bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simulation of Truck Haulage Operations in an Underground Mine Using Big Data from an ICT-Based Mine Safety Management System
Authors: Baek Jieun , Choi Yosoon
Published: July 2019

Information communication technology (ICT)-based mine safety management systems are being introduced at numerous mining sites to track the location of equipment and workers in real time and monitor environmental changes. This paper presents the results of a case study in which the big data created by an ICT-based mine safety management system are used for simulating truck haulage operations. An underground limestone mine located in Danyang, South Korea was studied, and the data generated over three months, from October 1 to December 31, 2018, were analyzed. Truck tag packet data recognized by relays were extracted and analyzed to calculate the averages and standard deviations of the truck travel times of each mine segment. A discrete event simulation program that simulates truck haulage operations in the study area was developed. Haulage times, the number of haulage operations, production output, and truck delay times were predicted, and results were compared with the actual operation results that were obtained on January 2 and 9, 2019. The difference between the predicted and actual results for the total amount of loaded ore was 30 tons for January 2 and 0 tons for January 9. The mean absolute error between the predicted and observed truck travel times was 0.13 min for January 2 and 0.14 min for January 9. The truck travel times that were measured differently according to the data aggregation period were set as temporal factors, and truck haulage simulations were performed. The results showed that more reliable simulation results were obtained as data accumulation time increased.
Wearable Wireless Devices
Authors: Abbasi Qammer Hussain , Heidari Hadi , Alomainy Akram
Published: July 2019

With the growing interest in the use of technology in daily life, the potential of using wearable wireless devices across multiple segments, e [...]
Adaptation of the SBTool for Sustainability Assessment of High School Buildings in Portugal—SAHSBPT
Authors: Saraiva Tatiana Santos , Almeida Manuela de , Bragança Luís
Published: July 2019

The European Union objectives in the Horizon 2020 program aim to reduce environmental impact through strategies such as the improvement of energy efficiency and the use of renewable technologies. With regard to the goal of sustainable development—which integrates environmental, social, and economic dimensions relating to the preservation of the planet and the integrity of consumers—several types of sustainability certification tools are currently used in the construction industry e.g., Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), and the Sustainable Building Tool (SBTool) There are international sustainability methodologies designed specifically for high schools and methodologies specific to the Portuguese reality, such as Natura Domus, LiderA (Liderar pelo Ambiente para a construção sustentável, Leading the Environment for Sustainable Construction) and SBtoolPT (Sustainable Building Tool, Portugal). Currently, with the concern in Portugal to requalify schools, it has become necessary to develop a specific methodology for school buildings according to the Portuguese reality. This work highlights the SBTool methodology that is employed in several countries and can be adapted to basic education institutions as the basis for the formulation of responsible citizens and the development of a country. The main aim of this study is to adapt an already existing assessment tool of sustainability (SBToolPT), maintaining some indicators while modifying and adding others, in order to develop a methodology specifically for conducting a Sustainability Assessment of High School Buildings in Portugal—SAHSBPT. In order to achieve this goal, other methodologies that already incorporate parameters relating to the school environment are analyzed, such as LEED BD + C Schools (LEED Building Design and Construction School), BREEAM Education 2008, and the SBTool for K–12 schools.
Scale-Free Features in Collective Robot Foraging
Authors: Rausch Ilja , Khaluf Yara , Simoens Pieter
Published: July 2019

In many complex systems observed in nature, properties such as scalability, adaptivity, or rapid information exchange are often accompanied by the presence of features that are scale-free, i.e., that have no characteristic scale. Following this observation, we investigate the existence of scale-free features in artificial collective systems using simulated robot swarms. We implement a large-scale swarm performing the complex task of collective foraging, and demonstrate that several space and time features of the simulated swarm—such as number of communication links or time spent in resting state—spontaneously approach the scale-free property with moderate to strong statistical plausibility. Furthermore, we report strong correlations between the latter observation and swarm performance in terms of the number of retrieved items.
Image-to-Image Translation Using Identical-Pair Adversarial Networks
Authors: Sung Thai Leang , Lee Hyo Jong
Published: July 2019

We propose Identical-pair Adversarial Networks (iPANs) to solve image-to-image translation problems, such as aerial-to-map, edge-to-photo, de-raining, and night-to-daytime. Our iPANs rely mainly on the effectiveness of adversarial loss function and its network architectures. Our iPANs consist of two main networks, an image transformation network T and a discriminative network D. We use U-NET for the transformation network T and a perceptual similarity network, which has two streams of VGG16 that share the same weights for network D. Our proposed adversarial losses play a minimax game against each other based on a real identical-pair and a fake identical-pair distinguished by the discriminative network D; e.g. a discriminative network D considers two inputs as a real pair only when they are identical, otherwise a fake pair. Meanwhile, the transformation network T tries to persuade the discriminator network D that the fake pair is a real pair. We experimented on several problems of image-to-image translation and achieved results that are comparable to those of some existing approaches, such as pix2pix, and PAN.
Sensitive and Selective Detection of New Red Colorant Based on Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Using Molecularly Imprinted Hydrogels
Authors: Neng Jing , Xu Kaiyun , Wang Yan , Jia Kan , Zhang Qi , Sun Peilong
Published: July 2019

A polyacrylamide-based molecularly imprinted hydrogel (MIH) doped with positively charged gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) has been synthesized via a free radical polymerization of acrylamide (AM) aqueous solution containing positively charged Au NPs as a Raman active substrate, New Red colorant as a template molecule, N,N’-methylenebis(acrylamide) as a crosslinking agent, and potassium persulfate as an initiator. The Au NPs-doped MIHs were subsequently explored as a Raman active substrate for the sensitive and selective detection of New Red colorant via surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The logarithmic intensity of the characteristic peak of New Red at 1572 cm−1 was proportional to the logarithmic concentration of New Red with a detection linear range of 1.64 × 10−6 to 1.64 × 10−4 M and a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.64 × 10−7 M. The recoveries ranged from 86.3% to 100.6% with a relative standard deviation (RSD) in the range of 2.3% to 7.7%. The RSD and recovery rates for the detection of New Red spiked in a sports drink sample were 1.8% to 7.7% and 91.0% to 97.1%, respectively. These results showed that SERS combined with MIHs as Raman active substrates could provide a sensitive, selective, and effective approach for the detection of the New Red colorant in beverage matrix.
Natural Convection of Dusty Hybrid Nanofluids in an Enclosure Including Two Oriented Heated Fins
Authors: Raizah Zehba A.S.
Published: July 2019

In the current work, the natural convection of dusty hybrid nanofluids in an enclosure including two inclined heated fins has been studied via mathematical simulation. The inclined heated fins are arranged near to the enclosure center with variations on their orientations and lengths. The present simulation is represented by two systems of equations for the hybrid nanofluids that are dusty. The pressure distributions for the dusty phase and hybrid nanofluids phase are evaluated using a SIMPLE algorithm based on the finite volume method. The numerical results are examined using contours of the streamlines, isotherms for the hybrid nanofluids and velocity components for the dusty phase. In addition, the graphical illustrations for profiles of the local and average Nusselt numbers are presented. The main results reveal that an increase in the mixture densities ratio and dusty parameter reduces the rate of the heat transfer. Both the local and average Nusselt numbers are supported as the fins lengths increase regardless of the fins’ rotation. In addition, the nanoparticles volume fraction enhances the thermal boundary layer near the top wall.
Composite Xenohybrid Bovine Bone-Derived Scaffold as Bone Substitute for the Treatment of Tibial Plateau Fractures
Authors: Ferracini Riccardo , Bistolfi Alessandro , Garibaldi Riccardo , Furfaro Vanessa , Battista Agnese , Perale Giuseppe
Published: July 2019

Introduction: Tibial plateau fractures represent a common challenge for orthopaedic surgeons, sometimes representing complex cases to manage, where augmentation using bone grafts is required for stabilisation. Autologous iliac bone graft (AIBG) is the current gold standard for bone grafting. In order to overcome limitations related to the procedure, alternative strategies, like allogenic and xenogeneic bone substitutes have been investigated. Here, within the framework of an observational clinical study, we report clinical and radiological outcomes of patients treated for tibial plateau fractures with a composite xenohybrid bone graft, aiming at assessing clinical and radiological outcomes. Materials and Methods: We performed a cohort retrospective study of patients treated for tibial plateau fractures from May 2017 to January 2018. Thirty-four patients, i.e. 100% of those having received the bone graft under investigation for tibial plateaux fracture treatment, met the inclusion criteria and were enrolled in the study. Patients were assessed at 2 weeks, and then at a 1-, 3-, and 6-months, and 1-year follow-up. At each evaluation patients filled a visual analogue scale (VAS) for the level of pain during the day life activities and underwent physical exam and anteroposterior and lateral projection radiographs of the knee. At 1 year the Tegner Lysholm Scoring Scale, International Knee Document Committee 2000 (IKDC 2000), and Short Form (36) Health Survey (SF-36) were administered. Results: At 1-year, mean VAS decreased from 6.33 ± 1.40 to 1 ± 0.79 (P < 0.0001); Tegner Lysholm Scoring Scale was 89 ± 4.10 and mean IKDC 2000 was 78.67 ± 3.31. No infections, neurovascular complications or adverse effects related to implants were reported during the clinical exams at follow-up. Mean ROM was 124 ± 6°. Radiographs did not show defects of consolidation or progressive post-surgical subsidence and demonstrated a good grade of integration of the implant. Conclusions: Clinical and radiological outcomes, and scores of questionnaires, were good. The xenograft has demonstrated to be a safe biomaterial, with satisfactory mechanical and biological performances in the mid-term period. It also showed a high grade of osteointegration and remodelling.
Evaluation of Copper-Contaminated Marginal Land for the Cultivation of Vetiver Grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) as a Lignocellulosic Feedstock and its Impact on Downstream Bioethanol Production
Authors: Geiger Emily M. , Sarkar Dibyendu , Datta Rupali
Published: July 2019

Metal-contaminated soil could be sustainably used for biofuel feedstock production if the harvested biomass is amenable to bioethanol production. A 60-day greenhouse experiment was performed to evaluate (1) the potential of vetiver grass to phytostabilize soil contaminated with copper (Cu), and (2) the impact of Cu exposure on its lignocellulosic composition and downstream bioethanol production. Dilute acid pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentation parameters were optimized sequentially for vetiver grass using response surface methodology (RSM). Results indicate that the lignocellulosic composition of vetiver grown on Cu-rich soil was favorably altered with a significant decrease in lignin and increase in hemicellulose and cellulose content. Hydrolysates produced from Cu exposed biomass achieved a significantly greater ethanol yield and volumetric productivity compared to those of the control biomass. Upon pretreatment, the hemicellulosic hydrolysate showed an increase in total sugars per liter by 204.7% of the predicted yield. After fermentation, 110% of the predicted ethanol yield was obtained for the vetiver grown on Cu-contaminated soil. By contrast, for vetiver grown on uncontaminated soil a 62.3% of theoretical ethanol yield was achieved, indicating that vetiver has the potential to serve the dual purpose of phytoremediation and biofuel feedstock generation on contaminated sites.
Impacts of Urban Expansion on Relatively Smaller Surrounding Cities during Heat Waves
Authors: Huang Bei , Ni Guang-heng , Grimmond C. S. B.
Published: July 2019

Urban-induced thermal stress can threaten human health, especially during heat waves (HWs). The growth of cities further exacerbates this effect. Here, weather research and forecasting (WRF) with an urban canopy model (UCM) is used to assess the effects of megacities and their growth on the thermal regime of proximal cities during heat waves. Analysis of the heat fluxes shows that advection impacts cities downwind. Results indicate that as urban areas change size (50%–100% and 100–150% of their current size), the local 2 m temperature increases by 2.7 and 1.7 °C, and the 2 m specific humidity decreases by 2.1 and 1.4 g kg−1, respectively. A small city downwind is impacted with a 0.3–0.4 °C increase in 2 m temperature. Green roof is a potential mitigation strategy for these regions (i.e., beyond the megacity). With 50% green roofs in an urban area, a 0.5 °C decrease in 2 m temperature and 0.6 g kg−1 increase in specific humidity is simulated. Urbanization upwind of a megacity will contribute to regional climate change.
Neural State Monitoring in the Treatment of Epilepsy: Seizure Prediction—Conceptualization to First-In-Man Study
Authors: DiLorenzo Daniel John , Leyde Kent W. , Kaplan Dmitry
Published: July 2019

This research study is part of a therapy development effort in which a novel approach was taken to develop an implantable electroencephalographic (EEG) based brain monitoring and seizure prediction system. Previous attempts to predict seizures by other groups had not been demonstrated to be statistically more successful than chance. The primary clinical findings from this group were published in a clinical paper; however much of the fundamental technology, including the strategy and techniques behind the development of the seizure advisory system have not been published. Development of this technology comprised several steps: a vast high quality database of EEG recordings was assembled, a structured approach to algorithm development was undertaken, an implantable 16-channel subdural neural monitoring and seizure advisory system was designed and built, preclinical studies were conducted in a canine model, and a First-In-Man study involving implantation of 15 patients followed for two years was conducted to evaluate the algorithm. The algorithm was successfully trained to correctly provide a) notification of a high likelihood of seizure in 11 of 14 patients, and b) notification of a low likelihood of seizure in 5 of 14 patients (NCT01043406). Continuous neural state monitoring shows promise for applications in seizure prediction and likelihood estimation, and insights for further research and development are drawn.
Production and Surfactant Properties of Tert-Butyl α-d-Glucopyranosides Catalyzed by Cyclodextrin Glucanotransferase
Authors: Garcia-Arellano Humberto , Gonzalez-Alfonso Jose L. , Ubilla Claudia , Comelles Francesc , Alcalde Miguel , Bernabé Manuel , Parra José-Luis , Ballesteros Antonio O. , Plou Francisco J.
Published: July 2019

While testing the ability of cyclodextrin glucanotransferases (CGTases) to glucosylate a series of flavonoids in the presence of organic cosolvents, we found out that this enzyme was able to glycosylate a tertiary alcohol (tert-butyl alcohol). In particular, CGTases from Thermoanaerobacter sp. and Thermoanaerobacterium thermosulfurigenes EM1 gave rise to the appearance of at least two glycosylation products, which were characterized by mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) as tert-butyl-α-D-glucoside (major product) and tert-butyl-α-D-maltoside (minor product). Using partially hydrolyzed starch as glucose donor, the yield of transglucosylation was approximately 44% (13 g/L of tert-butyl-α-D-glucoside and 4 g/L of tert-butyl-α-D-maltoside). The synthesized tert-butyl-α-D-glucoside exhibited the typical surfactant behavior (critical micellar concentration, 4.0–4.5 mM) and its properties compared well with those of the related octyl-α-D-glucoside. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description of an enzymatic α-glucosylation of a tertiary alcohol.
Increasing the Enzyme Loading Capacity of Porous Supports by a Layer-by-Layer Immobilization Strategy Using PEI as Glue
Authors: Rios Nathalia S. , Arana-Peña Sara , Mendez-Sanchez Carmen , Lokha Yuliya , Cortes-Corberan Vicente , Gonçalves Luciana R. B. , Fernandez-Lafuente Roberto
Published: July 2019

A new strategy to increase the enzyme-loading capacity of porous supports was investigated. Lipase from Pseudomonas fluorescens (PFL) was immobilized on octyl-agarose (OA) beads and treated with polyethyleneimine (PEI). Then, PFL was immobilized on the previous PFL layer. Next, the biocatalyst was coated with PEI and a third layer of PFL was added. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide electrophoresis showed that the amount of PFL proportionally increased with each enzyme layer; however, the effects on biocatalyst activity were not as clear. Hydrolyzing 50 mM of triacetin at 25 °C, the activity of the three-layer biocatalyst was even lower than that of the bi-layer one; on the contrary its activity was higher when the activity was measured at 4 °C in the presence of 30% acetonitrile (that reduced the activity and thus the relevance of the substrate diffusion limitations). That is, the advantage of the multilayer formation depends on the specific activity of the enzyme and on the diffusion limitations of the substrate. When octyl agarose (OA)-PFL-PEI-PFL preparation was treated with glutaraldehyde, the activity was reduced, although the enzyme stability increased and the immobilization of the last PFL layer offered results similar to the one obtained using the three-layer preparation without glutaraldehyde modification (90%).
Impregnation Protocols on Alumina Beads for Controlling the Preparation of Supported Metal Catalysts
Authors: Bueno Alejandra C. , Mayer Maxime , Weber Matthieu , Bechelany Mikhael , Klotz Michaela , Farrusseng David
Published: July 2019

Whereas the synthesis principles of supported metal catalysts are well documented in the open literature, impregnation protocols on shaped bodies represent sensitive industrial know-how and are, therefore, rarely found. We investigated various synthesis parameters for both wetness (WI) and dry (DI) impregnations to prepare Pd/γ–Al2O3 alumina beads. Two kinds of catalysts were achieved: homogeneously dispersed catalysts with no metal gradient across the beads and eggshell catalysts. A combination of optical images, Castaing microprobe analysis, elemental analysis, and TEM made it possible to discriminate between catalysts according to their metal loading, location across the bead diameter, and metal dispersion. Regardless of the macropore structure of the alumina beads, we found that volatile solvents (acetone) were preferred for preparing homogeneous catalysts by WI, whereas the use of a viscous aqueous solution (water/glycerol) in DI resulted in an eggshell-type catalyst. The atomic layer deposition (ALD) method was also investigated as a physical vapor phase deposition method for preparing eggshell catalysts. Representative-shaped catalysts were tested for CO oxidation as a model reaction in order to highlight the differences between catalysts with a homogeneous metal distribution (no metal gradient) and eggshell-type.
Polyaniline-Grafted RuO2-TiO2 Heterostructure for the Catalysed Degradation of Methyl Orange in Darkness
Authors: Mousli Fatima , Chaouchi Ahcène , Jouini Mohamed , Maurel François , Kadri Abdelaziz , Chehimi Mohamed M.
Published: July 2019

Massive industrial and agricultural developments have led to adverse effects of environmental pollution resisting conventional treatment processes. The issue can be addressed via heterogeneous photocatalysis as witnessed recently. Herein, we have developed novel metal/semi-conductor/polymer nanocomposite for the catalyzed degradation and mineralization of a model organic dye pollutant in darkness. RuO2-TiO2 mixed oxide nanoparticles (NPs) were modified with diphenyl amino (DPA) groups from the 4-diphenylamine diazonium salt precursor. The latter was reduced with ascorbic acid to provide radicals that modified the NPs and further served for in situ synthesis of polyaniline (PANI) that resulted in RuO2/TiO2-DPA-PANI nanocomposite catalyst. Excellent adhesion of PANI to RuO2/TiO2-DPA was noted but not in the case of the bare mixed oxide. This stresses the central role of diazonium compounds to tether PANI to the underlying mixed oxide. RuO2-TiO2/DPA/PANI nanocomposite revealed superior catalytic properties in the degradation of Methyl Orange (MO) compared to RuO2-TiO2/PANI and RuO2-TiO2. Interestingly, it is active even in the darkness due to high PANI mass loading. In addition, PANI constitutes a protective layer of RuO2-TiO2 NPs that permitted us to reuse the RuO2-TiO2/DPA/PANI nanocomposite nine times, whereas RuO2-TiO2/PANI and RuO2-TiO2 were reused seven and five times only, respectively. The electronic displacements at the interface of the heterojunction metal/semi-conductor under visible light and the synergistic effects between PANI and RuO2 result in the separation of electron-hole pairs and a reduction of its recombination rate as well as a significant catalytic activity of RuO2-TiO2/DPA/PANI under simulated sunlight and in the dark, respectively.
Synthesis and Evaluation of Novel Pyrazole Ethandiamide Compounds as Inhibitors of Human THP-1 Monocytic Cell Neurotoxicity
Authors: McKenzie Jordan A. , Barghash Reham F. , Alsaggaf Azhaar T. , Kulkarni Omkar , Boudreau Kalun , Menard Frederic , Neeland Edward G. , Klegeris Andis
Published: July 2019

Neuroinflammation and microglia-mediated neurotoxicity contribute to the pathogenesis of a broad range of neurodegenerative diseases; therefore, identifying novel compounds that can suppress adverse activation of glia is an important goal. We have previously identified a class of trisubstituted pyrazoles that possess neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties. Here, we describe a second generation of pyrazole analogs that were designed to improve their neuroprotective activity toward neurons under inflammatory conditions. Pyrazolyl oxalamide derivatives were designed to explore the effects of steric and electronic factors. Three in vitro assays were performed to evaluate the compounds’ anti-neurotoxic, neuroprotective, and cytotoxic activity using human THP-1, PC-3, and SH-SY5Y cells. Five compounds significantly reduced the neurotoxic secretions from immune-stimulated microglia-like human THP-1 monocytic cells. One of these compounds was also found to protect SH-SY5Y neuronal cells when they were exposed to cytotoxic THP-1 cell supernatants. While one of the analogs was discarded due to its interference with the cell viability assay, most compounds were innocuous to the cultured cells at the concentrations used (1–100 μM). The new compounds reported herein provide a design template for the future development of lead candidates as novel inhibitors of neuroinflammation and neuroprotective drugs.
Sustainable Route for Synthesis of All-Silica SOD Zeolite
Authors: Zhai Hangling , Bian Chaoqun , Yu Yuxia , Zhu Longfeng , Guo Lingfeng , Wang Xiao , Yu Qinqin , Zhu Jie , Cao Xuebo
Published: July 2019

The development of the sustainable synthesis of zeolites has become a very hot topic in recent years. Herein, we report a sustainable route for synthesizing all-silica SOD zeolite under solvent-free conditions. The method of solvent-free synthesis includes mixing, grinding, and heating raw solids. The all-silica SOD zeolite obtained was well characterized by multiple measurement techniques (XRD, SEM, IR, thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), and magic angel spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR)). The crystallization process of all-silica SOD zeolite was also investigated in detail by XRD, SEM, UV-Raman, and MAS NMR techniques. In addition, the effects of the crystallization compositions, including the molar ratios of Na2O/SiO2 and ethylene glycol/SiO2, on the synthesis of the pure all-silica SOD zeolite were investigated at different temperatures.
Microbial Community in Hyperalkaline Steel Slag-Fill Emulates Serpentinizing Springs
Authors: Ohlsson J. Ingemar , Osvatic Jay T. , Becraft Eric D. , Swingley Wesley D.
Published: July 2019

To date, a majority of studies of microbial life in hyperalkaline settings focus on environments that are also highly saline (haloalkaline). Haloalkaline conditions offer microbes abundant workarounds to maintain pH homeostasis, as salt ions can be exchanged for protons by dedicated antiporter proteins. Yet hyperalkaline freshwater systems also occur both naturally and anthropogenically, such as the slag fill aquifers around former Lake Calumet (Chicago, IL, USA). In this study, 16S rRNA gene sequences and metagenomic sequence libraries were collected to assess the taxonomic composition and functional potential of microbes present in these slag-polluted waterways. Relative 16S rRNA gene abundances in Calumet sediment and water samples describe community compositions not significantly divergent from those in nearby circumneutral conditions. Major differences in composition are mainly driven by Proteobacteria, primarily one sequence cluster closely related to Hydrogenophaga, which comprises up to 85% of 16S rRNA gene abundance in hyperalkaline surface sediments. Sequence identity indicates this novel species belongs to the recently established genus Serpentinomonas, a bacterial lineage associated with natural freshwater hyperalkaline serpentinizing springs.
Bone Density and Implant Primary Stability. A Study on Equine Bone Blocks
Authors: Orlando Francesco , Arosio Federico , Arosio Paolo , Di Stefano Danilo Alessio
Published: July 2019

Previous results on synthetic blocks mimicking bone indicate that bone density can be measured by the friction encountered by a rotating probe while it descends into bone, and that primary implant stability may be measured through the integral (I) of the torque–depth curve at implant insertion. This study aims to repeat those tests on collagen-preserving equine bone blocks as they better reproduce the mechanical properties of natural bone. Fifteen cancellous equine blocks had their density measured using a measuring probe. This was compared to their known physical density through linear regression analysis. Implant placement was carried out into six cancellous equine blocks and primary stability was measured using (I), as well as the insertion torque (IT), the implant stability quotient (ISQ), and the reverse torque (RT). The relation between (I), (IT), (ISQ), and (RT) was investigated by correlation analysis. Bone density measured using the probe correlated significantly with actual density, both with (r = 0.764) and without irrigation (r = 0.977). (I) correlated significantly with IT and RT under all irrigation conditions, and with ISQ only without irrigation (r = 0.886). The results suggest that the probe provides actual bone density measurements. They also indicate that (I) measures primary implant stability and is more sensitive to density variations than IT, RT, and ISQ. Results are consistent with those obtained on synthetic blocks but suggest that equine bone blocks may better reproduce the mechanical properties of human cancellous alveolar bone. This should be the subject of additional studies.
Using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) for Measuring Plant-Soil Feedback Effects on Crop Productivity
Authors: Nuijten Rik J. G. , Kooistra Lammert , De Deyn Gerlinde B.
Published: July 2019

Unmanned aerial system (UAS) acquired high-resolution optical imagery and object-based image analysis (OBIA) techniques have the potential to provide spatial crop productivity information. In general, plant-soil feedback (PSF) field studies are time-consuming and laborious which constrain the scale at which these studies can be performed. Development of non-destructive methodologies is needed to enable research under actual field conditions and at realistic spatial and temporal scales. In this study, the influence of six winter cover crop (WCC) treatments (monocultures Raphanus sativus, Lolium perenne, Trifolium repens, Vicia sativa and two species mixtures) on the productivity of succeeding endive (Cichorium endivia) summer crop was investigated by estimating crop volume. A three-dimensional surface and terrain model were photogrammetrically reconstructed from UAS imagery, acquired on 1 July 2015 in Wageningen, the Netherlands. Multi-resolution image segmentation (MIRS) and template matching algorithms were used in an integrated workflow to detect individual crops (accuracy = 99.8%) and delineate C. endivia crop covered area (accuracy = 85.4%). Mean crop area (R = 0.61) and crop volume (R = 0.71) estimates had strong positive correlations with in situ measured dry biomass. Productivity differences resulting from the WCC treatments were greater for estimated crop volume in comparison to in situ biomass, the legacy of Raphanus was most beneficial for estimated crop volume. The perennial ryegrass L. perenne treatment resulted in a significantly lower production of C. endivia. The developed workflow has potential for PSF studies as well as precision farming due to its flexibility and scalability. Our findings provide insight into the potential of UAS for determining crop productivity on a large scale.
Factors of the Readiness for Information Exchange in Pre-School Education Establishments
Authors: Dolgova Valentina , Batenova Yulia , Emelyanova Irina , Ivanova Irina , Pikuleva Lyudmila , Filippova Oksana
Published: July 2019

The development of an interactive environment that allows for a significant enhancement in interaction opportunities with information resources for a child is one of the primary tasks of the pre-school educational process organisation today. This study involved 50 establishments for children in Chelyabinsk (N = 1280: 230 children, 350 teachers, 700 parents). We used two techniques to collect data: a questionnaire for teachers on the use of Information Exchange in the educational process, their attitude towards ICTs, and the available resources (resources included technological aspects, such as infrastructure, equipment, and software, as well as educational aspects, such as further training and the availability of a qualified methodologist); and a conversation with children on their experience in using and operating digital devices for various tasks. The questions were divided into four groups that provided us with data on the following topics: the degree of inclusion of parents in the interaction (a triad of a child, a digital device, and a parent), the awareness of the child of the capacity and resources of ICTs, motivation and interests that can be realized through digital technologies, and self-reflection as the capacity of the child to predict and analyse their activities. The Hypothesis that the level of readiness for information exchange in subjects of the educational process can be increased through further training of pre-school teachers and the establishment of a single information space in a kindergarten group has been proven right. The findings the study proved such an influence and proposed directions for further studying.
Multisensor RFS Filters for Unknown and Changing Detection Probability
Authors: Zhang Zhiguo , Li Qing , Sun Jinping
Published: July 2019

The detection probability is an important parameter in multisensor multitarget tracking. The existing multisensor multi-Bernoulli (MS-MeMBer) filter and multisensor cardinalized probability hypothesis density (MS-CPHD) filter require that detection probability is a priori. However, in reality, the value of the detection probability is constantly changing due to the influence of sensors, targets, and other environmental characteristics. Therefore, to alleviate the performance deterioration caused by the mismatch of the detection probability, this paper applies the inverse gamma Gaussian mixture (IGGM) distribution to both the MS-MeMBer filter and the MS-CPHD filter. Specifically, the feature used for detection is assumed to obey the inverse gamma distribution and is statistically independent of the target’s spatial position. The feature is then integrated into the target state to iteratively estimate the target detection probability as well as the motion state. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed methods can achieve a better filtering performance in scenarios with unknown and changing detection probability. It is also shown that the distribution of the sensors has a vital influence on the filtering accuracy, and the filters perform better when sensors are dispersed in the monitoring area.
A Study on Machine Vision Techniques for the Inspection of Health Personnels’ Protective Suits for the Treatment of Patients in Extreme Isolation
Authors: Stazio Alice , Victores Juan G. , Estevez David , Balaguer Carlos
Published: July 2019

The examination of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to assure the complete integrity of health personnel in contact with infected patients is one of the most necessary tasks when treating patients affected by infectious diseases, such as Ebola. This work focuses on the study of machine vision techniques for the detection of possible defects on the PPE that could arise after contact with the aforementioned pathological patients. A preliminary study on the use of image classification algorithms to identify blood stains on PPE subsequent to the treatment of the infected patient is presented. To produce training data for these algorithms, a synthetic dataset was generated from a simulated model of a PPE suit with blood stains. Furthermore, the study proceeded with the utilization of images of the PPE with a physical emulation of blood stains, taken by a real prototype. The dataset reveals a great imbalance between positive and negative samples; therefore, all the selected classification algorithms are able to manage this kind of data. Classifiers range from Logistic Regression and Support Vector Machines, to bagging and boosting techniques such as Random Forest, Adaptive Boosting, Gradient Boosting and eXtreme Gradient Boosting. All these algorithms were evaluated on accuracy, precision, recall and F 1 score; and additionally, execution times were considered. The obtained results report promising outcomes of all the classifiers, and, in particular Logistic Regression resulted to be the most suitable classification algorithm in terms of F 1 score and execution time, considering both datasets.
Image-Guided Fluid-Structure Interaction Simulation of Transvalvular Hemodynamics: Quantifying the Effects of Varying Aortic Valve Leaflet Thickness
Authors: Gilmanov Anvar , Barker Alexander , Stolarski Henryk , Sotiropoulos Fotis
Published: July 2019

When flow-induced forces are altered at the blood vessel, maladaptive remodeling can occur. One reason such remodeling may occur has to do with the abnormal functioning of the aortic heart valve due to disease, calcification, injury, or an improperly-designed prosthetic valve, which restricts the opening of the valve leaflets and drastically alters the hemodynamics in the ascending aorta. While the specifics underlying the fundamental mechanisms leading to changes in heart valve function may differ from one cause to another, one common and important change is in leaflet stiffness and/or mass. Here, we examine the link between valve stiffness and mass and the hemodynamic environment in aorta by coupling magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with high-resolution fluid–structure interaction (FSI) computational fluid dynamics to simulate blood flow in a patient-specific model. The thoracic aorta and a native aortic valve were re-constructed in the FSI model from the MRI data and used for the simulations. The effect of valve stiffness and mass is parametrically investigated by varying the thickness (h) of the leaflets (h = 0.6, 2, 4 mm). The FSI simulations were designed to investigate systematically progressively higher levels of valve stiffness by increasing valve thickness and quantifying hemodynamic parameters known to be linked to aortopathy and valve disease. The computed results reveal dramatic differences in all hemodynamic parameters: (1) the geometric orifice area (GOA), (2) the maximum velocity V max of the jet passing through the aortic orifice area, (3) the rate of energy dissipation E ˙ diss ( t ) , (4) the total loss of energy E diss , (5) the kinetic energy of the blood flow E kin ( t ) , and (6) the average magnitude of vorticity Ω a ( t ) , illustrating the change in hemodynamics that occur due to the presence of aortic valve stenosis.
The Power of Requests in a Redistribution Game: An Experimental Study
Authors: Pedersini Riccardo , Nagel Rosemarie , Le Menestrel Marc
Published: July 2019

In most situations of voluntary contribution people are willing to give at the beginning, however contribution rates decay over time. In a new setup we introduce non-enforceable sharing rules, as requests, in a repeated redistribution game (called tip pooling). Three experimental treatments differ by the requested amount of sharing of privately known random endowments (tips), with one player never receiving any endowment. Using a hurdle model, we find no significant difference in free riding between the three sharing rules, but strong differences in positive contributions which, however, are lower than the rules prescribe. Furthermore, the average positive contribution remains stable over time, while free riding tends to increase.
Quantifying the Impact of Grain for Green Program on Ecosystem Service Management: A Case Study of Exibei Region, China
Authors: Yu Qianru , Feng Chen-Chieh , Xu NuanYin , Guo Luo , Wang Dan
Published: July 2019

Evaluating the impact of an ecological restoration program on ecosystem services is crucial, given the role of such a program in boosting sustainable ecosystem management. This study examines the impact of one of the large-scale ecological restoration programs in China, the Grain for Green Program (GGP), on ecosystem service management in the Exibei region of China. This region is studied, as it is a key source water area with rich biodiversity and has been experiencing GGP for 20 years. To achieve the stated goal the changes of land use and ecosystem services value (ESV) and the ecosystem services scarcity value (ESSV) in the Exibei region were quantified and assessed based on remote sensing images from 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and field survey data. The results indicated that the expansion of construction land and the increase of water body were the dominant land use changes throughout the study period. Farmland, forestland and grassland decreased by 2.61%, 0.47% and 1.41% after the GGP, respectively. The ESV of the entire Exibei region increased slightly in response to land use change during 1990–2015, with an annual loss of 0.08% before the implementation of GGP and an annual growth of 0.03% after the implementation of GGP. Moreover, forestland was the dominant contributor to ESSV after the implementation of the GGP. Its annual growth rate was four times higher than before the commencement of GGP. The results of this study contribute to the protection of the Exibei region ecosystem, and more importantly, the future management of the ecosystem service in the hilly regions of southern China.
Cardiodynamic Interactions between Two S1P1 Receptor Modulators in an Experimental Clinical Setting: Different Pharmacokinetic Properties as an Opportunity to Mitigate First-Dose Heart Rate Effects
Authors: Juif Pierre-Eric , Ufer Mike , Dingemanse Jasper
Published: July 2019

A decrease in heart rate (HR) is a well-established first-dose effect of sphingosine-1-phosphate subtype 1 receptor (S1P1R) modulators. For compounds with a short half-life (t1/2), this can be mitigated by gradual up-titration to therapeutic doses, whereas this is not required for compounds with a long t1/2 due to the less pronounced first-dose-related negative chronotropic effects. Based on this conceptual framework, this mechanistic study investigated whether first-dose HR effects of ponesimod (t1/2 ~32 h) can be mitigated by prior administration of cenerimod (t1/2 ~415 h). Healthy subjects (n = 12) were randomly assigned to active or placebo (2:1 ratio). Active treatment consisted of a single dose of 10 mg ponesimod on Day 1, 18, and 37 and multiple-dose administration of 2 mg once daily cenerimod (Day 9–36). Placebos of cenerimod and ponesimod were used as reference treatment. Cardiodynamic parameters were derived from 24 h Holter electrocardiogram (ECG) assessments on Day 1, 9, 10, 18, 36, and 37. Ponesimod (10 mg) alone triggered a transient mean decrease from baseline in hourly mean HR of 17 bpm. In contrast, decreases of 5.0 and 4.8 bpm were observed when ponesimod was given at near half steady-state (Day 18) or steady-state (Day 37) cenerimod, respectively. Hourly mean HR decreased after first administration of cenerimod and placebo was 7.4 and 4.0 bpm, respectively. Treatment with ponesimod and cenerimod alone or in combination was safe and tolerated. First-dose-related negative chronotropic effects of ponesimod were less pronounced when administered after initiation of cenerimod suggesting mitigation of this class-related liability.
Multiple Goal Linear Programming-Based Decision Preference Inconsistency Recognition and Adjustment Strategies
Authors: Wu Jian-Zhang , Huang Li , Xi Rui-Jie , Zhou Yi-Ping
Published: July 2019

The purpose of this paper is to enrich the decision preference information inconsistency check and adjustment method in the context of capacity-based multiple criteria decision making. We first show that almost all the preference information of a decision maker can be represented as a collection of linear constraints. By introducing the positive and negative deviations, we construct the the multiple goal linear programming (MGLP)-based inconsistency recognition model to find out the redundant and contradicting constraints. Then, based on the redundancy and contradiction degrees, we propose three types of adjustment strategies and accordingly adopt some explicit and implicit indices w.r.t. the capacity to test the implementation effect of the adjustment strategy. The empirical analyses verify that all the strategies are competent in the adjustment task, and the second strategy usually costs relatively less effort. It is shown that the MGLP-based inconsistency recognition and adjustment method needs less background knowledge and is applicable for dealing with some complicated decision preference information.
Season Long Pest Management Efficacy and Spray Characteristics of a Solid Set Canopy Delivery System in High Density Apples
Authors: Owen-Smith Paul , Wise John , Grieshop Matthew J.
Published: July 2019

Solid set canopy delivery systems (SSCDS) are a novel foliar agrochemical delivery system designed as an alternative for airblast sprayers in high density fruit production. This study tested the pest management potential, coverage, and chemical deposition of an SSCDS using commercially available microsprinkler components over the course of a growing season. Spray coverage and deposition for a representative airblast sprayer and SSCDS were evaluated using water sensitive paper and tartrazine dye, respectively. Foliar sprays for pest suppression were applied through both systems, and damage assessments were taken at the midpoint and end of the growing season. SSCDS sprays demonstrated similar levels of coverage on the adaxial leaf surface as airblast sprays, but significantly lower coverage on the abaxial surface. However, mean levels of foliar chemical deposition was generally higher in the SSCDS. Evaluations found minimal arthropod and fungal damage in both airblast and SSCDS treated plots compared to untreated trees. The SSCDS was shown to be a viable alternative to the airblast, with inherent advantages such as rapid application time and improved worker safety. Furthermore, higher deposition on SSCDS treated foliage supports the hypothesis that SSCDS provide a higher droplet capture rate in the canopy, with less off-target loss and drift than airblast sprayers.
Optimum Design of Carbon/Epoxy Composite Pressure Vessels Including Moisture Effects
Authors: Halawa Mohammad , Al-Huniti Naser
Published: July 2019

The main target of the present study is to preserve the structural integrity of the composite pressure vessels (PVs) used in the seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plants under internal pressure loading when moisture effects are taken into consideration. Different composite material lay-ups and fiber orientations are considered. In each case, the optimum safe thickness of the PV is found based on the appropriate failure criterion. The PVs are made of carbon/epoxy C/E IM7/977-3 with (±θ)ns lay-up. For verification purposes, PVs made from stainless steel SST 316L and carbon/epoxy C/E AS4/3501-6 are considered and their available results are compared with the predictions of the MATLAB code developed in this study. The study consists of three main cases. The first case considered the PVs materials SST 316L steel and C/E AS4/3501-6 carbon/epoxy composite, without moisturizing effect, with the purpose to verify the results of the developed MATLAB code by comparing with results from the available literature. The second case is concerned with the composite material C/E IM7/977-3, without moisture effects, while the third case included moisture effects on the same material (C/E IM7/977-3). The optimum angles found for C/E AS4/3501-6 is (±55.1)ns and for C/E IM7/977-3 with and without moisture are (±55.8)ns and (±54.0)ns, respectively. The best weight saving of the composite PV, when compared to the steel PV, reached 95.2%.
Sums of A Pair of Orthogonal Frames
Authors: Bhatt Ghanshyam
Published: July 2019

Frames are more stable as compared to bases under the action of a bounded linear operator. Sums of different frames under the action of a bounded linear operator are studied with the help of analysis, synthesis and frame operators. A simple construction of frames from the existing ones under the action of such an operator is presented here. It is shown that a frame can be added to its alternate dual frames, yielding a new frame. It is also shown that the sum of a pair of orthogonal frames is a frame. This provides an easy construction of a frame where the frame bounds can be computed easily. Moreover, for a pair of orthogonal frames, the necessary and sufficient condition is presented for their alternate dual frames to be orthogonal. This allows for an easy construction of a large number of new frames.