bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of a Comprehensive Life-Style Intervention Program of Diet and Exercise on Four Bone-Derived Proteins, FGF-23, Osteopontin, NGAL and Sclerostin, in Overweight or Obese Children and Adolescents
Authors: Karampatsou Sofia I. , Paltoglou George , Genitsaridi Sofia M. , Kassari Penio , Charmandari Evangelia
Published: September 2022

The adipose and bone tissues demonstrate considerable interconnected endocrine function. In the present study, we determined the concentrations of fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23), osteopontin, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and sclerostin in 345 children and adolescents who were overweight or obese (mean age ± SD mean: 10.36 ± 0.16 years; 172 males, 173 females; 181 prepubertal; and 164 pubertal) before and after their participation in a comprehensive life-style intervention program of diet and exercise for one year. Following the one-year life-style interventions, there was a significant decrease in BMI (p < 0.01), FGF-23 (p < 0.05), osteopontin (p < 0.01) and NGAL (p < 0.01), and an increase in sclerostin (p < 0.01) concentrations. BMI z-score (b = 0.242, p < 0.05) and fat mass (b = 0.431, p < 0.05) were the best positive predictors and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) (b = −0.344, p < 0.05) was the best negative predictor of the change of osteopontin. NGAL concentrations correlated positively with HbA1C (b = 0.326, p < 0.05), WHtR (b = 0.439, p < 0.05) and HOMA-IR (b = 0.401, p < 0.05), while BMI (b = 0.264, p < 0.05), fat mass (b = 1.207, p < 0.05), HDL (b = 0.359, p < 0.05) and waist circumference (b = 0.263, p < 0.05) were the best positive predictors of NGAL. These results indicate that FGF-23, osteopontin, NGAL and sclerostin are associated with being overweight or obese and are altered in relation to alterations in BMI. They also indicate a crosstalk between adipose tissue and bone tissue and may play a role as potential biomarkers of glucose metabolism. Further studies are required to delineate the physiological mechanisms underlying this association in children and adolescents.
Novel Therapies for Cardiometabolic Disease: Recent Findings in Studies with Hormone Peptide-Derived G Protein Coupled Receptor Agonists
Authors: Jiménez-Martí Elena , Hurtado-Genovés Gema , Aguilar-Ballester María , Martínez-Hervás Sergio , González-Navarro Herminia
Published: September 2022

The increasing prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is provoking an important socioeconomic burden mainly in the form of cardiovascular disease (CVD). One successful strategy is the so-called metabolic surgery whose beneficial effects are beyond dietary restrictions and weight loss. One key underlying mechanism behind this surgery is the cooperative improved action of the preproglucagon-derived hormones, glucagon, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) which exert their functions through G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). Great success has been reached with therapies based on the GLP-1 receptor monoagonism; therefore, a logical and rational approach is the use of the dual and triagonism of GCPC to achieve complete metabolic homeostasis. The present review describes novel findings regarding the complex biology of the preproglucagon-derived hormones, their signaling, and the drug development of their analogues, especially those acting as dual and triagonists. Moreover, the main investigations into animal models and ongoing clinical trials using these unimolecular dual and triagonists are included which have demonstrated their safety, efficacy, and beneficial effects on the CV system. These therapeutic strategies could greatly impact the treatment of CVD with unprecedented benefits which will be revealed in the next years.
Dietary Vitamin D Intake, Pain Incidence, and Pain Changes in Older Adults: The Seniors-ENRICA-1 Cohort
Authors: Carballo-Casla Adrián , de Paz-Cantos Sonia , Ortolá Rosario , García-Esquinas Esther , Sotos-Prieto Mercedes , Banegas José R. , Rodríguez-Artalejo Fernando
Published: September 2022

Background: Vitamin D plays a role in bone health, pain signaling, and inflammation. We examined the largely unknown relation of dietary vitamin D intake with pain incidence and pain changes over time in older adults. Methods: Data were taken from the Seniors-ENRICA-1 cohort, which included 950 individuals aged ≥60 years. Habitual vitamin D intake was assessed in 2012 with a validated diet history, and pain both in 2012 and 2017 with a scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 6 (highest pain), according to its severity, frequency, and number of locations. Analyses on pain incidence and pain changes were performed in the 524 participants free of pain at baseline and the overall sample, respectively. Results: Higher dietary vitamin D intake was associated with lower 5-year pain incidence; the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) was 0.88 (0.79,0.99) for every 1-µg/day increase in vitamin D intake, and 0.49 (0.28,0.88) for the highest (>3.52 µg/day) vs. lowest (<1.85 µg/day) tertile. Dietary vitamin D intake (highest vs. lowest tertile) was also associated with 5-year favorable pain changes: the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio of pain worsening vs. no change/pain improvement was 0.55 (0.36,0.86), and the β coefficient for changes in the pain scale was −0.56 (−1.03,−0.09). Similar results were found for pain severity, frequency, and number of pain locations. Conclusions: In an older adult population, where compliance with vitamin D intake recommendations was very low, a slightly increased dietary intake was associated with lower pain incidence and favorable pain changes over 5 years.
Anemia among Adolescent Girls in West Java, Indonesia: Related Factors and Consequences on the Quality of Life
Authors: Sari Puspa , Herawati Dewi Marhaeni Diah , Dhamayanti Meita , Hilmanto Dany
Published: September 2022

Anemia in adolescent girls is still a problem in Indonesia. The impact of anemia is quite significant for adolescent health. This study aims to analyze related factors of anemia among adolescent girls, and the effect of anemia on the quality of life. The study was conducted in the Soreang District, West Java, Indonesia. This cross-sectional study involved 286 female students (15–19 years). A 24-h recall questionnaire was used to collect the nutrient intake. We use the WHOQOL-BREF to analyze the quality of life. The study assessed height, weight, body mass index (BMI), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), and a capillary blood sample to determine hemoglobin levels. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression tests were measured to find the factors most influencing anemia. The prevalence of anemia was 14.3%. Related factors of anemia in this study were: duration of blood show per menses, iron consumption, weight, height, and MUAC. From bivariate analyses, anemia influenced the social relationships domain with p < 0.05. Multivariate logistic regression showed that the most influencing factors for anemia were MUAC and duration of blood per menses. Anemia impacted the social relationships domain. In this study, the two main factors that affected anemia were MUAC and duration of blood each menstrual cycle.
Construction and Validation of an Oxaliplatin-Resistant Gene Signature in Colorectal Cancer Patients Who Underwent Chemotherapy
Authors: Yin Yixin , Li Siqi , Liang Xinqiang , Li Kezhi , Xie Mingzhi , Hu Bangli
Published: September 2022

Aberrant expression of genes contributes to the chemoresistance of colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment. This study aimed to identify genes associated with the chemoresistance of oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy in CRC patients and to construct a signature. Oxaliplatin resistance-related genes were screened by analyzing the gene profiles of cell lines and tissue samples that underwent oxaliplatin-based treatment. Oxaliplatin resistance-related genes were used to establish a signature. The association of the signature had clinical significance, so the prognostic value of the signature was analyzed. Independent cohorts and CRC cell lines were used to validate the value of the gene signature and the oxaliplatin-resistant genes. There were 64 oxaliplatin resistance-related genes identified after overlapping the genes from the dataset of oxaliplatin-treated CRC cells and the dataset of patients treated with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy. A gene signature based on five oxaliplatin resistance-related genes was established. This gene signature effectively predicted the prognosis of CRC patients who underwent chemotherapy. No significant associations were found between the gene mutations and survival of the patients; however, two genes were associated with microsatellite instability status. Two external independent cohorts and CRC cell line experiments validated the prognostic values of the signature and expression of the genes after oxaliplatin treatment. In conclusion, the oxaliplatin resistance-related gene signature involving five genes was a novel biomarker for the prediction of the chemotherapy response and prognosis of CRC patients who underwent oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy.
In Silico Prediction of Anti-Infective and Cell-Penetrating Peptides from Thalassophryne nattereri Natterin Toxins
Authors: De Cena Gabrielle Lupeti , Scavassa Bruna Vitória , Conceição Katia
Published: September 2022

The therapeutic potential of venom-derived peptides, such as bioactive peptides (BAPs), is determined by specificity, stability, and pharmacokinetics properties. BAPs, including anti-infective or antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), share several physicochemical characteristics and are potential alternatives to antibiotic-based therapies and drug delivery systems, respectively. This study used in silico methods to predict AMPs and CPPs derived from natterins from the venomous fish Thalassophryne nattereri. Fifty-seven BAPs (19 AMPs, 8 CPPs, and 30 AMPs/CPPs) were identified using the web servers CAMP, AMPA, AmpGram, C2Pred, and CellPPD. The physicochemical properties were analyzed using ProtParam, PepCalc, and DispHred tools. The membrane-binding potential and cellular location of each peptide were analyzed using the Boman index by APD3, and TMHMM web servers. All CPPs and two AMPs showed high membrane-binding potential. Fifty-four peptides were located in the plasma membrane. Peptide immunogenicity, toxicity, allergenicity, and ADMET parameters were evaluated using several web servers. Sixteen antiviral peptides and 37 anticancer peptides were predicted using the web servers Meta-iAVP and ACPred. Secondary structures and helical wheel projections were predicted using the PEP-FOLD3 and Heliquest web servers. Fifteen peptides are potential lead compounds and were selected to be further synthesized and tested experimentally in vitro to validate the in silico screening. The use of computer-aided design for predicting peptide structure and activity is fast and cost-effective and facilitates the design of potent therapeutic peptides. The results demonstrate that toxins form a natural biotechnological platform in drug discovery, and the presence of CPP and AMP sequences in toxin families opens new possibilities in toxin biochemistry research.
Healing Potential of Propolis in Skin Wounds Evidenced by Clinical Studies
Authors: da Rosa Cristiano , Bueno Ian Lucas , Quaresma Ana Clara Martins , Longato Giovanna Barbarini
Published: September 2022

Propolis has been used since ancient times for the treatment of skin diseases and, currently, its pharmacological potential for healing and repairing various types of wounds is widely cited in the literature. The healing properties of propolis are mainly attributed to its composition which is rich in phenolic compounds, and propolis has aroused the interest of the pharmaceutical industry as a low-cost product as compared with other treatments and medications; however, most of the published data refer to its effects in vitro and in vivo and, so far, few clinical studies have been carried out proving its therapeutic efficacy. In this article, we aimed to review clinical trail data published in Portuguese, Spanish, and English, in Scielo, PubMed, Google Scholar, Medline, and Lilacs between 1990 and 2021 on the clinical use of propolis for skin ulcers. The potential of propolis as an alternative healing treatment for skin wounds such as diabetic, venous, and surgical wounds, as well as wounds caused by burns, etc., is mainly due to its evidenced properties such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and angiogenesis promoter effects. However, there is a need to standardize the type of administration and the concentration of propolis for each type of wound. Furthermore, further clinical studies are essential to add information about propolis safety and for obtaining the best possible therapeutic benefits from its use.
Antifungal Encapsulated into Ligand-Functionalized Nanoparticles with High Specificity for Macrophages
Authors: Mejía Susana P. , López Daniela , Cano Luz Elena , Naranjo Tonny W. , Orozco Jahir
Published: September 2022

Infectious diseases caused by intracellular microorganisms such as Histoplasma capsulatum represent a significant challenge worldwide. Drug encapsulation into functionalized nanoparticles (NPs) is a valuable alternative to improving drug solubility and bioavailability, preventing undesirable interactions and drug degradation, and reaching the specific therapeutic target with lower doses. This work reports on Itraconazole (ITZ) encapsulated into core-shell-like polymeric NPs and functionalized with anti-F4/80 antibodies for their targeted and controlled release into macrophages. Uptake assay on co-culture showed significant differences between the uptake of functionalized and bare NPs, higher with functionalized NPs. In vitro assays showed that F4/80-NPs with 0.007 µg/mL of encapsulated ITZ eliminated the H. capsulatum fungus in co-culture with macrophages effectively compared to the bare NPs, without any cytotoxic effect on macrophages after 24 h interaction. Furthermore, encapsulated ITZ modulated the gene expression of anti and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1, INF-Y, IL-6 and IL-10) on macrophages. Additionally, the anti-F4/80 antibody-coating enhanced natural and adequate antifungal response in the cells, exerting a synergistic effect that prevented the growth of the fungus at the intracellular level. Functionalized NPs can potentially improve macrophage-targeted therapy, increasing NPs endocytosis and intracellular drug concentration.
Gastrointestinal Fluid Volumes in Pediatrics: A Retrospective MRI Study
Authors: Van der Veken Matthias , Aertsen Michael , Brouwers Joachim , Stillhart Cordula , Parrott Neil , Augustijns Patrick
Published: September 2022

The volume and distribution of fluids available in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract may substantially affect oral drug absorption. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used in the past to quantify these fluid volumes in adults and its use is now being extended to the pediatric population. The present research pursued a retrospective, explorative analysis of existing clinical MRI data generated for pediatric patients. Images of 140 children from all pediatric subpopulations were analyzed for their resting GI fluid volumes in fasting conditions. In general, an increase in fluid volume as a function of age was observed for the stomach, duodenum, jejunum, and small intestine (SI) as a whole. No specific pattern was observed for the ileum and colon. Body mass index (BMI), body weight, body height, and SI length were evaluated as easy-to-measure clinical estimators of the gastric and SI fluid volumes. Although weight and height were identified as the best estimators, none performed ideally based on the coefficient of determination (R2). Data generated in this study can be used as physiologically relevant input for biorelevant in vitro tests and in silico models tailored to the pediatric population, thereby contributing to the efficient development of successful oral drug products for children.
Enhancing the Stability of Bacteriophages Using Physical, Chemical, and Nano-Based Approaches: A Review
Authors: Wdowiak Mateusz , Paczesny Jan , Raza Sada
Published: September 2022

Phages are efficient in diagnosing, treating, and preventing various diseases, and as sensing elements in biosensors. Phage display alone has gained attention over the past decade, especially in pharmaceuticals. Bacteriophages have also found importance in research aiming to fight viruses and in the consequent formulation of antiviral agents and vaccines. All these applications require control over the stability of virions. Phages are considered resistant to various harsh conditions. However, stability-determining parameters are usually the only additional factors in phage-related applications. Phages face instability and activity loss when preserved for extended periods. Sudden environmental changes, including exposure to UV light, temperature, pH, and salt concentration, also lead to a phage titer fall. This review describes various formulations that impart stability to phage stocks, mainly focusing on polymer-based stabilization, encapsulation, lyophilization, and nano-assisted solutions.
Neuropeptide-Functionalized Gold Nanorod Enhanced Cellular Uptake and Improved In Vitro Photothermal Killing in LRP1-Positive Glioma Cells
Authors: Sivasoorian Siva Sankari , Urade Ritesh , Chiu Chien-Chih , Wang Li-Fang
Published: September 2022

The therapeutic modalities for glioblastoma multiforme fail badly due to the limitations of poor penetration through the blood–brain barrier and the lack of tumor targeting. In this study, we synthesized a neuropeptide (ANGIOPEP-2)-functionalized gold nanorod (GNR-ANGI-2) and systemically evaluated the cellular uptake and photothermal effects enhanced by the neuropeptide functionalization of the gold nanorod under laser or sham exposure. The expression of LRP1, the specific ligand for ANGIOPEP-2, was the highest in C6 cells among five studied glioma cell lines. The cellular internalization studies showed higher uptake of gold nanorods functionalized with ANGIOPEP-2 than of those functionalized with scrambled ANGIOPEP-2. The in vitro photothermal studies of C6 cells treated with GNR-ANGI-2 and laser showed a higher rate of apoptosis at early and late stages than cells treated with GNR-ANGI-2 without laser. Correspondingly, in vitro ROS evaluation showed a higher intensity of ROS production in cells treated with GNR-ANGI-2 under laser irradiation. The Western blotting results indicated that GNR-ANGI-2 with laser exposure activated the caspase pathway of apoptosis, and GNR-ANGI-2 with sham exposure induced autophagy in C6 cells. The current study provides in-depth knowledge on the effective time point for maximum cellular uptake of GNR-ANGI-2 to achieve a better anti-glioma effect. Moreover, by exploring the molecular mechanism of cell death with GNR-ANGI-2-mediated photothermal therapy, we could modify the nanoshuttle with multimodal targets to achieve more efficient anti-glioma therapy in the future.
Experimental Investigation on Hygroscopic Aging of Glass Fiber Reinforced Vinylester Resin Composites
Authors: He Weiping , Li Xu , Li Piao , Fang Shirui , Ding Anxin
Published: September 2022

The hygroscopic behavior of vinylester resin and high strength glass fiber reinforced vinylester resin composites were examined here, including weight change and the resulting degradation of mechanical properties. The prepared resin and composites specimens were immersed in deionized water and artificial seawater with an applied temperature of 70 °C, and then the specimens were weighed at specified time intervals in combination with the observation of surface morphologies using a scanning electron microscope. Identification of variations of functional groups was also carried out using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Meanwhile, the mechanical properties for resin and the composite specimens were tested periodically. The observations on surficial morphologies and the test on weight change display that the vinylester resin hydrolyzes seriously after immersion in deionized water, and that the embedment of glass fiber effectively inhibits the moisture absorption and hydrolysis for resin matrix in composites. The results from the mechanical properties test reveal that the tensile strength of pure resin decreases by 35.3% after 7 days’ immersion and keeps small fluctuation in the sequent immersion duration. However, the compressive strength of pure resin consistently dwells at 100 ± 2 MPa during immersion. After immersion for 90 days, the tensile strength decreases by 28.5% and 38.4%, the compressive strength reduces by 7.2% and 16.6%, and the in-plane shear strength reduces by 16.6% and 15.2% for the composites immersed into deionized water and artificial seawater, respectively. The main highlights of this paper are that it provides a more comprehensive mechanical properties test in combination with the microscopic characterization on a matrix and its composites to reveal the aging behavior of composites under a hygroscopic environment.
Meaning-Making among Drug Addicts during Drug Addiction Recovery from the Perspective of the Meaning-Making Model
Authors: Iswardani Tri , Dewi Zahrasari Lukita , Mansoer Winarini Wilman , Irwanto Irwanto
Published: September 2022

(1) Background: This study aimed to explore the dynamics of meaning-making among drug addicts during drug addiction recovery by using a case study approach. The participants were five male recovering addicts, aged 26 to 49 years, who had been abstinent for 4 to 17 years; (2) Methods: Data collection consisted of in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed using the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Questionnaire, Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), Beck’s Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and recovery stage criteria based on the Developmental Model of Recovery (DMR). (3) Results: The results showed that meaning making was an ongoing process before and during the use of drugs and recovery. Drug use was a coping strategy to overcome distress caused by ACE, which was perceived as a stressful event and brought up an implicit meaning of ACE. This initial meaning played an essential role in initiating the dynamics of the subsequent meaning-making process. A similar mechanism using non-constructive adaptation processes other negative impacts of drug use. They created more distress and developed false-positive beliefs, which resulted in continued drug use. Symptoms of depression occur during drug use, which drags the addict to the lowest point in life (hitting rock bottom), and addicts perceive it as a turning point for seeking treatment and attaining recovery. In complete recovery, reappraising the meaning of the stressors experienced throughout life makes new constructive meaning. Creating a constructive meaning of earliest traumatic experiences played an important role in preventing relapse and ensuring the success of recovery from drug addiction.
An MT-InSAR Data Partition Strategy for Sentinel-1A/B TOPS Data
Authors: Wang Yuexin , Feng Guangcai , Feng Zhixiong , Wang Yuedong , Wang Xiuhua , Luo Shuran , Zhao Yinggang , Lu Hao
Published: September 2022

The Sentinel-1A/B satellite launched by European Space Agency (ESA) in 2014 provides a huge amount of free Terrain Observation by Progressive Scans (TOPS) data with global coverage to the public. The TOPS data have a frame width of 250 km and have been widely used in surface deformation monitoring. However, traditional Multi-Temporal Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (MT-InSAR) methods require large computer memory and time when processing full resolution data with large width and long strips. In addition, they hardly correct atmospheric delays and orbital errors accurately over a large area. In order to solve these problems, this study proposes a data partition strategy based on MT-InSAR methods. We first process the partitioned images over a large area by traditional MT-InSAR method, then stitch the deformation results into a complete deformation result by correcting the offsets of adjacent partitioned images. This strategy is validated in a flat urban area (Changzhou City in Jiangsu province, China), and a mountainous region (Qijiang in Chongqing City, China). Compared with traditional MT-InSAR methods, the precision of the results obtained by the new strategy is improved by about 5% for Changzhou city and about 15% for Qijiang because of its advantage in atmospheric delay correction. Furthermore, the proposed strategy needs much less memory and time than traditional methods. The total time needed by the traditional method is about 20 h, and by the proposed method, is about 8.7 h, when the number of parallel processing is 5 in the Changzhou city case. The time will be further reduced when the number of parallel processes increases.
Stratiform and Convective Rain Classification Using Machine Learning Models and Micro Rain Radar
Authors: Ghada Wael , Casellas Enric , Herbinger Julia , Garcia-Benadí Albert , Bothmann Ludwig , Estrella Nicole , Bech Joan , Menzel Annette
Published: September 2022

Rain type classification into convective and stratiform is an essential step required to improve quantitative precipitation estimations by remote sensing instruments. Previous studies with Micro Rain Radar (MRR) measurements and subjective rules have been performed to classify rain events. However, automating this process by using machine learning (ML) models provides the advantages of fast and reliable classification with the possibility to classify rain minute by minute. A total of 20,979 min of rain data measured by an MRR at Das in northeast Spain were used to build seven types of ML models for stratiform and convective rain type classification. The proposed classification models use a set of 22 parameters that summarize the reflectivity, the Doppler velocity, and the spectral width (SW) above and below the so-called separation level (SL). This level is defined as the level with the highest increase in Doppler velocity and corresponds with the bright band in stratiform rain. A pre-classification of the rain type for each minute based on the rain microstructure provided by the collocated disdrometer was performed. Our results indicate that complex ML models, particularly tree-based ensembles such as xgboost and random forest which capture the interactions of different features, perform better than simpler models. Applying methods from the field of interpretable ML, we identified reflectivity at the lowest layer and the average spectral width in the layers below SL as the most important features. High reflectivity and low SW values indicate a higher probability of convective rain.
Review on the Geophysical and UAV-Based Methods Applied to Landslides
Authors: Hussain Yawar , Schlögel Romy , Innocenti Agnese , Hamza Omar , Iannucci Roberto , Martino Salvatore , Havenith Hans-Balder
Published: September 2022

Landslides (LS) represent geomorphological processes that can induce changes over time in the physical, hydrogeological, and mechanical properties of the involved materials. For geohazard assessment, the variations of these properties might be detected by a wide range of non-intrusive techniques, which can sometimes be confusing due to their significant variation in accuracy, suitability, coverage area, logistics, timescale, cost, and integration potential; this paper reviews common geophysical methods (GM) categorized as Emitted Seismic and Ambient Noise based and proposes an integrated approach between them for improving landslide studies; this level of integration (among themselves) is an important step ahead of integrating geophysical data with remote sensing data. The aforementioned GMs help to construct a framework based on physical properties that may be linked with site characterization (e.g., a landslide and its subsurface channel geometry, recharge pathways, rock fragments, mass flow rate, etc.) and dynamics (e.g., quantification of the rheology, saturation, fracture process, toe erosion, mass flow rate, deformation marks and spatiotemporally dependent geogenic pore-water pressure feedback through a joint analysis of geophysical time series, displacement and hydrometeorological measurements from the ground, air and space). A review of the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) based photogrammetry for the investigation of landslides was also conducted to highlight the latest advancement and discuss the synergy between UAV and geophysical in four possible broader areas: (i) survey planning, (ii) LS investigation, (iii) LS dynamics and (iv) presentation of results in GIS environment. Additionally, endogenous source mechanisms lead to the appearance of deformation marks on the surface and provide ground for the integrated use of UAV and geophysical monitoring for landslide early warning systems. Further development in this area requires UAVs to adopt more multispectral and other advanced sensors where their data are integrated with the geophysical one as well as the climatic data to enable Artificial Intelligent based prediction of LS.
Passive Acoustic Monitoring as a Tool to Investigate the Spatial Distribution of Invasive Alien Species
Authors: Ribeiro José W. , Harmon Kristopher , Leite Gabriel Augusto , de Melo Tomaz Nascimento , LeBien Jack , Campos-Cerqueira Marconi
Published: September 2022

Invasive alien species (IAS) are a threat to biodiversity and ecosystem function worldwide. Unfortunately, researchers, agencies, and other management groups face the unresolved challenge of effectively detecting and monitoring IAS at large spatial and temporal scales. To improve the detection of soniferous IAS, we introduced a pipeline for large-scale passive acoustic monitoring (PAM). Our main goal was to illustrate how PAM can be used to rapidly provide baseline information on soniferous IAS. To that aim, we collected acoustic data across Puerto Rico from March to June 2021 and used single-species occupancy models to investigate species distribution of species in the archipelago and to assess the peak of vocal activity. Overall, we detected 16 IAS (10 birds, 3 mammals, and 3 frogs) and 79 native species in an extensive data set with 1,773,287 1-min recordings. Avian activity peaked early in the morning (between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m.), while amphibians peaked between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. Occupancy probability for IAS in Puerto Rico ranged from 0.002 to 0.67. In general, elevation and forest cover older than 54 years were negatively associated with IAS occupancy, corroborating our expectation that IAS occurrence is related to high levels of human disturbance and present higher occupancy probabilities in places characterized by more intense human activities. The work presented here demonstrates that PAM is a workable solution for monitoring vocally active IAS over a large area and provides a reproducible workflow that can be extended to allow for continued monitoring over longer timeframes.
The Spatial Variation of Water Clouds, NH3, and H2O on Jupiter Using Keck Data at 5 Microns
Authors: Bjoraker Gordon L. , Wong Michael H. , de Pater Imke , Hewagama Tilak , Ádámkovics Máté
Published: September 2022

We obtained high-resolution spectra of Jupiter between 4.6 and 5.4 µm using NIRSPEC on the Keck 2 telescope in February 2017. We measured the spatial variation of NH3, H2O, and the pressure level of deep (p > 3 bar) clouds using two geometries. We aligned the slit north–south on Jupiter’s Central Meridian to measure the spatial variation of the gas composition and cloud structure between 66°N and 70°S. With the slit aligned east–west, we also examined the longitudinal variation at two regions of the North Equatorial Belt (NEB) at 18°N and at 8°N near the latitude of the Galileo Probe entry site. We used the integrated line absorption, also known as the equivalent width, of deuterated methane (CH3D) at 4.66 µm to derive the pressure level of deep clouds between 3 and 7 bar. From thermochemical models, these are most likely water clouds. At the location of a deep cloud revealed by HST methane-band imaging, we found spectroscopic evidence for an opaque cloud at the 5 bar level. We also identified regions on Jupiter that lacked deep clouds but exhibited evidence for upper clouds and enhanced NH3. We estimated column-averaged mole fractions of H2O and NH3 above the opaque lower boundary of the deep cloud. The meridional scan exhibited significant belt-zone structure with retrieved NH3 abundances in the 200–400 ppm range above the opaque lower cloud, except for a depletion (down to 90 ppm) in the NEB. Water in Jupiter’s belts varies from a maximum of 7 ppm at 8°S to a minimum of 1.5 ppm at 23°S. We found evidence for water clouds and enhanced NH3 and H2O in the South Equatorial Belt Outbreak region at 13°S. The NEB is a heterogeneous region with significant variation in all of these quantities. The NH3 abundance at 18°N and 8°N varies with the longitude with mole fractions between 120 and 300 ppm. The H2O abundance at these same latitudes varies with the longitude with mole fractions between 3 and 10 ppm. Our volatile mole fractions apply to the 5 to 8 bar pressure range (or to the level of an opaque cloud top where found at shallower pressure); therefore, they imply a deeper gradient continuing to increase toward higher concentrations detected by the Galileo Probe Mass Spectrometer at 11 and 20 bar. Hot Spots in the NEB exhibit minimal cloud opacity; however, they lack prominent anomalies in the concentrations of NH3 or H2O.
The Bias in PPP-B2b Real-Time Clock Offset and the Strategy to Reduce It
Authors: Liu Jinhuo , Tang Chengpan , Zhou Shanshi , Hu Xiaogong , Yang Yufei , Yang Jianhua , Liu Yuchen
Published: September 2022

Precise point positioning can provide accurate coordinates to users without reference stations, and the high-precision real-time clock offset product is necessary for real-time precise point positioning application. As an integral part of the third generation BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, Precision Point Positioning Service provides dual systems (BDS-3 and GPS) real-time PPP services with centimeter- and decimeter-level accuracy for static and kinematic positioning users around China, respectively. However, there exist inconsistent biases in the clock offset of Precision Point Positioning Service, which will negatively affect the positioning and timing performance of the service. By comparing with the post-processing clock offset, this paper verifies that the broadcast clock offset has smaller and more stable biases in the long term and proposes a regional clock offset estimation strategy using broadcast clock offset for a priori constraint. The results show that the new algorithm can effectively reduce the bias in PPP-B2b clock offset. The new clock offset product could improve convergence speed by 25% and 10% in the horizontal and vertical directions. For positioning accuracy, the improvement is 22% and 17%. The absolute error of timing can also be reduced by 60%.
Lidar-Imagery Fusion Reveals Rapid Coastal Forest Loss in Delaware Bay Consistent with Marsh Migration
Authors: Powell Elisabeth B. , Laurent Kari A. St. , Dubayah Ralph
Published: September 2022

Tidal wetland ecosystems and their vegetation communities are broadly controlled by tidal range and inundation frequency. Sea-level rise combined with episodic flooding events are causing shifts in thresholds of vegetation species which reconstructs the plant zonation of the coastal landscape. More frequent inundation events in the upland forest are causing the forest to convert into tidal marshes, and what is left behind are swaths of dead-standing trees along the marsh–forest boundary. Upland forest dieback has been well documented in the mid-Atlantic; however, reliable methods to accurately identify this dieback over large scales are still being developed. Here, we use multitemporal Lidar and imagery from the National Agricultural Imagery Program to classify areas of forest loss in the coastal regions of Delaware. We found that 1197 ± 405 hectares of forest transitioned to non-forest over nine years, and these losses were likely driven by major coastal storms and severe drought during the study period. In addition, we report decreases in Lidar-derived canopy height in forest loss areas, suggesting forest structure changes associated with the conversion from forest to marsh. Our results highlight the potential value of integrating Lidar-derived metrics to determine specific forest characteristics that may help predict future marsh migration pathways.
Impacts of Urban Green Space on Land Surface Temperature from Urban Block Perspectives
Authors: An Hongmin , Cai Hongyan , Xu Xinliang , Qiao Zhi , Han Dongrui
Published: September 2022

Urban green space (UGS) can be regarded as an effective approach to mitigate urban heat island (UHI) effects. Many studies have investigated the impacts of composition and configuration of UGS on land surface temperature (LST), while little attention has been paid to the impacts among different urban blocks. Thus, taking 1835 urban blocks in Beijing as samples, including low-rise point (LRP), low-rise street (LRS), low-rise block (LRB), mid-rise point (MRP), mid-rise street (MRS), mid-rise block (MRB), high-rise point (HRP), high-rise street (HRS) and high-rise block (HRB), this study investigated the impacts of UGS on LST among different urban blocks. The results showed that UGS serves as cold islands among different urban blocks. Percentage of landscape (PLAND) of UGS in all types of urban blocks, edge density (ED) of UGS in MRS, area-weighted fractal dimension index (FRAC_AM) of UGS in HRS and HRB show significantly negative impacts on LST, while aggregation index (AI) of UGS in LRP shows significantly positive impacts. The findings suggest that both composition and configuration of UGS can affect LST among different urban blocks and rational allocation of UGS would be effective for mitigating UHI effects.
Voltage RMS Estimation during a Fraction of the AC Period
Authors: Amiel Ido , Danin Zekharya , Sitbon Moshe , Averbukh Moshe
Published: September 2022

The increasingly widespread occurrences of fast-changing loads, as in, for example, the charging of electrical vehicles and the stochastic output of PV generating facilities, are causing imbalances between generated and consumed power flows. The deviations in voltage cause noteworthy technical problems. The tap-changers in today’s transformers are slow-reacting and thus cannot effectively correct the imbalance. Tap-changers should be replaced by special appliances, installed in distribution lines, that can effectively estimate voltage RMS and refine imbalances during a fraction of the AC period, preferably less than half. This article suggests specially developed methods for RMS assessment based on approximating instantaneous voltage magnitudes using harmonics and correcting coefficients.
Vibro-Acoustic Distributed Sensing for Large-Scale Data-Driven Leak Detection on Urban Distribution Mains
Authors: Bykerk Lili , Valls Miro Jaime
Published: September 2022

Non-surfacing leaks constitute the dominant source of water losses for utilities worldwide. This paper presents advanced data-driven analysis methods for leak monitoring using commercial field-deployable semi-permanent vibro-acoustic sensors, evaluated on live data collected from extensive multi-sensor deployments across a sprawling metropolitan city. This necessarily includes a wide variety of pipeline sizes, materials and surrounding soils, as well as leak sources and rates brought about by external factors. The novel proposition for structural pipe health monitoring shows that excellent leak/no-leak classification results (>94% accuracy) can be observed using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) trained with Short-Time Fourier Transforms (STFTs) of the raw audio files. Most notably, it is shown how this can be achieved irrespective of the sensor used, with four models from different manufactures being part of the investigation, and over time across extended densely populated areas.
Multiple Preprocessing Hybrid Level Set Model for Optic Disc Segmentation in Fundus Images
Authors: Xue Xiaozhong , Wang Linni , Du Weiwei , Fujiwara Yusuke , Peng Yahui
Published: September 2022

The accurate segmentation of the optic disc (OD) in fundus images is a crucial step for the analysis of many retinal diseases. However, because of problems such as vascular occlusion, parapapillary atrophy (PPA), and low contrast, accurate OD segmentation is still a challenging task. Therefore, this paper proposes a multiple preprocessing hybrid level set model (HLSM) based on area and shape for OD segmentation. The area-based term represents the difference of average pixel values between the inside and outside of a contour, while the shape-based term measures the distance between a prior shape model and the contour. The average intersection over union (IoU) of the proposed method was 0.9275, and the average four-side evaluation (FSE) was 4.6426 on a public dataset with narrow-angle fundus images. The IoU was 0.8179 and the average FSE was 3.5946 on a wide-angle fundus image dataset compiled from a hospital. The results indicate that the proposed multiple preprocessing HLSM is effective in OD segmentation.
Vision-Based Performance Analysis of an Active Microfluidic Droplet Generation System Using Droplet Images
Authors: Mudugamuwa Amith , Hettiarachchi Samith , Melroy Gehan , Dodampegama Shanuka , Konara Menaka , Roshan Uditha , Amarasinghe Ranjith , Jayathilaka Dumith , Wang Peihong
Published: September 2022

This paper discusses an active droplet generation system, and the presented droplet generator successfully performs droplet generation using two fluid phases: continuous phase fluid and dispersed phase fluid. The performance of an active droplet generation system is analysed based on the droplet morphology using vision sensing and digital image processing. The proposed system in the study includes a droplet generator, camera module with image pre-processing and identification algorithm, and controller and control algorithm with a workstation computer. The overall system is able to control, sense, and analyse the generation of droplets. The main controller consists of a microcontroller, motor controller, voltage regulator, and power supply. Among the morphological features of droplets, the diameter is extracted from the images to observe the system performance. The MATLAB-based image processing algorithm consists of image acquisition, image enhancement, droplet identification, feature extraction, and analysis. RGB band filtering, thresholding, and opening are used in image pre-processing. After the image enhancement, droplet identification is performed by tracing the boundary of the droplets. The average droplet diameter varied from ~3.05 mm to ~4.04 mm in the experiments, and the average droplet diameter decrement presented a relationship of a second-order polynomial with the droplet generation time.
2D SLAM Algorithms Characterization, Calibration, and Comparison Considering Pose Error, Map Accuracy as Well as CPU and Memory Usage
Authors: Trejos Kevin , Rincón Laura , Bolaños Miguel , Fallas José , Marín Leonardo
Published: September 2022

The present work proposes a method to characterize, calibrate, and compare, any 2D SLAM algorithm, providing strong statistical evidence, based on descriptive and inferential statistics to bring confidence levels about overall behavior of the algorithms and their comparisons. This work focuses on characterize, calibrate, and compare Cartographer, Gmapping, HECTOR-SLAM, KARTO-SLAM, and RTAB-Map SLAM algorithms. There were four metrics in place: pose error, map accuracy, CPU usage, and memory usage; from these four metrics, to characterize them, Plackett–Burman and factorial experiments were performed, and enhancement after characterization and calibration was granted using hypothesis tests, in addition to the central limit theorem.
Observability Decomposition-Based Decentralized Kalman Filter and Its Application to Resilient State Estimation under Sensor Attacks
Authors: Lee Chanhwa
Published: September 2022

This paper considers a discrete-time linear time invariant system in the presence of Gaussian disturbances/noises and sparse sensor attacks. First, we propose an optimal decentralized multi-sensor information fusion Kalman filter based on the observability decomposition when there is no sensor attack. The proposed decentralized Kalman filter deploys a bank of local observers who utilize their own single sensor information and generate the state estimate for the observable subspace. In the absence of an attack, the state estimate achieves the minimum variance, and the computational process does not suffer from the divergent error covariance matrix. Second, the decentralized Kalman filter method is applied in the presence of sparse sensor attacks as well as Gaussian disturbances/noises. Based on the redundant observability, an attack detection scheme by the χ2 test and a resilient state estimation algorithm by the maximum likelihood decision rule among multiple hypotheses, are presented. The secure state estimation algorithm finally produces a state estimate that is most likely to have minimum variance with an unbiased mean. Simulation results on a motor controlled multiple torsion system are provided to validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
A Data-Centric Analysis of the Impact of Non-Electric Data on the Performance of Load Disaggregation Algorithms
Authors: Góis João , Pereira Lucas , Nunes Nuno
Published: September 2022

Recent research on non-intrusive load monitoring, or load disaggregation, suggests that the performance of algorithms can be affected by factors beyond energy data. In particular, by incorporating non-electric data in load disaggregation analysis, such as building and consumer characteristics, the estimation accuracy of consumption data may be improved. However, this association has rarely been explored in the literature. This work proposes a data-centric methodology for measuring the effect of non-electric characteristics on load disaggregation performance. A real-world dataset is considered for evaluating the proposed methodology, using various appliances and sample rates. The methodology results indicate that the non-electric characteristics may have varying effects on the performances of different building appliances. Therefore, the proposed methodology can be relevant for complementing load disaggregation analysis.
Production of Refractory Bricks through Combustion Synthesis from Metallurgical Wastes and the Thermo-Physical Properties of the Products
Authors: Fomenko Sergey , Tolendiuly Sanat , Turan Ahmet , Akishev Adil
Published: September 2022

Industrial symbiosis is one of the key approaches to meet sustainable and low carbon production targets. Thus, through circular approaches, it is possible to reduce the use of natural crude materials and make production processes waste-free in the metallurgical industry. The purpose of this study was to study the possibility of using various metallurgical waste and low-grade semi-finished products, which do not have a direct application area, in the production of heat-resistant carbon-containing refractory bricks through the combustion synthesis (CS) method. In the experiments, used metallurgical wastes were wet filter cake (FC), sludge (S), and refractory magnesite scrap (MS) while semi-products were rich and poor dust of chrome spinel (Cr-S). Simultaneously with the experiments, thermochemical simulation studies were carried out using the HSC Chemistry 6.12 to predict the thermodynamic properties of the reactions and possible reaction products. Thermal conductivity coefficients were determined in products in terms of thermal properties of composite samples, they were between 0.511 and 1.020 Wm/K. The phase compositions of the produced samples were determined via XRD technique. The TG-DTA technique was used to characterize thermal behavior of products. In addition, mechanical properties were determined by compression strength test. As a result of experiments, it was observed that Cr-S-rich-based samples showed a promising result in comparison to others: increasing amount of useful carbide phases were formed and demonstrated a high value of mechanical properties. Compression strength was increased from 2.7 MPa (sample №4) to 15.8 MPa (sample №1) with increasing chromite-containing phases in the green samples.