bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Analysis of a Two-Sided Windcatcher Integrated with Anti-Short-Circuit Device for Low Wind Conditions
Authors: Nejat Payam , Hussen Hasanen Mohammed , Fadli Fodil , Chaudhry Hassam Nasarullah , Calautit John , Jomehzadeh Fatemeh
Published: July 2020

Windcatchers are considered as promising passive ventilation and cooling strategy, but the ventilation performance of this system is still of concern in areas with low speed and unpredictable winds. The air short circuiting in windcatchers can reduce its ventilation performance and ability to introduce clean air and remove stale air. The current work aimed to evaluate the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) performance of a two-sided windcatcher fitted with an anti-short-circuit device (ASCD) for improving its performance in low wind speed conditions. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed for different ASCD configurations. The CFD method was verified using grid-sensitivity analysis and validated by comparing the simulation results with wind tunnel data. The results indicated that the average difference between CFD results and previous experimentation was below 10%, therefore indicating good agreement. Building on the findings of the previous research, the study focused on evaluating the impact of the length of ASCD on the achieved fresh air supply rates and air change rate. The length of the ASCD was varied between 5 cm to 50 cm, while the angle was maintained at 80°. The shorter ASCD was still able to minimize the fresh supply airflow short-circuiting to the exhaust stream, and at the same time, it would also require a smaller ceiling space for installation and lower material cost. Hence, the 15 cm ASCD with 80° angle was selected for further analysis in this study. Then, consideration of low wind speed and various directions were studied to evaluate the ventilation performance of windcatcher with ASCD. The study simulated wind speeds between 0.5–2 m/s and two wind directions. Based on the assessment of IEQ factors, including mean age of air and percentage of dead zone, a 0° incident angle demonstrated slightly better results. The achieved fresh air supply rates ranged between 180 L/s to 890 L/s in 45° wind angle, while, for 0°, these values were from 160 L/s to 642 L/s. Likewise, the range of air change rates (ACH) was from 8 ACH to 32 ACH in 0° wind angle and increased to 9 ACH and then to 45 ACH in 45° wind angle.
Effects of UV-C Irradiation and Thermal Processing on the Microbial and Physicochemical Properties of Agave tequilana Weber var. azul Extracts at Various pH Values
Authors: Santana-Jiménez Aracely Z. , Quintero-Ramos Armando , Sánchez-Madrigal Miguel Á. , Meléndez-Pizarro Carmen O. , Valdez-Cárdenas María del Cielo , Orizaga-Heredia Magdalena del Rosario , Méndez-Zamora Gerardo , Talamás-Abbud Ricardo
Published: July 2020

The effects of UV-C irradiation (at doses of 8.16, 10.93, 16.17, and 33.29 mJ/cm2) on the physicochemical and microbiological properties of Agave tequilana Weber extracts at various pH values (4.5, 5.5, and 6.5) were evaluated. Thermal treatment (TT) was used as a control (85 °C for 30 s). Both processed (UV-C or TT) and unprocessed (UP) extracts were investigated. The UV-C dose and the pH significantly (p < 0.05) affected the inactivation of total coliforms (TC), total aerobic mesophiles (TAM), and yeasts and molds (YM). UV-C doses of 10.93 mJ/cm2 at pH 4.5 and 33.29 mJ/cm2 at any agave extract pH completely inactivated the native microbial load compared to TT. The total polyphenols (TP), antioxidant activity (AA), and sugar content did not change in the agave extracts at any dose, but the total flavonoid (TF) content decreased at doses > 16.17 mJ/cm2 at the evaluated pH values. Although the color of the agave extracts (L*, a*, and b*) was significantly affected, the total color difference (∆E) did not change after processing compared to the ∆E in the UP extracts. TT further reduced all the physicochemical properties of the agave extracts compared to UV-C processing. The results suggest that UV-C continuous flow technology can be used to stabilize agave extracts at doses of 10.93 mJ/cm2 and pH 4.5, while preserving their functional properties.
Effects of Ethanol Concentration on Organosolv Lignin Precipitation and Aggregation from Miscanthus x giganteus
Authors: Hamzah Muhammad Hazwan , Bowra Steve , Cox Philip
Published: July 2020

This work assesses the behavior of organosolv lignin aggregates derived from Miscanthus x giganteus using different ethanol concentrations (10%, 25%, 50%, and 75% by volume). The percentage of lignin recovery was found to decrease from 75.8% to 71.4% and 25.1%, as the ethanol concentration was increased from 10% to 25% and 50%, respectively. Increasing the ethanol concentration further to 75% led to zero recovery. The purity of the precipitated lignin was consistently found to be ≥90%. Lignin derived from the dried supernatant obtained at 50% ethanol concentration resulted in high lignin purity (51.6%) in comparison with the other ethanol concentrations used. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that the precipitated lignin and dried supernatant at 50% ethanol concentration possessed the highest peak intensity apportioned to wavenumber of lignin as compared to that of at 25% and 10% ethanol concentrations, and the results linked with the percentage of lignin purity. The results of particle size analysis for precipitated lignin demonstrated particle sizes of 306, 392, and 2050 nm for 10%, 25%, and 50% ethanol concentrations, respectively, and the remaining supernatant with average particle sizes of 1598, 1197, and 875 nm, respectively. These results were verified with the morphology of lignin macromolecules in scanning electron microscopy images. Results of the particle size distribution of lignin revealed that the overall size of lignin aggregates decreased with decreasing ethanol concentration. In summary, these findings suggest that ethanol concentration affected the behavior of lignin aggregates in water–ethanol solution.
EEG Synchronization Analysis for Seizure Prediction: A Study on Data of Noninvasive Recordings
Authors: Detti Paolo , Vatti Giampaolo , Zabalo Manrique de Lara Garazi
Published: July 2020

Objective: Epilepsy is a neurological disorder arising from anomalies of the electrical activity in the brain, affecting ~65 million individuals worldwide. Prediction methods, typically based on machine learning methods, require a large amount of data for training, in order to correctly classify seizures with small false alarm rates. Methods: In this work, we present a new database containing EEG scalp signals of 14 epileptic patients acquired at the Unit of Neurology and Neurophysiology of the University of Siena, Italy. Furthermore, a patient-specific seizure prediction method, based on the detection of synchronization patterns in the EEG, is proposed and tested on the data of the database. The use of noninvasive EEG data aims to explore the possibility of developing a noninvasive monitoring/control device for the prediction of seizures. The prediction method employs synchronization measures computed over all channel pairs and a computationally inexpensive threshold-based classification approach. Results and conclusions: The experimental analysis, performed by inspection and by the proposed threshold-based classifier on all the patients of the database, shows that the features extracted by the synchronization measures are able to detect preictal and ictal states and allow the prediction of the seizures few minutes before the seizure onsets.
Solution Polymerization of Acrylic Acid Initiated by Redox Couple Na-PS/Na-MBS: Kinetic Model and Transition to Continuous Process
Authors: Florit Federico , Rodrigues Bassam Paola , Cesana Alberto , Storti Giuseppe
Published: July 2020

This work aims at modeling in detail the polymerization of non-ionized acrylic acid in aqueous solution. The population balances required to evaluate the main average properties of molecular weight were solved by the method of moments. The polymerization process considered is initiated by a persulfate/metabisulfate redox couple and, in particular, the kinetic scheme considers the possible formation of mid-chain radicals and transfer reactions. The proposed model is validated using experimental data collected in a laboratory-scale discontinuous reactor. The developed kinetic model is then used to intensify the discontinuous process by shifting it to a continuous one based on a tubular reactor with intermediate feeds. One of the experimental runs is selected to show how the proposed model can be used to assess the transition from batch to continuous process and allow faster scale-up to industrial scale using a literature approach.
Evaluation of the Lipophilicity of New Anticancer 1,2,3-Triazole-Dipyridothiazine Hybrids Using RP TLC and Different Computational Methods
Authors: Morak-Młodawska Beata , Pluta Krystian , Jeleń Małgorzata
Published: July 2020

Two new anticancer-active 1,2,3-triazole-dipyridothiazine hybrids were evaluated for their lipophilicity using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and computational methods. The experimental lipophilicity was evaluated with mobile phases (mixtures of TRIS buffer and acetone), exploiting a linear correlation between the retention parameter (RM) and the volume of acetone. The relative lipophilicity parameter (RM0) was obtained by extrapolation to 0% acetone concentration. This parameter was intercorrelated with a specific hydrophobic surface area (b) revealing two congeneric subgroups: hybrids of 1,2,3-triazole-2,7-diazaphenothiazines and 1,2,3-triazole-3,6-diazaphenothiazines. The parameter RM0 was converted into the absolute lipophilicity parameter logPTLC using a calibration curve prepared on the basis of compounds of known logP values. Triazole–dipyridothiazine hybrids turned out to be medium lipophilic with logPTLC values of 1.232–2.979. The chromatographically established parameter logPTLC was compared to the calculated lipophilic parameter logPcalcd obtained with various algorithms. The lipophilicity was correlated with molecular descriptors and ADME properties. The new triazole–dipyridothiazine hybrids followed Lipinski’s rule of five. The lipophilicity of these hybrids was dependent on the substituents attached to the triazole ring and the location of the azine nitrogen atoms.
Preparation of Biocomposite Soft Nanoparticles Composed of Poly(Propylene Oxide) and the Polymer-Binding Peptides
Authors: Sawada Toshiki , Fukuta Hiroki , Serizawa Takeshi
Published: July 2020

The molecular recognition capability of naturally occurring biomolecules is generally expressed against biomolecules in the biological milieu. Recently, it was demonstrated that the specific interactions of biomolecules such as short peptides were applicable to artificial materials. We have developed peptides with specific affinities for synthetic polymers toward functional biocomposite polymeric materials. In this study, we demonstrated the preparation of biocomposite nanoparticles composed of poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) and PPO-binding peptides. A simple injection of a concentrated PPO solution dissolved in an organic solvent into the peptide solution under sonication resulted in the formation of nanospherical structures. Morphological observation indicated characteristic softness and high applicability as a molecular carrier of the biocomposite nanoparticles. Structural characterization of PPO and the PPO-binding peptide revealed the structural conformability of these molecules to interact specifically with each other. Our findings expand the potential applicability of polymer-binding peptides for the future construction of biomedical materials composed of peptides and various polymers.
Integrated Biorefinery of Empty Fruit Bunch from Palm Oil Industries to Produce Valuable Biochemicals
Authors: Hafyan Rendra Hakim , Bhullar Lupete K. , Mahadzir Shuhaimi , Bilad Muhammad Roil , Nordin Nik Abdul Hadi , Wirzal Mohd Dzul Hakim , Putra Zulfan Adi , Rangaiah Gade Pandu , Abdullah Bawadi
Published: July 2020

Empty fruit bunch (EFB) utilization to produce valuable bio-chemicals is seen as an economical and sustainable alternative to waste management in palm oil industries. This work proposed an integrated biorefinery configuration of EFB valorization considering sustainability pillars—namely, economic, environmental, and safety criteria. Techno-economic analysis, life cycle assessment, and hazard identification ranking methods were used to estimate annual profit, global warming potential (GWP), fire explosion damage index (FEDI), and toxicity damage index (TDI) of the proposed integrated biorefinery. A multi-objective optimization problem was then formulated and solved for simultaneous maximization of profit and minimization of GWP, FEDI and TDI. The resulting Pareto-optimal solutions convey the trade-off among the economic, environmental, and safety performances. To choose one of these optimal solutions for implementation, a combined approach of fuzzy analytical hierarchy process and a technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution was applied. For this selection, the economic criterion was more preferred, followed by the safety and environmental criterion; thus, the optimal solution selected for integrated biorefinery configuration had the highest annual profit, which was at the maximum capacity of 100 ton/h of EFB. It can fulfill the global demand of xylitol (by 55%), levulinic acid (by 98%), succinic acid (by 25%), guaiacol (by 90%), and vanillin (by 12%), and has annual profit, GWP, FEDI, and TDI of 932 M USD/year, 284 tonCO2-eq, 595, and 957, respectively.
Development of a Freeze-Drying Stage for In-Situ µ-CT Measurements
Authors: Hilmer Mathias , Gruber Sebastian , Foerst Petra
Published: July 2020

This paper shows the development of a freeze-drying stage for in-situ μ-CT measurements. The stage can operate in a temperature range of −40 °C up to 70 °C, and a pressure range from atmospheric pressure to 7 Pa at the sample holder. To get the best visualization of the probe, it is fundamental that the materials around the sample holder are not absorbing most of the radiation. For this reason, we built an axial symmetrical stage built out of polyetheretherketon (PEEK). A test of the stage by different freeze-drying experiments with maltodextrin and sucrose particles and solutions demonstrated its suitability to visualize the freeze-drying processes in-situ. It was possible to track the drying front during the process by radiographic and tomographic measurements, as well as to visually resolve the ice crystals and porous structure in tomographic measurements. Using different samples and process parameters, we showed that the freeze-drying stage is not only suitable for in-situ µ-CT measurements, but also allows us to use the stage for other imaging methods such as neutron imaging, and for any sample where a controlled environment is needed.
Determination of Vitamins K1, K2 MK-4, MK-7, MK-9 and D3 in Pharmaceutical Products and Dietary Supplements by TLC-Densitometry
Authors: Hubicka Urszula , Padiasek Agnieszka , Żuromska-Witek Barbara , Szlósarczyk Marek
Published: July 2020

Vitamin K is a group of lipophilic molecules. Forms of vitamin K play an essential role in the activation of specific proteins involved in blood clotting cascade or bone metabolism. Another molecule belonging to the fat-soluble vitamins group that also plays an important role in calcium metabolism is vitamin D3. The dietary supplements containing vitamins K and D3 are one of the most frequently consumed by patients. The objective of this work was to develop a simple, fast and sensitive thin-layer chromatography (TLC)-densitometric procedure for the simultaneous quantitative analysis of vitamins K and D3 in pharmaceutical products and dietary supplements. The analysis of vitamins was performed on the silica gel RP-18 F₂₅₄s plates with methanol-ethanol-isopropanol in a volume ratio of 15:1:4 as a mobile phase. The densitometric measurements were made at 254 nm. The method was validated by checking the specificity, linearity, precision, recovery, limit of detection, limit of quantification and robustness in accordance with International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines. The method was shown to be specific, accurate (recoveries were from 95.78 to 104.96%), linear over the tested range (correlation coefficient, exceeding 0.99), and precise (precision and intermediate precision RSD below 2.70% for all analytes). The satisfactory results of the validation of the method indicate that it can be used in the quality control of dietary supplements and pharmaceutical products containing vitamins K and D3.
Production of Liquid Milk Protein Concentrate with Antioxidant Capacity, Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitory Activity, Antibacterial Activity, and Hypoallergenic Property by Membrane Filtration and Enzymatic Modification of Proteins
Authors: Nath Arijit , Eren Burak Atilla , Csighy Attila , Pásztorné-Huszár Klára , Kiskó Gabriella , Abrankó László , Tóth Attila , Szerdahelyi Emőke , Kovács Zoltán , Koris András , Vatai Gyula
Published: July 2020

Liquid milk protein concentrate with different beneficial values was prepared by membrane filtration and enzymatic modification of proteins in a sequential way. In the first step, milk protein concentrate was produced from ultra-heat-treated skimmed milk by removing milk serum as permeate. A tubular ceramic-made membrane with filtration area 5 × 10−3 m2 and pore size 5 nm, placed in a cross-flow membrane house, was adopted. Superior operational strategy in filtration process was herein: trans-membrane pressure 3 bar, retention flow rate 100 L·h−1, and implementation of a static turbulence promoter within the tubular membrane. Milk with concentrated proteins from retentate side was treated with the different concentrations of trypsin, ranging from 0.008–0.064 g·L−1 in individual batch-mode operations at temperature 40 °C for 10 min. Subsequently, inactivation of trypsin in reaction was done at a temperature of 70 °C for 30 min of incubation. Antioxidant capacity in enzyme-treated liquid milk protein concentrate was measured with the Ferric reducing ability of plasma assay. The reduction of angiotensin converting enzyme activity by enzyme-treated liquid milk protein concentrate was measured with substrate (Abz-FRK(Dnp)-P) and recombinant angiotensin converting enzyme. The antibacterial activity of enzyme-treated liquid milk protein concentrate towards Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus was tested. Antioxidant capacity, anti-angiotensin converting enzyme activity, and antibacterial activity were increased with the increase of trypsin concentration in proteolytic reaction. Immune-reactive proteins in enzyme-treated liquid milk protein concentrate were identified with clinically proved milk positive pooled human serum and peroxidase-labelled anti-human Immunoglobulin E. The reduction of allergenicity in milk protein concentrate was enzyme dose-dependent.
Numerical Investigation on Coal Combustion in Ultralow CO2 Blast Furnace: Effect of Oxygen Temperature
Authors: Zhou Zhenfeng , Yi Qiujie , Wang Ruihao , Wang Guang , Ma Chunyuan
Published: July 2020

The cooling effect of room-temperature oxygen in oxygen blast furnaces with top gas recycling (TGR-OBF) delays the coal combustion process. To further explore the oxygen–coal combustion mechanism and intensify coal combustion in TGR-OBF, the effect of oxygen temperature on coal combustion was investigated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). A three-dimensional model was developed to simulate the lance–blowpipe–tuyere–raceway of TGR-OBF. The effect of oxygen temperature at the same oxygen velocity and mass flow on coal combustion was investigated. Results showed the cooling effect of room-temperature oxygen was weakened, and the coal burnout was greatly increased with the increase in oxygen temperature. In particular, the coal burnout increased from 21.64% to 81.98% at the same oxygen velocity when the oxygen temperature increased from 300 to 500 K. The results provide useful reference for the development of TGR-OBF and coal combustion technology.
Energy Management Strategy for Fuel Cell and Battery Hybrid Vehicle Based on Fuzzy Logic
Authors: Li Dongxu , Xu Bing , Tian Jie , Ma Zheshu
Published: July 2020

In order to improve fuel economy and enhance operating efficiency of fuel cell hybrid vehicles (FCHVs), fuzzy logic control (FLC) strategies are available and suggested for adoption. In this paper, the powertrain of a fuel cell hybrid vehicle is designed and the parameters of the motor, battery, and fuel cell are calculated. The FLC strategy and the power following control (PFC) strategy are designed for the studied FCHV. A secondary development for Advanced Vehicle Simulator (ADVISOR) is implemented based on the standard driving cycles, and a Chinese typical city driving cycle is imported. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed FLC strategy is more valid and reasonable than the traditional PFC strategy. The proposed FLC strategy affects the vehicle characteristics significantly and contributes to better performance in four aspects: fuel economy, efficiency of battery and fuel cell system, battery state of charge (SOC), and battery life. Hence, the FLC strategy is more suitable for the energy management strategy for fuel cell and battery hybrid vehicles.
St. John of the Cross and the Monopolar Concept of God in the Abrahamic Religions in Spain
Authors: Dombrowski Daniel
Published: July 2020

The aim of this article is to philosophically explore the tension between “the God of the philosophers” and “the God of religious experience.” This exploration will focus on the mystical theology of the 16th c. Spanish mystic St. John of the Cross. It will be argued that a satisfactory resolution of the aforementioned tension cannot occur on the basis of the monopolar theism that has dominated the Abrahamic religions. That is, a better understanding of mystics in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam can occur via dipolar theism as articulated by contemporary process philosophers in the Abrahamic religions, especially the thought of Charles Hartshorne.
Pre-Emptive Detection of Mature Pine Drought Stress Using Multispectral Aerial Imagery
Authors: Grulke Nancy , Maxfield Jason , Riggan Phillip , Schrader-Patton Charlie
Published: July 2020

Drought, ozone (O3), and nitrogen deposition (N) alter foliar pigments and tree crown structure that may be remotely detectable. Remote sensing tools are needed that pre-emptively identify trees susceptible to environmental stresses could inform forest managers in advance of tree mortality risk. Jeffrey pine, a component of the economically important and widespread western yellow pine in North America was investigated in the southern Sierra Nevada. Transpiration of mature trees differed by 20% between microsites with adequate (mesic (M)) vs. limited (xeric (X)) water availability as described in a previous study. In this study, in-the-crown morphological traits (needle chlorosis, branchlet diameter, and frequency of needle defoliators and dwarf mistletoe) were significantly correlated with aerially detected, sub-crown spectral traits (upper crown NDVI, high resolution (R), near-infrared (NIR) Scalar (inverse of NDVI) and THERM Δ, and the difference between upper and mid crown temperature). A classification tree model sorted trees into X and M microsites with THERM Δ alone (20% error), which was partially validated at a second site with only mesic trees (2% error). Random forest separated M and X site trees with additional spectra (17% error). Imagery taken once, from an aerial platform with sub-crown resolution, under the challenge of drought stress, was effective in identifying droughted trees within the context of other environmental stresses.
Rapid Mangrove Forest Loss and Nipa Palm (Nypa fruticans) Expansion in the Niger Delta, 2007–2017
Authors: Nwobi Chukwuebuka , Williams Mathew , Mitchard Edward T. A.
Published: July 2020

Mangrove forests in the Niger Delta are very valuable, providing ecosystem services, such as carbon storage, fish nurseries, coastal protection, and aesthetic values. However, they are under threat from urbanization, logging, oil pollution, and the proliferation of the invasive Nipa Palm (Nypa fruticans). However, there are no reliable data on the current extent of mangrove forest in the Niger Delta, its rate of loss, or the rate of colonization by the invasive Nipa Palm. Here, we estimate the area of Nipa Palm and mangrove forests in the Niger Delta in 2007 and 2017, using 567 ground control points, Advanced Land Observatory Satellite Phased Array L-band SAR (ALOS PALSAR), Landsat and the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission Digital Elevation Model 2000 (SRTM DEM). We performed the classification using Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) methods. The classification results showed SVM (overall accuracy 93%) performed better than ML (77%). Producers (PA) and User’s accuracy (UA) for the best SVM classification were above 80% for most classes; however, these were considerably lower for Nipa Palm (PA—32%, UA—30%). We estimated a 2017 mangrove area of 801,774 ± 34,787 ha (±95% Confidence Interval) ha and Nipa Palm extent of 11,447 ± 7343 ha. Our maps show a greater landward extent than other reported products. The results indicate a 12% (7–17%) decrease in mangrove area and 694 (0–1304)% increase in Nipa Palm. Mapping efforts should continue for policy targeting and monitoring. The mangroves of the Niger Delta are clearly in grave danger from both rapid clearance and encroachment by the invasive Nipa Palm. This is of great concern given the dense carbon stocks and the value of these mangroves to local communities for generating fish stocks and protection from extreme events.
Detection of Insect Damage in Green Coffee Beans Using VIS-NIR Hyperspectral Imaging
Authors: Chen Shih-Yu , Chang Chuan-Yu , Ou Cheng-Syue , Lien Chou-Tien
Published: July 2020

The defective beans of coffee are categorized into black beans, fermented beans, moldy beans, insect damaged beans, parchment beans, and broken beans, and insect damaged beans are the most frequently seen type. In the past, coffee beans were manually screened and eye strain would induce misrecognition. This paper used a push-broom visible-near infrared (VIS-NIR) hyperspectral sensor to obtain the images of coffee beans, and further developed a hyperspectral insect damage detection algorithm (HIDDA), which can automatically detect insect damaged beans using only a few bands and one spectral signature. First, by taking advantage of the constrained energy minimization (CEM) developed band selection methods, constrained energy minimization-constrained band dependence minimization (CEM-BDM), minimum variance band prioritization (MinV-BP), maximal variance-based bp (MaxV-BP), sequential forward CTBS (SF-CTBS), sequential backward CTBS (SB-CTBS), and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to select the bands, and then two classifier methods were further proposed. One combined CEM with support vector machine (SVM) for classification, while the other used convolutional neural networks (CNN) and deep learning for classification where six band selection methods were then analyzed. The experiments collected 1139 beans and 20 images, and the results demonstrated that only three bands are really need to achieve 95% of accuracy and 90% of kappa coefficient. These findings show that 850–950 nm is an important wavelength range for accurately identifying insect damaged beans, and HIDDA can indeed detect insect damaged beans with only one spectral signature, which will provide an advantage in the process of practical application and commercialization in the future.
Full-Reference Quality Metric Based on Neural Network to Assess the Visual Quality of Remote Sensing Images
Authors: Ieremeiev Oleg , Lukin Vladimir , Okarma Krzysztof , Egiazarian Karen
Published: July 2020

Remote sensing images are subject to different types of degradations. The visual quality of such images is important because their visual inspection and analysis are still widely used in practice. To characterize the visual quality of remote sensing images, the use of specialized visual quality metrics is desired. Although the attempts to create such metrics are limited, there is a great number of visual quality metrics designed for other applications. Our idea is that some of these metrics can be employed in remote sensing under the condition that those metrics have been designed for the same distortion types. Thus, image databases that contain images with types of distortions that are of interest should be looked for. It has been checked what known visual quality metrics perform well for images with such degradations and an opportunity to design neural network-based combined metrics with improved performance has been studied. It is shown that for such combined metrics, their Spearman correlation coefficient with mean opinion score exceeds 0.97 for subsets of images in the Tampere Image Database (TID2013). Since different types of elementary metric pre-processing and neural network design have been considered, it has been demonstrated that it is enough to have two hidden layers and about twenty inputs. Examples of using known and designed visual quality metrics in remote sensing are presented.
Correction: Obata, K., et al. Cross-Calibration between ASTER and MODIS Visible to Near-Infrared Bands for Improvement of ASTER Radiometric Calibration. Sensors 2017, 17, 1793
Authors: Obata Kenta , Tsuchida Satoshi , Yamamoto Hirokazu , Thome Kurt
Published: July 2020

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...]
GNSS Multipath Detection Using Continuous Time-Series C/N0
Authors: Kubo Nobuaki , Kobayashi Kaito , Furukawa Rei
Published: July 2020

The reduction of multipath errors is a significant challenge in the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), especially when receiving non-line-of-sight (NLOS) signals. However, selecting line-of-sight (LOS) satellites correctly is still a difficult task in dense urban areas, even with the latest GNSS receivers. This study demonstrates a new method of utilization of C/N0 of the GNSS to detect NLOS signals. The elevation-dependent threshold of the C/N0 setting may be effective in mitigating multipath errors. However, the C/N0 fluctuation affected by NLOS signals is quite large. If the C/N0 is over the threshold, the satellite is used for positioning even if it is still affected by the NLOS signal, which causes the positioning error to jump easily. To overcome this issue, we focused on the value of continuous time-series C/N0 for a certain period. If the C/N0 of the satellite was less than the determined threshold, the satellite was not used for positioning for a certain period, even if the C/N0 recovered over the threshold. Three static tests were conducted at challenging locations near high-rise buildings in Tokyo. The results proved that our method could substantially mitigate multipath errors in differential GNSS by appropriately removing the NLOS signals. Therefore, the performance of real-time kinematic GNSS was significantly improved.
Accelerating Faceting Wide-Field Imaging Algorithm with FPGA for SKA Radio Telescope as a Vast Sensor Array
Authors: Song Yuefeng , Zhu Yongxin , Nan Tianhao , Hou Junjie , Du Sen , Song Shijin
Published: July 2020

The SKA (Square Kilometer Array) radio telescope will become the most sensitive telescope by correlating a huge number of antenna nodes to form a vast array of sensors in a region over one hundred kilometers. Faceting, the wide-field imaging algorithm, is a novel approach towards solving image construction from sensing data where earth surface curves cannot be ignored. However, the traditional processor of cloud computing, even if the most sophisticated supercomputer is used, cannot meet the extremely high computation performance requirement. In this paper, we propose the design and implementation of high-efficiency FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) -based hardware acceleration of the key algorithm, faceting in SKA by focusing on phase rotation and gridding, which are the most time-consuming phases in the faceting algorithm. Through the analysis of algorithm behavior and bottleneck, we design and optimize the memory architecture and computing logic of the FPGA-based accelerator. The simulation and tests on FPGA are done to confirm the acceleration result of our design and it is shown that the acceleration performance we achieved on phase rotation is 20× the result of the previous work. We then further designed and optimized an efficient microstructure of loop unrolling and pipeline for the gridding accelerator, and the designed system simulation was done to confirm the performance of our structure. The result shows that the acceleration ratio is 5.48 compared to the result tested on software in gridding parts. Hence, our approach enables efficient acceleration of the faceting algorithm on FPGAs with high performance to meet the computational constraints of SKA as a representative vast sensor array.
A Data-Gathering, Dynamic Duty-Cycling MAC Protocol for Large-Scale Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Tong Fei , Peng Yuyang
Published: July 2020

This paper presents a Data-gathering, Dynamic Duty-cycling (D3) protocol for wireless sensor networks. With a proposed duty-cycling MAC of high energy efficiency in D3, a routing scheme is naturally embedded to reduce protocol overhead. A packet can be forwarded in a pipelined fashion by staggering the sleep-wakeup schedules between two communicating nodes, which can significantly reduce end-to-end delay to meet real-time transmission requirements. To construct and maintain schedules, a grade and schedule establishment mechanism with a lightweight schedule error correction scheme is designed. In addition, based on the intrinsic characteristics of the network, an adaptive schedule maintenance scheme is proposed to dynamically adjust the node duty cycle to the network traffic load. The results based on the extensive OPNET simulations show that D3 can largely improve packet delivery ratio, energy efficiency and throughput, and reduce packet delivery latency.
A Meta-Model Integration for Supporting Knowledge Discovery in Specific Domains: A Case Study in Healthcare
Authors: Vázquez-Ingelmo Andrea , García-Holgado Alicia , García-Peñalvo Francisco José , Therón Roberto
Published: July 2020

Knowledge management is one of the key priorities of many organizations. They face different challenges in the implementation of knowledge management processes, including the transformation of tacit knowledge—experience, skills, insights, intuition, judgment and know-how—into explicit knowledge. Furthermore, the increasing number of information sources and services in some domains, such as healthcare, increase the amount of information available. Therefore, there is a need to transform that information in knowledge. In this context, learning ecosystems emerge as solutions to support knowledge management in a different context. On the other hand, the dashboards enable the generation of knowledge through the exploitation of the data provided from different sources. The model-driven development of these solutions is possible through two meta-models developed in previous works. Even though those meta-models solve several problems, the learning ecosystem meta-model has a lack of decision-making support. In this context, this work provides two main contributions to face this issue. First, the definition of a holistic meta-model to support decision-making processes in ecosystems focused on knowledge management, also called learning ecosystems. The second contribution of this work is an instantiation of the presented holistic meta-model in the healthcare domain.
Development of Reliable, High Performance WLCSP for BSI CMOS Image Sensor for Automotive Application
Authors: Zhou Tianshen , Ma Shuying , Yu Daquan , Li Ming , Hang Tao
Published: July 2020

To meet the urgent market demand for small package size and high reliability performance for automotive CMOS image sensor (CIS) application, wafer level chip scale packaging (WLCSP) technology using through silicon vias (TSV) needs to be developed to replace current chip on board (COB) packages. In this paper, a WLCSP with the size of 5.82 mm × 5.22 mm and thickness of 850 μm was developed for the backside illumination (BSI) CIS chip using a 65 nm node with a size of 5.8 mm × 5.2 mm. The packaged product has 1392 × 976 pixels and a resolution of up to 60 frames per second with more than 120 dB dynamic range. The structure of the 3D package was designed and the key fabrication processes on a 12” inch wafer were investigated. More than 98% yield and excellent optical performance of the CIS package was achieved after process optimization. The final packages were qualified by AEC-Q100 Grade 2.
Sunitinib-Loaded MPEG-PCL Micelles for the Treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Authors: Streets Jarriaun , Bhatt Priyanka , Bhatia Deepak , Sutariya Vijaykumar
Published: July 2020

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) will be responsible for the vision impairment of more than five million late-aged adults in the next 30 years. Current treatment includes frequent intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents. However, there are methods of drug delivery that can decrease the frequency of intravitreal injections by sustaining drug release. MPEG-PCL ((methoxypoly(ethylene glycol) poly(caprolactone)) has been reported as biocompatible and biodegradable. Polymeric micelles of MPEG-PCL can be useful in efficiently delivering anti-VEGF drugs such as sunitinib to the posterior segment of the eye. In this study, the novel micellar formulation exhibited an average dynamic light scattering (DLS) particle size of 134.2 ± 2.3 nm with a zeta potential of −0.159 ± 0.07 mV. TEM imaging further confirmed the nanoscopic size of the micelles. A sunitinib malate (SM)-MPEG-PCL formulation exhibited a sustained release profile for up to seven days with an overall release percentage of 95.56 ± 2.7%. In addition to their miniscule size, the SM-MPEG-PCL formulation showed minimal cytotoxicity onto the ARPE-19 human retinal pigment epithelial cell line, reporting a percent viability of more than 88% for all concentrations tested at time intervals of 24 h. The SM-MPEG-PCL micelles also exhibited exceptional performance during an anti-VEGF ELISA that decreased the overall VEGF protein expression in the cells across a 24–72 h period. Furthermore, it can be concluded that this type of polymeric vehicle is a promising solution to symptoms caused by AMD and improving the management of those suffering from AMD.
Towards an Integrated Framework to Measure Smart City Readiness: The Case of Iranian Cities
Authors: Noori Negar , de Jong Martin , Hoppe Thomas
Published: July 2020

This paper introduces an indicator system to measure and assess smart city readiness. Analyzing smart city initiatives in Iran as case studies, the theoretical framework we present reflects on how cities explore the possibility of becoming smart, and prepare themselves to begin implementing the transition towards becoming a smart city. This theoretical framework is then applied to four Iranian cities aspiring to become smart and that already possess credible smart city brands. The findings reveal that the most significant difficulty in Iran is associated with the political context. The changing urban governance model is the most important factor in Iranian smart cities’ readiness. Utilization of open data policies and data sharing, as well as making reforms in government structures are all considered a sine qua non to gain momentum. Based on the results of our empirical analysis a Theory of Change is developed to address the cities’ technological, socio-economic, and political readiness vis-à-vis the desired transition. The framework for measuring smart city readiness and the Theory of Change provide practical guidelines to developing systematic roadmaps for developing and implementing smart city policies.
Gamified Participatory Sensing in Tourism: An Experimental Study of the Effects on Tourist Behavior and Satisfaction
Authors: Kawanaka Shogo , Matsuda Yuki , Suwa Hirohiko , Fujimoto Manato , Arakawa Yutaka , Yasumoto Keiichi
Published: July 2020

In the tourism sector, user-generated information and communication among tourists are perceived to be more effective and reliable contents. In addition, the collection of dynamic tourism information with high spatio-temporal resolution is required to provide comfortable tourism in response to the changing tourism style with the advancement of information technology. Participatory sensing, which can collect various types of information is a useful method by which to collect these contents. However, continuous participation of users is essential in participatory sensing, and it is one of the most important points to stimulate participation motivation. In the tourism situation, we also need to pay attention to the total tourist satisfaction of participants. In this paper, we adopt gamification, i.e., the implementation of game design elements in real-world contexts for non-gaming purposes, for participatory sensing as an incentive mechanism to motivate participants with active participation and collect the necessary information efficiently. Within the framework, where points are given when completing the requested sensing task (=mission), two sensing missions with different burdens; Area Mission and Check-in Mission, and three different types of rewarding mechanisms; Fixed, Variable and Dynamic Variable, are designed as a gamification mechanism. We implemented these elements in the proposed participatory sensing platform application and conducted an experimental case study with 33 participants at an actual tourist spot: Kyoto, Japan. Then, we investigate the effects on tourist behavior and satisfaction by analyzing collected sensor data, mission logs, and post-survey answers. As a result, we can conclude the following: (1) the tourist behavior is changed due to the proposed gamification design and the necessary information was collected efficiently; (2) the participants tend to prioritize Check-in Mission over the sightseeing, which can induce a behavior change but might impact sightseeing enjoyment.
Correlations Between the Attitudes about Learning of After-School Club Students during School and the Teaching Quality of Elementary School Teachers
Authors: Tseng Shih-Hsien , Kang Huang-Yi , Nguyen Tien Son , Liu Meng-Yun
Published: July 2020

In this study, we investigated the correlations between the attitudes about learning of elementary students who attended after-school clubs and the teaching quality of their educators during school. Previously, scholars have focused on service quality and satisfaction from the point of view of the parents, while overlooking the attitudes of students and teachers. To investigate the correlation between student enthusiasm and teaching quality, we sent out a questionnaire survey, collected 343 valid responses, and tested the related data via regression analysis. From the teacher’s point of view, this study can be divided into five constructs: learning interest, self-regulated learning, completing homework, interaction with the environment, and preparation for examinations. We also examined the correlations between each construct and teaching quality. We found that learning interest, homework assignments, environment interaction, and preparation for examinations had a positive correlation with the teaching quality of the elementary level teachers. Lastly, based on our findings, we made recommendations on how to improve teaching quality and leaning in the classroom.
Assessment of the Impact of Residential Urban Patterns of Different Hillslopes on Urban Drainage Systems and Ecosystem Services in the Federal District, Brazil
Authors: Sanches Brito Leticia Karine , Leite Costa Maria Elisa , Koide Sergio
Published: July 2020

In Brazil, stormwater management systems are usually deficient and very commonly implemented after the urban areas have settled. In Brasilia, the Federal capital of Brazil, this problem is aggravated due to the fact that the rainy and dry seasons are very well defined, thereby increasing the importance of groundwater recharge as an ecosystem service. This research aims to evaluate the impact of urban structure types and topographies in stormwater management and three ecosystem services: groundwater recharge, flooding, and water quality. The urban patterns studied included mixed residential areas with two block positions (orthogonal and parallel to the topography) and a single-family house with low density. The studied landforms include a divergent-convergent surface and a flat hillslope with high slope taxa—strictly convergent and strictly divergent surfaces, respectively. The arrangement of landforms has an impact on runoff generation, with an average of 9% during peak flow, and an infiltration capacity, on average, 3% higher in the divergent-convergent surface. The greatest impact of the topography on stormwater management is considered based on the direct cost of the drainage system, which is 44% higher in the flat hillslope. Low impact development (LIDs) devices helped to improve ecosystem service provisions and even presented efficiency that almost achieved that of the predevelopment conditions in the evaluated scenarios. Seeking the urban patterns that best suit given environmental conditions is one of the approaches studied in this paper.
Satisfaction with Life Scale Among Italian Workers: Reliability, Factor Structure and Validity through a Big Sample Study
Authors: Di Fabio Annamaria , Gori Alessio
Published: July 2020

The study aims to assess the psychometric characteristics of the Satisfaction with Life Scale among 1074 participants from the working context. Analyzing Reliability, Factor Structure and concurrent validity, results indicated good values; besides results revealed a robust structure with one factor. On the basis of these results, the SWLS is a valid instrument in relation to evaluate some cognitive aspects of life satisfaction also in the Italian work context.
Temporal and Spatial Distribution of the Toxic Epiphytic Dinoflagellate Ostreopsis cf. ovata in the Coastal Waters off Jeju Island, Korea
Authors: Park Jaeyeon , Hwang Jinik , Hyung Jun-Ho , Yoon Eun Young
Published: July 2020

The temporal and spatial distribution of the toxic epiphytic dinoflagellate Ostreopsis cf. ovata was investigated off the Jeju coastal waters, Korea, from July 2016 to January 2019. The results showed that the presence of Ostreopsis cf. ovata in 184 macroalgae was 79.3%, and it was more frequently attached to red algae and brown algae than to green algae. The abundance of Ostreopsis cf. ovata as determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions (qPCR) and microscopic analysis was 4–3204 cells g−1, and the maximum abundance observed in September 2018, when the water temperature was 24.4 °C. The abundance was higher in summer and autumn than in spring and winter. Spatially, high abundance was observed in autumn on the northern coast of Jeju Island and, in summer, in the southern and eastern coastal waters. The water temperature of Jeju coastal waters in winter remained higher than 15 °C, and this species could be overwintering in the Jeju waters. Therefore, further monitoring and research are needed to evaluate the proliferation of Ostreopsis cf. ovata, which contains a novel toxin with unidentified effects on humans.