bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Challenges to Understanding the Earth's Ionosphere and Thermosphere
Authors: Heelis R. A. , Maute A.
Published: February 2020

We discuss, in a limited way, some of the challenges to advancing our understanding and description of the coupled plasma and neutral gas that make up the ionosphere and thermosphere (I‐T). The I‐T is strongly influenced by wave motions of the neutral atmosphere from the lower atmosphere and is coupled to the magnetosphere, which supplies energetic particle precipitation and field‐aligned currents at high latitudes. The resulting plasma dynamics are associated with currents generated by solar heating and upward propagating waves, by heating from energetic particles and electromagnetic energy from the magnetosphere and by the closure of the field‐aligned currents applied at high latitudes. These three contributors to the current are functions of position, magnetic activity, and other variables that must be unraveled to understand how the I‐T responds to coupling from the surrounding regions of geospace. We have captured the challenges to this understanding in four major themes associated with coupling to the lower atmosphere, the generation and flow of currents within the I‐T region, the coupling to the magnetosphere, and the response of the I‐T region reflected in the neutral and plasma density changes. Addressing these challenges requires advances in observing the neutral density, composition, and velocity and simultaneous observations of the plasma density and motions as well as the particles and field‐aligned current describing the magnetospheric energy inputs. Additionally, our modeling capability must advance to include better descriptions of the processes affecting the I‐T region and incorporate coupling to below and above at smaller spatial and temporal scales.
A New Method for Analyzing the Attenuation Characteristics of Satellite Radar Altimeter Signals Due to Rainfall Based on a Multilayer Medium Model
Authors: Tian Jiasheng , Shi Jian
Published: February 2020

Rainfall has an attenuation of backscatter coefficient of the sea surface and a change in the sea surface roughness, and these effects give rise to some errors in retrieving the sea surface wind speed, the significant wave height, and wave slope. It is meaningful to make considerable efforts to study the attenuation of radio waves caused by rainfall. In this article, a new model of analyzing the attenuation characteristics of satellite radar altimeter pulse signals because of rainfall is presented. First, the model of the equivalent permittivity of rainfall is calculated and presented. The imaginary part of the equivalent permittivity is studied when radio frequency and rainfall rate vary, respectively. Second, a new theoretical model and method of analyzing the effect of rainfall on satellite radar altimeter pulses is presented based on a multilayer‐medium model with the equivalent permittivity of rainfall. On the other hand, some existing models of computing rainfall attenuation characteristics of radar signals are studied and improved to some extent. Finally, some attenuation characteristics of radar signals due to rainfall are calculated by those models. The calculated results show that the attenuation characteristics of radar altimeter pulse signals are all in good agreement with those by other models. The results computed by the multilayer‐medium model can provide a good theoretical explanation and understanding for these attenuation characteristics of radar pulse signals and can also give some data support and corrections for the measured oceanic parameters by the satellite radar altimeter.
Interhemispheric Asymmetries in the Ground Magnetic Response to Interplanetary Shocks: The Role of Shock Impact Angle
Authors: Xu Z. , Hartinger M. D. , Oliveira D. M. , Coyle S. , Clauer C. R. , Weimer D. , Edwards T. R.
Published: February 2020

Interplanetary (IP) shocks drive magnetosphere‐ionosphere (MI) current systems that in turn are associated with ground magnetic perturbations. Recent work has shown that IP shock impact angle plays a significant role in controlling the subsequent geomagnetic activity and magnetic perturbations; for example, highly inclined shocks drive asymmetric MI responses due to interhemispherical asymmetric magnetospheric compressions, while almost head‐on shocks drive more symmetric MI responses. However, there are few observations confirming that inclined shocks drive such asymmetries in the high‐latitude ground magnetic response. We use data from a chain of Antarctic magnetometers, combined with magnetically conjugate stations on the west coast of Greenland, to test these model predictions (Oliveira & Raeder, 2015, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JA021147; Oliveira, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13538-016-0472-x). We calculate the time derivative of the magnetic field (
) in each hemisphere separately. Next, we examine the ratio of Northern to Southern Hemisphere
intensities and the time differences between the maximum
immediately following the impact of IP shocks. We order these results according to shock impact angles obtained from a recently published database with over 500 events and discuss how shock impact angles affect north‐south hemisphere asymmetries in the ground magnetic response. We find that the hemisphere the shock strikes first usually has (1) the first response in
and (2) the most intense response in
. Additionally, we show that highly inclined shocks can generate high‐latitude ground magnetic responses that differ significantly from predictions based on models that assume symmetric driving conditions.
Andean Mountain Building and Foreland Basin Evolution During Thin‐ and Thick‐Skinned Neogene Deformation (32–33°S)
Authors: Mackaman‐Lofland Chelsea , Horton Brian K. , Fuentes Facundo , Constenius Kurt N. , Ketcham Richard A. , Capaldi Tomas N. , Stockli Daniel F. , Ammirati Jean‐Baptiste , Alvarado Patricia , Orozco Paola
Published: February 2020

The southern Central Andes recorded retroarc shortening, basin evolution, and magmatic arc migration during Neogene changes in subduction. At 31–33°S, above the modern flat‐slab segment, spatial and temporal linkages between thin‐ and thick‐skinned foreland shortening, basement‐involved exhumation of the main Cordillera, and lower‐crustal hinterland thickening remain poorly resolved. We integrate new geochronological and thermochronological data for thrust sheets and Neogene foreland basin fill with structural, sedimentological, and passive seismic results to reconstruct the exhumation history and evaluate potential geometric linkages across structural domains. 40Ar/39Ar ages for volcanic horizons and zircon U‐Pb ages for synorogenic clastic deposits in the Manantiales Basin constrain the minimum duration of synorogenic sedimentation to ~22–14 Ma. Detrital zircon age distributions record sequential unroofing of hinterland thrust sheets until ~15 Ma, followed by eastward (cratonward) advance of the deformation front, shutoff of western sediment sources, and a shift from fluvial to alluvial fan deposition at ~14 Ma. Apatite (U‐Th)/He cooling ages confirm rapid exhumation of basement‐involved structural blocks and basin partitioning by ~14–5 Ma, consistent with the timing of the Manantiales facies and provenance shifts and a coeval (~12–9 Ma) pulse of thin‐skinned shortening and exhumation previously identified in the eastern foreland. Late Miocene–Pliocene (~8–2 Ma) cooling ages along the Chile‐Argentina border point to hinterland uplift during the latest stage of Andean orogenesis. Finally, geophysical constraints on crustal architecture and low‐temperature thermochronometry results are compatible with a hybrid thin‐ and thick‐skinned décollement spanning retroarc domains.
Survival of African-American and Caucasian men after sipuleucel-T immunotherapy: outcomes from the PROCEED registry
Authors: Sartor Oliver , Armstrong Andrew J. , Ahaghotu Chiledum , McLeod David G. , Cooperberg Matthew R. , Penson David F. , Kantoff Philip W. , Vogelzang Nicholas J. , Hussain Arif , Pieczonka Christopher M. , Shore Neal D. , Quinn David I. , Small Eric J. , Heath Elisabeth I. , Tutrone Ronald F. , Schellhammer Paul F. , Harmon Matthew , Chang Nancy N. , Sheikh Nadeem A. , Brown Bruce , Freedland Stephen J. , Higano Celestia S.
Published: February 2020

Purpose

African Americans experience greater prostate cancer risk and mortality than do Caucasians. An analysis of pooled phase III data suggested differences in overall survival (OS) between African American and Caucasian men receiving sipuleucel-T. We explored this in PROCEED (NCT01306890), an FDA-requested registry in over 1900 patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) treated with sipuleucel-T.

Patients and methods

OS for patients who received ≥1 sipuleucel-T infusion was compared between African American and Caucasian men using an all patient set and a baseline prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-matched set (two Caucasians to every one African American with baseline PSAs within 10% of each other). Univariable and multivariable analyses were conducted. Survival data were examined using Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazard methodologies.

Results

Median follow-up was 46.6 months. Overall survival differed between African American and Caucasian men with hazard ratios (HR) of 0.81 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.68–0.97, P = 0.03) in the all patient set and 0.70 (95% CI: 0.57–0.86, P < 0.001) in the PSA-matched set. Median OS was longer in African Americans than in Caucasian men for both analysis sets, e.g., 35.3 and 25.8 months, respectively, in the PSA-matched set. Similar results were observed in the all patient set. Differences were larger when treatment began at lower baseline PSA; curves were more similar among patients with higher baseline PSA. In patients with baseline PSA below the median, the HR was 0.52 (95% CI: 0.37–0.72, P < 0.001), with median OS of 54.3 versus 33.4 months. Known prognostic factors and African American race (multivariable analyses; HR: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.48–0.74, P < 0.001) were independently associated with OS. Use of post-sipuleucel-T anticancer interventions was balanced between races.

Conclusion

In this exploratory analysis of a registry including nearly 12% African American men with mCRPC, OS was significantly different between African Americans and Caucasians, indicating further research is warranted.
Macropinocytosis confers resistance to therapies targeting cancer anabolism
Authors: Jayashankar Vaishali , Edinger Aimee L.
Published: February 2020

Macropinocytic cancer cells scavenge amino acids from extracellular proteins. Here, we show that consuming necrotic cell debris via macropinocytosis (necrocytosis) offers additional anabolic benefits. A click chemistry-based flux assay reveals that necrocytosis provides not only amino acids, but sugars, fatty acids and nucleotides for biosynthesis, conferring resistance to therapies targeting anabolic pathways. Indeed, necrotic cell debris allow macropinocytic breast and prostate cancer cells to proliferate, despite fatty acid synthase inhibition. Standard therapies such as gemcitabine, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), doxorubicin and gamma-irradiation directly or indirectly target nucleotide biosynthesis, creating stress that is relieved by scavenged nucleotides. Strikingly, necrotic debris also render macropinocytic, but not non-macropinocytic, pancreas and breast cancer cells resistant to these treatments. Selective, genetic inhibition of macropinocytosis confirms that necrocytosis both supports tumor growth and limits the effectiveness of 5-FU in vivo. Therefore, this study establishes necrocytosis as a mechanism for drug resistance.
Potash fertilizer promotes incipient salinization in groundwater irrigated semi-arid agriculture
Authors: Buvaneshwari Sriramulu , Riotte Jean , Sekhar Muddu , Sharma Amit Kumar , Helliwell Rachel , Kumar M. S. Mohan , Braun J. J. , Ruiz Laurent
Published: February 2020

Incipient groundwater salinization has been identified in many arid and semi-arid regions where groundwater is increasingly used for irrigation, but the dominant processes at stake in such context are yet uncertain. Groundwater solutes originates from various sources such as atmospheric inputs, rock dissolution and fertilizer residues, and their concentration is controlled by hydrological processes, in particular evapotranspiration. Here, we propose a deconvolution method to identify the sources and processes governing the groundwater Chloride concentration in agricultural catchments, using the relative variations of Sodium and Chloride and using a neighbouring pristine catchment as a reference for the release rate of Na by weathering. We applied the deconvolution method to the case of the Kabini Critical Zone Observatory, South India, where groundwater was sampled in 188 farm tubewells in the semi-arid catchment of Berambadi and in 5 piezometers in the pristine catchment of Mule Hole. In Berambadi, groundwater composition displayed a large spatial variability with Cl contents spanning 3 orders of magnitude. The results showed that the concentration factor due to evapotranspiration was on average about 3 times more than in the natural system, with higher values in the valley bottoms with deep Vertisols. Linked with this process, large concentration of Chloride originating from rain was found only in these areas. At the catchment scale, about 60 percent of the Chloride found in groundwater originates from fertilizer inputs. These results show that Potassium fertilization as KCl is an important source of groundwater salinization in semi-arid context, and stress that identifying dominant drivers is crucial for designing efficient mitigation policies.
Rigorous characterization of urinary extracellular vesicles (uEVs) in the low centrifugation pellet - a neglected source for uEVs
Authors: Musante Luca , Bontha Sai Vineela , La Salvia Sabrina , Fernandez-Piñeros Angela , Lannigan Joanne , Le Thu H. , Mas Valeria , Erdbrügger Uta
Published: February 2020

Urinary extracellular vesicles (uEVs) provide bio-markers for kidney and urogenital diseases. Centrifugation is the most common method used to enrich uEVs. However, a majority of studies to date have focused on the ultracentrifugation pellet, potentially losing a novel source of important biomarkers that could be obtained at lower centrifugation. Thus, the aim of this study is to rigorously characterize for the first time uEVs in the low speed pellet and determine the minimal volume of urine required for proteomic analysis (≥9.0 mL urine) and gene ontology classification identified 75% of the protein as extracellular exosomes. Cryo-Transmission Electron Microscopy (≥3.0 mL urine) provided evidence of a heterogeneous population of EVs for size and morphology independent of uromodulin filaments. Western blot detected several specific uEV kidney and EV markers (≥4.5 mL urine per lane). microRNAs quantification by qPCR was possible with urine volume as low as 0.5 mL. Particle enumeration with tunable resistive pulse sensing, nano particles tracking analysis and single EV high throughput imaging flow cytometry are possible starting from 0.5 and 3.0 mL of urine respectively. This work characterizes a neglected source of uEVs and provides guidance with regard to volume of urine necessary to carry out multi-omic studies and reveals novel aspects of uEV analysis such as autofluorescence of podocyte origin.
Aberrant expression of PAR bZIP transcription factors is associated with epileptogenesis, focus on hepatic leukemia factor
Authors: Rambousek Lukas , Gschwind Tilo , Lafourcade Carlos , Paterna Jean-Charles , Dib Linda , Fritschy Jean-Marc , Fontana Adriano
Published: February 2020

Epilepsy is a widespread neurological disease characterized by abnormal neuronal activity resulting in recurrent seizures. There is mounting evidence that a circadian system disruption, involving clock genes and their downstream transcriptional regulators, is associated with epilepsy. In this study, we characterized the hippocampal expression of clock genes and PAR bZIP transcription factors (TFs) in a mouse model of temporal lobe epilepsy induced by intrahippocampal injection of kainic acid (KA). The expression of PAR bZIP TFs was significantly altered following KA injection as well as in other rodent models of acquired epilepsy. Although the PAR bZIP TFs are regulated by proinflammatory cytokines in peripheral tissues, we discovered that the regulation of their expression is inflammation-independent in hippocampal tissue and rather mediated by clock genes and hyperexcitability. Furthermore, we report that hepatic leukemia factor (Hlf), a member of PAR bZIP TFs family, is invariably downregulated in animal models of acquired epilepsy, regulates neuronal activity in vitro and its overexpression in dentate gyrus neurons in vivo leads to altered expression of genes associated with seizures and epilepsy. Overall, our study provides further evidence of PAR bZIP TFs involvement in epileptogenesis and points to Hlf as the key player.
The enhancement of plant secondary metabolites content in Lactuca sativa L. by encapsulated bioactive agents
Authors: Jurić Slaven , Sopko Stracenski Katarina , Król-Kilińska Żaneta , Žutić Ivanka , Uher Sanja Fabek , Đermić Edyta , Topolovec-Pintarić Snježana , Vinceković Marko
Published: February 2020

Encapsulated bioactive agents applied to the Lactuca sativa L. present an innovative approach to stimulate the production of plant secondary metabolites increasing its nutritive value. Calcium and copper ions were encapsulated in biopolymeric microparticles (microspheres and microcapsules) either as single agents or in combination with biocontrol agents, Trichoderma viride spores, a fungal plant growth mediator. Both, calcium and copper ions are directly involved in the synthesis of plant secondary metabolites and alongside, Trichoderma viride can provide indirect stimulation and higher uptake of nutrients. All treatments with microparticles had a positive effect on the enhancement of plant secondary metabolites content in Lactuca sativa L. The highest increase of chlorophylls, antioxidant activity and phenolic was obtained by calcium-based microparticles in both, conventionally and hydroponically grown lettuces. Non-encapsulated fungus Trichoderma viride enhanced the synthesis of plant secondary metabolites only in hydroponics cultivation signifying the importance of its encapsulation. Encapsulation proved to be simple, sustainable and environmentally favorable for the production of lettuce with increased nutritional quality, which is lettuce fortified with important bioactive compounds.
Utilizing Electrocochleography as a Microphone for Fully Implantable Cochlear Implants
Authors: Riggs William Jason , Hiss Meghan M. , Skidmore Jeffrey , Varadarajan Varun V. , Mattingly Jameson K. , Moberly Aaron C. , Adunka Oliver F.
Published: February 2020

Current cochlear implants (CIs) are semi-implantable devices with an externally worn sound processor that hosts the microphone and sound processor. A fully implantable device, however, would ultimately be desirable as it would be of great benefit to recipients. While some prototypes have been designed and used in a few select cases, one main stumbling block is the sound input. Specifically, subdermal implantable microphone technology has been poised with physiologic issues such as sound distortion and signal attenuation under the skin. Here we propose an alternative method that utilizes a physiologic response composed of an electrical field generated by the sensory cells of the inner ear to serve as a sound source microphone for fully implantable hearing technology such as CIs. Electrophysiological results obtained from 14 participants (adult and pediatric) document the feasibility of capturing speech properties within the electrocochleography (ECochG) response. Degradation of formant properties of the stimuli /da/ and /ba/ are evaluated across various degrees of hearing loss. Preliminary results suggest proof-of-concept of using the ECochG response as a microphone is feasible to capture vital properties of speech. However, further signal processing refinement is needed in addition to utilization of an intracochlear recording location to likely improve signal fidelity.
Effect direction meta-analysis of GWAS identifies extreme, prevalent and shared pleiotropy in a large mammal
Authors: Xiang Ruidong , van den Berg Irene , MacLeod Iona M. , Daetwyler Hans D. , Goddard Michael E.
Published: February 2020

In genome-wide association studies (GWAS), variants showing consistent effect directions across populations are considered as true discoveries. We model this information in an Effect Direction MEta-analysis (EDME) to quantify pleiotropy using GWAS of 34 Cholesky-decorrelated traits in 44,000+ cattle with sequence variants. The effect-direction agreement between independent bull and cow datasets was used to quantify the false discovery rate by effect direction (FDRed) and the number of affected traits for prioritised variants. Variants with multi-trait p < 1e–6 affected 1∼22 traits with an average of 10 traits. EDME assigns pleiotropic variants to each trait which informs the biology behind complex traits. New pleiotropic loci are identified, including signals from the cattle FTO locus mirroring its bystander effects on human obesity. When validated in the 1000-Bull Genome database, the prioritized pleiotropic variants consistently predicted expected phenotypic differences between dairy and beef cattle. EDME provides robust approaches to control GWAS FDR and quantify pleiotropy.
Detection of mephedrone and its metabolites in fingerprints from a controlled human administration study by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and paper spray-mass spectrometry
Authors: Czerwinska Joanna , Jang Min , Costa Catia , Parkin Mark C. , George Claire , Kicman Andrew T. , Bailey Melanie J. , Dargan Paul I. , Abbate Vincenzo
Published: February 2020

Mephedrone and one of its metabolites have been detected for the first-time in fingerprints collected from a controlled human mephedrone administration study.
Negative magnetization, complex magnetic ordering and applications of Cr-doped Co2TiO4
Authors: Fu Q. S. , Chen X. H. , Chakrabarti C. , Li C. L. , Zheng J. , Wang P. J. , Yin H. X. , Qiu Y. , Meng B. , Yuan S. L.
Published: February 2020

Negative magnetization, exchange interaction and possible applications of Cr-doped Co2TiO4ceramics have been investigated in detail.
Impact of intrinsic framework flexibility for selective adsorption of sarin in non-aqueous solvents using metal–organic frameworks
Authors: Park Jongwoo , Agrawal Mayank , Sava Gallis Dorina F. , Harvey Jacob A. , Greathouse Jeffery A. , Sholl David S.
Published: February 2020

We assess the nontrivial deviation in predicting the adsorption selectivity from bulk mixtures of complex molecules using nanoporous adsorbents approximated as rigid and intrinsically flexible.
What ultimately drives the wrapping, deprivation, and transfer of graphene nanosheets
Authors: Li MingYu , Li Tao , Li YiFan
Published: February 2020

The transfer of a graphene nanosheet between two nanowires.
Colloidal molecules and patchy particles: complementary concepts, synthesis and self-assembly
Authors: Li Weiya , Palis Hervé , Mérindol Rémi , Majimel Jérôme , Ravaine Serge , Duguet Etienne
Published: February 2020

About the latest developments regarding self-assembly of textured colloids and its prospects.
Mesoporous FeP/RGO nanocomposites as anodes for sodium ion batteries with enhanced specific capacity and long cycling life
Authors: Li Qun , Yuan Jianjun , Tan Qinglong , Wang Guixiang , Feng Shuai , Liu Qing , Wang Qingzhao
Published: February 2020

FeP/RGO nanocomposites were synthesized by a simple precipitation reaction route and low temperature phosphorization strategy, indicating a good sodium ion storage performance.
Evaluation of top-down mass spectrometry and ion-mobility spectroscopy as a means of mapping protein-binding motifs within heparin chains
Authors: Zhao Yunlong , Kaltashov Igor A.
Published: February 2020

Identifying structural elements within glycosaminoglycans that enable their interaction with a specific client protein remains a challenging task due to the high degree of both intra- and inter-chain heterogeneity exhibited by this polysaccharide.
A molecular device providing a remarkable spin filtering effect due to the central molecular stretch caused by lateral zigzag graphene nanoribbon electrodes
Authors: Liu Xiaoyue , Yang Jueming , Zhai Xingwu , Yan Hongxia , Zhang Yanwen , Zhou Long , Wan Jian-Guo , Ge Guixian , Wang Guanghou
Published: February 2020

Through the density functional theory, we studied molecular devices composed of single tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) molecules connected with zigzag graphene nanoribbon electrodes by four different junctions.
Negative differential resistance effect in resistive switching devices based on h-LuFeO3/CoFe2O4 heterojunctions
Authors: Ran Xinxin , Hou Pengfei , Song Jiaxun , Song Hongjia , Zhong Xiangli , Wang Jinbin
Published: February 2020

The polarization and interfacial defect modulated NDR effect shows good reproducibility for hundreds of cycles in h-LuFeO3/CoFe2O4 heterojunction-based RS devices.
Correction: Thermo-orientation in fluids of arbitrarily shaped particles
Authors: Gardin Andrea , Ferrarini Alberta
Published: February 2020

Correction for ‘Thermo-orientation in fluids of arbitrarily shaped particles’ by Andrea Gardin et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2019, 21, 104–113.
Collective forces in scalar active matter
Authors: Speck Thomas
Published: February 2020

Large-scale collective behavior in suspensions of active particles can be understood from the balance of statistical forces emerging beyond the direct microscopic particle interactions.
Transcriptional signature of prion-induced neurotoxicity in a Drosophila model of transmissible mammalian prion disease
Authors: Thackray Alana M. , Lam Brian , Shahira Binti Ab Razak Anisa , Yeo Giles , Bujdoso Raymond
Published: February 2020

Prion diseases are fatal transmissible neurodegenerative conditions of humans and animals that arise through neurotoxicity induced by PrP misfolding. The cellular and molecular mechanisms of prion-induced neurotoxicity remain undefined. Understanding these processes will underpin therapeutic and control strategies for human and animal prion diseases, respectively. Prion diseases are difficult to study in their natural hosts and require the use of tractable animal models. Here we used RNA-Seq-based transcriptome analysis of prion-exposed Drosophila to probe the mechanism of prion-induced neurotoxicity. Adult Drosophila transgenic for pan neuronal expression of ovine PrP targeted to the plasma membrane exhibit a neurotoxic phenotype evidenced by decreased locomotor activity after exposure to ovine prions at the larval stage. Pathway analysis and quantitative PCR of genes differentially expressed in prion-infected Drosophila revealed up-regulation of cell cycle activity and DNA damage response, followed by down-regulation of eIF2 and mTOR signalling. Mitochondrial dysfunction was identified as the principal toxicity pathway in prion-exposed PrP transgenic Drosophila. The transcriptomic changes we observed were specific to PrP targeted to the plasma membrane since these prion-induced gene expression changes were not evident in similarly treated Drosophila transgenic for cytosolic pan neuronal PrP expression, or in non-transgenic control flies. Collectively, our data indicate that aberrant cell cycle activity, repression of protein synthesis and altered mitochondrial function are key events involved in prion-induced neurotoxicity, and correlate with those identified in mammalian hosts undergoing prion disease. These studies highlight the use of PrP transgenic Drosophila as a genetically well-defined tractable host to study mammalian prion biology.
Secure high‐speed spread spectrum transmission system with orbital angular momentum
Authors: Zhang Chao , Jiang Xuefeng
Published: February 2020

Besides promotion in the spectrum efficiency, orbital angular momentum (OAM) can bring additional benefits to physical layer security. In this study, the authors will highlight the benefit of covert transmissions to deal with the contradiction between transmission rate and security in the traditional direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) system. Based on OAM, a secure high‐speed spread spectrum (SS) transmission system is proposed. Specifically, the system architecture and mathematical models are established. Afterwards, the detection method for the proposed OAM SS system is investigated. Meanwhile, the corresponding bit error rate (BER) and performance of anti‐interception are analysed. The performance of data anti‐interception is evaluated based on computational complexity, while the performance of signal anti‐interception is studied by Neyman–Pearson criterion. Furthermore, Monte–Carlo simulations are also implemented to show the effectiveness of the proposed system. Compared with the traditional DSSS system, the higher security can be achieved by the proposed system. Besides, the transmission rates and BERs are the same for the traditional DSSS system and proposed system. Therefore, the proposed OAM SS transmission system successfully handles the contradiction of the transmission rate and security. In other words, the secure high‐speed transmission can be achieved by the proposed OAM SS system.
Image interpolation with adaptive k‐nearest neighbours search and random non‐linear regression
Authors: Zheng Jieying , Song Wanru , Wu Yahong , Liu Feng
Published: February 2020

Learning‐based image interpolation methods have been proved to be effective in image interpolation. In this study, the authors propose an accurate image interpolation with adaptive k‐nearest neighbour searching and non‐linear regression. The proposed method aims to find k‐nearest neighbours of the input image patch and use them to learn the non‐linear mapping between low‐resolution and high‐resolution image patches. To be specific, they first divide the training image patches into many subspaces, then they utilise an adaptive robust and precise k nearest neighbour searching scheme with proposed normalised Gaussian similarity to find the k nearest neighbours in the matched subspace. The selected k image patch pairs are then used to learn the non‐linear regression model through an extreme learning machine. Furthermore, the proposed interpolation method is a cascade framework that consists of two stages. Stage 2 takes the results of Stage 1 as input to further improve the performance. Extensive experimental results on commonly used test images and image datasets indicate that their proposed algorithm obtains competitive performance against the state‐of‐the‐art methods both in terms of objective evaluation values and the subjective effect of reconstructed images.
Low‐profile hexagonal SIW cavity slot antenna with enhanced gain by using quasi‐TM310 mode
Authors: Liu Hao , Qing Anyong , Wu Bo , Xu Ziqiang
Published: February 2020

A novel low‐profile substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) cavity‐backed slot antenna with an enhanced gain is proposed. By etching four parallel transverse slots at the edges of the hexagonal SIW cavity as the radiating elements, higher resonance mode of quasi‐TM310 can be excited to achieve gain enhancement. A fabricated prototype with a size of 1.3 λ0 × 1.3 λ0 × 0.025 λ0 has been measured. Results show that the proposed design achieves a 10‐dB impedance matching bandwidth of 195 MHz and a maximum boresight gain of 10.74 dBi. The proposed antenna exhibits a high front‐to‐back ratio and low cross‐polarisation level. It still retains the advantages of low cost, ease of fabrication, and easy integration with planar circuits, making it a good candidate for low‐cost mass‐production.
Wide‐bandwidth inverted‐F stub fed hybrid loop antenna for 5G sub‐6 GHz massive MIMO enabled handsets
Authors: Singh Aditya , Saavedra Carlos E.
Published: February 2020

A ten‐element multi‐antenna terminal for massive multiple‐input–multiple‐output (MIMO) in the fifth‐generation (5G) sub‐6 GHz with wide impedance bandwidth (IBW) is proposed. A grounded coplanar waveguide is employed to feed an inverted‐F stub coupled to a hybrid loop antenna element. Through tuning, the multiple resonant modes are combined so that a wide IBW is achieved. Antenna element sites are selected along the periphery of the typical smartphone back plane of size . To improve the diversity performance, two elements are placed along the horizontal edge orthogonal to the rest of elements placed along the vertical side. The prototype of the antenna is fabricated and measured exhibiting a wide IBW of ( dB) 63% centred around 4.68 GHz. The minimum measured isolation achieved is 18 dB. The maximum simulated envelope correlation coefficient is found to be 0.21 and while the minimum antenna efficiency is 78.4%. Each element has a form factor of and printed on a 1.52 mm thick Rogers 4003 substrate with and . The proposed multi‐antenna terminal is suitable for 5G sub‐6 GHz (3.2–6.1 GHz) communication including long‐term evolution bands 42, 43 and 46.
Dual‐band and dual‐polarised circular patch textile antenna for on‐/off‐body WBAN applications
Authors: Zhou Leitao , Fang Shaojun , Jia Xiao
Published: February 2020

A dual‐band dual‐polarised antenna for on‐/off‐body wireless body area network (WBAN) applications is presented, operating at Industrial, Scientific, and Medical bands of 2.45 GHz with circular polarisation and 5.8 GHz with vertical polarisation. The TM11 mode is used for the off‐body mode in the first band because of its broadside radiation pattern, meanwhile, the TM02 mode is chosen for on‐body mode due to its monopole‐like radiation pattern in the second band. Composed of a circular patch with eight slots, the structure of the proposed antenna is simple, and it is fabricated with textile material. The performance of the antenna is investigated in free space and on the body. Then, the performance influenced by the bending of the antenna is discussed with a different bending radius. The specific absorption rate distribution is simulated on body tissue. And the maximum value at both bands is below the IEEE C95.3 standard of 1.6 W/kg. The acquired performance demonstrates that the proposed antenna can be applied to the applications of WBAN.
Influence of electronic scavenger additives on AC breakdown voltage of synthetic ester
Authors: Khaled Usama , Beroual Abderrahmane , Khan Yasin
Published: February 2020

This study deals with the influence of two kinds of electronic scavenger additives/compounds, namely methyl iodide (iodomethane), CH3I, and carbon tetrachloride CCl4 on the breakdown voltage (UBDV) of MIDEL 7131 synthetic ester (SE). The tests are conducted under 60 Hz AC voltage according to the IEC 60156 standard, for various concentrations of additives ranging 0–600 ppm. Statistical analysis is performed to check whether the experimental data obey the most used probabilistic distributions for electrical BDVs, namely normal and Weibull laws. The estimation of the BDV with risk probabilities of 1 and 50% are also deduced. It is shown that the average BDV of SE increases with the concentration of both additives up to an optimum value beyond which it decreases; the optimum concentration for both cases is 400 ppm. The improvement of the average UBDV is about 27% with CH3I and 21% with CCl4. The values of UBDV conform to Weibull distribution with CH3I; it is also the case with CCl4, except for 200 ppm.
The role of disc torques in forming resonant planetary systems
Authors: Ataiee S. , Kley W.
Published: February 2020

Context. The most accurate method for modelling planetary migration and hence the formation of resonant systems is using hydrodynamical simulations. Usually, the force (torque) acting on a planet is calculated using the forces from the gas disc and the star, while the gas accelerations are computed using the pressure gradient, the star, and the planet’s gravity, ignoring its own gravity. For a non-migrating planet the neglect of the disc gravity results in a consistent torque calculation while for a migrating case it is inconsistent.

Aims. We aim to study how much this inconsistent torque calculation can affect the final configuration of a two-planet system. We focus on low-mass planets because most of the multi-planetary systems, discovered by the Kepler survey, have masses around ten Earth masses.

Methods. Performing hydrodynamical simulations of planet–disc interaction, we measured the torques on non-migrating and migrating planets for various disc masses as well as density and temperature slopes with and without considering the self-gravity of the disc. Using this data, we found a relation that quantifies the inconsistency, used this relation in an N-body code, and performed an extended parameter study modelling the migration of a planetary system with different planet mass ratios and disc surface densities, to investigate the impact of the torque inconsistency on the architecture of the planetary system.

Results. Not considering disc self-gravity produces an artificially larger torque on the migrating planet that can result in tighter planetary systems. The deviation of this torque from the correct value is larger in discs with steeper surface density profiles.

Conclusions. In hydrodynamical modelling of multi-planetary systems, it is crucial to account for the torque correction, otherwise the results favour more packed systems. We examine two simple correction methods existing in the literature and show that they properly correct this problem.
Sunflower productivity and gross oil production on the grey forest soil of the republic of Tatarstan under the use of growth regulators
Authors: Vladimirov Vladimir P. , Chugunov Evgeniy M. , Mostyakova Antonina A. , Ilgamov Arsen A.
Published: February 2020

An important source for increasing the sunflower yield and getting high economic efficiency consists of improving agricultural techniques for cultivation, in particular, soil and climatic conditions. Using growth regulators is one such technique. This research studies the effectiveness of the complex use of growth regulators when the treatment of seeds before planting is combined with the sprinkling of actual plants. During the whole period of the 4-year study, the maximum yield of seeds (3.233 tons/hectare), the highest oil content (52.95 %), and the gross oil production level (1713.8 kg/hectare) were obtained under the use of Zirkon growth regulator.
The system of effective management of crop production in modern conditions
Authors: Mamai Oksana , Parsova Velta , Lipatova Natalya , Gazizyanova Julia , Mamai Igor
Published: February 2020

The main task of production management in agricultural enterprises is to build management systems that ensure that the necessary actions and procedures are performed to obtain a market result from the operation of the enterprise’s operating system. The problem of managing crop production is quite relevant today, since most agricultural enterprises, switching exclusively to the production of crop production only, do not comply with the recommended technologies for growing crops, violate the sciencebased foundations of farming, which is associated with the lack of modern material technical base, and the difficult financial and economic situation of most farmsteads and especially insufficient level of managerial work in the field of crop production. Thus, the aim of the study is to develop recommendations for improving the organization and management of crop production in modern business conditions. As a result of the study, an analysis of the effectiveness of the organization and management of crop production at the current stage of development of the Russian economy was conducted; problems were studied, prospects for the development of the crop industry were outlined, recommendations were proposed for improving the agricultural management system, taking into account current economic conditions.
Functional dependences of the performance of a mixer with helical blades
Authors: Novikov Vladimir B. , Konovalov Vladimir V. , Mishanin Alexander L. , Borisova Marina V. , Gretsov Alexey S.
Published: February 2020

The level of livestock development is one of the indicators characterizing the state of economy not only of individual farms, but regions and state as a whole. Therefore, the solution to the problem of the improvement of the quality of feed and modernization of process of its production is relevant and significant for agricultural sector. In order to improve and study the technological process of mixing the grain mixture, a design of a continuous paddle mixing unit was developed. The purpose of the research is to establish functional dependencies on the design and operating parameters of a mixer with helical blades and determine their rational values. The influence of the shaft rotation frequency, the number of its blades and the state of tank fullness on the unevenness of the mixture, productivity and power consumption is determined. The increase in the degree of fullness and shaft speed intensifies the performance of the mixer. The highest mixer performance is provided by 6 blades. The increase in the shaft speed intensifies the power consumption of the mixer. The degree of fullness of the tank and the number of blades also increase power consumption, but to a lesser extent. The best quality of the mixture is provided by 8 blades with a degree of fullness of 2 5 % and a rotation frequency of 40 min-1 with a mixer capacity of about 180 kg/h and a power consumption of 270 watts.
Assessment of yield and quality of double-spore champignon mushrooms
Authors: Alexandrova Ekaterina G. , Milyutkin Vladimir A. , Blinova Oksana A.
Published: February 2020

The article presents the results of experimental data characterizing the yield and quality of double-spore champignon mushrooms obtained by their cultivation on the substrate with the use of organic additives of plant and animal origin - waste of food and processing industries: sunflower husks, meat and buckwheat meal and coarse grains. The yield of mushrooms is estimated by periods of substrate preparation (winter and summer) and fruit-bearing waves. Higher yield of mushrooms of mushrooms of double-spore champignon was obtained on the substrate prepared in summer for two waves of fruiting. Assessment of the quality of mushrooms involved studying the content of protein, fiber, fat and ash elements (potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sodium and magnesium). The results show that sunflower husk and meat and bone meal are the best organic additives that not only increase the yield of mushrooms, but also their quality. The study shows that the quality of mushrooms obtained in the second wave is significantly higher than the quality of mushrooms obtained in the previous wave. Positive is the fact that the use of organic waste in industrial mushroom production contributes to the efficient management of, as a rule, little used by-products of food and processing industries.
The effect of nutritional backgrounds on the formation of leaf surface and yield and green mass of corn
Authors: Mikhailova Marina Yu. , Talanov Ivan P.
Published: February 2020

The leading branch of agriculture in Tatarstan is animal husbandry. In animal husbandry, the main direction is the production of milk and cattle meat. In the diet of dairy cows, corn is an integral component. The share of fodder corn in the total cultivated areas is on average 30–35 %. A limiting factor in the cultivation of corn is the lack of macronutrients in the soil. To obtain stable high yields of green mass of corn, it is necessary to choose the right combination of NPK, based on soil indicators. In this regard, it is necessary to improve the mineral nutrition systems of highly productive adaptive maize hybrids. The effect of fertilizers on leaf surface growth and photosynthetic potential in maize crops was studied in the field on gray forest soils of the Volga region of the Republic of Tatarstan. A significant increase in the yield of green mass was found due to the increased level of mineral nutrition of plants. The fertilizer provided an increase in leaf area by 2.6–9.82 thousand m2/ha on the option N60P54K168 and 4.85–14.56 thousand m2/ha in N180P154K294. The maximum value of this indicator was obtained from the Newton hybrid for the interphase period of flowering-milk ripeness on fertilized variants was between 9.79 and 10.23 thousand m2/ha, against 7.07 thousand m2/ha on the control variant. The photosynthetic potential was the highest hybrids (1924.91 and 1956.91 thousand m2 x day/ha for the option of N60P54K168 and 2039.84 and 2066.31 thousand m2 x day/ha for the N180P154K294). Consequently, the planned yields of green mass were obtained on crops of hybrids Flint-200 and Newton 42, 9 and 43.9 t/ha with the introduction of calculated doses of mineral fertilizers at 50 t/ha and 62.6 and 65.3 t/ha against the background of mineral fertilizers at 70 t/ha. Based on the calculations of economic efficiency, it follows that the cultivation of the Newton hybrid against the background of making NPK at the highest cost (28151.5 RUB/ha) and the lowest cost of 1 ton of green mass of corn (431.1 RUB) provides a greater net income (11028.5 RUB/ha) with the best level of profitability (39.2 %).
The quality of dairy products made from the milk of cows consuming vitamin-containing preparations
Authors: Kashirina Lydia G. , Ivanishchev Konstantin A. , Romanov Kirill I.
Published: February 2020

The article contains information on the state of the processes of lipid peroxidation (LPO) in fresh cows under the influence of stress reaction caused by labor and the beginning of the lactation period. To reduce oxidative stress in the body of fresh cows, antioxidants were used in the form of preparations “E-selenium” and “Butofan”. The aim of the research was to determine the effect of vitamin-containing preparations “E-selenium” and “Butofan” on the productivity of fresh cows, the quality of milk and butter, made from it. The studies were carried out during the winter-stall period on one of the farms of Ryazan district of Ryazan region and involved 12 fresh black-and-white cows aged 4 years. The control group of animals was intact. As a result of the investigations, it was found that due to the action of the above preparations, which have antioxidant properties, the productivity parameters in the experimental groups of animals were higher compared to the control group, because they had an inhibiting effect on lipid peroxidation processes in the organism and activated the work of its own antioxidant system.
Problem of chronic endometritis in cows and ways to solve it
Authors: Shabunin Sergey , Bondarev Ivan , Mikhalev Vitaly , Tolkachev Igor , Stekolnikov Anatoly
Published: February 2020

Chronic endometritis is diagnosed on average in 18.1 % of infertile cows. With chronic endometritis, the uterus has a pronounced cavity of 18.4±0.9 mm (11–35 mm), while the wall thickness of the uterus is on average 8.7±0.37 mm. Morphometrically chronic endometritis is characterized by a decrease in the fraction of functionally active elements of the endometrium (integument epithelium, uterine glands, blood vessels) to 12.17 %. In the development of chronic endometritis, cows compared with clinically healthy animals showed an increase in leukocyte content by 12.2 %, monocytes by 2.5 times, creatinine by 29.7 %, average molecular peptides by 25.0 %, and endogenous intoxication index by 25.4 %, circulating immune complexes by 38.5 %, with a decrease in the bactericidal and lysozyme activity of blood serum, respectively by 10.7 and 12.9 % and phagocytic activity of leukocytes by 12.4 %. The effectiveness of the application of the developed method for the treatment of chronic endometritis, involving the use of aminoseleton five times with a 72-hour interval at a dose of 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 ml, magestrofan on the 1st and 13th days at a dose of 2 ml, uterotone on 3rd, 4th and 5th days at a dose of 10 ml and intrauterine administration of primalact on 1st-3rd days at a dose of 20 ml, is 88.0 %. Recovery of animals after the treatment is accompanied by a decrease in the inflammatory response, endogenous intoxication, normalization of liver and kidneys, an increase in overall non-specific resistance and a decrease in uterine microbial contamination.