bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Red Ginseng Extract on the Pharmacokinetics and Elimination of Methotrexate via Mrp2 Regulation
Authors: Lee Sowon , Kwon Mihwa , Choi Min-Koo , Song Im-Sook
Published: November 2018

We aimed to investigate the effects of red ginseng extract (RGE) on the expression of efflux transporters and to study the pharmacokinetics of representative substrate. For this, rats received single or repeated administration of RGE (1.5 g/kg/day) for 1 and 2 weeks via oral gavage. mRNA and protein levels of multidrug resistance-associated protein2 (Mrp2), bile salt export pump (Bsep), and P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in the rat liver were measured via real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. Ginsenosides concentrations from the rat plasma were also monitored using a liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) system. Plasma concentrations of ginsenoside Rb1, Rb2, Rc, and Rd following repeated administration of RGE for 1 and 2 weeks were comparable but significantly higher than those after single administration of RGE. These dosing regimens did not induce significant biochemical abnormalities in the liver, kidneys, and lipid homeostasis. In the RGE repeated oral administration groups, the mRNA and protein levels of Mrp2 significantly decreased. Accordingly, we investigated the changes in the pharmacokinetics of methotrexate, a probe substrate for Mrp2, following intravenous administration of 3 mg/kg methotrexate to rats in the RGE 1-week repeated oral administration group, compared to that in the control group. Biliary excretion, but not urinary excretion, of methotrexate decreased in the RGE repeated administration group, compared to that in the control group. Consequently, the plasma concentrations of methotrexate slightly increased in the RGE repeated administration group. In conclusion, repeated administration of RGE for 1 week resulted in a decrease in Mrp2 expression without inducing significant liver or kidney damage. Pharmacokinetic herb–drug interaction between RGE and methotrexate might occur owing to the decrease in the mRNA and protein levels of Mrp2.
Flubendiamide Enhances Adipogenesis and Inhibits AMPKα in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes
Authors: Sun Quancai , Lin Jie , Peng Yukui , Gao Ruichang , Peng Ye
Published: November 2018

Flubendiamide, a ryanoid class insecticide, is widely used in agriculture. Several insecticides have been reported to promote adipogenesis. However, the potential influence of flubendiamide on adipogenesis is largely unknown. The current study was therefore to determine the effects of flubendiamide on adipogenesis utilizing the 3T3-L1 adipocytes model. Flubendiamide treatment not only enhanced triglyceride content in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, but also increased the expression of cytosine-cytosine-adenosine-adenosine-thymidine (CCAAT)/enhancer-binding protein α and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma-γ, two important regulators of adipocyte differentiation. Moreover, the expression of the most important regulator of lipogenesis, acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase, was also increased after flubendiamide treatment. Further study revealed that 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide (AICAR) or A769662, two Adenosine 5′-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase α activators, subverted effects of flubendiamide on enhanced adipogenesis. Together, these results suggest that flubendiamide promotes adipogenesis via an AMPKα-mediated pathway.
Tumidulin, a Lichen Secondary Metabolite, Decreases the Stemness Potential of Colorectal Cancer Cells
Authors: Yang Yi , Bhosle Suresh R. , Yu Young Hyun , Park So-Yeon , Zhou Rui , Taş İsa , Gamage Chathurika D. B. , Kim Kyung Keun , Pereira Iris , Hur Jae-Seoun , Ha Hyung-Ho , Kim Hangun
Published: November 2018

Lichens produce various unique chemicals that are used in the pharmaceutical industry. To screen for novel lichen secondary metabolites that inhibit the stemness potential of colorectal cancer cells, we tested acetone extracts of 11 lichen samples collected in Chile. Tumidulin, isolated from Niebla sp., reduced spheroid formation in CSC221, DLD1, and HT29 cells. In addition, mRNA expressions and protein levels of cancer stem markers aldehyde dehydrogenase-1 (ALDH1), cluster of differentiation 133 (CD133), CD44, Lgr5, and Musashi-1 were reduced after tumidulin treatment. Tumidulin decreased the transcriptional activity of the glioma-associated oncogene homolog zinc finger protein (Gli) promoter in reporter assays, and western blotting confirmed decreased Gli1, Gli2, and Smoothened (SMO) protein levels. Moreover, the tumidulin activity was not observed in the presence of Gli and SMO inhibitors. Together, these results demonstrate for the first time that tumidulin is a potent inhibitor of colorectal cancer cell stemness.
Microwave Irradiation Assists the Synthesis of a Novel Series of bis-Arm s-Triazine Oxy-Schiff Base and Oxybenzylidene Barbiturate Derivatives
Authors: Dahlous Kholood A. , Almarhoon Zainab , Badjah-Hadj-Ahmed Ahmed-Yacine , AL Othman Zeid A. , El-Faham Ayman
Published: November 2018

A novel series of s-triazines incorporating 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde was prepared and fully characterized. The reaction was carried out via stepwise nucleophilic aromatic substitution of chlorine atoms in cyanuric chloride. The first chlorine was substituted by different amines (morpholine, piperidine, or diethylamine) to afford 2,4-dichloro-6-substituted-1,3,5-triazine. The second and third chlorines were substituted by benzaldehyde derivatives in the presence of Na2CO3 as a HCl scavenger to afford the target products: s-triazine oxyaldehyde derivatives (dipodal). The dipodal derivatives were reacted with acid hydrazide, hydralazine, barbituric, or thiobarbituric acid derivatives using conventional heating or microwave irradiation to afford the di-arm s-triazine oxy-Schiff base and oxybenzylidene barbiturate derivatives in good yields. Microwave irradiation done in less solvent afforded the target product in less reaction time with good yield and purity. These types of derivatives might have special interest in coordination and medicinal chemistry.
Therapeutic Microbiology: The Role of Bifidobacterium breve as Food Supplement for the Prevention/Treatment of Paediatric Diseases
Authors: Bozzi Cionci Nicole , Baffoni Loredana , Gaggìa Francesca , Di Gioia Diana
Published: November 2018

The human intestinal microbiota, establishing a symbiotic relationship with the host, plays a significant role for human health. It is also well known that a disease status is frequently characterized by a dysbiotic condition of the gut microbiota. A probiotic treatment can represent an alternative therapy for enteric disorders and human pathologies not apparently linked to the gastrointestinal tract. Among bifidobacteria, strains of the species Bifidobacterium breve are widely used in paediatrics. B. breve is the dominant species in the gut of breast-fed infants and it has also been isolated from human milk. It has antimicrobial activity against human pathogens, it does not possess transmissible antibiotic resistance traits, it is not cytotoxic and it has immuno-stimulating abilities. This review describes the applications of B. breve strains mainly for the prevention/treatment of paediatric pathologies. The target pathologies range from widespread gut diseases, including diarrhoea and infant colics, to celiac disease, obesity, allergic and neurological disorders. Moreover, B. breve strains are used for the prevention of side infections in preterm newborns and during antibiotic treatments or chemotherapy. With this documentation, we hope to increase knowledge on this species to boost the interest in the emerging discipline known as “therapeutic microbiology”.
Are There Non-Responders to the Ergogenic Effects of Caffeine Ingestion on Exercise Performance?
Authors: Grgic Jozo
Published: November 2018

I have read with interest the recent review paper by Southward and colleagues [...]
Gender and Age Stratified Analyses of Nutrient and Dietary Pattern Associations with Circulating Lipid Levels Identify Novel Gender and Age-Specific Correlations
Authors: Jin Huifeng , Nicodemus-Johnson Jessie
Published: November 2018

Dyslipidemia is a precursor to a myriad of cardiovascular diseases in the modern world. Age, gender, and diet are known modifiers of lipid levels, however they are not frequently investigated in subset analyses. Food and nutrient intakes from National Health and Nutrition Examination Study 2001–2013 were used to assess the correlation between lipid levels (high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and total cholesterol (TC):HDL cholesterol ratio) and nutritional intake using linear regression. Associations were initially stratified by gender and significant gender correlations were further stratified by age. Analyses were performed at both the dietary pattern and nutrient level. Dietary pattern and fat intake correlations agreed with the literature in direction and did not demonstrate gender or age effects; however, we observed gender and age interactions among other dietary patterns and individual nutrients. These effects were independent of ethnicity, caloric intake, socioeconomic status, and physical activity. Elevated HDL cholesterol levels correlated with increasing vitamin and mineral intake in females of child bearing age but not males or older females (≥65 years). Moreover, increases in magnesium and retinol intake correlated with HDL cholesterol improvement only in females (all age groups) and males (35–64), respectively. Finally, a large amount of gender-specific variation was associated with TG levels. Females demonstrated positive associations with sugar and carbohydrate while males show inverse associations with polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) intake. The female-specific association increased with the ratio of carbohydrate: saturated fatty acid (SFA) intake, suggesting that gender specific dietary habits may underlie the observed TG-nutrient correlations. Our study provides evidence that a subset of previously established nutrient-lipid associations may be gender or age-specific. Such discoveries provide potential new avenues for further research into personalized nutritional approaches to treat dyslipidemia.
Waste Fuel Combustion: Dynamic Modeling and Control
Authors: Zimmerman Nathan , Kyprianidis Konstantinos , Lindberg Carl-Fredrik
Published: November 2018

The focus of this study is to present the adherent transients that accompany the combustion of waste derived fuels. This is accomplished, in large, by developing a dynamic model of the process, which can then be used for control purposes. Traditional control measures typically applied in the heat and power industry, i.e., PI (proportional-integral) controllers, might not be robust enough to handle the the accompanied transients associated with new fuels. Therefore, model predictive control is introduced as a means to achieve better combustion stability under transient conditions. The transient behavior of refuse derived fuel is addressed by developing a dynamic modeling library. Within the library, there are two models. The first is for assessing the performance of the heat exchangers to provide operational assistance for maintenance scheduling. The second model is of a circulating fluidized bed block, which includes combustion and steam (thermal) networks. The library has been validated using data from a 160 MW industrial installation located in Västerås, Sweden. The model can predict, with satisfactory accuracy, the boiler bed and riser temperatures, live steam temperature, and boiler load. This has been achieved by using process sensors for the feed-in streams. Based on this model three different control schemes are presented: a PI control scheme, model predictive control with feedforward, and model predictive control without feedforward. The model predictive control with feedforward has proven to give the best performance as it can maintain stable temperature profiles throughout the process when a measured disturbance is initiated. Furthermore, the implemented control incorporates the introduction of a soft-sensor for measuring the minimum fluidization velocity to maintain a consistent level of fluidization in the boiler for deterring bed material agglomeration.
Internet Censorship in Arab Countries: Religious and Moral Aspects
Authors: Shishkina Alisa , Issaev Leonid
Published: November 2018

Internet censorship remains one of the most common methods of state control over the media. Reasons for filtering cyberspace include ensuring the security of the current regime, attempts to limit all kinds of opposition movements, and the protection of the religious and moral norms of society. In Arab countries, where religion plays a major role in the sociopolitical sphere, the latter is particularly important. Since, in Islamic law, there is no direct reference to censorship in practice, governments cause many resources to be filtered under various pretexts. At the same time, as the example of Egypt during the Arab spring shows, moral and religious reasons for filtering the Internet have more grounds than, say, the persecution of opposition leaders.
A Practical Evaluation on RSA and ECC-Based Cipher Suites for IoT High-Security Energy-Efficient Fog and Mist Computing Devices
Authors: Suárez-Albela Manuel , Fraga-Lamas Paula , Fernández-Caramés Tiago M.
Published: November 2018

The latest Internet of Things (IoT) edge-centric architectures allow for unburdening higher layers from part of their computational and data processing requirements. In the specific case of fog computing systems, they reduce greatly the requirements of cloud-centric systems by processing in fog gateways part of the data generated by end devices, thus providing services that were previously offered by a remote cloud. Thanks to recent advances in System-on-Chip (SoC) energy efficiency, it is currently possible to create IoT end devices with enough computational power to process the data generated by their sensors and actuators while providing complex services, which in recent years derived into the development of the mist computing paradigm. To allow mist computing nodes to provide the previously mentioned benefits and guarantee the same level of security as in other architectures, end-to-end standard security mechanisms need to be implemented. In this paper, a high-security energy-efficient fog and mist computing architecture and a testbed are presented and evaluated. The testbed makes use of Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.2 Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) and Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA) cipher suites (that comply with the yet to come TLS 1.3 standard requirements), which are evaluated and compared in terms of energy consumption and data throughput for a fog gateway and two mist end devices. The obtained results allow a conclusion that ECC outperforms RSA in both energy consumption and data throughput for all the tested security levels. Moreover, the importance of selecting a proper ECC curve is demonstrated, showing that, for the tested devices, some curves present worse energy consumption and data throughput than other curves that provide a higher security level. As a result, this article not only presents a novel mist computing testbed, but also provides guidelines for future researchers to find out efficient and secure implementations for advanced IoT devices.
Missing RRI Interpolation Algorithm based on Locally Weighted Partial Least Squares for Precise Heart Rate Variability Analysis
Authors: Kamata Keisuke , Fujiwara Koichi , Kinoshita Takafumi , Kano Manabu
Published: November 2018

The R-R interval (RRI) fluctuation in electrocardiogram (ECG) is called heart rate variability (HRV), which reflects activities of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and has been used for various health monitoring services. Accurate R wave detection is crucial for success in HRV-based health monitoring services; however, ECG artifacts often cause missing R waves and deteriorate the accuracy of HRV analysis. The present work proposes a new missing RRI interpolation technique based on Just-In-Time (JIT) modeling. In the JIT modeling framework, a local regression model is built by weighing samples stored in the database according to the distance from a query and output is estimated only when an estimate is requested. The proposed method builds a local model and estimates missing RRI only when an RRI detection error is detected. Locally weighted partial least squares (LWPLS) is adopted for local model construction. The proposed method is referred to as LWPLS-based RRI interpolation (LWPLS-RI). The performance of the proposed LWPLS-RI was evaluated through its application to RRI data with artificial missing RRIs. We used the MIT-BIH Normal Sinus Rhythm Database for nominal RRI dataset construction. Missing RRIs were artificially introduced and they were interpolated by the proposed LWPLS-RI. In addition, MEAN that replaces the missing RRI by a mean of the past RRI data was compared as a conventional method. The result showed that the proposed LWPLS-RI improved root mean squared error (RMSE) of RRI by about 70% in comparison with MEAN. In addition, the proposed method realized precise HRV analysis. The proposed method will contribute to the realization of precise HRV-based health monitoring services.
3DAirSig: A Framework for Enabling In-Air Signatures Using a Multi-Modal Depth Sensor
Authors: Malik Jameel , Elhayek Ahmed , Ahmed Sheraz , Shafait Faisal , Malik Muhammad Imran , Stricker Didier
Published: November 2018

In-air signature is a new modality which is essential for user authentication and access control in noncontact mode and has been actively studied in recent years. However, it has been treated as a conventional online signature, which is essentially a 2D spatial representation. Notably, this modality bears a lot more potential due to an important hidden depth feature. Existing methods for in-air signature verification neither capture this unique depth feature explicitly nor fully explore its potential in verification. Moreover, these methods are based on heuristic approaches for fingertip or hand palm center detection, which are not feasible in practice. Inspired by the great progress in deep-learning-based hand pose estimation, we propose a real-time in-air signature acquisition method which estimates hand joint positions in 3D using a single depth image. The predicted 3D position of fingertip is recorded for each frame. We present four different implementations of a verification module, which are based on the extracted depth and spatial features. An ablation study was performed to explore the impact of the depth feature in particular. For matching, we employed the most commonly used multidimensional dynamic time warping (MD-DTW) algorithm. We created a new database which contains 600 signatures recorded from 15 different subjects. Extensive evaluations were performed on our database. Our method, called 3DAirSig, achieved an equal error rate (EER) of 0.46 %. Experiments showed that depth itself is an important feature, which is sufficient for in-air signature verification.
Packaged Droplet Microresonator for Thermal Sensing with High Sensitivity
Authors: Chen Xiaogang , Fu Liang , Lu Qijing , Wu Xiang , Xie Shusen
Published: November 2018

Liquid droplet and quasi-droplet whispering gallery mode (WGM) microcavities have been widely studied recently for the enhanced spatial overlap between the liquid and WGM field, especially in sensing applications. However, the fragile cavity structure and the evaporation of liquid limit its practical applications. Here, stable, packaged, quasi-droplet and droplet microcavities are proposed and fabricated for thermal sensing with high sensitivity. The sensitivity and electromagnetic field intensity distribution are analyzed by Mie theory, and a quantified definition of the quasi-droplet is presented for the first time to the best of our knowledge. By doping dye material directly into the liquid, lasing packaged droplet and quasi-droplet microcavity sensors with a high thermal sensitivity of up to 205.3 pm/°C are experimentally demonstrated. The high sensitivity, facile fabrication, and mechanically robust properties of the optofluidic, packaged droplet microresonator make it a promising candidate for future integrated photonic devices.
Time- and Space-Varying Atmospheric Phase Correction in Discontinuous Ground-Based Synthetic Aperture Radar Deformation Monitoring
Authors: Huang Zengshu , Sun Jinping , Li Qing , Tan Weixian , Huang Pingping , Qi Yaolong
Published: November 2018

Ground-based synthetic aperture radar (GB-SAR) uses active microwave remote-sensing observation mode to achieve two-dimensional deformation measurement and deformation trend extraction, which shows great prospects in the field of deformation monitoring. However, in the process of GB-SAR deformation monitoring, the disturbances caused by atmospheric effect cannot be neglected, and the atmospheric phases will seriously affect the precision of deformation monitoring. In discontinuous GB-SAR deformation monitoring mode, the atmospheric phases are particularly affected by changes of time and space, so the traditional models of atmospheric phase correction are no longer applicable. In this paper, the interferometric phase signal model considering atmospheric phase is first established. Then, the time- and space-varying characteristics of the atmospheric phase are analyzed, and a novel time- and space-varying atmospheric phase correction algorithm, based on coherent scatterers analysis, is proposed. Finally, slope deformation monitoring experiments are carried out to verify the validity and robustness of the proposed algorithm.
Development and Application of an Atmospheric Pollutant Monitoring System Based on LoRa—Part I: Design and Reliability Tests
Authors: Ma Yushuang , Zhao Long , Yang Rongjin , Li Xiuhong , Song Qiao , Song Zhenwei , Zhang Yi
Published: November 2018

At present, as growing importance continues to be attached to atmospheric environmental problems, the demand for real-time monitoring of these problems is constantly increasing. This article describes the development and application of an embedded system for monitoring of atmospheric pollutant concentrations based on LoRa (Long Range) wireless communication technology, which is widely used in the Internet of Things (IoT). The proposed system is realized using a combination of software and hardware and is designed using the concept of modularization. Separation of each function into independent modules allows the system to be developed more quickly and to be applied more stably. In addition, by combining the requirements of the remote atmospheric pollutant concentration monitoring platform with the specific requirements for the intended application environment, the system demonstrates its significance for practical applications. In addition, the actual application data also verifies the sound application prospects of the proposed system.
A Blockchain-Based Location Privacy Protection Incentive Mechanism in Crowd Sensing Networks
Authors: Jia Bing , Zhou Tao , Li Wuyungerile , Liu Zhenchang , Zhang Jiantao
Published: November 2018

Crowd sensing is a perception mode that recruits mobile device users to complete tasks such as data collection and cloud computing. For the cloud computing platform, crowd sensing can not only enable users to collaborate to complete large-scale awareness tasks but also provide users for types, social attributes, and other information for the cloud platform. In order to improve the effectiveness of crowd sensing, many incentive mechanisms have been proposed. Common incentives are monetary reward, entertainment & gamification, social relation, and virtual credit. However, there are rare incentives based on privacy protection basically. In this paper, we proposed a mixed incentive mechanism which combined privacy protection and virtual credit called a blockchain-based location privacy protection incentive mechanism in crowd sensing networks. Its network structure can be divided into three parts which are intelligence crowd sensing networks, confusion mechanism, and blockchain. We conducted the experiments in the campus environment and the results shows that the incentive mechanism proposed in this paper has the efficacious effect in stimulating user participation.
An Improved ACKF/KF Initial Alignment Method for Odometer-Aided Strapdown Inertial Navigation System
Authors: Gao Kang , Ren Shunqing , Yi Guoxing , Zhong Jiapeng , Wang Zhenhuan
Published: November 2018

For a land-vehicle strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS), the problem of initial alignment with large misalignment angle in-motion needs to be solved urgently. This paper proposes an improved ACKF/KF initial alignment method for SINS aided by odometer. The SINS error equation with large misalignment angle is established first in the form of an Euler angle. The odometer/gyroscope dead reckoning (DR) error equation is deduced, which makes the observation equation linear when the position is taken as the observation of the Kalman filter. Then, based on the cubature Kalman filter, the Sage-Husa adaptive filter and the characteristics of the observation equation, an improved ACKF/KF method is proposed, which can accomplish initial alignment well in the case of unknown measurement noise. Computer simulation results show that the performance of the proposed ACKF/KF algorithm is superior to EKF, CKF and AEKF method in accuracy and stability, and the vehicle test validates its advantages.
Sensor-Based Safety Performance Assessment of Individual Construction Workers
Authors: Park JeeWoong , Cho Yong K. , Khodabandelu Ali
Published: November 2018

Over the last decade, researchers have explored various technologies and methodologies to enhance worker safety at construction sites. The use of advanced sensing technologies mainly has focused on detecting and warning about safety issues by directly relying on the detection capabilities of these technologies. Until now, very little research has explored methods to quantitatively assess individual workers’ safety performance. For this, this study uses a tracking system to collect and use individuals’ location data in the proposed safety framework. A computational and analytical procedure/model was developed to quantify the safety performance of individual workers beyond detection and warning. The framework defines parameters for zone-based safety risks and establishes a zone-based safety risk model to quantify potential risks to workers. To demonstrate the model of safety analysis, the study conducted field tests at different construction sites, using various interaction scenarios. Probabilistic evaluation showed a slight underestimation and overestimation in certain cases; however, the model represented the overall safety performance of a subject quite well. Test results showed clear evidence of the model’s ability to capture safety conditions of workers in pre-identified hazard zones. The developed approach presents a way to provide visualized and quantified information as a form of safety index, which has not been available in the industry. In addition, such an automated method may present a suitable safety monitoring method that can eliminate human deployment that is expensive, error-prone, and time-consuming.
A Novel Dynamic Spectrum-Sharing Method for Integrated Wireless Multimedia Sensors and Cognitive Satellite Networks
Authors: Wang Chuang , Bian Dongming , Zhang Gengxin , Cheng Jian , Li Yongqiang
Published: November 2018

With the growing demand, Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks (WMSNs) play an increasingly important role, which enhances the capacity of typical Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). Additionally, integrating satellite systems into WMSNs brings about the beneficial synergy, especially in rural and sparsely populated areas. However, the available spectrum resource is scarce, which contradicts the high-speed content required for multimedia. Cognitive radio is a promising solution to address the conflict. In this context, we propose a novel spectrum-sharing method for the integrated wireless multimedia sensor and cognitive satellite network based on the dynamic frequency allocation. Specifically, the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite system plays the role of the auxiliary to connect sensor nodes and the remote control host, and it shares the same frequency with the Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) system in the downlink. Because the altitudes of GEO and LEO satellites differ greatly, the beam size of GEO is much larger than that of LEO, which provides the opportunity for LEO beam to reuse the frequency that was allocated to the GEO beam. A keep-out region is defined to guarantee the spectral coexistence based on the interference analysis in the worst case. In addition, a dynamic frequency allocation algorithm is presented to deal with the dynamic configuration caused by the satellite motion. Numerical results demonstrate that the dynamic spectrum-sharing method can improve the throughput.
Generative Adversarial Networks-Based Semi-Supervised Automatic Modulation Recognition for Cognitive Radio Networks
Authors: Li Mingxuan , Li Ou , Liu Guangyi , Zhang Ce
Published: November 2018

With the recently explosive growth of deep learning, automatic modulation recognition has undergone rapid development. Most of the newly proposed methods are dependent on large numbers of labeled samples. We are committed to using fewer labeled samples to perform automatic modulation recognition in the cognitive radio domain. Here, a semi-supervised learning method based on adversarial training is proposed which is called signal classifier generative adversarial network. Most of the prior methods based on this technology involve computer vision applications. However, we improve the existing network structure of a generative adversarial network by adding the encoder network and a signal spatial transform module, allowing our framework to address radio signal processing tasks more efficiently. These two technical improvements effectively avoid nonconvergence and mode collapse problems caused by the complexity of the radio signals. The results of simulations show that compared with well-known deep learning methods, our method improves the classification accuracy on a synthetic radio frequency dataset by 0.1% to 12%. In addition, we verify the advantages of our method in a semi-supervised scenario and obtain a significant increase in accuracy compared with traditional semi-supervised learning methods.
A Method for Fault Detection and Diagnostics in Ventilation Units Using Virtual Sensors
Authors: Mattera Claudio Giovanni , Quevedo Joseba , Escobet Teresa , Shaker Hamid Reza , Jradi Muhyiddine
Published: November 2018

Buildings represent a significant portion of global energy consumption. Ventilation units are complex components, often customized for the specific building, responsible for a large part of energy consumption. Their faults impact buildings’ energy efficiency and occupancy comfort. In order to ensure their correct operation, proper fault detection and diagnostics methods must be applied. Hardware redundancy, an effective approach to detect faults, leads to increased costs and space requirements. We propose exploiting physical relations inside ventilation units to create virtual sensors from other sensors’ readings, introducing redundancy in the system. We use two different measures to detect when a virtual sensor deviates from the physical one: coefficient of determination for linear models, and acceptable range. We tested our method on a real building at the University of Southern Denmark, developing three virtual sensors: temperature, airflow, and fan speed. We employed linear regression models, statistical models, and non-linear regression models. All models detected an anomalous strong oscillation in the temperature sensors. Readings fell outside the acceptable range and the coefficient of determination dropped. Our method showed promising results by introducing redundancy in the system, which can benefit several applications, such as fault detection and diagnostics and fault-tolerant control. Future work will be necessary to discover thresholds and set up automatic fault detection and diagnostics.
A Feasibility Study of Transformer Winding Temperature and Strain Detection Based on Distributed Optical Fibre Sensors
Authors: Liu Yunpeng , Tian Yuan , Fan Xiaozhou , Bu Yanan , He Peng , Li Huan , Yin Junyi , Zheng Xiaojiang
Published: November 2018

The temperature distribution and deformation of the transformer windings cannot be measured in a distributed manner by the traditional method and failure location cannot be performed. To solve these problems, we present a transformer winding temperature and strain based on a distributed optical fibre sensing detection method. The design of the optical fibre winding composite model is developed and simulated winding temperature rise test and local deformation test distinguish between measuring the winding temperature and the strain curve. The test results show that the distributed optical fibre can transmit wire strain efficiently. Optical fibres, in the process of winding, have a certain pre-stress. Using the Brillouin–Raman joint measuring method, one can effectively extract the optical fibre temperature and strain information and measure the length of the winding direction of the temperature and strain distribution curve to a temperature measurement precision of ±2 °C and strain detection accuracy of ±50 με. The system can carry out local hot spot and deformation localisation, providing new ideas for the transformer winding state monitoring technology.
Real-Time Underwater StereoFusion
Authors: Rossi Matija , Trslić Petar , Sivčev Satja , Riordan James , Toal Daniel , Dooly Gerard
Published: November 2018

Many current and future applications of underwater robotics require real-time sensing and interpretation of the environment. As the vast majority of robots are equipped with cameras, computer vision is playing an increasingly important role it this field. This paper presents the implementation and experimental results of underwater StereoFusion, an algorithm for real-time 3D dense reconstruction and camera tracking. Unlike KinectFusion on which it is based, StereoFusion relies on a stereo camera as its main sensor. The algorithm uses the depth map obtained from the stereo camera to incrementally build a volumetric 3D model of the environment, while simultaneously using the model for camera tracking. It has been successfully tested both in a lake and in the ocean, using two different state-of-the-art underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs). Ongoing work focuses on applying the same algorithm to acoustic sensors, and on the implementation of a vision based monocular system with the same capabilities.
Motion-Aware Correlation Filters for Online Visual Tracking
Authors: Zhang Yihong , Yang Yijin , Zhou Wuneng , Shi Lifeng , Li Demin
Published: November 2018

The discriminative correlation filters-based methods struggle deal with the problem of fast motion and heavy occlusion, the problem can severely degrade the performance of trackers, ultimately leading to tracking failures. In this paper, a novel Motion-Aware Correlation Filters (MACF) framework is proposed for online visual object tracking, where a motion-aware strategy based on joint instantaneous motion estimation Kalman filters is integrated into the Discriminative Correlation Filters (DCFs). The proposed motion-aware strategy is used to predict the possible region and scale of the target in the current frame by utilizing the previous estimated 3D motion information. Obviously, this strategy can prevent model drift caused by fast motion. On the base of the predicted region and scale, the MACF detects the position and scale of the target by using the DCFs-based method in the current frame. Furthermore, an adaptive model updating strategy is proposed to address the problem of corrupted models caused by occlusions, where the learning rate is determined by the confidence of the response map. The extensive experiments on popular Object Tracking Benchmark OTB-100, OTB-50 and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) video have demonstrated that the proposed MACF tracker performs better than most of the state-of-the-art trackers and achieves a high real-time performance. In addition, the proposed approach can be integrated easily and flexibly into other visual tracking algorithms.
Liminal and Transmodern Female Voices at War: Resistant and Healing Female Bonds in Libby Cone’s War on the Margins (2008)
Authors: Pellicer-Ortín Silvia
Published: November 2018

When addressing marginal experiences during the Second World War, the German occupation of the Channel Islands deserves pride of place, as very few writers have represented that liminal side of the conflict. One of these few writers is Libby Cone, who published War on the Margins in 2008, a historical novel set on Jersey during this occupation and whose main protagonist encounters various female characters resisting the occupation from a variety of marginal positions. Drawing from Rodríguez Magda’s distinction between “narratives of celebration” and “narratives of the limit”, the main claim behind this article is that liminality is a general recourse in transmodern fiction, but in Cone’s War on the Margins it also acts as a fruitful strategy to represent female bonds as promoters of empathy, resilience and resistance. First, this study will demonstrate how liminality works at a variety of levels and it will identify some of the specific features characterizing transmodern war narratives. Then, the female bonds represented will be examined to prove that War on the Margins relies on female solidarity when it comes to finding resilient attitudes to confront war. Finally, this article will elaborate on how Cone uses these liminal features to voice the difficult experiences that Jewish and non-Jewish women endured during the Second World War, echoing similar conflictive situations of other women in our transmodern era.
Unfolding Ageism: A Comparative Study of the Divided Ethnic Communities in Cyprus
Authors: Neocleous Gregory , Erzeybek Buse , Apostolou Menelaos
Published: November 2018

The aims and objectives of this article are to present the first survey ever conducted in Cyprus of the views and perceptions that Cypriots have of old age. In particular, the researchers, Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot social workers, wanted to explore the issue of ageism within the two Cypriot communities, the Greek-Cypriot (Greek-speaking) and the Turkish-Cypriot (Turkish-speaking) populations. Against all odds, the two social workers, one from each community, began collaborating towards the exploration and comparison of social issues in the two Cypriot ethnic communities. Because the two communities have been forced to live separately since 1974, researchers aimed to investigate whether this long separation affected their views on old age. The study was also run online, and the survey was designed with the use of Google Forms. Although the results of the study are not significantly different between the two communities, the current survey explores the preservation of common cultural and social views and values among the two ethnic communities, despite their forced separation.
Benchmarking Internet Promotion of Renewable Energy Enterprises: Is Sustainability Present?
Authors: Andreopoulou Zacharoula , Koliouska Christiana
Published: November 2018

Sustainability constitutes a broad discipline that focuses on the social, economic and environmental impact of human activities. Many policies and strategies have been developed for the pursuit of environmental sustainability and the guidance to a green society. Many enterprises have taken meaningful steps to improve their own environmental performance through corporate sustainability and environmental management. Environmental management contributes to significant improvements to environmental performance of the enterprises. This paper aims to evaluate the Renewable Energy Enterprises performance in the Internet in Thessaloniki Prefecture regarding the characteristics of sustainability using Multi-criteria Decision Analysis. TOPSIS method was used to provide a ranking of the Renewable Energy Enterprises according to their sustainability and finally conclude to a benchmark. According to the results of the research, the Renewable Energy Enterprises achieve a good level of sustainability but not the optimum. However, the entrepreneurs should adopt modern environmental policy, sustainable marketing, green network framework and certified environmental management system in order to consider their enterprise sustainable.
Surface Functionalisation of Upconversion Nanoparticles with Different Moieties for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Gee Alex , Xu Xiaoxue
Published: November 2018

Lanthanide ion-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) that can convert low-energy infrared photons into high-energy visible and ultraviolet photons, are becoming highly sought-after for advanced biomedical and biophotonics applications. Their unique luminescent properties enable UCNPs to be applied for diagnosis, including biolabeling, biosensing, bioimaging, and multiple imaging modality, as well as therapeutic treatments including photothermal and photodynamic therapy, bio-reductive chemotherapy and drug delivery. For the employment of the inorganic nanomaterials into biological environments, it is critical to bridge the gap in between nanoparticles and biomolecules via surface modifications and subsequent functionalisation. This work reviews the various ways to surface modify and functionalise UCNPs so as to impart different functional molecular groups to the UCNPs surfaces for a broad range of applications in biomedical areas. We discussed commonly used base functionalities, including carboxyl, amino and thiol moieties that are typically imparted to UCNP surfaces so as to provide further functional capacity.
Process evaluation of integrated diabetes management at primary healthcare facilities in Pakistan: a mixed-methods study
Authors: Khan Muhammad Amir , Walley John D , Ali Saima , King Rebecca , Khan Shaheer Ellahi , Khan Nida , Sheikh Faisal Imtiaz , Khan Haroon Jehangir
Published: November 2018

Background

Integrated care for diabetes and associated conditions at primary level health facilities can make care available to a much larger population, especially in rural areas.

Aim

This process evaluation was to understand how the authors' integrated care was implemented and experienced by the care providers and patients, and to inform modifications prior to province-wide scale-up.

Design & setting

The mixed-method study was conducted as part of a cluster randomised trial on integrated diabetes care at 14 public health facilities.

Method

The care practices were assessed by analysing the routine clinical records of 495 registered patients with diabetes. Then semi-structured interviews with service providers and patients were used to understand their respective care experiences. A framework approach was applied to analyse and interpret the qualitative data.

Results

The intervention and the study were implemented as intended under routine conditions in rural health centres. Key service processes effectively delivered included: skill-based training; screening and diagnostic tests; treatment card records; and the additional case management as per desk guide, including monitoring progress in glucose and weight at follow-up consultations, and mobile phone calls to help adherence. However, social and cultural factors affected clients' ability to change lifestyles, especially for women. The intervention effect was limited by the short study follow-up of only 9 months.

Conclusion

Integrated diabetes care was feasible, both for providers and patients, and potentially scalable at primary care facilities under routine conditions in Pakistan. Additional operational interventions are required for sustained drug supplies, supervision, in-service training, and to address the social challenges to healthy activity and eating, especially for women.
Patients' and GPs' expectations regarding healthcare-seeking behaviour: a Norwegian comparative study
Authors: Eide Torunn Bjerve , Straand Jørund , Rosvold Elin Olaug
Published: November 2018

Background

GPs are Norwegian patients' first contact point with the healthcare system for most medical problems. However, little is known regarding GPs' expectations towards their patients' healthcare-seeking behaviour, or whether doctors and patients have coinciding expectations of what GPs can do for their patients.

Aim

To investigate patients' and GPs’ expectations regarding patients’ healthcare-seeking behaviour in primary care, and to make comparisons between the two.

Design & setting

Norwegian data from the Quality and Costs of Primary Care in Europe (QUALICOPC) questionnaire study, with information from GPs and their patients.

Method

Binary logistic regression was used to investigate associations between expectations, sex and age of GPs and patients, list size, and geographical location of practice. Results are presented as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Expectation differences between GPs and patients were analysed using generalised estimating equations (GEEs). Due to multiple testing, Bonferroni correction was used to define significance level at P≤0.002.

Results

In total, 198 GPs (39.1% female) and 1529 patients (61.9% female) responded. No associations with sex or age were found for the GPs' expectations regarding patients' healthcare-seeking behaviour. Among patients, fewer males than females expected that most people would see their GP for sprained ankle (OR 0.7, 95% CI = 0.5 to 0.9), finger cut (OR 0.6, 95% CI = 0.4 to 0.7), smoking cessation (OR 0.6, 95% CI = 0.5 to 0.8), or anxiety (OR 0.4, 95% CI = 0.3 to 0.6). Older patients (aged >65 years) found it more important than younger patients to see a doctor in the presence of medical symptoms. GPs had higher expectations than their patients that people in general would see them for deteriorated vision (OR 4.2, 95% CI = 2.5 to 6.9), sexual problems (OR 1.8, 95% CI =1.3 to 2.6), and anxiety (OR 3.0, 95% CI =1.5 to 6.0).

Conclusion

For several common health problems, males are less likely than females to believe that people will see their GP. GPs may overestimate to what degree their patients will see them for a number of common medical problems.
La protection de l'environnement urbain et du patrimoine culturel par les actions collectives : l'expérience judiciaire brésilienne
Authors: Lunelli Carlos Alberto , Brandelli Ailor Carlos
Published: November 2018

La protection du patrimoine culturel est une tâche ardue dans une société telle que le Brésil, qui a une formation particulière, résultant d'un processus colonial de plusieurs siècles. Néanmoins, de nos jours, on constate dans la société brésilienne la nécessité de concevoir la propriété comme une fonction sociale et également l'apport du processus d'urbanisation. Ainsi, la législation s'est intensifiée pour assurer l'efficacité de la protection du patrimoine culturel. La Constitution Fédérale de 1988 a permis l'émergence d'un nouvel ordre juridique, destiné à améliorer la protection de l'environnement. Cependant, des évolutions sont encore nécessaires dans le système judiciaire, pour garantir l'application de la loi et la protection de l'environnement.
Les spécificités de l'organisation de l'entreprise familiale : une étude empirique auprès des entreprises familiales du grand Agadir
Authors: Zoumehri Hichame
Published: November 2018

The recent studies show that the family company is an original organization, unique and specific. This uniqueness deserves to be clarified and theorized to capitalize on the best practices in management and in governance. The objective of this communication is to review the organizational specificities of the family company, as well as to carry elements of empirical answers through the analysis of the organization and the strategies of the family companies of Agadir. We raised that the family company benefits from the family solidarity, a strategic vision, and low transaction costs. These trump cards makes the strength but also the weakness of the family company.