bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Three-Phase Dynamic Wireless Charging System with Constant Output Voltage
Authors: Mai Ruikun , Li Hongchao , Liu Yeran , Zhou Kunzhuo , Fu Ling , He Zhengyou
Published: December 2017

A dynamic wireless power transfer (WPT) system is an effective method, which can reduce charging time and extend the driving range of the electric vehicles. In the dynamic WPT systems, the output voltage may fluctuate when the receiver moves along the transmitter coils. This paper proposes a three-phase dynamic WPT charging system with overlapped three-phase transmitter coils. The overlap length is optimized to depress the fluctuation of the output voltage. These coils are powered by a three-phase inverter to generate an even magnetic field, and a unipolar coil is employed as a receiver to simplify the coil structure of the secondary side. Based on the proposed three-phase coil structure, the output voltage characteristics of the system are analyzed in detail. A 500 W dynamic charging prototype is established to validate the proposed dynamic charging system. Experimental results show that the output voltage fluctuation is within ±3.05%. The maximum system efficiency reaches 89.94%.
Coordinated Control of Wind Turbine and Energy Storage System for Reducing Wind Power Fluctuation
Authors: Kim Chunghun , Muljadi Eduard , Chung Chung
Published: December 2017

This paper proposes a method for the coordinated control of a wind turbine and an energy storage system (ESS). Because wind power (WP) is highly dependent on wind speed, which is variable, severe stability problems can be caused in power systems, especially when the WP has a high penetration level. To solve this problem, many power generation corporations or grid operators have begun using ESSs. An ESS has very quick response and good performance for reducing the impact of WP fluctuation; however, its installation cost is high. Therefore, it is important to design the control algorithm by considering both the ESS capacity and WP fluctuation. Thus, we propose a control algorithm to mitigate the WP fluctuation by using the coordinated control between the wind turbine and the ESS by considering the ESS capacity and the WP fluctuation. Using de-loaded control, according to the WP fluctuation and ESS capacity, we can expand the ESS lifespan and improve grid reliability by avoiding the extreme value of state of charge (SoC) (i.e., 0 or 1 pu). The effectiveness of the proposed method was validated via MATLAB/Simulink by considering a small power system that includes both a wind turbine generator and conventional generators that react to system frequency deviation. We found that the proposed method has better performance in SoC management, thereby improving the frequency regulation by mitigating the impact of the WP fluctuation on the small power system.
Estimating the Causal Impact of Proximity to Gold and Copper Mines on Respiratory Diseases in Chilean Children: An Application of Targeted Maximum Likelihood Estimation
Authors: Herrera Ronald , Berger Ursula , Von Ehrenstein Ondine , Díaz Iván , Huber Stella , Moraga Muñoz Daniel , Radon Katja
Published: December 2017

In a town located in a desert area of Northern Chile, gold and copper open-pit mining is carried out involving explosive processes. These processes are associated with increased dust exposure, which might affect children’s respiratory health. Therefore, we aimed to quantify the causal attributable risk of living close to the mines on asthma or allergic rhinoconjunctivitis risk burden in children. Data on the prevalence of respiratory diseases and potential confounders were available from a cross-sectional survey carried out in 2009 among 288 (response: 69 % ) children living in the community. The proximity of the children’s home addresses to the local gold and copper mine was calculated using geographical positioning systems. We applied targeted maximum likelihood estimation to obtain the causal attributable risk (CAR) for asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and both outcomes combined. Children living more than the first quartile away from the mines were used as the unexposed group. Based on the estimated CAR, a hypothetical intervention in which all children lived at least one quartile away from the copper mine would decrease the risk of rhinoconjunctivitis by 4.7 percentage points (CAR: − 4.7 ; 95 % confidence interval ( 95 % CI): − 8.4 ; − 0.11 ); and 4.2 percentage points (CAR: − 4.2 ; 95 % CI: − 7.9 ; − 0.05 ) for both outcomes combined. Overall, our results suggest that a hypothetical intervention intended to increase the distance between the place of residence of the highest exposed children would reduce the prevalence of respiratory disease in the community by around four percentage points. This approach could help local policymakers in the development of efficient public health strategies.
Selection of a Very Active Microbial Community for the Coupled Treatment of Tetramethylammonium Hydroxide and Photoresist in Aqueous Solutions
Authors: Moretti Giulio , Matteucci Federica , Saraullo Matteo , Vegliò Francesco , Del Gallo Maddalena
Published: December 2017

Aerobic treatment of wastewater containing Tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) and photoresist was investigated using a lab scale reactor inoculated with activated sludge coming from urban wastewater treatment that never received TMAH before. The consumption of TMAH was monitored by liquid ion chromatography. Biodiversity indices were calculated from Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) bands distribution and used to estimate changes in community composition related to adaptation to the new feeding compound. The first week of adaptation was crucial, and it was analyzed in detail: many organisms died, and the microbial community suffered a great shock. TMAH levels remained constant through the first four days, and then suddenly dropped to undetectable, and at the same time NH4+ increased. When the community showed complete adaptation, predominant groups of bacteria were obtained by the Illumina sequencing of 16s rDNA amplicons, to provide insights on ecology of the adapted community, focusing on the main actors of TMAH abatement. Richness of species (Rr) peaks suggest that the development of TMAH-consuming bacteria leads to persistent consortia that maintain toxicity resistance over time. This showed adaptation and changes of the population to the different feeding conditions, and it opens new perspectives in the in situ treatment of these important residues of industrial processes without relying on external processing plants.
NGS Reveals Molecular Pathways Affected by Obesity and Weight Loss-Related Changes in miRNA Levels in Adipose Tissue
Authors: Kuryłowicz Alina , Wicik Zofia , Owczarz Magdalena , Jonas Marta , Kotlarek Marta , Świerniak Michał , Lisik Wojciech , Jonas Maurycy , Noszczyk Bartłomiej , Puzianowska-Kuźnicka Monika
Published: December 2017

Both obesity and weight loss may cause molecular changes in adipose tissue. This study aimed to characterize changes in adipose tissue miRNome in order to identify molecular pathways affected by obesity and weight changes. Next generation sequencing (NGS) was applied to identify microRNAs (miRNAs) differentially expressed in 47 samples of visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous (SAT) adipose tissues from normal-weight (N), obese (O) and obese after surgery-induced weight loss (PO) individuals. Subsequently miRNA expression was validated by real-time PCR in 197 adipose tissues and bioinformatics analysis performed to identify molecular pathways affected by obesity-related changes in miRNA expression. NGS identified 344 miRNAs expressed in adipose tissues with ≥5 reads per million. Using >2 and <−2 fold change as cut-offs we showed that the expression of 54 miRNAs differed significantly between VAT-O and SAT-O. Equally, between SAT-O and SAT-N, the expression of 20 miRNAs differed significantly, between SAT-PO and SAT-N the expression of 79 miRNAs differed significantly, and between SAT-PO and SAT-O, the expression of 61 miRNAs differed significantly. Ontological analyses disclosed several molecular pathways regulated by these miRNAs in adipose tissue. NGS-based miRNome analysis characterized changes of the miRNA profile of adipose tissue, which are associated with changes of weight possibly responsible for a differential regulation of molecular pathways in adipose tissue when the individual is obese and after the individual has lost weight.
Enantiomeric Effect of d-Amino Acid Substitution on the Mechanism of Action of α-Helical Membrane-Active Peptides
Authors: Sun Shiyu , Zhao Guangxu , Huang Yibing , Cai Mingjun , Yan Qiuyan , Wang Hongda , Chen Yuxin
Published: December 2017

V13K, a 26-residue peptide, has been shown to have strong antimicrobial activity, negligible hemolytic activity, and significant anticancer activity. In the present work, V13K was used as the framework to investigate the influence of helicity, as influenced by d-amino acid substitutions in the center of the peptide polar and non-polar faces of the amphipathic helix, on biological activity. The antibacterial and anticancer activities of the peptides were investigated. Atomic force microscopy and other biophysical methods were used to investigate the effect of peptide helicity on biological activity. The results showed the importance of suitable and rational modification of membrane-active peptides, based on helicity, in optimizing potential biological activity.
The Glutamatergic System in Primary Somatosensory Neurons and Its Involvement in Sensory Input-Dependent Plasticity
Authors: Fernández-Montoya Julia , Avendaño Carlos , Negredo Pilar
Published: December 2017

Glutamate is the most common neurotransmitter in both the central and the peripheral nervous system. Glutamate is present in all types of neurons in sensory ganglia, and is released not only from their peripheral and central axon terminals but also from their cell bodies. Consistently, these neurons express ionotropic and metabotropic receptors, as well as other molecules involved in the synthesis, transport and release of the neurotransmitter. Primary sensory neurons are the first neurons in the sensory channels, which receive information from the periphery, and are thus key players in the sensory transduction and in the transmission of this information to higher centers in the pathway. These neurons are tightly enclosed by satellite glial cells, which also express several ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors, and display increases in intracellular calcium accompanying the release of glutamate. One of the main interests in our group has been the study of the implication of the peripheral nervous system in sensory-dependent plasticity. Recently, we have provided novel evidence in favor of morphological changes in first- and second-order neurons of the trigeminal system after sustained alterations of the sensory input. Moreover, these anatomical changes are paralleled by several molecular changes, among which those related to glutamatergic neurotransmission are particularly relevant. In this review, we will describe the state of the art of the glutamatergic system in sensory ganglia and its involvement in input-dependent plasticity, a fundamental ground for advancing our knowledge of the neural mechanisms of learning and adaptation, reaction to injury, and chronic pain.
Transcriptome-Wide Identification and Characterization of Potato Circular RNAs in Response to Pectobacterium carotovorum Subspecies brasiliense Infection
Authors: Zhou Ran , Zhu Yongxing , Zhao Jiao , Fang Zhengwu , Wang Shuping , Yin Junliang , Chu Zhaohui , Ma Dongfang
Published: December 2017

Little information about the roles of circular RNAs (circRNAs) during potato-Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. brasiliense (Pcb) interaction is currently available. In this study, we conducted the systematic identification of circRNAs from time series samples of potato cultivars Valor (susceptible) and BP1 (disease tolerant) infected by Pcb. A total of 2098 circRNAs were detected and about half (931, 44.38%) were intergenic circRNAs. And differential expression analysis detected 429 significantly regulated circRNAs. circRNAs play roles by regulating parental genes and sponging miRNAs. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment of parental genes and miRNAs targeted mRNAs revealed that these differentially expressed (DE) circRNAs were involved in defense response (GO:0006952), cell wall (GO:0005199), ADP binding (GO:0043531), phosphorylation (GO:0016310), and kinase activity (GO:0016301), suggesting the roles of circRNAs in regulating potato immune response. Furthermore, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) found that circRNAs were closely related with coding-genes and long intergenic noncoding RNAs (lincRNAs). And together they were cultivar-specifically regulated to strengthen immune response of potato to Pcb infection, implying the roles of circRNAs in reprogramming disease responsive transcriptome. Our results will provide new insights into the potato-Pcb interaction and may lead to novel disease control strategy in the future.
Special Issue on Fuzzy Logic for Image Processing
Authors: Caponetti Laura , Castellano Giovanna
Published: December 2017

The increasing availability of huge image collections in different application fields, such as medical diagnosis, remote sensing, transmission and encoding, machine/robot vision, and video processing, microscopic imaging has pressed the need, in the last few last years, for the development of efficient techniques capable of managing and processing large collection of image data [...]
Electrochemical Corrosion and In Vitro Bioactivity of Nano-Grained Biomedical Ti-20Nb-13Zr Alloy in a Simulated Body Fluid
Authors: Hussein Mohamed , Kumar Madhan , Drew Robin , Al-Aqeeli Nasser
Published: December 2017

The bioactivity and the corrosion protection for a novel nano-grained Ti-20Nb-13Zr at % alloy were examined in a simulated body fluid (SBF). The effect of the SPS’s temperature on the corrosion performance was investigated. The phases and microstructural details of the developed alloy were analyzed by XRD (X-ray Diffraction), SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy), and TEM (Transmission Electron Microscope). The electrochemical study was investigated using linear potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in a SBF, and the bioactivity was examined by immersing the developed alloy in a SBF for 3, 7, and 14 days. The morphology of the depositions after immersion was examined using SEM. Alloy surface analysis after immersion in the SBF was characterized by XPS (X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy). The results of the bioactivity test in SBF revealed the growth of a hydroxyapatite layer on the surface of the alloy. The analysis of XPS showed the formation of protective oxides of TiO2, Ti2O3, ZrO2, Nb2O5, and a Ca3(PO4)2 compound (precursor of hydroxyapatite) deposited on the alloy surface, indicating that the presented alloy can stimulate bone formation. The corrosion resistance increased by increasing the sintering temperature and the highest corrosion resistance was obtained at 1200 °C. The improved corrosion protection was found to be related to the alloy densification. The bioactivity and the corrosion resistance of the developed nanostructured alloy in a SBF renders the nanostructured Ti-20Nb-13Zr alloy a promising candidate as an implant material.
The Impact of Graphene on the Fabrication of Thin Film Solar Cells: Current Status and Future Prospects
Authors: Shi Zhengqi , Jayatissa Ahalapitiya
Published: December 2017

Commercial solar cells have a power conversion efficiency (PCE) in the range of 10–22% with different light absorbers. Graphene, with demonstrated unique structural, physical, and electrical properties, is expected to bring the positive effects on the development of thin film solar cells. Investigations have been carried out to understand whether graphene can be used as a front and back contacts and active interfacial layer in solar cell fabrication. In this review, the current progress of this research is analyzed, starting from the graphene and graphene-based Schottky diode. Also, the discussion was focused on the progress of graphene-incorporated thin film solar cells that were fabricated with different light absorbers, in particular, the synthesis, fabrication, and characterization of devices. The effect of doping and layer thickness of graphene on PCE was also included. Currently, the PCE of graphene-incorporated bulk-heterojunction devices have enhanced in the range of 0.5–3%. However, device durability and cost-effectiveness are also the challenging factors for commercial production of graphene-incorporated solar cells. In addition to the application of graphene, graphene oxides have been also used in perovskite solar cells. The current needs and likely future investigations for graphene-incorporated solar cells are also discussed.
NH4OH Treatment for an Optimum Morphological Trade-off to Hydrothermal Ga-Doped n-ZnO/p-Si Heterostructure Characteristics
Authors: Rana Abu , Kim Hyun-Seok
Published: December 2017

Previous studies on Ga-doped ZnO nanorods (GZRs) have failed to address the change in GZR morphology with increased doping concentration. The morphology-change affects the GZR surface-to-volume ratio and the real essence of doping is not exploited for heterostructure optoelectronic characteristics. We present NH4OH treatment to provide an optimum morphological trade-off to n-GZR/p-Si heterostructure characteristics. The GZRs were grown via one of the most eminent and facile hydrothermal method with an increase in Ga concentration from 1% to 5%. The supplementary OH− ion concentration was effectively controlled by the addition of an optimum amount of NH4OH to synchronize GZR aspect and surface-to-volume ratio. Hence, the probed results show only the effects of Ga-doping, rather than the changed morphology, on the optoelectronic characteristics of n-GZR/p-Si heterostructures. The doped nanostructures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, Hall-effect measurement, and Keithley 2410 measurement systems. GZRs had identical morphology and dimensions with a typical wurtzite phase. As the GZR carrier concentration increased, the PL response showed a blue shift because of Burstein-Moss effect. Also, the heterostructure current levels increased linearly with doping concentration. We believe that the presented GZRs with optimized morphology have great potential for field-effect transistors, light-emitting diodes, ultraviolet sensors, and laser diodes.
Flaccidoxide-13-Acetate Extracted from the Soft Coral Cladiella kashmani Reduces Human Bladder Cancer Cell Migration and Invasion through Reducing Activation of the FAK/PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway
Authors: Neoh Choo-Aun , Wu Wen-Tung , Dai Guo-Fong , Su Jui-Hsin , Liu Chih-I , Su Tzu-Rong , Wu Yu-Jen
Published: December 2017

Metastasis of cancer is the cause of the majority of cancer deaths. Active compound flaccidoxide-13-acetate, isolated from the soft coral Cladiella kashmani, has been found to exhibit anti-tumor activity. In this study, Boyden chamber analysis, Western blotting and gelatin zymography assays indicated that flaccidoxide-13-acetate exerted inhibitory effects on the migration and invasion of RT4 and T24 human bladder cancer cells. The results demonstrated that flaccidoxide-13-acetate, in a concentration-dependent manner, reduced the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), MMP-9, urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR), focal adhesion kinase (FAK), phosphatidylinositide-3 kinases (PI3K), p-PI3K, AKT, p-AKT, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), p-mTOR, Ras homolog gene family, member A (Rho A), Ras, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 7 (MKK7) and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 3 (MEKK3), and increased the expressions of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and TIMP-2 in RT4 and T24 cells. This study revealed that flaccidoxide-13-acetate suppressed cell migration and invasion by reducing the expressions of MMP-2 and MMP-9, regulated by the FAK/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. In conclusion, our study was the first to demonstrate that flaccidoxide-13-acetate could be a potent medical agent for use in controlling the migration and invasion of bladder cancer.
Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Novel 1,3,4-Thiadiazole Derivatives as Potential Antitumor Agents against Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia: Striking Effect of Nitrothiazole Moiety
Authors: Altıntop Mehlika , Ciftci Halil , Radwan Mohamed , Sever Belgin , Kaplancıklı Zafer , Ali Taha , Koga Ryoko , Fujita Mikako , Otsuka Masami , Özdemir Ahmet
Published: December 2017

In an attempt to develop potent antitumor agents, new 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their cytotoxic effects on multiple human cancer cell lines, including the K562 chronic myelogenous leukemia cell line that expresses the Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase. N-(5-Nitrothiazol-2-yl)-2-((5-((4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)amino)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)thio)acetamide (2) inhibited the Abl protein kinase with an IC50 value of 7.4 µM and showed selective activity against the Bcr-Abl positive K562 cell line. Furthermore, a Bcr-Abl-compound 2 molecular modelling simulation highlighted the anchoring role of the nitrothiazole moiety in bonding and hydrophobic interaction with the key amino acid residues. These results provide promising starting points for further development of novel kinase inhibitors.
Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Au and Ag Nanoparticles. Breakthroughs and Perspectives
Authors: Fratoddi Ilaria
Published: December 2017

This review provides a broad look on the recent investigations on the synthesis, characterization and physico-chemical properties of noble metal nanoparticles, mainly gold and silver nanoparticles, stabilized with ligands of different chemical nature. A comprehensive review of the available literature in this field may be far too large and only some selected representative examples will be reported here, together with some recent achievements from our group, that will be discussed in more detail. Many efforts in finding synthetic routes have been performed so far to achieve metal nanoparticles with well-defined size, morphology and stability in different environments, to match the large variety of applications that can be foreseen for these materials. In particular, the synthesis and stabilization of gold and silver nanoparticles together with their properties in different emerging fields of nanomedicine, optics and sensors are reviewed and briefly commented.
Theoretical Evaluation of the Influence of Molecular Packing Mode on the Intramolecular Reorganization Energy of Oligothiophene Molecules
Authors: Zhang Bing , Xu Yingxue , Zhu Lilin , Zhou Shijie , Liao Yinjie , Zhou Kaixuan , Yao Jianxi , Dai Songyuan
Published: December 2017

Accurate determination of the relationships among packing mode, molecular structure and charge transfer mobility for oligothiophene analogues has been significantly impeded, due to the lack of crystal structure information. In the current study, molecular dynamics (MD) were used to investigate the packing mode of non-, methyl- and ethyl-substituted poly(3-alkylthiophenes) (P3ATs). Obvious conformational changes were observed when comparing the packed and isolated oligothiophene molecules, indicating the important influence of packing mode on the geometric structures of these materials. Considering the crucial role played by reorganization energy (RE) in the charge transfer process, both quantum mechanics (QM) and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) were performed to examine the impact of different conformations on energy. Our simulations revealed that the geometric structures have distinct effects on the RE. Our data suggest that MD could give a reliable packing mode of oligothiophene analogues, and that QM/MM is indispensable for precisely estimating RE.
Can Satellite Precipitation Products Estimate Probable Maximum Precipitation: A Comparative Investigation with Gauge Data in the Dadu River Basin
Authors: Yang Yuan , Tang Guoqiang , Lei Xiaohui , Hong Yang , Yang Na
Published: December 2017

Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP) is an essential prerequisite in designing dams, spillways, and reservoirs in order to minimize the risk of overtopping infrastructure collapse, especially under today’s changing climate. This study investigates conventional PMP estimation approach by using both scarce in-situ observations and mainstream satellite precipitation products in the Dadu River basin, where plenty of reservoirs and dams are being built. The satellite data include Climate Prediction Center (CPC) MORPHing algorithm (CMORPH), Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks-Climate Data Record (PERSIANN-CDR), and Tropic Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) 3B42V7. The evaluation of satellite products shows that CMORPH and 3B42V7 agree well with gauge-based dataset for the period of 1998–2013 at both the grid and basin scales, also capturing the extreme precipitation events, with high Correlation Coefficients (CC) in terms of 0.68 and 0.71, respectively. Also, CMORPH and 3B42V7 show better performance for the magnitude and spatial distribution of 24-h PMP in such complex terrains. PERSIANN-CDR shows an overestimation in the upstream and an underestimation in the downstream. As among the first studies of satellite precipitation-based PMP estimation, this work sheds lights on the suitability of satellite precipitation in PMP estimation and could provide a reference for future extended spatially-distributed PMP estimation in vast ungauged regions.
Perturbation Theory for Scattering from Multilayers with Randomly Rough Fractal Interfaces: Remote Sensing Applications
Authors: Imperatore Pasquale , Iodice Antonio , Riccio Daniele
Published: December 2017

A general, approximate perturbation method, able to provide closed-form expressions of scattering from a layered structure with an arbitrary number of rough interfaces, has been recently developed. Such a method provides a unique tool for the characterization of radar response patterns of natural rough multilayers. In order to show that, here, for the first time in a journal paper, we describe the application of the developed perturbation theory to fractal interfaces; we then employ the perturbative method solution to analyze the scattering from real-world layered structures of practical interest in remote sensing applications. We focus on the dependence of normalized radar cross section on geometrical and physical properties of the considered scenarios, and we choose two classes of natural stratifications: wet paleosoil covered by a low-loss dry sand layer and a sea-ice layer above water with dry snow cover. Results are in accordance with the experimental evidence available in the literature for the low-loss dry sand layer, and they may provide useful indications about the actual ability of remote sensing instruments to perform sub-surface sensing for different sensor and scene parameters.
Design and Practical Evaluation of a Family of Lightweight Protocols for Heterogeneous Sensing through BLE Beacons in IoT Telemetry Applications
Authors: Hernández-Rojas Dixys , Fernández-Caramés Tiago , Fraga-Lamas Paula , Escudero Carlos
Published: December 2017

The Internet of Things (IoT) involves a wide variety of heterogeneous technologies and resource-constrained devices that interact with each other. Due to such constraints, IoT devices usually require lightweight protocols that optimize the use of resources and energy consumption. Among the different commercial IoT devices, Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)-based beacons, which broadcast periodically certain data packets to notify their presence, have experienced a remarkable growth, specially due to their application in indoor positioning systems. This article proposes a family of protocols named Lightweight Protocol for Sensors (LP4S) that provides fast responses and enables plug-and-play mechanisms that allow IoT telemetry systems to discover new nodes and to describe and auto-register the sensors and actuators connected to a beacon. Thus, three protocols are defined depending on the beacon hardware characteristics: LP4S-6 (for resource-constraint beacons), LP4S-X (for more powerful beacons) and LP4S-J (for beacons able to run complex firmware). In order to demonstrate the capabilities of the designed protocols, the most restrictive (LP4S-6) is tested after implementing it for a telemetry application in a beacon based on Eddystone (Google’s open beacon format). Thus, the beacon specification is extended in order to increase its ability to manage unlimited sensors in a telemetry system without interfering in its normal operation with Eddystone frames. The performed experiments show the feasibility of the proposed solution and its superiority, in terms of latency and energy consumption, with respect to approaches based on Generic Attribute Profile (GATT) when multiple users connect to a mote or in scenarios where latency is not a restriction, but where low-energy consumption is essential.
Graphene Oxide in Lossy Mode Resonance-Based Optical Fiber Sensors for Ethanol Detection
Authors: Hernaez Miguel , Mayes Andrew , Melendi-Espina Sonia
Published: December 2017

The influence of graphene oxide (GO) over the features of an optical fiber ethanol sensor based on lossy mode resonances (LMR) has been studied in this work. Four different sensors were built with this aim, each comprising a multimode optical fiber core fragment coated with a SnO2 thin film. Layer by layer (LbL) coatings made of 1, 2 and 4 bilayers of polyethyleneimine (PEI) and graphene oxide were deposited onto three of these devices and their behavior as aqueous ethanol sensors was characterized and compared with the sensor without GO. The sensors with GO showed much better performance with a maximum sensitivity enhancement of 176% with respect to the sensor without GO. To our knowledge, this is the first time that GO has been used to make an optical fiber sensor based on LMR.
Background Registration-Based Adaptive Noise Filtering of LWIR/MWIR Imaging Sensors for UAV Applications
Authors: Kim Byeong , Kim Min , Chae You
Published: December 2017

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are equipped with optical systems including an infrared (IR) camera such as electro-optical IR (EO/IR), target acquisition and designation sights (TADS), or forward looking IR (FLIR). However, images obtained from IR cameras are subject to noise such as dead pixels, lines, and fixed pattern noise. Nonuniformity correction (NUC) is a widely employed method to reduce noise in IR images, but it has limitations in removing noise that occurs during operation. Methods have been proposed to overcome the limitations of the NUC method, such as two-point correction (TPC) and scene-based NUC (SBNUC). However, these methods still suffer from unfixed pattern noise. In this paper, a background registration-based adaptive noise filtering (BRANF) method is proposed to overcome the limitations of conventional methods. The proposed BRANF method utilizes background registration processing and robust principle component analysis (RPCA). In addition, image quality verification methods are proposed that can measure the noise filtering performance quantitatively without ground truth images. Experiments were performed for performance verification with middle wave infrared (MWIR) and long wave infrared (LWIR) images obtained from practical military optical systems. As a result, it is found that the image quality improvement rate of BRANF is 30% higher than that of conventional NUC.
Vanishing Point Extraction and Refinement for Robust Camera Calibration
Authors: Chang Huan , Tsai Fuan
Published: December 2017

This paper describes a flexible camera calibration method using refined vanishing points without prior information. Vanishing points are estimated from human-made features like parallel lines and repeated patterns. With the vanishing points extracted from the three mutually orthogonal directions, the interior and exterior orientation parameters can be further calculated using collinearity condition equations. A vanishing point refinement process is proposed to reduce the uncertainty caused by vanishing point localization errors. The fine-tuning algorithm is based on the divergence of grouped feature points projected onto the reference plane, minimizing the standard deviation of each of the grouped collinear points with an O(1) computational complexity. This paper also presents an automated vanishing point estimation approach based on the cascade Hough transform. The experiment results indicate that the vanishing point refinement process can significantly improve camera calibration parameters and the root mean square error (RMSE) of the constructed 3D model can be reduced by about 30%.
Towards the Use of Unmanned Aerial Systems for Providing Sustainable Services in Smart Cities
Authors: Moguel Enrique , Conejero José M. , Sánchez-Figueroa Fernando , Hernández Juan , Preciado Juan C. , Sánchez-Figueroa Fernando , Rodríguez-Echeverría Roberto
Published: December 2017

Sustainability is at the heart of many application fields where the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) is becoming more and more important (e.g., agriculture, fire detection and prediction, environmental surveillance, mapping, etc.). However, their usage and evolution are highly conditioned by the specific application field they are designed for, and thus, they cannot be easily reused among different application fields. From this point of view, being that they are not multipurpose, we can say that they are not fully sustainable. Bearing this in mind, the objective of this paper is two-fold: on the one hand, to identify the whole set of features that must be provided by a UAS to be considered sustainable and to show that there is no UAS satisfying all these features; on the other hand, to present an open and sustainable UAS architecture that may be used to build UAS on demand to provide the features needed in each application field. Since this architecture is mainly based on software and hardware adaptability, it contributes to the technical sustainability of cities.
Impacts of Power Structure on Sustainable Supply Chain Management
Authors: Li Zhi , Xu Yangyang , Deng Fumin , Liang Xuedong
Published: December 2017

The present paper examines the manufacturer’s operational decisions, e.g., wholesale price and product sustainability level, the retailer’s operational decision, e.g., retail margin, and supply chain efficiency under three supply chain power structures: manufacturer Stackelberg, Nash and retailer Stackelberg. As a benchmark, we first obtain the equlibrium price and product sustainability level in a vertically integrated supply chain. Our analysis provides some interesting findings in a decentralized supply chain: (i) a dominant manufacturer (retailer) always benefits from its power; (ii) the entire supply chain earns the most profit from the Nash game, and the least from the retailer Stackelberg game, respectively; (iii) as the power shifts from the manufacturer to the retailer, product sustainability and retail price increase; (iv) dominant manufacturer does not necessarily imply low wholesale price that would benefit the retailer. Managerial insights are provided for the manufacturer and the retailer, respectively.
Peripheral 5-HT3 Receptors Are Involved in the Antinociceptive Effect of Bunodosine 391
Authors: Ferreira Junior Wilson , Zaharenko Andre , Kazuma Kohei , Picolo Gisele , Gutierrez Vanessa , De Freitas Jose , Konno Katsuhiro , Cury Yara
Published: December 2017

Bunodosine 391 (BDS 391), a low molecular weight compound isolated from the sea anemone Bunodosoma cangicum, increases the nociceptive threshold and inhibits inflammatory hyperalgesia. Serotonin receptors are involved in those effects. In this study, we have expanded the characterization of the antinociceptive effect of BDS 391 demonstrating that, in rats: (a) the compound inhibits (1.2–12 ng/paw) overt pain, in the formalin test, and mechanical hyperalgesia (0.6–6.0 ng/paw) detected in a model of neuropathic pain; (b) intraplantar administration of ondansetron, a selective 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, blocks the effect of BDS 391, whereas ketanserin, a 5-HT2 receptor antagonist, partially reversed this effect, indicating the involvement of peripheral 5-HT2 and 5-HT3 receptors in BDS 391 antinociception; and (c) in binding assay studies, BDS 391 was not able to displace the selective 5-HT receptor antagonists, suggesting that this compound does not directly bind to these receptors. The effect of biguanide, a selective 5-HT3 receptor agonist, was also evaluated. The agonist inhibited the formalin’s nociceptive response, supporting an antinociceptive role for 5-HT3 receptors. Our study is the first one to show that a non-peptidic low molecular weight compound obtained from a sea anemone is able to induce antinociception and that activation of peripheral 5-HT3 receptors contributes to this effect.
Effects of Fusarium Head Blight on Wheat Grain and Malt Infected by Fusarium culmorum
Authors: Spanic Valentina , Marcek Tihana , Abicic Ivan , Sarkanj Bojan
Published: December 2017

Fusarium head blight is a destructive disease of cereals worldwide. The aim of this research was to study the effect of heavy Fusarium infection with Fusarium culmorum and biosynthesis of mycotoxins on different wheat varieties during malting by setting up field trials with control and Fusarium-inoculated treatments at the Agricultural Institute Osijek. The highest occurrence of Fusarium mycotoxins was expectedly recorded in susceptible variety in grain and malt (3247 and 1484 µg kg−1 for deoxynivalenol (DON), 735 and 1116 µg kg−1 for 3-acetyl deoxynivalenol (3-ADON), 37 and 233 µg kg−1 for zearalenone (ZEN), respectively). Based on published information, complemented by our own results, the following conclusions can be drawn: The presence of 3-ADON in different wheat varieties might be the result of its conversion into DON by deacetylation during the malting process. The detection of the mycotoxin ZEN indicated that this mycotoxin is only specific for wheat malt.
Rheological Modeling of Macro Viscous Flows of Granular Suspension of Regular and Irregular Particles
Authors: Pellegrino Anna , Schippa Leonardo
Published: December 2017

This paper refers to complex granular-fluid mixtures involved into geophysical flows, such as debris and hyper-concentrated flows. For such phenomena, the interstitial fluids play a role when they are in the viscous regime. Referring to experiments on granular-fluid mixture carried out with pressure imposed annular shear cell, we study the rheological behaviour of dense mixture involving both spheres and irregular-shaped particles. For the case of viscous suspensions with irregular grains, a significant scatter of data from the trend observed for mixtures with spherical particles was evident. In effect, the shape of the particles likely plays a fundamental role in the flow dynamics, and the constitutive laws proposed by the frictional theory for the spheres are no longer valid. Starting from the frictional approach successfully applied to suspension of spheres, we demonstrate that also in case of irregular particles the mixture rheology may be fully characterized by the two relationships involving friction coefficient µ and volume concentration Ф as a function of the dimensionless viscous number Iv. To this goal, we provided a new consistent general model, referring to the volume fraction law and friction law, which accounts for the particle shape. In this way, the fitting parameters reduce just to the static friction angle µ1, and the two parameters, k and fs related to the grain shape. The resulting general model may apply to steady fully developed flows of saturated granular fluid mixture in the viscous regime, no matter of granular characteristics.
RTI International’s Address-Based Sampling Atlas: Drop points
Authors: Amaya Ashley
Published: December 2017

The Computerized Delivery Sequence (CDS) file contains listings for nearly all addresses in the United States. Survey researchers use the CDS as a sampling frame from which to draw an address-based sample (ABS). More than 700,000 addresses on the CDS are marked as drop points, which are mail receptacles shared by multiple housing units (drop units). Drop points are a challenge to sample and present a potential source of error because of their "one-to-many" relationships. Several techniques have been developed to overcome this challenge, including deleting them from the frame or sampling all units at a given drop point. This paper serves as an introduction to these challenges, discusses the pros and cons to each "solution," and provides a list of best practices.
CONTROL OF SPATIAL PROTECTION IN KAUMAN SEMARANG
Authors: SUPRAPTI Atiek , KISTANTO Nurdien H. , PANDELAKI Edward E. , INDROSAPTONO Djoko
Published: December 2017

Locality and cultural identity aspects are very important to create humane cities in the midst of globalizing world. Kauman Semarang is the city’s cultural identity which has lasted for more than three centuries. Traditionally, Kauman is a village in downtown which reflects Moslem daily live. The physical and social characteristicschange are the reaction of modernization-capitalization pressure of the downtown. The purpose of the research is to find out how Kauman adapts to the incoming pressures. The research was based on ethnographic method by combining ideographic and architectural approaches. In the end of the research, it found that there is a spatial control having protective characteristic or a control of spatial protection conducted by the community. Socioreligious values have influenced in strengthening socio-religious space that produces immaterial products associated with the community’s mentality. Meanwhile, the modernization-capitalization pressures influence the form of significantly developed business-commercial space, and their products are eventually used to support the socio-religious activities. Spatial protection strategy is an answer for the problem of modernization-capitalization pressures in downtown. This finding could be a useful input for the preservation efforts at Kauman Semarang particularly and for cities having similar problems generally.
INFORMAL SECTOR STRATEGY IN URBAN INORGANIC WASTE MANAGEMENT TOWARD 3 M MANAGEMENT (MERUBAH: CHANGING, MENGURANGI: REDUCING, MANFAAT: BENEFIT) IN SEMARANG CITY
Authors: INDROSAPTONO Djoko , SYAHBANA Joesron Alie
Published: December 2017

Moreover urban waste can be seen as a cultural problem because it affects various aspects of life, and the impact on urban waste management system nowadays are not effective and efficient yet. The reason for conducting this research is the emergence of the informal sector phenomena of urban waste management that can contribute to reduce the volume of urban waste production. The purpose of this research is to find out the informal sector strategy in urban waste management, especially inorganic waste. The researchers used qualitative research to explain the phenomenon as the focus of research.

The result of research is 3M phenomenon, that is derived from Indonesian words (Mengubah = Changing, Mengurangi = Reducing, Manfaat = Benefit), in the management of urban inorganic waste. The explanation are; Mengubah: turning waste into economic value; Mengurangi: If the economic value of the urban waste volumes increases, the volume of urban waste will eventually be reduced; and Manfaat: the benefits obtained are management cultivating empowerment, reducing the burden of the landfill volume, being closer to inorganic zero waste condition.

Suggestions are as follows: [a] development of management towards go-green, [b] urban waste management based on predictable community empowerment will be more effective and efficient in the future.
Linking Signatures of Accretion with Magnetic Field Measurements–Line Profiles are not Significantly Different in Magnetic and Non-magnetic Herbig Ae/Be Stars
Authors: Reiter Megan , Calvet Nuria , Thanathibodee Thanawuth , Kraus Stefan , Cauley P. Wilson , Monnier John , Rubinstein Adam , Aarnio Alicia , Harries Tim J.
Published: December 2017

Herbig Ae/Be stars are young, pre-main-sequence stars that sample the transition in structure and evolution between low- and high-mass stars, providing a key test of accretion processes in higher-mass stars. Few Herbig Ae/Be stars have detected magnetic fields, calling into question whether the magnetospheric accretion paradigm developed for low-mass stars can be scaled to higher masses. We present He i 10830 Å line profiles for 64 Herbig Ae/Be stars with a magnetic field measurement in order to test magnetospheric accretion in the physical regime where its efficacy remains uncertain. Of the five stars with a magnetic field detection, one shows redshifted absorption, indicative of infall, and two show blueshifted absorption, tracing mass outflow. The fraction of redshifted and blueshifted absorption profiles in the non-magnetic Herbig Ae/Be stars is remarkably similar, suggesting that the stellar magnetic field does not affect gas kinematics traced by He i 10830 Å. Line profile morphology does not correlate with the luminosity, rotation rate, mass accretion rate, or disk inclination. Only the detection of a magnetic field and a nearly face-on disk inclination show a correlation (albeit for a few sources). This provides further evidence for weaker dipoles and more complex field topologies as stars develop a radiative envelope. The small number of magnetic Herbig Ae/Be stars has already called into question whether magnetospheric accretion can be scaled to higher masses; accretion signatures are not substantially different in magnetic Herbig Ae/Be stars, casting further doubt that they accrete in the same manner as classical T Tauri stars.
Multiwavength Observations of the Black Hole X-Ray Binary A0620-00 in Quiescence
Authors: Dinçer Tolga , Bailyn Charles D. , Miller-Jones James C. A. , Buxton Michelle , MacDonald Rachel K. D.
Published: December 2017

We present results from simultaneous multiwavelength X-ray, radio, and optical/near-infrared observations of the quiescent black hole X-ray binary A0620-00 performed in 2013 December. We find that the Chandra flux has brightened by a factor of 2 since 2005, and by a factor of 7 since 2000. The spectrum has not changed significantly over this time, being consistent with a power law of

and a hydrogen column of

. Very Large Array observations of A0620-00 at three frequencies, over the interval of 5.25–22.0 GHz, have provided us with the first broadband radio spectrum of a quiescent stellar mass black hole system at X-ray luminosities as low as 10−8 times the Eddington luminosity. Compared to previous observations, the source has moved to lower radio and higher X-ray luminosity, shifting it perpendicular to the standard track of the radio/X-ray correlation for X-ray binaries. The radio spectrum is inverted with a spectral index

(

). This suggests that the peak of the spectral energy distribution is likely to be between 1012 and 1014 Hz, and that the near-IR and optical flux contain significant contributions from the star, the accretion flow, and from the outflow. Decomposing these components may be difficult, but holds the promise of revealing the interplay between accretion and jet in low luminosity systems.