bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Descriptive Texts in Dog Profiles Associated with Length of Stay Via an Online Rescue Network
Authors: Nakamura Mizuho , Dhand Navneet K. , Starling Melissa J. , McGreevy Paul D.
Published: July 2019

To increase the public’s awareness of animals needing homes, PetRescue, Australia’s largest online directory of animals in need of adoption, lists animals available from rescue and welfare shelters nationwide. The current study examined the descriptions accompanying online PetRescue profiles. The demographic data and personality descriptors of 70,733 dogs were analysed for associations with LOS in shelters—with long stays being a potential proxy for low appeal. Univariable and multivariable general linear models of log-transformed LOS with personality adjectives and demographic variables were fitted and the predicted means back-transformed for presentation. Further analyses were conducted of a subset of the dataset for the four most common breeds (n = 20,198 dogs) to investigate if the influence of personality adjectives on the LOS differed by breed. The average LOS of dogs was 35.4 days (median 18 days) and was influenced by several adjectives. Across all breeds, the LOS was significantly shorter if the adjectives ‘make you proud’, ‘independent’, ‘lively’, ‘eager’ and ‘clever’ were included in the description. However, the LOS was longer if the terms ‘only dog’, ‘dominant’, ‘sensitive’ and ‘happy-go-lucky’ were included in the description. Some of the association of descriptors with relatively long LOS are difficult to explain. For example, it is unclear why the terms “obedient” and trainable” appear unappealing. The confidence adopters have in these terms and their ability to make the most of such dogs merits further exploration. As expected, the LOS differed in different breeds with the Labrador retrievers having the fastest adoption rate among the most common four breeds with an average LOS of 14.5 days. Breed had interactions with four personality adjectives (gentle, active, quiet and energetic) indicating that the adoption rate of dogs with these descriptors in their online PetRescue profiles differed by breed. This highlights an important knowledge gap, suggesting that potential adopters have differing expectations according to the breed being considered. Increased awareness of the breed-specific influence of personality adjectives on appeal to potential adopters, may enhance adoption success by allowing dogs with risk factors for low appeal to be promoted more intensively than high-appeal dogs.
Determination of Essential and Toxic Elements in Cattle Blood: Serum vs Plasma
Authors: Luna Diego , López-Alonso Marta , Cedeño Yolanda , Rigueira Lucas , Pereira Víctor , Miranda Marta
Published: July 2019

This study was designed to evaluate the influence of type of blood sample (serum or plasma) on essential and toxic element analysis in cattle. Paired plasma and serum samples (n = 20) were acid digested, and the concentrations of As, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Li, Mg, Mn. Mo, Ni, P, Pb, Sb, Se, Sr and Zn were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The study findings indicate that plasma and serum samples appear suitable and interchangeable for the determination of most of the essential and toxic elements in blood in cattle. The only exceptions are Cu and Se, the concentrations of which were significantly lower (40.9 and 29.9% respectively) in serum than in plasma. Some of the Cu in blood samples from bovine ruminants is known to be sequestered during clotting. However, further research on Se in ruminants and other animal species is warranted. Finally, the significantly higher Mn (9.9%) concentrations in serum than in plasma may have been caused by haemolysis of some samples. Special attention should be paid to preventing haemolysis of samples during collection and processing, in order to prevent overestimation of elements present at high concentrations inside erythrocytes (i.e., Fe, Mn and Zn).
The Effect of Training on Stride Duration in a Cohort of Two-Year-Old and Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Racehorses
Authors: Parkes Rebecca S. V. , Weller Renate , Pfau Thilo , Witte Thomas H.
Published: July 2019

Objective gait monitoring is increasingly accessible to trainers. A more comprehensive understanding of ‘normal’ gait adaptations is required. Forty two-year-old thoroughbred racehorses were recruited when entering training and followed for 22 months. Gait analysis was performed by equipping each horse with an inertial measurement unit with inbuilt GPS (GPS-IMU) mounted on the dorsum. Horses were exercised as per their regular training regimen. Data were analysed using a linear mixed model. For two-year-old horses, there was a non-linear pattern of stride duration (SD) over time (p < 0.001) with SD decreasing initially and then ‘flattening off’ over time (linear and quadratic coefficients −0.29 ms/week and 0.006 ms/week2). Horses showed an increase in SD of 2.21 ms (p < 0.001) per 100 m galloped, and over time, SD decreased by 0.04 ms (p < 0.001) with each 100 m galloped per week. Three-year-old horses overall showed no change in SD over time (p = 0.52), but those that had a period of time off showed a decrease in SD of −0.59 ms per week (p = 0.02). They showed an increase in SD of 1.99 ms (p < 0.001) per 100 m galloped, and horses that had a period of time off showed an increase in stride duration of 1.05 ms per 100 m galloped (p = 0.01) compared to horses which did not have time off. Horses demonstrate an adaptation to high-speed exercise over time. SD decreases with training when other factors are controlled for in naïve horses.
Effects of Dietary Xylanase and Arabinofuranosidase Combination on the Growth Performance, Lipid Peroxidation, Blood Constituents, and Immune Response of Broilers Fed Low-Energy Diets
Authors: Saleh Ahmed A. , Kirrella Abeer A. , Abdo Safaa E. , Mousa Mahmoud M. , Badwi Nemat A. , Ebeid Tarek A. , Nada Ahmed L. , Mohamed Mahmoud A.
Published: July 2019

The present study was conducted to examine that impact of dietary xylanase (Xyl) and arabinofuranosidase (Abf) supplementation on the performance, protein and fat digestibility, the lipid peroxidation, the plasma biochemical traits, and the immune response of broilers. A total of 480, un-sexed, and one-day-old broilers (Ross 308) were randomly divided into three treatments with eight replicates, where chicks in the first treatment were fed basal diets and served as the control, chicks in the second treatment were fed diets formulated with reductions of 90 kcal/kg, and chicks in the third treatment were fed the same formulated diets used in the second group as well as the Xyl and Abf combination (Rovabio® Advance). Feed intake was decreased by the low energy diet, leading to an enhancement in feed efficiency enzyme supplementation in the low energy diet (p < 0.015). Both protein and fat digestibility were improved (p < 0.047) due to enzyme supplementation. Moreover, enzyme supplementation increased muscle total lipids content and decreased muscle thiobarbituric acid retroactive substance content. Furthermore, diets supplemented with Xyl and Abf exhibited an increase in antibody titers against the Newcastle disease virus (p < 0.026). In addition, enzyme supplementation increased gene expression related to growth and gene expression related to fatty acid synthesis. It could be concluded that dietary Xyl and Abf supplementation had beneficial impacts on growth, nutrient digestibility, lipid peroxidation, immune response, and gene expressions related to growth and fatty acid synthesis in broiler chickens fed low-energy diets.
Comparison of Antibiotic Resistance Profile and Biofilm Production of Staphylococcus aureus Isolates Derived from Human Specimens and Animal-Derived Samples
Authors: Vitale Maria , Galluzzo Paola , Buffa Patrizia Giuseppina , Carlino Eleonora , Spezia Orazio , Alduina Rosa
Published: July 2019

Background: The diffusion of antimicrobial resistance is a significant concern for public health worldwide. Staphylococcus aureus represents a paradigm microorganism for antibiotic resistance in that resistant strains appear within a decade after the introduction of new antibiotics. Methods: Fourteen S. aureus isolates from human specimens and twenty-one from samples of animal origin, were compared for their antimicrobial resistance and biofilm capability. In addition, they were characterized at the molecular level to detect the antimicrobial resistance mecA gene and genes related with enterotoxin, toxin, and biofilm production. Results: Both phenotypic and molecular analysis showed main differences among human- and animal-derived isolates. Among the human-derived isolates, more multidrug-resistant isolates were detected and mecA gene, enterotoxin, and toxin genes were more prevalent. Different genes involved in biofilm production were detected with bap present only in animal-derived isolates and sasC present in both isolates, however, with a higher prevalence in the human-derived isolates. Biofilm capability was higher in human-derived isolates mainly associated to the sasC gene. Conclusions: The overall results indicate that human S. aureus isolates are more virulent and resistant than the isolates of animal origin randomly selected with no infection anamnesis. This study confirms that selection for more virulent and resistant S. aureus strains is related to the clinical practice.
Antifungal Agents Based on Chitosan Oligomers, ε-polylysine and Streptomyces spp. Secondary Metabolites against Three Botryosphaeriaceae Species
Authors: Buzón-Durán Laura , Martín-Gil Jesús , Pérez-Lebeña Eduardo , Ruano-Rosa David , Revuelta José L. , Casanova-Gascón José , Ramos-Sánchez M. Carmen , Martín-Ramos Pablo
Published: July 2019

Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) are a major threat to the wine and grape industry. The aim of the study was to investigate the antifungal activity against Neofusicoccum parvum, Diplodia seriata, and Botryosphaeria dothidea of ε-polylysine, chitosan oligomers, their conjugates, Streptomyces rochei and S. lavendofoliae culture filtrates, and their binary mixtures with chitosan oligomers. In vitro mycelial growth inhibition tests suggest that the efficacy of these treatments, in particular those based on ε-polylysine and ε-polylysine:chitosan oligomers 1:1 w/w conjugate, against the three Botryosphaeriaceae species would be comparable to or higher than that of conventional synthetic fungicides. In the case of ε-polylysine, EC90 values as low as 227, 26.9, and 22.5 µg·mL−1 were obtained for N. parvum, D. seriata, and B. dothidea, respectively. Although the efficacy of the conjugate was slightly lower, with EC90 values of 507.5, 580.2, and 497.4 µg·mL−1, respectively, it may represent a more cost-effective option to the utilization of pure ε-polylysine. The proposed treatments may offer a viable and sustainable alternative for controlling GTDs.
Monitoring of Chlorogenic Acid and Antioxidant Capacity of Solanum melongena L. (Eggplant) under Different Heat and Storage Treatments
Authors: Šilarová Petra , Boulekbache-Makhlouf Lila , Pellati Federica , Česlová Lenka
Published: July 2019

Solanum melongena L., also known as eggplant, is a widely consumed vegetable and it is well-known for its beneficial antioxidant properties, due to phenolic compounds. In this work, the influence of different cooking procedures on the content of chlorogenic acid was evaluated on eggplant samples of different geographic origin by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). An easy and quick extraction procedure with 50% methanol as the extraction solvent was optimized for the first time by means of a design-of-experiment and applied to heat treated samples of eggplant. The antioxidant capacity of eggplant extracts was also evaluated by using the ABTS assay and it was correlated with the data obtained by the HPLC method. The content of chlorogenic acid was different in each heat-treated eggplant sample and it depended on the temperature applied during the cooking procedure. In particular, an increase of chlorogenic acid content with rising temperature was observed. Conversely, a very high temperature (250 °C) caused a decrease of chlorogenic acid amount. The influence of storage on the content of chlorogenic acid was also monitored. While the level of chlorogenic acid in fresh samples decreased during four weeks of storage, an increase in its content in heat treated eggplant was observed within the same period. Multivariate data analysis was used to classify eggplant samples into different groups, according to the country of origin and heat treatment procedure. This study provides new insights to preserve the antioxidant properties of eggplant phenolics during different thermal and storage treatments in order to highlight their health promoting effects.
Special Issue: Gold Nanoparticles for Catalytic Applications
Authors: Carabineiro Sónia A. C.
Published: July 2019

Catalysis by gold nanoparticles is a topic of increasing interest [...]
Modeling on Actuation Behavior of Macro-Fiber Composite Laminated Structures Based on Sinusoidal Shear Deformation Theory
Authors: Zhang Jiarui , Tu Jianwei , Li Zhao , Gao Kui , Xie Hua
Published: July 2019

A new piezoelectric composite, macro fiber composite (MFC) is recombined with piezoceramic fibers, an epoxy resin basal body, and an interdigitated electrode. It has been widely applied in vibration reduction and deformation control of thin-walled structures, due to its great deformability and flexibility. Research on its actuation performance is mostly concentrated on the MFC actuating force calculation based on classical plate theory (CPT), and the overall modeling of MFC and its structure. However, they have some deficiencies in the tedious calculating process and neglect of shear deformation, respectively. To obtain a precise MFC actuating force, the sinusoidal shear deformation theory (SSDT) is adopted to deduce the MFC actuating force formula, and global–local displacement distribution functions are introduced to help the MFC laminated plate structure satisfy the deformation compatibility and stress balance. For instance, in the end displacement calculation of the MFC laminated beam structure. The experimental result of the MFC laminated beam is compared with those of the MFC actuating force based on SSDT and on CPT, which indicates that the MFC actuating force formula based on SSDT can reach higher computational accuracy.
Nanosized Iron Oxide Uniformly Distributed on 3D Carbon Nanosheets: Efficient Adsorbent for Methylene Blue
Authors: Chen Jiaqin , Ming Mei , Xu Caili , Wu Jie , Wang Yi , Sun Ting , Zhang Yun , Fan Guangyin
Published: July 2019

Magnetic carbon materials as adsorbents for dye removing have attracted increasing attention because of their magnetic separation feature. However, the immobilization of large magnetic particles on a carbon matrix greatly decreases the available sites for adsorption, resulting in a low adsorption capacity. The synthesis of magnetic carbon materials as adsorbents for dye adsorption with high adsorption capacity remains challenging. Herein, porous carbon (PC) was firstly synthesized through the calcination of macroporous acrylic type cation exchange resin. The as-prepared PC was applied as a matrix to deposit nano-sized Fe3O4 nanoparticles (MPC) via a facile one-pot solvothermal strategy. The nano-sized Fe3O4 nanoparticles (5.19 nm in diameter) are uniformly distributed on the PC surface. The MPC possesses an exceptional performance for methylene blue removal (qe = 214.4 mg g−1) at room temperature, outperforming most previous magnetic carbon adsorbents. The large surface area of the MPC originated from the combined advantages of PC and nano-sized Fe3O4 must be ascribed to the high performance of MPC composite toward methylene blue adsorption.
Automated Rediscovery of the Maxwell Equations
Authors: Stalzer Mark , Ju Chao
Published: July 2019

There is sufficient information in the far-field of a radiating dipole antenna to rediscover the Maxwell Equations and the wave equations of light, including the speed of light c . We created TheoSea, a Julia program that does this in a few seconds, and the key insight is that the compactness of theories drives the search. The program is a computational embodiment of the scientific method: observation, consideration of candidate theories, and validation.
Microstructural, Surface Topology and Nanomechanical Characterization of Electrodeposited Ni-P/SiC Nanocomposite Coatings
Authors: Tsongas Konstantinos , Tzetzis Dimitrios , Karantzalis Alexander , Banias George , Exarchos Dimitrios , Ahmadkhaniha Donya , Zanella Caterina , Matikas Theodore , Bochtis Dionysis
Published: July 2019

In the present study, nickel phosphorous alloys (Ni-P) and Ni-P/ silicon carbide (SiC) nanocomposite coatings were deposited by electrodeposition on steel substrates in order for their microstructural properties to be assessed while using SEM, XRD, and three-dimensional (3D) profilometry as well as nanoindentation. The amorphisation of the as-plated coatings was observed in all cases, whereas subsequent heat treatment induced crystallization and Ni3P intermetallic phase precipitation. Examination of the surface topology revealed that the surface roughness follows the deposition characteristics and heat treatment induced microstructural changes. Additionally, substantial improvements in mechanical properties, including hardness, yield stress, and elasticity modulus, were obtained for the Ni-P, Ni-P/SiC nanocomposites when heat treated as seen from the nanoindentation results. A Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was developed to simulate the nanoindentation tests that enable the precise extraction of the Ni-P and Ni-P/SiC nanocomposite coatings’ stress-strain behavior. It is shown that the correlation between the nanoindentation tests and the computational models was satisfactory, while the stress-strain curves revealed higher yield points for the heat-treated samples.
Dynamic Voltage Optimization Based on In-Band Sensors and Machine Learning
Authors: McClellan Stan , Valles Damian , Koutitas George
Published: July 2019

A feedback-based architecture is presented for the distribution grid which enables the use of Machine Learning (ML) techniques for various applications, including Dynamic Voltage Optimization (DVO) and Demand Response (DR). In this architecture, sensor devices are resident on the distribution grid and therefore have a unique awareness of multiple system parameters. This enables the use of ongoing ML techniques for implementation of critical applications in the Smart Grid. Monitoring devices are placed at the endpoints and monitoring/control devices are placed along the power line on various types of grid-resident systems. Because the devices are grid-resident and interact directly with other devices on the same physical link, applications such as ML-assisted DVO can be targeted with very high confidence.
Blistering Mechanism Analysis of Hydraulic Asphalt Concrete Facing
Authors: Wang Zhengxing , Hao Jutao , Sun Zhiheng , Ma Baodong , Xia Shifa , Li Xiulin
Published: July 2019

Two years after the Zhanghewan Pumped-Storage Power Station was put into operation, more than 500 blisters appeared in the asphalt concrete facing of the upper reservoir, and nearly half of them ruptured at the surface. The blistering mechanism of the asphalt concrete facing was studied in this paper. Through on-site inspection and coring inspection, it was found that the blistering was caused by the vapor pressure formed by the water enclosed in the middle of the impervious layer during high temperatures. Numerical analysis showed that the temperature 5 cm below the surface could reach 50–60 °C. Through numerical analysis and model tests, the internal water at this temperature may form a vapor pressure of 20 kPa. Finally, the blister size of the asphalt concrete facing at this temperature and pressure was studied with a model test. The possible sources of moisture inside the impervious layer were also analyzed through a core test, which found that moisture was most likely to be introduced by water spraying during rolling.
Performance Assessment of a Three-Dimensional Printed Porous Media Produced by Selective Laser Melting Technology for the Optimization of Loop Heat Pipe Wicks
Authors: Esarte Jesús , Blanco Jesús M. , Bernardini Angela , Sancibrián Ramón
Published: July 2019

The primary wick in a loop heat pipe device is a key component that is central to the operation of the device. Both high permeability and capillary pumping capacity, two properties highly dependent on wick structure, are strongly desirable for a satisfactory thermal performance. In this paper, selective laser melting (SLM), a three-dimensional (3D) printing technology, is used to create a primary wick for an 80 W heat transfer application. The permeability and capillarity values of this wick, experimentally measured, are compared with those built with the most widely used technologies nowadays, such as powder sintering and meshes. In this study, the SLM scaffold is shown to satisfy the minimum values required by the application in terms of capillarity and permeability: 0.031 mm/s and 4 × 10−12 m2, respectively. Our comparative study revealed that the wick produced with the SLM technology presented higher values of permeability, by two orders of magnitude, and slightly higher capillary figures than those corresponding to powder sintering for such application. However, it had capillary values well below those of a stainless-steel mesh. The hydraulic behavior of the SLM wick was better than that of the sintered copper powder, because it not only met the above-mentioned specifications, but it also improved its performance.
The Motivation of Technological Scenarios in Augmented Reality (AR): Results of Different Experiments
Authors: Cabero-Almenara Julio , Roig-Vila Rosabel
Published: July 2019

Augmented Reality (AR) is an emergent technology that is acquiring more and more relevance in teaching every day. Together with mobile technology, this combination arises as one of the most effective binomials to support significant and ubiquitous learning. Nevertheless, this binomial can only prove valid if the student is motivated to use it during the learning process. An attempt was made through the implementation of Keller’s Instructional Material Motivational Survey model o determine the degree of motivation of Pedagogy, Medicine and Art students from the University of Seville for using AR-enriched notes available by means of mobile devices in the classroom. Three applications designed for the subjects of Educational Technology, Anatomy and Art served to assess it positively in terms of the motivation raised by the participation in the experiment, as well as regarding academic performance improvement. It can additionally be stated that our main finding was a link between students’ motivation to use the enriched notes and the performance obtained in the subject in which they use them. Evidence was also found that the utilization of Augmented Reality benefits the learning process.
Deep Homography Estimation and Its Application to Wall Maps of Wall-Climbing Robots
Authors: Zhou Qiang , Li Xin
Published: July 2019

When locating wall-climbing robots with vision-based methods, locating and controlling the wall-climbing robot in the pixel coordinate of the wall map is an effective alternative that eliminates the need to calibrate the internal and external parameters of the camera. The estimation accuracy of the homography matrix between the camera image and the wall map directly impacts the pixel positioning accuracy of the wall-climbing robot in the wall map. In this study, we focused on the homography estimation between the camera image and wall map. We proposed HomographyFpnNet and obtained a smaller homography estimation error for a center-aligned image pair compared with the state of the art. The proposed hierarchical HomographyFpnNet for a non-center-aligned image pair significantly outperforms the method based on artificially designed features + Random Sample Consensus. The experiments conducted with a trained three-stage hierarchical HomographyFpnNet model on wall images of climbing robots also achieved small mean corner pixel error and proved its potential for estimating the homography between the wall map and camera images. The three-stage hierarchical HomographyFpnNet model has an average processing time of 10.8 ms on a GPU. The real-time processing speed satisfies the requirements of wall-climbing robots.
Experimental Study on the Damping Effect of Multi-Unit Particle Dampers Applied to Bracket Structure
Authors: Ye Hang , Wang Yanrong , Liu Bin , Jiang Xianghua
Published: July 2019

Particle damping (PD) is a passive mean of vibration control in which small metallic or ceramic particles are placed inside a cavity that attached to the primary structure at the place of high vibration amplitudes. The kinetic energy of the primary structure is dissipated by non-elastic impact and friction between particles and walls. This paper represents a series of experimental investigations of the effects of multi-unit particle dampers (MUPD) attached to a bracket structure under harmonic excitation and random excitation. As a platform to investigate the particle damping characteristics under extreme acceleration environments, the bracket structure was featured by an extremely high response on the top, and its maximum acceleration exceeds 50 times gravity acceleration when the bracket structure was subjected to resonance. This broad range of acceleration conditions was far beyond the scope concerned in most previous work. The experimental results show that for a small weight penalty (no more than 8.8%), multi-unit particle damper can reduce the resonance of the primary structure by more than 50%, whether under sinusoidal excitation or random excitation. And the response of the primary structure depends on the type of cavities and filled coefficient. Layering the cavity in the direction of the main vibration can improve the damping capacity of the multi-unit particle damper. And the damper with small particle size and large number of features is suitable for vibration reduction under high acceleration conditions.
The Potential of Iron Ore Tailings as Secondary Deposits of Rare Earths
Authors: Moran-Palacios Henar , Ortega-Fernandez Francisco , Lopez-Castaño Raquel , Alvarez-Cabal Jose V.
Published: July 2019

Rare earths have appeared in the market with new energy and Information Technology and Communications (ITC) applications. While their demand grows exponentially, their production is experiencing a bottleneck given that their deposits are concentrated in very few locations, mainly in China. This scarcity and dependence have turned them into strategic minerals, and the location of new sources has become vital. On the other hand, the inevitable trend towards sustainability favors the reuse of waste to avoid the degradation of new areas and the need for waste storage. One of the biggest generators of waste is iron mining. The tailings are stored in huge ponds with consequent environmental problems and risks. As tailings come from a concentration process, they incorporate different amounts of rare earths depending on their separation behavior. To evaluate the viability of these resources as potential repositories of rare earths, samples of different types of deposits and treatments were selected. The presence of different rare earths in them was determined through spectroscopy techniques to evaluate their use as a deposit. The results show an increase in the concentration of rare earths, especially high-density ones, which, although currently not economically feasible given the very wide geographical distribution of iron mining, represent a fundamental strategic reserve.
Visualization of the Strain-Rate State of a Data Cloud: Analysis of the Temporal Change of an Urban Multivariate Description
Authors: Salazar-Llano Lorena , Bayona-Roa Camilo
Published: July 2019

One challenging problem is the representation of three-dimensional datasets that vary with time. These datasets can be thought of as a cloud of points that gradually deforms. However, point-wise variations lack information about the overall deformation pattern, and, more importantly, about the extreme deformation locations inside the cloud. This present article applies a technique in computational mechanics to derive the strain-rate state of a time-dependent and three-dimensional data distribution, by which one can characterize its main trends of shift. Indeed, the tensorial analysis methodology is able to determine the global deformation rates in the entire dataset. With the use of this technique, one can characterize the significant fluctuations in a reduced multivariate description of an urban system and identify the possible causes of those changes: calculating the strain-rate state of a PCA-based multivariate description of an urban system, we are able to describe the clustering and divergence patterns between the districts of a city and to characterize the temporal rate in which those variations happen.
Using the Characteristics of Pulse Waveform to Enhance the Accuracy of Blood Pressure Measurement by a Multi-Dimension Regression Model
Authors: Liu Shing-Hong , Liu Li-Jen , Pan Kuo-Li , Chen Wenxi , Tan Tan-Hsu
Published: July 2019

With the advancement of wearable technology, many physiological monitoring instruments are gradually being converted into wearable devices. However, as a consumer product, the blood pressure monitor is still a cuff-type device, which does perform a beat-by-beat continuous blood pressure measurement. Consequently, the cuffless blood pressure measurement device was developed and it is based on the pulse transit time (PTT), although its accuracy remains inadequate. According to the cardiac hemodynamic theorem, blood pressure relates to the arterial characteristics and the contours of the pulse wave include some characteristics of the artery. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to use the contour characteristics of the pulses measured by photoplethysmography (PPG) to estimate the blood pressure using a linear multi-dimension regression model. Ten subjects participated in the experiment, and the blood pressure levels of the subjects were elevated by exercise. The results showed that the mean and standard deviation (mean ± SD) of the root mean square error of the estimated systolic and diastolic pressures within the best five parameters were 6.9 ± 2.81 mmHg and 4.0 ± 0.65 mmHg, respectively. Compared to the results that used one parameter, the PTT, for estimating the systolic and diastolic pressures, 8.2 ± 2.1 mmHg and 4.5 ± 0.79 mmHg, respectively, our results were better.
Wind Resource Assessment on Puná Island
Authors: Merizalde Yuri , Hernández-Callejo Luis , Gracia Bernal Javier , Telmo Martínez Enrique , Duque-Perez Oscar , Sánchez Francisco , Llombart Estpopiñán Andrés
Published: July 2019

Puná Island, located in the Pacific Ocean off the southern coast of Ecuador, has a population of approximately 3344 inhabitants. However, not all inhabitants have access to electricity, which is largely supplied by diesel generators. Therefore, to identify a renewable, sustainable, environmentally friendly and low-cost alternative, a 40-m-high anemometer tower was installed for wind resource assessment and to determine the possibility of generating electricity from wind energy. Based on mathematical models for electricity generation from wind energy, data were analyzed using the software Windographer and WAsP, to determine a long-term wind speed of 4.8 m/s and a mean wind power density of 272 W/m2. By simulating the use of a 3.3-MW wind turbine, we demonstrated that as much as 800 kWh could be generated during the hours when the wind reaches its highest speed. In addition to demonstrating the technical feasibility of meeting the electricity demands of Puná Island through wind power, this study exemplifies a method that can be used for wind resource assessment in any location.
Performance Improvement for PMSM Driven by DTC Based on Discrete Duty Ratio Determination Method
Authors: Wang Dazhi , Yuan Tianqing , Wang Xingyu , Wang Xinghua , Wang Sihan , Ni Yongliang
Published: July 2019

In order to improve the performance of the servo control system, which is composed ofthe permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) driven by novel direct torque control based on the fixed sector division criterion (FS-DTC) utilizing the composite active vectors, a discrete duty ratio determination method (FS-DDTC) is proposed in this paper. The determination of the accurate duty ratio is the key to obtain the desired error compensational results for PMSM, which is related to the performance of the servo system directly. As the applied master vector and slave vector during each control period are the adjacent vectors, therefore, the direction of the synthetic vector is between the directions of the two applied active vectors. Additionally, the analytical relationship between the sector angle of the synthetic vector and the error rate, which can realize the determination of the discrete duty ratio value without complicated calculations is deduced first. Furthermore, the duty ratio values of the two applied active vectors in FS-DTC are obtained through the selections of the duty ratio scale in the novel discrete duty ratio determination method directly, which can simplify the calculation process of the accurate duty ratio values effectively. The effectiveness of the proposed discrete duty ratio determination method is verified through the experimental results on a 100-W PMSM drive system.
Address Space Layout Randomization Next Generation
Authors: Marco-Gisbert Hector , Ripoll Ripoll Ismael
Published: July 2019

Systems that are built using low-power computationally-weak devices, which force developers to favor performance over security; which jointly with its high connectivity, continuous and autonomous operation makes those devices specially appealing to attackers. ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization) is one of the most effective mitigation techniques against remote code execution attacks, but when it is implemented in a practical system its effectiveness is jeopardized by multiple constraints: the size of the virtual memory space, the potential fragmentation problems, compatibility limitations, etc. As a result, most ASLR implementations (specially in 32-bits) fail to provide the necessary protection. In this paper we propose a taxonomy of all ASLR elements, which categorizes the entropy in three dimensions: (1) how, (2) when and (3) what; and includes novel forms of entropy. Based on this taxonomy we have created, ASLRA, an advanced statistical analysis tool to assess the effectiveness of any ASLR implementation. Our analysis show that all ASLR implementations suffer from several weaknesses, 32-bit systems provide a poor ASLR, and OS X has a broken ASLR in both 32- and 64-bit systems. This is jeopardizing not only servers and end users devices as smartphones but also the whole IoT ecosystem. To overcome all these issues, we present ASLR-NG, a novel ASLR that provides the maximum possible absolute entropy and removes all correlation attacks making ASLR-NG the best solution for both 32- and 64-bit systems. We implemented ASLR-NG in the Linux kernel 4.15. The comparative evaluation shows that ASLR-NG overcomes PaX, Linux and OS X implementations, providing strong protection to prevent attackers from abusing weak ASLRs.
Multi-Robot Exploration Based on Multi-Objective Grey Wolf Optimizer
Authors: Kamalova Albina , Navruzov Sergey , Qian Dianwei , Lee Suk Gyu
Published: July 2019

In this paper, we used multi-objective optimization in the exploration of unknown space. Exploration is the process of generating models of environments from sensor data. The goal of the exploration is to create a finite map of indoor space. It is common practice in mobile robotics to consider the exploration as a single-objective problem, which is to maximize a search of uncertainty. In this study, we proposed a new methodology of exploration with two conflicting objectives: to search for a new place and to enhance map accuracy. The proposed multiple-objective exploration uses the Multi-Objective Grey Wolf Optimizer algorithm. It begins with the initialization of the grey wolf population, which are waypoints in our multi-robot exploration. Once the waypoint positions are set in the beginning, they stay unchanged through all iterations. The role of updating the position belongs to the robots, which select the non-dominated waypoints among them. The waypoint selection results from two objective functions. The performance of the multi-objective exploration is presented. The trade-off among objective functions is unveiled by the Pareto-optimal solutions. A comparison with other algorithms is implemented in the end.
Seasonal Analysis of the 2011–2017 North American Monsoon near its Northwest Boundary
Authors: Truettner Charles , Dettinger Michael D. , Ziaco Emanuele , Biondi Franco
Published: July 2019

The seasonal extent of the North American Monsoon (NAM) is highly variable and potentially sensitive to future climate change. Our objective was to determine how regional monsoonal patterns influence mountain precipitation near the NAM northwest boundary. Among the data we analyzed, a unique opportunity was provided by hourly observations collected on the Sheep Range (2300 m asl), in the Mojave Desert of southern Nevada, during 2011–2017. Long-term 800-m Parameter-elevation Relationships on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) precipitation time series showed that the site is representative of mountain areas in the NAM northwest region. Based on in situ observations, we divided the water year into three seasons: cool (1 October through 31 March), early warm (1 April through last day with dewpoint <9.4 °C), and late warm (first day with dewpoint ≥9.4 °C through 30 September). Dewpoint temperature differed by about 8 °C between early warm season (mean of −6.3 °C) and late warm season (mean of 2.3 °C). According to ANCOVA model results, increasing hourly dewpoint associated with afternoon thunderstorms in the late warm season had the greatest relationship with hourly precipitation (F-value = 237.8, p-value < 0.01). Except for 2016, more precipitation fell at our study site during the late than the early warm season. Late warm season precipitation contributed the most (43–56%) to total water-year precipitation during the 2012–2015 extended drought. Southwestern USA regional composites of vertically integrated water vapor transport (IVT) suggested that water vapor in the cool and early warm season originated from the Pacific Ocean to the west, while a transition to a NAM-like pattern of northward IVT coincided with the late warm season.
Analysis of Polymorphism rs1333049 (Located at 9P21.3) in the White Population of Western Siberia and Associations with Clinical and Biochemical Markers
Authors: Shakhtshneider Elena , Orlov Pavel , Semaev Sergey , Ivanoshchuk Dinara , Malyutina Sofia , Gafarov Valery , Ragino Yuliya , Voevoda Mikhail
Published: July 2019

The 9p21.3 chromosomal region is a marker of the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to analyze single-nucleotide polymorphism rs1333049 (chr9:22125504) in the population of Western Siberia (Russia) and possible associations with clinical and biochemical parameters. The population included in the analyses was selected from a sample surveyed within the framework of the Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial Factors In Eastern Europe (HAPIEE) study (9360 participants, >90% white, aged 45–69, males: 50%). In total, 2729 randomly selected patients were included. Plasma lipid levels were determined by standard enzymatic assays. Rs1333049 was analyzed by RT-PCR (BioLabMix, Russia). Frequencies of rs1333049 genotypes C/C (homozygote), C/G (heterozygote), and G/G were 0.22, 0.51, and 0.27 in this population. The Allele G frequency was 0.53. We found an association of allele G with total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels among male participants (p = 0.004 and p = 0.002, respectively). Allele C was significantly associated with the risk of myocardial infarction among the male participants (odds ratio 1.96, 95% confidence interval 1.14–3.38, p =  0.017) and the study population (odds ratio 1.83, 95% confidence interval 1.23–2.72, p  =  0.004). Thus, rs1333049 is associated with myocardial infarction in the white population of Western Siberia (Russia).
Antihypertensive Indigenous Lebanese Plants: Ethnopharmacology and a Clinical Trial
Authors: Samaha Ali A. , Fawaz Mirna , Salami Ali , Baydoun Safaa , Eid Ali H.
Published: July 2019

Hypertension is highly prevalent among the Lebanese adult population and is indeed the major cause of mortality in Lebanon. Traditional use of antihypertensive medicinal plants has long been practiced. The aim of this study is to document this traditional knowledge and clinically test the antihypertensive capacity of three of the most commonly used wild plant species Mentha longifolia, Viola odorata and Urtica dioica. Ethno-pharmacological data was collected by personal interviews with herbalists and traditional healers using a semi structured survey questionnaire and assessing relative frequency of citation (RFC). The clinical study was conducted by a randomized, blind, placebo-controlled trial in 29 subjects with mild hypertension distributed in four groups, three plant extract treatments and one placebo. Systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressures (DBP) as well as mean arterial blood pressures (MAP) were monitored at weeks 4, 8, 12 and 16 during the treatment with 300 mL/day of plant extract. Results showed that M. longifolia, U. dioica and V. odorata exhibited the highest values of RCF (0.95) followed by Allium ampeloprasum (0.94), Apium graveolens (0.92) and Crataegus azarolus (0.90). The clinical trial revealed dose- and duration-dependent significant reductions in SBP, DBP and MAP of subjects treated with M. longifolia, U. dioica or V. odorata. Our findings indicate that extracts of these plants present an effective, safe and promising potential as a phyto-therapuetical approach for the treatment of mild hypertension. More research on the phytochemistry, pharmacological effects and the underlying mechanisms is necessary.
Neural Circuit and Clinical Insights from Intraoperative Recordings During Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery
Authors: Tekriwal Anand , Afshar Neema Moin , Santiago-Moreno Juan , Kuijper Fiene Marie , Kern Drew S. , Halpern Casey H. , Felsen Gidon , Thompson John A.
Published: July 2019

Observations using invasive neural recordings from patient populations undergoing neurosurgical interventions have led to critical breakthroughs in our understanding of human neural circuit function and malfunction. The opportunity to interact with patients during neurophysiological mapping allowed for early insights in functional localization to improve surgical outcomes, but has since expanded into exploring fundamental aspects of human cognition including reward processing, language, the storage and retrieval of memory, decision-making, as well as sensory and motor processing. The increasing use of chronic neuromodulation, via deep brain stimulation, for a spectrum of neurological and psychiatric conditions has in tandem led to increased opportunity for linking theories of cognitive processing and neural circuit function. Our purpose here is to motivate the neuroscience and neurosurgical community to capitalize on the opportunities that this next decade will bring. To this end, we will highlight recent studies that have successfully leveraged invasive recordings during deep brain stimulation surgery to advance our understanding of human cognition with an emphasis on reward processing, improving clinical outcomes, and informing advances in neuromodulatory interventions.
Common and Distinct Functional Brain Networks for Intuitive and Deliberate Decision Making
Authors: Erdeniz Burak , Done John
Published: July 2019

Reinforcement learning studies in rodents and primates demonstrate that goal-directed and habitual choice behaviors are mediated through different fronto-striatal systems, but the evidence is less clear in humans. In this study, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were collected whilst participants (n = 20) performed a conditional associative learning task in which blocks of novel conditional stimuli (CS) required a deliberate choice, and blocks of familiar CS required an intuitive choice. Using standard subtraction analysis for fMRI event-related designs, activation shifted from the dorso-fronto-parietal network, which involves dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) for deliberate choice of novel CS, to ventro-medial frontal (VMPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex for intuitive choice of familiar CS. Supporting this finding, psycho-physiological interaction (PPI) analysis, using the peak active areas within the PFC for novel and familiar CS as seed regions, showed functional coupling between caudate and DLPFC when processing novel CS and VMPFC when processing familiar CS. These findings demonstrate separable systems for deliberate and intuitive processing, which is in keeping with rodent and primate reinforcement learning studies, although in humans they operate in a dynamic, possibly synergistic, manner particularly at the level of the striatum.
WNT Signaling in Neuroblastoma
Authors: Becker Juergen , Wilting Joerg
Published: July 2019

The term WNT (wingless-type MMTV integration site family) signaling comprises a complex molecular pathway consisting of ligands, receptors, coreceptors, signal transducers and transcriptional modulators with crucial functions during embryonic development, including all aspects of proliferation, morphogenesis and differentiation. Its involvement in cancer biology is well documented. Even though WNT signaling has been divided into mainly three distinct branches in the past, increasing evidence shows that some molecular hubs can act in various branches by exchanging interaction partners. Here we discuss developmental and clinical aspects of WNT signaling in neuroblastoma (NB), an embryonic tumor with an extremely broad clinical spectrum, ranging from spontaneous differentiation to fatal outcome. We discuss implications of WNT molecules in NB onset, progression, and relapse due to chemoresistance. In the light of the still too high number of NB deaths, new pathways must be considered.
Targeted Radionuclide Therapy for Patients with Metastatic Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma: From Low-Specific-Activity to High-Specific-Activity Iodine-131 Metaiodobenzylguanidine
Authors: Jimenez Camilo , Erwin William , Chasen Beth
Published: July 2019

Low-specific-activity iodine-131–radiolabeled metaiodobenzylguanidine (I-131-MIBG) was introduced last century as a potential systemic therapy for patients with malignant pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas. Collective information derived from mainly retrospective studies has suggested that 30–40% of patients with these tumors benefit from this treatment. A low index of radioactivity, lack of therapeutic standardization, and toxicity associated with intermediate to high activities (absorbed radiation doses) has prevented the implementation of I-131-MIBG’s in clinical practice. High-specific-activity, carrier-free I-131-MIBG has been developed over the past two decades as a novel therapy for patients with metastatic pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas that express the norepinephrine transporter. This drug allows for a high level of radioactivity, and as yet is not associated with cardiovascular toxicity. In a pivotal phase two clinical trial, more than 90% of patients achieved partial responses and disease stabilization with the improvement of hypertension. Furthermore, many patients exhibited long-term persistent antineoplastic effects. Currently, the high-specific-activity I-131-MIBG is the only approved therapy in the US for patients with metastatic pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas. This review will discuss the historical development of high-specific-activity I-131-MIBG, its benefits and adverse events, and future directions for clinical practice applicability and trial development.