bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Innovative Coatings Based on Peppermint Essential Oil on Titanium and Steel Substrates: Chemical and Mechanical Protection Ability
Authors: Cazzola Martina , Ferraris Sara , Banche Giuliana , Gautier Di Confiengo Giovanna , Geobaldo Francesco , Novara Chiara , Spriano Silvia
Published: January 2020

A coating that was made of peppermint essential oil was obtained on different metal substrates: Ti6Al4V alloy (mechanically polished and chemically etched) and 316L stainless steel (mechanically polished and mechanically ground). The final aim is to get a multifunctional (chemical and mechanical) protection of metal surfaces in contact with water media. The coatings were characterized by means of fluorescence microscopy, contact angle measurements, and Fourier Transformed Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectroscopy. The chemical stability of the coatings was tested by means of soaking in water for different times (up to seven days) and washing with different alkaline or acidic solutions. The mechanical adhesion of the coating was tested by tape adhesion test (before and after soaking) and scratch tests to verify whether it has protection ability with respect to the metal substrate. All of the performed characterizations show that the coatings are chemically stable on all of the substrates and are nor dissolved or removed by water during soaking or by alkaline solutions during washing. The adhesion is high and classified as 4B or 5B (on the chemically etched or mechanically ground substrates) according to ASTM D3359-97, depending on the substrate roughness, both before and after soaking. In the case of scratch test (up to 10 N), the coating is not removed and it has a protection action that is able to avoid the surface damage, even if the substrate has a plastic deformation.
Soft Material-Enabled Electronics for Medicine, Healthcare, and Human-Machine Interfaces
Authors: Herbert Robert , Jeong Jae-Woong , Yeo Woon-Hong
Published: January 2020

Soft material-enabled electronics offer distinct advantages over conventional rigid and bulky devices for numerous wearable and implantable applications. Soft materials allow for seamless integration with skin and tissues due to the enhanced mechanical flexibility and stretchability. Wearable devices with multiple sensors offer continuous, real-time monitoring of biosignals and movements, which can be applied for rehabilitation and diagnostics, among other applications. Soft implantable electronics offer similar functionalities, but with improved compatibility with human tissues. Biodegradable soft implantable electronics are also being developed for transient monitoring, such as in the weeks following surgeries. New composite materials, integration strategies, and fabrication techniques are being developed to further advance soft electronics. This paper reviews recent progresses in these areas towards the development of soft material-enabled electronics for medicine, healthcare, and human-machine interfaces.
Short and Long Term Measurements in Assessment of FRP Composite Footbridge Behavior
Authors: Miśkiewicz Mikołaj , Pyrzowski Łukasz , Sobczyk Bartosz
Published: January 2020

The paper presents application of different sensors for the purpose of short and long term measurements, as well as a structural health monitoring (SHM) system to assess the behavior of a novel fiber reinforced plastics (FRP) composite footbridge. The aim is to present a thorough and concise description of these sensors networks and results gathered with their aid during in situ measurement of strains, displacements, and vibrations, as only a few works are available in this field. The bridge geometry, material solutions, and properties are described at first. Then the measurement devices composing the system and subsystems of sensors are elaborated on. Subsequently, the bridge research program is described and the results are shown and discussed. Finally, it is concluded that the use of selected sensors is helpful in assessment of the behavior of the novel structure, and moreover in validation of its numerical models. The collected data confirmed many assumptions made during the bridge design process and allowed us to accept it for exploitation.
Direct Synthesis of Fe-Al Alloys from Elemental Powders Using Laser Engineered Net Shaping
Authors: Pęska Magda , Karczewski Krzysztof , Rzeszotarska Magdalena , Polański Marek
Published: January 2020

The laser engineered net shaping (LENS®) process is shown here as an alternative to melting, casting, and powder metallurgy for manufacturing iron aluminides. This technique was found to allow for the production of FeAl and Fe3Al phases from mixtures of elemental iron and aluminum powders. The in situ synthesis reduces the manufacturing cost and enhances the manufacturing efficiency due to the control of the chemical and phase composition of the deposited layers. The research was carried out on samples with different chemical compositions that were deposited on the intermetallic substrates that were produced by powder metallurgy. The obtained samples with the desired phase composition illustrated that LENS® technology can be successfully applied to alloys synthesis.
Physical and Mechanical Properties of High-Strength Concrete Modified with Supplementary Cementitious Materials after Exposure to Elevated Temperature up to 1000 °C
Authors: Zhou Jianwei , Lu Dong , Yang Yuxuan , Gong Yue , Ma Xudong , Yu Baoying , Yan Baobao
Published: January 2020

This paper presents the experimental findings of a study on the influence of combining usage of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) on the performance of high-strength concrete (HSC) subjected to elevated temperatures. In this study, four types of HSC formulations were prepared: HSC made from cement and fly ash (FA), HSC made from cement and ultra-fine fly ash (UFFA), HSC made from cement and UFFA-metakaolin (MK), and HSC made from cement and FA-UFFA-MK. Mechanical and physical properties of HSC subjected to high temperatures (400, 600, 800, and 1000 °C) were studied. Furthermore, the relation between residual compressive strength and physical properties (loss mass, water absorption, and porosity) of HSC was developed. Results showed that the combined usage of SCMs had limited influence on the early-age strength of HSC, while the 28-d strength had been significantly affected. At 1000 °C, the residual compressive strength retained 18.7 MPa and 23.9 MPa for concretes containing 30% UFFA-5% MK and 10% FA-20% UFFA-5% MK, respectively. The specimen containing FA-UFFA-MK showed the best physical properties when the temperature raised above 600 °C. Combined usage of SCMs (10% FA-20% UFFA-5% MK) showed the lowest mass loss (9.2%), water absorption (10.9%) and porosity (28.6%) at 1000 °C. There was a strongly correlated relation between residual strength and physical properties of HSC exposed to elevated temperatures.
Photocrosslinked Alginate-Methacrylate Hydrogels with Modulable Mechanical Properties: Effect of the Molecular Conformation and Electron Density of the Methacrylate Reactive Group
Authors: Araiza-Verduzco Fernanda , Rodríguez-Velázquez Eustolia , Cruz Harold , Rivero Ignacio A. , Acosta-Martínez Delvis R. , Pina-Luis Georgina , Alatorre-Meda Manuel
Published: January 2020

Hydrogels for load-bearing biomedical applications, such as soft tissue replacement, are required to be tough and biocompatible. In this sense, alginate-methacrylate hydrogels (H-ALGMx) are well known to present modulable levels of elasticity depending on the methacrylation degree; however, little is known about the role of additional structural parameters. In this work, we present an experimental-computational approach aimed to evaluate the effect of the molecular conformation and electron density of distinct methacrylate groups on the mechanical properties of photocrosslinked H-ALGMx hydrogels. Three alginate-methacrylate precursor macromers (ALGMx) were synthesized: alginate-glycidyl methacrylate (ALGM1), alginate-2-aminoethyl methacrylate (ALGM2), and alginate-methacrylic anhydride (ALGM3). The macromers were studied by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR), and density functional theory method (DFT) calculations to assess their molecular/electronic configurations. In parallel, they were also employed to produce H-ALGMx hydrogels, which were characterized by compressive tests. The obtained results demonstrated that tougher hydrogels were produced from ALGMx macromers presenting the C=C reactive bond with an outward orientation relative to the polymer chain and showing free rotation, which favored in conjunction the covalent crosslinking. In addition, although playing a secondary role, it was also found that the presence of acid hydrogen atoms in the methacrylate unit enables the formation of supramolecular hydrogen bonds, thereby reinforcing the mechanical properties of the H-ALGMx hydrogels. By contrast, impaired mechanical properties resulted from macromer conditions in which the C=C bond adopted an inward orientation to the polymer chain accompanied by a torsional impediment.
Formation Mechanism of Dilute Region and Microstructure Evolution in Laser Solid Forming TA15/Ti2AlNb Dual Alloy
Authors: Tan Hua , Mi Zesen , Zhu Yongshuai , Yan Zhenyu , Hou Xin , Chen Jing
Published: January 2020

TA15/Ti2AlNb multiple-layer samples and a dual-alloy sample were fabricated by laser solid forming (LSF) in this study. The formation mechanism of the dilute region and microstructure evolution of the dual alloy were analyzed. The results confirmed a “step” distribution of the composition among several initial layers in the multiple-layer samples, which can be explained by calculating the ratio of the remelted zone to the deposited Ti2AlNb zone in each deposited layer. However, the “step” compositional distribution disappears, and the compositional variation tends to be more continuous and smooth in the TA15/Ti2AlNb dual-alloy sample, which is attributed to alloy elements’ diffusion at the subsequent multiple re-melting and the longer thermal cycle. The macrostructure of the TA15/Ti2AlNb dual-alloy sample consists of epitaxially grown columnar prior β grains at the TA15 side and equiaxed grains at the Ti2AlNb side, while the microstructure shows a transition of α+β→α+α2+β/B2→α2+β/B2→α2+B2+O with increasing amounts of Ti2AlNb, leading to the microhardness also changing significantly.
Ageing Behaviour of Al–Mg–Si Alloys After Cryogenic and Room Temperature Deformation
Authors: Gruber Belinda , Grabner Florian , Fragner Werner , Schökel Alexander , Spieckermann Florian , Uggowitzer Peter J. , Pogatscher Stefan
Published: January 2020

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of cryogenic and room temperature pre-deformation on subsequent artificial ageing of Al–Mg–Si alloys. Naturally aged and pre-aged samples were strained to 5%, 10% and 20% at RT (25 °C) and under liquid nitrogen, and artificially aged at 185 °C. Pre-deformation generally increases ageing kinetics for both the naturally aged and pre-aged alloys, which increase in proportion to the degree of pre-deformation, and which are slightly more pronounced for the cryogenic condition. The peak strength is constant, except for when a low degree of pre-deformation is used, in which case it is slightly reduced. Cryogenically deformed samples show an increased strength and hardness, compared to samples pre-deformed at RT, when subjected to an equal magnitude of strain. This difference is reduced during artificial ageing. Synchrotron measurements reveal that this behaviour can be linked to the greater dislocation density, which is not completely recovered even after prolonged ageing at 185 °C.
Geological Prospection of Placer Chromium Deposits in the Waropen Regency—Indonesia (New Guinea) Using the Method of Indicator Minerals
Authors: Zglinicki Karol , Kosiński Paweł , Piestrzyński Adam , Szamałek Krzysztof
Published: January 2020

Indicator minerals (IM) have been used in the research of gemstone and base metals for over 100 years. IMs are a main source of information about the occurrence of deposits, hydrothermal and weathering changes, as well as bedrock source and type. Since 2013, base metal mineral exploration has taken place on New Guinea Island (the Indonesian part). The analysis of chromian spinels as IM in beach and river sediments led to the discovery of rich chromian-bearing deposits in the Botawa River sediments. The dominant detrital minerals include chromian spinels, olivine, pyroxenes and serpentine. The source of chromian spinels, olivine and pyroxenes are most likely peridotites from the Earth’s mantle zone of the ophiolite series, generated under supra-subduction conditions. The terrigenous deposits contain metamorphic minerals, such as staurolites, andalusites, epidotes, amphiboles and fragments of micas, quartz and chlorite schists. Using ICP-MS analysis of the beach sands, the concentration of Cr2O3 was determined to be at the level of 1.17%, while in the heavy minerals concentrate from the Botawa River sediment, the content of Cr2O3 amounts to 24.83%. The authors conclude that the west parts of the Van Rees Mountains are the probable parent rocks for chromium-bearing sediments.
A Simple and Reliable Protocol for the Preparation and Culturing of Fresh Surgically Resected Human Glioblastoma Tissue
Authors: Kan Liyen Katrina , Drummond Katharine J , Hunn Martin , Williams David A , O’Brien Terence J , Monif Mastura
Published: January 2020

Glioblastoma is a heterogeneous glial cell malignancy with extremely high morbidity and mortality. Current treatment is limited and provide minimal therapeutic efficacy. Previous studies were reliant on cell lines that do not accurately reflect the heterogeneity of the glioma microenvironment. Developing reliable models of human glioblastoma is therefore essential. Direct culture of human brain tumours is often difficult and there is a limited number of protocols available. Hence, we have developed an effective method for the primary culture of human glioblastoma samples obtained during surgical resection. Culturing tumour tissue direct from human brain is advantageous in that cultures (1) more closely resemble true human disease, relative to the use of cell lines; (2) comprise a range of cellular components present in the natural tumour microenvironment; and (3) are free of added antibodies and reagents. Additionally, primary glioblastoma cultures are valuable in studies examining the effects of anti-cancer pharmaceuticals and therapeutic agents, and can be further used in live cell imaging, immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry and immunoassay experiments. Via this protocol, cells are maintained in supplemented medium at 37 °C (5% CO2) and are expected to achieve sufficient confluency within 7 days of initial culture.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of MTI in 2019
Authors: MTI Editorial Office
Published: January 2020

The editorial team greatly appreciates [...]
Aromatic Hyperbranched Polyester/RTM6 Epoxy Resin for EXTREME Dynamic Loading Aeronautical Applications
Authors: Zotti Aldobenedetto , Elmahdy Ahmed , Zuppolini Simona , Borriello Anna , Verleysen Patricia , Zarrelli Mauro
Published: January 2020

The effects of the addition of an aromatic hyperbranched polyester (AHBP) on thermal, mechanical, and fracture toughness properties of a thermosetting resin system were investigated. AHBP filler, synthesized by using a bulk poly-condensation reaction, reveals a glassy state at room temperature. Indeed, according to differential scanning calorimetry measurements, the glass transition temperature (Tg) of AHBP is 95 °C. Three different adduct weight percentages were employed to manufacture the AHBP/epoxy samples, respectively, 0.1, 1, and 5 wt%. Dynamical Mechanical Analysis tests revealed that the addition of AHBP induces a negligible variation in terms of conservative modulus, whereas a slight Tg reduction of about 4 °C was observed at 5 wt% of filler content. Fracture toughness results showed an improvement of both critical stress intensity factor (+18%) and critical strain energy release rate (+83%) by adding 5 wt% of AHBP compared to the neat epoxy matrix. Static and dynamic compression tests covering strain rates ranging from 0.0008 to 1000 s−1 revealed a pronounced strain rate sensitivity for all AHBP/epoxy systems. The AHBP composites all showed an increase of the true peak yield compressive strength with the best improvement associated with the sample with 0.1 wt% of AHBP.
MiRNAs as Novel Adipokines: Obesity-Related Circulating MiRNAs Influence Chemosensitivity in Cancer Patients
Authors: Withers Sarah B. , Dewhurst Toni , Hammond Chloe , Topham Caroline H.
Published: January 2020

Adipose tissue is an endocrine organ, capable of regulating distant physiological processes in other tissues via the release of adipokines into the bloodstream. Recently, circulating adipose-derived microRNAs (miRNAs) have been proposed as a novel class of adipokine, due to their capacity to regulate gene expression in tissues other than fat. Circulating levels of adipokines are known to be altered in obese individuals compared with typical weight individuals and are linked to poorer health outcomes. For example, obese individuals are known to be more prone to the development of some cancers, and less likely to achieve event-free survival following chemotherapy. The purpose of this review was twofold; first to identify circulating miRNAs which are reproducibly altered in obesity, and secondly to identify mechanisms by which these obesity-linked miRNAs might influence the sensitivity of tumors to treatment. We identified 8 candidate circulating miRNAs with altered levels in obese individuals (6 increased, 2 decreased). A second literature review was then performed to investigate if these candidates might have a role in mediating resistance to cancer treatment. All of the circulating miRNAs identified were capable of mediating responses to cancer treatment at the cellular level, and so this review provides novel insights which can be used by future studies which aim to improve obese patient outcomes.
Low Levels of Vitamin D Promote Memory B Cells in Lupus
Authors: Yamamoto Erin A. , Nguyen Jane K. , Liu Jessica , Keller Emma , Campbell Nicole , Zhang Cun-Jin , Smith Howard R. , Li Xiaoxia , Jørgensen Trine N
Published: January 2020

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is a known risk factor for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), yet clinical trials have not demonstrated efficacy and few studies have utilized lupus models to understand the mechanism underlying this relationship. The Act1-/- mouse is a spontaneous model of lupus and Sjögren’s syndrome, characterized by increased Th17 cells and peripheral B cell expansion. Vitamin D3 has anti-inflammatory properties, reduces Th17 cells and impairs B cell differentiation/activation. Therefore, we assessed how varying amounts of vitamin D3 affected lupus-like disease in the Act1-/- mouse. Methods: Act1-/- mice were fed either low/restricted (0 IU/kg), normal (2 IU/kg), or high/supplemented (10 IU/kg) vitamin D3 chow for 9 weeks, after which lupus-like features were analyzed. Results: While we found no differences in Th17 cells between vitamin D3 groups, vitamin D3 restriction specifically promoted memory B cell development, accompanied by elevated levels of serum IgM, IgG1, IgG3, and anti-dsDNA IgG. A similar significant negative association between serum vitamin D and memory B cells was confirmed in a cohort of SLE patients. Conclusion: Low levels of vitamin D3 are associated with elevated levels of memory B cells in an animal model of lupus and well-controlled SLE patients.
The Effect of a Food Addiction Explanation Model for Weight Control and Obesity on Weight Stigma
Authors: O’Brien Kerry S. , Puhl Rebecca M. , Latner Janet D. , Lynott Dermot , Reid Jessica D. , Vakhitova Zarina , Hunter John A. , Scarf Damian , Jeanes Ruth , Bouguettaya Ayoub , Carter Adrian
Published: January 2020

There is increasing scientific and public support for the notion that some foods may be addictive, and that poor weight control and obesity may, for some people, stem from having a food addiction. However, it remains unclear how a food addiction model (FAM) explanation for obesity and weight control will affect weight stigma. In two experiments (N = 530 and N = 690), we tested the effect of a food addiction explanation for obesity and weight control on weight stigma. In Experiment 1, participants who received a FAM explanation for weight control and obesity reported lower weight stigma scores (e.g., less dislike of ‘fat people’, and lower personal willpower blame) than those receiving an explanation emphasizing diet and exercise (F(4,525) = 7.675, p = 0.006; and F(4,525) = 5.393, p = 0.021, respectively). In Experiment 2, there was a significant group difference for the dislike of ‘fat people’ stigma measure (F(5,684) = 5.157, p = 0.006), but not for personal willpower weight stigma (F(5,684) = 0.217, p = 0.81). Participants receiving the diet and exercise explanation had greater dislike of ‘fat people’ than those in the FAM explanation and control group (p values < 0.05), with no difference between the FAM and control groups (p > 0.05). The FAM explanation for weight control and obesity did not increase weight stigma and resulted in lower stigma than the diet and exercise explanation that attributes obesity to personal control. The results highlight the importance of health messaging about the causes of obesity and the need for communications that do not exacerbate weight stigma.
Structure–Activity Relationships (SARs) of α-Ketothioamides as Inhibitors of Phosphoglycerate Dehydrogenase (PHGDH)
Authors: Spillier Quentin , Ravez Séverine , Unterlass Judith , Corbet Cyril , Degavre Charline , Feron Olivier , Frédérick Raphaël
Published: January 2020

For many years now, targeting deregulation within cancer cells’ metabolism has appeared as a promising strategy for the development of more specific and efficient cancer treatments. Recently, numerous reports highlighted the crucial role of the serine synthetic pathway, and particularly of the phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH), the first enzyme of the pathway, to sustain cancer progression. Yet, because of very weak potencies usually in cell-based settings, the inhibitors reported so far failed to lay ground on the potential of this approach. In this paper, we report a structure–activity relationship study of a series of α-ketothioamides that we have recently identified. Interestingly, this study led to a deeper understanding of the structure–activity relationship (SAR) in this series and to the identification of new PHGDH inhibitors. The activity of the more potent compounds was confirmed by cellular thermal shift assays and in cell-based experiments. We hope that this research will eventually provide a new entry point, based on this promising chemical scaffold, for the development of therapeutic agents targeting PHGDH.
A Novel Approach for Predicting the Height of the Water-Flow Fracture Zone in Undersea Safety Mining
Authors: Dai Bing , Chen Ying
Published: January 2020

The height of the water-flow fracture zone (WFZ) is an important reference for designing the size of a waterproof crown pillar. Once the WFZ is connected with the sea, there will be catastrophic consequences, especially for undersea mining. This study suggests using a rotating forest (RoF) model to predict the height of the WFZ for the evaluation of the size of a waterproof crown pillar. To train and test the RoF model, five indicators with major influencing factors on undersea safety mining were determined, 107 field-measured mining datasets were collected, 75 (70%) datasets were used for training, and 32 (30%) datasets were used for model testing. At the same time, the random forest ensemble algorithm (RFR) and support vector machine (SVM) models were introduced for comparison and verification; in the end, the tested results were evaluated by RMSE (root-mean-square error) and R2. The comparison shows that the predicted results from the RoF model are significantly better than those from the RFR and SVM models. An importance analysis of the impact indicators shows that the mining height and depth have significant impacts on the prediction results. The development height of the WFZ in undersea safety mining was predicted via the RoF model. The predicted results via the RoF model were verified by field observations using panoramic borehole televiewers. The RoF prediction results are consistent with the observation results at all depths. Compared with the other two models, the RoF model has the smallest average absolute error at 2.87%. The results show that the RoF model can be applied to predict the height of the WFZ in undersea mining, which could be an effective way of minimizing the mineral resource waste in the study area and in other similar areas in the world under the premise of mine safety.
Regional Forest Volume Estimation by Expanding LiDAR Samples Using Multi-Sensor Satellite Data
Authors: Xie Bo , Cao Chunxiang , Xu Min , Bashir Barjeece , Singh Ramesh P. , Huang Zhibin , Lin Xiaojuan
Published: January 2020

Accurate information regarding forest volume plays an important role in estimating afforestation, timber harvesting, and forest ecological services. Traditionally, operations on forest growing stock volume using field measurements are labor-intensive and time-consuming. Recently, remote sensing technology has emerged as a time-cost efficient method for forest inventory. In the present study, we have adopted three procedures, including samples expanding, feature selection, and results generation and evaluation. Extrapolating the samples from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) scanning is the most important step in satisfying the requirement of sample size for nonparametric methods operation and result in accuracy improvement. Besides, mean decrease Gini (MDG) methodology embedded into Random Forest (RF) algorithm served as a selector for feature measure; afterwards, RF and K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) were adopted in subsequent forest volume prediction. The results show that the retrieval of Forest volume in the entire area was in the range of 50–360 m3/ha, and the results from the two models show a better consistency while using the sample combination extrapolated by the optimal threshold value (2 × 10−4), leading to the best performances of RF (R2 = 0.618, root mean square error, RMSE = 43.641 m3/ha, mean absolute error, MAE = 33.016 m3/ha), followed by KNN (R2 = 0.617, RMSE = 43.693 m3/ha, MAE = 32.534 m3/ha). The detailed analysis that is discussed in the present paper clearly shows that expanding image-derived LiDAR samples helps in refining the prediction of regional forest volume while using satellite data and nonparametric models.
Evaluation of the Radar QPE and Rain Gauge Data Merging Methods in Northern China
Authors: Qiu Qingtai , Liu Jia , Tian Jiyang , Jiao Yufei , Li Chuanzhe , Wang Wei , Yu Fuliang
Published: January 2020

Radar-rain gauge merging methods have been widely used to produce high-quality precipitation with fine spatial resolution by combing the advantages of the rain gauge observation and the radar quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE). Different merging methods imply a specific choice on the treatment of radar and rain gauge data. In order to improve their applicability, significant studies have focused on evaluating the performances of the merging methods. In this study, a categorization of the radar-rain gauge merging methods was proposed as: (1) Radar bias adjustment category, (2) radar-rain gauge integration category, and (3) rain gauge interpolation category for a total of six commonly used merging methods, i.e., mean field bias (MFB), regression inverse distance weighting (RIDW), collocated co-kriging (CCok), fast Bayesian regression kriging (FBRK), regression kriging (RK), and kriging with external drift (KED). Eight different storm events were chosen from semi-humid and semi-arid areas of Northern China to test the performance of the six methods. Based on the leave-one-out cross validation (LOOCV), conclusions were obtained that the integration category always performs the best, the bias adjustment category performs the worst, and the interpolation category ranks between them. The quality of the merging products can be a function of the merging method that is affected by both the quality of radar QPE and the ability of the rain gauge to capture small-scale rainfall features. In order to further evaluate the applicability of the merging products, they were then used as the input to a rainfall-runoff model, the Hybrid-Hebei model, for flood forecasting. It is revealed that a higher quality of the merging products indicates a better agreement between the observed and the simulated runoff.
Mobility-Aware Service Caching in Mobile Edge Computing for Internet of Things
Authors: Wei Hua , Luo Hong , Sun Yan
Published: January 2020

The mobile edge computing architecture successfully solves the problem of high latency in cloud computing. However, current research focuses on computation offloading and lacks research on service caching issues. To solve the service caching problem, especially for scenarios with high mobility in the Sensor Networks environment, we study the mobility-aware service caching mechanism. Our goal is to maximize the number of users who are served by the local edge-cloud, and we need to make predictions about the user’s target location to avoid invalid service requests. First, we propose an idealized geometric model to predict the target area of a user’s movement. Since it is difficult to obtain all the data needed by the model in practical applications, we use frequent patterns to mine local moving track information. Then, by using the results of the trajectory data mining and the proposed geometric model, we make predictions about the user’s target location. Based on the prediction result and existing service cache, the service request is forwarded to the appropriate base station through the service allocation algorithm. Finally, to be able to train and predict the most popular services online, we propose a service cache selection algorithm based on back-propagation (BP) neural network. The simulation experiments show that our service cache algorithm reduces the service response time by about 13.21% on average compared to other algorithms, and increases the local service proportion by about 15.19% on average compared to the algorithm without mobility prediction.
“MicroMED” Optical Particle Counter: From Design to Flight Model
Authors: Scaccabarozzi Diego , Saggin Bortolino , Somaschini Riccardo , Magni Marianna , Valnegri Pietro , Esposito Francesca , Molfese Cesare , Cozzolino Fabio , Mongelluzzo Giuseppe
Published: January 2020

MicroMED (Micro Martian Environmental Dust Systematic Analyzer (MEDUSA)) instrument was selected for the ExoMars 2020 mission to study the airborne dust on the red planet through in situ measurements of the size distribution and concentration. This characterization has never been done before and would have a strong impact on the understanding of Martian climate and Aeolian processes on Mars. The MicroMED is an optical particle counter that exploits the measured intensity of light scattered by dust particles when crossing a collimated laser beam. The measurement technique is well established for laboratory and ground applications but in order to be mounted on the Dust Suite payload within the framework of ExoMars 2020 mission, the instrument must be compatible with harsh mechanical and thermal environments and the tight mass budget of the mission payload. This work summarizes the thermo-mechanical design of the instrument, the manufacturing of the flight model and its successful qualification in expected thermal and mechanical environments.
An Electrochemical Immunosensor Based on a Self-Assembled Monolayer Modified Electrode for Label-Free Detection of α-Synuclein
Authors: Ge Chuang-Ye , Rahman Md. Mahbubur , Zhang Wei , Lopa Nasrin Siraj , Jin Lei , Yoon Sujin , Jang Hohyoun , Xu Guang-Ri , Kim Whangi
Published: January 2020

This research demonstrated the development of a simple, cost-effective, and label-free immunosensor for the detection of α-synuclein (α-Syn) based on a cystamine (CYS) self-assembled monolayer (SAM) decorated fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) electrode. CYS-SAM was formed onto the FTO electrode by the adsorption of CYS molecules through the head sulfur groups. The free amine (–NH2) groups at the tail of the CYS-SAM enabled the immobilization of anti-α-Syn-antibody, which concurrently allowed the formation of immunocomplex by covalent bonding with α-Syn-antigen. The variation of the concentrations of the attached α-Syn at the immunosensor probe induced the alternation of the current and the charge transfer resistance (Rct) for the redox response of [Fe(CN)6]3−/4−, which displayed a linear dynamic range from 10 to 1000 ng/mL with a low detection limit (S/N = 3) of ca. 3.62 and 1.13 ng/mL in differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) measurements, respectively. The immunosensor displayed good reproducibility, anti-interference ability, and good recoveries of α-Syn detection in diluted human serum samples. The proposed immunosensor is a promising platform to detect α-Syn for the early diagnose of Parkinson’s disease, which can be extended for the determination of other biologically important biomarkers.
Consumption Analysis of Smartphone based Fall Detection Systems with Multiple External Wireless Sensors
Authors: González-Cañete Francisco Javier , Casilari Eduardo
Published: January 2020

Fall Detection Systems (FDSs) based on wearable technologies have gained much research attention in recent years. Due to the networking and computing capabilities of smartphones, these widespread personal devices have been proposed to deploy cost-effective wearable systems intended for automatic fall detection. In spite of the fact that smartphones are natively provided with inertial sensors (accelerometers and gyroscopes), the effectiveness of a smartphone-based FDS can be improved if it also exploits the measurements collected by small low-power wireless sensors, which can be firmly attached to the user’s body without causing discomfort. For these architectures with multiple sensing points, the smartphone transported by the user can act as the core of the FDS architecture by processing and analyzing the data measured by the external sensors and transmitting the corresponding alarm whenever a fall is detected. In this context, the wireless communications with the sensors and with the remote monitoring point may impact on the general performance of the smartphone and, in particular, on the battery lifetime. In contrast with most works in the literature (which disregard the real feasibility of implementing an FDS on a smartphone), this paper explores the actual potential of current commercial smartphones to put into operation an FDS that incorporates several external sensors. This study analyzes diverse operational aspects that may influence the consumption (as the use of a GPS sensor, the coexistence with other apps, the retransmission of the measurements to an external server, etc.) and identifies practical scenarios in which the deployment of a smartphone-based FDS is viable.
Simulation-Based Design and Optimization of Rectangular Micro-Cantilever-Based Aerosols Mass Sensor
Authors: Xu Feng , Wei Yuliang , Bian Shiyuan , Wang Huanqin , Chen Da-Ren , Kong Deyi
Published: January 2020

Micro-Cantilever (MCL) is a thin film structure that is applied for aerosol particle mass sensing. Several modifications to the rectangular MCL (length-to-width ratio, slots at the anchor, serrations at its side edges) are made to deduce the role and influence of the shape of rectangular MCL-based aerosol mass sensors and reduce gas damping. A finite element fluid-structure interaction model was used to investigate the performance of MCL. It is found that (I) the mass sensitivity and quality factor decline with the increasing of length-to-width ratio which alters the resonant frequency of the MCL. The optimum conditions, including the length-to-width ratio (σlw = 5) and resonant frequency (f0 = 540.7 kHz) of the MCL, are obtained with the constant surface area (S = 45,000 μm2) in the frequency domain ranging from 0 to 600 kHz. (II) The slots can enhance the read-out signal and bring a small Q factor drop. (III) The edge serrations on MCL significantly reduce the gas damping. The results provide a reference for the design of aerosol mass sensor, which makes it possible to develop aerosol mass sensor with high frequency, sensitivity, and quality.
Acoustic Inspection of Concrete Structures Using Active Weak Supervision and Visual Information
Authors: Louhi Kasahara Jun Younes Louhi , Yamashita Atsushi , Asama Hajime
Published: January 2020

Concrete structures are featured heavily in most modern societies. In recent years, the need to inspect those structures has been a growing concern and the automation of inspection methods is highly demanded. Acoustic methods such as the hammering test are one of the most popular non-destructive testing methods for this task. In this paper, an approach to defect detection in concrete structures with active weak supervision and visual information is proposed. Based on audio and position information, pairs of samples are actively queried to a user on their similarity. Those are used to transform the feature space into a favorable one, in a weakly supervised fashion, for clustering defect and non-defect samples, reinforced by position information. Experiments conducted in both laboratory conditions and in field conditions proved the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Design, Analysis, and Verification of an Electro- Hydrostatic Actuator for Distributed Actuation System
Authors: Li Yang , Jiao Zongxia , Wang Zimeng
Published: January 2020

In order to provide a simplified and low-cost solution of the terminal for a distributed actuation system, this paper proposes an electro-hydrostatic actuator (EHA) based on the linear drive principle. The proposed actuator is directly driven by a linear pump with a collaborative rectification mechanism, whose performance relies on the collaboration of the internal two units. A pair of linear oscillating motors are employed to drive the two pump units respectively. The control of the actuator is based on the modulation of the oscillating amplitude, frequency, and phase difference of the two motors. The advantage of this actuator is that no more valve control is needed to rectify the linear pump besides the high efficiency of the direct pump drive. In this paper, both schematic and detailed structure of the actuator is presented. The kinematic and dynamic characteristics are analyzed and modeled, based on which the control method is proposed. The experiments verify the validity of the actuator structure and control.
Fruit Battery Method for Oil Palm Fruit Ripeness Sensor and Comparison with Computer Vision Method
Authors: Aliteh Nor Aziana , Minakata Kaiko , Tashiro Kunihisa , Wakiwaka Hiroyuki , Kobayashi Kazuki , Nagata Hirokazu , Misron Norhisam
Published: January 2020

Oil palm ripeness’ main evaluation procedure is traditionally accomplished by human vision. However, the dependency on human evaluators to grade the ripeness of oil palm fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) by traditional means could lead to inaccuracy that can cause a reduction in oil palm fruit oil extraction rate (OER). This paper emphasizes the fruit battery method to distinguish oil palm fruit FFB ripeness stages by determining the value of load resistance voltage and its moisture content resolution. In addition, computer vision using a color feature is tested on the same samples to compare the accuracy score using support vector machine (SVM). The accuracy score results of the fruit battery, computer vision, and a combination of both methods’ accuracy scores are evaluated and compared. When the ripe and unripe samples were tested for load resistance voltage ranging from 10 Ω to 10 kΩ, three resistance values were shortlisted and tested for moisture content resolution evaluation. A 1 kΩ load resistance showed the best moisture content resolution, and the results were used for accuracy score evaluation comparison with computer vision. From the results obtained, the accuracy scores for the combination method are the highest, followed by the fruit battery and computer vision methods.
Assessing the Influence of Temperature Changes on the Geometric Stability of Smartphone- and Raspberry Pi Cameras
Authors: Elias Melanie , Eltner Anette , Liebold Frank , Maas Hans-Gerd
Published: January 2020

Knowledge about the interior and exterior camera orientation parameters is required to establish the relationship between 2D image content and 3D object data. Camera calibration is used to determine the interior orientation parameters, which are valid as long as the camera remains stable. However, information about the temporal stability of low-cost cameras due to the physical impact of temperature changes, such as those in smartphones, is still missing. This study investigates on the one hand the influence of heat dissipating smartphone components at the geometric integrity of implemented cameras and on the other hand the impact of ambient temperature changes at the geometry of uncoupled low-cost cameras considering a Raspberry Pi camera module that is exposed to controlled thermal radiation changes. If these impacts are neglected, transferring image measurements into object space will lead to wrong measurements due to high correlations between temperature and camera’s geometric stability. Monte-Carlo simulation is used to simulate temperature-related variations of the interior orientation parameters to assess the extent of potential errors in the 3D data ranging from a few millimetres up to five centimetres on a target in X- and Y-direction. The target is positioned at a distance of 10 m to the camera and the Z-axis is aligned with camera’s depth direction.
Recent Advances in Electrochemical and Optical Biosensors Designed for Detection of Interleukin 6
Authors: Khan Munezza Ata , Mujahid Mohammad
Published: January 2020

Interleukin 6 (IL-6), being a major component of homeostasis, immunomodulation, and hematopoiesis, manifests multiple pathological conditions when upregulated in response to viral, microbial, carcinogenic, or autoimmune stimuli. High fidelity immunosensors offer real-time monitoring of IL-6 and facilitate early prognosis of life-threatening diseases. Different approaches to augment robustness and enhance overall performance of biosensors have been demonstrated over the past few years. Electrochemical- and fluorescence-based detection methods with integrated electronics have been subjects of intensive research due to their ability to offer a better signal-to-noise ratio, high specificity, ultra-sensitivity, and wide dynamic range. In this review, the pleiotropic role of IL-6 and its clinical significance is discussed in detail, followed by detection schemes devised so far for their quantitative analysis. A critical review on underlying signal amplification strategies and performance of electrochemical and optical biosensors is presented. In conclusion, we discuss the reliability and feasibility of the proposed detection technologies for commercial applications.
Phytochemical Profile of Asplenium aethiopicum (Burm. f.) Becherer Using HPTLC
Authors: Johnson Marimuthu , Gowtham Janarthanan , Janakiraman Narayanan , Renisheya Joy Jeba Malar Tharmaraj , Rocha Janaina , Coutinho Henrique
Published: January 2020

The present study was aimed to validate the phenolic, flavonoids, alkaloids and tannins profile of Aspleniuma ethiopicum (Burm. f.) Becherer methanolic extracts using HPTLC (High-performance thin-layer chromatography). The chromatographic separation was performed using the standard method. The separation methodology was optimized and phytoconstituents of A. aethiopicum methanolic extracts were separated. The methanolic extract of A. aethiopicum showed several bands identified as known phenolic compounds. The obtained flavonoids profiles were identified. HPTLC alkaloids profile of A. aethiopicum revealed 11 types of alkaloids. The tannin profile of methanolic extracts of A. aethiopicum demonstrated 11 different types of tannins. The observed profiles will be used as phytomarker to identify the chemical constituents of A. aethiopicum methanolic extracts. These profiles will act as a fingerprint of A. aethiopicum and help us to distinguish from its adulterants. The observed profile will help us to identify the crude drugs and improve the therapeutic potentials of A. aethiopicum.
Analysis of the Development Level of Geo-Economic Relations between China and Countries along the Belt and Road
Authors: Hu Wei , Ge Yuejing , Dang Qin , Huang Yu , Hu Yuan , Ye Shuai , Wang Shufang
Published: January 2020

With the continuous advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative, countries along the Belt and Road are becoming the most important geo-economic space for China’s peaceful rise. This paper constructs a geo-economic model to measure the geo-economic relations between China and countries along the Belt and Road, analyzes the spatial-temporal patterns of geo-economic flow between China and these countries, and discusses the spatial agglomeration of geo-economic flow between China and these countries. The results show that the geo-economic flow between China and the countries along the Belt and Road is increasing and the geo-economic relations between China and these countries are continuing to improve. Trade flow is far greater than investment flow, and China’s geo-economic relations with these countries have mainly relied on trade flow. The spatial differentiation of geo-economic flow between China and countries along the Belt and Road is significant. The development of geo-economic relations is unbalanced, and regional powers play an important role. The geo-economic center of gravity of China and countries along the Belt and Road was moving in the northeastern part of India and it first moved to the northwest and then to the southeast. China’s geo-economic space has obvious core-peripheral structure characteristics, and Southeast Asia is the core area of China’s geo-economic space. China’s geo-economic space presents a northwest-southeast pattern in the direction. There has been a significant, positive spatial autocorrelation in geo-economic flow between China and the countries along the Belt and Road, but the overall spatial agglomeration has been weak. The geo-economic flow agglomerations of China and these countries have mainly occurred in Southeast Asia, and the main agglomeration type has been high–high. The geo-economic activities of China and Southeast Asia had certain spatial spillover effects. To promote the sustainable development of China’s geo-economic relations with the countries along the Belt and Road, China should upgrade investment networks with these countries, optimize geo-economic relations with regional powers, and promote the full development of trade flow, investment flow and other geo-economic element flow.