bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acylation of Lignin with Different Acylating Agents by Mechanical Activation-Assisted Solid Phase Synthesis: Preparation and Properties
Authors: Zhao Xiaohong , Zhang Yanjuan , Yang Mei , Huang Zuqiang , Hu Huayu , Huang Aimin , Feng Zhenfei
Published: August 2018

Acylated lignins with substituents consisting of different lengths of carbon chains were prepared by a mechanical activation-assisted solid phase synthesis (MASPS) technology with a customized stirring ball mill as a reactor. The structures and properties were analyzed by UV/Vis, FTIR, NMR, SEM, DSC, and TG. The results showed that the acylated lignins were successfully prepared with either non-cyclic or cyclic anhydrides as the acylating agents. Both aliphatic hydroxyl and phenolic hydroxyl groups of lignin reacted with non-cyclic anhydrides, and different reactivity of acylating agents resulted in different relative contents of phenolic and aliphatic substituents in the products. The reactivity of the cyclic anhydrides was weaker than that of the non-cyclic anhydrides, and the reactivity of the acylating agents decreased with increasing carbon chain length and unsaturated bonds of acyl groups. All of the acylated lignins except maleylated lignin had a lower glass transition temperature (Tg) than the original lignin. The acylated lignins prepared with non-cyclic anhydrides had better thermal stability than original lignin, and the thermal stability increased, but Tg decreased with an increasing chain length of the acyl groups. The acylated lignins prepared with cyclic anhydrides had higher a Tg than those with non-cyclic anhydrides with the same carbon number, and the thermal stability was not obviously improved.
Host–Guest Polymer Complexes
Authors: Tonelli Alan E. , Narayanan Ganesh , Gurarslan Alper
Published: August 2018

n/a
A Strain-Based Percolation Model and Triaxial Tests to Investigate the Evolution of Permeability and Critical Dilatancy Behavior of Coal
Authors: Xue Dongjie , Zhou Jie , Liu Yintong , Zhang Sishuai
Published: August 2018

Modeling the coupled evolution of strain and CH4 seepage under conventional triaxial compression is the key to understanding enhanced permeability in coal. An abrupt transition of gas-stress coupled behavior at the dilatancy boundary is studied by the strain-based percolation model. Based on orthogonal experiments of triaxial stress with CH4 seepage, a complete stress-strain relationship and the corresponding evolution of volumetric strain and permeability are obtained. At the dilatant boundary of volumetric strain, modeling of stress-dependent permeability is ineffective when considering the effective deviatoric stress influenced by confining pressure and pore pressure. The computed tomography (CT) analysis shows that coal can be a continuous medium of pore-based structure before the dilatant boundary, but a discontinuous medium of fracture-based structure. The multiscale pore structure geometry dominates the mechanical behavior transition and the sudden change in CH4 seepage. By the volume-covering method proposed, the linear relationship between the fractal dimension and porosity indicates that the multiscale network can be a fractal percolation structure. A percolation model of connectivity by the axial strain-permeability relationship is proposed to explain the transition behavior of volumetric strain and CH4 seepage. The volumetric strain on permeability is illustrated by axial strain controlling the trend of transition behavior and radical strain controlling the shift of behavior. A good correlation between the theoretical and experimental results shows that the strain-based percolation model is effective in describing the transition behavior of CH4 seepage in coal.
Good Practices and Actions for Sustainable Municipal Solid Waste Management in the Tourist Sector
Authors: Giurea Ramona , Precazzini Ilaria , Ragazzi Marco , Achim Moise Ioan , Cioca Lucian-Ionel , Conti Fabio , Torretta Vincenzo , Rada Elena Cristina
Published: August 2018

This paper deals with waste management in the tourism sector, specifically in the agro-tourism structures. Two regions of Romania and Italy have been considered as case studies in order to promote good practices and actions for sustainable municipal solid waste management. Specific criteria to adopt for the sustainable consumption of beverages and food and for the sustainable use of packaging of various types have been analyzed and suggested. The adoption of an indicator at the level of the single tourist structure has been proposed to help self-analysis that is aimed at setting the priorities of intervention for improving its environmental sustainability.
Application of Ecological Footprint Accounting as a Part of an Integrated Assessment of Environmental Carrying Capacity: A Case Study of the Footprint of Food of a Large City
Authors: Świąder Małgorzata , Szewrański Szymon , Kazak Jan K. , Van Hoof Joost , Lin David , Wackernagel Mathis , Alves Armando
Published: August 2018

The increasing rate of urbanization along with its socio-environmental impact are major global challenges. Therefore, there is a need to assess the boundaries to growth for the future development of cities by the inclusion of the assessment of the environmental carrying capacity (ECC) into spatial management. The purpose is to assess the resource dependence of a given entity. ECC is usually assessed based on indicators such as the ecological footprint (EF) and biocapacity (BC). EF is a measure of the biologically productive areas demanded by human consumption and waste production. Such areas include the space needed for regenerating food and fibers as well as sequestering the generated pollution, particularly CO2 from the combustion of fossil fuels. BC reflects the biological regeneration potential of a given area to regenerate resources as well to absorb waste. The city level EF assessment has been applied to urban zones across the world, however, there is a noticeable lack of urban EF assessments in Central Eastern Europe. Therefore, the current research is a first estimate of the EF and BC for the city of Wrocław, Poland. This study estimates the Ecological Footprint of Food (EFF) through both a top-down assessment and a hybrid top-down/bottom-up assessment. Thus, this research verifies also if results from hybrid method could be comparable with top-down approach. The bottom-up component of the hybrid analysis calculated the carbon footprint of food using the life cycle assessment (LCA) method. The top-down result of Wrocław’s EFF were 1% greater than the hybrid EFF result, 0.974 and 0.963 gha per person respectively. The result indicated that the EFF exceeded the BC of the city of Wrocław 10-fold. Such assessment support efforts to increase resource efficiency and decrease the risk associated with resources—including food security. Therefore, there is a need to verify if a city is able to satisfy the resource needs of its inhabitants while maintaining the natural capital on which they depend intact.
On a Multiplicative Multivariate Gamma Distribution with Applications in Insurance
Authors: Semenikhine Vadim , Furman Edward , Su Jianxi
Published: August 2018

One way to formulate a multivariate probability distribution with dependent univariate margins distributed gamma is by using the closure under convolutions property. This direction yields an additive background risk model, and it has been very well-studied. An alternative way to accomplish the same task is via an application of the Bernstein–Widder theorem with respect to a shifted inverse Beta probability density function. This way, which leads to an arguably equally popular multiplicative background risk model (MBRM), has been by far less investigated. In this paper, we reintroduce the multiplicative multivariate gamma (MMG) distribution in the most general form, and we explore its various properties thoroughly. Specifically, we study the links to the MBRM, employ the machinery of divided differences to derive the distribution of the aggregate risk random variable explicitly, look into the corresponding copula function and the measures of nonlinear correlation associated with it, and, last but not least, determine the measures of maximal tail dependence. Our main message is that the MMG distribution is (1) very intuitive and easy to communicate, (2) remarkably tractable, and (3) possesses rich dependence and tail dependence characteristics. Hence, the MMG distribution should be given serious considerations when modelling dependent risks.
Spectral and Spatial Classification of Hyperspectral Images Based on Random Multi-Graphs
Authors: Gao Feng , Wang Qun , Dong Junyu , Xu Qizhi
Published: August 2018

Hyperspectral image classification has been acknowledged as the fundamental and challenging task of hyperspectral data processing. The abundance of spectral and spatial information has provided great opportunities to effectively characterize and identify ground materials. In this paper, we propose a spectral and spatial classification framework for hyperspectral images based on Random Multi-Graphs (RMGs). The RMG is a graph-based ensemble learning method, which is rarely considered in hyperspectral image classification. It is empirically verified that the semi-supervised RMG deals well with small sample setting problems. This kind of problem is very common in hyperspectral image applications. In the proposed method, spatial features are extracted based on linear prediction error analysis and local binary patterns; spatial features and spectral features are then stacked into high dimensional vectors. The high dimensional vectors are fed into the RMG for classification. By randomly selecting a subset of features to create a graph, the proposed method can achieve excellent classification performance. The experiments on three real hyperspectral datasets have demonstrated that the proposed method exhibits better performance than several closely related methods.
PHAROS—PHysical Assistant RObot System
Authors: Costa Angelo , Martinez-Martin Ester , Cazorla Miguel , Julian Vicente
Published: August 2018

The great demographic change leading to an ageing society demands technological solutions to satisfy the increasing varied elderly needs. This paper presents PHAROS, an interactive robot system that recommends and monitors physical exercises designed for the elderly. The aim of PHAROS is to be a friendly elderly companion that periodically suggests personalised physical activities, promoting healthy living and active ageing. Here, it is presented the PHAROS architecture, components and experimental results. The architecture has three main strands: a Pepper robot, that interacts with the users and records their exercises performance; the Human Exercise Recognition, that uses the Pepper recorded information to classify the exercise performed using Deep Leaning methods; and the Recommender, a smart-decision maker that schedules periodically personalised physical exercises in the users’ agenda. The experimental results show a high accuracy in terms of detecting and classifying the physical exercises (97.35%) done by 7 persons. Furthermore, we have implemented a novel procedure of rating exercises on the recommendation algorithm. It closely follows the users’ health status (poor performance may reveal health problems) and adapts the suggestions to it. The history may be used to access the physical condition of the user, revealing underlying problems that may be impossible to see otherwise.
A Deep Feature Learning Method for Drill Bits Monitoring Using the Spectral Analysis of the Acoustic Signals
Authors: Vununu Caleb , Moon Kwang-Seok , Lee Suk-Hwan , Kwon Ki-Ryong
Published: August 2018

Machine fault diagnosis (MFD) has gained an important enthusiasm since the unfolding of the pattern recognition techniques in the last three decades. It refers to all of the studies that aim to automatically detect the faults on the machines using various kinds of signals that they can generate. The present work proposes a MFD system for the drilling machines that is based on the sounds they produce. The first key contribution of this paper is to present a system specifically designed for the drills, by attempting not only to detect the faulty drills but also to detect whether the sounds were generated during the active or the idling stage of the whole machinery system, in order to provide a complete remote control. The second key contribution of the work is to represent the power spectrum of the sounds as images and apply some transformations on them in order to reveal, expose, and emphasize the health patterns that are hidden inside them. The created images, the so-called power spectrum density (PSD)-images, are then given to a deep convolutional autoencoder (DCAE) for a high-level feature extraction process. The final step of the scheme consists of adopting the proposed PSD-images + DCAE features as the final representation of the original sounds and utilize them as the inputs of a nonlinear classifier whose outputs will represent the final diagnosis decision. The results of the experiments demonstrate the high discrimination potential afforded by the proposed PSD-images + DCAE features. They were also tested on a noisy dataset and the results show their robustness against noises.
Effects of the Ground Resolution and Thresholding on Crack Width Measurements
Authors: Cho Hyunwoo , Yoon Hyuk-Jin , Jung Ju-Yeong
Published: August 2018

When diagnosing the condition of a structure, it is necessary to measure the widths of any existing cracks in the structure. To ensure safety when relying on images of cracks, the selected imaging parameters and processing technology must be well understood. In this study, the effects of the ground sample distance and threshold values on the crack width measurement error are analyzed from a theoretical perspective. Here, the main source of such errors is assumed to be due to the mixed pixel phenomena in the left and right boundary pixels. Thus, a mathematical model is proposed in which the intensity changes in these pixels are computed via an equation. In addition, the relationship between the error and error probability distribution is represented with an equation based on the threshold values and mean error. Upon analysis, it was found that the threshold value that minimizes the error is at the mid-point between the background and foreground, and the probabilistic nature of the error indicates that it is theoretically possible to predict both the error and its probability distribution. The proposed model was validated using artificial images.
ABE-VIEW: Android Interface for Wireless Data Acquisition and Control
Authors: Jenkins Daniel M. , Kurasaki Ryan
Published: August 2018

Advances in scientific knowledge are increasingly supported by a growing community of developers freely sharing new hardware and software tools. In this spirit we have developed a free Android app, ABE-VIEW, that provides a flexible graphical user interface (GUI) populated entirely from a remote instrument by ascii-coded instructions communicated wirelessly over Bluetooth. Options include an interactive chart for plotting data in real time, up to 16 data fields, and virtual controls including buttons, numerical controls with user-defined range and resolution, and radio buttons which the user can use to send coded instructions back to the instrument. Data can be recorded into comma delimited files interactively at the user’s discretion. Our original objective of the project was to make data acquisition and control for undergraduate engineering labs more modular and affordable, but we have also found that the tool is highly useful for rapidly testing novel sensor systems for iterative improvement. Here we document the operation of the app and syntax for communicating with it. We also illustrate its application in undergraduate engineering labs on dynamic systems modeling, as well as for identifying the source of harmonic distortion affecting electrochemical impedance measurements at certain frequencies in a novel wireless potentiostat.
Ambiguity Resolution for Passive 2-D Source Localization with a Uniform Circular Array
Authors: Xin Jinlong , Liao Guisheng , Yang Zhiwei , Shen Haoming
Published: August 2018

This paper proposes two novel phase-based algorithms for the passive localization of a single source with a uniform circular array (UCA) under the case of measuring phase ambiguity based on two phase difference observation models, which are defined as the unambiguous-relative phase observation model (UARPOM) and the ambiguous-relative phase observation model (ARPOM). First, by analyzing the varying regularity of the phase differences between the adjacent array elements of a UCA, the corresponding relationship between the phase differences and the azimuth and elevation angle of the signal is derived. Based on the two phase observation models, two corresponding novel algorithms, namely, the phase integral accumulation and the randomized Hough transform (RHT), are addressed to resolve the phase ambiguity. Then, by using the unambiguous phase differences, the closed-form estimates of the azimuth and elevation angles are determined via a least squares (LS) algorithm. Compared with the existing phase-based methods, the proposed algorithms improve the estimation accuracy. Furthermore, our proposed algorithms are more flexible for the selection of an array radius. Such an advantage could be applied more broadly in practice than the previous methods of ambiguity resolution. Simulation results are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Software Architecture and Framework to Develop NFC-Based Applications
Authors: Tesoriero Ricardo , Gallud Jose A.
Published: August 2018

Applications are employing Near Field Communication (NFC) technology to interact with physical objects by using NFC tags. The architecture to implement these kinds of applications varies according to non-functional requirements such as the physical environment where the application is running, the flexibility to adapt the information to be manipulated through physical objects, etc. To cope with these challenges, this paper proposes a Model-driven Architecture (MDA) where designers are able to model the configuration of the system according to NFC based system requirements. Through a model-to-text transformation process, the MDA also provides developers with templates of source code for the applications that support the system. The proposed MDA process defines a Platform Independent Model (PIM) which supports a Domain Specific Language (DSL) implemented as an Eclipse platform plugin that provides designers with a graphical model editor, and a model to text transformation, to generate the source code templates using the Acceleo transformation language. The paper also presents the Albacete Photo Gallery case of study to illustrate the modelling process. The main benefit of the proposal is that it allows developers to create mixed environments where the availability and flexibility of NFC based interaction systems can be easily configured, extended and maintained.
Evaluation of Chlorophyll-a Estimation Approaches Using Iterative Stepwise Elimination Partial Least Squares (ISE-PLS) Regression and Several Traditional Algorithms from Field Hyperspectral Measurements in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan
Authors: Wang Zuomin , Sakuno Yuji , Koike Kazuhiko , Ohara Shizuka
Published: August 2018

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) occur frequently in the Seto Inland Sea, bringing significant economic and environmental losses for the area, which is well known as one of the world’s most productive fisheries. Our objective was to develop a quantitative model using in situ hyperspectral measurements in the Seto Inland Sea to estimate chlorophyll a (Chl-a) concentration, which is a significant parameter for detecting HABs. We obtained spectra and Chl-a data at six stations from 12 ship-based surveys between December 2015 and September 2017. In this study, we used an iterative stepwise elimination partial least squares (ISE-PLS) regression method along with several empirical and semi-analytical methods such as ocean chlorophyll, three-band model, and two-band model algorithms to retrieve Chl-a. Our results showed that ISE-PLS using both the water-leaving reflectance (RL) and the first derivative reflectance (FDR) had a better predictive ability with higher coefficient of determination (R2), lower root mean squared error (RMSE), and higher residual predictive deviation (RPD) values (R2 = 0.77, RMSE = 1.47 and RPD = 2.1 for RL; R2 = 0.78, RMSE = 1.45 and RPD = 2.13 for FDR). However, in this study the ocean chlorophyll (OC) algorithms had poor predictive ability and the three-band and two-band model algorithms did not perform well in areas with lower Chl-a concentrations. These results support ISE-PLS as a potential coastal water quality assessment method using hyperspectral measurements.
A Non-Contact Measuring System for In-Situ Surface Characterization Based on Laser Confocal Microscopy
Authors: Fu Shaowei , Cheng Fang , Tjahjowidodo Tegoeh , Zhou Yu , Butler David
Published: August 2018

The characterization of surface topographic features on a component is typically quantified using two-dimensional roughness descriptors which are captured by off-line desktop instruments. Ideally any measurement system should be integrated into the manufacturing process to provide in-situ measurement and real-time feedback. A non-contact in-situ surface topography measuring system is proposed in this paper. The proposed system utilizes a laser confocal sensor in both lateral and vertical scanning modes to measure the height of the target features. The roughness parameters are calculated in the developed data processing software according to ISO 4287. To reduce the inherent disadvantage of confocal microscopy, e.g., scattering noise at steep angles and background noise from specular reflection from the optical elements, the developed system has been calibrated and a linear correction factor has been applied in this study. A particular challenge identified for this work is the in-situ measurement of features generated by a robotized surface finishing system. The proposed system was integrated onto a robotic arm with the measuring distance and angle adjusted during measurement based on a CAD model of the component in question. Experimental data confirms the capability of this system to measure the surface roughness within the Ra range of 0.2–7 μm (bandwidth λc/λs of 300), with a relative accuracy of 5%.
Odor Discrimination by Similarity Measures of Abstract Odor Factor Maps from Electronic Noses
Authors: Guo Weiqing , Kong Haohui , Wu Junzhang , Gan Feng
Published: August 2018

The aim of this study is to improve the discrimination performance of electronic noses by introducing a new method for measuring the similarity of the signals obtained from the electronic nose. We constructed abstract odor factor maps (AOFMs) as the characteristic maps of odor samples by decomposition of three-way signal data array of an electronic nose. A similarity measure for two-way data was introduced to evaluate the similarities and differences of AOFMs from different samples. The method was assessed by three types of pipe and powder tobacco samples. Comparisons were made with other techniques based on PCA, SIMCA, PARAFAC and PARAFAC2. The results showed that our method had significant advantages in discriminating odor samples with similar flavors or with high VOCs release.
Privacy-Preserving Data Aggregation against False Data Injection Attacks in Fog Computing
Authors: Zhang Yinghui , Zhao Jiangfan , Zheng Dong , Deng Kaixin , Ren Fangyuan , Zheng Xiaokun , Shu Jiangang
Published: August 2018

As an extension of cloud computing, fog computing has received more attention in recent years. It can solve problems such as high latency, lack of support for mobility and location awareness in cloud computing. In the Internet of Things (IoT), a series of IoT devices can be connected to the fog nodes that assist a cloud service center to store and process a part of data in advance. Not only can it reduce the pressure of processing data, but also improve the real-time and service quality. However, data processing at fog nodes suffers from many challenging issues, such as false data injection attacks, data modification attacks, and IoT devices’ privacy violation. In this paper, based on the Paillier homomorphic encryption scheme, we use blinding factors to design a privacy-preserving data aggregation scheme in fog computing. No matter whether the fog node and the cloud control center are honest or not, the proposed scheme ensures that the injection data is from legal IoT devices and is not modified and leaked. The proposed scheme also has fault tolerance, which means that the collection of data from other devices will not be affected even if certain fog devices fail to work. In addition, security analysis and performance evaluation indicate the proposed scheme is secure and efficient.
Force-Time Differences between Ballistic and Non-Ballistic Half-Squats
Authors: Suchomel Timothy J. , Taber Christopher B. , Sole Christopher J. , Stone Michael H.
Published: August 2018

The purpose of this study was to examine the force-time differences between concentric-only half-squats (COHS) performed with ballistic (BAL) or non-ballistic (NBAL) intent across a range of loads. Eighteen resistance-trained men performed either BAL or NBAL COHS at 30%, 50%, 70%, and 90% of their one repetition maximum (1RM) COHS. Relative peak force (PF) and relative impulse from 0–50 ms (Imp50), 0–90 ms (Imp90), 0–200 ms (Imp200), and 0–250 ms (Imp250) were compared using a series of 2 × 4 (intent × load) repeated measures ANOVAs with Bonferroni post hoc tests. Cohen’s d effect sizes were calculated to provide measures of practical significance between the BAL and NBAL COHS and each load. BAL COHS produced statistically greater PF than NBAL COHS at 30% (d = 3.37), 50% (d = 2.88), 70% (d = 2.29), and 90% 1RM (d = 1.19) (all p < 0.001). Statistically significant main effect differences were found between load-averaged BAL and NBAL COHS for Imp90 (p = 0.006, d = 0.25), Imp200 (p = 0.001, d = 0.36), and Imp250 (p < 0.001, d = 0.41), but not for Imp50 (p = 0.018, d = 0.21). Considering the greater PF and impulse observed during the BAL condition, performing COHS with BAL intent may provide a favorable training stimulus compared to COHS performed with NBAL intent.
Measuring the Inclusive Growth of China’s Coastal Regions
Authors: Sun Caizhi , Liu Ling , Tang Yanting
Published: August 2018

Inclusive growth captures the need to alleviate the problems of global income disparity and poverty, particularly in Asia. The study’s goal is to construct an indicator system that measures the inclusive growth of 11 coastal provinces and cities in China from five aspects, namely, survival, capacity, development, freedom, and opportunity, examining the area from 2000 to 2015. The system is based on Bossel’s basic orientor indicator framework. Dynamic changes in overall levels in the five fields are investigated and spatial differences calculated using the Gini coefficient. Among the provinces, Guangxi shows the strongest survival conditions, giving it an advantage over other regions. Shanghai has the highest level of capacity and freedom. Guangdong has the strongest development momentum, but this appears to be weakening. Finally, Shandong shows many more social opportunities. The study suggests that inclusive growth in the area has increased as a result of the area’s rapid development, but the growth rates remain low. The level of inclusive growth shows a large gap across the regions. Gini coefficient differences show that the eastern coastal areas have strong development trends, whereas the northern and southern coastal areas show weaker ones. We also offer suggestions on how to promote inclusive growth in these regions.
Local Resilience to Natural Hazards in Serbia. Case Study: The West Morava River Valley
Authors: Lukić Tamara , Dunjić Jelena , Đerčan Bojan , Penjišević Ivana , Milosavljević Saša , Bubalo-Živković Milka , Solarević Milica
Published: August 2018

During the past decade, the valley of the West Morava in the central part of the Republic of Serbia experienced several natural hazards that have changed the life of the inhabitants. The aim of this paper is to show how people perceive natural hazards in the areas where they do not have catastrophic consequences for the entire population. The perceptions of natural hazards were examined according to similar studies and collected through surveys and interviews. The obtained stratified sample information was coded, and the results are expressed in the parameters of descriptive statistics, using T-test and ANOVA. The population is partially affected if inhabited locations are in the threatened part of the West Morava River valley and if their activities have direct consequences by natural disasters. They emphasize the importance of the political influences and mass media, but they show the need for additional information on prevention and protection. That is where they see geography as profession that sublimates all knowledge of natural disasters, unlike others that are more narrowly skilled. The results of the research are the starting point for further regional comparisons, which will complement the picture of the people’s attitude and resilience to natural hazards in Serbia and the Balkan Peninsula.
Managing Bubbles in the Korean Real Estate Market: A Real Options Framework
Authors: Kim Kyungwon , Song Jae Wook
Published: August 2018

The aim of this paper is to propose a real options framework to measure and manage bubbles in the Korean real estate market. The proposed framework carefully defines and utilizes the unique leasing mechanism in Korea, called the Jeonse system, a tentative contract for one or two years with a large amount of deposit, to represent the value of residence. Furthermore, the proposed framework applies the volatility with heteroscedasticity to improve the numerical accuracy in comparison to the traditional real options valuation model. The results of the model ultimately suggest the investment strategy that takes into account the measured bubbles in the market. Specifically, given that the Korean real estate market could be regarded as an American option, the investment strategy with early exercise completely eliminates the existing arbitrage opportunities in both long and short positions. In this context, the investment decisions based on the results of the proposed framework are expected to encourage the reflection of bubble-related information in the market, which eventually reduces the formation of bubbles via market mechanism for arbitrage elimination. In conclusion, the bubble-related information obtained from the model is expected to contribute to the stability of the real estate market by reducing the volatility of house price and quick price adjustment to new information.
Finite Element Study of a Threaded Fastening: The Case of Surgical Screws in Bone
Authors: López-Campos J. A. , Segade A. , Casarejos E. , Fernández J. R. , Vilán J. A. , Izquierdo P.
Published: August 2018

This paper studies the stress state of a threaded fastening by using Finite Element (FE) models, applied to surgical screws in cortical bone. There is a general interest in studying the stress states induced in the different elements of a joint caused by the thread contact. Analytical models were an initial approach, and later FE models allowed detailed studies of the complex phenomena related to these joints. Different studies have evaluated standard threaded joints in machinery and structures, being the thread symmetric. However, surgical screws employ asymmetric thread geometry, selected to improve the stress level generated in the bone. Despite the interest and widespread use, there is scarce documentation on the actual effect of this thread type. In this work, we discuss the results provided by FE models with detailed descriptions of the contacts comparing differences caused by the materials of the joint, the thread geometry and the thread’s three-dimensional helical effects. The complex contacts at the threaded surfaces cause intense demand on computational resources that often limits the studies including these joints. We analyze the results provided by one commercial software package to simplify the threaded joints. The comparison with detailed FE models allows a definition of the level of uncertainty and possible limitations of this type of simplifications, and helps in making suitable choices for complex applications.
Systematic Predictive Analysis of Personalized Life Expectancy Using Smart Devices
Authors: Kang James Jin , Adibi Sasan
Published: August 2018

With the emergence of technologies such as electronic health and mobile health (eHealth/mHealth), cloud computing, big data, and the Internet of Things (IoT), health related data are increasing and many applications such as smartphone apps and wearable devices that provide wellness and fitness tracking are entering the market. Some apps provide health related data such as sleep monitoring, heart rate measuring, and calorie expenditure collected and processed by the devices and servers in the cloud. These requirements can be extended to provide a personalized life expectancy (PLE) for the purpose of wellbeing and encouraging lifestyle improvement. No existing works provide this PLE information that is developed and customized for the individual. This article is based on the concurrent models and methodologies to calculate and predict life expectancy (LE) and proposes an idea of using multi-phased approaches to the solution as the project requires an immense and broad range of work to accomplish. As a result, the current prediction of LE, which was found to be up to a maximum of five years could potentially be extended to a lifetime prediction by utilizing generic health data. In this article, the novel idea of the solution proposing a PLE on an individual basis, which can be extended to lifetime is presented in addition to the existing works.
Effect of Metallothionein-III on Mercury-Induced Chemokine Gene Expression
Authors: Lee Jin-Yong , Tokumoto Maki , Hwang Gi-Wook , Kim Min-Seok , Takahashi Tsutomu , Naganuma Akira , Yoshida Minoru , Satoh Masahiko
Published: August 2018

Mercury compounds are known to cause central nervous system disorders; however the detailed molecular mechanisms of their actions remain unclear. Methylmercury increases the expression of several chemokine genes, specifically in the brain, while metallothionein-III (MT-III) has a protective role against various brain diseases. In this study, we investigated the involvement of MT-III in chemokine gene expression changes in response to methylmercury and mercury vapor in the cerebrum and cerebellum of wild-type mice and MT-III null mice. No difference in mercury concentration was observed between the wild-type mice and MT-III null mice in any brain tissue examined. The expression of Ccl3 in the cerebrum and of Cxcl10 in the cerebellum was increased by methylmercury in the MT-III null but not the wild-type mice. The expression of Ccl7 in the cerebellum was increased by mercury vapor in the MT-III null mice but not the wild-type mice. However, the expression of Ccl12 and Cxcl12 was increased in the cerebrum by methylmercury only in the wild-type mice and the expression of Ccl3 in the cerebellum was increased by mercury vapor only in the wild-type mice. These results indicate that MT-III does not affect mercury accumulation in the brain, but that it affects the expression of some chemokine genes in response to mercury compounds.
Feasibility of A Novel On-Site Detection Method for Aflatoxin in Maize Flour from Markets and Selected Households in Kampala, Uganda
Authors: Paul Wacoo Alex , Wendiro Deborah , Nanyonga Sarah , Hawumba Joseph F. , Sybesma Wilbert , Kort Remco
Published: August 2018

In sub-Saharan Africa, there is a high demand for affordable and accessible methods for on-site detection of aflatoxins for appropriate food safety management. In this study, we validated an electrochemical immunosensor device by the on-site detection of 60 maize flour samples from six markets and 72 samples from households in Kampala. The immunosensor was successfully validated with a linear range from 0.7 ± 0.1 to 11 ± 0.3 µg/kg and limit of detection (LOD) of 0.7 µg/kg. The maize flour samples from the markets had a mean total aflatoxin concentration of 7.6 ± 2.3 µg/kg with approximately 20% of the samples higher than 10 µg/kg, which is the maximum acceptable level in East Africa. Further down the distribution chain, at the household level, approximately 45% of the total number contained total aflatoxin levels higher than the acceptable limit. The on-site detection method correlated well with the established laboratory-based HPLC and ELISA-detection methods for aflatoxin B1 with the correlation coefficients of 0.94 and 0.98, respectively. This study shows the feasibility of a novel on-site detection method and articulates the severity of aflatoxin contamination in Uganda.
Early detection of multiple myeloma in primary care using blood tests: a case–control study in primary care
Authors: Koshiaris Constantinos , Van den Bruel Ann , Oke Jason L , Nicholson Brian D , Shephard Elizabeth , Braddick Mick , Hamilton William
Published: August 2018

Background

Multiple myeloma is a haematological cancer characterised by numerous non-specific symptoms leading to diagnostic delay in a large proportion of patients.

Aim

To identify which blood tests are useful in suggesting or excluding a diagnosis of myeloma.

Design and setting

A matched case–control study set in UK primary care using routinely collected data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink.

Method

Symptom prevalence and blood tests were analysed up to 5 years before diagnosis in 2703 cases and 12 157 matched controls. Likelihood ratios (LR) were used to classify tests or their combinations as useful rule-in tests (LR+ = ≥5), or rule-out tests (LR− = ≤0.2).

Results

Raised plasma viscosity (PV) had an LR+ = 2.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.7 to 2.3; erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) 1.9, 95% CI = 1.7 to 2.0; and C-reactive protein (CRP) 1.2, 95% CI = 1.1 to 1.4. A normal haemoglobin had an LR− = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.39 to 0.45; calcium LR− = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.78 to 0.83; and creatinine LR− = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.77 to 0.83. The test combination with the lowest LR− was all normal haemoglobin with calcium and PV, which had an LR− = 0.06, 95% CI = 0.02 to 0.18, though the LR− for normal haemoglobin and PV together was 0.12 (95% CI = 0.07 to 0.23).

Conclusion

Plasma viscosity and ESR are better for both ruling in and ruling out the disease compared with C-reactive protein. A combination of a normal ESR or PV and normal haemoglobin is a simple rule-out approach for patients currently being tested in primary care.
Effectiveness of reminder strategies on cancer screening adherence: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Wong Martin CS , Ching Jessica YL , Huang Junjie , Wong John CT , Lam Thomas YT , Chan Victor CW , Ng Simpson KC , Hui Zero , Luk Arthur KC , Wu Justin CY , Chan Francis KL
Published: August 2018

Background

Few randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have evaluated the different recalling approaches for enhancing adherence to faecal immunochemical test (FIT)-based screening.

Aim

The authors evaluated the effectiveness of two telecommunication strategies on improving adherence to yearly FIT screening.

Design and setting

A randomised, parallel group trial was performed in a primary care screening practice.

Method

The authors recruited 629 asymptomatic individuals aged 40–70 years with a negative FIT in 2015 to a population-based screening programme. On participation, they were invited to repeat their second round of FIT in 2016, 12 months after the first test. Each participant was randomly assigned to either interactive telephone reminder (n = 207), short message service reminder (SMS, n = 212), or control, where no additional interventions were delivered after the findings of their first FIT was communicated to the participants (n = 210). Reminders in the intervention groups were delivered 1 month before subjects’ expected return. Additional telephone reminders were delivered 2 months after the expected return date to all subjects who defaulted specimen return. The outcomes included rates of FIT collection and specimen return up to 6 months after their expected return.

Results

At 6 months, the cumulative FIT collection rate was 95.1%, 90.4%, and 86.5%, respectively, for the telephone, SMS, and control groups (P = 0.010). The corresponding specimen return rate was 94.1%, 90.0%, and 86.0% (P = 0.022). When compared with the control, only subjects in the telephone group were significantly more likely to collect FIT tubes (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 3.18, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.50 to 6.75, P = 0.003) and return completed specimens (AOR = 2.73, 95% CI = 1.35 to 5.53, P = 0.005).

Conclusion

Interactive telephone reminders are effective at securing previously screened subjects to repeat screening 1 year after a negative finding.
Prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of bacteria causing urinary tract infections in Youssef Hospital Center: first report from Akkar governorate, North of Lebanon
Authors: Hamze Monzer , Osman Marwan , Mallat Hassan , Raad Elie Bou
Published: August 2018

Background. Urinary tract infection (UTI) is common infection feature worldwide.   Infected patients are usually treated empirically treated without culture or antibiotics susceptibility testing, and which may lead to increase antibiotic resistance level. This study aims to determine the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of common uropathogenic bacteria isolated at Youssef Hospital Center, Akkar governorate, North of Lebanon.

Methods. Spot midstream of urine samples from 9662 patients with UTI symptoms who came for medical investigation to Youssef Hospital Center located in Akkar governorate.  Urine specimens were collected in sterile plastic bottles. Culture, identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing were performed using conventional tools according to the recommendations of the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing.

Results.  A total of 1009 bacterial uropathogens were isolated. Escherichia coli was most presented (72.5%) of all isolates, followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (8.2%), Enterococcus spp. (5.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4.5%), Proteus spp. (3%), Enterobacter spp. (2%), Staphylococcus aureus (2%), Streptococcus agalactiae (1.6%), Staphylococcus saprophyticus (0.4%), Acinetobacter baumannii(0.2%) and Providencia rettgeri (0.1%). Moreover, the mean antibiotic resistance rates of isolates was relatively high, but comparable to previously published data in Lebanon.

Conclusion. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first investigation reporting epidemiological data regarding the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of bacterial uropathogens isolated from patients in the Akkar governorate. Our data indicated the urgent need of a strategic plan to tackle antibiotic resistance, particularly in deprived regions with poor healthcare centers.  

Keywords: Uropathogens, Epidemiology, Antibiotic susceptibility, Risk factors, Akkargovernorate, North Lebanon.
High incidence of multidrug-resistant fecal E. coli producing ESBLs and carried ST131 in Jordanian adults
Authors: Sneineh Reham Muin Abu , Mahafzah Azmi , Abdallat Nayef , Shehabi Asem A.
Published: August 2018

Background: Escherichia coli  is part of the human intestine normal flora, although it has the potential of causing variety of invasive and diarrheal diseases. It is also a frequent cause of community- and hospital-acquired urinary tract infections. Intestinal E. coli has the potential to develop rapidly multidrug resistant (MDR) and to emerge as extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs)-producer.   

Methods: Over the period of July through November, 2015; 287 stool samples were collected from Jordanian adults who visited the students’ clinic of the University of Jordan. Fecal samples were collected and cultured for isolation of E. coli. The isolates were investigated for antimicrobial susceptibility, and molecular method of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for the detection genes of ST131 clone, blaCTX-M group I, blaCTX-M-15, blaNDM-1, blaVIM, blaIMP, blaOXA-48, blaKPC and fluoroquinolones resistance (gyrA and parC).

Results: A total of 105/287 E. coli isolates (36.6%) were found to be multi-drug resistant (MDR) to at least 3 classes of antibiotics, of these 45.1% were ESBL-producers. A total of 51 representative MDR isolates indicated the following; 49% were found positive for ST131 clone, 58.8% were resistant for ciprofloxacin, and 41.2% were positive for CTX-M group I and CTX-M-15, respectively. All these MDR isolates were also positive for mutated both gyrA and ParC genes, and only 6 / 51 isolates (11.8%) were positive for each blaNDM-1 and blaKPC.  One out of 51 MDR isolates (2%) was positive for blaVIM, and none of these isolates was positive for blaIMP nor blaOXA-48 genes.

Conclusion: This study indicated that a relatively high rates of commensal fecal E. coli isolates from Jordanian adults were MDR, ESBLs-producer and belonging to ST131 clone.  Also, high rates of CTX-M-15 and fluoroquinolones resistance were found among MDR E. coli isolates.
Taxonomic review of genus Microrhagus Dejean, 1833 from Korea, with description of a new species (Coleoptera, Eucnemidae, Melasinae, Dirhagini)
Authors: Seung Jinbae , Lee Seunghwan
Published: August 2018

The genusMicrorhagusDejean, 1833 is reviewed with four species from Korea:Microrhagusfoveolatus(Fleutiaux, 1923),Microrhagusjejuensissp. n.,Microrhagusmystagogus(Fleutiaux, 1923), andMicrorhagusramosus(Fleutiaux, 1902). Herein, all KoreanMicrorhagusspecies are redescribed. A key to species of KoreanMicrorhagusand photographs of the diagnostic characters are also provided.
New record of Microtus mystacinus in eastern Kazakhstan: phylogeographical considerations
Authors: Holicová Tereza , Sedláček František , Mácová Anna , Vlček Jakub , Robovský Jan
Published: August 2018

The Eastern European vole (Microtusmystacinus) is an arvicoline rodent distributed across northern and eastern Europe, the Balkans, Turkey, Armenia, NW and N Iran, Russia as far east as the Tobol River in W Siberia, and W and N Kazakhstan. We present a novel records from eastern Kazakhstan (the village of Dzhambul – 49°14'21.3"N, 86°18'29.9"E and the village of Sekisovka – 50°21'9.18"N, 82°35'46.5"E) based on mtDNA and we discuss implications of this findings on biogeography of eastern Kazakhstan populations. Marine Isotope Stage 11 is considered an important period for the diversification of the arvalis species group. In the context of our study, it is important to analyse genetically discontinuous Siberian populations, and the current distribution of Microtusmystacinus in new localities in eastern Kazakhstan.