bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Weather Conditions for Desired Smoke Plumes at a FASMEE Burn Site
Authors: Liu Yongqiang , Goodrick Scott , Achtemeier Gary
Published: July 2018

Weather is an important factor that determines smoke development, which is essential information for planning smoke field measurements. This study identifies the synoptic systems that would favor to produce the desired smoke plumes for the Fire and Smoke Model Evaluation Experiment (FASMEE). Daysmoke and PB-Piedmont (PB-P) models are used to simulate smoke plume evolution during the day time and smoke drainage and fog formation during the nighttime for hypothetical prescribed burns on 5–8 February 2011 at the Stewart Army Base in the southeastern United States. Daysmoke simulation is evaluated using the measured smoke plume heights of two historical prescribed burns at the Eglin Air Force Base. The simulation results of the hypothetical prescribed burns show that the smoke plume is not fully developed with low plume height during the daytime on 5 February when the burn site is under the warm, moist, and windy conditions connected to a shallow cyclonic system and a cold front. However, smoke drainage and fog are formed during the nighttime. Well-developed smoke plumes, which rise mainly vertically, extend to a majority portion of the planetary boundary layer, and have steady clear boundaries, appear on both 6 and 7 February when the air is cool but dry and calm during a transition between two low-pressure systems. The plume rises higher on the second day, mainly due to lighter winds. The smoke on 8 February shows a loose structure of large horizontal dispersion and low height after passage of a deep low-pressure system with strong cool and dry winds. Smoke drainage and fog formation are rare for the nights during 5–8 February. It is concluded that prescribed burns conducted during a period between two low-pressure systems would likely generate the desired plumes for FASMEE measurement during daytime. Meanwhile, as the fire smolders into the night, the burns would likely lead to fog formation when the burn site is located in the warm and moist section of a low-pressure system or a cold front.
Adaptive Provisioning of Heterogeneous Cloud Resources for Big Data Processing
Authors: Kollenstart Maarten , Harmsma Edwin , Langius Erik , Andrikopoulos Vasilios , Lazovik Alexander
Published: July 2018

Efficient utilization of resources plays an important role in the performance of large scale task processing. In cases where heterogeneous types of resources are used within the same application, it is hard to achieve good utilization of all of the different types of resources. By taking advantage of recent developments in cloud infrastructure that enable the use of dynamic clusters of resources, and by dynamically altering the size of the available resources for all the different resource types, the overall utilization of resources, however, can be improved. Starting from this premise, this paper discusses a solution that aims to provide a generic algorithm to estimate the desired ratios of instance processing tasks as well as ratios of the resources that are used by these instances, without the necessity for trial runs or a priori knowledge of the execution steps. These ratios are then used as part of an adaptive system that is able to reconfigure itself to maximize utilization. To verify the solution, a reference framework which adaptively manages clusters of functionally different VMs to host a calculation scenario is implemented. Experiments are conducted based on a compute-heavy use case in which the probability of underground pipeline failures is determined based on the settlement of soils. These experiments show that the solution is capable of eliminating large amounts of under-utilization, resulting in increased throughput and lower lead times.
Structure and Properties of High-Hardness Silicide Coatings on Cemented Carbides for High Temperature Applications
Authors: Humphry-Baker Samuel , Marshall Jessica
Published: July 2018

Cemented tungsten carbides (cWCs) are routinely used in mining and manufacturing but are also candidate materials for compact radiation shielding in fusion power generation. In both applications, there is a need for oxidation to be minimized at operating temperatures. In a recent study, Si-based coatings deposited by pack cementation were demonstrated to improve the oxidation resistance of cWCs by up to a factor of 1000. In this work, these coatings are further characterized, with the focus on growth kinetics, phase composition, and hardness. By combining quantitative X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and instrumented micro-indentation, it is shown that the coating layer has a 20% higher hardness than the substrate, which is explained by the presence of a previously-unknown distribution of very hard SiC laths. To interpret the coating stability, a coating growth map is developed. The map shows that the structure is stable under a broad range of processing temperatures and cWC compositions, demonstrating the wide-ranging applicability of these coatings.
Development and In Vitro Evaluation of a Zerumbone Loaded Nanosuspension Drug Delivery System
Authors: Md Shadab , Kit Bradon C.M , Jagdish Sumeet , David Dexter J.P , Pandey Manisha , Chatterjee Lipika Alok
Published: July 2018

Zerumbone extracted from the volatile oil of rhizomes available from the Zinigiber zerumbet has promising pharmacological activity. However, it has poor aqueous solubility and dissolution characteristics. To improve this, a nanosuspension formulation of zerumbone was developed. Nanosuspensions were formulated using high-pressure homogenization (HPH) with sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) as stabilizers; the formulation was optimized and freeze dried. The optimized nanosuspension product was evaluated using an optical light microscope, photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS), polydispersity index, zeta potential, SEM, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and FT-IR. The physical stability of the nanosuspensions was evaluated for 30 days at 4 °C, 25 °C, and 37 °C. To validate the theoretical benefit of the increased surface area, we determined an in vitro saturation solubility and dissolution profile. The mean particle size, polydispersity index and zeta potential of the zerumbone nanosuspensions stabilized by SDS versus HPMC were found to be 211 ± 27 nm vs. 398 ± 3.5 nm, 0.39 ± 0.06 vs. 0.55 ± 0.004, and −30.86 ± 2.3 mV vs. −3.37 ± 0.002 mV, respectively. The in vitro saturation solubility and dissolution revealed improved solubility for the zerumbone nanosuspension. These results suggested that the nanosuspensionlization improves the saturation solubility and dissolution profile of zerumbone, which may facilitate its use as a therapeutic agent in the future.
A Fast DC Fault Detection Method for Multi-Terminal AC/DC Hybrid Distribution Network Based on Voltage Change Rate of DC Current-Limiting Inductor
Authors: Qi Xiaomin , Pei Wei , Li Luyang , Kong Li
Published: July 2018

The rapid detection of direct current (DC) faults is one of the key technologies for the development of multi-terminal alternating current (AC)/DC hybrid distribution networks. The DC fault current rises quickly and affects the whole network. Therefore, DC faults must be detected much faster than AC faults. This paper proposes a fast DC fault detection method based on the voltage change rate of the current-limiting inductor (CLI) for the multi-terminal AC/DC hybrid distribution network. Firstly, the characteristics of the fault voltages and currents and of the CLIs are studied in detail, and the feasibility of using the voltage change rate of the CLI to detect DC fault is analyzed. Based on this, a primary fault detection method is proposed to identify the faulty line, determine the fault type and the fault poles using the amplitudes of the single-ended CLI voltage change rates. For high-resistance DC faults, a backup detection method using the directions and amplitudes of the voltage change rates of the double-ended CLIs is proposed. Finally, the proposed method is verified by MATLAB simulations. The simulation results show that the proposed method can detect all DC faults accurately, and the faulty line, fault type and fault poles can be determined quickly. The proposed method is not affected by the fault location, current-limiting inductance, power reversal of the converters, AC fault and communication delay.
Shadow Pricing of Electric Power Interruptions for Distribution System Operators in Finland
Authors: Küfeoğlu Sinan , Gündüz Niyazi , Chen Hao , Lehtonen Matti
Published: July 2018

Increasing distributed generation and intermittencies, along with the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, impose a serious challenge for electric power supply security. Understanding the costs of interruption is vital in terms of enhancing the power system infrastructure and planning the distribution grid. Furthermore, customer rights and demand response techniques are further reasons to study the worth of power reliability. In this paper, the authors make use of directional distance function and shadow pricing methods in a case study of Finland. The aim is to calculate the cost of one minute of power interruption from the perspective of the distribution network operator. The sample consists of 78 distribution network operators from Finland, and uses cost and network information between 2013 and 2015.
Increasing Solar Energy Usage for Dwelling Heating, Using Solar Collectors and Medium Sized Vacuum Insulated Storage Tank
Authors: Kalder Janar , Annuk Andres , Allik Alo , Kokin Eugen
Published: July 2018

This article describes a method for increasing the solar heat energy share in the heating of a dwelling. Solar irradiation is high in summer, in early autumn, and in spring, but during that same time, the heat demand of dwellings is low. This article describes a solution for storing solar heat energy in summertime as well as the calculations of the heat energy balance of such a storage system. The solar heat energy is stored in a thermally insulated water tank and used in the heating period. The heat is also stored in the ground if necessary, using the ground loop of the heat pump if the water tank’s temperature rises above a certain threshold. The stored heat energy is used directly for heating if the heat carrier temperature inside the tank is sufficient. If the temperature is too low for direct heating, then the heat pump can be used to extract the stored energy. The calculations are based on the solar irradiation measurements and heating demand data of a sample dwelling. The seasonal storing of solar heat energy can increase the solar heat energy usage and decrease the heat pump working time. The long-term storage tank capacity of 15 m3 can increase the direct heating from solar by 41%. The direct heating system efficiency is 51%.
A Special Issue of Geosciences: Groundwater Pollution
Authors: Micòl Mastrocicco , Nicolò Colombani
Published: July 2018

n/a
The Classification of Noise-Afflicted Remotely Sensed Data Using Three Machine-Learning Techniques: Effect of Different Levels and Types of Noise on Accuracy
Authors: Boonprong Sornkitja , Cao Chunxiang , Chen Wei , Ni Xiliang , Xu Min , Acharya Bipin Kumar
Published: July 2018

Remotely sensed data are often adversely affected by many types of noise, which influences the classification result. Supervised machine-learning (ML) classifiers such as random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and back-propagation neural network (BPNN) are broadly reported to improve robustness against noise. However, only a few comparative studies that may help investigate this robustness have been reported. An important contribution, going beyond previous studies, is that we perform the analyses by employing the most well-known and broadly implemented packages of the three classifiers and control their settings to represent users’ actual applications. This facilitates an understanding of the extent to which the noise types and levels in remotely sensed data impact classification accuracy using ML classifiers. By using those implementations, we classified the land cover data from a satellite image that was separately afflicted by seven-level zero-mean Gaussian, salt–pepper, and speckle noise. The modeling data and features were strictly controlled. Finally, we discussed how each noise type affects the accuracy obtained from each classifier and the robustness of the classifiers to noise in the data. This may enhance our understanding of the relationship between noises, the supervised ML classifiers, and remotely sensed data.
Temporal Variations and Associated Remotely Sensed Environmental Variables of Dengue Fever in Chitwan District, Nepal
Authors: Acharya Bipin Kumar , Cao Chunxiang , Xu Min , Khanal Laxman , Naeem Shahid , Pandit Shreejana
Published: July 2018

Dengue fever is one of the leading public health problems of tropical and subtropical countries across the world. Transmission dynamics of dengue fever is largely affected by meteorological and environmental factors, and its temporal pattern generally peaks in hot-wet periods of the year. Despite this continuously growing problem, the temporal dynamics of dengue fever and associated potential environmental risk factors are not documented in Nepal. The aim of this study was to fill this research gap by utilizing epidemiological and earth observation data in Chitwan district, one of the frequent dengue outbreak areas of Nepal. We used laboratory confirmed monthly dengue cases as a dependent variable and a set of remotely sensed meteorological and environmental variables as explanatory factors to describe their temporal relationship. Descriptive statistics, cross correlation analysis, and the Poisson generalized additive model were used for this purpose. Results revealed that dengue fever is significantly associated with satellite estimated precipitation, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and enhanced vegetation index (EVI) synchronously and with different lag periods. However, the associations were weak and insignificant with immediate daytime land surface temperature (dLST) and nighttime land surface temperature (nLST), but were significant after 4–5 months. Conclusively, the selected Poisson generalized additive model based on the precipitation, dLST, and NDVI explained the largest variation in monthly distribution of dengue fever with minimum Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC) and maximum R-squared. The best fit model further significantly improved after including delayed effects in the model. The predicted cases were reasonably accurate based on the comparison of 10-fold cross validation and observed cases. The lagged association found in this study could be useful for the development of remote sensing-based early warning forecasts of dengue fever.
Olive Oil Nutraceuticals in the Prevention and Management of Diabetes: From Molecules to Lifestyle
Authors: Alkhatib Ahmad , Tsang Catherine , Tuomilehto Jaakko
Published: July 2018

Lifestyle is the primary prevention of diabetes, especially type-2 diabetes (T2D). Nutritional intake of olive oil (OO), the key Mediterranean diet component has been associated with the prevention and management of many chronic diseases including T2D. Several OO bioactive compounds such as monounsaturated fatty acids, and key biophenols including hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein, have been associated with preventing inflammation and cytokine-induced oxidative damage, glucose lowering, reducing carbohydrate absorption, and increasing insulin sensitivity and related gene expression. However, research into the interaction of OO nutraceuticals with lifestyle components, especially physical activity, is lacking. Promising postprandial effects have been reported when OO or other similar monounsaturated fatty acids were the main dietary fat compared with other diets. Animal studies have shown a potential anabolic effect of oleuropein. Such effects could be further potentiated via exercise, especially strength training, which is an essential exercise prescription for individuals with T2D. There is also an evidence from in vitro, animal, and limited human studies for a dual preventative role of OO biophenols in diabetes and cancer, especially that they share similar risk factors. Putative antioxidative and anti-inflammatory mechanisms and associated gene expressions resulting from OO biophenols have produced paradoxical results, making suggested inferences from dual prevention T2D and cancer outcomes difficult. Well-designed human interventions and clinical trials are needed to decipher such a potential dual anticancer and antidiabetic effects of OO nutraceuticals. Exercise combined with OO consumption, individually or as part of a healthy diet is likely to induce reciprocal action for T2D prevention outcomes.
Asperuloside and Asperulosidic Acid Exert an Anti-Inflammatory Effect via Suppression of the NF-κB and MAPK Signaling Pathways in LPS-Induced RAW 264.7 Macrophages
Authors: He Jingyu , Lu Xianyuan , Wei Ting , Dong Yaqian , Cai Zheng , Tang Lan , Liu Menghua
Published: July 2018

Hedyotis diffusa is a folk herb that is used for treating inflammation-related diseases in Asia. Previous studies have found that iridoids in H. diffusa play an important role in its anti-inflammatory activity. This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect and potential mechanism of five iridoids (asperuloside (ASP), asperulosidic acid (ASPA), desacetyl asperulosidic acid (DAA), scandoside methyl ester (SME), and E-6-O-p-coumaroyl scandoside methyl ester (CSME)) that are presented in H. diffusa using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)—induced RAW 264.7 cells. ASP and ASPA significantly decreased the production of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in parallel with the inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), TNF-α, and IL-6 mRNA expression in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. ASP treatment suppressed the phosphorylation of the inhibitors of nuclear factor-kappaB alpha (IκB-α), p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). The inhibitory effect of ASPA was similar to that of ASP, except for p38 phosphorylation. In summary, the anti-inflammatory effects of ASP and ASPA are related to the inhibition of inflammatory cytokines and mediators via suppression of the NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways, which provides scientific evidence for the potential application of H. diffusa.
Performance of PES/LSMM-OGCN Photocatalytic Membrane for Phenol Removal: Effect of OGCN Loading
Authors: Salim Noor , Nor Nor , Jaafar Juhana , Ismail Ahmad , Matsuura Takeshi , Qtaishat Mohammed , Othman Mohd , Rahman Mukhlis , Aziz Farhana , Yusof Norhaniza
Published: July 2018

In designing a photocatalytic oxidation system, the immobilized photocatalyst technique becomes highly profitable due to its promising capability in treating organic pollutants such as phenols in wastewater. In this study, hydrophiLic surface modifying macromolecules (LSMM) modified polyethersulfone (PES) hybrid photocatalytic membranes incorporated with oxygenated graphitic carbon nitride (OGCN) was successfully developed using phase inversion technique. The effectiveness of the hybrid photocatalytic membrane was determined under different loading of OGCN photocatalyst (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 wt%). The best amount of OGCN in the casting solution was 1.0 wt% as the agglomeration did not occur considering the stability of the membrane performance and morphology. The highest flux of 264 L/m2·h was achieved by PES/LSMM-OGCN1.5wt% membrane. However, the highest flux performance was not an advantage in this situation as the flux reduced the rejection value due to open pores. The membrane with the highest photocatalytic performance was obtained at 1.0 wt% of OGCN loading with 35.78% phenol degradation after 6 h. Regardless of the lower rejection value, the performance shown by the PES/LSMM-OGCN1.0wt% membrane was still competent because of the small difference of less than 1% to that of the PES/LSMM-OGCN0wt% membrane. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the optimisation of the OGCN loading in the PES hybrid photocatalytic membrane indeed plays an important role towards enhancing the catalyst distribution, phenol degradation, and acceptable rejection above all considerations.
Numerical Simulation of Densification of Cu–Al Mixed Metal Powder during Axial Compaction
Authors: Wang Wenchao , Qi Hui , Liu Pingan , Zhao Yuanbo , Chang Hao
Published: July 2018

The densification mechanism of Cu–Al mixed metal powder during a double-action die compaction was investigated by numerical simulation. The finite element method and experiment were performed to compare the effect of the forming method, such as single-action die compaction and double-action die compaction, on the properties of compact. The results showed that the latter could significantly raise the densification rate and were in good agreement with Van Der Zwan–Siskens compaction equation. The effects of the different initial packing structures on the properties of the compact were studied. The results showed that a high-performance compact could be obtained using a dense initial packing structure at a given compaction pressure. Additionally, the effects of the Al content and compaction pressure on the relative density and stress distribution were analyzed. It was observed that, with an increase in the Al content at a given compaction pressure, the relative density of the compact increased, whereas the stress decreased. Furthermore, when the Al content was fixed, the relative density and stress increased with increasing compaction pressure. The relationship between the relative density and the compaction pressure under different friction conditions was characterized and fitted according to the Van Der Zwan–Siskens compaction equation. The influence mechanisms of die wall friction on the compaction behavior were investigated. It was revealed that friction is a key factor that causes the inhomogeneity of the powder flow and stress distribution. Finally, the effects of the dwell time and height–diameter ratio on the densification behavior were analyzed, and it was found that an increase in the dwell time promoted the densification process, whereas an increase of the height–diameter ratio could hinder the process.
Geochemical Characterization of Bauxite Deposits from the Abruzzi Mining District (Italy)
Authors: Putzolu Francesco , Piccolo Papa Armando , Mondillo Nicola , Boni Maria , Balassone Giuseppina , Mormone Angela
Published: July 2018

The Abruzzi bauxite district includes the deposits located on the Campo Felice plateau and those of the Monti d’Ocre, which had been mined in the first part of the 20th century. Bauxite is of the karst type, with textures ranging between oolitic and oolitic-conglomeratic, the latter suggesting a partial reworking of evolved lateritic soils. The high contents of Al2O3 and Fe2O3 (average values 53.76 and 21.76 wt %, respectively) are associated with the presence of boehmite, hematite, and minor goethite. SiO2 and TiO2 have average values of 7.79 and 2.75 wt %, corresponding to the presence of kaolinite, anatase and rutile. Among the minor so-called “bauxitophile” elements V, Co, Ni, Cr and Zr, the most enriched is Cr, with an average value of 0.07 wt %. Nickel has an average value of 210.83 ppm. Vanadium shows an average value of 266.57 ppm, whereas the average Co concentration is 35.89 ppm. The total rare earth elements (REE) concentration in the sampled bauxite sites is variable between ca. 700 and 550 ppm. Among REEs, the most abundant element is Ce, with Ce anomalies commonly associated with authigenic REE-fluoro-carbonates, probably produced after the REEs remobilization from primary detrital minerals and their precipitation in neo-formed phases during the bauxitization process. Scandium and Ga occur in small amounts (57 and 60 ppm, respectively), but geochemical proxies of their remobilization and uptake in neo-formed minerals (Fe- and Al-(hydr)oxides, respectively) have been observed. The mean Eu/Eu* and Al2O3/TiO2 ratios and the Ni-Cr contents of the Abruzzi bauxites suggest that the parent rock of these deposits was a material of acid affinity, likely corresponding to volcanic tephra or eolic loess-type sands.
Salt-Mediated Au-Cu Nanofoam and Au-Cu-Pd Porous Macrobeam Synthesis
Authors: Burpo Fred J. , Nagelli Enoch A. , Morris Lauren A. , Woronowicz Kamil , Mitropoulos Alexander N.
Published: July 2018

Multi-metallic and alloy nanomaterials enable a broad range of catalytic applications with high surface area and tuning reaction specificity through the variation of metal composition. The ability to synthesize these materials as three-dimensional nanostructures enables control of surface area, pore size and mass transfer properties, electronic conductivity, and ultimately device integration. Au-Cu nanomaterials offer tunable optical and catalytic properties at reduced material cost. The synthesis methods for Au-Cu nanostructures, especially three-dimensional materials, has been limited. Here, we present Au-Cu nanofoams and Au-Cu-Pd macrobeams synthesized from salt precursors. Salt precursors formed from the precipitation of square planar ions resulted in short- and long-range ordered crystals that, when reduced in solution, form nanofoams or macrobeams that can be dried or pressed into freestanding monoliths or films. Metal composition was determined with X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Nitrogen gas adsorption indicated an Au-Cu nanofoam specific surface area of 19.4 m2/g. Specific capacitance determined with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was 46.0 F/g and 52.5 F/g for Au-Cu nanofoams and Au-Cu-Pd macrobeams, respectively. The use of salt precursors is envisioned as a synthesis route to numerous metal and multi-metallic nanostructures for catalytic, energy storage, and sensing applications.
In-Depth Aroma and Sensory Profiling of Unfamiliar Table-Grape Cultivars
Authors: Wu Yusen , Zhang Wenwen , Duan Shuyan , Song Shiren , Xu Wenping , Zhang Caixi , Bondada Bhaskar , Ma Chao , Wang Shiping
Published: July 2018

We present an in-depth analysis of aroma profiles and sensory attributes, employing solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) to identify the key compounds driving consumer preference in 19 unfamiliar cultivars. In combination with popular cultivars, we identified a total of 100 compounds in all table grapes, of which 26 key volatiles were correlated with consumer liking. Based on this relationship, five aroma combinations (AC) were formulated, wherein 33 compounds contributed to aroma intensity, and thus, were viewed as active volatiles. The fruity, floral, and sweet aromas were further divided into secondary aromatic series, of which the apple, citrus, orange, rose, geranium, violet, and honey aromas constituted the predominant series in unfamiliar cultivars. Xiangyue and Heikuixiang emerged as the preferred table grapes according to our analysis. By comparison, the popular cultivars showed relatively fewer volatiles, but their contents were much greater than the large number of volatiles identified in the unfamiliar cultivars.
Applications of Nanosheets in Frontier Cellular Research
Authors: Huang Wenjing , Sunami Yuta , Kimura Hiroshi , Zhang Sheng
Published: July 2018

Several types of nanosheets, such as graphene oxide (GO) nanosheet, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) nanosheets, have been developed and applied in vitro in cellular research over the past decade. Scientists have used nanosheet properties, such as ease of modification and flexibility, to develop new cell/protein sensing/imaging techniques and achieve regulation of specific cell functions. This review is divided into three main parts based on the application being examined: nanosheets as a substrate, nanosheets as a sensitive surface, and nanosheets in regenerative medicine. Furthermore, the applications of nanosheets are discussed, with two subsections in each section, based on their effects on cells and molecules. Finally, the application prospects of nanosheets in cellular research are summarized.
Large-Scale Fabrication of Ultrasensitive and Uniform Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Substrates for the Trace Detection of Pesticides
Authors: Zhu Jia , Lin Guanzhou , Wu Meizhang , Chen Zhuojie , Lu Peimin , Wu Wengang
Published: July 2018

Technology transfer from laboratory into practical application needs to meet the demands of economic viability and operational simplicity. This paper reports a simple and convenient strategy to fabricate large-scale and ultrasensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates. In this strategy, no toxic chemicals or sophisticated instruments are required to fabricate the SERS substrates. On one hand, Ag nanoparticles (NPs) with relatively uniform size were synthesized using the modified Tollens method, which employs an ultra-low concentration of Ag+ and excessive amounts of glucose as a reducing agent. On the other hand, when a drop of the colloidal Ag NPs dries on a horizontal solid surface, the droplet becomes ropy, turns into a layered structure under gravity, and hardens. During evaporation, capillary flow was burdened by viscidity resistance from the ropy glucose solution. Thus, the coffee-ring effect is eliminated, leading to a uniform deposition of Ag NPs. With this method, flat Ag NPs-based SERS active films were formed in array-well plates defined by hole-shaped polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) structures bonded on glass substrates, which were made for convenient detection. The strong SERS activity of these substrates allowed us to reach detection limits down to 10−14 M of Rhodamine 6 G and 10−10 M of thiram (pesticide).
Adsorption Heat Storage: State-of-the-Art and Future Perspectives
Authors: Vasta Salvatore , Brancato Vincenza , La Rosa Davide , Palomba Valeria , Restuccia Giovanni , Sapienza Alessio , Frazzica Andrea
Published: July 2018

Thermal energy storage (TES) is a key technology to enhance the efficiency of energy systems as well as to increase the share of renewable energies. In this context, the present paper reports a literature review of the recent advancement in the field of adsorption TES systems. After an initial introduction concerning different heat storage technologies, the working principle of the adsorption TES is explained and compared to other technologies. Subsequently, promising features and critical issues at a material, component and system level are deeply analyzed and the ongoing activities to make this technology ready for marketing are introduced.
Ozonation and Depolymerization of Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS) Extracted from a Biofilter Treating Gaseous Toluene
Authors: Baig Zenab Tariq , Meng Lu , Saingam Prakit , Xi Jinying
Published: July 2018

Low-concentration ozonation was developed as a novel technique to control the excess biomass in volatile organic compound (VOC) biofilters. In order to understand the reaction mechanism between ozone and biomass, the changes in properties of ozone exposed extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) were investigated in this study. EPS was sequestered from the biofilm, obtained from a biofilter treating gaseous toluene, and then it was exposed to gaseous ozone at 272 ± 22 ppm continuously for 12 h. The total organic carbon (TOC) results indicated that low concentration ozone could not mineralize the EPS to carbon dioxide (CO2) completely. The excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy (EEM) results demonstrated that ozone preferred to attack the benzene ring and specific amino acid residues (such as tryptophan) on the protein chain. High performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) results confirmed that the protein molecules were depolymerized after ozone attack, while the molecular weight of polysaccharides was not much affected by ozone. During ozonation, few volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as carboxylic acids, aldehydes, ketones, benzaldehyde and by-products of toluene, were generated, which confirms a minor change in the TOC concentration of EPS. Results revealed that low concentration ozone can reduce the molecular weight of biofilter EPS which can be a key reason for controlling biomass accumulation. Additionally, this can be used to study the composition of biofilm EPS from biofilters.
Graphene-Based Raman Spectroscopy for pH Sensing of X-rays Exposed and Unexposed Culture Media and Cells
Authors: Camerlingo Carlo , Verde Alessandro , Manti Lorenzo , Meschini Roberta , Delfino Ines , Lepore Maria
Published: July 2018

Graphene provides a unique way of sensing the local pH level of substances on the micrometric scale, with important implications for the monitoring of cellular metabolic activities where proton excretion could occur. Accordingly, an innovative biosensing approach for the quantification of the pH value of biological fluids, to be used also with small amounts of fluids, was realized and tested. It is based on the use of micro-Raman spectroscopy to detect the modifications of the graphene doping level induced by the contact of the graphene with the selected fluids. The approach was preliminarily tested on aqueous solutions of known pH values. It was then used to quantify the pH values of cell culture media directly exposed to different doses of X-ray radiation and to media exposed to X-ray-irradiated cells. The Raman response of cells placed on graphene layers was also examined.
Using Deep Learning and Low-Cost RGB and Thermal Cameras to Detect Pedestrians in Aerial Images Captured by Multirotor UAV
Authors: De Oliveira Diulhio Candido , Wehrmeister Marco Aurelio
Published: July 2018

The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) has been increasing over the last few years in many sorts of applications due mainly to the decreasing cost of this technology. One can see the use of the UAV in several civilian applications such as surveillance and search and rescue. Automatic detection of pedestrians in aerial images is a challenging task. The computing vision system must deal with many sources of variability in the aerial images captured with the UAV, e.g., low-resolution images of pedestrians, images captured at distinct angles due to the degrees of freedom that a UAV can move, the camera platform possibly experiencing some instability while the UAV flies, among others. In this work, we created and evaluated different implementations of Pattern Recognition Systems (PRS) aiming at the automatic detection of pedestrians in aerial images captured with multirotor UAV. The main goal is to assess the feasibility and suitability of distinct PRS implementations running on top of low-cost computing platforms, e.g., single-board computers such as the Raspberry Pi or regular laptops without a GPU. For that, we used four machine learning techniques in the feature extraction and classification steps, namely Haar cascade, LBP cascade, HOG + SVM and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN). In order to improve the system performance (especially the processing time) and also to decrease the rate of false alarms, we applied the Saliency Map (SM) and Thermal Image Processing (TIP) within the segmentation and detection steps of the PRS. The classification results show the CNN to be the best technique with 99.7% accuracy, followed by HOG + SVM with 92.3%. In situations of partial occlusion, the CNN showed 71.1% sensitivity, which can be considered a good result in comparison with the current state-of-the-art, since part of the original image data is missing. As demonstrated in the experiments, by combining TIP with CNN, the PRS can process more than two frames per second (fps), whereas the PRS that combines TIP with HOG + SVM was able to process 100 fps. It is important to mention that our experiments show that a trade-off analysis must be performed during the design of a pedestrian detection PRS. The faster implementations lead to a decrease in the PRS accuracy. For instance, by using HOG + SVM with TIP, the PRS presented the best performance results, but the obtained accuracy was 35 percentage points lower than the CNN. The obtained results indicate that the best detection technique (i.e., the CNN) requires more computational resources to decrease the PRS computation time. Therefore, this work shows and discusses the pros/cons of each technique and trade-off situations, and hence, one can use such an analysis to improve and tailor the design of a PRS to detect pedestrians in aerial images.
Consistent Semantic Annotation of Outdoor Datasets via 2D/3D Label Transfer
Authors: Tylecek Radim , Fisher Robert B.
Published: July 2018

The advance of scene understanding methods based on machine learning relies on the availability of large ground truth datasets, which are essential for their training and evaluation. Construction of such datasets with imagery from real sensor data however typically requires much manual annotation of semantic regions in the data, delivered by substantial human labour. To speed up this process, we propose a framework for semantic annotation of scenes captured by moving camera(s), e.g., mounted on a vehicle or robot. It makes use of an available 3D model of the traversed scene to project segmented 3D objects into each camera frame to obtain an initial annotation of the associated 2D image, which is followed by manual refinement by the user. The refined annotation can be transferred to the next consecutive frame using optical flow estimation. We have evaluated the efficiency of the proposed framework during the production of a labelled outdoor dataset. The analysis of annotation times shows that up to 43% less effort is required on average, and the consistency of the labelling is also improved.
A Review of PZT Patches Applications in Submerged Systems
Authors: Presas Alexandre , Luo Yongyao , Wang Zhengwei , Valentin David , Egusquiza Mònica
Published: July 2018

Submerged systems are found in many engineering, biological, and medicinal applications. For such systems, due to the particular environmental conditions and working medium, the research on the mechanical and structural properties at every scale (from macroscopic to nanoscopic), and the control of the system dynamics and induced effects become very difficult tasks. For such purposes in submerged systems, piezoelectric patches (PZTp), which are light, small and economic, have been proved to be a very good solution. PZTp have been recently used as sensors/actuators for applications such as modal analysis, active sound and vibration control, energy harvesting and atomic force microscopes in submerged systems. As a consequence, in these applications, newly developed transducers based on PZTp have become the most used ones, which has improved the state of the art and methods used in these fields. This review paper carefully analyzes and summarizes these applications particularized to submerged structures and shows the most relevant results and findings, which have been obtained thanks to the use of PZTp.
Strategy for Determining the Stochastic Distance Characteristics of the 2D Laser Scanner Z + F Profiler 9012A with Special Focus on the Close Range
Authors: Heinz Erik , Mettenleiter Markus , Kuhlmann Heiner , Holst Christoph
Published: July 2018

Kinematic laser scanning with moving platforms has been used for the acquisition of 3D point clouds of our environment for many years. A main application of these mobile systems is the acquisition of the infrastructure, e.g., the road surface and buildings. Regarding this, the distance between laser scanner and object is often notably shorter than 20 m. In the close range, however, divergent incident laser light can lead to a deterioration of the precision of laser scanner distance measurements. In the light of this, we analyze the distance precision of the 2D laser scanner Z + F Profiler 9012A, purpose-built for kinematic applications, in the range of up to 20 m. In accordance with previous studies, a clear dependency between scan rate, intensity of the backscattered laser light and distance precision is evident, which is used to derive intensity-based stochastic models for the sensor. For this purpose, a new approach for 2D laser scanners is proposed that is based on the static scanning of surfaces with different backscatter. The approach is beneficial because the 2D laser scanner is operated in its normal measurement mode, no sophisticated equipment is required and no model assumptions for the scanned surface are made. The analysis reveals a lower precision in the range below 5 m caused by a decreased intensity. However, the Z + F Profiler 9012A is equipped with a special hardware-based close range optimization partially compensating for this. Our investigations show that this optimization works best at a distance of about 2 m. Although increased noise remains a critical factor in the close range, the derived stochastic models are also valid below 5 m.
Integrating Extended Fourier Amplitude Sensitivity Test and Set Pair Analysis for Sustainable Development Evaluation from the View of Uncertainty Analysis
Authors: Luan Wenfei , Lu Ling , Li Xin , Ma Chunfeng
Published: July 2018

It is of importance but great difficulty to objectively and quantitatively evaluate the sustainable development level, especially in the weight determination process and uncertainty evaluation. The traditional weight determination methods hardly reflect the coupling effect (interaction) among the indices. More importantly, conventional evaluation methods seldom consider the uncertainties of the indices in the index system. Thus, it is indispensable to apply a more comprehensive approach to solve these defects. This paper presents a new method to evaluate the sustainable development level. The approach integrates the advantages of the Extended Fourier Amplitude Sensitivity Test (EFAST) and Set Pair Analysis (SPA) (called EFAST-SPA). The EFAST algorithm is used to determine the indices’ weight, and the SPA is employed to handle the uncertain relations in the evaluation system and to calculate the sustainable development level. A quantitative evaluation on the agricultural sustainable development in the middle reaches of Heihe river has been conducted using the EFAST-SPA method. The results have been compared with the traditional entropy method and it was concluded that EFAST-SPA and entropy are highly in line with the actual development status. In most cases, the EFAST-SPA method can describe the development levels more accurately, which reflects a higher reliability and application value of this proposed approach. Moreover, the presented method deepens the understanding of sustainable development evaluation from the view of uncertainty analysis inside the evaluation system.
An Effective Security Requirements Engineering Framework for Cyber-Physical Systems
Authors: Rehman Shafiq ur , Gruhn Volker
Published: July 2018

Context and motivation: Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) are gaining priority over other systems. The heterogeneity of these systems increases the importance of security. Both the developer and the requirement analyst must consider details of not only the software, but also the hardware perspective, including sensor and network security. Several models for secure software engineering processes have been proposed, but they are limited to software; therefore, to support the processes of security requirements, we need a security requirements framework for CPSs. Question/Problem: Do existing security requirements frameworks fulfil the needs of CPS security requirements? The answer is no; existing security requirements frameworks fail to accommodate security concerns outside of software boundaries. Little or even no attention has been given to sensor, hardware, network, and third party elements during security requirements engineering in different existing frameworks. Principal Ideas/results: We have proposed, applied, and assessed an incremental security requirements evolution approach, which configures the heterogeneous nature of components and their threats in order to generate a secure system. Contribution: The most significant contribution of this paper is to propose a security requirements engineering framework for CPSs that overcomes the issue of security requirements elicitation for heterogeneous CPS components. The proposed framework supports the elicitation of security requirements while considering sensor, receiver protocol, network channel issues, along with software aspects. Furthermore, the proposed CPS framework has been evaluated through a case study, and the results are shown in this paper. The results would provide great support in this research direction.
Construire une expertise professionnelle pour faire réécrire les élèves ou : En formation initiale d'enseignants, comment passer du déclaratif au procédural ?
Authors: Garcia-Debanc Claudine , Trouillet Alain
Published: July 2018

Quelles compétences professionnelles sont nécessaires pour organiser efficacement des situations favorisant la réécriture des élèves ? Quelles connaissances faut-il maîtriser sur l'écriture, sur les brouillons d'écrivains, sur les apprentissages en écriture des élèves, sur les consignes d'écriture et de réécriture ? Quelle pratique personnelle faut-il en avoir, comme enseignant certes mais aussi comme participant à des ateliers d'écriture ? Quand on est formateur d'enseignants, quelles activités mettre en place pour favoriser la construction d'une expertise professionnelle dans ce domaine ? Le passage de la première à la deuxième année d'IUFM peut être vu comme un changement nécessaire entre un savoir didactique, d'ordre déclaratif, sur la conception de projets d'écriture ou l''analyse de textes d'élèves et des savoirs procéduraux à mettre en acte dans l'espace de la classe. Nous partons d'une étude de cas vécu en formation initiale montrant les difficultés d'une stagiaire à mettre en oeuvre une situation de réécriture avec des élèves de CE2, malgré des connaissances déclaratives solides sur l'importance de la réécriture et une préparation de la séance soignée. Nous décrivons ensuite une séance de formation initiale conduite à l'IUFM de Toulouse, cogérée par un professeur d'IUFM et un maître-formateur, au cours de laquelle les Professeurs des Ecoles stagiaires sont amenés à corriger, avec ou sans critères explicites, ou à réécrire un texte d'élève de CM1. Leurs annotations et leurs critères sont ensuite analysés, comparés, confrontés avec ceux de l'enseignant expert, en vue de mettre en évidence les choix de stratégies. Trois exemples de réécritures sont également analysés et comparés au travail des élèves. Le croisement de ces deux expériences en formation initiale aide à définir les composantes de la compétence professionnelle nécessaire pour mettre en oeuvre efficacement une situation de réécriture avec des élèves d''école primaire mais aussi de collèges, de lycées ou de lycées professionnels. Cet inventaire peut également servir d''analyseur pour situer l'état des représentations et des pratiques d'un groupe de collègues en formation continue.
Formation aux dialogismes
Authors: Guibert Rozenn
Published: July 2018

Les mémoires nécessitent une formation au dialogisme discursif (intertextualité et interlocution). Ils supposent aussi un travail sur la posture épistémologique adoptée dans le domaine scientifique concerné. Menée selon une pédagogie coopérative, cette formation permet, en outre, une réflexion sur les valeurs. L’analyse d’une formation menée au CNAM montre comment ces différentes dialogismes (discursif, épistémologique, pédagogique et éthique) peuvent être travaillés de façon articulée.
Un exemple de manipulation grammaticale : le tri de phrases au CE2
Authors: Peroz Pierre , Delaborde Mireille
Published: July 2018

L’auteur montre comment, à l’occasion d’une activité de tri de phrases au CE2, on peut amener les élèves à une véritable posture métalinguistique. La mise en oeuvre d’une véritable démarche d’appropriation permet aux élèves d’aboutir à des formulations grammaticales d’une grande finesse.