bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study on Non-Isothermal Transformation of Ti-6Al-4V in Solution Heating Stage
Authors: Yu Hui , Li Wei , Zou Haibei , Li Songsong , Zhai Tongguang , Liu Ligang
Published: September 2019

In order to understand the non-isothermal transformation behavior of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy in the continuous heating stage of solution treatment, thermal dilatometry tests with heating rates of 0.1~0.8 °C/s were designed. The conversion between the expansion amount and the transformed volume fraction was realized by the lever principle, and the transformation characteristics of α + β → β were quantified based on the Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) theory and the modified Johnson–Mehl–Avrami (JMA) model. The results show that the phase transformation kinetics curves present typical “S” patterns, and the element diffusion transformation controls the nucleation and growth of new grains during the transformation of α + β → β. The phase transformation interval gradually moves to high temperature regions with the increase of heating rates, and the phase transformation activation energy is 445.5 kJ·mol−1. The phase transformation process is divided into three stages according to the relationship between the Avrami exponent n and the transformed volume fraction fT. These three stages correspond to different stages of grain nucleation or growth.
Inactivation of the pgmA Gene in Streptococcus mutans Significantly Decreases Biofilm-Associated Antimicrobial Tolerance
Authors: Nilsson Martin , Givskov Michael , Twetman Svante , Tolker-Nielsen Tim
Published: September 2019

Screening of a Streptococcus mutans mutant library indicated that pgmA mutants displayed a reduced biofilm-associated tolerance toward gentamicin. The biofilms formed by the S. mutans pgmA mutant also displayed decreased tolerance towards linezolid and vancomycin compared to wild-type biofilms. On the contrary, the resistance of planktonic S. mutans pgmA cells to gentamycin, linezolid, and vancomycin was more similar to wild-type levels. Investigations of biofilms grown in microtiter trays and on submerged glass slides showed that pgmA mutants formed roughly the same amount of biofilm as the wild type, indicating that the reduced antimicrobial tolerance of these mutants is not due to diminished biofilm formation. The pgmA gene product is known to be involved in the synthesis of precursors for cell wall components such as teichoic acids and membrane glycolipids. Accordingly, the S. mutans pgmA mutant showed increased sensitivity to Congo Red, indicating that it has impaired cell wall integrity. A changed cell wall composition of the S. mutans pgmA mutant may play a role in the increased sensitivity of S. mutans pgmA biofilms toward antibiotics.
Chiral C2-Symmetric Diimines with 4,5-Diazafluorene Units
Authors: Vasilyev Eugene S. , Bizyaev Sergey N. , Komarov Vladislav Yu. , Gatilov Yury V. , Tkachev Alexey V.
Published: September 2019

A synthetic approach to a new group of stable chiral C2-symmetric diimines with the 4,5-diazafluorene core has been developed based on condensation of dipinodiazafluorene with aromatic diamines. The chemical structures of new compounds were proven by spectroscopic methods and X-ray crystallography. All the compounds form solvates with organic solvents (chloroform, benzene, 1,4-dioxane) and water. Specific spectral data of the new compounds are explained using calculated data (DFT). Diimines of the pinodiazafluorene series give colored reactions with transition metal ions and can be regarded as prospective polydentate ligands with interesting luminescent and chiroptical properties.
Effect of Different Post-Harvest Processing Methods on the Chemical Constituents of Notopterygium franchetii by an UHPLC-QTOF-MS-MS Metabolomics Approach
Authors: Su Xueyan , Wu Youjiao , Li Ying , Huang Yanfei , Liu Yuan , Luo Pei , Zhang Zhifeng
Published: September 2019

Notopterygium franchetii is a herb used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is known as qianghuo. Its bioactive qualities are influenced by the post-harvest processing methods used (such as drying). However, changes in chemical components according to the drying method are unknown. Fresh roots and rhizomes of N. franchetii were subjected to seven drying methods. Chromatography-mass spectrometry combined with targeted and untargeted analyses were used to investigate relationships between drying methods and chemical concentrations. According to targeted evaluations of the six main bioactive constituents, their total contents decreased significantly in all drying methods. Hierarchical clustering analysis of the drying methods and total metabolome detected 30 chemical constituents, for which heap maps were obtained. Hot air drying was the best processing method, producing the least chemical changes at the lowest cost, while shade drying caused the greatest chemical changes. In conclusion, the wide range of chemical changes in N. franchetii caused by drying was investigated. Such changes potentially affect the quality of herbal medicines.
Proximate Composition and Nutritional Profile of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Heads and Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus Pelamis) Heads
Authors: Li Weinan , Liu Yu , Jiang Wei , Yan Xiaojun
Published: September 2019

In order to evaluate the application potential of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) heads and skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) heads; proximate composition, amino acids, fatty acids, carnosine, and anserine contents were analyzed in this study. Rainbow trout heads showed significantly higher protein (29.31 g/100 g FW, FW is abbreviation of fresh weight) and lipid (6.03 g/100 g FW) contents than skipjack tuna heads (18.47 g/100 g FW protein and 4.83 g/100 g FW lipid) (p < 0.05). Rainbow trout heads and skipjack tuna heads exhibited similar amino acid composition. Essential amino acids constituted more than 40% of total amino acids in both rainbow trout head and skipjack tuna head. The fatty acid profile was different between rainbow trout heads and skipjack tuna heads. Rainbow trout heads mainly contained 38.64% polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and 38.57% monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), whereas skipjack tuna heads mainly contained 54.46% saturated fatty acids (SFAs). Skipjack tuna heads contained 4563 mg/kg FW anserine and 1761 mg/kg FW carnosine, which were both significantly higher than those of rainbow trout heads (p < 0.05). These results demonstrate that both rainbow trout heads and skipjack tuna heads may be used as materials for recycling high-quality protein. Meanwhile, rainbow trout heads can be used to extract oil with high contents of unsaturated fatty acids, while skipjack tuna heads may be a source for obtaining carnosine and anserine.
Encapsulation of Few-Layer MoS2 in the Pores of Mesoporous Carbon Hollow Spheres for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Zhao Yunyan , Zhuang Qianyu , Li Wenda , Peng Hongrui , Li Guicun , Zhang Zhonghua
Published: September 2019

Integrating a highly conductive carbon host and polar inorganic compounds has been widely reported to improve the electrochemical performances for promising low-cost lithium sulfur batteries. Herein, a MoS2/mesoporous carbon hollow sphere (MoS2/MCHS) structure has been proposed as an efficient sulfur cathode via a simple wet impregnation method and gas phase vulcanization method. Multi-fold structural merits have been demonstrated for the MoS2/MCHS structures. On one hand, the mesoporous carbon hollow sphere (MCHS) matrix, with abundant pore structures and high specific surface areas, could load a large amount of sulfur, improve the electronical conductivity of sulfur electrodes, and suppress the volume changes during the repeated sulfur conversion processes. On the other hand, ultrathin multi-layer MoS2 nanosheets are revealed to be uniformly distributed in the mesoporous carbon hollow spheres, enhancing the physical adsorption and chemical entrapment functionalities towards the soluble polysulfide species. Having benefited from these structural advantages, the sulfur-impregnated MoS2/MCHS cathode presents remarkably improved electrochemical performances in terms of lower voltage polarization, higher reversible capacity (1094.3 mAh g−1), higher rate capability (590.2 mAh g−1 at 2 C), and better cycling stability (556 mAh g−1 after 400 cycles at 2 C) compared to the sulfur-impregnated MCHS cathode. This work offers a novel delicate design strategy for functional materials to achieve high performance lithium sulfur batteries.
A Longitudinal Assessment of Diet Quality and Risks Associated with Malnutrition in Socioeconomic and Racially Diverse Adults
Authors: Fanelli Kuczmarski Marie , Stave Shupe Emily , Pohlig Ryan T. , Rawal Rita , Zonderman Alan B. , Evans Michele K.
Published: September 2019

Little is known about the effects of diet quality through adulthood and its association with malnutrition later in life. The first research objective was to evaluate diet quality assessed by Mean Adequacy Ratio (MAR) of United States African American and White adults (n = 2066), examined at baseline and two follow-up waves in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study. The sample was split into cohorts by age at study baseline: Younger, <50, and older, ≥50 years. The second objective was to assess the association of MAR and risk for malnutrition in adults who were ≥60 years at wave 4 (n = 746). The Mini Nutritional Assessment was used to determine risk for malnutrition. At each of the three study waves, 17 micronutrients from two 24 h dietary recalls were used to calculate MAR. Over 13 years MAR changed minimally in the younger cohort as they aged from early to middle adulthood. In contrast, a statistically significant decline in MAR was observed for the older cohort between baseline (2004–2009) and wave 4 (2013–2017), with a greater degree of worsening at low energy levels. The risk for malnutrition was significantly associated with consuming a diet low in energy, lower protein as a percent of energy at baseline, as well as being food insecure, a current smoker, and having income <125% poverty. The risk for malnutrition was not associated with a change in protein intake in years prior to age 60, change in MAR scores across waves, MAR at wave 4, age, sex, race, or having hypertension or diabetes. These longitudinal study findings revealed that diet quality was not predictive of risk for malnutrition.
Inflammatory Dietary Pattern Predicts Dyslipidemia and Anemia in Middle-Aged and Older Taiwanese Adults with Declined Kidney Function: A Cross-Sectional Population Study from 2008 to 2010
Authors: Kurniawan Adi Lukas , Hsu Chien-Yeh , Rau Hsiao-Hsien , Lin Li-Yin , Chao Jane C-J
Published: September 2019

Dyslipidemia, anemia, and inflammation are associated with declined kidney function. This study investigated the association of inflammatory dietary pattern with dyslipidemia, anemia, and kidney function biomarkers among middle-aged and older Taiwanese adults with declined kidney function. Biochemical data and food frequency questionnaire were obtained from 41,128 participants with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <90 mL/min/1.73 m2 and positive urinary protein. Inflammatory dietary pattern was identified by reduced rank regression with C-reactive protein (CRP) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (N/L) as response variables. Males had higher prevalence of dyslipidemia and higher inflammatory markers, but lower prevalence of anemia and lower eGFR levels compared to females. Inflammatory dietary pattern characterized with low intakes of seafood, grains, vegetables, and fruits but high intakes of meat, eggs, preserved/processed foods, and sugary drinks was associated with an increased risk of dyslipidemia by 21% in males and an increased risk of anemia by 28–47% in both genders. Furthermore, high consumption of inflammatory dietary pattern was associated with reduced eGFR (males β = −0.85, 95% CI −1.26 to −0.43, females β = −0.53, 95% CI −0.98 to −0.08) and increased N/L and/or CRP in both genders. In conclusion, inflammatory dietary pattern is positively associated with dyslipidemia, anemia, and decreased kidney function in middle-aged and older adults with declined kidney function.
Lean Women on Metformin and Oral Contraceptives for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Demonstrate a Dehydrated Osteosarcopenic Phenotype: A Pilot Study
Authors: Stefanaki Charikleia , Bacopoulou Flora , Kandaraki Eleni , Boschiero Dario , Diamandi-Kandarakis Evanthia
Published: September 2019

Scarce data exist on the body composition of lean women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) on treatment with metformin and oral contraceptives (OCs). Thirty-four lean (body mass index 18.5–24.9 kg/m2) women (17 with PCOS on metformin and OCs treatment for six months and 17 controls) aged 18–40 years were assessed for body composition parameters (fat, muscle, glycogen, protein masses, bone masses, and body water compartments) and phase angles. PCOS patients demonstrated lower muscle, glycogen and protein masses (U = 60, p = 0.003), along with a lower bone mineral content and mass (U = 78, p = 0.021; U = 74, p = 0.014) than their healthy counterparts, while total and abdominal fat masses were similar between the two groups. PCOS patients also exhibited increased extracellular body water (U = 10, p < 0.001) and decreased intracellular water, compatible with low-grade inflammation and cellular dehydration. Key differences in body composition between women with PCOS and controls demonstrated an osteosarcopenic body composition phenotype in PCOS patients. A confirmation of these findings in larger studies may render osteosarcopenia management a targeted adjunct therapy in women with PCOS.
Dietary Patterns and Metabolic Syndrome in Adult Subjects: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Fabiani Roberto , Naldini Giulia , Chiavarini Manuela
Published: September 2019

Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) constitutes a relevant public health burden. Several studies have demonstrated the association between diet and MetS. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to provide an estimate of the association between dietary patterns defined through a posteriori methods and MetS. A literature search on PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases, up to March 2019, was conducted to identify all eligible case-control, prospective, or cross-sectional studies involving adult subjects of both sexes. Random-effects models were used. Heterogeneity and publication bias were evaluated. Stratified analyses were conducted on study characteristics. Forty observational studies were included in the meta-analysis, which identified the “Healthy” and the “Meat/Western” dietary patterns. The “Healthy” pattern was associated with reduced MetS risk (OR = 0.85; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.79–0.91) and significantly decreased the risk in both sexes and in Eastern countries, particularly in Asia. Adherence to the “Meat/Western” pattern increased MetS risk (OR = 1.19; 95% CI: 1.09–1.29) and the association persisted in the stratified analysis by geographic area (Asia, Europe, America) and study design. Lifestyle is linked to risk of developing MetS. The “Healthy” and “Meat/Western” patterns are significantly associated with reduced and increased MetS risk, respectively. Nutrition represents an important modifiable factor affecting MetS risk.
Are the Claims to Blame? A Qualitative Study to Understand the Effects of Nutrition and Health Claims on Perceptions and Consumption of Food
Authors: Benson Tony , Lavelle Fiona , McCloat Amanda , Mooney Elaine , Bucher Tamara , Egan Bernadette , Dean Moira
Published: September 2019

Nutrition and Health Claims (NHCs) have been found to influence perceptions of food and consumption behaviour. While previous quantitative research has identified factors that may explain these effects, the current study aimed to address the dearth of in-depth exploration as to the underlying reasons why and how claims may impact upon perceptions and behaviour and the relationships between key factors. Seventy-eight participants took part in 10 focus groups. Discussions were transcribed verbatim and Nvivo 11 was used for thematic analysis. Six themes were developed from the data: 1. Target populations for NHCs; 2. Influence of NHCs on purchasing behaviour; 3. Characteristics/perceptions of products displaying NHCs; 4. Believability of NHCs; 5. Superior yet superficial knowledge; 6. Consumption of products displaying NHCs. Knowledge was a key factor influencing how much individuals believe claims (Believability of NHCs) and their perceptions (Characteristics/perceptions of products displaying NHCs). These perceptions and the characteristics of products displaying claims also impacted believability, as well as purchasing behaviour and consumption. Future research should be cognisant of the role of knowledge and characteristics or perceptions of products in the relationship between NHCs and consumer behaviour, and modelling of these relationships would allow their relative strength to be identified.
Glutathione Supplementation of Parenteral Nutrition Prevents Oxidative Stress and Sustains Protein Synthesis in Guinea Pig Model
Authors: Morin Guillaume , Guiraut Clémence , Perez Marcogliese Marisol , Mohamed Ibrahim , Lavoie Jean-Claude
Published: September 2019

Peroxides contaminating parenteral nutrition (PN) limit the use of methionine as a precursor of cysteine. Thus, PN causes a cysteine deficiency, characterized by low levels of glutathione, the main molecule used in peroxide detoxification, and limited growth in individuals receiving long-term PN compared to the average population. We hypothesize that glutathione supplementation in PN can be used as a pro-cysteine that improves glutathione levels and protein synthesis and reduces oxidative stress caused by PN. One-month-old guinea pigs (7–8 per group) were used to compare glutathione-enriched to a non-enriched PN, animals on enteral nutrition were used as a reference. PN: Dextrose, amino acids (Primene), lipid emulsion (Intralipid), multivitamins, electrolytes; five-day infusion. Glutathione (GSH, GSSG, redox potential) and the incorporation of radioactive leucine into the protein fraction (protein synthesis index) were measured in the blood, lungs, liver, and gastrocnemius muscle. Data were analysed by ANOVA; p < 0.05 was considered significant. The addition of glutathione to PN prevented the PN-induced oxidative stress in the lungs and muscles and supported protein synthesis in liver and muscles. The results potentially support the recommendation to add glutathione to the PN and demonstrate that glutathione could act as a biologically available cysteine precursor.
The Antitumor Didox Acts as an Iron Chelator in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells
Authors: Asperti Michela , Cantamessa Luca , Ghidinelli Simone , Gryzik Magdalena , Denardo Andrea , Giacomini Arianna , Longhi Giovanna , Fanzani Alessandro , Arosio Paolo , Poli Maura
Published: September 2019

Ribonucleotide reductase (RR) is the rate-limiting enzyme that controls the deoxynucleotide triphosphate synthesis and it is an important target of cancer treatment, since it is expressed in tumor cells in proportion to their proliferation rate, their invasiveness and poor prognosis. Didox, a derivative of hydroxyurea (HU), is one of the most potent pharmaceutical inhibitors of this enzyme, with low in vivo side effects. It inhibits the activity of the subunit RRM2 and deoxyribonucleotides (dNTPs) synthesis, and it seems to show iron-chelating activity. In the present work, we mainly investigated the iron-chelating properties of didox using the HA22T/VGH cell line, as a model of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We confirmed that didox induced cell death and that this effect was suppressed by iron supplementation. Interestingly, cell treatments with didox caused changes of cellular iron content, TfR1 and ferritin levels comparable to those caused by the iron chelators, deferoxamine (DFO) and deferiprone (DFP). Chemical studies showed that didox has an affinity binding to Fe3+ comparable to that of DFO and DFP, although with slower kinetic. Structural modeling indicated that didox is a bidentated iron chelator with two theoretical possible positions for the binding and among them that with the two hydroxyls of the catechol group acting as ligands is the more likely one. The iron chelating property of didox may contribute to its antitumor activity not only blocking the formation of the tyrosil radical on Tyr122 (such as HU) on RRM2 (essential for its activity) but also sequestering the iron needed by this enzyme and to the cell proliferation.
Microencapsulation Curcuminoids for Effective Delivery in Pharmaceutical Application
Authors: Ang Lee , Darwis Yusrida , Por Lip , Yam Mun
Published: September 2019

Curcuminoids have been long proven to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties which are crucial in their role as a pharmacological active agent. However, its poor solubility, high oxidative degradation, light sensitivity and poor bioavailability have been huge hurdles that need to be overcome for it to be administered as an oral or even a topical medication. In this present study, a complex coacervation microencapsulation approach was used to encapsulate the curcuminoids using both gelatin B and chitosan (at the optimum ratio of 30:1% w/w) for a more efficient drug delivery system. Curcuminoids microcapsules (CPM) were developed to be spherical in shape, discrete and free flowing with a reduced color staining effect. The thick wall of the CPM contributes directly to its integrity and stability. Cross-linking increases the density of polymers’ wall network, hence, further increasing the decomposition temperature of curcuminoids microcapsules. Microencapsulation demonstrated an increment in curcuminoids solubility, while chemical cross-linking allowed for sustained release of the drug from the microcapsules by lowering the swelling rate of the available polymer networks. Thus, the microcapsules complied with the zero order release kinetics with super case-II transport mechanism. On the basis of all that was discussed above, it can be safely concluded that CPM should be incorporated in delivery system of curcuminoid, especially in its topical delivery for controlled drug release purposes, for not only a more efficient drug delivery system design but also a more efficacious optimization of the pharmacological benefits of curcuminoids.
In Vitro Release of Bioactive Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (GDF5, BB-1, and BMP-2) from a PLGA Fiber-Reinforced, Brushite-Forming Calcium Phosphate Cement
Authors: Gunnella Francesca , Kunisch Elke , Horbert Victoria , Maenz Stefan , Bossert Jörg , Jandt Klaus D. , Plöger Frank , Kinne Raimund W.
Published: September 2019

Bone regeneration of sheep lumbar osteopenia is promoted by targeted delivery of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) via a biodegradable, brushite-forming calcium-phosphate-cement (CPC) with stabilizing poly(l-lactide-co-glycolide) acid (PLGA) fibers. The present study sought to quantify the release and bioactivity of BMPs from a specific own CPC formulation successfully used in previous in vivo studies. CPC solid bodies with PLGA fibers (0%, 5%, 10%) containing increasing dosages of GDF5, BB-1, and BMP-2 (2 to 1000 µg/mL) were ground and extracted in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or pure sheep serum/cell culture medium containing 10% fetal calf serum (FCS; up to 30/31 days). Released BMPs were quantified by ELISA, bioactivity was determined via alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity after 3-day exposure of different osteogenic cell lines (C2C12; C2C12BRlb with overexpressed BMP-receptor-1b; MCHT-1/26; ATDC-5) and via the influence of the extracts on the expression of osteogenic/chondrogenic genes and proteins in human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hASCs). There was hardly any BMP release in PBS, whereas in medium + FCS or sheep serum the cumulative release over 30/31 days was 11–34% for GDF5 and 6–17% for BB-1; the release of BMP-2 over 14 days was 25.7%. Addition of 10% PLGA fibers significantly augmented the 14-day release of GDF5 and BMP-2 (to 22.6% and 43.7%, respectively), but not of BB-1 (13.2%). All BMPs proved to be bioactive, as demonstrated by increased ALP activity in several cell lines, with partial enhancement by 10% PLGA fibers, and by a specific, early regulation of osteogenic/chondrogenic genes and proteins in hASCs. Between 10% and 45% of bioactive BMPs were released in vitro from CPC + PLGA fibers over a time period of 14 days, providing a basis for estimating and tailoring therapeutically effective doses for experimental and human in vivo studies.
Pulsed Electric Field-Assisted Ethanolic Extraction of Date Palm Fruits: Bioactive Compounds, Antioxidant Activity and Physicochemical Properties
Authors: Siddeeg Azhari , Faisal Manzoor Muhammad , Haseeb Ahmad Muhammad , Ahmad Nazir , Ahmed Zahoor , Kashif Iqbal Khan Muhammad , Aslam Maan Abid , Mahr-Un-Nisa  , Zeng Xin-An , Ammar Al-Farga
Published: September 2019

The current study was aimed to observe the influence of pulsed electric field (PEF) on the extraction of bioactive components; antioxidant activity and physicochemical properties of date palm fruit extract (DPFE) as compared to the extract untreated by PEF. The fruit was treated with PEF (frequency: 10 Hz, time: 100 µs, pulses number: 30, electric field strength (EFS): 1, 2, and 3 kV/cm. The results show that PEF has a positive impact on the total content of carotenoids, anthocyanins, flavonoids, and phenolics by increasing the EFS. DPFE treated with PEF exhibit a strong antioxidant activity as compared to untreated extract, while electrical conductivity, pH values, and titratable acidity were not affected by PEF. The results indicate a notable increase in the volatile components in DPFE treated with PEF at 3 kV/cm. Thus, PEF treatment can assist the ethanolic extraction of DPFE to improve the bioactivity and antioxidative activity. These findings suggest that PEF can be a more suitable technique to enhance solvent extraction on a commercial basis.
Detection of Small Target Using Schatten 1/2 Quasi-Norm Regularization with Reweighted Sparse Enhancement in Complex Infrared Scenes
Authors: Zhou Fei , Wu Yiquan , Dai Yimian , Wang Peng
Published: September 2019

In uniform infrared scenes with single sparse high-contrast small targets, most existing small target detection algorithms perform well. However, when encountering multiple and/or structurally sparse targets in complex backgrounds, these methods potentially lead to high missing and false alarm rate. In this paper, a novel and robust infrared single-frame small target detection is proposed via an effective integration of Schatten 1/2 quasi-norm regularization and reweighted sparse enhancement (RS1/2NIPI). Initially, to achieve a tighter approximation to the original low-rank regularized assumption, a nonconvex low-rank regularizer termed as Schatten 1/2 quasi-norm (S1/2N) is utilized to replace the traditional convex-relaxed nuclear norm. Then, a reweighted l1 norm with adaptive penalty serving as sparse enhancement strategy is employed in our model for suppressing non-target residuals. Finally, the small target detection task is reformulated as a problem of nonconvex low-rank matrix recovery with sparse reweighting. The resulted model falls into the workable scope of inexact augment Lagrangian algorithm, in which the S1/2N minimization subproblem can be efficiently solved by the designed softening half-thresholding operator. Extensive experimental results on several real infrared scene datasets validate the superiority of the proposed method over the state-of-the-arts with respect to background interference suppression and target extraction.
CNN-Based Land Cover Classification Combining Stratified Segmentation and Fusion of Point Cloud and Very High-Spatial Resolution Remote Sensing Image Data
Authors: Zhou Keqi , Ming Dongping , Lv Xianwei , Fang Ju , Wang Min
Published: September 2019

Traditional and convolutional neural network (CNN)-based geographic object-based image analysis (GeOBIA) land-cover classification methods prosper in remote sensing and generate numerous distinguished achievements. However, a bottleneck emerges and hinders further improvements in classification results, due to the insufficiency of information provided by very high-spatial resolution images (VHSRIs). To be specific, the phenomenon of different objects with similar spectrum and the lack of topographic information (heights) are natural drawbacks of VHSRIs. Thus, multisource data steps into people’s sight and shows a promising future. Firstly, for data fusion, this paper proposed a standard normalized digital surface model (StdnDSM) method which was actually a digital elevation model derived from a digital terrain model (DTM) and digital surface model (DSM) to break through the bottleneck by fusing VHSRI and cloud points. It smoothed and improved the fusion of point cloud and VHSRIs and thus performed well in follow-up classification. The fusion data then were utilized to perform multiresolution segmentation (MRS) and worked as training data for the CNN. Moreover, the grey-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) was introduced for a stratified MRS. Secondly, for data processing, the stratified MRS was more efficient than unstratified MRS, and its outcome result was theoretically more rational and explainable than traditional global segmentation. Eventually, classes of segmented polygons were determined by majority voting. Compared to pixel-based and traditional object-based classification methods, majority voting strategy has stronger robustness and avoids misclassifications caused by minor misclassified centre points. Experimental analysis results suggested that the proposed method was promising for object-based classification.
Towards Evaluating Proactive and Reactive Approaches on Reorganizing Human Resources in IoT-Based Smart Hospitals
Authors: Fischer Gabriel Souto , Righi Rodrigo da Rosa , Costa Cristiano André da , Galante Guilherme , Griebler Dalvan
Published: September 2019

Hospitals play an important role on ensuring a proper treatment of human health. One of the problems to be faced is the increasingly overcrowded patients care queues, who end up waiting for longer times without proper treatment to their health problems. The allocation of health professionals in hospital environments is not able to adapt to the demands of patients. There are times when underused rooms have idle professionals, and overused rooms have fewer professionals than necessary. Previous works have not solved this problem since they focus on understanding the evolution of doctor supply and patient demand, as to better adjust one to the other. However, they have not proposed concrete solutions for that regarding techniques for better allocating available human resources. Moreover, elasticity is one of the most important features of cloud computing, referring to the ability to add or remove resources according to the needs of the application or service. Based on this background, we introduce Elastic allocation of human resources in Healthcare environments (ElHealth) an IoT-focused model able to monitor patient usage of hospital rooms and adapt these rooms for patients demand. Using reactive and proactive elasticity approaches, ElHealth identifies when a room will have a demand that exceeds the capacity of care, and proposes actions to move human resources to adapt to patient demand. Our main contribution is the definition of Human Resources IoT-based Elasticity (i.e., an extension of the concept of resource elasticity in Cloud Computing to manage the use of human resources in a healthcare environment, where health professionals are allocated and deallocated according to patient demand). Another contribution is a cost–benefit analysis for the use of reactive and predictive strategies on human resources reorganization. ElHealth was simulated on a hospital environment using data from a Brazilian polyclinic, and obtained promising results, decreasing the waiting time by up to 96.4% and 96.73% in reactive and proactive approaches, respectively.
Fusion of Enhanced and Synthetic Vision System Images for Runway and Horizon Detection
Authors: Fadhil Ahmed F. , Kanneganti Raghuveer , Gupta Lalit , Eberle Henry , Vaidyanathan Ravi
Published: September 2019

Networked operation of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) demands fusion of information from disparate sources for accurate flight control. In this investigation, a novel sensor fusion architecture for detecting aircraft runway and horizons as well as enhancing the awareness of surrounding terrain is introduced based on fusion of enhanced vision system (EVS) and synthetic vision system (SVS) images. EVS and SVS image fusion has yet to be implemented in real-world situations due to signal misalignment. We address this through a registration step to align EVS and SVS images. Four fusion rules combining discrete wavelet transform (DWT) sub-bands are formulated, implemented, and evaluated. The resulting procedure is tested on real EVS-SVS image pairs and pairs containing simulated turbulence. Evaluations reveal that runways and horizons can be detected accurately even in poor visibility. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that different aspects of EVS and SVS images can be emphasized by using different DWT fusion rules. The procedure is autonomous throughout landing, irrespective of weather. The fusion architecture developed in this study holds promise for incorporation into manned heads-up displays (HUDs) and UAV remote displays to assist pilots landing aircraft in poor lighting and varying weather. The algorithm also provides a basis for rule selection in other signal fusion applications.
Fabrication and Hypersonic Wind Tunnel Validation of a MEMS Skin Friction Sensor Based on Visual Alignment Technology
Authors: Wang Xiong , Wang Nantian , Xu Xiaobin , Zhu Tao , Gao Yang
Published: September 2019

MEMS-based skin friction sensors are used to measure and validate skin friction and its distribution, and their advantages of small volume, high reliability, and low cost make them very important for vehicle design. Aiming at addressing the accuracy problem of skin friction measurements induced by existing errors of sensor fabrication and assembly, a novel fabrication technology based on visual alignment is presented. Sensor optimization, precise fabrication of key parts, micro-assembly based on visual alignment, prototype fabrication, static calibration and validation in a hypersonic wind tunnel are implemented. The fabrication and assembly precision of the sensor prototypes achieve the desired effect. The results indicate that the sensor prototypes have the characteristics of fast response, good stability and zero-return; the measurement ranges are 0–100 Pa, the resolution is 0.1 Pa, the repeatability accuracy and linearity are better than 1%, the repeatability accuracy in laminar flow conditions is better than 2% and it is almost 3% in turbulent flow conditions. The deviations between the measured skin friction coefficients and numerical solutions are almost 10% under turbulent flow conditions; whereas the deviations between the measured skin friction coefficients and the analytical values are large (even more than 100%) under laminar flow conditions. The error resources of direct skin friction measurement and their influence rules are systematically analyzed.
Multiple Fitness Improvements Found after 6-Months of High Intensity Functional Training
Authors: Cosgrove Sarah J. , Crawford Derek A. , Heinrich Katie M.
Published: September 2019

While short-term high intensity functional training (HIFT) effects have been established, fitness improvements from program participation exceeding 16 weeks are unknown. This study examined the effectiveness of participation in HIFT through CrossFit. During 2013–2014, fitness performance testing was incorporated into an ongoing university CrossFit program. Participants included 45 adults (23 women, 22 men) with 0–27 months of HIFT experience (grouped into 0–6 months and 7+ months). Participants completed three separate days of assessments across 10 fitness domains before and after participating in the program for six months. For each sex, 2 (Time) × 2 (Group) RANOVA were used for each fitness test. For women, significant Time effects were found for four fitness domains (i.e., flexibility, power, muscular endurance, and strength), and a Group × Time interaction for cardiorespiratory endurance, with the 0–6-month group improving more. For men, significant Time effects were found for flexibility, muscular endurance, and strength. These data provide evidence for multiple fitness improvements after six months of CrossFit participation with greater 1.5 mile run time improvement among women with less experience.
Adoption of New Sorghum Varieties in Mali Through a Participatory Approach
Authors: Sissoko Mamadou , Smale Melinda , Castiaux Annick , Theriault Veronique
Published: September 2019

Although it is commonly accepted that farmers’ participation in the process of technology development can improve adoption rates, few studies have tested this relationship. We tested the role of farmers’ participation in the decision to adopt new sorghum varieties in the Sudan Savanna of Mali. We applied a conditional mixed-process method to data collected from 496 households in 58 villages the national agricultural research program (Institut d’Economie Rurale) and International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) worked through farmer organizations to test varieties in farmer-managed trials and implement seed production activities. We found that the intensity of participation positively affects adoption rates on household plots. Intensity of participation was measured as the ratio of participants in the household to the total number of participants in the village. Several plot manager and household characteristics influence adoption, including education and proximity of the plot manager with head of household, household assets, and labor availability. This study draws attention to the importance of farmers’ participation as a sustainable practice that can stimulate the adoption of new technology and, in doing so, enhance food security. Future research should explore the intrahousehold dynamics of farm input adoption, and the role of different forms of participation in the innovation process.
Willingness to Pay for Home Energy Management Systems: A Survey in New York and Tokyo
Authors: Washizu Ayu , Nakano Satoshi , Ishii Hideo , Hayashi Yasuhiro
Published: September 2019

This study evaluates the acceptability of home energy management systems (HEMS) in New York and Tokyo using a questionnaire survey. We investigated three basic functions of HEMS: money saving, automatic control, and environmental impact, and then quantified people’s propensity to accept each of these three functions by measuring their willingness to pay. Using the willingness to pay results, we estimated the demand probability under a given usage price for each of the three functions of home energy management systems and analyzed how socio-economic and demographic factors influence the demand probability. The demand probability related to a home energy management system function decreases as the usage price of the function increases. However, depending on people’s socio-economic characteristics, the rate of decrease in demand probability relative to the rate of increase in usage price varies. Among the three functions of home energy management systems, we found that the automatic control function showed the highest demand probability in New York and Tokyo, emphasizing the significance of an automatic control function. In New York, when the home energy management system has an automatic control function, its demand probability increases, which is further enhanced if people trust their utility company. In Tokyo, when a home energy management system has an environmental impact function, its demand probability increases at a given price. People in Tokyo have anxieties related to new technologies such as home energy management systems. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance their comprehension of a home energy management systems to address this anxiety.
Experimental and Numerical Study on the Characteristics of the Thermal Design of a Large-Area Hot Plate for Nanoimprint Equipment
Authors: Park Gyujin , Lee Changhee
Published: September 2019

A numerical study was conducted on the thermal performance of a large-area hot plate specifically designed as a heating and cooling tool for thermal nanoimprint lithography processes. The hot plate had the dimensions 240 mm × 240 mm × 20 mm, in which a series of cartridge heaters and cooling holes were installed. Stainless steel was selected to endure the high molding pressures. To examine the hot plate’s abnormal thermal behavior, ANSYS Fluent V15.0, which is commercial CFD code, was used to perform computational analysis. A numerical model was employed to predict the thermal behavior of the hot plate in both the heating and cooling phases. To conduct the thermal design of a large-area hot plate for nanoimprint equipment, we selected the model to be studied and proposed a cooling model using both direct and indirect cooling methods with and without heat pipes. In addition, we created a small hot plate and performed experimental and computational analyses to confirm the validity of the proposed model. This study also analyzed problems that may occur in the stage prior to the large-area expansion of the hot plate. In the case of a stainless steel (STS304) hot plate for large-area hot plate expansion, the heat pipes were inserted in the direction of the cartridge heaters to address the problems that may occur when expanding the hot plate into a large area. As a result, the heating rate was 40 °C/min and the temperature uniformity was less than 1% of the maximum working temperature of 200 °C. For cooling, when considering pressure and using air as the coolant for the ends, a cooling rate of 20 °C/min and thermal performance of less than 13.2 °C (less than 7%) based on the maximum temperature were obtained. These results were similar to the experimental results.
The Impact of Slumping Oil Price on the Situation of Tanker Shipping along the Maritime Silk Road
Authors: Mou Naixia , Xie Yanxin , Yang Tengfei , Zhang Hengcai , Kim Yoo Ri
Published: September 2019

Nearly 70% of the world’s maritime crude oil transportation relies on the Maritime Silk Road (MSR). In order to deeply explore the impact of slumping oil price on the shipping situation of tanker along the MSR, this paper establishes the relationship between monthly ship and oil price through Autoregressive Distributed Lag model. Distributions of cargo flow before and after the oil price slumped are compared to explore the changing law of tanker shipping situation. The study finds: (1) The correlation between the cargo flow situation of the tanker seaborne export and oil price, where the export cargo flow correlation is stronger than that of the import cargo flow. (2) The MSR tanker shipping situation is lagging (3 months) behind the impact of oil price. The lag effect in Europe, North Asia and East Asia is strong while that in Southeast Asia and South Asia is weak. (3) After the oil price slumped, the tanker shipping cargo flow increased less during the crude oil export stage, and the increase in the crude oil shipping trade after the transfer period was larger. The research results can provide a scientific basis for improving the decision-making ability of the crude oil shipping market and formulating maritime operations management measures.
Impact of the Orientation of the Ordered Fuzzy Assessment on the Simple Additive Weighted Method
Authors: Piasecki Krzysztof , Roszkowska Ewa , Łyczkowska-Hanćkowiak Anna
Published: September 2019

We examine some aspects of the use of Simple Additive Weighting method to evaluate decision alternatives. Decision alternative attributes may be evaluated by verbal assessments which by their nature are imprecise. This means that for the purposes of Simple Additive Weighting method, any verbal assessment is represented by a fuzzy number being an imprecise approximation of a number. In this paper, all verbal assessments are represented by ordered fuzzy numbers. This approach is justified in the way that any ordered fuzzy number is additionally equipped with orientation, i.e., information about the location of the approximated number. The family of all ordered fuzzy numbers is divided into centrally symmetric families of positively oriented fuzzy numbers and of negatively oriented fuzzy numbers. The main purpose of this paper is to examine the consequences of omitting orientation of criterion ratings. We restrict all considerations to the case of trapezoidal oriented fuzzy numbers. We prove the mathematical theorem that an orientation omission can result in an increase in risk when choosing the right decision alternative. We study an empirical example of the Simple Additive Weighting method application to rank some negotiation offers. From the discussion, it follows that an orientation omission results in an increase in risk.
Null Electromagnetic Fields from Dilatation and Rotation Transformations of the Hopfion
Authors: Arrayás Manuel , Rañada Antonio F. , Tiemblo Alfredo , Trueba José L.
Published: September 2019

The application of topology concepts to Maxwell equations has led to the developing of the whole area of electromagnetic knots. In this paper, we apply some symmetry transformations to a particular electromagnetic knot, the hopfion field, to get a new set of knotted solutions with the properties of being null. The new fields are obtained by a homothetic transformation (dilatation) and a rotation of the hopfion, and we study the constraints that the transformations must fulfill in order to generate valid electromagnetic fields propagating in a vacuum. We make use of the Bateman construction and calculate the four-potentials and the electromagnetic helicities. It is observed that the topology of the field lines does not seem to be conserved as it is for the hopfion.
Virus Shedding of Avian Influenza in Poultry: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Germeraad Evelien A. , Sanders Pim , Hagenaars Thomas J. , de Jong Mart C.M. , Beerens Nancy , Gonzales Jose L.
Published: September 2019

Understanding virus shedding patterns of avian influenza virus (AIV) in poultry is important for understanding host-pathogen interactions and developing effective control strategies. Many AIV strains were studied in challenge experiments in poultry, but no study has combined data from those studies to identify general AIV shedding patterns. These systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to summarize qualitative and quantitative information on virus shedding levels and duration for different AIV strains in experimentally infected poultry species. Methods were designed based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Four electronic databases were used to collect literature. A total of 1155 abstract were screened, with 117 studies selected for the qualitative analysis and 71 studies for the meta-analysis. A large heterogeneity in experimental methods was observed and the quantitative analysis showed that experimental variables such as species, virus origin, age, inoculation route and dose, affect virus shedding (mean, peak and duration) for highly pathogenic AIV (HPAIV), low pathogenic AIV (LPAIV) or both. In conclusion, this study highlights the need to standardize experimental procedures, it provides a comprehensive summary of the shedding patterns of AIV strains by infected poultry and identifies the variables that influence the level and duration of AIV shedding.