bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
World’s largest chiton (Cryptochiton stelleri) is an inefficient thermoregulator
Authors: McIntire LC , Bourdeau PE
Published: September 2020

Rocky intertidal zones are some of the most thermally stressful environments on earth, where ectotherms deal with tidally driven fluctuations in air and water temperatures that can exceed their maximum thermal tolerance. However, not all intertidal ectotherms face the same exposure risk. In northern regions of the eastern Pacific, summertime low tides occur during midday, exposing ectotherms to potentially stressful temperatures, whereas cooler pre-dawn low tides in southern regions buffer ectotherms from thermal stress. Gumboot chitonsCryptochiton stelleriare thermally sensitive intertidal grazers that range from southern California to Alaska, exposing them to a mosaic of thermal stresses. We quantified chiton thermal performance limits in the laboratory by testing the effects of elevated air and water temperatures on grazing. We also compared the thermoregulation efficiency of chitons from thermally benign northern California sites with those from thermally stressful San Juan Island, Washington sites, using 3 components: (1) biomimetic thermal models deployed intertidally, (2) chiton body temperatures in the field, and (3) chiton thermal preference in a laboratory-based thermal gradient. We found that chiton grazing performance was greatly reduced at 18°C in water, and they reached their grazing performance limit after exposure to 20°C in air, confirming previous work documenting thermal limits on chiton respiration. Chitons preferred body temperatures within 3°C of their thermal performance limits, but they rarely achieved body temperatures that would maximize grazing in the field. This suggests that chitons are not thermoregulating efficiently with respect to maximizing grazing performance, but instead are minimizing exposure to temperatures that would be detrimental to their performance.
Falling Apart or Flocking Together? Financial Crises, Inequality and Left-Right Polarization in the OECD
Authors: Schneider Gerald , Shevchuk Oleksandr
Published: September 2020

According to the conventional wisdom, political polarization has been growing in the past few decades, and increasing inequality and financial crises have fuelled this trend. Making use of new measures and differentiating between parliamentary and electoral polarization across the left-right cleavage, this article offers a comparative evaluation of this claim for the OECD countries. The results show that the electorates in the European Union have become more conflictive, while the political parties represented in the national parliaments have moved in opposite direction. The statistical analysis demonstrates in line with the theoretical expectations that currency crises have increased mass polarization. The article also offers some tentative support for the hypothesis that increased levels of income inequality enhance this trend and that growing elite discord increases the left-right confrontation in the electorate.
The Effect of Coffee Compsumption on Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) Enzyme Expression in Wistar Rats Induced by Hyper LDL
Authors: Prasetya Rendra Chriestedy , Fatimatuzzahro Nadie
Published: September 2020

One of the causes of stroke is atherosclerosis. The incidence of occurrence ischemic stroke caused by atherosclerosis is 95%. Atherosclerosis is caused by oxidative stress in the endothelium due to the formation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). Hyperlipidemia (hyper LDL) is one of the risk factors of elevated ROS. One of the enzymes that play a role in preventing the formation of ROS is superoxide dismutase (SOD). Coffee has a powerful antioxidant in which one of its active ingredients is chlorogenic acid that capable to inhibiting ROS formation. Fifteen wistar male divided into 3 groups. Group I (Control) were given standard fed, Group II (Hyperlipidemia) were given standart fed and hyperlipid diet, Group III (Coffee) were given standart fed and hyperlipid diet + coffee consumption. Treatment were done everyday for 30 days. Blood serum in each group was taken on day 30 and examined by ELISA superoxide dismutase (SOD). The results showed that superoxide dismutase levels in coffee group was significantly higher than hyperlipidemia group (p = 0,006). This study proves that coffee consumption can increase the production of superoxide dismutase enzyme.

Keywords: atherosclerosis; coffee; hyperlipid; SOD
The Impact of the Health Belief Model Booklet Intervention on Behavior about Preventing High Risk of Pregnancy
Authors: Puspitadewi Teresia Retna , Nugraheni Wahyuningsih Triana
Published: September 2020

Every pregnant woman has the risk of experiencing childbirth complications with various impacts including death, morbidity, disability. The objective of this study is to determine the impact of the health belief model booklet-based intervention on the prevention of high-risk pregnancy behavior in Merak Urak District, Tuban Regency. This type of research was a quasi experimental study using a post test with control group design, to determine the effect of an intervention using the Health Belief Model based booklet on prevention of high risk pregnancy behavior. The subjects in this study were all 60 pregnant women in the District of Merak Urak, Tuban Regency, selected by cluster sampling. Data were collected using an instrument in the form of a questionnaire, then analyzed by Manova test.

Keywords: health belief model; booklet; health education; high-risk pregnancy
Contraception Reduces Breast Milk Protein Level of Breastfeeding Mothers in Jember, East Java, Indonesia
Authors: Nuriana Nuzula Irfa , Soesetijo FX. Ady , Bumi Candra
Published: September 2020

The protein level of breast milk affected the growth and development of infants. Protein has special function which is irreplaceable by other nutrients to form and protect the body cells. Protein also plays a role as antibody, functions as the body defense mechanism against various diseases and infections. Infant death in Indonesia is mostly caused by respiratory tract infections and diarrhea. Breastfeeding can help to prevent the occurrence of morbidity and mortality of infants and toddlers in which the breast milk contains many essential nutrients needed by the body, one of them is protein. The aim of this research was to analyze the effect of contraception on breast milk protein level of breastfeeding mothers in Jember regency. The design of this research was observational analytic with cross sectional approach, using statistic test of logistic regression. The result of the research showed that the effect of contraception on the protein level of breast milk obtained p-value=0.021 with Exp(B)=566.263. Based on the research, it can be concluded that there was an effect of contraception on breast milk protein level.

Keywords: infection; breastmilk protein; contraception
Identificación de dos cepas de Fusarium productoras de pigmentos aisladas de Bemisia sp. (Hemiptera)
Authors: Márquez-Fernández Olivia , Medel-Ortiz Rosario , Palestina E. Naara , Belingheri M. Emilia
Published: September 2020

Antecedentes: El género Fusarium produce metabolitos secundarios como las micotoxinas y pigmentos. Dichos pigmentos presentan actividad biológica antibiótica, antiparasitaria, e insecticida y han sido utilizados en la identificación taxonómica.

Objetivos: Aislar e identificar los hongos obtenidos del Hemíptero Bemisia aff. tabaci, parasitando una especie de cucurbitácea e identificar los pigmentos producidos por estas especies.

Métodos: Se recolectaron insectos muertos de Bemisia aff. tabaci sobre frutos y hojas de una cucurbitácea arvense. El aislamiento fúngico se realizó mediante la colocación directa de los insectos, previamente desinfectados, en cajas Petri con medio PDA. Fueron incubados a 25 °C con un ciclo de 12 horas de luz y 12 horas de oscuridad. La extracción de los pigmentos de las cepas se obtuvo con acetato de etilo. La observación de los pigmentos se realizó mediante cromatografía en capa delgada (CCD), los extractos completos fueron analizados mediante resonancia magnética nuclear de protones (1HNMR).

Resultados y conclusiones: Se aislaron e identificaron Fusarium avenaceum y F. oxysporum. Estas cepas produjeron tres y dos compuestos, respectivamente, que mediante comparación de las señales identificadas en el espectro de 1HNMR, con las reportadas en la literatura, podemos suponer que corresponden a pigmentos de tipo xantona y antraquinona de color rojo-vino.
Luminescence in Manganese (II)-Doped SrZn2S2O Crystals From Multiple Energy Conversion
Authors: Ma Ronghua , Mao Shaohui , Wang Chunfeng , Shao Yonghong , Wang Zhihao , Wang Yu , Qu Sicen , Peng Dengfeng
Published: September 2020

Under the excitation of ultraviolet, X-ray, and mechanical stress, intense orange luminescence (Mn2+, 4T1 → 6A1) can be generated in Mn2+-doped SrZn2S2O crystal in orthorhombic space group of Pmn21. Herein, the multiple energy conversion in SrZn2S2O:Mn2+, that is, photoluminescence (PL), X-ray-induced luminescence, and mechanoluminescence, is investigated. Insight in luminescence mechanisms is gained by evaluating the Mn2+ concentration effects. Under the excitation of metal-to-ligand charge-transfer transition, the most intense PL is obtained. X-ray-induced luminescence shows similar features with PL excited by band edge UV absorption due to the same valence band to conduction band transition nature. Benefiting much from trap levels introduced by Mn2+ impurities, the quenching behavior mechanoluminescence is more like the directly excited PL from Mn2+ d-d transitions. Interestingly, this concentration preference leads to varying degrees of spectral redshift in each mode luminescence. Further, SrZn2S2O:Mn2+ exhibits a good linear response to the excitation power, which makes it potential candidates for applications in X-ray radiation detection and mechanical stress sensing.
RETRACTED: Mechanisms of M2 Macrophage-Derived Exosomal Long Non-coding RNA PVT1 in Regulating Th17 Cell Response in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitisa
Authors: Wu Lei , Xia Jinjin , Li Donghui , Kang Ying , Fang Wei , Huang Peng
Published: September 2020

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is pivotal for multiple sclerosis (MS), but the potential mechanism of lncRNA PVT1 in MS animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) still remains unclear. In this study, macrophages were firstly isolated and induced to polarize into M2 macrophages. M2 macrophage-derived exosomes (M2-exos) were extracted and identified, and EAE mouse model was established and treated with M2-exos. The effect of M2-exos on EAE mice was evaluated by clinical scores. The proportion of Treg and Th17 cells in spinal cord cells and splenocytes, and levels of inflammatory factors were measured. The targeting relationships among PVT1, miR-21-5p, and SOCS5 were verified. The expression of JAKs/STAT3 pathway-related proteins was measured. After M2-exo treatment, the clinical score of EAE mice decreased, and demyelination and inflammatory infiltration improved; Th17 cells decreased, Treg cells increased, and the levels of inflammatory factors decreased significantly. SOCS5 and PVT1 were downregulated and miR-21-5p was upregulated in EAE mice. PVT1 could sponge miR-21-5p to regulate SOCS5. SOCS5 alleviated EAE symptoms by repressing the JAKs/STAT3 pathway. Together, M2-exos-carried lncRNA PVT1 sponged miR-21-5p to upregulate SOCS5 and inactivate the JAKs/STAT3 pathway, thus reducing inflammation and protecting EAE mice. This study may offer novel treatments for MS.
Aplicación de Estrategias Investigativas y Desarrollo de Habilidades para elaborar Proyectos en Estudiantes Universitarios
Authors: Pumacayo Palomino Ilich Iván , Calla Vásquez Kriss Melody , Yangali Vicente Judith Soledad , Arispe Alburqueque Claudia Milagros
Published: September 2020

Esta investigación formuló el objetivo de determinar la influencia de la aplicación de estrategias investigativas en las habilidades para elaborar proyectos de investigación. La metodología corresponde a los estudios de enfoque cuantitativo con un diseño cuasiexperimental. Se contó con una población de 145 estudiantes y con una muestra no probabilística distribuida en un grupo experimental (Administración de Empresas y Negocios Internacionales) 97, y grupo de control de 48 (Contabilidad). Para medir las variables se utilizó la técnica la encuesta y como instrumento el cuestionario, que fue validado mediante juicio de expertos y la confiabilidad Kuder – Richardson (0, 810 excelente confiabilidad). En los estadísticos descriptivos se halló que, en el pretest de las habilidades para elaborar proyectos de investigación, en el grupo experimental el 82, 5% (80) tienen habilidades deficientes y en el grupo de control el 91, 7% (44) tienen habilidades deficientes. En el postest de las habilidades para elaborar proyectos de investigación, se observa que en el grupo experimental el 52,6% (51) tienen buenas habilidades y que el grupo de control el 68,8 % (33) tienen habilidades deficientes. Como principal conclusión se indica que las aplicaciones de estrategias investigativas influyen significativamente en las habilidades para elaborar proyectos de investigación en estudiantes de la Facultad de Ciencias Empresariales de la Universidad César Vallejo, Ate, 2017. (En el Postest: p <0,05, Z = - 9,431 > - 1,96 y rango promedio = 94,29 > 29,97).
Leadership Self-Efficacy and Organizational Commitment of Faculty Members: Higher Education
Authors: Almutairi Yousef Mubrik N.
Published: September 2020

Education is one of the means of achieving sustainable development. Universities are responsible for training and generating skilled personnel needed in attaining holistic development; to accomplish the goals for which universities were established, effective leadership is required. The beliefs upheld by leaders about their ability to accomplish targets and deliver as expected is an indispensable constituent of university administration. Therefore, this research study examined connections between leaders’ self-efficacy and faculty members’ organizational commitment in Saudi Arabian universities. Therefore, 400 faculty members were randomly selected from three different public universities in the central, south-western and northern part of the country. Using the Pearson product correlation coefficient, it was found that positive connection occurs amongst leaders’ self-efficacy and affective commitment. Additionally, there is a positive association among leaders’ self-efficacy and continuance commitment. Leadership self-efficacy has a positive connection with normative commitment. In order to improve organizational commitment of faculty members, leaders must step up their self-efficacy and provide an enabling environment for team work and innovation.
Deep Neural Network Feature Selection Approaches for Data-Driven Prognostic Model of Aircraft Engines
Authors: Khumprom Phattara , Grewell David , Yodo Nita
Published: September 2020

Predicting Remaining Useful Life (RUL) of systems has played an important role in various fields of reliability engineering analysis, including in aircraft engines. RUL prediction is critically an important part of Prognostics and Health Management (PHM), which is the reliability science that is aimed at increasing the reliability of the system and, in turn, reducing the maintenance cost. The majority of the PHM models proposed during the past few years have shown a significant increase in the amount of data-driven deployments. While more complex data-driven models are often associated with higher accuracy, there is a corresponding need to reduce model complexity. One possible way to reduce the complexity of the model is to use the features (attributes or variables) selection and dimensionality reduction methods prior to the model training process. In this work, the effectiveness of multiple filter and wrapper feature selection methods (correlation analysis, relief forward/backward selection, and others), along with Principal Component Analysis (PCA) as a dimensionality reduction method, was investigated. A basis algorithm of deep learning, Feedforward Artificial Neural Network (FFNN), was used as a benchmark modeling algorithm. All those approaches can also be applied to the prognostics of an aircraft gas turbine engines. In this paper, the aircraft gas turbine engines data from NASA Ames prognostics data repository was used to test the effectiveness of the filter and wrapper feature selection methods not only for the vanilla FFNN model but also for Deep Neural Network (DNN) model. The findings show that applying feature selection methods helps to improve overall model accuracy and significantly reduced the complexity of the models.
Ecosystem Services of Kettle Holes in Agricultural Landscapes
Authors: Vasić Filip , Paul Carsten , Strauss Veronika , Helming Katharina
Published: September 2020

Kettle holes are small water bodies of glacial origin which mostly occur in agricultural landscapes. They provide numerous ecosystem services (ES), but their supply may be negatively affected by agricultural management. We conducted a literature review to identify which ES are supplied by kettle holes and to analyze feedbacks with agricultural management. Taking Germany as a test case, we also analyzed how kettle holes are addressed in policy documents and for which ES they are regulated. This was done to identify the societal value officially associated with kettle holes. The literature review found eight ES attributed to kettle holes, of which hydrological cycle and flood control, chemical condition of freshwaters, nursery populations and habitats and biotic remediation of wastes were addressed most often. In contrast, only the provision of habitat service was addressed in German policy documents related to kettle holes. We identified types of agricultural management that negatively affected the supply of ES by kettle holes, in particular artificial drainage, high levels of pesticide and fertilizer application, and management where tillage and erosion result in elevated sediment inputs. Additionally, climate change may lead to an increased drying up of kettle holes. Based on our finding, we conclude that the intensity of agricultural management around kettle holes threatens the supply of all ES while only the service of providing habitats for biodiversity is addressed in German policy regulations. Further regulation is required to induce agricultural management change towards a conservation of all ES supplied by kettle holes.
Simple Tuning Rules for Feedforward Compensators Applied to Greenhouse Daytime Temperature Control Using Natural Ventilation
Authors: Montoya-Ríos Ana Paola , García-Mañas Francisco , Guzmán José Luis , Rodríguez Francisco
Published: September 2020

In this work, simple tuning rules for feedforward compensators were applied to design a control strategy to regulate the inside air temperature of a greenhouse during daytime by means of a natural ventilation system. The developed control strategy is based on a PI (Proportional-Integral) controller combined with feedforward compensators to improve the performance against measurable external disturbances such as outside air temperature, solar radiation, and wind velocity. Since the greenhouse process dynamics is very complex and physical non-linear models are mathematically complicated, a system identification methodology was proposed to obtain simpler models (high-order polynomial and low-order transfer functions). Thus, an easier procedure was completed to tune the PI controller parameters and to obtain the feedforward compensators expressions by following a series of modern and simple tuning rules. Simulations with real data were executed to compare the control performance of a PI controller with or without the addition of feedforward compensators. Moreover, real tests for the developed control strategy were carried out in an experimental greenhouse. Results demonstrate an enhanced control performance with the presence of the feedforward compensators under different weather conditions.
A Joint Decision-Making Approach for Tomato Picking and Distribution Considering Postharvest Maturity
Authors: Zhang Zhaotong , Bian Bei , Jiang Yiping
Published: September 2020

Fruit maturity is an essential factor for fresh retailers to make economical distribution scheduling and scientific market strategies. In the context of farm-to-door mode, the fresh retailers could incorporate the postharvest maturity time, picking time and distribution time to deliver high-quality fruits to consumers. This study selects climacteric tomato fruits and formulates a postharvest maturity model by capturing the firmness and soluble solid content (SSC) data during maturing. A joint picking and distribution model is proposed to ensure tomatoes could arrive at consumers within expected maturity time windows. To improve the feasibility of proposed model, an improved genetic algorithm (IGA) is designed to obtain solutions. The results demonstrate that the joint model could optimize the distribution routing to improve consumer satisfaction and reduce the order fulfillment costs. The proposed method provides precise guidance for tomato online retailers by taking advantage of postharvest maturity data, which is conducive to sustainable development of fresh e-ecommerce.
Myeloperoxidase and Lysozymes as a Pivotal Hallmark of Immunity Status in Rabbits
Authors: Hrynkiewicz Rafał , Bębnowska Dominika , Niedźwiedzka-Rystwej Paulina
Published: September 2020

Infectious diseases, due to their massive scale, are the greatest pain for all rabbit breeders. Viral infections cause enormous economic losses in farms. Treating sick rabbits is very difficult and expensive, so it is very important to prevent disease by vaccinating. In order to successfully fight viral infections, it is important to know about the immune response of an infected animal. The aim of this study was to analyze the immune response mediated by antimicrobial peptides (myeloperoxidase (MPO) and lysozyme (LZM)) in peripheral blood neutrophils and rabbit serum by non-invasive immunological methods. The study was carried out on mixed breed rabbits that were experimentally infected with two strains (Erfurt and Rossi) of the Lagovirus europaeus/GI.1a virus. It has been observed that virus infection causes changes in the form of statistically significant increases in the activity of MPO and LZM concentration, while in the case of LZM activity only statistically significant decreases were noted. Additionally, clinical symptoms typical for the course of the disease were noted, and the probability of survival of the animals at 60 h p.i. (post infection) was 30% for the Erfurt strain, and −60% for the Rossi strain. The obtained results of MPO and LZMs suggest that these enzymes, especially MPO, may serve as a prognostic marker of the state of the immune system of rabbits.
Sonochemical Synthesis of 2’-Hydroxy-Chalcone Derivatives with Potential Anti-Oomycete Activity
Authors: López Génesis , Mellado Marco , Werner Enrique , Said Bastián , Godoy Patricio , Caro Nelson , Besoain Ximena , Montenegro Iván , Madrid Alejandro
Published: September 2020

This work reports on the synthesis of eight new 2′-hydroxy-chalcones with potential anti-phytopathogenic applications in agroindustry, AMONG others, via Claisen–Schmidt condensation and ultrasound assisted reaction. Assays showed three chalcones with allyl moieties strongly inhibited growth of phytopathogenic oomycete Phytophthora infestans; moreover, compound 8a had a half maximal effective concentration (EC50) value (32.5 µg/mL) similar to that of metalaxyl (28.6 µg/mL). A software-aided quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) analysis of the whole series suggests that the structural features of these new chalcones—namely, the fluoride, hydroxyl, and amine groups over the carbon 3′ of the chalcone skeleton—increase anti-oomycete activity.
Recycling Old Antibiotics with Ionic Liquids
Authors: Prudêncio Cristina , Vieira Mónica , Van der Auweraer Seppe , Ferraz Ricardo
Published: September 2020

Antibiotics are considered one of the great “miracles” of the 20th century. Now in the 21st century in the post-antibiotic era, the miracle is turning into a nightmare, due to the growing problem of the resistance of microorganisms to classic antimicrobials and the non-investment by the pharmaceutical industry in new antimicrobial agents. Unfortunately, the current COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the global risks associated with uncontrolled infections and the various forms of impact that such a pandemic may have on the economy and on social habits besides the associated morbidity and mortality. Therefore, there is an urgent need to recycle classic antibiotics, as is the case in the use of ionic liquids (ILs) based on antibiotics. Thus, the aim of the present review is to summarize the data on ILs, mainly those with antimicrobial action and especially against resistant strains. The main conclusions of this article are that ILs are flexible due to their ability to modulate cations and anions as a salt, making it possible to combine the properties of both and multiplying the activity of separate cations and anions. Also, these compounds have low cost methods of production, which makes it highly attractive to explore them, especially as antimicrobial agents and against resistant strains. ILs may further be combined with other therapeutic strategies, such as phage or lysine therapy, enhancing the therapeutic arsenal needed to fight this worldwide problem of antibacterial resistance. Thus, the use of ILs as antibiotics by themselves or together with phage therapy and lysine therapy are promising alternatives against pathogenic microorganisms, and may have the possibility to be used in new ways in order to restrain uncontrolled infections.
Targeting Heme Oxygenase-1 in the Arterial Response to Injury and Disease
Authors: Durante William
Published: September 2020

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) catalyzes the degradation of heme into carbon monoxide (CO), iron, and biliverdin, which is rapidly metabolized to bilirubin. The activation of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) plays a critical role in mediating the aberrant arterial response to injury and a number of vascular diseases. Pharmacological induction or gene transfer of HO-1 improves arterial remodeling in animal models of post-angioplasty restenosis, vascular access failure, atherosclerosis, transplant arteriosclerosis, vein grafting, and pulmonary arterial hypertension, whereas genetic loss of HO-1 exacerbates the remodeling response. The vasoprotection evoked by HO-1 is largely ascribed to the generation of CO and/or the bile pigments, biliverdin and bilirubin, which exert potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, these molecules inhibit vascular SMC proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and phenotypic switching. Several therapeutic strategies are currently being pursued that may allow for the targeting of HO-1 in arterial remodeling in various pathologies, including the use of gene delivery approaches, the development of novel inducers of the enzyme, and the administration of unique formulations of CO and bilirubin.
Deep Learning-Based Bird’s Nest Detection on Transmission Lines Using UAV Imagery
Authors: Li Jin , Yan Daifu , Luan Kuan , Li Zeyu , Liang Hong
Published: September 2020

In order to ensure the safety of transmission lines, the use of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images for automatic object detection has important application prospects, such as the detection of birds’ nests. The traditional bird’s nest detection methods mainly include the study of morphological characteristics of the bird’s nest. These methods have poor applicability and low accuracy. In this work, we propose a deep learning-based birds’ nests automatic detection framework—region of interest (ROI) mining faster region-based convolutional neural networks (RCNN). First, the prior dimensions of anchors are obtained by using k-means clustering to improve the accuracy of coordinate boxes generation. Second, in order to balance the number of foreground and background samples in the training process, the focal loss function is introduced in the region proposal network (RPN) classification stage. Finally, the ROI mining module is added to solve the class imbalance problem in the classification stage, combined with the characteristics of difficult-to-classify bird’s nest samples in the UAV images. After parameter optimization and experimental verification, the deep learning-based bird’s nest automatic detection framework proposed in this work achieves high detection accuracy. In addition, the mean average precision (mAP) and formula 1 (F1) score of the proposed method are higher than the original faster RCNN and cascade RCNN. Our comparative analysis verifies the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Robust Localization of the Mobile Robot Driven by Lidar Measurement and Matching for Ongoing Scene
Authors: Xu Zhen , Guo Shuai , Song Tao , Zeng Lingdong
Published: September 2020

Aiming at the localization problem of mobile robot in construction scenes, a hybrid localization algorithm with the adaptive weights is proposed, which can effectively improve the robust localization of mobile robot. Firstly, two indicators of localization accuracy and calculation efficiency are set to reflect the robustness of localization. Secondly, the construction scene is defined as an ongoing scene, and the robust localization of mobile robot is achieved by using the measurement of artificial landmarks and matching based on generated features. Finally, the experimental results show that the accuracy of localization is up to 8.22 mm and the most matching efficiency is controlled within 0.027 s. The hybrid localization algorithm that based on adaptive weights can realize a good robustness for tasks such as autonomous navigation and path planning in construction scenes.
A Conceptual Investigation at the Interface between Wireless Power Devices and CMOS Neuron IC for Retinal Image Acquisition
Authors: Al-Shidaifat AlaaDdin , Kumar Sandeep , Chakrabartty Shubhro , Song Hanjung
Published: September 2020

In this paper, a conceptual investigation of the interface between wireless power devices and a retina complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) neuron integrated circuit (IC) have been presented. The proposed investigation consists of three designs: design-I, design-II, and design-III. Design-I involves a slotted loop monopole antenna as per American National Standards Institute (ANSI) guidelines, which achieve an ultra-wide band ranging from 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz. The biocompatible antenna is made on silicon-nitride substrate using on-wafer packaging technology and it is used as a receiver device. The performance of antenna provides a wideband, sufficient power to receive, and low losses due to the avoidance of printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication. A CMOS based multi-stack power harvesting circuit achieves the output power ranging from 4 mW to 2.7 W and corresponds from the selected Radio Frequency (RF) bands of loop antenna is exhibited in design-II. The power efficiency of 40% to 82%, with respect to output powers of 4 mW to 2.7 W, is achieved. Design-III includes a CMOS based retina neuron circuit that employs a dynamic feedback technique and support to achieve the number of read-out spikes. At the end of the interface between wireless power devices and a CMOS retina neuron IC, 50 mV read-out spikes are achieved, with varying light intensity, from 0 mW/cm2 to 2 mW/cm2. The proposed design-II and design-III are implemented and fabricated using commercial CMOS 0.065 µm, Samsung process. The antenna and RF power harvesting IC could be placed on a contact lens platform while retina neuron IC can be implanted after ganglions cells inside the eye. The antenna and harvesting IC are physically connected to the retina circuit in the form of light. This conceptual investigation could support medical professionals in achieving an interfacing approach to restore the image visualization.
Heuristic Global Optimization of an Adaptive Fuzzy Controller for the Inverted Pendulum System: Experimental Comparison
Authors: Llama Miguel , Flores Alejandro , Garcia-Hernandez Ramon , Santibañez Victor
Published: September 2020

In this paper an adaptive fuzzy controller is proposed to solve the trajectory tracking problem of the inverted pendulum on a cart system. The designed algorithm is featured by not using any knowledge of the dynamic model and incorporating a full-state feedback. The stability of the closed-loop system is proven via the Lyapunov theory, and boundedness of the solutions is guaranteed. The proposed controller is heuristically tuned and its performance is tested via simulation and real-time experimentation. For this reason, a tuning method is investigated via evolutionary algorithms: particle swarm optimization, firefly algorithm and differential evolution in order to optimize the performance and verify which technique produces better results. First, a model-based simulation is carried out to improve the parameter tuning of the fuzzy systems, and then the results are transferred to real-time experiments. The optimization procedure is presented as well as the experimental results, which are also discussed.
Suitability of Active Noise Barriers for Construction Sites
Authors: Sohrabi Shahin , Pàmies Gómez Teresa , Romeu Garbí Jordi
Published: September 2020

Barriers are increasingly used to protect the pedestrian and neighboring buildings from construction noise activities. This study aims to investigate the suitability of applying active noise control on barriers in a construction site to protect the street area and neighboring buildings. Transducers that are simulated in this work are close to the barrier, and their optimal positions are defined in such a way that the control system has the maximum performance at the neighboring areas close to the construction sites. To begin with, the suitable location of the control sources is found when the total squared pressure is minimized at the positions of noise receivers. The suitable location of the error sensors is, then, found when the control sources are fixed at the position of the previous step and the total squared pressure is minimized at the error sensors. The best location for the error sensors is defined when the maximum reduction is achieved in the target area. It is observed that suitable positions for the transducers depend on the location of target areas for noise control, the position of the noise source, and its operating frequency. In this investigation, a unique configuration is proposed for the transducers that achieves a comparable reduction both at the street area and the neighboring buildings, simultaneously. The results show that the active noise barrier with a height of 2.5 m can achieve an extra insertion loss in the street zone, varies from 9.3 to 16.4 dB (in comparison with passive noise barrier) when the distance of the noise source from the barrier changes in the range of 7 to 1 m, respectively. Those values are of the same order for the passive noise attenuation. Furthermore, similar results are achieved when attempting to cancel the shadow zone of a façade 15 m away from the barrier.
From Patricide to Patrilineality: Adapting The Wandering Earth for the Big Screen
Authors: Zhu Ping
Published: September 2020

This paper discusses how Liu Cixin’s 2000 novella “The Wandering Earth” was adapted into a family melodrama that ultimately reinforces the authority of the Father and the nation-state. It analyzes the complex mechanisms, such as mise en abyme and scapegoating, that serve to condone the patriarch’s power, as well as the intertextuality tying the film to the socialist culture. This paper analyses the social context that foregrounds the conversion from symbolic patricide (breaking the established system) to symbolic patrilineality (integration into the social order) in the film and also discusses the inherent tension between the radical apocalyptic vision offered in the original science fiction story and the cultural industry serving the interests of the established order.
The Observation and Characterisation of Fluorescent Bioaerosols Using Real-Time UV-LIF Spectrometry in Hong Kong from June to November 2018
Authors: Morrison Douglas , Li Jinjian , Crawford Ian , Che Wenwei , Flynn Michael , Chan Man Nin , Lau Alexis K. H. , Fung Jimmy C. H. , Topping David , Yu Jianzhen , Gallagher Martin
Published: September 2020

Hong Kong is an area of complex topography, with mixtures of urban and greenbelt spaces. Local bioaerosol concentrations are multifaceted, depending on seasonal variations of meteorological conditions and emission sources. This study is the first known attempt at both quantitatively measuring and identifying airborne bioaerosol contributions, by utilising multiple single particle ultraviolet light-induced fluorescence spectrometers. Based in the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology’s super-site, a WIBS-NEO and PLAIR Rapid-E were operated from June to November, 2018. The purpose of this long-term campaign was to observe the shift in wind patterns and meteorological conditions as the seasons changed, and to investigate how, or if, this impacted on the dispersion and concentrations of bioaerosols in the area. Bioaerosol concentrations based on the particle auto-fluorescence spectra remained low through the summer and autumn months, averaging 4.2 L−1 between June and October. Concentrations were greatest in October, peaking up to 23 L−1. We argued that these concentrations were dominated by dry-weather fungal spores, as evidenced by their spectral profile and relationship with meteorological variables. We discuss potential bioaerosol source regions based on wind-sector cluster analysis and believe that this study paints a picture of bioaerosol emissions in an important region of the world.
The 5d-6p VUV Photoabsorption Spectrum of Bi+
Authors: Lu Hu , Varvarezos Lazaros , Hayden Patrick , Kennedy Eugene T , Mosnier Jean-Paul , Costello John T
Published: September 2020

The photoabsorption spectrum of Bi+ was measured in the wavelength range between 37 and 60 nm, using the dual laser plasma technique in which one plasma is used as the source of vacuum ultraviolet continuum radiation and the other plasma is used as the sample of atoms and/or ions to be probed. A number of features in the Bi+ spectrum was identified with the aid of the Cowan suite of atomic codes. The 5d → 6p transitions from the ground configuration (5d106s26p2) gave rise to the most prominent features in the measured spectrum. Transitions from low-lying excited states associated with the four excited configurations, 5d106s26p6d, 5d106s26p7s, 5d106s26p7p and 5d106s6p3, were found to make small contributions to the observed spectrum in the 47–50 nm spectral region. To the best of our knowledge, for Bi+, this spectral region is rather unexplored and spectroscopic data are absent from the literature.
A Lipidomic Analysis of Leaves of Esca-Affected Grapevine Suggests a Role for Galactolipids in the Defense Response and Appearance of Foliar Symptoms
Authors: Goufo Piebiep , Cortez Isabel
Published: September 2020

Both qualitative and quantitative changes occur in the lipid composition of Vitis vinifera L. tissues, which may compromise the defense response against Esca complex disease, a widespread and damaging trunk disease. In this study, a lipidomic analysis of grapevine leaves is conducted to assess how lipid membrane remodeling relates to the emergence and progression of Esca foliar symptoms. In total, 208 molecular species (including lipids, four hormones, and some other compounds of the metabolism of lipids) were detected. Lipid species were readily assigned to the classes fatty acyls, glycerolipids, glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, sterols, and prenol lipids. Using different clustering analyses, distinct metabolic pathways stimulated at different stages of disease development were characterized. These analyses revealed consistent changes in the abundance of 13 galactolipids and two diacylglycerolipids. Overall, the observations indicated an increment in the levels of these lipid species in leaves of asymptomatic vines and a progressive drop with increasing foliar symptom severity in symptomatic vines. Five fatty acids also appear to exert a central role in the etiopathogenesis of Esca complex disease because of their accumulation in leaves of asymptomatic vines, namely, heptadecanoic, linoleic, γ-linolenic, arachidonic, and stearic acids. Symptomatic leaves were characterized by high levels of all lipid classes, except for galactolipids, lyso-galactolipids, and compounds relevant to the biosynthesis of chlorophylls and carotenoids, that exhibited decreased levels. The data also suggested a jasmonic acid-associated signaling mechanism activation upon the invasion of woods by Esca-associated fungi, compared with abscisic and salicylic acids. Further research is required for validation of these results with additional molecular analyses using more vine cultivars.
BAY 41-2272 Attenuates CTGF Expression via sGC/cGMP-Independent Pathway in TGFβ1-Activated Hepatic Stellate Cells
Authors: Chen Po-Jen , Kuo Liang-Mou , Wu Yi-Hsiu , Chang Yu-Chia , Lai Kuei-Hung , Hwang Tsong-Long
Published: September 2020

Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is a critical pathogenic feature of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. BAY 41-2272 is a canonical non-nitric oxide (NO)-based soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) stimulator that triggers cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signaling for attenuation of fibrotic disorders; however, the impact of BAY 41-2272 on HSC activation remains ill-defined. Transforming growth factor (TGF)β and its downstream connective tissue growth factor (CTGF or cellular communication network factor 2, CCN2) are critical fibrogenic cytokines for accelerating HSC activation. Here, we identified that BAY 41-2272 significantly inhibited the TGFβ1-induced mRNA and protein expression of CTGF in mouse primary HSCs. Indeed, BAY 41-2272 increased the sGC activity and cGMP levels that were potentiated by two NO donors and inhibited by a specific sGC inhibitor, ODQ. Surprisingly, the inhibitory effects of BAY 41-2272 on CTGF expression were independent of the sGC/cGMP pathway in TGFβ1-activated primary HSCs. BAY 41-2272 selectively restricted the TGFβ1-induced phosphorylation of Akt but not canonical Smad2/3 in primary HSCs. Together, we illustrate a unique framework of BAY 41-2272 for inhibiting TGFβ1-induced CTGF upregulation and HSC activation via a noncanonical Akt-dependent but sGC/cGMP-independent pathway.
Short-Term Effects of Meditation on Sustained Attention as Measured by fNIRS
Authors: Izzetoglu Meltem , Shewokis Patricia A. , Tsai Kathryn , Dantoin Phillip , Sparango Kathryn , Min Katherine
Published: September 2020

Cognitive abilities such as attention, memory, processing time, perception, and reasoning can be augmented using some type of intervention. Within the broad range of conventional and unconventional intervention methods used in cognitive enhancement, meditation is one of those that is safe, widely practiced by many since ancient times, and has been shown to reduce stress and improve psychological health and cognitive functioning. Various neuroimaging studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) have shown functional and structural changes due to meditation in different types of meditation practices and on various groups of meditators. Recently, a few studies on meditation have used functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to study the effects of meditation on cerebral hemodynamics. In this study, we examined the short-term effects of loving-kindness (LK) meditation on sustained attention using behavioral performance measures, physiological outcomes, and cognitive activity as measured by fNIRS in first-time meditators during Stroop color word task (SCWT) performance. Our results indicated that behavioral outcomes, assessed mainly on response time (RT) during SCWT performance, showed a significant decrease after meditation. As expected, physiological measures, primarily pulse pressure (PP) measured after meditation dropped significantly as compared to the before meditation measurement. For the hemodynamic measures of oxygenated-hemoglobin (HbO2), deoxygenated-hemoglobin (Hb), and total-hemoglobin (HbT), our findings show significant differences in SCWT performance before and after meditation. Our results suggest that LK meditation can result in improvements in cognitive, physiological, and behavioral outcomes of first-time meditators after a short-term session.
Immunotherapy and NSCLC: The Long and Winding Road
Authors: Rossi Antonio
Published: September 2020

Lung cancer is one of the most incident tumors worldwide, characterized by a very bad prognosis due to its high mortality even in early stages [...]
Evaluation of PD-L1 Expression and HPV Genotyping in Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Wessely Anja , Heppt Markus V. , Kammerbauer Claudia , Steeb Theresa , Kirchner Thomas , Flaig Michael J. , French Lars E. , Berking Carola , Schmoeckel Elisa , Reinholz Markus
Published: September 2020

Anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a rare cancer with increasing incidence. Infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) subtypes is the major cause for its development. We retrospectively analyzed tumor samples from 54 anal SCC patients for infection with a panel of 32 HPV subtypes in a PCR-based approach, determined the PD-L1 expression status, and correlated the findings with the clinical data and the survival of the patients. Forty-two patients (77.8%) were HPV-positive and harbored at least one carcinogenic HPV subtype. HPV16 was the most frequently detected (n = 39, 72.2%). Four patients were infected with multiple HPV subtypes. HPV infection was significantly more often detected in female than in male patients (90.3% vs. 60.9%, p = 0.018). Patients with PD-L1 positive tumors showed a significantly better median overall survival (OS) compared with patients with PD-L1 negative tumors (69.3 vs. 28.3 months, p = 0.006). The median OS was significantly different among the distinct tumor stages (p = 0.029). Sex, grade of differentiation, and HPV infection status did not influence the median OS. Furthermore, HPV infection status and PD-L1 expression were not correlated. A multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that PD-L1 expression status was an independent prognostic marker for survival (p = 0.012).
Monolith Metal-Oxide-Supported Catalysts: Sorbent for Environmental Application
Authors: Silas Kiman , Wan Ab Karim Ghani Wan Azlina , Choong Thomas Shean Yaw , Rashid Umer
Published: September 2020

The emission of untreated environmental harmful gases such as sulfur and nitrogen oxide (SOx and NOx) emissions is considered old fashioned, since industries are compelled by governments and legislations to meet the minimum threshold before emitting such substances into the atmosphere. Numerous research has been done and is ongoing to come up with both cost-effective equipment and regenerable catalysts that are adsorbent—or with enhanced sorption capacity—and with safer disposal methods. This work presents the general idea of a monolith/catalyst for environmental application and the technicality for improving the surface area for fast and efficient adsorption–desorption reactions. The chemical reactions, adsorption kinetics, and other properties, including deactivation, regeneration, and the disposal of a catalyst in view of environmental application, are extensively discussed.