bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Wind Gust Detection and Impact Prediction for Wind Turbines
Authors: Zhou Kai , Cherukuru Nihanth , Sun Xiaoyu , Calhoun Ronald
Published: March 2018

Wind gusts on a scale from 100 m to 1000 m are studied due to their significant influence on wind turbine performance. A detecting and tracking algorithm is proposed to extract gusts from a wind field and track their movement. The algorithm utilizes the “peak over threshold method,” Moore-Neighbor tracing algorithm, and Taylor’s frozen turbulence hypothesis. The algorithm was implemented for a three-hour, two-dimensional wind field retrieved from the measurements of a coherent Doppler lidar. The Gaussian shape distribution of the gust spanwise deviation from the streamline was demonstrated. Size dependency of gust deviations is discussed, and an empirical power function is derived. A prediction model estimating the impact of gusts with respect to arrival time and the probability of arrival locations is introduced, in which the Gaussian plume model and random walk theory including size dependency are applied. The prediction model was tested and the results reveal that the prediction model can represent the spanwise deviation of the gusts and capture the effect of gust size. The prediction model was applied to a virtual wind turbine array, and estimates are given for which wind turbines would be impacted.
A Multi-Hop Clustering Mechanism for Scalable IoT Networks
Authors: Sung Yoonyoung , Lee Sookyoung , Lee Meejeong
Published: March 2018

It is expected that up to 26 billion Internet of Things (IoT) equipped with sensors and wireless communication capabilities will be connected to the Internet by 2020 for various purposes. With a large scale IoT network, having each node connected to the Internet with an individual connection may face serious scalability issues. The scalability problem of the IoT network may be alleviated by grouping the nodes of the IoT network into clusters and having a representative node in each cluster connect to the Internet on behalf of the other nodes in the cluster instead of having a per-node Internet connection and communication. In this paper, we propose a multi-hop clustering mechanism for IoT networks to minimize the number of required Internet connections. Specifically, the objective of proposed mechanism is to select the minimum number of coordinators, which take the role of a representative node for the cluster, i.e., having the Internet connection on behalf of the rest of the nodes in the cluster and to map a partition of the IoT nodes onto the selected set of coordinators to minimize the total distance between the nodes and their respective coordinator under a certain constraint in terms of maximum hop count between the IoT nodes and their respective coordinator. Since this problem can be mapped into a set cover problem which is known as NP-hard, we pursue a heuristic approach to solve the problem and analyze the complexity of the proposed solution. Through a set of experiments with varying parameters, the proposed scheme shows 63–87.3% reduction of the Internet connections depending on the number of the IoT nodes while that of the optimal solution is 65.6–89.9% in a small scale network. Moreover, it is shown that the performance characteristics of the proposed mechanism coincide with expected performance characteristics of the optimal solution in a large-scale network.
MFAM: Multiple Frequency Adaptive Model-Based Indoor Localization Method
Authors: Tuta Jure , Juric Matjaz
Published: March 2018

This paper presents MFAM (Multiple Frequency Adaptive Model-based localization method), a novel model-based indoor localization method that is capable of using multiple wireless signal frequencies simultaneously. It utilizes indoor architectural model and physical properties of wireless signal propagation through objects and space. The motivation for developing multiple frequency localization method lies in the future Wi-Fi standards (e.g., 802.11ah) and the growing number of various wireless signals present in the buildings (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, etc.). Current indoor localization methods mostly rely on a single wireless signal type and often require many devices to achieve the necessary accuracy. MFAM utilizes multiple wireless signal types and improves the localization accuracy over the usage of a single frequency. It continuously monitors signal propagation through space and adapts the model according to the changes indoors. Using multiple signal sources lowers the required number of access points for a specific signal type while utilizing signals, already present in the indoors. Due to the unavailability of the 802.11ah hardware, we have evaluated proposed method with similar signals; we have used 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and 868 MHz HomeMatic home automation signals. We have performed the evaluation in a modern two-bedroom apartment and measured mean localization error 2.0 to 2.3 m and median error of 2.0 to 2.2 m. Based on our evaluation results, using two different signals improves the localization accuracy by 18% in comparison to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi-only approach. Additional signals would improve the accuracy even further. We have shown that MFAM provides better accuracy than competing methods, while having several advantages for real-world usage.
Building Change Detection from Bi-Temporal Dense-Matching Point Clouds and Aerial Images
Authors: Pang Shiyan , Hu Xiangyun , Cai Zhongliang , Gong Jinqi , Zhang Mi
Published: March 2018

In this work, a novel building change detection method from bi-temporal dense-matching point clouds and aerial images is proposed to address two major problems, namely, the robust acquisition of the changed objects above ground and the automatic classification of changed objects into buildings or non-buildings. For the acquisition of changed objects above ground, the change detection problem is converted into a binary classification, in which the changed area above ground is regarded as the foreground and the other area as the background. For the gridded points of each period, the graph cuts algorithm is adopted to classify the points into foreground and background, followed by the region-growing algorithm to form candidate changed building objects. A novel structural feature that was extracted from aerial images is constructed to classify the candidate changed building objects into buildings and non-buildings. The changed building objects are further classified as “newly built”, “taller”, “demolished”, and “lower” by combining the classification and the digital surface models of two periods. Finally, three typical areas from a large dataset are used to validate the proposed method. Numerous experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Nondestructive Estimation of Muscle Contributions to STS Training with Different Loadings Based on Wearable Sensor System
Authors: Liu Kun , Liu Yong , Yan Jianchao , Sun Zhenyuan
Published: March 2018

Partial body weight support or loading sit-to-stand (STS) rehabilitation can be useful for persons with lower limb dysfunction to achieve movement again based on the internal residual muscle force and external assistance. To explicate how the muscles contribute to the kinetics and kinematics of STS performance by non-invasive in vitro detection and to nondestructively estimate the muscle contributions to STS training with different loadings, a wearable sensor system was developed with ground reaction force (GRF) platforms, motion capture inertial sensors and electromyography (EMG) sensors. To estimate the internal moments of hip, knee and ankle joints and quantify the contributions of individual muscle and gravity to STS movement, the inverse dynamics analysis on a simplified STS biomechanical model with external loading is proposed. The functional roles of the lower limb individual muscles (rectus femoris (RF), gluteus maximus (GM), vastus lateralis (VL), tibialis anterior (TA) and gastrocnemius (GAST)) during STS motion and the mechanism of the muscles’ synergies to perform STS-specific subtasks were analyzed. The muscle contributions to the biomechanical STS subtasks of vertical propulsion, anteroposterior (AP) braking and propulsion for body balance in the sagittal plane were quantified by experimental studies with EMG, kinematic and kinetic data.
An Indoor Positioning-Based Mobile Payment System Using Bluetooth Low Energy Technology
Authors: Yohan Alexander , Lo Nai-Wei , Winata Doni
Published: March 2018

The development of information technology has paved the way for faster and more convenient payment process flows and new methodology for the design and implementation of next generation payment systems. The growth of smartphone usage nowadays has fostered a new and popular mobile payment environment. Most of the current generation smartphones support Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology to communicate with nearby BLE-enabled devices. It is plausible to construct an Over-the-Air BLE-based mobile payment system as one of the payment methods for people living in modern societies. In this paper, a secure indoor positioning-based mobile payment authentication protocol with BLE technology and the corresponding mobile payment system design are proposed. The proposed protocol consists of three phases: initialization phase, session key construction phase, and authentication phase. When a customer moves toward the POS counter area, the proposed mobile payment system will automatically detect the position of the customer to confirm whether the customer is ready for the checkout process. Once the system has identified the customer is standing within the payment-enabled area, the payment system will invoke authentication process between POS and the customer’s smartphone through BLE communication channel to generate a secure session key and establish an authenticated communication session to perform the payment transaction accordingly. A prototype is implemented to assess the performance of the proposed design for mobile payment system. In addition, security analysis is conducted to evaluate the security strength of the proposed protocol.
Non-Invasive Methodology to Estimate Polyphenol Content in Extra Virgin Olive Oil Based on Stepwise Multilinear Regression
Authors: Martínez Gila Diego , Cano Marchal Pablo , Gómez Ortega Juan , Gámez García Javier
Published: March 2018

Normally the olive oil quality is assessed by chemical analysis according to international standards. These norms define chemical and organoleptic markers, and depending on the markers, the olive oil can be labelled as lampante, virgin, or extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), the last being an indicator of top quality. The polyphenol content is related to EVOO organoleptic features, and different scientific works have studied the positive influence that these compounds have on human health. The works carried out in this paper are focused on studying relations between the polyphenol content in olive oil samples and its spectral response in the near infrared spectra. In this context, several acquisition parameters have been assessed to optimize the measurement process within the virgin olive oil production process. The best regression model reached a mean error value of 156.14 mg/kg in leave one out cross validation, and the higher regression coefficient was 0.81 through holdout validation.
Ultra-Long-Distance Hybrid BOTDA/Ф-OTDR
Authors: Fu Yun , Wang Zinan , Zhu Richeng , Xue Naitian , Jiang Jialin , Lu Chongyu , Zhang Bin , Yang Le , Atubga David , Rao Yunjiang
Published: March 2018

In the distributed optical fiber sensing (DOFS) domain, simultaneous measurement of vibration and temperature/strain based on Rayleigh scattering and Brillouin scattering in fiber could have wide applications. However, there are certain challenges for the case of ultra-long sensing range, including the interplay of different scattering mechanisms, the interaction of two types of sensing signals, and the competition of pump power. In this paper, a hybrid DOFS system, which can simultaneously measure temperature/strain and vibration over 150 km, is elaborately designed via integrating the Brillouin optical time-domain analyzer (BOTDA) and phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometry (Ф-OTDR). Distributed Raman and Brillouin amplifications, frequency division multiplexing (FDM), wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), and time division multiplexing (TDM) are delicately fused to accommodate ultra-long-distance BOTDA and Ф-OTDR. Consequently, the sensing range of the hybrid system is 150.62 km, and the spatial resolution of BOTDA and Ф-OTDR are 9 m and 30 m, respectively. The measurement uncertainty of the BOTDA is ± 0.82 MHz. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that such hybrid DOFS is realized with a hundred-kilometer length scale.
A Resource Service Model in the Industrial IoT System Based on Transparent Computing
Authors: Li Weimin , Wang Bin , Sheng Jinfang , Dong Ke , Li Zitong , Hu Yixiang
Published: March 2018

The Internet of Things (IoT) has received a lot of attention, especially in industrial scenarios. One of the typical applications is the intelligent mine, which actually constructs the Six-Hedge underground systems with IoT platforms. Based on a case study of the Six Systems in the underground metal mine, this paper summarizes the main challenges of industrial IoT from the aspects of heterogeneity in devices and resources, security, reliability, deployment and maintenance costs. Then, a novel resource service model for the industrial IoT applications based on Transparent Computing (TC) is presented, which supports centralized management of all resources including operating system (OS), programs and data on the server-side for the IoT devices, thus offering an effective, reliable, secure and cross-OS IoT service and reducing the costs of IoT system deployment and maintenance. The model has five layers: sensing layer, aggregation layer, network layer, service and storage layer and interface and management layer. We also present a detailed analysis on the system architecture and key technologies of the model. Finally, the efficiency of the model is shown by an experiment prototype system.
An Experimental Study of a Micro-Projection Enabled Optical Terminal for Short-Range Bidirectional Multi-Wavelength Visible Light Communications
Authors: Chou Hsi-Hsir , Tsai Cheng-Yu , Jiang Jhih-Shan
Published: March 2018

A micro-projection enabled short-range communication (SRC) approach using red-, green- and blue-based light-emitting diodes (RGB-LEDs) has experimentally demonstrated recently that micro-projection and high-speed data transmission can be performed simultaneously. In this research, a reconfigurable design of a polarization modulated image system based on the use of a Liquid Crystal on Silicon based Spatial Light Modulator (LCoS-based SLM) serving as a portable optical terminal capable of micro-projection and bidirectional multi-wavelength communications is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. For the proof of concept, the system performance was evaluated through a bidirectional communication link at a transmission distance over 0.65 m. In order to make the proposed communication system architecture compatible with the data modulation format of future possible wireless communication system, baseband modulation scheme, i.e., Non-Return-to-Zero On-Off-Keying (NRZ_OOK), M-ary Phase Shift Keying (M-PSK) and M-ary Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (M-QAM) were used to investigate the system transmission performance. The experimental results shown that an acceptable BER (satisfying the limitation of Forward Error Correction, FEC standard) and crosstalk can all be achieved in the bidirectional multi-wavelength communication scenario.
Coupling Vibration Analysis of Trapped-Energy Rectangular Quartz Resonators by Variational Formulation of Mindlin’s Theory
Authors: Li Nian , Wang Bin , Qian Zhenghua
Published: March 2018

Mindlin’s two-dimensional theory has been derived and applied to research on quartz resonators for a long time. However, most works have focused on vibrations varying only in two directions, including thickness direction, while the effect of other directions like the length or width direction is normally neglected. Besides, researchers often model quartz resonators as fully electroded plates because of the resulting simplicity. Since a real device is finite in all directions and is only centrally electroded, results obtained in such works cannot offer quantitative information on vibrations with enough accuracy. In this paper, a theoretical analysis of a rectangular trapped-energy resonator of AT-cut quartz is studied using the Ritz method, associated with the variational formulation of Mindlin’s first-order equations. Frequency spectra and mode shapes of a real-scaled trapped-energy resonator, which is finite in all directions, are obtained with the consideration of mode couplings among thickness-shear mode, thickness-twist mode, and flexural mode. Results show the existence of an energy-trapping and coupling phenomenon and are helpful for thorough and accurate understanding of quartz resonator vibrations. Detailed discussions on the effects of structural parameters on mode couplings and energy trapping are provided, and the results can helpfully guide the selection of aspect ratio, length/thickness ratio, and electrode inertia in device design.
Simulation of Tunnel Fire for Evacuation Safety Assessment
Authors: Yamamoto Kazuhiro , Sawaguchi Yuusuke , Nishiki Shinnosuke
Published: March 2018

When a fire breaks out in a tunnel, smoke diffuses widely in the direction of the ventilation airflow. As a result, the evacuation environment may not be sufficiently safe during a fire incident. When ventilation equipment in a tunnel is changed, the safety and economic efficiency of the new ventilation equipment must be evaluated in advance. However, it is dangerous and not financially feasible to undertake the verification of new ventilation equipment by performing a demonstration experiment owing to its cost and versatility. It is therefore useful for predicting an evacuation situation in which a fire breaks out in a tunnel by performing a numerical simulation and examining the evacuation safety of the tunnel. In this study, a tunnel fire was reproduced using the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) fire simulation software. Moreover, an evacuation was simulated using the real-coded cellular automaton (RCA) method and the effects of the wind velocity and the number of evacuees in the tunnel on the evacuation time were examined.
Rhinosinutis and Asthma in Children
Authors: Licari Amelia , Brambilla Ilaria , Castagnoli Riccardo , Marseglia Alessia , Paganelli Valeria , Foiadelli Thomas , Marseglia Gian
Published: March 2018

Rhinosinusitis and asthma are two comorbid conditions that lead to pathological and clinical diseases affecting the respiratory tract. They are connected by significant anatomical, epidemiological, pathophysiological, and clinical evidence, and also share therapeutic principles. The aim of this review is to provide an updated overview of the existing link between rhinosinusitis and asthma focusing on the pediatric age.
Typically Diverse: The Nature of Urban Agriculture in South Australia
Authors: Pollard Georgia , Ward James , Roetman Philip
Published: March 2018

In our visions of the future, urban agriculture has long been considered an integral part of the ‘sustainable city’. Yet urban agriculture is an incredibly diverse and variable field of study, and many practical aspects remain overlooked and understudied. This paper explores the economic sustainability of urban agriculture by focusing on the physical, practical, and economic aspects of home food gardens in South Australia. New data from the Edible Gardens project online survey is presented on a broad range of current garden setups, including a figure illustrating the statistically typical South Australian food garden. The differences between the survey data and a recent optimized garden model further highlight the gap in knowledge regarding existing home food gardens. With regard to the financial accessibility and economic sustainability of home food gardens, there is also still much more work to be done. Although saving money is a top motivation, with many survey respondents believing that they do succeed in saving money, it remains to be seen whether their current gardening practices support this aspiration. Measurement of the full costs of different gardens would allow for better predictions of whether growing food can save household’s money and under what circumstances.
Eco-Efficiency Assessment of Bioplastics Production Systems and End-of-Life Options
Authors: Changwichan Kunnika , Silalertruksa Thapat , Gheewala Shabbir
Published: March 2018

Bioplastics demand has been increased globally due to concerns regarding environmentally friendly consumption and production. Polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), and polybutylene succinate (PBS) are promising bioplastics with bio-based feedstocks and property of biodegradability. They are produced by bacterial fermentation of sugars from carbohydrate sources. With flexibility in their properties, PLA, PHAs, and PBS can potentially substitute conventional plastics such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polystyrene (PS). This study aims at evaluating the environmental and economic sustainability of bioplastics production together with end-of-life (EOL) options. The combination of environmental and economic indicators, eco-efficiency (E/E), was selected to investigate the performance of PLA, PHAs, and PBS from sugarcane and cassava in comparison with PP. The environmental impacts were determined using life cycle assessment. The product cost was used to represent the economic value. The E/E results showed that the environmental and economic sustainability could be enhanced with 100% mechanical recycling of all kinds of studied plastics. It is also important to highlight that mechanical recycling showed a better performance in terms of E/E than composting of bioplastics.
Forecasting of Energy-Related CO2 Emissions in China Based on GM(1,1) and Least Squares Support Vector Machine Optimized by Modified Shuffled Frog Leaping Algorithm for Sustainability
Authors: Dai Shuyu , Niu Dongxiao , Han Yaru
Published: March 2018

Presently, China is the largest CO2 emitting country in the world, which accounts for 28% of the CO2 emissions globally. China’s CO2 emission reduction has a direct impact on global trends. Therefore, accurate forecasting of CO2 emissions is crucial to China’s emission reduction policy formulating and global action on climate change. In order to forecast the CO2 emissions in China accurately, considering population, the CO2 emission forecasting model using GM(1,1) (Grey Model) and least squares support vector machine (LSSVM) optimized by the modified shuffled frog leaping algorithm (MSFLA) (MSFLA-LSSVM) is put forward in this paper. First of all, considering population, per capita GDP, urbanization rate, industrial structure, energy consumption structure, energy intensity, total coal consumption, carbon emission intensity, total imports and exports and other influencing factors of CO2 emissions, the main driving factors are screened according to the sorting of grey correlation degrees to realize feature dimension reduction. Then, the GM(1,1) model is used to forecast the main influencing factors of CO2 emissions. Finally, taking the forecasting value of the CO2 emissions influencing factors as the model input, the MSFLA-LSSVM model is adopted to forecast the CO2 emissions in China from 2018 to 2025.
Proactive Corporate Environmental Responsibility and Financial Performance: Evidence from Chinese Energy Enterprises
Authors: Jiang Ying , Xue Xiaolong , Xue Weirui
Published: March 2018

With increasing concerns about environmental issues and the advancement of China’s “going global” strategy, a new issue-proactive corporate social responsibility has emerged. Proactive corporate environmental responsibility refers to business actions that go beyond regulatory requirements for supporting sustainable environmental development. This study examines the role of proactive corporate environmental responsibility on corporate financial performance in the Chinese energy industry by the multi-variables regression analysis of panel data. Using data of 264 firm-year observations from 2009–2014 in the energy industry, the results showed that Proactive corporate environmental responsibility has a positive effect on corporate financial performance passing the endogeneity test. The results also demonstrate that private ownership has stronger promotion on the relationship between proactive corporate environmental responsibility and corporate financial performance. This study helps to increase the body of knowledge about proactive corporate environmental responsibility of the emerging economy, provides insights into the corporate environmental responsibility practice, and government environmental regulation and policy.
Portrayals in Print: Media Depictions of the Informal Sector’s Involvement in Managing E-Waste in India
Authors: Radulovic Verena
Published: March 2018

For over a decade, media stories have exposed health and environmental harm caused by informal electronics recycling in less industrialized countries. Greater awareness of these risks helped inform regulations across the globe and the development of recycling standards. Yet, media depictions also shape public perceptions of informal workers and their role in handling electronic waste, or e-waste. This paper examines how mainstream print media describes the informal sector’s involvement in handling e-waste in India, especially as policymakers and other stakeholders currently grapple with how to integrate informal workers into formal, more transparent e-waste management schemes. This study evaluates depictions of the informal sector in print articles from both non-Indian and Indian news media outlets, employing controversy mapping principles and digital research tools. Findings may help inform stakeholder agendas seeking to influence public awareness on how to integrate informal workers into viable e-waste management solutions. Subsequent research based on these results could also help stakeholders understand the actors and networks that shape such media depictions. Results from the dataset show that most news articles describe informal workers negatively or problematically due to activities causing health risks and environmental damage, but usually do not discern which activities in the value chain (e.g., collection, dismantling, metals extraction) represent the greatest risks. Comparatively fewer articles portray informal workers positively or as contributing to e-waste solutions. Most articles also do not explain challenges that arise when working with informal workers. As such, media depictions today often lag behind policy debates and obscure multiple facets—good and bad—of the informal sector’s involvement in managing e-waste. Thus, an opportunity exists for policymakers, manufacturers, and advocacy groups to bridge the gap between current media representations of informal workers’ involvement in e-waste management and policy recommendations surrounding their role.
Tactile Myography: An Off-Line Assessment of Able-Bodied Subjects and One Upper-Limb Amputee
Authors: Castellini Claudio , Kõiva Risto , Pasluosta Cristian , Viegas Carla , Eskofier Björn
Published: March 2018

Human-machine interfaces to control prosthetic devices still suffer from scarce dexterity and low reliability; for this reason, the community of assistive robotics is exploring novel solutions to the problem of myocontrol. In this work, we present experimental results pointing in the direction that one such method, namely Tactile Myography (TMG), can improve the situation. In particular, we use a shape-conformable high-resolution tactile bracelet wrapped around the forearm/residual limb to discriminate several wrist and finger activations performed by able-bodied subjects and a trans-radial amputee. Several combinations of features/classifiers were tested to discriminate among the activations. The balanced accuracy obtained by the best classifier/feature combination was on average 89.15% (able-bodied subjects) and 88.72% (amputated subject); when considering wrist activations only, the results were on average 98.44% for the able-bodied subjects and 98.72% for the amputee. The results obtained from the amputee were comparable to those obtained by the able-bodied subjects. This suggests that TMG is a viable technique for myoprosthetic control, either as a replacement of or as a companion to traditional surface electromyography.
Phenotypic Variation in Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) Venom Is Driven by Four Toxin Families
Authors: Strickland Jason , Mason Andrew , Rokyta Darin , Parkinson Christopher
Published: March 2018

Phenotypic diversity generated through altered gene expression is a primary mechanism facilitating evolutionary response in natural systems. By linking the phenotype to genotype through transcriptomics, it is possible to determine what changes are occurring at the molecular level. High phenotypic diversity has been documented in rattlesnake venom, which is under strong selection due to its role in prey acquisition and defense. Rattlesnake venom can be characterized by the presence (Type A) or absence (Type B) of a type of neurotoxic phospholipase A 2 (PLA 2 ), such as Mojave toxin, that increases venom toxicity. Mojave rattlesnakes (Crotalus scutulatus), represent this diversity as both venom types are found within this species and within a single panmictic population in the Sonoran Desert. We used comparative venom gland transcriptomics of nine specimens of C. scutulatus from this region to test whether expression differences explain diversity within and between venom types. Type A individuals expressed significantly fewer toxins than Type B individuals owing to the diversity of C-type lectins (CTLs) and snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs) found in Type B animals. As expected, both subunits of Mojave toxin were exclusively found in Type A individuals but we found high diversity in four additional PLA 2 s that was not associated with a venom type. Myotoxin a expression and toxin number variation was not associated with venom type, and myotoxin a had the highest range of expression of any toxin class. Our study represents the most comprehensive transcriptomic profile of the venom type dichotomy in rattlesnakes and C. scutulatus. Even intra-specifically, Mojave rattlesnakes showcase the diversity of snake venoms and illustrate that variation within venom types blurs the distinction of the venom dichotomy.
Scaling-Up the Impact of Aflatoxin Research in Africa. The Role of Social Sciences
Authors: Stepman Francois
Published: March 2018

At the interface between agriculture and nutrition, the aflatoxin contamination of food and feed touches on agriculture, health, and trade. For more than three decades now, the problem of aflatoxin has been researched in Africa. The interest of development cooperation for aflatoxin and the support to aflatoxin mitigation projects has its ups and downs. The academic world and the development world still seem to operate in different spheres and a collaboration is still challenging due to the complexity of the contamination sources at pre-harvest and post-harvest levels. There is a growing call by research funders and development actors for the impact of solutions at a scale. The solutions to mitigate aflatoxin contamination require new ways of working together. A more prominent role is to be played by social scientists. The role of social scientists in scaling-up the impact of aflatoxin research in Africa and the proposed mitigation solutions is to ensure that awareness, advantage, affordability, and access are systematically assessed. Aflatoxin-reduced staple foods and feed would be an agricultural result with a considerable health and food safety impact.
The Impact of T-2 Toxin on Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide-Like Immunoreactive (VIP-LI) Nerve Structures in the Wall of the Porcine Stomach and Duodenum
Authors: Makowska Krystyna , Obremski Kazimierz , Gonkowski Slawomir
Published: March 2018

T-2 toxin is a secondary metabolite of some Fusarium species. It is well-known that this substance can harmfully impact living organisms. Among others, thanks to the ability of crossing the blood–brain barrier, T-2 toxin can affect the central nervous system. Mycotoxins mostly get into the organism through the digestive tract; therefore, first of all they have to break the intestinal barrier, wherein the important component is the enteric nervous system (ENS). However, knowledge about the impact of T-2 toxin on the ENS is rather scant. As a result of the influence of various physiological and pathological agents, ENS can undergo adaptive and reparative processes which manifest as changes in the immunoreactivity of perikaryons for neuronal active substances. So, the aim of the present investigation was to study how low doses of T-2 toxin affect vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-like immunoreactive (VIP-LI) nervous structures in the ENS of the porcine stomach and duodenum. Obtained results have shown that T-2 toxin causes an percentage increase of VIP-LI nerve cells and nerve fibers in every enteric plexus in both fragments of gastrointestinal tract studied. This shows that even low doses of T-2 toxin can have an influence on living organisms.
Involvement of Hookworm Co-Infection in the Pathogenesis and Progression of Podoconiosis: Possible Immunological Mechanism
Authors: Famakinde Damilare , Adenusi Adedotun
Published: March 2018

Podoconiosis is an endemic, non-infectious, geochemical and non-filarial inflammatory cause of tropical elephantiasis. The immunology of podoconiosis is not yet expressly understood. In spite of this, co-infection and co-morbidity with the infectious, soil-transmitted hookworm disease that causes iron deficiency anemia has been found to be predominant among affected individuals living in co-endemic settings, thus creating a more complex immunological interplay that still has not been investigated. Although deworming and iron-rich nutrient supplementation have been suggested in podoconiosis patients living under resource-poor conditions, and it is thought that hookworm infection may help to suppress inflammatory responses, the undisputed link that exists between a non-infectious and an infectious disease may create a scenario whereby during a co-infection, treatment of one exacerbates the other disease condition or is dampened by the debilitation caused by the other. In this paper, we elaborate on the immunopathogenesis of podoconiosis and examine the possible immunological dynamics of hookworm co-infection in the immunopathology of podoconiosis, with a view toward improved management of the disease that will facilitate its feasible elimination.
Leptospirosis and Extensive Urbanization in West Africa: A Neglected and Underestimated Threat?
Authors: Dobigny Gauthier , Gauthier Philippe , Houéménou Gualbert , Choplin Armelle , Dossou Henri-Joël , Badou Sylvestre , Etougbétché Jonas , Bourhy Pascale , Koffi Stéphane , Durski Kara , Bertherat Eric , Picardeau Mathieu
Published: March 2018

Leptospirosis affects 1 million and kills 60,000 people annually, but it remains poorly documented in Africa. We aim to describe the large West African Conurbation Corridor where the omnipresence of slums, water and close animal/human interactions may result in high leptospiral risk. Though scarce, data from this region point towards the wide circulation of pathogenic leptospires in the urban environment as well as in humans. However, because of the absence of reliable surveillance systems together with lack of awareness, the absence of reference laboratory and/or a high number of infected people showing only mild manifestations, it is likely that the burden is much higher. We believe raising awareness of leptospirosis may have a positive impact on many vulnerable African city dwellers, as the disease is a preventable and treatable.
Implementing Healthy Planning and Active Living Initiatives: A Virtuous Cycle
Authors: McCosker Anthony , Matan Anne , Marinova Dora
Published: March 2018

Factors including internal local government functioning, collaboration and the use of co-benefits have been noted to assist in the uptake of healthy planning policies and projects by local governments. However, less commonly noted is a possible reverse relationship: that implementation of healthy planning projects can contribute positively to organisational functioning and collaboration, and can result in a range of co-benefits that then can be used to support projects. Such a concept is explored in this paper, with a focus at the local government level in Australia. Findings from surveys with local government practitioners and in-depth interviews with healthy planning and community health advocates are presented. The findings indicate four key areas through which the implementation of healthy planning policies and projects and active living initiatives demonstrates a ‘virtuous cycle’. These areas include (1) project ‘wind-up’, or circumstances in which implementation and/or health outcomes exceed initial expectations; (2) improved partnerships that can create opportunities for future initiatives; (3) improved internal organisational functioning; and (4) greater project sustainability. The paper concludes by exploring some possible repercussions of these emerging findings, which indicate that beneficial settings to healthy planning considerations can be a result of as well as a contributor to healthy planning and active living initiative implementation. In turn, this presents another potential co-benefit of project uptake and implementation to those commonly identified.
Applying Unique Molecular Identifiers in Next Generation Sequencing Reveals a Constrained Viral Quasispecies Evolution under Cross-Reactive Antibody Pressure Targeting Long Alpha Helix of Hemagglutinin
Authors: Hauck Nastasja , Kirpach Josiane , Kiefer Christina , Farinelle Sophie , Maucourant Sophie , Morris Stephen , Rosenberg William , He Feng , Muller Claude , Lu I-Na
Published: March 2018

To overcome yearly efforts and costs for the production of seasonal influenza vaccines, new approaches for the induction of broadly protective and long-lasting immune responses have been developed in the past decade. To warrant safety and efficacy of the emerging crossreactive vaccine candidates, it is critical to understand the evolution of influenza viruses in response to these new immune pressures. Here we applied unique molecular identifiers in next generation sequencing to analyze the evolution of influenza quasispecies under in vivo antibody pressure targeting the hemagglutinin (HA) long alpha helix (LAH). Our vaccine targeting LAH of hemagglutinin elicited significant seroconversion and protection against homologous and heterologous influenza virus strains in mice. The vaccine not only significantly reduced lung viral titers, but also induced a well-known bottleneck effect by decreasing virus diversity. In contrast to the classical bottleneck effect, here we showed a significant increase in the frequency of viruses with amino acid sequences identical to that of vaccine targeting LAH domain. No escape mutant emerged after vaccination. These results not only support the potential of a universal influenza vaccine targeting the conserved LAH domains, but also clearly demonstrate that the well-established bottleneck effect on viral quasispecies evolution does not necessarily generate escape mutants.
Epidemiological Studies to Support the Development of Next Generation Influenza Vaccines
Authors: Petrie Joshua , Gordon Aubree
Published: March 2018

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases recently published a strategic plan for the development of a universal influenza vaccine. This plan focuses on improving understanding of influenza infection, the development of influenza immunity, and rational design of new vaccines. Epidemiological studies such as prospective, longitudinal cohort studies are essential to the completion of these objectives. In this review, we discuss the contributions of epidemiological studies to our current knowledge of vaccines and correlates of immunity, and how they can contribute to the development and evaluation of the next generation of influenza vaccines. These studies have been critical in monitoring the effectiveness of current influenza vaccines, identifying issues such as low vaccine effectiveness, reduced effectiveness among those who receive repeated vaccination, and issues related to egg adaptation during the manufacturing process. Epidemiological studies have also identified population-level correlates of protection that can inform the design and development of next generation influenza vaccines. Going forward, there is an enduring need for epidemiological studies to continue advancing knowledge of correlates of protection and the development of immunity, to evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of next generation influenza vaccines, and to inform recommendations for their use.
Immunomolecular Characterization of MIC-1, a Novel Antigen in Babesia bigemina, Which Contains Conserved and Immunodominant B-Cell Epitopes that Induce Neutralizing Antibodies
Authors: Hernández-Silva Diego , Valdez-Espinoza Uriel , Mercado-Uriostegui Miguel , Aguilar-Tipacamú Gabriela , Ramos-Aragón Juan , Hernández-Ortiz Ruben , Ueti Massaro , Mosqueda Juan
Published: March 2018

Babesia bigemina is one of the most prevalent species causing bovine babesiosis around the world. Antigens involved in host cell invasion are vaccine targets for this disease but are largely unknown in this species. The invasion process of Babesia spp. into erythrocytes involves membrane proteins from the apical complex. A protein stored in the micronemes, called Micronemal Protein 1 (MIC-1), contains a sialic acid binding domain that participates in the invasion process of host cells and is a vaccine candidate in other apicomplexan parasites. It is not known if there is a homologous gene for mic-1 in B. bigemina. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterize the mic-1 gene homologue in Babesia bigemina. A gene was found with a microneme adhesive repeat (MAR) domain in the predicted amino acid sequence. Transcription was determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Subsequently, antibodies against peptides containing conserved B-cell epitopes were used to confirm the expression of MIC-1 in intraerythrocytic merozoites. The presence of anti MIC-1 antibodies in cattle naturally infected with B. bigemina was determined and up to 97.4% of the cattle sera (113 out of 116) identified MIC-1 using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods. Finally, antibodies against MIC-1 were able to block 70% merozoite invasion in-vitro.
Efficacy of Praziquantel in the Treatment of Platynosomum fastosum in Cats with Natural Infections
Authors: Lathroum Chele , Shell Linda , Neuville Kathleen , Ketzis Jennifer
Published: March 2018

Treatments for Platynosomum fastosum—the liver fluke of cats—have been developed based on fecal egg counts. Post mortem fluke counts are required to understand true efficacy. In this study, two praziquantel treatment regimens were evaluated using post mortem fluke counts: a high-dose treatment (HT) of 20 mg/kg body weight (BW) administered intramuscularly (IM) once a day for three consecutive days and a low-dose treatment (LT) of 5 mg/kg BW administered once (IM) and repeated 14 days later. A continual enrolment study design was used with 16 naturally infected cats randomly allocated in blocks of four to the HT (eight cats) or LT (eight cats) group. Treatment success, defined as absence of live flukes post mortem, was determined 10 days after the last treatment. Pre- and post-treatment fecal egg counts (centrifugation with Sheather’s sugar flotation solution) and bile egg counts (obtained via percutaneous ultrasound guided cholecystocentesis) were evaluated as supportive efficacy data. Twelve cats completed the study with two cats withdrawn from each group. Neither treatment was 100% effective. In the HT group, three of six cats had live flukes, albeit low numbers, at post mortem, while all six LT group cats had live flukes. While fecal and bile egg counts were reduced in both group, they were not reflective of the true infection status of the cats post mortem.
Simplified Entropic Model for the Evaluation of Suspended Load Concentration
Authors: Mirauda Domenica , De Vincenzo Annamaria , Pannone Marilena
Published: March 2018

Suspended sediment concentration is a key aspect in the forecasting of river evolution dynamics, as well as in water quality assessment, evaluation of reservoir impacts, and management of water resources. The estimation of suspended load often relies on empirical models, of which efficiency is limited by their analytic structure or by the need for calibration parameters. The present work deals with a simplified fully-analytical formulation of the so-called entropic model in order to reproduce the vertical distribution of sediment concentration. The simplification consists in the leading order expansion of the generalized spatial coordinate of the entropic velocity profile that, strictly speaking, applies to the near-bed region, but that provides acceptable results also near the free surface. The proposed closed-form solution, which highlights the interplay among channel morphology, stream power, secondary flows, and suspended transport features, allows reducing the needed number of field measurements and, therefore, the time of field activities. Its accuracy and robustness were successfully tested based on the comparison with laboratory data reported in literature.
Estimating Time of Concentration for Overland Flow on Pervious Surfaces by Particle Tracking Method
Authors: Li Xiaoning , Fang Xing , Li Junqi , KC Manoj , Gong Yongwei , Chen Gang
Published: March 2018

The particle tracking method (PTM) module was added into the open source Full Shallow-Water equations for Overland Flow in a two-dimensional (FullSWOF_2D) program, which has coupled rainfall–runoff and infiltration modules to determine the time of concentration (Tc) for impervious (Tci) and pervious (Tcp) surfaces. The updated program FullSWOF-PTM was tested using observed rainfall events with Nash–Sutcliffe efficiencies ranging from 0.60 to 0.95 (average of 0.75) for simulated runoff hydrographs. More than 400 impervious modeling cases with different surface slope (S0), roughness coefficient (n), length (L), and rainfall intensity (i) combinations were developed and simulated to obtain the Tci for developing the regression equation of Tci as a function of the four input parameters. More than 700 pervious modeling cases with different combinations of S0, n, L, i, and infiltration parameters including the saturated hydraulic conductivity, suction head, and moisture deficit were simulated to estimate the Tcp based on the travel time of 85% of particles arriving at the outlet and the ponding time. The regression equation of Tcp was developed as the sum of Tci and additional travel time as a function of infiltration parameters and i. The Tcp equation can be applied to wide ranges of input parameters in comparison to Akan’s equation.