bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mitochondrial Membrane Dynamics—Functional Positioning of OPA1
Authors: Lee Hakjoo , Yoon Yisang
Published: December 2018

The maintenance of mitochondrial energetics requires the proper regulation of mitochondrial morphology, and vice versa. Mitochondrial dynamins control mitochondrial morphology by mediating fission and fusion. One of them, optic atrophy 1 (OPA1), is the mitochondrial inner membrane remodeling protein. OPA1 has a dual role in maintaining mitochondrial morphology and energetics through mediating inner membrane fusion and maintaining the cristae structure. OPA1 is expressed in multiple variant forms through alternative splicing and post-translational proteolytic cleavage, but the functional differences between these variants have not been completely understood. Recent studies generated new information regarding the role of OPA1 cleavage. In this review, we will first provide a brief overview of mitochondrial membrane dynamics by describing fission and fusion that are mediated by mitochondrial dynamins. The second part describes OPA1-mediated fusion and energetic maintenance, the role of OPA1 cleavage, and a new development in OPA1 function, in which we will provide new insight for what OPA1 does and what proteolytic cleavage of OPA1 is for.
Unsupervised Domain Adaptation with Coupled Generative Adversarial Autoencoders
Authors: Wang Xiaoqing , Wang Xiangjun
Published: December 2018

When large-scale annotated data are not available for certain image classification tasks, training a deep convolutional neural network model becomes challenging. Some recent domain adaptation methods try to solve this problem using generative adversarial networks and have achieved promising results. However, these methods are based on a shared latent space assumption and they do not consider the situation when shared high level representations in different domains do not exist or are not ideal as they assumed. To overcome this limitation, we propose a neural network structure called coupled generative adversarial autoencoders (CGAA) that allows a pair of generators to learn the high-level differences between two domains by sharing only part of the high-level layers. Additionally, by introducing a class consistent loss calculated by a stand-alone classifier into the generator optimization, our model is able to generate class invariant style-transferred images suitable for classification tasks in domain adaptation. We apply CGAA to several domain transferred image classification scenarios including several benchmark datasets. Experiment results have shown that our method can achieve state-of-the-art classification results.
Game Theory in Molecular Nanosensing System for Rapid Detection of Hg2+ in Aqueous Solutions
Authors: Nie Nan Fang , Zhang Xin Xing , Fang Chu Shan , Zhu Qiu Yan , Lu Jiao Yang , Zhang Fu Rui , Yao Qing Feng , Huang Wei Tao , Ding Xue Zhi , Xia Li Qiu
Published: December 2018

Game theory—the scientific study of interactive, rational decision making—describes the interaction of two or more players from macroscopic organisms to microscopic cellular and subcellular levels. Life based on molecules is the highest and most complex expression of molecular interactions. However, using simple molecules to expand game theory for molecular decision-making remains challenging. Herein, we demonstrate a proof-of-concept molecular game-theoretical system (molecular prisoner’s dilemma) that relies on formation of the thymine–Hg2+–thymine hairpin structure specifically induced by Hg2+ and fluorescence quenching and molecular adsorption capacities of cobalt oxyhydroxide (CoOOH) nanosheets, resulting in fluorescence intensity and distribution change of polythymine oligonucleotide 33-repeat thymines (T33). The “bait” molecule, T33, interacted with two molecular players, CoOOH and Hg2+, in different states (absence = silence and presence = betrayal), regarded as strategies. We created conflicts (sharing or self-interest) of fluorescence distribution of T33, quantifiable in a 2 × 2 payoff matrix. In addition, the molecular game-theoretical-system based on T33 and CoOOH was used for sensing Hg2+ over the range of 20 to 600 nM with the detection limit of 7.94 nM (3σ) and for determination of Hg2+ in pond water. Inspired by the proof-of-concept for molecular game theory, various molecular decision-making systems could be developed, which would help promote molecular information processing and generating novel molecular intelligent decision systems for environmental monitoring and molecular diagnosis and therapy.
Improving Security and Reliability in Merkle Tree-Based Online Data Authentication with Leakage Resilience
Authors: Koo Dongyoung , Shin Youngjoo , Yun Joobeom , Hur Junbeom
Published: December 2018

With the successful proliferation of data outsourcing services, security and privacy issues have drawn significant attention. Data authentication in particular plays an essential role in the storage of outsourced digital content and keeping it safe from modifications by inside or outside adversaries. In this paper, we focus on online data authentication using a Merkle (hash) tree to guarantee data integrity. By conducting in-depth diagnostics of the side channels of the Merkle tree-based approach, we explore novel solutions to improve the security and reliability of the maintenance of outsourced data. Based on a thorough review of previous solutions, we present a new method of inserting auxiliary random sources into the integrity verification proof on the prover side. This prevents the exposure of partial information within the tree structure and consequently releases restrictions on the number of verification execution, while maintaining desirable security and reliability of authentication for the long run. Based on a rigorous proof, we show that the proposed scheme maintains consistent reliability without being affected by continuous information leakage caused by repetitions of the authentication process. In addition, experimental results comparing with the proposed scheme with other state-of-the-art studies demonstrate its efficiency and practicality.
Determination of Bisphenol A in Beverages by an Electrochemical Sensor Based on Rh2O3/Reduced Graphene Oxide Composites
Authors: Shi Rongguang , Yuan Xiaoli , Liu Aifeng , Xu Mengmeng , Zhao Zongshan
Published: December 2018

A novel electrochemical sensor, based on a Rh2O3–reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite modified carbon electrode, has been developed for detecting bisphenol A (BPA) in beverages. The prepared Rh2O3/rGO and its precursor materials were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Under optimum conditions, the sensor presented good electrochemical performance for analyzing BPA, with a linear range of 0.6–40 μM, detection limit of 0.12 μM, good reproducibility, and excellent stability. The good performance can be attributed to the combination of the good catalytic properties of Rh2O3 and good conductivity of rGO. The sensor is directly used for detecting BPA in the residual solutions of four beverages after simple filtration, with satisfactory recoveries of 93–99%.
Novel Boundary Edge Detection for Accurate 3D Surface Profilometry Using Digital Image Correlation
Authors: Chen Liang-Chia , Liang Ching-Wen
Published: December 2018

Digital image correlation (DIC) has emerged as a popular full-field surface profiling technique for analyzing both in-plane and out-of-plane dynamic structures. However, conventional DIC-based surface 3D profilometry often yields erroneous contours along surface edges. Boundary edge detection remains one of the key issues in DIC because a discontinuous surface edge cannot be detected due to optical diffraction and height ambiguity. To resolve the ambiguity of edge measurement in optical surface profilometry, this study develops a novel edge detection approach that incorporates a new algorithm using both the boundary subset and corner subset for accurate edge reconstruction. A pre-calibrated gauge block and a circle target were reconstructed to prove the feasibility of the proposed approach. Experiments on industrial objects with various surface reflective characteristics were also conducted. The results showed that the developed method achieved a 15-fold improvement in detection accuracy, with measurement error controlled within 1%.
A Security Analysis Method for Security Protocol Implementations Based on Message Construction
Authors: Lu Jintian , Yao Lili , He Xudong , Huang Chintser , Wang Dejun , Meng Bo
Published: December 2018

Security protocols are integral to the protection of cyberspace against malicious attacks. Therefore, it is important to be confident in the security of a security protocol. In previous years, people have worked on security of security protocol abstract specification. However, in recent years, people have found that this is not enough and have begun focusing on security protocol implementation. In order to evaluate the security of security protocol implementations, in this paper, firstly, we proposed the Message Construction to Security Protocol Implementation (MCSPI), a message construction method based on application programming interface (API) traces, which automatically generates the constructed client valid request messages. Then, we presented the Security Analysis Scheme (SAS), a security analysis scheme that generates an abstract model of a security protocol server. Next, we proposed a security analysis method to evaluate the security of security protocol implementations on the basis of constructed client request messages generated with MCSPI, corresponding to the server-side response message and server-side abstract model produced by SAS. Finally, we implemented the Security Protocol Implementation Analysis (SPIA) tool to generate client valid request messages and a server-side abstract model to assist in evaluating security protocol implementations. In our experiments, we tested Tencent QQ mail system version 2017 and RSAAuth system and found that RSAAuth is vulnerable and its server has only security checks for user password, while Tencent QQ mail system version 2017 is more secure and has strong security restrictions at server-side besides security checks for user password.
Magnetic Levitation Control Based on Flux Density and Current Measurement
Authors: Castellanos Molina Luis Miguel , Galluzzi Renato , Bonfitto Angelo , Tonoli Andrea , Amati Nicola
Published: December 2018

This paper presents an active magnetic levitation application that exploits the measurement of coil current and flux density to determine the displacement of the mover. To this end, the nonlinear behavior of the plant and the physical sensing principle are modeled with a finite element approach at different air gap lengths and coil currents. A linear dynamic model is then obtained at the operating point as well as a linear relation for the displacement estimates. The effectiveness of the modeling approach and the performance of the sensing and control techniques are validated experimentally on an active magnetic levitation system. The results demonstrate that the solution is able to estimate the displacement of the mover with a relative error below 3% with respect to the nominal air gap. Additionally, this approach can be exploited for academic purposes and may serve as a reference to implement simple but accurate active magnetic levitation control using low-cost, off-the-shelf sensors.
Acoustic Target Strength of the Endangered Chinese Sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis) by Ex Situ Measurements and Theoretical Calculations
Authors: Zhang Hui , Li Junyi , Wang Chongrui , Wang Chengyou , Wu Jinming , Du Hao , Wei Qiwei , Kang Myounghee
Published: December 2018

The Chinese sturgeon, Acipenser sinensis, is a large anadromous and highly endangered protected species. The assessment of its breeding population in the Yangtze River is critically important for effective management and population preservation. Currently, hydroacoustic methods have been widely used to study the adult sturgeons in the river, whereas the acoustic target strength (TS) characteristics of the species have not been studied. In this study, the TS of Chinese sturgeon was carefully evaluated both by ex situ measurements and theoretical calculations. Six Chinese sturgeons (Body Length (BL): 74.0−92.6 cm) were measured by a 199 kHz split echosounder in a 10-m deep net cage. The computed tomography of a Chinese sturgeon (BL: 110.0 cm) was conducted and the Kirchhoff ray mode (KRM) method was used to estimate the theoretical TS. As a result, the mean ex situ TS range of the six specimens was from −26.9 to −31.4 dB, which was very close to the KRM estimation (~1 dB difference). Then, the KRM method was used to predict the TS of Chinese sturgeon as a function of BL in six frequencies commonly used in freshwater environments and to estimate the TS of a representative adult Chinese sturgeon (250 cm) as a function of frequency and tilt angle. This study can provide a good basis for future hydroacoustic studies on the critically endangered Chinese sturgeon.
An Adaptive Neural Non-Singular Fast-Terminal Sliding-Mode Control for Industrial Robotic Manipulators
Authors: Vo Anh Tuan , Kang Hee-Jun
Published: December 2018

In this study, a robust control strategy is suggested for industrial robotic manipulators. First, to minimize the effects of disturbances and dynamic uncertainties, while achieving faster response times and removing the singularity problem, a nonsingular fast terminal sliding function is proposed. Second, to achieve the proposed tracking trajectory and chattering phenomenon elimination, a robust control strategy is designed for the robotic manipulator based on the proposed sliding function and a continuous adaptive control law. Furthermore, the dynamical model of the robotic system is estimated by applying a radial basis function neural network. Thanks to those techniques, the proposed system can operate free of an exact robotic model. The suggested system provides high tracking accuracy, robustness, and fast response with minimal positional errors compared to other control strategies. Proof of the robustness and stability of the suggested system has been verified by the Lyapunov theory. In simulation analyses, the simulated results present the effectiveness of the suggested strategy for the joint position tracking control of a 3-degree of freedom (3-DOF) PUMA560 robot.
Feasibility Analysis of a LoRa-Based WSN Using Public Transport
Authors: Bertoldo Silvano , Carosso Lorenzo , Marchetta Emanuele , Paredes Miryam , Allegretti Marco
Published: December 2018

LoRa (Long Range) is a proprietary radio communication technology exploiting license-free frequency bands, allowing low-rate information exchange over long distances with very low power consumption. Conventional environmental monitoring sensors have the disadvantage of being in fixed positions and distributed over wide areas, thus providing measurements with a spatially insufficient level of detail. Since public transport vehicles travel continuously within cities, they are ideal to house portable monitoring systems for environmental pollution and meteorological parameters. The paper presents a feasibility analysis of a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) to collect this information from the vehicles conveying it to a central node for processing. The communication system is realized by deploying a layer-structured, fault-resistant, multi-hop Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) based on the LoRa technology. Both a theoretical study about electromagnetic propagation and network architecture are addressed with consideration of potential practical network realization.
Thermal Mapping of a Lithium Polymer Batteries Pack with FBGs Network
Authors: Nascimento Micael , Paixão Tiago , Ferreira Marta S. , Pinto João L.
Published: December 2018

In this paper, a network of 37 fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors is proposed for real-time, in situ, and operando multipoint monitoring of the surface temperature distribution on a pack of three prismatic lithium polymer batteries (LiPBs). Using the network, a spatial and temporal thermal mapping of all pack interfaces was performed. In each interface, nine strategic locations were monitored by considering a three-by-three matrix, corresponding to the LiPBs top, middle and bottom zones. The batteries were subjected to charge and discharge cycles, where the charge was carried out at 1.0 C, whereas the discharge rates were 0.7 C and 1.4 C. The results show that in general, a thermal gradient is recognized from the top to the bottom, but is less prominent in the end-of-charge steps. The results also indicate the presence of hot spots between two of the three batteries, which were located near the positive tab collector. This occurs due to the higher current density of the lithium ions in this area. The presented FBG sensing network can be used to improve the thermal management of batteries by performing a spatiotemporal thermal mapping, as well as by identifying the zones which are more conducive to the possibility of the existence of hot spots, thereby preventing severe consequences such as thermal runaway and promoting their safety. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a spatial and temporal thermal mapping is reported for this specific application using a network of FBG sensors.
Volatile Profiles of Sparkling Wines Produced by the Traditional Method from a Semi-Arid Region
Authors: De Souza Nascimento Antonio Mendes , De Souza Joyce Fagundes , Dos Santos Lima Marcos , Pereira Giuliano Elias
Published: December 2018

São Francisco Valley (SFV) is located in Northeastern Brazil, in a tropical semi-arid region where one vine can produce two harvests per year, due to high temperatures, solar radiation rates, and irrigation throughout the year. This is the main characteristic differing this from other winegrowing region in the world. The objective of this study was to characterize volatile profiles of sparkling wines produced by the traditional method, using Chenin Blanc and Syrah grapes, the two main varieties used for white and red wines, respectively, grown in the region. The sparkling wines remained on lees for six months maturing. The sparkling wines were characterized by the parameters density, pH, total titratable and volatile acidities, residual sugars, dry extract, alcohol content, total phenolic compounds, in vitro antioxidant activity and volatile fraction. The volatile fraction extraction was performed by the HS-SPME technique and tentative identification of the volatile compounds was carried out with GC-MS using the scan mode. A total of 33 volatile compounds were identified, among them 11 alcohols, 13 esters, five carboxylic acids, and four different chemical classes. The volatile profile of Chenin Blanc sparkling wine was associated mainly to 2,3-butanediol, 3-ethoxypropan-1-ol, diethyl succinate, and ethyl decanoate, while Syrah sparkling wine was characterized by benzaldehyde, butyric acid, and some acetates. This study reported for the first time volatile profiles of traditional sparkling wines from SFV, as new products, contributing to better understand the quality potential of these beverages for a tropical semi-arid region.
The Effect of Carbon Monoxide on the Exergy Behavior of the Lungs
Authors: Cenzi Juliana Rangel , Albuquerque Cyro , Keutenedjian Mady Carlos Eduardo
Published: December 2018

The present work evaluates the impact of carbon monoxide (CO) inhalation on the human lung’s exergy behavior by considering different levels of intoxication and amounts of hemoglobin. Its impact is significant because CO is one of the most common air pollutants in cities and an increase in destroyed exergy may be correlated with lifespan reduction or the malfunctioning of certain human organs. An evaluation of the severity of intoxication as a function of city altitude may intensify the hazard associated with carbon monoxide. A computational model of human lungs obtained from the literature was used to calculate the concentrations of oxygen (O2), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO2) in the respiratory system. With the purpose of better evaluating the different levels of CO intoxication and hemoglobin concentration (which is a function of acclimatization time and some pathologies, such as anemia), a model calculating exergy efficiency for the lungs was proposed. From this model, it was possible to conclude that a higher level of intoxication is associated with lower exergy efficiency values. When associated with carbon monoxide intoxication, higher hemoglobin levels also result in lower efficiency. Eventually, a comparison between previous studies and the current study was carried out, regarding the method employed to calculate the exergy destroyed in the lungs, considering not only gas transport, but also hemoglobin concentration and its reaction with the gases from a second law perspective.
Role of HIF-1α in Alcohol-Mediated Multiple Organ Dysfunction
Authors: Morris Niya L. , Yeligar Samantha M.
Published: December 2018

Excess alcohol consumption is a global crisis contributing to over 3 million alcohol-related deaths per year worldwide and economic costs exceeding $200 billion dollars, which include productivity losses, healthcare, and other effects (e.g., property damages). Both clinical and experimental models have shown that excessive alcohol consumption results in multiple organ injury. Although alcohol metabolism occurs primarily in the liver, alcohol exposure can lead to pathophysiological conditions in multiple organs and tissues, including the brain, lungs, adipose, liver, and intestines. Understanding the mechanisms by which alcohol-mediated organ dysfunction occurs could help to identify new therapeutic approaches to mitigate the detrimental effects of alcohol misuse. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 is a transcription factor comprised of HIF-1α and HIF-1β subunits that play a critical role in alcohol-mediated organ dysfunction. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of recent studies examining the relationship between HIF-1α and alcohol consumption as it relates to multiple organ injury and potential therapies to mitigate alcohol’s effects.
The Role of Yes-Associated Protein (YAP) in Regulating Programmed Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1) in Thoracic Cancer
Authors: Hsu Ping-Chih , Yang Cheng-Ta , Jablons David M. , You Liang
Published: December 2018

The programmed death-ligand 1(PD-L1)/PD-1 pathway is an immunological checkpoint in cancer cells. The binding of PD-L1 and PD-1 promotes T-cell tolerance and helps tumor cells escape from host immunity. Immunotherapy targeting the PD-L1/PD-1 axis has been developed as an anti-cancer therapy and used in treating advanced human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a key mediator of the Hippo/YAP signaling pathway, and plays important roles in promoting cancer development, drug resistance and metastasis in human NSCLC and MPM. YAP has been suggested as a new therapeutic target in NSCLC and MPM. The role of YAP in regulating tumor immunity such as PD-L1 expression has just begun to be explored, and the correlation between YAP-induced tumorigenesis and host anti-tumor immune responses is not well known. Here, we review recent studies investigating the correlation between YAP and PD-L1 and demonstrating the mechanism by which YAP regulates PD-L1 expression in human NSCLC and MPM. Future work should focus on the interactions between Hippo/YAP signaling pathways and the immune checkpoint PD-L1/PD-1 pathway. The development of new synergistic drugs for immune checkpoint PD-L1/PD-1 blockade in NSCLC and MPM is warranted.
A Passive Microfluidic Device Based on Crossflow Filtration for Cell Separation Measurements: A Spectrophotometric Characterization
Authors: Faustino Vera , Catarino Susana O. , Pinho Diana , Lima Rui A. , Minas Graça
Published: December 2018

Microfluidic devices have been widely used as a valuable research tool for diagnostic applications. Particularly, they have been related to the successful detection of different diseases and conditions by assessing the mechanical properties of red blood cells (RBCs). Detecting deformability changes in the cells and being able to separate those cells may be a key factor in assuring the success of detection of some blood diseases with diagnostic devices. To detect and separate the chemically modified RBCs (mimicking disease-infected RBCs) from healthy RBCs, the present work proposes a microfluidic device comprising a sequence of pillars with different gaps and nine different outlets used to evaluate the efficiency of the device by measuring the optical absorption of the collected samples. This latter measurement technique was tested to distinguish between healthy RBCs and RBCs chemically modified with glutaraldehyde. The present study indicates that it was possible to detect a slight differences between the samples using an optical absorption spectrophotometric setup. Hence, the proposed microfluidic device has the potential to perform in one single step a partial passive separation of RBCs based on their deformability.
Laboratory Mix Design of Cold Bitumen Emulsion Mixtures Incorporating Reclaimed Asphalt and Virgin Aggregates
Authors: Chelelgo Kiplagat , C. Abiero Gariy Zachary , Muse Shitote Stanley
Published: December 2018

Bitumen emulsion asphalts, especially those incorporating marginal and secondary aggregates, are energy efficient, environment friendly, and sustainable alternatives to hot-mix asphalts. This study set out to compare engineering properties of a bitumen emulsion asphalt composed entirely of virgin aggregates with another composed of 55% reclaimed asphalt and 45% virgin aggregates. The aggregates were bound with a slow setting cationic bitumen emulsion composed of 65% base bitumen and 35% water. Marshall specimens molded at varying pre-mix water and bitumen emulsion contents were cured in molds for 24 h before being de-molded and cured for a further 72 h at 40 °C. Dry densities, porosities, and indirect tensile strengths for the cured specimens were determined in dry and soaked states. Virgin aggregate mix, at an optimum binder content of 6.1%, had a tensile strength ratio of 1.3 with corresponding air voids and moisture absorption values of 10.1% and 0.92%, respectively. Similarly, reclaimed asphalt mix at an optimum binder content of 6.2% had a tensile strength ratio of 1.03, with corresponding air voids and moisture absorption values of 7.9% and 0.38%, respectively. Compared to virgin mix, reclaimed asphalt mix had lower air voids and lower moisture absorption values with the overall benefit of enhanced resistance to moisture damage.
Characterization of Highly Dispersed Rod- and Particle-Shaped CuFe19Ox Catalysts and Their Shape Effects on WGS
Authors: Ma Lingjuan , Han Dawei , Ma Hongbin , Liu Longgang , Guo Huichao
Published: December 2018

Highly dispersed CuFe19Ox catalysts with different shapes were prepared and further characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), H2 temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR), and in-situ XRD. XRD and TEM results showed that the synthesized CuFe19Ox nanoparticles consisted of CuO and Fe2O3, while CuFe19Ox nanorods consisted of CuFe2O4 and Fe2O3. The reduction properties of CuFe19Ox samples were finely studied by H2-TPR, and the phase composition was identified by in-situ XPS, HR-TEM, and surface TPR (s-TPR). In-situ X-ray photoelectroscopy (XPS) indicated that the metallic Cu and Fe3O4 were the main species after reduction. Moreover, s-TPR studies showed that the reduction performance of copper was significantly affected by the shapes of the Fe3O4 supports. Low-temperature water gas shift (LT-WGS) was chosen to characterize the Cu species on the surface. It was found that reduced CuFe19Ox nanorods had no activity. On the contrary, reduced CuFe19Ox particles showed higher initial WGS activity, where the active Cu0 should originate from the reduction of Cu2O at lower temperatures, as confirmed by the s-TPR profiles.
Catalytic Oxidative/Extractive Desulfurization of Model Oil using Transition Metal Substituted Phosphomolybdates-Based Ionic Liquids
Authors: Li Yunlei , Zhang Yanjie , Wu Panfeng , Feng Caiting , Xue Ganglin
Published: December 2018

Polyoxometalates based ionic liquids (POM-ILs) exhibit a high catalytic activity in oxidative desulfurization. In this paper, four new POM-IL hybrids based on transition metal mono-substituted Keggin-type phosphomolybdates, [Bmim]5[PMo11M(H2O)O39] (Bmim = 1-butyl 3-methyl imidazolium; M = Co2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, and Mn2+), have been synthesized and used as catalysts for the oxidation/extractive desulfurization of model oil, in which ILs are used as the extraction solvent and H2O2 as an oxidant under very mild conditions. The factors that affected the desulfurization efficiency were studied and the optimal reaction conditions were obtained. The results showed that the [Bmim]5[PMo11Co(H2O)O39] catalyst demonstrated the best catalytic activity, with sulfur-removal of 99.8%, 85%, and 63% for dibenzothiophene (DBT), 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT), and benzothiophene (BT), respectively, in the case of extraction combining with a oxidative desulfurization system under optimal reaction conditions (5 mL model oil (S content 500 ppm), n(catalyst) = 4 μmol, n(H2O2)/n(Substrate) = 5, T = 50 °C for 60 min with [Omim]BF4 (1 mL) as the extractant). The catalyst can be recycled at least 8 times, and still has stability and high catalytic activity for consecutive desulfurization. Probable reaction mechanisms have been proposed for catalytic oxidative/extractive desulfurization.
Highly Selective Photocatalytic Reduction of o-Dinitrobenzene to o-Phenylenediamine over Non-Metal-Doped TiO2 under Simulated Solar Light Irradiation
Authors: El-Hosainy Hamza M. , El-Sheikh Said M. , Ismail Adel A. , Hakki Amer , Dillert Ralf , Killa Hamada M. , Ibrahim Ibrahim A. , Bahnemann Detelf W.
Published: December 2018

Photocatalytic reduction and hydrogenation reaction of o-dinitrobenzene in the presence of oxalic acid over anatase-brookite biphasic TiO2 and non-metal-doped anatase-brookite biphasic TiO2 photocatalysts under solar simulated light was investigated. Compared with commercial P25 TiO2, the prepared un-doped and doped anatase-brookite biphasic TiO2 exhibited a high selectivity towards the formation of o-nitroaniline (85.5%) and o-phenylenediamine ~97%, respectively. The doped anatase-brookite biphasic TiO2 has promoted photocatalytic reduction of the two-nitro groups of o-dinitrobenzene to the corresponding o-phenylenediamine with very high yield ~97%. Electron paramagnetic resonance analysis, Transient Absorption Spectroscopy (TAS) and Photoluminescence analysis (PL) were performed to determine the distribution of defects and the fluorescence lifetime of the charge carriers for un-doped and doped photocatalysts. The superiority of the doped TiO2 photocatalysts is accredited to the creation of new dopants (C, N, and S) as hole traps, the formation of long-lived Ti3+ defects which leads to an increase in the fluorescence lifetime of the formed charge carriers. The schematic diagram of the photocatalytic reduction of o-dinitrobenzene using the doped TiO2 under solar light was also illustrated in detail.
Acetic Acid/Propionic Acid Conversion on Metal Doped Molybdenum Carbide Catalyst Beads for Catalytic Hot Gas Filtration
Authors: Lu Mi , Lepore Andrew W. , Choi Jae-Soon , Li Zhenglong , Wu Zili , Polo-Garzon Felipe , Hu Michael Z.
Published: December 2018

Catalytic hot gas filtration (CHGF) is used to precondition biomass derived fast pyrolysis (FP) vapors by physically removing reactive char and alkali particulates and chemically converting reactive oxygenates to species that are more easily upgraded during subsequent catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP). Carboxylic acids, such as acetic acid and propionic acid, form during biomass fast pyrolysis and are recalcitrant to downstream catalytic vapor upgrading. This work developed and evaluated catalysts that can convert these acids to more upgradeable ketones at the laboratory scale. Selective catalytic conversion of these reactive oxygenates to more easily upgraded compounds can enhance bio-refinery processing economics through catalyst preservation by reduced coking from acid cracking, by preserving carbon efficiency, and through process intensification by coupling particulate removal with partial upgrading. Two metal-doped molybdenum carbide (Mo2C) supported catalyst beads were synthesized and evaluated and their performance compared with an undoped Mo2C control catalyst beads. For laboratory scale acetic acid conversion, calcium doped Mo2C supported catalyst beads produced the highest yield of acetone at ~96% at 450 °C among undoped and Ca or Ni doped catalysts.
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Modeling and Therapy
Authors: Danisovic Lubos , Culenova Martina , Csobonyeiova Maria
Published: December 2018

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive disorder, caused by mutation of the DMD gene which encodes the protein dystrophin. This dystrophin defect leads to the progressive degeneration of skeletal and cardiac muscles. Currently, there is no effective therapy for this disorder. However, the technology of cell reprogramming, with subsequent controlled differentiation to skeletal muscle cells or cardiomyocytes, may provide a unique tool for the study, modeling, and treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In the present review, we describe current methods of induced pluripotent stem cell generation and discuss their implications for the study, modeling, and development of cell-based therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Rhabdomyosarcoma and Extraosseous Ewing Sarcoma
Authors: Gurria Juan P. , Dasgupta Roshni
Published: December 2018

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a malignant tumor that represents the most common form of pediatric soft tissue sarcoma. It arises from mesenchymal origin and forms part of the group of small round blue cell tumors of childhood. It has a constant annual incidence of 4.5 cases per 1,000,000 children. The known histological diagnosis of the two major subtypes (embryonal and alveolar) has been recently enhanced by tumor biological markers and molecular differentiation diagnostic tools that have improved not only the updated classification based on risk stratification, but also the treatment approach based on the clinical group. Ewing sarcoma (ES) is a round cell tumor, highly malignant and poorly differentiated that is currently the second most common malignant bone tumor in children. In rare instances, it develops from an extraskeletal origin, classified as extraosseous Ewing sarcoma (EES). We provide an updated, evidence-based and comprehensive review of the molecular diagnosis, clinical and diagnostic approach and a multidisciplinary medical and surgical management according to the latest standard of care for the treatment of pediatric RMS and EES.
Morphological Features and Sorption Performance of Materials Based on Birnessite Exposed to Various Reductive Conditions
Authors: Portnyagin Arseniy , Egorin Andrey , Golikov Alexey , Tokar Eduard , Mayorov Vitaliy , Didenko Nina , Mashtalyar Dmitry , Sokol’nitskaya Tatiana , Avramenko Valentine
Published: December 2018

The article is devoted to the evolution of structural, morphological, and sorption characteristics of layered manganese oxide (birnessite) under various conditions close to the real operating regime of the sorbents for radioactive waste processing. To identify the phase composition in the birnessites, we implemented XRD analysis, while SEM and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) were used to study morphological and redox features of the materials, respectively. Structural changes after various kinds of treatment of birnessites were tracked using low temperature nitrogen sorption. Sorption characteristics were assessed under static and in dynamic conditions on the efficiency of Sr2+ removal from simulated seawater. TPR combined with kinetic analysis revealed the decrease of particle sizes in the birnessites after repeated use in sorption-regeneration cycle and reduction with hydrazine. Despite the fact that the porous structure of the materials remains preserved, the surface morphology of birnessite changes drastically depending on the reducing agent. Hydrazine treatment increases the sorption performance of the birnessite followed by degradation of mechanical properties, thus, preventing such sorbent from repeated use. Kinetic analysis of TPR allows quantifying differences in morphology and porous structure of manganese oxide materials. The specific surface area, amorphous surface structure, and accessibility of Mn+3 sites are the most important factors for birnessite sorption performance.
Global Gbest Guided-Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm for Numerical Function Optimization
Authors: Shah Habib , Tairan Nasser , Garg Harish , Ghazali Rozaida
Published: December 2018

Numerous computational algorithms are used to obtain a high performance in solving mathematics, engineering and statistical complexities. Recently, an attractive bio-inspired method—namely the Artificial Bee Colony (ABC)—has shown outstanding performance with some typical computational algorithms in different complex problems. The modification, hybridization and improvement strategies made ABC more attractive to science and engineering researchers. The two well-known honeybees-based upgraded algorithms, Gbest Guided Artificial Bee Colony (GGABC) and Global Artificial Bee Colony Search (GABCS), use the foraging behavior of the global best and guided best honeybees for solving complex optimization tasks. Here, the hybrid of the above GGABC and GABC methods is called the 3G-ABC algorithm for strong discovery and exploitation processes. The proposed and typical methods were implemented on the basis of maximum fitness values instead of maximum cycle numbers, which has provided an extra strength to the proposed and existing methods. The experimental results were tested with sets of fifteen numerical benchmark functions. The obtained results from the proposed approach are compared with the several existing approaches such as ABC, GABC and GGABC, result and found to be very profitable. Finally, obtained results are verified with some statistical testing.
Redundancy in Key Management for WSNs
Authors: Gandino Filippo , Montrucchio Bartolomeo , Rebaudengo Maurizio
Published: December 2018

Security in wireless sensor networks is commonly based on symmetric encryption and requires key-management systems to establish and exchange secret keys. A constraint that is common to many key-management approaches is an upper bound to the total number of nodes in the network. An example is represented by the schemes based on combinatorial design. These schemes use specific rules for the generation of sets of keys that are distributed to the nodes before deploying the network. The aim of these approaches is to improve the resilience of the network. However, the quantity of data that must be stored by each node is proportional to the number of nodes of the network, so the available memory affects the applicability of these schemes. This paper investigates the opportunity of reducing the storage overhead by distributing the same set of keys to more than one node. In addition, the presence of redundant sets of keys affects the resilience and the security of the network. A careful analysis is conducted to evaluate benefits and drawbacks of redundant key distribution approaches. The results show that the use of redundancy decreases the level of resilience, but it scales well on very large networks.
Crystal Structure of Bovine Alpha-Chymotrypsin in Space Group P65
Authors: Marshall Andrew , Keiller Benjamin , Pederick Jordan , Abell Andrew , Bruning John
Published: December 2018

Chymotrypsin is a protease that is commonly used as a standard for protein crystallization and as a model system for studying serine proteases. Unliganded bovine α-chymotrypsin was crystallized at neutral pH using ammonium sulphate as the precipitant, resulting in crystals that conform to P65 symmetry with unit cell parameters that have not been reported previously. Inspection of crystallographic interfaces revealed that the major interface between any two molecules in the crystal lattice represents the interface of the biological dimer, as previously observed for crystals of unliganded α-chymotrypsin grown at low pH in space group P21.
The Extended Multidimensional Neo-Fuzzy System and Its Fast Learning in Pattern Recognition Tasks
Authors: Bodyanskiy Yevgeniy , Kulishova Nonna , Chala Olha
Published: December 2018

Methods of machine learning and data mining are becoming the cornerstone in information technologies with real-time image and video recognition methods getting more and more attention. While computational system architectures are getting larger and more complex, their learning methods call for changes, as training datasets often reach tens and hundreds of thousands of samples, therefore increasing the learning time of such systems. It is possible to reduce computational costs by tuning the system structure to allow fast, high accuracy learning algorithms to be applied. This paper proposes a system based on extended multidimensional neo-fuzzy units and its learning algorithm designed for data streams processing tasks. The proposed learning algorithm, based on the information entropy criterion, has significantly improved the system approximating capabilities. Experiments have confirmed the efficiency of the proposed system in solving real-time video stream recognition tasks.
Short Baseline Observations at Geodetic Observatory Wettzell
Authors: Phogat Apurva , Kronschnabl Gerhard , Plötz Christian , Schwarz Walter , Schüler Torben
Published: December 2018

The Geodetic Observatory Wettzell (GOW), jointly operated by the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG), Germany and the Technical University of Munich, Germany is equipped with three radio telescopes for Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI). Correlation capability is primarily designed for relative positioning of the three Wettzell radio telescopes i.e., to derive the local ties between the three telescopes from VLBI raw data in addition to the conventional terrestrial surveys. A computing cluster forming the GO Wettzell Local Correlator (GOWL) was installed in 2017 as well as the Distributed FX (DiFX) software correlation package and the Haystack Observatory Postprocessing System (HOPS) for fringe fitting and postprocessing of the output. Data pre-processing includes ambiguity resolution (if necessary) as well as the generation of the geodetic database and NGS card files with υ Solve. The final analysis is either carried out with local processing software (LEVIKA short baseline analysis) or with the Vienna VLBI and Satellite (VieVS) software. We will present an overview of the scheduling, correlation and analysis capabilities at GOW and results obtained so. The dataset includes auxiliary files (schedule and log files) which contain information about the participating antenna, observed sources, clock offset between formatter and GPS time, cable delay, meteorological parameters (temperature, barometric pressure, and relative humidity) and ASCII files created after fringe fitting and final analysis. The published dataset can be used by the researchers and scientists to further explore short baseline interferometry.
Phosphophoryn and Dentin Sialoprotein Effects on Dental Pulp Cell Migration, Proliferation, and Differentiation
Authors: Chuang Shu-Feng , Chen Yu-Hsuan , Ma Peter , Ritchie Helena H.
Published: December 2018

Phosphophoryn (PP) and dentin sialoprotein (DSP) are two of the most abundant dentin matrix non-collagenous proteins, and are derived from dentin sialoprotein-phosphophoryn (DSP-PP) mRNA. Mutations in the DSP-PP gene are linked to dentinogenesis imperfecta II and III. Previously, we reported transient DSP-PP expression in preameloblast cells first, followed by co-expression in preameloblasts and young odontoblasts, and finally sustained expression in odontoblasts. This phenomenon raised the possibility that DSP/PP proteins secreted by preameloblasts might promote dental pulp cell migration toward the dental pulp border and promote dental pulp cell differentiation. To examine the effects of DSP/PP proteins on dental pulp cell development, we investigated:(1) native PP effects on dental pulpcell migration and matrix protein expression; and (2) recombinant DSP/PP protein effects on cell proliferation and differentiation. We found that PP promoted cell migration and the expression of high levels of Col type I and PP in dental pulp cells. The addition of recombinant DSP/PP proteins affected cell proliferation and differentiation in a dental pulp cell line. These findings strongly suggest that DSP/PP may modulate cell migration, cell proliferation and differentiation, thus leading to dentin formation. DSP/PP protein may be useful clinically for pulp tissue regeneration.
Spatial and Temporal Non-Linear Dynamics Analysis and Predictability of Solar Radiation Time Series for La Reunion Island (France)
Authors: Bessafi Miloud , Mihailović Dragutin T. , Malinović-Milićević Slavica , Mihailović Anja , Jumaux Guillaume , Bonnardot François , Fanchette Yannick , Chabriat Jean-Pierre
Published: December 2018

Analysis of daily solar irradiation variability and predictability in space and time is important for energy resources planning, development, and management. The natural intermittency of solar irradiation is mainly triggered by atmospheric turbulent conditions, radiative transfer, optical properties of cloud and aerosol, moisture and atmospheric stability, orographic and thermal forcing, which introduce additional complexity into the phenomenological records. To address this question for daily solar irradiation data recorded during the period 2011–2015, at 32 stations measuring solar irradiance on La Reunion French tropical Indian Ocean Island, we use the tools of non-linear dynamics: the intermittency and chaos analysis, the largest Lyapunov exponent, Sample entropy, the Kolmogorov complexity and its derivatives (Kolmogorov complexity spectrum and its highest value), and spatial weighted Kolmogorov complexity combined with Hamming distance to assess complexity and corresponding predictability. Finally, we have clustered the Kolmogorov time (that quantifies the time span beyond which randomness significantly influences predictability) for daily cumulative solar irradiation for all stations. We show that under the record-breaking 2011–2012 La Nina event and preceding a very strong El-Nino 2015–2016 event, the predictability of daily incident solar energy over La Réunion is affected.
Rectangular-Normalized Superpixel Entropy Index for Image Quality Assessment
Authors: Lu Tao , Wang Jiaming , Zhou Huabing , Jiang Junjun , Ma Jiayi , Wang Zhongyuan
Published: December 2018

Image quality assessment (IQA) is a fundamental problem in image processing that aims to measure the objective quality of a distorted image. Traditional full-reference (FR) IQA methods use fixed-size sliding windows to obtain structure information but ignore the variable spatial configuration information. In order to better measure the multi-scale objects, we propose a novel IQA method, named RSEI, based on the perspective of the variable receptive field and information entropy. First, we find that consistence relationship exists between the information fidelity and human visual of individuals. Thus, we reproduce the human visual system (HVS) to semantically divide the image into multiple patches via rectangular-normalized superpixel segmentation. Then the weights of each image patches are adaptively calculated via their information volume. We verify the effectiveness of RSEI by applying it to data from the TID2008 database and denoise algorithms. Experiments show that RSEI outperforms some state-of-the-art IQA algorithms, including visual information fidelity (VIF) and weighted average deep image quality measure (WaDIQaM).