bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Susceptibility of Several Czech Conifer Provenances to Fusarium circinatum
Authors: Martín-García Jorge , Lukačevičová Aneta , Flores-Pacheco Juan , Diez Julio , Dvořák Miloň
Published: February 2018

Pine pitch canker (PPC), caused by Fusarium circinatum, is considered among the most important diseases affecting pines in many locations throughout the world. In Europe, F. circinatum is currently present in the Iberian Peninsula, posing a high risk of its spread into currently disease-free countries in Europe. In the present study, the susceptibility of Pinus sylvestris, Picea abies, and Larix decidua originating in the Czech Republic to F. circinatum was tested. Furthermore, the presence of asymptomatic yet infected seedlings was also checked. This study demonstrated the pathogenicity of F. circinatum to the Czech provenance of P. sylvestris, whereas Picea abies and Larix decidua proved to be tolerant. The reisolation of F. circinatum beyond the inoculation point demonstrated that this quarantine pathogen is able to infect the three conifers tested, giving rise to asymptomatic seedlings for at least eight and a half months. To our knowledge, this is the first study in which the presence of symptomless seedlings has been recorded in the genera Picea and Larix. This finding points out that the European legislation would fail to avoid the risk of new introductions via symptomless seedlings, since this legislation is only restricted to plants of the genus Pinus and the species Pseudotsuga menziesii.
Semi-Automatic Operational Service for Drought Monitoring and Forecasting in the Tuscany Region
Authors: Magno Ramona , De Filippis Tiziana , Di Giuseppe Edmondo , Pasqui Massimiliano , Rocchi Leandro , Gozzini Bernardo
Published: February 2018

A drought-monitoring and forecasting system developed for the Tuscany region was improved in order to provide a semi-automatic, more detailed, timely and comprehensive operational service for decision making, water authorities, researchers and general stakeholders. Ground-based and satellite data from different sources (regional meteorological stations network, MODIS Terra satellite and CHIRPS/CRU precipitation datasets) are integrated through an open-source, interoperable SDI (spatial data infrastructure) based on PostgreSQL/PostGIS to produce vegetation and precipitation indices that allow following of the occurrence and evolution of a drought event. The SDI allows the dissemination of comprehensive, up-to-date and customizable information suitable for different end-users through different channels, from a web page and monthly bulletins, to interoperable web services, and a comprehensive climate service. The web services allow geospatial elaborations on the fly, and the geo-database can be increased with new input/output data to respond to specific requests or to increase the spatial resolution.
Realizing Loose Communication with Tangible Avatar to Facilitate Recipient’s Imagination
Authors: Endo Shinichi , Fujinami Kaori
Published: February 2018

Social network services (SNSs) allow users to share their daily experiences and significant life events with family, friends, and colleagues. However, excessive use of SNSs or dependence upon them can cause a problem known as “SNS fatigue” that is associated with feelings of anxiety and loneliness. In other words, the tighter and stronger the social bonds are through SNSs, the more users feel anxiety and loneliness. We propose a method for providing users with a sense of security and connectedness with others by facilitating loose communication. Loose communication is defined by the presentation of abstract information and passive (one-way) communication. By focusing on the physicality and anthropomorphic characteristics of tangible avatars, we investigated a communication support system, Palco, that displays three types of contextual information with respect to the communication partner—emotional state, activity, and location—in a loose manner. Our approach contrasts with typical SNS interaction methods characterized by tight communication with interactivity and concrete information. This paper describes the design and implementation of Palco, as well as its usefulness as a communication tool. The emotional effects on the users are evaluated through a user study with 10 participants over four days. The results imply that Palco can effectively communicate the context of the communication partner, and provide a sense of security.
Improvement on the Repair Effect of Electrochemical Chloride Extraction Using a Modified Electrode Configuration
Authors: Feng Wei , Xu Jinxia , Jiang Linhua , Song Yingbin , Cao Yalong , Tan Qiping
Published: February 2018

To improve the repair effect of electrochemical chloride extraction, a modified electrode configuration is applied in this investigation. In this configuration, two auxiliary electrodes placed in the anodic and cathodic electrolytes were used as the anode and cathode, respectively. Besides this, the steel in the mortar was grounded to protect it from corrosion. By a comparative experiment, the potential evolution, various ions concentrations (Cl−, OH−, Na+, and K+) in different mortar depths, the corrosion potential, and the current density of the steel were measured. The results indicate that compared to electrochemical chloride extraction with the traditional electrode configuration, this electrochemical chloride extraction method with a modified electrode configuration has a similar chloride removal ratio. Besides this, potential of steel is just about 800 mV for a saturated calomel electrode (SCE) during the treatment, which did not reach the hydrogen evolution potential. The phenomenon of the accumulation of OH−, Na+, and K+ did not occur when the modified electrode configuration is applied. Additionally, higher corrosion potentials and lower corrosion current rates were measured after performing electrochemical chloride extraction with the modified electrode configuration. Additionally, it is a short period of time for the steel to go from activation to passivation. On this basis, the modified electrode configuration may overcome the drawbacks of electrochemical chloride extraction.
Radiation Resistance of the U(Al, Si)3 Alloy: Ion-Induced Disordering
Authors: Meshi Louisa , Yaniv Gili , Horak Pavel , Vacik Jiri , Mykytenko Natalia , Rafailov Gennady , Dahan Itzchak , Fuks David , Kiv Arik
Published: February 2018

During the exploitation of nuclear reactors, various U-Al based ternary intermetallides are formed in the fuel-cladding interaction layer. Structure and physical properties of these intermetallides determine the radiation resistance of cladding and, ultimately, the reliability and lifetime of the nuclear reactor. In current research, U(Al, Si)3 composition was studied as a potential constituent of an interaction layer. Phase content of the alloy of an interest was ordered U(Al, Si)3, structure of which was reported earlier, and pure Al (constituting less than 20 vol % of the alloy). This alloy was investigated prior and after the irradiation performed by Ar ions at 30 keV. The irradiation was performed on the transmission electron microscopy (TEM, JEOL, Japan) samples, characterized before and after the irradiation process. Irradiation induced disorder accompanied by stress relief. Furthermore, it was found that there is a dose threshold for disordering of the crystalline matter in the irradiated region. Irradiation at doses equal or higher than this threshold resulted in almost solely disordered phase. Using the program “Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter” (SRIM), the parameters of penetration of Ar ions into the irradiated samples were estimated. Based on these estimations, the dose threshold for ion-induced disordering of the studied material was assessed.
Synthesis of Scutellarein Derivatives with a Long Aliphatic Chain and Their Biological Evaluation against Human Cancer Cells
Authors: Ni Guanghui , Tang Yanling , Li Minxin , He Yuefeng , Rao Gaoxiong
Published: February 2018

Scutellarin is the major active flavonoid extracted from the traditional Chinese herbal medicine Erigeron breviscapus (Vant.) Hand-Mazz., which is widely used in China. Recently, accumulating evidence has highlighted the potential role of scutellarin and its main metabolite scutellarein in the treatment of cancer. To explore novel anticancer agents with high efficiency, a series of new scutellarein derivatives with a long aliphatic chain were synthesized, and the antiproliferative activities against Jurkat, HCT-116 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cell lines were assessed. Among them, compound 6a exhibited the strongest antiproliferative effects on Jurkat (IC50 = 1.80 μM), HCT-116 (IC50 = 11.50 μM) and MDA-MB-231 (IC50 = 53.91 μM). In particular, 6a even showed stronger antiproliferative effects than the positive control NaAsO2 on Jurkat and HCT-116 cell lines. The results showed that a proper long aliphatic chain enhanced the antiproliferative activity of scutellarein.
The Road from Host-Defense Peptides to a New Generation of Antimicrobial Drugs
Authors: Boto Alicia , Pérez de la Lastra Jose , González Concepción
Published: February 2018

Host-defense peptides, also called antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), whose protective action has been used by animals for millions of years, fulfill many requirements of the pharmaceutical industry, such as: (1) broad spectrum of activity; (2) unlike classic antibiotics, they induce very little resistance; (3) they act synergically with conventional antibiotics; (4) they neutralize endotoxins and are active in animal models. However, it is considered that many natural peptides are not suitable for drug development due to stability and biodisponibility problems, or high production costs. This review describes the efforts to overcome these problems and develop new antimicrobial drugs from these peptides or inspired by them. The discovery process of natural AMPs is discussed, as well as the development of synthetic analogs with improved pharmacological properties. The production of these compounds at acceptable costs, using different chemical and biotechnological methods, is also commented. Once these challenges are overcome, a new generation of versatile, potent and long-lasting antimicrobial drugs is expected.
Antioxidant Activity of Zein Hydrolysates from Zea Species and Their Cytotoxic Effects in a Hepatic Cell Culture
Authors: Díaz-Gómez Jorge , Ortíz-Martínez Margarita , Aguilar Oscar , García-Lara Silverio , Castorena-Torres Fabiola
Published: February 2018

In recent years, food proteins with bioactivity have been studied for cancer treatment. Zein peptides have shown an important set of bioactivities. This work compares the cytotoxic activity of zein hydrolyzed, extracted from four Zea species: teosinte, native, hybrid, and transgenic (Teo, Nat, Hyb, and HT) in a hepatic cell culture. Zein fraction was extracted, quantified, and hydrolyzed. Antioxidant capacity and cytotoxicity assays were performed on HepG2 cells. The levels of expression of caspase 3, 8, and 9 were evaluated in zein-treated cell cultures. Zea parviglumis showed the highest zein content (46.0 mg/g) and antioxidant activity (673.40 TE/g) out of all native zeins. Peptides from Hyb and HT showed high antioxidant activity compared to their native counterparts (1055.45 and 724.32 TE/g, respectively). Cytotoxic activity was observed in the cell culture using peptides of the four Zea species; Teo and Nat (IC50: 1781.63 and 1546.23 ng/mL) had no significant difference between them but showed more cytotoxic activity than Hyb and HT (IC50: 1252.25 and 1155.56 ng/mL). Increased expression of caspase 3 was observed in the peptide-treated HepG2 cells (at least two-fold more with respect to the control sample). These data indicate the potential for zein peptides to prevent or treat cancer, possibly by apoptosis induction.
Lipase-Catalyzed Acidolysis of Egg-Yolk Phosphatidylcholine with Citronellic Acid. New Insight into Synthesis of Isoprenoid-Phospholipids
Authors: Rychlicka Magdalena , Niezgoda Natalia , Gliszczyńska Anna
Published: February 2018

The development of a biotechnological method for the production of new biologically active phosphatidylcholine containing monoterpene citronellic acid (CA) was the aim of this work. Incorporation of citronellic acid (CA) into egg-yolk phosphatidylcholine (PC) in the lipase-catalyzed acidolysis process was studied. Isoprenoid acid CA was used as an acyl donor and five commercially available immobilized lipases were examined as biocatalysts. The effects of organic solvent, enzyme load, reaction time and molar ratio of substrates on the incorporation of citronellic acid (CA) into the phospholipids were evaluated. Modified phospholipid fraction enriched with CA in the sn-1 position (39% of incorporation) was obtained in high 33% yield using Novozym 435 as biocatalyst. In this study a biotechnological method for production of new phospholipid biopreparation enriched with citronellic acid, which can play an important role as a nutraceutical, was applied.
Graphene-Derivatized Silica Composite as Solid-Phase Extraction Sorbent Combined with GC–MS/MS for the Determination of Polycyclic Musks in Aqueous Samples
Authors: Li Cheng , Chen Jiayi , Chen Yan , Wang Jihua , Ping Hua , Lu Anxiang
Published: February 2018

Polycyclic musks (PCMs) have recently received growing attention as emerging contaminants because of their bioaccumulation and potential ecotoxicological effects. Herein, an effective method for the determination of five PCMs in aqueous samples is presented. Reduced graphene oxide-derivatized silica (rGO@silica) particles were prepared from graphene oxide and aminosilica microparticles and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. PCMs were preconcentrated using rGO@silica as the solid-phase extraction sorbent and quantified by gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Several experimental parameters, such as eluent, elution volume, sorbent amount, pH, and sample volume were optimized. The correlation coefficient (R) ranged from 0.9958 to 0.9992, while the limits of detection and quantitation for the five PCMs were 0.3–0.8 ng/L and 1.1–2.1 ng/L, respectively. Satisfactory recoveries were obtained for tap water (86.6–105.9%) and river water samples (82.9–107.1%), with relative standard deviations <10% under optimal conditions. The developed method was applied to analyze PCMs in tap and river water samples from Beijing, China. Galaxolide (HHCB) and tonalide (AHTN) were the main PCM components detected in one river water sample at concentrations of 18.7 for HHCB, and 11.7 ng/L for AHTN.
Nutritional Value, Chemical Characterization and Bulb Morphology of Greek Garlic Landraces
Authors: Petropoulos Spyridon , Fernandes Ângela , Ntatsi Georgia , Petrotos Konstantinos , Barros Lillian , Ferreira Isabel
Published: February 2018

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is an important vegetable crop throughout the world. In Greece there are many areas which have specialized in garlic cultivation through the last decades, considered the main production areas. However, despite the significance of garlic as a food product and the high annual income of this crop, there is a decreasing trend in total cultivated area in Greece, and the local landraces are gradually neglected in favor of new imported genotypes. In the present study, garlic genotypes (local landraces/varieties, imported genotypes, commercial cultivars) from the main production regions of Greece were assessed for their chemical composition and quality (total soluble solids, dry matter content, nutritional value, mineral composition, organic acids, fatty acids content and free sugars content), and bulb morphology. The results of the present study showed significant diversity in quality features and bulb morphology, not only between the genotypes from different growing regions, but also between those of the same region. This result is interesting since it could be implemented for further improvement and valorization of this important vegetable crop through extensive breeding programs within the framework of sustainability and genetic, material conservation.
Relationship between the Polymeric Ionization Degree and Powder and Surface Properties in Materials Derived from Poly(maleic anhydride-alt-octadecene)
Authors: Salamanca Constain , Yarce Cristhian , Zapata Camilo , Giraldo Jonnathan
Published: February 2018

Polymeric materials derived from poly(maleic anhydride-alt-octadecene)—here referred as PAM-18—have shown interesting properties that make them potential pharmaceutical excipients. In this work, eight polymers derived from PAM-18 were obtained using NaOH and KOH at 1:1; 1:0.75, 1:0.5, and 1:0.25 molar ratios. The resulting products were labeled as PAM-18Na and PAM-18K, respectively. Each polymer was purified by ultrafiltration/lyophilization, and the ionization degree was determined by potentiometric studies, which was related to the zeta potential. The structural characterization was performed using the Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) espectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The physical characterization was carried out by SEM, particle analysis, and humidity loss and gain studies; the surface studies were performed by the sessile drop method. PAM-18Na had ionization degrees of 95%, 63%, 39% and 22%, whereas those for PAM-18K were 99%, 52%, 35% and 20%, respectively. The results also showed that for higher inorganic base amounts used, the polymeric materials obtained possess high ionization degrees, which could form polymeric solutions or hetero-dispersed systems. Likewise, it was observed that for higher proportions of carboxylate groups in the polymeric structure, the capability to retain water is increased and, only can be eliminated by drying at temperatures greater than 160 °C. On the other hand, the modification of PAM-18 to its ionized forms led to the formation of powder materials with low flowability and surfaces that ranged from very hydrophobic to slightly wettable.
Oleanolic Acid-amino Acids Derivatives: Design, Synthesis, and Hepatoprotective Evaluation In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Chu Fuhao , Zhang Wenxi , Guo Wenbo , Wang Zhaoyi , Yang Yuqin , Zhang Xinyu , Fang Kang , Yan Mengmeng , Wang Penglong , Lei Haimin
Published: February 2018

Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the main extracellular matrix (ECM)-producing cells in the injured liver and the key mediators of liver fibrosis; they also promote the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the acidic extracellular microenvironment of HCC, HSCs are activated to promote the migration of HCC cells. It is worth attempting to alter the weak acidic microenvironment to promote activated HSC apoptosis to treat liver fibrosis and liver cancer. In the present study, a series of novel OA-amino acids analogues were designed and synthesized to introduce different amino acids in the 3-hydroxyl of OA using the ester condensation reaction to enhance hydrophilicity, alkalinity, and biological activity. We found that OA-lysine derivative (3g) could improve the hydrophilic of OA and induce HSCs apoptosis via inducing MMP depolarization and increasing intracellular Ca2+ levels. Additionally, 3g displayed a better hepatoprotective effect than OA (20 mg/kg, intragastric administration) against the acute liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in mice. The results suggested that basic amino acids (lysine) could effectively enhance OA’s hydrophilicity, alkalinity, and hepatoprotective activity in vitro and in vivo, which might be likely associated with increasing bioavailability and altering an extracellular weak acidic microenvironment with further verification. Therefore, the OA-lysine derivative (3g) has the potential to be developed as an agent with hepatoprotective activity.
2015 Health Survey of São Paulo with Focus in Nutrition: Rationale, Design, and Procedures
Authors: Fisberg Regina , Sales Cristiane , Fontanelli Mariane , Pereira Jaqueline , Alves Maria , Escuder Maria , César Chester , Goldbaum Moisés
Published: February 2018

This paper describes the design, sampling methods, and data collection procedures, with particular focus on dietary data, used for the 2015 Health Survey of São Paulo (Inquérito de Saúde de São Paulo, 2015 ISA-Capital) with Focus in Nutrition Study (2015 ISA-Nutrition). The ISA is a household cross-sectional, population-based survey that uses complex, stratified, multistage sampling to create a representative sample of residents from urban São Paulo, Brazil. The 2015 ISA-Nutrition comprised a sub-sample of the 2015 ISA-Capital and intended to include 300 adolescents (aged 12 to 19 years), 300 adults (aged 20 to 59 years), and 300 older adults (aged ≥60 years). From February 2015 to February 2016, 1737 individuals answered the first 24-h dietary recall (24HR), and 901 individuals consented to have their blood sample collected, to undergo anthropometric and blood pressure assessment, and to answer the second 24HR. The 2015 ISA-Nutrition aims to evaluate lifestyle-related modifiable factors in São Paulo’s residents, as well as their association with biochemical and genetic markers, and environmental aspects related to cardiometabolic risk factors. This paper concludes that 2015 ISA-Nutrition may provide valuable insights into the cardiometabolic risk factors in a big city in an upper middle-income country and contribute to the formulation of health and nutritional policies.
Study on the Nanomechanical and Nanotribological Behaviors of PEEK and CFRPEEK for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Song Jian , Shi Hongyu , Liao Zhenhua , Wang Song , Liu Yuhong , Liu Weiqiang , Peng Zhongxiao
Published: February 2018

This study was to investigate the nanomechanical and nanotribological properties of polyether ether ketone (PEEK)-based composites for biomedical applications and to gain a fundamental understanding of the effects of carbon fibers in carbon-fiber-reinforced PEEK (CFRPEEK) on the mechanical properties and wear performance in a microscale. Nanoindentation tests with a Berkovich indenter and nanoscratch experiments with a diamond stylus were performed on PEEK and CFRPEEK samples. The nanowear features and mechanisms of the tested samples were analyzed using 3D white-light interfering profilometry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The obtained results indicated that the reinforced carbon fibers increased the nanohardness and elastic modulus and decreased the friction coefficient and wear rate of PEEK. Different to many existing studies where a constant load was used in a nanoscratch test and the normal load was a key factor influencing the scratch performances of the tested specimens, stick–slip phenomena were observed on both PEEK and CFRPEEK in the nanoscratch tests with load increasing progressively. In constant load conditions, it was found that the major nanowear mechanisms of PEEK are adhesion, abrasion, and plastic deformation, while the nanowear mechanisms of CFRPEEK are dominated by severe adhesive wear, abrasive wear and mild fatigue. CFRPEEK has demonstrated superior nanomechanical and nanotribological performances, and hence can be considered a potential candidate for biomedical applications.
A Controlled-Site Comparison of Microwave Tomography and Time-Reversal Imaging Techniques for GPR Surveys
Authors: Dos Santos Vinicius , Almeida Emerson , Porsani Jorge , Teixeira Fernando , Soldovieri Francesco
Published: February 2018

This paper provides a comparative study between microwave tomography and synthetic time-reversal imaging techniques as applied to ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys. The comparison is carried out by processing experimental data collected at a controlled test site, with different types of buried targets at given subsurface depths and representative soil conditions. It is shown that the two techniques allow us to obtain complementary information about position, depth and size of the targets from a single GPR survey.
An Investigation of Ice Surface Albedo and Its Influence on the High-Altitude Lakes of the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Lang Jiahe , Lyu Shihua , Li Zhaoguo , Ma Yaoming , Su Dongsheng
Published: February 2018

Most high-altitude lakes are more sensitive to global warming than the regional atmosphere. However, most existing climate models produce unrealistic surface temperatures on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) lakes, and few studies have focused on the influence of ice surface albedo on high-altitude lakes. Based on field albedo measurements, moderate resolution imaging spectrometer (MODIS) albedo products and numerical simulation, this study evaluates the ice albedo parameterization schemes in existing lake models and investigates the characteristics of the ice surface albedo in six typical TP lakes, as well as the influence of ice albedo error in the FLake model. Compared with observations, several ice albedo schemes all clearly overestimate the lake ice albedo by 0.26 to 0.66, while the average bias of MODIS albedo products is only 0.07. The MODIS-observed albedo of a snow-covered lake varies with the snow proportion, and the lake surface albedo in a snow-free state is approximately 0.15 during the frozen period. The MODIS-observed ice surface (snow-free) albedos are concentrated within the ranges of 0.14–0.16, 0.08–0.10 and 0.10–0.12 in Aksai Chin Lake, Nam Co Lake and Ngoring Lake, respectively. The simulated lake surface temperature is sensitive to variations in lake ice albedo especially in the spring and winter.
Stress Prediction for Distributed Structural Health Monitoring Using Existing Measurements and Pattern Recognition
Authors: Lu Wei , Teng Jun , Zhou Qiushi , Peng Qiexin
Published: February 2018

The stress in structural steel members is the most useful and directly measurable physical quantity to evaluate the structural safety in structural health monitoring, which is also an important index to evaluate the stress distribution and force condition of structures during structural construction and service phases. Thus, it is common to set stress as a measure in steel structural monitoring. Considering the economy and the importance of the structural members, there are only a limited number of sensors that can be placed, which means that it is impossible to obtain the stresses of all members directly using sensors. This study aims to develop a stress response prediction method for locations where there are insufficent sensors, using measurements from a limited number of sensors and pattern recognition. The detailed improved aspects are: (1) a distributed computing process is proposed, where the same pattern is recognized by several subsets of measurements; and (2) the pattern recognition using the subset of measurements is carried out by considering the optimal number of sensors and number of fusion patterns. The validity and feasibility of the proposed method are verified using two examples: the finite-element simulation of a single-layer shell-like steel structure, and the structural health monitoring of the space steel roof of Shenzhen Bay Stadium; for the latter, the anti-noise performance of this method is verified by the stress measurements from a real-world project.
An Intraoperative Visualization System Using Hyperspectral Imaging to Aid in Brain Tumor Delineation
Authors: Fabelo Himar , Ortega Samuel , Lazcano Raquel , Madroñal Daniel , M. Callicó Gustavo , Juárez Eduardo , Salvador Rubén , Bulters Diederik , Bulstrode Harry , Szolna Adam , Piñeiro Juan , Sosa Coralia , J. O’Shanahan Aruma , Bisshopp Sara , Hernández María , Morera Jesús , Ravi Daniele , Kiran B. , Vega Aurelio , Báez-Quevedo Abelardo , Yang Guang-Zhong , Stanciulescu Bogdan , Sarmiento Roberto
Published: February 2018

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) allows for the acquisition of large numbers of spectral bands throughout the electromagnetic spectrum (within and beyond the visual range) with respect to the surface of scenes captured by sensors. Using this information and a set of complex classification algorithms, it is possible to determine which material or substance is located in each pixel. The work presented in this paper aims to exploit the characteristics of HSI to develop a demonstrator capable of delineating tumor tissue from brain tissue during neurosurgical operations. Improved delineation of tumor boundaries is expected to improve the results of surgery. The developed demonstrator is composed of two hyperspectral cameras covering a spectral range of 400–1700 nm. Furthermore, a hardware accelerator connected to a control unit is used to speed up the hyperspectral brain cancer detection algorithm to achieve processing during the time of surgery. A labeled dataset comprised of more than 300,000 spectral signatures is used as the training dataset for the supervised stage of the classification algorithm. In this preliminary study, thematic maps obtained from a validation database of seven hyperspectral images of in vivo brain tissue captured and processed during neurosurgical operations demonstrate that the system is able to discriminate between normal and tumor tissue in the brain. The results can be provided during the surgical procedure (~1 min), making it a practical system for neurosurgeons to use in the near future to improve excision and potentially improve patient outcomes.
A Review of Depth and Normal Fusion Algorithms
Authors: Antensteiner Doris , Štolc Svorad , Pock Thomas
Published: February 2018

Geometric surface information such as depth maps and surface normals can be acquired by various methods such as stereo light fields, shape from shading and photometric stereo techniques. We compare several algorithms which deal with the combination of depth with surface normal information in order to reconstruct a refined depth map. The reasons for performance differences are examined from the perspective of alternative formulations of surface normals for depth reconstruction. We review and analyze methods in a systematic way. Based on our findings, we introduce a new generalized fusion method, which is formulated as a least squares problem and outperforms previous methods in the depth error domain by introducing a novel normal weighting that performs closer to the geodesic distance measure. Furthermore, a novel method is introduced based on Total Generalized Variation (TGV) which further outperforms previous approaches in terms of the geodesic normal distance error and maintains comparable quality in the depth error domain.
Optimized Sensor Network and Multi-Agent Decision Support for Smart Traffic Light Management
Authors: Cruz-Piris Luis , Rivera Diego , Fernandez Susel , Marsa-Maestre Ivan
Published: February 2018

One of the biggest challenges in modern societies is to solve vehicular traffic problems. Sensor networks in traffic environments have contributed to improving the decision-making process of Intelligent Transportation Systems. However, one of the limiting factors for the effectiveness of these systems is in the deployment of sensors to provide accurate information about the traffic. Our proposal is using the centrality measurement of a graph as a base to locate the best locations for sensor installation in a traffic network. After integrating these sensors in a simulation scenario, we define a Multi-Agent Systems composed of three types of agents: traffic light management agents, traffic jam detection agents, and agents that control the traffic lights at an intersection. The ultimate goal of these Multi-Agent Systems is to improve the trip duration for vehicles in the network. To validate our solution, we have developed the needed elements for modelling the sensors and agents in the simulation environment. We have carried out experiments using the Simulation of Urban MObility (SUMO) traffic simulator and the Travel and Activity PAtterns Simulation (TAPAS) Cologne traffic scenario. The obtained results show that our proposal allows to reduce the sensor network while still obtaining relevant information to have a global view of the environment. Finally, regarding the Multi-Agent Systems, we have carried out experiments that show that our proposal is able to improve other existing solutions such as conventional traffic light management systems (static or dynamic) in terms of reduction of vehicle trip duration and reduction of the message exchange overhead in the sensor network.
Cluster Risk of Walking Scenarios Based on Macroscopic Flow Model and Crowding Force Analysis
Authors: Li Xiaohong , Zhou Jianan , Chen Feng , Zhang Zan
Published: February 2018

In recent years, accidents always happen in confined space such as metro stations because of congestion. Various researchers investigated the patterns of dense crowd behaviors in different scenarios via simulations or experiments and proposed methods for avoiding accidents. In this study, a classic continuum macroscopic model was applied to simulate the crowded pedestrian flow in typical scenarios such as at bottlenecks or with an obstacle. The Lax–Wendroff finite difference scheme and artificial viscosity filtering method were used to discretize the model to identify high-density risk areas. Furthermore, we introduced a contact crowding force test of the interactions among pedestrians at bottlenecks. Results revealed that in the most dangerous area, the individual on the corner position bears the maximum pressure in such scenarios is 90.2 N, and there is an approximate exponential relationship between crowding force and density indicated by our data. The results and findings presented in this paper can facilitate more reasonable and precise simulation models by utilizing crowding force and crowd density and ensure the safety of pedestrians in high-density scenarios.
Transportation Accessibility and Location Choice of Japanese-Funded Electronic Information Manufacturing Firms in Shanghai
Authors: Jiang Haining , Xu Wei , Zhang Wenzhong
Published: February 2018

With the rapid development of globalization, information communication and transportation, it is argued that the effect of transportation accessibility in the location choice of manufacturing firms has diminished. However, comprehensive and systematic research on the impact of transportation accessibility on firm location choice in cities remains scarce. Taking Shanghai as the research area, this paper uses a catalog of Japanese-funded electronic information manufacturing firms to explore the influence of transportation accessibility on their location choice. The paper first describes firm distribution using the nuclear density estimation method. The Poisson regression model is then used to estimate the significance of transportation accessibility in influencing firm location. The empirical results show that most of the firms are concentrated in the inner suburbs of Shanghai, with only a small number in the outer suburban areas. The spatial coupling relationship between firm distribution and transportation accessibility is significant. These firms tend to choose areas with good accessibility to transportation infrastructure, and, in particular, the effect of airport accessibility is significant. Compared with the joint venture enterprises, wholly-owned Japanese enterprises are more inclined to be in areas with better transportation accessibility.
Worldwide Research on Plant Defense against Biotic Stresses as Improvement for Sustainable Agriculture
Authors: Gimenez Estela , Salinas Maria , Manzano-Agugliaro Francisco
Published: February 2018

Agriculture is the basis for food production on a global scale. Sustainable agriculture tries to improve or maintain the quality of food without compromising the environment. As sessile organisms, plants cannot avoid adverse environmental conditions and contact with other living organisms. The damage caused to plants by other living organisms such as parasites and pathogens (virus, bacteria, fungi, nematodes or insects) brings about what is known as biotic stress. Plants are constantly exposed to biotic stress, which causes changes in plant metabolism involving physiological damages that lead to a reduction of their productivity. To fight biotic stress, plants have developed sophisticated defense mechanisms. Thus, understanding plant defense mechanisms might prevent important crop and economic losses. In this article, a bibliometric analysis of biotic stress is carried out. Different aspects of the publications are analyzed, such as publication type, research field, journal type, countries and their institutions, as well as the keyword occurrence frequency, and finally special attention is paid to the plant studied by the leading countries and institutions. As expected, journals selected by authors to publish their relevant findings are plant-specific journals. However, it should be noted that the fourth position, in terms of the number of publications per journal, is occupied by BMC Genomics journal. Such a journal considers mainly articles on genomics, which indicates the involvement of genetic factors in the control of biotic stress. Analysis of the keywords used in publications about biotic stress shows the great interest in the biotic–abiotic stress interaction, in the gene expression regulation in plants as well as phytohormones in the current research. In short, the great effort made by the scientific community in the biotic and abiotic stresses field with the aim to understand, regulate and control plant damages caused by biotic stress agents will help in the development of sustainable agriculture.
Life Cycle Assessment Application to the Wine Sector: A Critical Review
Authors: Ferrara Carmen , De Feo Giovanni
Published: February 2018

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a powerful tool that allows evaluation of the environmental performances of a product, service or process considering the whole life cycle or a part of it. In the wine sector, the application of LCA has grown significantly in recent years and several studies have been carried out about this topic that are similar to other research fields. Nowadays, LCA is an important and acknowledged environmental assessment tool but its application to the wine sector is still in a developing phase. For this reason, the present study proposes a critical review of papers dealing with both the wine sector and LCA. The critical review points out that the main wine hotspots are the viticulture phase (mainly due to fuel, fertilizer and pesticides consumption) and the wine primary packaging production (due to glass bottles). Furthermore, the papers taken into consideration have a wide variability in the system boundaries definition as well as a shortage of availability of original and site-specific inventory data. Such key factors are sensitive aspects that have a huge influence on the results of a study and they are also affected by a wide variability: these issues need further scientific contribution through future studies.
Recent developments in the asymmetric Reformatsky-type reaction
Authors: Pellissier Hélène
Published: February 2018

This review collects the most important developments in asymmetric Reformatsky-type reactions published since the beginning of 2013, including both diastereoselective methodologies based on the use of chiral substrates and enantioselective catalytic procedures.
Les politiques publiques locales à l’épreuve des disjonctions temporelles
Authors: Royoux Dominique
Published: February 2018

Cette contribution analyse le décalage croissant entre la montée des désynchronisations temporelles en France et la faible prise en compte de ce phénomène au sein des politiques publiques locales. Quelques données statistiques soulignent l’aggravation des inégalités entre individus pour maîtriser les rythmes individuels et collectifs engendrés par l’accélération des activités professionnelles et personnelles. L’article analyse ce décalage sous deux angles : d’une part, une insuffisante prise en compte des « espaces-temps » dilatés par le monde politique ; d’autre part, une insuffisante prise en compte des propositions des citoyens qui, en s’appuyant sur leurs capacités d’articulation des usages quotidiens de leurs territoires, peuvent enrichir des politiques locales en s’appuyant sur des interfaces tels que les Bureaux des Temps.
Chronorigami
Authors: Julien-Saavedra Quentin
Published: February 2018

Cette contribution documente le développement de cabinets de curiosités médiales et d’ateliers d’archéologie des media permettant leur exploration. Ces derniers ont été conçus dans le but de créer une expérience temporelle complexe envisagée comme génératrice de « chronorigamis ». Après une description des modalités de conception de ces différents dispositifs, nous portons la réflexion sur la portée pédagogique de ce travail à travers l’étude des expérimentations réalisées en milieu éducatif.
Design of a 2.4GHz-Microstrip Line Filter Using the Semicircle Defected Ground Structure
Authors: Chen Ping Cheng , Pan Chung Long , Lai T.Y. , Lin T.U.
Published: February 2018

A design and simulation for L-shaped slot microstrip line antenna with semicircle defected ground structure has been researched, the main purpose is suppressing the existence of higher order harmonic. In this paper, simulated soft (Ansoft HFSS V.6.0) used to be simulated the frequency response under different parameters such as dimensions, amounts of SDGS. The results show good performance of SDGS in higher resonant frequency suppression. Final, an antenna with 2.4GHz center frequency had been design and fabricated.
Design of Highway Intelligent Vehicle Guidance System
Authors: Liang Jie , Miao Qiu Hua , Si Wen Hui , Lu Jing
Published: February 2018

Now the highway’s traffic accidents are often taken place because of the influence of fog and other inclement weather. The accidents cause a very big loss to people's life and property. Therefore, it plays an important part in all-weather real-time monitoring, analyzing and early warning effectively. In this paper, a highway intelligent vehicle guidance system is developed to avoid traffic accidents occurring in highway. The system can greatly reduce the traffic accidents caused by mass of fog. The result shows that the system has high precision and reliability.
Synthesis of Supplement Based on Calcium Hydrosilicate for Dry Mixes
Authors: Loganina Valentina Ivanovna , Pyshkina Irina Sergeevna , Martyashin Georgiy Victorovich
Published: February 2018

Using of supplement based on calcium hydrosilicates as structuring supplement in dry mixes lime is proposed. It shows the impact of supplement synthesis mode on the structure formation of calcareous compositions. The efficiency of the using of modifying supplements of amorphous silica, such as diatomite, in the synthesis is shown. It has been established that in supplement of calcium hydrosilicates synthesized with diatomite a greater amount of calcium hydrosilicates, belonging to low-basic ones, are contained. X-ray analysis of samples based on synthesized supplements is presented. A high activity of synthesized calcium hydrosilicates had been established. It has been established that the injection of supplements of hydrosilicates accelerates the gain of mechanical strength. It is shown that the injection of supplements of hydrosilicates accelerates the increase of water resistance and frost resistance of coatings. The operational properties of coatings based on the developed dry mix with the addition of calcium hydrosilicates synthesized with diatomite are presented.
Synthesis the New Nanostructure Ti0.7Ir0.3O2 via Low Temperature Hydrothermal Process
Authors: Huynh Tai Thien , Nguyen At Van , Pham Hau Quoc , Bach Long Giang , Ho Van Thi Thanh
Published: February 2018

Noncarbon materials were recognized as the catalyst support to increase the durability of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC). One of the most noncarbon materials studied to be an emerging candidate for Pt nanoparticles (Pt NPs) support on the cathode side of PEMFC was M doped-TiO2 due to the highly stable structure of TiO2 and the good conductivity of M-doped TiO2. In this paper, the novel nanostructure Ti0.7Ir0.3O2 was prepared for the first time via low temperature hydrothermal process. The synthesis process for the new nanostructure Ti0.7Ir0.3O2 was studied in detail in this work. The impact of hydrothermal temperature as well as the reaction time on the dominant phase formation is extensively investigated in this work. We found that the Ti0.7Ir0.3O2 nanoparticles exist in both rutile and anatase phase. We found that the Ti0.7Ir0.3O2 nanoparticles with an irregular spherical shape with particle size of approximately 20-30nm with high crystallinity. In addition, we also found that the optimal condition to synthesize the Ti0.7Ir0.3O2 NPs is obtained at 210°C and 10 hours. The result not only introduces a promising catalyst support Ti0.7Ir0.3O2 for much needed fuel cells, but it also open a new material type of Ir doped TiO2.
A Novel Benzo[d,e]Chromene for Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs)
Authors: Somchob Benjawan , Sahasitthiwat Somboon , Jitchati Rukkiat
Published: February 2018

Organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) have been known for the next generation of display technology. In this work, we synthesized four benzo[d,e]chromene derivatives (BS01-BS04) varying the position of fluorine atom for OLED application. The compounds were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR, FTIR and mass spectroscopy. Their photoluminescence properties were studied which showed the thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) character from intramolecular charged transfer (ICT) transition. The compounds were used as a dopant for OLEDs in the structure of ITO/NPB/BS01-BS04/Bphen/LiF/Al. The BS02 device exhibited green colour with the current efficiency at 1.28 cd/A and the power efficiency at 0.47 Im/W.
Activation and Regulation of Blood Vδ2 T Cells Are Amplified by TREM-1+ during Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Authors: Wu Yongjian , Fang Yin-Min , Ding Li , Liu Xi , Francisco Ngiambudulu M. , Wen Jinsheng , Liao Chunxin , Ma Zhiming , Li Zi , Li Miao , Ming Siqi , Liu Ting , Zhang Mei , Wu Minhao , Jacobs Muazzam , Gong Sitang , Huang Xi
Published: February 2018

Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (TREM-1) is a receptor mainly expressed on myeloid cells, and it plays an important role in modulating immune response against infectious agents. The function of TREM-1 on nonmyeloid cells such as Vδ2 T cells has not been characterized, and their role in pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) remains unclear. To assess the expression of TREM-1 on blood Vδ2 T cells from pulmonary TB patients and investigate its mechanism of induction, we exploited flow cytometry analysis to study the expression of TREM-1 on Vδ2 T cells from active pulmonary TB patients and control subjects. In this study we demonstrate that TREM-1 (TREM-1+) is highly expressed on Vδ2 T cells of patients with active pulmonary TB. Unlike TREM-1−–expressing Vδ2 T cells, TREM-1+–producing Vδ2 T cells display APC-like phenotypes. Surprisingly, TREM-1+ signaling promotes the Ag-presenting capability of Vδ2 T cells to induce the CD4+ T cell response. TREM-1+Vδ2 T cells induced the proliferation and differentiation of naive CD4+ T cells, as well as the elimination of intracellular mycobacteria. We identified TREM-1+ (but not TREM-1−) as an Ag-presentation amplifier on human blood Vδ2 T cells, and data shed new light on the regulation of Vδ2 T cells in the phase of innate and adaptive immune responses against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Targeting TREM-1+Vδ2 T cells may be a promising approach for TB therapy.