bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Somatic Embryogenesis and Plant Regeneration from Commercial Soybean Cultivars
Authors: Raza Ghulam , Singh Mohan B. , Bhalla Prem L.
Published: December 2019

The efficient regeneration of plants from commercial genotypes is a pre-requisite for successful genetic transformation, to apply modern crop improvement techniques such as CRISPR-based genome editing. Plant regeneration through the somatic embryogenesis pathway offers an advantage over the organogenesis approach, avoiding the risk of developing chimeras. Plant genotype, explant type, and media compositions play an essential role in the in-vitro regeneration of plants. This study aimed to characterize the commercially grown Australian soybean genotypes for their potential to induce somatic embryos, embryo proliferation, maturation, germination, and plant regeneration. Overall, nine soybean cultivars belonging to different maturity groups were evaluated. Immature cotyledon ranging from 2–4 and 4–6 mm in size were used as explants for somatic embryogenesis induction. Maximum somatic embryo induction frequency (86%) was observed from 4–6 mm immature cotyledons of the cv. Jack (MG III), followed by 66%, 26%, 21%, and 6% in cultivars Williams (MG III), Snowy (MG III), MoonB1 (MG V), and PNR791 (MG V), respectively. On the other hand, cv. Snowy showed maximum somatic-embryo-inducing potential (67%) in 2–4 mm immature cotyledons followed by Williams, Jack, MoonB1, and PNR791. Somatic embryos from Jack, Williams, and Snowy cultivars were further tested for embryo proliferation, maturation, and germination. Maximum proliferation and maturation were observed in cv. Jack, followed by Snowy and Williams. However, cv. Snowy showed a significantly higher conversion of cotyledonary stage embryos to plantlets (85%), than both Jack and Williams cultivars (53% each). In conclusion, this study outlined a protocol for somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from three soybean cultivars. Our findings suggest commercial cv. Snowy could be a good candidate for developing transgenic plants through somatic embryogenesis.
The Progression of Xylem Vessel Cell Differentiation is Dependent on the Activity Level of VND7 in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Hirai Risaku , Higaki Takumi , Takenaka Yuto , Sakamoto Yuki , Hasegawa Junko , Matsunaga Sachihiro , Demura Taku , Ohtani Misato
Published: December 2019

Xylem vessels are important for water conduction in vascular plants. The VASCULAR-RELATED NAC-DOMAIN (VND) family proteins, master regulators of xylem vessel cell differentiation in Arabidopsis thaliana, can upregulate a set of genes required for xylem vessel cell differentiation, including those involved in secondary cell wall (SCW) formation and programmed cell death (PCD); however, it is not fully understood how VND activity levels influence these processes. Here, we examined the Arabidopsis VND7-VP16-GR line, in which VND7 activity is post-translationally activated by treatments with different concentrations of dexamethasone (DEX), a synthetic glucocorticoid. Our observations showed that 1 nM DEX induced weak SCW deposition, but not PCD, whereas 10 or 100 nM DEX induced both SCW deposition and PCD. The decreased chlorophyll contents and SCW deposition were apparent after 24 h of 100 nM DEX treatment, but became evident only after 48 h of 10 nM DEX treatment. Moreover, the lower DEX concentrations delayed the upregulation of VND7 downstream genes, and decreased their induction levels. They collectively suggest that the regulation of VND activity is important not only to initiate xylem vessel cell differentiation, but also regulate the quality of the xylem vessels through VND-activity-dependent upregulation of the PCD- and SCW-related genes.
Amphiphilic Block Copolymers Bearing Hydrophobic γ-Tocopherol Groups with Labile Acetal Bond
Authors: Yukioka Shotaro , Kitadume Takuya , Chatterjee Suchismita , Ning Gan , Ooya Tooru , Yusa Shin-ichi
Published: December 2019

High concentrations of γ-tocopherol (γTCP) tend to show antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects. In this study, we prepared polymer micelles under acidic conditions with a controlled release of γTCP due to the decomposition of pendant acetal bonds. First, a precursor diblock copolymer composed of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and acrylic acid (AA) was prepared. This was followed by the synthesis of an amphiphilic diblock copolymer (PEG54-P(AA/VE6/γTCP29)140), incorporated into hydrophobic γTCP pendant groups attached to the main chain through an acetal bond. The prepared PEG54-P(AA/VE6/γTCP29)140 was further dispersed in water to form polymer micelles composed of hydrophobic cores that were generated from a hydrophobic block containing γTCPs and hydrophilic shells on the surface. Under acidic conditions, γTCP was then released from the core of the polymer micelles due to the decomposition of the pendant acetal bonds. In addition, polymer micelles swelled under acidic conditions due to hydration of the core.
Modification of PMMA Cements for Cranioplasty with Bioactive Glass and Copper Doped Tricalcium Phosphate Particles
Authors: Russo Teresa , De Santis Roberto , Gloria Antonio , Barbaro Katia , Altigeri Annalisa , Fadeeva Inna , Rau Julietta
Published: December 2019

Cranioplasty represents the surgical repair of bone defects or deformities in the cranium arising from traumatic skull bone fracture, cranial bone deformities, bone cancer, and infections. The actual gold standard in surgery procedures for cranioplasty involves the use of biocompatible materials, and repair or regeneration of large cranial defects is particularly challenging from both a functional and aesthetic point of view. PMMA-based bone cement are the most widely biomaterials adopted in the field, with at least four different surgical approaches. Modifications for improving biological and mechanical functions of PMMA-based bone cement have been suggested. To this aim, the inclusion of antibiotics to prevent infection has been shown to provide a reduction of mechanical properties in bending. Therefore, the development of novel antibacterial active agents to overcome issues related to mechanical properties and bacterial resistance to antibiotics is still encouraged. In this context, mechanical, biological, and antibacterial feature against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus bacterial strains of surgical PMMA cement modified with BG and recently developed Cu-TCP bioactive particles have been highlighted.
Preparation and Characterization of Bio-Based PLA/PBAT and Cinnamon Essential Oil Polymer Fibers and Life-Cycle Assessment from Hydrolytic Degradation
Authors: Correa-Pacheco Zormy Nacary , Black-Solís Jaime Daniel , Ortega-Gudiño Pedro , Sabino-Gutiérrez Marcos Antonio , Benítez-Jiménez José Jesús , Barajas-Cervantes Alfonso , Bautista-Baños Silvia , Hurtado-Colmenares Liliana Beyalith
Published: December 2019

Nowadays, the need to reduce the dependence on fuel products and to achieve a sustainable development is of special importance due to environmental concerns. Therefore, new alternatives must be sought. In this work, extruded fibers from poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) added with cinnamon essential oil (CEO) were prepared and characterized, and the hydrolytic degradation was assessed. A two-phase system was observed with spherical particles of PBAT embedded in the PLA matrix. The thermal analysis showed partial miscibility between PLA and PBAT. Mechanically, Young’s modulus decreased and the elongation at break increased with the incorporation of PBAT and CEO into the blends. The variation in weight loss for the fibers was below 5% during the period of hydrolytic degradation studied with the most important changes at 37 °C and pH 8.50. From microscopy, the formation of cracks in the fiber surface was evidenced, especially for PLA fibers in alkaline medium at 37 °C. This study shows the importance of the variables that influence the performance of polyester-cinnamon essential oil-based fibers in agro-industrial applications for horticultural product preservation.
Trends in Polymers 2017/2018: Polymer Synthesis
Authors: Schmidt Bernhard V.K.J.
Published: December 2019

Polymer synthesis is a substantial area in polymer science and marks the starting point for all sorts of polymer materials that have a plethora of applications in everyday life but also in academic research [...]
Risk Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements Pollution from Mineral Processing Steps at Xikuangshan Antimony Plant, Hunan, China
Authors: Zhou Saijun , Deng Renjian , Hursthouse Andrew
Published: December 2019

We evaluated the direct release to the environment of a number of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) from various processing nodes at Xikuangshan Antimony Mine in Hunan Province, China. Sampling wastewater, processing dust, and solid waste and characterizing PTE content (major elements Sb, As, Zn, and associated Hg, Pb, and Cd) from processing activities, we extrapolated findings to assess wider environmental significance using the pollution index and the potential ecological risk index. The Sb, As, and Zn in wastewater from the antimony benefication industry and a wider group of PTEs in the fine ore bin were significantly higher than their reference values. The content of Sb, As, and Zn in tailings were relatively high, with the average value being 2674, 1040, and 590 mg·kg−1, respectively. The content of PTEs in the surface soils surrounding the tailings was similar to that in tailings, and much higher than the background values. The results of the pollution index evaluation of the degree of pollution by PTEs showed that while dominated by Sb, some variation in order of significance was seen namely for: (1) The ore processing wastewater Sb > Pb > As > Zn > Hg > Cd, (2) in dust Sb > As > Cd > Pb > Hg > Zn, and (3) surface soil (near tailings) Sb > Hg > Cd > As > Zn > Pb. From the assessment of the potential ecological risk index, the levels were most significant at the three dust generation nodes and in the soil surrounding the tailings reservoir.
Multi-Response Optimization of Nanofluid-Based I. C. Engine Cooling System Using Fuzzy PIV Method
Authors: Seraj Mohd , Yahya Syed Mohd , Badruddin Irfan Anjum , Anqi Ali E. , Asjad Mohammad , Khan Zahid A.
Published: December 2019

Effective cooling of the internal combustion (I. C.) engines is of utmost importance for their improved performance. Automotive heat exchangers used as radiator with low efficiency in the industry may pose a serious threat to the engines. Thus, thermal scientists and engineers are always looking for modern methods to boost the heat extraction from the engine. A novel idea of using nanofluids for engine cooling has been in the news for some time now, as they have huge potential because of better thermal properties, strength, compactness, etc. Nanofluids are expected to replace the conventional fluids such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, water etc. due to performance and environmental concerns. Overall performance of the engine cooling system depends on several input parameters and therefore they need to be optimised to achieve an optimum performance. This study is focussed on developing a nanofluid engine cooling system (NFECS) where Al2O3 nanoparticles mixed with ethylene glycol (EG) and water is used as nanofluid. Furthermore, it also explores the effect of four important input parameters of the NFECS i.e., nanofluid inlet temperature, engine load, nanofluid flow rate, and nanoparticle concentration on its five attributes (output responses) viz thermal conductivity of the nanofluid, heat transfer coefficient, viscosity of the nanofluid, engine pumping power required to pump the desired amount of the nanofluid, and stability of the nanofluid. Taguchi’s L18 orthogonal array is used as the design of experiment to collect experimental data. Weighting factors are determined for output responses using the Triangular fuzzy numbers (TFN) and optimal setting of the input parameters is obtained using a novel fuzzy proximity index value (FPIV) method.
“Jewish Mindfulness” as Spiritual Didactics Teaching Orthodox Jewish Religion through Mindfulness Meditation
Authors: Niculescu Mira
Published: December 2019

Since the late 1990s, the expression “Jewish Mindfulness” has become ubiquitous in Jewish community centers (JCCs) and synagogues in America, in Israel, and in the Western diaspora. “Mindfulness”, a secular meditation technique originating from Buddhism which has been popularized in Western culture through its recontextualization within the Western therapeutic culture, has been increasingly used in Jewish Religious settings, including Modern Orthodox. How do Modern Orthodox rabbis describe their use of “Mindfulness” in their religious teachings? Why do they refer to Mindfulness Meditation rather than to Jewish Meditation? In this article, I comparatively analyze the discourses spoken—online, and in print—of American rabbis from various Modern Orthodox trends as a case to study strategies of adaptation in the current context of globalization. By identifying three types of use of Mindfulness—through, and or as Judaism—I seek to highlight the various ways in which today’s Orthodox educators use “Mindfulness”, both as a meditation technique and as a spiritual mindset, and how this is reshaping the way they teach Jewish religion. Observing contemporary Orthodox discourses on Mindfulness within Jewish religious pedagogy can help us better understand the processes of cultural appropriation and translation as well as religious change in the making, as part of a boundary maintenance work within today’s cosmopolitan cultures.
Introduction: Political Theology, or the Formations of Pluralism
Authors: Rivera Joseph
Published: December 2019

The need for political theology to refine its scope, and—ultimately—to arrive at a place where it might enjoy full ownership over its public voice, grows more urgent by the moment in our fraught globalized climate [...]
A Deep Hashing Technique for Remote Sensing Image-Sound Retrieval
Authors: Chen Yaxiong , Lu Xiaoqiang
Published: December 2019

With the rapid progress of remote sensing (RS) observation technologies, cross-modal RS image-sound retrieval has attracted some attention in recent years. However, these methods perform cross-modal image-sound retrieval by leveraging high-dimensional real-valued features, which can require more storage than low-dimensional binary features (i.e., hash codes). Moreover, these methods cannot directly encode relative semantic similarity relationships. To tackle these issues, we propose a new, deep, cross-modal RS image-sound hashing approach, called deep triplet-based hashing (DTBH), to integrate hash code learning and relative semantic similarity relationship learning into an end-to-end network. Specially, the proposed DTBH method designs a triplet selection strategy to select effective triplets. Moreover, in order to encode relative semantic similarity relationships, we propose the objective function, which makes sure that that the anchor images are more similar to the positive sounds than the negative sounds. In addition, a triplet regularized loss term leverages approximate l1-norm of hash-like codes and hash codes and can effectively reduce the information loss between hash-like codes and hash codes. Extensive experimental results showed that the DTBH method could achieve a superior performance to other state-of-the-art cross-modal image-sound retrieval methods. For a sound query RS image task, the proposed approach achieved a mean average precision (mAP) of up to 60.13% on the UCM dataset, 87.49% on the Sydney dataset, and 22.72% on the RSICD dataset. For RS image query sound task, the proposed approach achieved a mAP of 64.27% on the UCM dataset, 92.45% on the Sydney dataset, and 23.46% on the RSICD dataset. Future work will focus on how to consider the balance property of hash codes to improve image-sound retrieval performance.
Convolutional Neural Network for Remote-Sensing Scene Classification: Transfer Learning Analysis
Authors: Pires de Lima Rafael , Marfurt Kurt
Published: December 2019

Remote-sensing image scene classification can provide significant value, ranging from forest fire monitoring to land-use and land-cover classification. Beginning with the first aerial photographs of the early 20th century to the satellite imagery of today, the amount of remote-sensing data has increased geometrically with a higher resolution. The need to analyze these modern digital data motivated research to accelerate remote-sensing image classification. Fortunately, great advances have been made by the computer vision community to classify natural images or photographs taken with an ordinary camera. Natural image datasets can range up to millions of samples and are, therefore, amenable to deep-learning techniques. Many fields of science, remote sensing included, were able to exploit the success of natural image classification by convolutional neural network models using a technique commonly called transfer learning. We provide a systematic review of transfer learning application for scene classification using different datasets and different deep-learning models. We evaluate how the specialization of convolutional neural network models affects the transfer learning process by splitting original models in different points. As expected, we find the choice of hyperparameters used to train the model has a significant influence on the final performance of the models. Curiously, we find transfer learning from models trained on larger, more generic natural images datasets outperformed transfer learning from models trained directly on smaller remotely sensed datasets. Nonetheless, results show that transfer learning provides a powerful tool for remote-sensing scene classification.
Feasibility Study on Hyperspectral LiDAR for Ancient Huizhou-Style Architecture Preservation
Authors: Shao Hui , Chen Yuwei , Yang Zhirong , Jiang Changhui , Li Wei , Wu Haohao , Wang Shaowei , Yang Fan , Chen Jie , Puttonen Eetu , Hyyppä Juha
Published: December 2019

Huizhou-style ancient architecture was one of the most important genres of architectural heritage in China. The architecture employed bricks, woods, and stones as raw materials, and timber frames were significant structures. Due to the drawback that the timbers were vulnerable to moisture and atmospheric agents, ancient timber buildings needed frequent protective interventions to maintain its good condition. Such interventions unavoidably disrupted the consistency between the original timber components. Besides this, the modifications brought about difficulty in correctly analysing and judging the state of existing ancient buildings, which, in current preservation practices, mainly rely on the expertise of skilled craftsmen to classify wood species and to identify the building-age of the timber components. Therefore, the industry and the research community urgently need a technique to rapidly and accurately classify wood materials and to discriminate building-age. In the paper, we designed an eye-safe 81-channel hyperspectral LiDAR (HSL) to tackle these issues. The HSL used an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) as a spectral bandpass filter, offering the HSL measurements with 5 nm spectral resolution. Based on the HSL measurements, we analysed the relationship between the surface and cross-section spectral profiles of timber components from different ancient architectures built in the early Qing dynasty (~300 years), late Qing dynasty (~100 years), and nowadays, and confirmed the feasibility of using surface spectra of timber components for classification purpose. We classified building-ages and wood species with multiple Naive Bayes (NB) and support vector machine (SVM) classifiers by the surface spectra of timber components; this also unveiled the possibility of classifying gnawed timber components from its spectra for the first time. The encouraging experimental results supported that the AOTF-HSL is feasible for historic timber building preservation.
In Situ Growth of CuWO4 Nanospheres over Graphene Oxide for Photoelectrochemical (PEC) Immunosensing of Clinical Biomarker
Authors: Abbas Zaheer , Soomro Razium Ali , Kalwar Nazar Hussain , Tunesi Mawada , Willander Magnus , Karakuş Selcan , Kilislioğlu Ayben
Published: December 2019

Procalcitonin (PCT) protein has recently been identified as a clinical marker for bacterial infections based on its better sepsis sensitivity. Thus, an increased level of PCT could be linked with disease diagnosis and therapeutics. In this study, we describe the construction of the photoelectrochemical (PEC) PCT immunosensing platform based on it situ grown photo-active CuWO4 nanospheres over reduced graphene oxide layers (CuWO4@rGO). The in situ growth strategy enabled the formation of small nanospheres (diameter of 200 nm), primarily composed of tiny self-assembled CuWO4 nanoparticles (2–5 nm). The synergic coupling of CuWO4 with rGO layers constructed an excellent photo-active heterojunction for photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensing. The platform was then considered for electrocatalytic (EC) mechanism-based detection of PCT, where inhibition of the photocatalytic oxidation signal of ascorbic acid (AA), subsequent to the antibody–antigen interaction, was recorded as the primary signal response. This inhibition detection approach enabled sensitive detection of PCT in a concentration range of 10 pg·mL−1 to 50 ng.mL−1 with signal sensitivity achievable up to 0.15 pg·mL−1. The proposed PEC hybrid (CuWO4@rGO) could further be engineered to detect other clinically important species.
High-Performance Gas Sensor of Polyaniline/Carbon Nanotube Composites Promoted by Interface Engineering
Authors: Zhang Weiyu , Cao Shuai , Wu Zhaofeng , Zhang Min , Cao Yali , Guo Jixi , Zhong Furu , Duan Haiming , Jia Dianzeng
Published: December 2019

Inspired by the enhanced gas-sensing performance by the one-dimensional hierarchical structure, one-dimensional hierarchical polyaniline/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (PANI/CNT) fibers were prepared. Interestingly, the simple heating changed the sensing characteristics of PANI from p-type to n-type and n-type PANI and p-type CNTs form p–n hetero junctions at the core–shell interface of hierarchical PANI/CNT composites. The p-type PANI/CNT (p-PANI/CNT) and n-type PANI/CNT (n-PANI/CNT) performed the higher sensitivity to NO2 and NH3, respectively. The response times of p-PANI/CNT and n-PANI/CNT to 50 ppm of NO2 and NH3 are only 5.2 and 1.8 s, respectively, showing the real-time response. The estimated limit of detection for NO2 and NH3 is as low as to 16.7 and 6.4 ppb, respectively. After three months, the responses of p-PANI/CNT and n-PANI/CNT decreased by 19.1% and 11.3%, respectively. It was found that one-dimensional hierarchical structures and the deeper charge depletion layer enhanced by structural changes of PANI contributed to the sensitive and fast responses to NH3 and NO2. The formation process of the hierarchical PANI/CNT fibers, p–n transition, and the enhanced gas-sensing performance were systematically analyzed. This work also predicts the development prospects of cost-effective, high-performance PANI/CNT-based sensors.
A Hybrid Method for Predicting Traffic Congestion during Peak Hours in the Subway System of Shenzhen
Authors: Luo Zhenwei , Zhang Yu , Li Lin , He Biao , Li Chengming , Zhu Haihong , Wang Wei , Ying Shen , Xi Yuliang
Published: December 2019

Traffic congestion, especially during peak hours, has become a challenge for transportation systems in many metropolitan areas, and such congestion causes delays and negative effects for passengers. Many studies have examined the prediction of congestion; however, these studies focus mainly on road traffic, and subway transit, which is the main form of transportation in densely populated cities, such as Tokyo, Paris, and Beijing and Shenzhen in China, has seldom been examined. This study takes Shenzhen as a case study for predicting congestion in a subway system during peak hours and proposes a hybrid method that combines a static traffic assignment model with an agent-based dynamic traffic simulation model to estimate recurrent congestion in this subway system. The homes and work places of the residents in this city are collected and taken to represent the traffic demand for the subway system of Shenzhen. An origin-destination (OD) matrix derived from the data is used as an input in this method of predicting traffic, and the traffic congestion is presented in simulations. To evaluate the predictions, data on the congestion condition of subway segments that are released daily by the Shenzhen metro operation microblog are used as a reference, and a comparative analysis indicates the appropriateness of the proposed method. This study could be taken as an example for similar studies that model subway traffic in other cities.
Audio Guide for Visually Impaired People Based on Combination of Stereo Vision and Musical Tones
Authors: Simões Walter C. S. S. , Silva Yuri M. L. R. , Pio José Luiz de S. , Jazdi Nasser , F. de Lucena Vicente
Published: December 2019

Indoor navigation systems offer many application possibilities for people who need information about the scenery and the possible fixed and mobile obstacles placed along the paths. In these systems, the main factors considered for their construction and evaluation are the level of accuracy and the delivery time of the information. However, it is necessary to notice obstacles placed above the user’s waistline to avoid accidents and collisions. In this paper, different methodologies are associated to define a hybrid navigation model called iterative pedestrian dead reckoning (i-PDR). i-PDR combines the PDR algorithm with a Kalman linear filter to correct the location, reducing the system’s margin of error iteratively. Obstacle perception was addressed through the use of stereo vision combined with a musical sounding scheme and spoken instructions that covered an angle of 120 degrees in front of the user. The results obtained in the margin of error and the maximum processing time are 0.70 m and 0.09 s, respectively, with obstacles at ground level and suspended with an accuracy equivalent to 90%.
Application of Piezo-Based Measuring System for Evaluation of Nucleic Acid-Based Drugs Influencing the Coagulation
Authors: Kunnakattu Silju-John , Hann Ludmilla , Kurz Julia , Haag Hanna , Fennrich Stefan , Rauch Nicole , Schlensak Christian , Wendel Hans-Peter , Stoppelkamp Sandra , Avci-Adali Meltem
Published: December 2019

During open-heart surgery, the status of hemostasis has to be constantly monitored to quickly and reliably detect bleeding or coagulation disorders. In this study, a novel optimized piezo-based measuring system (PIEZ) for rheological monitoring of hemostasis was established. The applicability of the PIEZ for the evaluation of nucleic acid-based drugs influencing coagulation was analyzed. Thrombin aptamers such as NU172 might be used during extracorporeal circulation (ECC) in combination with a reduced heparin concentration or for patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). Therefore, the effect of the coagulation inhibiting thrombin aptamer NU172 and the abrogation by its complementary antidote sequence (AD) were investigated by this rheological PIEZ system. After the addition of different NU172 concentrations, the coagulation of fresh human blood was analyzed under static conditions and using an in vitro rotation model under dynamic conditions (simulating ECC). The clotting times (CTs) detected by PIEZ were compared to those obtained with a medical reference device, a ball coagulometer. Additionally, after the circulation of blood samples for 30 min at 37 °C, blood cell numbers, thrombin markers (thrombin-antithrombin III (TAT) and fibrinopeptide A (FPA)) and a platelet activation marker (β-thromboglobulin (β-TG)) were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). The increase of NU172 concentration resulted in prolonged CTs, which were comparable between the reference ball coagulometer and the PIEZ, demonstrating the reliability of the new measuring system. Moreover, by looking at the slope of the linear regression of the viscous and elastic components, PIEZ also could provide information on the kinetics of the coagulation reaction. The shear viscosity at the end of the measurements (after 300 s) was indicative of clot firmness. Furthermore, the PIEZ was able to detect the abrogation of coagulation inhibition after the equimolar addition of NU172 aptamer´s AD. The obtained results showed that the established PIEZ is capable to dynamically measure the hemostasis status in whole blood and can be applied to analyze nucleic acid-based drugs influencing the coagulation.
A Task Scheduling Algorithm for Phased-Array Radar Based on Dynamic Three-Way Decision
Authors: Li Bo , Tian Linyu , Chen Daqing , Han Yue
Published: December 2019

The time resource management of phased-array radars is the key to fulfilling their performance, such as how phased-array radar can efficiently and reasonably schedule tasks under limited resources. Therefore, this paper proposes a task scheduling algorithm for phased-array radar based on dynamic three-way decision. The algorithm introduces three-way decision into the scheduling algorithm and divides the target into three threat areas according to the threat degree (i.e., threat area, nonthreat area, and potential threat area). Different threat domains are assigned different weights and combine the working mode and the task deadline to carry out comprehensive priority planning, so that the radar can reasonably allocate time according to the difference of the target threat level and the threat area in the tracking stage. In addition, an improved adaptive threshold algorithm is proposed to obtain a dynamic three-way decision to achieve the adaptation of the algorithm. A set of performance indicators have been defined to evaluate the algorithm. The relevant experiments have demonstrated that the proposed algorithm can effectively improve the processing capability of phased-array radars when dealing with high-threat targets.
Secure and Blockchain-Based Emergency Driven Message Protocol for 5G Enabled Vehicular Edge Computing
Authors: Nkenyereye Lewis , Adhi Tama Bayu , Shahzad Muhammad K. , Choi Yoon-Ho
Published: December 2019

Basic safety message (BSM) are messages that contain core elements of a vehicle such as vehicle’s size, position, speed, acceleration and others. BSM are lightweight messages that can be regularly broadcast by the vehicles to enable a variety of applications. On the other hand, event-driven message (EDM) are messages generated at the time of occurrence such as accidents or roads sliding and can contain much more heavy elements including pictures, audio or videos. Security, architecture and communication solutions for BSM use cases have been largely documented on in the literature contrary to EDM due to several concerns such as the variant size of EDM, the appropriate architecture along with latency, privacy and security. In this paper, we propose a secure and blockchain based EDM protocol for 5G enabled vehicular edge computing. To offer scalability and latency for the proposed scenario, we adopt a 5G cellular architecture due to its projected features compared to 4G tong-term evaluation (LTE) for vehicular communications. We consider edge computing to provide local processing of EDM that can improve the response time of public agencies (ambulances or rescue teams) that may intervene to the scene. We make use of lightweight multi-receiver signcryption scheme without pairing that offers low time consuming operations, security, privacy and access control. EDM records need to be kept into a distributed system which can guarantee reliability and auditability of EDM. To achieve this, we construct a private blockchain based on the edge nodes to store EDM records. The performance analysis of the proposed protocol confirms its efficiency.
Estimation of Solar Radiation for Tomato Water Requirement Calculation in Chinese-Style Solar Greenhouses Based on Least Mean Squares Filter
Authors: Zhang Dapeng , Zhang Tieyan , Ji Jianwei , Sun Zhouping , Wang Yonggang , Sun Yitong , Li Qingji
Published: December 2019

The area covered by Chinese-style solar greenhouses (CSGs) has been increasing rapidly. However, only a few pyranometers, which are fundamental for solar radiation sensing, have been installed inside CSGs. The lack of solar radiation sensing will bring negative effects in greenhouse cultivation such as over irrigation or under irrigation, and unnecessary power consumption. We aim to provide accurate and low-cost solar radiation estimation methods that are urgently needed. In this paper, a method of estimation of solar radiation inside CSGs based on a least mean squares (LMS) filter is proposed. The water required for tomato growth was also calculated based on the estimated solar radiation. Then, we compared the accuracy of this method to methods based on knowledge of astronomy and geometry for both solar radiation estimation and tomato water requirement. The results showed that the fitting function of estimation data based on the LMS filter and data collected from sensors inside the greenhouse was y = 0.7634x + 50.58, with the evaluation parameters of R2 = 0.8384, rRMSE = 23.1%, RMSE = 37.6 Wm−2, and MAE = 25.4 Wm−2. The fitting function of the water requirement calculated according to the proposed method and data collected from sensors inside the greenhouse was y = 0.8550x + 99.10 with the evaluation parameters of R2 = 0.9123, rRMSE = 8.8%, RMSE = 40.4 mL plant−1, and MAE = 31.5 mL plant−1. The results also indicate that this method is more effective. Additionally, its accuracy decreases as cloud cover increases. The performance is due to the LMS filter’s low pass characteristic that smooth the fluctuations. Furthermore, the LMS filter can be easily implemented on low cost processors. Therefore, the adoption of the proposed method is useful to improve the solar radiation sensing in CSGs with more accuracy and less expense.
Vapor Selectivity of a Natural Photonic Crystal to Binary and Tertiary Mixtures Containing Chemical Warfare Agent Simulants
Authors: Kittle Joshua , Fisher Benjamin , Kunselman Courtney , Morey Aimee , Abel Andrea
Published: December 2019

Vapor sensing via light reflected from photonic crystals has been increasingly studied as a means to rapidly identify analytes, though few studies have characterized vapor mixtures or chemical warfare agent simulants via this technique. In this work, light reflected from the natural photonic crystals found within the wing scales of the Morpho didius butterfly was analyzed after exposure to binary and tertiary mixtures containing dimethyl methylphosphonate, a nerve agent simulant, and dichloropentane, a mustard gas simulant. Distinguishable spectra were generated with concentrations tested as low as 30 ppm and 60 ppm for dimethyl methylphosphonate and dichloropentane, respectively. Individual vapors, as well as mixtures, yielded unique responses over a range of concentrations, though the response of binary and tertiary mixtures was not always found to be additive. Thus, while selective and sensitive to vapor mixtures containing chemical warfare agent simulants, this technique presents challenges to identifying these simulants at a sensitivity level appropriate for their toxicity.
Moving Target Indication for Dual-Channel Circular SAR/GMTI Systems
Authors: Wang Laihe , Li Yueli , Wang Wu , An Daoxiang
Published: December 2019

In a dual-channel circular synthetic aperture radar (CSAR) and ground moving target indication (GMTI) system, the antenna baseline is not parallel with the flight path due to a yaw angle. The angle causes a varying group-phase shift between the dual-channel signals and therefore degrades the correlation between the image pair. Therefore, the group-phase shift needs to be removed before channel equalization. To resolve the problem, the interferometric phase term was deduced and analyzed based on the geometry of a dual-channel CSAR system. Then, the varying phase term with respect to the Doppler frequency and the varying group-phase shift over the range were compensated for in the channel registration. Furthermore, blind channel equalization, including two-dimensional calibration and amplitude equalization, was applied to eliminate the amplitude and residual phase differences between the channels. Finally, the amplitude image obtained using a displaced phase center antenna (DPCA) was multiplied by the phase image obtained with along-track interferometry (ATI) to detect moving targets. The experimental results verified the effectiveness of the method for both uniform and non-uniform clutter suppression.
Correction: Smart Electrochemical Portable Tools for Cultural Heritage Analysis: A Review. Sensors, 2019, 19, 4303
Authors: Valentini Federica
Published: December 2019

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...]
Multiple Vulnerabilities in Medical Settings: Invisible Suffering of Doctors
Authors: Litvina Daria , Novkunskaya Anastasia , Temkina Anna
Published: December 2019

While there is a substantive amount of literature on vulnerability of different kinds of patients in different settings, medical professionals are usually considered as the ones who possess power and gain a privileged position. In this paper, we aim to demonstrate that in a certain context physicians—a social group which is usually referred to as “powerful”—consider themselves vulnerable, and this positioning may influence patients in turn. This perspective highlights the complexity of interactions within medical organizations and contributes to the studies of sensitive topics and vulnerable groups. We conceptualize vulnerability of doctors and discuss what can be problematic in powerful doctors’ position. We describe some features of the post-Soviet context of Russian healthcare system and maternity care, both of which can be conceptualized as a hybrid of legacy of Soviet paternalism and new neoliberal reforms, managerialism and marketization. Empirical research is based on the ethnographic evidence from the study of a Russian perinatal center. In this article, we explore specific “existential” and “moral” vulnerabilities of medical professionals who routinely have to cope with multiple challenges, such as complicated clinical tasks, rigid control of different state bodies and emotional responses of suffering patients. We argue that there is a bond between the vulnerability of doctors and that of patients, whose position becomes more problematic as professionals become more vulnerable. At the end, we discuss methodological and theoretical implications of our research.
Islam, Leprosy, and Disability: How Religion, History, Art, and Storytelling Can Yield New Insights and Acceptance
Authors: Hasnain Rooshey , Queijo Jon , Laher Suheil , Sandahl Carrie
Published: December 2019

Age-old fears and misconceptions about leprosy have flourished for centuries and the condition remains both a socially stigmatizing issue and a public health problem in many parts of the globe. In the context of Islam, only a few personal narratives by Muslims living with leprosy exist, and no one has systematically reviewed accounts of leprosy related disability from early or recent Islamic history, including the Prophet Muhammad’s interactions with individuals living with leprosy. In this article, we present previously untold stories about leprosy, from both English and Arabic sources strongly rooted in Islamic values and principles. After an introduction and brief history of Islam, this article is divided into three main sections: (1) The foundations of early Islamic values about illness, leprosy, and disability; (2) Leprosy and stigma in Islamic communities and/or places; and (3) Art, storytelling, and other expressions by people living with leprosy in various parts of the world. The authors also discuss some of the challenges of defining leprosy terminology based on early historic documents. The overall purpose of this article is to describe historical and religious accounts of leprosy and amplify the collective voices and experiences of Muslims who live with leprosy from a disability studies frame. The authors also introduce the ‘House is Black’, a short documentary that illustrates additional insights and commentary related to disability related leprosy.
Profiling Collapsing Half Marathon Runners—Emerging Risk Factors: Results from Gothenburg Half Marathon
Authors: Khorram-Manesh Amir , Löf Therese , Börjesson Mats , Nilson Finn , Thorsson Sofia , Lindberg Fredrik , Carlström Eric
Published: December 2019

Among several serious medical conditions, arrhythmia and heat stroke are two important causes of death during endurance races. Clinically, collapsing might be the first sign of these serious conditions and may mimic the more common and benign exercise-associated collapse. Several risk factors have been reported in the literature. We aimed to conduct a qualitative study to find a perceived risk profile among runners who collapsed and who were transported by ambulances to the nearest hospital during Gothenburg’s half marathon (2010–2017). Collapsing runners seem to lack the ability to make a decision to withdraw from the contest despite being exhausted. They feel the pain, but are unable to put meaning to their feeling, to adjust their pacing, and to handle other influences. Consequently, they do not overcome the problem or assess the situation. These individual mental characteristics may indicate a unique profile for collapsing runners. Pre-race health control and educational initiatives aiming at mental preparedness and information before endurance races might be a necessary step to avoid life-threatening complications.
Multicriteria ABC Inventory Classification Using the Social Choice Theory
Authors: Liu Fan , Ma Ning
Published: December 2019

The multicriteria ABC inventory classification has been widely adopted by organizations for the purpose of specifying, monitoring, and controlling inventory efficiently. It categorizes the items into three groups based on some certain criteria, such as inventory cost, part criticality, lead time, and commonality. There has been extensive research on such a problem, but few have considered that the judgments about criteria’s importance order usually exhibit a substantial degree of variability. In light of this, we propose a new methodology for handling the multicriteria ABC inventory classification problem using the social choice theory. Specifically, the pessimistic and optimistic results for all possible individual judgments are obtained in a closed-form manner, which are then balanced by the Hurwicz criterion with a “coefficient of optimism”. The CRITIC (Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation) method is used to aggregate the individual judgments into a collective choice, according to which the items are classified into Groups A, B, and C. Through a numerical experiment, we show that the proposed methodology not only considers all possible preferences among the criteria, but also generates flexible classification schemes.
A Residential Load Scheduling with the Integration of On-Site PV and Energy Storage Systems in Micro-Grid
Authors: Ullah Ihsan , Rasheed Muhammad Babar , Alquthami Thamer , Tayyaba Shahzadi
Published: December 2019

The smart grid (SG) has emerged as a key enabling technology facilitating the integration of variable energy resources with the objective of load management and reduced carbon-dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions. However, dynamic load consumption trends and inherent intermittent nature of renewable generations may cause uncertainty in active resource management. Eventually, these uncertainties pose serious challenges to the energy management system. To address these challenges, this work establishes an efficient load scheduling scheme by jointly considering an on-site photo-voltaic (PV) system and an energy storage system (ESS). An optimum PV-site matching technique was used to optimally select the highest capacity and lowest cost PV module. Furthermore, the best-fit of PV array in regard with load is anticipated using least square method (LSM). Initially, the mathematical models of PV energy generation, consumption and ESS are presented along with load categorization through Zero and Finite shift methods. Then, the final problem is formulated as a multiobjective optimization problem which is solved by using the proposed Dijkstra algorithm (DA). The proposed algorithm quantifies day-ahead electricity market consumption cost, used energy mixes, curtailed load, and grid imbalances. However, to further analyse and compare the performance of proposed model, the results of the proposed algorithm are compared with the genetic algorithm (GA), binary particle swarm optimization (BPSO), and optimal pattern recognition algorithm (OPRA), respectively. Simulation results show that DA achieved 51.72% cost reduction when grid and renewable sources are used. Similarly, DA outperforms other algorithms in terms of maximum peak to average ratio (PAR) reduction, which is 10.22%.
GIS-Based Multicriteria Evaluation of Land Suitability for Grasslands Conservation in Chihuahua, Mexico
Authors: Vázquez-Quintero Griselda , Prieto-Amparán Jesús A. , Pinedo-Alvarez Alfredo , Valles-Aragón María C. , Morales-Nieto Carlos R. , Villarreal-Guerrero Federico
Published: December 2019

This study developed a GIS-based framework for the zoning of land suitability for grassland conservation (LSGC) in the Central Valleys of Chihuahua, México. For that, a Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based multicriteria evaluation techniques with weighted overlay (MCE-WO), and a fragmentation analysis were performed. The framework for LSGC consisted in the development of four scenarios: Nonintensive Agriculture, Intensive Agriculture, Urban, and Rural. The LSGC classes defined with the MCE-WO technique were: Very high, High, Moderate, Low, and Very low land suitability. Results showed that the zone with a high suitability covered the largest area in the four scenarios with a surface of 44,264 km2. The zones with low and very low suitability were concentrated mainly in the central region of the study area. At the landscape level, fragmentation of LSGC showed the Nonintensive Agriculture and the Rural scenarios with the highest Number of patches (54,640 and 46,210, respectively). The fragmentation of LSGC, under the scenarios evaluated, was mainly due to land opening for agriculture and to the influence of rural communities. The integration of GIS with MCE-WO is useful and effective for the evaluation of LSGC. This tool can provide a solid source of information for decision-makers regarding planning of land use to mitigate grasslands degradation.
The Impact of Fiscal Subsidies on the Sustainability of China’s Rural Pension Program
Authors: Lin Benxi , Zhang Yu Yvette
Published: December 2019

This paper studies the impact of fiscal subsidies on the sustainability of China’s rural pension system. We first provide an overview of China’s rural pension system, and explain the formulas used to calculate the pension payments. We then examine how fiscal subsidies, in the forms of basic pensions, incentive pensions, and matching subsidies, affect participation rates and individual contributions. Our study shows that the rural residents’ participation rates can be improved significantly by increasing basic pensions or by providing incentive pensions, but not by providing matching subsidies. However, none of these fiscal subsidies have significant effects on the amount of individual contributions. Overall, our results imply that the incentive pension is an effective mechanism in encouraging rural residents to participate in pension programs, but the current level of matching subsidies is not sufficient to improve participation or increase contributions. Our study suggests the needs to increase the fiscal subsides used in China’s rural pension system, and can provide useful implications in designing the effective pension system for rural residents.