bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cognitive Deterioration in Moderate and Severe Hypobaric Hypoxia Conditions
Authors: Beer Jeremy M. A. , Shender Barry S. , Chauvin Daren , Dart Todd S. , Fischer Joseph
Published: June 2017

BACKGROUND: Hypoxia continues to present risks in military aviation. Hypoxia symptoms include sensory and cognitive effects; of these, it is important to identify which components of operator performance are most vulnerable to hypoxia-induced decline in order to determine which
sensory modality is most effective for alerting an impaired aviator of an imminent hypoxic episode.METHODS: A study was performed in a hypobaric chamber to characterize deterioration of cognitive performance under moderate (MH) and severe (SH) hypoxia conditions, culminating in
subjects’ inability to perform tasks. Subjects operated a synthetic workstation, performing multiple simultaneous tasks during hypobaric exposures equivalent to 5486 m (18,000 ft) MH and 7620 m (25,000 ft) SH ascents. Performance was compared across baseline, altitude exposure, and recovery
periods within MH vs. SH altitude profiles. Ascents lasted until at least one of a list of termination criteria was met, at which point the chamber was returned to ground level pressure and the subject resumed workstation performance during recovery.RESULTS: SH conditions generated
greater deficits than MH conditions, and these more severe effects hastened the termination of exposures (5 vs. 18 min mean duration, respectively). Workstation performance collapsed rapidly on SH exposure, with Mathematics and Auditory Monitoring tasks proving vulnerable to breakdown. In
MH exposures, these tasks exhibited impaired accuracy (declining 11% and 9%, respectively) and speed, with declines in Auditory Monitoring lingering into recovery.DISCUSSION: The relative robustness of memory and visual monitoring vs. the vulnerability of mathematical and auditory
processing suggest that care should be taken designing purely auditory cockpit hypoxia warning alerts.Beer JMA, Shender BS, Chauvin D, Dart TS, Fischer J. Cognitive deterioration in moderate and severe hypobaric hypoxia conditions. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(7):617–626.
Novel Indications for Commonly Used Medications as Radiation Protectants in Spaceflight
Authors: McLaughlin Mark F. , Donoviel Dorit B. , Jones Jeffrey A.
Published: June 2017

BACKGROUND: In the space environment, the traditional radioprotective principles of time, distance, and shielding become difficult to implement. Additionally, the complex radiation environment inherent in space, the chronic exposure timeframe, and the presence of numerous confounding
variables complicate the process of creating appropriate risk models for astronaut exposure. Pharmaceutical options hold tremendous promise to attenuate acute and late effects of radiation exposure in the astronaut population. Pharmaceuticals currently approved for other indications may also
offer radiation protection, modulation, or mitigation properties along with a well-established safety profile. Currently there are only three agents which have been clinically approved to be employed for radiation exposure, and these only for very narrow indications. This review identifies
a number of agents currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which could warrant further investigation for use in astronauts. Specifically, we examine preclinical and clinical evidence for statins, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), angiotensin converting
enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), metformin, calcium channel blockers, β adrenergic receptor blockers, fingolimod, N-acetylcysteine, and pentoxifylline as potential radiation countermeasures.McLaughlin MF, Donoviel DB, Jones JA. Novel indications
for commonly used medications as radiation protectants in spaceflight. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(7):665–676.
Distortion of Prospective Time Production Underwater
Authors: Hobbs Malcolm B. , Kneller Wendy
Published: June 2017

BACKGROUND: The few prior studies of time perception underwater have reached contradictory conclusions as to how, and if, time perception becomes distorted when submerged. The current paper expands upon this limited data by describing two studies of prospective time production
in scuba divers.METHODS: Study 1 (N = 32) compared performance on a 30-s interval time production task in deep water (35 m–42 m/∼115–138 ft) with a shallow water control (3–12 m/∼10–39 ft). Using the same task, study 2 (N = 31) tested
performance at the surface and at a range of depths underwater (1 m/3 ft; 11 m/36 ft; 20 m/66 ft; 30 m/98 ft; 40 m/131 ft).RESULTS: Study 1 revealed time production to be significantly longer in deep water compared to shallow water. In study 2 time production at the surface was
not significantly different from that at 1 m, but productions at 11–40 m were significantly longer than at both 1 m and on the surface. Time productions between 11–40 m did not differ significantly.DISCUSSION: It was concluded that divers judge less time to have passed
underwater than is objectively the case from a depth of 11 m, but that this effect does not deteriorate significantly once past 11 m. The cause of this distortion of time perception underwater was suggested to be the action of gas narcosis.Hobbs MB, Kneller W. Distortion of prospective
time production underwater. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(7):677–681.
A Review of General Aviation Safety (1984–2017)
Authors: Boyd Douglas D.
Published: June 2017

INTRODUCTION: General aviation includes all civilian aviation apart from operations involving paid passenger transport. Unfortunately, this category of aviation holds a lackluster safety record, accounting for 94% of civil aviation fatalities. In 2014, of 1143 general aviation
accidents, 20% were fatal compared with 0 of 29 airline mishaps in the United States. Herein, research findings over the past 30 yr will be reviewed. Accident risk factors (e.g., adverse weather, geographical region, post-impact fire, gender differences) will be discussed. The review will
also summarize the development and implementation of stringent crashworthiness designs with multi-axis dynamic testing and head-injury protection and its impact on mitigating occupant injury severity. The benefits and drawbacks of new technology and human factor considerations associated with
increased general aviation automation will be debated. Data on the safety of the aging general aviation population and increased drug usage will also be described. Finally, areas in which general aviation occupant survival could be improved and injury severity mitigated will be discussed with
the view of equipping aircraft with 1) crash-resistant fuel tanks to reduce post-impact conflagration; 2) after-market ballistic parachutes for older aircraft; and 3) current generation electronic locator beacons to hasten site access by first responders.Boyd DD. A review of general
aviation safety (1984–2017). Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(7):657–664.
Modeling and Testing Strategies for an Interconnected Four-Pole Magnetic Bearing
Authors: David Domingos , Santisteban José , Del Nero Gomes Afonso
Published: June 2017

An unusual idea for the construction of active magnetic bearings has been recently discussed in the literature. Theoretical results predict a greater equivalent stiffness for it, when compared with traditional active magnetic bearings. The development of a mathematical model that allows these predictions and the use of recently-built prototypes for testing if the expectations hold true are the main goals of this paper.
An Evaluation of the Efficiency of Compartmented Alginate Fibres Encapsulating a Rejuvenator as an Asphalt Pavement Healing System
Authors: Tabaković Amir , Schuyffel Luke , Karač Aleksandar , Schlangen Erik
Published: June 2017

This paper explores the potential methods for evaluating a healing system for asphalt pavements. The healing system under investigation involves compartmented calcium-alginate fibres encapsulating an asphalt binder healing agent (rejuvenator). This system presents a novel method of incorporating rejuvenators into asphalt pavement mixtures. The compartmented fibres are used to distribute the rejuvenator throughout the pavement mixture, thereby overcoming some of the problems associated with alternate asphalt pavement healing methods, i.e., spherical capsules and hollow fibres. The asphalt healing efficiency methods to be evaluated in this paper include: (i) standard test methods for asphalt pavements, such as the Indirect Tensile Strength test and the 4 Point Bending Fatigue test; and (ii) alternative fracture tests such as the Semi Circular Bend test. The study employs fracture theory in order to evaluate the efficiency of the damage repair. The research findings demonstrate that including compartmented calcium-alginate fibres encapsulating a rejuvenator into an asphalt pavement mix does not significantly improve the healing properties of the asphalt pavement. Nevertheless, the findings indicate that, with further enhancement, compartmented calcium alginate fibres may present a promising new approach for the development of self-healing asphalt pavement systems. Additionally, the test results indicate that the 4 point bend fatigue test is the most suitable test for evaluating the performance of self healing asphalt pavements.
Non-Destructive Study of the Microstructural Effects of Sodium and Magnesium Sulphate Attack on Mortars Containing Silica Fume Using Impedance Spectroscopy
Authors: Williams Mark , Ortega José , Sánchez Isidro , Cabeza Marta , Climent Miguel
Published: June 2017

The microstructural effects of exposure to a 15% magnesium sulphate, 15% sodium sulphate, and mixed solutions were observed in mortars with and without silica fume, using the non-destructive impedance spectroscopy technique. The non-destructive “Wenner” resistivity test and the classical mercury intrusion porosimetry were used as contrast techniques. The compressive strength of the mortars was also studied. In view of the results obtained, impedance spectroscopy was the most sensitive technique for detecting changes in the porous network of the studied mortars. The addition of silica fume results in a more refined microstructure and a higher compressive strength in mortars exposed to aggressive sulphate solutions.
Effects of Fine Particles on Thermal Conductivity of Mixed Silica Sands
Authors: Ahn Jaehun , Jung Jongwon
Published: June 2017

The physical properties of granular materials (such as hydraulic, strength, and thermal properties) are largely dependent on their density (or porosity) and particle size distribution. In infrastructure design, the thermal properties of soils are now more important than in the past. However, our understanding of the thermal properties of mixed granular materials is still poor. In this study, the thermal conductivity of silica sands with different porosities and particle sizes was experimentally investigated, based on ASTM D5334-14. The thermal conductivity of granular materials is presented as a function of the porosity and proportion of fine particles. The thermal conductivity tends to be low when the porosity is high and the proportion of fine particles is low (and vice versa). When the fine particles are small enough to fill the pore body of the larger particles, the coordination number increases; thus, the thermal conductivity increases when the proportion of fine particles is high. Therefore, both the porosity and particle size distribution should be carefully considered when the thermal conductivity of mixed silica sand is evaluated.
Early Diagnosis of Dementia from Clinical Data by Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: So Aram , Hooshyar Danial , Park Kun , Lim Heui
Published: June 2017

Dementia is the most prevalent degenerative disease in seniors in which progression can be prevented or delayed by early diagnosis. In this study, we proposed a two-layer model inspired by the method used in dementia support centers for the early diagnosis of dementia and using machine learning techniques. Data were collected from patients who received dementia screening from 2008 to 2013 at the Gangbuk-Gu center for dementia in the Republic of Korea. The data consisted of the patient’s gender, age, education, the Mini-Mental State Examination in the Korean version of the CERAD Assessment Packet (MMSE-KC) for dementia screening test, and the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD-K) for the dementia precise test. In the proposed model, MMSE-KC data are initially classified into normal and abnormal. In the second stage, CERAD-K data are used to classify dementia and mild cognitive impairment. The performance of each algorithm is compared with that of Naive Bayes, Bayes Network, Begging, Logistic Regression, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) using Precision, Recall and F-measure. Comparing the F-measure values of normal, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia, the MLP was the highest in the F-measure values of normal with 0.97, while the SVM appear to be the highest in MCI and dementia with 0.739. Using the proposed early diagnosis model for dementia reduces the time and economic burden and can help simplify the diagnosis method for dementia.
Prospecting for Marine Bacteria for Polyhydroxyalkanoate Production on Low-Cost Substrates
Authors: Takahashi Rodrigo , Castilho Nathalia , Silva Marcus , Miotto Maria , Lima André
Published: June 2017

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a class of biopolymers with numerous applications, but the high cost of production has prevented their use. To reduce this cost, there is a prospect for strains with a high PHA production and the ability to grow in low-cost by-products. In this context, the objective of this work was to evaluate marine bacteria capable of producing PHA. Using Nile red, 30 organisms among 155 were identified as PHA producers in the medium containing starch, and 27, 33, 22 and 10 strains were found to be positive in media supplemented with carboxymethyl cellulose, glycerol, glucose and Tween 80, respectively. Among the organisms studied, two isolates, LAMA 677 and LAMA 685, showed strong potential to produce PHA with the use of glycerol as the carbon source, and were selected for further studies. In the experiment used to characterize the growth kinetics, LAMA 677 presented a higher maximum specific growth rate (µmax = 0.087 h−1) than LAMA 685 (µmax = 0.049 h−1). LAMA 677 also reached a D-3-hydroxybutyrate (P(3HB)) content of 78.63% (dry biomass), which was 3.5 times higher than that of LAMA 685. In the assay of the production of P(3HB) from low-cost substrates (seawater and biodiesel waste glycerol), LAMA 677 reached a polymer content of 31.7%, while LAMA 685 reached 53.6%. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that the selected marine strains have the potential to produce PHA, and seawater and waste glycerol may be alternative substrates for the production of this polymer.
Optical Tracking and Digital Quantification of Beating Behavior in Bioengineered Human Cardiac Organoids
Authors: Devarasetty Mahesh , Forsythe Steven , Shupe Thomas , Soker Shay , Bishop Colin , Atala Anthony , Skardal Aleksander
Published: June 2017

Organoid and organ-on-a-chip technologies are rapidly advancing towards deployment for drug and toxicology screening applications. Liver and cardiac toxicities account for the majority of drug candidate failures in human trials. Liver toxicity generally produces liver cell death, while cardiac toxicity causes adverse changes in heart beat kinetics. In traditional 2D cultures, beating kinetics can be measured by electrode arrays, but in some 3D constructs, quantifying beating kinetics can be more challenging. For example, real time measurements of calcium flux or contractile forces are possible, yet rather complex. In this communication article, we demonstrate a simple sensing system based on software code that optically analyzes video capture files of beating cardiac organoids, translates these files in representations of moving pixels, and quantifies pixel movement activity over time to generate beat kinetic plots. We demonstrate this system using bioengineered cardiac organoids under baseline and drug conditions. This technology offers a non-invasive, low-cost, and incredibly simple method for tracking and quantifying beating behavior in cardiac organoids and organ-on-a-chip systems for drug and toxicology screening.
Chiral Catalyst Deactivation during the Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Acetophenone
Authors: Ruelas-Leyva Jose , Fuentes Gustavo
Published: June 2017

Asymmetric hydrogenation in solution catalyzed by chiral catalysts is a powerful tool to obtain chiral secondary alcohols. It is possible to reach conversions and enantiomeric excesses close to 99%, but that frequently requires the use of non-optimal amounts of catalysts or long reaction times. That is in part caused by the lack of kinetic information needed for the design of large-scale reactors, including few reported details about catalyst deactivation. In this work, we present a kinetic model for the asymmetric hydrogenation in solution of acetophenone, a prochiral substrate, catalyzed by different bisphosphine-diamine Ru complexes. The experimental data was fitted with a first order model that includes first order deactivation of the catalyst and the presence of residual activity. The fit of the experimental data is very good, and an analysis of the kinetic and deactivation parameters gives further insight into the role of each ligand present in the Ru catalysts. This is the first report of a kinetic analysis of homogenous complexes’ catalysis including an analysis of their deactivation.
Immersive Virtual Reality for Pediatric Pain
Authors: Won Andrea , Bailey Jakki , Bailenson Jeremy , Tataru Christine , Yoon Isabel , Golianu Brenda
Published: June 2017

Children must often endure painful procedures as part of their treatment for various medical conditions. Those with chronic pain endure frequent or constant discomfort in their daily lives, sometimes severely limiting their physical capacities. With the advent of affordable consumer-grade equipment, clinicians have access to a promising and engaging intervention for pediatric pain, both acute and chronic. In addition to providing relief from acute and procedural pain, virtual reality (VR) may also help to provide a corrective psychological and physiological environment to facilitate rehabilitation for pediatric patients suffering from chronic pain. The special qualities of VR such as presence, interactivity, customization, social interaction, and embodiment allow it to be accepted by children and adolescents and incorporated successfully into their existing medical therapies. However, the powerful and transformative nature of many VR experiences may also pose some risks and should be utilized with caution. In this paper, we review recent literature in pediatric virtual reality for procedural pain and anxiety, acute and chronic pain, and some rehabilitation applications. We also discuss the practical considerations of using VR in pediatric care, and offer specific suggestions and information for clinicians wishing to adopt these engaging therapies into their daily clinical practice.
Photonic Bandgap–Cholesteric Device with Electrical Tunability and Optical Tristability in Its Defect Modes
Authors: Wu Po-Chang , Hsiao Chih-Yuan , Lee Wei
Published: June 2017

This study proposes a hybrid structure for a one-dimensional (1D) photonic crystal (PC) comprising a tristable cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) as the defect layer. The CLC exhibits three optically stable states: the Grandjean planar (P), focal conic (FC), and uniform lying helix (ULH) configurations. Specifically, the reflection band of the CLC is set within the photonic bandgap (PBG) of the 1D PC. While the ULH and the FC states can be regarded as the light-on and light-off states for defect-mode peaks in the visible spectrum, respectively, switching the device from the ULH to the P state enables suppression of the transmission of partial defect modes within the PBG. This device possesses many alluring features, such as optical tristability at null applied voltage and transmission tunability of the defect modes, providing a new pathway for the design of multifunctional and energy-efficient optical switches, light shutters, multichannels, and wavelength selectors.
Using Semantic Web Technologies to Query and Manage Information within Federated Cyber-Infrastructures
Authors: Willner Alexander , Giatili Mary , Grosso Paola , Papagianni Chrysa , Morsey Mohamed , Baldin Ilya
Published: June 2017

A standardized descriptive ontology supports efficient querying and manipulation of data from heterogeneous sources across boundaries of distributed infrastructures, particularly in federated environments. In this article, we present the Open-Multinet (OMN) set of ontologies, which were designed specifically for this purpose as well as to support management of life-cycles of infrastructure resources. We present their initial application in Future Internet testbeds, their use for representing and requesting available resources, and our experimental performance evaluation of the ontologies in terms of querying and translation times. Our results highlight the value and applicability of Semantic Web technologies in managing resources of federated cyber-infrastructures.
“Sleep? Maybe Later…” A Cross-Campus Survey of University Students and Sleep Practices
Authors: Brown Cary , Qin Pei , Esmail Shaniff
Published: June 2017

Sleep deficiency is a significant issue across higher education campuses and has a detrimental effect on students’ academic achievement, physical and mental health, and overall wellbeing. The purpose of this study was to carry out a campus-wide survey determining students’ self-reported sleep patterns, sources of advice for sleep problems, current sleep promoting practices, and preferred mechanisms to receive new information assisting with sleep problems. An anonymous electronic survey was distributed in February 2016 to all levels of students at the University of Alberta in the Western region of Canada. Descriptive data analysis was carried out with SPSS (v23). There were 1294 students (78.0% undergraduates; 87.5% living off-campus, 77.5% female) who participated in the survey. Sleeping less than 6.5 h a night was reported by 30.5% of participants; 66.5% stated they had insufficient sleep; 80.6% had not sought help. The three most frequent behaviours to aid sleep were reading a book, listening to music, and adjusting the heat. Although sleep problems were widely reported, students seldom sought help for this. The survey revealed that students already practice several strategies (listening to music, for example) that lend themselves to serving as a foundation for a strength-based cross-campus social marketing campaign of sleep promoting strategies.
Fire Severity and Regeneration Strategy Influence Shrub Patch Size and Structure Following Disturbance
Authors: Minor Jesse , Falk Donald , Barron-Gafford Greg
Published: June 2017

Climate change is increasing the frequency and extent of high-severity disturbance, with potential to alter vegetation community composition and structure in environments sensitive to tipping points between alternative states. Shrub species display a range of characteristics that promote resistance and resilience to disturbance, and which yield differential post-disturbance outcomes. We investigated differences in shrub patch size and stem density in response to variations in fire severity, vegetation community, and post-disturbance reproductive strategies in Sky Island forested ecosystems in the southwestern United States. Patterns in shrub structure reflect the effects of fire severity as well as differences among species with alternate post-fire reproductive strategies. Increased fire severity correlates with larger patch sizes and greater stem densities; these patterns are observed across multiple fire events, indicating that disturbance legacies can persist for decades. High severity fire produces the largest shrub patches, and variance in shrub patch size increases with severity. High severity fire is likely to promote expansion of shrub species on the landscape, with implications for future community structure. Resprouting species have the greatest variability in patch structure, while seeding species show a strong response to disturbance: resprouting species dominate at low disturbance severities, and obligate seeders dominate high severity areas. Differential post-fire reproductive strategies are likely to generate distinct patterns of vegetation distribution following disturbance, with implications for community composition at various scales. Shrub species demonstrate flexible responses to wildfire disturbance severity that are reflected in shrub patch dynamics at small and intermediate scales.
Changes in Soil Biochemical Properties in a Cedar Plantation Invaded by Moso Bamboo
Authors: Shiau Yo-Jin , Chiu Chih-Yu
Published: June 2017

Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) is one of the widely growing bamboo species in Asia. Because of its fast growth and aggressive rhizomes, it is reported to invade other forests and reduce the biodiversity of forest ecosystems. To determine the changes in soil nutrient conditions due to moso bamboo invasion, this research measured the difference in soil labile carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) contents in a Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) forest invaded by moso bamboo in central Taiwan. The content of soluble organic C (SbOC), measured by both KCl and hot-water extraction methods, was lower in bamboo than cedar soils. This observation agreed with the finding that the more easily decomposed SbOC could be lost with bamboo invasion. In addition, both SbOCKCl and SbOCHW contents were positively correlated with microbial biomass C content, so the decreased labile organic C content in bamboo soils may reduce microbial biomass production. Principal component analysis revealed soil organic C content (total organic C, SbOC and acid-hydrolysable C) as the most important soil parameter affected by the bamboo invasion, followed by microbial biomass N and NO3− contents in soils. The soil quality index model also agreed with the degraded soil quality with bamboo invasion. In conclusion, the invasion of moso bamboo reduced the C and N pools in bamboo soil and degraded the overall soil quality.
Nonlinear Spectral Unmixing for the Characterisation of Volcanic Surface Deposit and Airborne Plumes from Remote Sensing Imagery
Authors: Licciardi Giorgio , Sellitto Pasquale , Piscini Alessandro , Chanussot Jocelyn
Published: June 2017

In image processing, it is commonly assumed that the model ruling spectral mixture in a given hyperspectral pixel is linear. However, in many real life cases, the different objects and materials determining the observed spectral signatures overlap in the same scene, resulting in nonlinear mixture. This is particularly evident in volcanoes-related imagery, where both airborne plumes of effluents and surface deposit of volcanic ejecta can be mixed in the same observation line of sight. To tackle this intrinsic complexity, in this paper, we perform a pilot test using Nonlinear Principal Component Analysis (NLPCA) as a nonlinear transformation, that projects a hyperspectral image onto a reduced-dimensionality feature space. The use of NLPCA is twofold: (1) it is used to reduce the dimensionality of the original spectral data and (2) it performs a linearization of the information, thus allowing the effective use of successive linear approaches for spectral unmixing. The proposed method has been tested on two different hyperspectral datasets, dealing with active volcanoes at the time of the observation. The dimensionality of the spectroscopic problem is reduced of up to 95% (ratio of the elements of compressed nonlinear vectors and initial spectral inputs), by the use of NLPCA. The selective use of an atmospheric correction pre-processing is applied, demonstrating how individual plume and volcanic surface deposit components can be discriminated, paving the way to future application of this method.
Socioeconomic Status and Health: A New Approach to the Measurement of Bivariate Inequality
Authors: Erreygers Guido , Kessels Roselinde
Published: June 2017

We suggest an alternative way to construct a family of indices of socioeconomic inequality of health. Our indices belong to the broad category of linear indices. In contrast to rank-dependent indices, which are defined in terms of the ranks of the socioeconomic variable and the levels of the health variable, our indices are based on the levels of both the socioeconomic and the health variable. We also indicate how the indices can be modified in order to introduce sensitivity to inequality in the socioeconomic distribution and to inequality in the health distribution. As an empirical illustration, we make a comparative study of the relation between income and well-being in 16 European countries using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) Wave 4.
A Two-Step Method for Missing Spatio-Temporal Data Reconstruction
Authors: Cheng Shifen , Lu Feng
Published: June 2017

Missing data reconstruction is a critical step in the analysis and mining of spatio-temporal data; however, few studies comprehensively consider missing data patterns, sample selection and spatio-temporal relationships. As a result, traditional methods often fail to obtain satisfactory accuracy or address high levels of complexity. To combat these problems, this study developed an effective two-step method for spatio-temporal missing data reconstruction (ST-2SMR). This approach includes a coarse-grained interpolation method for considering missing patterns, which can successfully eliminate the influence of continuous missing data on the overall results. Based on the results of coarse-grained interpolation, a dynamic sliding window selection algorithm was implemented to determine the most relevant sample data for fine-grained interpolation, considering both spatial and temporal heterogeneity. Finally, spatio-temporal interpolation results were integrated by using a neural network model. We validated our approach using Beijing air quality data and found that the proposed method outperforms existing solutions in term of estimation accuracy and reconstruction rate.
Conceptual Architecture and Service-Oriented Implementation of a Regional Geoportal for Rice Monitoring
Authors: Granell Carlos , Miralles Ignacio , Rodríguez-Pupo Luis , González-Pérez Alberto , Casteleyn Sven , Busetto Lorenzo , Pepe Monica , Boschetti Mirco , Huerta Joaquín
Published: June 2017

Agricultural monitoring has greatly benefited from the increased availability of a wide variety of remote-sensed satellite imagery, ground-sensed data (e.g., weather station networks) and crop models, delivering a wealth of actionable information to stakeholders to better streamline and improve agricultural practices. Nevertheless, as the degree of sophistication of agriculture monitoring systems increases, significant challenges arise due to the handling and integration of multi-scale data sources to present information to decision-makers in a way which is useful, understandable and user friendly. To address these issues, in this article we present the conceptual architecture and service-oriented implementation of a regional geoportal, specifically focused on rice crop monitoring in order to perform unified monitoring with a supporting system at regional scale. It is capable of storing, processing, managing, serving and visualizing monitoring and generated data products with different granularity and originating from different data sources. Specifically, we focus on data sources and data flow, and their importance for and in relation to different stakeholders. In the context of an EU-funded research project, we present an implementation of the regional geoportal for rice monitoring, which is currently in use in Europe’s three largest rice-producing countries, Italy, Greece and Spain.
RUNX1 Plays an Important Role in Mediating BMP9-Induced Osteogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Line C3H10T1/2, Murine Multi-Lineage Cells Lines C2C12 and MEFs
Authors: Ji Caixia , Liu Xiaohua , Xu Li , Yu Tingting , Dong Chaoqun , Luo Jinyong
Published: June 2017

As one of the least studied bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), BMP9 is highly capable of promoting osteogenic differentiation. However, the underlying mechanism involved remains largely unknown. Recent studies have demonstrated that RUNX1 (runt-related transcription factor 1) is essential in osteoblast/chondrocyte maturation. In this study, we investigated the function of RUNX1 in BMP9-induced osteogenic of murine mesenchymal stem cell line (C3H10T1/2) and murine multi-lineage cell lines (C2C12 and MEFs). Our data showed that BMP9 promoted the endogenous expression of RUNX1 in C3H10T1/2, C2C12 and MEFs. Moreover, RUNX1 was probably a direct target of BMP9/Smad signaling. BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation was enhanced by overexpression of RUNX1, whereas inhibited by knockdown RUNX1 in C3H10T1/2, C2C12 and MEFs. Further mechanism studies demonstrated that RUNX1 might affect BMP9-induced phosphorylation of Smad1/5/8, but not the phosphorylation of p38 and ERK1/2.Our results suggest that RUNX1 may be an essential modulator in BMP9- induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs (Mesenchymal stem cells).
Monitoring Effect of Fire on Ant Assemblages in Brazilian Rupestrian Grasslands: Contrasting Effects on Ground and Arboreal Fauna
Authors: Anjos Diego , Campos Ricardo , Campos Renata , Ribeiro Sérvio
Published: June 2017

Fire is one of the most relevant ecological disturbances in nature. Little is known about the effects of fire on biodiversity in ecosystems like rupestrian grasslands, which share characteristics with savanna and forest biomes. Brazilian rupestrian grasslands are part of an endangered ecosystem that has been modified by anthropogenic fire events that have become more intense in recent decades. In this study, we evaluated the effects of fire on ground and arboreal ant assemblages through a two-year monitoring program (24 monthly samplings). We found that fire does not change cumulative species richness after 24 months, and that fire does not affect mean ant richness, abundance, and species composition in arboreal ants. On the other hand, fire increased mean ground ant species richness and abundance, and caused a significant change in species composition. Our results indicate a weak and beneficial effect of fire only for ground ant communities, which generally agrees with results from other studies in Brazilian savannas. Taken together, results from these studies may be useful for improvement of fire suppression policy in fire-prone habitats in Brazil.
Biosynthetic PCL-graft-Collagen Bulk Material for Tissue Engineering Applications
Authors: Gentile Piergiorgio , McColgan-Bannon Kegan , Gianone Nicolò Ceretto , Sefat Farshid , Dalgarno Kenneth , Ferreira Ana Marina
Published: June 2017

Biosynthetic materials have emerged as one of the most exciting and productive fields in polymer chemistry due to their widespread adoption and potential applications in tissue engineering (TE) research. In this work, we report the synthesis of a poly(ε-caprolactone)-graft-collagen (PCL-g-Coll) copolymer. We combine its good mechanical and biodegradable PCL properties with the great biological properties of type I collagen as a functional material for TE. PCL, previously dissolved in dimethylformamide/dichloromethane mixture, and reacted with collagen using carbodiimide coupling chemistry. The synthesised material was characterised physically, chemically and biologically, using pure PCL and PCL/Coll blend samples as control. Infrared spectroscopy evidenced the presence of amide I and II peaks for the conjugated material. Similarly, XPS evidenced the presence of C–N and N–C=O bonds (8.96 ± 2.02% and 8.52 ± 0.63%; respectively) for PCL-g-Coll. Static contact angles showed a slight decrease in the conjugated sample. However, good biocompatibility and metabolic activity was obtained on PCL-g-Coll films compared to PCL and blend controls. After 3 days of culture, fibroblasts exhibited a spindle-like morphology, spreading homogeneously along the PCL-g-Coll film surface. We have engineered a functional biosynthetic polymer that can be processed by electrospinning.
Discrete Element Modelling of Footwall Rock Mass Damage Induced by Sub-Level Caving at the Kiirunavaara Mine
Authors: Svartsjaern Mikael , Saiang David
Published: June 2017

The Kiirunavaara mine is one of the largest sub-level-caving (SLC) mines in the world and has been in underground operation for more than 50 years. The mine has been the focus of several case studies over the years. The previous works have either focused on the caving of the hanging wall, using the footwall as a passive support, or focused on the footwall using the hanging wall to apply a passive load. In this updated study the findings of the previous case studies are combined to study the interaction between the caving hanging wall, the developing cave rock zone and the footwall. The geological data for the rock types in the mine area are used to derive upper and lower limits for the geomechanical parameters calibrated for numerical models in the previous studies. The calibrated parameters are used as inputs to a numerical model constructed using Itasca’s Particle-flow-code (PFC) encompassing a mine-scale 2D section at the mid portion of the mine. The model captures the failure locations well in the footwall underground and indicates damage development without a coherent large-scale failure. The trend in subsidence data on the hanging wall is adequately simulated but the magnitude of deformation is underestimated. The input strength for the hanging wall was lowered to study the impact of hanging wall strength on footwall damage development. It is shown that when the footwall strength is kept constant, while lowering the hanging wall strength, the extent of damage and magnitude of displacements in the footwall increases. From these observations it is argued that the hanging wall and footwall cannot be studied independently for the Kiirunavaara mine since the cave rock zone significantly affects the damage development in both walls.
Molecular Structure–Affinity Relationship of Flavonoids in Lotus Leaf (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) on Binding to Human Serum Albumin and Bovine Serum Albumin by Spectroscopic Method
Authors: Tang Xiaosheng , Tang Ping , Liu Liangliang
Published: June 2017

Lotus leaf has gained growing popularity as an ingredient in herbal formulations due to its various activities. As main functional components of lotus leaf, the difference in structure of flavonoids affected their binding properties and activities. In this paper, the existence of 11 flavonoids in lotus leaf extract was confirmed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis and 11 flavonoids showed various contents in lotus leaf. The interactions between lotus leaf extract and two kinds of serum albumins (human serum albumin (HSA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA)) were investigated by spectroscopic methods. Based on the fluorescence quenching, the interactions between these flavonoids and serum albumins were further checked in detail. The relationship between the molecular properties of flavonoids and their affinities for serum albumins were analyzed and compared. The hydroxylation on 3 and 3’ position increased the affinities for serum albumins. Moreover, both of the methylation on 3’ position of quercetin and the C2=C3 double bond of apigenin and quercetin decreased the affinities for HSA and BSA. The glycosylation lowered the affinities for HSA and BSA depending on the type of sugar moiety. It revealed that the hydrogen bond force played an important role in binding flavonoids to HSA and BSA.
A Systematic Review of Fatalities Related to Acute Ingestion of Salt. A Need for Warning Labels?
Authors: Campbell Norm , Train Emma
Published: June 2017

There are sporadic cases of fatalities from acutely eating salt. Yet, on social media, there are “challenges to” and examples of children and some adults acutely eating salt, and recently a charity advocated eating small amounts of salt to empathize with Syrian refugees. We performed a systematic review of fatalities from ingesting salt to assess if relatively moderate doses of salt could be fatal. In 27 reports, there were 35 fatalities documented (19 in adults and 16 in children). The lethal dose was estimated to be less than 10 g of sodium (<5 teaspoons of salt) in two children, and less than 25 g sodium in four adults (<4 tablespoons of salt). The frequency of fatal ingestion of salt is not able to be discerned from our review. If investigation of the causes of hypernatremia in hospital records indicates salt overdose is relatively common, consideration could be given to placing warning labels on salt containers and shakers. Such warning labels can have the added advantage of reducing dietary salt consumption.
Fracture Failure Mechanisms of Long Single PA6 Fibers
Authors: Ding Huiling , Zhang Yongzhen , He Zhitao
Published: June 2017

The present study investigates the failure mechanisms of industrial fiber materials, using a custom designed fiber cutting performance test bench. The fracture morphologies of single PA6 fibers are examined by scanning electron microscopy. The analysis reveals that fiber cutting can be distinguished according to four distinct stages of fiber failure represented by shearing, cutting, brittle fracture, and tensile failure, which are the result of different mechanisms active during the processes of crack initiation, extension, and fracture. The results of fractographic analysis are further verified by an analysis of the blade assembly speed with respect to time over the entire fracture failure process based on high-speed camera data. The results of fractographic analysis and blade assembly speed are fully consistent.
The Combined Effects of Environmental Conditioning and Sustained Load on Mechanical Properties of Wet Lay-Up Fiber Reinforced Polymer
Authors: Li Shan , Hu Jiyue , Ren Huitao
Published: June 2017

The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effects of an aggressive environment and sustained load on the mechanical properties of wet lay-up fiber reinforced polymers (FRP). A total of 390 specimens, including 234 carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) specimens and 156 glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) specimens, were exposed to freeze–thaw cycles, hygrothermal aging, and wet–dry cycles either in an unstressed state or loaded to about 30% or 60% of the initial ultimate load. Uniaxial tension tests were conducted on the samples after specific exposure time as well as on the control samples; and tensile properties were measured for each specimen. The results showed that the three environmental exposures, particularly hygrothermal aging, led to a significant decrease in tensile strength and elongation of the CFRP and GFRP specimens even for relatively short conditioning periods, and this decrease was markedly exacerbated by higher external loading levels. It was interesting to observe that the tensile modulus of the CFRP and GFRP specimens exhibited an excellent resistance and even appeared to increase slightly after exposure. Finally, predictive values of tensile strength based on the Arrhenius method were compared with the design values of ACI 440.2R-08 and GB 50608-2010. The results showed that both ACI 440.2R-08 and GB 50608-2010 were too conservative and significantly underestimated the tensile strength of FRP materials after an anticipated exposure period.
Techno-Economic Assessment of Benzene Production from Shale Gas
Authors: Pérez-Uresti Salvador , Adrián-Mendiola Jorge , El-Halwagi Mahmoud , Jiménez-Gutiérrez Arturo
Published: June 2017

The availability and low cost of shale gas has boosted its use as fuel and as a raw material to produce value-added compounds. Benzene is one of the chemicals that can be obtained from methane, and represents one of the most important compounds in the petrochemical industry. It can be synthesized via direct methane aromatization (DMA) or via indirect aromatization (using oxidative coupling of methane). DMA is a direct-conversion process, while indirect aromatization involves several stages. In this work, an economic, energy-saving, and environmental assessment for the production of benzene from shale gas using DMA as a reaction path is presented. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to observe the effect of the operating conditions on the profitability of the process. The results show that production of benzene using shale gas as feedstock can be accomplished with a high return on investment.
Trends in Microextraction-Based Methods for the Determination of Sulfonamides in Milk
Authors: Kechagia Maria , Samanidou Victoria
Published: June 2017

Sulfonamides (SAs) represent a significant category of pharmaceutical compounds due to their effective antimicrobial characteristics. SAs were the first antibiotics to be used in clinical medicine to treat a majority of diseases, since the 1900s. In the dairy farming industry, sulfa drugs are administered to prevent infection, in several countries. This increases the possibility that residual drugs could pass through milk consumption even at low levels. These traces of SAs will be detected and quantified in milk. Therefore, microextraction techniques must be developed to quantify antibiotic residues, taking into consideration the terms of Green Analytical Chemistry as well.
Green Growth—Magic Bullet or Damp Squib?
Authors: Rosenbaum Eckehard
Published: June 2017

The paper identifies various conceptualisations of green growth with a view to identify the causal mechanisms that can support a green growth policy agenda to investigate the implications of these conceptualisations for measuring progress towards green growth, to identify possible trade-offs and integrate measures, and to explore the governance challenges that a green growth agenda is likely to pose against the background that many environmental problems have a bearing on multiple levels of governance.
Spatiotemporal Fragmentation of Urban Residential Land Use: A Case Study from China
Authors: Liu Xue , Liu Helin , Chen Wanzhen , Zhang Zhonghao
Published: June 2017

Given the scarcity of land resources in most Chinese cities, the fragmentation of construction land use is a greater constraint than expansion for urban sustainability. Therefore, there is an urgent need to quantify the fragmentation level of construction land use for planning and managing practices. This study focuses on residential land use, which is one of the most important types of construction land use within built-up urban areas. Based on land use maps of the built-up areas, derived from master plans between 1994 and 2015, multi-spatiotemporal patterns of residential land use fragmentation are classified through a case study of Nantong, a rapidly urbanizing and industrializing city. The results show that the fragmentation of residential land use presented a slight descending trend from 1994 to 2002, and a sharp ascending trend from 2003 to 2015. Moreover, residential land use fragmentation in newly established zones witnessed the highest increase in fragmentation. Additionally, the analysis reveals that the fragmentation of residential land use reflects distinct variations across different urbanization stages, and the fragmentation level of residential land use is related to development density in Nantong city. Finally, socio-economic data was used to provide a quantitative insight into exploring the driving forces through multivariate linear regression. The results show that, triggered by land market reform, residential land use fragmentation in Nantong was mainly due to the rapid growth of the tertiary industry, and government policies.