bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vitamin and Mineral Supplement Use among Korean Adults: Baseline Data from the Trace Element Study of Korean Adults in Yeungnam Area
Authors: Kim Minkyeong , Lee Yujin , Park Kyong
Published: January 2018

Although dietary supplement use is believed to improve health status, the efficacy and safety of its use remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the contribution of consumption of vitamin and mineral supplements (VMS) to the total micronutrient intake. Study participants (n = 586) were selected from the ongoing prospective cohort study of the Korean population, and baseline information on current use of dietary supplements, types of supplements, frequency of use, dosage, duration, and brand name was collected. Dietary information was assessed using a 146-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Approximately one-fourth of the participants were categorized as VMS users. The proportion of VMS use was significantly higher in women (p = 0.02), older participants (p = 0.002), and those with a higher income level (p = 0.03) than in non-users. All vitamin and mineral intakes of both groups met the recommended nutrient intake levels by food consumption alone, except for riboflavin, calcium, and magnesium. Approximately 0.7–3.4% of the VMS users had nutrient intake levels that exceeded the tolerable upper intake levels for vitamin A, E, C, iron, and iodine. Excessive use of VMS can lead to an increased risk for adverse health effects. The results of this study provide useful baseline data for establishing guidelines for the appropriate consumption and adequate intake levels of VMS.
Arizona Registered Dietitians Show Gaps in Knowledge of Bean Health Benefits
Authors: Winham Donna , Hutchins Andrea , Thompson Sharon , Dougherty Mariah
Published: January 2018

Registered Dietitians (RDs) promote nutrition practices and policies and can influence food consumption patterns to include nutrient dense foods such as beans. Although many evidence-based health benefits of bean consumption (e.g., cholesterol reduction, glycemic control) have been demonstrated, there is limited research on the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of RDs regarding the inclusion of beans in a healthy diet. To fill this existing research gap, this cross-sectional survey explored the perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes of 296 RDs in Arizona, USA, toward beans. The RDs largely held positive attitudes toward the healthfulness of beans and were aware of many health benefits. Some gaps in awareness were evident, including effect on cancer risk, intestinal health benefits, folate content, and application with celiac disease patients. RDs with greater personal bean consumption had significantly higher bean health benefit knowledge. Twenty-nine percent of the RDs did not know the meaning of ‘legume’, and over two-thirds could not define the term ‘pulse’. It is essential that RDs have up-to-date, evidence-based information regarding bean benefits to provide appropriate education to patients, clients, and the public.
Regulation of Hepatic UGT2B15 by Methylation in Adults of Asian Descent
Authors: Oeser Steffen , Bingham Jon-Paul , Collier Abby
Published: January 2018

The hepatic uridine 5′-diphosphate-glucuronosyl transferases (UGTs) are critical for detoxifying endo- and xenobiotics. Since UGTs are also dynamically responsive to endogenous and exogenous stimuli, we examined whether epigenetic DNA methylation can regulate hepatic UGT expression and differential effects of ethnicity, obesity, and sex. The methylation status of UGT isoforms was determined with Illumina Methylation 450 BeadChip arrays, with genotyping confirmed by sequencing and gene expression confirmed with quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (q-RT-PCR). The UGT1A3 mRNA was 2-fold higher in females than males (p < 0.05), while UGT1A1 and UGT2B7 mRNA were significantly higher in Pacific Islanders than Caucasians (both p < 0.05). Differential mRNA or methylation did not occur with obesity. The methylation of the UGT2B15 locus cg09189601 in Caucasians was significantly lower than the highly methylated locus in Asians (p < 0.001). Three intergenic loci between UGT2B15 and 2B17 (cg07973162, cg10632656, and cg07952421) showed higher rates of methylation in Caucasians than in Asians (p < 0.001). Levels of UGT2B15 and UGT2B17 mRNA were significantly lower in Asians than Caucasians (p = 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively). Genotyping and sequencing indicated that only UGT2B15 is regulated by methylation, and low UGT2B17 mRNA is due to a deletion genotype common to Asians. Epigenetic regulation of UGT2B15 may predispose Asians to altered drug and hormone metabolism and begin to explain the increased risks for adverse drug reactions and some cancers in this population.
Theoretical Study on Synchronous Characterization of Surface and Interfacial Mechanical Properties of Thin-Film/Substrate Systems with Residual Stress Based on Pressure Blister Test Technique
Authors: Yang Zhi-xin , Sun Jun-yi , Li Ke , Lian Yong-sheng , He Xiao-ting , Zheng Zhou-lian
Published: January 2018

In this study, based on the pressure blister test technique, a theoretical study on the synchronous characterization of surface and interfacial mechanical properties of thin-film/substrate systems with residual stress was presented, where the problem of axisymmetric deformation of a blistering film with initial stress was analytically solved and its closed-form solution was presented. The expressions to determine Poisson’s ratios, Young’s modulus, and residual stress of surface thin films were derived; the work done by the applied external load and the elastic energy stored in the blistering thin film were analyzed in detail and their expressions were derived; and the interfacial adhesion energy released per unit delamination area of thin-film/substrate (i.e., energy release rate) was finally presented. The synchronous characterization technique presented here has theoretically made a big step forward, due to the consideration for the residual stress in surface thin films.
Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Treatment for Grey Cotton Knitted Fabric
Authors: Kan Chi-wai , Lam Chui-fung
Published: January 2018

100% grey cotton knitted fabric contains impurities and yellowness and needs to be prepared for processing to make it suitable for coloration and finishing. Therefore, conventionally 100% grey cotton knitted fabric undergoes a process of scouring and bleaching, which involves the use of large amounts of water and chemicals, in order to remove impurities and yellowness. Due to increased environmental awareness, pursuing a reduction of water and chemicals is a current trend in textile processing. In this study, we explore the possibility of using atmospheric pressure plasma as a dry process to treat 100% grey cotton knitted fabric (single jersey and interlock) before processing. Experimental results reveal that atmospheric pressure plasma treatment can effectively remove impurities from 100% grey cotton knitted fabrics and significantly improve its water absorption property. On the other hand, if 100% grey cotton knitted fabrics are pretreated with plasma and then undergo a normal scouring process, the treatment time is reduced. In addition, the surface morphological and chemical changes in plasma-treated fabrics were studied and compared with the conventionally treated fabrics using scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy-attenuated total reflection (FTIR-ATR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The decrease in carbon content, as shown in XPS, reveal the removal of surface impurities. The oxygen-to-carbon (O/C) ratios of the plasma treated knitted fabrics reveal enhanced hydrophilicity.
Factor Structure of the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (SpNQ) in Persons with Chronic Diseases, Elderly and Healthy Individuals
Authors: Büssing Arndt , Recchia Daniela , Koenig Harold , Baumann Klaus , Frick Eckhard
Published: January 2018

The Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (SpNQ) is an established measure of psychosocial, existential and spiritual needs. Its 4-factor structure has been primarily validated in persons with chronic diseases, but until now has not been done in elderly and stressed healthy populations. Therefore, we tested the factor structure of the SpNQ in: (1) persons with chronic diseases (n = 627); (2) persons with chronic disease plus elderly (n = 940); (3) healthy persons (i.e., adults and elderly) (n = 1468); and (4) chronically ill, elderly, and healthy persons together (n = 2095). The suggested structure was then validated using structured equation modelling (SEM). The 4-factor structure of the 20-item SpNQ (SpNQ-20) was confirmed, differentiating Religious Needs, Existential Needs, Inner Peace Needs, and Giving/Generativity Needs. The psychometric properties of the measure indicated (CFI = 0.96, TLI = 0.95, RMSEA = 0.04 and SRMR = 0.03), with good reliability indices (Cronbach’s alpha varying from 0.71 to 0.81). This latest version of the SpNQ provides researchers with a reliable and valid instrument that can now be used in comparative studies. Cultural and religious differences can be addressed using their different language versions, assuming the SpNQ’s structure is maintained.
From Religious Diversity to Political Competition: The Differentiation Process of Pentecostalism in Brazil
Authors: Moreira Alberto
Published: January 2018

The growing religious diversity in Brazil has more to do with a differentiation process within Pentecostalism itself than with the presence of very diverse religious groups. Starting with the analysis of such differentiation process, the article aims to discuss the need of terminological improvement and eventually the necessity of Keynesian rules adopted by the State to regulate ultraliberal religious markets. In unequal societies and religious markets such as those in Brazil, Pentecostal leaders’ greedy attitudes regarding their own adherents and aggressive intolerance against other religions’ followers are coherent with a functionalist religious market conception. In this view, highly aggressive strategies of some Pentecostal churches vis-à-vis other adversaries are seen as belonging to the normal functioning of a (neo-liberal) self-regulated social subsystem. Therefore, reflections on religious diversity inspired on a market model assume neoliberal macro conditions (total deregulation and free competition) as granted or desirable. Religious diversity would appear as the “natural” consequence of religious competition. However, put in Beckford’s terms, how can religious pluralism be achieved under terrible conditions of religious diversity? Intolerant attitudes of neo-Pentecostal leaders undermine the very bases of democracy and put the discussion on religious diversity and pluralism under new theoretical and political exigencies.
An Improved Predicted Model for BDS Ultra-Rapid Satellite Clock Offsets
Authors: Huang Guanwen , Cui Bobin , Zhang Qin , Fu Wenju , Li Pingli
Published: January 2018

The satellite clocks used in the BeiDou-2 satellite navigation System (BDS) are Chinese self-developed Rb atomic clocks, and their performances and stabilities are worse than GPS and Galileo satellite clocks. Due to special periodic noises and nonlinear system errors existing in the BDS clock offset series, the GPS ultra-rapid clock model, which uses a simple quadratic polynomial plus one periodic is not suitable for BDS. Therefore, an improved prediction model for BDS satellite clocks is proposed in order to enhance the precision of ultra-rapid predicted clock offsets. First, a basic quadratic polynomial model which is fit for the rubidium (Rb) clock is constructed for BDS. Second, the main cyclic terms are detected and identified by the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) method according to every satellite clock offset series. The detected results show that most BDS clocks have special cyclic terms which are different from the orbit periods. Therefore, two main cyclic terms are added to absorb the periodic effects. Third, after the quadratic polynomial plus two periodic fitting, some evident nonlinear system errors also exist in the model residual, and the Back Propagation (BP) neural network model is chosen to compensate for these nonlinear system errors. The simulation results show that the performance and precision using the improved model are better than that of China iGMAS ultra-rapid prediction (ISU-P) products and the Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ BDS ultra-rapid prediction (GBU-P) products. Comparing to ISU-P products, the average improvements using the proposed model in 3 h, 6 h, 12 h and 24 h are 23.1%, 21.3%, 20.2%, and 19.8%, respectively. Meanwhile the accuracy improvements of the proposed model are 9.9%, 13.9%, 17.3%, and 21.2% compared to GBU-P products. In addition, the kinematic Precise Point Positioning (PPP) example using 8 Multi-GNSS Experiment MGEX stations shows that the precision based on the proposed clock model has improved about 16%, 14%, and 38% in the North (N), East (E) and Height (H) components.
Improved Modeling of Global Ionospheric Total Electron Content Using Prior Information
Authors: Wang Cheng , Shi Chuang , Fan Lei , Zhang Hongping
Published: January 2018

The Ionosphere Working Group of the International GNSS Service (IGS) has been a reliable source of global ionospheric maps (GIMs) since 1998. Modeling of the global ionospheric total electron content (TEC) is performed daily by several Ionosphere Associate Analysis Centers (IAACs). Four IAACs (CODE, ESA, CAS and WHU) use the spherical harmonic (SH) expansion as their primary method for modeling GIMs. The IAACs generally solve a normal equation to obtain the SH coefficients and Differential Code Biases (DCBs) of satellites and receivers by traditional least-squares estimation (LSE) without any prior knowledge. In this contribution, an improved method is proposed and developed for global ionospheric modeling based on utilizing prior knowledge. Prior values of SH coefficients and DCBs of satellites and receivers, as well as the variance factor and covariance matrix, could be obtained from the ionospheric modeling on the previous day. The parameters can subsequently be updated through GNSS measurements to achieve higher accuracy. Comparisons are carried out between WHU products based either on priori information or original LSE and IGS final products, other IAAC products, and JASON data for the year 2014. The results indicate that there is improved consistency between WHU GIMs and IGS final GIMs, other IAAC products, and JASON data, particularly in comparison with ESA and UPC products, with the probabilities of achieving better consistency with these products exceeding 95%. Moreover, WHU-produced DCBs of satellites also have slightly improved consistency with IGS final GIMs and IAAC products.
Using an Instrumented Drone to Probe Dust Devils on Oregon’s Alvord Desert
Authors: Jackson Brian , Lorenz Ralph , Davis Karan , Lipple Brock
Published: January 2018

Dust devils are low-pressure, small (many to tens of meters) convective vortices powered by surface heating and rendered visible by lofted dust. Dust devils occur ubiquitously on Mars, where they may dominate the supply of atmospheric dust, and since dust contributes significantly to Mars’ atmospheric heat budget, dust devils probably play an important role in its climate. The dust-lifting capacity of a devil likely depends sensitively on its structure, particularly the wind and pressure profiles, but the exact dependencies are poorly constrained. Thus, the exact contribution to Mars’ atmosphere remains unresolved. Analog studies of terrestrial devils have provided some insights into dust devil dynamics and properties but have been limited to near-surface (few meters) or relatively high altitude (hundreds of meters) sampling. Automated aerial vehicles or drones, combined with miniature, digital instrumentation, promise a novel and uniquely powerful platform from which to sample dust devils at a wide variety of altitudes. In this article, we describe a pilot study using an instrumented quadcopter on an active field site in southeastern Oregon, which (to our knowledge) has not previously been surveyed for dust devils. We present preliminary results from the encounters, including stereo image analysis and encounter footage collected onboard the drone. In spite of some technical difficulties, we show that a quadcopter can successfully navigate in an active dust devil, while collecting time-series data about the dust devil’s structure.
Comparative Analysis of Chinese HJ-1 CCD, GF-1 WFV and ZY-3 MUX Sensor Data for Leaf Area Index Estimations for Maize
Authors: Zhao Jing , Li Jing , Liu Qinhuo , Wang Hongyan , Chen Chen , Xu Baodong , Wu Shanlong
Published: January 2018

In recent years, China has developed and launched several satellites with high spatial resolutions, such as the resources satellite No. 3 (ZY-3) with a multi-spectral camera (MUX) and 5.8 m spatial resolution, the satellite GaoFen No. 1 (GF-1) with a wide field of view (WFV) camera and 16 m spatial resolution, and the environment satellite (HJ-1A/B) with a charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor and 30 m spatial resolution. First, to analyze the potential application of ZY-3 MUX, GF-1 WFV, and HJ-1 CCD to extract the leaf area index (LAI) at the regional scale, this study estimated LAI from the relationships between physical model-based spectral vegetation indices (SVIs) and LAI values that were generated from look-up tables (LUTs), simulated from the combination of the PROSPECT-5B leaf model and the scattering by arbitrarily inclined leaves with the hot-spot effect (SAILH) canopy reflectance model. Second, to assess the surface reflectance quality of these sensors after data preprocessing, the well-processed surface reflectance products of the Landsat-8 operational land imager (OLI) sensor with a convincing data quality were used to compare the performances of ZY-3 MUX, GF-1 WFV, and HJ-1 CCD sensors both in theory and reality. Apart from several reflectance fluctuations, the reflectance trends were coincident, and the reflectance values of the red and near-infrared (NIR) bands were comparable among these sensors. Finally, to analyze the accuracy of the LAI estimated from ZY-3 MUX, GF-1 WFV, and HJ-1 CCD, the LAI estimations from these sensors were validated based on LAI field measurements in Huailai, Hebei Province, China. The results showed that the performance of the LAI that was inversed from ZY-3 MUX was better than that from GF-1 WFV, and HJ-1 CCD, both of which tended to be systematically underestimated. In addition, the value ranges and accuracies of the LAI inversions both decreased with decreasing spatial resolution.
A Novel Residual Frequency Estimation Method for GNSS Receivers
Authors: Nguyen Tu , La Vinh , Ta Tung
Published: January 2018

In Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers, residual frequency estimation methods are traditionally applied in the synchronization block to reduce the transient time from acquisition to tracking, or they are used within the frequency estimator to improve its accuracy in open-loop architectures. There are several disadvantages in the current estimation methods, including sensitivity to noise and wide search space size. This paper proposes a new residual frequency estimation method depending on differential processing. Although the complexity of the proposed method is higher than the one of traditional methods, it can lead to more accurate estimates, without increasing the size of the search space.
Free-Form Deformation Approach for Registration of Visible and Infrared Facial Images in Fever Screening
Authors: Dwith Chenna Yedukondala , Ghassemi Pejhman , Pfefer T. , Casamento Jon , Wang Quanzeng
Published: January 2018

Fever screening based on infrared (IR) thermographs (IRTs) is an approach that has been implemented during infectious disease pandemics, such as Ebola and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. A recently published international standard indicates that regions medially adjacent to the inner canthi provide accurate estimates of core body temperature and are preferred sites for fever screening. Therefore, rapid, automated identification of the canthi regions within facial IR images may greatly facilitate rapid fever screening of asymptomatic travelers. However, it is more difficult to accurately identify the canthi regions from IR images than from visible images that are rich with exploitable features. In this study, we developed and evaluated techniques for multi-modality image registration (MMIR) of simultaneously captured visible and IR facial images for fever screening. We used free form deformation (FFD) models based on edge maps to improve registration accuracy after an affine transformation. Two widely used FFD models in medical image registration based on the Demons and cubic B-spline algorithms were qualitatively compared. The results showed that the Demons algorithm outperformed the cubic B-spline algorithm, likely due to overfitting of outliers by the latter method. The quantitative measure of registration accuracy, obtained through selected control point correspondence, was within 2.8 ± 1.2 mm, which enables accurate and automatic localization of canthi regions in the IR images for temperature measurement.
A New Approach to Design Autonomous Wireless Sensor Node Based on RF Energy Harvesting System
Authors: Mouapi Alex , Hakem Nadir
Published: January 2018

Energy Harvesting techniques are increasingly seen as the solution for freeing the wireless sensor nodes from their battery dependency. However, it remains evident that network performance features, such as network size, packet length, and duty cycle, are influenced by the sum of recovered energy. This paper proposes a new approach to defining the specifications of a stand-alone wireless node based on a Radio-frequency Energy Harvesting System (REHS). To achieve adequate performance regarding the range of the Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), techniques for minimizing the energy consumed by the sensor node are combined with methods for optimizing the performance of the REHS. For more rigor in the design of the autonomous node, a comprehensive energy model of the node in a wireless network is established. For an equitable distribution of network charges between the different nodes that compose it, the Low-Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (LEACH) protocol is used for this purpose. The model considers five energy-consumption sources, most of which are ignored in recently used models. By using the hardware parameters of commercial off-the-shelf components (Mica2 Motes and CC2520 of Texas Instruments), the energy requirement of a sensor node is quantified. A miniature REHS based on a judicious choice of rectifying diodes is then designed and developed to achieve optimal performance in the Industrial Scientific and Medical (ISM) band centralized at 2.45 GHz . Due to the mismatch between the REHS and the antenna, a band pass filter is designed to reduce reflection losses. A gradient method search is used to optimize the output characteristics of the adapted REHS. At 1 mW of input RF power, the REHS provides an output DC power of 0.57 mW and a comparison with the energy requirement of the node allows the Base Station (BS) to be located at 310 m from the wireless nodes when the Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) has 100 nodes evenly spread over an area of 300 × 300 m 2 and when each round lasts 10 min . The result shows that the range of the autonomous WSN increases when the controlled physical phenomenon varies very slowly. Having taken into account all the dissipation sources coexisting in a sensor node and using actual measurements of an REHS, this work provides the guidelines for the design of autonomous nodes based on REHS.
One-Dimensional Nanostructures: Microfluidic-Based Synthesis, Alignment and Integration towards Functional Sensing Devices
Authors: Xing Yanlong , Dittrich Petra
Published: January 2018

Microfluidic-based synthesis of one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures offers tremendous advantages over bulk approaches e.g., the laminar flow, reduced sample consumption and control of self-assembly of nanostructures. In addition to the synthesis, the integration of 1D nanomaterials into microfluidic chips can enable the development of diverse functional microdevices. 1D nanomaterials have been used in applications such as catalysts, electronic instrumentation and sensors for physical parameters or chemical compounds and biomolecules and hence, can be considered as building blocks. Here, we outline and critically discuss promising strategies for microfluidic-assisted synthesis, alignment and various chemical and biochemical applications of 1D nanostructures. In particular, the use of 1D nanostructures for sensing chemical/biological compounds are reviewed.
Exploring the Efficacy of Platinum and Palladium Nanostructures for Organic Molecule Detection via Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Tran Minh , Whale Alison , Padalkar Sonal
Published: January 2018

Noble transition metals, like palladium (Pd) and platinum (Pt), have been well-known for their excellent catalytic and electrochemical properties. However, they have been considered non-active for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). In this work, we explore the scattering contributions of Pd and Pt for the detection of organic molecules. The Pd and Pt nanostructures were synthesized on silicon substrate using a modified galvanic displacement method. The results show Pt nanoparticles and dendritic Pd nanostructures with controlled density and size. The influence of surfactants, including sodium dodecyl sulfate and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, on the size and morphology of the nanostructures was investigated. The Pd and Pt nanostructures with a combination of large size and high density were then used to explore their applicability for the detection of 10−5 M Rhodamine 6G and 10−2 M paraoxon.
Joint High-Order Synchrosqueezing Transform and Multi-Taper Empirical Wavelet Transform for Fault Diagnosis of Wind Turbine Planetary Gearbox under Nonstationary Conditions
Authors: Hu Yue , Tu Xiaotong , Li Fucai , Meng Guang
Published: January 2018

Wind turbines usually operate under nonstationary conditions, such as wide-range speed fluctuation and time-varying load. Its critical component, the planetary gearbox, is prone to malfunction or failure, which leads to downtime and repair costs. Therefore, fault diagnosis and condition monitoring for the planetary gearbox in wind turbines is a vital research topic. Meanwhile, the signals measured by the vibration sensors mounted in the gearbox exhibit time-varying and nonstationary features. In this study, a novel time-frequency method based on high-order synchrosqueezing transform (SST) and multi-taper empirical wavelet transform (MTEWT) is proposed for the wind turbine planetary gearbox under nonstationary conditions. The high-order SST uses accurate instantaneous frequency approximations to obtain a sharper time-frequency representation (TFR). As the acquired signal consists of many components, like the meshing and rotating components of the gear and bearing, the fault component may be masked by other unrelated components. The MTEWT is used to separate the fault feature from the masking components. A variety of experimental signals of the wind turbine planetary gearbox under nonstationary conditions have been analyzed to demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method. Results show that the proposed method is effective in diagnosing both gear and bearing faults.
On the Performance Evaluation of a MIMO–WCDMA Transmission Architecture for Building Management Systems
Authors: Tsampasis Eleftherios , Gkonis Panagiotis , Trakadas Panagiotis , Zahariadis Theodοre
Published: January 2018

The goal of this study was to investigate the performance of a realistic wireless sensor nodes deployment in order to support modern building management systems (BMSs). A three-floor building orientation is taken into account, where each node is equipped with a multi-antenna system while a central base station (BS) collects and processes all received information. The BS is also equipped with multiple antennas; hence, a multiple input–multiple output (MIMO) system is formulated. Due to the multiple reflections during transmission in the inner of the building, a wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) physical layer protocol has been considered, which has already been adopted for third-generation (3G) mobile networks. Results are presented for various MIMO orientations, where the mean transmission power per node is considered as an output metric for a specific signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) requirement and number of resolvable multipath components. In the first set of presented results, the effects of multiple access interference on overall transmission power are highlighted. As the number of mobile nodes per floor or the requested transmission rate increases, MIMO systems of a higher order should be deployed in order to maintain transmission power at adequate levels. In the second set of results, a comparison is performed among transmission in diversity combining and spatial multiplexing mode, which clearly indicate that the first case is the most appropriate solution for indoor communications.
Gas Classification Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Peng Pai , Zhao Xiaojin , Pan Xiaofang , Ye Wenbin
Published: January 2018

In this work, we propose a novel Deep Convolutional Neural Network (DCNN) tailored for gas classification. Inspired by the great success of DCNN in the field of computer vision, we designed a DCNN with up to 38 layers. In general, the proposed gas neural network, named GasNet, consists of: six convolutional blocks, each block consist of six layers; a pooling layer; and a fully-connected layer. Together, these various layers make up a powerful deep model for gas classification. Experimental results show that the proposed DCNN method is an effective technique for classifying electronic nose data. We also demonstrate that the DCNN method can provide higher classification accuracy than comparable Support Vector Machine (SVM) methods and Multiple Layer Perceptron (MLP).
Subsidence Mechanism and Stability Assessment Methods for Partial Extraction Mines for Sustainable Development of Mining Cities—A Review
Authors: Yu Yang , Chen Shen-En , Deng Ka-Zhong , Wang Peng , Fan Hong-Dong
Published: January 2018

Partial extraction methods such as underground strip pillar mining or room-and-pillar mining are widely adopted techniques to control ground subsidence. However, pillar failure in partial extraction mines may introduce violent secondary ground collapses. The stability of partial extraction mines dictates the safety of ground surface structures and the environmental health state of the surrounding mining areas. To reuse mining subsidence lands, it is necessary to evaluate the stability of the land through mine subsidence assessments. This paper summarizes current pillar stability assessment methods and their limitations, and the rock mechanics associated with the stability of abandoned mines. The effects of multiple factors that affect mine stability are discussed in detail; special attention has been extended to discuss the weathering effects associated with infused water and spontaneous combustion, as these are some key reasons for pillar strength degradation in abandoned mines. The mechanism of mine collapse and the corresponding post-mining disasters are also summarized. Finally, suggestions and strategies to improve current mine stability assessment methods are proposed based on the perspective of subsidence control.
An Evaluation System for University–Industry Partnership Sustainability: Enhancing Options for Entrepreneurial Universities
Authors: Kaklauskas Artūras , Banaitis Audrius , Ferreira Fernando , Ferreira João , Amaratunga Dilanthi , Lepkova Natalija , Ubartė Ieva , Banaitienė Nerija
Published: January 2018

The concept of university–industry partnership sustainability (UIPS) stands for well-adjusted progress among key players from universities and industry by sustaining their welfare, both in the present and in the future. This paper sought to develop an evaluation system for UIPS. The need for such a system is justified at three levels: the micro level (i.e., research and innovation performance, transfer and absorptive capability, and technology development), the meso level (i.e., institutional arrangements, communication networks, and local and indigenous rules) and the macro level (i.e., supply and demand, regulations, financing, taxes, culture, traditions, market, climate, politics, demographics, and technology). The UIPS evaluation system developed in this study offers the possibility of calculating a fair value of UIPS and providing recommendations for improving university–industry (U–I) partnerships. This can be of great importance for entrepreneurial universities that would like to strengthen their corporate links and/or reduce/reverse the “hollowing effect” of globalisation in disadvantaged regions. Additionally, this paper also contains discussions on the advantages, limitations, and managerial implications of this proposal.
Factors That Influence Renewable Energy Technological Innovation in China: A Dynamic Panel Approach
Authors: He Zheng-Xia , Xu Shi-Chun , Li Qin-Bin , Zhao Bin
Published: January 2018

We examine the driving effects of various factors on technological innovation to renewables (TIRES), focusing on a set of 29 provinces in China, and apply a dynamic panel approach. China has become a leading player in research and development spending in renewables, and the dynamic panel estimators we use prove themselves to be suitable in handling the persistent effect on TIRES. The level of TIRES in the previous periods is positively and highly correlated with that in the current period and confirmed the need for a stable and consistent policy support for renewables. Electricity consumption is the most important driver for all renewables and wind energy, but the driving effect was weaker for solar energy and biomass. Research and development intensity is the most important driver for biomass, but is only the second most important driver for all renewables, solar energy and wind energy. Unexpectedly, electricity price has had significant negative impacts on TIRES, which reveals that lowering electricity prices will lead to higher innovation in renewables. The driving effect of renewable energy tariff surcharge subsidy is not significant, which means that Chinese subsidy policy has not played the desired role. The driving effect of installed renewable energy capacity is also minimal, which may be due to the fact that overcapacity will hinder TIRES in China. This paper may help policy-makers and the industry understand how to promote TIRES in China effectively based on these above influential factors.
Two Scenarios for Landfills Design in Special Conditions Using the HELP Model: A Case Study in Babylon Governorate, Iraq
Authors: Chabuk Ali , Al-Ansari Nadhir , Ezz-Aldeen Mohammad , Laue Jan , Pusch Roland , Hussain Hussain Musa , Knutsson Sven
Published: January 2018

The sound design of landfills is essential in order to protect human health and the environment (air, water, and soil). The study area, Babylon Governorate, is situated in the middle of Iraq, and is distinguished by a hot climate and shallow groundwater. The governorate did not have landfill sites that meet international criteria; in addition, the groundwater depth in Babylon Governorate is commonly shallow. Previously, the most important criteria for the study area and GIS software were used to select the best sites for locating landfills in the major cities of the governorate. In this study, the Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance (HELP 3.95D) model was applied in order to ensure that there was no leakage of the leachate that results from the waste in the selected landfill sites. It is the most commonly utilized model for landfill design, and it is used to estimate water inflow through the soil layers. For the present study, to avoid groundwater pollution by leachate from a landfill site due to the shallow groundwater depth, compacted waste was placed on the surface using two height scenarios (2 m and 4 m). This design was developed using the soil properties of the selected sites coupled with the weather parameters in Babylon Governorate (precipitation, temperature, solar, and evapotranspiration) for a 12-year period covering 2005 to 2016. The results from both of the suggested landfill designs showed an absence of leachate from the bottom liner.
An Approach to Evaluate Comprehensive Plan and Identify Priority Lands for Future Land Use Development to Conserve More Ecological Values
Authors: Zhou Long , Wu Yao , Woodfin Tom , Zhu Rong , Chen Tian
Published: January 2018

Urbanization has significant impacts on the regional environmental quality through altering natural lands, converting them to urban built-up areas. One common strategy applied by urban planners to manage urbanization and preserve natural resources is to make a comprehensive plan and concentrate future land use in certain areas. However, in practice, planners used to make future land use planning mainly based on their subjective interpretations with limited ecological supporting evidence and analysis. Here, we propose a new approach composed of ecological modelling and land use zoning in the spatial matrix to evaluate the comprehensive plan and identify priority lands for sustainable land use planning. We use the city of Corvallis, OR, as the test bed to demonstrate this new approach. The results indicate that the Corvallis Comprehensive Plan 1998–2020 featured with compact development is not performing efficiently in conserving ecological values, and the land use plan featured with mixed-use spreading development generated by the proposed approach meets the city’s land demands for urban growth, and conserves 103% more ecological value of retaining storm water nitrogen, 270% more ecological value of retaining storm water phosphorus and 19% more ecological value in storing carbon in the whole watershed. This study indicates that if planned with scientific analysis and evidence, spreading urban development does not necessarily result in less sustainable urban environment than the compact development recommended in smart growth.
Catalyst-Free Biodiesel Production Methods: A Comparative Technical and Environmental Evaluation
Authors: Okoro Oseweuba , Sun Zhifa , Birch John
Published: January 2018

In response to existing global focus on improved biodiesel production methods via highly efficient catalyst-free high temperature and high pressure technologies, this study considered the comparative study of catalyst-free technologies for biodiesel production as an important research area. In this study, therefore, catalyst-free integrated subcritical lipid hydrolysis and supercritical esterification and catalyst-free one step supercritical transesterification processes for biodiesel production have been evaluated via undertaking straight forward comparative energetic and environmental assessments. Energetic comparisons were undertaken after heat integration was performed since energy reduction has favourable effects on the environmental performance of chemical processes. The study confirmed that both processes are capable of producing biodiesel of high purity with catalyst-free integrated subcritical lipid hydrolysis and supercritical esterification characterised by a greater energy cost than catalyst-free one step supercritical transesterification processes for an equivalent biodiesel productivity potential. It was demonstrated that a one-step supercritical transesterification for biodiesel production presents an energetically more favourable catalyst-free biodiesel production pathway compared to the integrated subcritical lipid hydrolysis and supercritical esterification biodiesel production process. The one-step supercritical transesterification for biodiesel production was also shown to present an improved environmental performance compared to the integrated subcritical lipid hydrolysis and supercritical esterification biodiesel production process. This is because of the higher potential environment impact calculated for the integrated subcritical lipid hydrolysis and supercritical esterification compared to the potential environment impact calculated for the supercritical transesterification process, when all material and energy flows are considered. Finally the major contributors to the environmental outcomes of both processes were also clearly elucidated.
Bio-Inspired Sustainability Assessment for Building Product Development—Concept and Case Study
Authors: Horn Rafael , Dahy Hanaa , Gantner Johannes , Speck Olga , Leistner Philip
Published: January 2018

Technological advancement culminating in a globalized economy has brought tremendous improvements for mankind in manifold respects but comes at the cost of alienation from nature. Human activities nowadays are unsustainable and cause severe damage especially in terms of global depletion and destabilization of natural systems but also harm its own social resources. In this paper, a sustainability assessment method is developed based on a bio-inspired sustainability framework that has been developed in the project TRR 141-C01 “The biomimetic promise.” It is aims at regaining the advantages of societal embeddedness in its environment through biological inspiration. The method is developed using a structured approach including requirement specification, description of the inventory models on bio-inspiration and sustainability assessment, creation of a bio-inspired sustainability assessment model and its validation. It is defined as an accompanying assessment for decision support, using a six-fold two-dimensional structure of social, economic and environmental functions and burdens. The method is applied and validated in 6 projects of TRR 141 and its applicability is exemplarily shown by the assessment of “Bio-flexi”, a biobased and biodegradable natural fiber reinforced plastic composite for indoor cladding applications. Based on the findings of the application the assessment method itself is proposed to be advanced towards an adaptive structure and a consequent outlook is provided.
Measuring International Migration in Azerbaijan
Authors: Yüksel Serhat , Mukhtarov Shahriyar , Mahmudlu Ceyhun , Mikayilov Jeyhun , Iskandarov Anar
Published: January 2018

International migration significantly affects economic, social, cultural, and political factors of the country. Owing to this situation, it can be said that the reasons of international migration should be analyzed in order to control this problem. The purpose of this study is to determine the influencing factors of international migration in Azerbaijan. In this scope, annual data of 11 explanatory variables for the period of 1995–2015 was analyzed via Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS) method. According to the results of this analysis, it was identified that people prefer to move other countries in case of high unemployment rates. In addition, the results of the study show that population growth and high mortality rate increases the migration level. While considering these results, it was recommended that Azerbaijan should focus on these aspects to control international migration problem.
An Empirical Study on Design Partner Selection in Green Product Collaboration Design
Authors: Liu Aijun , Liu Haiyang , Xiao Yaxuan , Tsai Sang-Bing , Lu Hui
Published: January 2018

Green production has become an important issue in PCD (Product Collaboration Design) for almost every enterprise, and will determine the sustainability of enterprises in the long term. The choice of design partner is a necessary condition in order to achieve green production. For the uncertain, fuzzy, and dynamic information such as unknown indices and weights, fuzzy semantics, and dynamic time factors in GPCD (Green Product Collaboration Design), a two-stage dynamic hybrid MADM (Multi-Attribute Decision Making) approach based on fuzzy DEMATEL (Decision-Making and Trial Evaluation Laboratory), fuzzy KMA (Karnik–Mendel Algorithm), and fuzzy VIKOR (VlseKriterjumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje) was proposed. In the first stage, fuzzy DEMATEL was used to determine the evaluation indices. Then, in the second stage, to accurately depict the dynamic information generated by the different phases of a product design, the dynamic evaluation method based on fuzzy theories was employed, and the weights of the indices were calculated by fuzzy KMA, then sorted by fuzzy VIKOR. Finally, a case study and a comparative analysis wre provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Electroencephalogram Similarity Analysis Using Temporal and Spectral Dynamics Analysis for Propofol and Desflurane Induced Unconsciousness
Authors: Liu Quan , Ma Li , Fan Shou-Zen , Abbod Maysam , Shieh Jiann-Shing
Published: January 2018

Important information about the state dynamics of the brain during anesthesia is unraveled by Electroencephalogram (EEG) approaches. Patterns that are observed through EEG related to neural circuit mechanism under different molecular targets dependent anesthetics have recently attracted much attention. Propofol, a Gamma-amino butyric acid, is known with evidently increasing alpha oscillation. Desflurane shares the same receptor action and should be similar to propofol. To explore their dynamics, EEG under routine surgery level anesthetic depth is analyzed using multitaper spectral method from two groups: propofol (n = 28) and desflurane (n = 23). The time-varying spectrum comparison was undertaken to characterize their properties. Results show that both of the agents are dominated by slow and alpha waves. Especially, for increased alpha band feature, propofol unconsciousness shows maximum power at about 10 Hz (mean ± SD; frequency: 10.2 ± 1.4 Hz; peak power, −14.0 ± 1.6 dB), while it is approximate about 8 Hz (mean ± SD; frequency: 8.3 ± 1.3 Hz; peak power, −13.8 ± 1.6 dB) for desflurane with significantly lower frequency-resolved spectra for this band. In addition, the mean power of propofol is much higher from alpha to gamma band, including slow oscillation than that of desflurane. The patterns might give us an EEG biomarker for specific anesthetic. This study suggests that both of the anesthetics exhibit similar spectral dynamics, which could provide insight into some common neural circuit mechanism. However, differences between them also indicate their uniqueness where relevant.
Blind MuseumTourer: A System for Self-Guided Tours in Museums and Blind Indoor Navigation
Authors: Meliones Apostolos , Sampson Demetrios
Published: January 2018

Notably valuable efforts have focused on helping people with special needs. In this work, we build upon the experience from the BlindHelper smartphone outdoor pedestrian navigation app and present Blind MuseumTourer, a system for indoor interactive autonomous navigation for blind and visually impaired persons and groups (e.g., pupils), which has primarily addressed blind or visually impaired (BVI) accessibility and self-guided tours in museums. A pilot prototype has been developed and is currently under evaluation at the Tactual Museum with the collaboration of the Lighthouse for the Blind of Greece. This paper describes the functionality of the application and evaluates candidate indoor location determination technologies, such as wireless local area network (WLAN) and surface-mounted assistive tactile route indications combined with Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacons and inertial dead-reckoning functionality, to come up with a reliable and highly accurate indoor positioning system adopting the latter solution. The developed concepts, including map matching, a key concept for indoor navigation, apply in a similar way to other indoor guidance use cases involving complex indoor places, such as in hospitals, shopping malls, airports, train stations, public and municipality buildings, office buildings, university buildings, hotel resorts, passenger ships, etc. The presented Android application is effectively a Blind IndoorGuide system for accurate and reliable blind indoor navigation.