bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Landscape Pattern Detection in Archaeological Remote Sensing
Authors: Traviglia Arianna , Torsello Andrea
Published: December 2017

Automated detection of landscape patterns on Remote Sensing imagery has seen virtually little or no development in the archaeological domain, notwithstanding the fact that large portion of cultural landscapes worldwide are characterized by land engineering applications. The current extraordinary availability of remotely sensed images makes it now urgent to envision and develop automatic methods that can simplify their inspection and the extraction of relevant information from them, as the quantity of information is no longer manageable by traditional “human” visual interpretation. This paper expands on the development of automatic methods for the detection of target landscape features—represented by field system patterns—in very high spatial resolution images, within the framework of an archaeological project focused on the landscape engineering embedded in Roman cadasters. The targets of interest consist of a variety of similarly oriented objects of diverse nature (such as roads, drainage channels, etc.) concurring to demark the current landscape organization, which reflects the one imposed by Romans over two millennia ago. The proposed workflow exploits the textural and shape properties of real-world elements forming the field patterns using multiscale analysis of dominant oriented response filters. Trials showed that this approach provides accurate localization of target linear objects and alignments signaled by a wide range of physical entities with very different characteristics.
An Exploration of Intent to Use Telehealth at Home for Patients with Chronic Diseases
Authors: Uei Shu-Lin , Kuo Yu-Ming , Tsai Chung-Hung , Kuo Yu-Lun
Published: December 2017

Telecare is defined as care practiced at a distance. It is an effective strategy for improving the self-health care management of home-patients with chronic diseases. The purpose of this study was to explore the intent to use of telehealth patients. The correlation between the self-care behaviors, the intent to use of telehealth, and the effects on physiological indicators of patients with chronic disease at home were studied. A cross-sectional study design employing purposive sampling was selected. The structured questionnaire ‘Telecare Usage Intention Scale and Self-Care Behavior Scale’ were used, ‘HbA1c, glucose levels and monthly blood pressure measurements’ were analyzed in this thirteen month study. The self-care behaviors of the participants were positively correlated with their intent to use telehealth (p < 0.01). The results also indicated that HbA1c, glucose levels and frequency BP measurement of the participants improved significantly after using telecare (p < 0.005). The results indicated a strong intent to use telehealth and positive perception of telecare services by in-home patients with a chronic disease. Telehealth improves the self-care behavior of in-home chronic disease patients and enhances medical professionals’ ability to deliver quality and effective healthcare.
Differences in Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage Cases between Urban and Rural Regions of Taiwan: Big Data Analytics of Government Open Data
Authors: Ting Hsien-Wei , Chien Ting-Ying , Lai K. , Pan Ren-Hao , Wu Kuan-Hsien , Chen Jun-Min , Chan Chien-Lung
Published: December 2017

This study evaluated the differences in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) between rural and urban areas of Taiwan with big data analysis. We used big data analytics and visualization tools to examine government open data, which included the residents’ health medical administrative data, economic status, educational status, and relevant information. The study subjects included sICH patients of Taipei region (29,741 cases) and Eastern Taiwan (4565 cases). The incidence of sICH per 100,000 population per year in Eastern Taiwan (71.3 cases) was significantly higher than that of the Taipei region (42.3 cases). The mean coverage area per hospital in Eastern Taiwan (452.4 km2) was significantly larger than the Taipei region (24 km2). The residents educational level in the Taipei region was significantly higher than that in Eastern Taiwan. The mean hospital length of stay in the Taipei region (17.9 days) was significantly greater than that in Eastern Taiwan (16.3 days) (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in other medical profiles between two areas. Distance and educational barriers were two possible reasons for the higher incidence of sICH in the rural area of Eastern Taiwan. Further studies are necessary in order to understand these phenomena in greater depth.
Same Abbreviated Injury Scale Values May Be Associated with Different Risks to Mortality in Trauma Patients: A Cross-Sectional Retrospective Study Based on the Trauma Registry System in a Level I Trauma Center
Authors: Rau Cheng-Shyuan , Wu Shao-Chun , Kuo Pao-Jen , Chen Yi-Chun , Chien Peng-Chen , Hsieh Hsiao-Yun , Hsieh Ching-Hua
Published: December 2017

The Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) measures injury severity of a trauma patient with a numeric method for ranking anatomy-based specific injuries. The summation of the squares of the three most severe injuries in the AIS of six predefined body regions comprises the Injury Severity Score (ISS). It assumes that the mortality of a given AIS value is similar across all body regions. However, such an assumption is less explored in the literature. In this study, we aimed to compare the mortality rates of the patients with the same AIS value in different injured body regions in a level I trauma center. Hospitalized adult trauma patients with isolated serious to critical injury (AIS of 3 to 5) between 1 January 2009, and 31 December 2016, from the Trauma Registry System in a level I trauma center were grouped according to the injured body regions (including, the head/neck, thorax, abdomen, or extremities) and were exclusively compared according to their AIS stratum. Categorical data were compared using the two-sided Fisher exact or Pearson chi-square tests. ANOVA with Games-Howell post hoc test was performed to assess the differences in continuous data of the patients with injury in different body regions. The primary outcome of the study was in-hospital mortality. The adjusted odds ratios (AORs) were estimated using a stepwise selection of a multivariable regression model adjusted by controlling the confounding variables such as sex, age, comorbidities, and ISS. Survival curves were estimated with the Kaplan–Meier approach with a corresponding log-rank test. The patients with AIS of 5 for abdomen injury and those with AIS of 3 for extremity injury had a significantly lower odds of adjusted mortality (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.01–0.39, p = 0.004 and AOR 0.3, 95% CI 0.15–0.51, p < 0.001, respectively) than that of the patients with head/neck injury. However, the patients with AIS of 4 for extremity injury demonstrated significantly higher odds of adjusted mortality (AOR 8.4, 95% CI 2.84–25.07, p < 0.001) than the patients with head/neck injury. This study found that the risks to mortality in the patients with a given AIS value of serious to critical injury in different injured body regions were not the same, even after controlling for confounding variables such as sex, age, comorbidities, and ISS.
Exploratory Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Myocardial Infarction Hospitalizations in Calgary, Canada
Authors: Liu Xiaoxiao , Bertazzon Stefania
Published: December 2017

Spatial and temporal analyses are critical to understand the pattern of myocardial infarction (MI) hospitalizations over space and time, and to identify their underlying determinants. In this paper, we analyze MI hospitalizations in Calgary from 2004 to 2013, stratified by age and gender. First, a seasonal trend decomposition analyzes the seasonality; then a linear regression models the trend component. Moran’s I and hot spot analyses explore the spatial pattern. Though exploratory, results show that most age and gender groups feature a statistically significant decline over the 10 years, consistent with previous studies in Canada. Decline rates vary across ages and genders, with the slowest decline observed for younger males. Each gender exhibits a seasonal pattern with peaks in both winter and summer. Spatially, MI hot spots are identified in older communities, and in socioeconomically and environmentally disadvantaged communities. In the older communities, higher MI rates appear to be more highly associated with demographics. Conversely, worse air quality appears to be locally associated with higher MI incidence in younger age groups. The study helps identify areas of concern, where MI hot spots are identified for younger age groups, suggesting the need for localized public health policies to target local risk factors.
Investigating Lushan Earthquake Victims’ Individual Behavior Response and Rescue Organization
Authors: Kang Peng , Lv Yipeng , Deng Qiangyu , Liu Yuan , Zhang Yi , Liu Xu , Zhang Lulu
Published: December 2017

Research concerning the impact of earthquake victims’ individual behavior and its association with earthquake-related injuries is lacking. This study examined this relationship along with effectiveness of earthquake rescue measures. The six most severely destroyed townships during the Lushan earthquake were examined; 28 villages and three earthquake victims’ settlement camp areas were selected as research areas. Inclusion criteria comprised living in Lushan county for a longtime, living in Lushan county during the 2013 Lushan earthquake, and having one’s home destroyed. Earthquake victims with an intellectual disability or communication problems were excluded. The earthquake victims (N (number) = 5165, male = 2396) completed a questionnaire (response rate: 94.7%). Among them, 209 were injured (5.61%). Teachers (p < 0.0001, OR (odds ratios) = 3.33) and medical staff (p = 0.001, OR = 4.35) were more vulnerable to the earthquake than were farmers. Individual behavior was directly related to injuries, such as the first reaction after earthquake and fear. There is an obvious connection between earthquake-related injury and individual behavior characteristics. It is strongly suggested that victims receive mental health support from medical practitioners and the government to minimize negative effects. The initial reaction after an earthquake also played a vital role in victims’ trauma; therefore, earthquake-related experience and education may prevent injuries. Self-aid and mutual help played key roles in emergency, medical rescue efforts.
The Importance of the Circadian Clock in Regulating Plant Metabolism
Authors: Kim Jin , Kim Hyun-Soon , Choi Seo-Hwa , Jang Ji-Young , Jeong Mi-Jeong , Lee Soo
Published: December 2017

Carbohydrates are the primary energy source for plant development. Plants synthesize sucrose in source organs and transport them to sink organs during plant growth. This metabolism is sensitive to environmental changes in light quantity, quality, and photoperiod. In the daytime, the synthesis of sucrose and starch accumulates, and starch is degraded at nighttime. The circadian clock genes provide plants with information on the daily environmental changes and directly control many developmental processes, which are related to the path of primary metabolites throughout the life cycle. The circadian clock mechanism and processes of metabolism controlled by the circadian rhythm were studied in the model plant Arabidopsis and in the crops potato and rice. However, the translation of molecular mechanisms obtained from studies of model plants to crop plants is still difficult. Crop plants have specific organs such as edible seed and tuber that increase the size or accumulate valuable metabolites by harvestable metabolic components. Human consumers are interested in the regulation and promotion of these agriculturally significant crops. Circadian clock manipulation may suggest various strategies for the increased productivity of food crops through using environmental signal or overcoming environmental stress.
Study on the Correlation between Gene Expression and Enzyme Activity of Seven Key Enzymes and Ginsenoside Content in Ginseng in Over Time in Ji’an, China
Authors: Yin Juxin , Zhang Daihui , Zhuang Jianjian , Huang Yi , Mu Ying , Lv Shaowu
Published: December 2017

Panax ginseng is a traditional medicine. Fresh ginseng is one of the most important industries related to ginseng development, and fresh ginseng of varying ages has different medicinal properties. Previous research has not systematically reported the correlation between changes in key enzyme activity with changes in ginsenoside content in fresh ginseng over time. In this study, for the first time, we use ginseng samples of varying ages in Ji’an and systematically reported the changes in the activity of seven key enzymes (HMGR, FPS, SS, SE, DS, CYP450, and GT). We investigated the content of ginsenoside and gene expression of these key enzymes. Ginsenoside content was measured using HPLC. HPLC, GC-MS, and LC-MS were combined to measure the enzyme activity of the key enzymes. Quantitative PCR was used in the investigation of gene expression. By analyzing the correlation between the enzyme activity and the transcription level of the key enzymes with ginsenoside content, we found that DS and GT enzyme activities are significantly correlated with the ginsenoside content in different ages of ginseng. Our findings might provide a new strategy to discriminate between ginseng of different years. Meanwhile, this research provides important information for the in-depth study of ginsenoside biosynthesis.
Can Computers Become Conscious, an Essential Condition for the Singularity?
Authors: Logan Robert
Published: December 2017

Given that consciousness is an essential ingredient for achieving Singularity, the notion that an Artificial General Intelligence device can exceed the intelligence of a human, namely, the question of whether a computer can achieve consciousness, is explored. Given that consciousness is being aware of one’s perceptions and/or of one’s thoughts, it is claimed that computers cannot experience consciousness. Given that it has no sensorium, it cannot have perceptions. In terms of being aware of its thoughts it is argued that being aware of one’s thoughts is basically listening to one’s own internal speech. A computer has no emotions, and hence, no desire to communicate, and without the ability, and/or desire to communicate, it has no internal voice to listen to and hence cannot be aware of its thoughts. In fact, it has no thoughts, because it has no sense of self and thinking is about preserving one’s self. Emotions have a positive effect on the reasoning powers of humans, and therefore, the computer’s lack of emotions is another reason for why computers could never achieve the level of intelligence that a human can, at least, at the current level of the development of computer technology.
A System-of-Systems Approach for Integrated Resilience Assessment in Highway Transportation Infrastructure Investment
Authors: Mostafavi Ali
Published: December 2017

The objective of this paper is to propose a System-of-Systems (SoS) approach for an integrated assessment of resilience in civil transportation infrastructure in the U.S. A SoS approach is adopted for systemic assessment. Data obtained from case studies of two recent natural disasters in the U.S. are utilized to explore the status quo, key players and interactions, and the drivers to and barriers of improving resilience in transportation infrastructure systems. The findings indicate that strategies for enhancing resilience in transportation infrastructure systems include redistributing the available funding through a special funding vehicle, using resilience-based performance measures, and integrating the efforts of different stakeholders. The SoS approach along with the findings from the case studies provides an analytical tool for understanding the dynamics of resilience in infrastructure systems. Such understanding could lead to identifying strategies for enhancing resilience in infrastructure systems. The study presented in this paper provides new insights to identify the determinants of resilience in highway transportation infrastructure based on a SoS approach.
The Role of Cerl2 in the Establishment of Left-Right Asymmetries during Axis Formation and Heart Development
Authors: Belo José , Marques Sara , Inácio José
Published: December 2017

The formation of the asymmetric left-right (LR) body axis is one of the fundamental aspects of vertebrate embryonic development, and one still raising passionate discussions among scientists. Although the conserved role of nodal is unquestionable in this process, several of the details around this signaling cascade are still unanswered. To further understand this mechanism, we have been studying Cerberus-like 2 (Cerl2), an inhibitor of Nodal, and its role in the generation of asymmetries in the early vertebrate embryo. The absence of Cerl2 results in a wide spectrum of malformations commonly known as heterotaxia, which comprises defects in either global organ position (e.g., situs inversus totalis), reversed orientation of at least one organ (e.g., situs ambiguus), and mirror images of usually asymmetric paired organs (e.g., left or right isomerisms of the lungs). Moreover, these laterality defects are frequently associated with congenital heart diseases (e.g., transposition of the great arteries, or atrioventricular septal defects). Here, reviewing the knowledge on the establishment of LR asymmetry in mouse embryos, the emerging conclusion is that as necessary as is the activation of the Nodal signaling cascade, the tight control that Cerl2-mediates on Nodal signaling is equally important, and that generates a further regionalized LR genetic program in the proper time and space.
Performance of the Commercial PP/ZnS:Cu and PP/ZnS:Ag Scintillation Screens for Fast Neutron Imaging
Authors: Makowska Malgorzata , Walfort Bernhard , Zeller Albert , Grünzweig Christian , Bücherl Thomas
Published: December 2017

Fast neutron imaging has a great potential as a nondestructive technique for testing large objects. The main factor limiting applications of this technique is detection technology, offering relatively poor spatial resolution of images and low detection efficiency, which results in very long exposure times. Therefore, research on development of scintillators for fast neutron imaging is of high importance. A comparison of the light output, gamma radiation sensitivity and spatial resolution of commercially available scintillator screens composed of PP/ZnS:Cu and PP/ZnS:Ag of different thicknesses are presented. The scintillators were provided by RC Tritec AG company and the test performed at the NECTAR facility located at the FRM II nuclear research reactor. It was shown that light output increases and the spatial resolution decreases with the scintillator thickness. Both compositions of the scintillating material provide similar light output, while the gamma sensitivity of PP/ZnS:Cu is significantly higher as compared to PP/ZnS:Ag-based scintillators. Moreover, we report which factors should be considered when choosing a scintillator and what are the limitations of the investigated types of scintillators.
Epithelium and Stroma Identification in Histopathological Images Using Unsupervised and Semi-Supervised Superpixel-Based Segmentation
Authors: Fouad Shereen , Randell David , Galton Antony , Mehanna Hisham , Landini Gabriel
Published: December 2017

We present superpixel-based segmentation frameworks for unsupervised and semi-supervised epithelium-stroma identification in histopathological images or oropharyngeal tissue micro arrays. A superpixel segmentation algorithm is initially used to split-up the image into binary regions (superpixels) and their colour features are extracted and fed into several base clustering algorithms with various parameter initializations. Two Consensus Clustering (CC) formulations are then used: the Evidence Accumulation Clustering (EAC) and the voting-based consensus function. These combine the base clustering outcomes to obtain a more robust detection of tissue compartments than the base clustering methods on their own. For the voting-based function, a technique is introduced to generate consistent labellings across the base clustering results. The obtained CC result is then utilized to build a self-training Semi-Supervised Classification (SSC) model. Unlike supervised segmentations, which rely on large number of labelled training images, our SSC approach performs a quality segmentation while relying on few labelled samples. Experiments conducted on forty-five hand-annotated images of oropharyngeal cancer tissue microarrays show that (a) the CC algorithm generates more accurate and stable results than individual clustering algorithms; (b) the clustering performance of the voting-based function outperforms the existing EAC; and (c) the proposed SSC algorithm outperforms the supervised methods, which is trained with only a few labelled instances.
Deep Sea Water Improves Abnormalities in Lipid Metabolism through Lipolysis and Fatty Acid Oxidation in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Rats
Authors: Chang Wei-Tang , Lu Tsung-Yueh , Cheng Ming-Ching , Lu Hsun-Chi , Wu Mei-Fang , Hsu Chin-Lin
Published: December 2017

Deep sea water (DSW) is a natural marine resource that has been utilized for food, agriculture, cosmetics, and medicine. The aim of this study was to investigate whether DSW has beneficial lipid metabolic effects in an animal model. Our previous in vitro study indicated that DSW significantly decreased the intracellular triglyceride and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. DSW also inhibited the gene levels of adipocyte differentiation, lipogenesis, and adipocytokines, and up-regulated gene levels of lipolysis and fatty acid oxidation. In the present study, the results showed that body weight, liver, adipose tissue, hepatic triglycerides and cholesterol, and serum parameters in the high-fat diet (HFD) + DSW groups were significantly lower compared to the HFD group. Moreover, the fecal output of total lipids, triglycerides, and cholesterol in the HFD + DSW groups was significantly higher than that of the HFD group. Regarding gene expression, DSW significantly increased the gene levels of lipolysis and fatty acid oxidation, and decreased the gene levels of adipocytokine in the adipose tissue of rats with HFD-induced obesity. These results indicate a potential molecular mechanism by which DSW can suppress obesity in rats with HFD-induced obesity through lipolysis and fatty acid oxidation.
Pharmacoeconomic Analysis of Drugs Used in the Treatment of Pneumonia in Paediatric Population in a Tertiary Care Hospital in India—A Cost-of-Illness Study
Authors: Saha Lekha , Kumari Sweta , Khosla Pratibha , Rani Alka , Kaur Sharonjeet
Published: December 2017

Aims and objectives: The cost of antibiotic therapy for the treatment of pneumonia in the inpatient paediatric population can have a major impact on the healthcare expenditure. We planned to assess the direct and indirect costs of diagnosis and medical treatment of paediatric patients with community acquired pneumonia who are hospitalized in a tertiary care hospital in India. Methods: 125 children with a diagnosis of pneumonia who were admitted to the inpatient department of a paediatric hospital receiving antibiotic treatment were observed. Data on clinical presentation and resources consumed were collected and the costs of pneumonia treatment were calculated. Descriptive statistics (mean ± standard deviation (SD)) were used to evaluate data regarding demographics, drugs prescribed and cost (direct and indirect cost). Multivariate regression analysis was used to find out predictors of direct and indirect cost. Results: Among all pneumonia admissions, mild-to-moderate pneumonia constitutes 76.8%, and 23.2% children were admitted with severe pneumonia; 105 children out of 125 (84%) were suffering from associated disorders along with pneumonia. The majority of antibiotics prescribed belonged to beta lactams (52%) followed by aminoglycosides (19%), macrolides (13%) and peptides (11%). Parenteral routes of administration were used in a majority of patients as compared to oral. The average cost per patient in management of pneumonia was 12245 ± 593 INR ($187.34 ± 9.07).
Experimental and Numerical Studies of Sheet Metal Forming with Damage Using Gas Detonation Process
Authors: Patil Sandeep P. , Prajapati Kaushik G. , Jenkouk Vahid , Olivier Herbert , Markert Bernd
Published: December 2017

Gas detonation forming is a high-speed forming method, which has the potential to form complex geometries, including sharp angles and undercuts, in a very short process time. Despite many efforts being made to develop detonation forming, many important aspects remain unclear and have not been studied experimentally, nor numerically in detail, e.g., the ability to produce sharp corners, the effect of peak load on deformation and damage location and its propagation in the workpiece. In the present work, DC04 steel cups were formed using gas detonation forming, and finite element method (FEM) simulations of the cup forming process were performed. The simulations on 3D computational models were carried out with explicit dynamic analysis using the Johnson–Cook material model. The results obtained in the simulations were in good agreement with the experimental observations, e.g., deformed shape and thickness distribution. Moreover, the proposed computational model was capable of predicting the damage initiation and evolution correctly, which was mainly due to the high-pressure magnitude or an initial offset of the workpiece in the experiments.
Numerical Simulation of the Behavior of Toroidal and Spheroidal Multicellular Aggregates in Microfluidic Devices with Microwell and U-Shaped Barrier
Authors: Barisam Maryam , Saidi Mohammad , Kashaninejad Navid , Vadivelu Raja , Nguyen Nam-Trung
Published: December 2017

A microfluidic system provides an excellent platform for cellular studies. Most importantly, a three-dimensional (3D) cell culture model reconstructs more accurately the in vivo microenvironment of tissue. Accordingly, microfluidic 3D cell culture devices could be ideal candidates for in vitro cell culture platforms. In this paper, two types of 3D cellular aggregates, i.e., toroid and spheroid, are numerically studied. The studies are carried out for microfluidic systems containing U-shaped barrier as well as microwell structure. For the first time, we obtain oxygen and glucose concentration distributions inside a toroid aggregate as well as the shear stress on its surface and compare its performance with a spheroid aggregate of the same volume. In particular, we obtain the oxygen concentration distributions in three areas, namely, oxygen-permeable layer, multicellular aggregates and culture medium. Further, glucose concentration distributions in two regions of multicellular aggregates and culture medium are investigated. The results show that the levels of oxygen and glucose in the system containing U-shaped barriers are far more than those in the system containing microwells. Therefore, to achieve high levels of oxygen and nutrients, a system with U-shaped barriers is more suited than the conventional traps, but the choice between toroid and spheroid depends on their volume and orientation. The results indicate that higher oxygen and glucose concentrations can be achieved in spheroid with a small volume as well as in horizontal toroid with a large volume. The vertical toroid has the highest levels of oxygen and glucose concentration while the surface shear stress on its surface is also maximum. These findings can be used as guidelines for designing an optimum 3D microfluidic bioreactor based on the desired levels of oxygen, glucose and shear stress distributions.
Design and Synthesis of New Benzothiazole Compounds as Selective hMAO-B Inhibitors
Authors: Ilgın Sinem , Osmaniye Derya , Levent Serkan , Sağlık Begüm , Acar Çevik Ulviye , Çavuşoğlu Betül , Özkay Yusuf , Kaplancıklı Zafer
Published: December 2017

In the current work a new class of novel benzothiazole-hydrazone derivatives was designed and synthesized as hMAO-B inhibitors. Structures of the obtained compounds (3a–3j) were characterized by IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and HRMS spectroscopic methods. The inhibitory activity of compounds (3a–3j) against hMAO-A and hMAO-B enzymes was evaluated by using an in vitro fluorometric method. According to activity results, some of the synthesized compounds displayed selective and significant hMAO-B enzyme inhibitor activity. Compound 3e was the most active derivative in the series with an IC50 value of 0.060 µM. Furthermore, cytotoxicity of compound 3e was investigated and found to be non-cytotoxic. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) and blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability predictions were performed for all compounds. It was determined that these compounds may have a good pharmacokinetic profiles. Bınding modes between the most active compound 3e and the hMAO-B enzyme were analyzed by docking studies. It was observed that there is a strong interaction between compound 3e and enzyme active site.
Agarwood Essential Oil Displays Sedative-Hypnotic Effects through the GABAergic System
Authors: Wang Shuai , Wang Canhong , Peng Deqian , Liu Xinmin , Wu Chongming , Guo Peng , Wei Jianhe
Published: December 2017

Although agarwood has been used as a tranquilizer in Asian countries for hundreds of years, the underlying pharmacological basis is still unclear. This study investigated the sedative-hypnotic effect of agarwood essential oil (AEO) using locomotor activity and pentobarbital-induced sleeping assays in mice. Single (1-day) and multiple (7- and 14-days) administrations of 60 mg/kg AEO generated significant sedative effect on inhibiting locomotor activity and hypnotic effect on pentobarbital-induced sleeping in mice. Interestingly, prolonged AEO treatment did not result in obvious desensitization. Concoitant measurement of the levels of brain neurotransmitters using ultrafast liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-MS/MS) indicated that AEO had no significant effect on the levels of glutamic acid (Glu) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. However, the sedative-hypnotic effects were blocked by the type A GABA (GABAA) receptor antagonists bicuculline and flumazenil. In addition, AEO significantly elevated the expression of GABAA receptor subunits and subtypes in the cerebral cortex. Furthermore, AEO increased chlorine ion (Cl−) influx through GABAA receptors in human neuroblastoma cells. These results together demonstrate that AEO exerts its sedative-hypnotic effects through regulating gene expression of GABAA receptors and potentiating GABAA receptor function.
Evaluation of Fibrin-Based Interpenetrating Polymer Networks as Potential Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering
Authors: Gsib Olfat , Duval Jean-Luc , Goczkowski Mathieu , Deneufchatel Marie , Fichet Odile , Larreta-Garde Véronique , Bencherif Sidi Ahmed , Egles Christophe
Published: December 2017

Interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) have gained great attention for a number of biomedical applications due to their improved properties compared to individual components alone. In this study, we investigated the capacity of newly-developed naturally-derived IPNs as potential biomaterials for tissue engineering. These IPNs combine the biologic properties of a fibrous fibrin network polymerized at the nanoscale and the mechanical stability of polyethylene oxide (PEO). First, we assessed their cytotoxicity in vitro on L929 fibroblasts. We further evaluated their biocompatibility ex vivo with a chick embryo organotypic culture model. Subcutaneous implantations of the matrices were subsequently conducted on nude mice to investigate their biocompatibility in vivo. Our preliminary data highlighted that our biomaterials were non-cytotoxic (viability above 90%). The organotypic culture showed that the IPN matrices induced higher cell adhesion (across all the explanted organ tissues) and migration (skin, intestine) than the control groups, suggesting the advantages of using a biomimetic, yet mechanically-reinforced IPN-based matrix. We observed no major inflammatory response up to 12 weeks post implantation. All together, these data suggest that these fibrin-based IPNs are promising biomaterials for tissue engineering.
Resveratrol-Loaded Lipid Nanocarriers: Correlation between In Vitro Occlusion Factor and In Vivo Skin Hydrating Effect
Authors: Montenegro Lucia , Parenti Carmela , Turnaturi Rita , Pasquinucci Lorella
Published: December 2017

Lipid nanocarriers show occlusive properties that may be related to their ability to improve skin hydration. The aim of this work was to evaluate the relationship between in vitro occlusion factor and in vivo skin hydration for three types of lipid nanocarriers: nanoemulsions (NEs), solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs). These lipid nanocarriers were loaded with trans-resveratrol (RSV) and incorporated in gel vehicles. In vitro occlusion factor was in the order SLNs > NLCs > NEs. Gels containing unloaded or RSV loaded lipid nanocarriers were applied on the back of a hand of 12 healthy volunteers twice a day for one week, recording skin hydration changes using the instrument Soft Plus. An increase of skin hydration was observed for all lipid nanocarriers (SLNs > NLCs > NEs). RSV loading into these nanocarriers did not affect in vitro and in vivo lipid nanocarriers effects. A linear relationship (r2 = 0.969) was observed between occlusion factor and in vivo increase of skin hydration. Therefore, the results of this study showed the feasibility of using the occlusion factor to predict in vivo skin hydration resulting from topical application of different lipid nanocarriers loading an active ingredient with no inherent hydrating activity.
Hydroxypropyltrimethyl Ammonium Chloride Chitosan Functionalized-PLGA Electrospun Fibrous Membranes as Antibacterial Wound Dressing: In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation
Authors: Yang Shengbing , Han Xiuguo , Jia Yuhang , Zhang Hongbo , Tang Tingting
Published: December 2017

A novel poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan (HACC) composite nanofiber wound dressing was prepared through electrospinning and the entrapment-graft technique as an antibacterial dressing for cutaneous wound healing. HACC with 30% degrees of substitution (DS) was immobilized onto the surface of PLGA membranes via the reaction between carboxyl groups in PLGA after alkali treatment and the reactive groups (–NH2) in HACC molecules. The naked PLGA and chitosan graft PLGA (PLGA-CS) membranes served as controls. The surface immobilization was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX). The morphology studies showed that the membranes remain uniform after the immobilization process. The effects of the surface modification by HACC and CS on the biological properties of the membranes were also investigated. Compared with PLGA and PLGA-CS, PLGA-HACC exhibited more effective antibacterial activity towards both Gram-positive (S. aureus) and Gram-negative (P. aeruginosa) bacteria. The newly developed fibrous membranes were evaluated in vitro for their cytotoxicity using human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) and human keratinocytes (HaCaTs) and in vivo using a wound healing mice model. It was revealed that PLGA-HACC fibrous membranes exhibited favorable cytocompatibility and significantly stimulated adhesion, spreading and proliferation of HDFs and HaCaTs. PLGA-HACC exhibited excellent wound healing efficacy, which was confirmed using a full thickness excision wound model in S. aureus-infected mice. The experimental results in this work suggest that PLGA-HACC is a strong candidate for use as a therapeutic biomaterial in the treatment of infected wounds.
Macro-Micro Simulation for Polymer Crystallization in Couette Flow
Authors: Ruan Chunlei , Liang Kunfeng , Liu Enli
Published: December 2017

Polymer crystallization in manufacturing is a process where quiescent crystallization and flow-induced crystallization coexists, and heat/mass transfer on a macroscopic level interacts with crystal morphology evolution on a microscopic level. Previous numerical studies on polymer crystallization are mostly concentrated at a single scale; they only calculate macroscale parameters, e.g., temperature and relative crystallinity, or they only predict microstructure details, e.g., crystal morphology and mean size of crystals. The multi-scale numerical works that overcome these disadvantages are unfortunately based on quiescent crystallization, in which flow effects are neglected. The objective of this work is to build up a macro-micro model and a macro-micro algorithm to consider both the thermal and flow effects on the crystallization. Our macro-micro model couples two parts: mass and heat transfer of polymeric flow at the macroscopic level, and nucleation and growth of spherulites and shish-kebabs at the microscopic level. Our macro-micro algorithm is a hybrid finite volume/Monte Carlo method, in which the finite volume method is used at the macroscopic level to calculate the flow and temperature fields, while the Monte Carlo method is used at the microscopic level to capture the development of spherulites and shish-kebabs. The macro-micro model and the macro-micro algorithm are applied to simulate polymer crystallization in Couette flow. The effects of shear rate, shear time, and wall temperature on the crystal morphology and crystallization kinetics are also discussed.
Mathematical Modeling of Tuberculosis Granuloma Activation
Authors: Ruggiero Steve , Pilvankar Minu , Ford Versypt Ashlee
Published: December 2017

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most common infectious diseases worldwide. It is estimated that one-third of the world’s population is infected with TB. Most have the latent stage of the disease that can later transition to active TB disease. TB is spread by aerosol droplets containing Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Mtb bacteria enter through the respiratory system and are attacked by the immune system in the lungs. The bacteria are clustered and contained by macrophages into cellular aggregates called granulomas. These granulomas can hold the bacteria dormant for long periods of time in latent TB. The bacteria can be perturbed from latency to active TB disease in a process called granuloma activation when the granulomas are compromised by other immune response events in a host, such as HIV, cancer, or aging. Dysregulation of matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1) has been recently implicated in granuloma activation through experimental studies, but the mechanism is not well understood. Animal and human studies currently cannot probe the dynamics of activation, so a computational model is developed to fill this gap. This dynamic mathematical model focuses specifically on the latent to active transition after the initial immune response has successfully formed a granuloma. Bacterial leakage from latent granulomas is successfully simulated in response to the MMP-1 dynamics under several scenarios for granuloma activation.
Optimization of Stimulation Parameters for Targeted Activation of Multiple Neurons Using Closed-Loop Search Methods
Authors: Kuykendal Michelle , DeWeerth Stephen , Grover Martha
Published: December 2017

Differential activation of neuronal populations can improve the efficacy of clinical devices such as sensory or cortical prostheses. Improving stimulus specificity will facilitate targeted neuronal activation to convey biologically realistic percepts. In order to deliver more complex stimuli to a neuronal population, stimulus optimization techniques must be developed that will enable a single electrode to activate subpopulations of neurons. However, determining the stimulus needed to evoke targeted neuronal activity is challenging. To find the most selective waveform for a particular population, we apply an optimization-based search routine, Powell’s conjugate direction method, to systematically search the stimulus waveform space. This routine utilizes a 1-D sigmoid activation model and a 2-D strength–duration curve to measure neuronal activation throughout the stimulus waveform space. We implement our search routine in both an experimental study and a simulation study to characterize potential stimulus-evoked populations and the associated selective stimulus waveform spaces. We found that for a population of five neurons, seven distinct sub-populations could be activated. The stimulus waveform space and evoked neuronal activation curves vary with each new combination of neuronal culture and electrode array, resulting in a unique selectivity space. The method presented here can be used to efficiently uncover the selectivity space, focusing experiments in regions with the desired activation pattern.
Validation of the SpREUK—Religious Practices Questionnaire as a Measure of Christian Religious Practices in a General Population and in Religious Persons
Authors: Büssing Arndt , Recchia Daniela , Gerundt Mareike , Warode Markus , Dienberg Thomas
Published: December 2017

Measures of spirituality should be multidimensional and inclusive and as such be applicable to persons with different worldviews and spiritual-religious beliefs and attitudes. Nevertheless, for distinct research purposes it may be relevant to more accurately differentiate specific religious practices, rituals and behaviors. It was thus the aim of this study to validate a variant version of the SpREUK-P questionnaire (which measures frequency of engagement in a large spectrum of organized and private religious, spiritual, existential and philosophical practices). This variant version was enriched with items addressing specific rituals and practices of Catholic religiosity, by further differentiating items of praying and meditation. The instrument was then tested in a sample of Catholics (inclusively nuns and monks), Protestants, and in non-religious persons. This 23-item SpREUK-RP (Religious Practices) questionnaire has four factors (i.e., Prosocial-Humanistic practices; General religious practices; Catholic religious practices; Existentialistic practices/Gratitude and Awe) and good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha ranging from 0.84 to 0.94). An advantage of this instrument is that it is not generally contaminated with items related to persons’ well-being, and it is not intermixed with specific religious attitudes and convictions.
Estimating the Rut Depth by UAV Photogrammetry
Authors: Nevalainen Paavo , Salmivaara Aura , Ala-Ilomäki Jari , Launiainen Samuli , Hiedanpää Juuso , Finér Leena , Pahikkala Tapio , Heikkonen Jukka
Published: December 2017

The rut formation during forest operations is an undesirable phenomenon. A methodology is being proposed to measure the rut depth distribution of a logging site by photogrammetric point clouds produced by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The methodology includes five processing steps that aim at reducing the noise from the surrounding trees and undergrowth for identifying the trails. A canopy height model is produced to focus the point cloud on the open pathway around the forest machine trail. A triangularized ground model is formed by a point cloud filtering method. The ground model is vectorized using the histogram of directed curvatures (HOC) method to produce an overall ground visualization. Finally, a manual selection of the trails leads to an automated rut depth profile analysis. The bivariate correlation (Pearson’s r) between rut depths measured manually and by UAV photogrammetry is r = 0.67 . The two-class accuracy a of detecting the rut depth exceeding 20 cm is a = 0.65 . There is potential for enabling automated large-scale evaluation of the forestry areas by using autonomous drones and the process described.
Position Tracking During Human Walking Using an Integrated Wearable Sensing System
Authors: Zizzo Giulio , Ren Lei
Published: December 2017

Progress has been made enabling expensive, high-end inertial measurement units (IMUs) to be used as tracking sensors. However, the cost of these IMUs is prohibitive to their widespread use, and hence the potential of low-cost IMUs is investigated in this study. A wearable low-cost sensing system consisting of IMUs and ultrasound sensors was developed. Core to this system is an extended Kalman filter (EKF), which provides both zero-velocity updates (ZUPTs) and Heuristic Drift Reduction (HDR). The IMU data was combined with ultrasound range measurements to improve accuracy. When a map of the environment was available, a particle filter was used to impose constraints on the possible user motions. The system was therefore composed of three subsystems: IMUs, ultrasound sensors, and a particle filter. A Vicon motion capture system was used to provide ground truth information, enabling validation of the sensing system. Using only the IMU, the system showed loop misclosure errors of 1% with a maximum error of 4–5% during walking. The addition of the ultrasound sensors resulted in a 15% reduction in the total accumulated error. Lastly, the particle filter was capable of providing noticeable corrections, which could keep the tracking error below 2% after the first few steps.
A Dual-Butterfly Structure Gyroscope
Authors: Xu Xiangming , Xiao Dingbang , Li Wenyin , Xu Qiang , Hou Zhanqiang , Wu Xuezhong
Published: December 2017

This paper reports a dual-butterfly structure gyroscope based on the traditional butterfly structure. This novel structure is composed of two butterfly structures, each of which contains a main vibrational beam, four proof masses, and a coupling mechanism. The coupling mechanism in this proposed structure couples the two single butterfly structures and keeps the driving mode phases of the two single butterfly gyroscopes exactly opposite, increasing the double difference of traditional butterfly gyroscopes to a quad difference, which has the potential advantage of improving bias instability and g-sensitivity. The gyroscope was fabricated using a standard microfabrication method and tested in laboratory conditions. The experimental results show a Q-factor of 10,967 in driving mode and there were two peaks in the frequency responses curve of sensing direction due to unavoidable fabrication errors. Scale factor and bias instability were also measured, reaching a scale factor of 10.9 mV/°/s and a bias instability of 10.7°/h, according to the Allan Variance curve.
Modular Bayesian Networks with Low-Power Wearable Sensors for Recognizing Eating Activities
Authors: Kim Kee-Hoon , Cho Sung-Bae
Published: December 2017

Recently, recognizing a user’s daily activity using a smartphone and wearable sensors has become a popular issue. However, in contrast with the ideal definition of an experiment, there could be numerous complex activities in real life with respect to its various background and contexts: time, space, age, culture, and so on. Recognizing these complex activities with limited low-power sensors, considering the power and memory constraints of the wearable environment and the user’s obtrusiveness at once is not an easy problem, although it is very crucial for the activity recognizer to be practically useful. In this paper, we recognize activity of eating, which is one of the most typical examples of a complex activity, using only daily low-power mobile and wearable sensors. To organize the related contexts systemically, we have constructed the context model based on activity theory and the “Five W’s”, and propose a Bayesian network with 88 nodes to predict uncertain contexts probabilistically. The structure of the proposed Bayesian network is designed by a modular and tree-structured approach to reduce the time complexity and increase the scalability. To evaluate the proposed method, we collected the data with 10 different activities from 25 volunteers of various ages, occupations, and jobs, and have obtained 79.71% accuracy, which outperforms other conventional classifiers by 7.54–14.4%. Analyses of the results showed that our probabilistic approach could also give approximate results even when one of contexts or sensor values has a very heterogeneous pattern or is missing.