bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Body Mass Index is Strongly Associated with Hypertension: Results from the Longevity Check-Up 7+ Study
Authors: Landi Francesco , Calvani Riccardo , Picca Anna , Tosato Matteo , Martone Anna Maria , Ortolani Elena , Sisto Alex , D’Angelo Emanuela , Serafini Elisabetta , Desideri Giovambattista , Fuga Maria Tecla , Marzetti Emanuele
Published: December 2018

The present study was undertaken to provide a better insight into the relationship between different levels of body mass index (BMI) and changing risk for hypertension, using an unselected sample of participants assessed during the Longevity Check-up 7+ (Lookup 7+) project. Lookup 7+ is an ongoing cross-sectional survey started in June 2015 and conducted in unconventional settings (i.e., exhibitions, malls, and health promotion campaigns) across Italy. Candidate participants are eligible for enrolment if they are at least 18 years of age and provide written informed consent. Specific health metrics are assessed through a brief questionnaire and direct measurement of standing height, body weight, blood glucose, total blood cholesterol, and blood pressure. The present analyses were conducted in 7907 community-living adults. According to the BMI cutoffs recommended by the World Health Organization, overweight status was observed among 2896 (38%) participants; the obesity status was identified in 1135 participants (15%), with 893 (11.8%) participants in class I, 186 (2.5%) in class II, and 56 (0.7%) in class III. Among enrollees with a normal BMI, the prevalence of hypertension was 45% compared with 67% among overweight participants, 79% in obesity class I and II, and up to 87% among participants with obesity class III (p for trend < 0.001). After adjusting for age, significantly different distributions of systolic and diastolic blood pressure across BMI levels were consistent. Overall, the average systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure increased significantly and linearly across BMI levels. In conclusion, we found a gradient of increasing blood pressure with higher levels of BMI. The fact that this gradient is present even in the fully adjusted analyses suggests that BMI may cause a direct effect on blood pressure, independent of other clinical risk factors.
Food Products as Sources of Protein and Amino Acids—The Case of Poland
Authors: Górska-Warsewicz Hanna , Laskowski Wacław , Kulykovets Olena , Kudlińska-Chylak Anna , Czeczotko Maksymilian , Rejman Krystyna
Published: December 2018

The aim of this study was to identify the food sources of protein and 18 amino acids (AAs) in the average Polish diet. The analysis was conducted based on the 2016 Household Budget Survey (HBS) on the consumption of food products from a representative sample of 38,886 households (n = 99,230). This survey was organized, conducted and controlled by the Central Statistical Office, Social Surveys and Living Conditions Statistics Department in cooperation with the Statistic Office in Łódź based on the recording of expenditures, quantitative consumption, and revenues in budget books for one month. 91 food products from 13 food categories (e.g., meat and meat products, grain products) consisting of 42 food groups (e.g., red meat, milk, cheese) were analyzed to determine protein and amino acid intake from these products. Three categories delivered 80.9% of total protein (meat and meat products: 38.9%; grain products: 23.9%; and milk and dairy products: 18.1%). The branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs: leucine, isoleucine and valine) were delivered mainly by meat and meat products (39.9%; 41.3% and 37.4%, respectively). Meat and meat products were also the most important source for other essential amino acids (EAAs: lysine 49.2%, histidine 46.6%, threonine 44.7%, tryptophan 41.4%, phenylalanine 35.3%, and methionine 44.2%). In terms of the contribution of the non-essential or conditionally essential amino acids to the average Polish diet, most important were grain products (for cysteine: 41.2%; glutamic acid: 33.8%; proline: 34.1%), and meat and meat products (for tyrosine: 38.3%; arginine: 46.1%; alanine: 48.7%; aspartic acid: 41.7%; glycine: 52.5%; serine: 33.6%). Five clusters were identified to assess the impact of socio-demographic and economic factors on the protein supply. The largest impact was observed for respondent education, degree of urbanization, study month, and usage of agricultural land. The shares of animal food in total protein supply amounted to 66.5% in total population and varied from 56.4% to 73.6% in different clusters.
The Effect of Branched-Chain Amino Acids, Citrulline, and Arginine on High-Intensity Interval Performance in Young Swimmers
Authors: Hsueh Chun-Fang , Wu Huey-June , Tsai Tzu-Shiou , Wu Ching-Lin , Chang Chen-Kang
Published: December 2018

High-intensity interval training has drawn significant interest for its ability to elicit similar training responses with less training volume compared to traditional moderate-intensity protocols. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of co-ingestion of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), arginine, and citrulline on 8 × 50 m high-intensity interval swim performance in trained young swimmers. This study used a randomized cross-over design. Eight male (age 15.6 ± 1.3 years) and eight female (age 15.6 ± 0.9 years) swimmers completed both amino acids (AA) and placebo (PL) trials. The participants ingested 0.085 g/kg body weight BCAA, 0.05 g/kg body weight arginine and 0.05 g/kg body weight citrulline before the swim test in the AA trial. The average 50 m time was significantly shorter in the AA trial than that in the PL trial. The AA trial was faster than the PL trial in the first, second, and the seventh laps. The AA trial showed significantly higher plasma BCAA concentrations and lower tryptophan/BCAA ratio. The other biochemical parameters and ratings of perceived exertion were similar between the two trials. The results showed that BCAA, arginine, and citrulline, allowed the participants to swim faster in a high-intensity interval protocol in young swimmers.
Proteomic Analysis of Zn Depletion/Repletion in the Hormone-Secreting Thyroid Follicular Cell Line FRTL-5
Authors: Guantario Barbara , Capolupo Angela , Monti Maria Chiara , Leoni Guido , Ranaldi Giulia , Tosco Alessandra , Marzullo Liberato , Murgia Chiara , Perozzi Giuditta
Published: December 2018

Zinc deficiency predisposes to a wide spectrum of chronic diseases. The human Zn proteome was predicted to represent about 10% of the total human proteome, reflecting the broad array of metabolic functions in which this micronutrient is known to participate. In the thyroid, Zn was reported to regulate cellular homeostasis, with a yet elusive mechanism. The Fischer Rat Thyroid Cell Line FRTL-5 cell model, derived from a Fischer rat thyroid and displaying a follicular cell phenotype, was used to investigate a possible causal relationship between intracellular Zn levels and thyroid function. A proteomic approach was applied to compare proteins expressed in Zn deficiency, obtained by treating cells with the Zn-specific chelator N,N,N′,N′-tetrakis (2-pyridylmethyl) ethylene-diamine (TPEN), with Zn repleted cells. Quantitative proteomic analysis of whole cell protein extracts was performed using stable isotope dimethyl labelling coupled to nano-ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). TPEN treatment led to almost undetectable intracellular Zn, while decreasing thyroglobulin secretion. Subsequent addition of ZnSO4 fully reversed these phenotypes. Comparative proteomic analysis of Zn depleted/repleted cells identified 108 proteins modulated by either treatment. Biological process enrichment analysis identified functions involved in calcium release and the regulation of translation as the most strongly regulated processes in Zn depleted cells.
Pharmacist-Initiated Medication Error-Reporting and Monitoring Programme in a Developing Country Scenario
Authors: Chalasani Sri Harsha , Ramesh Madhan , Gurumurthy Parthasarathi
Published: December 2018

Medication errors (MEs) often prelude guilt and fear in health care professionals (HCPs), thereby resulting in under-reporting and further compromising patient safety. To improve patient safety, we conducted a study on the implementation of a voluntary medication error-reporting and monitoring programme. The ME reporting system was established using the principles based on prospective, voluntary, open, anonymous, and stand-alone surveillance in a tertiary care teaching hospital located in South India. A prospective observational study was carried out for three years and a voluntary Medication Error-reporting Form was developed to report medication errors MEs that had occurred in patients of either sex were included in the study, and the reporters were given the choice to remain anonymous. The analysis was carried out and discussed with HCPs to minimise the recurrence. A total of 1310 medication errors were reported among 20,256 hospitalised patients and the incidence was 6.4%. Common aetiologies were administration errors [501 (38.2%)], followed by prescribing and transcribing errors [363 (28%)]. Root-cause of these MEs were distractions, workload, and communications. Analgesics/antipyretics (19.4%) and antibiotics (15.7%) were the most commonly implicated classes of medications. A clinical pharmacist initiated non-punitive anonymous ME reporting system could improve patient safety.
Efficient Adsorption of Pb(II) from Aqueous Solutions by Metal Organic Framework (Zn-BDC) Coated Magnetic Montmorillonite
Authors: Shen Jian , Wang Nan , Wang Yang Guang , Yu Di , Ouyang Xiao–kun
Published: December 2018

Composite adsorption materials combine the advantages of various adsorptive materials and compensate for the defects of single adsorbents. Magnetic montmorillonite (MMMT) shows good adsorption properties for Pb(II). In order to further improve the adsorption properties of MMMT, in this work, Zn-BDC, a kind of metal–organic framework (MOF), was modified onto the surface of MMMT by in situ polymerization. The composite material MMMT@Zn-BDC was characterized by Zetasizer, SEM, TEM, FTIR, XRD, VSM, and XPS. The influence of adsorption conditions on the adsorption capacity of MMMT@Zn-BDC for Pb(II) was examined, including the adsorbent dosage, pH of Pb(II) solution, initial concentration of Pb(II), and the temperature and adsorption time. Also, the adsorption mechanism was studied. The results of this study show that MMMT@Zn-BDC adsorbs Pb(II) via chemisorption. In addition, MMMT@Zn-BDC exhibits good potential for adsorbing Pb(II), including its high adsorption capacity (724.64 mg/g) and good recyclability.
Memory, Risk Aversion, and Nonlife Insurance Consumption: Evidence from Emerging and Developing Markets
Authors: Tiwari Ashu , Patro Archana
Published: December 2018

Policymakers in developing and emerging countries are facing higher risk that is related to natural disasters in comparison to developed ones because of persistent problem of supply-side bottleneck for disaster insurance. Additionally, lower insurance consumption, higher disaster risk, and high income elasticity of insurance demand have worsened the loss consequences of natural disaster in these markets. In this context, current study for the first time argues that the supply side bottleneck problem has its origin in peculiar pattern of disaster consumption owing to memory cues. The study finds that relatively higher frequency of natural disasters acts as a negative memory cue and positively impacts insurance consumption. On the other hand, a relatively lower frequency of natural disasters adversely impacts insurance consumption in the background of variation in risk aversion behavior. For this purpose, current study has based its work on Mullainathan (2002), which builds its argument around memory cues.
Crustal Deformation Prior to the 2017 Jiuzhaigou, Northeastern Tibetan Plateau (China), Ms 7.0 Earthquake Derived from GPS Observations
Authors: Wu Weiwei , Su Xiaoning , Meng Guojie , Li Chentao
Published: December 2018

The 2017 Jiuzhaigou Ms 7.0 earthquake occurred on the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, with no noticeable rupture surface recognized. We characterized the pre-seismic deformation of the earthquake from GPS (Global Positioning System) data at eight continuous and 73 campaign sites acquired over the 2009–2017 period. With respect to the Eurasian plate, the velocity field showed a noticeable decrease, from west of the epicenter of the Jiuzhaigou earthquake to the western edge of the Longmenshan fault, in the southeast direction. The total northwest west–southeast east shortening rate in the vicinity of the epicentral area was in the range of 1.5 mm/y to 3.1 mm/y. With a GPS velocity transect across the Huya fault (HYF), where the epicenter was located, we estimated the activity of the HYF, showing a dominant left-lateral slip rate of 3.3 ± 0.2 mm/y. We calculated strain rates using a spherical wavelet-based multiscale approach that solved for the surface GPS velocity according to multiscale wavelet basis functions while accounting for spatially variable spacing of observations. Multiscale components of the two-dimensional strain rate tensor showed a complex crustal deformation pattern. Our estimates of strain rate components at the scale of seven and eight revealed extensional strain rate on the northern extension of the HYF. The Jiuzhaigou earthquake occurred at the buffer zone between extensional and compressional deformation, and with significant maximum shear rates being 100–140 nanostrain/y. In addition, a maximum shear strain rate of 60–120 nanostrain/y appeared around the epicenter of the 2013 Ms 6.6 Minxian–Zhangxian earthquake. These findings imply that inherent multiscale strain rates could be separated to identify strain accumulation related to medium- and large-sized earthquakes.
Comparison of the GPM IMERG Final Precipitation Product to RADOLAN Weather Radar Data over the Topographically and Climatically Diverse Germany
Authors: Ramsauer Thomas , Weiß Thomas , Marzahn Philip
Published: December 2018

Precipitation measurements provide crucial information for hydrometeorological applications. In regions where typical precipitation measurement gauges are sparse, gridded products aim to provide alternative data sources. This study examines the performance of NASA’s Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (IMERG, GPM) satellite precipitation dataset in capturing the spatio-temporal variability of weather events compared to the German weather radar dataset RADOLAN RW. Besides quantity, also timing of rainfall is of very high importance when modeling or monitoring the hydrologic cycle. Therefore, detection metrics are evaluated along with standard statistical measures to test both datasets. Using indices like “probability of detection” allows a binary evaluation showing the basic categorical accordance of the radar and satellite data. Furthermore, a pixel-by-pixel comparison is performed to assess the ability to represent the spatial variability of rainfall and precipitation quantity. All calculations are additionally carried out for seasonal subsets of the data to assess potentially different behavior due to differences in precipitation schemes. The results indicate significant differences between the datasets. Overall, GPM IMERG overestimates the quantity of precipitation compared to RADOLAN, especially in the winter season. Moreover, shortcomings in detection performance arise in this season with significant erroneously-detected, yet also missed precipitation events compared to the weather radar data. Additionally, along secondary mountain ranges and the Alps, topographically-induced precipitation is not represented in GPM data, which generally shows a lack of spatial variability in rainfall and snowfall estimates due to lower resolution.
The 2014 Effusive Eruption at Stromboli: New Insights from In Situ and Remote-Sensing Measurements
Authors: Di Traglia Federico , Calvari Sonia , D'Auria Luca , Nolesini Teresa , Bonaccorso Alessandro , Fornaciai Alessandro , Esposito Antonietta , Cristaldi Antonio , Favalli Massimiliano , Casagli Nicola
Published: December 2018

In situ and remote-sensing measurements have been used to characterize the run-up phase and the phenomena that occurred during the August–November 2014 flank eruption at Stromboli. Data comprise videos recorded by the visible and infrared camera network, ground displacement recorded by the permanent-sited Ku-band, Ground-Based Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (GBInSAR) device, seismic signals (band 0.02–10 Hz), and high-resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) reconstructed based on Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data and tri-stereo PLEIADES-1 imagery. This work highlights the importance of considering data from in situ sensors and remote-sensing platforms in monitoring active volcanoes. Comparison of data from live-cams, tremor amplitude, localization of Very-Long-Period (VLP) source and amplitude of explosion quakes, and ground displacements recorded by GBInSAR in the crater terrace provide information about the eruptive activity, nowcasting the shift in eruptive style of explosive to effusive. At the same time, the landslide activity during the run-up and onset phases could be forecasted and tracked using the integration of data from the GBInSAR and the seismic landslide index. Finally, the use of airborne and space-borne DEMs permitted the detection of topographic changes induced by the eruptive activity, allowing for the estimation of a total volume of 3.07 ± 0.37 × 106 m3 of the 2014 lava flow field emplaced on the steep Sciara del Fuoco slope.
Estimation of the Motion-Induced Horizontal-Wind-Speed Standard Deviation in an Offshore Doppler Lidar
Authors: Gutiérrez-Antuñano Miguel A. , Tiana-Alsina Jordi , Salcedo Andreu , Rocadenbosch Francesc
Published: December 2018

This work presents a new methodology to estimate the motion-induced standard deviation and related turbulence intensity on the retrieved horizontal wind speed by means of the velocity-azimuth-display algorithm applied to the conical scanning pattern of a floating Doppler lidar. The method considers a ZephIR™300 continuous-wave focusable Doppler lidar and does not require access to individual line-of-sight radial-wind information along the scanning pattern. The method combines a software-based velocity-azimuth-display and motion simulator and a statistical recursive procedure to estimate the horizontal wind speed standard deviation—as a well as the turbulence intensity—due to floating lidar buoy motion. The motion-induced error is estimated from the simulator’s side by using basic motional parameters, namely, roll/pitch angular amplitude and period of the floating lidar buoy, as well as reference wind speed and direction measurements at the study height. The impact of buoy motion on the retrieved wind speed and related standard deviation is compared against a reference sonic anemometer and a reference fixed lidar over a 60-day period at the IJmuiden test site (the Netherlands). Individual case examples and an analysis of the overall campaign are presented. After the correction, the mean deviation in the horizontal wind speed standard deviation between the reference and the floating lidar was improved by about 70%, from 0.14 m/s (uncorrected) to −0.04 m/s (corrected), which makes evident the goodness of the method. Equivalently, the error on the estimated turbulence intensity (3–20 m/s range) reduced from 38% (uncorrected) to 4% (corrected).
Microfluidic Preconcentration Chip with Self-Assembled Chemical Modified Surface for Trace Carbonyl Compounds Detection
Authors: Cheng Jie , Shao Jianwei , Ye Yifei , Zhao Yang , Huang Chengjun , Wang Li , Li Mingxiao
Published: December 2018

Carbonyl compounds in water sources are typical characteristic pollutants, which are important indicators in the health risk assessment of water quality. Commonly used analytical chemistry methods face issues such as complex operations, low sensitivity, and long analysis times. Here, we report a silicon microfluidic device based on click chemical surface modification that was engineered to achieve rapid, convenient and efficient capture of trace level carbonyl compounds in liquid solvent. The micro pillar arrays of the chip and microfluidic channels were designed under the basis of finite element (FEM) analysis and fabricated by the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technique. The surface of the micropillars was sputtered with precious metal silver and functionalized with the organic substance amino-oxy dodecane thiol (ADT) by self-assembly for capturing trace carbonyl compounds. The detection of ppb level fluorescent carbonyl compounds demonstrates that the strategy proposed in this work shows great potential for rapid water quality testing and for other samples with trace carbonyl compounds.
A Simple Graphene NH3 Gas Sensor via Laser Direct Writing
Authors: Wu Dezhi , Peng Qianqian , Wu Shan , Wang Guangshun , Deng Lei , Tai Huiling , Wang Lingyun , Yang Yajie , Dong Linxi , Zhao Yang , Zhao Jinbao , Sun Daoheng , Lin Liwei
Published: December 2018

Ammonia gas sensors are very essential in many industries and everyday life. However, their complicated fabrication process, severe environmental fabrication requirements and desorption of residual ammonia molecules result in high cost and hinder their market acceptance. Here, laser direct writing is used to fabricate three parallel porous 3D graphene lines on a polyimide (PI) tape to simply construct an ammonia gas sensor. The middle one works as an ammonia sensing element and the other two on both sides work as heaters to improve the desorption performance of the sensing element to ammonia gas molecules. The graphene lines were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The response and recovery time of the sensor without heating are 214 s and 222 s with a sensitivity of 0.087% ppm−1 for sensing 75 ppm ammonia gas, respectively. The experimental results prove that under the optimized heating temperature of about 70 °C the heaters successfully help implement complete desorption of residual NH3 showing a good sensitivity and cyclic stability.
Assessment of the Accuracy of a Multi-Beam LED Scanner Sensor for Measuring Olive Canopies
Authors: Sola-Guirado Rafael R. , Bayano-Tejero Sergio , Rodríguez-Lizana Antonio , Gil-Ribes Jesús A. , Miranda-Fuentes Antonio
Published: December 2018

Canopy characterization has become important when trying to optimize any kind of agricultural operation in high-growing crops, such as olive. Many sensors and techniques have reported satisfactory results in these approaches and in this work a 2D laser scanner was explored for measuring canopy trees in real-time conditions. The sensor was tested in both laboratory and field conditions to check its accuracy, its cone width, and its ability to characterize olive canopies in situ. The sensor was mounted on a mast and tested in laboratory conditions to check: (i) its accuracy at different measurement distances; (ii) its measurement cone width with different reflectivity targets; and (iii) the influence of the target’s density on its accuracy. The field tests involved both isolated and hedgerow orchards, in which the measurements were taken manually and with the sensor. The canopy volume was estimated with a methodology consisting of revolving or extruding the canopy contour. The sensor showed high accuracy in the laboratory test, except for the measurements performed at 1.0 m distance, with 60 mm error (6%). Otherwise, error remained below 20 mm (1% relative error). The cone width depended on the target reflectivity. The accuracy decreased with the target density.
Sensing Performance and Efficiency of Two Energy Transfer-Based Two-Photon Fluorescent Probes for pH
Authors: Zhang Yujin , Hu Wei
Published: December 2018

The design and synthesis of fluorescent probes for monitoring pH values inside living cells have attracted great attention, due to the important role pH plays in many biological processes. In this study, the optical properties of two different two-photon fluorescent probes for pH are studied. The ratiometric sensing of the probes are theoretically illustrated. Meanwhile, the recognitional mechanisms of the probes are investigated, which shows the energy transfer process when react with H+. Specially, the calculated results demonstrate that Probe1 possesses a higher energy transfer efficiency and a larger two-photon absorption cross-section than Probe2, indicating it to be a preferable pH fluorescent probe. Therefore, the influence of connection between the donor and the acceptor on the sensing performances of the probe is demonstrated. Our results help to understand the experimental observations and provide a theoretical basis to synthesize efficient two-photon fluorescent probes for monitoring pH changes.
Echo Preprocessing to Enhance SNR for 2D CS-Based ISAR Imaging Method
Authors: Yin Zhiping , Lu Xinfei , Chen Weidong
Published: December 2018

A new CS-based inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging framework is proposed to enhance both the image performance and the robustness at a low SNR. An ISAR echo preprocessing method for enhancing the ISAR imaging quality of compressed sensing (CS) based algorithms is developed by implementing matched filtering, echo denoising and matrix optimization sequentially. After the preprocessing, the two-dimensional (2D) SL0 algorithm is applied to reconstruct an ISAR image in the range and cross-range plane through a series of 2D matrices using the 2D CS theory, rather than converting the 2D convex optimization problem to the one-dimensional (1D) problem in the image reconstruction process. The proposed preprocessing framework is verified by simulations and experiment. Simulations and experimental results show that the ISAR image obtained by the 2D sparse recovery algorithm with our proposed method has a better performance.
Fluorescence Hyperspectral Imaging of Oil Samples and Its Quantitative Applications in Component Analysis and Thickness Estimation
Authors: Jiang Wentao , Li Jingwei , Yao Xinli , Forsberg Erik , He Sailing
Published: December 2018

The fast response and analysis of oil spill accidents is important but remains challenging. Here, a compact fluorescence hyperspectral system based on a grating-prism structure able to perform component analysis of oil as well as make a quantitative estimation of oil film thickness is developed. The spectrometer spectral range is 366–814 nm with a spectral resolution of 1 nm. The feasibility of the spectrometer system is demonstrated by determining the composition of three types of crude oil and various mixtures of them. The relationship between the oil film thickness and the fluorescent hyperspectral intensity is furthermore investigated and found to be linear, which demonstrates the feasibility of using the fluorescence data to quantitatively measure oil film thickness. Capable of oil identification, distribution analysis, and oil film thickness detection, the fluorescence hyperspectral imaging system presented is promising for use during oil spill accidents by mounting it on, e.g., an unmanned aerial vehicle.
Time-Matching Random Finite Set-Based Filter for Radar Multi-Target Tracking
Authors: Jiang Defu , Liu Ming , Gao Yiyue , Gao Yang , Fu Wei , Han Yan
Published: December 2018

The random finite set (RFS) approach provides an elegant Bayesian formulation of the multi-target tracking (MTT) problem without the requirement of explicit data association. In order to improve the performance of the RFS-based filter in radar MTT applications, this paper proposes a time-matching Bayesian filtering framework to deal with the problem caused by the diversity of target sampling times. Based on this framework, we develop a time-matching joint generalized labeled multi-Bernoulli filter and a time-matching probability hypothesis density filter. Simulations are performed by their Gaussian mixture implementations. The results show that the proposed approach can improve the accuracy of target state estimation, as well as the robustness.
Integration of Satellite Data with High Resolution Ratio: Improvement of Spectral Quality with Preserving Spatial Details
Authors: Sekrecka Aleksandra , Kedzierski Michal
Published: December 2018

Commonly used image fusion techniques generally produce good results for images obtained from the same sensor, with a standard ratio of spatial resolution (1:4). However, an atypical high ratio of resolution reduces the effectiveness of fusion methods resulting in a decrease in the spectral or spatial quality of the sharpened image. An important issue is the development of a method that allows for maintaining simultaneous high spatial and spectral quality. The authors propose to strengthen the pan-sharpening methods through prior modification of the panchromatic image. Local statistics of the differences between the original panchromatic image and the intensity of the multispectral image are used to detect spatial details. The Euler’s number and the distance of each pixel from the nearest pixel classified as a spatial detail determine the weight of the information collected from each integrated image. The research was carried out for several pan-sharpening methods and for data sets with different levels of spectral matching. The proposed solution allows for a greater improvement in the quality of spectral fusion, while being able to identify the same spatial details for most pan-sharpening methods and is mainly dedicated to Intensity-Hue-Saturation based methods for which the following improvements in spectral quality were achieved: about 30% for the urbanized area and about 15% for the non-urbanized area.
Duopoly Price Competition in Wireless Sensor Network-Based Service Provision
Authors: Li Xianwei , Zhao Liang , Zhou Zhenyu , Gu Bo , Chen Guolong , Cheng Fanyong , Zhang Haiyang
Published: December 2018

The Internet of Things (IoT) is emerging as a new communication paradigm and has attracted a significant amount of attention from both academic and engineering communities. In this paper, we consider an IoT market where three roles exist: Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), two service providers (SPs) and end users. The WSNs are responsible for sensing and providing data to the two SPs. Based on the sensed data from WSNs, the two SPs compete to provide services to the end users. We model the relationship between the two SPs and end users as a two-stage Stackelberg game, where the two SPs set the prices for their services firstly, and then the end users decide which SP to choose. Specifically, we consider two price-competition scenarios of the two SPs, which are engaged in two games, one is a noncooperative strategic game (NSG) where the two SPs set the prices for services simultaneously, the other is a Stackelberg game (SG) where SP1 who sets the price first is the leader and SP2 who sets the price after is the follower. Each user decides whether and which SP to purchase services from based on prices and service rates. An equilibrium is achieved in each of the two scenarios. Numerical results are conducted to verify our theoretical analysis.
Experimental Breast Phantom Imaging with Metamaterial-Inspired Nine-Antenna Sensor Array
Authors: Islam Mohammad Tariqul , Samsuzzaman Md , Islam Md Tarikul , Kibria Salehin
Published: December 2018

An experimental system for early screening of a breast tumor is presented in this article. The proposed microwave imaging (MI) system consists of a moveable array of nine improved negative-index metamaterial (MTM)-loaded ultrawideband (UWB) antenna sensor with incorporation of a corresponding SRR (split-ring resonator) and CLS (capacitively loaded strip) structure, in a circular array, the stepper motor-based array-mounting stand, the adjustable phantom hanging platform, an RF switching system to control the receivers, and a personal computer-based signal processing and image reconstruction unit using MATLAB. The improved antenna comprises of four-unit cells along one axis, where an individual unit cell integrates a balancing SRR and CLS pair, which makes the antenna radiation omnidirectional over the operating frequencies. The electrical dimensions of this proposed antenna are 0.28λ × 0.20λ × 0.016λ, measured at the lowest operating frequency of 2.97 GHz as the operating bandwidth of this is in between 2.97–15 GHz (134.82% bandwidth), with stable directional radiation pattern. SP8T 8 port switch is used to enable the eight receiver antennas to sequentially send a 3–8.0 GHz microwave signal to capture the backscattered signal by MATLAB software. A low-cost realistic homogeneous breast phantom with tumor material is developed and measured to test the capability of the imaging system to detect the breast tumors. A post-processing delay-multiply-and-sum (DMAS) algorithm is used to process the recorded backscatter signal to get an image of the breast phantom, and to accurately identify the existence and located area of multiple breast tumor tissues.
A Comparative Study on Evolutionary Multi-objective Optimization Algorithms Estimating Surface Duct
Authors: Liao Qixiang , Sheng Zheng , Shi Hanqing , Zhang Lei , Zhou Lesong , Ge Wei , Long Zhiyong
Published: December 2018

The problem of atmospheric duct inversion is usually solved as a single objective optimization problem. Based on ground-based Global Positioning System (GPS) phase delay and propagation loss, this paper develops a multi-objective method including the effect of source frequency and receiving antenna height. The diversity and convergence of solution sets are evaluated for seven multi-objective evolutionary algorithms with three performance metrics: Hypervolume (HV), Inverted Generational Distance (IGD), and the averaged Hausdorff distance ( Δ 2 ). The inversion results are compared with the simulation results, and the experimental comparison is conducted on three groups of test situations. The results demonstrate that the ranking of algorithm performance varies because of the different methods used to calculate performance metrics. Moreover, when the algorithms show overwhelming performance using performance metrics, the inversion result is not more close to the real value. In the comparison of computational experiments, it was found that, as the retrieved parameter dimension increases, the inversion result becomes more unstable. When the observed data are sufficient, the inversion result seems to be improved.
Improving the Strapdown Airborne Vector Gravimetry by a Backward Inertial Navigation Algorithm
Authors: Wang Minghao , Cao Juliang , Cai Shaokun , Wu Meiping , Zhang Kaidong , Yu Ruihang
Published: December 2018

Strapdown airborne gravimetry is an efficient way to obtain gravity field data. A new method has been developed to improve the accuracy of airborne vector gravimetry. The method introduces a backward strapdown navigation algorithm into the strapdown gravimetry, which is the reverse process of forward algorithm. Compared with the forward algorithm, the backward algorithm has the same performance in the condition of no sensor error, but has different error characteristics in actual conditions. The differences of the two algorithms in the strapdown gravimetry data processing are presented by simulations, which show that the two algorithms have different performance in the horizontal attitude measurement and convergence of integrated navigation filter. On the basis of detailed analysis, the procedures of accuracy improvement method are presented. The result of this method is very promising when applying to an actual flight test carried out by a SGA-WZ02 strapdown gravimeter. After applying the proposed method, the repeatability of two gravity disturbance horizontal components were 1.83 mGal and 1.80 mGal under the resolution of 6 km, which validate the effectiveness of the method. Furthermore, the wavenumber correlation filter is also discussed as an alternative data fusion method.
Slicing on the Road: Enabling the Automotive Vertical through 5G Network Softwarization
Authors: Campolo Claudia , Dos Reis Fontes Ramon , Molinaro Antonella , Esteve Rothenberg Christian , Iera Antonio
Published: December 2018

The demanding requirements of Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) applications, such as ultra-low latency, high-bandwidth, highly-reliable communication, intensive computation and near-real time data processing, raise outstanding challenges and opportunities for fifth generation (5G) systems. By allowing an operator to flexibly provide dedicated logical networks with (virtualized) functionalities over a common physical infrastructure, network slicing candidates itself as a prominent solution to support V2X over upcoming programmable and softwarized 5G systems in a business-agile manner. In this paper, a network slicing framework is proposed along with relevant building blocks and mechanisms to support V2X applications by flexibly orchestrating multi-access and edge-dominated 5G network infrastructures, especially with reference to roaming scenarios. Proof of concept experiments using the Mininet emulator showcase the viability and potential benefits of the proposed framework for cooperative driving use cases.
Fano Resonance in Waveguide Coupled Surface Exciton Polaritons: Theory and Application in Biosensor
Authors: Zhu Jiaqi , Gan Shuaiwen , Ruan Banxian , Wu Leiming , Cai Houzhi , Dai Xiaoyu , Xiang Yuanjiang
Published: December 2018

Surface exciton polaritons (SEPs) are one of the three major elementary excitations: Phonons, plasmons and excitons. They propagate along the interface of the crystal and dielectric medium. Surface exciton polaritons hold a significant position in the aspect of novel sensor and optical devices. In this article, we have realized a sharp Fano resonance (FR) by coupling the planar waveguide mode (WGM) and SEP mode with Cytop (perfluoro (1-butenyl vinyl ether)) and J-aggregate cyanine dye. After analyzing the coupling mechanism and the localized field enhancement, we then applied our structure to the imaging biosensor. It was shown that the maximum imaging sensitivity of this sensor could be as high as 5858 RIU−1, which is more than three times as much as classical FR based on metal. A biosensor with ultra-high sensitivity, simple manufacturing technique and lower cost with J-aggregate cyanine dye provides us with the most appropriate substitute for the surface plasmon resonance sensors with the noble metals and paves the way for applications in new sensing technology and biological studies.
Spatiotemporal Variation and Inequality in China’s Economic Resilience across Cities and Urban Agglomerations
Authors: Yu Haichao , Liu Yan , Liu Chengliang , Fan Fei
Published: December 2018

Economic resilience is a critical indicator of the sustainable development of an urban economy. This paper measures the urban economic resilience (UER) of 286 major cities in China from six indicators—economic growth, opening up, social development, environmental protection, natural conditions, and technological innovation—using a subjective and objective weighting method and the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methods. Furthermore, kernel density estimation (KDE) was used to reveal the spatial and temporal trends in UER across cities, and a social opportunity function was applied to access the opportunity for economic resilience and the fairness of opportunities for economic resilience in 19 urban agglomerations in China. The results show that the UER was, in general, low across all cities but increased over time. Geographically, the UER disperses from the eastern coast to inland cities. Amongst urban agglomerations in China, the economic resilience opportunity index also varies spatially and increases over time. On the other hand, the opportunity fairness index of UER remained largely stable and substantial inequalities exist across all urban agglomerations, indicating the need for differentiated policy intervention to ensure equality and the sustainable development of the region. The methodology developed in this research can also be applied in other cities and regions to test its re-applicability and to understand the UER in different contexts.
The Impacts of Tourism Development in Rural Indigenous Destinations: An Investigation of the Local Residents’ Perception Using Choice Modeling
Authors: Chang Kaowen Grace , Chien Hungju , Cheng Hungyao , Chen Hsin-i
Published: December 2018

Since indigenous areas have profound ethnic culture and ecological significance and sensitivity, successful tourism development must consider the perceptions of the indigenous community in order to build a mutual relationship grounded on respect and feasibility. The local indigenous communities are influenced by both the positive and negative impacts of tourism. To recognize which tourism impacts are most anticipated and concerning, we determined which and to what extent tourism impacts affect indigenous hosts’ support of alternatives for tourism plans. We used discrete choice modeling in the experiment design for empirical data collection and used mixed-logistic regression to evaluate the influence of each impact on local residents’ perceptions. We rank the effects of socio-culture, economic, and environmental tourism impacts. Our findings suggest that culture-related impacts most improve indigenous residents’ tourism development support. The residents expect economic impacts on both the regional and local scales. However, the results show a willingness to accept pollution following increased tourism. The residents have an adverse opinion of practices that are likely to cause environmental damage. The potential for conflict between local residents and tourists is not important to the local residents. This study contributes essential information to the understanding of tourism impacts from an indigenous perspective.
Value Addition and Productivity Differentials in the Nigerian Cassava System
Authors: Adeyemo Temitayo A. , Okoruwa Victor O.
Published: December 2018

There is an increasing need to improve value addition in order to get maximum utility from agricultural systems. Using a retrospective panel data from 482 cassava farmers covering the years 2015–2017, this study examined the effect of value addition on productivity of farmers in the cassava system in Nigeria. We analysed a non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis to examine productivity across cassava production systems over the three year period. We also examined the impact of value addition on productivity using an endogenous switching regression to account for unobservables that determine the decision to add value and productivity of the farmers. The study found that cost and revenue outlays increased with value addition. Cassava farmers in general operated below the efficiency frontier, with total productivity declining over the 2015–2017 period. However, higher value addition farmers had better efficiency and non-reducing productivity in the periods studied. We found evidence of selection bias in the decision to add value and productivity of the farmers. The conditional and unconditional outcome estimates revealed positive gains in productivity with value addition, confirming the hypothesis that value addition increases farming households’ productivity. We recommend that essential services such as extension services, agricultural training, and ease of enterprise registration that drive agricultural value addition be made available to farmers.
Relationship between Vegetation and Environment in an Arid-Hot Valley in Southwestern China
Authors: Pei Jun , Yang Wei , Cai Yangpeng , Yi Yujun , Li Xiaoxiao
Published: December 2018

The sparse and fragile vegetation in the arid-hot valley is an important indicator of ecosystem health. Understanding the correlation between this vegetation and its environment is vital to the plant restoration. We investigated the differences of soil moisture and fertility in typical vegetation (Dodonaea viscosa and Pinus yunnanensis) under a range of elevations, slopes, and aspects in an arid-hot valley of China’s Jinsha River through field monitoring and multivariate statistical analysis. The soil moisture differed significantly between the dry and rainy seasons, and it was higher at high elevation (>1640 m) and on shade slopes at the end of the dry season. Soil fertility showed little or no variation among the elevations, but was highest at 1380 m. Dodonaea viscosa biomass increased, then decreased, with increasing elevation on the shade slopes, but decreased with increasing elevation on the sunny slopes. On the shade slopes, Pinus yunnanensis biomass was higher at low elevations (1640 m) than it was on sunny slopes, but lower at high elevation (1940 m) on the sunny slopes. We found both elevation and soil moisture were significantly positively correlated with P. yunnanensis biomass and negatively correlated with D. viscosa biomass. Thus, changes in soil moisture as a function of elevation control vegetation restoration in the arid-hot valley. Both species are adaptable indigenous plants with good social and ecological benefits, so these results will allow managers to restore the vegetation more effectively.
Voters’ Information, Corruption, and the Efficiency of Local Public Services
Authors: Abrate Graziano , Boffa Federico , Erbetta Fabrizio , Vannoni Davide
Published: December 2018

This paper explores the link between voters’ information, corruption, and efficiency in the context of a career concern model, where politically connected local monopolies are in charge of the provision of a local public service. We find that both a corrupt environment and a low level of voters’ information on managerial actions induce managers to reduce effort levels, thereby contributing to drive down efficiency. We test our predictions using data on solid waste management services provided by a large sample of Italian municipalities. We estimate a stochastic cost frontier model that provides robust evidence that services produced in more corrupted regions with low voters’ information are substantially less cost-efficient.
Regeneration of Industrial Facilities into Cultural Facilities in Seoul: Studying Location Value
Authors: EOM Jun Sik , AN Dai Whan
Published: December 2018

Seoul is a rapidly developing city that attempted to keep up with the swift rate of industrialization by constructing large buildings with short life cycles to provide basic urban facilities. Today, however, these buildings are obsolete, and Seoul has become a cultural city rather than an industrial one. Rather than destroying these old buildings, many seek to transform them into cultural facilities, thereby giving them location value. This study examines both international and domestic case studies to determine five ways that such revitalization endows these spaces with location value. Through this, the study demonstrates that providing historic buildings with traditional Seoul architectural and urban characteristics with location value creates a meaningful city in which traces of past industrialization coexist with the present. As Seoul continues to develop as a cultural hub in South Korea, this paper’s findings suggest directions for future urban design.