bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ribosome and Translational Control in Stem Cells
Authors: Gabut Mathieu , Bourdelais Fleur , Durand Sébastien
Published: February 2020

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and adult stem cells (ASCs) possess the remarkable capacity to self-renew while remaining poised to differentiate into multiple progenies in the context of a rapidly developing embryo or in steady-state tissues, respectively. This ability is controlled by complex genetic programs, which are dynamically orchestrated at different steps of gene expression, including chromatin remodeling, mRNA transcription, processing, and stability. In addition to maintaining stem cell homeostasis, these molecular processes need to be rapidly rewired to coordinate complex physiological modifications required to redirect cell fate in response to environmental clues, such as differentiation signals or tissue injuries. Although chromatin remodeling and mRNA expression have been extensively studied in stem cells, accumulating evidence suggests that stem cell transcriptomes and proteomes are poorly correlated and that stem cell properties require finely tuned protein synthesis. In addition, many studies have shown that the biogenesis of the translation machinery, the ribosome, is decisive for sustaining ESC and ASC properties. Therefore, these observations emphasize the importance of translational control in stem cell homeostasis and fate decisions. In this review, we will provide the most recent literature describing how ribosome biogenesis and translational control regulate stem cell functions and are crucial for accommodating proteome remodeling in response to changes in stem cell fate.
G-Protein-Coupled Receptors in CNS: A Potential Therapeutic Target for Intervention in Neurodegenerative Disorders and Associated Cognitive Deficits
Authors: Azam Shofiul , Haque Md. Ezazul , Jakaria Md. , Jo Song-Hee , Kim In-Su , Choi Dong-Kug
Published: February 2020

Neurodegenerative diseases are a large group of neurological disorders with diverse etiological and pathological phenomena. However, current therapeutics rely mostly on symptomatic relief while failing to target the underlying disease pathobiology. G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are one of the most frequently targeted receptors for developing novel therapeutics for central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Many currently available antipsychotic therapeutics also act as either antagonists or agonists of different GPCRs. Therefore, GPCR-based drug development is spreading widely to regulate neurodegeneration and associated cognitive deficits through the modulation of canonical and noncanonical signals. Here, GPCRs’ role in the pathophysiology of different neurodegenerative disease progressions and cognitive deficits has been highlighted, and an emphasis has been placed on the current pharmacological developments with GPCRs to provide an insight into a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of neurodegeneration.
Stress Reshapes the Physiological Response of Halophile Fungi to Salinity
Authors: Pérez-Llano Yordanis , Rodríguez-Pupo Eya Caridad , Druzhinina Irina S. , Chenthamara Komal , Cai Feng , Gunde-Cimerman Nina , Zalar Polona , Gostinčar Cene , Kostanjšek Rok , Folch-Mallol Jorge Luis , Batista-García Ramón Alberto , Sánchez-Carbente María del Rayo
Published: February 2020

(1) Background: Mechanisms of cellular and molecular adaptation of fungi to salinity have been commonly drawn from halotolerant strains and few studies in basidiomycete fungi. These studies have been conducted in settings where cells are subjected to stress, either hypo- or hyperosmotic, which can be a confounding factor in describing physiological mechanisms related to salinity. (2) Methods: We have studied transcriptomic changes in Aspergillus sydowii, a halophilic species, when growing in three different salinity conditions (No NaCl, 0.5 M, and 2.0 M NaCl). (3) Results: In this fungus, major physiological modifications occur under high salinity (2.0 M NaCl) and not when cultured under optimal conditions (0.5 M NaCl), suggesting that most of the mechanisms described for halophilic growth are a consequence of saline stress response and not an adaptation to saline conditions. Cell wall modifications occur exclusively at extreme salinity, with an increase in cell wall thickness and lamellar structure, which seem to involve a decrease in chitin content and an augmented content of alfa and beta-glucans. Additionally, three hydrophobin genes were differentially expressed under hypo- or hyperosmotic stress but not when the fungus grows optimally. Regarding compatible solutes, glycerol is the main compound accumulated in salt stress conditions, whereas trehalose is accumulated in the absence of salt. (4) Conclusions: Physiological responses to salinity vary greatly between optimal and high salt concentrations and are not a simple graded effect as the salt concentration increases. Our results highlight the influence of stress in reshaping the response of extremophiles to environmental challenges.
Defocused Images Change Multineuronal Firing Patterns in the Mouse Retina
Authors: Banerjee Seema , Wang Qin , So Chung Him , Pan Feng
Published: February 2020

Myopia is a major public health problem, affecting one third of the population over 12 years old in the United States and more than 80% of people in Hong Kong. Myopia is attributable to elongation of the eyeball in response to defocused images that alter eye growth and refraction. It is known that the retina can sense the focus of an image, but the effects of defocused images on signaling of population of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) that account either for emmetropization or refractive errors has still to be elucidated. Thorough knowledge of the underlying mechanisms could provide insight to understanding myopia. In this study, we found that focused and defocused images can change both excitatory and inhibitory conductance of ON alpha, OFF alpha and ON–OFF retinal ganglion cells in the mouse retina. The firing patterns of population of RGCs vary under the different powers of defocused images and can be affected by dopamine receptor agonists/antagonists’ application. OFF-delayed RGCs or displaced amacrine cells (dACs) with time latency of more than 0.3 s had synchrony firing with other RGCs and/or dACs. These spatial synchrony firing patterns between OFF-delayed cell and other RGCs/dACs were significantly changed by defocused image, which may relate to edge detection. The results suggested that defocused images induced changes in the multineuronal firing patterns and whole cell conductance in the mouse retina. The multineuronal firing patterns can be affected by dopamine receptors’ agonists and antagonists. Synchronous firing of OFF-delayed cells is possibly related to edge detection, and understanding of this process may reveal a potential therapeutic target for myopia patients.
Synthesis and Antibacterial Activity of Rhodanine-Based Azo Dyes and Their Use as Spectrophotometric Chemosensor for Fe3+ Ions
Authors: Akram Dana , Elhaty Ismail A. , AlNeyadi Shaikha S.
Published: February 2020

This research includes the design and synthesis of new derivatives for rhodanine azo compounds (4a–c) containing a naphthalene ring. Physiochemical properties of the synthesized compounds were determined by their melting points, FTIR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and elemental analysis spectroscopic techniques. The biological activities of the newly prepared azo rhodanine compounds were evaluated against some pathogenic bacteria using three different bacterial species including (Escherichia coli., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus) and compared with amoxicillin as a reference drug. The results showed that our compounds have moderate-to-good vital activity against the mentioned pathogenic bacteria. The selectivity and sensitivity of the newly prepared rhodanine azo compounds with transition metals Co2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Ni2+, and Fe3+ were studied using UV–vis and fluorescence spectroscopy techniques. Among the synthesized azos, azo 4c showed affinity toward Fe3+ ions with an association constant of 4.63 × 108 M−1. Furthermore, this azo showed high sensitivity toward Fe3+ ions with detection limits of 5.14 µM. The molar ratio and Benesi–Hildebrand methods confirmed the formation of complexes between azo 4c and Fe3+ with 1:2 binding stoichiometry. Therefore, azo 4c showed excellent potential for developing efficient Fe3+ chemosensors.
Meteorological and Ancillary Data Resources for Climate Research in Urban Areas
Authors: Cheval Sorin , Micu Dana , Dumitrescu Alexandru , Irimescu Anișoara , Frighenciu Maria , Iojă Cristian , Tudose Nicu Constantin , Davidescu Șerban , Antonescu Bogdan
Published: February 2020

An increasing plethora of both meteorological and ancillary data are presently available for climate research and applications in urban areas. The data are often held by local or national institutions (i.e., meteorological services, universities or environmental agencies). This paper outlines a total number of 33 datasets, organized into three main categories of meteorological data resources (14 datasets) and four categories of ancillary data resources (19 datasets), selected for their potential to support urban climate studies, but also for their free accessibility. Such a collection cannot be exhaustive, but we aim to draw the attention of the scientific community to relevant datasets, freely available at temporal and spatial resolutions appropriate for urban climatology. Each dataset contains information about its availability, limitations, and examples of research in urban areas.
Effect of the Compactness on the Texture and Friction of Asphalt Concrete Intended for Wearing Course of the Road Pavement
Authors: Wang Tengda , Hu Liqun , Pan Xiaodong , Xu Song , Yun Di
Published: February 2020

Maintaining good friction performance of highway pavement is important for road safety. The friction is affected by many factors, and the present study investigates the effect of the compactness on the texture and friction of asphalt concrete during the polishing process. Two three-dimensional (3D) texture parameters and the mean texture depth (MTD) were used to characterize the surface texture of AC-13 asphalt concrete. The differences of surface texture are then being analyzed among the pavement in the field, rutting slabs with 97% compactness (RS-97), rutting slabs with 100% compactness (RS-100), and rutting slabs with 103% (RS-103). The rutting slabs were polished by a circular vehicle simulator (CVS). The 3D surface topography, British pendulum number (BPN), and MTD were obtained during the polishing process. Test results show that the surface of the rutting slab can be smoother as the compactness increased from 97% to 103%. During the whole polishing process, the rutting slab with smaller compactness had higher value of the MTD. The impact of compactness on the BPN is insignificant during the polishing process, but rutting slabs with smaller compactness had better friction at high speed as the result of the higher MTD.
Range of Applying the Boundary Condition at Fluid/Porous Interface and Evaluation of Beavers and Joseph’s Slip Coefficient Using Finite Element Method
Authors: Soliman Azza Hassan , Fahmy Mohamed Abdelsabour
Published: February 2020

In this work, Finite Element Method (FEM) is applied to obtain the condition at the boundary of the interface between a channel and a porous medium. The boundary conditions that should be applied to the inhomogeneous interface zone between the two homogeneous regions of free fluid and porous medium are derived. The comparison has been performed for porous material characterizations to provide the velocity at the inhomogeneous interface zone with variable permeability between the two homogeneous regions of free fluid and porous medium. Also, the dependence of the slip coefficient on the thickness of the transition zone is established and the values of the thickness are so justified that the numerical results and the numerical results of our proposed technique are found to be in good agreement with experimental results in the literature.
Influence of Oxidation on Temperature-Dependent Photoluminescence Properties of Hydrogen-Terminated Silicon Nanocrystals
Authors: Ghosh Batu , Shirahata Naoto
Published: February 2020

In this study, we investigate temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) in three samples of hydrogen-terminated silicon nanocrystals (ncSi-H) with different levels of surface oxidation.ncSi-H was oxidized by exposure to ambient air for 0 h, 24 h, or 48 h. The PL spectra as a function of temperature ranging between room temperature (~297 K) and 4 K are measured to elucidate the underlying physics of the PL spectra influenced by the surface oxidation of ncSi-H. There are striking differences in the evolution of PL spectra according to the surface oxidation level. The PL intensity increases as the temperature decreases. ForncSi-H with a smaller amount of oxide, the PL intensity is nearly saturated at 90 K. In contrast, the PL intensity decreases even below 90 K for the heavilyoxidized ncSi-H. For all the samples, full-width at half maxima (FWHM)decreases as the temperature decreases. The plots of the PL peak energy as a function of temperature can be reproduced with an equation where the average phonon energy and other parameters are calculated.
Introducing Electrode Contact by Controlled Micro-Alloying in Few-Layered GaTe Field Effect Transistors
Authors: Xia Xiuxin , Sun Xingdan , Wang Hanwen , Li Xiaoxi
Published: February 2020

Recently, gallium telluride (GaTe) has triggered much attention for its unique properties and offers excellent opportunities for nanoelectronics. Yet it is a challenge to bridge the semiconducting few-layered GaTe crystals with metallic electrodes for device applications. Here, we report a method on fabricating electrode contacts to few-layered GaTe field effect transistors (FETs) by controlled micro-alloying. The devices show linear I-V curves and on/off ratio of ∼10 4 on HfO 2 substrates. Kelvin probe force microscope (KPFM) and energy dispersion spectrum (EDS) are performed to characterize the electrode contacts, suggesting that the lowered Schottky barrier by the diffusion of Pd element into the GaTe conduction channel may play an important role. Our findings provide a strategy for the engineering of electrode contact for future device applications based on 2DLMs.
Testing the Effectiveness of DNA Barcoding for Biodiversity Assessment of Moths from Nigeria
Authors: Nneji Lotanna Micah , Adeola Adeniyi Charles , Wang Yun-Yu , Ajao Adeyemi Mufutau , Anyaele Okorie , Malann Yoila , Olatunde Omotoso , Nneji Ifeanyi Christopher , Ayoola Adeola Oluwakemi , Rahman Md Mizanur , Adeniyi Akinkunle Victor , Okeyoyin Agboola , Olory Caroline Samuel
Published: February 2020

Comprehensive biodiversity assessment of moths in Nigeria rely greatly on accurate species identification. While most of the Nigerian moths are identified effortlessly using their morphological traits, some taxa are morphologically indistinguishable, which makes it difficult for taxon diagnosis. We investigated the efficiency of the DNA barcode, a fragment of the mitochondrial Cytochrome C oxidase subunit I, as a tool for the identification of Nigerian moths. We barcoded 152 individuals comprising 18 morphospecies collected from one of the remaining and threatened rainforest blocks of Nigeria – the Cross River National Park. Phenetic neighbor-joining tree and phylogenetic Maximum Likelihood approach were employed for the molecular-based species identification. Results showed that DNA barcodes enabled species-level identification of most of the individuals collected from the Park. Additionally, DNA barcoding unraveled the presence of at least six potential new and yet undescribed species—Amnemopsyche sp., Arctia sp., Deinypena sp., Hodebertia sp., Otroeda sp., and Palpita sp. The phylogenetic Maximum Likelihood using the combined dataset of all the newly assembled sequences from Nigeria showed that all species formed unique clades. The phylogenetic analyses provided evidence of population divergence in Euchromia lethe, Nyctemera leuconoe, and Deinypena lacista. This study thus illustrates the efficacy of DNA barcoding for species identification and discovery of potential new species, which demonstrates its relevance in biodiversity documentation of Nigerian moths. Future work should, therefore, extend to the creation of an exhaustive DNA barcode reference library comprising all species of moths from Nigeria to have a comprehensive insight on the diversity of moths in the country. Finally, we propose integrated taxonomic methods that would combine morphological, ecological, and molecular data in the identification and diversity studies of moths in Nigeria.
Tear Break-Up Time and Seasonal Variation in Intraocular Pressure in a Japanese Population
Authors: Ayaki Masahiko , Negishi Kazuno , Yuki Kenya , Kawashima Motoko , Uchino Miki , Tsubota Kazuo
Published: February 2020

Purpose: To evaluate seasonal variation in intraocular pressure (IOP) with and without short tear break-up time (SBUT, BUT ≤5 s) since dry eye and IOP are known to have seasonal variation. Methods: This study enrolled 176 patients who visited one of six eye clinics, in Japan, four times for IOP measurement, in every season. The mean patient age was 67.9 years, including 79 males. Participants were divided into four groups based on the presence of glaucoma and/or SBUT and we compared the seasonal variation in IOP (winter and summer) among the four groups. Results: The IOP (mmHg) in winter and summer, respectively, was 12.8 ± 3.7 and 12.8 ± 3.1 for non-glaucoma patients without SBUT (n = 47, p = 0.964), 14.8 ± 3.4 and 13.3 ± 3.4 for non-glaucoma patients with SBUT (n = 57, p < 0.001), 14.3 ± 3.2 and 14.1 ± 3.4 for glaucoma patients without SBUT (n = 36, p = 0.489), and 13.3 ± 3.0 and 11.6 ± 2.9 for glaucoma with SBUT (n = 36, p < 0.001). Seasonal variation was largest across the seasons in the glaucoma with the SBUT group, and the magnitude of seasonal variation correlated with BUT (β = 0.228, p = 0.003). Conclusions: Seasonal variation tended to be larger in patients with SBUT than those without SBUT.
Characteristics of Nonthermal Dupree Diffusion on Space-Charge Wave in a Kappa Distribution Plasma Column with Turbulent Diffusion
Authors: Lee Myoung-Jae , Jung Young-Dae
Published: February 2020

The nonthermal diffusion effects on the dispersion equations of ion-acoustic space-charge wave (SCW) in a nonthermal plasma column composed of nonthermal turbulent electrons and cold ions are investigated based on the analysis of normal modes and the separation of variables. It is found that the real portion of the wave frequency of the SCW in a Maxwellian plasma is greater than that in a nonthermal plasma. It is also found that the magnitude of the damping rate of the SCW decreases with an increase of the spectral index of the nonthermal plasma. It is also shown that the magnitude of the scaled damping rate increases with an increase of the Dupree diffusion coefficient. Moreover, the influence of the nonthermal character of the nonthermal plasma on the damping rate is found to be more significant in turbulent plasmas with higher diffusion coefficient. The variations of the wave frequency and the growth rate due to the characteristics of nonthermal diffusion are also discussed.
Gaussian Process Based Expected Information Gain Computation for Bayesian Optimal Design
Authors: Xu Zhihang , Liao Qifeng
Published: February 2020

Optimal experimental design (OED) is of great significance in efficient Bayesian inversion. A popular choice of OED methods is based on maximizing the expected information gain (EIG), where expensive likelihood functions are typically involved. To reduce the computational cost, in this work, a novel double-loop Bayesian Monte Carlo (DLBMC) method is developed to efficiently compute the EIG, and a Bayesian optimization (BO) strategy is proposed to obtain its maximizer only using a small number of samples. For Bayesian Monte Carlo posed on uniform and normal distributions, our analysis provides explicit expressions for the mean estimates and the bounds of their variances. The accuracy and the efficiency of our DLBMC and BO based optimal design are validated and demonstrated with numerical experiments.
Entropy as a Robustness Marker in Genetic Regulatory Networks
Authors: Rachdi Mustapha , Waku Jules , Hazgui Hana , Demongeot Jacques
Published: February 2020

Genetic regulatory networks have evolved by complexifying their control systems with numerous effectors (inhibitors and activators). That is, for example, the case for the double inhibition by microRNAs and circular RNAs, which introduce a ubiquitous double brake control reducing in general the number of attractors of the complex genetic networks (e.g., by destroying positive regulation circuits), in which complexity indices are the number of nodes, their connectivity, the number of strong connected components and the size of their interaction graph. The stability and robustness of the networks correspond to their ability to respectively recover from dynamical and structural disturbances the same asymptotic trajectories, and hence the same number and nature of their attractors. The complexity of the dynamics is quantified here using the notion of attractor entropy: it describes the way the invariant measure of the dynamics is spread over the state space. The stability (robustness) is characterized by the rate at which the system returns to its equilibrium trajectories (invariant measure) after a dynamical (structural) perturbation. The mathematical relationships between the indices of complexity, stability and robustness are presented in case of Markov chains related to threshold Boolean random regulatory networks updated with a Hopfield-like rule. The entropy of the invariant measure of a network as well as the Kolmogorov-Sinaï entropy of the Markov transition matrix ruling its random dynamics can be considered complexity, stability and robustness indices; and it is possible to exploit the links between these notions to characterize the resilience of a biological system with respect to endogenous or exogenous perturbations. The example of the genetic network controlling the kinin-kallikrein system involved in a pathology called angioedema shows the practical interest of the present approach of the complexity and robustness in two cases, its physiological normal and pathological, abnormal, dynamical behaviors.
Cross-Validation Model Averaging for Generalized Functional Linear Model
Authors: Zhang Haili , Zou Guohua
Published: February 2020

Functional data is a common and important type in econometrics and has been easier and easier to collect in the big data era. To improve estimation accuracy and reduce forecast risks with functional data, in this paper, we propose a novel cross-validation model averaging method for generalized functional linear model where the scalar response variable is related to a random function predictor by a link function. We establish asymptotic theoretical result on the optimality of the weights selected by our method when the true model is not in the candidate model set. Our simulations show that the proposed method often performs better than the commonly used model selection and averaging methods. We also apply the proposed method to Beijing second-hand house price data.
An Experiential Online Training Approach for Underrepresented Engineering and Technology Students
Authors: Mohammadi Arefeh , Grosskopf Kevin , Killingsworth John
Published: February 2020

Workforce pipelines are essential to sustain a productive workforce in an increasingly competitive, high-tech environment. Advanced automation, sensors, materials and data analytics will increase the need for highly skilled workers in the manufacturing (and manufactured construction) sector. Attracting and developing the next-generation workforce is not without its challenges; however, students are often deficient in technical skills and generally have negative perceptions about manufacturing and construction. As a result, new education and training models have been developed to provide instruction at all levels of the educational system, with a focus on both traditional students and non-traditional students, including ethnic minorities, women, veterans, disabled persons and older adult learners. This study focused specifically on certain underrepresented students in STEM programs offered at community colleges in the Great Plains region of the U.S. An available online training program by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers was used as a contextualized online training tool. The Learning Management System embedded in this online training tool was used to gather student data. Conducting multiple regression analyses on the test outcomes, completion rates, and improvement between post-test and pre-test scores showed that female participants achieved greater improvement between pre- and post-test scores than males, and achieved higher rates of credentialing compared to all other demographic groups. African American participants achieved greatest improvement between pre- and post-test scores than all other ethnic groups while Hispanics achieved higher rates of module completion. Additionally, this study also examines the background related to contextualized teaching and learning, as well as the effectiveness of this delivery method for these underrepresented populations.
Analysis of Three-Phase Inverter Parallel Operation with Network-Based Control Having Strong Robustness and Wide Time-Scale Compatibility in Droop-Controlled AC Microgrid
Authors: Zhang Yao , Zhang Fan , Quan Yu , Zhang Pengfei
Published: February 2020

The system performances can be potentially enhanced for three-phase inverter parallel operation in droop-controlled AC microgrid by using network-based control, which also benefits for the extension of other control strategies in microgrids (MGs). It is highlighted that some negative factors such as network-induced time-delays and data dropouts would possibly degrade the system operation. In this paper, the comprehensive analysis of network-based control strategy with strong robustness and wide time-scale compatibility is investigated in islanded mode of an AC microgrid with paralleled inverters. The theoretical evaluation towards time-delay and data dropouts is made and it is verified that its good power-sharing can be obtained under unsatisfactory communication conditions. It has been observed that the time-scale of network-based control can also be designed from several microseconds to milliseconds. Based on this idea, the communication integration of different layers of MGs in hierarchical structure would be realistic. Experimental results have verified the effectiveness of the network-based control strategy and analytical method.
Unilateral Route Method to Estimate Practical Mutual Inductance for Multi-Coil WPT System
Authors: Jeon Seon-Jae , Lee Sang-Hoon , Seo Dong-Wook
Published: February 2020

Multi-coil WPT systems require mutual inductance information between coils to increase the power transmission efficiency. However, in the high frequency (HF) bands such as 6.78 MHz and 13.56 MHz, the presence of surrounding coils changes the value of the mutual inductance between the two coils due to the parasitic element effect of the coils. These parasitic effects make it harder to estimate the mutual inductance among three or more coils. In contrast to ideal mutual inductance, which has a constant value regardless of frequency and surrounding coils, we define the practical mutual inductance as the mutual inductance varied by parasitic elements. In this paper, a new method is presented to estimate the practical mutual inductance between multiple coils in the HF band. The proposed method simply configures the expression of practical mutual inductance formula because only one of two bilateral dependent voltage sources generated by mutual inductance is considered. For several coils placed along the same axis, the practical mutual inductances between coils were measured with respect to the distance between them to validate the proposed method. The practical mutual inductance obtained from the proposed method was consistent with the simulated and measured values in HF band.
A Novel Changing Athlete Body Real-Time Visual Tracking Algorithm Based on Distractor-Aware SiamRPN and HOG-SVM
Authors: Sheng Mingwei , Wang Weizhe , Qin Hongde , Wan Lei , Li Jun , Wan Weilin
Published: February 2020

Athlete detection in sports videos is a challenging task due to the dynamic and cluttered background. Distractor-aware SiamRPN (DaSiamRPN) has a simple network structure and can be utilized to perform long-term tracking of large data sets. However, similarly to the Siamese network, the tracking results heavily rely on the given position in the initial frame. Hence, there is a lack of solutions for some complex tracking scenarios, such as running and changing of bodies of athletes, especially in the stage from squatting to standing to running. The Haar feature-based cascade classifier is involved to catch the key frame, representing the video frame of the most dramatic changes of the athletes. DaSiamRPN is implemented as the tracking method. In each frame after the key frame, a detection window is given based on the bounding box generated by the DaSiamRPN tracker. In the new detection window, a fusion method (HOG-SVM) combining features of Histograms of Oriented Gradients (HOG) and a linear Support-Vector Machine (SVM) is proposed for detecting the athlete, and the tracking results are updated in real-time by fusing the tracking results of DaSiamRPN and HOG-SVM. Our proposed method has reached a stable and accurate tracking effect in testing on men’s 100 m video sequences and has realized real-time operation.
Synthesis of Furfuryl Alcohol from Furfural: A Comparison between Batch and Continuous Flow Reactors
Authors: Audemar Maïté , Wang Yantao , Zhao Deyang , Royer Sébastien , Jérôme François , Len Christophe , De Oliveira Vigier Karine
Published: February 2020

Furfural is a platform molecule obtained from hemicellulose. Among the products that can be produced from furfural, furfuryl alcohol is one of the most extensively studied. It is synthesized at an industrial scale in the presence of CuCr catalyst, but this process suffers from an environmental negative impact. Here, we demonstrate that a non-noble metal catalyst (Co/SiO2) was active (100% conversion of furfural) and selective (100% selectivity to furfuryl alcohol) in the hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol at 150 °C under 20 bar of hydrogen. This catalyst was recyclable up to 3 cycles, and then the activity decreased. Thus, a comparison between batch and continuous flow reactors shows that changing the reactor type helps to increase the stability of the catalyst and the space-time yield. This study shows that using a continuous flow reactor can be a solution to the catalyst suffering from a lack of stability in the batch process.
Wavelet Energy Fuzzy Neural Network-Based Fault Protection System for Microgrid
Authors: Chen Cheng-I , Lan Chien-Kai , Chen Yeong-Chin , Chen Chung-Hsien , Chang Yung-Ruei
Published: February 2020

To perform the fault protection for the microgrid in grid-connected mode, the wavelet energy fuzzy neural network-based technique (WEFNNBT) is proposed in this paper. Through the accurate activation of protective relay, the microgrid can be effectively isolated from the utility power system to prevent serious voltage fluctuation when the power quality of power system is disturbed. The proposed WEFNNBT can be divided into three stages—feature extraction (FE), feature condensation (FC), and disturbance identification (DI). In the FE stage, the feature of power signal at the point of common coupling (PCC) between microgrid and utility power system would be extracted with discrete wavelet transform (DWT). Then, the wavelet energy and variation of singular power signal can be obtained according to Parseval Theorem. To determine the dominant wavelet energy and enhance the robustness to the noise, the feature information is integrated in the FC stage. The feature information then would be processed in the DI stage to perform the fault identification and activate the protective relay if necessary. From the experimental results, it is realized that the proposed WEFNNBT can effectively perform the fault protection of microgrid.
Design and Implementation of a Wireless Charging-Based Cardiac Monitoring System Focused on Temperature Reduction and Robust Power Transfer Efficiency
Authors: Kim Dongwook , Jeong Dawon , Kim Jongwook , Kim Haerim , Kim Junho , Park Sung-Min , Ahn Seungyoung
Published: February 2020

Wireless power transfer systems are increasingly used as a means of charging implantable medical devices. However, the heat or thermal radiation from the wireless power transfer system can be harmful to biological tissue. In this research, we designed and implemented a wireless power transfer system-based implantable medical device with low thermal radiation, achieving 44.5% coil-to-coil efficiency. To suppress thermal radiation from the transmitting coil during charging, we minimized the ESR value of the transmitting coil. To increase power transfer efficiency, a ferrite film was applied on the receiving part. Based on analyses, we fabricated a cardiac monitoring system with dimensions of 17 × 24 × 8 mm3 and implanted it in a rat. We confirmed that the temperature of the wireless charging device increased by only 2 °C during the 70 min charging, which makes it safe enough to use as an implantable medical device charging system.
Small-Signal Stability Analysis of Photovoltaic-Hydro Integrated Systems on Ultra-Low Frequency Oscillation
Authors: Wang Sijia , Wu Xiangyu , Chen Gang , Xu Yin
Published: February 2020

In recent years, ultralow-frequency oscillation has repeatedly occurred in asynchronously connected regional power systems and brought serious threats to the operation of power grids. This phenomenon is mainly caused by hydropower units because of the water hammer effect of turbines and the inappropriate Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) parameters of governors. In practice, hydropower and solar power are often combined to form an integrated photovoltaic (PV)-hydro system to realize complementary renewable power generation. This paper studies ultralow-frequency oscillations in integrated PV-hydro systems and analyzes the impacts of PV generation on ultralow-frequency oscillation modes. Firstly, the negative damping problem of hydro turbines and governors in the ultralow-frequency band was analyzed through the damping torque analysis. Subsequently, in order to analyze the impact of PV generation, a small-signal dynamic model of the integrated PV-hydro system was established, considering a detailed dynamic model of PV generation. Based on the small-signal dynamic model, a two-zone and four-machine system and an actual integrated PV-hydro system were selected to analyze the influence of PV generation on ultralow-frequency oscillation modes under different scenarios of PV output powers and locations. The analysis results showed that PV dynamics do not participate in ultralow-frequency oscillation modes and the changes of PV generation to power flows do not cause obvious changes in ultralow-frequency oscillation mode. Ultra-low frequency oscillations are mainly affected by sources participating in the frequency adjustment of systems.
Improvement in Voltage Gain of Interleaved High Step-Down Converter
Authors: Hwu Kuo-Ing , Shieh Jenn-Jong , Tu Hsiang-Hao
Published: February 2020

An interleaved high step-down converter is presented herein, which utilized a diode-capacitor module so as to make the step-down voltage gain under the same duty cycle as well as the voltage stresses on switches and diodes relatively low as compared with the existing circuits. Also, under the same voltage gain, the proposed circuit had a relatively large duty cycle, making the elapsed time per cycle for the connection between the input and the output enlarged, and hence the controller was not interrupted by noises. This converter can be used in low-output-power high-output-current applications. In this study, the basic operating principles of the proposed converter were firstly described and analyzed, and finally, its effectiveness was demonstrated by experiment.
Design of a Low-Order Harmonic Disturbance Observer with Application to a DC Motor Position Control
Authors: Kim In Hyuk , Son Young Ik
Published: February 2020

Among various tools implemented to counteract undesired effects of time-varying uncertainties, disturbance observer (DOB)-based controller has gained wide popularity as a result of its flexibility and efficacy. In this paper, a low-order DOB that is capable of compensating for the effects of a biased harmonic disturbance, as well as plant uncertainties is presented. The proposed low-order DOB can asymptotically estimate a harmonic disturbance of known frequency but unknown amplitude and phase, by using measurable output variables. An analysis carried out by using the singular perturbation theory shows that the nominal performance of the system can be recovered from a real uncertain system when the observer gain is sufficiently large. The observer gains that result in the performance recovery of the real uncertain system are obtained from the stability condition of the boundary-layer system. To test the performance of the proposed observer, computer simulations with a numerical example and laboratory experiments using a DC motor system have been carried out. The experimental results show that the proposed low-order DOB-based control scheme can provide enhanced performance.
Port Noise and Complaints in the North Tyrrhenian Sea and Framework for Remediation
Authors: Bolognese Matteo , Fidecaro Francesco , Palazzuoli Diego , Licitra Gaetano
Published: February 2020

Compared to the other relevant noise sources such as railways, roads, and airplanes, the regulation regarding port noise is lagging behind. The absence of specific laws is likely one of the main causes of the increasingly high number of complaints reported by the citizens living nearby the ports. At the same time, scientific literature concerning the impact of port noise and its mitigation is not so widespread and only a few studies are available at the moment. However, the volume of maritime traffic has increased in the last years and consequently, Port Authorities are required to assess the impact of port operations on the city soundscape without using specific directives or guidelines. In this context, the INTERREG Maritime programme projects RUMBLE, MON ACUMEN, and REPORT aim to fill this gap, by investigating the state-of-the-art of port noise in the north Tyrrhenian sea and developing helpful instruments. Data were collected via a survey sent to the Port Authorities, local environmental protection agencies and universities involved in the projects. The survey was focused on monitoring systems, previous measurement campaigns, noise maps, and citizens’ complaints already taken. The results confirmed both a lack of awareness among residents and authorities and the absence of actions aimed at reducing port noise. In this framework, the difficulties encountered by the Port Authorities in managing the ports sustainably are highlighted. An underestimation of citizens’ exposure to noise in port areas could be expected.
Drought Treated Seedlings of Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl., Q. robur L. and Their Morphological Intermediates Show Differential Radial Growth and Wood Anatomical Traits
Authors: Vander Mijnsbrugge Kristine , Turcsán Arion , Erdélyi Éva , Beeckman Hans
Published: February 2020

Background and Objectives: Studying responses in woody plants upon water limitation is gaining importance due to the predicted increase in frequency and intensity of droughts in Europe. We studied the variation in radial growth and in wood anatomical traits caused by water limited growth conditions in offspring from Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl., Q. robur L. and their morphological intermediates grown in the same environment. Materials and Methods: Cross sections were prepared from the stems of 210 three-year-old potted seedlings, comprising control plants and seedlings that experienced from late spring until early autumn of the first growing season two sequential periods of water with-holding each followed by plentiful re-watering. Pith radius, ring width of the three growing seasons and latewood vessel diameter in second and third growing season were measured. Presence of intra-annual density fluctuations, dendritic patterns of latewood vessels and the level of ring closure of earlywood vessels were observed. The traits were modelled to examine the explanatory power of the taxon of the mother tree and the drought treatment. Results: Most of the traits displayed significant differences between offspring from Q. petraea and Q. robur and offspring from the morphological intermediates behaved inconsistent among the traits. Most of the traits were significantly affected by the drought stress in the first growing season. Apart from radial growth, also latewood vessel size was reduced in the two growing seasons following the year in which drought was imposed on the seedlings, suggesting an adaptation to improve the tolerance to drought stress. We also found an indication for a compensation growth mechanism, counteracting the lost growing time during the drought stress, as the level of ring closure of the earlywood vessels in the year following the drought treatment was further advanced in the treated seedlings, an effect that disappeared in the subsequent year. Conclusion: Oaks exposed to drought adapt their growth and xylem structure to improve drought resistance. While youth growth of Q. robur is more competition-oriented, with a faster juvenile growth, Q. petraea seems to invest more in a precautious growth, being more prepared for stressful conditions. It is therefore possible that Q. robur seedlings may suffer more from intensified droughts than Q. petraea seedlings.
Predicting Emission Source Terms in a Reduced-Order Fire Spread Model—Part 1: Particulate Emissions
Authors: Josephson Alexander J. , Holland Troy M. , Brambilla Sara , Brown Michael J. , Linn Rodman R.
Published: February 2020

A simple, easy-to-evaluate, surrogate model was developed for predicting the particle emission source term in wildfire simulations. In creating this model, we conceptualized wildfire as a series of flamelets, and using this concept of flamelets, we developed a one-dimensional model to represent the structure of these flamelets which then could be used to simulate the evolution of a single flamelet. A previously developed soot model was executed within this flamelet simulation which could produce a particle size distribution. Executing this flamelet simulation 1200 times with varying conditions created a data set of emitted particle size distributions to which simple rational equations could be tuned to predict a particle emission factor, mean particle size, and standard deviation of particle sizes. These surrogate models (the rational equation) were implemented into a reduced-order fire spread model, QUIC-Fire. Using QUIC-Fire, an ensemble of simulations were executed for grassland fires, southeast U.S. conifer forests, and western mountain conifer forests. Resulting emission factors from this ensemble were compared against field data for these fire classes with promising results. Also shown is a predicted averaged resulting particle size distribution with the bulk of particles produced to be on the order of 1 μm in size.
Effect of Light–Dark Cycle on Skin Mucosal Immune Activities of Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata) and European Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)
Authors: Ceballos-Francisco Diana , Cuesta Alberto , Esteban María Ángeles
Published: February 2020

Changes in different immune activities in the skin mucus of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.) and European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) specimens exposed to a constant light–dark photoperiod (12 h L:12 h D) were studied. Samples were collected at 08:00 (light on), 14:00, 20:00 (light off), 02:00, and again at 08:00 to determine immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels, several enzymes related to the immune system, and bactericidal activity. IgM levels were higher during the day in seabream and reached a minimum value at 20:00, but it was hardly affected in sea bass. No significant variations were recorded in the levels of protease and antiprotease. Peroxidase reached its maximum level in seabream at 02:00, the same time that it reached its minimum level in sea bass. Lysozyme showed little variation in seabream, but it was significantly lower at 14:00 than during the rest of the cycle in sea bass. Finally, different interspecific variations on bactericidal activity against Vibrio harveyi were recorded. The findings demonstrate that the immune parameters present in skin mucus of these important fish species are affected by the light–dark cycle and that there are substantial interspecies differences.
Suite-CFD: An Array of Fluid Solvers Written in MATLAB and Python
Authors: Battista Nicholas A.
Published: February 2020

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models are being rapidly integrated into applications across all sciences and engineering. CFD harnesses the power of computers to solve the equations of fluid dynamics, which otherwise cannot be solved analytically except for very particular cases. Numerical solutions can be interpreted through traditional quantitative techniques as well as visually through qualitative snapshots of the flow data. As pictures are worth a thousand words, in many cases such visualizations are invaluable for understanding the fluid system. Unfortunately, vast mathematical knowledge is required to develop one’s own CFD software and commercial software options are expensive and thereby may be inaccessible to many potential practitioners. To that extent, CFD materials specifically designed for undergraduate education are limited. Here we provide an open-source repository, which contains numerous popular fluid solvers in 2 D (projection, spectral, and Lattice Boltzmann), with full implementations in both MATLAB and Python3. All output data is saved in the . v t k format, which can be visualized (and analyzed) with open-source visualization tools, such as VisIt or ParaView. Beyond the code, we also provide teaching resources, such as tutorials, flow snapshots, measurements, videos, and slides to streamline use of the software.
Effect of High Pressure, Calcium Chloride and ZnO-Ag Nanoparticles on Beef Color and Shear Stress
Authors: Panea Begoña , Albertí Pere , Ripoll Guillermo
Published: February 2020

This study investigates how the use of a combination of high-pressure treatment, steak marination and active packaging influences beef color and shear stress. A 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 factorial design was applied, including pressure, marination, packaging and storage time. Many significant interactions among factors were found, but the effects of pressure and marination were so high that the effect of packaging was almost undetectable. Independent of storage type, pressurized treatments presented higher values for both L* and hab than unpressurized treatments, and independent of pressure application, the increase in L* and hab with storage time was higher for marinated treatments than for unmarinated treatments. In unpressurized samples, marination provoked an increase in L*, a* and hab and a decrease in C a b ∗ , whereas in pressurized samples, marination had no effect on color. Pressurized samples always showed higher values for shear stress (on average 71% higher) than unpressurized samples.