bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improving Physical Activity Levels and Psychological Variables on University Students in the Contemplation Stage
Authors: Corella Cristina , Zaragoza Javier , Julián José Antonio , Rodríguez-Ontiveros Víctor Hugo , Medrano Carlos Tomás , Plaza Inmaculada , Abarca-Sos Alberto
Published: November 2019

This study aimed to investigate the effects of a physical activity intervention, based on self-determination theory and the transtheoretical model, on university students in the contemplation stage. Participants: 42 students, in the contemplation stage at baseline, were randomly assigned to an experimental group (16 women, 2 men; M age = 19.1 ± 1.15) and a control group (18 women, 2 men; M age = 20.1 ± 5.7). Methods: Physical activity was measured at different moments by accelerometry. Other cognitive variables were measured by self-reported scales. Results: We did not find any significant increases in students’ physical activity in favor of the intervention group. Intragroup analyses indicate that the intervention has an effect on physical activity (moderate-to-vigorous physical activity), basic psychological needs, and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Conclusions: Results partially demonstrate that applying social cognitive theories seems to be effective in improving physical activity and cognitive variables in university students in the contemplation stage
Traffic Simulation Analysis on Running Speed in a Connected Vehicles Environment
Authors: Yu Bin , Wu Miyi , Wang Shuyi , Zhou Wen
Published: November 2019

Connected vehicles (CVs) exchange a variety of information instantly with surrounding vehicles and traffic facilities, which could smooth traffic flow significantly. The objective of this paper is to analyze the effect of CVs on running speed. This study compared the delay time, travel time, and running speed in the normal and the connected states, respectively, through VISSIM (a traffic simulation software developed by PTV company in German). The optimization speed model was established to simulate the decision-makings of CVs in MATLAB, considering the parameters of vehicle distance, average speed, and acceleration, etc. After the simulation, the vehicle information including speed, travel time, and delay time under the normal and the connected states were compared and evaluated, and the influence of different CV rates on the results was analyzed. In a two-lane arterial road, running speed in the connected state increase by 4 km/h, and the total travel time and delay time decrease by 5.34% and 16.76%, respectively, compared to those in the normal state. The optimal CV market penetration rate related to running speed and delay time is 60%. This simulation-based study applies user-defined lane change and lateral behavior rules, and takes different CV rates into consideration, which is more reliable and practical to estimate the impact of CV on road traffic characteristics.
Method for 3D City Building Continuous Transformation Based on an Improved LOD Topological Data Structure
Authors: Li Siyi , Li Wenjing , Lin Zhiyong , Yi Shengjie
Published: November 2019

A 3D city model is an intuitive tool that is used to describe cities. Currently, level-of-detail (LOD) technology is used to meet different visual demands for 3D city models by weighting the rendering efficiency against the details of the model. However, when the visual demands change, the “popping” phenomenon appears when making transformations between different LOD models. We optimized this popping phenomenon by improving the data structure that focuses on 3D city building models and combined it with the facet shift algorithm based on minimal features. Unlike generating finite LOD models in advance, the proposed continuous LOD topology data structure is able to store the changes between different LOD models. By reasonably using the change information, continuous LOD transformation becomes possible. The experimental results showed that the continuous LOD transformation based on the proposed data structure worked well, and the improved data structure also performed well in memory occupation.
Can Message-Tailoring Based on Regulatory Fit Theory Improve the Efficacy of Persuasive Physical Activity Systems?
Authors: Sadat Rezai Leila , Chin Jessie , Casares-Li Reicelis , He Fan , Bassett-Gunter Rebecca , Burns Catherine
Published: November 2019

Background: Many behaviour-change technologies have been designed to help people with a sedentary lifestyle to become more physically active. However, challenges exist in designing systems that work effectively. One of the key challenges is that many of those technologies do not account for differences in individuals’ psychological characteristics. To address that problem, tailoring the communication between a system and its users has been proposed and examined. Although in the research related to public health education, message tailoring has been studied extensively as a technique to communicate health information and to educate people, its use in the design of behaviour-change technologies has not been adequately investigated. Objective: The goal of this study was to explore the impact of message tailoring, when tailoring was grounded in Higgins’ Regulatory Fit Theory, and messages were constructed to promote physical activity. Method: An email intervention was designed and developed that sent participants daily health messages for 14 consecutive days. There were three categories of messages: reminders, promotion-, and prevention-messages. The effect of the messages on behaviour was compared between those who received messages that fitted their self-regulatory orientation, versus those who received non-fitted messages. Results: Participants who received promotion- or prevention-messages walked for longer periods of time, compared to those who received reminders in the control group. When comparing the first two groups, promotion-message-recipients on average walked more than those who received prevention-messages. In other words, promotion messages acted more persuasively than prevention-messages and reminders. Contrary to our hypothesis, those individuals who received messages that fitted their self-regulatory orientation did not walk more than those who received non-fitted messages. Conclusions: The efficacy of Higgins’ Regulatory Fit Theory in the design of tailored health messages was examined. This study did not find support for the use of that theory in guiding the design of persuasive health messages that promote physical activity. Therefore, more research is necessary to investigate the effectiveness of tailoring strategies.
Fruit and Vegetable Concentrate Supplementation and Cardiovascular Health: A Systematic Review from a Public Health Perspective
Authors: Lorenzoni Giulia , Minto Clara , Vecchio Maria Gabriella , Zec Slavica , Paolin Irene , Lamprecht Manfred , Mestroni Luisa , Gregori Dario
Published: November 2019

Fruits and vegetables (FV) are very important for the prevention of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), but it has been demonstrated that FV consumption is below that recommended. Several companies have worked to offer FV concentrates, but it remains unclear whether they represent a potentially effective means of reducing the burden of NCDs. The present study provides a systematic review aimed at assessing the effect of FV concentrate supplementation on select parameters that are known to be risk factors for NCDs. The systematic review was done according to the PRISMA guidelines. Relevant studies were identified through the online databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase. The physiological parameters of interest were total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, plasmatic homocysteine, systolic blood pressure, and body mass index. Data extraction was performed in duplicate. The results of the systematic review provided input for a Markov chain simulation model aimed at estimating the public health consequences of various scenarios of FV concentrate utilization on NCDs burden. The present results suggest a positive and significant role of FV concentrate supplementation on select parameters known to affect the risk of NCDs. Such an effect might be hypothesized to turn into mitigation of the burden of those NCDs modulated by the physiological parameters analyzed in the present systematic review.
Visualization of Accessory Lymphatic Pathways, before and after Manual Drainage, in Secondary Upper Limb Lymphedema Using Indocyanine Green Lymphography
Authors: Medina-Rodríguez María Elena , de-la-Casa-Almeida María , Martel-Almeida Efrén , Ojeda-Cárdenes Arminda , Medrano-Sánchez Esther M.
Published: November 2019

Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) appears to stimulate lymphatic contraction, aid in the development of secondary derivation pathways, and stimulate the appearance of collateral pathways that could function as the main drainage routes of the limb in case of lymphedema. Through stretching, call up maneuvers are used to stimulate lymphangion reflex contraction and, therefore, lymphatic function. The aim was to describe the presence of areas and pathways of collateral lymphatic drainage under basal conditions and to determine, using Indocyanine Green (ICG) lymphography, whether an increase in these pathways occurs after 30 min of manual lymphatic stimulation with only call up maneuvers according to the Leduc Method®®. In this prospective analytical study (pretest–posttest), the frequency of presentation of areas and collateral lymphatic pathways was analyzed in 19 patients with secondary lymphedema of the upper limb after breast cancer using an infrared camera. Analyses were completed at three time points: after ICG injection, at baseline (pretest), and after the application of MLD (post-test). The Leduc Method maneuvers were applied to the supraclavicular and axillary nodes, chest, back, Mascagni, and Caplan pathways. The areas visualized in the pretest continued to be visible in the posttest. Additional pathways and fluorescent areas were observed after the maneuvers. The McNemar test showed statistical significance (p = 0.008), the odds ratio was infinite, and the Cohen’s g value was equal to 0.5. Manual stimulation by call up maneuvers increased the observation frequency of areas and collateral lymphatic pathways. Therefore, ICG lymphography appears to be a useful tool for bringing out the routes of collateral bypass in secondary lymphoedema after cancer treatment.
The Land Transfer from the State Treasury to Local Government Units as a Factor of Social Development of Rural Areas in Poland
Authors: Rząsa Krzysztof , Ogryzek Marek , Źróbek Ryszard
Published: November 2019

Sustainable rural development (with the development of social functions) is currently one of the basic objectives of the rural areas policy in Poland. The main purpose of this article is to determine the level of social development of rural areas and to examine whether the National Support Center for Agriculture (NSCA) activities (in the form of transferring land to communes for the implementation of social goals) have an impact on that development, and to what extent. In this article, an assessment of the social development level of rural areas using the Hellwig method was carried out. The research covered the years 2005 and 2018, on the districts of the Warmian-Masurian voivodship located in the northeastern part of Poland. The detailed analysis also covered the rural and rural-urban communes of Lidzbark, Kętrzyn, and Bartoszyce districts. The obtained results were compared with the area of land transferred by the NSCA Regional Office Olsztyn to local government units in 2004–2017, for the implementation of social goals. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used for a comparison. The results are presented in tabular form and visualized using GIS software in the form of carto-diagrams (diagram maps). Results show a positive influence of NSCA on social development of rural areas.
Temperature Dependent Phase Transformation Kinetics of Reverted Austenite during Tempering in 13Cr Supermartensitic Stainless Steel
Authors: Zhang Yiwei , Yin Yuande , Li Diankai , Ma Ping , Liu Qingyun , Yuan Xiaomin , Li Shengzhi
Published: November 2019

The formation and growth kinetics of the reverted austenite during tempering in 13Cr supermartensitic stainless steel were investigated by a combination X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The reverted austenite precipitated at the martensite blocks, sub-blocks, laths and grain boundaries. The growth kinetics was established by Johnson-Mehl-Avrami (JAM) kinetics equation according to the volume fraction of the equilibrium reverted austenite at room temperature. The Avrami exponent value is 0.5, and the activation energy was estimated to be 369 kJ/mol, the kinetic model indicates that the mechanism of reverted austenite is diffusion-controlled and the growth of reverted austenite closely relies on the diffusion of the nickel (Ni) element. The experimental measured orientations of the reverted austenite are in good agreement with the theoretical ones, implying that the reverted austenite has the same orientation with the surrounding martensite, which meets the Kurdjumov–Sachs (K-S) orientation relationship. The orientation relationships minimize the strain energy of the phase transformation by reducing the crystallographic mismatch between phases.
Isolation, Screening, and Characterization of Plant-Growth-Promoting Bacteria from Durum Wheat Rhizosphere to Improve N and P Nutrient Use Efficiency
Authors: Di Benedetto Nilde Antonella , Campaniello Daniela , Bevilacqua Antonio , Cataldi Mariagrazia Pia , Sinigaglia Milena , Flagella Zina , Corbo Maria Rosaria
Published: November 2019

The main goal of this paper was to select promising microorganisms which could potentially act as plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) for durum wheat of Foggia County. At this scope, a new statistical framework, based on multivariate analyses and the evaluation of the statistical distribution of each trait, was used. Four hundred and seventy-four isolates were isolated from the rhizosphere of durum wheat in Foggia County and preliminarily screened as a function of four target indices (ammonium production, siderophores production, P-solubilization, and nitrification). After this step, the number of strains was reduced and the remaining isolates were tested through a quantitative approach, to assess the production of IAA (indole acetic acid), P-mineralization, and nitrification. In this second step, the cut-off was based on the whole population trend by evaluating for each trait the medians and quartiles. As a result, 16 promising isolates were selected and identified by 16S rDNA sequencing (Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, and Lysinibacillus). The last step of this research was a preliminary validation in a growth chamber on eight strains. As screening and simple indices, two quantitative measures were chosen. The main result was the selection of at least three isolates (6P, 20P, and 25A) for a future field validation. They increased biomass and height by respectively 50% and 25%.
The Study of Crystal Structure on Grossular–Andradite Solid Solution
Authors: Wang Yichuan , Sun Qiang , Duan Dengfei , Bao Xinjian , Liu Xi
Published: November 2019

The effects of Al3+–Fe3+ substitution on 10 synthesized garnet samples along the grossular–andradite binary solid solution were investigated using both powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Results showed that cell volume increased with andradite content. Small negative excess volume was observed in the Al-rich samples. By measuring the bond length, polyhedral volume, octahedral distortion parameter (σ), and tetrahedral rotation angle (α), we determined that the distortion occurred on the dodecahedral site. The width of the diffraction peaks was obviously related to the composition of the solid solution. Full width at half maximum of diffraction peaks was used to calculate the microstrain, which may have a relationship with enthalpy of mixing.
Creation of Superhydrophobic Coatings Based on MWCNTs Xerogel
Authors: Eseev Marat , Goshev Andrey , Kapustin Sergey , Tsykareva Yuliana
Published: November 2019

The creation of hydrophobic anti-icing and self–cleaning coatings is a relevant task for many industrial sectors. The potential field of application includes production of liquid and gas separators and filters, the field of textiles and clothing, construction and new materials, optical and microelectronic devices, the field of automobile construction and maritime shipping as well as energy and agriculture. The article suggests a new approach to the creation of superhydrophobic anti-icing coatings, by drawing peeled multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to the sample surface. This method allows you to combine the necessary factors: Low surface energy, micro-nano-roughness and hierarchical multi-scale. The authors investigated the dependence of the wetting angle of such a surface on the model of MWCNT, fractional composition and the polarity of the dissolvent. The suggested approach can be used to create superhydrophobic coatings with the additional function of removing static charge and heating the surface, which can be used in the field of energetics for protection against freezing of wind turbine blades and aircraft surfaces.
Dry-Coated Graphite onto Sandpaper for Triboelectric Nanogenerator as an Active Power Source for Portable Electronics
Authors: Ankanahalli Shankaregowda Smitha , Sagade Muktar Ahmed Rumana Farheen , Liu Yu , Bananakere Nanjegowda Chandrashekar , Cheng Xing , Shivanna Srikantaswamy , Ramakrishna Seeram , Yu Zhenfei , Zhang Xiang , Sannathammegowda Krishnaveni
Published: November 2019

Developing an eco-friendly, flexible and recyclable micro-structured dry electrode for sustainable life is essential. In this work, we have developed irregular, micro-structured sandpaper coated with graphite powder as an electrode for developing a simple, low-cost, contact-separation mode graphite-coated sandpaper-based triboelectric nanogenerator (GS-TENG) as a self-powered device and biomechanical sensor. The as-fabricated GS-TENG is a dielectric-conductor model. It is made up of a bottom layer with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as a triboelectric layer, which is attached onto a graphite-coated sandpaper-based electrode and a top layer with aluminum as another triboelectric layer as well as an electrode. The forward and reverse open-circuit voltages reach upto ~33.8 V and ~36.62 V respectively, and the forward and reverse short-circuit currents are ~2.16 µA and ~2.17µA, respectively. The output generated by GS-TENG can power 120 blue light-emitting diodes connected in series, liquid crystal display and can charge commercial capacitors along with the rectifier circuit. The capacitor of 22 µF is charged upto 5 V and is sufficient to drive digital watch as wearable electronics. Moreover, the device can track signals generated by human motion, hence it scavenges biomechanical energy. Thus, GS-TENG facilitates large-scale fabrication and has potential for future applications in wearable and portable devices.
Bone Benefits of Fish Oil Supplementation Depend on its EPA and DHA Content
Authors: Abou-Saleh Haissam , Ouhtit Allal , Halade Ganesh V. , Rahman Md Mizanur
Published: November 2019

The preventive effect of high-dose (9%) regular-fish oil (FO) against bone loss during aging has been demonstrated, but the effects of a low-dose (1%–4%) of a highly purified concentrated FO (CFO) has not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to determine the dose-dependent effect of a CFO against bone loss in C57BL/6 female mice during aging. Twelve-month old mice were fed with 1% and 4% CFO and 4% safflower oil (SFO) diets, including a group with a 4% regular-FO diet and a group with a lab chow diet for 12 months. Bone mineral density (BMD) was analyzed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) before and after the dietary intervention. At the end of dietary intervention, bone resorption markers in serum and inflammatory markers in bone marrow and splenocytes and inflammatory signaling pathways in the bone marrow were analyzed. As compared to the 4% SFO control, 4% CFO maintained higher BMD during aging, while 1% CFO offered only a mild benefit. However, the 1% CFO fed group exhibited slightly better BMD than the 4% regular-FO fed group. BMD loss protection by CFO was accompanied by reduced levels of the bone resorption marker, TRAP, and the osteoclast-stimulating-factor, RANKL, without affecting the decoy-receptor of RANKL, osteoprotegerin (OPG). Further, CFO supplementation was associated with an increase in the production of IL-10, IL-12, and IFN-γ and a decrease in the production of TNF-α and IL-6, and the activation of NF-κB, p38 MAPK, and JNK signaling pathways. In conclusion, the supplementation of 4% CFO is very efficient in maintaining BMD during aging, whereas 1% CFO is only mildly beneficial. CFO supplementation starting at middle age may maintain better bone health during aging.
Current Knowledge on Pathogenicity and Management of Stemphylium botryosum in Lentils (Lens culinaris ssp. culinaris Medik)
Authors: Das Arpita , Dutta Subrata , Jash Subhendu , Barman Ashis Roy , Das Raju , Kumar Shiv , Gupta Sanjeev
Published: November 2019

Stemphylium blight (SB) caused by Ascomycete, Stemphylium botryosum Wallr. has been a serious threat to lentil cultivation, mainly in Bangladesh, Nepal, India, and Canada since its first outbreak in Bangladesh in 1986. The genus Stemphylium Wallr., a dematiaceous hyphomycete, comprises up to 150 species, and is pathogenic on a wide range of plants infecting leguminous as well as nonleguminous crops. In recent years, studies indicated overlapping in morphological characters among the different species under the genus Stemphylium, making the identification and description of species difficult. This necessitates different molecular phylogenetic analysis in species delimitation. Therefore, a detailed understanding of spatial diversity and population structure of the pathogen is pertinent for producing source material for resistance breeding. The role of different weather variables as predisposing factors for the rapid spread of the pathogen necessitates devising a disease predictive model for the judicial application of fungicides. A dearth of information regarding spore biology, epidemiology, race diversity, host-pathogen interaction, and holistic disease management approach necessitates immediate attention towards more intensive research efforts. This is the first comprehensive review on the current state of knowledge and research efforts being made for a better understanding of the SB resistance through cognizing biology, ecology, and epidemiology of S. botryosum and effective disease management strategies to prevent widespread outbreaks of SB. The information regarding the biology and epidemiology of S. botryosum is also crucial for strengthening the “Integrated Disease Management” (IDM) programme. The need for a regional research network is advocated where the disease is becoming endemic.
New 55Co-labeled Albumin-Binding Folate Derivatives as Potential PET Agents for Folate Receptor Imaging
Authors: Radford Lauren L. , Fernandez Solana , Beacham Rebecca , El Sayed Retta , Farkas Renata , Benešová Martina , Müller Cristina , Lapi Suzanne E.
Published: November 2019

Overexpression of folate receptors (FRs) on different tumor types (e.g., ovarian, lung) make FRs attractive in vivo targets for directed diagnostic/therapeutic agents. Currently, no diagnostic agent suitable for positron emission tomography (PET) has been adopted for clinical FR imaging. In this work, two 55Co-labeled albumin-binding folate derivatives-[55Co]Co-cm10 and [55Co]Co-rf42-with characteristics suitable for PET imaging have been developed and evaluated. High radiochemical yields (≥95%) and in vitro stabilities (≥93%) were achieved for both compounds, and cell assays demonstrated FR-mediated uptake. Both 55Co-labeled folate conjugates demonstrated high tumor uptake of 17% injected activity per gram of tissue (IA/g) at 4 h in biodistribution studies performed in KB tumor-bearing mice. Renal uptake was similar to other albumin-binding folate derivatives, and liver uptake was lower than that of previously reported [64Cu]Cu-rf42. Small animal PET/CT images confirmed the biodistribution results and showed the clear delineation of FR-expressing tumors.
Extended Release Combination Antibiotic Therapy from a Bone Void Filling Putty for Treatment of Osteomyelitis
Authors: Hasan Raquib , Schaner Kambri , Schroeder Meredith , Wohlers Abbey , Shreffler Jacob , Schaper Codi , Subramanian Hariharaputhiran , Brooks Amanda
Published: November 2019

In spite of advances in Total Joint Replacements (TJR), infection remains a major concern and a primary causative factor for revision surgery. Current clinical standards treat these osteomyelitis infections with antibiotic-laden poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-based cement, which has several disadvantages, including inadequate local drug release kinetics, antibiotic leaching for a prolonged period and additional surgical interventions to remove it, etc. Moreover, not all antibiotics (e.g., rifampicin, a potent antibiofilm antibiotic) are compatible with PMMA. For this reason, treatment of TJR-associated infections and related complications remains a significant concern. The objective of this study was to develop a polymer-controlled dual antibiotic-releasing bone void filler (ABVF) with an underlying osseointegrating substrate to treat TJR implant-associated biofilm infections. An ABVF putty was designed to provide sustained vancomycin and rifampicin antibiotic release for 6 weeks while concurrently providing an osseointegrating support for regrowth of lost bone. The reported ABVF showed efficient antibacterial and antibiofilm activity both in vitro and in a rat infection model where the ABVF both showed complete bacterial elimination and supported bone growth. Furthermore, in an in vivo k-wire-based biofilm infection model, the ABVF putty was also able to eliminate the biofilm infection while supporting osseointegration. The retrieved k-wire implants were also free from biofilm and bacterial burden. The ABVF putty delivering combination antibiotics demonstrated that it can be a viable treatment option for implant-related osteomyelitis and may lead to retention of the hardware while enabling single-stage surgery.
Influence of Sales Promotion Techniques on Consumers’ Purchasing Decisions at Community Pharmacies
Authors: Ben Said Younes , Bragazzi Nicola Luigi , Pyatigorskaya Natalia Valeryevna
Published: November 2019

This research aims to identify the most prevalent and impactful sales promotion tools used by pharmaceutical companies on consumers’ purchasing decisions at community pharmacies. A cross-sectional study design was carried out using the non-repeated random sampling technique. Standardized questionnaires were administered by means of face-to-face interviews or via emails. The relative importance of prevalence (RIP) and the mean evaluation of effectiveness (MEE) were determined for all studied marketing tools for the different groups of respondents (pharmaceutical sales representatives (PSRs), community pharmacists, consumers, and the entire sample). Inter-individual differences in RIP and MEE were assessed by computing the coefficient of variation, whereas inter-group differences were determined by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the Scheffé test as a post-hoc test. Research findings showed that, according to all respondents, the consumer promotion technique had the strongest impact on consumers’ purchasing decisions while merchandising was the most common sales promotion technique at community pharmacies. PSRs and pharmacists identified trade promotion as the most effective and prevalent technique. Furthermore, research findings showed that, according to all respondents, the following sales promotion tools had the strongest impact on consumers’ purchasing decisions: arrangement and design of showcases among the studied tools for merchandising; buy 1 and get 2 among the studied tools for consumer promotion; and gifts among the trade promotion studied tools. The same tools were identified as the most prevalent by all respondents. Free samples of promoted products appeared to be the most prevalent tool, but at the same time was the least effective. In conclusion, the results of the present research enable an understanding of which sales promotion tools are commonly used at community pharmacies and which ones have the strongest impact on consumers’ purchasing decisions.
Facile Functionalization of Poly(Dimethylsiloxane) Elastomer by Varying Content of Hydridosilyl Groups in a Crosslinker
Authors: Park Seung , Park Bong , Choi Mee , Kim Dong , Yoon Jae , Shin Eun , Yun Sungryul , Park Suntak
Published: November 2019

Crosslinked poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) has been widely used as a dielectric elastomer for electrically driven actuators because it exhibits high elasticity, low initial modulus, and excellent moldability in spite of low dielectric constant. However, further improvement in the characteristics of the PDMS elastomer is not easy due to its chemical non-reactivity. Here, we report a simple method for functionalizing the elastomer by varying content of hydridosilyl groups in PDMS acted as a crosslinker. We synthesized poly(dimethylsiloxane-co-methylvinylsiloxane) (VPDMS) and poly(dimethylsiloxane-co-methylsiloxane) (HPDMS). Tri(ethylene glycol) divinyl ether (TEGDE) as a polar molecule was added to the mixture of VPDMS and HPDMS. TEGDE was reacted to the hydridosilyl group in HPDMS during crosslinking between VPDMS and HPDMS in the presence of platinum as a catalyst. Permittivity of the crosslinked film increased from ca. 25 to 36 pF/m at 10 kHz without a decline in other physical properties such as transparency and elasticity (T > 85%, E ~150 kPa, ɛ ~270%). It depends on the hydridosilyl group content of HPDMS. The chemical introduction of a new molecule into the hydridosilyl group in HPDMS during crosslinking would provide a facile, effective method of modifying the PDMS elastomers.
Modifying Nanoporous Carbon through Hydrogen Peroxide Oxidation for Removal of Metronidazole Antibiotics from Simulated Wastewater
Authors: Ariyanto Teguh , Sarwendah Rut Aprillia Galuh , Amimmal Yove Maulana Novirdaus , Laksmana William Teja , Prasetyo Imam
Published: November 2019

This study examined change in pore structure and microstructure of nanoporous carbon after surface oxidation and how it affects the adsorption performance of metronidazole antibiotics. The surface oxidation was performed by hydrogen peroxide at 60 °C. The properties of porous carbon were investigated by N2-sorption analysis (pore structure), scanning electron microscopy (surface morphology), the Boehm titration method (quantification of surface functional group), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (type of surface functional group). The results showed that the oxidation of porous carbon by hydrogen peroxide has a minor defect in the carbon pore structure. Only a slight decrease in specific surface area (8%) from its original value (973 m2g−1) was seen but more mesoporosity was introduced. The oxidation of porous carbon with hydrogen peroxide modified the amount of oxide groups i.e., phenol, carboxylic acid and lactone. Moreover, in the application the oxidized carbon exhibited a higher the metronidazole uptake capacity of up to three-times manifold with respect to the pristine carbon.
Characterization and Lubrication of Tube-Guided Shape-Memory Alloy Actuators for Smart Textiles
Authors: Helps Tim , Vivek Adithya , Rossiter Jonathan
Published: November 2019

Smart textiles are flexible materials with interactive capabilities such as sensing, actuation, and computing, and in recent years have garnered considerable interest. Shape-memory alloy (SMA) wire is well-suited for smart textiles due to its high strength, small size, and low mass. However, the contraction of SMA wire is low, limiting its usefulness. One solution to increasing net contraction is to use a long SMA wire and guide it inside a tube that is wound back and forth or coiled inside a smart textile. In this article, we characterize the performance of tube-guided SMA wire actuators. We investigate the effect of turn radius and number of loops, showing that the stroke of an SMA-based system can be improved by up to 69.81% using the tube-guided SMA wire actuator concept. Finally, we investigate how tube-guided SMA wire actuators can be lubricated to improve their performance. Coarse graphite powder and tungsten disulfide lubricant both delivered improvements in stroke compared with an unlubricated system.
A Method of Fast and Simultaneous Calibration of Many Mobile FMCW Radars Operating in a Network Anti-Drone System
Authors: Nowak Aleksander , Naus Krzysztof , Maksimiuk Dariusz
Published: November 2019

A market for small drones is developing very fast. They are used for leisure activities and exploited in commercial applications. However, there is a growing concern for accidental or even criminal misuses of these platforms. Dangerous incidents with drones are appearing more often, and have caused many institutions to start thinking about anti-drone solutions. There are many cases when building stationary systems seems to be aimless since the high cost does not correspond with, for example, threat frequency. In such cases, mobile drone countermeasure systems seem to perfectly meet demands. In modern mobile solutions, frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radars are frequently used as detectors. Proper cooperation of many radars demands their measurements to be brought to a common coordinate system—azimuths must be measured in the same direction (preferably the north). It requires calibration, understood as determining constant corrections to measured angles. The article presents the author’s method of fast, simultaneous calibration of many mobile FMCW radars operating in a network. It was validated using 95,000 numerical tests. The results show that the proposed method significantly improves the north orientation of the radars throughout the whole range of the initial errors. Therefore, it can be successfully used in practical applications.
Improving the Estimation of Forest Carbon Density in Mountainous Regions Using Topographic Correction and Landsat 8 Images
Authors: Yan Enping , Zhao Yunlin , Lin Hui , Wang Guangxing , Mo Dengkui
Published: November 2019

Spectral reflectance distortions caused by terrain and solar illumination seriously reduce the accuracy of mapping forest carbon density, especially in mountainous regions. Many models have been developed for mitigating or eliminating the terrain effects on the quality of remote sensing images in hilly and mountainous areas. However, these models usually use global parameters, which may lead to overcorrections for regions with poor illumination and steep slopes. In this study, we present a local parameter estimation (LPE) method based on a pixel-moving window for topographic correction (TC), which can be considered as a general optimization framework for most semiempirical TC models. We set seven kernel sizes for the presented framework, which are 15 pixels, 25 pixels, 50 pixels, 100 pixels, 250 pixels, 500 pixels, and 1000 pixels, respectively. The proposed method was then applied to four traditional TC models, Minnaert (MIN), C Correction (CC), Sun Canopy Sensor + C (SCSC) and Statistical Empirical Correction (SEC), to form four new TC models. These new models were used to estimate forest carbon density of a mountainous area in Southern China using field plot data and a Landsat 8 image. Four evaluation methods, including correlation analysis, the stability of land covers, comparison of reflectance between sunlit and shaded slopes, and accuracy assessment of forest carbon density, were employed to evaluate the contributions of moving window sizes, and assess the performance of the TC models for forest carbon density estimation. The results show that the four TC models with LPE perform much better than the traditional TC models in reducing the topographic effects and improving the estimation accuracy of forest carbon density for the study area. Among the traditional TC models, SEC performs slightly better than SCSC, CC, and MIN. Therefore, the SEC-based model with LPE, that is, LPE-SEC, gets greater R2 and smaller relative RMSE values in estimating forest carbon density than other models. Moreover, all the means of the predicted forest carbon density values fall in the confidence interval of the validation data at a significant level of 0.05. Overall, this study implies that the proposed method with LPE provides great potential to improve the performance of TC and forest carbon density estimation for the study area. It is expected that the improved TC method can be applied to other mountainous areas to improve the quality of remotely sensed images.
Modeling Population Density Using a New Index Derived from Multi-Sensor Image Data
Authors: Luo Peng , Zhang Xianfeng , Cheng Junyi , Sun Quan
Published: November 2019

The detailed information about the spatial distribution of the population is crucial for analyzing economic growth, environmental change, and natural disaster damage. Using the nighttime light (NTL) imagery for population estimation has been a topic of interest in recent decades. However, the effectiveness of NTL data in population estimation has been impeded by some limitations such as the blooming effect and underestimation in rural regions. To overcome these limitations, we combine the NPP-VIIRS day/night band (DNB) data with normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and land surface temperature (LST) data derived from the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard the Terra satellite, to create a new vegetation temperature light population index (VTLPI). A statistical model is developed to predict 250m grid-level population density based on the proposed VTLPI and the least square regression approach. After that, a case study is implemented using the data of Sichuan Province, China in 2015, and the results indicates that the VTLPI-estimated population density outperformed the results from other two methods based on nighttime light imagery or human settlement index, and the three publicized population products, LandScan, WorldPop, and GPW. When using the census data as reference, the mean relative error and median absolute relative error on a township level are 0.29 and 0.12, respectively, and the root-mean-square error is 212 persons/km2. The results show that our VTLPI-based model can achieve a better estimation of population density in rural areas and urban suburbs and characterize more spatial variations at 250m grid level both in both urban and rural areas. The resultant population density offers better population exposure data for assessing natural disaster risk and loss as well as other related applications.
Mapping Trajectories of Coastal Land Reclamation in Nine Deltaic Megacities using Google Earth Engine
Authors: Sengupta Dhritiraj , Chen Ruishan , Meadows Michael E , Choi Young Rae , Banerjee Abhishek , Zilong Xia
Published: November 2019

Increasing demand for land resources at the coast has exerted immense pressure on vulnerable environments. Population and economic growth in coastal cities have combined to produce a scarcity of suitable space for development, the response to which has frequently been the reclamation of land from the sea, most prominently in China. Urbanization is a key driver of such changes and a detailed investigation of coastal land reclamation at the city scale is required. This study analyzed remote sensing imagery for the period 1990 to 2018 to explore the trajectories of coastal land reclamation in nine major urban agglomerations across the three largest deltas in China using the JRC Global Surface Water (Yearly Water Classification History, v1.1) (GSW) dataset on the Google Earth Engine platform. The results are considered in the context of major national policy reforms over the last three decades. The analysis reveals that total land reclaimed among nine selected cities had exceeded 2800 km2 since 1984, 82% of which occurred after 2000, a year following the enactment of China’s agricultural ‘red line’ policy. Shanghai exhibited the greatest overall area of land extension, followed by Ningbo and Tianjin, especially in the period following the privatization of property rights in 2004. In analyzing annual trends, we identified the developmental stages of a typical coastal reclamation project and how these vary between cities. Scrutiny of the results revealed voids in nighttime light satellite data (2014–2018) in some localities. Although these voids appeared to be characterized by construction, they were occupied by vacant buildings, and were therefore examples of so-called “ghost cities.” In China, as elsewhere, continual land reclamation needs to be considered in relation to, inter alia, sea level rise and land subsidence that pose significant challenges to the vision of sustainable urban development in these three deltaic megacities.
Email Based Institutional Network Analysis: Applications and Risks
Authors: Christidis Panayotis , Gomez Losada Álvaro
Published: November 2019

Social Network Analysis can be applied to describe the patterns of communication within an organisation. We explore how extending standard methods, by accounting for the direction and volume of emails, can reveal information regarding the roles of individual members. We propose an approach that models certain operational aspects of the organization, based on directional and weighted indicators. The approach is transferable to other types of social network with asymmetrical connections among its members. However, its applicability is limited by privacy concerns, the existence of multiple alternative communication channels that evolve over time, the difficulty of establishing clear links between organisational structure and efficiency and, most importantly, the challenge of setting up a system that measures the impact of communication behavior without influencing the communication behaviour itself.
Impact Assessment of Timber Harvesting Operations for Enhancing Sustainable Management in a Secondary Atlantic Forest
Authors: Britto Pedro C. , Jaeger Dirk , Hoffmann Stephan , Robert Renato C. G. , Vibrans Alexander C. , Fantini Alfredo C.
Published: November 2019

Conservation and management of forest ecosystems are currently largely conflicting goals in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biome. At present, all parts of the Atlantic Forest are protected and commercial logging is highly restricted. However, sustainable forest management systems can offer significant income opportunities for landholders, and thereby actively support the process of ecosystem rehabilitation and protection of the Atlantic Forest. This research is intended to contribute to enhancing the development of environmentally sound forest management alternatives in the Atlantic Forest biome. Through a case study, the harvesting impact of a conventional harvesting method (CM) was evaluated and compared with an alternative and improved harvesting method (AM), performed by a well-trained professional chainsaw operator experienced in reduced impact logging techniques, and included the use of a snatch block and a skidding cone. Following a full pre-harvest inventory, 110 different tree species were identified. The harvesting impact on the residual stand was classified and evaluated through a successive post-harvest inventory. Damage maps were developed based on interpolation of tree damage intensities with the triangular irregular networks (TIN) methodology. Our results showed noticeable high rates of tree hang-ups, observed for both harvesting methods. Furthermore, the harvesting damaged trees mainly in the lower diameter at breast height (DBH) classes. In comparison to winching, the felling process caused most of the damage to remnant trees for both methods, at 87% (CM) and 88% (AM). The number of damaged trees (above 11.9 cm DBH) per harvested tree, for CM, ranged from 0.8 trees to 2.5 trees and, for AM, ranged from 0.6 trees to 2.2 trees. Improvements of the AM method (operator skills, skidding cone and snatch block) over CM allowed for a reduction of the damaged basal area, a reduction of the “high damaged area” per plot, and a reduction of the winching disturbed ground area. Nonetheless, a suitable harvesting system should consider further improvements in the felling technique, and additionally integrate the local knowledge of CM regarding forest and tree species with the technical improvements of AM.
Research on Population Spatiotemporal Aggregation Characteristics of a Small City: A Case Study on Shehong County Based on Baidu Heat Maps
Authors: Feng Deyi , Tu Lingli , Sun Zhongwei
Published: November 2019

Baidu heat maps can be used to explore the pattern of individual citizens conducting their activities and their agglomeration effects at the city scale. To investigate the spatiotemporal pattern of population aggregation and its relationship with land parcel attributes in small cities, we collected Baidu heat map data for a weekday and a weekend day in Shehong County and used Getis–Ord general G and the raster overlay methods to analyze population aggregation spatiotemporal characteristics. Chi-squared and Pearson correlation tests were used to analyze the correlation between population aggregation and land parcel attributes against three types of land parcel divisions: land use parcels, road network blocks, and grids. The results showed that, (1) for most hours of the workday, the degree of population aggregation was greater than on the weekend, and the fluctuation magnitude on the workday was higher as well. (2) On the weekday, people clustered and dispersed faster than on the weekend. (3) On the weekday and weekend, the spatial position of people aggregation was highly overlapping. (4) The correlation between the degree of population aggregation and the type of parcel was not significant. (5) Regarding different parcel unit sizes, the correlations between population aggregation degree and point of interest (POI) density, floor area ratio, and building density were significant and positively correlated, and the correlation coefficients increased as the grid size increased.