bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of Antimicrobial Biocomposite Films to Preserve the Quality of Bread
Authors: Figueroa-Lopez Kelly , Andrade-Mahecha Margarita , Torres-Vargas Olga
Published: January 2018

This study focused on the development of gelatin-based films with incorporation of microcrystalline cellulose as reinforcement material. Clove (Syzygium aromaticum), nutmeg (Myristica fragrans), and black pepper (Piper nigrum) oleoresins containing antimicrobial compounds of natural origin were incorporated into the films. The mechanical, thermal, optical, and structural properties, as well as color, seal strength and permeability to water vapor, light, and oil of the films were determined. Adding oleoresins to the gelatin matrix increased the elongation of the material and significantly diminished its permeability to water vapor and oil. Evaluation of the potential use of films containing different oleoresins as bread packaging material was influenced by the film properties. The biocomposite film containing oleoresin from black pepper was the most effective packaging material for maintaining bread’s quality characteristics.
Supported Zeolite Beta Layers via an Organic Template-Free Preparation Route
Authors: Reuss Stephanie , Sanwald Dirk , Schülein Marion , Schwieger Wilhelm , Al-Thabaiti Shaeel , Mokhtar Mohamed , Basahel Sulaiman
Published: January 2018

Layers of high silica zeolites, synthesized with an organic structure directing agent (OSDA) and grown onto porous support structures, frequently suffer from the thermal stress during the removal of OSDA via the calcination process. The different thermal expansion coefficients of the zeolite and the support material, especially when stainless steel is used as a support, causes enormous tension resulting in defect formation in the zeolite layer. However, the calcination is an easy procedure to decompose the OSDA in the pore system of the zeolite. Recently, methods to synthesize zeolite beta without the use of an organic structure directing agent have been described. In the present study, a seed-directed synthesis is used to prepare OSDA-free zeolite beta layers on stainless steel supports via an in situ preparation route. For the application as membrane, a porous stainless steel support has been chosen. The beta/stainless steel composites are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). To prove its possible application as a membrane, the beta/stainless steel composites were also tested by single gas permeances of H2, He, CO2, N2, and CH4.
A Diverse and Versatile Regiospecific Synthesis of Tetrasubstituted Alkylsulfanylimidazoles as p38α Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Inhibitors
Authors: Ansideri Francesco , Andreev Stanislav , Kuhn Annette , Albrecht Wolfgang , Laufer Stefan , Koch Pierre
Published: January 2018

An alternative strategy for the synthesis of 1-aryl- and 1-alkyl-2-methylsulfanyl-4-(4-fluorophenyl)-5-(pyridin-4-yl)imidazoles as potential p38α mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitors is reported. The regioselective N-substitution of the imidazole ring was achieved by treatment of α-aminoketones with different aryl or alkyl isothiocyanates. In contrast to previously published synthesis routes starting from 2-amino-4-methylpyridine, the presented route is characterized by a higher flexibility and a lower number of steps. This strategy was also applied to access 1-alkyl-2-methylsulfanyl-5-(4-fluorophenyl)-4-(pyridin-4-yl)imidazoles in six steps starting from 2-chloro-4-methylpyridine.
Antioxidant and Cytoprotective Effects of the Di-O-Caffeoylquinic Acid Family: The Mechanism, Structure–Activity Relationship, and Conformational Effect
Authors: Li Xican , Li Ke , Xie Hong , Xie Yulu , Li Yueying , Zhao Xiaojun , Jiang Xiaohua , Chen Dongfeng
Published: January 2018

In this study, a series of di-O-caffeoylquinic acids (di-COQs) were systematically investigated for their antioxidant and cytoprotective effects towards •OH-damaged bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (bmMSCs). Five di-COQs were measured using a set of antioxidant assays. The results show that adjacent 4,5-Di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (4,5-COQ) and 3,4-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (3,4-COQ) always gave lower IC50 values than did non-adjacent di-COQs. In the Fe2+-chelating assay, 4,5-COQ and 3,4-COQ presented greater UV-Vis spectra and darker colors than did non-adjacent di-COQs. In the UPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis, no corresponding radical adduct formation (RAF) peak was found in the reaction products of di-COQs with PTIO•. In the MTT assay, all di-COQs (especially 1,5-COQ, 1,3-COQ, and 4,5-COQ) dose-dependently increased the cellular viabilities of •OH-damaged bmMSCs. Based on this evidence, we conclude that the five antioxidant di-COQs can protect bmMSCs from •OH-induced damage. Their antioxidant mechanisms may include electron-transfer (ET), H+-transfer, and Fe2+-chelating, except for RAF. Two adjacent di-COQs (4,5-COQ and 3,4-COQ) always possessed a higher antioxidant ability than the non-adjacent di-COQs (1,3-COQ, 1,5-COQ, and 3,5-COQ) in chemical models. However, non-adjacent 1,3-COQ and 1,5-COQ exhibited a higher cytoprotective effect than did adjacent di-COQs. These differences can be attributed to the relative positions of two caffeoyl moieties and, ultimately, to the conformational effect from the cyclohexane skeleton.
A Semi-Pilot Photocatalytic Rotating Reactor (RFR) with Supported TiO2/Ag Catalysts for Water Treatment
Authors: Montalvo-Romero Carlos , Aguilar-Ucán Claudia , Alcocer-Dela hoz Roberto , Ramirez-Elias Miguel , Cordova-Quiroz Victor
Published: January 2018

A four stage semi-pilot scale RFR reactor with ceramic disks as support for TiO2 modified with silver particles was developed for the removal of organic pollutants. The design presented in this article is an adaptation of the rotating biological reactors (RBR) and its coupling with the modified catalyst provides additional advantages to designs where a catalyst in suspension is used. The optimal parameter of rotation was 54 rpm and the submerged surface of the disks offer a total contact area of 387 M2. The modified solid showed a decrease in the value of its bandgap compared to commercial titanium. The system has a semi-automatic operation with a maximum reaction time of 50 h. Photo-activity tests show high conversion rates at low concentrations. The results conform to the Langmuir heterogeneous catalysis model.
Distribution Assessments of Coumarins from Angelicae Pubescentis Radix in Rat Cerebrospinal Fluid and Brain by Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry Analysis
Authors: Yang Yan-Fang , Zhang Lei , Yang Xiu-Wei
Published: January 2018

Angelicae Pubescentis Radix (APR) is a widely-used traditional Chinese medicine. Pharmacological studies have begun to probe its biological activities on neurological disorders recently. To assess the brain penetration and distribution of APR, a validated ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method was applied to the simultaneous determinations of the main coumarins from APR in the rat cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and brain after oral administration of APR extract, including psoralen, xanthotoxin, bergapten, isoimperatorin, columbianetin, columbianetin acetate, columbianadin, oxypeucedanin hydrate, angelol B, osthole, meranzin hydrate and nodakenetin. Most of the tested coumarins entered the rat CSF and brain quickly, and double-peak phenomena in concentration-time curves were similar to those of their plasma pharmacokinetics. Columbianetin had the highest concentration in the CSF and brain, while psoralen and columbianetin acetate had the largest percent of CSF/plasma and brain/plasma, indicating that these three coumarins may be worthy of further research on the possible nervous effects. Correlations between the in vivo brain distributions and plasma pharmacokinetics of these coumarins were well verified. These results provided valuable information for the overall in vivo brain distribution characteristics of APR and also for its further studies on the active substances for the central nervous system.
Fast PET Scan Tumor Segmentation Using Superpixels, Principal Component Analysis and K-Means Clustering
Authors: Hagos Yeman Brhane , Minh Vu Hoang , Khawaldeh Saed , Pervaiz Usama , Aleef Tajwar Abrar
Published: January 2018

Positron Emission Tomography scan images are extensively used in radiotherapy planning, clinical diagnosis, assessment of growth and treatment of a tumor. These all rely on fidelity and speed of detection and delineation algorithm. Despite intensive research, segmentation has remained a challenging problem due to the diverse image content, resolution, shape, and noise. This paper presents a fast positron emission tomography tumor segmentation method using superpixels. Principal component analysis is applied on the superpixels and their average value. The distance vector of each superpixel from the average is computed in the principal components coordinate system. Finally, k-means clustering is applied on the distance vector to recognize tumor and non-tumor superpixels. The proposed approach is implemented in MATLAB 2016A, and promising accuracy with execution time of 2.35 ± 0.26 s is achieved. Fast execution time is achieved since the number of superpixels, and the size of distance vector on which clustering was done are low compared to the number of pixels in the image.
Fatty Acid Based Microemulsions to Combat Ophthalmia Neonatorum Caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Butt Ummara , ElShaer Amr , Snyder Lori A. S. , Al-Kinani Ali A. , Le Gresley Adam , Alany Raid G.
Published: January 2018

The bacterial species Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N. gonorrhoeae) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) are amongst the main microorganisms that cause ophthalmia neonatorum. The current treatment involves the use of various antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, cephalosporin, ceftriaxone and cefotaxime. However, this treatment strategy is becoming more ineffective due to the antibiotic resistance in N. gonorrhoeae. The current study explores the potential use of fatty acid based microemulsions (ME) to prevent N. gonorrhoeae and S. aureus infections in new-borns’ eyes without harmful side effects such as corneal or conjunctiva irritation. Pseudo-ternary phase diagrams were constructed to evaluate microemulsion regions and six different α-linolenic acid based microemulsions were prepared. The prepared formulations were characterized for α-linolenic acid content, size, transparency, zeta potential, Polarized light Microscopy, antimicrobial activity and ex vivo ocular toxicity. The mean droplet size of the ME formulations was in the range of 190.4 to 350.5 nm and polydispersity index (PDI) values were in the range of 0.102 to 0.561. All formulations were found stable upon storage for at least 8 weeks. In addition, self-diffusion coefficients determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) reflected that the diffusability of water increased at higher than 30% w/w water, while that of fatty acids and surfactants was in reverse. The antimicrobial efficacy of microemulsions was determined against N. gonorrhoeae and S. aureus. It was concluded that all microemulsions have strong antimicrobial effects against N. gonorrhoeae and S. aureus. Finally, bovine corneal opacity permeability (BCOP) and hen’s egg chorioallantoic (HET-CAM) tests results showed that all microemulsion formulations were not strong ocular irritants.
Assessment of Validity and Reproducibility of the Zinc-Specific Dietary Intake Questionnaire Conducted for Young Polish Female Respondents
Authors: Głąbska Dominika , Staniec Aleksandra , Guzek Dominika
Published: January 2018

One of the brief methods enabling the assessment of the zinc intake and identification of individuals characterized by insufficient zinc intake, is zinc-specific food frequency questionnaire. The aim of the study was to assess the validity and reproducibility of the elaborated zinc-specific food frequency questionnaire ZINC-FFQ (Zinc INtake Calculation—Food Frequency Questionnaire) in a group of young Polish female respondents. The validity was assessed in comparison with 3-day dietary records, while reproducibility was assessed for the ZINC-FFQ filled in twice (FFQ1 and FFQ2—six weeks apart). Bland–Altman indexes in the assessment of validity were 5.5% (FFQ1) and 6.7% (FFQ2), while in assessment of reproducibility it was 3.3%. In the assessment of reproducibility, 83% of respondents were classified into the same category of zinc intake adequacy and 72% of respondents were classified into the same tertile, that contributed to weighted κ statistic of 0.65 (substantial agreement). It may be concluded, that ZINC-FFQ is characterized by a validity on a satisfactory and reproducibility on a very good level, in a group of young Polish female respondents, and may be applied to indicate individuals characterized by the risk of insufficient intake.
Micronutrient Gaps in Three Commercial Weight-Loss Diet Plans
Authors: G. Engel Matthew , J. Kern Hua , Brenna J. , H. Mitmesser Susan
Published: January 2018

Weight-loss diets restrict intakes of energy and macronutrients but overlook micronutrient profiles. Commercial diet plans may provide insufficient micronutrients. We analyzed nutrient profiles of three plans and compared their micronutrient sufficiency to Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for male U.S. adults. Hypocaloric vegan (Eat to Live-Vegan, Aggressive Weight Loss; ETL-VAWL), high-animal-protein low-carbohydrate (Fast Metabolism Diet; FMD) and weight maintenance (Eat, Drink and Be Healthy; EDH) diets were evaluated. Seven single-day menus were sampled per diet (n = 21 menus, 7 menus/diet) and analyzed for 20 micronutrients with the online nutrient tracker CRON-O-Meter. Without adjustment for energy intake, the ETL-VAWL diet failed to provide 90% of recommended amounts for B12, B3, D, E, calcium, selenium and zinc. The FMD diet was low (<90% DRI) in B1, D, E, calcium, magnesium and potassium. The EDH diet met >90% DRIs for all but vitamin D, calcium and potassium. Several micronutrients remained inadequate after adjustment to 2000 kcal/day: vitamin B12 in ETL-VAWL, calcium in FMD and EDH and vitamin D in all diets. Consistent with previous work, micronutrient deficits are prevalent in weight-loss diet plans. Special attention to micronutrient rich foods is required to reduce risk of micronutrient deficiency in design of commercial diets.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects of a Stauntonia hexaphylla Fruit Extract in Lipopolysaccharide-Activated RAW-264.7 Macrophages and Rats by Carrageenan-Induced Hind Paw Swelling
Authors: Kim Jaeyong , Kim Heesook , Choi Hakjoon , Jo Ara , Kang Huwon , Yun Hyojeong , Choi Chulyung , Im Sojeong
Published: January 2018

The fruit of Stauntonia hexaphylla is commonly used as a traditional anthelmintic in Korea, Japan, and China. However, its anti-inflammatory activity and the underlying mechanisms have not been studied systematically. In the present study, we examined the anti-inflammatory activities of an aqueous extract of S. hexaphylla fruit (SHF) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW 264.7 cells. The SHF extract contained anti-inflammatory compounds, such as neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, and cryptochlorogenic acid. The extract inhibited protein levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase and the activity of cyclooxygenase enzyme, with concomitant reductions in the production of nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 cells. Additionally, the SHF extract reduced the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6. The SHF extract attenuated LPS-induced nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation by decreasing the phosphorylation of its inhibitor, IκBα. Furthermore, the SHF extract showed a significant anti-inflammatory effect in vivo by reducing the volume of carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats. Our results suggest that the SHF extract exerts potential anti-inflammatory properties against LPS-activated RAW 254.7 cells, and in an animal model of inflammation.
In Vivo Characterisation of Five Strains of Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus 1 (Subgenotype 1c)
Authors: Ambrose Rebecca , Gravel Jennifer , Commins Margaret , Fowler Elizabeth , Mahony Timothy
Published: January 2018

Bovine viral diarrhoea virus 1 (BVDV-1) is strongly associated with several important diseases of cattle, such as bovine respiratory disease, diarrhoea and haemoragic lesions. To date many subgenotypes have been reported for BVDV-1, currently ranging from subgenotype 1a to subgenotype 1u. While BVDV-1 has a world-wide distribution, the subgenotypes have a more restricted geographical distribution. As an example, BVDV-1 subgenotypes 1a and 1b are frequently detected in North America and Europe, while the subgenotype 1c is rarely detected. In contrast, BVDV-1 subgenotype 1c is by far the most commonly reported in Australia. Despite this, uneven distribution of the biological importance of the subgenotypes remains unclear. The aim of this study was to characterise the in vivo properties of five strains of BVDV-1 subgenotype 1c in cattle infection studies. No overt respiratory signs were reported in any of the infected cattle regardless of strain. Consistent with other subgenotypes, transient pyrexia and leukopenia were commonly identified, while thrombocytopenia was not. The quantity of virus detected in the nasal secretions of transiently infected animals suggested the likelihood of horizontal transmission was very low. Further studies are required to fully understand the variability and importance of the BVDV-1 subgenotype 1c.
Gastroprotective Effects of Sulphated Polysaccharides from the Alga Caulerpa mexicana Reducing Ethanol-Induced Gastric Damage
Authors: Carneiro José , Holanda Ticiana , Quinderé Ana , Frota Annyta , Soares Vitória , Sousa Rayane , Carneiro Manuela , Martins Dainesy , Gomes Duarte Antoniella , Benevides Norma
Published: January 2018

The development of the gastric lesion is complex and the result of the imbalance between aggressive and protective factors, involving the generation of free radicals and disturbance in nitric oxide (NO) production. Sulphated polysaccharides (SP), from marine algae, are widely used in biotechnological and pharmaceutical areas. In this study, we evaluated the effects of SP from the green marine alga Caulerpa mexicana (Cm-SP) in ethanol-induced gastric damage models in mice. Cm-SP (2, 20, or 200 mg/kg), administered p.o., significantly reduced gastric damage, and these effects were inhibited through pretreatment with indomethacin. Cm-SP (200 mg/kg) prevented the ethanol-induced decline in glutathione and restored its normal level. Moreover, it was able to normalize the elevated thiobarbituric acid reactive substance levels. However, Cm-SP did not show any significant effects on NO2/NO3 level, when compared to the ethanol group. The pretreatment with L- NAME induced gastric mucosal damage and did not inhibit the gastroprotective effect of Cm-SP (200 mg/kg). In conclusion, the gastroprotective effects of Cm-SP in mice involve prostaglandins and reduction in the oxidative stress and are independent of NO.
An Exploratory Study of Student Pharmacists’ Self-Reported Pain, Management Strategies, Outcomes, and Implications for Pharmacy Education
Authors: Axon David , Hernandez Carlos , Lee Jeannie , Slack Marion
Published: January 2018

The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence, management strategies, and outcomes of pain experienced by student pharmacists, and to discuss implications for pharmacy education. A questionnaire administered to student pharmacists collected data about their experience, management strategies, and outcomes of pain. Data were analyzed using t-tests, chi-square or Fisher’s tests, and logistic regression. Of the 218 student pharmacists who completed the survey, 79% experienced pain in the past five years. Chronic pain impacted students’ ability to work (15%) and attend school (9%). Respondents most commonly used prescription (38%) and over-the-counter (OTC, 78%) non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and rest (69%) to manage pain. Men used more opioids, whereas women used more OTC NSAIDs (p < 0.05). Emergency department visits were associated with increased prescription drug use to manage pain. This study found that 15% of student pharmacists had chronic pain in the past five years, which was managed with medical and non-medical strategies.
Flexural Behaviour of Carbon Textile-Reinforced Concrete with Prestress and Steel Fibres
Authors: Du Yunxing , Zhang Xinying , Liu Lingling , Zhou Fen , Zhu Deju , Pan Wei
Published: January 2018

Four-point bending tests were adopted to investigate the influences of the number of textile layers, volume content of steel fibres, and prestress on the flexural behaviour of carbon textile-reinforced concrete (TRC). The failure mode of the specimen changed from debonding failure to shear failure, accompanied by the matrix-textile interfacial debonding with an increasing number of textile layers. The interfacial bonding performance between the textile and matrix improved with the addition of steel fibres in the TRC specimens. The presence of prestress or steel fibres improved first-crack and ultimate stresses of the TRC specimen. In comparison with the first-crack stress, a more pronounced enhancement in the ultimate stress was achieved by the addition of steel fibres. However, the effect of prestress on the first-crack stress was found to be more significant than on the ultimate stress. The prestress combined with steel fibres further improved the flexural behaviour of the TRC specimens. The prestressed TRC specimens with 1% volume content of steel fibres effectively avoided debonding. Thus, the utilization of the textiles could be improved.
Highly Zeolite-Loaded Polyvinyl Alcohol Composite Membranes for Alkaline Fuel-Cell Electrolytes
Authors: Hsu Po-Ya , Hu Ting-Yu , Kumar Selvaraj , Chang Chia-Hao , Wu Kevin , Tung Kuo-Lun , Lue Shingjiang
Published: January 2018

Having a secure and stable energy supply is a top priority for the global community. Fuel-cell technology is recognized as a promising electrical energy generation system for the twenty-first century. Polyvinyl alcohol/zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (PVA/ZIF-8) composite membranes were successfully prepared in this work from direct ZIF-8 suspension solution (0–45.4 wt %) and PVA mixing to prevent filler aggregation for direct methanol alkaline fuel cells (DMAFCs). The ZIF-8 fillers were chosen for the appropriate cavity size as a screening aid to allow water and suppress methanol transport. Increased ionic conductivities and suppressed methanol permeabilities were achieved for the PVA/40.5% ZIF-8 composites, compared to other samples. A high power density of 173.2 mW cm−2 was achieved using a KOH-doped PVA/40.5% ZIF-8 membrane in a DMAFC at 60 °C with 1–2 mg cm−2 catalyst loads. As the filler content was raised beyond 45.4 wt %, adverse effects resulted and the DMAFC performance (144.9 mW cm−2) was not improved further. Therefore, the optimal ZIF-8 content was approximately 40.5 wt % in the polymeric matrix. The specific power output was higher (58 mW mg−1) than most membranes reported in the literature (3–18 mW mg−1).
Synergistic Effect of Binary Mixed-Pluronic Systems on Temperature Dependent Self-assembly Process and Drug Solubility
Authors: Lee Chin-Fen , Tseng Hsueh-Wen , Bahadur Pratap , Chen Li-Jen
Published: January 2018

Mixed Pluronic micelles from very hydrophobic and very hydrophilic copolymers were selected to scrutinize the synergistic effect on the self-assembly process as well as the solubilization capacity of ibuprofen. The tendency of mixing behavior between parent copolymers was systematically examined from two perspectives: different block chain lengths at same hydrophilicity (L92 + F108, +F98, +F88, and +F68), as well as various hydrophobicities at the same PPO moiety (L92 + F88, +F87, and +P84). Temperature-dependent micellization in these binary systems was clearly inspected by the combined use of high sensitivity differential scanning calorimeter (HSDSC) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Changes in heat capacity and size of aggregates at different temperatures during the whole micellization process were simultaneously observed and examined. While distinction of block chain length between parent copolymers increases, the monodispersity of the binary Pluronic systems decreases. However, parent copolymers with distinct PPO moieties do not affirmatively lead to non-cooperative binding, such as the L92 + P84 system. The addition of ibuprofen promotes micellization as well as stabilizes aggregates in the solution. The partial replacement of the hydrophilic Pluronic by a more hydrophobic Pluronic L92 would increase the total hydrophobicity of mixed Pluronics used in the system to substantially enhance the solubility of ibuprofen. The solubility of ibuprofen in the 0.5 wt % L92 + 0.368 wt % P84 system is as high as 4.29 mg/mL, which is 1.4 times more than that of the 0.868 wt % P84 system and 147 times more than that in pure water at 37 °C.
Computational Package for Copolymerization Reactivity Ratio Estimation: Improved Access to the Error-in-Variables-Model
Authors: Scott Alison , Penlidis Alexander
Published: January 2018

The error-in-variables-model (EVM) is the most statistically correct non-linear parameter estimation technique for reactivity ratio estimation. However, many polymer researchers are unaware of the advantages of EVM and therefore still choose to use rather erroneous or approximate methods. The procedure is straightforward but it is often avoided because it is seen as mathematically and computationally intensive. Therefore, the goal of this work is to make EVM more accessible to all researchers through a series of focused case studies. All analyses employ a MATLAB-based computational package for copolymerization reactivity ratio estimation. The basis of the package is previous work in our group over many years. This version is an improvement, as it ensures wider compatibility and enhanced flexibility with respect to copolymerization parameter estimation scenarios that can be considered.
Coherent Resonant Soft X-ray Scattering Study of Magnetic Textures in FeGe
Authors: Ukleev Victor , Yamasaki Yuichi , Morikawa Daisuke , Kanazawa Naoya , Okamura Yoshihiro , Nakao Hironori , Tokura Yoshinori , Arima Taka-hisa
Published: January 2018

Coherent resonant soft X-ray scattering was utilized to examine the magnetic textures in a thin plate of the cubic B20 compound FeGe. Small-angle scattering patterns were measured with controlled temperatures and magnetic fields exhibiting magnetic scattering from a helical texture and skyrmion lattice. By measuring the scattering pattern in a saturation magnetic field, magnetic and charge scattering were distinguished and an iterative phase retrieval algorithm was applied to reconstruct the magnetic texture in the real-space. Results of the real-space reconstruction of magnetic texture from two independently measured datasets were used to compare the reliability of the retrieval.
Procedural Information and Behavioral Control: Longitudinal Analysis of the Intention-Behavior Gap in the Context of Recycling
Authors: Rosenthal Sonny
Published: January 2018

The theory of planned behavior states that individuals act on their intentions, especially when they have behavioral control. The current study examines how seeking recycling-related procedural information—i.e., information about how and where to recycle—is related to behavioral control. Hypothesis testing used hierarchical ordinary least squares regression analysis of longitudinal data from 553 survey respondents. Results supported seven hypotheses. Most notably, procedural information seeking both mediated and moderated the relationship between intention and behavior. Further, the moderation effect was itself mediated by behavioral control. The argument for this mediated moderation is that information seeking enhances behavioral control, and it is primarily behavioral control that moderates the relationship between intention and behavior. These results have implications for the theory of planned behavior and, more generally, for how individuals use information to support their behaviors.
Brazilian Validation of the Brief Scale for Spiritual/Religious Coping—SRCOPE-14
Authors: Esperandio Mary , Escudero Fabiana , Fernandes Marcio , Pargament Kenneth
Published: January 2018

The concept of spiritual-religious coping gained attention in Brazil with the adaptation and validation of the RCOPE Scale (Panzini 2004; long version: 87 items and brief version: 49 items). The Brief RCOPE still contains a large number of items, so attempts to further reduce the size of the measure are relevant. This study presents the validation process of the Brief SRCOPE scale (14 items) for use in the Brazilian context. Data were collected from the general population (N = 525) and subjected to exploratory factor analysis (EFA; n = 249) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; n = 276). The EFA resulted in a two-factor solution: Positive Religious Coping (PRC) and Negative Religious Coping (NRC). All 14 items of the original scale were retained and correlated with the same factor as the original scale (KMO = 0.852; 58.15% of total variance explained; PRC Cronbach’s alpha = 0.884 and NRC Cronbach’s alpha = 0.845). The model tested through CFA showed adequate adjustment indices (χ2 = 146.809, DF = 70, χ2/DF = 2.097, NFI = 0.93, CFI = 0.962, GFI = 0.930, AGFI = 0.895, RMSEA = 0.063, PCLOSE = 0.065 and SRMR = 0.0735). The Brief SRCOPE Scale-14 has shown reliability for the studied sample and might be applicable to other contexts. It may ultimately prove useful to professionals and researchers interested in better knowing how people make use of religious coping to face stress and suffering.
California’s Groundwater Regime: The Cadiz Case
Authors: Sizek Julia
Published: January 2018

Recent California legislation has promised solutions to longstanding problems in groundwater management through an emphasis on management of groundwater itself, rather than on the rights of overlying property owners. In this short communication, I argue that the promises of scientific management relies on property law and jurisdiction and therefore that scientific claims about the water itself are less important than private property claims in the case of a Cadiz Inc.’s proposed groundwater extraction project in Southeastern California. While private property in land insulates Cadiz Inc. (Los Angeles, CA, USA) from political contestation, opposition to the project has increasingly focused on the right to transport and transfer water through lands not held by Cadiz Inc. This legal strategy points to how California groundwater law is still fundamentally ruled by private property in land, which shifts the grounds of environmental politics from extraction itself to the transport of extracted materials. This case serves as a good example of the intersection of political ecology and legal geography.
A Closed Loop Inverse Kinematics Solver Intended for Offline Calculation Optimized with GA
Authors: Bjoerlykhaug Emil
Published: January 2018

This paper presents a simple approach to building a robotic control system. Instead of a conventional control system which solves the inverse kinematics in real-time as the robot moves, an alternative approach where the inverse kinematics is calculated ahead of time is presented. This approach reduces the complexity and code necessary for the control system. Robot control systems are usually implemented in low level programming language. This new approach enables the use of high level programming for the complex inverse kinematics problem. For our approach, we implement a program to solve the inverse kinematics, called the Inverse Kinematics Solver (IKS), in Java, with a simple graphical user interface (GUI) to load a file with desired end effector poses and edit the configuration of the robot using the Denavit-Hartenberg (DH) convention. The program uses the closed-loop inverse kinematics (CLIK) algorithm to solve the inverse kinematics problem. As an example, the IKS was set up to solve the kinematics for a custom built serial link robot. The kinematics for the custom robot is presented, and an example of input and output files is also presented. Additionally, the gain of the loop in the IKS is optimized using a GA, resulting in almost a 50% decrease in computational time.
Building Extraction in Very High Resolution Remote Sensing Imagery Using Deep Learning and Guided Filters
Authors: Xu Yongyang , Wu Liang , Xie Zhong , Chen Zhanlong
Published: January 2018

Very high resolution (VHR) remote sensing imagery has been used for land cover classification, and it tends to a transition from land-use classification to pixel-level semantic segmentation. Inspired by the recent success of deep learning and the filter method in computer vision, this work provides a segmentation model, which designs an image segmentation neural network based on the deep residual networks and uses a guided filter to extract buildings in remote sensing imagery. Our method includes the following steps: first, the VHR remote sensing imagery is preprocessed and some hand-crafted features are calculated. Second, a designed deep network architecture is trained with the urban district remote sensing image to extract buildings at the pixel level. Third, a guided filter is employed to optimize the classification map produced by deep learning; at the same time, some salt-and-pepper noise is removed. Experimental results based on the Vaihingen and Potsdam datasets demonstrate that our method, which benefits from neural networks and guided filtering, achieves a higher overall accuracy when compared with other machine learning and deep learning methods. The method proposed shows outstanding performance in terms of the building extraction from diversified objects in the urban district.
Hyperspectral Shallow-Water Remote Sensing with an Enhanced Benthic Classifier
Authors: Garcia Rodrigo A. , Lee Zhongping , Hochberg Eric J.
Published: January 2018

Hyperspectral remote sensing inversion models utilize spectral information over optically shallow waters to retrieve optical properties of the water column, bottom depth and reflectance, with the latter used in benthic classification. Accuracy of these retrievals is dependent on the spectral endmember(s) used to model the bottom reflectance during the inversion. Without prior knowledge of these endmember(s) current approaches must iterate through a list of endmember—a computationally demanding task. To address this, a novel lookup table classification approach termed HOPE-LUT was developed for selecting the likely benthic endmembers of any hyperspectral image pixel. HOPE-LUT classifies a pixel as sand, mixture or non-sand, then the latter two are resolved into the three most likely classes. Optimization subsequently selects the class (out of the three) that generated the best fit to the remote sensing reflectance. For a coral reef case, modeling results indicate very high benthic classification accuracy (>90%) for depths less than 4 m of common coral reef benthos. These accuracies decrease substantially with increasing depth due to the loss of bottom information, especially the spectral signatures. We applied this technique to hyperspectral airborne imagery of Heron Reef, Great Barrier Reef and generated benthic habitat maps with higher classification accuracy compared to standard inversion models.
New Insights for Detecting and Deriving Thermal Properties of Lava Flow Using Infrared Satellite during 2014–2015 Effusive Eruption at Holuhraun, Iceland
Authors: Aufaristama Muhammad , Hoskuldsson Armann , Jonsdottir Ingibjorg , Ulfarsson Magnus , Thordarson Thorvaldur
Published: January 2018

A new lava field was formed at Holuhraun in the Icelandic Highlands, north of Vatnajökull glacier, in 2014–2015. It was the largest effusive eruption in Iceland for 230 years, with an estimated lava bulk volume of ~1.44 km3 covering an area of ~84 km2. Satellite-based remote sensing is commonly used as preliminary assessment of large scale eruptions since it is relatively efficient for collecting and processing the data. Landsat-8 infrared datasets were used in this study, and we used dual-band technique to determine the subpixel temperature (Th) of the lava. We developed a new spectral index called the thermal eruption index (TEI) based on the shortwave infrared (SWIR) and thermal infrared (TIR) bands allowing us to differentiate thermal domain within the lava flow field. Lava surface roughness effects are accounted by using the Hurst coefficient (H) for deriving the radiant flux ( Φ rad ) and the crust thickness (Δh). Here, we compare the results derived from satellite images with field measurements. The result from 2 December 2014 shows that a temperature estimate (1096 °C; occupying area of 3.05 m2) from a lava breakout has a close correspondence with a thermal camera measurement (1047 °C; occupying area of 4.52 m2). We also found that the crust thickness estimate in the lava channel during 6 September 2014 (~3.4–7.7 m) compares closely with the lava height measurement from the field (~2.6–6.6 m); meanwhile, the total radiant flux peak is underestimated (~8 GW) compared to other studies (~25 GW), although the trend shows good agreement with both field observation and other studies. This study provides new insights for monitoring future effusive eruption using infrared satellite images.
Onboard Spectral and Spatial Cloud Detection for Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Images
Authors: Li Haoyang , Zheng Hong , Han Chuanzhao , Wang Haibo , Miao Min
Published: January 2018

The accurate onboard detection of clouds in hyperspectral images before lossless compression is beneficial. However, conventional onboard cloud detection methods are not applicable all the time, especially for shadowed clouds or darkened snow-covered surfaces that are not identified in normalized difference snow index (NDSI) tests. In this paper, we propose a new spectral-spatial classification strategy to enhance the performance of an orbiting cloud screen obtained on hyperspectral images by integrating a threshold exponential spectral angle map (TESAM), adaptive Markov random field (aMRF) and dynamic stochastic resonance (DSR). TESAM is applied to roughly classify cloud pixels based on spectral information. Then aMRF is used to do optimal process by using spatial information, which improved the classification performance significantly. Nevertheless, misclassifications occur due to noisy data in the onboard environments, and DSR is employed to eliminate noise data produced by aMRF in binary labeled images. We used level 0.5 data from Hyperion as a dataset, and the average tested accuracy of the proposed algorithm was 96.28% by test. This method can provide cloud mask for the on-going EO-1 and related satellites with the same spectral settings without manual intervention. Experiments indicate that the proposed method has better performance than the conventional onboard cloud detection methods or current state-of-the-art hyperspectral classification methods.
A High Sensitivity Electric Field Microsensor Based on Torsional Resonance
Authors: Chu Zhaozhi , Peng Chunrong , Ren Ren , Ling Biyun , Zhang Zhouwei , Lei Hucheng , Xia Shanhong
Published: January 2018

This paper proposes a high sensitivity electric field microsensor (EFM) based on torsional resonance. The proposed microsensor adopts torsional shutter, which is composed of shielding electrodes and torsional beams. The movable shielding electrodes and the fixed sensing electrodes are fabricated on the same plane and interdigitally arranged. Push–pull electrostatic actuation method is employed to excite the torsional shutter. Simulation results proved that the torsional shutter has higher efficiency of charge induction. The optimization of structure parameters was conducted to improve its efficiency of charge induction further. A micromachining fabrication process was developed to fabricate the EFM. Experiments were conducted to characterize the EFM. A good linearity of 0.15% was achieved within an electrostatic field range of 0–50 kV/m, and the uncertainty was below 0.38% in the three roundtrip measurements. A high sensitivity of 4.82 mV/(kV/m) was achieved with the trans-resistance of 100 MΩ, which is improved by at least one order of magnitude compared with previously reported EFMs. The efficiency of charge induction for this microsensor reached 48.19 pA/(kV/m).
Machine Learning and Infrared Thermography for Fiber Orientation Assessment on Randomly-Oriented Strands Parts
Authors: Fernandes Henrique , Zhang Hai , Figueiredo Alisson , Malheiros Fernando , Ignacio Luis , Sfarra Stefano , Ibarra-Castanedo Clemente , Guimaraes Gilmar , Maldague Xavier
Published: January 2018

The use of fiber reinforced materials such as randomly-oriented strands has grown in recent years, especially for manufacturing of aerospace composite structures. This growth is mainly due to their advantageous properties: they are lighter and more resistant to corrosion when compared to metals and are more easily shaped than continuous fiber composites. The resistance and stiffness of these materials are directly related to their fiber orientation. Thus, efficient approaches to assess their fiber orientation are in demand. In this paper, a non-destructive evaluation method is applied to assess the fiber orientation on laminates reinforced with randomly-oriented strands. More specifically, a method called pulsed thermal ellipsometry combined with an artificial neural network, a machine learning technique, is used in order to estimate the fiber orientation on the surface of inspected parts. Results showed that the method can be potentially used to inspect large areas with good accuracy and speed.
Multi-Sensor Data Integration Using Deep Learning for Characterization of Defects in Steel Elements
Authors: Psuj Grzegorz
Published: January 2018

Nowadays, there is a strong demand for inspection systems integrating both high sensitivity under various testing conditions and advanced processing allowing automatic identification of the examined object state and detection of threats. This paper presents the possibility of utilization of a magnetic multi-sensor matrix transducer for characterization of defected areas in steel elements and a deep learning based algorithm for integration of data and final identification of the object state. The transducer allows sensing of a magnetic vector in a single location in different directions. Thus, it enables detecting and characterizing any material changes that affect magnetic properties regardless of their orientation in reference to the scanning direction. To assess the general application capability of the system, steel elements with rectangular-shaped artificial defects were used. First, a database was constructed considering numerical and measurements results. A finite element method was used to run a simulation process and provide transducer signal patterns for different defect arrangements. Next, the algorithm integrating responses of the transducer collected in a single position was applied, and a convolutional neural network was used for implementation of the material state evaluation model. Then, validation of the obtained model was carried out. In this paper, the procedure for updating the evaluated local state, referring to the neighboring area results, is presented. Finally, the results and future perspective are discussed.
Transparent Fingerprint Sensor System for Large Flat Panel Display
Authors: Seo Wonkuk , Pi Jae-Eun , Cho Sung , Kang Seung-Youl , Ahn Seong-Deok , Hwang Chi-Sun , Jeon Ho-Sik , Kim Jong-Uk , Lee Myunghee
Published: January 2018

In this paper, we introduce a transparent fingerprint sensing system using a thin film transistor (TFT) sensor panel, based on a self-capacitive sensing scheme. An armorphousindium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) TFT sensor array and associated custom Read-Out IC (ROIC) are implemented for the system. The sensor panel has a 200 × 200 pixel array and each pixel size is as small as 50 μm × 50 μm. The ROIC uses only eight analog front-end (AFE) amplifier stages along with a successive approximation analog-to-digital converter (SAR ADC). To get the fingerprint image data from the sensor array, the ROIC senses a capacitance, which is formed by a cover glass material between a human finger and an electrode of each pixel of the sensor array. Three methods are reviewed for estimating the self-capacitance. The measurement result demonstrates that the transparent fingerprint sensor system has an ability to differentiate a human finger’s ridges and valleys through the fingerprint sensor array.
Motorcycles that See: Multifocal Stereo Vision Sensor for Advanced Safety Systems in Tilting Vehicles
Authors: Gil Gustavo , Savino Giovanni , Piantini Simone , Pierini Marco
Published: January 2018

Advanced driver assistance systems, ADAS, have shown the possibility to anticipate crash accidents and effectively assist road users in critical traffic situations. This is not the case for motorcyclists, in fact ADAS for motorcycles are still barely developed. Our aim was to study a camera-based sensor for the application of preventive safety in tilting vehicles. We identified two road conflict situations for which automotive remote sensors installed in a tilting vehicle are likely to fail in the identification of critical obstacles. Accordingly, we set two experiments conducted in real traffic conditions to test our stereo vision sensor. Our promising results support the application of this type of sensors for advanced motorcycle safety applications.
A Novel Walking Detection and Step Counting Algorithm Using Unconstrained Smartphones
Authors: Kang Xiaomin , Huang Baoqi , Qi Guodong
Published: January 2018

Recently, with the development of artificial intelligence technologies and the popularity of mobile devices, walking detection and step counting have gained much attention since they play an important role in the fields of equipment positioning, saving energy, behavior recognition, etc. In this paper, a novel algorithm is proposed to simultaneously detect walking motion and count steps through unconstrained smartphones in the sense that the smartphone placement is not only arbitrary but also alterable. On account of the periodicity of the walking motion and sensitivity of gyroscopes, the proposed algorithm extracts the frequency domain features from three-dimensional (3D) angular velocities of a smartphone through FFT (fast Fourier transform) and identifies whether its holder is walking or not irrespective of its placement. Furthermore, the corresponding step frequency is recursively updated to evaluate the step count in real time. Extensive experiments are conducted by involving eight subjects and different walking scenarios in a realistic environment. It is shown that the proposed method achieves the precision of 93.76 % and recall of 93.65 % for walking detection, and its overall performance is significantly better than other well-known methods. Moreover, the accuracy of step counting by the proposed method is 95.74 % , and is better than both of the several well-known counterparts and commercial products.