bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
VEGF Signaling in Neurological Disorders
Authors: Shim Joon , Madsen Joseph
Published: January 2018

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent growth factor playing diverse roles in vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. In the brain, VEGF mediates angiogenesis, neural migration and neuroprotection. As a permeability factor, excessive VEGF disrupts intracellular barriers, increases leakage of the choroid plexus endothelia, evokes edema, and activates the inflammatory pathway. Recently, we discovered that a heparin binding epidermal growth factor like growth factor (HB-EGF)—a class of EGF receptor (EGFR) family ligands—contributes to the development of hydrocephalus with subarachnoid hemorrhage through activation of VEGF signaling. The objective of this review is to entail a recent update on causes of death due to neurological disorders involving cerebrovascular and age-related neurological conditions and to understand the mechanism by which angiogenesis-dependent pathological events can be treated with VEGF antagonisms. The Global Burden of Disease study indicates that cancer and cardiovascular disease including ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke are two leading causes of death worldwide. The literature suggests that VEGF signaling in ischemic brains highlights the importance of concentration, timing, and alternate route of modulating VEGF signaling pathway. Molecular targets distinguishing two distinct pathways of VEGF signaling may provide novel therapies for the treatment of neurological disorders and for maintaining lower mortality due to these conditions.
Assessment of TSPO in a Rat Experimental Autoimmune Myocarditis Model: A Comparison Study between [18F]Fluoromethyl-PBR28 and [18F]CB251
Authors: Kim Ga , Paeng Jin , Jung Jae , Moon Byung , Lopalco Antonio , Denora Nunzio , Lee Byung , Kim Sang
Published: January 2018

Overexpression of the 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO) is closely linked to inflammatory responses in the heart, including myocarditis, which can lead to myocardial necrosis. In vivo assessment of inflammatory responses has enabled the precise diagnosis of myocarditis to improve clinical outcomes. Here, we evaluated TSPO overexpression in a rat model of experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) compared to healthy rats using two TSPO radiotracers, [18F]fluoromethyl-PBR28 ([18F]1) and [18F]CB251 ([18F]2). All radiolabeling methods were successfully applied to an automated module for the reproducible preparation of TSPO radiotracers. Both radiotracers were directly compared in an EAM rat model, as well as in healthy rats to determine whether either radiotracer provides a more promising assessment of in vivo TSPO overexpression. [18F]2 provided more specific TSPO-uptake in the heart of the EAM rats (1.32-fold that of the heart-to-lung uptake ratio versus healthy controls), while [18F]1 did not show a significant difference between the two groups. Histopathological characterization revealed that a prominent positron emission tomography (PET) signal of [18F]2 in the EAM rats corresponded to the presence of a higher density of TSPO compared to the healthy controls. These results suggest that the imidazole[1,2-a]pyridine-based radiotracer [18F]2 is a sensitive tool for noninvasively diagnosing myocarditis related to inflammation of the heart muscle by assessing abnormal TSPO expression.
Induction of Pro-Apoptotic Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Multiple Myeloma Cells by NEO214, Perillyl Alcohol Conjugated to Rolipram
Authors: Chen Thomas , Chan Nymph , Labib Shirin , Yu Jiali , Cho Hee-Yeon , Hofman Florence , Schönthal Axel
Published: January 2018

Despite the introduction of new therapies for multiple myeloma (MM), many patients are still dying from this disease and novel treatments are urgently needed. We have designed a novel hybrid molecule, called NEO214, that was generated by covalent conjugation of the natural monoterpene perillyl alcohol (POH), an inducer of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, to rolipram (Rp), an inhibitor of phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4). Its potential anticancer effects were investigated in a panel of MM cell lines. We found that NEO214 effectively killed MM cells in vitro with a potency that was over an order of magnitude stronger than that of its individual components, either alone or in combination. The cytotoxic mechanism of NEO214 involved severe ER stress and prolonged induction of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP), a key pro-apoptotic component of the ER stress response. These effects were prevented by salubrinal, a pharmacologic inhibitor of ER stress, and by CHOP gene knockout. Conversely, combination of NEO214 with bortezomib, a drug in clinical use for patients with MM, resulted in synergistic enhancement of MM cell death. Combination with the adenylate cyclase stimulant forskolin did not enhance NEO214 impact, indicating that cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (AMP) pathways might play a lesser role. Our study introduces the novel agent NEO214 as a potent inducer of ER stress with significant anti-MM activity in vitro. It should be further investigated as a potential MM therapy aimed at exploiting this tumor’s distinct sensitivity to ER stress.
The Root of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidzumi Prevents Obesity and Glucose Intolerance and Increases Energy Metabolism in Mice
Authors: Song Mi , Lim Soo-Kyoung , Wang Jing-Hua , Kim Hojun
Published: January 2018

Targeting energy expenditure offers a strategy for treating obesity more effectively and safely. In previous studies, we found that the root of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidzumi (Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba, ARA) increased energy metabolism in C2C12 cells. Here, we investigated the effects of ARA on obesity and glucose intolerance by examining energy metabolism in skeletal muscle and brown fat in high-fat diet (HFD) induced obese mice. ARA decreased body weight gain, hepatic lipid levels and serum total cholesterol levels, but did not modify food intake. Fasting serum glucose, serum insulin levels and glucose intolerance were all improved in ARA treated mice. Furthermore, ARA increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC1α) expression, and the phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in skeletal muscle tissues, and also prevented skeletal muscle atrophy. In addition, the numbers of brown adipocytes and the expressions of PGC1α and uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) were elevated in the brown adipose tissues of ARA treated mice. Our results show that ARA can prevent diet-induced obesity and glucose intolerance in C5BL/6 mice and suggests that the mechanism responsible is related to the promotion of energy metabolism in skeletal muscle and brown adipose tissues.
Histopathological Breast-Image Classification Using Local and Frequency Domains by Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Nahid Abdullah-Al , Kong Yinan
Published: January 2018

Identification of the malignancy of tissues from Histopathological images has always been an issue of concern to doctors and radiologists. This task is time-consuming, tedious and moreover very challenging. Success in finding malignancy from Histopathological images primarily depends on long-term experience, though sometimes experts disagree on their decisions. However, Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD) techniques help the radiologist to give a second opinion that can increase the reliability of the radiologist’s decision. Among the different image analysis techniques, classification of the images has always been a challenging task. Due to the intense complexity of biomedical images, it is always very challenging to provide a reliable decision about an image. The state-of-the-art Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) technique has had great success in natural image classification. Utilizing advanced engineering techniques along with the CNN, in this paper, we have classified a set of Histopathological Breast-Cancer (BC) images utilizing a state-of-the-art CNN model containing a residual block. Conventional CNN operation takes raw images as input and extracts the global features; however, the object oriented local features also contain significant information—for example, the Local Binary Pattern (LBP) represents the effective textural information, Histogram represent the pixel strength distribution, Contourlet Transform (CT) gives much detailed information about the smoothness about the edges, and Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) derives frequency-domain information from the image. Utilizing these advantages, along with our proposed novel CNN model, we have examined the performance of the novel CNN model as Histopathological image classifier. To do so, we have introduced five cases: (a) Convolutional Neural Network Raw Image (CNN-I); (b) Convolutional Neural Network CT Histogram (CNN-CH); (c) Convolutional Neural Network CT LBP (CNN-CL); (d) Convolutional Neural Network Discrete Fourier Transform (CNN-DF); (e) Convolutional Neural Network Discrete Cosine Transform (CNN-DC). We have performed our experiments on the BreakHis image dataset. The best performance is achieved when we utilize the CNN-CH model on a 200× dataset that provides Accuracy, Sensitivity, False Positive Rate, False Negative Rate, Recall Value, Precision and F-measure of 92.19%, 94.94%, 5.07%, 1.70%, 98.20%, 98.00% and 98.00%, respectively.
Pre-Eclampsia and Eclampsia: An Update on the Pharmacological Treatment Applied in Portugal
Authors: Peres Gonçalo , Mariana Melissa , Cairrão Elisa
Published: January 2018

Pre-eclampsia and eclampsia are two hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, considered major causes of maternal and perinatal death worldwide. Pre-eclampsia is a multisystemic disease characterized by the development of hypertension after 20 weeks of gestation, with the presence of proteinuria or, in its absence, of signs or symptoms indicative of target organ injury. Eclampsia represents the consequence of brain injuries caused by pre-eclampsia. The correct diagnosis and classification of the disease are essential, since the therapies for the mild and severe forms of pre-eclampsia are different. Thus, this review aims to describe the most advisable antepartum pharmacotherapy for pre-eclampsia and eclampsia applied in Portugal and based on several national and international available guidelines. Slow-release nifedipine is the most recommended drug for mild pre-eclampsia, and labetalol is the drug of choice for the severe form of the disease. Magnesium sulfate is used to prevent seizures caused by eclampsia. Corticosteroids are used for fetal lung maturation. Overall, the pharmacological prevention of these diseases is limited to low-dose aspirin, so it is important to establish the safest and most effective available treatment.
Improvement of Numerical Modelling Considering Plane Strain Material Characterization with an Elliptic Hydraulic Bulge Test
Authors: Lenzen Matthias , Merklein Marion
Published: January 2018

A precise characterization of material behavior is necessary to identify yield criteria or hardening laws for an accurate numerical design of sheet metal forming processes. Current models like Yld2000-2d or Hill’48 do not consider the plane strain state, though this condition is primary cause of failure in deep drawing. It is anticipated that an improved yield locus contour which considers the stress under plane strain conditions leads to better results in numerical simulations of a deep drawing process. Within this contribution, a new experimental setup to characterize both principal stress components under plane strain as additional input data for material modelling is presented. Therefore, hydraulic bulge tests are carried out with a novel elliptical die, which implements a plane strain condition. Moreover, the improvement of the material model is investigated exemplarily for the three sheet metal alloys DC06, DP600 and AA5182. The resulting material parameters are used to identify the yield locus for plane strain by varying the yield locus exponent of Yld2000-2d. The results prove that considering plane strain yield locus results in a better sheet thickness distribution in comparison to conventional modelling of the deep drawing process.
Are Ionic Liquids Good Boundary Lubricants? A Molecular Perspective
Authors: Lhermerout Romain , Diederichs Christophe , Perkin Susan
Published: January 2018

The application of ionic liquids as lubricants has attracted substantial interest over the past decade and this has produced a rich literature. The aim of this review is to summarize the main findings about frictional behavior of ionic liquids in the boundary lubrication regime. We first recall why the unusual properties of ionic liquids make them very promising lubricants, and the molecular mechanisms at the origin of their lubricating behavior. We then point out the main challenges to be overcome in order to optimise ionic liquid lubricant performance for common applications. We finally discuss their use in the context of electroactive lubrication.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, a Powerful Tool in Cultural Heritage
Authors: Proietti Noemi , Capitani Donatella , Di Tullio Valeria
Published: January 2018

In this paper five case studies illustrating applications of NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) in the field of cultural heritage, are reported. Different issues were afforded, namely the investigation of advanced cleaning systems, the quantitative mapping of moisture in historic walls, the investigation and evaluation of restoration treatments on porous stones, the stratigraphy of wall paintings, and the detection of CO2 in lapis lazuli. Four of these case studies deal with the use of portable NMR sensors which allow non-destructive and non-invasive investigation in situ. The diversity among cases reported demonstrates that NMR can be extensively applied in the field of cultural heritage.
Iterative Methods for Computing Vibrational Spectra
Authors: Carrington Tucker
Published: January 2018

I review some computational methods for calculating vibrational spectra. They all use iterative eigensolvers to compute eigenvalues of a Hamiltonian matrix by evaluating matrix-vector products (MVPs). A direct-product basis can be used for molecules with five or fewer atoms. This is done by exploiting the structure of the basis and the structure of a direct product quadrature grid. I outline three methods that can be used for molecules with more than five atoms. The first uses contracted basis functions and an intermediate (F) matrix. The second uses Smolyak quadrature and a pruned basis. The third uses a tensor rank reduction scheme.
Logic Operators on Delta-Sigma Bit-Streams
Authors: Klein Axel
Published: January 2018

The fundamental logic operations NOT, OR, AND, and XOR processing bit-streams of Δ Σ -modulators are discussed herein. The resulting bit-streams are evaluated on the basis of their mean values and their standard deviations. Mathematical expressions are presented for their mean values; i.e., the logic function XOR results in the negative multiplication of two bipolar bit-streams, and the logic function AND results in the multiplication of two unipolar bit-streams. As the results are valid for bit-streams with independent high-frequency components, the normed cross-product is utilized for evaluation of the independence of the high-frequency components. In order to achieve a high independence between the input bit-streams, representing the same value, the quantization noise is affected. Multiple strategies are examined and Δ Σ -modulators with different designs are chosen as the best-suited solution. The operations are evaluated on a testbench.
Solution of Fuzzy Differential Equations Using Fuzzy Sumudu Transforms
Authors: Jafari Raheleh , Razvarz Sina
Published: January 2018

The uncertain nonlinear systems can be modeled with fuzzy differential equations (FDEs) and the solutions of these equations are applied to analyze many engineering problems. However, it is very difficult to obtain solutions of FDEs. In this paper, the solutions of FDEs are approximated by utilizing the fuzzy Sumudu transform (FST) method. Significant theorems are suggested in order to explain the properties of FST. The proposed method is validated with three real examples.
Specific Molecular Signatures for Type II Crustins in Penaeid Shrimp Uncovered by the Identification of Crustin-Like Antimicrobial Peptides in Litopenaeus vannamei
Authors: Barreto Cairé , Coelho Jaqueline , Yuan Jianbo , Xiang Jianhai , Perazzolo Luciane , Rosa Rafael
Published: January 2018

Crustins form a large family of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in crustaceans composed of four sub-groups (Types I-IV). Type II crustins (Type IIa or “Crustins” and Type IIb or “Crustin-like”) possess a typical hydrophobic N-terminal region and are by far the most representative sub-group found in penaeid shrimp. To gain insight into the molecular diversity of Type II crustins in penaeids, we identified and characterized a Type IIb crustin in Litopenaeus vannamei (Crustin-like Lv) and compared Type II crustins at both molecular and transcriptional levels. Although L. vannamei Type II crustins (Crustin Lv and Crustin-like Lv) are encoded by separate genes, they showed a similar tissue distribution (hemocytes and gills) and transcriptional response to the shrimp pathogens Vibrio harveyi and White spot syndrome virus (WSSV). As Crustin Lv, Crustin-like Lv transcripts were found to be present early in development, suggesting a maternal contribution to shrimp progeny. Altogether, our in silico and transcriptional data allowed to conclude that (1) each sub-type displays a specific amino acid signature at the C-terminal end holding both the cysteine-rich region and the whey acidic protein (WAP) domain, and that (2) shrimp Type II crustins evolved from a common ancestral gene that conserved a similar pattern of transcriptional regulation.
Microbial Degradation Behavior in Seawater of Polyester Blends Containing Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx)
Authors: Sashiwa Hitoshi , Fukuda Ryuji , Okura Tetsuo , Sato Shunsuke , Nakayama Atsuyoshi
Published: January 2018

The microbial degradation behavior of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx) and its compound with several polyesters such as poly(butylene adipate-co-telephtharate) (PBAT), poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), and polylactic acid (PLA) in seawater was tested by a biological oxygen demand (BOD) method. PHBHHx showed excellent biodegradation in seawater in this study. In addition, the biodegradation rate of several blends was much influenced by the weight ratio of PHBHHx in their blends and decreased in accordance with the decrement of PHBHHX ratio. The surface morphology of the sheet was important factor for controlling the biodegradation rate of PHBHHx-containing blends in seawater.
Experimental Study for Improving the Repair of Magnesium–Aluminium Hybrid Parts by Turning Processes
Authors: Rubio Eva , Villeta María , Valencia José , Sáenz de Pipaón José
Published: January 2018

One of the lightest metallic materials used in the aeronautics, aerospace, and automotive industries, among others, is magnesium, due to its excellent weight/strength ratio. Most parts used in these industries need to be made of materials that are rigid, strong, and lightweight, but sometimes the materials do not simultaneously satisfy all of the properties required. An alternative is to combine two or more materials, giving rise to a hybrid component that can satisfy a wider range of properties. The pieces machined in these industrial fields must satisfy stringent surface roughness requirements that conform to the design specifications. This work shows an experimental study to analyse the surface roughness reached in hybrid components made up of a base of magnesium alloy (UNS M11917) and two inserts of aluminium alloy (UNS A92024) obtained by turning. Its purpose is to determine the influence of the factors and their possible interactions on the response variable, the surface roughness Ra. The study is carried out using a design of experiments (DOE). A product of a full factorial 23 and a block of two factors 3 × 2 was selected. The factors identified as possible sources of variation of the surface roughness are: depth of cut, feed rate, spindle speed, type of tool, location with respect to the specimen (LRS), and location with respect to the insert (LRI). Data were analysed by means of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) method. The main conclusion is the possibility to carry out the repair and maintenance of parts of magnesium–aluminum hybrid components by dry turning; that is, without cutting fluids and, therefore, in the most sustainable way that the process can be carried out. In addition, different combinations of cutting parameters have been identified that allow these operations to be carried out in an efficient manner, reducing mechanization times and, therefore, also the direct and indirect costs associated with them.
Practical Method for Isolation of Phage Deletion Mutants
Authors: Gutiérrez Diana , Fernández Lucía , Rodríguez Ana , García Pilar
Published: January 2018

The growing concern about multi-drug resistant pathogenic bacteria has led to a renewed interest in the study of bacteriophages as antimicrobials and as therapeutic agents against infectious diseases (phage therapy). Phages to be used for this purpose have to be subjected to in-depth genomic characterization. It is essential to ascribe specific functions to phage genes, which will give information to unravel phage biology and to ensure the lack of undesirable genes, such as virulence and antibiotic resistance genes. Here, we describe a simple protocol for the selection of phage mutants carrying random deletions along the phage genome. Theoretically, any DNA region might be removed with the only requirement that the phage particle viability remains unaffected. This technique is based on the instability of phage particles in the presence of chelating compounds. A fraction of the phage population naturally lacking DNA segments will survive the treatment. Within the context of phages as antimicrobials, this protocol is useful to select lytic variants from temperate phages. In terms of phage efficiency, virulent phages are preferred over temperate ones to remove undesirable bacteria. This protocol has been used to obtain gene mutations that are involved in the lysogenic cycle of phages infecting Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus and Lactobacillus).
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Nutrients in 2017
Authors:   Nutrients Editorial Office
Published: January 2018

Peer review is an essential part in the publication process, ensuring that Nutrients maintains high quality standards for its published papers [...]
Merging Satellite Retrievals and Reanalyses to Produce Global Long-Term and Consistent Surface Incident Solar Radiation Datasets
Authors: Feng Fei , Wang Kaicun
Published: January 2018

Surface incident solar radiation (Rs) is a key parameter in many climatic and ecological processes. The data from satellites and reanalysis have been widely used. However, for reanalysis, Rs data has been shown to have substantial spatial bias, and the time span of reliable satellite Rs is too short for climatic and ecological studies. Combining reanalysis and satellite data would be an effective method for generating long-term and consistent Rs datasets. Here, we apply a cumulative probability density function-based (CPDF) method to merge eight reanalyses with the latest available satellite Rs data from Clouds and Earth’s Radiant Energy System Energy Balanced and Filled (CERES EBAF) surface retrievals. The CPDF method not only reduces the spatial bias of the reanalysis Rs data, but also makes the Rs datasets in a global, long-term and consistent way. The observed Rs data collected at 54 Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN) stations from 1992 to 2016 are used to evaluate the method. Results show that the CPDF method could reduce the mean absolute biases (MAB) of the reanalysis Rs effectively by 21.24–64.36%. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Re-Analysis interim (ERA-interim) reanalysis Rs data, which are available for 1979 onward, perform the best before MAB = 13.20 W·m−2 and after MAB = 10.40 W·m−2 merging. This small post-merging MAB of the ERA-interim reanalysis is caused by the MAB of 9.90 W·m−2 in the satellite Rs retrievals. The Japanese 55-year reanalysis provides Rs values back to 1958, and CPDF can reduce its MAB by 32.87%, to 11.17 W·m−2. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)-CIRES twentieth-century reanalysis (CIRES) and the ECMWF twentieth-century reanalysis (ERA20CM) provide century-long Rs estimates. CIRES performs better after merging. The MAB of CIRES can be reduced by 32.10%, to 12.99 W·m−2, while ERA20CM’s can be reduced by 12.51%, to 16.40 W·m−2.
Angular Molecular–Electronic Sensor with Negative Magnetohydrodynamic Feedback
Authors: Egorov Egor , Agafonov Vadim , Avdyukhina Svetlana , Borisov Sergey
Published: January 2018

A high-precision angular accelerometer based on molecular–electronic transfer (MET) technology with a high dynamic range and a low level of self-noise has been developed. Its difference from the analogues is in the use of liquid (electrolyte) as the inertial mass and the use of negative feedback based on the magnetohydrodynamic effect. This article reports on the development of the angular molecular–electronic accelerometer with a magnetohydrodynamic cell for the creation of negative feedback, and the optimization of electronics for the creation of a feedback signal. The main characteristics of the angular accelerometer, such as amplitude–frequency characteristics, self-noise and Allan variance were experimentally measured. The obtained output parameters were compared to its analogues and it showed perspectives for further development in this field.
Acoustic Transducers as Passive Cooperative Targets for Wireless Sensing of the Sub-Surface World: Challenges of Probing with Ground Penetrating RADAR
Authors: Friedt Jean-Michel , Martin Gilles , Goavec-Mérou Gwenhael , Rabus David , Alzuaga Sébastien , Arapan Lilia , Sagnard Marianne , Carry Émile
Published: January 2018

Passive wireless transducers are used as sensors, probed by a RADAR system. A simple way to separate the returning signal from the clutter is to delay the response, so that the clutter decays before the echoes are received. This can be achieved by introducing a fixed delay in the sensor design. Acoustic wave transducers are ideally suited as cooperative targets for passive, wireless sensing. The incoming electromagnetic pulse is converted into an acoustic wave, propagated on the sensor substrate surface, and reflected as an electromagnetic echo. According to a known law, the acoustic wave propagation velocity depends on the physical quantity under investigation, which is then measured as an echo delay. Both conversions between electromagnetic and acoustic waves are based on the piezoelectric property of the substrate of which the sensor is made. Investigating underground sensing, we address the problems of using GPR (Ground-Penetrating RADAR) for probing cooperative targets. The GPR is a good candidate for this application because it provides an electromagnetic source and receiver, as well as echo recording tools. Instead of designing dedicated electronics, we choose a commercially available, reliable and rugged instrument. The measurement range depends on parameters like antenna radiation pattern, radio spectrum matching between GPR and the target, antenna-sensor impedance matching and the transfer function of the target. We demonstrate measurements at depths ranging from centimeters to circa 1 m in a sandbox. In our application, clutter rejection requires delays between the emitted pulse and echoes to be longer than in the regular use of the GPR for geophysical measurements. This delay, and the accuracy needed for sensing, challenge the GPR internal time base. In the GPR units we used, the drift turns out to be incompatible with the targeted application. The available documentation of other models and brands suggests that this is a rather general limitation. We solved the problem by replacing the analog ramp generator defining the time base with a fully digital solution, whose time accuracy and stability relies on a quartz oscillator. The resulting stability is acceptable for sub-surface cooperative sensor measurement.
Research on Geometric Calibration of Spaceborne Linear Array Whiskbroom Camera
Authors: Sheng Qinghong , Wang Qi , Xiao Hui , Wang Qing
Published: January 2018

The geometric calibration of a spaceborne thermal-infrared camera with a high spatial resolution and wide coverage can set benchmarks for providing an accurate geographical coordinate for the retrieval of land surface temperature. The practice of using linear array whiskbroom Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) arrays to image the Earth can help get thermal-infrared images of a large breadth with high spatial resolutions. Focusing on the whiskbroom characteristics of equal time intervals and unequal angles, the present study proposes a spaceborne linear-array-scanning imaging geometric model, whilst calibrating temporal system parameters and whiskbroom angle parameters. With the help of the YG-14—China’s first satellite equipped with thermal-infrared cameras of high spatial resolution—China’s Anyang Imaging and Taiyuan Imaging are used to conduct an experiment of geometric calibration and a verification test, respectively. Results have shown that the plane positioning accuracy without ground control points (GCPs) is better than 30 pixels and the plane positioning accuracy with GCPs is better than 1 pixel.
Unified Compact ECC-AES Co-Processor with Group-Key Support for IoT Devices in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Parrilla Luis , Castillo Encarnación , López-Ramos Juan , Álvarez-Bermejo José , García Antonio , Morales Diego
Published: January 2018

Security is a critical challenge for the effective expansion of all new emerging applications in the Internet of Things paradigm. Therefore, it is necessary to define and implement different mechanisms for guaranteeing security and privacy of data interchanged within the multiple wireless sensor networks being part of the Internet of Things. However, in this context, low power and low area are required, limiting the resources available for security and thus hindering the implementation of adequate security protocols. Group keys can save resources and communications bandwidth, but should be combined with public key cryptography to be really secure. In this paper, a compact and unified co-processor for enabling Elliptic Curve Cryptography along to Advanced Encryption Standard with low area requirements and Group-Key support is presented. The designed co-processor allows securing wireless sensor networks with independence of the communications protocols used. With an area occupancy of only 2101 LUTs over Spartan 6 devices from Xilinx, it requires 15% less area while achieving near 490% better performance when compared to cryptoprocessors with similar features in the literature.
Effect of Humid Aging on the Oxygen Adsorption in SnO2 Gas Sensors
Authors: Suematsu Koichi , Ma Nan , Watanabe Ken , Yuasa Masayoshi , Kida Tetsuya , Shimanoe Kengo
Published: January 2018

To investigate the effect of aging at 580 °C in wet air (humid aging) on the oxygen adsorption on the surface of SnO2 particles, the electric properties and the sensor response to hydrogen in dry and humid atmospheres for SnO2 resistive-type gas sensors were evaluated. The electric resistance in dry and wet atmospheres at 350 °C was strongly increased by humid aging. From the results of oxygen partial pressure dependence of the electric resistance, the oxygen adsorption equilibrium constants (K1; for O− adsorption, K2; for O2− adsorption) were estimated on the basis of the theoretical model of oxygen adsorption. The K1 and K2 in dry and wet atmospheres at 350 °C were increased by humid aging at 580 °C, indicating an increase in the adsorption amount of both O− and O2−. These results suggest that hydroxyl poisoning on the oxygen adsorption is suppressed by humid aging. The sensor response to hydrogen in dry and wet atmosphere at 350 °C was clearly improved by humid aging. Such an improvement of the sensor response seems to be caused by increasing the oxygen adsorption amount. Thus, the humid aging offers an effective way to improve the sensor response of SnO2 resistive-type gas sensors in dry and wet atmospheres.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Safety in 2017
Authors:   Safety Editorial Office
Published: January 2018

Peer review is an essential part in the publication process, ensuring that Safety maintains high quality standards for its published papers.[...]
Using High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography-Densitometry to Study the Influence of the Prion [RNQ+] and Its Determinant Prion Protein Rnq1 on Yeast Lipid Profiles
Authors: Bui Quang , Sherma Joseph , Hines Justin
Published: January 2018

The baker’s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae harbors multiple prions that allow for the creation of heterogeneity within otherwise clonal cell populations. However, in many cases, the consequences of prion infection are entirely unclear. Predictions of prion-induced changes in cell physiology are complicated by pleotropic effects, and detection is often limited to relatively insensitive cell growth assays that may obscure many physiological changes. We previously showed that silica gel high performance thin-layer chromatography-densitometry (HPTLC) can be used to empirically determine prion-induced changes in lipid content in yeast. Here, we conduct pair-wise quantifications of the relative levels of free sterols, free fatty acids, and triacylglycerols [petroleum ether-diethyl ether-glacial acetic acid (80:20:1, v/v/v) mobile phase and phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) detection reagent]; steryl esters, methyl esters, and squalene [hexane-petroleum ether-diethyl ether-glacial acetic acid (50:20:5:1, v/v/v/v) and PMA]; and phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylinositol (chloroform-diethyl ether-acetic acid (65:25:4.5, v/v/v) and cupric sulfate-phosphoric acid) in otherwise clonal prion-infected ([RNQ+]) and prion-free ([rnq−]) cells in both stationary- and logarithmic-growth phases. We detected multiple statistically significant differences between prion-infected and prion-free cells that varied by growth phase, confirming our pr evious observations that prions exert distinct influences on cell physiology between stationary- and log-phase growth. We also found significant differences between cells expressing or lacking the Rnq1 protein which forms the [RNQ+] prion, providing new clues to the as yet unresolved normal biological function of this prion-forming protein. This investigation further emphasizes the utility of HPTLC-densitometry to empirically determine the effects of prions and other presumed innocuous gene deletions on lipid content in yeast, and we expect that additional analyses will continue to resolve the physiological effects of prion infection.
Assessing the Effects of Urban Morphology Parameters on Microclimate in Singapore to Control the Urban Heat Island Effect
Authors: Jin Hong , Cui Peng , Wong Nyuk , Ignatius Marcel
Published: January 2018

It is important to alleviate the “heat island effect” in urban areas, especially tropical cities. Microclimate is normally affected by the urban morphology parameters. The objective of this work is to investigate the correlation between air temperature variations and urban morphology parameters in tropical cities. Field measurement was carried out to record the air temperature at 27 points within an 8 km2 urban area continuously in Singapore for one year. Geographical information system was applied to extract the urban morphology parameters. Generally, the maximum and minimum air temperature spatial differences in the study area ranged from 3.2 to 6.5 °C, indicating the significant effects of urban morphology on the air temperatures. Based on the fitting results of created multilinear regression models, parametric study has been performed to investigate the specific effects of urban morphology parameters on air temperatures. This work has proposed a much more precise regression model to predict the air temperature with various urban morphology parameters. In addition, meaningful value of reference has been offered for urban planners and landscape designers to effectively control the air temperature in tropical cities such as Singapore.
Raising Awareness on Health Impact of the Chemicals Used in Consumer Products: Empirical Evidence from East-Central Europe
Authors: Luca Florin-Alexandru , Ciobanu Claudia-Ioana , Andrei Andreia , Horodnic Adrian
Published: January 2018

Recent research and guidance provided by regulatory authorities address the growing concerns on the control of chemicals used in consumer products. In this context, this study responds to literature alerts emphasizing the need for promoting risk reduction by decreasing the use of damaging chemicals and raising public awareness on this issue. It focuses on East-Central Europe and investigates whether consumers are worried about the impact on health of chemicals, and whether they think there is enough information available in this sense. The study uses logistic regression in order to analyze the secondary data from Special Eurobarometer No. 416 (part of Eurobarometer Wave EB 81.3, European Commission, 2014), namely 27,998 interviews collected in all 28 EU countries, of which 11,460 are from East-Central Europe. The research reveals a profile of East-Central Europeans, who consider that they lack information on the topic, and identifies the most effective way of reaching these people according to their perceptions and habits. Reporting results on a representative sample in East-Central Europe, the study indicates the channels, sources of information, and trusted institutions in order to support a campaign for raising public awareness on the health impact of chemicals used in consumer products.
Socially Just Triple-Wins? A Framework for Evaluating the Social Justice Implications of Climate Compatible Development
Authors: Wood Benjamin , Stringer Lindsay , Dougill Andrew , Quinn Claire
Published: January 2018

Climate compatible development (CCD) aims to help people improve their lives in the face of climate threats without exacerbating these threats for current and future generations. It is proving an attractive concept to both academics and practitioners. However, the social justice implications of CCD have not yet been comprehensively explored and an absence of adequate evaluation frameworks has led to multiple, legitimate cross-scalar social justice claims being marginalised. This article develops a framework to guide holistic social justice evaluation of CCD initiatives across levels and scales. Underpinning this framework is a social justice approach that embraces particularism, pluralism and procedural justice. Drawing on existing research, the framework is used to explore the implications of the Clean Development Mechanism for recognition, participation and distribution in the Least Developed Countries. Findings show that achieving social justice through CCD is not a given; rather, the social justice implications of CCD differ within and between levels and scales. We conclude by suggesting ways in which our framework can be applied to augment knowledge on CCD. Understanding the processes through which social justices and injustices are created is integral to considerations of whether and how CCD should be used to underpin a new development landscape.
Non-Market Food Provision and Sharing in Japan’s Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes
Authors: Saito Osamu , Kamiyama Chiho , Hashimoto Shizuka
Published: January 2018

Socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS) are characterized by a dynamic mosaic of different ecosystem types that maintain relatively high biodiversity and produce a bundle of ecosystem services. One unique characteristic of SEPLS is the sharing of provisioning services within and beyond communities, such as forests, agricultural and marine products. Conventional ecosystem assessments based on statistical data often ignore the benefits of these non-market provisioning services. This short communication quantifies the contribution of the sharing of food provisioning services in Japan in terms of their amount and variety, and it analyzes the relationship between such sharing practices and landscape types. Using an online web survey, we investigated the benefits of sharing goods and services provided from SEPLS. In both mountainous and flat agricultural areas, 16% of the total food amount came from non-market sources, compared to 10% in urbanized areas. Farmland and forests had significant positive correlations with most non-market food items in terms of amount. Greater amounts of built-up area in the landscape were associated with a lesser amount of non-market food provision. Food sharing culture can contribute to enhancing resilience against socio-economic changes and natural disasters. This study provides baseline information for monitoring the hidden flow of food provision and its multiple functions.
A Hierarchical Feature Extraction Model for Multi-Label Mechanical Patent Classification
Authors: Hu Jie , Li Shaobo , Hu Jianjun , Yang Guanci
Published: January 2018

Various studies have focused on feature extraction methods for automatic patent classification in recent years. However, most of these approaches are based on the knowledge from experts in related domains. Here we propose a hierarchical feature extraction model (HFEM) for multi-label mechanical patent classification, which is able to capture both local features of phrases as well as global and temporal semantics. First, a n-gram feature extractor based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) is designed to extract salient local lexical-level features. Next, a long dependency feature extraction model based on the bidirectional long–short-term memory (BiLSTM) neural network model is proposed to capture sequential correlations from higher-level sequence representations. Then the HFEM algorithm and its hierarchical feature extraction architecture are detailed. We establish the training, validation and test datasets, containing 72,532, 18,133, and 2679 mechanical patent documents, respectively, and then check the performance of HFEMs. Finally, we compared the results of the proposed HFEM and three other single neural network models, namely CNN, long–short-term memory (LSTM), and BiLSTM. The experimental results indicate that our proposed HFEM outperforms the other compared models in both precision and recall.
Spatial Configuration and Online Attention: A Space Syntax Perspective
Authors: Liu Peixue , Xiao Xiao , Zhang Jie , Wu Ronghua , Zhang Honglei
Published: January 2018

The spatial behavior of tourists is an important part of the research on congestion management and sustainable planning of tourism destinations. Combined with user-generated content (UGC) and site-based survey data, this study conducted an overlaying analysis between street network configurations that resulted from space syntax and tourist preferences. Based on space syntax, tourist movement is influenced by the distribution of scenic spots and the structure of tourist trails in scenic mountain areas. The results reveal that the distribution of scenic spots has a significant impact on tourist flow and visitors’ choices of entrance to the mountain; the volume of online sign-ins is highly correlated with landscape attention, axial control values and the local integration value of the trails; and tourists’ attention focuses on the entrance area and the few tourist-sight markers. This study advances the understanding of the spatial patterns of within-destination tourist behavior; this knowledge will be helpful in alleviating congestion in mountain scenic areas and providing effective guidance for tourists to plan an ideal tour route.
Modelling the Spatial Expansion of Green Manure Considering Land Productivity and Implementing Strategies
Authors: Zhang Liping , Cao Meng , Xing An , Sun Zhongxiang , Huang Yuanfang
Published: January 2018

In modern sustainable agriculture, green manuring is increasingly emphasized for a reasonable land use management. However, the expansion of green manure is affected by a range of factors, such as soil geophysical properties and human intervention. This paper proposes an approach of spatial modelling to understand the mechanisms that influence green manure expansion and map the future distribution of green manure intercropped in the orchards in the Pinggu District, Beijing, China. We firstly classified the orchards into five grades according to a land productivity evaluation, and then considered two strategies for implementing green manure. Two scenarios were designed to represent the strategies: prioritizing low-productivity orchards to promote green manure intercropping (scenario 1) and prioritizing high-productivity orchards to promote green manure intercropping (scenario 2). The spatial expansion of green manure for 2020 was simulated at a resolution of a 100 × 100 m grid in the CLUE-S (the Conversion of Land Use and its Effects at the Small Region Extent) model. The two strategies led to quite different spatial patterns of green manure, although they were applied to the same areas. As a result, the spatial pattern of green manuring of scenario 1 was more concentrated than that of scenario 2. To summarize, the modelled outcomes identified the driving factors that affect green manure expansion at a grid scale, whereas the implementing strategies directly determined the spatial arrangements of green manuring at a regional scale. Therefore, we argue that the assessment of the driving factors and the prediction of the future distribution of green manuring are crucial for informing an extensive use of green manure.
Organizational Sustainability Practices: A Study of the Firms Listed by the Corporate Sustainability Index
Authors: Batista Alamo , Francisco Antonio
Published: January 2018

Organizational sustainability (OS) has been guiding the decision-making process of managers in order to generate competitive advantage. This paper aims to identify the sustainable practices performed by large corporations in the implementation of OS. Reports with actions performed by large organizations and their reach in the three pillars of sustainability—environmental, economic, and social dimensions—are disclosed to their main stakeholders, based on short, medium and long-term sustainable goals. These reports often reflect the progress of OS or the progress made toward them. However, few studies investigate the sustainable practices adopted by firms and their reproducibility. A search was performed in reports selected from the firms listed by the Corporate Sustainability Index (CSI) from 2012–2016, belonging to the Brazilian stock market in services sector of the economy and employed the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) methodology. The results showed the strategic planning involving infrastructure, environment, human resources, product innovation, organizational management and deadline setting acted as the baseline for the implementation of the practices found. The findings will guide the managers´ decisions in the development of their strategic planning, based on practical and objective results.