bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Static and Fatigue Behavior Investigation of Artificial Notched Steel Reinforcement
Authors: Ma Yafei , Wang Qiang , Guo Zhongzhao , Wang Guodong , Wang Lei , Zhang Jianren
Published: May 2017

Pitting corrosion is one of the most common forms of localized corrosion. Corrosion pit results in a stress concentration and fatigue cracks usually initiate and propagate from these corrosion pits. Aging structures may fracture when the fatigue crack reaches a critical size. This paper experimentally simulates the effects of pitting morphologies on the static and fatigue behavior of steel bars. Four artificial notch shapes are considered: radial ellipse, axial ellipse, triangle and length-variable triangle. Each shape notch includes six sizes to simulate a variety of pitting corrosion morphologies. The stress-strain curves of steel bars with different notch shape and depth are obtained based on static tensile testing, and the stress concentration coefficients for various conditions are determined. It was determined that the triangular notch has the highest stress concentration coefficient, followed by length-variable triangle, radial ellipse and axial ellipse shaped notches. Subsequently, the effects of notch depth and notch aspect ratios on the fatigue life under three stress levels are investigated by fatigue testing, and the equations for stress range-fatigue life-notch depth are obtained. Several conclusions are drawn based on the proposed study. The established relationships provide an experimental reference for evaluating the fatigue life of concrete bridges.
Multi-Objective Optimization of Friction Stir Welding Process Parameters of AA6061-T6 and AA7075-T6 Using a Biogeography Based Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Tamjidy Mehran , Baharudin B. , Paslar Shahla , Matori Khamirul , Sulaiman Shamsuddin , Fadaeifard Firouz
Published: May 2017

The development of Friction Stir Welding (FSW) has provided an alternative approach for producing high-quality welds, in a fast and reliable manner. This study focuses on the mechanical properties of the dissimilar friction stir welding of AA6061-T6 and AA7075-T6 aluminum alloys. The FSW process parameters such as tool rotational speed, tool traverse speed, tilt angle, and tool offset influence the mechanical properties of the friction stir welded joints significantly. A mathematical regression model is developed to determine the empirical relationship between the FSW process parameters and mechanical properties, and the results are validated. In order to obtain the optimal values of process parameters that simultaneously optimize the ultimate tensile strength, elongation, and minimum hardness in the heat affected zone (HAZ), a metaheuristic, multi objective algorithm based on biogeography based optimization is proposed. The Pareto optimal frontiers for triple and dual objective functions are obtained and the best optimal solution is selected through using two different decision making techniques, technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) and Shannon’s entropy.
Low Temperature Plasma Nitriding of Inner Surfaces in Stainless Steel Mini-/Micro-Pipes and Nozzles
Authors: Aizawa Tatsuhiko , Wasa Kenji
Published: May 2017

Metallic miniature products have been highlighted as mini-/micro-structural components working as a precise mechanism, in dispensing systems, and in medical operations. In particular, the essential mechanical parts such as pipes and nozzles have strength and hardness sufficient for ejecting viscous liquids, solders, and particles. A low-temperature plasma nitriding process was proposed as a surface treatment to improve the engineering durability of stainless steel mini-/micro-pipes and nozzles. Various analyses were performed to describe the inner nitriding process only, from the inner surface of pipes and nozzles to their depth in thickness. AISI316 pipes and AISI316/AISI304 nozzle specimens were used to demonstrate by plasma nitriding for 14.4 ks at 693 K that their inner surfaces had a hardness higher than 800 HV.
Dairy Propionibacteria: Versatile Probiotics
Authors: Rabah Houem , Rosa do Carmo Fillipe , Jan Gwénaël
Published: May 2017

Dairy propionibacteria are used as cheese ripening starters, as biopreservative and as beneficial additives, in the food industry. The main species, Propionibacterium freudenreichii, is known as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe, USA, FDA). In addition to another dairy species, Propionibacterium acidipropionici, they are included in QPS (Qualified Presumption of Safety) list. Additional to their well-known technological application, dairy propionibacteria increasingly attract attention for their promising probiotic properties. The purpose of this review is to summarize the probiotic characteristics of dairy propionibacteria reported by the updated literature. Indeed, they meet the selection criteria for probiotic bacteria, such as the ability to endure digestive stressing conditions and to adhere to intestinal epithelial cells. This is a prerequisite to bacterial persistence within the gut. The reported beneficial effects are ranked according to property’s type: microbiota modulation, immunomodulation, and cancer modulation. The proposed molecular mechanisms are discussed. Dairy propionibacteria are described as producers of nutraceuticals and beneficial metabolites that are responsible for their versatile probiotic attributes include short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), conjugated fatty acids, surface proteins, and 1,4-dihydroxy-2-naphtoic acid (DHNA). These metabolites possess beneficial properties and their production depends on the strain and on the growth medium. The choice of the fermented food matrix may thus determine the probiotic properties of the ingested product. This review approaches dairy propionibacteria, with an interest in both technological abilities and probiotic attributes.
Gubenyiliu II Inhibits Breast Tumor Growth and Metastasis Associated with Decreased Heparanase Expression and Phosphorylation of ERK and AKT Pathways
Authors: Zhang Yi , Zhang Gan-Lin , Sun Xu , Cao Ke-Xin , Shang Ya-Wen , Gong Mu-Xin , Ma Cong , Nan Nan , Li Jin-Ping , Yu Ming-Wei , Yang Guo-Wang , Wang Xiao-Min
Published: May 2017

Gubenyiliu II (GYII), a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formula used in our hospital, has shown beneficial effects in cancer patients. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of GYII on murine breast cancer models. GYII showed significant inhibitory effects on tumor growth and metastasis in the murine breast cancer model. Additionally, GYII suppressed the proliferation of 4T1 and MCF-7 cells in a dose-dependent manner. A better inhibitory effect on 4T1 cell proliferation and migration was found in the decomposed recipes (DR) of GYII. Moreover, heparanase expression and the degree of angiogenesis were reduced in tumor tissues. Western blot analysis showed decreased expression of heparanase and growth factors in the cells treated with GYII and its decomposed recipes (DR2 and DR3), and thereby a reduction in the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and serine-threonine kinase (AKT). These results suggest that GYII exerts anti-tumor growth and anti-metastatic effects in the murine breast cancer model. The anti-tumor activity of GYII and its decomposed recipes is, at least partly, associated with decreased heparanase and growth factor expression, which subsequently suppressed the activation of the ERK and AKT pathways.
1,4-Naphthoquinone Triggers Nematode Lethality by Inducing Oxidative Stress and Activating Insulin/IGF Signaling Pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Wang Jia , Zeng Guangzhi , Huang Xiaobing , Wang Zhe , Tan Ninghua
Published: May 2017

Plant-parasitic nematodes are destructive pathogens causing enormous economic losses worldwide. With the withdrawal of fumigants, organophosphates and carbamates, pathogenic nematode control is more difficult. Phytochemicals are the plant secondary metabolites and are friendly for men and the environment. For developing new nematocidal candidates, we screened 790 phytochemicals using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans and found 10 active compounds, 3 of which were further evaluated for their inhibitory activities against egg hatching of C. elegans and J2 Meloidogyne incognita. Among them, 1,4-naphthoquinone (1,4-NQ) was the only compound that could kill more than 50% of targets at 50 μg/mL, prompting us to investigate how 1,4-NQ triggers nematode lethality. In C. elegans, we observed that 1,4-NQ could influence reactive oxygen production, superoxide dismutase activity, and the heat-shock transcription factor (HSF)-1 pathway, which indicated that 1,4-NQ stimulated significant oxidative stress. Furthermore, using quantitative RT-PCR and transgenetic nematodes, we revealed that 1,4-NQ lethality was related to the Insulin/IGF signaling (IIS) pathway, and the effect of 1,4-NQ on IIS pathway related genes indicated that 1,4-NQ could activate this pathway and suppress the expression of DAF-16 target genes. The triggering of oxidative stress and activation of the IIS pathway indicated that 1,4-NQ operates through the generation of oxygen radicals, which can be lethal to C. elegans, thus making it an interesting lead compound for the development of future nematocides.
Antigiardial Activity of Podophyllotoxin-Type Lignans from Bursera fagaroides var. fagaroides
Authors: Gutiérrez-Gutiérrez Filiberto , Puebla-Pérez Ana , González-Pozos Sirenia , Hernández-Hernández José , Pérez-Rangel Armando , Alvarez Laura , Tapia-Pastrana Gabriela , Castillo-Romero Araceli
Published: May 2017

Giardiasis, a diarrheal disease, is highly prevalent in developing countries. Several drugs are available for the treatment of this parasitosis; unfortunately, all of them have variable efficacies and adverse effects. Bursera fagaroides has been known for its anti-inflammatory and antidiarrheal properties in Mexican traditional medicine. We investigated the in vitro anti-giardial activities of four podophyllotoxin-type lignans from Bursera fagaroides var. fagaroides, namely, 5′-desmethoxy-β-peltatin-A-methylether (5-DES), acetylpodophyllotoxin (APOD), burseranin (BUR), and podophyllotoxin (POD). All lignans affected the Giardia adhesion and electron microscopy images revealed morphological alterations in the caudal region, ventral disk, membrane, and flagella, to different extents. Only 5-DES, APOD, and POD caused growth inhibition. Using the Caco-2 human cell line as a model of the intestinal epithelium, we demonstrated that APOD displayed direct antigiardial killing activity and low toxicity on Caco-2 cells. This finding makes it an attractive potential starting point for new antigiardial drugs.
Alcohols as Substrates and Solvents for the Construction of 3-Alkoxylated-2-Oxindoles by Direct Alkoxylation of 3-Halooxindoles
Authors: Lin Bing , Chen Zhi-Yong , Liu Huan-Huan , Wei Qi-Di , Feng Ting-Ting , Zhou Ying , Wang Can , Liu Xiong-Li , Yuan Wei-Cheng
Published: May 2017

Described herein is an environmentally benign method for the synthesis of multisubstituted 3-alkoxylated-2-oxindoles 3 via direct alkoxylation of 3-halooxindoles 1. A wide variety of such multisubstituted 3-alkoxylated-2-oxindole scaffolds were smoothly obtained in good yields (up to 94%) by heating in an oil bath at 35 °C for 24 h. A particularly valuable feature of this method was the development of environment-friendly chemistry using alcohols 2 as both the substrates and solvents in the presence of a catalytic amount of base.
Effects of Mead Wort Heat Treatment on the Mead Fermentation Process and Antioxidant Activity
Authors: Czabaj Sławomir , Kawa-Rygielska Joanna , Kucharska Alicja , Kliks Jarosław
Published: May 2017

The effects of mead wort heat treatment on the mead fermentation process and antioxidant activity were tested. The experiment was conducted with the use of two different honeys (multiflorous and honeydew) collected from the Lower Silesia region (Poland). Heat treatment was performed with the use of a traditional technique (gently boiling), the more commonly used pasteurization, and without heat treatment (control). During the experiment fermentation dynamics were monitored using high performance liquid chromatography with refractive index detection (HPLC-RID). Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total phenolic content (TPC) were estimated for worts and meads using UV/Vis spectrophotometric analysis. The formation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) was monitored by HPLC analyses. Heat treatment had a great impact on the final antioxidant capacity of meads.
NAFLD and Atherosclerosis Are Prevented by a Natural Dietary Supplement Containing Curcumin, Silymarin, Guggul, Chlorogenic Acid and Inulin in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet
Authors: Amato Antonella , Caldara Gaetano-Felice , Nuzzo Domenico , Baldassano Sara , Picone Pasquale , Rizzo Manfredi , Mulè Flavia , Di Carlo Marta
Published: May 2017

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) confers an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. NAFDL is associated with atherogenic dyslipidemia, inflammation and renin-angiotensin system (RAS) imbalance, which in turn lead to atherosclerotic lesions. In the present study, the impact of a natural dietary supplement (NDS) containing Curcuma longa, silymarin, guggul, chlorogenic acid and inulin on NAFLD and atherosclerosis was evaluated, and the mechanism of action was examined. C57BL/6 mice were fed an HFD for 16 weeks; half of the mice were simultaneously treated with a daily oral administration (os) of the NDS. NAFLD and atherogenic lesions in aorta and carotid artery (histological analysis), hepatic expression of genes involved in the NAFLD (PCR array), hepatic angiotensinogen (AGT) and AT1R mRNA expression (real-time PCR) and plasma angiotensin (ANG)-II levels (ELISA) were evaluated. In the NDS group, steatosis, aortic lesions or carotid artery thickening was not observed. PCR array showed upregulation of some genes involved in lipid metabolism and anti-inflammatory activity (Cpt2, Ifng) and downregulation of some genes involved in pro-inflammatory response and in free fatty acid up-take (Fabp5, Socs3). Hepatic AGT, AT1R mRNA and ANG II plasma levels were significantly lower with respect to the untreated-group. Furthermore, NDS inhibited the dyslipidemia observed in the untreated animals. Altogether, these results suggest that NDS prevents NAFLD and atherogenesis by modulating the expression of different genes involved in NAFLD and avoiding RAS imbalance.
Bone-Protective Effects of Dried Plum in Postmenopausal Women: Efficacy and Possible Mechanisms
Authors: Arjmandi Bahram H. , Johnson Sarah A. , Pourafshar Shirin , Navaei Negin , George Kelli S. , Hooshmand Shirin , Chai Sheau C. , Akhavan Neda S.
Published: May 2017

Osteoporosis is an age-related chronic disease characterized by a loss of bone mass and quality, and is associated with an increased risk of fragility fractures. Postmenopausal women are at the greatest risk of developing osteoporosis due to the cessation in ovarian hormone production, which causes accelerated bone loss. As the demographic shifts to a more aged population, a growing number of postmenopausal women will be afflicted with osteoporosis. Certain lifestyle factors, including nutrition and exercise, are known to reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis and therefore play an important role in bone health. In terms of nutrition, accumulating evidence suggests that dried plum (Prunus domestica L.) is potentially an efficacious intervention for preventing and reversing bone mass and structural loss in an ovariectomized rat model of osteoporosis, as well as in osteopenic postmenopausal women. Here, we provide evidence supporting the efficacy of dried plum in preventing and reversing bone loss associated with ovarian hormone deficiency in rodent models and in humans. We end with the results of a recent follow-up study demonstrating that postmenopausal women who previously consumed 100 g dried plum per day during our one-year clinical trial conducted five years earlier retained bone mineral density to a greater extent than those receiving a comparative control. Additionally, we highlight the possible mechanisms of action by which bioactive compounds in dried plum exert bone-protective effects. Overall, the findings of our studies and others strongly suggest that dried plum in its whole form is a promising and efficacious functional food therapy for preventing bone loss in postmenopausal women, with the potential for long-lasting bone-protective effects.
A Proposal for a Study on Treatment Selection and Lifestyle Recommendations in Chronic Inflammatory Diseases: A Danish Multidisciplinary Collaboration on Prognostic Factors and Personalised Medicine
Authors: Andersen Vibeke , Holmskov Uffe , Sørensen Signe , Jawhara Mohamad , Andersen Karina , Bygum Anette , Hvid Lone , Grauslund Jakob , Wied Jimmi , Glerup Henning , Fredberg Ulrich , Villadsen Jan , Kjær Søren , Fallingborg Jan , Moghadd Seyed , Knudsen Torben , Brodersen Jacob , Frøjk Jesper , Dahlerup Jens , Nielsen Ole , Christensen Robin , Bojesen Anders , Sorensen Grith , Thiel Steffen , Færgeman Nils , Brandslund Ivan , Stensballe Allan , Schmidt Erik , Franke Andre , Ellinghaus David , Rosenstiel Philip , Raes Jeroen , Heitmann Berit , Boye Mette , Nielsen Charlotte , Werner Lars , Kjeldsen Jens , Ellingsen Torkell
Published: May 2017

Chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDs), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (inflammatory bowel diseases, IBD), rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, spondyloarthritides, hidradenitis suppurativa, and immune-mediated uveitis, are treated with biologics targeting the pro-inflammatory molecule tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF) (i.e., TNF inhibitors). Approximately one-third of the patients do not respond to the treatment. Genetics and lifestyle may affect the treatment results. The aims of this multidisciplinary collaboration are to identify (1) molecular signatures of prognostic value to help tailor treatment decisions to an individual likely to initiate TNF inhibitor therapy, followed by (2) lifestyle factors that support achievement of optimised treatment outcome. This report describes the establishment of a cohort that aims to obtain this information. Clinical data including lifestyle and treatment response and biological specimens (blood, faeces, urine, and, in IBD patients, intestinal biopsies) are sampled prior to and while on TNF inhibitor therapy. Both hypothesis-driven and data-driven analyses will be performed according to pre-specified protocols including pathway analyses resulting from candidate gene expression analyses and global approaches (e.g., metabolomics, metagenomics, proteomics). The final purpose is to improve the lives of patients suffering from CIDs, by providing tools facilitating treatment selection and dietary recommendations likely to improve the clinical outcome.
Macronutrient Intake and Risk of Crohn’s Disease: Systematic Review and Dose–Response Meta-Analysis of Epidemiological Studies
Authors: Zeng Lirong , Hu Sheng , Chen Pengfei , Wei Wenbin , Tan Yuanzhong
Published: May 2017

Dietary intake is potentially associated with the onset of Crohn’s disease (CD), but evidence from epidemiological studies has remained unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the role of macronutrient intake in the development of CD. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed and Web of Science to identify all relevant studies, and the role of macronutrients in the development of CD was quantitatively assessed by dose–response meta-analysis. Four case-control studies (a total of 311 CD cases and 660 controls) and five prospective cohort studies (238,887 participants and 482 cases) were identified. The pooled relative risks (RR) for per 10 g increment/day were 0.991 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.978–1.004) for total carbohydrate intake, 1.018 (95% CI: 0.969–1.069) for total fat intake, and 1.029 (95% CI: 0.955–1.109) for total protein intake. Fiber intake was inversely associated with CD risk (RR for per 10 g increment/day: 0.853, 95% CI: 0.762–0.955), but the association was influenced by study design and smoking adjustment. In subtypes, sucrose intake was positively related with CD risk (RR for per 10 g increment/day: 1.088, 95% CI: 1.020–1.160). Non-linear dose–response association was also found between fiber and sucrose intake and CD risk. In conclusion, this meta-analysis suggested a lack of association between total carbohydrate, fat or protein intake and the risk of CD, while high fiber intake might decrease the risk. In subtypes, high sucrose intake might increase the risk of CD.
pH Dependence of Chitosan Enzymolysis
Authors: Gohi Bi Foua Claude Alain , Zeng Hong-Yan , Pan A Dan , Han Jing , Yuan Jian
Published: May 2017

As a means of making chitosan more useful in biotechnological applications, it was hydrolyzed using pepsin, chitosanase and α-amylase. The enzymolysis behavior of these enzymes was further systematically studied for its effectiveness in the production of low-molecular-weight chitosans (LMWCs) and other derivatives. The study showed that these enzymes depend on ion hydronium (H3O+), thus on pH with a pH dependence fitting R2 value of 0.99. In y = 1.484[H^+] + 0.114, the equation of pH dependence, when [H^+] increases by one, y (k_0/k_m) increases by 1.484. From the temperature dependence study, the activation energy (Ea) and pre-exponential factor (A) were almost identical for two of the enzymes, but a considerable difference was observed in comparison with the third enzyme. Chitosanase and pepsin had nearly identical Ea, but α-amylase was significantly lower. This serves as evidence that the hydrolysis reaction of α-amylase relies on low-barrier hydrogen bonds (LBHBs), which explains its low Ea in actual conditions. The confirmation of this phenomenon was further derived from a similarly considerable difference in the order magnitudes of A between α-amylase and the other two enzymes, which was more than five. Variation of the rate constants of the enzymatic hydrolysis of chitosan with temperature follows the Arrhenius equation.
Ground Ammonia Concentrations over China Derived from Satellite and Atmospheric Transport Modeling
Authors: Liu Lei , Zhang Xiuying , Xu Wen , Liu Xuejun , Lu Xuehe , Wang Shanqian , Zhang Wuting , Zhao Limin
Published: May 2017

As a primary basic gas in the atmosphere, atmospheric ammonia (NH3) plays an important role in determining air quality, environmental degradation, and climate change. However, the limited ground observation currently presents a barrier to estimating ground NH3 concentrations on a regional scale, thus preventing a full understanding of the atmospheric processes in which this trace gas is involved. This study estimated the ground NH3 concentrations over China, combining the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) satellite NH3 columns and NH3 profiles from an atmospheric chemistry transport model (CTM). The estimated ground NH3 concentrations showed agreement with the variability in annual ground NH3 measurements from the Chinese Nationwide Nitrogen Deposition Monitoring Network (NNDMN). Great spatial heterogeneity of ground NH3 concentrations was found across China, and high ground NH3 concentrations were found in Northern China, Southeastern China, and some areas in Xinjiang Province. The maximum ground NH3 concentrations over China occurred in summer, followed by spring, autumn, and winter seasons, which were in agreement with the seasonal patterns of NH3 emissions in China. This study suggested that a combination of NH3 profiles from CTMs and NH3 columns from satellite obtained reliable ground NH3 concentrations over China.
Examining Forest Disturbance and Recovery in the Subtropical Forest Region of Zhejiang Province Using Landsat Time-Series Data
Authors: Liu Shanshan , Wei Xinliang , Li Dengqiu , Lu Dengsheng
Published: May 2017

Detection of forest disturbance and recovery has received much attention during the last two decades due to its important influence on forest carbon budget estimation. This research used Landsat time-series data from 1984 to 2015 to examine forest disturbance and recovery in a subtropical region of eastern Zhejiang Province, China, through the LandTrendr algorithm. Field inventory data and high spatial resolution images were used to evaluate the disturbance and recovery results. This research indicates that high producer and user accuracies for both disturbance and recovery classes were obtained and three levels of disturbance and recovery each can be detected. Through incorporation of climate data and disturbance results, drought events also can be successfully detected. More research is needed to incorporate multisource data for detection of forest disturbance types in subtropical regions.
Automatic Color Correction for Multisource Remote Sensing Images with Wasserstein CNN
Authors: Guo Jiayi , Pan Zongxu , Lei Bin , Ding Chibiao
Published: May 2017

In this paper a non-parametric model based on Wasserstein CNN is proposed for color correction. It is suitable for large-scale remote sensing image preprocessing from multiple sources under various viewing conditions, including illumination variances, atmosphere disturbances, and sensor and aspect angles. Color correction aims to alter the color palette of an input image to a standard reference which does not suffer from the mentioned disturbances. Most of current methods highly depend on the similarity between the inputs and the references, with respect to both the contents and the conditions, such as illumination and atmosphere condition. Segmentation is usually necessary to alleviate the color leakage effect on the edges. Different from the previous studies, the proposed method matches the color distribution of the input dataset with the references in a probabilistic optimal transportation framework. Multi-scale features are extracted from the intermediate layers of the lightweight CNN model and are utilized to infer the undisturbed distribution. The Wasserstein distance is utilized to calculate the cost function to measure the discrepancy between two color distributions. The advantage of the method is that no registration or segmentation processes are needed, benefiting from the local texture processing potential of the CNN models. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is effective when the input and reference images are of different sources, resolutions, and under different illumination and atmosphere conditions.
Photosensor-Based Latency Measurement System for Head-Mounted Displays
Authors: Seo Min-Woo , Choi Song-Woo , Lee Sang-Lyn , Oh Eui-Yeol , Baek Jong-Sang , Kang Suk-Ju
Published: May 2017

In this paper, a photosensor-based latency measurement system for head-mounted displays (HMDs) is proposed. The motion-to-photon latency is the greatest reason for motion sickness and dizziness felt by users when wearing an HMD system. Therefore, a measurement system is required to accurately measure and analyze the latency to reduce these problems. The existing measurement system does not consider the actual physical movement in humans, and its accuracy is also very low. However, the proposed system considers the physical head movement and is highly accurate. Specifically, it consists of a head position model-based rotary platform, pixel luminance change detector, and signal analysis and calculation modules. Using these modules, the proposed system can exactly measure the latency, which is the time difference between the physical movement for a user and the luminance change of an output image. In the experiment using a commercial HMD, the latency was measured to be up to 47.05 ms. In addition, the measured latency increased up to 381.17 ms when increasing the rendering workload in the HMD.
Comprehensive and Highly Accurate Measurements of Crane Runways, Profiles and Fastenings
Authors: Dennig Dirk , Bureick Johannes , Link Johannes , Diener Dmitri , Hesse Christian , Neumann Ingo
Published: May 2017

The process of surveying crane runways has been continually refined due to the competitive situation, modern surveying instruments, additional sensors, accessories and evaluation procedures. Guidelines, such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 12488-1, define target values that must be determined by survey. For a crane runway these are for example the span, the position and height of the rails. The process has to be objective and reproducible. However, common processes of surveying crane runways do not meet these requirements sufficiently. The evaluation of the protocols, ideally by an expert, requires many years of experience. Additionally, the recording of crucial parameters, e.g., the wear of the rail, or the condition of the rail fastening and rail joints, is not regulated and for that reason are often not considered during the measurement. To solve this deficit the Advanced Rail Track Inspection System (ARTIS) was developed. ARTIS is used to measure the 3D position of crane rails, the cross-section of the crane rails, joints and, for the first time, the (crane-rail) fastenings. The system consists of a monitoring vehicle and an external tracking sensor. It makes kinematic observations with the tracking sensor from outside the rail run, e.g., the floor of an overhead crane runway, possible. In this paper we present stages of the development process of ARTIS, new target values, calibration of sensors and results of a test measurement.
Squeeze-Film Air Damping of a Five-Axis Electrostatic Bearing for Rotary Micromotors
Authors: Wang Shunyue , Han Fengtian , Sun Boqian , Li Haixia
Published: May 2017

Air-film damping, which dominates over other losses, plays a significant role in the dynamic response of many micro-fabricated devices with a movable mass suspended by various bearing mechanisms. Modeling the damping characteristics accurately will be greatly helpful to the bearing design, control, and test in various micromotor devices. This paper presents the simulated and experimental squeeze-film air damping results of an electrostatic bearing for use in a rotary high-speed micromotor. It is shown that the boundary condition to solve the three-dimensional Reynolds equation, which governs the squeeze-film damping in the air gap between the rotor and its surrounding stator sealed in a three-layer evacuated cavity, behaves with strong cross-axis coupling characteristics. To accurately characterize the damping effect, a set of multiphysics finite-element simulations are performed by computing both the rotor velocity and the distribution of the viscous damping force acting on the rotor. The damping characteristics varying with several key structure parameters are simulated and discussed to optimize the device structure for desirable rotor dynamics. An electrical measurement method is also proposed and applied to validate the numerical results of the damping coefficients experimentally. Given that the frequency response of the electric bearing is critically dependent on the damping coefficients at atmospheric pressure, a solution to the air-film damping measurement problem is presented by taking approximate curve fitting of multi-axis experimental frequency responses. The measured squeeze-film damping coefficients for the five-axis electric bearing agrees well with the numerical solutions. This indicates that numerical multiphysics simulation is an effective method to accurately examine the air-film damping effect for complex device geometry and arbitrary boundary condition. The accurate damping coefficients obtained by FEM simulation will greatly simplify the design of the five-axis bearing control system and facilitate the initial suspension test of the rotor for various micromotor devices.
Measurement of Vibrations in Two Tower-Typed Assistant Personal Robot Implementations with and without a Passive Suspension System
Authors: Moreno Javier , Clotet Eduard , Tresanchez Marcel , Martínez Dani , Casanovas Jordi , Palacín Jordi
Published: May 2017

This paper presents the vibration pattern measurement of two tower-typed holonomic mobile robot prototypes: one based on a rigid mechanical structure, and the other including a passive suspension system. Specific to the tower-typed mobile robots is that the vibrations that originate in the lower part of the structure are transmitted and amplified to the higher areas of the tower, causing an unpleasant visual effect and mechanical stress. This paper assesses the use of a suspension system aimed at minimizing the generation and propagation of vibrations in the upper part of the tower-typed holonomic robots. The two robots analyzed were equipped with onboard accelerometers to register the acceleration over the X, Y, and Z axes in different locations and at different velocities. In all the experiments, the amplitude of the vibrations showed a typical Gaussian pattern which has been modeled with the value of the standard deviation. The results have shown that the measured vibrations in the head of the mobile robots, including a passive suspension system, were reduced by a factor of 16.
Airborne Infrared and Visible Image Fusion Combined with Region Segmentation
Authors: Zuo Yujia , Liu Jinghong , Bai Guanbing , Wang Xuan , Sun Mingchao
Published: May 2017

This paper proposes an infrared (IR) and visible image fusion method introducing region segmentation into the dual-tree complex wavelet transform (DTCWT) region. This method should effectively improve both the target indication and scene spectrum features of fusion images, and the target identification and tracking reliability of fusion system, on an airborne photoelectric platform. The method involves segmenting the region in an IR image by significance, and identifying the target region and the background region; then, fusing the low-frequency components in the DTCWT region according to the region segmentation result. For high-frequency components, the region weights need to be assigned by the information richness of region details to conduct fusion based on both weights and adaptive phases, and then introducing a shrinkage function to suppress noise; Finally, the fused low-frequency and high-frequency components are reconstructed to obtain the fusion image. The experimental results show that the proposed method can fully extract complementary information from the source images to obtain a fusion image with good target indication and rich information on scene details. They also give a fusion result superior to existing popular fusion methods, based on eithers subjective or objective evaluation. With good stability and high fusion accuracy, this method can meet the fusion requirements of IR-visible image fusion systems.
Assessment of Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Nepeta trachonitica: Analysis of Its Phenolic Compounds Using HPLC-MS/MS
Authors: Köksal Ekrem , Tohma Hatice , Kılıç Ömer , Alan Yusuf , Aras Abdülmelik , Gülçin İlhami , Bursal Ercan
Published: May 2017

Continuing our work on the sources of natural bioactive compounds, we evaluated the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Nepeta trachonitica as well as its major phenolic content using the high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) technique. For antioxidant activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) methods were performed to measure the reducing power and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay was employed to evaluate the radical scavenging activity of the sample. For antimicrobial activity, three Gram-positive and four Gram-negative microbial species as well as three fungi species were tested. N. trachonitica appeared to have reasonable antioxidant activity and decent antimicrobial activity as indicated by the inhibition of the organisms’ growth. The most susceptible species were Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 and Escherichia coli ATCC 11229 among the organisms tested. Ethanol extract of the plant has the highest effect on Saccharomyces cerevisiae but no effect on Yarrowia lipolytica. The HPLC-MS/MS analysis showed that at least 11 major phenolic compounds of N. trachonitica exist, the major ones being rosmarinic acid, chlorogenic acid and quinic acid. The obtained results suggest that N. trachonitica could be a promising source for food and nutraceutical industries because of its antimicrobial and antioxidant properties and phenolic compounds.
A Novel Hybrid Approach Based on Instance Based Learning Classifier and Rotation Forest Ensemble for Spatial Prediction of Rainfall-Induced Shallow Landslides using GIS
Authors: Nguyen Quang-Khanh , Tien Bui Dieu , Hoang Nhat-Duc , Trinh Phan , Nguyen Viet-Ha , Yilmaz Isık
Published: May 2017

This study proposes a novel hybrid machine learning approach for modeling of rainfall-induced shallow landslides. The proposed approach is a combination of an instance-based learning algorithm (k-NN) and Rotation Forest (RF), state of the art machine techniques that have seldom explored for landslide modeling. The Lang Son city area (Vietnam) is selected as a case study. For this purpose, a spatial database for the study area was constructed, and then was used to build and evaluate the hybrid model. Performance of the model was assessed using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC), area under the ROC curve (AUC), success rate and prediction rate, and several statistical evaluation metrics. The results showed that the model has high performance with both the training data (AUC = 0.948) and the validation data (AUC = 0.848). The results were compared with those obtained from soft computing techniques, i.e. Random Forest, J48 Decision Trees, and Multilayer Perceptron Neural Networks. Overall, the performance of the proposed model is better than those obtained from the above methods. Therefore, the proposed model is a promising tool for landslide modeling. The research result can be highly useful for land use planning and management in landslide prone areas.
Rural Tourism: Development, Management and Sustainability in Rural Establishments
Authors: Villanueva-Álvaro Juan-José , Mondéjar-Jiménez José , Sáez-Martínez Francisco-José
Published: May 2017

Tourism is one of the economic driving forces of Spain: the consolidation of existing tourist destinations and new market niches encourage an upward trend of tourism. The economic impacts produced by tourism are one of the major concerns of the authorities; the question is whether it is possible to continue growing without compromising our environment. This work attempts to answer this issue by analysing one of the tourism segments with higher growth in recent years: rural tourism. Using a model of partial least squares (PLS), we will analyse the environmental impacts from the point of view of the supply and its relationships with the environmental management conducted. We will also analyse the rural establishments from a global point of view and, depending on their category, explain the factors which determine the sustainable behaviour of providers, and identify that the establishments of low categories have a more sustainable conduct.
Development of Organic Farming in Europe at the Crossroads: Looking for the Way Forward through System Archetypes Lenses
Authors: Brzezina Natalia , Biely Katharina , Helfgott Ariella , Kopainsky Birgit , Vervoort Joost , Mathijs Erik
Published: May 2017

Over the last several decades, policymakers and stakeholders in the European Union (EU) have put considerable effort into increasing the adoption of organic farming, with the overall objective of its sustainable development. However, the growth of the organic sector has come with many challenges that jeopardize its sustainability. The question then is how to move organic farming in Europe forward and at the same time capitalize on its potential contribution to sustainability? Organic farming in the EU is a highly complex and dynamic food system and as such this question cannot be answered in isolation using a one-dimensional mind-set and tools of the past. In this paper, we use three system archetypes—Limits to Growth, Shifting the Burden and Eroding Goals—to sharpen our ability: (1) to analyze and anticipate difficulties in the development of organic farming in the EU under the current policy measures; and (2) to find effective ways to address these difficulties. A system archetype consists of a generic system structure that leads to unintended behavior over time and effective strategies for changing the structure into one that generates desirable behavior. The analysis reveals that in order to move forward, policymakers and stakeholders should reemphasize fundamental solutions rather than quick fixes that often generate unintended consequences. Specifically, Limits to Growth shows us that the leverage for moving organic farming out of the niche does not necessarily lie in increasing subsidies that push engines of growth, but rather in anticipating and managing its limits arising from, for instance, market dynamics or intrinsic environmental motivation. In turn, Shifting the Burden brings to attention how easily and unnoticeably the EU’s organic farming system can become dependent on third countries thereby undermining its own sustainability. Finally, Eroding Goals highlights that is it important to continuously improve regulatory standards based on an external frame of reference, as otherwise organic farming in the EU will continue on its trajectory towards conventionalization.
Effects of Population and Land Urbanization on China’s Environmental Impact: Empirical Analysis Based on the Extended STIRPAT Model
Authors: Lin Shoufu , Sun Ji , Marinova Dora , Zhao Dingtao
Published: May 2017

China has been undergoing a very rapid but unbalanced urbanization, characterized by under-urbanization of its population and faster urbanization of the land. In such a situation, the urbanization of the population and the land may produce different effects on the natural environment. In addition, due to substantial inter-regional differences, the influence of urbanization on the environment is likely to vary across regions at different stages of economic and social development. This article expands the basic STIRPAT–Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence and Technology, model by adding industrialization level, foreign trade degree, population urbanization level and land urbanization level. Based on panel data from 2006 to 2014 and using this extended STIRPAT model, the article analyses the effects of the driving forces, especially population urbanization and land urbanization, on the environmental impact for the whole of China as well as on its eastern, middle and western regions. The results indicate that for the whole of China, population urbanization produces a significant negative effect on the environmental impact, while land urbanization has a small, but not statistically significant, positive effect. The effects of population urbanization and land urbanization vary across the eastern, middle and western regions, which are at different stages of economic and social development. Population urbanization and land urbanization have no significant influences on environmental impact in the eastern and middle regions, while in the western region population urbanization has a significant negative influence on environmental impact. The main driving factors of environmental impact remain population, affluence and energy intensity. This study also quantitatively calculates the actual contribution rate of each driving force for the 2006–2014 period. It contributes to understanding the characteristics and key driving forces in each region, allowing for appropriate policy recommendations.
Green Shipping Practices of Shipping Firms
Authors: Chang Young-Tae , Danao Denise
Published: May 2017

The primary objective of this study is to provide an empirical research using structural equation modeling to identify the factors that motivate shipping firms to adopt green shipping practices (GSP). Furthermore, it also examines if adopting GSP can enhance the shipping firms’ environmental and productivity performance. The findings show that shipping firms are motivated to adopt GSP mostly by industrial norms set by institutionalized associations. They are also motivated by customers’ demand for environmental friendliness and their own strategy to make good image. Unlike our expectation, government regulations and international environmental laws are not significant in influencing shipping firms to adopt GSP. Moreover, adoption of green shipping practices can improve the environmental and productivity performance of the shipping firms.
Socioeconomic Perspectives on Household Chestnut Fruit Utilization and Chestnut Blight Prevention Efforts in Turkey
Authors: Okan Taner , Köse Coşkun , Wall Jeffrey
Published: May 2017

Exotic pathogens, within the center of genetic diversity for the species, compromise European chestnut populations in Turkey. In Turkey today, the species is of tremendous economic, ecological and cultural importance. At this time of severe exotic pathogenic pressure on a highly-valued forest species, we ask, how does awareness of diseases and treatments as well as value for chestnut trees affect the efforts of households to manage pests and diseases of chestnut trees in Turkey? We conducted 96 surveys in 34 villages in 10 provinces across Turkey to investigate awareness of diseases and other challenges to the chestnut population, chestnut harvesting habits, family value for chestnuts and efforts to mitigate pest and disease pressure. We analyze our results using cluster and regression analysis. Our results show that based on analysis of all observed characteristics, our research sites in Turkey break cleanly into groups based on production level. Further, results demonstrate significant correlation between amount of chestnut-derived income and awareness of pests and diseases as well as the likelihood of households enacting disease mitigation measures. These results also demonstrate correlation between observed awareness of diseases and pests and the likelihood of households enacting disease mitigation measures.
Preclinical Evaluation of the Efficacy of Antivenoms for Snakebite Envenoming: State-of-the-Art and Challenges Ahead
Authors: Gutiérrez José , Solano Gabriela , Pla Davinia , Herrera María , Segura Álvaro , Vargas Mariángela , Villalta Mauren , Sánchez Andrés , Sanz Libia , Lomonte Bruno , León Guillermo , Calvete Juan
Published: May 2017

Animal-derived antivenoms constitute the mainstay in the therapy of snakebite envenoming. The efficacy of antivenoms to neutralize toxicity of medically-relevant snake venoms has to be demonstrated through meticulous preclinical testing before their introduction into the clinical setting. The gold standard in the preclinical assessment and quality control of antivenoms is the neutralization of venom-induced lethality. In addition, depending on the pathophysiological profile of snake venoms, the neutralization of other toxic activities has to be evaluated, such as hemorrhagic, myotoxic, edema-forming, dermonecrotic, in vitro coagulant, and defibrinogenating effects. There is a need to develop laboratory assays to evaluate neutralization of other relevant venom activities. The concept of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) in Toxinology is of utmost importance, and some advances have been performed in their implementation. A significant leap forward in the study of the immunological reactivity of antivenoms against venoms has been the development of “antivenomics”, which brings the analytical power of mass spectrometry to the evaluation of antivenoms. International partnerships are required to assess the preclinical efficacy of antivenoms against snake venoms in different regions of the world in order to have a detailed knowledge on the neutralizing profile of these immunotherapeutics.