bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Associations of Food Outlet Densities with Obesity Measures Identify Fish and Chip Shops as a Uniquely Important Problem
Authors: Albalawi Ahmad , Hambly Catherine , Speakman John
Published: March 2020

Increases in the number of food outlets have been proposed as a key factor driving obesity. This study aimed to investigate the association between the densities of food establishments serving meals (excluding supermarkets and grocery stores), with body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio (WHR) and percentage of body fat among middle-aged adults in the UK. BMIs, WHR, %fat and socioeconomic factors were obtained from 456,079 individuals from the UK Biobank and averaged across 923 postcode districts (PD). The number of Fast-Food Restaurants (FFRs), Full-Service Restaurants (FSRs), delivery shops, takeaways, fish and chip shops, pubs and cafes were also obtained for each PD. We adjusted the obesity measures for deprivation level, education, employment, ethnicity, household size, household income and age. After adjustment, the density of fish and chip shops (per 1000 population) was positively associated with BMI and %fat for both sexes (males: BMI converted (exponentiated coefficient) β = 0.5, R2 = 4.14%, p < 0.0001; %fat converted β = 0.8, R2 = 3.32%, p < 0.0001; females: BMI converted β = 0.9, R2 = 5.31%, p < 0.0001; %fat converted β = 1.4 R2 = 4.65%, p < 0.0001). The densities of FFRs and delivery shops (per 1000 population) were not related to the adjusted obesity measures among males and females, except BMI in males where FFRs were significantly negatively associated. The densities (per 1000 population) of FSRs, pubs, cafes and total food outlets were all significantly inversely related to the obesity measures for both sexes. The number of fish and chip shops per 1000 individuals was significantly positively associated with obesity in middle-aged adults in the UK. A negative association between the other types of food outlet densities and the measures of obesity suggests access to such establishments is not a major driver of obesity. This is potentially because the food supplied at such establishments is not significantly less healthy than what is eaten elsewhere including at home (and may even be better). Paying attention only to fast food and/or full-service restaurants in intervention policy will likely not be effective. Policy intervention should potentially focus on the numbers of fish and chip shops and the deep-fried food served in such restaurants.
Exploring the Perceptions of Women from Under-Resourced South African Communities about Participating in a Low-Carbohydrate High-Fat Nutrition and Health Education Program: A Qualitative Focus Group Study
Authors: Pujol-Busquets Georgina , Smith James , Larmuth Kate , Fàbregues Sergi , Bach-Faig Anna
Published: March 2020

Scientific evidence suggests that low-carbohydrate high-fat (LCHF) diets may be effective for managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Eat Better South Africa (EBSA) is an organization that runs LCHF nutrition education programs for women from low-income communities. Three focus group discussions (FGDs) were held with 18 women who had taken part in an EBSA program between 2015 and 2017, to explore their perceptions and to identify the facilitators and barriers they faced in implementing and sustaining dietary changes. Thematic analysis of the focus groups was conducted using NVivo 12 software. Women reported that they decided to enroll in the program because they suffered from NCDs. Most women said that the EBSA diet made them feel less hungry, more energetic and they felt that their health had improved. Most women spoke of socioeconomic challenges which made it difficult for them to follow EBSA’s recommendations, such as employment status, safety issues in the community, and lack of support from relatives and doctors. Hence, women felt they needed more support from EBSA after the program. The social determinants that affected these women’s ability to change their health behavior are also NCD risk factors, and these should be assessed to improve the program for other communities.
Intestinal Mucosal Barrier Function Restoration in Mice by Maize Diet Containing Enriched Flavan-4-Ols
Authors: Wu Binning , Bhatnagar Rohil , Indukuri Vijaya V. , Chopra Shara , March Kylie , Cordero Nina , Chopra Surinder , Reddivari Lavanya
Published: March 2020

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a chronic intestinal inflammatory condition, awaits safe and effective preventive strategies. Naturally occurring flavonoid compounds are promising therapeutic candidates against IBD due to their great antioxidant potential and ability to reduce inflammation and improve immune signaling mediators in the gut. In this study, we utilized two maize near-isogenic lines flavan-4-ols-containing P1-rr (F+) and flavan-4-ols-lacking p1-ww (F−) to investigate the anti-inflammatory property of flavan-4-ols against carboxymethylcellulose (CMC)-induced low-grade colonic inflammation. C57BL/6 mice were exposed to either 1% CMC (w/v) or water for a total of 15 weeks. After week six, mice on CMC treatment were divided into four groups. One group continued on the control diet. The second and third groups were supplemented with F+ at 15% or 25% (w/w). The fourth group received diet supplemented with F− at 15%. Here we report that mice consuming F+(15) and F+(25) alleviated CMC-induced increase in epididymal fat-pad, colon histology score, pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 6 expression and intestinal permeability compared to mice fed with control diet and F−(15). F+(15) and F+(25) significantly enhanced mucus thickness in CMC exposed mice (p < 0.05). These data collectively demonstrated the protective effect of flavan-4-ol against colonic inflammation by restoring intestinal barrier function and provide a rationale to breed for flavan-4-ols enriched cultivars for better dietary benefits.
Rapid Spread of Classical Swine Fever Virus among South Korean Wild Boars in Areas near the Border with North Korea
Authors: Choe SeEun , Cha Ra Mi , Yu Dae-Sung , Kim Ki-Sun , Song Sok , Choi Sung-Hyun , Jung Byung-Il , Lim Seong-In , Hyun Bang-Hun , Park Bong-Kyun , An Dong-Jun
Published: March 2020

There has been a rapid increase in the number of classical swine fever (CSF) sero-positive wild boars captured near the demilitarized zone (DMZ), located the border with North Korea. In 2015–2016, few CSFV-positive antibody boars were detected; however, the number has increased steeply since 2017. Most occurred in the northern region of Gyeonggi before spreading slowly to Gangwon (west to east) in 2018–2019. Multi-distance spatial cluster analysis provided an indirect estimate of the time taken for CSFV to spread among wild boars: 46.7, 2.6, and 2.49 days/km. The average CSF serum neutralization antibody titer was 4–10 (log 2), and CSFV Ab B-ELISA PI values ranged from 65.5 to 111.5, regardless of the age and sex of wild boars. Full genome analysis revealed that 16 CSFV strains isolated from wild boars between 2017 and 2019 were identical to the YC16CS strain (sub-genotype 2.1d) isolated from an outbreak in breeding pigs near the border with North Korea in 2016. The rapid increase in CSF in wild boars may be due to a continuously circulating infection within hub area and increased population density. The distribution pattern of CSFV in Korean wild boars moves from west to southeast, affected by external factors, including small-scale hunting, geographical features and highways.
Gertrude Stein and the Metaphysical Avant-Garde
Authors: Tanner-Kennedy Dana
Published: March 2020

When American metaphysical religion appears onstage, it most often manifests in the subject matter and dramaturgies of experimental theater. In the artistic ferment of the 1960s and 1970s counterculture, theater-makers looked both to alternative dramaturgies and alternative religions to create radical works of political, social, and spiritual transformation. While the ritual experiments of European avant-garde artists like Artaud and Grotowski informed their work, American theater-makers also found inspiration in the dramas of Gertrude Stein, and many of these companies (the Living Theatre and the Wooster Group, most notably) either staged her work or claimed a direct influence (like Richard Foreman). Stein herself, though not a practitioner of metaphysical religion, spent formative years in Cambridge, Massachusetts, at Radcliffe under the tutelage of William James. Cambridge, at the turn of the twentieth century, was a hotbed of spiritualism, theosophy, alternative healing modalities, and James, in addition to running the psychology lab in which Stein studied, ran a multitude of investigations on extrasensory and paranormal phenomena. This article traces a web of associations connecting Ralph Waldo Emerson, Transcendentalism, and liberal Protestantism to Gertrude Stein and landscape dramaturgy to the midcentury avant-garde, the countercultural religious seeking of the 1960s and 1970s, and the Off-Off-Broadway movement.
Secretory Carcinoma of Salivary Gland with High-Grade Histology Arising in Hard Palate: A Case Report
Authors: Takabatake Kiyofumi , Nakano Keisuke , Kawai Hotaka , Yoshida Saori , Omori Haruka , Wathone Oo May , Qiusheng Shan , Uchida Kenichiro , Mishima Katsuaki , Nagatsuka Hitoshi
Published: March 2020

Secretory carcinoma (SC) is a recently described salivary gland tumor reported in the fourth edition of World Health Organization classification of head and neck tumors. SC is characterized by strong S-100 protein, mammaglobin, and vimentin immunoexpression, and harbors a t(12;15)(p13;q25) translocation which leads to ETV6-NTRK3 fusion product. Histologically, SC displays a lobulated growth pattern and is often composed of microcystic, tubular, and solid structures with abundant eosinophilic homogenous or bubbly secretion. SC is generally recognized as low-grade malignancy with low-grade histopathologic features, and metastasis is relatively uncommon. In this case, we described a SC of hard palate that underwent high grade transformation and metastasis to the cervical lymph node in a 54-year-old patient. In addition, this case showed different histological findings between primary lesion and metastasis lesion. Therefore, the diagnosis was confirmed by the presence of ETV6 translocation. Here, we report a case that occurred SC with high-grade transformation in the palate, and a review of the relevant literature is also presented.
Valve-in-Valve-in-Valve: Degenerated Transcatheter Heart Valve within Degenerated Surgical Bioprosthetic Aortic Valve Treated with Second Transcatheter Heart Valve
Authors: Ajmal Muhammad , Reddy Sridhar , Shetty Ranjith , Kazui Toshinobu , Lotun Kapildeo
Published: March 2020

Currently, transcatheter aortic valve replacements within degenerated surgical bioprosthetic aortic valves (valve in valve) are increasing in frequency with studies supporting their safety and efficacy. We present the rare case of a patient requiring a second transcatheter bioprosthetic aortic valve placed within a previously placed degenerated transcatheter aortic valve, which was implanted in a degenerated surgical bioprosthetic aortic valve. The procedure was performed using a percutaneous cardiopulmonary bypass with TandemLife for hemodynamic support.
Protected Areas: Geotourist Attractiveness for Weekend Tourists Based on the Example of Gorczański National Park in Poland
Authors: Widawski Krzysztof , Oleśniewicz Piotr , Rozenkiewicz Agnieszka , Zaręba Anna , Jandová Soňa
Published: March 2020

The aim of the publication was to assess the geotourist attractiveness of protected areas in Poland among weekend tourists based on the example of Gorczański National Park. The park location near urbanized areas makes it an attractive field for research on weekend tourism development. The tourist potential of the park is presented, starting from geological aspects and geotourist values. Then, the tourist potential was analysed, with a focus on geotourist resources, which include tourist trails and didactic routes. The tourist traffic volume was also examined. On the basis of legal documents, such as nature conservation plans, threats related to tourism development in protected areas were presented as indicated by park managers. In accordance with the Act on Nature Conservation, the threats are divided into four groups: internal existing and potential threats and external existing and potential threats. The tourists’ opinion on the geotourist attractiveness of the park was investigated with surveys conducted during selected weekends significant in the context of tourist traffic volume. Thus, a profile of people visiting the park for short stays was obtained, as well as their assessment of the tourist resources of the area, with particular emphasis on geotourist values.
A Systematic Review of the Factors Influencing the Estimation of Vegetation Aboveground Biomass Using Unmanned Aerial Systems
Authors: G. Poley Lucy , J. McDermid Gregory
Published: March 2020

Interest in the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to estimate the aboveground biomass (AGB) of vegetation in agricultural and non-agricultural settings is growing rapidly but there is no standardized methodology for planning, collecting and analyzing UAS data for this purpose. We synthesized 46 studies from the peer-reviewed literature to provide the first-ever review on the subject. Our analysis showed that spectral and structural data from UAS imagery can accurately estimate vegetation biomass in a variety of settings, especially when both data types are combined. Vegetation-height metrics are useful for trees, while metrics of variation in structure or volume are better for non-woody vegetation. Multispectral indices using NIR and red-edge wavelengths normally have strong relationships with AGB but RGB-based indices often outperform them in models. Including measures of image texture can improve model accuracy for vegetation with heterogeneous canopies. Vegetation growth structure and phenological stage strongly influence model accuracy and the selection of useful metrics and should be considered carefully. Additional factors related to the study environment, data collection and analytical approach also impact biomass estimation and need to be considered throughout the workflow. Our review shows that UASs provide a capable tool for fine-scale, spatially explicit estimations of vegetation AGB and are an ideal complement to existing ground- and satellite-based approaches. We recommend future studies aimed at emerging UAS technologies and at evaluating the effect of vegetation type and growth stages on AGB estimation.
Nearshore Sandbar Classification of Sabaudia (Italy) with LiDAR Data: The FHyL Approach
Authors: Taramelli Andrea , Cappucci Sergio , Valentini Emiliana , Rossi Lorenzo , Lisi Iolanda
Published: March 2020

An application of the FHyL (field spectral libraries, airborne hyperspectral images and topographic LiDAR) method is presented. It is aimed to map and classify bedforms in submerged beach systems and has been applied to Sabaudia coast (Tirrenyan Sea, Central Italy). The FHyl method allows the integration of geomorphological observations into detailed maps by the multisensory data fusion process from hyperspectral, LiDAR, and in-situ radiometric data. The analysis of the sandy beach classification provides an identification of the variable bedforms by using LiDAR bathymetric Digital Surface Model (DSM) and Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) along the coastal stretch. The nearshore sand bars classification and analysis of the bed form parameters (e.g., depth, slope and convexity/concavity properties) provide excellent results in very shallow waters zones. Thanks to well-established LiDAR and spectroscopic techniques developed under the FHyL approach, remote sensing has the potential to deliver significant quantitative products in coastal areas. The developed method has become the standard for the systematic definition of the operational coastal airborne dataset that must be provided by coastal operational services as input to national downstream services. The methodology is also driving the harmonization procedure of coastal morphological dataset definition at the national scale and results have been used by the authorities to adopt a novel beach management technique.
Underwater Hyperspectral Target Detection with Band Selection
Authors: Fu Xianping , Shang Xiaodi , Sun Xudong , Yu Haoyang , Song Meiping , Chang Chein-I
Published: March 2020

Compared to multi-spectral imagery, hyperspectral imagery has very high spectral resolution with abundant spectral information. In underwater target detection, hyperspectral technology can be advantageous in the sense of a poor underwater imaging environment, complex background, or protective mechanism of aquatic organisms. Due to high data redundancy, slow imaging speed, and long processing of hyperspectral imagery, a direct use of hyperspectral images in detecting targets cannot meet the needs of rapid detection of underwater targets. To resolve this issue, a fast, hyperspectral underwater target detection approach using band selection (BS) is proposed. It first develops a constrained-target optimal index factor (OIF) band selection (CTOIFBS) to select a band subset with spectral wavelengths specifically responding to the targets of interest. Then, an underwater spectral imaging system integrated with the best-selected band subset is constructed for underwater target image acquisition. Finally, a constrained energy minimization (CEM) target detection algorithm is used to detect the desired underwater targets. Experimental results demonstrate that the band subset selected by CTOIFBS is more effective in detecting underwater targets compared to the other three existing BS methods, uniform band selection (UBS), minimum variance band priority (MinV-BP), and minimum variance band priority with OIF (MinV-BP-OIF). In addition, the results also show that the acquisition and detection speed of the designed underwater spectral acquisition system using CTOIFBS can be significantly improved over the original underwater hyperspectral image system without BS.
Long-Term Land Use/Land Cover Change Assessment of the Kilombero Catchment in Tanzania Using Random Forest Classification and Robust Change Vector Analysis
Authors: Thonfeld Frank , Steinbach Stefanie , Muro Javier , Kirimi Fridah
Published: March 2020

Information about land use/land cover (LULC) and their changes is useful for different stakeholders to assess future pathways of sustainable land use for food production as well as for nature conservation. In this study, we assess LULC changes in the Kilombero catchment in Tanzania, an important area of recent development in East Africa. LULC change is assessed in two ways: first, post-classification comparison (PCC) which allows us to directly assess changes from one LULC class to another, and second, spectral change detection. We perform LULC classification by applying random forests (RF) on sets of multitemporal metrics that account for seasonal within-class dynamics. For the spectral change detection, we make use of the robust change vector analysis (RCVA) and determine those changes that do not necessarily lead to another class. The combination of the two approaches enables us to distinguish areas that show (a) only PCC changes, (b) only spectral changes that do not affect the classification of a pixel, (c) both types of change, or (d) no changes at all. Our results reveal that only one-quarter of the catchment has not experienced any change. One-third shows both, spectral changes and LULC conversion. Changes detected with both methods predominantly occur in two major regions, one in the West of the catchment, one in the Kilombero floodplain. Both regions are important areas of food production and economic development in Tanzania. The Kilombero floodplain is a Ramsar protected area, half of which was converted to agricultural land in the past decades. Therefore, LULC monitoring is required to support sustainable land management. Relatively poor classification performances revealed several challenges during the classification process. The combined approach of PCC and RCVA allows us to detect spatial patterns of LULC change at distinct dimensions and intensities. With the assessment of additional classifier output, namely class-specific per-pixel classification probabilities and derived parameters, we account for classification uncertainty across space. We overlay the LULC change results and the spatial assessment of classification reliability to provide a thorough picture of the LULC changes taking place in the Kilombero catchment.
Ice Concentration Retrieval from the Analysis of Microwaves: A New Methodology Designed for the Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer
Authors: Kilic Lise , Prigent Catherine , Aires Filipe , Heygster Georg , Pellet Victor , Jimenez Carlos
Published: March 2020

Over the last 25 years, the Arctic sea ice has seen its extent decline dramatically. Passive microwave observations, with their ability to penetrate clouds and their independency to sunlight, have been used to provide sea ice concentration (SIC) measurements since the 1970s. The Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer (CIMR) is a high priority candidate mission within the European Copernicus Expansion program, with a special focus on the observation of the polar regions. It will observe at 6.9 and 10.65 GHz with 15 km spatial resolution, and at 18.7 and 36.5 GHz with 5 km spatial resolution. SIC algorithms are based on empirical methods, using the difference in radiometric signatures between the ocean and sea ice. Up to now, the existing algorithms have been limited in the number of channels they use. In this study, we proposed a new SIC algorithm called Ice Concentration REtrieval from the Analysis of Microwaves (IceCREAM). It can accommodate a large range of channels, and it is based on the optimal estimation. Linear relationships between the satellite measurements and the SIC are derived from the Round Robin Data Package of the sea ice Climate Change Initiative. The 6 and 10 GHz channels are very sensitive to the sea ice presence, whereas the 18 and 36 GHz channels have a better spatial resolution. A data fusion method is proposed to combine these two estimations. Therefore, IceCREAM will provide SIC estimates with the good accuracy of the 6+10GHz combination, and the high spatial resolution of the 18+36GHz combination.
Mineral Oil Slicks Identification Using Dual Co-polarized Radarsat-2 and TerraSAR-X SAR Imagery
Authors: Ivonin Dmitry , Brekke Camilla , Skrunes Stine , Ivanov Andrei , Kozhelupova Nataliya
Published: March 2020

This study is devoted to a generalization of C-band Radarsat-2 and X-band TerraSAR-X synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data in the form of a diagram serving to easily identify mineral oil slicks (crude oil and emulsions) and separate them from the other oil slicks. The diagram is based on the multi-polarization parameter called Resonant to Non-resonant signal Damping (RND) introduced by Ivonin et al. in 2016, which is related to the ratio between damping within the slick of the short waves and wave breakings. SAR images acquired in the North Sea during oil-on-water exercises in 2011–2012 containing three types of oil spills (crude oil, emulsion, and plant oil) were used. The analysis was performed under moderate sea conditions (wind speeds of 2–6 m/s and sea wave heights of less than 2 m), the incidence angles of 27°–49°, and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of −3 to 11 dB within slicks. On the diagram plane, created by the RND parameter and the Bragg wave number, the mineral oil samples form a well-outlined zone, called a mineral oil zone. For C-band data, the plant oil samples were clearly distinguished from the mineral oils in the diagram. Determination of the confidence level for the detection of mineral oils versus plant oil was proposed using the mineral oil zone boundaries. The mineral oil data with SNR within slicks better than 2 dB lay within this zone with a confidence level better than 65%. The plant oil data with the same SNR lay outside this zone with a confidence level of better than 80%. For mineral oil with SNR of −3 dB, the confidence level is 55%.
Use of Supervised Machine Learning for GNSS Signal Spoofing Detection with Validation on Real-World Meaconing and Spoofing Data—Part II
Authors: Semanjski Silvio , Semanjski Ivana , De Wilde Wim , Gautama Sidharta
Published: March 2020

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) meaconing and spoofing are being considered as the key threats to the Safety-of-Life (SoL) applications that mostly rely upon the use of open service (OS) signals without signal or data-level protection. While a number of pre and post correlation techniques have been proposed so far, possible utilization of the supervised machine learning algorithms to detect GNSS meaconing and spoofing is currently being examined. One of the supervised machine learning algorithms, the Support Vector Machine classification (C-SVM), is proposed for utilization at the GNSS receiver level due to fact that at that stage of signal processing, a number of measurements and observables exists. It is possible to establish the correlation pattern among those GNSS measurements and observables and monitor it with use of the C-SVM classification, the results of which we present in this paper. By adding the real-world spoofing and meaconing datasets to the laboratory-generated spoofing datasets at the training stage of the C-SVM, we complement the experiments and results obtained in Part I of this paper, where the training was conducted solely with the use of laboratory-generated spoofing datasets. In two experiments presented in this paper, the C-SVM algorithm was cross-fed with the real-world meaconing and spoofing datasets, such that the meaconing addition to the training was validated by the spoofing dataset, and vice versa. The comparative analysis of all four experiments presented in this paper shows promising results in two aspects: (i) the added value of the training dataset enrichment seems to be relevant for real-world GNSS signal manipulation attempt detection and (ii) the C-SVM-based approach seems to be promising for GNSS signal manipulation attempt detection, as well as in the context of potential federated learning applications.
Improve Temporal Fourier Transform Profilometry for Complex Dynamic Three-Dimensional Shape Measurement
Authors: Liu Yihang , Zhang Qican , Zhang Haihua , Wu Zhoujie , Chen Wenjing
Published: March 2020

The high-speed three-dimensional (3-D) shape measurement technique has become more and more popular recently, because of the strong demand for dynamic scene measurement. The single-shot nature of Fourier Transform Profilometry (FTP) makes it highly suitable for the 3-D shape measurement of dynamic scenes. However, due to the band-pass filter, FTP method has limitations for measuring objects with sharp edges, abrupt change or non-uniform reflectivity. In this paper, an improved Temporal Fourier Transform Profilometry (TFTP) algorithm combined with the 3-D phase unwrapping algorithm based on a reference plane is presented, and the measurement of one deformed fringe pattern producing a new 3-D shape of an isolated abrupt objects has been achieved. Improved TFTP method avoids band-pass filter in spatial domain and unwraps 3-D phase distribution along the temporal axis based on the reference plane. The high-frequency information of the measured object can be well preserved, and each pixel is processed separately. Experiments verify that our method can be well applied to a dynamic 3-D shape measurement with isolated, sharp edges or abrupt change. A high-speed and low-cost structured light pattern sequence projection has also been presented, it is capable of projection frequencies in the kHz level. Using the proposed 3-D shape measurement algorithm with the self-made mechanical projector, we demonstrated dynamic 3-D reconstruction with a rate of 297 Hz, which is mainly limited by the speed of the camera.
Sensing Senses: Optical Biosensors to Study Gustation
Authors: von Molitor Elena , Riedel Katja , Hafner Mathias , Rudolf Rüdiger , Cesetti Tiziana
Published: March 2020

The five basic taste modalities, sweet, bitter, umami, salty and sour induce changes of Ca2+ levels, pH and/or membrane potential in taste cells of the tongue and/or in neurons that convey and decode gustatory signals to the brain. Optical biosensors, which can be either synthetic dyes or genetically encoded proteins whose fluorescence spectra depend on levels of Ca2+, pH or membrane potential, have been used in primary cells/tissues or in recombinant systems to study taste-related intra- and intercellular signaling mechanisms or to discover new ligands. Taste-evoked responses were measured by microscopy achieving high spatial and temporal resolution, while plate readers were employed for higher throughput screening. Here, these approaches making use of fluorescent optical biosensors to investigate specific taste-related questions or to screen new agonists/antagonists for the different taste modalities were reviewed systematically. Furthermore, in the context of recent developments in genetically encoded sensors, 3D cultures and imaging technologies, we propose new feasible approaches for studying taste physiology and for compound screening.
Monitoring Mixing Processes Using Ultrasonic Sensors and Machine Learning
Authors: Bowler Alexander L. , Bakalis Serafim , Watson Nicholas J.
Published: March 2020

Mixing is one of the most common processes across food, chemical, and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Real-time, in-line sensors are required for monitoring, and subsequently optimising, essential processes such as mixing. Ultrasonic sensors are low-cost, real-time, in-line, and applicable to characterise opaque systems. In this study, a non-invasive, reflection-mode ultrasonic measurement technique was used to monitor two model mixing systems. The two systems studied were honey-water blending and flour-water batter mixing. Classification machine learning models were developed to predict if materials were mixed or not mixed. Regression machine learning models were developed to predict the time remaining until mixing completion. Artificial neural networks, support vector machines, long short-term memory neural networks, and convolutional neural networks were tested, along with different methods for engineering features from ultrasonic waveforms in both the time and frequency domain. Comparisons between using a single sensor and performing multisensor data fusion between two sensors were made. Classification accuracies of up to 96.3% for honey-water blending and 92.5% for flour-water batter mixing were achieved, along with R2 values for the regression models of up to 0.977 for honey-water blending and 0.968 for flour-water batter mixing. Each prediction task produced optimal performance with different algorithms and feature engineering methods, vindicating the extensive comparison between different machine learning approaches.
Nitrogen-Doped Graphene: The Influence of Doping Level on the Charge-Transfer Resistance and Apparent Heterogeneous Electron Transfer Rate
Authors: Coros Maria , Varodi Codruta , Pogacean Florina , Gal Emese , Pruneanu Stela M.
Published: March 2020

Three nitrogen-doped graphene samples were synthesized by the hydrothermal method using urea as doping/reducing agent for graphene oxide (GO), previously dispersed in water. The mixture was poured into an autoclave and placed in the oven at 160 °C for 3, 8 and 12 h. The samples were correspondingly denoted NGr-1, NGr-2 and NGr-3. The effect of the reaction time on the morphology, structure and electrochemical properties of the resulting materials was thoroughly investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) Raman spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), elemental analysis, Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). For NGr-1 and NGr-2, the nitrogen concentration obtained from elemental analysis was around 6.36 wt%. In the case of NGr-3, a slightly higher concentration of 6.85 wt% was obtained. The electrochemical studies performed with NGr modified electrodes proved that the charge-transfer resistance (Rct) and the apparent heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (Kapp) depend not only on the nitrogen doping level but also on the type of nitrogen atoms found at the surface (pyrrolic-N, pyridinic-N or graphitic-N). In our case, the NGr-1 sample which has the lowest doping level and the highest concentration of pyrrolic-N among all nitrogen-doped samples exhibits the best electrochemical parameters: a very small Rct (38.3 Ω), a large Kapp (13.9 × 10−2 cm/s) and the best electrochemical response towards 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine detection (8-OHdG).
Development of Electronic Nose for Qualitative and Quantitative Monitoring of Volatile Flammable Liquids
Authors: Wu Zhiyuan , Wang Hang , Wang Xiping , Zheng Hunlong , Chen Zhiming , Meng Chun
Published: March 2020

A real-time electric nose (E-nose) with a metal oxide sensor (MOS) array was developed to monitor 5 highly flammable liquids (ethanol, tetrahydrofuran, turpentine, lacquer thinner, and gasoline) in this work. We found that temperature had a significant impact on the test results and temperature control could efficiently improve the performance of our E-nose. The results of our qualitative analysis showed that principal component analysis (PCA) could not efficiently distinguish these samples compared to a back-propagation artificial neural network (BP-ANN) which had a 100% accuracy rate on the test samples. Quantitative analysis was performed by regression analysis and the average errors were 9.1%–18.4%. In addition, through anti-interference training, the E-nose could filter out the potential false alarm caused by mosquito repellent, perfume and hair jelly.
An Inductive Sensor for Two-Dimensional Displacement Measurement
Authors: Wu Liang , Xu Shi , Zhong Ziqiang , Mou Chuan , Wang Xinda
Published: March 2020

The simultaneous and independent measurements of two-dimensional (2D) displacements are significant for 2D positioning. Here a planar inductive sensor which is based on the principle of electromagnetic induction is proposed. The sensor is composed of a primary coil and a secondary coil. The primary coil consists of an array of planar spiral coils which are arranged as an m × n matrix. The primary coil is supplied with 4 kHz alternating current to generate an array of pulsating magnetic field. The secondary coil contains four spiral coils which are arranged as a 2 × 2 matrix. Thereby, four roads of modulated signals whose amplitudes vary with displacements of the secondary coil along x- and y-axis are induced. An algorithm based on the Coordinate Rotation Digital Computer algorithm is introduced to resolve the planar displacements. The structure and working principle of the sensor are proposed firstly. Then, the finite element analysis of the electromagnetic model and the numerical simulation of the algorithm are given. An experiment has been performed on a sensor prototype and the results show that the proposed scheme is feasible. Measurement error analysis of the sensor has been pursued at the end of the paper.
Sandwich-Type DNA Micro-Optode Based on Gold–Latex Spheres Label for Reflectance Dengue Virus Detection
Authors: Jeningsih  , Tan Ling Ling , Ulianas Alizar , Heng Lee Yook , Mazlan Nur-Fadhilah , Jamaluddin Nur Diyana , Mohd. Yusof Nurul Yuziana , Khalid Bahariah , Ta Goh Choo
Published: March 2020

A DNA micro-optode for dengue virus detection was developed based on the sandwich hybridization strategy of DNAs on succinimide-functionalized poly(n-butyl acrylate) (poly(nBA-NAS)) microspheres. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with an average diameter of ~20 nm were synthesized using a centrifugation-based method and adsorbed on the submicrometer-sized polyelectrolyte-coated poly(styrene-co-acrylic acid) (PSA) latex particles via an electrostatic method. The AuNP–latex spheres were attached to the thiolated reporter probe (rDNA) by Au–thiol binding to functionalize as an optical gold–latex–rDNA label. The one-step sandwich hybridization recognition involved a pair of a DNA probe, i.e., capture probe (pDNA), and AuNP–PSA reporter label that flanked the target DNA (complementary DNA (cDNA)). The concentration of dengue virus cDNA was optically transduced by immobilized AuNP–PSA–rDNA conjugates as the DNA micro-optode exhibited a violet hue upon the DNA sandwich hybridization reaction, which could be monitored by a fiber-optic reflectance spectrophotometer at 637 nm. The optical genosensor showed a linear reflectance response over a wide cDNA concentration range from 1.0 × 10−21 M to 1.0 × 10−12 M cDNA (R2 = 0.9807) with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1 × 10−29 M. The DNA biosensor was reusable for three consecutive applications after regeneration with mild sodium hydroxide. The sandwich-type optical biosensor was well validated with a molecular reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique for screening of dengue virus in clinical samples, e.g., serum, urine, and saliva from dengue virus-infected patients under informed consent.
Ultra-Sensitive Minute Mass Sensing Using a Microcantilever Virtually Coupled with a Virtual Cantilever
Authors: Kasai Yuki , Yabuno Hiroshi , Yamamoto Yasuyuki , Matsumoto Sohei
Published: March 2020

Mass sensors based on the eigenmode shift of coupled cantilevers achieve much higher sensitivity than those based on the single cantilever’s eigenfrequency shift. In the former sensors, two identical cantilevers and a weak coupling stiffness between them are required to achieve high sensitivity. However, conventional coupled cantilevers cannot satisfy these requirements because of machining accuracy. To satisfy both requirements, a virtual coupling between a real macrocantilever and a virtual cantilever, whose dynamics was calculated using a digital computer, was proposed in our previous research. The sensitive mass sensing of mg-order masses was achieved. In the present work, for minute mass sensing, we replace the real macrocantilever with a real microcantilever. The calculation speed of a digital computer is not fast enough to calculate the virtual cantilever’s dynamics because the natural frequency of the microcantilver is much higher than that of the macrocantilever. Therefore, we use an analog circuit instead of a digital computer to achieve virtual coupling with the virtual cantilever. The proposed system enables us to tune the virtual cantilever’s parameters to satisfy both requirements for high sensitivity by changing the analog circuit parameters. We verified experimentally that the proposed system achieved high sensitivity for mass sensing of the order of nanograms.
Comparison between Linear and Branched Polyethylenimine and Reduced Graphene Oxide Coatings as a Capture Layer for Micro Resonant CO2 Gas Concentration Sensors
Authors: Prud’homme Alberto , Nabki Frederic
Published: March 2020

The comparison between potential coatings for the measurement of CO2 concentration through the frequency shift in micro-resonators is presented. The polymers evaluated are linear polyethylenimine, branched polyethylenimine and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) by microwave reduction with polyethylenimine. The characterization of the coatings was made by using 6 MHz gold-plated quartz crystals, and a proof-of-concept sensor is shown with a diaphragm electrostatic microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonator. The methods of producing the solutions of the polymers deposited onto the quartz crystals are presented. A CO2 concentration range from 0.05% to 1% was dissolved in air and humidity level were controlled and evaluated. Linear polyethylenimine showed superior performance with a reaction time obtained for stabilization after the concentration increase of 345 s, while the time for recovery was of 126 s, with a maximum frequency deviation of 33.6 Hz for an in-air CO2 concentration of 0.1%.
In-Situ Measurement of Electrical-Heating-Induced Magnetic Field for an Atomic Magnetometer
Authors: Lu Jixi , Wang Jing , Yang Ke , Zhao Junpeng , Quan Wei , Han Bangcheng , Ding Ming
Published: March 2020

Electrical heating elements, which are widely used to heat the vapor cell of ultrasensitive atomic magnetometers, inevitably produce a magnetic field interference. In this paper, we propose a novel measurement method of the amplitude of electrical-heating-induced magnetic field for an atomic magnetometer. In contrast to conventional methods, this method can be implemented in the atomic magnetometer itself without the need for extra magnetometers. It can distinguish between different sources of magnetic fields sensed by the atomic magnetometer, and measure the three-axis components of the magnetic field generated by the electrical heater and the temperature sensor. The experimental results demonstrate that the measurement uncertainty of the heater’s magnetic field is less than 0.2 nT along the x-axis, 1.0 nT along the y-axis, and 0.4 nT along the z-axis. The measurement uncertainty of the temperature sensor’s magnetic field is less than 0.02 nT along all three axes. This method has the advantage of measuring the in-situ magnetic field, so it is especially suitable for miniaturized and chip-scale atomic magnetometers, where the cell is extremely small and in close proximity to the heater and the temperature sensor.
A One-Stage Approach for Surface Anomaly Detection with Background Suppression Strategies
Authors: Liu Gaokai , Yang Ning , Guo Lei , Guo Shiping , Chen Zhi
Published: March 2020

We explore a one-stage method for surface anomaly detection in industrial scenarios. On one side, encoder-decoder segmentation network is constructed to capture small targets as much as possible, and then dual background suppression mechanisms are designed to reduce noise patterns in coarse and fine manners. On the other hand, a classification module without learning parameters is built to reduce information loss in small targets due to the inexistence of successive down-sampling processes. Experimental results demonstrate that our one-stage detector achieves state-of-the-art performance in terms of precision, recall and f-score.
Measurement Method for Height-Independent Vegetation Indices Based on an Active Light Source
Authors: Ding Yongqian , Jiang Yizhuo , Yu Hongfeng , Yang Chuanlei , Wu Xueni , Sun Guoxiang , Fu Xiuqing , Dou Xianglin
Published: March 2020

A coefficient CW, which was defined as the ratio of NIR (near infrared) to the red reflected spectral response of the spectrometer, with a standard whiteboard as the measuring object, was introduced to establish a method for calculating height-independent vegetation indices (VIs). Two criteria for designing the spectrometer based on an active light source were proposed to keep CW constant. A designed spectrometer, which was equipped with an active light source, adopting 730 and 810 nm as the central wavelength of detection wavebands, was used to test the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Ratio Vegetation Index (RVI) in wheat fields with two nitrogen application rate levels (NARLs). Twenty test points were selected in each kind of field. Five measuring heights (65, 75, 85, 95, and 105 cm) were set for each test point. The mean and standard deviation of the coefficient of variation (CV) for NDVI in each test point were 3.85% and 1.39% respectively, the corresponding results for RVI were 2.93% and 1.09%. ANOVA showed the measured VIs possessed a significant ability to discriminate the NARLs and had no obvious correlation with the measurement heights. The experimental results verified the feasibility and validity of the method for measuring height-independent VIs.
Sustainability of Livestock Farming in South Africa. Outlook on Production Constraints, Climate-Related Events, and Upshot on Adaptive Capacity
Authors: Oduniyi Oluwaseun Samuel , Rubhara Theresa Tendai , Antwi Michael Akwasi
Published: March 2020

The practice of pasture-based livestock farming systems in South Africa is susceptible to climate-related events, low production output, income fluctuation, and by extension poor adaptive capacity. Understanding the importance and gravity of sustainable livestock farming through adaptive capacity has been identified as a tool to cope in the face of the climate-related event which extends to production output. It is to this end, that the study explored the adaptive capacity and the socioeconomic determinants that influence this capacity used by the pasture-based livestock farmers in the study area. Random sampling technique was used to select a sample of 277 pasture-based livestock farmers in the study area from and their responses concerning on demography, farm-based characteristics, production constraints and adaptive capacity were used. Data were analyzed, in which the descriptive statistics, composite scores, and the extended ordered probit model were used to establish the results. The findings revealed the adaptive capacity score of low, moderate, and high to be 40.1%, 43.7%, and 16.2% respectively. Correspondingly, the model estimate revealed the significant factors that affect the adaptive capacity to include: the use of labor (p < 0.05), other sources of income (p < 0.05). Conversely, the age of the farmers (p < 0.05) and landowners (p < 0.01) was found significant but had a negative relationship to adaptive capacity. By implication, the study concluded that there is a need for fruitions of policies that support farmers’ socioeconomic behavior to engage more in adaptive capacity and to improve the Sustainable Development Goals of the united nation as well as vision 2030 of the National Development Plan.
Can Young Generations Recognize Marine Plastic Waste as a Systemic Issue?
Authors: Uehara Takuro
Published: March 2020

This study reports preliminary survey results exploring whether children can recognize marine plastic waste as a systemic issue, especially regarding stock–flow relationships and delays. A systemic understanding of this issue is key to reducing marine plastic waste and to avoid its irreversible effects. Reducing the inflow of waste does not necessarily reduce the waste accumulated in the ocean, unless its rate becomes smaller than the outflow (e.g., cleanup). Delays due to a wait-and-see policy will result in irreversible effects, such as animals swallowing plastic waste, and plastic waste becoming microplastics that are difficult to clean up. A questionnaire survey was conducted during workshops and poster sessions at an event for sustainability in Japan. Participants were children from fourth grade to high school (9–18 years old). Participants were shown to have a limited systematic understanding of marine plastic waste. The majority incorrectly adopted pattern matching (70.6%) and failed to draw correct inflow and outflow curves (94.1%). The majority (83.6%) did not point out delay issues. This study indicates a need to correct mental models to understand the issue by introducing system education.