ALBERT

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2406: Adaptive Robust Unscented Kalman Filter via Fading Factor and Maximum Correntropy Criterion Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082406 Authors: Zhihong Deng Lijian Yin Baoyu Huo Yuanqing Xia In most practical applications, the tracking process needs to update the data constantly. However, outliers may occur frequently in the process of sensors’ data collection and sending, which affects the performance of the system state estimate. In order to suppress the impact of observation outliers in the process of target tracking, a novel filtering algorithm, namely a robust adaptive unscented Kalman filter, is proposed. The cost function of the proposed filtering algorithm is derived based on fading factor and maximum correntropy criterion. In this paper, the derivations of cost function and fading factor are given in detail, which enables the proposed algorithm to be robust. Finally, the simulation results show that the presented algorithm has good performance, and it improves the robustness of a general unscented Kalman filter and solves the problem of outliers in system.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1287: Polysaccharide-Based Aerogel Bead Production via Jet Cutting Method Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081287 Authors: Imke Preibisch Philipp Niemeyer Yusuf Yusufoglu Pavel Gurikov Barbara Milow Irina Smirnova The aim of this work is to develop a method to produce spherical biopolymer-based aerogel particles, which is capable for scale-up in the future. Therefore, the jet cutting method is suggested. Amidated pectin, sodium alginate, and chitosan are used as a precursor (a 1–3 wt. % solution) for particle production via jet cutting. Gelation is realized via two methods: the internal setting method (using calcium carbonate particles as cross-linkers and citric and acidic acid for pH adjustment) and the diffusion method (in calcium chloride solutions). Gel particles are subjected to solvent exchange to ethanol and consequent supercritical drying with CO2. Spherical aerogel particles with narrow particle size distributions in the range of 400 to 1500 µm and a specific surface area of around 500 m2/g are produced. Overall, it can be concluded that the jet cutting method is suitable for aerogel particle production, although the shape of the particles is not perfectly spherical in all cases. However, parameter adjustment might lead to even better shaped particles in further work. Moreover, the biopolymer-based aerogel particles synthesized in this study are tested as humidity absorbers in drying units for home appliances, particularly for dishwashers. It has been shown that for several cycles of absorption and desorption of humidity, aerogel particles are stable with an absorption capacity of around 20 wt. %.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1279: Computational Predictions and Microwave Plasma Synthesis of Superhard Boron-Carbon Materials Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081279 Authors: Paul A. Baker Shane A. Catledge Sumner B. Harris Kathryn J. Ham Wei-Chih Chen Cheng-Chien Chen Yogesh K. Vohra Superhard boron-carbon materials are of prime interest due to their non-oxidizing properties at high temperatures compared to diamond-based materials and their non-reactivity with ferrous metals under extreme conditions. In this work, evolutionary algorithms combined with density functional theory have been utilized to predict stable structures and properties for the boron-carbon system, including the elusive superhard BC5 compound. We report on the microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition on a silicon substrate of a series of composite materials containing amorphous boron-doped graphitic carbon, boron-doped diamond, and a cubic hard-phase with a boron-content as high as 7.7 at%. The nanoindentation hardness of these composite materials can be tailored from 8 GPa to as high as 62 GPa depending on the growth conditions. These materials have been characterized by electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and nanoindentation hardness, and the experimental results are compared with theoretical predictions. Our studies show that a significant amount of boron up to 7.7 at% can be accommodated in the cubic phase of diamond and its phonon modes and mechanical properties can be accurately modeled by theory. This cubic hard-phase can be incorporated into amorphous boron-carbon matrices to yield superhard materials with tunable hardness values.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1290: Compositional Dependence of Phase Selection in CoCrCu0.1FeMoNi-Based High-Entropy Alloys Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081290 Authors: Ning Liu Chen Chen Isaac Chang Pengjie Zhou Xiaojing Wang To study the effect of alloy composition on phase selection in the CoCrCu0.1FeMoNi high-entropy alloy (HEA), Mo was partially replaced by Co, Cr, Fe, and Ni. The microstructures and phase selection behaviors of the CoCrCu0.1FeMoNi HEA system were investigated. Dendritic, inter-dendritic, and eutectic microstructures were observed in the as-solidified HEAs. A simple face centered cubic (FCC) single-phase solid solution was obtained when the molar ratio of Fe, Co, and Ni was increased to 1.7 at the expense of Mo, indicating that Fe, Co, and Ni stabilized the FCC structure. The FCC structure was favored at the atomic radius ratio δ ≤ 2.8, valence electron concentration (VEC) ≥ 8.27, mixing entropy ΔS ≤ 13.037, local lattice distortion parameter α2 ≤ 0.0051, and ΔS/δ2 > 1.7. Mixed FCC + body centered cubic (BCC) structures occurred for 4.1 ≤ δ ≤ 4.3 and 7.71 ≤ VEC ≤ 7.86; FCC or/and BCC + intermetallic (IM) mixtures were favored at 2.8 ≤ δ ≤ 4.1 or δ > 4.3 and 7.39 < VEC ≤ 8.27. The IM phase is favored at electronegativity differences greater than 0.133. However, ΔS, α2, and ΔS/δ2 were inefficient in identifying the (FCC or/and BCC + IM)/(FCC + BCC) transition. Moreover, the mixing enthalpy cannot predict phase structures in this system.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1286: An Evaluation of Wetting and Adhesion of Three Bioceramic Root Canal Sealers to Intraradicular Human Dentin Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081286 Authors: Jung-Hong Ha Hyeon-Cheol Kim Young Kyung Kim Tae-Yub Kwon Root canal sealers should have good wetting and adhesion with intraradicular dentin. This study evaluated the wetting and adhesion properties of three bioceramic root canal sealers on dentin using contact angle (CA) measurements and calculations based on the Owens–Wendt–Rabel–Kälble (OWRK) model and compared the properties with those of a resin sealer. Three bioceramic sealers (EndoSequence BC Sealer (BC); Endoseal MTA (EM); and MTA Fillapex (MF)) were tested, together with one epoxy resin-based sealer (AH Plus (AP)). Disc-shaped sealer specimens and human premolar teeth with flat and polished intraradicular dentin surfaces were prepared (n = 12). The CAs of two liquids (water and methylene iodide) were measured on the surfaces using the sessile drop method. The wetting and adhesion properties of the four sealers were calculated using the wetting envelope and isogram diagram, respectively. Group BC showed the best wettability among the four sealer groups. The best adhesion was achieved for group EM, followed by group BC, with a significant difference being present between the two groups (p < 0.05). The OWRK-based calculation indicated that the bioceramic BC and EM sealers showed superior wetting and adhesion properties to the AP sealers.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1281: Investigation of Cutting Temperature during Turning Inconel 718 with (Ti,Al)N PVD Coated Cemented Carbide Tools Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081281 Authors: Jinfu Zhao Zhanqiang Liu Qi Shen Bing Wang Qingqing Wang Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) Ti1−xAlxN coated cemented carbide tools are commonly used to cut difficult-to-machine super alloy of Inconel 718. The Al concentration x of Ti1−xAlxN coating can affect the coating microstructure, mechanical and thermo-physical properties of Ti1−xAlxN coating, which affects the cutting temperature in the machining process. Cutting temperature has great influence on the tool life and the machined surface quality. In this study, the influences of PVD (Ti,Al)N coated cemented carbide tools on the cutting temperature were analyzed. Firstly, the microstructures of PVD Ti0.41Al0.59N and Ti0.55Al0.45N coatings were inspected. The increase of Al concentration x enhanced the crystallinity of PVD Ti1−xAlxN coatings without epitaxy growth of TiAlN crystals. Secondly, the mechanical and thermo-physical properties of PVD Ti0.41Al0.59N and Ti0.55Al0.45N coated tools were analyzed. The pinning effects of coating increased with the increasing of Al concentration x, which can decrease the friction coefficient between the PVD Ti1−xAlxN coated cemented carbide tools and the Inconel 718 material. The coating hardness and thermal conductivity of Ti1−xAlxN coatings increased with the increase of Al concentration x. Thirdly, the influences of PVD Ti1−xAlxN coated tools on the cutting temperature in turning Inconel 718 were analyzed by mathematical analysis modelling and Lagrange simulation methods. Compared with the uncoated tools, PVD Ti0.41Al0.59N coated tools decreased the heat generation as well as the tool temperature to reduce the thermal stress generated within the tools. Lastly, the influences of Ti1−xAlxN coatings on surface morphologies of the tool rake faces were analyzed. The conclusions can reveal the influences of PVD Ti1−xAlxN coatings on cutting temperature, which can provide guidance in the proper choice of Al concentration x for PVD Ti1−xAlxN coated tools in turning Inconel 718.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1278: Study on Near-Net Forming Technology for Stepped Shaft by Cross-Wedge Rolling Based on Variable Cone Angle Billets Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081278 Authors: Sutao Han Xuedao Shu Chang Shu Considering problems about concaves at the stepped shaft ends, this paper established the plastic flow kinetic theories about metal deforming during the cross-wedge rolling (CWR) process. By means of the DEFORM-3D finite element software and the point tracing method, the forming process of stepped shafts and the forming mechanism of concaves at shaft ends were studied. Based on the forming features of stepped shafts, rolling pieces were designed using variable cone angle billets. Single-factor tests were conducted to analyze the influence law of the shape parameters of billet with variable cone angle on end concaves, and rolling experiments were performed for verification. According to the results, during the rolling process of stepped shafts, concaves will come into being in stages, and the increasing tendency of its depth is due to the wave mode, the parameters of cone angle α, the first cone section length n. Furthermore, the total cone section length m has an increasingly weaker influence on the end concaves. Specifically, cone angle α has the most significant influence on the quality of shaft ends, which is about twice the influence of the total cone section length m. The concave depth will decrease at the beginning, and then increase with the increasing of the cone angle α and the first cone section length n, and it will decrease with the increasing of the total cone section length m. Finite element numerical analysis results are perfectly consistent with experimental results, with the error ratio being lower than 5%. The results provide a reliable theoretical basis for effectively disposing of end concave problems during CWR, rationally confirming the shape parameters of billets with a variable cone angle, improving the quality of stepped shaft ends, and realizing the near-net forming process of cross-wedge rolling without a stub bar.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1276: Tool Wear Mechanism in Cutting of Stack CFRP/UNS A97075 Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081276 Authors: Severo Raul Fernandez-Vidal Sergio Fernandez-Vidal Moises Batista Jorge Salguero The aeronautics industry’s competitiveness has led to the need to increase productivity with one shot drilling (OSD) systems capable of drilling stacks of dissimilar materials (fibre/metal laminates, FML) in order to reduce riveting times. Among the materials that constitute the current aeronautical models, composite materials and aluminium (Al) and titanium (Ti) alloys stand out. These one-pass machining techniques produce high-quality holes, especially when all the elements that have to be joined are made of the same material. This work has followed a conventional OSD strategy and the same cutting conditions applied to CFRP (carbo-fibre-reinforced polymer), Al and CFRP/Al stacked sheets to know the wear mechanisms produced. With this purpose, results were obtained by using current specific techniques, such as microstructural analysis, monitoring of the shear forces and analysis of macrogeometric deviations. It has been determined that when these drilling techniques are applied under the same cutting conditions to stacks of materials of a different nature, the results of the wear mechanisms acting on the tool differ from those obtained when machining each material separately. This article presents a comparison between the effects of tool wear during dry drilling of CFRP and UNS A97075 plates separately and when machined as stacks.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2420: Strain Transfer Characteristics of Resistance Strain-Type Transducer Using Elastic-Mechanical Shear Lag Theory Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082420 Authors: Yongqian Li Zhigang Wang Chi Xiao Yinming Zhao Yaxin Zhu Zili Zhou The strain transfer characteristics of resistance strain gauge are theoretically investigated. A resistance strain-type transducer is modeled to be a four-layer and two-glue (FLTG) structure model, which comprises successively the surface of an elastomer sensitive element, a ground adhesive glue, a film substrate layer, an upper adhesive glue, a sensitive grids layer, and a polymer cover. The FLTG model is studied in elastic–mechanical shear lag theory, and the strain transfer progress in a resistance strain-type transducer is described. The strain transitional zone (STZ) is defined and the strain transfer ratio (STR) of the FLTG structure is formulated. The dependences of the STR and STZ on both the dimensional sizes of the adhesive glue and structural parameters are calculated. The results indicate that the width, thickness and shear modulus of the ground adhesive glue have a greater influence on the STZ ratio. To ensure that the resistance strain gauge has excellent strain transfer performance and low hysteresis, it is recommended that the paste thickness should be strictly controlled, and the STZ ratio should be less than 10%. Moreover, the STR strongly depends on the length and width of the sensitive grids.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2416: Design and Optimization of a Novel Three-Dimensional Force Sensor with Parallel Structure Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082416 Authors: Guanyu Huang Dan Zhang Sheng Guo Haibo Qu To measure large external forces exerted on a loading platform, a novel three-dimensional force sensor is developed in this paper. The proposed sensor was designed with a parallel mechanism with three degrees of freedom. Kinematic analysis of this sensor was performed. Due to its structural characteristics, the working principle of the sensor was analyzed using a Jacobian matrix. The sensitivity diversity index and measuring capability were both calculated. The analysis showed that the proposed sensor is more suitable for measuring large forces than existing strain sensors. In addition, compared with existing strain sensors, this sensor is more suitable for measuring forces along the x and y axes. By changing the stiffness coefficients of the springs, the proposed sensor has reconfigurability. This sensor can change its measuring capability to meet different requirements. Next, the mode shapes and natural frequencies of the proposed sensor were performed. Finally, based on these performance indices, the design variables were optimized using a Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2415: Cheeses Made from Raw and Pasteurized Cow’s Milk Analysed by an Electronic Nose and an Electronic Tongue Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082415 Authors: Nuno I. P. Valente Alisa Rudnitskaya João A. B. P. Oliveira M. Teresa S. R. Gomes Elvira M. M. Gaspar Cheese prepared from whole milk, raw and pasteurized, were analysed by an electronic nose based on piezoelectric quartz crystals and an electronic tongue based on potentiometric sensors, immediately after their preparation and along ripening (after 7 and 21 days). Whey was also analysed by the potentiometric electronic tongue. Results obtained by the electronic nose and tongue were found to be complementary, with the electronic nose being more sensitive to differences in the milk and the electronic tongue being more sensitive to milk pasteurization. Electronic tongue was able to distinguish cheeses made from raw and pasteurized milk, both analysing the whey or the curd, with correct classification rate of 96% and 84%, respectively. Besides, the electronic nose was more sensitive than the electronic tongue to the ripening process, with large differences between samples after 7 and 21 days, while the electronic tongue was only sensitive to the initial maturation stages, with large difference between freshly prepared cheese and with seven days of maturation.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2412: Validation of the Accuracy and Convergence Time of Real Time Kinematic Results Using a Single Galileo Navigation System Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082412 Authors: Zbigniew Siejka For the last two decades, the American GPS and Russian GLONASS were the basic systems used in global positioning and navigation. In recent years, there has been significant progress in the development of positioning systems. New regional systems have been created, i.e., the Japanese Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) and Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS). A plan to build its own regional navigation system named Korean Positioning System (KPS) was announced South Korea on 5 February 2018. Currently, two new global navigation systems are under development: the European Galileo and the Chinese BeiDou. The full operability of both systems by 2020 is planned. The paper deals with a possibility of determination of the user’s position from individual and independent global navigation satellite system (GNSS). The article is a broader concept aimed at independent determination of precise position from individual GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo systems. It presents real time positioning results (Real Time Kinematic-RTK) using signals from Galileo satellites only. During the test, 14 Galileo satellites were used and the number of simultaneously observed Galileo satellites varied from five to seven. Real-time measurements were only possible in certain 24-h observation windows. However, their number was completed within 6 days at the end of 2017 and beginning of 2018, so there was possible to infer about the current availability, continuity, convergence time and accuracy of the RTK measurements. In addition, the systematic errors were demonstrated for the Galileo system.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2409: The Bluetooth Mesh Standard: An Overview and Experimental Evaluation Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082409 Authors: Mathias Baert Jen Rossey Adnan Shahid Jeroen Hoebeke Mesh networks enable a many-to-many relation between nodes, which means that each node in the network can communicate with every other node using multi-hop communication and path diversity. As it enables the fast roll-out of sensor and actuator networks, it is an important aspect within the Internet of Things (IoT). Utilizing Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) as an underlying technology to implement such mesh networks has gained a lot of interest in recent years. The result was a variety of BLE meshing solutions that were not interoperable because of the lack of a common standard. This has changed recently with the advent of the Bluetooth Mesh standard. However, a detailed overview of how this standard operates, performs and how it tackles other issues concerning BLE mesh networking is missing. Therefore, this paper investigates this new technology thoroughly and evaluates its performance by means of three approaches, namely an experimental evaluation, a statistical approach and a graph-based simulation model, which can be used as the basis for future research. Apart from showing that consistent results are achieved by means of all three approaches, we also identify possible drawbacks and open issues that need to be dealt with.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1590: Research Trends and Hotspots Analysis Related to the Effects of Xenobiotics on Glucose Metabolism in Male Testes International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081590 Authors: Yongsheng Fan Guangxia Yu Jun Yu Jiantao Sun Yu Wu Xue Zhao Yu Meng Zhangdong He Chunhong Wang This study aimed to integrate and analyze the existing studies and to explore research trends and hotspots related to the effects of xenobiotics on glucose metabolism in male testes. All articles were retrieved from the PubMed database, from an inception date up to 10 June 2017. CiteSpace software (version 5.1.R8 SE) was used for the co-word cluster analysis. A total of 165 eligible publications were included in this study. In 1949–1959, only two articles were published. After 1960, the number of articles increased steadily. These articles were published in 97 journals, in particular, in the Indian Journal of Experimental Biology (11 articles, 6.7%). Most of the authors (87.0%) only published one article. Only a few established research teams, mostly from the USA, worked consistently in this field. The main xenobiotics that had been studied were medicine and common environmental pollutants, e.g., gossypol, cadmium, di-n-butyl phthalate, and alpha-chlorohydrin. The hotspot keywords were Sertoli cell, lactate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, oxidative stress, and glucose metabolism. The focus of research had been changed overtime. This is the first bibliometric study between xenobiotics and glucose metabolism in the male testes. The findings suggest that environmental pollutants have become a huge concern, and related research should be strengthened.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1589: Estimation of Dietary Intake of Radionuclides and Effectiveness of Regulation after the Fukushima Accident and in Virtual Nuclear Power Plant Accident Scenarios International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081589 Authors: Michio Murakami Takao Nirasawa Takao Yoshikane Keisuke Sueki Kimikazu Sasa Kei Yoshimura Evaluation of radiation exposure from diet is necessary under the assumption of a virtual accident as a part of emergency preparedness. Here, we developed a model with complete consideration of the regional food trade using deposition data simulated by a transport model, and estimated the dietary intake of radionuclides and the effectiveness of regulation (e.g., restrictions on the distribution of foods) after the Fukushima accident and in virtual accident scenarios. We also evaluated the dilution factors (i.e., ratios of contaminated foods to consumed foods) and cost-effectiveness of regulation as basic information for setting regulatory values. The doses estimated under actual emission conditions were generally consistent with those observed in food-duplicate and market-basket surveys within a factor of three. Regulation of restricted food distribution resulted in reductions in the doses of 54–65% in the nearest large city to the nuclear power plant. The dilution factors under actual emission conditions were 4.4% for radioiodine and 2.7% for radiocesium, which are ~20 times lower than those used in the Japanese provisional regulation values after the Fukushima accident. Strict regulation worsened the cost-effectiveness for both radionuclides. This study highlights the significance and utility of the developed model for a risk analysis of emergency preparedness and regulation.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1587: Dental Scaling Decreases the Risk of Parkinson’s Disease: A Nationwide Population-Based Nested Case-Control Study International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081587 Authors: Chang-Kai Chen Jing-Yang Huang Yung-Tsan Wu Yu-Chao Chang The protective effect of dental scaling in Parkinson’s disease (PD) remains inconclusive. The aim of this study was to analyze the association between dental scaling and the development of PD. A retrospective nested case-control study was performed using the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. The authors identified 4765 patients with newly diagnosed PD from 2005 to 2013 and 19,060 individuals without PD by matching sex, age, and index year. In subgroup 1, with individuals aged 40–69 years, individuals without periodontal inflammatory disease (PID) showed a protective effect of dental scaling against PD development, especially for dental scaling over five consecutive years (adjusted odds ratio = 0.204, 95% CI = 0.047–0.886, p = 0.0399). In general, the protective effect of dental scaling showed greater benefit for individuals with PID than for those without PID, regardless of whether dental scaling was performed for five consecutive years. In subgroup 2, with patients aged ≥70 years, the discontinued (not five consecutive years) scaling showed increased risk of PD. This was the first study to show that patients without PID who underwent dental scaling over five consecutive years had a significantly lower risk of developing PD. These findings emphasize the value of early and consecutive dental scaling to prevent the development of PD.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1586: What Are the Net Benefits of Reducing the Ozone Standard to 65 ppb? An Alternative Analysis International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081586 Authors: Sabine S. Lange Sean E. Mulholland Michael E. Honeycutt In October 2015, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lowered the level of the ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) from 0.075 ppm to 0.070 ppm (annual 4th highest daily maximum 8-h concentration, averaged over three years). The EPA estimated a 2025 annual national non-California net benefit of $1.5 to $4.5 billion (2011$, 7% discount rate) for a 0.070 ppm standard, and a −$1.0 to $14 billion net benefit for an alternative 0.065 ppm standard. The purpose of this work is to present a combined toxicological and economic assessment of the EPA’s benefit-cost analysis of the 2015 ozone NAAQS. Assessing the quality of the epidemiology studies based on considerations of bias, confounding, chance, integration of evidence, and application of the studies for future population risk estimates, we derived several alternative benefits estimates. We also considered the strengths and weaknesses of the EPA’s cost estimates (e.g., marginal abatement costs), as well as estimates completed by other authors, and provided our own alternative cost estimate. Based on our alternative benefits and cost calculations, we estimated an alternative net benefit of between −$0.3 and $1.8 billion for a 0.070 ppm standard (2011 $, 7% discount rate) and between −$23 and −$17 billion for a 0.065 ppm standard. This work demonstrates that alternative reasonable assumptions can generate very difference cost and benefits estimates that may impact how policy makers view the outcomes of a major rule.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1583: A Systematic Review of Sexual and Reproductive Health Knowledge, Experiences and Access to Services among Refugee, Migrant and Displaced Girls and Young Women in Africa International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081583 Authors: Olena Ivanova Masna Rai Elizabeth Kemigisha Adolescent girls and young women are an overlooked group within conflict- or disaster-affected populations, and their sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs are often neglected. Existing evidence shows that forced migration and human mobility make girls and women more vulnerable to poor SRH outcomes such as high risk sexual behaviors, lack of contraception use, STIs and HIV/AIDS. We performed a systematic literature review to explore knowledge, experiences and access to SRH services in this population group across the African continent. Two databases (PubMed and Web of Science) were searched and from 896 identified publications, 15 peer-reviewed articles published in English met the inclusion criteria for this review. These consisted of eight applied qualitative, five quantitative and two mixed-method study designs. The quality of the studies was evaluated by the mixed-methods appraisal tool (MMAT) using scores in percentages (0–100%). Available evidence indicates that knowledge of young women and girls regarding contraceptive methods, STIs and HIV/AIDS are limited. This population group often experiences gender-based and sexual violence and abuse. The access and availability of SRH services are often limited due to distances, costs and stigma. This review demonstrates that there is still a dearth of peer-reviewed literature on SRH related aspects among refugee, migrant and displaced girls and young women in Africa. The data disaggregation by sex and age should be emphasized for future research in this field.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1294: High Capacity and High Efficiency Maple Tree-Biomass-Derived Hard Carbon as an Anode Material for Sodium-Ion Batteries Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081294 Authors: Yuesheng Wang Zimin Feng Wen Zhu Vincent Gariépy Catherine Gagnon Manon Provencher Dharminder Laul René Veillette Michel L. Trudeau Abdelbast Guerfi Karim Zaghib Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are in the spotlight because of their potential use in large-scale energy storage devices due to the abundance and low cost of sodium-based materials. There are many SIB cathode materials under investigation but only a few candidate materials such as carbon, oxides and alloys were proposed as anodes. Among these anode materials, hard carbon shows promising performances with low operating potential and relatively high specific capacity. Unfortunately, its low initial coulombic efficiency and high cost limit its commercial applications. In this study, low-cost maple tree-biomass-derived hard carbon is tested as the anode for sodium-ion batteries. The capacity of hard carbon prepared at 1400 °C (HC-1400) reaches 337 mAh/g at 0.1 C. The initial coulombic efficiency is up to 88.03% in Sodium trifluoromethanesulfonimide (NaTFSI)/Ethylene carbonate (EC): Diethyl carbonate (DEC) electrolyte. The capacity was maintained at 92.3% after 100 cycles at 0.5 C rates. The in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that no peak shift occurred during charge/discharge, supporting a finding of no sodium ion intercalates in the nano-graphite layer. Its low cost, high capacity and high coulombic efficiency indicate that hard carbon is a promising anode material for sodium-ion batteries.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1291: Synthesis and Plasmonic Chiroptical Studies of Sodium Deoxycholate Modified Silver Nanoparticles Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081291 Authors: Jing Wang Kai-Xuan Fei Xin Yang Shuai-Shuai Zhang Yin-Xian Peng Sodium deoxycholate modified silver nanoparticles prepared in the presence of sodium deoxycholate as a chiral inducer exhibit plasmonic circular dichroism (CD) signals. The plasmon-induced chirality arises from the presence of chiral molecules (sodium deoxycholate) on the surface of Ag nanoparticles, which transfer their chiral properties to the visible wavelength range due to the Coulomb interactions between the chiral molecules and plasmonic nanoparticles. The prepared Ag nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit distinct line shapes of plasmonic CD, which can be tailored by varying the pH values of the solutions. A mechanism was proposed to explain the generation of the distinct plasmonic CD shapes, which indicated that the arrangements of chiral molecules in the plasmonic hot spots between Ag NPs are crucial for the induced plasmonic CD.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1293: The 3 R’s for Platelet-Rich Fibrin: A “Super” Tri-Dimensional Biomaterial for Contemporary Naturally-Guided Oro-Maxillo-Facial Soft and Hard Tissue Repair, Reconstruction and Regeneration Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081293 Authors: Consuelo C. Zumarán Marcelo V. Parra Sergio A. Olate Eduardo G. Fernández Francisco T. Muñoz Ziyad S. Haidar Platelet-Rich fibrin (PRF) is a three-dimensional (3-D) autogenous biomaterial obtained via simple and rapid centrifugation from the patient’s whole blood samples, without including anti-coagulants, bovine thrombin, additives, or any gelifying agents. At the moment, it is safe to say that in oral and maxillofacial surgery, PRFs (particularly, the pure platelet-rich fibrin or P-PRF and leukocyte and platelet-rich fibrin or L-PRF sub-families) are receiving the most attention, essentially because of their simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and user-friendliness/malleability; they are a fairly new “revolutionary” step in second-generation therapies based on platelet concentration, indeed. Yet, the clinical effectiveness of such surgical adjuvants or regenerative platelet concentrate-based preparations continues to be highly debatable, primarily as a result of preparation protocol variability, limited evidence-based clinical literature, and/or poor understanding of bio-components and clinico-mechanical properties. To provide a practical update on the application of PRFs during oral surgery procedures, this critical review focuses on evidence obtained from human randomized and controlled clinical trials only. The aim is to serve the reader with current information on the clinical potential, limitations, challenges, and prospects of PRFs. Accordingly, reports often associate autologous PRFs with early bone formation and maturation; accelerated soft-tissue healing; and reduced post-surgical edema, pain, and discomfort. An advanced and original tool in regenerative dentistry, PRFs present a strong alternative and presumably cost-effective biomaterial for oro-maxillo-facial tissue (soft and hard) repair and regeneration. Yet, preparation protocols continue to be a source of confusion, thereby requiring revision and standardization. Moreover, to increase the validity, comprehension, and therapeutic potential of the reported findings or observations, a decent analysis of the mechanico-rheological properties, bio-components, and their bioactive function is eagerly needed and awaited; afterwards, the field can progress toward a brand-new era of “super” oro-dental biomaterials and bioscaffolds for use in oral and maxillofacial tissue repair and regeneration, and beyond.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2436: Bio-Inspired Covert Active Sonar Strategy Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082436 Authors: Jiajia Jiang Xianquan Wang Fajie Duan Chunyue Li Xiao Fu Tingting Huang Lingran Bu Ling Ma Zhongbo Sun The covertness of the active sonar is a very important issue and the sonar signal waveform design problem was studied to improve covertness of the system. Many marine mammals produce call pulses for communication and echolocation, and existing interception systems normally classify these biological signals as ocean noise and filter them out. Based on this, a bio-inspired covert active sonar strategy was proposed. The true, rather than man-made sperm whale, call pulses were used to serve as sonar waveforms so as to ensure the camouflage ability of sonar waveforms. A range and velocity measurement combination (RVMC) was designed by using two true sperm whale call pulses which had excellent range resolution (RR) and large Doppler tolerance (DT). The range and velocity estimation methods were developed based on the RVMC. In the sonar receiver, the correlation technology was used to confirm the start and end time of sonar signals and their echoes, and then based on the developed range and velocity estimation method, the range and velocity of the underwater target were obtained. Then, the RVMC was embedded into the true sperm whale call-train to improve the camouflage ability of the sonar signal-train. Finally, experiment results were provided to verify the performance of the proposed method.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2435: Quantitative Contact-Less Estimation of Energy Expenditure from Video and 3D Imagery Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082435 Authors: Gregor Koporec Goran Vučković Radoje Milić Janez Perš Measurement of energy expenditure is an important tool in sport science and medicine, especially when trying to estimate the extent and intensity of physical activity. However, most approaches still rely on sensors or markers, placed directly on the body. In this paper, we present a novel approach using a fully contact-less, fully automatic method, that relies on computer vision algorithms and widely available and inexpensive imaging sensors. We rely on the estimation of the optical and scene flow to calculate Histograms of Oriented Optical Flow (HOOF) descriptors, which we subsequently augment with the Histograms of Absolute Flow Amplitude (HAFA). Descriptors are fed into regression model, which allows us to estimate energy consumption, and to a lesser extent, the heart rate. Our method has been tested both in lab environment and in realistic conditions of a sport match. Results confirm that these energy expenditures could be derived from purely contact-less observations. The proposed method can be used with different modalities, including near infrared imagery, which extends its future potential.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2434: Smart Portable Devices Suitable for Cultural Heritage: A Review Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082434 Authors: Federica Valentini Andrea Calcaterra Simonetta Antonaroli Maurizio Talamo This article reviews recent portable sensor technologies to apply in the Cultural Heritage (CH) fields. The review has been prepared in the form of a retrospective description of the sensor’s history and technological evolution, having: new nanomaterials for transducers, miniaturized, portable and integrated sensors, the wireless transmission of the analytical signals, ICT_Information Communication Technology and IoT_Internet of Things to apply to the cultural heritage field. In addition, a new trend of movable tattoo sensors devices is discussed, referred to in situ analysis, which is especially important when scientists are in the presence of un-movable and un-tangible Cultural Heritage and Art Work objects. The new proposed portable contact sensors (directly applied to art work objects and surfaces) are non-invasive and non-destructive to the different materials and surfaces of which cultural heritage is composed.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2433: Multi-Camera Imaging System for UAV Photogrammetry Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082433 Authors: Damian Wierzbicki In the last few years, it has been possible to observe a considerable increase in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) equipped with compact digital cameras for environment mapping. The next stage in the development of photogrammetry from low altitudes was the development of the imagery data from UAV oblique images. Imagery data was obtained from side-facing directions. As in professional photogrammetric systems, it is possible to record footprints of tree crowns and other forms of the natural environment. The use of a multi-camera system will significantly reduce one of the main UAV photogrammetry limitations (especially in the case of multirotor UAV) which is a reduction of the ground coverage area, while increasing the number of images, increasing the number of flight lines, and reducing the surface imaged during one flight. The approach proposed in this paper is based on using several head cameras to enhance the imaging geometry during one flight of UAV for mapping. As part of the research work, a multi-camera system consisting of several cameras was designed to increase the total Field of View (FOV). Thanks to this, it will be possible to increase the ground coverage area and to acquire image data effectively. The acquired images will be mosaicked in order to limit the total number of images for the mapped area. As part of the research, a set of cameras was calibrated to determine the interior orientation parameters (IOPs). Next, the method of image alignment using the feature image matching algorithms was presented. In the proposed approach, the images are combined in such a way that the final image has a joint centre of projections of component images. The experimental results showed that the proposed solution was reliable and accurate for the mapping purpose. The paper also presents the effectiveness of existing transformation models for images with a large coverage subjected to initial geometric correction due to the influence of distortion.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2432: A Terahertz CMOS V-Shaped Patch Antenna with Defected Ground Structure Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082432 Authors: Hyeongjin Kim Wonseok Choe Jinho Jeong In this paper, a V-shaped patch antenna with defected ground structure is proposed at terahertz to overcome the limited performance of a standard complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) patch antenna consisting of several metal layers and very thin interdielectric layers. The proposed V-shaped patch with slots allows the increased radiation resistance and broadband performance. In addition, the patch resonating at different frequency from the V-shaped patch is stacked on the top to broaden the impedance-matching bandwidth. More importantly, the slots are formed in the ground plane, which is called the defected ground structure, to further increase the radiation resistance and thus improve the bandwidth and efficiency. It is verified from electromagnetic simulations that the leakage waves from the defected ground can enhance the antenna directivity and gain by coherently interfering with the topside radiation. The proposed on-chip antenna is fabricated using a standard 65 nm CMOS process. The on-wafer measurement shows very wide bandwidth in input reflection coefficient (<−10 dB), greater than 28.7% from 240 to >320 GHz. The measured peak gain was as high as 5.48 dBi at 295 GHz. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, these results belong to the best performance among the terahertz CMOS on-chip antennas without using additional components or processes such as dielectric resonators, lens, or substrate thinning.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2430: Relative Pose Based Redundancy Removal: Collaborative RGB-D Data Transmission in Mobile Visual Sensor Networks Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082430 Authors: Xiaoqin Wang Y. Ahmet Şekercioğlu Tom Drummond Vincent Frémont Enrico Natalizio Isabelle Fantoni In this paper, the Relative Pose based Redundancy Removal (RPRR) scheme is presented, which has been designed for mobile RGB-D sensor networks operating under bandwidth-constrained operational scenarios. The scheme considers a multiview scenario in which pairs of sensors observe the same scene from different viewpoints, and detect the redundant visual and depth information to prevent their transmission leading to a significant improvement in wireless channel usage efficiency and power savings. We envisage applications in which the environment is static, and rapid 3D mapping of an enclosed area of interest is required, such as disaster recovery and support operations after earthquakes or industrial accidents. Experimental results show that wireless channel utilization is improved by 250% and battery consumption is halved when the RPRR scheme is used instead of sending the sensor images independently.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2439: HemoKinect: A Microsoft Kinect V2 Based Exergaming Software to Supervise Physical Exercise of Patients with Hemophilia Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082439 Authors: Fernando Mateo Emilio Soria-Olivas Juan Carrasco Santiago Bonanad Felipe Querol Sofía Pérez-Alenda Patients with hemophilia need to strictly follow exercise routines to minimize their risk of suffering bleeding in joints, known as hemarthrosis. This paper introduces and validates a new exergaming software tool called HemoKinect that intends to keep track of exercises using Microsoft Kinect V2’s body tracking capabilities. The software has been developed in C++ and MATLAB. The Kinect SDK V2.0 libraries have been used to obtain 3D joint positions from the Kinect color and depth sensors. Performing angle calculations and center-of-mass (COM) estimations using these joint positions, HemoKinect can evaluate the following exercises: elbow flexion/extension, knee flexion/extension (squat), step climb (ankle exercise) and multi-directional balance based on COM. The software generates reports and progress graphs and is able to directly send the results to the physician via email. Exercises have been validated with 10 controls and eight patients. HemoKinect successfully registered elbow and knee exercises, while displaying real-time joint angle measurements. Additionally, steps were successfully counted in up to 78% of the cases. Regarding balance, differences were found in the scores according to the difficulty level and direction. HemoKinect supposes a significant leap forward in terms of exergaming applicability to rehabilitation of patients with hemophilia, allowing remote supervision.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2428: Narrowband Characterization of Near-Ground Radio Channel for Wireless Sensors Networks at 5G-IoT Bands Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082428 Authors: Hicham Klaina Ana Vazquez Alejos Otman Aghzout Francisco Falcone In this contribution, a narrowband radio channel model is proposed for rural scenarios in which the radio link operates under near-ground conditions for application in wireless sensor networks dedicated to smart agriculture. The received power attenuation was measured for both transmitter and receiver antennas placed at two different heights above ground: 0.2 and 0.4 m. Three frequency ranges, proposed for future 5G-IoT use case in agriculture, were chosen: 868 MHz, 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz. Three ground coverings were tested in a rural scenario: soil, short and tall grass fields. The path loss was then estimated as dependent of the radio link range and a three-slope log-normal path loss model was tailored. Results are explained in terms of the first Fresnel zone obstruction. Commercial Zigbee sensor nodes operating at 2.4 GHz were used in a second experiment to estimate the link quality from the experimental Radio Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) received values. Two sensor nodes were placed at the same elevation above ground as in the previous experiment, only for short grass field case. The Quality of Service performance was determined in terms of theoretical bit error rate achieved for different digital modulations—BPSK, 8PSK and 16QAM—concluding remarkable results for an obstructed radio link.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2429: A PUF- and Biometric-Based Lightweight Hardware Solution to Increase Security at Sensor Nodes Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082429 Authors: Rosario Arjona Miguel Ángel Prada-Delgado Javier Arcenegui Iluminada Baturone Security is essential in sensor nodes which acquire and transmit sensitive data. However, the constraints of processing, memory and power consumption are very high in these nodes. Cryptographic algorithms based on symmetric key are very suitable for them. The drawback is that secure storage of secret keys is required. In this work, a low-cost solution is presented to obfuscate secret keys with Physically Unclonable Functions (PUFs), which exploit the hardware identity of the node. In addition, a lightweight fingerprint recognition solution is proposed, which can be implemented in low-cost sensor nodes. Since biometric data of individuals are sensitive, they are also obfuscated with PUFs. Both solutions allow authenticating the origin of the sensed data with a proposed dual-factor authentication protocol. One factor is the unique physical identity of the trusted sensor node that measures them. The other factor is the physical presence of the legitimate individual in charge of authorizing their transmission. Experimental results are included to prove how the proposed PUF-based solution can be implemented with the SRAMs of commercial Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) chips which belong to the communication module of the sensor node. Implementation results show how the proposed fingerprint recognition based on the novel texture-based feature named QFingerMap16 (QFM) can be implemented fully inside a low-cost sensor node. Robustness, security and privacy issues at the proposed sensor nodes are discussed and analyzed with experimental results from PUFs and fingerprints taken from public and standard databases.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1592: Full-Scale Experimental Study of Groundwater Softening in a Circulating Pellet Fluidized Reactor International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081592 Authors: Ruizhu Hu Tinglin Huang Aofan Zhi Zhangcheng Tang The softening effect of a new type of circulating pellet fluidized bed (CPFB) reactor on groundwater was studied through a full-scale experiment. The operation of the CPFB reactor in the second water plant in Chang’an District in Xi’an China was monitored for one year, and the results were compared with those for the Amsterdam reactor in The Netherlands. The removal efficiency of Ca2+ in the CPFB reactor reached 90%; the removal rate of total hardness was higher than 60%; effluent pH was 9.5–9.8; the turbidity of the effluent and the turbidity after boiling were lower than 1.0 NTU; the unit cost was less than €0.064 per m3; and the softened effluent was stable. The pellets in the CPFB reactor were circulated, providing higher crystallization efficiency. The diameter of the discharged pellets reached between 3–5 mm, and the fluidized area height of the CPFB reactor was 4 m. The performance parameters of the CFPB reactor were optimized.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1596: Predicting Infectious Disease Using Deep Learning and Big Data International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081596 Authors: Sangwon Chae Sungjun Kwon Donghyun Lee Infectious disease occurs when a person is infected by a pathogen from another person or an animal. It is a problem that causes harm at both individual and macro scales. The Korea Center for Disease Control (KCDC) operates a surveillance system to minimize infectious disease contagions. However, in this system, it is difficult to immediately act against infectious disease because of missing and delayed reports. Moreover, infectious disease trends are not known, which means prediction is not easy. This study predicts infectious diseases by optimizing the parameters of deep learning algorithms while considering big data including social media data. The performance of the deep neural network (DNN) and long-short term memory (LSTM) learning models were compared with the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) when predicting three infectious diseases one week into the future. The results show that the DNN and LSTM models perform better than ARIMA. When predicting chickenpox, the top-10 DNN and LSTM models improved average performance by 24% and 19%, respectively. The DNN model performed stably and the LSTM model was more accurate when infectious disease was spreading. We believe that this study’s models can help eliminate reporting delays in existing surveillance systems and, therefore, minimize costs to society.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1301: Spiral Bevel Gears Face Roughness Prediction Produced by CNC End Milling Centers Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081301 Authors: Álvaro Álvarez Amaia Calleja Mikel Arizmendi Haizea González Luis Norberto Lopez de Lacalle The emergence of multitasking machines in the machine tool sector presents new opportunities for the machining of large size gears and short production series in these machines. However, the possibility of using standard tools in conventional machines for gears machining represents a technological challenge from the point of view of workpiece quality. Machining conditions in order to achieve both dimensional and surface quality requirements need to be determined. With these considerations in mind, computer numerical control (CNC) methods to provide useful tools for gear processing are studied. Thus, a model for the prediction of surface roughness obtained on the teeth surface of a machined spiral bevel gear in a multiprocess machine is presented. Machining strategies and optimal machining parameters were studied, and the roughness model is validated for 3 + 2 axes and 5 continuous axes machining strategies.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1302: Enhanced Cycling Stability of LiCuxMn1.95−xSi0.05O4 Cathode Material Obtained by Solid-State Method Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081302 Authors: Hongyuan Zhao Fang Li Xiuzhi Bai Tingting Wu Zhankui Wang Yongfeng Li Jianxiu Su The LiCuxMn1.95−xSi0.05O4 (x = 0, 0.02, 0.05, 0.08) samples have been obtained by a simple solid-state method. XRD and SEM characterization results indicate that the Cu-Si co-doped spinels retain the inherent structure of LiMn2O4 and possess uniform particle size distribution. Electrochemical tests show that the optimal Cu-doping amount produces an obvious improvement effect on the cycling stability of LiMn1.95Si0.05O4. When cycled at 0.5 C, the optimal LiCu0.05Mn1.90Si0.05O4 sample exhibits an initial capacity of 127.3 mAh g−1 with excellent retention of 95.7% after 200 cycles. Moreover, when the cycling rate climbs to 10 C, the LiCu0.05Mn1.90Si0.05O4 sample exhibits 82.3 mAh g−1 with satisfactory cycling performance. In particular, when cycled at 55 °C, this co-doped sample can show an outstanding retention of 94.0% after 100 cycles, whiles the LiMn1.95Si0.05O4 only exhibits low retention of 79.1%. Such impressive performance shows that the addition of copper ions in the Si-doped spinel effectively remedy the shortcomings of the single Si-doping strategy and the Cu-Si co-doped spinel can show excellent cycling stability.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1297: A Straightforward Substitution Strategy to Tune BODIPY Dyes Spanning the Near-Infrared Region via Suzuki–Miyaura Cross-Coupling Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081297 Authors: Guanglei Li Yu Otsuka Takuya Matsumiya Toshiyuki Suzuki Jianye Li Masashi Takahashi Koji Yamada In this study, a series of new red and near-infrared (NIR) dyes derived from 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (BODIPY) were developed by introducing thiophene and its derivatives to the 3- and 5- positions of the dichloroBODIPY core. For the first time, cyclictriol boronates and N-methyliminodiacetic acid (MIDA) boronate were used as organoboron species to couple with 3,5-dichloroBODIPY via the one-step Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling. Six kinds of thieno-expended BODIPY dyes were synthesized in acceptable yields ranging from 31% to 79%. All six dyes showed different absorption and emission wavelengths spanning a wide range (c.a. 600–850 nm) in the red and NIR regions with relatively high quantum yields (19–85%). Cellular imaging of 8-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)-re3,5-di(2-thienyl)-BODIPY (dye 1) was conducted using bovine cumulus cells, and the fluorescence microscopy images indicated that the chromophore efficiently accumulated and was exclusively localized in the cytoplasm, suggesting it could be utilized as a subcellular probe. All six dyes were characterized using 1H-NMR and mass spectrometry.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1597: Assessing Heat-Related Mortality Risks among Rural Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Epidemiological Evidence International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081597 Authors: Emmanuel A. Odame Ying Li Shimin Zheng Ambarish Vaidyanathan Ken Silver Most epidemiological studies of high temperature effects on mortality have focused on urban settings, while heat-related health risks in rural areas remain underexplored. To date there has been no meta-analysis of epidemiologic literature concerning heat-related mortality in rural settings. This study aims to systematically review the current literature for assessing heat-related mortality risk among rural populations. We conducted a comprehensive literature search using PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar to identify articles published up to April 2018. Key selection criteria included study location, health endpoints, and study design. Fourteen studies conducted in rural areas in seven countries on four continents met the selection criteria, and eleven were included in the meta-analysis. Using the random effects model, the pooled estimates of relative risks (RRs) for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality were 1.030 (95% CI: 1.013, 1.048) and 1.111 (95% CI: 1.045, 1.181) per 1 °C increase in daily mean temperature, respectively. We found excess risks in rural settings not to be smaller than risks in urban settings. Our results suggest that rural populations, like urban populations, are also vulnerable to heat-related mortality. Further evaluation of heat-related mortality among rural populations is warranted to develop public health interventions in rural communities.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1595: Does SuperPark Make Children Less Sedentary? How Visiting a Commercial Indoor Activity Park Affects 7 to 12 Years Old Children’s Daily Sitting and Physical Activity Time International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081595 Authors: Arto J. Pesola Martti Melin Anssi Vanhala Ying Gao Taija Finni Commercial indoor activity parks provide children with a variety of entertaining physical activities. This study examined whether visiting SuperPark affects total daily sitting and physical activity time. The participants (8 girls and 7 boys, aged 10.3 ± 1.9 years, height 144.5 ± 11.8 cm, body mass index (BMI) 19.3 ± 3.0 kg/m2) wore a thigh-worn accelerometer during a normal week and were provided free tickets to visit SuperPark on at least one day. On average, the children spent 3.3 ± 1.2 h in SuperPark. During the visits the children had 0.9 h less sitting (0.7 ± 0.3 h, p = 0.000) and 0.9 h more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA; 1.4 ± 0.6 h, p = 0.002) as compared to the reference periods on days without a SuperPark visit (1.6 ± 0.3 h sitting and 0.5 ± 0.4 h MVPA). During the days when visiting SuperPark, sitting time decreased 1.0 h (5.8 ± 0.9 h, p = 0.008) and MVPA increased 0.8 h (3.0 ± 1.0 h, p = 0.017) as compared to the reference days (6.8 ± 1.1 h sitting and 2.2 ± 0.8 h MVPA). The effects were more pronounced during weekdays than weekends. The children spent more than three hours in SuperPark on one visit, of which almost a half was MVPA. During the whole day, one hour of sitting was replaced with MVPA, suggesting that visiting SuperPark has the potential to improve health. Whether children continue visiting SuperPark and gain health benefits merits investigation.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1593: Modeling Land Use Changes and their Impacts on Non-Point Source Pollution in a Southeast China Coastal Watershed International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081593 Authors: Xin Zhang Lin Zhou Yuqi Liu Changes in landscape patterns in a river basin play a crucial role in the change on load of non-point source pollution. The spatial distribution of various land use types affects the transmission of non-point source pollutants on the basis of source-sink theory in landscape ecology. Jiulong River basin in southeast of China was selected as the study area in this paper. Aiming to analyze the correlation between changing landscape patterns and load of non-point source pollution in this area, traditional landscape metrics and the improved location-weighted landscape contrast index based on the minimum hydrological response unit (HRULCI) were applied in this study, in combination with remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) technique. The results of the landscape metrics showed the enhanced fragmentation extent and the decreasing polymerization degree of the overall landscape in the watershed. High values of HRULCI were concentrated in cultivated land, while low HRULCI values mostly appeared in forestland, indicating that cultivated land substantially enhanced non-point source pollution, while forestland inhibited the pollution process.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2448: Application-Aware Anomaly Detection of Sensor Measurements in Cyber-Physical Systems Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082448 Authors: Amin Ghafouri Aron Laszka Koutsoukos Detection errors such as false alarms and undetected faults are inevitable in any practical anomaly detection system. These errors can create potentially significant problems in the underlying application. In particular, false alarms can result in performing unnecessary recovery actions while missed detections can result in failing to perform recovery which can lead to severe consequences. In this paper, we present an approach for application-aware anomaly detection (AAAD). Our approach takes an existing anomaly detector and configures it to minimize the impact of detection errors. The configuration of the detectors is chosen so that application performance in the presence of detection errors is as close as possible to the performance that could have been obtained if there were no detection errors. We evaluate our result using a case study of real-time control of traffic signals, and show that the approach outperforms significantly several baseline detectors.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2444: Utilization of Inexpensive Carbon-Based Substrates as Platforms for Sensing Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082444 Authors: Minh Tran Ahmad Fallatah Alison Whale Sonal Padalkar Gold (Au) has been widely used as a material for Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) due to its plasmonic properties, stability and biocompatibility. Conventionally for SERS application, Au is deposited on a rigid substrate such as glass or silicon. The rigid substrates severely limit analyte collection efficiency as well as portability. Here, flexible substrates like carbon cloth and carbon paper were investigated as potential substrate candidates for SERS application. The flexible substrates were coated with Au nanostructures by electrodeposition. Model analyte, Rhodamine 6G was utilized to demonstrate the capabilities of the flexible SERS substrates. Additionally, the pesticide paraoxon was also detected on the flexible SERS substrates as well as on a real sample like the apple fruit.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2441: A Label-Free Fluorescent Assay for the Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Adenosine Deaminase Activity and Inhibition Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082441 Authors: Xinxing Tang Kefeng Wu Han Zhao Mingjian Chen Changbei Ma Adenosine deaminase (ADA), able to catalyze the irreversible deamination of adenosine into inosine, can be found in almost all tissues and plays an important role in several diseases. In this work, we developed a label-free fluorescence method for the detection of adenosine deaminase activity and inhibition. In the presence of ADA, ATP has been shown to be hydrolyzed. The ATP aptamer was shown to form a G-quadruplex/thioflavin T (ThT) complex with ThT and exhibited an obvious fluorescence signal. However, the ATP aptamer could bind with ATP and exhibited a low fluorescence signal because of the absence of ADA. This assay showed high sensitivity to ADA with a detection limit of 1 U/L based on an SNR of 3 and got a good linear relationship within the range of 1–100 U/L with R2 = 0.9909. The LOD is lower than ADA cutoff value (4 U/L) in the clinical requirement and more sensitive than most of the reported methods. This technique exhibited high selectivity for ADA against hoGG I, UDG, RNase H and λexo. Moreover, this strategy was successfully applied for assaying the inhibition of ADA using erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl) adenine (EHNA) and, as such, demonstrated great potential for the future use in the diagnosis of ADA-relevant diseases, particularly in advanced drug development.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2440: A Privacy Preserving Scheme for Nearest Neighbor Query Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082440 Authors: Yuhang Wang Zhihong Tian Hongli Zhang Shen Su Wei Shi In recent years, location privacy concerns that arise when using the nearest neighbor query services have gained increasing attention, as such services have become pervasive in mobile social networks devices and the IoT environments. State-of-the-art privacy preservation schemes focus on the obfuscation of the location information, which has suffered from various privacy attacks and the tradeoff of the quality of service. By noticing the fact that the user’s location could be replaced by their surrounding wireless sensor infrastructures in proximity, in this paper, we propose a wireless sensor access point-based scheme for the nearest neighbor query, without using the location of the user. Then, a noise-addition-based method that preserves user’s location privacy was proposed. To further strengthen the adaptability of the approach to real-world environments, several performance-enhancing methods are introduced, including an R-tree-based Noise-Data Retrieval Algorithm (RNR), and a nearest neighbor query method based on our research. Both performance and security evaluations are conducted to validate our approach. The results show the effectiveness and the practicality of our work.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1605: An Analysis of Reported Dangerous Incidents, Exposures, and Near Misses amongst Army Soldiers International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081605 Authors: Ben Schram Robin Orr Timothy Rigby Rodney Pope Occupational health and safety incidents occurring in the military context are of great concern to personnel and commanders. Incidents such as “dangerous incidents”, “exposures”, and “near misses” (as distinct from injuries, illnesses, and fatalities) indicate serious health and safety risks faced by military personnel, even if they do not cause immediate harm. These risks may give rise to harm in the future, if not adequately addressed, and in some cases the incidents may cause latent harm. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the rates and patterns of incidents of these types reported by full time (ARA) and part time (ARES) Australian Army personnel. A retrospective cohort study was performed using self-reported incident data from the Workplace Health, Safety, Compensation and Reporting (WHSCAR) database over a two-year period. Data were analysed descriptively. Of 3791 such incidents, 3636 (96 percent) occurred in ARA and 155 (4 percent) in ARES personnel, somewhat consistent with the proportions of total army person-years served in each (ARA 93 percent; ARES 7 percent). In ARA, 84 percent of these incident types were exposures, 14 percent near misses, and 2 percent dangerous incidents. In ARES, 55 percent of incidents were exposures, 38 percent near misses, and 7 percent dangerous incidents. Soldiers at the rank of ‘private’ experienced the highest rates of these incident types, in both ARA and ARES. Driving gave rise to more near misses than any other activity, in both populations. Exposures to chemicals and sounds were more common in the ARA than ARES. The ARES reported higher proportions of vehicle near misses and multiple mechanism dangerous incidents than the ARA. The findings of this study can usefully inform development of risk mitigation strategies for dangerous incidents, exposures, and near misses in army personnel.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1604: Chronic Disease, Disability, Psychological Distress and Suicide Ideation among Rural Elderly: Results from a Population Survey in Shandong International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081604 Authors: Jing Zhu Lingzhong Xu Long Sun Jiajia Li Wenzhe Qin Gan Ding Qian Wang Jiao Zhang Su Xie Zihang Yu Objective: Suicide is a major public health and social problem in contemporary societies. Previous studies showed that the older the seniors were, the more likely it was that they would experience disability, chronic disease, or both. The objective of this study was to examine the joint effects of chronic disease and physical disability on suicide ideation while controlling for psychological distress among the rural elderly living in Shandong Province, China. Method: A total of 5514 rural elderly individuals (60+) living in Shandong Province, China were included in this study. Suicidal ideation was assessed by using questions from the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS). Multiple logistic analyses were performed to examine the factors associated with suicide ideation. A path analysis was conducted to test the direct and indirect effects of chronic disease and of activity of daily living (ADL) limitation on suicide ideation while controlling for psychological distress. Results: The prevalence of suicide ideation among the rural elderly in Shandong, China was 11.0%. Psychological distress had the strongest direct (β = 0.392) and total effect (β = 0.392), chronic disease (β = −0.034; β = −0.063) had both direct and indirect impacts, and ADL (β = 0.091) had indirect impacts on suicide ideation. Psychological distress was a mediator between chronic disease, ADL limitation, and suicide ideation. Conclusions: Psychological distress was the greatest influencing factor of suicide ideation among the rural elderly, followed by chronic disease and disability. Effective intervention measures should be taken to facilitate the early detection of psychological distress in clinical practice among the rural elderly.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1601: Risk of Appendicitis among Children with Different Piped Water Supply: A Nationwide Population-Based Study International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081601 Authors: Hao-Ming Li Shi-Zuo Liu Ying-Kai Huang Yuan-Chih Su Chia-Hung Kao Appendicitis is a common surgical condition for children. However, environmental effects, such as piped water supply, on pediatric appendicitis risk remain unclear. This longitudinal, nationwide, cohort study aimed to compare the risk of appendicitis among children with different levels of piped water supply. Using data from Taiwan Water Resource Agency and National Health Insurance Research Database, we identified 119,128 children born in 1996–2010 from areas of the lowest piped water supply (prevalence 51.21% to 63.06%) as the study cohort; additional 119,128 children of the same period in areas of the highest piped water supply (prevalence 98.97% to 99.63%) were selected as the controls. Both cohorts were propensity-score matched by baseline variables. We calculated the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of appendicitis in the study cohort compared to the controls by Cox proportional hazards regression. The study cohort had a raised overall incidence rates of appendicitis compared to the control cohort (12.8 vs. 8.7 per 10,000 person-years). After covariate adjustment, the risk of appendicitis was significantly increased in the study cohort (adjusted HR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.35, 1.58, p < 0.001). Subgroup and sensitivity analyses showed consistent results that children with low piped water supply had a higher risk of appendicitis than those with high piped water supply. This study demonstrated that children with low piped water supply were at an increased risk of appendicitis. Enhancement of piped water availability in areas lacking adequate, secure, and sanitized water supply may protect children against appendicitis.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1600: Alternative Risk Assessment for Dangerous Chemicals in South Korea Regulation: Comparing Three Modeling Programs International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081600 Authors: Hyo Eun Lee Jong-Ryeul Sohn Sang-Hoon Byeon Seok J. Yoon Kyong Whan Moon Unlike other countries, the Korean chemical industry does not clearly distinguish between industrial sites and residential areas. The 2012 Gumi Hydrogen Fluoride Accident revealed that chemical accidents could cause damage to nearby residents. Accordingly, the Chemicals Control Act was enacted in 2015, which requested industrial sites using chemicals to perform a risk assessment for all chemical facilities and to distribute the results to the local residents and governments. Industrial businesses had the responsibility of warning the local residents. In this study, two programs (Areal Location of Hazardous Atmospheres (ALOHA), Process Hazard Analysis Software Tool (PHAST)) were compared with Korea Off-site Risk Assessment Supporting Tool (KORA), which is the current representative risk assessment program used in Korea Chemicals Control Act. The five chemical substances (nitric acid, hydrogen chloride, ammonia, sulfuric acid, and formaldehyde) most commonly involved in chemical accidents were selected. The range of influence of ERPG-2 (Emergency Response Planning Guideline) on chemical accidents was modeled and the results compared. ALOHA was found to be the most suitable program for the determination of toxicity for nitrate acid and ammonia, KORA for hydrogen chloride and sulfuric acid, and PHAST for formaldehyde. To maximize the safety of many local residents and to prepare for chemical accidents, risk assessments should be conducted using a variety of risk assessment programs, and the worst-case damage radius should be determined.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1308: Observation of Morphology Changes of Fine Eutectic Si Phase in Al-10%Si Cast Alloy during Heat Treatment by Synchrotron Radiation Nanotomography Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081308 Authors: Shougo Furuta Masakazu Kobayashi Kentaro Uesugi Akihisa Takeuchi Tomoya Aoba Hiromi Miura A series of three-dimensional morphology changes of fine eutectic Si-particles during heat treatment have been investigated in Self-modified and Sr-modified Al-10%Si cast alloys by means of synchrotron radiation nanotomography utilizing a Fresnel zone plate and a Zernike phase plate in this study. The coral-like shape particles observed in Sr-modified cast alloy fragmented at branch and neck during heat treatment at 773 K. The fragmentation occurred up to 900 s. After that, the fragmented particles grew and spheroidized by Ostwald ripening. On the other hand, rod-like shaped eutectic Si-particles observed in self-modified cast alloy were larger in size compared with the particle size in Sr-modified cast alloy. Separation of eutectic Si-particles in Self-modified cast alloy occurred up to approximately 900 s, which was similar tendency to that in Sr-modified cast alloy. However, it was found that the morphology change behavior was very complex in rod-like shape Si-particles. The three-dimensional morphology changes of fine eutectic Si-particles in both cast alloys, specifically fragmentation and spheroidizing, can be connected to changes in mechanical properties.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1306: Pattern-Dependent Mammalian Cell (Vero) Morphology on Tantalum/Silicon Oxide 3D Nanocomposites Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081306 Authors: Hassan I. Moussa Megan Logan Wing Y. Chan Kingsley Wong Zheng Rao Marc G. Aucoin Ting Y. Tsui The primary goal of this work was to investigate the resulting morphology of a mammalian cell deposited on three-dimensional nanocomposites constructed of tantalum and silicon oxide. Vero cells were used as a model. The nanocomposite materials contained comb structures with equal-width trenches and lines. High-resolution scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy were used to image the alignment and elongation of cells. Cells were sensitive to the trench widths, and their observed behavior could be separated into three different regimes corresponding to different spreading mechanism. Cells on fine structures (trench widths of 0.21 to 0.5 μm) formed bridges across trench openings. On larger trenches (from 1 to 10 μm), cells formed a conformal layer matching the surface topographical features. When the trenches were larger than 10 μm, the majority of cells spread like those on blanket tantalum films; however, a significant proportion adhered to the trench sidewalls or bottom corner junctions. Pseudopodia extending from the bulk of the cell were readily observed in this work and a minimum effective diameter of ~50 nm was determined for stable adhesion to a tantalum surface. This sized structure is consistent with the ability of pseudopodia to accommodate ~4–6 integrin molecules.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1307: In Situ DRIFTS Studies of NH3-SCR Mechanism over V2O5-CeO2/TiO2-ZrO2 Catalysts for Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081307 Authors: Yaping Zhang Xiupeng Yue Tianjiao Huang Kai Shen Bin Lu TiO2-ZrO2 (Ti-Zr) carrier was prepared by a co-precipitation method and 1 wt. % V2O5 and 0.2 CeO2 (the Mole ratio of Ce to Ti-Zr) was impregnated to obtain the V2O5-CeO2/TiO2-ZrO2 catalyst for the selective catalytic reduction of NOx by NH3. The transient activity tests and the in situ DRIFTS (diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy) analyses were employed to explore the NH3-SCR (selective catalytic reduction) mechanism systematically, and by designing various conditions of single or mixing feeding gas and pre-treatment ways, a possible pathway of NOx reduction was proposed. It was found that NH3 exhibited a competitive advantage over NO in its adsorption on the catalyst surface, and could form an active intermediate substance of -NH2. More acid sites and intermediate reaction species (-NH2), at lower temperatures, significantly promoted the SCR activity of the V2O5-0.2CeO2/TiO2-ZrO2 catalyst. The presence of O2 could promote the conversion of NO to NO2, while NO2 was easier to reduce. The co-existence of NH3 and O2 resulted in the NH3 adsorption strength being lower, as compared to tests without O2, since O2 could occupy a part of the active site. Due to CeO2’s excellent oxygen storage-release capacity, NH3 adsorption was weakened, in comparison to the 1 wt. % V2O5-0.2CeO2/TiO2-ZrO2 catalyst. If NOx were to be pre-adsorbed in the catalyst, the formation of nitrate and nitro species would be difficult to desorb, which would greatly hinder the SCR reaction. All the findings concluded that NH3-SCR worked mainly through the Eley-Rideal (E-R) mechanism.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2450: Features of X-Band Radar Backscattering Simulation Based on the Ocean Environmental Parameters in China Offshore Seas Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082450 Authors: Tao Wu Zhensen Wu Jiaji Wu Gwanggil Jeon Liwen Ma The X-band marine radar has been employed as a remote sensing tool for sea state monitoring. However, there are few literatures about sea spectra considering both the wave parameters and short wind-wave spectra in China Offshore Seas, which are of theoretical and practical significance. Based on the wave parameters acquired from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts reanalysis data (ERA-Interim reanalysis data) during 36 months from 2015 to 2017, a finite depth sea spectrum considering both wind speeds and ocean environmental parameters is established in this study. The wave spectrum is then built into a modified two-scale model, which can be related to the ocean environmental parameters (wind speeds and wave parameters). The final results are the mean backscattering coefficients over the variety of sea states at a given wind speed. As the model predicts, the monthly maximum backscattering coefficients in different seas change slowly (within 4 dB). In addition, the differences of the backscattering coefficients in different seas are quite small during azimuthal angles of 0° to 90° and 270° to 360° with a relative error within 1.5 dB at low wind speed (5 m/s) and 2 dB at high wind speed (10 m/s). With the method in the paper, a corrected result from the experiment can be achieved based on the relative error analysis in different conditions.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2451: Interaction of Lamb Wave Modes with Weak Material Nonlinearity: Generation of Symmetric Zero-Frequency Mode Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082451 Authors: Xiaoqiang Sun Xiangyan Ding Feilong Li Shijie Zhou Yaolu Liu Ning Hu Zhongqing Su Youxuan Zhao Jun Zhang Mingxi Deng The symmetric zero-frequency mode induced by weak material nonlinearity during Lamb wave propagation is explored for the first time. We theoretically confirm that, unlike the second harmonic, phase-velocity matching is not required to generate the zero-frequency mode and its signal is stronger than those of the nonlinear harmonics conventionally used, for example, the second harmonic. Experimental and numerical verifications of this theoretical analysis are conducted for the primary S0 mode wave propagating in an aluminum plate. The existence of a symmetric zero-frequency mode is of great significance, probably triggering a revolutionary progress in the field of non-destructive evaluation and structural health monitoring of the early-stage material nonlinearity based on the ultrasonic Lamb waves.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1611: Immunohistochemical Evaluation of Peri-Implant Soft Tissues around Machined and Direct Metal Laser Sintered (DMLS) Healing Abutments in Humans International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081611 Authors: Carlo Mangano Francesco Guido Mangano Jamil Awad Shibli Leandro Amadeu Roth Gianmaria d’ Addazio Adriano Piattelli Giovanna Iezzi Background: Direct metal laser Sintering (DMLS) is an additive manufacturing technique that allows fabrication of dental implants and related components with a highly porous surface. To date, no human studies have investigated the soft tissue adhesion and presence of inflammatory infiltrate with porous DMLS healing abutments (HAs), nor have they compared these with the classic machined ones. Purpose: To evaluate the degree of cell adhesion (integrin expression) and the quantity/quality of inflammatory infiltrate, on HAs with different surfaces; full DMLS, full machined, and hybrid (half DMLS and half machined). Methods: Fifty implant patients were randomly assigned to receive one of these different Has: T1, full DMLS (11 subjects); T2, machined in the upper portion and DMLS in the lower one (10 subjects); T3, DMLS in the upper portion and machined in the lower one (19 subjects); T4, full machined (10 patients). Thirty days after placement, circular sections of soft tissues around HAs were retrieved for immunohistochemical evaluation. Results: With regard to the adhesion molecules, the samples showed different intensity of integrin expression, with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) between T1 and the other groups. All the samples were positive for the different clusters related to the inflammatory infiltrate (T lymphocytes, CD3; B lymphocytes, CD20; and macrophages, CD68), but a lower infiltrate was found in T1, with statistically significant differences (p < 0.001) among the groups. Conclusions: The HA surface seems to influence the degree of cell adhesion and the inflammatory infiltrate of the surrounding soft tissues.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1614: Effects of Bisphenol A and 4-tert-Octylphenol on Embryo Implantation Failure in Mouse International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081614 Authors: Dinh Nam Tran Eui-Man Jung Changhwan Ahn Jae-Hwan Lee Yeong-Min Yoo Eui-Bae Jeung Miscarriage due to blastocyst implantation failure occurs in up to two-thirds of all human miscarriage cases. Calcium ion has been shown to be involved in many cellular signal transduction pathways as well as in the regulation of cell adhesion, which is necessary for the embryo implantation process. Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDs) during early gestation results in disruption of intrauterine implantation and uterine reception, leading to implantation failure. In this study, ovarian estrogen (E2), bisphenol A (BPA), or 4-tert-octylphenol (OP), with or without ICI 182,780 (ICI) were injected subcutaneously from gestation day 1 to gestation day 3 post-coitus. The expression levels of the calcium transport genes were assessed in maternal uteri and implantation sites. The number of implantation sites was significantly low in the OP group, and implantation sites were absent in the E2, ICI and EDs + ICI groups. There were different calcium transient transport channel expression levels in uterus and implantation site samples. The levels of TRPV5 and TRPV6 gene expression were significantly increased by EDs with/without ICI treatment in utero. Meanwhile, TRPV5 and TRPV6 gene expression were significantly lower in implantation sites samples. NCX1 and PMCA1 mRNA levels were significantly decreased by OP and BPA in the implantation site samples. Compared to vehicle treatment in the uterus, both the MUC1 mRNA and protein levels were markedly high in all but the BPA group. Taken together, these results suggest that both BPA and OP can impair embryo implantation through alteration of calcium transport gene expressions and by affecting uterine receptivity.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1609: A Comparison of Dependence across Different Types of Nicotine Containing Products and Coffee International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081609 Authors: Karl Fagerstrom Introduction: Few studies have compared the dependence to different tobacco and nicotine products. Even less is known about how it relates to dependence on other common drugs, e.g., caffeine. In this study degree of dependence was compared between snus, cigarettes, nicotine replacement (NR), electronic cigarettes and coffee. Methods: A random sample of Swedish citizens belonging to an internet panel were contacted from September to October 2017. The responders were asked among other related things about their use of snus, NR, traditional cigarette or e-cigarette use and coffee consumption. The indicators of dependence used were: (A) the Heavy Smoking Index, (B) The proportions that used within 30 min after raising in the morning, (C) rating the first use in the morning as the most important and (D) Stating that it would be very hard to give up entirely. Results: Significantly fewer coffee drinkers started use within 30 min of awakening compared with all other products. The first use of the day was found to be more important for snus users compared with other products. On HSI there was no difference between snus and cigarettes. Snus and cigarettes were rated as being more difficult to give up than NR and coffee. Conclusion: Dependence to traditional cigarettes and snus seem to be relatively similar while NR was rated lower and coffee lowest. Since the prevalence of caffeine use in all forms is so much more prevalent than nicotine there might be more persons in the society heavily dependent on caffeine. Implication: Tobacco products are likely more dependence forming than NR products and coffee although there might be more people dependent on caffeine. The addiction to coffee or caffeine is seldom discussed in the society probably because of the little or no harm it causes. Funding: The Snus Commission in Sweden (snuskommissionen) funded the data collection. No funding used for the analysis and writing of manuscript.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1613: Sexual Violence against Women in Germany: Prevalence and Risk Markers International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081613 Authors: Deborah F. Hellmann Max W. Kinninger Sören Kliem Previous research has repeatedly shown that gender-based violence affects a considerable proportion of women in any given population. Apart from providing current estimates of the prevalence of sexual violence against women in Germany, we identified specific risk markers applying an advanced statistical method. We analyzed data from a survey of N = 4450 women representative of the German population, conducted by the Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony in 2011. Lifetime prevalence for experiencing sexual violence was 5.4% for women aged 21−40 years (five-year prevalence: 2.5%). Non-parametric conditional inference tree (C-Tree) analyses revealed that physical and sexual abuse during childhood as well as being divorced, separated, or widowed was the most informative constellation of risk markers, increasing the five-year prevalence rate of experienced sexual violence victimizations up to 17.0%. Furthermore, knowing about the official penalization of marital rape was related to a lower victimization risk for women without a history of parental violence. Possible explanations for these findings as well as implications for future research are critically discussed.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1612: Legionellosis Associated with Recreational Waters: A Systematic Review of Cases and Outbreaks in Swimming Pools, Spa Pools, and Similar Environments International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081612 Authors: Erica Leoni Federica Catalani Sofia Marini Laura Dallolio Legionella spp. is widespread in many natural and artificial water systems, such as hot water distribution networks, cooling towers, and spas. A particular risk factor has been identified in the use of whirlpools and hot tubs in spa facilities and public baths. However, there has been no systematic synthesis of the published literature reporting legionellosis cases or outbreaks related to swimming/spa pools or similar environments used for recreational purposes (hot springs, hot tubs, whirlpools, natural spas). This study presents the results of a systematic review of the literature on cases and outbreaks associated with these environments. Data were extracted from 47 articles, including 42 events (17 sporadic cases and 25 outbreaks) and 1079 cases, 57.5% of which were diagnosed as Pontiac fever, without any deaths, and 42.5% were of Legionnaires’ disease, with a fatality rate of 6.3%. The results are presented in relation to the distribution of Legionella species involved in the events, clinical manifestations and diagnosis, predisposing conditions in the patients, favourable environmental factors, and quality of the epidemiological investigation, as well as in relation to the different types of recreational water sources involved. Based on the epidemiological and microbiological criteria, the strength of evidence linking a case/outbreak of legionellosis with a recreational water system was classified as strong, probable, and possible; in more than half of the events the resulting association was strong.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2472: Multiple Instances QoS Routing in RPL: Application to Smart Grids Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082472 Authors: Jad Nassar Matthieu Berthomé Jérémy Dubrulle Nicolas Gouvy Nathalie Mitton Bruno Quoitin The Smart Grid (SG) aims to transform the current electric grid into a “smarter” network where the integration of renewable energy resources, energy efficiency and fault tolerance are the main benefits. This is done by interconnecting every energy source, storage point or central control point with connected devices, where heterogeneous SG applications and signalling messages will have different requirements in terms of reliability, latency and priority. Hence, data routing and prioritization are the main challenges in such networks. So far, RPL (Routing Protocol for Low-Power and Lossy networks) protocol is widely used on Smart Grids for distributing commands over the grid. RPL assures traffic differentiation at the network layer in wireless sensor networks through the logical subdivision of the network in multiple instances, each one relying on a specific Objective Function. However, RPL is not optimized for Smart Grids, as its main objective functions and their associated metric does not allow Quality of Service differentiation. To overcome this, we propose OFQS an objective function with a multi-objective metric that considers the delay and the remaining energy in the battery nodes alongside with the dynamic quality of the communication links. Our function automatically adapts to the number of instances (traffic classes) providing a Quality of Service differentiation based on the different Smart Grid applications requirements. We tested our approach on a real sensor testbed. The experimental results show that our proposal provides a lower packet delivery latency and a higher packet delivery ratio while extending the lifetime of the network compared to solutions in the literature.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2465: Improving Classification Algorithms by Considering Score Series in Wireless Acoustic Sensor Networks Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082465 Authors: Amalia Luque Javier Romero-Lemos Alejandro Carrasco Julio Barbancho The reduction in size, power consumption and price of many sensor devices has enabled the deployment of many sensor networks that can be used to monitor and control several aspects of various habitats. More specifically, the analysis of sounds has attracted a huge interest in urban and wildlife environments where the classification of the different signals has become a major issue. Various algorithms have been described for this purpose, a number of which frame the sound and classify these frames, while others take advantage of the sequential information embedded in a sound signal. In the paper, a new algorithm is proposed that, while maintaining the frame-classification advantages, adds a new phase that considers and classifies the score series derived after frame labelling. These score series are represented using cepstral coefficients and classified using standard machine-learning classifiers. The proposed algorithm has been applied to a dataset of anuran calls and its results compared to the performance obtained in previous experiments on sensor networks. The main outcome of our research is that the consideration of score series strongly outperforms other algorithms and attains outstanding performance despite the noisy background commonly encountered in this kind of application.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1284: Microstructures and Compressive Properties of Al Matrix Composites Reinforced with Bimodal Hybrid In-Situ Nano-/Micro-Sized TiC Particles Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081284 Authors: Feng Qiu Hao-Tian Tong Yu-Yang Gao Qian Zou Bai-Xin Dong Qiang Li Jian-Ge Chu Fang Chang Shi-Li Shu Qi-Chuan Jiang Bimodal hybrid in-situ nano-/micro-size TiC/Al composites were prepared with combustion synthesis of Al-Ti-C system and hot press consolidation. Attempt was made to obtain in-situ bimodal-size TiC particle reinforced dense Al matrix composites by using different carbon sources in the reaction process of hot pressing forming. Microstructure showed that the obtained composites exhibited reasonable bimodal-sized TiC distribution in the matrix and low porosity. With the increasing of the carbon nano tube (CNT) content from 0 to 100 wt. %, the average size of the TiC particles decreases and the compressive strength of the composite increase; while the fracture strain increases first and then decreases. The compressive properties of the bimodal-sized TiC/Al composites, especially the bimodal-sized composite synthesized by Al-Ti-C with 50 wt. % CNTs as carbon source, were improved compared with the composites reinforced with single sized TiC. The strengthening mechanism of the in-situ bimodal-sized particle reinforced aluminum matrix composites was revealed.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1283: Biocompatible and Implantable Optical Fibers and Waveguides for Biomedicine Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081283 Authors: Roya Nazempour Qianyi Zhang Ruxing Fu Xing Sheng Optical fibers and waveguides in general effectively control and modulate light propagation, and these tools have been extensively used in communication, lighting and sensing. Recently, they have received increasing attention in biomedical applications. By delivering light into deep tissue via these devices, novel applications including biological sensing, stimulation and therapy can be realized. Therefore, implantable fibers and waveguides in biocompatible formats with versatile functionalities are highly desirable. In this review, we provide an overview of recent progress in the exploration of advanced optical fibers and waveguides for biomedical applications. Specifically, we highlight novel materials design and fabrication strategies to form implantable fibers and waveguides. Furthermore, their applications in various biomedical fields such as light therapy, optogenetics, fluorescence sensing and imaging are discussed. We believe that these newly developed fiber and waveguide based devices play a crucial role in advanced optical biointerfaces.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1282: Development of a Novel in Silico Model to Investigate the Influence of Radial Clearance on the Acetabular Cup Contact Pressure in Hip Implants Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081282 Authors: Saverio Affatato Massimiliano Merola Alessandro Ruggiero A hip joint replacement is considered one of the most successful orthopedic surgical procedures although it involves challenges that must be overcome. The patient group undergoing total hip arthroplasty now includes younger and more active patients who require a broad range of motion and a longer service lifetime of the implant. The current replacement joint results are not fully satisfactory for these patients’ demands. As particle release is one of the main issues, pre-clinical experimental wear testing of total hip replacement components is an invaluable tool for evaluating new implant designs and materials. The aim of the study was to investigate the cup tensional state by varying the clearance between head and cup. For doing this we use a novel hard-on-soft finite element model with kinematic and dynamic conditions calculated from a musculoskeletal multibody model during the gait. Four different usual radial clearances were considered, ranging from 0 to 0.5 mm. The results showed that radial clearance plays a key role in acetabular cup stress-strain during the gait, showing from the 0 value to the highest, 0.5, a difference of 44% and 35% in terms of maximum pressure and deformation, respectively. Moreover, the presented model could be usefully exploited for complete elastohydrodynamic synovial lubrication modelling of the joint, with the aim of moving towards an increasingly realistic total hip arthroplasty in silico wear assessment accounting for differences in radial clearances.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1277: Filtration of Sub-3.3 nm Tungsten Oxide Particles Using Nanofibrous Filters Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081277 Authors: Raheleh Givehchi Qinghai Li Zhongchao Tan This work aims to understand the effects of particle concentration on the filtration of nanoparticles using nanofibrous filters. The filtration efficiencies of triple modal tungsten oxide (WOx) nanoparticles were experimentally determined at three different concentrations for the size range of 0.82–3.3 nm in diameter. All tests were conducted using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nano-fibrous filters at an air relative humidity of 2.9%. Results showed that the filtration efficiencies of sub-3.3 nm nanoparticles depended on the upstream particle concentration. The lower the particle concentration was, the higher the filtration efficiency was.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1280: Porous Silk Fibroin Microspheres Sustainably Releasing Bioactive Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081280 Authors: Jing Qu Lu Wang Longxing Niu Jiaming Lin Qian Huang Xuefeng Jiang Mingzhong Li Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) plays a significant role in stimulating cell proliferation. It remains a challenge in the field of biomaterials to develop a carrier with the capacity of continuously releasing bioactive bFGF. In this study, porous bFGF-loaded silk fibroin (SF) microspheres, with inside-out channels, were fabricated by high-voltage electrostatic differentiation, and followed by lyophilization. The embedded bFGF exhibited a slow release mode for over 13 days without suffering burst release. SEM observations showed that incubated L929 cells could fully spread and produce collagen-like fibrous matrix on the surface of SF microspheres. CLSM observations and the results of cell viability assay indicated that bFGF-loaded microspheres could significantly promote cell proliferation during five to nine days of culture, compared to bFGF-unloaded microspheres. This reveals that the bFGF released from SF microspheres retained obvious bioactivity to stimulate cell growth. Such microspheres sustainably releasing bioactive bFGF might be applied to massive cell culture and tissue engineering as a matrix directly, or after being combined with three-dimensional scaffolds.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1332: Biocompatible/Biodegradable Electrowetting on Dielectric Microfluidic Chips with Fluorinated CTA/PLGA Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081332 Authors: Kaidi Zhang Lei Chao Jia Zhou One of the major hurdles in the development of biocompatible/biodegradable EWOD (Electrowetting-on-dielectric) devices is the biocompatibility of the dielectric and hydrophobic layers. In this study, we address this problem by using reactive ion etching (RIE) to prepare a super-hydrophobic film combining fluorinated cellulose triacetate (CTA) and poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA). The contact angle (CA) of water droplets on the proposed material is about 160°. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) characterizations indicate that a slight increase in the surface roughness and the formation of CFx (C-F or CF2) bonds are responsible for the super-hydrophobic nature of the film. Alternating Current (AC) static electrowetting and droplet transportation experiments evidence that contact angle hysteresis and contact line pinning are greatly reduced by impregnating the CTA/PLGA film with silicon oil. Therefore, this improved film could provide a biocompatible alternative to the typical Teflon® or Cytop® films as a dielectric and hydrophobic layer.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1639: Sexual Function of Postmenopausal Women Addicted to Alcohol International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081639 Authors: Anna Jenczura Mariola Czajkowska Agnieszka Skrzypulec-Frankel Violetta Skrzypulec-Plinta Agnieszka Drosdzol-Cop Introduction: Alcoholism impairs female sexual functions (decreased sex drive, reduced vaginal fluid, difficulty to experience orgasm). Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the course of perimenopausal period and sexual life of female alcoholics. Methods: 97 women at the age of 40–60 years were qualified with a diagnosed history of alcoholism (studied group). For the control group, 92 women at the age of 40–60 without a history of alcoholism were qualified. Questionnaires assessing female sexual function (Female Sexual Function Index—FSFI), the severity of perimenopausal symptoms (Menopause Rating Scale—MRS) and the degree of alcohol addiction (Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test—MAST) were obtained from each participant. Main outcome measures: To assess the sexual function of perimenopausal women addicted to alcohol. Results: The studied and control groups were significantly different (p = 0.00) in terms of severity of menopausal symptoms (MRS). The research showed lower quality of sexual life (FSFI) of women from the studied group. Conclusions: Population of women with diagnosed alcohol dependence enter the menopausal stage at the similar age as the population of female non-drinkers. The time of alcohol abuse is an important factor having an impact on both the course of menopause and the dynamics of the perimenopause period, leading to symptom escalation. The population of female alcoholics shows a decrease in sexual activity and the prevalence of sexual disorders.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1634: Changing the Approach to Anticoagulant Therapy in Older Patients with Multimorbidity Using a Precision Medicine Approach International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081634 Authors: Angela Koverech Valeriano Soldati Vittoria Polidori Leda Marina Pomes Luana Lionetto Matilde Capi Andrea Negro Maurizio Simmaco Paolo Martelletti The ageing of the world population has resulted in an increase in the number of older patients with multimorbid conditions receiving multiple therapies. This emerging clinical scenario poses new challenges, which are mostly related to the increased incidence of adverse effects. This translates into poor clinical care, reduced cost-effectiveness of drug therapies, and social isolation of multimorbid patients due to reduced autonomy. A strategy to address these emerging challenges could involve the personalization of therapies based on the clinical, molecular, and genetic characterization of multimorbid patients. Anticoagulation therapy is a feasible model to implement personalized medicine since it generally involves older multimorbid patients receiving multiple drugs. In this study, in patients with atrial fibrillation, the use of the new generation of anticoagulation therapy, i.e., direct oral anti-coagulants (DOACs), is based on a preliminary assessment of the molecular targets of DOACS and any possible drug–drug interactions. Then, the genetic polymorphism of enzymes metabolizing DOACs is studied. After DOAC prescription, its circulating levels are measured. Clinical data are being collected to assess whether this personalized approach improves the safety and efficacy profiles of anticoagulation therapy using DOACs, thereby reducing the costs of healthcare for ageing multimorbid patients.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1336: Fatigue Crack Growth Behavior of the MIG Welded Joint of 06Cr19Ni10 Stainless Steel Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081336 Authors: Lanqing Tang Caifu Qian Ayhan Ince Jing Zheng Huifang Li Zhichao Han In this paper, the fatigue crack growth behavior of the base metal (BM), the weld metal (WM) and the heat-affected zone (HAZ) in the metal-inert gas (MIG) welded joints of the 06Cr19Ni10 stainless steel are analyzed and studied. Results of the fatigue crack propagation tests show that a new fatigue crack initiates at the crack tip of a pre-existing crack, then propagates perpendicular to the direction of cyclic fatigue loads. This observation indicates that the original mixed-mode crack transforms into the mode I crack. The WM specimen has the largest fatigue crack growth rate, followed by the HAZ specimen and the BM specimen. To illustrate the differences in fatigue crack growth behavior of the three different types of specimens, metallographic structure, fracture morphology and residual stresses of the BM, HAZ and WM are investigated and discussed. The metallographic observations indicate that the mean grain size of the HAZ is relatively larger than that of the BM. The fractographic analysis shows that the WM has the largest fatigue striation width, followed by the HAZ and the BM. It is also found that the depth of dimple in the WM is relatively shallower than the one in the HAZ and BM, implying the poor plasticity behavior of the material. Analysis results of the residual stress analysis demonstrate a high level of tensile residual stress appearance in the WM and HAZ.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1337: Variations of the Elastic Properties of the CoCrFeMnNi High Entropy Alloy Deformed by Groove Cold Rolling Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081337 Authors: Paul Lohmuller Laurent Peltier Alain Hazotte Julien Zollinger Pascal Laheurte Eric Fleury The variations of the mechanical properties of the CoCrFeMnNi high entropy alloy (HEA) during groove cold rolling process were investigated with the aim of understanding their correlation relationships with the crystallographic texture. Our study revealed divergences in the variations of the microhardness and yield strength measured from samples deformed by groove cold rolling and conventional cold rolling processes. The crystallographic texture analyzed by electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD) revealed a hybrid texture between those obtained by conventional rolling and drawing processes. Though the groove cold rolling process induced a marked strengthening effect in the CoCrFeMnNi HEA, the mechanical properties were also characterized by an unusual decrease of the Young’s modulus as the applied groove cold rolled deformation increased up to about 0.5 before reaching a stabilized value. This decrease of the Young’s modulus was attributed to the increased density of mobile dislocations induced by work hardening during groove cold rolling processing.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1648: Transcriptomic Profiles in Zebrafish Liver Permit the Discrimination of Surface Water with Pollution Gradient and Different Discharges International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081648 Authors: Zhou Zhang Wei Liu Yuanyuan Qu Xie Quan Ping Zeng Mengchang He Yanmei Zhou Ruixia Liu The present study aims to evaluate the potential of transcriptomic profiles in evaluating the impacts of complex mixtures of pollutants at environmentally relevant concentrations on aquatic vertebrates. The changes in gene expression were determined using microarray in the liver of male zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposed to surface water collected from selected locations on the Hun River, China. The numbers of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in each treatment ranged from 728 to 3292, which were positively correlated with chemical oxygen demand (COD). Predominant transcriptomic responses included peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) signaling and steroid biosynthesis. Key pathways in immune system were also affected. Notably, two human diseases related pathways, insulin resistance and Salmonella infection were enriched. Clustering analysis and principle component analysis with DEGs differentiated the upstream and downstream site of Shenyang City, and the mainstream and the tributary sites near the junction. Comparison the gene expression profiles of zebrafish exposed to river surface water with those to individual chemicals found higher similarity of the river water with estradiol than several other organic pollutants and metals. Results suggested that the transcriptomic profiles of zebrafish is promising in differentiating surface water with pollution gradient and different discharges and in providing valuable information to support discharge management.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1650: Pesticides Are an Occupational and Public Health Issue International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081650 Authors: Hans-Peter Hutter Hanns Moshammer n/a

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1641: Cytotoxic and Genotoxic Effects of Pesticide Exposure in Male Coffee Farmworkers of the Jarabacoa Region, Dominican Republic International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081641 Authors: Hans-Peter Hutter Abdul Wali Khan Kathrin Lemmerer Peter Wallner Michael Kundi Hanns Moshammer Intensive agrochemical use in coffee production in the Global South has been documented. The aim of this study was to investigate cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of pesticide exposure in male farmworkers in the Dominican Republic comparing conventional farming using pesticides to organic farming. Furthermore, feasibility of the buccal micronucleus cytome assay (BMCA) for field studies under difficult local conditions was tested. In a cross-sectional field study, pesticide exposed (sprayers) and non-exposed male workers on coffee plantations were interviewed about exposure history, and pesticide application practices. Buccal cells were sampled, and BMCA was applied to assess potential effects on cell integrity. In total, 38 pesticide-exposed and 33 non-exposed workers participated. Eighty-four and 87%, respectively, of the pesticide-exposed respondents did not use masks or gloves at all. All biomarkers from the BMCA were significantly more frequent among exposed workers—odds ratio for micronucleated cells: 3.1 (95% confidence interval: 1.3–7.4) or karyolysis: 1.3 (1.1–1.5). Buccal cells as sensitive markers of toxic oral or respiratory exposures proved feasible for challenging field studies. Our findings indicate that the impact of pesticide use is not restricted to acute effects on health and wellbeing, but also points to long-term health risks. Therefore, occupational safety measures including training and protective clothing are needed, as well as encouragement towards minimal application of pesticides and more widespread use of organic farming.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1644: Recommendations for Improving the Quality of Rare Disease Registries International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081644 Authors: Yllka Kodra Jérôme Weinbach Manuel Posada-de-la-Paz Alessio Coi S. Lydie Lemonnier David van Enckevort Marco Roos Annika Jacobsen Ronald Cornet S. Faisal Ahmed Virginie Bros-Facer Veronica Popa Marieke Van Meel Daniel Renault Rainald von Gizycki Michele Santoro Paul Landais Paola Torreri Claudio Carta Deborah Mascalzoni Sabina Gainotti Estrella Lopez Anna Ambrosini Heimo Müller Robert Reis Fabrizio Bianchi Yaffa R. Rubinstein Hanns Lochmüller Domenica Taruscio Rare diseases (RD) patient registries are powerful instruments that help develop clinical research, facilitate the planning of appropriate clinical trials, improve patient care, and support healthcare management. They constitute a key information system that supports the activities of European Reference Networks (ERNs) on rare diseases. A rapid proliferation of RD registries has occurred during the last years and there is a need to develop guidance for the minimum requirements, recommendations and standards necessary to maintain a high-quality registry. In response to these heterogeneities, in the framework of RD-Connect, a European platform connecting databases, registries, biobanks and clinical bioinformatics for rare disease research, we report on a list of recommendations, developed by a group of experts, including members of patient organizations, to be used as a framework for improving the quality of RD registries. This list includes aspects of governance, Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) data and information, infrastructure, documentation, training, and quality audit. The list is intended to be used by established as well as new RD registries. Further work includes the development of a toolkit to enable continuous assessment and improvement of their organizational and data quality.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2534: A Gyroscope Bias Estimation Algorithm Based on Map Specific Information Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082534 Authors: Tian Tan Ao Peng Junjun Huang Lingxiang Zheng Gang Ou In an inertial navigation system, especially in a pedestrian dead-reckoning system, gyroscope bias can demonstrably reduce positioning accuracy. A novel gyroscope bias estimation algorithm is proposed, which estimates the bias of a gyroscope under any set of angle observations. Moreover, a method for obtaining Euler angles using map corridor information is proposed. The heading information obtained from a map is used to estimate the bias, and the estimated bias is used to correct the trajectories. Experimental results show that it is feasible for the algorithm to estimate the bias of the gyroscope.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1350: Removal of Zinc Ions Using Hydroxyapatite and Study of Ultrasound Behavior of Aqueous Media Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081350 Authors: Simona Liliana Iconaru Mikael Motelica-Heino Régis Guegan Mihai Valentin Predoi Alina Mihaela Prodan Daniela Predoi The present study demonstrates the effectiveness of hydroxyapatite nanopowders in the adsorption of zinc in aqueous solutions. The synthesized hydroxyapatites before (HAp) and after the adsorption of zinc (at a concentration of 50 mg/L) in solution (HApD) were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM, respectively). The effectiveness of hydroxyapatite nanopowders in the adsorption of zinc in aqueous solutions was stressed out through ultrasonic measurements. Both Langmuir and Freundlich models properly fitted on a wide range of concentration the equilibrium adsorption isotherms, allowing us to precisely quantify the affinity of zinc to hydroxyapatite nanopowders and to probe the efficacy of hydroxyapatite in removal of zinc ions from aqueous solutions in ultrasonic conditions.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1344: Reducing Porosity and Refining Grains for Arc Additive Manufacturing Aluminum Alloy by Adjusting Arc Pulse Frequency and Current Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081344 Authors: Donghai Wang Jiping Lu Shuiyuan Tang Lu Yu Hongli Fan Lei Ji Changmeng Liu Coarse grains and gas pores are two main problems that limit the application of additive manufacturing aluminum alloys. To reduce porosity and refine grains, this paper presents a quantitative investigation into the effect of pulse frequency and arc current on the porosity and grains of arc additive manufacturing Al–5Si alloy. The experiment results show that pulse frequency and arc current have a significant impact on the macrostructure, microstructure, porosity, and tensile properties of the samples. Fine grains and a uniform microstructure can be obtained with low pulse frequency and low arc current as a result of the rapid cooling of the molten pool. With the increase of pulse frequency, density shows a trend that firstly escalates and attains the maximum value at 50 Hz, but later declines as a result of the relation between pores formation and gas escape. Moreover, better tensile properties can be obtained at low pulse frequency and low arc current because of the finer grains.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1345: Development of a Photo-Crosslinking, Biodegradable GelMA/PEGDA Hydrogel for Guided Bone Regeneration Materials Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081345 Authors: Yihu Wang Ming Ma Jianing Wang Weijie Zhang Weipeng Lu Yunhua Gao Bing Zhang Yanchuan Guo Gelatin-based hydrogel, which mimics the natural dermal extracellular matrix, is a promising tissue engineering material. However, insufficient and uncontrollable mechanical and degradation properties remain the major obstacles for its application in medical bone regeneration material. Herein, we develop a facile but efficient strategy for a novel hydrogel as guided bone regeneration (GBR) material. In this study, methacrylic anhydride (MA) has been used to modify gelatin to obtain photo-crosslinkable methacrylated gelatin (GelMA). Moreover, the GelMA/PEGDA hydrogel was prepared by photo-crosslinking GelMA and PEGDA with photoinitiator I2959 under UV treatment. Compared with the GelMA hydrogel, the GelMA/PEGDA hydrogel exhibits several times stronger mechanical properties than pure GelMA hydrogel. The GelMA/PEGDA hydrogel shows a suitable degradation rate of more than 4 weeks, which is beneficial to implant in body. In vitro cell culture showed that osteoblast can adhere and proliferate on the surface of the hydrogel, indicating that the GelMA/PEGDA hydrogel had good cell viability and biocompatibility. Furthermore, by changing the quantities of GelMA, I2959, and PEGDA, the gelation time can be controlled easily to meet the requirement of its applications. In short, this study demonstrated that PEGDA enhanced the performance and extended the applications of GelMA hydrogels, turning the GelMA/PEGDA hydrogel into an excellent GBR material.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1352: Study on Upconversion and Thermal Properties of Tm3+/Yb3+ Co-Doped La2O3-Nb2O5-Ta2O5 Glasses Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081352 Authors: Minghui Zhang Haiqin Wen Xiuhong Pan Jianding Yu Hui Shao Fei Ai Huimei Yu Meibo Tang Lijun Gai The effect of Yb3+ ions on upconversion luminescence and thermal properties of Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped La2O3-Nb2O5-Ta2O5 glasses has been studied. Glass transition temperature is around 740 °C, indicating high thermal stability. The effect of Yb3+ ions on the thermal stability is not obvious. Both the glass forming ability and the upconversion luminescence first increase and then decrease with the increase of Yb3+ ions. The glasses perform low glass forming ability with ΔT around 55 °C. Blue and red emissions centered around 477, 651, and 706 nm are obtained at the excitation of 976 nm laser. The upconversion luminescence mechanism is energy transfer from Yb3+ to Tm3+ mixed with two- and three- photon processes. The thermal kinetic Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA)-analysis indicates that the average activation energy first increases and then decreases with the increase of Yb3+ ions. This result can be introduced in order to improve upconversion luminescence of glasses by crystallization in the future. Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped La2O3-Nb2O5-Ta2O5 glasses with good upconversion and thermal properties show promising applications in solid-state laser, optical temperature sensing.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2578: An Outlook on Physical and Virtual Sensors for a Socially Interactive Internet Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082578 Authors: Ngombo Armando André Rodrigues Vasco Pereira Jorge Sá Silva Fernando Boavida The Internet keeps changing at a rapid pace, driven mainly by the emerging concepts and applications that make it aware of the physical world and responsive to user context. The Internet of Things (IoT) concept is quickly giving way to more advanced and highly interactive environments that go well beyond the mere sensing of the physical world. Today, in addition to traditional electronic devices, IoT sensing/actuating includes both software and human-based entities. This paper provides an outlook on the future of sensing/actuating approaches on the Internet at large, which we see increasingly related to all kinds of socially interactive technologies. With these objectives in mind, we propose a taxonomy to deal with the heterogeneity of sensing/actuating approaches in IoT. We also analyse the state-of-the-art of Social Sensing. Finally, we identify open issues and associated research opportunities, the main ones being the integration of all sensing approaches, the combination of social sciences, engineering, and computing as enablers of context-aware, cognitive applications and, last but not least, the unified management of large sets of very heterogeneous sensors/actuators.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2576: General Signal Model for Multiple-Input Multiple-Output GMTI Radar Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082576 Authors: Fuyou Li Feng He Zhen Dong Manqing Wu Yongsheng Zhang Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) ground moving target indication (GMTI) radar has been studied recently because of its excellent performance. In this paper, a general signal model is established for the MIMO GMTI radar with both fast-time and slow-time waveforms. The general signal model can be used to evaluate the performance of the MIMO GMTI radar with arbitrary waveforms such as the ideal orthogonal, code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency-division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), and Doppler division multiple access (DDMA) waveforms. We proposed a range-compensation method to eliminate the range-dependence of the FDMA waveforms. The simulation results indicate that the improved performance of FDMA waveforms is achieved utilizing the range-compensation method.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2572: Tunable Fabry-Perot Interferometer Designed for Far-Infrared Wavelength by Utilizing Electromagnetic Force Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082572 Authors: Dong Geon Jung Jun Yeop Lee Jae Keon Kim Daewoong Jung Seong Ho Kong A tunable Fabry-Perot interferometer (TFPI)-type wavelength filter designed for the long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) region is fabricated using micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) technology and the novel polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) micro patterning technique. The structure of the proposed infrared sensor consists of a Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI)-based optical filter and infrared (IR) detector. An amorphous Si-based thermal IR detector is located under the FPI-based optical filter to detect the IR-rays filtered by the FPI. The filtered IR wavelength is selected according to the air etalon gap between reflectors, which is defined by the thickness of the patterned PDMS. The 8 μm-thick PDMS pattern is fabricated on a 3 nm-thick Al layer used as a reflector. The air etalon gap is changed using the electromagnetic force between the permanent magnet and solenoid. The measured PDMS gap height is about 2 μm, ranging from 8 μm to 6 μm, with driving current varying from 0 mA to 600 mA, resulting in a tunable wavelength range of 4 μm. The 3-dB bandwidth (full width at half maximum, FWHM) of the proposed filter is 1.5 nm, while the Free Spectral Range (FSR) is 8 μm. Experimental results show that the proposed TFPI can detect a specific wavelength at the long LWIR region.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2574: Modeling and Control of a Micro AUV: Objects Follower Approach Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082574 Authors: Jesus Arturo Monroy-Anieva Cyril Rouviere Eduardo Campos-Mercado Tomas Salgado-Jimenez Luis Govinda Garcia-Valdovinos This work describes the modeling, control and development of a low cost Micro Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (μ-AUV), named AR2D2. The main objective of this work is to make the vehicle to detect and follow an object with defined color by means of the readings of a depth sensor and the information provided by an artificial vision system. A nonlinear PD (Proportional-Derivative) controller is implemented on the vehicle in order to stabilize the heave and surge movements. A formal stability proof of the closed-loop system using Lyapunov’s theory is given. Furthermore, the performance of the μ-AUV is validated through numerical simulations in MatLab and real-time experiments.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2570: The Sensory Quality and Volatile Profile of Dark Chocolate Enriched with Encapsulated Probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum Bacteria Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082570 Authors: Milica Mirković Sanja Seratlić Kieran Kilcawley David Mannion Nemanja Mirković Zorica Radulović Cocoa and dark chocolate have a wide variety of powerful antioxidants and other nutrients that can positively affect human health. Probiotic dark chocolate has the potential to be a new product in the growing number of functional foods. In this study, encapsulated potential probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum 564 and commercial probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum 299v were added in the production of dark chocolate. The results show very good survival of probiotic bacteria after production and during storage, reaching 108cfu/g in the first 60 days and over 106cfu/g up to 180 days. No statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) in chemical composition and no major differences in the volatile profiles between control and experimental chocolate samples were observed, indicating no impact of probiotic bacteria on compositional and sensory characteristics of dark chocolate. The sensory evaluation of control and both probiotic dark chocolate samples showed excellent sensory quality after 60 and 180 days of storage, demonstrating that probiotics did not affect aroma, texture and appearance of chocolate. Due to a high viability of bacterial cells and acceptable sensory properties, it can be concluded that encapsulated probiotics Lb. plantarum 564 and Lb. plantarum 299v could be successfully used in the production of probiotic dark chocolate.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2564: Indirect Measurement of Ground Reaction Forces and Moments by Means of Wearable Inertial Sensors: A Systematic Review Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082564 Authors: Andrea Ancillao Salvatore Tedesco John Barton Brendan O’Flynn In the last few years, estimating ground reaction forces by means of wearable sensors has come to be a challenging research topic paving the way to kinetic analysis and sport performance testing outside of labs. One possible approach involves estimating the ground reaction forces from kinematic data obtained by inertial measurement units (IMUs) worn by the subject. As estimating kinetic quantities from kinematic data is not an easy task, several models and protocols have been developed over the years. Non-wearable sensors, such as optoelectronic systems along with force platforms, remain the most accurate systems to record motion. In this review, we identified, selected and categorized the methodologies for estimating the ground reaction forces from IMUs as proposed across the years. Scopus, Google Scholar, IEEE Xplore, and PubMed databases were interrogated on the topic of Ground Reaction Forces estimation based on kinematic data obtained by IMUs. The identified papers were classified according to the methodology proposed: (i) methods based on direct modelling; (ii) methods based on machine learning. The methods based on direct modelling were further classified according to the task studied (walking, running, jumping, etc.). Finally, we comparatively examined the methods in order to identify the most reliable approaches for the implementation of a ground reaction force estimator based on IMU data.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2563: Joint Center Estimation Using Single-Frame Optimization: Part 2: Experimentation Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082563 Authors: Eric Frick Salam Rahmatalla Human motion capture is driven by joint center location estimates, and error in their estimation can be compounded by subsequent kinematic calculations. Soft tissue artifact (STA), the motion of tissue relative to the underlying bones, is a primary cause of error in joint center calculations. A method for mitigating the effects of STA, single-frame optimization (SFO), was introduced and numerically verified in Part 1 of this work, and the purpose of this article (Part 2) is to experimentally compare the results of SFO with a marker-based solution. The experimentation herein employed a single-degree-of-freedom pendulum to simulate human joint motion, and the effects of STA were simulated by affixing the inertial measurement unit to the pendulum indirectly through raw, vacuum-sealed meat. The inertial sensor was outfitted with an optical marker adapter so that its location could be optically determined by a camera-based motion-capture system. During the motion, inertial effects and non-rigid attachment of the inertial sensor caused the simulated STA to manifest via unrestricted motion (six degrees of freedom) relative to the rigid pendulum. The redundant inertial and optical instrumentation allowed a time-varying joint center solution to be determined both by optical markers and by SFO, allowing for comparison. The experimental results suggest that SFO can achieve accuracy comparable to that of state-of-the-art joint center determination methods that use optical skin markers (root mean square error of 7.87–37.86 mm), and that the time variances of the SFO solutions are correlated (r =  0.58–0.99) with the true, time-varying joint center solutions. This suggests that SFO could potentially help to fill a gap in the existing literature by improving the characterization and mitigation of STA in human motion capture.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2562: A Real-Time Imaging Algorithm Based on Sub-Aperture CS-Dechirp for GF3-SAR Data Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082562 Authors: Guang-Cai Sun Yanbin Liu Mengdao Xing Shiyu Wang Liang Guo Jun Yang Conventional synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging algorithms usually require a period of time to process data that is longer than the time it takes to record one synthetic aperture or that corresponding to an adequate azimuth resolution. That is to say, the real-time processing system is idle during the long data recording time and the utilization of computational resources is low. To deal with this problem, a real-time imaging algorithm based on sub-aperture chirp scaling dechirp (CS-dechirp) is proposed in this paper. With CS-dechirp, the sub-aperture data could be processed to form an image with relatively low resolution. Subsequently, a few low-resolution images are generated as longer azimuth data are recorded. At the stage of full-resolution image generation, a coherent combination method for the low-resolution complex-value images is developed. As the low-resolution complex-value images are coherently combined one by one, the resolution is gradually improved and the full-resolution image is finally obtained. The results of a simulation and real data from the GF3-SAR validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1372: The Effect of the Morphology of Coarse Aggregate on the Properties of Self-Compacting High-Performance Fibre-Reinforced Concrete Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081372 Authors: Krzysztof Ostrowski Łukasz Sadowski Damian Stefaniuk Daniel Wałach Tomasz Gawenda Konrad Oleksik Ireneusz Usydus When understanding the effect of the morphology of coarse aggregate on the properties of a fresh concrete mixture, the strength and deformability of self-compacting high-performance fibre-reinforced concrete (SCHPFRC) can be seen to be critical for its performance. In this research, regular and irregular grains were separated from granite coarse aggregate. The morphology of these grains was described while using digital image analysis. As a result, the aspect ratio, roundness and area ratio were determined in order to better understand this phenomenon. Then, the principal rheological, physical, and mechanical properties of SCHPFRC were determined. The obtained results indicated that the morphology of the grains of coarse aggregate has an impact on the strength and stiffness properties of SCHPFRC. Moreover, significant differences in the transverse strain of concretes were observed. The morphology of the coarse aggregate also has an impact on the rheological parameters of a fresh concrete mixture. To better understand this phenomenon, the hypothesized mechanism of the formation of SCHPFRC caused by different morphology of coarse aggregate was proposed at the end of the article.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1662: Cost and Threshold Analysis of the FinishIt Campaign to Prevent Youth Smoking in the United States International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081662 Authors: Brian W. Weir Jennifer Cantrell David R. Holtgrave Marisa S. Greenberg Ryan D. Kennedy Jessica M. Rath Elizabeth C. Hair Donna Vallone In 2014, Truth Initiative launched the national FinishIt campaign to prevent smoking initiation among youth and young adults. The significant changes in the communications landscape requires further analysis to determine resource requirements for public education campaigns relative to their impact. This analysis estimates the cost of the FinishIt campaign based on data from expenditure records and uses published estimates of the lifetime treatment costs and quality-adjusted life years associated with smoking. The total cost of the FinishIt campaign for 2014–2016 was $162 million. Under assumptions associated with the pessimistic base-case (no medical care costs saved through prevention), 917 smoking careers would need to be averted for the campaign to be cost-effective. Assuming smoking leads to increased medical care costs, 7186 smoking careers would need to be averted for the campaign to be cost-saving. Given these thresholds (917 and 7186) and the estimate of the impact of the previous truth campaign, the investments in the Truth Initiative’s FinishIt campaign are likely warranted for preventing smoking careers among youth and young adults.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1664: Predicting the Time Spent Playing Computer and Mobile Games among Medical Undergraduate Students Using Interpersonal Relations and Social Cognitive Theory: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Chongqing, China International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081664 Authors: Li Chen Ruiyi Liu Huan Zeng Xianglong Xu Rui Zhu Manoj Sharma Yong Zhao Background: Computer and mobile games are widely used among undergraduate students worldwide, especially in China. Our objective was to predict the time spent playing computer and mobile games based on interpersonal relations and social cognitive theory constructs (i.e., expectation, self-efficacy, and self-control). Methods: The cross-sectional survey was conducted in two medical universities using a sample of 1557 undergraduate students recruited by cluster sampling. The five-point Likert questionnaire was jointly developed by researchers from Chongqing Medical University and Jackson State University. Results: Approximately 30% and 70% of the students played computer and mobile games, respectively. The daily times spent by participants on computer games were 25.61 ± 73.60 min (weekdays) and 49.96 ± 128.60 min (weekends), and 66.07 ± 154.65 min (weekdays) and 91.82 ± 172.94 min (weekends) on mobile games. Students with high scores of interpersonal relations but low scores of self-efficacy spent prolonged time playing computer games on weekdays and weekends (p < 0.05 for all). Students with low scores of expectation spent prolonged time playing computer games on weekdays (p < 0.05). Students with high scores of interpersonal relations but low scores of self-efficacy and self-control spent prolonged time playing mobile games on weekdays and weekends (p < 0.05 for all). Conclusions: The prevalence and duration of playing mobile games were higher than those of playing computer games among medical undergraduate students in Chongqing, China. This study determined the interpersonal relations, self-efficacy, self-control, and expectation of the students at the time of playing computer and mobile games. Future studies may consider studying the interaction among game-related behaviours, environments, and personality characteristics.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1364: Recent Developments in Spectroscopic Techniques for the Detection of Explosives Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081364 Authors: Wei Zhang Yue Tang Anran Shi Lirong Bao Yun Shen Ruiqi Shen Yinghua Ye Trace detection of explosives has been an ongoing challenge for decades and has become one of several critical problems in defense science; public safety; and global counter-terrorism. As a result, there is a growing interest in employing a wide variety of approaches to detect trace explosive residues. Spectroscopy-based techniques play an irreplaceable role for the detection of energetic substances due to the advantages of rapid, automatic, and non-contact. The present work provides a comprehensive review of the advances made over the past few years in the fields of the applications of terahertz (THz) spectroscopy; laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), Raman spectroscopy; and ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) for trace explosives detection. Furthermore, the advantages and limitations of various spectroscopy-based detection techniques are summarized. Finally, the future development for the detection of explosives is discussed.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1362: Numerical Modelling of the Effect of Filler/Matrix Interfacial Strength on the Fracture of Cementitious Composites Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081362 Authors: Xiaowei Ouyang Zichao Pan Zhiwei Qian Yuwei Ma Guang Ye Klaas van Breugel The interface between filler and hydration products can have a significant effect on the mechanical properties of the cement paste system. With different adhesion properties between filler and hydration products, the effect of microstructural features (size, shape, surface roughness), particle distribution and area fraction of filler on the fracture behavior of a blended cement paste system is supposed to be different, as well. In order to understand the effect of the microstructural features, particle distribution and area fraction of filler on the fracture behavior of a blended cement paste system with either strong or weak filler-matrix interface, microscale simulations with a lattice model are carried out. The results show that the strength of the filler-matrix interface plays a more important role than the microstructural features, particle distribution and area fraction of filler in the crack propagation and the strength of blended cement paste. The knowledge acquired here provides a clue, or direction, for improving the performance of existing fillers. To improve the performance of fillers in cement paste in terms of strength, priority should be given to improving the bond strength between filler particles and matrix, not to modifying the microstructural features (i.e., shape and surface roughness) of the filler.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1361: Phase Stability and Properties of Ti-Nb-Zr Thin Films and Their Dependence on Zr Addition Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081361 Authors: Jeonghyeon Yang Munkhbayar Baatarsukh Joohyeon Bae Sunchul Huh Hyomin Jeong Byeongkeun Choi Taehyun Nam Jungpil Noh Ternary Ti-Nb-Zr alloys were prepared by a magnetron sputtering method with porous structures observed in some of them. In bulk, in order to control the porous structure, a space holder (NH4HCO3) is used in the sintering method. However, in the present work, we show that the porous structure is also dependent on alloy composition. The results from Young’s modulus tests confirm that these alloys obey d-electrons alloy theory. However, the Young’s modulus of ternary thin films (≈80–95 GPa) is lower than that for binary alloys (≈108–123 GPa). The depth recovery ratio of ternary Ti-Nb-Zr thin films is also higher than that for binary β-Ti-(25.9–34.2)Nb thin film alloys.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1358: POSS Nanofiller-Induced Enhancement of the Thermomechanical Properties in a Fluoroelastomer Terpolymer Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081358 Authors: Daphné Berthier Marie-Pierre Deffarges Nicolas Berton Mathieu Venin Florian Lacroix Bruno Schmaltz Yohan Tendron Eric Pestel François Tran-Van Stéphane Méo The present study reports on the use of three types of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) nanoparticles with various organic substituents as fillers in a fluoroelastomer (FKM). A series of/POSS elastomer composite thin films is prepared. Microstructural SEM/TEM (scanning electron microscopy/transmission electron microscopy) imaging reveals a dispersion state allowing the presence of micron-sized domains. The influence of POSS content is studied in order to optimize thermal stability and mechanical properties of the composite thin films. Both POSS-A (with an acryloyl functional group and seven isobutyl substituents) and POSS-P (with eight phenyl substituents) lead to higher thermal stability and modulus of the composites, with respect to the unfilled FKM terpolymer matrix. covalent grafting of POSS-A onto the FKM network is found to play a critical role. Enhanced storage modulus in the rubbery plateau region (+210% at 200 °C for 20 phr) suggests that POSS-A is particularly suitable for high temperature applications.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1363: Synthesis of Gold Functionalised Nanoparticles with the Eranthis hyemalis Lectin and Preliminary Toxicological Studies on Caenorhabditis elegans Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081363 Authors: Jamila Djafari Marie T. McConnell Hugo M. Santos José Luis Capelo Emilia Bertolo Simon C. Harvey Carlos Lodeiro Javier Fernández-Lodeiro The lectin found in the tubers of the Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) plant (EHL) is a Type II Ribosome Inactivating Protein (RIP). Type II RIPs have shown anti-cancer properties and have great potential as therapeutic agents. Similarly, colloidal gold nanoparticles are successfully used in biomedical applications as they can be functionalised with ligands with high affinity and specificity for target cells to create therapeutic and imaging agents. Here we present the synthesis and characterization of gold nanoparticles conjugated with EHL and the results of a set of initial assays to establish whether the biological effect of EHL is altered by the conjugation. Gold nanoparticles functionalised with EHL (AuNPs@EHL) were successfully synthesised by bioconjugation with citrate gold nanoparticles (AuNPs@Citrate). The conjugates were analysed by UV-Vis spectroscopy, Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Zeta Potential analysis, and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Results indicate that an optimal functionalisation was achieved with the addition of 100 µL of EHL (concentration 1090 ± 40 µg/mL) over 5 mL of AuNPs (concentration [Au0] = 0.8 mM). Biological assays on the effect of AuNPs@EHL were undertaken on Caenorhabditis elegans, a free-living nematode commonly used for toxicological studies, that has previously been shown to be strongly affected by EHL. Citrate gold nanoparticles did not have any obvious effect on the nematodes. For first larval stage (L1) nematodes, AuNPs@EHL showed a lower biological effect than EHL. For L4 stage, pre-adult nematodes, both EHL alone and AuNPs@EHL delayed the onset of reproduction and reduced fecundity. These assays indicate that EHL can be conjugated to gold nanoparticles and retain elements of biocidal activity.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1359: Facile Fabrication of Dumbbell-Like β-Bi2O3/Graphene Nanocomposites and Their Highly Efficient Photocatalytic Activity Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081359 Authors: Jun Yang Taiping Xie Chenglun Liu Longjun Xu β-Bi2O3 decorated graphene nanosheets (β-Bi2O3/GN) were prepared by a facile solution mixing method. The crystal structure, surface morphology, and photo absorbance properties of the products were characterized by XRD, SEM, and UV-VIS diffuse reflection, respectively. Moreover, the effect of graphene content on photocatalytic activity was systematically investigated, and the results indicated that these composites possessed a high degradation rate of Rhodamine B (RhB), which was three times higher than that of bare β-Bi2O3 when graphene content was 1 wt %. This high photocatalytic activity was attributed predominantly to the presence of graphene, which served as an electron collector and transporter to efficiently lengthen the lifetime of the photogenerated charge carriers from β-Bi2O3.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1357: Radial Compressive Property and the Proof-of-Concept Study for Realizing Self-expansion of 3D Printing Polylactic Acid Vascular Stents with Negative Poisson’s Ratio Structure Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081357 Authors: Zichao Wu Ji Zhao Wenzheng Wu Peipei Wang Bofan Wang Guiwei Li Shuo Zhang Biodegradable stents offer the potential to reduce the in-stent restenosis by providing support long enough for the vessel to heal. The polylactic acid (PLA) vascular stents with negative Poisson’s ratio (NPR) structure were manufactured by fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing in this study. The effects of stent diameter, wall thickness and geometric parameters of arrowhead NPR structure on radial compressive property of 3D-printed PLA vascular stent were studied. The results showed that the decrease of stent diameter, the increase of wall thickness and the increase of the surface coverage could enhance the radial force (per unit length) of PLA stent. The radial and longitudinal size of PLA stent with NPR structure decreased simultaneously when the stent was crimped under deformation temperature. The PLA stent could expand in both radial and longitudinal direction under recovery temperature. When the deformation temperature and recovery temperature were both 65 °C, the diameter recovery ratio of stent was more than 95% and the maximum could reach 98%. The length recovery ratio was above 97%. This indicated the feasibility of utilizing the shape memory effect (SME) of PLA to realize the expansion of 3D-printed PLA vascular stent under temperature excitation.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1360: Effect of Annealing Temperature on ECD Grown Hexagonal-Plane Zinc Oxide Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081360 Authors: Sukrit Sucharitakul Rangsan Panyathip Supab Choopun Zinc oxide (ZnO) offers a great potential in several applications from sensors to Photovoltaic cells thanks to the material’s dependency, to its optical and electrical properties and crystalline structure architypes. Typically, ZnO powder tends to be grown in the form of a wurtzite structure allowing versatility in the phase of material growths; albeit, whereas in this work we introduce an alternative in scalable yet relatively simple 2D hexagonal planed ZnO nanoflakes via the electrochemical deposition of commercially purchased Zn(NO3)2 and KCl salts in an electrochemical process. The resulting grown materials were analyzed and characterized via a series of techniques prior to thermal annealing to increase the grain size and improve the crystal quality. Through observation via scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, we have analyzed the statistics of the grown flakes’ hexagonal plane’s size showing a non-monotonal strong dependency of the average flake’s hexagonal flakes’ on the annealing temperature, whereas at 300 °C annealing temperature, average flake size was found to be in the order of 300 μm2. The flakes were further analyzed via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to confirm its hexagonal planes and spectroscopy techniques, such as Raman Spectroscopy and photo luminescence were applied to analyze and confirm the ZnO crystal signatures. The grown materials also underwent further characterization to gain insights on the material, electrical, and optical properties and, hence, verify the quality of the material for Photovoltaic cells’ electron collection layer application. The role of KCl in aiding the growth of the less preferable (0001) ZnO is also investigated via various prospects discussed in our work. Our method offers a relatively simple and mass-producible method for synthesizing a high quality 2D form of ZnO that is, otherwise, technically difficult to grow or control.

Description: Materials, Vol. 11, Pages 1365: Composites of Laponite and Cu–Mn Hopcalite-Related Mixed Oxides Prepared from Inverse Microemulsions as Catalysts for Total Oxidation of Toluene Materials doi: 10.3390/ma11081365 Authors: Bogna D. Napruszewska Alicja Michalik Anna Walczyk Dorota Duraczyńska Roman Dula Wojciech Rojek Lidia Lityńska-Dobrzyńska Krzysztof Bahranowski Ewa M. Serwicka Composites of Laponite and Cu–Mn hopcalite-related mixed oxides, prepared from hydrotalcite-like (Htlc) precursors obtained in inverse microemulsions, were synthesized and characterized with XRF, XRD, SEM, TEM, H2 temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), and N2 adsorption/desorption at −196 °C. The Htlc precursors were precipitated either with NaOH or tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAOH). Al was used as an element facilitating Htlc structure formation, and Ce and/or Zr were added as promoters. The composites calcined at 600 °C are mesoporous structures with similar textural characteristics. The copper–manganite spinel phases formed from the TBAOH-precipitated precursors are less crystalline and more susceptible to reduction than the counterparts obtained from the precursors synthesized with NaOH. The Cu–Mn-based composites are active in the combustion of toluene, and their performance improves further upon the addition of promoters in the following order: Ce < Zr < Zr + Ce. The composites whose active phases are prepared with TBAOH are more active than their counterparts obtained with the use of the precursors precipitated with NaOH, due to the better reducibility of the less crystalline mixed oxide active phase.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2589: Design of Novel Ceramic Preconcentrator and Integration in Gas Chromatographic System for Detection of Ethylene Gas from Ripening Bananas Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082589 Authors: Nayyer Zaidi Muhammad Tahir Micheal Vellekoop Walter Lang In this paper, a novel ceramic preconcentrator is manufactured using aluminum nitride (ALN) ceramics. The preconcentrator consists of a heater, a preconcentrator body, a gas inlet and a gas outlet. The adsorption material, Carbosieve SII, is loaded into the preconcentrator. The preconcentrator is integrated with a previously developed micro gas chromatographic system filled with ethylene. When operated, adequate ethylene gas is adsorbed into the preconcentrator. The application of heat pulse also successfully desorbs the ethylene gas. Tests are conducted with ethylene gas at concentrations of 10 ppm, 5 ppm and 2.5 ppm and 400 ppb, respectively. The system is also tested with ethylene gas from ripening bananas over a period of three days. No interference signal is observed in the chromatogram because of other ripening gases (e.g., carbon dioxide, oxygen, alcohol) and humidity. A detection limit of 25 ppb is realized with this system. The developed preconcentrator has several applications, e.g., in food industry and environmental monitoring.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2580: Evaluation of Water Indices for Surface Water Extraction in a Landsat 8 Scene of Nepal Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082580 Authors: Tri Dev Acharya Anoj Subedi Dong Ha Lee Accurate and frequent updates of surface water have been made possible by remote sensing technology. Index methods are mostly used for surface water estimation which separates the water from the background based on a threshold value. Generally, the threshold is a fixed value, but can be challenging in the case of environmental noise, such as shadow, forest, built-up areas, snow, and clouds. One such challenging scene can be found in Nepal where no such evaluation has been done. Taking that in consideration, this study evaluates the performance of the most widely used water indices: Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), Modified NDWI (MNDWI), and Automated Water Extraction Index (AWEI) in a Landsat 8 scene of Nepal. The scene, ranging from 60 m to 8848 m, contains various types of water bodies found in Nepal with different forms of environmental noise. The evaluation was conducted based on measures from a confusion matrix derived using validation points. Comparing visually and quantitatively, not a single method was able to extract surface water in the entire scene with better accuracy. Upon selecting optimum thresholds, the overall accuracy (OA) and kappa coefficient (kappa) was improved, but not satisfactory. NDVI and NDWI showed better results for only pure water pixels, whereas MNDWI and AWEI were unable to reject snow cover and shadows. Combining NDVI with NDWI and AWEI with shadow improved the accuracy but inherited the NDWI and AWEI characteristics. Segmenting the test scene with elevations above and below 665 m, and using NDVI and NDWI for detecting water, resulted in an OA of 0.9638 and kappa of 0.8979. The accuracy can be further improved with a smaller interval of categorical characteristics in one or multiple scenes.

Description: Sensors, Vol. 18, Pages 2581: The Shared Bicycle and Its Network—Internet of Shared Bicycle (IoSB): A Review and Survey Sensors doi: 10.3390/s18082581 Authors: Shu Shen Zhao-Qing Wei Li-Juan Sun Yang-Qing Su Ru-Chuan Wang Han-Ming Jiang With the expansion of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) in smart cities, the shared bicycle has developed quickly as a new green public transportation mode, and is changing the travel habits of citizens heavily across the world, especially in China. The purpose of the current paper is to provide an inclusive review and survey on shared bicycle besides its benefits, history, brands and comparisons. In addition, it proposes the concept of the Internet of Shared Bicycle (IoSB) for the first time, as far as we know, to find a feasible solution for those technical problems of the shared bicycle. The possible architecture of IoSB in our opinion is presented, as well as most of key IoT technologies, and their capabilities to merge into and apply to the different parts of IoSB are introduced. Meanwhile, some challenges and barriers to IoSB’s implementation are expressed thoroughly too. As far as the advice for overcoming those barriers be concerned, the IoSB’s potential aspects and applications in smart city with respect to technology development in the future provide another valuable further discussion in this paper.