bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimization Method for Guillotine Packing of Rectangular Items within an Irregular and Defective Slate
Authors: Chen Kaizhi , Zhuang Jiahao , Zhong Shangping , Zheng Song
Published: November 2020

Research on the rectangle packing problems has mainly focused on rectangular raw material sheets without defects, while natural slate has irregular and defective characteristics, and the existing packing method adopts manual packing, which wastes material and is inefficient. In this work, we propose an effective packing optimization method for nature slate; to the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to solve the guillotine packing problem of rectangular items in a single irregular and defective slate. This method is modeled by the permutation model, uses the horizontal level (HL) heuristic proposed in this paper to obtain feasible solutions, and then applies the genetic algorithm to optimize the quality of solutions further. The HL heuristic is constructed on the basis of computational geometry and level packing. This heuristic aims to divide the irregular plate into multiple subplates horizontally, calculates the movable positions of the rectangle in the subplates, determines whether or not the rectangle can be packed in the movable positions through computational geometry, and fills the scraps appropriately. Theoretical analysis confirms that the rectangles obtained through the HL heuristic are inside the plate and do not overlap with the defects. In addition, the packed rectangles do not overlap each other and satisfy the guillotine constraint. Accordingly, the packing problem can be solved. Experiments on irregular slates with defects show that the slate utilization through our method is between 89% and 95%. This result is better than manual packing and can satisfy actual production requirements.
Fast Algorithms for Basic Supply Chain Scheduling Problems
Authors: Vakhania Nodari , Mamporia Badri
Published: November 2020

A basic supply chain scheduling problem in which the orders released over time are to be delivered into the batches with unlimited capacity is considered. The delivery of each batch has a fixed cost D, whereas any order delivered after its release time yields an additional delay cost equal to the waiting time of that order in the system. The objective is to minimize the total delivery cost of the batches plus the total delay cost of the orders. A new algorithmic framework is proposed based on which fast algorithms for the solution of this problem are built. The framework can be extended to more general supply chain scheduling models and is based on a theoretical study of some useful properties of the offline version of the problem. An online scenario is considered as well, when at each assignment (order release) time the information on the next order released within the following T time units is known but no information on the orders that might be released after that time is known. For the online setting, it is shown that there is no benefit in waiting for more than D time units for incoming orders, i.e., potentially beneficial values for T are 0<T<D, and three linear-time algorithms are proposed, which are optimal for both the offline and the online cases when T≥D. For the case 0<T<D an important real-life scenario is studied. It addresses a typical situation when the same number of orders are released at each order release time and these times are evenly distributed within the scheduling horizon. An optimal algorithm which runs much faster than earlier known algorithms is proposed.
Representation of Maximal Surfaces in a 3-Dimensional Lightlike Cone
Authors: Qian Jinhua , Fu Xueshan , Liu Huili
Published: November 2020

In this paper, the representation formula of maximal surfaces in a 3-dimensional lightlike cone Q3 is obtained by making use of the differential equation theory and complex function theory. Some particular maximal surfaces under a special induced metric are presented explicitly via the representation formula.
Spurious OLS Estimators of Detrending Method by Adding a Linear Trend in Difference-Stationary Processes—A Mathematical Proof and Its Verification by Simulation
Authors: LONG Zhiming , HERRERA Rémy
Published: November 2020

Adding a linear trend in regressions is a frequent detrending method in economic literatures. The traditional literatures pointed out that if the variable considered is a difference-stationary process, then it will artificially create pseudo-periodicity in the residuals. In this paper, we further show that the real problem might be more serious. As the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) estimators themselves are of such a detrending method is spurious. The first part provides a mathematical proof with Chebyshev’s inequality and Sims–Stock–Watson’s algorithm to show that the OLS estimator of trend converges toward zero in probability, and the other OLS estimator diverges when the sample size tends to infinity. The second part designs Monte Carlo simulations with a sample size of 1,000,000 as an approximation of infinity. The seed values used are the true random numbers generated by a hardware random number generator in order to avoid the pseudo-randomness of random numbers given by software. This paper repeats the experiment 100 times, and gets consistent results with mathematical proof. The last part provides a brief discussion of detrending strategies.
Jump Models with Delay—Option Pricing and Logarithmic Euler–Maruyama Scheme
Authors: Agrawal Nishant , Hu Yaozhong
Published: November 2020

In this paper, we obtain the existence, uniqueness, and positivity of the solution to delayed stochastic differential equations with jumps. This equation is then applied to model the price movement of the risky asset in a financial market and the Black–Scholes formula for the price of European option is obtained together with the hedging portfolios. The option price is evaluated analytically at the last delayed period by using the Fourier transformation technique. However, in general, there is no analytical expression for the option price. To evaluate the price numerically, we then use the Monte-Carlo method. To this end, we need to simulate the delayed stochastic differential equations with jumps. We propose a logarithmic Euler–Maruyama scheme to approximate the equation and prove that all the approximations remain positive and the rate of convergence of the scheme is proved to be 0.5.
Enhanced Performance of Carbon Nanotube Immobilized Membrane for the Treatment of High Salinity Produced Water via Direct Contact Membrane Distillation
Authors: Humoud Madihah Saud , Roy Sagar , Mitra Somenath
Published: November 2020

Membrane distillation (MD) is a promising desalination technology for the treatment of high salinity water. Here, we investigated the fouling characteristics of produced water obtained from hydraulic fracturing by implementing a carbon nanotube immobilized membrane (CNIM) via direct contact membrane distillation. The CNIM exhibited enhanced water vapor flux and antifouling characteristics compared to the pristine membrane. The normalized flux decline with the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane after 7 h of operation was found to be 18.2% more than the CNIM. The addition of 1-Hydroxy Ethylidene-1, 1-Diphosphonic acid (HEDP) antiscalant was found to be effective in reducing the membrane fouling. The salt deposition on the membrane surface was 77% less in the CNIM, which was further reduced with the addition of HEDP in the feed by up to 135.4% in comparison with the PTFE membrane. The presence of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the membrane surface also facilitated the regenerability of the membrane. The results indicated that the CNIM regained 90.9% of its initial water flux after washing, whereas the unmodified PTFE only regained 81.1% of its initial flux after five days of operation.
Effect of Die Angle and Frictional Conditions on Fine Grain Layer Generation in Multipass Drawing of High Carbon Steel Wire
Authors: Stolyarov Alexey , Polyakova Marina , Atangulova Guzel , Alexandrov Sergei
Published: November 2020

Fine grain layers that generate near frictional interfaces in metal forming processes affect the quality of products. The present paper aims to contribute to the continuum-mechanics-based phenomenological approach for predicting such layers’ properties. In particular, it studies the generation of fine grain layers in the process of multipass drawing of thin high carbon steel wires experimentally. The wires are drawn in three passes under different friction conditions. All three dies in each multipass process have the same semiangle. In total, two die semiangles are used, 4° and 5°. The effects of such processing conditions as the die semiangle, the number of passes, and the friction conditions on the thickness of fine grain layers are observed and discussed. The criterion for determining this thickness is based on the coefficient of anisotropy. Under soft friction conditions, the fine grain layer’s thickness decrease occurs during the consequential passes independently of the die semiangle. On the other hand, in the case of hard friction conditions, the thickness may or may not be a monotonic function of the number of passes, and its general qualitative behavior depends on the die semiangle.
Single-Molecule Counting of Nucleotide by Electrophoresis with Nanochannel-Integrated Nano-Gap Devices
Authors: Ohshiro Takahito , Komoto Yuki , Taniguchi Masateru
Published: November 2020

We utilized electrophoresis to control the fluidity of sample biomolecules in sample aqueous solutions inside the nanochannel for single-molecule detection by using a nanochannel-integrated nanogap electrode, which is composed of a nano-gap sensing electrode, nanochannel, and tapered focusing channel. In order to suppress electro-osmotic flow and thermal convection inside this nanochannel, we optimized the reduction ratios of the tapered focusing channel, and the ratio of inlet 10 μm to outlet 0.5 μm was found to be high performance of electrophoresis with lower concentration of 0.05 × TBE (Tris/Borate/EDTA) buffer containing a surfactant of 0.1 w/v% polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Under the optimized conditions, single-molecule electrical measurement of deoxyguanosine monophosphate (dGMP) was performed and it was found that the throughput was significantly improved by nearly an order of magnitude compared to that without electrophoresis. In addition, it was also found that the long-duration signals that could interfere with discrimination were significantly reduced. This is because the strong electrophoresis flow inside the nanochannels prevents the molecules’ adsorption near the electrodes. This single-molecule electrical measurement with nanochannel-integrated nano-gap electrodes by electrophoresis significantly improved the throughput of signal detection and identification accuracy.
Fabrication and Performance Evaluation of the Helmholtz Resonator Inspired Acoustic Absorber Using Various Materials
Authors: Lee Sung Ho , Kang Bong Su , Kim Gyu Man , Roh Yong Rae , Kwak Moon Kyu
Published: November 2020

A soundwave is transmitted by adjacent molecules in the medium, and depending on the type of sound, it exhibits various characteristics such as frequency, sound pressure, etc. If the acoustic wavelength of the soundwave is sufficiently long compared with the size of an acoustic element, physical analysis within the sound element could be simplified regardless of the shape of the acoustic element: this is called “long wavelength approximation”. A Helmholtz resonator, a representative acoustic element which satisfies the “long wavelength theory”, consists of a neck part and a cavity part. The Helmholtz resonators can absorb certain frequencies of sound through resonance. To exhibit attenuation properties at ultrasound range, the Helmholtz resonator should be made into a microscale since Helmholtz resonators should satisfy the “long wavelength approximation”. In this study, Helmholtz resonator inspired acoustic elements were fabricated using MEMS technology, and acoustic attenuation experiments in a water bath were conducted using various shapes and materials. As a result, the fabricated samples showed admirable attenuation properties up to ~13 dB mm−1 at 1 MHz. The results were analyzed to derive the necessary conditions for the fabrication of acoustic elements with acoustic attenuation properties in ultrasound range.
Editorial for the Special Issue on Micro- and Nano-Fabrication by Metal Assisted Chemical Etching
Authors: Romano Lucia
Published: November 2020

Discovered by Li and Bohn in 2000 [...]
A Powerful LAMP Weapon against the Threat of the Quarantine Plant Pathogen Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens
Authors: Tegli Stefania , Biancalani Carola , Ignatov Aleksandr N. , Osdaghi Ebrahim
Published: November 2020

Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens (Cff) is a Gram-positive phytopathogenic bacterium attacking leguminous crops and causing systemic diseases such as the bacterial wilt of beans and bacterial spot of soybeans. Since the early 20th century, Cff is reported to be present in North America, where it still causes high economic losses. Currently, Cff is an emerging plant pathogen, rapidly spreading worldwide and occurring in many bean-producing countries. Infected seeds are the main dissemination pathway for Cff, both over short and long distances. Cff remains viable in the seeds for long times, even in field conditions. According to the most recent EU legislation, Cff is included among the quarantine pests not known to occur in the Union territory, and for which the phytosanitary inspection consists mainly of the visual examination of imported bean seeds. The seedborne nature of Cff combined with the globalization of trades urgently call for the implementation of a highly specific diagnostic test for Cff, to be routinely and easily used at the official ports of entry and into the fields. This paper reports the development of a LAMP (Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification) specific for Cff, that allows the detection of Cff in infected seeds, both by fluorescence and visual monitoring, after 30 min of reaction and with a detection limit at around 4 fg/μL of pure Cff genomic DNA.
Influence of Biofortified Colored Wheats (Purple, Blue, Black) on Physicochemical, Antioxidant and Sensory Characteristics of Chapatti (Indian Flatbread)
Authors: Kumari Anita , Sharma Saloni , Sharma Natasha , Chunduri Venkatesh , Kapoor Payal , Kaur Satveer , Goyal Ajay , Garg Monika
Published: November 2020

Biofortified colored wheat (black, blue, and purple) is rich in anthocyanins and phenolic acid compounds that impart positive physiological effects in humans. A large proportion of wheat is consumed in the form of Chapatti in Asian countries. The effect of chapatti cooking on the proximate composition, bioactive compounds (anthocyanins and phenolics), and antioxidant activities of these wheat varieties were checked in this study. Apart from acceptable sensory parameters, good taste, and soft texture of chapatti, biofortified colored wheat chapatti and flour had higher dietary fibers, protein content, and lower carbohydrate content. Higher soluble and insoluble phenolic compounds, anthocyanin content, and antioxidant activity were in the order of black > blue > purple > white. Chapatti making has reduced their antioxidant activity and anthocyanin content in comparison to flour. Moreover, the reduction in antioxidant activity is less as compared to the decrease in anthocyanin content. Our results suggest that colored wheat can be a better alternative to normal wheat for preparing chapatti as it would have additional health-promoting activities.
Assessing the Impact of Oil Types and Grades on Tocopherol and Tocotrienol Contents in Vegetable Oils with Chemometric Methods
Authors: Wen Yunqi , Xu Lili , Xue Changhu , Jiang Xiaoming , Wei Zihao
Published: November 2020

The consumption of vegetable oil is an important way for the body to obtain tocols. However, the impact of oil types and grades on the tocopherol and tocotrienol contents in vegetable oils is unclear. In this study, nine types of traditional edible oils and ten types of self-produced new types of vegetable oil were used to analyze eight kinds of tocols. The results showed that the oil types exerted a great impact on the tocol content of traditional edible oils. Soybean oils, corn oils, and rapeseed oils all could be well distinguished from sunflower oils. Both sunflower oils and cotton seed oils showed major differences from camellia oils as well as sesame oils. Among them, rice bran oils contained the most abundant types of tocols. New types of oil, especially sacha inchi oil, have provided a new approach to obtaining oils with a high tocol content. Oil refinement leads to the loss of tocols in vegetable oil, and the degree of oil refinement determines the oil grade. However, the oil grade could not imply the final tocol content in oil from market. This study could be beneficial for the oil industry and dietary nutrition.
Development of In Vitro Corneal Models: Opportunity for Pharmacological Testing
Authors: Citi Valentina , Piragine Eugenia , Brogi Simone , Ottino Sara , Calderone Vincenzo
Published: November 2020

The human eye is a specialized organ with a complex anatomy and physiology, because it is characterized by different cell types with specific physiological functions. Given the complexity of the eye, ocular tissues are finely organized and orchestrated. In the last few years, many in vitro models have been developed in order to meet the 3Rs principle (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) for eye toxicity testing. This procedure is highly necessary to ensure that the risks associated with ophthalmic products meet appropriate safety criteria. In vitro preclinical testing is now a well-established practice of significant importance for evaluating the efficacy and safety of cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical products. Along with in vitro testing, also computational procedures, herein described, for evaluating the pharmacological profile of potential ocular drug candidates including their toxicity, are in rapid expansion. In this review, the ocular cell types and functionality are described, providing an overview about the scientific challenge for the development of three-dimensional (3D) in vitro models.
From Single-Core Nanoparticles in Ferrofluids to Multi-Core Magnetic Nanocomposites: Assembly Strategies, Structure, and Magnetic Behavior
Authors: Krasia-Christoforou Theodora , Socoliuc Vlad , Knudsen Kenneth D. , Tombácz Etelka , Turcu Rodica , Vékás Ladislau
Published: November 2020

Iron oxide nanoparticles are the basic components of the most promising magnetoresponsive nanoparticle systems for medical (diagnosis and therapy) and bio-related applications. Multi-core iron oxide nanoparticles with a high magnetic moment and well-defined size, shape, and functional coating are designed to fulfill the specific requirements of various biomedical applications, such as contrast agents, heating mediators, drug targeting, or magnetic bioseparation. This review article summarizes recent results in manufacturing multi-core magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) systems emphasizing the synthesis procedures, starting from ferrofluids (with single-core MNPs) as primary materials in various assembly methods to obtain multi-core magnetic particles. The synthesis and functionalization will be followed by the results of advanced physicochemical, structural, and magnetic characterization of multi-core particles, as well as single- and multi-core particle size distribution, morphology, internal structure, agglomerate formation processes, and constant and variable field magnetic properties. The review provides a comprehensive insight into the controlled synthesis and advanced structural and magnetic characterization of multi-core magnetic composites envisaged for nanomedicine and biotechnology.
Role of Substrate in Au Nanoparticle Decoration by Electroless Deposition
Authors: Bruno Luca , Urso Mario , Shacham-Diamand Yosi , Priolo Francesco , Mirabella Salvo
Published: November 2020

Decoration of nanostructures is a promising way of improving performances of nanomaterials. In particular, decoration with Au nanoparticles is considerably efficient in sensing and catalysis applications. Here, the mechanism of decoration with Au nanoparticles by means of low-cost electroless deposition (ELD) is investigated on different substrates, demonstrating largely different outcomes. ELD solution with Au potassium cyanide and sodium hypophosphite, at constant temperature (80 °C) and pH (7.5), is used to decorate by immersion metal (Ni) or semiconductor (Si, NiO) substrates, as well as NiO nanowalls. All substrates were pre-treated with a hydrazine hydrate bath. Scanning electron microscopy and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry were used to quantitatively analyze the amount, shape and size of deposited Au. Au nanoparticle decoration by ELD is greatly affected by the substrates, leading to a fast film deposition onto metallic substrate, or to a slow cluster (50–200 nm sized) formation on semiconducting substrate. Size and density of resulting Au clusters strongly depend on substrate material and morphology. Au ELD is shown to proceed through a galvanic displacement on Ni substrate, and it can be modeled with a local cell mechanism widely affected by the substrate conductivity at surface. These data are presented and discussed, allowing for cheap and reproducible Au nanoparticle decoration on several substrates.
Atomic Layer Deposition of Mixed-Layered Aurivillius Phase on TiO2 Nanotubes: Synthesis, Characterization and Photoelectrocatalytic Properties
Authors: Orudzhev Farid , Ramazanov Shikhgasan , Sobola Dinara , Isaev Abdulgalim , Wang Chuanyi , Magomedova Asiyat , Kadiev Makhmud , Kaviyarasu Kasinathan
Published: November 2020

For the first time, one-dimensional phase-modulated structures consisting of two different layered Aurivillius phases with alternating five and six perovskite-like layers were obtained by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on the surface of TiO2 nanotubes (Nt). It was shown that the use of vertically oriented TiO2 Nt as the substrate and the ALD technology of a two-layer Bi2O3-FeOx sandwich-structure make it possible to obtain a layered structure due to self-organization during annealing. A detailed study by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that the coating is conformal. Raman spectroscopic analysis indicated the structure of the layered Aurivillius phases. Transient photocurrent responses under Ultraviolet–Visible (UV-Vis) light irradiation show that the ALD coating benefits the efficiency of photon excitation of electrons. The results of the photoelectrocatalytic experiments (PEC) with methyl orange degradation as a model demonstrate the significant potential of the synthesized structure as a photocatalyst. Photoluminescent measurement showed a decrease in the probability of recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs for ALD-coated TiO2 Nt, which demonstrates the high potential of these structures for use in photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical applications.
The Effect of Surface Modification of Gold Nanotriangles for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Performance
Authors: Koetz Joachim
Published: November 2020

A surface modification of ultraflat gold nanotriangles (AuNTs) with different shaped nanoparticles is of special relevance for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and the photo-catalytic activity of plasmonic substrates. Therefore, different approaches are used to verify the flat platelet morphology of the AuNTs by oriented overgrowth with metal nanoparticles. The most important part for the morphological transformation of the AuNTs is the coating layer, containing surfactants or polymers. By using well established AuNTs stabilized by a dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (AOT) bilayer, different strategies of surface modification with noble metal nanoparticles are possible. On the one hand undulated superstructures were synthesized by in situ growth of hemispherical gold nanoparticles in the polyethyleneimine (PEI)-coated AOT bilayer of the AuNTs. On the other hand spiked AuNTs were obtained by a direct reduction of Au3+ ions in the AOT double layer in presence of silver ions and ascorbic acid as reducing agent. Additionally, crumble topping of the smooth AuNTs can be realized after an exchange of the AOT bilayer by hyaluronic acid, followed by a silver-ion mediated reduction with ascorbic acid. Furthermore, a decoration with silver nanoparticles after coating the AOT bilayer with the cationic surfactant benzylhexadecyldimethylammonium chloride (BDAC) can be realized. In that case the ultraviolet (UV)-absorption of the undulated Au@Ag nanoplatelets can be tuned depending on the degree of decoration with silver nanoparticles. Comparing the Raman scattering data for the plasmon driven dimerization of 4-nitrothiophenol (4-NTP) to 4,4′-dimercaptoazobenzene (DMAB) one can conclude that the most important effect of surface modification with a 75 times higher enhancement factor in SERS experiments becomes available by decoration with gold spikes.
Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease with Low and Very Low GFR: Can a Low-Protein Diet Supplemented with Ketoanalogues Delay Dialysis?
Authors: Yen Chieh-Li , Fan Pei-Chun , Lee Cheng-Chia , Kuo George , Tu Kun-Hua , Chen Jia-Jin , Lee Tao-Han , Hsu Hsiang-Hao , Tian Ya-Chun , Chang Chih-Hsiang
Published: November 2020

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated that dietary therapy can delay the initiation of dialysis, but little research has investigated whether patients with very poor renal function would benefit from a dietary therapy. Methods: This study was performed by using the Chang Gung Research Database (CGRD), which is based on the largest medical system in Taiwan. Patients with estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) < 15 mL/min/1.73 m2 between 2001 and 2015 with more than 3 months of low-protein diet supplemented with ketoanalogues (sLPD) were extracted (Ketosteril group). We then assigned five patients without any sLPD to match one patient of the Ketosteril group (comparison group). Both groups were followed up for 1 year for the initiation of dialysis and rates of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs). Results: The Ketosteril group (n = 547), compared with the comparison group (n = 2735), exhibited a lower incidence of new-onset dialysis (40.2% vs. 44.4%, subdistribution hazard ratio (SHR): 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.70–0.91) and MACCEs (3.7% vs. 5.9%, HR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.38–0.97). The beneficial effect of an sLPD did not differ in patients with a baseline eGFR < 5 mL/min/1.73 m2. Conclusion: Even among patients with extremely low eGFR, sLPD treatment can safely delay the need for dialysis.
Bee Venom: An Updating Review of Its Bioactive Molecules and Its Health Applications
Authors: Carpena Maria , Nuñez-Estevez Bernabe , Soria-Lopez Anton , Simal-Gandara Jesus
Published: November 2020

Bee venom (BV) is usually associated with pain since, when humans are stung by bees, local inflammation and even an allergic reaction can be produced. BV has been traditionally used in ancient medicine and in acupuncture. It consists of a mixture of substances, principally of proteins and peptides, including enzymes as well as other types of molecules in a very low concentration. Melittin and phospholipase A2 (PLA2) are the most abundant and studied compounds of BV. Literature of the main biological activities exerted by BV shows that most studies focuses on the comprehension and test of anti-inflammatory effects and its mechanisms of action. Other properties such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, neuroprotective or antitumor effects have also been assessed, both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, human trials are necessary to confirm those clinical applications. However, notwithstanding the therapeutic potential of BV, there are certain problems regarding its safety and the possible appearance of adverse effects. On this perspective, new approaches have been developed to avoid these complications. This manuscript is aimed at reviewing the actual knowledge on BV components and its associated biological activities as well as the latest advances on this subject.
CancerGram: An Effective Classifier for Differentiating Anticancer from Antimicrobial Peptides
Authors: Burdukiewicz Michał , Sidorczuk Katarzyna , Rafacz Dominik , Pietluch Filip , Bąkała Mateusz , Słowik Jadwiga , Gagat Przemysław
Published: November 2020

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) constitute a diverse group of bioactive molecules that provide multicellular organisms with protection against microorganisms, and microorganisms with weaponry for competition. Some AMPs can target cancer cells; thus, they are called anticancer peptides (ACPs). Due to their small size, positive charge, hydrophobicity and amphipathicity, AMPs and ACPs interact with negatively charged components of biological membranes. AMPs preferentially permeabilize microbial membranes, but ACPs additionally target mitochondrial and plasma membranes of cancer cells. The preference towards mitochondrial membranes is explained by their membrane potential, membrane composition resulting from α-proteobacterial origin and the fact that mitochondrial targeting signals could have evolved from AMPs. Taking into account the therapeutic potential of ACPs and millions of deaths due to cancer annually, it is of vital importance to find new cationic peptides that selectively destroy cancer cells. Therefore, to reduce the costs of experimental research, we have created a robust computational tool, CancerGram, that uses n-grams and random forests for predicting ACPs. Compared to other ACP classifiers, CancerGram is the first three-class model that effectively classifies peptides into: ACPs, AMPs and non-ACPs/non-AMPs, with AU1U amounting to 0.89 and a Kappa statistic of 0.65. CancerGram is available as a web server and R package on GitHub.
Double-Crosslinked Polyurethane Acrylate for Highly Conductive and Stable Polymer Electrolyte
Authors: Kim Han-Na , Kim Kyung-Geun , Jeong Yeon Uk , Kim Sung Yeol
Published: November 2020

High ionic conductivity and good stability are major factors that influence the use of polymer electrolytes in electrochemical storage and conversion devices. In this study, we present polyurethane acrylate (PUA) membranes having enhanced ionic conductivity and swelling stability by double crosslinking the polyurethane (PU) and polyacrylate (PA) compartments. The crosslinking agent concentration was varied to control their mechanical properties, swelling stability, and ionic conductivity. Under optimum conditions, the electrolyte uptake of the double-crosslinked PUA membranes without notable defects was 245%. The maximum ionic conductivity of these membranes reached 9.6 mS/cm, which was higher than those with respect to most of the previously reported PUA- or PU-based polymer electrolytes.
Poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide)-Functional Silicon Nanocrystals for Thermosensitive Fluorescence Cellar Imaging
Authors: Li Yiting , Zhang Lihui , Shi Youhong , Huang Jialing , Yang Yaqiong , Ming Dengming
Published: November 2020

Silicon nanocrystals (Si NCs) have received surging interest as a type of quantum dot (QD) due to the availability of silicon in nature, tunable fluorescence emission properties and excellent biocompatibility. More importantly, compared with many group II–VI and III–V based QDs, they have low toxicity. Here, thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm)-functional Si NCs were firstly prepared for thermoresponsive detection of cancer cells. Si NCs were prepared under normal pressure with excellent water solubility. Then folic acid was bonded to the silicon nanocrystals through the reaction of amino and carboxyl groups for specific recognition of cancer cells. The folic-acid-modified silicon crystals (Si NCs-FA) could be modified by a one-pot copolymerization process into PNIPAAm nanospheres during the monomer polymerization process (i.e., Si NCs-FA-PNIPAAm) just by controlling the temperature below the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) and above the LCST. The results showed that the Si-FA-PNIAAm nanospheres exhibited not only reversible temperature-responsive on-off fluorescence properties, but also can be used as temperature indicators in cancer cells.
Fabrication of Macroporous Nafion Membrane from Silica Crystal for Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite Actuator
Authors: Zhang Xiaojun , Wang Man , Li Manhong , Zhang Minglu , Zhang Chengwei
Published: November 2020

Nafion membrane with macropores is synthesized from silica crystal and composited with Pt nanoparticles to fabricate macroporous ionic polymer-metal composite (M-IPMC) actuator. M-IPMC shows highly dispersed small Pt nanoparticles on the porous walls of Nafion membrane. After the electromechanical performance test, M-IPMC actuator demonstrates a maximum displacement output of 19.8 mm and a maximum blocking force of 8.1 mN, far better than that of IPMC actuator without macroporous structure (9.6 mm and 2.8 mN) at low voltages (5.8–7.0 V). The good electromechanical performance can be attributed to interconnected macropores that can improve the charge transport during the actuation process and can allow the Pt nanoparticles to firmly adsorb, leading to a good electromechanical property.
The Sexual Abuse Crisis in the US, Its Effect on Catholic Youth Ministry, and a Way Forward Through Relational Ministry Utilizing the Developmental Relationships Framework
Authors: Miller Chris
Published: November 2020

The sexual abuse crisis that has rocked the Catholic Church in recent decades has resulted in one major unintended casualty: creating a skeptical distance in the relationship between adult leaders and youth. This article provides a short history of the abuse scandal in the US and discusses the reforms and repercussions of the Dallas Charter, in conjunction with the relationships between adult leaders and youth. By incorporating the five aspects of the Developmental Relationships Framework into youth programs, ministers and volunteers will have the means to provide tangible action items for developing positive relationships with young people. These five items include expressing care, challenging growth, providing support, sharing power, and expanding possibilities.
Characterization of the Far Infrared Properties and Radiative Forcing of Antarctic Ice and Water Clouds Exploiting the Spectrometer-LiDAR Synergy
Authors: Di Natale Gianluca , Bianchini Giovanni , Del Guasta Massimo , Ridolfi Marco , Maestri Tiziano , Cossich William , Magurno Davide , Palchetti Luca
Published: November 2020

Optical and microphysical cloud properties are retrieved from measurements acquired in 2013 and 2014 at the Concordia base station in the Antarctic Plateau. Two sensors are used synergistically: a Fourier transform spectroradiometer named REFIR-PAD (Radiation Explorer in Far Infrared-Prototype for Applications and Developments) and a backscattering-depolarization LiDAR. First, in order to identify the cloudy scenes and assess the cloud thermodynamic phase, the REFIR-PAD spectral radiances are ingested by a machine learning algorithm called Cloud Identification and Classification (CIC). For each of the identified cloudy scenes, the nearest (in time) LiDAR backscattering profile is processed by the Polar Threshold (PT) algorithm that allows derivation of the cloud top and bottom heights. Subsequently, using the CIC and PT results as external constraints, the Simultaneous Atmospheric and Clouds Retrieval (SACR) code is applied to the REFIR-PAD spectral radiances. SACR simultaneously retrieves cloud optical depth and effective dimensions and atmospheric vertical profiles of water vapor and temperature. The analysis determines an average effective diameter of 28 μm with an optical depth of 0.76 for the ice clouds. Water clouds are only detected during the austral Summer, and the retrieved properties provide an average droplet diameter of 9 μm and average optical depth equal to four. The estimated retrieval error is about 1% for the ice crystal/droplet size and 2% for the cloud optical depth. The sensitivity of the retrieved parameters to the assumed crystal shape is also assessed. New parametrizations of the optical depth and the longwave downwelling forcing for Antarctic ice and water clouds, as a function of the ice/liquid water path, are presented. The longwave downwelling flux, computed from the top of the atmosphere to the surface, ranges between 70 and 220 W/m2. The estimated cloud longwave forcing at the surface is (31 ± 7) W/m2 and (29 ± 6) W/m2 for ice clouds and (64 ± 12) and (62 ± 11) W/m2 for water clouds, in 2013 and 2014, respectively. The total average cloud forcing for the two years investigated is (46 ± 9) W/m2.
A Conditional Probability Interpolation Method Based on a Space-Time Cube for MODIS Snow Cover Products Gap Filling
Authors: Chen Siyong , Wang Xiaoyan , Guo Hui , Xie Peiyao , Wang Jian , Hao Xiaohua
Published: November 2020

Seasonal snow cover is closely related to regional climate and hydrological processes. In this study, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) daily snow cover products from 2001 to 2018 were applied to analyze the snow cover variation in northern Xinjiang, China. As cloud obscuration causes significant spatiotemporal discontinuities in the binary snow cover extent (SCE), we propose a conditional probability interpolation method based on a space-time cube (STCPI) to remove clouds completely after combining Terra and Aqua data. First, the conditional probability that the central pixel and every neighboring pixel in a space-time cube of 5 × 5 × 5 with the same snow condition is counted. Then the snow probability of the cloud pixels reclassified as snow is calculated based on the space-time cube. Finally, the snow condition of the cloud pixels can be recovered by snow probability. The validation experiments with the cloud assumption indicate that STCPI can remove clouds completely and achieve an overall accuracy of 97.44% under different cloud fractions. The generated daily cloud-free MODIS SCE products have a high agreement with the Landsat–8 OLI image, for which the overall accuracy is 90.34%. The snow cover variation in northern Xinjiang, China, from 2001 to 2018 was investigated based on the snow cover area (SCA) and snow cover days (SCD). The results show that the interannual change of SCA gradually decreases as the elevation increases, and the SCD and elevation have a positive correlation. Furthermore, the interannual SCD variation shows that the area of increase is higher than that of decrease during the 18 years.
Spatio-Temporal Evaluation of Water Storage Trends from Hydrological Models over Australia Using GRACE Mascon Solutions
Authors: Yang Xinchun , Tian Siyuan , Feng Wei , Ran Jiangjun , You Wei , Jiang Zhongshan , Gong Xiaoying
Published: November 2020

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) data have been extensively used to evaluate the total terrestrial water storage anomalies (TWSA) from hydrological models. However, which individual water storage components (i.e., soil moisture storage anomalies (SMSA) or groundwater water storage anomalies (GWSA)) cause the discrepancies in TWSA between GRACE and hydrological models have not been thoroughly investigated or quantified. In this study, we applied GRACE mass concentration block (mascon) solutions to evaluate the spatio-temporal TWSA trends (2003–2014) from seven prevailing hydrological models (i.e., Noah-3.6, Catchment Land Surface Model (CLSM-F2.5), Variable Infiltration Capacity macroscale model (VIC-4.1.2), Water—Global Assessment and Prognosis (WaterGAP-2.2d), PCRaster Global Water Balance (PCR-GLOBWB-2), Community Land Model (CLM-4.5), and Australian Water Resources Assessment Landscape model (AWRA-L v6)) in Australia and, more importantly, identified which individual water storage components lead to the differences in TWSA trends between GRACE and hydrological models. The results showed that all of the hydrological models employed in this study, except for CLM-4.5 model, underestimated the GRACE-derived TWSA trends. These underestimations can be divided into three categories: (1) ignoring GWSA, e.g., Noah-3.6 and VIC-4.1.2 models; (2) underrating both SMSA and GWSA, e.g., CLSM-F2.5, WaterGAP-2.2d, and PCR-GLOBWB-2 models; (3) deficiently modeling GWSA, e.g., AWRA-L v6 model. In comparison, CLM-4.5 model yielded the best agreement with GRACE but overstated the GRACE-derived TWSA trends due to the overestimation of GWSA. Our results underscore that GRACE mascon solutions can be used as a valuable and efficient validation dataset to evaluate the spatio-temporal performance of hydrological models. Confirming which individual water storage components result in the discrepancies in TWSA between GRACE and hydrological models can better assist in further hydrological model development.
Recent Ground Subsidence in the North China Plain, China, Revealed by Sentinel-1A Datasets
Authors: Shi Min , Gong Huili , Gao Mingliang , Chen Beibei , Zhang Shunkang , Zhou Chaofan
Published: November 2020

Groundwater resources have been exploited and utilized on a large scale in the North China Plain (NCP) since the 1970s. As a result of extensive groundwater depletion, the NCP has experienced significant land subsidence, which threatens geological stability and infrastructure health and exacerbates the risks of other geohazards. In this study, we employed multi-track Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) datasets acquired by the Sentinel-1A (S1A) satellite to detect spatial and temporal distributions of surface deformation in the NCP from 2016 to 2018 based on multi-temporal interferometric synthetic aperture radar (MT-InSAR). The results show that the overall ground displacement ranged from −165.4 mm/yr (subsidence) to 9.9 mm/yr (uplift) with a standard variance of 28.8 mm/yr. During the InSAR monitoring period, the temporal pattern of land subsidence was dominated by a decreasing tendency and the spatial pattern of land subsidence in the coastal plain exhibited an expansion trend. Validation results show that the S1A datasets agree well with levelling data, indicating the reliability of the InSAR results. With groundwater level data, we found that the distribution of subsidence in the NCP is spatially consistent with that of deep groundwater depression cones. A comparison with land use data shows that the agricultural usage of groundwater is the dominant mechanism responsible for land subsidence in the whole study area. Through an integrated analysis of land subsidence distribution characteristics, geological data, and previous research results, we found that other triggering factors, such as active faults, precipitation recharge, urbanization, and oil/gas extraction, have also impacted land subsidence in the NCP to different degrees.
Unplanned Natural Experiments: The Case of Remote Sensing of Primary Production and Its Environmental Correlations in the Negev
Authors: Prince Stephen D. , Jackson Hasan
Published: November 2020

Studies of the correlations of environmental factors with vegetation growth using remotely sensed measurements are necessarily made against a background of biophysical and anthropogenic factors, such as local fertility, microclimate, and the effects of human land use, in addition to the factors of interest. This is an inevitable outcome of a natural (unplanned) design where the effects of the factors of interest are confounded with other, often unknown factors, possibly rendering the results inaccurate or poorly-constrained. The problems associated with a natural design would be reduced if sites could be identified in which uncontrolled variables had no impact. However, rarely are such sites known a priori. Here, a component of the net primary production (NPP) local scaling (LNS) method was used to estimate the potential NPP in the absence of confounding factors. Subsequent analyses of the effects of the selected environmental variables were carried out using the potential NPP. The method was tested in relation to NPP along the transitional ecotone from desert to semiarid conditions in the northern Negev, Israel. The effects of four environmental factors were tested: precipitation, topography, land cover, and interannual variability. While precipitation is generally the only environmental variable that is considered in drylands, the other factors were found to be significant. The results provided unambiguous evidence of the value of the method.
Multiple Power Allocation Game Schemes for Spectrum Coexistence Model Between Multistatic MIMO Radar Sensors and MU Communication
Authors: He Bin , Su Hongtao
Published: November 2020

The normal operations of radar systems and communication systems under the condition of spectrum coexistence are facing a huge challenge. This paper uses game theory to study power allocation problems between multistatic multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radars and downlink communication. In the case of spectrum coexistence, radars, base station (BS) and multi-user (MU) have the working state of receiving and transmitting signals, which can cause unnecessary interferences to different systems. Therefore, when they work together, they should try to suppress mutual interferences. Firstly, the signal from BS is considered as interference when radar detects and tracks targets. A supermodular power allocation game (PAG) model is established and the existence and uniqueness of the Nash equilibrium (NE) in this game are proved. In addition, the power allocation problem from BS to MU is also analyzed, and two Stackelberg PAG models are constructed. It is proved that the NE of each game exists and is unique. Simultaneously, two Stackelberg power allocation iterative algorithms converge to the NEs. Finally, numerical results verify the convergence of the proposed PAG algorithms.
Lightweight PVIDNet: A Priority Vehicles Detection Network Model Based on Deep Learning for Intelligent Traffic Lights
Authors: Carvalho Barbosa Rodrigo , Shoaib Ayub Muhammad , Lopes Rosa Renata , Zegarra Rodríguez Demóstenes , Wuttisittikulkij Lunchakorn
Published: November 2020

Minimizing human intervention in engines, such as traffic lights, through automatic applications and sensors has been the focus of many studies. Thus, Deep Learning (DL) algorithms have been studied for traffic signs and vehicle identification in an urban traffic context. However, there is a lack of priority vehicle classification algorithms with high accuracy, fast processing, and a lightweight solution. For filling those gaps, a vehicle detection system is proposed, which is integrated with an intelligent traffic light. Thus, this work proposes (1) a novel vehicle detection model named Priority Vehicle Image Detection Network (PVIDNet), based on YOLOV3, (2) a lightweight design strategy for the PVIDNet model using an activation function to decrease the execution time of the proposed model, (3) a traffic control algorithm based on the Brazilian Traffic Code, and (4) a database containing Brazilian vehicle images. The effectiveness of the proposed solutions were evaluated using the Simulation of Urban MObility (SUMO) tool. Results show that PVIDNet reached an accuracy higher than 0.95, and the waiting time of priority vehicles was reduced by up to 50%, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed solution.
Inertial Sensors—Applications and Challenges in a Nutshell
Authors: Seel Thomas , Kok Manon , McGinnis Ryan S.
Published: November 2020

This editorial provides a concise introduction to the methods and applications of inertial sensors. We briefly describe the main characteristics of inertial sensors and highlight the broad range of applications as well as the methodological challenges. Finally, for the reader’s guidance, we give a succinct overview of the papers included in this special issue.