bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Land-Use Effect on Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Stock in a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest
Authors: Maia Andrade Eunice , Valbrun Wilner , Almeida Aldênia Mendes Mascena de , Rosa Gilberto , Silva Antonio Givanilson Rodrigues da
Published: January 2020

Total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) concentration in the soil are an indicator of soil degradation. To understand how land-use may impact these concentrations in seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTF), we analyzed the effect of four land-uses on TOC stocks (STK.TOC) and TN stocks (STK.TN) in a semi-arid region of Brazil. Soil samples were collected in 12 trenches (three sites × four land-uses—dense caatinga (DC), open caatinga (OC), pasture (PA) and agriculture (AG)), in the 0–10; 10–20 and 20–30 cm layers or as far as the bedrock. The data were compared by the Kruskal–Wallis test (p ≤ 0.05) and similarity investigated by cluster analysis. STK.TOC and STK.TN the surface layer (0–10 cm) showed no significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) between the DC; OC and PA land-uses. The similarity in STK.TOC and STK.TN values between DC, OC and PA, indicate that it is possible to explore SDTF to produce biomass and protein by adopting open caatinga and pasture land uses on Neosols with very low TOC stocks. The greatest reduction in STK.TOC and STK.TN in the agriculture land-use may lead to soil degradation and contribute to the addition of CO2 to the atmosphere.
Variations in Growth, Physiology, and Antioxidative Defense Responses of Two Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Cultivars after Co-Infection of Fusarium oxysporum and Meloidogyne incognita
Authors: Maqsood Ambreen , Wu Haiyan , Kamran Muhammad , Altaf Hussain , Mustafa Adnan , Ahmar Sunny , Hong Nguyen Thi Thang , Tariq Kinza , He Qiong , Chen Jen-Tsung
Published: January 2020

The soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum (Fo) and the nematode Meloidogyne incognita (Mi) are destructive pathogens that cause substantial yield losses to tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) crops worldwide. The present study sought to elucidate the physiological, biochemical, and cytological responses of tomato cultivars (Gailing maofen 802 and Zhongza 09) by root invasion of Fo (1 × 105 CFUmL−1) and Mi (1500 second-stage juveniles (J2) alone and in combination after 14 days. Results revealed that combined inoculation of Fo and Mi significantly increased disease intensity, electrolyte leakage, and hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde contents; and decreased photosynthetic capacity and enzyme activity in both cultivars as compared to their solo inoculation. Increasing the disease intensity reduced the maximum morphological traits, such as shoot length, total dry weight, and total chlorophyll contents, in G. maofen 802 (by 32%, 54.2%, and 52.3%, respectively) and Zhongza 09 (by 18%, 32%, and 21%, respectively) as compared to the control. Others factors were also reduced in G. maofen 802 and Zhongza 09, such as photosynthetic capacity (by 70% and 57%, respectively), stomatal conductance (by 86% and 70%, respectively), photochemical quantum yield of photosystem II (YII) (by 36.6% and 29%, respectively), and electron transport rate (by 17.7% and 10%, respectively), after combined inoculation of Fo and Mi. Furthermore, the combined infestation of Fo and Mi resulted in reduced activity of plant-defense-related antioxidants in G. maofen 802 compared with their single application or control. However, these antioxidants were highly up-regulated in Zhongza 09 (by 59%–93%), revealing the induction of tolerance against studied pathogens. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results further demonstrated that root cells of Zhongza 09 had unique tetrahedral crystal-like structures in the membrane close to mitochondria under all treatments except control. Therefore, it is concluded that Mi caused severe root damage, suppressed plant growth, depleted antioxidants, and caused high generation of ROS in the presence of Fo as compared to its solo inoculation. Tolerant cultivars adopted different mechanistic strategies at the structural and cellular levels to tolerate the Mi and Fo stresses.
Honey as a Strategy to Fight Candida tropicalis in Mixed-Biofilms with Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Fernandes Liliana , Oliveira Ana , Henriques Mariana , Rodrigues Maria Elisa
Published: January 2020

Fungal contaminations with Candida species are commonly responsible for several infections, especially when associated to bacteria. The therapeutic approach commonly used is being compromised due to microbial resistances of these microorganisms to antimicrobial agents, especially in biofilm. The use of honey as an antimicrobial agent has been emerging as a valuable solution and proving its potential in planktonic and in biofilm cells. This work aims to assess the effect of different honeys on biofilms of Candida tropicalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The effect of Portuguese heather (PH) and manuka honeys on planktonic growth of Candida was initially evaluated by determination of the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC). Then, the same effect was evaluated in mixed biofilms, by colony-forming units numeration and fluorescence microscopy. The combinations of honey plus fluconazole and gentamicin were also tested. The results showed that the honeys tested enabled a great reduction of C. tropicalis, both in planktonic (12.5% and 25% of MIC for PH and manuka) and in biofilm. In polymicrobial biofilms, the use of PH and manuka honeys was revealed to be a promising choice and an alternative treatment, since they were able to reduce cells from both species. No synergistic effect was observed in antimicrobial combinations assays against polymicrobial biofilms.
Developing a Building Fire Information Management System Based on 3D Object Visualization
Authors: Jung Suhyun , Cha Hee Sung , Jiang Shaohua
Published: January 2020

In a building fire disaster, a variety of information on hazardous factors is crucial for emergency responders, facility managers, and rescue teams. Inadequate information management limits the accuracy and speed of fire rescue activities. Furthermore, a poor decision-making process, which is solely dependent on the experiences of emergency responders, negatively affects the fire response activities. Building information modeling (BIM) enables the sharing of locations of critical elements and key information necessary for effective decision-making on disaster prevention. However, it is non-trivial to integrate and link the relevant information generated during the life cycle of the building. In particular, the information requirements for building fires should be retrieved in the BIM software because most of them have spatial characteristics. This paper proposes a prototype system for a building’s fire information management using three-dimensional (3D) visualization by deriving the relevant information required for mitigating building fire disasters. The proposed system (i.e., Building Fire Information Management System (BFIMS)) automatically provides reliable fire-related information through a computerized and systematic approach in conjunction with a BIM tool. It enables emergency responders to intuitively identify the location data of indoor facilities with its pertinent information based on 3D objects. Through scenario-based applications, the system has effectively demonstrated that it has contributed to an improvement of rapid access to relevant information.
Estimating Daily Global Solar Radiation with No Meteorological Data in Poland
Authors: Kleniewska Małgorzata , Mitrowska Dorota , Wasilewicz Michał
Published: January 2020

The aim of the study was to calibrate coefficients and evaluate performance of simple, day-of-the-year, global solar radiation (H) models nominated from the literature. Day-of-the-year models enable estimation of global solar radiation when no meteorological data is available. The study used 16-year-long data series of daily H, taken at 15 actinometric stations located in various parts of Poland. The goodness-of-fit of the models to the actual long-term monthly average daily global solar radiation data expressed by determination coefficient (R2) ranges from 0.94 to 0.97. Depending on statistical indicators analysis (root mean square error—RMSE, mean absolute bias error—MABE, mean average percentage error—MAPE) the best model was selected. The averaged values of H computed by the recommended model deviate from those measured by 4.16% to 8.71%. Locally calibrated, day-of-the-year model provides satisfactory accuracy and—where meteorological data is unavailable—can be used to estimate mean monthly daily global solar radiation in Poland and similar climate conditions.
Relationships between Body Build and Knee Joint Flexor and Extensor Torque of Polish First-Division Soccer Players
Authors: Pietraszewska Jadwiga , Struzik Artur , Burdukiewicz Anna , Stachoń Aleksandra , Pietraszewski Bogdan
Published: January 2020

The aim of the study is to identify the relationships between anthropometric variables and knee joint extensor peak torque, knee joint flexor peak torque, and conventional hamstring-to-quadriceps ratio in Polish first-division soccer players. The study examined 37 soccer players aged 19 to 30 years (body mass: 76.8 ± 7.2 kg, body height 1.82 ± 0.06 m). Muscle torques of the knee joint were measured under isometric conditions using a Biodex 4 Pro dynamometer. The anthropometric variables such as body part lengths, breadths, and girths and skinfold thickness were measured. The strongest relationships of knee joint extensors were observed with body mass and variables describing skeleton size and lower-limb muscles. Regarding knee flexor torque, a significant relationship was found only with body mass. However, no significant relationships were observed between the conventional hamstring-to-quadriceps ratio and the anthropometric variables studied. The regression analysis results identified body height, body mass, and thigh and calf girth as the features most associated with knee joint torque. However, anthropometric measurements do not provide full information about the torque proportions of antagonist muscle groups, which is very important for injury prevention. Therefore, measurements using special biomechanical equipment are also necessary for the comprehensive analyses and control of the effects of sports training.
Pre-Cancerous Stomach Lesion Detections with Multispectral-Augmented Endoscopic Prototype
Authors: Krebs Alexandre , Benezeth Yannick , Bazin Thomas , Marzani Franck , Lamarque Dominique
Published: January 2020

In this paper, we are interested in the in vivo detection of pre-cancerous stomach lesions. Pre-cancerous lesions are unfortunately rarely explored in research papers as most of them are focused on cancer detection or conducted ex-vivo. For this purpose, a novel prototype is introduced. It consists of a standard endoscope with multispectral cameras, an optical setup, a fiberscope, and an external light source. Reflectance spectra are acquired in vivo on 16 patients with a healthy stomach, chronic gastritis, or intestinal metaplasia. A specific pipeline has been designed for the classification of spectra between healthy mucosa and different pathologies. The pipeline includes a wavelength clustering algorithm, spectral features computation, and the training of a classifier in a “leave one patient out” manner. Good classification results, around 80%, have been obtained, and two attractive wavelength ranges were found in the red and near-infrared ranges: [745, 755 nm] and [780, 840 nm]. The new prototype and the associated results give good arguments in favor of future common use in operating rooms, during upper gastrointestinal exploration of the stomach for the detection of stomach diseases.
Projection-Based Augmented Reality Assistance for Manual Electronic Component Assembly Processes
Authors: Ojer Marco , Alvarez Hugo , Serrano Ismael , Saiz Fátima A. , Barandiaran Iñigo , Aguinaga Daniel , Querejeta Leire , Alejandro David
Published: January 2020

Personalized production is moving the progress of industrial automation forward, and demanding new tools for improving the decision-making of the operators. This paper presents a new, projection-based augmented reality system for assisting operators during electronic component assembly processes. The paper describes both the hardware and software solutions, and depicts the results obtained during a usability test with the new system.
Degradation and Aging Routes of Ni-Rich Cathode Based Li-Ion Batteries
Authors: Teichert Philipp , Eshetu Gebrekidan Gebresilassie , Jahnke Hannes , Figgemeier Egbert
Published: January 2020

Driven by the increasing plea for greener transportation and efficient integration of renewable energy sources, Ni-rich metal layered oxides, namely NMC, Li [Ni1−x−yCoyMnz] O2 (x + y ≤ 0.4), and NCA, Li [Ni1−x−yCoxAly] O2, cathode materials have garnered huge attention for the development of Next-Generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The impetus behind such huge celebrity includes their higher capacity and cost effectiveness when compared to the-state-of-the-art LiCoO2 (LCO) and other low Ni content NMC versions. However, despite all the beneficial attributes, the large-scale deployment of Ni-rich NMC based LIBs poses a technical challenge due to less stability of the cathode/electrolyte interphase (CEI) and diverse degradation processes that are associated with electrolyte decomposition, transition metal cation dissolution, cation–mixing, oxygen release reaction etc. Here, the potential degradation routes, recent efforts and enabling strategies for mitigating the core challenges of Ni-rich NMC cathode materials are presented and assessed. In the end, the review shed light on the perspectives for the future research directions of Ni-rich cathode materials.
One-Step Densification of Carbon/Carbon Composites Impregnated with Pyrolysis Fuel Oil-Derived Mesophase Binder Pitches
Authors: Yang Jae-Yeon , Park Jong-Hyun , Kuk Yun-Su , Kim Byoung-Suhk , Seo Min-Kang
Published: January 2020

Carbon/carbon (C/C) composites are conventionally manufactured by liquid-phase impregnation (LPI), in which the binder pitches and phenolic resins are impregnated into the composites, and by chemical vapor infiltration (CVI). However, CVI has certain limitations in that expensive gases, such as methane and propane, are used and a long reaction time is required. Therefore, LPI is more widely used, as it employs economical pitches. In this study, the effects of one-step preparation on mechanical properties of C/C composites impregnated with mesophase binder pitches and phenolic resins have been investigated. The C/C composites containing four types of 20 wt.% mesophase binder pitches had differences in softening point (SP) and quinoline insoluble (QI) contents. After conducting trials on mesophase formation using different heat treatment temperatures and times, the best density and mechanical properties of the C/C composites were achieved using the mesophase binder pitches with 170 °C SP. However, when SP 200 °C was used, the density of the C/C composites was not further improved. This is because the binder pitches were not properly impregnated into the composites due to the high viscosity and QI of the binder pitches. Furthermore, the C/C composites fabricated with 20 wt.% pitch 2 exhibited the highest mechanical properties.
Enhancement of Photoelectrochemical Cathodic Protection of Copper in Marine Condition by Cu-Doped TiO2
Authors: Ngaotrakanwiwat Pailin , Heawphet Piyapol , Rangsunvigit Pramoch
Published: January 2020

Photochemical cathodic protection (PEC) efficiency was enhanced by doping TiO2 with Cu (Cu/TiO2) through impregnation and reduction under hydrogen. The Cu loading was vaired from 0.1 to 1.0 mol% (0.1 Cu/TiO2, 0.5 Cu/TiO2, 1 Cu/TiO2). Then, up to 50 wt% Cu/TiO2 was mixed with TiO2 to form nanocomposite films. The film photocurrent and photopotential were measured under 1 mW/cm2 UV irradiation. The Cu/TiO2 film with 10 wt% of 0.5 Cu/TiO2 exhibited the highest photocurrent of 29.0 mA/g, which was three times higher than the TiO2 film. The underlying reason for the high photocurrent was the lower photopotential of film than the corrosion potential of copper for PEC. This film was also applied on copper terminal lug for anti-corrosion measurement by Tafel polarization in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. The results showed that the photopotential of terminal lug coated with the film was −0.252 V vs. Ag/AgCl, which was lower than the corrosion potential of copper (−0.222 V vs. Ag/AgCl). Furthermore, the film can protect the corrosion of copper in the dark with 86.7% lower corrosion current (icorr) than that of bare copper.
Active MMP-8 (aMMP-8) as a Grading and Staging Biomarker in the Periodontitis Classification
Authors: Sorsa Timo , Alassiri Saeed , Grigoriadis Andreas , Räisänen Ismo T. , Pärnänen Pirjo , Nwhator Solomon O. , Gieselmann Dirk-Rolf , Sakellari Dimitra
Published: January 2020

The aim of this study was to investigate the utility of incorporating active matrix metalloproteinase-8 (aMMP-8) as a biomarker into the new periodontitis classification system (stage/grade) presented in 2018. This study included 150 Greek adults aged 25–78, of whom 74 were men and 76 women. Participants were tested with an aMMP-8 point-of-care mouthrinse test, after which a full-mouth clinical examination was performed to assess their periodontal and oral health. The aMMP-8 levels in mouthrinse were significantly lower among healthy patients compared with patients in more severe periodontitis stages and grades (Kruskal–Wallis test and Dunn–Bonferroni test for pairwise post-hoc comparisons; p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). Furthermore, aMMP-8 levels were less correlated with plaque levels than bleeding on probing (BOP) (Spearman’s rho = 0.269, p < 0.001; Spearman’s rho = 0.586, p < 0.001); respectively). Thus, aMMP-8 was more robust to the confounding effects of oral hygiene than traditional periodontal parameter bleeding on probing. The aMMP-8 point-of-care mouthrinse test can be utilized as an adjunctive and preventive diagnostic tool to identify periodontal disease, classified by stage and grade, and ongoing periodontal breakdown chairside in clinical practice in only 5 min. Overall, integrating aMMP-8 into the new periodontitis classification system seems beneficial.
Dual-/Tri-Wideband Bandpass Filter with High Selectivity and Adjustable Passband for 5G Mid-Band Mobile Communications
Authors: Hou Zhanyong , Liu Chengguo , Zhang Bin , Song Rongguo , Wu Zhipeng , Zhang Jingwei , He Daping
Published: January 2020

The design and implementation of the filters for the fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication systems are challengeable due to the demands of high integration, low-cost, and high-speed data transmission. In this paper, a dual-wideband bandpass filter (BPF) and a tri-wideband BPF for 5G mobile communications are proposed. The dual-wideband BPF consists of two folded open-loop stepped-impedance resonators (FOLSIRs), and the tri-wideband BPF is designed by placing a pair of folded uniform impedance resonator inside the dual-wideband BPF with little increase in the physical size of the filter. By employing a novel structural deformation of a stepped-impedance resonator, the FOLSIR is achieved with a more compact structure, a controllable transmission zero, and an adjustable resonant frequency. The measurement results show that the working bands of the two filters are 1.98–2.28/3.27–3.66 GHz and 2.035–2.305/3.31–3.71/4.54–5.18 GHz, respectively, which are consistent with the full-wave EM simulation results. The implemented filters have a compact size and the results show low loss, good out-of-band rejection, and wide passbands covering sub-6 GHz bands of 5G mobile communications and a commonly used spectrum.
DC-Link Current Control with Inverter Nonlinearity Compensation for Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor Drives
Authors: Wang Kan , Wu Zhong , Chu Zhongyi
Published: January 2020

For permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) supplied with a voltage source inverter, current control strategies are commonly implemented under the synchronously rotating reference frame. In order to simplify the system structure, three-phase currents can be measured with a single DC-link current sensor using the phase current reconstruction technique. However, it still needs to follow the conventional AC current control approach. In this paper, a DC-link current control method for PMSMs is proposed to further simplify the control system. The problem of phase current control was separated into the problems of amplitude control and phase control. Then, amplitude control was achieved using a closed-loop controller directly tracking the DC-link current; while phase control was achieved by AC-side pulse width modulation (PWM) following the phase angle of back electromotive force. The compensation for nonlinear distortion of the inverter was taken into account during the control process. Finally, the proposed method realized three-phase current control with a single current sensor and controller, and achieved the purpose of electromagnetic torque control. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Analysis of HT-PEM MEAs’ Long-Term Stabilities
Authors: Büsselmann Julian , Rastedt Maren , Klicpera Tomas , Reinwald Karsten , Schmies Henrike , Dyck Alexander , Wagner Peter
Published: January 2020

Despite the great advantages of high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane (HT-PEM) fuel cells over the low-temperature (LT) PEM alternative, such as enhanced reaction kinetics and higher tolerance against impurities like CO due to the higher operation temperature, the achievement of high lifetimes still remains a challenge. In order to improve the durability of the fuel cell, extensive research has been carried out on alternatives for the individual components. For this reason, this paper conducted extended long-term tests with three three membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) from one manufacturer under different operational scenarios. The MEAs differed mainly by the membranes used and showed significantly different behaviors. While the first MEA reached the end of life already after 2600 h, the second one could pass 9800 h almost without any problems. The third MEA proved resistant to adverse conditions. For all three MEAs, extensive electrochemical characterizations and μ-CT examinations for the analysis of long-term stability are shown.
Love at First Taste: Induction of Larval Settlement by Marine Microbes
Authors: Dobretsov Sergey , Rittschof Daniel
Published: January 2020

Marine biofilms are composed of many species of bacteria, unicellular algae, and protozoa. Biofilms can induce, inhibit, or have no effect on settlement of larvae and spores of algae. In this review, we focus on induction of larval settlement by marine bacteria and unicellular eukaryotes and review publications from 2010 to September 2019. This review provides insights from meta-analysis on what is known about the effect of marine biofilms on larval settlement. Of great interest is the impact of different components of marine biofilms, such as bacteria and diatoms, extracellular polymeric substances, quorum sensing signals, unique inductive compounds, exoenzymes, and structural protein degradation products on larval settlement and metamorphosis. Molecular aspects of larval settlement and impact of climate change are reviewed and, finally, potential areas of future investigations are provided.
Characterization of a G-Quadruplex Structure in Pre-miRNA-1229 and in Its Alzheimer’s Disease-Associated Variant rs2291418: Implications for miRNA-1229 Maturation
Authors: Imperatore Joshua A. , Then McKenna L. , McDougal Keefe B. , Mihailescu Mihaela Rita
Published: January 2020

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common age-related neurodegenerative disease, is associated with various forms of cognitive and functional impairment that worsen with disease progression. AD is typically characterized as a protein misfolding disease, in which abnormal plaques form due to accumulation of tau and β-amyloid (Aβ) proteins. An assortment of proteins is responsible for the processing and trafficking of Aβ, including sortilin-related receptor 1 (SORL1). Recently, a genome-wide association study of microRNA-related variants found that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2291418 within premature microRNA-1229 (pre-miRNA-1229) is significantly associated with AD. Moreover, the levels of the mature miRNA-1229-3p, which has been shown to regulate the SORL1 translation, are increased in the rs2291418 pre-miRNA-1229 variant. In this study we used various biophysical techniques to show that pre-miRNA-1229 forms a G-quadruplex secondary structure that coexists in equilibrium with the canonical hairpin structure, potentially controlling the production of the mature miR-1229-3p, and furthermore, that the AD-associated SNP rs2291418 pre-miR-1229 changes the equilibrium between these structures. Thus, the G-quadruplex structure we identified within pre-miRNA-1229 could potentially act as a novel therapeutic target in AD.
Primary Hyperparathyroidism in Sickle Cell Disease: An Unknown Complication of the Disease in Adulthood
Authors: Denoix Elsa , Bomahou Charlène , Clavier Lorraine , Ribeil Jean-Antoine , Lionnet François , Bartolucci Pablo , Courbebaisse Marie , Pouchot Jacques , Arlet Jean-Benoît
Published: January 2020

Primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) is the third most common endocrine disorder and usually affects patients between 60 and 70 years of age. To our knowledge, this condition has never been studied in young patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Our objective was to describe the clinical and biological characteristics of pHPT in adult patients with SCD and its management. We conducted a retrospective study that included SCD patients who were diagnosed with pHPT in four SCD referral centers. pHPT was defined by the presence of elevated serum calcium levels with inappropriate normal or increased parathyroid hormone (PTH) serum levels or histopathological evidence of parathyroid adenoma or hyperplasia. Patients with severe renal impairment (GFR <30 mL/min) were excluded. Twenty-eight patients (18 women, 64%; 22 homozygous genotype, 79%) were included. The median age at pHPT diagnosis was 41 years (interquartile range –IQR- 31.5–49.5). The median serum calcium and PTH concentration were, respectively, 2.62 mmol/L (IQR 2.60–2.78) and 105 pg/mL (IQR 69–137). Bone mineral density (BMD) revealed very low BMD (≤−2.5 SD) in 44% of patients explored (vs. 12.5% among 32 SCD patients matched for SCD genotype, sex, age, and BMI, p = 0.03). Fourteen patients (50%) received surgical treatment, which was successful in all cases, but four of these patients (29%) presented with pHPT recurrence after a median time of 6.5 years. Three of these patients underwent a second cervical surgery that confirmed the presence of a new parathyroid adenoma. These results suggest that SCD is a condition associated with pHPT in young subjects. SCD patients with pHPT have a high risk of very low BMD. A diagnosis of pHPT should be suspected in the presence of mild hypercalcemia or low BMD in SCD patients.
Embodiment and Image Schemas: Interpreting the Figurative Meanings of English Phrasal Verbs
Authors: Tsaroucha Efthymia
Published: January 2020

The present article suggests that the figurative meanings of English phrasal verbs can be interpreted by means of image schemas. It is argued that image schemas reflect bodily experiences which constitute configurations of spatial perception. The article classifies image schemas and draws examples from English phrasal verbs. The article discusses how the semantics of the particle (which prototypically denotes space and motion) encourages various types of image schemas which can be extended into more abstract and metaphoric readings. The article investigates how English phrasal verbs of the form take plus particles encourage the image schemas of containment, the journey and its component parts, goal, path, proximity-distance, linkage-separation, front-back orientation, part-whole relationship and linear order. The article also argues for image schematic transformations.
Two Stochastic Differential Equations for Modeling Oscillabolastic-Type Behavior
Authors: Barrera Antonio , Román-Román Patricia , Torres-Ruiz Francisco
Published: January 2020

Stochastic models based on deterministic ones play an important role in the description of growth phenomena. In particular, models showing oscillatory behavior are suitable for modeling phenomena in several application areas, among which the field of biomedicine stands out. The oscillabolastic growth curve is an example of such oscillatory models. In this work, two stochastic models based on diffusion processes related to the oscillabolastic curve are proposed. Each of them is the solution of a stochastic differential equation obtained by modifying, in a different way, the original ordinary differential equation giving rise to the curve. After obtaining the distributions of the processes, the problem of estimating the parameters is analyzed by means of the maximum likelihood method. Due to the parametric structure of the processes, the resulting systems of equations are quite complex and require numerical methods for their resolution. The problem of obtaining initial solutions is addressed and a strategy is established for this purpose. Finally, a simulation study is carried out.
Construction of Cubic Timmer Triangular Patches and its Application in Scattered Data Interpolation
Authors: Ali Fatin Amani Mohd , Abdul Karim Samsul Ariffin , Saaban Azizan , Hasan Mohammad Khatim , Ghaffar Abdul , Nisar Kottakkaran Sooppy , Baleanu Dumitru
Published: January 2020

This paper discusses scattered data interpolation by using cubic Timmer triangular patches. In order to achieve C1 continuity everywhere, we impose a rational corrected scheme that results from convex combination between three local schemes. The final interpolant has the form quintic numerator and quadratic denominator. We test the scheme by considering the established dataset as well as visualizing the rainfall data and digital elevation in Malaysia. We compare the performance between the proposed scheme and some well-known schemes. Numerical and graphical results are presented by using Mathematica and MATLAB. From all numerical results, the proposed scheme is better in terms of smaller root mean square error (RMSE) and higher coefficient of determination (R2). The higher R2 value indicates that the proposed scheme can reconstruct the surface with excellent fit that is in line with the standard set by Renka and Brown’s validation.
Possibilities for Renovation of Functional Surfaces of Backup Rolls Used during Steel Making
Authors: Brezinová Janette , Viňáš Ján , Brezina Jakub , Guzanová Anna , Maruschak Pavlo
Published: January 2020

The paper presents the results of the research aimed at possibilities of renovation of functional surfaces of back-up rolls that are part of the hot strip rolling mill operating line using new types of additive materials. Experimentally, four melts of alloyed steel were produced in laboratory conditions from which four types of filler materials in the form of wires were made. They were made by pulling through dies to a diameter of 2.4 mm. The renovation of functional surfaces was performed on the batch of rolls with the outer diameter of 1000 mm and length 3000 mm. Cladding technology submerged arc welding (SAW) was applied for cladding of four spirals with 40 mm oscillation onto the base material of the 31CrMoV9 (EN 10085) sub-roll. The base flux marked WLDC 17-AWS A5.17-89 EM13K with basicity index 3 was used for cladding. The four-layer weld deposition was made to eliminate the effect of mixing the surfacing layers with the base material. The refurbished rolls were annealed after welding. Surface quality was assessed by visual inspection (VT) according to EN ISO 17637. The presence of internal errors was determined by ultrasound control (UT) in accordance with EN ISO 11666 and EN ISO 17640. The quality of the clad layers was analysed on metallographic sections using light microscopy. The microhardness of the individual clad layers was evaluated according to Vickers according to EN ISO 9015-2. Based on realized experiments it can be stated that the selected cladding parameter was suitable, and the overlay layers showed no surface or internal defects. Mechanical and tribological tests were carried out, but they showed significant influence of chemical composition of additive materials on mechanical properties, or wear resistance of the layers.
Candida albicans Antifungal Resistance and Tolerance in Bloodstream Infections: The Triad Yeast-Host-Antifungal
Authors: Costa-de-Oliveira Sofia , Rodrigues Acácio G.
Published: January 2020

Candida albicans represents the most frequent isolated yeast from bloodstream infections. Despite the remarkable progress in diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, these infections continue to be a critical challenge in intensive care units worldwide. The economic cost of bloodstream fungal infections and its associated mortality, especially in debilitated patients, remains unacceptably high. Candida albicans is a highly adaptable microorganism, being able to develop resistance following prolonged exposure to antifungals. Formation of biofilms, which diminish the accessibility of the antifungal, selection of spontaneous mutations that increase expression or decreased susceptibility of the target, altered chromosome abnormalities, overexpression of multidrug efflux pumps and the ability to escape host immune defenses are some of the factors that can contribute to antifungal tolerance and resistance. The knowledge of the antifungal resistance mechanisms can allow the design of alternative therapeutically options in order to modulate or revert the resistance. We have focused this review on the main factors that are involved in antifungal resistance and tolerance in patients with C. albicans bloodstream infections.
Reduction and Dissolution Behaviour of Manganese Slag in the Ferromanganese Process
Authors: Li Xiang , Tang Kai , Tangstad Merete
Published: January 2020

The reduction and liquidus behaviour of manganese slag with different basicities were studied in non-isothermal experiments in the temperature range of 1400–1500 °C. Certain amounts of quartz were added to Assmang ore (South Africa), and lime was added to Comilog ore (Gabon), to adjust the charge basicity to 0.5, 0.8 and 1.2. The extent of manganese ore reduction as a function temperature were determined by thermo-gravimetric (TG) balance. Morphology of ores and its change in the course of reduction was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that the reduction rate of Assmang slag decreases with decreasing basicity, as the liquidus temperature of slag decreases. When spherical MnO phase is present, the activity of MnO is high, and the reduction rate is rapid. Comilog slags show a much higher reduction rate than Assmang slags. The activation energies of MnO reduction between 1400 to 1500 °C are estimated in this study and found to be 230 kJ/mol for Assmang charges and 470 kJ/mol for Comilog charges. The dissolution behaviours of Assmang and Comilog slags were also studied by FactSage simulation and verified by experiments.
Immunological and Toxicological Considerations for the Design of Liposomes
Authors: Inglut Collin T. , Sorrin Aaron J. , Kuruppu Thilinie , Vig Shruti , Cicalo Julia , Ahmad Haroon , Huang Huang-Chiao
Published: January 2020

Liposomes hold great potential as gene and drug delivery vehicles due to their biocompatibility and modular properties, coupled with the major advantage of attenuating the risk of systemic toxicity from the encapsulated therapeutic agent. Decades of research have been dedicated to studying and optimizing liposomal formulations for a variety of medical applications, ranging from cancer therapeutics to analgesics. Some effort has also been made to elucidate the toxicities and immune responses that these drug formulations may elicit. Notably, intravenously injected liposomes can interact with plasma proteins, leading to opsonization, thereby altering the healthy cells they come into contact with during circulation and removal. Additionally, due to the pharmacokinetics of liposomes in circulation, drugs can end up sequestered in organs of the mononuclear phagocyte system, affecting liver and spleen function. Importantly, liposomal agents can also stimulate or suppress the immune system depending on their physiochemical properties, such as size, lipid composition, pegylation, and surface charge. Despite the surge in the clinical use of liposomal agents since 1995, there are still several drawbacks that limit their range of applications. This review presents a focused analysis of these limitations, with an emphasis on toxicity to healthy tissues and unfavorable immune responses, to shed light on key considerations that should be factored into the design and clinical use of liposomal formulations.
Stability and Dynamic Aggregation of Bare and Stabilized Zero-Valent Iron Nanoparticles under Variable Solution Chemistry
Authors: Ibrahim Hesham M. , Awad Mohammed , Al-Farraj Abdullah S. , Al-Turki Ali M.
Published: January 2020

Surface modification of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) using polymer stabilizers (e.g., sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, CMC) is usually used to minimize aggregation, increase stability, and enhance transport of nZVI. We investigated the stability and dynamic aggregation of bare and CMC–nZVI as affected by variations in pH, ionic strength (IS), and nZVI particle concentration. CMC coating of nZVI resulted in smaller hydrodynamic size and larger zeta potential. The largest hydrodynamic size of nZVI was associated with bare nZVI at high IS (100 mM), pH close to the point of zero charge (PZC, 7.3–7.6), and larger particle concentration (1.0 g L−1). The increase in the zeta potential of CMC–nZVI reached one- to four-fold of that for bare nZVI, and was greater at pH values close to PZC, high IS, and larger particle concentration. The stability of CMC–nZVI was increased by 61.8, 93.1, and 57.5% as compared to that of bare nZVI at IS of 1, 50 and 100 mM, respectively. Calculations of Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey and Overbeek (DLVO) interaction energy were in agreement with stability results, and showed the formation of substantial energy barriers at low IS indicating greater nZVI stability. Our results suggest that at IS above 50 mM and nZVI particle concentration larger than 0.1 g L−1, the likelihood of nZVI aggregation is high. Nevertheless, CMC polymer stabilizer would enhance the stability and transport of nZVI even under these unfavorable solution chemistry conditions.
Secure Quantum Communication Technologies and Systems: From Labs to Markets
Authors: Cavaliere Fabio , Prati Enrico , Poti Luca , Muhammad Imran , Catuogno Tommaso
Published: January 2020

We provide a broad overview of current quantum communication by analyzing the recent discoveries on the topic and by identifying the potential bottlenecks requiring further investigation. The analysis follows an industrial perspective, first identifying the state or the art in terms of protocols, systems, and devices for quantum communication. Next, we classify the applicative fields where short- and medium-term impact is expected by emphasizing the potential and challenges of different approaches. The direction and the methodology with which the scientific community is proceeding are discussed. Finally, with reference to the European guidelines within the Quantum Flagship initiative, we suggest a roadmap to match the effort community-wise, with the objective of maximizing the impact that quantum communication may have on our society.
Identification of Seed Maize Fields With High Spatial Resolution and Multiple Spectral Remote Sensing Using Random Forest Classifier
Authors: Zhang Lin , Liu Zhe , Ren Tianwei , Liu Diyou , Ma Zhe , Tong Liang , Zhang Chao , Zhou Tianying , Zhang Xiaodong , Li Shaoming
Published: January 2020

Seed maize and common maize plots have different planting patterns and variety types. Identification of seed maize is the basis for seed maize growth monitoring, seed quality and common maize seed supply. In this paper, a random forest (RF) classifier is used to develop an approach for seed maize fields’ identification, using the time series vegetation indexes (VIs) calculated from multispectral data acquired from Landsat 8 and Gaofen 1 satellite (GF-1), field sample data, and texture features of Gaofen 2 satellite (GF-2) panchromatic data. Huocheng and Hutubi County in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China were chosen as study area. The results show that RF performs well with the combination of six VIs (normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), enhanced vegetation index (EVI), triangle vegetation index (TVI), ratio vegetation index (RVI), normalized difference water index (NDWI) and difference vegetation index (DVI)) and texture features based on a grey-level co-occurrence matrix. The classification based on “spectrum + texture” information has higher overall, user and producer accuracies than that of spectral information alone. Using the “spectrum + texture” method, the overall accuracy of classification in Huocheng County is 95.90%, the Kappa coefficient is 0.92, and the producer accuracy for seed maize fields is 93.91%. The overall accuracy of the classification in Hutubi County is 97.79%, the Kappa coefficient is 0.95, and the producer accuracy for seed maize fields is 97.65%. Therefore, RF classifier inputted with high-resolution remote-sensing image features can distinguish two kinds of planting patterns (seed and common) and varieties types (inbred and hybrid) of maize and can be used to identify and map a wide range of seed maize fields. However, this method requires a large amount of sample data, so how to effectively use and improve it in areas lacking samples needs further research.
A Parallax Shift Effect Correction Based on Cloud Height for Geostationary Satellites and Radar Observations
Authors: Bieliński Tomasz
Published: January 2020

The effect of cloud parallax shift occurs in satellite imaging, particularly for high angles of satellite observations. This study demonstrates new methods of parallax effect correction for clouds observed by geostationary satellites. The analytical method that could be found in literature, namely the Vicente et al./Koenig method, is presented at the beginning. It approximates a cloud position using an ellipsoid with semi-axes increased by the cloud height. The error values of this method reach up to 50 meters. The second method, which is proposed by the author, is an augmented version of the Vicente et al./Koenig approach. With this augmentation, the error can be reduced to centimeters. The third method, also proposed by the author, incorporates geodetic coordinates. It is described as a set of equations that are solved with the numerical method, and its error can be driven to near zero by adjusting the count of iterations. A sample numerical solution procedure with application of the Newton method is presented. Also, a simulation experiment that evaluates the proposed methods is described in the paper. The results of an experiment are described and contrasted with current technology. Currently, operating geostationary Earth Observation (EO) satellite resolutions vary from 0.5 km up to 8 km. The pixel sizes of these satellites are much greater than for maximal error of the least precise method presented in this paper. Therefore, the chosen method will be important when the resolution of geostationary EO satellites reaches 50 m. To validate the parallax correction, procedure data from on-ground radars and the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellite, which describes stormy events, was compared before and after correction. Comparison was performed by correlating the logarithm of the cloud optical thickness (COT) with radar reflectance in dBZ (radar reflectance – Z in logarithmic form).
Unique Pre-Earthquake Deformation Patterns in the Spatial Domains from GPS in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Chieh-Hung , Yeh Ta-Kang , Wen Strong , Meng Guojie , Han Peng , Tang Chi-Chia , Liu Jann-Yenq , Wang Chung-Ho
Published: January 2020

Most earthquakes are considered to be caused by stress accumulating in and subsequently releasing from the crust. To extract non-linear and non-stationary earthquake-induced signals associated with stress accumulation, the Hilbert–Huang transform was utilized to filter long-term movements, short-term noise, and frequency-dependent (annual and semi-annual) variations from surface displacements measured by the global positioning system (GPS) in Taiwan. Earthquake-related surface displacements were expressed as horizontal directions (i.e., GPS azimuths) using the north–south and east–west components of residual GPS data to bypass influences resulted from the inhomogeneous nature of the crust. Analytical results showed that the relationships between earthquake occurrence and the aligned GPS azimuth passed the statistical test of the Molchan’s error diagram. Aligned GPS azimuths were in agreement with direction of earthquake-related P axes for 81% (26/32) studied events. Areas with the highest paralleling orientations of GPS azimuths appeared around epicenters several days to weeks before earthquake occurrence. Durations from aligned GPS azimuths to earthquake occurrence are roughly proportional to earthquake magnitude. Similar variations of the GPS azimuths were observed in GPS data containing or excluding co-seismic dislocation (i.e., one day before) in the temporal and spatial domain. These suggest that the aligned GPS azimuth could be a promising anomalous phenomenon for studying crustal deformation before earthquakes.
Real-time Smartphone Activity Classification Using Inertial Sensors—Recognition of Scrolling, Typing, and Watching Videos While Sitting or Walking
Authors: Zhuo Sijie , Sherlock Lucas , Dobbie Gillian , Koh Yun Sing , Russello Giovanni , Lottridge Danielle
Published: January 2020

By developing awareness of smartphone activities that the user is performing on their smartphone, such as scrolling feeds, typing and watching videos, we can develop application features that are beneficial to the users, such as personalization. It is currently not possible to access real-time smartphone activities directly, due to standard smartphone privileges and if internal movement sensors can detect them, there may be implications for access policies. Our research seeks to understand whether the sensor data from existing smartphone inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors (triaxial accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers) can be used to classify typical human smartphone activities. We designed and conducted a study with human participants which uses an Android app to collect motion data during scrolling, typing and watching videos, while walking or seated and the baseline of smartphone non-use, while sitting and walking. We then trained a machine learning (ML) model to perform real-time activity recognition of those eight states. We investigated various algorithms and parameters for the best accuracy. Our optimal solution achieved an accuracy of 78.6% with the Extremely Randomized Trees algorithm, data sampled at 50 Hz and 5-s windows. We conclude by discussing the viability of using IMU sensors to recognize common smartphone activities.