bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Novel Approach to Site Selection: Collaborative Multi-Criteria Decision Making through Geo-Social Network (Case Study: Public Parking)
Authors: Neisani Samani Zeinab , Karimi Mohammad , Alesheikh Ali
Published: March 2018

There are many potential factors that are involved in the decision making process of site selection, which makes it a challenging issue. This paper addresses the collaborative decision making concept through a geo-social network to predict site selection for public parking in Tehran, Iran. The presented approach utilized the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) as a multi-criteria decision method (MCDM) for weighting the criteria, which was completed in two stages; once by 50 experts, and then by three different levels of users, including 50 experts, 25 urban managers, and 150 pubic citizens, with respect to the case study area. The fuzzy majority method aggregates the archived results of AHP to determine the preferred locations that are suitable for public parking. The proposed method was implemented using a telegram bot platform. Two main advantages of the collaborative decision making scenario for public urban site selection are the fair distribution of the selected locations and the high satisfaction of users, which increased from 65% to 85%. This study presents an application for site selection based on multi-criteria decision making in a geo-social network context.
A Spatial Analysis of the Relationship between Vegetation and Poverty
Authors: Dawson Teddy , Sandoval J.S. , Sagan Vasit , Crawford Thomas
Published: March 2018

The goal of this paper was to investigate poverty and inequities that are associated with vegetation. First, we performed a pixel-level linear regression on time-series and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for 72 United States (U.S.) cities with a population ≥250,000 for 16 years (1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 2001 to 2010) using Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer 1-kilometer (1-km). Second, from the pixel-level regression, we selected five U.S. cities (Shrinking: Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Growing: Dallas and Tucson) that were one standard deviation above the overall r-squared mean and one standard deviation below the overall r-squared mean to show cities that were different from the typical cities. Finally, we used spatial statistics to investigate the relationship between census tract level data (i.e., poverty, population, and race) and vegetation for 2010, based on the 1-km grid cells using Ordinary Least Squares Regression and Geographically Weighted Regression. Our results revealed poverty related areas were significantly correlated with positive high and/or negative high vegetation in both shrinking and growing cities. This paper makes a contribution to the academic body of knowledge on U.S. urban shrinking and growing cities by using a comparative analysis with global and local spatial statistics to understand the relationship between vegetation and socioeconomic inequality.
Effects of Fullerenol Nanoparticles on Rat Oocyte Meiosis Resumption
Authors: Lei Runhong , Bai Xue , Chang Yanan , Li Juan , Qin Yanxia , Chen Kui , Gu Weihong , Xia Shibo , Zhang Jiaxin , Wang Zhenbo , Xing Gengmei
Published: March 2018

The excellent biocompatibility and biological effects of fullerenol and its derivatives make their biomedical application promising. The potential effects of fullerenol in mammals have been extensively studied, but little is known about its effects on female reproduction. Using canonical oocyte-granulosa cell complexes (OGCs) in vitro maturation culture model, we investigated the effect of fullerenol on the first oocyte meiotic resumption. In the surrounding granulosa cells, fullerenol nanoparticles occluded the extracellular domain of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) to reduce EGFR-ligand binding and subsequent extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) activation, which involved the regulation of connexin 43 (CX43) expression and internalization. Downregulation of CX43 expression and the retraction of transzonal projections (TZPs) interrupted the gap junction channel and TZPs based mass transportation. This effect decreased cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels in the oocyte and thereby accelerated rat oocyte meiosis resumption. Moreover, perinuclear distribution of CX43 and EGFR was observed in granulosa cells, which could further exacerbate the effects. Fullerenol nanoparticles interfered with the strict process of oocyte meiosis resumption, which likely reduced the oocyte quality.
Anti-Hypertensive Effects of Acacia Polyphenol in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Ikarashi Nobutomo , Toda Takahiro , Hatakeyama Yusuke , Kusunoki Yoshiki , Kon Risako , Mizukami Nanaho , Kaneko Miho , Ogawa Sosuke , Sugiyama Kiyoshi
Published: March 2018

We have previously demonstrated that acacia polyphenol (AP) exerts strong anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, and anti-atopic dermatitis effects. In the present study, we investigated the anti-hypertensive effects of AP. Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) with hypertension and control Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) were used. WKY and SHR were fed AP-containing food or AP-free food (control group) ad libitum for 4 weeks, and their blood pressures were measured. After AP administration, both systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly lower in the SHR group than in the control group. There were no differences in the systolic or diastolic blood pressure of WKY between the AP group and the control group. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase expression, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in SHR kidneys were not altered by AP administration. Blood SOD activity in SHR was significantly higher in the AP group than in the control group. AP exerts anti-hypertensive effects on hypertension but has almost no effect on normal blood pressure. The anti-hypertensive effects of AP may be related to the anti-oxidative effects of increased blood SOD activity.
Influence of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in PPAR-δ, PPAR-γ, and PRKAA2 on the Changes in Anthropometric Indices and Blood Measurements through Exercise-Centered Lifestyle Intervention in Japanese Middle-Aged Men
Authors: Nishida Yuichiro , Iyadomi Minako , Tominaga Hirotaka , Taniguchi Hiroaki , Higaki Yasuki , Tanaka Hiroaki , Horita Mikako , Shimanoe Chisato , Hara Megumi , Tanaka Keitaro
Published: March 2018

The purpose of the current study was to examine the influence of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-δ (PPAR-δ), PPAR-γ, and α2 isoforms of the catalytic subunit of AMP-activated protein kinase (PRKAA2) on the extent of changes in anthropometric indices and blood measurements through exercise-centered lifestyle intervention in middle-aged men. A total of 109 Japanese middle-aged male subjects (47.0 ± 0.4 years) participated in the baseline health checkup, 6-month exercise-centered lifestyle intervention, and second checkup conducted several months after the subject completed the intervention. The body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and clinical measurements, including hemoglobin Alc (HbA1c), triglyceride (TG), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and γ-glutamyl-transpeptidase (γ-GTP), were measured at the baseline and second checkup. The three SNPs of PPAR-δ A/G (rs2267668), PPAR-γ C/G (rs1801282), and PRKAA2 A/G (rs1418442) were determined. Blunted responses in the reduction in the BMI and waist circumference were observed in A/A carriers of PPAR-δ SNP compared with G allele carriers (all p < 0.05). The A/A carriers also displayed less-marked improvements in HbA1c, TG, ALT, and γ-GTP (all p < 0.05). The current results suggest that A/A carriers of PPAR-δ SNP (rs2267668) may enjoy fewer beneficial effects of exercise-centered lifestyle intervention on anthropometric indices and blood measurements.
Aged Mouse Cortical Microglia Display an Activation Profile Suggesting Immunotolerogenic Functions
Authors: Zöller Tanja , Attaai Abdelraheim , Potru Phani , Ruß Tamara , Spittau Björn
Published: March 2018

Microglia are the resident immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS) and participate in physiological and pathological processes. Their unique developmental nature suggests age-dependent structural and functional impairments that might contribute to neurodegenerative diseases. In the present study, we addressed the age-dependent changes in cortical microglia gene expression patterns and the expression of M1- and M2-like activation markers. Iba1 immunohistochemistry, isolation of cortical microglia followed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting and RNA isolation to analyze transcriptional changes in aged cortical microglia was performed. We provide evidence that aging is associated with decreased numbers of cortical microglia and the establishment of a distinct microglia activation profile including upregulation of Ifi204, Lilrb4, Arhgap, Oas1a, Cd244 and Ildr2. Moreover, flow cytometry revealed that aged cortical microglia express increased levels of Cd206 and Cd36. The data presented in the current study indicate that aged mouse cortical microglia adopt a distinct activation profile, which suggests immunosuppressive and immuno-tolerogenic functions.
On the Users’ Acceptance of IoT Systems: A Theoretical Approach
Authors: Falcone Rino , Sapienza Alessandro
Published: March 2018

In the next future the IoT system will introduce extraordinary changes in our daily life. We will communicate with our domestic appliances to inform them about our preferences and goals and they will develop initiative and autonomy to be put at our service. But are we sure that we can afford all the automation they could offer? Are we able to manage it? Is it compatible with our cognitive attitudes and our actual and real goals? In this paper, we face the question of the IoT from the point of view of the user. We start analyzing which reasons undermine the acceptance of IoT systems and then we propose a possible solution. The first contribution of this work is the level characterization of the autonomy a user can grant to an IoT device. The second contribution is a theoretical model to deal with users and to stimulate users’ acceptance. By the means of simulation, we show how the model works and we prove that it leads the system to an optimal solution.
A Novel Three-Stage Filter-Wrapper Framework for miRNA Subset Selection in Cancer Classification
Authors: Dowlatshahi Mohammad Bagher , Derhami Vali , Nezamabadi-pour Hossein
Published: March 2018

Micro-Ribonucleic Acids (miRNAs) are small non-coding Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) molecules that play an important role in the cancer growth. There are a lot of miRNAs in the human body and not all of them are responsible for cancer growth. Therefore, there is a need to propose the novel miRNA subset selection algorithms to remove irrelevant and redundant miRNAs and find miRNAs responsible for cancer development. This paper tries to propose a novel three-stage miRNAs subset selection framework for increasing the cancer classification accuracy. In the first stage, multiple filter algorithms are used for ranking the miRNAs according to their relevance with the class label, and then generating a miRNA pool obtained based on the top-ranked miRNAs of each filter algorithm. In the second stage, we first rank the miRNAs of the miRNA pool by multiple filter algorithms and then this ranking is used to weight the probability of selecting each miRNA. In the third stage, Competitive Swarm Optimization (CSO) tries to find an optimal subset from the weighed miRNAs of the miRNA pool, which give us the most information about the cancer patients. It should be noted that the balance between exploration and exploitation in the proposed algorithm is accomplished by a zero-order Fuzzy Inference System (FIS). Experiments on several miRNA cancer datasets indicate that the proposed three-stage framework has a great performance in terms of both the low error rate of the cancer classification and minimizing the number of miRNAs.
Enhancing Intelligence: From the Group to the Individual
Authors: Colom Roberto , Román Francisco
Published: March 2018

Research aimed at testing whether short-term training programs can enhance intelligence is mainly concentrated on behavior. Expected positive effects are found sometimes, but the evidence is far from conclusive. It is assumed that training must evoke changes in the brain for observing genuine improvements in behavior. However, behavioral and brain data are seldom combined in the same study. Here we present one example of this latter type of research summarizing, discussing, and integrating already published results. The training program was based on the adaptive dual n-back task, and participants completed a comprehensive battery measuring fluid and crystallized ability, along with working memory and attention control, before and after training. They were also submitted to MRI scanning at baseline and post-training. Behavioral results revealed positive effects for visuospatial processing across cognitive domains. Brain imaging data were analyzed by longitudinal voxel-based morphometry, tensor-based morphometry, surface-based morphometry, and structural connectivity. The integration of these multimodal brain results provides clues about those observed in behavior. Our findings, along with previous research and current technological advances, are considered from the perspective that we now live in ideal times for (a) moving from the group to the individual and (b) developing personalized training programs.
Intraindividual Variability across Neuropsychological Tests: Dispersion and Disengaged Lifestyle Increase Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Halliday Drew , Stawski Robert , Cerino Eric , DeCarlo Correne , Grewal Karl , MacDonald Stuart
Published: March 2018

Objective: Increased intraindividual variability (IIV) in function has been linked to various age-related outcomes including cognitive decline and dementia. Most studies have operationalized IIV as fluctuations across trials (e.g., response latencies) for a single task, with comparatively few studies examining variability across multiple tasks for a given individual. In the present study, we derive a multivariable operationalization of dispersion across a broad profile of neuropsychological measures and use this index along with degree of engaged lifestyle to predict risk of cognitive impairment. Participants and Methods: Participants (n = 60) were community-dwelling older adults aged 65+ years (M = 74.1, SD = 6.5) participating in a cross-sectional investigation of risk factors for amnestic mild cognitive impairment (a-MCI) and probable Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Participants were classified into three subgroups based on test performance and clinical judgement. Healthy controls (n = 30) scored better than −1 SD relative to existing norms on all classification measures, in the absence of memory complaints or functional impairments. The a-MCI group (n = 23) had self- or informant-reported memory complaints and scored 1 SD or more below the mean for at least one memory task while scoring better than 1 SD below the mean for all other cognitive domains, in the absence of functional impairments. The AD group (n = 7) scored at least 2 SD below the mean for two cognitive domains (including memory) with impairments in functioning. Measures spanned a range of cognitive domains (episodic memory, executive function, language), with the derived dispersion estimates reflecting variability across an individual’s neuropsychological profile relative to the group average. Further, an Activities Lifestyle Questionnaire, indexing social, cognitive, and physical behaviors, was administered to assess the protective benefits of engaged lifestyle. Results: Multinomial logistic regression models examined the risk of being classified as a-MCI or AD as a function of increased dispersion, (dis)engaged lifestyle, and their interaction. Greater dispersion was associated with an increased likelihood of being classified with AD, with protective engaged-lifestyle benefits apparent for a-MCI individuals only. Conclusion: As a measure of IIV, dispersion across neuropsychological profiles holds promise for the detection of cognitive impairment.
Intraindividual Variability in Inhibition and Prospective Memory in Healthy Older Adults: Insights from Response Regularity and Rapidity
Authors: Joly-Burra Emilie , Van der Linden Martial , Ghisletta Paolo
Published: March 2018

Successful prospective memory (PM) performance relies on executive functions, including inhibition. However, PM and inhibition are usually assessed in separate tasks, and analytically the focus is either on group differences or at most on interindividual differences. Conjoint measures of PM and inhibition performance that take into account intraindividual variability (IIV) are thus missing. In the present study, we assessed healthy older adults’ level of performance and IIV in both inhibition and PM using a classical Go/NoGo task. We also created a prospective Go/NoGo version that embeds a PM component into the task. Using dynamic structural equation modeling, we assessed the joint effects of mean level (μ), an indicator of amplitude of fluctuations in IIV (or net IIV; intraindividual standard deviation, iSD), and an indicator of time dependency in IIV (the autoregressive parameter ϕ) in reaction times (RTs) on inhibition and PM performance. Results indicate that higher inhibition failure, but not IIV, predicted PM errors, corroborating the current literature on the involvement of prepotent response inhibition in PM processes. In turn, fastest RT latency (μ) and increased net IIV (iSD) were consistently associated with prepotent response inhibition failure, while coherence in RT pattern (ϕ) was beneficial to inhibition performance when the task was novel. Time-dependent IIV (ϕ) appears to reflect an adaptive exploration of strategies to attain optimal performance, whereas increased net IIV (iSD) may indicate inefficient sustained cognitive processes when performance is high. We discuss trade-off processes between competing tasks.
Forecast Combinations in the Presence of Structural Breaks: Evidence from U.S. Equity Markets
Authors: De Gaetano Davide
Published: March 2018

Realized volatility, building on the theory of a simple continuous time process, has recently received attention as a nonparametric ex-post estimate of the return variation. This paper addresses the problem of parameter instability due to the presence of structural breaks in realized volatility in the context of three HAR-type models. The analysis is conducted on four major U.S. equity indices. More specifically, a recursive testing methodology is performed to evaluate the null hypothesis of constant parameters, and then, the performance of several forecast combinations based on different weighting schemes is compared in an out-of-sample variance forecasting exercise. The main findings are the following: (i) the hypothesis of constant model parameters is rejected for all markets under consideration; (ii) in all cases, the recursive forecasting approach, which is appropriate in the absence of structural changes, is outperformed by forecast combination schemes; and (iii) weighting schemes that assign more weight in most recent observations are superior in the majority of cases.
Antimicrobial Membranes of Bio-Based PA 11 and HNTs Filled with Lysozyme Obtained by an Electrospinning Process
Authors: Bugatti Valeria , Vertuccio Luigi , Viscusi Gianluca , Gorrasi Giuliana
Published: March 2018

Bio-based membranes were obtained using Polyamide 11 (PA11) from renewable sources and a nano-hybrid composed of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) filled with lysozyme (50 wt % of lysozyme), as a natural antimicrobial molecule. Composites were prepared using an electrospinning process, varying the nano-hybrid loading (i.e., 1.0, 2.5, 5.0 wt %). The morphology of the membranes was investigated through SEM analysis and there was found to be a narrow average fiber diameter (0.3–0.5 μm). The mechanical properties were analyzed and correlated to the nano-hybrid content. Controlled release of lysozyme was followed using UV spectrophotometry and the release kinetics were found to be dependent on HNTs–lysozyme loading. The experimental results were analyzed by a modified Gallagher–Corrigan model. The application of the produced membranes, as bio-based pads, for extending the shelf life of chicken slices has been tested and evaluated.
Inhibition of E. coli Growth by Nanodiamond and Graphene Oxide Enhanced by Luria-Bertani Medium
Authors: Jira Jaroslav , Rezek Bohuslav , Kriha Vitezslav , Artemenko Anna , Matolínová Iva , Skakalova Viera , Stenclova Pavla , Kromka Alexander
Published: March 2018

Nanodiamonds (NDs) and graphene oxide (GO) are modern carbon-based nanomaterials with promising features for the inhibition of microorganism growth ability. Here we compare the effects of nanodiamond and graphene oxide in both annealed (oxidized) and reduced (hydrogenated) forms in two types of cultivation media—Luria-Bertani (LB) and Mueller-Hinton (MH) broths. The comparison shows that the number of colony forming unit (CFU) of Escherichia coli is significantly lowered (45%) by all the nanomaterials in LB medium for at least 24 h against control. On the contrary, a significant long-term inhibition of E. coli growth (by 45%) in the MH medium is provided only by hydrogenated NDs terminated with C-HX groups. The use of salty agars did not enhance the inhibition effects of nanomaterials used, i.e. disruption of bacterial membrane or differences in ionic concentrations do not play any role in bactericidal effects of nanomaterials used. The specific role of the ND and GO on the enhancement of the oxidative stress of bacteria or possible wrapping bacteria by GO nanosheets, therefore isolating them from both the environment and nutrition was suggested. Analyses by infrared spectroscopy, photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering corroborate these conclusions.
The Special Case of Human Astrocytes
Authors: Verkhratsky Alexei , Bush Nancy , Nedergaard Maiken , Butt Arthur
Published: March 2018

In this first issue of Neuroglia, it is highly appropriate that Professor Jorge A. Colombo at the Unit of Applied Neurobiology (UNA, CEMIC-CONICET) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, writes a perspective of idiosyncrasies of astrocytes in the human brain. Much of his work has been focused on the special case of interlaminar astrocytes, so-named because of their long straight processes that traverse the layers of the human cerebral cortex. Notably, interlaminar astrocytes are primate-specific and their evolutionary development is directly related to that of the columnar organization of the cerebral cortex in higher primates. The human brain also contains varicose projection astrocytes or polarized astrocytes which are absent in lower animals. In addition, classical protoplasmic astrocytes dwelling in the brains of humans are ≈15-times larger and immensely more complex than their rodent counterparts. Human astrocytes retain their peculiar morphology even after grafting into rodent brains; that is, they replace the host astrocytes and confer certain cognitive advantages into so-called ‘humanised’ chimeric mice. Recently, a number of innovative studies have highlighted the major differences between human and rodent astrocytes. Nonetheless, these differences are not widely recognized, and we hope that Jorge Colombo’s Perspective and our associated Commentary will help stimulate appreciation of human astrocytes by neuroscientists and glial cell biologists alike.
Iodine Status during Pregnancy in a Region of Mild-to-Moderate Iodine Deficiency is not Associated with Adverse Obstetric Outcomes; Results from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)
Authors: Torlinska Barbara , Bath Sarah , Janjua Aisha , Boelaert Kristien , Chan Shiao-Yng
Published: March 2018

Severe iodine deficiency during pregnancy has been associated with pregnancy/neonatal loss, and adverse pregnancy outcomes; however, the impact of mild–to–moderate iodine insufficiency, though prevalent in pregnancy, is not well-documented. We assessed whether mild iodine deficiency during pregnancy was associated with pregnancy/infant loss, or with other adverse pregnancy outcomes. We used samples and data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), from 3140 singleton pregnancies and from a further 42 women with pregnancy/infant loss. The group was classified as mildly-to-moderately iodine deficient with a median urinary iodine concentration of 95.3 µg/L (IQR 57.0–153.0; median urinary iodine-to-creatinine ratio (UI/Creat) 124 µg/g, IQR 82–198). The likelihood of pregnancy/infant loss was not different across four UI/Creat groups (<50, 50–149, 150–250, >250 µg/g). The incidence of pre-eclampsia, non-proteinuric gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes, glycosuria, anaemia, post-partum haemorrhage, preterm delivery, mode of delivery, being small for gestational age, and large for gestational age did not differ significantly among UI/Creat groups, nor were there any significant differences in the median UI/Creat. We conclude that maternal iodine status was not associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in a mildly-to-moderately iodine-deficient pregnant population. However, in view of the low number of women with pregnancy/infant loss in our study, further research is required.
Systematic Review of Vitamin D and Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy
Authors: O’Callaghan Karen , Kiely Mairead
Published: March 2018

This narrative systematic review evaluates growing evidence of an association between low maternal vitamin D status and increased risk of hypertensive disorders. The inclusion of interventional, observational, and dietary studies on vitamin D and all hypertensive disorders of pregnancy is a novel aspect of this review, providing a unique contribution to an intensively-researched area that still lacks a definitive conclusion. To date, trial evidence supports a protective effect of combined vitamin D and calcium supplementation against preeclampsia. Conflicting data for an association of vitamin D with gestational hypertensive disorders in observational studies arises from a number of sources, including large heterogeneity between study designs, lack of adherence to standardized perinatal outcome definitions, variable quality of analytical data for 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), and inconsistent data reporting of vitamin D status. While evidence does appear to lean towards an increased risk of gestational hypertensive disorders at 25(OH)D concentrations <50 nmol/L, caution should be exercised with dosing in trials, given the lack of data on long-term safety. The possibility that a fairly narrow target range for circulating 25(OH)D for achievement of clinically-relevant improvements requires further exploration. As hypertension alone, and not preeclampsia specifically, limits intrauterine growth, evaluation of the relationship between vitamin D status and all terms of hypertension in pregnancy is a clinically relevant area for research and should be prioritised in future randomised trials.
Starch-Chitosan Polyplexes: A Versatile Carrier System for Anti-Infectives and Gene Delivery
Authors: Yasar Hanzey , Ho Duy-Khiet , De Rossi Chiara , Herrmann Jennifer , Gordon Sarah , Loretz Brigitta , Lehr Claus-Michael
Published: March 2018

Despite the enormous potential of nanomedicine, the search for materials from renewable resources that balance bio-medical requirements and engineering aspects is still challenging. This study proposes an easy method to make nanoparticles composed of oxidized starch and chitosan, both isolated from natural biopolymers. The careful adjustment of C/N ratio, polymer concentration and molecular weight allowed for tuning of particle characteristics. The system’s carrier capability was assessed both for anti-infectives and for nucleic acid. Higher starch content polyplexes were found to be suitable for high encapsulation efficiency of cationic anti-infectives and preserving their bactericidal function. A cationic carrier was obtained by coating the anionic polyplex with chitosan. Coating allowed for a minimal amount of cationic polymer to be employed and facilitated plasmid DNA loading both within the particle core and on the surface. Transfection studies showed encouraging result, approximately 5% of A549 cells with reporter gene expression. In summary, starch-chitosan complexes are suitable carriers with promising perspectives for pharmaceutical use.
Biomaterials Based on Electrospun Chitosan. Relation between Processing Conditions and Mechanical Properties
Authors: Garcia Christian , Martínez Félix , Bossard Frédéric , Rinaudo Marguerite
Published: March 2018

In this paper, it is shown that pure chitosan nanofibers and films were prepared with success in 0.5 M acetic acid as solvent using poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) at different yields, allowing electrospinning of the blends. After processing, a neutralization step of chitosan followed by water washing is performed, preserving the initial morphology of chitosan materials. The influence of the yield in PEO in the blend on the degree of swelling and hydrophilicity of films and nanofibers is demonstrated. Then, the mechanical behavior of blended nanofibers and films used as reference are determined for small stress applied in the linear domain by DMA and by uniaxial traction up to rupture. The dried and wet states are covered for the first time. It is shown that the mechanical properties are increased when electrospinning is performed in the presence of PEO up to a 70/30 chitosan/PEO weight ratio even after PEO extraction. This result can be explained by a better dispersion of the chitosan in the presence of PEO.
Robust Composite High-Order Super-Twisting Sliding Mode Control of Robot Manipulators
Authors: Tayebi-Haghighi Shahnaz , Piltan Farzin , Kim Jong-Myon
Published: March 2018

This paper describes the design of a robust composite high-order super-twisting sliding mode controller (HOSTSMC) for robot manipulators. Robot manipulators are extensively used in industrial manufacturing for many complex and specialized applications. These applications require robots with nonlinear mechanical architectures, resulting in multiple control challenges in various applications. To address this issue, this paper focuses on designing a robust composite high-order super-twisting sliding mode controller by combining a higher-order super-twisting sliding mode controller as the main controller with a super-twisting higher-order sliding mode observer as unknown state measurement and uncertainty estimator in the presence of uncertainty. The proposed method adaptively improves the traditional sliding mode controller (TSMC) and the estimated state sliding mode controller (ESMC) to attenuate the chattering. The effectiveness of a HOSTSMC is tested over six degrees of freedom (DOF) using a Programmable Universal Manipulation Arm (PUMA) robot manipulator. The proposed method outperforms the TSMC and ESMC, yielding 4.9% and 2% average performance improvements in the output position root-mean-square (RMS) error and average error, respectively.
SAR Target Recognition via Incremental Nonnegative Matrix Factorization
Authors: Dang Sihang , Cui Zongyong , Cao Zongjie , Liu Nengyuan
Published: March 2018

In synthetic aperture radar (SAR) target recognition, the amount of target data increases continuously, and thus SAR automatic target recognition (ATR) systems are required to provide updated feature models in real time. Most recent SAR feature extraction methods have to use both existing and new samples to retrain a new model every time new data is acquired. However, this repeated calculation of existing samples leads to an increased computing cost. In this paper, a dynamic feature learning method called incremental nonnegative matrix factorization with L p sparse constraints (L p -INMF) is proposed as a solution to that problem. In contrast to conventional nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) whereby existing and new samples are computed to retrain a new model, incremental NMF (INMF) computes only the new samples to update the trained model incrementally, which can improve the computing efficiency. Considering the sparse characteristics of scattering centers in SAR images, we set the updating process under a generic sparse constraint (L p ) for matrix decomposition of INMF. Thus, L p -INMF can extract sparse characteristics in SAR images. Experimental results using Moving and Stationary Target Acquisition and Recognition (MSTAR) benchmark data illustrate that the proposed L p -INMF method can not only update models with new samples more efficiently than conventional NMF, but also has a higher recognition rate than NMF and INMF.
An Exploration of Some Pitfalls of Thematic Map Assessment Using the New Map Tools Resource
Authors: Salk Carl , Fritz Steffen , See Linda , Dresel Christopher , McCallum Ian
Published: March 2018

A variety of metrics are commonly employed by map producers and users to assess and compare thematic maps’ quality, but their use and interpretation is inconsistent. This problem is exacerbated by a shortage of tools to allow easy calculation and comparison of metrics from different maps or as a map’s legend is changed. In this paper, we introduce a new website and a collection of R functions to facilitate map assessment. We apply these tools to illustrate some pitfalls of error metrics and point out existing and newly developed solutions to them. Some of these problems have been previously noted, but all of them are under-appreciated and persist in published literature. We show that binary and categorical metrics, including information about true-negative classifications, are inflated for rare categories, and more robust alternatives should be chosen. Most metrics are useful to compare maps only if their legends are identical. We also demonstrate that combining land-cover classes has the often-neglected consequence of apparent improvement, particularly if the combined classes are easily confused (e.g., different forest types). However, we show that the average mutual information (AMI) of a map is relatively robust to combining classes, and reflects the information that is lost in this process; we also introduce a modified AMI metric that credits only correct classifications. Finally, we introduce a method of evaluating statistical differences in the information content of competing maps, and show that this method is an improvement over other methods in more common use. We end with a series of recommendations for the meaningful use of accuracy metrics by map users and producers.
A Relative Radiometric Calibration Method Based on the Histogram of Side-Slither Data for High-Resolution Optical Satellite Imagery
Authors: Wang Mi , Chen Chaochao , Pan Jun , Zhu Ying , Chang Xueli
Published: March 2018

Relative radiometric calibration, or flat fielding, is indispensable for obtaining high-quality optical satellite imagery for sensors that have more than one detector per band. High-resolution optical push-broom sensors with thousands of detectors per band are now common. Multiple techniques have been employed for relative radiometric calibration. One technique, often called side-slither, where the sensor axis is rotated 90° in yaw relative to normal acquisitions, has been gaining popularity, being applied to Landsat 8, QuickBird, RapidEye, and other satellites. Side-slither can be more time efficient than some of the traditional methods, as only one acquisition may be required. In addition, the side-slither does not require any onboard calibration hardware, only a satellite capability to yaw and maintain a stable yawed attitude. A relative radiometric calibration method based on histograms of side-slither data is developed. This method has three steps: pre-processing, extraction of key points, and calculation of coefficients. Histogram matching and Otsu’s method are used to extract key points. Three datasets from the Chinese GaoFen-9 satellite were used: one to obtain the relative radiometric coefficients, and the others to verify the coefficients. Root-mean-square deviations of the corrected imagery were better than 0.1%. The maximum streaking metrics was less than 1. This method produced significantly better relative radiometric calibration than the traditional method used for GaoFen-9.
Earable TEMPO: A Novel, Hands-Free Input Device that Uses the Movement of the Tongue Measured with a Wearable Ear Sensor
Authors: Taniguchi Kazuhiro , Kondo Hisashi , Kurosawa Mami , Nishikawa Atsushi
Published: March 2018

In this study, an earphone-type interface named “earable TEMPO” was developed for hands-free operation, wherein the user can control the device by simply pushing the tongue against the roof of the mouth for about one second. This interface can be used to start and stop the music from a portable audio player. The earable TEMPO uses an earphone-type sensor equipped with a light emitting diode (LED) and a phototransistor to optically measure shape variations that occur in the external auditory meatus when the tongue is pressed against the roof of the mouth. To evaluate the operation of the earable TEMPO, experiments were performed on five subjects (men and women aged 22–58) while resting, chewing gum (representing mastication), and walking. The average accuracy was 100% while resting and chewing and 99% while walking. The precision was 100% under all conditions. The average recall value of the five subjects was 92%, 90%, and 48% while resting, masticating, and walking, respectively. All subjects were reliably able to perform the action of pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth. The measured shape variations in the ear canal were highly reproducible, indicating that this method is suitable for various applications such as controlling a portable audio player.
Identifying Time Periods of Minimal Thermal Gradient for Temperature-Driven Structural Health Monitoring
Authors: Reilly John , Glisic Branko
Published: March 2018

Temperature changes play a large role in the day to day structural behavior of structures, but a smaller direct role in most contemporary Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) analyses. Temperature-Driven SHM will consider temperature as the principal driving force in SHM, relating a measurable input temperature to measurable output generalized strain (strain, curvature, etc.) and generalized displacement (deflection, rotation, etc.) to create three-dimensional signatures descriptive of the structural behavior. Identifying time periods of minimal thermal gradient provides the foundation for the formulation of the temperature–deformation–displacement model. Thermal gradients in a structure can cause curvature in multiple directions, as well as non-linear strain and stress distributions within the cross-sections, which significantly complicates data analysis and interpretation, distorts the signatures, and may lead to unreliable conclusions regarding structural behavior and condition. These adverse effects can be minimized if the signatures are evaluated at times when thermal gradients in the structure are minimal. This paper proposes two classes of methods based on the following two metrics: (i) the range of raw temperatures on the structure, and (ii) the distribution of the local thermal gradients, for identifying time periods of minimal thermal gradient on a structure with the ability to vary the tolerance of acceptable thermal gradients. The methods are tested and validated with data collected from the Streicker Bridge on campus at Princeton University.
A Manganin Thin Film Ultra-High Pressure Sensor for Microscale Detonation Pressure Measurement
Authors: Zhang Guodong , Zhao Yulong , Zhao Yun , Wang Xinchen , Wei Xueyong , Ren Wei , Li Hui , Zhao You
Published: March 2018

With the development of energetic materials (EMs) and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) initiating explosive devices, the measurement of detonation pressure generated by EMs in the microscale has become a pressing need. This paper develops a manganin thin film ultra-high pressure sensor based on MEMS technology for measuring the output pressure from micro-detonator. A reliable coefficient is proposed for designing the sensor’s sensitive element better. The sensor employs sandwich structure: the substrate uses a 0.5 mm thick alumina ceramic, the manganin sensitive element with a size of 0.2 mm × 0.1 mm × 2 μm and copper electrodes of 2 μm thick are sputtered sequentially on the substrate, and a 25 μm thick insulating layer of polyimide is wrapped on the sensitive element. The static test shows that the piezoresistive coefficient of manganin thin film is 0.0125 GPa−1. The dynamic experiment indicates that the detonation pressure of micro-detonator is 12.66 GPa, and the response time of the sensor is 37 ns. In a word, the sensor developed in this study is suitable for measuring ultra-high pressure in microscale and has a shorter response time than that of foil-like manganin gauges. Simultaneously, this study could be beneficial to research on ultra-high-pressure sensors with smaller size.
Optical Fibre NO2 Sensor Based on Lutetium Bisphthalocyanine in a Mesoporous Silica Matrix
Authors: Debliquy Marc , Lahem Driss , Bueno-Martinez Antonio , Caucheteur Christophe , Bouvet Marcel , Recloux Isaline , Raskin Jean-Pierre , Olivier Marie-Georges
Published: March 2018

In this article, we describe a NO2 sensor consisting of a coating based on lutetium bisphthalocyanine (LuPc2) in mesoporous silica. The sensor exploits the absorption spectrum change of this material which strongly and reversibly decreases in contact with NO2. NO2 is measured by following the amplitude change in the reflected spectrum of the coating deposited on the tip of a silica fibre. As diffusion of NO2 in LuPc2 is slow, the response time could be slow. To reduce it, the active molecules are dispersed in a mesoporous silica matrix deposited by a sol-gel process (Evaporation Induced Self Assembly) avoiding the formation of large crystals. Doing so, the response is fairly fast. As the recovery is slow at room temperature, the recovery time is reduced by exposure to UV light at 365 nm. This UV light is directly introduced in the fibre yielding a practical sensor sensitive to NO2 in the ppm range suitable for pollution monitoring.
Low Cost Efficient Deliverying Video Surveillance Service to Moving Guard for Smart Home
Authors: Gualotuña Tatiana , Macías Elsa , Suárez Álvaro , C. Efraín , Rivadeneira Andrés
Published: March 2018

Low-cost video surveillance systems are attractive for Smart Home applications (especially in emerging economies). Those systems use the flexibility of the Internet of Things to operate the video camera only when an intrusion is detected. We are the only ones that focus on the design of protocols based on intelligent agents to communicate the video of an intrusion in real time to the guards by wireless or mobile networks. The goal is to communicate, in real time, the video to the guards who can be moving towards the smart home. However, this communication suffers from sporadic disruptions that difficults the control and drastically reduces user satisfaction and operativity of the system. In a novel way, we have designed a generic software architecture based on design patterns that can be adapted to any hardware in a simple way. The implanted hardware is of very low economic cost; the software frameworks are free. In the experimental tests we have shown that it is possible to communicate to the moving guard, intrusion notifications (by e-mail and by instant messaging), and the first video frames in less than 20 s. In addition, we automatically recovered the frames of video lost in the disruptions in a transparent way to the user, we supported vertical handover processes and we could save energy of the smartphone's battery. However, the most important thing was that the high satisfaction of the people who have used the system.
LESS: Link Estimation with Sparse Sampling in Intertidal WSNs
Authors: Zhou Xinyan , Ji Xiaoyu , Chen Yi-chao , Li Xiaopeng , Xu Wenyuan
Published: March 2018

Deploying wireless sensor networks (WSN) in the intertidal area is an effective approach for environmental monitoring. To sustain reliable data delivery in such a dynamic environment, a link quality estimation mechanism is crucial. However, our observations in two real WSN systems deployed in the intertidal areas reveal that link update in routing protocols often suffers from energy and bandwidth waste due to the frequent link quality measurement and updates. In this paper, we carefully investigate the network dynamics using real-world sensor network data and find it feasible to achieve accurate estimation of link quality using sparse sampling. We design and implement a compressive-sensing-based link quality estimation protocol,

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, which incorporates both spatial and temporal characteristics of the system to aid the link update in routing protocols. We evaluate

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in both real WSN systems and a large-scale simulation, and the results show that

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can reduce energy and bandwidth consumption by up to

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while still achieving more than

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link quality estimation accuracy.
Magnetometer and Gyroscope Calibration Method with Level Rotation
Authors: Wu Zongkai , Wang Wei
Published: March 2018

Micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) gyroscopes and magnetometers are usually integrated into a sensor module or chip and widely used in a variety of applications. In existing integrated gyroscope and magnetometer calibration methods, rotation in all possible orientations is a necessary condition for a good calibration result. However, rotation around two or more axes is difficult to attain, as it is limited by the range of movement of vehicles such as cars, ships, or planes. To solve this problem, this paper proposes an integrated magnetometer and gyroscope calibration method with level rotation. The proposed method presents a redefined magnetometer output model using level attitude. New gyroscope and magnetometer calibration models are then deduced. In addition, a simplified cubature Kalman filter (CKF) is established to estimate calibration parameters. This method possesses important value for application in actual systems, as it only needs level rotation for real-time calibration of gyroscopes and magnetometers. Theoretical analysis and test results verify the validity and feasibility of this method.
Design and Deployment of Low-Cost Sensors for Monitoring the Water Quality and Fish Behavior in Aquaculture Tanks during the Feeding Process
Authors: Parra Lorena , Sendra Sandra , García Laura , Lloret Jaime
Published: March 2018

The monitoring of farming processes can optimize the use of resources and improve its sustainability and profitability. In fish farms, the water quality, tank environment, and fish behavior must be monitored. Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are a promising option to perform this monitoring. Nevertheless, its high cost is slowing the expansion of its use. In this paper, we propose a set of sensors for monitoring the water quality and fish behavior in aquaculture tanks during the feeding process. The WSN is based on physical sensors, composed of simple electronic components. The system proposed can monitor water quality parameters, tank status, the feed falling and fish swimming depth and velocity. In addition, the system includes a smart algorithm to reduce the energy waste when sending the information from the node to the database. The system is composed of three nodes in each tank that send the information though the local area network to a database on the Internet and a smart algorithm that detects abnormal values and sends alarms when they happen. All the sensors are designed, calibrated, and deployed to ensure its suitability. The greatest efforts have been accomplished with the fish presence sensor. The total cost of the sensors and nodes for the proposed system is less than 90 €.