bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigating Light-Induced Processes in Covalent Dye-Catalyst Assemblies for Hydrogen Production
Authors: Bold Sebastian , Straistari Tatiana , Muñoz-García Ana B. , Pavone Michele , Artero Vincent , Chavarot-Kerlidou Murielle , Dietzek Benjamin
Published: November 2020

The light-induced processes occurring in two dye-catalyst assemblies for light-driven hydrogen production were investigated by ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy. These dyads consist of a push-pull organic dye based on a cyclopenta[1,2-b:5,4-b’]dithiophene (CPDT) bridge, covalently linked to two different H2-evolving cobalt catalysts. Whatever the nature of the latter, photoinduced intramolecular electron transfer from the excited state of the dye to the catalytic center was never observed. Instead, and in sharp contrast to the reference dye, a fast intersystem crossing (ISC) populates a long-lived triplet excited state, which in turn non-radiatively decays to the ground state. This study thus shows how the interplay of different structures in a dye-catalyst assembly can lead to unexpected excited state behavior and might open up new possibilities in the area of organic triplet sensitizers. More importantly, a reductive quenching mechanism with an external electron donor must be considered to drive hydrogen production with these dye-catalyst assemblies.
Characterization of Anaerobic Biofilms Growing on Carbon Felt Bioanodes Exposed to Air
Authors: Alonso Raúl M. , Pelaz Guillermo , San-Martín María Isabel , Morán Antonio , Escapa Adrián
Published: November 2020

The role of oxygen in anodic biofilms is still a matter of debate. In this study, we tried to elucidate the structure and performance of an electrogenic biofilm that develops on air-exposed, carbon felt electrodes, commonly used in bioelectrochemical systems. By simultaneously recording the current density produced by the bioanode and dissolved oxygen concentration, both inside and in the vicinity of the biofilm, it was possible to demonstrate the influence of a protective aerobic layer present in the biofilm (mainly formed by Pseudomonas genus bacteria) that prevents electrogenic bacteria (such as Geobacter sp.) from hazardous exposure to oxygen during its normal operation. Once this protective barrier was deactivated for a long period of time, the catalytic capacity of the biofilm was severely affected. In addition, our results highlighted the importance of the material’s porous structure for oxygen penetration in the electrode.
Impedimetric Biosensor Based on a Hechtia argentea Lectin for the Detection of Salmonella spp.
Authors: Lopez-Tellez Jorge , Sanchez-Ortega Irais , Hornung-Leoni Claudia Teresa , Santos Eva Maria , Miranda Jose Manuel , Rodriguez Jose Antonio
Published: November 2020

A sensitive electrochemical detection method for Salmonella spp. was described, based on the use of Hechtia argentea lectin immobilised on a screen-printed gold electrode. The lectin was extracted from Hechtia argentea, a plant belonging to the Bromeliaceae family. The lectin with molecular weight near 27.4 kDa showed selectivity towards D-mannose, contained on the lipopolysaccharide cell wall of Salmonella spp. Carbohydrate selectivity of the lectin was measured as a change in impedance with respect to concentration. The binding of the bacteria to the biosensor surface increased impedance with increasing concentrations of Salmonella spp., achieving a linear range of detection of 15–2.57 × 107 CFU mL−1, with a limit of detection of 5 CFU mL−1. Increases in impedance were measured using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and analysed using Nyquist plots. The biosensor was applied in analysis of hen egg samples, and the results were consistent with those obtained using the official analysis methodology.
Fully Printed Flexible Chemiresistors with Tunable Selectivity Based on Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: Ketelsen Bendix , Tjarks Patrick P. , Schlicke Hendrik , Liao Ying-Chih , Vossmeyer Tobias
Published: November 2020

This study presents a method for printing flexible chemiresistors comprising thin film transducers based on cross-linked gold nanoparticles (GNPs). First, interdigitated silver paste electrodes are printed onto polyimide (PI) foil via dispenser printing. Second, coatings of GNPs and dithiol/monothiol blends are inkjet-printed onto these electrode structures. 1,9-Nonanedithiol (9DT) is used as cross-linking agent and a variety of monothiols are added to tune the sensors’ chemical selectivity. When dosing these sensors with different analyte vapors (n-octane, toluene, 4-methyl-2-pentanone, 1-butanol, 1-propanol, ethanol, water; concentration range: 25–2000 ppm) they show fully reversible responses with short response and recovery times. The response isotherms follow a first-order Langmuir model, and their initial slopes reveal sensitivities of up to 4.5 × 10−5 ppm−1. Finally, it is demonstrated that arrays of printed sensors can be used to clearly discern analytes of different polarity.
A Discrete Particle Swarm Optimization to Solve the Put-Away Routing Problem in Distribution Centres
Authors: Gómez-Montoya Rodrigo Andrés , Cano Jose Alejandro , Cortés Pablo , Salazar Fernando
Published: November 2020

Put-away operations typically consist of moving products from depots to allocated storage locations using either operators or Material Handling Equipment (MHE), accounting for important operative costs in warehouses and impacting operations efficiency. Therefore, this paper aims to formulate and solve a Put-away Routing Problem (PRP) in distribution centres (DCs). This PRP formulation represents a novel approach due to the consideration of a fleet of homogeneous Material Handling Equipment (MHE), heterogeneous products linked to a put-away list size, depot location and multi-parallel aisles in a distribution centre. It should be noted that the slotting problem, rather than the PRP, has usually been studied in the literature, whereas the PRP is addressed in this paper. The PRP is solved using a discrete particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm that is compared to tabu search approaches (Classical Tabu Search (CTS), Tabu Search (TS) 2-Opt) and an empirical rule. As a result, it was found that a discrete PSO generates the best solutions, as the time savings range from 2 to 13% relative to CTS and TS 2-Opt for different combinations of factor levels evaluated in the experimentation.
Uprighting Impacted Mandibular Second Molar Using a Skeletal Anchorage: A Case Report
Authors: Altieri Federica , Guarnieri Rosanna , Mezio Martina , Padalino Gabriella , Cipollone Angela , Barbato Ersilia , Cassetta Michele
Published: November 2020

The aim of this case report is to present an innovative combined orthodontic-surgical technique to disimpact mandibular second molar (MM2) using an orthodontic miniscrew and an elastic chain. The impact on the Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) was also evaluated. Using the present techinique, it is possible to expose the impacted tooth, insert a self-drilling miniscrew in the retromolar area, and remove the bud of third mandibular molar. At the same time the orthodontic force is applied with the use of an elastomeric chain that connects the head of miniscrew and vestibular and oral buttons bonded on MM2. A close traction is performed for the whole treatment time without the reactivation of the elastic force. The use of skeletal anchorage allowed the disimpaction of impacted MM2 in a short treatment time (about three months) avoiding the typical biomechanical side effects of traditional orthodontic appliance and increasing the effectiveness of the treatment. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the real advantages and disadvantages of this combined orthodontic-surgical approach.
Heterogeneity versus Homogeneity in Schools: A Study of the Educational Value of Classroom Interaction
Authors: Gabaldón-Estevan Daniel
Published: November 2020

The degree of homogeneity and heterogeneity among schools affects the comprehensiveness and inclusiveness of the school system and the type and scope of classroom interaction. Since the beginning of the 1980s, interest has gradually increased in the effects of homogeneity and heterogeneity of schools on classroom interactions; this research involves various disciplines and has different goals. The present paper contributes to academic debate on the often ignored consequences of socialisation of pupils with diversity. In particular, we revise the evidence on the effect of socialisation (or lack of it) with diversity resulting from the degree of homogeneity or heterogeneity to which school children are exposed through their interactions in the classroom. We aim, in particular, to shed light on what the assumed value of classroom interactions as an argument in favour or either heterogeneous or homogeneous groups. We review work analysing school homogeneity in relation to age, gender, ethnicity and disability and the effect on classroom interactions. Most studies concur with current achievement motivation theories, which highlight the important role of context and agents of socialisation, such as classroom peers, in the development of pupils’ beliefs and behaviours. Studies that find support for classroom homogeneity tend to focus narrowly on academic performance, whereas findings that support classroom heterogeneity tend to analyse higher order values such as equity and inclusiveness. The findings in the literature suggest, furthermore, that children’s experiences of exclusion and diversity influence their friendship decision-making, suggesting that heterogeneous schools promote a more inclusive society.
The Structure of Entrepreneurial Team Members’ Competencies: Between Effectuation and Causation
Authors: Stankiewicz Katarzyna , Tomczak Michał T. , Ziemiański Paweł , Krawczyk-Bryłka Beata
Published: November 2020

A conscious shaping of entrepreneurial competence is a relevant element of entrepreneurial education. In order to recognize which of the competencies regarded as entrepreneurial are characteristic of members of entrepreneurial teams, which is crucial for the work of those teams, it is necessary to identify the structure of those competencies. This quantitative study was conducted with the use of a survey method and involved 111 entrepreneurs working within 48 entrepreneurial teams. The main objective of the research was to verify the compliance of entrepreneurial competence with the effectual vs. causal approach, which would allow us to answer the question regarding which of these approaches characterizes entrepreneurs to a greater extent. This study aimed to examine which entrepreneurial competencies characterize entrepreneurs working in entrepreneurial teams, to verify them with the effectual vs. causal approach, and to define their internal structure. The results of this research revealed that the competencies related to the effectual approach are indicated to more frequently and strongly characterize the surveyed entrepreneurs. Additionally, an exploratory factor analysis enabled the identification of three main, internally consistent groups of elements forming the competence structure of the surveyed entrepreneurs. Our results may be used in the development and modernization of curricula and courses in entrepreneurship education.
The Impact of Undergraduate Research Journals on the Scholarly World: Present but Small
Authors: Gavey Rosa , Harper Amanda , Hill Mary F. , Phillips Anthony , Brown Gavin T. L.
Published: November 2020

Background: Undergraduate research journals are a popular mechanism for inducting students into research, communication, and publication facets of academia. A thematic review of 17 review papers found little evidence for journal impact. Methods: A scoping review identified 91 journals. A systematic search identified the journal website, its International Standard Serial Number (if any), its citation rate on Google Scholar, its start year and end year (if applicable). Results: Seventy-five journals had both a Google Scholar h-index and a discoverable start year. Sixty-eight had been cited one or more times. The median h-index was 2, mode was h = 1, and the average h-index = 4.38. Correlation with start year was not statistically significant, neither was content field of journals. Conclusions: Surprisingly, almost all currently published journals have been cited at least once, showing that undergraduate research journals have some impact on the scholarly world. Further analyses are suggested to examine career impact of publication on students and faculty.
FPGA Implementation of Some Second Round NIST Lightweight Cryptography Candidates
Authors: Ovilla-Martínez Brisbane , Mancillas-López Cuauhtemoc , Martínez-Herrera Alberto F. , Bernal-Gutiérrez José A.
Published: November 2020

For almost one decade, the academic community has been working in the design and analysis of new lightweight primitives. This cryptography development aims to provide solutions tailored for resource-constrained devices. The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) started an open process to create a Lightweight Cryptography Standardization portfolio. As a part of the process, the candidates must demonstrate their suitability for hardware implementation. Cost and performance are two of the criteria to be evaluated. In this work, we present the analysis of costs and performance in hardware implementations over five NIST LWC Round 2 candidates, COMET, ESTATE-AES/Gift, LOCUS, LOTUS, and Oribatida. Each candidate’s implementation was adapted to the Hardware API for Lightweight Cryptography for fair benchmarking of hardware cores. The results were generated for Xilinx Artix-7 xc7a12tcsg325-3. The results indicate that it is feasible to achieve the reduction of each solution below 2000 LUTs and 2000 slices where some of them (the variants of ESTATE-AES/Gift) are below 850 LUTs and 600 FF when they are included in the LWC CryptoCore.
A Research on the 4th Generation Intelligent Energy-Saving Solar Water Heating Tank
Authors: Lee Chun-Te , Ho Ping-Tsan , Lee Yen-Yi , Chen Liang-Bi
Published: November 2020

Currently, the 1st generation and 2nd generation solar water heating tanks’ design is unsatisfactory in the current use situation. When hot water is used with the hot water being consumed, thus cold water will be added into the same tank at the same time, resulting in a significant drop in the temperature of the hot water in the tank and making it necessary to use an additional electric heating rod for reheating. To address this shortcoming, a 3rd generation solar water heating tank was designed to improve the situation. In other words, a “movable dividing disk” is added inside the tank to completely isolate the hot water from the cold water so that the entire tank of hot water can be 100% utilized. However, when the hot water is exhausted, the 3rd generation solar water heating tank must adopt an electric heating rod to reheat the entire tank of water or make an additional small heating tank. To solve this problem, this article develops the 4th generation intelligent energy-saving solar water heating tank, in which a “fixed dividing disk” is installed inside the water heating tank to create a cold-water heating zone of about 10% of the total capacity for local heating. This allows for an efficient and faster hot water supply, saving about 90% of energy when the first tank of hot water is used up and a separate electric heating rod is used for heating.
Sensitivity Analysis of Exact Tracking Error Dynamics Passive Output Control for a Flat/Partially Flat Converter Systems
Authors: Srinivasan Ganesh Kumar , Srinivasan Hosimin Thilagar , Rivera Marco
Published: November 2020

In this paper, identification of sensitive variables is attempted for second-order (flat/partially flat) and fourth-order partially flat converters with dynamic loads. The sensitivity nature of each state variable to the output speed variable of the DC motor for the above-mentioned systems was analyzed via the frequency domain technique. Further, in continuation of this, we aimed to confirm that the variables that are used in the control law exact tracking error dynamics, passive output feedback control (ETEDPOF) are sensitive. To verify the sensitivity property, an experimental case study was done using ETEDPOF and compared with the proportional-integral controller (PIC) for a flat system, and the results are presented.
Wind Energy Harnessing in a Railway Infrastructure: Converter Topology and Control Proposal
Authors: Oñederra Oier , Asensio Francisco Javier , Saldaña Gaizka , Martín José Ignacio San , Zamora Inmaculada
Published: November 2020

Long distances in the vicinities of railways are not exploited in terms of wind energy. This paper presents a scalable power electronics approach, aimed to harness the wind potential in a railway infrastructure. The key aspect of this proposal relies on both using the wind energy in the location, and the displaced air mass during the movement of a train along the railway, in order to produce electrical energy. Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT) are used in order to take advantage of the wind power, and widely used and well-known power converter techniques to accomplish the goal, showing MPPT techniques, parallelization of converters and power delivery with a Solid State Transformer (SST). Results are shown according simulations of the whole system, with and without train activity, resulting that 30.6 MWh of the energy could be generated without the train, and the energy generated with the assistance of the train could reach 32.3 MWh a year. Concluding that almost the 10% of the energy could be provided by the assistance of the train.
Evolutionary Machine Learning for Optimal Polar-Space Fuzzy Control of Cyber-Physical Mecanum Vehicles
Authors: Huang Hsu-Chih , Xu Jing-Jun
Published: November 2020

This paper contributes to the development of evolutionary machine learning (EML) for optimal polar-space fuzzy control of cyber-physical Mecanum vehicles using the flower pollination algorithm (FPA). The metaheuristic FPA is utilized to design optimal fuzzy systems, called FPA-fuzzy. In this hybrid computation, both the fuzzy structure and the number of IF–THEN rules are optimized through the FPA evolutionary process. This approach overcomes the drawback of the structure tuning problem in conventional fuzzy systems. After deriving the polar-space kinematics model of Mecanum vehicles, an optimal EML FPA-fuzzy online control scheme is synthesized, and the global stability is proven via Lyapunov theory. An embedded cyber-physical robotic system is then constructed using the typical 5C strategy. The proposed FPA-fuzzy computation collaborates with the advanced sensors and actuators of Mecanum vehicles to design a cyber-physical robotic system. Compared with conventional Cartesian-space control methods, the proposed EML FPA-fuzzy has the advantages of metaheuristics, fuzzy online control, and cyber-physical system design in polar coordinates. Finally, the mechatronic design and experimental setup of a Mecanum vehicle cyber-physical system is constructed. Through experimental results and comparative works, the effectiveness and merit of the proposed methods are validated. The proposed EML FPA-fuzzy control approach has theoretical and practice significance in terms of its real-time capability, online parameter tuning, convergent behavior, and hybrid artificial intelligence.
Measurement-Based Investigations of the NB-IoT Uplink Performance at Boundary Propagation Conditions
Authors: Staniec Kamil , Kucharzak Michał , Jóskiewicz Zbigniew , Chowański Bartłomiej
Published: November 2020

This paper presents experimental results of investigations on narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) uplink channel performance under extreme pathloss conditions, approaching the boundary maximum coupling loss (MCL) defined for cellular IoT systems. The system performance was systematically tested against several modulation coding schemes (MCSs) and a set of repetition numbers (Nrep) in electromagnetically isolated facilities, guaranteeing proper environment separation from external factors that usually affect measurements in less controlled setups. Some of the major takeaways include the following observations. Firstly, every increase in the number of repetitions by a factor of four caused the performance to improve by about 3 dB. Secondly, the switchover between extreme MCSs (i.e., MCS0 and MCS10) caused the performance to shift by about 6 dB. Thirdly, chipsets from different vendors performed similarly at small values of Nrep, but tended to diverge for larger numbers of repetitions. These findings may serve as benchmark figures for other theoretical and simulation-based studies by demonstrating performance in response to Nrep and MCSs for a vast scope of their values. Future investigations will concern the impact of multipath channels, typical in real-life deployment scenarios.
Joint Beamforming and Artificial Noise Optimization for Secure Transmissions in MISO-NOMA Cognitive Radio System with SWIPT
Authors: Garcia Carla E. , Camana Mario R. , Koo Insoo
Published: November 2020

The integration of non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) in cognitive radio (CR) networks has demonstrated how to enhance spectrum efficiency and achieve massive connectivity for future mobile networks. However, security is still a challenging issue due to the wireless transmission environment and the broadcast nature of NOMA. Thus, in this paper, we investigate a beamforming design with artificial noise (AN) to improve the security of a multi-user downlink, multiple-input single-output (MISO) NOMA-CR network with simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT). To further support power-limited, battery-driven devices, energy-harvesting (EH) users are involved in the proposed network. Specifically, we investigate the optimal AN, power-splitting ratios, and transmission beamforming vectors for secondary users and EH users in order to minimize the transmission power of the secondary network, subject to the following constraints: a minimum signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio at the secondary users, minimum harvested energy by secondary users and EH users, maximum power at the secondary transmitter, and maximum permissible interference with licensed users. The proposed solution for the challenging non-convex optimization problem is based on the semidefinite relaxation method. Numerical results show that the proposed scheme outperforms the conventional scheme without AN, the zero-forcing-based scheme and the space-division multiple-access-based method.
Performance Analysis and Design Optimization of Parallel-Type Slew-Rate Enhancers for Switched-Capacitor Applications
Authors: Catania Alessandro , Cicalini Mattia , Dei Michele , Piotto Massimo , Bruschi Paolo
Published: November 2020

The design of single-stage OTAs for accurate switched-capacitor circuits involves challenging trade-offs between speed and power consumption. The addition of a Slew-Rate Enhancer (SRE) circuit placed in parallel to the main OTA (parallel-type SRE) constitutes a viable solution to reduce the settling time, at the cost of low-power overhead and no modifications of the main OTA. In this work, a practical analytical model has been developed to predict the settling time reduction achievable with OTA/SRE systems and to show the effect of the various design parameters. The model has been applied to a real case, consisting of the combination of a standard folded-cascode OTA with an existing parallel-type SRE solution. Simulations performed on a circuit designed with a commercial 180-nm CMOS technology revealed that the actual settling-time reduction was significantly smaller than predicted by the model. This discrepancy was explained by taking into account the internal delays of the SRE, which is exacerbated when a high output current gain is combined with high power efficiency. To overcome this problem, we propose a simple modification of the original SRE circuit, consisting in the addition of a single capacitor which temporarily boosts the OTA/SRE currents reducing the internal turn-on delay. With the proposed approach a settling-time reduction of 57% has been demonstrated with an SRE that introduces only a 10% power-overhead with respect of the single OTA solution. The robustness of the results have been validated by means of Monte-Carlo simulations.
Model-Based Condenser Fan Speed Optimization of Vapor Compression Systems
Authors: Angermeier Sebastian , Karcher Christian
Published: November 2020

Vapor compression systems (VCS) cover a wide range of applications and consume large amounts of energy. In this context, previous research identified the optimization of the condenser fans speed as a promising measure to improve the energy efficiency of VCS. The present paper introduces a steady-state modeling approach of an air-cooled VCS to predict the ideal condenser fan speed. The model consists of a hybrid characterization of the main components of a VCS and the optimization problem is formulated as minimizing the total energy consumption by respectively adjusting the condenser fan and compressor speed. In contrast to optimization strategies found in the literature, the proposed model does not relay on algorithms, but provides a single optimization term to predict the ideal fan speed. A detailed experimental validation demonstrates the feasibility of the model approach and further suggests that the ideal condenser fan speed can be calculated with sufficient precision, assuming constant evaporating pressure, compressor efficiency, subcooling, and superheating, respectively. In addition, a control strategy based on the developed model is presented, which is able to drive the VCS to its optimal operation. Therefore, the study provides a crucial input for set-point optimization and steady-state modeling of air-cooled vapor compression systems.
Experimental Long-Term Investigation of Model Predictive Heat Pump Control in Residential Buildings with Photovoltaic Power Generation
Authors: Kuboth Sebastian , Weith Theresa , Heberle Florian , Welzl Matthias , Brüggemann Dieter
Published: November 2020

This article presents a 125-day experiment to investigate model predictive heat pump control. The experiment was performed in two parallel operated systems with identical components during the heating season. One of the systems was operated by a standard controller and thus represented a reference to evaluate the model predictive control. Both test rigs were heated by an air-source heat pump which is influenced by real weather conditions. A single-family house model depending on weather measurement data ensured a realistic heat consumption in the test rigs. The adapted model predictive control algorithm aimed to minimize the operational costs of the heat pump. The evaluation of the measurement results showed that the electrical energy demand of the heat pump can be reduced and the coefficient of performance can be increased by applying the model predictive controller. Furthermore, the self-consumption of photovoltaic electricity, which is calculated by means of a photovoltaic model and global radiation measurement data, was more than doubled. Consequently, the energy costs of heat pump operation were reduced by 9.0% in comparison to the reference and assuming German energy prices. The results were further compared to the scientific literature and short-term measurements were performed with the same experimental setup. The dependence of the measurement results on the weather conditions and the weather forecasting quality are shown. It was found that the duration of experiments should be as long as possible for a comprehensive evaluation of the model predictive control potential.
Comparative Analysis of Energy Use and Human Comfort by an Intelligent Control Model at the Change of Season
Authors: Yoon Sung Hoon , Ahn Jonghoon
Published: November 2020

For improving control methods in the thermal environment, various algorithms have been studied to satisfy the specific conditions required by the characteristics of building spaces and to reduce the energy consumed in operation. In this research, a network-based learning control equipped with an adaptive controller is proposed to investigate the control performance for supply air conditions with maintaining the levels of indoor thermal comfort. In order to examine its performance, the proposed model is compared to two different models in terms of the patterns of heating and cooling energy use and the characteristics of operational signals and overshoots. As a result, the energy efficiency of the proposed control has been slightly decreased due to the energy consumption increased by precise controls, but the thermal comfort has improved by about 10.7% more than a conventional thermostat and by about 19.8% more than a deterministic control, respectively. This result can contribute to the reduction of actual installation and maintenance costs by reducing the operating time of dampers and the energy use of heating coils without compromising indoor thermal comfort.
Joint Resource Allocation for SWIPT-Based Two-Way Relay Networks
Authors: Peng Chunling , Wang Guozhong , Li Fangwei , Liu Huaping
Published: November 2020

This paper considers simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) in a decode-and-forward two-way relay (DF-TWR) network, where a power splitting protocol is employed at the relay for energy harvesting. The goal is to jointly optimize power allocation (PA) at the source nodes, power splitting (PS) at the relay node, and time allocation (TA) of each duration to minimize the system outage probability. In particular, we propose a static joint resource allocation (JRA) scheme and a dynamic JRA scheme with statistical channel properties and instantaneous channel characteristics, respectively. With the derived closed-form expression of the outage probability, a successive alternating optimization algorithm is proposed to tackle the static JRA problem. For the dynamic JRA scheme, a suboptimal closed-form solution is derived based on a multistep optimization and relaxation method. We present a comprehensive set of simulation results to evaluate the proposed schemes and compare their performances with those of existing resource allocation schemes.
N Partitioning between Gluten Fractions in a Set of Italian Durum Wheat Cultivars: Role of the Grain N Content
Authors: Mefleh Marina , Motzo Rosella , Samson Marie-Franҫoise , Morel Marie-Hélène , Giunta Francesco
Published: November 2020

Grain protein content constitutes a key quality trait for durum wheat end-products and may also impact grain protein composition. A total of sixteen durum wheat cultivars were analyzed in a field trial during two seasons at two nitrogen (N) levels to evaluate whether and to what extent the variation in total grain N was associated with variation in the quantity of the various protein fractions and grain quality parameters. Genotypic variation in grain N content correlated with the variation in the content of all three protein fractions, although the strength of the correlation with gliadin and albumin-globulin was higher than that with glutenins. Genotypic variation in gliadin and glutenin content was more tightly correlated with the variation in the sulfur (S)-rich protein groups than with the S-poor protein groups and subunits. The variation in the percentage of unextractable polymeric proteins (UPP%) among genotypes was independent of their glutenin allelic composition. The significant genotypic differences in UPP% and in the ratios between protein groups and subunits were not influenced by the corresponding variation in grain N content. The final grain N content can only account for part of the variation in quality parameters and in the partitioning of total grain N between protein fractions since genotypic differences other than grain N content also contribute to these variations.
Optimization and Modeling of Slightly Acidic Electrolyzed Water for the Clean-in-Place Process in Milking Systems
Authors: Liu Yu , Wang Chaoyuan , Shi Zhengxiang , Li Baoming
Published: November 2020

To find an environmentally friendly and energy efficient alternative to acidic detergent for a milking system clean-in-place (CIP) process, this study investigated the feasibility of applying slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) alone to wash the system by cleaning soiled stainless steel (304) pipes, rubber gaskets, and PVC milk hoses, which were used in the milking system. The results showed that SAEW with appropriate parameters could achieve the same or even better hygienic effects compared with commercial detergent. Using response surface models, the SAEW parameters required to clean stainless steel were optimized at 9.9 min for the treatment time, 37.8 °C for the water temperature, and 60 mg/L for the available chlorine concentration; and were 14.4 min, 29.6 °C, and 60 mg/L for rubber gasket and PVC samples, respectively. After washing with the optimized parameter combination, bacteria and adenosine triphosphate on the three materials were almost non-detectable, indicating that SAEW has the potential to replace acidic detergents in CIP milking systems.
New System to Increase the Useful Life of Exhausted Barrels in Red Wine Aging
Authors: Flor-Montalvo Francisco Javier , Sánchez-Toledo Ledesma Agustín , Martínez Cámara Eduardo , Jiménez-Macías Emilio , Blanco-Fernández Julio
Published: November 2020

In recent years, consumers of red wines have demanded aged wines with intense color and a well-integrated fine wood bouquet. Traditionally, wines with these characteristics have been obtained from aging in oak barrels. This type of vinification incurs high costs, including costs associated with the acquisition and use of oak barrels. After five or six vinifications, these barrels are no longer capable of providing an adequate contribution of wood compounds to the wine, because of the exhaustion of their transfer capacity. An alternative to extend the life of these barrels is the introduction of toasted oak staves inside the barrel. In this study, a comparative analysis of the aging of a red wine in new and renewed barrels was developed by inserting toasted staves and analyzing the wine in its different stages, as well as its physical, chemical, and colorimetric characteristics. This study confirms that the use of insert staves anchored in exhausted barrels helps to prolong the useful life of barrels, while maintaining quality assurance.
Effect of Gamma-Radiation on Zearalenone—Degradation, Cytotoxicity and Estrogenicity
Authors: Calado Thalita , Abrunhosa Luís , Cabo Verde Sandra , Alté Luis , Venâncio Armando , Fernández-Cruz María Luisa
Published: November 2020

Zearalenone (ZEA) is produced in cereals by different species of Fusarium, being a non-steroidal estrogenic mycotoxin. Despite having a low acute toxicity, ZEA strongly interferes with estrogen receptors. Gamma-radiation has been investigated to eliminate mycotoxins from food and feed, showing promising results. The present study aims to investigate the gamma-radiation effect on ZEA at different moisture conditions and to evaluate the cytotoxicity and estrogenicity of the irradiated ZEA. Different concentrations of dehydrated ZEA and aqueous solutions of ZEA were exposed to gamma-radiation doses ranging from 0.4 to 8.6 kGy and the mycotoxin concentration determined after exposure by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection. Following this, the cytotoxicity of irradiated samples was assessed in HepG2 cells, by measuring alterations of metabolic activity, plasma membrane integrity and lysosomal function, and their estrogenicity by measuring luciferase activity in HeLa 9903 cells. Gamma-radiation was found to be effective in reducing ZEA, with significant increases in degradation with increased moisture content. Furthermore, a reduction of cytotoxicity with irradiation was observed. ZEA estrogenicity was also increasingly reduced with increasing radiation doses, but mainly in aqueous solutions. These results suggest reduction of ZEA levels and of its toxicity in food and feed commodities may be achieved by irradiation.
Highly Rearranged Karyotypes and Multiple Sex Chromosome Systems in Armored Catfishes from the Genus Harttia (Teleostei, Siluriformes)
Authors: Deon Geize Aparecida , Glugoski Larissa , Vicari Marcelo Ricardo , Nogaroto Viviane , Sassi Francisco de Menezes Cavalcante , Cioffi Marcelo de Bello , Liehr Thomas , Bertollo Luiz Antonio Carlos , Moreira-Filho Orlando
Published: November 2020

Harttia comprises an armored catfish genus endemic to the Neotropical region, including 27 valid species with low dispersion rates that are restricted to small distribution areas. Cytogenetics data point to a wide chromosomal diversity in this genus due to changes that occurred in isolated populations, with chromosomal fusions and fissions explaining the 2n number variation. In addition, different multiple sex chromosome systems and rDNA loci location are also found in some species. However, several Harttia species and populations remain to be investigated. In this study, Harttia intermontana and two still undescribed species, morphologically identified as Harttia sp. 1 and Harttia sp. 2, were cytogenetically analyzed. Harttia intermontana has 2n = 52 and 2n = 53 chromosomes, while Harttia sp. 1 has 2n = 56 and 2n = 57 chromosomes in females and males, respectively, thus highlighting the occurrence of an XX/XY1Y2 multiple sex chromosome system in both species. Harttia sp. 2 presents 2n = 62 chromosomes for both females and males, with fission events explaining its karyotype diversification. Chromosomal locations of the rDNA sites were also quite different among species, reinforcing that extensive rearrangements had occurred in their karyotype evolution. Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) experiments among some Harttia species evidenced a shared content of the XY1Y2 sex chromosomes in three of them, thus pointing towards their common origin. Therefore, the comparative analysis among all Harttia species cytogenetically studied thus far allowed us to provide an evolutionary scenario related to the speciation process of this fish group.
Risk Factors for Dementia Incidence Based on Previous Results of the Specific Health Checkups in Japan
Authors: Tamaki Yoh , Hiratsuka Yoshimune , Kumakawa Toshiro
Published: November 2020

Dementia is a common disease in elderly people, with its prevalence expanding rapidly worldwide. Longitudinal and cohort studies on lifestyle and health conditions are needed to identify the risk of dementia. This study aimed to identify the risk factors for dementia incidence in Japan and to clarify the strategy for its primary care. In this study, an analysis was performed to investigate the association between the cognitive faculty level of the long-term care certification survey and the previous results of the specific health checkups in Japan. To investigate the risk factor for dementia incidence, a multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed, which showed a significant odds ratio for the incidence of dementia for two items, including abdominal circumference and insulin injections or oral hypoglycemic medications. The findings of our study suggested that a lower abdominal circumference had a higher risk for dementia incidence, and individuals who received insulin injections or oral hypoglycemic medications had a higher risk for dementia incidence based on the results of the health checkups conducted 10 years previously. Further, longer duration study with a larger sample is needed to identify the items from the specific health checkups that are associated with the risk of dementia.
Characteristics of the Most Cited, Most Downloaded, and Most Mentioned Articles in General Medical Journals: A Comparative Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Hong Ji Hyun , Yoon Dae Young , Lim Kyoung Ja , Moon Ji Yoon , Baek Sora , Seo Young Lan , Yun Eun Joo
Published: November 2020

We compared the characteristics of the most cited, most downloaded, and most mentioned (the highest Altmetric Attention Score) articles published in general medical journals. We identified the 640 most frequently cited, 662 most frequently downloaded, and 652 most mentioned articles from 48 general medical journals. A comparison was made of the following characteristics of articles in the most cited, most downloaded, and most mentioned articles: medical specialty, publication type, country of origin, year of publication, and accessibility. There was only a 2.5% overlap in these three groups. Original articles were the more frequent among the most mentioned articles, whereas reviews, case reports, and guidelines/consensus statements were more frequent among the most downloaded articles. The most cited articles were more frequently published in 2010 and before, whereas the most downloaded articles were published in 2017−2018. The most mentioned articles were more frequently open-access articles, compared to the most downloaded articles. The most cited were more frequently older, the most downloaded were more frequently recent and educational, and the most mentioned were more frequently original and open-access articles. The results of our study may provide insights into various measures of article impact.
A Lightweight Convolutional Neural Network Architecture Applied for Bone Metastasis Classification in Nuclear Medicine: A Case Study on Prostate Cancer Patients
Authors: Ntakolia Charis , Diamantis Dimitrios E. , Papandrianos Nikolaos , Moustakidis Serafeim , Papageorgiou Elpiniki I.
Published: November 2020

Bone metastasis is among the most frequent in diseases to patients suffering from metastatic cancer, such as breast or prostate cancer. A popular diagnostic method is bone scintigraphy where the whole body of the patient is scanned. However, hot spots that are presented in the scanned image can be misleading, making the accurate and reliable diagnosis of bone metastasis a challenge. Artificial intelligence can play a crucial role as a decision support tool to alleviate the burden of generating manual annotations on images and therefore prevent oversights by medical experts. So far, several state-of-the-art convolutional neural networks (CNN) have been employed to address bone metastasis diagnosis as a binary or multiclass classification problem achieving adequate accuracy (higher than 90%). However, due to their increased complexity (number of layers and free parameters), these networks are severely dependent on the number of available training images that are typically limited within the medical domain. Our study was dedicated to the use of a new deep learning architecture that overcomes the computational burden by using a convolutional neural network with a significantly lower number of floating-point operations (FLOPs) and free parameters. The proposed lightweight look-behind fully convolutional neural network was implemented and compared with several well-known powerful CNNs, such as ResNet50, VGG16, Inception V3, Xception, and MobileNet on an imaging dataset of moderate size (778 images from male subjects with prostate cancer). The results prove the superiority of the proposed methodology over the current state-of-the-art on identifying bone metastasis. The proposed methodology demonstrates a unique potential to revolutionize image-based diagnostics enabling new possibilities for enhanced cancer metastasis monitoring and treatment.
Women’s Breast Cancer Knowledge and Health Communication in the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Abu Awwad Dania , Hossain Syeda , Mackey Martin , Brennan Patrick , Adam Shukri
Published: November 2020

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), women’s participation in breast cancer screening is low, and women are commonly diagnosed in advanced stages. This study investigated women’s attitudes towards breast cancer screening, their use of health services in the UAE emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, and their preferred medium for breast cancer information. In this qualitative study, six focus groups were conducted with Emirati (n = 28) and non-Emirati (n = 26) women as Ras Al Khaimah is a highly multi-cultural region. Women were separated into different age groups (25–34, 30–44, 44+) so as to obtain perspectives of young (n = 16), middle (n = 19), and older women (n = 19). The focus group transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Women recognised that any breast change should be checked by a doctor, and that women with symptoms or those at higher risk may need to have breast screening earlier than the recommended starting age. However, participants wanted more information from doctors or other health personnel. Women had observed breast cancer information and campaigns advertisements in multiple media but recommended greater use of social media and WhatsApp to disseminate information. Overall, women had positive attitudes towards breast cancer screening but wanted more breast cancer awareness campaigns year-round and better access to screening.
Transport and Deposition of Microplastics and Mesoplastics along the River Course: A Case Study of a Small River in Central Italy
Authors: Gallitelli Luca , Cesarini Giulia , Cera Alessandra , Sighicelli Maria , Lecce Francesca , Menegoni Patrizia , Scalici Massimiliano
Published: November 2020

The release of plastics in freshwater is an increasing concern for ecosystem safety worldwide. There is a large knowledge gap on plastic pollution in Mediterranean freshwater, especially regarding surveys along entire river courses, partly due to the absence of guidelines for standardized monitoring of plastics. The present study analyzes the plastic distribution from source to mouth, also according to the River Continuum Concept, of the environmental matrices (water and sediments) and biota (caddisfly cases) of the Mediterranean River Mignone and their cause-effect relationship. The results of the water quality indices (Extended Biotic Index and Fluvial Functionality Index) were compared with the plastic concentrations observed in the water and sediments to explore what relationship there might be and to understand if the indices could be a proxy of the plastic pollution. Our results showed a significant prevalence of blue fibers, the concentration of which in water and sediment is positively associated. Plastic concentration at each site was not accurately detected by the water quality indices. These results may suggest that the factors considered by water quality indices are not able to detect the contamination of plastic pollution. It is mandatory to identify new tools for assessing the plastic impacts on river ecosystems.
Health Disparities Research Framework Adaptation to Reflect Puerto Rico’s Socio-Cultural Context
Authors: Lafarga Previdi Irene , Vélez Vega Carmen M.
Published: November 2020

In this article we aim to briefly describe how Puerto Rico’s living conditions influence adverse health outcomes at an individual, community and population level using the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Research Framework that considers multiple factors and their intersecting influence. People living in Puerto Rico face significant levels of poverty, a deficient infrastructure, a fragile healthcare system and the continuing dismantling of the public education system as well as hazardous environmental exposures. The treatment of Puerto Ricans as second-class citizens due to the federal policies of the U.S. government and also the mismanagement of funds from local authorities impacts the prevalence of chronic health conditions and vulnerability to disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes and pandemics. Puerto Rico’s health disparities are rooted in historical, cultural, political and economic factors that have an impact on biology, interpersonal and environmental aspects. In order to significantly reduce health disparities, systemic change is needed at a local, national and federal level. Interventions must consider how social determinants impact the quality of life and seek to impact the intersections of different contexts that have an effect at an individual, interpersonal, communal and societal level. This can be achieved through evidence-based, culturally appropriate and community based as well as translational research approaches that seek to impact behavior and social economic factors.