bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative Chloroplast Genome Analysis of Rhubarb Botanical Origins and the Development of Specific Identification Markers
Authors: Zhou Yuxin , Nie Jing , Xiao Ling , Hu Zhigang , Wang Bo
Published: October 2018

Rhubarb is an important ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine known as Rhei radix et rhizome. However, this common name refers to three different botanical species with different pharmacological effects. To facilitate the genetic identification of these three species for their more precise application in Chinese medicine we here want to provide chloroplast sequences with specific identification sites that are easy to amplify. We therefore sequenced the complete chloroplast genomes of all three species and then screened those for suitable sequences describing the three species. The length of the three chloroplast genomes ranged from 161,053 bp to 161,541 bp, with a total of 131 encoded genes including 31 tRNA, eight rRNA and 92 protein-coding sequences. The simple repeat sequence analysis indicated the differences existed in these species, phylogenetic analyses showed the chloroplast genome can be used as an ultra-barcode to distinguish the three botanical species of rhubarb, the variation of the non-coding regions is higher than that of the protein coding regions, and the variations in single-copy region are higher than that in inverted repeat. Twenty-one specific primer pairs were designed and eight specific identification sites were experimentally confirmed that can be used as special DNA barcodes for the identification of the three species based on the highly variable regions. This study provides a molecular basis for precise medicinal plant selection, and supplies the groundwork for the next investigation of the closely related Rheum species comparing and correctly identification on these important medicinal species.
Timbe (Acaciella angustissima) Pods Extracts Reduce the Levels of Glucose, Insulin and Improved Physiological Parameters, Hypolipidemic Effect, Oxidative Stress and Renal Damage in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats
Authors: Rodríguez-Méndez Adriana Jheny , Carmen-Sandoval Wendy , Lomas-Soria Consuelo , Guevara-González Ramón G. , Reynoso-Camacho Rosalía , Villagran-Herrera María Elena , Salazar-Olivo Luis , Torres-Pacheco Irineo , Feregrino-Pérez Ana A.
Published: October 2018

In Mexico one in 14 deaths are caused by diabetes mellitus (DM) or by the macro and microvascular disorders derived from it. A continuous hyperglycemic state is characteristic of DM, resulting from a sustained state of insulin resistance and/or a dysfunction of β-pancreatic cells. Acaciella angustissima is a little studied species showing a significant antioxidant activity that can be used as treatment of this disease or preventive against the complications. The objective of this study was to explore the effect of oral administration of A. angustissima methanol extract on physiological parameters of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The results indicated a significant reduction in blood glucose levels, an increase in serum insulin concentration, a decrease in lipid levels and an improvement in the parameters of kidney damage by applying a concentration of 100 mg/Kg B.W. However, glucose uptake activity was not observed in the adipocyte assay. Moreover, the extract of A. angustissima displayed potential for the complementary treatment of diabetes and its complications likely due to the presence of bioactive compounds such as protocatechuic acid. This study demonstrated that methanol extract of Acacciella angustissima has an antidiabetic effect by reducing the levels of glucose, insulin and improved physiological parameters, hypolipidemic effect, oxidative stress and renal damage in diabetic rats.
Comparison of Single and Combined Use of Catechin, Protocatechuic, and Vanillic Acids as Antioxidant and Antibacterial Agents against Uropathogenic Escherichia Coli at Planktonic and Biofilm Levels
Authors: Bernal-Mercado Ariadna Thalia , Vazquez-Armenta Francisco Javier , Tapia-Rodriguez Melvin R. , Islas-Osuna Maria A. , Mata-Haro Veronica , Gonzalez-Aguilar Gustavo A. , Lopez-Zavala Alonso A. , Ayala-Zavala Jesus Fernando
Published: October 2018

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of combining catechin, protocatechuic, and vanillic acids against planktonic growing, adhesion, and biofilm eradication of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), as well as antioxidant agents. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of protocatechuic, vanillic acids and catechin against the growth of planktonic bacteria were 12.98, 11.80, and 13.78 mM, respectively. Mixing 1.62 mM protocatechuic acid + 0.74 mM vanillic acid + 0.05 mM catechin resulted in a synergistic effect acting as an MIC. Similarly, the minimum concentrations of phenolic compounds to prevent UPEC adhesion and biofilm formation (MBIC) were 11.03 and 7.13 mM of protocatechuic and vanillic acids, respectively, whereas no MBIC of catechin was found. However, combinations of 1.62 mM protocatechuic acid + 0.74 mM vanillic acid + 0.05 mM catechin showed a synergistic effect acting as MBIC. On the other hand, the minimum concentrations to eradicate biofilms (MBEC) were 25.95 and 23.78 mM, respectively. The combination of 3.20 mM protocatechuic acid, 2.97 mM vanillic acid, and 1.72 mM catechin eradicated pre-formed biofilms. The antioxidant capacity of the combination of phenolics was higher than the expected theoretical values, indicating synergism by the DPPH•, ABTS, and FRAP assays. Effective concentrations of catechin, protocatechuic, and vanillic acids were reduced from 8 to 1378 times when combined. In contrast, the antibiotic nitrofurantoin was not effective in eradicating biofilms from silicone surfaces. In conclusion, the mixture of phenolic compounds was more effective in preventing cell adhesion and eradicating pre-formed biofilms of uropathogenic E. coli than single compounds and nitrofurantoin, and showed antioxidant synergy.
Process Optimization for Improved Phenolic Compounds Recovery from Walnut (Juglans regia L.) Septum: Phytochemical Profile and Biological Activities
Authors: Rusu Marius Emil , Gheldiu Ana-Maria , Mocan Andrei , Moldovan Cadmiel , Popa Daniela-Saveta , Tomuta Ioan , Vlase Laurian
Published: October 2018

Plant by-products can be valuable sources of polyphenol bioactive compounds. Walnut (Juglans regia L.) is a very important tree nut rich in biologically active molecules, but its septum was scarcely researched. Experimental data indicated a hypoglycemic effect of septum extracts, with almost no details about its phytochemical composition. The main objectives of this study were: (1) to obtain walnut septum (WS) extracts with high content in bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity based on an original experimental design; (2) characterization of the phytochemical profile of the WS extracts using HPLC-MS/MS; (3) evaluation of the biological potential of the richest polyphenolic WS extract. The variables of the experimental design were: extraction method (maceration and Ultra-Turrax extraction), temperature, solvent (acetone and ethanol), and percentage of water in the solvent. The first quantifiable responses were: total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, condensed tannins, and ABTS antioxidant capacity. The phytochemical profile of lyophilized extracts obtained by Ultra-Turrax extraction (UTE), the most efficient method, was further determined by HPLC-MS/MS analysis of individual polyphenolic and phytosterols compounds. It is the first study to assay the detailed composition of WS in hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds. The biological potential of the richest polyphenolic WS extract was also evaluated by FRAP and DPPH antioxidant capacity and the inhibition of tyrosinase, an enzyme involved in the browning in fruits and vegetables, skin wrinkles and aging. Conclusion: The phytochemical profile of the analyzed extracts proves that WS can be a valuable source of biologically active compounds (polyphenols) for food and/or pharmaceutical industry and warrant the continuation of current research in further evaluating its bioactive potential.
A Design of Experiment Approach for Ionic Liquid-Based Extraction of Toxic Components-Minimized Essential Oil from Myristica fragrans Houtt. Fruits †
Authors: Lanari Daniela , Marcotullio Maria Carla , Neri Andrea
Published: October 2018

The effect of the addition of ionic liquids (ILs) during the hydrodistillation of Myristica fragrans Houtt. (nutmeg) essential oil was studied. The essential oil of M. fragrans is characterized by the presence of terpenes, terpenoids, and of phenylpropanoids, such as methyl eugenol and safrole, that are regarded as genotoxic and carcinogenic. The aim of the work was to determine the best ionic liquid to improve the yield of the extraction of M. fragrans essential oil and decrease the extraction of toxic phenylpropanoids. Six ILs, namely 1,3-dimethylimidazolium chloride (1), 1,3-dimethylimidazolium dimethylphosphate (2), 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-methylimidazolium chloride (3), 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-methylimidazolium dimethylphosphate (4), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (5), and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium dimethylphosphate (6), were prepared by previously reported, innovative methods and then tested. An experimental design was used to optimize the extraction yield and to decrease the phenylpropanoids percentage using the synthesized ILs. The influence of the molarity of ILs was also studied. MODDE 12 software established 0.5 M 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride as the best co-solvent for the hydrodistillation of M. fragrans essential oil.
Chemical and Biological Evaluation of Essential Oils from Cardamom Species
Authors: Noumi Emira , Snoussi Mejdi , Alreshidi Mousa M. , Rekha Punchappady-Devasya , Saptami Kanekar , Caputo Lucia , De Martino Laura , Souza Lucéia Fatima , Msaada Kamel , Mancini Emilia , Flamini Guido , Al-sieni Abdulbasit , De Feo Vincenzo
Published: October 2018

To highlight the importance of the spices in the Mediterranean diet, the aim of the paper was to study the essential oil compositions and to clarify the potential differences in the biological activities of the three cardamom species. In the study, we compared the phytochemical profiles and biological activities of essential oils from Elettaria cardamomum, Aframomum corrorima and Amomum subulatum. The oils were analyzed using the GC and GC/MS techniques and were mainly constituted of the oxygenated monoterpenes which represents 71.4%, 63.0%, and 51.0% of all compounds detected in E. cardamomum, A. corrorima and A. subulatum essential oils, respectively, 1,8-cineole was the main common compound between the tree tested volatile oil. The essential oils showed significant antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms tested especially the fungal strains. The Ethiopian cardamom was the most active essential oil with fungal growth inhibition zone ranging from 12.67 to 34.33 mm, MICs values ranging from 0.048 to 0.19 mg/mL, and MBCs values from 0.19 to 1.75 mg/mL. The three tested essential oils and their main component (1,8-cineole) significantly increased the production of elastase and protease production, and motility in P. aeruginosa PAO1 in a dose dependent manner. In fact, at 10 mg/mL concentration, the three essential oils showed more than 50% of inhibition of elastolytic and proteolytic activities in P. aeruginosa PAO1. The same oils inhibited also the violacein production in C. violaceum strain. It was also noticed that at high concentrations, the A. corrorima essential oil significantly inhibited the germination of radish. A thorough knowledge of the biological and safety profiles of essential oils can produce applications of economic importance.
Genuine and Sequestered Natural Products from the Genus Orobanche (Orobanchaceae, Lamiales)
Authors: Scharenberg Friederike , Zidorn Christian
Published: October 2018

The present review gives an overview about natural products from the holoparasitic genus Orobanche (Orobanchaceae). We cover both genuine natural products as well as compounds sequestered by Orobanche taxa from their host plants. However, the distinction between these two categories is not always easy. In cases where the respective authors had not indicated the opposite, all compounds detected in Orobanche taxa were regarded as genuine Orobanche natural products. From the about 200 species of Orobanche s.l. (i.e., including Phelipanche) known worldwide, only 26 species have so far been investigated phytochemically (22 Orobanche and four Phelipanche species), from 17 Orobanche and three Phelipanche species defined natural products (and not only natural product classes) have been reported. For two species of Orobanche and one of Phelipanche dedicated studies have been performed to analyze the phenomenon of natural product sequestration by parasitic plants from their host plants. In total, 70 presumably genuine natural products and 19 sequestered natural products have been described from Orobanche s.l.; these form the basis of 140 chemosystematic records (natural product reports per taxon). Bioactivities described for Orobanche s.l. extracts and natural products isolated from Orobanche species include in addition to antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, e.g., analgesic, antifungal and antibacterial activities, inhibition of amyloid β aggregation, memory enhancing effects as well as anti-hypertensive effects, inhibition of blood platelet aggregation, and diuretic effects. Moreover, muscle relaxant and anti-spasmodic effects as well as anti-photoaging effects have been described.
Comparative Gene Expression Analysis in WM164 Melanoma Cells Revealed That β-β-Dimethylacrylshikonin Leads to ROS Generation, Loss of Mitochondrial Membrane Potential, and Autophagy Induction
Authors: Kretschmer Nadine , Deutsch Alexander , Durchschein Christin , Rinner Beate , Stallinger Alexander , Higareda-Almaraz Juan Carlos , Scheideler Marcel , Lohberger Birgit , Bauer Rudolf
Published: October 2018

Skin cancer is currently diagnosed as one in every three cancers. Melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer, is responsible for 79% of skin cancer deaths and the incidence is rising faster than in any other solid tumor type. Previously, we have demonstrated that dimethylacrylshikonin (DMAS), isolated from the roots of Onosma paniculata (Boraginaceae), exhibited the lowest IC50 values against different tumor types out of several isolated shikonin derivatives. DMAS was especially cytotoxic towards melanoma cells and led to apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. In this study, we performed a comprehensive gene expression study to investigate the mechanism of action in more detail. Gene expression signature was compared to vehicle-treated WM164 control cells after 24 h of DMAS treatment; where 1192 distinct mRNAs could be identified as expressed in all replicates and 89 were at least 2-fold differentially expressed. DMAS favored catabolic processes and led in particular to p62 increase which is involved in cell growth, survival, and autophagy. More in-depth experiments revealed that DMAS led to autophagy, ROS generation, and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential in different melanoma cells. It has been reported that the induction of an autophagic cell death represents a highly effective approach in melanoma therapy.
8e Protects against Acute Cerebral Ischemia by Inhibition of PI3Kγ-Mediated Superoxide Generation in Microglia
Authors: Wang Linna , Wang Xiaoli , Li Tingting , Zhang Yihua , Ji Hui
Published: October 2018

The inflammatory response mediated by microglia plays a critical role in the progression of ischemic stroke. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase gamma (PI3Kγ) has been implicated in multiple inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, making it a promising target for therapeutic intervention. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of 8e, a hydrogen sulfide (H2S) releasing derivative of 3-n-butylphthalide (NBP), on brain damage and PI3Kγ signaling following cerebral ischemia injury. 8e significantly reduced sensorimotor deficits, focal infarction, brain edema and neural apoptosis at 72 h after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). The NOX2 isoform of the NADPH oxidase family is considered a major enzymatic source of superoxide. We found that the release of superoxide, together with the expression of NOX2 subunits p47phox, p-p47phox, and the upstream PI3Kγ/AKT signaling were all down-regulated by 8e, both in the penumbral region of the rat brain and in the primary cultured microglia subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). With the use of siRNA and pharmacological inhibitors, we further demonstrated that 8e regulates the formation of superoxide in activated microglia through the PI3Kγ/AKT/NOX2 signaling pathway and subsequently prevents neuronal death in neighboring neurons. Our experimental data indicate that 8e is a potential candidate for the treatment of ischemic stroke and PI3Kγ-mediated neuroinflammation.
Polarizable ab initio QM/MM Study of the Reaction Mechanism of N-tert-Butyloxycarbonylation of Aniline in [EMIm][BF4]
Authors: Vázquez-Montelongo Erik Antonio , Vázquez-Cervantes José Enrique , Cisneros G. Andrés
Published: October 2018

N-t e r t-butoxycarbonylation of amines in solution (water, organic solvents, or ionic liquids) is a common reaction for the preparation of drug molecules. To understand the reaction mechanism and the role of the solvent, quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical simulations using a polarizable multipolar force field with long–range electrostatic corrections were used to optimize the minimum energy paths (MEPs) associated with various possible reaction mechanisms employing the nudged elastic band (NEB) and the quadratic string method (QSM). The calculated reaction energies and energy barriers were compared with the corresponding gas-phase and dichloromethane results. Complementary Electron Localization Function (ELF)/NCI analyses provide insights on the critical structures along the MEP. The calculated results suggest the most likely path involves a sequential mechanism with the rate–limiting step corresponding to the nucleophilic attack of the aniline, followed by proton transfer and the release of CO 2 without the direct involvement of imidazolium cations as catalysts.
Appetite and Subsequent Food Intake Were Unaffected by the Amount of Sourdough and Rye in Soft Bread—A Randomized Cross-Over Breakfast Study
Authors: Iversen Kia Nøhr , Johansson Daniel , Brunius Carl , Andlid Thomas , Andersson Roger , Langton Maud , Landberg Rikard
Published: October 2018

Sourdough fermented bread has been suggested to have beneficial health effects, in part mediated by increased satiety in the postprandial phase, but only limited research has been conducted to verify this. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of the amounts of sourdough and rye in soft bread on postprandial appetite. On 6 occasions, 23 healthy volunteers consumed 5 different test breads, with varying amount of rye and sourdough, and a yeast-fermented refined wheat control bread as part of a breakfast meal. The sourdough ranged between 9–51% of dough weight and rye content between 35–48% of flour weight. Appetite was recorded using visual analogue scales from immediately before breakfast and every 30 min the following 4 h. An ad libitum lunch was served 4 h after the breakfast meal, from which voluntary energy intake was measured. While some of the test breads resulted in lower hunger ratings and increased sense of fullness compared to the refined wheat bread, there were no differences between the test breads. The content of rye in the test breads differed within a narrow range, which might explain the lack of a consistent effect of rye on appetite. Microstructural examination of the test breads showed an increased aggregation of proteins in the breads with high content of sourdough, indicating additional changes to the breads, beyond change in pH, which may counteract the potential effect of decreased pH in the bread on appetite. In conclusion, our study does not support an effect of sourdough on appetite and ad libitum food intake.
Discursive Space and Its Consequences for Understanding Knowledge and Information
Authors: Maciag Rafal
Published: October 2018

The paper develops the idea of discursive space by describing the manner of existence of this space and the world of facts. The ontology of discursive space is based on the idea of discourse by Foucault. Discourse, being a language phenomenon, is a form of existence of knowledge. The discursive space is a representation of knowledge and can be interpreted as the system of acquiring this knowledge. This space is connected with the world of facts by a relationship of supervenience, which can be interpreted as a flow of knowledge. At the same time, the existence of the world of facts (world of affairs) assumes that it covers all phenomena and processes, and therefore, necessarily, also the discursive space. Hence, this space is not a separate system but a system that emerges from the world in order to allow the gathering of specific knowledge about it. Treating the discursive space as one of the possible cognitive systems, one can imagine other systems of knowledge that emerge from the world (the whole), as parts subordinated to particular goals (the use of knowledge), which can have a multilevel character. The flow of knowledge on the border of such a system and the whole of it can be interpreted as information. This paper tries to justify this possibility, which could lead to a general model of the flow of the knowledge.
On Stiffness of Optical Self-Injection Locking
Authors: Savchenkov Anatoliy , Williams Skip , Matsko Andrey
Published: October 2018

Spectrally pure semiconductor lasers produced via self-injection locking to high quality factor monolithic optical resonators demonstrate sub-kHz instantaneous linewidth. The lasers are used in photonic sensor systems and microwave photonic oscillators benefitting from the improved spectral purity, the stability and the reduced environmental sensitivity of the lasers. The laser frequency stability is defined by both the optical resonator and the optical path of the entire system comprising the laser, the resonator, and the miscellaneous optical components. The impacts of the various destabilization factors are usually convoluted, and it is hardly possible to separate them. In this paper, we report on an experimental study of an influence of the variations of the optical path on the laser frequency stability. We have created a whispering gallery mode optical resonator having the record small thermal sensitivity, on the order of 0.1 ppm/ ∘ C, and demonstrated a self-injection locked laser based on this resonator. The measured laser stability is characterized with 1 s Allan deviation of 10 − 12 , limited by the thermal sensitivity of the optical path between the laser and the resonator. The thermal stabilization on the order of 10 μ K at 1 s is achieved using a standard thermo-electric element. The long term drift of the laser frequency is determined by both the fluctuations of the atmospheric pressure in the laboratory impacting the monolithic resonator and by the optical path instability.
Carrier Transport and Molecular Displacement Modulated dc Electrical Breakdown of Polypropylene Nanocomposites
Authors: Min Daomin , Yan Chenyu , Mi Rui , Ma Chao , Huang Yin , Li Shengtao , Wu Qingzhou , Xing Zhaoliang
Published: October 2018

Dielectric energy storage capacitors have advantages such as ultra-high power density, extremely fast charge and discharge speed, long service lifespan and are significant for pulsed power system, smart power grid, and power electronics. Polypropylene (PP) is one of the most widely used dielectric materials for dielectric energy storage capacitors. It is of interest to investigate how to improve its electrical breakdown strength by nanodoping and the influencing mechanism of nanodoping on the electrical breakdown properties of polymer nanocomposites. PP/Al2O3 nanocomposite dielectric materials with various weight fraction of nanoparticles are fabricated by melt-blending and hot-pressing methods. Thermally stimulated current, surface potential decay, and dc electrical breakdown experiments show that deep trap properties and associated molecular chain motion are changed by incorporating nanofillers into polymer matrix, resulting in the variations in conductivity and dc electrical breakdown field of nanocomposite dielectrics. Then, a charge transport and molecular displacement modulated electrical breakdown model is utilized to simulate the dc electrical breakdown behavior. It is found that isolated interfacial regions formed in nanocomposite dielectrics at relatively low loadings reduce the effective carrier mobility and strengthen the interaction between molecular chains, hindering the transport of charges and the displacement of molecular chains with occupied deep traps. Accordingly, the electrical breakdown strength is enhanced at relatively low loadings. Interfacial regions may overlap in nanocomposite dielectrics at relatively high loadings so that the effective carrier mobility decreases and the interaction between molecular chains may be weakened. Consequently, the molecular motion is accelerated by electric force, leading to the decrease in electrical breakdown strength. The experiments and simulations reveals that the influence of nanodoping on dc electrical breakdown properties may origin from the changes in the charge transport and molecular displacement characteristics caused by interfacial regions in nanocomposite dielectrics.
Local Fixed Pivot Quadrature Method of Moments for Solution of Population Balance Equation
Authors: Su Junwei , Le Wang , Gu Zhaolin , Chen Chungang
Published: October 2018

A local fixed pivot quadrature method of moments (LFPQMOM) is proposed for the solution of the population balance equation (PBE) for the aggregation and breakage process. First, the sectional representation for aggregation and breakage is presented. The continuous summation of the Dirac Delta function is adopted as the discrete form of the continuous particle size distribution in the local section as performed in short time Fourier transformation (STFT) and the moments in local sections are tracked successfully. Numerical simulation of benchmark test cases including aggregation, breakage, and aggregation breakage combined processes demonstrate that the new method could make good predictions for the moments along with particle size distribution without further assumption. The accuracy in the numerical results of the moments is comparable to or higher than the quadrature method of moment (QMOM) in most of the test cases. In theory, any number of moments can be tracked with the new method, but the computational expense can be relatively large due to many scalar equations that may be included.
Women’s Studies in the Muslim World: A Bibliometric Perspective
Authors: Arik Engin , Akboga Sema
Published: October 2018

This study investigates the scientific outputs made by scholars residing in Muslim countries in the field of Women’s Studies as represented in the Web of Knowledge between 1900 and 2016. Focusing on countries whose population was at least 50% Muslim, we found 741 publications in this field. However, scholars in 16 out of 49 (32.65%) Muslim countries did not publish any works in Women’s Studies. Although the first work appeared in 1977, an exponential increase in the number of such publications was seen from 2008 on. Most of the articles were written by scholars in Turkey (188, 30.9%), followed by those in Malaysia (59, 9.7%), Nigeria (51, 8.4%), Lebanon (43, 7.07%), Bangladesh (42, 6.91%), and Iran (40, 6.58%) in the fields of Public, Environment & Occupation Health (37.1%), General Internal Medicine (17%), Obstetrics Gynecology (17%), and Psychology (9.4%). The most frequently used words in the titles and abstracts and as keywords were women, women’s, Turkey, gender, violence, and health. We predict that the number of such publications will continue increasing in the coming years.
Land Cover Mapping with Higher Order Graph-Based Co-Occurrence Model
Authors: Zhao Wenzhi , Emery William J. , Bo Yanchen , Chen Jiage
Published: October 2018

Deep learning has become a standard processing procedure in land cover mapping for remote sensing images. Instead of relying on hand-crafted features, deep learning algorithms, such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) can automatically generate effective feature representations, in order to recognize objects with complex image patterns. However, the rich spatial information still remains unexploited, since most of the deep learning algorithms only focus on small image patches that overlook the contextual information at larger scales. To utilize these contextual information and improve the classification performance for high-resolution imagery, we propose a graph-based model in order to capture the contextual information over semantic segments of the image. First, we explore semantic segments which build on the top of deep features and obtain the initial classification result. Then, we further improve the initial classification results with a higher-order co-occurrence model by extending the existing conditional random field (HCO-CRF) algorithm. Compared to the pixel- and object-based CNN methods, the proposed model achieved better performance in terms of classification accuracy.
Target Localization and Tracking by Fusing Doppler Differentials from Cellular Emanations with a Multi-Spectral Video Tracker
Authors: Demars Casey D. , Roggemann Michael C. , Webb Adam J. , Havens Timothy C.
Published: October 2018

We present an algorithm for fusing data from a constellation of RF sensors detecting cellular emanations with the output of a multi-spectral video tracker to localize and track a target with a specific cell phone. The RF sensors measure the Doppler shift caused by the moving cellular emanation and then Doppler differentials between all sensor pairs are calculated. The multi-spectral video tracker uses a Gaussian mixture model to detect foreground targets and SIFT features to track targets through the video sequence. The data is fused by associating the Doppler differential from the RF sensors with the theoretical Doppler differential computed from the multi-spectral tracker output. The absolute difference and the root-mean-square difference are computed to associate the Doppler differentials from the two sensor systems. Performance of the algorithm was evaluated using synthetically generated datasets of an urban scene with multiple moving vehicles. The presented fusion algorithm correctly associates the cellular emanation with the corresponding video target for low measurement uncertainty and in the presence of favorable motion patterns. For nearly all objects the fusion algorithm has high confidence in associating the emanation with the correct multi-spectral target from the most probable background target.
Hybrid System for Engagement Recognition During Cognitive Tasks Using a CFS + KNN Algorithm
Authors: Zennifa Fadilla , Ageno Sho , Hatano Shota , Iramina Keiji
Published: October 2018

Engagement is described as a state in which an individual involved in an activity can ignore other influences. The engagement level is important to obtaining good performance especially under study conditions. Numerous methods using electroencephalograph (EEG), electrocardiograph (ECG), and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for the recognition of engagement have been proposed. However, the results were either unsatisfactory or required many channels. In this study, we introduce the implementation of a low-density hybrid system for engagement recognition. We used a two-electrode wireless EEG, a wireless ECG, and two wireless channels NIRS to measure engagement recognition during cognitive tasks. We used electrooculograms (EOG) and eye tracking to record eye movements for data labeling. We calculated the recognition accuracy using the combination of correlation-based feature selection and k-nearest neighbor algorithm. Following that, we did a comparative study against a stand-alone system. The results show that the hybrid system had an acceptable accuracy for practical use (71.65 ± 0.16%). In comparison, the accuracy of a pure EEG system was (65.73 ± 0.17%), pure ECG (67.44 ± 0.19%), and pure NIRS (66.83 ± 0.17%). Overall, our results demonstrate that the proposed method can be used to improve performance in engagement recognition.
Islamophobia in Australia: From Far-Right Deplorables to Respectable Liberals
Authors: Poynting Scott , Briskman Linda
Published: October 2018

In Australia since about the turn of the millennium, discrimination against Muslims has been increasingly normalized, made respectable, and presented as prudent precaution against violent extremism. Vilification of Muslims has posed as defending ‘Australian values’ against those who will not integrate. Liberal political leaders and press leader-writers who formerly espoused cultural pluralism now routinely hold up as inimical the Muslim folk devil by whose otherness the boundaries of acceptability of the national culture may be marked out and policed. The Muslim Other is positioned not only as culturally incommensurate, but dangerously so: dishonest, criminally inclined, violent, misogynist, homophobic, backward, uncivilized. On the far right, extremist nationalist organizations incite racist hatred under cover of this rhetoric, often cloaked as reasonable common sense. This paper undertakes an ideology analysis of political and media discussion, and examines the forms of social control that they advance and sustain.
Theoretical and Methodological Model for the Study of Social Perception of the Impact of Industrial Tourism on Local Development
Authors: Andrade María , Caamaño-Franco Iria
Published: October 2018

Tourism is considered to be an engine for socioeconomic development and a tool to alleviate the problems of different regions and, specifically, of industrial zones. Furthermore, from this standpoint, industrial tourism tries to harness any potential cultural interest that visitors may have in industrial heritage. Using this as a starting point, the general objective of this research is to analyse industrial tourism’s contribution to local development in four case studies that form part of the industrial tourism in Spain and Portugal. For this purpose, a quantitative methodology has been proposed and designed through surveying the local population, the results of which show that the tourism type analysed has positive impacts on each of the local development capitals or dimensions (symbolic, heritage, social, human, economic and infrastructure). Likewise, it has also been discovered that the impacts perceived by the local population are related to the intrinsic characteristics of the territory itself, due to the destination’s degree of tourist development, as well as to the attitudes shown by the local population towards industrial tourism, among other factors.
Profiling Rest Intervals between Sets and Associated Factors in Resistance Training Participants
Authors: Silva Wellington , Viana Ricardo , Santos Douglas , Vancini Rodrigo , Andrade Marília , De Lira Claudio
Published: October 2018

The aims of this study were: (1) to report on and analyse rest interval (RI) control between sets adopted by resistance training (RT) participants; (2) to evaluate how RT participants control RIs; and (3) to describe the factors associated with controlling RIs, such as, gender, RT experience, and professional guidance. Four hundred and fifteen volunteers (198 women and 217 men) answered a questionnaire about RI control. Among the participants, 89.9% (n = 373) reported receiving guidance during physical training, of which 74.5% (n = 278) received instruction from a sports and exercise professional. The proportion of subjects that reported controlling RIs was 71.6% (n = 297). Most subjects that reported controlling RIs (95.0%, n = 282) reported adopting an RI of 60 s or less. There is no association of RI control with gender and professional guidance. The RI adopted by most of the participants might be considered short (<60 s), which is not in line with most RT guidelines. The results of the current study could be used to improve attitudes toward RT.
Visualizing Physical Activity Patterns among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Pilot Study
Authors: Haga Monika , Vrotsou Katerina , Bredland Ebba
Published: October 2018

Regular physical activity relates to physical and mental functioning in older people, and promoting physical activity has the potential to substantially reduce functional decline and improve well-being. Despite this, investigations of the physical activity quotient through participation in functional activities in everyday life have traditionally gained limited focus among older populations compared to leisure-time physical activity and exercise. Considering the accumulated evidence of the health benefits of low-intensity physical activity, exploring and measuring such activities in this population is highly relevant. The aim of this study was to visualize and describe older people’s physical activity patterns in daily life using a time-geographic approach in combination with the estimation of metabolic equivalents (METS). To exemplify the new method, a sample of nine retired men (65–82 years old, mean age 76.4 ± 5.8) with no homecare services from the municipality was recruited. In order to enable a visual analysis of the physical activity patterns in daily life, we developed the VISUAL-PA software, which is a visual analysis tool that includes METS to account for intensity and enables the analysis of distinct types and domains of physical activity. The VISUAL-PA software creates graphic outputs of physical activity patterns that enable the identification, visualization, and analysis of distinct types and intensities of physical activity in addition to sedentary behavior. The use of VISUAL-PA can contribute to a broader understanding of the complexity in physical activity patterns among older adults in terms of dimensions such as activity patterns and habits, domains, and intensity level. To strengthen the public health strategies that promote health and an active lifestyle, additional knowledge about physical activity patterns is necessary. Moreover, the visualization of physical activity can enable reflections on and awareness of activity habits and preferences, and thus facilitate behavior changes in older individuals.
Historical Arable Land Change in an Eco-Fragile Area: A Case Study in Zhenlai County, Northeastern China
Authors: Yang Yuanyuan , Zhang Shuwen
Published: October 2018

Long-term land changes are cumulatively a major driver of global environmental change. Historical land-cover/use change is important for assessing present landscape conditions and researching ecological environment issues, especially in eco-fragile areas. Arable land is one of the land types influenced by human agricultural activity, reflecting human effects on land-use and land-cover change. This paper selected Zhenlai County, which is part of the farming–pastoral zone of northern China, as the research region. As agricultural land transformation goes with the establishment of settlements, in this research, the historical progress of land transformation in agricultural areas was analyzed from the perspective of settlement evolution, and the historical reconstruction of arable land was established using settlement as the proxy between their inner relationships, which could be reflected by the farming radius. The results show the following. (1) There was little land transformation from nonagricultural areas into agricultural areas until the Qing government lifted the ban on cultivation and mass migration accelerated the process, which was most significant during 1907–1912; (2) The overall trend of land transformation in this region is from northeast to southwest; (3) Taking the topographic maps as references, the spatial distribution of the reconstructed arable land accounts for 47.79% of the maps. When this proxy-based reconstruction method is applied to other regions, its limitations should be noticed. It is important to explore the research of farming radius calculations based on regional characteristics. To achieve land-system sustainability, long-term historical land change trajectories and characteristics should be applied to future policy making.
Effects of Using Task-Driven Classroom Teaching on Students’ Learning Attitudes and Learning Effectiveness in an Information Technology Course
Authors: Liu He-Hai , Su Yu-Sheng
Published: October 2018

The Internet era of the modern day means that information technology no longer depends on computer theory. Instead, new education methods are used for innovative application. Therefore, the task-driven classroom teaching method is integrated into information technology teaching of junior middle school by designing specific cases. From the theoretical knowledge teaching and the comprehensive operational practice teaching, we explore the effect of using the task-driven classroom learning method on students’ learning attitudes and learning effectiveness in an information technology course. The experimental results show that using the task-driven classroom teaching method has significant positive correlation on student learning performance, learning interest, and creative thinking. This idea can stimulate interest in learning and improve the comprehensive quality of students; thus, it can promote the reform of information technology education and curriculums. For a more detailed discussion, the results will be discussed in this paper.
Measuring Sustainable Development Goals at a Local Level: A Case of a Metropolitan Area in Romania
Authors: Nagy Júlia A. , Benedek József , Ivan Kinga
Published: October 2018

Metropolitan areas became the breeding ground for economic, political, and cultural concentration as well as for creativity and innovation. Therefore, sustainability within the urban dimension plays a crucial role in the overall success to attain the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and their targets under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015. Nevertheless, for cities, regions, or countries to monitor and measure their progress, there is a need for harmonized and reliable indicators. Consequently, the current study addresses sustainability on a local level by measuring the extent to which a Romanian metropolitan area achieves the SDGs agreed to in 2015 by the 193-member states of the United Nations. The paper analyses 16 out of the 17 SD (Sustainable Development) goals as the goal titled “Life below water” was not applicable. Relying on mainly quantitative data, we used the method of normalization and aggregation based on the arithmetic mean, which helped us to calculate the scores attained by each of the component localities of the metropolitan area within the SDGs and their overall SDG index. Next to this, the study combines the quantitative data analysis with a GIS (Geographic Information System) computer mapping technique. The results show that the municipality achieved the best results in the metropolitan area and a vertical development process from west to the east prevails. Measuring progress through a well-defined set of indicators and an optimization technique proved to be crucial in defining attainments’ levels within the metropolitan area.
Sustainability Managed against Downside Risk and the Cost of Equity: Evidence in Korea
Authors: Thuy Truong Thi Thu , Kim Jungmu
Published: October 2018

This study examines the relationship between sustainability managed against downside risk and the cost of equity in the Korean stock market during the 2000–2016 period. We employ downside co-skewness and downside beta as a measure of downside risk, to analyze the cross-sectional relationship between them and average portfolio stock returns. We have also carried out Fama–MacBeth regressions to find the required return for bearing downside risk. The results show that downside co-skewness can be used more effectively than downside beta to explain a cross-section of stock returns or cost of equity. The required premium for bearing downside risk, as measured by downside co-skewness, is approximately 19% per annum in the Korean stock market. This finding suggests that sustainable companies can raise their capital in the form of equity at 19% lower costs, and also implies that increasing sustainability can reduce the cost of capital.
Inclusive Growth in CEE Countries as a Determinant of Sustainable Development
Authors: Cichowicz Ewa , Rollnik-Sadowska Ewa
Published: October 2018

Pursuant to the concept of inclusive growth, the authors analyze the transition economies of Central and Eastern European countries, which have become EU members (Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia). CEE countries characterized by comparable historic and economic backgrounds now seem to reach diversified stages of development. The objective of the study is to identify the level of inclusive growth among CEE countries by taking into account indicators assigned to its seven pillars. The article’s thesis is that CEE countries represent social and economic heterogeneity as well as varied levels of sustainable development. Research methods included the application of the principal components analysis and the multivariate analysis. For a literature review, the bibliometric analysis was conducted with the visualization prepared by the VOSviewer software. The main findings suggest that Estonia, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic seem to exhibit the highest level of inclusive growth while Bulgaria and Romania represent the lowest level of indicators measured.
Certain Aspects of Family Policy Incentives for Childbearing—A Hungarian Study with an International Outlook
Authors: Sági Judit , Lentner Csaba
Published: October 2018

Decreasing trends in birth rates in developed countries during the past decades, which threaten the sustainability of their populations, raise concerns in the areas of employment and social security, among others. A decrease in willingness to bear children has been examined in the international literature from several (biological, socio-cultural, economic, and spatial, etc.) aspects. Among these, the question of the effectiveness of fiscal incentives has been raised, with arguments that these are positive, but not significant, to birth rates; our study also concludes this. In Hungary, from 2010 onwards, the government has introduced very high tax allowances for families and, from 2015, has provided direct subsidies for housing purposes, all within a framework of a new family policy regime. This paper presents an evaluation of family policy interventions (e.g., housing support, tax allowances, other child-raising benefits), with the conclusion that fiscal incentives cannot be effective by themselves; a sustainable level of birth rates can only be maintained, but not necessarily increased, with an optimal design of family policy incentives. By studying the Hungarian example of pro-birth policies there is shown to be a policy gap in housing subsidies.