bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What Healthcare Professionals Think of “Nutrition & Diet” Apps: An International Survey
Authors: Vasiloglou Maria F. , Christodoulidis Stergios , Reber Emilie , Stathopoulou Thomai , Lu Ya , Stanga Zeno , Mougiakakou Stavroula
Published: July 2020

Accurate dietary assessment is crucial for both the prevention and treatment of nutrition-related diseases. Since mobile-based dietary assessment solutions are promising, we sought to examine the acceptability of “Nutrition and Diet” (ND) apps by Healthcare Professionals (HCP), explore their preferences on apps’ features and identify predictors of acceptance. A 23 question survey was developed by an interdisciplinary team and pilot-tested. The survey was completed by 1001 HCP from 73 countries and 6 continents. The HCP (dietitians: 833, doctors: 75, nurses: 62, other: 31/females: 847, males: 150, neither: 4) had a mean age (SD) of 34.4 (10.2) years and mean job experience in years (SD): 7.7 (8.2). There were 45.5% who have recommended ND apps to their clients/patients. Of those who have not yet recommended an app, 22.5% do not know of their existence. Important criteria for selecting an app were ease of use (87.1%), apps being free of charge (72.6%) and validated (69%). Significant barriers were the use of inaccurate food composition database (52%), lack of local food composition database support (48.2%) and tech-savviness (43.3%). Although the adoption of smartphones is growing and mobile health research is advancing, there is room for improvement in the recommendation of ND apps by HCP.
Sevanol and Its Analogues: Chemical Synthesis, Biological Effects and Molecular Docking
Authors: Belozerova Olga A. , Osmakov Dmitry I. , Vladimirov Andrey , Koshelev Sergey G. , Chugunov Anton O. , Andreev Yaroslav A. , Palikov Victor A. , Palikova Yulia A. , Shaykhutdinova Elvira R. , Gvozd Artem N. , Dyachenko Igor A. , Efremov Roman G. , Kublitski Vadim S. , Kozlov Sergey A.
Published: July 2020

Among acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs), ASIC1a and ASIC3 subunits are the most widespread and prevalent in physiological and pathophysiological conditions. They participate in synaptic plasticity, learning and memory, as well as the perception of inflammatory and neurological pain, making these channels attractive pharmacological targets. Sevanol, a natural lignan isolated from Thymus armeniacus, inhibits the activity of ASIC1a and ASIC3 isoforms, and has a significant analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect. In this work, we described the efficient chemical synthesis scheme of sevanol and its analogues, which allows us to analyze the structure–activity relationships of the different parts of this molecule. We found that the inhibitory activity of sevanol and its analogues on ASIC1a and ASIC3 channels depends on the number and availability of the carboxyl groups of the molecule. At the structural level, we predicted the presence of a sevanol binding site based on the presence of molecular docking in the central vestibule of the ASIC1a channel. We predicted that this site could also be occupied in part by the FRRF-amide peptide, and the competition assay of sevanol with this peptide confirmed this prediction. The intravenous (i.v.), intranasal (i.n.) and, especially, oral (p.o.) administration of synthetic sevanol in animal models produced significant analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. Both non-invasive methods of sevanol administration (i.n. and p.o.) showed greater efficacy than the invasive (i.v.) method, thus opening new horizons for medicinal uses of sevanol.
Quality by Design Based Formulation Study of Meloxicam-Loaded Polymeric Micelles for Intranasal Administration
Authors: Sipos Bence , Szabó-Révész Piroska , Csóka Ildikó , Pallagi Edina , Dobó Dorina Gabriella , Bélteky Péter , Kónya Zoltán , Deák Ágota , Janovák László , Katona Gábor
Published: July 2020

Our study aimed to develop an “ex tempore” reconstitutable, viscosity enhancer- and preservative-free meloxicam (MEL)-loaded polymeric micelle formulation, via Quality by Design (QbD) approach, exploiting the nose-to-brain pathway, as a suitable tool in the treatment of neuroinflammation. The anti-neuroinflammatory effect of nose-to-brain NSAID polymeric micelles was not studied previously, therefore its investigation is promising. Critical product parameters, encapsulation efficiency (89.4%), Z-average (101.22 ± 2.8 nm) and polydispersity index (0.149 ± 0.7) and zeta potential (−25.2 ± 0.4 mV) met the requirements of the intranasal drug delivery system (nanoDDS) and the targeted profile liquid formulation was transformed into a solid preservative-free product by freeze-drying. The viscosity (32.5 ± 0.28 mPas) and hypotonic osmolality (240 mOsmol/L) of the reconstituted formulation provides proper and enhanced absorption and probably guarantees the administration of the liquid dosage form (nasal drop and spray). The developed formulation resulted in more than 20 times faster MEL dissolution rate and five-fold higher nasal permeability compared to starting MEL. The prediction of IVIVC confirmed the great potential for in vivo brain distribution of MEL. The nose-to-brain delivery of NSAIDs such as MEL by means of nanoDDS as polymeric micelles offers an innovative opportunity to treat neuroinflammation more effectively.
Choosing Evolution over Extinction: Integrating Direct Patient Care Services and Value-Based Payment Models into the Community-Based Pharmacy Setting
Authors: Mercadante Amanda R. , Yokota Mai , Hwang Angela , Hata Micah , Law Anandi V.
Published: July 2020

The American healthcare payment model introduced Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) into a position of power that currently puts into question the state of the pharmacy profession, especially in the community field. Reimbursement plans had been designed to benefit all stakeholders and save patients money but have only been shown to increase costs for these involved parties. There exist unresolved gaps in care as a result of the healthcare structure and underutilized skills of trained pharmacists who do not have the federal means to provide clinical services. Four collaborative payment models have been proposed, offering methods to quell the monetary problems that exist and are predicted to continue with the closure of community pharmacies and sustained influence of PBMs. These models may additionally allow the expansion of pharmacy career paths and improve healthcare benefits for patients. With a reflective perspective on the healthcare structure and knowledge of positive impacts with the inclusion of pharmacists, solutions to payment challenges could present a progressive approach to an outdated system. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic highlights a dependency on pharmacists and community settings. This outlook on pharmacists may persist and an established expansion of services could prove beneficial to all healthcare stakeholders.
Implementation of a Urinary Tract Infection Treatment Protocol to Improve Prescribing Practices in the Long-Term Care Facility of a Veteran’s Healthcare System
Authors: Durham Spencer H. , Hohmann Natalie S. , Ragan Addison H.
Published: July 2020

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a commonly diagnosed problem in long-term care facilities (LTCFs), but antimicrobial treatment is often incorrectly prescribed. Although bacterial resistance to antimicrobials commonly used for UTIs, such as trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and fluoroquinolones, has been dramatically increasing, they are still commonly prescribed. The purpose of this project was to determine if implementation of a standard treatment protocol for UTIs, which emphasized correct UTI diagnosis and use of nitrofurantoin and cefpodoxime/ceftriaxone as empiric therapy per the institutional antibiogram, changed clinician prescribing practices. This quasi-experimental model utilized two years of pre-intervention and two years of post-intervention data. Three hundred patient encounters were included. Antibiotics prescribed in the pre-intervention period included: trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (32%), ciprofloxacin (14%), amoxicillin (13%), levofloxacin (9%), cefpodoxime (9%), ceftriaxone (8%), amoxicillin/clavulanate (5%), nitrofurantoin (4%), and other (6%). By contrast, antibiotics prescribed in the post-intervention period included: cefpodoxime (46%), nitrofurantoin (30%), ceftriaxone (10%), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (8%), amoxicillin/clavulanate (1%), and other (5%). These differences in prescribed drug between the pre-intervention and post-intervention encounters were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Overall, appropriate empiric treatment was prescribed in only 48/217 encounters (22%) during the pre-intervention period, but this increased to 73/83 encounters (88%) in the post-intervention period (p < 0.001). The results indicate that the treatment protocol was successful in changing prescribing practices and decreasing the use of inappropriate antimicrobials at the LTCF.
Identification and Bioinformatic Analysis of the GmDOG1-Like Family in Soybean and Investigation of Their Expression in Response to Gibberellic Acid and Abscisic Acid
Authors: Yang Yingzeng , Zheng Chuan , Chandrasekaran Umashankar , Yu Liang , Liu Chunyan , Pu Tian , Wang Xiaochun , Du Junbo , Liu Jiang , Yang Feng , Yong Taiwen , Yang Wenyu , Liu Weiguo , Shu Kai
Published: July 2020

Seed germination is one of the most important stages during plant life cycle, and DOG1 (Delay of germination1) plays a pivotal regulatory role in seed dormancy and germination. In this study, we have identified the DOG1-Like (DOG1L) family in soybean (Glycine max), a staple oil crop worldwide, and investigated their chromosomal distribution, structure and expression patterns. The results showed that the GmDOG1L family is composed of 40 members, which can be divided into six subgroups, according to their evolutionary relationship with other known DOG1-Like genes. These GmDOG1Ls are distributed on 18 of 20 chromosomes in the soybean genome and the number of exons for all the 40 GmDOG1Ls varied greatly. Members of the different subgroups possess a similar motif structure composition. qRT-PCR assay showed that the expression patterns of different GmDOG1Ls were significantly altered in various tissues, and some GmDOG1Ls expressed primarily in soybean seeds. Gibberellic acid (GA) remarkably inhibited the expression of most of GmDOG1Ls, whereas Abscisic acid (ABA) inhibited some of the GmDOG1Ls expression while promoting others. It is speculated that some GmDOG1Ls regulate seed dormancy and germination by directly or indirectly relating to ABA and GA pathways, with complex interaction networks. This study provides an important theoretical basis for further investigation about the regulatory roles of GmDOG1L family on soybean seed germination.
Photoreceptors Regulate Plant Developmental Plasticity through Auxin
Authors: Küpers Jesse J. , Oskam Lisa , Pierik Ronald
Published: July 2020

Light absorption by plants changes the composition of light inside vegetation. Blue (B) and red (R) light are used for photosynthesis whereas far-red (FR) and green light are reflected. A combination of UV-B, blue and R:FR-responsive photoreceptors collectively measures the light and temperature environment and adjusts plant development accordingly. This developmental plasticity to photoreceptor signals is largely regulated through the phytohormone auxin. The phytochrome, cryptochrome and UV Resistance Locus 8 (UVR8) photoreceptors are inactivated in shade and/or elevated temperature, which releases their repression of Phytochrome Interacting Factor (PIF) transcription factors. Active PIFs stimulate auxin synthesis and reinforce auxin signalling responses through direct interaction with Auxin Response Factors (ARFs). It was recently discovered that shade-induced hypocotyl elongation and petiole hyponasty depend on long-distance auxin transport towards target cells from the cotyledon and leaf tip, respectively. Other responses, such as phototropic bending, are regulated by auxin transport and signalling across only a few cell layers. In addition, photoreceptors can directly interact with components in the auxin signalling pathway, such as Auxin/Indole Acetic Acids (AUX/IAAs) and ARFs. Here we will discuss the complex interactions between photoreceptor and auxin signalling, addressing both mechanisms and consequences of these highly interconnected pathways.
Thermoresponsive Nanogels of Modified Poly((di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate)-co-(2-aminoethyl methacrylate))s
Authors: Lipowska-Kur Daria , Otulakowski Łukasz , Trzebicka Barbara , Utrata-Wesołek Alicja , Dworak Andrzej
Published: July 2020

A series of copolymers of di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (D) and 2-aminoethyl methacrylate (A) (P(D-co-A)) with variable ratios of comonomers were synthesized using atom transfer radical polymerization. Then, the amino groups of obtained copolymers were modified to clickable azide or prop-2-yn-1-yl carbamate groups. A thermoresponsive copolymers were obtained with the value of cloud point temperature (TCP) dependent on the type and number of functional groups in the copolymer and on the concentration of solutions. For P(D-co-A) copolymers, the TCP increased with increasing content of 2-aminoethyl methacrylate comonomer. The presence of azide and prop-2-yn-1-yl carbamate groups caused the changes of TCP of modified copolymers. All studied copolymers in dilute aqueous solutions aggregated above TCP to nanoparticles with sizes dependent on the solution concentration, heating procedures, and types and numbers of functional groups present in a copolymer chain. The presence of hydrophilic elements in the chain and the increase in the copolymer concentration led to the enlargement of the particle sizes. Aggregates were crosslinked using click reaction between an azide and prop-2-yn-1-yl carbamate groups that led to stable thermoresponsive nanogels. A systematic study of the behavior of copolymers allowed the determination of the chains useful for possible application in drug delivery.
Gene Cloning, Characterization, and Molecular Simulations of a Novel Recombinant Chitinase from Chitinibacter Tainanensis CT01 Appropriate for Chitin Enzymatic Hydrolysis
Authors: Wang Yeng-Tseng , Wu Po-Long
Published: July 2020

Chitin, a polymer of N-acetyl-d-glucosamine (GlcNAc), can be degraded by chitinase, which is produced by higher plants, vertebrates, and bacteria. Chitinases are characterized by the ability to hydrolyze the beta-1,4-linkages in the chitin chain by either an endolytic or an exolytic mechanism. Chitinase 1198 is a novel endochitinase from the genome sequence of Chitinibacter tainanensis CT01. Herein, we report the findings of molecular simulations and bioassays for chitinase 1198. Our experimental results suggest that chitinase 1198 can recognize the nonreducing end of chitin and cleave the second or third glycosidic linkage from the nonreducing end of chitin oligomers. Furthermore, our simulations results revealed that chitinase 1198 is more likely to bind chitin oligomers with the main hydrogen bonds of the Asp440, the second GlcNAc unit of chitin oligomers, and degrade chitin oligomers to (GlcNAc)2 molecules. Moreover, chitinase 1198 is less likely to bind chitin oligomers with the main hydrogen bonds of the Asp440, the third GlcNAc unit of chitin oligomers, and degrade chitin oligomers to (GlcNAc)3 molecules. Lastly, chitinase 1198 can bind (GlcNAc)3 molecules with the main hydrogen bonds of the Asp440, the second GlcNAc of the (GlcNAc)3 molecules, and degrade chitin oligomers to GlcNAc and (GlcNAc)2 molecules.
Not Just Numbers: Mathematical Modelling and Its Contribution to Anaerobic Digestion Processes
Authors: Wade Matthew J.
Published: July 2020

Mathematical modelling of bioprocesses has a long and notable history, with eminent contributions from fields including microbiology, ecology, biophysics, chemistry, statistics, control theory and mathematical theory. This richness of ideas and breadth of concepts provide great motivation for inquisitive engineers and intrepid scientists to try their hand at modelling, and this collaboration of disciplines has also delivered significant milestones in the quality and application of models for both theoretical and practical interrogation of engineered biological systems. The focus of this review is the anaerobic digestion process, which, as a technology that has come in and out of fashion, remains a fundamental process for addressing the global climate emergency. Whether with conventional anaerobic digestion systems, biorefineries, or other anaerobic technologies, mathematical models are important tools that are used to design, monitor, control and optimise the process. Both highly structured, mechanistic models and data-driven approaches have been used extensively over half a decade, but recent advances in computational capacity, scientific understanding and diversity and quality of process data, presents an opportunity for the development of new modelling paradigms, augmentation of existing methods, or even incorporation of tools from other disciplines, to ensure that anaerobic digestion research can remain resilient and relevant in the face of emerging and future challenges.
American Muslims’ Da’wah Work and Islamic Conversion
Authors: Chen Yufeng , Dorairajoo Saroja
Published: July 2020

Prior to the “9/11 attacks”, negative images of Islam in America were prevalent, and the 9/11 terrorist attacks made the situation for, and image of, Islam more sinister than before. Notwithstanding the extreme Islamophobia, one notes that, ironically in America, more people have been embracing Islam since, at least, the beginning of the twentieth century. Conversion to Islam in America seems to be a deviation from the adverse American public opinions towards Islam. An important question that, therefore, arises is: “Why are Americans converting to Islam despite negative public perception of the religion?” Perhaps Americans have been coerced into conversion by Muslim preachers through the latter’s meticulous and hard-hitting missionary work. In this qualitative study, the authors aim to explore how the missionary work, i.e., “Da’wah”, by some American Muslim missionaries influenced the conversion to Islam of those who were in contact with them. The authors argue that, unlike other Abrahamic proselytizing faiths such as Christianity or the Bahai faith, American Muslim proselytizing was not solely based on direct teaching of the tenets of the religion but also one that demonstrated faith by deeds or actions, which then made Islam attractive and influenced conversion of non-Muslims. These findings come from in-depth fieldwork that included interviews with forty-nine Muslim converts across the United States between June 2014 and May 2015.
Responses to Apocalypse: Early Christianity and Extinction Rebellion
Authors: Joyce Cullan
Published: July 2020

The Extinction Rebellion (XR) movement has grown rapidly in the past two years. In popular media, XR has sometimes been described using religious terminology. XR has been compared to an eco-cult, a spiritual and cultural movement, and described as holding apocalyptic views. Despite XR lacking the distinctive religiosity of new testament and early (pre-150ACE) Christianity, the movement resonates with the early Christian experience in several ways. (1) A characterization of events within the world as apocalyptic. (2) Both feel vulnerable to the apocalypse in specific ways, though each responds differently. (3) Both experience the apocalypse as a community and develop community strategies in response to the apocalypse. The paper sketches certain features of new testament Christianity and compares some of these to XR. The main difference between the two movements is that XR makes decisions to actively become vulnerable, whereas new testament Christianity was more often passively vulnerable. Elements of new testament Christianity provide a context for understanding XR as a response to an apocalypse.
Is Artificial Man Still Far Away: Anthropomimetic Robots Versus Robomimetic Humans
Authors: Potkonjak Veljko
Published: July 2020

The article presents a viewpoint on the current status and limitations of humanoid robotics and possible future progress. It may be seen as a continuation of the article “How far away is artificial man?” published in 2001 by a group of authors, among them the author of the present text, in IEEE Robotics &Automation Magazine (IEEE RAM). The previous article defined three key aspects of advanced humanoids, namely human-like shape and motion, intelligence, and communication. The current article discusses the situation 18 years later and takes note of the trend towards biologically inspired solutions to technical problems. It might appear to put forward controversial ideas, but the author believes they are realistic observations and constitute a frank presentation of apparent tendencies. The author argues that the crucial breakthrough towards an “artificial man” has not yet been made, as formidable challenges remain and cannot be overcome easily in the near future. On the other hand, the question arises: After unsuccessful attempts to solve robotic problems by designing technical systems that increasingly imitate humans, can we finally drop out of engineering and completely turn to biology and look for solutions there? This controversial idea means artificial creation and mass production of human beings that behave like robots, i.e., robomimetic humans. The article is a brief reality check of this concept.
Remote Sensing Image Scene Classification with Noisy Label Distillation
Authors: Zhang Rui , Chen Zhenghao , Zhang Sanxing , Song Fei , Zhang Gang , Zhou Quancheng , Lei Tao
Published: July 2020

The widespread applications of remote sensing image scene classification-based Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are severely affected by the lack of large-scale datasets with clean annotations. Data crawled from the Internet or other sources allows for the most rapid expansion of existing datasets at a low-cost. However, directly training on such an expanded dataset can lead to network overfitting to noisy labels. Traditional methods typically divide this noisy dataset into multiple parts. Each part fine-tunes the network separately to improve performance further. These approaches are inefficient and sometimes even hurt performance. To address these problems, this study proposes a novel noisy label distillation method (NLD) based on the end-to-end teacher-student framework. First, unlike general knowledge distillation methods, NLD does not require pre-training on clean or noisy data. Second, NLD effectively distills knowledge from labels across a full range of noise levels for better performance. In addition, NLD can benefit from a fully clean dataset as a model distillation method to improve the student classifier’s performance. NLD is evaluated on three remote sensing image datasets, including UC Merced Land-use, NWPU-RESISC45, AID, in which a variety of noise patterns and noise amounts are injected. Experimental results show that NLD outperforms widely used directly fine-tuning methods and remote sensing pseudo-labeling methods.
Investigating the Potential Use of RADARSAT-2 and UAS imagery for Monitoring the Restoration of Peatlands
Authors: White Lori , McGovern Mark , Hayne Shari , Touzi Ridha , Pasher Jon , Duffe Jason
Published: July 2020

The restoration of peatlands is critical to help reduce the effects of climate change and further prevent the loss of habitat for many species of flora and fauna. The objective of this research was to evaluate RADARSAT-2 satellite imagery and high-resolution Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) to determine if they could be used as surrogates for monitoring the success of peatland restoration. Areas of peatland that were being actively harvested, had been restored from past years (1994–2003), and natural shrub bog in Lac St. Jean, Quebec were used as a test case. We compared the Freeman–Durden and Touzi decompositions by applying the Bhattacharyya Distance (BD) statistic to see if the spectral signatures of restored peatland could be separated from harvested peat and natural shrub bog. We flew Unmanned Aerial Surveys (UASs) over the study site to identify Sphagnum and Polytrichum strictum, two indicator species of early peatland restoration success. Results showed that the Touzi decomposition was better able to separate the spectral signatures of harvested, restored, and natural shrub bog (BD values closer to 9). Symmetric scattering type αs1, Helicity |τ1,2,3|, a steep incidence angle, and peak growing season appear to be important for separating the spectral signatures. We had moderate success in detecting Sphagnum and Polytrichum strictum visually by using texture and pattern but were unable to use colour due to differences in sun angle and clouds during the UAS flights. Results suggest that RADARSAT-2 data using the Touzi decomposition and UAS imagery show potential for monitoring peatland restoration success over time.
Mapping Essential Urban Land Use Categories in Nanjing by Integrating Multi-Source Big Data
Authors: Sun Jing , Wang Hong , Song Zhenglin , Lu Jinbo , Meng Pengyu , Qin Shuhong
Published: July 2020

High-spatial-resolution (HSR) urban land use maps are very important for urban planning, traffic management, and environmental monitoring. The rapid urbanization in China has led to dramatic urban land use changes, however, so far, there are no such HSR urban land use maps based on unified classification frameworks. To fill this gap, the mapping of 2018 essential urban land use categories in China (EULUC-China) was jointly accomplished by a group of universities and research institutes. However, the relatively lower classification accuracy may not sufficiently meet the application demands for specific cities. Addressing these challenges, this study took Nanjing city as the case study to further improve the mapping practice of essential urban land use categories, by refining the generation of urban parcels, resolving the problem of unbalanced distribution of point of interest (POI) data, integrating the spatial dependency of POI data, and evaluating the size of training samples on the classification accuracy. The results revealed that (1) the POI features played the most important roles in classification performance, especially in identifying administrative, medical, sport, and cultural land use categories, (2) compared with the EULUC-China, the overall accuracy for Level I and Level II in EULUC-Nanjing has increased by 11.1% and 5%, to 86.1% and 80% respectively, and (3) the classification accuracy of Level I and Level II would be stable when the number of training samples was up to 350. The methods and findings in this study are expected to better inform the regional to continental mappings of urban land uses.
Can We Measure a COVID-19-Related Slowdown in Atmospheric CO2 Growth? Sensitivity of Total Carbon Column Observations
Authors: Sussmann Ralf , Rettinger Markus
Published: July 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic is causing projected annual CO2 emission reductions up to −8% for 2020. This approximately matches the reductions required year on year to fulfill the Paris agreement. We pursue the question whether related atmospheric concentration changes may be detected by the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON), and brought into agreement with bottom-up emission-reduction estimates. We present a mathematical framework to derive annual growth rates from observed column-averaged carbon dioxide (XCO2) including uncertainties. The min–max range of TCCON growth rates for 2012–2019 was [2.00, 3.27] ppm/yr with a largest one-year increase of 1.07 ppm/yr for 2015/16 caused by El Niño. Uncertainties are 0.38 [0.28, 0.44] ppm/yr limited by synoptic variability, including a 0.05 ppm/yr contribution from single-measurement precision. TCCON growth rates are linked to a UK Met Office forecast of a COVID-19-related reduction of −0.32 ppm yr−2 in 2020 for Mauna Loa. The separation of TCCON-measured growth rates vs. the reference forecast (without COVID-19) is discussed in terms of detection delay. A 0.6 [0.4, 0.7]-yr delay is caused by the impact of synoptic variability on XCO2, including a ≈1-month contribution from single-measurement precision. A hindrance for the detection of the COVID-19-related growth rate reduction in 2020 is the ±0.57 ppm/yr uncertainty for the forecasted reference case (without COVID-19). Only assuming the ongoing growth rate reductions increasing year-on-year by −0.32 ppm yr−2 would allow a discrimination of TCCON measurements vs. the unperturbed forecast and its uncertainty—with a 2.4 [2.2, 2.5]-yr delay. Using no forecast but the max–min range of the TCCON-observed growth rates for discrimination only leads to a factor ≈2 longer delay. Therefore, the forecast uncertainties for annual growth rates must be reduced. This requires improved terrestrial ecosystem models and ocean observations to better quantify the land and ocean sinks dominating interannual variability.
Beam Search Algorithm for Anti-Collision Trajectory Planning for Many-to-Many Encounter Situations with Autonomous Surface Vehicles
Authors: Koszelew Jolanta , Karbowska-Chilinska Joanna , Ostrowski Krzysztof , Kuczyński Piotr , Kulbiej Eric , Wołejsza Piotr
Published: July 2020

A single anti-collision trajectory generation problem for an “own” vessel only is significantly different from the challenge of generating a whole set of safe trajectories for multi-surface vehicle encounter situations in the open sea. Effective solutions for such problems are needed these days, as we are entering the era of autonomous ships. The article specifies the problem of anti-collision trajectory planning in many-to-many encounter situations. The proposed original multi-surface vehicle beam search algorithm (MBSA), based on the beam search strategy, solves the problem. The general idea of the MBSA involves the application of a solution for one-to-many encounter situations (using the beam search algorithm, BSA), which was tested on real automated radar plotting aid (ARPA) and automatic identification system (AIS) data. The test results for the MBSA were from simulated data, which are discussed in the final part. The article specifies the problem of anti-collision trajectory planning in many-to-many encounter situations involving moving autonomous surface vehicles, excluding Collision Regulations (COLREGs) and vehicle dynamics.
Special Issue on GNSS Data Processing and Navigation
Authors: Rovira-Garcia Adria , Zornoza José Miguel Juan
Published: July 2020

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data can be used in a myriad of ways. The current number of applications exceed by far those originally GNSS was designed for. As an example, the present Special Issue on GNSS Data Processing and Navigation compiles 14 international contributions covering several aspects of GNSS research. This Editorial summarizes the whole special issue grouping the contributions under four different, but related topics.
Preparation of Hydrophobic Film by Electrospinning for Rapid SERS Detection of Trace Triazophos
Authors: Shao Fei , Cao Jiaying , Ying Ye , Liu Ying , Wang Dan , Guo Xiaoyu , Wu Yiping , Wen Ying , Yang Haifeng
Published: July 2020

For real application, it is an urgent demand to fabricate stable and flexible surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates with high enhancement factors in a large-scale and facile way. Herein, by using the electrospinning technique, a hydrophobic and flexible poly(styrene-co-butadiene) (SB) fibrous membrane is obtained, which is beneficial for modification of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) colloid in a small region and then formation of more “hot spots” by drying; the final SERS substrate is designated as Ag/SB. Hydrophobic Ag/SB can efficiently capture heterocyclic molecules into the vicinity of hot spots of Ag NPs. Such Ag/SB films are used to quantitatively detect trace triazophos residue on fruit peels or in the juice, and the limit of detection (LOD) of 2.5 × 10−8 M is achieved. Ag/SB films possess a capability to resist heat. As a case, 6-mercaptopurine (6MP) that just barely dissolves in 90 °C water is picked for conducting Ag/SB-film-based experiments.
Energy Versus Throughput Optimisation for Machine-to-Machine Communication
Authors: Fitzgerald Emma , Pióro Michał , Tomaszewski Artur
Published: July 2020

We investigate the trade-off between energy usage and (packet) throughput in wireless mesh networks performing machine-to-machine communication. For this we provide a novel mixed-integer programming formulation to maximise the throughput while maintaining minimal energy usage, together with an effective price-and-branch solution algorithm based on column generation. The resulting optimisation model is the main original contribution of the presented paper. We conducted a numerical study using network examples from 10 to 40 nodes, in which periodic sensor measurements are aggregated and disseminated to actuators. In almost all cases, we were able to achieve maximum throughput and minimum energy usage simultaneously, and in those cases where this was not possible, the costs incurred in one objective in order to achieve the other were typically low. The solution times for all network sizes were of the order of seconds, showing that our optimisation model is feasible to use in practice.
A Nanostructure with Defect Based on Fano Resonance for Application on Refractive-Index and Temperature Sensing
Authors: Yang Xiaoyu , Hua Ertian , Su Hao , Guo Jing , Yan Shubin
Published: July 2020

Herein, a nanosensor structure is proposed, which comprises metal-insulator-metal (MIM) waveguide with stub and circular ring cavity with a stub (CRCS). The phenomenon of Fano resonance appears in the transmission spectrum, which is formed by interaction between the narrowband mode of CRCS and broadband mode of stub on bus waveguide. The influence of geometric asymmetry on mode splitting of Fano resonance was discussed. The mode splitting of Fano resonance can vastly improve figure of merit (FOM) with a sight decrease of sensitivity. The best performance of the refractive-index nanosensor is attained, which is 1420 nm/RIU with a high FOM of 76.76. Additionally, the application of designed structure on temperature sensing was investigated, which has sensitivity of 0.8 nm/°C. The proposed structure also possesses potential applications on other on-chip nanosensors.
Smart Multi-Sensor Platform for Analytics and Social Decision Support in Agriculture
Authors: Balan Titus , Dumitru Catalin , Dudnik Gabriela , Alessi Enrico , Lesecq Suzanne , Correvon Marc , Passaniti Fabio , Licciardello Antonella
Published: July 2020

Smart agriculture based on new types of sensors, data analytics and automation, is an important enabler for optimizing yields and maximizing efficiency to feed the world’s growing population while limiting environmental pollution. The aim of this paper is to describe a multi-sensor Internet of Things (IoT) system for agriculture consisting of a soil probe, an air probe and a smart data logger. The implementation details will focus of the integration element and the innovative Artificial Intelligence based gas identification sensor. Furthermore, the paper focuses on the analytics and decision support system implementation that provides farming recommendations and is enhanced with a feedback loop from farmers and a social trust index that will increase the reliability of the system.
Robust and Efficient Indoor Localization Using Sparse Semantic Information from a Spherical Camera
Authors: Uygur Irem , Miyagusuku Renato , Pathak Sarthak , Moro Alessandro , Yamashita Atsushi , Asama Hajime
Published: July 2020

Self-localization enables a system to navigate and interact with its environment. In this study, we propose a novel sparse semantic self-localization approach for robust and efficient indoor localization. “Sparse semantic” refers to the detection of sparsely distributed objects such as doors and windows. We use sparse semantic information to self-localize on a human-readable 2D annotated map in the sensor model. Thus, compared to previous works using point clouds or other dense and large data structures, our work uses a small amount of sparse semantic information, which efficiently reduces uncertainty in real-time localization. Unlike complex 3D constructions, the annotated map required by our method can be easily prepared by marking the approximate centers of the annotated objects on a 2D map. Our approach is robust to the partial obstruction of views and geometrical errors on the map. The localization is performed using low-cost lightweight sensors, an inertial measurement unit and a spherical camera. We conducted experiments to show the feasibility and robustness of our approach.
A New Setup for Real-Time Investigations of Optical Fiber Sensors Subjected to Gamma-Rays: Case Study on Long Period Gratings
Authors: Stancalie Andrei , Esposito Flavio , Neguț Constantin Daniel , Ghena Marian , Mihalcea Razvan , Srivastava Anubhav , Campopiano Stefania , Iadicicco Agostino
Published: July 2020

In this work, we present a new setup for real-time investigations of optical fibers and optical fiber sensors while being subjected to gamma-rays. The investigation of the radiation effects on novel or well-assessed sensing devices has attracted a lot of interest, however, the facilities required to do this (when available) are barely accessible to the device to be characterized. In order to reduce the limitations of these types of experiments and ensure a highly controlled environment, we implemented a configuration that permits the on-line testing of optical components inside a Co-60 gamma chamber research irradiator. To show the advantages of this new approach, we present a case study that compares an arc-induced optical fiber long period grating (LPG) irradiated in a gamma chamber with the same type of grating irradiated with gamma-rays from a Co-60 industrial irradiator. In order to better understand the effects of radiation on such components and their behavior in radiation environments, we focus on the homogeneity of the radiation field and parameter customizability as well as the high reproducibility of the experiments.
Framework and Methodology for Establishing Port-City Policies Based on Real-Time Composite Indicators and IoT: A Practical Use-Case
Authors: Lacalle Ignacio , Belsa Andreu , Vaño Rafael , Palau Carlos E.
Published: July 2020

During the past few decades, the combination of flourishing maritime commerce and urban population increases has made port-cities face several challenges. Smart Port-Cities of the future will take advantage of the newest IoT technologies to tackle those challenges in a joint fashion from both the city and port side. A specific matter of interest in this work is how to obtain reliable, measurable indicators to establish port-city policies for mutual benefit. This paper proposes an IoT-based software framework, accompanied with a methodology for defining, calculating, and predicting composite indicators that represent real-world phenomena in the context of a Smart Port-City. This paper envisions, develops, and deploys the framework on a real use-case as a practice experiment. The experiment consists of deploying a composite index for monitoring traffic congestion at the port-city interface in Thessaloniki (Greece). Results were aligned with the expectations, validated through nine scenarios, concluding with delivery of a useful tool for interested actors at Smart Port-Cities to work over and build policies upon.
Base Station Selection for Hybrid TDOA/RTT/DOA Positioning in Mixed LOS/NLOS Environment
Authors: Deng Zhongliang , Wang Hanhua , Zheng Xinyu , Yin Lu
Published: July 2020

The fifth generation (5G) cellular communication system is designed to support Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA), Round-Trip Time (RTT), and Direction of Arrival (DOA) measurements for indoor positioning. To mitigate the positioning error caused by non-line-of-sight (NLOS), existing base station selection methods identify channel conditions and only use line-of-sight (LOS) signals for positioning. However, different selected base station combination would lead to a different geometric dilution of precision (GDOP), base station selection based only on channel condition is not fully applicable for the hybrid positioning. This paper derives the GDOP for the hybrid TDOA, RTT, and DOA positioning, and proposes a GDOP-assisted base station selection method, which is based on both channel conditions and GDOP value changes. The simulation shows that using the proposed base station selection method could lead to higher positioning accuracy than base station selection based only on channel condition. In the simulation, in the side region of the scenario, where the change of selected base station combination causes a notable increment in GDOP value, the positioning accuracy improvement caused by the proposed method is greater than that in the center region.
The End of Resettlement? U.S. Refugee Policy in the Age of Trump
Authors: Beers Daniel J.
Published: July 2020

In the past three years, the Trump administration has taken unprecedented actions to slow the flow of refugees to the United States and undermine the foundations of the world’s largest refugee resettlement system. This article considers both the empirical substance of the White House’s anti-refugee policies, as well as their broader theoretical significance as a critical example of the Trump administration’s so-called “administrative deconstruction” agenda. Analyzing refugee policy as a theory-building case study, this article advances a novel argument reframing the administration’s actions through the lens of strategic disruption. Short of systemically deconstructing targeted programs, I contend that the Trump administration is engaged in an improvisational and deliberately antagonistic campaign to upend existing policies for the sake of disruption itself. Ultimately, Trump’s open disregard for established laws and conventions is a distinguishing feature of the administration’s approach, which limits its ability to implement lasting and legally binding change. In the case of refugee resettlement, this approach has produced a series of temporary and highly controversial policies, which have done measurable harm to refugees and humanitarian aid organizations. However, the legal and institutional foundations of the resettlement system remain firmly intact.
Effects of Supplementary Strength–Power Training on Neuromuscular Performance in Young Female Athletes
Authors: Karagianni Konstantina , Donti Olyvia , Katsikas Christos , Bogdanis Gregory C.
Published: July 2020

This study examined the effects of a short-duration supplementary strength–power training program on neuromuscular performance and sport-specific skills in adolescent athletes. Twenty-three female “Gymnastics for All” athletes, aged 13 ± 2 years, were divided into a training group (TG, n = 12) and a control group (CG, n = 11). Both groups underwent a test battery before and after 10 weeks of intervention. TG completed, in addition to gymnastics training, a supplementary 7–9 min program that included two rounds of strength and power exercises for arms, torso, and legs, executed in a circuit fashion with 1 min rest between rounds, three times per week. Initially, six exercises were performed (15 s work–15 s rest), while the number of exercises was decreased to four and the duration of each exercise was increased to 30 s (30 s rest) after the fifth week. TG improved countermovement jump performance with one leg (11.5% ± 10.4%, p = 0.002) and two legs (8.2% ± 8.8%, p = 0.004), drop jump performance (14.4% ± 12.6%, p = 0.038), single-leg jumping agility (13.6% ± 5.2%, p = 0.001), and sport-specific performance (8.8% ± 7.4%, p = 0.004), but not 10 m sprint performance (2.4% ± 6.6%, p = 0.709). No change was observed in the CG (p = 0.41 to 0.97). The results of this study indicated that this supplementary strength–power program performed for 7–9 min improves neuromuscular and sport-specific performance after 10 weeks of training.
A Multi-Scalar Approach for Assessing Costs and Benefits of Risk Reduction Alternatives for the People and the City: Cases of Three Resettlements in Visakhapatnam, India
Authors: Jain Garima , Bazaz Amir Bashir
Published: July 2020

Resettlement undertaken with the objective of reducing disaster risk often narrowly focuses only on reducing hazard exposure. However, when resettlements are analyzed from the perspective of holistic development outcomes, including livelihood conditions, health implications, social cohesion and employment opportunities, they are often found to be lacking. Apart from this contrast between considerations of disaster risk and everyday socio-economic risks at the household or settlement level, resettlement programs also lack a clear focus on achieving wider regional development goals including poverty reduction, economic growth and environmental protection. This relates to the sectorization of attitudes to disaster risk and the lack of integration with development concerns across multiple actors involved. This paper offers an approach: (1) to systematize costs and benefits; and using these (2) to assess policy alternatives that could maximize the beneficial outcomes for the resettlement intervention as well as improve overall sustainability for the urban areas they are set in. This paper first situates “risks” within a larger context of structural risks, and then uses the framework of asset accumulation to recognize the changes experienced by the people as costs or benefits. For this, it goes beyond the resettlement site to a broader regional perspective of the city and reflects on the long-term historical trends as well as future risks created by the intervention in the context of urbanization processes and increasing climate variability. To illustrate the use of this approach in assessing intervention alternatives, the paper analyzes three empirical case studies representing in-situ, voluntary and involuntary resettlements from urban Andhra Pradesh in India.
Assessment of Dehydration as a Commercial-Scale Food Waste Valorization Strategy
Authors: Schroeder Jon T. , Labuzetta Ava L. , Trabold Thomas A.
Published: July 2020

Using a commercially available dehydration unit, this study aimed to valorize various food waste streams from different sources in the Rochester, New York area. Dehydration of the food waste collected for the study helped reduce the weight of the feedstock by 70–90%, as the incoming waste streams were relatively wet. The output was materially characterized against end uses such as cattle feed, fish feed, and compost. The results demonstrated that, other than fertilizer, the remaining five end uses (compost, fish feed, cattle feed, pyrolysis, and pelletized fuel) were potentially compatible with varying waste feedstocks based on the parameters analyzed. Fish feed in particular was found to be the most compatible end use, as a number of attributes, including protein, fell within the optimal range of values. Pelletized fuel was also determined to be a viable application, as six out of eight sources of dehydrated food waste had higher heating values above the minimum U.S. standard level of 18.61 MJ/kg. Ultimately, this analysis showed that the composition of the food waste needs to be matched to an end-use application and sale of the product for dehydration to be a worthwhile valorization strategy.