bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Structure and Composition of Non-Stoichiometry Magnesium Aluminate Spinel on Water Adsorption
Authors: Mordekovitz Yuval , Shoval Yael , Froumin Natali , Hayun Shmuel
Published: July 2020

MgAl2O4 is used in humidity sensing and measurement, and as a catalyst or catalyst support in a wide variety of applications. For such applications, a detailed understanding of the surface properties and defect structure of the spinel, and, in particular, of the gas interactions at the spinel surface is essential. However, to the best of our knowledge, very limited experimental data regarding this subject is currently available. In this work, four spinel samples with an Al2O3 to MgO ratio (n) between 0.95 and 2.45 were synthesized and analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and water adsorption micro-calorimetry. The results showed that the spinel composition and its consequent defect structure do indeed have a distinct effect on the spinel-water vapor surface interactions. The adsorption behavior at the spinel-water interface showed changes that resulted from alterations in types and energetic diversity of adsorption sites, affecting both H2O uptake and overall energetics. Furthermore, changes in composition following appropriate thermal treatment were shown to have a major effect on the reducibility of the spinel which enabled increased water uptake at the surface. In addition to non-stoichiometry, the impact of intrinsic anti-site defects on the water-surface interaction was investigated. These defects were also shown to promote water uptake. Our results show that by composition modification and subsequent thermal treatments, the defect structure can be modified and controlled, allowing for the possibility of specifically designed spinels for water interactions.
Magnetohydrodynamic Flow and Heat Transfer Induced by a Shrinking Sheet
Authors: Mohd Nasir Nor Ain Azeany , Ishak Anuar , Pop Ioan
Published: July 2020

The magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stagnation point flow over a shrinking or stretching flat sheet is investigated. The governing partial differential equations (PDEs) are reduced into a set of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) by a similarity transformation and are solved numerically with the help of MATLAB software. The numerical results obtained are for different values of the magnetic parameter M, heat generation parameter Q, Prandtl number Pr and reciprocal of magnetic Prandtl number ε. The influences of these parameters on the flow and heat transfer characteristics are investigated and shown in tables and graphs. Two solutions are found for a certain rate of the shrinking strength. The stability of the solutions in the long run is determined, and shows that only one of them is stable. It is found that the skin friction coefficient f ″ ( 0 ) and the local Nusselt number − θ ′ ( 0 ) decrease as the magnetic parameter M increases. Further, the local Nusselt number increases as the heat generation increases.
Reliability Inference for the Multicomponent System Based on Progressively Type II Censored Samples from Generalized Pareto Distributions
Authors: Sauer Lauren , Lio Yuhlong , Tsai Tzong-Ru
Published: July 2020

In this paper, the reliability of a k-component system, in which all components are subject to common stress, is considered. The multicomponent system will continue to survive if at least s out of k components’ strength exceed the common stress. The system reliability is investigated by utilizing the maximum likelihood estimator based on progressively type II censored samples from generalized Pareto distributions. The confidence interval of the system reliability can be obtained by using asymptotic normality with Fisher information matrix or bootstrap method approximation. An intensive simulation study is conducted to evaluate the performance of maximum likelihood estimators of the model parameters and system reliability for a variety of cases. For the confidence interval of the system reliability, simulation results indicate the bootstrap method approximation outperforms over the asymptotic normality approximation in terms of coverage probability.
Supportiveness of Low-Carbon Energy Technology Policy Using Fuzzy Multicriteria Decision-Making Methodologies
Authors: Kokkinos Konstantinos , Karayannis Vayos
Published: July 2020

The deployment of low-carbon energy (LCE) technologies and management of installations represents an imperative to face climate change. LCE planning is an interminable process affected by a multitude of social, economic, environmental, and health factors. A major challenge for policy makers is to select a future clean energy strategy that maximizes sustainability. Thus, policy formulation and evaluation need to be addressed in an analytical manner including multidisciplinary knowledge emanating from diverse social stakeholders. In the current work, a comparative analysis of LCE planning is provided, evaluating different multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) methodologies. Initially, by applying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis, the available energy alternative technologies are prioritized. A variety of stakeholders is surveyed for that reason. To deal with the ambiguity that occurred in their judgements, fuzzy goal programming (FGP) is used for the translation into fuzzy numbers. Then, the stochastic fuzzy analytic hierarchical process (SF-AHP) and fuzzy technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (F-TOPSIS) are applied to evaluate a repertoire of energy alternative forms including biofuel, solar, hydro, and wind power. The methodologies are estimated based on the same set of tangible and intangible criteria for the case study of Thessaly Region, Greece. The application of FGP ranked the four energy types in terms of feasibility and positioned solar-generated energy as first, with a membership function of 0.99. Among the criteria repertoire used by the stakeholders, the SF-AHP evaluated all the criteria categories separately and selected the most significant category representative. Finally, F-TOPSIS assessed these criteria ordering the energy forms, in terms of descending order of ideal solution, as follows: solar, biofuel, hydro, and wind.
Pointwise Rectangular Lipschitz Regularities for Fractional Brownian Sheets and Some Sierpinski Selfsimilar Functions
Authors: Ben Slimane Mourad , Ben Abid Moez , Ben Omrane Ines , Turkawi Mohamad Maamoun
Published: July 2020

We consider pointwise rectangular Lipschitz regularity and pointwise level coordinate axes Lipschitz regularities for continuous functions f on the unit cube I 2 in R 2 . Firstly, we provide characterizations by simple estimates on the decay rate of the coefficients (resp. leaders) of the expansion of f in the rectangular Schauder system, near the point considered. We deduce that pointwise rectangular Lipschitz regularity yields pointwise level coordinate axes Lipschitz regularities. As an application, we refine earlier results in Ayache et al. (Drap brownien fractionnaire. Potential Anal. 2002, 17, 31–43) and Kamont (On the fractional anisotropic Wiener field. Probab. Math. Statist. 1996, 16, 85–98), where uniform rectangular Lipschitz regularity of the trajectories of the fractional Brownian sheet over the total I 2 (or any cube) was considered. Actually, we prove that fractional Brownian sheets are pointwise rectangular and level coordinate axes monofractal. On the opposite, we construct a class of Sierpinski selfsimilar functions that are pointwise rectangular and level coordinate axes multifractal.
Marine-Derived Macrocyclic Alkaloids (MDMAs): Chemical and Biological Diversity
Authors: Althagbi Hanan I. , Alarif Walied M. , Al-Footy Khalid O. , Abdel-Lateff Ahmed
Published: July 2020

The curiosity and attention that researchers have devoted to alkaloids are due to their bioactivities, structural diversity, and intriguing chemistry. Marine-derived macrocyclic alkaloids (MDMAs) are considered to be a potential source of drugs. Trabectedin, a tetrahydroisoquinoline derivative, has been approved for the treatment of metastatic soft tissue sarcoma and ovarian cancers. MDMAs displayed potent activities that enabled them to be used as anticancer, anti-invasion, antimalarial, antiplasmodial, and antimicrobial. This review presents the reported chemical structures, biological activities, and structure–activity relationships of macrocyclic alkaloids from marine organisms that have been published since their discovery until May 2020. This includes 204 compounds that are categorized under eight subclasses: pyrroles, quinolines, bis-quinolizidines, bis-1-oxaquinolizidines, 3-alkylpiperidines, manzamines, 3-alkyl pyridinium salts, and motuporamines.
Designers Drugs—A New Challenge to Emergency Departments—An Observational Study in Poland
Authors: Jalali Rakesh , Dmochowska Paula , Godlewska Izabela , Balmas Justyna , Młynarska Katarzyna , Narkun Krzysztof , Zawadzki Andrzej , Wojnar Marcin
Published: July 2020

Background and Objective: In the last decade, the phenomenon of using new psychoactive substances (NPS), called designer drugs, has been on rise. Though their production and marketing in Poland is prohibited, reports of the Supreme Audit Office noted that young people are increasingly reaching for new intoxication agents in the form of designer drugs. There is a significant increase in the number of patients with NPS abuse admitted to the emergency departments. As NPS cannot be detected by standard tests for the presence of psychoactive substances, it is difficult to choose the appropriate therapeutic intervention. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the patient characteristics in the population of adults and children suspected of using NPS and formulate the protocol for diagnosis and treatment. Materials and Method: The paper is based on a retrospective analysis of medical records of hospitalized patients in the Clinical Emergency Department of The Regional Specialist Hospital in Olsztyn (SKOR WSS, emergency department (ED)) and the Pediatric Emergency Department of the Provincial Specialist Children′s Hospital in Olsztyn (SORD WSSD, pediatric emergency department (PED)) between years 2013 to 2018. The patient records related to their general symptoms at admission, mental state and laboratory diagnostic tests were evaluated. Results: The majority of patients hospitalized due to the suspected use of NPS were adolescents in 2013–2016 and a reversal of this trend was observed in 2017–2018 when number of adults admitted to the emergency department (ED) due to NPS use was higher. The NPS abuse was significantly higher among male patients, alcoholics, people using other psychoactive substances, patients suffering from mental disorders and teenagers in difficult socio-economic family situations. Whereas, the most common symptoms among pediatric patients were co-ordination disorder and aggression, in adults mainly tachycardia and aggression was observed. The laboratory tests in significant number of adult patients showed leukocytosis and ketonuria. Conclusions: In the present study, no unambiguous toxidrome or biochemical pattern characteristic for using NPS was observed. However, evaluation of blood morphology, coagulation parameters, liver and kidney function can be helpful in the diagnostic and therapeutic process. Symptomatic treatment of patients, fluid therapy and sedation was sufficient in most cases to resolve the patient symptoms in 48 h.
Expression Levels of Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress-Related Genes in Skin Biopsies and Their Association with Pityriasis Alba
Authors: Martinez-Fierro Margarita L. , Cabral-Pacheco Griselda A. , Garza-Veloz Idalia , Campuzano-García Andrés E. , Díaz-Alonso Alma P. , Flores-Morales Virginia , Rodriguez-Sanchez Iram P. , Delgado-Enciso Ivan , Rios-Jasso Jorge
Published: July 2020

Background and objectives: Pytiriasis alba (PA) is a common skin disorder which affects 80% of children between six and 16 years. The etiology of PA is unclear, but hypo-pigmented patches in photo-exposed zones characterize the disease. Because the high ultraviolet exposition of the skin promotes an acute inflammatory response and an increase of oxidative stress (OS), this study aimed to evaluate the expression levels of inflammatory and OS-related genes in skin biopsies, and their association with PA. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out. Skin biopsies of the lesion sites and healthy skin (controls) from 16 children with PA were evaluated. The tissue expression of IL-4, IL-6, IL-17A, TNFα, INFγ, IL-1β, SOD1, and HMOX1 was analyzed by qRT-PCR, using SYBR Green and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene as the endogenous control. Results: There were differences in the ΔCq values of HMOX1, SOD1, IL-6, and IFNγ between tissue with lesions and healthy skin (p < 0.05). Compared with healthy skin, IL-6, IFNγ, HMOX1, and SOD1 were predominantly under-expressed in the lesion sites. However, 25% of skin biopsies with lesions showed over-expression of these four genes. Positive correlations between the expression of IL-6 and HMOX1, SOD1, and IFNγ (p < 0.05) were also observed. Conclusions: Our results suggest the presence of molecular stages of PA, defined according to the over-expression (first stage) or under-expression (second stage) of the HMOX1, SOD1, IL-6, and IFNγ genes in abnormal skin tissue. These findings may have implications for the selection of treatment for PA-related lesions.
CO2/N2 Separation Properties of Polyimide-Based Mixed-Matrix Membranes Comprising UiO-66 with Various Functionalities
Authors: Chuah Chong Yang , Lee Junghyun , Song Juha , Bae Tae-Hyun
Published: July 2020

Nanocrystalline UiO-66 and its derivatives (containing -NH2, -Br, -(OH)2) were developed via pre-synthetic functionalization and incorporated into a polyimide membrane to develop a mixed-matrix membrane (MMM) for CO2/N2 separation. Incorporation of the non-functionalized UiO-66 nanocrystals into the polyimide membrane successfully improved CO2 permeability, with a slight decrease in CO2/N2 selectivity, owing to its large accessible surface area. The addition of other functional groups further improved the CO2/N2 selectivity of the polymeric membrane, with UiO-66-NH2, UiO-66-Br, and UiO-66-(OH)2 demonstrating improvements of 12%, 4%, and 17%, respectively. Further evaluation by solubility–diffusivity analysis revealed that the functionalized UiO-66 in MMMs can effectively increase CO2 diffusivity while suppressing N2 sorption, thus, resulting in improved CO2/N2 selectivity. Such results imply that the structural tuning of UiO-66 by the incorporation of various functional groups is an effective strategy to improve the CO2 separation performance of MMMs.
Increasing Cytomegalovirus Detection Rate from Respiratory Tract Specimens by a New Laboratory-Developed Automated Molecular Diagnostic Test
Authors: Tsai Huey-Pin , Yeh Chun-Sheng , Lin I-Ting , Ko Wen-Chien , Wang Jen-Ren
Published: July 2020

Lots of automated molecular methods for detecting cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA in the blood are available, but seldom for various clinical specimens. This study was designed to establish a highly sensitive automated assay to detect CMV DNA in non-blood specimens. We designed a new QMT assay using QIAGEN artus CMV RG polymerase chain reaction (Q-CMV PCR) kit applied on the BD MAX system and compared with the other assays, including an RGQ assay (LabTurbo auto-extraction combined Q-CMV PCR kit on Rotor-Gene-Q instrument), and in-house PCR assay. A total of 1067 various clinical samples, including 426 plasma, 293 respiratory tract specimens (RTS), 127 stool, 101 cerebral spinal fluid, 90 vitreous humours were analysed. Examining CMV DNA in simultaneous specimens of the same immunocompromised patient with respiratory symptoms, the detection rate of RTS (93.6%, 88/94) was significant higher than plasma (65.9%, 62/94). The positive rates for plasma samples with a low CMV viral load (<137 IU/mL) and diagnostic sensitivity of QMT, RGQ, and in-house assays were 65% and 99.1%, 45% and 100%, 5% and 65.5%, respectively. The QMT assay performs better, with shorter operational and turnaround time than the other assays, enabling the effective and early detection of CMV infection in various clinical specimens, particularly for RTS.
Quadrature Squeezing and Geometric-Phase Oscillations in Nano-Optics
Authors: Choi Jeong Ryeol
Published: July 2020

The geometric phase, as well as the familiar dynamical phase, occurs in the evolution of a squeezed state in nano-optics as an extra phase. The outcome of the geometric phase in that state is somewhat intricate: its time behavior exhibits a combination of a linear increase and periodic oscillations. We focus in this work on the periodic oscillations of the geometric phase, which are novel and interesting. We confirm that such oscillations are due purely to the effects of squeezing in the quantum states, whereas the oscillation disappears when we remove the squeezing. As the degree of squeezing increases in q-quadrature, the amplitude of the geometric-phase oscillation becomes large. This implies that we can adjust the strength of such an oscillation by tuning the squeezing parameters. We also investigate geometric-phase oscillations for the case of a more general optical phenomenon where the squeezed state undergoes one-photon processes. It is shown that the geometric phase in this case exhibits additional intricate oscillations with small amplitudes, besides the principal oscillation. Such a sub-oscillation exhibits a beating-like behavior in time. The effects of geometric-phase oscillations are crucial in a wide range of wave interferences which are accompanied by rich physical phenomena such as Aharonov–Bohm oscillations, conductance fluctuations, antilocalizations, and nondissipative current flows.
Compound 18 Improves Glucose Tolerance in a Hepatocyte TGR5-dependent Manner in Mice
Authors: Holter Marlena M. , Chirikjian Margot K. , Briere Daniel A. , Maida Adriano , Sloop Kyle W. , Schoonjans Kristina , Cummings Bethany P.
Published: July 2020

The bile acid receptor, TGR5, is a key regulator of glucose homeostasis, but the mechanisms by which TGR5 signaling improves glucose regulation are incompletely defined. In particular, TGR5 has an increasingly appreciated role in liver physiology and pathobiology; however, whether TGR5 signaling within the liver contributes to its glucoregulatory effects is unknown. Therefore, we investigated the role of hepatocyte TGR5 signaling on glucose regulation using a hepatocyte-specific TGR5 knockout mouse model. Hepatocyte-specific Tgr5Hep+/+ and Tgr5Hep−/− mice were fed a high fat diet (HFD) for 7 weeks and then orally gavaged with three doses of a highly potent, TGR5-specific agonist, Compound 18 (10 mg/kg), or vehicle, over 72 h and underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) after the last dose. Herein, we report that TGR5 mRNA and protein is present in mouse hepatocytes. Cumulative food intake, body weight, and adiposity do not differ between Tgr5Hep+/+ and Tgr5Hep−/− mice with or without treatment with Compound 18. However, administration of Compound 18 improves glucose tolerance in Tgr5HEP+/+ mice, but not in Tgr5Hep−/− mice. Further, this effect occurred independent of body weight and GLP-1 secretion. Together, these data demonstrate that TGR5 is expressed in hepatocytes, where it functions as a key regulator of whole-body glucose homeostasis.
Dietary Intake and Nitrogen Balance in British Army Infantry Recruits Undergoing Basic Training
Authors: Chapman Shaun , Rawcliffe Alex J. , Izard Rachel , Jacka Kimberley , Tyson Hayley , Smith Lee , Roberts Justin
Published: July 2020

We assessed dietary intake and nitrogen balance during 14 weeks of Basic Training (BT) in British Army Infantry recruits. Nineteen men (mean ± SD: age 19.9 ± 2.6 years, height: 175.7 ± 6.5 cm, body mass 80.3 ± 10.1 kg) at the Infantry Training Centre, Catterick (ITC(C)) volunteered. Nutrient intakes and 24-h urinary nitrogen balance were assessed in weeks 2, 6 and 11 of BT. Nutrient intake was assessed using researcher-led weighed food records and food diaries, and Nutritics professional dietary software. Data were compared between weeks using a repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with statistical significance set at p ≤ 0.05. There was a significant difference in protein intake (g) between weeks 2 and 11 of BT (115 ± 18 vs. 91 ± 20 g, p = 0.02, ES = 1.26). There was no significant difference in mean absolute daily energy (p = 0.44), fat (p = 0.79) or carbohydrate (CHO) intake (p = 0.06) between weeks. Nitrogen balance was maintained in weeks 2, 6 and 11, but declined throughout BT (2: 4.6 ± 4.1 g, 6: 1.6 ± 4.5 g, 11: −0.2 ± 5.5 g, p = 0.07). A protein intake of 1.5 g·kg−1·d−1 may be sufficient in the early stages of BT, but higher intakes may be individually needed later on in BT.
Importance of Self-Efficacy in Eating Behavior and Physical Activity Change of Overweight and Non-Overweight Adolescent Girls Participating in Healthy Me: A Lifestyle Intervention with Mobile Technology
Authors: Dzielska Anna , Mazur Joanna , Nałęcz Hanna , Oblacińska Anna , Fijałkowska Anna
Published: July 2020

Very little is known about how multicomponent interventions directed to entire populations work in selected groups of adolescents. The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Healthy Me one-year program on changes in healthy eating and physical activity among overweight and non-overweight female students. Randomization involved the allocation of full, partial or null intervention. The randomized field trial was implemented in 48 secondary schools (clusters) all over Poland among 1198 15-year-old girls. In this study, a sample of N = 1111 girls who participated in each evaluation study was analyzed. Using multimedia technologies, efforts were made to improve health behaviors and increase self-efficacy. The main outcome was a health behavior index (HBI), built on the basis of six nutritional indicators and one related to physical activity. HBI was analyzed before and immediately after intervention and at three months’ follow-up, and the HBI change was modeled. Statistical analysis included nonparametric tests and generalized linear models with two-way interactions. Comparing the first and third surveys, in the overweight girls, the HBI index improved by 0.348 (SD = 3.17), while in the non-overweight girls it had worsened. After adjusting for other factors, a significant interaction between body weight status and level of self-efficacy as predictors of HBI changes was confirmed. The program turned out to be more beneficial for overweight girls.
Dietary Influence on Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure in the TwinsUK Cohort
Authors: Louca Panayiotis , Mompeo Olatz , Leeming Emily R. , Berry Sarah E. , Mangino Massimo , Spector Tim D. , Padmanabhan Sandosh , Menni Cristina
Published: July 2020

Nutrition plays a key role in blood pressure (BP) regulation. Here, we examine associations between nutrient intakes and BP in a large predominantly female population-based cohort. We assessed the correlation between 45 nutrients (from food frequency questionnaires) and systolic BP/diastolic BP (SBP/DBP) in 3889 individuals from TwinsUK not on hypertensive treatments and replicated in an independent subset of monozygotic twins discordant for nutrient intake (17–242 pairs). Results from both analyses were meta-analysed. For significant nutrients, we calculated heritability using structural equation modelling. We identified and replicated 15 nutrients associated with SBP, 9 also being associated with DBP, adjusting for covariates and multiple testing. 14 of those had a heritable component (h2: 27.1–57.6%). Strong associations with SBP were observed for riboflavin (Beta(SE) = −1.49(0.38), P = 1.00 × 10−4) and tryptophan (−0.31(0.01), P = 5 × 10−4), while with DBP for alcohol (0.05(0.07), P = 1.00 × 10−4) and lactose (−0.05(0.0), P = 1.3 × 10−3). Two multivariable nutrient scores, combining independently SBP/DBP-associated nutrients, explained 22% of the variance in SBP and 13.6% of the variance in DBP. Moreover, bivariate heritability analysis suggested that nutrients and BP share some genetic influences. We confirm current understanding and extend the panel of dietary nutrients implicated in BP regulation underscoring the value of nutrient focused dietary research in preventing and managing hypertension.
Dietary Oligofructose Alone or in Combination with 2′-Fucosyllactose Differentially Improves Recognition Memory and Hippocampal mRNA Expression
Authors: Fleming Stephen A. , Mudd Austin T. , Hauser Jonas , Yan Jian , Metairon Sylviane , Steiner Pascal , Donovan Sharon M. , Dilger Ryan N.
Published: July 2020

Mounting evidence suggests that dietary oligosaccharides promote brain development. This study assessed the capacity of oligofructose (OF) alone or in combination with 2′-fucosyllactose (2′-FL) to alter recognition memory, structural brain development, and hippocampal gene expression. Beginning on postnatal day (PND) 2, male pigs received one of three milk replacers formulated to contain OF, OF + 2′-FL, or no oligosaccharides (CON). Pigs were tested on the novel object recognition task using delays of 1 or 48 h at PND 22. At PND 32–33, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures were used to assess structural brain development and hippocampal tissue was collected for analysis of mRNA expression. Pigs that consumed the OF diet demonstrated increased recognition memory after a 1 h delay, whereas those consuming diets containing OF + 2′-FL displayed increased recognition memory after a 48 h delay. Pigs fed OF or OF + 2′-FL exhibited a larger relative volume of the olfactory bulbs compared with CON pigs. Provision of OF or OF + 2′-FL altered gene expression related to dopaminergic, GABAergic, cholinergic, cell adhesion, and chromatin remodeling processes. Collectively, these data indicate that dietary OF and OF + 2′-FL differentially improve cognitive performance and affect olfactory bulb structural development and hippocampal gene expression.
The Cult of the Underworld in Singapore: Mythology and Materiality
Authors: Wang Dean Koon Lee
Published: July 2020

Myths provide hagiographic and iconographic accounts of the gods, which shape rituals that are performed in cults associated with these gods. In the realization of iconographies and ritualization of narratives in myths, material objects play an active role. This article examines the pattern of worship in the cult of the Ah Pehs, a group of Underworld gods whose efficacy lies in the promise of occult wealth, and focuses on the material aspects such as offerings and paraphernalia associated with these gods. Though ritual texts and scriptures are absent in the Ah Peh cult, symbols in the form of material objects play a crucial role. These objects are also considered as synecdoche for the gods in certain cases. The first part of this paper presents a case study of the autonomous ritual of “Burning Prosperity Money”, which reveals the cycle of occult exchange between gods and devotees. The second part involves an imagery analysis of the material objects central to the cult, and argues that in the system of reciprocity with the gods, material objects common to the everyday life are reinterpreted and enchanted with a capitalist turn, resulting in the development of occult economies within the local Chinese religious sphere.
Spatial and Temporal Distribution of PM2.5 Pollution over Northeastern Mexico: Application of MERRA-2 Reanalysis Datasets
Authors: Carmona Johana M. , Gupta Pawan , Lozano-García Diego F. , Vanoye Ana Y. , Yépez Fabiola D. , Mendoza Alberto
Published: July 2020

Aerosol and meteorological remote sensing data could be used to assess the distribution of urban and regional fine particulate matter (PM2.5), especially in locations where there are few or no ground-based observations, such as Latin America. The objective of this study is to evaluate the ability of Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Application, version 2 (MERRA-2) aerosol components to represent PM2.5 ground concentrations and to develop and validate an ensemble neural network (ENN) model that uses MERRA-2 aerosol and meteorology products to estimate the monthly average of PM2.5 ground concentrations in the Monterrey Metropolitan Area (MMA), which is the main urban area in Northeastern Mexico (NEM). The project involves the application of the ENN model to a regional domain that includes not only the MMA but also other municipalities in NEM in the period from January 2010 to December 2014. Aerosol optical depth (AOD), temperature, relative humidity, dust PM2.5, sea salt PM2.5, black carbon (BC), organic carbon (OC), and sulfate (SO42−) reanalysis data were identified as factors that significantly influenced PM2.5 concentrations. The ENN estimated a PM2.5 monthly mean of 25.62 μg m−3 during the entire period. The results of the comparison between the ENN and ground measurements were as follows: correlation coefficient R ~ 0.90; root mean square error = 1.81 μg m−3; mean absolute error = 1.31 μg m−3. Overall, the PM2.5 levels were higher in winter and spring. The highest PM2.5 levels were located in the MMA, which is the major source of air pollution throughout this area. The estimated data indicated that PM2.5 was not distributed uniformly throughout the region but varied both spatially and temporally. These results led to the conclusion that the magnitude of air pollution varies among seasons and regions, and it is correlated with meteorological factors. The methodology developed in this study could be used to identify new monitoring sites and address information gaps.
Vertical Deflections and Gravity Disturbances Derived from HY-2A Data
Authors: Wan Xiaoyun , Annan Richard Fiifi , Jin Shuanggen , Gong Xiaoqi
Published: July 2020

The first Chinese altimetry satellite, Haiyang-2A (HY-2A), which was launched in 2011, has provided a large amount of sea surface heights which can be used to derive marine gravity field. This paper derived the vertical deflections and gravity disturbances using HY-2A observations for the major area of the whole Earth’s ocean from 60°S and 60°N. The results showed that the standard deviations (STD) of vertical deflections differences were 1.1 s and 3.5 s for the north component and the east component between HY-2A’s observations and those from EGM2008 and EIGEN-6C4, respectively. This indicates the accuracy of the east component was poorer than that of the north component. In order to clearly demonstrate contribution of HY-2A’s observations to gravity disturbances, reference models and the commonly used remove-restore method were not adopted in this study. Therefore, the results can be seen as ‘pure’ signals from HY-2A. Assuming the values from EGM2008 were the true values, the accuracy of the gravity disturbances was about −1.1 mGal in terms of mean value of the errors and 8.0 mGal in terms of the STD. This shows systematic errors if only HY-2A observations were used. An index of STD showed that the accuracy of HY-2A was close to the theoretical accuracy according to the vertical deflection products. To verify whether the systematic errors of gravity field were from the long wavelengths, the long-wavelength parts of HY-2A’s gravity disturbance with wavelengths larger than 500 km were replaced by those from EGM2008. By comparing with ‘pure’ HY-2A version of gravity disturbance, the accuracy of the new version products was improved largely. The systematic errors no longer existed and the error STD was reduced to 6.1 mGal.
Spatio-Temporal Assessment of Land Deformation as a Factor Contributing to Relative Sea Level Rise in Coastal Urban and Natural Protected Areas Using Multi-Source Earth Observation Data
Authors: Elias Panagiotis , Benekos George , Perrou Theodora , Parcharidis Issaak
Published: July 2020

The rise in sea level is expected to considerably aggravate the impact of coastal hazards in the coming years. Low-lying coastal urban centers, populated deltas, and coastal protected areas are key societal hotspots of coastal vulnerability in terms of relative sea level change. Land deformation on a local scale can significantly affect estimations, so it is necessary to understand the rhythm and spatial distribution of potential land subsidence/uplift in coastal areas. The present study deals with the determination of the relative vertical rates of the land deformation and the sea-surface height by using multi-source Earth observation—synthetic aperture radar (SAR), global navigation satellite system (GNSS), tide gauge, and altimetry data. To this end, the multi-temporal SAR interferometry (MT-InSAR) technique was used in order to exploit the most recent Copernicus Sentinel-1 data. The products were set to a reference frame by using GNSS measurements and were combined with a re-analysis model assimilating satellite altimetry data, obtained by the Copernicus Marine Service. Additional GNSS and tide gauge observations have been used for validation purposes. The proposed methodological approach has been implemented in three pilot cases: the city of Alexandroupolis in the Evros Delta region, the coastal zone of Thermaic Gulf, and the coastal area of Killini, Araxos (Patras Gulf) in the northwestern Peloponnese, which are Greek coastal areas with special characteristics. The present research provides localized relative sea-level estimations for the three case studies. Their variation is high, ranging from values close to zero, i.e., from 5–10 cm and 30 cm in 50 years for urban areas to values of 50–60 cm in 50 years for rural areas, close to the coast. The results of this research work can contribute to the effective management of coastal areas in the framework of adaptation and mitigation strategies attributed to climate change. Scaling up the proposed methodology to a continental level is required in order to overcome the existing lack of proper assessment of the relevant hazard in Europe.
Edge Computing to Secure IoT Data Ownership and Trade with the Ethereum Blockchain
Authors: Nawaz Anum , Peña Queralta Jorge , Guan Jixin , Awais Muhammad , Gia Tuan Nguyen , Bashir Ali Kashif , Kan Haibin , Westerlund Tomi
Published: July 2020

With an increasing penetration of ubiquitous connectivity, the amount of data describing the actions of end-users has been increasing dramatically, both within the domain of the Internet of Things (IoT) and other smart devices. This has led to more awareness of users in terms of protecting personal data. Within the IoT, there is a growing number of peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions, increasing the exposure to security vulnerabilities, and the risk of cyberattacks. Blockchain technology has been explored as middleware in P2P transactions, but existing solutions have mainly focused on providing a safe environment for data trade without considering potential changes in interaction topologies. we present EdgeBoT, a proof-of-concept smart contracts based platform for the IoT built on top of the ethereum blockchain. With the Blockchain of Things (BoT) at the edge of the network, EdgeBoT enables a wider variety of interaction topologies between nodes in the network and external services while guaranteeing ownership of data and end users’ privacy. in EdgeBoT, edge devices trade their data directly with third parties and without the need of intermediaries. This opens the door to new interaction modalities, in which data producers at the edge grant access to batches of their data to different third parties. Leveraging the immutability properties of blockchains, together with the distributed nature of smart contracts, data owners can audit and are aware of all transactions that have occurred with their data. we report initial results demonstrating the potential of EdgeBoT within the IoT. we show that integrating our solutions on top of existing IoT systems has a relatively small footprint in terms of computational resource usage, but a significant impact on the protection of data ownership and management of data trade.
A Smartphone Crowdsensing System Enabling Environmental Crowdsourcing for Municipality Resource Allocation with LSTM Stochastic Prediction
Authors: Anagnostopoulos Theodoros , Xanthopoulos Theodoros , Psaromiligkos Yannis
Published: July 2020

Resource allocation of the availability of certain departments for dealing with emergency recovery is of high importance in municipalities. Efficient planning for facing possible disasters in the coverage area of a municipality provides reassurance for citizens. Citizens can assist with such malfunctions by acting as human sensors at the edge of an infrastructure to provide instant feedback to the appropriate departments fixing the problems. However, municipalities have limited department resources to handle upcoming emergency events. In this study, we propose a smartphone crowdsensing system that is based on citizens’ reactions as human sensors at the edge of a municipality infrastructure to supplement malfunctions exploiting environmental crowdsourcing location-allocation capabilities. A long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network is incorporated to learn the occurrence of such emergencies. The LSTM is able to stochastically predict future emergency situations, acting as an early warning component of the system. Such a mechanism may be used to provide adequate department resource allocation to treat future emergencies.
An Integral Pedagogical Strategy for Teaching and Learning IoT Cybersecurity
Authors: Sánchez Julia , Mallorquí Adrià , Briones Alan , Zaballos Agustín , Corral Guiomar
Published: July 2020

Internet of Things (IoT) has become a fundamental content of any engineering program due to the emerging need of experts in this field. However, the complexity of technologies that interact in IoT environments and the amount of different professional profiles required to design, implement and manage IoT environments, considering cybersecurity as a must, has led to a huge challenge in the educational world. This paper proposes an integral pedagogical strategy for learning IoT cybersecurity structured in three different stages, in a higher education institution. These stages focus not only on the content about IoT and cybersecurity but also on the competencies to acquire, the most suitable learning methodologies and the expected learning outcomes. The association of these concepts in each stage is detailed. Examples of courses are explained, the related competencies and learning outcomes are specified, and the contents and methodologies to achieve the expected results are described. An analysis of student results and stakeholder evaluations is provided to verify if the pedagogical strategy proposed is suitable. Furthermore, students’ feedback is included to corroborate the innovation, the suitability of the acquired skills, and the overall student satisfaction with the related courses and consequently with the proposed IoT cybersecurity pedagogical strategy.
Test UHCJ20m—Measurement Procedure Standardization and Metric Characteristics Determination
Authors: Dolenec Aleš , Milinović Ivan , Babić Vesna , Dizdar Dražan
Published: July 2020

The purpose of the research study was to standardize the measurement procedure and determine the reliability, homogeneity, and sensitivity of a 20 m unilateral horizontal cyclic jump test (UHCJ20m) whose intentional (assumed) measurement aim is the lower extremities’ explosive strength. The subject sample consisted of 31 students from Zagreb University (20.68 ± 1.96 years of age, height 185.16 ± 7.19 cm, body mass 79.48 ± 9.23 kg) actively involved in various sports events. The UHCJ20m test was performed three times using a dominant (take-off) leg with an active rest of 15 min between the repetitions. The results showed that the UHCJ20m test had satisfactory sensitivity and a very high reliability: Cronbach α = 0.95, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.94 and homogeneity average intertrial correlation (AVR) = 0.88. Future research studies should be aimed at determining the metric characteristics of the UHCJ20m test with a population of athletes in sports characterized by start acceleration and maximum speed running.
Quantization-Mitigation-Based Trajectory Control for Euler-Lagrange Systems with Unknown Actuator Dynamics
Authors: Lyu Yi , Yang Qiyu , Kolaric Patrik
Published: July 2020

In this paper, we investigate a trajectory control problem for Euler-Lagrange systems with unknown quantization on the actuator channel. To address such a challenge, we proposed a quantization-mitigation-based trajectory control method, wherein adaptive control is employed to handle the time-varying input coefficients. We allow the quantized signal to pass through unknown actuator dynamics, which results in the coupled actuator dynamics for Euler-Lagrange systems. It is seen that our method is capable of driving the states of networked Euler-Lagrange systems to the desired ones via Lyapunov’s direct method. In addition, the effectiveness and advantage of our method are validated with a comparison to the existing controller.
A Dynamic Systems Approach for Detecting and Localizing of Infarct-Related Artery in Acute Myocardial Infarction Using Compressed Paper-Based Electrocardiogram (ECG)
Authors: Le Trung Q. , Chandra Vibhuthi , Afrin Kahkashan , Srivatsa Sanjay , Bukkapatnam Satish
Published: July 2020

Timely evaluation and reperfusion have improved the myocardial salvage and the subsequent recovery rate of the patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction (MI). Long waiting time and time-consuming procedures of in-hospital diagnostic testing severely affect the timeliness. We present a Poincare pattern ensemble-based method with the consideration of multi-correlated non-stationary stochastic system dynamics to localize the infarct-related artery (IRA) in acute MI by fully harnessing information from paper-based Electrocardiogram (ECG). The vectorcardiogram (VCG) diagnostic features extracted from only 2.5-s long paper ECG recordings were used to hierarchically localize the IRA—not mere localization of the infarcted cardiac tissues—in acute MI. Paper ECG records and angiograms of 106 acute MI patients collected at the Heart Artery and Vein Center at Fresno California and the 12-lead ECG signals from the Physionet PTB online database were employed to validate the proposed approach. We reported the overall accuracies of 97.41% for healthy control (HC) vs. MI, 89.41 ± 9.89 for left and right culprit arteries vs. others, 88.2 ± 11.6 for left main arteries vs. right-coronary-ascending (RCA) and 93.67 ± 4.89 for left-anterior-descending (LAD) vs. left-circumflex (LCX). The IRA localization from paper ECG can be used to timely triage the patients with acute coronary syndromes to the percutaneous coronary intervention facilities.
Optical Waveguides and Integrated Optical Devices for Medical Diagnosis, Health Monitoring and Light Therapies
Authors: Wang Jiayu , Dong Jianfei
Published: July 2020

Optical waveguides and integrated optical devices are promising solutions for many applications, such as medical diagnosis, health monitoring and light therapies. Despite the many existing reviews focusing on the materials that these devices are made from, a systematic review that relates these devices to the various materials, fabrication processes, sensing methods and medical applications is still seldom seen. This work is intended to link these multidisciplinary fields, and to provide a comprehensive review of the recent advances of these devices. Firstly, the optical and mechanical properties of optical waveguides based on glass, polymers and heterogeneous materials and fabricated via various processes are thoroughly discussed, together with their applications for medical purposes. Then, the fabrication processes and medical implementations of integrated passive and active optical devices with sensing modules are introduced, which can be used in many medical fields such as drug delivery and cardiovascular healthcare. Thirdly, wearable optical sensing devices based on light sensing methods such as colorimetry, fluorescence and luminescence are discussed. Additionally, the wearable optical devices for light therapies are introduced. The review concludes with a comprehensive summary of these optical devices, in terms of their forms, materials, light sources and applications.
Surface Treatment of Carbon Nanotubes Using Modified Tapioca Starch for Improved Force Detection Consistency in Smart Cementitious Materials
Authors: Chia Leonard , Blazanin Gina , Huang Ying , Rashid Umma Salma , Lu Pan , Simsek Senay , N. Bezbaruah Achintya
Published: July 2020

The remarkable mechanical properties and piezo-responses of carbon nanotubes (CNT) makes this group of nanomaterials an ideal candidate for use in smart cementitious materials to monitor forces and the corresponding structural health conditions of civil structures. However, the inconsistency in measurements is the major challenge of CNT-enabled smart cementitious materials to be widely applied for force detection. In this study, the modified tapioca starch co-polymer is introduced to surface treat the CNTs for a better dispersion of CNTs; thus, to reduce the inconsistency of force measurements of the CNTs modified smart cementitious materials. Cement mortar with bare (unmodified) CNTs (direct mixing method) and surfactant surface treated CNTs using sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate (NaDDBS) were used as the control. The experimental results showed that when compared with samples made from bare CNTs, the samples made by modified tapioca starch co-polymer coated CNTs (CCNTs) showed higher dynamic load induced piezo-responses with significantly improved consistency and less hysteresis in the cementitious materials. When compared with the samples prepared with the surfactant method, the samples made by the developed CCNTs showed slightly increased force detection sensitivity with significantly improved consistency in piezo-response and only minor hysteresis, indicating enhanced dispersion effectiveness. The new CNT surface coating method can be scaled up easily to cater the potential industry needs for future wide application of smart cementitious materials.
Capacitive Heart-Rate Sensing on Touch Screen Panel with Laterally Interspaced Electrodes
Authors: Kim Junhyung , Song Wonho , Jung Sungchul , Kim Yuna , Park Wonsang , You Bonghyun , Park Kibog
Published: July 2020

It is demonstrated that the heart-rate can be sensed capacitively on a touch screen panel (TSP) together with touch signals. The existing heart-rate sensing systems measure blood pulses by tracing the amount of light reflected from blood vessels during a number of cardiac cycles. This type of sensing system requires a considerable amount of power and space to be implemented in multi-functional mobile devices such as smart phones. It is found that the variation of the effective dielectric constant of finger stemming from the difference of systolic and diastolic blood flows can be measured with laterally interspaced top electrodes of TSP. The spacing between a pair of non-adjacent top electrodes turns out to be wide enough to distinguish heart-rate signals from noises. With the aid of fast Fourier transform, the heart-rate can be extracted reliably, which matches with the one obtained by actually counting heart beats on the wrist.