bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cow’s Milk Allergy or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease—Can We Solve the Dilemma in Infants?
Authors: Salvatore Silvia , Agosti Massimo , Baldassarre Maria Elisabetta , D’Auria Enza , Pensabene Licia , Nosetti Luana , Vandenplas Yvan
Published: January 2021

Cow’s milk allergy (CMA) and gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) may manifest with similar symptoms in infants making the diagnosis challenging. While immediate reaction to cow’s milk protein indicate CMA, regurgitation, vomiting, crying, fussiness, poor appetite, sleep disturbances have been reported in both CMA and GERD and in other conditions such as functional gastrointestinal disorders, eosinophilic esophagitis, anatomic abnormalities, metabolic and neurological diseases. Gastrointestinal manifestations of CMA are often non-IgE mediated and clinical response to cow’s milk free diet is not a proof of immune system involvement. Neither for non-IgE CMA nor for GERD there is a specific symptom or diagnostic test. Oral food challenge, esophageal pH impedance and endoscopy are recommended investigations for a correct clinical classification but they are not always feasible in all infants. As a consequence of the diagnostic difficulty, both over- and under- diagnosis of CMA or GERD may occur. Quite frequently acid inhibitors are empirically started. The aim of this review is to critically update the current knowledge of both conditions during infancy. A practical stepwise approach is proposed to help health care providers to manage infants presenting with persistent regurgitation, vomiting, crying or distress and to solve the clinical dilemma between GERD or CMA.
Obesogenic Programming Effects during Lactation: A Narrative Review and Conceptual Model Focusing on Underlying Mechanisms and Promising Future Research Avenues
Authors: Larsen Junilla K. , Bode Lars
Published: January 2021

Animal studies have consistently demonstrated that maternal obesity and a high-fat diet during lactation enhances obesity risk in the offspring. However, less is known about these potential obesogenic programming effects in obese humans. We propose three important pathways that may explain obesogenic programming effects of human breastmilk. First, human milk components and hormones may directly affect child eating and satiety characteristics. Second, human milk constituents can affect child microbiota that, in turn, may influence child eating and weight outcomes. Third, human milk composition may affect child eating and weight outcomes through flavor exposure. We reviewed a few very recent findings from well-powered longitudinal or experimental human research with regard to these three pathways. Moreover, we provide a research agenda for future intervention research with the overarching aim to prevent excessive pediatric weight gain during lactation and beyond. The ideas presented in this paper may represent important “black box” constructs that explain obesogenic programming effects during lactation. It should be noted, however, that given the scarcity of studies, findings should be seen as working hypotheses to further test in future research.
Bats, Pathogens, and Species Richness
Authors: Dutheil Frédéric , Clinchamps Maëlys , Bouillon-Minois Jean-Baptiste
Published: January 2021

Bats carry many viruses, but this is not sufficient to threaten humans. Viruses must mutate to generate the ability to transfer to humans. A key factor is the diversity of species. With 1400 species of bats (20% of all species of mammals), the diversity of bats species is highly favorable to the emergence of new viruses. Moreover, several species of bats live within the same location, and share advanced social behavior, favoring the transmission of viruses. Because they fly, bats are also hosts for a wide range of viruses from many environments. They also eat everything (including what humans eat), they share humans’ environment and become closer to domestic species, which can serve as relays between bats and humans. Bats also have a long-life expectancy (up to 40 years for some bats), which is particularly effective for transmission to humans. However, a recent publication came out challenging what we think about bats. Proportionally, bats may not carry a higher number of zoonotic pathogens, normalized by species richness, compared to other mammalian and avian species. Viral zoonotic risk is homogenous among taxonomic orders of mammalian and avian reservoir hosts, without evidence that bats carry more viruses that infect humans.
Computational Design and Preliminary Serological Analysis of a Novel Multi-Epitope Vaccine Candidate Against Onchocerciasis and Related Filarial Diseases
Authors: Shey Robert Adamu , Ghogomu Stephen Mbigha , Shintouo Cabirou Mounchili , Nkemngo Francis Nongley , Nebangwa Derrick Neba , Esoh Kevin , Yaah Ntang Emmaculate , Manka’aFri Muyanui , Nguve Joel Ebai , Ngwese Roland Akwelle , Njume Ferdinand Ngale , Bertha Fru Asa , Ayong Lawrence , Njemini Rose , Vanhamme Luc , Souopgui Jacob
Published: January 2021

Onchocerciasis is a skin and eye disease that exerts a heavy socio-economic burden, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, a region which harbours greater than 96% of either infected or at-risk populations. The elimination plan for the disease is currently challenged by many factors including amongst others; the potential emergence of resistance to the main chemotherapeutic agent, ivermectin (IVM). Novel tools, including preventative and therapeutic vaccines, could provide additional impetus to the disease elimination tool portfolio. Several observations in both humans and animals have provided evidence for the development of both natural and artificial acquired immunity. In this study, immuno-informatics tools were applied to design a filarial-conserved multi-epitope subunit vaccine candidate, (designated Ov-DKR-2) consisting of B-and T-lymphocyte epitopes of eight immunogenic antigens previously assessed in pre-clinical studies. The high-percentage conservation of the selected proteins and epitopes predicted in related nematode parasitic species hints that the generated chimera may be instrumental for cross-protection. Bioinformatics analyses were employed for the prediction, refinement, and validation of the 3D structure of the Ov-DKR-2 chimera. In-silico immune simulation projected significantly high levels of IgG1, T-helper, T-cytotoxic cells, INF-γ, and IL-2 responses. Preliminary immunological analyses revealed that the multi-epitope vaccine candidate reacted with antibodies in sera from both onchocerciasis-infected individuals, endemic normals as well as loiasis-infected persons but not with the control sera from European individuals. These results support the premise for further characterisation of the engineered protein as a vaccine candidate for onchocerciasis.
Serological Survey and Molecular Characterization of Theileria annulata in Sicilian Cattle
Authors: Gargano Valeria , Blanda Valeria , Gambino Delia , La Russa Francesco , Di Cataldo Sophia , Gentile Antonino , Schirò Giorgia , Torina Alessandra , Millán Javier , Vicari Domenico
Published: January 2021

Tropical theileriosis is a tick-borne disease caused by hemoprotozoan parasites with considerable veterinary and economic impact worldwide. Ticks transmitting the disease belong to the Haemaphysalis, Rhipicephalus, and Hyalomma genera. The Hyalomma genus is very common in Sicily (Italy) and represents the main Theileria annulata vector in the island. Data concerning the molecular epidemiology of this pathogen are missing in the region. In 2018–2019, blood and serum samples were collected from 480 cows in seven Sicilian farms from four different provinces. Seroprevalence in the farms ranged from 22% to 71%. Three farms were selected for molecular analysis consisting of real-time PCR targeting the almost complete 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA). Four amplicons per farm were sequenced and phylogenetic analyses were carried out. The four sequences were identical within each farm and showed 92–99% identity with the other farms and with sequences from Genbank. According to the phylogenetic analysis, these three sequences and an additional one from a laboratory-cultured Theileria annulata strain obtained in 1999 belonged to a single T. annulata clade with good bootstrap support with other sequences from Italy, India, and Iran, indicating limited geographical and temporal genetic variability of the parasite. This study represents the first phylogenetic analysis of T. annulata in Sicily, which will be useful to improve the strategies for theileriosis control and prevention.
Clinical Evidence of Magistral Preparations Based on Medicinal Cannabis
Authors: Arias Sara , Leon Marta , Jaimes Diego , Bustos Rosa-Helena
Published: January 2021

Cannabis has been widely used as a medicinal plant for millennia; however, studies related to its main components were first conducted in 1960. Subsequently, laboratories have produced new components and structures related to its active biological properties. Countries that have approved the medicinal use of cannabis impose regulations that govern its clinical and scientific use. One means of administering medicinal cannabis is via a magistral preparation that must have a medical prescription and be prepared in an establishment that meets quality standards to ensure the quantities of its main components, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Furthermore, suppliers must have a clear indication of its use in the patient before prescription. This review shows the published evidence regarding the clinical use of medicinal cannabis magistral preparations in the management of post-chemotherapy nausea and vomiting, neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis, and anorexia and cachexia in patients with HIV.
Nanoemulsions of Satureja montana Essential Oil: Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activity against Avian Escherichia coli Strains
Authors: Rinaldi Federica , Maurizi Linda , Conte Antonietta Lucia , Marazzato Massimiliano , Maccelli Alessandro , Crestoni Maria Elisa , Hanieh Patrizia Nadia , Forte Jacopo , Conte Maria Pia , Zagaglia Carlo , Longhi Catia , Marianecci Carlotta , Ammendolia Maria Grazia , Carafa Maria
Published: January 2021

Satureja montana essential oil (SEO) presents a wide range of biological activities due to its high content of active phytochemicals. In order to improve the essential oil’s (EO) properties, oil in water nanoemulsions (NEs) composed of SEO and Tween-80 were prepared, characterized, and their antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties assayed against Escherichia coli strains isolated from healthy chicken. Since surfactant and oil composition can strongly influence NE features and their application field, a ternary phase diagram was constructed and evaluated to select a suitable surfactant/oil/water ratio. Minimal inhibitory concentration and minimal bactericidal concentration of NEs, evaluated by the microdilution method, showed that the SEO NE formulation exhibited higher inhibitory effects against planktonic E. coli than SEO alone. The quantification of biofilm production in the presence of NEs, assessed by crystal violet staining and scanning electron microscopy, evidenced that sub-MIC concentrations of SEO NEs enable an efficient reduction of biofilm production by the strong producer strains. The optimized nanoemulsion formulation could ensure food safety quality, and counteract the antibiotic resistance of poultry associated E. coli, if applied/aerosolized in poultry farms.
Protein Loading into Spongelike PLGA Microspheres
Authors: Kim Yuyoung , Sah Hongkee
Published: January 2021

A self-healing microencapsulation process involves mixing preformed porous microspheres in an aqueous solution containing the desired protein and converting them into closed-pore microspheres. Spongelike poly-d,l-lactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) microspheres are expected to be advantageous to protein loading through self-healing. This study aimed to identify and assess relevant critical parameters, using lysozyme as a model protein. Several parameters governed lysozyme loading. The pore characteristics (open-pore, closed-pore, and porosity) of the preformed microspheres substantially affected lysozyme loading efficiency. The type of surfactant present in the aqueous medium also influenced lysozyme loading efficiency. For instance, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide showing a superior wetting functionality increased the extent of lysozyme loading more than twice as compared to Tween 80. Dried preformed microspheres were commonly used before, but our study found that wet microspheres obtained at the end of the microsphere manufacturing process displayed significant advantages in lysozyme loading. Not only could an incubation time for hydrating the microspheres be shortened dramatically, but also a much more considerable amount of lysozyme was encapsulated. Interestingly, the degree of microsphere hydration determined the microstructure and morphology of closed-pore microspheres after self-healing. Understanding these critical process parameters would help tailor protein loading into spongelike PLGA microspheres in a bespoke manner.
The Role of Tetrapyrrole- and GUN1-Dependent Signaling on Chloroplast Biogenesis
Authors: Shimizu Takayuki , Masuda Tatsuru
Published: January 2021

Chloroplast biogenesis requires the coordinated expression of the chloroplast and nuclear genomes, which is achieved by communication between the developing chloroplasts and the nucleus. Signals emitted from the plastids, so-called retrograde signals, control nuclear gene expression depending on plastid development and functionality. Genetic analysis of this pathway identified a set of mutants defective in retrograde signaling and designated genomes uncoupled (gun) mutants. Subsequent research has pointed to a significant role of tetrapyrrole biosynthesis in retrograde signaling. Meanwhile, the molecular functions of GUN1, the proposed integrator of multiple retrograde signals, have not been identified yet. However, based on the interactions of GUN1, some working hypotheses have been proposed. Interestingly, GUN1 contributes to important biological processes, including plastid protein homeostasis, through transcription, translation, and protein import. Furthermore, the interactions of GUN1 with tetrapyrroles and their biosynthetic enzymes have been revealed. This review focuses on our current understanding of the function of tetrapyrrole retrograde signaling on chloroplast biogenesis.
Charging of Piezoelectric Cellular Polypropylene Film by Means of a Series Dielectric Layer
Authors: Llovera-Segovia Pedro , Ortega-Braña Gustavo , Fuster-Roig Vicente , Quijano-López Alfredo
Published: January 2021

Piezoelectric polymer cellular films have been developed and improved in the past decades. These piezoelectric materials are based on the polarization of the internal cells by means of induced discharges in the gas inside the cells. Internal discharges are driven by an external applied electric field. With this polarization method, cellular polypropylene (PP) polymers exhibit a high piezoelectric coefficient d33 and have been investigated because of their low dielectric polarization, high resistivity, and flexibility. Charging polymers foams is normally obtained by applying a corona discharge to the surface with a single tip electrode-plane arrangement or a triode electrode, which consists of a tip electrode-plane structure with a controlled potential intermediate mesh. Corona charging allows the surface potential of the sample to rise without breakdown or surface flashover. A charging method has been developed without corona discharge, and this has provided good results. In our work, a method has been developed to polarize polypropylene foams by applying an insulated high-voltage electrode on the surface of the sample. The dielectric layer in series with the sample allows for a high internal electric field to be reached in the sample but avoids dielectric breakdown of the sample. The distribution of the electric field between the sample and the dielectric barrier has been calculated. Experimental results with three different electrodes present good outcome in agreement with the calculations. High d33 constants of about 880 pC/N have been obtained. Mapping of the d33 constant on the surface has also been carried out showing good homogeneity on the area under the electrode.
The Effect of Inulin on the Physical and Textural Properties of Biscuits Containing Jet Milled Barley Flour
Authors: Drakos Antonios , Tsakiroglou Elpida , Evageliou Vasiliki , Mandala Ioanna
Published: January 2021

The quality properties of biscuits with partial replacement of sugar by inulin (at 0, 10, 20 and 30%) and wheat flour by barley flour (at 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40%) were studied. A commercial and a jet milled finer barley flour were used. For all flour substitutions, elevated amounts of inulin led to increased weight and decreased spread ratio of the biscuits. Inulin biscuits, within the same flour composition, were softer than those with no inulin but inulin’s concentration was not statistically important. The incorporation of barley flour resulted in reduced lightness, more evident in the case of the finer barley flour. Inulin also affected the lightness of the biscuits. Phenolic content was affected by the presence of barley flour but no clear trend of inulin’s effect was detected. The interactions between barley substitution, inulin substitution and particle size of the barley flour were important for all studied properties, i.e., weight, spread ratio, hardness, total phenolic content and color.
Feasibility of Using VIS/NIR Spectroscopy and Multivariate Analysis for Pesticide Residue Detection in Tomatoes
Authors: Soltani Nazarloo Araz , Rasooli Sharabiani Vali , Abbaspour Gilandeh Yousef , Taghinezhad Ebrahim , Szymanek Mariusz , Sprawka Maciej
Published: January 2021

The purpose of this work was to investigate the detection of the pesticide residual (profenofos) in tomatoes by using visible/near-infrared spectroscopy. Therefore, the experiments were performed on 180 tomato samples with different percentages of profenofos pesticide (higher and lower values than the maximum residual limit (MRL)) as compared to the control (no pesticide). VIS/near infrared (NIR) spectral data from pesticide solution and non-pesticide tomato samples (used as control treatment) impregnated with different concentrations of pesticide in the range of 400 to 1050 nm were recorded by a spectrometer. For classification of tomatoes with pesticide content at lower and higher levels of MRL as healthy and unhealthy samples, we used different spectral pre-processing methods with partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) models. The Smoothing Moving Average pre-processing method with the standard error of cross validation (SECV) = 4.2767 was selected as the best model for this study. In addition, in the calibration and prediction sets, the percentages of total correctly classified samples were 90 and 91.66%, respectively. Therefore, it can be concluded that reflective spectroscopy (VIS/NIR) can be used as a non-destructive, low-cost, and rapid technique to control the health of tomatoes impregnated with profenofos pesticide.
Large Eddy Simulation of Film Cooling Involving Compound Angle Holes: Comparative Study of LES and RANS
Authors: Baek Seung Il , Ahn Joon
Published: January 2021

A large eddy simulation (LES) was performed for film cooling in the gas turbine blade involving spanwise injection angles (orientation angles). For a streamwise coolant injection angle (inclination angle) of 35°, the effects of the orientation angle were compared considering a simple angle of 0° and 30°. Two ratios of the coolant to main flow mass flux (blowing ratio) of 0.5 and 1.0 were considered and the experimental conditions of Jung and Lee (2000) were adopted for the geometry and flow conditions. Moreover, a Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes simulation (RANS) was performed to understand the characteristics of the turbulence models compared to those in the LES and experiments. In the RANS, three turbulence models were compared, namely, the realizable k-ε, k-ω shear stress transport, and Reynolds stress models. The temperature field and flow fields predicted through the RANS were similar to those obtained through the experiment and LES. Nevertheless, at a simple angle, the point at which the counter-rotating vortex pair (CRVP) collided on the wall and rose was different from that in the experiment and LES. Under the compound angle, the point at which the CRVP changed to a single vortex was different from that in the LES. The adiabatic film cooling effectiveness could not be accurately determined through the RANS but was well reflected by the LES, even under the compound angle. The reattachment of the injectant at a blowing ratio of 1.0 was better predicted by the RANS at the compound angle than at the simple angle. The temperature fluctuation was predicted to decrease slightly when the injectant was supplied at a compound angle.
Equilibrium and Kinetics of CO2 Adsorption by Coconut Shell Activated Carbon Impregnated with Sodium Hydroxide
Authors: Tangsathitkulchai Chaiyot , Naksusuk Suravit , Wongkoblap Atichat , Phadungbut Poomiwat , Borisut Prapassorn
Published: January 2021

The equilibrium and kinetics of CO2 adsorption at 273 K by coconut-shell activated carbon impregnated with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) was investigated. Based on nitrogen adsorption isotherms, porous properties of the tested activated carbons decreased with the increase of NaOH loading, with the decrease resulting primarily from the reduction of pore space available for nitrogen adsorption. Equilibrium isotherms of CO2 adsorption by activated carbons impregnated with NaOH at 273 K and the pressure up to 100 kPa displayed an initial part of Type I isotherm with most adsorption taking place in micropores in the range of 0.7–0.9 nm by pore-filling mechanisms. The amount of CO2 adsorbed increased with the increase of NaOH loading and passed through a maximum at the optimum NaOH loading of 180 mg/g. The CO2 isotherm data were best fitted with the three-parameter Sips equation, followed by Freundlich and Langmuir equations. The pore diffusion model, characterized by the effective pore diffusivity (De), could well describe the adsorption kinetics of CO2 in activated carbons impregnated with NaOH. The variation of De with the amount of CO2 adsorbed showed three consecutive regions, consisting of a rapid decrease of De for CO2 loading less than 40 mg/g, a relatively constant value of De for the CO2 loading of 40–80 mg/g and a slow decrease of De for the CO2 loading of 80–200 mg/g. The maximum De occurred at the optimum NaOH loading of 180 mg/g, in line with the equilibrium adsorption results. The values of De varied from 1.1 × 10−9 to 5.5 × 10−9 m2/s, which are about four orders of magnitude smaller than the molecular diffusion of CO2 in air. An empirical correlation was developed for predicting the effective pore diffusivity with the amount of CO2 adsorbed and NaOH loading.
Self-Organized Nanostructures Generated on Metal Surfaces under Electron Irradiation
Authors: Niwase Keisuke
Published: January 2021

Irradiation of high-energy electrons can produce surface vacancies on the exit surface of thin foils by the sputtering of atoms. Although the sputtering randomly occurs in the area irradiated with an intense electron beam of several hundred nanometers in diameter, characteristic topographic features can appear under irradiation. This paper reviews a novel phenomenon on a self-organization of nanogrooves and nanoholes generated on the exit surface of thin metal foils irradiated with high doses of 360–1250 keV electrons. The phenomenon was discovered firstly for gold irradiated at temperatures about 100 K, which shows the formation of grooves and holes with widths between 1 and 2 nm. Irradiation along [001] produces grooves extending along [100] and [010], irradiation along [011] gives grooves along [100], whereas no clear grooves have been observed for [111] irradiations. By contrast, nanoholes, which may reach depths exceeding 20 nm, develop mainly along the beam direction. The formation of the nanostructures depends on the irradiation temperatures, exhibiting an existence of a critical temperature at about 240 K, above which the width significantly increases, and the density decreases. Nanostructures formed for silver, copper, nickel, and iron were also investigated. The self-organized process was discussed in terms of irradiation-induced effects.
Beyond the Confessional/Non-Confessional Divide—The Case of German Islamic Theological Studies
Authors: Engelhardt Jan Felix
Published: January 2021

This article focuses on the cross-disciplinary collaboration of Islamic theological studies, Islamic Studies, and integrative perspectives of professors in Islamic Theology in Germany. Based on extensive interviews with German Muslim professors in theological centers, Engelhardt argues that in Germany, where the Ministry of Education and Research established several centers for Islamic Theology, the theological scholarly community is too small to cover all areas of Islamic knowledge and therefore integrates knowledge from Islamic Studies into their research and teaching to a great extent. As a result, Islamic Studies constitutes the most important neighboring discipline to German Islamic Theology. In this article, he explores the question of how exactly German Islamic Theology negotiates this relation with Islamic Studies. The article will show how the debate between Islamic Theology and Islamic Studies—as articulated by professors from both disciplines—relates to the ongoing question of what constitutes or is understood as ‘apt knowledge’ by current ‘academic knowledge production’ and authority formation about ‘the Islamic’.
Adaptive Virtual Impedance Control of a Mobile Multi-Robot System
Authors: Engelbrecht Duanne , Steyn Nico , Djouani Karim
Published: January 2021

The capabilities of collaborative robotics have transcended the conventional abilities of decentralised robots as it provides benefits such as scalability, flexibility and robustness. Collaborative robots can operate safely in complex human environments without being restricted by the safety cages or barriers that often accompany them. Collaborative robots can be used for various applications such as machine tending, packaging, process tasks and pick and place. This paper proposes an improvement of the current virtual impedance algorithm by developing an adaptive virtual impedance controlled mobile multi-robot system focused on dynamic obstacle avoidance with a controlled planar movement. The study includes the development of a mobile multi-robot platform whereby each robot plans a path individually without a supervisor. The proposed system would implement a two-layered hierarchy for robot path planning. The higher layer generates a trajectory from the current position to the desired position, and the lower layer develops a real-time strategy to follow the generated trajectory while avoiding static and dynamic obstacles. The key contribution of this paper is the adaptive virtual impedance controller for a multi-robot system that will maintain movement stability and improve the motion behaviour in a dynamic environment.
Flexural Damage Diagnosis in Reinforced Concrete Beams Using a Wireless Admittance Monitoring System—Tests and Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Chalioris Constantin E. , Kytinou Violetta K. , Voutetaki Maristella E. , Karayannis Chris G.
Published: January 2021

The utilization and effectiveness of a custom-made, portable and low-cost structural health monitoring (SHM) system that implements the PZT-based electro-mechanical admittance (EMA) methodology for the detection and evaluation of the damage of flexural reinforced concrete (RC) beams is presented. Tests of large-scale beams under monotonic and cyclic reversal-imposed deformations have been carried out using an integrated wireless impedance/admittance monitoring system (WiAMS) that employs the voltage measurements of PZT transducers. Small-sized PZT patches that have been epoxy-bonded on the steel bars surface and on the external concrete face of the beams are utilized to diagnose damages caused by steel yielding and concrete cracking. Excitations and simultaneous measurements of the voltage signal responses of the PZT transducers have been carried out at different levels of the applied load during the tests using the developed SHM devices, which are remotely controlled by a terminal emulator. Each PZT output voltage versus frequency response is transferred wireless and in real-time. Statistical index values are calculated based on the signals of the PZT transducers to represent the differences between their baseline response at the healthy state of the beam and their response at each loading/damage level. Finite Element Modeling (FEM) simulation of the tested beams has also been performed to acquire numerical results concerning the internal cracks, the steel strains and the energy dissipation and instability parameters. FEM analyses are used to verify the experimental results and to support the visual observations for a more precise damage evaluation. Findings of this study indicate that the proposed SHM system with the implementation of two different PZT transducer settings can be effectively utilized for the assessment of structural damage caused by concrete cracking and steel yielding in flexural beams under monotonic and cyclic loading.
Construction of a Ginseng Root-Meristem Sensor and a Sensing Kinetics Study on the Main Nitrogen Nutrients
Authors: Wang Shiang , Lu Dingqiang , Pang Guangchang
Published: January 2021

Severe continuous cropping obstacles exist in ginseng cultivation. In order to assess these obstacles, a “sandwich” ginseng root tissue sensor was developed for the kinetic determination of five nitrogen nutrients. The results showed that the sensing parameters of the sensor reached an ultrasensitive level (limit of detection up to 5.451 × 10−24 mol/L) for the five nitrogen nutrients, and exhibited good stability and reproducibility. In the order of two-, four-, and six-year-old ginseng plants, the sensitivity to inorganic nitrogen nutrients (sodium nitrate and urea) showed an upward trend following an initial decline (the interconnected allosteric constant Ka values acted as the parameter). The fluctuations in sensor sensitivity to organic nitrogen nutrients, specifically nucleotides (disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate), were relatively small. The sensor sensitivity of two-, four-, and six-year-old ginseng plants to sodium glutamate was 9.277 × 10−19 mol/L, 6.980 × 10−21 mol/L, and 5.451 × 10−24 mol/L, respectively. Based on the survival rate of the seedlings and mortality rate of the ginseng in each age group, a Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium analysis was carried out. The results showed that the sensing ability of the root system to sodium glutamate may be an important factor affecting its survival under continuous cropping obstacles with increasing age.
Advanced Real-Time Monitoring of Rainfall Using Commercial Satellite Broadcasting Service: A Case Study
Authors: Gragnani Gian Luigi , Colli Matteo , Tavanti Emanuele , Caviglia Daniele D.
Published: January 2021

Correct regulation of meteoric surface and subsurface flow waters is a fundamental goal for the sustainable development of the territories. A new system, aimed at real-time monitoring of the rainfall and of the cumulated rainfall, is introduced and discussed in the present paper. The system implements a Sensor Network based on the IoT paradigm and can cover safety-critical “hot spots” with a relatively small number of sensors, strategically placed, in areas not covered by traditional weather radars and rain gauges, and lowering the costs of deployment and maintenance with respects to these devices. A real application case, based on the implementation of the pilot plant at the Monte Scarpino landfill (Genoa, Italy), is presented and discussed. The system performances are assessed on the basis of comparisons with data provided by a polarimetric weather radar and by a traditional rain gauge.
Improving Human Activity Recognition Performance by Data Fusion and Feature Engineering
Authors: Chen Jingcheng , Sun Yining , Sun Shaoming
Published: January 2021

Human activity recognition (HAR) is essential in many health-related fields. A variety of technologies based on different sensors have been developed for HAR. Among them, fusion from heterogeneous wearable sensors has been developed as it is portable, non-interventional and accurate for HAR. To be applied in real-time use with limited resources, the activity recognition system must be compact and reliable. This requirement can be achieved by feature selection (FS). By eliminating irrelevant and redundant features, the system burden is reduced with good classification performance (CP). This manuscript proposes a two-stage genetic algorithm-based feature selection algorithm with a fixed activation number (GFSFAN), which is implemented on the datasets with a variety of time, frequency and time-frequency domain features extracted from the collected raw time series of nine activities of daily living (ADL). Six classifiers are used to evaluate the effects of selected feature subsets from different FS algorithms on HAR performance. The results indicate that GFSFAN can achieve good CP with a small size. A sensor-to-segment coordinate calibration algorithm and lower-limb joint angle estimation algorithm are introduced. Experiments on the effect of the calibration and the introduction of joint angle on HAR shows that both of them can improve the CP.
Near-Field Communication in Biomedical Applications
Authors: Kang Sung-Gu , Song Min-Su , Kim Joon-Woo , Lee Jung Woo , Kim Jeonghyun
Published: January 2021

Near-field communication (NFC) is a low-power wireless communication technology used in contemporary daily life. This technology contributes not only to user identification and payment methods, but also to various biomedical fields such as healthcare and disease monitoring. This paper focuses on biomedical applications among the diverse applications of NFC. It addresses the benefits of combining traditional and new sensors (temperature, pressure, electrophysiology, blood flow, sweat, etc.) with NFC technology. Specifically, this report describes how NFC technology, which is simply applied in everyday life, can be combined with sensors to present vision and opportunities to modern people.
Panoramic Visual SLAM Technology for Spherical Images
Authors: Zhang Yi , Huang Fei
Published: January 2021

Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) technology is one of the best methods for fast 3D reconstruction and mapping. However, the accuracy of SLAM is not always high enough, which is currently the subject of much research interest. Panoramic vision can provide us with a wide range of angles of view, many feature points, and rich information. The panoramic multi-view cross-imaging feature can be used to realize instantaneous omnidirectional spatial information acquisition and improve the positioning accuracy of SLAM. In this study, we investigated panoramic visual SLAM positioning technology, including three core research points: (1) the spherical imaging model; (2) spherical image feature extraction and matching methods, including the Spherical Oriented FAST and Rotated BRIEF (SPHORB) and ternary scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) algorithms; and (3) the panoramic visual SLAM algorithm. The experimental results show that the method of panoramic visual SLAM can improve the robustness and accuracy of a SLAM system.
A Survey of Autonomous Vehicles: Enabling Communication Technologies and Challenges
Authors: Ahangar M. Nadeem , Ahmed Qasim Z. , Khan Fahd A. , Hafeez Maryam
Published: January 2021

The Department of Transport in the United Kingdom recorded 25,080 motor vehicle fatalities in 2019. This situation stresses the need for an intelligent transport system (ITS) that improves road safety and security by avoiding human errors with the use of autonomous vehicles (AVs). Therefore, this survey discusses the current development of two main components of an ITS: (1) gathering of AVs surrounding data using sensors; and (2) enabling vehicular communication technologies. First, the paper discusses various sensors and their role in AVs. Then, various communication technologies for AVs to facilitate vehicle to everything (V2X) communication are discussed. Based on the transmission range, these technologies are grouped into three main categories: long-range, medium-range and short-range. The short-range group presents the development of Bluetooth, ZigBee and ultra-wide band communication for AVs. The medium-range examines the properties of dedicated short-range communications (DSRC). Finally, the long-range group presents the cellular-vehicle to everything (C-V2X) and 5G-new radio (5G-NR). An important characteristic which differentiates each category and its suitable application is latency. This research presents a comprehensive study of AV technologies and identifies the main advantages, disadvantages, and challenges.
Acoustic Emission Detection and Analysis Method for Health Status of Lithium Ion Batteries
Authors: Zhang Kai , Yin Jianxiang , He Yunze
Published: January 2021

The health detection of lithium ion batteries plays an important role in improving the safety and reliability of lithium ion batteries. When lithium ion batteries are in operation, the generation of bubbles, the expansion of electrodes, and the formation of electrode cracks will produce stress waves, which can be collected and analyzed by acoustic emission technology. By building an acoustic emission measurement platform of lithium ion batteries and setting up a cycle experiment of lithium ion batteries, the stress wave signals of lithium ion batteries were analyzed, and two kinds of stress wave signals which could characterize the health of lithium ion batteries were obtained: a continuous acoustic emission signal and a pulse type acoustic emission signal. The experimental results showed that during the discharge process, the amplitude of the continuous acoustic emission signal decreased with the increase of the cycle times of batteries, which could be used to characterize performance degradation; there were more pulse type acoustic emission signals in the first cycle of batteries, less in the small number of cycles, and slowly increased in the large number of cycles, which was in line with the bathtub curve and could be used for aging monitoring. The research on the health of lithium ion batteries by acoustic emission technology provides a new idea and method for detecting the health lithium ion batteries.
Performance of Damage Identification Based on Directional Wavelet Transforms and Entopic Weights Using Experimental Shearographic Testing Results
Authors: Katunin Andrzej
Published: January 2021

The paper aims to analyze the performance of the damage identification algorithms using the directional wavelet transforms, which reveal higher sensitivity for various orientations of spatial damage together with lower susceptibility to noise. In this study, the algorithms based on the dual-tree, the double-density, and the dual-tree double-density wavelet transforms were considered and compared to the algorithm based on the discrete wavelet transform. The performed analyses are based on shearographic experimental tests of a composite plate with artificially introduced damage at various orientations. It was shown that the directional wavelet transforms are characterized by better performance in damage identification problems than the basic discrete wavelet transform. Moreover, the proposed approach based on entropic weights applicable to the resulting sets of the detail coefficients after decomposition of mode shapes can be effectively used for automatic selection and emphasizing those sets of the detail coefficients, which contain relevant diagnostic information about damage. The proposed processing method allows raw experimental results from shearography to be significantly enhanced. The developed algorithms can be successfully implemented in a shearographic testing for enhancement of a sensitivity to damage during routine inspections in various industrial sectors.
Swelling-Based Distributed Chemical Sensing with Standard Acrylate Coated Optical Fibers
Authors: Sedighi Sina , Soto Marcelo A. , Jderu Alin , Dorobantu Dorel , Enachescu Marius , Ziegler Dominik
Published: January 2021

Distributed chemical sensing is demonstrated using standard acrylate coated optical fibers. Swelling of the polymer coating induces strain in the fiber’s silica core provoking a local refractive index change which is detectable all along an optical fiber by advanced distributed sensing techniques. Thermal effects can be discriminated from strain using uncoated fiber segments, leading to more accurate strain readings. The concept has been validated by measuring strain responses of various aqueous and organic solvents and different chain length alkanes and blends thereof. Although demonstrated on a short range of two meters using optical frequency-domain reflectometry, the technique can be applied to many kilometer-long fiber installations. Low-cost and insensitive to corrosion and electromagnetic radiation, along with the possibility to interrogate thousands of independent measurement points along a single optical fiber, this novel technique is likely to find applications in environmental monitoring, food analysis, agriculture, water quality monitoring, or medical diagnostics.
High-Precision Lensless Microscope on a Chip Based on In-Line Holographic Imaging
Authors: Huang Xiwei , Li Yangbo , Xu Xuefeng , Wang Renjie , Yao Jiangfan , Han Wentao , Wei Maoyu , Chen Jin , Xuan Weipeng , Sun Lingling
Published: January 2021

The lensless on-chip microscope is an emerging technology in the recent decade that can realize the imaging and analysis of biological samples with a wide field-of-view without huge optical devices and any lenses. Because of its small size, low cost, and being easy to hold and operate, it can be used as an alternative tool for large microscopes in resource-poor or remote areas, which is of great significance for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases. To improve the low-resolution characteristics of the existing lensless shadow imaging systems and to meet the high-resolution needs of point-of-care testing, here, we propose a high-precision on-chip microscope based on in-line holographic technology. We demonstrated the ability of the iterative phase recovery algorithm to recover sample information and evaluated it with image quality evaluation algorithms with or without reference. The results showed that the resolution of the holographic image after iterative phase recovery is 1.41 times that of traditional shadow imaging. Moreover, we used machine learning tools to identify and count the mixed samples of mouse ascites tumor cells and micro-particles that were iterative phase recovered. The results showed that the on-chip cell counter had high-precision counting characteristics as compared with manual counting of the microscope reference image. Therefore, the proposed high-precision lensless microscope on a chip based on in-line holographic imaging provides one promising solution for future point-of-care testing (POCT).
Robust Silent Localization of Underwater Acoustic Sensor Network Using Mobile Anchor(s)
Authors: Mourya Rahul , Dragone Mauro , Petillot Yvan
Published: January 2021

Underwater acoustic sensor networks (UWASNs) can revolutionize the subsea domain by enabling low-cost monitoring of subsea assets and the marine environment. Accurate localization of the UWASNs is essential for these applications. In general, range-based localization techniques are preferred for their high accuracy in estimated locations. However, they can be severely affected by variable sound speed, multipath spreading, and other effects of the acoustic channel. In addition, an inefficient localization scheme can consume a significant amount of energy, reducing the effective life of the battery-powered sensor nodes. In this paper, we propose robust, efficient, and practically implementable localization schemes for static UWASNs. The proposed schemes are based on the Time-Difference-of-Arrival (TDoA) measurements and the nodes are localized passively, i.e., by just listening to beacon signals from multiple anchors, thus saving both the channel bandwidth and energy. The robustness in location estimates is achieved by considering an appropriate statistical noise model based on a plausible acoustic channel model and certain practical assumptions. To overcome the practical challenges of deploying and maintaining multiple permanent anchors for TDoA measurements, we propose practical schemes of using a single or multiple surface vehicles as virtual anchors. The robustness of localization is evaluated by simulations under realistic settings. By combining a mobile anchor(s) scheme with a robust estimator, this paper presents a complete package of efficient, robust, and practically usable localization schemes for low-cost UWASNs.
Sexually Transmitted Infections among Street, Hotel, and Residence-Based Female Sex Workers in Dhaka, Bangladesh: Prevalence from Three HIV/STI Drop-in-Centers
Authors: Farabi Tasmia Jebin , Jahangir Yamin Tauseef , Clara Afrin Ahmed , Nabi Mohammad Hayatun , Hawlader Mohammad Delwer Hossain
Published: January 2021

Introduction: Considering a growing number of female sex workers (FSWs) in Bangladesh, there remains a greater need to reduce sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates, as lower social and cultural status cause FSWs to have less access to education, employment opportunities, and health care, including opportunities for HIV tests, counseling, and medical care. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 546 street, hotel, and residence-based FSWs. This current study aimed to identify the prevalence and to ascertain the associated risk factors among the FSW populations in Dhaka. Results: We found a majority of the participants were in the working age of more than 26 years for the FSW profession, with a mean age of 28 years. While the majority were unemployed (42.5%), alcohol abuse (p = 0.01) and drug dependency (p = 0.01) had an association, and inconsistency of condom use had a higher risk factor (AOR = 3.54) for a new STI case. Conclusions: FSW-oriented service platform should be integrated with health literacy interventions in urban and rural locations in Bangladesh. Understanding the differences in risk patterns and tailoring intervention will increase contraception use and lower STI cases and improve overall FSW quality of life.
Trap in the Closet: Intra-Ethnic Marriage and Intimate Partner Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Oduaran Akpovire , Chukwudeh Okechukwu
Published: January 2021

Intimate partner violence is a threat to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5 by 2030. The challenge of intimate partner violence is prevalent among immigrants. However, little is known about the peculiarity of intimate partner violence in intra-ethnic marriages, especially among immigrants within sub-Saharan Africa. This study examined the factors contributing to intimate partner violence among Senegalese immigrants who live in Nigeria. It also examined the extent of intimate partner violence in intra-ethnic marriages. Referrals and exponential non-discriminative snowball sampling were utilized to interview 20 participants. Results show that social factors such as gender norms, cultural norms, patriarchy, and economic challenges were the major factors contributing to intimate partner violence among Senegalese immigrants living in Nigeria. Marriage to someone from the same ethnic group does not prevent intimate partner violence as the factors contributing to this social problem are not exclusive to ethnic group affiliation. Informal measures such as ethnic group association and neighborhood assistance are the measures used to resolve household violence among immigrants. Contextually, programs aimed at reducing and stopping intimate partner violence should incorporate the support of informal groups and community leaders who are the custodians of culture in the society.