bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bacterial Compatibility/Toxicity of Biogenic Silica (b-SiO2) Nanoparticles Synthesized from Biomass Rice Husk Ash
Authors: Sharma Sanjeev K. , Sharma Ashish R. , Pamidimarri Sudheer D. V. N. , Gaur Jyotshana , Singh Beer Pal , Sekar Sankar , Kim Deuk Young , Lee Sang Soo
Published: October 2019

Biogenic silica (b-SiO2) nanopowders from rice husk ash (RHA) were prepared by chemical method and their bacterial compatibility/toxicity was analyzed. The X-ray diffractometry (XRD) patterns of the b-SiO2 nanopowders indicated an amorphous feature due to the absence of any sharp peaks. Micrographs of the b-SiO2 revealed that sticky RHA synthesized SiO2 nanopowder (S1) had clustered spherical nanoparticles (70 nm diameter), while b-SiO2 nanopowder synthesized from red RHA (S2) and b-SiO2 nanopowder synthesized from brown RHA (S3) were purely spherical (20 nm and 10 nm diameter, respectively). Compared to the S1 (11.36 m2g−1) and S2 (234.93 m2g−1) nanopowders, the S3 nanopowders showed the highest surface area (280.16 m2g−1) due to the small particle size and high porosity. The core level of the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra showed that Si was constituted by two components, Si 2p (102.2 eV) and Si 2s (153.8 eV), while Oxygen 1s was observed at 531.8 eV, confirming the formation of SiO2. The anti-bacterial activity of the b-SiO2 nanopowders was investigated using both gram-positive (Escherichia coli) and gram-negative (Staphylococcus aureus) microorganisms. Compared to S2 and S3 silica nanopowders, S1 demonstrated enhanced antibacterial activity. This study signifies the medical, biomedical, clinical, and biological importance and application of RHA-mediated synthesized b-SiO2.
Effect of GO Additive in ZnO/rGO Nanocomposites with Enhanced Photosensitivity and Photocatalytic Activity
Authors: Rodwihok Chatchai , Wongratanaphisan Duangmanee , Thi Ngo Yen Linh , Khandelwal Mahima , Hur Seung Hyun , Chung Jin Suk
Published: October 2019

Zinc oxide/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites (ZnO/rGO) are synthesized via a simple one-pot solvothermal technique. The nanoparticle–nanorod turnability was achieved with the increase in GO additive, which was necessary to control the defect formation. The optimal defect in ZnO/rGO not only increased ZnO/rGO surface and carrier concentration, but also provided the alternative carrier pathway assisted with rGO sheet for electron–hole separation and prolonging carrier recombination. These properties are ideal for photodetection and photocatalytic applications. For photosensing properties, ZnO/rGO shows the improvement of photosensitivity compared with pristine ZnO from 1.51 (ZnO) to 3.94 (ZnO/rGO (20%)). Additionally, applying bending strain on ZnO/rGO enhances its photosensitivity even further, as high as 124% at r = 12.5 mm, due to improved surface area and induced negative piezoelectric charge from piezoelectric effect. Moreover, the photocatalytic activity with methylene blue (MB) was studied. It was observed that the rate of MB degradation was higher in presence of ZnO/rGO than pristine ZnO. Therefore, ZnO/rGO became a promising materials for different applications.
Solution Synthesis, Processing, and Applications of Semiconducting Nanomaterials
Authors: Hsu Julia W. P.
Published: October 2019

Nanomaterials have contributed to the forefront of materials research in the past two decades, and are used today in sensors, solar cells, light emitting diodes, electronics, and biomedical devices [...]
Reusable Surface-Modified Bacterial Cellulose Based on Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization Technology with Excellent Catalytic Properties
Authors: Li Xin , Feng Quan , Li Dawei , Christopher Narh , Ke Huizhen , Wei Qufu
Published: October 2019

The high catalytic activity of membrane-binding gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) makes its application in oxidation or reduction an attractive challenge. Herein, surface-functionalized bacterial cellulose (BC-poly(HEMA)) was successfully prepared with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) as monomers via the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) method. BC-poly(HEMA) was further utilized as not only reducing agent but also carrier for uniform distribution of the AuNPs in the diameter of about 8 nm on the membrane surface during the synthesis stage. The synthesized AuNPs/BC-poly(HEMA) exhibited excellent catalytic activity and reusability for reducing 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) from NaBH4. The results proved that the catalytic performance of AuNPs/BC-poly(HEMA) was affected by the surrounding temperature and pH, and AuNPs/BC-poly(HEMA) maintained the extremely high catalytic activity of AuNPs/BC-poly(HEMA) even after 10 reuses. In addition, no 4-NP was detected in the degradation solution after being stored for 45 days. The reusable catalyst prepared by this work shows a potential industrial application prospect.
TiO2-based Photocatalytic Cementitious Composites: Materials, Properties, Influential Parameters, and Assessment Techniques
Authors: Hamidi Fatemeh , Aslani Farhad
Published: October 2019

Applications of heterogeneous photocatalytic processes based on semiconductor particles in cement-based materials have received great attention in recent years to enhance the aesthetic durability of buildings and reducing global environmental pollution. Amongst all, titanium dioxide (TiO2) is the most widely used semiconductor particle in structural materials with photocatalytic activity because of its low cost, chemically stable nature, and absence of toxicity. Utilization of TiO2 in combination with cement-based materials would plunge the concentration of urban pollutants such as NOx. In fact, cementitious composites containing TiO2 have already found applications in self-cleaning buildings, antimicrobial surfaces, and air-purifying structures. This paper aims to present a comprehensive review on TiO2-based photocatalysis cement technology, its practical applications, and research gaps for further progression of cementitious materials with photocatalytic activity.
Reductive and Coordinative Effects of Hydrazine in Structural Transformations of Copper Hydroxide Nanoparticles
Authors: Medvedeva Xenia , Vidyakina Aleksandra , Li Feng , Mereshchenko Andrey , Klinkova Anna
Published: October 2019

Shape-specific copper oxide nanostructures have attracted increasing attention due to their widespread applications in energy conversion, sensing, and catalysis. Advancing our understanding of structure, composition, and surface chemistry transformations in shaped copper oxide nanomaterials during changes in copper oxidation state is instrumental from both applications and preparative nanochemistry standpoints. Here, we report the study of structural and compositional evolution of amorphous copper (II) hydroxide nanoparticles under hydrazine reduction conditions that resulted in the formation of crystalline Cu2O and composite Cu2O-N2H4 branched particles. The structure of the latter was influenced by the solvent medium. We showed that hydrazine, while being a common reducing agent in nanochemistry, can not only reduce the metal ions but also coordinate to them as a bidentate ligand and thereby integrate within the lattice of a particle. In addition to shape and composition transformation of individual particles, concurrent interparticle attachment and ensemble shape evolution were induced by depleting surface stabilization of individual nanoparticles. Not only does this study provide a facile synthetic method for several copper (I) oxide structures, it also demonstrates the complex behavior of a reducing agent with multidentate coordinating ability in nanoparticle synthesis.
Template-Assisted Co-Ni Nanowire Arrays
Authors: Vidu Ruxandra , Predescu Andra M. , Matei Ecaterina , Berbecaru Andrei , Pantilimon Cristian , Dragan Claudia , Predescu Cristian
Published: October 2019

A comparison was performed between Co-Ni thin films and template-assisted nanowires arrays obtained by electrochemical co-deposition. To reduce the effects of anomalous deposition and increase the Ni content in the deposit, an electrolyte with three times more Ni than Co in atomic ratio was chosen. Electrochemical deposition was performed at constant potentials chosen in the range from E = −0.8 to −1.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl. Cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and charge stripping techniques were used to characterize and compare the electrochemical behavior of Co-Ni films and nanowires. Morphological and compositional characterization was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM/EDAX) to assess the influence of the deposition potential on the growth of film and nanowires. A comprehensive analysis of the deposit growth rates for thin films and nanowires is presented taking into consideration the hydrogen evolution and anomalous deposition. The comparative study of the composition of film and nanowires obtained at different deposition potentials has shown that deposition of nanowires with a film-like composition takes place at more positive potential than thin film.
Research Progress of M13 Bacteriophage-Based Biosensors
Authors: Moon Jong-Sik , Choi Eun Jung , Jeong Na-Na , Sohn Jong-Ryeul , Han Dong-Wook , Oh Jin-Woo
Published: October 2019

Recently, new virus-based sensor systems that operate on M13 bacteriophage infrastructure have attracted considerable attention. These systems can detect a range of chemicals with excellent sensitivity and selectivity. Filaments consistent with M13 bacteriophages can be ordered by highly established forms of self-assembly. This allows M13 bacteriophages to build a homogeneous distribution and infiltrate the network structure of nanostructures under mild conditions. Phage display, involving the genetic engineering of M13 bacteriophages, is another strong feature of the M13 bacteriophage as a functional building block. The numerous genetic modification possibilities of M13 bacteriophages are clearly the key features, and far more applications are envisaged. This paper reviews the recent progress in the application of the M13 bacteriophage self-assembly structures through to sensor systems and discusses future M13 bacteriophage technology.
Curcumin, Hormesis and the Nervous System
Authors: Concetta Scuto Maria , Mancuso Cesare , Tomasello Barbara , Laura Ontario Maria , Cavallaro Andrea , Frasca Francesco , Maiolino Luigi , Trovato Salinaro Angela , Calabrese Edward J. , Calabrese Vittorio
Published: October 2019

Curcumin is a polyphenol compound extracted from the rhizome of Curcuma longa Linn (family Zingiberaceae) commonly used as a spice to color and flavor food. Several preclinical studies have suggested beneficial roles for curcumin as an adjuvant therapy in free radical-based diseases, mainly neurodegenerative disorders. Indeed, curcumin belongs to the family of hormetins and the enhancement of the cell stress response, mainly the heme oxygenase-1 system, is actually considered the common denominator for this dual response. However, evidence-based medicine has clearly demonstrated the lack of any therapeutic effect of curcumin to contrast the onset or progression of neurodegeneration and related diseases. Finally, the curcumin safety profile imposes a careful analysis of the risk/benefit balance prior to proposing chronic supplementation with curcumin.
Selective Enrichment of Clenbuterol onto Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Microspheres with Tailor-made Structure and Oxygen Functionalities
Authors: Zhao Xiangyun , Mai Yuliang , Chen Dongchu , Zhang Min , Hu Huawen
Published: October 2019

The noxious clenbuterol misapplied as the feed additive has posed an enormous threat to humans who actively rely on the food chains with high potential of contamination by clenbuterol, such as pork and beef. It is, therefore, highly desirable to develop novel materials and strategies for dealing with the clenbuterol. Herein, functional polymer microspheres prepared by Pickering emulsion polymerization were explored for the selective enrichment of the clenbuterol, and their structure and oxygen functionalities could be tailor-made by a molecular imprinting process. The clenbuterol imprinting was adequately demonstrated to not only increase the particle size (~52 nm vs. ~42 nm) and create cavities for the accommodation of the clenbuterol molecules, but also reduce the oxygen functionalities of the resulting molecularly imprinted polymer microspheres (MIPMs) by approximately 4 at.%, which is believed to correlate with the high specificity of the MIPMs. Various characterization methods were employed to evidence these findings, including scanning electron microscopy, BET measurements, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and elemental mapping examination. More importantly, the MIPMs showed a markedly superior enrichment capability towards clenbuterol to the counterpart, that is, non-molecularly imprinted polymer microspheres (NIPMs). Compared to the NIPMs without specificity for clenbuterol, the MIPMs exhibited an impressive selectivity to clenbuterol, with the relative selectivity coefficient (k′) values largely exceeding 1, thus corroborating that the useful molecular imprinting led to the generation of the binding sites complementary to the clenbuterol molecule in the size and functionalities. The MIPMs were also employed as the stationary phase to fabricate molecularly imprinting solid-phase extraction column, and the spike recovery was demonstrated to be not significantly decreased even after nine cycles. Furthermore, the reliability of the method was also evidenced through the comparison of the MIPMs prepared from different batches.
Enhanced Two-Photon Fluorescence and Fluorescence Imaging of Novel Probe for Calcium Ion by Self-Assembly with Conjugated Polymer
Authors: Zhai Yue-liang , Wang Qiu-bo , Yu Hao , Ji Xiao-yuan , Zhang Xian
Published: October 2019

The calcium ion (Ca2+) isa highly versatile intracellular signal messenger regulating many different cellular functions. It is important to design probes with good fluorescence and two-photon (TP) active cross-sections (Φδ) to explore the concentration distribution of Ca2+. In this manuscript, a novel TP fluorescence calcium probe (BAPTAVP) with positive charges, based on the classical Ca2+ indicator of BAPTA (1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)-ethane-N,N,N’,N’-tetra acetic acid), and a conjugated polymer (PCBMB) with negative charges were designed and synthesized. The results from transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and the zeta potential (ZP) showed that nanoparticles were obtained by the self-assembly of PCBMB and BAPTAVP. Moreover, the fluorescence properties of BAPTAVP were effectively improved by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) with PCBMB and attenuating the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) after the addition of Ca2+. The quantum yield and Φδ of PCBMB-BAPTAVP increased by about four and six times in comparison to those of BAPTAVP, respectively. The TP fluorescence imaging experiments indicated that the PCBMB-BAPTAVP system could effectively detect Ca2+ in living cells with high sensitivity.
Starch as a Green Binder for the Formulation of Conducting Glue in Supercapacitors
Authors: Jeżowski Paweł , Kowalczewski Przemysław Łukasz
Published: October 2019

This work describes the use of commercially available starch as a binder for the preparation of conductive glue and electrode materials. It is demonstrated that starch can be successfully implemented as a binder in energy storage systems with non-aqueous electrolytes. These devices are characterized by a stable cycle life (for 50,000 cycles) at a nominal voltage of 2.5 V. Moreover, the use of starch-based conductive glue improves the electrochemical performance, especially reducing the internal resistance of the device. Starch-bound electrodes display lower equivalent distributed resistance (EDR) values than electrodes using carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) as the binder. This is due to the noticeably lower pore clogging by starch. An electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) in organic electrolyte (1 mol L−1 TEABF4 in ACN) at a nominal voltage of 2.5 V can reach a specific power and energy of 100 kW kg−1 and 12 Wh kg −1, respectively. This study shows that starch-based conductive glues and electrode materials can be incorporated in EDLC systems.
Bioactive Edible Films Based on Arrowroot Starch Incorporated with Cranberry Powder: Microstructure, Thermal Properties, Ascorbic Acid Content and Sensory Analysis
Authors: Matta Fakhouri Farayde , Nogueira Gislaine Ferreira , de Oliveira Rafael Augustus , Velasco José Ignacio
Published: October 2019

The growing global awareness about environmental preservation has stimulated the search for alternatives to replace conventional plastics made from fossil sources. One of the advantages is using polymers from renewable sources, such as starch and gelatin, which, in addition to being biodegradable, may also be edible. The incorporation of cranberry into a polymeric matrix can transfer bioactive composite films, colour and flavour to the film, which are characteristic of this fruit, expanding its application to fruit stripes or colourful coatings for specific foods. In this context, the aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of the incorporation of 0, 5, 15, 25, 35, 45 and 55% (solids mass/biopolymer mass) cranberry powder on the microstructure, thermal properties, ascorbic acid content and sensory analysis of gelatin and arrowroot starch films obtained by casting. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that the incorporation of cranberry made the film surface rough and irregular. All films presented an X-ray diffraction pattern typical of a semicrystalline material. The glass transition temperature (Tg) decreased when increasing the concentration of cranberry in films. All films with cranberry presented high ascorbic acid content and were well accepted by the tasters when sensory analysis was performed.
Combined Chemical Modification of Bamboo Material Prepared Using Vinyl Acetate and Methyl Methacrylate: Dimensional Stability, Chemical Structure, and Dynamic Mechanical Properties
Authors: Huang Saisai , Jiang Qiufang , Yu Bin , Nie Yujing , Ma Zhongqing , Ma Lingfei
Published: October 2019

Acetylation and in situ polymerization are two typical chemical modifications that are used to improve the dimensional stability of bamboo. In this work, the combination of chemical modification of vinyl acetate (VA) acetylation and methyl methacrylate (MMA) in situ polymerization of bamboo was employed. Performances of the treated bamboo were evaluated in terms of dimensional stability, wettability, thermal stability, chemical structure, and dynamic mechanical properties. Results show that the performances (dimensional stability, thermal stability, and wettability) of bamboo that was prepared via the combined pretreatment of VA and MMA (VA/MMA-B) were better than those of raw bamboo, VA single-treated bamboo (VA-B), and MMA single-treated bamboo (MMA-B). According to scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses, VA and MMA were mainly grafted onto the surface of the cell wall or in the bamboo cell lumen. The antiswelling efficiency and contact angle of VA/MMA-B increased to maximum values of 40.71% and 107.1°, respectively. From thermogravimetric analysis (TG/DTG curves), the highest onset decomposition temperature (277 °C) was observed in VA/MMA-B. From DMA analysis, the storage modulus (E’) of VA/MMA-B increased sharply from 15,057 Pa (untreated bamboo) to 17,909 Pa (single-treated bamboo), and the glass transition temperature was improved from 180 °C (raw bamboo) to 205 °C (single-treated bamboo).
Blowing Properties and Functionality of Thermoplastic Polyester Film Using Thermally Expandable Microcapsules
Authors: Pak A Ram , Park Jung Hyun , Lee Seung Geol
Published: October 2019

Blowing film was prepared using a polyester elastomer with thermally expandable microcapsules to investigate its blowing properties and functionality. Film with 11% microcapsule contents showed the lowest specific gravity and the highest blowing efficiency. However, the collapse and merging of blowing cells with 11% microcapsule contents was found by SEM. Therefore, film with 9% microcapsule contents was shown to have better blowing and cell stability than that of film with 11% microcapsule contents. Tensile strength and elongation decreased by increasing microcapsule contents. Film curl and film shrinkage properties were unaffected by microcapsule contents. Water vapor permeability and hydrostatic pressure was decreased by increasing microcapsule contents.
Improving the Hydrolysis Rate of the Renewable Poly(hexamethylene sebacate) Through Copolymerization of a Bis(pyrrolidone)-Based Dicarboxylic Acid
Authors: Noordzij Geert. J. , Roy Manta , Bos Natasja , Reinartz Vincent , Wilsens Carolus H.R.M.
Published: October 2019

In this work, we report on the synthesis of a series of polyesters based on 1,6-hexanediol, sebacic acid, and N,N’-dimethylene-bis(pyrrolidone-4-carboxylic acid) (BP-C2), of which the latter is derived from renewable itaconic acid and 1,2-ethanediamine. Copolymers with a varying amount of BP-C2 as dicarboxylic acid are synthesized using a melt-polycondensation reaction with the aim of controlling the hydrolysis rate of the polymers in water or under bioactive conditions. We demonstrate that the introduction of BP-C2 in the polymer backbone does not limit the molecular weight build-up, as polymers with a weight average molecular weight close to 20 kg/mol and higher are obtained. Additionally, as the BP-C2 moiety is excluded from the crystal structure of poly(hexamethylene sebacate), the increase in BP-C2 concentration effectively results in a suppression in both melting temperature and crystallinity of the polymers. Overall, we demonstrate that the BP-C2 moiety enhances the polymer’s affinity to water, effectively improving the water uptake and rate of hydrolysis, both in demineralized water and in the presence of a protease from Bacillus licheniformis.
Tunable Thermo-Responsive Copolymers from DEGMA and OEGMA Synthesized by RAFT Polymerization and the Effect of the Concentration and Saline Phosphate Buffer on Its Phase Transition
Authors: Ramírez-Jiménez Alejandro , Montoya-Villegas Kathleen Abigail , Licea-Claverie Angel , Gónzalez-Ayón Mirian Angelene
Published: October 2019

Thermo-responsive polymers and copolymers derivatives of oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (Mn = 300 g mol−1) (OEGMA) and di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (DEGMA) have been synthesized by reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT) using 5-amino-4-methyl-4-(propylthiocarbonothioylthio)-5-oxopentanoic acid (APP) as chain transfer agent (CTA). The monomer conversion was evaluated by hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR); number average molecular weights (Mn), weight average molecular weight (Mw), and dispersity (Đ) were obtained by gel permeation chromatography (GPC); glass transition temperature (Tg) was evaluated by modulated differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), cloud point temperature (Tcp) was measured and compared by turbidimetry and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The effect of polymer composition and concentration on the Tcp, either in water or in phosphate buffer saline (PBS), was studied. The values of Tcp using PBS were between 3 and 4 °C lower than using water. Results showed an ideal copolymerization behavior; therefore, the Tcp could be tuned by an adequate monomers feed ratio obtaining polymers which may be used in drug delivery and other applications.
Reynolds Stress Model for Viscoelastic Drag-Reducing Flow Induced by Polymer Solution
Authors: Wang Yi
Published: October 2019

Viscoelasticity drag-reducing flow by polymer solution can reduce pumping energy of pipe flow significantly. One of the simulation manners is direct numerical simulation (DNS). However, the computational time is too long to accept in engineering. Turbulent model is a powerful tool to solve engineering problems because of its fast computational ability. However, its precision is usually low. To solve this problem, we introduce DNS to provide accurate data to construct a high-precision turbulent model. A Reynolds stress model for viscoelastic polymer drag-reducing flow is established. The rheological behavior of the drag-reducing flow is described by the Giesekus constitutive Equation. Compared with the DNS data, mean velocity, mean conformation tensor, drag reduction, and stresses are predicted accurately in low Reynolds numbers and Weissenberg numbers but worsen as the two numbers increase. The computational time of the Reynolds stress model (RSM) is only 1/120,960 of DNS, showing the advantage of computational speed.
A Numerical Research on Vortex Street Flow Oscillation in the Double Flapper Nozzle Servo Valve
Authors: Lu Liang , Long Shirang , Zhu Kangwu
Published: October 2019

The oscillating flow field of the double nozzle flapper servo valve pre-stage is numerically analyzed through Large Eddy Simulation (LES) turbulent modeling with the previous grid independence verification. The vortex street flow phenomenon can be observed when the flow passes through the nozzle flapper channel, the vortex alternating in each side produces the periodical flow oscillation. The structural and flow parameter effects on the oscillating flow are emphasized, and it could be determined that the pressure on the flapper is nearly proportional to the flow velocity and inversely proportional to the actual distance between the flapper and the nozzle. On the other hand, the main frequency of oscillation decreases with the velocity and increases with the distance between the nozzle flapper. The main stage movement is further considered with a User Defined Function (UDF), and it could be determined that the influences of the structural and flow parameters on the flow oscillation are rarely changed, but the main frequencies drop, generally.
Load State Identification Method for Ball Mills Based on Improved EWT, Multiscale Fuzzy Entropy and AEPSO_PNN Classification
Authors: Cai Gaipin , Liu Xin , Dai Congcong , Luo Xiaoyan
Published: October 2019

To overcome the difficulty of accurately determining the load state of a wet ball mill during the grinding process, a method of mill load identification based on improved empirical wavelet transform (EWT), multiscale fuzzy entropy (MFE), and adaptive evolution particle swarm optimization probabilistic neural network (AEPSO_PNN) classification is proposed. First, the concept of a sliding frequency window is introduced based on EWT, and the adaptive frequency window EWT algorithm, which is used to decompose the vibration signals recorded under different load states to obtain the intrinsic mode components, is proposed. Second, a correlation coefficient threshold is used to select the sensitive mode components that characterize the state of the original signal for signal reconstruction. Finally, the MFE of the reconstructed signal is used as the characteristic vector to characterize the load state of the mill, and the partial mean value of MFE is calculated. The results show that the mean value of MFE under different load states varies. To further identify the load state, a characteristic mill load vector is constructed from the MFE values of the reconstructed signal under different load conditions and is used as the input of the AEPSO_PNN model, which then outputs the predicted ball mill load state. Thus, a load state identification model is established. The feasibility of the method is verified based on grinding experiments. The results show that the overall recognition rate of the proposed method is as high as 97.3%. Compared with the back propagation (BP) neural network, Bayes discriminant method, and PNN classification, AEPSO_PNN classification increases the overall recognition rate by 8%, 5.3%, and 3.3%, respectively, which indicates that this method can be used to accurately identify the different load states of a ball mill.
Automated Mapping of Typical Cropland Strips in the North China Plain Using Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) Photogrammetry
Authors: Zhang Jianyong , Zhao Yanling , Abbott A. Lynn , Wynne Randolph H. , Hu Zhenqi , Zou Yuzhu , Tian Shuaishuai
Published: October 2019

Accurate mapping of agricultural fields is needed for many purposes, including irrigation decisions and cadastral management. This paper is concerned with the automated mapping of cropland strips that are common in the North China Plain. These strips are commonly 3–8 m in width and 50–300 m in length, and are separated by small ridges that assist with irrigation. Conventional surveying methods are labor-intensive and time-consuming for this application, and only limited performance is possible with very high resolution satellite images. Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) images could provide an alternative approach to ridge detection and strip mapping. This paper presents a novel method for detecting cropland strips, utilizing centimeter spatial resolution imagery captured by sUAS flying at low altitude (60 m). Using digital surface models (DSM) and ortho-rectified imagery from sUAS data, this method extracts candidate ridge locations by surface roughness segmentation in combination with geometric constraints. This method then exploits vegetation removal and morphological operations to refine candidate ridge elements, leading to polyline-based representations of cropland strip boundaries. This procedure has been tested using sUAS data from four typical cropland plots located approximately 60 km west of Jinan, China. The plots contained early winter wheat. The results indicated an ability to detect ridges with comparatively high recall and precision (96.8% and 95.4%, respectively). Cropland strips were extracted with over 98.9% agreement relative to ground truth, with kappa coefficients over 97.4%. To our knowledge, this method is the first to attempt cropland strip mapping using centimeter spatial resolution sUAS images. These results have demonstrated that sUAS mapping is a viable approach for data collection to assist in agricultural land management in the North China Plain.
Spatial Upscaling of Tree-Ring-Based Forest Response to Drought with Satellite Data
Authors: Xu Peipei , Fang Wei , Zhou Tao , Zhao Xiang , Luo Hui , Hendrey George , Yi Chuixiang
Published: October 2019

We have integrated the observational capability of satellite remote sensing with plot-scale tree-ring data to upscale the evaluation of forest responses to drought. Satellite data, such as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), can provide a spatially continuous measure with limited temporal coverage, while tree-ring width index (RWI) provides an accurate assessment with a much longer time series at local scales. Here, we explored the relationship between RWI and NDVI of three dominant species in the Southwestern United States (SWUS) and predicted RWI spatial distribution from 2001 to 2017 based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) 1-km resolution NDVI data with stringent quality control. We detected the optimum time windows (around June–August) during which the RWI and NDVI were most closely correlated for each species, when the canopy growth had the greatest effect on growth of tree trunks. Then, using our upscaling algorithm of NDVI-based RWI, we were able to detect the significant impact of droughts in 2002 and in 2011–2014, which supported the validity of this algorithm in quantifying forest response to drought on a large scale.
Detecting Ecological Changes with a Remote Sensing Based Ecological Index (RSEI) Produced Time Series and Change Vector Analysis
Authors: Xu Hanqiu , Wang Yifan , Guan Huade , Shi Tingting , Hu Xisheng
Published: October 2019

Increasing human activities have caused significant global ecosystem disturbances at various scales. There is an increasing need for effective techniques to quantify and detect ecological changes. Remote sensing can serve as a measurement surrogate of spatial changes in ecological conditions. This study has improved a newly-proposed remote sensing based ecological index (RSEI) with a sharpened land surface temperature image and then used the improved index to produce the time series of ecological-status images. The Mann–Kendall test and Theil–Sen estimator were employed to evaluate the significance of the trend of the RSEI time series and the direction of change. The change vector analysis (CVA) was employed to detect ecological changes based on the image series. This RSEI-CVA approach was applied to Fujian province, China to quantify and detect the ecological changes of the province in a period from 2002 to 2017 using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. The result shows that the RSEI-CVA method can effectively quantify and detect spatiotemporal changes in ecological conditions of the province, which reveals an ecological improvement in the province during the study period. This is indicated by the rise of mean RSEI scores from 0.794 to 0.852 due to an increase in forest area by 7078 km2. Nevertheless, CVA-based change detection has detected ecological declines in the eastern coastal areas of the province. This study shows that the RSEI-CVA approach would serve as a prototype method to quantify and detect ecological changes and hence promote ecological change detection at various scales.
Characterizing Seasonally Rainfall-Driven Movement of a Translational Landslide using SAR Imagery and SMAP Soil Moisture
Authors: Xu Yuankun , Kim Jinwoo , George David L. , Lu Zhong
Published: October 2019

Precipitation infiltrates into basal shearing zones, triggering seasonal landslide motion by increasing pore-pressure and reducing shear resistance. This process is jointly controlled by basal depth, rainfall intensity, soil moisture, and hydraulic conductivity/diffusivity. Using interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), we detected and mapped a slow-moving slide in the southwestern Oregon. Its basal depths are estimated using InSAR-derived surface velocity fields based on the mass conservation approach by assuming a power-law rheology. The estimated maximum thickness over the central region of the landslide is 6.9 ± 2.6 m. This result is further confirmed by an independent limit equilibrium analysis that solely relies on soil mechanical properties. By incorporating satellites-captured time lags of 27–49 days between the onset of wet seasons and the initiation of landslide motions, the averaged characteristic hydraulic conductivity and diffusivity of the landslide material is estimated as 1.2 × 10−5 m/s and 1.9 × 10−4 m2/s, respectively. Our investigation layouts a framework for using InSAR and satellite-sensed soil moisture to infer landslide basal geometry and estimate corresponding hydraulic parameters.
Linking Remote Sensing and Geodiversity and Their Traits Relevant to Biodiversity—Part I: Soil Characteristics
Authors: Lausch Angela , Baade Jussi , Bannehr Lutz , Borg Erik , Bumberger Jan , Chabrilliat Sabine , Dietrich Peter , Gerighausen Heike , Glässer Cornelia , Hacker Jorg , Haase Dagmar , Jagdhuber Thomas , Jany Sven , Jung András , Karnieli Arnon , Kraemer Roland , Makki Mohsen , Mielke Christian , Möller Markus , Mollenhauer Hannes , Montzka Carsten , Pause Marion , Rogass Christian , Rozenstein Offer , Schmullius Christiane , Schrodt Franziska , Schrön Martin , Schulz Karsten , Schütze Claudia , Schweitzer Christian , Selsam Peter , Skidmore Andrew , Spengler Daniel , Thiel Christian , Truckenbrodt Sina , Vohland Michael , Wagner Robert , Weber Ute , Werban Ulrike , Wollschläger Ute , Zacharias Steffen , Schaepman Michael
Published: October 2019

In the face of rapid global change it is imperative to preserve geodiversity for the overall conservation of biodiversity. Geodiversity is important for understanding complex biogeochemical and physical processes and is directly and indirectly linked to biodiversity on all scales of ecosystem organization. Despite the great importance of geodiversity, there is a lack of suitable monitoring methods. Compared to conventional in-situ techniques, remote sensing (RS) techniques provide a pathway towards cost-effective, increasingly more available, comprehensive, and repeatable, as well as standardized monitoring of continuous geodiversity on the local to global scale. This paper gives an overview of the state-of-the-art approaches for monitoring soil characteristics and soil moisture with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and air- and spaceborne remote sensing techniques. Initially, the definitions for geodiversity along with its five essential characteristics are provided, with an explanation for the latter. Then, the approaches of spectral traits (ST) and spectral trait variations (STV) to record geodiversity using RS are defined. LiDAR (light detection and ranging), thermal and microwave sensors, multispectral, and hyperspectral RS technologies to monitor soil characteristics and soil moisture are also presented. Furthermore, the paper discusses current and future satellite-borne sensors and missions as well as existing data products. Due to the prospects and limitations of the characteristics of different RS sensors, only specific geotraits and geodiversity characteristics can be recorded. The paper provides an overview of those geotraits.
Dual Model Medical Invoices Recognition
Authors: Yi Fei , Zhao Yi-Fei , Sheng Guan-Qun , Xie Kai , Wen Chang , Tang Xin-Gong , Qi Xuan
Published: October 2019

Hospitals need to invest a lot of manpower to manually input the contents of medical invoices (nearly 300,000,000 medical invoices a year) into the medical system. In order to help the hospital save money and stabilize work efficiency, this paper designed a system to complete the complicated work using a Gaussian blur and smoothing–convolutional neural network combined with a recurrent neural network (GBS-CR) method. Gaussian blur and smoothing (GBS) is a novel preprocessing method that can fix the breakpoint font in medical invoices. The combination of convolutional neural network (CNN) and recurrent neural network (RNN) was used to raise the recognition rate of the breakpoint font in medical invoices. RNN was designed to be the semantic revision module. In the aspect of image preprocessing, Gaussian blur and smoothing were used to fix the breakpoint font. In the period of making the self-built dataset, a certain proportion of the breakpoint font (the font of breakpoint is 3, the original font is 7) was added, in this paper, so as to optimize the Alexnet–Adam–CNN (AA-CNN) model, which is more suitable for the recognition of the breakpoint font than the traditional CNN model. In terms of the identification methods, we not only adopted the optimized AA-CNN for identification, but also combined RNN to carry out the semantic revisions of the identified results of CNN, meanwhile further improving the recognition rate of the medical invoices. The experimental results show that compared with the state-of-art invoice recognition method, the method presented in this paper has an average increase of 10 to 15 percentage points in recognition rate.
Application of Ultrasonic Array Method for the Inspection of TC18 Addictive Manufacturing Titanium Alloy
Authors: Li Wentao , Zhou Zhenggan , Li Yang
Published: October 2019

Ultrasonic arrays have been investigated for inspecting the quality of special materials. Unfortunately, non-destructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) of internal defects in additive manufacturing (AM) materials are difficult due to the anisotropy and the coarse grain. To solve the problem, this paper brings forward research on the inspection of TC18 AM titanium alloy products using an ultrasonic array. Firstly, a three-dimensional acoustic field distribution of different ultrasonic array transducers is established to design an optimal detection solution for an AM titanium alloy. Then, a total focusing method (TFM) for the ultrasonic annular array transducer is proposed and its imaging method is analyzed. Besides, the relation between ultrasonic group velocities in a TC18 AM specimen with different propagating angles is measured using the full matrix capture (FMC) method. Based on the measurements, the anisotropy of the AM titanium alloy is discussed and the TFM algorithm of annular array is optimized as well. Finally, C-scan experiments are conducted on the specimen with a height of 55 mm using the linear ultrasonic array transducer of the conventional focusing method and the TFM of annular array transducer, respectively. The results show that the TFM of annular array has higher accuracy in quantifying the defects of flat bottom holes and transverse holes with a diameter of 0.8 mm. In addition, the detection results of different forming directions are analyzed and the 3D imaging of defects in the specimen is realized based on FMC data. The TFM of annular array is an innovative ultrasonic testing technology with high resolution for AM titanium alloy products.
Noise Reduction for MEMS Gyroscope Signal: A Novel Method Combining ACMP with Adaptive Multiscale SG Filter Based on AMA
Authors: He Jingjing , Sun Changku , Wang Peng
Published: October 2019

In this paper, a novel hybrid method combining adaptive chirp mode pursuit (ACMP) with an adaptive multiscale Savitzky–Golay filter (AMSGF) based on adaptive moving average (AMA) is proposed for offline denoising micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) gyroscope signal. The denoising scheme includes preliminary denoising and further denoising. At the preliminary denoising stage, the original gyroscope signal is decomposed into signal modes one by one using ACMP with modified stopping criterion based on mutual information. Useful information is extracted while most noise is discarded in the residue at this stage. Then, AMSGF is proposed to further denoise the signal modes. Sample variance based on AMA is used to adjust the window size of AMSGF adaptively. Practical MEMS gyroscope signal denoising results under different motion conditions show the superior performance of the proposed method over empirical mode decomposition (EMD)-based denoising, discrete wavelet threshold denoising, and variational mode decomposition (VMD)-based denoising. Moreover, AMSGF is proven to gain a better denoising effect than some other common smoothing methods.
InGaN as a Substrate for AC Photoelectrochemical Imaging
Authors: Zhou Bo , Das Anirban , Kappers Menno J. , Oliver Rachel A. , Humphreys Colin J. , Krause Steffi
Published: October 2019

AC photoelectrochemical imaging at electrolyte–semiconductor interfaces provides spatially resolved information such as surface potentials, ion concentrations and electrical impedance. In this work, thin films of InGaN/GaN were used successfully for AC photoelectrochemical imaging, and experimentally shown to generate a considerable photocurrent under illumination with a 405 nm modulated diode laser at comparatively high frequencies and low applied DC potentials, making this a promising substrate for bioimaging applications. Linear sweep voltammetry showed negligible dark currents. The imaging capabilities of the sensor substrate were demonstrated with a model system and showed a lateral resolution of 7 microns.
Power Laws and Elementary Particle Decays
Authors: Chiatti Leonardo
Published: October 2019

This study analyzes the correlation between the lifetime and the rest energy of the unstable particle states with a lifetime greater than the zeptosecond (10−21 s), using data available from the Particle Data Group. This set of states seems to be divided into three groups, in each of which the two quantities can be correlated through a remarkably accurate power law. Although this fact does not represent anything new compared to the predictions of the Standard Model, it nevertheless reveals an unexpected order structure in the set of particle decays, emerging from such predictions.
Acute Metabolic Changes with Lower Leg-Positioned Wearable Resistances during Submaximal Running in Endurance-Trained Runners
Authors: Field Allister P. , Gill Nicholas , Uthoff Aaron M. , Plews Dan
Published: October 2019

The aim of this study was to determine the acute metabolic effects of different magnitudes of wearable resistance (WR) attached to the lower leg during submaximal running. Fifteen endurance-trained runners (37.8 ± 6.4 years; 1.77 ± 0.7 m; 72.5 ± 9.8 kg; 58.9 ± 7.4 L/min VO2max; 45.7 ± 5.8 min 10 K run time) completed seven submaximal running trials with WR loads of 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3% body mass (BM). Based on regression data, for every 1% BM increase of additional load, oxygen consumption (VO2) increased by 2.56% and heart rate increased by 1.16%. Inferential based analysis identified that ≤1% BM were enough to elicit responses in VO2, with a possible small increase (effect size (ES), 90% confidence interval (CI): 0.22, 0.17 to 0.39), while 3% BM loads produced a most likely very large increase (ES, 90% CI: 0.51, 0.42 to 0.60). A training load score was extrapolated using heart rate data to determine the amount of internal stress. An additional 1% BM resulted in an extra 0.39 (0.29 to 0.47) increase in internal stress over five minutes. Lower leg WR elicited substantial increases in lactate production from the lightest loading (0.5% BM), with a likely moderate increase (ES, 90% CI: 0.49, 0.30 to 0.95). Lower-leg positioned WR provides a running-specific overload with loads ≥ 1% BM resulting in substantial changes in metabolic responses.
Accurate Optic Disc and Cup Segmentation from Retinal Images Using a Multi-Feature Based Approach for Glaucoma Assessment
Authors: Gao Yuan , Yu Xiaosheng , Wu Chengdong , Zhou Wei , Wang Xiaonan , Zhuang Yaoming
Published: October 2019

Accurate optic disc (OD) and optic cup (OC) segmentation play a critical role in automatic glaucoma diagnosis. In this paper, we present an automatic segmentation technique regarding the OD and the OC for glaucoma assessment. First, the robust adaptive approach for initializing the level set is designed to increase the performance of contour evolution. Afterwards, in order to handle the complex OD appearance affected by intensity inhomogeneity, pathological changes, and vessel occlusion, a novel model that integrates ample information of OD with the effective local intensity clustering (LIC) model together is presented. For the OC segmentation, to overcome the segmentation challenge as the OC’s complex anatomy location, a novel preprocessing method based on structure prior information between the OD and the OC is designed to guide contour evolution in an effective region. Then, a novel implicit region based on modified data term using a richer form of local image clustering information at each point of interest gathered over a multiple-channel feature image space is presented, to enhance the robustness of the variations found in and around the OC region. The presented models symmetrically integrate the information at each point in a single-channel image from a multiple-channel feature image space. Thus, these models correlate with the concept of symmetry. The proposed models are tested on the publicly available DRISHTI-GS database and the experimental results demonstrate that the models outperform state-of-the-art methods.