bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Two Insertion/Deletion Variants within SPAG17 Gene Are Associated with Goat Body Measurement Traits
Authors: Zhang Sihuan , Jiang Enhui , Wang Ke , Zhang Yu , Yan Hailong , Qu Lei , Chen Hong , Lan Xianyong , Pan Chuanying
Published: June 2019

Sperm-associated antigen 17 (SPAG17) gene encodes a multifunctional cytoplasmic protein, which influences not only reproduction but also skeletal development related body measurement traits, especially body height. Thus, this study aimed to identify crucial insertion-deletion (indel) variations, which influence the body measurement traits of goats in large goat populations (n = 1725). As a result, two intronic indels (14 bp and 17 bp indel) were identified by sequencing. For the two indel loci, the distributions of genotypes and alleles were significantly different between the Shaanbei white cashmere goat (SBWC) and the Hainan black goat (HNBG). In SBWC goats, the different genotypes of the 14 bp indel were markedly associated with goat body height, chest width, body length and chest depth. The genotypes of the 17 bp indel were significantly related to body height and chest width. At the two loci, for all seven analyzed traits of SBWC goat, the growth data of DD homozygotes were the worst, which means that the 14 bp insertion and the 17 bp deletion were beneficial and detrimental variations, respectively. Moreover, the combined genotypes were significantly related to body height and chest width of SBWC goats and ten traits of HNBG. These results suggested that the 14 and 17 bp indels within SPAG17 can be used in goat growth related traits marker-assisted selection breeding, especially body height.
An Open-Circuit Indirect Calorimetry Head Hood System for Measuring Methane Emission and Energy Metabolism in Small Ruminants
Authors: Fernández Carlos , Gomis-Tena Julio , Hernández Alberto , Saiz Javier
Published: June 2019

Methane (CH4) is a natural by-product of microbial fermentation in the rumen and is a powerful greenhouse gas. An open-circuit indirect calorimetry system for continuous determination of CH4 and CO2 production and O2 consumption and, thereafter, heat production (HP) calculation for small ruminants was described and validated. The system consisted of a computerized control, data acquisition and recording system for gases and air flux. The average value ± standard deviation for the calibration factors in the system were 1.005 ± 0.0007 (n = 6), 1.013 ± 0.0012 (n = 6) and 0.988 ± 0.0035 (n = 6) for O2, CO2 and CH4, respectively. Calibration factors close to 1 confirmed the absence of leaks in the indirect calorimetry system. In addition, an experimental test with 8 goats at mid lactation was conducted to validate the system. The repeatability for CH4 and heat production measured with the open-circuit indirect calorimetry system was 79% and 61%, respectively. Daily average HP measured by indirect calorimetry (Respiration Quotient method) was close to the average HP determined from Carbon-Nitrogen balance (CN method), accounting for 685 and 667 kJ per kg metabolic body weight, respectively. Therefore, discrepancies averaged 1.92%, a rather satisfactory value considering the substantial amount of technical and analytical work involved. The close agreement found between both methods can be considered as being indicative of the absence of systematic error. Two diets with different forage were tested: 40% was either alfalfa hay (HAY) or alfalfa silage (SIL), and the proportion of concentrate was the same in both groups (60%). The experimental trial shown that HP and CH4 were higher in HAY than SIL diet (differences between treatments of 28 kJ of HP per kg of metabolic body weight and 7.1 L CH4/day were found). The data acquisition and recording device developed improved the accuracy of the indirect calorimetry system by reducing the work involved in managing output data and refining the functionality for measuring gas exchange and energy metabolism in small ruminants.
Using Qualitative Behaviour Assessment to Investigate Human-Animal Relationships in Zoo-Housed Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis)
Authors: Patel Freisha , Wemelsfelder Françoise , Ward Samantha J.
Published: June 2019

Human-Animal Relationships (HAR) in zoos develop from repeated interactions between animals and their caretakers. HAR have been shown to affect health and welfare in farm animals, but limited zoo-based studies exist. This study investigates the association between the qualitative behaviour assessment (QBA) of emotional expression in giraffes and keeper action score in four types of keeper-animal interaction (KAI). Three giraffes generating 38 clips. QBA, using a free-choice profiling methodology, was applied instructing 18 observers to assess giraffe expressions shown in these clips. QBA scores were analysed using Generalized Procrustes Analysis. Keeper actions during each KAI event were rated by an independent marker, resulting in cumulative scores for keeper action quality. The association between QBA and the keeper action was analyzed using Spearman’s rank correlations. Two main QBA dimensions were identified explaining 59% of the variation between clips. There were significant effects of giraffe and KAI type on QBA dimension 2 (inquisitive/impatient—calm/distracted), and significant positive associations between keeper action quality rating and QBA dimensions 1 and 2, indicating that positive keeper actions resulted in calm and confident giraffes with a willingness to interact. This is the first successful application of QBA for empirically addressing HARs in zoos, however given the small sample size of giraffes in this study, it can be regarded as a pilot study only, and further research is needed to validate the use of QBA in this context.
Revealing Development Trends and Key 5G Photonic Technologies Using Patent Analysis
Authors: Chang Shu-Hao
Published: June 2019

In recent years, 5G photonic technology has gradually gained increased attention from scholars. However, studies on 5G photonic technology have mostly focused on technological discussions or market development research, but have failed to identify the relevant key technologies from a comprehensive perspective. In particular, 5G photonic technology is an interdisciplinary technology that could create considerable potential business opportunities in the future, therefore, identifying related key technologies is crucial. Accordingly, the patents of 5G photonic technologies were used as the basis for analysis in this study, and a patent technology network for such technologies was constructed using network analysis. The results showed that the key technologies of 5G photonic technology are mainly related to optics, nanostructures, semiconductors, and material analysis, indicating an interdisciplinary feature instead of focusing only on one specific technological field. Additionally, the relevant technologies that have seen active development in recent years are mainly related to optical elements and semiconductor devices. Finally, a patentee analysis demonstrated that information technology companies were the key players in the development of 5G photonic technologies, and the semiconductor industry will have a crucial role in the development of such technologies. In this study, a patent technology network model was constructed to explore the development trend of 5G photonic technologies, thereby providing a reference for the government to promote these emerging technologies.
A Case of Specificity: How Does the Acoustic Voice Quality Index Perform in Normophonic Subjects?
Authors: Batthyany Christina , Maryn Youri , Trauwaen Ilse , Caelenberghe Els , van Dinther Joost , Zarowski Andrzej , Wuyts Floris
Published: June 2019

The acoustic voice quality index (AVQI) is a multiparametric tool based on six acoustic measurements to quantify overall voice quality in an objective manner, with the smoothed version of the cepstral peak prominence (CPPS) as its main contributor. In the last decade, many studies demonstrated its robust diagnostic accuracy and high sensitivity to voice changes across voice therapy in different languages. The aim of the present study was to provide information regarding AVQI’s and CPPS’s performance in normophonic non-treatment-seeking subjects, since these data are still scarce; concatenated voice samples, consisting of sustained vowel phonation and continuous speech, from 123 subjects (72 females, 51 males; between 20 and 60 years old) without vocally relevant complaints were evaluated by three raters and run in AVQI v.02.06. According to this auditory-perceptual evaluation, two cohorts were set up (normophonia versus slight perceived dysphonia). First, gender effects were investigated. Secondly, between-cohort differences in AVQI and CPPS were investigated. Thirdly, with the number of judges giving G = 1 to partition three sub-levels of slight hoarseness as an independent factor, differences in AVQI and CPPS across these sub-levels were investigated; for AVQI, no significant gender effect was found, whereas, for CPPS, significant trends were observed. For both AVQI and CPPS, no significant differences were found between normophonic and slightly dysphonic subjects. For AVQI, however, this difference did approach significance; these findings emphasize the need for a normative study with a greater sample size and subsequently greater statistical power to detect possible significant effects and differences.
A Probabilistic Hyperspectral Imagery Restoration Method
Authors: Wei Wei , Nie Jiatao , Tian Chunna
Published: June 2019

Hyperspectral image (HSI) restoration is an important task of hyperspectral imagery processing, which aims to improve the performance of the subsequent HSI interpretation and applications. Considering HSI is always influenced by multiple factors—such as Gaussian noise, stripes, dead pixels, etc.—we propose an HSI-oriented probabilistic low-rank restoration method to address this problem. Specifically, we treat the expected clean HSI as a low-rank matrix. We assume the distribution of complex noise obeys a mixture of Gaussian distributions. Then, the HSI restoration problem is casted into solving the clean HSI from its counterpart with complex noise. In addition, considering the rank number need to be assigned manually for existing low-rank based HSI restoration method, we propose to automatically determine the rank number of the low-rank matrix by taking advantage of hyperspectral unmixing. Experimental results demonstrate HSI image can be well restored with the proposed method.
Analysis and Design of Helmholtz Protector to Improve High-Frequency Response of Insert Earphone
Authors: Jiang Yuan-Wu , Xu Dan-Ping , Jiang Zhi-Xiong , Kim Jun-Hyung , Hwang Sang-Moon
Published: June 2019

With the development of multimedia devices, earphones are playing an increasingly important role. This article applies the lumped parameter method using an equivalent circuit to model the electromagnetic, mechanical, and acoustic domains of earphones. Then, parameters are determined according to the dimensions and material properties of earphone parts. On the basis of the analysis tool and determined parameters, a Helmholtz protector is analyzed and designed to improve the high-frequency response. Samples are fabricated, and the experiment verifies the analysis method. The experimental result shows that the peaks at 7 k and 10 k are decreased at 8.05 dB and 7.89 dB. The root means square value of SPL deviation compared with target curve decreased from 9.77 to 4.39. High-frequency response is improved by using the Helmholtz protector.
Analysis of Dynamic Parameters of a Railway Bridge
Authors: Kilikevičius Artūras , Skeivalas Jonas , Kilikevičienė Kristina , Matijošius Jonas
Published: June 2019

This article analyses the dispersion of vibration accelerations of a railway bridge during the passage of a train, and presents an analysis of their parameters after the application of the theory of covariance functions. The measurements of vibration accelerations at the fixed points of the beams of the overlay of the bridge were recorded in the time scale as digital arrays (matrices). The values of inter-covariance functions of the arrays of data of measurements of digital vibration accelerations and the values of auto-covariance functions of the individual arrays, changing the quantization interval in the time scale, were calculated. The compiled software Matlab 7 in the operator package environment was used in calculations. This article aims at determining the interdependencies of results of vibrations of bridge points rather than at the impact which a train makes on a bridge without emphasizing the modal parameters of the bridge. The aforementioned interdependencies make it possible to predict the results of hard-to-reach points.
Experimental Study on Mechanics and Permeability Properties of Water-Bearing Raw Coal Samples Under In-Situ Stress
Authors: Zhang Zuxun , Wang Hongtu , Wang Li , Zhang Dongming
Published: June 2019

In this paper, we investigated the mechanical and permeability characteristics of water-bearing raw coal samples under in-situ stress, and came to some conclusions, as follows: the peak strength and peak axial strain of samples gradually decrease with the increase of water content. Under the same stress condition, the higher the water content is, the lower the axial strain and radial strain will be. The peak strength and peak strain of the sample both decrease with the water content as a quadratic function. During the post-peak loading and unloading process, with the increase of the number of cycles of loading and unloading, the radial strain decrement and increment of the raw coal sample gradually decrease after loading and unloading confining pressure. The permeability of samples gradually decreases with the loading confining pressure, and the permeability of the sample gradually increases with the unloading confining pressure. The permeability of coal samples increases volatility with the increase of axial strain, and the fitted sample permeability and effective stress are subject to the ExpDec1 function distribution.
Hurricane Boundary Layer Height Relative to Storm Motion from GPS Dropsonde Composites
Authors: Ren Yifang , Zhang Jun A. , Guimond Stephen R. , Wang Xiang
Published: June 2019

This study investigates the asymmetric distribution of hurricane boundary layer height scales in a storm-motion-relative framework using global positioning system (GPS) dropsonde observations. Data from a total of 1916 dropsondes collected within four times the radius of maximum wind speed of 37 named hurricanes over the Atlantic basin from 1998 to 2015 are analyzed in the composite framework. Motion-relative quadrant mean composite analyses show that both the kinematic and thermodynamic boundary layer height scales tend to increase with increasing radius in all four motion-relative quadrants. It is also found that the thermodynamic mixed layer depth and height of maximum tangential wind speed are within the inflow layer in all motion-relative quadrants. The inflow layer depth and height of the maximum tangential wind are both found to be deeper in the two front quadrants, and they are largest in the right-front quadrant. The difference in the thermodynamic mixed layer depth between the front and back quadrants is smaller than that in the kinematic boundary layer height. The thermodynamic mixed layer is shallowest in the right-rear quadrant, which may be due to the cold wake phenomena. The boundary layer height derived using the critical Richardson number ( R i c ) method shows a similar front-back asymmetry as the kinematic boundary layer height.
Inclusion Complexes of β and HPβ-Cyclodextrin with α, β Amyrin and In Vitro Anti-Inflammatory Activity
Authors: da Silva Júnior Walter Ferreira , Bezerra de Menezes Danielle Lima , de Oliveira Luana Carvalho , Koester Letícia Scherer , Oliveira de Almeida Patrícia Danielle , Lima Emerson Silva , de Azevedo Eduardo Pereira , da Veiga Júnior Valdir Florêncio , Neves de Lima Ádley Antonini
Published: June 2019

α, β amyrin (ABAM) is a natural mixture of pentacyclic triterpenes that has a wide range of biological activities. ABAM is isolated from the species of the Burseraceae family, in which the species Protium is commonly found in the Amazon region of Brazil. The aim of this work was to develop inclusion complexes (ICs) of ABAM and β-cyclodextrin (βCD) and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) by physical mixing (PM) and kneading (KN) methods. Interactions between ABAM and the CD’s as well as the formation of ICs were confirmed by physicochemical characterization in the solid state by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Physicochemical characterization indicated the formation of ICs with both βCD and HPβCD. Such ICs were able to induce changes in the physicochemical properties of ABAM. In addition, the formation of ICs with cyclodextrins showed to be an effective and promising alternative to enhance the anti-inflammatory activity and safety of ABAM.
LFB: A Novel Antimicrobial Brevinin-Like Peptide from the Skin Secretion of the Fujian Large Headed Frog, Limnonectes fujianensi
Authors: Li Bin , Lyu Peng , Xie Shuping , Qin Haixin , Pu Wenyuan , Xu Houxi , Chen Tianbao , Shaw Chris , Ge Lilin , Kwok Hang Fai
Published: June 2019

Amphibians are a natural source of abundant antimicrobial peptides and thus have been widely investigated for isolation of such biomolecules. Many new antimicrobial peptide families have been discovered from amphibians. In this study, a novel antimicrobial peptide named Limnonectes fujianensis Brevinvin (LFB) has been identified in the skin secretion from the Fujian large headed frog, Limnonectes fujianensis. The cDNA sequence was cloned from a skin secretion library and the predicted mature peptide was identified through MS/MS fragmentation sequencing of reverse phase HPLC fractions on the same sample. LFB was predicted to be an amphipathic, hydrophobic, alpha helical, and beta turn peptide that inserts into a lipid bilayer in order to kill the cells. In antimicrobial assays, a synthetic replicate of this novel antimicrobial peptide demonstrated significant activity against the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli and the yeast, Candida albicans. This novel peptide was highly potent (MIC 4.88 uM) against Gram-negative bacterium, and also has the ability to inhibit the growth of human cancer cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 18.9 μM down to 2.0 μM. These findings help to enrich our understanding of Brevinin-like peptides. Moreover, the data presented here validate frog secretion as a source of potential novel antimicrobial peptides, that also exhibit anti-tumor properties, that could be useful for the treatment of cancer.
Development of a Prognostic Nomogram for Liver Metastasis of Uveal Melanoma Patients Selected by Liver MRI
Authors: Mariani Pascale , Dureau Sylvain , Savignoni Alexia , Rouic Livia Lumbroso-Le , Levy-Gabriel Christine , Piperno-Neumann Sophie , Rodrigues Manuel J. , Desjardins Laurence , Cassoux Nathalie , Servois Vincent
Published: June 2019

Patients with liver metastases of uveal melanoma (LMUM) die from their metastatic evolution within 2 years. We established a nomogram to choose a treatment adapted to life expectancy. From 2002 to 2013, we reviewed 224 patients with LMUM selected by liver MRI. A nomogram was developed based on a Cox model. The predictive performance of the model was assessed according to the C-statistic, Kaplan–Meier curve, and calibration plots. The median follow-up was 49.2 months (range, 0.6–70.9). The survival rates at 6, 12, and 24 months were 0.88 (0.95 CI [0.84–0.93]), 0.68 (0.95 CI [0.62–0.75]), and 0.26 (0.95 CI [0.21–0.33]), respectively. The four factors selected for the nomogram with a worse prognosis were: A disease-free interval between the UM and LMUM groups of less than 6 months (HR = 3.39; 0.95 CI [1.90–6.05]), more than 10 LMUM (HR = 3.95; 0.95 CI [1.97–4.43]), a maximum LMUM of more than 1200 mm2 (HR = 2.47; 0.95 CI [1.53–3.98]), and a lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) value greater than 1.5 (HR = 3.72; 0.95 CI [2.30–6.00]). The model achieved relatively good discrimination and calibration (C-statistic 0.71). This nomogram could be useful for decision-making and risk stratification for therapeutic options.
Evaluating a Single Domain Antibody Targeting Human PD-L1 as a Nuclear Imaging and Therapeutic Agent
Authors: Broos Katrijn , Lecocq Quentin , Xavier Catarina , Bridoux Jessica , Nguyen Tham T. , Corthals Jurgen , Schoonooghe Steve , Lion Eva , Raes Geert , Keyaerts Marleen , Devoogdt Nick , Breckpot Karine
Published: June 2019

The PD-1:PD-L1 immune checkpoint axis is central in the escape of cancer cells from anticancer immune responses. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific for PD-L1 have been approved for treatment of various cancer types. Although PD-L1 blockade has proven its merit, there are still several aspects that require further attention to fully capitalize on its potential. One of these is the development of antigen-binding moieties that enable PD-L1 diagnosis and therapy. We generated human PD-L1 binding single domain antibodies (sdAbs) and selected sdAb K2, a sdAb with a high affinity for PD-L1, as a lead compound. SPECT/CT imaging in mice following intravenous injection of Technetium-99m (99mTc)-labeled sdAb K2 revealed high signal-to-noise ratios, strong ability to specifically detect PD-L1 in melanoma and breast tumors, and relatively low kidney retention, which is a unique property for radiolabeled sdAbs. We further showed using surface plasmon resonance that sdAb K2 binds to the same epitope on PD-L1 as the mAb avelumab, and antagonizes PD-1:PD-L1 interactions. Different human cell-based assays corroborated the PD-1:PD-L1 blocking activity, showing enhanced T-cell receptor signaling and tumor cell killing when PD-1POS T cells interacted with PD-L1POS tumor cells. Taken together, we present sdAb K2, which specifically binds to human PD-L1, as a new diagnostic and therapeutic agent in cancer management.
Fabrication of C/Co-FeS2/CoS2 with Highly Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Gao Yuan , Wang Ka , Song Haizeng , Wu Han , Yan Shancheng , Xu Xin , Shi Yi
Published: June 2019

The mainstream strategy for designing hydrogen electrocatalysts is to adjust their surface electronic structure; however, the conductivity of the electrocatalyst and the synergy with its substrate are still challenges to overcome. In this work, we report a carbon-doped Co-FeS2/CoS2 (C/Co-FeS2/CoS2) electrode, prepared via a hydrothermal process with carbon cloth (CC) as the substrate and carbon doping. The C/Co-FeS2/CoS2 electrode shows excellent catalytic activity in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with an overpotential of 88 mV at a current density of −10 mA∙cm−2 in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution. The Tafel slope is 66 mV∙dec−1. Such superior performance is attributed to the high electrical conductivity of the electrocatalyst and its synergy with the substrate. Our study provides an efficient alternative in the field of electrocatalysis.
Human Papilloma Virus-Associated Cervical Cancer and Health Disparities
Authors: Olusola Patti , Banerjee Hirendra Nath , Philley Julie V. , Dasgupta Santanu
Published: June 2019

Cervical cancer develops through persistent infection with high-risk human papilloma virus (hrHPV) and is a leading cause of death among women worldwide and in the United States. Periodic surveillance through hrHPV and Pap smear-based testing has remarkably reduced cervical cancer incidence worldwide and in the USA. However, considerable discordance in the occurrence and outcome of cervical cancer in various populations exists. Lack of adequate health insurance appears to act as a major socioeconomic burden for obtaining cervical cancer preventive screening in a timely manner, which results in disparate cervical cancer incidence. On the other hand, cervical cancer is aggressive and often detected in advanced stages, including African American and Hispanic/Latina women. In this context, our knowledge of the underlying molecular mechanism and genetic basis behind the disparate cervical cancer outcome is limited. In this review, we shed light on our current understanding and knowledge of racially disparate outcomes in cervical cancer.
The Adenosine A2B Receptor Drives Osteoclast-Mediated Bone Resorption in Hypoxic Microenvironments
Authors: Knowles Helen J.
Published: June 2019

Osteoclast-mediated bone destruction is amplified in the hypoxic synovial microenvironment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This increased bone resorption is driven by the hypoxia-inducible transcription factor HIF. We identified hypoxic induction of the HIF-regulated adenosine A2B receptor in primary human osteoclasts (mRNA, 3.8-fold increase, p < 0.01) and sought to identify the role(s) of purinergic signaling via this receptor in the bone resorption process. Primary human osteoclasts were differentiated from CD14+ monocytes and exposed to hypoxia (2% O2) and A2B receptor inhibitors (MRS1754, PSB603). The hypoxic increase in bone resorption was prevented by the inhibition of the A2B receptor, at least partly by the attenuation of glycolytic and mitochondrial metabolism via inhibition of HIF. A2B receptor inhibition also reduced osteoclastogenesis in hypoxia by inhibiting early cell fusion (day 3–4, p < 0.05). The A2B receptor is only functional in hypoxic or inflammatory environments when the extracellular concentrations of adenosine (1.6-fold increase, p < 0.05) are sufficient to activate the receptor. Inhibition of the A2B receptor under normoxic conditions therefore did not affect any parameter tested. Reciprocal positive regulation of HIF and the A2B receptor in a hypoxic microenvironment thus enhances glycolytic and mitochondrial metabolism in osteoclasts to drive increased bone resorption. A2B receptor inhibition could potentially prevent the pathological osteolysis associated with hypoxic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Glutamate Stimulation Dysregulates AMPA Receptors-Induced Signal Transduction Pathway in Leber’s Inherited Optic Neuropathy Patient-Specific hiPSC-Derived Retinal Ganglion Cells
Authors: Yang Yi-Ping , Nguyen Phan Nguyen Nhi , Lin Tai-Chi , Yarmishyn Aliaksandr A. , Chen Wun-Syuan , Hwang De-Kuang , Chiou Guang-Yuh , Lin Tzu-Wei , Chien Chian-Shiu , Tsai Ching-Yao , Chiou Shih-Hwa , Chen Shih-Jen , Peng Chi-Hsien , Hsu Chih-Chien
Published: June 2019

The mitochondrial genetic disorder, Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), is caused by a mutation in MT-ND4 gene, encoding NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4. It leads to the progressive death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and causes visual impairment or even blindness. However, the precise mechanisms of LHON disease penetrance and progression are not completely elucidated. Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) offer unique opportunities to investigate disease-relevant phenotypes and regulatory mechanisms underlying LHON pathogenesis at the cellular level. In this study, we successfully generated RGCs by differentiation of LHON patient-specific hiPSCs. We modified the protocol of differentiation to obtain a more enriched population of single-cell RGCs for LHON study. Based on assessing morphology, expression of specific markers and electrophysiological activity, we found that LHON-specific hiPSC-derived were more defective in comparison with normal wild-type RGCs. Based on our previous study, whereby by using microarray analysis we identified that the components of glutamatergic synapse signaling pathway were significantly downregulated in LHON-specific RGCs, we focused our study on glutamate-associated α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptors. We found that the protein expression levels of the subunits of the AMPA receptor, GluR1 and GluR2, and their associated scaffold proteins were decreased in LHON-RGCs. By performing the co-immunoprecipitation assay, we found several differences in the efficiencies of interaction between AMPA subunits and scaffold proteins between normal and LHON-specific RGCs.
Efficient Spatial Sampling for AFM-Based Cancer Diagnostics: A Comparison between Neural Networks and Conventional Data Analysis
Authors: Ciasca Gabriele , Mazzini Alberto , Sassun Tanya E. , Nardini Matteo , Minelli Eleonora , Papi Massimiliano , Palmieri Valentina , de Spirito Marco
Published: June 2019

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) in spectroscopy mode receives a lot of attention because of its potential in distinguishing between healthy and cancer tissues. However, the AFM translational process in clinical practice is hindered by the fact that it is a time-consuming technique in terms of measurement and analysis time. In this paper, we attempt to address both issues. We propose the use of neural networks for pattern recognition to automatically classify AFM force–distance (FD) curves, with the aim of avoiding curve-fitting with the Sneddon model or more complicated ones. We investigated the applicability of this method to the classification of brain cancer tissues. The performance of the classifier was evaluated with receiving operating characteristic (ROC) curves for the approach and retract curves separately and in combination with each other. Although more complex and comprehensive models are required to demonstrate the general applicability of the proposed approach, preliminary evidence is given for the accuracy of the results, and arguments are presented to support the possible applicability of neural networks to the classification of brain cancer tissues. Moreover, we propose a possible strategy to shorten measurement times based on the estimation of the minimum number of FD curves needed to classify a tissue with a confidence level of 0.005. Taken together, these results have the potential to stimulate the design of more effective protocols to reduce AFM measurement times and to get rid of curve-fitting, which is a complex and time-consuming issue that requires experienced staff with a strong data-analysis background.
Unique Hair Properties that Emerge from Combinations of Multiple Races
Authors: Takahashi Toshie
Published: June 2019

The fusion of ethnicity in human populations is becoming increasingly common, so the conventional definition of ethnicity is going to become deficient. The aim of this study was to investigate the hair properties which emerge from combinations of multiple races. Hair fibers collected from mixed-race subjects were investigated and classifications of hair shape as well as measurements of thickness, ellipticity and surface damage were carried out. The results show that hair shapes varied widely: straight hair and very curly hair often existed together on the heads of individuals with mixed ethnicity. Curly hair tended to be thicker than loose wavy hair. As for damage to the hair surface, the hairs of mixed-race subjects showed a very unique property in that they were much more severely damaged near the root (the proximal end) than the hairs of monoracial subjects. The hair shape (curly or loose wavy) was not related to the level of damage. The severe damage near the proximal end is thought to be caused by entanglement, due to the presence of various curl phases. This study reports the unique characteristics of hairs of subjects with mixed ethnicity, which have never been noted in the previous studies on subjects with a monoracial background.
I2PA: An Efficient ABC for IoT
Authors: Sene Ibou , Ciss Abdoul Aziz , Niang Oumar
Published: June 2019

The Internet of Things (IoT) is very attractive because of its promises. However, it brings many challenges, mainly issues about privacy preservation and lightweight cryptography. Many schemes have been designed so far but none of them simultaneously takes into account these aspects. In this paper, we propose an efficient attribute-based credential scheme for IoT devices. We use elliptic curve cryptography without pairing, blind signing, and zero-knowledge proof. Our scheme supports block signing, selective disclosure, and randomization. It provides data minimization and transaction unlinkability. Our construction is efficient since smaller key size can be used, and computing time can be reduced. As a result, it is a suitable solution for IoT devices characterized by three major constraints, namely low-energy power, small storage capacity, and low computing power.
Reduced Collatz Dynamics Data Reveals Properties for the Future Proof of Collatz Conjecture
Authors: Ren Wei
Published: June 2019

Collatz conjecture is also known as 3X + 1 conjecture. For verifying the conjecture, we designed an algorithm that can output reduced dynamics (occurred 3 × x + 1 or x/2 computations from a starting integer to the first integer smaller than the starting integer) and original dynamics of integers (from a starting integer to 1). Especially, the starting integer has no upper bound. That is, extremely large integers with length of about 100,000 bits, e.g., 2100000 − 1, can be verified for Collatz conjecture, which is much larger than current upper bound (about 260). We analyze the properties of those data (e.g., reduced dynamics) and discover the following laws; reduced dynamics is periodic and the period is the length of its reduced dynamics; the count of x/2 equals to minimal integer that is not less than the count of (3 × x + 1)/2 times ln(1.5)/ln(2). Besides, we observe that all integers are partitioned regularly in half and half iteratively along with the prolonging of reduced dynamics, thus given a reduced dynamics we can compute a residue class that presents this reduced dynamics by a proposed algorithm. It creates one-to-one mapping between a reduced dynamics and a residue class. These observations from data can reveal the properties of reduced dynamics, which are proved mathematically in our other papers (see references). If it can be proved that every integer has reduced dynamics, then every integer will have original dynamics (i.e., Collatz conjecture will be true). The data set includes reduced dynamics of all odd positive integers in [3, 99999999] whose remainder is 3 when dividing 4, original dynamics of some extremely large integers, and all computer source codes in C that implement our proposed algorithms for generating data (i.e., reduced or original dynamics).
Diagnostics Receives First Impact Factor
Authors: Kjaer Andreas
Published: June 2019

It is with great pleasure we can announce that Diagnostics has received its first official impact factor, which has just been published in the 2018 edition of the Journal Citation Reports® [...]
A Low Cost Approach to Disturbed Soil Detection Using Low Altitude Digital Imagery from an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Authors: Parrott Elizabeth , Panter Heather , Morrissey Joanne , Bezombes Frederic
Published: June 2019

Until recently, clandestine burial investigations relied upon witness statements to determine target search areas of soil and vegetation disturbance. Due to this, remote sensing technologies are increasingly used to detect fresh clandestine graves. However, despite the increased capabilities of remote sensing, clandestine burial searches remain resourcefully intensive as the police have little access to the technology when it is required. In contrast to this, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology is increasingly popular amongst law enforcement worldwide. As such, this paper explores the use of digital imagery collected from a low cost UAV for the aided detection of disturbed soil sites indicative of fresh clandestine graves. This is done by assessing the unaltered UAV video output using image processing tools to detect sites of disturbance, therefore highlighting previously unrecognised capabilities of police UAVs. This preliminary investigation provides a low cost rapid approach to detecting fresh clandestine graves, further supporting the use of UAV technology by UK police.
Visual Analysis of Research Paper Collections Using Normalized Relative Compression
Authors: Vázquez Pere-Pau
Published: June 2019

The analysis of research paper collections is an interesting topic that can give insights on whether a research area is stalled in the same problems, or there is a great amount of novelty every year. Previous research has addressed similar tasks by the analysis of keywords or reference lists, with different degrees of human intervention. In this paper, we demonstrate how, with the use of Normalized Relative Compression, together with a set of automated data-processing tasks, we can successfully visually compare research articles and document collections. We also achieve very similar results with Normalized Conditional Compression that can be applied with a regular compressor. With our approach, we can group papers of different disciplines, analyze how a conference evolves throughout the different editions, or how the profile of a researcher changes through the time. We provide a set of tests that validate our technique, and show that it behaves better for these tasks than other techniques previously proposed.
Climate Change and Economic Resilience through Urban and Cultural Heritage: The Case of Emerging Small Island Developing States Economies
Authors: Allam Zaheer , Jones David
Published: June 2019

While the topic of climate change is of global importance and has global consequences, the context is far more dangerous for emerging economies, including small island developing states (SIDS) and their coastal cities. The literature supports the need for robustness in infrastructural dimensions of such economies. However, the preparatory economic aspects have been overlooked in favour of post-impact disaster management studies by many countries. The latter studies have also focused upon the need for heavy financial investments without investigating solutions for economic strengthening of those economies including climate change mitigation and affordability. As such, emerging SIDS economies have struggled to meet these obligations from their internal finances that draw predominantly from tax revenue sources and foreign aid thereby often leading to increased debts contributing to economic austerity and decreasing liveability levels when repayment commitments fail. Public-private partnerships (PPP), another sought-after loan strategy, which often attracts foreign direct investment (FDI), can work if PPPs are carefully designed within strict public monitoring criteria. However, their applicability needs to be expanded to include the wider social strata of a city to ensure inclusivity and cohesiveness, and formulated to contribute to a wider urban regeneration agenda. This paper proposes a more inclusive framework bridging governance with drivers for sustainable development, using urban heritage and culture as a strategic thread for debt repayment and economic empowerment through PPP. This paper seeks to inform policymakers on sustainable pathways as it relates to SIDS cultural heritage conservation policies and practices towards better economic resilience in the wake of climate change.
A Vessel Schedule Recovery Problem at the Liner Shipping Route with Emission Control Areas
Authors: Abioye Olumide F. , Dulebenets Maxim A. , Pasha Junayed , Kavoosi Masoud
Published: June 2019

Liner shipping is a vital component of the world trade. Liner shipping companies usually operate fixed routes and announce their schedules. However, disruptions in sea and/or at ports affect the planned vessel schedules. Moreover, some liner shipping routes pass through the areas, designated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as emission control areas (ECAs). IMO imposes restrictions on the type of fuel that can be used by vessels within ECAs. The vessel schedule recovery problem becomes more complex when disruptions occur at such liner shipping routes, as liner shipping companies must comply with the IMO regulations. This study presents a novel mixed-integer nonlinear mathematical model for the green vessel schedule recovery problem, which considers two recovery strategies, including vessel sailing speed adjustment and port skipping. The objective aims to minimize the total profit loss, endured by a given liner shipping company due to disruptions in the planned operations. The nonlinear model is linearized and solved using CPLEX. A number of computational experiments are conducted for the liner shipping route, passing through ECAs. Important managerial insights reveal that the proposed methodology can assist liner shipping companies with efficient vessel schedule recovery, minimize the monetary losses due to disruptions in vessel schedules, and improve energy efficiency as well as environmental sustainability.
Correlational Analytical Characterization of Energy Dissipation-Liberation and Acoustic Emission during Coal and Rock Fracture Inducing by Underground Coal Excavation
Authors: Shan Pengfei , Lai Xingping , Liu Xiaoming
Published: June 2019

This paper uses an acoustic emission (AE) test to examine the energy dissipation and liberation of coal and rock fracture due to underground coal excavation. Many dynamic failure events are frequently observed due to underground coal excavation. To establish the quantitative relationship between the dissipated energy and AE energy parameters, the coal and rock fracturing characteristics were clearly observed. A testing method to analyze the stage traits and energy release mechanism from damage to fracture of the unloading coal and rock under uniaxial compressive loading is presented. The research results showed that the relevant mechanical parameter discreteness was too large because the internal structures of the coal and rock were divided into multiple structural units (MSU) by a few main cracks. The AE test was categorized into four stages based on both the axial stress and AE event parameters: initial loading stage, elastic stage, micro-fracturing stage, and post-peak fracturing stage. The coal and rock samples exhibited minimum (maximum) U values of 60.44 J (106.41 J) and 321.19 J (820.87 J), respectively. A theoretical model of the dissipation energy during sample fracturing based on the AE event energy parameters was offered. The U decreased following an increase in ΣEAE-II/ΣEAE.
Upgrading Hydrothermal Carbonization (HTC) Hydrochar from Sewage Sludge
Authors: Song Eunhye , Park Seyong , Kim Ho
Published: June 2019

As a treatment method of sewage sludge, the hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) process was adopted in this work. HTC has a great advantage considering the economic efficiency of its process operation due to its reduced energy consumption and production of solid fuel upgraded through the increased fixed carbon and heating value. The ash of sewage sludge, however, contains up to 52.55% phosphate, which degrades the efficiency of the thermochemical conversion process such as pyrolysis, combustion, and gasification by causing slagging. In this study, three kinds of organic acids, i.e., oxalic, tartaric, and citric acid, were selected to eliminate phosphorus from hydrochars produced through the HTC of sewage sludge. The efficiency of the phosphorus removal and the properties of the corresponding HTC hydrochars were analyzed by adding 20 mmoles of organic acids per 1 g of phosphorus in the HTC sample. In addition, the phosphorus reduction effect and the applicability to an upgrading process were verified. Oxalic acid was selected as the most appropriate organic acid considering the economic efficiency of its process operation. Furthermore, the optimal conditions were selected by analyzing the efficiency of the phosphorus elimination and the characteristic property of the HTC hydrochars with the weight fraction of oxalic acid.
A Hybrid DC Circuit Breaker with Fault-Current-Limiting Capability for VSC-HVDC Transmission System
Authors: Ahmad Muhammad , Wang Zhixin
Published: June 2019

The direct current circuit breakers are considered a promising option to protect the transmission line against commonly appearing line-to-ground fault. However, the challenges of losses in the nonoperational stage, escalation of response against fault current, and large fault current handling capability remain the debatable issues for direct current circuit breakers. This paper introduces a novel topology of the hybrid circuit breaker with fault-current-limiting characteristics, which contains three branches: the main branch, fault-current-limiting branch, and energy absorption branch. The main branch includes a mechanical switch, breaker impedance, and bidirectional power electronics switches. In the fault-current-limiting branch, a fault-current-limiting circuit is introduced which contains n numbers of bidirectional switches and current-limiting inductors, which are connected in series to make the design modular in nature. During the normal working stage, the current flows through the main branch of the breaker. Once a fault in the system is confirmed, the fault current is transferred to the fault-current-limiting branch. At this stage, the intensity of the fault current is reduced significantly using the fault-current-limiting circuit, and finally, the residual current is shifted to the energy absorption branch. The working principle, design considerations, and parametric analysis concerning the design of hybrid circuit breakers are incorporated in this paper. The performance of the proposed breaker is evaluated using a three-terminal voltage-source converter-based high-voltage direct current transmission network; for this purpose, a PSCAD/EMTDC simulation tool is used. The performance of the proposed breaker is also compared with other topologies. The comparative analysis shows that the proposed breaker is a good alternative considering high fault current interruption requirements, response time against fault current, and power losses.
Viscosity–Temperature–Pressure Relationship of Extra-Heavy Oil (Bitumen): Empirical Modelling versus Artificial Neural Network (ANN)
Authors: Alade Olalekan , Al Shehri Dhafer , Mahmoud Mohamed , Sasaki Kyuro
Published: June 2019

The viscosity data of two heavy oil samples X and Y, with asphaltene contents 24.8% w/w and 18.5% w/w, respectively, were correlated with temperature and pressure using empirical models and the artificial neural network (ANN) approach. The viscosities of the samples were measured over a range of temperatures between 70 °C and 150 °C; and from atmospheric pressure to 7 MPa. It was found that the viscosity of sample X, at 85 °C and atmospheric pressure (0.1 MPa), was 1894 cP and that it increased to 2787 cP at 7 MPa. At 150 °C, the viscosity increased from 28 cP (at 0.1 MPa) to 33 cP at 7 MPa. For sample Y, the viscosity at 70 °C and 0.1 MPa increased from 2260 cP to 3022 cP at 7 MPa. At 120 °C, the viscosity increased from 65 cP (0.1 MPa) to 71 cP at 7 MPa. Notably, using the three-parameter empirical models (Mehrotra and Svrcek, 1986 and 1987), the correlation constants obtained in this study are very close to those that were previously obtained for the Canadian heavy oil samples. Moreover, compared to other empirical models, statistical analysis shows that the ANN model has a better predictive accuracy (R2 ≈ 1) for the viscosity data of the heavy oil samples used in this study.
A Review of Potential Cementing Systems for Sealing and Support Matrices in Deep Borehole Disposal of Radioactive Waste
Authors: Collier Nicholas Charles , Milestone Neil Brennan , Travis Karl Patrick
Published: June 2019

Cementitious grouts are being developed for use as sealing and support matrices (SSMs) in deep borehole disposal (DBD) where temperatures do not exceed 190 °C. They will seal radioactive waste containers into the bottom 2 km of holes drilled up to 5 km deep into the crystalline basement. The temperature and pressure is likely to be similar to those in hydrocarbon and geothermal energy wells, where grout placement and durability are affected. This paper reviews the potential cementing systems suitable for this application and explains why a single solution of a formulation of Class G oil well cement, silica flour, water, fluid loss additive, and retarding admixture has been selected. This type of formulation has been used extensively for over 100 years in well cementing. It should provide the short-term performance and durability required for an SSM, maintaining the seal around the waste packages within the disposal zone long after the boreholes are sealed back to the surface, and thus augmenting the safety case for DBD.