bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Schneider Electric
Authors: Electric Schneider
Published: October 2017

Software SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) continuará a ser uma prioridade e um dos eixos de crescimento da Schneider Electric. [...] A Schneider Electric, especialista global em gestão de energia, irá discutir a sua estratégia SCADA para os próximos três anos. Beneficiando de uma posição de mercado favorável, a Schneider Electric pretende apostar cada vez mais num nicho de mercado especializado, que tem demonstrado um crescimento sólido e cada vez mais exigente na procura, por parte do consumidor final.
Efectividad del programa Reforma de Vida en los estilos de vida miembros de ci­rculos de salud de dos distritos de Arequipa
Authors: Delgado Olave Roxana Rebeca
Published: October 2017

Objetivo. Evaluar el efecto del Programa Reforma de Vida en los estilos de vida de miembros de los ci­rculos de salud de los distritos de Alto Selva Alegre (2500 m de altitud) y Cayma (2400 m de altitud) en Arequipa durante el año 2016. Materiales y Métodos. Estudio cuasi-experimental pre post de un solo grupo. Se seleccionaron 91 adultos mayores al ingreso a ci­rculos de salud de los distritos de Alto Selva Alegre y Cayma en Arequipa; quienes recibieron el programa Reforma de Vida por doce semanas por parte de un equipo multidisciplinario debidamente capacitado. Se midieron los estilos de vida antes y despues de la intervencion mediante el test FANTASTICO. Resultados. Inicialmente, 61,5% de los participantes fueron calificados con estilos de vida algo bajos. Despues de la intervencion, 69,2% de ellos mostraron tener estilos de vida fantasticos. Los cambios mas importantes se encontraron en las dimensiones Familia (61,5-71,4% de incremento en respuestas adecuadas); Introspeccion (44,0-83,5% de incremento en respuestas adecuadas), y Nutricion/Alimentacion (62,6-80,2% de incremento en respuestas adecuadas). Las diferencias entre los puntajes finales, y por dimensiones antes y después de la intervencion, fueron estadi­sticamente significativas (p<0,001). Conclusión. Se observa una mejora en los estilos de vida despues de la intervencion de Reforma de Vida, principalmente en las dimensiones de Familia, Introspeccion y Nutricion/Alimentacion en los adultos mayores miembros de los Circulos de Salud de los distritos de Alto Selva Alegre y Cayma en Arequipa, en el año 2016.
Screening and antimicrobial activity of actinomycetes isolated from the rhizosphere of Clitoria ternatea
Authors: Rao Vemavarapu Bhaskara , Prasad Kandlagunta Guru , Naragani Krishna , Muvva Vijayalakshmi
Published: October 2017

The air dried rhizosphere soil samples pretreated with calcium carbonate was employed for the isolation of actinomycete strains. Serial dilution plate technique was used for the isolation of actinomycetes. A total of 20 actinomycete strains designated as BS1-BS20 were isolated from the rhizosphere of medicinal plant Clitoria ternatea. All the 20 strains were subjected to primary screening for antimicrobial activity. Among the 20 strains screened, 10 strains exhibited high antimicrobial spectrum against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans.
Heat Shock Proteins and the Maintenance of Gut Barrier Following Burn Injury
Authors: Cannon Abigail R. , Javorski Michael J. , Choudhry Mashkoor A.
Published: October 2017

Traumatic injury, specifically burn injury, remains a prominent medical problem due to the prevalence of
secondary, burn-induced complications of sepsis and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. These complications
arise as a result of gut barrier breakdown following injury. As the gut harbors trillions of resident bacteria, any
compromise in barrier integrity would allow for bacteria or bacterial products to gain access to extraintestinal
sites potentiating systemic infections and inflammation associated with burn injury. Both experimental and
human data provide evidence linking heat shock proteins with gut barrier maintenance under various
pathological conditions. This article highlights the intestinal pathophysiologies associated with burn injury
while proposing a potential cytoprotective role of heat shock proteins of the intestine in the innate immune
response to injury.
On the land mammals of the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia, by John Henry Keen, with a catalogue of specimens
Authors: Sealy S. G.
Published: October 2017

From 1890 to 1899, the Reverend John Henry Keen collected plants and animals in the vicinity of the Anglican mission at Massett, on the north-central coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii), British Columbia, Canada. Keen's prodigious collecting efforts resulted in the first detailed information on the natural history of that region, particularly of the beetle fauna. Keen also observed and collected mammals, depositing specimens in museums in Canada, England and the United States, for which a catalogue is given. Several mammal specimens provided the basis for new distributional records and nine new taxa, two of which were named for Keen. In 1897, Keen prepared an annotated list of ten taxa of land mammals of the Queen Charlotte Islands, including the first observations of natural history for some of the species. Particularly important were the insightful questions Keen raised about the evolution of mammals isolated on the Islands, especially why certain species, abundant on the mainland, were absent.
Using John Nidd's annotated books in the Wren Library to reassess his contribution to John Ray's Catalogus (1660)
Authors: Preston C. D.
Published: October 2017

In his Catalogus plantarum circa Cantabrigiam nascentium (1660), John Ray acknowledged the help of his senior colleague at Trinity College, John Nidd, to whom he said the reader was chiefly indebted for the observations included in the work. Many of Nidd's surviving books in the Wren Library, Trinity College, Cambridge, have a characteristic suite of marginal annotations. Comparison of the observations in the Catalogus with Nidd's annotations in his copies of Bennet's Tabidorum theatrum (1656), Hofmann's De medicamentis officinalibus (1646) and Lauremberg's Apparatus plantarius primus (1632) and Horticultura (1631) show that most of the passages cited by Ray are amongst those marked by Nidd. By contrast, Nidd's copy of Charleton's Spiritus gorgonicus, vi sua saxipara exutus (1650), a book cited once by Ray, is not annotated. This evidence is consistent with Ray's account of Nidd's involvement in the Catalogus and does not support the view of Charles Raven, Ray's biographer, who sought to minimize Nidd's role. Annotations in a copy of Camerarius's Hortus medicus et philosophicus (1588) from the library of James Duport, another of Ray's Trinity colleagues, also correspond to passages cited by Ray and may have been made by Duport himself, suggesting that he too may have been involved in compiling the observations in the Catalogus.
Jan Vilém Helfer's (1810–1840) collections from India, the Andaman Archipelago and Burma
Authors: Wolcott K. A. , Renner S. S.
Published: October 2017

Between 1836 and 1840, Jan Vilém Helfer collected thousands of insects, birds and plants in Burma, the Andaman Islands and the Mergui Archipelago, with many first records from these regions. His botanical specimens are preserved in Prague, Kew, Calcutta and many other herbaria. Yet no account has been published of his itinerary, and the volume of his collections has not previously been appreciated. We bring together the available data on Helfer, reconstruct his itinerary and the two routes by which his plants were distributed, and explain the different numbering systems used on the labels of Helfer's duplicates. Based on what his widow transferred to the Czech National Museum in Prague, Helfer collected almost 48,000 beetles, 609 bird skins, 14 mammal skins, 508 Lepidoptera, and 6,086 herbarium specimens or collections. His diaries and his wife's account of their travels have allowed us to reconstruct his itinerary, and we have generated new labels for 305 collections, most of which have two or three duplicates. Helfer's Burmese and Andaman herbarium contains some of the first records of economically important plants in which he was particularly interested.
Morpholine-Modified Pd/γ-Al2O3@ASMA Pellet Catalyst with Excellent Catalytic Selectivity in the Hydrogenation of p-Chloronitrobenzene to p-Chloroaniline
Authors: Wang Wei , Xu Wenlong , Thapa Kedar , Yang Xiaorui , Liang Jinhua , Zhu Liyan , Zhu Jianliang
Published: October 2017

An amino poly (styrene-co-maleic anhydride) polymer (ASMA) encapsulated γ-Al2O3 pellet material has been synthesized successfully. After loading with Pd species and modified with morpholine, the inorganic-organic hybrid material shows an excellent catalytic property in the selective hydrogenation of p-chloronitrobenzene (p-CNB) to p-chloroaniline (p-CAN). In this procedure, morpholine can connect with the polymer layer in a form of amide bond and acts as an unparalleled immobilized dechlorination inhibitor, which can avoid further dechlorination efficiently and keeps stability due to the repulsive effect from the surviving C-O-C bond. The catalyst as prepared was characterized by using XRD, TGA, SEM, TEM, FT-IR, and ICP-OES, and it was further tested in the selective hydrogenation of p-CNB. It shows a supreme catalytic activity (almost 100%) and selectivity (up to 99.51%) after recycling for even 10 times, much superior to the blank alumina supported palladium (47.09%).
The Effect of Ultrasound on the Crystallisation of Paracetamol in the Presence of Structurally Similar Impurities
Authors: Nguyen Thai , Khan Azeem , Bruce Layla , Forbes Clarissa , O’Leary Richard , Price Chris
Published: October 2017

Sono-crystallisation has been used to enhance crystalline product quality particularly in terms of purity, particle size and size distribution. In this work, the effect of impurities and ultrasound on crystallisation processes (nucleation temperature, yield) and crystal properties (crystal size distribution determined by Focused Beam Reflectance Measurement (FBRM), crystal habit, filtration rate and impurity content in the crystal product by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (LC-MS)) were investigated in bulk suspension crystallisation experiments with and without the use of ultrasound. The results demonstrate that ultrasonic intervention has a significant effect on both crystallisation and product crystal properties. It increases the nucleation rate resulting in smaller particles and a narrower Particle Size Distribution (PSD), the yield has been shown to be increase as has the product purity. The effect of ultrasound is to reduce the level acetanilide impurity incorporated during growth from a 2 mol% solution of the selected impurity from 0.85 mol% to 0.35 mol% and likewise ultrasound reduces the uptake of metacetamol from 1.88 mol% to 1.52 mol%.
Life Cycle Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Analysis of Natural Gas-Based Distributed Generation Projects in China
Authors: Liu Hansi , Zhou Sheng , Peng Tianduo , Ou Xunmin
Published: October 2017

In this paper, we used the life-cycle analysis (LCA) method to evaluate the energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of natural gas (NG) distributed generation (DG) projects in China. We took the China Resources Snow Breweries (CRSB) NG DG project in Sichuan province of China as a base scenario and compared its life cycle energy consumption and GHG emissions performance against five further scenarios. We found the CRSB DG project (all energy input is NG) can reduce GHG emissions by 22%, but increase energy consumption by 12% relative to the scenario, using coal combined with grid electricity as an energy input. The LCA also indicated that the CRSB project can save 24% of energy and reduce GHG emissions by 48% relative to the all-coal scenario. The studied NG-based DG project presents major GHG emissions reduction advantages over the traditional centralized energy system. Moreover, this reduction of energy consumption and GHG emissions can be expanded if the extra electricity from the DG project can be supplied to the public grid. The action of combining renewable energy into the NG DG system can also strengthen the dual merit of energy conservation and GHG emissions reduction. The marginal CO2 abatement cost of the studied project is about 51 USD/ton CO2 equivalent, which is relatively low. Policymakers are recommended to support NG DG technology development and application in China and globally to boost NG utilization and control GHG emissions.
Determining Coalbed Methane Production and Composition from Individual Stacked Coal Seams in a Multi-Zone Completed Gas Well
Authors: Ripepi Nino , Louk Kyle , Amante Joseph , Schlosser Charlies , Tang Xu , Gilliland Ellen
Published: October 2017

This work proposes a novel and cost-effective approach to determine coalbed methane (CBM) production and composition from individual coal seams in a multi-zone completed CBM well. The novel method uses water to cover individual coal seams in a low pressure CBM well followed by an Echometer fluid level survey to determine the water level. Corresponding gas flow measurements and natural gas chromatography analysis are used to determine gas production and composition from unique zones. A field test using this technology is conducted in Central Appalachia for a multi-zone CBM well containing 18 coal seams. Test results show that the shallow coal seams contribute the majority of the total CBM production in this multi-zone well, and the deeper coal seams contain more heavy hydrocarbons like ethane and propane.
Access Control with Delegated Authorization Policy Evaluation for Data-Driven Microservice Workflows
Authors: Preuveneers Davy , Joosen Wouter
Published: October 2017

Microservices offer a compelling competitive advantage for building data flow systems as a choreography of self-contained data endpoints that each implement a specific data processing functionality. Such a ‘single responsibility principle’ design makes them well suited for constructing scalable and flexible data integration and real-time data flow applications. In this paper, we investigate microservice based data processing workflows from a security point of view, i.e., (1) how to constrain data processing workflows with respect to dynamic authorization policies granting or denying access to certain microservice results depending on the flow of the data; (2) how to let multiple microservices contribute to a collective data-driven authorization decision and (3) how to put adequate measures in place such that the data within each individual microservice is protected against illegitimate access from unauthorized users or other microservices. Due to this multifold objective, enforcing access control on the data endpoints to prevent information leakage or preserve one’s privacy becomes far more challenging, as authorization policies can have dependencies and decision outcomes cross-cutting data in multiple microservices. To address this challenge, we present and evaluate a workflow-oriented authorization framework that enforces authorization policies in a decentralized manner and where the delegated policy evaluation leverages feature toggles that are managed at runtime by software circuit breakers to secure the distributed data processing workflows. The benefit of our solution is that, on the one hand, authorization policies restrict access to the data endpoints of the microservices, and on the other hand, microservices can safely rely on other data endpoints to collectively evaluate cross-cutting access control decisions without having to rely on a shared storage backend holding all the necessary information for the policy evaluation.
Comparative Genomics of Non-TNL Disease Resistance Genes from Six Plant Species
Authors: Nepal Madhav , Andersen Ethan , Neupane Surendra , Benson Benjamin
Published: October 2017

Disease resistance genes (R genes), as part of the plant defense system, have coevolved with corresponding pathogen molecules. The main objectives of this project were to identify non-Toll interleukin receptor, nucleotide-binding site, leucine-rich repeat (nTNL) genes and elucidate their evolutionary divergence across six plant genomes. Using reference sequences from Arabidopsis, we investigated nTNL orthologs in the genomes of common bean, Medicago, soybean, poplar, and rice. We used Hidden Markov Models for sequence identification, performed model-based phylogenetic analyses, visualized chromosomal positioning, inferred gene clustering, and assessed gene expression profiles. We analyzed 908 nTNL R genes in the genomes of the six plant species, and classified them into 12 subgroups based on the presence of coiled-coil (CC), nucleotide binding site (NBS), leucine rich repeat (LRR), resistance to Powdery mildew 8 (RPW8), and BED type zinc finger domains. Traditionally classified CC-NBS-LRR (CNL) genes were nested into four clades (CNL A-D) often with abundant, well-supported homogeneous subclades of Type-II R genes. CNL-D members were absent in rice, indicating a unique R gene retention pattern in the rice genome. Genomes from Arabidopsis, common bean, poplar and soybean had one chromosome without any CNL R genes. Medicago and Arabidopsis had the highest and lowest number of gene clusters, respectively. Gene expression analyses suggested unique patterns of expression for each of the CNL clades. Differential gene expression patterns of the nTNL genes were often found to correlate with number of introns and GC content, suggesting structural and functional divergence.
Identification of Linkages between EDCs in Personal Care Products and Breast Cancer through Data Integration Combined with Gene Network Analysis
Authors: Jeong Hyeri , Kim Jongwoon , Kim Youngjun
Published: October 2017

Approximately 1000 chemicals have been reported to possibly have endocrine disrupting effects, some of which are used in consumer products, such as personal care products (PCPs) and cosmetics. We conducted data integration combined with gene network analysis to: (i) identify causal molecular mechanisms between endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) used in PCPs and breast cancer; and (ii) screen candidate EDCs associated with breast cancer. Among EDCs used in PCPs, four EDCs having correlation with breast cancer were selected, and we curated 27 common interacting genes between those EDCs and breast cancer to perform the gene network analysis. Based on the gene network analysis, ESR1, TP53, NCOA1, AKT1, and BCL6 were found to be key genes to demonstrate the molecular mechanisms of EDCs in the development of breast cancer. Using GeneMANIA, we additionally predicted 20 genes which could interact with the 27 common genes. In total, 47 genes combining the common and predicted genes were functionally grouped with the gene ontology and KEGG pathway terms. With those genes, we finally screened candidate EDCs for their potential to increase breast cancer risk. This study highlights that our approach can provide insights to understand mechanisms of breast cancer and identify potential EDCs which are in association with breast cancer.
Biofilm Formation by Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Is Favored under Oxygen Conditions That Mimic the Bladder Environment
Authors: Eberly Allison , Floyd Kyle , Beebout Connor , Colling Spencer , Fitzgerald Madison , Stratton Charles , Schmitz Jonathan , Hadjifrangiskou Maria
Published: October 2017

One of the most common urologic problems afflicting millions of people worldwide is urinary tract infection (UTI). The severity of UTIs ranges from asymptomatic bacteriuria to acute cystitis, and in severe cases, pyelonephritis and urosepsis. The primary cause of UTIs is uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), for which current antibiotic therapies often fail. UPEC forms multicellular communities known as biofilms on urinary catheters, as well as on and within bladder epithelial cells. Biofilm formation protects UPEC from environmental conditions, antimicrobial therapy, and the host immune system. Previous studies have investigated UPEC biofilm formation in aerobic conditions (21% oxygen); however, urine oxygen tension is reduced (4–6%), and urine contains molecules that can be used by UPEC as alternative terminal electron acceptors (ATEAs) for respiration. This study was designed to determine whether these different terminal electron acceptors utilized by E. coli influence biofilm formation. A panel of 50 urine-associated E. coli isolates was tested for the ability to form biofilm under anaerobic conditions and in the presence of ATEAs. Biofilm production was reduced under all tested sub-atmospheric levels of oxygen, with the notable exception of 4% oxygen, the reported concentration of oxygen within the bladder.
MicroRNA-34a: A Versatile Regulator of Myriads of Targets in Different Cancers
Authors: Farooqi Ammad , Tabassum Sobia , Ahmad Aamir
Published: October 2017

MicroRNA-34a (miR-34a) is a tumor suppressor that has attracted considerable attention in recent years. It modulates cancer cell invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance, and has also been evaluated as a diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarker. A number of targets of miR-34a have been identified, including some other non-coding RNAs, and it is believed that the modulation of these myriads of targets underlines the versatile role of miR-34a in cancer progression and pathogenesis. Seemingly appealing results from preclinical studies have advocated the testing of miR-34a in clinical trials. However, the results obtained are not very encouraging and there is a need to re-interpret how miR-34a behaves in a context dependent manner in different cancers. In this review, we have attempted to summarize the most recent evidence related to the regulation of different genes and non-coding RNAs by miR-34a and the advances in the field of nanotechnology for the targeted delivery of miR-34a-based therapeutics and mimics. With the emergence of data that contradicts miR-34a’s tumor suppressive function, it is important to understand miR-34a’s precise functioning, with the aim to establish its role in personalized medicine and to apply this knowledge for the identification of individual patients that are likely to benefit from miR-34a-based therapy.
Metabolite Profiling of Triterpene Glycosides of the Far Eastern Sea Cucumber Eupentacta fraudatrix and Their Distribution in Various Body Components Using LC-ESI QTOF-MS
Authors: Popov Roman , Ivanchina Natalia , Silchenko Alexandra , Avilov Sergey , Kalinin Vladimir , Dolmatov Igor , Stonik Valentin , Dmitrenok Pavel
Published: October 2017

The Far Eastern sea cucumber Eupentacta fraudatrix is an inhabitant of shallow waters of the south part of the Sea of Japan. This animal is an interesting and rich source of triterpene glycosides with unique chemical structures and various biological activities. The objective of this study was to investigate composition and distribution in various body components of triterpene glycosides of the sea cucumber E. fraudatrix. We applied LC-ESI MS (liquid chromatography–electrospray mass spectrometry) of whole body extract and extracts of various body components for metabolic profiling and structure elucidation of triterpene glycosides from the E. fraudatrix. Totally, 54 compounds, including 26 sulfated, 18 non-sulfated and 10 disulfated glycosides were detected and described. Triterpene glycosides from the body walls, gonads, aquapharyngeal bulbs, guts and respiratory trees were extracted separately and the distributions of the detected compounds in various body components were analyzed. Series of new glycosides with unusual structural features were described in E. fraudatrix, which allow clarifying the biosynthesis of these compounds. Comparison of the triterpene glycosides contents from the five different body components revealed that the profiles of triterpene glycosides were qualitatively similar, and only some quantitative variabilities for minor compounds were observed.
The Prospects of Zinc as a Structural Material for Biodegradable Implants—A Review Paper
Authors: Katarivas Levy Galit , Goldman Jeremy , Aghion Eli
Published: October 2017

In the last decade, iron and magnesium, both pure and alloyed, have been extensively studied as potential biodegradable metals for medical applications. However, broad experience with these material systems has uncovered critical limitations in terms of their suitability for clinical applications. Recently, zinc and zinc-based alloys have been proposed as new additions to the list of degradable metals and as promising alternatives to magnesium and iron. The main byproduct of zinc metal corrosion, Zn2+, is highly regulated within physiological systems and plays a critical role in numerous fundamental cellular processes. Zn2+ released from an implant may suppress harmful smooth muscle cells and restenosis in arteries, while stimulating beneficial osteogenesis in bone. An important limitation of pure zinc as a potential biodegradable structural support, however, lies in its low strength (σUTS ~ 30 MPa) and plasticity (ε < 0.25%) that are insufficient for most medical device applications. Developing high strength and ductility zinc with sufficient hardness, while retaining its biocompatibility, is one of the main goals of metallurgical engineering. This paper will review and compare the biocompatibility, corrosion behavior and mechanical properties of pure zinc, as well as currently researched zinc alloys.
Laser Shock Processing on Metal
Authors: Peyre Patrice
Published: October 2017

Since its invention in the late 1960s, and the pioneering work on metal strengthening in USA during the late 1970s, laser shock processing (LSP) has become a reliable surface treatment for improving the mechanical or corrosion resistance of metallic materials.[...]
Micro/Nano Manufacturing
Authors: Tosello Guido
Published: October 2017

Micro- and nano-scale manufacturing has been the subject of an increasing amount of interest and research effort worldwide in both academia and industry over the past 10 years.[...]
Creating Active Device Materials for Nanoelectronics Using Block Copolymer Lithography
Authors: Cummins Cian , Bell Alan , Morris Michael
Published: October 2017

The prolonged and aggressive nature of scaling to augment the performance of silicon integrated circuits (ICs) and the technical challenges and costs associated with this has led to the study of alternative materials that can use processing schemes analogous to semiconductor manufacturing. We examine the status of recent efforts to develop active device elements using nontraditional lithography in this article, with a specific focus on block copolymer (BCP) feature patterning. An elegant route is demonstrated using directed self-assembly (DSA) of BCPs for the fabrication of aligned tungsten trioxide (WO3) nanowires towards nanoelectronic device application. The strategy described avoids conventional lithography practices such as optical patterning as well as repeated etching and deposition protocols and opens up a new approach for device development. Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) silsesquioxane (SSQ)-based trenches were utilized in order to align a cylinder forming poly(styrene)-block-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP) BCP soft template. We outline WO3 nanowire fabrication using a spin-on process and the symmetric current-voltage characteristics of the resulting Ti/Au (5 nm/45 nm) contacted WO3 nanowires. The results highlight the simplicity of a solution-based approach that allows creating active device elements and controlling the chemistry of specific self-assembling building blocks. The process enables one to dictate nanoscale chemistry with an unprecedented level of sophistication, forging the way for next-generation nanoelectronic devices. We lastly outline views and future research studies towards improving the current platform to achieve the desired device performance.
An Energy Scaled and Expanded Vector-Based Forwarding Scheme for Industrial Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks with Sink Mobility
Authors: Wadud Zahid , Hussain Sajjad , Javaid Nadeem , Bouk Safdar , Alrajeh Nabil , Alabed Mohamad , Guizani Nadra
Published: October 2017

Industrial Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks (IUASNs) come with intrinsic challenges like long propagation delay, small bandwidth, large energy consumption, three-dimensional deployment, and high deployment and battery replacement cost. Any routing strategy proposed for IUASN must take into account these constraints. The vector based forwarding schemes in literature forward data packets to sink using holding time and location information of the sender, forwarder, and sink nodes. Holding time suppresses data broadcasts; however, it fails to keep energy and delay fairness in the network. To achieve this, we propose an Energy Scaled and Expanded Vector-Based Forwarding (ESEVBF) scheme. ESEVBF uses the residual energy of the node to scale and vector pipeline distance ratio to expand the holding time. Resulting scaled and expanded holding time of all forwarding nodes has a significant difference to avoid multiple forwarding, which reduces energy consumption and energy balancing in the network. If a node has a minimum holding time among its neighbors, it shrinks the holding time and quickly forwards the data packets upstream. The performance of ESEVBF is analyzed through in network scenario with and without node mobility to ensure its effectiveness. Simulation results show that ESEVBF has low energy consumption, reduces forwarded data copies, and less end-to-end delay.
Hyperspectral Imaging Analysis for the Classification of Soil Types and the Determination of Soil Total Nitrogen
Authors: Jia Shengyao , Li Hongyang , Wang Yanjie , Tong Renyuan , Li Qing
Published: October 2017

Soil is an important environment for crop growth. Quick and accurately access to soil nutrient content information is a prerequisite for scientific fertilization. In this work, hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology was applied for the classification of soil types and the measurement of soil total nitrogen (TN) content. A total of 183 soil samples collected from Shangyu City (People’s Republic of China), were scanned by a near-infrared hyperspectral imaging system with a wavelength range of 874–1734 nm. The soil samples belonged to three major soil types typical of this area, including paddy soil, red soil and seashore saline soil. The successive projections algorithm (SPA) method was utilized to select effective wavelengths from the full spectrum. Pattern texture features (energy, contrast, homogeneity and entropy) were extracted from the gray-scale images at the effective wavelengths. The support vector machines (SVM) and partial least squares regression (PLSR) methods were used to establish classification and prediction models, respectively. The results showed that by using the combined data sets of effective wavelengths and texture features for modelling an optimal correct classification rate of 91.8%. could be achieved. The soil samples were first classified, then the local models were established for soil TN according to soil types, which achieved better prediction results than the general models. The overall results indicated that hyperspectral imaging technology could be used for soil type classification and soil TN determination, and data fusion combining spectral and image texture information showed advantages for the classification of soil types.
An Algorithm Based Wavelet Entropy for Shadowing Effect of Human Detection Using Ultra-Wideband Bio-Radar
Authors: Xue Huijun , Liu Miao , Zhang Yang , Liang Fulai , Qi Fugui , Chen Fuming , Lv Hao , Wang Jianqi , Zhang Yang
Published: October 2017

Ultra-wide band (UWB) radar for short-range human target detection is widely used to find and locate survivors in some rescue missions after a disaster. The results of the application of bistatic UWB radar for detecting multi-stationary human targets have shown that human targets close to the radar antennas are very often visible, while those farther from radar antennas are detected with less reliability. In this paper, on account of the significant difference of frequency content between the echo signal of the human target and that of noise in the shadowing region, an algorithm based on wavelet entropy is proposed to detect multiple targets. Our findings indicate that the entropy value of human targets was much lower than that of noise. Compared with the method of adaptive filtering and the energy spectrum, wavelet entropy can accurately detect the person farther from the radar antennas, and it can be employed as a useful tool in detecting multiple targets by bistatic UWB radar.
Classification of Fusarium-Infected Korean Hulled Barley Using Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy and Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis
Authors: Lim Jongguk , Kim Giyoung , Mo Changyeun , Oh Kyoungmin , Yoo Hyeonchae , Ham Hyeonheui , Kim Moon S.
Published: October 2017

The purpose of this study is to use near-infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy equipment to nondestructively and rapidly discriminate Fusarium-infected hulled barley. Both normal hulled barley and Fusarium-infected hulled barley were scanned by using a NIR spectrometer with a wavelength range of 1175 to 2170 nm. Multiple mathematical pretreatments were applied to the reflectance spectra obtained for Fusarium discrimination and the multivariate analysis method of partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was used for discriminant prediction. The PLS-DA prediction model developed by applying the second-order derivative pretreatment to the reflectance spectra obtained from the side of hulled barley without crease achieved 100% accuracy in discriminating the normal hulled barley and the Fusarium-infected hulled barley. These results demonstrated the feasibility of rapid discrimination of the Fusarium-infected hulled barley by combining multivariate analysis with the NIR spectroscopic technique, which is utilized as a nondestructive detection method.
A Method for Automatic Surface Inspection Using a Model-Based 3D Descriptor
Authors: Madrigal Carlos , Branch John , Restrepo Alejandro , Mery Domingo
Published: October 2017

Automatic visual inspection allows for the identification of surface defects in manufactured parts. Nevertheless, when defects are on a sub-millimeter scale, detection and recognition are a challenge. This is particularly true when the defect generates topological deformations that are not shown with strong contrast in the 2D image. In this paper, we present a method for recognizing surface defects in 3D point clouds. Firstly, we propose a novel 3D local descriptor called the Model Point Feature Histogram (MPFH) for defect detection. Our descriptor is inspired from earlier descriptors such as the Point Feature Histogram (PFH). To construct the MPFH descriptor, the models that best fit the local surface and their normal vectors are estimated. For each surface model, its contribution weight to the formation of the surface region is calculated and from the relative difference between models of the same region a histogram is generated representing the underlying surface changes. Secondly, through a classification stage, the points on the surface are labeled according to five types of primitives and the defect is detected. Thirdly, the connected components of primitives are projected to a plane, forming a 2D image. Finally, 2D geometrical features are extracted and by a support vector machine, the defects are recognized. The database used is composed of 3D simulated surfaces and 3D reconstructions of defects in welding, artificial teeth, indentations in materials, ceramics and 3D models of defects. The quantitative and qualitative results showed that the proposed method of description is robust to noise and the scale factor, and it is sufficiently discriminative for detecting some surface defects. The performance evaluation of the proposed method was performed for a classification task of the 3D point cloud in primitives, reporting an accuracy of 95%, which is higher than for other state-of-art descriptors. The rate of recognition of defects was close to 94%.
Volatility Spillovers and Causality of Carbon Emissions, Oil and Coal Spot and Futures for the EU and USA
Authors: Chang Chia-Lin , McAleer Michael , Zuo Guangdong
Published: October 2017

Recent research shows that the efforts to limit climate change should focus on reducing the emissions of carbon dioxide over other greenhouse gases or air pollutants. Many countries are paying substantial attention to carbon emissions to improve air quality and public health. The largest source of carbon emissions from human activities in some countries in Europe and elsewhere is from burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and transportation. The prices of fuel and carbon emissions can influence each other. Owing to the importance of carbon emissions and their connection to fossil fuels, and the possibility of [1] Granger (1980) causality in spot and futures prices, returns, and volatility of carbon emissions, crude oil and coal have recently become very important research topics. For the USA, daily spot and futures prices are available for crude oil and coal, but there are no daily futures prices for carbon emissions. For the European Union (EU), there are no daily spot prices for coal or carbon emissions, but there are daily futures prices for crude oil, coal and carbon emissions. For this reason, daily prices will be used to analyse Granger causality and volatility spillovers in spot and futures prices of carbon emissions, crude oil, and coal. As the estimators are based on quasi-maximum likelihood estimators (QMLE) under the incorrect assumption of a normal distribution, we modify the likelihood ratio (LR) test to a quasi-likelihood ratio test (QLR) to test the multivariate conditional volatility Diagonal BEKK model, which estimates and tests volatility spillovers, and has valid regularity conditions and asymptotic properties, against the alternative Full BEKK model, which also estimates volatility spillovers, but has valid regularity conditions and asymptotic properties only under the null hypothesis of zero off-diagonal elements. Dynamic hedging strategies by using optimal hedge ratios are suggested to analyse market fluctuations in the spot and futures returns and volatility of carbon emissions, crude oil, and coal prices.
Reliability Improved Cooperative Communication over Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Chen Zhuangbin , Ma Ming , Liu Xiao , Liu Anfeng , Zhao Ming
Published: October 2017

With the development of smart devices and connection technologies, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are becoming increasingly intelligent. New or special functions can be obtained by receiving new versions of program codes to upgrade their software systems, forming the so-called smart Internet of Things (IoT). Due to the lossy property of wireless channels, data collection in WSNs still suffers from a long delay, high energy consumption, and many retransmissions. Thanks to wireless software-defined networks (WSDNs), software in sensors can now be updated to help them transmit data cooperatively, thereby achieving more reliable communication. In this paper, a Reliability Improved Cooperative Communication (RICC) data collection scheme is proposed to improve the reliability of random-network-coding-based cooperative communications in multi-hop relay WSNs without reducing the network lifetime. In WSNs, sensors in different positions can have different numbers of packets to handle, resulting in the unbalanced energy consumption of the network. In particular, nodes in non-hotspot areas have up to 90% of their original energy remaining when the network dies. To efficiently use the residual energy, in RICC, high data transmission power is adopted in non-hotspot areas to achieve a higher reliability at the cost of large energy consumption, and relatively low transmission power is adopted in hotspot areas to maintain the long network lifetime. Therefore, high reliability and a long network lifetime can be obtained simultaneously. The simulation results show that compared with other scheme, RICC can reduce the end-to-end Message Fail delivering Ratio (MFR) by 59.4%–62.8% under the same lifetime with a more balanced energy utilization.
The Development of Key Technologies in Applications of Vessels Connected to the Internet
Authors: Tian Zhe , Liu Fushun , Li Zhixiong , Malekian Reza , Xie Yingchun
Published: October 2017

With the development of science and technology, traffic perception, communication, information processing, artificial intelligence and the shipping information system have become important in supporting the realization of intelligent shipping transportation. Against this background, the Internet of Vessels (IoV) is proposed to integrate all these advanced technologies into a platform to meet the requirements of international and regional transportations. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how to benefit from the Internet of Vessels to improve the efficiency and safety of shipping, and promote the development of world transportation. In this paper, the IoV is introduced and its main architectures are outlined. Furthermore, the characteristics of the Internet of Vessels are described. Several important applications that illustrate the interaction of the Internet of Vessels’ components are proposed. Due to the development of the Internet of Vessels still being in its primary stage, challenges and prospects are identified and addressed. Finally, the main conclusions are drawn and future research priorities are provided for reference and as professional suggestions for future researchers in this field.
Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) Study about Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) among Population in Saudi Arabia
Authors: ALdowyan Nouf , Abdallah Amira Saber , El-Gharabawy Rehab
Published: October 2017

Objectives: Middle East respiratory syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is an epidemic in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to measure the level of knowledge, attitude and practice about Coronavirus, to correlate the sociodemographic characteristics to the level of knowledge, attitude and practice about Coronavirus, and to explore awareness and health behaviors related to the prevention of Coronavirus.

Method: A national adaptive cross-sectional survey conducted on 714 Saudi Arabian population aged from twenty to above sixty years old in period from March to April 2017. A standardized, confidential, Internet questionnaire used for a large randomly selected population in all regions of Saudi Arabia.

Results: Out of 714 participants, women demonstrated a greater level of knowledge of MERS-CoV risk and prevention than men. Social media was the main source for providing information about MERS-CoV with (9.7%) excellent, (72.4%) fair and (17.9%) poor knowledge. Most participants had a good attitude toward privation of camel’s milk and meat if they are source of transmission of MERS-CoV. However, females had better attitude toward the privation of camel’s milk and meat (81.6%, p ≤ 0.001) than males (66.7%). Regarding safety precautions, the data suggested that males were significantly less than females in taking safety precautions and prevention by 0.563 time (OR: 0.563 (0.341-0.94), p≤ 0.05).

Conclusion: Generally, participants have a high level of knowledge, positive attitude, and prevention practice toward MERS-CoV. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in knowledge level in different regions in Saudi Arabia. The females have better attitude toward MERS-CoV than males. The present study highlights the need to create wide-spread awareness about MERS-CoV infection among individuals who do not have access to the internet and social media through posters, television, and dissemination of information by healthcare professionals.
Growth of Hematite Nanostructures in Iron Foil for Environmental Cleaning
Authors: Canaria Michelle Lenair , Ramos Jackie Lou , Sayson Charles Morgan , Balela Mary Donnabelle L.
Published: October 2017

Hematite (Fe2O3) nanostructures were successfully grown on the surface of iron foil by simple thermal oxidation in air. The iron foil was heated at 300 – 700 °C for 8 h to produce Fe2O3 nanosheets and nanowires. The oxide layer is primarily composed of Fe2O3 with a small amount of magnetite (Fe3O4) and wustite (FeO). The photocatalytic activity of the Fe2O3 nanowires was investigated by degradation of methyl orange dye under 30 W UV light in the presence of a minute amount of hydrogen peroxide. The Fe2O3 nanowires exhibit excellent photocatalytic activity, wherein 2.5 ppm of the methyl orange was fully decomposed in 30 min.
Effect of Rolling Temperature on the Properties of Titanium Clad Steel Plate Using DT4 Interlayer
Authors: Yu Chao , Xiao Hong , Li Na , Qi Zi Chen , Ren Zhong Kai
Published: October 2017

In this paper, a TA2/Q235B composite plate was bonded with a DT4 interlayer by hot-rolling in a vacuum. The resulting interfacial structure and mechanical properties were analyzed. The results show that when the reduction is 25%, the rolling speed is 50 mm/s, and the bonding temperature is between 750 and 850°C, the shear strength of the bonding interface increases with temperature. It is difficult to bond TA2 and DT4 at a bonding temperature of 700°C. Brittle compounds, i.e., TiC, FeTi and Fe2Ti, are formed at the interface when the bonding temperature is 950°C, and the bonding strength significantly decreases. When the bonding temperature is 850°C, the shear strength of the interface reaches a maximum of approximately 237.6 MPa, and the fracture surface presents ductile fracture characteristics.
Structural Properties of Mg2(Si,Ge,Sn)-Based Thermoelectric Materials Prepared by Induction Melting Method
Authors: Shubin Alexandr , Karpenkov Dmitriy , Stepashkin Andrey , Arkhipov Dmitriy , Taskaev Sergey , Takagi Toshiyuki , Khovaylo Vladimir
Published: October 2017

We report on preparation of Mg2(Si,Ge,Sn)-based thermoelectric materials by a direct induction melting method in Al2O3 crucible. A 40 g ingot of Mg2Si0.8Sn0.1Ge0.1 was prepared after addition to the batch 10 wt% of Mg excess. Evolution of crystal structure of the induction melted sample upon annealing and spark plasma sintering (SPS) was tracked by room-temperature X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods. An evidence for the formation of Mg2(Si,Ge,Sn) solid solution was obtained from the crystal lattice parameter of this phase which was found to be larger than that of undoped Mg2Si. XRD and SEM indicated that alongside with the main phase of the Mg2(Si,Ge,Sn) solid solution, an impurity phase of Mg2Sn exists in the sample. Amount of the Mg2Sn impurity phase is significantly reduced in spark plasma sintered sample.
Developing of Mechanical Properties for Reinforcing Bar Steel through Heat Treating with Various Cooling Media
Authors: Yunan Hasbi Muhammad , Budiman Muhammad , Adjiantoro Bintang
Published: October 2017

In this study, mechanical properties development of reinforcing bar steel (rebar) has examined through heat treatment process. This rebar was made from low carbon lateritic steel with the small amount of alloying elements Cr,Mn and Ni. There were 4 rebar steel samples that consisted of rebar steel was applied hot rolled at 1200 °C at the beginning process in factory (sample A) and three others were conducted by quenching (sample B, C and D). The various of cooling media such as water (sample B), oil (sample C) and air (sample D) have applied to obtain different microstructure behavior and also mechanical properties. Initial heating was conducted to B,C and D rebar specimens at the austenitizing temperature (950 °C) for 1 h and followed by quenching. The experimental results showed that water quench exhibited of higher hardness level (50,26 HRC) for rebar steel but decreasing in toughness (34 Joule) and elongation (4%) than as cast because of martensite phase formed. Sample C showed that martensite and the small amount of retained austenite with hardness and tensile strength below the sample B, but elongation and energy absorbed were above. The lowest of hardness and tensile strength were obtained from sample D. It was appropriate with microstructuree formed as follows ferrite-pearlite phase and widmanstatten-bainite cluster. Nevertheless, sample D is suitable treatment for tensile strength and elongation requirements rebar standard, there are 558 Mpa and 26% respectively (min. 440 MPa and 20%).