bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biphasic Dose-Response Induced by Phytochemicals: Experimental Evidence
Authors: Jodynis-Liebert Jadwiga , Kujawska Małgorzata
Published: March 2020

Many phytochemicals demonstrate nonmonotonic dose/concentration-response termed biphasic dose-response and are considered to be hormetic compounds, i.e., they induce biologically opposite effects at different doses. In numerous articles the hormetic nature of phytochemicals is declared, however, no experimental evidence is provided. Our aim was to present the overview of the reports in which phytochemical-induced biphasic dose-response is experimentally proven. Hence, we included in the current review only articles in which the reversal of response between low and high doses/concentrations of phytochemicals for a single endpoint was documented. The majority of data on biphasic dose-response have been found for phytoestrogens; other reports described these types of effects for resveratrol, sulforaphane, and natural compounds from various chemical classes such as isoquinoline alkaloid berberine, polyacetylenes falcarinol and falcarindiol, prenylated pterocarpan glyceollin1, naphthoquinones plumbagin and naphazarin, and panaxatriol saponins. The prevailing part of the studies presented in the current review was performed on cell cultures. The most common endpoint tested was a proliferation of tumor and non-cancerous cells. Very few experiments demonstrating biphasic dose-response induced by phytochemicals were carried out on animal models. Data on the biphasic dose-response of various endpoints to phytochemicals may have a potential therapeutic or preventive implication.
Kalman Filters for Leak Diagnosis in Pipelines: Brief History and Future Research
Authors: Torres Lizeth , Jiménez-Cabas Javier , González Omar , Molina Lázaro , López-Estrada Francisco-Ronay
Published: March 2020

The purpose of this paper is to provide a structural review of the progress made on the detection and localization of leaks in pipelines by using approaches based on the Kalman filter. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first review on the topic. In particular, it is the first to try to draw the attention of the leak detection community to the important contributions that use the Kalman filter as the core of a computational pipeline monitoring system. Without being exhaustive, the paper gathers the results from different research groups such that these are presented in a unified fashion. For this reason, a classification of the current approaches based on the Kalman filter is proposed. For each of the existing approaches within this classification, the basic concepts, theoretical results, and relations with the other procedures are discussed in detail. The review starts with a short summary of essential ideas about state observers. Then, a brief history of the use of the Kalman filter for diagnosing leaks is described by mentioning the most outstanding approaches. At last, brief discussions of some emerging research problems, such as the leak detection in pipelines transporting heavy oils; the main challenges; and some open issues are addressed.
Effects of Hot Extrusion Temperature on Mechanical and Corrosion Properties of Mg-Y-Zn-Zr Biological Magnesium Alloy Containing W Phase and I Phase
Authors: Wu Xiaofeng , Xu Chunxiang , Kuan Jun , Zhang Zhengwei , Zhang Jingshan , Yang Wenfu
Published: March 2020

The previous study conducted on the as-cast Mg-2Y-1Zn-0.6Zr alloy showed that the tensile strength, yield strength and elongation of the as-cast alloy were 245 MPa, 135 MPa and 14.4%, respectively. In order to further explore the potential of the material, the hot extrusion process of variable temperature (250 °C, 300 °C and 350 °C) was carried out on the basis of the as-cast alloy. After hot extrusion, the mechanical properties of the material have been greatly improved compared with as-cast alloy. The tensile strength, yield strength and elongation of the extruded alloy reached 327 MPa, 322 MPa and 24.9%, respectively. The reason for the significant improvement of material properties is mainly due to the dynamic recrystallization during thermal processing, which greatly fines the grains of as-cast alloy. Moreover, the experimental results shown that the corrosion performance of the alloy after hot extrusion at 300 °C is also optimal.
Multiobjective Games for Detecting Abnormally Expressed Genes
Authors: Fragnelli Vito , Pusillo Lucia
Published: March 2020

A class of multiobjective games with applications to a medicine setting is studied. We consider the vector Shapley value and the vector Banzhaf value for a multicriteria game and we apply them to a microarray game. We give an axiomatic characterization too.
Current Endoscopic Management of Malignant Biliary Stricture
Authors: Wang Chi-Chih , Yang Tzu-Wei , Sung Wen-Wei , Tsai Ming-Chang
Published: March 2020

Biliary and pancreatic cancers occur silently in the initial stage and become unresectable within a short time. When these diseases become symptomatic, biliary obstruction, either with or without infection, occurs frequently due to the anatomy associated with these cancers. The endoscopic management of these patients has changed, both with time and with improvements in medical devices. In this review, we present updated and integrated concepts for the endoscopic management of malignant biliary stricture. Endoscopic biliary drainage had been indicated in malignant biliary obstruction, but the concept of endoscopic management has changed with time. Although routine endoscopic stenting should not be performed in resectable malignant distal biliary obstruction (MDBO) patients, endoscopic biliary drainage is the treatment of choice for palliation in unresectable MDBO patients. Self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) have better stent patency and lower costs compared with plastic stents (PS). For malignant hilum obstruction, PS and uncovered SEMS yield similar short-term outcomes, while a covered stent is not usually used due to a potential unintentional obstruction of contralateral ducts.
Targeted Combination Antibiotic Therapy Induces Remission in Treatment-Naïve Crohn’s Disease: A Case Series
Authors: Agrawal Gaurav , Clancy Annabel , Sharma Rijata , Huynh Roy , Ramrakha Sanjay , Borody Thomas
Published: March 2020

Prospective trials of anti-mycobacterial antibiotic therapy (AMAT) have proven efficacious in Crohn’s disease (CD) but use as first-line treatment in CD has not been evaluated. This paper reports the outcomes of patients with CD treated with first-line AMAT. This paper consists of a case series of treatment-naïve CD patients who received AMAT as first-line treatment between 2007 and 2014 at a single center. AMAT treatment consisted of rifabutin, clofazimine and clarithromycin, plus either ciprofloxacin, metronidazole or ethambutol. Symptoms, inflammatory blood markers, colonoscopy and histology results, in addition to, the Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (CDAI) were tabulated from patients’ clinical records, and descriptive statistics were conducted. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test assessed the difference in CDAI scores before and while on AMAT. The statistical significance was set at 5%. Clinical remission (CDAI < 150) with rapid improvement in clinical symptoms and inflammatory markers was seen in all eight patients receiving AMAT as sole therapy by 6 weeks. In all eight patients, the median CDAI score decreased significantly, from 289 prior to treatment to 62 at the 12-month follow-up (p < 0.001). Follow-up colonoscopies showed healing of CD ulcers, no visible mucosal inflammation, restoration of normal vascular patterns and complete mucosal healing on histology samples. AMAT as first-line therapy demonstrated a rapid improvement of Crohn’s disease (not previously seen when used as second-line therapy).
ZnO Nanostructures with Antibacterial Properties Prepared by a Green Electrochemical-Thermal Approach
Authors: Sportelli Maria Chiara , Picca Rosaria Anna , Izzi Margherita , Palazzo Gerardo , Gristina Roberto , Innocenti Massimo , Torsi Luisa , Cioffi Nicola
Published: March 2020

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures are widely applied materials, and are also capable of antimicrobial action. They can be obtained by several methods, which include physical and chemical approaches. Considering the recent rise of green and low-cost synthetic routes for nanomaterial development, electrochemical techniques represent a valid alternative to biogenic synthesis. Following a hybrid electrochemical-thermal method modified by our group, here we report on the aqueous electrosynthesis of ZnO nanomaterials based on the use of alternative stabilizers. We tested both benzyl-hexadecyl-dimetylammonium chloride (BAC) and poly-diallyl-(dimethylammonium) chloride (PDDA). Transmission electron microscopy images showed the formation of rod-like and flower-like structures with a variable aspect-ratio. The combination of UV–Vis, FTIR and XPS spectroscopies allowed for the univocal assessment of the material composition as a function of different thermal treatments. In fact, the latter guaranteed the complete conversion of the as-prepared colloidal materials into stoichiometric ZnO species without excessive morphological modification. The antimicrobial efficacy of both materials was tested against Bacillus subtilis as a Gram-positive model microorganism.
Efficacy of Vitamin D3 Buccal Spray Supplementation Compared to Other Delivery Methods: A Systematic Review of Superiority Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Grammatikopoulou Maria G. , Gkiouras Konstantinos , Nigdelis Meletios P. , Bogdanos Dimitrios P. , Goulis Dimitrios G.
Published: March 2020

(1) Background: Vitamin D deficiency is an important public health concern and supplementation is common for this deficiency. Many different modes of delivering supplementation have been proposed in order to enhance absorption and utilization. The present review compared the efficacy of vitamin D3 buccal spray against other forms of supplementation delivery. (2) Methods: The protocol was registered at PROSPERO (CRD42019136146). Medline/PubMed, CENTRAL and clinicaltrials.gov were searched from their inception until September 2019, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compare vitamin D3 delivery via sublingual spray against other delivery methods. Eligible RCTs involved humans, of any age and health status, published in any language that evaluated changes in plasma 25(OH)D concentrations. Three reviewers independently extracted data, assessed risk of bias (RoB) and the quality of the trials. (3) Results: Out of 9759 RCTs, four matched the predefined criteria. Intervention duration ranged from 30 days to 3 months whereas vitamin D3 dosage ranged between 800 and 3000 IU/day. One RCT advocated for the superiority of buccal spray in increasing plasma 25(OH)D concentrations, although several limitations were recorded in that trial. The rest failed to report differences in post-intervention 25(OH)D concentrations between delivery methods. Considerable clinical heterogeneity was observed due to study design, intervention duration and dosage, assays and labs used to perform the assays, population age and health status, not allowing for synthesis of the results. (4) Conclusions: Based on the available evidence, delivery of vitamin D3 via buccal spray does not appear superior to the other modes of delivery. Future RCTs avoiding the existing methodological shortcomings are warranted.
Comment on: “A Systematic Review of Organic Versus Conventional Food Consumption: Is There a Measurable Benefit on Human Health? Nutrients 2020, 12, 7”
Authors: Di Renzo Laura , De Lorenzo Antonino , Merra Giuseppe , Gualtieri Paola
Published: March 2020

Dear Editor [...]
A Suboptimal Diet Is Associated with Poorer Cognition: The NUDAD Project
Authors: Fieldhouse Jay L. P. , Doorduijn Astrid S. , de Leeuw Francisca A. , Verhaar Barbara J. H. , Koene Ted , Wesselman Linda M. P. , de van der Schueren Marian A.E. , Visser Marjolein , van de Rest Ondine , Scheltens Philip , Kester Maartje I. , van der Flier Wiesje M.
Published: March 2020

Nutrition is one of the modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia, and is therefore highly relevant in the context of prevention. However, knowledge of dietary quality in clinical populations on the spectrum of AD dementia is lacking, therefore we studied the association between dietary quality and cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and controls. We included 357 participants from the NUDAD project (134 AD dementia, 90 MCI, 133 controls). We assessed adherence to dietary guidelines (components: vegetables, fruit, fibers, fish, saturated fat, trans-fat, salt, and alcohol), and cognitive performance (domains: memory, language, visuospatial functioning, attention, and executive functioning). In the total population, linear regression analyses showed a lower vegetable intake is associated with poorer global cognition, visuospatial functioning, attention and executive functioning. In AD dementia, lower total adherence to dietary guidelines and higher alcohol intake were associated with poorer memory, a lower vegetable intake with poorer global cognition and executive functioning, and a higher trans-fat intake with poorer executive functioning. In conclusion, a suboptimal diet is associated with more severely impaired cognition—this association is mostly attributable to a lower vegetable intake and is most pronounced in AD dementia.
Consumers’ Perceptions of the Australian Health Star Rating Labelling Scheme
Authors: Pelly Fiona E. , Swanepoel Libby , Rinella Joseph , Cooper Sheri
Published: March 2020

The objective of this study was to explore consumers’ use and perception of the Australian Health Star Rating (HSR). A purposive sample of fifteen Australian grocery shoppers was recruited into four focus groups using a supermarket intercept strategy. Focus group discussions were recorded, transcribed and analysed using an iterative approach to thematic analysis. Three key themes emerged from analysis. The HSR was seen as simple, uncluttered, easy to understand and useful for quick comparison across products. The nutrition information was viewed positively; however, there was little confidence in the HSR due to a perceived lack of transparency in the criteria used to determine the number of stars. Highly processed foods were generally seen as having inflated ratings and participants expressed concern that this would increase consumption of these products. Finally, there was a belief that the HSR had a lack of negative imagery limiting the dissuasive impact on consumers when presented with low-rated foods. Consumers saw benefits in the HSR but were sceptical about how the ratings were derived. Transparency about the development and education on the application may assist with consumers’ perception of the HSR.
Bartonella spp. Prevalence (Serology, Culture, and PCR) in Sanitary Workers in La Rioja Spain
Authors: Portillo Aránzazu , Maggi Ricardo , Oteo José A. , Bradley Julie , García-Álvarez Lara , San-Martín Montserrat , Roura Xavier , Breitschwerdt Edward
Published: March 2020

Bartonella spp. are increasingly implicated in association with a spectrum of zoonotic infectious diseases. One hundred sanitary workers in La Rioja, Spain, completed a questionnaire and provided blood specimens for Bartonella spp. serology and Bartonella Alpha-Proteobacteria growth medium (BAPGM) enrichment blood culture/PCR. Six immunofluorescence assays (IFA) were performed and aseptically obtained blood specimens were inoculated into liquid BAPGM and subcultured onto blood agar plates. Bartonella DNA was amplified using conventional and real-time PCR assays. The Bartonella spp., strain, or genotype was determined by DNA sequencing. Bartonella seroreactivity was documented in 83.1% and bloodstream infection in 21.6% of participants. Bartonella henselae, B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii genotypes I and III, and B. quintana were identified. IFA seroreactivity and PCR positivity were not statistically associated with self-reported symptoms. Our results suggest that exposure to and non-clinical infection with Bartonella spp. may occur more often than previously suspected in the La Rioja region.
(Radio)Theranostic Patient Management in Oncology Exemplified by Neuroendocrine Neoplasms, Prostate Cancer, and Breast Cancer
Authors: Velikyan Irina
Published: March 2020

The role of nuclear medicine in the management of oncological patients has expanded during last two decades. The number of radiopharmaceuticals contributing to the realization of theranostics/radiotheranostics in the context of personalized medicine is increasing. This review is focused on the examples of targeted (radio)pharmaceuticals for the imaging and therapy of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs), prostate cancer, and breast cancer. These examples strongly demonstrate the tendency of nuclear medicine development towards personalized medicine.
Opipramol Inhibits Lipolysis in Human Adipocytes without Altering Glucose Uptake and Differently from Antipsychotic and Antidepressant Drugs with Adverse Effects on Body Weight Control
Authors: Carpéné Christian , Les Francisco , Mercader Josep , Gomez-Zorita Saioa , Grolleau Jean-Louis , Boulet Nathalie , Fontaine Jessica , Iglesias-Osma Mari Carmen , Garcia-Barrado Maria José
Published: March 2020

Treatment with several antipsychotic drugs exhibits a tendency to induce weight gain and diabetic complications. The proposed mechanisms by which the atypical antipsychotic drug olanzapine increases body weight include central dysregulations leading to hyperphagia and direct peripheral impairment of fat cell lipolysis. Several investigations have reproduced in vitro direct actions of antipsychotics on rodent adipocytes, cultured preadipocytes, or human adipose tissue-derived stem cells. However, to our knowledge, no such direct action has been described in human mature adipocytes. The aim of the present study was to compare in human adipocytes the putative direct alterations of lipolysis by antipsychotics (haloperidol, olanzapine, ziprazidone, risperidone), antidepressants (pargyline, phenelzine), or anxiolytics (opipramol). Lipolytic responses to the tested drugs, and to recognized lipolytic (e.g., isoprenaline) or antilipolytic agents (e.g., insulin) were determined, together with glucose transport and amine oxidase activities in abdominal subcutaneous adipocytes from individuals undergoing plastic surgery. None of the tested drugs were lipolytic. Surprisingly, only opipramol exhibited substantial antilipolytic properties in the micromolar to millimolar range. An opipramol antilipolytic effect was evident against isoprenaline-, forskolin-, or atrial natriuretic peptide-stimulated lipolysis. Opipramol did not impair insulin activation of glucose transport but inhibited monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity to the same extent as antidepressants recognized as MAO inhibitors (pargyline, harmine, or phenelzine), whereas antipsychotics were inefficient. Considering its unique properties, opipramol, which is not associated with weight gain in treated patients, is a good candidate for drug repurposing because it limits exaggerated lipolysis, prevents hydrogen peroxide release by amine oxidases in adipocytes, and is thereby of potential use to limit lipotoxicity and oxidative stress, two deleterious complications of diabetes and obesity.
Is There a Role for the Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Colistin? An Overview
Authors: Avila Maria-Paula , Pacheco Tatiana , Arias Sara , Bustos Rosa-Helena , Garcia Julio-Cesar , Jaimes Diego
Published: March 2020

Colistin is used as a last-line antibiotic for the treatment of Gram-negative multiresistant bacteria. Due to its high nephrotoxicity, Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) is recommended for dose adjustment. We aimed to evaluate the available evidence of TDM in patients given colistin to treat Gram-negative infections. In this paper, we offer an overview, using an electronic search of the literature (published up to June 2019, without language restrictions) that compares the clinical outcomes and measurements of colistin TDM. Ultimately, the Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) of colistin in Plasma could prevent nephrotoxicity risk.
Surgical Planning of Sacral Nerve Stimulation Procedure in Presence of Sacral Anomalies by Using Personalized Polymeric Prototypes Obtained with Additive Manufacturing Techniques
Authors: Rubio-Pérez Inés , Díaz Lantada Andrés
Published: March 2020

Sacral nerve stimulation or sacral neuromodulation involves the implantation of a stimulating electrode lead through the sacral foramina. In patients with anatomical sacral anomalies, it can constitute a challenging procedure due to a lack of common reference points present in the normal anatomy. In this study, we present an innovative application of additive manufacturing for the planning of sacral nerve stimulation techniques and related surgical procedures in complex cases, and we verify that the use of personalized patient models may help to manage the presence of sacral anomalies. The use of two alternative additive manufacturing technologies working with thermoplastic and thermoset polymers, including fused deposition modeling as low-cost alternative and laser stereolithography as industrial gold standard, is compared in terms of viability, precision and overall production costs. They pay special attention to fidelity in terms of the bone microstructure reconstruction, which is necessary for adequately planning electrode insertion. Advantages and limitations of the alternative approaches are discussed and ideas for future developments and for solving current challenges are presented.
A Numerical Study on the Effects of Trust in Supplier Development
Authors: Dastyar Haniyeh , Rippel Daniel , Pannek Jürgen , Thoben Klaus-Dieter , Freitag Michael
Published: March 2020

Supplier development constitutes one of the current tools to enhance supply chain performance. While most literature in this context focuses on the relationship between manufacturers and suppliers, supplier development also provides an opportunity for distinct manufacturers to collaborate in enhancing a joint supplier. This article proposes a model for the optimization of such joint supplier development programs, which incorporates the effects of trust in the manufacturer-to-manufacturer relationship. This article uses a model-predictive formulation to obtain optimal supplier development investment decisions to consider the strong dynamics of the markets. Thereby, the model is designed to be highly customizable to the needs and requirements of different companies. We analyzed the price development related to Mercedes’ A-Class cars and the cost development in the automotive sector over the last ten years in Germany. According to the obtained result, the proposed model shows a sensible behavior in including trust and its effects in supplier development, even when just applying a set of generalized rules. Moreover, the numeric experiments showed that aiming for a balanced mix of optimizing revenue and trust results in the highest revenue obtained by each partner.
A Time for Hope in Dark Times
Authors: Giroux Henry , Filippakou Ourania
Published: March 2020

This article explores the political importance of embracing a notion of hope in a time of growing authoritarianism across the globe. It defines hope as the ability to both mobilize what might be called a democratic imaginary and a notion of hope rooted in a realistic assessment of what it means to engage in forms of struggle for economic and social justice, both pedagogically and politically. We argue that hope is the bases for agency and that without hope, there is no agency of possibility of civic engagement and struggle.
Latent Phase Identification of High-Frequency Micro-Scale Gamma Spike Transients in the Hypoxic Ischemic EEG of Preterm Fetal Sheep Using Spectral Analysis and Fuzzy Classifiers
Authors: Abbasi Hamid , Gunn Alistair J. , Bennet Laura , Unsworth Charles P.
Published: March 2020

Premature babies are at high risk of serious neurodevelopmental disabilities, which in many cases are related to perinatal hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Studies of neuroprotection in animal models consistently suggest that treatment must be started as early as possible in the first 6 h after hypoxia–ischemia (HI), the so-called latent phase before secondary deterioration, to improve outcomes. We have shown in preterm sheep that EEG biomarkers of injury, in the form of high-frequency micro-scale spike transients, develop and evolve in this critical latent phase after severe asphyxia. Real-time automatic identification of such events is important for the early and accurate detection of HI injury, so that the right treatment can be implemented at the right time. We have previously reported successful strategies for accurate identification of EEG patterns after HI. In this study, we report an alternative high-performance approach based on the fusion of spectral Fourier analysis and Type-I fuzzy classifiers (FFT-Type-I-FLC). We assessed its performance in over 2520 min of latent phase EEG recordings from seven asphyxiated in utero preterm fetal sheep exposed to a range of different occlusion periods. The FFT-Type-I-FLC classifier demonstrated 98.9 ± 1.0% accuracy for identification of high-frequency spike transients in the gamma frequency band (namely 80–120 Hz) post-HI. The spectral-based approach (FFT-Type-I-FLC classifier) has similar accuracy to our previous reverse biorthogonal wavelets rbio2.8 basis function and type-1 fuzzy classifier (rbio-WT-Type-1-FLC), providing competitive performance (within the margin of error: 0.89%), but it is computationally simpler and would be readily adapted to identify other potentially relevant EEG waveforms.
Incremental Construction for Scalable Component-Based Systems
Authors: Rana Tauseef , Baz Abdullah
Published: March 2020

The availability of smart and intelligent sensors has changed the monitoring, control and maintenance of a conventional and advanced cyber-physical system used in public or private sectors of a society. For example, internet of things (IoT)-based health, agricultural and weather management systems. With the emergence of such sensors, along with the new ways to communicate or coordinate with them, we need to analyze and optimize the system construction processes. In this paper, to address the issue of scalability for bigger and complex systems based on sensors, we redefine an incremental construction process with an emphasis on behavior preservation and study the effectiveness of the use of software component models from the component-based development domain. In this paper, to deal with the issue of scalability, we investigate component-based development approaches with respect to our defined process and propose a taxonomy of component models with respect to component/system behavior. Moreover, based on the outcome of our analysis, we recommend the EX-MAN component model as the most suitable approach. We investigate incremental construction in the context of the three main categories of current component models, namely models where components are: (i) objects, (ii) architectural units and (iii) encapsulated components. Furthermore, to evaluate our defined process and selection of EX-MAN, we designed three examples of systems using our proposed process in EX-MAN component model.
Thermal Model and Countermeasures for Future Smart Glasses
Authors: Matsuhashi Kodai , Kanamoto Toshiki , Kurokawa Atsushi
Published: March 2020

The market for wearable devices such as smart watches and smart glasses continues to grow rapidly. Smart glasses are attracting particular attention because they offer convenient features such as hands-free augmented reality (AR). Since smart glasses directly touch the face and head, the device with high temperature has a detrimental effect on human physical health. This paper presents a thermal network model in a steady state condition and thermal countermeasure methods for thermal management of future smart glasses. It is accomplished by disassembling the state by wearing smart glasses into some parts, creating the equivalent thermal resistance circuit for each part, approximating heat-generating components such as integrated circuits (ICs) to simple physical structures, setting power consumption to the heat sources, and providing heat transfer coefficients of natural convection in air. The average temperature difference between the thermal network model and a commercial thermal solver is 0.9 °C when the maximum temperature is 62 °C. Results of an experiment using the model show that the temperature of the part near the ear that directly touches the skin can be reduced by 51.4% by distributing heat sources into both sides, 11.1% by placing higher heat-generating components farther from the ear, and 65.3% in comparison with all high conductivity materials by using a combination of low thermal conductivity materials for temples and temple tips and high conductivity materials for rims.
Recognition of Common Non-Normal Walking Actions Based on Relief-F Feature Selection and Relief-Bagging-SVM
Authors: Huang Pan , Li Yanping , Lv Xiaoyi , Chen Wen , Liu Shuxian
Published: March 2020

Action recognition algorithms are widely used in the fields of medical health and pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR). The classification and recognition of non-normal walking actions and normal walking actions are very important for improving the accuracy of medical health indicators and PDR steps. Existing motion recognition algorithms focus on the recognition of normal walking actions, and the recognition of non-normal walking actions common to daily life is incomplete or inaccurate, resulting in a low overall recognition accuracy. This paper proposes a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) action recognition method based on Relief-F feature selection and relief-bagging-support vector machine (SVM). Feature selection using the Relief-F algorithm reduces the dimensions by 16 and reduces the optimization time by an average of 9.55 s. Experiments show that the improved algorithm for identifying non-normal walking actions has an accuracy of 96.63%; compared with Decision Tree (DT), it increased by 11.63%; compared with k-nearest neighbor (KNN), it increased by 26.62%; and compared with random forest (RF), it increased by 11.63%. The average Area Under Curve (AUC) of the improved algorithm improved by 0.1143 compared to KNN, by 0.0235 compared to DT, and by 0.04 compared to RF.
Methodology Designed to Evaluate Accidents at Intersection Crossings with Respect to Forensic Purposes and Transport Sustainability
Authors: Dirnbach Igor , Kubjatko Tibor , Kolla Eduard , Ondruš Ján , Šarić Željko
Published: March 2020

Currently, there are quite a lot of incorrect procedures and mistakes that occur in the forensic area, which lacks analytical approaches toward solving the causes of accidents using s–t diagrams (distance–time diagrams) combined with the software simulation applications. When analyzing accidents, the correct information is of key importance. The aim of this article is to define a new specific technical and analytical approach toward handling expert’s reports on traffic accidents in road transport at intersections, with respect to the traffic lights. A simulation program application is used as a progressive means of accident evaluation. This procedure must become a standard in the methods of modern traffic accident analysis. The application of this methodology with simulation tools for accident reconstruction enables one to perform a very precise analysis of traffic accidents. Mutual space and time relationships of vehicles’ movements have been evaluated here, depending upon the intersection signal plan. To demonstrate the methodology, a real case is used here, reconstructed by means of the complex analytical simulation software PC-Crash. A procedure processed by these means can be beneficial for forensic traffic accident analysis.
Fashion Everydayness as a Cultural Revolution in Social Media Platforms—Focus on Fashion Instagrammers
Authors: Suh Sungeun
Published: March 2020

This study qualitatively analyzes the phenomenon of fashion everydayness as a cultural revolution in the digital space as everyday life continues to expand into digital platforms. The analysis proceeded in four perspectives based on Lefebvre’s theoretical framework: the festivalization of everyday life, the artification of everyday life, the holistic stylization of everyday life, and cultural revolution as a daily practice. Instagram, the case for this study and the most popular image-centric social network, leads the digital aesthetics paradigm through creative acts that weave fashion into the daily life of the individual. The study focuses on three fashion mega-influencers whose successful careers began with blogs documenting their daily lives. The analysis showed that Instagram, as a social platform, is a creative space for sharing everyday life with its appropriation of time and space. In there, fashion visualizes the look of the everyday beyond the boundaries of time and space. In practice, it suggests a digital cultural revolution: a composite lifestyle expressive of various tastes and styles—a vital medium to inspire and sustain fashion everydayness. This has implications that the information and communication technology of the digital age created a new cultural space and that daily visualization through fashion will eventually produce sustainable cultural contents.
Decrepit Building Monitoring Solution for Zero Energy Building Management Using PLC and Android Application
Authors: Huh Jun-Ho , Park Jong Hyuk
Published: March 2020

Since power line communication (PLC) technology has been considered a platform technology for smart metering, this study introduces an analogous system technology for the PLC-based monitoring systems in zero energy building management. This technology allows a system operator or an operation center to monitor, calculate, or manage power use remotely through the existing power line so that individual suppliers will be able to grasp the present condition of power use and respond to any unexpected incidents. As in any country, many old buildings in Korea are repaired to be used for 40–50 years or even longer since constructing new ones is expensive. Because remodeling old buildings is not only expensive but also generates construction waste, repairing is the preferred alternative in many cases. With the expectation that the proposed platform technology will be one of the promising technologies for sustainable building, its uninterrupted power usage monitoring and remote power control/management functions will be quite useful for economizing power with convenience. A system with such a PLC-based design and algorithm can be quite scalable as well. As the major contribution of this study, a solution suitable for decrepit buildings or apartments has been developed by using the PLC technology, and the test bed experiment was conducted for it. The result showed that the solution worked flexibly and efficiently. Since it is impossible to install a new network especially in the case of decrepit buildings, PLC must be used through the existing power line. Thus, a decrepit building monitoring system has been proposed in this study for a sustainable building. The proposed solution was simulated with OPNET simulation first. Following the mounting of the actual PLC product and development of a monitoring application to complete the platform/solution, it is being tested at the test bed in a decrepit building.
Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Existing Reinforced Concrete Buildings in Urban Centers
Authors: Ferreira Tiago Miguel , Rodrigues Hugo , Vicente Romeu
Published: March 2020

Despite the recent advances in the analysis of the seismic performance of reinforced concrete structures, the assessment of large building inventories aimed at defining and prioritizing structural retrofitting strategies is still a technically challenging task. This paper aims to contribute to bridging this gap by presenting a simplified methodology for assessing the seismic vulnerability of reinforced concrete buildings, which is then applied to a group of 91 buildings affected by recent earthquakes with different macroseismic intensities. The presented methodology is based on the evaluation of eight parameters associated with different factors that affect the seismic response of the building, namely its structural features, foundation conditions, and position within the urban mesh. The formulation of each parameter and the relative weight attributed to each one of them were defined on the basis of post-earthquake damage observation and expert opinion. After defined, the proposed methodology is applied to Faro city center. Based on the results obtained, a cost benefit analysis is made considering a strengthening solution to the buildings with soft-story irregularity.
Glass Waste3: A Preliminary Study for a New Industrial Recovery Processing
Authors: Bellopede Rossana , Zichella Lorena , Marini Paola
Published: March 2020

In recent times, the selection and treatment of glass waste are implemented in processing plants where a secondary raw material (SRM) named glass cullet, which is suitable for glass production, and a waste containing a high percentage of glass (glass waste2) is obtained. In the literature, there are many studies conducted on the recovery of the cullet, while few are the studies on the recovery of the waste that is produced by cullet processing. According to the 2013 Joint Research Centre (JRC) Reference report, the cullet produces savings in terms of energy and raw materials. However, it has a high current cost and its availability is becoming difficult, therefore its use is not always economically advantageous. The goal and strategy of the European Union is zero waste. For this purpose, further treatment of glass waste has been investigated. Through the industrial treatment of the glass waste2, a glass waste3 constituted again by an SRM made of glass is obtained together with a high quantity of presumed SRM (e.g., heavy plastic, corks, iron, non-ferrous metals, etc.). The process treatment separating these SRMs from the glass waste3 is, in this case, a pilot plant that needs to be optimized in order to reach an economic and sustainable industrial process solution. In particular, the materials to be recycled are exploitable product fractions with different particle sizes and physical properties (such as density, shape and resistance). This research is based on data collected from a North Italy process plant and is aimed at solving the issue of waste in this kind of process by implementing a pilot plant already present. Representative samples of feed material (glass waste3) and different products of the pilot plant have been analyzed. Moreover, laboratory tests were executed to improve separation efficiency and to valorize the different product fractions. A flow sheet of a new treatment plant has been developed and an economic evaluation has been made. The materials that will be separated in the new plant could be traded as SRM—e.g., plastics, metals, synthetic and cork stoppers—which constitute almost 90% of the total feed of the plant.
Evaluation of Wind Energy Potential Using an Optimum Approach based on Maximum Distance Metric
Authors: Gul Mehr , Tai Nengling , Huang Wentao , Nadeem Muhammad Haroon , Yu Moduo
Published: March 2020

The integration of wind power as an alternative energy source has gotten much attention globally. In this paper, the Weibull distribution model based on different artificial intelligent algorithms and numerical methods is used to evaluate the wind profile. The application of Weibull distribution in wind data assessment can be extensively found, but the methods applied for estimating the parameters still need improvement. Three artificial intelligent algorithms are presented as an alternative method for estimation of Weibull parameters, and an objective function is proposed through the concept of maximum distance metric. Its convergence was proven mathematically through its boundedness for all wind data types. The optimization methods based on the proposed objective function are compared with the conventional numerical approaches for Weibull parameter estimation. Two-year wind data from the site in the southern area of Pakistan has been used to conduct this analysis. Furthermore, this work provides an eloquent way for the selection of a suitable area, evaluation of parameters, and appropriate wind turbine models through real-time data for power production.
A Study on the Development Trends of the Energy System with Blockchain Technology Using Patent Analysis
Authors: Huang Lin-Yun , Cai Jian-Feng , Lee Tien-Chen , Weng Min-Hang
Published: March 2020

Recently, the application of blockchain to the setting, management, and trading of the energy system has formed an innovative technology and has attracted a lot of attention from industry, academia, and research. In this study, we use patent analysis technology to explore the development trends of the energy system with blockchain technology. During the patent analysis process, this study makes corresponding analysis charts, such as patent application numbers over time, patent application numbers for main leading countries, applicants, patent citations, international patent classification (IPC), and life cycle. Relative research and design (R&D) capability of the top ten applicants is estimated and the cluster map of the technology is obtained. The technical features of the top five IPC patent applications are related to the cluster map to show the development of energy blockchain technology. Through this paper, first, the basics of the blockchain and patent analysis are illustrated and, moreover, the reason why and how blockchain technology can be combined with the energy system is also briefly described and analyzed. The results of the patent analysis of energy blockchain technology indicate that the United States leads the way, accounting for more than half of the global total. It is also interesting to note that the participants are not from traditional specific fields, but included electric power manufacturers, computer software companies, e-commerce companies, and even many new companies devoted to blockchain technology. Walmart Apollo, LLC and International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) have the highest number of patent applications. However, Walmart Apollo, LLC ranks first with a greater number of inventors of 36, an activity year of 2 years, and a relative R&D capability of 100%. IBM ranks second with an activity year of 3 years and a research and development capability of 91%. Among various applicants, IBM and LO3 energy started earlier in this field, and their patent output is also more prominent. The IPC is mainly concentrated in G06Q 50/06, which belongs to the technical field of the setting and management of the energy system including electricity, gas, or water supply. Currently, most projects are in the early development stages, and research on key areas is still ongoing to improve the required scalability, decentralization, and security. Thus, energy blockchain technology is still in the growth period, and there is still considerable room for development of the patent in the later period. Moreover, it is suggested that the novel communication module such as the combination of the consortium blockchain and the private blockchain cold also provide their own advantages to achieve the purpose of improving system performance and efficiency.
Comprehensive Assessment of Production–Living–Ecological Space Based on the Coupling Coordination Degree Model
Authors: Wang Di , Jiang Dong , Fu Jingying , Lin Gang , Zhang Jialun
Published: March 2020

Production–living–ecological (PLE) space is the basic site of all human activities. The coordinated development of these three spaces is an important prerequisite for achieving sustainable development goals. However, a quantitative assessment of the overall coordination among these three spaces is limited in current research. This paper built an indicator system and a coupling coordination degree model to comprehensively assess the development status of PLE space in China. The statuses of 340 prefecture-level cities across the country from 2005 to 2015 were analyzed. The results showed that the national average first increased from 0.435 in 2005 to 0.452 in 2010 and then dropped to 0.445 in 2015. There was an obvious distribution line between slightly unbalanced cities and moderately balanced cities, close to the famous “Hu Huanyong Line.” Most provincial capital cities were between the slightly unbalanced class and barely balanced class. Only Fuzhou in Fujian Province exceeded the barely balanced class in 2015. This paper provides several references for other developing cities to achieve sustainable and coordinated development.
Corporate Perspectives on Responsibility and Sustainability in the Food System: A (Food) Communicative-Constructivist Viewpoint
Authors: Bartelmeß Tina , Godemann Jasmin
Published: March 2020

This study examines how corporations in the German food industry understand and perceive communication as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) dimension, how they communicate about food-related sustainability, and how this corporate food communication can lead to sustainability-oriented change in action-guiding institutions. This study takes a communicative-constructivist viewpoint that does not focus on the extent to which the communicated corresponds to the actual action but rather on how communication and communicatively constructed institutions can shape, influence, or constitute the action. A comparative qualitative case study approach reveals how two deviant cases within the producing and processing food industry assume responsibility through food communication and identifies five underlying roles of communication that, in their case-specific variations yield in two different conceptualizations of perceiving responsibility through communication. The analysis and interpretation of data, in the reference frame of communicative institutionalism, outline promising prospects on how corporate food communication can contribute to institutional changes that guide decisions and actions for sustainable development of the food system. Furthermore, the findings highlight food quality as a relevant communication resource for food-related discussions about sustainability that cross systems in the context of the food system and transforms an institution in such a way that it now also refers to aspects of sustainability.
The Relation between Knowledge Acquisition and Environmental Values within the Scope of a Biodiversity Learning Module
Authors: Schneiderhan-Opel Jennifer , Bogner Franz X.
Published: March 2020

Global biodiversity declines at unprecedented rates, mainly due to human-induced environmental change. Biodiversity conservation is, thus, highly dependent on responsible and sustainable citizenship. Educational efforts are regarded as an important means to foster awareness and pro-environmental behavior. The present study monitors two factors considered to be particularly relevant for promoting sustainable behavior: cognitive knowledge and environmental values. 205 students (Mage = 15.3) participated in a biodiversity education module including a citizen science (CS) activity on DNA barcoding. With a pre-post-retention design, we measured cognitive achievement and environmental values, which are expressed by environmental utilization (UTL) and preservation (PRE) as well as the appreciation for nature (APR). Overall, we found positive relations between knowledge and PRE as well as APR, whereas UTL was negatively related to knowledge. In the whole module and the sub-modules, cognitive achievement followed the usual pattern, with a substantial short-term knowledge increase from pre-test (T0) to post-test (T1) following a moderate decrease in the retention test (T2). Unexpectedly, a considerable sub-sample (n = 103) deviated from the assumed knowledge drop at T2 and showed an additional knowledge gain in a sub-module directly focusing on the CS activity. Students in this sub-sample revealed significantly higher PRE and APR scores compared to the rest of the students. We discuss these findings in relation to the implications for educational CS.