bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Functionality of the Land Certification Program in Ethiopia: Exploratory Evaluation of the Processes of Updating Certificates
Authors: Cochrane Logan , Hadis Sebsib
Published: October 2019

Ethiopia has implemented one of the world’s most cost-effective systems to document land holdings, the land certification system. After more than 15 years since its launch, questions have been raised regarding its functionality. Specifically, there are concerns about the process of updating land certificates, thus ensuring the certificates and the registry are up-to-date. This exploratory evaluation seeks to provide formative evidence regarding this question, and, if warranted, give direction as to where additional research is needed. We find that in some areas, the mechanisms for updating land certificates are functional and in other areas not. Based upon these findings, we suggest four areas for future research, namely: (1) assessing the extent of non-functionality on a broader scale, (2) investigating the causes of non-functionality and viable options for addressing the cases thereof, (3) how policy can best address uninheritable land due to its small size, and (4) evaluating the viability of the future of rural livelihoods and what services ought to be put in place to enable a transition that provides decent livelihood alternatives.
Smart Hydrogels in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
Authors: Mantha Somasundar , Pillai Sangeeth , Khayambashi Parisa , Upadhyay Akshaya , Zhang Yuli , Tao Owen , Pham Hieu M. , Tran Simon D.
Published: October 2019

The field of regenerative medicine has tremendous potential for improved treatment outcomes and has been stimulated by advances made in bioengineering over the last few decades. The strategies of engineering tissues and assembling functional constructs that are capable of restoring, retaining, and revitalizing lost tissues and organs have impacted the whole spectrum of medicine and health care. Techniques to combine biomimetic materials, cells, and bioactive molecules play a decisive role in promoting the regeneration of damaged tissues or as therapeutic systems. Hydrogels have been used as one of the most common tissue engineering scaffolds over the past two decades due to their ability to maintain a distinct 3D structure, to provide mechanical support for the cells in the engineered tissues, and to simulate the native extracellular matrix. The high water content of hydrogels can provide an ideal environment for cell survival, and structure which mimics the native tissues. Hydrogel systems have been serving as a supportive matrix for cell immobilization and growth factor delivery. This review outlines a brief description of the properties, structure, synthesis and fabrication methods, applications, and future perspectives of smart hydrogels in tissue engineering.
Influence of Coarse Aggregates and Silica Fume on the Mechanical Properties, Durability, and Microstructure of Concrete
Authors: Kim Seong Soo , Qudoos Abdul , Jakhrani Sadam Hussain , Lee Jeong Bae , Kim Hong Gi
Published: October 2019

Globally, concrete is the most widely used construction material. The composition of concrete plays an important role in controlling its overall performance. Concrete is composed of approximately 70%–80% aggregates, by volume. Therefore, it is mandatory to investigate the effect of aggregates on the performance of concrete. For this purpose, this study investigated the effect of three different coarse aggregates on the mechanical properties, durability, and microstructure of concrete. Concrete specimens were made using aggregates obtained from three regions with different mineralogies. The specimens were also made by replacing cement with silica fume. The specimens were analyzed in terms of compressive, flexural, and splitting tensile strengths, chloride penetration, carbonation, mercury intrusion porosimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. The results demonstrate that the specimens made with rougher coarse aggregates and silica fume had enhanced performance in comparison to those made with smoother aggregates.
Morphology of Composite Fe@Au Submicron Particles, Produced with Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis and Potential for Synthesis of Fe@Au Core–Shell Particles
Authors: Majerič Peter , Feizpour Darja , Friedrich Bernd , Jelen Žiga , Anžel Ivan , Rudolf Rebeka
Published: October 2019

Iron core–gold shell (Fe@Au) nanoparticles are prominent for their magnetic and optical properties, which are especially beneficial for biomedical uses. Some experiments were carried out to produce Fe@Au particles with a one-step synthesis method, Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis (USP), which is able to produce the particles in a continuous process. The Fe@Au particles were produced with USP from a precursor solution with dissolved Iron (III) chloride and Gold (III) chloride, with Fe/Au concentration ratios ranging from 0.1 to 4. The resulting products are larger Fe oxide particles (mostly maghemite Fe2O3), with mean sizes of about 260–390 nm, decorated with Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) with mean sizes of around 24–67 nm. The Fe oxide core particles are mostly spherical in all of the experiments, while the AuNPs become increasingly irregular and more heavily agglomerated with lower Fe/Au concentration ratios in the precursor solution. The resulting particle morphology from these experiments is caused by surface chemistry and particle to solvent interactions during particle formation inside the USP system.
Novel Aminoacridine Sensors Based on Molecularly Imprinted Hybrid Polymeric Membranes for Static and Hydrodynamic Drug Quality Control Monitoring
Authors: S. M. Hassan Saad , E. Amr Abd El-Galil , Abd El-Naby Heba , El-Naggar Mohamed , H. Kamel Ayman , M. Khalifa Nagy
Published: October 2019

Novel biomimetic potentiometric ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) were fabricated and designed for the assessment of aminoacridine (ACR) based on newly synthesized imprinted polymer (MIP) membranes. Thermal polymerization of methacrylic acid (MAA) or acrylamide (AM) as function monomer, aminoacridine as a template and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as across-linker, were utilizedto give the molecular recognition part. The membranes of sensors I andII consist of MIP based MAA and AM, respectively, dispersed in a poly(vinyl chloride) membrane plasticized with dioctyl phthalate (DOP) in the ratio of 3.0 wt%, 32.2 wt% and 64.8 wt%, respectively. Sensors III and IV were similarly prepared with added 1.0 wt% tetraphenyl borate (TPB−) as an anionic discriminator. Sensors I and II exhibited near-Nernstian potential response to ACR+ with slopes of 51.2 ± 1.3 and 50.5 ± 1.4 mV/decade in a 0.01 M phosphate buffer of pH 6.0. The linear response coversthe concentration range of 5.2 × 10−6 to 1.0 × 10−3 M with a detection limit of 0.05 and 0.17 μg/mL for sensors I and II, respectively. The performance characteristics of these sensors were evaluated under static and hydrodynamic mode of operations. They were used for quality control assessment of aminoacridine in some pharmaceutical preparations and biological samples.
Design and Fabrication of High Activity Retention Al-Based Composite Powders for Mild Hydrogen Generation
Authors: Wang Cuiping , Lin Kairui , Liu Yuheng , Chen Xinren , Zou Hongwei , Qiu Changrui , Yang Shuiyuan , Liu Xingjun
Published: October 2019

Al–Bi–Sn–Cu composite powders for hydrogen generation were designed from the calculated phase diagram and prepared by the gas atomization process. The morphologies and structures of the composite powders were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, and the results indicate that the Cu additive enhanced the phase separation between the Al-rich phase and the (Bi, Sn)-rich phase. The hydrogen generation performances were investigated by reacting the materials with distilled water. The Al–Bi–Sn–Cu powders reveal a stable hydrogen generation rate, and the Al–10Bi–7Sn–3Cu (wt%) powder exhibits the best hydrogen generation performance in 50 °C distilled water which reaches 856 mL/g in 800 min. In addition, the antioxidation properties of the powders were also studied. The Al–10Bi–7Sn–3Cu (wt%) powder has a good resistance to oxidation and moisture, which shows great potential for being the hydrogen source for fuel cell applications.
Enhancing Mechanical Properties of the Spark Plasma Sintered Inconel 718 Alloy by Controlling the Nano-Scale Precipitations
Authors: Yan Shuaijiang , Wang Yun , Wang Qingxiang , Zhang Chengsong , Chen Dazhi , Cui Guodong
Published: October 2019

The present study aimed to optimize the phase constituents and mechanical properties of the spark plasma sintered (SPS) Inconel 718 (IN718) alloy. A series of heat treatment routes were designed based on the phase relations in IN718 and performed for the optimization. The microstructure and phase compositions of the SPS IN718 alloys were examined by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy disperse spectroscopy (EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The mechanical properties of the samples were characterized at room temperature and at 650 °C. The results showed that large amounts of γ” (Ni3Nb) and γ’ (Ni3(Al, Ti)) strengthening phases precipitated in the IN718 alloy after direct aging (DA) of the as-fabricated sample. Moreover, the mechanical properties of the DA sample were comparable to that of the best one of the solution-treated and aged counterparts. The analysis showed that the rapid sintering and solid solution treatment of the IN718 alloy were achieved simultaneously by SPS. In the case of the SPS IN718 material, the direct aging regime had the same heat treatment effect as the conventional solid solution and aging treatment. This contributes toward improving the production efficiency and reduces manufacturing costs in the actual production process.
Autocorrelation Values of Generalized Cyclotomic Sequences with Period pn+1
Authors: Chen Xiaolin , Liu Huaning
Published: October 2019

Recently Edemskiy proposed a method for computing the linear complexity of generalized cyclotomic binary sequences of period p n + 1 , where p = d R + 1 is an odd prime, d , R are two non-negative integers, and n > 0 is a positive integer. In this paper we determine the exact values of autocorrelation of these sequences of period p n + 1 ( n ≥ 0 ) with special subsets. The method is based on certain identities involving character sums. Our results on the autocorrelation values include those of Legendre sequences, prime-square sequences, and prime cube sequences.
Remarks on the Preservation of the Almost Fixed Point Property Involving Several Types of Digitizations
Authors: Han Sang-Eon
Published: October 2019

This paper explores a certain relationship between the almost fixed point property (AFPP for short) of a compact and n-dimensional Euclidean space and that of its digitized space. Based on several types of digitizations, we prove that the AFPP of a compact and n-dimensional Euclidean cube is preserved by each of the U ( k ) , the L ( k ) and the Khalimsky digitizations, k ∈ 3 n − 1 , n ∈ N .
Hysteretic Behavior and Ultimate Energy Dissipation Capacity of Large Diameter Bars Made of Shape Memory Alloys under Seismic Loadings
Authors: González-Sanz Guillermo , Galé-Lamuela David , Escolano-Margarit David , Benavent-Climent Amadeo
Published: October 2019

Shape memory alloys in the form of bars are increasingly used to control structures under seismic loadings. This study investigates the hysteretic behavior and the ultimate energy dissipation capacity of large-diameter NiTi bars subjected to low- and high-cycle fatigue. Several specimens are subjected to quasi-static and to dynamic cyclic loading at different frequencies. The influence of the rate of loading on the shape of the hysteresis loops is analysed in terms of the amount of dissipated energy, equivalent viscous damping, variations of the loading/unloading stresses, and residual deformations. It is found that the log-log scale shows a linear relationship between the number of cycles to failure and the normalized amount of energy dissipated in one cycle, both for low- and for high-cycle fatigue. Based on the experimental results, a numerical model is proposed that consists of two springs with different restoring force characteristics (flag-shape and elastic-perfectly plastic) connected in series. The model can be used to characterize the hysteretic behavior of NiTi bars used as energy dissipation devices in advanced earthquake resistant structures. The model is validated with shake table tests conducted on a reinforced concrete structure equipped with 12.7 mm diameter NiTi bars as energy dissipation devices.
Role of Substrates in the Corrosion Behaviors of Micro-Arc Oxidation Coatings on Magnesium Alloys
Authors: Liu Cancan , Yuan Junwen , Li Hongtao , Jiang Bailing
Published: October 2019

Micro-arc oxidation (MAO) was performed on AZ31 and AZ91 Mg alloys to explore the relationship between Mg substrates and corrosion behaviors of resultant coatings. The microstructure and long-term corrosion performance of the two coatings were investigated. Results showed that MAO coating on AZ91 alloy provided a longer-term corrosion protection to substrate than that on AZ31 alloy, despite having similar microstructure and phase composition. However, once corrosion occurred, the corrosion area of MAO coating on AZ91 alloy enlarged at a faster rate compared to that on AZ31 alloy during immersion tests, and their corrosion morphologies were different. Based on the corrosion features of Mg substrates and MAO coatings, roles of substrates on the corrosion processes of coatings were analyzed.
Metabolomic Profiling and Cytotoxic Tetrahydrofurofuran Lignans Investigations from Premna odorata Blanco
Authors: Elmaidomy Abeer H. , Mohammed Rabab , M. Hassan Hossam , I. Owis Asmaa , E. Rateb Mostafa , A. Khanfar Mohammad , Krischke Markus , J. Mueller Martin , Ramadan Abdelmohsen Usama
Published: October 2019

Metabolomic profiling of different Premna odorata Blanco (Lamiaceae) organs, bark, wood, young stems, flowers, and fruits dereplicated 20, 20, 10, 20, and 20 compounds, respectively, using LC–HRESIMS. The identified metabolites (1–34) belonged to different chemical classes, including iridoids, flavones, phenyl ethanoids, and lignans. A phytochemical investigation of P. odorata bark afforded one new tetrahydrofurofuran lignan, 4β-hydroxyasarinin 35, along with fourteen known compounds. The structure of the new compound was confirmed using extensive 1D and 2D NMR, and HRESIMS analyses. A cytotoxic investigation of compounds 35–38 against the HL-60, HT-29, and MCF-7 cancer cell lines, using the MTT assay showed that compound 35 had cytotoxic effects against HL-60 and MCF-7 with IC50 values of 2.7 and 4.2 µg/mL, respectively. A pharmacophore map of compounds 35 showed two hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) aligning the phenoxy oxygen atoms of benzodioxole moieties, two aromatic ring features vectored on the two phenyl rings, one hydrogen bond donor (HBD) feature aligning the central hydroxyl group and thirteen exclusion spheres which limit the boundaries of sterically inaccessible regions of the target’s active site.
Metabolomics Approach Reveals the Effects of Breed and Feed on the Composition of Chicken Eggs
Authors: Goto Tatsuhiko , Mori Hiroki , Shiota Shunsuke , Tomonaga Shozo
Published: October 2019

Chicken eggs provide essential nutrients to consumers around the world. Although both genetic and environmental factors influence the quality of eggs, it is unclear how these factors affect the egg traits including egg metabolites. In this study, we investigated breed and feed effects on 10 egg traits, using two breeds (Rhode Island Red and Australorp) and two feed conditions (mixed feed and fermented feed). We also used gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS) to analyze 138 yolk and 132 albumen metabolites. Significant breed effects were found on yolk weight, eggshell weight, eggshell colors, and one albumen metabolite (ribitol). Three yolk metabolites (erythritol, threitol, and urea) and 12 albumen metabolites (erythritol, threitol, ribitol, linoleic acid, isoleucine, dihydrouracil, 4-hydroxyphenyllactic acid, alanine, glycine, N-butyrylglycine, pyruvic acid, and valine) were significantly altered by feed, and a significant interaction between breed and feed was discovered in one albumen metabolite (N-butyrylglycine). Yolk and albumin had higher levels of sugar alcohols when hens were fed a fermented diet, which indicates that sugar alcohol content can be transferred from diet into eggs. Linoleic acid was also enriched in albumen under fermented feed conditions. This study shows that yolk and albumen metabolites will be affected by breed and feed, which is the first step towards manipulating genetic and environmental factors to create “designer eggs.”
Seroepidemiology and the Molecular Detection of Animal Brucellosis in Punjab, Pakistan
Authors: Saeed Usama , Ali Shahzad , Khan Tahir Mahmood , El-Adawy Hosny , Melzer Falk , Khan Aman Ullah , Iftikhar Anam , Neubauer Heinrich
Published: October 2019

Brucellosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella (B.), affecting both animals and humans, causing severe economic loses and severe illness, respectively. The objective of the present study was to determine the seroprevalence and the risk factors associated with caprine, ovine, and bovine brucellosis in selected districts of Punjab, Pakistan. A total of 1083 blood samples were randomly collected from animals (goats = 440, sheep = 203, cows = 206, and buffaloes = 234). Questionnaires were used to collect data on risk factors associated with brucellosis on the sampling day. All samples were initially screened for anti-Brucella antibodies using the rose bengal plate test (RBPT). The seropositive serum samples were confirmed by a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the detection of the Brucella genus- and Brucella species-specific DNA (B. abortus and B. melitensis). Univariant and binary logistic regression were used to identify important risk factors of brucellosis. Anti-Brucella antibodies and DNA were detected in 35 (3.23%) serum samples. Thirty-four (97.1%) DNA samples were confirmed as B. melitensis by qRT-PCR. Abortion history and natural mating were found to be potential risk factors. Brucella melitensis was identified as the causative agent of caprine, ovine, and bovine brucellosis in the selected districts of Punjab, Pakistan. Diseased animals may act as a source of infection for other animals. The elimination of positive seroreactors, development of control strategies for brucellosis, and education programs regarding the control of zoonotic disease are highly needed in developing countries like Pakistan.
3D-Printed Concentration-Controlled Microfluidic Chip with Diffusion Mixing Pattern for the Synthesis of Alginate Drug Delivery Microgels
Authors: Cai Shixuan , Shi Hongyan , Li Guoqian , Xue Qilu , Zhao Lei , Wang Fu , Hu Bo
Published: October 2019

Alginate as a good drug delivery vehicle has excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. In the ionic gelation process between alginate and Ca2+, the violent reaction is the absence of a well-controlled strategy in the synthesizing calcium alginate (CaA) microgels. In this study, a concentration-controlled microfluidic chip with central buffer flow was designed and 3D-printed to well-control the synthesis process of CaA microgels by the diffusion mixing pattern. The diffusion mixing pattern in the microfluidic chip can slow down the ionic gelation process in the central stream. The particle size can be influenced by channel length and flow rate ratio, which can be regulated to 448 nm in length and 235 nm in diameter. The delivery ratio of Doxorubicin (Dox) in CaA microgels are up to 90% based on the central stream strategy. CaA@Dox microgels with pH-dependent release property significantly enhances the cell killing rate against human breast cancer cells (MCF-7). The diffusion mixing pattern gives rise to well-controlled synthesis of CaA microgels, serving as a continuous and controllable production process for advanced drug delivery systems.
Formation and Characterization of Hole Nanopattern on Photoresist Layer by Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscope
Authors: Roszkiewicz Agata , Jain Amrita , Teodorczyk Marian , Nasalski Wojciech
Published: October 2019

Patterning of lines of holes on a layer of positive photoresist SX AR-P 3500/6 (Allresist GmbH, Strausberg, Germany) spin-coated on a quartz substrate is carried out by using scanning near-field optical lithography. A green 532 nm-wavelength laser, focused on a backside of a nanoprobe of 90 nm diameter, is used as a light source. As a result, after optimization of parameters like laser power, exposure time, or sleep time, it is confirmed that it is possible to obtain a uniform nanopattern structure in the photoresist layer. In addition, the lines of holes are characterized by a uniform depth (71–87 nm) and relatively high aspect ratio ranging from 0.22 to 0.26. Numerical modelling performed with a rigorous method shows that such a structure can be potentially used as a phase zone plate.
Medium-Dependent Antibacterial Properties and Bacterial Filtration Ability of Reduced Graphene Oxide
Authors: Gusev Alexander , Zakharova Olga , Muratov Dmitry S. , Vorobeva Nataliia S. , Sarker Mamun , Rybkin Iaroslav , Bratashov Daniil , Kolesnikov Evgeny , Lapanje Aleš , Kuznetsov Denis V. , Sinitskii Alexander
Published: October 2019

Toxicity of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has been a topic of multiple studies and was shown to depend on a variety of characteristics of rGO and biological objects of interest. In this paper, we demonstrate that when studying the same dispersions of rGO and fluorescent Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria, the outcome of nanotoxicity experiments also depends on the type of culture medium. We show that rGO inhibits the growth of bacteria in a nutrition medium but shows little effect on the behavior of E. coli in a physiological saline solution. The observed effects of rGO on E. coli in different media could be at least partially rationalized through the adsorption of bacteria and nutrients on the dispersed rGO sheets, which is likely mediated via hydrogen bonding. We also found that the interaction between rGO and E. coli is medium-dependent, and in physiological saline solutions they form stable flocculate structures that were not observed in nutrition media. Furthermore, the aggregation of rGO and E. coli in saline media was observed regardless of whether the bacteria were alive or dead. Filtration of the aggregate suspensions led to nearly complete removal of bacteria from filtered liquids, which highlights the potential of rGO for the filtration and separation of biological contaminants, regardless of whether they include live or dead microorganisms.
Genomic Epidemiology of Streptococcus suis Sequence Type 7 Sporadic Infections in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China
Authors: Wang Mingliu , Du Pengcheng , Wang Jianping , Lan Ruiting , Huang Jun , Luo Ming , Jiang Yan , Zeng Jun , Quan Yi , Shi Zhaohui , Zheng Han
Published: October 2019

Streptococcus suis is an important zoonotic pathogen. Serotype 2 and sequence type (ST) 1 are the most frequently reported strains in both infected humans and pigs. ST7 is only endemic to China, and it was responsible for outbreaks in 1998 and 2005 in China. In the present study, 38 sporadic ST7 S. suis strains, which mostly caused sepsis, were collected from patients in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GX) between 2007 and 2018. Of 38 sporadic ST7 strains, serotype 14 was the most frequent (27 strains, 71.1%), followed by serotype 2 (11 strains, 28.9%). The phylogenetic structure of the ST7 population, including epidemic and sporadic ST7 strains, was constructed using mutational single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). High diversity within the ST7 population was revealed and divided into five lineages. Only one sporadic ST7 strain, GX14, from a Streptococcal toxic-shock-like syndrome (STSLS) patient was clustered into the same lineage as the epidemic strains. GX14 and the epidemic strains diverged in 1974. The sporadic ST7 strains of GX were mainly clustered into lineage 5, which emerged in 1980. Comparing to genome of epidemic strain, the major differences in genome of sporadic ST7 strains of GX was the absence of 89 kb pathogenicity island (PAI) specific to epidemic strain and insertion of 128 kb ICE_phage tandem MGE or ICE portion of the MGE. These mobile elements play a significant role in the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes in sporadic ST7 strains. Our results enhanced the understanding of the evolution of the ST7 strains and their ability to cause life-threatening infections in humans.
Incandescent Light Bulbs Based on a Refractory Metasurface
Authors: Toyoda Hirofumi , Kimino Kazunari , Kawano Akihiro , Takahara Junichi
Published: October 2019

A thermal radiation light source, such as an incandescent light bulb, is considered a legacy light source with low luminous efficacy. However, it is an ideal energy source converting light with high efficiency from electric power to radiative power. In this work, we evaluate a thermal radiation light source and propose a new type of filament using a refractory metasurface to fabricate an efficient light bulb. We demonstrate visible-light spectral control using a refractory metasurface made of tantalum with an optical microcavity inserted into an incandescent light bulb. We use a nanoimprint method to fabricate the filament that is suitable for mass production. A 1.8 times enhancement of thermal radiation intensity is observed from the microcavity filament compared to the flat filament. Then, we demonstrate the thermal radiation control of the metasurface using a refractory plasmonic cavity made of hafnium nitride. A single narrow resonant peak is observed at the designed wavelength as well as the suppression of thermal radiation in wide mid-IR range under the condition of constant surface temperature.
Exhibition of Local but Not Systemic Induced Phenolic Defenses in Vitis vinifera L. Affected by Brown Wood Streaking, Grapevine Leaf Stripe, and Apoplexy (Esca Complex)
Authors: Goufo Piebiep , Marques Ana C. , Cortez Isabel
Published: October 2019

Balance between constitutive and induced responses provides plants flexibility to cope with biotic stresses. This study tested the hypothesis that invasion of grapevine wood by esca-associated fungi induces the production of defensive compounds as part of locally- and systemically-induced responses. In a vineyard, different symptomatic expressions of “Esca complex” in Vitis vinifera L. ‘Malvasia’ were evaluated in annual inspections. Then, levels of phenolics and fatty acids were determined in asymptomatic leaves of brown wood streaking (BWS) and grapevine leaf stripe (GLSD) vines, and in symptomatic leaves of GLSD and apoplectic vines; the results were compared with levels in healthy vines. In asymptomatic leaves of BWS and some GLSD vines, levels of phenolics decreased, independent of the total phenolic group. Such responses were usually associated with an increase in levels of linoleic, γ-linolenic and arachidonic acids, well-known signal transduction mediators. In symptomatic leaves, levels of phenolics increased, which is consistent with a locally-induced response; the onset of symptoms coincided with the highest increases e.g., 35% for quercetin-3-O-glucuronide. Thus, the long latency period between trunk invasion by fungi and visible foliar damage and the year-to-year fluctuation in symptomatic expressions observed with “Esca complex” might be partially attributed to a better utilization of constitutive defenses.
Lipid Thermal Fingerprints of Long-term Stored Seeds of Brassicaceae
Authors: Mira Sara , Nadarajan Jayanthi , Liu Udayangani , González-Benito Maria Elena , Pritchard Hugh W.
Published: October 2019

Thermal fingerprints for seeds of 20 crop wild relatives of Brassicaceae stored for 8 to 44 years at the Plant Germplasm Bank—Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank—were generated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and analyzed in relation to storage stability. Relatively poor storing oily seeds at −20 °C tended to have lipids with crystallization and melting transitions spread over a wide temperature range (c. 40 °C) that spanned the storage temperature, plus a melting end temperature of around 15 °C. We postulated that in dry storage, the variable longevity in Brassicaceae seeds could be associated with the presence of a metastable lipid phase at the temperature at which they are being stored. Consistent with that, when high-quality seed samples of various species were assessed after banking at −5 to −10 °C for c. 40 years, melting end temperatures were observed to be much lower (c. 0 to −30 °C) and multiple lipid phases did not occur at the storage temperature. We conclude that multiple features of the seed lipid thermal fingerprint could be used as biophysical markers to predict potential poor performance of oily seeds during long-term, decadal storage.
Temperature Impact in LoRaWAN—A Case Study in Northern Sweden
Authors: Souza Bezerra Níbia , Åhlund Christer , Saguna Saguna , de Sousa Vicente
Published: October 2019

LoRaWAN has become popular as an IoT enabler. The low cost, ease of installation and the capacity of fine-tuning the parameters make this network a suitable candidate for the deployment of smart cities. In northern Sweden, in the smart region of Skellefteå, we have deployed a LoRaWAN to enable IoT applications to assist the lives of citizens. As Skellefteå has a subarctic climate, we investigate how the extreme changes in the weather happening during a year affect a real LoRaWAN deployment in terms of SNR, RSSI and the use of SF when ADR is enabled. Additionally, we evaluate two propagation models (Okumura-Hata and ITM) and verify if any of those models fit the measurements obtained from our real-life network. Our results regarding the weather impact show that cold weather improves the SNR while warm weather makes the sensors select lower SFs, to minimize the time-on-air. Regarding the tested propagation models, Okumura-Hata has the best fit to our data, while ITM tends to overestimate the RSSI values.
GLMB Tracker with Partial Smoothing
Authors: Nguyen Tran , Kim Du
Published: October 2019

In this paper, we introduce a tracking algorithm based on labeled Random Finite Sets (RFS) and Rauch–Tung–Striebel (RTS) smoother via a Generalized Labeled Multi-Bernoulli (GLMB) multi-scan estimator to track multiple objects in a wide range of tracking scenarios. In the forward filtering stage, we use the GLMB filter to generate a set of labels and the association history between labels and the measurements. In the trajectory-estimating stage, we apply a track management strategy to eliminate tracks with short lifespan compared to a threshold value. Subsequently, we apply the information of trajectories captured from the forward GLMB filtering stage to carry out standard forward filtering and RTS backward smoothing on each estimated trajectory. For the experiment, we implement the tracker with standard GLMB filter, the hybrid track-before-detect (TBD) GLMB filter, and the GLMB filter with objects spawning. The results show improvements in tracking performance for all implemented trackers given negligible extra computational effort compared to standard GLMB filters.
Combined Edge- and Stixel-based Object Detection in 3D Point Cloud
Authors: Hu Fangchao , Yang Dong , Li Yinguo
Published: October 2019

Environment perception is critical for feasible path planning and safe driving for autonomous vehicles. Perception devices, such as camera, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), etc., only provide raw sensing data with no identification of vital objects, which is insufficient for autonomous vehicles to perform safe and efficient self-driving operations. This study proposes an improved edge-oriented segmentation-based method to detect the objects from the sensed three-dimensional (3D) point cloud. The improved edge-oriented segmentation-based method consists of three main steps: First, the bounding areas of objects are identified by edge detection and stixel estimation in corresponding two-dimensional (2D) images taken by a stereo camera. Second, 3D sparse point clouds of objects are reconstructed in bounding areas. Finally, the dense point clouds of objects are segmented by matching the 3D sparse point clouds of objects with the whole scene point cloud. After comparison with the existing methods of segmentation, the experimental results demonstrate that the proposed edge-oriented segmentation method improves the precision of 3D point cloud segmentation, and that the objects can be segmented accurately. Meanwhile, the visualization of output data in advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) can be greatly facilitated due to the decrease in computational time and the decrease in the number of points in the object’s point cloud.
A Decade of Ground Deformation in Kunming (China) Revealed by Multi-Temporal Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (InSAR) Technique
Authors: Zhu Wu , Li Wen-Liang , Zhang Qin , Yang Yi , Zhang Yan , Qu Wei , Wang Chi-Sheng
Published: October 2019

Large-scale urbanization has brought about severe ground subsidence in Kunming (China), threatening the stability of urban infrastructure. Mapping of the spatiotemporal variations of ground deformation is urgently needed, along with summarization of the causes of the subsidence over Kunming with the purpose of disaster prevention and mitigation. In this study, for the first time, a multi-temporal interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) technique with L-band Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS-1) and X-band Constellation of Small Satellites for Mediterranean basin Observation (COSMO-SkyMed) data was applied to Kunming to derive the time series deformation from 2007 to 2016. The annual deformation velocity revealed two severe subsiding regions in Kunming, with a maximum subsidence of 35 mm/y. The comparison of the deformation between InSAR and leveling showed root-mean-square error (RMSE) values of about 4.5 mm for the L-band and 3.7 mm for the X-band, indicating that our results were reliable. We also found that the L-band illustrated a larger amount of subsidence than the X-band in the tested regions. This difference was mainly caused by the different synthetic aperture radar (SAR)-acquired times and imaging geometries between the L- and X-band SAR images. The vertical time series deformation over two severe subsiding regions presented an approximate linear variation with time, where the cumulative subsidence reached 209 mm during the period of 2007–2016. In view of relevant analyses, we found that the subsidence in Kunming was the result of soft soil consolidation, building load, and groundwater extraction. Our results may provide scientific evidence regarding the sound management of urban construction to mitigate potential damage to infrastructure and the environment.
Textile-Friendly Interconnection between Wearable Measurement Instrumentation and Sensorized Garments—Initial Performance Evaluation for Electrocardiogram Recordings
Authors: Seoane Fernando , Soroudi Azadeh , Lu Ke , Nilsson David , Nilsson Marie , Abtahi Farhad , Skrifvars Mikael
Published: October 2019

The interconnection between hard electronics and soft textiles remains a noteworthy challenge in regard to the mass production of textile–electronic integrated products such as sensorized garments. The current solutions for this challenge usually have problems with size, flexibility, cost, or complexity of assembly. In this paper, we present a solution with a stretchable and conductive carbon nanotube (CNT)-based paste for screen printing on a textile substrate to produce interconnectors between electronic instrumentation and a sensorized garment. The prototype connectors were evaluated via electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings using a sensorized textile with integrated textile electrodes. The ECG recordings obtained using the connectors were evaluated for signal quality and heart rate detection performance in comparison to ECG recordings obtained with standard pre-gelled Ag/AgCl electrodes and direct cable connection to the ECG amplifier. The results suggest that the ECG recordings obtained with the CNT paste connector are of equivalent quality to those recorded using a silver paste connector or a direct cable and are suitable for the purpose of heart rate detection.
Sensitivity Improvement to Active Piezoresistive AFM Probes Using Focused Ion Beam Processing
Authors: Kunicki Piotr , Angelov Tihomir , Ivanov Tzvetan , Gotszalk Teodor , Rangelow Ivo
Published: October 2019

This paper presents a comprehensive modeling and experimental verification of active piezoresistive atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilevers, which are the technology enabling high-resolution and high-speed surface measurements. The mechanical structure of the cantilevers integrating Wheatstone piezoresistive was modified with the use of focused ion beam (FIB) technology in order to increase the deflection sensitivity with minimal influence on structure stiffness and its resonance frequency. The FIB procedure was conducted based on the finite element modeling (FEM) methods. In order to monitor the increase in deflection sensitivity, the active piezoresistive cantilever was deflected using an actuator integrated within, which ensures reliable and precise assessment of the sensor properties. The proposed procedure led to a 2.5 increase in the deflection sensitivity, which was compared with the results of the calibration routine and analytical calculations.
On the Noise Complexity in an Optical Motion Capture Facility
Authors: Skurowski Przemysław , Pawlyta Magdalena
Published: October 2019

Optical motion capture systems are state-of-the-art in motion acquisition; however, like any measurement system they are not error-free: noise is their intrinsic feature. The works so far mostly employ a simple noise model, expressing the uncertainty as a simple variance. In the work, we demonstrate that it might be not sufficient and we prove the existence of several types of noise and demonstrate how to quantify them using Allan variance. Such a knowledge is especially important for using optical motion capture to calibrate other techniques, and for applications requiring very fine quality of recording. For the automated readout of the noise coefficients, we solve the multidimensional regression problem using sophisticated metaheuristics in the exploration-exploitation scheme. We identified in the laboratory the notable contribution to the overall noise from white noise and random walk, and a minor contribution from blue noise and flicker, whereas the violet noise is absent. Besides classic types of noise we identified the presence of the correlated noises and periodic distortion. We analyzed also how the noise types scale with an increasing number of cameras. We had also the opportunity to observe the influence of camera failure on the overall performance.
Experimental Assessment of the Interface Electronic System for PVDF-Based Piezoelectric Tactile Sensors
Authors: Saleh Moustafa , Abbass Yahya , Ibrahim Ali , Valle Maurizio
Published: October 2019

Tactile sensors are widely employed to enable the sense of touch for applications such as robotics and prosthetics. In addition to the selection of an appropriate sensing material, the performance of the tactile sensing system is conditioned by its interface electronic system. On the other hand, due to the need to embed the tactile sensing system into a prosthetic device, strict requirements such as small size and low power consumption are imposed on the system design. This paper presents the experimental assessment and characterization of an interface electronic system for piezoelectric tactile sensors for prosthetic applications. The interface electronic is proposed as part of a wearable system intended to be integrated into an upper limb prosthetic device. The system is based on a low power arm-microcontroller and a DDC232 device. Electrical and electromechanical setups have been implemented to assess the response of the interface electronic with PVDF-based piezoelectric sensors. The results of electrical and electromechanical tests validate the correct functionality of the proposed system.
A Localization and Tracking Approach in NLOS Environment Based on Distance and Angle Probability Model
Authors: Tian Xin , Wei Guoliang , Wang Jianhua , Zhang Dianchen
Published: October 2019

In this paper, an optimization algorithm is presented based on a distance and angle probability model for indoor non-line-of-sight (NLOS) environments. By utilizing the sampling information, a distance and angle probability model is proposed so as to identify the NLOS propagation. Based on the established model, the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) method is employed to reduce the error of distance in the NLOS propagation. In order to reduce the computational complexity, a modified Monte Carlo method is applied to search the optimal position of the target. Moreover, the extended Kalman filtering (EKF) algorithm is introduced to achieve localization. The simulation and experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in the improvement of localization accuracy.
Novel Enzyme-Free Multifunctional Bentonite/Polypyrrole/Silver Nanocomposite Sensor for Hydrogen Peroxide Detection over a Wide pH Range
Authors: Jlassi Khouloud , Sliem Mostafa H. , Eid Kamel , Krupa Igor , Chehimi Mohamed M. , Abdullah Aboubakr M.
Published: October 2019

Precise designs of low-cost and efficient catalysts for the detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) over wide ranges of pH are important in various environmental applications. Herein, a versatile and ecofriendly approach is presented for the rational design of ternary bentonite-silylpropyl-polypyrrole/silver nanoarchitectures (denoted as BP-PS-PPy/Ag) via the in-situ photo polymerization of pyrrole with salinized bentonite (BP-PS) in the presence of silver nitrate. The Pyrrolyl-functionalized silane (PS) is used as a coupling agent for tailoring the formation of highly exfoliated BP-PS-PPy sheet-like nanostructures ornamented with monodispersed Ag nanoparticles (NPs). Taking advantage of the combination between the unique physicochemical properties of BP-PS-PPy and the outstanding catalytic merits of Ag nanoparticles (NPs), the as-synthesized BP-PS-PPy/Ag shows a superior electrocatalytic reduction and high-detection activity towards H2O2 under different pH conditions (from 3 to 10). Intriguingly, the UV-light irradiation significantly enhances the electroreduction activity of H2O2 substantially, compared with the dark conditions, due to the high photoelectric response properties of Ag NPs. Moreover, BP-PS-PPy/Ag achived a quick current response with a detection limit at 1 μM within only 1 s. Our present approach is green, facile, scalable and renewable.
Capturing Maize Stand Heterogeneity Across Yield-Stability Zones Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)
Authors: Shuai Guanyuan , Martinez-Feria Rafael A. , Zhang Jinshui , Li Shiming , Price Richard , Basso Bruno
Published: October 2019

Despite the new equipment capabilities, uneven crop stands are still common occurrences in crop fields, mainly due to spatial heterogeneity in soil conditions, seedling mortality due to herbivore predation and disease, or human error. Non-uniform plant stands may reduce grain yield in crops like maize. Thus, detecting signs of variability in crop stand density early in the season provides critical information for management decisions and crop yield forecasts. Processing techniques applied on images captured by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has been used successfully to identify crop rows and estimate stand density and, most recently, to estimate plant-to-plant interval distance. Here, we further test and apply an image processing algorithm on UAV images collected from yield-stability zones in a commercial crop field. Our objective was to implement the algorithm to compare variation of plant-spacing intervals to test whether yield differences within these zones are related to differences in crop stand characteristics. Our analysis indicates that the algorithm can be reliably used to estimate plant counts (precision >95% and recall >97%) and plant distance interval (R2 ~0.9 and relative error <10%). Analysis of the collected data indicated that plant spacing variability differences were small among plots with large yield differences, suggesting that it was not a major cause of yield variability across zones with distinct yield history. This analysis provides an example of how plant-detection algorithms can be applied to improve the understanding of patterns of spatial and temporal yield variability.
Multispectral Sensor Calibration and Characterization for sUAS Remote Sensing
Authors: Mamaghani Baabak , Salvaggio Carl
Published: October 2019

This paper focuses on the calibration of multispectral sensors typically used for remote sensing. These systems are often provided with "factory" radiometric calibration and vignette correction parameters. These parameters, which are assumed to be accurate when the sensor is new, may change as the camera is utilized in real-world conditions. As a result, regular calibration and characterization of any sensor should be conducted. An end-user laboratory method for computing both the vignette correction and radiometric calibration function is discussed in this paper. As an exemplar, this method for radiance computation is compared to the method provided by MicaSense for their RedEdge series of sensors. The proposed method and the method provided by MicaSense for radiance computation are applied to a variety of images captured in the laboratory using a traceable source. In addition, a complete error propagation is conducted to quantify the error produced when images are converted from digital counts to radiance. The proposed methodology was shown to produce lower errors in radiance imagery. The average percent error in radiance was −10.98%, −0.43%, 3.59%, 32.81% and −17.08% using the MicaSense provided method and their "factory" parameters, while the proposed method produced errors of 3.44%, 2.93%, 2.93%, 3.70% and 0.72% for the blue, green, red, near infrared and red edge bands, respectively. To further quantify the error in terms commonly used in remote sensing applications, the error in radiance was propagated to a reflectance error and additionally used to compute errors in two widely used parameters for assessing vegetation health, NDVI and NDRE. For the NDVI example, the ground reference was computed to be 0.899 ± 0.006, while the provided MicaSense method produced a value of 0.876 ± 0.005 and the proposed method produced a value of 0.897 ± 0.007. For NDRE, the ground reference was 0.455 ± 0.028, MicaSense method produced 0.239 ± 0.026 and the proposed method produced 0.435 ± 0.038.
The Impact of Circular Migration on FGM/C: Transnational Communities in Spain and The Gambia
Authors: Kaplan Adriana , Perarnau Moles Júlia , Sanyang Segga , Le Charles Marie-Alix , Álvarez Carolina , Aliaga Neus
Published: October 2019

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a traditional harmful practice that migrates with people and has become a global phenomenon. Understanding how the diaspora resignifies and can change the tradition will allow us to measure the impact of transnational relations on information flows and decision making in a multisite space. The objective is to analyze the influence of migration on the practice of FGM/C with a participatory and circular methodology, focused on Gambian communities both in Spain and in The Gambia. The study shows the trends on how acculturation processes entail cultural change, both in Africa as well as in diaspora.