bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of a Very-Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diet on Circulating Myokine Levels Compared with the Effect of Bariatric Surgery or a Low-Calorie Diet in Patients with Obesity
Authors: Sajoux Ignacio , Lorenzo Paula M. , Gomez-Arbelaez Diego , Zulet M. Angeles , Abete Itziar , Castro Ana I. , Baltar Javier , Portillo María P. , Tinahones Francisco J. , Martinez J. Alfredo , Crujeiras Ana B. , Casanueva Felipe F.
Published: October 2019

The preservation of muscle mass and muscle function after weight loss therapy is currently a considerable challenge in the fight against obesity. Muscle mass secretes proteins called myokines that have relevant functions in the regulation of metabolism and health. This study was aimed to evaluate whether a very low-calorie ketogenic (VLCK) diet may modulate myokine levels, in addition to changes in body composition, compared to a standard, balanced low-calorie (LC) diet or bariatric surgery in patients with obesity. Body composition, ketosis, insulin sensitivity and myokines were evaluated in 79 patients with overweight/obesity after a therapy to lose weight with a VLCK diet, a LC diet or bariatric surgery. The follow-up was 6 months. The weight loss therapies induced changes in myokine levels in association with changes in body composition and biochemical parameters. The effects on circulating myokine levels compared to those at baseline were stronger after the VLCK diet than LC diet or bariatric surgery. Differences reached statistical significance for IL-8, MMP2 and irisin. In conclusion, nutritional interventions or bariatric surgery to lose weight induces changes in circulating myokine levels, being this effect potentially most notable after following a VLCK diet.
Effect of Size and Concentration of PLGA-PEG Nanoparticles on Activation and Aggregation of Washed Human Platelets
Authors: Bakhaidar Rana , Green Joshua , Alfahad Khaled , Samanani Shazia , Moollan Nabeehah , O’Neill Sarah , Ramtoola Zebunnissa
Published: October 2019

Nanotechnology is being increasingly utilised in medicine as diagnostics and for drug delivery and targeting. The small size and high surface area of nanoparticles (NPs), desirable properties that allow them to cross biological barriers, also offer potential for interaction with other cells and blood constituents, presenting possible safety risks. While NPs investigated are predominantly based on the biodegradable, biocompatible, and FDA approved poly-lactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) polymers, pro-aggregatory and antiplatelet effects have been reported for certain NPs. The potential for toxicity of PLGA based NPs remains to be examined. The aims of this study were to determine the impact of size-selected PLGA-PEG (PLGA-polyethylene glycol) NPs on platelet activation and aggregation. PLGA-PEG NPs of three average sizes of 112, 348, and 576 nm were formulated and their effect at concentrations of 0.0–2.2 mg/mL on the activation and aggregation of washed human platelets (WP) was examined. The results of this study show, for the first time, NPs of all sizes associated with the surface of platelets, with >50% binding, leading to possible internalisation. The NP-platelet interaction, however, did not lead to platelet aggregation nor inhibited aggregation of platelets induced by thrombin. The outcome of this study is promising, suggesting that these NPs could be potential carriers for targeted drug delivery to platelets.
Tomato Plants Treated with Systemin Peptide Show Enhanced Levels of Direct and Indirect Defense Associated with Increased Expression of Defense-Related Genes
Authors: Coppola Mariangela , Lelio Ilaria Di , Romanelli Alessandra , Gualtieri Liberata , Molisso Donata , Ruocco Michelina , Avitabile Concetta , Natale Roberto , Cascone Pasquale , Guerrieri Emilio , Pennacchio Francesco , Rao Rosa
Published: October 2019

Plant defense peptides represent an important class of compounds active against pathogens and insects. These molecules controlling immune barriers can potentially be used as novel tools for plant protection, which mimic natural defense mechanisms against invaders. The constitutive expression in tomato plants of the precursor of the defense peptide systemin was previously demonstrated to increase tolerance against moth larvae and aphids and to hamper the colonization by phytopathogenic fungi, through the expression of a wealth of defense-related genes. In this work we studied the impact of the exogenous supply of systemin to tomato plants on pests to evaluate the use of the peptide as a tool for crop protection in non-transgenic approaches. By combining gene expression studies and bioassays with different pests we demonstrate that the exogenous supply of systemin to tomato plants enhances both direct and indirect defense barriers. Experimental plants, exposed to this peptide by foliar spotting or root uptake through hydroponic culture, impaired larval growth and development of the noctuid moth Spodoptera littoralis, even across generations, reduced the leaf colonization by the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea and were more attractive towards natural herbivore antagonists. The induction of these defense responses was found to be associated with molecular and biochemical changes under control of the systemin signalling cascade. Our results indicate that the direct delivery of systemin, likely characterized by a null effect on non-target organisms, represents an interesting tool for the sustainable protection of tomato plants.
Fast Surface Hydrophilization via Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Polymerization for Biological and Technical Applications
Authors: Dvořáková Hana , Čech Jan , Stupavská Monika , Prokeš Lubomír , Jurmanová Jana , Buršíková Vilma , Ráheľ Jozef , Sťahel Pavel
Published: October 2019

Polymeric surfaces can benefit from functional modifications prior to using them for biological and/or technical applications. Surfaces considered for biocompatibility studies can be modified to gain beneficiary hydrophilic properties. For such modifications, the preparation of highly hydrophilic surfaces by means of plasma polymerization can be a good alternative to classical wet chemistry or plasma activation in simple atomic or molecular gasses. Atmospheric pressure plasma polymerization makes possible rapid, simple, and time-stable hydrophilic surface preparation, regardless of the type and properties of the material whose surface is to be modified. In this work, the surface of polypropylene was coated with a thin nanolayer of plasma-polymer which was prepared from a low-concentration mixture of propane-butane in nitrogen using atmospheric pressure plasma. A deposition time of only 1 second was necessary to achieve satisfactory hydrophilic properties. Highly hydrophilic, stable surfaces were obtained when the deposition time was 10 seconds. The thin layers of the prepared plasma-polymer exhibit highly stable wetting properties, they are smooth, homogeneous, flexible, and have good adhesion to the surface of polypropylene substrates. Moreover, they are constituted from essential elements only (C, H, N, O). This makes the presented modified plasma-polymer surfaces interesting for further studies in biological and/or technical applications.
Multi-Scale Multi-Field Coupled Analysis of Power Battery Pack Based on Heat Pipe Cooling
Authors: Liu Ye , Jiang Tao , Zheng Yanping , Tian Jie , Ma Zheshu
Published: October 2019

Based on the study of the relationship between micro and macro parameters in the actual microstructure of the electrodes, a new multi-scale multi-field coupling model of battery monomer is established and the heat generation rate of the battery is obtained by detailed numerical simulation. According to the parameters of a certain electric vehicle and battery selected, the structure of the power battery pack and heat pipe cooling system is designed. Through multi-field coupling computational fluid dynamics simulation, the temperature difference of the battery pack is gained. By changing the fin spacing, the cooling scheme of the heat pipe is optimized, which ensures that the temperature difference is less than 5 K and the maximum temperature of the battery system is 306.26 K. It is found that increasing the discharge rate, the temperature difference increases rapidly. Increasing the air inlet velocity can improve the thermal uniformity of the battery pack, but changing the air inlet temperature only determines the range of temperature, it cannot improve the thermal uniformity. The method proposed and results gained can provide a reference for the research of heat management systems with heat pipe of lithium-ion power battery pack for vehicles.
PIV and Statistical Analysis of a Swirling Bed Process Carried out Using a Hybrid Model of Axial Blade Distributor
Authors: Shukrullah Shazia , Javed Muhammad A. , Naz Muhammad Y. , Khan Yasin , Alkanhal Majeed A. S. , Anwar Hafeez
Published: October 2019

An air distributor is a major component of industrial fluidized beds and its design significantly affects the quality of fluidization. In this study, a hybrid design of an annular distributor was tested for swirling fluidized beds (SFBs). Using this distributor design, a bed was operated in its uniform swirling regime of operation. A high-speed imaging method was used to capture images of the fluidized bed of particles. These images were processed using a binary cross-correlation technique and analyzed through particle image velocimetry (PIV) software. The velocity vector fields and corresponding velocity magnitudes at different locations in the bed were obtained for different bed weights, blade inclination angles, and superficial air velocities (SAVs). The Response Surface Analysis program was used to predict the bed velocity statistically. The statistical confidence interval for the bed velocity ranged from 0.49485 to 0.49998. The statistical fit and experimental values of the bed velocities were 0.49741 and 0.538 m/s, respectively. Almost identical bed weights and superficial velocities were inferred through experimental and statistical analyses; however, a small difference of 6.4° was noticed in the blade inclination angles.
Molecular Insights into Cage Occupancy of Hydrogen Hydrate: A Computational Study
Authors: Ma Rui , Zhong Hong , Liu Jinxiang , Zhong Jie , Yan Youguo , Zhang Jun , Xu Jiafang
Published: October 2019

Density functional theory calculations and molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the hydrogen storage capacity in the sII hydrate. Calculation results show that the optimum hydrogen storage capacity is ~5.6 wt%, with the double occupancy in the small cage and quintuple occupancy in the large cage. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that these multiple occupied hydrogen hydrates can occur at mild conditions, and their stability will be further enhanced by increasing the pressure or decreasing the temperature. Our work highlights that the hydrate is a promising material for storing hydrogen.
A Comparative Study of Biogas Reactor Fluid Rheology—Implications for Mixing Profile and Power Demand
Authors: Šafarič Luka , Shakeri Yekta Sepehr , Ejlertsson Jörgen , Safari Mohammad , Nadali Najafabadi Hossein , Karlsson Anna , Ometto Francesco , H. Svensson Bo , Björn Annika
Published: October 2019

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is an established process for integrating waste management with renewable energy and nutrient recovery. Much of the research in this field focuses on the utilisation of new substrates, yet their effects on operational aspects such as fluid behaviour and power requirement for mixing are commonly overlooked, despite their importance for process optimisation. This study analysed rheological characteristics of samples from 21 laboratory-scale continuous stirred-tank biogas reactors (CSTBRs) digesting a range of substrates, in order to evaluate substrate effect on mixing efficiency and power demand through computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The results show that substrate and process parameters, such as solids content and organic loading, all have a significant effect on CSTBR fluid rheology. The correlation levels between rheological and process parameters were different across substrates, while no specific fluid behaviour patterns could be associated with substrate choice. Substrate should thus be considered an equally important rheology effector as process parameters. Additional substrate-related parameters should be identified to explain the differences in correlations between rheological and process parameters across substrate groups. The CFD modelling revealed that the rheology differences among the AD processes have significant implications for mixing efficiency and power demand of the CSTBRs, highlighting the importance of considering the substrate-induced effects on CSTBR rheology before including a new substrate.
Numerical and Experimental Study of a Vortex Structure and Energy Loss in a Novel Self-Priming Pump
Authors: Chang Hao , Agarwal Ramesh K. , Li Wei , Zhou Ling , Shi Weidong
Published: October 2019

The self-priming pump as an essential energy conversion equipment is widely used in hydropower and thermal power plants. The energy losses in the internal flow passage of the pump directly affect its work efficiency. Therefore, it is important to improve the internal flow characteristic of the pump. In the present work, a novel self-priming pump which starts without water is proposed; this pump can reduce the energy consumption as well as the time needed to start its operation. The spatial structure of the vortices in the pump is investigated by employing the Q criterion with the numerical solution of the vorticity transport equation. Based on the morphology, the vortices can be separated into three categories: Trailing Edge Vortex (TEV), Leading Edge Vortex (LEV) and Gap Leakage Vortex (GLV). Generally, the morphology of the TEV is more disorderly than that of LEV and GLV, and the intensity of TEV is significantly higher than that of the other two vortices. To determine the magnitude and distribution of energy loss in the pump, entropy production analysis is employed to study the influence of blade thickness on energy characteristics of the pump. It is found that with an increase in the flow rate, the location of energy loss transfers from the trailing edge to the leading edge of the blade, and viscous entropy production (VEP) and turbulence entropy production (TEP) are the dominant factors which influence the energy conversion in the pump. More importantly, employing the blade with a thin leading edge and a thick trailing edge can not only significantly reduce the impact of incoming flow under over-load condition (flow rate higher than the design condition) but can also increase the efficiency of the pump. Thus, an increase in thickness of the blade from the leading edge to the trailing edge is beneficial for improving the pump performance. The results of this paper can be helpful in providing guidelines for reducing the energy loss and in improving the performance of a self-priming pump.
Estimating High Spatio-Temporal Resolution Rainfall from MSG1 and GPM IMERG Based on Machine Learning: Case Study of Iran
Authors: Turini Nazli , Thies Boris , Bendix Joerg
Published: October 2019

A new satellite-based technique for rainfall retrieval in high spatio-temporal resolution (3 km, 15 min) for Iran is presented. The algorithm is based on the infrared bands of the Meteosat Second Generation Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (MSG SEVIRI). Random forest models using microwave-only rainfall information of the Integrated Multi-SatEllite Retrieval for the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) (IMERG) product as a reference were developed to (i) delineate the rainfall area and (ii) to assign the rainfall rate. The method was validated against independent microwave-only GPM IMERG rainfall data not used for model training. Additionally, the new technique was validated against completely independent gauge station data. The validation results show a promising performance of the new rainfall retrieval technique, especially when compared to the GPM IMERG IR-only rainfall product. The standard verification scored an average Heidke Skill Score of 0.4 for rain area delineation and an average R between 0.1 and 0.7 for rainfall rate assignment, indicating uncertainties for the Lut Desert area and regions with high altitude gradients.
Identifying Vegetation in Arid Regions Using Object-Based Image Analysis with RGB-Only Aerial Imagery
Authors: Silver Micha , Tiwari Arti , Karnieli Arnon
Published: October 2019

Vegetation state is usually assessed by calculating vegetation indices (VIs) derived from remote sensing systems where the near infrared (NIR) band is used to enhance the vegetation signal. However VIs are pixel-based and require both visible and NIR bands. Yet, most archived photographs were obtained with cameras that record only the three visible bands. Attempts to construct VIs with the visible bands alone have shown only limited success, especially in drylands. The current study identifies vegetation patches in the hyperarid Israeli desert using only the visible bands from aerial photographs by adapting an alternative geospatial object-based image analysis (GEOBIA) routine, together with recent improvements in preprocessing. The preprocessing step selects a balanced threshold value for image segmentation using unsupervised parameter optimization. Then the images undergo two processes: segmentation and classification. After tallying modeled vegetation patches that overlap true tree locations, both true positive and false positive rates are obtained from the classification and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves are plotted. The results show successful identification of vegetation patches in multiple zones from each study area, with area under the ROC curve values between 0.72 and 0.83.
Burn Severity and Post-Fire Land Surface Albedo Relationship in Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems
Authors: Quintano Carmen , Fernandez-Manso Alfonso , Marcos Elena , Calvo Leonor
Published: October 2019

Our study explores the relationship between land surface albedo (LSA) changes and burn severity, checking whether the LSA is an indicator of burn severity, in a large forest fire (117.75 km2, Spain). The LSA was obtained from Landsat data. In particular, we used an immediately-after-fire scene, a year-after-fire scene and a pre-fire one. The burn severity (three levels) was assessed in 111 field plots by using the Composite Burn Index (CBI). The potentiality of remotely sensed LSA as an indicator for the burn severity was tested by a one-way analysis of variance, correlation analysis and regression models. Specifically, we considered the total shortwave, visible, and near-infrared LSA. Immediately after the fire, we observed a decrease in the LSA for all burn severity levels (up to 0.631). A small increase in the LSA was found (up to 0.0292) a year after the fire. The maximum adjusted coefficient of determination (R2adj) of the linear regression model between the immediately post-fire LSA image and the CBI values was approximately 67%. Fisher’s least significance difference test showed that two burn severity levels could be discriminated by the immediately post-fire LSA image. Our results demonstrate that the magnitude of the changes in the LSA is related to the burn severity with a statistical significance, suggesting the potentiality of immediately-after-fire remotely sensed LSA for estimating the burn severity as an alternative to other satellite-based methods. However, the persistency of these changes in time should be evaluated in future research.
Four Dimensional Mapping of Vegetation Moisture Content Using Dual-Wavelength Terrestrial Laser Scanning
Authors: Elsherif Ahmed , Gaulton Rachel , Mills Jon
Published: October 2019

Recently, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) has shown potential in measuring vegetation biochemical traits in three dimensions (3D) by using reflectance derived from backscattered intensity data. The 3D estimates can provide information about the vertical heterogeneity of canopy biochemical traits which affects canopy reflectance but cannot be measured from spaceborne and airborne optical remote sensing data. Leaf equivalent water thickness (EWT), a metric widely used in vegetation health monitoring, has been successfully linked to the normalized difference index (NDI) of near and shortwave infrared wavelengths at the leaf level. However, only two previous studies have linked EWT to NDI at the canopy level in field campaigns. In this study, an NDI consisting of 808 and 1550 nm wavelengths was used to generate 3D EWT estimates at the canopy level in a broadleaf mixed-species tree plot during and after a heatwave. The relative error in EWT estimates was 6% across four different species. Temporal changes in EWT were measured, and the accuracy varied between trees, a factor of the errors in EWT estimates on both dates. Vertical profiles of EWT were generated for six trees and showed vertical heterogeneity and variation between species. The change in EWT vertical profiles during and after the heatwave differed between trees, demonstrating that trees reacted in different ways to the drought condition.
Assessment of IMERG-V06 Precipitation Product over Different Hydro-Climatic Regimes in the Tianshan Mountains, North-Western China
Authors: Anjum Muhammad Naveed , Ahmad Ijaz , Ding Yongjian , Shangguan Donghui , Zaman Muhammad , Ijaz Muhammad Wajid , Sarwar Kaleem , Han Haidong , Yang Min
Published: October 2019

This study presents an assessment of the version-6 (V06) of the Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement (IMERG) product from June 2014 to December 2017 over different hydro-climatic regimes in the Tianshan Mountains. The performance of IMERG-V06 was compared with IMERG-V05 and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) 3B42V7 precipitation products. The precipitation products were assessed against gauge-based daily and monthly precipitation observations over the entire spatial domain and five hydro-climatologically distinct sub-regions. Results showed that: (1) The spatiotemporal variability of average daily precipitation over the study domain was well represented by all products. (2) All products showed better correlations with the monthly gauge-based observations than the daily data. Compared to 3B42V7, both IMERG products presented a better agreement with gauge-based observations. (3) The estimation skills of all precipitation products showed significant spatial variations. Overall performance of all precipitation products was better in the Eastern region compared to the Middle and Western regions. (4) Satellite products were able to detect tiny precipitation events, but they were uncertain in capturing light and moderate precipitation events. (5) No significant improvements in the precipitation estimation skill of IMERG-V06 were found as compared to IMERG-V05. We deduce that the IMERG-V06 precipitation detection capability could not outperform the efficiency of IMERG-V05. This comparative evaluation of the research products of Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) and TRMM products in the Tianshan Mountains is useful for data users and algorithm developers.
A Hybrid Kinematic-Acoustic System for Automated Activity Detection of Construction Equipment
Authors: Sherafat Behnam , Rashidi Abbas , Lee Yong-Cheol , Ahn Changbum R.
Published: October 2019

Automatically recognizing and tracking construction equipment activities is the first step towards performance monitoring of a job site. Recognizing equipment activities helps construction managers to detect the equipment downtime/idle time in a real-time framework, estimate the productivity rate of each equipment based on its progress, and efficiently evaluate the cycle time of each activity. Thus, it leads to project cost reduction and time schedule improvement. Previous studies on this topic have been based on single sources of data (e.g., kinematic, audio, video signals) for automated activity-detection purposes. However, relying on only one source of data is not appropriate, as the selected data source may not be applicable under certain conditions and fails to provide accurate results. To tackle this issue, the authors propose a hybrid system for recognizing multiple activities of construction equipment. The system integrates two major sources of data—audio and kinematic—through implementing a robust data fusion procedure. The presented system includes recording audio and kinematic signals, preprocessing data, extracting several features, as well as dimension reduction, feature fusion, equipment activity classification using Support Vector Machines (SVM), and smoothing labels. The proposed system was implemented in several case studies (i.e., ten different types and equipment models operating at various construction job sites) and the results indicate that a hybrid system is capable of providing up to 20% more accurate results, compared to cases using individual sources of data.
Optical Interrogation Techniques for Nanophotonic Biochemical Sensors
Authors: Yesilkoy Filiz
Published: October 2019

The manipulation of light via nanoengineered surfaces has excited the optical community in the past few decades. Among the many applications enabled by nanophotonic devices, sensing has stood out due to their capability of identifying miniscule refractive index changes. In particular, when free-space propagating light effectively couples into subwavelength volumes created by nanostructures, the strongly-localized near-fields can enhance light’s interaction with matter at the nanoscale. As a result, nanophotonic sensors can non-destructively detect chemical species in real-time without the need of exogenous labels. The impact of such nanophotonic devices on biochemical sensor development became evident as the ever-growing research efforts in the field started addressing many critical needs in biomedical sciences, such as low-cost analytical platforms, simple quantitative bioassays, time-resolved sensing, rapid and multiplexed detection, single-molecule analytics, among others. In this review, the optical transduction methods used to interrogate optical resonances of nanophotonic sensors will be highlighted. Specifically, the optical methodologies used thus far will be evaluated based on their capability of addressing key requirements of the future sensor technologies, including miniaturization, multiplexing, spatial and temporal resolution, cost and sensitivity.
Advanced Estimation Techniques for Vehicle System Dynamic State: A Survey
Authors: Jin Xianjian , Yin Guodong , Chen Nan
Published: October 2019

In order to improve handling stability performance and active safety of a ground vehicle, a large number of advanced vehicle dynamics control systems—such as the direct yaw control system and active front steering system, and in particular the advanced driver assistance systems—towards connected and automated driving vehicles have recently been developed and applied. However, the practical effects and potential performance of vehicle active safety dynamics control systems heavily depend on real-time knowledge of fundamental vehicle state information, which is difficult to measure directly in a standard car because of both technical and economic reasons. This paper presents a comprehensive technical survey of the development and recent research advances in vehicle system dynamic state estimation. Different aspects of estimation strategies and methodologies in recent literature are classified into two main categories—the model-based estimation approach and the data-driven-based estimation approach. Each category is further divided into several sub-categories from the perspectives of estimation-oriented vehicle models, estimations, sensor configurations, and involved estimation techniques. The principal features of the most popular methodologies are summarized, and the pros and cons of these methodologies are also highlighted and discussed. Finally, future research directions in this field are provided.
An On-Orbit Dynamic Calibration Method for an MHD Micro-Angular Vibration Sensor Using a Laser Interferometer
Authors: Wu Yingjie , Li Xingfei , Liu Fan , Xia Ganmin
Published: October 2019

The magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) micro-angular vibration sensor is a significant component of the MHD Inertial Reference Unit (MIRU) and measures micro-amplitude and wide frequency angular vibration. The MHD micro-angular vibration sensor must be calibrated in orbit since the ground calibration parameters may change after lift-off. An on-orbit dynamic calibration method for the MHD micro-angular vibration sensor is proposed to calibrate the complex sensitivity of the sensor in high frequency. An absolute calibration method that combines a homodyne laser interferometer and an angular retroreflector was developed. The sinusoidal approximation method was applied, and the calibration system was established and tested using a manufactured MHD sensor. Furthermore, the measurement principle and installation errors were analyzed, including the eccentric installation error of the retroreflector, the tilt installation error of the retroreflector, and the optical path tilt error. This method can be realized within a rotation range of ± 3 ∘ and effectively avoid the installation error caused by mechanical errors. The results indicate that the calibratable angular vibration frequency range is 25–800 Hz, and the angular velocity range is 0.076 –7590 mrad/s. The expanded uncertainties of the sensitivity amplitude and phase shift of the calibration system for the MHD micro-angular sensor are 0.04 % and 1.2 ∘ ( k = 2 ) .
Acquisition System Based on Multisensors for Preserving Traditional Korean Painting
Authors: Choi Taewon , Jung Soonchul , Choi Yoon-Seok , Jeon Hyeong-Ju , Kim Jin Seo
Published: October 2019

Rapid industrialization has significantly influenced people’s lifestyles in the recent decades, and the influence of traditional culture is diminishing. Recently, several studies attempted to simultaneously utilize various sensors to record delicate and sophisticated performances of intangible cultural heritage (ICH). Although painting is one of the most common ICH of human history, few research studies have recorded traditional painting work. In this paper, we aim to lay the groundwork for reviving Korean painting, even if there would be no painters to produce these traditional Korean paintings in the future. We propose a novel multisensor-based acquisition system that records traditional Korean painting work while minimizing interference in the work. The proposed system captures real-time data originating from the painter, brushes, pigments, and canvas, which are the essential components of the painting work. We utilized the proposed system to capture the painting work by two experts, and we visualize the captured data. We showed the various results of statistical analysis, and also discussed the usability.
Size Dependence of the Magnetoelastic Properties of Metallic Glasses for Actuation Applications
Authors: Sagasti Ariane , Gutiérrez Jon , Lasheras Andoni , Barandiarán José Manuel
Published: October 2019

We present an exhaustive study of the magnetoelastic properties of 24 strips with different rectangular dimensions, cut from a long ribbon of Metglas® 2826MB3. The strips have a length-to-width ratio R = L/w ranging from 2 to over 20. Significant variations of the apparent saturation Young’s modulus and the ΔE effect with strip geometry, changing from 160 GPa and 4% for L = 10 mm, w = 5 mm and R = 2, to 164 GPa and 9.6% for L = 35 mm, w = 1.7 mm and R = 20.6, have been observed. In order to obtain the highest values of the ΔE effect, the magnetomechanical coupling coefficient, k, and the quality factor of the resonance, Q, a value R > 14 is needed. The effective anisotropy field Hk*, taken as the minimum of the E(H) curve, and its width ΔH, are not as strongly influenced by the R value, and a value of R > 7 is enough to reach the lowest value. From our measurements we infer that the formerly predicted value of R > 5 needed for a good magnetic and magnetoelastic response of the material must be actually regarded as the lowest limit for this parameter. In fact, we show that the demagnetizing factor N, rather than the length-to-width ratio R, is the parameter that governs the magnetoelastic performance of these strips.
China’s First Demonstration of Cobalt-rich Manganese Crust Thickness Measurement in the Western Pacific with a Parametric Acoustic Probe
Authors: Hong Feng , Feng Haihong , Huang Minyan , Wang Binxian , Xia Jingjie
Published: October 2019

Cobalt-rich manganese crusts (CRCs) are important as a potential mineral source that could occur throughout the Pacific on seamounts, ridges, and plateaus. We built a prototype parametric acoustic probe to complete the task of in-situ thickness measurements to estimate the volumetric distribution of deep-sea mineral. The prototype is designed with dual-channels for receiving the primary and secondary signal, which lays a foundation for improving the thickness extraction algorithm. Considering that the signal quality is degraded by the system interference and ambient noise, some improvements to the algorithm are proposed by including the wavelet-based envelope extraction method and the adaptive estimation strategy based on the dual-channel information. Additionally, wavelet regression is applied to reduce the measuring noise assuming that the CRCs have local thickness invariability. The algorithm is suitable for the CRCs with the structure of the multilayers at the top surface and one single layer at the bottom surface. A laboratory experiment is performed to validate the effectiveness of the algorithm. The experiments carried out on the China Ocean 51th voyage in the Western Pacific Ocean on Aug 30, 2018, are described and the data obtained by using the sit-on-bottom stationary measurement are processed to validate the design of the prototype.
Hierarchical Network Architecture for Non-Safety Applications in Urban Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks
Authors: Jeong Sangsoo , Baek Youngmi , Son Sang Hyuk
Published: October 2019

In the vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs), wireless access in vehicular environments (WAVE) as the core networking technology is suitable for supporting safety-critical applications, but it is difficult to guarantee its performance when transmitting non-safety data, especially high volumes of data, in a multi-hop manner. Therefore, to provide non-safety applications effectively and reliably for users, we propose a hybrid V2V communication system (HVCS) using hierarchical networking architecture: a centralized control model for the establishment of a fast connection and a local data propagation model for efficient and reliable transmissions. The centralized control model had the functionality of node discovery, local ad-hoc group (LAG) formation, a LAG owner (LAGO) determination, and LAG management. The local data propagation indicates that data are transmitted only within the LAG under the management of the LAGO. To support the end-to-end multi-hop transmission over V2V communication, vehicles outside the LAG employ the store and forward model. We designed three phases consisting of concise device discovery (CDD), concise provisioning (CP), and data transmission, so that the HVCS is highly efficient and robust on the hierarchical networking architecture. Under the centralized control, the phase of the CDD operates to improve connection establishment time, and the CP is to simplify operations required for security establishment. Our HVCS is implemented as a two-tier system using a traffic controller for centralized control using cellular networks and a smartphone for local data propagation over Wi-Fi Direct. The HVCS’ performance was evaluated using Veins, and compared with WAVE in terms of throughput, connectivity, and quality of service (QoS). The effectiveness of the centralized control was demonstrated in comparative experiments with Wi-Fi Direct. The connection establishment time measured was only 0.95 s for the HVCS. In the case of video streaming services through the HVCS, about 98% of the events could be played over 16 frames per second. The throughput for the streaming data was between 74% to 81% when the vehicle density was over 50%. We demonstrated that the proposed system has high throughput and satisfies the QoS of streaming services even though the end-to-end delay is a bit longer when compared to that of WAVE.
ARENA—Augmented Reality to Enhanced Experimentation in Smart Warehouses
Authors: Piardi Luis , Kalempa Vivian Cremer , Limeira Marcelo , de Oliveira André Schneider , Leitão Paulo
Published: October 2019

The current industrial scenario demands advances that depend on expensive and sophisticated solutions. Augmented Reality (AR) can complement, with virtual elements, the real world. Faced with this features, an AR experience can meet the demand for prototype testing and new solutions, predicting problems and failures that may only exist in real situations. This work presents an environment for experimentation of advanced behaviors in smart factories, allowing experimentation with multi-robot systems (MRS), interconnected, cooperative, and interacting with virtual elements. The concept of ARENA introduces a novel approach to realistic and immersive experimentation in industrial environments, aiming to evaluate new technologies aligned with the Industry 4.0. The proposed method consists of a small-scale warehouse, inspired in a real scenario characterized in this paper, managing by a group of autonomous forklifts, fully interconnected, which are embodied by a swarm of tiny robots developed and prepared to operate in the small scale scenario. The AR is employed to enhance the capabilities of swarm robots, allowing box handling and virtual forklifts. Virtual laser range finders (LRF) are specially designed as segmentation of a global RGB-D camera, to improve robot perception, allowing obstacle avoidance and environment mapping. This infrastructure enables the evaluation of new strategies to improve manufacturing productivity, without compromising the production by automation faults.
Observing Patterns of River Usage
Authors: Peden Amy E. , Franklin Richard C. , Leggat Peter A. , Lindsay Daniel
Published: October 2019

Rivers are a leading location for drowning, yet little is known about people’s usage of these waterways. This pilot study aimed to test the use of direct observations to calculate river usage. Direct observations were conducted at regular intervals within defined zones at four river drowning locations in Australia (including weekends and the Australia Day national public holiday). Data recorded were date and time of observation; total people (including males, females, children, and adults); and number of people on, in, and beside the water. Univariate analysis with mean (SD) and range was conducted. Interrater reliability for observations was determined using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) (one-way random-effects, average measures model), with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Across 149 time points, 309 observations resulted in 13,326 river interactions observed by multiple observers. There was an average of 39 people (M = 39.4, SD = 29.4, range = 0–137) per observation, 44 people (M = 44.2, SD = 32.7, range = 0–37) on an average weekend, and 97 people (M = 96.8, SD = 58.1, range = 20–190) on Australia Day. More females (M = 20.6, SD = 16.0, range = 0–83) than males (M = 18.3, SD = 14.5, range = 0–68) were observed. More people were observed in the water (M = 20.6, SD = 20.4, range = 0–84) than beside or on the water. Interrater reliability was excellent, consistently above 0.900 for all variables collected (apart from the variable of beside the river). Despite males accounting for 80% of river drowning fatalities, more females were observed than males. Increased visitation on the Australia Day public holiday may be linked to increased drowning risk. This study detailed a simple approach to data collection, exploring exposure within a defined zone at river locations. River usage is dynamic, with people’s movement in and out of the water changing their risk exposure. Observational-based data collection for drowning, particularly for rivers, is an important yet highly neglected area of research.
Supply Chain Risk of Obsolescence at Simultaneous Robust Perturbations
Authors: Campuzano-Bolarín Francisco , Marín-García Fulgencio , Moreno-Nicolás José Andrés , Bogataj Marija , Bogataj David
Published: October 2019

The earlier planning methods of supply chains (SC) in the skeleton of the extended material requirements planning (EMRP), where the time horizon of the reverse Laplace is infinite, were not convenient to estimate the impact of the technical obsolescence of the product or technology involved, which has economic, environmental, and social consequences. Therefore, the perturbations of timing are presented until the possible obsolescence, with parallel execution of the network simulation model (NSM) to evaluate the impact of the finite lifespan on the value of the chain. The EMRP, as well as the NSM, are based on the skeleton of the material requirements planning model, where delays and their perturbations are presented transparently. Contrary to the previous studies of the net present value (NPV) in the EMRP skeleton, where the infinite horizon is assumed, the impact of shortening the horizon of activities is shown here, in order to also evaluate the risk of financing investments in the SC with a shorter lifespan of products or technology. Owing to the simultaneous appearances of the stochastic variables, the parallel execution and exchanging of data, using NSM is advised. The procedures for estimation of correction factors of the NPV and their values are given.
The Role of Institutional Investors in the Sustainable CEO Compensation Structure
Authors: Mo Kyoungwon , Park Kyung Jin , Kim YoungJin
Published: October 2019

Chief executive officer (CEO) retirement pension plans are known as sustainable compensation because they induce managers to make more sustainable and long-term-oriented corporate decisions. We focused on the role of institutional investors in awarding CEO pension plans. Long-term and short-term institutional investors are expected to increase and decrease the CEO pension plan, respectively, wherein the former is aimed at persuading the manager to focus more on the firm’s long-term performance and the latter is aimed at making the CEO assume more risk. We empirically tested our hypothesis and found significantly negative (positive) relationship between short-term (long-term) institutional ownership and CEO pension plans, which is consistent with our hypothesis. Our results suggest the institutional ownership horizon’s differing impact on managers’ sustainable compensation structure.
A Sustainable Multimodal Transport System: The Two-Echelon Location-Routing Problem with Consolidation in the Euro–China Expressway
Authors: Lu Yue , Lang Maoxiang , Yu Xueqiao , Li Shiqi
Published: October 2019

Sustainable development of transport systems is a common topic of concern and effort in multiple countries, in which reducing carbon emissions is one of the core goals. Multimodal transport is an effective way to achieve carbon emission reduction and to efficiently utilize transport resources. The intercontinental transport system, represented by the Euro–China Expressway, is a prominent exploration that has recently received attention, which promotes the sustainable development of transport between countries and carbon emission reduction. In the intercontinental multimodal transport system, the reasonable connection of roads and railways, especially the optimization of consolidation, is an important link which affects the system’s carbon emissions. This paper focuses on the consolidation of sustainable multimodal transport and summarizes the multimodal transport two-echelon location-routing problem with consolidation (MT-2E-LRP-C). We aim to solve multimodal consolidation optimization problem, especially locations of multimodal station, by routing of highway and railway. We propose a two-layer mixed integer linear problem (MILP) model, which highlights the consolidation of roads and railways, focuses on road and rail transport connections, and optimizes road routes and railway schemes. To validate the MT-2E-LRP-C model, we design a series of random instances for different quantities of nodes. In order to solve large-scale instances and realistic transport problems, we propose a hybrid differential evolution algorithm, which decomposes the problem into a railway layer and a highway layer for heuristic algorithm solving. Furthermore, the MILP model and algorithm are tested by small-scale random instances, and the hybrid differential evolution algorithm is solved for the large-scale random instances. Finally, we solve the realist instance from the Euro–China Expressway to develop instructive conclusions.
Examining the Interdependence between the Exchange Rates of China and ASEAN Countries: A Canonical Vine Copula Approach
Authors: Liu Jianxu , Wang Mengjiao , Sriboonchitta Songsak
Published: October 2019

Based on the canonical vine (C-vine) copula approach, this paper examines the interdependence between the exchange rates of the Chinese Yuan (CNY) and the currencies of major Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. The differences in the dependence structure and degree between currencies before and after the Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative were compared in order to investigate the changing role of the Renminbi (RMB) in the ASEAN foreign exchange markets. The results indicate a positive dependence between the exchange rate returns of CNY and the currencies of ASEAN countries and show the rising power of RMB in the regional currency markets after the B&R Initiative was launched. Besides this, the Malaysian Ringgit proved to be most relevant to the other ASEAN currencies, thus playing an important role in the stability of regional financial markets. Moreover, evidence of tail dependence was found in the returns of three currency pairs after the B&R Initiative, which implies the presence of asymmetric dependence between exchange rates. The results from time-varying C-vine copulas further confirmed the robustness of the results from the static C-vine copulas.
Inter-Organizational Supply Chain Interaction for Sustainability: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Ülgen Veronica , Björklund Maria , Simm Niklas , Forslund Helena
Published: October 2019

Research on inter-organizational supply chain interaction (IOSCI) for sustainability can be described as fast-growing and fragmented. It is uncertain to what extent logistics and supply chain management (SCM) literature has been able to close research gaps regarding e.g., empirical scope and sustainability dimensions addressed. A systematic literature review (SLR) is carried out to synthesize the existing knowledge and ongoing trends, and to propose a research agenda. The trend analysis shows that the gap between the environmental and social dimension is increasing, that Asian studies grow nearly exponentially, and that the focal firm perspective gains more ground. The research agenda calls for participatory studies of multiple actors and for studies addressing, e.g., the invisible logistics service providers. This study provides an important complement to existing literature reviews on sustainable supply chain interaction, primarily by its focus on the development over time, the empirical scope, the focus on publications in logistics/SCM journals, and its narrow focus on the interaction among firms in supply chains.