bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation on the Slag-Steel Reaction of Mold Fluxes Used for Casting Al-TRIP Steel
Authors: Zhang Kaitian , Liu Jianhua , Cui Heng
Published: April 2019

The reaction between [Al] in molten steel and (SiO2) in the liquid slag layer was one of the restrictive factors in the quality control for high Al-TRIP steel continuous casting. In this work, the composition and property variations of two slags during a slag-steel reaction were analyzed. Accordingly, the crystalline morphologies of slag were discussed and the solid layer lubrication performance was evaluated by Jackson α factors. In addition, a simple kinetics equilibrium model was established to analyze the factors which affected SiO2 consumption. The results reflected that slag-steel reacted rapidly in the first 20 minutes, resulting in the variation of viscosity and the melting temperature of slags. The slag-steel reaction also affected the crystal morphology significantly. Slag was precipitated as crystals with a higher melting temperature, a higher Jackson α factor, and a rougher boundary with the consumption of SiO2 and the generation of Al2O3. In other words, although generated Al2O3 acted as a network modifier to decrease the viscosity of the liquid slag layer adjacent slab shell, the consumption of SiO2 led to the deterioration of the lubrication performance in the solid slag layer adjacent copper, which was detrimental to the quality control for high Al-TRIP steel. Finally, a kinetics equilibrium model indicated that it is possible to reduce a slag-steel reaction by adjusting factors, such as the diffusion coefficient k, c SiO 2 , ρ f and L f , during the actual continuous casting process.
Impact of Aquaculture Practices on Intestinal Bacterial Profiles of Pacific Whiteleg Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei
Authors: Landsman Angela , St-Pierre Benoit , Rosales-Leija Misael , Brown Michael , Gibbons William
Published: April 2019

Considering the crucial role of the gut microbiome in animal health and nutrition, solutions to shrimp aquaculture challenges, such as improving disease resistance and optimizing growth on lower cost feeds, may lie in manipulation of their microbial symbionts. However, achieving this goal will require a deeper understanding of shrimp microbial communities and how their composition is influenced by diet formulation, environmental conditions, and host factors. In this context, the current study investigated the intestinal bacterial communities of the Pacific whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei—the most widely aquaculture-farmed shrimp worldwide) reared in indoor aquaculture facilities and outdoor pond systems. While samples showed very consistent intestinal bacterial community profiles within each production system, major differences were uncovered between the two practices. Indeed, bacteria affiliated with Rhodobacteraceae (Proteobacteria) and Actinobacteria were significantly more abundant in indoor samples (84.4% vs. 5.1%; 3.0% vs. 0.06%, respectively), while Vibrionaceae (Proteobacteria), Firmicutes, Fusobacteria and Cyanobacteria were predominant in pond samples (0.03% vs. 44.8%; 0.7% vs. 36.0%; 0.0% vs. 7.9%; 0.001% vs. 1.6%, respectively). Accordingly, the abundance of 11 of the 12 most prominent Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) were found to be statistically different between the two production environments. Together, these results indicate that aquaculture practices greatly influence the intestinal bacterial profile of the whiteleg shrimp, and further suggest that bacterial communities of this economically important crustacean could be effectively manipulated using diet composition or environmental conditions.
Biofilm Formation by Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli on Stainless Steel Coupons as Affected by Temperature and Incubation Time
Authors: Ma Zhi , Bumunang Emmanuel W. , Stanford Kim , Bie Xiaomei , Niu Yan D. , McAllister Tim A.
Published: April 2019

Forming biofilm is a strategy utilized by Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) to survive and persist in food processing environments. We investigated the biofilm-forming potential of STEC strains from 10 clinically important serogroups on stainless steel at 22 °C or 13 °C after 24, 48, and 72 h of incubation. Results from crystal violet staining, plate counts, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) identified a single isolate from each of the O113, O145, O91, O157, and O121 serogroups that was capable of forming strong or moderate biofilms on stainless steel at 22 °C. However, the biofilm-forming strength of these five strains was reduced when incubation time progressed. Moreover, we found that these strains formed a dense pellicle at the air-liquid interface on stainless steel, which suggests that oxygen was conducive to biofilm formation. At 13 °C, biofilm formation by these strains decreased (P < 0.05), but gradually increased over time. Overall, STEC biofilm formation was most prominent at 22 °C up to 24 h. The findings in this study identify the environmental conditions that may promote STEC biofilm formation in food processing facilities and suggest that the ability of specific strains to form biofilms contributes to their persistence within these environments.
Microcrystalline Apatite Minerals: Mechanochemical Activation for Agricultural Application
Authors: Zhang Xian-Mei , Hu Cheng , He Zhen-Quan , Abbas Yasir , Li Yi , Lv Le-Fu , Hao Xiang-Yang , Gai Guo-Sheng , Huang Zhao-Hui , Yang Yu-Fen , Yun Si-Ning
Published: April 2019

Phosphate minerals of apatite from three mines with different amounts of gangue minerals were activated by milling to increase their microcrystallinity and subsequent dissolution in a citric acid solution to serve as slow-release fertilizers for agricultural production. XRD (X-ray diffraction), FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared), and SEM (Scanning electron microscope) were employed to characterize the properties of the prepared samples, such as changes in microcrystallinity, mineral composition, lattice structure, and granule morphology during the milling. With prolonged milling time, accompanied with the progress in microcrystallinity, the ratio of the formed amorphous compositions increased, resulting in higher dissolution in citric acid solution. In the case of carrot plants, the addition of the microcrystalline phosphate rock together with phosphorus bacteria allowed an efficient nutrient (P, K, and N) uptake as high as 77.0%, 36.7%, and 32.2%, which increased by 91.3%, 123.0%, and 105.2%, respectively, from the growth on an original soil without any addition, demonstrating clear contribution of the activated apatites in agricultural production.
Synthesis and Near Infrared Luminescence Properties of a Series of Lanthanide Complexes with POSS Modified Ligands
Authors: Zhang Qingrui , Yang Xiuyun , Deng Ruiping , Zhou Liang , Yu Yang , Li Yunhui
Published: April 2019

A polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) modified 8-hydroxyquinoline derivative (denoted as Q-POSS) was synthesized and used as a ligand to coordinate with lanthanide ions to obtain a series of lanthanide complexes Ln(Q-POSS)3 (Ln = Er3+, Yb3+, Nd3+). The as-prepared lanthanide complexes have been characterized by FT-IR, UV–Vis, and elemental analysis. All these complexes showed the characteristic near-infrared (NIR) luminescence originated from the corresponding lanthanide ions under excitation. Compared with the unmodified counterparts LnQ3 (HQ = 8-hydroxyquinoline), the Ln(Q-POSS)3 complexes showed obviously increased emission intensity, which was ascribed mainly to the steric-hindrance effects of the POSS moiety in the ligands. It is believed that the POSS group could suppress undesired excimer formation and intermolecular aggregation, thus decreasing the concentration quenching effect of the corresponding lanthanide complexes.
Characterizing the Anoxic Phenotype of Pseudomonas putida Using a Bioelectrochemical System
Authors: Lai Bin , Nguyen Anh Vu , Krömer Jens O
Published: April 2019

Industrial fermentation in aerobic processes is plagued by high costs due to gas transfer limitations and substrate oxidation to CO2. It has been a longstanding challenge to engineer an obligate aerobe organism, such as Pseudomonas putida, into an anaerobe to facilitate its industrial application. However, the progress in this field is limited, due to the poor understanding of the constraints restricting its anoxic phenotype. In this paper, we provide a methodological description of a novel cultivation technology for P. putida under anaerobic conditions, using the so-called microbial electrochemical technology within a bioelectrochemical system. By using an electrode as the terminal electron acceptor (mediated via redox chemicals), glucose catabolism could be activated without oxygen present. This (i) provides an anoxic-producing platform for sugar acid production at high yield and (ii) more importantly, enables systematic and quantitative characterizations of the phenotype of P. putida in the absence of molecular oxygen. This unique electrode-based cultivation approach offers a tool to understand and in turn engineer the anoxic phenotype of P. putida and possibly also other obligate aerobes.
Fe3O4 Nanoparticles for Complex Targeted Delivery and Boron Neutron Capture Therapy
Authors: Dukenbayev Kanat , Korolkov Ilya V. , Tishkevich Daria I. , Kozlovskiy Artem L. , Trukhanov Sergey V. , Gorin Yevgeniy G. , Shumskaya Elena E. , Kaniukov Egor Y. , Vinnik Denis A. , Zdorovets Maxim V. , Anisovich Marina , Trukhanov Alex V. , Tosi Daniele , Molardi Carlo
Published: April 2019

Magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) and their surface modification with therapeutic substances are of great interest, especially drug delivery for cancer therapy, including boron-neutron capture therapy (BNCT). In this paper, we present the results of boron-rich compound (carborane borate) attachment to previously aminated by (3-aminopropyl)-trimethoxysilane (APTMS) iron oxide NPs. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with Attenuated total reflectance accessory (ATR-FTIR) and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis confirmed the change of the element content of NPs after modification and formation of new bonds between Fe3O4 NPs and the attached molecules. Transmission (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed Fe3O4 NPs’ average size of 18.9 nm. Phase parameters were studied by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the magnetic behavior of Fe3O4 NPs was elucidated by Mössbauer spectroscopy. The colloidal and chemical stability of NPs was studied using simulated body fluid (phosphate buffer—PBS). Modified NPs have shown excellent stability in PBS (pH = 7.4), characterized by XRD, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Biocompatibility was evaluated in-vitro using cultured mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). The results show us an increasing of IC50 from 0.110 mg/mL for Fe3O4 NPs to 0.405 mg/mL for Fe3O4-Carborane NPs. The obtained data confirm the biocompatibility and stability of synthesized NPs and the potential to use them in BNCT.
High-Performance Photoresistors Based on Perovskite Thin Film with a High PbI2 Doping Level
Authors: Li Jieni , Li Henan , Ding Dong , Li Zibo , Chen Fuming , Wang Ye , Liu Shiwei , Yao Huizhen , Liu Lai , Shi Yumeng
Published: April 2019

We prepared high-performance photoresistors based on CH3NH3PbI3 films with a high PbI2 doping level. The role of PbI2 in CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite thin film was systematically investigated using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy, and photoconductive atomic force microscope. Laterally-structured photodetectors have been fabricated based on CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite thin films deposited using precursor solution with various CH3NH3I:PbI2 ratios. Remarkably, the introduction of a suitable amount of PbI2 can significantly improve the performance and stability of perovskite-based photoresistors, optoelectronic devices with ultrahigh photo-sensitivity, high current on/off ratio, fast photo response speed, and retarded decay. Specifically, a highest responsivity of 7.8 A/W and a specific detectivity of 2.1 × 1013 Jones with a rise time of 0.86 ms and a decay time of 1.5 ms have been achieved. In addition, the local dependence of photocurrent generation in perovskite thin films was revealed by photoconductive atomic force microscopy, which provides direct evidence that the presence of PbI2 can effectively passivate the grain boundaries of CH3NH3PbI3 and assist the photocurrent transport more effectively.
Catalyzing Transcriptomics Research in Cardiovascular Disease: The CardioRNA COST Action CA17129
Authors: Gomes Clarissa Pedrosa da Costa , Ágg Bence , Andova Andrejaana , Arslan Serdal , Baker Andrew , Barteková Monika , Beis Dimitris , Betsou Fay , Bezzina Wettinger Stephanie , Bugarski Branko , Condorelli Gianluigi , da Silva Gustavo José Justo , Danilin Sabrina , de Gonzalo-Calvo David , Buil Alfonso , Carmo-Fonseca Maria , Enguita Francisco J. , Felekkis Kyriacos , Ferdinandy Peter , Gyöngyösi Mariann , Hackl Matthias , Karaduzovic-Hadziabdic Kanita , Hellemans Jan , Heymans Stephane , Hlavackova Markéta , Hoydal Morten Andre , Jankovic Aleksandra , Jusic Amela , Kardassis Dimitris , Kerkelä Risto , Kuster Gabriela M. , Lakkisto Päivi , Leszek Przemyslaw , Lustrek Mitja , Maegdefessel Lars , Martelli Fabio , Novella Susana , O’Brien Timothy , Papaneophytou Christos , Pedrazzini Thierry , Pinet Florence , Popescu Octavian , Potočnjak Ines , Robinson Emma , Sasson Shlomo , Scholz Markus , Simionescu Maya , Stoll Monika , Varga Zoltan V. , Vinciguerra Manlio , Xuereb Angela , Yilmaz Mehmet Birhan , Emanueli Costanza , Devaux Yvan
Published: April 2019

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death worldwide and, despite continuous advances, better diagnostic and prognostic tools, as well as therapy, are needed. The human transcriptome, which is the set of all RNA produced in a cell, is much more complex than previously thought and the lack of dialogue between researchers and industrials and consensus on guidelines to generate data make it harder to compare and reproduce results. This European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action aims to accelerate the understanding of transcriptomics in CVD and further the translation of experimental data into usable applications to improve personalized medicine in this field by creating an interdisciplinary network. It aims to provide opportunities for collaboration between stakeholders from complementary backgrounds, allowing the functions of different RNAs and their interactions to be more rapidly deciphered in the cardiovascular context for translation into the clinic, thus fostering personalized medicine and meeting a current public health challenge. Thus, this Action will advance studies on cardiovascular transcriptomics, generate innovative projects, and consolidate the leadership of European research groups in the field. COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is a funding organization for research and innovation networks (www.cost.eu).
The Influence of Embedded Plasmonic Nanostructures on the Optical Absorption of Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Ghahremanirad Elnaz , Olyaee Saeed , Hedayati Maryam
Published: April 2019

The interaction of light with plasmonic nanostructures can induce electric field intensity either around or at the surface of the nanostructures. The enhanced intensity of the electric field can increase the probability of light absorption in the active layer of solar cells. The absorption edge of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), which is almost 800 nm, can be raised to higher wavelengths with the help of plasmonic nanostructures due to their perfect photovoltaic characteristics. We placed plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) with different radii (20–60 nm) within the bulk of the perovskite solar cell and found that the Au nanoparticles with a radius of 60 nm increased the absorption of the cell by 20% compared to the bare one without Au nanoparticles. By increasing the radius of the nanoparticles, the total absorption of the cell will increase because of the scattering enhancement. The results reveal that the best case is the PSC with the NP radius of 60 nm.
Comparative Evaluation of Selected Biological Methods for the Removal of Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Odorous VOCs from Air
Authors: Gospodarek Milena , Rybarczyk Piotr , Szulczyński Bartosz , Gębicki Jacek
Published: April 2019

Due to increasingly stringent legal regulations as well as increasing social awareness, the removal of odorous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from air is gaining importance. This paper presents the strategy to compare selected biological methods intended for the removal of different air pollutants, especially of odorous character. Biofiltration, biotrickling filtration and bioscrubbing technologies are evaluated in terms of their suitability for the effective removal of either hydrophilic or hydrophobic VOCs as well as typical inorganic odorous compounds. A pairwise comparison model was used to assess the performance of selected biological processes of air treatment. Process efficiency, economic, technical and environmental aspects of the treatment methods are taken into consideration. The results of the calculations reveal that biotrickling filtration is the most efficient method for the removal of hydrophilic VOCs while biofilters enable the most efficient removal of hydrophobic VOCs. Additionally, a simple approach for preliminary method selection based on a decision tree is proposed. The presented evaluation strategies may be especially helpful when considering the treatment strategy for air polluted with various types of odorous compounds.
A Rotor-Sync Signal-Based Control System of a Doubly-Fed Induction Generator in the Shaft Generation of a Ship
Authors: Nguyen Trong-Thang
Published: April 2019

A doubly-fed induction machine in generator-mode is popularly used for energy generation, particularly in the case of a variable speed, such as in the wind generator, the shaft generator of a ship, because the doubly-fed induction generator is able to maintain a stable frequency when changing the rotor speed. This paper aims to propose a novel method for controlling the shaft generation system of a ship using a doubly-fed induction generator. This method uses the rotor signals of a small doubly-fed induction machine as base components to create the control signal for the doubly-fed induction generators. The proposed method will be proven by both theory and a simulation model. The advantage of the proposed method is that the control system of the generator can be simply built, but it functions effectively. The generator voltage always coincides with the grid voltage, even when the grid voltage and the rotor speed are changed, and the reactive and active power of the generator fed into the grid can be separately controlled.
The Use of Ca- and Mg-Rich Fly Ash as a Chemical Precipitant in the Simultaneous Removal of Nitrogen and Phosphorus—Recycling and Reuse
Authors: Myllymäki Pekka , Pesonen Janne , Romar Henrik , Hu Tao , Tynjälä Pekka , Lassi Ulla
Published: April 2019

The European Union’s circular economy strategy aims to increase the recycling and re-use of products and waste materials. According to the strategy, the use of industry waste material should be more effective. A chemical precipitation method to simultaneously remove phosphorus and nitrogen from synthetic (NH4)2HPO4 solution and the liquid phase of anaerobic digestate using fly ash as a precipitant was tested. Fly ash is a waste material formed in the power plant process. It mainly contains calcium oxide (CaO) and magnesium oxide (MgO). Saturated precipitant solution was prepared from fly ash, which was added in small proportions to (NH4)2HPO4 solution during the experiment. Fly ash’s effectiveness as a precipitant was compared with that of commercial CaO and MgO salts, and it can be observed that fly ash removed as much ammonium and phosphate as commercial salts. Fly ash sufficiently removed ammonium nitrogen and phosphate from the liquid phase of anaerobic digestate, which led to the formation of ammonium magnesium hydrogen phosphate hydrate, struvite (NH4MgPO4·6H2O), and calcium hydroxide phosphate, monetite, CaPO3(OH). In this study, we have shown for the first time that fly ash can be used to manufacture recycled, slow-release fertilizers from anaerobic digestate.
The Book of Revelation: Hope in Dark Times
Authors: Moloney Francis J.
Published: April 2019

Contemporary analysis of the world that produced the Book of Revelation suggests that Patmos was not a penal settlement, and there is little evidence that Domitian systematically persecuted Christians. The Emperor Cult was widely practiced, but Christians were not being persecuted for lack of participation. The document makes much of God’s victory in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the slain and standing Lamb (Rev 5:6). The “saints” were not persecuted Asian Christians but, under the influence of the Book of Daniel, John’s presentation of those from Israel’s sacred history who lived by the Word of God and accepted the messianic witness of the prophets (8:3–4; 11:18; 13:7, 10; 14:12; 16:6; 17:6; 18:20, 24; 19:8; 20:6, 9). They already have life, the application of the saving effects of the slain and risen lamb “from the foundation of the world” (13:8). John addresses late first-century Asian Christians, presenting the model of these “saints,” offering them hope as they are tempted by the allure of the Greco-Roman world and its mores. He invites them into the life and light of the New Jerusalem, the Christian church (22:1–5).
The Dissolution of the Monasteries and the Democratisation of Magic in Post-Reformation England
Authors: Young Francis
Published: April 2019

The dissolution of the monasteries in England (1536–1540) forced hundreds of former inmates of religious houses to seek livelihoods outside the cloister to supplement meagre pensions from the crown. Among the marketable skills these individuals possessed were Latin literacy, knowledge of liturgy, sacramental authority and a reputation for arcane learning: all qualities desirable in magical practitioners in early modern Europe. Furthermore, the dissolution dispersed occult texts housed in monastic libraries, while the polemical efforts of the opponents of monasticism resulted in the growth of legends about the magical prowess of monks and friars. The dissolution was a key moment in the democratisation of learned magic in sixteenth-century England, which moved from being an illicit pastime of clerics, monks and friars to a service provided by lay practitioners. This article considers the extent of interest in magic among English monks and friars before the dissolution, the presence of occult texts in monastic libraries, and the evidence for the magical activities of former religious in post-dissolution England. The article considers the processes by which monks, friars and monastic sites became associated with magic in popular tradition, resulting in a lasting stereotype of medieval monks and friars as the masters of occult knowledge.
A Tale of Light and Darkness: Martin Buber’s Gnostic Canon and the Birth of Theopolitics
Authors: Scharf Orr
Published: April 2019

The current article revisits the tenuous relationship between Martin Buber’s conception of divine rule on earth (theopolitics) with Carl Schmitt’s famous notion of political theology, by underscoring their shared, though diametrically opposed interest in Gnostic ideas. Based on a reading of Buber’s heretofore unpublished lectures on Judaism and Christianity, the study outlines the nexus between the German tradition of scientific research, religious ideology and political visions, in order to show that Buber’s treatment of Gnosticism in the lectures is belied by an implicit critique of Schmitt’s dualistic distinction between friend and foe that legitimizes the subversion of liberal democracy. The Gnostic canon that Buber identifies in certain parts of the New Testament is shown to be based on the very same scientific research that fed Schmitt’s fascination with Gnostic teachings.
The Epic of Evolution and a Theology of Sacramental Ecology
Authors: McDuffie David C.
Published: April 2019

The ‘Epic of Evolution’ is the scientific story that reveals that we live in an approximately 14-billion-year-old universe on a planet that is approximately 4.6 billion years old and that we are a part of the ongoing process of life that has existed on Earth for 3.5–4 billion years. This article focuses on the religious and ecological significance of the evolutionary epic in an effort to seamlessly connect the ecological value attributed as a part of an understanding of the evolutionary connectedness of life on earth with the Divine grace understood to be present in Christian sacramental worship. With a particular emphasis on the Eucharist, I argue that the sacramental perspective of grace being conveyed through material reality provides the potential for Christian sacramental tradition to make a significant contribution to protecting the threatened ecological communities of our planet. By incorporating William Temple’s concept of a ‘sacramental universe,’ I propose that the grace that is understood to be present in the substances of the bread and wine of the Eucharist points outward so that it can also be witnessed in all of God’s ongoing Creation. When the Eucharist is understood as taking place in a sacramental universe from which ecological grace flows; the incarnation can be recognized not as a one-time event but as an ongoing sacramental process through which God is revealed through the perpetual emergence of life. Consequently, as the primary form of sacramental worship in Christian tradition, the Eucharistic witness to the incarnation of God in Jesus and thanksgiving for life overcoming death provide Christians with a ritual orientation for recognizing the incarnational presence of God as an ever-present reality potentially witnessed in all that is. Therefore, the formal sacrament of the Eucharist is a part of a broader sacramental ecology of earthly life in which the presence of Divine grace can be witnessed in all aspects of the natural order. As a result, connecting Eucharistic grace with the value associated with an awareness of the ecological and genetic connectedness of all forms of life serves as a mutual enrichment of sacramental tradition and contemporary efforts to protect life on Earth.
Preprocessing Ground-Based Visible/Near Infrared Imaging Spectroscopy Data Affected by Smile Effects
Authors: Buddenbaum Henning , Watt Michael S. , Scholten Rebecca C. , Hill Joachim
Published: April 2019

A data set of very high-resolution visible/near infrared hyperspectral images of young Pinus contorta trees was recorded to study the effects of herbicides on this invasive species. The camera was fixed on a frame while the potted trees were moved underneath on a conveyor belt. To account for changing illumination conditions, a white reference bar was included at the edge of each image line. Conventional preprocessing of the images, i.e., dividing measured values by values from the white reference bar in the same image line, failed and resulted in bad quality spectra with oscillation patterns that are most likely due to wavelength shifts across the sensor’s field of view (smile effect). An additional hyperspectral data set of a Spectralon white reference panel could be used to characterize and correct the oscillations introduced by the division, resulting in a high quality spectra that document the effects of herbicides on the reflectance characteristics of coniferous trees. While the spectra of untreated trees remained constant over time, there were clear temporal changes in the spectra of trees treated with both herbicides. One herbicide worked within days, the other one within weeks. Ground-based imaging spectroscopy with meaningful preprocessing proved to be an appropriate tool for monitoring the effects of herbicides on potted plants.
The Actor-Dueling-Critic Method for Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Wu Menghao , Gao Yanbin , Jung Alexander , Zhang Qiang , Du Shitong
Published: April 2019

Model-free reinforcement learning is a powerful and efficient machine-learning paradigm which has been generally used in the robotic control domain. In the reinforcement learning setting, the value function method learns policies by maximizing the state-action value (Q value), but it suffers from inaccurate Q estimation and results in poor performance in a stochastic environment. To mitigate this issue, we present an approach based on the actor-critic framework, and in the critic branch we modify the manner of estimating Q-value by introducing the advantage function, such as dueling network, which can estimate the action-advantage value. The action-advantage value is independent of state and environment noise, we use it as a fine-tuning factor to the estimated Q value. We refer to this approach as the actor-dueling-critic (ADC) network since the frame is inspired by the dueling network. Furthermore, we redesign the dueling network part in the critic branch to make it adapt to the continuous action space. The method was tested on gym classic control environments and an obstacle avoidance environment, and we design a noise environment to test the training stability. The results indicate the ADC approach is more stable and converges faster than the DDPG method in noise environments.
Monitoring Systems and Numerical Models to Study Coastal Sites
Authors: Armenio Elvira , Ben Meftah Mouldi , De Padova Diana , De Serio Francesca , Mossa Michele
Published: April 2019

The present work aims at illustrating how the joint use of monitoring data and numerical models can be beneficial in understanding coastal processes. In the first part, we show and discuss an annual dataset provided by a monitoring system installed in a vulnerable coastal basin located in Southern Italy, subjected to human and industrial pressures. The collected data have been processed and analysed to detect the temporal evolution of the most representative parameters of the inspected site and have been compared with recordings from previous years to investigate recursive trends. In the second part, to demonstrate to what extent such type of monitoring actions is necessary and useful, the same data have been used to calibrate and run a 3D hydrodynamic model. After this, a reliable circulation pattern in the basin has been reproduced. Successively, an oil pollution transport model has been added to the hydrodynamic model, with the aim to present the response of the basin to some hypothetical cases of oil spills, caused by a ship failure. It is evident that the profitable prediction of the hydrodynamic processes and the transport and dispersion of contaminants strictly depends on the quality and reliability of the input data as well as on the calibration made.
Validity and Reliability of Wearable Sensors for Joint Angle Estimation: A Systematic Review
Authors: Poitras Isabelle , Dupuis Frédérique , Bielmann Mathieu , Campeau-Lecours Alexandre , Mercier Catherine , Bouyer Laurent , Roy Jean-Sébastien
Published: April 2019

Motion capture systems are recognized as the gold standard for joint angle calculation. However, studies using these systems are restricted to laboratory settings for technical reasons, which may lead to findings that are not representative of real-life context. Recently developed commercial and home-made inertial measurement sensors (M/IMU) are potentially good alternatives to the laboratory-based systems, and recent technology improvements required a synthesis of the current evidence. The aim of this systematic review was to determine the criterion validity and reliability of M/IMU for each body joint and for tasks of different levels of complexity. Five different databases were screened (Pubmed, Cinhal, Embase, Ergonomic abstract, and Compendex). Two evaluators performed independent selection, quality assessment (consensus-based standards for the selection of health measurement instruments [COSMIN] and quality appraisal tools), and data extraction. Forty-two studies were included. Reported validity varied according to task complexity (higher validity for simple tasks) and the joint evaluated (better validity for lower limb joints). More studies on reliability are needed to make stronger conclusions, as the number of studies addressing this psychometric property was limited. M/IMU should be considered as a valid tool to assess whole body range of motion, but further studies are needed to standardize technical procedures to obtain more accurate data.
Patch Matching and Dense CRF-Based Co-Refinement for Building Change Detection from Bi-Temporal Aerial Images
Authors: Gong Jinqi , Hu Xiangyun , Pang Shiyan , Li Kun
Published: April 2019

The identification and monitoring of buildings from remotely sensed imagery are of considerable value for urbanization monitoring. Two outstanding issues in the detection of changes in buildings with composite structures and relief displacements are heterogeneous appearances and positional inconsistencies. In this paper, a novel patch-based matching approach is developed using densely connected conditional random field (CRF) optimization to detect building changes from bi-temporal aerial images. First, the bi-temporal aerial images are combined to obtain change information using an object-oriented technique, and then semantic segmentation based on a deep convolutional neural network is used to extract building areas. With the change information and extracted buildings, a graph-cuts-based segmentation algorithm is applied to generate the bi-temporal changed building proposals. Next, in the bi-temporal changed building proposals, corner and edge information are integrated for feature detection through a phase congruency (PC) model, and the structural feature descriptor, called the histogram of orientated PC, is used to perform patch-based roof matching. We determined the final change in buildings by gathering matched roof and bi-temporal changed building proposals using co-refinement based on CRF, which were further classified as “newly built,” “demolished”, or “changed”. Experiments were conducted with two typical datasets covering complex urban scenes with diverse building types. The results confirm the effectiveness and generality of the proposed algorithm, with more than 85% and 90% in overall accuracy and completeness, respectively.
Tuning Multiple Fano Resonances for On-Chip Sensors in a Plasmonic System
Authors: Yu Shilin , Zhao Tonggang , Yu Jianguo , Pan Dafa
Published: April 2019

This paper proposed a plasmonic resonator system, consisting of a metal-insulator-metal structure and two stubs, and a Fano resonance arose in its transmittance, which resulted from the coupling between the two stubs. On the basis of the proposed structure, a circle and a ring cavity are separately added above the stubs to create different coupled plasmonic structures, providing triple and quadruple Fano resonances, respectively. Additionally, by adjusting the geometric parameters of the system, multiple Fano Resonances obtained can be tuned. The proposed structure can be served as a high efficient refractive index sensor, yielding a sensitivity of 2000 nm/RIU and figure of merit (FOM) of 4.05 × 10 4 and performing better than most of the similar structures. It is believed that the proposed structure may support substantial applications for on-chip sensors, slow light and nonlinear devices in highly integrated photonic circuits.
Portable System for Monitoring and Controlling Driver Behavior and the Use of a Mobile Phone While Driving
Authors: Khandakar Amith , Chowdhury Muhammad E.H. , Ahmed Rashid , Dhib Ahmed , Mohammed Mohammed , Al-Emadi Nasser Ahmed M A , Michelson Dave
Published: April 2019

There is an utmost requirement for technology to control a driver’s phone while driving, which will prevent the driver from being distracted and thus saving the driver’s and passenger’s lives. Information from recent studies has shown that 70% of the young and aware drivers are used to texting while driving. There are many different technologies used to control mobile phones while driving, including electronic device control, global positioning system (GPS), on-board diagnostics (OBD)-II-based devices, mobile phone applications or apps, etc. These devices acquire the vehicle information such as the car speed and use the information to control the driver’s phone such as preventing them from making or receiving calls at specific speed limits. The information from the devices is interfaced via Bluetooth and can later be used to control mobile phone applications. The main aim of this paper is to propose the design of a portable system for monitoring the use of a mobile phone while driving and for controlling a driver’s mobile phone, if necessary, when the vehicle reaches a specific speed limit (>10 km/h). A paper-based self-reported questionnaire survey was carried out among 600 teenage drivers from different nationalities to see the driving behavior of young drivers in Qatar. Finally, a mobile application was developed to monitor the mobile usage of a driver and an OBD-II module-based portable system was designed to acquire data from the vehicle to identify drivers’ behavior with respect to phone usage, sudden lane changes, and abrupt breaking/sharp speeding. This information was used in a mobile application to control the driver’s mobile usage as well as to report the driving behavior while driving. The application of such a system can significantly improve drivers’ behavior all over the world.
3-D Image-Driven Morphological Crop Analysis: A Novel Method for Detection of Sunflower Broomrape Initial Subsoil Parasitism
Authors: Lati Ran Nisim , Filin Sagi , Elnashef Bashar , Eizenberg Hanan
Published: April 2019

Effective control of the parasitic weed sunflower broomrape (Orobanche cumana Wallr.) can be achieved by herbicides application in early parasitism stages. However, the growing environmental concerns associated with herbicide treatments have motivated the adoption of precise chemical control approaches that detect and treat infested areas exclusively. The main challenge in developing such control practices for O. cumana lies in the fact that most of its life-cycle occurs in the soil sub-surface and by the time shoots emerge and become observable, the damage to the crop is irreversible. This paper approaches early O. cumana detection by hypothesizing that its parasitism already impacts the host plant morphology at the sub-soil surface developmental stage. To validate this hypothesis, O. cumana- infested sunflower and non-infested control plants were grown in pots and imaged weekly over 45-day period. Three-dimensional plant models were reconstructed using image-based multi-view stereo followed by derivation of their morphological parameters, down to the organ-level. Among the parameters estimated, height and first internode length were the earliest definitive indicators of infection. Furthermore, the detection timing of both parameters was early enough for herbicide post-emergence application. Considering the fact that 3-D morphological modeling is nondestructive, is based on commercially available RGB sensors and can be used under natural illumination; this approach holds potential contribution for site specific pre-emergence managements of parasitic weeds and as a phenotyping tool in O. cumana resistant sunflower breeding projects.
Development of an Active High-Speed 3-D Vision System
Authors: Namiki Akio , Shimada Keitaro , Kin Yusuke , Ishii Idaku
Published: April 2019

High-speed recognition of the shape of a target object is indispensable for robots to perform various kinds of dexterous tasks in real time. In this paper, we propose a high-speed 3-D sensing system with active target-tracking. The system consists of a high-speed camera head and a high-speed projector, which are mounted on a two-axis active vision system. By measuring a projected coded pattern, 3-D measurement at a rate of 500 fps was achieved. The measurement range was increased as a result of the active tracking, and the shape of the target was accurately observed even when it moved quickly. In addition, to obtain the position and orientation of the target, 500 fps real-time model matching was achieved.
Peak Detection Algorithm for Vital Sign Detection Using Doppler Radar Sensors
Authors: Kim Ju-Yeon , Park Jae-Hyun , Jang Se-Young , Yang Jong-Ryul
Published: April 2019

An accurate method for detecting vital signs obtained from a Doppler radar sensor is proposed. A Doppler radar sensor can remotely obtain vital signs such as heartbeat and respiration rate, but the vital signs obtained by using the sensor do not show clear peaks like in electrocardiography (ECG) because of the operating characteristics of the radar. The proposed peak detection algorithm extracts the vital signs from the raw data. The algorithm shows the mean accuracy of 96.78% compared to the peak count from the reference ECG sensor and a processing time approximately two times faster than the gradient-based algorithm. To verify whether heart rate variability (HRV) analysis similar to that with an ECG sensor is possible for a radar sensor when applying the proposed method, the continuous parameter variations of the HRV in the time domain are analyzed using data processed with the proposed peak detection algorithm. Experimental results with six subjects show that the proposed method can obtain the heart rate with high accuracy but cannot obtain the information for an HRV analysis because the proposed method cannot overcome the characteristics of the radar sensor itself.
Vision-Based Robot Navigation through Combining Unsupervised Learning and Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Zhou Xiaomao , Bai Tao , Gao Yanbin , Han Yuntao
Published: April 2019

Extensive studies have shown that many animals’ capability of forming spatial representations for self-localization, path planning, and navigation relies on the functionalities of place and head-direction (HD) cells in the hippocampus. Although there are numerous hippocampal modeling approaches, only a few span the wide functionalities ranging from processing raw sensory signals to planning and action generation. This paper presents a vision-based navigation system that involves generating place and HD cells through learning from visual images, building topological maps based on learned cell representations and performing navigation using hierarchical reinforcement learning. First, place and HD cells are trained from sequences of visual stimuli in an unsupervised learning fashion. A modified Slow Feature Analysis (SFA) algorithm is proposed to learn different cell types in an intentional way by restricting their learning to separate phases of the spatial exploration. Then, to extract the encoded metric information from these unsupervised learning representations, a self-organized learning algorithm is adopted to learn over the emerged cell activities and to generate topological maps that reveal the topology of the environment and information about a robot’s head direction, respectively. This enables the robot to perform self-localization and orientation detection based on the generated maps. Finally, goal-directed navigation is performed using reinforcement learning in continuous state spaces which are represented by the population activities of place cells. In particular, considering that the topological map provides a natural hierarchical representation of the environment, hierarchical reinforcement learning (HRL) is used to exploit this hierarchy to accelerate learning. The HRL works on different spatial scales, where a high-level policy learns to select subgoals and a low-level policy learns over primitive actions to specialize on the selected subgoals. Experimental results demonstrate that our system is able to navigate a robot to the desired position effectively, and the HRL shows a much better learning performance than the standard RL in solving our navigation tasks.
Photovoltaic Energy Harvesting System Adapted for Different Environmental Operation Conditions: Analysis, Modeling, Simulation and Selection of Devices
Authors: Pozo Borja , Garate José Ignacio , Araujo José Ángel , Ferreiro Susana
Published: April 2019

The present research work proposes a photovoltaic energy harvester and an appropriate direct current (DC)/DC converter for a harvesting system after the study of the devices and taking the operation conditions. Parameters such as power, efficiency and voltage are taken into account under different environment conditions of illumination and temperature in order to obtain the best possible response. For this reason, suitable metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), diode, coil, frequency, duty-cycle and load are selected and analyzed for a DC/DC converter with boost architecture.
Detection and Classification of Root and Butt-Rot (RBR) in Stumps of Norway Spruce Using RGB Images and Machine Learning
Authors: Ostovar Ahmad , Talbot Bruce , Puliti Stefano , Astrup Rasmus , Ringdahl Ola
Published: April 2019

Root and butt-rot (RBR) has a significant impact on both the material and economic outcome of timber harvesting, and therewith on the individual forest owner and collectively on the forest and wood processing industries. An accurate recording of the presence of RBR during timber harvesting would enable a mapping of the location and extent of the problem, providing a basis for evaluating spread in a climate anticipated to enhance pathogenic growth in the future. Therefore, a system to automatically identify and detect the presence of RBR would constitute an important contribution to addressing the problem without increasing workload complexity for the machine operator. In this study, we developed and evaluated an approach based on RGB images to automatically detect tree stumps and classify them as to the absence or presence of rot. Furthermore, since knowledge of the extent of RBR is valuable in categorizing logs, we also classify stumps into three classes of infestation; rot = 0%, 0% < rot < 50% and rot ≥ 50%. In this work we used deep-learning approaches and conventional machine-learning algorithms for detection and classification tasks. The results showed that tree stumps were detected with precision rate of 95% and recall of 80%. Using only the correct output (TP) of the stump detector, stumps without and with RBR were correctly classified with accuracy of 83.5% and 77.5%, respectively. Classifying rot into three classes resulted in 79.4%, 72.4%, and 74.1% accuracy for stumps with rot = 0%, 0% < rot < 50%, and rot ≥ 50%, respectively. With some modifications, the developed algorithm could be used either during the harvesting operation to detect RBR regions on the tree stumps or as an RBR detector for post-harvest assessment of tree stumps and logs.
Prediction of the Biogenic Amines Index of Poultry Meat Using an Electronic Nose
Authors: Wojnowski Wojciech , Kalinowska Kaja , Majchrzak Tomasz , Płotka-Wasylka Justyna , Namieśnik Jacek
Published: April 2019

The biogenic amines index of fresh chicken meat samples during refrigerated storage was predicted based on the headspace analysis using an electronic nose equipped with an array of electrochemical sensors. The reference biogenic amines index values were obtained using dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. A prototype electronic nose with modular construction and a dedicated sample chamber was used to rapidly analyze the volatile fraction of chicken meat samples, with a single measurement time of five minutes. Back-propagation artificial neural network was used to estimate the biogenic amines index of the samples with a determination coefficient of 0.954 based on ten-fold stratified cross-validation. The results indicate that the determination of the biogenic amines index is a good reference method for studies in which the freshness of meat products is assessed based on headspace analysis and fingerprinting, and that the described electronic device can be used to assess poultry meat freshness based on this value with high accuracy.