bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From Ion Current to Electroosmotic Flow Rectification in Asymmetric Nanopore Membranes
Authors: Experton Juliette , Wu Xiaojian , Martin Charles
Published: December 2017

Asymmetrically shaped nanopores have been shown to rectify the ionic current flowing through pores in a fashion similar to a p-n junction in a solid-state diode. Such asymmetric nanopores include conical pores in polymeric membranes and pyramidal pores in mica membranes. We review here both theoretical and experimental aspects of this ion current rectification phenomenon. A simple intuitive model for rectification, stemming from previously published more quantitative models, is discussed. We also review experimental results on controlling the extent and sign of rectification. It was shown that ion current rectification produces a related rectification of electroosmotic flow (EOF) through asymmetric pore membranes. We review results that show how to measure and modulate this EOF rectification phenomenon. Finally, EOF rectification led to the development of an electroosmotic pump that works under alternating current (AC), as opposed to the currently available direct current EOF pumps. Experimental results on AC EOF rectification are reviewed, and advantages of using AC to drive EOF are discussed.
Short-Communication: A Comparison of the In Vitro Angiotensin-1-Converting Enzyme Inhibitory Capacity of Dairy and Plant Protein Supplements
Authors: Giromini Carlotta , Fekete Ágnes , Givens D. , Baldi Antonella , Lovegrove Julie
Published: December 2017

The consumption of supplements based on dairy or plant proteins may be associated with bioactive potential, including angiotensin-1-converting enzyme inhibitory (ACE-1i) activity, which is linked with blood pressure reduction in vivo. To gain insight into this proposed mechanism, the ACE-1i potential of protein-based supplements, including a selection of dairy (n = 10) and plant (n = 5) proteins were in vitro digested. The total digest was filtered and permeate and retentate were obtained. ACE-1i activity was measured as the ability of proteins (pre-digestion, ‘gastric’, permeate, and retentate) to decrease the hydrolysis of furanacroloyl-Phe-Glu-Glu (FAPGG) substrate for the ACE-1 enzyme. Permeate and retentate of dairy proteins exerted a significantly higher ACE-1i activity (mean of 10 proteins: 27.05 ± 0.2% and 20.7 ± 0.2%, respectively) compared with pre-digestion dairy proteins (16.7 ± 0.3%). Plant protein exhibited high ACE-1i in ‘gastric’ and retentate fractions (mean of five proteins: 54.9 ± 0.6% and 35.7 ± 0.6%, respectively). The comparison of the in vitro ACE-1i activity of dairy and plant proteins could provide valuable knowledge regarding their specific bioactivities, which could inform their use in the formulation of specific functional supplements that would require testing for blood pressure control in human randomly-controlled studies.
Proton Conductive Channel Optimization in Methanol Resistive Hybrid Hyperbranched Polyamide Proton Exchange Membrane
Authors: Ma Liying , Li Jing , Xiong Jie , Xu Guoxiao , Liu Zhao , Cai Weiwei
Published: December 2017

Based on a previously developed polyamide proton conductive macromolecule, the nano-scale structure of the self-assembled proton conductive channels (PCCs) is adjusted via enlarging the nano-scale pore size within the macromolecules. Hyperbranched polyamide macromolecules with different size are synthesized from different monomers to tune the nano-scale pore size within the macromolecules, and a series of hybrid membranes are prepared from these two micromoles to optimize the PCC structure in the proton exchange membrane. The optimized membrane exhibits methanol permeability low to 2.2 × 10−7 cm2/s, while the proton conductivity of the hybrid membrane can reach 0.25 S/cm at 80 °C, which was much higher than the value of the Nafion 117 membrane (0.192 S/cm). By considering the mechanical, dimensional, and the thermal properties, the hybrid hyperbranched polyamide proton exchange membrane (PEM) exhibits promising application potential in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC).
The Reaction between Furfuryl Alcohol and Model Compound of Protein
Authors: Liang Jiankun , Wu Zhigang , Lei Hong , Xi Xuedong , Li Taohong , Du Guanben
Published: December 2017

To guide the preparation of protein-based adhesive, especially the soy-based adhesive, the reaction between a simple dipeptide N-(2)-l-alanyl-l-glutamine (AG), being used as a model compound of protein, and its cross-linker furfuryl alcohol were studied in this paper. The products that were prepared with furfuryl alcohol and AG under different pHs were analyzed by ESI-MS, 13C NMR, and FT-IR. It was found that the medium environment had great effects on the competition of the co-condensation reaction between furfuryl alcohol and AG and self-condensation reaction of furfuryl alcohol molecules in the mixing system with furfuryl alcohol and AG. Under alkaline conditions, both co- and self-condensation were not obviously detected. Only when the value of pH was higher than 11, were a few co-condensation reaction products gotten. The reaction occurred mainly between furfuryl alcohol and the primary amido groups of AG. Under acid conditions, both co- and self-condensation were observed. The more acid the preparation conditions were, the easier to be observed the self-condensation of furfuryl alcohol molecules would be than the co-condensation between furfuryl alcohol and AG. When the value of pH was higher than 5, both co- and self-condensation were not outstanding. In this study, under pH 3, the co- and self-condensation found equilibrium. There was a great possibility for the primary amido and aliphatic amino groups of AG molecules to react with furfuryl alcohol molecules. No reaction was detected between the secondary amido groups of AG and furfuryl alcohol.
Design of a Novel Leg-Wheel Hexapod Walking Robot
Authors: Tedeschi Franco , Carbone Giuseppe
Published: December 2017

Hexapod walking robots have been widely addressed in the literature with a very large number of design and engineering solutions. However, specific design approaches and solutions are needed to cope with specific novel applications. This paper aims to address the design of a hexapod walking robot having exploration, architectonic survey, and maintenance of cultural heritage goods as its main application tasks. This specific case of study is addressed by carrying out a detailed design, which led to the construction of a novel hexapod walking robot, named Cassino Hexapod III. The proposed robot is composed of hybrid legs of a modular anthropomorphic architecture with omni-wheels as feet at its extremity. The proposed design and engineering solutions can overcome the limits of other existing prototypes and to fulfil the specific application requirements and constraints with a cost-effective and user-friendly solution. The proposed novel solutions have also originated an Italian patent No. 102014902238772.
Tracking Dynamic Northern Surface Water Changes with High-Frequency Planet CubeSat Imagery
Authors: Cooley Sarah , Smith Laurence , Stepan Leon , Mascaro Joseph
Published: December 2017

Recent deployments of CubeSat imagers by companies such as Planet may advance hydrological remote sensing by providing an unprecedented combination of high temporal and high spatial resolution imagery at the global scale. With approximately 170 CubeSats orbiting at full operational capacity, the Planet CubeSat constellation currently offers an average revisit time of <1 day for the Arctic and near-daily revisit time globally at 3 m spatial resolution. Such data have numerous potential applications for water resource monitoring, hydrologic modeling and hydrologic research. Here we evaluate Planet CubeSat imaging capabilities and potential scientific utility for surface water studies in the Yukon Flats, a large sub-Arctic wetland in north central Alaska. We find that surface water areas delineated from Planet imagery have a normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) of <11% and geolocation accuracy of <10 m as compared with manual delineations from high resolution (0.3–0.5 m) WorldView-2/3 panchromatic satellite imagery. For a 625 km2 subarea of the Yukon Flats, our time series analysis reveals that roughly one quarter of 268 lakes analyzed responded to changes in Yukon River discharge over the period 23 June–1 October 2016, one half steadily contracted, and one quarter remained unchanged. The spatial pattern of observed lake changes is heterogeneous. While connections to Yukon River control the hydrologically connected lakes, the behavior of other lakes is complex, likely driven by a combination of intricate flow paths, underlying geology and permafrost. Limitations of Planet CubeSat imagery include a lack of an automated cloud mask, geolocation inaccuracies, and inconsistent radiometric calibration across multiple platforms. Although these challenges must be addressed before Planet CubeSat imagery can achieve its full potential for large-scale hydrologic research, we conclude that CubeSat imagery offers a powerful new tool for the study and monitoring of dynamic surface water bodies.
Improving Mean Minimum and Maximum Month-to-Month Air Temperature Surfaces Using Satellite-Derived Land Surface Temperature
Authors: Mira Maria , Ninyerola Miquel , Batalla Meritxell , Pesquer Lluís , Pons Xavier
Published: December 2017

Month-to-month air temperature (Tair) surfaces are increasingly demanded to feed quantitative models related to a wide range of fields, such as hydrology, ecology or climate change studies. Geostatistical interpolation techniques provide such continuous and objective surfaces of climate variables, while the use of remote sensing data may improve the estimates, especially when temporal resolution is detailed enough. The main goal of this study is to propose an empirical methodology for improving the month-to-month Tair mapping (minimum and maximum) using satellite land surface temperatures (LST) besides of meteorological data and geographic information. The methodology consists on multiple regression analysis combined with the spatial interpolation of residual errors using the inverse distance weighting. A leave-one-out cross-validation procedure has been included in order to compare predicted with observed values. Different operational daytime and nighttime LST products corresponding to the four months more characteristic of the seasonal dynamics of a Mediterranean climate have been considered for a thirteen-year period. The results can be considered operational given the feasibility of the models employed (linear dependence on predictors that are nowadays easily available), the robustness of the leave-one-out cross-validation procedure and the improvement in accuracy achieved when compared to classical Tair modeling results. Unlike what is considered by most studies, it is shown that nighttime LST provides a good proxy not only for minimum Tair, but also for maximum Tair. The improvement achieved by the inclusion of remote sensing LST products was higher for minimum Tair (up to 0.35 K on December), especially over forests and rugged lands. Results are really encouraging, as there are generally few meteorological stations in zones with these characteristics, clearly showing the usefulness of remote sensing to improve information about areas that are difficult to access or simply with a poor availability of conventional meteorological data.
Performance Evaluation of Bluetooth Low Energy: A Systematic Review
Authors: Tosi Jacopo , Taffoni Fabrizio , Santacatterina Marco , Sannino Roberto , Formica Domenico
Published: December 2017

Small, compact and embedded sensors are a pervasive technology in everyday life for a wide number of applications (e.g., wearable devices, domotics, e-health systems, etc.). In this context, wireless transmission plays a key role, and among available solutions, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is gaining more and more popularity. BLE merges together good performance, low-energy consumption and widespread diffusion. The aim of this work is to review the main methodologies adopted to investigate BLE performance. The first part of this review is an in-depth description of the protocol, highlighting the main characteristics and implementation details. The second part reviews the state of the art on BLE characteristics and performance. In particular, we analyze throughput, maximum number of connectable sensors, power consumption, latency and maximum reachable range, with the aim to identify what are the current limits of BLE technology. The main results can be resumed as follows: throughput may theoretically reach the limit of ~230 kbps, but actual applications analyzed in this review show throughputs limited to ~100 kbps; the maximum reachable range is strictly dependent on the radio power, and it goes up to a few tens of meters; the maximum number of nodes in the network depends on connection parameters, on the network architecture and specific device characteristics, but it is usually lower than 10; power consumption and latency are largely modeled and analyzed and are strictly dependent on a huge number of parameters. Most of these characteristics are based on analytical models, but there is a need for rigorous experimental evaluations to understand the actual limits.
Optimal Multi-Type Sensor Placement for Structural Identification by Static-Load Testing
Authors: Bertola Numa , Papadopoulou Maria , Vernay Didier , Smith Ian
Published: December 2017

Assessing ageing infrastructure is a critical challenge for civil engineers due to the difficulty in the estimation and integration of uncertainties in structural models. Field measurements are increasingly used to improve knowledge of the real behavior of a structure; this activity is called structural identification. Error-domain model falsification (EDMF) is an easy-to-use model-based structural-identification methodology which robustly accommodates systematic uncertainties originating from sources such as boundary conditions, numerical modelling and model fidelity, as well as aleatory uncertainties from sources such as measurement error and material parameter-value estimations. In most practical applications of structural identification, sensors are placed using engineering judgment and experience. However, since sensor placement is fundamental to the success of structural identification, a more rational and systematic method is justified. This study presents a measurement system design methodology to identify the best sensor locations and sensor types using information from static-load tests. More specifically, three static-load tests were studied for the sensor system design using three types of sensors for a performance evaluation of a full-scale bridge in Singapore. Several sensor placement strategies are compared using joint entropy as an information-gain metric. A modified version of the hierarchical algorithm for sensor placement is proposed to take into account mutual information between load tests. It is shown that a carefully-configured measurement strategy that includes multiple sensor types and several load tests maximizes information gain.
Energy Efficient Real-Time Scheduling Using DPM on Mobile Sensors with a Uniform Multi-Cores
Authors: Kim Youngmin , Lee Ki-Seong , Lee Chan-Gun
Published: December 2017

In wireless sensor networks (WSNs), sensor nodes are deployed for collecting and analyzing data. These nodes use limited energy batteries for easy deployment and low cost. The use of limited energy batteries is closely related to the lifetime of the sensor nodes when using wireless sensor networks. Efficient-energy management is important to extending the lifetime of the sensor nodes. Most effort for improving power efficiency in tiny sensor nodes has focused mainly on reducing the power consumed during data transmission. However, recent emergence of sensor nodes equipped with multi-cores strongly requires attention to be given to the problem of reducing power consumption in multi-cores. In this paper, we propose an energy efficient scheduling method for sensor nodes supporting a uniform multi-cores. We extend the proposed T-Ler plane based scheduling for global optimal scheduling of a uniform multi-cores and multi-processors to enable power management using dynamic power management. In the proposed approach, processor selection for a scheduling and mapping method between the tasks and processors is proposed to efficiently utilize dynamic power management. Experiments show the effectiveness of the proposed approach compared to other existing methods.
A Hybrid Local Search Algorithm for the Sequence Dependent Setup Times Flowshop Scheduling Problem with Makespan Criterion
Authors: Wang Yunhe , Li Xiangtao , Ma Zhiqiang
Published: December 2017

This paper focuses on the flowshop scheduling problem with sequence dependent setup times (FSSP-SDST), which has been an investigated object for decades as one of the most popular scheduling problems in manufacturing systems. A novel hybrid local search algorithm called HLS is presented to solve the flowshop scheduling problem with sequence dependent setup times with the criterion of minimizing the makespan. Firstly, the population is initialized by the Nawaz-Enscore-Hoam based problem-specific method (NEHBPS) to generate high quality individuals of the current population. Then, a global search embedded with a light perturbation is designed to produce a new population. After that, to improve the quality of individuals in the current population, a single insertion-based local search is applied. Meanwhile, a further local search strategy based on the insertion-based local search is used to find better solutions for the individuals which are non-improved. Finally, the heavy perturbation is used to explore potential solutions in the neighbor region. To validate the performance of HLS, we compare our proposed algorithm with other competitive algorithms on Taillard benchmark problems. From the experimental results, it can be concluded that the proposed algorithm outperforms the benchmark algorithms.
Energy Policies and Sustainable Management of Energy Sources
Authors: Schirone Luigi , Pellitteri Filippo
Published: December 2017

Sustainability of current energy policies and their mid-term outlooks are investigated. First, an overview is given about the trend of global energy demand and energy production. The share of energy sources and the geographic distribution of demand are analysed on the basis of the statistics and projections published by major agencies. Sustainability of selected renewable energy sources is then explored. Finally, potential use of Hydrogen for energy storage in systems with high share of renewable sources is investigated.
Seasonal and Diurnal Characteristics of Land Surface Temperature and Major Explanatory Factors in Harris County, Texas
Authors: Liu Weibo , Feddema Johannes , Hu Leiqiu , Zung Ashley , Brunsell Nathaniel
Published: December 2017

The effects of biophysical and meteorological factors on land surface temperature (LST) have been well studied in previous research. However, less attention has been paid to examine how building materials influence the magnitude of LST within an urban environment. This study investigates the interaction of biophysical and building wall materials to influence LST in Harris County, Texas, USA using multiple stepwise linear regression analyses and neighborhood analysis. Working at 1 km grid resolution, LST data is related to impervious surface fraction, albedo, distance to water bodies, and seven major wall types. Ten years of aggregated MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) daily LST products were used to calculate the mean LST in January and August for daytime and nighttime conditions. Harris County 2010 parcel level building property data were used to create composition characteristics of the building wall types. Our results demonstrate that both biophysical and building wall characteristics significantly influence the spatiotemporal variations of LST. However, biophysical factors are the dominant explaining factors compared to building wall materials. Impervious surface fraction is the most significant variable to explain the variation of LST, and has positive effects on LST. In contrast, high albedo materials and the presence of open water bodies significantly affect LST and are good candidate variables to mitigate the heat island effect. Furthermore, the building wall variables all increase LST for both daytime and nighttime, but different wall materials have various effects on LST. Brick/veneer and frame/concrete block are the two dominant wall types in Harris County and tend to generate higher LST. These results demonstrate how building materials, in combination with biophysical factors, can be used to mitigate neighborhood-scale LST. This methodology works reasonably well for Houston, but is likely to be more effective in higher density urban settings.
Measuring Crowdedness between Adjacent Stations in an Urban Metro System: a Chinese Case Study
Authors: Jiao Liudan , Shen Liyin , Shuai Chenyang , Tan Yongtao , He Bei
Published: December 2017

The urban metro system has been widely appreciated as the most important component in urban infrastructures. It plays a critical role in promoting urban social and economic development, and particularly in reducing the urban traffic congestion. However, there are various inherent problems with operating metro systems, which typically involve the crowdedness both at stations and inside vehicles. Both policymakers and academic researchers in China have paid little attention to the crowdedness between metro stations. In order to solve the problem of crowdedness, it is necessary to develop a method to evaluate the level of crowdedness. This work establishes a model to measure the crowdedness between adjacent stations in a metro system based on the load factor principle, passenger standing density, and other factors such as the metro operation schedule and estimations of passenger flows. The Chongqing Metro Line 3 in China is used as a case study to demonstrate the application of the evaluation model. The case study reveals that the model introduced in this study can assist with assessing the crowdedness level between adjacent stations in a metro line. The model is an effective tool for helping the metro management and administration understand the level of crowdedness, apply proper methods to mitigate the crowdedness, and thus improve the quality of the service for those utilizing the metro system.
The Velocity of Density: Can We Build More Sustainable Cities Fast Enough?
Authors: Moos Markus
Published: December 2017

Urban planners now commonly advocate for increases in density of the built environment to reduce car dependence and enhance the sustainability of cities. The analysis in this paper asks about the speed at which density as a sustainability policy can be implemented. The Greater Toronto Hamilton Area (GTHA) is used as a case study to measure how quickly existing areas could be densified to meet minimum transit supportive density thresholds. Almost 70% of existing residents live in neighborhoods with densities below minimum transit supportive densities. The findings show that increases in minimum densities could be attained roughly within the target time horizon of existing growth plans, but that these increases hinge on assumptions of continuing high growth rates. The sustainability of cities relies on a high ‘velocity of density’, a term proposed in the paper to refer to the speed at which density can be implemented. Density is often slowed or halted by local residents, which could prove problematic if sustainability objectives require speedy implementation, for instance to address climate change. Analysis of the velocity of density suggests that planning for sustainability, and climate change, in cities would benefit from considering a broader set of solutions to car dependence in existing low-density areas than changes to the density of the built form alone.
Identification of Critical Factors for Non-Recurrent Congestion Induced by Urban Freeway Crashes and Its Mitigating Strategies
Authors: Chung Younshik
Published: December 2017

Given the extreme difficulty of estimating crash likelihoods, the most important aspect of the development of congestion management strategies is the identification of the factors that affect non-recurrent congestion caused by crashes. Such factors must be identified to develop crash management strategies and congestion management strategies. The objectives of this study are to identify causal factors that affect non-recurrent congestion and to propose some operational strategies for mitigating crash-induced non-recurrent traffic congestion. To achieve these objectives, a case study was conducted to identify spatiotemporal non-recurrent congestion regions using a previously developed method based on historical inductance loop detector data collected from six major freeways in Orange County, California. Based on the case study results, potentially significant factors in non-recurrent congestion were identified using the Cox proportional hazard model. Additionally, with the factors identified as significant, operational strategies were proposed for mitigating non-recurrent congestion due to freeway crashes.
Conceptual Model Development of Sustainability Practices: The Case of Port Operations for Collaboration and Governance
Authors: Kang Dalwon , Kim Sihyun
Published: December 2017

Sustainability practices in port operations are critical issue to achieve port sustainability involving economic, social and environmental issues. To assist ports to successfully implant sustainability practices into their operations, this paper conceptualized the structure of sustainability practices in international port operations, by clustering the relevant issues, empirically. Using 203 samples collected from port stakeholders in the major ports in Northeast Asia, multi-measurement items were analyzed on exploratory factor analysis in SPSS 21. Results generated a structure that consists of five sub-dimensions conceptualizing sustainability practices in the context of port operations. As operative practices to accommodate current and future demands in a port, the five-factor model clustering the relevant issues incorporate environmental technologies, process and quality improvement, monitoring and upgrading, communication and cooperation, and active participation. Providing useful insights for strategic agenda to assist ports to incorporate sustainability practices in their operations, the five-factor model offer both a descriptive and diagnostic management tool for future improvement in port operations.
Perturbative Accelerating Solutions of Relativistic Hydrodynamics
Authors: Kurgyis Bálint , Csanád Máté
Published: December 2017

In ultra-relativistic collisions of heavy ions, the strongly interacting Quark Gluon Plasma (sQGP) is created. The fluid nature of the sQGP was one of the important discoveries of high energy heavy ion physics in the last decades. Henceforth the explosion of this matter may be described by hydrodynamical models. Besides numerical simulations, it is important to study the analytic solutions of the equations of hydrodynamics, as these enable us to understand the connection of the final and initial states better. In this paper we present a perturbative, accelerating solution of relativistic hydrodynamics, on top of a known class of solutions describing Hubble-expansion. We describe the properties of this class of perturbative solutions, and investigate a few selected solutions in detail.
The Platonic Receptacle (Hypodoché), Whitehead’s Philosophy, and Genome Evolution
Authors: Svoboda Jan , Svoboda Jan
Published: December 2017

The discovery of a universal genetic code utilized by all existing organisms became the backbone of biology. The coding capacity underwent changes during evolution, but its main fluctuation results from its different reading and regulation. The genetic code thus represents a sort of receptacle of living organism evolution. In this article, we propose an analogy between the genetic code and a broader Platonic hypodoché, a concept that Alfred North Whitehead used to explain various aspects of science.
Infection control in the UK: an antimicrobial resistance perspective
Authors: Henry Elecia Jaime , Smith Robert , Collins Michael , Bird Susan , Gowland Pauline , Cassella John Paul
Published: December 2017

The spread of healthcare-associated infections has become a matter of global concern. These infections, which were once isolated to hospital settings, have emerged in the community. Reduced infection control practices are a major cause of this rapid spread of infections, which has led to the increase in the occurrence of multi-drug resistant organisms. The state of infection control in the United Kingdom is of extreme importance because of several reported cases of infections caused by these organisms. In addition to antimicrobial usage in human medicine, antimicrobial agents used in agriculture must be considered as major factors in the prevalence of resistant organisms and the implications to the UK. However, this increased occurrence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria and their resulting infections could be reduced with the application of effective policies for antibiotic use in agricultural environments, stringent decontamination and sterilisation techniques and better regulations that encourage the search for, and development of, new and novel drugs.
Ring-size-selective construction of fluorine-containing carbocycles via intramolecular iodoarylation of 1,1-difluoro-1-alkenes
Authors: Fujita Takeshi , Kinoshita Ryo , Takanohashi Tsuyoshi , Suzuki Naoto , Ichikawa Junji
Published: December 2017

1,1-Difluoro-1-alkenes bearing a biaryl-2-yl group effectively underwent site-selective intramolecular iodoarylation by the appropriate cationic iodine species. Iodoarylation of 2-(2-aryl-3,3-difluoroallyl)biaryls proceeded via regioselective carbon–carbon bond formation at the carbon atoms in β-position to the fluorine substituents, thereby constructing dibenzo-fused six-membered carbocycles bearing a difluoroiodomethyl group. In contrast, 2-(3,3-difluoroallyl)biaryls underwent a similar cyclization at the α-carbon atoms to afford ring-difluorinated seven-membered carbocycles.
Development of a fluorogenic small substrate for dipeptidyl peptidase-4
Authors: Ogawa Futa , Takeda Masanori , Miyanaga Kanae , Tani Keita , Yamazawa Ryuji , Ito Kiyoshi , Tarui Atsushi , Sato Kazuyuki , Omote Masaaki
Published: December 2017

A series of aniline and m-phenylenediamine derivatives with electron-withdrawing 3,3,3-trifluoropropenyl substituents were synthesized as small and chemically stable fluorescent organic compounds. Their fluorescence performances were evaluated by converting 2,4-disubstituted aniline 1 to the non-fluorescent dipeptide analogue H-Gly-Pro-1 for the use as a fluorogenic substrate for dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4). The progress of the enzymatic hydrolysis of H-Gly-Pro-1 with DPP-4 was monitored by fluorometric determination of 1 released into the reaction medium. The results suggest that 1 could be used as fluorophore in OFF–ON-type fluorogenic probes.
Pitch and Duration Pattern Sequence Tests in 7- to 11-Year-Old Children: Results Depend on Response Mode
Authors: Balen Sheila Andreoli , Moore David R. , Sameshima Koichi
Published: December 2017

Background:Pitch pattern sequence (PPS) and duration pattern sequence (DPS) tests are frequently used in the assessment of auditory processing disorder. Current recommendations suggest alternate, interchangeable modes for responding to stimuli.Purpose:The objective of
the study is to evaluate the influence of response mode (i.e., humming, pointing, and labeling) and age on PPS and DPS performance of 7- to 11-year-old children.Research Design:Laboratory-based testing of school children. Cross-sectional comparison of age, with repeated measures of
age, test, ear, and response mode.Study Sample:From 452 children recruited, 228 right-handed children (109 girls) aged 7 years to 11 years 11 months (mean age 9 years 4 months) completed at least one test (PPS: 211, DPS: 198), and 181 children completed both tests. Audiology inclusion
criteria include normal hearing thresholds (≤15 dB HL at octave frequencies 250‐8000 Hz); word recognition in quiet ≥92%; tympanogram peak compensated static acoustic compliance 0.4‐1.6 mmhos; and tympanometric peak pressure −100 to +50 daPa, all in both ears. Other
inclusion criteria were Portuguese as first language; right handed; no musical training; no related, known, or observed phonological, learning, neurologic, psychiatric, or behavioral disorder; otologic history; and delayed neuropsychomotor or language development.Data Collection and Analysis:PPS:
30 trials per ear and response condition of three consecutive 500 msec duration intermixed high (1430 Hz) or low (880 Hz) frequency tones presented monaurally at 50 dB HL. The first response condition was humming followed by labeling (naming: high or low). DPS: As per PPS except 1000 Hz tones
of intermixed 500 (long) and 250 msec (short) duration. First response was pointing (at a symbolic object) followed by labeling. Trends across age and between tests were assessed using repeated measures generalized linear mixed models. Correlation coefficients were calculated to assess relations
among test scores. The two-sided significance level was 0.05.Results:Older children performed better than younger children in all tasks. Humming the tone pattern (PPS humming) produced generally better performance than either articulating the attributes of the tones (labeling) or pointing
to objects representing tone duration. PPS humming produced ceiling performance for many children of all ages. For both labeling tasks and DPS pointing, performance was better on the PPS than on the DPS, for stimulation of the right than the left ear, and in boys than girls. Individual performance
on the two tasks was highly correlated.Conclusions:Response mode does matter in the PPS and DPS. Results from humming should not be combined with or be a substitute for results obtained from a labeling response. Tasks that rely on labeling a tonal stimulus should be avoided in testing
hearing in children or other special populations.
Resistance to Multiple Temperate and Tropical Stem and Sheath Diseases of Rice
Authors: Rosas Juan E. , Martínez Sebastián , Blanco Pedro , Pérez de Vida Fernando , Bonnecarrère Victoria , Mosquera Gloria , Cruz Maribel , Garaycochea Silvia , Monteverde Eliana , McCouch Susan , Germán Silvia , Jannink Jean‐Luc , Gutiérrez Lucía
Published: December 2017

Stem rot and aggregated sheath spot are the two major stem and sheath diseases affecting rice (Oryza sativa L.) in temperate areas. A third fungal disease, sheath blight, is a major disease in tropical areas. Resistance to these diseases is a key objective in rice breeding programs but phenotyping is challenged by the confounding effects of phenological and morphological traits such as flowering time (FT) and plant height (PH). This study sought to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for resistance to these three diseases after removing the confounding effects of FT and PH. Two populations of advanced breeding germplasm, one with 316 tropical japonica and the other with 325 indica genotypes, were evaluated in field and greenhouse trials for resistance to the diseases. Phenotypic means for field and greenhouse disease resistance, adjusted by FT and PH, were analyzed for associations with 29,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in tropical japonica and 50,000 SNPs in indica. A total of 29 QTL were found for resistance that were not associated with FT or PH. Multilocus models with selected resistance‐associated SNPs were fitted for each disease to estimate their effects on the other diseases. A QTL on chromosome 9 accounted for more than 15% of the phenotypic variance for the three diseases. When resistance‐associated SNPs at this locus from both the tropical japonica and indica populations were incorporated into the model, resistance was improved for all three diseases with little impact on FT and PH.
Empirical Accurate Masses and Radii of Single Stars with TESS and Gaia
Authors: Stassun Keivan G. , Corsaro Enrico , Pepper Joshua A. , Gaudi B. Scott
Published: December 2017

We present a methodology for the determination of empirical masses of single stars through the combination of three direct observables with Gaia and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS): (i) the surface gravity via granulation-driven variations in the TESS light curve, (ii) the bolometric flux at Earth via the broadband spectral energy distribution, and (iii) the distance via the Gaia parallax. We demonstrate the method using 525 Kepler stars for which these measures are available in the literature, and show that the stellar masses can be measured with this method to a precision of ∼25%, limited by the surface-gravity precision of the granulation “flicker” method (∼0.1 dex) and by the parallax uncertainties (∼10% for the Kepler sample). We explore the impact of expected improvements in the surface gravity determinations—through the application of granulation background fitting and the use of recently published granulation-metallicity relations—and improvements in the parallaxes with the arrival of the Gaia second data release. We show that the application of this methodology to stars that will be observed by TESS should yield radii good to a few percent and masses good to ≈10%. Importantly, the method does not require the presence of an orbiting, eclipsing, or transiting body, nor does it require spatial resolution of the stellar surface. Thus, we can anticipate the determination of fundamental, accurate stellar radii and masses for hundreds of thousands of bright single stars—across the entire sky and spanning the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram—including those that will ultimately be found to host planets.
The Stellar Activity of TRAPPIST-1 and Consequences for the Planetary Atmospheres
Authors: Roettenbacher Rachael M. , Kane Stephen R.
Published: December 2017

The signatures of planets hosted by M dwarfs are more readily detected with transit photometry and radial velocity methods than those of planets around larger stars. Recently, transit photometry was used to discover seven planets orbiting the late-M dwarf TRAPPIST-1. Three of TRAPPIST-1's planets fall in the Habitable Zone, a region where liquid water could exist on the planetary surface given appropriate planetary conditions. We aim to investigate the habitability of the TRAPPIST-1 planets by studying the star’s activity and its effect on the planets. We analyze previously published space- and ground-based light curves and show the photometrically determined rotation period of TRAPPIST-1 appears to vary over time due to complicated, evolving surface activity. The dramatic changes of the surface of TRAPPIST-1 suggest that rotation periods determined photometrically may not be reliable for this and similarly active stars. While the activity of the star is low, we use the premise of the “cosmic shoreline” to provide evidence that the TRAPPIST-1 environment has potentially led to the erosion of possible planetary atmospheres by extreme ultraviolet stellar emission.
Skull base and craniocervical bone pneumatisation: two case reports of differing presentations and a review of the literature
Authors: Francies Olivia , Morley Simon , Beale Tim
Published: December 2017

We report two patients with increased central skull base and craniocervical junction bone pneumatisation complicated by extra-osseous gas. One patient presented with symptoms of increasing nasal blockage and 'sinus pressure' on a background of extensive nasal polyposis. He was subsequently found to have a history of repeated Valsalva's manoeuvre, the cessation of which resulted in a rapid decrease in the amount of extra-osseous gas on imaging. The second patient presented following a minor head trauma with dysarthria from a hypoglossal nerve palsy and neck pain, with extensive intra- and extra-cranial gas including within the spinal canal (pneumorrhachis). These radiological findings have been reported previously in patients with Eustachian tube dysfunction and/or activities leading to frequently raised middle ear pressures. We review the possible aetiologies, reported risk factors, and the range of associated imaging abnormalities that may be encountered with this rare appearance.
Multimodal Imaging for the Assessment of a Cardiac Mass - A Case of Primary Cardiac Sarcoma
Authors: Abels Benjamin , Pfeiffer Steffen , Stix Jana , Schwab Johannes
Published: December 2017

We present a case of an 85-year-old patient who underwent clinical work-up for chronic heart failure, acute coronary syndrome, and pulmonary embolism, until she was diagnosed with a cardiac mass that was histologically identified as sarcoma. The aim of this educational case report is to raise awareness of cardiac masses and to point out diagnostic hints towards a cardiac tumor on chest X-ray, coronary angiography, echocardiography, and chest CT. Moreover, the vital role of cardiac magnetic resonance for the diagnosis of a cardiac mass is highlighted.
La polarisation provoquée, outil géophysique de spatialisation des amas de scories pour l’estimation des productions sidérurgiques
Authors: Florsch Nicolas , Feras Abdulsamad , Bonnenfant Jeremy , Camerlynck Christian
Published: December 2017

Estimer l’ampleur d’une ancienne exploitation
minière profite à l’historien dans sa recherche de quantification des
richesses issues des matières premières. S’agissant du fer, c’est
aussi du pouvoir militaire dont il peut s’agir. Mais en l’absence
d’archives préservées, il faut en passer par l’archéologie car alors
seuls les vestiges du terrain permettent une estimation de la
production de métal. Les méthodes géophysiques, prises comme outils de
cartographie des amas de scories, peuvent contribuer à la
compréhension d’un site métallurgique. Toutefois, les méthodes
classiques, magnétiques, électriques et électromagnétiques ne sont pas
des proxys directs des volumes de scories abandonnées. Elles ne
fournissent pas une réponse spécifique et ne sont pas conservatrices
(la réponse intégrale n’est pas proportionnelle à l’intégrale des
masses ou volumes). Par contre, la méthode de Polarisation Provoquée
(PP), d’ailleurs traditionnelle pour la recherche minière depuis le
milieu du xxe siècle,
offre, pour les amas de scories, une réponse spécifique, linéaire,
conservative. Nous l’utilisons au lieu-dit « Grand Bois », sur la
commune de Saint-Vincent-sur-l’Isle (Dordogne, France), pour un site
d’extraction actif du xie au xve siècle. La PP nous permet de caractériser la
géométrie de l’amas de scories et par suite rend possible l’estimation
du volume de fer produit sur la plateforme métallurgique majeure du
site étudié.
Librarians and Instructional Design Challenges
Authors: Rothwell Susan L.
Published: December 2017

The purpose of this chapter is to provide a conceptual and practical perspective on instructional design problems that librarians face, from the perspective of design research. Librarians see increasing need to provide instruction to their users in new ways and on new topics as the world becomes digital and global in nature. The expanding instructional role of librarians requires instructional design skills. However, many librarians have little formal training on instructional design, leading to concerns and confusion about instructional design skills, problems and processes. This chapter discusses design, instructional design issues, concerns and problems (typical and specific to librarians), and explores a conceptual framework to support flexible instructional design based upon the concept of design as a discipline. Examples, recommendations and supporting resources are included.
Backward Planning, Forward Motion
Authors: Krueger Janice M.
Published: December 2017

The main purpose of the chapter is to present a holistic approach for effectively designing library and information literacy instruction applicable to any library setting. After reviewing the historical developments and implications of information literacy concepts, the three stages of backward design are explained and placed in the context of key learning theories and perspectives. Examples of the three-stage process demonstrate how the design calls on librarians to identify the desired results embodied by standards and objectives, to create authentic assessments that provide evidence of learning, and to align learning activities with the desired outcomes. Examples also highlight variations for different delivery formats, including face-to-face, flipped, and online environments. Implications for using backward design for overall, additional program planning are also discussed.
Position Estimation for IR-UWB Systems
Authors: Lagunas Eva , Navarro Monica , Closas Pau , Najar Montse , Garcia-Gutierrez Ricardo , Floriach Genís
Published: December 2017

IR-UWB has emerged as a promising candidate for positioning passive nodes in wireless networks due to its extremely short time domain transmitted pulses. The two-step approaches in which first different TOAs are estimated and then fed into a triangulation procedure are suboptimal in general. This is because in the first stage of these methods, the measurements at distinct anchors are independent and ignore the constraint that all measurements must be consistent with a single emitter location. In this chapter, the authors investigate two techniques to overcome this issue. First, a two-step procedure based on multi-TOA estimation is proposed. Second, a positioning approach omitting the intermediate known as DPE is presented. Complementarily, the authors explore the CS-based modeling of both approaches so that the temporal sparsity of the UWB received signal and the consequent sparseness of the discrete spatial domain are exploited to select the most significant TOAs and to reduce the amount of information to be sent to a central fusion unit in the DPE approach.
Integrated Positioning With UWB and INS
Authors: Wen Kai , Yu Kegen
Published: December 2017

The chapter studies the positioning techniques based on ultra wideband (UWB) and low cost inertial measurement unit (IMU) with a focus on the fundamental theories of integrated positioning based on UWB and IMU. Details are provided for multilateral positioning theory of UWB, UWB calibration method, IMU error analysis, inertial navigation algorithm, and Kalman filter (KF) theory. Particularly, to mitigate the influence of non-line-of-sight (NLOS) propagation on positioning accuracy, a NLOS mitigation method based on fuzzy theory is presented. Meanwhile, the detailed data fusion processes of loosely coupled and tightly coupled systems are introduced and performance evaluation is conducted using experimental data.
Navigation Based on Sensors in Smartphones
Authors: Retscher Guenther , Kealy Allison
Published: December 2017

With the increasing ubiquity of smartphones and tablets, users are now routinely carrying a variety of sensors with them wherever they go. These devices are enabling technologies for ubiquitous computing, facilitating continuous updates of a user's context. They have built-in MEMS-based accelerometers for ubiquitous activity monitoring and there is a growing interest in how to use these together with gyroscopes and magnetometers to build dead reckoning (DR) systems for location tracking. Navigation in complex environments is needed mainly by consumer users, private vehicles, and pedestrians. Therefore, the navigation system has to be small, easy to use, and have reasonably low levels of power consumption and price. The technologies and techniques discussed here include the fusion of inertial navigation (IN) and other sensors, positioning based on signals from wireless networks (such as Wi-Fi), image-based methods, cooperative positioning systems, and map matching (MM). The state-of-the-art of MEMS-based location sensors and their integration into modern navigation systems are also presented.