bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Over 20-Year Follow-up of Patients with Hepatic Glycogen Storage Diseases: Single-Center Experience
Authors: Szymańska Edyta , Lipiński Patryk , Rokicki Dariusz , Książyk Janusz , Tylki-Szymańska Anna
Published: May 2020

Background: The published data on the long-term outcomes of glycogen storage disease (GSD) patients is sparse in the literature. The aim of this study was to analyze the long-term (over 20 years) follow-up of patients with hepatic types of GSD-I, III, VI, and IX—from childhood to adulthood, managed by one referral center. Patients and methods: Thirty adult patients with hepatic GSD were included in the study. A retrospective chart review of patients’ medical records has been performed. Results: During the long-term follow-up, the most frequent complications observed in a group of 14 GSD I patients were nephropathy with blood hypertension (10/14), hyperuricemia (8/14), and development of hepatocellular adenomas (HCA; 5/14). All individuals but four presented with normal height. Two patients with GSD Ib suffered from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Nine (64%) GSD I patients were in balanced metabolic condition at the age of 18. Regarding GSD III/VI/IX, the most frequent complication was short stature observed in 5 out of 16 patients. All patients but one with GSD VI were in balanced metabolic condition at the age of 18. Conclusion: The long-term outcomes of patients with GSD depend mainly on proper (adjusted to each type of GSD) dietary management and patient compliance. However, in GSD type I, even proper management does not eliminate all long-term complications in adulthood.
“Preparing Them for the Road”: African Migrant Parents’ Perceptions of Their Role in Their Children’s Career Decision-Making
Authors: Akosah-Twumasi Peter , Alele Faith , Emeto Theophilus I. , Lindsay Daniel , Tsey Komla , Malau-Aduli Bunmi S.
Published: May 2020

There are numerous theories on parenting styles, however, they are Western-oriented and may not be applicable to collectivist non-Western societies. A qualitative study which utilised semi-structured interviews was conducted to explore the perceived parenting roles of 26 Sub-Saharan African (SSA) migrant parents (both humanitarian and professional migrants) in their children’s career pathways after they migrated to Australia. Data were analysed using grounded theory methods and this process facilitated the creation of a new framework to provide an in-depth understanding of how SSA parenting styles informed the migrant children’s career choices while living in Australia. The study revealed that most SSA migrant parents maintained their style of parenting as used in their home countries. Interestingly, some parents adapted their parenting styles due to their perceptions of changed circumstances within the host country. Other parents, who would normally be authoritative, became trustful due to their perceived lack of educational expertise to guide their children. Conversely, some other parents who would normally be authoritarian employed wily tactics in influencing their children’s decision, so as to circumvent the strict Australian legal framework around children’s rights. Irrespective of parenting style applied, all the parents aimed to either guide or direct their children’s educational and career development to ensure that they become economically productive adults. From the discourse of the SSA migrants’ perceptions of their parental role, we offer potential explanations for what underpins their parenting preferences and the rippling effects on their children’s career trajectories. Direction for areas of continued research are presented, and implications of the findings are discussed.
Closing the Wearable Gap—Part VI: Human Gait Recognition Using Deep Learning Methodologies
Authors: Davarzani Samaneh , Saucier David , Peranich Preston , Carroll Will , Turner Alana , Parker Erin , Middleton Carver , Nguyen Phuoc , Robertson Preston , Smith Brian , Ball John , Burch Reuben , Chander Harish , Knight Adam , Prabhu Raj , Luczak Tony
Published: May 2020

A novel wearable solution using soft robotic sensors (SRS) has been investigated to model foot-ankle kinematics during gait cycles. The capacitance of SRS related to foot-ankle basic movements was quantified during the gait movements of 20 participants on a flat surface as well as a cross-sloped surface. In order to evaluate the power of SRS in modeling foot-ankle kinematics, three-dimensional (3D) motion capture data was also collected for analyzing gait movement. Three different approaches were employed to quantify the relationship between the SRS and the 3D motion capture system, including multivariable linear regression, an artificial neural network (ANN), and a time-series long short-term memory (LSTM) network. Models were compared based on the root mean squared error (RMSE) of the prediction of the joint angle of the foot in the sagittal and frontal plane, collected from the motion capture system. There was not a significant difference between the error rates of the three different models. The ANN resulted in an average RMSE of 3.63, being slightly more successful in comparison to the average RMSE values of 3.94 and 3.98 resulting from multivariable linear regression and LSTM, respectively. The low error rate of the models revealed the high performance of SRS in capturing foot-ankle kinematics during the human gait cycle.
Test Case Generation Method for Increasing Software Reliability in Safety-Critical Embedded Systems
Authors: Koo Bongjoo , Bae Jungho , Kim Seogbong , Park Kangmin , Kim Hyungshin
Published: May 2020

Finite-state machines (FSMs) and the W method have been widely used in software testing. However, the W method fails to detect post-processing errors in the implementation under test (IUT) because it ends testing when it encounters a previously visited state. To alleviate this issue, we propose an enhanced fault-detection W method. The proposed method does not stop the test, even if it has reached a previously visited state; it continues to test and check the points that the W method misses. Through various case studies, we demonstrated software testing using the W method and the proposed method. From the results, it can be inferred that the proposed method can more explicitly determine the consistency between design and implementation, and it is a better option for testing larger software. Unfortunately, the testing time of the proposed method is approximately 1.4 times longer than that of the W method because of the added paths. However, our method is more appropriate than the W method for software testing in safety-critical systems, even if this method is time consuming. This is because the error-free characteristics of a safety-critical system are more important than anything else. As a result, our method can be used to increase software reliability in safety-critical embedded systems.
Assessment of the Chemical State of Bottom Sediments in the Eutrophied Dam Reservoir in Poland
Authors: Ziemińska-Stolarska Aleksandra , Imbierowicz Ewa , Jaskulski Marcin , Szmidt Aleksander
Published: May 2020

The aim of the presented research was to examine the concentration of biogenic compounds and heavy metals in the bottom sediments of the Sulejów Reservoir (Central Poland) from October 2018. Based on the obtained research results, maps of the spatial distribution were prepared. The following parameters were analyzed: total phosphorus (TP), total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total organic carbon (TOC), ratio of total organic carbon to nitrogen (C:N), organic matter content as well as Cd, Cr and Pb concentrations. The sediments were collected at 28 sampling sites, covering the whole area of the reservoir. The differences in the content of individual biogenic compounds result from the composition of the debris applied by the supplying rivers, as well as the content of this elements in the water, long retention time (40 days) and depth from which the tested sediments were taken. The distribution of examined compounds was largely influenced by the agricultural activity in the studied area, as well as the presence of ports and recreational points. Based on the measurements, the highest amounts of biogenic components deposit in sediments of deep parts in slow-flowing waters, in stagnation zones, areas adjacent to arable land, and the sites where fine-size fractions prevail in the deposited material. Biogenic compounds in sediments of the Sulejów Reservoir showed a pattern of gradual increase along the reservoir from lower values in the back-water part. A similar relationship is visible for heavy metals. Referring to the ecotoxicological criteria, it can be stated that bottom sediments from the Sulejów Reservoir collected in 2018 are not toxicologically contaminated in terms of cadmium, lead and chromium content.
Management and Survival of Elderly and Very Elderly Patients with Ovarian Cancer: An Age-Stratified Study of 1123 Women from the FRANCOGYN Group
Authors: Joueidi Yolaine , Dion Ludivine , Bendifallah Sofiane , Mimoun Camille , Bricou Alexandre , Nyangoh Timoh Krystel , Collinet Pierre , Touboul Cyril , Ouldamer Lobna , Azaïs Henri , Dabi Yohann , Akladios Cherif , Canlorbe Geoffroy , Bolze Pierre-Adrien , Costaz Hélène , Mezzadri Mathieu , Gauthier Tristan , Kridelka Frederic , Chauvet Pauline , Bourdel Nicolas , Koskas Martin , Carcopino Xavier , Raimond Emilie , Graesslin Olivier , Lecointre Lise , Ballester Marcos , Huchon Cyrille , Levêque Jean , Lavoué Vincent
Published: May 2020

Elderly women with ovarian cancer are often undertreated due to a perception of frailty. We aimed to evaluate the management of young, elderly and very elderly patients and its impact on survival in a retrospective multicenter study of women with ovarian cancer between 2007 to 2015. We included 979 women: 615 women (62.8%) <65 years, 225 (22.6%) 65–74 years, and 139 (14.2%) ≥75 years. Women in the 65–74 years age group were more likely to have serous ovarian cancer (p = 0.048). Patients >65 years had more >IIa FIGO stage: 76% for <65 years, 84% for 65–74 years and 80% for ≥75 years (p = 0.033). Women ≥75 years had less standard procedures (40% (34/84) vs. 59% (104/177) for 65–74 years and 72% (384/530) for <65 years (p < 0.001). Only 9% (13/139) of women ≥75 years had an Aletti score >8 compared with 16% and 22% for the other groups (p < 0.001). More residual disease was found in the two older groups (30%, respectively) than the younger group (20%) (p < 0.05). Women ≥75 years had fewer neoadjuvant/adjuvant cycles than the young and elderly women: 23% ≥75 years received <6 cycles vs. 10% (p = 0.003). Univariate analysis for 3-year Overall Survival showed that age >65 years, FIGO III (HR = 3.702, 95%CI: 2.30–5.95) and IV (HR = 6.318, 95%CI: 3.70–10.77) (p < 0.001), residual disease (HR = 3.226, 95%CI: 2.51–4.15; p < 0.001) and lymph node metastasis (HR = 2.81, 95%CI: 1.91–4.12; p < 0.001) were associated with lower OS. Women >65 years are more likely to have incomplete surgery and more residual disease despite more advanced ovarian cancer. These elements are prognostic factors for women’s survival regardless of age. Specific trials in the elderly would produce evidence-based medicine and guidelines for ovarian cancer management in this population.
Role of Viral Infections in the Pathogenesis of Sjögren’s Syndrome: Different Characteristics of Epstein-Barr Virus and HTLV-1
Authors: Nakamura Hideki , Shimizu Toshimasa , Kawakami Atsushi
Published: May 2020

Viruses are possible pathogenic agents in several autoimmune diseases. Sjögren’s syndrome (SS), which involves exocrine dysfunction and the appearance of autoantibodies, shows salivary gland- and lacrimal gland-oriented clinical features. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the most investigated pathogen as a candidate that directly induces the phenotype found in SS. The reactivation of the virus with various stimuli induced a dysregulated form of EBV that has the potential to infect SS-specific B cells and plasma cells that are closely associated with the function of an ectopic lymphoid structure that contains a germinal center (GC) in the salivary glands of individuals with SS. The involvement of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) in SS has been epidemiologically established, but the disease concept of HTLV-1-associated SS remains unexplained due to limited evidence from basic research. Unlike the cell-to-cell contact between lymphocytes, biofilm-like structures are candidates as the mode of HTLV-1 infection of salivary gland epithelial cells (SGECs). HTLV-1 can infect SGECs with enhanced levels of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines that are secreted from SGECs. Regardless of the different targets that viruses have with respect to affinitive lymphocytes, viruses are involved in the formation of pathological alterations with immunological modifications in SS.
DNA Methylation Influences miRNA Expression in Gonadotroph Pituitary Tumors
Authors: Boresowicz Joanna , Kober Paulina , Rusetska Natalia , Maksymowicz Maria , Paziewska Agnieszka , Dąbrowska Michalina , Zeber-Lubecka Natalia , Kunicki Jacek , Bonicki Wiesław , Ostrowski Jerzy , Siedlecki Janusz A. , Bujko Mateusz
Published: May 2020

microRNAs are involved in pathogenesis of cancer. DNA methylation plays a role in transcription of miRNA-encoding genes and may contribute to changed miRNA expression in tumors. This issue was not investigated in pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs) previously. DNA methylation patterns, assessed with HumanMethylation450K arrays in 34 PitNETs and five normal pituitaries, were used to determine differentially methylated CpGs located at miRNA genes. It showed aberrant methylation in regions encoding for 131 miRNAs. DNA methylation data and matched miRNA expression profiles, determined with next-generation sequencing (NGS) of small RNAs, were correlated in 15 PitNETs. This showed relationship between methylation and expression levels for 12 miRNAs. DNA methylation and expression levels of three of them (MIR145, MIR21, and MIR184) were determined in the independent group of 80 tumors with pyrosequencing and qRT-PCR and results confirmed both aberrant methylation in PitNETs and correlation between methylation and expression. Additionally, in silico target prediction was combined with analysis of established miRNA profiles and matched mRNA expression pattern, assessed with amplicon-based NGS to indicate putative target genes of epigenetically deregulated miRNAs. This study reveals aberrant DNA methylation in miRNA-encoding genes in gonadotroph PitNETs. Methylation changes affect expression level of miRNAs that regulate putative target genes with tumorigenesis-relevant functions.
The Main Structural and Functional Characteristics of Photosystem-II-Enriched Membranes Isolated from Wild Type and cia3 Mutant Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Terentyev Vasily V. , Shukshina Anna K. , Ashikhmin Aleksandr A. , Tikhonov Konstantin G. , Shitov Alexandr V.
Published: May 2020

Photosystem II (PSII)-enriched membranes retain the original PSII architecture in contrast to PSII cores or PSII supercomplexes, which are usually isolated from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Here, we present data that fully characterize the structural and functional properties of PSII complexes in isolated PSII-enriched membranes from C. reinhardtii. The preparations were isolated from wild-type (WT) and CAH3-deficient mutant cia3 as the influence of CAH3 on the PSII function was previously proposed. Based on the equal chlorophyll content, the PSII-enriched membranes from WT and cia3 have the same amount of reaction centers (RCs), cytochrome b559, subunits of the water-oxidizing complex, Mn ions, and carotenes. They differ in the ratio of other carotenoids, the parts of low/intermediate redox forms of cytochrome b559, and the composition of outer light-harvesting complexes. The preparations had 40% more chlorophyll molecules per RC compared to higher plants. Functionally, PSII-enriched membranes from WT and cia3 show the same photosynthetic activity at optimal pH 6.5. However, the preparations from cia3 contained more closed RCs even at pH 6.5 and showed more pronounced suppression of PSII photosynthetic activity at shift pH up to 7.0, established in the lumen of dark-adapted cells. Nevertheless, the PSII photosynthetic capacities remained the same.
Microarray Profile of Long Noncoding RNA and Messenger RNA Expression in a Model of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Wang Linlin , Zeng Li , Jiang Hailun , Li Zhuorong , Liu Rui
Published: May 2020

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by a deficiency in cognitive skills. Although long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been proposed as associated with AD, the aberrant lncRNAs expression and the co-expression of lncRNAs-mRNAs network in AD remains unclear. Therefore, in this study, lncRNA microarray was performed on the brain of APP/PS1 mice at different age, widely used as an AD mouse model, and on age-matched wide-type controls. Our results identified a total of 3306 lncRNAs and 2458 mRNAs as aberrantly expressed among AD mice at different age and their age-matched control. Gene Ontology and pathway analysis of the AD-related lncRNAs and mRNAs indicated that neuroinflammation-related and synaptic transmission signaling pathways represented the main enriched pathways. An lncRNA–mRNA–miRNA network between the differentially expressed transcripts was constructed. Moreover, an mRNA–miRNA network between both significantly dysregulated and highly conserved genes was also constructed, and among this network, the IGF1, P2RX7, TSPO, SERPINE1, EGFR, HMOX1, and NFE212 genes were predicted to play a role in the development of AD. In conclusion, this study illustrated the prognostic value of lncRNAs and mRNAs associated to AD pathology by microarray analysis and might provide potential novel biomarkers in the diagnosis and treatment of AD.
Static Wettability of Differently Mechanically Treated and Amphiphobic-Coated Aluminium Surfaces
Authors: Fedorova Nataliia , Ottinger Bettina , Jovicic Vojislav , Zbogar-Rasic Ana , Delgado Antonio , Virtanen Sannakaisa
Published: May 2020

Wettability, roughness and surface treatment methods are essential for the majority of practical applications, where liquid–solid surface interactions take place. The present study experimentally investigated the influence of different mechanical surface treatment methods on the static wettability of uncoated and amphiphobic-coated aluminium alloy (AlMg3) samples, specially focusing on the interaction between surface finishing and coating. Five different surfaces were prepared: as-received substrate, polished, sandpapered, fleece-abraded and sandblasted. After characterisation, the samples were spray-coated using an amphiphobic coating. The characterisation of the uncoated and coated samples involved measurements of the roughness parameters and the apparent contact angles of demineralized water and rapeseed oil. The coating was initially characterised regarding its adhesion to the sample and elevated temperature stability. The applied surface treatments resulted in the scattered sample roughness in the range of Sa = 0.3–15.8 µm, water contact angles of θ a p , w = 78°–106° and extremely low oil contact angles. Coating the samples more than doubled the surface roughness to Sa = 13.3–29 µm, whereas the initial surface treatment properties (structure, anisotropy, etc.) were entirely repressed by the coating properties. Coating led the water contact angles to increase to θ a p , w _ c o a t e d = 162°–173° and even more pronounced oil contact angles to increase to θ a p , o _ c o a t e d = 139°–150°, classifying the surfaces as superhydrophobic and oleophobic.
Leptospira Survey in Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) Hunted in Tuscany, Central Italy
Authors: Cilia Giovanni , Bertelloni Fabrizio , Angelini Marta , Cerri Domenico , Fratini Filippo
Published: May 2020

Leptospirosis is a re-emerging, worldwide zoonosis, and wild boar (Sus scrofa) are involved in its epidemiology as the reservoir. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Leptospira with serological, bacteriological, and molecular assays in wild boar hunted in Tuscany (Italy) during two hunting seasons. In total, 287 specimens of sera, kidneys, and liver were collected to perform microscopic agglutination tests (MATs), isolation, and RealTime PCR to detect pathogenic (lipL32 gene), intermediate (16S rRNA gene), and saprophytic (23S rRNA gene) Leptospira. Within sera, 39 (13.59%) were positive to the MAT, and Australis was the most represented serogroup (4.88%), followed by Pomona (4.18%), and Tarassovi (3.14%). Moreover, four Leptospira cultures were positive, and once isolates were identified, one was identified as L. borgpetersenii serovar Tarassovi, and three as L. interrogans serovar Bratislava. Pathogenic Leptospira DNA were detected in 32 wild boar kidneys (11.15%). The characterization through the amplification of the rrs2 gene highlighted their belonging to L. interrogans (23 kidneys), L. borgpetersenii (four), and L. kirschneri (one), while nine kidneys (3.14%) were positive for intermediate Leptospira, all belonging to L. fainei. The results of this study confirmed the importance of wild boar in the epidemiology of leptospirosis among wildlife in Central Italy.
Organic Amendments Modulate Soil Microbiota and Reduce Virus Disease Incidence in the TSWV-Tomato Pathosystem
Authors: Bonanomi Giuliano , Alioto Daniela , Minutolo Maria , Marra Roberta , Cesarano Gaspare , Vinale Francesco
Published: May 2020

Application of organic amendments is considered an eco-friendly practice to promote soil fertility and suppressiveness against a wide range of soil-borne pathogens. However, limited information is available about the capabilities of organic amendments to control virus disease. In this study, the suppressiveness of different organic amendments (i.e., compost manure, biochar, alfalfa straw, and glucose) was determined against the Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) on tomato plants in a 1-year-long mesocosm experiment. Organic treatments were compared to the ordinary soil management based on mineral fertilizers and fumigation. Tomato seedlings were inoculated with TSWV and the infection and symptoms were assessed three weeks later. The disease incidence was higher in soil treated with mineral fertilizers and fumigation (>80%) compared to the application of organic amendments, with alfalfa straw and biochar recording the lowest incidence (<40%). Moreover, soil microbiota structure and diversity were assessed by high-throughput sequencing of bacterial and eukaryotic rRNA gene markers. Several members belonging to the bacterial phyla of Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria, as well as members of the fungal genus Acremonium, were positively associated with plant health. This study showed that conventional practices, by shifting microbiome composition, may increase TSWV incidence and severity.
Distribution Pattern of Gymnosperms’ Richness in Nepal: Effect of Environmental Constrains along Elevational Gradients
Authors: Pandey Bikram , Nepal Nirdesh , Tripathi Salina , Pan Kaiwen , Dakhil Mohammed A. , Timilsina Arbindra , Justine Meta F. , Koirala Saroj , Nepali Kamal B.
Published: May 2020

Understanding the pattern of species distribution and the underlying mechanism is essential for conservation planning. Several climatic variables determine the species diversity, and the dependency of species on climate motivates ecologists and bio-geographers to explain the richness patterns along with elevation and environmental correlates. We used interpolated elevational distribution data to examine the relative importance of climatic variables in determining the species richness pattern of 26 species of gymnosperms in the longest elevation gradients in the world. Thirteen environmental variables were divided into three predictors set representing each hypothesis model (energy-water, physical-tolerance, and climatic-seasonality); to explain the species richness pattern of gymnosperms along the elevational gradient. We performed generalized linear models and variation partitioning to evaluate the relevant role of environmental variables on species richness patterns. Our findings showed that the gymnosperms’ richness formed a hump-shaped distribution pattern. The individual effect of energy-water predictor set was identified as the primary determinant of species richness. While, the joint effects of energy-water and physical-tolerance predictors have explained highest variations in gymnosperm distribution. The multiple environmental indicators are essential drivers of species distribution and have direct implications in understanding the effect of climate change on the species richness pattern.
Ascorbic Acid Induces the Increase of Secondary Metabolites, Antioxidant Activity, Growth, and Productivity of the Common Bean under Water Stress Conditions
Authors: Gaafar Alaa A. , Ali Sami I. , El-Shawadfy Mohamed A. , Salama Zeinab A. , Sękara Agnieszka , Ulrichs Christian , Abdelhamid Magdi T.
Published: May 2020

One of the most vital environmental factors that restricts plant production in arid and semi-arid environments is the lack of fresh water and drought stress. Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) productivity is severely limited by abiotic stress, especially climate-related constraints. Therefore, a field experiment in split-plot design was carried out to examine the potential function of ascorbic acid (AsA) in mitigating the adverse effects of water stress on common bean. The experiment included two irrigation regimes (100% or 50% of crop evapotranspiration) and three AsA doses (0, 200, or 400 mg L−1 AsA). The results revealed that water stress reduced common bean photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll and carotenoids), carbonic anhydrase activity, antioxidant activities (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical activity scavenging activity and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical cation assay), growth and seed yield, while increased enzymatic antioxidants (peroxidase), secondary metabolites (phenolic, flavonoids, and tannins), malondialdehyde (MDA), and crop water productivity. In contrast, the AsA foliar spray enhanced all studied traits and the enhancement was gradual with the increasing AsA dose. The linear regression model predicted that when the AsA dose increase by 1.0 mg L−1, the seed yield is expected to increase by 0.06 g m−2. Enhanced water stress tolerance through adequate ascorbic acid application is a promising strategy to increase the tolerance and productivity of common bean under water stress. Moreover, the response of common bean to water deficit appears to be dependent on AsA dose.
Predicting Near-Future Built-Settlement Expansion Using Relative Changes in Small Area Populations
Authors: Nieves Jeremiah J. , Bondarenko Maksym , Sorichetta Alessandro , Steele Jessica E. , Kerr David , Carioli Alessandra , Stevens Forrest R. , Gaughan Andrea E. , Tatem Andrew J.
Published: May 2020

Advances in the availability of multi-temporal, remote sensing-derived global built-/human-settlements datasets can now provide globally consistent definitions of “human-settlement” at unprecedented spatial fineness. Yet, these data only provide a time-series of past extents and urban growth/expansion models have not had parallel advances at high-spatial resolution. Here our goal was to present a globally applicable predictive modelling framework, as informed by a short, preceding time-series of built-settlement extents, capable of producing annual, near-future built-settlement extents. To do so, we integrated a random forest, dasymetric redistribution, and autoregressive temporal models with open and globally available subnational data, estimates of built-settlement population, and environmental covariates. Using this approach, we trained the model on a 11 year time-series (2000–2010) of European Space Agency (ESA) Climate Change Initiative (CCI) Land Cover “Urban Areas” class and predicted annual, 100m resolution, binary settlement extents five years beyond the last observations (2011–2015) within varying environmental, urban morphological, and data quality contexts. We found that our model framework performed consistently across all sampled countries and, when compared to time-specific imagery, demonstrated the capacity to capture human-settlement missed by the input time-series and the withheld validation settlement extents. When comparing manually delineated building footprints of small settlements to the modelled extents, we saw that the modelling framework had a 12 percent increase in accuracy compared to withheld validation settlement extents. However, how this framework performs when using different input definitions of “urban” or settlement remains unknown. While this model framework is predictive and not explanatory in nature, it shows that globally available “off-the-shelf” datasets and relative changes in subnational population can be sufficient for accurate prediction of future settlement expansion. Further, this framework shows promise for predicting near-future settlement extents and provides a foundation for forecasts further into the future.
Changes in Vegetation Phenology and Productivity in Alaska Over the Past Two Decades
Authors: Potter Christopher , Alexander Olivia
Published: May 2020

Understanding trends in vegetation phenology and growing season productivity at a regional scale is important for global change studies, particularly as linkages can be made between climate shifts and the vegetation’s potential to sequester or release carbon into the atmosphere. Trends and geographic patterns of change in vegetation growth and phenology from the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite data sets were analyzed for the state of Alaska over the period 2000 to 2018. Phenology metrics derived from the MODIS Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time-series at 250 m resolution tracked changes in the total integrated greenness cover (TIN), maximum annual NDVI (MAXN), and start of the season timing (SOST) date over the past two decades. SOST trends showed significantly earlier seasonal vegetation greening (at more than one day per year) across the northeastern Brooks Range Mountains, on the Yukon-Kuskokwim coastal plain, and in the southern coastal areas of Alaska. TIN and MAXN have increased significantly across the western Arctic Coastal Plain and within the perimeters of most large wildfires of the Interior boreal region that burned since the year 2000, whereas TIN and MAXN have decreased notably in watersheds of Bristol Bay and in the Cook Inlet lowlands of southwestern Alaska, in the same regions where earlier-trending SOST was also detected. Mapping results from this MODIS time-series analysis have identified a new database of localized study locations across Alaska where vegetation phenology has recently shifted notably, and where land cover types and ecosystem processes could be changing rapidly.
Detection of Crop Seeding and Harvest through Analysis of Time-Series Sentinel-1 Interferometric SAR Data
Authors: Shang Jiali , Liu Jiangui , Poncos Valentin , Geng Xiaoyuan , Qian Budong , Chen Qihao , Dong Taifeng , Macdonald Dan , Martin Tim , Kovacs John , Walters Dan
Published: May 2020

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is more sensitive to the dielectric properties and structure of the targets and less affected by weather conditions than optical sensors, making it more capable of detecting changes induced by management practices in agricultural fields. In this study, the capability of C-band SAR data for detecting crop seeding and harvest events was explored. The study was conducted for the 2019 growing season in Temiskaming Shores, an agricultural area in Northern Ontario, Canada. Time-series SAR data acquired by Sentinel-1 constellation with the interferometric wide (IW) mode with dual polarizations in VV (vertical transmit and vertical receive) and VH (vertical transmit and horizontal receive) were obtained. interferometric SAR (InSAR) processing was conducted to derive coherence between each pair of SAR images acquired consecutively in time throughout the year. Crop seeding and harvest dates were determined by analyzing the time-series InSAR coherence and SAR backscattering. Variation of SAR backscattering coefficients, particularly the VH polarization, revealed seasonal crop growth patterns. The change in InSAR coherence can be linked to change of surface structure induced by seeding or harvest operations. Using a set of physically based rules, a simple algorithm was developed to determine crop seeding and harvest dates, with an accuracy of 85% (n = 67) for seeding-date identification and 56% (n = 77) for harvest-date identification. The extra challenge in harvest detection could be attributed to the impacts of weather conditions, such as rain and its effects on soil moisture and crop dielectric properties during the harvest season. Other factors such as post-harvest residue removal and field ploughing could also complicate the identification of harvest event. Overall, given its mechanism to acquire images with InSAR capability at 12-day revisiting cycle with a single satellite for most part of the Earth, the Sentinel-1 constellation provides a great data source for detecting crop field management activities through coherent or incoherent change detection techniques. It is anticipated that this method could perform even better at a shorter six-day revisiting cycle with both satellites for Sentinel-1. With the successful launch (2019) of the Canadian RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) with its tri-satellite system and four polarizations, we are likely to see improved system reliability and monitoring efficiency.
Tree Species (Genera) Identification with GF-1 Time-Series in A Forested Landscape, Northeast China
Authors: Xu Kaijian , Tian Qingjiu , Zhang Zhaoying , Yue Jibo , Chang Chung-Te
Published: May 2020

Forests are the most important component of terrestrial ecosystem; the accurate mapping of tree species is helpful for the management of forestry resources. Moderate- and high-resolution multispectral images have been commonly utilized to identify regional tree species in forest ecosystem, but the accuracy of recognition is still unsatisfactory. To enhance the forest mapping accuracy, this study integrated the land surface phenological metrics and text features of forest canopy on tree species identification based on Gaofen-1 (GF-1) wide field of view (WFV) and time-series images (36 10-day NDVI data), conducted at a forested landscape in Harqin Banner, Northeast China in 2017. The dominant tree species include Pinus tabulaeformis, Larix gmelinii, Populus davidiana, Betula platyphylla, and Quercus mongolica in the study region. The result of forest mapping derived from a 10-day dataset was also compared with the outcome based upon a commonly utilized 30-day dataset in tree species identification. The results indicate that tree species identification accuracy is significantly (p < 0.05) improved with higher temporal resolution (10-day, 79.4%) of images than commonly used monthly data (30-day, 76.14%), and the accuracy can be further increased to 85.13% with a combination of the information derived from principal component analysis (PCA) transformation, phenological metrics (standing for the information of growing season) and texture features. The integration of higher dimensional NDVI data, vegetation growth dynamics and feature of canopy simultaneously will be beneficial to map tree species at the landscape scale.
A First Case Study of CCN Concentrations from Spaceborne Lidar Observations
Authors: Georgoulias Aristeidis K. , Marinou Eleni , Tsekeri Alexandra , Proestakis Emmanouil , Akritidis Dimitris , Alexandri Georgia , Zanis Prodromos , Balis Dimitris , Marenco Franco , Tesche Matthias , Amiridis Vassilis
Published: May 2020

We present here the first cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentration profiles derived from measurements with the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) aboard the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO), for different aerosol types at a supersaturation of 0.15%. CCN concentrations, along with the corresponding uncertainties, were inferred for a nighttime CALIPSO overpass on 9 September 2011, with coincident observations with the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM) BAe-146 research aircraft, within the framework of the Evaluation of CALIPSO’s Aerosol Classification scheme over Eastern Mediterranean (ACEMED) research campaign over Thessaloniki, Greece. The CALIPSO aerosol typing is evaluated, based on data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) reanalysis. Backward trajectories and satellite-based fire counts are used to examine the origin of air masses on that day. Our CCN retrievals are evaluated against particle number concentration retrievals at different height levels, based on the ACEMED airborne measurements and compared against CCN-related retrievals from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors aboard Terra and Aqua product over Thessaloniki showing that it is feasible to obtain CCN concentrations from CALIPSO, with an uncertainty of a factor of two to three.
Description of the UCAR/CU Soil Moisture Product
Authors: Chew Clara , Small Eric
Published: May 2020

Currently, the ability to use remotely sensed soil moisture to investigate linkages between the water and energy cycles and for use in data assimilation studies is limited to passive microwave data whose temporal revisit time is 2–3 days or active microwave products with a much longer (>10 days) revisit time. This paper describes a dataset that provides soil moisture retrievals, which are gridded to 36 km, for the upper 5 cm of the soil surface at sparsely sampled 6-hour intervals for +/− 38 degrees latitude for 2017–present. Retrievals are derived from the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) constellation, which uses GNSS-Reflectometry to obtain L-band reflectivity observations over the Earth’s surface. The product was developed by calibrating CYGNSS reflectivity observations to soil moisture retrievals from NASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission. Retrievals were validated against observations from 171 in-situ soil moisture probes, with a median unbiased root-mean-square error (ubRMSE) of 0.049 cm3 cm−3 (standard deviation = 0.026 cm3 cm−3) and median correlation coefficient of 0.4 (standard deviation = 0.27). For the same stations, the median ubRMSE between SMAP and in-situ observations was 0.045 cm3 cm−3 (standard deviation = 0.025 cm3 cm−3) and median correlation coefficient was 0.69 (standard deviation = 0.27). The UCAR/CU Soil Moisture Product is thus complementary to SMAP, albeit with a larger random noise component, providing soil moisture retrievals for applications that require faster revisit times than passive microwave remote sensing currently provides.
Small Scale Landslide Detection Using Sentinel-1 Interferometric SAR Coherence
Authors: Tzouvaras Marios , Danezis Chris , Hadjimitsis Diofantos G.
Published: May 2020

Infrastructure is operational under normal circumstances and is designed to cope with common natural disruptions such as rainfall and snow. Natural hazards can lead to severe problems at the areas where such phenomena occur, but also at neighboring regions as they can make parts of a road network virtually impassable. Landslides are one of the most devastating natural hazards worldwide, triggered by various factors that can be monitored via ground-based and/or satellite-based techniques. Cyprus is in an area of high susceptibility to such phenomena. Currently, extensive field campaigns including geotechnical drilling investigations and geophysical excavations are conducted to monitor land movements, and, at the same time, determine the geological suitability of areas. Active satellite remote sensors, namely Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), have been widely used for detecting and monitoring landslides and other ground deformation phenomena using Earth Observation based techniques. This paper aims to demonstrate how the use of Copernicus open-access and freely distributed datasets along with the exploitation of the open-source processing software SNAP (Sentinel’s Application Platform), provided by the European Space Agency, can be used for landslide detection, as in the case study near Pissouri, where a landslide was triggered by heavy rainfall on 15 February 2019, which caused a major disturbance to everyday commuters since the motorway connecting the cities of Limassol and Paphos remained closed for more than a month. The Coherent Change Detection (CCD) methodology was applied successfully by detecting the phenomenon under study accurately, using two indicators (the coherence difference and the normalized coherence difference). Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was carried out to measure their performance with the coherence difference having an overall accuracy of 93% and the normalized coherence difference having an overall accuracy of 94.8% for detecting the landslide and non-landslide areas. The probability of landslide detection was 63.2% in the case of the coherence difference and increased to 73.7% for the normalized coherence difference, whereas the probability of false alarm for both indicators was approximately 1%.
Disaggregating Population Data and Evaluating the Accuracy of Modeled High-Resolution Population Distribution—The Case Study of Germany
Authors: Eichhorn Sebastian
Published: May 2020

High-resolution population data are a necessary basis for identifying affected regions (e.g., natural disasters, accessibility of social infrastructures) and deriving recommendations for policy and planning, but municipalities are, as in Germany, regularly the smallest available reference unit for data. The article presents a dasymetric-based approach for modeling high-resolution population data based on urban density, dispersion, and land cover/use. In addition to common test statistics like MAE or MAPE, the Gini-coefficient and the local Moran’s I are applied and their added value for accuracy assessment is tested. With data on urban density, a relative deviation between the modeled and actual population of 14.1% is achieved. Data on land cover/use reduces the deviation to 12.4%. With 23.6%, the dispersion measure cannot improve distribution accuracy. Overall, the algorithms perform better for urban than for rural areas. Gini-coefficients show that same spatial concentration patterns are achieved as in the actual population distribution. According to local Moran’s I, there are statistically significant underestimations, especially in the highly-dense inner-urban areas. Overestimates are found in the transition to less urbanized areas and the core areas of peripheral cities. Overall, the additional test statistics can provide important insights into the data, which go beyond common methods for evaluation.
Development of a Chinese Chess Robotic System for the Elderly Using Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Chen Pei-Jarn , Yang Szu-Yueh , Wang Chung-Sheng , Muslikhin Muslikhin , Wang Ming-Shyan
Published: May 2020

According to the data from Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) in 2018, it is estimated that 10 million new dementia patients will be added worldwide, and the global dementia population is estimated to be 50 million. Due to a decline in the birth rate and the development and great progress of medical technology, the proportion of elderly people has risen annually in Taiwan. In fact, Taiwan has become one of the fastest-growing aged countries in the world. Consequently, problems related to aging societies will emerge. Dementia is one of most prevailing aging-related diseases, with a great influence on daily life and a great economic burden. Dementia is not a single disease, but a combination of symptoms. There is currently no medicine that can cure dementia. Finding preventive measures for dementia has become a public concern. Older people should actively increase brain-protective factors and reduce risk factors in their lives to reduce the risk of dementia and even prevent the occurrence of dementia. Studies have shown that engaging in mental or creative activities that stimulate brain function has a relative risk reduction of nearly 50%. Elderly people should develop the habit of life-long learning to strengthen effective neural bonds between brain cells and preserve brain cognitive functions. Playing chess is one of the suggested activities. This paper aimed to develop a Chinese robotic chess system for the elderly. It mainly uses a camera to capture the contour of the Chinese chessman, recognizes the character and location of the chessman, and then transmits this information to the robotic arm, which will grab and place the chessman in the appropriate position on the chessboard. The camera image is transmitted to MATLAB for image recognition. The character of the chessman is recognized by convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Forward and inverse kinematics are used to manipulate the robotic arm. Even if the chessmen are arbitrarily placed, the experiment showed that their coordinates can be found through the camera as long as they are located within the working scope of the camera and the robotic arm. For black chessmen, no matter how many degrees they are rotated, they can be recognized correctly, while the red ones can be recognized 100% of the time within 90° of rotation and 98.7% with more than a 90° rotation.
Cluster Analysis of Haze Episodes Based on Topological Features
Authors: Zulkepli Nur Fariha Syaqina , Noorani Mohd Salmi Md , Razak Fatimah Abdul , Ismail Munira , Alias Mohd Almie
Published: May 2020

Severe haze episodes have periodically occurred in Southeast Asia, specifically taunting Malaysia with adverse effects. A technique called cluster analysis was used to analyze these occurrences. Traditional cluster analysis, in particular, hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis (HACA), was applied directly to data sets. The data sets may contain hidden patterns that can be explored. In this paper, this underlying information was captured via persistent homology, a topological data analysis (TDA) tool, which extracts topological features including components, holes, and cavities in the data sets. In particular, an improved version of HACA was proposed by combining HACA and persistent homology. Additionally, a comparative study between traditional HACA and improved HACA was done using particulate matter data, which was the major pollutant found during haze episodes by the Klang, Petaling Jaya, and Shah Alam air quality monitoring stations. The effectiveness of these two clustering approaches was evaluated based on their ability to cluster the months according to the haze condition. The results showed that clustering based on topological features via the improved HACA approach was able to correctly group the months with severe haze compared to clustering them without such features, and these results were consistent for all three locations.
Serving Robots: Management and Applications for Restaurant Business Sustainability
Authors: Jang Ha-Won , Lee Soo-Bum
Published: May 2020

This study focuses on the attributes of serving robots, which include “anthropomorphism,” “animacy,” “likeability,” “intelligence,” and “safety,” and their effect on restaurant customers. The study aims to provide a sustainable development model for the restaurant business, which is suffering from a shortage of manpower. The study identifies the relationships among serving robots’ attributes, perceived benefits, perceived risks, perceived value, satisfaction, and revisit intention of customers. An online survey was conducted with customers, aged eighteen years or older, of restaurants that use serving robots. A total of 294 surveys were used for the final analysis. The results indicate that there are statistically significant relationships between “likeability” and perceived benefits, “intelligence” and perceived benefits, “safety” and perceived benefits, and “safety” and perceived risks. It also confirms that perceived benefits have a positive effect on perceived value, and perceived value has a positive effect on satisfaction and revisit intention. Moreover, satisfaction has a positive effect on revisit intention. Based on these findings, several meaningful theoretical and practical implications that can lead to the sustainability of restaurants are presented.