bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Catalytic Pyrolysis of Chilean Oak: Influence of Brønsted Acid Sites of Chilean Natural Zeolite
Authors: Alejandro Martín Serguei , Cerda-Barrera Cristian , Montecinos Adan
Published: November 2017

This paper proposes the Chilean natural zeolite as catalyst on bio-oil upgrade processes. The aim of this study was to analyze chemical composition of bio-oil samples obtained from catalytic pyrolysis of Chilean native oak in order to increase bio-oil stability during storage. In order to identify chemical compounds before and after storage, biomass pyrolysis was carried out in a fixed bed reactor at 623 K and bio-oil samples were characterized by gas chromatography/mass spectrophotometry (GC/MS). A bio-oil fractionation method was successfully applied here. Results indicate that bio-oil viscosity decreases due to active sites on the zeolite framework. Active acids sites were associated with an increment of alcohols, aldehydes, and hydrocarbon content during storage. Higher composition on aldehydes and alcohols after storage could be attributed to the occurrence of carbonyl reduction reactions that promotes them. These reactions are influenced by zeolite surface characteristics and could be achieved via the direct contribution of Brønsted acid sites to Chilean natural zeolite.
Using Density Functional Theory to Model Realistic TiO2 Nanoparticles, Their Photoactivation and Interaction with Water
Authors: Selli Daniele , Fazio Gianluca , Di Valentin Cristiana
Published: November 2017

Computational modeling of titanium dioxide nanoparticles of realistic size is extremely relevant for the direct comparison with experiments but it is also a rather demanding task. We have recently worked on a multistep/scale procedure to obtain global optimized minimum structures for chemically stable spherical titania nanoparticles of increasing size, with diameter from 1.5 nm (~300 atoms) to 4.4 nm (~4000 atoms). We use first self-consistent-charge density functional tight-binding (SCC-DFTB) methodology to perform thermal annealing simulations to obtain globally optimized structures and then hybrid density functional theory (DFT) to refine them and to achieve high accuracy in the description of structural and electronic properties. This allows also to assess SCC-DFTB performance in comparison with DFT(B3LYP) results. As a further step, we investigate photoexcitation and photoemission processes involving electron/hole pair formation, separation, trapping and recombination in the nanosphere of medium size by hybrid DFT. Finally, we show how a recently defined new set of parameters for SCC-DFTB allows for a proper description of titania/water multilayers interface, which paves the way for modeling large realistic nanoparticles in aqueous environment.
Bronchitis and Its Associated Risk Factors in First Nations Children
Authors: Karunanayake Chandima , Rennie Donna , Ramsden Vivian , Fenton Mark , Kirychuk Shelley , Lawson Joshua , Henderson Raina , Jimmy Laurie , Seeseequasis Jeremy , Abonyi Sylvia , Dosman James , Pahwa Punam ,   The First Nations Lung Health Project Research Team
Published: November 2017

Respiratory diseases, such as bronchitis and pneumonia, are common in First Nations children in Canada. The objectives are to determine prevalence and associated risk factors of bronchitis in children 6–17 years old residing in two reserve communities. The cross-sectional study was conducted in 2013 and children from two First Nations reserve communities participated. The outcome was ever presence/absence of bronchitis. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between bronchitis and the individual and environmental factors. A total of 351 First Nations children participated in the study. The prevalence of bronchitis was 17.9%. While 86.6% had at least one parent who smoked, smoking inside home was 43.9%. Signs of mold and mildew in homes were high. Prevalence of houses with any damage caused by dampness was 42.2%, with 44.2% of homes showing signs of mold or mildew. Significant predictors of increased risk of bronchitis were: being obese; having respiratory allergies; exposed to parental cigarette smoking; and signs of mold and mildew in the home. There are several modifiable risk factors that should be considered when examining preventive interventions for bronchitis including obesity, smoking exposure, and home mold or dampness.
Flexible Thermoelectric Composite Films of Polypyrrole Nanotubes Coated Paper
Authors: Li Jun , Du Yong , Jia Runping , Xu Jiayue , Shen Shirley
Published: November 2017

Flexible thermoelectric composite films of polypyrrole (PPy) nanotubes coated paper were fabricated by an in-situ polymerization procedure using methyl orange as a template and paper as the substrate for the first time. Both the electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient of the polypyrrole nanotubes coated paper composite films have been enhanced (from ~0.048 S/cm to ~0.068 S/cm and from ~5.34 μV/K to ~8.21 μV/K for the average value for three measurements, respectively) as the temperature increased from ~300 K to ~370 K, which lead to the same trend of the power factor. The thermal conductivity of the polypyrrole nanotubes coated composite films was very low (~0.1275 W·m−1·K−1 at ~300 K), and a highest ZT (material’s dimensionless figure of merit (S2σT/κ)) value of 3.2 × 10−7 was obtained at ~370 K.
Shale Gas Content Calculation of the Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Southeastern Ordos Basin, China
Authors: Su Jiao , Shen Yingchu , Hao Jin , Liu Bo
Published: November 2017

Shale gas content is the key parameter for shale gas potential evaluation and favorable area prediction. Therefore, it is very important to determine shale gas content accurately. Generally, we use the US Bureau of Mines (USBM) method for coal reservoirs to calculate the gas content of shale reservoirs. However, shale reservoirs are different from coal reservoirs in depth, pressure, core collection, etc. This method would inevitably cause problems. In order to make the USBM method more suitable for shale reservoirs, an improved USBM method is put forward on the basis of systematic analysis of core pressure history and temperature history during shale gas degassing. The improved USBM method modifies the calculation method of the gas loss time, and determines the temperature balance time of water heating. In addition, we give the calculation method of adsorption gas content and free gas content, especially the new method of calculating the oil dissolved gas content and water dissolved gas content that are easily neglected. We used the direct method (USBM and the improved USBM) and the indirect method (including the calculation of adsorption gas, free gas and the dissolved gas method) to calculate the shale gas content of 16 shale samples of the Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Southeastern Ordos Basin, China. The results of the improved USBM method show that the total shale gas content is high, with an average of 3.97 m3/t, and the lost shale gas content is the largest proportion with an average of 62%. The total shale gas content calculated by the improved USBM method is greater than that of the USBM method. The results of the indirect method show that the total shale gas content is large, with an average of 4.11 m3/t, and the adsorption shale gas content is the largest proportion with an average of 71%. The oil dissolved shale gas content which should be paid attention to accounts for about 7.8%. The discrepancy between the direct method and indirect method is reduced by using the improved USBM method, and the improved USBM method could be more practical and accurate than the USBM method.
Dynamic Equivalent Modeling of a Grid-Tied Microgrid Based on Characteristic Model and Measurement Data
Authors: Cai Changchun , Liu Haolin , Dai Weili , Deng Zhixiang , Zhang Jianyong , Deng Lihua
Published: November 2017

Microgrids can significantly improve the utilization of distributed generation (DG) and the reliability of the power supply. However, in the grid-tied operational mode, the interaction between the microgrid and the distribution network cannot be ignored. The paper proposes an equivalent modeling method for the microgrid under grid-tied mode based on a characteristic model. It can simplify the microgrid model in the numerical simulation of the distribution network. The proposed equivalent model can present the dynamic response of a microgrid but not miss any of its primary characteristics. The characteristic model is represented by a low-order time-varying differential equation with the same characteristics of the original microgrid system. During the modeling process, the voltage and the power exchanged between the microgrid and distribution network are collected as the training data for the identification of model parameters. A recursive damped least squares algorithm (RDLS) is used for the parameter identification. A microgrid system containing different DGs is built to test the proposed modeling method in DIgSILENT, and the results show that the proposed dynamic equivalent modeling method is effective and the characteristic model can present the dynamic behaviors of the detailed model of a microgrid.
Research on Exergy Flow Composition and Exergy Loss Mechanisms for Waxy Crude Oil Pipeline Transport Processes
Authors: Cheng Qinglin , Gan Yifan , Su Wenkun , Liu Yang , Sun Wei , Xu Ying
Published: November 2017

The basic theory of exergy was used to derive the formulae of physical and chemical exergy in the process of pipeline transportation, combined with the effect of wax deposition on the thermodynamic parameters including specific heat, density, chemical potential and concentration gradient. On the basis of this, the expression of various exergy losses were derived, and the exergy balance model was then built in the process. For the case study, a waxy crude oil pipeline in China was selected. The mechanism for how wax deposition affected the physical and chemical exergy loss was studied through analyzing the axial pipeline distribution of pressure, temperature, flow rate and thickness of insulation layer. Finally, under the design flow of 66 × 103 kg·h−1, the orthogonal experimental analysis method was used for comparing the degree of specific factors which could influence the total exergy efficiency. The highest exergy efficiency combination of working conditions was then determined. This research could provide a theoretical basis for guiding safe and economic operation in the actual pipeline transportation process.
Asynchronous Fault Location in Transmission Lines Considering Accurate Variation of the Ground-Mode Traveling Wave Velocity
Authors: Liang Rui , Yang Zhi , Peng Nan , Liu Chenglei , Zare Firuz
Published: November 2017

This paper proposes a grounding fault location method in transmission lines based on time difference of arrival (TDOA) of ground-mode and aerial-mode traveling waves (TWs). The frequency-dependent characteristics of transmission lines cause different frequencies to have different attenuations and phase lags of different frequency components in traveling waves, which leads to the change of TWs velocities with different propagation distances. Due to these different propagation paths, the wave velocity variations of ground-mode should be considered as a main variable while the velocity of aerial-mode can be seen as a constant factor. A quadratic function that can illustrate the tendency of variation of ground-mode wave velocity is proposed by considering the relation between the wave velocity and fault distance. The least squares method is used to solve the quadratic function of different lines. Combining the quadratic formula and the incident TWs of each mode detected at both terminals of the line, a novel fault location method is proposed. First, according to the maximum and minimum ground-mode velocities, a fault scope can be acquired. Then, more accurate fault scopes and ground-mode velocities can be obtained by iteration computation. Finally, an accurate fault position is acquired when the fault scope is sufficiently small. PSCAD/EMTDC software is used to conduct fault simulations in order to verify the feasibility and accuracy of the method.
Study and Optimization of Design Parameters in Water Loop Heat Pump Systems for Office Buildings in the Iberian Peninsula
Authors: Fernández Francisco , Folgueras María , Suárez Inés
Published: November 2017

Water loop heat pump (WLHP) air conditioning systems use heat pumps connected to a common water circuit to fulfill the energy demands of different thermal zones in a building. In this study, the energy consumption was analyzed for the air conditioning of an office building in the typical climate of four important cities of the Iberian Peninsula. The energy consumption of one water loop heat pump system was compared with a conventional water system. Two design parameters, the range in the control temperatures and the water loop thermal storage size, were tested. Energy redistribution is an important advantage of the WLHP system, but significant savings came from high efficiency parameters in the heat pumps and minor air flow rates in the cooling tower. The low thermal level in the water loop makes this technology appropriate to combine with renewable sources. Using natural gas as the thermal energy source, a mean decrease in CO2 emissions of 8.1% was reached. Simulations showed that the installation of big thermal storage tanks generated small energy savings. Besides, the total annual consumption in buildings with high internal loads can be reduced by keeping the water loop as cool as possible.
A Novel Fault Early Warning Model Based on Fault Gene Table for Smart Distribution Grids
Authors: Xiang Min , Min Jie , Wang Zaiqian , Gao Pan
Published: November 2017

Since a smart distribution grid has a diversity of components and complicated topology; it is very hard to achieve fault early warning for each part. A fault early warning model for smart distribution grid combining a back propagation (BP) neural network with a gene sequence alignment algorithm is proposed. Firstly; the operational state of smart distribution grid is divided into four states; and a BP neural network is adopted to explore the operational state from the historical fault data of the smart distribution grid. This obtains the relationship between each state transition time sequence and corresponding fault, and is used to construct the fault gene table. Then; a state transition time sequence is obtained online periodically, which is matched with each gene in fault gene table by an improved Smith–Waterman algorithm. If the maximum match score exceeds the given threshold, the relevant fault will be detected early. Finally, plenty of time domain simulation is performed on the proposed fault early warning model to IEEE-14 bus. The simulation results show that the proposed model can achieve efficient early fault warning of smart distribution grids.
Impacts of Global Change on Mediterranean Forests and Their Services
Authors: Peñuelas Josep , Sardans Jordi , Filella Iolanda , Estiarte Marc , Llusià Joan , Ogaya Romà , Carnicer Jofre , Bartrons Mireia , Rivas-Ubach Albert , Grau Oriol , Peguero Guille , Margalef Olga , Pla-Rabés Sergi , Stefanescu Constantí , Asensio Dolores , Preece Catherine , Liu Lei , Verger Aleixandre , Barbeta Adrià , Achotegui-Castells Ander , Gargallo-Garriga Albert , Sperlich Dominik , Farré-Armengol Gerard , Fernández-Martínez Marcos , Liu Daijun , Zhang Chao , Urbina Ifigenia , Camino-Serrano Marta , Vives-Ingla Maria , Stocker Benjamin , Balzarolo Manuela , Guerrieri Rossella , Peaucelle Marc , Marañón-Jiménez Sara , Bórnez-Mejías Kevin , Mu Zhaobin , Descals Adrià , Castellanos Alejandro , Terradas Jaume
Published: November 2017

The increase in aridity, mainly by decreases in precipitation but also by higher temperatures, is likely the main threat to the diversity and survival of Mediterranean forests. Changes in land use, including the abandonment of extensive crop activities, mainly in mountains and remote areas, and the increases in human settlements and demand for more resources with the resulting fragmentation of the landscape, hinder the establishment of appropriate management tools to protect Mediterranean forests and their provision of services and biodiversity. Experiments and observations indicate that if changes in climate, land use and other components of global change, such as pollution and overexploitation of resources, continue, the resilience of many forests will likely be exceeded, altering their structure and function and changing, mostly decreasing, their capacity to continue to provide their current services. A consistent assessment of the impacts of the changes, however, remains elusive due to the difficulty of obtaining simultaneous and complete data for all scales of the impacts in the same forests, areas and regions. We review the impacts of climate change and other components of global change and their interactions on the terrestrial forests of Mediterranean regions, with special attention to their impacts on ecosystem services. Management tools for counteracting the negative effects of global change on Mediterranean ecosystem- services are finally discussed.
Preliminary Results on Light Conditions Manipulation in Octopus vulgaris (Cuvier, 1797) Paralarval Rearing
Authors: Garrido Diego , Reis Diana , Orol Diego , Gonçalves Rui , Martín M. , Sykes António , Rodríguez Covadonga , Felipe Beatriz , Zheng Xiaodong , Lagos Luis , Almansa Eduardo
Published: November 2017

High paralarvae mortality is a major bottleneck currently hindering the control over the lifecycle of common octopus (Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797). It is believed that this problem might be related to either zoo-technical and/or nutritional aspects. The present paper is focused on the study of different zoo-technical aspects related to light conditions on the rearing of paralarvae, including the effects of polarization in prey ingestion, the use of a blue filter to simulate natural conditions, and the use of focused light to avoid reflections of the rearing tank’s walls. In the first experiment, O. vulgaris paralarvae ingestion of Artemia sp. and copepods (Tisbe sp.) was assessed under either normal or polarized light. In the second experiment, the effect of a blue filter with natural light or focused artificial light on growth and mortality was assessed over 15 days of rearing. Ingestion rate was not influenced by light polarization. Nonetheless, a significantly higher ingestion of Artemia sp. with respect to copepods was observed. The blue filter promoted the use of natural light conditions in Octopus paralarval culture, while focused light reduced the collision of the paralarvae against the walls. However, no significant differences were found in paralarval growth nor survival.
Epigenetic Basis of Cellular Senescence and Its Implications in Aging
Authors: Nacarelli Timothy , Liu Pingyu , Zhang Rugang
Published: November 2017

Cellular senescence is a tumor suppressive response that has become recognized as a major contributor of tissue aging. Senescent cells undergo a stable proliferative arrest that protects against neoplastic transformation, but acquire a secretory phenotype that has long-term deleterious effects. Studies are still unraveling the effector mechanisms that underlie these senescence responses with the goal to identify therapeutic interventions. Such effector mechanisms have been linked to the dramatic remodeling in the epigenetic and chromatin landscape that accompany cellular senescence. We discuss these senescence-associated epigenetic changes and their impact on the senescence phenotypes, notably the proliferative arrest and senescence associated secretory phenotype (SASP). We also explore possible epigenetic targets to suppress the deleterious effects of senescent cells that contribute towards aging.
Characterization of the Transcriptome and Gene Expression of Tetraploid Black Locust Cuttings in Response to Etiolation
Authors: Lu Nan , Dai Li , Luo Zijing , Wang Shaoming , Wen Yanzhong , Duan Hongjing , Hou Rongxuan , Sun Yuhan , Li Yun
Published: November 2017

Etiolation (a process of growing plants in partial or complete absence of light) promotes adventitious root formation in tetraploid black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) cuttings. We investigated the mechanism underlying how etiolation treatment promotes adventitious root formation in tetraploid black locust and assessed global transcriptional changes after etiolation treatment. Solexa paired-end sequencing of complementary DNAs (cDNAs) from control (non-etiolated, NE) and etiolated (E) samples resulted in 107,564 unigenes. In total, 52,590 transcripts were annotated and 474 transcripts (211 upregulated and 263 downregulated) potentially involved in etiolation were differentially regulated. These genes were associated with hormone metabolism and response, photosynthesis, signaling pathways, and starch and sucrose metabolism. In addition, we also found significant differences of phytohormone contents, activity of following enzymes i.e., peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase and indole acetic acid oxidase between NE and E tissues during some cottage periods. The genes responsive to etiolation stimulus identified in this study will provide the base for further understanding how etiolation triggers adventitious roots formation in tetraploid black locus.
Overtopping of Coastal Structures by Tsunami Waves
Authors: Esteban Miguel , Glasbergen Toni , Takabatake Tomoyuki , Hofland Bas , Nishizaki Shinsaku , Nishida Yuta , Stolle Jacob , Nistor Ioan , Bricker Jeremy , Takagi Hiroshi , Shibayama Tomoya
Published: November 2017

Following the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, Japanese tsunami protection guidelines stipulate that coastal defences should ensure that settlements are shielded from the coastal inundation that would result from Level 1 tsunami events (with return periods in the order of about 100 years). However, the overtopping mechanism and leeward inundation heights of tsunami bores as they hit coastal structures has received little attention in the past. To ascertain this phenomenon, the authors conducted physical experiments using a dam-break mechanism, which could generate bores that overtopped different types of structures. The results indicate that it is necessary to move away from only considering the tsunami inundation height at the beach, and also consider the bore velocity as it approaches the onshore area. The authors also prepared a simple, conservative method of estimating the inundation height after a structure of a given height, provided that the incident bore velocity and height are known.
Investigation of Hydrogeological Structures of Paiko Region, North-Central Nigeria Using Integrated Geophysical and Remote Sensing Techniques
Authors: Ejepu Jude , Olasehinde Peter , Okhimamhe Appollonia , Okunlola Ipoola
Published: November 2017

Aeromagnetic data coupled with Landsat ETM+ data and SRTM DEM have been processed in order to map regional hydrogeological structures in the basement complex region of Paiko, North Central Nigeria. Lineaments were extracted from derivative maps of aeromagnetic, Landsat ETM+ and SRTM DEM datasets. Ground geophysical investigation utilizing Radial Vertical Electrical Sounding (RVES) was established in nine transects comprised of four sounding stations which are oriented in three azimuths. Source Parameter Imaging (SPI) was employed to map average depths of structures from aeromagnetic dataset. Selected thematic layers which included lineaments density, lithologic structure, slope, drainage density and geomorphologic maps were integrated and modeled using ArcGIS to generate a groundwater potential map of the area. Groundwater zones were classified into four categories: Very good, good, moderate and poor according to their potential to yield sustainable water to drilled wells. The results from RVES survey reveal a close correlation to lineaments delineated from surface structural mapping and remotely sensed datasets. Hydrogeological significance of these orientations suggest that aeromagnetic data can be used to map relatively deep-seated fractures which are likely to be open groundwater conduits while remotely sensed lineaments and orientations delineated from the RVES survey may indicate areas of recharge. Regions with high lineament density attributable to thick regolith and highly fractured basement have better groundwater potential. Drill depths in this area should target a minimum of 80 m to ensure sufficient and sustainable supplies to drilled wells. The outcome of this study would act as information framework that would guide the siting of productive water wells while providing needed information for relevant agencies in need of data for the development of groundwater resources.
Improving Pool Fencing Legislation in Queensland, Australia: Attitudes and Impact on Child Drowning Fatalities
Authors: Franklin Richard , Peden Amy
Published: November 2017

Four-sided, non-climbable pool fencing is an effective strategy for preventing children from drowning in home swimming pools. In 2009, the Queensland Government introduced legislation to improve the effectiveness of pool fencing. This study explores community attitudes towards the effectiveness of these legislative changes and examines child (<5 years) drowning deaths in pools. Data from the 2011 Queensland Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) Social Survey include results from questions related to pool ownership and pool fencing legislation. Fatal child drowning cases between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2015 were sourced from coronial data. Of the 1263 respondents, 26/100 households had a pool. A total of 58% believed tightening legislation would be effective in reducing child drowning deaths. Pool owners were more likely to doubt the effectiveness of legislation (p < 0.001) when compared to non-pool owners. Perceptions of effectiveness did not differ by presence of children under the age of five. There were 46 children who drowned in Queensland home pools (7.8/100,000 pools with children residing in the residence/annum) between 2005 and 2015. While pool owners were less likely to think that tightening the legislation would be effective, the number of children drowning in home swimming pools declined over the study period. Drowning prevention agencies have more work to do to ensure that the most vulnerable (young children in houses with swimming pools) are protected.
Intuitionistic Linguistic Multiple Attribute Decision-Making with Induced Aggregation Operator and Its Application to Low Carbon Supplier Selection
Authors: Liu Jun , Wu Xianbin , Zeng Shouzhen , Pan Tiejun
Published: November 2017

The main focus of this paper is to investigate the multiple attribute decision making (MADM) method under intuitionistic linguistic (IL) environment, based on induced aggregation operators and analyze possibilities for its application in low carbon supplier selection. More specifically, a new aggregation operator, called intuitionistic linguistic weighted induced ordered weighted averaging (ILWIOWA), is introduced to facilitate the IL information. Some of its desired properties are explored. A further generalization of the ILWIOWA, called intuitionistic linguistic generalized weighted induced ordered weighted averaging (ILGWIOWA), operator is developed. Furthermore, by employing the proposed operators, a MADM approach based on intuitionistic linguistic information is presented. Finally, an illustrative example concerning low carbon supplier selection and comparative analyses are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness and practicality of the proposed approach.
Radioactive Cobalt(II) Removal from Aqueous Solutions Using a Reusable Nanocomposite: Kinetic, Isotherms, and Mechanistic Study
Authors: Zhang Xiaotao , Wang Ximing , Chen Zhangjing
Published: November 2017

A lignocellulose/montmorillonite (LMT) nanocomposite was prepared as a reusable adsorbent for cobalt(II) ions, and characterized by nitrogen (N2) adsorption/desorption isotherm, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). LMT exhibited efficient adsorption of cobalt ions (Co(II)), and the adsorbed Co(II) was readily desorbed by nitric acid (HNO3). All parameters affecting the adsorption and/or desorption of Co(II), including initial Co(II) concentration, pH value, temperature, HNO3 concentration, and time, were optimized. The kinetic data analysis showed that the adsorption followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and fit well into the Langmuir isotherm equation. Notably, the nanocomposite can be used four times without significantly losing adsorbent capability. The Energy-Dispersive X-ray (EDX) and FTIR spectra analysis also revealed that the adsorption mechanism may be mainly a chemical adsorption dominated process.
Recent Advances of Structures Monitoring and Evaluation Using GPS-Time Series Monitoring Systems: A Review
Authors: Kaloop Mosbeh , Elbeltagi Emad , Hu Jong , Elrefai Ahmed
Published: November 2017

This paper presents the recent development in Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) applications for monitoring the dynamic behavior of structures using the Global Positioning Systems (GPS) technique. GPS monitoring systems for real-time kinematic (RTK), precise point positioning (PPP) and the sampling frequency development of GPS measurements are summarized for time series analysis. Recent proposed time series GPS monitoring systems, errors sources and mitigation, as well as system analysis and identification, are presented and discussed.
Supporting Indoor Navigation Using Access Rights to Spaces Based on Combined Use of IndoorGML and LADM Models
Authors: Alattas Abdullah , Zlatanova Sisi , Van Oosterom Peter , Chatzinikolaou Efstathia , Lemmen Christiaan , Li Ki-Joune
Published: November 2017

The aim of this research is to investigate the combined use of IndoorGML and the Land Administration Domain Model (LADM) to define the accessibility of the indoor spaces based on the ownership and/or the functional right for use. The users of the indoor spaces create a relationship with the space depending on the type of the building and the function of the spaces. The indoor spaces of each building have different usage functions and associated users. By defining the user types of the indoor spaces, LADM makes it possible to establish a relationship between the indoor spaces and the users. LADM assigns rights, restrictions, and responsibilities to each indoor space, which indicates the accessible spaces for each type of user. The three-dimensional (3D) geometry of the building will be impacted by assigning such functional rights, and will provide additional knowledge to path computation for an individual or a group of users. As a result, the navigation process will be more appropriate and simpler because the navigation path will avoid all of the non-accessible spaces based on the rights of the party. The combined use of IndoorGML and LADM covers a broad range of information classes: (indoor 3D) cell spaces, connectivity, spatial units/boundaries, (access/use) rights and restrictions, parties/persons/actors, and groups of them. The new specialized classes for individual students, individual staff members, groups of students, groups of staff members are able to represent cohorts of education programmes and the organizational structure (organogram: faculty, department, group). The model is capable to represent the access times to lecture rooms (based on education/teaching schedules), use rights of meeting rooms, opening hours of offices, etc. The two original standard models remain independent in our approach, we do not propose yet another model, but applications can fully benefit of the potential of the combined use, which is an important contribution of this paper. The main purpose of the combined use model is to support the indoor navigation, but could also support different applications, such as the maintenance and facility management work, by computing the cleaning cost based on the space floor area. The main contributions of this paper are: a solution for the combined use of IndoorGML-LADM model, a conceptual enhancement of LADM by the refinement of the LA_Party package with specialization for staff and student (groups), and the assessment of the model by converting sample data (from two complex university buildings) into the model, and conducting actual access-rights aware navigation, based on the populated model.
The Evaluation of Pro-Cognitive and Antiamnestic Properties of Berberine and Magnoflorine Isolated from Barberry Species by Centrifugal Partition Chromatography (CPC), in Relation to QSAR Modelling
Authors: Kukula-Koch Wirginia , Kruk-Słomka Marta , Stępnik Katarzyna , Szalak Radosław , Biała Grażyna
Published: November 2017

Civilization diseases associated with memory disorders are important health problems occurring due to a prolonged life span. The manuscript shows the results of an in vivo study targeting the emergence of two drug candidates with anti-amnestic properties. The preceding quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) studies provided information on the ability of berberine and magnoflorine to cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB). In the light of these findings, both compounds were purified from crude plant extracts of barberries: berberine—from Berberis siberica using a method published earlier, and magnoflorine—from Berberis cretica by centrifugal partition chromatography (solvent system: ethyl acetate:butanol:water-0.6:1.5:3 v/v/v). Both the compounds were evaluated for their memory enhancing and scopolamine inhibitory properties in an in vivo passive avoidance (PA) test on mice towards short-term and long-term memory. Cognition enhancing properties were observed at the following doses: 5 mg/kg (i.p.) for berberine and 20 mg/kg (i.p.) for magnoflorine. In addition, both the tested isoquinolines with the co-administered scopolamine were found to block long-term but not short-term memory impairment. No influence on the locomotor activity was observed for the tested doses. The results confirmed a marked central activity of magnoflorine and showed the necessity to lower the dosage of berberine. Optimized purification conditions have been elaborated for magnoflorine.
Screening In Vitro Targets Related to Diabetes in Herbal Extracts from Peru: Identification of Active Compounds in Hypericum laricifolium Juss. by Offline High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
Authors: Guillen Quispe Yanymee , Hwang Seung , Wang Zhiqiang , Zuo Guanglei , Lim Soon
Published: November 2017

This study investigates in vitro targets related to diabetes in 30 herbal extracts from Peru, for the first time, using α-glucosidase, aldose reductase (AR) inhibitory assays and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) scavenging assays. Among the 30 herbal extracts, Hypericum laricifolium Juss. (HL) was the herb which showed more than 50% inhibition in all assays, presenting 97.2 ± 2.0%, 56.9 ± 5.6%, 81.9 ± 2.5%, and 58.8 ± 4.6% inhibition for the α-glucosidase, AR, DPPH, and ABTS assays, respectively. Finally, six bioactive compounds, namely, protocatechuic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, kaempferol 3-O-glucuronide, quercetin, and kaempferol were identified in HL by offline high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Quercetin exhibited the strongest inhibition in all enzyme assays and the strongest antioxidant activity. The results suggest that HL shows great potential for the complementary treatment of diabetes and its complications.
The Silencing of Carotenoid β-Hydroxylases by RNA Interference in Different Maize Genetic Backgrounds Increases the β-Carotene Content of the Endosperm
Authors: Berman Judit , Zorrilla-López Uxue , Sandmann Gerhard , Capell Teresa , Christou Paul , Zhu Changfu
Published: November 2017

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a staple food in many parts of Africa, but the endosperm generally contains low levels of the pro-vitamin A carotenoid β-carotene, leading to vitamin A deficiency disease in populations relying on cereal-based diets. However, maize endosperm does accumulate high levels of other carotenoids, including zeaxanthin, which is derived from β-carotene via two hydroxylation reactions. Blocking these reactions could therefore improve the endosperm β-carotene content. Accordingly, we used RNA interference (RNAi) to silence the endogenous ZmBCH1 and ZmBCH2 genes, which encode two non-heme di-iron carotenoid β-hydroxylases. The genes were silenced in a range of maize genetic backgrounds by introgressing the RNAi cassette, allowing us to determine the impact of ZmBCH1/ZmBCH2 silencing in diverse hybrids. The β-carotene content of the endosperm increased substantially in all hybrids in which ZmBCH2 was silenced, regardless of whether or not ZmBCH1 was silenced simultaneously. However, the β-carotene content did not change significantly in C17 hybrids (M7 × C17 and M13 × C17) compared to C17 alone, because ZmBCH2 is already expressed at negligible levels in the C17 parent. Our data indicate that ZmBCH2 is primarily responsible for the conversion of β-carotene to zeaxanthin in maize endosperm.
Aptamer Bioinformatics
Authors: Kinghorn Andrew , Fraser Lewis , Liang Shaolin , Shiu Simon , Tanner Julian
Published: November 2017

Aptamers are short nucleic acid sequences capable of specific, high-affinity molecular binding. They are isolated via SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment), an evolutionary process that involves iterative rounds of selection and amplification before sequencing and aptamer characterization. As aptamers are genetic in nature, bioinformatic approaches have been used to improve both aptamers and their selection. This review will discuss the advancements made in several enclaves of aptamer bioinformatics, including simulation of aptamer selection, fragment-based aptamer design, patterning of libraries, identification of lead aptamers from high-throughput sequencing (HTS) data and in silico aptamer optimization.
Altered Leukocyte Sphingolipid Pathway in Breast Cancer
Authors: Maia Larissa , Santos Paula , Alves Patrícia , Rodrigues Cláudia , Araújo Thaíse , Maia Yara , Câmara Alinne , Santos Donizeti , Goulart Luiz
Published: November 2017

Sphingolipid metabolism pathway is essential in membrane homeostasis, and its dysfunction has been associated with favorable tumor microenvironment, disease progression, and chemotherapy resistance. Its major components have key functions on survival and proliferation, with opposing effects. We have profiled the components of the sphingolipid pathway on leukocytes of breast cancer (BC) patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment and without, including the five sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptors, the major functional genes, and cytokines, in order to better understand the S1P signaling in the immune cells of these patients. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first characterization of the sphingolipid pathway in whole blood of BC patients. Skewed gene profiles favoring high SPHK1 expression toward S1P production during BC development was observed, which was reversed by chemotherapy treatment, and reached similar levels to those found in healthy donors. Such levels were also correlated with high levels of TNF-α. Our data revealed an important role of the sphingolipid pathway in immune cells in BC with skewed signaling of S1P receptors, which favored cancer development even under chemotherapy, and may probably be a trigger of cancer resistance. Thus, these molecules must be considered as a target pathway for combined BC therapeutics.
The POZ/BTB and AT-Hook Containing Zinc Finger 1 (PATZ1) Transcription Regulator: Physiological Functions and Disease Involvement
Authors: Fedele Monica , Crescenzi Elvira , Cerchia Laura
Published: November 2017

PATZ1 is a zinc finger protein, belonging to the POZ domain Krüppel-like zinc finger (POK) family of architectural transcription factors, first discovered in 2000 by three independent groups. Since that time accumulating evidences have shown its involvement in a variety of biological processes (i.e., embryogenesis, stemness, apoptosis, senescence, proliferation, T-lymphocyte differentiation) and human diseases. Here we summarize these studies with a focus on the PATZ1 emerging and controversial role in cancer, where it acts as either a tumor suppressor or an oncogene. Finally, we give some insight on clinical perspectives using PATZ1 as a prognostic marker and therapeutic target.
A Routing Protocol Based on Received Signal Strength for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs)
Authors: Li Meiju , Du Xiujuan , Huang Kejun , Hou Senlin , Liu Xiuxiu
Published: November 2017

Underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) are featured by long propagation delay, limited energy, narrow bandwidth, high BER (Bit Error Rate) and variable topology structure. These features make it very difficult to design a short delay and high energy-efficiency routing protocol for UWSNs. In this paper, a routing protocol independent of location information is proposed based on received signal strength (RSS), which is called RRSS. In RRSS, a sensor node firstly establishes a vector from the node to a sink node; the length of the vector indicates the RSS of the beacon signal (RSSB) from the sink node. A node selects the next-hop along the vector according to RSSB and the RSS of a hello packet (RSSH). The node nearer to the vector has higher priority to be a candidate next-hop. To avoid data packets being delivered to the neighbor nodes in a void area, a void-avoiding algorithm is introduced. In addition, residual energy is considered when selecting the next-hop. Meanwhile, we establish mathematic models to analyze the robustness and energy efficiency of RRSS. Lastly, we conduct extensive simulations, and the simulation results show RRSS can save energy consumption and decrease end-to-end delay.
Corrosion Behaviour of Dual-Phase High Carbon Steel—Microstructure Influence
Authors: Handoko Wilson , Pahlevani Farshid , Sahajwalla Veena
Published: November 2017

Dual-phase high carbon steel is widely used in mining and in chemical industry applications in highly abrasive environments due to its excellent hardness and abrasion resistance. In recent years, the use of less expensive but more corrosive solutions in industrial processes has become more common. As a result, detailed understanding of the corrosion behaviour of dual-phase high carbon steel is needed; an issue that has, to date, been little-studied. This study investigates in detail the corrosion behaviour of dual-phase high carbon steel in a sodium chloride solution at different times, at the macro- and nano-scale, using various techniques. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and 3D laser-scanning confocal microscopy, the corrosion behaviour of this important industrial steel was investigated at the micro-scale, then by using atomic force microscopy (AFM) it was further investigated at the nano-scale. The results reveal preferential corrosion attack on the retained austenitic phase, rather than the martensite phase, which is due to the carbon partitioning between martensite and austenite in this grade of steel.
Botanicals and Phosphonate Show Potential to Replace Copper for Control of Potato Late Blight
Authors: Forrer Hans-Rudolf , Vogelgsang Susanne , Musa Tomke
Published: November 2017

Potato late blight (PLB) caused by Phytophthora infestans (Pi) is the most harmful disease in potato production worldwide. In organic farming, copper is used despite its persistence in soil and toxicity to soil organisms. To replace copper, suspensions of powders from three promising botanicals, including bark of buckthorn (Frangula alnus, FA), roots of medicinal rhubarb (Rheum palmatum) and galls of the nutgall tree (Galla chinensis), were tested in multi-year field experiments. The current study shows for the first time that botanicals could replace copper under field conditions and best PLB reduction on leaves was achieved with FA, reaching a level close to that of 2 to 3 kg copper per hectare and year. Better results than with copper were achieved with Phosfik® (Ph), a phosphonate-based product. For both FA and Ph, the mode of action is based on induced resistance, for Ph also on direct fungicidal effects. A disadvantage of Ph is the accumulation of residues in potato tubers. Nevertheless, two to three applications with 2 to 3 L/ha of Ph would be feasible to not exceed a minimal risk level (MLR) of 20 mg/kg of phosphorous acid as proposed by the European Food Safety Authority. Due to an excellent environmental profile and a complex mode of action counteracting Pi resistance, phosphonate-based products would be most suitable for sustainable PLB management in integrated pest management (IPM) programmes.
Dust Storms from Degraded Drylands of Asia: Dynamics and Health Impacts
Authors: Otani Shinji , Kurosaki Yasunori , Kurozawa Youichi , Shinoda Masato
Published: November 2017

Asian dust events are massive meteorological phenomena during which dust particles from Chinese and Mongolian deserts are blown into the atmosphere and carried by westerly winds across Northeast Asia. Recently, there has been steady increase in both the frequency and the severity of Asian atmospheric dust events. Concern has been expressed regarding the potential health hazards in affected areas. The principal nature of the damage associated with Asian dust events differs between the emission (sandstorm) and downwind (air pollution) regions. In the emission region, the health impacts of dust storms are reflected in the high prevalence of respiratory diseases and severe subjective symptoms. Extreme dust storm events may cause a disaster to happen. In downwind regions such as Japan, analysis of Asian dust particles has shown the presence of ammonium ions, sulfate ions, nitrate ions, and heavy metal compounds that are considered not to originate from soil. Asian dust particles have been thought to adsorb anthropogenic atmospheric pollutants during transport. Therefore, Asian dust events coincide with increases in daily hospital admissions and clinical visits for allergic diseases such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, and conjunctivitis. Although the effect of Asian dust on human health in each region is influenced by a variety of different mechanisms, human activities are partly responsible for such negative effects in many situations. We therefore need to address these environmental problems.
Ti Reactive Sintering of Electrically Conductive Al2O3–TiN Composite: Influence of Ti Particle Size and Morphology on Electrical and Mechanical Properties
Authors: Zhai Wei , Song Xu , Li Tao , Yu Bingxue , Lu Wanheng , Zeng Kaiyang
Published: November 2017

In the current study, Al2O3–TiN composites were successfully fabricated with various particle sizes (10, 20, 30, and 50 μm) and concentrations (5, 10, 15, and 20 vol %) via a novel ball milling + Ti reactive sintering process. By applying the reactive sintering, Ti powders will transform into TiN particles, which act as mechanical reinforcements and electrical conductors in the Al2O3 matrix. The ball milling process alters the Ti powder morphology from a low-aspect-ratio sphere into a high-aspect-ratio disc, which reduces the electrical percolation threshold value from 29% to 15% in the current setup. However, such a threshold value is insensitive to the particle size. Meanwhile, the Ti particle size has a significant influence on the material’s mechanical properties. A small particle size results in less porosity and hence higher flexural strength of the composite.