bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What Role Does the Endocannabinoid System Play in the Pathogenesis of Obesity?
Authors: Schulz Piotr , Hryhorowicz Szymon , Rychter Anna Maria , Zawada Agnieszka , Słomski Ryszard , Dobrowolska Agnieszka , Krela-Kaźmierczak Iwona
Published: January 2021

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is an endogenous signaling system formed by specific receptors (cannabinoid type 1 and type 2 (CB1 and CB2)), their endogenous ligands (endocannabinoids), and enzymes involved in their synthesis and degradation. The ECS, centrally and peripherally, is involved in various physiological processes, including regulation of energy balance, promotion of metabolic process, food intake, weight gain, promotion of fat accumulation in adipocytes, and regulation of body homeostasis; thus, its overactivity may be related to obesity. In this review, we try to explain the role of the ECS and the impact of genetic factors on endocannabinoid system modulation in the pathogenesis of obesity, which is a global and civilizational problem affecting the entire world population regardless of age. We also emphasize that the search for potential new targets for health assessment, treatment, and the development of possible therapies in obesity is of great importance.
Effects of Two Months of Very Low Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet on Body Composition, Muscle Strength, Muscle Area, and Blood Parameters in Competitive Natural Body Builders
Authors: Paoli Antonio , Cenci Lorenzo , Pompei PierLuigi , Sahin Nese , Bianco Antonino , Neri Marco , Caprio Massimiliano , Moro Tatiana
Published: January 2021

Background: Ketogenic diet (KD) is a nutritional approach that restricts daily carbohydrates, replacing most of the reduced energy with fat, while maintaining an adequate quantity of protein. Despite the widespread use of KD in weight loss in athletes, there are still many concerns about its use in sports requiring muscle mass accrual. Thus, the present study sought to investigate the influence of a KD in competitive natural body builders. Methods: Nineteen volunteers (27.4 ± 10.5 years) were randomly assigned to ketogenic diet (KD) or to a western diet (WD). Body composition, muscle strength and basal metabolic rate were measured before and after two months of intervention. Standard blood biochemistry, testosterone, IGF-1, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and inflammatory cytokines (IL6, IL1β, TNFα) were also measured. Results: Body fat significantly decreased in KD (p = 0.030); whilst lean mass increased significantly only in WD (p < 0.001). Maximal strength increased similarly in both groups. KD showed a significant decrease of blood triglycerides (p < 0.001), glucose (p = 0.001), insulin (p < 0.001) and inflammatory cytokines compared to WD whilst BDNF increased in both groups with significant greater changes in KD (p < 0.001). Conclusions: KD may be used during body building preparation for health and leaning purposes but with the caution that hypertrophic muscle response could be blunted.
Iron-Enriched Nutritional Supplements for the 2030 Pharmacy Shelves
Authors: Verna Giulio , Sila Annamaria , Liso Marina , Mastronardi Mauro , Chieppa Marcello , Cena Hellas , Campiglia Pietro
Published: January 2021

Iron deficiency (ID) affects people of all ages in many countries. Due to intestinal blood loss and reduced iron absorption, ID is a threat to IBD patients, women, and children the most. Current therapies can efficiently recover normal serum transferrin saturation and hemoglobin concentration but may cause several side effects, including intestinal inflammation. ID patients may benefit from innovative nutritional supplements that may satisfy iron needs without side effects. There is a growing interest in new iron-rich superfoods, like algae and mushrooms, which combine antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties with iron richness.
Effects of Different Vitamin D Supplementation Schemes in Post-Menopausal Women: A Monocentric Open-Label Randomized Study
Authors: Corrado Addolorata , Rotondo Cinzia , Cici Daniela , Berardi Stefano , Cantatore Francesco Paolo
Published: January 2021

Background: The improvement of muscular strength is a well-known extra-skeletal effect of Vitamin D. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the calcifediol supplementation compared to various cholecalciferol administration schedules in increasing 25(OH)D serum levels and improving muscular function. Methods: 107 post-menopausal women with hypovitaminosis D were assigned to receive Vitamin D supplementation according to four different regimens: colecalciferol single, monthly, or weekly oral dose and calcifediol weekly oral dose. Serum levels of 25(OH)D and muscular function of lower limbs (Sit-to-Stand test and Timed-Up-and-Go test) were evaluated at baseline and during 6 months follow-up. Results: Calcifediol and weekly cholecalciferol induced a greater and faster increase of serum 25(OH)D, compared to monthly or single-dose cholecalciferol administration. The 25(OH)D increase was associated with an improvement of muscle function of lower limbs. The larger increase of serum 25(OH)D observed with calcifediol and with weekly cholecalciferol was associated with a concomitant greater improvement of muscle strength. Conclusions: Supplementation with calcifediol is more effective and faster compared to cholecalciferol in increasing 25(OH)D serum levels and is associated with a greater improvement of muscular function, thus representing a therapeutic alternative for treatment of hypovitaminosis D.
Protopine/Gemcitabine Combination Induces Cytotoxic or Cytoprotective Effects in Cell Type-Specific and Dose-Dependent Manner on Human Cancer and Normal Cells
Authors: Garcia-Gil Mercedes , Turri Benedetta , Gabriele Morena , Pucci Laura , Agnarelli Alessandro , Lai Michele , Freer Giulia , Pistello Mauro , Vignali Robert , Batistoni Renata , Marracci Silvia
Published: January 2021

The natural alkaloid protopine (PRO) exhibits pharmacological properties including anticancer activity. We investigated the effects of PRO, alone and in combination with the chemotherapeutic gemcitabine (GEM), on human tumor cell lines and non-tumor human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs). We found that treatments with different PRO/GEM combinations were cytotoxic or cytoprotective, depending on concentration and cell type. PRO/GEM decreased viability in pancreatic cancer MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1 cells, while it rescued the GEM-induced viability decline in HDFs and in tumor MCF-7 cells. Moreover, PRO/GEM decreased G1, S and G2/M phases, concomitantly with an increase of subG1 phase in MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1 cells. Differently, PRO/GEM restored the normal progression of the cell cycle, altered by GEM, and decreased cell death in HDFs. PRO alone increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) in MIA PaCa-2, PANC-1 cells and HDFs, while PRO/GEM increased both intracellular and mitochondrial ROS in the three cell lines. These results indicate that specific combinations of PRO/GEM may be used to induce cytotoxic effects in pancreatic tumor MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1 cells, but have cytoprotective or no effects in HDFs.
Drug Disposition in the Lower Gastrointestinal Tract: Targeting and Monitoring
Authors: Lemmens Glenn , Van Camp Arno , Kourula Stephanie , Vanuytsel Tim , Augustijns Patrick
Published: January 2021

The increasing prevalence of colonic diseases calls for a better understanding of the various colonic drug absorption barriers of colon-targeted formulations, and for reliable in vitro tools that accurately predict local drug disposition. In vivo relevant incubation conditions have been shown to better capture the composition of the limited colonic fluid and have resulted in relevant degradation and dissolution kinetics of drugs and formulations. Furthermore, drug hurdles such as efflux transporters and metabolising enzymes, and the presence of mucus and microbiome are slowly integrated into drug stability- and permeation assays. Traditionally, the well characterized Caco-2 cell line and the Ussing chamber technique are used to assess the absorption characteristics of small drug molecules. Recently, various stem cell-derived intestinal systems have emerged, closely mimicking epithelial physiology. Models that can assess microbiome-mediated drug metabolism or enable coculturing of gut microbiome with epithelial cells are also increasingly explored. Here we provide a comprehensive overview of the colonic physiology in relation to drug absorption, and review colon-targeting formulation strategies and in vitro tools to characterize colonic drug disposition.
Laser-Induced Thermal Annealing of CH3NH3PbI3 Perovskite Microwires
Authors: Chen Xiaoming , Wang Zixian , Wu Ren-Jie , Cheng Horng-Long , Chui Hsiang-Chen
Published: January 2021

Perovskite microwires have a larger surface-to-volume ratio and better photoelectric conversion efficiency than perovskite films. The degree of crystallization also affects the optoelectrical performances of perovskite microwires. Laser annealing was regarded as a tool for crystallization. High light absorption induced fast heating process. A 405 nm violet laser located near the absorption peak of typical perovskite films was employed as the annealing laser. In an in situ experimental design, the annealing laser beam was combined into the micro Raman measurement system. Real-time information of the annealing and crystallization was provided. Many excellent works were done, and typically needed offline optoelectronic measurements. An mW-level continuous-wave laser beam can provide enough kinetic energy for crystalline in perovskite microwires. The thermal distribution of the perovskite microwire under the annealing laser beams was considered here. Polarized Raman signals can provide evidence of the perovskite microwires crystallization. This work offered the novel approach of an on-site, real-time laser-induced thermal annealing design for perovskite microwires. This approach can be used in other material procedures. Intensity-dependent conditions were crucial for the annealing processes and analyzed in detail. The substrate effect was found. This proposed scheme provided integrated novel, scalable, and highly effective designs of perovskite-based devices.
Dielectric Responses of Polyurethane/Zinc Oxide Blends for Dry-Type Cast Cold-Curing Resin Transformers
Authors: Kúdelčík Jozef , Hardoň Štefan , Trnka Pavel , Michal Ondřej , Hornak Jaroslav
Published: January 2021

The influence of different concentrations (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 wt.%) of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) filler on the dielectric properties of the cold-curing polyurethane (PU) resin is presented in this study. For this purpose, the direct DC conductivity and the broadband dielectric spectroscopy measurements were used to describe the changes in dielectric responses of PU/ZnO nanocomposites over the frequency and temperature range, respectively. It can be stated that, the 1.0 wt.% nanoparticles and lower caused a decrease in the real relative permittivity compared to the pure PU resin, while the higher concentration of nanoparticles for frequencies above 1 Hz had the opposite effect. The presence of nanoparticles in the polyurethane resin affected the segmental dynamics of the polymer chain and changed a charge distribution in the given system. These changes caused a shift of local relaxation peaks in the spectra of imaginary permittivity and dissipation factor of nanocomposites. It is suggested that the temperature-dependent transition of the electric properties in the nano-composite is closely associated with the α-relaxation and intermediate dipolar effects (IDE).
Fabrication of TiO2-Embedded Polyimide Layer with High Transmittance and Improved Reliability for Liquid Crystal Displays
Authors: Son Seung-Rak , An Jongil , Choi Jin-Wook , Lee Jun Hyup
Published: January 2021

Construction of liquid crystal (LC) alignment by introducing polyimide (PI) to indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes is one of the main methods to realize high-resolution images in liquid crystal displays (LCD). However, the loss of transmittance caused by the difference in refractive index between ITO and PI leads to direct degradation of LCD performance. Thus, we herein fabricated a functional hybrid PI alignment layer that reduces the difference in refractive index and greatly increases the transmittance of the device by introducing inorganic titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NP) to the organic PI. The highly refractive TiO2 NPs were surface-treated with stearic acid comprising long alkyl chains to improve their dispersibility and uniformly dispersed in the PI matrix by simply stirring the mixture. The hybrid PI mixture was spin-coated on the ITO substrate, and the resulting LC cell exhibited excellent electro-optical properties. In addition, the reliability of the LC cells was enhanced by the inclusion of the TiO2 NPs, which was confirmed through the evaluation of voltage holding ratio, residual direct current, and LC cell reliability. Overall, functional hybrid PI can be used in advanced display technology for next-generation LC devices that require high transmittance and reliability.
Wine By-Products as Raw Materials for the Production of Biopolymers and of Natural Reinforcing Fillers: A Critical Review
Authors: Nanni Alessandro , Parisi Mariafederica , Colonna Martino
Published: January 2021

The plastic industry is today facing a green revolution; however, biopolymers, produced in low amounts, expensive, and food competitive do not represent an efficient solution. The use of wine waste as second-generation feedstock for the synthesis of polymer building blocks or as reinforcing fillers could represent a solution to reduce biopolymer costs and to boost the biopolymer presence in the market. The present critical review reports the state of the art of the scientific studies concerning the use of wine by-products as substrate for the synthesis of polymer building blocks and as reinforcing fillers for polymers. The review has been mainly focused on the most used bio-based and biodegradable polymers present in the market (i.e., poly(lactic acid), poly(butylene succinate), and poly(hydroxyalkanoates)). The results present in the literature have been reviewed and elaborated in order to suggest new possibilities of development based on the chemical and physical characteristics of wine by-products.
The Study of Plasticized Sodium Ion Conducting Polymer Blend Electrolyte Membranes Based on Chitosan/Dextran Biopolymers: Ion Transport, Structural, Morphological and Potential Stability
Authors: Asnawi Ahmad S.F.M. , Aziz Shujahadeen B. , Brevik Iver , Brza Mohamad A. , Yusof Yuhanees M. , Alshehri Saad M. , Ahamad Tansir , Kadir M. F. Z.
Published: January 2021

The polymer electrolyte system of chitosan/dextran-NaTf with various glycerol concentrations is prepared in this study. The electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) study shows that the addition of glycerol increases the ionic conductivity of the electrolyte at room temperature. The highest conducting plasticized electrolyte shows the maximum DC ionic conductivity of 6.10 × 10−5 S/cm. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) is used to investigate the effect of plasticizer on film morphology. The interaction between the electrolyte components is confirmed from the existence of the O–H, C–H, carboxamide, and amine groups. The XRD study is used to determine the degree of crystallinity. The transport parameters of number density (n), ionic mobility (µ), and diffusion coefficient (D) of ions are determined using the percentage of free ions, due to the asymmetric vibration (υas(SO3)) and symmetric vibration (υs(SO3)) bands. The dielectric property and relaxation time are proved the non-Debye behavior of the electrolyte system. This behavior model is further verified by the existence of the incomplete semicircle arc from the Argand plot. Transference numbers of ion (tion) and electron (te) for the highest conducting plasticized electrolyte are identified to be 0.988 and 0.012, respectively, confirming that the ions are the dominant charge carriers. The tion value are used to further examine the contribution of ions in the values of the diffusion coefficient and mobility of ions. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) shows the potential window for the electrolyte is 2.55 V, indicating it to be a promising electrolyte for application in electrochemical energy storage devices.
Production and Properties of Lignin Nanoparticles from Ethanol Organosolv Liquors—Influence of Origin and Pretreatment Conditions
Authors: Adamcyk Johannes , Beisl Stefan , Amini Samaneh , Jung Thomas , Zikeli Florian , Labidi Jalel , Friedl Anton
Published: January 2021

Despite major efforts in recent years, lignin as an abundant biopolymer is still underutilized in material applications. The production of lignin nanoparticles with improved properties through a high specific surface area enables easier applicability and higher value applications. Current precipitation processes often show poor yields, as a portion of the lignin stays in solution. In the present work, lignin was extracted from wheat straw, spruce, and beech using ethanol organosolv pretreatment at temperatures from 160–220 °C. The resulting extracts were standardized to the lowest lignin content and precipitated by solvent-shifting to produce lignin micro- and nanoparticles with mean hydrodynamic diameters from 67.8 to 1156.4 nm. Extracts, particles and supernatant were analyzed on molecular weight, revealing that large lignin molecules are precipitated while small lignin molecules stay in solution. The particles were purified by dialysis and characterized on their color and antioxidant activity, reaching ASC equivalents between 19.1 and 50.4 mg/mg. This work gives detailed insight into the precipitation process with respect to different raw materials and pretreatment severities, enabling better understanding and optimization of lignin nanoparticle precipitation.
Attitudes towards Social Robots in Education: Enthusiast, Practical, Troubled, Sceptic, and Mindfully Positive
Authors: Smakman Matthijs H. J. , Konijn Elly A. , Vogt Paul , Pankowska Paulina
Published: January 2021

While social robots bring new opportunities for education, they also come with moral challenges. Therefore, there is a need for moral guidelines for the responsible implementation of these robots. When developing such guidelines, it is important to include different stakeholder perspectives. Existing (qualitative) studies regarding these perspectives however mainly focus on single stakeholders. In this exploratory study, we examine and compare the attitudes of multiple stakeholders on the use of social robots in primary education, using a novel questionnaire that covers various aspects of moral issues mentioned in earlier studies. Furthermore, we also group the stakeholders based on similarities in attitudes and examine which socio-demographic characteristics influence these attitude types. Based on the results, we identify five distinct attitude profiles and show that the probability of belonging to a specific profile is affected by such characteristics as stakeholder type, age, education and income. Our results also indicate that social robots have the potential to be implemented in education in a morally responsible way that takes into account the attitudes of various stakeholders, although there are multiple moral issues that need to be addressed first. Finally, we present seven (practical) implications for a responsible application of social robots in education following from our results. These implications provide valuable insights into how social robots should be implemented.
Characteristics of Saline Soil in Extremely Arid Regions: A Case Study Using GF-3 and ALOS-2 Quad-Pol SAR Data in Qinghai, China
Authors: Gao Yao , Liu Xiuqing , Hou Wentao , Han Yonghui , Wang Robert , Zhang Heng
Published: January 2021

Soil salinization is a global problem, which seriously damages the ecological environment and considerably reduces agricultural productivity, especially in arid regions. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) has been widely used in remote sensing due to its weather and sunlight independence. Polarimetric SAR has great potential for large-scale mapping and monitoring salt-affected soils. In this study, we investigate the characteristics of saline soil in extremely arid regions using dual-band quadrature-polarimetric (quad-pol) SAR images acquired by GF-3 (C-band) and ALOS-2 (L-band). Firstly, the effectiveness of the modified dielectric mixing model and integral equation model (IEM) in describing saline soil is evaluated. Secondly, the potential relationships between polarimetric parameters and salinity are discussed in both the C- and L-band, respectively, such as co-polarization ratio, scattering entropy H, and scattering angle α. Finally, a linear regression model for monitoring salt content is established. The main contributions of this article are as follows: (1) Simulation results suggest that the radar backscattering coefficient is a weak function of salinity at low water content, but our experimental data show that soil salinity significantly contributes to the radar backscattering coefficient, which indicates the modified dielectric mixing model and IEM model is not applicable in extremely arid areas. (2) A negative correlation between the co-polarization ratio and salinity is observed, and the correlation coefficients are 0.64 (C-band) and 0.71 (L-band). Besides, scattering entropy and scattering angle exhibit a positive correlation with salinity in the C-band with correlation coefficients 0.686 and 0.669, respectively, whereas a negative correlation is found in the L-band with correlation coefficients 0.682 and 0.680, respectively. This can be attributed to the different penetration depths and sensitivity to the surface roughness of the electromagnetic waves at two frequencies. (3) A regression model for salinity estimating based on radar backscattering coefficient, co-polarization ratio, and scattering entropy is established, with a determination coefficient (R2) of 0.79 and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 6.56%, allowing us to determine soil salinity from quad-pol SAR images without using backscattering models. Therefore, our results can be a reference for future soil salinity monitoring and inversion.
Inversion of Terrain Slope and Roughness with Satellite Laser Altimeter Full-Waveform Data Assisted by Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission
Authors: Zuo Zhiqiang , Tang Xinming , Li Guoyuan , Ma Yue , Zhang Wenhao , Li Song
Published: January 2021

Slope and roughness are basic geophysical properties of terrain surface, and also sources of error in satellite laser altimetry systems. The full-waveform satellite laser altimeter records the complete echo waveform backscattered from the target surface worldwide, so it may be used for both range measurement and inversion analysis of geometric parameters of the target surface. This paper proposes a new method for inversion of slope and roughness of the bare or near-bare terrain within laser footprint using full-waveform satellite laser altimeter data, Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) and topographic prior knowledge. To solve the non-uniqueness of the solution to the inversion problem, this paper used the SRTM and airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, to establish a priori hypothesis about real information of topographic parameters. Then, under the constraints of prior hypothesis, the theoretical formulas and rules for slope and roughness inversion using the pulse-width broadening knowledge of satellite laser altimeter echo full-waveform were developed. Finally, based on the full-waveform data from the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) that was borne on ICE, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) and SRTM in the West Valley City, Utah and Jackson City, Wyoming, United States of America, the inversion was carried out. The experiment compares the results of proposed method with those of existing ones and evaluates the inversion results using high precision terrain slope and roughness information, which indicates that our proposed method is superior to the state-of-the-art methods, and the inversion accuracy for slope is 0.667° (Mean Absolute Error, MAE) and 1.054° (Root Mean Square Error, RMSE), the inversion accuracy for roughness is 0.171 m (MAE) and 0.250 m (RMSE).
Analysis and Discussion on the Optimal Noise Model of Global GNSS Long-Term Coordinate Series Considering Hydrological Loading
Authors: He Yuefan , Nie Guigen , Wu Shuguang , Li Haiyang
Published: January 2021

The displacement of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) station contains the information of surface elastic deformation caused by the variation of land water reserves. This paper selects the long-term coordinate series data of 671 International GNSS Service (IGS) reference stations distributed globally under the framework of World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS84) from 2000 to 2021. Different noise model combinations are used for noise analysis, and the optimal noise model for each station before and after hydrologic loading correction is calculated. The results show that the noise models of global IGS reference stations are diverse, and each component has different optimal noise model characteristics, mainly white noise + flicker noise (WN+FN), generalized Gauss–Markov noise (GGM) and white noise + power law noise (WN+PL). Through specific analysis between the optimal noise model and the time series velocity of the station, it is found that the maximum influence value of the vertical velocity can reach 1.8 mm when hydrological loading is considered. Different complex noise models also have a certain influence on the linear velocity and velocity uncertainty of the station. Among them, the influence of white noise + random walking noise is relatively obvious, and its maximum influence value in the elevation direction can reach over 2 mm/year. When studying the impact of hydrological loading correction on the periodicity of the coordinate series, it is concluded whether the hydrological loading is calculated or not, and the GNSS long-term coordinate series has obvious annual and semi-annual amplitude changes, which are most obvious in the vertical direction, up to 16.48 mm.
A Dual-Model Architecture with Grouping-Attention-Fusion for Remote Sensing Scene Classification
Authors: Shen Junge , Zhang Tong , Wang Yichen , Wang Ruxin , Wang Qi , Qi Min
Published: January 2021

Remote sensing images contain complex backgrounds and multi-scale objects, which pose a challenging task for scene classification. The performance is highly dependent on the capacity of the scene representation as well as the discriminability of the classifier. Although multiple models possess better properties than a single model on these aspects, the fusion strategy for these models is a key component to maximize the final accuracy. In this paper, we construct a novel dual-model architecture with a grouping-attention-fusion strategy to improve the performance of scene classification. Specifically, the model employs two different convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for feature extraction, where the grouping-attention-fusion strategy is used to fuse the features of the CNNs in a fine and multi-scale manner. In this way, the resultant feature representation of the scene is enhanced. Moreover, to address the issue of similar appearances between different scenes, we develop a loss function which encourages small intra-class diversities and large inter-class distances. Extensive experiments are conducted on four scene classification datasets include the UCM land-use dataset, the WHU-RS19 dataset, the AID dataset, and the OPTIMAL-31 dataset. The experimental results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method in comparison with the state-of-the-arts.
Cluster-Based Relocation of Stations for Efficient Forest Fire Management in the Province of Valencia (Spain)
Authors: de Domingo Miguel , Ortigosa Nuria , Sevilla Javier , Roger Sandra
Published: January 2021

Forest fires are undesirable situations with tremendous impacts on wildlife and people’s lives. Reaching them quickly is essential to slowing down their expansion and putting them out in an effective manner. This work proposes an optimized distribution of fire stations in the province of Valencia (Spain) to minimize the impacts of forest fires. Using historical data about fires in the Valencia province, together with the location information about existing fire stations and municipalities, two different clustering techniques have been applied. Floyd–Warshall dynamic programming algorithm has been used to estimate the average times to reach fires among municipalities and fire stations in order to quantify the impacts of station relocation. The minimization was done approximately through k-means clustering. The outcomes with different numbers of clusters determined a predicted tradeoff between reducing the time and the cost of more stations. The results show that the proposed relocation of fire stations generally ensures faster arrival to the municipalities compared to the current disposition of fire stations. In addition, deployment costs associated with station relocation are also of paramount importance, so this factor was also taken into account in the proposed approach.
Discrimination of Ignitable Liquid Residues in Burned Petroleum-Derived Substrates by Using HS-MS eNose and Chemometrics
Authors: Falatová Barbara , Ferreiro-González Marta , P. Calle José Luis , Álvarez José Ángel , Palma Miguel
Published: January 2021

Interpretation of data from fire debris is considered as one of the most challenging steps in fire investigation. Forensic analysts are tasked to identify the presence or absence of ignitable liquid residues (ILRs) which may indicate whether a fire was started deliberately. So far, data analysis is subjected to human interpretation following the American Society for Testing and Materials’ guidelines (ASTM E1618) based on gas chromatography–mass spectrometry data. However, different factors such as interfering pyrolysis compounds may hinder the interpretation of data. Some substrates release compounds that are in the range of common ignitable liquids, which interferes with accurate determination of ILRs. The aim of the current research is to investigate whether headspace–mass spectroscopy electronic nose (HS-MS eNose) combined with pattern recognition can be used to classify different ILRs from fire debris samples that contain a complex matrix (petroleum-based substrates or synthetic fibers carpet) that can strongly interfere with their identification. Six different substrates—four petroleum-derived substrates (vinyl, linoleum, polyester, and polyamide carpet), as well as two different materials for comparison purposes (cotton and cork) were used to investigate background interferences. Gasoline, diesel, ethanol, and charcoal starter with kerosene were used as ignitable liquids. In addition, fire debris samples were taken after different elapsed times. A total of 360 fire debris samples were analyzed. The obtained total ion mass spectrum was combined with unsupervised exploratory techniques such as hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) as well as supervised linear discriminant analysis (LDA). The results from HCA show a strong tendency to group the samples according to the ILs and substrate used, and LDA allowed for a full identification and discrimination of every ILR regardless of the substrate.
BPF-Based Thermal Sensor Circuit for On-Chip Testing of RF Circuits
Authors: Altet Josep , Barajas Enrique , Mateo Diego , Billong Alexandre , Aragones Xavier , Perpiñà Xavier , Reverter Ferran
Published: January 2021

A new sensor topology meant to extract figures of merit of radio-frequency analog integrated circuits (RF-ICs) was experimentally validated. Implemented in a standard 0.35 μm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology, it comprised two blocks: a single metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor acting as temperature transducer, which was placed near the circuit to monitor, and an active band-pass filter amplifier. For validation purposes, the temperature sensor was integrated with a tuned radio-frequency power amplifier (420 MHz) and MOS transistors acting as controllable dissipating devices. First, using the MOS dissipating devices, the performance and limitations of the different blocks that constitute the temperature sensor were characterized. Second, by using the heterodyne technique (applying two nearby tones) to the power amplifier (PA) and connecting the sensor output voltage to a low-cost AC voltmeter, the PA’s output power and its central frequency were monitored. As a result, this topology resulted in a low-cost approach, with high linearity and sensitivity, for RF-IC testing and variability monitoring.
Towards a Functional Performance Validation Standard for Industrial Low-Back Exoskeletons: State of the Art Review
Authors: Pesenti Mattia , Antonietti Alberto , Gandolla Marta , Pedrocchi Alessandra
Published: January 2021

While the research interest for exoskeletons has been rising in the last decades, missing standards for their rigorous evaluation are potentially limiting their adoption in the industrial field. In this context, exoskeletons for worker support have the aim to reduce the physical effort required by humans, with dramatic social and economic impact. Indeed, exoskeletons can reduce the occurrence and the entity of work-related musculoskeletal disorders that often cause absence from work, resulting in an eventual productivity loss. This very urgent and multifaceted issue is starting to be acknowledged by researchers. This article provides a systematic review of the state of the art for functional performance evaluation of low-back exoskeletons for industrial workers. We report the state-of-the-art evaluation criteria and metrics used for such a purpose, highlighting the lack of a standard for this practice. Very few studies carried out a rigorous evaluation of the assistance provided by the device. To address also this topic, the article ends with a proposed framework for the functional validation of low-back exoskeletons for the industry, with the aim to pave the way for the definition of rigorous industrial standards.
Application of Plasma-Printed Paper-Based SERS Substrate for Cocaine Detection
Authors: Alder Rhiannon , Hong Jungmi , Chow Edith , Fang Jinghua , Isa Fabio , Ashford Bryony , Comte Christophe , Bendavid Avi , Xiao Linda , Ostrikov Kostya (Ken) , Fu Shanlin , Murphy Anthony B.
Published: January 2021

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) technology is an attractive method for the prompt and accurate on-site screening of illicit drugs. As portable Raman systems are available for on-site screening, the readiness of SERS technology for sensing applications is predominantly dependent on the accuracy, stability and cost-effectiveness of the SERS strip. An atmospheric-pressure plasma-assisted chemical deposition process that can deposit an even distribution of nanogold particles in a one-step process has been developed. The process was used to print a nanogold film on a paper-based substrate using a HAuCl4 solution precursor. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis demonstrates that the gold has been fully reduced and that subsequent plasma post-treatment decreases the carbon content of the film. Results for cocaine detection using this substrate were compared with two commercial SERS substrates, one based on nanogold on paper and the currently available best commercial SERS substrate based on an Ag pillar structure. A larger number of bands associated with cocaine was detected using the plasma-printed substrate than the commercial substrates across a range of cocaine concentrations from 1 to 5000 ng/mL. A detection limit as low as 1 ng/mL cocaine with high spatial uniformity was demonstrated with the plasma-printed substrate. It is shown that the plasma-printed substrate can be produced at a much lower cost than the price of the commercial substrate.
The Impact of Environment on Gait Assessment: Considerations from Real-World Gait Analysis in Dementia Subtypes
Authors: Mc Ardle Ríona , Del Din Silvia , Donaghy Paul , Galna Brook , Thomas Alan J , Rochester Lynn
Published: January 2021

Laboratory-based gait assessments are indicative of clinical outcomes (e.g., disease identification). Real-world gait may be more sensitive to clinical outcomes, as impairments may be exaggerated in complex environments. This study aims to investigate how different environments (e.g., lab, real world) impact gait. Different walking bout lengths in the real world will be considered proxy measures of context. Data collected in different dementia disease subtypes will be analysed as disease-specific gait impairments are reported between these groups. Thirty-two people with cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD), 28 due to dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and 25 controls were recruited. Participants wore a tri-axial accelerometer for six 10 m walks in lab settings, and continuously for seven days in the real world. Fourteen gait characteristics across five domains were measured (i.e., pace, variability, rhythm, asymmetry, postural control). In the lab, the DLB group showed greater step length variability (p = 0.008) compared to AD. Both subtypes demonstrated significant gait impairments (p < 0.01) compared to controls. In the real world, only very short walking bouts (<10 s) demonstrated different gait impairments between subtypes. The context where walking occurs impacts signatures of gait impairment in dementia subtypes. To develop real-world gait assessment as a clinical tool, algorithms and metrics must accommodate for changes in context.
Smart Textiles and Sensorized Garments for Physiological Monitoring: A Review of Available Solutions and Techniques
Authors: Angelucci Alessandra , Cavicchioli Matteo , Cintorrino Ilaria , Lauricella Giuseppe , Rossi Chiara , Strati Sara , Aliverti Andrea
Published: January 2021

Several wearable devices for physiological and activity monitoring are found on the market, but most of them only allow spot measurements. However, the continuous detection of physiological parameters without any constriction in time or space would be useful in several fields such as healthcare, fitness, and work. This can be achieved with the application of textile technologies for sensorized garments, where the sensors are completely embedded in the fabric. The complete integration of sensors in the fabric leads to several manufacturing techniques that allow dealing with both the technological challenges entailed by the physiological parameters under investigation, and the basic requirements of a garment such as perspiration, washability, and comfort. This review is intended to provide a detailed description of the textile technologies in terms of materials and manufacturing processes employed in the production of sensorized fabrics. The focus is pointed at the technical challenges and the advanced solutions introduced with respect to conventional sensors for recording different physiological parameters, and some interesting textile implementations for the acquisition of biopotentials, respiratory parameters, temperature and sweat are proposed. In the last section, an overview of the main garments on the market is depicted, also exploring some relevant projects under development.
Pollution Source Localization in Wastewater Networks
Authors: Chachuła Krystian , Nowak Robert , Solano Fernando
Published: January 2021

In December 2016, the wastewater treatment plant of Baarle-Nassau, Netherlands, failed. The failure was caused by the illegal disposal of high volumes of acidic waste into the sewer network. Repairs cost between 80,000 and 100,000 EUR. A continuous monitoring system of a utility network such as this one would help to determine the causes of such pollution and could mitigate or reduce the impact of these kinds of events in the future. We have designed and tested a data fusion system that transforms the time-series of sensor measurements into an array of source-localized discharge events. The data fusion system performs this transformation as follows. First, the time-series of sensor measurements are resampled and converted to sensor observations in a unified discrete time domain. Second, sensor observations are mapped to pollutant detections that indicate the amount of specific pollutants according to a priori knowledge. Third, pollutant detections are used for inferring the propagation of the discharged pollutant downstream of the sewage network to account for missing sensor observations. Fourth, pollutant detections and inferred sensor observations are clustered to form tracks. Finally, tracks are processed and propagated upstream to form the final list of probable events. A set of experiments was performed using a modified variant of the EPANET Example Network 2. Results of our experiments show that the proposed system can narrow down the source of pollution to seven or fewer nodes, depending on the number of sensors, while processing approximately 100 sensor observations per second. Having considered the results, such a system could provide meaningful information about pollution events in utility networks.
Changes in Personal Social Networks across Individuals Leaving Their Street Gang: Just What Are Youth Leaving Behind?
Authors: Roman Caterina G. , Cahill Meagan , Mayes Lauren R.
Published: January 2021

Despite a small but growing literature on gang disengagement and desistance, little is known about how social networks and changes in networks correspond to self-reported changes in street gang membership over time. The current study describes the personal or “ego” network composition of 228 street gang members in two east coast cities in the United States. The study highlights changes in personal network composition associated with changes in gang membership over two waves of survey data, describing notable differences between those who reported leaving their gang and fully disengaging from their gang associates, and those who reported leaving but still participate and hang out with their gang friends. Results show some positive changes (i.e., reductions) in criminal behavior and many changes toward an increase in prosocial relationships for those who fully disengaged from their street gang, versus limited changes in both criminal behavior and network composition over time for those who reported leaving but remained engaged with their gang. The findings suggest that gang intervention programs that increase access to or support building prosocial relationships may assist the gang disengagement process and ultimately buoy desistance from crime. The study also has implications for theorizing about gang and crime desistance, in that the role of social ties should take a more central role.
Towards a Critical Sustainability Science? Participation of Disadvantaged Actors and Power Relations in Transdisciplinary Research
Authors: Osinski Agathe
Published: January 2021

This paper presents the results of a meta-analysis conducted on 40 case studies of transdisciplinary research. First, it groups the cases according to the sustainability conception that is adopted in the project, distinguishing between approaches to sustainability that consider environmental protection alone, approaches that seek to find a balance between economic growth and environmental protection, and those which seek to integrate the social, environmental and economic aspects of sustainability. Next, the paper explores the extent to which the conception of sustainability adopted in the transdisciplinary project influences a series of process features in the projects. In particular, we focus on the extent to which the projects allowed for the participation of disadvantaged groups, the degree to which they accounted for and attempted to mitigate power differentials between participants, their embeddedness in longer-term dynamics and the heterogeneity of the actors piloting the projects. We also discuss the effects of these on the social learning and empowerment generated among participants. The paper finds that among the selected case studies, those with an integrated approach to sustainability more often included disadvantaged groups and acknowledged power differentials, applying a range of tools to mitigate these. Moreover, these cases also more often reported generating empowerment and social learning.
Retirement Age and Housing Consumption: The Case of South Korea
Authors: Kim Chunil , Choi Hyobi , Choi Yeol
Published: January 2021

South Korea became an aging society in 2000 and will become a super-aged nation in 2026. The extended life expectancy and earlier retirement make workers’ preparation for retirement more difficult, and that hardship might lead to poorer living conditions after retirement. As annuity payments are, in general, not enough for retirees to maintain their previous standard of living after retirement, retired households would have to liquidate their financial and real assets to cover household expenditures. As housing takes the biggest share of households’ total assets in Korea, it seems to be natural for retirees to downsize their houses. However, there is no consensus in the housing literature on housing downsizing, and the debate is still ongoing. In order to understand whether or not housing downsizing by retirees occurs in Korea, this paper examines the impact of the timing of retirement on housing consumption using an econometric model of housing tenure choice and the consumption for housing. The results show that the early retirement group living in more populated region does not downsize the house, while the timing of retirement is negatively associated with housing consumption for the late retirement group living in the peripheral region.
Development of Sustainable Thinking by Information Literacy
Authors: Repanovici Angela , Salcă Rotaru Cristina , Murzea Cristinel
Published: January 2021

Developing the sustainable thinking of students is an important preoccupation of specialists, teachers, and civil society. Information literacy represents the development of students’ skills to search, identify, evaluate, and ethically use scientific information. Is there a connection between sustainable thinking (ST) and information literacy (IL)? Through a scientometric study in the Web of Science (WOS) database, the authors identify clusters of keywords, analyze the articles identified in WOS, and identify the main research directions and the existing concepts. At the same time, a qualitative research study is performed regarding the opinions of students who participated in the IL class. By corroborating and interpreting the results obtained by the two previously mentioned research, the authors demonstrate a close correlation between the two, thus creating an extended map of these concepts, a limited map of the concepts used, and a theoretical map of the concepts. The connection between information literacy and the development of ST is demonstrated, thus creating the premise for a new research direction.
Generalized Fibonacci Numbers, Cosmological Analogies, and an Invariant
Authors: Faraoni Valerio , Atieh Farah
Published: January 2021

Continuous generalizations of the Fibonacci sequence satisfy ODEs that are formal analogues of the Friedmann equation describing a spatially homogeneous and isotropic cosmology in general relativity. These analogies are presented together with their Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations and with an invariant of the Fibonacci sequence.