bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Software Engineering Applications Enabled by Blockchain Technology: A Systematic Mapping Study
Authors: Demi Selina , Colomo-Palacios Ricardo , Sánchez-Gordón Mary
Published: March 2021

The novel, yet disruptive blockchain technology has witnessed growing attention, due to its intrinsic potential. Besides the conventional domains that benefit from such potential, such as finance, supply chain and healthcare, blockchain use cases in software engineering have emerged recently. In this study, we aim to contribute to the body of knowledge of blockchain-oriented software engineering by providing an adequate overview of the software engineering applications enabled by blockchain technology. To do so, we carried out a systematic mapping study and identified 22 primary studies. Then, we extracted data within the research type, research topic and contribution type facets. Findings suggest an increasing trend of studies since 2018. Additionally, findings reveal the potential of using blockchain technologies as an alternative to centralized systems, such as GitHub, Travis CI, and cloud-based package managers, and also to establish trust between parties in collaborative software development. We also found out that smart contracts can enable the automation of a variety of software engineering activities that usually require human reasoning, such as the acceptance phase, payments to software engineers, and compliance adherence. In spite of the fact that the field is not yet mature, we believe that this systematic mapping study provides a holistic overview that may benefit researchers interested in bringing blockchain to the software industry, and practitioners willing to understand how blockchain can transform the software development industry.
Angular Distribution of Characteristic Radiation Following the Excitation of He-Like Uranium in Relativistic Collisions
Authors: Gumberidze Alexandre , Thorn Daniel B. , Surzhykov Andrey , Fontes Christopher J. , Banaś Dariusz , Beyer Heinrich F. , Chen Weidong , Grisenti Robert E. , Hagmann Siegbert , Hess Regina , Hillenbrand Pierre-Michel , Indelicato Paul , Kozhuharov Christophor , Lestinsky Michael , Märtin Renate , Petridis Nikolaos , Popov Roman V. , Schuch Reinhold , Spillmann Uwe , Tashenov Stanislav , Trotsenko Sergiy , Warczak Andrzej , Weber Günter , Wen Weiqiang , Winters Danyal F. A. , Winters Natalya , Yin Zhong , Stöhlker Thomas
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we present an experimental and theoretical study of excitation processes for the heaviest stable helium-like ion, that is, He-like uranium occurring in relativistic collisions with hydrogen and argon targets. In particular, we concentrate on angular distributions of the characteristic Kα radiation following the K → L excitation of He-like uranium. We pay special attention to the magnetic sub-level population of the excited 1s2lj states, which is directly related to the angular distribution of the characteristic Kα radiation. We show that the experimental data can be well described by calculations taking into account the excitation by the target nucleus as well as by the target electrons. Moreover, we demonstrate for the first time an important influence of the electron-impact excitation process on the angular distributions of the Kα radiation produced by excitation of He-like uranium in collisions with different targets.
Cell Cytoskeleton and Stiffness Are Mechanical Indicators of Organotropism in Breast Cancer
Authors: Tang Kai , Xin Ying , Li Keming , Chen Xi , Tan Youhua
Published: March 2021

Tumor metastasis involves the dissemination of tumor cells from the primary lesion to other organs and the subsequent formation of secondary tumors, which leads to the majority of cancer-related deaths. Clinical findings show that cancer cell dissemination is not random but exhibits organ preference or organotropism. While intrinsic biochemical factors of cancer cells have been extensively studied in organotropism, much less is known about the role of cell cytoskeleton and mechanics. Herein, we demonstrate that cell cytoskeleton and mechanics are correlated with organotropism. The result of cell stiffness measurements shows that breast cancer cells with bone tropism are much stiffer with enhanced F-actin, while tumor cells with brain tropism are softer with lower F-actin than their parental cells. The difference in cellular stiffness matches the difference in the rigidity of their metastasized organs. Further, disrupting the cytoskeleton of breast cancer cells with bone tropism not only elevates the expressions of brain metastasis-related genes but also increases cell spreading and proliferation on soft substrates mimicking the stiffness of brain tissue. Stabilizing the cytoskeleton of cancer cells with brain tropism upregulates bone metastasis-related genes while reduces the mechanoadaptation ability on soft substrates. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that cell cytoskeleton and biophysical properties of breast cancer subpopulations correlate with their metastatic preference in terms of gene expression pattern and mechanoadaptation ability, implying the potential role of cell cytoskeleton in organotropism.
Biology of Lymphedema
Authors: Brix Bianca , Sery Omar , Onorato Alberto , Ure Christian , Roessler Andreas , Goswami Nandu
Published: March 2021

This narrative review portrays the lymphatic system, a poorly understood but important physiological system. While several reviews have been published that are related to the biology of the lymphatic system and lymphedema, the physiological alternations, which arise due to disturbances of this system, and during lymphedema therapy, are poorly understood and, consequently, not widely reported. We present an inclusive collection of evidence from the scientific literature reflecting important developments in lymphedema research over the last few decades. This review aims at advancing the knowledge on the area of lymphatic system function as well as how system dysfunction, as seen in lymphedema, affects physiological systems and how lymphedema therapy modulates these mechanisms. We propose that future studies should aim at investigating, in-detail, aspects that are related to fluid regulation, hemodynamic responses, and endothelial and/or vascular changes due to lymphedema and lymphedema therapy.
Isomadecassoside, a New Ursane-Type Triterpene Glycoside from Centella asiatica Leaves, Reduces Nitrite Levels in LPS-Stimulated Macrophages
Authors: Chianese Giuseppina , Masi Francesca , Cicia Donatella , Ciceri Daniele , Arpini Sabrina , Falzoni Mario , Pagano Ester , Taglialatela-Scafati Orazio
Published: March 2021

A madecassoside-rich fraction obtained from the industrial purification of Centella asiatica leaves afforded a new triterpene glycoside, named isomadecassoside (4), characterized by an ursane-type skeleton and migration of the double bond at Δ20(21) in ring E. The structure of isomadecassoside was established by means of HR-ESIMS and detailed analysis of 1D and 2D NMR spectra, which allowed a complete NMR assignment. Studies on isolated J774A.1 macrophages stimulated by LPS revealed that isomadecassoside (4) inhibited nitrite production at non-cytotoxic concentrations, thus indicating an anti-inflammatory effect similar to that of madecassoside.
Alternative Architecture of the E. coli Chemosensory Array
Authors: Burt Alister , Cassidy C. Keith , Stansfeld Phillip J. , Gutsche Irina
Published: March 2021

Chemotactic responses in motile bacteria are the result of sophisticated signal transduction by large, highly organized arrays of sensory proteins. Despite tremendous progress in the understanding of chemosensory array structure and function, a structural basis for the heightened sensitivity of networked chemoreceptors is not yet complete. Here, we present cryo-electron tomography visualisations of native-state chemosensory arrays in E. coli minicells. Strikingly, these arrays appear to exhibit a p2-symmetric array architecture that differs markedly from the p6-symmetric architecture previously described in E. coli. Based on this data, we propose molecular models of this alternative architecture and the canonical p6-symmetric assembly. We evaluate our observations and each model in the context of previously published data, assessing the functional implications of an alternative architecture and effects for future studies.
Functional Flow Cytometric Assay for Reliable and Convenient Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia Diagnosis in Daily Practice
Authors: Tardy-Poncet Brigitte , Montmartin Aurélie , Piot Michele , Alhenc-Gelas Martine , Nguyen Philippe , Elalamy Ismail , Greinacher Andreas , Maistre Emmanuel , Lasne Dominique , Horellou Marie-Hélène , Le Gal Grégoire , Lecompte Thomas , Tardy Bernard ,   on behalf of the GFHT-HIT Study Group
Published: March 2021

Reliable laboratory diagnosis of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) remains a major clinical concern. Immunoassays are highly sensitive, while confirmatory functional tests (based on heparin-dependent platelet activation) lack standardization. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of a functional flow cytometric assay (FCA) based on the detection of heparin-dependent platelet activation with an anti-p-selectin. A total of 288 patients were included (131 HIT-positive and 157 HIT-negative) with a HIT diagnosis established by expert opinion adjudication (EOA) considering clinical data and local laboratory results. The FCA was centrally performed in a single laboratory on platelet-rich plasma, using a very simple four-color fluorometer. The results were standardized according to the Heparin Platelet Activation (HEPLA) index. The serotonin release assay (SRA) was performed in the four French reference laboratories. Based on the final HIT diagnosis established by EOA, the sensitivity and specificity of the FCA were 88 and 95%, respectively, values very similar to those of the SRA (88 and 97%, respectively). This study showed that the FCA, based on easily implementable technology, may be routinely used as a reliable confirmatory test for HIT diagnosis.
Small GTPases in Cancer: Still Signaling the Way
Authors: Matos Paulo
Published: March 2021

In recent decades, many advances in the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer have been witnessed [...]
Type III TGF-β Receptor Down-Regulation Promoted Tumor Progression via Complement Component C5a Induction in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Yeung Oscar Wai Ho , Qi Xiang , Pang Li , Liu Hui , Ng Kevin Tak Pan , Liu Jiang , Lo Chung Mau , Man Kwan
Published: March 2021

Background and Aims—Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling orchestrates tumorigenesis and one of the family members, TGF-β receptor type III (TGFβR3), are distinctively under-expressed in numerous malignancies. Currently, the clinical impact of TGFβR3 down-regulation and the underlying mechanism remains unclear in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we aimed to identify the tumor-promoting roles of decreased TGFβR3 expression in HCC progression. Materials and Methods—For clinical analysis, plasma and liver specimens were collected from 100 HCC patients who underwent curative resection for the quantification of TGFβR3 by q-PCR and ELISA. To study the tumor-promoting mechanism of TGFβR3 downregulation, HCC mouse models and TGFβR3 knockout cell lines were applied. Results—Significant downregulation of TGFβR3 and its soluble form (sTGFβR3) were found in HCC tissues and plasma compared to healthy individuals (p < 0.01). Patients with <9.4 ng/mL sTGFβR3 exhibited advanced tumor stage, higher recurrence rate and shorter disease-free survival (p < 0.05). The tumor-suppressive function of sTGFβR3 was further revealed in an orthotopic mouse HCC model, resulting in 2-fold tumor volume reduction. In TGFβR3 knockout hepatocyte and HCC cells, increased complement component C5a was observed and strongly correlated with shorter survival and advanced tumor stage (p < 0.01). Interestingly, C5a activated the tumor-promoting Th-17 response in tumor associated macrophages. Conclusion—TGFβR3 suppressed tumor progression, and decreased expression resulted in poor prognosis in HCC patients through upregulation of tumor-promoting complement C5a.
Assessment of γ-H2AX and 53BP1 Foci in Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes to Predict Subclinical Hematotoxicity and Response in Somatostatin Receptor-Targeted Radionuclide Therapy for Advanced Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors
Authors: Derlin Thorsten , Bogdanova Natalia , Ohlendorf Fiona , Ramachandran Dhanya , Werner Rudolf A. , Ross Tobias L. , Christiansen Hans , Bengel Frank M. , Henkenberens Christoph
Published: March 2021

Background: We aimed to characterize γ-H2AX and 53BP1 foci formation in patients receiving somatostatin receptor-targeted radioligand therapy, and explored its role for predicting treatment-related hematotoxicity, and treatment response. Methods: A prospective analysis of double-strand break (DSB) markers was performed in 21 patients with advanced gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. γ-H2AX and 53BP1 foci formation were evaluated in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) at baseline, +1 h and +24 h after administration of 7.4 GBq (177Lu)Lu-DOTA-TATE. Hematotoxicity was evaluated using standard hematology. Therapy response was assessed using (68Ga)Ga-DOTA-TATE PET/CT before enrollment and after 2 cycles of PRRT according to the volumetric modification of RECIST 1.1. Results: DSB marker kinetics were heterogeneous among patients. Subclinical hematotoxicity was associated with γ-H2AX and 53BP1 foci formation (e.g., change in platelet count vs change in γ-H2AX+ cells between baseline and +1 h (r = −0.6080; p = 0.0045). Patients showing early development of new metastases had less γ-H2AX (p = 0.0125) and less 53BP1 foci per cell at +1 h (p = 0.0289), and demonstrated a distinct kinetic pattern with an absence of DSB marker decrease at +24 h (γ-H2AX: p = 0.0025; 53BP1: p = 0.0008). Conclusions: Assessment of γ-H2AX and 53BP1 foci formation in PBLs of patients receiving radioligand therapy may hold promise for predicting subclinical hematotoxicity and early treatment response.
Oncologic Outcomes of Radical Prostatectomy and High-Dose Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy with Androgen-Deprivation Therapy for Relatively Young Patients with Unfavorable Intermediate-Risk Prostate Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Wu Szu-Yuan , Chang Shyh-Chyi , Chen Chang-I , Huang Chung-Chien
Published: March 2021

Purpose: To estimate the oncologic outcomes of radical prostatectomy (RP) and high-dose intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with short-term androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) in relatively young men with unfavorable intermediate-risk prostate cancer, as defined by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN-UIR-PC). Patients and Methods: We enrolled relatively young men (≤65 years) from the Taiwan Cancer Registry who had been diagnosed as having NCCN-UIR-PC and who had received RP or high-dose IMRT (at least ≥72 Gy) with short-term ADT (4–6 months). After propensity score matching of the confounders, Cox proportional regression was used to model the time from the index date (i.e., date of diagnosis) to all-cause death, biochemical failure (BF), locoregional recurrence (LRR), and distant metastasis (DM). Results: The corresponding adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of the risk of all-cause death, BF, LRR, and DM were 2.76 (1.36–5.60, p = 0.0050), 2.74 (1.72–4.84, p < 0.0001), 1.28 (1.09–1.90, p = 0.0324), and 2.11 (1.40–4.88, p = 0.0052), respectively. Conclusions: RP is superior to high-dose IMRT with short-term ADT in terms of oncologic outcomes for relatively young men with UIR-PC.
The Effects of Different Invitation Schemes on the Use of Fecal Occult Blood Tests for Colorectal Cancer Screening: Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Gruner Laura F. , Amitay Efrat L. , Heisser Thomas , Guo Feng , Niedermaier Tobias , Gies Anton , Hoffmeister Michael , Brenner Hermann
Published: March 2021

Personal invitations for fecal occult blood tests (nowadays mostly fecal immunochemical tests) are increasingly used to raise their usage for colorectal cancer screening. However, there is a large heterogeneity in applied invitation schemes. We aimed to review evidence for the effectiveness of various invitation schemes. The main outcome was the fecal occult blood test usage rate. A systematic search was performed in Medline and Web of Science (up to 9 July 2020). Randomized controlled trials or cluster-randomized controlled trials were eligible, which reported on general invitations for fecal occult blood test-based colorectal cancer screening sent to the general population at average colorectal cancer risk. (PROSPERO 2020 CRD42020169409). Overall, 34 studies were included. Invitations with an attached, i.e., mailed fecal occult blood test consistently increased test usage by 4–19.7% points, compared to other methods of test provision. Likewise, the introduction of advance notification consistently led to a higher usage rate, with an increase of 3.3–10.8% points. Reminders showed positive but varying effects by method. With an increase of 8.5–15.8% points, letter or email reminders were more effective than reminders by phone call or text message (0.6–6.5% points). Inconsistent results were found for financial incentives ((−8.4)–20% points) and for added or changed invitation material ((−3.5)–11.8% points). With 3.5–24.7% points, the strongest increases in use were achieved by multifaceted invitation, implementing multiple components. Any invitation scheme was superior over no invitation. Advance notification, mailing of fecal occult blood test, and reminders were consistently shown to have major, complementary potential to increase participation in fecal occult blood test-based colorectal cancer screening settings.
Recent Developments in Rh Heterogeneous Catalysts
Authors: Kiss János , Kovács Imre
Published: March 2021

Rh-based catalysts successfully catalyze bond making and bond breaking reactions in most cases [...]
Silver Inkjet-Printed Electrode on Paper for Electrochemical Sensing of Paraquat
Authors: Deroco Patricia Batista , Wachholz Junior Dagwin , Kubota Lauro Tatsuo
Published: March 2021

The use of fully printed electrochemical devices has gained more attention for the monitoring of clinical, food, and environmental analytes due to their low cost, great reproducibility, and versatility characteristics, serving as an important technology for commercial application. Therefore, a paper-based inkjet-printed electrochemical system is proposed as a cost-effective analytical detection tool for paraquat. Chromatographic paper was used as the printing substrate due its sustainable and disposable characteristics, and an inkjet-printing system deposited the conductive silver ink with no further modification on the paper surface, providing a three-electrode system. The printed electrodes were characterized with scanning electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and chronopotentiometry. The proposed sensor exhibited a large surface area, providing a powerful tool for paraquat detection due to its higher analytical signal. For the detection of paraquat, square-wave voltammetry was used, and the results showed a linear response range of 3.0–100 μM and a detection limit of 0.80 µM, along with the high repeatability and disposability of the sensor. The prepared sensors were also sufficiently selective against interference, and high accuracy (recovery range = 96.7–113%) was obtained when applied to samples (water, human serum, and orange juice), showing the promising applicability of fully printed electrodes for electrochemical monitoring.
Surface Optimization of ZrC–SiC Inner Layer to Enhance Ablation Property of SiC/ZrC–SiC Multi-Layer Coating for C/C Composites
Authors: Shi Anhong , Yang Xin , Fang Cunqian , Weng Yuanqi , Luo Xiao , Zhang Ze , Huang Qizhong
Published: March 2021

A ZrC–SiC inner layer was fabricated on carbon/carbon composites by pack cementation at different temperatures, aiming to prepare a transition layer for subsequent deposition of SiC and ZrC–SiC layer by chemical vapor deposition and plasma spray. Results show that the structure and phase composition of the inner layer significantly affected the interface bonding strength and thermal shock resistance of the multilayer, which played a vital role in resisting ablation. The jagged and porous surface of the inner layer led to forming a root-like pinning interface, generating a sawtooth combination between the layers. Moreover, the inner layer with high SiC content decreased the coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch between the inner and outer layers. Therefore, the enhanced ablation resistance of the optimum coating was attributed to the improved interface bonding strength and thermal shock resistance caused by the ZrC–SiC inner layer with rough and porous surface structure.
Standard Behaviour of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ Overdoped
Authors: Ummarino Giovanni Alberto
Published: March 2021

I calculated the critical temperature and superconducting gap in the framework of one band d wave Eliashberg theory with only one free parameter in order to reproduce the experimental data relative to Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ(BSCCO) in the overdoped regime. The theoretical calculations are in excellent agreement with the experimental data and indicate that cuprates in the overdoped regime are well described by standard d-wave Eliashberg theory with coupling provided by antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations.
Light-Driven Pitch Tuning of Self-Assembled Hierarchical Gratings
Authors: Wu Yuan-Hang , Wu Sai-Bo , Liu Chao , Tan Qing-Gui , Yuan Rui , Wang Jing-Ge , Ma Ling-Ling , Hu Wei
Published: March 2021

Gratings are of vital importance in modern optics. Self-assembled cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) gratings have attracted intensive attention due to their easy fabrication and broad applications. However, simultaneously achieving arbitrary patterning and delicate tuning of CLC gratings remains elusive. Here, light-driven pitch tuning is accomplished in hierarchical gratings formed in a molecular switch doped CLC. We fabricate a checkerboard hierarchical CLC grating for a demonstration, whose pitch is optically tuned from 4.6 µm to 10.7 µm. Correspondingly, the first-order diffraction angle continuously changes from 9.4° to 4.8° and a significant polarization selectivity is also observed. In addition, hierarchical CLC gratings with triangular wave pattern, Archimedean spiral, and radial stripes are also demonstrated. This work creates new opportunities for soft-matter-based intelligent functional materials and advanced photonic devices.
Weak Interactions in Cocrystals of Isoniazid with Glycolic and Mandelic Acids
Authors: Álvarez-Vidaurre Raquel , Castiñeiras Alfonso , Frontera Antonio , García-Santos Isabel , Gil Diego M. , González-Pérez Josefa M. , Niclós-Gutiérrez Juan , Torres-Iglesias Rocío
Published: March 2021

This work deals with the preparation of pyridine-3-carbohydrazide (isoniazid, inh) cocrystals with two α-hydroxycarboxylic acids. The interaction of glycolic acid (H2ga) or d,l-mandelic acid (H2ma) resulted in the formation of cocrystals or salts of composition (inh)·(H2ga) (1) and [Hinh]+[Hma]–·(H2ma) (2) when reacted with isoniazid. An N′-(propan-2-ylidene)isonicotinic hydrazide hemihydrate, (pinh)·1/2(H2O) (3), was also prepared by condensation of isoniazid with acetone in the presence of glycolic acid. These prepared compounds were well characterized by elemental analysis, and spectroscopic methods, and their three-dimensional molecular structure was determined by single crystal X-ray crystallography. Hydrogen bonds involving the carboxylic acid occur consistently with the pyridine ring N atom of the isoniazid and its derivatives. The remaining hydrogen-bonding sites on the isoniazid backbone vary based on the steric influences of the derivative group. These are contrasted in each of the molecular systems. Finally, Hirshfeld surface analysis and Density-functional theory (DFT) calculations (including NCIplot and QTAIM analyses) have been performed to further characterize and rationalize the non-covalent interactions.
Enhanced Properties of SAW Device Based on Beryllium Oxide Thin Films
Authors: Soni Namrata Dewan , Bhola Jyoti
Published: March 2021

The present study depicts the first-ever optimized surface acoustic wave (SAW) device based on Beryllium Oxide (BeO) thin film. The feasibility of surface acoustic wave devices based on BeO/128° YX LiNbO3 layered structure has been examined theoretically. The SAW phase velocity, electromechanical coupling coefficient, and temperature coefficient of delay for BeO/128° YX LiNbO3 layered structure are calculated. The layered structure is found to exhibit optimum value of phase velocity (4476 ms−1) and coupling coefficient (~9.66%) at BeO over layer thickness of 0.08 λ. The BeO (0.08 λ)/128° YX LiNbO3 SAW device is made temperature stable, by integrating it with negative temperature coefficient of delay (TCD) TeO3 over layer of thickness 0.026λ.
All Populations Matter: Conservation Genomics of Australia’s Iconic Purple Wattle, Acacia purpureopetala
Authors: van der Merwe Marlien M. , Yap Jia-Yee S. , Wilson Peter D. , Murphy Helen T. , Ford Andrew
Published: March 2021

Maximising genetic diversity in conservation efforts can help to increase the chances of survival of a species amidst the turbulence of the anthropogenic age. Here, we define the distribution and extent of genomic diversity across the range of the iconic but threatened Acacia purpureopetala, a beautiful sprawling shrub with mauve flowers, restricted to a few disjunct populations in far north Queensland, Australia. Seed production is poor and germination sporadic, but the species occurs in abundance at some field sites. While several thousands of SNP markers were recovered, comparable to other Acacia species, very low levels of heterozygosity and allelic variation suggested inbreeding. Limited dispersal most likely contributed towards the high levels of divergence amongst field sites and, using a generalised dissimilarity modelling framework amongst environmental, spatial and floristic data, spatial distance was found to be the strongest factor explaining the current distribution of genetic diversity. We illustrate how population genomic data can be utilised to design a collecting strategy for a germplasm conservation collection that optimises genetic diversity. For this species, inclusion of all field sites will capture maximum genetic diversity for both in situ and ex situ conservation. Assisted cross pollination, within and between field sites and genetically structured groups, is recommended to enhance heterozygosity particularly at the most disjunct sites and further fragmentation should be discouraged to avoid loss of genetic connectivity.
Genetic Consequences of Forest Fragmentation in a Widespread Forest Bat (Natalus mexicanus, Chiroptera: Natalidae)
Authors: López-Wilchis Ricardo , Méndez-Rodríguez Aline , Juste Javier , Serrato-Díaz Alejandra , Rodríguez-Gómez Flor , Guevara-Chumacero Luis Manuel
Published: March 2021

Recent historical and anthropogenic changes in the landscape causing habitat fragmentation can disrupt the connectivity of wild populations and pose a threat to the genetic diversity of multiple species. This study investigated the effect of habitat fragmentation on the structure and genetic diversity of the Mexican greater funnel-eared bat (Natalus mexicanus) throughout its distribution range in Mexico, whose natural habitat has decreased dramatically in recent years. Genetic structure and diversity were measured using the HVII hypervariable domain of the mitochondrial control region and ten nuclear microsatellite loci, to analyze historical and contemporary information, respectively. The mitochondrial and nuclear results pointed to a differential genetic structuring, derived mainly from philopatry in females. Our results also showed that genetic diversity was historically high and currently moderate; additionally, the contemporary gene flow between the groups observed was null. These findings confirm that the effects of habitat fragmentation have started to be expressed in populations and that forest loss is already building barriers to contemporary gene flow. The concern is that gene flow is a process essential to ensure that the genetic diversity of N. mexicanus populations (and probably of many other forest species) distributed in Mexico is preserved or increased in the long term by maintaining forest connectivity between locations.
Unexplored Refugia with High Cover of Scleractinian Leptoseris spp. and Hydrocorals Stylaster flabelliformis at Lower Mesophotic Depths (75–100 m) on Lava Flows at Reunion Island (Southwestern Indian Ocean)
Authors: Hoarau Ludovic , Rouzé Héloïse , Boissin Émilie , Gravier-Bonnet Nicole , Plantard Patrick , Loisil Camille , Bigot Lionel , Chabanet Pascale , Labarrère Priscille , Penin Lucie , Adjeroud Mehdi , Mulochau Thierry
Published: March 2021

Despite increased attention over the last decade on Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems (MCEs) [...]
Milk-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Suppress Inflammatory Cytokine Expression and Nuclear Factor-κB Activation in Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated Macrophages
Authors: Ascanius Susanne R. , Hansen Maria S. , Ostenfeld Marie S. , Rasmussen Jan T.
Published: March 2021

In milk and milk products, small membrane-enclosed vesicles can be found, commonly termed extracellular vesicles (EVs). Milk-derived EVs have previously been suggested to have immunoregulatory properties, especially important for infants without a fully functioning immune system. In the present study, EV fractions were isolated from human milk, mature and colostrum bovine milk, and two dairy fractions, and successively surveyed for their immunomodulating effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages (RAW264.7). RAW264.7 cell material and supernatant were evaluated by monitoring degradation of IκBα in the NF-κB pathway, and IL-6 and IL-1β cytokine production, using Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assaying, respectively. The results revealed that preincubation with EVs derived from raw human and bovine milk lowered the LPS-activated response of the NF-κB pathway. Additionally, it was found that preincubation with EVs, from human and bovine milk as well as dairy whey or skim milk-derived fractions, decreased secretion of proinflammatory cytokines from LPS-activated RAW264.7 cells. The findings that milk-derived EVs can change the inflammatory response in macrophages support the notion that milk EVs have an important role in mother-to-infant communication and protection of a newborn.
Establishment of a Potential Serum Biomarker Panel for the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Cholangiocarcinoma Using Decision Tree Algorithms
Authors: Kimawaha Phongsaran , Jusakul Apinya , Junsawang Prem , Thanan Raynoo , Titapun Attapol , Khuntikeo Narong , Techasen Anchalee
Published: March 2021

Potential biomarkers which include S100 calcium binding protein A9 (S100A9), mucin 5AC (MUC5AC), transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), and angiopoietin-2 have previously been shown to be effective for cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) diagnosis. This study attempted to measure the sera levels of these biomarkers compared with carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9). A total of 40 serum cases of CCA, gastrointestinal cancers (non-CCA), and healthy subjects were examined by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The panel of biomarkers was evaluated for their accuracy in diagnosing CCA and subsequently used as inputs to construct the decision tree (DT) model as a basis for binary classification. The findings showed that serum levels of S100A9, MUC5AC, and TGF-β1 were dramatically enhanced in CCA patients. In addition, 95% sensitivity and 90% specificity for CCA differentiation from healthy cases, and 70% sensitivity and 83% specificity for CCA versus non-CCA cases was obtained by a panel incorporating all five candidate biomarkers. In CCA patients with low CA19-9 levels, S100A9 might well be a complementary marker for improved diagnostic accuracy. The high levels of TGF-β1 and angiopoietin-2 were both associated with severe tumor stages and metastasis, indicating that they could be used as a reliable prognostic biomarkers panel for CCA patients. Furthermore, the outcome of the CCA burden from the Classification and Regression Tree (CART) algorithm using serial CA19-9 and S100A9 showed high diagnostic efficiency. In conclusion, results have shown the efficacy of CCA diagnosis and prognosis of the novel CCA-biomarkers panel examined herein, which may prove be useful in clinical settings.
Five Commercial Immunoassays for SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Determination and Their Comparison and Correlation with the Virus Neutralization Test
Authors: Šimánek Václav , Pecen Ladislav , Krátká Zuzana , Fürst Tomáš , Řezáčková Hana , Topolčan Ondřej , Fajfrlík Karel , Sedláček Dalibor , Šín Robin , Pazdiora Petr , Zelená Hana , Slouka David , Kučera Radek
Published: March 2021

There is an ongoing debate as to whether SARS-CoV-2 antibodies can be found in patients who have recovered from COVID-19 disease. Currently, there is no consensus on whether the antibodies, if present, are protective. Our regular measurements of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, starting in July 2020, have provided us with the opportunity of becoming acquainted with the five different immunoassays. A total of 149 patients were enrolled in our study. We measured the samples using each immunoassay, then performing a virus neutralization test and comparing the results of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies with this test. We observed that the production of neutralizing antibodies is age-dependent. Elderly patients have a higher proportion of high neutralizing titers than young patients. Based on our results, and in combination with the literature findings, we can conclude that the serological SARS-CoV-2 antibody measurement is a helpful tool in the fight against COVID-19. The assays can provide information about the patient’s previous contact with the virus. Anti-spike protein assays correlate well with the virus neutralization test and can be used in the screening of potential convalescent plasma donors.
Causality and Information Transfer Between the Solar Wind and the Magnetosphere–Ionosphere System
Authors: Manshour Pouya , Balasis Georgios , Consolini Giuseppe , Papadimitriou Constantinos , Paluš Milan
Published: March 2021

An information-theoretic approach for detecting causality and information transfer is used to identify interactions of solar activity and interplanetary medium conditions with the Earth’s magnetosphere–ionosphere systems. A causal information transfer from the solar wind parameters to geomagnetic indices is detected. The vertical component of the interplanetary magnetic field (Bz) influences the auroral electrojet (AE) index with an information transfer delay of 10 min and the geomagnetic disturbances at mid-latitudes measured by the symmetric field in the H component (SYM-H) index with a delay of about 30 min. Using a properly conditioned causality measure, no causal link between AE and SYM-H, or between magnetospheric substorms and magnetic storms can be detected. The observed causal relations can be described as linear time-delayed information transfer.
What Motivates Students to Study Engineering? A Comparative Study between Males and Females in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Labib Wafa , Abdelsattar Amal , Ibrahim Yasser , Abdelhadi Abdelhakim
Published: March 2021

Motivation to study engineering in undergraduate study is of great importance to students. It encourages undergraduate students to enroll in an engineering program and continue their studies without dropping out. Male students enroll in engineering programs with large numbers compared to female students in many parts of the world. In Saudi Arabia, there were limited engineering programs for female students. In this research, the motivation to study engineering is studied and compared between male and female students in the College of Engineering at Prince Sultan University, the first private university in Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted through a detailed survey distributed to 41 male engineering management students and 45 female architectural engineering students. These students’ performance and experience were considered and compared considering their gender to evaluate their persistence toward engineering study. According to the results obtained, the highest degree of the parents had a considerable effect on the selection of engineering major for male and female students. Most surveyed male and female students select an engineering major because of its positive impact on the community and its role in improving the way of life. Male students may differ in that they considered engineering in order to start their own business after graduation with a higher percentage compared to female students. There was a very limited role of the school in selecting engineering majors according to the surveyed male and female students. This role should be enhanced and utilized to encourage more female students to consider engineering majors in their college study.
Simulation and Characteristics Analysis of On-Shore OWC System Proposal as Distributed Generation Resource Considering the Irregular Wave Interaction
Authors: López-Leyva Josué Aarón , Barrera-Silva Carolina , Sarmiento-Leyva Luisa Fernanda , González-Romero María Fernanda
Published: March 2021

This article presents the simulation and characterization of an on-shore oscillating water column (OWC) system as part of a distributed generation network considering the irregular interaction of sea waves. The main issue is the adequate calculation of the power generated considering the real variations of the sea waves, employing the stochastic analysis of the wave height and period. The characterization of the wave height was carried out using the Fisher-Tippett Type 1 function, and for the wave period, an empirical probability density function to obtain the instantaneous and accumulated power in an annual period. A basic on-shore OWC system was proposed with different physical dimensions. The theoretical and numerical results present a very similar performance for both turbines (600 W and 25 kW) analyzed. Regarding the 600 W turbine, the resulting accuracy is ≈94.5%, which implies that the annual generated power is 3.13 ± 1.02 MWh/year and the overall efficiency is 23.51% ± 1.9%. However, due to the reduced power generated, the chamber dimensions were modified, achieving 160.61 ± 9.99 MWh/year with an accuracy of ≈93.2%, based on an installed power capacity proposal using a 25 kW turbine. Also, the average overall efficiency for both turbines considering the irregular wave interaction is ≈23.5% and ≈21.1% for 600 W and 25 kW turbines, respectively.
Power Consumption Profiling of a Lightweight Development Board: Sensing with the INA219 and Teensy 4.0 Microcontroller
Authors: Lambert Jonathan , Monahan Rosemary , Casey Kevin
Published: March 2021

At the heart of most technological advancements is a network of processors executing code and consuming energy. Understanding those systems’ energy consumption profiles provides optimisation possibilities and thus contributes to strategies for reducing energy consumption in general. This paper assesses the power consumption characteristics of a highly competitive low cost, small form factor development board (the Raspberry Pi4 model B), powered with the minimal load associated with its bare-metal configuration and the related impact on baseline power consumption. We also consider the load associated with an out-of-box operating system, running at several underclocking frequency scaling levels and the associated impact on baseline power consumption. Our experimental set-up consists of integrating an INA219 high-side current sense amplifier for the capturing of power, current, and voltage measurements; and a Teensy 4.0 microcontroller for sampling. Overall, our results indicate statistically significant differences in overall power consumption distribution characteristics across all models. Our results also indicate the presence of three distinct power phase envelopes and statistically significant differences in mean and median power measurements between the different underclocking frequency test cases and the bare-metal cases. Our results also indicate that power consumption is an increasing monotonic function across test scenarios. Finally, our results have also shown that isolating power consumption composite distributions increases model predictability from 67% to 97%.
Triangular Slot-Loaded Wideband Planar Rectangular Antenna Array for Millimeter-Wave 5G Applications
Authors: Ahmad Iftikhar , Sun Houjun , Rafique Umair , Yi Zhang
Published: March 2021

This paper presents a design of a triangular slot-loaded planar rectangular antenna array for wideband millimeter-wave (mm-wave) 5G communication systems. The proposed array realizes an overall size of 35.5 × 14.85 mm2. To excite the array elements, a four-way broadband corporate feeding network was designed and analyzed. The proposed array offered a measured impedance bandwidth in two different frequency ranges, i.e., from 23 to 24.6 GHz and from 26 to 45 GHz. The single-antenna element of the array consists of a rectangular patch radiator with a triangular slot. The partial ground plane was used at the bottom side of the substrate to obtain a wide impedance bandwidth. The peak gain in the proposed array is ≈12 dBi with a radiation efficiency of >90%. Furthermore, the array gives a half-power beamwidth (HPBW) of as low as 12.5°. The proposed array has been fabricated and measured, and it has been observed that the measured results are in agreement with the simulated data.
A Gated Oscillator Clock and Data Recovery Circuit for Nanowatt Wake-Up and Data Receivers
Authors: D’Addato Matteo , Elgani Alessia M. , Perilli Luca , Franchi Scarselli Eleonora , Gnudi Antonio , Canegallo Roberto , Ricotti Giulio
Published: March 2021

This article presents a data-startable baseband logic featuring a gated oscillator clock and data recovery (GO-CDR) circuit for nanowatt wake-up and data receivers (WuRxs). At each data transition, the phase misalignment between the data coming from the analog front-end (AFE) and the clock is cleared by the GO-CDR circuit, thus allowing the reception of long data streams. Any free-running frequency mismatch between the GO and the bitrate does not limit the number of receivable bits, but only the maximum number of equal consecutive bits (Nm). To overcome this limitation, the proposed system includes a frequency calibration circuit, which reduces the frequency mismatch to ±0.5%, thus enabling the WuRx to be used with different encoding techniques up to Nm = 100. A full WuRx prototype, including an always-on clockless AFE operating in subthreshold, was fabricated with STMicroelectronics 90 nm BCD technology. The WuRx is supplied with 0.6 V, and the power consumption, excluding the calibration circuit, is 12.8 nW during the rest state and 17 nW at a 1 kbps data rate. With a 1 kbps On-Off Keying (OOK) modulated input and −35 dBm of input RF power after the input matching network (IMN), a 10−3 missed detection rate with a 0 bit error tolerance is measured, transmitting 63 bit packets with the Nm ranging from 1 to 63. The total sensitivity, including the estimated IMN gain at 100 MHz and 433 MHz, is −59.8 dBm and −52.3 dBm, respectively. In comparison with an ideal CDR, the degradation of the sensitivity due to the GO-CDR is 1.25 dBm. False alarm rate measurements lasting 24 h revealed zero overall false wake-ups.
A Fast and Accurate Few-Shot Detector for Objects with Fewer Pixels in Drone Image
Authors: Gao Yuxuan , Hou Runmin , Gao Qiang , Hou Yuanlong
Published: March 2021

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are important in modern war, and object detection performance influences the development of related intelligent drone application. At present, the target categories of UAV detection tasks are diversified. However, the lack of training samples of novel categories will have a bad impact on the task. At the same time, many state-of-the-arts are not suitable for drone images due to the particularity of perspective and large number of small targets. In this paper, we design a fast few-shot detector for drone targets. It adopts the idea of anchor-free in fully convolutional one-stage object detection (FCOS), which leads to a more reasonable definition of positive and negative samples and faster speed, and introduces Siamese framework with more discriminative target model and attention mechanism to integrate similarity measures, which enables our model to match the objects of the same categories and distinguish the different class objects and background. We propose a matching score map to utilize the similarity information of attention feature map. Finally, through soft-NMS, the predicted detection bounding boxes for support category objects are generated. We construct a DAN dataset as a collection of DOTA and NWPU VHR-10. Compared with many state-of-the-arts on the DAN dataset, our model is proved to outperform them for few-shot detection tasks of drone images.
Parameter Selection for the Virtual Oscillator Control Applied to Microgrids
Authors: Costa Daniel Alves , Tôrres Leonardo A. B. , Silva Sidelmo Magalhães , De Conti Alberto , Brandão Danilo Iglesias
Published: March 2021

Virtual Oscillator Control (VOC) is a promising technique that allows several inverters connected to a microgrid to naturally synchronize, without communication. However, the selection of the VOC parameters often require iterative or optimization procedures that render its practical use not straightforward. In this paper, this problem is overcome with the proposition of a novel methodology for determining the dead-zone type VOC parameters based on the describing function method. The methodology consists of a set of analytical equations that use as input data few basic electrical system parameters from the converter and from the microgrid, namely, the operating voltage and frequency ranges, besides rated power. The proposed set of equations is used to calculate the parameters required to control an inverter in voltage mode. The validity of the proposed approach is demonstrated in experiments that encompass different situations such as pre-synchronization, connection, and disconnection of a second inverter from a microgrid.
Improving Energy Efficiency of Flexible Pneumatic Systems
Authors: Dudić Slobodan , Reljić Vule , Šešlija Dragan , Dakić Nikolina , Blagojević Vladislav
Published: March 2021

During pneumatic control system design, the critical value for choosing the appropriate pneumatic actuator is the weight of the workpiece. In the case of flexible production systems, which are the core part of the Industry 4.0 (I4.0) concept, the weight of the workpieces is often variable, since the crucial feature of this kind of production is its ability to deal with variable parts. Therefore, in order to deal with the variable weight of parts, a pneumatic actuator is chosen according to the heaviest part. However, according to another I4.0 principle, energy efficient operation of machines, the previous criteria for choosing a pneumatic actuator is energy efficient only when handling the heaviest part. In all other cases, operation of the pneumatic actuator is suboptimal in terms of energy efficiency. Aiming to solve this problem, this paper considers the possibility of using a new pressure regulator instead of traditional manually adjusted pressure regulators. This regulator provides operating pressure modification in real-time in accordance with the weight of the workpieces. In this way, the optimal compressed air consumption is ensured for each workpiece. Implementation of this device has yielded significant energy savings; however, the value is variable and depends on working task characteristics.