bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Flash Glucose Monitoring: A Review of the Literature with a Special Focus on Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Mancini Giulia , Berioli Maria Giulia , Santi Elisa , Rogari Francesco , Toni Giada , Tascini Giorgia , Crispoldi Roberta , Ceccarini Giulia , Esposito Susanna
Published: July 2018

In people with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), obtaining good glycemic control is essential to reduce the risk of acute and chronic complications. Frequent glucose monitoring allows the adjustment of insulin therapy to improve metabolic control with near-normal blood glucose concentrations. The recent development of innovative technological devices for the management of T1DM provides new opportunities for patients and health care professionals to improve glycemic control and quality of life. Currently, in addition to traditional self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) through a glucometer, there are new strategies to measure glucose levels, including the detection of interstitial glucose through Continuous Glucose Monitoring (iCGM) or Flash Glucose Monitoring (FGM). In this review, we analyze current evidence on the efficacy and safety of FGM, with a special focus on T1DM. FGM is an effective tool with great potential for the management of T1DM both in the pediatric and adult population that can help patients to improve metabolic control and quality of life. Although FGM might not be included in the development of an artificial pancreas and some models of iCGM are more accurate than FGM and preferable in some specific situations, FGM represents a cheaper and valid alternative for selected patients. In fact, FGM provides significantly more data than the intermittent results obtained by SMBG, which may not capture intervals of extreme variability or nocturnal events. With the help of a log related to insulin doses, meal intake, physical activity and stress factors, people can achieve the full benefits of FGM and work together with health care professionals to act upon the information provided by the sensor. The graphs and trends available with FGM better allow an understanding of how different factors (e.g., physical activity, diet) impact glycemic control, consequently motivating patients to take charge of their health.
‘Buying Salad Is a Lot More Expensive than Going to McDonalds’: Young Adults’ Views about What Influences Their Food Choices
Authors: Howse Eloise , Hankey Catherine , Allman-Farinelli Margaret , Bauman Adrian , Freeman Becky
Published: July 2018

Young adults (18–30 years of age) are an ‘at-risk’ group for poor dietary behaviours and less healthy food choices. Previous research with young adults has looked at the barriers and enablers driving their food choices, focusing primarily on university and college students. However, there is less research using qualitative methods with young adults as a broader population group. This study aimed to explore the experiences of young adults in two different yet similar settings: Sydney, Australia and Glasgow, Scotland. Eight focus groups of young adult participants, ranging in size from 2–6 participants, were held in Sydney, Australia (n = 14) and Glasgow, Scotland (n = 16) to discuss, explore and compare the determinants and influences of their food choices. Focus group transcripts were coded thematically based on a process of narrative analysis. Three major narratives were identified across both locations: value of food; appeal of food; and emotional connections with food. These narratives were underpinned by a broader narrative of ‘performing adulthood.’ This narrative reflected a belief amongst participants that they should make rational, informed choices about food despite this conflicting with their broader food environment. Future research could examine which environment-level or policy-based interventions are most acceptable to young adults in terms of influencing their food choices and dietary behaviours.
Breakfast Consumption in the UK: Patterns, Nutrient Intake and Diet Quality. A Study from the International Breakfast Research Initiative Group
Authors: Gaal Szilvia , Kerr Maeve A. , Ward Mary , McNulty Helene , Livingstone M. Barbara E.
Published: July 2018

Breakfast consumption is associated with higher overall dietary adequacy; however, there is a lack of quantitative guidelines for optimal nutrient intakes at breakfast in the UK. This study aimed to investigate nutrient and food group intakes at breakfast and examine their relationship to overall Diet Quality (DQ). Data from the most recent National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS, 2008–2014) were accessed to provide a representative sample (n = 8174) of the UK population, aged 5–96 years, mean age of 33 years. Food intake was measured by a 4-day estimated food diary and DQ was assessed by the Nutrient Rich Food Index 9.3 method. Energy- and socio-economic-adjusted nutrient and food group intakes were compared across age groups and DQ tertiles by ANCOVA. Breakfast contributed 20–22% to total energy intake. Breakfast intakes of carbohydrate and non-milk extrinsic sugars (NMES) were higher, and intakes of protein, total fat and saturated fatty acid (SFA) were lower, than relative daily intakes. Breakfast was particularly rich in B vitamins, vitamin D, calcium, iron, iodine and magnesium. From the lowest to the highest DQ tertile decreasing intakes of NMES, SFA and total fat and increasing intakes of carbohydrate, protein, fibre and most micronutrients were found. These findings could help to inform the development of nutrient-based recommendations for a balanced breakfast for the first time in the UK.
Antiproliferative Activity of Neem Leaf Extracts Obtained by a Sequential Pressurized Liquid Extraction
Authors: Santos Klebson S. , Barbosa Andriele M. , Freitas Victor , Muniz Ana Veruska C. S. , Mendonça Marcelo C. , Calhelha Ricardo C. , Ferreira Isabel C. F. R. , Franceschi Elton , Padilha Francine F. , Oliveira Maria Beatriz P. P. , Dariva Cláudio
Published: July 2018

Azadirachta indica A. Juss (neem) extracts have been used in pharmaceutical applications as antitumor agents, due to their terpenes and phenolic compounds. To obtain extracts from neem leaves with potential antiproliferative effect, a sequential process of pressurized liquid extraction was carried out in a fixed bed extractor at 25 °C and 100 bar, using hexane (SH), ethyl acetate (SEA), and ethanol (SE) as solvents. Extractions using only ethanol (EE) was also conducted to compare the characteristics of the fractionated extracts. The results obtained by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry suggested a higher concentration of terpenes in the SEA extract in comparison to SH, SE, and EE extracts. Therefore, antiproliferative activity showed that SEA extracts were the most efficient inhibitor to human tumor cells MCF-7, NCI-H460, HeLa, and HepG2. Hepatocellular cells were more resistant to SH, SEA, SE, and EE compared to breast, lung, hepatocellular, and cervical malignant cells. Neem fractioned extracts obtained in the present study seem to be more selective for malignant cells compared to the non-tumor cells.
Graphene Oxide Reinforced Alginate/PVA Double Network Hydrogels for Efficient Dye Removal
Authors: Liu Cuiyun , Liu Hongyu , Xiong Tianhui , Xu Airong , Pan Bingli , Tang Keyong
Published: July 2018

Dually crosslinked graphene oxide reinforced alginate/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) double network (DN) hydrogels were prepared via a facile freeze/thaw method followed by soaking in a Ca2+ solution. The morphology and structure of the hydrogels were systematically examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The effects of pH, dosage of hydrogel, adsorption time, and temperature on the adsorptive property of DN hydrogels towards methylene blue (MB) were also studied. Results indicated that the hydrogels exhibited typical 3D porous structures and had an efficient adsorption effect towards MB due to strong interactions between DN hydrogels and MB molecules. The adsorption isotherm was found to coincide with the Langmuir model with a monolayer adsorption. The highest adsorption capacity of DN hydrogels for MB was examined as 480.76 mg·g−1.
Improvement Effect of Water-Based Organic Polymer on the Strength Properties of Fiber Glass Reinforced Sand
Authors: Liu Jin , Song Zezhuo , Lu Yi , Wang Qiongya , Kong Fanxuan , Bu Fan , Kanungo Debi Prasanna , Sun Shaorui
Published: July 2018

The mechanical properties of sandy soil can be effectively improved by the incorporation of water-based polymer and glass fibers. In order to study the reinforcement effects of a type of water-based organic polymer and fiber glass on sand, three strength tests (unconfined compression test, direct shear test and tensile test) and scanning electron microscopy were carried out. A series of polymer content, fiber content and dry density were selected for the tests. The results revealed that the composite reinforcement of water-based organic polymer and fiber glass can improve the strength. With an increase in polymer content and fiber content, the unconfined compression strength, the cohesion, and the tensile strength increase. The internal friction angles maintain a relatively stable state. All three strength properties increase with an increase in dry density. The results can be considered as the reference for sand reinforced engineering.
Active Brownian Filamentous Polymers under Shear Flow
Authors: Martín-Gómez Aitor , Gompper Gerhard , Winkler Roland G.
Published: July 2018

The conformational and rheological properties of active filaments/polymers exposed to shear flow are studied analytically. Using the continuous Gaussian semiflexible polymer model extended by the activity, we derive analytical expressions for the dependence of the deformation, orientation, relaxation times, and viscosity on the persistence length, shear rate, and activity. The model yields a Weissenberg-number dependent shear-induced deformation, alignment, and shear thinning behavior, similarly to the passive counterpart. Thereby, the model shows an intimate coupling between activity and shear flow. As a consequence, activity enhances the shear-induced polymer deformation for flexible polymers. For semiflexible polymers/filaments, a nonmonotonic deformation is obtained because of the activity-induced shrinkage at moderate and swelling at large activities. Independent of stiffness, activity-induced swelling facilitates and enhances alignment and shear thinning compared to a passive polymer. In the asymptotic limit of large activities, a polymer length- and stiffness-independent behavior is obtained, with universal shear-rate dependencies for the conformations, dynamics, and rheology.
Preparation of Lignosulfonates from Biorefinery Lignins by Sulfomethylation and Their Application as a Water Reducer for Concrete
Authors: Huang Caoxing , Ma Junmei , Zhang Weiyu , Huang Guohong , Yong Qiang
Published: July 2018

Lignosulfonate (LG), a water-soluble polymer from sulfite pulping process of lignocellulosic biomass, has been commercially applied as admixture for concrete. In this work, lignosulfonates were produced from alkaline lignin (AL) and enzymatic hydrolysis residue (EHR) by sulfomethylation and these lignosulfonates as water reducers for concrete were then evaluated. Results showed that 94.9% and 68.9% of lignins in AL and EHR could be sulfonated under optimum sulfomethylation conditions, respectively. The sulfonic groups in lignosulfonates from AL (AL-LG) and EHR (EHR-LG) were 1.6 mmol/g and 1.0 mmol/g, respectively. Surface tension and zeta potential analysis indicated that both AL-LG and EHR-LG can be potentially used to as dispersant for improving the fluidity of the cement paste, similarly to commercial lignosulfonate (CM-LG). Adding 0.2 wt % of AL-LG, EHR-LG, and CM-LG in the concrete, the compressive strength (28 days) of concretes increased from 38.4 Mpa to 41.6, 42.6, and 40.9 Mpa, respectively. These findings suggest that the lignosulfonate from biorefinery lignin by sulfomethylation can meet the industrial standards as water reducers for cement admixtures.
Use of Whey Protein as a Natural Polymer for Tissue Adhesive: Preliminary Formulation and Evaluation In Vitro
Authors: Wang Guorong , Liu Ning , Guo Mingruo
Published: July 2018

The use of sutures is still the most widely practiced solution for wound closure and tissue reconstruction; however, scarring is a common defect resulting from sutures on topical use. In some cases, the conventional sutures are unable to seal the sites where fluid and air leakage could occur. Tissue adhesives though have lower tensile strength than sutures, may make scarless surgery possible, or prevent fluid and air leakage. A product called BioGlue® (CryoLife Inc, Kennesaw, GA, USA), based on bovine serum albumin (BSA, a protein) and glutaraldehyde (GTA, crosslinker), has been approved for clinical use in the USA. Whey protein, a byproduct of cheese-making, comprised mainly of β-lactoglobulin, α-lactalbumin and BSA. Even though the molecular weight of BSA is about three times larger than the molecular of β-lactoglobulin and α-lactalbumin, all three proteins are rich in free ε-amino groups (can react with GTA) and globular proteins. This similarity make whey protein a potential candidate to replace BSA in the tissue adhesive since whey protein is abundant and much cheaper than BSA. In this study, whey protein isolate (WPI) was used as a protein polymer with GTA as a crosslinker to evaluate the feasibility of whey protein for tissue adhesive formulation. Results showed that the WPI/GTA adhesive exhibited a comparable adhesive strength to BioGlue® control.
Underground Risk Index Assessment and Prediction Using a Simplified Hierarchical Fuzzy Logic Model and Kalman Filter
Authors: Fayaz Muhammad , Ullah Israr , Kim Do-Hyeun
Published: July 2018

Normally, most of the accidents that occur in underground facilities are not instantaneous; rather, hazards build up gradually behind the scenes and are invisible due to the inherent structure of these facilities. An efficient inference system is highly desirable to monitor these facilities to avoid such accidents beforehand. A fuzzy inference system is a significant risk assessment method, but there are three critical challenges associated with fuzzy inference-based systems, i.e., rules determination, membership functions (MFs) distribution determination, and rules reduction to deal with the problem of dimensionality. In this paper, a simplified hierarchical fuzzy logic (SHFL) model has been suggested to assess underground risk while addressing the associated challenges. For rule determination, two new rule-designing and determination methods are introduced, namely average rules-based (ARB) and max rules-based (MRB). To determine efficient membership functions (MFs), a module named the heuristic-based membership functions allocation (HBMFA) module has been added to the conventional Mamdani fuzzy logic method. For rule reduction, a hierarchical fuzzy logic model with a distinct configuration has been proposed. In the simplified hierarchical fuzzy logic (SHFL) model, we have also tried to minimize rules as well as the number of levels of the hierarchical structure fuzzy logic model. After risk index assessment, the risk index prediction is carried out using a Kalman filter. The prediction of the risk index is significant because it could help caretakers to take preventive measures in time and prevent underground accidents. The results indicate that the suggested technique is an excellent choice for risk index assessment and prediction.
One-Year Change Methodologies for Fixed-Sum Insurance Contracts
Authors: Dacorogna Michel , Ferriero Alessandro , Krief David
Published: July 2018

We study the dynamics of the one-year change in P&C insurance reserves estimation by analyzing the process that leads to the ultimate risk in the case of “fixed-sum” insurance contracts. The random variable ultimately is supposed to follow a binomial distribution. We compute explicitly various quantities of interest, in particular the Solvency Capital Requirement for one year change and the Risk Margin, using the characteristics of the underlying model. We then compare them with the same figures calculated with existing risk estimation methods. In particular, our study shows that standard methods (Merz–Wüthrich) can lead to materially incorrect results if the assumptions are not fulfilled. This is due to a multiplicative error assumption behind the standard methods, whereas our example has an additive error propagation as often happens in practice.
Assessing the Pattern Differences between Satellite-Observed Upper Tropospheric Humidity and Total Column Water Vapor during Major El Niño Events
Authors: Shi Lei , Schreck Carl J. , Schröder Marc
Published: July 2018

As part of the activities for the Global Energy and Water Exchanges (GEWEX) water vapor assessment project, the consistency of satellite-observed upper tropospheric humidity (UTH) and total column water vapor (TCWV) is examined. The examination is focused on their respective patterns during major El Niño events. The analysis shows that the two datasets, consisting of one measurement of vertically averaged relative humidity in the upper troposphere and one of absolute water vapor integrated over the atmospheric vertical column with dominant contribution from the lower troposphere, are consistent over the equatorial central–eastern Pacific, both showing increases of water vapor during major El Niño events as expected. However, the magnitude of drying in the TCWV field over the western Pacific is much weaker than that of moistening over the central–eastern Pacific, while the UTH field exhibits equivalent magnitude of drying and moistening. Furthermore, the drying in the UTH field covers larger areas in the tropics. The difference in their patterns results in an opposite phase in the time series during a major El Niño event when a tropical average is taken. Both UTH and TCWV are closely correlated with major climate indices. However, they have significantly different lag correlations with the Niño 3.4 index in both the sign (positive or negative) and lag time over tropical oceans.
A Boundary Regulated Network for Accurate Roof Segmentation and Outline Extraction
Authors: Wu Guangming , Guo Zhiling , Shi Xiaodan , Chen Qi , Xu Yongwei , Shibasaki Ryosuke , Shao Xiaowei
Published: July 2018

The automatic extraction of building outlines from aerial imagery for the purposes of navigation and urban planning is a long-standing problem in the field of remote sensing. Currently, most methods utilize variants of fully convolutional networks (FCNs), which have significantly improved model performance for this task. However, pursuing more accurate segmentation results is still critical for additional applications, such as automatic mapping and building change detection. In this study, we propose a boundary regulated network called BR-Net, which utilizes both local and global information, to perform roof segmentation and outline extraction. The BR-Net method consists of a shared backend utilizing a modified U-Net and a multitask framework to generate predictions for segmentation maps and building outlines based on a consistent feature representation from the shared backend. Because of the restriction and regulation of additional boundary information, the proposed model can achieve superior performance compared to existing methods. Experiments on an aerial image dataset covering 32 km2 and containing more than 58,000 buildings indicate that our method performs well at both roof segmentation and outline extraction. The proposed BR-Net method significantly outperforms the classic FCN8s model. Compared to the state-of-the-art U-Net model, our BR-Net achieves 6.2% (0.869 vs. 0.818), 10.6% (0.772 vs. 0.698), and 8.7% (0.840 vs. 0.773) improvements in F1 score, Jaccard index, and kappa coefficient, respectively.
Evaluating the Best Spectral Indices for the Detection of Burn Scars at Several Post-Fire Dates in a Mountainous Region of Northwest Yunnan, China
Authors: Fornacca Davide , Ren Guopeng , Xiao Wen
Published: July 2018

Remote mountainous regions are among the Earth’s last remaining wild spots, hosting rare ecosystems and rich biodiversity. Because of access difficulties and low population density, baseline information about natural and human-induced disturbances in these regions is often limited or nonexistent. Landsat time series offer invaluable opportunities to reconstruct past land cover changes. However, the applicability of this approach strongly depends on the availability of good quality, cloud-free images, acquired at a regular time interval, which in mountainous regions are often difficult to find. The present study analyzed burn scar detection capabilities of 11 widely used spectral indices (SI) at 1 to 5 years after fire events in four dominant vegetation groups in a mountainous region of northwest Yunnan, China. To evaluate their performances, we used M-statistic as a burned-unburned class separability index, and we adapted an existing metric to quantify the SI residual burn signal at post-fire dates compared to the maximum severity recorded soon after the fire. Our results show that Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) and Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI) are always among the three best performers for the detection of burn scars starting 1 year after fire but not for the immediate post-fire assessment, where the Mid Infrared Burn Index, Burn Area Index, and Tasseled Cap Greenness were superior. Brightness and Wetness peculiar patterns revealed long-term effects of fire in vegetated land, suggesting their potential integration to assist other SI in burned area detection several years after the fire event. However, in general, class separability of most of the SI was poor after one growing season, due to the seasonal rains and the relatively fast regrowth rate of shrubs and grasses, confirming the difficulty of assessment in mountainous ecosystems. Our findings are meaningful for the selection of a suitable SI to integrate in burned area detection workflows, according to vegetation type and time lag between image acquisitions.
Features of X-Band Radar Backscattering Simulation Based on the Ocean Environmental Parameters in China Offshore Seas
Authors: Wu Tao , Wu Zhensen , Wu Jiaji , Jeon Gwanggil , Ma Liwen
Published: July 2018

The X-band marine radar has been employed as a remote sensing tool for sea state monitoring. However, there are few literatures about sea spectra considering both the wave parameters and short wind-wave spectra in China Offshore Seas, which are of theoretical and practical significance. Based on the wave parameters acquired from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts reanalysis data (ERA-Interim reanalysis data) during 36 months from 2015 to 2017, a finite depth sea spectrum considering both wind speeds and ocean environmental parameters is established in this study. The wave spectrum is then built into a modified two-scale model, which can be related to the ocean environmental parameters (wind speeds and wave parameters). The final results are the mean backscattering coefficients over the variety of sea states at a given wind speed. As the model predicts, the monthly maximum backscattering coefficients in different seas change slowly (within 4 dB). In addition, the differences of the backscattering coefficients in different seas are quite small during azimuthal angles of 0° to 90° and 270° to 360° with a relative error within 1.5 dB at low wind speed (5 m/s) and 2 dB at high wind speed (10 m/s). With the method in the paper, a corrected result from the experiment can be achieved based on the relative error analysis in different conditions.
Interaction of Lamb Wave Modes with Weak Material Nonlinearity: Generation of Symmetric Zero-Frequency Mode
Authors: Sun Xiaoqiang , Ding Xiangyan , Li Feilong , Zhou Shijie , Liu Yaolu , Hu Ning , Su Zhongqing , Zhao Youxuan , Zhang Jun , Deng Mingxi
Published: July 2018

The symmetric zero-frequency mode induced by weak material nonlinearity during Lamb wave propagation is explored for the first time. We theoretically confirm that, unlike the second harmonic, phase-velocity matching is not required to generate the zero-frequency mode and its signal is stronger than those of the nonlinear harmonics conventionally used, for example, the second harmonic. Experimental and numerical verifications of this theoretical analysis are conducted for the primary S0 mode wave propagating in an aluminum plate. The existence of a symmetric zero-frequency mode is of great significance, probably triggering a revolutionary progress in the field of non-destructive evaluation and structural health monitoring of the early-stage material nonlinearity based on the ultrasonic Lamb waves.
Improving Classification Algorithms by Considering Score Series in Wireless Acoustic Sensor Networks
Authors: Luque Amalia , Romero-Lemos Javier , Carrasco Alejandro , Barbancho Julio
Published: July 2018

The reduction in size, power consumption and price of many sensor devices has enabled the deployment of many sensor networks that can be used to monitor and control several aspects of various habitats. More specifically, the analysis of sounds has attracted a huge interest in urban and wildlife environments where the classification of the different signals has become a major issue. Various algorithms have been described for this purpose, a number of which frame the sound and classify these frames, while others take advantage of the sequential information embedded in a sound signal. In the paper, a new algorithm is proposed that, while maintaining the frame-classification advantages, adds a new phase that considers and classifies the score series derived after frame labelling. These score series are represented using cepstral coefficients and classified using standard machine-learning classifiers. The proposed algorithm has been applied to a dataset of anuran calls and its results compared to the performance obtained in previous experiments on sensor networks. The main outcome of our research is that the consideration of score series strongly outperforms other algorithms and attains outstanding performance despite the noisy background commonly encountered in this kind of application.
User-Configurable Timing and Navigation for UAVs
Authors: Albrektsen Sigurd M. , Johansen Tor Arne
Published: July 2018

As the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for industrial use increases, so are the demands for highly accurate navigation solutions, and with the high dynamics that UAVs offer, the accuracy of a measurement does not only depend on the value of the measurement, but also the accuracy of the associated timestamp. Sensor timing using dedicated hardware is the de-facto method to achieve optimal sensor performance, but the solutions available today have limited flexibility and requires much effort when changing sensors. This article presents requirements and suggestions for a highly accurate, reconfigurable sensor timing system that simplifies integration of sensor systems and navigation systems for UAVs. Both typical avionics sensors, like GNSS receivers and IMUs, and more complex sensors, such as cameras, are supported. To verify the design, an implementation named the SenTiBoard was created, along with a software support package and a baseline sensor-suite. With the solution presented in this paper we get a measurement resolution of 10 nanoseconds and we can transfer up to 7.6 megabytes per second. If the sensor suite includes a GNSS receiver with a pulse-per-second (PPS) reference, the sensor measurements can be related to an absolute time reference (UTC) with a clock drift of 1.9 microseconds per second RMS. An experiment was carried out, using a Mini Cruiser fixed-wing UAV, where errors in georeferencing infrared images were reduced with a factor of 4 when compared to a software synchronization method.
Assistive Handlebar Based on Tactile Sensors: Control Inputs and Human Factors
Authors: Trujillo-León Andrés , Bachta Wael , Castellanos-Ramos Julián , Vidal-Verdú Fernando
Published: July 2018

Tactile sensors can be used to build human-machine interfaces, for instance in isometric joysticks or handlebars. When used as input sensor device for control, questions arise related to the contact with the human, which involve ergonomic aspects. This paper focuses on the example application of driving a powered wheelchair as attendant. Since other proposals use force and torque sensors as control input variables, this paper explores the relationship between these variables and others obtained from the tactile sensor. For this purpose, a handlebar is instrumented with tactile sensors and a 6-axis force torque sensor. Several experiments are carried out with this handlebar mounted on a wheelchair and also fixed to a table. It is seen that it is possible to obtain variables well correlated with those provided by force and torque sensors. However, it is necessary to contemplate the influence of issues such as the gripping force of the human hand on the sensor or the different kinds of grasps due to different physical constitutions of humans and to the inherent random nature of the grasp. Moreover, it is seen that a first step is necessary where the contact with the hands has to stabilize, and its characteristics and settle time are obtained.
Multiple Instances QoS Routing in RPL: Application to Smart Grids
Authors: Nassar Jad , Berthomé Matthieu , Dubrulle Jérémy , Gouvy Nicolas , Mitton Nathalie , Quoitin Bruno
Published: July 2018

The Smart Grid (SG) aims to transform the current electric grid into a “smarter” network where the integration of renewable energy resources, energy efficiency and fault tolerance are the main benefits. This is done by interconnecting every energy source, storage point or central control point with connected devices, where heterogeneous SG applications and signalling messages will have different requirements in terms of reliability, latency and priority. Hence, data routing and prioritization are the main challenges in such networks. So far, RPL (Routing Protocol for Low-Power and Lossy networks) protocol is widely used on Smart Grids for distributing commands over the grid. RPL assures traffic differentiation at the network layer in wireless sensor networks through the logical subdivision of the network in multiple instances, each one relying on a specific Objective Function. However, RPL is not optimized for Smart Grids, as its main objective functions and their associated metric does not allow Quality of Service differentiation. To overcome this, we propose OFQS an objective function with a multi-objective metric that considers the delay and the remaining energy in the battery nodes alongside with the dynamic quality of the communication links. Our function automatically adapts to the number of instances (traffic classes) providing a Quality of Service differentiation based on the different Smart Grid applications requirements. We tested our approach on a real sensor testbed. The experimental results show that our proposal provides a lower packet delivery latency and a higher packet delivery ratio while extending the lifetime of the network compared to solutions in the literature.
Anticipating the Direction of Soccer Penalty Shots Depends on the Speed and Technique of the Kick
Authors: Hunter Andrew H. , Murphy Sean C. , Angilletta Michael J. , Wilson Robbie S.
Published: July 2018

To succeed at a sport, athletes must manage the biomechanical trade-offs that constrain their performance. Here, we investigate a previously unknown trade-off in soccer: how the speed of a kick makes the outcome more predictable to an opponent. For this analysis, we focused on penalty kicks to build on previous models of factors that influence scoring. More than 700 participants completed an online survey, watching videos of penalty shots from the perspective of a goalkeeper. Participants (ranging in soccer playing experience from never played to professional) watched 60 penalty kicks, each of which was occluded at a particular moment (−0.4 s to 0.0 s) before the kicker contacted the ball. For each kick, participants had to predict shot direction toward the goal (left or right). As expected, predictions became more accurate as time of occlusion approached ball contact. However, the effect of occlusion was more pronounced when players kicked with the side of the foot than when they kicked with the top of the foot (instep). For side-foot kicks, the direction of shots was predicted more accurately for faster kicks, especially when a large portion of the kicker’s approach was presented. Given the trade-off between kicking speed and directional predictability, a penalty kicker might benefit from kicking below their maximal speed.
Application of Climate Based Daylight Modelling to the Refurbishment of a School Building in Sicily
Authors: Costanzo Vincenzo , Evola Gianpiero , Marletta Luigi , Pistone Nascone Fabiana
Published: July 2018

This paper aims at promoting the use of Climate Based Daylight Modelling (CBDM) and related state-of-the-art metrics by discussing a range of design options to improve daylight fruition in rooms with different orientation, shape, function, and furniture of an elementary school that is located in the Mediterranean climate of Agira (Italy). The local climatic conditions, with clear skies for most of the year, require the integration of different shading and re-directing systems with the existing envelope and rooms’ layout. Results show that the dynamic modelling is a powerful and ‘creative’ tool in the designer’s hands, which helps to inform about the choice of the most appropriate technological solutions and on their architectural integration. Comparison with mostly used static daylight metrics, such as the average Daylight Factor (aDF) and the Uniformity Ratio (UR), reveals a contrast with what would be suggested if considering these metrics alone, as prescribed by the Italian legislation. These outcomes rebate the need of performing more accurate and dynamic daylight simulations using recorded (i.e., varying) rather than fixed sky conditions to correctly inform the design process.
Where Do Our Resources Go? Indium, Neodymium, and Gold Flows Connected to the Use of Electronic Equipment in Switzerland
Authors: Thiébaud Esther , Hilty Lorenz M. , Schluep Mathias , Böni Heinz W. , Faulstich Martin
Published: July 2018

The increased use of digital information and communications technologies (ICT) is giving rise to fast-growing waste streams that contain important material resources. In contrast to bulk materials and precious metals, the recovery of most critical metals has not yet been commercially established, and they are thus lost within the recycling process. In this article, we used dynamic material flow analysis to explore the stocks and flows of indium, neodymium, and gold incorporated in end-user devices in Switzerland. Our analysis covered the use, collection, recycling, and disposal phases. This enabled us to track the three metals from their entry into Switzerland as components of new devices until their recovery, disposal in landfills, or dissipation to the environment. Using statistical entropy analysis (SEA), we further analyzed the dilution or concentration of the metals during their route through the current system. The data uncertainty was addressed employing a probabilistic approach. The largest quantities of all three metals are found in the devices currently in use. The second-largest stocks are slags disposed in landfills for indium, slags used for construction for neodymium, and the output of metal recovery processes for gold. The SEA illustrates how the current collection and recycling system successfully concentrates all three metals. While 70% of gold leaving the use phase is recovered, indium and neodymium are dissipated to slags after smelting and incineration processes due to the lack of economic incentives and lacking recovery processes on a commercial scale.
Research on the Influence of Real Estate Development on Private Investment: A Case Study of China
Authors: Li Jiangtao , Ji Jianyue , Guo Huiwen , Chen Lei
Published: July 2018

Private investment in China, as a developing country, is an important source of financing for Chinese SMEs (Small and Medium-Size Enterprises) and has played a major role in the development of the real economy. However, in 2016, the growth rate of private investment in China dropped from 10.18% to 3.17%, which had a significant impact on the real economy. At the same time, China’s real estate market has developed rapidly, attracting a large number of capital inflows. The relationship between real estate development and private investment in China is worth considering. This study first, theoretically analyzes the influence mechanism of real estate industry on private investment, pointing out that within a modest development range, the development of real estate industry can promote private investment through the industrial linkage, urbanization, and balance sheet effects, but when real estate is overdeveloped, it has an inhibitory effect on private investment through vampire effect, raising costs and reducing demand effect. In other words, real estate has different effects on private investment in different developmental periods. Therefore, there is a non-linear relationship between the two variables. Second, the relevant provincial panel data of 31 provinces in mainland China from 2003 to 2015 were selected. Using the dynamic panel system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM), this study estimated the correlation between real estate development and private investment. The empirical results showed that the development of the real estate industry has a significant impact on the level of private investment; the two showing an “inverted U-shaped” relationship. At present, in some provinces in China, the real estate industry has exceeded the inverted U-shaped threshold. To boost the vitality of private investment in promoting real economic growth, the development of the real estate industry should be restricted, and house prices should be properly regulated.
Development on Thermochemical Energy Storage Based on CaO-Based Materials: A Review
Authors: Yuan Yi , Li Yingjie , Zhao Jianli
Published: July 2018

The intermittent and inconsistent nature of some renewable energy, such as solar and wind, means the corresponding plants are unable to operate continuously. Thermochemical energy storage (TES) is an essential way to solve this problem. Due to the advantages of cheap price, high energy density, and ease to scaling, CaO-based material is thought as one of the most promising storage mediums for TES. In this paper, TES based on various cycles, such as CaO/CaCO3 cycles, CaO/Ca(OH)2 cycles, and coupling of CaO/Ca(OH)2 and CaO/CaCO3 cycles, were reviewed. The energy storage performances of CaO-based materials, as well as the modification approaches to improve their performance, were critically reviewed. The natural CaO-based materials for CaO/Ca(OH)2 TES experienced the multiple hydration/dehydration cycles tend to suffer from severe sintering which leads to the low activity and structural stability. It is found that higher dehydration temperature, lower initial sample temperature of the hydration reaction, higher vapor pressure in the hydration reactor, and the use of circulating fluidized bed (CFB) reactors all can improve the energy storage performance of CaO-based materials. In addition, the energy storage performance of CaO-based materials for CaO/Ca(OH)2 TES can be effectively improved by the various modification methods. The additions of Al2O3, Na2Si3O7, and nanoparticles of nano-SiO2 can improve the structural stabilities of CaO-based materials, while the addition of LiOH can improve the reactivities of CaO-based materials. This paper is devoted to a critical review on the development on thermochemical energy storage based on CaO-based materials in the recent years.
Assessing Indirect Environmental Effects of Information and Communication Technology (ICT): A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Bieser Jan C. T. , Hilty Lorenz M.
Published: July 2018

Indirect environmental effects of information and communication technology (ICT) are those effects of ICT that change patterns of production or consumption in domains other than ICT, or more precisely, the environmental consequences of these changes. Digitalization as the societal process of ICT-driven change has created increasing interest in the indirect environmental effects of this technology. Assessments of indirect effects face various methodological challenges, such as the definition of the system boundary, the definition of a baseline as a reference or the occurrence of rebound effects. Existing studies use various approaches or methods to assess a spectrum of ICT use cases in several application domains. In view of the large number of assessments that have been conducted, the choices made when applying assessment methods, and the variety of ICT use cases in different application domains investigated, we present a systematic literature review of existing assessments of indirect environmental effects of ICT. The review provides a state-of-the-art overview of the methods used in the research field and is intended to support researchers in designing sound assessments which yield significant results. We identified 54 studies in seven main application domains using 15 different assessment approaches. The most common application domains are virtual mobility (e.g., telecommuting), virtual goods (e.g., digital media), and smart transport (e.g., route optimization). Life-cycle assessment, partial footprint, and the “ICT enablement method” are the most common approaches. The major part of the assessments focuses on patterns of production (e.g., production of paper-based books vs. e-books), a smaller part on patterns of consumption (e.g., changes in media consumption). Based on these results, we identify as a research gap the investigation of ICT impacts on consumer behavior, which could, for example, focus on social practices, and account for the dynamic implications of change. Elaborating such an approach could provide valuable insights into ICT’s impact on society and the resulting environmental consequences.
Evaluation of Long-Term SOC and Crop Productivity within Conservation Systems Using GFDL CM2.1 and EPIC
Authors: Le Kieu N. , Jha Manoj K. , Jeong Jaehak , Gassman Philip W. , Reyes Manuel R. , Doro Luca , Tran Dat Q. , Hok Lyda
Published: July 2018

Will soil organic carbon (SOC) and yields increase for conservation management systems in tropical zones in response to the next 100 years? To answer the question, the Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) model was used to study the effects of climate change, cropping systems, conservation agriculture (CA) and conservation tillage management practices on SOC and crop productivity in Kampong Cham, Cambodia. The EPIC model was successfully calibrated and validated for crop yields, biomass, SOC and nitrogen based on field data from a five-year field experiment. Historical weather (1994–2013) was used for baseline assessment versus mid-century (2046–2064) and late-century (2081–2100) climate projections generated by the Geophysical Fluids Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) CM2.1 global climate model. The simulated results showed that upland rice yield would increase the most under the B1 scenario in mid-century for all treatments, followed by soybean and maize. Cassava yield only increased under CA treatment when cultivated as a continuous primary crop. Carbon sequestration was more sensitive to cropping systems and crop rotation than climate change. The results indicated that the rotated CA primary crop (maize) systems should be prioritized for SOC sequestration as well as for increasing crop productivity. In addition, rice systems may increase SOC compared to soybean and cassava.
Experimental Research on Heat Exchanger Control Based on Hybrid Time and Frequency Domain Identification
Authors: Jin Yuhui , Sun Li , Hua Qingsong , Chen Shunjia
Published: July 2018

A heat exchanger is widely used for energy management or heat recovery in sustainable energy systems. In many application cases, the outlet temperature should be strictly controlled as desired. However, it is challenging to obtain an accurate dynamic model due to the high-order dynamics, thus reducing the control performance. To this end, this paper proposes a novel identification method by considering the heating process as an approximate second-order plus time delay (SOPDT) model. A normalized analysis indicates that the time-scaled step responses of the general second-order models almost intersect at the same point, which leads to an equation describing the sum of the time constants. Critical stability analysis based on the Nyquist criterion gives another two equations in the frequency domain. Hence the time constants and time delay can be obtained by solving the equations. Illustrative examples show the identification efficiency of the proposed method in the parameter estimation, model reduction, and anti-noise performance. With an effective identification, the high-fidelity SOPDT model makes the PID controller tuning less challengeable. The simulation results based on a benchmark heat exchanger model demonstrate the feasibility of the identification and control. Finally, a real heat exchanger control facility is built and the experimental performance agrees well with the simulation expectation, depicting a promising application prospect in future sustainable applications.
“We Started Building Green IT Back in the 1970s”: Making Sense of Sustainable ICT through Organizational History
Authors: Fors Per , Lennerfors Thomas Taro
Published: July 2018

Traditionally, research related to Sustainable Information and Communication Technology (Sustainable ICT) has focused on the technological aspects, but there is an emerging stream of research, which looks at Sustainable ICT from the viewpoint of the social sciences. In this paper, we build on and contribute to this research by emphasizing the role of history in the shaping of Sustainable ICT. Rather than seeing the importance of history as pure technological determinism or path dependency, we draw on the historical turn in organizational studies to highlight the idea that history is malleable. This implies that organizational actors can reshape their past from the present, thus creating new conditions for the future. To highlight the importance of this theoretical conceptualization of history, we present a case study of the Nordic ICT company Tieto, where the heat recovery system of the Älvsjö data center (finished in 1978) was reconceptualized as “green” following the Green Information Technology (Green IT) trend in 2007. This way of theorizing organizational history could be used more widely within research into Sustainable ICT in order to understand why Sustainable ICT has become what it is, which also implies that we can re-interpret this history to shape the future of Sustainable ICT.
A New Control Chart for Monitoring the Process Mean Using Successive Sampling and Multiple Dependent State Repetitive Sampling
Authors: Aldosari Mansour Sattam , Aslam Muhammad , Jun Chi-Hyuck , Khan Khushnoor
Published: July 2018

In this paper, a new control chart scheme has been developed for monitoring the production process mean using successive sampling over two occasions. The proposed chart reduces to three different existing control charts under different assumptions and is compared with these three existing control charts for monitoring the process average. It has been observed that the proposed control chart performs better than the other existing control charts in terms of average run length (ARL). A simulation study using an artificial data set was included for demonstrating the process shift detection power of the proposed control chart.