bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Anthocyanin-Rich Foods or Extracts on Vascular Function in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials
Authors: Fairlie-Jones Lucy , Davison Kade , Fromentin Emilie , Hill Alison
Published: August 2017

Anthocyanins are of interest due to their anti-oxidative and vasodilatory properties. Earlier reviews have shown that berries and other anthocyanin rich foods or extracts can improve vascular health, however the effect of anthocyanins on vascular function has not yet been reviewed. To address this gap in the literature, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials examining anthocyanin-rich foods or extracts on measures of vascular reactivity and/or stiffness in adults. Data from 24 studies were pooled as standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Anthocyanin consumption significantly improved flow-mediated dilation (FMD) following acute (SMD: 3.92%, 95% CI: 1.47, 6.38, p = 0.002; I2 = 91.8%) and chronic supplementation (SMD: 0.84%, 95% CI: 0.55, 1.12, p = 0.000; I2 = 62.5%). Pulse wave velocity was improved following acute supplementation only (SMD: −1.27 m/s, 95% CI: −1.96, −0.58, p = 0.000; I2 = 17.8%). These results support the findings of previous reviews that anthocyanin rich foods or extracts may indeed improve vascular health, particularly with respect to vascular reactivity measured by FMD. More research is required to determine the optimal dosage, and the long-term effects of consumption.
Pharmacokinetic Analysis of an Oral Multicomponent Joint Dietary Supplement (Phycox®) in Dogs
Authors: Martinez Stephanie , Lillico Ryan , Lakowski Ted , Martinez Steven , Davies Neal
Published: August 2017

Despite the lack of safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetic (PK) studies, multicomponent dietary supplements (nutraceuticals) have become increasingly popular as primary or adjunct therapies for clinical osteoarthritis in veterinary medicine. Phycox® is a line of multicomponent joint support supplements marketed for joint health in dogs and horses. Many of the active constituents are recognized anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents. Due to a lack of PK studies in the literature for the product, a pilot PK study of select constituents in Phycox® was performed in healthy dogs. Two novel methods of analysis were developed and validated for quantification of glucosamine and select polyphenols using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. After a single oral (PO) administrated dose of Phycox®, a series of blood samples from dogs were collected for 24 h post-dose and analyzed for concentrations of glucosamine HCl, hesperetin, resveratrol and naringenin. Non-compartmental PK analyses were carried out. Glucosamine was detected up to 8 h post-dose with a Tmax of 2 h and Cmax of 9.69 μg/mL. The polyphenols were not found at detectable concentrations in serum samples. Co-administration of glucosamine in the Phycox® formulation may enhance the absorption of glucosamine as determined by comparison of glucosamine PK data in the literature.
pH-Induced Association and Dissociation of Intermolecular Complexes Formed by Hydrogen Bonding between Diblock Copolymers
Authors: Mizusaki Masanobu , Endo Tatsuya , Nakahata Rina , Morishima Yotaro , Yusa Shin-ichi
Published: August 2017

Poly(sodium styrenesulfonate)–block–poly(acrylic acid) (PNaSS–b–PAA) and poly(sodium styrenesulfonate)–block–poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNaSS–b–PNIPAM) were prepared via reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) radical polymerization using a PNaSS-based macro-chain transfer agent. The molecular weight distributions (Mw/Mn) of PNaSS–b–PAA and PNaSS–b–PNIPAM were 1.18 and 1.39, respectively, suggesting that these polymers have controlled structures. When aqueous solutions of PNaSS–b–PAA and PNaSS–b–PNIPAM were mixed under acidic conditions, water-soluble PNaSS–b–PAA/PNaSS–b–PNIPAM complexes were formed as a result of hydrogen bonding interactions between the pendant carboxylic acids in the PAA block and the pendant amide groups in the PNIPAM block. The complex was characterized by 1H NMR, dynamic light scattering, static light scattering, and transmission electron microscope measurements. The light scattering intensity of the complex depended on the mixing ratio of PNaSS–b–PAA and PNaSS–b–PNIPAM. When the molar ratio of the N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and acrylic acid (AA) units was near unity, the light scattering intensity reached a maximum, indicating stoichiometric complex formation. The complex dissociated at a pH higher than 4.0 because the hydrogen bonding interactions disappeared due to deprotonation of the pendant carboxylic acids in the PAA block.
The Effect of Hydrogen Bonding on Radical Semi-Batch Copolymerization of Butyl Acrylate and 2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate
Authors: Schier Jan , Cohen-Sacal David , Larsen Owen , Hutchinson Robin
Published: August 2017

The radical copolymerization of butyl acrylate (BA) and 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) was investigated under batch and semi-batch operations, with a focus on the influence of hydrogen-bonding on acrylate backbiting. The effect of hydrogen bonding on HEA to BA relative incorporation rates during copolymerization, previously seen in low-conversion kinetic studies, was also observed under high-conversion semi-batch conditions. However, overall reaction rates (as indicated by free monomer concentrations), polymer molar masses, and branching levels did not vary as copolymer HEA content was increased from 0 to 40 wt % in the semi-batch system. In contrast, introduction of a H-bonding solvent, n-pentanol, led to an observable decrease in branching levels, and branching levels were also reduced in batch (co)polymerizations with HEA. These differences can be attributed to the low levels of unreacted HEA in the starved-feed semi-batch system.
Surface Modification of Poly(lactic acid) Fabrics with Plasma Pretreatment and Chitosan/Siloxane Polyesters Coating for Color Strength Improvement
Authors: Wang Chee-Chan , Lin Li-Huei , Chen Chi-Wu , Lo Yu-Chun
Published: August 2017

As people in the 21st century become increasingly environmentally aware, environmentally friendly products have come into focus. As such, environmentally friendly textiles and eco-textiles have become an international trend in research and development. Poly(lactic acid) fiber, which is biodegradable, holds much promise, but it is difficult to deep dye. This study used chitosan, succine anhydride, siloxane, and polyethylene glycol to produce a series of chitosan/siloxane polyesters that have a hydrophilic component (chitosan) and a hydrophobic component (siloxane), and this chitosan/siloxane polyester can be coated on poly(lactic acid) fiber, which we had subjected to Argon plasma treatment to increase their antimicrobial properties and to increase the fibers dyeing efficiency. The study shows that, after the surface plasma treatment, longer PEG chain lengths resulted in higher K/S values. This result suggests that the surface plasma pretreatment and chitosan/siloxane polyesters coating showed that lower ∆E values result in more leveling dyeing of poly(lactic acid) fiber.
Microstructural and Mechanical Implications of Microscaled Assembly in Droplet-based Multi-Material Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Guessasma Sofiane , Nouri Hedi , Roger Frederic
Published: August 2017

To reveal the potential and limits of multi-material three-dimensional (3D) printed parts in droplet-based additive manufacturing, a study combining tensile experiments and 3D imaging technique is proposed. A polymeric composite structure made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and thermoplastic polyurethane is manufactured using a two extrusion head printer. The quality of the interface between the two thermoplastics is quantified by adjusting the number of intertwining droplets at the interface. Tensile experiments assisted with digital image correlation are performed with two-interface orientation to discriminate shearing and traction at the interface. The 3D imaging results, which are based on X-ray micro-tomography, show the distinct features of droplet-based additive manufacturing in terms of porosity content and connectivity. Interface properties are found to control, in an incomparable way, the mechanical response. It is found that the interface quality is determinant for enhancing the ultimate performance whereas the interface orientation is found to be the perfect leverage for varying the slope of the linear part.
Synthesis of Humin-Phenol-Formaldehyde Adhesive
Authors: Kang Shimin , Fu Jinxia , Zhang Gang , Zhang Wentao , Yin Huibin , Xu Yongjun
Published: August 2017

Humins are low-value-added byproducts from the biomass acid hydrolysis process. In the present work, humins were first employed as a phenol replacement for synthesis of modified phenol-formaldehyde adhesives through a two-step process. In this process, humins were first utilized to obtain alkaline soluble products, mainly consisting of phenolics, through a hydrothermal process. The obtained alkaline soluble products then reacted with phenol and formaldehyde to produce humin-phenol-formaldehyde adhesive (HPFA). The physicochemical properties of HPFA, including viscosity, bonding strength, pH, free formaldehyde level, free phenol level and solid content, met the requirements of the GB/T 14732-2006 Chinese National Standard.
Correlation-Based Multiplexing of Complex Amplitude Data Pages in a Holographic Storage System Using Digital Holographic Techniques
Authors: Nobukawa Teruyoshi , Nomura Takanori
Published: August 2017

Holographic recording media can store the amplitude and the phase, or the complex amplitude, of a beam on the basis of holography. Owing to this characteristic, digital data can be encoded onto the complex amplitude of a signal beam in holographic data storage. However, most of conventional holographic storage systems encode digital data onto the amplitude alone because there are difficulties for modulating and detecting the phase. To solve the difficulties, a holographic storage system using digital holographic techniques has been proposed. With the help of digital holographic techniques, it is possible to modulate and detect the complex amplitude of a signal beam. Moreover, the proposed system can modulate the complex amplitude of a reference beam. In this paper, by making use of the capability, a correlation-based multiplexing with uncorrelated reference beams is demonstrated in the proposed system. Multiple holograms can be recorded in the same volume of a recording medium with no need for mechanical movements. Experimental results show that the proposed system with a correlation-based multiplexing can improve the storage capacity and can utilize the full potential of a recording medium without crosstalk noise stem from the optical setup.
Effect of Catechol Content in Catechol-Conjugated Dextrans on Antiplatelet Performance
Authors: Jeong Yeonwoo , Kim Kwang-A , Kang Sung
Published: August 2017

The surface coating of solid substrates using dextrans has gained a great deal of attention, because dextran-coated surfaces show excellent anti-fouling property as well as biocompatibility behavior. Much effort has been made to develop efficient methods for grafting dextrans on solid surfaces. This led to the development of catechol-conjugated dextrans (Dex-C) which can adhere to a number of solid surfaces, inspired by the underwater adhesion behavior of marine mussels. The present study is a systematic investigation of the characteristics of surface coatings developed with Dex-C. Various Dex-C with different catechol contents were synthesized and used as a surface coating material. The effect of catechol content on surface coating and antiplatelet performance was investigated.
Effect of Sodium Hydroxide Treatments on the Tensile Strength and the Interphase Quality of Hemp Core Fiber-Reinforced Polypropylene Composites
Authors: Del Rey Romina , Serrat Ramon , Alba Jesus , Perez Ildefonso , Mutje Pere , Espinach Francesc
Published: August 2017

The formulation of greener composite materials by substituting glass fibers with natural fibers is a current field of research. If such natural fiber reinforcements come from industrial side streams, as hemp core fibers (HCFs) come from the extraction of hemp strands for the textile industry, an additional advantage can be identified. Nonetheless, such by-product fibers show some drawbacks, such as high lignin contents, which can make it difficult to obtain a good interphase between the fibers and the matrix and to obtain a good fiber individualization. A digestion treatment at different NaOH contents is proposed to eliminate soluble lignin and extractives from the surface of the fibers. At the same time, the use of a coupling agent solves incompatibilities between the fibers and the matrix. The composites were tensile tested and the impact of the proposed treatments is evaluated and discussed. Later, the Kelly-Tyson modified equation and a modified rule of mixtures—the micro-mechanic models—is used to study the impact of such treatments on the quality of the interphase between the polymer and the reinforcement. Both treatments showed a high impact on the tensile strength and the quality of the interphase, obtaining competitive composite materials reinforced with HCFs derived from a by-product.
The Effect of Network Solvation on the Viscoelastic Response of Polymer Hydrogels
Authors: Zidek Jan , Kulovana Eva , Jancar Josef
Published: August 2017

The majority of investigations consider the deformation response of hydrogels, fully controlled by the deformation behavior of their polymer network, neglecting the contribution caused by the presence of water. Here, we use molecular dynamics simulation in an attempt to include the effect of physically bound water via polymer chain solvation on the viscoelastic response of hydrogels. Our model allows us to control the solvation of chains as an independent variable. The solvation of the chain is independent of other factors, mainly the effect (pH) which interferes significantly in experiments. The solvation of hydrophilic chains was controlled by setting a partial charge on the chains and quantified by the Bjerrum length (BL). The BL was calculated from the partial electric charge of the solvent and macromolecular network. When the BL is short, the repulsive Van der Waals interactions are predominant in the vicinity of macromolecules and solvation is not observed. For a long BL, the water molecules in the solvation zone of network are in the same range as attractive intermolecular forces and the solvation occurs. The model also allows the consideration of molecules of water attached to two chains simultaneously, forming a temporary bridging. By elucidating the relations between solvation of the network and structural changes during the network deformation, one may predict the viscoelastic properties of hydrogels knowing the molecular structure of its polymer chains.
Somatic Energies and Emotional Traumas: A Qualitative Study of Practice-Related Challenges Reported by Vajrayāna Buddhists
Authors: Lindahl Jared
Published: August 2017

A qualitative study of Western practitioners of Buddhist meditation investigated unexpected, challenging, difficult, and distressing experiences. This paper reports on a subset of 12 practitioners within Tibetan Vajrayāna lineages who described energy flowing through their body, knots of pain, pressure or tension, and/or concurrent emotional changes. In some cases, somatic changes were appraised as practice-related transient states, and in other cases practitioners were given a Tibetan medical diagnosis of rlung disorder. Releases of tension in the body or subtle body also sometimes coincided with an upwelling of emotionally charged content. Practitioners reported emotional upwelling during subtle body practices as well as during other Vajrayāna practices, such as visualizations. While some practitioners viewed these experiences in relation to a normative Tantric soteriology of purification, almost all practitioners with a trauma history reported traumatic re-experiencing and tended not to adopt a purification framework. These practitioners were also more likely to seek additional psychotherapeutic or medical treatment to help resolve their practice-related challenges. The manner in which somatic and affective experiences manifest, how they are appraised, and how they affect the practitioner’s ability to engage in the Vajrayāna path depends upon many individual, interpersonal, and cultural factors.
On the First Crossing of Two Boundaries by an Order Statistics Risk Process
Authors: Dimitrova Dimitrina , Ignatov Zvetan , Kaishev Vladimir
Published: August 2017

We derive a closed form expression for the probability that a non-decreasing, pure jump stochastic risk process with the order statistics (OS) property will not exit the strip between two non-decreasing, possibly discontinuous, time-dependent boundaries, within a finite time interval. The result yields new expressions for the ruin probability in the insurance and the dual risk models with dependence between the claim severities or capital gains respectively.
Application of Augmented Reality and Robotic Technology in Broadcasting: A Survey
Authors: Yan Dingtian , Hu Huosheng
Published: August 2017

As an innovation technique, Augmented Reality (AR) has been gradually deployed in the broadcast, videography and cinematography industries. Virtual graphics generated by AR are dynamic and overlap on the surface of the environment so that the original appearance can be greatly enhanced in comparison with traditional broadcasting. In addition, AR enables broadcasters to interact with augmented virtual 3D models on a broadcasting scene in order to enhance the performance of broadcasting. Recently, advanced robotic technologies have been deployed in a camera shooting system to create a robotic cameraman so that the performance of AR broadcasting could be further improved, which is highlighted in the paper.
Contextual Region-Based Convolutional Neural Network with Multilayer Fusion for SAR Ship Detection
Authors: Kang Miao , Ji Kefeng , Leng Xiangguang , Lin Zhao
Published: August 2017

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) ship detection has been playing an increasingly essential role in marine monitoring in recent years. The lack of detailed information about ships in wide swath SAR imagery poses difficulty for traditional methods in exploring effective features for ship discrimination. Being capable of feature representation, deep neural networks have achieved dramatic progress in object detection recently. However, most of them suffer from the missing detection of small-sized targets, which means that few of them are able to be employed directly in SAR ship detection tasks. This paper discloses an elaborately designed deep hierarchical network, namely a contextual region-based convolutional neural network with multilayer fusion, for SAR ship detection, which is composed of a region proposal network (RPN) with high network resolution and an object detection network with contextual features. Instead of using low-resolution feature maps from a single layer for proposal generation in a RPN, the proposed method employs an intermediate layer combined with a downscaled shallow layer and an up-sampled deep layer to produce region proposals. In the object detection network, the region proposals are projected onto multiple layers with region of interest (ROI) pooling to extract the corresponding ROI features and contextual features around the ROI. After normalization and rescaling, they are subsequently concatenated into an integrated feature vector for final outputs. The proposed framework fuses the deep semantic and shallow high-resolution features, improving the detection performance for small-sized ships. The additional contextual features provide complementary information for classification and help to rule out false alarms. Experiments based on the Sentinel-1 dataset, which contains twenty-seven SAR images with 7986 labeled ships, verify that the proposed method achieves an excellent performance in SAR ship detection.
Detecting Traversable Area and Water Hazards for the Visually Impaired with a pRGB-D Sensor
Authors: Yang Kailun , Wang Kaiwei , Cheng Ruiqi , Hu Weijian , Huang Xiao , Bai Jian
Published: August 2017

The use of RGB-Depth (RGB-D) sensors for assisting visually impaired people (VIP) has been widely reported as they offer portability, function-diversity and cost-effectiveness. However, polarization cues to assist traversability awareness without precautions against stepping into water areas are weak. In this paper, a polarized RGB-Depth (pRGB-D) framework is proposed to detect traversable area and water hazards simultaneously with polarization-color-depth-attitude information to enhance safety during navigation. The approach has been tested on a pRGB-D dataset, which is built for tuning parameters and evaluating the performance. Moreover, the approach has been integrated into a wearable prototype which generates a stereo sound feedback to guide visually impaired people (VIP) follow the prioritized direction to avoid obstacles and water hazards. Furthermore, a preliminary study with ten blindfolded participants suggests its effectivity and reliability.
Non-Destructive Analysis of the Internal Anatomical Structures of Mosquito Specimens Using Optical Coherence Tomography
Authors: Ravichandran Naresh , Wijesinghe Ruchire , Lee Seung-Yeol , Choi Kwang , Jeon Mansik , Jung Hee-Young , Kim Jeehyun
Published: August 2017

The study of mosquitoes and analysis of their behavior are of crucial importance in the on-going efforts to control the alarming increase in mosquito-borne diseases. Furthermore, a non-destructive and real-time imaging technique to study the anatomical features of mosquito specimens can greatly aid the study of mosquitoes. In this study, we demonstrate the three-dimensional imaging capabilities of optical coherence tomography (OCT) for structural analysis of Anopheles sinensis mosquitoes. The anatomical features of An. sinensis head, thorax, and abdominal regions, along with the morphology of internal structures, such as foregut, midgut, and hindgut, were studied using OCT imaging. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional OCT images, used in conjunction with histological images, proved useful for anatomical analysis of mosquito specimens. By presenting this work as an initial study, we demonstrate the applicability of OCT for future mosquito-related entomological research, and also in identifying changes in mosquito anatomical structure.
Measurement of the Verdet Constant of Polarization-Maintaining Air-Core Photonic Bandgap Fiber
Authors: Song Ningfang , Wang Xiaoyang , Xu Xiaobin , Cai Wei , Wu Chunxiao
Published: August 2017

We propose a method based on the white-light interference technique for measuring the Verdet constant of a polarization-maintaining air-core photonic bandgap fiber (PM-PBF). The experimental results show that the Verdet constant of the PM-PBF is ~3.3 mrad/T/m for the broadband light with a spectral width of ~38 nm and a mean wavelength of ~1550 nm, which is ~124 times less than that of a conventional stress-induced birefringent fibers called PANDA fibers (~0.41 rad/T/m for the same broad-spectrum light). The results indicate that the nonreciprocal error induced by the Faraday effect in a fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) made of the PM-PBF is theoretically ~25 times less than that of a conventional FOG made of the PANDA fiber when other conditions, such as the fiber twist, fiber coil area, and so on, are the same.
The Potentiodynamic Bottom-up Growth of the Tin Oxide Nanostructured Layer for Gas-Analytical Multisensor Array Chips
Authors: Fedorov Fedor , Podgainov Dmitry , Varezhnikov Alexey , Lashkov Andrey , Gorshenkov Michail , Burmistrov Igor , Sommer Martin , Sysoev Victor
Published: August 2017

We report a deposition of the tin oxide/hydroxide nanostructured layer by the potentiodynamic method from acidic nitrate solutions directly over the substrate, equipped with multiple strip electrodes which is employed as a gas-analytical multisensor array chip. The electrochemical synthesis is set to favor the growth of the tin oxide/hydroxide phase, while the appearance of metallic Sn is suppressed by cycling. The as-synthesized tin oxide/hydroxide layer is characterized by mesoporous morphology with grains, 250–300 nm diameter, which are further crystallized into fine SnO2 poly-nanocrystals following heating to 300 °C for 24 h just on the chip. The fabricated layer exhibits chemiresistive properties under exposure to organic vapors, which allows the generation of a multisensor vector signal capable of selectively distinguishing various vapors.
Performance Analysis of ToA-Based Positioning Algorithms for Static and Dynamic Targets with Low Ranging Measurements
Authors: Ferreira André , Fernandes Duarte , Catarino André , Monteiro João
Published: August 2017

Indoor Positioning Systems (IPSs) for emergency responders is a challenging field attracting researchers worldwide. When compared with traditional indoor positioning solutions, the IPSs for emergency responders stand out as they have to operate in harsh and unstructured environments. From the various technologies available for the localization process, ultra-wide band (UWB) is a promising technology for such systems due to its robust signaling in harsh environments, through-wall propagation and high-resolution ranging. However, during emergency responders’ missions, the availability of UWB signals is generally low (the nodes have to be deployed as the emergency responders enter a building) and can be affected by the non-line-of-sight (NLOS) conditions. In this paper, the performance of four typical distance-based positioning algorithms (Analytical, Least Squares, Taylor Series, and Extended Kalman Filter methods) with only three ranging measurements is assessed based on a COTS UWB transceiver. These algorithms are compared based on accuracy, precision and root mean square error (RMSE). The algorithms were evaluated under two environments with different propagation conditions (an atrium and a lab), for static and mobile devices, and under the human body’s influence. A NLOS identification and error mitigation algorithm was also used to improve the ranging measurements. The results show that the Extended Kalman Filter outperforms the other algorithms in almost every scenario, but it is affected by the low measurement rate of the UWB system.
Genome-Wide SNP Signal Intensity Scanning Revealed Genes Differentiating Cows with Ovarian Pathologies from Healthy Cows
Authors: Salomón-Torres Ricardo , Montaño-Gómez Martin , Villa-Angulo Rafael , González-Vizcarra Víctor , Villa-Angulo Carlos , Medina-Basulto Gerardo , Ortiz-Uribe Noé , Mahadevan Padmanabhan , Yaurima-Basaldúa Víctor
Published: August 2017

Hypoplasia and ovarian cysts are the most common ovarian pathologies in cattle. In this genome-wide study we analyzed the signal intensity of 648,315 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) and identified 1338 genes differentiating cows with ovarian pathologies from healthy cows. The sample consisted of six cows presenting an ovarian pathology and six healthy cows. SNP signal intensities were measured with a genotyping process using the Axiom Genome-Wide BOS 1 SNPchip. Statistical tests for equality of variance and mean were applied to SNP intensities, and significance p-values were obtained. A Benjamini-Hochberg multiple testing correction reveled significant SNPs. Corresponding genes were identified using the Bovine Genome UMD 3.1 annotation. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) confirmed differentiation. An analysis of Copy Number Variations (CNVs), obtained from signal intensities, revealed no evidence of association between ovarian pathologies and CNVs. In addition, a haplotype frequency analysis showed no association with ovarian pathologies. Results show that SNP signal intensity, which captures not only information for base-pair genotypes elucidation, but the amount of fluorescence nucleotide synthetization produced in an enzymatic reaction, is a rich source of information that, by itself or in combination with base-pair genotypes, might be used to implement differentiation, prediction and diagnostic procedures, increasing the scope of applications for Genotyping Microarrays.
Lessons Learned from the Failed Spanish Refugee System: For the Recovery of Sustainable Public Policies
Authors: Bris Pablo , Bendito Félix
Published: August 2017

The migration crisis affecting Europe since the war in Syria began is the greatest challenge facing our continent since the Second World War. In the last three years, the number of applicants for international protection in Spain has grown exponentially. Our refugee system has been unable to scale up its supply at the same rate and 20,000 requests have accumulated without response. In addition, the EU has set up a mechanism to relocate 160,000 asylum seekers from Greece and Italy in the rest of the member states (hotspot approach). Of the 17,337 refugees Spain pledged to offer asylum before September 2017, only 744 have been received so far. This article analyzes the strategy the Spanish government has followed to increase the housing capacity of our refugee system. The main conclusion drawn from this case study is that the strategy of expanding supply based on outsourcing the refugee system via subsidies to NGOs is ineffective and, therefore, unsustainable. If the Spanish government wants to solve this problem it will have to launch a program to build new public refugee centers in the short to medium term. This article develops recommendations for the sustainable planning of this plan in the construction system (prefabrication) and in terms of the need to set minimum standards for the centers.
Factors Affecting Spatial and Temporal Concentration Variability of Pharmaceuticals: Comparison between Two WWTPs
Authors: Morosini Cristiana , Marsoni Milena , Torretta Vincenzo , Conti Fabio , Ragazzi Marco , Rada Elena , Cioca Gabriela
Published: August 2017

The presence of emerging organic micropollutants (such as pharmaceuticals) in sewage has been, for a long time, an issue of great concern within the international scientific debate. This item represents one of the main challenges related to a sustainable development, with particular concern to the public health control. While most of the work has been concentrated on their detection and the evaluation of their average level, little is known about the spatial and temporal variability of concentrations of these compounds in the effluent and its capability to affect the concentrations in time of the receiving water body. In this study, three sampling campaigns were carried out at two different wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Varese area (Northern Italy) with the aim of monitoring the occurrence of some pharmaceuticals to evaluate their removal efficiency. The detected pharmaceuticals were: Ofloxacin, Ibuprofen, Atenolol, Bezafibrate, Carbamazepine, Salbutamol, Cyclophosphamide and Hydrochlorothiazide. The results obtained, together with the analysis of the characteristics of the chemicals and of the two WWTPs, allowed evaluating the factors affecting the spatial and temporal concentration variability in effluent waters and the potential influence of this variability in driving the exposure of the aquatic ecosystems in the receiving water body.
Effect of Distance on Open Innovation: Differences among Institutions According to Patent Citation and Reference
Authors: Yun JinHyo , Jeong EuiSeob , Lee ChangHwan , Park JinSeu , Zhao Xiaofei
Published: August 2017

The main topic of this paper is the effects of distance between technology and the market, on open innovation. For this, we set up two research questions, as follows: Is there any relation between the distance between technology and the market, and open innovation? If there is, what differences are there in the relation among Fortune 500 companies, non-Fortune 500 companies, laboratories, universities, and start-ups? First, this study measured the distance between technology and the market of a patent by the size of its list of references and citations. Second, the OI network among patent application subjects was described based on patent similarity. Third and most importantly, regression analyses were used to answer the research questions. The first result was that there were differences in the distance and OI among Fortune 500 firms, Fortune non-500 firms, laboratories, universities, and start-ups. Thus, there are relations between the distance between technology and the market, and open innovation. The second result was that the distance between technology and the market was found to moderate the open innovation effect in Fortune 500 companies and laboratories.
Network Vulnerability Analysis of Rail Transit Plans in Beijng-Tianjin-Hebei Region Considering Connectivity Reliability
Authors: Liu Jing , Lu Huapu , Ma He , Liu Wenzhi
Published: August 2017

In the context of the urban agglomeration and the rapid development of rail transit, the planning of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region (BTHR) rail transit 2020 is attracting attention. The BTHR is a natural disaster-prone area and a high-risk area for terrorist attacks; the robustness of the area is critical to the sustainable development of North China. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the vulnerability of the regional planning rail transit network. This paper builds a model of planning regional rail transit in BTHR. A critical node recognition measure is designed according to the connectivity reliability of nodes. The method of Monte Carlo simulation of node connectivity reliability is applied based on link connectivity probability. In addition, a model of detecting multi-measure recognition and detecting Core-Nodes is proposed. Finally, the paper analyzes the impact of multiple attack modes on the network performance from the aspects of network performance within region and transit demand outside the region, and analyzes the vulnerability of the BTHR planning rail transit network.
Let the Women Harvest the Mangrove. Carbon Policy, and Environmental Injustice
Authors: Cormier-Salem Marie-Christine
Published: August 2017

Carbon policy is a fascinating topic in geography and political ecology, because carbon is a new exchangeable good, which links the local to the international arenas through a complex set of instruments, norms, and institutions. In this paper, after explaining my theoretical and conceptual framework rooted in Africanist geography and currents of political ecology, I analyze the responses of local actors (knowledge, practices, logic, and strategies) to environmental policies and consider the effects of new mechanisms, upon local dynamics in Africa. I focus my attention on the impacts of mangrove reforestation policies on women, who harvest shellfish. My research, conducted over 35 years on coastal mangroves in Africa and Madagascar, provides me with examples. Through a long-term approach to the perception of mangroves and the changing modes of policies, I highlight the weight of imperialism and neo-liberalism and analyze types of environmental injustice against mangrove harvesters, particularly the women, who are the most directly concerned by the preservation of their heritage and are rarely recognized as stakeholders in environmental policies that are defined internationally and implemented at national and local levels. They are not informed (or are deliberately kept unware) of new devices such as REDD+. They have lost their rights of access to the reforested mangrove areas. Carbon policy requires comparative and empirical research, giving voice to local actors, especially women, about their perceptions of policies and actions. The approaches in terms of political ecology must be combined with analysis of the bio-ecological and socio-cultural dynamics of the mangrove.
Blockchain Security in Cloud Computing: Use Cases, Challenges, and Solutions
Authors: Park Jin , Park Jong
Published: August 2017

Blockchain has drawn attention as the next-generation financial technology due to its security that suits the informatization era. In particular, it provides security through the authentication of peers that share virtual cash, encryption, and the generation of hash value. According to the global financial industry, the market for security-based blockchain technology is expected to grow to about USD 20 billion by 2020. In addition, blockchain can be applied beyond the Internet of Things (IoT) environment; its applications are expected to expand. Cloud computing has been dramatically adopted in all IT environments for its efficiency and availability. In this paper, we discuss the concept of blockchain technology and its hot research trends. In addition, we will study how to adapt blockchain security to cloud computing and its secure solutions in detail.
Efficacy of Repeated Botulinum Toxin Type A Injections for Spastic Equinus in Children with Cerebral Palsy—A Secondary Analysis of the Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Hong Bo , Chang Hyun , Lee Sang-Jee , Lee Soyoung , Park Joo , Kwon Jeong-Yi
Published: August 2017

Botulinum toxin A is considered an important tool to control spasticity in children with cerebral palsy. Several factors are known to affect the efficacy of botulinum toxin, such as dosage, appropriate muscle selection and application, age, and accompanying therapy. A multicenter, double-blind, randomized, prospective phase III clinical trial of botulinum toxin A for the treatment of dynamic equinus in 144 children with cerebral palsy was performed to compare the efficacies of letibotulinumtoxin A and onabotulinumtoxin A. Secondary analyses were performed to evaluate factors that affected the outcome, focusing on the number of times injections were repeated. Effectiveness was defined as a change of 2 or more in the physician’s rating scale. Multivariate regression analyses were performed with multiple variables. The first injection of botulinum toxin A significantly improved D subscale of Gross Motor Function Measure-88 scores at 3 months compared to repeated injections (p < 0.05). After 6 months, patients who had one injection or none before the study showed significantly better outcomes than those who had more than one injection in terms of observational gait scores.
Roles of APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B in Human Papillomavirus Infection and Disease Progression
Authors: Warren Cody , Westrich Joseph , Doorslaer Koenraad , Pyeon Dohun
Published: August 2017

The apolipoprotein B messenger RNA-editing, enzyme-catalytic, polypeptide-like 3 (APOBEC3) family of cytidine deaminases plays an important role in the innate immune response to viral infections by editing viral genomes. However, the cytidine deaminase activity of APOBEC3 enzymes also induces somatic mutations in host genomes, which may drive cancer progression. Recent studies of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and disease outcome highlight this duality. HPV infection is potently inhibited by one family member, APOBEC3A. Expression of APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B is highly elevated by the HPV oncoproteins E6 and E7 during persistent virus infection and disease progression. Furthermore, there is a high prevalence of APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B mutation signatures in HPV-associated cancers. These findings suggest that induction of an APOBEC3-mediated antiviral response during HPV infection may inadvertently contribute to cancer mutagenesis and virus evolution. Here, we discuss current understanding of APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B biology in HPV restriction, evolution, and associated cancer mutagenesis.
River Water Quality: Who Cares, How Much and Why?
Authors: Hampson Danyel , Ferrini Silvia , Rigby Dan , Bateman Ian
Published: August 2017

An important motivation for the implementation of the Water Framework Directive is the creation of non-market environmental benefits, such as improved ecological quality, or greater opportunities for open-access river recreation via microbial pollution remediation. Pollution sources impacting on ecological or recreational water quality may be uncorrelated, but non-market benefits arising from riverine improvements are typically conflated within benefit valuation studies. Using stated preference choice experiments embedded within a survey that also collected respondents’ socio-economic characteristics, we aimed to disaggregate these sources of value for different river users, thereby allowing decision makers to understand the consequences of adopting alternative investment strategies. Our results suggested that anglers derived greater value from improvements to the ecological quality of river water, in contrast to swimmers and rowers, for whom greater value is gained from improvements to recreational quality. More generally, we found three distinct groups of respondents: a majority preferring ecological over recreational improvements, a substantial minority holding opposing preference orderings, and a yet smaller proportion expressing relatively low values for either form of river quality enhancement. As such, this research demonstrates that the non-market benefits that may accrue from different types of water quality improvements are nuanced in terms of their potential beneficiaries and, by inference, their overall value and policy implications.
Diel and Seasonal Patterns in Continuously Monitored Water Quality at Fixed Sites in Two Adjacent Embayments of the Tidal Freshwater Potomac River
Authors: Graziano Alexander , Jones R.
Published: August 2017

Water quality patterns in two adjacent embayments of the tidal freshwater Potomac River were compared using continuously monitored data. The two embayments, the tidal Occoquan and Gunston Cove, are shallow embayments fed by tributaries which vary in their watershed attributes. The tidal Occoquan has a larger watershed and a dam just upstream from the head of tide whereas Gunston Cove has a large wastewater treatment plant just upstream of the embayment. Water temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen (DO), and pH were collected at 15 min intervals at representative locations in the two embayments from April through November of 2012. Mean daily values of water quality variables exhibited similar seasonal patterns at both sites which were related to seasonal patterns of forcing functions such as temperature, light and freshwater inflows. Three two-week intervals were examined in great detail. During a mid-summer period of stable conditions and low flow, both embayments exhibited strong and consistent diel (light cycle-based) periodicity in temperature, DO, and pH. Specific conductance exhibited semi-diel (tidal cycle-based) periodicity. The two other two-week intervals were punctuated by substantial flow events which resulted in major changes in daily mean values and disruptions to the typical diel or semi-diel cycles. The large rainfall event related to Hurricane Sandy caused a major disruption in diel and semi-diel cycles. Some cycles were quickly re-established and others took a week or more. The two embayments exhibited similar behavior in most aspects. Site-specific factors such as differences in the frequency and magnitude of tributary flow pulses and the presence of treated sewage discharge at Gunston Cove helped explain some of the differences observed between the two embayments.
Hydrogeochemistry of Shallow Groundwater in a Karst Aquifer System of Bijie City, Guizhou Province
Authors: Yuan Jianfei , Xu Fen , Deng Guoshi , Tang Yeqi , Li Pengyue
Published: August 2017

In this study, the major chemical compositions of 159 shallow groundwater samples incorporated saturation index (SI) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were employed to evaluate the mainly geochemical processes that control the hydrogeochemical evolution of groundwater in a typical karst area, Bijie city, Guizhou Province. The groundwater samples in this study area were dominated of HCO3-Ca, HCO3-Ca-Mg, and HCO3-SO4-Ca types. The PCA suggested that four principal components could explain 88.85% of the total variance of 10 parameters, indicating that the hydrogeochemical evolution of groundwater was mainly controlled by the dissolution/precipitation of carbonates, gypsum, and halite minerals, cation exchange, and anthropogenic activities. To be specific, the enrichment of Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3− and SO42− in groundwater were primarily affected by the dissolution of dolomite and gypsum minerals, and the role of calcite dissolution was relatively weaker because most groundwater samples were saturated with respect to calcite. Besides, cation exchange was another factor that may affect the concentration of Ca2+ and Mg2+ in groundwater, and the concentration of SO42− can also be influenced by coal mining activity. In addition, the concentrations of Na+ and Cl− in groundwater were likely influenced by the dissolution of halite, cation exchange, and human activities.
Using Long-term Millisecond Pulsar Timing to Obtain Physical Characteristics of the Bulge Globular Cluster Terzan 5
Authors: Prager Brian J. , Ransom Scott M. , Freire Paulo C. C. , Hessels Jason W. T. , Stairs Ingrid H. , Arras Phil , Cadelano Mario
Published: August 2017

Over the past decade, the discovery of three unique stellar populations and a large number of confirmed pulsars within the globular cluster Terzan 5 has raised questions over its classification. Using the long-term radio pulsar timing of

ms pulsars in the cluster core, we provide new measurements of key physical properties of the system. As Terzan 5 is located within the galactic bulge, stellar crowding and reddening make optical and near-infrared observations difficult. Pulsar accelerations, however, allow us to study the intrinsic characteristics of the cluster independent of reddening and stellar crowding and probe the mass density profile without needing to quantify the mass-to-light ratio. Relating the spin and orbital periods of each pulsar to the acceleration predicted by a King model, we find a core density of

 × 106

pc−3, a core radius of

pc, a pulsar density profile of

, and a total mass of

(

pc) ≃ 3.0 × 105

, assuming a cluster distance of 5.9 kpc. Using this information, we argue against Terzan 5 being a disrupted dwarf galaxy and discuss the possibility of it being a fragment of the Milky Way’s proto-bulge. We also discuss whether low-mass pulsars were formed via electron-capture supernovae or exist in a core full of heavy white dwarfs and hard binaries. Finally, we provide an upper limit for the mass of a possible black hole at the core of the cluster of

.
Automatic Survey-invariant Classification of Variable Stars
Authors: Benavente Patricio , Protopapas Pavlos , Pichara Karim
Published: August 2017

Machine learning techniques have been successfully used to classify variable stars on widely studied astronomical surveys. These data sets have been available to astronomers long enough, thus allowing them to perform deep analysis over several variable sources and generating useful catalogs with identified variable stars. The products of these studies are labeled data that enable supervised learning models to be trained successfully. However, when these models are blindly applied to data from new sky surveys, their performance drops significantly. Furthermore, unlabeled data become available at a much higher rate than their labeled counterpart, since labeling is a manual and time-consuming effort. Domain adaptation techniques aim to learn from a domain where labeled data are available, the source domain, and through some adaptation perform well on a different domain, the target domain. We propose a full probabilistic model that represents the joint distribution of features from two surveys, as well as a probabilistic transformation of the features from one survey to the other. This allows us to transfer labeled data to a study where they are not available and to effectively run a variable star classification model in a new survey. Our model represents the features of each domain as a Gaussian mixture and models the transformation as a translation, rotation, and scaling of each separate component. We perform tests using three different variability catalogs, EROS, MACHO, and HiTS, presenting differences among them, such as the number of observations per star, cadence, observational time, and optical bands observed, among others.