bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hierarchical Cosine Similarity Entropy for Feature Extraction of Ship-Radiated Noise
Authors: Chen Zhe , Li Yaan , Liang Hongtao , Yu Jing
Published: June 2018

The classification performance of passive sonar can be improved by extracting the features of ship-radiated noise. Traditional feature extraction methods neglect the nonlinear features in ship-radiated noise, such as entropy. The multiscale sample entropy (MSE) algorithm has been widely used for quantifying the entropy of a signal, but there are still some limitations. To remedy this, the hierarchical cosine similarity entropy (HCSE) is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the hierarchical decomposition is utilized to decompose a time series into some subsequences. Then, the sample entropy (SE) is modified by utilizing Shannon entropy rather than conditional entropy and employing angular distance instead of Chebyshev distance. Finally, the complexity of each subsequence is quantified by the modified SE. Simulation results show that the HCSE method overcomes some limitations in MSE. For example, undefined entropy is not likely to occur in HCSE, and it is more suitable for short time series. Compared with MSE, the experimental results illustrate that the classification accuracy of real ship-radiated noise is significantly improved from 75% to 95.63% by using HCSE. Consequently, the proposed HCSE can be applied in practical applications.
New Energy Corridors in the Euro-Mediterranean Area: The Pivotal Role of Sicily
Authors: Favuzza Salvatore , Ippolito Mariano Giuseppe , Massaro Fabio , Mineo Liliana , Musca Rossano , Zizzo Gaetano
Published: June 2018

The present paper deals with the new opportunities deriving from the interconnections of the European and North African transmission systems. In order to achieve a single international market for electricity exchanges, interconnections between networks in different countries are becoming increasingly important and Sicily, for its geographical position in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, will undoubtedly play an important role as an electrical bridge between Europe and the North Africa in the near future. The paper, presenting the actual electro-energetic context of Tunisia, reports the new important interconnection already realized in South Italy (in particular in Sicily) and describe the planned interventions of the near future. In the second part of the paper, using the Neplan software package (10.7.4, NEPLAN AG, CH-8700 Küsnacht (ZH), Switzerland) for simulating the grid, some load flows are carried out to check some operating scenarios (2020 and 2025) considering energy flows from north to south, avoiding system violations.
Deforestation-Induced Fragmentation Increases Forest Fire Occurrence in Central Brazilian Amazonia
Authors: Silva Junior Celso H. L. , Aragão Luiz E. O. C. , Fonseca Marisa G. , Almeida Catherine T. , Vedovato Laura B. , Anderson Liana O.
Published: June 2018

Amazonia is home to more than half of the world’s remaining tropical forests, playing a key role as reservoirs of carbon and biodiversity. However, whether at a slower or faster pace, continued deforestation causes forest fragmentation in this region. Thus, understanding the relationship between forest fragmentation and fire incidence and intensity in this region is critical. Here, we use MODIS Active Fire Product (MCD14ML, Collection 6) as a proxy of forest fire incidence and intensity (measured as Fire Radiative Power—FRP), and the Brazilian official Land-use and Land-cover Map to understand the relationship among deforestation, fragmentation, and forest fire on a deforestation frontier in the Brazilian Amazonia. Our results showed that forest fire incidence and intensity vary with levels of habitat loss and forest fragmentation. About 95% of active fires and the most intense ones (FRP > 500 megawatts) were found in the first kilometre from the edges in forest areas. Changes made in 2012 in the Brazilian main law regulating the conservation of forests within private properties reduced the obligation to recover illegally deforested areas, thus allowing for the maintenance of fragmented areas in the Brazilian Amazonia. Our results reinforce the need to guarantee low levels of fragmentation in the Brazilian Amazonia in order to avoid the degradation of its forests by fire and the related carbon emissions.
Anthropogenic and Biophysical Factors Associated with Vegetation Restoration in Changting, China
Authors: Wang Wenhui , Ma Xiangqing , Moazzam Nizami Syed , Tian Chao , Guo Futao
Published: June 2018

Changting has been promoted by the Chinese government as a demonstration for the soil and water conservation works in recent years. As the experience in Changting is now being explored and summarized and will be further promoted to the nation, it is important to understand the factors affecting the vegetation restoration process. Random forest and multiple linear regression approaches were applied to investigate the influential factors and their relative importance on the dynamic change of vegetation coverage of Changting during the period of 2000–2010. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was used to calculate Fractional Vegetation Cover (FVC) dynamics in response to topographic, climatic, infrastructure, and economic factors. The results show that overall, there was a dramatic increase in the FVC of Changting from 2000–2010. The percentage of the FVC-increased area reached 87.86% with an increase rate of 0.142. Factors such as precipitation, temperature, elevation, slope and financial investment for soil conservation were important drivers of local FVC change. Our findings reveal that climatic factors along with the strict implementation of government policies played a role in driving vegetation cover dynamics, and the continuation of implementation of soil erosion management in Changting is required.
Responses of Two Litter-Based Invertebrate Communities to Changes in Canopy Cover in a Forest Subject to Hurricanes
Authors: Richardson Barbara , Richardson Michael , González Grizelle
Published: June 2018

Tropical forests are subject to seasonal hurricanes resulting in cycles of canopy opening and deposition of litter, followed by periods of recovery and canopy closure. Herein, we review two studies of litter-based communities in Puerto Rico; (i) a survey of bromeliad invertebrates in three montane forest types along an elevational gradient in 1993–1997, during a period of canopy recovery after two severe hurricanes, and the results compared with those from a resurvey in 2010, and (ii) a large scale canopy trimming experiment in the lower montane (Tabonuco) forest designed to simulate an hurricane event, and to separate the effects of canopy opening from debris deposition. Measurements of changes in invertebrate community parameters and decay rates of litter were made in a litter bag experiment as part of this major experiment. As the canopy closed, during the periods of study, bromeliad density reduced, especially in the Tabonuco forest. This was associated with a decline in both alpha and gamma invertebrate diversity, which appears to have involved the loss of rarer species. In the Tabonuco forest, two endemic bromeliad specialists were not found during resampling in 2010, though the most common species were remarkably stable over the two decades. Canopy opening significantly altered the diversity, biomass, and composition of litter communities, irrespective of litter deposition. It particularly reduced organisms responsible for comminution of litter and increased the activity of fungivores and microbiovores. Both studies showed that canopy disturbance, either indirectly or directly, adversely affects invertebrate diversity and detrital processing.
A Multiple Access Protocol Based on Gray Forecast for Satellite Network
Authors: Han Chong , Li Zilong , Zhou Jian , Sun Lijuan , Chen Siyu
Published: June 2018

A satellite network’s multiple access protocol must be well designed to efficiently occupy channel resources and meet various qualities of service requirements. In this paper, a combined free/demand assignment multiple access protocol based on gray forecast is proposed. In terms of access, the adoption of the gray forecast method allows the user to book the number of timeslots to have more than the existing number of burst of packets. In terms of bandwidth allocation, a user priority allocation method is used to prioritize users with high needs and focus on the allocation of satellite resources. Experimental results show that the proposed protocol can effectively improve the channel utilization of the entire system. Thus, this protocol has some advantages over existing protocols in network throughput and end-to-end delay.
What Temperature of Coffee Exceeds the Pain Threshold? Pilot Study of a Sensory Analysis Method as Basis for Cancer Risk Assessment
Authors: Dirler Julia , Winkler Gertrud , Lachenmeier Dirk W.
Published: June 2018

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) evaluates “very hot (>65 °C) beverages” as probably carcinogenic to humans. However, there is a lack of research regarding what temperatures consumers actually perceive as “very hot” or as “too hot”. A method for sensory analysis of such threshold temperatures was developed. The participants were asked to mix a very hot coffee step by step into a cooler coffee. Because of that, the coffee to be tasted was incrementally increased in temperature during the test. The participants took a sip at every addition, until they perceive the beverage as too hot for consumption. The protocol was evaluated in the form of a pilot study using 87 participants. Interestingly, the average pain threshold of the test group (67 °C) and the preferred drinking temperature (63 °C) iterated around the IARC threshold for carcinogenicity. The developed methodology was found as fit for the purpose and may be applied in larger studies.
Approaching Impersonal Life with Clarice Lispector
Authors: Negrete Fernanda
Published: June 2018

Clarice Lispector’s concern with writing life beyond the limits of identity and representation leads her to posit the univocity of being in a series of surprising corporeal and linguistic gestures to reveal a fundamental shift in time. I explore the convergence between this project in Lispector and both major and minor terms in the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze (from “encounter” and “immanence” to “savage” and “birth”), shedding light on some fundamental aspects of the latter’s transcendental empiricism. Furthermore, focusing especially on the 1973 fiction Água Viva, I show that Lispector’s work insists on impersonal life’s relational condition, which extends to the creation of an original reader-writer relationship, through a mode of receptivity beyond meaning in which feminine and natal approaches are crucial.
Electronic Medical Records in Greece and Oman: A Professional’s Evaluation of Structure and Value
Authors: Koutzampasopoulou Xanthidou Ourania , Shuib Liyana , Xanthidis Dimitrios , Nicholas David
Published: June 2018

An Electronic Medical Record (EMR) is a patient’s database record that can be transmitted securely. There are a diversity of EMR systems for different medical units to choose from. The structure and value of these systems is the focus of this qualitative study, from a medical professional’s standpoint, as well as its economic value and whether it should be shared between health organizations. The study took place in the natural setting of the medical units’ environments. A purposive sample of 40 professionals in Greece and Oman, was interviewed. The study suggests that: (1) The demographics of the EMR should be divided in categories, not all of them accessible and/or visible by all; (2) The EMR system should follow an open architecture so that more categories and subcategories can be added as needed and following a possible business plan (ERD is suggested); (3) The EMR should be implemented gradually bearing in mind both medical and financial concerns; (4) Sharing should be a patient’s decision as the owner of the record. Reaching a certain level of maturity of its implementation and utilization, it is useful to seek the professionals’ assessment on the structure and value of such a system.
The Impact of Austerity on Mental Health Service Provision: A UK Perspective
Authors: Cummins Ian
Published: June 2018

This is a discussion paper which examines the impact of austerity policies on the provision of mental health services in the United Kingdom. Austerity is a shorthand for a series of policies introduced by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Coalition government in the UK from 2010 onwards. In response to the fiscal crisis following the bail out of the banks in 2008, it was argued that significant reductions in public spending were required. The background to these policies is examined before a consideration of their impact on mental health services. These policies had a disproportionate impact on people living in poverty. People with health problems including mental problems are overrepresented in this group. At the same time, welfare and community services are under increasing financial pressures having to respond to increased demand within a context of reduced budgets. There is increasing recognition of the role that social factors and adverse childhood experiences have in the development and trajectory of mental health problems. Mental health social workers, alongside other professionals, seek to explain mental distress by the use of some variant of a biopsychosocial model. The extent of mental health problems as a one of their measures of the impact of inequality. More unequal societies create greater levels of distress. There is a social gradient in the extent of mental health problems—the impact of severe mental illness means that many individuals are unable to work or, if they can return to work, they find it difficult to gain employment because of discrimination. The paper concludes that austerity and associated policies have combined to increase the overall burden of mental distress and marginalisation within the UK.
Feasibility of the Space–Time Cube in Temporal Cultural Landscape Visualization
Authors: Bogucka Edyta P. , Jahnke Mathias
Published: June 2018

Change acts as an inherent characteristic of the landscape, and expresses dynamic interactions between its tangible and intangible elements. While the documentation and analysis of spatiotemporal patterns have been broadly discussed, major challenges concern the design of task-oriented, user-friendly landscape visualizations. Geographic information system (GIS) techniques and approaches from visual analytics may bring solutions to those questions. This paper considers the milestone documents for the representation of cultural heritage, and proposes a workflow for assessing the feasibility of the space–time cube concept in landscape representation. The usability of the visualization was examined during the interview with domain experts and potential interdisciplinary users. The evaluation session covered benchmark tasks, feedback, and eye-tracking. The performance of the space–time cube was compared with another spatiotemporal visualization technique and measured in terms of correctness, response time, and satisfaction. The Royal Castle in Warsaw, which was registered in 1980 as a part of Warsaw’s World Heritage Site of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), served as the case study. The user tests show that the designed space–time cube excels for the completion rate; however, more time is required to provide answers to question tasks focusing on comparisons. Together, the case study and feedback from domain experts and participants demonstrate the benefit of the space–time cube concept in designing landscape visualizations.
Furosine Induced Apoptosis by the Regulation of STAT1/STAT2 and UBA7/UBE2L6 Genes in HepG2 Cells
Authors: Li Huiying , Xing Lei , Zhao Nan , Wang Jiaqi , Zheng Nan
Published: June 2018

As a typical product in the Miallard reaction, research on the quantitative detection of furosine is abundant, while its bioactivities and toxic effects are still unclear. Our own work recently demonstrated the induction of furosine on apoptosis in HepG2 cells, while the related mechanism remained elusive. In this study, the effects of furosine on cell viability and apoptosis were detected to select the proper dosage, and transcriptomics detection and data analysis were performed to screen out the special genes. Additionally, SiRNA fragments of the selected genes were designed and transfected into HepG2 cells to validate the role of these genes in inducing apoptosis. Results showed that furosine inhibited cell viability and induced cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner, as well as activated expressions of the selected genes STAT1 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 1), STAT2 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 2), UBA7 (ubiquitin-like modifier activating enzyme 7), and UBE2L6 (ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2L6), which significantly affected downstream apoptosis factors Caspase-3 (cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-3), Bcl-2 (B-cell lymphoma gene-2), Bax (BCL2-Associated gene X), and Caspase-9 (cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-9). For the first time, we revealed furosine induced apoptosis through two transcriptional regulators (STAT1 and STAT2) and two ubiquitination-related enzymes (UBA7 and UBE2L6).
Downregulations of AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway for Salmonella-Mediated Suppression of Matrix Metalloproteinases-9 Expression in Mouse Tumor Models
Authors: Tsao Yu-Tzu , Kuo Chun-Yu , Cheng Shun-Ping , Lee Che-Hsin
Published: June 2018

The roles of Matrix MetalloProteinases (MMPs), such as MMP-9, in tumor metastasis are well studied, and this in turns stimulates the development of MMP inhibitors as antitumor agents. Previously, Salmonella accumulation was observed in the metastatic nodules of the lungs after systemic administration. Salmonella significantly enhanced the survival of the pulmonary metastatic tumor-bearing mice. Based on our previous observation, we hypothesized that Salmonella could affect metastasis-related protein expression. The treatment of Salmonella clearly reduced the expression of MMP-9. Meanwhile, the MMP-9 related signaling pathways, including Phosph-Protein Kinase B (P-AKT) and Phosph-mammalian Targets Of Rapamycin (P-mTOR) were decreased after a Salmonella treatment. The Salmonella inhibited tumor cell migration by wound-healing and Transwell assay. The anti-metastatic effects of Salmonella were evaluated in mice bearing experimental metastasis tumor models. Consequently, Salmonella inhibited the expression of MMP-9 by reducing the AKT/mTOR pathway and metastatic nodules in vivo.
Tuning the Mechanical Properties of a DNA Hydrogel in Three Phases Based on ATP Aptamer
Authors: Liu Hengyuan , Cao Tianyang , Xu Yun , Dong Yuanchen , Liu Dongsheng
Published: June 2018

By integrating ATP aptamer into the linker DNA, a novel DNA hydrogel was designed, with mechanical properties that could be tuned into three phases. Based on the unique interaction between ATP and its aptamer, the mechanical strength of the hydrogel increased from 204 Pa to 380 Pa after adding ATP. Furthermore, with the addition of the complementary sequence to the ATP aptamer, the mechanical strength could be increased to 570 Pa.
Fewer Functional Deficits and Reduced Cell Death after Ranibizumab Treatment in a Retinal Ischemia Model
Authors: Palmhof Marina , Lohmann Stephanie , Schulte Dustin , Stute Gesa , Wagner Natalie , Dick H. Burkhard , Joachim Stephanie C.
Published: June 2018

Retinal ischemia is an important factor in several eye disorders. To investigate the impact of VEGF inhibitors, as a therapeutic option, we studied these in a retinal ischemia animal model. Therefore, animals received bevacizumab or ranibizumab intravitreally one day after ischemia induction. Via electroretinography, a significant decrease in a- and b-wave amplitudes was detected fourteen days after ischemia, but they were reduced to a lesser extent in the ranibizumab group. Ischemic and bevacizumab retinae displayed fewer retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), while no significant cell loss was noted in the ranibizumab group. Apoptosis was reduced after therapy. More autophagocytotic cells were observed in ischemic and bevacizumab eyes, but not in ranibizumab eyes. Additionally, more microglia, as well as active ones, were revealed in all ischemic groups, but the increase was less prominent under ranibizumab treatment. Fewer cone bipolar cells were detected in ischemic eyes, in contrast to bevacizumab and ranibizumab-treated ones. Our results demonstrate a reduced apoptosis and autophagocytosis rate after ranibizumab treatment. Furthermore, a certain protection was seen regarding functionality, RGC, and bipolar cell availability, as well as microglia activation by ranibizumab treatment after ischemic damage. Thus, ranibizumab could be an option for treatment of retinal ischemic injury.
Anti-Apoptosis and Anti-Fibrosis Effects of Eriobotrya Japonica in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat Hearts
Authors: Chiang Jui-Ting , Badrealam Khan Farheen , Shibu Marthandam Asokan , Cheng Sue-Fei , Shen Chia-Yao , Chang Chih-Feng , Lin Yueh-Min , Viswanadha Vijaya Padma , Liao Shih-Chieh , Huang Chih-Yang
Published: June 2018

Myocardial apoptosis and fibrosis represent important contributing factors for development of hypertension-induced heart failure. The present study aims to investigate the potential effects of Eriobotrya japonica leaf extract (EJLE) against hypertension-induced cardiac apoptosis and fibrosis in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Twelve-week-old male rats were randomly divided into four different groups; control Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats, hypertensive SHR rats, SHR rats treated with a low dose (100 mg/kg body weight) of EJLE and SHR rats treated with a high dose (300 mg/kg body weight) of EJLE. Animals were acclimatized for 4 weeks and thereafter were gastric fed for 8 weeks with two doses of EJLE per week. The rats were then euthanized following cardiac functional analysis by echocardiography. The cardiac tissue sections were examined by Terminal Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase-Mediated Deoxyuridine Triphosphate (dUTP) Nick End-Labeling (TUNEL) assay, histological staining and Western blotting to assess the cardio-protective effects of EJ in SHR animals. Echocardiographic measurements provided convincing evidence to support the ability of EJ to ameliorate crucial cardiac functional characteristics. Furthermore, our results reveal that supplementation of EJLE effectively attenuated cardiac apoptosis and fibrosis and also enhanced cell survival in hypertensive SHR hearts. Thus, the present study concludes that EJLE potentially provides cardio-protective effects against hypertension-induced cardiac apoptosis and fibrosis in SHR animals.
Camponotus floridanus Ants Incur a Trade-Off between Phenotypic Development and Pathogen Susceptibility from Their Mutualistic Endosymbiont Blochmannia
Authors: Sinotte Veronica M. , Freedman Samantha N. , Ugelvig Line V. , Seid Marc A.
Published: June 2018

Various insects engage in microbial mutualisms in which the reciprocal benefits exceed the costs. Ants of the genus Camponotus benefit from nutrient supplementation by their mutualistic endosymbiotic bacteria, Blochmannia, but suffer a cost in tolerating and regulating the symbiont. This cost suggests that the ants face secondary consequences such as susceptibility to pathogenic infection and transmission. In order to elucidate the symbiont’s effects on development and disease defence, Blochmannia floridanus was reduced in colonies of Camponotus floridanus using antibiotics. Colonies with reduced symbiont levels exhibited workers of smaller body size, smaller colony size, and a lower major-to-minor worker caste ratio, indicating the symbiont’s crucial role in development. Moreover, these ants had decreased cuticular melanisation, yet higher resistance to the entomopathogen Metarhizium brunneum, suggesting that the symbiont reduces the ants’ ability to fight infection, despite the availability of melanin to aid in mounting an immune response. While the benefits of improved growth and development likely drive the mutualism, the symbiont imposes a critical trade-off. The ants’ increased susceptibility to infection exacerbates the danger of pathogen transmission, a significant risk given ants’ social lifestyle. Thus, the results warrant research into potential adaptations of the ants and pathogens that remedy and exploit the described disease vulnerability.
Implementation of an Implicit Solver in ADCIRC Storm Surge Model
Authors: Alghamdi Abdullah , Akbar Muhammad K.
Published: June 2018

The current state of science does not offer any remedy to stop a hurricane from occurring. Therefore, accurate storm surge models capable of predicting water velocity and elevation are indispensable. In this paper, the implementation of an implicit solver in the Advanced Circulation (ADCIRC) storm surge model is presented. The implemented implicit solver uses hybrid finite element and finite volume techniques for solving shallow water equations. Objectives of this research include: Enhancing numerical stability, providing an option of using large timesteps, and the usage of a relatively easier mathematical formulation than the existing one in ADCIRC. The storm surge hindcast of Hurricane Katrina that hit Louisiana and Mississippi in 2005 is used as a case study. Stability of the solver, comparison of water elevation and velocity against observed data, impact of timestep sizes, and execution times of solvers are thoroughly investigated in this study. Results of the implemented implicit solver are compared with those of existing lumped explicit and semi-implicit solvers of ADCIRC; the findings appear to be very promising.
Hardening Embrittlement and Non-Hardening Embrittlement of Welding-Heat-Affected Zones in a Cr-Mo Low Alloy Steel
Authors: Zhao Yu , Ma Qing , Song Shenhua
Published: June 2018

The embrittlement of heat affected zones (HAZs) resulting from the welding of a P-doped 2.25Cr-1Mo steel was studied by the analysis of the fracture appearance transition temperatures (FATTs) of the HAZs simulated under a heat input of 45 kJ/cm with different peak temperatures. The FATTs of the HAZs both with and without tempering increased with the rise of the peak temperature. However, the FATTs were apparently lower for the tempered HAZs. For the as-welded (untempered) HAZs, the FATTs were mainly affected by residual stress, martensite/austenite (M/A) islands, and bainite morphology. The observed embrittlement is a hardening embrittlement. On the other hand, the FATTs of the tempered HAZs were mainly affected by phosphorus grain boundary segregation, thereby causing a non-hardening embrittlement. The results demonstrate that the hardening embrittlement of the as-welded HAZs was more severe than the non-hardening embrittlement of the tempered HAZs. Consequently, a post-weld heat treatment should be carried out if possible so as to eliminate the hardening embrittlement.
Numerical Simulation on the Origin of Solidification Cracking in Laser Welded Thick-Walled Structures
Authors: Bakir Nasim , Artinov Antoni , Gumenyuk Andrey , Bachmann Marcel , Rethmeier Michael
Published: June 2018

One of the main factors affecting the use of lasers in the industry for welding thick structures is the process accompanying solidification cracks. These cracks mostly occurring along the welding direction in the welding center, and strongly affect the safety of the welded components. In the present study, to obtain a better understanding of the relation between the weld pool geometry, the stress distribution and the solidification cracking, a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model was combined with a thermo-mechanical model. The CFD model was employed to analyze the flow of the molten metal in the weld pool during the laser beam welding process. The weld pool geometry estimated from the CFD model was used as a heat source in the thermal model to calculate the temperature field and the stress development and distributions. The CFD results showed a bulging region in the middle depth of the weld and two narrowing areas separating the bulging region from the top and bottom surface. The thermo-mechanical simulations showed a concentration of tension stresses, transversally and vertically, directly after the solidification during cooling in the region of the solidification cracking.
Developing a MEMS Device with Built-in Microfluidics for Biophysical Single Cell Characterization
Authors: Takayama Yuki , Perret Grégoire , Kumemura Momoko , Ataka Manabu , Meignan Samuel , Karsten Stanislav L. , Fujita Hiroyuki , Collard Dominique , Lagadec Chann , Tarhan Mehmet Cagatay
Published: June 2018

This study combines the high-throughput capabilities of microfluidics with the sensitive measurements of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology to perform biophysical characterization of circulating cells for diagnostic purposes. The proposed device includes a built-in microchannel that is probed by two opposing tips performing compression and sensing separately. Mechanical displacement of the compressing tip (up to a maximum of 14 µm) and the sensing tip (with a quality factor of 8.9) are provided by two separate comb-drive actuators, and sensing is performed with a capacitive displacement sensor. The device is designed and developed for simultaneous electrical and mechanical measurements. As the device is capable of exchanging the liquid inside the channel, different solutions were tested consecutively. The performance of the device was evaluated by introducing varying concentrations of glucose (from 0.55 mM (0.1%) to 55.5 mM (10%)) and NaCl (from 0.1 mM to 10 mM) solutions in the microchannel and by monitoring changes in the mechanical and electrical properties. Moreover, we demonstrated biological sample handling by capturing single cancer cells. These results show three important capabilities of the proposed device: mechanical measurements, electrical measurements, and biological sample handling. Combined in one device, these features allow for high-throughput multi-parameter characterization of single cells.
Green and Facile Synthesis of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Co-Doped Carbon Quantum Dots towards Fluorescent Ink and Sensing Applications
Authors: Bao Ruiqi , Chen Zhiyi , Zhao Zhiwei , Sun Xuan , Zhang Jinyang , Hou Linrui , Yuan Changzhou
Published: June 2018

Fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have held great promise in analytical and environmental fields thanks to their congenitally fascinating virtues. However, low quantum yield (QY) and modest fluorescent stability still restrict their practical applications. In this investigation, a green hydrothermal strategy has been devised to produce water-soluble nitrogen/phosphorus (N/P) co-doped CQDs from edible Eleocharis dulcis with multi-heteroatoms. Without any additives and further surface modifications, the resultant CQDs exhibited tunable photoluminescence just by changing hydrothermal temperatures. Appealingly, they showed remarkable excitation-dependent emission, high QY, superior fluorescence stability, and long lifetime. By extending the CQDs solutions as a “fluorescent ink”, we found their potential application in the anti-counterfeit field. When further evaluated as a fluorescence sensor, the N/P co-doped CQDs demonstrated a wide-range determination capability in inorganic cations, and especially the remarkable sensitivity and selectivity for elemental Fe3+. More significantly, the green methodology we developed here can be readily generalized for scalable production of high-quality CQDs with tunable emission for versatile applications.
The Effects of Carbon Dots on Immune System Biomarkers, Using the Murine Macrophage Cell Line RAW 264.7 and Human Whole Blood Cell Cultures
Authors: Lategan Kim , Fowler Jodi , Bayati Mohamed , Fidalgo de Cortalezzi Maria , Pool Edmund
Published: June 2018

Carbon dots (CDs) are engineered nanoparticles that are used in a number of bioapplications such as bioimaging, drug delivery and theranostics. The effects of CDs on the immune system have not been evaluated. The effects of CDs on the immune system were assessed by using RAW 264.7 cells and whole blood cell cultures. RAW cells were exposed to CD concentrations under basal conditions. Whole blood cell cultures were exposed to CD concentrations under basal conditions or in the presence of the mitogens, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or phytohaemmagglutinin (PHA). After exposure, a number of parameters were assessed, such as cell viability, biomarkers of inflammation, cytokine biomarkers of the acquired immune system and a proteome profile analysis. CDs were cytotoxic to RAW and whole blood cell cultures at 62.5, 250 and 500 μg/mL, respectively. Biomarkers associated with inflammation were induced by CD concentrations ≥250 and 500 μg/mL under basal conditions for both RAW and whole blood cell cultures, respectively. The humoral immune cytokine interleukin (IL)-10 was increased at 500 μg/mL CD under both basal and PHA activated whole blood cell culture conditions. Proteome analysis supported the inflammatory data as upregulated proteins identified are associated with inflammation. The upregulated proteins provide potential biomarkers of risk that can be assessed upon CD exposure.
(9R)-9-Hydroxystearate-Functionalized Anticancer Ceramics Promote Loading of Silver Nanoparticles
Authors: Boanini Elisa , Cassani Maria Cristina , Rubini Katia , Boga Carla , Bigi Adriana
Published: June 2018

Functionalization of calcium phosphates for biomedical applications has been proposed as a strategy to enrich the good osteoinductive properties of these materials with specific therapeutic characteristics. Herein, we prepared and characterized hydroxyapatite nanocrystals functionalized with an anticancer agent, (9R)-9-hydroxystearate (HSA), and loaded with an antimicrobial agent, namely silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Nanocrystals at two different contents of HSA, about 4 and 9 wt %, were prepared via direct synthesis in aqueous solution. Loading with the antibacterial agent was achieved through interaction with different volumes of AgNPs suspensions. The amount of loaded nanoparticles increases with the volume of the AgNPs suspension and with the hydroxystearate content of the nanocrystals, up to about 3.3 wt %. The structural, morphological, and hydrophobic properties of the composite materials depend on hydroxystearate content, whereas they are not affected by AgNPs loading. At variance, the values of zeta potential slightly increase with the content of AgNPs, which exhibit a sustained release in cell culture medium.
Comparison of Methods for Estimating Dietary Food and Nutrient Intakes and Intake Densities from Household Consumption and Expenditure Data in Mongolia
Authors: Bromage Sabri , Rosner Bernard , Rich-Edwards Janet W. , Ganmaa Davaasambuu , Tsolmon Soninkhishig , Tserendejid Zuunnast , Odbayar Tseye-Oidov , Traeger Margaret , Fawzi Wafaie W.
Published: June 2018

Household consumption and expenditure surveys are frequently conducted around the world and they usually include data on household food consumption, but their applicability to nutrition research is limited by their collection at the household level. Using data from Mongolia, this study evaluated four approaches for estimating diet from household surveys: direct inference from per-capita household consumption; disaggregation of household consumption using a statistical method and the “adult male equivalent” method, and direct prediction of dietary intake. Per-capita household consumption overestimated dietary energy in single- and multi-person households by factors of 2.63 and 1.89, respectively. Performance of disaggregation methods was variable across two household surveys analyzed, while the statistical method exhibited less bias in estimating intake densities (per 100 kcal) of most dietary components in both of the surveys. Increasingly complex prediction models explained 54% to 72% of in-sample variation in dietary energy, with consistent benefits incurred by inclusion of basic dietary measurements. In conclusion, in Mongolia and elsewhere, differences in how household and dietary measurements are recorded make their comparison challenging. Validity of disaggregation methods depends on household survey characteristics and the dietary components that are considered. Relatively precise prediction models of dietary intake can be achieved by integrating basic dietary assessment into household surveys.
Impact of Alcohol and Coffee Intake on the Risk of Advanced Liver Fibrosis: A Longitudinal Analysis in HIV-HCV Coinfected Patients (ANRS CO-13 HEPAVIH Cohort)
Authors: Yaya Issifou , Marcellin Fabienne , Costa Marie , Morlat Philippe , Protopopescu Camelia , Pialoux Gilles , Santos Melina Erica , Wittkop Linda , Esterle Laure , Gervais Anne , Sogni Philippe , Salmon-Ceron Dominique , Carrieri Maria Patrizia ,   The ANRS CO13-HEPAVIH Cohort Study Group
Published: June 2018

Background: Coffee intake has been shown to modulate both the effect of ethanol on serum GGT activities in some alcohol consumers and the risk of alcoholic cirrhosis in some patients with chronic diseases. This study aimed to analyze the impact of coffee intake and alcohol consumption on advanced liver fibrosis (ALF) in HIV-HCV co-infected patients. Methods: ANRS CO13-HEPAVIH is a French, nationwide, multicenter cohort of HIV-HCV-co-infected patients. Sociodemographic, behavioral, and clinical data including alcohol and coffee consumption were prospectively collected using annual self-administered questionnaires during five years of follow-up. Mixed logistic regression models were performed, relating coffee intake and alcohol consumption to ALF. Results: 1019 patients were included. At the last available visit, 5.8% reported high-risk alcohol consumption, 27.4% reported high coffee intake and 14.5% had ALF. Compared with patients with low coffee intake and high-risk alcohol consumption, patients with low coffee intake and low-risk alcohol consumption had a lower risk of ALF (aOR (95% CI) 0.24 (0.12–0.50)). In addition, patients with high coffee intake had a lower risk of ALF than the reference group (0.14 (0.03–0.64) in high-risk alcohol drinkers and 0.11 (0.05–0.25) in low-risk alcohol drinkers). Conclusions: High coffee intake was associated with a low risk of liver fibrosis even in HIV-HCV co-infected patients with high-risk alcohol consumption.
Twin Screw Granulation: An Investigation of the Effect of Barrel Fill Level
Authors: Lute Sushma , Dhenge Ranjit , Salman Agba
Published: June 2018

This paper focuses on investigating the influence of varying barrel fill levels on the mean residence time, granule properties (median size, size distribution, and shape), and tensile strength of tablets. Specific feed load (SFL) (powder feed rate divided by screw speed) and powder feed number (PFN) (i.e., powder mass flow rate divided by the product of screw speed, screw diameter, and the material density in the denominator) were considered as surrogates for the barrel fill level. Two type of powders (lactose and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC)) were granulated separately at varying fill levels at different liquid-to-solid ratios (L/S). It was observed that by controlling the barrel fill level, the granule size, shape, and tablet tensile strength can be maintained at specific L/S. It was also noticed that the mean residence time decreased with increasing fill levels in the case of both lactose and MCC powder. However, it was only found to be related to the change in granule size in case of granulating microcrystalline cellulose at varying fill levels. At very high fill levels, granule size decreased, owing to a limited interaction between MCC powder and liquid at high throughput force and short residence time.
An Optimization Scheme for Water Pump Control in Smart Fish Farm with Efficient Energy Consumption
Authors: Ullah Israr , Kim DoHyeun
Published: June 2018

Healthy fish production requires intensive care and ensuring stable and healthy production environment inside the farm tank is a challenging task. An Internet of Things (IoT) based automated system is highly desirable that can continuously monitor the fish tanks with optimal resources utilization. Significant cost reduction can be achieved if farm equipment and water pumps are operated only when required using optimization schemes. In this paper, we present a general system design for smart fish farms. We have developed an optimization scheme for water pump control to maintain desired water level in fish tank with efficient energy consumption through appropriate selection of pumping flow rate and tank filling level. Proposed optimization scheme attempts to achieve a trade-off between pumping duration and flow rate through selection of optimized water level. Kalman filter algorithm is applied to remove error in sensor readings. We observed through simulation results that optimization scheme achieve significant reduction in energy consumption as compared to the two alternate schemes, i.e., pumping with maximum and minimum flow rates. Proposed system can help in collecting the data about the farm for long-term analysis and better decision making in future for efficient resource utilization and overall profit maximization.
Design of a Shipboard Outside Communication Network and Its Testbed Using PLC: For Safety Management during the Ship Building Process
Authors: Huh Jun-Ho , Koh Taehoon , Seo Kyungryong
Published: June 2018

For the shipbuilding industry worldwide, work-related accidents at the construction site have been a major concern. Workers at the shipyards are consistently exposed to dangerous environments and their intensity of work is quite high. Considering the complexity of the shipbuilding process, efficient communications between workers are essential in the workplace, but current communication methods, which mostly use wireless technologies, are sometimes limited by the structural blocks, creating shadow areas where the radio bands cannot reach. As a countermeasure, SUNCOM Co., Ltd in the Republic of Korea has developed the PLC-based communication system followed by establishing a test-bed facility in cooperation with SK Telecom Co., Ltd and the Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. This system and applied technologies are expected to reduce accidents in the field and be applied for other industries having the same problem, providing an uninterrupted communication environment and safer working conditions. The solution adopted this time can provide mobile communication services inside the ship during shipbuilding, thereby enabling rapid processing of work reports and instructions and fast responses to disaster occurrence, contributing to improvements in work efficiency in shipbuilding yards and ensuring workers’ safety.
On the Prevention of Avoidable Food Waste from Domestic Households
Authors: Shaw Peter J. , Smith Matthew M. , Williams Ian D.
Published: June 2018

Unconsumed food impacts on the environment via the wasteful use of resources in its production and via its disposal. Householders would ideally only generate food waste that is not considered edible (unavoidable food waste) and the disposal of edible food (avoidable food waste) would be prevented, mitigating both the environmental impacts of food waste and reducing consumers’ wasted expenditure on uneaten food. This study aimed to elucidate if and how householders’ food waste behaviour might be changed via interventions in the form of a leaflet highlighting the impacts of avoidable food waste. The composition of avoidable food waste set out for kerbside collection was assessed in relation to interventions intended to reduce avoidable food waste and in relation to households’ economic status. Two parallel interventions were tested, setting out to householders the impacts of avoidable food waste on (1) the environment, and (2) personal finances. Avoidable food waste set out by affluent and low income households, considered in terms of total weight, life-cycle stage and product group, did not change significantly after delivery of either leaflet. Neither of the interventions tested had a discernible impact on the quantity and composition of avoidable food waste in these terms. We propose that initiatives to reduce food waste may be more successful if focused on positive actions to improve householders’ efficiency in their food use, directed by insight provided by analysis of avoidable food waste within product groups and in relation to life-cycle stage.
Violence and Nonviolence in Shinran
Authors: Hirota Dennis
Published: June 2018

This article examines the Pure Land Buddhist thinker Shinran (1173–1263), from whose teachings the Shin Buddhist tradition emerged. Shinran’s ideas provide an alternative model for considering moral judgments and issues related to violence. Since Shinran viewed violence as a mode of human action, the author asks how violence, whether inflicted or suffered, is to be understood by Shin Buddhists. This article further discusses how practitioners engaging the Pure Land path might deal with it, and the relevance of Shinran’s understanding here and now. This line of inquiry expands to consider how Shinran’s approach relates to norms used in modern discussions of violence. It scrutinizes the double structure of ethical awareness, discussing in particular how usual judgments of good and evil action can be contextualized and relativized. In the section dedicated to defusing the violence of ignorance, the author introduces Shinran’s nonviolent, nonconfrontational response, and analyzes how Shinran recasts the Buddhist stories of Ajātaśatru and Aṅgulimāla in relation to his understanding of the “five grave offenses”—specifically murder and near matricide—usually understood as excluding practitioners from the benefits of Amida Buddha’s Vows. The author shows that Shinran focuses on saving even the evil, not solely the worthy, thus rejecting the exclusion provision of the Eighteenth Vow.
A Structural Optimisation Method for a Soft Pneumatic Actuator
Authors: Hu Weiping , Mutlu Rahim , Li Weihua , Alici Gursel
Published: June 2018

This study aims to investigate the effects of various design parameters on the actuation performance of a pneumatic network actuator (PNA), optimise its structure using the finite element method (FEM), and subsequently quantify the performance of the resulting actuator topology experimentally. The effects of the structural parameters, including the operation pressure, the wall thickness and the gap between the chambers, bottom layer thickness, and the geometry of the channel cross section, on the deformation and bending angle of the actuator were evaluated to optimise the performance of the pneumatic actuator. A Global Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was performed to investigate how the variables affect the mechanical output of the actuator and, thus, the significance of variables affecting the deformation (and bending angle) of the pneumatic actuator was identified. After the parameter optimisation, a pneumatic channel with a 4.5 mm bottom layer thickness, 1.5 mm wall thickness, and 1.5 mm gap between sequential chambers is recommended to perform optimised bending motion for the pneumatic network actuator. The optimised FE model results were verified experimentally. This design optimisation method based on the FEM and ANOVA analysis can be extended to the topology optimisation of other soft actuators.