bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of iGrow: A Curriculum for Youth/Adult Dyads to Increase Gardening Skills, Culinary Competence, and Family Meal Time for Youths and Their Adult Caregivers
Authors: White Jade A. , Hagedorn Rebecca L. , Waterland Nicole L. , Barr Makenzie L. , Famodu Oluremi A. , Root Amy E. , White Adrienne A. , Colby Sarah E. , Franzen-Castle Lisa , Kattelmann Kendra K. , Olfert Melissa D.
Published: July 2018

This manuscript describes the development of a “learn by actively participating” curriculum for youth and their adult caregivers (dyad pair) to increase gardening skills, culinary competence, and family meal time. The curriculum was developed by integrating “iCook 4-H” and Junior Masters Gardener “Health and Nutrition from the Garden”, and “Essential Elements of 4-H Youth Development” curriculums with additional resources for gardening activities from the USDA’s My Plate and garden-based recipes. Expert reviewers (n = 11) provided feedback on the curriculum content, session structure, dosage, age appropriateness, and balance of the three focused areas. Seven family dyads (n = 14) participated in focus groups about understanding of need, interest, barriers, and potential engagement. A 10-week curriculum was developed and named: iGrow. The curriculum is a hands on, active learning program delivered through five, two-hour sessions using a family dyad model. Three main focus areas included gardening, culinary skills, and family conversation/interaction that all focused on togetherness. For the final iGrow curriculum, expert-level content review and feedback from focus group dyad pairs was used to revise the curriculum which further enhanced the approach and balance of the curriculum content. Focus group feedback supported appropriateness, dosage and learning objectives, and content depth. This curriculum has been developed to provide knowledge of gardening and culinary skills with the goal of increased consumption of fruit and vegetables.
Development of a Strategic Tool for Shared Decision-Making in the Use of Antidepressants among Patients with Major Depressive Disorder: A Focus Group Study
Authors: Zaini Syahrir , Manivanna Bharathy Harvin Anbu , Sulaiman Ahmad Hatim , Singh Gill Jesjeet , Ong Hui Koh , Zaman Huri Hasniza , Shamsudin Siti Hadijah , Chong Guan Ng
Published: July 2018

Shared decision-making (SDM) has been recognized as an important tool in the mental health field and considered as a crucial component of patient-centered care. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a strategic tool towards the promotion and implementation of SDM in the use of antidepressants among patients with major depressive disorder. Nineteen doctors and 11 major depressive disorder patients who are involved in psychiatric outpatient clinic appointments were purposively selected and recruited to participate in one of six focus groups in a large teaching hospital in Malaysia. Focus groups were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a thematic approach to identify current views on providing information needed for SDM practice towards its implementation in near future. Patients’ and doctors’ views were organized into six major themes, which are; summary of treatment options, correct ways of taking medication, potential side effects of treatments related to patients, sharing of case study related to the treatment options, cost of treatment options, and input from pharmacist. The information may be included in the SDM tool which can be useful to inform further research efforts and developments that contribute towards the successful implementation of SDM into clinical practice.
Application of Millifluidics to Encapsulate and Support Viable Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells in a Polysaccharide Hydrogel
Authors: Nativel Fabien , Renard Denis , Hached Fahd , Pinta Pierre-Gabriel , D’Arros Cyril , Weiss Pierre , Le Visage Catherine , Guicheux Jérôme , Billon-Chabaud Aurélie , Grimandi Gael
Published: July 2018

Human adipose-derived stromal cells (hASCs) are widely known for their immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. This study proposes a method to protect cells during and after their injection by encapsulation in a hydrogel using a droplet millifluidics technique. A biocompatible, self-hardening biomaterial composed of silanized-hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (Si-HPMC) hydrogel was used and dispersed in an oil continuous phase. Spherical particles with a mean diameter of 200 μm could be obtained in a reproducible manner. The viability of the encapsulated hASCs in the Si-HPMC particles was 70% after 14 days in vitro, confirming that the Si-HPMC particles supported the diffusion of nutrients, vitamins, and glucose essential for survival of the encapsulated hASCs. The combination of droplet millifluidics and biomaterials is therefore a very promising method for the development of new cellular microenvironments, with the potential for applications in biomedical engineering.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Sensitivity of a CL-20/PNCB Spherical Composite for Security
Authors: Zhu Yanfang , Lu Yuewen , Gao Bing , Wang Dunju , Guo Changping , Yang Guangcheng
Published: July 2018

Highly energetic materials have received significant attention, particularly 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20). However, the application of this material was limited due to its high sensitivity. It is well known that the shape, size, and structure of energetic materials (EMs) significantly influence their sensitivity. At present, there are several ways to reduce the sensitivity of CL-20, such as spheroidization, ultrafine processing, and composite technology. However, only one or two of the abovementioned methods have been reported in the literature, and the obtained sensitivity effect was unsatisfactory. Thus, we tried to further reduce the sensitivity of CL-20 by combining the above three methods. The as-prepared composite was precipitated from the interface between two solutions of water and ethyl acetate, and the composite was insensitive compared with other reported CL-20-based EMs. The H50 value for the composite ranged up to 63 cm. This approach opens new prospects for greatly reducing the sensitivity of high Ems.
Finite element modeling and experimental investigation of infiltration of sodium chloride solution into nonviable liver tissue
Authors: Barauskas Rimantas , Gulbinas Antanas , Barauskas Giedrius
Published: July 2018

The aim of this study was to establish a mathematical model of the infiltration of sodium chloride solution into cadaveric liver tissue. Methods. The time law of the flow of the infiltrated fluid at every node of the finite element model was obtained in terms of Darcy’s velocity, pressure, and volumetric saturation fraction. The model equations interpret the liver tissue as a porous medium taking into account the hydraulic conductivity, capacity, and absorption mechanisms. Capability of the cadaveric liver tissue to absorb the fluid is taken into account by means of the nonlinear relationship of hydraulic capacity and absorption coefficients against the volumetric saturation fraction. To explain certain inadequacies between the computational model and experiment, the idealized models of empty blood vessels in the vicinity of the injection probe have been used. The model has been implemented in computational environment COMSOL Multiphysics. Experimental procedures were performed to analyze fluid infiltration and to calculate volume of fluid, which might be injected into certain volume of nonviable liver tissue. Results. The necessary physical constants of hydraulic conductivity, capacity, and absorp- tion of liver tissue have been determined by comparing the simulation results against the experimental data. The congruence of the modeling results against the experiment may be regarded as satisfactory. Conclusion. The established model analyses distribution of injected solution taking into account the hydraulic conductivity, capacity, and absorption mechanisms of liver tissue. The obtained results are of importance developing complex models of electro-thermal heating coupled with heat advection by means of infiltrated sodium chloride solution.
Results of surgical treatment of carcinoma of papilla of Vater
Authors: Barauskas Giedrius , Gulbinas Antanas , Pundzius Juozas
Published: July 2018

Adenocarcinoma is the most common malignant tumor of the ampulla, but in general, it is still rare. Therefore, these tumors are difficult to study, and most reports are of retrospective design. To evaluate immediate postoperative and long-term results, we have collected data prospectively in a specially created database on 21 consecutive patients with adenocarcinoma of the papilla of Vater, operated on at the Department of Surgery, Kaunas University of Medicine Hospital. All patients have undergone classical or pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy. Postoperative mortality was 4.8% and overall morbidity – 28.6%. Pancreas-associated morbidity was 14.3% in the series. Actuarial 3-year survival among our patients was 89%. Stage I–II patients with T1–T2 and/or N negative tumors had significantly better 3-year survival when compared with stage III–IV patients, T3–T4 and/or N positive tumors. Patients with highly or moderately differentiated tumors (G1, G2) survived better than patients with poor cell differentiation (G3), though significant difference was not achieved. Results are satisfactory in terms of overall postoperative morbidity and mortality. Long-term survival pattern concerning T, N, and G status corresponds with other reports in literature, while the 3-year survival results are promising and speaks in favor of our surgical strategy.
The ability of Lithuanian ambulance services to provide first medical aid in trauma cases
Authors: Marozas Raimondas , Rimdeika Rytis , Jasinskas Nedas , Vaitkaitienė Eglė , Vaitkaitis Dinas
Published: July 2018

Objective. To evaluate the ability of country ambulance services to provide first medical aid in trauma cases. Material and methods. A survey of chiefs of emergency medicine service was performed in October–November 2005, in which 34 of the 59 institutions (58%) were participating. The questionnaire presented questions concerning physical and human resources, performance values, and system configuration. The study has shown that emergency medicine service operates in radius of 23 km, each team providing service for about 40 000 inhabitants. Taking into consideration distance and average on-scene time values, emergency medicine service is capable to render the first medical aid within so-called “golden hour” in case the accident is reported immediately. The physical resources are not quite complete. Not all the cars are equipped with essential first aid measures. Among more rarely found resources are vacuum pumps, intubation sets, defibrillators, vacuum splints, back immobilization devices, and hammock immobilization devices. There are less mentioned resources than working teams and even more than two times less than emergency cars at all. Two-thirds of the operating emergency medicine services do not provide advanced life support procedures. The evaluation of theoretical/practical ability to provide some important medical procedures used in emergency medical care showed that medical staff quite often fails to perform defibrillation, intubation, and pleural cavity drainage. Conclusions. Country ambulance service network configuration according to area under service, number of people served, and response frequency comply with the requirement set. The ambulance vehicles lack complete set up as well as some important supplies. Only rarely the staff is skilled enough to perform such advanced life support procedures as intubation, defibrillation, and pleural drainage.
Morbidity of textile industry workers in Kaunas
Authors: Ustinavičienė Rūta , Piešinė Loreta
Published: July 2018

Objective. According to the Department of Statistics at the beginning of 2003, 551 textile industry and garment enterprises operated in Lithuania. The purpose of the study was to evaluate morbidity among workers in textile industry enterprises in Kaunas and analyze the data obtained in relation to sex, age, profession, and occupational health hazards. Material and methods. A sick-leave-based case-control study was conducted in the units of four textile enterprises where 1842 workers were employed. Data were categorized in relation to sex, profession, and kind of sickness. Age was grouped in the following way: under 29 years, 30–39 years, 40–49 years, and over 50 years. Results. In the period of survey, 1482 cases of sick leave were reported in the enterprises where 1842 workers were employed. The main cause of absence because of sickness was respiratory diseases – 37.3% (30.27 cases per 100 workers), nursing took the second place –17.0% (13.76 cases per 100 workers). Accidents and injuries made up 9.3% (7.5 cases per 100 workers), musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders – 7.9% (6.4 cases per 100 workers). Data were analyzed using statistical programs SPSS 97, Epi-Info 6.0. Conclusions. Main morbidities reported included respiratory diseases (37.3%), nursing (17.0%), accidents and injuries (9.3%), musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders (7.9%). The incidence of morbidity among workers engaged in workplace where occupational risk factors exceeded hygienic standards was higher. The rate of morbidity also increased with age and sex; morbidity among women was 1.5 higher than among men.
Diagnostics of laryngopharyngeal form of gastroesophageal reflux disease for adults (Lithuanian clinical practice guidelines)
Authors: Pribuišienė Rūta , Uloza Virgilijus , Šiupšinskienė Nora , Butkus Evaldas , Kupčinskas Limas
Published: July 2018

The laryngopharyngeal form of gastroesophageal disease represents one of the atypical manifestations of supraesophageal gastroesophageal reflux disease characterized by morphologic and functional changes in the larynx and pharynx with the associated clinical symptoms. The article presents diagnostic algorithm (guidelines) for laryngopharyngeal form of gastroesophageal disease, elaborated by the group of Lithuanian experts in otorhinolaryngology and gastroenterology. The guidelines are based on the data of evidence-based medicine and results of the scientific studies in Lithuania. Diagnostics of laryngopharyngeal form of gastroesophageal disease has to be based on: (1) patient’s complaints (permanent hoarseness, throat itching and clearing, cough, heartburn, “globus” sensation) for more than 3 months; (2) typical laryngoscopic findings (edema, erythema, roughness, hypertrophy of mucosa of the posterior glottis); (3) detection of reflux esophagitis as a subsequence of pathological gastroesophageal reflux; (4) assessment of relationship between reflux and morphological/functional changes. The guidelines are designed for the otorhinolaryngologists, gastroenterologists, and general practitioners.
Aorto-caval fistula clinically presenting as left renal colic Findings of multislice computed tomography
Authors: Gedvilas Donatas , Argatu Diana , Lukoševičius Saulius , Basevičius Algidas
Published: July 2018

Spontaneous aorto-caval fistula is a rare complication of abdominal aortic aneurysm. A definitive diagnosis is sometimes difficult, as the classic diagnostic signs (pulsatile abdominal mass with bruit, high-output hearth failure, and acute dyspnea) are present in about half of the patients. Diagnosis may be suspected from clinical symptoms, but sometimes atypical clinical features may obscure the actual situation. Computed tomography findings include early detection of contrast medium in the dilated inferior vena cava, which is isodense with the adjacent aorta, an associated aortic aneurysm, loss of normal anatomic space between aorta and vena cava, and rarely one can even visualize the abnormal communication between aorta and vena cava. Prompt radiological diagnosis is of key importance in the management of these patients. We describe findings of multislice computed tomography of the patient with dissecting aortic aneurysm and aortocaval fistula, clinically presenting as left renal colic. Multislice computed tomography is the imaging modality of choice for diagnosis of abdominal vascular pathology as it is noninvasive, fast and demonstrates a high diagnostic accuracy.
Influence of heating and cooling on muscle fatigue and recovery
Authors: Ramanauskienė Irina , Skurvydas Albertas , Sipavičienė Saulė , Senikienė Žibuoklė , Linonis Vitas , Krutulytė Gražina , Vizbaraitė Daiva
Published: July 2018

The aim of the present study was to establish the influence of muscle heating and cooling on knee flexors and extensors during fatiguing exercise. The participants of the study were 10 healthy males aged 19–23 years. The participants of the study were tested with the isokinetic dynamometer. Control measurements were done before the load as well as 10 min, 30 min, 60 min, and 24 h after the load. The participants performed concentric exercise bouts: 50 knee extensions and flexions at the fixed speed of 180°/s, when femoral muscles before concentric load were of normal temperature, were heated or cooled. Creatine kinase activity in blood serum was estimated 1 h before the load and 24 h after it. Internal temperature of the muscle quadriceps femoris after muscle heating for 45 min increased to 39.5±0.2°C (P<0.001) and after muscle cooling for 30 min decreased to 32.5±0.3°C (P<0.05) as compared to baseline temperature (before heating – 36.9±0.1°C, before cooling – 36.8±0.2°C). Creatine kinase activity in blood serum 24 h after concentric load was significantly increased as compared to control values. Passive muscle warming increased muscle contraction force of knee extensors, but did not cause any changes either in the rate of muscle fatigue or in the rate of muscle recovery. Muscle cooling did not decrease muscle contraction force and did not increase muscle fatigue resistance. The findings of this study showed that both, muscle warming and muscle cooling, brought about a decrease in an indirect parameter of muscle damage – the amount of creatine kinase 24 h after concentric load.
Effect of Perilla frutescens aqueous extract on free radical production by human neutrophil leukocytes
Authors: Žekonis Gediminas , Žekonis Jonas , Šadzevičienė Renata , Šimonienė Genovaitė , Kėvelaitis Egidijus
Published: July 2018

Objective. The present study was intended to evaluate the antioxidant properties of aqueous extract of the Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton. Material and methods. The antioxidant properties of Perilla frutescens were analyzed employing neutrophil leukocytes stimulated by the nonopsonized Escherichia coli. The neutrophil leukocytes were affected by adding an aqueous extract of Perilla. The generation of the reactive oxygen species by neutrophil leukocytes was investigated using assessment of luminol- and lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence. Results. We found out that the treatment of neutrophil leukocytes with the Perilla aqueous extract inhibited the release of reactive oxygen species, measured as luminol- and lucigenindependent chemiluminescence, by about 30% and more than 90%, respectively. Conclusion. The results of this study show that the aqueous extract of the Perilla frutescens inhibits significantly free radical production by neutrophil leukocytes, which was especially obvious when the lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence assessment method was applied.
Weld Seam Geometry and Electrical Resistance of Laser-Welded, Aluminum-Copper Dissimilar Joints Produced with Spatial Beam Oscillation
Authors: Jarwitz Michael , Fetzer Florian , Weber Rudolf , Graf Thomas
Published: July 2018

Spatial beam oscillation during laser beam welding of aluminum to copper was investigated. The beam was spatially oscillated perpendicular to the direction of feed in a sinusoidal mode. The influence of the oscillation amplitude and frequency on the weld seam geometry and the implications on the electrical resistance of the joints was investigated. It was found that spatial beam oscillation allows to set the welding depth and seam width virtually independent of each other. Furthermore, low welding depths into the lower copper sheet in combination with high ratios of seam width at the interface of the two sheets to welding depth into the lower copper sheet result in low electrical resistances of the welds. Low electrical resistances were found to correlate with high mechanical strengths of the welds.
Comparasion of Impact and Tensile Properties of High-Strength Steel
Authors: Alar Željko , Mandić Davor
Published: July 2018

Tensile and impact properties of API 5L X80 steel were investigated and compared in order to evaluate their relation. Yield and maximum forces under dynamic impact testing were obtained from force-displacement curves. Dynamic yield strength was estimated using the von Mises yield criterion. A different approach was taken in order to estimate the dynamic tensile strength; the instrumented RKP 450 Zwick/Roell machine was used for this specific purpose. From the 10-mm-thick steel plate, Charpy V notch (CVN) samples were cut off in longitudinal orientation considering the rolling direction. For this research, CVN specimens were machined according to the ISO 148:2016 standard. Tensile specimens were machined according to the ISO 6892-1:2016 standard. It was found that the results between the tensile and impact properties were very close and within 5%.
Continuous Flow Alcoholysis of Dialkyl H-Phosphonates with Aliphatic Alcohols
Authors: Bálint Erika , Tajti Ádám , Tóth Nóra , Keglevich György
Published: July 2018

The continuous flow alcoholysis of dialkyl H-phosphonates by aliphatic alcohols in the absence of a catalyst was elaborated using a microwave (MW) reactor equipped with a flow cell. By the precise control of the reaction conditions, the synthesis could be fine-tuned towards dialkyl H-phosphonates with two different and with two identical alkyl groups. In contrast to the “traditional” batch alcoholysis, flow approaches required shorter reaction times, and the products became available at a larger scale.
Animal-to-Animal Data Sharing Mechanism for Wildlife Monitoring in Fukushima Exclusion Zone
Authors: Kobayashi Hill Hiroki , Nakagawa Keijiro , Makiyama Ko , Sasaki Yuta , Kudo Hiromi , Niraula Baburam , Sezaki Kaoru
Published: July 2018

We propose an animal-to-animal data sharing mechanism that employs wildlife-borne sensing devices to expand the size of monitoring areas in which electricity, information, and road infrastructures are either limited or nonexistent. With the proposed approach, monitoring information can be collected from remote areas in a safe and cost-effective manner. To substantially prolong the life of a sensor node, the proposed mechanism activates the communication capabilities only when there is a plurality of animals; otherwise, the sensor node remains in a sleep state. This study aimed to achieve three objectives. First, we intend to obtain knowledge based on the actual field operations within the Fukushima exclusion zone. Second, we attempt to realize an objective evaluation of the power supply and work base that is required to properly evaluate the proposed mechanism. Third, we intend to acquire data to support wildlife research, which is the objective of both our present (and future) research.
Is It a Good Time to Be a Pharmacist in the US?
Authors: Walton Surrey M. , Manasse Henri R.
Published: July 2018

The labor market for pharmacists in the United States has seen significant dynamics over the past couple of decades in both demand and supply. The purpose of this brief editorial is to discuss some key concerns for pharmacists in the current labor market and over the next decade. A key issue in evaluating how pharmacists will fare in moving forward into expanded clinical roles and functions will be the degree to which they expand their professional autonomy.
Dopamine-Dyed and Functionally Finished Silk with Rapid Oxidation Polymerization
Authors: Yan Biaobiao , Zhou Qingqing , Xing Tieling , Chen Guoqiang
Published: July 2018

Nowadays, more and more attention has been paid to ecological environment problems, and the dyeing and finishing field is no exception. Environmentally friendly dyeing and finishing methods have been extensively studied. Inspired by the bioadhesive force of marine mussels, dopamine (DA) was applied as a dyestuff and investigated in textile dyeing. In this work, dopamine was dyed on silk with a rapid oxidation polymerization in the presence of metal ions (Fe3+) and sodium perborate oxidant (Ox). The polydopamine (PDA) was rapidly deposited on silk fabric and the dyeing process was optimized as follows: the concentration of DA was 2 g·L−1, and that of Fe3+ was 2 mmol·L−1; the total reaction time was 50 min and reacted at 50 °C; 9 mmol·L−1 Ox was added at 20 min. The K/S value of the treated silk fabric reached 11.46. The color fastness of dyed fabric to light fastness reached Level 4. The SEM and AFM tests showed that the particles attached to the fabric surface and increased the roughness. The XPS test further proved that polydopamine (PDA) was deposited on the fabric. The treated fabric also had a good anti-UV property with a UPF >30 and UVA <4%. The water contact angle of treated fabric attained 142.6°, showing better hydrophobicity, and the weft breaking strength was also improved. This environmentally friendly dyeing and finishing method can be applied and extended to other fabrics.
The Identity Strategy of “Wild-Geese” Fathers: The Craft of Confucian Fathers
Authors: Jung Gowoon , Wang Hye Suk
Published: July 2018

Transnational migration scholarship has discussed parents’ economic and emotional sacrifice for their children as a justification for separation. However, the researchers have overlooked addressing how the parents’ sacrifice is culturally ingrained, and fathers in the homeland construct their identity embedded in local culture. This article fills the gap by analyzing the experiences of Korean transnational fathers, “wild-geese fathers”, who live in South Korea. Using online data and narrative analysis, this article argues that wild-geese fathers identify themselves as tragic figures faced with emotional difficulties and successful heroes overcoming those difficulties. It shows that the mixed narrative of heroism is tied to Confucianism, which imbues fathers with the ideology of strong father controlling their emotions and intermediary roles producing children that are capable of maintaining the lineage honor. The analysis of wild-geese fathers shows that Confucianism proves to be a durable cultural resource for the contemporary Korean transnational family in a rapidly changing global era.
A Double-Sampling Extension of the German National Forest Inventory for Design-Based Small Area Estimation on Forest District Levels
Authors: Hill Andreas , Mandallaz Daniel , Langshausen Joachim
Published: July 2018

The German National Forest Inventory consists of a systematic grid of permanent sample plots and provides a reliable evidence-based assessment of the state and the development of Germany’s forests on national and federal state level in a 10 year interval. However, the data have yet been scarcely used for estimation on smaller management levels such as forest districts due to insufficient sample sizes within the area of interests and the implied large estimation errors. In this study, we present a double-sampling extension to the existing German National Forest Inventory (NFI) that allows for the application of recently developed design-based small area regression estimators. We illustrate the implementation of the estimation procedure and evaluate its potential for future large-scale operational application by the example of timber volume estimation on two small-scale management levels (45 and 405 forest district units respectively) over the entire area of the federal German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. An airborne laserscanning (ALS) derived canopy height model and a tree species classification map based on satellite data were used as auxiliary data in an ordinary least square regression model to produce the timber volume predictions. The results support that the suggested double-sampling procedure can substantially increase estimation precision on both management levels: the two-phase estimators were able to reduce the variance of the one-phase simple random sampling estimator by 43% and 25% on average for the two management levels respectively.
Effect of Helmert Transformation Parameters and Weight Matrix on Seasonal Signals in GNSS Coordinate Time Series
Authors: Chen Guo , Zhao Qile , Wei Na , Li Min
Published: July 2018

Seasonal signals caused by the Earth’s surface mass redistribution can be detected by Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). The authors analyze the effect of Helmert transformation parameters and weight matrices, as well as the additional draconic signals on seasonal signals, in the GNSS coordinate time series. Moreover, the contribution of environmental loading models to the GNSS position series is assessed. Position time series of 647 global stations, with spans of 2–21 years are collected to generate six cumulative solutions using different parameters estimated in a deterministic model, as well as weight matrices. Comparison among the different solutions indicates that Helmert transformation parameters and weight matrices can result in a root mean square of 0.1 mm and 0.3 mm for seasonal signals, respectively. Compared to the displacements obtained from environmental loading models, seasonal signals estimated with the Helmert parameters and full weight matrices considered seems to have the best agreement with the results of the loading model. Meanwhile, the additional draconic signals are not effective to be parameterized in the deterministic model with an observation time span less than 15 years, marginally. There are 62%, 72% and 90% of 647 stations with weight root mean squares (WRMS) reduced by removing the loading-model-induced changes from the GNSS residual series for the east, north and vertical components, respectively. Finally, to obtain a velocity estimation with a bias of less than 0.1 mm/yr induced by seasonal signals, the position series with a time span greater than seven years is suggested.
Automatic Annotation of Unlabeled Data from Smartphone-Based Motion and Location Sensors
Authors: Pius Owoh Nsikak , Mahinderjit Singh Manmeet , Zaaba Zarul Fitri
Published: July 2018

Automatic data annotation eliminates most of the challenges we faced due to the manual methods of annotating sensor data. It significantly improves users’ experience during sensing activities since their active involvement in the labeling process is reduced. An unsupervised learning technique such as clustering can be used to automatically annotate sensor data. However, the lingering issue with clustering is the validation of generated clusters. In this paper, we adopted the k-means clustering algorithm for annotating unlabeled sensor data for the purpose of detecting sensitive location information of mobile crowd sensing users. Furthermore, we proposed a cluster validation index for the k-means algorithm, which is based on Multiple Pair-Frequency. Thereafter, we trained three classifiers (Support Vector Machine, K-Nearest Neighbor, and Naïve Bayes) using cluster labels generated from the k-means clustering algorithm. The accuracy, precision, and recall of these classifiers were evaluated during the classification of “non-sensitive” and “sensitive” data from motion and location sensors. Very high accuracy scores were recorded from Support Vector Machine and K-Nearest Neighbor classifiers while a fairly high accuracy score was recorded from the Naïve Bayes classifier. With the hybridized machine learning (unsupervised and supervised) technique presented in this paper, unlabeled sensor data was automatically annotated and then classified.
Design and Implementation of a Central-Controllable and Secure Multicast System Based on Universal Identifier Network
Authors: Guan Jianfeng , Liu Xuan , Yao Su , Jiang Zhongbai
Published: July 2018

With the rapid increase of network users and services, the breadth and depth of Internet have greatly changed. The mismatch between current network requirements and original network architecture design has spurred the evolution or revolution of Internet to remedy this gap. Lots of research projects on future network architecture have been launched, in which Universal Identifier Network (UIN) architecture that is based on the identifier/location separation, access/core separation and control/forwarding separation can provide better mobility, security and reliability. On the other hand, the demand of group communication has increased due to the fine-grained network services and successive booming of new applications such as IoT (Internet of Things). Most of current multicast schemes are based on the open group model with open group membership (multicast only care the multicast group state, not the group member) and open access to send/receive multicast data, which are beneficial to multicast routing for its simplification. However, the open group membership makes the group member management difficult to be realized, and open access may result in lots of security vulnerabilities such as Denial of service (DoS), eavesdropping and masquerading, which make deployment more difficult. Therefore, in this paper we propose a Central-Controllable and Secure Multicast (CCSM) system based on the UIN architecture, and redesign the multicast service procedures including registration, join/leave, multicast routing construction and update with objective to achieve better mobility support, security, scalability and controllable. More specifically, we design a new group management scheme to perform the multicast members join/leave with authentication and a central-controllable multicast routing scheme to provide a secure way to set up multicast entries on routers. The CCSM inherits the characteristics of UIN in terms of mobility and security, and it can provide the centralized multicast routing computation and distributes the multicast routing into forwarders. We compare CCSM with Protocol Independent Multicast-Sparse Mode (PIM-SM), and the results show that CCSM reduces the multicast join delay, and performs better than PIM-SM in term of reconstruction cost under low multicast density.
Differential Ultra-Wideband Microwave Imaging: Principle Application Challenges
Authors: Sachs Jürgen , Ley Sebastian , Just Thomas , Chamaani Somayyeh , Helbig Marko
Published: July 2018

Wideband microwave imaging is of interest wherever optical opaque scenarios need to be analyzed, as these waves can penetrate biological tissues, many building materials, or industrial materials. One of the challenges of microwave imaging is the computation of the image from the measurement data because of the need to solve extensive inverse scattering problems due to the sometimes complicated wave propagation. The inversion problem simplifies if only spatially limited objects—point objects, in the simplest case—with temporally variable scattering properties are of interest. Differential imaging uses this time variance by observing the scenario under test over a certain time interval. Such problems exist in medical diagnostics, in the search for surviving earthquake victims, monitoring of the vitality of persons, detection of wood pests, control of industrial processes, and much more. This paper gives an overview of imaging methods for point-like targets and discusses the impact of target variations onto the radar data. Because the target variations are very weak in many applications, a major issue of differential imaging concerns the suppression of random effects by appropriate data processing and concepts of radar hardware. The paper introduces related methods and approaches, and some applications illustrate their performance.
Fluorinated Metal Phthalocyanines: Interplay between Fluorination Degree, Films Orientation, and Ammonia Sensing Properties
Authors: Klyamer Darya , Sukhikh Aleksandr , Gromilov Sergey , Krasnov Pavel , Basova Tamara
Published: July 2018

In this work, the sensor response of MPcFx (M = Cu, Co, Zn; x = 0, 4, 16) films toward gaseous NH3 (10–50 ppm) was studied by a chemiresistive method and compared to that of unsubstituted MPc films to reveal the effects of central metals and F-substituents on the sensing properties. A combination of atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques have been used to elucidate the structural features of thin MPcFx films deposited by organic molecular beam deposition. It has been shown that the sensor response of MPcF4 films to ammonia is noticeably higher than that of MPc films, which is in good correlation with the values of binding energy between the metal phthalocyanine and NH3 molecules, as calculated by the density functional theory (DFT) method. At the same time, in contrast to the DFT calculations, MPcF16 demonstrated the lesser sensor response compared with MPcF4, which appeared to be connected with the different structure and morphology of their films. The ZnPcF4 films were shown to exhibit a sensitivity to ammonia up to concentrations as low as 0.1 ppm, and can be used for the selective detection of ammonia in the presence of some reducing gases and volatile organic compounds. Moreover, the ZnPcF4 films can be used for the detection of NH3 in the gas mixture simulating exhaled air (N2 76%, O2 16%, H2O 5%, and CO2 3%).
Multi-Focus Image Fusion Method for Vision Sensor Systems via Dictionary Learning with Guided Filter
Authors: Li Qilei , Yang Xiaomin , Wu Wei , Liu Kai , Jeon Gwanggil
Published: July 2018

Vision sensor systems (VSS) are widely deployed in surveillance, traffic and industrial contexts. A large number of images can be obtained via VSS. Because of the limitations of vision sensors, it is difficult to obtain an all-focused image. This causes difficulties in analyzing and understanding the image. In this paper, a novel multi-focus image fusion method (SRGF) is proposed. The proposed method uses sparse coding to classify the focused regions and defocused regions to obtain the focus feature maps. Then, a guided filter (GF) is used to calculate the score maps. An initial decision map can be obtained by comparing the score maps. After that, consistency verification is performed, and the initial decision map is further refined by the guided filter to obtain the final decision map. By performing experiments, our method can obtain satisfying fusion results. This demonstrates that the proposed method is competitive with the existing state-of-the-art fusion methods.
Simultaneous Measurement of Curvature, Strain and Temperature Using a Twin-Core Photonic Crystal Fiber-Based Sensor
Authors: Zhao Tongtong , Lou Shuqin , Wang Xin , Zhang Wan , Wang Yulei
Published: July 2018

A novel twin-core photonic crystal fiber-based sensor for simultaneous measurement of curvature, strain and temperature is proposed. The fiber sensor is constructed by splicing the homemade twin-core photonic crystal fiber between two segments of single mode fiber. Affected by the coupling between two cores, the transmission spectrum of the fiber sensor has different wavelength responses to curvature, strain, and temperature. The maximal sensitivities to curvature, strain and temperature are 10.89 nm/m−1, 1.24 pm/με and 73.9 pm/°C, respectively. Simultaneous measurement of curvature, strain and temperature can be achieved by monitoring the wavelength shifts of selected valleys in the transmission spectrum. Contrast experiment based on traditional twin-core fiber is carried out. Experimental results demonstrate that twin-core photonic crystal fiber-based sensor has higher sensitivity and better linearity than traditional twin-core fiber-based sensor.
Examining Ironic Processes in Tourist Drivers: Driving on the Unfamiliar Side of the Road
Authors: Malhotra Neha , Charlton Samuel , Starkey Nicola , Masters Rich
Published: July 2018

Driving on the unfamiliar side of the road contributes to tourist road accidents and may deter self-driving tourists from travelling to certain countries. Experienced drivers usually drive on “autopilot” but under unfamiliar circumstances, drivers might generate instructions to avoid certain behaviour. Previous research has revealed that avoidant instructions can sometimes cause behaviour in the unintended direction (i.e., “ironic” behaviour). This study examined the effect of avoidant instructions (i.e., do not drift towards the centreline) while driving on the unfamiliar side of the road under high cognitive load. Participants (8 males, 9 females) drove on simulated roads under neutral and avoidant instructions, with or without a secondary task, in control and roadworks scenarios. Avoidant instructions did not lead to ironic behaviour (doing what one has been instructed not to do) but were associated with overcompensatory behaviour—driving further from the centreline compared to neutral instructions. Overcompensatory effects were not present when driving with a secondary task or in a roadworks scenario. The findings suggest that avoidant instructions do not lead to dangerous ironic behaviours. Further work needs to be undertaken on driving instructions given to tourists in other contexts like physiological fatigue.
Influence of the Selection of Interpolation Method on Revealing Soil Organic Carbon Variability in the Red Soil Region, China
Authors: Zhang Zhongqi , Yu Dongsheng , Wang Xiyang , Pan Yue , Zhang Guangxing , Shi Xuezheng
Published: July 2018

At present, various interpolation methods have been used for obtaining the spatial variability of soil organic carbon (SOC) in some regions. However, systematic research on accuracy comparison and the influence of method selection on revealing SOC variability is still lacking for the hilly red soil region of China. In this study, the spatial distributions of SOC were interpolated via three kriging methods (ordinary kriging (OK), kriging combined with soil type information (KSt), and with land-use information (KLu)) and three polygon-based methods (linking sample points data to the sampling grid (PGr), to soil type polygon (PSt), and to land-use polygon (PLu)) in Yujiang County, Jiangxi Province, China. To illustrate the influence of method selection on revealing SOC variability, the prediction efficiencies of these methods were compared with soil validation samples. The results showed that the KLu and PLu had high prediction accuracy, followed immediately by the KSt and PSt, while the OK and PGr had very low accuracies. Meanwhile, the SOC distribution contours obtained by KLu, PLu, KSt, and PSt could better reflect the real conditions of the study area, as they were consistent with the variation of land-use or soil types. However, the contours from the OK and PGr had poor performance with sketchy borderlines and regular homogeneous grid cells, respectively. Therefore, great differences exist in the prediction efficiency of different methods, and the interpolation method selection has an important impact on revealing SOC variability in the hilly red soil region of China. The results can provide a useful reference for the efficient SOC prediction and simulation in similar soil regions.
A Modified Dolph-Chebyshev Type II Function Matched Filter for Retinal Vessels Segmentation
Authors: Dharmawan Dhimas Arief , Ng Boon Poh , Rahardja Susanto
Published: July 2018

In this paper, we present a new unsupervised algorithm for retinal vessels segmentation. The algorithm utilizes a directionally sensitive matched filter bank using a modified Dolph-Chebyshev type II basis function and a new method to combine the matched filter bank’s responses. Fundus images from the DRIVE and STARE databases, as well as high-resolution fundus images from the HRF database, are utilized to validate the proposed algorithm. The results that we achieve on the three databases (DRIVE: Sensitivity = 0.748, F1-score = 0.786, G-score = 0.856, Matthews Correlation Coefficient = 0.758; STARE: Sensitivity = 0.793, F1-score = 0.780, G-score = 0.877, Matthews Correlation Coefficient = 0.756; HRF: Sensitivity = 0.804, F1-score = 0.764, G-score = 0.883, Matthews Correlation Coefficient = 0.741) are higher than many other competing methods.
Venom Ontogeny in the Mexican Lance-Headed Rattlesnake (Crotalus polystictus)
Authors: Mackessy Stephen P. , Leroy Jamie , Mociño-Deloya Estrella , Setser Kirk , Bryson Robert W. , Saviola Anthony J.
Published: July 2018

As trophic adaptations, rattlesnake venoms can vary in composition depending on several intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Ontogenetic changes in venom composition have been documented for numerous species, but little is known of the potential age-related changes in many rattlesnake species found in México. In the current study, venom samples collected from adult and neonate Crotalus polystictus from Estado de México were subjected to enzymatic and electrophoretic analyses, toxicity assays (LD50), and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and a pooled sample of adult venom was analyzed by shotgun proteomics. Electrophoretic profiles of adult males and females were quite similar, and only minor sex-based variation was noted. However, distinct differences were observed between venoms from adult females and their neonate offspring. Several prominent bands, including P-I and P-III snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs) and disintegrins (confirmed by MS/MS) were present in adult venoms and absent/greatly reduced in neonate venoms. Age-dependent differences in SVMP, kallikrein-like, phospholipase A2 (PLA2), and L-amino acid oxidase (LAAO) activity levels were confirmed by enzymatic activity assays, and like many other rattlesnake species, venoms from adult snakes have higher SVMP activity than neonate venoms. Conversely, PLA2 activity was approximately 2.5 × greater in venoms from neonates, likely contributing to the increased toxicity (neonate venom LD50 = 4.5 μg/g) towards non-Swiss albino mice when compared to adult venoms (LD50 = 5.5 μg/g). Thrombin-like (TLE) and phosphodiesterase activities did not vary significantly with age. A significant effect of sex (between adult male and adult female venoms) was also observed for SVMP, TLE, and LAAO activities. Analysis of pooled adult venom by LC-MS/MS identified 14 toxin protein families, dominated by bradykinin-inhibitory peptides, SVMPs (P-I, P-II and P-III), disintegrins, PLA2s, C-type-lectins, CRiSPs, serine proteinases, and LAAOs (96% of total venom proteins). Neonate and adult C. polystictus in this population consume almost exclusively mammals, suggesting that age-based differences in composition are related to physical differences in prey (e.g., surface-to-volume ratio differences) rather than taxonomic differences between prey. Venoms from adult C. polystictus fit a Type I pattern (high SVMP activity, lower toxicity), which is characteristic of many larger-bodied rattlesnakes of North America.
Purification and Characterization of Native and Vaccine Candidate Mutant Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Heat-Stable Toxins
Authors: Govasli Morten L. , Diaz Yuleima , Zegeye Ephrem Debebe , Darbakk Christine , Taxt Arne M. , Puntervoll Pål
Published: July 2018

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), which secretes the heat-stable toxin (ST) is among the four most important enteropathogens that cause moderate-to-severe diarrhea in children in low- and middle-income countries. ST is an intestinal molecular antagonist causing diarrhea and hence an attractive vaccine target. A non-toxic and safe ST vaccine should include one or more detoxifying mutations, and rigorous characterization of such mutants requires structurally intact peptides. To this end, we established a system for purification of ST and ST mutants by fusing the sequence encoding the mature ST peptide to the disulfide isomerase DsbC. A Tobacco Etch Virus protease cleavage site facilitates the proteolytic release of free ST with no additional residues. The purified ST peptides have the expected molecular masses, the correct number of disulfide bridges, and have biological activities and antigenic properties comparable to ST isolated from ETEC. We also show that free DsbC can assist in refolding denatured and misfolded ST in vitro. Finally, we demonstrate that the purification system can be used to produce ST mutants with an intact neutralizing epitope, that two single mutations, L9S and A14T, reduce toxicity more than 100-fold, and that the L9S/A14T double mutant has no measurable residual toxicity.