of the Shaksgam Valley. Finally, regression analyses indicated that topographic parameters were not the main driver of glacier changes. On the contrary, local climate variability could explain the complex behavior of glaciers in this region.
    Electronic ISSN: 2072-4292
    Topics: Architecture, Civil Engineering, Surveying , Geography
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  • 45
    Publication Date: 2018-07-25
    Description: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2601: Researcher–Planner Dialogue on Environmental Justice and Its Knowledges—A Means to Encourage Social Learning Towards Sustainability Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082601 Authors: Aino Rekola Riikka Paloniemi Societies aiming for a sustainable future need more effective and legitimate planning and decision making practices, in which various actors together find pathways towards a sustainable transition. In this paper, we approach sustainability and environmental justice as epistemological (and ontological) challenges for land-use planning, and empirically analyse how action research could support planners’ social learning and planning towards fair and sustainable development. We analysed qualitatively the evolution of the researcher–planner dialogue while co-designing and developing better methods, means and practices to improve environmental justice in regional scale planning in Kymenlaakso Region, South-East Finland. We found that researcher-planner dialogue developed during cooperation. While in the beginning, social learning related to approaching environmental justice as a fair distribution of power evolved incrementally, later, when dialogue became more focused, communicative and reflective as an outcome of mutual frames and trust, learning occurred in a more transformative way. Such transformative learning concerned recognising youth as a silent group in the planning process and the means to involve their perceptions in planning. In order to support sustainability transformation in the future, we conclude that it is essential to create opportunities for such incremental and transformative social learning through innovative modes of interaction in various contexts.
    Electronic ISSN: 2071-1050
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 46
    Publication Date: 2018-07-25
    Description: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2602: Towards a Joint Local Energy Transition Process in Urban Districts: The GO2Zero Simulation Game Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082602 Authors: Geertje Bekebrede Ellen van Bueren Ivo Wenzler The depletion of fossil fuel sources for our energy system and the influence on overall CO2 emissions drive the need to more sustainable energy systems. The transition towards a renewable energy system cannot be seen as a purely technical issue; it is strongly embedded within society. In this study, we analyze the stakeholder complexities of the transition in urban districts and research the use of a simulation game to increase the understanding of the complexity of the transition. Surveys and observations were used to collect data about the learning experiences of playing the game GO2Zero. The results show that participants liked to play the game and they considered the game a valid representation of the system. Further, the participants agree that they obtained a better understanding of the complexity of the residential energy system and experienced a variety of challenges in the transition. Simulation games, like GO2Zero, could become valuable instruments in local energy transition processes as they offer a safe environment for novices and experts to jointly experiment with the challenges in this process. These experiences could support the design of the transition process by helping actors to formulate goals and collaborative strategies for achieving those goals. Future research will focus on the use of this game for experimenting with different strategies and instruments and to analyze their effects.
    Electronic ISSN: 2071-1050
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 47
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Diversity, Vol. 10, Pages 73: Weevils as Targets for Biological Control, and the Importance of Taxonomy and Phylogeny for Efficacy and Biosafety Diversity doi: 10.3390/d10030073 Authors: Barbara I. P. Barratt Matthew J. W. Cock Rolf G. Oberprieler Curculionidae are a large mainly herbivorous family of beetles, some of which have become crop pests. Classical biological control has been attempted for about 38 species in 19 genera, and at least moderate success has been achieved in 31 % of cases. Only two weevil species have been considered to be completely controlled by a biological control agent. Success depends upon accurately matching natural enemies with their hosts, and hence taxonomy and phylogeny play a critical role. These factors are discussed and illustrated with two case studies: the introduction of the braconid parasitoid Mictroctonus aethiopoides into New Zealand for biological control of the lucerne pest Sitona discoideus, a case of complex phylogenetic relationships that challenged the prediction of potential non-target hosts, and the use of a mymarid egg parasitoid, Anaphes nitens, to control species of the eucalypt weevil genus Gonipterus, which involves failure to match up parasitoids with the right target amongst a complex of very closely related species. We discuss the increasing importance of molecular methods to support biological control programmes and the essential role of these emerging technologies for improving our understanding of this very large and complex family.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-2818
    Topics: Biology
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  • 48
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Forests, Vol. 9, Pages 448: Shifts in Growing Season of Tropical Deciduous Forests as Driven by El Niño and La Niña during 2001–2016 Forests doi: 10.3390/f9080448 Authors: Phan Kieu Diem Uday Pimple Asamaporn Sitthi Pariwate Varnakovida Katsunori Tanaka Sukan Pungkul Kumron Leadprathom Monique Y. LeClerc Amnat Chidthaisong This study investigated the spatiotemporal dynamics of tropical deciduous forest including dry dipterocarp forest (DDF) and mixed deciduous forest (MDF) and its phenological changes in responses to El Niño and La Niña during 2001–2016. Based on time series of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) extracted from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), the start of growing season (SOS), the end of growing season (EOS), and length of growing season (LOS) were derived. In absence of climatic fluctuation, the SOS of DDF commonly started on 106 ± 7 DOY, delayed to 132 DOY in El Niño year (2010) and advanced to 87 DOY in La Niña year (2011). Thus, there was a delay of about 19 to 33 days in El Niño and an earlier onset of about 13 to 27 days in La Niña year. The SOS of MDF started almost same time as of DDF on the 107 ± 7 DOY during the neutral years and delayed to 127 DOY during El Niño, advanced to 92 DOY in La Niña year. The SOS of MDF was delayed by about 12 to 28 days in El Niño and was earlier about 8 to 22 days in La Niña. Corresponding to these shifts in SOS and LOS of both DDF and MDF were also induced by the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
    Electronic ISSN: 1999-4907
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
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  • 49
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Entropy, Vol. 20, Pages 550: Information Geometry of Nonlinear Stochastic Systems Entropy doi: 10.3390/e20080550 Authors: Rainer Hollerbach Donovan Dimanche Eun-jin Kim We elucidate the effect of different deterministic nonlinear forces on geometric structure of stochastic processes by investigating the transient relaxation of initial PDFs of a stochastic variable x under forces proportional to -xn (n=3,5,7) and different strength D of δ-correlated stochastic noise. We identify the three main stages consisting of nondiffusive evolution, quasi-linear Gaussian evolution and settling into stationary PDFs. The strength of stochastic noise is shown to play a crucial role in determining these timescales as well as the peak amplitude and width of PDFs. From time-evolution of PDFs, we compute the rate of information change for a given initial PDF and uniquely determine the information length L(t) as a function of time that represents the number of different statistical states that a system evolves through in time. We identify a robust geodesic (where the information changes at a constant rate) in the initial stage, and map out geometric structure of an attractor as L(t→∞)∝μm, where μ is the position of an initial Gaussian PDF. The scaling exponent m increases with n, and also varies with D (although to a lesser extent). Our results highlight ubiquitous power-laws and multi-scalings of information geometry due to nonlinear interaction.
    Electronic ISSN: 1099-4300
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Physics
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  • 50
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Entropy, Vol. 20, Pages 553: Hierarchical Structure of Generalized Thermodynamic and Informational Entropy Entropy doi: 10.3390/e20080553 Authors: Pierfrancesco Palazzo The present research aimed at discussing the thermodynamic and informational aspects of entropy concept to propose a unitary perspective of its definitions as an inherent property of any system in any state. The dualism and the relation between physical nature of information and the informational content of physical states of matter and phenomena play a fundamental role in the description of multi-scale systems characterized by hierarchical configurations. A method is proposed to generalize thermodynamic and informational entropy property and characterize the hierarchical structure of its canonical definition at macroscopic and microscopic levels of a system described in the domain of classical and quantum physics. The conceptual schema is based on dualisms and symmetries inherent to the geometric and kinematic configurations and interactions occurring in many-particle and few-particle thermodynamic systems. The hierarchical configuration of particles and sub-particles, representing the constitutive elements of physical systems, breaks down into levels characterized by particle masses subdivision, implying positions and velocities degrees of freedom multiplication. This hierarchy accommodates the allocation of phenomena and processes from higher to lower levels in the respect of the equipartition theorem of energy. However, the opposite and reversible process, from lower to higher level, is impossible by virtue of the Second Law, expressed as impossibility of Perpetual Motion Machine of the Second Kind (PMM2) remaining valid at all hierarchical levels, and the non-existence of Maxwell’s demon. Based on the generalized definition of entropy property, the hierarchical structure of entropy contribution and production balance, determined by degrees of freedom and constraints of systems configuration, is established. Moreover, as a consequence of the Second Law, the non-equipartition theorem of entropy is enunciated, which would be complementary to the equipartition theorem of energy derived from the First Law.
    Electronic ISSN: 1099-4300
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Physics
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  • 51
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    MDPI Publishing
    In: Entropy
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Entropy, Vol. 20, Pages 552: The Gibbs Paradox Entropy doi: 10.3390/e20080552 Authors: Simon Saunders The Gibbs Paradox is essentially a set of open questions as to how sameness of gases or fluids (or masses, more generally) are to be treated in thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. They have a variety of answers, some restricted to quantum theory (there is no classical solution), some to classical theory (the quantum case is different). The solution offered here applies to both in equal measure, and is based on the concept of particle indistinguishability (in the classical case, Gibbs’ notion of ‘generic phase’). Correctly understood, it is the elimination of sequence position as a labelling device, where sequences enter at the level of the tensor (or Cartesian) product of one-particle state spaces. In both cases it amounts to passing to the quotient space under permutations. ‘Distinguishability’, in the sense in which it is usually used in classical statistical mechanics, is a mathematically convenient, but physically muddled, fiction.
    Electronic ISSN: 1099-4300
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Physics
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  • 52
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Energies, Vol. 11, Pages 1937: Evaluation of Fast Charging Efficiency under Extreme Temperatures Energies doi: 10.3390/en11081937 Authors: Germana Trentadue Alexandre Lucas Marcos Otura Konstantinos Pliakostathis Marco Zanni Harald Scholz Multi-type fast charging stations are being deployed over Europe as electric vehicle adoption becomes more popular. The growth of an electrical charging infrastructure in different countries poses different challenges related to its installation. One of these challenges is related to weather conditions that are extremely heterogeneous due to different latitudes, in which fast charging stations are located and whose impact on the charging performance is often neglected or unknown. The present study focused on the evaluation of the electric vehicle (EV) charging process with fast charging devices (up to 50 kW) at ambient (25 °C) and at extreme temperatures (−25 °C, −15 °C, +40 °C). A sample of seven fast chargers and two electric vehicles (CCS (combined charging system) and CHAdeMO (CHArge de Move)) available on the commercial market was considered in the study. Three phase voltages and currents at the wall socket, where the charger was connected, as well as voltage and current at the plug connection between the charger and vehicle have been recorded. According to SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) J2894/1, the power conversion efficiency during the charging process has been calculated as the ratio between the instantaneous DC power delivered to the vehicle and the instantaneous AC power supplied from the grid in order to test the performance of the charger. The inverse of the efficiency of the charging process, i.e., a kind of energy return ratio (ERR), has been calculated as the ratio between the AC energy supplied by the grid to the electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) and the energy delivered to the vehicle’s battery. The evaluation has shown a varied scenario, confirming the efficiency values declared by the manufacturers at ambient temperature and reporting lower energy efficiencies at extreme temperatures, due to lower requested and, thus, delivered power levels. The lowest and highest power conversion efficiencies of 39% and 93% were observed at −25 °C and ambient temperature (+25 °C), respectively.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1073
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 53
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Entropy, Vol. 20, Pages 549: Entropy-Based Feature Extraction for Electromagnetic Discharges Classification in High-Voltage Power Generation Entropy doi: 10.3390/e20080549 Authors: Imene Mitiche Gordon Morison Alan Nesbitt Brian G. Stewart Philip Boreham This work exploits four entropy measures known as Sample, Permutation, Weighted Permutation, and Dispersion Entropy to extract relevant information from Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) discharge signals that are useful in fault diagnosis of High-Voltage (HV) equipment. Multi-class classification algorithms are used to classify or distinguish between various discharge sources such as Partial Discharges (PD), Exciter, Arcing, micro Sparking and Random Noise. The signals were measured and recorded on different sites followed by EMI expert’s data analysis in order to identify and label the discharge source type contained within the signal. The classification was performed both within each site and across all sites. The system performs well for both cases with extremely high classification accuracy within site. This work demonstrates the ability to extract relevant entropy-based features from EMI discharge sources from time-resolved signals requiring minimal computation making the system ideal for a potential application to online condition monitoring based on EMI.
    Electronic ISSN: 1099-4300
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Physics
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  • 54
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Energies, Vol. 11, Pages 1934: Multi-Port Zero-Current Switching Switched-Capacitor Converters for Battery Management Applications Energies doi: 10.3390/en11081934 Authors: Yat Chi Fong Ka Wai Eric Cheng S. Raghu Raman Xiaolin Wang A novel implementation of multi-port zero-current switching (ZCS) switched-capacitor (SC) converters for battery management applications is presented. In addition to the auto-balancing feature offered by the SC technique, the proposed SC converter permits individual control of the charging or discharging current of the series-connected energy storage elements, such as the battery or super-capacitor cells. This approach enables advanced state control and accelerates the equalizing process by coordinated operation with the battery management system (BMS) and an adjustable voltage source, which can be implemented by a DC-DC converter interfaced to the energy storage string. Different configurations, including the single-input multi-output (SIMO), multi-input single-output (MISO) SC converters, and the corresponding altered circuits for string-to-cells, cells-to-string, as well as cells-to-cells equalizers, are discussed with a circuit analysis and derivation of the associated mathematical representation. The simulation study and experimental results indicated a significant increase in the balancing speed with the presence of BMS and closed-loop control of cell currents.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1073
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 55
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1287: Polysaccharide-Based Aerogel Bead Production via Jet Cutting Method Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081287 Authors: Imke Preibisch Philipp Niemeyer Yusuf Yusufoglu Pavel Gurikov Barbara Milow Irina Smirnova The aim of this work is to develop a method to produce spherical biopolymer-based aerogel particles, which is capable for scale-up in the future. Therefore, the jet cutting method is suggested. Amidated pectin, sodium alginate, and chitosan are used as a precursor (a 1–3 wt. % solution) for particle production via jet cutting. Gelation is realized via two methods: the internal setting method (using calcium carbonate particles as cross-linkers and citric and acidic acid for pH adjustment) and the diffusion method (in calcium chloride solutions). Gel particles are subjected to solvent exchange to ethanol and consequent supercritical drying with CO2. Spherical aerogel particles with narrow particle size distributions in the range of 400 to 1500 µm and a specific surface area of around 500 m2/g are produced. Overall, it can be concluded that the jet cutting method is suitable for aerogel particle production, although the shape of the particles is not perfectly spherical in all cases. However, parameter adjustment might lead to even better shaped particles in further work. Moreover, the biopolymer-based aerogel particles synthesized in this study are tested as humidity absorbers in drying units for home appliances, particularly for dishwashers. It has been shown that for several cycles of absorption and desorption of humidity, aerogel particles are stable with an absorption capacity of around 20 wt. %.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1944
    Topics: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
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  • 56
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1279: Computational Predictions and Microwave Plasma Synthesis of Superhard Boron-Carbon Materials Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081279 Authors: Paul A. Baker Shane A. Catledge Sumner B. Harris Kathryn J. Ham Wei-Chih Chen Cheng-Chien Chen Yogesh K. Vohra Superhard boron-carbon materials are of prime interest due to their non-oxidizing properties at high temperatures compared to diamond-based materials and their non-reactivity with ferrous metals under extreme conditions. In this work, evolutionary algorithms combined with density functional theory have been utilized to predict stable structures and properties for the boron-carbon system, including the elusive superhard BC5 compound. We report on the microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition on a silicon substrate of a series of composite materials containing amorphous boron-doped graphitic carbon, boron-doped diamond, and a cubic hard-phase with a boron-content as high as 7.7 at%. The nanoindentation hardness of these composite materials can be tailored from 8 GPa to as high as 62 GPa depending on the growth conditions. These materials have been characterized by electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and nanoindentation hardness, and the experimental results are compared with theoretical predictions. Our studies show that a significant amount of boron up to 7.7 at% can be accommodated in the cubic phase of diamond and its phonon modes and mechanical properties can be accurately modeled by theory. This cubic hard-phase can be incorporated into amorphous boron-carbon matrices to yield superhard materials with tunable hardness values.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1944
    Topics: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
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  • 57
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Forests, Vol. 9, Pages 446: Plant Hydraulic Trait Covariation: A Global Meta-Analysis to Reduce Degrees of Freedom in Trait-Based Hydrologic Models Forests doi: 10.3390/f9080446 Authors: A. Rio Mursinna Erica McCormick Katie Van Horn Lisa Sartin Ashley M. Matheny Current vegetation modeling strategies use broad categorizations of plants to estimate transpiration and biomass functions. A significant source of model error stems from vegetation categorizations that are mostly taxonomical with no basis in plant hydraulic strategy and response to changing environmental conditions. Here, we compile hydraulic traits from 355 species around the world to determine trait covariations in order to represent hydraulic strategies. Simple and stepwise regression analyses demonstrate the interconnectedness of multiple vegetative hydraulic traits, specifically, traits defining hydraulic conductivity and vulnerability to embolism with wood density and isohydricity. Drought sensitivity is strongly (Adjusted R2 = 0.52, p < 0.02) predicted by a stepwise linear model combining rooting depth, wood density, and isohydricity. Drought tolerance increased with increasing wood density and anisohydric response, but with decreasing rooting depth. The unexpected response to rooting depth may be due to other tradeoffs within the hydraulic system. Rooting depth was able to be predicted from sapwood specific conductivity and the water potential at 50% loss of conductivity. Interestingly, the influences of biome or growth form do not increase the accuracy of the drought tolerance model and were able to be omitted. Multiple regression analysis revealed 3D trait spaces and tradeoff axes along which species’ hydraulic strategies can be analyzed. These numerical trait spaces can reduce the necessary input to and parameterization of plant hydraulics modules, while increasing the physical representativeness of such simulations.
    Electronic ISSN: 1999-4907
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
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  • 58
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1290: Compositional Dependence of Phase Selection in CoCrCu0.1FeMoNi-Based High-Entropy Alloys Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081290 Authors: Ning Liu Chen Chen Isaac Chang Pengjie Zhou Xiaojing Wang To study the effect of alloy composition on phase selection in the CoCrCu0.1FeMoNi high-entropy alloy (HEA), Mo was partially replaced by Co, Cr, Fe, and Ni. The microstructures and phase selection behaviors of the CoCrCu0.1FeMoNi HEA system were investigated. Dendritic, inter-dendritic, and eutectic microstructures were observed in the as-solidified HEAs. A simple face centered cubic (FCC) single-phase solid solution was obtained when the molar ratio of Fe, Co, and Ni was increased to 1.7 at the expense of Mo, indicating that Fe, Co, and Ni stabilized the FCC structure. The FCC structure was favored at the atomic radius ratio δ ≤ 2.8, valence electron concentration (VEC) ≥ 8.27, mixing entropy ΔS ≤ 13.037, local lattice distortion parameter α2 ≤ 0.0051, and ΔS/δ2 > 1.7. Mixed FCC + body centered cubic (BCC) structures occurred for 4.1 ≤ δ ≤ 4.3 and 7.71 ≤ VEC ≤ 7.86; FCC or/and BCC + intermetallic (IM) mixtures were favored at 2.8 ≤ δ ≤ 4.1 or δ > 4.3 and 7.39 < VEC ≤ 8.27. The IM phase is favored at electronegativity differences greater than 0.133. However, ΔS, α2, and ΔS/δ2 were inefficient in identifying the (FCC or/and BCC + IM)/(FCC + BCC) transition. Moreover, the mixing enthalpy cannot predict phase structures in this system.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1944
    Topics: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
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  • 59
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1286: An Evaluation of Wetting and Adhesion of Three Bioceramic Root Canal Sealers to Intraradicular Human Dentin Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081286 Authors: Jung-Hong Ha Hyeon-Cheol Kim Young Kyung Kim Tae-Yub Kwon Root canal sealers should have good wetting and adhesion with intraradicular dentin. This study evaluated the wetting and adhesion properties of three bioceramic root canal sealers on dentin using contact angle (CA) measurements and calculations based on the Owens–Wendt–Rabel–Kälble (OWRK) model and compared the properties with those of a resin sealer. Three bioceramic sealers (EndoSequence BC Sealer (BC); Endoseal MTA (EM); and MTA Fillapex (MF)) were tested, together with one epoxy resin-based sealer (AH Plus (AP)). Disc-shaped sealer specimens and human premolar teeth with flat and polished intraradicular dentin surfaces were prepared (n = 12). The CAs of two liquids (water and methylene iodide) were measured on the surfaces using the sessile drop method. The wetting and adhesion properties of the four sealers were calculated using the wetting envelope and isogram diagram, respectively. Group BC showed the best wettability among the four sealer groups. The best adhesion was achieved for group EM, followed by group BC, with a significant difference being present between the two groups (p < 0.05). The OWRK-based calculation indicated that the bioceramic BC and EM sealers showed superior wetting and adhesion properties to the AP sealers.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1944
    Topics: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
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  • 60
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1281: Investigation of Cutting Temperature during Turning Inconel 718 with (Ti,Al)N PVD Coated Cemented Carbide Tools Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081281 Authors: Jinfu Zhao Zhanqiang Liu Qi Shen Bing Wang Qingqing Wang Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) Ti1−xAlxN coated cemented carbide tools are commonly used to cut difficult-to-machine super alloy of Inconel 718. The Al concentration x of Ti1−xAlxN coating can affect the coating microstructure, mechanical and thermo-physical properties of Ti1−xAlxN coating, which affects the cutting temperature in the machining process. Cutting temperature has great influence on the tool life and the machined surface quality. In this study, the influences of PVD (Ti,Al)N coated cemented carbide tools on the cutting temperature were analyzed. Firstly, the microstructures of PVD Ti0.41Al0.59N and Ti0.55Al0.45N coatings were inspected. The increase of Al concentration x enhanced the crystallinity of PVD Ti1−xAlxN coatings without epitaxy growth of TiAlN crystals. Secondly, the mechanical and thermo-physical properties of PVD Ti0.41Al0.59N and Ti0.55Al0.45N coated tools were analyzed. The pinning effects of coating increased with the increasing of Al concentration x, which can decrease the friction coefficient between the PVD Ti1−xAlxN coated cemented carbide tools and the Inconel 718 material. The coating hardness and thermal conductivity of Ti1−xAlxN coatings increased with the increase of Al concentration x. Thirdly, the influences of PVD Ti1−xAlxN coated tools on the cutting temperature in turning Inconel 718 were analyzed by mathematical analysis modelling and Lagrange simulation methods. Compared with the uncoated tools, PVD Ti0.41Al0.59N coated tools decreased the heat generation as well as the tool temperature to reduce the thermal stress generated within the tools. Lastly, the influences of Ti1−xAlxN coatings on surface morphologies of the tool rake faces were analyzed. The conclusions can reveal the influences of PVD Ti1−xAlxN coatings on cutting temperature, which can provide guidance in the proper choice of Al concentration x for PVD Ti1−xAlxN coated tools in turning Inconel 718.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1944
    Topics: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
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  • 61
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1278: Study on Near-Net Forming Technology for Stepped Shaft by Cross-Wedge Rolling Based on Variable Cone Angle Billets Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081278 Authors: Sutao Han Xuedao Shu Chang Shu Considering problems about concaves at the stepped shaft ends, this paper established the plastic flow kinetic theories about metal deforming during the cross-wedge rolling (CWR) process. By means of the DEFORM-3D finite element software and the point tracing method, the forming process of stepped shafts and the forming mechanism of concaves at shaft ends were studied. Based on the forming features of stepped shafts, rolling pieces were designed using variable cone angle billets. Single-factor tests were conducted to analyze the influence law of the shape parameters of billet with variable cone angle on end concaves, and rolling experiments were performed for verification. According to the results, during the rolling process of stepped shafts, concaves will come into being in stages, and the increasing tendency of its depth is due to the wave mode, the parameters of cone angle α, the first cone section length n. Furthermore, the total cone section length m has an increasingly weaker influence on the end concaves. Specifically, cone angle α has the most significant influence on the quality of shaft ends, which is about twice the influence of the total cone section length m. The concave depth will decrease at the beginning, and then increase with the increasing of the cone angle α and the first cone section length n, and it will decrease with the increasing of the total cone section length m. Finite element numerical analysis results are perfectly consistent with experimental results, with the error ratio being lower than 5%. The results provide a reliable theoretical basis for effectively disposing of end concave problems during CWR, rationally confirming the shape parameters of billets with a variable cone angle, improving the quality of stepped shaft ends, and realizing the near-net forming process of cross-wedge rolling without a stub bar.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1944
    Topics: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
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  • 62
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1276: Tool Wear Mechanism in Cutting of Stack CFRP/UNS A97075 Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081276 Authors: Severo Raul Fernandez-Vidal Sergio Fernandez-Vidal Moises Batista Jorge Salguero The aeronautics industry’s competitiveness has led to the need to increase productivity with one shot drilling (OSD) systems capable of drilling stacks of dissimilar materials (fibre/metal laminates, FML) in order to reduce riveting times. Among the materials that constitute the current aeronautical models, composite materials and aluminium (Al) and titanium (Ti) alloys stand out. These one-pass machining techniques produce high-quality holes, especially when all the elements that have to be joined are made of the same material. This work has followed a conventional OSD strategy and the same cutting conditions applied to CFRP (carbo-fibre-reinforced polymer), Al and CFRP/Al stacked sheets to know the wear mechanisms produced. With this purpose, results were obtained by using current specific techniques, such as microstructural analysis, monitoring of the shear forces and analysis of macrogeometric deviations. It has been determined that when these drilling techniques are applied under the same cutting conditions to stacks of materials of a different nature, the results of the wear mechanisms acting on the tool differ from those obtained when machining each material separately. This article presents a comparison between the effects of tool wear during dry drilling of CFRP and UNS A97075 plates separately and when machined as stacks.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1944
    Topics: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
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  • 63
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2420: Strain Transfer Characteristics of Resistance Strain-Type Transducer Using Elastic-Mechanical Shear Lag Theory Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082420 Authors: Yongqian Li Zhigang Wang Chi Xiao Yinming Zhao Yaxin Zhu Zili Zhou The strain transfer characteristics of resistance strain gauge are theoretically investigated. A resistance strain-type transducer is modeled to be a four-layer and two-glue (FLTG) structure model, which comprises successively the surface of an elastomer sensitive element, a ground adhesive glue, a film substrate layer, an upper adhesive glue, a sensitive grids layer, and a polymer cover. The FLTG model is studied in elastic–mechanical shear lag theory, and the strain transfer progress in a resistance strain-type transducer is described. The strain transitional zone (STZ) is defined and the strain transfer ratio (STR) of the FLTG structure is formulated. The dependences of the STR and STZ on both the dimensional sizes of the adhesive glue and structural parameters are calculated. The results indicate that the width, thickness and shear modulus of the ground adhesive glue have a greater influence on the STZ ratio. To ensure that the resistance strain gauge has excellent strain transfer performance and low hysteresis, it is recommended that the paste thickness should be strictly controlled, and the STZ ratio should be less than 10%. Moreover, the STR strongly depends on the length and width of the sensitive grids.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-8220
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
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  • 64
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2416: Design and Optimization of a Novel Three-Dimensional Force Sensor with Parallel Structure Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082416 Authors: Guanyu Huang Dan Zhang Sheng Guo Haibo Qu To measure large external forces exerted on a loading platform, a novel three-dimensional force sensor is developed in this paper. The proposed sensor was designed with a parallel mechanism with three degrees of freedom. Kinematic analysis of this sensor was performed. Due to its structural characteristics, the working principle of the sensor was analyzed using a Jacobian matrix. The sensitivity diversity index and measuring capability were both calculated. The analysis showed that the proposed sensor is more suitable for measuring large forces than existing strain sensors. In addition, compared with existing strain sensors, this sensor is more suitable for measuring forces along the x and y axes. By changing the stiffness coefficients of the springs, the proposed sensor has reconfigurability. This sensor can change its measuring capability to meet different requirements. Next, the mode shapes and natural frequencies of the proposed sensor were performed. Finally, based on these performance indices, the design variables were optimized using a Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-8220
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
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  • 65
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2415: Cheeses Made from Raw and Pasteurized Cow’s Milk Analysed by an Electronic Nose and an Electronic Tongue Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082415 Authors: Nuno I. P. Valente Alisa Rudnitskaya João A. B. P. Oliveira M. Teresa S. R. Gomes Elvira M. M. Gaspar Cheese prepared from whole milk, raw and pasteurized, were analysed by an electronic nose based on piezoelectric quartz crystals and an electronic tongue based on potentiometric sensors, immediately after their preparation and along ripening (after 7 and 21 days). Whey was also analysed by the potentiometric electronic tongue. Results obtained by the electronic nose and tongue were found to be complementary, with the electronic nose being more sensitive to differences in the milk and the electronic tongue being more sensitive to milk pasteurization. Electronic tongue was able to distinguish cheeses made from raw and pasteurized milk, both analysing the whey or the curd, with correct classification rate of 96% and 84%, respectively. Besides, the electronic nose was more sensitive than the electronic tongue to the ripening process, with large differences between samples after 7 and 21 days, while the electronic tongue was only sensitive to the initial maturation stages, with large difference between freshly prepared cheese and with seven days of maturation.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-8220
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
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  • 66
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2412: Validation of the Accuracy and Convergence Time of Real Time Kinematic Results Using a Single Galileo Navigation System Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082412 Authors: Zbigniew Siejka For the last two decades, the American GPS and Russian GLONASS were the basic systems used in global positioning and navigation. In recent years, there has been significant progress in the development of positioning systems. New regional systems have been created, i.e., the Japanese Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) and Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS). A plan to build its own regional navigation system named Korean Positioning System (KPS) was announced South Korea on 5 February 2018. Currently, two new global navigation systems are under development: the European Galileo and the Chinese BeiDou. The full operability of both systems by 2020 is planned. The paper deals with a possibility of determination of the user’s position from individual and independent global navigation satellite system (GNSS). The article is a broader concept aimed at independent determination of precise position from individual GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo systems. It presents real time positioning results (Real Time Kinematic-RTK) using signals from Galileo satellites only. During the test, 14 Galileo satellites were used and the number of simultaneously observed Galileo satellites varied from five to seven. Real-time measurements were only possible in certain 24-h observation windows. However, their number was completed within 6 days at the end of 2017 and beginning of 2018, so there was possible to infer about the current availability, continuity, convergence time and accuracy of the RTK measurements. In addition, the systematic errors were demonstrated for the Galileo system.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-8220
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
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  • 67
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2613: An E-Commerce Platform for Industrialized Construction Procurement Based on BIM and Linked Data Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082613 Authors: Dandan He Zhongfu Li Chunlin Wu Xin Ning Industrialized construction has raised the requirements of procurement methods used in the construction industry. The rapid development of e-commerce offers efficient and effective solutions, however the large number of participants in the construction industry means that the data involved are complex, and problems arise related to volume, heterogeneity, and fragmentation. Thus, the sector lags behind others in the adoption of e-commerce. In particular, data integration has become a barrier preventing further development. Traditional e-commerce platform, which considered data integration for common product data, cannot meet the requirements of construction product data integration. This study aimed to build an information-integrated e-commerce platform for industrialized construction procurement (ICP) to overcome some of the shortcomings existing platforms. We proposed a platform based on Building Information Modelling (BIM) and linked data, taking an innovative approach to data integration. It uses industrialized construction technology to support product standardization, BIM to support procurement process, and linked data to connect different data sources. The platform was validated using a case study. With the development of an e-commerce ontology, industrialized construction component information was extracted from BIM models and converted to Resource Description Framework (RDF) format. Related information from different data sources was also converted to RDF format, and Simple Protocol and Resource Description Framework Query Language (SPARQL) queries were implemented. The platform provides a solution for the development of e-commerce platform in the construction industry.
    Electronic ISSN: 2071-1050
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 68
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2614: An Efficient Grid-Based K-Prototypes Algorithm for Sustainable Decision-Making on Spatial Objects Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082614 Authors: Hong-Jun Jang Byoungwook Kim Jongwan Kim Soon-Young Jung Data mining plays a critical role in sustainable decision-making. Although the k-prototypes algorithm is one of the best-known algorithms for clustering both numeric and categorical data, clustering a large number of spatial objects with mixed numeric and categorical attributes is still inefficient due to complexity. In this paper, we propose an efficient grid-based k-prototypes algorithm, GK-prototypes, which achieves high performance for clustering spatial objects. The first proposed algorithm utilizes both maximum and minimum distance between cluster centers and a cell, which can reduce unnecessary distance calculation. The second proposed algorithm as an extension of the first proposed algorithm, utilizes spatial dependence; spatial data tends to be similar to objects that are close. Each cell has a bitmap index which stores the categorical values of all objects within the same cell for each attribute. This bitmap index can improve performance if the categorical data is skewed. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithms can achieve better performance than the existing pruning techniques of the k-prototypes algorithm.
    Electronic ISSN: 2071-1050
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 69
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2609: The Influence of the Backfilling Roadway Driving Sequence on the Rockburst Risk of a Coal Pillar Based on an Energy Density Criterion Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082609 Authors: Yi Xue Zhengzheng Cao Feng Du Lin Zhu The rockburst hazard has always been an important issue affecting the safety production of coal mines in China. The unreasonable sequencing of roadway driving can lead to the dynamic instability of coal pillars, which subsequently causes rockburst accidents in roadway backfilling mining engineering and poses a serious threat to the safety of the mines. Roadway backfilling mining technology is an effective approach with which to mine corner residual coal resources under buildings, railways, and rivers. An energy density criterion is established and programmed with FISH language using numerical analysis software for the rockburst risk evaluation of coal pillars. On this basis, a numerical simulation model is established based on four scheme types, namely, the sequential mining, one-roadway interval mining, two-roadway interval mining, and three-roadway interval mining schemes. The influence of the backfilling roadway driving sequence on coal pillar stability is investigated, and the change law of vertical stress and energy density factor of coal pillars in different driving sequences in roadway backfilling mining technology are analyzed. According to the research results, the maximum energy density factor value of 21,172 J/m4 for coal pillars in one-roadway interval mining is the lowest among the different schemes. Therefore, the one-roadway interval mining scheme is the optimal choice in roadway backfilling mining technology. The results can be treated as an important basis for the prevention and treatment of coal pillar instability and rockburst in roadway backfilling mining technology.
    Electronic ISSN: 2071-1050
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 70
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2409: The Bluetooth Mesh Standard: An Overview and Experimental Evaluation Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082409 Authors: Mathias Baert Jen Rossey Adnan Shahid Jeroen Hoebeke Mesh networks enable a many-to-many relation between nodes, which means that each node in the network can communicate with every other node using multi-hop communication and path diversity. As it enables the fast roll-out of sensor and actuator networks, it is an important aspect within the Internet of Things (IoT). Utilizing Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) as an underlying technology to implement such mesh networks has gained a lot of interest in recent years. The result was a variety of BLE meshing solutions that were not interoperable because of the lack of a common standard. This has changed recently with the advent of the Bluetooth Mesh standard. However, a detailed overview of how this standard operates, performs and how it tackles other issues concerning BLE mesh networking is missing. Therefore, this paper investigates this new technology thoroughly and evaluates its performance by means of three approaches, namely an experimental evaluation, a statistical approach and a graph-based simulation model, which can be used as the basis for future research. Apart from showing that consistent results are achieved by means of all three approaches, we also identify possible drawbacks and open issues that need to be dealt with.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-8220
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
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  • 71
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2604: Analysis of Guidelines and Identification of Characteristics Influencing the Deconstruction Potential of Buildings Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082604 Authors: Roberta Carvalho Machado Henor Artur de Souza Gustavo de Souza Veríssimo Growing concerns regarding environmental preservation and the fact that the construction industry is one of the sectors with the highest rates of resource consumption and waste generation, have encouraged the adoption of deconstruction as an alternative to the demolition of buildings at the end of their lifecycle. However, the choice of strategies to enable deconstruction requires an in-depth knowledge of how the building’s characteristics, combined with the procedures adopted in the deconstruction process, will affect the reutilization of materials and components. In this paper, characteristics relating to design for deconstruction (DfD) are identified and the influence of each characteristic on the viability of a deconstruction is analysed. A literature review is conducted to assess the guideline of DfD and to identify relevant characteristics. These characteristics are then divided into the following categories: direct influence enabling deconstruction; influence on the ease of the process; and, influence on prolonging a building’s lifecycle. A number of questions are suggested for analysing each characteristic, and these can be employed in the development of a methodology for evaluating a building’s deconstruction potential. The identification of characteristics involved in the deconstruction guidelines may assist in the optimization of projects and the planning of deconstruction processes.
    Electronic ISSN: 2071-1050
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 72
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Symmetry, Vol. 10, Pages 300: Computing Metric Dimension and Metric Basis of 2D Lattice of Alpha-Boron Nanotubes Symmetry doi: 10.3390/sym10080300 Authors: Zafar Hussain Mobeen Munir Maqbool Chaudhary Shin Min Kang Concepts of resolving set and metric basis has enjoyed a lot of success because of multi-purpose applications both in computer and mathematical sciences. For a connected graph G(V,E) a subset W of V(G) is a resolving set for G if every two vertices of G have distinct representations with respect to W. A resolving set of minimum cardinality is called a metric basis for graph G and this minimum cardinality is known as metric dimension of G. Boron nanotubes with different lattice structures, radii and chirality’s have attracted attention due to their transport properties, electronic structure and structural stability. In the present article, we compute the metric dimension and metric basis of 2D lattices of alpha-boron nanotubes.
    Electronic ISSN: 2073-8994
    Topics: Mathematics , Physics
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  • 73
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2605: Building a More Sustainable Society? A Case Study on the Role of Sustainable Development in the Education and Early Career of Water and Environmental Engineers Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082605 Authors: Anu Vehmaa Meeri Karvinen Marko Keskinen Engineering education is critical for sustainability, given the key role that engineers have in shaping the development of our society. Yet, engineering studies have traditionally not been driven by sustainability-related knowledge and skills, but focused more on general computational skills and technical problem-solving. This has also been the case in our case study, which focuses on recent water and environmental engineering graduates in Finland. We studied the role that sustainable development has had in their education and early career through an extensive questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The analysis was done in two ways: indirectly by comparing how well the key working life knowledge and skills recognized by the respondents correspond with sustainability-related skills, and directly by studying the graduates’ views towards the sustainable development and their possibilities to advance it in their work. The results show that although sustainability was not at the core of respondents’ studies, their key competencies correspond well with sustainability-related working life skills. The respondents also see that sustainable development has a central role in water and environmental engineering, although it is typically more visible at a strategic rather than a practical level. However, the results also indicate that several early-career engineers have deficient knowledge of sustainable development, and are therefore lacking the ability to fully connect the principles of sustainable development into their own expertise. Overall, the findings suggest that water and environmental engineers with their wide set of competencies have the potential to take on a larger role in building a more sustainable society. To ensure this, engineering education should emphasize the connection between the field and sustainable development and clearly link engineers’ core competencies with the skills required to promote sustainability.
    Electronic ISSN: 2071-1050
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 74
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2603: Historic Urban Landscapes: A Review on Trends and Methodologies in the Urban Context of the 21st Century Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082603 Authors: Arturo Azpeitia Santander Agustín Azkarate Garai-Olaun Ander de la Fuente Arana This article makes a critical reflection, questioning the notion of historical urban landscapes as a conceptual paradigm used for the basis of urban conservation in the twenty-first century. The study begins with a brief summary of the origins and subsequent evolution of this concept, highlighting the two key reference milestones: the Vienna Memorandum (UNESCO, 2005) and the Paris Recommendation (UNESCO, 2011). Subsequently, the focus of attention will be on highlighting the problems and difficulties posed by the management and protection of historic urban landscapes today. In this sense, the focus of attention will be placed on the assumption that change is an inherent part of the urban condition, since there is no consensus on what the limits of acceptable change in historic urban landscapes should be. It also emphasizes three factors that make this more difficult: (1) the reminiscences of the doctrines of the Weberian administration in the current models of government; (2) the subjective nature of the systems of indicators applied to the scope of historic cities; and (3) the opportunism of tactical urbanism, which, despite its shortcomings, is becoming an outstanding alternative for the methodological development of the historic urban landscapes.
    Electronic ISSN: 2071-1050
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 75
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 981: Scenario-Based Economic Impact Analysis for Bridge Closures Due to Flooding: A Case Study of North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea Water doi: 10.3390/w10080981 Authors: Byungil Kim Sha Chul Shin Du Yon Kim Flooding has the ability to severely reduce the capacity of a transportation network. The closure of even a single bridge, which often acts as a critical link in transportation networks, can have a severe impact on the entire network. This impact can lead to significant economic costs resulting from increased travel distances for drivers. Despite the significance of these costs, however, notably few studies have been conducted to determine the societal economic cost that would be incurred due to bridge closures. One possible reason for the lack of studies investigating bridge closures due to flooding could stem from the difficultly in collecting data. To address this issue, the methodology presented in this paper uses modeling and data resources that are available for major cities in most developed countries, including those in South Korea. We evaluate the economic impact of the bridge closures using the new administrative capital of North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea as a case study. Scenarios for the closure of bridges are derived from channel surveys and hydraulic analyses. These methods are used to overcome a lack of adequate data on historical floods in the new city. Traffic is forecasted to estimate the number of road users that would be forced to take detours due to inundated bridges. Contrasting travel distances when bridges are and are not operational, economic costs incurred by bridge closures due to flooding are estimated. The results indicated that bridge closures would result in an economic cost of 1563 USD to 44,180 USD per day, depending on how many bridges are closed and how many people are living in the new city. The estimates from this study will act as guidelines for identifying cost-effective mitigation and preparedness strategies aimed at reducing the frequency and impact of bridge closures due to flooding.
    Electronic ISSN: 2073-4441
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 76
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 972: Microbial Function and Hydrochemistry within a Stratified Anchialine Sinkhole: A Window into Coastal Aquifer Interactions Water doi: 10.3390/w10080972 Authors: Madison C. Davis James R. Garey Anchialine sinkholes provide insight into coastal aquifer systems and coastal mixing processes. Aquifer microbial community function is usually inferred from hydrochemical information, but there are few direct studies of microbial communities in the Floridan Aquifer. Hospital Hole is a 43 m-deep stratified sinkhole under the Weeki Wachee River, FL, with three distinct brackish layers: a hypoxic layer, a chemocline and a sulfidic anoxic layer. Illumina sequencing and bioinformatic tools were used to reconstruct metabolic functions and interactions of microbial communities in each layer. Each layer appears to originate from different parts of the coastal mixing zone and has a distinct microbial community with unique functions, which are influenced by the respective hydrochemistry. Sulfide oxidation and nitrate reduction are the most abundant functions. Syntrophy between methane oxidizers, methanogens and sulfate reducers is present. Similarities between the hydrochemistry and potential connectivity of Hospital Hole and the Floridan Aquifer coastal mixing zone suggest that microbial communities of Hospital Hole could be a surrogate for the coastal mixing zone of the aquifer in the absence of direct studies. Understanding how groundwater microbial communities react to saltwater intrusion and nutrient flux will be useful in predicting how coastal aquifer regions might react to anthropogenic change.
    Electronic ISSN: 2073-4441
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 77
    Publication Date: 2018-07-26
    Description: Symmetry, Vol. 10, Pages 299: Game-Theoretic Solutions for Data Offloading in Next Generation Networks Symmetry doi: 10.3390/sym10080299 Authors: Muhammad Asif Shafi Ullah Khan Rashid Ahmad Dhananjay Singh In recent years, global mobile data traffic has seen an unprecedented increase. This is due to worldwide usage of smart devices, availability of fast internet connections, and the popularity of social media. The Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) are, therefore, facing problems in handling this huge traffic flow. Each type of traffic, including real-time video, audio, and text has its own Quality of Services (QoS) requirements which, if not met, may cause a sufficient loss of profit. Offloading of these traffics can be made more efficient so that values of QoS parameters are enhanced. In this work, we propose an incentive-based game-theoretic frame work for downloading data. The download of each type of data will get an incentive determined by the two-stage Stackelberg game. We model the communication among single Mobile Base Station (MBS) and multiple Access Points (APs) in a crowded metropolitan environment. The leader offers an economic incentive based on the traffic type and followers respond to the incentive and offload traffic accordingly. The model optimizes strategies of both the MBS and APs in order to make the best use of their utilities. For the analysis, we have used a combination of analytical and experimental methods. The numerical outcome characterized a direct process of the best possible offloading ratio and legalized the efficiency of the proposed game. Optimal incentives and optimal offloading was the achievement of our proposed game-theoretic approach. We have implemented the model in MATLAB, and the experimental results show a maximum payoff was achieved and the proposed scheme achieved Nash Equilibria.
    Electronic ISSN: 2073-8994
    Topics: Mathematics , Physics
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  • 78
    Publication Date: 2018-07-27
    Description: Diversity, Vol. 10, Pages 74: The Problematic Genus Sclerocardius (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae: Ithyporini) Diversity doi: 10.3390/d10030074 Authors: Christopher H. C. Lyal The genus Sclerocardius is revised, using morphological characters. Four species are recognized, including S. africanus (Boheman), S. bohemani Schoenherr stat.rev., S. indicus Hartmann and S. kuscheli sp.nov. The species Sclerocardius madecassus Ferragu is synonymized with S. bohemani syn.nov., and Charactocnemus hintzi Hartmann is treated as a junior synonym of S. bohemani, not S. africanus. A key to species is given. Lectotypes are designated for Heteramphus africanus Boheman and Sclerocardius africanus Schoenherr. A female elytro-tergal stridulatory system involving the modification of the wing-binding patch of the seventh tergite is reported for the Sclerocardiina for the first time and supports the inclusion of the subtribe within the Ithyporini.
    Electronic ISSN: 1424-2818
    Topics: Biology
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  • 79
    Publication Date: 2018-07-27
    Description: Energies, Vol. 11, Pages 1947: Design, Operation, Modeling and Grid Integration of Power-to-Gas Bioelectrochemical Systems Energies doi: 10.3390/en11081947 Authors: Raúl Santiago Muñoz-Aguilar Daniele Molognoni Pau Bosch-Jimenez Eduard Borràs Mónica Della Pirriera Álvaro Luna This paper deals with the design, operation, modeling, and grid integration of bioelectrochemical systems (BES) for power-to-gas application, through an electromethanogenesis process. The paper objective is to show that BES-based power-to-gas energy storage is feasible on a large scale, showing a first approximation that goes from the BES design and operation to the electrical grid integration. It is the first study attempting to cover all aspects of a BES-based power-to-gas technology, on authors’ knowledge. Designed BES reactors were based on a modular architecture, suitable for a future scaling-up. They were operated in steady state for eight months, and continuously monitored in terms of power consumption, water treatment, and biomethane production, in order to obtain data for the following modeling activity. A black box linear model of the BES was computed by using least-square methods, and validated through comparison with collected experimental data. Afterwards, a BES stack was simulated through several series and parallel connections of reactors, in order to obtain higher power consumption and test the grid integration of a real application system. The renewable energy surplus and energy price variability were evaluated for the grid integration of the BES stack. The BES stack was then simulated as energy storage system during low energy price periods, and tested experimentally with a real time system.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1073
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 80
    Publication Date: 2018-07-27
    Description: Energies, Vol. 11, Pages 1948: The Optimization of Hybrid Power Systems with Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Generation Energies doi: 10.3390/en11081948 Authors: Fu-Cheng Wang Yi-Shao Hsiao Yi-Zhe Yang This paper discusses the optimization of hybrid power systems, which consist of solar cells, wind turbines, fuel cells, hydrogen electrolysis, chemical hydrogen generation, and batteries. Because hybrid power systems have multiple energy sources and utilize different types of storage, we first developed a general hybrid power model using the Matlab/SimPowerSystemTM, and then tuned model parameters based on the experimental results. This model was subsequently applied to predict the responses of four different hybrid power systems for three typical loads, without conducting individual experiments. Furthermore, cost and reliability indexes were defined to evaluate system performance and to derive optimal system layouts. Finally, the impacts of hydrogen costs on system optimization was discussed. In the future, the developed method could be applied to design customized hybrid power systems.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1073
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 81
    Publication Date: 2018-07-27
    Description: Energies, Vol. 11, Pages 1946: A Novel Multi-Population Based Chaotic JAYA Algorithm with Application in Solving Economic Load Dispatch Problems Energies doi: 10.3390/en11081946 Authors: Jiangtao Yu Chang-Hwan Kim Abdul Wadood Tahir Khurshiad Sang-Bong Rhee The economic load dispatch (ELD) problem is an optimization problem of minimizing the total fuel cost of generators while satisfying power balance constraints, operating capacity limits, ramp-rate limits and prohibited operating zones. In this paper, a novel multi-population based chaotic JAYA algorithm (MP-CJAYA) is proposed to solve the ELD problem by applying the multi-population method (MP) and chaotic optimization algorithm (COA) on the original JAYA algorithm to guarantee the best solution of the problem. MP-CJAYA is a modified version where the total population is divided into a certain number of sub-populations to control the exploration and exploitation rates, at the same time a chaos perturbation is implemented on each sub-population during every iteration to keep on searching for the global optima. The proposed MP-CJAYA has been adopted to ELD cases and the results obtained have been compared with other well-known algorithms reported in the literature. The comparisons have indicated that MP-CJAYA outperforms all the other algorithms, achieving the best performance in all the cases, which indicates that MP-CJAYA is a promising alternative approach for solving ELD problems.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1073
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 82
    Publication Date: 2018-07-27
    Description: Energies, Vol. 11, Pages 1944: Prediction of Mud Pressures for the Stability of Wellbores Drilled in Transversely Isotropic Rocks Energies doi: 10.3390/en11081944 Authors: Chiara Deangeli Omoruyi Omoman Omwanghe Serious borehole instability problems are often related to the presence of weakness planes in rock formations. In this study, we investigated the stability of wellbores drilled along a principal direction and parallel to the weakness planes. We used three different strength criteria (weakness plane model, Hoek and Brown and Nova and Zaninetti) to calculate the mud pressures to avoid slip and tensile failure along the weakness planes. We identified the orientation of the weakness planes that generate the most critical slip condition as a function of the friction angle of the planes. We also identified the range of orientations of the weakness planes that corresponds with the lower mud pressure window. We confirmed the validity of the proposed relationships with comparative stability analyses by using analytical solutions and numerical simulations (Ubiquitous Joint Model, FLAC). We found that the mud pressures calculated with the Hoek and Brown criterion show a particular trend, which cannot be predicted by the weakness plane model. We provided two normalized stability charts to predict mud pressures to prevent slip along the weakness planes in the critical slip condition. Finally, we corroborated our findings by simulating the stability of wellbores drilled in the Pedernales Field (Venezuela) and in oil fields located in Bohai Bay (China).
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1073
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 83
    Publication Date: 2018-07-27
    Description: Energies, Vol. 11, Pages 1945: Baltic Power Systems’ Integration into the EU Market Coupling under Different Desynchronization Schemes: A Comparative Market Analysis Energies doi: 10.3390/en11081945 Authors: Ettore Bompard Shaghayegh Zalzar Tao Huang Arturs Purvins Marcelo Masera Currently, the power transmission system of the Baltic states is synchronized with the Integrated/Unified Power System (IPS/UPS), which includes the Russian grid, and the IPS/UPS provides frequency regulation and system security within the Baltic states. Since joining the European Union (EU) in 2004, the Baltic states have been following the EU’s energy policy targets. The Baltics are presently participating in a European electricity market, i.e., the NordPool market, while they are expected to join the pan-European electricity market—the European target model for power market integration. Moreover, from a power grid perspective, EU energy policies intend to desynchronize the power grid of the Baltic states from the IPS/UPS over the coming years. This paper evaluates these policy trends through market impacts, and it complements existing studies on Baltic-IPS/UPS desynchronization in terms of wholesale electricity prices, generation surpluses, primary reserve adequacy, and redispatch costs. Participation of the Baltic states in the integrated pan-European day-ahead electricity market with zonal pricing was modeled for 2030, followed by a national redispatch, with detailed power grid modeling of Baltic states to solve potential intrazonal congestion. The simulation results imply the superiority of the Baltics’ synchronization to continental Europe, compared to the other schemes.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1073
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 84
    Publication Date: 2018-07-27
    Description: Energies, Vol. 11, Pages 1941: Assessment of Energetic, Economic and Environmental Performance of Ground-Coupled Heat Pumps Energies doi: 10.3390/en11081941 Authors: Matteo Rivoire Alessandro Casasso Bruno Piga Rajandrea Sethi Ground-coupled heat pumps (GCHPs) have a great potential for reducing the cost and climate change impact of building heating, cooling, and domestic hot water (DHW). The high installation cost is a major barrier to their diffusion but, under certain conditions (climate, building use, alternative fuels, etc.), the investment can be profitable in the long term. We present a comprehensive modeling study on GCHPs, performed with the dynamic energy simulation software TRNSYS, reproducing the operating conditions of three building types (residential, office, and hotel), with two insulation levels of the building envelope (poor/good), with the climate conditions of six European cities. Simulation results highlight the driving variables for heating/cooling peak loads and yearly demand, which are the input to assess economic performance and environmental benefits of GCHPs. We found that, in Italy, GCHPs are able to reduce CO2 emissions up to 216 g CO2/year per euro spent. However, payback times are still quite high, i.e., from 8 to 20 years. This performance can be improved by changing taxation on gas and electricity and using hybrid systems, adding a fossil-fuel boiler to cover peak heating loads, thus reducing the overall installation cost compared to full-load sized GCHP systems.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1073
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 85
    Publication Date: 2018-07-27
    Description: Energies, Vol. 11, Pages 1940: The Selection of Wind Power Project Location in the Southeastern Corridor of Pakistan: A Factor Analysis, AHP, and Fuzzy-TOPSIS Application Energies doi: 10.3390/en11081940 Authors: Yasir Ahmed Solangi Qingmei Tan Muhammad Waris Ali Khan Nayyar Hussain Mirjat Ifzal Ahmed Pakistan has sufficient wind energy potential across various locations of the country. However, so far, wind energy development has not attained sufficient momentum matching its potential. Amongst various other challenges, the site selection for wind power development has always been a primary concern of the decision-makers. Principally, wind project site selection decisions are driven by various multifaceted criteria. As such, in this study, a robust research framework comprising of factor analysis (FA) of techno-economic and socio-political factors, and a hybrid analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (FTOPSIS) have been used for the prioritization of sites in the southeastern region of Pakistan. The results of this study reveal economic and land acquisition as the most significant criteria and sub-criteria, respectively. From the eight different sites considered, Jamshoro has been prioritized as the most suitable location for wind project development followed by Hyderabad, Nooriabad, Gharo, Keti Bandar, Shahbandar, Sajawal, and Talhar. This study provides a comprehensive decision support framework comprising of FA and a hybrid AHP and Fuzzy TOPSIS for the systematic analysis to prioritize suitable sites for the wind project development in Pakistan.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1073
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 86
    Publication Date: 2018-07-27
    Description: Entropy, Vol. 20, Pages 555: Quantum Games with Unawareness Entropy doi: 10.3390/e20080555 Authors: Piotr Frąckiewicz Games with unawareness model strategic situations in which players’ perceptions about the game are limited. They take into account the fact that the players may be unaware of some of the strategies available to them or their opponents as well as the players may have a restricted view about the number of players participating in the game. The aim of the paper is to introduce this notion into theory of quantum games. We focus on games in strategic form and Eisert–Wilkens–Lewenstein type quantum games. It is shown that limiting a player’s perception in the game enriches the structure of the quantum game substantially and allows the players to obtain results that are unattainable when the game is played in a quantum way by means of previously used methods.
    Electronic ISSN: 1099-4300
    Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Physics
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  • 87
    Publication Date: 2018-07-27
    Description: Energies, Vol. 11, Pages 1943: Impacts of Low-Carbon Fuel Standards in Transportation on the Electricity Market Energies doi: 10.3390/en11081943 Authors: Ahmad Karnama João Abel Peças Lopes Mauro Augusto da Rosa Electric Vehicles (EVs) are increasing the interdependence of transportation policies and the electricity market dimension. In this paper, an Electricity Market Model with Electric Vehicles (EMMEV) was developed, exploiting an agent-based model that analyzes how carbon reduction policy in transportation may increase the number of Electric Vehicles and how that would influence electricity price. Agents are Energy Service Providers (ESCOs) which can distribute fuels and their objective is to maximize their profit. In this paper, the EMMEV is used to analyze the impacts of the Low-Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), a performance-based policy instrument, on electricity prices and EV sales volume. The agents in EMMEV are regulated parties in LCFS should meet a certain Carbon Intensity (CI) target for their distributed fuel. In case they cannot meet the target, they should buy credits to compensate for their shortfall and if they exceed it, they can sell their excess. The results, considering the assumptions and limitations of the model, show that the banking strategy of the agents contributing in the LCFS might have negative impact on penetration of EVs, unless there is a regular Credit Clearance to trade credits. It is also shown that the electricity price, as a result of implementing the LCFS and increasing number of EVs, has increased between 2% and 3% depending on banking strategy.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1073
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
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  • 88
    Publication Date: 2018-07-27
    Description: Geosciences, Vol. 8, Pages 274: Cryomorphological Topographies in the Study of Ice Caves Geosciences doi: 10.3390/geosciences8080274 Authors: Manuel Gómez-Lende Manuel Sánchez-Fernández The current interest in ice caves requires that their varied manifestations be known as accurately as possible in view of their responses to a global change and also to their great potential as paleoenvironmental witnesses. This phenomenon has been known about for a long time but is still scarcely studied from the point of view of its cryological values and the evolution and distribution of many of their morphologies. For this, the development of cryomorphological topographies from traditional techniques to geodetic surveys with different tools, including terrestrial laser scanning, is one of the most current ways to characterize and quantify this type of cryospheric phenomena. It represents a new kind of periglacial cartography whose use is feasible in spite of the difficulties these environments present.
    Electronic ISSN: 2076-3263
    Topics: Geosciences
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  • 89
    Publication Date: 2018-07-27
    Description: Geosciences, Vol. 8, Pages 272: Towards National Archaeological Mapping. Assessing Source Data and Methodology—A Case Study from Scotland Geosciences doi: 10.3390/geosciences8080272 Authors: Łukasz Banaszek Dave C. Cowley Mike Middleton While the National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) in Scotland contains valuable information on more than 170,000 archaeological monuments, it is clear that this dataset is conditioned by the disposition of past survey and changing parameters of data collection strategies over many decades. This highlights the importance of creating systematic datasets, in which the standards to which they were created are explicit, and against which the reliability of our knowledge of the material remains of the past can be assessed. This paper describes issues of data structure and reliability, then discussing the methodologies under development for expediting the progress of national-scale mapping with specific reference to the Isle of Arran. Preliminary outcomes of a recent archaeological mapping project of the island, which has been used to develop protocols for rapid large area mapping, are outlined. The primary sources for the survey were airborne laser scanning derivatives and orthophotographs, supplemented by field observation, and the project has more than doubled the number of known monuments of Arran. The survey procedures are described, followed by a discussion of the utility of ‘general purpose’ remote sensed datasets, focusing on the assessment of strengths and weaknesses for rapid mapping of large areas.
    Electronic ISSN: 2076-3263
    Topics: Geosciences
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  • 90
    Publication Date: 2018-07-27
    Description: Geosciences, Vol. 8, Pages 273: The Caribbean’s Geotourism Potential and Challenges: A Focus on Two Islands in the Region Geosciences doi: 10.3390/geosciences8080273 Authors: Colmore S. Christian Geotourism is a relatively new concept in the tourism industry, a concept which apparently has not yet been formally embraced by Caribbean destinations. This paper, based primarily on a literature review supplemented by the first-hand knowledge of the author, who served for over a decade in the natural resource management and tourism sectors in the region, identifies some of the geotourism assets and assesses the geotourism potential of two selected Caribbean islands, namely the Commonwealth of Dominica and St. Lucia. Indications are that the islands of the region have outstanding geological formations, dormant and active volcanic zones and associated geomorphological features, and breath-taking terrestrial and marine landscapes, including deep river gorges and tall mountains, and beautiful beaches, which together constitute important geotourism assets. Currently, these resources are marketed and promoted as part of the region’s nature tourism attractions. The feasibility of incorporating geotourism as a component of this overall nature tourism thrust is explored in this paper. As a follow-up to this study a survey of tourism officials, natural resource professionals, and selected scientists of the region is proposed for the purpose of identifying the reasons and constraints preventing the Caribbean region from formally embracing geotourism, developing and promoting the geotourism resources of the region as a unique component of the overall tourism product.
    Electronic ISSN: 2076-3263
    Topics: Geosciences
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  • 91
    Publication Date: 2018-07-27
    Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1590: Research Trends and Hotspots Analysis Related to the Effects of Xenobiotics on Glucose Metabolism in Male Testes International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081590 Authors: Yongsheng Fan Guangxia Yu Jun Yu Jiantao Sun Yu Wu Xue Zhao Yu Meng Zhangdong He Chunhong Wang This study aimed to integrate and analyze the existing studies and to explore research trends and hotspots related to the effects of xenobiotics on glucose metabolism in male testes. All articles were retrieved from the PubMed database, from an inception date up to 10 June 2017. CiteSpace software (version 5.1.R8 SE) was used for the co-word cluster analysis. A total of 165 eligible publications were included in this study. In 1949–1959, only two articles were published. After 1960, the number of articles increased steadily. These articles were published in 97 journals, in particular, in the Indian Journal of Experimental Biology (11 articles, 6.7%). Most of the authors (87.0%) only published one article. Only a few established research teams, mostly from the USA, worked consistently in this field. The main xenobiotics that had been studied were medicine and common environmental pollutants, e.g., gossypol, cadmium, di-n-butyl phthalate, and alpha-chlorohydrin. The hotspot keywords were Sertoli cell, lactate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, oxidative stress, and glucose metabolism. The focus of research had been changed overtime. This is the first bibliometric study between xenobiotics and glucose metabolism in the male testes. The findings suggest that environmental pollutants have become a huge concern, and related research should be strengthened.
    Print ISSN: 1661-7827
    Electronic ISSN: 1660-4601
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Medicine
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  • 92
    Publication Date: 2018-07-27
    Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1589: Estimation of Dietary Intake of Radionuclides and Effectiveness of Regulation after the Fukushima Accident and in Virtual Nuclear Power Plant Accident Scenarios International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081589 Authors: Michio Murakami Takao Nirasawa Takao Yoshikane Keisuke Sueki Kimikazu Sasa Kei Yoshimura Evaluation of radiation exposure from diet is necessary under the assumption of a virtual accident as a part of emergency preparedness. Here, we developed a model with complete consideration of the regional food trade using deposition data simulated by a transport model, and estimated the dietary intake of radionuclides and the effectiveness of regulation (e.g., restrictions on the distribution of foods) after the Fukushima accident and in virtual accident scenarios. We also evaluated the dilution factors (i.e., ratios of contaminated foods to consumed foods) and cost-effectiveness of regulation as basic information for setting regulatory values. The doses estimated under actual emission conditions were generally consistent with those observed in food-duplicate and market-basket surveys within a factor of three. Regulation of restricted food distribution resulted in reductions in the doses of 54–65% in the nearest large city to the nuclear power plant. The dilution factors under actual emission conditions were 4.4% for radioiodine and 2.7% for radiocesium, which are ~20 times lower than those used in the Japanese provisional regulation values after the Fukushima accident. Strict regulation worsened the cost-effectiveness for both radionuclides. This study highlights the significance and utility of the developed model for a risk analysis of emergency preparedness and regulation.
    Print ISSN: 1661-7827
    Electronic ISSN: 1660-4601
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Medicine
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  • 93
    Publication Date: 2018-07-27
    Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1587: Dental Scaling Decreases the Risk of Parkinson’s Disease: A Nationwide Population-Based Nested Case-Control Study International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081587 Authors: Chang-Kai Chen Jing-Yang Huang Yung-Tsan Wu Yu-Chao Chang The protective effect of dental scaling in Parkinson’s disease (PD) remains inconclusive. The aim of this study was to analyze the association between dental scaling and the development of PD. A retrospective nested case-control study was performed using the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. The authors identified 4765 patients with newly diagnosed PD from 2005 to 2013 and 19,060 individuals without PD by matching sex, age, and index year. In subgroup 1, with individuals aged 40–69 years, individuals without periodontal inflammatory disease (PID) showed a protective effect of dental scaling against PD development, especially for dental scaling over five consecutive years (adjusted odds ratio = 0.204, 95% CI = 0.047–0.886, p = 0.0399). In general, the protective effect of dental scaling showed greater benefit for individuals with PID than for those without PID, regardless of whether dental scaling was performed for five consecutive years. In subgroup 2, with patients aged ≥70 years, the discontinued (not five consecutive years) scaling showed increased risk of PD. This was the first study to show that patients without PID who underwent dental scaling over five consecutive years had a significantly lower risk of developing PD. These findings emphasize the value of early and consecutive dental scaling to prevent the development of PD.
    Print ISSN: 1661-7827
    Electronic ISSN: 1660-4601
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Medicine
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  • 94
    Publication Date: 2018-07-27
    Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1586: What Are the Net Benefits of Reducing the Ozone Standard to 65 ppb? An Alternative Analysis International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081586 Authors: Sabine S. Lange Sean E. Mulholland Michael E. Honeycutt In October 2015, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lowered the level of the ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) from 0.075 ppm to 0.070 ppm (annual 4th highest daily maximum 8-h concentration, averaged over three years). The EPA estimated a 2025 annual national non-California net benefit of $1.5 to $4.5 billion (2011$, 7% discount rate) for a 0.070 ppm standard, and a −$1.0 to $14 billion net benefit for an alternative 0.065 ppm standard. The purpose of this work is to present a combined toxicological and economic assessment of the EPA’s benefit-cost analysis of the 2015 ozone NAAQS. Assessing the quality of the epidemiology studies based on considerations of bias, confounding, chance, integration of evidence, and application of the studies for future population risk estimates, we derived several alternative benefits estimates. We also considered the strengths and weaknesses of the EPA’s cost estimates (e.g., marginal abatement costs), as well as estimates completed by other authors, and provided our own alternative cost estimate. Based on our alternative benefits and cost calculations, we estimated an alternative net benefit of between −$0.3 and $1.8 billion for a 0.070 ppm standard (2011 $, 7% discount rate) and between −$23 and −$17 billion for a 0.065 ppm standard. This work demonstrates that alternative reasonable assumptions can generate very difference cost and benefits estimates that may impact how policy makers view the outcomes of a major rule.
    Print ISSN: 1661-7827
    Electronic ISSN: 1660-4601
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Medicine
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  • 95
    Publication Date: 2018-07-27
    Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1583: A Systematic Review of Sexual and Reproductive Health Knowledge, Experiences and Access to Services among Refugee, Migrant and Displaced Girls and Young Women in Africa International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081583 Authors: Olena Ivanova Masna Rai Elizabeth Kemigisha Adolescent girls and young women are an overlooked group within conflict- or disaster-affected populations, and their sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs are often neglected. Existing evidence shows that forced migration and human mobility make girls and women more vulnerable to poor SRH outcomes such as high risk sexual behaviors, lack of contraception use, STIs and HIV/AIDS. We performed a systematic literature review to explore knowledge, experiences and access to SRH services in this population group across the African continent. Two databases (PubMed and Web of Science) were searched and from 896 identified publications, 15 peer-reviewed articles published in English met the inclusion criteria for this review. These consisted of eight applied qualitative, five quantitative and two mixed-method study designs. The quality of the studies was evaluated by the mixed-methods appraisal tool (MMAT) using scores in percentages (0–100%). Available evidence indicates that knowledge of young women and girls regarding contraceptive methods, STIs and HIV/AIDS are limited. This population group often experiences gender-based and sexual violence and abuse. The access and availability of SRH services are often limited due to distances, costs and stigma. This review demonstrates that there is still a dearth of peer-reviewed literature on SRH related aspects among refugee, migrant and displaced girls and young women in Africa. The data disaggregation by sex and age should be emphasized for future research in this field.
    Print ISSN: 1661-7827
    Electronic ISSN: 1660-4601
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Medicine
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  • 96
    Publication Date: 2018-07-27
    Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1294: High Capacity and High Efficiency Maple Tree-Biomass-Derived Hard Carbon as an Anode Material for Sodium-Ion Batteries Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081294 Authors: Yuesheng Wang Zimin Feng Wen Zhu Vincent Gariépy Catherine Gagnon Manon Provencher Dharminder Laul René Veillette Michel L. Trudeau Abdelbast Guerfi Karim Zaghib Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are in the spotlight because of their potential use in large-scale energy storage devices due to the abundance and low cost of sodium-based materials. There are many SIB cathode materials under investigation but only a few candidate materials such as carbon, oxides and alloys were proposed as anodes. Among these anode materials, hard carbon shows promising performances with low operating potential and relatively high specific capacity. Unfortunately, its low initial coulombic efficiency and high cost limit its commercial applications. In this study, low-cost maple tree-biomass-derived hard carbon is tested as the anode for sodium-ion batteries. The capacity of hard carbon prepared at 1400 °C (HC-1400) reaches 337 mAh/g at 0.1 C. The initial coulombic efficiency is up to 88.03% in Sodium trifluoromethanesulfonimide (NaTFSI)/Ethylene carbonate (EC): Diethyl carbonate (DEC) electrolyte. The capacity was maintained at 92.3% after 100 cycles at 0.5 C rates. The in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that no peak shift occurred during charge/discharge, supporting a finding of no sodium ion intercalates in the nano-graphite layer. Its low cost, high capacity and high coulombic efficiency indicate that hard carbon is a promising anode material for sodium-ion batteries.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1944
    Topics: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
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  • 97
    Publication Date: 2018-07-27
    Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1291: Synthesis and Plasmonic Chiroptical Studies of Sodium Deoxycholate Modified Silver Nanoparticles Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081291 Authors: Jing Wang Kai-Xuan Fei Xin Yang Shuai-Shuai Zhang Yin-Xian Peng Sodium deoxycholate modified silver nanoparticles prepared in the presence of sodium deoxycholate as a chiral inducer exhibit plasmonic circular dichroism (CD) signals. The plasmon-induced chirality arises from the presence of chiral molecules (sodium deoxycholate) on the surface of Ag nanoparticles, which transfer their chiral properties to the visible wavelength range due to the Coulomb interactions between the chiral molecules and plasmonic nanoparticles. The prepared Ag nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit distinct line shapes of plasmonic CD, which can be tailored by varying the pH values of the solutions. A mechanism was proposed to explain the generation of the distinct plasmonic CD shapes, which indicated that the arrangements of chiral molecules in the plasmonic hot spots between Ag NPs are crucial for the induced plasmonic CD.
    Electronic ISSN: 1996-1944
    Topics: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
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  • 98
    Publication Date: 2018-07-27
    Description: Minerals, Vol. 8, Pages 315: Biomineral Reactivity: The Kinetics of the Replacement Reaction of Biological Aragonite to Apatite Minerals doi: 10.3390/min8080315 Authors: Martina Greiner Lurdes Férnandez-Díaz Erika Griesshaber Moritz N. Zenkert Xiaofei Yin Andreas Ziegler Sabino Veintemillas-Verdaguer Wolfgang W. Schmahl We present results of bioaragonite to apatite conversion in bivalve, coral and cuttlebone skeletons, biological hard materials distinguished by specific microstructures, skeletal densities, original porosities and biopolymer contents. The most profound conversion occurs in the cuttlebone of the cephalopod Sepia officinalis, the least effect is observed for the nacreous shell portion of the bivalve Hyriopsis cumingii. The shell of the bivalve Arctica islandica consists of cross-lamellar aragonite, is dense at its innermost and porous at the seaward pointing shell layers. Increased porosity facilitates infiltration of the reaction fluid and renders large surface areas for the dissolution of aragonite and conversion to apatite. Skeletal microstructures of the coral Porites sp. and prismatic H. cumingii allow considerable conversion to apatite. Even though the surface area in Porites sp. is significantly larger in comparison to that of prismatic H. cumingii, the coral skeleton consists of clusters of dense, acicular aragonite. Conversion in the latter is sluggish at first as most apatite precipitates only onto its surface area. However, the process is accelerated when, in addition, fluids enter the hard tissue at centers of calcification. The prismatic shell portion of H. cumingii is readily transformed to apatite as we find here an increased porosity between prisms as well as within the membranes encasing the prisms. In conclusion, we observe distinct differences in bioaragonite to apatite conversion rates and kinetics depending on the feasibility of the reaction fluid to access aragonite crystallites. The latter is dependent on the content of biopolymers within the hard tissue, their feasibility to be decomposed, the extent of newly formed mineral surface area and the specific biogenic ultra- and microstructures.
    Electronic ISSN: 2075-163X
    Topics: Geosciences
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  • 99
    Publication Date: 2018-07-27
    Description: Minerals, Vol. 8, Pages 318: Mapping Surface Quartz Content in Sand Dunes Covered by Biological Soil Crusts Using Airborne Hyperspectral Images in the Longwave Infrared Region Minerals doi: 10.3390/min8080318 Authors: Shahar Weksler Offer Rozenstein Eyal Ben-Dor Biological soil crusts (BSCs), composed of cyanobacteria, algae, mosses, lichens, and fungi, are important ecosystem engineers that stabilize the quartz-rich dunes in the Nitzana study area near the Israel–Egypt border. The longwave infrared (LWIR) region of the electromagnetic spectrum is very useful for quartz identification since quartz reflectance in the visible, near infrared, and shortwave infrared (VIS-NIR-SWIR, 0.4–2.5 µm) spectral regions lacks identifying features, whereas in the LWIR region, the quartz emissivity spectrum presents a strong doublet feature. This emissivity feature can be used as a diagnostic tool for BSCs development in desert environments, because BSCs attenuate the quartz feature as a function of their successional development. A pair of day and night airborne hyperspectral images were acquired using the Specim AisaOWL LWIR sensor (7.7–12 µm) and processed using an innovative algorithm to reduce the atmospheric interference in this spectral domain. The resulting day and night apparent emissivity products were used to produce a surface quartz content map of the study area. The significant reduction in atmospheric interference resulted in a high correlation (R2 = 0.88) between quartz content in field samples determined by X-ray powder diffraction analysis and emissivity estimations from the airborne images. This, in turn, served as the ground truth to our quartz content map of the surface, and by proxy to the BSC.
    Electronic ISSN: 2075-163X
    Topics: Geosciences
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    Publication Date: 2018-07-27
    Description: Minerals, Vol. 8, Pages 313: Reverse Flotation Separation of Fluorite from Calcite: A Novel Reagent Scheme Minerals doi: 10.3390/min8080313 Authors: Jianjun Wang Zihan Zhou Yuesheng Gao Wei Sun Yuehua Hu Zhiyong Gao Fluorite (CaF2), as an important strategic mineral source, is usually separated from calcite by the common froth flotation method, but this separation is still not selective enough. The development of a selective collector and/or depressant is the key to achieving high selective separation. 1-Hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP or H4L) is widely used as an environmentally friendly water treatment reagent due to its low cost and excellent anti-scaling performance in an aqueous solution. In this study, a novel reagent scheme was developed using HEDP as a fluorite depressant and sodium oleate (NaOL) as a calcite collector for the first time. When 3 × 10−5 mol/L of HEDP and 6 × 10−5 mol/L of NaOL were used at pH 6, the optimal selective separation for single minerals and mixed binary minerals was obtained. Zeta potential measurements indicated that HEDP possessed a stronger adsorption on fluorite than calcite, while NaOL did the opposite. This novel reagent scheme is of low cost, uses a small dosage, and is friendly to the environment, which makes it a promising reagent scheme for fluorite flotation in industrial application.
    Electronic ISSN: 2075-163X
    Topics: Geosciences
    Published by MDPI Publishing
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