bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Monitoring Acid–Base Titrations on Wax Printed Paper Microzones Using a Smartphone
Authors: Nogueira Sandro , Sousa Lucas , Silva Nathália , Rodrigues Pedro , Coltro Wendell
Published: May 2017

This study describes the use of a smartphone for monitoring acid–base titrations on wax printed paper microzones. An array of twelve microzones of 5 mm diameter each was wax printed on filter paper. The analytical performance of the proposed devices was explored with acid–base titrations examples, where jaboticaba peel extract was used as a natural pH indicator. The color intensity was captured using a smartphone and analyzed through a free App named Photometrix®. Before titrations, color intensity versus pH was calibrated to be used as a reference in titrations as (i) strong acid versus strong base; (ii) strong base versus strong acid; and (iii) weak acid versus strong base. In all examples, images were obtained after the addition of each aliquot of titrant solutions. The obtained titration curves showed the same behavior as the conventional titration curves. After evaluating the feasibility of the proposed methodology, the concentration level of acetic acid was obtained in three vinegar samples. Although the obtained values ranged from 5% to 8% compared to the concentrations on the conventional method, the proposed methodology presented high analytical reliability. The calculated concentrations of acetic acid in three samples ranged from 3.87% to 3.93%, and the proposed methodology did not significantly differ from classic acid–base titration at a confidence level of 95%. The acid–base titration on paper-based devices is outstanding, since any titration can be completed within 5 min using 20 µL volumes. Besides, the use of a smartphone to capture images followed by analysis in a free app offers simplicity to all users. The proposed methodology arises as a new strand to be exploited in the diffusion of the analytical chemistry education field as well as an alternative for quantitative analysis with extremely simplified instrumentation.
Selenium Speciation in the Fountain Creek Watershed (Colorado, USA) Correlates with Water Hardness, Ca and Mg Levels
Authors: Carsella James S. , Sánchez-Lombardo Irma , Bonetti Sandra J. , Crans Debbie C.
Published: May 2017

The environmental levels of selenium (Se) are regulated and strictly enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) because of the toxicity that Se can exert at high levels. However, speciation plays an important role in the overall toxicity of Se, and only when speciation analysis has been conducted will a detailed understanding of the system be possible. In the following, we carried out the speciation analysis of the creek waters in three of the main tributaries—Upper Fountain Creek, Monument Creek and Lower Fountain Creek—located in the Fountain Creek Watershed (Colorado, USA). There are statistically significant differences between the Se, Ca and Mg, levels in each of the tributaries and seasonal swings in Se, Ca and Mg levels have been observed. There are also statistically significant differences between the Se levels when grouped by Pierre Shale type. These factors are considered when determining the forms of Se present and analyzing their chemistry using the reported thermodynamic relationships considering Ca2+, Mg2+, SeO42−, SeO32− and carbonates. This analysis demonstrated that the correlation between Se and water hardness can be explained in terms of formation of soluble CaSeO4. The speciation analysis demonstrated that for the Fountain Creek waters, the Ca2+ ion may be mainly responsible for the observed correlation with the Se level. Considering that the Mg2+ level is also correlating linearly with the Se levels it is important to recognize that without Mg2+ the Ca2+ would be significantly reduced. The major role of Mg2+ is thus to raise the Ca2+ levels despite the equilibria with carbonate and other anions that would otherwise decrease Ca2+ levels.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects, SAR, and Action Mechanism of Monoterpenoids from Radix Paeoniae Alba on LPS-Stimulated RAW 264.7 Cells
Authors: Bi Xiaoxu , Han Li , Qu Tiange , Mu Yu , Guan Peipei , Qu Xiaodan , Wang Zhanyou , Huang Xueshi
Published: May 2017

Nine monoterpenoids from Radix Paeoniae Alba, including paeoniflorin derivatives, paeoniflorin (PF), 4-O-methylpaeoniflorin (MPF), 4-O-methylbenzoylpaeoniflorin (MBPF); paeonidanin derivatives, paeonidanin (PD), paeonidanin A (PDA), albiflorin derivatives, albiflorin (AF), benzoylalbiflorin (BAF), galloylalbiflorin (GAF), and debenzoylalbiflorin (DAF), were obtained in our previous phytochemistry investigations. Their anti-inflammatory effects were determined in the present study. The expression and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells were measured using an Elisa assay and nitric oxide (NO) release was determined using the Griess method. The results demonstrated that the most of the monoterpenoids suppressed the LPS-induced production of NO, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). The anti-inflammatory activities of these monoterpenoids were closely related to their structural characteristics. Paeoniflorins and paeonidanins presented stronger anti-inflammatory activities than those of albiflorin derivatives. Furthermore, the action mechanisms of MBPF, having a strong anti-inflammatory effect, were investigated using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot methods. The results indicated that MBPF could down-regulate the mRNA and protein expression level of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling pathways are involved in mediating the role of MBPF in suppressing the expression and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in RAW 264.7 cells.
Chemical Comparison of Two Drying Methods of Mountain Cultivated Ginseng by UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS and Multivariate Statistical Analysis
Authors: Xu Xin-fang , Xu Shu-ya , Zhang Ying , Zhang Hui , Liu Meng-nan , Liu Huan , Gao Yan , Xue Xue , Xiong Hui , Lin Rui-chao , Li Xiang-ri
Published: May 2017

In traditional Chinese medicine practice, drying method is an essential factor to influence the components of Chinese medicinal herbs. In this study, an ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS)-based approach was used to compare the content of chemical compounds of mountain cultivated ginseng that had been natural air dried (LX-P) and vacuum freeze-dried (LX-L). Multivariate statistical analysis such as principal component analysis (PCA) and supervised orthogonal partial least squared discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA) were used to select the influential components of different samples. There were 41 ginsenosides unambiguously identified and tentatively assigned in both LX-L and LX-P. The results showed that the characteristic components in LX-P were ginsenoside Rb1, ginsenoside Rc, ginsenoside Rg6, dendrolasin, and ginsenoside Rb2. The characteristic components in LX-L were malonyl-ginsenoside Re, malonyl-ginsenoside Rb1, malonyl-ginsenoside Rc, malonyl-ginsenoside Rb1 isomer, malonyl-ginsenoside Rb2, malonyl-ginsenoside Rb3, malonyl-ginsenoside Rd isomer, gypenoside XVII, and notoginsenoside Fe. This is the first time that the differences between LX-L and LX-P have been observed systematically at the chemistry level. It was indicated that vacuum freeze-drying method can improve the content of malonyl-ginsensides in mountain cultivated ginseng.
Non-Chromatographic Purification of Endohedral Metallofullerenes
Authors: Wang Zhiyong , Omachi Haruka , Shinohara Hisanori
Published: May 2017

The purification of endohedral metallofullerenes by high performance liquid chromatography is very time-consuming and expensive. A number of rapid and inexpensive non-chromatographic methods have thus been developed for large-scale purification of metallofullerenes. In this review, we summarize recent advances in non-chromatographic purification methods of metallofullerenes. Lewis acid-based complexation is one of the most efficient and powerful methods for separation of metallofullerenes from empty fullerenes. The first oxidation potential of metallofullerenes is a critical factor that affects the separation efficiency of the Lewis acid-based method. Supramolecular methods are effective for separation of fullerenes and metallofullerenes that are different in size and shape. Chemical/electrochemical reduction and exohedral functionalization are also utilized to separate and purify metallofullerenes on a large scale.
Rhodium(I)-Complexes Catalyzed 1,4-Conjugate Addition of Arylzinc Chlorides to N-Boc-4-pyridone
Authors: Guo Fenghai , McGilvary Matthew A. , Jeffries Malcolm C. , Graves Briana N. , Graham Shekinah A. , Wu Yuelin
Published: May 2017

Rhodium(I)-complexes catalyzed the 1,4-conjugate addition of arylzinc chlorides to N-Boc-4-pyridone in the presence of chlorotrimethylsilane (TMSCl). A combination of [RhCl(C2H4)2]2 and BINAP was determined to be the most effective catalyst to promote the 1,4-conjugate addition reactions of arylzinc chlorides to N-Boc-4-pyridone. A broad scope of arylzinc reagents with both electron-withdrawing and electron-donating substituents on the aromatic ring successfully underwent 1,4-conjugate addition to N-Boc-4-pyridone to afford versatile 1,4-adducts 2-substituted-2,3-dihydropyridones in good to excellent yields (up to 91%) and excellent ee (up to 96%) when (S)-BINAP was used as chiral ligand.
Heparin and Heparin-Derivatives in Post-Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Brain Injury: A Multimodal Therapy for a Multimodal Disease
Authors: Hayman Erik , Patel Akil , James Robert , Simard J.
Published: May 2017

Pharmacologic efforts to improve outcomes following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) remain disappointing, likely owing to the complex nature of post-hemorrhage brain injury. Previous work suggests that heparin, due to the multimodal nature of its actions, reduces the incidence of clinical vasospasm and delayed cerebral ischemia that accompany the disease. This narrative review examines how heparin may mitigate the non-vasospastic pathological aspects of aSAH, particularly those related to neuroinflammation. Following a brief review of early brain injury in aSAH and heparin’s general pharmacology, we discuss potential mechanistic roles of heparin therapy in treating post-aSAH inflammatory injury. These roles include reducing ischemia-reperfusion injury, preventing leukocyte extravasation, modulating phagocyte activation, countering oxidative stress, and correcting blood-brain barrier dysfunction. Following a discussion of evidence to support these mechanistic roles, we provide a brief discussion of potential complications of heparin usage in aSAH. Our review suggests that heparin’s use in aSAH is not only safe, but effectively addresses a number of pathologies initiated by aSAH.
Synthesis of Pt@TiO2@CNTs Hierarchical Structure Catalyst by Atomic Layer Deposition and Their Photocatalytic and Photoelectrochemical Activity
Authors: Liao Shih-Yun , Yang Ya-Chu , Huang Sheng-Hsin , Gan Jon-Yiew
Published: May 2017

Pt@TiO2@CNTs hierarchical structures were prepared by first functionalizing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with nitric acid at 140 °C. Coating of TiO2 particles on the CNTs at 300 °C was then conducted by atomic layer deposition (ALD). After the TiO2@CNTs structure was fabricated, Pt particles were deposited on the TiO2 surface as co-catalyst by plasma-enhanced ALD. The saturated deposition rates of TiO2 on a-CNTs were 1.5 Å/cycle and 0.4 Å/cycle for substrate-enhanced process and linear process, respectively. The saturated deposition rate of Pt on TiO2 was 0.39 Å/cycle. The photocatalytic activities of Pt@TiO2@CNTs hierarchical structures were higher than those without Pt co-catalyst. The particle size of Pt on TiO2@CNTs was a key factor to determine the efficiency of methylene blue (MB) degradation. The Pt@TiO2@CNTs of 2.41 ± 0.27 nm exhibited the best efficiency of MB degradation.
A Large-Area Nanoplasmonic Sensor Fabricated by Rapid Thermal Annealing Treatment for Label-Free and Multi-Point Immunoglobulin Sensing
Authors: Lin Hana , Yang Chuan-Kai , Lin Chi-Chen , Wu Albert , Wang Lon , Huang Nien-Tsu
Published: May 2017

Immunoglobulins are important biomarkers to evaluate the immune status or development of infectious diseases. To provide timely clinical treatments, it is important to continuously monitor the level of multiple immunoglobulins. Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)-based nanoplasmonic sensors have been demonstrated for multiplex immunoglobulins detection. However, the sensor fabrication process is usually slow and complicated, so it is not accessible for large-area and batch fabrication. Herein, we report a large-area (2 cm × 2 cm) nanofabrication method using physical vapor deposition followed by a rapid thermal annealing treatment. To optimize the sensor performance, we systematically characterized three fabrication conditions, including (1) the deposition thickness; (2) the maximum annealing temperature, and (3) the annealing time. The corresponding absorbance spectrum profile and surface morphology of the nanostructures were observed by a UV-VIS spectrometer and atomic force microscopy. We then tested the sensitivity of the sensor using a glucose solution at different concentrations. The results showed that the sensor with 10 nm gold deposition thickness under 5-min 900 °C rapid thermal annealing can achieve the highest sensitivity (189 nm RIU−1). Finally, we integrated this nanoplasmonic sensor with a microchannel and a motorized stage to perform a 10-spot immunoglobulin detection in 50 min. Based on its real-time, dynamic and multi-point analyte detection capability, the nanoplasmonic sensor has the potential to be applied in high-throughput or multiplex immunoassay analysis, which would be beneficial for disease diagnosis or biomedical research in a simple and cost-effective platform.
Validation of a General and Sport Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire in Adolescents and Young Adults: GeSNK
Authors: Calella Patrizia , Iacullo Vittorio , Valerio Giuliana
Published: May 2017

Good knowledge of nutrition is widely thought to be an important aspect to maintaining a balanced and healthy diet. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a new reliable tool to measure the general and the sport nutrition knowledge (GeSNK) in people who used to practice sports at different levels. The development of (GeSNK) was carried out in six phases as follows: (1) item development and selection by a panel of experts; (2) pilot study in order to assess item difficulty and item discrimination; (3) measurement of the internal consistency; (4) reliability assessment with a 2-week test-retest analysis; (5) concurrent validity was tested by administering the questionnaire along with other two similar tools; (6) construct validity by administering the questionnaire to three groups of young adults with different general nutrition and sport nutrition knowledge. The final questionnaire, consisted of 62 items of the original 183 questions. It is a consistent, valid, and suitable instrument that can be applied over time, making it a promising tool to look at the relationship between nutrition knowledge, demographic characteristics, and dietary behavior in adolescents and young adults.
Association between Alcohol Consumption, Folate Intake, and Risk of Pancreatic Cancer: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Yallew Winta , Bamlet William R. , Oberg Ann L. , Anderson Kristin E. , Olson Janet E. , Sinha Rashmi , Petersen Gloria M. , Stolzenberg-Solomon Rachael Z. , Jansen Rick J.
Published: May 2017

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most fatal common cancers affecting both men and women, representing about 3% of all new cancer cases in the United States. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association of pancreatic cancer risk with alcohol consumption as well as folate intake. We performed a case-control study of 384 patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer from May 2004 to December 2009 and 983 primary care healthy controls in a largely white population (>96%). Our findings showed no significant association between risk of pancreatic cancer and either overall alcohol consumption or type of alcohol consumed (drinks/day). Our study showed dietary folate intake had a modest effect size, but was significantly inversely associated with pancreatic cancer (odds ratio (OR) = 0.99, p < 0.0001). The current study supports the hypothesis that pancreatic cancer risk is reduced with higher food-based folate intake.
Dietary BCAA Intake Is Associated with Demographic, Socioeconomic and Lifestyle Factors in Residents of São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Pallottini Ana , Sales Cristiane , Vieira Diva , Marchioni Dirce , Fisberg Regina
Published: May 2017

Background: Identifying which risk groups have a higher intake of branched chain amino acids (BCAA) is important for the planning of public policies. This study was undertaken to investigate BCAA consumption, the foods contributing to that consumption and their association with demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors. Methods: Data from the Health Survey of São Paulo, a cross-sectional population-based survey (n = 1662; age range 12–97 years), were used. Dietary intake was measured using 24-h dietary recalls. Baseline characteristics were collected. Associations between BCAA intake and demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors were determined using linear regression. Results: Total BCAA intake was 217.14 mg/kg·day (Leu: 97.16 mg/kg·day; Ile: 56.44 mg/kg·day; Val: 63.54 mg/kg·day). BCAA intake was negatively associated with female sex in adolescents and adult groups, with no white race in adolescents, and with former smoker status in adults. Conversely, BCAA was positively associated with household per capita income in adolescents and adults. No associations were observed in the older adults group. Main food contributors to BCAA were unprocessed red meat, unprocessed poultry, bread and toast, beans and rice. Conclusions: Adolescents and adults were the most vulnerable to having their BCCA intake influenced by demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors.
Evaluation of the Efficiency of the Reticulocyte Hemoglobin Content on Diagnosis for Iron Deficiency Anemia in Chinese Adults
Authors: Cai Jie , Wu Meng , Ren Jie , Du Yali , Long Zhangbiao , Li Guoxun , Han Bing , Yang Lichen
Published: May 2017

Our aim was to evaluate the cut-off value and efficiency of using reticulocyte hemoglobin content as a marker to diagnose iron deficiency anemia in Chinese adults. 140 adults who needed bone marrow aspiration for diagnosis at the hematology department of the Peking Union Medical College Hospital were enrolled according to the inclusive and exclusive criteria. Venous blood samples were collected to detect complete blood count, including hemoglobin, reticulocyte hemoglobin content, hematocrit, mean cellular volume, corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, hemoglobin content, free erythrocyte protoporphyrin; iron indexes of serum ferritin, serum transferrin receptor, and unsaturated iron-binding capacity; and inflammation markers of C-reactive protein and α-acid glycoprotein. Bone marrow samples were obtained for the bone marrow iron staining, which was used as the standard for the evaluation of iron status in this study. Subjects were divided into three groups according to hemoglobin levels and bone marrow iron staining results: the IDA (iron deficiency anemia) group, the NIDA (non-iron deficiency anemia) group, and the control group. The differences of the above-mentioned indexes were compared among the three groups and the effect of inflammation was also considered. The cut-off value of reticulocyte hemoglobin content was determined by receiver operation curves. The IDA group (n = 56) had significantly lower reticulocyte hemoglobin content, mean cellular volume, corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, hemoglobin content, and serum ferritin; and higher free erythrocyte protoporphyrin, unsaturated iron-binding capacity, and serum transferrin receptor (p < 0.05) compared with the NIDA group (n = 38) and control group (n = 46). Hematocrit, serum ferritin, and unsaturated iron-binding capacity were significantly affected by inflammation while reticulocyte hemoglobin content and other parameters were not. The cut-off value of reticulocyte hemoglobin content for diagnosing iron deficiency anemia was 27.2 pg, with a sensitivity of 87.5% and a specificity of 92.9%. The cut-off values for mean cellular volume, serum ferritin, and serum transferrin receptor were 76.6, 12.9, and 4.89 mg/L, respectively. Reticulocyte hemoglobin content had the largest area under the curve of 0.929, while those for mean cellular volume, serum ferritin, serum transferrin receptor were 0.922, 0.887, and 0.900, respectively. Reticulocyte hemoglobin content has a high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia, and its comprehensive diagnostic efficacy is better than other traditional indicators—such as serum ferritin and serum transferrin receptor.
Neuroprotective Role of Atractylenolide-I in an In Vitro and In Vivo Model of Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: More Sandeep , Choi Dong-Kug
Published: May 2017

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an age-related neurological disorder characterized by a loss of dopaminergic neurons within the midbrain. Neuroinflammation has been nominated as one of the key pathogenic features of PD. Recently, the inadequate pharmacotherapy and adverse effects of conventional drugs have spurred the development of unconventional medications in the treatment of PD. The purpose of this study is to investigate the anti-neuroinflammatory mechanisms of Atractylenolide-I (ATR-I) in in vivo and in vitro models of PD. Nitrite assay was measured via Griess reaction in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated BV-2 cells. mRNA and protein levels were determined by a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunoblot analysis, respectively. Further, flow cytometry, immunocytochemistry, and immunohistochemistry were employed in BV-2 cells and MPTP-intoxicated C57BL6/J mice. Pre-treatment with ATR-I attenuated the inflammatory response in BV-2 cells by abating the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and by inducing heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). The intraperitoneal administration of ATR-I reversed MPTP-induced behavioral deficits, decreased microglial activation, and conferred protection to dopaminergic neurons in the mouse model of PD. Our experimental reports establish the involvement of multiple benevolent molecular events by ATR-I in MPTP-induced toxicity, which may aid in the development of ATR-I as a new therapeutic agent for the treatment of PD.
Curriculum Mapping of the Master’s Program in Pharmacy in Slovenia with the PHAR-QA Competency Framework
Authors: Gmeiner Tanja , Horvat Nejc , Kos Mitja , Obreza Aleš , Vovk Tomaž , Grabnar Iztok , Božič Borut
Published: May 2017

This article presents the results of mapping the Slovenian pharmacy curriculum to evaluate the adequacy of the recently developed and validated European Pharmacy Competences Framework (EPCF). The mapping was carried out and evaluated progressively by seven members of the teaching staff at the University of Ljubljana’s Faculty of Pharmacy. Consensus was achieved by using a two-round modified Delphi technique to evaluate the coverage of competences in the current curriculum. The preliminary results of the curriculum mapping showed that all of the competences as defined by the EPCF are covered in Ljubljana’s academic program. However, because most EPCF competences cover healthcare-oriented pharmacy practice, a lack of competences was observed for the drug development and production perspectives. Both of these perspectives are important because a pharmacist is (or should be) responsible for the entire process, from the development and production of medicines to pharmaceutical care in contact with patients. Nevertheless, Ljubljana’s graduates are employed in both of these pharmaceutical professions in comparable proportions. The Delphi study revealed that the majority of differences in scoring arise from different perspectives on the pharmacy profession (e.g., community, hospital, industrial, etc.). Nevertheless, it can be concluded that curriculum mapping using the EPCF is very useful for evaluating and recognizing weak and strong points of the curriculum. However, the competences of the framework should address various fields of the pharmacist’s profession in a more balanced way.
A Modified Ceramic-Coating Separator with High-Temperature Stability for Lithium-Ion Battery
Authors: Shi Chuan , Dai Jianhui , Li Chao , Shen Xiu , Peng Longqing , Zhang Peng , Wu Dezhi , Sun Daoheng , Zhao Jinbao
Published: May 2017

In this work, the ceramic coating separator (CCS-CS) prepared with polyethylene (PE) separator, Al2O3 inorganic particles, carboxymethyl cellulose sodium (CMC) and styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) mix binders is further modified by coating with a thin polydopamine (PDA) layer through a simple chemical deposition method. Compared with the bare ceramic coating separator, the PDA-modified CCS-CS (CCS-CS-PDA) exhibits excellent thermal stability, which shows no thermal shrinkage after storing at 200 °C for 30 min. Compared with the PE separator, both the uptake and wettability with the electrolyte and water of CCS-CS-PDA are improved significantly. Meanwhile, when saturated with liquid electrolyte, the CCS-CS-PDA also shows enabled high ionic conductance. Furthermore, the test of the electrochemical impedances changing with the temperatures suggests that only the PE separator exhibits no thermal shutdown behaviors, and the CCS-CS separator only has a shutdown temperature range from 138 to 160 °C, while the CCS-CS-PDA shows a shutdown temperature range from 138 to more than 200 °C. The cells prepared with the CCS-CS-PDA also show stable repeated cycling performance and good rate capacity at room temperature.
Biomedical and Microbiological Applications of Bio-Based Porous Materials: A Review
Authors: Udenni Gunathilake T. , Ching Yern , Ching Kuan , Chuah Cheng , Abdullah Luqman
Published: May 2017

Extensive employment of biomaterials in the areas of biomedical and microbiological applications is considered to be of prime importance. As expected, oil based polymer materials were gradually replaced by natural or synthetic biopolymers due to their well-known intrinsic characteristics such as biodegradability, non-toxicity and biocompatibility. Literature on this subject was found to be expanding, especially in the areas of biomedical and microbiological applications. Introduction of porosity into a biomaterial broadens the scope of applications. In addition, increased porosity can have a beneficial effect for the applications which exploit their exceptional ability of loading, retaining and releasing of fluids. Different applications require a unique set of pore characteristics in the biopolymer matrix. Various pore morphologies have different characteristics and contribute different performances to the biopolymer matrix. Fabrication methods for bio-based porous materials more related to the choice of material. By choosing the appropriate combination of fabrication technique and biomaterial employment, one can obtain tunable pore characteristic to fulfill the requirements of desired application. In our previous review, we described the literature related to biopolymers and fabrication techniques of porous materials. This paper we will focus on the biomedical and microbiological applications of bio-based porous materials.
Automatic Sky View Factor Estimation from Street View Photographs—A Big Data Approach
Authors: Liang Jianming , Gong Jianhua , Sun Jun , Zhou Jieping , Li Wenhang , Li Yi , Liu Jin , Shen Shen
Published: May 2017

Hemispherical (fisheye) photography is a well-established approach for estimating the sky view factor (SVF). High-resolution urban models from LiDAR and oblique airborne photogrammetry can provide continuous SVF estimates over a large urban area, but such data are not always available and are difficult to acquire. Street view panoramas have become widely available in urban areas worldwide: Google Street View (GSV) maintains a global network of panoramas excluding China and several other countries; Baidu Street View (BSV) and Tencent Street View (TSV) focus their panorama acquisition efforts within China, and have covered hundreds of cities therein. In this paper, we approach this issue from a big data perspective by presenting and validating a method for automatic estimation of SVF from massive amounts of street view photographs. Comparisons were made with SVF estimates derived from two independent sources: a LiDAR-based Digital Surface Model (DSM) and an oblique airborne photogrammetry-based 3D city model (OAP3D), resulting in a correlation coefficient of 0.863 and 0.987, respectively. The comparisons demonstrated the capacity of the proposed method to provide reliable SVF estimates. Additionally, we present an application of the proposed method with about 12,000 GSV panoramas to characterize the spatial distribution of SVF over Manhattan Island in New York City. Although this is a proof-of-concept study, it has shown the potential of the proposed approach to assist urban climate and urban planning research. However, further development is needed before this approach can be finally delivered to the urban climate and urban planning communities for practical applications.
Scrubbing Up: Multi-Scale Investigation of Woody Encroachment in a Southern African Savannah
Authors: Marston Christopher , Aplin Paul , Wilkinson David , Field Richard , O’Regan Hannah
Published: May 2017

Changes in the extent of woody vegetation represent a major conservation question in many savannah systems around the globe. To address the problem of the current lack of broad-scale cost-effective tools for land cover monitoring in complex savannah environments, we use a multi-scale approach to quantifying vegetation change in Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa. We test whether medium spatial resolution satellite data (Landsat, existing back to the 1970s), which have pixel sizes larger than typical vegetation patches, can nevertheless capture the thematic detail required to detect woody encroachment in savannahs. We quantify vegetation change over a 13-year period in KNP, examine the changes that have occurred, assess the drivers of these changes, and compare appropriate remote sensing data sources for monitoring change. We generate land cover maps for three areas of southern KNP using very high resolution (VHR) and medium resolution satellite sensor imagery from February 2001 to 2014. Considerable land cover change has occurred, with large increases in shrubs replacing both trees and grassland. Examination of exclosure areas and potential environmental driver data suggests two mechanisms: elephant herbivory removing trees and at least one separate mechanism responsible for conversion of grassland to shrubs, theorised to be increasing atmospheric CO2. Thus, the combination of these mechanisms causes the novel two-directional shrub encroachment that we observe (tree loss and grassland conversion). Multi-scale comparison of classifications indicates that although spatial detail is lost when using medium resolution rather than VHR imagery for land cover classification (e.g., Landsat imagery cannot readily distinguish between tree and shrub classes, while VHR imagery can), the thematic detail contained within both VHR and medium resolution classifications is remarkably congruent. This suggests that medium resolution imagery contains sufficient thematic information for most broad-scale land cover monitoring requirements in heterogeneous savannahs, while having the benefits of being cost-free and providing a longer historical archive of data than VHR sources. We conclude that monitoring of broad-scale land cover change using remote sensing has considerable potential as a cost-effective tool for both better informing land management practitioners, and for monitoring the future landscape-scale impacts of management policies in savannahs.
An Optical Classification Tool for Global Lake Waters
Authors: Eleveld Marieke , Ruescas Ana , Hommersom Annelies , Moore Timothy , Peters Steef , Brockmann Carsten
Published: May 2017

Shallow and deep lakes receive and recycle organic and inorganic substances from within the confines of these lakes, their watershed and beyond. Hence, a large range in absorption and scattering and extreme differences in optical variability can be found between and within global lakes. This poses a challenge for atmospheric correction and bio-optical algorithms applied to optical remote sensing for water quality monitoring applications. To optimize these applications for the wide variety of lake optical conditions, we adapted a spectral classification scheme based on the concept of optical water types. The optical water types were defined through a cluster analysis of in situ hyperspectral remote sensing reflectance spectra collected by partners and advisors of the European Union 7th Framework Programme (FP7) Global Lakes Sentinel Services (GLaSS) project. The method has been integrated in the Envisat-BEAM software and the Sentinel Application Platform (SNAP) and generates maps of water types from image data. Two variations of water type classification are provided: one based on area-normalized spectral reflectance focusing on spectral shape (6CN, six-class normalized) and one that retains magnitude with no modification to the reflectance signal (6C). This resulted in a protocol, or processing scheme, that can also be applied or adapted for Sentinel-3 Ocean and Land Colour Imager (OLCI) datasets. We apply both treatments to MERIS imagery of a variety of European lakes to demonstrate its applicability. The studied target lakes cover a range of biophysical types, from shallow turbid to deep and clear, as well as eutrophic and dark absorbing waters, rich in colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM). In shallow, high-reflecting Dutch and Estonian lakes with high sediment load, 6C performed better, while in deep, low-reflecting clear Italian and Swedish lakes, 6CN performed better. The 6CN classification of in situ data is promising for very dark, high CDOM, absorbing lakes, but we show that our atmospheric correction of the imagery was insufficient to corroborate this. We anticipate that the application of the protocol to other lakes with unknown in-water characterization, but with comparable biophysical properties will suggest similar atmospheric correction (AC) and in-water retrieval algorithms for global lakes.
Terrestrial Hyperspectral Image Shadow Restoration through Lidar Fusion
Authors: Hartzell Preston , Glennie Craig , Khan Shuhab
Published: May 2017

Acquisition of hyperspectral imagery (HSI) from cameras mounted on terrestrial platforms is a relatively recent development that enables spectral analysis of dominantly vertical structures. Although solar shadowing is prevalent in terrestrial HSI due to the vertical scene geometry, automated shadow detection and restoration algorithms have not yet been applied to this capture modality. We investigate the fusion of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) spatial information with terrestrial HSI for geometric shadow detection on a rough vertical surface and examine the contribution of radiometrically calibrated TLS intensity, which is resistant to the influence of solar shadowing, to HSI shadow restoration. Qualitative assessment of the shadow detection results indicates pixel level accuracy, which is indirectly validated by shadow restoration improvements when sub-pixel shadow detection is used in lieu of single pixel detection. The inclusion of TLS intensity in existing shadow restoration algorithms that use regions of matching material in sun and shade exposures was found to have a marginal positive influence on restoring shadow spectrum shape, while a proposed combination of TLS intensity with passive HSI spectra boosts restored shadow spectrum magnitude precision by 40% and band correlation with respect to a truth image by 45% compared to existing restoration methods.
Sea Surface Currents Estimated from Spaceborne Infrared Images Validated against Reanalysis Data and Drifters in the Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Heuzé Céline , Carvajal Gisela , Eriksson Leif , Soja-Woźniak Monika
Published: May 2017

Near-real time sea surface current information is needed for ocean operations. On a global scale, only satellites can provide such measurements. This can be done with data from infrared radiometers, available on several satellites, thus giving several images a day. This work analyses the accuracy of such an estimation of surface current fields retrieved with the maximum cross correlation (MCC) method, here used to track patterns of Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) brightness temperature between 224 pairs of consecutive images taken between January and December 2015 in the western Mediterranean Sea. Comparison with in-situ drifters shows that relatively small patterns, moving at a slow speed, tracked between images separated by less than four hours give the best agreement. The agreement was strongest in summer, and consistent with low wind, non-eddying situations. When compared to a daily reanalysis field, the averaged satellite-retrieved fields showed good agreement, but not the in-situ drifter data. Drifter data should hence be used to complement satellite-retrieved currents rather than to validate them, since they may measure different components of the surface currents.
Evaluation of Aerosol Optical Depth and Aerosol Models from VIIRS Retrieval Algorithms over North China Plain
Authors: Zhu Jun , Xia Xiangao , Wang Jun , Che Huizheng , Chen Hongbin , Zhang Jinqiang , Xu Xiaoguang , Levy Robert , Oo Min , Holz Robert , Ayoub Mohammed
Published: May 2017

The first Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) was launched on Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) satellite in late 2011. Similar to the Moderate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), VIIRS observes top-of-atmosphere spectral reflectance and is potentially suitable for retrieval of the aerosol optical depth (AOD). The VIIRS Environmental Data Record data (VIIRS_EDR) is produced operationally by NOAA, and is based on the MODIS atmospheric correction algorithm. The “MODIS-like” VIIRS data (VIIRS_ML) are being produced experimentally at NASA, from a version of the “dark-target” algorithm that is applied to MODIS. In this study, the AOD and aerosol model types from these two VIIRS retrieval algorithms over the North China Plain (NCP) are evaluated using the ground-based CE318 Sunphotometer (CE318) measurements during 2 May 2012–31 March 2014 at three sites. These sites represent three different surface types: urban (Beijing), suburban (XiangHe) and rural (Xinglong). Firstly, we evaluate the retrieved spectral AOD. For the three sites, VIIRS_EDR AOD at 550 nm shows a positive mean bias (MB) of 0.04–0.06 and the correlation of 0.83–0.86, with the largest MB (0.10–0.15) observed in Beijing. In contrast, VIIRS_ML AOD at 550 nm has overall higher positive MB of 0.13–0.14 and a higher correlation (0.93–0.94) with CE318 AOD. Secondly, we evaluate the aerosol model types assumed by each algorithm, as well as the aerosol optical properties used in the AOD retrievals. The aerosol model used in VIIRS_EDR algorithm shows that dust and clean urban models were the dominant model types during the evaluation period. The overall accuracy rate of the aerosol model used in VIIRS_ML over NCP three sites (0.48) is higher than that of VIIRS_EDR (0.27). The differences in Single Scattering Albedo (SSA) at 670 nm between VIIRS_ML and CE318 are mostly less than 0.015, but high seasonal differences are found especially over the Xinglong site. The values of SSA from VIIRS_EDR are higher than that observed by CE318 over all sites and all assumed aerosol modes, with a positive bias of 0.02–0.04 for fine mode, 0.06–0.12 for coarse mode and 0.03–0.05 for bi-mode at 440 nm. The overestimation of SSA but positive AOD MB of VIIRS_EDR indicate that other factors (e.g., surface reflectance characterization or cloud contamination) are important sources of error in the VIIRS_EDR algorithm, and their effects on aerosol retrievals may override the effects from non-ideality in these aerosol models.
Scalability Issues for Remote Sensing Infrastructure: A Case Study
Authors: Liu Yang , Picard Sean , Williamson Carey
Published: May 2017

For the past decade, a team of University of Calgary researchers has operated a large “sensor Web” to collect, analyze, and share scientific data from remote measurement instruments across northern Canada. This sensor Web receives real-time data streams from over a thousand Internet-connected sensors, with a particular emphasis on environmental data (e.g., space weather, auroral phenomena, atmospheric imaging). Through research collaborations, we had the opportunity to evaluate the performance and scalability of their remote sensing infrastructure. This article reports the lessons learned from our study, which considered both data collection and data dissemination aspects of their system. On the data collection front, we used benchmarking techniques to identify and fix a performance bottleneck in the system’s memory management for TCP data streams, while also improving system efficiency on multi-core architectures. On the data dissemination front, we used passive and active network traffic measurements to identify and reduce excessive network traffic from the Web robots and JavaScript techniques used for data sharing. While our results are from one specific sensor Web system, the lessons learned may apply to other scientific Web sites with remote sensing infrastructure.
Bluetooth Low Power Modes Applied to the Data Transportation Network in Home Automation Systems
Authors: Etxaniz Josu , Aranguren Gerardo
Published: May 2017

Even though home automation is a well-known research and development area, recent technological improvements in different areas such as context recognition, sensing, wireless communications or embedded systems have boosted wireless smart homes. This paper focuses on some of those areas related to home automation. The paper draws attention to wireless communications issues on embedded systems. Specifically, the paper discusses the multi-hop networking together with Bluetooth technology and latency, as a quality of service (QoS) metric. Bluetooth is a worldwide standard that provides low power multi-hop networking. It is a radio license free technology and establishes point-to-point and point-to-multipoint links, known as piconets, or multi-hop networks, known as scatternets. This way, many Bluetooth nodes can be interconnected to deploy ambient intelligent networks. This paper introduces the research on multi-hop latency done with park and sniff low power modes of Bluetooth over the test platform developed. Besides, an empirical model is obtained to calculate the latency of Bluetooth multi-hop communications over asynchronous links when links in scatternets are always in sniff or the park mode. Smart home devices and networks designers would take advantage of the models and the estimation of the delay they provide in communications along Bluetooth multi-hop networks.
An Acceleration-Based Gait Assessment Method for Children with Cerebral Palsy
Authors: Chen Xiang , Liao Songmei , Cao Shuai , Wu De , Zhang Xu
Published: May 2017

With the aim of providing an objective tool for motion disability assessment in clinical diagnosis and rehabilitation therapy of cerebral palsy (CP) patients, an acceleration-based gait assessment method was proposed in this paper. To capture gait information, three inertial measurement units (IMUs) were placed on the lower trunk and thigh, respectively. By comparing differences in the gait acceleration modes between children with CP and healthy subjects, an assessment method based on grey relational analysis and five gait parameters, including Pearson coefficient, variance ratio, the number of extreme points, harmonic ratio and symmetry was established. Twenty-two children with cerebral palsy (7.49 ± 2.86 years old), fourteen healthy adults (24.2 ± 1.55 years old) and ten healthy children (7.03 ± 1.49 years old) participated in the gait data acquisition experiment. The results demonstrated that, compared to healthy subjects, the symptoms and severity of motor dysfunction of CP children could result in abnormality of the gait acceleration modes, and the proposed assessment method was able to effectively evaluate the degree gait abnormality in CP children.
High Precision Temperature Insensitive Strain Sensor Based on Fiber-Optic Delay
Authors: Yang Ning , Su Jun , Fan Zhiqiang , Qiu Qi
Published: May 2017

A fiber-optic delay based strain sensor with high precision and temperature insensitivity was reported, which works on detecting the delay induced by strain instead of spectrum. In order to analyze the working principle of this sensor, the elastic property of fiber-optic delay was theoretically researched and the elastic coefficient was measured as 3.78 ps/km·με. In this sensor, an extra reference path was introduced to simplify the measurement of delay and resist the cross-effect of environmental temperature. Utilizing an optical fiber stretcher driven by piezoelectric ceramics, the performance of this strain sensor was tested. The experimental results demonstrate that temperature fluctuations contribute little to the strain error and that the calculated strain sensitivity is as high as 4.75 με in the range of 350 με. As a result, this strain sensor is proved to be feasible and practical, which is appropriate for strain measurement in a simple and economical way. Furthermore, on basis of this sensor, the quasi-distributed measurement could be also easily realized by wavelength division multiplexing and wavelength addressing for long-distance structure health and security monitoring.
How Sharing Can Contribute to More Sustainable Cities
Authors: Boyko Christopher , Clune Stephen , Cooper Rachel , Coulton Claire , Dunn Nick , Pollastri Serena , Leach Joanne , Bouch Christopher , Cavada Mariana , De Laurentiis Valeria , Goodfellow-Smith Mike , Hale James , Hunt Dan , Lee Susan , Locret-Collet Martin , Sadler Jon , Ward Jonathan , Rogers Christopher , Popan Cosmin , Psarikidou Katerina , Urry John , Blunden Luke , Bourikas Leonidas , Büchs Milena , Falkingham Jane , Harper Mikey , James Patrick , Kamanda Mamusu , Sanches Tatiana , Tuner Philip , Wu Phil , Bahaj AbuBakr , Ortegon Adriana , Barnes Katie , Cosgrave Ellie , Honeybone Paul , Joffe Helene , Kwami Corina , Zeeb Victoria , Collins Brian , Tyler Nick
Published: May 2017

Recently, much of the literature on sharing in cities has focused on the sharing economy, in which people use online platforms to share underutilized assets in the marketplace. This view of sharing is too narrow for cities, as it neglects the myriad of ways, reasons, and scales in which citizens share in urban environments. Research presented here by the Liveable Cities team in the form of participant workshops in Lancaster and Birmingham, UK, suggests that a broader approach to understanding sharing in cities is essential. The research also highlighted tools and methods that may be used to help to identify sharing in communities. The paper ends with advice to city stakeholders, such as policymakers, urban planners, and urban designers, who are considering how to enhance sustainability in cities through sharing.