bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Real-Time Decision Making in First Mile and Last Mile Logistics: How Smart Scheduling Affects Energy Efficiency of Hyperconnected Supply Chain Solutions
Authors: Bányai Tamás
Published: July 2018

Energy efficiency and environmental issues have been largely neglected in logistics. In a traditional supply chain, the objective of improving energy efficiency is targeted at the level of single parts of the value making chain. Industry 4.0 technologies make it possible to build hyperconnected logistic solutions, where the objective of decreasing energy consumption and economic footprint is targeted at the global level. The problems of energy efficiency are especially relevant in first mile and last mile delivery logistics, where deliveries are composed of individual orders and each order must be picked up and delivered at different locations. Within the frame of this paper, the author describes a real-time scheduling optimization model focusing on energy efficiency of the operation. After a systematic literature review, this paper introduces a mathematical model of last mile delivery problems including scheduling and assignment problems. The objective of the model is to determine the optimal assignment and scheduling for each order so as to minimize energy consumption, which allows to improve energy efficiency. Next, a black hole optimization-based heuristic is described, whose performance is validated with different benchmark functions. The scenario analysis validates the model and evaluates its performance to increase energy efficiency in last mile logistics.
A Novel Hierarchical Control Strategy for Low-Voltage Islanded Microgrids Based on the Concept of Cyber Physical System
Authors: Yang Qiuxia , Yuan Dongmei , Guo Xiaoqiang , Zhang Bo , Zhi Cheng
Published: July 2018

Based on the concept of cyber physical system (CPS), a novel hierarchical control strategy for islanded microgrids is proposed in this paper. The control structure consists of physical and cyber layers. It’s used to improve the control effect on the output voltages and frequency by droop control of distributed energy resources (DERs), share the reactive power among DERs more reasonably and solve the problem of circumfluence in microgrids. The specific designs are as follows: to improve the control effect on voltages and frequency of DERs, an event-trigger mechanism is designed in the physical layer. When the trigger conditions in the mechanism aren’t met, only the droop control (i.e., primary control) is used in the controlled system. Otherwise, a virtual leader-following consensus control method is used in the cyber layer to accomplish the secondary control on DERs; to share the reactive power reasonably, a method of double virtual impedance is designed in the physical layer to adjust the output reactive power of DERs; to suppress circumfluence, a method combined with consensus control without leader and sliding mode control (SMC) is used in the cyber layer. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed hierarchical control strategy is confirmed by simulation results.
Combined Effects of Trace Metals and Light on Photosynthetic Microorganisms in Aquatic Environment
Authors: Cheloni Giulia , Slaveykova Vera I.
Published: July 2018

In the present review, we critically examine the state-of-the-art of the research on combined effects of trace metals and light on photosynthetic microorganisms in aquatic environment. Light of different intensity and spectral composition affects the interactions between trace metals and photosynthetic microorganisms directly, by affecting vital cellular functions and metal toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics, and indirectly, by changing ambient medium characteristics. Light radiation and in particular, the ultraviolet radiation component (UVR) alters the structure and reactivity of dissolved organic matter in natural water, which in most of the cases decreases its metal binding capacity and enhances metal bioavailability. The increase of cellular metal concentrations is generally associated with increasing light intensity, however further studies are necessary to better understand the underlying mechanisms. Studies on the combined exposures of photosynthetic microorganisms to metals and UVR reveal antagonistic, additive or synergistic interactions depending on light intensity, spectral composition or light pre-exposure history. Among the light spectrum components, most of the research was performed with UVR, while the knowledge on the role of high-intensity visible light and environmentally relevant solar light radiation is still limited. The extent of combined effects also depends on the exposure sequence and duration, as well as the species-specific sensitivity of the tested microorganisms and the activation of stress defense responses.
Exploring the Impact of Analysis Scale on Landslide Susceptibility Modeling: Empirical Assessment in Northern Peloponnese, Greece
Authors: Polykretis Christos , Faka Antigoni , Chalkias Christos
Published: July 2018

The main purpose of this study is to explore the impact of analysis scale on the performance of a quantitative model for landslide susceptibility assessment through empirical analyses in the northern Peloponnese, Greece. A multivariate statistical model like logistic regression (LR) was applied at two different scales (a regional and a more detailed scale). Due to this scale difference, the implementation of the model was based on two landslide inventories representing in a different way the landslide occurrence (as point and polygon features), and two datasets of similar geo-environmental factors characterized by a different size of grid cells (90 m and 20 m). Model performance was tested by a standard validation method like receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis. The validation results in terms of accuracy (about 76%) and prediction ability (Area under the Curve (AUC) = 0.84) of the model revealed that the more detailed scale analysis is more appropriate for landslide susceptibility assessment and mapping in the catchment under investigation than the regional scale analysis.
Effect of C/N Ratio on the Removal of Nitrogen and Microbial Characteristics in the Water Saturated Denitrifying Section of a Two-Stage Constructed Rapid Infiltration System
Authors: Fang Qinglin , Xu Wenlai , Xia Gonghan , Pan Zhicheng
Published: July 2018

The aim of this study was to improve the removal of nitrogen pollutants from artificial sewage by a modeled two-stage constructed rapid infiltration (CRI) system. The C/N ratio of the second stage influent was elevated by addition of glucose. When the C/N ratio was increased to 5, the mean removal efficiency of total nitrogen (TN) reached up to 75.4%. Under this condition, the number of denitrifying bacteria in the permanently submerged denitrifying section (the second stage) was 22 times higher than that in the control experiment without added glucose. Elevation of the C/N ratio resulted in lower concentrations of nitrate and TN in the second stage effluent, without impairment of chemical oxygen demand removal. The concentration of nitrate and TN in effluent decreased as the abundance of denitrifying bacteria increased. Moreover, the bacterial biofilms that had formed in the sand of the second stage container were analyzed. The secretion of extracellular polymeric substances, a major constituent of biofilms, was enhanced as a result of the elevated C/N ratio, which lead to the improved protection of the bacteria and enhanced the removal of pollutants.
Health Effects of Air Pollution in China
Authors: Liu Wenling , Xu Ziping , Yang Tianan
Published: July 2018

Background Rapid economic and social development in China has resulted in severe air pollution and consequent adverse impacts on society. The health effects of air pollution have been widely studied. Methods Using information from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) database, we established a hierarchical linear model combining pollution and socioeconomic and psychosocial variables to examine the effects of air pollution on public health in China. Local air pollution was characterized in multiple dimensions. Results The relationship of health to its determinants greatly differed between Eastern and Central/Western China. Higher education, higher income level, better life satisfaction, and long-term marriage were significantly associated with better health status among Chinese. In addition, regional healthcare resources were positively associated with the health of residents. As indicated by the hierarchical model with health as dependent variable, in Central/Western China, longest duration of good air quality in spring/summer was positively associated with health (estimated coefficient = 0.067, standard error = 0.026), while the mean Air Quality Index (AQI) in autumn/winter was inversely associated with health (estimated coefficient = −0.082, standard error = 0.031). Good air quality in the current study is defined as daily average AQI less than 35. Conclusions Duration (in days) of acceptable air quality was particularly important for improving public health. Future policies should target increased duration of good air quality while managing air pollution by controlling or decreasing severe air pollution.
Improvement of Eco-Efficiency in China: A Comparison of Mandatory and Hybrid Environmental Policy Instruments
Authors: Liang Zifeng , Zhang Manli , Mao Qingduo , Yu Bingxin , Ma Ben
Published: July 2018

China’s environmental problems have long been criticized. The Communist Party of China (CPC) and the government have increasingly paid attention to developing environmental protection and included the construction of an ecological civilization in the “Five-in-One” development strategy. The improvement of regional eco-efficiency is an important way to realize the coordinated development of the entire society, and environmental policy instruments are a powerful means to enhance regional eco-efficiency. This paper categorizes environmental policy instruments into mandatory, hybrid, and voluntary types. Based on panel data from 31 provinces in China from 2005 to 2015, the paper discusses the impact of environmental policy instruments on regional eco-efficiency and the means of the impact. The research shows that (1) mandatory and hybrid environmental policy instruments play a significant role in promoting regional eco-efficiency, while the role of voluntary instruments is not significant in promoting regional eco-efficiency; (2) hybrid and mandatory environmental policy instruments have negative interactions; and (3) the level of economic development will positively affect the role of hybrid environmental policy instruments in promoting regional eco-efficiency but negatively affect the role of mandatory instruments in promoting regional efficiency.
The Effects of Hydration Status on Cognitive Performances among Young Adults in Hebei, China: A Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
Authors: Zhang Jianfen , Zhang Na , Du Songming , He Hairong , Xu Yifan , Cai Hao , Guo Xiaohui , Ma Guansheng
Published: July 2018

Background: Dehydration may affect cognitive performances as water accounts for 75% of brain mass. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of dehydration and water supplementation on cognitive performances, and to explore the changes of brain structures and functions using MRI. Methods and Analysis: A double-blinded randomized controlled trial has been designed and will be implemented among 64 college students aged 18–23 years from Baoding, China. Subjects will be asked to restrict water for 36 h. The first morning urine will be collected and urine osmolality measured. The fasting blood samples will be collected and osmolality and copeptin will be measured. Three MRI sequences, including fMRI, ASL and 3D BRAVO will be taken to observe the changes of whole brain volume, ventricular volume, BOLD response and the cortex thickness. Cognitive performances and mood will be performed with software and questionnaires, respectively. Subjects in the water supplementation groups 1, 2, 3 will drink 200, 500 and 1000 mL of water, respectively, while subjects in the no water supplementation group will not drink any water. After 90 min, urine and blood samples, MRI scans, cognitive performances and mood will be performed. One-way ANOVA will be used to study the differences among groups. Ethics and Dissemination: The study protocol has been approved by the Peking University Institutional Review Committee. Ethical approval project identification code is IRB00001052-16071. Results will be published according to the CONSORT statement and will be reported in peer-reviewed journals.
Design and Implementation of a 4D Web Application for Analytical Visualization of Smart City Applications
Authors: Murshed Syed Monjur , Al-Hyari Ayah Mohammad , Wendel Jochen , Ansart Louise
Published: July 2018

Contemporary development of computer hardware and software, WebGIS and geo-web services as well as the availability of semantic 3D city models, facilitate flexible and dynamic implementation of web applications. The aim of this paper is to introduce 4D CANVAS, a web-based application for dynamic visualization of 3D geospatial data for improved decision making in smart city applications. It is based on the Cesium Virtual Globe, an open-source JavaScript library developed with HTML5 and WebGL. At first, different data formats such as JSON, GeoJSON, Cesium Markup Language (CZML) and 3D Tiles are evaluated for their suitability in 4D visualization applications. Then, an interactive Graphical User Interface (GUI) is built observing the principle of cartographic standards to view, manage, understand and explore different simulation outputs at multiple spatial (3D surface of buildings) and temporal (hourly, daily, monthly) resolutions. In this regard, multiple tools such as aggregation, data classification, etc. are developed utilizing JavaScript libraries. As a proof of concept, two energy simulations and their outputs of different spatial and temporal resolutions are demonstrated in five Asian and European cities. Finally, the 4D CANVAS is deployed both in desktop and multi-touch screens. The proposed application allows easy integration of any other geospatial simulation results, thereby helps the users from different sectors to explore them interactively in 4D.
Below versus above Ground Plant Sources of Abscisic Acid (ABA) at the Heart of Tropical Forest Response to Warming
Authors: Sampaio Filho Israel de Jesus , Jardine Kolby Jeremiah , De Oliveira Rosilena Conceição Azevedo , Gimenez Bruno Oliva , Cobello Leticia Oliveira , Piva Luani Rosa de Oliveira , Candido Luiz Antonio , Higuchi Niro , Chambers Jeffrey Quintin
Published: July 2018

Warming surface temperatures and increasing frequency and duration of widespread droughts threaten the health of natural forests and agricultural crops. High temperatures (HT) and intense droughts can lead to the excessive plant water loss and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting in extensive physical and oxidative damage to sensitive plant components including photosynthetic membranes. ROS signaling is tightly integrated with signaling mechanisms of the potent phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA), which stimulates stomatal closure leading to a reduction in transpiration and net photosynthesis, alters hydraulic conductivities, and activates defense gene expression including antioxidant systems. While generally assumed to be produced in roots and transported to shoots following drought stress, recent evidence suggests that a large fraction of plant ABA is produced in leaves via the isoprenoid pathway. Thus, through stomatal regulation and stress signaling which alters water and carbon fluxes, we highlight the fact that ABA lies at the heart of the Carbon-Water-ROS Nexus of plant response to HT and drought stress. We discuss the current state of knowledge of ABA biosynthesis, transport, and degradation and the role of ABA and other isoprenoids in the oxidative stress response. We discuss potential variations in ABA production and stomatal sensitivity among different plant functional types including isohydric/anisohydric and pioneer/climax tree species. We describe experiments that would demonstrate the possibility of a direct energetic and carbon link between leaf ABA biosynthesis and photosynthesis, and discuss the potential for a positive feedback between leaf warming and enhanced ABA production together with reduced stomatal conductance and transpiration. Finally, we propose a new modeling framework to capture these interactions. We conclude by discussing the importance of ABA in diverse tropical ecosystems through increases in the thermotolerance of photosynthesis to drought and heat stress, and the global importance of these mechanisms to carbon and water cycling under climate change scenarios.
A Current Overview of the Biological and Cellular Effects of Nanosilver
Authors: Cameron Shana J. , Hosseinian Farah , Willmore William G.
Published: July 2018

Nanosilver plays an important role in nanoscience and nanotechnology, and is becoming increasingly used for applications in nanomedicine. Nanosilver ranges from 1 to 100 nanometers in diameter. Smaller particles more readily enter cells and interact with the cellular components. The exposure dose, particle size, coating, and aggregation state of the nanosilver, as well as the cell type or organism on which it is tested, are all large determining factors on the effect and potential toxicity of nanosilver. A high exposure dose to nanosilver alters the cellular stress responses and initiates cascades of signalling that can eventually trigger organelle autophagy and apoptosis. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the effects of nanosilver on cellular metabolic function and response to stress. Both the causative effects of nanosilver on oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and hypoxic stress—as well as the effects of nanosilver on the responses to such stresses—are outlined. The interactions and effects of nanosilver on cellular uptake, oxidative stress (reactive oxygen species), inflammation, hypoxic response, mitochondrial function, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) function and the unfolded protein response, autophagy and apoptosis, angiogenesis, epigenetics, genotoxicity, and cancer development and tumorigenesis—as well as other pathway alterations—are examined in this review.
New Insights in Anti-Angiogenesis in Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Ribatti Domenico , Vacca Angelo
Published: July 2018

Angiogenesis is a constant hallmark of multiple myeloma (MM) progression and involves direct production of angiogenic cytokines by plasma cells and their induction within the bone marrow microenvironment. This article summarizes the more recent literature data concerning the employment of anti-angiogenic therapeutic agents actually used in preclinical models and clinical settings for the treatment of multiple myeloma.
One-Pot Synthesis of Heavier Group 14 N-Heterocyclic Carbene Using Organosilicon Reductant
Authors: Raut Ravindra K. , Amin Sheikh Farhan , Sahoo Padmini , Kumar Vikas , Majumdar Moumita
Published: July 2018

Syntheses of heavier Group 14 analogues of “Arduengo-type” N-heterocyclic carbene majorly involved the use of conventional alkali metal-based reducing agents under harsh reaction conditions. The accompanied reductant-derived metal salts and chances of over-reduced impurities often led to isolation difficulties in this multi-step process. In order to overcome these shortcomings, we have used 1,4-bis-(trimethylsilyl)-1,4-diaza-2,5-cyclohexadiene as a milder reducing agent for the preparation of N-heterocyclic germylenes (NHGe) and stannylenes (NHSn). The reaction occurs in a single step with moderate yields from the mixture of N-substituted 1,4-diaza-1,3-butadiene, E(II) (E(II) = GeCl2·dioxane, SnCl2) and the organosilicon reductant. The volatile byproducts trimethylsilyl chloride and pyrazine could be removed readily under vacuum. No significant over reduction was observed in this process. However, N-heterocyclic silylene (NHSi) could not be synthesized using an even stronger organosilicon reductant under thermal and photochemical conditions.
Priority-Based Machine-To-Machine Overlay Network over LTE for a Smart City
Authors: Khan Nargis , Mišić Jelena , Mišić Vojislav B.
Published: July 2018

Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and its improvement, Long-Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A), are attractive choices for Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication due to their ubiquitous coverage and high bandwidth. However, the focus of LTE design was high performance connection-based communications between human-operated devices (also known as human-to-human, or H2H traffic), which was initially established over the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH). On the other hand, M2M traffic is mostly based on contention-based transmission of short messages and does not need connection establishment. As a result, M2M traffic transmitted over LTE PRACH has to use the inefficient four-way handshake and compete for resources with H2H traffic. When a large number of M2M devices attempts to access the PRACH, an outage condition may occur; furthermore, traffic prioritization is regulated only through age-based power ramping, which drives the network even faster towards the outage condition. In this article, we describe an overlay network that allows a massive number of M2M devices to coexist with H2H traffic and access the network without going through the full LTE handshake. The overlay network is patterned after IEEE 802.15.6 to support multiple priority classes of M2M traffic. We analyse the performance of the joint M2M and H2H system and investigate the trade-offs needed to keep satisfactory performance and reliability for M2M traffic in the presence of H2H traffic of known intensity. Our results confirm the validity of this approach for applications in crowd sensing, monitoring and others utilized in smart city development.
Electrodeposition of p-Type Sb2Te3 Films and Micro-Pillar Arrays in a Multi-Channel Glass Template
Authors: Su Ning , Guo Shuai , Li Fu , Liu Dawei , Li Bo
Published: July 2018

Antimony telluride (Sb2Te3)-based two-dimensional films and micro-pillar arrays are fabricated by electrochemical deposition from electrolytes containing SbO+ and HTeO2+ on Si wafer-based Pt electrode and multi-channel glass templates, respectively. The results indicate that the addition of tartaric acid increases the solubility of SbO+ in acidic solution. The compositions of deposits depend on the electrolyte concentration, and the micro morphologies rely on the reduction potential. Regarding the electrolyte containing 8 mM of SbO+ and 12 mM of HTeO2+, the grain size increases and the density of films decreases as the deposition potential shifts from −100 mV to −400 mV. Sb2Te3 film with nominal composition and dense morphology can be obtained by using a deposition potential of −300 mV. However, this condition is not suitable for the deposition of Sb2Te3 micro-pillar arrays on the multi-channel glass templates because of its drastic concentration polarization. Nevertheless, it is found that the pulsed voltage deposition is an effective way to solve this problem. A deposition potential of −280 mV and a dissolve potential of 500 mV were selected, and the deposition of micro-pillars in a large aspect ratio and at high density can be realized. The deposition technology can be further applied in the fabrication of micro-TEGs with large output voltage and power.
Measurements of Inferior Vena Cava Diameter for Prediction of Hypotension and Bradycardia during Spinal Anesthesia in Spontaneously Breathing Patients during Elective Knee Joint Replacement Surgery
Authors: Mačiulienė Asta , Gelmanas Arūnas , Jaremko Inna , Tamošiūnas Ramūnas , Smailys Alfredas , Macas Andrius
Published: July 2018

Background and objective: Hypotension and bradycardia are the most common hemodynamic disorders and side effects of spinal anesthesia (SA) on the cardiovascular system. SA-induced sympathetic denervation causes peripheral vasodilatation and redistribution of central blood volume that may lead to decreased venous return to the heart. The aim of the study was to evaluate the changes of inferior vena cava collapsibility index (IVC-CI) during SA in spontaneously breathing patients during elective knee joint replacement surgery to prognose manifestation of intraoperative hypotension and bradycardia. Materials and methods: 60 patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I or II, no clinically significant cardiovascular pathology) of both sexes undergoing elective knee joint replacement surgery under SA were included in the prospective study. Inspiratory and expiratory inferior vena cava (IVCin, IVCex) diameters were measured using an ultrasound device in supine position before and immediately after SA, then 15 min, 30 min, and 45 min after SA was performed. The heart rate, along with systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressures were collected. The parameters were measured at the baseline and at the next four time points. Results: There were no significant changes in IVCin, IVCex, and IVC-CI compared to baseline and other time point measurements in hypotensive versus nonhypotensive and bradycardic versus nonbradycardic patients (p > 0.05). Changes in IVC diameter do not prognose hypotension and/or bradycardia during SA: the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for IVC-CI at all measuring points was <0.7, p > 0.05. Conclusions: Reduction in IVC diameters and increase in IVC-CI do not predict hypotension and bradycardia during SA in spontaneously breathing patients undergoing elective knee joint replacement surgery.
Numerical Model for Predicting Bead Geometry and Microstructure in Laser Beam Welding of Inconel 718 Sheets
Authors: Hernando Iñigo , Arrizubieta Jon Iñaki , Lamikiz Aitzol , Ukar Eneko
Published: July 2018

A numerical model was developed for predicting the bead geometry and microstructure in laser beam welding of 2 mm thickness Inconel 718 sheets. The experiments were carried out with a 1 kW maximum power fiber laser coupled with a galvanometric scanner. Wobble strategy was employed for sweeping 1 mm wide circular areas for creating the weld seams, and a specific tooling was manufactured for supplying protective argon gas during the welding process. The numerical model takes into account both the laser beam absorption and the melt-pool fluid movement along the bead section, resulting in a weld geometry that depends on the process input parameters, such as feed rate and laser power. The microstructure of the beads was also estimated based on the cooling rate of the material. Features such as bead upper and bottom final shapes, weld penetration, and dendritic arm spacing, were numerically and experimentally analyzed and discussed. The results given by the numerical analysis agree with the tests, making the model a robust predictive tool.
Electric Current-Assisted Joining of Copper Plates Using Silver Formed by In-Situ Decomposition of Ag2C2O4
Authors: Dudina Dina V. , Matvienko Alexander A. , Sidelnikov Anatoly A. , Legan Mikhail A. , Mali Vyacheslav I. , Esikov Maksim A. , Anisimov Alexander G. , Gribov Pavel A. , Boldyrev Vladimir V.
Published: July 2018

Pulsed electric current can be used for the fast sintering of powders as well as joining of macroobjects. In this work, we brazed copper plates using a silver layer that was formed in situ by the decomposition of a silver oxalate Ag2C2O4 powder placed between the plates. Joining was conducted in the chamber of a Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) facility with and without a graphite die. In the die-assisted tooling configuration, indirect heating of the assembly from the graphite die carrying electric current occurred until the brazing layer transformed into metallic silver. The passage of electric current through a Cu/Ag2C2O4/Cu stack placed between the electrodes without a die was possible because of the formation of Cu/Cu contacts in the areas free from the Ag2C2O4 particles. Joints that were formed in the die-assisted experiments showed a slightly higher shear strength (45 MPa) in comparison with joints formed without a die (41 MPa). The shear strength of the reference sample (obtained without a die), a stack of copper plates joined without any brazing layer, was only 31 MPa, which indicates a key role of the silver in producing strong bonding between the plates. This study shows that both die-assisted tooling configurations and those without a die can be used for the SPS brazing of materials by the oxalate-derived silver interlayer.
Celiac Disease and Liver Disorders: From Putative Pathogenesis to Clinical Implications
Authors: Hoffmanová Iva , Sánchez Daniel , Tučková Ludmila , Tlaskalová-Hogenová Helena
Published: July 2018

Immunologically mediated liver diseases belong to the common extraintestinal manifestations of celiac disease. We have reviewed the current literature that addresses the association between celiac disease and liver disorders. We searched relevant articles on MEDLINE/PubMed up to 15 June 2018. The objective of the article is to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date review on the latest hypotheses explaining the pathogenetic relationship between celiac disease and liver injury. Besides the involvement of gut–liver axis, tissue transglutaminase antibodies, and impairment of intestinal barrier, we integrate the latest achievements made in elucidation of the role of gut microbiota in celiac disease and liver disorders, that has not yet been sufficiently discussed in the literature in this context. The further objective is to provide a complete clinical overview on the types of liver diseases frequently found in celiac disease. In conclusion, the review highlights the clinical implication, recommend a rational approach for managing elevated transaminases in celiac patients, and underscore the importance of screening for celiac disease in patients with associated liver disease.
Improved ABC Algorithm Optimizing the Bridge Sensor Placement
Authors: Yang Jianhui , Peng Zhenrui
Published: July 2018

Inspired by sensor coverage density and matching & preserving strategy, this paper proposes an Improved Artificial Bee Colony (IABC) algorithm which is designed to optimize bridge sensor placement. We use dynamic random coverage coding method to initialize colony to ensure the diversity and effectiveness. In addition, we randomly select the factors with lower trust value to search and evolve after food source being matched in order that the relatively high trust point factor is retained in the exploitation of food sources, which reduces the blindness of searching and improves the efficiency of convergence and the accuracy of the algorithm. According to the analysis of the modal data of the Ha-Qi long span railway bridge, the results show that IABC algorithm has faster convergence rate and better global search ability when solving the optimal placement problem of bridge sensor. The final analysis results also indicate that the IABC’s solution accuracy is 76.45% higher than that of the ABC algorithm, and the solution stability is improved by 86.23%. The final sensor placement mostly covers the sensitive monitoring points of the bridge structure and, in this way, the IABC algorithm is suitable for solving the optimal placement problem of large bridge and other structures.
Radar Detection of Fluctuating Targets under Heavy-Tailed Clutter Using Track-Before-Detect
Authors: Gao Jie , Du Jinsong , Wang Wei
Published: July 2018

This paper considers the detection of fluctuating targets in heavy-tailed clutter through the use of dynamic programming based on track-before-detect (DP–TBD) in radar systems. The clutter is modeled in terms of K-distribution, which can be widely used to describe non-Gaussian clutter received from high-resolution radars and radars working at small grazing angles. Swerling type 1 is considered to describe the target fluctuation between scans. Conventional TBD techniques suffer from significant performance loss in heavy-tailed environments due to the more frequent occurrences of target-like outliers. In this paper, we resort to a DP–TBD algorithm based on prior information, which can enhance the detection performance by using the environment and target fluctuating information during the integration process of TBD. Under non-Gaussian background, the expressions of the likelihood ratio merit function for Swerling type 1 targets are derived first. However, the closed-form of the merit function is difficult to obtain. In order to reduce the complexity of evaluating the merit function and the computational load, an efficient approximation method as well as a two-stage detection approach is proposed and used in the integration process. Finally, several numerical simulations of the new strategy and the comparisons are presented to verify that the proposed algorithm can improve the detection performance, especially for fluctuating targets in heavy-tailed clutter.
A Miniature Binocular Endoscope with Local Feature Matching and Stereo Matching for 3D Measurement and 3D Reconstruction
Authors: Wang Di , Liu Hua , Cheng Xiang
Published: July 2018

As the traditional single camera endoscope can only provide clear images without 3D measurement and 3D reconstruction, a miniature binocular endoscope based on the principle of binocular stereoscopic vision to implement 3D measurement and 3D reconstruction in tight and restricted spaces is presented. In order to realize the exact matching of points of interest in the left and right images, a novel construction method of the weighted orthogonal-symmetric local binary pattern (WOS-LBP) descriptor is presented. Then a stereo matching algorithm based on Gaussian-weighted AD-Census transform and improved cross-based adaptive regions is studied to realize 3D reconstruction for real scenes. In the algorithm, we adjust determination criterions of adaptive regions for edge and discontinuous areas in particular and as well extract mismatched pixels caused by occlusion through image entropy and region-growing algorithm. This paper develops a binocular endoscope with an external diameter of 3.17 mm and the above algorithms are applied in it. The endoscope contains two CMOS cameras and four fiber optics for illumination. Three conclusions are drawn from experiments: (1) the proposed descriptor has good rotation invariance, distinctiveness and robustness to light change as well as noises; (2) the proposed stereo matching algorithm has a mean relative error of 8.48% for Middlebury standard pairs of images and compared with several classical stereo matching algorithms, our algorithm performs better in edge and discontinuous areas; (3) the mean relative error of length measurement is 3.22%, and the endoscope can be utilized to measure and reconstruct real scenes effectively.
Slight pH Fluctuations in the Gold Nanoparticle Synthesis Process Influence the Performance of the Citrate Reduction Method
Authors: Contreras-Trigo Braulio , Díaz-García Víctor , Guzmán-Gutierrez Enrique , Sanhueza Ignacio , Coelho Pablo , Godoy Sebastián E. , Torres Sergio , Oyarzún Patricio
Published: July 2018

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are currently under intense investigation for biomedical and biotechnology applications, thanks to their ease in preparation, stability, biocompatibility, multiple surface functionalities, and size-dependent optical properties. The most commonly used method for AuNP synthesis in aqueous solution is the reduction of tetrachloroauric acid (HAuCl4) with trisodium citrate. We have observed variations in the pH and in the concentration of the gold colloidal suspension synthesized under standard conditions, verifying a reduction in the reaction yield by around 46% from pH 5.3 (2.4 nM) to pH 4.7 (1.29 nM). Citrate-capped AuNPs were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, TEM, EDS, and zeta-potential measurements, revealing a linear correlation between pH and the concentration of the generated AuNPs. This result can be attributed to the adverse effect of protons both on citrate oxidation and on citrate adsorption onto the gold surface, which is required to form the stabilization layer. Overall, this study provides insight into the effect of the pH over the synthesis performance of the method, which would be of particular interest from the point of view of large-scale manufacturing processes.
Smart Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Technologies (SEMAT)—A New Paradigm for Low-Cost, Remote Aquatic Environmental Monitoring
Authors: Trevathan Jarrod , Johnstone Ron
Published: July 2018

Expense and the logistical difficulties with deploying scientific monitoring equipment are the biggest limitations to undertaking large scale monitoring of aquatic environments. The Smart Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Technologies (SEMAT) project is aimed at addressing this problem by creating an open standard for low-cost, near real-time, remote aquatic environmental monitoring systems. This paper presents the latest refinement of the SEMAT system in-line with the evolution of existing technologies, inexpensive sensors and environmental monitoring expectations. We provide a systems analysis and design of the SEMAT remote monitoring units and the back-end data management system. The system’s value is augmented through a unique e-waste recycling and repurposing model which engages/educates the community in the production of the SEMAT units using social enterprise. SEMAT serves as an open standard for the community to innovate around to further the state of play with low-cost environmental monitoring. The latest SEMAT units have been trialled in a peri-urban lake setting and the results demonstrate the system’s capabilities to provide ongoing data in near real-time to validate an environmental model of the study site.
Acoustic Radiation Force Based Ultrasound Elasticity Imaging for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Wang Lulu
Published: July 2018

Pathological changes in biological tissue are related to the changes in mechanical properties of biological tissue. Conventional medical screening tools such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography have failed to produce the elastic properties of biological tissues directly. Ultrasound elasticity imaging (UEI) has been proposed as a promising imaging tool to map the elastic parameters of soft tissues for the clinical diagnosis of various diseases include prostate, liver, breast, and thyroid gland. Existing UEI-based approaches can be classified into three groups: internal physiologic excitation, external excitation, and acoustic radiation force (ARF) excitation methods. Among these methods, ARF has become one of the most popular techniques for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of disease. This paper provides comprehensive information on the recently developed ARF-based UEI techniques and instruments for biomedical applications. The mechanical properties of soft tissue, ARF and displacement estimation methods, working principle and implementation instruments for each ARF-based UEI method are discussed.
Portable Force Plates: A Viable and Practical Alternative to Rapidly and Accurately Monitor Elite Sprint Performance
Authors: Loturco Irineu , Pereira Lucas A. , Kobal Ronaldo , Cal Abad Cesar C. , Fernandes Victor , Ramirez-Campillo Rodrigo , Suchomel Timothy
Published: July 2018

This study aimed to examine the associations between a series of mechanical variables automatically generated by a portable force plate (PFP) and the actual performance of professional sprinters over a 150 m course. To test these correlations, 12 top-level sprinters performed vertical jumps (squat and countermovement jumps; SJ and CMJ, respectively), a 60 m sprint test, and a 150 m sprint test. Pearson product-moment coefficient of correlation and multiple regression analyses were used to determine the relationships between the sprinting velocities and vertical jump outputs. The SJ parameters were moderately to near perfectly associated with the different sprint distances, and the SJ height presented the highest correlation scores (r = 0.90 with velocities over 10- and 20-m). The correlation coefficients between the CMJ outcomes and sprint results varied between moderate and very large (from 0.38 to 0.88). Finally, the coefficients of determination (R2) ranged from 0.71 to 0.85 for the different multiple regressions involving PFP automatic measures. The PFP can provide practitioners with quick and accurate information regarding competitive athletes. Due to the strong correlations observed, coaches are encouraged to frequently adjust and tailor the training strategies of their sprinters, using practical and timesaving PFP measurements.
Optimal Dividend and Capital Injection Problem with Transaction Cost and Salvage Value: The Case of Excess-of-Loss Reinsurance Based on the Symmetry of Risk Information
Authors: Yan Qingyou , Yang Le , Baležentis Tomas , Streimikiene Dalia , Qin Chao
Published: July 2018

This paper considers the optimal dividend and capital injection problem for an insurance company, which controls the risk exposure by both the excess-of-loss reinsurance and capital injection based on the symmetry of risk information. Besides the proportional transaction cost, we also incorporate the fixed transaction cost incurred by capital injection and the salvage value of a company at the ruin time in order to make the surplus process more realistic. The main goal is to maximize the expected sum of the discounted salvage value and the discounted cumulative dividends except for the discounted cost of capital injection until the ruin time. By considering whether there is capital injection in the surplus process, we construct two instances of suboptimal models and then solve for the corresponding solution in each model. Lastly, we consider the optimal control strategy for the general model without any restriction on the capital injection or the surplus process.
Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Method Based on Prioritized Muirhead Mean Aggregation Operator under Neutrosophic Set Environment
Authors: Garg Harish , Nancy
Published: July 2018

The aim of this paper is to introduce some new operators for aggregating single-valued neutrosophic (SVN) information and to apply them to solve the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problems. Single-valued neutrosophic set, as an extension and generalization of an intuitionistic fuzzy set, is a powerful tool to describe the fuzziness and uncertainty, and Muirhead mean (MM) is a well-known aggregation operator which can consider interrelationships among any number of arguments assigned by a variable vector. In order to make full use of the advantages of both, we introduce two new prioritized MM aggregation operators, such as the SVN prioritized MM (SVNPMM) and SVN prioritized dual MM (SVNPDMM) under SVN set environment. In addition, some properties of these new aggregation operators are investigated and some special cases are discussed. Furthermore, we propose a new method based on these operators for solving the MCDM problems. Finally, an illustrative example is presented to testify the efficiency and superiority of the proposed method by comparing it with the existing method.
Three-Way Decisions with Interval-Valued Intuitionistic Fuzzy Decision-Theoretic Rough Sets in Group Decision-Making
Authors: Ye Dajun , Liang Decui , Hu Pei
Published: July 2018

In this article, we demonstrate how interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IVIFSs) can function as extended intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFSs) using the interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy numbers (IVIFNs) instead of precision numbers to describe the degree of membership and non-membership, which are more flexible and practical in dealing with ambiguity and uncertainty. By introducing IVIFSs into three-way decisions, we provide a new description of the loss function. Thus, we firstly propose a model of interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy decision-theoretic rough sets (IVIFDTRSs). According to the basic framework of IVIFDTRSs, we design a strategy to address the IVIFNs and deduce three-way decisions. Then, we successfully extend the results of IVIFDTRSs from single-person decision-making to group decision-making. In this situation, we adopt a grey correlation accurate weighted determining method (GCAWD) to compute the weights of decision-makers, which integrates the advantages of the accurate weighted determining method and grey correlation analysis method. Moreover, we utilize the interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy weighted averaging (IIFWA) operation to count the aggregated scores and the accuracies of the expected losses. By comparing these scores and accuracies, we design a simple and straightforward algorithm to deduce three-way decisions for group decision-making. Finally, we use an illustrative example to verify our results.
A Reverse Genetics System for Zika Virus Based on a Simple Molecular Cloning Strategy
Authors: Münster Maximilian , Płaszczyca Anna , Cortese Mirko , Neufeldt Christopher John , Goellner Sarah , Long Gang , Bartenschlager Ralf
Published: July 2018

The Zika virus (ZIKV) has recently attracted major research interest as infection was unexpectedly associated with neurological manifestations in developing foetuses and with Guillain-Barré syndrome in infected adults. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms requires reverse genetic systems, which allow manipulation of infectious cDNA clones at will. In the case of flaviviruses, to which ZIKV belongs, several reports have indicated that the construction of full-length cDNA clones is difficult due to toxicity during plasmid amplification in Escherichia coli. Toxicity of flaviviral cDNAs has been linked to the activity of cryptic prokaryotic promoters within the region encoding the structural proteins leading to spurious transcription and expression of toxic viral proteins. Here, we employ an approach based on in silico prediction and mutational silencing of putative promoters to generate full-length cDNA clones of the historical MR766 strain and the contemporary French Polynesian strain H/PF/2013 of ZIKV. While for both strains construction of full-length cDNA clones has failed in the past, we show that our approach generates cDNA clones that are stable on single bacterial plasmids and give rise to infectious viruses with properties similar to those generated by other more complex assembly strategies. Further, we generate luciferase and fluorescent reporter viruses as well as sub-genomic replicons that are fully functional and suitable for various research and drug screening applications. Taken together, this study confirms that in silico prediction and silencing of cryptic prokaryotic promoters is an efficient strategy to generate full-length cDNA clones of flaviviruses and reports novel tools that will facilitate research on ZIKV biology and development of antiviral strategies.
Différences régionales de la croissance industrielle en Chine
Authors: Démurger Sylvie
Published: July 2018

L'objet de cette étude est d'examiner les différences régionales de la croissance industrielle chinoise au cours de la décennie 1983-1992. Elle vise, d'une part, à quantifier le rôle de la politique d'ouverture dans les trajectoires régionales de croissance et, d'autre part, à donner des éléments de compréhension quant à l'évolution des disparités.

L'analyse économétrique utilise un panel de 19 provinces chinoises observées entre 1983 et 1992. Elle souligne tout d'abord l'efficacité de la politique d'ouverture comme déterminant de la croissance industrielle régionale et permet en particulier de réaffirmer le rôle prépondérant de l'investissement étranger dans le processus de croissance de la Chine. Elle montre également la présence d'un phénomène de propagation de la croissance qui renforce le dynamisme propre des provinces côtières et qui, plus généralement, alimente un dynamisme industriel global de la Chine.