bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Atmospheric Corrosion Behavior of Epoxy Prime Coated Aluminum Alloy 7075-T6 in Coastal Environment
Authors: Zhang Sheng , He Yuting , Zhang Teng , Wang Guirong , Du Xu
Published: June 2018

The atmospheric corrosion of epoxy prime coated aluminum alloy 7075-T6 exposed for 7, 12 and 20 years was investigated. The remaining thicknesses of epoxy prime coatings for macroscopically intact coating areas followed a normal distribution and decreased linearly. EIS results demonstrated that the corrosion resistance of the coating decreased with exposure time. After 20 years of exposure, the epoxy coating had lost its protection as cracks existed within the coating and exfoliation corrosion had occurred on the substrate. The substrate was sensitive to exfoliation corrosion through metallographic and TEM analysis. The corrosion products were mainly hydroxides of aluminum. The morphology and chemical compositions of the coating bubbling area and propagation characterizations of exfoliation corrosion were analyzed by SEM, EPMA and EDS. Cracks between the lumps of corrosion products provided the channels for the transmission of corrosion mediums. Furthermore, the mechanical model was proposed to analyze the propagation characterization of exfoliation corrosion.
Tachypleus tridentatus Lectin Enhances Oncolytic Vaccinia Virus Replication to Suppress In Vivo Hepatocellular Carcinoma Growth
Authors: Li Gongchu , Cheng Jianhong , Mei Shengsheng , Wu Tao , Ye Ting
Published: June 2018

Lectins play diverse roles in physiological processes as biological recognition molecules. In this report, a gene encoding Tachypleus tridentatus Lectin (TTL) was inserted into an oncolytic vaccinia virus (oncoVV) vector to form oncoVV-TTL, which showed significant antitumor activity in a hepatocellular carcinoma mouse model. Furthermore, TTL enhanced oncoVV replication through suppressing antiviral factors expression such as interferon-inducible protein 16 (IFI16), mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS) and interferon-beta (IFN-β). Further investigations revealed that oncoVV-TTL replication was highly dependent on ERK activity. This study might provide insights into a novel way of the utilization of TTL in oncolytic viral therapies.
Structural Characterisation of Predicted Helical Regions in the Chironex fleckeri CfTX-1 Toxin
Authors: Andreosso Athena , Bansal Paramjit S. , Smout Michael J. , Wilson David , Seymour Jamie E. , Daly Norelle L.
Published: June 2018

The Australian jellyfish Chironex fleckeri, belongs to a family of cubozoan jellyfish known for their potent venoms. CfTX-1 and -2 are two highly abundant toxins in the venom, but there is no structural data available for these proteins. Structural information on toxins is integral to the understanding of the mechanism of these toxins and the development of an effective treatment. Two regions of CfTX-1 have been predicted to have helical structures that are involved with the mechanism of action. Here we have synthesized peptides corresponding to these regions and analyzed their structures using NMR spectroscopy. The peptide corresponding to the predicted N-terminal amphiphilic helix appears unstructured in aqueous solution. This lack of structure concurs with structural disorder predicted for this region of the protein using the Protein DisOrder prediction System PrDOS. Conversely, a peptide corresponding to a predicted transmembrane region is very hydrophobic, insoluble in aqueous solution and predicted to be structured by PrDOS. In the presence of SDS-micelles both peptides have well-defined helical structures showing that a membrane mimicking environment stabilizes the structures of both peptides and supports the prediction of the transmembrane region in CfTX-1. This is the first study to experimentally analyze the structure of regions of a C. fleckeri protein.
Exploring the Valuable Carotenoids for the Large-Scale Production by Marine Microorganisms
Authors: Torregrosa-Crespo Javier , Montero Zaida , Fuentes Juan Luis , Reig García-Galbis Manuel , Garbayo Inés , Vílchez Carlos , Martínez-Espinosa Rosa María
Published: June 2018

Carotenoids are among the most abundant natural pigments available in nature. These pigments have received considerable attention because of their biotechnological applications and, more importantly, due to their potential beneficial uses in human healthcare, food processing, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. These bioactive compounds are in high demand throughout the world; Europe and the USA are the markets where the demand for carotenoids is the highest. The in vitro synthesis of carotenoids has sustained their large-scale production so far. However, the emerging modern standards for a healthy lifestyle and environment-friendly practices have given rise to a search for natural biocompounds as alternatives to synthetic ones. Therefore, nowadays, biomass (vegetables, fruits, yeast and microorganisms) is being used to obtain naturally-available carotenoids with high antioxidant capacity and strong color, on a large scale. This is an alternative to the in vitro synthesis of carotenoids, which is expensive and generates a large number of residues, and the compounds synthesized are sometimes not active biologically. In this context, marine biomass has recently emerged as a natural source for both common and uncommon valuable carotenoids. Besides, the cultivation of marine microorganisms, as well as the downstream processes, which are used to isolate the carotenoids from these microorganisms, offer several advantages over the other approaches that have been explored previously. This review summarizes the general properties of the most-abundant carotenoids produced by marine microorganisms, focusing on the genuine/rare carotenoids that exhibit interesting features useful for potential applications in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and medicine.
Constraints-controlled metastable dynamics of exercise-induced psychobiological adaptation
Authors: Hristovski Robert , Venskaitytė Eurelija , Vainoras Alfonsas , Balagué Natālia , Vazquez Pablo
Published: June 2018

A fundamental question in the theory of psychobiological adaptation and specifically of sports training is the problem of how adaptation to sports performance demands occurs as a consequence of systematic exercise. In this position paper, we review some results of our previous and current research conducted on several different levels of exercise-induced effects. Based on these results, we contend that the control of psychobiological systems during exercise is constraints based. Constraints direct the flow of behavioral changes on a rugged metastable landscape. Such adaptive behavior is soft-assembled, consisting of context-sensitive cooperative configurations of system components that dwell on different time scales.
A Four-Roll Squeeze Pointing Machine for a Shape-Drawing Process
Authors: Kim Jeong Hun , Kim Byung Min
Published: June 2018

A pointing process is a pre-work operation to facilitate the feeding of a rod to pass through a drawing die. After performing the pointing process, the drawing material is inserted into the drawing die and the jaw pulls the end of the material. A bar pointing turning machine, which is universally used for the pointing process, causes a breaking of drawing material easily in the shape-drawing process. Because a shape-drawing process requires a higher drawing load and a smaller cross-sectional area of the pointed zone of drawing material, a pointing process which is to prevent the breaking of the drawing material through a work-hardening effect at an early stage of the drawing process is necessary. In this study, a four-roll squeeze pointing machine (RSPM) as a new automatic pointing machine is introduced. RSPM has been developed to improve the productivity of the pointing process as well as the shape-drawing process by preventing the breaking of the drawing material. The ductile fracture criterion based on Cockcroft–Latham’s theory was used to predict the breaking of drawing material and any defects during the pointing process. A tool design method for the RSPM and a feasible pointing size for the conventional pointing machine are proposed. In addition, the drawing materials manufactured using a conventional pointing machine and the RSPM are compared through finite element (FE) simulations and experiments.
Bactericidal Properties of Plants-Derived Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles (NPs)
Authors: Teow Sin-Yeang , Wong Magdelyn Mei-Theng , Yap Hooi-Yeen , Peh Suat-Cheng , Shameli Kamyar
Published: June 2018

Nanoparticles (NPs) are nano-sized particles (generally 1–100 nm) that can be synthesized through various methods. The wide range of physicochemical characteristics of NPs permit them to have diverse biological functions. These particles are versatile and can be adopted into various applications, particularly in biomedical field. In the past five years, NPs’ roles in biomedical applications have drawn considerable attentions, and novel NPs with improved functions and reduced toxicity are continuously increasing. Extensive studies have been carried out in evaluating antibacterial potentials of NPs. The promising antibacterial effects exhibited by NPs highlight the potential of developing them into future generation of antimicrobial agents. There are various methods to synthesize NPs, and each of the method has significant implication on the biological action of NPs. Among all synthetic methods, green technology is the least toxic biological route, which is particularly suitable for biomedical applications. This mini-review provides current update on the antibacterial effects of NPs synthesized by green technology using plants. Underlying challenges in developing NPs into future antibacterials in clinics are also discussed at the present review.
Functional Characterisation of New Sesquiterpene Synthase from the Malaysian Herbal Plant, Polygonum Minus
Authors: Rusdi Nor Azizun , Goh Hoe-Han , Sabri Suriana , Ramzi Ahmad Bazli , Mohd Noor Normah , Baharum Syarul Nataqain
Published: June 2018

Polygonum minus (syn. Persicaria minor) is a herbal plant that is well known for producing sesquiterpenes, which contribute to its flavour and fragrance. This study describes the cloning and functional characterisation of PmSTPS1 and PmSTPS2, two sesquiterpene synthase genes that were identified from P. minus transcriptome data mining. The full-length sequences of the PmSTPS1 and PmSTPS2 genes were expressed in the E. coli pQE-2 expression vector. The sizes of PmSTPS1 and PmSTPS2 were 1098 bp and 1967 bp, respectively, with open reading frames (ORF) of 1047 and 1695 bp and encoding polypeptides of 348 and 564 amino acids, respectively. The proteins consist of three conserved motifs, namely, Asp-rich substrate binding (DDxxD), metal binding residues (NSE/DTE), and cytoplasmic ER retention (RxR), as well as the terpene synthase family N-terminal domain and C-terminal metal-binding domain. From the in vitro enzyme assays, using the farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) substrate, the PmSTPS1 enzyme produced multiple acyclic sesquiterpenes of β-farnesene, α-farnesene, and farnesol, while the PmSTPS2 enzyme produced an additional nerolidol as a final product. The results confirmed the roles of PmSTPS1 and PmSTPS2 in the biosynthesis pathway of P. minus, to produce aromatic sesquiterpenes.
Review on Abyssomicins: Inhibitors of the Chorismate Pathway and Folate Biosynthesis
Authors: Sadaka Carmen , Ellsworth Edmund , Hansen Paul Robert , Ewin Richard , Damborg Peter , Watts Jeffrey L.
Published: June 2018

Antifolates targeting folate biosynthesis within the shikimate-chorismate-folate metabolic pathway are ideal and selective antimicrobials, since higher eukaryotes lack this pathway and rely on an exogenous source of folate. Resistance to the available antifolates, inhibiting the folate pathway, underlines the need for novel antibiotic scaffolds and molecular targets. While para-aminobenzoic acid synthesis within the chorismate pathway constitutes a novel molecular target for antifolates, abyssomicins are its first known natural inhibitors. This review describes the abyssomicin family, a novel spirotetronate polyketide Class I antimicrobial. It summarizes synthetic and biological studies, structural, biosynthetic, and biological properties of the abyssomicin family members. This paper aims to explain their molecular target, mechanism of action, structure–activity relationship, and to explore their biological and pharmacological potential. Thirty-two natural abyssomicins and numerous synthetic analogues have been reported. The biological activity of abyssomicins includes their antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria and mycobacteria, antitumor properties, latent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reactivator, anti-HIV and HIV replication inducer properties. Their antimalarial properties have not been explored yet. Future analoging programs using the structure–activity relationship data and synthetic approaches may provide a novel abyssomicin structure that is active and devoid of cytotoxicity. Abyssomicin J and atrop-o-benzyl-desmethylabyssomicin C constitute promising candidates for such programs.
Influence of Grape Berry Maturity on Juice and Base Wine Composition and Foaming Properties of Sparkling Wines from the Champagne Region
Authors: Liu Pin-He , Vrigneau Céline , Salmon Thomas , Hoang Duc An , Boulet Jean-Claude , Jégou Sandrine , Marchal Richard
Published: June 2018

In sparkling wine cool-climate regions like Champagne, it is sometimes necessary to pick the healthy grape clusters that have a relatively low maturity level to avoid the deleterious effects of Botrytis cinerea. In such conditions, we know that classical oenological parameters (sugars, pH, total acidity) may change but there is little information concerning the impact of grape berry maturity on wine proteins and foaming properties. Therefore, healthy grapes (Chardonnay and Pinot meunier) in 2015 and 2016 were picked at different maturity levels within the range of common industrial maturity for potential alcohol content 8–11% v/v in the Champagne region. Base wine protein content and foamability, and oenological parameters in grape juice and their corresponding base wines, were investigated. The results showed that base wine protein contents (analyzed by the Bradford method and by electrophoresis) and foamability were higher when the grapes were riper. The Pearson’s correlation test found significant positive correlations (r = 0.890–0.997, p < 0.05) between Chardonnay grape berry maturity degree (MD) and base wine foamability in both vintages. Strong correlations between MD and most of the oenological parameters in grape juice and base wine were also found for the two cultivars. Under the premise of guaranteed grape health, delaying harvest date is an oenological decision capable of improving base wine protein content and foamability.
Room-Temperature Fabricated Thin-Film Transistors Based on Compounds with Lanthanum and Main Family Element Boron
Authors: Xiao Peng , Huang Junhua , Dong Ting , Xie Jianing , Yuan Jian , Luo Dongxiang , Liu Baiquan
Published: June 2018

For the first time, compounds with lanthanum from the main family element Boron (LaBx) were investigated as an active layer for thin-film transistors (TFTs). Detailed studies showed that the room-temperature fabricated LaBx thin film was in the crystalline state with a relatively narrow optical band gap of 2.28 eV. The atom ration of La/B was related to the working pressure during the sputtering process and the atom ration of La/B increased with the increase of the working pressure, which will result in the freer electrons in the LaBx thin film. LaBx-TFT without any intentionally annealing steps exhibited a saturation mobility of 0.44 cm2·V−1·s−1, which is a subthreshold swing (SS) of 0.26 V/decade and a Ion/Ioff ratio larger than 104. The room-temperature process is attractive for its compatibility with almost all kinds of flexible substrates and the LaBx semiconductor may be a new choice for the channel materials in TFTs.
Dietary Salt Restriction in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials
Authors: Garofalo Carlo , Borrelli Silvio , Provenzano Michele , De Stefano Toni , Vita Carlo , Chiodini Paolo , Minutolo Roberto , Nicola Luca De , Conte Giuseppe
Published: June 2018

Background. A clear evidence on the benefits of reducing salt in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is still lacking. Salt restriction in CKD may allow better control of blood pressure (BP) as shown in a previous systematic review while the effect on proteinuria reduction remains poorly investigated. Methods. We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effects of low versus high salt intake in adult patients with non-dialysis CKD on change in BP, proteinuria and albuminuria. Results. Eleven RCTs were selected and included information about 738 CKD patients (Stage 1–4); urinary sodium excretion was 104 mEq/day (95%CI, 76–131) and 179 mEq/day (95%CI, 165–193) in low- and high-sodium intake subgroups, respectively, with a mean difference of −80 mEq/day (95%CI from −107 to −53; p <0.001). Overall, mean differences in clinic and ambulatory systolic BP were −4.9 mmHg (95%CI from −6.8 to −3.1, p <0.001) and −5.9 mmHg (95%CI from −9.5 to −2.3, p <0.001), respectively, while clinic and ambulatory diastolic BP were −2.3 mmHg (95%CI from −3.5 to −1.2, p <0.001) and −3.0 mmHg (95%CI from −4.3 to −1.7; p <0.001), respectively. Mean differences in proteinuria and albuminuria were −0.39 g/day (95%CI from −0.55 to −0.22, p <0.001) and −0.05 g/day (95%CI from −0.09 to −0.01, p = 0.013). Conclusion. Moderate salt restriction significantly reduces BP and proteinuria/albuminuria in patients with CKD (Stage 1–4).
Existential and Virtuous Effects of Religiosity on Mental Health and Aggressiveness among Offenders
Authors: Jang Sung Joon , Johnson Byron R. , Hays Joshua , Hallett Michael , Duwe Grant
Published: June 2018

Although prior research tends to show that religion has a salutary effect on mental health and a preventive effect on crime, studies explaining the religious effect, particularly those on offenders, have been limited. To address the issue, we examine whether religiosity is inversely related to negative emotions and aggressiveness among prison inmates. Additionally, we assess whether the relationships are attributable to an inmate’s sense of meaning and purpose in life and/or their virtues. Specifically, we hypothesize that religiosity is inversely related to feelings of depression and anxiety and the intention of engaging in interpersonal aggression. We also hypothesize these relationships to be mediated by existential belief in life’s meaning and purpose and virtues (compassion, forgiveness, gratitude, purpose of God, and gratitude to God). We tested our hypotheses using survey data collected from a random sample of male inmates from three prisons in Texas, applying latent-variable structural equation modeling. We found that the existential belief explained the effect of religiosity on negative emotional states and intended aggression. In addition, forgiveness and gratitude mediated the effect on state anxiety, whereas purpose in God and gratitude to God mediated the effect on state depression. Substantive and practical implications of our findings are discussed.
Integration of Single-Frequency GNSS and Strong-Motion Observations for Real-Time Earthquake Monitoring
Authors: Tu Rui , Zhang Rui , Zhang Pengfei , Liu Jinhai , Lu Xiaochun
Published: June 2018

In this study, a real-time earthquake monitoring system based on the integration of single-frequency global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and strong motion (SM) observations was developed. This high-precision integrated system can provide full-frequency monitoring information, and it makes full use of SM data to quickly and accurately determine the vibration window for initial baseline shift correction. High-precision displacement data obtained from GNSS epoch-differenced velocity estimation are used to constrain the SM’s low-frequency baseline shift. Hence, full-frequency monitoring information (displacement, velocity, and acceleration) can be provided in real-time. Three different datasets were used for validation and the results confirm that the proposed system can be used for practical earthquake monitoring.
Elastic MCF Rubber with Photovoltaics and Sensing on Hybrid Skin (H-Skin) for Artificial Skin by Utilizing Natural Rubber: 2nd Report on the Effect of Tension and Compression on the Hybrid Photo- and Piezo-Electricity Properties in Wet-Type Solar Cell Rubber
Authors: Shimada Kunio
Published: June 2018

In contrast to ordinary solid-state solar cells, a flexible, elastic, extensible and light-weight solar cell has the potential to be extremely useful in many new engineering applications, such as in the field of robotics. Therefore, we propose a new type of artificial skin for humanoid robots with hybrid functions, which we have termed hybrid skin (H-Skin). To realize the fabrication of such a solar cell, we have continued to utilize the principles of ordinary solid-state wet-type or dye-sensitized solar rubber as a follow-up study to the first report. In the first report, we dealt with both photovoltaic- and piezo-effects for dry-type magnetic compound fluid (MCF) rubber solar cells, which were generated because the polyisoprene, oleic acid of the magnetic fluid (MF), and water served as p- and n- semiconductors. In the present report, we deal with wet-type MCF rubber solar cells by using sensitized dyes and electrolytes. Photoreactions generated through the synthesis of these components were investigated by an experiment using irradiation with visible and ultraviolet light. In addition, magnetic clusters were formed by the aggregation of Fe3O4 in the MF and the metal particles created the hetero-junction structure of the semiconductors. In the MCF rubber solar cell, both photo- and piezo-electricity were generated using a physical model. The effects of tension and compression on their electrical properties were evaluated. Finally, we experimentally demonstrated the effect of the distance between the electrodes of the solar cell on photoelectricity and built-in electricity.
Wearable Sensors Integrated with Internet of Things for Advancing eHealth Care
Authors: Bayo-Monton Jose-Luis , Martinez-Millana Antonio , Han Weisi , Fernandez-Llatas Carlos , Sun Yan , Traver Vicente
Published: June 2018

Health and sociological indicators alert that life expectancy is increasing, hence so are the years that patients have to live with chronic diseases and co-morbidities. With the advancement in ICT, new tools and paradigms are been explored to provide effective and efficient health care. Telemedicine and health sensors stand as indispensable tools for promoting patient engagement, self-management of diseases and assist doctors to remotely follow up patients. In this paper, we evaluate a rapid prototyping solution for information merging based on five health sensors and two low-cost ubiquitous computing components: Arduino and Raspberry Pi. Our study, which is entirely described with the purpose of reproducibility, aimed to evaluate the extent to which portable technologies are capable of integrating wearable sensors by comparing two deployment scenarios: Raspberry Pi 3 and Personal Computer. The integration is implemented using a choreography engine to transmit data from sensors to a display unit using web services and a simple communication protocol with two modes of data retrieval. Performance of the two set-ups is compared by means of the latency in the wearable data transmission and data loss. PC has a delay of 0.051 ± 0.0035 s (max = 0.2504 s), whereas the Raspberry Pi yields a delay of 0.0175 ± 0.149 s (max = 0.294 s) for N = 300. Our analysis confirms that portable devices ( p < < 0 . 01 ) are suitable to support the transmission and analysis of biometric signals into scalable telemedicine systems.
Comparative Study of the Dual Layer Magnet Array in a Moving-Coil Tubular Linear PM Motor
Authors: Yan Liang , Zhang Lu , Peng Lei , Jiao Zongxia
Published: June 2018

Conventional single-layer magnet arrays are widely utilized in electromagnetic linear machines. The objective of this paper is to analyze various types of novel dual-layer magnet arrays, either in similar or different patterns, to compare their flux field distribution and increase flux density in the machine. High flux density helps to improve the sensitivity of electromagnetic displacement sensors or actuator thrust. The design concept of magnet arrays are presented. The machine space is divided into several regions according to the magnetic properties. The corresponding magnetic field distribution is formulated based on magnetic vector potential and Laplace’s equations. Numerical computation is conducted to validate the developed magnetic field model. A systematic comparison of magnetic field of various magnet arrays is carried out. It shows that the dual Halbach magnet array can generate relatively high and constant flux density, which may help to produce strong signals. A research prototype and an experimental testbed are developed to validate the analytical model of dual Halbach array. This study provides a general framework for the design and analysis of dual-layer magnet arrays with various magnetization patterns. It can be extended to multiple-layer designs in radial direction.
Two-Dimensional DOA Estimation for Three-Parallel Nested Subarrays via Sparse Representation
Authors: Si Weijian , Peng Zhanli , Hou Changbo , Zeng Fuhong
Published: June 2018

Nested arrays are considered attractive due to their hole-free performance, and have the ability to resolve O ( N 2 ) sources with O ( N ) physical sensors. Inspired by nested arrays, two kinds of three-parallel nested subarrays (TPNAs), which are composed of three parallel sparse linear subarrays with different inter-element spacings, are proposed for two-dimensional (2-D) direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation in this paper. We construct two cross-correlation matrices and combine them as one augmented matrix in the first step. Then, by vectorizing the augmented matrix, a hole-free difference coarray with larger degrees of freedom (DOFs) is achieved. Meanwhile, sparse representation and the total least squares technique are presented to transform the problem of 2-D DOA searching into 1-D searching. Accordingly, we can obtain the paired 2-D angles automatically and improve the 2-D DOA estimation performance. In addition, we derive closed form expressions of sensor positions, as well as number of sensors for different subarrays of two kinds of TPNA to maximize the DOFs. In the end, the simulation results verify the superiority of the proposed TPNAs and 2-D DOA estimation method.
Indirect Measurement of Rotor Dynamic Imbalance for Control Moment Gyroscopes via Gimbal Disturbance Observer
Authors: Huang Liya , Wu Zhong , Wang Kan
Published: June 2018

The high-precision speed control of gimbal servo systems is the key to generating high-precision torque for control moment gyroscopes (CMGs) in spacecrafts. However, the control performance of gimbal servo systems may be degraded significantly by disturbances, especially a dynamic imbalance disturbance with the same frequency as the high-speed rotor. For assembled CMGs, it is very difficult to measure the rotor imbalance directly by using a dynamic balancing machine. In this paper, a gimbal disturbance observer is proposed to estimate the dynamic imbalance of the rotor assembled in the CMG. First, a third-order dynamical system is established to describe the disturbance dynamics of the gimbal servo system, in which the rotor dynamic imbalance torque along the gimbal axis and the other disturbances are modeled to be periodic and bounded, respectively. Then, the gimbal disturbance observer is designed for the third-order dynamical system by using the total disturbance as a virtual measurement. Since the virtual measurement is derived from the inverse dynamics of the gimbal servo system, the information of the rotor dynamic imbalance can be obtained indirectly only using the measurements of gimbal speed and three-phase currents. Semi-physical experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the observer by using a CMG simulator.
FPGA-Based High-Performance Embedded Systems for Adaptive Edge Computing in Cyber-Physical Systems: The ARTICo3 Framework
Authors: Rodríguez Alfonso , Valverde Juan , Portilla Jorge , Otero Andrés , Riesgo Teresa , De la Torre Eduardo
Published: June 2018

Cyber-Physical Systems are experiencing a paradigm shift in which processing has been relocated to the distributed sensing layer and is no longer performed in a centralized manner. This approach, usually referred to as Edge Computing, demands the use of hardware platforms that are able to manage the steadily increasing requirements in computing performance, while keeping energy efficiency and the adaptability imposed by the interaction with the physical world. In this context, SRAM-based FPGAs and their inherent run-time reconfigurability, when coupled with smart power management strategies, are a suitable solution. However, they usually fail in user accessibility and ease of development. In this paper, an integrated framework to develop FPGA-based high-performance embedded systems for Edge Computing in Cyber-Physical Systems is presented. This framework provides a hardware-based processing architecture, an automated toolchain, and a runtime to transparently generate and manage reconfigurable systems from high-level system descriptions without additional user intervention. Moreover, it provides users with support for dynamically adapting the available computing resources to switch the working point of the architecture in a solution space defined by computing performance, energy consumption and fault tolerance. Results show that it is indeed possible to explore this solution space at run time and prove that the proposed framework is a competitive alternative to software-based edge computing platforms, being able to provide not only faster solutions, but also higher energy efficiency for computing-intensive algorithms with significant levels of data-level parallelism.
Multi-Focus Fusion Technique on Low-Cost Camera Images for Canola Phenotyping
Authors: Cao Thang , Dinh Anh , Wahid Khan A. , Panjvani Karim , Vail Sally
Published: June 2018

To meet the high demand for supporting and accelerating progress in the breeding of novel traits, plant scientists and breeders have to measure a large number of plants and their characteristics accurately. Imaging methodologies are being deployed to acquire data for quantitative studies of complex traits. Images are not always good quality, in particular, they are obtained from the field. Image fusion techniques can be helpful for plant breeders with more comfortable access plant characteristics by improving the definition and resolution of color images. In this work, the multi-focus images were loaded and then the similarity of visual saliency, gradient, and color distortion were measured to obtain weight maps. The maps were refined by a modified guided filter before the images were reconstructed. Canola images were obtained by a custom built mobile platform for field phenotyping and were used for testing in public databases. The proposed method was also tested against the five common image fusion methods in terms of quality and speed. Experimental results show good re-constructed images subjectively and objectively performed by the proposed technique. The findings contribute to a new multi-focus image fusion that exhibits a competitive performance and outperforms some other state-of-the-art methods based on the visual saliency maps and gradient domain fast guided filter. The proposed fusing technique can be extended to other fields, such as remote sensing and medical image fusion applications.
An Enhanced LoRaWAN Security Protocol for Privacy Preservation in IoT with a Case Study on a Smart Factory-Enabled Parking System
Authors: You Ilsun , Kwon Soonhyun , Choudhary Gaurav , Sharma Vishal , Seo Jung Taek
Published: June 2018

The Internet of Things (IoT) utilizes algorithms to facilitate intelligent applications across cities in the form of smart-urban projects. As the majority of devices in IoT are battery operated, their applications should be facilitated with a low-power communication setup. Such facility is possible through the Low-Power Wide-Area Network (LPWAN), but at a constrained bit rate. For long-range communication over LPWAN, several approaches and protocols are adopted. One such protocol is the Long-Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN), which is a media access layer protocol for long-range communication between the devices and the application servers via LPWAN gateways. However, LoRaWAN comes with fewer security features as a much-secured protocol consumes more battery because of the exorbitant computational overheads. The standard protocol fails to support end-to-end security and perfect forward secrecy while being vulnerable to the replay attack that makes LoRaWAN limited in supporting applications where security (especially end-to-end security) is important. Motivated by this, an enhanced LoRaWAN security protocol is proposed, which not only provides the basic functions of connectivity between the application server and the end device, but additionally averts these listed security issues. The proposed protocol is developed with two options, the Default Option (DO) and the Security-Enhanced Option (SEO). The protocol is validated through Burrows–Abadi–Needham (BAN) logic and the Automated Validation of Internet Security Protocols and Applications (AVISPA) tool. The proposed protocol is also analyzed for overheads through system-based and low-power device-based evaluations. Further, a case study on a smart factory-enabled parking system is considered for its practical application. The results, in terms of network latency with reliability fitting and signaling overheads, show paramount improvements and better performance for the proposed protocol compared with the two handshake options, Pre-Shared Key (PSK) and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC), of Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS).
A Geographical Analysis of the Poverty Causes in China’s Contiguous Destitute Areas
Authors: Tian Yuan , Wang Zheng , Zhao Jincai , Jiang Xuan , Guo Rongxing
Published: June 2018

One of the most critical development problems in China is the existence of a considerable number of contiguous destitute areas (also known as regional poverty), and the causes behind such regional poverty might structurally differ by geographical characteristics. To deal with the problem, this paper, based on the “Three Nature” theory of New Economic Geography, first establishes an analytical index system of poverty causes, and then uses the gray relational method to identify the causes of poverty in 14 contiguous destitute areas. The results show that, at present, the main poverty causes in the mountain areas in eastern part of China, such as the Dabie mountain area, the Yanshan-Taihang mountain area and the southern Greater Khingan mountain area, are the shortage of human capital and information technology. In contrast, the main factors behind regional poverty in the central mountain areas such as the LuoXiao mountain area, the Lvliang mountain area and the Wuling mountain area are poor transport, locational and other natural factors. The western mountain regions such as Tibet, Tibetan areas in four provinces, South Xinjiang’s three districts and the West Yunnan border area are especially affected by natural endowments, but each area’s specific cause for poverty is different from one another. Finally, this paper discusses relevant policy issues regarding the fact that poverty causes are different by distinct natural factors.
Local Interpretations of Degrowth—Actors, Arenas and Attempts to Influence Policy
Authors: Buhr Katarina , Isaksson Karolina , Hagbert Pernilla
Published: June 2018

During the last decade, degrowth has developed into a central research theme within sustainability science. A significant proportion of previous works on degrowth has focused on macro-level units of analysis, such as global or national economies. Less is known about local interpretations of degrowth. This study explored interpretations of growth and degrowth in a local setting and attempts to integrate degrowth ideas into local policy. The work was carried out as a qualitative single-case study of the small town of Alingsås, Sweden. The results revealed two different, yet interrelated, local growth discourses in Alingsås: one relating to population growth and one relating to economic growth. Individuals participating in the degrowth discourse tend to have a sustainability-related profession and/or background in civil society. Arenas for local degrowth discussions are few and temporary and, despite some signs of influence, degrowth-related ideas have not had any significant overall impact on local policy and planning. In practice, degrowth-interested individuals tend to adjust their arguments to the mainstream sustainability discourse and turn to arenas beyond the formal municipal organization when discussing transformative ideas about development, progress, and quality of life. Based on these findings, the conditions for a further integration of degrowth into local policy and planning are discussed. Suggested themes for further research are institutional change and the role of local politicians.
Structure of an Acinetobacter Broad-Range Prophage Endolysin Reveals a C-Terminal α-Helix with the Proposed Role in Activity against Live Bacterial Cells
Authors: Sykilinda Nina , Nikolaeva Alena , Shneider Mikhail , Mishkin Dmitry , Patutin Artem , Popov Vladimir , Boyko Konstantin , Klyachko Natalia , Miroshnikov Konstantin
Published: June 2018

Proteins that include enzymatic domain degrading the bacterial cell wall and a domain providing transport through the bacterial outer membrane are considered as prospective compounds to combat pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria. This paper presents an isolation and study of an enzyme of this class naturally encoded in the prophage region of Acinetobacter baumannii AB 5075 genome. Recombinant protein expressed in E. coli exhibits an antimicrobial activity with respect to live cultures of Gram-negative bacteria reducing the population of viable bacteria by 1.5–2 log colony forming units (CFU)/mL. However the protein becomes rapidly inactivated and enables the bacteria to restore the population. AcLys structure determined by X-ray crystallography reveals a predominantly α—helical fold similar to bacteriophage P22 lysozyme. The С-terminal part of AcLys polypeptide chains forms an α—helix enriched by Lys and Arg residues exposed outside of the protein globule. Presumably this type of structure of the C-terminal α—helix has evolved evolutionally enabling the endolysin to pass the inner membrane during the host lysis or, potentially, to penetrate the outer membrane of the Gram-negative bacteria.
Ten Years of Critical Tourism Studies: Reflections on the Road Less Traveled
Authors: Morgan Nigel , Pritchard Annette , Causevic Senija , Minnaert Lynn
Published: June 2018

This introduction to the Special Issue describes and reviews the development of the Critical Tourism Studies Network and its unfolding values-led humanist and transformative perspective. It defines its philosophical roots and its inquiry–learning–action nexus, before briefly
outlining the evolution and trajectory of tourism studies as a field of inquiry to provide context for the critical turn. The introduction concludes by summarizing the approaches and methodologies employed in the six articles of the collection, all of which provide both insights into the current
state of critical tourism studies and glimpses of some of the challenges that lie ahead for the field of tourism studies.
Development and Validation of the Tourism e-microentrepreneurial Self-Efficacy Scale
Authors: Ferreira Bruno S. , Morais Duarte B. , Pollack Jeffrey M. , Bunds Kyle S.
Published: June 2018

With the emergence of tourism sharing economy platforms like People-First Tourism, Vayable, Airbnb, and Uber, there are now a much greater number of microentrepreneurs engaged in selling products and services directly to tourists. The limited existing literature examining these individuals
suggests that they are often inspired by noneconomic motives such as freedom, passion, or lifestyle, rather than the desire to rapidly grow a venture and maximize revenue. Accordingly, given that tourism microentrepreneurs have different goals and business models relative to typical entrepreneurs,
this study adapted extant entrepreneurial self-efficacy measures to the context of tourism e-microentrepreneurship to develop the tourism e-microentrepreneurial self-efficacy (TeMSE) scale. Our new 13-item scale provides insights into a unique and burgeoning group of tourism actors, namely
measuring their beliefs in their ability to successfully perform the various roles and tasks of microentrepreneurship in the tourism sharing economy.
Glioblastoma with Oligodendroglioma Component (GBMO) in an adolescent: a case report
Authors: Rodrigues Amanda Lopes Maia , Do Nascimento Daniel Macedo , Sato Eduarda De Carvalho , Moreira Fernanda De Paula , Gadelha Maitê Silva Martins , Sampaio Paula Cíntia Machado , Martinoli Tarsila Stockler Ravaschieri , Lira Yan Garcia
Published: June 2018

Background:Glioblastoma with oligodendroglioma component (GBMO) is a recently classified subtype of glioblastoma, which carries different clinical and prognostic outcomes, being frequently misdiagnosed. Both glioblastoma and GBMO are mainly seen in older ages, such as the 5th and 6th decades of life, being an extremely rare occurrence in children or adolescents and more frequent in male patients. 

Case report: A 15-year-old girl, presented with history of daily headache, not relieved by painkillers, vomiting, blurred vision and strabismus. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed expansive tumour on left temporo-occipital lobe. Patient was submitted to intracranial exeresis, along with histopathological examination: glial neoplasm with areas of pleomorphism, hyperchromatism, anaplasia, foci of oligodendroglial component, perinuclear halo and ramified capillaries, resembling oligodendroglioma, necrosis and intense mitotic activity. The immunohistochemical analysis revealed positive Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP), synaptophysin, Ki-67 (MindBomb E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1 – MIB-1)and hyperexpression of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR), indicating GBMO. Subsequently, Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (FISH) showed 1p/19q codeletion and Isocitrate Dehydrogenase 1 (IDH 1) mutation, suggesting an oligodendroglioma component. Tumour resection was total and symptoms disappeared. Afterwards, she started adjuvant oral chemotherapy with temozolomide. Treatment was completed nine months after the diagnosis, with no greater symptoms or complications and complete remission. 

Conclusion: GBMO must be considered as a possible diagnosis when confronted with a malignant glioma with oligodendroglial tumour component, independent of age or genre. Necrosis upon histopathological examination has a strong relation to shorter median overall survival. IDH mutation and 1p/19q codeletion should be analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Total tumour resection, with adjuvant treatment (chemotherapy with temozolomide and radiotherapy), increases benefits and improves prognosis.
Eccentric Black Hole Gravitational-wave Capture Sources in Galactic Nuclei: Distribution of Binary Parameters
Authors: Gondán László , Kocsis Bence , Raffai Péter , Frei Zsolt
Published: June 2018

Mergers of binary black holes on eccentric orbits are among the targets for second-generation ground-based gravitational-wave detectors. These sources may commonly form in galactic nuclei due to gravitational-wave emission during close flyby events of single objects. We determine the distributions of initial orbital parameters for a population of these gravitational-wave sources. Our results show that the initial dimensionless pericenter distance systematically decreases with the binary component masses and the mass of the central supermassive black hole, and its distribution depends sensitively on the highest possible black hole mass in the nuclear star cluster. For a multi-mass black hole population with masses between 5

M

⊙

and 80

M

⊙

, we find that between ∼43–69% (68–94%) of 30

M

⊙

–30

M

⊙

(10 M
⊙–10 M
⊙) sources have an eccentricity greater than 0.1 when the gravitational-wave signal reaches 10 Hz, but less than ∼10% of the sources with binary component masses less than 30

M

⊙

remain eccentric at this level near the last stable orbit (LSO). The eccentricity at LSO is typically between 0.005–0.05 for the lower-mass BHs, and 0.1–0.2 for the highest-mass BHs. Thus, due to the limited low-frequency sensitivity, the six currently known quasicircular LIGO/Virgo sources could still be compatible with this originally highly eccentric source population. However, at the design sensitivity of these instruments, the measurement of the eccentricity and mass distribution of merger events may be a useful diagnostic to identify the fraction of GW sources formed in this channel.
Properties of Decaying Plasma Turbulence at Subproton Scales
Authors: Olshevsky Vyacheslav , Servidio Sergio , Pucci Francesco , Primavera Leonardo , Lapenta Giovanni
Published: June 2018

We study the properties of plasma turbulence at subproton scales using kinetic electromagnetic three-dimensional simulations with nonidentical initial conditions. Particle-in-cell modeling of the Taylor–Green vortex has been performed, starting from three different magnetic field configurations. All simulations expose very similar energy evolution in which the large-scale ion flows and magnetic structures deteriorate and transfer their energy into particle heating. Heating is more intense for electrons, decreasing the initial temperature ratio and leading to temperature equipartition between the two species. A full turbulent cascade, with a well-defined power-law shape at subproton scales, is established within a characteristic turnover time. Spectral indices for magnetic field fluctuations in two simulations are close to α

B
 ≈ 2.9, and are steeper in the remaining case with α

B
 ≈ 3.05. Energy is dissipated by a complex mixture of plasma instabilities and magnetic reconnection and is milder in the latter simulation. The number of magnetic nulls, and the dissipation pattern observed in this case, differ from two others. Spectral indices for the kinetic energy deviate from magnetic spectra by ≈1 in the first simulation, and by ≈0.75 in two other runs. The difference between magnetic and electric slopes confirm the previously observed value of α

B
 − α

E
 ≈ 2.