bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Romantic Portraits and Contemporary Audiences: Report from an Exhibition on the History of Emotions
Authors: Vejlby Anna Schram
Published: October 2018

This article combines two issues: the actual emotional landscape of Danish portraiture from the first half of the nineteenth century and twenty-first-century audiences' response to these portraits. My research is based on written sources, art historical methods of the interpretation of visual material, and surveys among the audiences of the Hirschsprung Collection in Copenhagen, where the exhibition Keeping up Appearances. Portraits and emotions in the Golden Age takes place in the autumn of 2017. The exhibition is based on previous research that I have conducted into emotion in Danish portraiture and will be an occasion to reevaluate earlier surveys in order to present new conclusions in this article. The article explores the psychological and emotional circumstances that surround examples of some of the finest Danish portraits of the 1800s and how the modern individual can attain a more profound understanding of these images and the range of emotions they embody. The portraits' historical public had no doubts as to the deep and complex emotion embedded in them, but today they often prove more difficult to interpret since a prior understanding of the given period is required in order to fully grasp the people depicted and the different things they may have felt. When audiences see a portrait in the twenty-first century they are often compelled to interpret it in the same way that they would interpret living people. This creates a set of challenges in our relation to and understanding of a person in a portrait through a given time and space. I will use Lisa Feldman Barrett's research on emotional communication in my analyses of the encounter between the portrait and the modern viewer.
The Role and Meaning of Religious Architecture in the Umayyad State: Secondary Mosques
Authors: González Gutiérrez Carmen
Published: October 2018

Historiography and archaeological research have traditionally defined mosques mainly as religious spaces or places to pray, without further specifications. This simplification has usually dominated the analyses of mosques, while other uses or functional aspects of these buildings were put aside. The scarcity of material information available for years to approach these buildings, together with the dominance of the more monumental examples—such as the great mosque of Córdoba—provoked that analyses about other more modest mosques were scarce or almost inexistent. However, in recent decades, the proliferation of real estate building activities has led to the recovery of many new and fresh archaeological data related to other mosques different from the Friday ones. Specifically, in Córdoba, the volume of information recovered has been enormous, and concerns not only mosques as isolated buildings, but also their urban environments, construction processes, and evolution along the centuries. Therefore, in this paper, we offer a summarized overview of the state of the arts about research on mosques in al-Andalus, presenting the main problems and limitations of the topic until now, and also the case of Córdoba and the main results achieved there as a reference for further actions to be undertaken in the rest of the territory.
Information Transfer Among the Components in Multi-Dimensional Complex Dynamical Systems
Authors: Yin Yimin , Duan Xiaojun
Published: October 2018

In this paper, a rigorous formalism of information transfer within a multi-dimensional deterministic dynamic system is established for both continuous flows and discrete mappings. The underlying mechanism is derived from entropy change and transfer during the evolutions of multiple components. While this work is mainly focused on three-dimensional systems, the analysis of information transfer among state variables can be generalized to high-dimensional systems. Explicit formulas are given and verified in the classical Lorenz and Chua’s systems. The uncertainty of information transfer is quantified for all variables, with which a dynamic sensitivity analysis could be performed statistically as an additional benefit. The generalized formalisms can be applied to study dynamical behaviors as well as asymptotic dynamics of the system. The simulation results can help to reveal some underlying information for understanding the system better, which can be used for prediction and control in many diverse fields.
Willingness to Pay for Improved Household Solid Waste Collection in Blantyre, Malawi
Authors: Ndau Hanke , Tilley Elizabeth
Published: October 2018

Insufficient staff, inappropriate collection vehicles, limited operating budgets and growing, hard to reach populations mean that solid waste management remains limited in most developing countries; Malawi is no exception. We estimated the willingness to pay (WTP) for two hypothetical solid waste collection services. Additionally, we tested the impact of the WTP question positioning relative to environmental perceptions on respondents’ WTP. The first scenario involved a five minute walk to a disposal facility; the second scenario involved a 30 min walk. Additionally, the order of the question was randomized within the questionnaire. A WTP value of K1780 was found for the five minute walk scenario when the question was placed first, and K2138 when placed after revealing the respondent’s perceptions on the environment. In the 30 min walk scenario, WTP was K945 when placed first and K1139 when placed after revealing the respondent’s perceptions on the environment. The estimated values indicate that there is both a willingness to pay for solid waste services and that there are at least two options that would be acceptable to the community; a pilot scale implementation would be required to validate the hypothetical values, especially given the dependency on problem framing. Community financing should be considered as a sustainable approach to solid waste management in underserved areas.
How Much Does Economic Growth Contribute to Child Stunting Reductions?
Authors: Mary Sébastien
Published: October 2018

The role of economic growth in reducing child undernutrition remains an open and highly debated question that holds important implications for food security strategies. The empirical evidence has been quite contrasted, primarily in regard to the magnitude of the impacts. Yet, most studies have not (appropriately) accounted for the reverse causality between economic growth and child stunting. Using a dataset of 74 developing countries observed between 1984 and 2014, this paper develops a novel approach accounting for the reverse causal effect of stunting on GDP per capita and finds that the impacts of economic growth are much lower than estimated in most previous studies. A 10% increase in GDP per capita reduces child stunting prevalence by 2.7%. In other words, economic growth is modestly pro-poor. We also estimate that a percentage point increase in child stunting prevalence results in a 0.4% decrease in GDP per capita. A back-of-the-envelope calculation suggests that stunting costs on average about 13.5% of GDP per capita in developing countries.
Caution Is Needed in Quantifying Terrestrial Biomass Responses to Elevated Temperature: Meta-Analyses of Field-Based Experimental Warming Across China
Authors: Yan Kai , Zhang Shuang , Luo Yahuang , Wang Zhenghong , Zhai Deli , Xu Jianchu , Yang Huizhao , Ranjitkar Sailesh
Published: October 2018

Certainty over warming-induced biomass accumulation is essential for addressing climate change. However, no previous meta-analysis has investigated this accumulation across the whole of China; also unclear are the differences between herbaceous and woody species and across plant phylogeny, which are critical for corresponding re-vegetation. We extracted data from 90 field-based experiments to reveal general patterns and driving factors of biomass responses all over China. Based on traditional meta-analyses, a warmer temperature significantly increased above- (10.8%) and below-ground (14.2%) biomass accumulation. With increasing warming duration (WarmD) and plant clade age, both above-ground and below-ground biomass showed significant increases. However, for herbaceous versus woody plants, and the whole community versus its dominant species, responses were not always constant; the combined synergies would affect accumulative response patterns. When considering WarmD as a weight, decreases in total above-ground biomass response magnitude were presented, and the increase in below-ground biomass was no longer significant; notably, significant positive responses remained in tree species. However, if phylogenetic information was included in the calculations, all warming-induced plant biomass increases were not significant. Thus, it is still premature to speculate whether warming induces biomass increases in China; further long-term experiments are needed regarding phylogeny-based responses and interspecies relations, especially regarding woody plants and forests.
Fractionation of Glycomacropeptide from Whey Using Positively Charged Ultrafiltration Membranes
Authors: Arunkumar Abhiram , Etzel Mark R.
Published: October 2018

Fractionation of the bovine glycomacropeptide (GMP) from the other proteins in cheese whey was examined using ultrafiltration membranes surface modified to contain positively charged polymer brushes made of polyhexamethylene biguanide. By placing a strong positive charge on a 1000 kDa ultrafiltration membrane and adjusting the pH of whey close to the isoelectric point of GMP, a 14-fold increase in selectivity was observed compared to unmodified membranes. A one stage membrane system gave 90% pure GMP and a three-stage rectification system gave 97% pure GMP. The charged membrane was salt-tolerant up to 40 mS cm−1 conductivity, allowing fractionation of GMP directly from cheese whey without first lowering the whey conductivity by water dilution. Thus, similarly sized proteins that differed somewhat in isoelectric points and were 50–100 fold smaller than the membrane molecular weight cut-off (MWCO), were cleanly fractionated using charged ultrafiltration membranes without water addition. This is the first study to report on the use of salt-tolerant charged ultrafiltration membranes to produce chromatographically pure protein fractions from whey, making ultrafiltration an attractive alternative to chromatography for dairy protein fractionation.
Supplementary Light Source Affects the Growth and Development of Codonopsis lanceolata Seedlings
Authors: Ren Xiuxia , Liu Ya , Jeong Hai Kyoung , Jeong Byoung Ryong
Published: October 2018

Codonopsis lanceolata is widely used in traditional medicine and diets. However, there is no optimal protocol for the commercial production of C. lanceolata seedlings. This study was carried out to find the optimum supplementary light source for the production of C. lanceolata seedlings. Seedlings were grown for four weeks in a glasshouse with an average daily light intensity of 490 μmol·m−2·s−1 photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) coming from the sun and a 16-h daily supplementary lighting at 120 μmol·m−2·s−1 PPFD from either high-pressure sodium (HPS), metal halide (MH), far-red (FR), white LED (LED-w), or mixed (white: red: blue = 1:2:1) LEDs (LED-mix). The results showed that the greatest total biomass, stem diameter, ratio of shoot weight to shoot length, root biomass, and ratio of root weight to shoot weight were found in seedlings grown under supplementary LED-mix. Meanwhile, the stomatal properties and soluble sugar contents were improved for seedlings in LED-mix. The contents of starch, total phenols, and flavonoids were the greatest for seedlings in LED-w and LED-mix. The expression of photosynthetic proteins and genes in seedlings was also enhanced by LED-mix. Overall, these results suggest that LED-mix is advantageous to the photosynthetic potential and the accumulation of biomass, carbohydrates and secondary metabolites in C. lanceolata.
Regulatory Efficacy of the Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids from Microalgae Spirulina platensis on Lipid Metabolism and Gut Microbiota in High-Fat Diet Rats
Authors: Li Tian-Tian , Liu Yuan-Yuan , Wan Xu-Zhi , Huang Zi-Rui , Liu Bin , Zhao Chao
Published: October 2018

Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with photo-diode array detector and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry was employed to analyze the major fatty acids in Spirulina platensis 95% ethanol extract (SPL95). The effects of SPL95 on hepatoprotection were evaluated, including liver tissue histopathology, liver, and serum biochemical analysis. The active principle of SPL95 revealed a hypolipidemic effect, as indicated by down-regulating the mRNA and protein levels of sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor-1c, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A reductase, acetyl CoA carboxylase pathway, and upregulating adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase-α in liver. SPL95 enriched the beneficial bacteria, including Prevotella, Alloprevotella, Porphyromonadaceae, Barnesiella, and Paraprevotella. Treatment with SPL95 led to a decrease in microbes, such as Turicibacter, Romboutsia, Phascolarctobacterium, Olsenella, and Clostridium XVIII, which were positively correlated with serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol levels, but negatively correlated with the serum high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol levels. These results provide evidence that the fatty acid from SPL95 may be used as a novel adjuvant therapy and functional food to regulate gut microbiota in obese and diabetic individuals.
New Cytokines in the Pathogenesis of Atopic Dermatitis—New Therapeutic Targets
Authors: Klonowska Jolanta , Gleń Jolanta , Nowicki Roman , Trzeciak Magdalena
Published: October 2018

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a recurrent, chronic, and inflammatory skin disease, which processes with severe itchiness. It often coexists with different atopic diseases. The number of people suffering from AD is relatively high. Epidemiological research demonstrates that 15–30% of children and 2–10% adults suffer from AD. The disease has significant negative social and economic impacts, substantially decreasing the quality of life of the patients and their families. Thanks to enormous progress in science and technology, it becomes possible to recognise complex genetic, immunological, and environmental factors and epidermal barrier defects that play a role in the pathogenesis of AD. We hope that the new insight on cytokines in AD will lead to new, individualised therapy and will open different therapeutic possibilities. In this article, we will focus on the cytokines, interleukin (IL)-17, IL-19, IL-33, and TSLP (thymic stromal lymphopoietin), which play a significant role in AD pathogenesis and may become the targets for future biologic therapies in AD. It is believed that the new era of biological drugs in AD will give a chance for patients to receive more successful treatment.
Nutritional Modulation of AMPK-Impact upon Metabolic-Inflammation
Authors: Lyons Claire L. , Roche Helen M.
Published: October 2018

Nutritional status provides metabolic substrates to activate AMP-Activated Protein Kinase (AMPK), the energy sensor that regulates metabolism. Recent evidence has demonstrated that AMPK has wider functions with respect to regulating immune cell metabolism and function. One such example is the regulatory role that AMPK has on NLRP3-inlflammasome and IL-1β biology. This in turn can result in subsequent negative downstream effects on glucose, lipid and insulin metabolism. Nutrient stress in the form of obesity can impact AMPK and whole-body metabolism, leading to complications such as type 2 diabetes and cancer risk. There is a lack of data regarding the nature and extent that nutrient status has on AMPK and metabolic-inflammation. However, emerging work elucidates to a direct role of individual nutrients on AMPK and metabolic-inflammation, as a possible means of modulating AMPK activity. The posit being to use such nutritional agents to re-configure metabolic-inflammation towards more oxidative phosphorylation and promote the resolution of inflammation. The complex paradigm will be discussed within the context of if/how dietary components, nutrients including fatty acids and non-nutrient food components, such as resveratrol, berberine, curcumin and the flavonoid genistein, modulate AMPK dependent processes relating to inflammation and metabolism.
Infrared Thermography for Weld Inspection: Feasibility and Application
Authors: Dorafshan Sattar , Maguire Marc , Collins William
Published: October 2018

Traditional ultrasonic testing (UT) techniques have been widely used to detect surface and sub-surface defects of welds. UT inspection is a contact method which burdens the manufacturer by storing hot specimens for inspection when the material is cool. Additionally, UT is only valid for 5 mm specimens or thicker and requires a highly skilled operator to perform the inspections and interpret the signals. Infrared thermography (IRT) has the potential to be implemented for weld inspections due to its non-contact nature. In this study, the feasibility of using IRT to overcome the limitations of UT inspection is investigated to detect inclusion, porosity, cracking, and lack of fusion in 38 weld specimens with thicknesses of 3, 8 and 13 mm. UT inspection was also performed to locate regions containing defects in the 8 mm and 13 mm specimens. Results showed that regions diagnosed with defects by the UT inspection lost heat faster than the sound weld. The IRT method was applied to six 3 mm specimens to detect their defects and successfully detected lack of fusion in one of them. All specimens were cut at the locations indicated by UT and IRT methods which proved the presence of a defect in 86% of the specimens. Despite the agreement with the UT inspection, the proposed IRT method had limited success in locating the defects in the 8 mm specimens. To fully implement in-line IRT-based weld inspections more investigations are required.
Endoscopic Sclerotherapy with a Large Volume of High Concentration of Cyanoacrylate for Jejunal Variceal Bleeding bys Single-Balloon Enteroscopy
Authors: Lee Jyong-Hong , Wu Chih-Sheng , Huang Jen-Hsuan
Published: October 2018

Jejunal varices are a rare manifestation of portal hypertension, and they are associated with a high mortality and poor prognosis when bleeding occurs. A bleeding jejunal varix is much more challenging to diagnose and manage because of its anatomic location. Herein, we describe the case of a 62-year-old man with active jejunal variceal bleeding who presented with massive hematochezia and hypovolemic shock. He was treated successfully with a high volume and concentration of a glue mixture as endoscopic sclerotherapy using single-balloon enteroscopy in the intensive care unit. Enteroscopic sclerotherapy is an effective option for jejunal variceal bleeding.
The Content of Biogenic Amines in Croatian Wines of Different Geographical Origins
Authors: Mitar Ivana , Ljubenkov Ivica , Rohtek Nikolina , Prkić Ante , Anđelić Ivana , Vuletić Nenad
Published: October 2018

Samples of white and red wines produced in two different wine-growing regions, coastal (Dalmatia) and continental (Hrvatsko zagorje) of Croatia, were analysed for biogenic amines content. Biogenic amines content was determined, and its concentration levels were associated with the geographical origin of the wine. Due to its high sensitivity, HPLC method with ultraviolet detector was used, including the derivatisation step with dansyl chloride. The method was applied to detect and quantify 11 biogenic amines in 48 red and white wines. It was found that both Dalmatian red and white wines are characterised by tryptamine (0.23–1.22 mg L−1), putrescine (0.41–7.5 mg L−1) and ethanolamine (2.87–24.32 mg L−1). White wines from the Hrvatsko zagorje region are characterised by content of isopentylamine (0.31–1.47 mg L−1), putrescine (0.27–1.49 mg L−1) and ethanolamine (3.80–17.96 mg L−1). In contrast to white wines from the Hrvatsko zagorje region, in the red wines, all biogenic amines except ethylamine, were found and equally presented.
Attempted Synthesis of Vinca Alkaloids Condensed with Three-Membered Rings
Authors: Keglevich András , Mayer Szabolcs , Pápai Réka , Szigetvári Áron , Sánta Zsuzsanna , Dékány Miklós , Szántay Csaba , Keglevich Péter , Hazai László
Published: October 2018

Our successful work for the synthesis of cyclopropanated vinblastine and its derivatives by the Simmons–Smith reaction was followed to build up further three-membered rings into the 14,15-position of the vindoline part of the dimer alkaloid. Halogenated 14,15-cyclopropanovindoline was prepared by reactions with iodoform and bromoform, respectively, in the presence of diethylzinc. Reactions of dichlorocarbene with vindoline resulted in the 10-formyl derivative. Unexpectedly, in the case of the dimer alkaloids vinblastine and vincristine, the rearranged products containing an oxirane ring in the catharanthine part were isolated from the reactions. The attempted epoxidation of vindoline and catharanthine also led to anomalous rearranged products. In the epoxidation reaction of vindoline, an o-quinonoid derivative was obtained, in the course of the epoxidation of catharanthine, a hydroxyindolenine type product and a spiro derivative formed by ring contraction reaction, were isolated. The coupling reaction of vindoline and the spiro derivative obtained in the epoxidation of catharanthine did not result in a bisindole alkaloid. Instead, two surprising vindoline trimers were discovered and characterized by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry.
The Various Roles of Fatty Acids
Authors: De Carvalho Carla , Caramujo Maria
Published: October 2018

Lipids comprise a large group of chemically heterogeneous compounds. The majority have fatty acids (FA) as part of their structure, making these compounds suitable tools to examine processes raging from cellular to macroscopic levels of organization. Among the multiple roles of FA, they have structural functions as constituents of phospholipids which are the “building blocks” of cell membranes; as part of neutral lipids FA serve as storage materials in cells; and FA derivatives are involved in cell signalling. Studies on FA and their metabolism are important in numerous research fields, including biology, bacteriology, ecology, human nutrition and health. Specific FA and their ratios in cellular membranes may be used as biomarkers to enable the identification of organisms, to study adaptation of bacterial cells to toxic compounds and environmental conditions and to disclose food web connections. In this review, we discuss the various roles of FA in prokaryotes and eukaryotes and highlight the application of FA analysis to elucidate ecological mechanisms. We briefly describe FA synthesis; analyse the role of FA as modulators of cell membrane properties and FA ability to store and supply energy to cells; and inspect the role of polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) and the suitability of using FA as biomarkers of organisms.
Teicoplanin-Induced Anaphylactic Reaction in Children: A Case Report
Authors: Oligbu Godwin , Ahmed Leila
Published: October 2018

Teicoplanin is now increasingly used as a first-line prophylactic therapy for major surgical procedures, treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections and for those with reported penicillin allergy. Teicoplanin is rarely associated with anaphylaxis and there is limited information on the prevalence of teicoplanin-induced perioperative anaphylaxis. Here, we describe a case of a 12-year-old child with teicoplanin-induced anaphylaxis peri-operatively.
Implicit Temporal Discretization and Exact Energy Conservation for Particle Methods Applied to the Poisson–Boltzmann Equation
Authors: Lapenta Giovanni , Jiang Wei
Published: October 2018

We report on a new multiscale method approach for the study of systems with wide separation of short-range forces acting on short time scales and long-range forces acting on much slower scales. We consider the case of the Poisson–Boltzmann equation that describes the long-range forces using the Boltzmann formula (i.e., we assume the medium to be in quasi local thermal equilibrium). We develop a new approach where fields and particle information (mediated by the equations for their moments) are solved self-consistently. The new approach is implicit and numerically stable, providing exact energy conservation. We test different implementations that all lead to exact energy conservation. The new method requires the solution of a large set of non-linear equations. We consider three solution strategies: Jacobian Free Newton Krylov, an alternative, called field hiding which is based on hiding part of the residual calculation and replacing them with direct solutions and a Direct Newton Schwarz solver that considers a simplified, single, particle-based Jacobian. The field hiding strategy proves to be the most efficient approach.
Predicting Melt Pond Fraction on Landfast Snow Covered First Year Sea Ice from Winter C-Band SAR Backscatter Utilizing Linear, Polarimetric and Texture Parameters
Authors: Ramjan Saroat , Geldsetzer Torsten , Scharien Randall , Yackel John
Published: October 2018

Early-summer melt pond fraction is predicted using late-winter C-band backscatter of snow-covered first-year sea ice. Aerial photographs were acquired during an early-summer 2012 field campaign in Resolute Passage, Nunavut, Canada, on smooth first-year sea ice to estimate the melt pond fraction. RADARSAT-2 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data were acquired over the study area in late winter prior to melt onset. Correlations between the melt pond fractions and late-winter linear and polarimetric SAR parameters and texture measures derived from the SAR parameters are utilized to develop multivariate regression models that predict melt pond fractions. The results demonstrate substantial capability of the regression models to predict melt pond fractions for all SAR incidence angle ranges. The combination of the most significant linear, polarimetric and texture parameters provide the best model at far-range incidence angles, with an R 2 of 0.62 and a pond fraction RMSE of 0.09. Near- and mid- range incidence angle models provide R 2 values of 0.57 and 0.61, respectively, with an RMSE of 0.11. The strength of the regression models improves when SAR parameters are combined with texture parameters. These predictions also serve as a proxy to estimate snow thickness distributions during late winter as higher pond fractions evolve from thinner snow cover.
Mapping Fishing Activities and Suitable Fishing Grounds Using Nighttime Satellite Images and Maximum Entropy Modelling
Authors: Geronimo Rollan C. , Franklin Erik C. , Brainard Russell E. , Elvidge Christopher D. , Santos Mudjekeewis D. , Venegas Roberto , Mora Camilo
Published: October 2018

Fisheries surveys over broad spatial areas are crucial in defining and delineating appropriate fisheries management areas. Yet accurate mapping and tracking of fishing activities remain largely restricted to developed countries with sufficient resources to use automated identification systems and vessel monitoring systems. For many countries, the spatial extent and boundaries of fishing grounds are not completely known. We used satellite images at night to detect fishing grounds in the Philippines for fishing gears that use powerful lights to attract coastal pelagic fishes. We used nightly boat detection data, extracted by U.S. NOAA from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), for the Philippines from 2012 to 2016, covering 1713 nights, to examine spatio-temporal patterns of fishing activities in the country. Using density-based clustering, we identified 134 core fishing areas (CFAs) ranging in size from 6 to 23,215 km2 within the Philippines’ contiguous maritime zone. The CFAs had different seasonal patterns and range of intensities in total light output, possibly reflecting differences in multi-gear and multi-species signatures of fishing activities in each fishing ground. Using maximum entropy modeling, we identified bathymetry and chlorophyll as the main environmental predictors of spatial occurrence of these CFAs when analyzed together, highlighting the multi-gear nature of the CFAs. Applications of the model to specific CFAs identified different environmental drivers of fishing distribution, coinciding with known oceanographic associations for a CFA’s dominant target species. This case study highlights nighttime satellite images as a useful source of spatial fishing effort information for fisheries, especially in Southeast Asia.
SmartFall: A Smartwatch-Based Fall Detection System Using Deep Learning
Authors: Mauldin Taylor R. , Canby Marc E. , Metsis Vangelis , Ngu Anne H. H. , Rivera Coralys Cubero
Published: October 2018

This paper presents SmartFall, an Android app that uses accelerometer data collected from a commodity-based smartwatch Internet of Things (IoT) device to detect falls. The smartwatch is paired with a smartphone that runs the SmartFall application, which performs the computation necessary for the prediction of falls in real time without incurring latency in communicating with a cloud server, while also preserving data privacy. We experimented with both traditional (Support Vector Machine and Naive Bayes) and non-traditional (Deep Learning) machine learning algorithms for the creation of fall detection models using three different fall datasets (Smartwatch, Notch, Farseeing). Our results show that a Deep Learning model for fall detection generally outperforms more traditional models across the three datasets. This is attributed to the Deep Learning model’s ability to automatically learn subtle features from the raw accelerometer data that are not available to Naive Bayes and Support Vector Machine, which are restricted to learning from a small set of extracted features manually specified. Furthermore, the Deep Learning model exhibits a better ability to generalize to new users when predicting falls, an important quality of any model that is to be successful in the real world. We also present a three-layer open IoT system architecture used in SmartFall, which can be easily adapted for the collection and analysis of other sensor data modalities (e.g., heart rate, skin temperature, walking patterns) that enables remote monitoring of a subject’s wellbeing.
An Electrochemical Cholesterol Biosensor Based on A CdTe/CdSe/ZnSe Quantum Dots—Poly (Propylene Imine) Dendrimer Nanocomposite Immobilisation Layer
Authors: Mokwebo Kefilwe Vanessa , Oluwafemi Oluwatobi Samuel , Arotiba Omotayo Ademola
Published: October 2018

We report the preparation of poly (propylene imine) dendrimer (PPI) and CdTe/CdSe/ZnSe quantum dots (QDs) as a suitable platform for the development of an enzyme-based electrochemical cholesterol biosensor with enhanced analytical performance. The mercaptopropionic acid (MPA)-capped CdTe/CdSe/ZnSe QDs was synthesized in an aqueous phase and characterized using photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray power diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. The absorption and emission maxima of the QDs red shifted as the reaction time and shell growth increased, indicating the formation of CdTe/CdSe/ZnSe QDs. PPI was electrodeposited on a glassy carbon electrode followed by the deposition (by deep coating) attachment of the QDs onto the PPI dendrimer modified electrode using 1-Ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC), and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) as a coupling agent. The biosensor was prepared by incubating the PPI/QDs modified electrode into a solution of cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) for 6 h. The modified electrodes were characterized by voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy. Since efficient electron transfer process between the enzyme cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) and the PPI/QDs-modified electrode was achieved, the cholesterol biosensor (GCE/PPI/QDs/ChOx) was able to detect cholesterol in the range 0.1–10 mM with a detection limit (LOD) of 0.075 mM and sensitivity of 111.16 μA mM−1 cm−2. The biosensor was stable for over a month and had greater selectivity towards the cholesterol molecule.
Understanding the Green Technical Capabilities and Barriers to Green Buildings in Developing Countries: A Case Study of Thailand
Authors: Shen Wenxin , Tang Wenzhe , Siripanan Atthaset , Lei Zhen , Duffield Colin F. , Hui Felix Kin Peng
Published: October 2018

Green buildings (GB) have been globally adopted for sustainable development by enhancing the resource efficiency, reducing the operation cost, and improving the building environment for users. However, little research has systematically explored the key issues of GB in developing countries. This study has revealed the green technical capabilities and barriers to GB in Thailand from the perspectives of consultants, architects, and engineers, using a questionnaire survey and a case study. The results show experience in meeting the combined requirements of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and the green building rating system that Thailand developed in 2010, Thailand’s Rating of Energy and Environmental Sustainability (TREES), and “skilled in energy systems” to be the top two most important green technical capabilities. Barriers to GB mainly arise from financial pressure, technical limitations, and inadequate promotion. “Lack of motivations from owners” and “high initial cost” are ranked as the top two barriers to green building. The results collectively reveal that market demand and technological advancement are fundamental drivers for the GB industry, and the government, economic conditions, education, and corporate social responsibility are the other stimuli for the industry. The findings can help project participants adopt appropriate strategies to boost GB in emerging markets in developing countries. Future policies should focus on increasing market demand, encouraging green technology innovation, and reducing the cost of development and construction of GB.
Biometrics-Based RSA Cryptosystem for Securing Real-Time Communication
Authors: Liu Xiaolong , Lee Wei-Bin , Bui Quy-Anh , Lin Chia-Chen , Wu Hsiao-Ling
Published: October 2018

Real-time online communication technology has become increasingly important in modern business applications. It allows people to easily connect with business partners over the Internet through the camera lens on digital devices. However, despite the fact that users can identify and confirm the identity of the person in front of the camera, they cannot verify the authenticity of messages between communication partners. It is because the tunnel for the video is not the same as the tunnel that delivers the messages. To protect confidential messages, it is essential to establish a secure communication channel between users. This paper proposes a biometrics-based RSA cryptosystem to secure real-time communication in business. The idea put forward is to generate a cryptographic public key based on a user’s biometric information without using Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and establish a secured channel in a public network. In such a way, the key must be verified with the user’s biometrics online. Since the key is derived from the user’s biometrics, it is strongly user-dependent and works well to convince others of the authenticity of the owner. Additionally, the derived biometric key is self-certified with the user’s biometrics, which means the cost of certificate storage, delivery and revocation can be significantly reduced.
Towards Efficient Resource Utilization Exploiting Collaboration between HPF and 5G Enabled Energy Management Controllers in Smart Homes
Authors: Bakhsh Rasool , Javaid Nadeem , Fatima Itrat , Khan Majid Iqbal , Almejalli Khaled. A.
Published: October 2018

The influence of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) in power systems necessitates Smart Grid (SG) with monitoring and real-time control of electricity consumption. In SG, huge requests are generated from the smart homes in residential sector. Thus, researchers have proposed cloud based centralized and fog based semi-centralized computing systems for such requests. The cloud, unlike the fog system, has virtually infinite computing resources; however, in the cloud, system delay is the challenge for real-time applications. The prominent features of fog are; awareness of location, low latency, wired and wireless connectivity. In this paper, the impact of longer delay of cloud in SG applications is addressed. We proposed a cloud-fog based system for efficient processing of requests coming from the smart homes, their quick response and ultimately reduced cost. Each smart home is provided with a 5G based Home Energy Management Controller (HEMC). Then, the 5G-HEMC communicates with the High Performance Fog (HPF). The HPFs are capable of processing energy consumers’ huge requests. Virtual Machines (VMs) are installed on physical systems (HPFs) to entertain the requests using First Come First Service (FCFS) and Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithms along with Optimized Response Time Policy (ORTP) for the selection of potential HPF for efficient processing of the requests with maximum resource utilization. It is analysed that size and number of virtual resources affect the performance of the computing system. In the proposed system model, micro grids are introduced in the vicinity of energy consumers for uninterrupted and cost optimized power supply. The impact of the number of VMs on the performance of HPFs is analysed with extensive simulations with three scenarios.
An Adversarial and Densely Dilated Network for Connectomes Segmentation
Authors: Chen Ke , Zhu Dandan , Lu Jianwei , Luo Ye
Published: October 2018

Automatic reconstructing of neural circuits in the brain is one of the most crucial studies in neuroscience. Connectomes segmentation plays an important role in reconstruction from electron microscopy (EM) images; however, it is rather challenging due to highly anisotropic shapes with inferior quality and various thickness. In our paper, we propose a novel connectomes segmentation framework called adversarial and densely dilated network (ADDN) to address these issues. ADDN is based on the conditional Generative Adversarial Network (cGAN) structure which is the latest advance in machine learning with power to generate images similar to the ground truth especially when the training data is limited. Specifically, we design densely dilated network (DDN) as the segmentor to allow a deeper architecture and larger receptive fields for more accurate segmentation. Discriminator is trained to distinguish generated segmentation from manual segmentation. During training, such adversarial loss function is optimized together with dice loss. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that our ADDN is effective for such connectomes segmentation task, helping to retrieve more accurate segmentation and attenuate the blurry effects of generated boundary map. Our method obtains state-of-the-art performance while requiring less computation on ISBI 2012 EM dataset and mouse piriform cortex dataset.
Cytotoxicity and Toxicity Evaluation of Xanthone Crude Extract on Hypoxic Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Embryos
Authors: Fazry Shazrul , Noordin Muhammad Akram Mohd , Sanusi Salahuddin , Noor Mahanem Mat , Aizat Wan Mohd , Lazim Azwan Mat , Dyari Herryawan Ryadi Eziwar , Jamar Nur Hidayah , Remali Juwairiah , Othman Babul Airianah , Law Douglas , Sidik Nik Marzuki , Cheah Yew Hoong , Lim Yi Chieh
Published: October 2018

Xanthone is an organic compound mostly found in mangosteen pericarp and widely known for its anti-proliferating effect on cancer cells. In this study, we evaluated the effects of xanthone crude extract (XCE) and α-mangostin (α-MG) on normoxic and hypoxic human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells and their toxicity towards zebrafish embryos. XCE was isolated using a mixture of acetone and water (80:20) and verified via high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Both XCE and α-MG showed higher anti-proliferation effects on normoxic HepG2 cells compared to the control drug, 5-fluorouracil (IC50 = 50.23 ± 1.38, 8.39 ± 0.14, and 143.75 ± 15.31 μg/mL, respectively). In hypoxic conditions, HepG2 cells were two times less sensitive towards XCE compared to normoxic HepG2 cells (IC50 = 109.38 ± 1.80 μg/mL) and three times less sensitive when treated with >500 μg/mL 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). A similar trend was seen with the α-MG treatment on hypoxic HepG2 cells (IC50 = 10.11 ± 0.05 μg/mL) compared to normoxic HepG2 cells. However, at a concentration of 12.5 μg/mL, the α-MG treatment caused tail-bend deformities in surviving zebrafish embryos, while no malformation was observed when embryos were exposed to XCE and 5-FU treatments. Our study suggests that both XCE and α-MG are capable of inhibiting HepG2 cell proliferation during normoxic and hypoxic conditions, more effectively than 5-FU. However, XCE is the preferred option as no malformation was observed in surviving zebrafish embryos and it is more cost efficient than α-MG.
Le four à pain du château féodal de Fréteval (Loir et Cher)
Authors: Leymarios Claude
Published: October 2018

Les vestiges d'un four à pain découverts à l'intérieur du donjon du château de Fréteval ont permis, grâce à la fouille archéologique, de restituer la technique et les différentes phases de construction de celui-ci .

Stratigraphiquement localisé sur une couche d'occupation liée à une activité culinaire qui a dû perdurer du XIIe siècle jusqu'au milieu du XIVe siècle, ce four paraît avoir fonctionné entre cette dernière date et le début du XVe siècle, la destruction définitive du donjon intervenant vers 1425 / 1428 .
StygoTracing - First experiences with biological tracers in drinking water extraction areas
Authors: van den Berg-Stein Susanne , Burghardt Diana , Schwenk Klaus , Hahn Hans Jürgen
Published: October 2018

Although groundwater is a highly fragmented habitat, both faunistic and hydraulic interactions exist between different aquifers and between groundwater and surface water.

For the drinking water suppliers, in particular surface water intrusion into groundwater means an increased risk of contamination. Thus risk assessment is essential for quality assurance in drinking water supply. In this context, several questions arise: 1) Where does the water come from?; 2) Are there any hydraulic shortcuts to surface waters?; 3) Are there any hydrological interactions between different aquifers?; 4) What are the catchment borders?

Invertebrate fauna may display the strength and the direction of hydrological interactions since the dispersal is linked to hydrological pathways. Our hypothesis is: The more intense the hydrogeological interactions the closer the relationship between individuals and populations.

The degree of relationship can be determined using a kind of paternity test for invertebrates. This is a population genetic, microsatellite-based method called StygoTracing. The most important tools of StygoTracing are the primers, which have to be designed for each individual tracer species.

Good tracer species are those, which have a wide distribution and occur with high frequency and are easy to determine. We have chosen three species both stygo- and non-stygobiotic ones. The primers and microsatellite analysis applied proved to be suitable even to distinguish single individuals from each other.

StygoTracing has been successfully tested for water supply systems, but not yet in the field.

Thus seven pilot areas were selected in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Palatinate and Saxony, and sampling was conducted on a total of 186 groundwater, spring and stream sites. Meanwhile, first genetic data are available and initial evaluations reveal plausible correlations on different spatial scales.
Integrating multiple species criteria and species hypotheses in subterranean biology
Authors: Malard Florian , Grison Philippe , Eme David , Fiser Cene , Flot Jean-François , Konecny-Dupré Lara , Lefébure Tristan , Stoch Fabio , Zagmajster Maja , Douady Christophe
Published: October 2018

Decades of debates around the species problem have resulted in the emergence of a unified species concept with multiple criteria to delimit species taxa. Many biologists now agree to consider species as separately evolving segments of metapopulation lineages (i.e. the species concept), and to consider species taxa (i.e. the elementary units used in biodiversity science) as scientific hypotheses of separately evolving entities. In this framework, sets of species hypotheses are generated using different criteria (i.e. morphological distinguishability, genetic isolation) that mirror the properties expressed by species at different times and sequential orders during the extended and heterogeneous process of speciation. This conceptual and methodological advance in taxonomy has several implications for biodiversity science. First, species taxa represent a heterogeneous set of hypotheses whose properties are contingent on the heterogeneous, continuous and extended nature of speciation. Second, species databases need to integrate information on the diverse properties of species by attributing specimens to multiple species hypotheses generated using different delimitation criteria. Third, biodiversity science at large can provide novel insights into biodiversity processes by incorporating multiple species hypotheses into the analysis of biodiversity patterns. Here, we show how these implications have been taken into account by subterranean biologists. First, we briefly review the criteria and methods used to delimit species in subterranean biology and the diverse sets of species hypotheses they generated. Second, we present a new generation of species occurrence databases that integrate different species criteria and hypotheses while fully respecting the scientific rigor of taxonomy. Last, we show how incorporating multiple species hypotheses into macroecological analyses of European groundwater fauna bolsters our under­standing of the factors shaping large-scale patterns of species richness and geographic range size.
Vulnerability of mammals to land-use changes in Colombia’s post-conflict era
Authors: Calle-Rendón Bayron R. , Moreno Flavio , Hilário Renato R.
Published: October 2018

Colombia, one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, is entering a peaceful period after more than fifty years of armed conflict. Due to land use changes resulting from this new situation, negative effects on biodiversity, including mammals are expected. We think that mammal populations will be more sensitive in municipalities where activities related to post-conflict will be carried out. In that order, we aim to: 1) identify which mammal species would be more sensitive and 2) identify the critical regions where there is higher richness of sensitive mammals. We used the distributions of 95 mammal taxa and calculated a sensitivity index by combining four factors: 1) the proportion of each species distribution within protected areas in relation to their proposed extinction thresholds, 2) the proportion within post-conflict municipalities, 3) the proportion of five types of potential land use in post-conflict municipalities and 4) the threat status of each species. Using this index, we drew a map of species richness for mammals classified at high-risk and very high-risk categories. Primates were the most sensitive group to post-conflict changes. Urabá and the region near to the Serranía de San Lucas were the areas with the highest richness of sensitive species. We suggest using primates as flagship species to carry out conservation schemes in the post-conflict era in programmes led by local farmers and former fighters who have been reintegrated into civilian life.