bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hyper-Spectral Imaging Technique in the Cultural Heritage Field: New Possible Scenarios
Authors: Picollo Marcello , Cucci Costanza , Casini Andrea , Stefani Lorenzo
Published: May 2020

Imaging spectroscopy technique was introduced in the cultural heritage field in the 1990s, when a multi-spectral imaging system based on a Vidicon camera was used to identify and map pigments in paintings. Since then, with continuous improvements in imaging technology, the quality of spectroscopic information in the acquired imaging data has greatly increased. Moreover, with the progressive transition from multispectral to hyperspectral imaging techniques, numerous new applicative perspectives have become possible, ranging from non-invasive monitoring to high-quality documentation, such as mapping and characterization of polychrome and multi-material surfaces of cultural properties. This article provides a brief overview of recent developments in the rapidly evolving applications of hyperspectral imaging in this field. The fundamentals of the various strategies, that have been developed for applying this technique to different types of artworks are discussed, together with some examples of recent applications.
Regiomontan: A Regional High Precision Ionosphere Delay Model and Its Application in Precise Point Positioning
Authors: Boisits Janina , Glaner Marcus , Weber Robert
Published: May 2020

Propagation delays of GNSS signals caused by the ionosphere can range up to several meters in zenith direction and need to be corrected. Geodetic receivers observing at two or more frequencies allow the mitigation of the ionospheric effects by forming linear combinations. However, single frequency users depend on external information. The ionosphere delay model Regiomontan developed at TU Wien is a regional ionospheric delay model providing high accuracy information with a latency of only a few hours. The model is based on dual-frequency phase observations of a regional network operated by EPOSA (Echtzeit Positionierung Austria) and partners. The corrections cover a geographical extent for receiver positions within Austria and are provided in the standardized IONEX format. The performance of Regiomontan as well as its application in Precise Point Positioning (PPP) were tested with our in-house PPP software raPPPid using the so-called uncombined model with ionospheric constraint. Various tests, e.g., analyzing the coordinate convergence behavior or the difference between estimated and modeled ionospheric delay, proving the high level of accuracy provided with Regiomontan. We conclude that Regiomontan performs at a similar level of accuracy as IGS final TEC maps, but with explicitly reduced latency.
Physically Consistent Whole-Body Kinematics Assessment Based on an RGB-D Sensor. Application to Simple Rehabilitation Exercises
Authors: Colombel Jessica , Bonnet Vincent , Daney David , Dumas Raphael , Seilles Antoine , Charpillet François
Published: May 2020

This work proposes to improve the accuracy of joint angle estimates obtained from an RGB-D sensor. It is based on a constrained extended Kalman Filter that tracks inputted measured joint centers. Since the proposed approach uses a biomechanical model, it allows physically consistent constrained joint angles and constant segment lengths to be obtained. A practical method that is not sensor-specific for the optimal tuning of the extended Kalman filter covariance matrices is provided. It uses reference data obtained from a stereophotogrammetric system but it has to be tuned only once since it is task-specific only. The improvement of the optimal tuning over classical methods in setting the covariance matrices is shown with a statistical parametric mapping analysis. The proposed approach was tested with six healthy subjects who performed four rehabilitation tasks. The accuracy of joint angle estimates was assessed with a reference stereophotogrammetric system. Even if some joint angles, such as the internal/external rotations, were not well estimated, the proposed optimized algorithm reached a satisfactory average root mean square difference of 9.7 ∘ and a correlation coefficient of 0.8 for all joints. Our results show that an affordable RGB-D sensor can be used for simple in-home rehabilitation when using a constrained biomechanical model.
Nanoporous Gold as a VOC Sensor, Based on Nanoscale Electrical Phenomena and Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Wong Timothy S.B. , Newman Roger
Published: May 2020

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are prevalent in daily life, from the lab environment to industrial applications, providing tremendous functionality but also posing significant health risk. Moreover, individual VOCs have individual risks associated with them, making classification and sensing of a broad range of VOCs important. This work details the application of electrochemically dealloyed nanoporous gold (NPG) as a VOC sensor through measurements of the complex electrical frequency response of NPG. By leveraging the effects of adsorption and capillary condensation on the electrical properties of NPG itself, classification and regression is possible. Due to the complex nonlinearities, classification and regression are done through the use of a convolutional neural network. This work also establishes key strategies for improving the performance of NPG, both in sensitivity and selectivity. This is achieved by tuning the electrochemical dealloying process through manipulations of the starting alloy and through functionalization with 1-dodecanethiol.
Energy-Efficient Industrial Internet of Things Software-Defined Network by Means of the Peano Fractal
Authors: Moreno Escobar Jesus Jaime , Morales Matamoros Oswaldo , Lina Reyes Ixchel , Tejeida-Padilla Ricardo , Chanona Hernández Liliana , Posadas Durán Juan Pablo Francisco
Published: May 2020

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) network generates great economic benefits in processes, system installation, maintenance, reliability, scalability, and interoperability. Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) allow the IIoT network to collect, process, and share data of different parameters among Industrial IoT sense Node (IISN). ESP8266 are IISNs connected to the Internet by means of a hub to share their information. In this article, a light-diffusion algorithm in WSN to connect all the IISNs is designed, based on the Peano fractal and swarm intelligence, i.e., without using a hub, simply sharing parameters with two adjacent IINSs, assuming that any IISN knows the parameters of the rest of these devices, even if they are not adjacent. We simulated the performance of our algorithm and compared it with other state-of-the-art protocols, finding that our proposal generates a longer lifetime of the IIoT network when few IISNs were connected. Thus, there is a saving-energy of approximately 5% but with 64 nodes there is a saving of more than 20%, because the IIoT network can grow in a 3 n way and the proposed topology does not impact in a linear way but log 3 , which balances energy consumption throughout the IIoT network.
Electrochemical ELISA Protein Biosensing in Undiluted Serum Using a Polypyrrole-Based Platform
Authors: Arya Sunil K. , Estrela Pedro
Published: May 2020

An electrochemical enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) biosensor platform using electrochemically prepared ~11 nm thick carboxylic functionalized popypyrrole film has been developed for bio-analyte measurement in undiluted serum. Carboxyl polypyrrole (PPy-COOH) film using 3-carboxy-pyrrol monomer onto comb-shaped gold electrode microarray (Au) was prepared via cyclic voltammetry (CV). The prepared Au/PPy-COOH was then utilized for electrochemical ELISA platform development by immobilizing analyte-specific antibodies. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) was selected as a model analyte and detected in undiluted serum. For enhanced performance, the use of a polymeric alkaline phosphatase tag was investigated for the electrochemical ELISA. The developed platform was characterized at each step of fabrication using CV, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The bioelectrodes exhibited linearity for TNF-α in the 100 pg/mL–100 ng/mL range when measured in spiked serum, with limit of detection of 78 pg/mL. The sensor showed insignificant signal disturbance from serum proteins and other biologically important proteins. The developed platform was found to be fast and specific and can be applicable for testing and measuring various biologically important protein markers in real samples.
Research on the Stationarity of Hexapod Robot Posture Adjustment
Authors: Zhang Lei , Wang Fucai , Gao Zenghui , Gao Shuangshuang , Li Chenghang
Published: May 2020

This paper proposes a smooth adjustment method for the instability problem that occurs during the start and stop of a multi-footed robot during attitude change. First, kinematics analysis is used to establish the mapping relationship between the joint angles of the robot support legs and the body posture. The leg joint angle is a known quantity that can be measured accurately and in real time. Therefore, when the position of the foot end of the support leg is unchanged, a unique set of joint angles can be obtained with the change of body posture at a certain moment. Based on the designed mapping model, the smooth adjustment of the posture can be achieved by the smooth adjustment of the support legs. Second, a constraint index that satisfies the requirements of the robot’s steady adjustment of the robot is given. The S-curve acceleration/deceleration method is used to plan the body’s attitude angle transformation curve, and then the mapping control relationship is used to obtain the control trajectory requirements of the joint to achieve smooth adjustment. In addition, this paper also gives a simple choice and motion control method for the redundancy problem caused by the number of support legs of a multi-footed robot when the attitude is changed. The simulation and prototype experiments verify and analyze the proposed method. The results of comparative experiments show that the posture adjustment method proposed in this paper has continuous acceleration without breakpoints, the speed changes gently during the start and stop phases of the attitude transformation, and there is no sudden change in the entire process, which improves the consistency of the actual values of the attitude planning curve with the target values. The physical prototype experiment shows that the maximum deviation between the actual value of the attitude angular velocity and the target value changes from 62.5% to 5.5%, and the degree of fit increases by 57.0%. Therefore, this study solves the problem of the instability of the fuselage when the robot changes its attitude, and it provides an important reference for the multi-footed robot to improve the terrain adaptability.
Through-the-Wall Microwave Imaging: Forward and Inverse Scattering Modeling
Authors: Fedeli Alessandro , Pastorino Matteo , Ponti Cristina , Randazzo Andrea , Schettini Giuseppe
Published: May 2020

The imaging of dielectric targets hidden behind a wall is addressed in this paper. An analytical solver for a fast and accurate computation of the forward scattered field by the targets is proposed, which takes into account all the interactions of the electromagnetic field with the interfaces of the wall. Furthermore, an inversion procedure able to address the full underlying non-linear inverse scattering problem is introduced. This technique exploits a regularizing scheme in Lebesgue spaces in order to reconstruct an image of the hidden targets. Preliminary numerical results are provided in order to initially assess the capabilities of the developed solvers.
Design of a Low-Cost Ultra-Wide-Band Radar Platform
Authors: Malajner Marko , Šipoš Danijel , Gleich Dušan
Published: May 2020

This paper proposes an improved design of a pulse-based radar. An improved design of a pulse generator is presented using step recovery diodes and a signal mixer for the received signal. Two-step recovery diodes produce pulses of 120 ps in duration. A pulse generator is improved by removing the negative power supply, resulting in a reduced number of electronic pulses. A sampling mixer at the receiver’s site receives the generated signal and stretches it from picoseconds into microseconds. The improved pulse generator is also used in the sampling mixer as a strobe pulse generator, which makes the sampling mixer much simpler. The stretched signal is then sampled by a low sample rate using an analog to digital converter. The proposed radar design achieves up to 8 GHz bandwidth and an equivalent receiving sample rate of about 100 GSa/s. The radar is controlled using a software-defined radio called Red Pitaya, which is also used for data acquisition. The proposed radar design uses widely available commercial components, which makes radar design widely available with low cost implementation.
Time Course of Recovery for Performance Attributes and Circulating Markers of Muscle Damage Following a Rugby Union Match in Amateur Athletes
Authors: da Silva Bruno Victor Corrêa , Simim Mário Antônio de Moura , da Silva Rodrigo Barboza , Mendes Edmar Lacerda , Ide Bernardo Neme , Marocolo Moacir , Martin Jeffrey S. , Mota Gustavo R.
Published: May 2020

Background: We sought to determine the time course of changes in neuromuscular performance and muscle damage following a single rugby union match. Methods: Fourteen male amateur rugby players (28.9 ± 3.5 yrs; 1.7 ± 5.1 m; 86.1 ± 11.1 kg) participated. Plasma activity of creatine kinase ([CK]) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), L-run test (change of direction) and 30-m sprint (T30; speed) with 10-m lap time (T10; acceleration) were assessed on six occasions: one week before the match (PRE) and immediately, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h post-match. Results: Relative to PRE, LDH was elevated immediately post-match (+33.6% ± 13.6%; p < 0.001) and [CK] was elevated immediately (+64.1% ± 38.8%, p = 0.001) and 24 h post-match (+352% ± 317%; p = 0.024). L-run test time increased 16.0 ± 8.7% relative to PRE at 24 h post (p < 0.001) and remained elevated through 96 h post-match (p < 0.05). T10 and T30 times increased relative to PRE immediately post-match (+12.0% ± 10.4%, p = 0.008; and +6.1% ± 4.9%; p = 0.006, respectively), though T30 times were similar to baseline by 48 h post-match whereas T10 times remained elevated through 72 h post-match. Conclusions: A single, competitive rugby union match induces significant muscle damage and performance decrements with distinct time courses of recovery in amateur athletes. Notably, change of direction attributes (i.e., L-run) appear to have the longest time course to full recovery.
Mechanisms of Hamstring Strain Injury: Interactions between Fatigue, Muscle Activation and Function
Authors: Huygaerts Shaun , Cos Francesc , Cohen Daniel D. , Calleja-González Julio , Guitart Marc , Blazevich Anthony J. , Alcaraz Pedro E.
Published: May 2020

Isolated injury to the long head of biceps femoris is the most common type of acute hamstring strain injury (HSI). However, the precise hamstring injury mechanism (i.e., sprint-type) is still not well understood, and research is inconclusive as to which phase in the running cycle HSI risk is the greatest. Since detailed information relating to hamstring muscle function during sprint running cannot be obtained in vivo in humans, the findings of studies investigating HSI mechanisms are based on modeling that requires assumptions to be made based on extrapolations from anatomical and biomechanical investigations. As it is extremely difficult to account for all aspects of muscle-tendon tissues that influence function during high-intensity running actions, much of this complexity is not included in these models. Furthermore, the majority of analyses do not consider the influence of prior activity or muscular fatigue on kinematics, kinetics and muscle activation during sprinting. Yet, it has been shown that fatigue can lead to alterations in neuromuscular coordination patterns that could potentially increase injury risk. The present critical review will evaluate the current evidence on hamstring injury mechanism(s) during high-intensity running and discuss the interactions between fatigue and hamstring muscle activation and function.
Lean Body Mass, Muscle Architecture, and Performance in Well-Trained Female Weightlifters
Authors: Zaras Nikolaos , Stasinaki Angeliki-Nikoletta , Spiliopoulou Polyxeni , Hadjicharalambous Marios , Terzis Gerasimos
Published: May 2020

Lean mass and quadriceps muscle architecture have been associated with performance in male well-trained weightlifters, but no data exist for female weightlifters. The aim of the study is to investigate the relationship between lean mass, quadriceps cross sectional area (CSA), and muscle architecture with weightlifting performance in female weightlifters. Eight well-trained female weightlifters (age 23.5 ± 6.3 years, maximum total lifting performance = 147.4 ± 34.1 kg) participated in the study. Five of the athletes were members of the national team and three were among the nation’s top-five performers of the respective body-weight category. Measurements included maximum lifting performance in snatch and clean and jerk, body composition (dual x-ray absorptiometry), vastus lateralis (VL) muscle architecture, vastus intermedius (VI) muscle thickness and quadriceps muscles’ CSA and countermovement jump (CMJ). Very large to nearly perfect correlations were found between snatch and clean and jerk for trunk lean body mass (r = 0.959 and 0.929), for total CSA (r = 0.732 and 0.608), and CMJ power (r = 0.933 and 0.896). These results suggest that lean body mass, quadriceps’ CSA and CMJ should be monitored regularly in female weightlifters to detect potential modifications in lifting performance.
Evaluation for Teachers and Students in Higher Education
Authors: Alain Botaccio Lineth , Gallego Ortega José Luis , Navarro Rincón Antonia , Rodríguez Fuentes Antonio
Published: May 2020

It is time to undertake changes in the evaluation methods we use, especially in higher education. These changes in the actors responsible for evaluation would combine hegemonic traditional evaluating processes with other, more democratic modalities, which would turn the predominantly institutional rating purposes of evaluation into a learning experience, and develop a competence in evaluation in students. Only in this way can coherence be achieved within the context of the student’s initiative and the construction of their learning, mainly because of their real empowerment in the didactic process, either individually or in groups. A virtual platform has been developed to avoid increasing the teaching load and it is exposed in this work. The platform has been built and validated by potential users following the design-based research model. Its description, as well as its results, are explained. Regarding the description, two interfaces are mentioned—one for teachers and another for students. Concerning its validation, the results of this quantitative and qualitative study confirm its functionality as a valid tool for evaluation. It is predicted that the utilization and impact of this tool will not only be beneficial for the evaluation dimension, but also for the overall improvement of the teaching experience.
Computational System to Classify Cyber Crime Offenses using Machine Learning
Authors: Ch Rupa , Gadekallu Thippa Reddy , Abidi Mustufa Haider , Al-Ahmari Abdulrahman
Published: May 2020

Particularly in the last decade, Internet usage has been growing rapidly. However, as the Internet becomes a part of the day to day activities, cybercrime is also on the rise. Cybercrime will cost nearly $6 trillion per annum by 2021 as per the cybersecurity ventures report in 2020. For illegal activities, cybercriminals utilize any network computing devices as a primary means of communication with a victims’ devices, so attackers get profit in terms of finance, publicity and others by exploiting the vulnerabilities over the system. Cybercrimes are steadily increasing daily. Evaluating cybercrime attacks and providing protective measures by manual methods using existing technical approaches and also investigations has often failed to control cybercrime attacks. Existing literature in the area of cybercrime offenses suffers from a lack of a computation methods to predict cybercrime, especially on unstructured data. Therefore, this study proposes a flexible computational tool using machine learning techniques to analyze cybercrimes rate at a state wise in a country that helps to classify cybercrimes. Security analytics with the association of data analytic approaches help us for analyzing and classifying offenses from India-based integrated data that may be either structured or unstructured. The main strength of this work is testing analysis reports, which classify the offenses accurately with 99 percent accuracy.
The Moderating Effect of Social Media Use on Sustainable Rural Tourism: A Theory of Planned Behavior Model
Authors: Joo Yeajin , Seok Hwayoon , Nam Yoonjae
Published: May 2020

Using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) model, this research aimed to investigate which important factors affect the potential behavior of rural tourism tourists. It also sought to identify the effects of social networking service (SNS) use on the rural tourism using TPB model. For analysis, a partial least squares-structural equation model (PLS-SEM) was used. The results revealed that tourists were influenced by subjective norm and perceived behavior control, of which the effect of subjective norm was greater. Consumers’ use of SNS played a notable role in contributing to the strength of the relationship between intention to visit and subjective norm. Promoters and marketers of sustainable tourism can use the results to make more effective decisions in their businesses.
Danish PV Prosumers’ Time-Shifting of Energy-Consuming Everyday Practices
Authors: Gram-Hanssen Kirsten , Hansen Anders Rhiger , Mechlenborg Mette
Published: May 2020

Consumer engagement in the energy system is necessary to ensure a low-carbon transition. However, this has proved difficult because consumers are engaged in pursuing everyday practices rather than focusing on abstract questions of energy. Recent studies have suggested that being a prosumer can make a difference. This paper builds on survey data from a representative sample of 2505 photovoltaic (PV) owners in Denmark combined with 12 qualitative in-depth interviews. The results indicate that PV owners consider that they have become more concerned about energy consumption and adjust the timing of their everyday practices to their production. Thus, 67% of the households ‘often’ or ‘always’ time-shift the use of washing machines to their production. The extent to which households time-shift is strongly related to their net-metering scheme. Thus, 75% of the households on hourly metering stated that they ‘to some’ or to ‘a great extent’ adjust their consumption, compared to only 26% of the households on annual metering. This financial effect is interpreted in an everyday life context where financial gain transfers meanings of self-sufficiency and sustainability, rather than primarily being viewed as rational economic behaviour. The conclusion discusses the policy implications of methods to engage the consumer.
Location Based Business Recommendation Using Spatial Demand
Authors: P Ashok Kumar , G Shiva Shankar , Maddikunta Praveen Kumar Reddy , Gadekallu Thippa Reddy , Al-Ahmari Abdulrahman , Abidi Mustufa Haider
Published: May 2020

Business locations is most important factor to consider before starting a business because the best location attracts more number of people. With the help of web search engines, the customers can search the nearest business location before visiting the business. For example, if a customer need to buy some jewel, he makes use of search engines to find the nearest jewellery shop. If some entrepreneur wants to start a new jewellery shop, he needs to find a best area where there is no jewellery shop nearby and there are more customers in need of jewel. In this paper, we propose an algorithm to find the best place to start a business where there is high demand and no (or very few supply). We measure the quality of recommendation in terms of average service time, customer-business ratio of our new algorithm by implementing in benchmark datasets and the results prove that our algorithm is more efficient than the existing kNN algorithm.
Youth Mobilization to Stop Global Climate Change: Narratives and Impact
Authors: Han Heejin , Ahn Sang Wuk
Published: May 2020

Galvanized by Greta Thunberg’s idea for Friday school strikes, “climate strikes” emerged in 2018 and 2019 as a form of youth social movement demanding far-reaching action on climate change. Youths have taken various actions to combat climate change, but academics have not paid sufficient attention to youth climate mobilization. This study thus examines the questions of what has motivated youth to mobilize and how they have shaped global climate politics and governance. This study focuses particularly on the narrative of youth activists to address their understanding of climate change and their ideas regarding how to respond to it. Youth collective action has succeeded in problematizing global climate inaction and inertia and in framing climate change from a justice perspective, but activists have faced limitations in converting their moral legitimacy into the power required for sweeping changes. Overall, this study demonstrates the emergence of young people as agents of change in the global climate change arena and the urgency of engaging them in climate change governance and policymaking.
An Analysis of Flammability and Explosion Parameters of Coke Dust and Use of Preliminary Hazard Analysis for Qualitative Risk Assessment
Authors: Półka Marzena
Published: May 2020

Appropriate investments are required to achieve sustainable industrial development and safety conditions at the same time. A sufficient safety level is achieved when research outcomes are deployed in practice. This paper comprises a review of ignitability and explosive parameters and thermogravimetric tests of coke dust selected for the needs of the testing The KSt value of the tested dust was 64.2 bar·m/s, which means that it belongs to explosion hazard class 1 and that it has relatively low explosive abilities. The maximum explosion pressure for the tested dust was found to be 6.84 bar, and the minimum ignition temperature of a coke dust layer with a thickness of 50 mm was 400 °C. The use of the Preliminary Hazard Analysis in plants in which coke dust is present allows for limiting the scope of the risk analysis by eliminating elements that are either insignificant or of low significance from the viewpoint of explosion hazard. The adopted method allows qualitative assessment of the risk associated with threats, dangerous situations, and hazardous events that may take place during the use of devices, machines and their systems, and subsystems, including a qualitative evaluation of potential consequences of an accident or possible health loss. Risk assessment for life safety under building fires and explosions plays an important role in performance-based fire and explosion protection design and fire insurance ratemaking. The motivation for this work was the integrated protection of people, process equipment, building resilient infrastructure, promotion of inclusive and sustainable industrialization, business operation, and the natural environment.
EDSQ Operator on 2DS and Limit Behavior
Authors: Abdulghafor Rawad , Almohamedh Hamad , Almutairi Badr , Wani Sharyar , Alharbi Abdullah , Almutairi Sulaiman Sulmi , Almotairi Sultan
Published: May 2020

This paper evaluates the limit behavior for symmetry interactions networks of set points for nonlinear mathematical models. Nonlinear mathematical models are being increasingly applied to most software and engineering machines. That is because the nonlinear mathematical models have proven to be more efficient in processing and producing results. The greatest challenge facing researchers is to build a new nonlinear model that can be applied to different applications. Quadratic stochastic operators (QSO) constitute such a model that has become the focus of interest and is expected to be applicable in many biological and technical applications. In fact, several QSO classes have been investigated based on certain conditions that can also be applied in other applications such as the Extreme Doubly Stochastic Quadratic Operator (EDSQO). This paper studies the behavior limitations of the existing 222 EDSQ operators on two-dimensional simplex (2DS). The created simulation graph shows the limit behavior for each operator. This limit behavior on 2DS can be classified into convergent, periodic, and fixed.
Image Watermarking in Curvelet Domain Using Edge Surface Blocks
Authors: Mittal Mamta , Kaushik Ranjeeta , Verma Amit , Kaur Iqbaldeep , Goyal Lalit Mohan , Roy Sudipta , Kim Tai-hoon
Published: May 2020

Digital image watermarking aims to protect the information in an image without significantly affecting visual quality. In this paper, a new image watermarking technique has been proposed that uses Gaussian filters and first-order partial differential matrix to extort the edge surface of a host image. This paper influence on the edge surface curvelet coefficients as human eyes are not equally sensitive to a smooth and an edged surface. To preserve the quality of the artwork and to increase the resistance against attacks, the author utilizes the edge surface area of an image, coarse levels of curvelet transform, and strength parameters. The selection of host coefficients are conforming to the human visual system (HVS) is the uniqueness of the research. The exploitation of the Gaussian filters and first-order partial differential coarse curvelet coefficients and the watermark strength parameter offers robustness against image processing attacks. The standard visual quality perception of HVS evaluation metrics are used to measure the superiority of the presented work.
Anisotropic Constitutive Model of Intermittent Columnar Jointed Rock Masses Based on the Cosserat Theory
Authors: Lu Wenbin , Zhu Zhende , Que Xiangcheng , Zhang Cong , He Yanxin
Published: May 2020

In this work, an anisotropic constitutive model of hexagonal columnar jointed rock masses is established to describe the distribution law of deformation and the failure of columnar joint caverns under anisotropic conditions, and is implemented to study the columnar jointed rock mass at the dam site of the Baihetan Hydropower Station on the Jinsha River. The model is based on the Cosserat theory and considers the mesoscopic bending effect on the macroscopic mean. The influences of joint plane inclination on equivalent anisotropic elastic parameters are discussed via the introduction of an off-axis transformation matrix and the analysis of an example. It is also pointed out that the six-prism columnar jointed rock mass changes from transverse isotropy to anisotropy under the influence of the angle. A numerical calculation program of the Cosserat constitutive model is developed and is applied to the simulation calculation of a Baihetan diversion tunnel to compare and analyze the respective plastic zones and stress distributions after tunnel excavation under both isotropic and anisotropic conditions. The results reveal that, compared with the isotropic model, the proposed Cosserat anisotropic model better reflects the state of stress and asymmetric distribution of the plastic zone after tunnel excavation, and the actual deformation of the surrounding rock of the tunnel is greater than that calculated by the isotropic method. The results aid in a better understanding of the mechanical properties of rock masses.
Swarm Intelligence Algorithms for Weapon-Target Assignment in a Multilayer Defense Scenario: A Comparative Study
Authors: Cao Ming , Fang Weiguo
Published: May 2020

Weapon-target assignment (WTA) is a kind of NP-complete problem in military operations research. To solve the multilayer defense WTA problems when the information about enemy’s attacking plan is symmetric to the defender, we propose four heuristic algorithms based on swarm intelligence with customizations and improvements, including ant colony optimization (ACO), binary particle swarm optimization (BPSO), integer particle swarm optimization (IPSO) and sine cosine algorithm (SCA). Our objective is to assess and compare the performance of different algorithms to determine the best algorithm for practical large-scale WTA problems. The effectiveness and performance of various algorithms are evaluated and compared by means of a benchmark problem with a small scale, the theoretical optimal solution of which is known. The four algorithms can obtain satisfactory solutions to the benchmark problem with high quality and high robustness, while IPSO is superior to BPSO, ACO and SCA with respect to the solution quality, algorithmic robustness and computational efficiency. Then, IPSO is applied to a large-scale WTA problem, and its effectiveness and performance are further assessed. We demonstrate that IPSO is capable of solving large-scale WTA problems with high efficiency, high quality and high robustness, thus meeting the critical requirements of real-time decision-making in modern warfare.
Distributed Systematic Grid-Connected Inverter Using IGBT Junction Temperature Predictive Control Method: An Optimization Approach
Authors: Wang Zhengping , Li Guoyi , Tseng Ming-Lang , Wong Wai-Peng , Liu Boying
Published: May 2020

Distributed systematic grid-connected inverter practice needs to improve insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) stability to ensure the safe operation. This study is to ensure the safety and reliability operation of the IGBT module in symmetry to meet the reliable and stable distributed systematic grid-connected inverter practice and the junction temperature is a parameter to assess its operating state. It is difficult to accurately acquire the IGBT junction temperature to be solved by a single method of combining the test and the modeling. The saturation voltage drop or collector current and module junction temperature data under different power cycles are measured by the power cycle test and the single pulse test. The improved chicken swarm optimization increases the chickens diversity and self-learning ability. The prediction model of the improved chicken swarm optimization-support vector machine is proposed to forecast the module junction temperature. The result showed to compare with the particle swarm optimization-support vector machine model and chicken swarm optimization-support vector machine model and showed the coincidence degree between the proposed model prediction value and the true value is higher. The mean absolute error ratio indicates the proposed model has a smaller error and a better prediction performance. The proposed model has a positive impact on improving the distributed systematic grid-connected inverter industrial development and promotes the new energy usage.
Phenotypic and Genotypic Comparison of a Live-Attenuated Genotype I Japanese Encephalitis Virus SD12-F120 Strain with Its Virulent Parental SD12 Strain
Authors: Anwar Muhammad Naveed , Wang Xin , Hameed Muddassar , Wahaab Abdul , Li Chenxi , Sharma Mona , Pang Linlin , Malik Muhammad Irfan , Liu Ke , Li Beibei , Qiu Yafeng , Wei Jianchao , Ma Zhiyong
Published: May 2020

The phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of a live-attenuated genotype I (GI) strain (SD12-F120) of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) were compared with its virulent parental SD12 strain to gain an insight into the genetic changes acquired during the attenuation process. SD12-F120 formed smaller plaque on BHK-21 cells and showed reduced replication in mouse brains compared with SD12. Mice inoculated with SD12-F120 via either intraperitoneal or intracerebral route showed no clinical symptoms, indicating a highly attenuated phenotype in terms of both neuroinvasiveness and neurovirulence. SD12-F120 harbored 29 nucleotide variations compared with SD12, of which 20 were considered silent nucleotide mutations, while nine resulted in eight amino acid substitutions. Comparison of the amino acid variations of SD12-F120 vs. SD12 pair with those from other four isogenic pairs of the attenuated and their virulent parental strains revealed that the variations at E138 and E176 positions of E protein were identified in four and three pairs, respectively, while the remaining amino acid variations were almost unique to their respective strain pairs. These observations suggest that the genetic changes acquired during the attenuation process were likely to be strain-specific and that the mechanisms associated with JEV attenuation/virulence are complicated.
Seroprevalence of Dromedary Camel HEV in Domestic and Imported Camels from Saudi Arabia
Authors: El-Kafrawy Sherif Aly , Hassan Ahmed Mohamed , El-Daly Mai Mohamed , Qadri Ishtiaq , Tolah Ahmed Majdi , Al-Subhi Tagreed Lafi , Alzahrani Abdulrahman A. , Alsaaidi Ghaleb A. , Al-Abdullah Nabeela , Kaki Reham Mohammed , Li Tian-Cheng , Azhar Esam Ibraheem
Published: May 2020

Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) imposes a major health concern in areas with very poor sanitation in Africa and Asia. The pathogen is transmitted mainly through ingesting contaminated water or food, coming into contact with affected people, and blood transfusions. Very few reports including old reports are available on the prevalence of HEV in Saudi Arabia in humans and no reports exist on HEV prevalence in camels. Dromedary camel trade and farming are increasing in Saudi Arabia with importation occurring unidirectionally from Africa to Saudi Arabia. DcHEV transmission to humans has been reported in one case from the United Arab Emeritus (UAE). This instigated us to perform this investigation of the seroprevalence of HEV in imported and domestic camels in Saudi Arabia. Serum samples were collected from imported and domestic camels. DcHEV-Abs were detected in collected sera using ELISA. The prevalence of DcHEV in the collected samples was 23.1% with slightly lower prevalence in imported camels than domestic camels (22.4% vs. 25.4%, p value = 0.3). Gender was significantly associated with the prevalence of HEV in the collected camels (p value = 0.015) where males (31.6%) were more infected than females (13.4%). This study is the first study to investigate the prevalence of HEV in dromedary camels from Saudi Arabia. The high seroprevalence of DcHEV in dromedaries might indicate their role as a zoonotic reservoir for viral infection to humans. Future HEV seroprevalence studies in humans are needed to investigate the role of DcHEV in the Saudi human population.
Serological Immunity to Smallpox in New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Costantino Valentina , Trent Mallory J. , Sullivan John S. , Kunasekaran Mohana P. , Gray Richard , MacIntyre Raina
Published: May 2020

The re-emergence of smallpox is an increasing and legitimate concern due to advances in synthetic biology. Vaccination programs against smallpox using the vaccinia virus vaccine ceased with the eradication of smallpox and, unlike many other countries, Australia did not use mass vaccinations. However, vaccinated migrants contribute to population immunity. Testing for vaccinia antibodies is not routinely performed in Australia, and few opportunities exist to estimate the level of residual population immunity against smallpox. Serological data on population immunity in Australia could inform management plans against a smallpox outbreak. Vaccinia antibodies were measured in 2003 in regular plasmapheresis donors at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service from New South Wales (NSW). The data were analysed to estimate the proportion of Australians in NSW with detectable serological immunity to vaccinia. The primary object of this study was to measure neutralising antibody titres against vaccinia virus. Titre levels in donor samples were determined by plaque reduction assay. To estimate current levels of immunity to smallpox infection, the decline in geometric mean titres (GMT) over time was projected using two values for the antibody levels estimated on the basis of different times since vaccination. The results of this study suggest that there is minimal residual immunity to the vaccinia virus in the Australian population. Although humoral immunity is protective against orthopoxvirus infections, cell-mediated immunity and immunological memory likely also play roles, which are not quantified by antibody levels. These data provide an immunological snapshot of the NSW population, which could inform emergency preparedness planning and outbreak control, especially concerning the stockpiling of vaccinia vaccine.
Is There Any Opportunity to Provide an HBV Vaccine Booster Dose before Anti-Hbs Titer Vanishes?
Authors: Papadopoli Rosa , De Sarro Caterina , Torti Carlo , Pileggi Claudia , Pavia Maria
Published: May 2020

Whether the primary Hepatitis B vaccination confers lifelong protection is debated. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of booster doses in mounting a protective HBV immune response in subjects vaccinated 18–20 years earlier. The study population consisted of vaccinated students attending medical and healthcare professions schools. A booster dose was offered to subjects with a <10 mIU/mL anti-HBs titer. The post-booster anti-HBs titer was evaluated after four weeks. The subjects with a <10 mIU/mL post-booster anti-HBs titer, received a second and third dose of the vaccine and after one month they were retested. A <10 mIU/mL anti-HBs titer was found in 35.1% of the participants and 92.2% of subjects that were boosted had a ≥10 mIU/mL post-booster anti-HBs titer, whereas 7.8% did not mount an anamnestic response. A low post-booster response (10–100 mIU/mL anti-HBs) was significantly more likely in subjects with a <2.00 mIU/mL pre-booster titer compared to those with a 2.00–9.99 mIU/mL pre-booster titer. The anamnestic response was significantly related to the baseline anti-HBs levels. A booster dose of the HBV vaccine may be insufficient to induce an immunological response in subjects with undetectable anti-HBs titers. A booster dose might be implemented when an anamnestic response is still present.
A Nanoparticle-Poly(I:C) Combination Adjuvant Enhances the Breadth of the Immune Response to Inactivated Influenza Virus Vaccine in Pigs
Authors: Renu Sankar , Feliciano-Ruiz Ninoshkaly , Lu Fangjia , Ghimire Shristi , Han Yi , Schrock Jennifer , Dhakal Santosh , Patil Veerupaxagouda , Krakowka Steven , HogenEsch Harm , Renukaradhya Gourapura J.
Published: May 2020

Intranasal vaccination elicits secretory IgA (SIgA) antibodies in the airways, which is required for cross-protection against influenza. To enhance the breadth of immunity induced by a killed swine influenza virus antigen (KAg) or conserved T cell and B cell peptides, we adsorbed the antigens together with the TLR3 agonist poly(I:C) electrostatically onto cationic alpha-D-glucan nanoparticles (Nano-11) resulting in Nano-11-KAg-poly(I:C) and Nano-11-peptides-poly(I:C) vaccines. In vitro, increased TNF-α and IL-1ß cytokine mRNA expression was observed in Nano-11-KAg-poly(I:C)-treated porcine monocyte-derived dendritic cells. Nano-11-KAg-poly(I:C), but not Nano-11-peptides-poly(I:C), delivered intranasally in pigs induced high levels of cross-reactive virus-specific SIgA antibodies secretion in the nasal passage and lungs compared to a multivalent commercial influenza virus vaccine administered intramuscularly. The commercial and Nano-11-KAg-poly(I:C) vaccinations increased the frequency of IFNγ secreting T cells. The poly(I:C) adjuvanted Nano-11-based vaccines increased various cytokine mRNA expressions in lymph nodes compared to the commercial vaccine. In addition, Nano-11-KAg-poly(I:C) vaccine elicited high levels of virus neutralizing antibodies in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Microscopic lung lesions and challenge virus load were partially reduced in poly(I:C) adjuvanted Nano-11 and commercial influenza vaccinates. In conclusion, compared to our earlier study with Nano-11-KAg vaccine, addition of poly(I:C) to the formulation improved cross-protective antibody and cytokine response.
A Single Shot Pre-fusion-Stabilized Bovine RSV F Vaccine is Safe and Effective in Newborn Calves with Maternally Derived Antibodies
Authors: Riffault Sabine , Hägglund Sara , Guzman Efrain , Näslund Katarina , Jouneau Luc , Dubuquoy Catherine , Pietralunga Vincent , Laubreton Daphné , Boulesteix Olivier , Gauthier David , Remot Aude , Boukaridi Abdelhak , Falk Alexander , Shevchenko Ganna , Lind Sara , Vargmar Karin , Zhang Baoshan , Kwong Peter , Rodriguez María , Duran Marga , Schwartz-Cornil Isabelle , Eléouët Jean-François , Taylor Geraldine , Valarcher Jean
Published: May 2020

Achieving safe and protective vaccination against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in infants and in calves has proven a challenging task. The design of recombinant antigens with a conformation close to their native form in virus particles is a major breakthrough. We compared two subunit vaccines, the bovine RSV (BRSV) pre-fusion F (preF) alone or with nanorings formed by the RSV nucleoprotein (preF+N). PreF and N proteins are potent antigenic targets for neutralizing antibodies and T cell responses, respectively. To tackle the challenges of neonatal immunization, three groups of six one-month-old calves with maternally derived serum antibodies (MDA) to BRSV received a single intramuscular injection of PreF, preF+N with MontanideTM ISA61 VG (ISA61) as adjuvant or only ISA61 (control). One month later, all calves were challenged with BRSV and monitored for virus replication in the upper respiratory tract and for clinical signs of disease over one week, and then post-mortem examinations of their lungs were performed. Both preF and preF+N vaccines afforded safe, clinical, and virological protection against BRSV, with little difference between the two subunit vaccines. Analysis of immune parameters pointed to neutralizing antibodies and antibodies to preF as being significant correlates of protection. Thus, a single shot vaccination with preF appears sufficient to reduce the burden of BRSV disease in calves with MDA.
Impact of Switch Options on the Economics of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) Introduction in Indonesia
Authors: Suwantika Auliya A. , Zakiyah Neily , Kusuma Arif S. W. , Abdulah Rizky , Postma Maarten J.
Published: May 2020

As one of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (previously the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization), graduating countries, Indonesia is still eligible to access Gavi price for PCV13, PCV10 A and B. This study aims to estimate the economic impact of switch from the existing product/presentation of PCV (single-dose of PCV13) to the new product/presentation of PCV (multi-dose of PCV13, PCV10 A and B) since PCV is one of the most expensive vaccines in the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) schedule. Assuming that Gavi-Advance Market Commitment (AMC) price for all PCVs can be accessed in 2021, the use of multi-dose PCV13, PCV10 A and PCV10 B with Gavi-AMC price in 2021–2024 were considered as respective scenarios. The result showed that the scenario assuming the use of single-dose of PCV13 with contract price in 2019–2020 that would be switched into multi-dose of PCV10 B with Gavi-AMC price in 2021–2024 resulted in the highest potential saving, compared with other scenarios. Our analysis suggests an economic advantage to switch from single-dose into a multi-dose presentation. Vaccination coverage, vaccine price, vaccine wastage and additional Gavi-AMC vaccine costs were considered to be the most influential parameter affecting the savings in all scenarios. Applying the effectiveness of PCV13 and PCV10 A on reducing the risk for invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), potential averted incidence of IPD in children under one year of age during 2019–2024 would be 246,164 and 105,587 in both scenarios. Despite the result confirmed that PCV13 may provide an additional benefit, a more comprehensive economic evaluation study is required to investigate further the comparison of cost-effectiveness values among all PCVs in Indonesia.