bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low Back and Lower-Limb Muscle Performance in Male and Female Recreational Runners With Chronic Low Back Pain
Authors: Cai Congcong , Kong Pui W.
Published: April 2015

Study Design

Controlled laboratory study, cross-sectional.

Objective

To compare lumbar extensor muscle fatigability, lumbar stabilizing muscle activation, and lower-limb strength between male and female runners with chronic low back pain (LBP) and healthy runners.

Background

Little is known about muscle performance in runners with chronic LBP.

Methods

Eighteen recreational runners with chronic LBP (9 men, 9 women; mean age, 27.8 years) and 18 healthy recreational runners (9 men, 9 women; mean age, 24.6 years) were recruited. The median frequency slopes for bilateral iliocostalis and longissimus were calculated from electromyographic signals captured during a 2-minute Sorensen test. The thickness changes of the transversus abdominis and lumbar multifidus between resting and contraction were measured using an ultrasound scanner. Peak concentric torques of the bilateral hip extensors, hip abductors, and knee extensors were measured using an isokinetic dynamometer at 60°/s. The average values for both sides were used for statistical analysis.

Results

When averaged across sexes, peak knee extensor torque was 12.2% lower in the LBP group compared to the healthy group (mean difference, 0.29 Nm/kg; 95% confidence interval: 0.06, 0.53; P = .016). Male runners with chronic LBP exhibited smaller lumbar multifidus thickness changes compared to healthy male runners (mean difference, 0.13 cm; 95% confidence interval: 0.01, 0.25; P = .033). No other group differences were observed.

Conclusion

Runners with chronic LBP exhibited diminished knee extensor strength compared to healthy runners. Male runners with chronic LBP demonstrated additional deficits in lumbar multifidus activation. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2015;45(6):436–443. Epub 21 Apr 2015. doi:10.2519/jospt.2015.5460
Executive dysfunction, brain aging, and political leadership
Authors: Fisher Mark , Franklin David L. , Post Jerrold M.
Published: April 2015

Decision-making is an essential component of executive function, and a critical skill of political leadership. Neuroanatomic localization studies have established the prefrontal cortex as the critical brain site for executive function. In addition to the prefrontal cortex, white matter tracts as well as subcortical brain structures are crucial for optimal executive function. Executive function shows a significant decline beginning at age 60, and this is associated with age-related atrophy of prefrontal cortex, cerebral white matter disease, and cerebral microbleeds. Notably, age-related decline in executive function appears to be a relatively selective cognitive deterioration, generally sparing language and memory function. While an individual may appear to be functioning normally with regard to relatively obvious cognitive functions such as language and memory, that same individual may lack the capacity to integrate these cognitive functions to achieve normal decision-making. From a historical perspective, global decline in cognitive function of political leaders has been alternatively described as a catastrophic event, a slowly progressive deterioration, or a relatively episodic phenomenon. Selective loss of executive function in political leaders is less appreciated, but increased utilization of highly sensitive brain imaging techniques will likely bring greater appreciation to this phenomenon. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was an example of a political leader with a well-described neurodegenerative condition (cerebral amyloid angiopathy) that creates a neuropathological substrate for executive dysfunction. Based on the known neuroanatomical and neuropathological changes that occur with aging, we should probably assume that a significant proportion of political leaders over the age of 65 have impairment of executive function.
Path Planning Using Concatenated Analytically-Defined Trajectories for Quadrotor UAVs
Authors: Jamieson Jonathan , Biggs James
Published: April 2015

This paper presents a semi-analytical trajectory planning method for quadrotor UAVs. These trajectories are analytically defined, are constant in speed and sub-optimal with respect to a weighted quadratic cost function of the translational and angular velocities. A technique for concatenating the trajectories into multi-segment paths is demonstrated. These paths are smooth to the first derivative of the translational position and pass through defined waypoints. A method for detecting potential collisions by discretizing the path into a coarse mesh before using a numerical optimiser to determine the point of the path closest to the obstacle is presented. This hybrid method reduces the computation time when compared to discretizing the trajectory into a fine mesh and calculating the minimum distance. A tracking controller is defined and used to show that the paths are dynamically feasible and the typical magnitudes of the controller inputs required to fly them.
Achieving Water and Food Security in 2050: Outlook, Policies, and Investments
Authors: Wichelns Dennis
Published: April 2015

Food production in 2050 will be sufficient, globally, but many of the poor will remain food insecure. The primary cause of food insecurity will continue to be poverty, rather than inadequate food production. Thus, policies and investments that increase the incomes of the poor will remain the best ways to extend food security to all. Investments that promote growth in sustainable agriculture and provide non-farm employment opportunities in rural areas of lower income countries will be most helpful. There will be sufficient water, globally, to achieve food production goals and sustain rural and urban livelihoods, if we allocate and manage the resource wisely. Yet, water shortages will constrain agricultural production and limit incomes and livelihood opportunities in many areas. Policies and investments are needed to extend and ensure access to water for household use and agricultural production. Challenges requiring the attention of policy makers and investors include increasing urbanization and increasing demands for land and water resources. Policy makers must ensure that farmers retain access to the water they need for producing food and sustaining livelihoods, and they must create greater opportunities for women in agriculture. They must also motivate investments in new technologies that will enhance crop and livestock production, particularly for smallholders, and encourage the private sector to invest in activities that create employment opportunities in rural areas.
Protein Degradation Pathways Regulate the Functions of Helicases in the DNA Damage Response and Maintenance of Genomic Stability
Authors: Sommers Joshua , Suhasini Avvaru , Brosh Robert
Published: April 2015

Degradation of helicases or helicase-like proteins, often mediated by ubiquitin-proteasomal pathways, plays important regulatory roles in cellular mechanisms that respond to DNA damage or replication stress. The Bloom’s syndrome helicase (BLM) provides an example of how helicase degradation pathways, regulated by post-translational modifications and protein interactions with components of the Fanconi Anemia (FA) interstrand cross-link (ICL) repair pathway, influence cell cycle checkpoints, DNA repair, and replication restart. The FANCM DNA translocase can be targeted by checkpoint kinases that exert dramatic effects on FANCM stability and chromosomal integrity. Other work provides evidence that degradation of the F-box DNA helicase (FBH1) helps to balance translesion synthesis (TLS) and homologous recombination (HR) repair at blocked replication forks. Degradation of the helicase-like transcription factor (HLTF), a DNA translocase and ubiquitylating enzyme, influences the choice of post replication repair (PRR) pathway. Stability of the Werner syndrome helicase-nuclease (WRN) involved in the replication stress response is regulated by its acetylation. Turning to transcription, stability of the Cockayne Syndrome Group B DNA translocase (CSB) implicated in transcription-coupled repair (TCR) is regulated by a CSA ubiquitin ligase complex enabling recovery of RNA synthesis. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that helicases can be targeted for degradation to maintain genome homeostasis.
Secondary Malignant Neoplasms Following Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Childhood
Authors: Bomken Simon , Skinner Roderick
Published: April 2015

Improving survival rates in children with malignancy have been achieved at the cost of a high frequency of late adverse effects of treatment, especially in intensively treated patients such as those undergoing haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), many of whom suffer the high burden of chronic toxicity. Secondary malignant neoplasms (SMNs) are one of the most devastating late effects, cause much morbidity and are the most frequent cause of late (yet still premature) treatment-related mortality. They occur in up to 7% of HSCT recipients by 20 years post-HSCT, and with no evidence yet of a plateau in incidence with longer follow-up. This review describes the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical features and risk factors of the three main categories of post-HSCT SMNs. A wide range of solid SMNs has been described, usually occurring 10 years or more post-HSCT, related most often to previous or conditioning radiotherapy. Therapy-related acute myeloid leukaemia/myelodysplasia occurs earlier, typically three to seven years post-HSCT, mainly in recipients of autologous transplant and is related to previous alkylating agent or topoisomerase II inhibitor chemotherapy. Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders occur early (usually within two years) post-HSCT, usually presenting as Epstein-Barr virus-related B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
LaNi5-Assisted Hydrogenation of MgNi2 in the Hybrid Structures of La1.09Mg1.91Ni9D9.5 and La0.91Mg2.09Ni9D9.4
Authors: Denys Roman , Yartys Volodymyr , Gray Evan , Webb Colin
Published: April 2015

This work focused on the high pressure PCT and in situ neutron powder diffraction studies of the LaMg2Ni9-H2 (D2) system at pressures up to 1,000 bar. LaMg2Ni9 alloy was prepared by a powder metallurgy route from the LaNi9 alloy precursor and Mg powder. Two La3−xMgxNi9 samples with slightly different La/Mg ratios were studied, La1.1Mg1.9Ni9 (sample 1) and La0.9Mg2.1Ni9 (sample 2). In situ neutron powder diffraction studies of the La1.09Mg1.91Ni9D9.5 (1) and La0.91Mg2.09Ni9D9.4 (2) deuterides were performed at 25 bar D2 (1) and 918 bar D2 (2). The hydrogenation properties of the (1) and (2) are dramatically different from those for LaNi3. The Mg-containing intermetallics reversibly form hydrides with DHdes = 24.0 kJ/molH2 and an equilibrium pressure of H2 desorption of 18 bar at 20 °C (La1.09Mg1.91Ni9). A pronounced hysteresis of H2 absorption and desorption, ~100 bar, is observed. The studies showed that LaNi5-assisted hydrogenation of MgNi2 in the LaMg2Ni9 hybrid structure takes place. In the La1.09Mg1.91Ni9D9.5 (1) and La0.91Mg2.09Ni9D9.4 (2) (a = 5.263/5.212; c = 25.803/25.71 Å) D atoms are accommodated in both Laves and CaCu5-type slabs. In the LaNi5 CaCu5-type layer, D atoms fill three types of interstices; a deformed octahedron [La2Ni4], and [La(Mg)2Ni2] and [Ni4] tetrahedra. The overall chemical compositions can be presented as LaNi5H5.6/5.0 + 2*MgNi2H1.95/2.2 showing that the hydrogenation of the MgNi2 slab proceeds at mild H2/D2 pressure of just 20 bar. A partial filling by D of the four types of the tetrahedral interstices in the MgNi2 slab takes place, including [MgNi3] and [Mg2Ni2] tetrahedra.
Application Study on the Dynamic Programming Algorithm for Energy Management of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles
Authors: Wang Ximing , He Hongwen , Sun Fengchun , Zhang Jieli
Published: April 2015

To explore the problems associated with applying dynamic programming (DP) in the energy management strategies of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), a plug-in hybrid bus powertrain is introduced and its dynamic control model is constructed. The numerical issues, including the discretization resolution of the relevant variables and the boundary issue of their feasible regions, were considered when implementing DP to solve the optimal control problem of PHEVs. The tradeoff between the optimization accuracy when using the DP algorithm and the computational burden was systematically investigated. As a result of overcoming the numerical issues, the DP-based approach has the potential to improve the fuel-savings potential of PHEVs. The results from comparing the DP-based strategy and the traditional control strategy indicate that there is an approximately 20% improvement in fuel economy.
Life-Cycle Energy and GHG Emissions of Forest Biomass Harvest and Transport for Biofuel Production in Michigan
Authors: Zhang Fengli , Johnson Dana , Wang Jinjiang
Published: April 2015

High dependence on imported oil has increased U.S. strategic vulnerability and prompted more research in the area of renewable energy production. Ethanol production from renewable woody biomass, which could be a substitute for gasoline, has seen increased interest. This study analysed energy use and greenhouse gas emission impacts on the forest biomass supply chain activities within the State of Michigan. A life-cycle assessment of harvesting and transportation stages was completed utilizing peer-reviewed literature. Results for forest-delivered ethanol were compared with those for petroleum gasoline using data specific to the U.S. The analysis from a woody biomass feedstock supply perspective uncovered that ethanol production is more environmentally friendly (about 62% less greenhouse gas emissions) compared with petroleum based fossil fuel production. Sensitivity analysis was conducted with key inputs associated with harvesting and transportation operations. The results showed that research focused on improving biomass recovery efficiency and truck fuel economy further reduced GHG emissions and energy consumption.
Non Destructive Method for Biomass Prediction Combining TLS Derived Tree Volume and Wood Density
Authors: Hackenberg Jan , Wassenberg Marc , Spiecker Heinrich , Sun Dongjing
Published: April 2015

This paper presents a method for predicting the above ground leafless biomass of trees in a non destructive way. We utilize terrestrial laserscan data to predict the volume of the trees. Combining volume estimates with density measurements leads to biomass predictions. Thirty-six trees of three different species are analyzed: evergreen coniferous Pinus massoniana, evergreen broadleaved Erythrophleum fordii and leafless deciduous Quercus petraea. All scans include a large number of noise points; denoising procedures are presented in detail. Density values are considered to be a minor source of error in the method if applied to stem segments, as comparison to ground truth data reveals that prediction errors for the tree volumes are in accordance with biomass prediction errors. While tree compartments with a diameter larger than 10 cm can be modeled accurately, smaller ones, especially twigs with a diameter smaller than 4 cm, are often largely overestimated. Better prediction results could be achieved by applying a biomass expansion factor to the biomass of compartments with a diameter larger than 10 cm. With this second method the average prediction error for Q. petraea could be reduced from 33.84% overestimation to 3.56%. E. fordii results could also be improved reducing the average prediction error from
Targeted Mybpc3 Knock-Out Mice with Cardiac Hypertrophy Exhibit Structural Mitral Valve Abnormalities
Authors: Judge Daniel , Neamatalla Hany , Norris Russell , Levine Robert , Butcher Jonathan , Vignier Nicolas , Kang Kevin , Nguyen Quangtung , Bruneval Patrick , Perier Marie-Cécile , Messas Emmanuel , Jeunemaitre Xavier , De Vlaming Annemarieke , Markwald Roger , Carrier Lucie , Hagège Albert
Published: April 2015

MYBPC3 mutations cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is frequently associated with mitral valve (MV) pathology. We reasoned that increased MV size is caused by localized growth factors with paracrine effects. We used high-resolution echocardiography to compare Mybpc3-null, heterozygous, and wild-type mice (n = 84, aged 3–6 months) and micro-CT for MV volume (n = 6, age 6 months). Mybpc3-null mice showed left ventricular hypertrophy, dilation, and systolic dysfunction compared to heterozygous and wild-type mice, but no systolic anterior motion of the MV or left ventricular outflow obstruction. Compared to wild-type mice, echocardiographic anterior leaflet length (adjusted for left ventricular size) was greatest in Mybpc3-null mice (1.92 ± 0.08 vs. 1.72 ± 0.08 mm, p < 0.001), as was combined leaflet thickness (0.23 ± 0.04 vs. 0.15 ± 0.02 mm, p < 0.001). Micro-CT analyses of Mybpc3-null mice demonstrated increased MV volume (0.47 ± 0.06 vs. 0.15 ± 0.06 mm3, p = 0.018) and thickness (0.35 ± 0.04 vs. 0.12 ± 0.04 mm, p = 0.002), coincident with increased markers of TGFβ activity compared to heterozygous and wild-type littermates. Similarly, excised MV from a patient with MYBPC3 mutation showed increased TGFβ activity. We conclude that MYBPC3 deficiency causes hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with increased MV leaflet length and thickness despite the absence of left ventricular outflow-tract obstruction, in parallel with increased TGFβ activity. MV changes in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy may be due to paracrine effects, which represent targets for therapeutic studies.
Histamine and Skin Barrier: Are Histamine Antagonists Useful for the Prevention or Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis?
Authors: De Benedetto Anna , Yoshida Takeshi , Fridy Sade , Park Joo-Eun , Kuo I.-Hsin , Beck Lisa
Published: April 2015

Atopic Dermatitis (AD), the most common chronic inflammatory skin disease, is characterized by an overactive immune response to a host of environmental allergens and dry, itchy skin. Over the past decade important discoveries have demonstrated that AD develops in part from genetic and/or acquired defects in the skin barrier. Histamine is an aminergic neurotransmitter involved in physiologic and pathologic processes such as pruritus, inflammation, and vascular leak. Enhanced histamine release has been observed in the skin of patients with AD and antihistamines are often prescribed for their sedating and anti-itch properties. Recent evidence suggests that histamine also inhibits the terminal differentiation of keratinocytes and impairs the skin barrier, raising the question whether histamine might play a role in AD barrier impairment. This, coupled with the notion that histamine’s effects mediated through the recently identified histamine receptor H4R, may be important in allergic inflammation, has renewed interest in this mediator in allergic diseases. In this paper we summarize the current knowledge on histamine and histamine receptor antagonists in AD and skin barrier function.
Three-Dimensional Imaging of Dislocations in a Ti–35mass%Nb Alloy by Electron Tomography
Authors: Sato Kazuhisa , Semboshi Satoshi , Konno Toyohiko
Published: April 2015

We have studied three-dimensional (3D) configurations of dislocations in the β phase of a Ti–35mass%Nb alloy by means of single-axis tilt tomography using bright-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (BF-STEM). To visualize dislocations, the hh0 systematic reflections were excited throughout tilt-series acquisition with the maximum tilt angle of 70°. Dislocations in the β grains were clearly reconstructed by the weighted back-projection algorithm. The slip planes of the dislocations were deduced by rotating the reconstructed volumes with the aid of selected area electron diffraction patterns. It was found that BF-STEM images with relatively low contrasts, taken along low-order zone axes, are capable to reproduce and preserve the quality of reconstructed image of dislocations. We also found that tilt angles as low as 40° are practically acceptable to visualize 3D configurations of dislocations, while there exists limitation in resolution due to the existence of a large missing wedge.
Activation of the Silent Secondary Metabolite Production by Introducing Neomycin-Resistance in a Marine-Derived Penicillium purpurogenum G59
Authors: Wu Chang-Jing , Yi Le , Cui Cheng-Bin , Li Chang-Wei , Wang Nan , Han Xiao
Published: April 2015

Introduction of neomycin-resistance into a marine-derived, wild-type Penicillium purpurogenum G59 resulted in activation of silent biosynthetic pathways for the secondary metabolite production. Upon treatment of G59 spores with neomycin and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), a total of 56 mutants were obtained by single colony isolation. The acquired resistance of mutants to neomycin was testified by the resistance test. In contrast to the G59 strain, the EtOAc extracts of 28 mutants inhibited the human cancer K562 cells, indicating that the 28 mutants have acquired the capability to produce bioactive metabolites. HPLC-photodiode array detector (PDAD)-UV and HPLC-electron spray ionization (ESI)-MS analyses further indicated that diverse secondary metabolites have been newly produced in the bioactive mutant extracts. Followed isolation and characterization demonstrated that five bioactive secondary metabolites, curvularin (1), citrinin (2), penicitrinone A (3), erythro-23-O-methylneocyclocitrinol (4) and 22E-7α-methoxy-5α, 6α-epoxyergosta-8(14),22-dien-3β-ol (5), were newly produced by a mutant, 4-30, compared to the G59 strain. All 1–5 were also not yet found in the secondary metabolites of other wild type P. purpurogenum strains. Compounds 1–5 inhibited human cancer K562, HL-60, HeLa and BGC-823 cells to varying extents. Both present bioassays and chemical investigations demonstrated that the introduction of neomycin-resistance into the marine-derived fungal G59 strain could activate silent secondary metabolite production. The present work not only extended the previous DMSO-mediated method for introducing drug-resistance in fungi both in DMSO concentrations and antibiotics, but also additionally exemplified effectiveness of this method for activating silent fungal secondary metabolites. This method could be applied to other fungal isolates to elicit their metabolic potentials to investigate secondary metabolites from silent biosynthetic pathways.
Effects of Different Heat Treatment on Microstructure, Mechanical and Conductive Properties of Continuous Rheo-Extruded Al-0.9Si-0.6Mg (wt%) Alloy
Authors: Tie Di , Guan Ren-guo , Guo Ning , Zhao Zhouyang , Su Ning , Li Jing , Zhang Yang
Published: April 2015

Al-0.9Si-0.6Mg (wt%) alloy conductive wires were designed and produced by continuous rheo-extrusion process. The effects of different heat treatment on microstructure, mechanical and conductive properties of the wires were studied. Results show that, after T6 heat treatment, conductive property of the alloy increased while elongation decreased with the higher aging temperature and longer aging time. After T8 and T9 heat treatment, acicular strengthening phase β''-Mg2Si homogeneously precipitated, which effectively improved mechanical and conductive property of the alloy. The tensile strength, elongation and resistivity of T8 heat treated alloy reached 336 MPa, 13.7% and 29.3 nΩm respectively. After T9 heat treatment, the alloy’s tensile strength, elongation and resistivity was 338 MPa, 6.0% and 30.2 nΩ·m respectively.
Development of Nanocrystalline 304L Stainless Steel by Large Strain Cold Working
Authors: Odnobokova Marina , Belyakov Andrey , Kaibyshev Rustam
Published: April 2015

The microstructural changes leading to nanocrystalline structure development and the respective tensile properties were studied in a 304L stainless steel subjected to large strain cold rolling at ambient temperature. The cold rolling was accompanied by the development of deformation twinning and martensitic transformation. The latter readily occurred at deformation microshear bands, leading the martensite fraction to approach 0.75 at a total strain of 3. The deformation twinning followed by microshear banding and martensitic transformation promoted the development of nanocrystalline structure consisting of a uniform mixture of austenite and martensite grains with their transverse sizes of 120–150 nm. The developed nanocrystallites were characterized by high dislocation density in their interiors of about 3 × 1015 m−2 and 2 × 1015 m−2 in austenite and martensite, respectively. The development of nanocrystalline structures with high internal stresses led to significant strengthening. The yield strength increased from 220 MPa in the original hot forged state to 1600 MPa after cold rolling to a strain of 3.
Evaluation of Novel Antibacterial N-Halamine Nanoparticles Prodrugs towards Susceptibility of Escherichia coli Induced by DksA Protein
Authors: Dong Qigeqi , Dong Alideertu , Morigen
Published: April 2015

Novel N-halamine nanoparticles potentially useful for killing pathogenic bacteria, i.e., SiO2@PS/N-halamine NPs, were successfully synthesized via the immobilization of N-halamines onto the polystyrene-coated silica nanoparticles (SiO2@PS NPs). The effect of reaction conditions, i.e., chlorination temperature, bleaching concentration, chlorination time, on the oxidative chlorine content in the products was systematically investigated. The antibacterial activity of the products was tested via the modified plate counting methd using Escherichia coli (E. coli) as a model bacterium. The possible mechanism of the antibacterial action of the products was also studied using scanning electron microscopy combined with a inhibition zone study. The antimicrobial capability of the products was well controlled by tuning the oxidative chlorine content in the products. More importantly, the role of DksA protein in the susceptibility of E. coli against the products was proven using a time-kill assay. This in-depth investigation of the sensitivity of E. coli towards N-halamine NPs provides a systematic understanding of the utility of N-halamines for deactivating bacteria or even disease control.
Climate Change Impacts on Oklahoma Wind Resources: Potential Energy Output Changes
Authors: Stadler Stephen , Dryden James , Greene J.
Published: April 2015

An extensive literature on climate change modeling points to future changes in wind climates. Some areas are projected to gain wind resources, while others are projected to lose wind resources. Oklahoma is presently wind rich with this resource extensively exploited for power generation. Our work examined the wind power implications under the IPCC’s A2 scenario for the decades 2040–2049, 2050–2059 and 2060–2069 as compared to model reanalysis and Oklahoma Mesonetwork observations for the base decade of 1990–1999. Using two western Oklahoma wind farms as examples, we used North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program (NARCCAP) modeling outputs to calculate changes in wind power generation. The results show both wind farms to gain in output for all decades as compared to 1990–1999. Yet, the results are uneven by seasons and with some decades exhibiting decreases in the fall. These results are of interest in that it is clear that investors cannot count on wind studies of the present to adequately characterize future productivity. If our results are validated over time, Oklahoma stands to gain wind resources through the next several decades.
Knowledge-Based Detection and Assessment of Damaged Roads Using Post-Disaster High-Resolution Remote Sensing Image
Authors: Wang Jianhua , Qin Qiming , Zhao Jianghua , Ye Xin , Feng Xiao , Qin Xuebin , Yang Xiucheng
Published: April 2015

Road damage detection and assessment from high-resolution remote sensing image is critical for natural disaster investigation and disaster relief. In a disaster context, the pairing of pre-disaster and post-disaster road data for change detection and assessment is difficult to achieve due to the mismatch of different data sources, especially for rural areas where the pre-disaster data (i.e., remote sensing imagery or vector map) are hard to obtain. In this study, a knowledge-based method for road damage detection and assessment solely from post-disaster high-resolution remote sensing image is proposed. The road centerline is firstly extracted based on the preset road seed points. Then, features such as road brightness, standard deviation, rectangularity, and aspect ratio are selected to form a knowledge model. Finally, under the guidance of the road centerline, the post-disaster roads are extracted and the damaged roads are detected by applying the knowledge model. In order to quantitatively assess the damage degree, damage assessment indicators with their corresponding standard of damage grade are also proposed. The newly developed method is evaluated using a WorldView-1 image over Wenchuan, China acquired three days after the earthquake on 15 May 2008. The results show that the producer’s accuracy (PA) and user’s accuracy (UA) reached about 90% and 85%, respectively, indicating that the proposed method is effective for road damage detection and assessment. This approach also significantly reduces the need for pre-disaster remote sensing data.
The Use of the LanthaScreen TR-FRET CAR Coactivator Assay in the Characterization of Constitutive Androstane Receptor (CAR) Inverse Agonists
Authors: Carazo Alejandro , Pávek Petr
Published: April 2015

The constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) is a critical nuclear receptor in the gene regulation of xenobiotic and endobiotic metabolism. The LanthaScreenTM TR-FRET CAR coactivator assay provides a simple and reliable method to analyze the affinity of a ligand to the human CAR ligand-binding domain (LBD) with no need to use cellular models. This in silico assay thus enables the study of direct CAR ligands and the ability to distinguish them from the indirect CAR activators that affect the receptor via the cell signaling-dependent phosphorylation of CAR in cells. For the current paper we characterized the pharmacodynamic interactions of three known CAR inverse agonists/antagonists—PK11195, clotrimazole and androstenol—with the prototype agonist CITCO (6-(4-chlorophenyl)imidazo[2,1-b][1,3] thiazole-5-carbaldehyde-O-(3,4-dichlorobenzyl)oxime) using the TR-FRET LanthaScreenTM assay. We have confirmed that all three compounds are inverse agonists of human CAR, with IC50 0.51, 0.005, and 0.35 μM, respectively. All the compounds also antagonize the CITCO-mediated activation of CAR, but only clotrimazole was capable to completely reverse the effect of CITCO in the tested concentrations. Thus this method allows identifying not only agonists, but also antagonists and inverse agonists for human CAR as well as to investigate the nature of the pharmacodynamic interactions of CAR ligands.
A Sparse Reconstruction Algorithm for Ultrasonic Images in Nondestructive Testing
Authors: Guarneri Giovanni , Pipa Daniel , Junior Flávio , De Arruda Lúcia , Zibetti Marcelo
Published: April 2015

Ultrasound imaging systems (UIS) are essential tools in nondestructive testing (NDT). In general, the quality of images depends on two factors: system hardware features and image reconstruction algorithms. This paper presents a new image reconstruction algorithm for ultrasonic NDT. The algorithm reconstructs images from A-scan signals acquired by an ultrasonic imaging system with a monostatic transducer in pulse-echo configuration. It is based on regularized least squares using a l1 regularization norm. The method is tested to reconstruct an image of a point-like reflector, using both simulated and real data. The resolution of reconstructed image is compared with four traditional ultrasonic imaging reconstruction algorithms: B-scan, SAFT, !-k SAFT and regularized least squares (RLS). The method demonstrates significant resolution improvement when compared with B-scan—about 91% using real data. The proposed scheme also outperforms traditional algorithms in terms of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
An Improved Time-Frequency Analysis Method in Interference Detection for GNSS Receivers
Authors: Sun Kewen , Jin Tian , Yang Dongkai
Published: April 2015

In this paper, an improved joint time-frequency (TF) analysis method based on a reassigned smoothed pseudo Wigner–Ville distribution (RSPWVD) has been proposed in interference detection for Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers. In the RSPWVD, the two-dimensional low-pass filtering smoothing function is introduced to eliminate the cross-terms present in the quadratic TF distribution, and at the same time, the reassignment method is adopted to improve the TF concentration properties of the auto-terms of the signal components. This proposed interference detection method is evaluated by experiments on GPS L1 signals in the disturbing scenarios compared to the state-of-the-art interference detection approaches. The analysis results show that the proposed interference detection technique effectively overcomes the cross-terms problem and also preserves good TF localization properties, which has been proven to be effective and valid to enhance the interference detection performance of the GNSS receivers, particularly in the jamming environments.
Design and Field Test of a WSN Platform Prototype for Long-Term Environmental Monitoring
Authors: Lazarescu Mihai
Published: April 2015

Long-term wildfire monitoring using distributed in situ temperature sensors is an accurate, yet demanding environmental monitoring application, which requires long-life, low-maintenance, low-cost sensors and a simple, fast, error-proof deployment procedure. We present in this paper the most important design considerations and optimizations of all elements of a low-cost WSN platform prototype for long-term, low-maintenance pervasive wildfire monitoring, its preparation for a nearly three-month field test, the analysis of the causes of failure during the test and the lessons learned for platform improvement. The main components of the total cost of the platform (nodes, deployment and maintenance) are carefully analyzed and optimized for this application. The gateways are designed to operate with resources that are generally used for sensor nodes, while the requirements and cost of the sensor nodes are significantly lower. We define and test in simulation and in the field experiment a simple, but effective communication protocol for this application. It helps to lower the cost of the nodes and field deployment procedure, while extending the theoretical lifetime of the sensor nodes to over 16 years on a single 1 Ah lithium battery.
A Study of a QCM Sensor Based on TiO2 Nanostructures for the Detection of NO2 and Explosives Vapours in Air
Authors: Procek Marcin , Stolarczyk Agnieszka , Pustelny Tadeusz , Maciak Erwin
Published: April 2015

The paper deals with investigations concerning the construction of sensors based on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) containing a TiO2 nanostructures sensor layer. A chemical method of synthesizing these nanostructures is presented. The prepared prototype of the QCM sensing system, as well as the results of tests for detecting low NO2 concentrations in an atmosphere of synthetic air have been described. The constructed NO2 sensors operate at room temperature, which is a great advantage, because resistance sensors based on wide gap semiconductors often require much higher operation temperatures, sometimes as high as 500 °C. The sensors constructed by the authors can be used, among other applications, in medical and chemical diagnostics, and also for the purpose of detecting explosive vapours. Reactions of the sensor to nitroglycerine vapours are presented as an example of its application. The influence of humidity on the operation of the sensor was studied.
Rescuing Food from the Organics Waste Stream to Feed the Food Insecure: An Economic and Environmental Assessment of Australian Food Rescue Operations Using Environmentally Extended Waste Input-Output Analysis
Authors: Reynolds Christian , Piantadosi Julia , Boland John
Published: April 2015

In this paper we investigate the economic and environmental efficiency of charities and NGO’s “rescuing” food waste, using a 2008 case study of food rescue organisations in Australia. We quantify the tonnages, costs, and environmental impact of food rescued, and then compare food rescue to other food waste disposal methods composting and landfill. To our knowledge this is the first manuscript to comprehend the psychical flows of charity within an Input-Output framework—treating the charity donations as a waste product. We found that 18,105 tonnes of food waste was rescued, and calculate that food rescue operations generate approximately six kilograms of food waste per tonne of food rescued, at a cost of US$222 per tonne of food rescued. This a lower cost than purchasing a tonne of comparable edible food at market value. We also found that per US dollar spent on food rescue, edible food to the value of US$5.71 (1863 calories) was rescued. Likewise, every US dollar spent on food rescue redirected food that represented 6.6 m3 of embodied water, 40.13 MJ of embodied energy, and 7.5 kilograms of embodied greenhouse gasses (CO2 equivalents) from being sent to landfill or composting, and into mouths of the food insecure. We find that food rescue—though more economically costly than landfill or composting—is a lower cost method of obtaining food for the food insecure than direct purchasing.
Ecological Footprints and Lifestyle Archetypes: Exploring Dimensions of Consumption and the Transformation Needed to Achieve Urban Sustainability
Authors: Moore Jennie
Published: April 2015

The global urban transition increasingly positions cities as important influencers in determining sustainability outcomes. Urban sustainability literature tends to focus on the built environment as a solution space for reducing energy and materials demand; however, equally important is the consumption characteristics of the people who occupy the city. While size of dwelling and motor vehicle ownership are partially influenced by urban form, they are also influenced by cultural and socio-economic characteristics. Dietary choices and purchases of consumable goods are almost entirely driven by the latter. Using international field data that document urban ways of living, I develop lifestyle archetypes coupled with ecological footprint analysis to develop consumption benchmarks in the domains of: food, buildings, consumables, transportation, and water that correspond to various levels of demand on nature’s services. I also explore the dimensions of transformation that would be needed in each of these domains for the per capita consumption patterns of urban dwellers to achieve ecological sustainability. The dimensions of transformation needed commensurate with ecological carrying capacity include: a 73% reduction in household energy use, a 96% reduction in motor vehicle ownership, a 78% reduction in per capita vehicle kilometres travelled, and a 79% reduction in air kilometres travelled.
Motion Key-Frame Extraction by Using Optimized t-Stochastic Neighbor Embedding
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Yao Yi , Zhou Dongsheng , Liu Rui
Published: April 2015

Key-frame extracting technology has been widely used in the field of human motion synthesis. Efficient and accurate key frames extraction methods can improve the accuracy of motion synthesis. In this paper, we use an optimized t-Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (t-SNE for short) algorithm to reduce the data and on this basis extract the key frames. The experimental results show that the validity of this method is better than the existing methods under the same experimental data.
Estimating the Impact of Inflow on the Chemistry of Two Different Caldera Type Lakes Located on the Bali Island (Indonesia)
Authors: Polkowska Żaneta , Wolska Lidia , Łęczyński Leszek , Ruman Marek , Lehmann Sara , Kozak Katarzyna , Matysik Magdalena , Absalon Damian
Published: April 2015

This paper is a preliminary attempt to assess the composition of pollutants in two different caldera lakes situated in the Indonesian Archipelago: Batur and Bratan. Both lakes are characterized by largely different physico-chemical regimes; Batur Lake is located in an area that is currently volcanically active, unlike Bratan Lake. The latter is much smaller and shallower than Batur Lake. The concentration of pollutants in the Indonesian equatorial lakes is largely unknown, and the impact of both biological and geothermal processes on their distribution requires attention. This study shows that the concentrations of cations (Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+), anions (SO42−, F−, Cl−, Br−) and trace elements (Li, B, Al, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sn, Cs, Ba, Pb, U, Be, Ag, Sb, Tl, Bi) differ greatly between both lakes. Most chemical parameters determined in volcanically influenced Batur Lake were tens to hundreds times higher than in Bratan Lake, and in the case of trace metals, the ratios of the two lakes’ concentrations reached several hundreds. This study also compared the composition and concentration levels of organic compounds in both lakes, such as fatty acids, halocarbons and esters. On the other hand, the content of organic chemicals in the lakes also results from biological activity by phytoplankton, zooplankton and bacteria.
Comparison of autogenous cancellous bone grafting and extra-corporeal shock wave therapy on osteotomy healing in the tibial tuberosity advancement procedure in dogs
Authors: Lanz O. , Werre S. , Clapp K. , Gilley R. , Barnes K.
Published: April 2015

Objectives: To compare optical values in the osteotomy gap created after a tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA) treated with autogenous cancellous bone graft, extracorporeal shock wave therapy, a combination of auto-genous cancellous bone graft and extra -corporeal shock wave therapy, and absence of both autogenous cancellous bone graft and extracorporeal shock wave therapy using densitometry.

Methods: Dogs that were presented for surgical repair of a cranial cruciate ligament rupture were randomly assigned to one of four groups: TTA with autogenous cancellous bone graft (TTA-G), TTA with autogenous cancellous bone graft and extracorporeal shock wave therapy (TTA-GS), TTA with extracorporeal shock wave therapy (TTA-S), and TTA with no additional therapy (TTA-O). Mediolateral radiographs at zero, four and eight weeks after surgery were evaluated to compare healing of the osteotomy gap via densitometry. An analysis of variance was used to compare the densitometric values between groups.

Results: At four weeks after surgery, a significant difference in osteotomy gap density was noted between TTA-GS (8.4 millimetres of aluminium equivalent [mmAleq]) and TTA-S (6.1 mmAleq), and between TTA-GS (8.4 mmAleq) and TTA-O (6.4 mmAleq). There were no significant differences noted between any groups at the eight week re-evaluation.

Clinical significance: There were no significant differences in the osteotomy gap density at eight weeks after surgery regardless of the treatment modality used. The combination of autogenous cancellous bone graft and extracorporeal shock wave therapy may lead to increased radiographic density of the osteotomy gap in the first four weeks after surgery. Densitometry using an aluminium step wedge is a feasible method for comparison of bone density after TTA in dogs.
Cloud Computing and Frameworks for Organisational Cloud Adoption
Authors: Chang Victor , Walters Robert John , Wills Gary B.
Published: April 2015

This chapter presents a selected review for Cloud Computing and explains the issues and risks of adopting Cloud Computing in a business environment. Although all the risks identified may be associated with two major Cloud adoption challenges, a framework is required to support organisations as they begin to use Cloud and minimise risks of Cloud adoption. Eleven Cloud Computing frameworks are investigated and a comparison of their strengths and limitations is made. The result of the comparison is that none of them can deal with all the Cloud adoption challenges thoroughly and a new, comprehensive framework is required if organisations are to overcome these challenges. This proposed framework would ensure that benefits of Cloud adoption are maximised whilst minimising the risks of Cloud adoption and can integrate existing and new projects with Leeds Beckett Cloud.
Building Clouds
Authors: Heilig Leonard , Voß Stefan , Wulfken Lars
Published: April 2015

The highly automated and scalable nature of cloud computing encourages practitioners and scholars to reconsider software delivery processes. To efficiently leverage the benefits of elastic clouds, applications are typically provisioned and deployed several times a day in different environments and regions. Related procedures must support agile development and deployment of software components as well as the associated management of different versions and configurations. To efficiently utilize auto-scaling mechanisms, the latency produced by provisioning and deployment activities needs to be reduced while ensuring consistency, repeatability and reliability. In this chapter, an integrative process-oriented approach to improve the overall quality and performance of deployment processes is presented. Based on a comprehensive analysis of requirements, the proposed process considers the link between deployment and configuration management as well as tools and organizational aspects. Further, related research challenges and a case study focusing on the Adobe Shared Cloud are presented.
Cloud-Based Infiltration Detection System for Military Purposes
Authors: Sharma ChandraMani , Sharma Deepika , Kumar Harish
Published: April 2015

Massive military manpower is deployed on borders to keep a vigilant eye on possible infiltration from neighboring countries. This traditional approach is prone to errors because of human factors. To make border surveillance more effective, countries have installed CCTV cameras on borders but generally such systems are passive in nature and require human operators to keep an eye on the captured video footage. This chapter describes a cloud based approach for infiltration detection in border defense environments. The processing of video data, in cloud, and the real-time response are the factors that make system suitable for military purposes. As far as affordability is concerned, the governments can easily bear expense of establishing a private cloud for implementing visual surveillance. This chapter represents pertinent research of authors in the field of visual surveillance as well as other state-of-the-art breakthroughs in this area. The chapter is of multi-disciplinary significance in the field of cloud computing, video & image processing, behavioral sciences, and defense studies.
Impact of Lean Supply Chain Management on Operational Performance
Authors: Zhou Steve Bin , Ji Fiona Xiaoying
Published: April 2015

Lean is a systematic approach to identify and eliminate non-value-added activities or waste through continuous improvement process. While traditional lean manufacturing focuses on the activities within a single organization, lean supply chain consists of the same processes, but it views these processes over multiple organizations. This research addresses an important yet under-studied area – lean supply chain management in small organizations, especially small manufacturing firms. The study examines driving factors of lean supply chain management, focus of lean supply chain practices, and major supply chain and information technology solutions applied in these companies. Through a research survey, the study has provided important insights into the current status of lean supply chain practices and related implementation issues in small businesses.
Peritelini nuovi o interessanti della fauna w-paleartica. XXVI Una nuova Pseudomeira del gruppo sardoa (Coleoptera Curculionidae Entiminae)
Authors: Pierotti Helio , Forbicioni Leonardo
Published: April 2015

Viene descritta una nuova Pseudomeira del gruppo sardoa: abbazzii dell’isola di Pianosa; disegni di parti tassonomicamente significative completano il lavoro.