bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical Presentation and Outcome of Ruptured Uterus in A Tertiary Hospital
Authors: Noor Kazi Farhana , Yasmin Farida , Biswas Rupasree , Mumu Moumita Tripura , Dev Uma
Published: December 2018

Background: Ruptured uterus is an obstetric emergency, carrying increased risk of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity especially in the developing countries. To determine the various aspects such as antecedent factors, clinical profile, management, outcome of ruptured uterus in a tertiary hospital.

Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Chittagong Medical College Hospital, Chittagong, from January 2010 to December 2010. 70 consecutive admitted patients during this period was taken in this study.

Results: During study period total 13635 obstetric patients were admitted and among them 70 cases were of ruptured uterus which gives an incidence of 0.5%. 92.85% of the women were multiparous. 77% patient did not have any antenatal care. 81% were illiterate and 82% belong to low socio-economic class. Common risk factors were mal-handling of labor by untrained dai (44%) cephalopelvic disproportion (35%) previous caesarean scar (34.28%) shoulder presentation 15%, abused of oxytocic drug (14%). Shock and sepsis were the prominent presenting features. In most cases, the tear was in the lower segment and in 54 patients (80%) the tear was complete. 25 (37%) patients had sub-total hysterectomy, 22 had repair and 13 (19.4%) had total hysterectomy. Maternal and fetal mortality rate was 11.42% and 88.5% respectively.

Conclusion: A high incidence (1 in 195) of ruptured uterus mainly because of inadequate natal and intranatal care, high parity, mismanagement of labor, Low socio-economic condition and illiteracy.

Chatt Maa Shi Hosp Med Coll J; Vol.17 (1); Jan 2018; Page 29-33
Impact of smartphone use on health among higher secondary level students in Khulna, Bangladesh
Authors: Chowdhury S , Basu BK , Laskar MS
Published: December 2018

Smartphone is used worldwide even by students as a very much necessary electronic device. The present study aimed at finding out any impact of smartphone use on health of higher secondary certificate level students in Khulna, Bangladesh using a semi-structured questionnaire, which included different socioeconomic characteristics such as social status, duration of smartphone use, related possible health problems like eye strain, headache, hearing problem, sleep disturbance and depression. Three hundred seventy students participated in this study. The modes of using smartphone by the students were: no use, audio calls, video calls, gamming, chatting, facebooking, and taking photo. The students were 40.5% of 11th level and 59.5% of 12th level, 42.2% of age <17 years, 43.8% males, 76.8% came from urban schools, 84.9% with science background, 35.7% had family members >4, 65.1% had parents with higher social status, 89.7% used smartphone, and 34.6% used with daily duration >1 hour. The smartphone use was significantly associated with sleep disturbance (p < 0.05) as an expression of health impact. The symptom sleep disturbance significantly associated with other reported symptoms by the respondents like eye strain, headache, hearing problem, and depression. All the symptoms were positively and significantly inter-related (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). Smartphone should be used with a cautious manner, as there might be a chance to develop health related symptoms

Mediscope Vol. 6, No. 1: Jan 2019, Page 1-5
A curriculum perspective for Bachelor of Science in Public Health 4-years honors degree program at public and private universities in Bangladesh
Authors: Laskar MS
Published: December 2018

A comprehensive Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BScPH) curriculum containing multidisciplinary modules was seemed to be appropriate for 4-years undergraduate (honors) for public and private universities of Bangladesh exploring to start the program and to flourish public health education. It was explored and developed one reviewing well-established learning objectives of public health education and curriculum development by different universities around the world. Focusing on multidisciplinary courses, several study topics were derived for this BScPH curriculum such as basic biological subjects, mathematics and other core courses integrating the contribution of arts and sciences disciplines into public health, developing critical thinking and quantitative literacy skills, acquiring personal and social responsibility through incorporation of experiential learning, and providing integrative learning for global health challenges. English is the preferable language medium of instruction. The curriculum contains 156 credit points, which are to be completed by the students for graduation. The curriculum might contribute to establish public health undergraduate (honors) program at public and private universities, which would make more students to come forward to be graduates in the field and serve to build a healthy nation. An evaluation at any point while conducting the BScPH degree program will help to modify or update the curriculum taking into consideration the current situation and information to enhance achieved learning outcome.

Mediscope Vol. 6, No. 1: Jan 2019, Page 31-39
Ultrasound Guided Lumbar Puncture and Remote Guidance for Potential In-Flight Evaluation of VIIP/SANS
Authors: Lerner David J. , Chima Ranjit S. , Patel Kirang , Parmet Allen J.
Published: December 2018

INTRODUCTION: Changes of visual function/neuro-opthalmic structures during spaceflight have been described as visual impairment and intracranial pressure syndrome (VIIP)/spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS). Although theories are suggested, the mechanism is unknown.
Only indirect measurements of intracranial pressure (ICP) have been performed in spaceflight. Direct determination of in-flight ICP is crucial to understanding VIIP. Current “gold standard” is lumbar puncture (LP). The only direct evaluation has occurred with postflight LP. In-flight
measurements would allow correlation of opening pressures/possible contributing factors. The only imaging modality on the International Space Station (ISS) is ultrasound. With appropriate methodology, remotely guided ultrasound-guided lumbar puncture (USGLP) may allow safe performance in flight.
Therefore, we sought to develop a novel ultrasound approach for definitive placement of an LP needle, and to show this can be achieved with remote guidance by those without training.METHODS: Literature review and round-table discussions with multiple medical fields was performed.
Volunteers were scanned with ultrasound for optimizing technique. A cadaver was used to perform this technique by a radiologist, then taught to volunteers not experienced in image guided procedures, and finally was repeated multiple times by volunteers with simulated remote guidance.RESULTS:
Optimal visualization was in the fetal and seated lordotic positions. Technical success was achieved by the radiologist in all attempts and achieved in 9 of 11 attempts by the trainees.DISCUSSION: Given ultrasound experience at NASA and the ability to educate non-image-guided trained
personnel, these could make this technique feasible and aid in direct in-flight measurements to further research VIIP.Lerner DJ, Chima RS, Patel K, Parmet AJ. Ultrasound guided lumbar puncture and remote guidance for potential in-flight evaluation of VIIP. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2019; 90(1):58–62.
In Vitro Pathogenicity of Some Entomopathogenic Fungal Strains against Green Peach Aphid Myzus persicae (Homoptera: Aphididae)
Authors: Nazir Talha , Basit Abdul , Hanan Abdul , Majeed Muhammad Zeeshan , Qiu Dewen
Published: December 2018

Green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is an economically important pest of crops within more than 40 plant families all over the world. This study encompasses in-vitro pathogenicity of two strains of Beauveria bassiana (BB-72 and BB-252) and one strain of Lecanicillium lecanii (V-4) against green peach aphid (M. persicae). Using a leaf-dip method, three different bioassays were conducted comprised of filtrates and conidial concentrations of BB-72, BB-252 and V-4 fungal strains and their binary combinations. Infiltrate bioassays, 2 mL fungal filtrate of each strain was used. In conidial bioassays, three different concentrations (i.e., 1 × 106, 1 × 107 and 1 × 108 conidia mL−1) of each fungal strain were used, while in binary combination bioassays, LC50 and LC33 of these fungal strains were evaluated. According to the results, maximum pathogenicity against test aphids was observed at 10th day of all treatments. Both strains of B. bassiana (BB-72 and BB-252) exhibited higher mortality of aphids (up to 95 and 91%, respectively) than L. lecanii (V-4) strain (87%) in all three types of bioassays. Moreover, binary combinations of BB-72 and BB-252 strains showed significantly higher aphid mortality (94%) than other combinations. Reduced mortality in case of fungal combinations of V-4 strain might be due to the antagonistic effect of L. lecanii strain along with both strains of B. bassiana. Nevertheless, evaluation of combined pathogenicity of the fungal strains constitutes the novelty of this in-vitro study which revealed that both strains of B. bassiana (i.e., BB-72 and BB-252) are mutually compatible and can be utilized together as new biocontrol tools against destructive insect pests such as M. persicae.
Anti-Oxidant and Tyrosinase Inhibitory In Vitro Activity of Amino Acids and Small Peptides: New Hints for the Multifaceted Treatment of Neurologic and Metabolic Disfunctions
Authors: Luisi Grazia , Stefanucci Azzurra , Zengin Gokhan , Dimmito Marilisa Pia , Mollica Adriano
Published: December 2018

Oxidative damage is among the factors associated with the onset of chronic pathologies, such as neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases. Several classes of anti-oxidant compounds have been suggested as having a protective role against cellular stressors, but, in this perspective, peptides’ world represents a poorly explored source. In the present study, the free radical scavenging properties, the metal ion reducing power, and the metal chelating activity of a series of sulfurated amino acids and tripeptides were determined in vitro through canonical assays (DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, FRAP, PM, and EECC) and estimated in comparison with the corresponding activities of synthetic peptide semicarbazones, incorporating the peculiar non-proteinogenic amino acid, tert-leucine (tLeu). The compounds exhibited remarkable anti-oxidant properties. As expected, sulfurated compounds 1–5 were found to be the most efficient radical scavengers and strongest reductants. Nevertheless, tLeu-containing peptides 7 and 8 disclosed notable metal reducing and chelating activities. These unprecedented results indicate that tLeu-featuring di- and tripeptide backbones, bearing the semicarbazone chelating moiety, are compatible with the emergence of an anti-oxidant potential. Additionally, when tested against a panel of enzymes usually targeted for therapeutic purposes in neurodegenerative and metabolic disorders, all samples were found to be good inhibitors of tyrosinase.
Further Investigation on Damage Model of Eco-Friendly Basalt Fiber Modified Asphalt Mixture under Freeze-Thaw Cycles
Authors: Wang Wensheng , Cheng Yongchun , Ma Guirong , Tan Guojin , Sun Xun , Yang Shuting
Published: December 2018

The main distresses of asphalt pavements in seasonally frozen regions are due to the effects of water action, freeze-thaw cycles, and so on. Basalt fiber, as an eco-friendly mineral fiber with high mechanical performance, has been adopted to reinforce asphalt mixture in order to improve its mechanical properties. This study investigated the freeze-thaw damage characteristics of asphalt mixtures reinforced with eco-friendly basalt fiber by volume and mechanical properties—air voids, splitting tensile strength, and indirect tensile stiffness modulus tests. Test results indicated that asphalt mixtures reinforced with eco-friendly basalt fiber had better mechanical properties (i.e., splitting tensile strength and indirect tensile stiffness modulus) before and after freeze-thaw cycles. Furthermore, this study developed logistic damage models of asphalt mixtures in terms of the damage characteristics, and found that adding basalt fiber could significantly reduce the damage degree by about 25%, and slow down the damage grow rate by about 45% compared with control group without basalt fiber. Moreover, multi-variable grey models (GM) (1,N) were established for modelling the damage characteristics of asphalt mixtures under the effect of freeze-thaw cycles. GM (1,3) was proven as an effective prediction model to perform better in prediction accuracy compared to GM (1,2).
Dynamic Measurement Error Modeling and Analysis in a Photoelectric Scanning Measurement Network
Authors: Shi Shendong , Yang Linghui , Lin Jiarui , Long Changyu , Deng Rui , Zhang Zhenyu , Zhu Jigui
Published: December 2018

A photoelectric scanning measurement network is a kind of distributed measurement system based on the principle of angle intersection, in which transmitters and photoelectric receivers are the main parts. The scanning lasers in transmitters emit signals and they are obtained by receivers at the measured points. Then the coordinate of the receiver can be calculated by the optimization algorithm. Its outstanding static measurement performance and network scalability capacity give it great potential in large-scale metrology. However, when it comes to moving targets, the angle intersection failure will produce a dynamic error, which limits its further application. Nowadays the research on error modeling and compensation is also insufficient though it has been the crucial concern. In this paper, we analyzed error causes and constructed a dynamic error model. Dynamic error characteristics and the law of propagation were discussed. The measurement uncertainty at different movement speeds was quantized through simulation experiments. To verify the error model, experiments were designed and the dynamic error was evaluated in practice. It matched well with simulations. The model was tested to be reasonable, and provided theoretical support for error compensation.
Thermal Modeling of the GaN-based Gunn Diode at Terahertz Frequencies
Authors: Wang Ying , Ao Jinping , Liu Shibin , Hao Yue
Published: December 2018

In this paper, a comprehensive evaluation of thermal behavior of the GaN vertical n+-n−-n-n+ Gunn diode have been carried out through simulation method. We explore the complex effects of various parameters on the device thermal performance through a microscopic analysis of electron movements. These parameters include operation bias, doping level, and length of the active region. The increase of these parameters aggravates the self-heating effect and degrades the electron domains, which therefore reduces the overall performance output of the diode. However, appropriate increase of the doping level of active region makes the lattice heat distribute more uniformly and improves the device performance. For the first time, we propose the transition domain, which is in between the dipole domain and accumulation layer, and stands for the degradation of the electron domain. We have also demonstrated that dual domains occur in the device with longer active region length and higher doping level under EB (Energy balance) model, which enhances the harmonics component. Electric and thermal behaviors analysis of GaN vertical Gunn diode makes it possible to optimize the device.
Defense Against Adversarial Attacks in Deep Learning
Authors: Li Yuancheng , Wang Yimeng
Published: December 2018

Neural networks are very vulnerable to adversarial examples, which threaten their application in security systems, such as face recognition, and autopilot. In response to this problem, we propose a new defensive strategy. In our strategy, we propose a new deep denoising neural network, which is called UDDN, to remove the noise on adversarial samples. The standard denoiser suffers from the amplification effect, in which the small residual adversarial noise gradually increases and leads to misclassification. The proposed denoiser overcomes this problem by using a special loss function, which is defined as the difference between the model outputs activated by the original image and denoised image. At the same time, we propose a new model training algorithm based on knowledge transfer, which can resist slight image disturbance and make the model generalize better around the training samples. Our proposed defensive strategy is robust against both white-box or black-box attacks. Meanwhile, the strategy is applicable to any deep neural network-based model. In the experiment, we apply the defensive strategy to a face recognition model. The experimental results show that our algorithm can effectively resist adversarial attacks and improve the accuracy of the model.
Enhanced Internal Quantum Efficiency of Bandgap-Engineered Green W-Shaped Quantum Well Light-Emitting Diode
Authors: Usman Muhammad , Mushtaq Urooj , Zheng Dong-Guang , Han Dong-Pyo , Rafiq Muhammad , Muhammad Nazeer
Published: December 2018

To improve the internal quantum efficiency of green light-emitting diodes, we present the numerical design and analysis of bandgap-engineered W-shaped quantum well. The numerical results suggest significant improvement in the internal quantum efficiency of the proposed W-LED. The improvement is associated with significantly improved hole confinement due to the localization of indium in the active region, leading to improved radiative recombination rate. In addition, the proposed device shows reduced defect-assisted Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) recombination rate as well as Auger recombination rate. Moreover, the efficiency rolloff in the proposed device is associated with increased built-in electromechanical field.
Effect of Heat Treatment on Water Absorption of Chinese fir Using TD-NMR
Authors: Gao Yulei , Xu Kang , Peng Hui , Jiang Jiali , Zhao Rongjun , Lu Jianxiong
Published: December 2018

Knowledge of the dynamic changes in the water absorption process of heat-treated wood is important for providing a scientific basis for the reasonable application of heat-treated wood, especially for outdoor applications. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques provide detailed information about the moisture components and moisture transport processes in wood, which are not available with other methods. In this work, water absorption of untreated and heat treated Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata [Lamb.] Hook.) heartwood was investigated using various NMR methods. The heat treatment temperatures were varied between 160 °C and 220 °C. According to the spin-spin relaxation time (T2), there were two components of water in the samples heat-treated at 160 °C and 180 °C as well as the untreated sample, while three components of water were found in the samples heat-treated at 200 °C and 220 °C, and the mass of each component was calculated by the integral peak areas of the T2 curve. The amount of bound water and free water in heat-treated samples were less compared to the untreated ones, and the water absorption decreased correspondingly, due to the increasing heat-treated temperature. The results obtained by one dimensional frequency coding indicated that the heat treatment made wood difficult to be accessed by moisture. Besides, NMR images revealed that the free water absorption in latewood was faster than in earlywood, but earlywood could absorb more water than latewood.
All-Sputtering, High-Transparency, Good-Stability Coplanar Top-Gate Thin Film Transistors
Authors: Chen Jianqiu , Huang Xiuqi , Li Qunjie , Fang Zhiqiang , Ning Honglong , Tao Ruiqiang , Liang Hongfu , Zhou Yicong , Yao Rihui , Peng Junbiao
Published: December 2018

In this work, transparent, stable coplanar top-gate thin film transistors (TFTs) with an active layer of neodymium-doped indium oxide and zinc oxide (Nd-IZO) were successfully fabricated on a glass substrate by all sputtering processes. The devices with a post-annealing temperature of 400 °C exhibited good electrical performances with a saturation mobility (μsat) of 4.25 cm2·V−1·S−1, Ion/Ioff ratio about 106, Vth of −0.97 V and SS about 0.34 V/decade. Furthermore, the devices exhibited excellent negative and positive bias stability (NBS, PBS) of only a ΔVth shift of about −0.04 V and 0.05 V after 1 h, respectively. In addition, the devices showed high transparency about 96% over the visible-light region of 400–700 nm, which indicates a great potential in transparent displays.
Manufacturing of Micro-Lens Array Using Contactless Micro-Embossing with an EDM-Mold
Authors: Li Kangsen , Xu Gang , Huang Xinfang , Xie Zhiwen , Gong Feng
Published: December 2018

Micro embossing is an effective way to fabricate a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) specimen into micro-scale array structures with low cost and large volume production. A new method was proposed to fabricate a micro-lens array using a micro-electrical discharge machining (micro-EDM) mold. The micro-lens array with different shapes was established by controlling the processing parameters, including embossing temperature, embossing force, and holding time. In order to obtain the friction coefficient between the PMMA and the mold, ring compression tests were conducted on the Shenzhen University’s precision glass molding machine (SZU’s PGMM30). It was found that the friction coefficient between the PMMA specimen and the mold had an interesting change process with increasing of temperature, which affected the final shape and stress distribution of the compressed PMMA parts. The results of micro-optical imaging of micro-lens array indicated that the radius of curvature and local length could be controlled by adjusting the processing parameters. This method provides a basis for the fabrication and application of micro-lens arrays with low-cost, high efficiency, and mass production.
MFC/IMC Control Algorithm for Reduction of Load Torque Disturbance in PMSM Servo Drive Systems
Authors: Pietrusewicz Krzysztof , Waszczuk Paweł , Kubicki Michał
Published: December 2018

The following article presents the hybrid control scheme (MFC/IMC) that involves model following control (MFC) and internal model control (IMC) for velocity control of permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) with the aim of reducing the influence of torque load disturbance. A brief description of the MFC/IMC algorithm is given, its structure is an expansion of a classical cascade control loop; the PMSM model was linearized in order for it to be applicable to the proposed solution. Numerical analysis of sensitivity for both systems (i.e., the MFC/IMC cascade and the classical one) is given with regards to their robustness to torque load disturbance. The behavior of these two control schemes is then analyzed on a laboratory test stand with various load disturbances introduced to the system; the methodology and the test stand itself are also briefly presented in the article. The results presented in the form of performance indices and graphs prove that the developed MFC/IMC method is an improvement over the classical cascade for velocities near the operating point.
Design of A Novel Line Start Synchronous Motor Rotor
Authors: Zöhra Berkan , Akar Mehmet , Eker Mustafa
Published: December 2018

Line start permanent magnet synchronous motors (LS-PMSM) are preferred more and more in industrial applications, because they can start on their own and because of their high efficiency. In this study, a new LS-PMSM rotor typology is suggested, which is modelled using surface mount permanent magnets, in which two different slot types have been used together. The rotor of an asynchronous motor on the industrial market in the IE2 efficiency segment has been remodeled in the study, resulting in an increase in motor efficiency from 85% to 91.8%. A finite elements software was used for determining motor design and performance, in addition to analytical methods.
Analysis and Optimization of the Coordinated Multi-VSG Sources
Authors: Yan Xiangwu , Rasool Aazim , Abbas Farukh , Rasool Haaris , Guo Hongxia
Published: December 2018

The penetration of renewable energy sources (RES) into a grid via inverters causes a stability issue due to the absence of an inertia. A virtual synchronous generator (VSG) is designed to provide an artificial inertia and droop control to the grid-connected inverters. The different power ratings of multiple VSGs create complications in the coordination due to unequal droop or damping coefficient ‘ D ’. The dependency of a factor ‘ D ’ on P − ω droop control under static state and a damping behavior during power oscillation under dynamic state is analyzed by considering three cases on multi-VSGs microgrid system and the equivalent equations of P − ω droop control are derived for all three cases to see the effect of a load on the overall system’s frequency. A master–slave configuration of a VSG is proposed to deliver maximum power during static state, but provides P − ω control during the dynamic state. Simulation results verify the improvement introduced by the proposed VSG control.
Minkowski and Galilei/Newton Fluid Dynamics: A Geometric 3 + 1 Spacetime Perspective
Authors: Cardall Christian Y.
Published: December 2018

A kinetic theory of classical particles serves as a unified basis for developing a geometric 3 + 1 spacetime perspective on fluid dynamics capable of embracing both Minkowski and Galilei/Newton spacetimes. Parallel treatment of these cases on as common a footing as possible reveals that the particle four-momentum is better regarded as comprising momentum and inertia rather than momentum and energy; and, consequently, that the object now known as the stress-energy or energy-momentum tensor is more properly understood as a stress-inertia or inertia-momentum tensor. In dealing with both fiducial and comoving frames as fluid dynamics requires, tensor decompositions in terms of the four-velocities of observers associated with these frames render use of coordinate-free geometric notation not only fully viable, but conceptually simplifying. A particle number four-vector, three-momentum ( 1 , 1 ) tensor, and kinetic energy four-vector characterize a simple fluid and satisfy balance equations involving spacetime divergences on both Minkowski and Galilei/Newton spacetimes. Reduced to a fully 3 + 1 form, these equations yield the familiar conservative formulations of special relativistic and non-relativistic fluid dynamics as partial differential equations in inertial coordinates, and in geometric form will provide a useful conceptual bridge to arbitrary-Lagrange–Euler and general relativistic formulations.
Mapping Archaeology While Mapping an Empire: Using Historical Maps to Reconstruct Ancient Settlement Landscapes in Modern India and Pakistan
Authors: Petrie Cameron A. , Orengo Hector A. , Green Adam S. , Walker Joanna R. , Garcia Arnau , Conesa Francesc , Knox J. Robert , Singh Ravindra N.
Published: December 2018

A range of data sources are now used to support the process of archaeological prospection, including remote sensed imagery, spy satellite photographs and aerial photographs. This paper advocates the value and importance of a hitherto under-utilised historical mapping resource—the Survey of India 1” to 1-mile map series, which was based on surveys started in the mid–late nineteenth century, and published progressively from the early twentieth century AD. These maps present a systematic documentation of the topography of the British dominions in the South Asian Subcontinent. Incidentally, they also documented the locations, the height and area of thousands of elevated mounds that were visible in the landscape at the time that the surveys were carried out, but have typically since been either damaged or destroyed by the expansion of irrigation agriculture and urbanism. Subsequent reanalysis has revealed that many of these mounds were actually the remains of ancient settlements. The digitisation and analysis of these historic maps thus creates a unique opportunity for gaining insight into the landscape archaeology of South Asia. This paper reviews the context within which these historical maps were created, presents a method for georeferencing them, and reviews the symbology that was used to represent elevated mound features that have the potential to be archaeological sites. This paper should be read in conjunction with the paper by Arnau Garcia et al. in the same issue of Geosciences, which implements a research programme combining historical maps and a range of remote sensing approaches to reconstruct historical landscape dynamics in the Indus River Basin.
Estimation of Citrus Maturity with Fluorescence Spectroscopy Using Deep Learning
Authors: Itakura Kenta , Saito Yoshito , Suzuki Tetsuhito , Kondo Naoshi , Hosoi Fumiki
Published: December 2018

To produce high-quality citrus, the harvest time of citrus should be determined by considering its maturity. To evaluate citrus maturity, the Brix/acid ratio, which is the ratio of sugar content or soluble solids content to acid content, is one of the most commonly used indicators of fruit maturity. To estimate the Brix/acid ratio, fluorescence spectroscopy, which is a rapid, sensitive, and cheap technique, was adopted. Each citrus peel was extracted, and its fluorescence value was measured. Then, the fluorescent spectrum was analyzed using a convolutional neural network (CNN). In fluorescence spectroscopy, a matrix called excitation and emission matrix (EEM) can be obtained, in which each fluorescence intensity was recorded at each excitation and emission wavelength. Then, by regarding the EEM as an image, the Brix/acid ratio of juice from the flesh was estimated via performing a regression with a CNN (CNN regression). As a result, the Brix/acid ratio absolute error was estimated to be 2.48, which is considerably better than the values obtained by the other methods in previous studies. Hyperparameters, such as depth of layers, learning rate, and the number of filters used for this estimation, could be observed using Bayesian optimization, and the optimization contributed to the high accuracy.
A Reconstruction Method for Broken Contour Lines Based on Similar Contours
Authors: Li Chengming , Liu Xiaoli , Wu Wei , Hao Zhiwei
Published: December 2018

The reconstruction of a broken contour line is a prerequisite for the automated processing of contour lines. When the situation with broken contour lines is severe or the terrain is more complex, incorrect and missing connections are most likely to occur using traditional methods. In this paper, a reconstruction method for broken contour lines based on similar and completely closed contours is proposed. First, node densification is conducted on broken contour lines to improve the identification accuracy of the reference line. Second, the discrete Fréchet distance is used to select a reference line and perform reconstruction. Finally, the actual data of Yunnan Province are utilized for verification. The results show that the method proposed in this paper can achieve better reconstruction of broken contour lines, especially for severe broken contour situations or complex terrains; the reconstruction accuracy is significantly improved over that of the traditional method, indicating good feasibility.
On a New Discrete SEIADR Model with Mixed Controls: Study of Its Properties
Authors: Nistal Raul , De la Sen Manuel , Alonso-Quesada Santiago , Ibeas Asier
Published: December 2018

A new discrete SEIADR epidemic model is built based on previous continuous models. The model considers two extra subpopulation, namely, asymptomatic and lying corpses on the usual SEIR models. It can be of potential interest for diseases where infected corpses are infectious like, for instance, Ebola. The model includes two types of vaccinations, a constant one and another proportional to the susceptible subpopulation, as well as a treatment control applied to the infected subpopulation. We study the positivity of the controlled model and the stability of the equilibrium points. Simulations are made in order to provide allocation and examples to the different possible conditions. The equilibrium point with no infection and its stability is related, via the reproduction number values, to the reachability of the endemic equilibrium point.
A Two-Step Approach for Classifying Music Genre on the Strength of AHP Weighted Musical Features
Authors: Chen Yu-Tso , Chen Chi-Hua , Wu Szu , Lo Chi-Chun
Published: December 2018

Music is a series of harmonious sounds well arranged by musical elements including rhythm, melody, and harmony (RMH). Since music digitalization has resulted in a wide variety of new musical applications used in daily life, the use of music genre classification (MGC), especially MGC automation, is increasingly playing a key role in the development of novel musical services. However, achieving satisfactory performance of MGC automation is a practical challenge. This paper proposes a two-step approach for music genre classification (called TSMGC) on the strength of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) weighted musical features. Compared with other MGC approaches, the TSMGC has three strong points for better performance: (1) various musical features extracted from the RMH and the calculated entropy are comprehensively considered, (2) the weight of features and their impact values determined by AHP are applied on the basis of the Exponential Distribution function, (3) music can be accurately categorized into a main-class and further sub-classes through a two-step classification process. According to the conducted experiment, the result exhibits an accuracy rate of 87%, which demonstrates the potential for the proposed TSMGC method to meet the emerging needs of MGC automation.
Ecoacoustics: A Quantitative Approach to Investigate the Ecological Role of Environmental Sounds
Authors: Farina Almo
Published: December 2018

Ecoacoustics is a recent ecological discipline focusing on the ecological role of sounds. Sounds from the geophysical, biological, and anthropic environment represent important cues used by animals to navigate, communicate, and transform unknown environments in well-known habitats. Sounds are utilized to evaluate relevant ecological parameters adopted as proxies for biodiversity, environmental health, and human wellbeing assessment due to the availability of autonomous audio recorders and of quantitative metrics. Ecoacoustics is an important ecological tool to establish an innovative biosemiotic narrative to ensure a strategic connection between nature and humanity, to help in-situ field and remote-sensing surveys, and to develop long-term monitoring programs. Acoustic entropy, acoustic richness, acoustic dissimilarity index, acoustic complexity indices (ACItf and ACIft and their evenness), normalized difference soundscape index, ecoacoustic event detection and identification routine, and their fractal structure are some of the most popular indices successfully applied in ecoacoustics. Ecoacoustics offers great opportunities to investigate ecological complexity across a full range of operational scales (from individual species to landscapes), but requires an implementation of its foundations and of quantitative metrics to ameliorate its competency on physical, biological, and anthropic sonic contexts.
An Environment-Friendly Process Featuring Calcified Roasting and Precipitation Purification to Prepare Vanadium Pentoxide from the Converter Vanadium Slag
Authors: Zhang Juhua , Zhang Wei , Xue Zhengliang
Published: December 2018

Converter vanadium slag is a byproduct of the iron making process when the vanadium titanomagnetite is used as iron raw material. A cleaner process including calcified roasting, dilute acid leaching, precipitation purification, vanadium precipitation with ammonium salt, followed by thermal decomposition was proposed to extract vanadium resource from this slag. And then vanadium pentoxide with purity over 98% was prepared, which can be used as additives for high strength low alloy steel production. A total vanadium recovery beyond 80% was achieved in this whole process. Since no sodium and potassium salt was introduced, wastewater generated was closed-circulating after removing the enriched impurities of P, Si, Ti and Cr with adding powder CaO. The content of V2O5 in residues after vanadium extraction was lower than 1.2 wt.%, while other valuable metals like Fe, Mn, Cr and Ti were concentrated. With no alkaline metal salts added in this process, the metal resources of Fe, Mn, Cr and Ti in the residues were more feasible to be recovered with pyrometallurgy processes.
Nutraceutical Oils Produced by Olives and Citrus Peel of Tuscany Varieties as Sources of Functional Ingredients
Authors: Ascrizzi Roberta , Taglieri Isabella , Sgherri Cristina , Flamini Guido , Macaluso Monica , Sanmartin Chiara , Venturi Francesca , Quartacci Mike Frank , Pistelli Luisa , Zinnai Angela
Published: December 2018

The essential oils extracted from the peels of two Tuscany Citrus of the Massa province have been characterised. Moreover, the flavedo of these species has been used in the production of two Citrus olive oils (COOs) obtained with an innovative method in which the citrus peels are cryomacerated and then pressed with the olives. The presence of functional compounds, such as carotenoids, naringenin and minor phenolics, classifies these COOs as nutraceuticals with the potential to develop enriched foods able to promote a healthy diet. Moreover, the increased presence of tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol, compared to the unflavoured oil, further highlights the nutritional value to the two COOs, being these phenolic compounds recognized as good possible therapeutic candidates for the inhibition of neurodegenerative diseases as the Parkinson’s disease. In this perspective, the citrus peels, rich in bioactive compounds, have been valued transforming their waste nature in an innovative resource.
Cycloartane and Oleanane Glycosides from the Tubers of Eranthis cilicica
Authors: Watanabe Kazuki , Mimaki Yoshihiro , Fukaya Haruhiko , Matsuo Yukiko
Published: December 2018

Phytochemical analysis of the tubers of Eranthis cilicica was performed as part of our continuous study on the plants of the family Ranunculaceae, which resulted in the isolation of eleven new cycloartane glycosides (1–11) and one new oleanane glycoside (13), together with one known oleanane glycoside (12). The structures of the new compounds were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis, including two-dimensional (2D) NMR, and enzymatic hydrolysis followed by either X-ray crystallographic or chromatographic analysis. The aglycone (1a) of 2 and its C-23 epimer (8a), and the oleanane glycosides (12 and 13) showed cytotoxic activity against HL-60 leukemia cells with IC50 values ranging from 10.6 μM to 101.6 μM. HL-60 cells were much more sensitive to 8a (IC50 14.8 μM) than 1a (IC50 101.1 μM), indicating that the C-23 configuration is associated with the cytotoxicity of these cycloartane derivatives. Compound 12 was revealed so as to partially induce apoptotic cell death in HL-60 cells, as was evident from morphology of HL-60 cells treated with 12.
Novel Hexadeca-Substituted Metal Free and Zinc(II) Phthalocyanines; Design, Synthesis and Photophysicochemical Properties
Authors: Awaji Ayoub I. , Köksoy Baybars , Durmuş Mahmut , Aljuhani Ateyatallah , Alraqa Shaya Y.
Published: December 2018

The syntheses of a novel 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octahexyloxy-2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octa-(4-trifluoromethoxyphenyl) phthalocyanine (3a) and its zinc(II) phthalocyanine derivative (3b) have been described and characterized by elemental analysis,1H NMR, 13C NMR, 19F NMR, mass, UV-Vis and FT-IR. The newly prepared metal-free phthalocyanine and its zinc(II) counterpart are soluble in most organic solvents. The photophysical and photochemical properties such as aggregation, fluorescence, singlet oxygen generation and photodegradation under light irradiation of these phthalocyanines have been investigated in DMF. The hexadeca-substituted phthalocyanines (3a and 3b) showed longer absorption and emission wavelength values when compared to that of reported phthalocyanine derivatives due to substitution of the all possible positions in the phthalocyanine framework. The zinc(II) phthalocyanine derivative does not only have a good singlet oxygen generation but also has other photophysicochemical properties that enables this phthalocyanine to be useful as a photosensitizer for cancer treatment using photodynamic therapy.
Drawing a Line: Grasses and Boundaries
Authors: Richardson Annis E , Hake Sarah
Published: December 2018

Delineation between distinct populations of cells is essential for organ development. Boundary formation is necessary for the maintenance of pluripotent meristematic cells in the shoot apical meristem (SAM) and differentiation of developing organs. Boundaries form between the meristem and organs, as well as between organs and within organs. Much of the research into the boundary gene regulatory network (GRN) has been carried out in the eudicot model Arabidopsis thaliana. This work has identified a dynamic network of hormone and gene interactions. Comparisons with other eudicot models, like tomato and pea, have shown key conserved nodes in the GRN and species-specific alterations, including the recruitment of the boundary GRN in leaf margin development. How boundaries are defined in monocots, and in particular the grass family which contains many of the world’s staple food crops, is not clear. In this study, we review knowledge of the grass boundary GRN during vegetative development. We particularly focus on the development of a grass-specific within-organ boundary, the ligule, which directly impacts leaf architecture. We also consider how genome engineering and the use of natural diversity could be leveraged to influence key agronomic traits relative to leaf and plant architecture in the future, which is guided by knowledge of boundary GRNs.
Enhanced Message-Passing Based LEACH Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Kang Jaeyoung , Sohn Illsoo , Lee Sang Hyun
Published: December 2018

This paper proposes a distributed energy-efficient clustering protocol for wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Based on low-energy adaptive clustering hierarchy (LEACH) protocol, the proposed LEACH-eXtended Message-Passing (LEACH-XMP) substantially improves a cluster formation algorithm, which is critical for WSN operations. Unlike the previous approaches, a realistic non-linear energy consumption model is considered, which renders the clustering optimization highly nonlinear and challenging. To this end, a state-of-the-art message-passing approach is introduced to develop an efficient distributed algorithm. The main benefits of the proposed technique are its inherent nature of a distributed algorithm and the saving of computational load imposed for each node. Thus, it proves useful for a practical deployment. In addition, the proposed algorithm rapidly converges to a very accurate solution within a few iterations. Simulation results ensure that the proposed LEACH-XMP maximizes the network lifetime and outperforms existing techniques consistently.
Bacillus thuringiensis Maize Expressing a Fusion Gene Cry1Ab/Cry1AcZM Does Not Harm Valued Pollen Feeders
Authors: Xie Xiaowei , Cui Zhifu , Wang Yanan , Wang Yuanyuan , Cao Fengqin , Romeis Jörg , Peng Yufa , Li Yunhe
Published: December 2018

The ladybird Propylea japonica, adults of the green lacewing Chrysoperla nipponensis and the honey bee Apis mellifera are common pollen feeders in many crop systems. They could therefore be directly exposed to Cry proteins in Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-transgenic crop fields by ingestion of pollen. They, or closely related species, are therefore often selected as surrogate test species in non-target risk assessment of Bt plants. In the current study, we evaluated the potential effects of the ingestion of Bt maize pollen containing the Cry1Ab/Cry1Ac fusion protein on various life-table parameters of the three pollen-feeding non-target species in laboratory feeding assays. The results showed that pupation rate and male adult fresh weight of P. japonica were significantly increased when fed pollen from Bt maize compared to control maize pollen, but other test life-table parameters were not affected. For the other two species, none of the tested life-table parameters (survival, pre-oviposition period, fecundity and adult fresh weight for C. nipponensis; survival and mean acinus diameter of hypopharyngeal glands for A. mellifera) differed between non-Bt and Bt maize pollen treatments. ELISA measurements confirmed the stability and uptake of the Cry protein by all three species during the feeding bioassays. In addition, a sensitive insect bioassay confirmed the bioactivity of the Cry1Ab/Cry1Ac protein in the Bt maize pollen used. Overall, the results suggested that the three pollen feeders are not sensitive to the Cry1Ab/Cry1Ac protein, and planting of the Bt maize variety will pose a negligible risk to P. japonica, adult C. nipponensis and adult A. mellifera.
Characteristics of Late-phase >100 MeV Gamma-Ray Emission in Solar Eruptive Events
Authors: Share G. H. , Murphy R. J. , White S. M. , Tolbert A. K. , Dennis B. R. , Schwartz R. A. , Smart D. F. , Shea M. A.
Published: December 2018

We characterize and catalog 30 solar eruptive events observed by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) having late-phase >100 MeV γ-ray emission (LPGRE), identified 30 yr ago in what were called long-duration gamma-ray flares. We show that LPGRE is temporally and spectrally distinct from impulsive phase emission in these events. The spectra are consistent with the decay of pions produced by >300 MeV protons and are not consistent with primary electron bremsstrahlung. Impulsive >100 keV X-ray emission was observed in all 27 LPGRE events where observations were made. All but two of the LPGRE events were accompanied by a fast and broad coronal mass ejection (CME). The LPGRE start times range from CME onset to 2 hr later. Their durations range from ∼0.1 to 20 hr and appear to be correlated with durations of >100 MeV solar energetic particle (SEP) proton events. The power-law spectral indices of the >300 MeV protons producing LPGRE range from ∼2.5 to 6.5 and vary during some events. Combined γ-ray line and LAT measurements indicate that LPGRE proton spectra are steeper above 300 MeV than they are below 300 MeV. The number of LPGRE protons >500 MeV is typically about 10× the number in the impulsive phase of the solar eruptive event and ranges in nine events from ∼0.01× to 0.5× the number in the accompanying SEP event, with large systematic uncertainty. What appears to be late-phase electron bremsstrahlung with energies up to ∼10 MeV was observed in one LPGRE event. We discuss how current models of LPGRE may explain these characteristics.
Modeling the Variability of Active Galactic Nuclei by an Infinite Mixture of Ornstein–Uhlenbeck (OU) Processes
Authors: Takata Tadafumi , Mukuta Yusuke , Mizumoto Yoshikiko
Published: December 2018

We develop an infinite mixture model of Ornstein–Uhlenbeck (OU) processes for describing the optical variability of QSOs based on treating the variability as a stochastic process. This enables us to get the parameters of the power spectral densities (PSDs) on their brightness variations by providing more flexible description of PSDs than the models based on a single OU process (damped random walk (DRW). We apply this model to 67,507 variable objects extracted from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Stripe 82 photometric data and succeed in showing very high precision in identifying QSOs (∼99% levels in completeness and purity) among variable objects based only on their variability, by investigating on 9855 spectroscopically confirmed objects (7714 QSOs and 2141 stars) in the data of SDSS Data Release 12 (DR12), with sufficient and accurate multiple measurements of their brightness. By comparing our results with the values based on other models that are used in previous research, it is revealed that our model can be used as the most effective method for selecting QSOs from a variable object catalog, especially regarding completeness and purity. The main reason for improved identification rates is the ability of our model to separate clearly QSOs and stars, especially on the small fraction of QSOs with variabilities that can be described better than with the simple DRW model.