bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regional Requirements Influence Adoption of Exertional Heat Illness Preparedness Strategies in United States High Schools
Authors: Scarneo-Miller Samantha E. , Saltzman Benjamin , Adams William M. , Casa Douglas J.
Published: September 2020

Background and objectives: Exertional heat stroke (EHS) continues to be a prevalent health issue affecting all athletes, including our pediatric populations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a state policy requirement for EHS prevention and treatment on local high school policy adoption in the United States (US). Materials and Methods: Athletic trainers (ATs) from high schools across the US participated in an online survey (n = 365). This survey inquired about their compliance with nine components of an EHS policy which was then compared to their state requirements for the policies. Evaluation of the number of components adopted between states with a requirement versus states without a requirement was conducted with a Wilcoxon Sign Rank test. Finally, an ordinal logistic regression with proportional odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were run to determine the effect of a state requirement and regional differences on the number of components adopted. Results: ATs working in states with a requirement reported adoption of more components in their heat modification policy compared to states that did not require schools to develop a heat modification policy (with requirement mean = 5.34 ± 3.68, median = 7.0; without requirement mean = 4.23 ± 3.59, median = 5.0; Z = −14.88, p < 0.001). ATs working in region 3 (e.g., hotter regions) reported adopting more components than those in region 1 (e.g., cooler regions) (OR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.215–4.201, p = 0.010). Conclusions: Our results demonstrate a positive association between state policy requirements and subsequently increased local policy adoption for EHS policies. Additionally, the results demonstrate that regional differences exist, calling for the need for reducing disparities across the US. These findings may imply that policy adoption is a multifactorial process; furthermore, additional regional specific investigations must be conducted to determine the true determinants of high school policy adoption rates for EHS policies.
Intra-Operative Detection of a Left-Sided Non-Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve during Vagus Nerve Stimulator Implantation
Authors: Labuschagne Jason John , Hammer Niels
Published: September 2020

Left sided non-recurrent laryngeal nerves (NRLN) are very rarely observed during surgery in the head and neck region. Arising directly from the cervical aspect of the vagus nerve, the NRLN lies in a vulnerable position distant from its normal location. NRLNs are normally associated with embryological branchial arch aberrations and subsequent vascular anomalies. The anomalous course of the NRLN makes it more susceptible to injury during surgery in the neck region. Knowledge of this anatomical variant will reduce the potential for injury and resultant vocal cord paralysis. During microsurgical dissection of the carotid sheath for the implantation of a vagus nerve stimulator in a 19-year-old female patient with refractory epilepsy, a moderate-sized branch of the main vagus nerve trunk was identified postero-medially within the carotid sheath. Intra-operative stimulation of this nerve resulted in a compound muscle evoked potential from the left vocal cord. Thus, this branch was confirmed to be a left-sided NRLN. The patient had no associated vascular anomalies. This is first reported case of a left-sided NRLN found during VNS insertion. Awareness of the possibility of an NRLN is imperative to prevent iatrogenic injury. A medial location of the vagus nerve within the carotid sheath should alert the surgeon to the possible presence of an NRLN. The absence of fourth branchial arch remnant anomalies is not a guarantee as to the absence of a left-sided NRLN. The addition of intra-operative nerve monitoring for vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) implantation procedures should be strongly considered to help avoid iatrogenic injury.
Investigations of the Influence of a Superimposed Oscillation on the Fatigue Strength
Authors: Behrens Bernd-Arno , Hübner Sven , Rosenbusch Daniel , Müller Philipp
Published: September 2020

Within the scope of the transregional collaborative research centre TCRC73, the effects of an oscillation superimposed forming process for the production of a demonstrator component are investigated. Previous studies in this field were limited to a consideration of the process-related parameters such as the influence of the plastic work and the friction or the component-related parameters such as the influence of the surface quality and the mold filling. This research concentrates on the consideration of the mechanical vibration resistance of components that were manufactured superimposed oscillated. For this purpose, Wöhler tests are conducted in which the fatigue strength of superimposed oscillation pre-stretched test samples and oscillation-free pre-stretched test samples are investigated. First, Wöhler curves are generated in the tensile threshold range for tensile samples made out of the steels DC04 and DP600. Subsequently, tensile specimens are pre-stretched superimposed oscillated and oscillation-free. These specimens are subjected to a tensile threshold load until they break. The influence of the superimposed oscillation forming on the long-term fatigue of components is derived from the comparison of the bearable load cycles. Investigations of the microstructure of the specimens are conducted in order to draw conclusions about the influence on the long-term strength.
Numerical Modeling of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) Emissions during Preheating of Magnesia-Carbon Bricks in a Basic Oxygen Furnace
Authors: Dinda Soumitra Kumar , Chattopadhyay Kinnor
Published: September 2020

The refractory preheating process in oxygen furnaces is a dynamic input of energy in a chemically complex system requiring special attention to chemical emissions relative to permissible release limits. This particular industrial and regulatory interest is the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC), given their detrimental impacts on human health. In the present work, a mathematical model was developed to predict the emission rates of volatile organics during the preheating of a 260-ton basic oxygen furnace. A numerical heat transfer model was developed using finite difference techniques to obtain the thermal profile and then integrated with chemical thermodynamics using FactSage 7.0 (CRCT, Polytechnique Montreal Quebec Canada, H3C 3A7). The parameters that affected VOC emissions were preheating process times, burner gas composition, heating rate, and burner geometry. Two different preheating procedures were compared, and emission rates were predicted with extended use of a top burner providing the greatest degree of emissions control. The mathematical model was validated against plant data with respect to average emission rates of CO, CO2, SOX, and NOX.
Microstructural Characteristics of AlSi9Cu3(Fe) Alloy with High Melting Point Elements
Authors: Szymczak Tomasz , Gumienny Grzegorz , Klimek Leszek , Goły Marcin , Pacyniak Tadeusz
Published: September 2020

The paper presents the results of microstructure tests of EN AC-46000 hypoeutectic Al–Si alloy with and without high-melting-point elements: chromium, molybdenum, vanadium, and tungsten. The above-mentioned elements were used individually or simultaneously in various combinations. The tested castings were made using two technologies: shell molding and high pressure die casting (HPDC). Using X-ray diffraction and microanalysis of the chemical composition an attempt to determine the phase structure of the tested alloy was made. It has been shown that the microstructure of the base alloy consists of dendrites of α(Al) solid solution and complex eutectic mixtures: ternary α(Al) + Al15(Fe,Mn)3Si2 + β(Si) and quaternary α(Al) + Al2Cu + AlSiCuFeMgMnNi + β(Si). High-melting point elements, regardless of the combination used, attach mainly to intermetallic phases rich in Fe and form the Al15(Fe,Mn,M)3Si2 phase, where M is any high melting point element or a combination of such elements. It has been shown that the area fraction of the above-mentioned phase increases with increasing content of high melting point elements. A greater area fraction of the Al15(Fe,Mn,M)3Si2 phase in the casting from the shell mold in relation to the high pressure die casting has been also found.
Enhancing the Rice Seedlings Growth Promotion Abilities of Azoarcus sp. CIB by Heterologous Expression of ACC Deaminase to Improve Performance of Plants Exposed to Cadmium Stress
Authors: Fernández-Llamosas Helga , Ibero Juan , Thijs Sofie , Imperato Valeria , Vangronsveld Jaco , Díaz Eduardo , Carmona Manuel
Published: September 2020

Environmental pollutants can generate stress in plants causing increased ethylene production that leads to the inhibition of plant growth. Ethylene production by the stressed plant may be lowered by Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria (PGPB) that metabolizes the immediate precursor of ethylene 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC). Thus, engineering PGPB with ACC deaminase activity can be a promising alternative to mitigate the harmful effects of pollutants and thus enhance plant production. Here we show that the aromatics-degrading and metal-resistant Azoarcus sp. CIB behaves as a PGP-bacterium when colonizing rice as an endophyte, showing a 30% increment in plant weight compared to non-inoculated plants. The cloning and expression of an acdS gene led to a recombinant strain, Azoarcus sp. CIB (pSEVA237acdS), possessing significant ACC deaminase activity (6716 nmol mg−1 h−1), constituting the first PGPB of the Rhodocyclaceae family equipped with this PGP trait. The recombinant CIB strain acquired the ability to protect inoculated rice plants from the stress induced by cadmium (Cd) exposure and to increase the Cd concentration in rice seedlings. The observed decrease of the levels of reactive oxygen species levels in rice roots confirms such a protective effect. The broad-host-range pSEVA237acdS plasmid paves the way to engineer PGPB with ACC deaminase activity to improve the growth of plants that might face stress conditions.
Efficacy of Helicobacter pylori Eradication Therapy on Platelet Recovery in Pediatric Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura-Case Series and a Systematic Review
Authors: Ikuse Tamaki , Toda Masanori , Kashiwagi Kosuke , Maruyama Kimiko , Nagata Masumi , Tokushima Kaori , Ito Natsuki , Tokita Kazuhide , Kyodo Reiko , Hosoi Kenji , Jimbo Keisuke , Kudo Takahiro , Shimizu Toshiaki
Published: September 2020

Evidence relating to the efficacy of Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy for chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (cITP) in childhood is inadequate. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the efficacy of H. pylori eradication therapy for platelet response in pediatric patients with cITP in our hospital, and to perform a systematic review of previous reports about pediatric patients with cITP who were positive for H. pylori infection and were treated with H. pylori eradication therapy. Analysis of the data of pediatric patients with cITP in our hospital and a systematic review of digital literature databases of studies in pediatric patients with cITP were performed. Data of 33 pediatric patients with cITP from our hospital records showed that the prevalence of H. pylori infection and the rate of response to platelet therapy were 15% and 33.3%, respectively. Data of 706 pediatric patients from 18 previous reports showed that the prevalence of H. pylori infection and rate of platelet response were 23% and 43.8%, respectively. Eradication therapy for H. pylori infection in pediatric cITP patients can be expected to result in a response equivalent to that in the adult population, with fewer adverse effects than other treatments for cITP.
Enteroviruses and Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: An Overlooked Relationship in Some Regions
Authors: Alhazmi Abdulaziz , Sane Famara , Lazrek Mouna , Nekoua Magloire Pandoua , Badia-Boungou Francis , Engelmann Ilka , Alidjinou Enagnon Kazali , Hober Didier
Published: September 2020

Enteroviruses (EVs) infect millions of people annually. EV infections can be asymptomatic or symptomatic with conditions ranging from mild illnesses to serious diseases such as dilated cardiomyopathy. A causal relationship between EV infections and type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) has been heavily debated, with some studies suggesting that this relationship is not yet conclusive and requires additional evidence, whereas others strongly argue for this correlation. While this relationship is well investigated in some developed countries like the USA and Finland, it is understudied or neglected in other countries like Russia for many reasons such as the low incidence of T1DM. Although the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are highly affected by T1DM, the role of EVs in the disease in MENA has not been investigated extensively. Therefore, we aimed to address the relationship between T1DM and EVs in MENA and other regions globally.
Role of Infections in the Pathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Focus on Mycobacteria
Authors: Bo Marco , Jasemi Seyedesomaye , Uras Giuseppe , Erre Gian Luca , Passiu Giuseppe , Sechi Leonardo A.
Published: September 2020

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by chronic erosive polyarthritis. A complex interaction between a favorable genetic background, and the presence of a specific immune response against a broad-spectrum of environmental factors seems to play a role in determining susceptibility to RA. Among different pathogens, mycobacteria (including Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis, MAP), and Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), have extensively been proposed to promote specific cellular and humoral response in susceptible individuals, by activating pathways linked to RA development. In this review, we discuss the available experimental and clinical evidence on the interplay between mycobacterial and EBV infections, and the development of the immune dysregulation in RA.
Probiotic and Antioxidant Potential of Lactobacillus reuteriLR12 and Lactobacillus lactisLL10 Isolated from Pineapple Puree and Quality Analysis of Pineapple-Flavored Goat Milk Yoghurt during Storage
Authors: Al-Dhabi Naif Abdullah , Valan Arasu Mariadhas , Vijayaraghavan Ponnuswamy , Esmail Galal Ali , Duraipandiyan Veeramuthu , Kim Young Ock , Kim Hyungsuk , Kim Hak-Jae
Published: September 2020

In recent years, studies have focused on the therapeutic properties of probiotics to eliminate pathogenic microorganisms associated with various diseases. Lactobacilli are important probiotics groups that have been found to possess many health-promoting activities. This study was carried out to isolate LactobacillusreuteriLR12 and L. lactisLL10 from pineapple puree. The invitro analysis to evaluate probiotic characteristics of the isolated bacteria included survival in bile and acid tolerance. The cell-free supernatant of L. reuteri LR12 was effective against various pathogenic bacteria and fungi compared with L. lactisLL10. These two bacterial strains have strong anti-biofilm activity (100%) against Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus. The bacterial strains exhibited adhesion properties to HT-29 cells (human colorectal adenocarcinoma). These bacteria showed DPPH- (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate) free radical scavenging activity, scavenging of hydroxyl radical activity, superoxide radical scavenging activity, and reducing power activity in the range of 72% ± 3%to 89.3% ± 1.7%, 64% ± 2.7%to 66.8% ± 1.5%, 59.8% ± 4.1% to 63.8% ± 2.1%, and 60.4% ± 1.8%to 66.1% ± 3.3%, respectively. Pineapple puree was used as the starter culture with milk for 2 days for yogurt preparation. Pineapple puree increased flavor and showed the physicochemical properties of yogurt. The finding of the sensory evaluation revealed no significant change compared with the control, except the appearance of yogurt. These findings show that Lactobacilli and pineapple puree have potential use in various probiotic preparations for the fermentation industry.
Mineral Chemistry, S-Pb-O Isotopes, and S/Se Ratios of the Niubiziliang Ni-(Cu) Sulfide Deposit in North Qaidam Orogenic Belt, NW China: Constraints on the Parental Magma Composition, Evolution, and Sulfur Saturation Mechanism
Authors: Li Liang , Sun Fengyue , Liu Huiwen , Tan Shucheng , Yu Lu , Wang Fei , Shen Dali , Wang Xueping , Wang Yonggang
Published: September 2020

The Niubiziliang Ni-(Cu) deposit is the first magmatic Ni-Cu sulfide deposit in the North Qaidam Orogenic Belt (NQOB), NW China, and plays a significant role in geological evolution, Ni-Cu mineralization, and exploration in the NQOB. Here, we report on the mineral chemistry, S-Pb-O isotopes, and S/Se ratios of the mafic-ultramafic complex, which provide insights on the parental magma, evolution, and sulfur saturation mechanism. The Niubiziliang mafic-ultramafic intrusion contains four ore blocks and about ten Ni-(Cu) ore/mineralization bodies. Olivines in Niubiziliang belong to the species of chrysolite with Fo values of 88~89, and the pyroxenes are mainly orthopyroxene (En = 79~82) and clinopyroxene (En = 44~40). The olivines and some pyroxenes likely crystallized in a magma chamber at a depth of 35.45~36.55 km at a high temperature (1289~1369 °C) and pressure (9.38~9.67 kbar), whereas the Niubiziliang complex formed at a moderate depth (8.13~8.70 km) with a temperature and pressure of 1159~1253 °C and 2.15~2.30 kbar, respectively. The parental magma was considered to be high-Mg picritic basalt with MgO and NiO contents of 14.95~16.58% and 0.053~0.068%, respectively, which indicated high-degree partial melting of the depleted mantle. The mantle-derived primary magma underwent significant fractional crystallization and crustal assimilation and contamination, which was strongly supported by S-Pb-O isotope data and S/Se ratios, resulting in sulfur saturation and sulfide immiscibility in the magma. Crustal assimilation and contamination contributed more to sulfur saturation than fractional crystallization.
Positive Design for Children with Atopic Dermatitis—Enhanced Problem-Solving and Possibility-Driven Approach in the Context of Chronic Disease
Authors: Weiß Veronika , Minge Michael , Preim Bernhard , Hußlein Steffi
Published: September 2020

Since the 1960s, atopic dermatitis has seen a steady increase in prevalence in developed countries. Most often, the onset begins at an early age and many patients are very young children. Due to their young age, their parents are forced to take over handling of the disease. As a consequence, atopic dermatitis places a high burden not only on affected children, but also on their parents and siblings, limiting human flourishing of a whole family. Therefore, the described research area calls for a possibility-driven approach that looks beyond mere problem-solving while building on existing support possibilities and creating new ones. This paper presents atopi as a result of such a possibility-driven approach. It incorporates existing patient education and severity scoring into an extensive service, adding new elements to turn necessary practices into joyful experiences, to create feelings of relatedness and to increase perceived self-efficacy, thus is suitable to enable human flourishing.
Surface Wettability of ZnO-Loaded TiO2 Nanotube Array Layers
Authors: Dobromir Marius , Konrad-Soare Claudia , Stoian George , Semchenko Alina , Kovalenko Dmitry , Luca Dumitru
Published: September 2020

Herein we report on the synthesis and the effects of gradual loading of TiO2 nanotube array layers with ZnO upon surface wettability. Two-step preparation was chosen, where TiO2 nanotube layers, grown in a first instance by anodization of a Ti foil, were gradually loaded with controlled amounts of ZnO using the reactive RF magnetron sputtering. After crystallization annealing, the formerly amorphous TiO2 nanotubes were converted to predominantly anatase crystalline phase, as detected by XRD measurements. The as-prepared nanotubes exhibited a well-aligned columnar structure, 1.6 μm long and 88 nm in diameter, and a small concentration of oxygen vacancies. Ti2+ and Ti3+ occur along with the Ti4+ state upon sputter-cleaning the layer surfaces from contaminants. The Ti2+ and Ti3+ signals diminish with gradual ZnO loading. As demonstrated by the VB-XPS data, the ZnO loading is accompanied by a slight narrowing of the band gap of the materials. A combined effect of material modification and surface roughness was taken into consideration to explain the evolution of surface super-hydrophilicity of the materials under UV irradiation. The loading process resulted in increasing surface wettability with approx. 33%, and in a drastic extension of activation decay, which clearly points out to the effect of ZnO-TiO2 heterojunctions.
FuncPEP: A Database of Functional Peptides Encoded by Non-Coding RNAs
Authors: Dragomir Mihnea P. , Manyam Ganiraju C. , Ott Leonie Florence , Berland Léa , Knutsen Erik , Ivan Cristina , Lipovich Leonard , Broom Bradley M. , Calin George A.
Published: September 2020

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are essential players in many cellular processes, from normal development to oncogenic transformation. Initially, ncRNAs were defined as transcripts that lacked an open reading frame (ORF). However, multiple lines of evidence suggest that certain ncRNAs encode small peptides of less than 100 amino acids. The sequences encoding these peptides are known as small open reading frames (smORFs), many initiating with the traditional AUG start codon but terminating with atypical stop codons, suggesting a different biogenesis. The ncRNA-encoded peptides (ncPEPs) are gradually becoming appreciated as a new class of functional molecules that contribute to diverse cellular processes, and are deregulated in different diseases contributing to pathogenesis. As multiple publications have identified unique ncPEPs, we appreciated the need for assembling a new web resource that could gather information about these functional ncPEPs. We developed FuncPEP, a new database of functional ncRNA encoded peptides, containing all experimentally validated and functionally characterized ncPEPs. Currently, FuncPEP includes a comprehensive annotation of 112 functional ncPEPs and specific details regarding the ncRNA transcripts that encode these peptides. We believe that FuncPEP will serve as a platform for further deciphering the biologic significance and medical use of ncPEPs. The link for FuncPEP database can be found at the end of the Introduction Section.
Intracellular pH Regulation of Skeletal Muscle in the Milieu of Insulin Signaling
Authors: Posa Dheeraj Kumar , Baba Shahid P.
Published: September 2020

Type 2 diabetes (T2D), along with obesity, is one of the leading health problems in the world which causes other systemic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and kidney failure. Impairments in glycemic control and insulin resistance plays a pivotal role in the development of diabetes and its complications. Since skeletal muscle constitutes a significant tissue mass of the body, insulin resistance within the muscle is considered to initiate the onset of diet-induced metabolic syndrome. Insulin resistance is associated with impaired glucose uptake, resulting from defective post-receptor insulin responses, decreased glucose transport, impaired glucose phosphorylation, oxidation and glycogen synthesis in the muscle. Although defects in the insulin signaling pathway have been widely studied, the effects of cellular mechanisms activated during metabolic syndrome that cross-talk with insulin responses are not fully elucidated. Numerous reports suggest that pathways such as inflammation, lipid peroxidation products, acidosis and autophagy could cross-talk with insulin-signaling pathway and contribute to diminished insulin responses. Here, we review and discuss the literature about the defects in glycolytic pathway, shift in glucose utilization toward anaerobic glycolysis and change in intracellular pH [pH]i within the skeletal muscle and their contribution towards insulin resistance. We will discuss whether the derangements in pathways, which maintain [pH]i within the skeletal muscle, such as transporters (monocarboxylate transporters 1 and 4) and depletion of intracellular buffers, such as histidyl dipeptides, could lead to decrease in [pH]i and the onset of insulin resistance. Further we will discuss, whether the changes in [pH]i within the skeletal muscle of patients with T2D, could enhance the formation of protein aggregates and activate autophagy. Understanding the mechanisms by which changes in the glycolytic pathway and [pH]i within the muscle, contribute to insulin resistance might help explain the onset of obesity-linked metabolic syndrome. Finally, we will conclude whether correcting the pathways which maintain [pH]i within the skeletal muscle could, in turn, be effective to maintain or restore insulin responses during metabolic syndrome.
Opposition to Pharmacist Contraception Services: Evidence for Rebuttal
Authors: Mitchell Madeline , Stauffenberg Courtney , Vernon Veronica , Mospan Cortney M. , Shipman Allie Jo , Rafie Sally
Published: September 2020

Pharmacist contraception services are growing across the United States. Several states have authorized pharmacists to prescribe contraception, and the interest in other states continues to grow. Opposition to these practices exists and centers on discussions related to safety, training, cost, and fragmentation of care. We review these arguments and provide evidence refuting these concerns. Pharmacist-prescribed contraception increases access to care, and patients express interest in utilizing this service at the pharmacy. Pharmacists follow evidence-based recommendations. Counseling on preventative services and referral to other providers is part of contraception care by pharmacists. Training programs have been developed to equip both pharmacy students and pharmacists with the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to successfully provide these services. This article can serve as a guide for pharmacists and advocates when discussing pharmacist-prescribed contraception with policymakers, patients, and other healthcare professionals.
Concurrent Hip Pain and Skull Lump as the First Manifestations of a Silent Follicular Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Setiaji Kunta , Avanti Widya Surya , Rinonce Hanggoro Tri , Anwar Sumadi Lukman
Published: September 2020

Follicular thyroid carcinoma is a slowly growing cancer with a generally good long-term prognosis. Distant metastasis from follicular thyroid cancer usually occurs in the lung and bones following a long period after diagnosis and treatment for primary cancer. Occult skull metastasis as the first presentation at diagnosis from follicular thyroid cancer is relatively rare. A 51-year-old woman presented with intermittent pain in her right hip that was treated due to the intensely progressed pain, motor weakness, and difficulty walking. The patient was then referred due to swelling in the forehead. Further evaluation revealed that the frontal swelling and the pathological femoral fractures were manifestations of distant metastases from follicular thyroid cancer. In the presence of swelling in the skull, the metastatic lesion should be considered as a differential diagnosis from a silent primary cancer. This report will be beneficial for general practitioners, surgeons, and internists to recognize unusual distant metastatic manifestations from silent differentiated thyroid cancer.
Coastal Erosion and Human Perceptions of Revetment Protection in the Lower Meghna Estuary of Bangladesh
Authors: Crawford Thomas W. , Islam Md Sariful , Rahman Munshi Khaledur , Paul Bimal Kanti , Curtis Scott , Miah Md. Giashuddin , Islam Md. Rafiqul
Published: September 2020

This study investigates coastal erosion, revetment as a shoreline protection strategy, and human perceptions of revetments in the Lower Meghna estuary of the Bangladesh where new revetments were recently constructed. Questions addressed were: (1) How do rates of shoreline change vary over the period 2011–2019? (2) Did new revetments effectively halt erosion and what were the magnitudes of erosion change? (3) How have erosion rates changed for shorelines within 1 km of revetments, and (4) How do households perceive revetments? High-resolution Planet Lab imagery was used to quantify shoreline change rates. Analysis of household survey data assessed human perceptions of the revetment’s desirability and efficacy. Results revealed high rates of erosion for 2011–2019 with declining erosion after 2013. New revetments effectively halted erosion for protected shorelines. Significant spatial trends for erosion rates existed for shorelines adjacent to revetments. Survey respondents overwhelmingly had positive attitudes about a desire for revetment protection; however, upstream respondents expressed a strong majority perception that revetment acts to make erosion worse. Highlights of the research include integration of remote sensing with social science methods, the timing of the social survey shortly after revetment construction, and results showing significant erosion change upstream and downstream of new revetments.
Applications of the Google Earth Engine and Phenology-Based Threshold Classification Method for Mapping Forest Cover and Carbon Stock Changes in Siem Reap Province, Cambodia
Authors: Venkatappa Manjunatha , Sasaki Nophea , Anantsuksomsri Sutee , Smith Benjamin
Published: September 2020

Digital and scalable technologies are increasingly important for rapid and large-scale assessment and monitoring of land cover change. Until recently, little research has existed on how these technologies can be specifically applied to the monitoring of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) activities. Using the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing platform, we applied the recently developed phenology-based threshold classification method (PBTC) for detecting and mapping forest cover and carbon stock changes in Siem Reap province, Cambodia, between 1990 and 2018. The obtained PBTC maps were validated using Google Earth high resolution historical imagery and reference land cover maps by creating 3771 systematic 5 × 5 km spatial accuracy points. The overall cumulative accuracy of this study was 92.1% and its cumulative Kappa was 0.9, which are sufficiently high to apply the PBTC method to detect forest land cover change. Accordingly, we estimated the carbon stock changes over a 28-year period in accordance with the Good Practice Guidelines of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. We found that 322,694 ha of forest cover was lost in Siem Reap, representing an annual deforestation rate of 1.3% between 1990 and 2018. This loss of forest cover was responsible for carbon emissions of 143,729,440 MgCO2 over the same period. If REDD+ activities are implemented during the implementation period of the Paris Climate Agreement between 2020 and 2030, about 8,256,746 MgCO2 of carbon emissions could be reduced, equivalent to about USD 6-115 million annually depending on chosen carbon prices. Our case study demonstrates that the GEE and PBTC method can be used to detect and monitor forest cover change and carbon stock changes in the tropics with high accuracy.
Remote Sensing of Coconut Trees in Tonga Using Very High Spatial Resolution WorldView-3 Data
Authors: Vermote Eric F. , Skakun Sergii , Becker-Reshef Inbal , Saito Keiko
Published: September 2020

This paper presents a simple and efficient image processing method for estimating the number of coconut trees in the Tonga region using very high spatial resolution data (30 cm) in the blue, green, red and near infrared spectral bands acquired by the WorldView-3 sensor. The method is based on the detection of tree shadows and the further analysis to reject false detection using geometrical properties of the derived segments. The algorithm is evaluated by comparing coconut tree counts derived by an expert through photo-interpretation over 57 randomly distributed (4% sampling rate) segments of 200 m × 200 m over the Vaini region of the Tongatapu island. The number of detected trees agreed within 5% versus validation data. The proposed method was also evaluated over the whole Tonga archipelago by comparing satellite-derived estimates to the 2015 agricultural census data—the total tree counts for both Tonga and Tongatapu agreed within 3%.
Bringing Earth Observation to Classrooms—The Importance of Out-of-School Learning Places and E-Learning
Authors: Dannwolf Lisa , Matusch Tobias , Keller Johannes , Redlich Ronja , Siegmund Alexander
Published: September 2020

Viewing the Earth from above has fascinated people at least since the Apollo mission in the 1960s. Today, satellite images have made their way into the news and media, but the potential of using satellite images in the classroom has not yet been exhausted. Teachers often lack the technical knowledge of Earth observation (EO) or the technical requirements in schools. The Geo:spektiv e-learning platform used provides the opportunity to integrate EO into curricula as well as current environmental- and space-relevant topics. This study analyses the driving forces that determine the motivation of students and which factors contribute to the success of an e-learning platform. The basis for this study is a Geo:spektiv module about the endangered rainforest, established at an out-of-school learning place and designed for students in secondary education. A survey of 281 students on their motivation and learning behavior showed, that in addition to the topic and level of difficulty tailored to the students’ needs, the design of the modules, simple navigation, and the use of multimedia content are vital. Despite the small sampling size and restricted geographical location of sample selection, the results of this study can contribute to better integration of digital geo-media in school lessons.
Crop Classification Method Based on Optimal Feature Selection and Hybrid CNN-RF Networks for Multi-Temporal Remote Sensing Imagery
Authors: Yang Shuting , Gu Lingjia , Li Xiaofeng , Jiang Tao , Ren Ruizhi
Published: September 2020

Although efforts and progress have been made in crop classification using optical remote sensing images, it is still necessary to make full use of the high spatial, temporal, and spectral resolutions of remote sensing images. However, with the increasing volume of remote sensing data, a key emerging issue in the field of crop classification is how to find useful information from massive data to balance classification accuracy and processing time. To address this challenge, we developed a novel crop classification method, combining optimal feature selection (OFSM) with hybrid convolutional neural network-random forest (CNN-RF) networks for multi-temporal optical remote sensing images. This research used 234 features including spectral, segmentation, color, and texture features from three scenes of Sentinel-2 images to identify crop types in the Jilin province of northeast China. To effectively extract the effective features of remote sensing data with lower time requirements, the use of OFSM was proposed with the results compared with two traditional feature selection methods (TFSM): random forest feature importance selection (RF-FI) and random forest recursive feature elimination (RF-RFE). Although the time required for OFSM was 26.05 s, which was between RF-FI with 1.97 s and RF-RFE with 132.54 s, OFSM outperformed RF-FI and RF-RFE in terms of the overall accuracy (OA) of crop classification by 4% and 0.3%, respectively. On the basis of obtaining effective feature information, to further improve the accuracy of crop classification we designed two hybrid CNN-RF networks to leverage the advantages of one-dimensional convolution (Conv1D) and Visual Geometry Group (VGG) with random forest (RF), respectively. Based on the selected optimal features using OFSM, four networks were tested for comparison: Conv1D-RF, VGG-RF, Conv1D, and VGG. Conv1D-RF achieved the highest OA at 94.27% as compared with VGG-RF (93.23%), Conv1D (92.59%), and VGG (91.89%), indicating that the Conv1D-RF method with optimal feature input provides an effective and efficient method of time series representation for multi-temporal crop-type classification.
Advancing the Mapping of Mangrove Forests at National-Scale Using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 Time-Series Data with Google Earth Engine: A Case Study in China
Authors: Hu Luojia , Xu Nan , Liang Jian , Li Zhichao , Chen Luzhen , Zhao Feng
Published: September 2020

A high resolution mangrove map (e.g., 10-m), including mangrove patches with small size, is urgently needed for mangrove protection and ecosystem function estimation, because more small mangrove patches have disappeared with influence of human disturbance and sea-level rise. However, recent national-scale mangrove forest maps are mainly derived from 30-m Landsat imagery, and their spatial resolution is relatively coarse to accurately characterize the extent of mangroves, especially those with small size. Now, Sentinel imagery with 10-m resolution provides an opportunity for generating high-resolution mangrove maps containing these small mangrove patches. Here, we used spectral/backscatter-temporal variability metrics (quantiles) derived from Sentinel-1 SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) and/or Sentinel-2 MSI (Multispectral Instrument) time-series imagery as input features of random forest to classify mangroves in China. We found that Sentinel-2 (F1-Score of 0.895) is more effective than Sentinel-1 (F1-score of 0.88) in mangrove extraction, and a combination of SAR and MSI imagery can get the best accuracy (F1-score of 0.94). The 10-m mangrove map was derived by combining SAR and MSI data, which identified 20003 ha mangroves in China, and the area of small mangrove patches (<1 ha) is 1741 ha, occupying 8.7% of the whole mangrove area. At the province level, Guangdong has the largest area (819 ha) of small mangrove patches, and in Fujian, the percentage of small mangrove patches is the highest (11.4%). A comparison with existing 30-m mangrove products showed noticeable disagreement, indicating the necessity for generating mangrove extent product with 10-m resolution. This study demonstrates the significant potential of using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 images to produce an accurate and high-resolution mangrove forest map with Google Earth Engine (GEE). The mangrove forest map is expected to provide critical information to conservation managers, scientists, and other stakeholders in monitoring the dynamics of the mangrove forest.
Characterizing the Error and Bias of Remotely Sensed LAI Products: An Example for Tropical and Subtropical Evergreen Forests in South China
Authors: Zhao Yuan , Chen Xiaoqiu , Smallman Thomas Luke , Flack-Prain Sophie , Milodowski David T. , Williams Mathew
Published: September 2020

Leaf area is a key parameter underpinning ecosystem carbon, water and energy exchanges via photosynthesis, transpiration and absorption of radiation, from local to global scales. Satellite-based Earth Observation (EO) can provide estimates of leaf area index (LAI) with global coverage and high temporal frequency. However, the error and bias contained within these EO products and their variation in time and across spatial resolutions remain poorly understood. Here, we used nearly 8000 in situ measurements of LAI from six forest environments in southern China to evaluate the magnitude, uncertainty, and dynamics of three widely used EO LAI products. The finer spatial resolution GEOV3 PROBA-V 300 m LAI product best estimates the observed LAI from a multi-site dataset (R2 = 0.45, bias = −0.54 m2 m−2, RMSE = 1.21 m2 m−2) and importantly captures canopy dynamics well, including the amplitude and phase. The GEOV2 PROBA-V 1 km LAI product performed the next best (R2 = 0.36, bias = −2.04 m2 m−2, RMSE = 2.32 m2 m−2) followed by MODIS 500 m LAI (R2 = 0.20, bias = −1.47 m2 m−2, RMSE = 2.29 m2 m−2). The MODIS 500 m product did not capture the temporal dynamics observed in situ across southern China. The uncertainties estimated by each of the EO products are substantially smaller (3–5 times) than the observed bias for EO products against in situ measurements. Thus, reported product uncertainties are substantially underestimated and do not fully account for their total uncertainty. Overall, our analysis indicates that both the retrieval algorithm and spatial resolution play an important role in accurately estimating LAI for the dense canopy forests in Southern China. When constraining models of the carbon cycle and other ecosystem processes are run, studies should assume that current EO product LAI uncertainty estimates underestimate their true uncertainty value.
A Deep Learning Approach to the Detection of Gossans in the Canadian Arctic
Authors: Clabaut Étienne , Lemelin Myriam , Germain Mickaël , Williamson Marie-Claude , Brassard Éloïse
Published: September 2020

Gossans are surficial deposits that form in host bedrock by the alteration of sulphides by acidic and oxidizing fluids. These deposits are typically a few meters to kilometers in size and they constitute important vectors to buried ore deposits. Hundreds of gossans have been mapped by field geologists in sparsely vegetated areas of the Canadian Arctic. However, due to Canada’s vast northern landmass, it is highly probable that many existing occurrences have been missed. In contrast, a variety of remote sensing data has been acquired in recent years, allowing for a broader survey of gossans from orbit. These include band ratioing or methods based on principal component analysis. Spectrally, the 809 gossans used in this study show no significant difference from randomly placed points on the Landsat 8 imageries. To overcome this major issue, we propose a deep learning method based on convolutional neural networks and relying on geo big data (Landsat-8, Arctic digital elevation model lithological maps) that can be used for the detection of gossans. Its application in different regions in the Canadian Arctic shows great promise, with precisions reaching 77%. This first order approach could provide a useful precursor tool to identify gossans prior to more detailed surveys using hyperspectral imaging.
Passive Extraction of Signal Feature Using a Rectifier with a Mechanically Switched Inductor for Low Power Acoustic Event Detection
Authors: Gazivoda Marko , Oletić Dinko , Trigona Carlo , Bilas Vedran
Published: September 2020

Analog hardware used for signal envelope extraction in low-power interfaces for acoustic event detection, owing to its low complexity and power consumption, suffers from low sensitivity and performs poorly under low signal to noise ratios (SNR) found in undersea environments. To overcome those problems, in this paper, we propose a novel passive electromechanical solution for the signal feature extraction in low frequency acoustic range (200–1000 Hz), in the form of a piezoelectric vibration transducer, and a rectifier with a mechanically switched inductor. A simulation study of the novel solution is presented, and a proof-of-concept device is developed and experimentally characterized. We demonstrate its applicability and show the advantages of the passive electromechanical device in comparison to the active electrical solution in terms of operation with lower input signals (<20 mV compared to 40 mV), and higher robustness in low SNR conditions (output voltage loss for −10 dB ≤ SNR < 40 dB of 1 mV, compared to 10 mV). In addition to the signal processing performance improvements, compared to our previous work, the utilization of the presented novel passive feature extractor would also decrease power consumption of a detector’s channel by over 76%, enabling life-time extension and/or increased quality of detection with larger number of channels. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first solution presented in the literature that demonstrates the possibility of using a passive electromechanical feature extractor in a low-power analog wake-up event detector interface.
The Impact Analysis of Land Features to JL1-3B Nighttime Light Data at Parcel Level: Illustrated by the Case of Changchun, China
Authors: Wang Fengyan , Zhou Kai , Wang Mingchang , Wang Qing
Published: September 2020

Nighttime lights (NTL) create a unique footprint left by human activities, which can reflect the economic index and demographic characteristics of a country or region to some extent. It is of great significance to explore the impact of land features related to social–economic indexes to NTL intensity in urban areas. At present, there are few studies on the impact factors of high-resolution NTL remote sensing data to analyze the influence of NTL intensity variation at a fine scale. In this paper, taking Changchun, China as a case study, we selected the new generation of high spatial resolution (0.92 m) and multispectral bands NTL image JL1-3B data to evaluate the relationship between NTL intensity and related land features such as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), land use types and point of information (POI) at the parcel level, and combined Luojia 1-01 images for comparative analysis. After screening features by the Gini index, 17 variables were selected to establish the best random forest (RF) regression model for the Luojia 1-01 and JL1-3B data, corresponding to out-of-bag (oob) scores of 0.8304 and 0.9054, respectively. The impact of features on NTL was determined by calculating the features contribution. It was found that JL1-3B data perform better on a finer scale and provide more information. In addition, JL1-3B data are less affected by light overflow effect and saturation, and they could provide more accurate information at smaller parcels. Through the impact analysis of land features on the two kinds of NTL data, it is proven that JL1-3B images can be used to study effectively the relationship between NTL and human activities information. This paper aims to establish a regression model between the radiance of two types of NTL data and land features by RF algorithm, to further excavate the main land features that impact radiance according to the feature contribution, and compare the performance of two types of NTL data in regression. The study is expected to provide a reference to the further application of NTL data such as land feature inversion, artificial surface monitoring and evaluation, geographic information point estimation, information mining, etc., and a more comprehensive cognition of land feature impact to urban social–economic indexes from a unique perspective, which can be used to assist urban planning and related decision-making.
RELIABLE: Resource Allocation Mechanism for 5G Network using Mobile Edge Computing
Authors: Pereira Rickson S. , Lieira Douglas D. , Silva Marco A. C. da , Pimenta Adinovam H. M. , da Costa Joahannes B. D. , Rosário Denis , Villas Leandro , Meneguette Rodolfo I.
Published: September 2020

Technological advancement is currently focused on the miniaturization of devices, and integrated circuits allow us to observe the increase in the number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Most IoT services and devices require an Internet connection, which needs to provide the minimum processing, storage and networking requirements to best serve a requested service. One of the main goals of 5G networks is to comply with the user’s various Quality of Service (QoS) requirements in different application scenarios. Fifth-generation networks use Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) concepts to achieve these QoS requirements. However, the computational resource allocation mechanisms required by the services are considered very complex. Thus, in this paper, we propose an allocation and management resources mechanism for 5G networks that uses MEC and simple mathematical methods to reduce the model complexity. The mechanism decides to allocate the resource in MEC to meet the requirements requested by the user. The simulation results show that the proposed mechanism provides a larger amount of services, leading to a reduction in the service lock number and as a reduction in the blocking ratio of services due to the accuracy of the approach and its load balancing in the process of resource allocation.