bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantification of the Scale Effect in Downscaling Remotely Sensed Land Surface Temperature
Authors: Zhou Ji , Liu Shaomin , Li Mingsong , Zhan Wenfeng , Xu Ziwei , Xu Tongren
Published: November 2016

Most current statistical models for downscaling the remotely sensed land surface temperature (LST) are based on the assumption of the scale-invariant LST-descriptors relationship, which is being debated and requires an in-depth examination. Additionally, research on downscaling LST to high or very high resolutions (~10 m) is still rare. Here, a simple analytical model was developed to quantify the scale effect in downscaling the LST from a medium resolution (~100 m) to high resolutions. The model was verified in the Zhangye oasis and Beijing city. Examinations of the simulation datasets that were generated based on airborne and space station LSTs demonstrate that the developed model can predict the scale effect in LST downscaling; the scale effect exists in both of these two study areas. The model was further applied to 12 ASTER images in the Zhangye oasis during a complete crop growing season and one Landsat-8 TIRS image in Beijing city in the summer. The results demonstrate that the scale effect is intrinsically caused by the varying probability distribution of the LST and its descriptors at the native and target resolutions. The scale effect depends on the values of the descriptors, the phenology, and the ratio of the native resolution to the target resolution. Removing the scale effect would not necessarily improve the accuracy of the downscaled LST.
Quantitative Analysis of Polarimetric Model-Based Decomposition Methods
Authors: Xie Qinghua , Ballester-Berman J. , Lopez-Sanchez Juan , Zhu Jianjun , Wang Changcheng
Published: November 2016

In this paper, we analyze the robustness of the parameter inversion provided by general polarimetric model-based decomposition methods from the perspective of a quantitative application. The general model and algorithm we have studied is the method proposed recently by Chen et al., which makes use of the complete polarimetric information and outperforms traditional decomposition methods in terms of feature extraction from land covers. Nevertheless, a quantitative analysis on the retrieved parameters from that approach suggests that further investigations are required in order to fully confirm the links between a physically-based model (i.e., approaches derived from the Freeman–Durden concept) and its outputs as intermediate products before any biophysical parameter retrieval is addressed. To this aim, we propose some modifications on the optimization algorithm employed for model inversion, including redefined boundary conditions, transformation of variables, and a different strategy for values initialization. A number of Monte Carlo simulation tests for typical scenarios are carried out and show that the parameter estimation accuracy of the proposed method is significantly increased with respect to the original implementation. Fully polarimetric airborne datasets at L-band acquired by German Aerospace Center’s (DLR’s) experimental synthetic aperture radar (E-SAR) system were also used for testing purposes. The results show different qualitative descriptions of the same cover from six different model-based methods. According to the Bragg coefficient ratio (i.e., β ), they are prone to provide wrong numerical inversion results, which could prevent any subsequent quantitative characterization of specific areas in the scene. Besides the particular improvements proposed over an existing polarimetric inversion method, this paper is aimed at pointing out the necessity of checking quantitatively the accuracy of model-based PolSAR techniques for a reliable physical description of land covers beyond their proven utility for qualitative features extraction.
Human Pose Estimation from Monocular Images: A Comprehensive Survey
Authors: Gong Wenjuan , Zhang Xuena , Gonzàlez Jordi , Sobral Andrews , Bouwmans Thierry , Tu Changhe , Zahzah El-hadi
Published: November 2016

Human pose estimation refers to the estimation of the location of body parts and how they are connected in an image. Human pose estimation from monocular images has wide applications (e.g., image indexing). Several surveys on human pose estimation can be found in the literature, but they focus on a certain category; for example, model-based approaches or human motion analysis, etc. As far as we know, an overall review of this problem domain has yet to be provided. Furthermore, recent advancements based on deep learning have brought novel algorithms for this problem. In this paper, a comprehensive survey of human pose estimation from monocular images is carried out including milestone works and recent advancements. Based on one standard pipeline for the solution of computer vision problems, this survey splits the problem into several modules: feature extraction and description, human body models, and modeling methods. Problem modeling methods are approached based on two means of categorization in this survey. One way to categorize includes top-down and bottom-up methods, and another way includes generative and discriminative methods. Considering the fact that one direct application of human pose estimation is to provide initialization for automatic video surveillance, there are additional sections for motion-related methods in all modules: motion features, motion models, and motion-based methods. Finally, the paper also collects 26 publicly available data sets for validation and provides error measurement methods that are frequently used.
Thermal-Performance Instability in Piezoresistive Sensors: Inducement and Improvement
Authors: Liu Yan , Wang Hai , Zhao Wei , Qin Hongbo , Fang Xuan
Published: November 2016

The field of piezoresistive sensors has been undergoing a significant revolution in terms of design methodology, material technology and micromachining process. However, the temperature dependence of sensor characteristics remains a hurdle to cross. This review focuses on the issues in thermal-performance instability of piezoresistive sensors. Based on the operation fundamental, inducements to the instability are investigated in detail and correspondingly available ameliorative methods are presented. Pros and cons of each improvement approach are also summarized. Though several schemes have been proposed and put into reality with favorable achievements, the schemes featuring simple implementation and excellent compatibility with existing techniques are still emergently demanded to construct a piezoresistive sensor with excellent comprehensive performance.
Design and Fabrication of Micro Hemispheric Shell Resonator with Annular Electrodes
Authors: Wang Renxin , Bai Bing , Feng Hengzhen , Ren Ziming , Cao Huiliang , Xue Chenyang , Zhang Binzhen , Liu Jun
Published: November 2016

Electrostatic driving and capacitive detection is widely used in micro hemispheric shell resonators (HSR). The capacitor gap distance is a dominant factor for the initial capacitance, and affects the driving voltage and sensitivity. In order to decrease the equivalent gap distance, a micro HSR with annular electrodes fabricated by a glassblowing method was developed. Central and annular cavities are defined, and then the inside gas drives glass softening and deformation at 770 °C. While the same force is applied, the deformation of the hemispherical shell is about 200 times that of the annular electrodes, illustrating that the deformation of the electrodes will not affect the measurement accuracy. S-shaped patterns on the annular electrodes and internal-gear-like patterns on the hemispherical shell can improve metal malleability and avoid metal cracking during glass expansion. An arched annular electrode and a hemispheric shell are demonstrated. Compared with HSR with a spherical electrode, the applied voltage could be reduced by 29%, and the capacitance could be increased by 39%, according to theoretical and numerical calculation. The surface roughness of glass after glassblowing was favorable (Rq = 0.296 nm, Ra = 0.217 nm). In brief, micro HSR with an annular electrode was fabricated, and its superiority was preliminarily confirmed.
Optical Microbubble Resonators with High Refractive Index Inner Coating for Bio-Sensing Applications: An Analytical Approach
Authors: Barucci Andrea , Berneschi Simone , Giannetti Ambra , Baldini Francesco , Cosci Alessandro , Pelli Stefano , Farnesi Daniele , Righini Giancarlo , Soria Silvia , Nunzi Conti Gualtiero
Published: November 2016

The design of Whispering Gallery Mode Resonators (WGMRs) used as an optical transducer for biosensing represents the first and crucial step towards the optimization of the final device performance in terms of sensitivity and Limit of Detection (LoD). Here, we propose an analytical method for the design of an optical microbubble resonator (OMBR)-based biosensor. In order to enhance the OMBR sensing performance, we consider a polymeric layer of high refractive index as an inner coating for the OMBR. The effect of this layer and other optical/geometrical parameters on the mode field distribution, sensitivity and LoD of the OMBR is assessed and discussed, both for transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) polarization. The obtained results do provide physical insights for the development of OMBR-based biosensor.
Privacy-Preserving Location-Based Service Scheme for Mobile Sensing Data
Authors: Xie Qingqing , Wang Liangmin
Published: November 2016

With the wide use of mobile sensing application, more and more location-embedded data are collected and stored in mobile clouds, such as iCloud, Samsung cloud, etc. Using these data, the cloud service provider (CSP) can provide location-based service (LBS) for users. However, the mobile cloud is untrustworthy. The privacy concerns force the sensitive locations to be stored on the mobile cloud in an encrypted form. However, this brings a great challenge to utilize these data to provide efficient LBS. To solve this problem, we propose a privacy-preserving LBS scheme for mobile sensing data, based on the RSA (for Rivest, Shamir and Adleman) algorithm and ciphertext policy attribute-based encryption (CP-ABE) scheme. The mobile cloud can perform location distance computing and comparison efficiently for authorized users, without location privacy leakage. In the end, theoretical security analysis and experimental evaluation demonstrate that our scheme is secure against the chosen plaintext attack (CPA) and efficient enough for practical applications in terms of user side computation overhead.
Test of the Practicality and Feasibility of EDoF-Empowered Image Sensors for Long-Range Biometrics
Authors: Hsieh Sheng-Hsun , Li Yung-Hui , Tien Chung-Hao
Published: November 2016

For many practical applications of image sensors, how to extend the depth-of-field (DoF) is an important research topic; if successfully implemented, it could be beneficial in various applications, from photography to biometrics. In this work, we want to examine the feasibility and practicability of a well-known “extended DoF” (EDoF) technique, or “wavefront coding,” by building real-time long-range iris recognition and performing large-scale iris recognition. The key to the success of long-range iris recognition includes long DoF and image quality invariance toward various object distance, which is strict and harsh enough to test the practicality and feasibility of EDoF-empowered image sensors. Besides image sensor modification, we also explored the possibility of varying enrollment/testing pairs. With 512 iris images from 32 Asian people as the database, 400-mm focal length and F/6.3 optics over 3 m working distance, our results prove that a sophisticated coding design scheme plus homogeneous enrollment/testing setups can effectively overcome the blurring caused by phase modulation and omit Wiener-based restoration. In our experiments, which are based on 3328 iris images in total, the EDoF factor can achieve a result 3.71 times better than the original system without a loss of recognition accuracy.
Reciprocally-Benefited Secure Transmission for Spectrum Sensing-Based Cognitive Radio Sensor Networks
Authors: Wang Dawei , Ren Pinyi , Du Qinghe , Sun Li , Wang Yichen
Published: November 2016

The rapid proliferation of independently-designed and -deployed wireless sensor networks extremely crowds the wireless spectrum and promotes the emergence of cognitive radio sensor networks (CRSN). In CRSN, the sensor node (SN) can make full use of the unutilized licensed spectrum, and the spectrum efficiency is greatly improved. However, inevitable spectrum sensing errors will adversely interfere with the primary transmission, which may result in primary transmission outage. To compensate the adverse effect of spectrum sensing errors, we propose a reciprocally-benefited secure transmission strategy, in which SN’s interference to the eavesdropper is employed to protect the primary confidential messages while the CRSN is also rewarded with a loose spectrum sensing error probability constraint. Specifically, according to the spectrum sensing results and primary users’ activities, there are four system states in this strategy. For each state, we analyze the primary secrecy rate and the SN’s transmission rate by taking into account the spectrum sensing errors. Then, the SN’s transmit power is optimally allocated for each state so that the average transmission rate of CRSN is maximized under the constraint of the primary maximum permitted secrecy outage probability. In addition, the performance tradeoff between the transmission rate of CRSN and the primary secrecy outage probability is investigated. Moreover, we analyze the primary secrecy rate for the asymptotic scenarios and derive the closed-form expression of the SN’s transmission outage probability. Simulation results show that: (1) the performance of the SN’s average throughput in the proposed strategy outperforms the conventional overlay strategy; (2) both the primary network and CRSN benefit from the proposed strategy.
Mitigating RF Front-End Nonlinearity of Sensor Nodes to Enhance Spectrum Sensing
Authors: Hu Lin , Ma Hong , Zhang Hua , Zhao Wen
Published: November 2016

The cognitive radio wireless sensor network (CR-WSN) has gained worldwide attention in recent years for its potential applications. Reliable spectrum sensing is the premise for opportunistic access to sensor nodes. However, as a result of the radio frequency (RF) front-end nonlinearity of sensor nodes, distortion products can easily degrade the spectrum sensing performance by causing false alarms and degrading the detection probability. Given the limitations of the widely-used adaptive interference cancellation (AIC) algorithm, this paper develops several details to avoid these limitations and form a new mitigation architecture to alleviate nonlinear distortions. To demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed algorithm, verification tests for both simulations and actual RF front-end measurements are presented and discussed. The obtained results show that distortions can be suppressed significantly, thus improving the reliability of spectrum sensing. Moreover, compared to AIC, the proposed algorithm clearly shows better performance, especially at the band edges of the interferer signal.
Validation and Parameter Sensitivity Tests for Reconstructing Swell Field Based on an Ensemble Kalman Filter
Authors: Wang Xuan , Tandeo Pierre , Fablet Ronan , Husson Romain , Guan Lei , Chen Ge
Published: November 2016

The swell propagation model built on geometric optics is known to work well when simulating radiated swells from a far located storm. Based on this simple approximation, satellites have acquired plenty of large samples on basin-traversing swells induced by fierce storms situated in mid-latitudes. How to routinely reconstruct swell fields with these irregularly sampled observations from space via known swell propagation principle requires more examination. In this study, we apply 3-h interval pseudo SAR observations in the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) to reconstruct a swell field in ocean basin, and compare it with buoy swell partitions and polynomial regression results. As validated against in situ measurements, EnKF works well in terms of spatial–temporal consistency in far-field swell propagation scenarios. Using this framework, we further address the influence of EnKF parameters, and perform a sensitivity analysis to evaluate estimations made under different sets of parameters. Such analysis is of key interest with respect to future multiple-source routinely recorded swell field data. Satellite-derived swell data can serve as a valuable complementary dataset to in situ or wave re-analysis datasets.
Reconfigurable Multiparameter Biosignal Acquisition SoC for Low Power Wearable Platform
Authors: Kim Jongpal , Ko Hyoungho
Published: November 2016

A low power and low noise reconfigurable analog front-end (AFE) system on a chip (SoC) for biosignal acquisition is presented. The presented AFE can be reconfigured for use in electropotential, bioimpedance, electrochemical, and photoelectrical modes. The advanced healthcare services based on multiparameter physiological biosignals can be easily implemented with these multimodal and highly reconfigurable features of the proposed system. The reconfigurable gain and input referred noise of the core instrumentation amplifier block are 25 dB to 52 dB, and 1 μVRMS, respectively. The power consumption of the analog blocks in one readout channel is less than 52 μW. The reconfigurable capability among various modes of applications including electrocardiogram, blood glucose concentration, respiration, and photoplethysmography are shown experimentally.
Foodsheds and City Region Food Systems in Two West African Cities
Authors: Karg Hanna , Drechsel Pay , Akoto-Danso Edmund , Glaser Rüdiger , Nyarko George , Buerkert Andreas
Published: November 2016

In response to changing urban food systems, short supply chains have been advocated to meet urban food needs while building more sustainable urban food systems. Despite an increasing interest in urban food supply and the flows of food from production to consumption, there is a lack of empirical studies and methodologies which systematically analyse the actual proportion and nutritional significance of local and regional food supplied to urban markets. The aim of this empirical study therefore was to compare the geographical sources supplying food to the urban population (“foodsheds”) in Tamale, Ghana and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, to record the supplied quantities and to assess the level of interaction between the sources and the respective city. The study was conducted over two years, covering the seasons of abundant and short supply, via traffic surveys on the access roads to the two cities, and in the Tamale markets, resulting altogether in more than 40,000 records of food flow. Results indicated that food sources were highly crop- and season-specific, ranging from one-dimensional to multi-dimensional foodsheds with diverse sources across seasons. Across the commodity-specific foodsheds, city region boundaries were established. Within the proposed city region a relatively large proportion of smallholders contributed to urban food supply, taking advantage of the proximity to urban markets. While food provided from within the city region offers certain place-based benefits, like the provision of fresh perishable crops, a larger geographical diversity of foodsheds appeared to enhance the resilience of urban food systems, such as against climate related production failures.
A Human-Needs-Based Dynamics to Simulate Technology Policy and Its Effects on Both Business Success and Human Happiness
Authors: Lim Jong-Yeon , Yoo Sun , Won DongKyu
Published: November 2016

This paper focuses on how human needs are reflected in the market and how several technological and political policies affect the market share of government-supported industries, as well as the satisfaction of human desires and consequent happiness. In this paper, we seek to understand the dynamics of consumer decision-making processes in relation to technology products in the market. In this study, we present a new marketing model based on human needs, wants, and demands, and focus on both holistic and social perspectives. We have shown that human-based policy dynamics and sustainable human happiness can be realized by stimulating national policies for consumer happiness in the human-needs-based sector, e.g., the healthcare industry.
A Comparison of Various Technological Options for Improving Energy and Water Use Efficiency in a Traditional Sugar Mill
Authors: Birru Eyerusalem , Erlich Catharina , Herrera Idalberto , Martin Andrew , Feychting Sofia , Vitez Marina , Abdulhadi Emma , Larsson Anna , Onoszko Emanuel , Hallersbo Mattias , Weilenmann Louise , Puskoriute Laura
Published: November 2016

This study is a comparison of four technological improvements proposed in previous works for the Cuban sugar mill Carlos Baliño. These technological options are: (1) utilization of excess wastewater for enhanced imbibition; (2) utilization of waste heat for thermally driven cooling; (3) utilization of excess bagasse for pellets; and (4) modification of the cogeneration unit for maximum electric power generation. The method used for the evaluation of the technological options involves using criteria such as energy saving, financial gains, and CO2 emission saving potential. The results of the analysis show that the first three technological improvement options are attractive only during the crushing season. On the other hand, the last technological improvement option can be attractive if a year round generation of surplus power is sought. The first technological improvement option leads to only minor changes in energy utilization, but the increase in sugar yield of 8.7% leads to attractive profitability with an extremely low payback period. The CO2 emissions saved due to the fourth technological improvement option are the highest (22,000 tonnes/year) and the cost of CO2 emissions saved for the third technological improvement option (lowest) amount to 41 USD/tonne of CO2 emissions saved. The cycle efficiencies of the third and fourth technological improvement options are 37.9% and 36.8%, respectively, with payback periods of 2.3 and 1.6 years. The second technological improvement option is the least attractive alternative of the group.
Indicators for the Analysis of Peasant Women’s Equity and Empowerment Situations in a Sustainability Framework: A Case Study of Cacao Production in Ecuador
Authors: De Marco Larrauri Olga , Pérez Neira David , Soler Montiel Marta
Published: November 2016

Family agriculture is a fundamental pillar in the construction of agroecological agri-food alternatives fostering processes of sustainable rural development where social equity represents a central aspect. Despite agroecology’s critical openness, this area has not yet incorporated an explicit gender approach allowing an appropriate problematization and analysis of the cultural inequalities of gender relations in agriculture, women’s empowerment processes and their nexus with sustainability. This work presents an organized proposal of indicators to approach and analyze the degree of peasant women’s equity and empowerment within a wide sustainability framework. After a thorough bibliographical review, 34 equity and empowerment indicators were identified and organized into six basic theoretical dimensions. Following the collection of empirical data (from 20 cacao-producing families), the indicators were analyzed and reorganized on the basis of hierarchical cluster analysis and explanatory interdependence into a new set of six empirical dimensions: (1) access to resources, education and social participation; (2) economic-personal autonomy and self-esteem; (3) gender gaps (labor rights, health, work and physical violence); (4) techno-productive decision-making and remunerated work; (5) land ownership and mobility; and (6) diversification of responsibilities and social and feminist awareness. Additionally, a case study is presented that analyzes equity and empowerment in the lives of two rural cacao-producing peasant women in Ecuador.
Assessment of Downscaling Planetary Boundaries to Semi-Arid Ecosystems with a Local Perception: A Case Study in the Middle Reaches of Heihe River
Authors: Teah Heng , Akiyama Tomohiro , San Carlos Ricardo , Rayo Orlando , Khew Yu , Zhao Sijia , Zheng Lingfeng , Onuki Motoharu
Published: November 2016

The middle reaches of Heihe River are located in the oasis of the Gobi Desert where limited freshwater supply supports more than 1.5 million inhabitants. The intense agricultural activities are depleting the groundwater reserve. Consequently, natural landscapes and habitats are degraded. Though such development improves the livelihood of the local community, long-term sustainability of the ecosystem is at risk. Local authorities must be informed holistically to prepare for adapting to the changes and/or mitigating the impacts. The purpose of this study was to perform a regional sustainability assessment based on downscaling the planetary boundaries (PBs). We proposed a regional safe operating space framework that applied a top-down approach using the environmental monitoring data, and a bottom-up approach using knowledge from the local perception about environmental disaster. We conducted on-site samplings and interviews of residents to demonstrate the method. Overall, we showed that the middle reaches had transgressed the safe operating space, particularly on the freshwater use and biogeochemical flow dimensions. We found that the local perception acquired from interviews complemented the insufficiency of the monitoring data and provided the insightful social implications of transgressing the safe operating space, i.e., the anticipated impacts on local livelihood, for policy support.
Design and Hydrologic Performance of a Tile Drainage Treatment Wetland in Minnesota, USA
Authors: Lenhart Christian , Gordon Brad , Gamble Joshua , Current Dean , Ross Nikol , Herring Lydia , Nieber John , Peterson Heidi
Published: November 2016

Treatment wetlands are increasingly needed to remove nitrate from agricultural drainage water to protect downstream waters, such as the Gulf of Mexico. This project sought to develop a new edge-of-field treatment wetland, designed to remove nitrate-nitrogen and enhance phosphorus removal by plant harvest and to monitor its effectiveness. A 0.10 ha wetland was designed and installed to treat subsurface drainage flow from farmland in southwestern Minnesota, USA, in 2013, and monitored for three years by recording flow, nitrate-nitrogen, total phosphorus (TP) and soluble orthophosphorus (OP) input to and output from the wetland. Prior to construction, a level-pool routing, mass balance approach with DRAINMOD flow inputs was used to predict nitrate removal efficiency. Nitrate load removal averaged 68% over three years, nearly matching model predictions. However, most denitrification occurred in the sub-soil of the wetland rather than in surface flow as predicted. Phosphorus removal was approximately 76% over three years, and phosphorus removed by plant uptake exceeded inflow mass in the third year. The edge-of-field design has potential as a cost-effective method to treat field outflows because agricultural landowners can adopt this treatment system with minimal loss of productive farmland. The wet-prairie vegetation and shallow depth also provide the opportunity to remove additional phosphorus via vegetative harvest.
Reservoir Routing on Double-Peak Design Flood
Authors: Gioia Andrea
Published: November 2016

This work investigates the routing effect provided by an artificial reservoir to a double-peak flood of a given return period. The present paper introduces a dimensionless form of the reservoir balance equation that describes the hydrologic-hydraulic processes that may occur and allows for the evaluation of the reservoir routing coefficient (RC). Exploiting this equation, an extensive sensitivity analysis based on the use of two simple parametric indices that depend on the storage capacity (SC) of the reservoir, the discharge capacity (DC) of the spillway (with fixed-crest) and the hydrologic behavior of the basin was performed.
Development of a continuous process for α-thio-β-chloroacrylamide synthesis with enhanced control of a cascade transformation
Authors: Dennehy Olga C , Cacheux Valérie M Y , Deadman Benjamin J , Lynch Denis , Collins Stuart G , Moynihan Humphrey A , Maguire Anita R
Published: November 2016

A continuous process strategy has been developed for the preparation of α-thio-β-chloroacrylamides, a class of highly versatile synthetic intermediates. Flow platforms to generate the α-chloroamide and α-thioamide precursors were successfully adopted, progressing from the previously employed batch chemistry, and in both instances afford a readily scalable methodology. The implementation of the key α-thio-β-chloroacrylamide casade as a continuous flow reaction on a multi-gram scale is described, while the tuneable nature of the cascade, facilitated by continuous processing, is highlighted by selective generation of established intermediates and byproducts.
Biomimetic synthesis and HPLC–ECD analysis of the isomers of dracocephins A and B
Authors: Ilkei Viktor , Spaits András , Prechl Anita , Szigetvári Áron , Béni Zoltán , Dékány Miklós , Szántay Csaba , Müller Judit , Könczöl Árpád , Szappanos Ádám , Mándi Attila , Antus Sándor , Martins Ana , Hunyadi Attila , Balogh György Tibor , Kalaus (†) György , Bölcskei Hedvig , Hazai László , Kurtán Tibor
Published: November 2016

Starting from racemic naringenin ((±)-1), a mixture of dracocephin A stereoisomers 6-(2”-pyrrolidinone-5”-yl)naringenin (±)-2a–d and its regioisomer, dracocephin B 8-(2”-pyrrolidinone-5”-yl)naringenin (±)-3a–d originally isolated from Dracocephalum rupestre, have been synthesized in a one-pot reaction. The separation of 2a–d and 3a–d was achieved by preparative HPLC. The four stereoisomers of each natural product were separated by analytical chiral HPLC and their absolute configuration was studied by the combination of HPLC–ECD measurements and TDDFT–ECD calculations. The synthesized flavonoid alkaloids were further characterized by physicochemical and in vitro pharmacological studies.
A self-assembled cyclodextrin nanocarrier for photoreactive squaraine
Authors: Kauscher Ulrike , Ravoo Bart Jan
Published: November 2016

Photoreactive squaraines produce cytotoxic oxygen species under irradiation and have significant potential for photodynamic therapy. Herein we report that squaraines can be immobilized on a self-assembled nanocarrier composed of amphiphilic cyclodextrins to enhance their photochemical activity. To this end, a squaraine was equipped with two adamantane moieties that act as anchors for the cyclodextrin vesicle surface. The supramolecular immobilization was monitored by using fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy and the photochemistry of the squaraine was investigated by using absorption spectroscopy.
A NOVEL HYBRID MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION-MAKING MODEL TO ASSESS A STAIRS SHAPE FOR DWELLING HOUSES
Authors: TURSKIS Zenonas , JUODAGALVIENĖ Birutė
Published: November 2016

The paper presents a novel approach to solve problem of stairs shape assessment for two-story individual dwelling houses. Selection among available shapes and construction of stairs is a multi-criteria decision-making problem in nature. It depends on a set of different conflicting criteria, that have different optimisation direction, different measurement units. There is determined the set of the main criteria to assess the alternatives is as follows: Stairwell Area, The Total Area of Climbing, “Climbing Lane” Area, The Cost of Stairs, and Ergonomics. A novel original hybrid MCDM (multi-criteria decision-making) model, which based on ten different multi-criteria decision-making methods: Game Theory, AHP, and SAW, Multiplicative Exponential Weighting, TOPSIS, and EDAS, ARAS, Full Multiplicative form, Laplace Rule, and Bayes Rule, is presented.
Developing a model to estimate the probability of bacteremia in women with community-onset febrile urinary tract infection
Authors: Oh Won Sup , Kim Yeon-Sook , Yeom Joon Sup , Choi Hee Kyoung , Kwak Yee Gyung , Jun Jae-Bum , Park Seong Yeon , Chung Jin-Won , Rhee Ji-Young , Kim Baek-Nam
Published: November 2016

Introduction: Among patients with urinary tract infection (UTI), bacteremic cases show higher mortality rates than do nonbacteremic cases. Early identification of bacteremic cases is crucial for severity assessment of patients with febrile UTI. This study aimed to identify predictors associated with bacteremia in women with community-onset febrile UTI and to develop a prediction model to estimate the probability of bacteremic cases. Methodology: This cross-sectional study included women consecutively hospitalized with community-onset febrile UTI at 10 hospitals in Korea. Multiple logistic regression identified predictors associated with bacteremia among candidate variables chosen from univariate analysis. A prediction model was developed using all predictors weighted by their regression coefficients. Results: From July to September 2014, 383 women with febrile UTI were included: 115 (30.0%) bacteremic and 268 (70.0%) nonbacteremic cases. A prediction model consisted of diabetes mellitus (1 point), urinary tract obstruction by stone (2), costovertebral angle tenderness (2), a fraction of segmented neutrophils of > 90% (2), thrombocytopenia (2), azotemia (2), and the fulfillment of all criteria for systemic inflammatory response syndrome (2). The c statistic for the model was 0.807 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.757–0.856). At a cutoff value of ≥ 3, the model had a sensitivity of 86.1% (95% CI, 78.1–91.6%) and a specificity of 54.9% (95% CI, 48.7–91.6%). Conclusions: Our model showed a good discriminatory power for early identification of bacteremic cases in women with community-onset febrile UTI. In addition, our model can be used to identify patients at low risk for bacteremia because of its relatively high sensitivity.
Effect of human development index parameters on tuberculosis incidence in Turkish provinces
Authors: Taylan Mahsuk , Demir Melike , Yılmaz Sureyya , Kaya Halide , Sen Hadice Selimoglu , Oruc Menduh , Icer Mustafa , Gunduz Ercan , Sezgi Cengizhan
Published: November 2016

Introduction: A country’s development level is measured with a quantitative parameter called the human development index (HDI). The present study researched the effects of HDI parameters (such as healthcare standards, income, and education level) on the incidence of tuberculosis. Methodology: HDI data of 36 provinces of Turkey and the tuberculosis surveillance data were obtained from the Ministry of Development and the Ministry of Health, respectively. The associations between the incidence of tuberculosis and other HDI parameters were analyzed. Results: Higher population density (n/km2) (CI = 0.05 to 0.40) and higher relapse rate of tuberculosis (CI = 0.36 to 1.48) were identified to be independent predicting factors that increased the incidence of tuberculosis, whereas higher gross national product (CI = -0.06 to 0.00), the population that holds a green Medicare card (CI=-0.58 to -0.04), increased general practitioners per 100,000 people (CI=-0.66 to -0.01), female population (CI = -0.70 to -0.06), married population (CI = -1.34 to -0.03), were found to be significant negative predicting factors that were relevant to the incidence (protective against tuberculosis). Conclusions: Tuberculosis is a disease that is affected by multiple factors, including the components of HDI. Improvement of income level, facilitation of access to health services via health insurance, urbanization with lower population density strategy, and provision of enough general practitioners may be useful in reducing the incidence of TB' in provinces of developing countries such as Turkey.
Hospital-acquired infection in public hospital buildings in the Philippines: Is the type of ventilation increasing the risk?
Authors: Vergeire-Dalmacion Godofreda Ruiz , Itable Jill Rafols , Baja Emmanuel Saporna
Published: November 2016

Introduction: Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are associated with increased morbidity and mortality, especially in developing countries. However, limited information is available about the risk of HAIs in naturally ventilated wards (NVWs) and mechanically ventilated intensive care units (MVICUs) of public hospitals in the Philippines. We aimed to assess the association between HAIs and type of ventilation in an urban tertiary care hospital in the Philippines. Methodology: A cross-sectional point-prevalence survey of infections was done in NVWs and MVICUs of a tertiary care hospital in December 2013. Multivariate analyses were done to examine the associations between HAIs and type of ventilation and other risk factors. Results: Of the 224 patients surveyed, 63 (28%) patients had 69 HAIs. Pneumonia was the most common HAI (35%). Wards near areas with high vehicular activity had more respiratory HAI cases. Being immunocompromised is a risk factor for HAI for pediatric and adult patients. Among pediatric patients, staying in MVICUs had a lower risk for HAIs (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 0.33; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.10–1.08) compared to staying in NVWs. For adult patients, a higher risk for HAIs (AOR: 2.41; 95% CI: 0.29–18.20) was observed in MVICUs compared to NVWs. Conclusions: Type of ventilation is not a risk factor for HAIs. Patients who are immunocompromised may be at a higher risk for HAI. Indoor air pollution, proximity to congested main thoroughfare, and increased human foot traffic may contribute to the susceptibility of patients to HAIs. Hospital layout should be considered in infection control.
Appréhender la santé mentale des collégiens : un croisement d’indicateurs
Authors: Du Roscoät Enguerrand , Léon Christophe , Sitbon Audrey , Briffault Xavier
Published: November 2016

Cet article décrit l’état de santé mentale des adolescents en France sur la base de l’exploitation des données de l’enquête HBSC 2014. À partir de la satisfaction de la vie actuelle (échelle de Cantril) et de la capacité à se projeter dans le futur (échelle de Cantril « anticipée »), un indicateur de santé mentale a été construit selon trois catégories (bien-être, mal-être et état intermédiaire). Des analyses croisant cet indicateur agrégé avec différents symptômes physiques et psychologiques mesurés dans l’enquête tentent de mieux caractériser les états de santé mentale à l’adolescence.
Entre famille et pairs
Authors: Du Roscoät Enguerrand , Léon Christophe , Godeau Emmanuelle
Published: November 2016

Cet article présente les données de l’enquête HBSC 2014 relatives au soutien social perçu par les collégiens, selon leur profil sociodémographique. Il explore les relations entre le soutien social perçu et certains indicateurs ou déterminants de la santé des adolescents (santé mentale, violences et consommation de substances). Sept collégiens sur dix perçoivent un soutien élevé de la part de leur famille et autant de la part de leurs pairs. Ces deux dimensions du soutien social sont inégalement distribuées selon le sexe, la structure familiale ou la situation économique et évoluent différemment entre la sixième et la troisième. La comparaison des deux sources de soutien social montre une nette prédominance du soutien familial perçu sur la santé mentale, les violences et les expérimentations de substances psychoactives à l’adolescence.
Autonomie et délivrance. Repenser l’émancipation à l’ère des dominations impersonnelles
Authors: Berlan Aurélien
Published: November 2016

La mise en place moderne de nouvelles formes de pouvoir, dites impersonnelles ou indirectes, implique de reprendre la réflexion sur la liberté. Car, avant d’être compris comme des vecteurs d’oppression, leur avènement a été vécu comme une libération à l’égard des contraintes traditionnelles. Implicitement, l’émancipation était donc conçue comme le fait d’ être déchargé de ces contraintes ; c’est la liberté comme délivrance, vieux fantasme religieux qui aboutit au rêve marxiste d’un dépassement du « règne de la nécessité ». Inversement, s’émanciper des pouvoirs impersonnels implique aujourd’hui de reprendre en charge les tâches qu’on leur a déléguées ; c’est la liberté comme autonomie, comme indépendance matérielle, dont l’histoire nous montre qu’elle traverse également toute l’histoire de la liberté.
Stratégies des mouvements et projet d’émancipation
Authors: Massiah Gustave
Published: November 2016

La situation mondiale semble désespérante. Des courants idéologiques réactionnaires et des populismes d’extrême droite sont de plus en plus actifs. Ils ont mené une offensive idéologique qui a préparé le tournant néolibéral. Cette offensive ne s’est pas complètement imposée. Les points de vue qui prônent l’émancipation restent forts. On peut même estimer que la violence des courants réactionnaires et conservateurs vient de ce qu’ils sentent que les sociétés leur échappent. Elles vivent des révolutions profondes mais inachevées : celles des droits des femmes, des droits des peuples, du numérique, de l’urgence écologique. L’émergence des nouvelles formes d’engagement en témoigne. Que faire ? La réponse implique de répondre aux urgences dans le court terme et d’inscrire la réponse à l’urgence dans un projet alternatif de long terme.
Droit, libéralisme et vie commune
Authors: Michéa Jean-Claude
Published: November 2016

Le projet libéral est celui d’une société où chacun pourrait vivre « comme il l’entend » – libre, dès lors, de faire ce qu’il veut de son corps, de son temps ou de son argent – et dont l’État devrait seulement veiller à ce que la liberté des uns ne nuise pas à celle des autres. À ce titre, il ne reconnaît donc que la vie privée , dont il n’a rien à dire, et la vie publique , réglée par la seule instance du Droit abstrait et « axiologiquement neutre ». C’est ainsi l’idée même de vie commune , toujours suspecte de réintroduire une idéologie du Bien, qui finit par disparaître au profit de la seule coexistence pacifique d’individus supposés « mutuellement indifférents ». Mais sans une référence minimale à l’idée de monde commun, peut-on encore parler de « société » ?
À propos d’ Imperium , de Frédéric Lordon : Encore un effort pour être internationaliste !
Authors: Coutrot Thomas
Published: November 2016

Dans Imperium , Frédéric Lordon s'appuie sur Spinoza pour tenter de répondre à des questions cruciales : qu'est-ce qu'une communauté politique ? Peut-on viser une démocratie horizontale dénuée de domination étatique ? Peut-on penser un état postnational et démocratique du monde ? Que la politique de l'émancipation ne puisse prétendre éliminer toute verticalité, on peut en convenir facilement. Mais que la clôture nationale de la communauté politique soit indépassable, voilà une thèse fort embarrassante à l'heure de la crise écologique mondiale. Lordon montre ici un étonnant conservatisme politique, alors même qu'à rebours de l'usage qu'il en fait on peut trouver, chez Spinoza, d'utiles fondements pour penser l'émergence d'une communauté politique mondiale.
L’émancipation dans la pensée sociologique : un point aveugle ?
Authors: Tarragoni Federico
Published: November 2016

On tend à définir la sociologie comme une science des régularités sociales qui, telles des contraintes préexistant à la vie individuelle, en délimiteraient l’espace de possibilité. Or cette définition fait de l’émancipation un point aveugle. Dans leur construction d’une science du social, et par-delà les divergences profondes entre traditions française et allemande, les pères fondateurs de la discipline ont saisi tant l’impensé que la nécessité de le questionner. Comment un individu dont la pensée, l’action et le jugement dépendent in fine de la vie sociale peut-il aspirer à s’émanciper, c’est-à-dire à s’affranchir de ces mêmes contraintes sociales qui, transformées en tutelles, enrégimentent sa vie psychique et pratique ? Ce qui ressort des analyses durkheimiennes de l’individualisme, des développements wébériens sur la vie subjective de la domination, des excursus simméliens sur la liberté, c’est une commune ambition : construire la sociologie non pas comme une science de la détermination de l’agir humain, mais comme un savoir de l’ articulation du social et de l’individuel dans les faits humains.
Républicains, socialistes et ouvriers face à l’émancipation des travailleurs (1830-1848)
Authors: Hayat Samuel
Published: November 2016

La Révolution de 1830 amène à la formulation de trois pensées où le mot d’émancipation joue un rôle central : la pensée républicaine, où l’émancipation est d’abord la souveraineté du peuple ; le socialisme, où elle passe par l’amélioration du sort des prolétaires par la science sociale ; dans le mouvement ouvrier naissant, l’émancipation est l’organisation des travailleurs. Au cours des premières années de la monarchie de Juillet, ces courants se rapprochent autour du mot d’ordre commun de l’association et dans l’expérience de la répression. Une nouvelle pensée de l’émancipation des travailleurs en émerge, et apparaît au grand jour au moment de la révolution de 1848. Elle fonde alors une interprétation de la République antagoniste à celle des républicains dits modérés : la République démocratique et sociale. Vaincue dans les urnes puis dans la rue, la République démocratique et sociale survit dans différents mouvements et réapparaît en 1871, dans la Commune de Paris.
Un projet d’émancipation à l’épreuve de sa mise en pratiques
Authors: Neveu Catherine
Published: November 2016

Il s’agit ici de s’attacher à saisir des pratiques mises en œuvre au nom de l’émancipation dans le réseau des centres sociaux, ainsi que les paradoxes et tensions qui en découlent. De quelles interprétations et appropriations le projet émancipateur et de conscientisation porté par la notion de « pouvoir d’agir » est-il l’objet dans un contexte local ? Les modalités d’appropriation et de mise en œuvre localisées d’un tel projet restent paradoxales. On verra comment certaines de ces actions entrent en tension avec l’objectif de convivialité assigné à des activités, mais aussi à quel point des salarié(e)s entretiennent des relations complexes avec les enjeux d’émancipation, que ce soit à raison d’un manque de formation ou de questionnements quant au rôle politique des centres sociaux.
Émancipations du spectateur d’art d’exposition
Authors: Ruby Christian
Published: November 2016

Il est nécessaire de reprendre la question de l’émancipation à l’égard de la figure du spectateur d’art d’exposition. Autant parce que le thème de l’émancipation appartient au champ de l’esthétique dès sa constitution que parce que l’« émancipation » s’y entend aussi dans les quatre sens advenus depuis les Lumières : en sus des sens juridique et historien, le sens prêté par les Lumières (l’émancipation par la critique) est battu en brèche par un autre sens acquis au sein des philosophies de l’histoire (l’émancipation critique), puis dans la signification prêtée par l’école de Francfort et, enfin, dans l’émancipation-subjectivation à la Jacques Rancière. L’intérêt du travail de ce dernier est de souligner que, lorsqu’on parle de l’émancipation-subjectivation, il ne s’agit ni de changer de place afin de mieux voir le spectateur, ni de le changer de place, de l’agiter ou de déplacer son corps ailleurs, ni d’échanger le point de vue du spectateur pour un autre point de vue.
La lutte pour la reconnaissance par le don entre acteurs collectifs (II)
Authors: Caillé Alain , Lindemann Thomas
Published: November 2016

La lutte pour la reconnaissance thématisée par Hegel ne concerne pas seulement les sujets individuels. Elle est tout aussi active entre États, nations et cultures. Mais on ne peut bien la comprendre qu’en croisant l’analyse de Hegel avec les découvertes de Marcel Mauss dans l’ Essai sur le don . Individuels ou collectifs, les sujets luttent pour être reconnus comme des donateurs. Dans la deuxième et dernière partie de cet article, on s’intéresse à la lutte pour la reconnaissance entre les États.