bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mapping Urban Extent at Large Spatial Scales Using Machine Learning Methods with VIIRS Nighttime Light and MODIS Daytime NDVI Data
Authors: Liu Xue , de Sherbinin Alex , Zhan Yanni
Published: May 2019

Urbanization poses significant challenges on sustainable development, disaster resilience, climate change mitigation, and environmental and resource management. Accurate urban extent datasets at large spatial scales are essential for researchers and policymakers to better understand urbanization dynamics and its socioeconomic drivers and impacts. While high-resolution urban extent data products - including the Global Human Settlements Layer (GHSL), the Global Man-Made Impervious Surface (GMIS), the Global Human Built-Up and Settlement Extent (HBASE), and the Global Urban Footprint (GUF) - have recently become available, intermediate-resolution urban extent data products including the 1 km SEDAC’s Global Rural-Urban Mapping Project (GRUMP), MODIS 1km, and MODIS 500 m still have many users and have been demonstrated in a recent study to be more appropriate in urbanization process analysis (around 500 m resolution) than those at higher resolutions (30 m). The objective of this study is to improve large-scale urban extent mapping at an intermediate resolution (500 m) using machine learning methods through combining the complementary nighttime Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) and daytime Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data, taking the conterminous United States (CONUS) as the study area. The effectiveness of commonly-used machine learning methods, including random forest (RF), gradient boosting machine (GBM), neural network (NN), and their ensemble (ESB), has been explored. Our results show that these machine learning methods can achieve similar high accuracies across all accuracy metrics (>95% overall accuracy, >98% producer’s accuracy, and >92% user’s accuracy) with Kappa coefficients greater than 0.90, which have not been achieved in the existing data products or by previous studies; the ESB is not able to produce significantly better accuracies than individual machine learning methods; the total misclassifications generated by GBM are more than those generated by RF, NN, and ESB by 14%, 16%, and 11%, respectively, with NN having the least total misclassifications. This indicates that using these machine learning methods, especially NN and RF, with the combination of VIIRS nighttime light and MODIS daytime normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data, high accuracy intermediate-resolution urban extent data products at large spatial scales can be achieved. The methodology has the potential to be applied to annual continental-to-global scale urban extent mapping at intermediate resolutions.
Evaluation of Environmental Influences on a Multi-Point Optical Fiber Methane Leak Monitoring System
Authors: Floridia Claudio , Rosolem Joao Batista , Fracarolli João Paulo Vicentini , Bassan Fábio Renato , Penze Rivael Strobel , Pereira Larissa Maria , da Motta Resende Maria Angélica Carmona
Published: May 2019

A novel system to monitor methane fugitive emissions was developed using passive optical sensors to attend to the natural gas production and transportation industry. The system is based on optical time domain reflectometry and direct optical absorption spectroscopy. The system was tested in a gas compressor station for four months. The system was capable to measure methane concentration at two points showing its correlation with meteorological data, specially wind velocity and local temperature. Methane concentrations varied from 2.5% to 15% in the first monitored point by sensor 1, and from 5% to 30%, in the second point with sensor 2. Both sensors exhibited a moderate negative correlation with wind velocity with a mean Pearson coefficient of −0.61, despite the external cap designed to avoid the influence of wind. Sensor 2 had a modification to its external package that reduced this mean correlation coefficient to −0.30, considered to be weak to negligible. Regarding temperature, a moderate mean correlation of −0.59 was verified for sensor 1 and zero mean correlation was found for sensor 2. Based on these results the system was proven to be robust for installation in gas transportation or processing facilities.
Multi-Resolution Study of Thermal Unmixing Techniques over Madrid Urban Area: Case Study of TRISHNA Mission
Authors: Granero-Belinchon Carlos , Michel Aurelie , Lagouarde Jean-Pierre , Sobrino Jose , Briottet Xavier
Published: May 2019

This work is linked to the future Indian–French high spatio-temporal TRISHNA (Thermal infraRed Imaging Satellite for High-resolution natural resource Assessment) mission, which includes shortwave and thermal infrared bands, and is devoted amongst other things to the monitoring of urban heat island events. In this article, the performance of seven empirical thermal unmixing techniques applied on simulated TRISHNA satellite images of an urban scenario is studied across spatial resolutions. For this purpose, Top Of Atmosphere (TOA) images in the shortwave and Thermal InfraRed (TIR) ranges are constructed at different resolutions (20 m, 40 m, 60 m, 80 m, and 100 m) and according to TRISHNA specifications (spectral bands and sensor properties). These images are synthesized by correcting and undersampling DESIREX 2008 Airborne Hyperspectral Scanner (AHS) images of Madrid at 4 m resolution. This allows to compare the Land Surface Temperature (LST) retrieval of several unmixing techniques applied on different resolution images, as well as to characterize the evolution of the performance of each technique across resolutions. The seven unmixing techniques are: Disaggregation of radiometric surface Temperature (DisTrad), Thermal imagery sHARPening (TsHARP), Area-To-Point Regression Kriging (ATPRK), Adaptive Area-To-Point Regression Kriging (AATPRK), Urban Thermal Sharpener (HUTS), Multiple Linear Regressions (MLR), and two combinations of ground classification (index-based classification and K-means classification) with DisTrad. Studying these unmixing techniques across resolutions also allows to validate the scale invariance hypotheses on which the techniques hinge. Each thermal unmixing technique has been tested with several shortwave indices, in order to choose the best one. It is shown that (i) ATPRK outperforms the other compared techniques when characterizing the LST of Madrid, (ii) the unmixing performance of any technique is degraded when the coarse spatial resolution increases, (iii) the used shortwave index does not strongly influence the unmixing performance, and (iv) even if the scale-invariant hypotheses behind these techniques remain empirical, this does not affect the unmixing performances within this range of resolutions.
Numerical Simulation and Experimental Study of Fluid-Solid Coupling-Based Air-Coupled Ultrasonic Detection of Stomata Defect of Lithium-Ion Battery
Authors: Li Honggang , Zhou Zhenggan
Published: May 2019

Aiming at the characteristics of the periodic stacking structure of a lithium-ion battery core and the corresponding relationship between the air-coupled ultrasonic transmission initial wave and the wave propagation mode in each layer medium of a lithium-ion battery, the homogenized finite element model of a lithium-ion battery was developed based on the theory of pressure acoustics and solid mechanics. This model provided a reliable method and basis for solving the visualization of ultrasonic propagation in a lithium-ion battery and the analysis of ultrasonic time-frequency domain characteristics. The finite element simulation analysis and experimental verification of a lithium-ion battery with a near-surface stomata defect, near-bottom stomata defect and middle-layer stomata defect were performed. The results showed that the air-coupled ultrasonic transmission signal can effectively characterize the stomata defect inside a lithium-ion battery. The energy of an air-coupled ultrasonic transmission signal is concentrated between 350–450 kHz, and the acoustic diffraction effect has an important influence on the effect of the ultrasonic and stomata defect. Based on the amplitude response characteristics of the air-coupled ultrasonic transmission wave in the stomata defect area, a C-scan of the lithium-ion battery was performed. The C-scan result verified that air-coupled ultrasonic testing technology can accurately and effectively detect the pre-embedded stomata defect and natural stomata defect in a lithium-ion battery, which is able to promote and expand the application of the technology in the field of electric energy security.
Epitaxial Graphene Sensors Combined with 3D-Printed Microfluidic Chip for Heavy Metals Detection
Authors: Santangelo Maria Francesca , Shtepliuk Ivan , Filippini Daniel , Puglisi Donatella , Vagin Mikhail , Yakimova Rositsa , Eriksson Jens
Published: May 2019

In this work, we investigated the sensing performance of epitaxial graphene on Si-face 4H-SiC (EG/SiC) for liquid-phase detection of heavy metals (e.g., Pb and Cd), showing fast and stable response and low detection limit. The sensing platform proposed includes 3D-printed microfluidic devices, which incorporate all features required to connect and execute lab-on-chip (LOC) functions. The obtained results indicate that EG exhibits excellent sensing activity towards Pb and Cd ions. Several concentrations of Pb2+ solutions, ranging from 125 nM to 500 µM, were analyzed showing Langmuir correlation between signal and Pb2+ concentrations, good stability, and reproducibility over time. Upon the simultaneous presence of both metals, sensor response is dominated by Pb2+ rather than Cd2+ ions. To explain the sensing mechanisms and difference in adsorption behavior of Pb2+ and Cd2+ ions on EG in water-based solutions, we performed van-der-Waals (vdW)-corrected density functional theory (DFT) calculations and non-covalent interaction (NCI) analysis, extended charge decomposition analysis (ECDA), and topological analysis. We demonstrated that Pb2+ and Cd2+ ions act as electron-acceptors, enhancing hole conductivity of EG, due to charge transfer from graphene to metal ions, and Pb2+ ions have preferential ability to binding with graphene over cadmium. Electrochemical measurements confirmed the conductometric results, which additionally indicate that EG is more sensitive to lead than to cadmium.
Development of an Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Manipulator Based on a Real-Time Oriented-Object Detection Method
Authors: Lin Shijie , Wang Jinwang , Peng Rui , Yang Wen
Published: May 2019

Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Manipulators (UAMs) have shown promising potential in mobile 3-dimensional grasping applications, but they still suffer from some difficulties impeding their board applications, such as target detection and indoor positioning. For the autonomous grasping mission, the UAMs need ability to recognize the objects and grasp them. Considering the efficiency and precision, we present a novel oriented-object detection method called Rotation-SqueezeDet. This method can run on embedded-platforms in near real-time. Besides, this method can give the oriented bounding box of an object in images to enable a rotation-aware grasping. Based on this method, a UAM platform was designed and built. We have given the formulation, positioning, control, and planning of the whole UAM system. All the mechanical designs are fully provided as open-source hardware for reuse by the community. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed scheme was validated in multiple experimental trials, highlighting its applicability of autonomous aerial rotational grasping in Global Positioning System (GPS) denied environments. We believe this system can be deployed to many potential workplaces which need UAM to accomplish difficult manipulation tasks.
Knowledge Preserving OSELM Model for Wi-Fi-Based Indoor Localization
Authors: AL-Khaleefa Ahmed Salih , Ahmad Mohd Riduan , Isa Azmi Awang Md , Esa Mona Riza Mohd , Aljeroudi Yazan , Jubair Mohammed Ahmed , Malik Reza Firsandaya
Published: May 2019

Wi-Fi has shown enormous potential for indoor localization because of its wide utilization and availability. Enabling the use of Wi-Fi for indoor localization necessitates the construction of a fingerprint and the adoption of a learning algorithm. The goal is to enable the use of the fingerprint in training the classifiers for predicting locations. Existing models of machine learning Wi-Fi-based localization are brought from machine learning and modified to accommodate for practical aspects that occur in indoor localization. The performance of these models varies depending on their effectiveness in handling and/or considering specific characteristics and the nature of indoor localization behavior. One common behavior in the indoor navigation of people is its cyclic dynamic nature. To the best of our knowledge, no existing machine learning model for Wi-Fi indoor localization exploits cyclic dynamic behavior for improving localization prediction. This study modifies the widely popular online sequential extreme learning machine (OSELM) to exploit cyclic dynamic behavior for achieving improved localization results. Our new model is called knowledge preserving OSELM (KP-OSELM). Experimental results conducted on the two popular datasets TampereU and UJIndoorLoc conclude that KP-OSELM outperforms benchmark models in terms of accuracy and stability. The last achieved accuracy was 92.74% for TampereU and 72.99% for UJIndoorLoc.
Approximate Optimal Deployment of Barrier Coverage on Heterogeneous Bistatic Radar Sensors
Authors: Xu Xianghua , Zhao Chengwei , Cheng Zongmao , Gu Tao
Published: May 2019

Heterogeneous Bistatic Radars (BR) have different sensing ranges and couplings of sensing regions, which provide more flexible coverage for the boundary at complex terrain such as across rivers and valleys. Due to the Cassini oval sensing region of a BR and the coupling of sensing regions among different BRs, the coverage problem of BR sensor networks is very challenging. Existing works in BR barrier coverage focus mainly on homogeneous BR sensor networks. This paper studies the heterogeneous BR placement problem on a line barrier to achieve optimal coverage. 1) We investigate coverage differences of the basic placement sequences of heterogeneous BRs on the line barrier, and prove the optimal basic placement spacing patterns of heterogeneous BRs. 2) We study the coverage coupling effect among adjacent BRs on the line barrier, and determine that different placement sequences of heterogeneous BR transmitters will affect the barrier’s coverage performance and length. The optimal placement sequence of heterogeneous BR barrier cannot be solved through the greedy algorithm. 3) We propose an optimal BRs placement algorithm on a line barrier when the heterogeneous BR transmitters’ placement sequence is predetermined on the barrier, and prove it to be optimal. Through simulation experiments, we determine that the different placement sequences of heterogeneous BR transmitters have little influence on the barrier’s maximum length. Then, we propose an approximate algorithm to optimize the BR placement spacing sequence on the heterogeneous line barrier. 4) As a heterogeneous barrier case study, a minimum cost coverage algorithm of heterogeneous BR barrier is presented. We validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms through theory analysis and extensive simulation experiments.
A Distributed Approach for Collision Avoidance between Multirotor UAVs Following Planned Missions
Authors: Fabra Francisco , Zamora Willian , Sangüesa Julio , Calafate Carlos T. , Cano Juan-Carlos , Manzoni Pietro
Published: May 2019

As the number of potential applications for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) keeps rising steadily, the chances that these devices get close to each other during their flights also increases, causing concerns regarding potential collisions. This paper proposed the Mission Based Collision Avoidance Protocol (MBCAP), a novel UAV collision avoidance protocol applicable to all types of multicopters flying autonomously. It relies on wireless communications in order to detect nearby UAVs, and to negotiate the procedure to avoid any potential collision. Experimental and simulation results demonstrated the validity and effectiveness of the proposed solution, which typically introduces a small overhead in the range of 15 to 42 s for each risky situation successfully handled.
Improvement of Performance Degradation in Synthetic Aperture Extension of Enhanced Axial Resolution Ultrasound Imaging Based on Frequency Sweep
Authors: Zhu Jing , Tagawa Norio
Published: May 2019

We are studying a method based on the carrier frequency sweep for axial high resolution ultrasonic imaging to provide the range resolution that corresponds to the carrier wavelength. The first proposal for this type of method was based on the focused pulse transmission. Then, to improve the frame rate, the method was extended to a synthetic aperture-type method that transmits divergent pulses. While the method is effective in terms of the frame rate, degradation of the enhanced axial resolution performance is a concern. Therefore, using finite element method simulations and simple experiments, the performance of the synthetic aperture method with high axial resolution is evaluated via comparison with the original method using focused pulses. The evaluation confirmed that the performance degradation of the synthetic aperture method is caused by weakness in the transmitted wave intensity and deterioration of the phase coherence in the reception beamforming. Based on this result, we propose a method that is less affected by the latter cause and show its effectiveness.
Biochemical Changes in Human Cells Exposed to Low Concentrations of Gold Nanoparticles Detected by Raman Microspectroscopy
Authors: Lasalvia Maria , Perna Giuseppe , Capozzi Vito
Published: May 2019

The toxicological implications of nanoparticles deserve accurate scientific investigation for the protection of human health. Although toxic effects involve specific organs, the events that cause them have their origin from biochemical modifications of some cellular constituents. Therefore, a first analysis to evaluate the effects due to the action of nanoparticles is achieved by investigation of in vitro cells, which allows the identification of the cellular modifications caused by nanoparticles (NPs) even at much lower doses than the lethal ones. This work evaluated the Raman microspectroscopy capability to monitor biochemical changes occurring in human cells as a consequence of exposure to a suspension of gold nanoparticles with a non-cytotoxic concentration. Human keratinocyte cells were used as a model cell line, because they are mainly involved in environmental exposure. A trypan blue assay revealed that the investigated concentration, 650 ng/mL, is non-cytotoxic (about 5% of cells died after 48 h exposure). Specific Raman spectral markers to represent the cell response to nanoparticle exposure were found (at 1450 and 2865 cm−1) in the cytoplasm spectra, with the aid of ratiometric and principal component analysis.
Design and Simulation of a Wireless SAW–Pirani Sensor with Extended Range and Sensitivity
Authors: Toto Sofia , Nicolay Pascal , Morini Gian Luca , Rapp Michael , Korvink Jan G. , Brandner Juergen J.
Published: May 2019

Pressure is a critical parameter for a large number of industrial processes. The vacuum industry relies on accurate pressure measurement and control. A new compact wireless vacuum sensor was designed and simulated and is presented in this publication. The sensor combines the Pirani principle and Surface Acoustic Waves, and it extends the vacuum sensed range to between 10−4 Pa and 105 Pa all along a complete wireless operation. A thermal analysis was performed based on gas kinetic theory, aiming to optimize the thermal conductivity and the Knudsen regime of the device. Theoretical analysis and simulation allowed designing the structure of the sensor and its dimensions to ensure the highest sensitivity through the whole sensing range and to build a model that simulates the behavior of the sensor under vacuum. A completely new design and a model simulating the behavior of the sensor from high vacuum to atmospheric pressure were established.
Customized Mobile LiDAR System for Manhole Cover Detection and Identification
Authors: Wei Zhanying , Yang Mengmeng , Wang Liuzhao , Ma Hao , Chen Xuexia , Zhong Ruofei
Published: May 2019

Manhole covers, which are a key element of urban infrastructure management, have a direct impact on travel safety. At present, there is no automatic, safe, and efficient system specially used for the intelligent detection, identification, and assessment of manhole covers. In this work, we developed an automatic detection, identification, and assessment system for manhole covers. First, we developed a sequential exposure system via the addition of multiple cameras in a symmetrical arrangement to realize the joint acquisition of high-precision laser data and ultra-high-resolution ground images. Second, we proposed an improved histogram of an oriented gradient with symmetry features and a support vector machine method to detect manhole covers effectively and accurately, by using the intensity images and ground orthophotos that are derived from the laser points and images, respectively, and apply the graph segmentation and statistical analysis to achieve the detection, identification, and assessment of manhole covers. Qualitative and quantitative analyses are performed using large experimental datasets that were acquired with the modified manhole-cover detection system. The detected results yield an average accuracy of 96.18%, completeness of 94.27%, and F-measure value of 95.22% in manhole cover detection. Defective manhole-cover monitoring and manhole-cover ownership information are achieved from these detection results. The results not only provide strong support for road administration works, such as data acquisition, manhole cover inquiry and inspection, and statistical analysis of resources, but also demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method, which reduces the risk involved in performing manual inspections, improves the manhole-cover detection accuracy, and serves as a powerful tool in intelligent road administration.
Deciphering the Spatial Structures of City Networks in the Economic Zone of the West Side of the Taiwan Strait through the Lens of Functional and Innovation Networks
Authors: Ma Yan , Xue Feng
Published: May 2019

Globalization and the spread of information have made city networks more complex. The existing research on city network structures has usually focused on discussions of regional integration. With the development of interconnections among cities, however, the characterization of city network structures on a regional scale is limited in the ability to capture a network’s complexity. To improve this characterization, this study focused on network structures at both regional and local scales. Through the lens of function and innovation, we characterized the city network structure of the Economic Zone of the West Side of the Taiwan Strait through a social network analysis and a Fast Unfolding Community Detection algorithm. We found a significant imbalance in the innovation cooperation among cities in the region. When considering people flow, a multilevel spatial network structure had taken shape. Among cities with strong centrality, Xiamen, Fuzhou, and Whenzhou had a significant spillover effect, which meant the region was depolarizing. Quanzhou and Ganzhou had a significant siphon effect, which was unsustainable. Generally, urbanization in small and midsize cities was common. These findings provide support for government policy making.
Estimation of Water Footprint for Major Agricultural and Livestock Products in Korea
Authors: Kim Ik , Kim Kyung-shin
Published: May 2019

The Republic of Korea is the only country classified with severe water stress among the 34 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries. Additionally, the self-sufficiency rate of grain in Korea is 27%, which is 1/3 the average of OECD member countries. Because food cannot be produced without water, demand-driven water management of agricultural and livestock products applying water footprints is needed for food security. For this, this study estimates the water footprints of 42 agricultural products and three livestock products. Based on the results, the water footprint of the vegetables grown in facility such as a greenhouse is 7.9 times larger per ton than the footprint of the vegetables cultivated in the open field. Furthermore, the water footprint per ton of beef is about 4.2 times the average water footprint per ton of vegetables grown in facility. Based on the water footprint data of 45 agricultural and livestock products, the footprint of total agricultural and livestock products in 2014 is approximately 27.9% of the total domestic water resources consumed in Korea.
Forecasting the Short-Term Electric Load Considering the Influence of Air Pollution Prevention and Control Policy via a Hybrid Model
Authors: Li Xueliang , Li Bingkang , Zhao Long , Zhao Huiru , Xue Wanlei , Guo Sen
Published: May 2019

Since 2013, a series of air pollution prevention and control (APPC) measures have been promulgated in China for reducing the level of air pollution, which can affect regional short-term electricity power demand by changing the behavior of power users electricity consumption. This paper analyzes the policy system of the APPC measures and its impact on regional short-term electricity demand, and determines the regional short-term load impact factors considering the impact of APPC measures. On this basis, this paper proposes a similar day selection method based on the best and worst method and grey relational analysis (BWM-GRA) in order to construct the training sample set, which considers the difference in the influence degree of characteristic indicators on daily power load. Further, a short-term load forecasting method based on least squares support vector machine (LSSVM) optimized by salp swarm algorithm (SSA) is developed. By forecasting the load of a city affected by air pollution in Northern China, and comparing the results with several selected models, it reveals that the impact of APPC measures on regional short-term load is significant. Moreover, by considering the influence of APPC measures and avoiding the subjectivity of model parameter settings, the proposed load forecasting model can improve the accuracy of, and provide an effective tool for short-term load forecasting. Finally, some limitations of this paper are discussed.
Assessing the Heterogeneity of Consumers’ Preferences for Corporate Social Responsibility Using the Best–Worst Scaling Approach
Authors: Nakano Makiko , Tsuge Takahiro
Published: May 2019

The promotion of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is important for achieving sustainability. The interest of stakeholders is one factor promoting CSR activities. Consumers are one of the major stakeholders. The aim of this study is to quantify Japanese consumers’ preference for 13 CSR activities using the best–worst scaling (BWS) approach. We conducted an online survey in February 2015 and 633 individuals responded. Counting analysis and econometric analysis were used to analyze the BWS data. The results of the counting and MaxDiff analyses show that “Product safety and immediate recall in the case of defects” was identified as the most highly evaluated activity that makes respondents most strongly think that they want to buy a product from a company implementing the CSR activity. The results of the random parameter logit model and latent class model show preference heterogeneity. Some classes prioritize activities that do not generate a private benefit for them, such as environmental issues abroad and the working conditions of employees.
An Integrated Model for Demand Forecasting and Train Stop Planning for High-Speed Rail
Authors: Jin Guowei , He Shiwei , Li Jiabin , Li Yubin , Guo Xiaole , Xu Hongfei
Published: May 2019

Studying the interaction between demand forecasting and train stop planning is important, as it ensures the sustainable development of high-speed rail (HSR). Forecasting the demand for high-speed rail (HSR), which refers to modal choice or modal split in this paper, is the first step in high-speed rail (HSR) planning. Given the travel demand and the number of train trips on each route, the train stop planning problem (TSPP) of line planning involves determining the stations at which each train trip stops, i.e., the stop-schedule of each train trip, so that the demand can be satisfied. To integrate and formulate the two problems, i.e., the modal choice problem (MCP) and train stop planning problem (TSPP), a nonlinear model is presented with the objective of maximizing the total demand captured by a high-speed rail system. To solve the model, a heuristic iterative algorithm is developed. To study the relationship between the demand and the service, the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed rail (HSR) corridor in China is selected. The empirical analysis indicates that combining modal choice and train stop planning should be considered for the sustainable design of high-speed rail (HSR) train services. Furthermore, the model simulates the impact of the number of stops on its mode share by reflecting changes in travelers’ behaviors according to HSR train stop planning, and it also provides a theoretical basis for the evaluation of the adaptability of the service network to travel demand.
On r-Central Incomplete and Complete Bell Polynomials
Authors: Kim Dae San , Kim Han Young , Kim Dojin , Kim Taekyun
Published: May 2019

Here we would like to introduce the extended r-central incomplete and complete Bell polynomials, as multivariate versions of the recently studied extended r-central factorial numbers of the second kind and the extended r-central Bell polynomials, and also as multivariate versions of the r- Stirling numbers of the second kind and the extended r-Bell polynomials. In this paper, we study several properties, some identities and various explicit formulas about these polynomials and their connections as well.
Effects of Predator-Prey Interactions on Predator Traits: Differentiation of Diets and Venoms of a Marine Snail
Authors: Weese David A. , Duda Thomas F.
Published: May 2019

Species interactions are fundamental ecological forces that can have significant impacts on the evolutionary trajectories of species. Nonetheless, the contribution of predator-prey interactions to genetic and phenotypic divergence remains largely unknown. Predatory marine snails of the family Conidae exhibit specializations for different prey items and intraspecific variation in prey utilization patterns at geographic scales. Because cone snails utilize venom to capture prey and venom peptides are direct gene products, it is feasible to examine the evolution of genes associated with changes in resource utilization. Here, we compared feeding ecologies and venom duct transcriptomes of individuals from three populations of Conus miliaris, a species that exhibits geographic variation in prey utilization and dietary breadth, in order to determine the extent to which dietary differences are correlated with differences in venom composition, and if expanded niche breadth is associated with increased variation in venom composition. While populations showed little to no overlap in resource utilization, taxonomic richness of prey was greatest at Easter Island. Changes in dietary breadth were associated with differences in expression patterns and increased genetic differentiation of toxin-related genes. The Easter Island population also exhibited greater diversity of toxin-related transcripts, but did not show increased variance in expression of these transcripts. These results imply that differences in dietary breadth contribute more to the structural and regulatory differentiation of venoms than differences in diet.
Inactivation of Dairy Bacteriophages by Thermal and Chemical Treatments
Authors: Marcó Mariángeles Briggiler , Suárez Viviana B. , Quiberoni Andrea , Pujato Silvina A.
Published: May 2019

This article provides information on the characteristics of diverse phages of lactic acid bacteria and highlights the incidence of their presence in different dairy fermentations. As it is known, thermal treatments on raw milk and use of sanitizers in the disinfection of surfaces and equipment are strategies usually applied in dairy to prevent bacteriophage infections. In this sense, this review mainly focuses on the existing data about the resistance against thermal treatments and sanitizers usually used in the dairy industry worldwide, and the differences found among bacteriophages of diverse genera are remarked upon. Also, we provide information concerning the problems that have arisen as a consequence of the potential presence of bacteriophages in cheese whey powder and derivatives when they are added in fermented dairy product manufacturing. Finally, some important conclusions on each topic are marked and checkpoints to be considered are suggested.
Limited Sustained Local Transmission of HIV-1 CRF01_AE in New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Di Giallonardo Francesca , Pinto Angie N. , Keen Phillip , Shaik Ansari , Carrera Alex , Salem Hanan , Telfer Barbara , Cooper Craig , Price Karen , Selvey Christine , Holden Joanne , Bachmann Nadine , Lee Frederick J. , Dwyer Dominic E. , Duchêne Sebastián , Holmes Edward C. , Grulich Andrew E. , Kelleher Anthony D.
Published: May 2019

Australia’s response to the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) pandemic led to effective control of HIV transmission and one of the world’s lowest HIV incidence rates—0.14%. Although there has been a recent decline in new HIV diagnoses in New South Wales (NSW), the most populous state in Australia, there has been a concomitant increase with non-B subtype infections, particularly for the HIV-1 circulating recombinant form CRF01_AE. This aforementioned CRF01_AE sampled in NSW, were combined with those sampled globally to identify NSW-specific viral clades. The population growth of these clades was assessed in two-year period intervals from 2009 to 2017. Overall, 109 NSW-specific clades were identified, most comprising pairs of sequences; however, five large clades comprising ≥10 sequences were also found. Forty-four clades grew over time with one or two sequences added to each in different two-year periods. Importantly, while 10 of these clades have seemingly discontinued, the remaining 34 were still active in 2016/2017. Seven such clades each comprised ≥10 sequences, and are representative of individual sub-epidemics in NSW. Thus, although the majority of new CRF01_AE infections were associated with small clades that rarely establish ongoing chains of local transmission, individual sub-epidemics are present and should be closely monitored.
A Combined Method for Estimating Continuous Runoff by Parameter Transfer and Drainage Area Ratio Method in Ungauged Catchments
Authors: Li Qing , Peng Yanbo , Wang Guoqiang , Wang Hongqi , Xue Baolin , Hu Xinqi
Published: May 2019

Continuous runoff needs to be estimated in ungauged catchments to interpret hydrological phenomena and manage water resources. Researchers have used various methods to estimate runoff in ungauged catchments, but few combined different methods to improve the estimation. A model parameter-based method named the parameter transfer (PT) method and a flow-based method of area ratio (AR) were combined and tested in eight catchments in a lake basin. The performance of the PT method depended on the model simulation and donors, which were related to physical and climate characteristics of the catchments. Two AR methods were compared and the results showed that the standard AR method was suitable in this study area with the area ratio between donor and target ranging from 0.46 to 1.41. ENS and R2 values suggested that the PT method used in this study showed a better result than the AR method in 75% of the considered sites, but the total runoff deviation was lower for the standard AR method than that for the PT method. We used the standard AR method weighted by the PT method, and compared three versions weighted with daily, monthly, and average ENS values of the PT and AR methods and one unweighted version. The results of the combined methods were promising. The version weighted with daily ENS performed best and gave improved R2 and daily ENS values for 75% of the receivers. The unweighted combined method performed stable in all sites. The combined method gave better simulation of daily and monthly continuous runoff in ungauged catchments than each individual method.
Does Activated Silver Reduce Recontamination Risks in the Reservoirs of Ceramic Water Filters?
Authors: Meierhofer Regula , Rubli Pascal , Oremo Jared , Odhiambo Alloyce
Published: May 2019

Efforts to provide safe water are challenged by recontamination and regrowth of pathogens in treated water during storage. This study evaluated the potential of metallic silver with a chemically etched surface to reduce recontamination risks during water storage in ceramic water filters. Batch experiments were conducted in the laboratory with water storage buckets containing three configurations of varying amounts of silver. Field trials in a rural area in Kenya assessed the effect of the same configurations in the storage buckets of locally produced ceramic pot filters without colloidal silver coating. The tests revealed that the etched silver slightly reduced microbiological recontamination risks during water storage despite the low diffusion of silver ions (<5 µg Ag/L). The effect was strongly influenced by water chemistry parameters. A statistically significant difference in the removal of E. coli (Δ Log Removal Value (LRV) = 0.6) and total coliforms (Δ LRV = 1.7) was found between households using a filter with silver in the water reservoir and those using a filter without silver. Multivariate regression of water handling factors and hygiene practices on filter performance revealed that the presence of silver in the reservoir and cleaning the filter element with a brush were associated with a better filter performance.
ANÁLISIS ESTADÍSTICO DE LOS PARÁMETROS ACK_TIMEOUT, CTS_ TIMEOUT Y SLOT_TIME EN ENLACES DE LARGA DISTANCIA 802.11g
Authors: Grisales Zuluaga Eliana , Bermúdez Orozco Héctor Fabio , Astaiza Hoyos Evelio
Published: May 2019

El presente proyecto plantea como fin utilizar el protocolo de comunicaciones 802.11g, teniendo en cuenta sus limitaciones, para mejorar la capacidad de transmisión de datos variando parámetros constituyentes de esta tecnología como lo son el CTS/RTS, SLOT Time y ACK Time Out en función tanto de la capacidad como de la velocidad de transmisión. Para esto el reciente trabajo consta de la definición de cuatro escenarios donde posteriormente se realizaron las mediciones de tasa de transferencia, las muestras obtenidas en cada escenario se analizaron por medio de la prueba estadística de Kolmogorov-Smirnov y se encontraron las distribuciones de probabilidad de los datos tabulados con lo que se consigue una interpretación más sencilla de estos y así se adquiere la mayor cantidad posible de información que permite identificar los valores que maximizan la tasa de transferencia. Se observa que en su mayoría las distribuciones de datos de cada parámetro son de tipo uniforme, por ello, los valores que alcanzan mayor tasa de transferencia presentan un amplio rango alrededor de su media, también se observa que el ajuste del parámetro ACK Time Out resulta significativo en cuanto al desempeño puesto que su variación puede producir los puntos más críticos del enlace. El ajuste adecuado de estos parámetros también permite comprobar que IEEE802.11g es apto al aplicarse a largas distancias, especialmente a zonas rurales aisladas con baja densidad de población, ya que se consiguieron velocidades hasta de 19 Mbps que resultan adecuado para establecer enlaces de varios kilómetros con buena calidad.
METODOLOGÍA PARA LA IMPLEMENTACIÓN DE LA TECNOLOGÍA IDENTIFICACIÓN POR RADIOFRECUENCIA EN ENTORNOS INDUSTRIALES Y SANITARIOS EN COLOMBIA.
Authors: Trujillo Cifuentes Diana Isabel , Calderón C Oscar J.
Published: May 2019

La tecnología de Identificación por Radio Frecuencia (RFID, Radio Frequency Identification) es una de las opciones de identificación de productos más utilizadas en la actualidad, ya que permite mejorar los procesos relacionados con el manejo de información de los productos en las cadenas de abastecimiento y en entornos sanitarios. Sus características convierten a RFID en la mejor alternativa para procesos de identificación de productos, frente a otros sistemas existentes, como los códigos de barra. Sin embargo, acorde a la literatura consultada, se encuentran pocas referencias a metodologías que guíen al usuario en la forma de implementar esta tecnología en los entornos indicados. El presente artículo propone una metodología para la implementación de RFID, para lo cual se realiza un proceso de investigación en donde se analizan metodologías existentes, logrando finalmente plantear una metodología que aborda aspectos tecnológicos y gerenciales.
CONSTRUCCIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN DE UN DISPOSITIVO EMISOR EN EL INFRARROJO BASADO EN NANOPLAQUETAS DE CARBÓN DE GUADUA ANGUSTIFOLIA KUNTH
Authors: Quintero-Rodríguez Leidy Johana , Prías-Barragán J. J. , Echeverry-Montoya N. A. , Ariza-Calderón H.
Published: May 2019

En este trabajo presentamos la construcción y la caracterización eléctrica, térmica y óptica de un dispositivo emisor en el infrarrojo (IR) basado en nanoplaquetas de grafito oxidado (GONP) obtenido de la Guadua angustifolia Kunth. Las muestras fueron carbonizadas por pirolisis en ambiente de nitrógeno a 1000 K, pulverizadas por el método de molienda mecánica, seleccionadas en tamizador de 20 μm y llevadas a nanopartículas por procesos de cavitación. El tamaño promedio de las nanoplaquetas fue determinado por el análisis de imágenes TEM y AFM. El dispositivo se compone de un arreglo de emisores de IR distribuidos en una matriz. Cada emisor IR fue construido mediante dos placas paralelas de aluminio de forma circular, en el intermedio se encuentra una capa de GONP adherida con pintura de Ag a la placa de aluminio y los dos contactos eléctricos fueron realizados empleando hilo de cobre de 100 μm de espesor y pintura de Ag. Las curvas I-V fueron tomadas usando una fuente de corriente de precisión y un nano-voltímetro, encontrándose en la respuesta eléctrica efectos óhmicos y un alto efecto de calentamiento de las placas de aluminio de 10 K por encima de la temperatura ambiente, lo cual podría atribuirse a la participación fonónica en el transporte eléctrico. Mediante el análisis de imágenes termográficas, se logró determinar el espectro de emisión del dispositivo. Los resultados sugieren que el dispositivo desarrollado, podría ser utilizado como calefactor de bajo consumo energético y emisor de IR para barreras ópticas y comunicaciones ópticas.
ANÁLISIS DEL DESEMPEÑO DE UN SISTEMA DE COMUNICACIONES CON MODULACIÓN 16/64 QAM BASADO EN HARDWARE RECONFIGURABLE
Authors: Zemanate Zuñiga Juan Camilo , Muñoz Hidalgo Julián Andrés , Quintero Flórez Victor Manuel
Published: May 2019

En el presente artículo se analiza el desempeño de un sistema de comunicaciones banda base con Modulación de Amplitud en Cuadratura (QAM, Quadrature Amplitude Modulation), implementado sobre un Arreglo de Compuertas Programables de Campo (FPGA, Field Programmable Gate Arrays), a partir de la Tasa de Error de Bit (BER, Bit Error Rate) y del comportamiento del hardware reconfigurable.El sistema de comunicaciones banda base consideró un canal de Ruido Blanco Gaussiano Aditivo (AWGN, Additive White Gaussian Noise) y las modulaciones 16 QAM y 64 QAM. Se diseñó a través de la herramienta System Generator® de Xilinx®, se validó (a nivel de simulación) por medio de la comparación con un modelo en Simulink ® y se implementó sobre un FPGA Spartan 6 de Xilinx® mediante la descarga de un archivo de programación. Como resultados se obtuvieron las curvas de desempeño del sistema de comunicaciones banda base con modulación 16/64 QAM, las cuales fueron comparadas con las curvas de desempeño teóricas ofrecidas por la herramienta Bertool® de Matlab® para su correspondiente análisis. De este modo, se concluyó que dada la similitud de las curvas de desempeño obtenidas a partir de System Generator®, Simulink®, implementación y Bertool®, el sistema de comunicaciones banda base alcanzó resultados óptimos sobre hardware reconfigurable.
DESARROLLO DE UNA HERRAMIENTA PARA EL REGISTRO DE ESTRUCTURAS CEREBRALES 3D UTILIZANDO TÉCNICAS DE PROCESAMIENTO DE IMÁGENES
Authors: García Hernán Felipe , Bestier Padilla Jose , Arango Ramiro
Published: May 2019

El registro es una de las tareas más importantes dentro del procesamiento de imágenes, consiste en encontrar una transformación geométrica que relacione los puntos de una imagen y otra con el fin de corregir las diferencias de tamaño, posición, orientación o distorsión espacial que pueda presentarse, de manera que sea posible una comparación directa entre ellas que facilite el análisis por parte del especialista, ya sea para el diagnóstico de una enfermedad o para la planeación de una cirugía extereotáxica. En los últimos años se han propuesto técnicas de registro multimodal, especialmente entre imágenes CT (Tomografía computarizada) y MRI (Resonancia magnética), sin embargo, algunos de los problemas que aún se presentan permanecen sin resolver, y por ello son un campo activo de investigación. Debido a los problemas de exactitud que presentan los modelos de registro rígidos y no rígidos unimodales, los cuales aún no alcanzan la precisión necesaria para aplicaciones de neurocirugía y la necesidad de contar con herramientas de neuronavegación para el apoyo en la planeamiento de cirugías derivadas de procesos de neurocirugía, este artículo propone el desarrollo de una herramienta para el registro de estructuras cerebrales 3d utilizando técnicas de procesamiento de imágenes. Los resultados evidencian que una herramienta de registro permite emparejar un determinado atlas cerebral a un registro histológico de un determinado paciente, además que del sistema desarrollado permite su ejecución en línea lo cual beneficia la funcionalidad del sistema en procesos de neurocirugía.
UN ESQUEMA DE MODULACIÓN DE 4 ESTADOS EN 3 DIMENSIONES BASADO EN WAVELETS (4P-3D).
Authors: Ramírez Viáfara Jesús Mauricio , Romo Romero Harold Armando
Published: May 2019

En este artículo se propone un esquema de modulación digital denominado Modulación Particionada de 4 Estados en 3 Dimensiones (4P-3D). Dicho esquema divide el mensaje binario en bloques de 2 bits y representa cada bloque mediante un vector real de 3 componentes. Los puntos de la constelación coinciden con los vértices de un tetraedro regular centrado en el origen. El conjunto base de la modulación está formado por tres funciones de una familia wavelet ortonormal. Los análisis teóricos y los resultados de las simulaciones confirman que la modulación 4P-3D tiene un mejor desempeño frente al ruido que la modulación por amplitud de pulso binaria (2-PAM) sobre canales con ruido blanco aditivo Gaussiano (AWGN). Además, la conformación de la señal modulada a partir de wavelets hace que los errores de sincronismo en la detección de las muestras tengan un efecto prácticamente despreciable en la probabilidad de error de bit. Un aspecto desfavorable del esquema 4P-3D es la reducción de la eficiencia espectral respecto a la modulación 2-PAM.