bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prediction of Crack Formation for Cross Wedge Rolling of Harrow Tooth Preform
Authors: Pater Zbigniew , Tomczak Janusz , Bulzak Tomasz , Bartnicki Jarosław , Tofil Arkadiusz
Published: July 2019

The article presents the issue of material fracture during the process of cross-wedge rolling (CWR). The object of the research was the process of forming a harrow tooth preform. In the conducted analysis nine damage criteria were applied. The critical value of damage was determined with a new calibrating test, basing on rotational compression of a sample in a channel. The results of calculations were compared to the results of experimental testing performed in laboratory conditions in Lublin University of Technology. On the basis of the obtained results an assessment of the applied damage criteria and their applicability in the analysis of CWR processes was conducted.
Band to Band Tunneling at the Zinc Oxide (ZnO) and Lead Selenide (PbSe) Quantum Dot Contact; Interfacial Charge Transfer at a ZnO/PbSe/ZnO Probe Device
Authors: Kim Minkyong , Han Chang-Yeol , Yang Heesun , Park Byoungnam
Published: July 2019

We provide a comprehensive understanding of interfacial charge transfer at the lead selenide (PbSe) quantum dot (QD)/zinc oxide (ZnO) interface, proposing band to band tunneling process as a charge transfer mechanism in which initial hopping of carriers from ZnO to PbSe QDs is independent of temperature. Using the transmission line method (TLM) in a ZnO/PbSe/ZnO geometry device, we measured the ZnO/PbSe electrical contact resistance, a measure of charge transfer efficiency. Fabrication of a highly conductive ZnO film through Al doping allows for the formation of ZnO source and drain electrodes, replacing conventional metal electrodes. We found that band to band tunneling at the PbSe QD/ZnO interface governs charge transfer based on temperature-independent PbSe QD/ZnO contact resistance. In contrast, the PbSe QD channel sheet resistance decreased as the temperature increased, indicating thermally activated transport process in the PbSe QD film. These results demonstrate that, at the ZnO/PbSe QD interface, temperature-independent tunneling process initiates carrier injection followed by thermally activated carrier hopping, determining the electrical contact resistance.
Effect of Boron on Hot Ductility and Room-Temperature Tensile Properties of Microalloyed Steels with Titanium and Niobium
Authors: Li Qi , Liu Weijie
Published: July 2019

Effect of boron on the hot ductility and room-temperature tensile properties of Ti-Nb-microalloyed steels containing 0.071 wt.% carbon was studied. The thermal stress and thermal strain of continuous casting billets during cooling were simulated via hot tensile tests at the deformation rate of (6 mm/11,000)/s, and the hot ductility of different microalloyed steels was evaluated according to the area reduction of hot tensile specimens. It was found that boron addition was beneficial to improve the hot ductility of continuous casting billets during straightening, and the reduction of area exceeded 60%. The addition of boron, as well as the removal of molybdenum and vanadium, can effectively lower the austenite-to-ferrite transformation temperature and restrain the formation of intergranular ferrite, so as to avoid the brittle zone. Moreover, the room-temperature tensile properties of the steels were explored at different cooling rates after the rolling process. The results showed that as the cooling rate increased from 0.0094 to 0.13 °C/s, the amount of carbonitride precipitate gradually decreased, such as titanium carbide, leading to the relatively low tensile strength. On the other hand, the addition of boron, as well as the removal of Mo and V, promoted the formation of bainite and acicular ferrite, playing an important role in structure strengthening, and compensated for the decrease of tensile strength caused by the low precipitation strengthening.
Percutaneous Interspinous Spacer in Spinal-Canal-Stenosis Treatment: Pros and Cons
Authors: Zini Chiara , Bellini Matteo , Masala Salvatore , Marcia Stefano
Published: July 2019

A comprehensive description of the literature regarding interspinous process devices (IPD) mainly focused on comparison with conservative treatment and surgical decompression for the treatment of degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis. Recent meta-analysis and articles are listed in the present article in order to establish IPD pros and cons.
Hydrophobic *BEA-Type Zeolite Membranes on Tubular Silica Supports for Alcohol/Water Separation by Pervaporation
Authors: Ueno Kyohei , Yamada Saki , Watanabe Toshinari , Negishi Hideyuki , Okuno Takuya , Tawarayama Hiromasa , Ishikawa Shinji , Miyamoto Manabu , Uemiya Shigeyuki , Oumi Yasunori
Published: July 2019

Hydrophobic pure-silica *BEA-type zeolite membranes with large pores were prepared on tubular silica supports by hydrothermal synthesis using a secondary growth method and were applied to the separation of alcohol/water mixtures by pervaporation (PV), an alternative energy-efficient process for production of biofuels. Amorphous pure-silica tubular silica supports, free of Al atoms, were used for preparing the membranes. In this study, the effects of the synthesis conditions, such as the H2O/SiO2 and NH4F/SiO2 ratios in the synthetic gel, on the membrane formation process and separation performance were systematically investigated. The successfully prepared dense and continuous membranes exhibited alcohol selectivity and high flux for the separation of ethanol/water and butanol/water mixtures. The pure-silica *BEA membranes obtained under optimal conditions (0.08SiO2:0.5TEAOH:0.7NH4F:8H2O) showed high PV performance with a separation factor of 229 and a flux of 0.62 kg·m−2·h−1 for a 1 wt % n-butanol/water mixture at 318 K. This result was attributed to the hydrophobicity and large pore size of the pure-silica *BEA membrane. This was the first successful synthesis of hydrophobic large-pore zeolite membranes on tubular supports with alcohol selectivity, and the obtained results could provide new insights into the research on hydrophobic membranes with high permeability.
Isochronal Phase Transformation in Bimodal Ti-55531
Authors: Chen Fuwen , Xu Guanglong , Zhou Kechao , Chang Hui
Published: July 2019

Bimodal microstructures where globular α and acicular α phases are embedded in the β matrix are commonly used in industry-relevant Ti-55531. To optimize the performance of Ti-55531 through heat treatment, it is crucial to understand and control the phase transformation in the as-received bimodal Ti-55531 as well as its microstructure evolution. In this work, the isochronal phase transformations and microstructure evolution in the bimodal Ti-55531 during the continuous heating were systematically studied by combining dilatometry, XRD phase analyses, and SEM observation. The β → α transformation occurred at 678 K only with the acicular α. When the temperature was higher than 788 K, α → β transformation took place in two separate stages (i.e., αacicular → β and αglobular → β transformation). The dissolution of αglobular occurred after the dissolution of αacicular was completed. Due to the difference in the chemical composition and interface curvature between αacicular and αglobular, the average activation energy for αacicular → β transformation was lower than that for the αglobular → β transformation. The isochronal phase transformation and microstructure evolution during continuous heating in the present work could be used to optimize heat treatment procedures for desired mechanical properties.
Withanolides, Extracted from Datura Metel L. Inhibit Keratinocyte Proliferation and Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis-Like Dermatitis via the STAT3/P38/ERK1/2 Pathway
Authors: Li Tingting , Wei Zheng , Sun Yanping , Wang Qiuhong , Kuang Haixue
Published: July 2019

Psoriasis is an immune-mediated inflammatory dermatosis characterized by epidermal hyperplasia and excessive infiltration of inflammatory cells. Withanolides, extracted from Datura metel L.; are the main effective components for the treatment of psoriasis. However, the precise mechanisms of action of withanolides for the treatment of psoriasis remain unclear. We found that treatment with withanolides alleviated imiquimod (IMQ)-induced epidermal hyperplasia and inflammatory cell infiltration in the effective skin of model mice. In addition, we also found that withanolides suppressed the activation of STAT3, ERK1/2 and P38 signaling pathways in IMQ-stimulated HaCat cells. These results suggest that withanolides possess an anti-inflammatory effect and have significant therapeutic potential for the prevention and treatment of psoriasis.
Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of EdAP, a 4′-Ethynyl-2′-Deoxyadenosine 5′-Monophosphate Analog, as a Potent Influenza a Inhibitor
Authors: Takeuchi Toshifumi , Sriwilaijaroen Nongluk , Sakuraba Ayako , Hayashi Ei , Kamisuki Shinji , Suzuki Yasuo , Ohrui Hiroshi , Sugawara Fumio
Published: July 2019

Influenza A viruses leading to infectious respiratory diseases cause seasonal epidemics and sometimes periodic global pandemics. Viral polymerase is an attractive target in inhibiting viral replication, and 4′-ethynyladenosine, which has been reported as a highly potent anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) nucleoside derivative, can work as an anti-influenza agent. Herein, we designed and synthesized a 4′-ethynyl-2′-deoxyadenosine 5′-monophosphate analog called EdAP (5). EdAP exhibited potent inhibition against influenza virus multiplication in Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells transfected with human α2-6-sialyltransferase (SIAT1) cDNA and did not show any toxicity toward the cells. Surprisingly, this DNA-type nucleic acid analog (5) inhibited the multiplication of influenza A virus, although influenza virus is an RNA virus that does not generate DNA.
Porous Silicon Bragg Reflector and 2D Gold-Polymer Nanograting: A Route Towards a Hybrid Optoplasmonic Platform
Authors: Pellacani Paola , Fornasari Lucia , Rodriguez Chloé , Torres-Costa Vicente , Marabelli Franco , Manso Silván Miguel
Published: July 2019

Photonic and plasmonic systems have been intensively studied as an effective means to modify and enhance the electromagnetic field. In recent years hybrid plasmonic–photonic systems have been investigated as a promising solution for enhancing light-matter interaction. In the present work we present a hybrid structure obtained by growing a plasmonic 2D nanograting on top of a porous silicon distributed Bragg reflector. Particular attention has been devoted to the morphological characterization of these systems. Electron microscopy images allowed us to determine the geometrical parameters of the structure. The matching of the optical response of both components has been studied. Results indicate an interaction between the plasmonic and the photonic parts of the system, which results in a localization of the electric field profile.
Gut Microbiome: Profound Implications for Diet and Disease
Authors: Hills Ronald , Pontefract Benjamin , Mishcon Hillary , Black Cody , Sutton Steven , Theberge Cory
Published: July 2019

The gut microbiome plays an important role in human health and influences the development of chronic diseases ranging from metabolic disease to gastrointestinal disorders and colorectal cancer. Of increasing prevalence in Western societies, these conditions carry a high burden of care. Dietary patterns and environmental factors have a profound effect on shaping gut microbiota in real time. Diverse populations of intestinal bacteria mediate their beneficial effects through the fermentation of dietary fiber to produce short-chain fatty acids, endogenous signals with important roles in lipid homeostasis and reducing inflammation. Recent progress shows that an individual’s starting microbial profile is a key determinant in predicting their response to intervention with live probiotics. The gut microbiota is complex and challenging to characterize. Enterotypes have been proposed using metrics such as alpha species diversity, the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes phyla, and the relative abundance of beneficial genera (e.g., Bifidobacterium, Akkermansia) versus facultative anaerobes (E. coli), pro-inflammatory Ruminococcus, or nonbacterial microbes. Microbiota composition and relative populations of bacterial species are linked to physiologic health along different axes. We review the role of diet quality, carbohydrate intake, fermentable FODMAPs, and prebiotic fiber in maintaining healthy gut flora. The implications are discussed for various conditions including obesity, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, depression, and cardiovascular disease.
Central But Not General Obesity Is Positively Associated with the Risk of Hyperhomocysteinemia in Middle-Aged Women
Authors: Wang Yingying , Jiang Yonggen , Wang Na , Zhu Meiying , Liu Xing , Wang Ruiping , Jiang Feng , Chen Yue , Zhao Qi , Zhao Genming
Published: July 2019

Objective: Obesity and homocysteine (Hcy) are two important risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, evidence on the association between obesity and Hcy concentration was conflicting. The aim of our study is to explore the associations of general and central obesity with hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) in middle-aged women. Methods: The current analysis was based on data from 11,007 women aged 40–60 years. Height, weight, and waist circumference (WC) were measured and serum homocysteine was determined. Multiple logistic regression models were used to assess the associations of the risk of hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy, Hcy > 15 μmol/L) with BMI and WC. Results: 13.71% women had HHcy. The prevalences of BMI-based general obesity and WC-based central obesity were 11.17% and 22.88%, respectively. Compared with non-obese women, the mean serum Hcy concentration was significantly higher in WC-based central obese women (p = 0.002), but not in BMI-based general obese women (p > 0.05). In the multiple logistic regression models, central obesity was positively related to the risk of HHcy (OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.10 to 1.52), while general obesity was inversely related to the risk of HHcy (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.72 to 0.93 and OR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.57 to 0.89). Conclusions: Central obesity was positively related to the risk of HHcy, while general obesity was negatively related. Menopause showed no effect modification on these associations.
Sodium and Potassium Intake Assessed by Spot and 24-h Urine in the Population-Based Tromsø Study 2015–2016
Authors: Meyer Haakon E. , Johansson Lars , Eggen Anne Elise , Johansen Heidi , Holvik Kristin
Published: July 2019

Reduction of salt intake is a public health priority and necessitates the surveillance of salt intake in the population. The validity of salt intake assessed by dietary surveys is generally low. We, therefore, aimed to estimate salt intake by 24-h urine collection and to assess the usefulness of spot urine collection for surveillance purposes. In the population-based Tromsø Study 2015–2016, 493 men and women aged 40–69 years collected 24-h urine, of whom 475 also collected spot urine. Sodium and potassium excretions were calculated by multiplying respective urinary concentrations by the total volume of urine. Based on the sodium concentration in spot urine, we also estimated 24-h sodium excretion by three different equations. Mean sodium excretion was 4.09 ± 1.60 and 2.98 ± 1.09 g/24-h in men and women, respectively, corresponding to a calculated salt intake of 10.4 and 7.6 g. The sodium to potassium molar (Na/K) ratio was approximately 1.8 in both genders. Of the three equation utilizing spot urine, estimated mean 24-h sodium excretion was closest for the INTERSALT formulae (4.29 and 2.96 g/24-h in men and women, respectively). In this population-based study, the estimated salt intake was higher than the recommended intake. However, urine potassium excretion was rather high resulting in a favorable Na/K ratio. Mean sodium excretion calculated from spot urine by the INTERSALT equation predicted the mean sodium excretion in 24-h urine reasonably well.
Health Benefits of Resveratrol in Kidney Disease: Evidence from In Vitro and In Vivo Studies
Authors: Den Hartogh Danja J. , Tsiani Evangelia
Published: July 2019

Different diseases and disorders that affect the kidneys include, but are not limited to, glomerulonephritis, diabetic nephropathy, polycystic kidney disease, kidney stones, renal fibrosis, sepsis, and renal cell carcinoma. Kidney disease tends to develop over many years, making it difficult to identify until much later when kidney function is severely impaired and undergoing kidney failure. Although conservative care, symptom management, medication, dialysis, transplantation, and aggressive renal cancer therapy are some of the current strategies/approaches to kidney disease treatment, new preventative targeted therapies are needed. Epidemiological studies have suggested that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is associated with health benefits including protection against kidney disease and renal cancer. Resveratrol, a polyphenol found in grapes and berries, has been reported to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, and anti-cancer properties. The current review summarizes the existing in vitro and in vivo animal and human studies examining the nephroprotective effects of resveratrol.
Effects of Anserine/Carnosine Supplementation on Mild Cognitive Impairment with APOE4
Authors: Masuoka Nobutaka , Yoshimine Chitose , Hori Marie , Tanaka Mieko , Asada Takashi , Abe Keiichi , Hisatsune Tatsuhiro
Published: July 2019

Background: Oral supplementation of anserine/carnosine helps preserve cognitive functions in healthy older adults. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a transition between cognitive-normal and dementia. Therefore, it needs to investigate whether anserine/carnosine supplementation (ACS) has effects on subjects with MCI. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 12-week trial was performed. Fifty-four subjects with MCI were randomized to an active group ingesting 750 mg of anserine and 250 mg of carnosine per day or a placebo (1:1). Evaluation of cognitive change was conducted utilizing a psychometric test battery. Results: The score improvement in the global Clinical Dementia Rating (gloCDR) was superior in the active group than placebo (p = 0.023). No beneficial effect in the active group was detected in the other psychometric tests including the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Wechsler Memory Scale, and the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS). When APOE4 positive (APOE4 (+)) or negative (APOE4 (-)) subjects were separately analyzed, beneficial change in the APOE4 (+) subjects was observed in MMSE (p = 0.025) as well as in gloCDR (p = 0.026). Conclusions: The present study might suggest that protective effects against cognitive decline in APOE4 (+) MCI subjects exist.
Persistence of Babesia microti Infection in Humans
Authors: Bloch Evan M. , Kumar Sanjai , Krause Peter J.
Published: July 2019

Persistent infection is a characteristic feature of babesiosis, a worldwide, emerging tick-borne disease caused by members of the genus Babesia. Persistence of Babesia infection in reservoir hosts increases the probability of survival and transmission of these pathogens. Laboratory tools to detect Babesia in red blood cells include microscopic detection using peripheral blood smears, nucleic acid detection (polymerase chain reaction and transcription mediated amplification), antigen detection, and antibody detection. Babesia microti, the major cause of human babesiosis, can asymptomatically infect immunocompetent individuals for up to two years. Chronically infected blood donors may transmit the pathogen to another person through blood transfusion. Transfusion-transmitted babesiosis causes severe complications and death in about a fifth of cases. Immunocompromised patients, including those with asplenia, HIV/AIDS, malignancy, or on immunosuppressive drugs, often experience severe disease that may relapse up to two years later despite anti-Babesia therapy. Persistent Babesia infection is promoted by Babesia immune evasive strategies and impaired host immune mechanisms. The health burden of persistent and recrudescent babesiosis can be minimized by development of novel therapeutic measures, such as new anti-parasitic drugs or drug combinations, improved anti-parasitic drug duration strategies, or immunoglobulin preparations; and novel preventive approaches, including early detection methods, tick-avoidance, and blood donor screening.
Binary Neutron Star (BNS) Merger: What We Learned from Relativistic Ejecta of GW/GRB 170817A
Authors: Ziaeepour Houri
Published: July 2019

Gravitational Waves (GW) from coalescence of a Binary Neutron Star (BNS) and its accompanying short Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) GW/GRB 170817A confirmed the presumed origin of these puzzling transients and opened up the way for relating properties of short GRBs to those of their progenitor stars and their surroundings. Here we review an extensive analysis of the prompt gamma-ray and late afterglows of this event. We show that a fraction of polar ejecta from the merger had been accelerated to ultra-relativistic speeds. This structured jet had an initial Lorentz factor of about 260 in our direction, which was O ( 10 ∘ ) from the jet’s axis, and was a few orders of magnitude less dense than in typical short GRBs. At the time of arrival to circum-burst material the ultra-relativistic jet had a close to Gaussian profile and a Lorentz factor ≳ 130 in its core. It had retained in some extent its internal collimation and coherence, but had extended laterally to create mildly relativistic lobes—a cocoon. Its external shocks on the far from center inhomogeneous circum-burst material and low density of colliding shells generated slowly rising afterglows, which peaked more than 100 days after the prompt gamma-ray. The circum-burst material was somehow correlated with the merger. As non-relativistic outflows or tidally ejected material during BNS merger could not have been arrived to the location of the external shocks before the relativistic jet, circum-burst material might have contained recently ejected materials from resumption of internal activities, faulting and mass loss due to deformation and breaking of stars crusts by tidal forces during latest stages of their inspiral but well before their merger. By comparing these findings with the results of relativistic Magneto-Hydro-Dynamics (MHD) simulations and observed gravitational waves we conclude that progenitor neutron stars were most probably old, had close masses and highly reduced magnetic fields.
Phenolic Compounds as Unambiguous Chemical Markers for the Identification of Keystone Plant Species in the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia
Authors: Lemma Bruk , Grehl Claudius , Zech Michael , Mekonnen Betelhem , Zech Wolfgang , Nemomissa Sileshi , Bekele Tamrat , Glaser Bruno
Published: July 2019

Despite the fact that the vegetation pattern and history of the Bale Mountains in Ethiopia were reconstructed using pollen, little is known about the former extent of Erica species. The main objective of the present study is to identify unambiguous chemical proxies from plant-derived phenolic compounds to characterize Erica and other keystone species. Mild alkaline CuO oxidation has been used to extract sixteen phenolic compounds. After removal of undesired impurities, individual phenols were separated by gas chromatography and were detected by mass spectrometry. While conventional phenol ratios such as syringyl vs. vanillyl and cinnamyl vs. vanillyl and hierarchical cluster analysis of phenols failed for unambiguous Erica identification, the relative abundance of coumaryl phenols (>0.20) and benzoic acids (0.05—0.12) can be used as a proxy to distinguish Erica from other plant species. Moreover, a Random Forest decision tree based on syringyl phenols, benzoic acids (>0.06), coumaryl phenols (<0.21), hydroxybenzoic acids, and vanillyl phenols (>0.3) could be established for unambiguous Erica identification. In conclusion, serious caution should be given before interpreting this calibration study in paleovegetation reconstruction in respect of degradation and underground inputs of soil organic matter.
Curing of Epoxy Resin DER-331 by Hexakis(4-acetamidophenoxy)cyclotriphosphazene and Properties of the Prepared Composition
Authors: Chistyakov Evgeniy M. , Terekhov Ivan V. , Shapagin Aleksey V. , Filatov Sergey N. , Chuev Vladimir P.
Published: July 2019

The method of optical wedge revealed that the optimum temperature for compatibility of hexakis(4-acetamidophenoxy)cyclotriphosphazene (ACP) and DER-331 epoxy resin is in the range of 220–260 °C. The interdiffusion time of components at these temperatures is about 30 min. The TGA and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) methods revealed the curing temperature of 280 °С for this composition. IR spectroscopy confirmed that the reaction between the resin and ACP is completed within 10 min. According to the DSC data, a glass transition temperature of 130 °С was estimated for the cured resin. Combustion test UL-94 demonstrated that the obtained material can be assigned to the fireproof category of V-0. Burning droplets were not formed during the burning. The coke formed during the combustion of samples possessed a dense and porous structure. The shape of pores is closed, while their size is in the range of 0.2–200 µm.
Extraction Process, Identification of Fatty Acids, Tocopherols, Sterols and Phenolic Constituents, and Antioxidant Evaluation of Seed Oils from Five Fabaceae Species
Authors: Doan Lan Phuong , Nguyen Thi Thuy , Pham Minh Quan , Tran Quoc Toan , Pham Quoc Long , Tran Dinh Quang , Than Van Thai , Bach Long Giang
Published: July 2019

The present study aimed to extract seed oils and characterize the chemical composition, including fatty acid profiles, tocopherols, sterols, and total phenolics of oils and extracts from five Fabaceae seeds: Glycine soja, Vigna angularis, Phaseolus lunatus, Phaseolus vulgarisand, and Phaseolus coccineus. The composition and content of all substance layers in total lipids of the extracted seed oils from five Fabaceae species contain: polar lipid (PL), sterol (ST), diacylglycerol (DG), triacylglycerol (TG), free fatty acid (FFA), and hydrocarbon and wax (HC + W). Antioxidant activity determined by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method was also estimated. Among these examined samples, Phaseolus vulgarisand and Phaseolus coccineus seed oils showed high content of α-linolenic acid (59.39% and 49.38%, respectively). Linoleic acid was abundantly found in Vigna angularis (49.01%). Ferunic and caffeic acid, γ-tocopherol, and β-sistosterol were the main ingredients present in the species studied. The V. angularis seed extract displayed significant antioxidant activity.
Hospital Proximity and Mortality in Australia
Authors: Leung Andrew
Published: July 2019

It is intuitive that proximity to hospitals can only improve the chances of survival from a range of medical conditions. This study examines the empirical evidence for this assertion, based on Australian data. While hospital proximity might serve as a proxy for other factors, such as indigenity, income, wealth or geography, the evidence suggests that proximity provides the most direct link to these factors. In addition, as it turns out, a very statistically significant one that transcends economies.
Characterizing Boreal Peatland Plant Composition and Species Diversity with Hyperspectral Remote Sensing
Authors: McPartland Mara , Falkowski Michael , Reinhardt Jason , Kane Evan , Kolka Randy , Turetsky Merritt , Douglas Thomas , Anderson John , Edwards Jarrod , Palik Brian , Montgomery Rebecca
Published: July 2019

Peatlands, which account for approximately 15% of land surface across the arctic and boreal regions of the globe, are experiencing a range of ecological impacts as a result of climate change. Factors that include altered hydrology resulting from drought and permafrost thaw, rising temperatures, and elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide have been shown to cause plant community compositional changes. Shifts in plant composition affect the productivity, species diversity, and carbon cycling of peatlands. We used hyperspectral remote sensing to characterize the response of boreal peatland plant composition and species diversity to warming, hydrologic change, and elevated CO2. Hyperspectral remote sensing techniques offer the ability to complete landscape-scale analyses of ecological responses to climate disturbance when paired with plot-level measurements that link ecosystem biophysical properties with spectral reflectance signatures. Working within two large ecosystem manipulation experiments, we examined climate controls on composition and diversity in two types of common boreal peatlands: a nutrient rich fen located at the Alaska Peatland Experiment (APEX) in central Alaska, and an ombrotrophic bog located in northern Minnesota at the Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments (SPRUCE) experiment. We found a strong effect of plant functional cover on spectral reflectance characteristics. We also found a positive relationship between species diversity and spectral variation at the APEX field site, which is consistent with other recently published findings. Based on the results of our field study, we performed a supervised land cover classification analysis on an aerial hyperspectral dataset to map peatland plant functional types (PFTs) across an area encompassing a range of different plant communities. Our results underscore recent advances in the application of remote sensing measurements to ecological research, particularly in far northern ecosystems.
Rayleigh Wave Calibration of Acoustic Emission Sensors and Ultrasonic Transducers
Authors: Ono Kanji
Published: July 2019

Acoustic emission (AE) sensors and ultrasonic transducers were characterized for the detection of Rayleigh waves (RW). Small aperture reference sensors were characterized first using the fracture of glass capillary tubes in combination with a theoretical displacement calculation, which utilized finite element method (FEM) and was verified by laser interferometer. For the calibration of 18 commercial sensors and two piezoceramic disks, a 90° angle beam transducer was used to generate RW pulses on an aluminum transfer block. By a substitution method, RW receiving sensitivity of a sensor under test was determined over the range of frequency from 22 kHz to 2 MHz. Results were compared to the sensitivities to normally incident waves (NW) and to other guided waves (GW). It was found that (1) NW sensitivities are always higher than RW sensitivities, (2) differences between NW and RW receiving sensitivities are dependent on frequency and sensor size, (3) most sensors show comparable RW and GW receiving sensitivities, especially those of commonly used AE sensors, and (4) the receiving sensitivities of small aperture (1 mm diameter) sensors behave differently from larger sensors.
Surf Session Events’ Profiling Using Smartphones’ Embedded Sensors
Authors: Gomes Diana , Moreira Dinis , Costa João , Graça Ricardo , Madureira João
Published: July 2019

The increasing popularity of water sports—surfing, in particular—has been raising attention to its yet immature technology market. While several available solutions aim to characterise surf session events, this can still be considered an open issue, due to the low performance, unavailability, obtrusiveness and/or lack of validation of existing systems. In this work, we propose a novel method for wave, paddle, sprint paddle, dive, lay, and sit events detection in the context of a surf session, which enables its entire profiling with 88.1% accuracy for the combined detection of all events. In particular, waves, the most important surf event, were detected with second precision with an accuracy of 90.3%. When measuring the number of missed and misdetected wave events, out of the entire universe of 327 annotated waves, wave detection performance achieved 97.5% precision and 94.2% recall. These findings verify the precision, validity and thoroughness of the proposed solution in constituting a complete surf session profiling system, suitable for real-time implementation and with market potential.
Machine Learning Weather Soft-Sensor for Advanced Control of Wastewater Treatment Plants
Authors: Hernández-del-Olmo Félix , Gaudioso Elena , Duro Natividad , Dormido Raquel
Published: July 2019

Control of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is challenging not only because of their high nonlinearity but also because of important external perturbations. One the most relevant of these perturbations is weather. In fact, different weather conditions imply different inflow rates and substance (e.g., N-ammonia, which is among the most important) concentrations. Therefore, weather has traditionally been an important signal that operators take into account to tune WWTP control systems. This signal cannot be directly measured with traditional physical sensors. Nevertheless, machine learning-based soft-sensors can be used to predict non-observable measures by means of available data. In this paper, we present novel research about a new soft-sensor that predicts the current weather signal. This weather prediction differs from traditional weather forecasting since this soft-sensor predicts the weather conditions as an operator does when controling the WWTP. This prediction uses a model based on past WWTP influent states measured by only a few physical and widely applied sensors. The results are encouraging, as we obtained a good accuracy level for a relevant and very useful signal when applied to advanced WWTP control systems.
A Novel Method for Estimating Distances from a Robot to Humans Using Egocentric RGB Camera
Authors: Pathi Sai Krishna , Kiselev Andrey , Kristoffersson Annica , Repsilber Dirk , Loutfi Amy
Published: July 2019

Estimating distances between people and robots plays a crucial role in understanding social Human–Robot Interaction (HRI) from an egocentric view. It is a key step if robots should engage in social interactions, and to collaborate with people as part of human–robot teams. For distance estimation between a person and a robot, different sensors can be employed, and the number of challenges to be addressed by the distance estimation methods rise with the simplicity of the technology of a sensor. In the case of estimating distances using individual images from a single camera in a egocentric position, it is often required that individuals in the scene are facing the camera, do not occlude each other, and are fairly visible so specific facial or body features can be identified. In this paper, we propose a novel method for estimating distances between a robot and people using single images from a single egocentric camera. The method is based on previously proven 2D pose estimation, which allows partial occlusions, cluttered background, and relatively low resolution. The method estimates distance with respect to the camera based on the Euclidean distance between ear and torso of people in the image plane. Ear and torso characteristic points has been selected based on their relatively high visibility regardless of a person orientation and a certain degree of uniformity with regard to the age and gender. Experimental validation demonstrates effectiveness of the proposed method.
NIR Hyperspectral Imaging Technology Combined with Multivariate Methods to Study the Residues of Different Concentrations of Omethoate on Wheat Grain Surface
Authors: Zhang Liu , Rao Zhenhong , Ji Haiyan
Published: July 2019

In this study, a hyperspectral imaging system of 866.4–1701.0 nm was selected and combined with multivariate methods to identify wheat kernels with different concentrations of omethoate on the surface. In order to obtain the optimal model combination, three preprocessing methods (standard normal variate (SNV), Savitzky–Golay first derivative (SG1), and multivariate scatter correction (MSC)), three feature extraction algorithms (successive projections algorithm (SPA), random frog (RF), and neighborhood component analysis (NCA)), and three classifier models (decision tree (DT), k-nearest neighbor (KNN), and support vector machine (SVM)) were applied to make a comparison. Firstly, based on the full wavelengths modeling analysis, it was found that the spectral data after MSC processing performed best in the three classifier models. Secondly, three feature extraction algorithms were used to extract the feature wavelength of MSC processed data and based on feature wavelengths modeling analysis. As a result, the MSC–NCA–SVM model performed best and was selected as the best model. Finally, in order to verify the reliability of the selected model, the hyperspectral image was substituted into the MSC–NCA–SVM model and the object-wise method was used to visualize the image classification. The overall classification accuracy of the four types of wheat kernels reached 98.75%, which indicates that the selected model is reliable.
Perceptions of Final Beneficiaries about the Performance of Cross-sector Partnerships: A Case Study Applied to the 2008 Zaragoza International Exhibition on Water and Sustainable Development
Authors: Agudo-Valiente José María , Gargallo-Valero Pilar , Salvador-Figueras Manuel
Published: July 2019

Using the 2008 Zaragoza International Exhibition “Water and sustainable development” as a case study, this paper aims to respond to the increasing demand for measurements of the effects and the implications of the performance of cross-sector partnerships from the perspective of their intended final beneficiaries. A contingency framework for measuring the short-, medium- and long-term effects of the 2008 Zaragoza International Exhibition is developed based on a “results chain” or “logic model”. Our results highlight that there are positive long-term synergies between the two main purposes of the 2008 Zaragoza International Exhibition; first, to increase public awareness of and commitment to the problems of water and sustainable development and, second, to make the city of Zaragoza better known internationally and to modernize its infrastructures. Although respondents to our survey consider that the long-term effects on the city are greater, the main short- and medium-term effects are related to awareness of water problems, sustainable development and non-governmental organizations. These results are in tune with what has happened around the city in the last 10 years providing indirect validity both to our study and to the proposed methodology.
Integration of Prioritisation Criteria in the Design of Energy Efficient Retrofitting Projects at District Scale: A Case Study
Authors: García-Fuentes Miguel Á. , Álvarez Sonia , Serna Víctor , Pousse Maxime , Meiss Alberto
Published: July 2019

The evident need for improving the existing building stock still suffers from important barriers, such as the fragmentation of the value chain, the lack of information regarding some solutions, and the lack of confidence with respect to energy savings, which prevent unlocking investments, and the difficult communication among stakeholders. Therefore, new processes based on exploiting the potential of existing and new tools are required. In this framework, the OptEEmAL project has developed a tool that integrates stakeholders, data and tools in order to ease the process of designing energy efficient retrofitting projects at building and district scale. This tool works around an optimisation framework in order to evaluate, compare and optimise candidate retrofitting scenarios against a set of indicators showing the performance of the district. This evaluation and optimisation method is based on aggregating indicators through transforming the priorities of stakeholders into a mathematical weighting scheme, which makes it possible to provide scenarios within their expectations. Therefore, the generation of these scenarios is driven by their design parameters, being thus flexible and adapted to their needs. This paper shows the implementation of this tool and specifically 3 different prioritisation schemes, analysing how they impact into the decision making process and selection of the retrofitting strategy.
A Sequential Hybridization of Genetic Algorithm and Particle Swarm Optimization for the Optimal Reactive Power Flow
Authors: Cherki Imene , Chaker Abdelkader , Djidar Zohra , Khalfallah Naima , Benzergua Fadela
Published: July 2019

In this paper, the problem of the Optimal Reactive Power Flow (ORPF) in the Algerian Western Network with 102 nodes is solved by the sequential hybridization of metaheuristics methods, which consists of the combination of both the Genetic Algorithm (GA) and the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). The aim of this optimization appears in the minimization of the power losses while keeping the voltage, the generated power, and the transformation ratio of the transformers within their real limits. The results obtained from this method are compared to those obtained from the two methods on populations used separately. It seems that the hybridization method gives good minimizations of the power losses in comparison to those obtained from GA and PSO, individually, considered. However, the hybrid method seems to be faster than the PSO but slower than GA.
Assessing Sidewalk and Corridor Walkability in Developing Countries
Authors: Shaaban Khaled
Published: July 2019

Finding a simple and less expensive method to assess and improve sidewalk and corridor conditions in developing countries is essential in order to motivate more people to walk. This study aimed to design and test a method that uses direct observations of driver behavior and street measurements to assess sidewalk and corridor walkability in developing countries. The proposed method includes different walkability indicators related to sidewalk features, crossing facilities, sidewalk facilities, and driver behavior to provide one score that represents the walkability of a sidewalk and one that represents the walkability of a corridor. The method was tested on streets from 10 neighborhoods in the city of Doha, Qatar. The results indicated that the developed method was easy to use and could efficiently measure various indicators, illustrating that it can be used to evaluate corridors with different characteristics to identify and rank areas that require improvement. The study’s findings will provide maintenance agencies, policymakers, and practitioners in developing countries with a simple, efficient, and cost-effective method to evaluate, plan, rank, and improve the walkability of sidewalks and corridors.
Stochastic Drone Fleet Deployment and Planning Problem Considering Multiple-Type Delivery Service
Authors: Liu Ming , Liu Xin , Zhu Maoran , Zheng Feifeng
Published: July 2019

Drone delivery has a great potential to change the traditional parcel delivery service in consideration of cost reduction, resource conservation, and environmental protection. This paper introduces a novel drone fleet deployment and planning problem with uncertain delivery demand, where the delivery routes are fixed and couriers work in collaboration with drones to deliver surplus parcels with a relatively higher labor cost. The problem involves the following two-stage decision process: (i) The first stage determines the drone fleet deployment (i.e., the numbers and types of drones) and the drone delivery service module (i.e., the time segment between two consecutive departures) on a tactical level, and (ii) the second stage decides the numbers of parcels delivered by drones and couriers on an operational level. The purpose is to minimize the total cost, including (i) drone deployment and operating cost and (ii) expected labor cost. For the problem, a two-stage stochastic programming formulation is proposed. A classic sample average approximation method is first applied. To achieve computational efficiency, a hybrid genetic algorithm is further developed. The computational results show the efficiency of the proposed approaches.
A Holistic Packaging Efficiency Evaluation Method for Loss Prevention in Fresh Vegetable Cold Chain
Authors: Wang Jingjie , Zhu Zhiqiang , Moga Liliana Mihaela , Hu Jinyou , Zhang Xiaoshuan
Published: July 2019

With the continuous push for improving packaging efficiency of current packaging practices to prevent losses in a real cold chain, a holistic evaluation method with improved indicators and a conceptual assessment framework to improve packaging efficiency continuously in a fresh vegetable cold chain was proposed. Based on two fresh leafy vegetables with typical packaging practices in a real cold chain in China, the evaluation method was performed and tested from a macro perspective, and then the packaging efficiency constitution with loss prevention perspective was better visualized. The results show that the method can be used for improving the performance of specific packaging efficiency in the fresh vegetable cold chain and improving the suggestions’ sustainability orientation, and systematically summarize their impacts on packaging efficiency; specifically as follows: (1) Since the correlation between the state of fresh vegetables and the environmental stress in the package, the performance of the micro-environment parameters should be given priority for packaging efficiency improvement in loss prevention. (2) Although the use of the packaging materials in current practices was relatively better, it still can improve in food safety and packaging sustainability of the packaging practices through the selection of packaging materials with better sustainability characteristics. (3) Via the visualization of targeted packaging efficiency in cold chain, the fluctuation of loss rates in the cold chain process are well perceived, and there are still room can be performed continuously to realize more efficient packaging for better loss prevention. (4) The method has drawbacks that the optimization of the weights to the given indicators and the indicators based on nutrition and quality of fresh produce was not considered in current research, and it should be strengthened in future research. (5) It is necessary that the perception of differences in targeted packaging efficiency and the consciousness to improve specific packaging efficiency in vegetable cold chain for sustainability.