bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Texture Analysis is a Useful Tool to Assess the Complexity Profile of Microcirculatory Blood Flow
Authors: Silva Henrique , Ferreira Hugo A. , Rocha Clemente , Monteiro Rodrigues Luís
Published: January 2020

The quantitative assessment of cardiovascular functions is particularly complicated, especially during any physiological challenge (e.g., exercise), with physiological signals showing intricate oscillatory properties. Signal complexity is one of such properties, and reflects the adaptability of the physiological systems that generated them. However, it is still underexplored in vascular physiology. In the present study, we calculate the complexity of photoplethysmography (PPG) signals and their frequency components obtained with the wavelet transform (WT), with two analytical tools—(i) texture analysis (TA) of WT scalograms, and (ii) multiscale entropy (MSE) analysis. PPG signals were collected from twelve healthy young subjects (26.0 ± 5.0 y.o.) during a unilateral leg lowering maneuver to evoke the venoarteriolar reflex (VAR) while lying supine, with the contralateral leg remaining stationary. Results showed that TA was able to detect a decrease in complexity, viewed as an increase in texture entropy (TE), of the PPG scalograms during VAR, similarly to MSE, suggesting that a decrease in the competence of vascular regulation mechanisms might be present during VAR. Nonetheless, TA showed lower sensitivity than MSE for low frequency spectral regions. TA seems to be a promising and straightforward analytical tool for the assessment of the complexity of PPG perfusion signals.
Dependence of PV Module Temperature on Incident Time-Dependent Solar Spectrum
Authors: Appelbaum Joseph , Maor Tamir
Published: January 2020

The operating temperature of photovoltaic (PV) modules affects the photovoltaic conversion process. The operating temperature depends on various environmental conditions and on material-dependent properties of the PV modules. Many expressions for the operating temperature have been proposed in the literatures, some are simplified working Equation as NOCT (Nominal Operating Cell Temperature), and others are more complex, being based on a combination of the energy balance Equation and NOCT. The present study offers a new approach (model) for determining the PV module temperature based on the energy balance Equation and on the solar spectrum irradiance. While using the new model, the operating temperature has been determined for four module technologies: c-Si, a-Si/ μ c-Si, CdTe, and CIGS and it shows that the operating temperatures for the different cell types are close to the manufacturers’ NOCT data-sheet temperatures. For c-Si technology, for example, the simulation resulted in 43.2° and 46° for the spectrum and NOCT models, respectively. The proposed new model offers a new approach for determining the operating temperature of PV modules.
Evaluation of Commercial Ropes Applied as Artificial Tendons in Robotic Rehabilitation Orthoses
Authors: Rúbio Guilherme de Paula , Martins Ferreira Fernanda Márcia Rodrigues , Brandão Fabrício Henrique de Lisboa , Machado Victor Flausino , Tonelli Leandro Gonzaga , Martins Jordana Simões Ribeiro , Kozan Renan Fernandes , Vimieiro Claysson Bruno Santos
Published: January 2020

This study aims to present the design, selection and testing of commercial ropes (artificial tendons) used on robotic orthosis to perform the hand movements for stroke individuals over upper limb rehabilitation. It was determined the load applied in the rope would through direct measurements performed on four individuals after stroke using a bulb dynamometer. A tensile strength test was performed using eight commercial ropes in order to evaluate the maximum breaking force and select the most suitable to be used in this application. Finally, a pilot test was performed with a user of the device to ratify the effectiveness of the rope. The load on the cable was 12.38 kgf (121.4 N) in the stroke-affected hand, which is the maximum tensile force that the rope must to supports. Paragliding rope (DuPont™ Kevlar ® ) supporting a load of 250 N at a strain of 37 mm was selected. The clinical test proved the effectiveness of the rope, supporting the requested efforts, without presenting permanent deformation, effectively performing the participant’s finger opening.
Improving the Performance of Doubly Fed Induction Generator Using Fault Tolerant Control—A Hierarchical Approach
Authors: Nazir Muhammad Shahzad , Wang Yeqin , Mahdi Ali Jafer , Sun Xinguo , Zhang Chu , Abdalla Ahmed N.
Published: January 2020

The growth of using wind energy on a large scale increases the demand for wind energy conversion machines (WECMs), among these converters, the doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) is the favorite choice. However, DFIG is very sensitive to wind speed variations and grid faults during operation. In order to overcome these undesirable characteristics, this paper proposes a hierarchical fault tolerant control (FTC) to improve the performance of DFIG. The hierarchical fault tolerant control (FTC) approach consists of pitch angle control (PAC) and maximum power point tracking (MPPT). This hierarchical approach demonstrates the robust response under various (low, rated, and high) wind speed ranges and reduces the undesirable DC voltage overshoots during short-circuit disorder. The simulation results are summarized in a logical table, which depicts the order of controlling scheme and operation for a sustainable energy generation system. The proposed control scheme achieved the healthy and the robust dynamic response without deteriorating the grid power quality or stressing the converters, and approved the effectiveness to suppress the DC voltage overshoots and tolerate the lower down short-circuit disorder to its rated range.
Trajectory Optimization of Pickup Manipulator in Obstacle Environment Based on Improved Artificial Potential Field Method
Authors: Zhou Haibo , Zhou Shun , Yu Jia , Zhang Zhongdang , Liu Zhenzhong
Published: January 2020

In order to realize the technique of quick picking and obstacle avoidance, this work proposes a trajectory optimization method for the pickup manipulator under the obstacle condition. The proposed method is based on the improved artificial potential field method and the cosine adaptive genetic algorithm. Firstly, the Denavit–Hartenberg (D-H) method is used to carry out the kinematics modeling of the pickup manipulator. Taking into account the motion constraints, the cosine adaptive genetic algorithm is utilized to complete the time-optimal trajectory planning. Then, for the collision problem in the obstacle environment, the artificial potential field method is used to establish the attraction, repulsion, and resultant potential field functions. By improving the repulsion potential field function and increasing the sub-target point, obstacle avoidance planning of the improved artificial potential field method is completed. Finally, combined with the improved artificial potential field method and cosine adaptive genetic algorithm, the movement simulation analysis of the five-Degree-of-Freedom pickup manipulator is carried out. The trajectory optimization under the obstacle environment is realized, and the picking efficiency is improved.
A Heterogeneous Ensemble Learning Framework for Spam Detection in Social Networks with Imbalanced Data
Authors: Zhao Chensu , Xin Yang , Li Xuefeng , Yang Yixian , Chen Yuling
Published: January 2020

The popularity of social networks provides people with many conveniences, but their rapid growth has also attracted many attackers. In recent years, the malicious behavior of social network spammers has seriously threatened the information security of ordinary users. To reduce this threat, many researchers have mined the behavior characteristics of spammers and have obtained good results by applying machine learning algorithms to identify spammers in social networks. However, most of these studies overlook class imbalance situations that exist in real world data. In this paper, we propose a heterogeneous stacking-based ensemble learning framework to ameliorate the impact of class imbalance on spam detection in social networks. The proposed framework consists of two main components, a base module and a combining module. In the base module, we adopt six different base classifiers and utilize this classifier diversity to construct new ensemble input members. In the combination module, we introduce cost sensitive learning into deep neural network training. By setting different costs for misclassification and dynamically adjusting the weights of the prediction results of the base classifiers, we can integrate the input members and aggregate the classification results. The experimental results show that our framework effectively improves the spam detection rate on imbalanced datasets.
Use of Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVEC) as a Model to Study Cardiovascular Disease: A Review
Authors: Medina-Leyte Diana J. , Domínguez-Pérez Mayra , Mercado Ingrid , Villarreal-Molina María T. , Jacobo-Albavera Leonor
Published: January 2020

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, and extensive research has been performed to understand this disease better, using various experimental models. The endothelium plays a crucial role in the development of CVD, since it is an interface between bloodstream components, such as monocytes and platelets, and other arterial wall components. Human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) isolation from umbilical cord was first described in 1973. To date, this model is still widely used because of the high HUVEC isolation success rate, and because HUVEC are an excellent model to study a broad array of diseases, including cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. We here review the history of HUVEC isolation, the HUVEC model over time, HUVEC culture characteristics and conditions, advantages and disadvantages of this model and finally, its applications in the area of cardiovascular diseases.
The Combination of Wildfire and Changing Climate Triggers Permafrost Degradation in the Khentii Mountains, Northern Mongolia
Authors: Munkhjargal Munkhdavaa , Yadamsuren Gansukh , Yamkhin Jambaljav , Menzel Lucas
Published: January 2020

High topographic heterogeneity and complex mechanisms between the atmosphere and the ground create unique hydro-climatic processes over mountainous regions. Based on in situ observations, we present the spatial variability of ground surface temperature (GST) in the Khentii Mountains of northern Mongolia, which is situated at the southern fringe of the Eurasian permafrost zone. Changes in the hydrothermal regime of the active layer were investigated in association with changing climate and wildfire effects. The results reveal that the GST tends to increase continuously since 2011 in both thawing and freezing seasons, and varies significantly within a short horizontal distance, particularly during the thawing season. Extreme weather events, such as drought and heavy snowfall, amplify the increase in the ground temperature and deepen the seasonal thawing depth. The fire-induced loss in organic layer resulted in a greater heat penetration deeper into the ground and unbalanced the moisture distribution. Overall, the thawing depth is greater by >1.7 m under severely burned forest, compared to unburned forest. Given that about 30% of the boreal forest was affected by wildfire in the study area, the ground thermal regime changed considerably. The findings suggest that the combination of regional temperature rise and more frequent extreme weather and wildfire events in the region triggers permafrost degradation and alters the hydrothermal regime in the future.
Assessment of Fatty Acid Desaturase (Fads2) Structure-Function Properties in Fish in the Context of Environmental Adaptations and as a Target for Genetic Engineering
Authors: Bláhová Zuzana , Harvey Thomas Nelson , Pšenička Martin , Mráz Jan
Published: January 2020

Fatty acid desaturase 2 (Fads2) is the key enzyme of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) biosynthesis. Endogenous production of these biomolecules in vertebrates, if present, is insufficient to meet demand. Hence, LC-PUFA are considered as conditionally essential. At present, however, LC-PUFA are globally limited nutrients due to anthropogenic factors. Research attention has therefore been paid to finding ways to maximize endogenous LC-PUFA production, especially in production species, whereby deeper knowledge on molecular mechanisms of enzymatic steps involved is being generated. This review first briefly informs about the milestones in the history of LC-PUFA essentiality exploration before it focuses on the main aim—to highlight the fascinating Fads2 potential to play roles fundamental to adaptation to novel environmental conditions. Investigations are summarized to elucidate on the evolutionary history of fish Fads2, providing an explanation for the remarkable plasticity of this enzyme in fish. Furthermore, structural implications of Fads2 substrate specificity are discussed and some relevant studies performed on organisms other than fish are mentioned in cases when such studies have to date not been conducted on fish models. The importance of Fads2 in the context of growing aquaculture demand and dwindling LC-PUFA supply is depicted and a few remedies in the form of genetic engineering to improve endogenous production of these biomolecules are outlined.
The Program “Reflexion 1”—the Condition of Intensive Formation of Metacognitive Skills in Elementary School
Authors: Zak Anatoly
Published: January 2020

Metacognitive skills associated with reflexive actions in solving problems are an essential condition for the successful mastering of school programs and a strong indicator of the intellectual development of primary school-aged children. The purpose of this empirical research is to study the influence of the author’s program of non-educational content, “Reflexion 1”, on the formation of reflexive actions in solving problems for children aged 9 years. Thirty-two classes were conducted (once a week, outside school hours) with the experimental group of students from September to May, according to the specified program. The results show that the lessons in the “Reflexion 1” program contribute to a significant increase in the number of children aged 9 years with substantial reflexive actions in solving problems.
Impact of Smart Monitoring on Energy Savings in a Social Housing Residence
Authors: Jnat Khadija , Shahrour Isam , Zaoui Ali
Published: January 2020

Energy consumption in the social housing sector constitutes a major economic, social, and environmental issue, because in some countries such as France, social housing accounts for about 19% of the housing sector. In addition, this sector suffers from ageing, which results in high energy consumption, deterioration in the occupant quality of life, and high pressure on the budget of low-income occupants. The reduction of the energy consumption in this sector becomes a “must”. This reduction can be achieved through energy renovation and innovation in both energy management and occupant involvement by using smart technology. This paper presents a contribution to this goal through the investigation of the impact of smart monitoring on energy savings. The research is based on monitoring of comfort conditions in an occupied social housing residence in the North of France and the use of building thermal numerical modeling. Results of monitoring show that the indoor temperature largely exceeds the regulations requirements and the use of a smart system together with occupant involvement could lead to significant savings in heating energy consumption. The novelty in this paper concerns the use of comfort data from occupied social housing residence, occupation conditions, and building thermal modeling to estimate energy savings. The proposed methodology could be easily implemented to estimate heating energy savings in social housing buildings that lack individual energy consumption monitoring.
Facile One-Step Method to Fabricate a Slippery Lubricant-Infused Surface (LIS) with Self-Replenishment Properties for Anti-Icing Applications
Authors: Zhang Juantao , Liu Bei , Tian Yan , Wang Fushan , Chen Qingguo , Zhang Fan , Qian Hongchang , Ma Lingwei
Published: January 2020

In this work, a slippery lubricant-infused surface (LIS) was prepared by simple one-step mixing of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) resin and dimethyl silicone oil (PMX-200) directly. Silicone oil showed good compatibility with PDMS resin, and the added amount of silicone oil had no significant effect on the surface morphology of LIS. According to the results of surface observations, once the silicone oil film anchored on the LIS was removed, the silicone oil inside the PDMS polymer automatically diffused to the surface and formed a new silicone oil film again in a short time. Furthermore, with the increase of silicone oil content, the oil self-replenishment speed and amount of the LIS were enhanced, which also promoted a decrease of the surface water sliding angle and the improvement of the lubrication ability of the LIS. In the icing/deicing cycle tests, the slippery LIS still maintained very low ice adhesion strength after 24 cycles, showing excellent anti-icing performance.
Assessment of Renal Osteodystrophy via Computational Analysis of Label-free Raman Detection of Multiple Biomarkers
Authors: Manciu Marian , Cardenas Mario , Bennet Kevin E. , Maran Avudaiappan , Yaszemski Michael J. , Maldonado Theresa A. , Magiricu Diana , Manciu Felicia S.
Published: January 2020

Accurate clinical evaluation of renal osteodystrophy (ROD) is currently accomplished using invasive in vivo transiliac bone biopsy, followed by in vitro histomorphometry. In this study, we demonstrate that an alternative method for ROD assessment is through a fast, label-free Raman recording of multiple biomarkers combined with computational analysis for predicting the minimally required number of spectra for sample classification at defined accuracies. Four clinically relevant biomarkers: the mineral-to-matrix ratio, the carbonate-to-matrix ratio, phenylalanine, and calcium contents were experimentally determined and simultaneously considered as input to a linear discriminant analysis (LDA). Additionally, sample evaluation was performed with a linear support vector machine (LSVM) algorithm, with a 300 variable input. The computed probabilities based on a single spectrum were only marginally different (~80% from LDA and ~87% from LSVM), both providing an unacceptable classification power for a correct sample assignment. However, the Type I and Type II assignment errors confirm that a relatively small number of independent spectra (7 spectra for Type I and 5 spectra for Type II) is necessary for a p < 0.05 error probability. This low number of spectra supports the practicality of future in vivo Raman translation for a fast and accurate ROD detection in clinical settings.
Probabilistic Strategic Conflict-Management for 4D Trajectories in Free-Route Airspace
Authors: Pérez-Castán Javier Alberto , Rodríguez-Sanz Álvaro , Pérez Sanz Luis , Arnaldo Valdés Rosa M. , Gómez Comendador V. Fernando , Greatti Clemence , Serrano-Mira Lidia
Published: January 2020

The expected growth of air traffic in the following decades demands the implementation of new operational concepts to avoid current limitations of the air traffic management system. This paper focuses on the strategic conflict management for four-dimensional trajectories (4DT) in free-route airspace. 4DT has been proposed as the future operational concept to manage air traffic. Thus, aircraft must fulfil temporary restrictions at specific waypoints in the airspace based on time windows. Based on the temporary restrictions, a strategic conflict management method is proposed to calculate the conflict probability of an aircraft pair (that intersects in the air) and to calculate temporary-blocking windows that quantify the time span at which an aircraft cannot depart because one conflict could occur. This methodology was applied in a case-study for an aircraft pair, including the uncertainty associated with 4DT. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis was performed to characterise the impact of wind conditions and speed control on the temporary-blocking windows. The results concluded that it is feasible to propose 4DT strategic de-confliction based on temporary-blocking windows. Although, uncertainty variables such as wind and speed control impact on the conflict probability and the size of the temporary-blocking windows.
Nonlinear Fokker–Planck Equation Approach to Systems of Interacting Particles: Thermostatistical Features Related to the Range of the Interactions
Authors: Plastino Angel , Wedemann Roseli
Published: January 2020

Nonlinear Fokker–Planck equations (NLFPEs) constitute useful effective descriptions of some interacting many-body systems. Important instances of these nonlinear evolution equations are closely related to the thermostatistics based on the S q power-law entropic functionals. Most applications of the connection between the NLFPE and the S q entropies have focused on systems interacting through short-range forces. In the present contribution we re-visit the NLFPE approach to interacting systems in order to clarify the role played by the range of the interactions, and to explore the possibility of developing similar treatments for systems with long-range interactions, such as those corresponding to Newtonian gravitation. In particular, we consider a system of particles interacting via forces following the inverse square law and performing overdamped motion, that is described by a density obeying an integro-differential evolution equation that admits exact time-dependent solutions of the q-Gaussian form. These q-Gaussian solutions, which constitute a signature of S q -thermostatistics, evolve in a similar but not identical way to the solutions of an appropriate nonlinear, power-law Fokker–Planck equation.
On Implementing Optimal Energy Management for EREV Using Distance Constrained Adaptive Real-Time Dynamic Programming
Authors: Kalia Aman , Fabien Brian
Published: January 2020

Extended range electric vehicles (EREVs) operate both as an electric vehicle (EV) and as a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). As a hybrid, the on-board range extender (REx) system provides additional energy to increase the feasible driving range. In this paper, we evaluate an experimental research EREV based on the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro platform for optimal energy management control. We use model-in-loop and software-in-loop environments to validate the data-driven power loss model of the research vehicle. A discussion on the limitations of conventional energy management control algorithms is presented. We then propose our algorithm derived from adaptive real-time dynamic programming (ARTDP) with a distance constraint for energy consumption optimization. To achieve a near real-time functionality, the algorithm recomputes optimal parameters by monitoring the energy storage system’s (ESS) state of charge deviations from the previously computed optimal trajectory. The proposed algorithm is adaptable to variability resulting from driving behavior or system limitations while maintaining the target driving range. The net energy consumption evaluation shows a maximum improvement of 9.8% over the conventional charge depleting/charge sustaining (CD/CS) algorithm used in EREVs. Thus, our proposed algorithm shows adaptability and fault tolerance while being close to the global optimal solution.
System Log Detection Model Based on Conformal Prediction
Authors: Ren Yitong , Gu Zhaojun , Wang Zhi , Tian Zhihong , Liu Chunbo , Lu Hui , Du Xiaojiang , Guizani Mohsen
Published: January 2020

With the rapid development of the Internet of Things, the combination of the Internet of Things with machine learning, Hadoop and other fields are current development trends. Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) is one of the core components of Hadoop, which is used to process files that are divided into data blocks distributed in the cluster. Once the distributed log data are abnormal, it will cause serious losses. When using machine learning algorithms for system log anomaly detection, the output of threshold-based classification models are only normal or abnormal simple predictions. This paper used the statistical learning method of conformity measure to calculate the similarity between test data and past experience. Compared with detection methods based on static threshold, the statistical learning method of the conformity measure can dynamically adapt to the changing log data. By adjusting the maximum fault tolerance, a system administrator can better manage and monitor the system logs. In addition, the computational efficiency of the statistical learning method for conformity measurement was improved. This paper implemented an intranet anomaly detection model based on log analysis, and conducted trial detection on HDFS data sets quickly and efficiently.
Tracking Control for Quad-Rotor Using Velocity Field and Obstacle Avoidance Based on Hydrodynamics
Authors: Rascón-Enríquez Julián , García-Delgado Luis Arturo , Noriega José R. , García-Juárez Alejandro , Espinoza Eduardo S.
Published: January 2020

In this work, the problem of navigation control of a quad-rotor, which includes path planning (to a desired trajectory with obstacle avoidance) and tracking control, is addressed. Path planning is achieved by means of the velocity field technique, since this method generates smooth trajectories that are suitable for this kind of vehicles. We propose a recursive method for the composition of the total velocity reference. In order to achieve a good tracking of the generated references, a saturated controller is used, namely, nested saturation. It is demonstrated that the velocity reference can be tracked with a reduction in the order of the controller, from four to three saturators, which simplifies the implementation. Numerical results show that a correct tracking could be guaranteed.
Method of Moments Based on Equivalent Periodic Problem and FFT with NURBS Surfaces for Analysis of Multilayer Periodic Structures
Authors: Florencio Rafael , Somolinos Álvaro , González Iván , Cátedra Felipe
Published: January 2020

In this paper, an efficient technique of computation of method of moments (MM) matrix entries for multilayer periodic structures with NURBS surface and Bézier patches modelling is proposed. An approximation in terms of constant pulses of generalized rooftop basis functions (BFs) defined on Bézier patches is proposed. This approximation leads discrete convolutions instead of usual continuous convolution between Green’s functions and BFs obtained by the direct mixed potential integral equation (MPIE) approach. An equivalent periodic problem (EPP) which contains the original problem is proposed to transform the discrete convolutions in discrete cyclic convolutions. The resultant discrete cyclic convolutions are computed by efficiently using the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) procedure. The performance of the proposed method and direct computation of the MM entries are compared for phases of reflection coefficient. The proposed method is between 9 and 50 times faster than the direct computation for phase errors less than 1 deg. The proposed method exhibits a behaviour of CPU time consumption of O(NbLog10Nb) as the number Nb of BFs increases. This behaviour provides significant CPU time savings with respect to the expected behaviour of O(Nb2) provided by the direct computation of the MM matrix entries.
Numerical Analysis of Thermochemical Nonequilibrium Flows in a Model Scramjet Engine
Authors: Han Seoeum , Lee Sangyoon , Lee Bok Jik
Published: January 2020

This numerical study was conducted to investigate the flow properties in a model scramjet configuration of the experiment in the T4 shock tunnel. In most numerical simulations of flows in shock tunnels, the inflow conditions in the test section are determined by assuming the thermal equilibrium of the gas. To define the inflow conditions in the test section, the numerical simulation of the nozzle flow with the given nozzle reservoir conditions from the experiment is conducted by a thermochemical nonequilibrium computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver. Both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulations of the flow in a model scramjet were conducted without fuel injection. Simulations were performed for two types of inflow conditions: one for thermochemical nonequilibrium states obtained from the present nozzle simulation and the other for the data available using the thermal equilibrium and chemical nonequilibrium assumptions. The four results demonstrate the significance of the modelling approach for choosing between 2D or 3D, and thermal equilibrium or nonequilibrium.
Modeling and Design of a Multi-Tubular Packed-Bed Reactor for Methanol Steam Reforming over a Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 Catalyst
Authors: Zhu Jimin , Araya Samuel Simon , Cui Xiaoti , Sahlin Simon Lennart , Kær Søren Knudsen
Published: January 2020

Methanol as a hydrogen carrier can be reformed with steam over Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalysts. In this paper a comprehensive pseudo-homogenous model of a multi-tubular packed-bed reformer has been developed to investigate the impact of operating conditions and geometric parameters on its performance. A kinetic Langmuir-Hinshelwood model of the methanol steam reforming process was proposed. In addition to the kinetic model, the pressure drop and the mass and heat transfer phenomena along the reactor were taken into account. This model was verified by a dynamic model in the platform of ASPEN. The diffusion effect inside catalyst particles was also estimated and accounted for by the effectiveness factor. The simulation results showed axial temperature profiles in both tube and shell side with different operating conditions. Moreover, the lower flow rate of liquid fuel and higher inlet temperature of thermal air led to a lower concentration of residual methanol, but also a higher concentration of generated CO from the reformer exit. The choices of operating conditions were limited to ensure a tolerable concentration of methanol and CO in H2-rich gas for feeding into a high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC) stack. With fixed catalyst load, the increase of tube number and decrease of tube diameter improved the methanol conversion, but also increased the CO concentration in reformed gas. In addition, increasing the number of baffle plates in the shell side increased the methanol conversion and the CO concentration.
Green Extraction Methods for Active Compounds from Food Waste—Cocoa Bean Shell
Authors: Pavlović Nika , Jokić Stela , Jakovljević Martina , Blažić Marijana , Molnar Maja
Published: January 2020

This is the first report on the extraction of cocoa bean shell (CBS) using deep eutectic solvents (DESs). Screening results with 16 different choline chloride-based DESs showed how choline chloride:oxalic acid DES was the most suitable solvent for the extraction of the bioactive compounds from CBS and that concentrations varied greatly depending on the used solvent. The DES extraction was compared to the DESs coupled with microwave extraction (MAE), and the yields of the extracted compounds were higher for DES/MAE. For theobromine, the obtained yields for DES extraction were 2.145–4.682 mg/g, and for caffeine, were 0.681–1.524 mg/g, whereas for DES/MAE, the same compounds were obtained in 2.502–5.004 mg/g and 0.778–1.599 mg/g. Antioxidant activity was also determined, using DPPH method, obtaining 24.027–74.805% activity for DES extraction and 11.751–55.444% for DES/MAE. Water content significantly influenced the extraction of targeted active compounds from CBS, whereas extraction time and temperature did not show statistically significant influence. The extraction temperature only influenced antioxidant activity. The study demonstrated how extraction using DES and microwaves could be of a great importance in the future trends of green chemistry for the production of CBS extracts rich in bioactive compounds.
History and Religion as Sources of Hellenic Identity in Late Byzantium and the Post-Byzantine Era
Authors: Steiris Georgios
Published: January 2020

Recently, seminal publications highlighted the Romanitas of the Byzantines. However, it is not without importance that from the 12th century onwards the ethnonym Hellene (Ἓλλην) became progressively more popular. A number of influential intellectuals and political actors preferred the term Hellene to identify themselves, instead of the formal Roman (Ρωμαῖος) and the common Greek (Γραικός). While I do not intend to challenge the prevalence of the Romanitas during the long Byzantine era, I suggest that we should reevaluate the emerging importance of Hellenitas in the shaping of collective and individual identities after the 12th century. From the 13th to the 16th century, Byzantine scholars attempted to recreate a collective identity based on cultural and historical continuity and otherness. In this paper, I will seek to explore the ways Byzantine scholars of the Late Byzantine and Post Byzantine era, who lived in the territories of the Byzantine Empire and/or in Italy, perceived national identity, and to show that the shift towards Hellenitas started in the Greek-speaking East.
RETRACTED: Temporal Variations of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Seawater at Tsukumo Bay, Noto Peninsula, Japan, during 2014–2018
Authors: Matsunaka Tetsuya , Nagao Seiya , Inoue Mutsuo , Mundo Rodrigo , Tang Ning , Suzuki Nobuo , Ogiso Shouzo , Hayakawa Kazuichi
Published: January 2020

Concentrations of phase-partitioning 13 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in seawater were investigated in the Tsukumo Bay, Noto Peninsula, Japan, during 2014–2018, to improve the understanding of the environmental behavior of PAHs in the coastal areas of the Japan Sea. Total PAH (particulate plus dissolved) concentrations in surface seawater were in the range 0.24–2.20 ng L−1 (mean 0.89 ng L−1), an order of magnitude lower than the mean values observed in the Japan Sea in 2008 and 2010. Although the PAH contamination levels during 2014–2018 were significantly lower than those in the East China Sea, the levels increased from 2014 to 2017 and were maintained at the higher level during 2017–2018. The main sources of particulate and dissolved PAHs during 2014–2018 were combustion products, of which the former were more influenced by liquid fossil-fuel combustion and the latter by biomass or coal combustion. The increase in particulate PAH concentrations in October–December during 2014–2018 was due to the impact of PAH-rich airmasses transported from the East Asian landmass in the northwesterly winter monsoon winds. The increase in dissolved PAH levels during July–September in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018 indicates that the Tsukumo Bay is possibly impacted by the PAH-rich summer continental shelf water transported by the Coastal Branch of the Tsushima Warm Current, which flows into the Japan Sea from the East China Sea.
Bayesian Spatial Survival Models for Hospitalisation of Dengue: A Case Study of Wahidin Hospital in Makassar, Indonesia
Authors: Aswi Aswi , Cramb Susanna , Duncan Earl , Hu Wenbiao , White Gentry , Mengersen Kerrie
Published: January 2020

Spatial models are becoming more popular in time-to-event data analysis. Commonly, the intrinsic conditional autoregressive prior is placed on an area level frailty term to allow for correlation between areas. We considered a range of Bayesian Weibull and Cox semiparametric spatial models to describe a dataset on hospitalisation of dengue. This paper aimed to extend these two models, to evaluate the suitability of these models for estimation and prediction of the length of stay, compare different spatial priors, and determine factors that significantly affect the duration of hospital stay for dengue fever patients in the case study location, namely Wahidin hospital in Makassar, Indonesia. We compared two different models with three different spatial priors with respect to goodness of fit and generalisability. For all models considered, the Leroux prior was preferred over the intrinsic conditional autoregressive and independent priors, but Cox and Weibull versions had similar predictive performance, model fit, and results. Age and platelet count were negatively associated with the length of stay, while red blood cell count was positively associated with the length of stay of dengue patients at this hospital. Using appropriate Bayesian spatial survival models enables identification of factors that substantively affect the length of stay.
Content and Delivery of Physical Therapy in Multiple Sclerosis across Europe: A Survey
Authors: Řasová Kamila , Freeman Jenny , Cattaneo Davide , Jonsdottir Johanna , Baert Ilse , Smedal Tori , Romberg Anders , Feys Peter , Alves-Guerreiro Jose , Habek Mario , Henze Thomas , Santoyo-Medina Carme , Beiske Antonie , Van Asch Paul , Bakalidou Daphne , Salcı Yeliz , Dimitrova Erieta , Pavlíková Markéta , Štětkářová Ivana , Vorlíčková Jana , Martinková Patricia
Published: January 2020

Background: Guidelines and general recommendations are available for multiple sclerosis rehabilitation, but no specific guidance exists for physical therapists. Describing aspects of physical therapy content and delivery in multiple sclerosis and its determinants and analysing whether general recommendations connected with physical therapy are implemented in practice is important for interpreting clinical and research evidence. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey of physical therapists specialized in multiple sclerosis (212 specialists from 26 European countries) was used. Results: There was distinct diversity in service delivery and content across Europe. Perceived accessibility of physical therapy varied from most accessible in the Western region, and least in the Southern region. Sixty-four physical therapists adjusted their approach according to different disability levels, less so in the Eastern region. Duration, frequency and dose of sessions differed between regions, being highest in Southern and Western regions. “Hands on treatment” was the most commonly used therapeutic approach in all apart from the Northern regions, where “word instruction” (providing advice and information) prevailed. Conclusions: The content and delivery of physical therapy differs across Europe. Recommendations concerning access to treatment and adjustment according to disability do not appear to be widely implemented in clinical practice.
Confident Body, Confident Child: Outcomes for Children of Parents Receiving a Universal Parenting Program to Promote Healthful Eating Patterns and Positive Body Image in Their Pre-Schoolers—An Exploratory RCT Extension
Authors: Hill Katherine E. , Hart Laura M. , Paxton Susan J.
Published: January 2020

Objective: A four-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted in Victoria, Australia, previously evaluated parent-report outcomes following Confident Body, Confident Child: a program for parents to promote healthful eating patterns and positive body image in pre-schoolers. This exploratory study evaluated data from children of parents in the trial at 18 months follow-up. Method: Participants were 89 children (58 girls, 31 boys) of parents across all RCT arms (group A: Confident Body, Confident Child (CBCC) resource + workshop, n = 27; group B: CBCC resource only, n = 26; group C: nutrition booklet, n = 18; group D: wait-list control, n = 18). Children’s eating patterns, body image and weight bias were assessed via play-based interview. Results: Children of CBCC parents reported higher body esteem. Children of nutrition booklet parents reported stronger weight bias. Children of CBCC workshop parents reported lower External Eating. Discussion: This exploratory study suggests that CBCC may promote healthy eating patterns and child body image 18 months after parents receive the intervention.
Identifying Homogeneous Patterns of Injury in Paediatric Trauma Patients to Improve Risk-Adjusted Models of Mortality and Functional Outcomes
Authors: Dipnall Joanna F. , Gabbe Belinda J. , Teague Warwick J. , Beck Ben
Published: January 2020

Injury is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the paediatric population and exhibits complex injury patterns. This study aimed to identify homogeneous groups of paediatric major trauma patients based on their profile of injury for use in mortality and functional outcomes risk-adjusted models. Data were extracted from the population-based Victorian State Trauma Registry for patients aged 0–15 years, injured 2006–2016. Four Latent Class Analysis (LCA) models with/without covariates of age/sex tested up to six possible latent classes. Five risk-adjusted models of in-hospital mortality and 6-month functional outcomes incorporated a combination of Injury Severity Score (ISS), New ISS (NISS), and LCA classes. LCA models replicated the best log-likelihood and entropy > 0.8 for all models (N = 1281). Four latent injury classes were identified: isolated head; isolated abdominal organ; multi-trauma injuries, and other injuries. The best models, in terms of goodness of fit statistics and model diagnostics, included the LCA classes and NISS. The identification of isolated head, isolated abdominal, multi-trauma and other injuries as key latent paediatric injury classes highlights areas for emphasis in planning prevention initiatives and paediatric trauma system development. Future risk-adjusted paediatric injury models that include these injury classes with the NISS when evaluating mortality and functional outcomes is recommended.
A Comparison of Satellite-Based Estimates of Urban Agglomeration Size for the Accra Area
Authors: Møller-Jensen Lasse , Allotey Albert N. , Kofie Richard Y. , Yankson Paul W. K.
Published: January 2020

Data on the extension of urban areas are important for analyzing growth dynamics and to support the planning of transport and service provision. Satellite-based remote sensing has proven extremely useful, especially in cities that experience fast spatial growth. Different approaches to satellite-based mapping may, however, produce different results concerning urban categorization and delineation, often making direct comparison misleading. This study analyses four different satellite-based studies of urban land cover in Accra, Ghana and presents a new land cover map based on visual interpretation of segmented Sentinel-2 imagery. The methods and results, as well as the underlying definition of “urban”, are compared and discussed. One method identifies exclusively areas with man-made, impervious surfaces, such as roads and buildings, as proxies for urban extent. Other methods aim to identify a broader set of land cover types, including green spaces, which are treated as part of the mixed urban fabric. Further differences are found in the way urban fringe areas under development are classified depending on their degree of urbanization, and in the distance threshold values used for defining the urban agglomeration. For the most recent maps we identify a difference in the measured size of the Accra agglomeration of almost 100%.
Extracting Representative Images of Tourist Attractions from Flickr by Combining an Improved Cluster Method and Multiple Deep Learning Models
Authors: Han Shanshan , Ren Fu , Du Qingyun , Gui Dawei
Published: January 2020

Extracting representative images of tourist attractions from geotagged photos is beneficial to many fields in tourist management, such as applications in touristic information systems. This task usually begins with clustering to extract tourist attractions from raw coordinates in geotagged photos. However, most existing cluster methods are limited in the accuracy and granularity of the places of interest, as well as in detecting distinct tags, due to its primary consideration of spatial relationships. After clustering, the challenge still exists for the task of extracting representative images within the geotagged base image data, because of the existence of noisy photos occupied by a large area proportion of humans and unrelated objects. In this paper, we propose a framework containing an improved cluster method and multiple neural network models to extract representative images of tourist attractions. We first propose a novel time- and user-constrained density-joinable cluster method (TU-DJ-Cluster), specific to photos with similar geotags to detect place-relevant tags. Then we merge and extend the clusters according to the similarity between pairs of tag embeddings, as trained from Word2Vec. Based on the clustering result, we filter noise images with Multilayer Perceptron and a single-shot multibox detector model, and further select representative images with the deep ranking model. We select Beijing as the study area. The quantitative and qualitative analysis, as well as the questionnaire results obtained from real-life tourists, demonstrate the effectiveness of this framework.
Lattice Quad-Tree Indexing Algorithm for a Hexagonal Discrete Global Grid System
Authors: Zhou Jianbin , Ben Jin , Wang Rui , Zheng Mingyang , Du Lingyu
Published: January 2020

Hexagonal discrete global grid systems are the preferred data models supporting multisource geospatial information fusion. Related research has aroused widespread concern in the academic community, and hierarchical indexing algorithms are one of the main research focuses. In this paper, we propose an algorithm for indexing the cell of a ringed spatial area based on a hexagonal lattice quad-tree (HLQT) structure and the indexing characteristics. First, we design a single-resolution indexing algorithm in which indexing starts from the initial quad tree and expands ring by ring using coding operations, and a quad-tree structure is applied to accelerate this process. Second, the hierarchical indexing algorithm is implemented based on single-resolution indexing, and a pyramid hierarchical model is established. Finally, we perform comparison experiments with existing algorithms. The results of the experiments indicate that the single-level indexing efficiency of the proposed algorithm is approximately twice that of the traditional method and that the hierarchical indexing efficiency is approximately 67 times that of the traditional method. These findings verify the feasibility and superiority of the algorithm proposed in this paper.
Comparison of Eight Technologies to Determine Genotype at the UGT1A1 (TA)n Repeat Polymorphism: Potential Clinical Consequences of Genotyping Errors?
Authors: Sissung Tristan M. , Barbier Roberto H. , Price Douglas K. , Plona Teri M. , Pike Kristen M. , Mellott Stephanie D. , Baugher Ryan N. , Whiteley Gordon R. , Soppet Daniel R. , Venzon David , Berman Arlene , Rajan Arun , Giaccone Giuseppe , Meltzer Paul , Figg William D.
Published: January 2020

To ensure accuracy of UGT1A1 (TA)n (rs3064744) genotyping for use in pharmacogenomics-based irinotecan dosing, we tested the concordance of several commonly used genotyping technologies. Heuristic genotype groupings and principal component analysis demonstrated concordance for Illumina sequencing, fragment analysis, and fluorescent PCR. However, Illumina sequencing and fragment analysis returned a range of fragment sizes, likely arising due to PCR “slippage”. Direct sequencing was accurate, but this method led to ambiguous electrophoregrams, hampering interpretation of heterozygotes. Gel sizing, pyrosequencing, and array-based technologies were less concordant. Pharmacoscan genotyping was concordant, but it does not ascertain (TA)8 genotypes that are common in African populations. Method-based genotyping differences were also observed in the publication record (p < 0.0046), although fragment analysis and direct sequencing were concordant (p = 0.11). Genotyping errors can have significant consequences in a clinical setting. At the present time, we recommend that all genotyping for this allele be conducted with fluorescent PCR (fPCR).