bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Alpha-Lactalbumin Enriched Whey Protein Concentrate to Improve Gut, Immunity and Brain Development in Preterm Pigs
Authors: Nielsen Charlotte Holme , Hui Yan , Nguyen Duc Ninh , Ahnfeldt Agnethe May , Burrin Douglas G. , Hartmann Bolette , Heckmann Anne Birgitte , Sangild Per Torp , Thymann Thomas , Bering Stine Brandt
Published: January 2020

Human milk is rich in nutritional factors, such as alpha-lactalbumin (α-Lac), and important for neonatal development, but nutrient supplementation may be required for optimal growth. Using a pig model, we hypothesized that α-Lac-enriched whey protein concentrate (WPC) supplementation improves neonatal development. Cesarean-delivered preterm pigs were fed either dilute bovine milk (REF) or REF milk supplemented with WPC with normal (STANDARD-ALPHA) or high (HIGH-ALPHA) α-Lac. Clinical, gut, immune and cognitive endpoints (open field, T-maze) were assessed and tissues collected at Day 19. The growth of STANDARD-ALPHA and HIGH-ALPHA were higher than REF (31 vs. 19 g/kg/d). Most organ weights, gut, immunity and brain variables were similar between WPC groups. HIGH-ALPHA had a higher bone mineral content, colon microbial diversity and an abundance of specific bacteria and microbial metabolites, and tended to show a faster food transit time (p = 0.07). Relative to REF, WPC pigs showed higher relative organ weights, blood amino acids, blood neutrophil function, and microbial metabolites, but lower brush-border enzyme activities and plasma cortisol. Cognition outcomes did not differ among the groups. In conclusion, WPC supplementation of milk improved some growth, gut and immunity parameters in preterm pigs. However, increasing the α-Lac content beyond human milk levels had limited effects on the immature gut and developing brain.
Microencapsulated Tuna Oil Results in Higher Absorption of DHA in Toddlers
Authors: Ghasemi Fard Samaneh , Loh Su Peng , Turchini Giovanni M. , Wang Bo , Elliott Glenn , Sinclair Andrew J.
Published: January 2020

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an essential component for brain and visual acuity development during foetal and early postnatal life. A newly released directive under the European Commission stipulates DHA as a mandatory ingredient in infant formula. This poses challenges to manufacturers in preserving the stability and bioavailability of DHA at levels akin to human breast milk. The aims of this study were (a) to investigate the bioavailability of microencapsulated omega-3 DHA formulations in healthy toddlers compared with high DHA fish oil for a one-month period and (b) to assess the effect of DHA supplementation on children’s sleep and cry patterns. Sixty toddlers were randomly allocated to four groups: 1. unfortified formula, 2. unfortified formula plus high DHA tuna oil, 3. fortified formula with dairy-based microencapsulated high DHA tuna oil powder, and 4. fortified formula with allergenic-free microencapsulated high DHA tuna oil powder. Bioavailability was assessed from both blood and faecal fatty acid levels. The results showed an enhanced bioavailability with significantly greater concentrations of blood DHA levels in formulas with microencapsulated powders. There were no significant effects of treatment on sleep and cry patterns. Application and delivery of microencapsulated DHA tuna oil powder in toddlers’ formula provided better bioavailability of the active DHA.
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) Bioavailability in Humans after Oral Intake of DHA-Containing Triacylglycerol or the Structured Phospholipid AceDoPC®
Authors: Hachem Mayssa , Nacir Houda , Picq Madeleine , Belkouch Mounir , Bernoud-Hubac Nathalie , Windust Anthony , Meiller Laure , Sauvinet Valerie , Feugier Nathalie , Lambert-Porcheron Stephanie , Laville Martine , Lagarde Michel
Published: January 2020

AceDoPC® is a structured glycerophospholipid that targets the brain with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and is neuroprotective in the experimental ischemic stroke. AceDoPC® is a stabilized form of the physiological 2-DHA-LysoPC with an acetyl group at the sn1 position; preventing the migration of DHA from the sn2 to sn1 position. In this study we aimed to know the bioavailability of 13C-labeled DHA after oral intake of a single dose of 13C-AceDoPC®, in comparison with 13C-DHA in triglycerides (TAG), using gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) to assess the 13C enrichment of DHA-containing lipids. 13C-DHA enrichment in plasma phospholipids was significantly higher after intake of AceDoPC® compared with TAG-DHA, peaking after 24 h in both cases. In red cells, 13C-DHA enrichment in choline phospholipids was comparable from both sources of DHA, with a maximum after 72 h, whereas the 13C-DHA enrichment in ethanolamine phospholipids was higher from AceDoPC® compared to TAG-DHA, and continued to increase after 144 h. Overall, our study indicates that DHA from AceDoPC® is more efficient than from TAG-DHA for a sustained accumulation in red cell ethanolamine phospholipids, which has been associated with increased brain accretion.
Socio-Economic Inequalities in Child Stunting Reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Baye Kaleab , Laillou Arnaud , Chitweke Stanley
Published: January 2020

Stunting in children less than five years of age is widespread in Sub-Saharan Africa. We aimed to: (i) evaluate how the prevalence of stunting has changed by socio-economic status and rural/urban residence, and (ii) assess inequalities in children’s diet quality and access to maternal and child health care. We used data from nationally representative demographic and health- and multiple indicator cluster-surveys (DHS and MICS) to disaggregate the stunting prevalence by wealth quintile and rural/urban residence. The composite coverage index (CCI) reflecting weighed coverage of eight preventive and curative Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health (RMNCH) interventions was used as a proxy for access to health care, and Minimum Dietary Diversity Score (MDDS) was used as a proxy for child diet quality. Stunting significantly decreased over the past decade, and reductions were faster for the most disadvantaged groups (rural and poorest wealth quintile), but in only 50% of the countries studied. Progress in reducing stunting has not been accompanied by improved equity as inequalities in MDDS (p < 0.01) and CCI (p < 0.001) persist by wealth quintile and rural-urban residence. Aligning food- and health-systems’ interventions is needed to accelerate stunting reduction more equitably.
Essential Amino Acid Supplement Lowers Intrahepatic Lipid despite Excess Alcohol Consumption
Authors: Coker Melynda S. , Ladd Kaylee R. , Kim Jimin , Murphy Carl J. , DeCort Ryan , Newcomer Bradley R. , Wolfe Robert R. , Coker Robert H.
Published: January 2020

Excess alcohol consumption is a top risk factor for death and disability. Fatty liver will likely develop and the risk of liver disease increases. We have previously demonstrated that an essential amino acid supplement (EAAS) improved protein synthesis and reduced intrahepatic lipid in the elderly. The purpose of this exploratory pilot study was to initiate the evaluation of EAAS on intrahepatic lipid (IHL), body composition, and blood lipids in individuals with mild to moderate alcohol use disorder (AUD). Following consent, determination of eligibility, and medical screening, 25 participants (18 males at 38 ± 15 years/age and 7 females at 34 ± 18 years/age) were enrolled and randomly assigned to one of two dosages: a low dose (LD: 8 g of EAAS twice/day (BID)) or high dose (HD: 13 g of EAAS BID). Five of the twenty-five enrolled participants dropped out of the intervention. Both groups consumed the supplement BID for 4 weeks. Pre- and post-EAAS administration, IHL was determined using magnetic resonance imaging/spectroscopy, body composition was analyzed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and blood parameters were measured by LabCorp. T-tests were used for statistical analysis and considered significant at p < 0.05. While there was no significant change in IHL in the LD group, there was a significant 23% reduction in IHL in the HD group (p = 0.02). Fat mass, lean tissue mass, bone mineral content, and blood lipids were not altered. Post-EAAS phosphatidylethanol was elevated and remained unchanged in LD at 407 ± 141 ng/mL and HD at 429 ± 196 ng/mL, indicating chronic and excess alcohol consumption. The HD of the proprietary EAAS formulation consumed BID seemed to lower IHL in individuals with mild to moderate AUD. We suggest that further studies in a larger cohort be conducted to more completely address this important area of investigation.
Dense Baryonic Matter and Applications of QCD Phase Diagram Dualities
Authors: Khunjua Tamaz G. , Klimenko Konstantin G. , Zhokhov Roman N.
Published: January 2020

Recently it has been found that quantum chromodynamics (QCD) phase diagram possesses a duality between chiral symmetry breaking and pion condensation. For the first time this was revealed in the QCD motivated toy model. Then it was demonstrated in effective models as well and new additional dualities being found. We briefly recap the main features of this story and then discuss its applications as a tool to explore the QCD phase structure. The most appealing application is the possibility of getting the results on the QCD phase diagram at large baryon density. Taking the idea from large 1 / N c universalities it was argued that the scenario of circumventing the sign problem with the help of dualities seems plausible. It is also discussed that there is a persistent problem about whether there should be catalysis or anti-catalysis of chiral symmetry breaking by chiral imbalance. One can probably say that the issue is settled after lattice results (first principle approach), where the catalysis was observed. But they used an unphysically large pion mass so it is still interesting to get additional indications that this is the case. It is shown just by the duality property that there exists catalysis of chiral symmetry breaking. So, having in mind our results and the earlier lattice simulations, one can probably claim that this issue is settled. It is demonstrated that the duality can be used to obtain new results. As an example, it is showcased how the phase structure of dense quark matter with chiral imbalance (with possibility of inhomogeneous phases) can be obtained from the knowledge of a QCD phase diagram with isopin asymmetry.
Biopolymer Extracted from Anadenanthera colubrina (Red Angico Gum) Exerts Therapeutic Potential in Mice: Antidiarrheal Activity and Safety Assessment
Authors: Araújo Thiago S. L. , de Oliveira Taiane M. , de Sousa Nayara A. , Souza Luan K.M. , Sousa Francisca B. M. , de Oliveira Ana P. , Nicolau Lucas A. D. , da Silva Alfredo A. V. , Araújo Alyne R. , Magalhães Pedro J. C. , Vasconcelos Daniel F. P. , de Jonge Hugo R. , Souza Marcellus H. L. P. , Silva Durcilene A. , Paula Regina C. M. , Medeiros Jand Venes R.
Published: January 2020

Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil (Griseb.) Altschul (Fabaceae family), commonly known as the red angico tree, is a medicinal plant found throughout Brazil’s semi-arid area. In this study, a chemical analysis was performed to investigate the antidiarrheal activity and safety profile of red angico gum (RAG), a biopolymer extracted from the trunk exudate of A. colubrina. Upon FT-IR spectroscopy, RAG showed bands in the regions of 1608 cm−1, 1368 cm−1, and 1029 cm−1, which relate to the vibration of O–H water molecules, deformation vibration of C-O bands, and vibration of the polysaccharide C-O band, respectively, all of which are relevant to glycosidic bonds. The peak molar mass of RAG was 1.89 × 105 g/mol, with the zeta potential indicating electronegativity. RAG demonstrated high yield and solubility with a low degree of impurity. Pre-treatment with RAG reduced the total diarrheal stool and enteropooling. RAG also enhanced Na+/K+-ATPase activity and reduced gastrointestinal transit, and thereby inhibited intestinal smooth muscle contractions. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) demonstrated that RAG can interact with GM1 receptors and can also reduce E. coli-induced diarrhea in vivo. Moreover, RAG did not induce any signs of toxicity in mice. These results suggest that RAG is a possible candidate for the treatment of diarrheal diseases.
Magnesium Ions Depolarize the Neuronal Membrane via Quantum Tunneling through the Closed Channels
Authors: Barjas Qaswal Abdallah
Published: January 2020

Magnesium ions have many cellular actions including the suppression of the excitability of neurons; however, the depolarization effect of magnesium ions seems to be contradictory. Thus several hypotheses have aimed to explain this effect. In this study, a quantum mechanical approach is used to explain the depolarization action of magnesium. The model of quantum tunneling of magnesium ions through the closed sodium voltage-gated channels was adopted to calculate the quantum conductance of magnesium ions, and a modified version of Goldman–Hodgkin–Katz equation was used to determine whether this quantum conductance was significant in affecting the resting membrane potential of neurons. Accordingly, it was found that extracellular magnesium ions can exhibit a depolarization effect on membrane potential, and the degree of this depolarization depends on the tunneling probability, the channels’ selectivity to magnesium ions, the channels’ density in the neuronal membrane, and the extracellular magnesium concentration. In addition, extracellular magnesium ions achieve a quantum conductance much higher than intracellular ones because they have a higher kinetic energy. This study aims to identify the mechanism of the depolarization action of magnesium because this may help in offering better therapeutic solutions for fetal neuroprotection and in stabilizing the mood of bipolar patients.
Feature Dimension Reduction Using Stacked Sparse Auto-Encoders for Crop Classification with Multi-Temporal, Quad-Pol SAR Data
Authors: Guo Jiao , Li Henghui , Ning Jifeng , Han Wenting , Zhang Weitao , Zhou Zheng-Shu
Published: January 2020

Crop classification in agriculture is one of important applications for polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) data. For agricultural crop discrimination, compared with single-temporal data, multi-temporal data can dramatically increase crop classification accuracies since the same crop shows different external phenomena as it grows up. In practice, the utilization of multi-temporal data encounters a serious problem known as a “dimension disaster”. Aiming to solve this problem and raise the classification accuracy, this study developed a feature dimension reduction method using stacked sparse auto-encoders (S-SAEs) for crop classification. First, various incoherent scattering decomposition algorithms were employed to extract a variety of detailed and quantitative parameters from multi-temporal PolSAR data. Second, based on analyzing the configuration and main parameters for constructing an S-SAE, a three-hidden-layer S-SAE network was built to reduce the dimensionality and extract effective features to manage the “dimension disaster” caused by excessive scattering parameters, especially for multi-temporal, quad-pol SAR images. Third, a convolutional neural network (CNN) was constructed and employed to further enhance the crop classification performance. Finally, the performances of the proposed strategy were assessed with the simulated multi-temporal Sentinel-1 data for two experimental sites established by the European Space Agency (ESA). The experimental results showed that the overall accuracy with the proposed method was raised by at least 17% compared with the long short-term memory (LSTM) method in the case of a 1% training ratio. Meanwhile, for a CNN classifier, the overall accuracy was almost 4% higher than those of the principle component analysis (PCA) and locally linear embedded (LLE) methods. The comparison studies clearly demonstrated the advantage of the proposed multi-temporal crop classification methodology in terms of classification accuracy, even with small training ratios.
Correcting Image Refraction: Towards Accurate Aerial Image-Based Bathymetry Mapping in Shallow Waters
Authors: Agrafiotis Panagiotis , Karantzalos Konstantinos , Georgopoulos Andreas , Skarlatos Dimitrios
Published: January 2020

Although aerial image-based bathymetric mapping can provide, unlike acoustic or LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors, both water depth and visual information, water refraction poses significant challenges for accurate depth estimation. In order to tackle this challenge, we propose an image correction methodology, which first exploits recent machine learning procedures that recover depth from image-based dense point clouds and then corrects refraction on the original imaging dataset. This way, the structure from motion (SfM) and multi-view stereo (MVS) processing pipelines are executed on a refraction-free set of aerial datasets, resulting in highly accurate bathymetric maps. Performed experiments and validation were based on datasets acquired during optimal sea state conditions and derived from four different test-sites characterized by excellent sea bottom visibility and textured seabed. Results demonstrated the high potential of our approach, both in terms of bathymetric accuracy, as well as texture and orthoimage quality.
A Multi-Year Evaluation of Doppler Lidar Wind-Profile Observations in the Arctic
Authors: Mariani Zen , Crawford Robert , Casati Barbara , Lemay François
Published: January 2020

Doppler light detection and ranging (lidar) wind profilers have proven their capability to measure vertical wind profiles with an accuracy comparable to anemometers and radiosondes. However, most of these comparisons were performed over short time periods or at mid-latitudes. This study presents a multi-year assessment of the accuracy of Doppler lidar wind-profile measurements in the Arctic by comparing them with coincident radiosonde observations, and excellent agreement was observed. The suitability of the Doppler lidar for verification case studies of operational numerical weather prediction (NWP) models during the World Meteorological Organization’s Year of Polar Prediction is also demonstrated, by using Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) global environmental multiscale model (GEM-2.5 km and GEM-10 km). Since 2016, identical scanning Doppler lidars were deployed at two supersites commissioned by ECCC as part of the Canadian Arctic Weather Science project. The supersites are located in Iqaluit (64°N, 69°W) and Whitehorse (61°N, 135°W) with a third Halo Doppler lidar located in Squamish (50°N, 123°W). Two lidar wind-profile measurement methodologies were investigated; the velocity-azimuth display method exhibited a smaller average bias (−0.27 ± 0.02 m/s) than the Doppler beam-swinging method (–0.46 ± 0.02 m/s) compared to the sonde. Comparisons to ECCC’s NWP models indicate good agreement, more so during the summer months, with an average bias < 0.71 m/s for the higher-resolution (GEM-2.5 km) ECCC models at Iqaluit. Larger biases were found in the mountainous terrain of Whitehorse and Squamish, likely due to difficulties in the model’s ability to resolve the topography. This provides evidence in favor of using high temporal resolution lidar wind-profile measurements to complement radiosonde observations and for NWP model verification and process studies.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Remote Sensing in 2019
Authors:   Remote Sensing Editorial Office
Published: January 2020

The editorial team greatly appreciates the reviewers who have dedicated their considerable time and expertise to the journal’s rigorous editorial process over the past 12 months, regardless of whether the papers are finally published or not.[...]
Accurate Despeckling and Estimation of Polarimetric Features by Means of a Spatial Decorrelation of the Noise in Complex PolSAR Data
Authors: Arienzo Alberto , Argenti Fabrizio , Alparone Luciano , Gherardelli Monica
Published: January 2020

In this work, we extended a procedure for the spatial decorrelation of fully-developed speckle, originally developed for single-polarization SAR data, to fully-polarimetric SAR data. The spatial correlation of the noise depends on the tapering window in the Fourier domain used by the SAR processor to avoid defocusing of targets caused by Gibbs effects. Since each polarimetric channel is focused independently of the others, the noise-whitening procedure can be performed applying the decorrelation stage to each channel separately. Equivalently, the noise-whitening stage is applied to each element of the scattering matrix before any multilooking operation, either coherent or not, is performed. In order to evaluate the impact of a spatial decorrelation of the noise on the performance of polarimetric despeckling filters, we make use of simulated PolSAR data, having user-defined polarimetric features. We optionally introduce a spatial correlation of the noise in the simulated complex data by means of a 2D separable Hamming window in the Fourier domain. Then, we remove such a correlation by using the whitening procedure and compare the accuracy of both despeckling and polarimetric features estimation for the three following cases: uncorrelated, correlated, and decorrelated images. Simulation results showed a steady improvement of performance scores, most notably the equivalent number of looks (ENL), which increased after decorrelation and closely attained the value of the uncorrelated case. Besides ENL, the benefits of the noise decorrelation hold also for polarimetric features, whose estimation accuracy is diminished by the correlation. Also, the trends of simulations were confirmed by qualitative results of experiments carried out on a true Radarsat-2 image.
Regional Actual Evapotranspiration Estimation with Land and Meteorological Variables Derived from Multi-Source Satellite Data
Authors: Wu Bingfang , Zhu Weiwei , Yan Nana , Xing Qiang , Xu Jiaming , Ma Zonghan , Wang Linjiang
Published: January 2020

Evapotranspiration (ET) is one of the components in the water cycle and the surface energy balance systems. It is fundamental information for agriculture, water resource management, and climate change research. This study presents a scheme for regional actual evapotranspiration estimation using multi-source satellite data to compute key land and meteorological variables characterizing land surface, soil, vegetation, and the atmospheric boundary layer. The algorithms are validated using ground observations from the Heihe River Basin of northwest China. Monthly data estimates at a resolution of 1 km from the proposed algorithms compared well with ground observation data, with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.80 mm and a mean relative error (MRE) of −7.11%. The overall deviation between the average yearly ET derived from the proposed algorithms and ground-based water balance measurements was 9.44% for a small watershed and 1% for the entire basin. This study demonstrates that both accuracy and spatial depiction of actual evapotranspiration estimation can be significantly improved by using multi-source satellite data to measure the required land surface and meteorological variables. This reduces dependence on spatial interpolation of ground-derived meteorological variables which can be problematic, especially in data-sparse regions, and allows the production of region-wide ET datasets.
Unambiguous Acquisition/Tracking Technique Based on Sub-Correlation Functions for GNSS Sine-BOC Signals
Authors: Hao Fang , Yu Baoguo , Gan Xingli , Jia Ruicai , Zhang Heng , Huang Lu , Wang Boyuan
Published: January 2020

The autocorrelation function (ACF) of the Binary Offset Carrier modulation (BOC) signal for Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) has multiple peaks, ambiguity is easily generated during the synchronization of the baseband signal. Some methods have been proposed to remove the ambiguity, but the performance is not suitable for high-order BOC signals or does not maintain narrow correlation characteristics. This paper proposes a sub-function reconstruction synchronization algorithm to solve this problem, of which the key is to design a new local auxiliary code: the local Pseudo-Random Noise (PRN) code is divided into several new codes with different delays. The auxiliary code performs a coherent integration operation with the received signal. Then, a correlation function without any positive side peaks is obtained by multiplying the two correlation results to make the acquisition/tracking completely unambiguous. The paper gives a design scheme of navigation signal acquisition/tracking and deduces the theoretical analysis of detection performance. The phase discrimination function is provided. The performance of the method is analyzed from both theoretical and simulation aspects. Compared with the Binary phase shift keying-like (BPSK-LIKE) method, Subcarrier Phase Cancellation (SCPC) method and the Autocorrelation Side-Peak Cancellation Technique (ASPeCT) method, the proposed method has the best detection probability for the acquisition, which is 0.5 dB-Hz better than ASPeCT. For tracking, the proposed method performs best in terms of phase-detection curve, anti-multipath performance, and anti-noise performance. For high-order BOC signals, the SRSA technique successfully removes the false lock points, and there is only one multipath error envelope, and the code tracking error is almost the same as the ASPeCT method.
A Stacked Back Side-Illuminated Voltage Domain Global Shutter CMOS Image Sensor with a 4.0 μm Multiple Gain Readout Pixel
Authors: Miyauchi Ken , Mori Kazuya , Otaka Toshinori , Isozaki Toshiyuki , Yasuda Naoto , Tsai Alex , Sawai Yusuke , Owada Hideki , Takayanagi Isao , Nakamura Junichi
Published: January 2020

A backside-illuminated complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor with 4.0 μm voltage domain global shutter (GS) pixels has been fabricated in a 45 nm/65 nm stacked CMOS process as a proof-of-concept vehicle. The pixel components for the photon-to-voltage conversion are formed on the top substrate (the first layer). Each voltage signal from the first layer pixel is stored in the sample-and-hold capacitors on the bottom substrate (the second layer) via micro-bump interconnection to achieve a voltage domain GS function. The two sets of voltage domain storage capacitor per pixel enable a multiple gain readout to realize single exposure high dynamic range (SEHDR) in the GS operation. As a result, an 80dB SEHDR GS operation without rolling shutter distortions and motion artifacts has been achieved. Additionally, less than −140dB parasitic light sensitivity, small noise floor, high sensitivity and good angular response have been achieved.
Lightweight Authentication Protocol for M2M Communications of Resource-Constrained Devices in Industrial Internet of Things
Authors: Lara Evangelina , Aguilar Leocundo , Sanchez Mauricio A. , García Jesús A.
Published: January 2020

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) consists of sensors, networks, and services to connect and control production systems. Its benefits include supply chain monitoring and machine failure detection. However, it has many vulnerabilities, such as industrial espionage and sabotage. Furthermore, many IIoT devices are resource-constrained, which impedes the use of traditional security services for them. Authentication allows devices to be confident of each other’s identity, preventing some security attacks. Many authentication protocols have been proposed for IIoT; however, they have high computing requirements not viable to resource-constrained devices, or they have been found insecure. In this paper, an authentication protocol for resource-constrained IIoT devices is proposed. It is based on the lightweight operations xor, addition, and subtraction, and a hash function. Also, only four messages are exchanged between the principals to authenticate. It has a low execution-time and communication-cost. Its security was successfully assessed with the formal methods Automated Validation of Internet Security Protocols and Applications (AVISPA) tool and Burrows–Abadi–Needham (BAN) logic, together with an informal analysis of its resistance to known attacks. Its performance and security were compared with state-of-the-art protocols, resulting in a good performance for resource-constrained IIoT devices, and higher security similar to computational expensive schemes.
Neutrons for Cultural Heritage—Techniques, Sensors, and Detection
Authors: Festa Giulia , Romanelli Giovanni , Senesi Roberto , Arcidiacono Laura , Scatigno Claudia , Parker Stewart F. , Marques M. P. M. , Andreani Carla
Published: January 2020

Advances in research in Cultural Heritage see increasing application of a multidisciplinary approach and the combined use of physical and chemical characterization of artefacts that can be used to define their structure and their state of conservation, also providing valuable information in selecting the most suitable microclimatic conditions for the exhibition environment. This approach provides a platform for a synergic collaboration amongst researchers, restorers, conservators, and archaeologists. Existing state-of-the-art technologies for neutron-based methods are currently being applied to the study of objects of historical and cultural interest in several neutron-beam facilities around the world. Such techniques are non-invasive and non-destructive and are, therefore, ideal to provide structural information about artefacts, such as their composition, presence of alterations due to the environmental conditions, inclusions, structure of the bulk, manufacturing techniques, and elemental composition, which provide an overall fingerprint of the object’s characteristics, thanks to the nature of the interaction of neutrons with matter. Here, we present an overview of the main neutron methods for the characterization of materials of interest in Cultural Heritage and we provide a brief introduction to the sensors and detectors that are used in this framework. We conclude with some case studies underlining the impact of these applications in different archaeological and historical contexts.
Efficient Privacy-Preserving Data Sharing for Fog-Assisted Vehicular Sensor Networks
Authors: Ming Yang , Yu Xiaopeng
Published: January 2020

Vehicular sensor networks (VSNs) have emerged as a paradigm for improving traffic safety in urban cities. However, there are still several issues with VSNs. Vehicles equipped with sensing devices usually upload large amounts of data reports to a remote cloud center for processing and analyzing, causing heavy computation and communication costs. Additionally, to choose an optimal route, it is required for vehicles to query the remote cloud center to obtain road conditions of the potential moving route, leading to an increased communication delay and leakage of location privacy. To solve these problems, this paper proposes an efficient privacy-preserving data sharing (EP 2 DS) scheme for fog-assisted vehicular sensor networks. Specifically, the proposed scheme utilizes fog computing to provide local data sharing with low latency; furthermore, it exploits a super-increasing sequence to format the sensing data of different road segments into one report, thus saving on the resources of communication and computation. In addition, using the modified oblivious transfer technology, the proposed scheme can query the road conditions of the potential moving route without disclosing the query location. Finally, an analysis of security suggests that the proposed scheme can satisfy all the requirements for security and privacy, with the evaluation results indicating that the proposed scheme leads to low costs in computation and communication.
Active Chemical Sampling Using Jet Discharge Inspired by Crayfish: CFD Simulations of the Flow Fields Generated by the Jet Discharge Device
Authors: Ishida Hanako , Takemura Ryuichi , Mitsuishi Tatsuki , Matsukura Haruka , Ishida Hiroshi
Published: January 2020

Here, we report on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations conducted to develop a chemical sample collection device inspired by crayfish. The sensitivity of chemical sensors can be improved when used with a sniffing device. By collecting fluid samples from the surroundings, all solute species are also collected for the sensor. Crayfish generate jet-like water currents for this purpose. Compared to simply sucking water, food smells dissolved in the surrounding water can be more efficiently collected using the inflow induced by the jet discharge because of the smaller decay of the inflow velocity with the distance. Moreover, the angular range of water sample collection can be adjusted by changing the directions of the jet discharge. In our previous work, a chemical sample collection device that mimics the jet discharge of crayfish has been proposed. Here, we report CFD simulations of the flow fields generated by the device. By carefully configuring the simulation setups, we have obtained simulation results in which the angular ranges of the chemical sample collection in real experiments is well reproduced. Although there are still some discrepancies between the simulation and experimental results, such simulations will facilitate the process of designing such devices.
The Acquisition Rate and Soundness of a Low-Cost Data Acquisition System (LC-DAQ) for High Frequency Applications
Authors: Moreno Ciro , González Alejandro , Olazagoitia José Luis , Vinolas Jordi
Published: January 2020

This article presents a novel and reliable low-cost data acquisition solution for high frequency and real-time applications in vehicular dynamics. Data acquisition systems for highly dynamic systems based on low-cost platforms face different challenges such as a constrained data retrieval rate. Basic data reading functions in these platforms are inefficient and, when used, they limit electronics acquisition rate capabilities. This paper explains a new low-cost, modular and open platform to read different types of sensors at high speed rates. Conventional reading functions are avoided to speed up acquisition rate, but this negatively affects data reliability of the system. To solve this and exploit higher data managing rates, a number of custom secure layers are implemented to secure a reliable acquisition. This paper describes the new low-cost electronics developed for high rate acquisition applications and inspects its performance and robustness against the introduction of an increasing number of sensors connected to the board. In most cases, acquisition rates of the system are duplicated using this new solution.
Applying Movement Constraints to BLE RSSI-Based Indoor Positioning for Extracting Valid Semantic Trajectories
Authors: Ramadhan Hani , Yustiawan Yoga , Kwon Joonho
Published: January 2020

Indoor positioning techniques, owing to received signal strength indicator (RSSI)-based sensors, can provide useful trajectory-based services. These services include user movement analytics, next-to-visit recommendation, and hotspot detection. However, the value of RSSI is often disturbed due to obstacles in indoor environment, such as doors, walls, and furnitures. Therefore, many indoor positioning techniques still extract an invalid trajectory from the disturbed RSSI. An invalid trajectory contains distant or impossible consecutive positions within a short time, which is unlikely in a real-world scenario. In this study, we enhanced indoor positioning techniques with movement constraints on BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) RSSI data to prevent an invalid semantic indoor trajectory. The movement constraints ensure that a predicted semantic position cannot be far apart from the previous position. Furthermore, we can extend any indoor positioning technique using these movement constraints. We conducted comprehensive experimental studies on real BLE RSSI datasets from various indoor environment scenarios. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed approach effectively extracts valid indoor semantic trajectories from the RSSI data.
Finger Gesture Spotting from Long Sequences Based on Multi-Stream Recurrent Neural Networks
Authors: Benitez-Garcia Gibran , Haris Muhammad , Tsuda Yoshiyuki , Ukita Norimichi
Published: January 2020

Gesture spotting is an essential task for recognizing finger gestures used to control in-car touchless interfaces. Automated methods to achieve this task require to detect video segments where gestures are observed, to discard natural behaviors of users’ hands that may look as target gestures, and be able to work online. In this paper, we address these challenges with a recurrent neural architecture for online finger gesture spotting. We propose a multi-stream network merging hand and hand-location features, which help to discriminate target gestures from natural movements of the hand, since these may not happen in the same 3D spatial location. Our multi-stream recurrent neural network (RNN) recurrently learns semantic information, allowing to spot gestures online in long untrimmed video sequences. In order to validate our method, we collect a finger gesture dataset in an in-vehicle scenario of an autonomous car. 226 videos with more than 2100 continuous instances were captured with a depth sensor. On this dataset, our gesture spotting approach outperforms state-of-the-art methods with an improvement of about 10% and 15% of recall and precision, respectively. Furthermore, we demonstrated that by combining with an existing gesture classifier (a 3D Convolutional Neural Network), our proposal achieves better performance than previous hand gesture recognition methods.
Sequential Collinear Photofragmentation and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy for Online Laser Monitoring of Triatomic Metal Species
Authors: Viljanen Jan , Kalmankoski Kim , Contreras Victor , Sarin Jaakko K. , Sorvajärvi Tapio , Kinnunen Hanna , Enestam Sonja , Toivonen Juha
Published: January 2020

Industrial chemical processes are struggling with adverse effects, such as corrosion and deposition, caused by gaseous alkali and heavy metal species. Mitigation of these problems requires novel monitoring concepts that provide information on gas-phase chemistry. However, selective optical online monitoring of the most problematic diatomic and triatomic species is challenging due to overlapping spectral features. In this work, a selective, all-optical, in situ gas-phase monitoring technique for triatomic molecules containing metallic atoms was developed and demonstrated with detection of PbCl2. Sequential collinear photofragmentation and atomic absorption spectroscopy (CPFAAS) enables determination of the triatomic PbCl2 concentration through detection of released Pb atoms after two consecutive photofragmentation processes. Absorption cross-sections of PbCl2, PbCl, and Pb were determined experimentally in a laboratory-scale reactor to enable calibration-free quantitative determination of the precursor molecule concentration in an arbitrary environment. Limit of detection for PbCl2 in the laboratory reactor was determined to be 0.25 ppm. Furthermore, the method was introduced for in situ monitoring of PbCl2 concentration in a 120 MWth power plant using demolition wood as its main fuel. In addition to industrial applications, the method can provide information on chemical reaction kinetics of the intermediate species that can be utilized in reaction simulations.
A Multi-Parametric Wearable System to Monitor Neck Movements and Respiratory Frequency of Computer Workers
Authors: Lo Presti Daniela , Carnevale Arianna , D’Abbraccio Jessica , Massari Luca , Massaroni Carlo , Sabbadini Riccardo , Zaltieri Martina , Di Tocco Joshua , Bravi Marco , Miccinilli Sandra , Sterzi Silvia , Longo Umile G. , Denaro Vincenzo , Caponero Michele A. , Formica Domenico , Oddo Calogero M. , Schena Emiliano
Published: January 2020

Musculoskeletal disorders are the most common form of occupational ill-health. Neck pain is one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal disorders experienced by computer workers. Wrong postural habits and non-compliance of the workstation to ergonomics guidelines are the leading causes of neck pain. These factors may also alter respiratory functions. Health and safety interventions can reduce neck pain and, more generally, the symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders and reduce the consequent economic burden. In this work, a multi-parametric wearable system based on two fiber Bragg grating sensors is proposed for monitoring neck movements and breathing activity of computer workers. The sensing elements were positioned on the neck, in the frontal and sagittal planes, to monitor: (i) flexion-extension and axial rotation repetitions, and (ii) respiratory frequency. In this pilot study, five volunteers were enrolled and performed five repetitions of both flexion-extension and axial rotation, and ten breaths of both quite breathing and tachypnea. Results showed the good performances of the proposed system in monitoring the aforementioned parameters when compared to optical reference systems. The wearable system is able to well-match the trend in time of the neck movements (both flexion-extension and axial rotation) and to estimate mean and breath-by-breath respiratory frequency values with percentage errors ≤6.09% and ≤1.90%, during quiet breathing and tachypnea, respectively.
A Pilot Study on the e-Kayak System: A Wireless DAQ Suited for Performance Analysis in Flatwater Sprint Kayaks
Authors: Bonaiuto Vincenzo , Gatta Giorgio , Romagnoli Cristian , Boatto Paolo , Lanotte Nunzio , Annino Giuseppe
Published: January 2020

Nowadays, in modern elite sport, the identification of the best training strategies which are useful in obtaining improvements during competitions requires an accurate measure of the physiologic and biomechanical parameters that affect performance. The goal of this pilot study was to investigate the capabilities of the e-Kayak system, a multichannel digital acquisition system specifically tailored for flatwater sprint kayaking application. e-Kayak allows the synchronous measure of all the parameters involved in kayak propulsion, both dynamic (including forces acting on the paddle and footrest) and kinematic (including stroke frequency, displacement, velocity, acceleration, roll, yaw, and pitch of the boat). After a detailed description of the system, we investigate its capability in supporting coaches to evaluate the performance of elite athletes’ trough-specific measurements. This approach allows for a better understanding of the paddler’s motion and the relevant effects on kayak behavior. The system allows the coach to carry out a wide study of kayak propulsion highlighting, and, at the same time, the occurrences of specific technical flaws in the paddling technique. In order to evaluate the correctness of the measurement results acquired in this pilot study, these results were compared with others which are available in the literature and which were obtained from subjects with similar characteristics.
Using the LN34 Pan-Lyssavirus Real-Time RT-PCR Assay for Rabies Diagnosis and Rapid Genetic Typing from Formalin-Fixed Human Brain Tissue
Authors: Condori Rene Edgar , Niezgoda Michael , Lopez Griselda , Matos Carmen Acosta , Mateo Elinna Diaz , Gigante Crystal , Hartloge Claire , Filpo Altagracia Pereira , Haim Joseph , Satheshkumar Panayampalli Subbian , Petersen Brett , Wallace Ryan , Olson Victoria , Li Yu
Published: January 2020

Human rabies post mortem diagnostic samples are often preserved in formalin. While immunohistochemistry (IHC) has been routinely used for rabies antigen detection in formalin-fixed tissue, the formalin fixation process causes nucleic acid fragmentation that may affect PCR amplification. This study reports the diagnosis of rabies in an individual from the Dominican Republic using both IHC and the LN34 pan-lyssavirus real-time RT-PCR assay on formalin-fixed brain tissue. The LN34 assay generates a 165 bp amplicon and demonstrated higher sensitivity than traditional PCR. Multiple efforts to amplify nucleic acid fragments larger than 300 bp using conventional PCR were unsuccessful, probably due to RNA fragmentation. Sequences generated from the LN34 amplicon linked the case to the rabies virus (RABV) strain circulating in the Ouest Department of Haiti to the border region between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Direct sequencing of the LN34 amplicon allowed rapid and low-cost rabies genetic typing.
NUMERICAL DESIGN OF FRAME BUILDINGS TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE GENERALIZED STIFFNESS AND LOAD OF SOIL AND FOUNDATION
Authors: Kuzhahmetova E.
Published: January 2020

The article is devoted to the improvement of methods for calculating buildings as large finite element systems and implements approaches that provide a definition of the overall picture of the stress - strain state of a designed building (structure) in parts, including its structural units and a pile foundation.

The article contains a description of the methodology, the essence of which is to bring the stiffness of the pile foundation in the form of single piles (for example, under the columns of a frame of a public, residential or industrial building) and the adjacent soil mass, to the supporting points of interaction of the piles with the building. Generalized stiffness coefficients of the pile, obtained taking into account the soil with different deformation characteristics, are entered into the general matrix of the building for the subsequent determination of its stress - strain state and stability. At the final stage of moving the reference points of the building, it is possible to calculate the characteristics of the stress - strain state of the pile in the ground.

In this article (part 1), the generalized stiffness coefficients of the pile are obtained taking into account the types of soil (sand and clay) with physical and mechanical characteristics selected from regulatory documents. The calculations are performed using the FEMAP with NX NASTRAN software package. The material on the structuring of the building model is supposed to be published in the subsequent parts of this article
INFLUENCE OF MODIFIERS ON THE CURING TIME OF THE PHENOL FORMALDEHYDE BINDER FOR PRESSING PANELS AT LOW TEMPERATURE MODE
Authors: Vahnina Tat'yana , Fedotov A. , Titunin Andrey , Susoeva Irina
Published: January 2020

Volumes of plywood production with increased water resistance for indoor and outdoor use (FSF brand) are increasing in Russia. The demand for it in the country and in the world continues to grow. The phenol-formaldehyde oligomer during the curing process passes through the stages of resol, resitol and resite. Ensuring long-term water resistance of plywood is possible only if the resite stage is reached and the solidified phenol-formaldehyde resin (FFR) reaches non-melting and insoluble state. The problem is that the industrial process of FSF plywood pressing is carried out in the rezitol temperature range. In literature, there are conflicting data on the temperature ranges of the stages of the FSF polycondensation process. The authors have proposed to operate with scientific data on the temperature ranges of FFR curing, confirmed by the results of spectroscopic studies. It is necessary to develop phenol-formaldehyde binder compositions capable of curing to the resite stage at lower pressing temperatures than unmodified FSF to ensure the necessary operational characteristics of FSF plywood. In this study, a number of modifiers have been proposed that potentially reduce the time it takes to press plywood at low temperatures. The gelatinization time of the phenol-formaldehyde binder based on the SFZh-3014 resin (according to 20907-2016 State Standard) and modifying additives (hydrogen peroxide, eight-water zinc sulfate, ammonium alum, anhydrous magnesium chloride, six-water iron chloride, six-water aluminum chloride, aluminum dimethyl sulfate, dimethyl glyoximate, and sulfate, sulfosalicylic two-water acid) have been determined. A study of the gelatinization process in the presence of a large number of modifying additives (more than 1.5%) revealed a significant deterioration in the spreadability of the binder. Therefore, it is recommended to use FFR curing accelerators in the amount not exceeding 1-1.5%.