bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Climate Conditions on TP Outsourcing in Lake Kinneret (Israel)
Authors: Gophen Moshe
Published: September 2021

Since the mid-1980s, significant changes in climate conditions have occurred, and trends of dryness in the Kinneret drainage basin have been documented, including a temperature increase and precipitation decline. The precipitation decline, and consequently the reduction in river discharge, resulted in a decrease in TP (total phosphorus) flux into Lake Kinneret. After the drainage of the Hula natural wetlands and old Lake Hula during the 1950s, the ecological characteristics of the Hula Valley were modified. Nutrient fluxes downstream into Lake Kinneret were therefore predicted. The impacts of climate conditions (precipitation and discharge) on TP (total phosphorus) outsourcing through erosive action are significant: higher and lower discharge enhances and reduces TP load, respectively. The total TP flushing range from the Hula Valley peat soil through the subterranean medium and where TP is directed are not precisely known but are probably outside Lake Kinneret. Most runoff water and mediated TP originates from bedrock through erosive action. Long-term records of TP concentrations in headwaters and potential resources in the Hula Valley confirmed the significant influence of climate conditions on the outsourcing of TP capacity. The impacts of agricultural development, external fertilizer loads and migratory cranes in the winter are probably insignificant.
Self-Aligned Thin-Film Patterning by Area-Selective Etching of Polymers
Authors: Zhang Chao , Leskelä Markku , Ritala Mikko
Published: September 2021

Patterning of thin films with lithography techniques for making semiconductor devices has been facing increasing difficulties with feature sizes shrinking to the sub-10 nm range, and alternatives have been actively sought from area-selective thin film deposition processes. Here, an entirely new method is introduced to self-aligned thin-film patterning: area-selective gas-phase etching of polymers. The etching reactions are selective to the materials underneath the polymers. Either O2 or H2 can be used as an etchant gas. After diffusing through the polymer film to the catalytic surfaces, the etchant gas molecules are dissociated into their respective atoms, which then readily react with the polymer, etching it away. On noncatalytic surfaces, the polymer film remains. For example, polyimide and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) were selectively oxidatively removed at 300 °C from Pt and Ru, while on SiO2 they stayed. CeO2 also showed a clear catalytic effect for the oxidative removal of PMMA. In H2, the most active surfaces catalysing the hydrogenolysis of PMMA were Cu and Ti. The area-selective etching of polyimide from Pt was followed by area-selective atomic layer deposition of iridium using the patterned polymer as a growth-inhibiting layer on SiO2, eventually resulting in dual side-by-side self-aligned formation of metal-on-metal and insulator (polymer)-on-insulator. This demonstrates that when innovatively combined with area-selective thin film deposition and, for example, lift-off patterning processes, self-aligned etching processes will open entirely new possibilities for the fabrication of the most advanced and challenging semiconductor devices.
The Influence of Nanostructured Alumina Coating on Bonding and Optical Properties of Translucent Zirconia Ceramics: In Vitro Evaluation
Authors: Malgaj Tine , Mirt Tadej , Kocjan Andraž , Jevnikar Peter
Published: September 2021

Thin, non-retentive, monolithic restorations fabricated from novel translucent zirconia ceramics are widely used in contemporary dentistry. Because of the chemical inertness of zirconia, debonding of such restorations remains the main clinical complication. Limited evidence on the bonding performance of novel translucent zirconia exists; therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate, in vitro, the shear-bond strength (SBS) of translucent zirconia modified with a nanostructured alumina coating (NAC). The SBS of resin cement to translucent zirconia, materials containing 3, 4 or 5 mol.% of yttria modified with NAC, was measured and related to airborne-particle abraded (APA) zirconia surfaces. Half of each of the specimen groups (n = 20) were subjected to 37,500 thermocycles in water. In addition, to evaluate the effect of NAC on thin translucent zirconia discs (n = 10), the translucency parameter (TP) was measured and compared with APA. The results were statistically analyzed using a t-test and one-way ANOVA. NAC provided higher resin-zirconia SBS compared to APA, not affecting the zirconia optical properties. APA, on the other hand, lowered TP for all types of zirconia. NAC did not impair the mechanical or optical properties of translucent zirconia materials and should be regarded as a zirconia pretreatment alternative to APA.
Smart Interconnected Infrastructures for Security and Protection: The DESMOS Project
Authors: Feidakis Michail , Chatzigeorgiou Christos , Karamperi Christina , Giannakos Lazaros , Xefteris Vasileios-Rafail , Ntioudis Dimos , Tsanousa Athina , Kogias Dimitrios G. , Patrikakis Charalampos , Meditskos Georgios , Gorgogetas Georgios , Vrochidis Stefanos , Kompatsiaris Ioannis
Published: September 2021

This paper presents “DESMOS”, a novel ecosystem for the interconnection of smart infrastructures, mobile and wearable devices, and applications, to provide a secure environment for visitors and tourists. The presented solution brings together state-of-the-art IoT technologies, crowdsourcing, localization through BLE, and semantic reasoning, following a privacy and security-by-design approach to ensure data anonymization and protection. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the solution was tested, validated, and evaluated via two pilots in almost real settings—involving a fewer density of people than planned—in Trikala, Thessaly, Greece. The results and findings support that the presented solutions can provide successful emergency reporting, crowdsourcing, and localization via BLE. However, these results also prompt for improvements in the user interface expressiveness, the application’s effectiveness and accuracy, as well as evaluation in real, overcrowded conditions. The main contribution of this paper is to report on the progress made and to showcase how all these technological solutions can be integrated and applied in realistic and practical scenarios, for the safety and privacy of visitors and tourists.
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Diffusion-Bonded CoCrNi-Based Medium-Entropy Alloy to DD5 Single-Crystal Superalloy Joint
Authors: Li Shiwei , Sun Xianjun , Du Yajie , Peng Yu , Chen Yipeng , Li Zhaoxi , Xiong Jiangtao , Li Jinglong
Published: September 2021

This study focuses on the diffusion bonding of a CoCrNi-based medium-entropy alloy (MEA) to a DD5 single-crystal superalloy. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the joint diffusion-bonded at variable bonding temperatures were investigated. The formation of diffusion zone, mainly composed of the Ni3(Al, Ti)-type γ′ precipitates and Ni-rich MEA matrix, effectively guaranteed the reliable joining of MEA and DD5 substrates. As the bonding temperature increased, so did the width of the diffusion zone, and the interfacial microvoids significantly closed, representing the enhancement of interface bonding. Both tensile strength and elongation of the joint diffusion-bonded at 1110 °C were superior to those of the joints diffusion-bonded at low temperatures (1020, 1050, and 1080 °C), and the maximum tensile strength and elongation of 1045 MPa and 22.7% were obtained. However, elevated temperature produced an adverse effect that appeared as grain coarsening of the MEA substrate. The ductile fracture of the joint occurred in the MEA substrate (1110 °C), whereas the tensile strength was lower than that of the MEA before diffusion bonding (approximately 1.3 GPa).
Comparison of Spatial Structures and Packaging of Phosphorybosil Pyrophosphate Synthetase 2 from Thermus thermophilus HB27 in Rhombohedral and Tetragonal Crystals
Authors: Abramchik Yulia , Zayats Evgeniy , Kostromina Maria , Lykoshin Dmitry , Fateev Ilya , Konstantinova Irina , Zhukhlistova Nadezda , Timofeev Vladimir , Kuranova Inna , Esipov Roman
Published: September 2021

We report the spatial structure of phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate synthetase 2 from the thermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus HB27 (TthPRPPS2) obtained at a 1.85 Å resolution using a diffraction set collected from rhombohedral crystals (space group R32-h), grown with lithium sulfate as a precipitant. This crystal structure was compared with the structure of TthPRPPS2, previously obtained at a 2.2 Å resolution using diffraction sets from the tetragonal crystals (space group P41212), grown with ammonium sulfate as a precipitant. The comparison of these structures allows the study of the differences between protein molecules in both crystalline structures, as well as the packaging of enzyme molecules in crystals of both spatial groups. Our results may contribute to the research of the structural basis of catalytic activity and substrate specificity of this enzyme.
Systematics of the Arboreal Neotropical ‘thorellii’ Clade of Centruroides Bark Scorpions (Buthidae) and the Efficacy of Mini-Barcodes for Museum Specimens
Authors: Goodman Aaron M. , Prendini Lorenzo , Esposito Lauren A.
Published: September 2021

Fragmented and degraded DNA is pervasive among museum specimens, hindering molecular phylogenetics and species identification. Mini-barcodes, 200–300-base-pair (bp) fragments of barcoding genes, have proven effective for species-level identification of specimens from which complete barcodes cannot be obtained in many groups, but have yet to be tested in arachnids. The present study investigated the efficacy of mini-barcodes combined with longer sequences of the Cytochrome c Oxidase Subunit I (COI) gene in the systematics of the arboreal Neotropical ‘thorellii’ clade of Centruroides Marx, 1890 bark scorpions (Buthidae, C.L. Koch 1837), the species of which have proven to be difficult to identify and delimit due to their similar morphology. The phylogeny of 53 terminals, representing all nine species of the clade and representative species belonging to related clades of Centruroides, rooted on Heteroctenus junceus (Herbst, 1800) and based on up to 1078 base pairs of COI and 112 morphological characters, is presented to test the monophyly of the clade and the limits of its component species. The results support the recognition of nine species of the ‘thorellii’ clade, in accordance with a recent taxonomic revision, and highlight the efficacy of mini-barcodes for identifying morphologically similar cryptic species using specimens of variable age and preservation.
Socioecology and Biodiversity Conservation
Authors: Ortega-Rubio Alfredo , Olmos-Martínez Elizabeth , Blázquez María Carmen
Published: September 2021

The discipline of Socioecological Systems (SES) was conceptualized in 1998 with the intention of understanding the effects of human activities on natural ecosystems by analyzing resilience in local resource management systems [...]
Comparison of Humoral and Cellular CMV Immunity in Patients Awaiting Kidney Transplantation
Authors: Lindemann Monika , Wilde Benjamin , Friebus-Kardash Justa , Gäckler Anja , Witzke Oliver , Dittmer Ulf , Horn Peter A. , Kribben Andreas , Mülling Nils , Eisenberger Ute
Published: September 2021

Chronic kidney disease may alter antiviral T cell immunity. In the current study, we assessed in 63 patients prior to kidney transplantation how humoral and cellular immunity against cytomegalovirus (CMV) correlated using an interferon (IFN)-γ ELISpot (T-Track® CMV, Mikrogen, Neuried, Germany). The cohort comprised 24 patients with negative and 39 with positive CMV IgG. Whereas none of the patients with negative CMV IgG showed detectable responses to the T-Track® CMV, 26 out of 39 patients with positive CMV IgG had positive ELISpot responses. The median response to CMV pp65 in the CMV seronegative group was 0 spot forming units (SFU) per 200,000 PBMC (range 0–1) and in the seropositive group 43 SFU (range 0–750). Thus, 13 out of 39 patients with positive CMV serostatus (33%) had undetectable T cell immunity and may be at an increased risk of CMV reactivation. CMV pp65-specific ELISpot responses were 29.3-fold higher in seropositive patients with vs. without dialysis and 5.6-fold higher in patients with vs. without immunosuppressive therapy, but patients with dialysis and immunosuppressive therapy showed, as expected, lower responses to phytohemagglutinin, the positive control. This finding may be caused by (subclinical) CMV-DNAemia and a “booster” of CMV-specific T cells.
The Effect of Block Class Scheduling on the Achievements of Primary School Students in Nature and Biology Classes
Authors: Labak Irena , Sertić Perić Mirela , Radanović Ines
Published: September 2021

The objective of this study was to investigate whether the class scheduling of Nature and Biology classes in blocks results in better learning success for primary school students, and whether this depends on the average student success rate (i.e., student performance categories), age, or prior knowledge. For this study, we have assumed that block scheduling results in better success rates for older lower-performing primary-school students. The research included 773 fifth- to eighth-grade students from 14 Croatian primary schools. The students fell into two groups: one group attending 45-min Nature and Biology lessons twice a week (single-scheduled classes), and another group attending a 90-min lesson once a week (block-scheduled class). To assess the level of student learning success, all students underwent both an initial and final written exam in Nature and/or Biology, specific to each grade. The rmANOVA proved that there was a significant interaction among class scheduling, performance categories, and the initial and final written exam scores of fifth- and seventh-grade students. Such a correlation was not found among the sixth- and eighth-grade students. Our findings further indicate that students achieve better results in block-scheduled classes at the end of primary school education, and that block class scheduling does not necessarily result in improved student achievement, particularly in lower-performing students.
A Study on an Enhanced Autonomous Driving Simulation Model Based on Reinforcement Learning Using a Collision Prevention Model
Authors: Kim Jong-Hoon , Huh Jun-Ho , Jung Se-Hoon , Sim Chun-Bo
Published: September 2021

This paper set out to revise and improve existing autonomous driving models using reinforcement learning, thus proposing a reinforced autonomous driving prediction model. The paper conducted training for a reinforcement learning model using DQN, a reinforcement learning algorithm. The main aim of this paper was to reduce the time spent on training and improve self-driving performance. Rewards for reinforcement learning agents were developed to mimic human driving behavior as much as possible. High rewards were given for greater distance travelled within lanes and higher speed. Negative rewards were given when a vehicle crossed into other lanes or had a collision. Performance evaluation was carried out in urban environments without pedestrians. The performance test results show that the model with the collision prevention model exhibited faster performance improvement within the same time compared to when the model was not applied. However, vulnerabilities to factors such as pedestrians and vehicles approaching from the side were not addressed, and the lack of stability in the definition of compensation functions and limitations with respect to the excessive use of memory were shown.
An Efficient FPGA-Based Convolutional Neural Network for Classification: Ad-MobileNet
Authors: Bouguezzi Safa , Fredj Hana Ben , Belabed Tarek , Valderrama Carlos , Faiedh Hassene , Souani Chokri
Published: September 2021

Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) continue to dominate research in the area of hardware acceleration using Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA), proving its effectiveness in a variety of computer vision applications such as object segmentation, image classification, face detection, and traffic signs recognition, among others. However, there are numerous constraints for deploying CNNs on FPGA, including limited on-chip memory, CNN size, and configuration parameters. This paper introduces Ad-MobileNet, an advanced CNN model inspired by the baseline MobileNet model. The proposed model uses an Ad-depth engine, which is an improved version of the depth-wise separable convolution unit. Moreover, we propose an FPGA-based implementation model that supports the Mish, TanhExp, and ReLU activation functions. The experimental results using the CIFAR-10 dataset show that our Ad-MobileNet has a classification accuracy of 88.76% while requiring little computational hardware resources. Compared to state-of-the-art methods, our proposed method has a fairly high recognition rate while using fewer computational hardware resources. Indeed, the proposed model helps to reduce hardware resources by more than 41% compared to that of the baseline model.
Optimization of the AODV-Based Packet Forwarding Mechanism for BLE Mesh Networks
Authors: Ghori Muhammad Rizwan , Wan Tat-Chee , Sodhy Gian Chand , Rizwan Amna
Published: September 2021

The standard Bluetooth Low-Energy mesh networks assume the use of flooding for multihop communications. The flooding approach causes network overheads and delays due to continuous message broadcasting in the absence of a routing mechanism. Among the routing protocols, AODV is one of the most popular and robust routing protocol for wireless ad hoc networks. In this paper, we optimized the AODV protocol for Bluetooth Low-Energy communication to make it more efficient in comparison to the mesh protocol. With the proposed protocol (Optimized AODV (O-AODV)), we were able to achieve lower overheads, end-to-end delay, and average per-hop one-way delay in comparison to the BLE mesh (flooding) protocol and AODV protocol for all three scenarios (linear topology with ten nodes, multipath topology with six and ten nodes). In addition, the proposed protocol exhibited practically constant route requests and route reply setup times. Furthermore, the proposed protocol demonstrated a better Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR) for O-AODV (84%) in comparison to AODV (71%), but lower than the PDR of the mesh (flooding) protocol with 93%.
Generating Music Transition by Using a Transformer-Based Model
Authors: Hsu Jia-Lien , Chang Shuh-Jiun
Published: September 2021

With the prevalence of online video-sharing platforms increasing in recent years, many people have started to create their own videos and upload them onto the Internet. In filmmaking, background music is also one of the major elements besides the footage. With matching background music, a video can not only convey information, but also immerse the viewers in the setting of a story. There is often not only one piece of background music, but several, which is why audio editing and music production software are required. However, music editing is a professional expertise, and it can be hard for amateur creators to compose ideal pieces for the video. At the same time, there are some online audio libraries and music archives for sharing audio/music samples. For beginners, one possible way to compose background music for a video is “arranging and integrating samples”, rather than making music from scratch. As a result, this leads to a problem. There might be some gaps between samples, in which we have to generate transitions to fill the gaps. In our research, we build a transformer-based model for generating a music transition to bridge two prepared music clips. We design and perform experiments to demonstrate that our results are promising. The results are also analysed by using a questionnaire to reveal a positive response from listeners, supporting that our generated transitions conform to background music.
A New Blind Video Quality Metric for Assessing Different Turbulence Mitigation Algorithms
Authors: Kwan Chiman , Budavari Bence
Published: September 2021

Although many algorithms have been proposed to mitigate air turbulence in optical videos, there do not seem to be consistent blind video quality assessment metrics that can reliably assess different approaches. Blind video quality assessment metrics are necessary because many videos containing air turbulence do not have ground truth. In this paper, a simple and intuitive blind video quality assessment metric is proposed. This metric can reliably and consistently assess various turbulent mitigation algorithms for optical videos. Experimental results using more than 10 videos in the literature show that the proposed metrics correlate well with human subjective evaluations. Compared with an existing blind video metric and two other blind image quality metrics, the proposed metrics performed consistently better.
Dynamic Voltage Stability Assessment in Remote Island Power System with Renewable Energy Resources and Virtual Synchronous Generator
Authors: Nakadomari Akito , Miyara Ryo , Alharbi Talal , Prabaharan Natarajan , Rangarajan Shriram Srinivasarangan , Collins Edward Randolph , Senjyu Tomonobu
Published: September 2021

Increasing the proportion of renewable energy generations in remote island power systems is becoming essential for realizing decarbonized society. However, since inverter-connected renewable energies have different generation characteristics from conventional generators, the massive penetration can adversely affect system stability. In particular, fault events in such weak remote systems can cause fast voltage collapse, and there is a need to assess dynamic voltage stability. This study attempts dynamic voltage stability assessment using the critical boundary index (CBI) and investigates the impact of the virtual synchronous generator (VSG) on dynamic voltage stability. A remote island power system and VSG are modeled, and time-domain simulations are conducted with case studies of fault events. The simulation results show the potential of CBI to use for dynamic voltage stability assessment. Furthermore, the VSG can provide suitable power output during fault events and improve dynamic voltage stability.
Multi-Scenario Simulation of a Water–Energy Coupling System Based on System Dynamics: A Case Study of Ningbo City
Authors: Yin Yitong , Lin Gang , Jiang Dong , Fu Jingying , Dong Donglin
Published: September 2021

In this work, based on the concept of collaborative water–energy development, a multi-scenario system dynamics simulation model of a water–energy coupling system was constructed by using the system dynamics modeling method. The model was composed of four subsystems: society, economic, water resources, and energy. Taking Ningbo City as the research location to run the simulation model, the analysis of the validity of the model showed that the relative error between the historical data and the simulation results of the model was less than 10%, which proved that the model passed the test. In this paper, based on the scenario of business an usual (BAU), three scenarios of water-saving scenario (WSS), energy-saving scenario (ESS), and comprehensive savings (CS, the comprehensive scenario considers water-saving and energy-saving together) were designed, and the simulation indexes in the three scenarios were refined in order to strengthen the control of water-saving policies, improve the effective use of water, optimize the industrial energy structure, improve the level of energy-saving-related technologies, and advance the urbanization process. The simulation results for Ningbo City from 2010 to 2030 show that the water–energy coupling system is affected by many factors, and the adjustment of a driving factor of any subsystem will have an impact on the water–energy coupling system. There are two driving factors: the first is a constant variable related to water resources, energy, society, and economic, and the second is a variable affected by time. The coupling system is based on the law of real development and is composed of causal and functional relationships between variables. Therefore, within the prediction range of 2030, the driving factors in the coupling system are controllable, and there is no uncontrollable situation. The strengthening of water-saving policies and the improvement of the coefficient of the effective utilization of water will have the optimal saving effects on water resources and energy at both the single and the coupling level; this also demonstrates that the water resource management in Ningbo City plays an extremely important role in the relationship of the water–energy coupling. The results of this study are expected to provide a valuable reference for the management and conservation of water–energy coupling in Ningbo City.
Study on Deliverability Evaluation of Staged Fractured Horizontal Wells in Tight Oil Reservoirs
Authors: Liu Siyu , Xiong Shengchun , Weng Dingwei , Song Peng , Chen Rou , He Ying , Liu Xuewei , Chu Shasha
Published: September 2021

At present, the existing deliverability evaluation models mainly consider the impact of specific factors on production, and the description of the complex fracture network structure primarily remains at the stage of an ideal dual-pore medium with uniform distribution. However, this cannot reflect the actual fracture network structure and fluid flow law of fractured horizontal wells. Thus, in this paper, a non-uniform fracture network structure is proposed considering the influence of the threshold pressure gradient and stress sensitivity characteristics on the production performance of horizontal wells. The stress sensitivity and the fractal theory are combined to characterize the permeability of the complex fracture network, and a three-zone compound unsteady deliverability model for staged fractured horizontal wells in tight oil reservoirs is successfully developed. Laplace transformation, perturbation theory, and numerical inversion are applied to obtain the semi-analytical solution of the proposed deliverability model. The reliability and accuracy of the analytical solution are verified by the classical tri-linear flow model and an oil field example. The effects of related influential parameters on the production of horizontal wells are analyzed. The deliverability evaluation method proposed in this paper can provide a theoretical basis for formulating rational development technology policies for tight oil reservoirs.
Energy Security Assessment of Emerging Economies under Global and Local Challenges
Authors: Sotnyk Iryna , Kurbatova Tetiana , Kubatko Oleksandr , Prokopenko Olha , Prause Gunnar , Kovalenko Yevhen , Trypolska Galyna , Pysmenna Uliana
Published: September 2021

This paper proposes methodological approaches to assessing the impact of renewable energy and energy efficiency development on emerging economies’ energy security. It is suggested to supplement the current methodology for assessing energy security with the decoupling index of the renewable energy financial burden on the state budget, the energy efficiency decoupling index, the households’ energy poverty indicator, the index of capacity development for balancing electricity generation volumes, and the energy fluctuations indicator. These indices provide a comprehensive assessment of energy security under the latest challenges. Thus, the COVID-19 pandemic in the Ukrainian energy sector led to the “green and coal paradox”, when the government decided to keep green electricity generation but limit nuclear generation. It required increased flexible capacities (thermal generation) and led to a rise in electricity prices and environmental pollution. Forecasting energy fluctuations with Butterworth filters allows minimizing the risks of maximum peak loads on the grid and timely prevention of emergencies. The energy fluctuations within the 20% range guarantee energy security and optimal energy companies’ operation. It is proposed to smooth out energy consumption fluctuations through green energy development, smart grids formation, energy efficiency improvements, and energy capacities balancing to ensure energy and economic sustainability.
Endpoint Use Efficiency Comparison for AC and DC Power Distribution in Commercial Buildings
Authors: Santos Arthur , Duggan Gerald , Frank Stephen , Gerber Daniel , Zimmerle Daniel
Published: September 2021

Advances in power electronics and their use in Miscellaneous Electric Loads (MELs) in buildings have resulted in increased interest in using low-voltage direct current (DC) power distribution as a replacement for the standard alternating current (AC) power distribution in buildings. Both systems require an endpoint converter to convert the distribution system voltage to the MELs voltage requirements. This study focused on the efficiency of these endpoint converters by testing pairs of AC/DC and DC/DC power converters powering the same load profile. In contrast to prior studies, which estimated losses based on data sheet efficiency and rated loads, in this study, we used part load data derived from real-world time-series load measurements of MELs and experimentally characterized efficiency curves for all converters. The measurements performed for this study showed no systematic efficiency advantage for commercially available DC/DC endpoint converters relative to comparable, commercially available AC/DC endpoint converters. For the eight appliances analyzed with the pair of converters tested, in 50%, the weighted energy efficiency of the DC/DC converter was higher, while, for the other 50%, the AC/DC converter was. Additionally, the measurements indicated that the common assumption of using either data sheet efficiency values or efficiency at full load may result in substantial mis-estimates of the system efficiency.
Prediction of Solar Power Using Near-Real Time Satellite Data
Authors: Prasad Abhnil Amtesh , Kay Merlinde
Published: September 2021

Solar energy production is affected by the attenuation of incoming irradiance from underlying clouds. Often, improvements in the short-term predictability of irradiance using satellite irradiance models can assist grid operators in managing intermittent solar-generated electricity. In this paper, we develop and test a satellite irradiance model with short-term prediction capabilities using cloud motion vectors. Near-real time visible images from Himawari-8 satellite are used to derive cloud motion vectors using optical flow estimation techniques. The cloud motion vectors are used for the advection of pixels at future time horizons for predictions of irradiance at the surface. Firstly, the pixels are converted to cloud index using the historical satellite data accounting for clear, cloudy and cloud shadow pixels. Secondly, the cloud index is mapped to the clear sky index using a historical fitting function from the respective sites. Thirdly, the predicated all-sky irradiance is derived by scaling the clear sky irradiance with a clear sky index. Finally, a power conversion model trained at each site converts irradiance to power. The prediction of solar power tested at four sites in Australia using a one-month benchmark period with 5 min ahead prediction showed that errors were less than 10% at almost 34–60% of predicted times, decreasing to 18–26% of times under live predictions, but it outperformed persistence by >50% of the days with errors <10% for all sites. Results show that increased latency in satellite images and errors resulting from the conversion of cloud index to irradiance and power can significantly affect the forecasts.
Trefoil Factor Family (TFF) Peptides
Authors: Hoffmann Werner
Published: September 2021

Trefoil factor family (TFF) peptides mainly consist of characteristic TFF domains, which contain about 40 amino acid residues, including 6 conserved cysteine residues. TFF peptides possess a single (mammalian TFF1 and TFF3), two (mammalian TFF2, Xenopus laevis xP2) or four TFF domains (X. laevis xP4). They exhibit lectin activities and are characteristic exocrine products of the mucous epithelia. Here, they play different roles for mucosal protection and the innate immune defense: TFF1 is a gastric tumor suppressor; TFF2 builds a lectin complex with the mucin MUC6, physically stabilizing the inner gastric mucus layer; and TFF3 forms a disulfide-linked heterodimer with IgG Fc binding protein (FCGBP), probably preventing the infiltration of microorganisms. Minor amounts of TFF peptides are endocrine products of the immune and nervous systems. Pathologically, TFF peptides are linked to inflammation. There are increasing indications that TFF peptides can antagonize cytokine receptors, such as receptors for IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα (thereby acting as anti-inflammatory peptides). TFF peptides can probably also activate a variety of receptors, such as CXCR4. The TFF domain is a unique shuffled module which is also present in a number of mosaic proteins, such as zona pellucida proteins, sugar degrading enzymes and frog skin mucins. Here, their function seems to be defined by a lectin activity, which might even allow a role in fertilization.
Factors for Implementation of Circular Economy in Firms in COVID-19 Pandemic Times: The Case of Peru
Authors: Alvarez-Risco Aldo , Estrada-Merino Alfredo , Rosen Marc A. , Vargas-Herrera Annia , Del-Aguila-Arcentales Shyla
Published: September 2021

The circular economy can contribute to the eco-efficient use of resources. Firms can obtain relevant benefits if they implement a circular economy. In Peru, the circular economy would create benefits, but it is not fully clear what factors explain the acceptance of firms of implementing a circular economy. Following the theory of planned behavior, the current research assesses the influence of attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral norms, intentions, and pressures on behaviors towards the circular economy. A total of 71 medium-size firms based in Peru participated in an online survey. Six questions were focused on general information, and forty-seven questions evaluated the circular economy behavior of firms. A partial least square structural equation modeling technical analysis was used. It was found that attitudes (0.144), subjective norms (0.133), and perceived behavioral control (0.578) had a positive influence on intentions; also, perceived behavioral control (0.461) had a positive influence on behaviors towards the circular economy. Finally, pressures had a positive influence (0.162) on behaviors towards the circular economy. The model explained 64.3% of the behaviors towards the circular economy. The outcomes of the bootstrapping test were used to evaluate if the path coefficients are significant. This study showed that attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral norms, intentions, and pressures explained circular economy behaviors. This information can help firms develop strategies to move forward a circular economy and provide governments information about the current situation of circular economy implementation to generate new norms and strategies for more implementation of circular economy measures in enterprises. The novelty is based on using the PLS-SEM technique.
Effect of Acacia mangium Canopy on Physicochemical Characteristics and Nutrient Concentrations of the Soil at Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve, Malaysia
Authors: Hamad-Sheip Younes , Abdul-Hamid Hazandy , Abiri Rambod , Saleh Mohd-Nazre , Mohamed Johar , Jalil Abd-Majid , Naji Hamid R.
Published: September 2021

The establishment of an Acacia mangium plantation often alters physicochemical characteristics and nutrient concentrations of soils. We aimed to evaluate the invasive potential of A. mangium forest on the soil in Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve, Peninsular, Malaysia. To achieve the mentioned target, four different regions, namely, the open ground region (OG), Acacia mangium region (AM), transition region (TZ), and native forest region (NF), were selected and each of the regions was divided into six plots. Composite samples were randomly taken from subplots at 0–15 cm depth (topsoil) and 15–30 cm depth (subsoil). Some physicochemical properties such as soil moisture and texture, textural classification, bulk density and particle density, pH, electric conductivity (EC), exchangeable bases (EB) (Ca, Mg and K), cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), and available phosphorous (Av. P) were analyzed. The results of our study showed that the soil of the AM region, which was clay loam, contained clay (51%), silt (32%), and sand (16%). The chemical analysis of topsoil showed significant differences in terms of OM%, exchangeable- Ca, Mg, K (molc kg−1), N (%), gravitational water content (GWC), and Avail. P between all four regions. Additionally, the highest pH and OM of topsoil were seen in the AM region with 4.5% and 4.33%, respectively. In the subsoil, there were significant differences (p ≤ 0.01) in terms of EC (ds/m), OM (%), Exchangeable- Ca, Mg and K (cmolc kg−1), GWC, available phosphorus, and N (%) between all four regions. The highest GWC, N (%), and Ca (cmolc kg−1) were observed in the AM region with 16.00, 0.14%, and 0.64 cmolc kg−1, respectively. These results showed that A. mangium changed some soil characteristics due to its invasion potential. In summary, A. mangium showed high adaptability on degraded forest land and high ability to accumulate the soil physicochemical properties to enhance its growth.
Metabolome and Transcriptome Analyses Reveal Different Flavonoid Biosynthesis and Chlorophyll Metabolism Profiles between Red Leaf and Green Leaf of Eucommia ulmoides
Authors: Yang Yun , Chen Mengjiao , Liu Yaxin , Ding Huanhuan , Du Hongyan , Sun Zhiqiang , Zhu Jingle
Published: September 2021

Flavonoids are natural antioxidants in plants that affect the color of plant tissues. Flavonoids can be divided into eight subgroups, including flavonols, anthocyanins, and proanthocyanidins. The mechanisms of flavonoid synthesis in model plants have been widely studied. However, there are a limited number of reports on the synthesis of flavonoids in the red leaf varieties of woody plants. In this study, we combined morphological observation, pigment content determination, metabolomics, and transcriptomics to investigate the metabolites and gene regulation present in the red and green leaves of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. The results showed that the red leaves have a lower chlorophyll content and a higher anthocyanin content. Metabonomic analysis identified that the relative content of most flavonoids is up-regulated in red leaves based on UPLC-ESI-MS/MS, which included the apigenin class, quercetin class, kaempferol class, and procyanidins. Transcriptome data suggested that the differentially up-regulated genes are enriched in flavonoid and anthocyanin synthesis pathways, ABC transport, and GST pathways. The integrative analysis of the transcriptome and metabolome showed that the up-regulation of flavonoid metabolism and a high expression of chlorophyll degradation with the down-regulation of chlorophyll biosynthesis genes are detected in E. ulmoides red leaves compared with green leaves. In addition, the co-expression networks implied that cyanidin 3-5-O-diglucoside, EuDR5, EuPAL2, EuDFR11, Eu3MaT1, and EuF3′H are likely associated with the red leaf coloration of E. ulmoides. In summary, this research provided a reference for studying the mechanism of red leaf coloration in woody plants and the use of E. ulmoides red leaves as feedstock for bioactive products.
Lipid Digestibility and Polyphenols Bioaccessibility of Oil-in-Water Emulsions Containing Avocado Peel and Seed Extracts as Affected by the Presence of Low Methoxyl Pectin
Authors: Velderrain-Rodríguez Gustavo R. , Salvia-Trujillo Laura , Martín-Belloso Olga
Published: September 2021

In this study, the digestibility of oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions using low methoxyl pectin (LMP) as surfactant and in combination with avocado peel (AP) or seed (AS) extracts was assessed, in terms of its free fatty acid (FFA) release and the phenolic compound (PC) bioaccessibility. With this purpose, AP and AS were characterized by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS before their incorporation into O/W emulsions stabilized using LMP. In that sense, AP extract had a higher content of PCs (6836.32 ± 64.66 mg/100 g of extract) compared to AS extract (1514.62 ± 578.33 mg/100 g of extract). Both extracts enhanced LMP’s emulsifying properties, leading to narrower distributions and smaller particle sizes compared to those without extracts. Similarly, when both LMP and the extracts were present in the emulsions the FFA release significantly increased. Regarding bioaccessibility, the PCs from the AS extracts had a higher bioaccessibility than those from the AP extracts, regardless of the presence of LMP. However, the presence of LMP reduced the bioaccessibility of flavonoids from emulsions containing either AP or AS extracts. These results provide new insights regarding the use of PC extracts from avocado peel and seed residues, and the effect of LMP on emulsion digestibility, and its influence on flavonoids bioaccessibility.
Albedo- and Flavedo-Specific Transcriptome Profiling Related to Penicillium digitatum Infection in Citrus Fruit
Authors: Lafuente María Teresa , Romero Paco , González-Candelas Luis
Published: September 2021

Penicillium digitatum is the main postharvest pathogen of citrus fruit. Although the inner fruit peel part (albedo) is less resistant than the outer part (flavedo) to P. digitatum, the global mechanisms involved in their different susceptibility remain unknown. Here, we examine transcriptome differences between both tissues at fruit harvest and in their early responses to infection. At harvest, not only was secondary metabolism, involving phenylpropanoids, waxes, and terpenoids, generally induced in flavedo vs. albedo, but also energy metabolism, transcription factors (TFs), and biotic stress-related hormones and proteins too. Flavedo-specific induced responses to infection might be regulated in part by ERF1 TF, and are related to structural plant cell wall reinforcement. Other induced responses may be related to H2O2, the synthesis of phenylpropanoids, and the stress-related proteins required to maintain basal defense responses against virulent pathogens, whereas P. digitatum represses some hydrolase-encoding genes that play different functions and auxin-responsive genes in this peel tissue. In infected albedo, the repression of transport and signal transduction prevail, as does the induction of not only the processes related to the synthesis of flavonoids, indole glucosinolates, cutin, and oxylipins, but also the specific genes that elicit plant immunity against pathogens.
Suggestions for a Systematic Regulatory Approach to Ocean Plastics
Authors: Poto Margherita Paola , Elvevoll Edel Oddny , Sundset Monica Alterskjær , Eilertsen Karl-Erik , Morel Mathilde , Jensen Ida-Johanne
Published: September 2021

The research investigates the problems and maps the solutions to the serious threat that plastics pose to the oceans, food safety, and human health, with more than eight million tons of plastic debris dumped in the sea every year. The aim of this study is to explore how to better improve the regulatory process of ocean plastics by integrating scientific results, regulatory strategies and action plans so as to limit the impact of plastics at sea. Adopting a problem-solving approach and identifying four areas of intervention enable the establishment of a regulatory framework from a multi-actor, multi-issue, and multi-level perspective. The research methodology consists of a two-pronged approach: 1. An analysis of the state-of-the-art definition of plastics, micro-, and nanoplastics (respectively, MPs and NPs), and 2. The identification and discussion of loopholes in the current regulation, suggesting key actions to be taken at a global, regional and national level. In particular, the study proposes a systemic integration of scientific and regulatory advancements towards the construction of an interconnected multi-tiered (MT) plastic governance framework. The milestones reached by the project SECURE at UiT - The Arctic University of Norway provide evidence of the strength of the theory of integration and rights-based approaches. The suggested model holds substantial significance for the fields of environmental protection, food security, food safety, and human health. This proposed MT plastic governance framework allows for the holistic and effective organization of complex information and scenarios concerning plastics regulation. Containing a clear definition of plastics, grounded on the precautionary principle, the MT plastic framework should provide detailed mitigation measures, with a clear indication of rights and duties, and in coordination with an effective reparatory justice system.
Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls (HARPC): Current Food Safety and Quality Standards for Complementary Foods
Authors: Malik Sargun , Krishnaswamy Kiruba , Mustapha Azlin
Published: September 2021

Food safety is imperative, especially for infants and young children because of their underdeveloped immune systems. This requires adequate nutritious food with appropriate amounts of macro- and micronutrients. Currently, a well-established system for infant food is enforced by the regulatory bodies, but no clear system exists for complementary food, which is consumed by children from the age of 6 month to 24 months. As the child grows beyond 6 months, the need for nutrients increases, and if the nutritional needs are not fulfilled, it can lead to health problems, such as stunted growth, weak immune system, and cardiovascular diseases. Hence, it is important to have regulatory bodies monitoring complementary food in a similar capacity as is required for infant formula. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of the existing regulatory bodies, such as the Codex Alimentarius, International Standard Organization (ISO), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), etc., and their regulations specifically for infant formula that can be adopted for complementary foods. This study focuses on the development of a hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls (HARPC)-based food safety plan to ensure safe food processing and prevent any possible outbreaks.
Insulators in Plants: Progress and Open Questions
Authors: Kurbidaeva Amina , Purugganan Michael
Published: September 2021

The genomes of higher eukaryotes are partitioned into topologically associated domains or TADs, and insulators (also known as boundary elements) are the key elements responsible for their formation and maintenance. Insulators were first identified and extensively studied in Drosophila as well as mammalian genomes, and have also been described in yeast and plants. In addition, many insulator proteins are known in Drosophila, and some have been investigated in mammals. However, much less is known about this important class of non-coding DNA elements in plant genomes. In this review, we take a detailed look at known plant insulators across different species and provide an overview of potential determinants of plant insulator functions, including cis-elements and boundary proteins. We also discuss methods previously used in attempts to identify plant insulators, provide a perspective on their importance for research and biotechnology, and discuss areas of potential future research.