bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Legacy effects in linked ecological–soil–geomorphic systems of drylands
Authors: Monger Curtis , Sala Osvaldo E , Duniway Michael C , Goldfus Haim , Meir Isaac A , Poch Rosa M , Throop Heather L , Vivoni Enrique R
Published: February 2015

A legacy effect refers to the impacts that previous conditions have on current processes or properties. Legacies have been recognized by many disciplines, from physiology and ecology to anthropology and geology. Within the context of climatic change, ecological legacies in drylands (eg vegetative patterns) result from feedbacks between biotic, soil, and geomorphic processes that operate at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Legacy effects depend on (1) the magnitude of the original phenomenon, (2) the time since the occurrence of the phenomenon, and (3) the sensitivity of the ecological–soil–geomorphic system to change. Here we present a conceptual framework for legacy effects at short‐term (days to months), medium‐term (years to decades), and long‐term (centuries to millennia) timescales, which reveals the ubiquity of such effects in drylands across research disciplines.
Investigating Trans People’s Vulnerabilities to Intimate Partner Violence/Abuse
Authors: Walker Julia K.
Published: February 2015

Traditionally recognized as “violence against women,” the research literature on intimate partner violence/abuse (IPV/A; also known asdomestic violence) continually neglects to incorporate subculture populations that do not fit societal understanding of typical victim/offender roles. More than 4 decades of research has expanded our knowledge of IPV/A in Western and developing countries across race, ethnicity, religion, and socioeconomic status. However, identifying the prevalence of IPV/A across all manner of relationships has been difficult. In particular, IPV/A within the transgender population has remained practically invisible. Although frequently recognized as an appendage of lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations, trans people are often overlooked in research because of their invisibility within society. Research that does exist is rarely generalizable because of sample size and selection. Therefore, research is required to assess how trans people are affected by IPV/A, what they understand IPV/A to be, what needs are trans-specific, and what help-seeking barriers exist.

An analysis of the literature pertaining to trans people regarding IPV/A and other violence, health, and public relations as well as experiences with law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and judiciary in an attempt to identify any issues that could be relevant to trans people experiencing IPV/A is presented. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
An Exploratory Study of Teen Dating Violence in Sexual Minority Youth
Authors: Reuter Tyson R. , Sharp Carla , Temple Jeff R.
Published: February 2015

Objective: Teen dating violence (TDV) represents a serious social problem in adolescence and is associated with a host of physical and emotional consequences. Despite advances in identification of risk factors, prevention efforts, and treatment, the TDV literature has overwhelmingly used samples that do not assess sexual orientation or assume heterosexuality. Although a few studies have explicitly examined dating violence among sexual minorities in adolescents, methodological issues limit the generalizability of these findings, and no study to date has examined patterns of dating violence over time in sexual minority youth. Method: An ethnically diverse sample of 782 adolescents completed self-report measures of dating violence, hostility, alcohol use, exposure to interparental violence, and sexual orientation. Results: Sexual minority adolescents reported higher rates of both TDV perpetration and victimization, and this finding persisted across 2 years for perpetration but not victimization. Findings also revealed that traditional risk factors of TDV (i.e., alcohol use, exposure to interparental violence) were not associated with TDV for sexual minority youth, although sexual orientation itself emerged as a risk factor over and above covariates when considering severe (i.e., physical and sexual) dating violence perpetration. Conclusions: Sexual minorities may be at a greater risk for TDV than their heterosexual peers. Findings are discussed within the context of a minority stress model. Future research is needed to parse out factors specifically related to sexual orientation from a stressful or invalidating environment.
Molecular cloning of RBCS genes in Selaginella and the evolution of the rbcS gene family
Authors: Wang Bo , Yingjuan Su , Wang Ting
Published: February 2015

Rubisco small subunits (RBCS) are encoded by a nuclear rbcS multigene family
in higher plants and green algae. However, owing to the lack of rbcS
sequences in lycophytes, the characteristics of rbcS genes in lycophytes is
unclear. Recently, the complete genome sequence of the lycophyte Selaginella
moellendorffii provided the first insight into the rbcS gene family in
lycophytes. To understand further the characteristics of rbcS genes in other
Selaginella, the full length of rbcS genes (rbcS1 and rbcS2) from two other
Selaginella species were isolated. Both rbcS1 and rbcS2 genes shared more
than 97% identity among three Selaginella species. RBCS proteins from
Selaginella contained the Pfam RBCS domain F00101, which was a major domain
of other plant RBCS proteins. To explore the evolution of the rbcS gene
family across Selaginella and other plants, we identified and performed
comparative analysis of the rbcS gene family among 16 model plants based on a
genome-wide analysis. The results showed that (i) two rbcS genes were
obtained in Selaginella, which is the second fewest number of rbcS genes
among the 16 representative plants; (ii) an expansion of rbcS genes occurred
in the moss Physcomitrella patens; (iii) only RBCS proteins from angiosperms
contained the Pfam PF12338 domains, and (iv) a pattern of concerted evolution
existed in the rbcS gene family. Our study provides new insights into the
evolution of the rbcS gene family in Selaginella and other plants.
Synthesis and crystal structure of Cu(II) and Co(II) complexes with 1,3-dimethyl-pyrazole-5-carboxylic acid ligand
Authors: Jacimovic Zeljko , Kosovic Milica , Novakovic Sladjana , Giester Gerald , Radovic Ana
Published: February 2015

In the reaction of 1,3-dimethyl-pyrazole-5-carboxylic acid (HL) with
M(OAc)2?4H2O, (M = Cu, Co) two novel complexes have been prepared,
square-planar [CuL2(H2O)2] and octahedral [CoL2(MeOH)4]. The crystal
structures have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In both
complexes the deprotonated acid displays monodentate coordination to the
metal ions. According to the results of CSD survey this is the first
structural report on the metal complexes with N1-substituted
pyrazole-5-carboxylic ligand.
Supported Photocatalyst for Removal of Emerging Contaminants from Wastewater in a Continuous Packed-Bed Photoreactor Configuration
Authors: Borges Mª , García Dulce , Hernández Tania , Ruiz-Morales Juan , Esparza Pedro
Published: February 2015

Water pollution from emerging contaminants (ECs) or emerging pollutants is an important environmental problem. Heterogeneous photocatalytic treatment, as advanced oxidation treatment of wastewater effluents, has been proposed to solve this problem. In this paper, a heterogeneous photocatalytic process was studied for emergent contaminants removal using paracetamol as a model contaminant molecule. TiO2 photocatalytic activity was evaluated using two photocatalytic reactor configurations: Photocatalyst solid suspension in wastewater in a stirred photoreactor and TiO2 supported on glass spheres (TGS) configuring a packed bed photoreactor. The surface morphology and texture of the TGS were monitored by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The influence of photocatalyst amount and wastewater pH were evaluated in the stirred photoreactor and the influence of wastewater flowrate was tested in the packed bed photoreactor, in order to obtain the optimal operation conditions. Moreover, results obtained were compared with those obtained from photolysis and adsorption studies, using the optimal operation conditions. Good photocatalytic activities have been observed and leads to the conclusion that the heterogeneous photocatalytic system in a packed bed is an effective method for removal of emerging pollutants.
A Foundational Approach to Generalising the Maximum Entropy Inference Process to the Multi-Agent Context
Authors: Wilmers George
Published: February 2015

The present paper seeks to establish a logical foundation for studying axiomatically multi-agent probabilistic reasoning over a discrete space of outcomes. We study the notion of a social inference process which generalises the concept of an inference process for a single agent which was used by Paris and Vencovská to characterise axiomatically the method of maximum entropy inference. Axioms for a social inference process are introduced and discussed, and a particular social inference process called the Social Entropy Process, or SEP, is defined which satisfies these axioms. SEP is justified heuristically by an information theoretic argument, and incorporates both the maximum entropy inference process for a single agent and the multi–agent normalised geometric mean pooling operator.
Impacts of the CAP 2014–2020 on the Agroenergy Sector in Tuscany, Italy
Authors: Bartolini Fabio , Angelini Luciana , Brunori Gianluca , Gava Oriana
Published: February 2015

The agricultural sectors’ contribution to the provision of energy is a central issue in Horizon 2020 strategies and has shaped the public and research debates on the future of the bioeconomy. The common agricultural policy (CAP) has been one of the main drivers of farmers’ behavioural changes and represents the main agricultural policy instrument to address viability of rural areas and maintaining the profitability of the agricultural sector. To contribute to the ongoing policy debate towards CAP reform, this paper will provide an empirical model to simulate the impact of an alternative CAP mechanism on the provision of renewable energy. By applying a dynamic mathematical programming model, the paper tests the impact new policy measures will have on the provision of a second-generation of bio fuel crops that represent a relevant option for Tuscan farmers. Results show that CAP reform positively impacts the supply of energy crops mainly due to the introduction of greening payments, which allows an enlarging of crop diversification. Model results stress also the income stabilisation effects of energy production introduction at farm level, due to reduction of farm exposure to market prices fluctuations.
Optimal Real-Time Scheduling of Wind Integrated Power System Presented with Storage and Wind Forecast Uncertainties
Authors: Huo Yuchong , Jiang Ping , Zhu Yuan , Feng Shuang , Wu Xi
Published: February 2015

The volatility of wind power poses great challenges to the operation of power systems. This paper deals with the economic dispatch problems presented by energy storage in wind integrated systems. A policy iteration algorithm for deriving the cost optimal policy of real-time scheduling is proposed, taking the effect of wind forecast uncertainties into account. First, energy loss and use of fast-ramping generation are selected as the performance metrics. Then, a policy iteration algorithm is developed using the Perturbed Markov decision process. This algorithm has a two-level optimization structure in which both the long-term and short-term behaviors of real-time scheduling policy are optimized. In addition, a unified optimal storage control strategy is presented. The feasibility of the proposed methodology is demonstrated via the wind power archive of Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). Through comparative numerical experiments, both the performance of the policy iteration algorithm in the short-term and long-term are verified and the consistency, robustness, good convergence and high computational efficiency of the proposed algorithm are also corroborated.
Slagging and Fouling Characteristics of HRSG for Ferrosilicon Electric Furnaces
Authors: Wang Yungang , Chen Heng , Chen Zhongya , Ma Haidong , Zhao Qinxin
Published: February 2015

The slagging and fouling characteristics of the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) for ferrosilicon electric furnaces are discussed in this paper. Three ash samples were taken from the HRSG of a ferrosilicon furnace in Ningxia Province, China, which suffered from serious slagging and fouling. X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to analyze the ash samples. The results show that low melting point salt Na2SO4 and composite salts Na (AlSi3O8) and 3K2SO4·CaSO4 deposit on the superheater tube walls in aerosol form and solidify to form the initial slag layer. With the continuous deposition of the low melting point compounds, more and more ash particles in the flue gas adhere to the slag surface to form a thicker slag. Low melting point composite salt NaO·Al2O3·SiO2 is absorbed on the evaporator tube walls in aerosol form. With the deposition of NaO·Al2O3·SiO2, more and more ash particles are absorbed to form the fouling. Since there is less space between pin-finned tubes, the large iron-rich slag particles are easily deposited on tube walls and fin surfaces, which is advantageous to the fouling process. There are large quantities of superfine ash particles in the flue gas that easily adhere to other particles or tube walls, which facilitates the slagging and fouling process.
Development of Northern White-Cedar Regeneration Following Partial Cutting, with and without Deer Browsing
Authors: Larouche Catherine , Ruel Jean-Claude
Published: February 2015

Northern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.) is an important commercial species with a high wildlife value, both as a food source and habitat for many bird and mammal species. Concerns have been expressed about its decreasing abundance across its range, and especially in mixedwood stands, where it has to compete with several other species and can suffer from heavy browsing. In this study, we quantified the development of natural northern white-cedar seedlings and saplings under various partial cutting regimes, with and without white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virgianus Zimmerman) browsing, in three selected sites in Quebec (Canada) and in Maine (USA). Our data show that northern white-cedar regeneration was present in all studied stands, but that only a few stems were taller than 30 cm on the two sites with high densities of deer. In the absence of heavy browsing, stems reached a height of 30 cm in 11 years, and 130 cm in 28 years. Height growth of northern white-cedar regeneration increased with canopy light transmittance, while ground-level diameter increment increased after partial cutting. This suggests that partial cutting can be used in mixedwood stands to release natural northern white-cedar regeneration, but also that the recruitment of northern white-cedar seedlings to larger size classes constitutes a major challenge in stands subject to heavy deer browsing.
Indoor and Outdoor Exposure to Ultrafine, Fine and Microbiologically Derived Particulate Matter Related to Cardiovascular and Respiratory Effects in a Panel of Elderly Urban Citizens
Authors: Karottki Dorina , Spilak Michal , Frederiksen Marie , Jovanovic Andersen Zorana , Madsen Anne , Ketzel Matthias , Massling Andreas , Gunnarsen Lars , Møller Peter , Loft Steffen
Published: February 2015

To explore associations of exposure to ambient and indoor air particulate and bio-aerosol pollutants with cardiovascular and respiratory disease markers, we utilized seven repeated measurements from 48 elderly subjects participating in a 4-week home air filtration study. Microvascular function (MVF), lung function, blood leukocyte counts, monocyte adhesion molecule expression, C-reactive protein, Clara cell protein (CC16) and surfactant protein-D (SPD) were examined in relation to exposure preceding each measurement. Exposure assessment included 48-h urban background monitoring of PM10, PM2.5 and particle number concentration (PNC), weekly measurements of PM2.5 in living- and bedroom, 24-h measurements of indoor PNC three times, and bio-aerosol components in settled dust on a 2-week basis. Statistically significant inverse associations included: MVF with outdoor PNC; granulocyte counts with PM2.5; CD31 expression with dust fungi; SPD with dust endotoxin. Significant positive associations included: MVF with dust bacteria; monocyte expression of CD11 with PM2.5 in the bedroom and dust bacteria and endotoxin, CD31 expression with dust serine protease; serum CC16 with dust NAGase. Multiple comparisons demand cautious interpretation of results, which suggest that outdoor PNC have adverse effects on MVF, and outdoor and indoor PM2.5 and bio-aerosols are associated with markers of inflammation and lung cell integrity.
Ultrafine Particles from Traffic Emissions and Children’s Health (UPTECH) in Brisbane, Queensland (Australia): Study Design and Implementation
Authors: Ezz Wafaa , Mazaheri Mandana , Robinson Paul , Johnson Graham , Clifford Samuel , He Congrong , Morawska Lidia , Marks Guy
Published: February 2015

Ultrafine particles are particles that are less than 0.1 micrometres (µm) in diameter. Due to their very small size they can penetrate deep into the lungs, and potentially cause more damage than larger particles. The Ultrafine Particles from Traffic Emissions and Children’s Health (UPTECH) study is the first Australian epidemiological study to assess the health effects of ultrafine particles on children’s health in general and peripheral airways in particular. The study is being conducted in Brisbane, Australia. Continuous indoor and outdoor air pollution monitoring was conducted within each of the twenty five participating school campuses to measure particulate matter, including in the ultrafine size range, and gases. Respiratory health effects were evaluated by conducting the following tests on participating children at each school: spirometry, forced oscillation technique (FOT) and multiple breath nitrogen washout test (MBNW) (to assess airway function), fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO, to assess airway inflammation), blood cotinine levels (to assess exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke), and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (to measure systemic inflammation). A pilot study was conducted prior to commencing the main study to assess the feasibility and reliably of measurement of some of the clinical tests that have been proposed for the main study. Air pollutant exposure measurements were not included in the pilot study.
Mapping Local Climate Zones for a Worldwide Database of the Form and Function of Cities
Authors: Bechtel Benjamin , Alexander Paul , Böhner Jürgen , Ching Jason , Conrad Olaf , Feddema Johannes , Mills Gerald , See Linda , Stewart Iain
Published: February 2015

Progress in urban climate science is severely restricted by the lack of useful information that describes aspects of the form and function of cities at a detailed spatial resolution. To overcome this shortcoming we are initiating an international effort to develop the World Urban Database and Access Portal Tools (WUDAPT) to gather and disseminate this information in a consistent manner for urban areas worldwide. The first step in developing WUDAPT is a description of cities based on the Local Climate Zone (LCZ) scheme, which classifies natural and urban landscapes into categories based on climate-relevant surface properties. This methodology provides a culturally-neutral framework for collecting information about the internal physical structure of cities. Moreover, studies have shown that remote sensing data can be used for supervised LCZ mapping. Mapping of LCZs is complicated because similar LCZs in different regions have dissimilar spectral properties due to differences in vegetation, building materials and other variations in cultural and physical environmental factors. The WUDAPT protocol developed here provides an easy to understand workflow; uses freely available data and software; and can be applied by someone without specialist knowledge in spatial analysis or urban climate science. The paper also provides an example use of the WUDAPT project results.
Infiltrating Mast Cells Correlate with Angiogenesis in Bone Metastases from Gastric Cancer Patients
Authors: Ammendola Michele , Marech Ilaria , Sammarco Giuseppe , Zuccalà Valeria , Luposella Maria , Zizzo Nicola , Patruno Rosa , Crovace Alberto , Ruggieri Eustachio , Zito Alfredo , Gadaleta Cosmo , Sacco Rosario , Ranieri Girolamo
Published: February 2015

While gastric cancer is a well established angiogenesis driven tumor, no data has been published regarding angiogenesis stimulated by mast cells (MCs) positive for tryptase in bone metastases from gastric cancer patients (BMGCP). It is well established that MCs play a role in immune responses and more recently it was demonstrated that MCs have been involved in tumor angiogenesis. We analyzed infiltrating MCs and neovascularization in BMGCP diagnosed by histology. A series of 15 stage T3-4N2-3M1 (by AJCC for Gastric Cancer Staging 7th Edition) BMGCP from bone biopsies were selected. Tumour tissue samples were evaluated by mean of immunohistochemistry and image analysis methods in terms of MCs density positive to tryptase (MCDPT), MCs area positive to tryptase (MCAPT), microvascular density (MVD) and endothelial area (EA). A significant correlation between MCDPT, MCAPT, MVD and EA groups to each other was found by Pearson and t-test analysis (r ranged from 0.68 to 0.82; p-value ranged from 0.00 to 0.02). Our very preliminary data suggest that infiltrating MCs positive for tryptase may play a role in BMGCP angiogenesis, and could be further evaluated as a novel target of anti-angiogenic therapy.
The Effect of Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) on Amyloid Aggregation and Toxicity
Authors: Iannuzzi Clara , Irace Gaetano , Sirangelo Ivana
Published: February 2015

Amyloidosis is a protein folding disorder in which normally soluble proteins are deposited extracellularly as insoluble fibrils, impairing tissue structure and function. Charged polyelectrolytes such as glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are frequently found associated with the proteinaceous deposits in tissues of patients affected by amyloid diseases. Experimental evidence indicate that they can play an active role in favoring amyloid fibril formation and stabilization. Binding of GAGs to amyloid fibrils occurs mainly through electrostatic interactions involving the negative polyelectrolyte charges and positively charged side chains residues of aggregating protein. Similarly to catalyst for reactions, GAGs favor aggregation, nucleation and amyloid fibril formation functioning as a structural templates for the self-assembly of highly cytotoxic oligomeric precursors, rich in β-sheets, into harmless amyloid fibrils. Moreover, the GAGs amyloid promoting activity can be facilitated through specific interactions via consensus binding sites between amyloid polypeptide and GAGs molecules. We review the effect of GAGs on amyloid deposition as well as proteins not strictly related to diseases. In addition, we consider the potential of the GAGs therapy in amyloidosis.
Propane Dehydrogenation Catalyzed by ZSM-5 Zeolites. A Mechanistic Study Based on the Selective Energy Transfer (SET) Theory
Authors: Larsson Ragnar
Published: February 2015

Experimentally determined activation energies of propane dehydrogenation catalyzed by ZSM-5 zeolites have been used to test the SET theory. The basis of this theory is that the catalyst system transfers vibrational energy via a resonance process to a specific vibration mode of the reacting molecule. Being excited up to a certain number of vibrational quanta the molecule is brought to reaction. By analyzing the above-mentioned activation energies we found the wave number of this “specific mode” to be 1065 cm−1. This is very close to the rocking vibration of propane (1053 cm−1). We suggest that the propane molecule reacts when excited so that the CH3 group has been forced towards a flat structure with a carbon atom hybridization that is more sp2 than sp3. Consequently there is no way for three H-atoms to bind to the carbon and one of them must leave. This is the starting point of the reaction. The isokinetic temperature of the system was found as Tiso = 727 ± 4 K. From the SET formula for Tiso when both energy-donating (ω) and energy-accepting (ν) vibrations have the same frequency, viz., Tiso = Nhcν/2R, we obtain ν = ω = 1011 ± 6 cm−1. This agrees rather well with the CH3 rocking mode (1053 cm−1) and also with asymmetric “TO4” stretching vibrations of the zeolite structure (ω).
Anti-Tuberculous Activity of Treponemycin Produced by a Streptomyces Strain MS-6-6 Isolated from Saudi Arabia
Authors: Yassien Mahmoud , Abdallah Hossam , El-Halawany Ali , Jiman-Fatani Asif
Published: February 2015

A Streptomyces strain MS-6-6 with promising anti-tuberculous activity was isolated from soil samples in Saudi Arabia. The nucleotide sequence of its 16S rRNA gene (1426 bp) evidenced a 100% similarity to Streptomyces mutabilis. Through an anti-tuberculous activity-guided approach, a polyketide macrolide was isolated and identified as treponemycin (TP). The structure of the isolated compound was determined by comprehensive analyses of its 1D and 2D NMR as well as HRESI-MS. In addition to the promising anti-tuberculous activity (MIC = 13.3 µg/mL), TP showed broad spectrum of activity against the Gram positive, Gram negative strains, and Candida albicans. Improvement of TP productivity (150%) was achieved through modification in liquid starch nitrate medium by replacing KNO3 with corn steep liquor and yeast extract or tryptone, and removing CaCO3 and K2HPO4. The follow up of TP percentage as well as its metabolites profile for each media was assessed by LC/DAD/MS.
Automation Aspects for the Georeferencing of Photogrammetric Aerial Image Archives in Forested Scenes
Authors: Nurminen Kimmo , Litkey Paula , Honkavaara Eija , Vastaranta Mikko , Holopainen Markus , Lyytikäinen-Saarenmaa Päivi , Kantola Tuula , Lyytikäinen Minna
Published: February 2015

Photogrammetric aerial film image archives are scanned into digital form in many countries. These data sets offer an interesting source of information for scientists from different disciplines. The objective of this investigation was to contribute to the automation of a generation of 3D environmental model time series when using small-scale airborne image archives, especially in forested scenes. Furthermore, we investigated the usability of dense digital surface models (DSMs) generated using these data sets as well as the uncertainty propagation of the DSMs. A key element in the automation is georeferencing. It is obvious that for images captured years apart, it is essential to find ground reference locations that have changed as little as possible. We studied a 68-year-long aerial image time series in a Finnish Karelian forestland. The quality of candidate ground locations was evaluated by comparing digital DSMs created from the images to an airborne laser scanning (ALS)-originated reference DSM. The quality statistics of DSMs were consistent with the expectations; the estimated median root mean squared error for height varied between 0.3 and 2 m, indicating a photogrammetric modelling error of 0.1‰ with respect to flying height for data sets collected since the 1980s, and 0.2‰ for older data sets. The results show that of the studied land cover classes, “peatland without trees” changed the least over time and is one of the most promising candidates to serve as a location for automatic ground control measurement. Our results also highlight some potential challenges in the process as well as possible solutions. Our results indicate that using modern photogrammetric techniques, it is possible to reconstruct 3D environmental model time series using photogrammetric image archives in a highly automated way.
A Pressure Sensing System for Heart Rate Monitoring with Polymer-Based Pressure Sensors and An Anti-Interference Post Processing Circuit
Authors: Shu Yi , Li Cheng , Wang Zhe , Mi Wentian , Li Yuxing , Ren Tian-Ling
Published: February 2015

Heart rate measurement is a basic and important issue for either medical diagnosis or daily health monitoring. In this work great efforts have been focused on realizing a portable, comfortable and low cost solution for long-term domestic heart rate monitoring. A tiny but efficient measurement system composed of a polymer-based flexible pressure sensor and an analog anti-interference readout circuit is proposed; manufactured and tested. The proposed polymer-based pressure sensor has a linear response and high sensitivity of 13.4 kPa−1. With the circuit’s outstanding capability in removing interference caused by body movement and the highly sensitive flexible sensor device, comfortable long-term heart rate monitoring becomes more realistic. Comparative tests prove that the proposed system has equivalent capability (accuracy: <3%) in heart rate measurement to the commercial product.
Adaptive Data Filtering of Inertial Sensors with Variable Bandwidth
Authors: Alam Mushfiqul , Rohac Jan
Published: February 2015

MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical system)-based inertial sensors, i.e., accelerometers and angular rate sensors, are commonly used as a cost-effective solution for the purposes of navigation in a broad spectrum of terrestrial and aerospace applications. These tri-axial inertial sensors form an inertial measurement unit (IMU), which is a core unit of navigation systems. Even if MEMS sensors have an advantage in their size, cost, weight and power consumption, they suffer from bias instability, noisy output and insufficient resolution. Furthermore, the sensor’s behavior can be significantly affected by strong vibration when it operates in harsh environments. All of these constitute conditions require treatment through data processing. As long as the navigation solution is primarily based on using only inertial data, this paper proposes a novel concept in adaptive data pre-processing by using a variable bandwidth filtering. This approach utilizes sinusoidal estimation to continuously adapt the filtering bandwidth of the accelerometer’s data in order to reduce the effects of vibration and sensor noise before attitude estimation is processed. Low frequency vibration generally limits the conditions under which the accelerometers can be used to aid the attitude estimation process, which is primarily based on angular rate data and, thus, decreases its accuracy. In contrast, the proposed pre-processing technique enables using accelerometers as an aiding source by effective data smoothing, even when they are affected by low frequency vibration. Verification of the proposed concept is performed on simulation and real-flight data obtained on an ultra-light aircraft. The results of both types of experiments confirm the suitability of the concept for inertial data pre-processing.
Mini-UAV Based Sensory System for Measuring Environmental Variables in Greenhouses
Authors: Roldán Juan , Joossen Guillaume , Sanz David , Del Cerro Jaime , Barrientos Antonio
Published: February 2015

This paper describes the design, construction and validation of a mobile sensory platform for greenhouse monitoring. The complete system consists of a sensory system on board a small quadrotor (i.e., a four rotor mini-UAV). The goals of this system include taking measures of temperature, humidity, luminosity and CO2 concentration and plotting maps of these variables. These features could potentially allow for climate control, crop monitoring or failure detection (e.g., a break in a plastic cover). The sensors have been selected by considering the climate and plant growth models and the requirements for their integration onboard the quadrotor. The sensors layout and placement have been determined through a study of quadrotor aerodynamics and the influence of the airflows from its rotors. All components of the system have been developed, integrated and tested through a set of field experiments in a real greenhouse. The primary contributions of this paper are the validation of the quadrotor as a platform for measuring environmental variables and the determination of the optimal location of sensors on a quadrotor.
GIS-Based Synthetic Measurement of Sustainable Development in Loess Plateau Ecologically Fragile Area—Case of Qingyang, China
Authors: Lu Chenyu , Wang Chunjuan , Zhu Weili , Li Hengji , Li Yongjin , Lu Chengpeng
Published: February 2015

Synthetic measurement of regional sustainable development has been one of the key issues in the research field of sustainability. In this paper, Qingyang City located in the Loess Plateau ecologically fragile area of Northwest China is used for a case study, and the present study aims to investigate the degree of sustainable development by conducting temporal- and spatial-scale based analysis, with the assessment index system, assessment model and GIS approach well integrated. The results show that the development pattern of Qingyang generally fits the mode of unsustainable development, even in the presence of certain levels of spatial differences. The sustainable development state in ecologically fragile area of China’s Loess Plateau is non-optimistic, which is an uncoordinated status among subsystems of regional sustainable development. Although the level and tendency of regional sustainable development keeps increasing, such enhancement is abnormal. With the rapid deterioration of environmental and natural resources, their inhibitory effect on the economy and society would expand, eventually leading to the slow development rate or the recession of the entire system. The only solution is to change the traditional mode of economic development, to follow the guide of ecological economic conception so that the goal of achieving regional sustainable development strategies could be met ultimately. Meanwhile, the characteristics of different regions should be taken into account in order to achieve optimal spatial structure.
Supplier Selection Problems in Fashion Business Operations with Sustainability Considerations
Authors: Jia Peng , Govindan Kannan , Choi Tsan-Ming , Rajendran Sivakumar
Published: February 2015

In recent years, sustainability has been a major focus of fashion business operations because fashion industry development causes harmful effects to the environment, both indirectly and directly. The sustainability of the fashion industry is generally based on several levels and this study focuses on investigating the optimal supplier selection problem for sustainable materials supply in fashion clothing production. Following the ground rule that sustainable development is based on the Triple Bottom Line (TBL), this paper has framed twelve criteria from the economic, environmental and social perspectives for evaluating suppliers. The well-established multi-criteria decision making tool Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is employed for ranking potential suppliers among the pool of suppliers. Through a real case study, the proposed approach has been applied and some managerial implications are derived.
Crystallography and Magnetic Phenomena
Authors: Kopský Vojtěch
Published: February 2015

This essay describes the development of groups used for the specification of symmetries from ordinary and magnetic point groups to Fedorov and magnetic space groups, as well as other varieties of groups useful in the study of symmetric objects. In particular, we consider the problem of some incorrectness in Vol. A of the International Tables for Crystallography. Some results of tensor calculus are presented in connection with magnetoelectric phenomena, where we demonstrate the use of Ascher’s trinities and Opechowski’s magic relations and their connection. Specific tensor decomposition calculations on the grounds of Clebsch Gordan products are illustrated.
Determination of Organ Doses in Radioiodine Therapy using Monte Carlo Simulation
Authors: Shahbazi-Gahrouei Daryoush , Ayat Saba
Published: February 2015

Radioactive iodine treatment is a type of internal radiotherapy that has been used effectively for the treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer after thyroidectomy. The limit of this method is its affects on critical organs, and hence dosimetry is necessary to consider the risk of this treatment. Scope of this work is the measurement of absorbed doses of critical organs by Monte Carlo simulation and comparing the results with other methods of dosimetry such as direct dosimetry and Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) method. To calculate absorbed doses of vital organs (thyroid, sternum and cervical vertebrae) via Monte Carlo, a mathematical phantom was used. Since iodine 131 ( 131 I) emmits photon and beta particle, FNx01F8 tallies, which give results in MeV were applied and the results were later converted to cGy by dividing by the mass within the cell and multiplying by 1.6E-8. The absorbed dose obtained by Monte Carlo simulations for 100, 150 and 175 mCi administered 131 I was found to be 388.0, 427.9 and 444.8 cGy for thyroid, 208.7, 230.1 and 239.3 cGy for sternum and 272.1, 299.9 and 312.1 cGy for cervical vertebrae. The results of Monte Carlo simulation method had no significant difference with the results obtained via direct dosimetry using thermoluminescent dosimeter-100 and MIRD method. Hence, Monte Carlo is a suitable method for dosimetry in radioiodine therapy.
Focal Colonic FDG Activity with PET/CT: Guidelines for Recommendation of Colonoscopy
Authors: Liu Tianye , Behr Spencer , Khan Sana , Osterhoff Robert , Aparici Carina
Published: February 2015

Focal 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) colonic activity can be incidentally seen in positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans. Its clinical significance is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to assess the significance of focal FDG activity in PET/CT scans by correlating the imaging findings to colonoscopy results, and come up with some guidelines for recommendation of follow-up colonoscopy. A total of 133 patients who underwent both 18 F-FDG PET/CT for different oncological indications and colonoscopy within 3 months were retrospectively studied. Imaging, colonoscopy and pathology results were analyzed. Of the 133 FDG-PET/CT scans, 109/133 (82%) did not show focal colonic FDG activity, and 24/133 (18%) did. Of the 109/133 PET/CTs without focal colonic FDG activity, 109/109 (100%) did not have evidence of colon cancer after colonoscopy and histology. Of the 24/133 PET/CTs with focal colonic FDG activity, 10/24 (42%) had pathologic confirmation of colon cancer and 14/24 (58%) did not have evidence of colon cancer after colonoscopy and histological analysis. Sensitivity was 10/10 (100%), specificity 109/123 (89%), positive predictive value (PPV) 10/24 (42%) and negative predictive value (NPV) 109/109 (100%). Incidental focal 18 FDG activity in PET/CT imaging shows a high sensitivity, specificity and NPV for malignancy, with a not so high PPV of 42%. Although some people would argue that a 42% chance of malignancy justifies colonoscopy, this maybe is not possible in all cases. However, the high sensitivity of the test does not allow these studies to be overlooked. We provide our recommendations as per when to send patients with focal FDG colonic activity to have further characterization with colonoscopy.
Ultrasonographic Tendon Alteration in Relation to Parathyroid Dysfunction in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Hussein Dahlia A. , El-Azizi Noran O. , Meged Ali H. Abdel , Al-Hoseiny Sameh A. , Hamada Abdelhady M. , Sabry Moshira H.
Published: February 2015

Objective

To find the nature of tendon involvement in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients on regular hemodialysis (RD), and its relationship to parathyroid hormone (PTH) level using ultrasonography (US).

Method

A total of 50 CKD patients on RD subjected to musculoskeletal examination of knee and ankle, laboratory evaluation, and US of quadriceps tendon and Achilles tendon were involved.

Results

Ankle joint tenderness was the most frequent sign on examination. US of the Achilles tendons showed tenderness during probing in 44% patients, calcific deposition in 24% patients, abnormal peritendon tissue in 20% patients, and abnormal anteroposterior (A-P) middle and distal one-third thicknesses of the Achilles tendon in 20% and 18% patients, respectively. PTH positively correlated with the duration of dialysis, serum phosphorus level, presence of calcific deposit, and increased thickness of the Achilles tendon.

Conclusion

The most common ultrasonographic finding in CKD patients on RD was Achilles tendon tenderness during probing. PTH level positively correlated with the duration of dialysis, presence of calcific deposit, and increased thickness of Achilles tendon.
Dirac operators and geodesic metric on the harmonic Sierpinski gasket and other fractal sets
Authors: Lapidus Michel L. , Sarhad Jonathan J.
Published: February 2015

We construct Dirac operators and spectral triples for certain, not necessarily selfsimilar, fractal sets built on curves. Connes’ distance formula of noncommutative geometry provides a natural metric on the fractal. To motivate the construction, we address Kigami’s measurable Riemannian geometry, which is a metric realization of the Sierpinski gasket as a self-affne space with continuously differentiable geodesics. As a fractal analog of Connes’ theorem for a compact Riemmanian manifold, it is proved that the natural metric coincides with Kigami’s geodesic metric. This present work extends to the harmonic gasket and other fractals built on curves a significant part of the earlier results of E. Christensen, C. Ivan, and the first author obtained, in particular, for the Euclidean Sierpinski gasket. (As is now well known, the harmonic gasket, unlike the Euclidean gasket, is ideally suited to analysis on fractals. It can be viewed as the Euclidean gasket in harmonic coordinates.) Our current, broader framework allows for a variety of potential applications to geometric analysis on fractal manifolds.
Kirchberg $X$-algebras with real rank zero and intermediate cancellation
Authors: Bentmann Rasmus
Published: February 2015

A universal coefficient theorem is proved for

C^*

-algebras over an arbitrary finite

T_0

-space

X

which have vanishing boundary maps. Under bootstrap assumptions, this leads to a complete classification of unital/stable real-rank-zero Kirchberg

X

-algebras with intermediate cancellation. Range results are obtained for (unital) purely infinite graph

C^*

-algebras with intermediate cancellation and Cuntz–Krieger algebras with intermediate cancellation. Permanence results for extensions of these classes follow.
Combinatorial descent data for gerbes
Authors: Yekutieli Amnon
Published: February 2015

We consider descent data in cosimplicial crossed groupoids. This is a combinatorial abstraction of the descent data for gerbes in algebraic geometry. The main result is this: a weak equivalence between cosimplicial crossed groupoids induces a bijection on gauge equivalence classes of descent data.
On universal gradings, versal gradings and Schurian generated categories
Authors: Cibils Claude , Redondo María Julia , Solotar Andrea
Published: February 2015

Categories over a field

k

can be graded by different groups in a connected way; we consider morphisms between these gradings in order to define the fundamental grading group. We prove that this group is isomorphic to the fundamental group
à la Grothendieck
as considered in previous papers. In case the

k

-category is Schurian generated we prove that a universal grading exists. Examples of non-Schurian generated categories with universal grading, versal grading or none of them are considered.
Noncommutative unfolding of hypersurface singularity
Authors: Hinich Vladimir , Lemberg Dan
Published: February 2015

A version of Kontsevich formality theorem is proven for smooth DG algebras. As an application of this, it is proven that any quasiclassical datum of noncommutative unfolding of an isolated surface singularity can be quantized.
Cyclic homology, tight crossed products, and small stabilizations
Authors: Cortiñas Guillermo
Published: February 2015

In [1] we associated an algebra

\Gamma^\infty (\mathfrak A)

to every bornological algebra

\mathfrak A

and an ideal

I_{S(\mathfrak A)}\vartriangleleft \Gamma^\infty (\mathfrak A)

to every symmetric ideal

S\vartriangleleft \ell^{infty}

. We showed that

I_{S(\mathfrak A)}

has

K

-theoretical properties which are similar to those of the usual stabilization with respect to the ideal

J_S\vartriangleleft \mathcal B

of the algebra

\mathcal B

of bounded operators in Hilbert space which corresponds to

S

under Calkin's correspondence. In the current article we compute the relative cyclic homology

HC_*(\Gamma^\infty (\mathfrak A):I_{S(\mathfrak A)})

. Using these calculations, and the results of
loc. cit.
, we prove that if

\mathfrak A

is a

C^*

-algebra and

c_0

the symmetric ideal of sequences vanishing at infinity, then

K_*(I_{c_0(\mathfrak A)})

is homotopy invariant, and that if

*\ge 0

, it contains

K^{\top}_*(\mathfrak A)

as a direct summand. This is a weak analogue of the Suslin-Wodzicki theorem [20] that says that for the ideal

\mathcal K=J_{c_0}

of compact operators and the

C^*

-algebra tensor product

\mathfrak A\overset{\sim}{\otimes}\mathcal K

, we have

K_*(\mathfrak A\overset{\sim}{\otimes} \mathcal K)=K^{\top}_*(\mathfrak A)

. Similarly, we prove that if

\mathfrak A

is a unital Banach algebra and

\ell^{\infty-}=\bigcup_{q<\infty}\ell^q

, then

K_*(I_{\ell^{\infty-}(\mathfrak A)})

is invariant under Hölder continuous homotopies, and that for

*\ge 0

it contains

K^{\top}_*(\mathfrak A)

as a direct summand. These

K

-theoretic results are obtained from cyclic homology computations. We also compute the relative cyclic homology groups

HC_*(\Gamma^\infty (\mathfrak A):I_{S(\mathfrak A}))

in terms of

HC_*(\ell^{infty}(\mathfrak A):S(\mathfrak A))

for general

\mathfrak A

and

S

. For

\mathfrak A=\mathbb C

and general

S

, we further compute the latter groups in terms of algebraic differential forms. We prove that the map

HC_n(\Gamma^\infty (\mathbb C):I_{S(\mathbb C)})\to HC_n(\mathcal B:J_S)

is an isomorphism in many cases.