bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diallel Analysis of Early Leaf Spot (Cercospora arachidicola Hori) Disease Resistance in Groundnut
Authors: Zongo Adama , Konate Abdourasmane K. , Koïta Kadidia , Sawadogo Mahamadou , Sankara Philippe , Ntare Bonny R. , Desmae Haile
Published: January 2019

Early leaf spot (ELS) is one of the major biotic constraints of groundnut production in West and Central Africa. A study using 6 × 6 F2 full diallel populations from six parents (NAMA, B188, PC79-79, QH243C, TS32-1, and CN94C) was conducted to assess the mode of inheritance of ELS resistance traits. The F2 and parents were grown in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Data was collected on ELS disease severity, and an area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) was estimated. The results revealed that additive and non-additive gene actions were involved in the inheritance of the ELS resistance traits, but additive gene action was predominant. Significant reciprocal cross effect was observed, suggesting cytoplasmic effect on ELS resistance. Graphical analysis also revealed the predominance of additive gene action for ELS resistance. The results suggest that early generation selection should be effective for ELS resistance. Looking at the distribution of array points along with the regression line, parental lines NAMA, PC79-79, and B188 would be suitable as good donors in an ELS disease resistance breeding program.
Characterization of Chromosomal Rearrangement in New Wheat—Thinopyrum intermedium Addition Lines Carrying Thinopyrum—Specific Grain Hardness Genes
Authors: Yu Zhihui , Wang Hongjin , Xu Yunfang , Li Yongshang , Lang Tao , Yang Zujun , Li Guangrong
Published: January 2019

The wild species, Thinopyrum intermedium. (Genome StStJSJSJJ), serves as a valuable germplasm resource providing novel genes for wheat improvement. In the current study, non-denaturing fluorescence in situ hybridization (ND-FISH) with multiple probes and comparative molecular markers were applied to characterize two wheat-Th. intermedium chromosome additions. Sequential ND-FISH with new labeled Th. intermedium specific oligo-probes were used to precisely determine the chromosomal constitution of Th. intermedium, wheat—Th. intermedium partial amphiploids and addition lines Hy36 and Hy37. The ND-FISH results showed that the added JS-St translocated chromosomes in Hy36 had minor Oligo-5S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) signals at the short arm, while a pair of J-St chromosomes in Hy37 had major Oligo-pTa71 and minor Oligo-5S rDNA signals. The 90K SNP array and PCR-based molecular markers that mapped on wheat linkage group 5 and 3 facilitated the identification of Thinopyrum chromosome introgressions in the addition lines, and confirmed that added chromosomes in Hy36 and Hy37 were 5JSS.3StS and 5JS.3StS, respectively. Complete coding sequences at the paralogous puroindoline-a (Pina) loci from Th. intermedium were cloned and localized on the short arm of chromosome 5JS of Hy36. Line Hy36 showed a reduction in the hardness index, which suggested that Th. intermedium-specific Pina gene sequences may be associated with the softness trait in wheat background. The molecular cytogenetic identification of novel wheat—Th. intermedium derivatives indicated that the frequent chromosome rearrangement occurred in the progenies of wheat-Thinopyrum hybridization. The new wheat-Thinopyrum derived lines may increase the genetic diversity for wheat breeding.
Improvement in Classification Performance Based on Target Vector Modification for All-Transfer Deep Learning
Authors: Sawada Yoshihide , Sato Yoshikuni , Nakada Toru , Yamaguchi Shunta , Ujimoto Kei , Hayashi Nobuhiro
Published: January 2019

This paper proposes a target vector modification method for the all-transfer deep learning (ATDL) method. Deep neural networks (DNNs) have been used widely in many applications; however, the DNN has been known to be problematic when large amounts of training data are not available. Transfer learning can provide a solution to this problem. Previous methods regularize all layers, including the output layer, by estimating the relation vectors, which are then used instead of one-hot target vectors of the target domain. These vectors are estimated by averaging the target domain data of each target domain label in the output space. This method improves the classification performance, but it does not consider the relation between the relation vectors. From this point of view, we propose a relation vector modification based on constrained pairwise repulsive forces. High pairwise repulsive forces provide large distances between the relation vectors. In addition, the risk of divergence is mitigated by the constraint based on distributions of the output vectors of the target domain data. We apply our method to two simulation experiments and a disease classification using two-dimensional electrophoresis images. The experimental results show that reusing all layers through our estimation method is effective, especially for a significantly small number of the target domain data.
Using the Guided Fireworks Algorithm for Local Backlight Dimming
Authors: Zhang Tao , Zhao Xin , Wang Yifei , Zeng Qin
Published: January 2019

Local backlight dimming is a promising display technology, with good performance in improving the visual quality and reducing the power consumption of device displays. To set optimal backlight luminance, it is important to design high performance local dimming algorithms. In this paper, we focused on improving the quality of the displayed image, and take local backlight dimming as an optimization problem. In order to better evaluate the image quality, we used the structural similarity (SSIM) index as the image quality evaluation method, and built the model for the local dimming problem. To solve this optimization problem, we designed the local dimming algorithm based on the Fireworks Algorithm (FWA), which is a new evolutionary computation (EC) algorithm. To further improve the solution quality, we introduced a guiding strategy into the FWA and proposed an improved algorithm named the Guided Fireworks Algorithm (GFWA). Experimental results showed that the GFWA had a higher performance in local backlight dimming compared with the Look-Up Table (LUT) algorithm, the Improved Shuffled Frog Leaping Algorithm (ISFLA), and the FWA.
Evaluation of Yogurt Quality during Storage by Fluorescence Spectroscopy
Authors: Sun Haifeng , Wang Ling , Zhang Hao , Wu Ang , Zhu Juanhua , Zhang Wei , Hu Jiandong
Published: January 2019

The physico-chemical parameters including pH and viscosity, and the fluorescence signal induced by fluorescent compounds presenting in yogurts such as riboflavin and porphyrin were measured during one week’s storage at room temperature when five brands of yogurt samples were exposed to ambient air. The fluorescence spectra of yogurt showed four evident emission peaks, 525 nm, 633 nm, 661 nm, and 672 nm. To quantitatively investigate the quality of yogurt during deteriorating, a calculating method of the average rate of change (ARC) was proposed to study the relative change of fluorescence intensity in the spectral range of 600 to 750 nm associated with porphyrin and chlorin compounds. During the storage, the time evolution of two ARC, pH value, and viscosity were regular. Moreover, the ARC showed a good linear relationship with pH value and viscosity of yogurt. Further, multiple linear regression (MLR) models using two ARC as independent variables were developed to verify the dependence of fluorescence signal with pH value and viscosity, which showed a good linear relationship with an R-square of more than 85% for each class of yogurt. The results demonstrate that fluorescence spectra have a great potential to predict the quality of yogurt.
Optimizing C-RAN Backhaul Topologies: A Resilience-Oriented Approach Using Graph Invariants
Authors: Frascolla Valerio , Dominicini Cristina , Paiva Marcia , Caporossi Gilles , Marotta Marcelo , Ribeiro Moises , Segatto Marcelo , Martinello Magnos , Monteiro Maxwell , Both Cristiano
Published: January 2019

At the verge of the launch of the first commercial fifth generation (5G) system, trends in wireless and optical networks are proceeding toward increasingly dense deployments, supporting resilient interconnection for applications that carry higher and higher capacity and tighter latency requirements. These developments put increasing pressure on network backhaul and drive the need for a re-examination of traditional backhaul topologies. Challenges of impending networks cannot be tackled by star and ring approaches due to their lack of intrinsic survivability and resilience properties, respectively. In support of this re-examination, we propose a backhaul topology design method that formulates the topology optimization as a graph optimization problem by capturing both the objective and constraints of optimization in graph invariants. Our graph theoretic approach leverages well studied mathematical techniques to provide a more systematic alternative to traditional approaches to backhaul design. Specifically, herein, we optimize over some known graph invariants, such as maximum node degree, topology diameter, average distance, and edge betweenness, as well as over a new invariant called node Wiener impact, to achieve baseline backhaul topologies that match the needs for resilient future wireless and optical networks.
Chitosan Microbeads as Supporter for Pseudomonas putida with Surface Displayed Laccases for Decolorization of Synthetic Dyes
Authors: Bai Zhiqiang , Sun Xiaowen , Yu Xun , Li Lin
Published: January 2019

Various untreated wastewaters contaminated with industrial dyes pose significant pollution hazards to the natural environment as well as serious risks to public health. The current study reports a new material with a configurative chitosan matrix and engineered Pseudomonas putida cells with surface-displayed laccases that can decolorize five industrial dyes. Through a self-configuring device, five chitosan microbeads (CTS-MBs) with different particle sizes were prepared. P. putida cells were then immobilized onto the CTS-MBs under optimized immobilization conditions, forming a degrading-biosorbent dual-function decolorization complex. Scanning electron microscope and infrared analysis confirmed the successful immobilization of the cells onto the CTS-MB matrix. The optimized CTS-MB1 with surface-grafted aldehyde groups (aCTS-MB1) complex was capable of decolorizing Acid Green 25 and Acid Red 18 over a pH range of 2.5–8.5 and a relatively broad temperature range of 15–85 °C, with a maximum relative decolorization value of over 94%; the complex was also able to efficiently decolorize Direct Red 243, Reactive Blue 220 and Reactive Blue 198. Moreover, the aCTS-MB1 composite showed favorable activity in continuous and regenerative decolorization reactions. Therefore, the chitosan-immobilized decolorizing material, with both improved mechanical strength and performance, shows potential for further large-scale or continuous processes.
Adsorption Transformation of Heat: The Applicability in Various Climatic Zones of the Russian Federation
Authors: Grekova Alexandra , Gordeeva Larisa , Sapienza Alessio , Aristov Yuri
Published: January 2019

Adsorption heat transformation (AHT) is energy and environment saving technology that allows the effective utilization of renewable and waste heat with low-temperature potential. For the enhancement of AHT efficiency, properties of the working pair “adsorbent–adsorbate” have to be intelligently adapted to the operating conditions of the specific AHT cycle. In this work, the applicability of ATH technology in the Russian Federation (RF) was analyzed. For various geographic zones of the RF, the proper AHT application (cooling, heating, heat amplification, or storage) was selected depending on the zone climatic conditions. Data on the adsorption equilibrium for more than 40 “adsorbent–adsorbate” pairs collected from the literature were analyzed to select the most suitable pairs for the particular application/zone. Recommendations on AHT applications and the proper working pairs for the considered RF climatic zones are made.
On the Innovation Design for Two-Motor Transmissions with Eight-Link Mechanisms in the Electric Vehicles
Authors: Hoang Ngoc-Tan , Yan Hong-Sen
Published: January 2019

A decade ago, electric vehicles (EV) made a boom in the automobile market, as they started to become a growing market section in the transportation space. The reasons behind the boom were to decrease environmental pollution by reducing the use of fossil fuels, lowering transportation operating costs, and increased general consumer interest in the new technology. This work generates a streamlined process for the design and simulation of motor transmissions with eight-link mechanisms. This procedure presents a wide range of motor transmissions such as 34 new clutchless systems and 34 new clutched systems. Two novel feasible motor transmissions of the design process are taken as a sample to dissect the working principle conjoined both power flow paths and operation modes. In addition, these designs are conducted for modeling and computer simulation procedures that obtain the results of the energy management strategy and operation mode variation.
Experimental Efficiency Analysis of a Photovoltaic System with Different Module Technologies under Temperate Climate Conditions
Authors: Gulkowski Slawomir , Zdyb Agata , Dragan Piotr
Published: January 2019

This study presents a comparative analysis of energy production over the year 2015 by the grid connected experimental photovoltaic (PV) system composed by different technology modules, which operates under temperate climate meteorological conditions of Eastern Poland. Two thin film technologies have been taken into account: cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS). Rated power of each system is approximately equal to 3.5 kWp. In addition, the performance of a polycrystalline silicon technology system has been analyzed in order to provide comprehensive comparison of the efficiency of thin film and crystalline technologies in the same environmental conditions. The total size of the pc-Si system is equal to 17 kWp. Adequate sensors have been installed at the location of the PV system to measure solar irradiance and temperature of the modules. In real external conditions all kinds of modules exhibit lower efficiency than the values provided by manufacturers. The study reveals that CIGS technology is characterized by the highest energy production and performance ratio. The observed temperature related losses are of the lowest degree in case of CIGS modules.
Vibration Compensation of the Frequency-Scanning-Interferometry-Based Absolute Ranging System
Authors: Zhang Fu-Min , Li Ya-Ting , Pan Hao , Shi Chun-Zhao , Qu Xing-Hua
Published: January 2019

The frequency-scanning-interferometry-based (FSI-based) absolute ranging technology is a type of ranging technology possessing a high precision and no ranging blind area, so it can be used for non-cooperative targets. However, due to a tiny movement of a target, the Doppler shift and the phase modulation are introduced into the beat signal which results in ranging accuracy decrease. In order to solve this problem, first the model of vibration effect is established, and then the beat signals of two adjacent scanning periods are processed to produce a signal that is immune to vibration. The proposed method is verified by the experiments, and the experimental results show that the effect of vibration compensation is better for the target with a lower vibration velocity and at a lower vibration frequency (lower than 6 Hz). When the target is subjected to a sinusoidal vibration with an amplitude of 10 μm at a frequency of 1 Hz, by using the proposed method the standard deviation is reduced from 775 to 12 μm. Moreover, in the natural environment, by using vibration compensation the standard deviation is reduced from 289 to 11 μm.
Condition Prediction of Existing Concrete Bridges as a Combination of Visual Inspection and Analytical Models of Deterioration
Authors: Zambon Ivan , Vidović Anja , Strauss Alfred , Matos Jose
Published: January 2019

In most state-of-the-art Bridge Management Systems, structural condition is predicted by a homogeneous Markov chain model that uses condition ratings assigned during visual inspections. Although generally accepted, such an approach exhibits certain shortcomings, one of which is not considering the nature of actual physical phenomena that cause deterioration. To overcome this shortcoming, this article presents a framework that combines both information on condition ratings through the semi-Markov process and knowledge of bridge properties using analytical deterioration models. In this manner, and contrary to current practice, not only are the results of visual inspection taken into account, but also information such as environmental loading, as well as material and structural properties. The presented framework was implemented in the case study bridge, in which the deterioration caused by carbonation-induced corrosion was studied. Along with the implementation in the case study, the article contained a detailed overview of the subject of carbonation-induced corrosion and emphasized issues that require additional research in order to develop the framework into a comprehensive and fully applicable tool for condition prediction. Accounting for its adaptability to other material types and deterioration processes and its consideration of the historic deterioration path, the framework presents a suitable alternative to frameworks presently implemented for condition prediction.
Comprehensive Characteristics of Summer Deep Convection over Tibetan Plateau and Its South Slope from the Global Precipitation Measurement Core Observatory
Authors: Gao Guolu , Chen Quanliang , Cai Hongke , Li Yang , Wang Zhenglin
Published: January 2019

Observational data from the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory during four summers (2014–2017) has been used to investigate deep convection systems (DCSs) over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and its south slope (SS). The frequency, geographical distribution diurnal variation, and vertical structure of DCSs over the TP and SS are compared among these two regions. The frequency of DCSs over the SS (0.98%) was far higher than over the TP (0.15%), suggesting that stronger DCSs occur to the east and south of the TP. The maximum number of DCS occurred in July and August. A clear diurnal variation in DCS was found over the whole region, DCSs over the TP and SS both have a greatest amplitude in the afternoon. The probability of DCSs from 1200 to 1800 local time (LT) was 76.3% and 44.1% over TP and SS respectively, whereas the probability of DCSs being generated from 2200 (LT) to 0600 on the next day LT was 0.03% and 33.1% over the TP and SS respectively. There was a very low frequency of DCSs over the TP during the night. Five special echo top heights were used to investigate the vertical structure of DCSs. DCSs over the TP were both weaker and smaller than those over the SS.
Changes in the Atmospheric Circulation Conditions and Regional Climatic Characteristics in Two Remote Regions Since the Mid-20th Century
Authors: Lebedeva Maria G. , Lupo Anthony R. , Chendev Yury G. , Krymskaya Olga V. , Solovyev Aleksandr B.
Published: January 2019

A meridional Northern Hemisphere (NH) circulation epoch, which began in 1957, is marked by changes in the temperature and precipitation regimes over southwest Russia and central USA depending on the occurrence of NH atmospheric circulation regimes. A classification scheme proposed in 1968, and studied later put forth 13 NH circulation types, fitting more broadly into four groups, two of which are more zonal type flows and two of which are more meridional flows. Using the results of a previous study that showed four distinct sub-periods during the 1957–2017 epoch, the temperature and precipitation regimes of both regions were studied across all seasons in order to characterize modern day climate variability and their suitability for vegetation growth. Then the Hydrologic Coefficient, which combined the temperature and precipitation variables, was briefly studied. The most optimal conditions for vegetation growth, positive temperature and precipitation anomalies, were noted during the period 1970–1980 for southwest Russia, which was dominated by an increasingly more zonal flow regime in the Belgorod region and NH in general. For the central USA, the HTC showed more ideal conditions for agriculture in recent years due to favorable precipitation occurrence. In southwest Russia, variable precipitation regimes were noted during the meridional flow periods, and with the increase in temperature (since 1998), these can adversely affect the hydrothermal characteristics of the growing season. Finally, a comparison of the 13 NH circulation types with several teleconnection indexes demonstrated the robustness of the NH flow regime classification scheme used here.
Characterization and Inkjet Printing of an RNA Aptamer for Paper-Based Biosensing of Ciprofloxacin
Authors: Jaeger Jeannine , Groher Florian , Stamm Jacqueline , Spiehl Dieter , Braun Johannes , Dörsam Edgar , Suess Beatrix
Published: January 2019

The excessive use of antibiotics in food-producing animals causes a steady rise of multiple antibiotic resistance in foodborne bacteria. Next to sulfonamides, the most common antibiotics groups are fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, and ß-lactams. Therefore, there is a need for a quick, efficient, and low-cost detection procedure for antibiotics. In this study, we propose an inkjet-printed aptamer-based biosensor developed for the detection of the fluoroquinolone ciprofloxacin. Due to their extraordinary high affinity and specificity, aptamers are already widely used in various applications. Here we present a ciprofloxacin-binding RNA aptamer developed by systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX). We characterized the secondary structure of the aptamer and determined the KD to 36 nM that allow detection of antibiotic contamination in a relevant range. We demonstrate that RNA aptamers can be inkjet-printed, dried, and resolved while keeping their functionality consistently intact. With this proof of concept, we are paving the way for a potential range of additional aptamer-based, printable biosensors.
Multimodal Object Classification Models Inspired by Multisensory Integration in the Brain
Authors: Amerineni Rajesh , Gupta Resh S. , Gupta Lalit
Published: January 2019

Two multimodal classification models aimed at enhancing object classification through the integration of semantically congruent unimodal stimuli are introduced. The feature-integrating model, inspired by multisensory integration in the subcortical superior colliculus, combines unimodal features which are subsequently classified by a multimodal classifier. The decision-integrating model, inspired by integration in primary cortical areas, classifies unimodal stimuli independently using unimodal classifiers and classifies the combined decisions using a multimodal classifier. The multimodal classifier models are implemented using multilayer perceptrons and multivariate statistical classifiers. Experiments involving the classification of noisy and attenuated auditory and visual representations of ten digits are designed to demonstrate the properties of the multimodal classifiers and to compare the performances of multimodal and unimodal classifiers. The experimental results show that the multimodal classification systems exhibit an important aspect of the “inverse effectiveness principle” by yielding significantly higher classification accuracies when compared with those of the unimodal classifiers. Furthermore, the flexibility offered by the generalized models enables the simulations and evaluations of various combinations of multimodal stimuli and classifiers under varying uncertainty conditions.
Gut Microbiota and Cancer: From Pathogenesis to Therapy
Authors: Vivarelli Silvia , Salemi Rossella , Candido Saverio , Falzone Luca , Santagati Maria , Stefani Stefania , Torino Francesco , Banna Giuseppe Luigi , Tonini Giuseppe , Libra Massimo
Published: January 2019

Cancer is a multifactorial pathology and it represents the second leading cause of death worldwide. In the recent years, numerous studies highlighted the dual role of the gut microbiota in preserving host’s health. Gut resident bacteria are able to produce a number of metabolites and bioproducts necessary to protect host’s and gut’s homeostasis. Conversely, several microbiota subpopulations may expand during pathological dysbiosis and therefore produce high levels of toxins capable, in turn, to trigger both inflammation and tumorigenesis. Importantly, gut microbiota can interact with the host either modulating directly the gut epithelium or the immune system. Numerous gut populating bacteria, called probiotics, have been identified as protective against the genesis of tumors. Given their capability of preserving gut homeostasis, probiotics are currently tested to help to fight dysbiosis in cancer patients subjected to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Most recently, three independent studies show that specific gut resident species may potentiate the positive outcome of anti-cancer immunotherapy. The highly significant studies, uncovering the tight association between gut microbiota and tumorigenesis, as well as gut microbiota and anti-cancer therapy, are here described. The role of the Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), as the most studied probiotic model in cancer, is also reported. Overall, according to the findings here summarized, novel strategies integrating probiotics, such as LGG, with conventional anti-cancer therapies are strongly encouraged.
Carbohydrate Kinases: A Conserved Mechanism Across Differing Folds
Authors: Roy Sumita , Vivoli Vega Mirella , Harmer Nicholas J.
Published: January 2019

Carbohydrate kinases activate a wide variety of monosaccharides by adding a phosphate group, usually from ATP. This modification is fundamental to saccharide utilization, and it is likely a very ancient reaction. Modern organisms contain carbohydrate kinases from at least five main protein families. These range from the highly specialized inositol kinases, to the ribokinases and galactokinases, which belong to families that phosphorylate a wide range of substrates. The carbohydrate kinases utilize a common strategy to drive the reaction between the sugar hydroxyl and the donor phosphate. Each sugar is held in position by a network of hydrogen bonds to the non-reactive hydroxyls (and other functional groups). The reactive hydroxyl is deprotonated, usually by an aspartic acid side chain acting as a catalytic base. The deprotonated hydroxyl then attacks the donor phosphate. The resulting pentacoordinate transition state is stabilized by an adjacent divalent cation, and sometimes by a positively charged protein side chain or the presence of an anion hole. Many carbohydrate kinases are allosterically regulated using a wide variety of strategies, due to their roles at critical control points in carbohydrate metabolism. The evolution of a similar mechanism in several folds highlights the elegance and simplicity of the catalytic scheme.
Carboxylation of Hydroxyaromatic Compounds with HCO3− by Enzyme Catalysis: Recent Advances Open the Perspective for Valorization of Lignin-Derived Aromatics
Authors: Tommasi Immacolata C.
Published: January 2019

This review focuses on recent advances in the field of enzymatic carboxylation reactions of hydroxyaromatic compounds using HCO3− (as a CO2 source) to produce hydroxybenzoic and other phenolic acids in mild conditions with high selectivity and moderate to excellent yield. Nature offers an extensive portfolio of enzymes catalysing reversible decarboxylation of hydroxyaromatic acids, whose equilibrium can be pushed towards the side of the carboxylated products. Extensive structural and mutagenesis studies have allowed recent advances in the understanding of the reaction mechanism of decarboxylase enzymes, ultimately enabling an improved yield and expansion of the scope of the reaction. The topic is of particular relevance today as the scope of the carboxylation reactions can be extended to include lignin-related compounds in view of developing lignin biorefinery technology.
mTOR: A Cellular Regulator Interface in Health and Disease
Authors: Boutouja Fahd , Stiehm Christian M. , Platta Harald W.
Published: January 2019

The mechanistic target of Rapamycin (mTOR) is a ubiquitously-conserved serine/threonine kinase, which has a central function in integrating growth signals and orchestrating their physiologic effects on cellular level. mTOR is the core component of differently composed signaling complexes that differ in protein composition and molecular targets. Newly identified classes of mTOR inhibitors are being developed to block autoimmune diseases and transplant rejections but also to treat obesity, diabetes, and different types of cancer. Therefore, the selective and context-dependent inhibition of mTOR activity itself might come into the focus as molecular target to prevent severe diseases and possibly to extend life span. This review provides a general introduction to the molecular composition and physiologic function of mTOR complexes as part of the Special Issue “2018 Select Papers by Cells’ Editorial Board Members”.
iPSCs as a Platform for Disease Modeling, Drug Screening, and Personalized Therapy in Muscular Dystrophies
Authors: Ortiz-Vitali Jose L. , Darabi Radbod
Published: January 2019

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are the foundation of modern stem cell-based regenerative medicine, especially in the case of degenerative disorders, such as muscular dystrophies (MDs). Since their introduction in 2006, many studies have used iPSCs for disease modeling and identification of involved mechanisms, drug screening, as well as gene correction studies. In the case of muscular dystrophies, these studies commenced in 2008 and continue to address important issues, such as defining the main pathologic mechanisms in different types of MDs, drug screening to improve skeletal/cardiac muscle cell survival and to slow down disease progression, and evaluation of the efficiency of different gene correction approaches, such as exon skipping, Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), Zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) and RNA-guided endonuclease Cas9 (CRISPR/Cas9). In the current short review, we have summarized chronological progress of these studies and their key findings along with a perspective on the future road to successful iPSC-based cell therapy for MDs and the potential hurdles in this field.
Real-Time Frequency Tracking of an Electro-Thermal Piezoresistive Cantilever Resonator with ZnO Nanorods for Chemical Sensing
Authors: Setiono Andi , Xu Jiushuai , Fahrbach Michael , Bertke Maik , Nyang’au Wilson , Wasisto Hutomo , Peiner Erwin
Published: January 2019

The asymmetric resonance response in electro-thermal piezoresistive cantilever resonators causes a need of an optimization treatment for taking parasitic actuation-sensing effects into account. An electronic reference circuit for signal subtraction, integrated with the cantilever resonator has the capability to reduce the effect of parasitic coupling. Measurement results demonstrated that a symmetric amplitude shape (Lorentzian) and an optimized phase characteristic (i.e., monotonically decreasing) were successfully extracted from an asymmetric resonance response. With the monotonic phase response, real-time frequency tracking can be easier to implement using a phase-locked loop (PLL) system. In this work, an electro-thermal piezoresistive cantilever resonator functionalized with self-assembled monolayers of chitosan-covered ZnO nanorod arrays as sensitive layers has been investigated under different relative humidity (rH) levels. Enhancement of resonance phase response has been demonstrated by implementing the reference signal subtraction. Subsequently, a lock-in amplifier integrated with PLL system (MFLI, Zurich Instruments, Zurich, Switzerland) was then employed for continuously tracking the resonant frequency. As a result, we find a good correlation of frequency shift (∆f0) with change in rH monitored using a commercial reference sensor.
Spatial and Seasonal Variations and Inter-Relationship in Fitted Model Parameters for Rainfall Totals across Australia at Various Timescales
Authors: Hasan Md Masud , Croke Barry F. W. , Karim Fazlul
Published: January 2019

Probabilistic models are useful tools in understanding rainfall characteristics, generating synthetic data and predicting future events. This study describes the results from an analysis on comparing the probabilistic nature of daily, monthly and seasonal rainfall totals using data from 1327 rainfall stations across Australia. The main objective of this research is to develop a relationship between parameters obtained from models fitted to daily, monthly and seasonal rainfall totals. The study also examined the possibility of estimating the parameters for daily data using fitted parameters to monthly rainfall. Three distributions within the Exponential Dispersion Model (EDM) family (Normal, Gamma and Poisson-Gamma) were found to be optimal for modelling the daily, monthly and seasonal rainfall total. Within the EDM family, Poisson-Gamma distributions were found optimal in most cases, whereas the normal distribution was rarely optimal except for the stations from the wet region. Results showed large differences between regional and seasonal ϕ-index values (dispersion parameter), indicating the necessity of fitting separate models for each season. However, strong correlations were found between the parameters of combined data and those derived from individual seasons (0.70–0.81). This indicates the possibility of estimating parameters of individual season from the parameters of combined data. Such relationship has also been noticed for the parameters obtained through monthly and daily models. Findings of this research could be useful in understanding the probabilistic features of daily, monthly and seasonal rainfall and generating daily rainfall from monthly data for rainfall stations elsewhere.
Optical Properties and Microstructure of TiNxOy and TiN Thin Films before and after Annealing at Different Conditions
Authors: Abd El-Fattah Hanan A. , El-Mahallawi Iman S. , Shazly Mostafa H. , Khalifa Waleed A.
Published: January 2019

TiN and TiNxOy thin films share many properties such as electrical and optical properties. In this work, a comparison is conducted between TiN (with and without annealing at 400 °C in air and vacuum) and TiNxOy thin films deposited by using RF magnetron sputtering with the same pure titanium target, Argon (Ar) flow rate, nitrogen flow rates, and deposition time on stainless steel substrates. In the case of TiNxOy thin film, oxygen was pumped in addition. The optical properties of the thin films were characterized by spectrophotometer, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The morphology, topography, and structure were studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results show that both thin films have metal-like behavior with some similarities in phases, structure, and microstructure and differences in optical absorbance. It is shown that the absorbance of TiN (after vacuum-annealing) and TiNxOy have close absorbance percentages at the visible range of light with an unstable profile, while after air-annealing the optical absorbance of TiN exceeds that of TiNxOy. This work introduces annealed TiN thin films as a candidate solar selective absorber at high-temperature applications alternatively to TiNxOy.
Incremental Market Behavior Classification in Presence of Recurring Concepts
Authors: Suárez-Cetrulo Andrés , Cervantes Alejandro , Quintana David
Published: January 2019

In recent years, the problem of concept drift has gained importance in the financial domain. The succession of manias, panics and crashes have stressed the non-stationary nature and the likelihood of drastic structural or concept changes in the markets. Traditional systems are unable or slow to adapt to these changes. Ensemble-based systems are widely known for their good results predicting both cyclic and non-stationary data such as stock prices. In this work, we propose RCARF (Recurring Concepts Adaptive Random Forests), an ensemble tree-based online classifier that handles recurring concepts explicitly. The algorithm extends the capabilities of a version of Random Forest for evolving data streams, adding on top a mechanism to store and handle a shared collection of inactive trees, called concept history, which holds memories of the way market operators reacted in similar circumstances. This works in conjunction with a decision strategy that reacts to drift by replacing active trees with the best available alternative: either a previously stored tree from the concept history or a newly trained background tree. Both mechanisms are designed to provide fast reaction times and are thus applicable to high-frequency data. The experimental validation of the algorithm is based on the prediction of price movement directions one second ahead in the SPDR (Standard & Poor’s Depositary Receipts) S&P 500 Exchange-Traded Fund. RCARF is benchmarked against other popular methods from the incremental online machine learning literature and is able to achieve competitive results.
ULF Pre-Seismic Geomagnetic Anomalous Signal Related to Mw8.1 Offshore Chiapas Earthquake, Mexico on 8 September 2017
Authors: Stănică Dragoș Armand , Stănică Dumitru
Published: January 2019

In the last decade, the real time ground–based geomagnetic observations realized in correlation with the Vrancea seismicity in Romania, together with supplementary studies related to some earthquakes (Mw9.0 Tohoku, Japan on 11 March 2011 and Mw8.3 Coquimbo, Chile on 16 September 2015), enlarged our knowledge about the relationship between the pre-seismic anomalous phenomena and the final stage of the earthquake nucleation. To identify possible ultra-low-frequency (ULF) geomagnetic signals prior to the onset of an Mw8.1 earthquake, we retroactively analyzed the data collected on the interval 1 August–16 September 2017 at the Geomagnetic Observatories in Teoloyucan (TEO), Mexico and Tucson (TUC) USA, with the last taken as a reference. Daily mean distributions of the polarization parameter BPOL (geomagnetic polarization parameter) and standard deviation are obtained for both observatories using a fast Fourier transform (FFT) band-pass filtering in the ULF range (0.001–0.083 Hz). Further on, we investigated the singularity of the pre-seismic signal associated with an Mw8.1 earthquake and applied a statistical analysis based on a standardized random variable equation; results are presented as BPOL* time series on the interval 1–26 September. Finally, the hourly mean distribution, obtained as difference BPOL (TUC-TEO) on the interval 7–9 September emphasizes an anomalous signal with five hours before the onset of the Mw8.1 earthquake.
An Analysis of the Features of Words That Influence Vocabulary Difficulty
Authors: Hiebert Elfrieda H. , Scott Judith A. , Castaneda Ruben , Spichtig Alexandra
Published: January 2019

The two studies reported on in this paper examine the features of words that distinguish students’ performances on vocabulary assessments as a means of understanding what contributes to the ease or difficulty of vocabulary knowledge. The two studies differ in the type of assessment, the types of words that were studied, and the grade levels and population considered. In the first study, an assessment of words that can be expected to appear with at least moderate frequency at particular levels of text was administered to students in grades 2 through 12. The second study considered the responses of fourth- and fifth-grade students, including English learners, to words that teachers had identified as challenging for those grade levels. The effects of the same set of word features on students’ vocabulary knowledge were examined in both studies: predicted appearances of a word and its immediate morphological family members, number of letters and syllables, dispersion across content areas, polysemy, part of speech, age of acquisition, and concreteness. The data consisted of the proportion of students who answered an item correctly. In the first study, frequency of a word’s appearance in written English and age of acquisition predicted students’ performances. In the second study, age of acquisition was again critical but so too were word length, number of syllables, and concreteness. Word location (which was confounded by word frequency) also proved to be a predictor of performance. Findings are discussed in relation to how they can inform curriculum, instruction, and research.
Environmental Impact and Carbon Footprint Assessment of Taiwanese Agricultural Products: A Case Study on Taiwanese Dongshan Tea
Authors: Hu Allen H. , Chen Chia-Hsiang , Huang Lance Hongwei , Chung Ming-Hsiu , Lan Yi-Chen , Chen Zhonghua
Published: January 2019

Climate change is an important global environmental threat. Agriculture aggravates climate change by increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and in response, climate change reduces agricultural productivity. Consequently, the modern agricultural development mode has progressively transformed into a kind of sustainable development mode. This study aimed to determine the environmental impact and carbon footprint of Dongshan tea from Yilan County. Environmental impact was assessed with use of SimaPro version 8.0.2 and IMPACT2002+. Results showed that climate change has the largest impact upon it in general, followed by human health, natural resources, and ecosystem quality. Furthermore, with use of the IPCC 2007 100a method for carbon footprint of products (CFP), conventional tea was found to have a CFP of 7.035 kgCO2-e, and its main contributors are the raw material (35.15%) and consumer use (45.58%) phases. From this case study, we found that the hotspots of the life cycle of environmental impact of Taiwanese tea mainly come from fertilizer input during the raw material phase, electricity use during manufacturing, and electricity use during water boiling in the consumer use phase (which contributes the largest impact). We propose the ways for consumers to use of highly efficient boiling water facilities and heating preservation, and the government must market the use of organic fertilizers in the national policy subsidies, and farmers have to prudent use of fertilizers and promote the use of local raw fertilizers, and engagement in direct sales for reducing the environmental impacts and costs of agricultural products and thus advancing sustainable agriculture development.
Demand-Side Management of Smart Distribution Grids Incorporating Renewable Energy Sources
Authors: Osório Gerardo J. , Shafie-khah Miadreza , Lotfi Mohamed , Ferreira-Silva Bernardo J. M. , Catalão João P. S.
Published: January 2019

The integration of renewable energy resources (RES) (such as wind and photovoltaic (PV)) on large or small scales, in addition to small generation units, and individual producers, has led to a large variation in energy production, adding uncertainty to power systems (PS) due to the inherent stochasticity of natural resources. The implementation of demand-side management (DSM) in distribution grids (DGs), enabled by intelligent electrical devices and advanced communication infrastructures, ensures safer and more economical operation, giving more flexibility to the intelligent smart grid (SG), and consequently reducing pollutant emissions. Consumers play an active and key role in modern SG as small producers, using RES or through participation in demand response (DR) programs. In this work, the proposed DSM model follows a two-stage stochastic approach to deal with uncertainties associated with RES (wind and PV) together with demand response aggregators (DRA). Three types of DR strategies offered to consumers are compared. Nine test cases are modeled, simulated, and compared in order to analyze the effects of the different DR strategies. The purpose of this work is to minimize DG operating costs from the Distribution System Operator (DSO) point-of-view, through the analysis of different levels of DRA presence, DR strategies, and price variations.
Optimal Operation of Interprovincial Hydropower System Including Xiluodu and Local Plants in Multiple Recipient Regions
Authors: Shen Jianjian , Zhang Xiufei , Wang Jian , Cao Rui , Wang Sen , Zhang Jun
Published: January 2019

This paper focuses on the monthly operations of an interprovincial hydropower system (IHS) connected by ultrahigh voltage direct current lines. The IHS consists of the Xiluodu Hydropower Project, which ranks second in China, and local plants in multiple recipient regions. It simultaneously provides electricity for Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces and thus meets their complex operation requirements. This paper develops a multi-objective optimization model of maximizing the minimum of total hydropower generation for each provincial power grid while considering network security constraints, electricity contracts, and plant constraints. The purpose is to enhance the minimum power in dry season by using the differences in hydrology and regulating storage of multiple rivers. The TOPSIS method is utilized to handle this multi-objective optimization, where the complex minimax objective function is transformed into a group of easily solved linear formulations. Nonlinearities of the hydropower system are approximatively described as polynomial formulations. The model was used to solve the problem using mixed integer nonlinear programming that is based on the branch-and-bound technique. The proposed method was applied to the monthly generation scheduling of the IHS. Compared to the conventional method, both the total electricity for Guangdong Power Grid and Zhejiang Power Grid during dry season increased by 6% and 4%, respectively. The minimum monthly power also showed a significant increase of 40% and 31%. It was demonstrated that the hydrological differences between Xiluodu Plant and local hydropower plants in receiving power grids can be fully used to improve monthly hydropower generation.