bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Next-Generation U.S. Retail Electricity Market with Customers and Prosumers—A Bibliographical Survey
Authors: Chen Tao , Alsafasfeh Qais , Pourbabak Hajir , Su Wencong
Published: December 2017

Due to the rapidly-changing technologies in the power industry, many new references addressing the frameworks and business models of the next-generation retail electricity market are entering the research community. In particular, considering new customers with considerable demand response awareness and so-called prosumers with localized power generation based on distributed energy resources (DERs), the next-generation retail electricity market infrastructure will be a level playing field for local energy transactions, strategic pricing scheme design, new business model design and building an innovative energy ecosystem. Consequently, there is an urgent need to keep track of international experiences and activities taking place in the field of the market mechanism design problem at the distribution level. This paper provides a comprehensive survey of recent technology developments and aims to inspire awareness of the further deregulation of the electricity market, especially in areas close to customers. We mainly bring attention to the more than 90 articles published during the past five years. The collected literature has been divided into different sections to discuss different aspects of the next-generation retail electricity market under the deregulated power industry.
Optimization of the Operation of Smart Rural Grids through a Novel Energy Management System
Authors: Girbau-LListuella Francesc , Díaz-González Francisco , Sumper Andreas
Published: December 2017

The paper proposes an innovative Energy Management System (EMS) that optimizes the grid operation based on economic and technical criteria. The EMS inputs the demand and renewable generation forecasts, electricity prices and the status of the distributed storages through the network, and solves with an optimal quarter-hourly dispatch for controllable resources. The performance of the EMS is quantified through diverse proposed metrics. The analyses were based on a real rural grid from the European FP7 project Smart Rural Grid. The performance of the EMS has been evaluated through some scenarios varying the penetration of distributed generation. The obtained results demonstrate that the inclusion of the EMS from both a technical point of view and an economic perspective for the adopted grid is justified. At the technical level, the inclusion of the EMS permits us to significantly increase the power quality in weak and radial networks. At the economic level and from a certain threshold value in renewables’ penetration, the EMS reduces the energy costs for the grid participants, minimizing imports from the external grid and compensating the toll to be paid in the form of the losses incurred by including additional equipment in the network (i.e., distributed storage).
Machine Learning for Wind Turbine Blades Maintenance Management
Authors: Arcos Jiménez Alfredo , Gómez Muñoz Carlos , García Márquez Fausto
Published: December 2017

Delamination in Wind Turbine Blades (WTB) is a common structural problem that can generate large costs. Delamination is the separation of layers of a composite material, which produces points of stress concentration. These points suffer greater traction and compression forces in working conditions, and they can trigger cracks, and partial or total breakage of the blade. Early detection of delamination is crucial for the prevention of breakages and downtime. The main novelty presented in this paper has been to apply an approach for detecting and diagnosing the delamination WTB. The approach is based on signal processing of guided waves, and multiclass pattern recognition using machine learning. Delamination was induced in the WTB to check the accuracy of the approach. The signal is denoised by wavelet transform. The autoregressive Yule–Walker model is employed for feature extraction, and Akaike’s information criterion method for feature selection. The classifiers are quadratic discriminant analysis, k-nearest neighbors, decision trees, and neural network multilayer perceptron. The confusion matrix is employed to evaluate the classification, especially the receiver operating characteristic analysis by: recall, specificity, precision, and F-score.
Telomere Biology and Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm
Authors: Aschacher Thomas , Salameh Olivia , Enzmann Florian , Messner Barbara , Bergmann Michael
Published: December 2017

Ascending aortic aneurysms are mostly asymptomatic and present a great risk of aortic dissection or perforation. Consequently, ascending aortic aneurysms are a source of lethality with increased age. Biological aging results in progressive attrition of telomeres, which are the repetitive DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes. These telomeres play an important role in protection of genomic DNA from end-to-end fusions. Telomere maintenance and telomere attrition-associated senescence of endothelial and smooth muscle cells have been indicated to be part of the pathogenesis of degenerative vascular diseases. This systematic review provides an overview of telomeres, telomere-associated proteins and telomerase to the formation and progression of aneurysms of the thoracic ascending aorta. A better understanding of telomere regulation in the vascular pathology might provide new therapeutic approaches. Measurements of telomere length and telomerase activity could be potential prognostic biomarkers for increased risk of death in elderly patients suffering from an aortic aneurysm.
Variability of MMP/TIMP and TGF-β1 Receptors throughout the Clinical Progression of Chronic Venous Disease
Authors: Serralheiro Pedro , Novais António , Cairrão Elisa , Maia Cláudio , Costa Almeida Carlos , Verde Ignacio
Published: December 2017

Chronic venous disease (CVeD) is a prevalent condition with a significant socioeconomic burden, yet the pathophysiology is only just beginning to be understood. Previous studies concerning the dysregulation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their inhibitors (tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs)) within the varicose vein wall are inconsistent and disregard clinical progression. Moreover, it is highly plausible that MMP and TIMP expression/activity is affected by transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and its signaling receptors (TGFβRs) expression/activity in the vein wall. A case–control study was undertaken to analyze genetic and immunohistochemical differences between healthy (n = 13) and CVeD (early stages: n = 19; advanced stages: n = 12) great saphenous vein samples. Samples were grouped based on anatomic harvest site and subjected to quantitative polymerase chain reaction for MMP1, MMP2, MMP8, MMP9, MMP12, MMP13, TIMP1, TIMP2, TIMP3, TIMP4, TGFβR1, TGFβR2, and TGFβR3 gene expression analysis, and then to immunohistochemistry for immunolocalization of MMP2, TIMP2, and TGFβR2. Decreased gene expression of MMP12, TIMP2, TIMP3, TIMP4, and TGFβR2 was found in varicose veins when compared to controls. Regarding CVeD clinical progression, two facts arose: results across anatomical regions were uneven; decreased gene expression of MMP9 and TGFβR3 and increased gene expression of MMP2 and TIMP3 were found in advanced clinical stages. Most immunohistochemistry results for tunica intima were coherent with qPCR results. In conclusion, decreased expression of TGFβRs might suggest a reduction in TGF-β1 participation in the MMP/TIMP imbalance throughout CVeD progression. Further studies about molecular events in the varicose vein wall are required and should take into consideration the venous anatomical region and CVeD clinical progression.
Neuroprotective, Neurogenic, and Amyloid Beta Reducing Effect of a Novel Alpha 2-Adrenoblocker, Mesedin, on Astroglia and Neuronal Progenitors upon Hypoxia and Glutamate Exposure
Authors: Melkonyan Magda , Hunanyan Lilit , Lourhmati Ali , Layer Nikolas , Beer-Hammer Sandra , Yenkoyan Konstantin , Schwab Matthias , Danielyan Lusine
Published: December 2017

Locus coeruleus-noradrenergic system dysfunction is known to contribute to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Besides a variety of reports showing the involvement of norepinephrine and its receptor systems in cognition, amyloid β (Aβ) metabolism, neuroinflammation, and neurogenesis, little is known about the contribution of the specific receptors to these actions. Here, we investigated the neurogenic and neuroprotective properties of a new α2 adrenoblocker, mesedin, in astroglial primary cultures (APC) from C57BL/6 and 3×Tg-AD mice. Our results demonstrate that mesedin rescues neuronal precursors and young neurons, and reduces the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release from astroglia under hypoxic and normoxic conditions. Mesedin also increased choline acetyltransferase, postsynaptic density marker 95 (PSD95), and Aβ-degrading enzyme neprilysin in the wild type APC, while in the 3×Tg-AD APC exposed to glutamate, it decreased the intracellular content of Aβ and enhanced the survival of synaptophysin-positive astroglia and neurons. These effects in APC can at least partially be attributed to the mesedin’s ability of increasing the expression of Interleukine(IL)-10, which is a potent anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective neurogenic, and Aβ metabolism enhancing factor. In summary, our data identify the neurogenic, neuroprotective, and anti-amyloidogenic action of mesedin in APC. Further in vivo studies are needed to estimate the therapeutic value of mesedin for AD.
Praeruptorin A Inhibits Human Cervical Cancer Cell Growth and Invasion by Suppressing MMP-2 Expression and ERK1/2 Signaling
Authors: Wu Min-Hua , Lin Chia-Liang , Chiou Hui-Ling , Yang Shun-Fa , Lin Ching-Yi , Liu Chung-Jung , Hsieh Yi-Hsien
Published: December 2017

Praeruptorin A (PA) is a pyranocumarin present in the dried root of Peucedanumpraeruptorum Dunn that has anticancer effects against several types of cells. However, the effect of PA on human cervical cancer cells is unknown. Our results indicate that PA significantly inhibited cell proliferation, colony formation, migration, invasion, and wound closure of HeLa and SiHa cells, induced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase, upregulated Rb, p16, p21 and p27 proteins and downregulated cyclin D1 and S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 (Skp2) proteins. PA also significantly reduced expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and increased expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2). In addition, PA suppressed ERK1/2 activation and increased the effect of PD98059 (a specific MEK1/2 inhibitor) in downregulation of MMP-2 and upregulation of TIMP-2. PA treatment inhibited the effect of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) on upregulation of ERK1/2 activation, MMP-2 expression, cellular migration, and invasion of HeLa cells. Our findings are the first to demonstrate the activity of PA against cervical cancer cells, and suggest this agent has promise as a therapeutic agent in treatment of human cervical cancer.
Galangin Reduces the Loss of Dopaminergic Neurons in an LPS-Evoked Model of Parkinson’s Disease in Rats
Authors: Chen Guangxin , Liu Juxiong , Jiang Liqiang , Ran Xin , He Dewei , Li Yuhang , Huang Bingxu , Wang Wei , Fu Shoupeng
Published: December 2017

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is caused by the loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the midbrain substantia nigra (SN). Neuroinflammation, which is marked by microglial activation, plays a very important role in the pathogenesis of PD. Pro-inflammatory mediators produced by activated microglia could damage DA neurons. Hence, the inhibition of microglial activation may provide a new approach for treating PD. Galangin has been shown to inhibit inflammation in a variety of diseases, but not PD. In this study, we aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of galangin and the underlying mechanisms in Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced PD models. We first examined the protective effect of galangin in the LPS-induced PD rat model. Specifically, we investigated the effects on motor dysfunction, microglial activation, and the loss of DA neurons. Then, galangin was used to detect the impact on the inflammatory responses and inflammatory signaling pathways in LPS-induced BV-2 cells. The in vivo results showed that galangin dose-dependently attenuates the activation of microglia, the loss of DA neurons, and motor dysfunction. In vitro, galangin markedly inhibited LPS-induced expression of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), and induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) via associating with the phosphorylation of c-JUN N-terminal Kinase (JNK), p38, protein kinase B (AKT), and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) p65. Collectively, the results indicated that galangin has a role in protecting DA neurons by inhibiting microglial activation.
Telomerase Inhibitors from Natural Products and Their Anticancer Potential
Authors: Ganesan Kumar , Xu Baojun
Published: December 2017

Telomeres and telomerase are nowadays exploring traits on targets for anticancer therapy. Telomerase is a unique reverse transcriptase enzyme, considered as a primary factor in almost all cancer cells, which is mainly responsible to regulate the telomere length. Hence, telomerase ensures the indefinite cell proliferation during malignancy—a hallmark of cancer—and this distinctive feature has provided telomerase as the preferred target for drug development in cancer therapy. Deactivation of telomerase and telomere destabilization by natural products provides an opening to succeed new targets for cancer therapy. This review aims to provide a fundamental knowledge for research on telomere, working regulation of telomerase and its various binding proteins to inhibit the telomere/telomerase complex. In addition, the review summarizes the inhibitors of the enzyme catalytic subunit and RNA component, natural products that target telomeres, and suppression of transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. This extensive understanding of telomerase biology will provide indispensable information for enhancing the efficiency of rational anti-cancer drug design.
The Screening of Anticholinergic Accumulation by Traditional Chinese Medicine
Authors: Zhang Ming , Vrolijk Misha , Haenen Guido
Published: December 2017

Many Western drugs can give rise to serious side effects due to their ability to bind to acetylcholine receptors in the brain. This aggravates when they are combined, which is known as anticholinergic accumulation (AA). Some bioactives in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are known to block acetylcholine receptors and thus potentially cause AA. The AA of TCM was screened by quantifying the displacement of [3H] pirenzepine on acetylcholine receptors in a rat brain homogenate. We used a new unit to express AA, namely the Total Atropine Equivalents (TOAT). The TOAT of various herbs used in TCM was very diverse and even negative for some herbs. This is indicative for the broadness of the pallet of ingredients used in TCM. Three TCM formulas were screened for AA: Ma Huang Decotion (MHD), Antiasthma Simplified Herbal Medicine intervention (ASHMI), and Yu Ping Feng San (YPFS). The TOAT of ASHMI was indicative for an additive effect of herbs used in it. Nevertheless, it can be calculated that one dose of ASHMI is probably too low to cause AA. The TOAT of YPFS was practically zero. This points to a protective interaction of AA. Remarkably, MHD gave a negative TOAT, indicating that the binding to the acetylcholine receptors was increased, which also circumvents AA. In conclusion, our results indicate that TCM is not prone to give AA and support that there is an intricate interaction between the various bioactives in TCM to cure diseases with minimal side effects.
Acetabular Cups in 60 mm Metal-on-Metal Bearings Subjected to Dynamic Edge-Loading with 70° Peak-Inclination in 10-Million Cycle Simulator Study
Authors: Clarke Ian , Halim Thomas , Smith Evert , Donaldson Thomas
Published: December 2017

Wear simulation of total-hip arthroplasty (THA) involves hip biomechanics, tribology, bearing designs and cup wear-patterns. This is the first demonstration of cup edge-loading using the “Inverted-cup” test mode. Benefits included, (i) clinically relevant wear-patterns, and (ii) cup inclinations varying from ideal to edge-loaded during each 1-s simulator cycle. The 60 mm head and cup bearings in metal-on-metal (MOM) hip joints showed run-in and steady-state wear phases to 10-million cycles (Mc). MOM edge-wear was not unduly high at 1.7 mm3/Mc overall, this 3-fold higher than 60 mm MOM study without edge-loading. One MOM outlier averaged 2.7 mm3/Mc, this representing the break-away wear (BAW) phenomena. A surprising result was that cups contributed 75–93% of total wear. The most disturbing conclusion from review of laboratory studies was that MOM wear-rates varied 1 to >30 mm3/Mc for reasons not understood. These data suggested a new hypothesis, that MOM bearings were very sensitive to external stimuli, be they simulator artifact or patient related.
Numerical Modelling of Effects of Biphasic Layers of Corrosion Products to the Degradation of Magnesium Metal In Vitro
Authors: Ahmed Safia , Ward John , Liu Yang
Published: December 2017

Magnesium (Mg) is becoming increasingly popular for orthopaedic implant materials. Its mechanical properties are closer to bone than other implant materials, allowing for more natural healing under stresses experienced during recovery. Being biodegradable, it also eliminates the requirement of further surgery to remove the hardware. However, Mg rapidly corrodes in clinically relevant aqueous environments, compromising its use. This problem can be addressed by alloying the Mg, but challenges remain at optimising the properties of the material for clinical use. In this paper, we present a mathematical model to provide a systematic means of quantitatively predicting Mg corrosion in aqueous environments, providing a means of informing standardisation of in vitro investigation of Mg alloy corrosion to determine implant design parameters. The model describes corrosion through reactions with water, to produce magnesium hydroxide Mg(OH) 2 , and subsequently with carbon dioxide to form magnesium carbonate MgCO 3 . The corrosion products produce distinct protective layers around the magnesium block that are modelled as porous media. The resulting model of advection–diffusion equations with multiple moving boundaries was solved numerically using asymptotic expansions to deal with singular cases. The model has few free parameters, and it is shown that these can be tuned to predict a full range of corrosion rates, reflecting differences between pure magnesium or magnesium alloys. Data from practicable in vitro experiments can be used to calibrate the model’s free parameters, from which model simulations using in vivo relevant geometries provide a cheap first step in optimising Mg-based implant materials.
The Effect of Resveratrol on Cell Viability in the Burkitt’s Lymphoma Cell Line Ramos
Authors: Jara Paola , Spies Johana , Cárcamo Constanza , Arancibia Yennyfer , Vargas Gabriela , Martin Carolina , Salas Mónica , Otth Carola , Zambrano Angara
Published: December 2017

Resveratrol is a polyphenolic natural compound produced by a variety of crops. Currently, resveratrol is considered a multi-target anti-cancer agent with pleiotropic activity, including the ability to prevent the proliferation of malignant cells by inhibiting angiogenesis and curtailing invasive and metastatic factors in many cancer models. However, the molecular mechanisms mediating resveratrol-specific effects on lymphoma cells remain unknown. To begin tackling this question, we treated the Burkitt’s lymphoma cell line Ramos with resveratrol and assessed cell survival and gene expression. Our results suggest that resveratrol shows a significant anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activity on Ramos cells, inducing the DNA damage response, DNA repairing, and modulating the expression of several genes that regulate the apoptotic process and their proliferative activity.
2017: A Fruitful Year for Pharmaceuticals
Authors: Vanden Eynde Jean Jacques
Published: December 2017

First of all, let me wish you a healthy and wonderful year in 2018 [...]
Silica Modified by Alcohol Polyoxyethylene Ether and Silane Coupling Agent Together to Achieve High Performance Rubber Composites Using the Latex Compounding Method
Authors: Zheng Junchi , Ye Xin , Han Dongli , Zhao Suhe , Wu Xiaohui , Wu Youping , Dong Dong , Wang Yiqing , Zhang Liqun
Published: December 2017

The study of preparing silica/rubber composites used in tires with low rolling resistance in an energy-saving method is fast-growing. In this study, a novel strategy is proposed, in which silica was modified by combing alcohol polyoxyethylene ether (AEO) and 3-mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane (K-MEPTS) for preparing silica/natural rubber (NR) master batches. A thermal gravimetric analyzer and Raman spectroscopy results indicated that both AEO and K-MEPTS could be grafted on to the silica surface, and AEO has a chance to shield the mercaptopropyl group on K-MEPTS. Silica modified by AEO and K-MEPTS together was completely co-coagulated with the rubber in preparing silica/NR composites using the latex compounding method with the help of the interaction between AEO and K-MEPTS. The performance of composites prepared by silica/NR master batches was investigated by a rubber process analyzer (RPA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and a tensile tester. These results demonstrate that AEO forms a physical interface between silica and rubber, resulting in good silica dispersion in the matrix. K-MEPTS forms a chemical interface between silica and rubber, enhancing the reinforcing effect of silica and reducing the mutual friction between silica particles. In summary, using a proper combination of AEO and K-MEPTS is a user-friendly approach for preparing silica/NR composites with excellent performance.
Passivating ZnO Surface States by C60 Pyrrolidine Tris-Acid for Hybrid Solar Cells Based on Poly(3-hexylthiophene)/ZnO Nanorod Arrays
Authors: Zhong Peng , Ma Xiaohua , Xi He
Published: December 2017

Construction of ordered electron acceptors is a feasible way to solve the issue of phase separation in polymer solar cells by using vertically-aligned ZnO nanorod arrays (NRAs). However, the inert charge transfer between conducting polymer and ZnO limits the performance enhancement of this type of hybrid solar cells. In this work, a fullerene derivative named C60 pyrrolidine tris-acid is used to modify the interface of ZnO/poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). Results indicate that the C60 modification passivates the surface defects of ZnO and improves its intrinsic fluorescence. The quenching efficiency of P3HT photoluminescence is enhanced upon C60 functionalization, suggesting a more efficient charge transfer occurs across the modified P3HT/ZnO interface. Furthermore, the fullerene modified hybrid solar cell based on P3HT/ZnO NRAs displays substantially-enhanced performance as compared to the unmodified one and the devices with other modifiers, which is contributed to retarded recombination and enhanced exciton separation as evidenced by electrochemical impedance spectra. Therefore, fullerene passivation is a promising method to ameliorate the connection between conjugated polymers and metal oxides, and is applicable in diverse areas, such as solar cells, transistors, and light-emitting dioxides.
An Implantable Wireless Neural Interface System for Simultaneous Recording and Stimulation of Peripheral Nerve with a Single Cuff Electrode
Authors: Shon Ahnsei , Chu Jun-Uk , Jung Jiuk , Kim Hyungmin , Youn Inchan
Published: December 2017

Recently, implantable devices have become widely used in neural prostheses because they eliminate endemic drawbacks of conventional percutaneous neural interface systems. However, there are still several issues to be considered: low-efficiency wireless power transmission; wireless data communication over restricted operating distance with high power consumption; and limited functionality, working either as a neural signal recorder or as a stimulator. To overcome these issues, we suggest a novel implantable wireless neural interface system for simultaneous neural signal recording and stimulation using a single cuff electrode. By using widely available commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components, an easily reconfigurable implantable wireless neural interface system was implemented into one compact module. The implantable device includes a wireless power consortium (WPC)-compliant power transmission circuit, a medical implant communication service (MICS)-band-based radio link and a cuff-electrode path controller for simultaneous neural signal recording and stimulation. During in vivo experiments with rabbit models, the implantable device successfully recorded and stimulated the tibial and peroneal nerves while communicating with the external device. The proposed system can be modified for various implantable medical devices, especially such as closed-loop control based implantable neural prostheses requiring neural signal recording and stimulation at the same time.
Implementation of Wi-Fi Signal Sampling on an Android Smartphone for Indoor Positioning Systems
Authors: Liu Hung-Huan , Liu Chun
Published: December 2017

Collecting and maintaining radio fingerprint for wireless indoor positioning systems involves considerable time and labor. We have proposed the quick radio fingerprint collection (QRFC) algorithm which employed the built-in accelerometer of Android smartphones to implement step detection in order to assist in collecting radio fingerprints. In the present study, we divided the algorithm into moving sampling (MS) and stepped MS (SMS), and describe the implementation of both algorithms and their comparison. Technical details and common errors concerning the use of Android smartphones to collect Wi-Fi radio beacons were surveyed and discussed. The results of signal sampling experiments performed in a hallway measuring 54 m in length showed that in terms of the amount of time required to complete collection of access point (AP) signals, static sampling (SS; a traditional procedure for collecting Wi-Fi signals) took at least 2 h, whereas MS and SMS took approximately 150 and 300 s, respectively. Notably, AP signals obtained through MS and SMS were comparable to those obtained through SS in terms of the distribution of received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and positioning accuracy. Therefore, MS and SMS are recommended instead of SS as signal sampling procedures for indoor positioning algorithms.
Screen-Printed Electrode Modified by Bismuth /Fe3O4 Nanoparticle/Ionic Liquid Composite Using Internal Standard Normalization for Accurate Determination of Cd(II) in Soil
Authors: Wang Hui , Zhao Guo , Yin Yuan , Wang Zhiqiang , Liu Gang
Published: December 2017

The quality and safety of agricultural products are threatened by heavy metal ions in soil, which can be absorbed by the crops, and then accumulated in the human body through the food chain. In this paper, we report a low-cost and easy-to-use screen-printed electrode (SPE) for cadmium ion (Cd(II)) detection based on differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), which decorated with ionic liquid (IL), magnetite nanoparticle (Fe3O4), and deposited a bismuth film (Bi). The characteristics of Bi/Fe3O4/ILSPE were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, impedance spectroscopy, and linear sweep voltammetry. We found that the sensitivity of SPE was improved dramatically after functionalized with Bi/Fe3O4/IL. Under optimized conditions, the concentrations of Cd(II) are linear with current responses in a range from 0.5 to 40 µg/L with the lowest detection limit of 0.05 µg/L (S/N = 3). Additionally, the internal standard normalization (ISN) was used to process the response signals of Bi/Fe3O4/ILSPE and established a new linear equation. For detecting three different Cd(II) concentrations, the root-mean-square error using ISN (0.25) is lower than linear method (0.36). Finally, the proposed electrode was applied to trace Cd(II) in soil samples with the recovery in the range from 91.77 to 107.83%.
Assessing the Health of LiFePO4 Traction Batteries through Monotonic Echo State Networks
Authors: Sánchez Luciano , Anseán David , Otero José , Couso Inés
Published: December 2017

A soft sensor is presented that approximates certain health parameters of automotive rechargeable batteries from on-vehicle measurements of current and voltage. The sensor is based on a model of the open circuit voltage curve. This last model is implemented through monotonic neural networks and estimate over-potentials arising from the evolution in time of the Lithium concentration in the electrodes of the battery. The proposed soft sensor is able to exploit the information contained in operational records of the vehicle better than the alternatives, this being particularly true when the charge or discharge currents are between moderate and high. The accuracy of the neural model has been compared to different alternatives, including data-driven statistical models, first principle-based models, fuzzy observers and other recurrent neural networks with different topologies. It is concluded that monotonic echo state networks can outperform well established first-principle models. The algorithms have been validated with automotive Li-FePO4 cells.
Dynamic Gesture Recognition with a Terahertz Radar Based on Range Profile Sequences and Doppler Signatures
Authors: Zhou Zhi , Cao Zongjie , Pi Yiming
Published: December 2017

The frequency of terahertz radar ranges from 0.1 THz to 10 THz, which is higher than that of microwaves. Multi-modal signals, including high-resolution range profile (HRRP) and Doppler signatures, can be acquired by the terahertz radar system. These two kinds of information are commonly used in automatic target recognition; however, dynamic gesture recognition is rarely discussed in the terahertz regime. In this paper, a dynamic gesture recognition system using a terahertz radar is proposed, based on multi-modal signals. The HRRP sequences and Doppler signatures were first achieved from the radar echoes. Considering the electromagnetic scattering characteristics, a feature extraction model is designed using location parameter estimation of scattering centers. Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) extended to multi-modal signals is used to accomplish the classifications. Ten types of gesture signals, collected from a terahertz radar, are applied to validate the analysis and the recognition system. The results of the experiment indicate that the recognition rate reaches more than 91%. This research verifies the potential applications of dynamic gesture recognition using a terahertz radar.
Empirical Study towards the Drivers of Sustainable Economic Growth in EU-28 Countries
Authors: Armeanu Daniel , Vintilă Georgeta , Gherghina Ştefan
Published: December 2017

This study aims at empirically investigating the drivers of sustainable economic growth in EU-28 countries. By means of panel data regression models, in the form of fixed and random effects models, alongside system generalized method of moments, we examine several drivers of real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate, as follows: higher education, business environment, infrastructure, technology, communications, and media, population lifestyle, and demographic changes. As regards higher education, the empirical results show that expenditure per student in higher education and traditional 18–22 year-old students are positively linked with sustainable economic growth, whereas science and technology graduates negatively influence real GDP growth. In terms of business environment, total expenditure on research and development and employment rates of recent graduates contributes to sustainable development, but corruption perceptions index revealed a negative association with economic growth. As well, the results provide support for a negative influence of infrastructure abreast technological measures on economic growth. Besides, we found a negative connection between old-age dependency ratio and sustainable economic growth.
Green Suppliers Performance Evaluation in Belt and Road Using Fuzzy Weighted Average with Social Media Information
Authors: Lin Kuo-Ping , Hung Kuo-Chen , Lin Yu-Ting , Hsieh Yao-Hung
Published: December 2017

A decision model for selecting a suitable supplier is a key to reducing the environmental impact in green supply chain management for high-tech companies. Traditional fuzzy weight average (FWA) adopts linguistic variable to determine weight by experts. However, the weights of FWA have not considered the public voice, meaning the viewpoints of consumers in green supply chain management. This paper focuses on developing a novel decision model for green supplier selection in the One Belt and One Road (OBOR) initiative through a fuzzy weighted average approach with social media. The proposed decision model uses the membership grade of the criteria and sub-criteria and its relative weights, which consider the volume of social media, to establish an analysis matrix of green supplier selection. Then, the proposed fuzzy weighted average approach is considered as an aggregating tool to calculate a synthetic score for each green supplier in the Belt and Road initiative. The final score of the green supplier is ordered by a non-fuzzy performance value ranking method to help the consumer make a decision. A case of green supplier selection in the light-emitting diode (LED) industry is used to demonstrate the proposed decision model. The findings demonstrate (1) the consumer’s main concerns are the “Quality” and “Green products” in LED industry, hence, the ranking of suitable supplier in FWA with social media information model obtained the difference result with tradition FWA; (2) OBOR in the LED industry is not fervently discussed in searches of Google and Twitter; and (3) the FWA with social media information could objectively analyze the green supplier selection because the novel model considers the viewpoints of the consumer.
Cultivated Land Use Benefits Under State and Collective Agrarian Property Regimes in China
Authors: Li Quanfeng , Hu Shougeng , Du Guoming , Zhang Chuanrong , Liu Yansui
Published: December 2017

Agrarian property regimes interact with relevant property stakeholders’ behaviors and benefits, playing a vital role in national and regional cultivated land use. In China, state and collective agrarian property regimes are the two main forms of cultivated land use. To help fully realize the multi-objectives of cultivated land use benefits provided by agrarian property regimes, our study investigated the relationship between agrarian property regimes and cultivated land use. This paper describes the role of a cultivated land use system in facilitating the relationship between agrarian property regimes and cultivated land use from a geographical perspective. Understanding the cultivated land use system is the foundation for comparatively analyzing differences in the cultivated land use benefits in two adjacent areas, a state-owned regime and a collective regime, in the city of Fujin, China, through a comprehensive evaluation. We found the following results: (1) The arrangement of agrarian property rights directly reflects capital, material and technology inputs by motivating agricultural labors to obtain different economic benefits; (2) The state agrarian property regime reflects top-down agricultural management while the collective agrarian property regime reflects bottom-up agricultural management in China. The different agricultural managements influence planting structure and land use planning, resulting in different ecological benefits; (3) Labor division and social insurance are the main drivers of different social benefits from the two regimes. Examining cultivated land use benefits provides a new comparative perspective for studying agrarian property regimes. The results show that cultivated land use benefits from collective and state agrarian property regimes are different. These findings clarify that, incentivized by the different types of agrarian property ownerships represented by collectively and state-owned regimes, local governments and organizations aim to achieve the multi-objective cultivated land use benefit goal of Chinese agricultural development, including economic, ecological and social benefits. With China’s goal of conducting moderate agricultural reform in its agrarian property regime, verification of rural collective land rights is an effective form of asset management in collective areas in China, while deepening land tenure and usufruct is an important priority in state-owned regimes. Furthermore, to make full use of agricultural resources, it is necessary to have a close collaboration between the collective agrarian property regime and the state agrarian property regime.
Reminder Objects in the Connected Home of the Future and Beyond
Authors: Uhlig Martina , Rieß Henrik , Klein Peter
Published: December 2017

This paper presents best practices on how to design reminder objects. Reminder objects are digitally augmented everyday objects that break down and communicate complex information via sensory input and output. In the first section of this paper, we introduce reminder objects—what they are and how they work. We then describe our understanding of computing and the interaction between humans and technology, in detail, in the second section. We then present our vision on how reminder objects can enrich the user’s experience by combining different objects. We then use the three following sections to showcase corresponding examples of our work in the previously described field. Next, three scenarios—people with dementia living an independent life at home, checking the weather, and navigating the city—will illustrate our understanding of reminder objects. The paper then concludes with a discussion of the presented work and an outlook regarding the future of reminder objects.
The In Vitro Impact of the Herbicide Roundup on Human Sperm Motility and Sperm Mitochondria
Authors: Anifandis George , Amiridis George , Dafopoulos Konstantinos , Daponte Alexandros , Dovolou Eleni , Gavriil Eleftherios , Gorgogietas Vyron , Kachpani Elli , Mamuris Zissis , Messini Christina , Vassiou Katerina , Psarra Anna-Maria
Published: December 2017

Toxicants, such as herbicides, have been hypothesized to affect sperm parameters. The most common method of exposure to herbicides is through spraying or diet. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of direct exposure of sperm to 1 mg/L of the herbicide Roundup on sperm motility and mitochondrial integrity. Sperm samples from 66 healthy men who were seeking semen analysis were investigated after written informed consent was taken. Semen analysis was performed according to the World Health Organization guidelines (WHO, 2010). Mitochondrial integrity was assessed through mitochondrial staining using a mitochondria-specific dye, which is exclusively incorporated into functionally active mitochondria. A quantity of 1 mg/L of Roundup was found to exert a deleterious effect on sperm’s progressive motility, after 1 h of incubation (mean difference between treated and control samples = 11.2%) in comparison with the effect after three hours of incubation (mean difference = 6.33%, p < 0.05), while the relative incorporation of the mitochondrial dye in mitochondria of the mid-piece region of Roundup-treated spermatozoa was significantly reduced compared to relative controls at the first hour of incubation, indicating mitochondrial dysfunction by Roundup. Our results indicate that the direct exposure of semen samples to the active constituent of the herbicide Roundup at the relatively low concentration of 1 mg/L has adverse effects on sperm motility, and this may be related to the observed reduction in mitochondrial staining.
CHANGES IN HABITAT SUITABILITY FOR WATERBIRDS OF THE MOMOGE NATURE RESERVE OF CHINA DURING 1990–2014
Authors: ZHANG Yue , WANG Zongming , REN Chunying , YU Hao , DONG Zhangyu , LU Chunyan , MAO Dehua
Published: December 2017

There is increasing empirical evidence that changes in habitat quality play an important role in determining species distributions and biodiversity. However, most research has focused on habitat quality, and we still lack approaches for tracking habitat quality dynamics. In this paper, by establishing qualitative and quantitative relationships between waterbird populations and key habitat indicators such as water abundance, food, shelter conditions and disturbance, we developed an object-oriented classification method, in conjunction with a geographic information systems (GIS) based centroid moving method, to assess habitat suitability dynamics for waterbirds at the Momoge Nature Reserve, China. Our results showed that habitat suitability improved during 1990–2000 and declined during 2000– 2014. Habitats with very good and good grades increased by 71.47 km2 (4.88%) during 1990–2000 and decreased by 200.66 km2 (13.78%) during 2000–2014. The habitat area with a good grade moved to the north, while the habitat area with a poor grade moved to the south during 1990–2014. This was mainly because the surrounding cropland area increased and shifted as oil and gas projects developed. These findings suggest that our object-oriented classification and centroid moving methods have great potential for use in biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management.
KELT-19Ab: A P ∼ 4.6-day Hot Jupiter Transiting a Likely Am Star with a Distant Stellar Companion
Authors: Siverd Robert J. , Collins Karen A. , Zhou George , Quinn Samuel N. , Gaudi B. Scott , Stassun Keivan G. , Johnson Marshall C. , Bieryla Allyson , Latham David W. , Ciardi David R. , Rodriguez Joseph E. , Penev Kaloyan , Pinsonneault Marc , Pepper Joshua , Eastman Jason D. , Relles Howard , Kielkopf John F. , Gregorio Joao , Oberst Thomas E. , Aldi Giulio Francesco , Esquerdo Gilbert A. , Calkins Michael L. , Berlind Perry , Dressing Courtney D. , Patel Rahul , Stevens Daniel J. , Beatty Thomas G. , Lund Michael B. , Labadie-Bartz Jonathan , Kuhn Rudolf B. , Colón Knicole D. , James David , Yao Xinyu , Johnson John A. , Wright Jason T. , McCrady Nate , Wittenmyer Robert A. , Johnson Samson A. , Sliski David H. , Jensen Eric L. N. , Cohen David H. , McLeod Kim K. , Penny Matthew T. , Joner Michael D. , Stephens Denise C. , Villanueva Steven , Zambelli Roberto , Stockdale Christopher , Evans Phil , Tan Thiam-Guan , Curtis Ivan A. , Reed Phillip A. , Trueblood Mark , Trueblood Patricia
Published: December 2017

We present the discovery of the giant planet KELT-19Ab, which transits the moderately bright (

) A8V star TYC 764-1494-1 with an orbital period of 4.61 days. We confirm the planetary nature of the companion via a combination of  radial velocities, which limit the mass to

(

), and a clear Doppler tomography signal, which indicates a retrograde projected spin–orbit misalignment of

degrees. Global modeling indicates that the

K host star has

and

. The planet has a radius of

and receives a stellar insolation flux of

, leading to an inferred equilibrium temperature of

K assuming zero albedo and complete heat redistribution. With a

, the host  is relatively slowly rotating compared to other stars with similar effective temperatures, and it appears to be enhanced in metallic elements but deficient in calcium, suggesting that it is likely an Am star. KELT-19A would be the first detection of an Am host of a transiting planet of which we are aware. Adaptive optics observations of the system reveal the existence of a companion with late-G9V/early-K1V spectral type at a projected separation of

. Radial velocity measurements indicate that this companion is bound. Most Am stars are known to have stellar companions, which are often invoked to explain the relatively slow rotation of the primary. In this case, the stellar companion is unlikely to have caused the tidal braking of the primary. However, it may have emplaced the transiting planetary companion via the Kozai–Lidov mechanism.
Faecal microRNAs: indicators of imbalance at the host-microbe interface?
Authors: Moloney G.M. , Viola M.F. , Hoban A.E. , Dinan T.G. , Cryan J.F.
Published: December 2017

The enteric microbiota is characterised by a balance and composition that is unique to the host. It is important to understand the mechanisms through which the host can maintain the composition of the gut microbiota. MicroRNAs (miRNA) are implicated in intercellular communication and have been isolated from bodily fluids including stool. Recent findings suggest that miRNA produced by the host’s intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) participate in shaping the microbiota. To investigate whether miRNA expression was influenced by the gut microbiota we measured the expression of miRNAs expressed by intestinal epithelial cells in faeces. Specifically, we measured miRNA expression in faeces from germ-free (GF) and conventional mice and similarly in a rat model of antibiotic-mediated depletion of the gut microbiota control rats. In adult male GF and conventional mice and adult Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were treated with a combination of antibiotics for 8 weeks; total RNA was extracted from faecal pellets taken at week 0, 2, 4, 6 week 8 and the expression of let-7b-3p, miR-141-3p, miR-200a-3p and miR-1224-5p (miRNAs known to be expressed in IECs) were measured relative to U6 at each time point using qRT-PCR. In GF animals the expression of let-7b, miR-141 and miR-200a in faeces was lower compared to conventional mice. Following antibiotic-mediated depletion of gut microbiota, rats showed two divergent profiles of miRNA expression. Following two weeks of antibiotic treatment, the expression of let-7b and miR-1224 dropped significantly and remained low for the remainder of the study. The expression of miR-200a and miR-141 was significantly higher at week 2 than before antibiotic treatment commenced. Subsequently, the expression of miR-200a and miR-141 decreased at week 4 and continued to decrease at week 6. This data demonstrates that miRNAs can be used as an independent, non-invasive marker of microbial fluctuations along with gut pathology in the intestine.
Syringe-feeding as a novel delivery method for accurate individual dosing of probiotics in rats
Authors: Tillmann S. , Wegener G.
Published: December 2017

Probiotic administration to rodents is typically achieved using oral gavage or water bottles, but both approaches may compromise animal welfare, bacterial viability, dosing accuracy, or ease of administration. Oral gavage dosing may induce stress, especially when given daily over several weeks, and cannot be performed by inexperienced personnel. Delivery in water bottles does not take multiple co-housed animals into account, leading to inaccurate dosing of individual rats. Moreover, slow consumption of the solutions over several hours may lead to variability in bacterial stability, and potential leftovers or clogging of the bottle further threaten the reliability of this method. To date, no method has been described that can provide non-stressful precise dosing of probiotics or prebiotics in individual rats. In accordance with the 3R principles (replace, reduce, refine), we propose syringe-feeding as a refinement method for simple yet accurate administration of probiotics. Animals hereby voluntarily consume the solution directly from a syringe held into their home cage, thereby enabling controlled dosing of individual animals. This method requires a short training phase of approximately 3 days, but is very fast thereafter, only taking seconds per rat. Since studies using probiotics are usually long-term experiments, we consider syringe-feeding the most appropriate probiotic delivery mode available to date.