bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The novel protein ScrA acts through the SaeRS two‐component system to regulate virulence gene expression in Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Wittekind Marcus A. , Frey Andrew , Bonsall Abigail E. , Briaud Paul , Keogh Rebecca A. , Wiemels Richard E. , Shaw Lindsey N. , Carroll Ronan K.
Published: April 2022

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram‐positive commensal that can also cause a variety of infections in humans. S. aureus virulence factor gene expression is under tight control by a complex regulatory network, which includes, sigma factors, sRNAs, and two‐component systems (TCS). Previous work in our laboratory demonstrated that overexpression of the sRNA tsr37 leads to an increase in bacterial aggregation. Here, we demonstrate that the clumping phenotype is dependent on a previously unannotated 88 amino acid protein encoded within the tsr37 sRNA transcript (which we named ScrA for S. aureus clumping regulator A). To investigate the mechanism of action of ScrA we performed proteomics and transcriptomics in a ScrA overexpressing strain and show that a number of surface adhesins are upregulated, while secreted proteases are downregulated. Results also showed upregulation of the SaeRS TCS, suggesting that ScrA is influencing SaeRS activity. Overexpression of ScrA in a saeR mutant abrogates the clumping phenotype confirming that ScrA functions via the Sae system. Finally, we identified the ArlRS TCS as a positive regulator of scrA expression. Collectively, our results show that ScrA is an activator of the SaeRS system and suggests that ScrA may act as an intermediary between the ArlRS and SaeRS systems.
Predictors of vision‐related quality of life in patients with macular oedema receiving intra‐vitreal anti‐VEGF treatment
Authors: Rausch‐Koster Petra T. , Rennert Katharina N. , Heymans Martijn W. , Verbraak Frank D. , van Rens Ger H. M. B. , van Nispen Ruth M. A.
Published: April 2022

Purpose

To determine which demographic and clinical characteristics are predictive of vision‐related quality of life (VrQoL) and quality of life (QoL) in patients with macular oedema receiving intravitreal anti‐vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment.

Methods

Vision‐related quality of life (VrQoL) and quality of life (QoL) were measured in 712 patients with retinal exudative disease receiving anti‐VEGF treatment at baseline, 6 and 12 months. VrQoL was measured using an item‐response theory based 47‐question item bank (EyeQ), whereas QoL was measured using the EuroQol Five Dimensions (EQ‐5D) questionnaire. The EQ‐5D score was dichotomized into a perfect score of 1 and a suboptimal score of <1. Demographic and clinical patient characteristics were considered as possible predictors of (Vr)QoL. Prediction models for (Vr)QoL were created with linear mixed models and generalised estimating equations, using a forward selection procedure.

Results

A worse VrQoL was predicted by poorer LogMAR visual acuity of the better eye, female sex, single civil status, older age, longer length of anti‐VEGF treatment at baseline and the presence of non‐ocular and ocular comorbidities. Suboptimal EQ‐5D scores were predicted by poorer LogMAR visual acuity of the better eye, female sex, single civil status, older age, the presence of non‐ocular comorbidities and a lower educational background.

Conclusions

Along with visual acuity of the better eye, which is the main factor used in clinical decision making, other patient characteristics should also be considered for the risk assessment of (Vr)QoL, such as sex, age, civil status, comorbidities and length of anti‐VEGF treatment.
The nationalization of school superintendent elections
Authors: Weinschenk Aaron C.
Published: April 2022

Objective

Scholars have demonstrated that the U.S. presidential vote is increasingly correlated with voting patterns in House, Senate, gubernatorial, state legislative, and state judicial elections, a phenomenon called nationalization. In this article, I examine the relationship between vote share in presidential and school superintendent elections.

Methods

I conduct correlation and regression analyses using an original data set containing county‐level election results from 2000 to 2021 for all states that hold statewide school superintendent elections.

Results

I find that there is a statistically significant relationship between presidential and superintendent voting in both partisan and nonpartisan elections even after accounting for incumbency, although the relationship is appreciably stronger in states that hold partisan school superintendent elections. In addition, there has been an uptick in the strength of the relationship between presidential and state superintendent vote patterns over time in both partisan and nonpartisan states, although the increase is more pronounced in nonpartisan states.

Conclusions

The results indicate that even some of the most low‐salience, down‐ballot elections have nationalized.
Paul the apostle and distance educator: Ancient pedagogy for the pandemic era
Authors: Yuckman Colin H.
Published: April 2022

Perceptions about remote theological education inevitably cluster around questions of embodiment, community, and unity. The letters of the apostle Paul have quite a bit to say about these themes. This essay examines Paul's treatment of distance in the formation and education of Christians, focused around the image of the “body of Christ” in 1 Corinthians and the “presence” of Paul's absence through his letter‐writing. Reflecting on distance education with reference to Paul's Corinthian correspondence proves useful in developing a biblical and theological grammar for understanding remote formation, including an alternative to traditional theological anthropology. The 2020–2022 global pandemic has underscored the importance and urgency of developing such a reassessment of theological formation. Following the lessons learned from Paul as distance educator, the essay concludes with a series of questions for institutions to ask themselves as they seek a way forward in the pandemic era.
Gypsy retrotransposon‐derived maize lncRNA GARR2 modulates gibberellin response
Authors: Li Wei , Chen Yudong , Wang Yali , Zhao Jia , Wang Yijun
Published: April 2022

Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) mediate diverse biological events mainly through the modulation of transcriptional hierarchy. The phytohormone gibberellin (GA) is essential for various aspects of plant growth and development. However, the roles of lncRNAs in the regulation of the GA response remain largely unknown. Through sequencing multiple strand‐specific and ribosomal‐depleted RNA libraries, we delineated the landscape of lncRNAs in maize (Zea mays). Out of identified lncRNAs, 445 GIBBERELLIN‐RESPONSIVE lncRNAs (GARRs) were differentially expressed upon GA application. By the intersection of GARRs from normal‐height and dwarf plants from an advanced backcross population, four shared GARRs (GARR1 to GARR4) were identified. Out of these four shared GARRs, GARR2 was derived from a Gypsy LTR retrotransposon. GA‐responsive element P‐boxes were identified upstream of GARR2. GARR2‐edited lines exhibited a GA‐induced phenotype. Editing of GARR2 resulted in changes in the transcriptional abundance of GA pathway components and endogenous GA contents. Besides GA, GARR2 affected the primary auxin response. An RNA pull‐down assay revealed the HECT ubiquitin–protein ligase family member ZmUPL1 as a potential interaction target of GARR2. GARR2 influenced the abundance of ZmUPL1 in the GA response. Our study uncovers lncRNA players involved in the modulation of the GA response and guides the development of plant height ideotype driven by knowledge of the phytohormone GA.
NRAMP6 and NRAMP1 cooperatively regulate root growth and manganese translocation under manganese deficiency in Arabidopsis
Authors: Li Lun , Zhu Zongzheng , Liao Yonghui , Yang Changhong , Fan Ni , Zhang Jie , Yamaji Naoki , Dirick Léon , Ma Jian Feng , Curie Catherine , Huang Chao‐Feng
Published: April 2022

The essential micronutrient manganese (Mn) in plants regulates multiple biological processes including photosynthesis and oxidative stress. Some Natural Resistance‐Associated Macrophage Proteins (NRAMPs) have been reported to play critical roles in Mn uptake and reutilization in low Mn conditions. NRAMP6 was demonstrated to regulate cadmium tolerance and iron utilization in Arabidopsis. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether NRAMP6 plays a role in Mn nutrition. Here, we report that NRAMP6 cooperates with NRAMP1 in Mn utilization. Mutation of NRAMP6 in nramp1 but not in a wild‐type background reduces root growth and Mn translocation from the roots to shoots under Mn deficient conditions. Grafting experiments revealed that NRAMP6 expression in both the roots and shoots is required for root growth and Mn translocation under Mn deficiency. We also showed that NRAMP1 could replace NRAMP6 to sustain root growth under Mn deficiency, but not vice versa. Mn deficiency does not affect the transcript level of NRAMP6, but is able to increase and decrease the protein accumulation of NRAMP6 in roots and shoots, respectively. Furthermore, NRAMP6 can be localized to both the plasma membrane and endomembranes including the endoplasmic reticulum, and Mn deficiency enhances the localization of NRAMP6 to the plasma membrane in Arabidopsis plants. NRAMP6 could rescue the defective growth of the yeast mutant Δsmf2, which is deficient in endomembrane Mn transport. Our results reveal the important role of NRAMP6 in Mn nutrition and in the long‐distance signaling between the roots and shoots under Mn deficient conditions.
Quality of imported intermediates, innovation behaviour and markups: Firm‐level evidence from China
Authors: Huang Xianhai , Wang Yi , Zhu Zhujun , Song Xueyin
Published: April 2022

This paper examines whether higher quality imported intermediates can increase firms' markups. Based on the conceptual model, we first find that improving the quality of imported intermediates affects firms' decision‐making in terms of innovation and firm‐level markups through the price channel and the cost channel. We combine the annual survey data of Chinese industrial firms (ASIF), Chinese customs transactions and patent data to verify the theoretical propositions. The results report that: (1) there is a significantly positive correlation between the quality of imported intermediates and firms' markups; (2) innovation acts as a potential channel through which the quality of imported intermediates increases firms' markups; (3) by decomposing markups into the price channel and the cost channel, we find that the quality of imported intermediates affects firms' markups through the cost channel. Our results suggest that higher quality imported intermediates may improve firms' market power through innovation.
The effect of non‐absorbent hydrophobic sand litter on the urine protein‐to‐creatinine ratio in feline urine
Authors: Kennils Josh M. , Maunder Christina L. , Costa Marta T.
Published: April 2022

Background

Proteinuria can be quantified through the measurement of the urine protein‐to‐creatinine ratio (UPC). Voided urine samples in cats are often exposed to a non‐absorbable litter substrate prior to collection and urinalysis. Little is known about the effect exposure to such substrates has on pre‐analytical variability of UPC measurements.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to assess agreement between UPC measurements from urine obtained by cystocentesis before and after exposure to non‐absorbent hydrophobic sand for 24 hours.

Methods

UPCs were measured in 40 urine samples obtained by cystocentesis from 39 cats (baselineUPC). Urine was then exposed to non‐absorbent hydrophobic sand litter for 24 hours, recovered, and repeat UPCs were measured (litterUPC). Agreement between paired measurements and the presence of any bias or error was evaluated using Bland–Altman analysis Passing–Bablok regression analysis, respectively. Cohen's kappa was used to measure agreement for the International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) proteinuria classification of samples. Observed total error (TEobs) was calculated for the laboratory analyzer and compared against absolute percentage changes in paired UPC measurements.

Results

Neither proportional nor constant error was identified using Passing‐Bablok regression between baselineUPC and litterUPC. Visual inspection of the Bland–Altman plot revealed good agreement, with 95% of paired measures falling within the limits of agreement (LOA). Cohen's kappa demonstrated almost perfect agreement for the IRIS classification of proteinuria between baselineUPC and litterUPC. Absolute percentage changes of paired UPC measurements outside of the LOAs were lower than the inter‐assay TEobs.

Conclusions

Feline urine exposed to non‐absorbent hydrophobic sand litter appears acceptable for UPC measurements.
Influence of Television on Procrastination amongst Students
Authors: Ali Shaik Iliyas , Devi V. Anitha , Kharbanda Malvika
Published: April 2022

Technology has enriched our lives in more ways than we can imagine. Inventions like the television have completely changed the way we receive information and entertain ourselves. Technology is necessary, but it does not always have a positive influence on modern life. This issue of the negative impact of television has emerged within the last decade due to the impressive pace of technology. Young people have very easy access to television and thus spend much time watching shows rather than doing productive work, which leads to procrastination. In our study, we conducted a survey amongst the students of Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), India and analyzed the relationship between television watching habits and procrastination with respect to four variables. The results show that frequent procrastination due to television watching depends on various factors, such as gender, age group, TV watching hours, and prioritization of television over assignments and examination.
GABAB‐ and GABAA‐receptor‐mediated regulation of Up and Down states across development
Authors: Kaplanian Ani , Vinos Michael , Skaliora Irini
Published: April 2022

Slow oscillations, the hallmark of non‐REM sleep, and their cellular counterpart, Up and Down states (UDSs), are considered a signature of cortical dynamics that reflect the intrinsic network organization. Although previous studies have explored the role of inhibition in regulating UDSs, little is known about whether this role changes with maturation. This is surprising since both slow oscillations and UDSs exhibit significant age‐dependent alterations. To elucidate the developmental impact of GABAB and GABAA receptors on UDS activity, we conducted simultaneous local field potentials and intracellular recordings ex vivo, in brain slices of young and adult male mice, using selective blockers, CGP55845 and a non‐saturating concentration of gabazine, respectively. Blockade of both GABAB and GABAA signalling showed age‐differentiated functions. CGP55845 caused an increase in Down state duration in young animals, but a decrease in adults. Gabazine evoked spike and wave discharges in both ages; however, while young networks became completely epileptic, adults maintained the ability to generate UDSs. Furthermore, voltage clamp recordings of miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents revealed that gabazine selectively blocks phasic currents, particularly involving postsynaptic mechanisms. The latter exhibit clear maturational changes, suggesting a different subunit composition of GABAA receptors in young vs. adult animals. Indeed, subsequent local field potential recordings under diazepam (nanomolar or micromolar concentrations) revealed that mechanisms engaging the drug's classical binding site, mediated by α1‐subunit‐containing GABAA receptors, make a bigger contribution to Up state initiation in young networks compared to adults. Taken together, these findings help clarify the mechanisms that underlie the maturation of cortical network activity and enhance our understanding regarding the emergence of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Key points

Slow oscillations, the EEG hallmark of non‐REM sleep, and their cellular counterpart, Up and Down states (UDSs), are considered the default activity of the cerebral cortex and reflect the underlying neural connectivity.

GABAB‐ and GABAA‐receptor‐mediated inhibition play a major role in regulating UDS activity.

Although slow oscillations and UDSs exhibit significant alterations as a function of age, it is unknown how developmental changes in inhibition contribute to the developmental profile of this activity.

In this study, we reveal for the first time age‐dependent effects of GABAB and GABAA signalling on UDSs. We also document the differential subunit composition of postsynaptic GABAA receptors in young and adult animals, highlighting the α1‐subunit as a major component of the age‐differentiated regulation of UDSs.

These findings help clarify the mechanisms that underlie the maturation of cortical network activity, and enhance our understanding regarding the emergence of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Debates teóricos sobre la acción exterior de los gobiernos no centrales
Authors: Alvarez Mariano
Published: April 2022

Si bien la acción exterior de los gobiernos locales e intermedios se ha generalizado y normado a nivel mundial, persisten fuertes debates teóricos en torno a su estudio. Ello dificulta el correcto análisis comparativo y la formulación de políticas públicas en base a estudios académicos. El objetivo del artículo es revisar comprehensivamente tres de los principales debates de la literatura, con el fin de presentar al lector e investigador ciertos consensos alcanzados, en los casos en que es posible. Los debates son abordados siguiendo la metodología de revisión bibliográfica (investigación documental). Primero, se estudia cómo se debe denominar al fenómeno; segundo, cuáles son sus causas, motivos u objetivos; y, tercero, qué definición se debe adoptar. Como corolario se presenta una propuesta de definición que sintetiza el resultado de cada debate.
Micro/nano blocks of Ni/MnO composites synthesized by microwave-assisted solvothermal for supercapacitors
Authors: Gao Chang , Huang Heping , Wang Shusen , Yang Guogang , Huang Naibao
Published: April 2022

The micro/nano blocks of Ni/MnO composites were synthesized by a facile microwave-assisted solvothermal method. The results indicated that the morphology changed from irregular block to polyhedron and then to the sphere with the increase of ethylene glycol (EG) ratio in the solvent. The results indicated the specific capacitance of the obtained material increased as the EG ratio increased, but when the EG ratio exceeded 60%, the change of specific capacitance was not obvious (less than 5%). For the Ni/MnO material synthesized in pure EG, its specific capacitance reached 860 F/g at 1 A/g and the capacitance retention maintained 58% after 6500 cycles. The micro/nano structure of Ni/MnO material formed in EG solvent increased the surface area and provided more transfer channels for the electrolyte ion, which were all beneficial to improve the electrochemical properties. The high capacitance and good cycle stability especially after a period of cycles demonstrated the obtained Ni/MnO materials had a potential application for the supercapacitor electrode material.
Investigation on the fluorescent efficiency of ZN2SiO4:Mn synthesized by repeated solid-state sintering
Authors: Yeh Min Yen , Tu Chih Cheng , Chang Shun Hsyung , Lee Shiow Yueh
Published: April 2022

Zinc silicate was successfully synthesized by solid-state sintering at the temperature no less than [Formula: see text]C. Co-existing ZnO phase was observed as adopting the stoichiometry reactant ratio 2:1 of ZnO:SiO2. Single-phase [Formula: see text]-Zn2SiO4(willemite structure) was obtained by adjusting the ZnO:SiO2ratio to 1:1. Prolonging sintering time has helped to increase the fluorescence efficiency and what is more, repeated solid-state sintering process is found to have further improved fluorescence of Zn2SiO4:Mn.
Research on the performance of carbon film formed on thin stainless steel bipolar plates of PEMFC by laser irradiating
Authors: Huang Heping , Gao Chang , Yang Guogang , Huang Naibao
Published: April 2022

In order to improve the anti-corrosion performance of thin stainless steel bipolar plates of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), the carbon film (of about 0.82-[Formula: see text]m thickness) was fabricated on the thin stainless steel by laser direct writing technology irradiating the formed dense polydopamine (PDA) film. The results indicated that the PDA film has partially transformed into nanocrystalline graphite. Laser power and scanning speed had great effect on the anti-corrosion performance of the final obtained film in simulated PEMFC environment. When the laser power is 3.5 W and the scanning speed is 10 mm/s, the film obtained on the thin stainless steel has the best electrochemical performance in simulated PEMFC environment. Its corrosion current densities were [Formula: see text]A [Formula: see text] cm[Formula: see text]@ −0.1 V (versus SCE) and [Formula: see text]A [Formula: see text] cm [Formula: see text]@ 0.6 V (versus SCE) in simulated anode and cathode environments, respectively. Compared with the bare thin stainless steel, the corresponding corrosion current densities decreased by 45% and 62%. The results obtained in this text provide a novel strategy for modifyingPEMFC thin metal bipolar plates.
RADIATION-INDUCED SURFACE MIGRATION OF TUNGSTEN: CHANNELING ALONG ATOMIC STEPS
Authors: SADANOV E. V. , MAZILOV A. A. , STARCHENKO I. V. , GORDIENKO J. A. , MAZILOVA T. I. , MIKHAILOVSKIJ I. M.
Published: April 2022

The interaction of accelerated helium atoms with the atomic-smooth surface of tun+gsten single crystals was investigated using the low-temperature field-ion microscope, equipped with the source of helium atoms with an energy of 5 keV together with the techniques of molecular dynamics. It was observed the effect of the surface channeling of fast atoms of a target along the surface steps which occurs as a result of the collision cascade induced by the incident projectile. A substantial part of these displaced atoms in the target gains momentum oriented along the < 111 > close-packed crystallographic directions. The fine morphology of the trajectory of an excited tungsten atom reveals the transverse oscillations of the W atom normally to the < 111 > surface atomic step. The rate of the kinetic energy loss during the surface channeling of fast tungsten atoms does not exceed 0.4 eV/Å. This provides relatively large displaced surface atom ranges along the close-packed atomic steps. The found out results can be regarded as a special case of the correlation mechanism of the radiation-induced surface mass transfer.
MOF-Derived Co1-xVxSy Nanosheets as a Highly Efficient Electrocatalyst for Water Splitting
Authors: Lu Changtong , Yang Jing , Wang Xiaojing , Gao Feng , Luo Xubiao , Tu Xinman , Qu Fengli , Lu Limin
Published: April 2022

To address issues of global energy sustainability, it is of great practical significance to develop low cost and high efficiency electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this work, we synthesize amorphous Co1-xVxSy nanosheets using Co1-xVx-MOF/NF as a precursor to explore the structural evolution of metal-organic framework (MOF) derivatives during the OER. When tested for OER performance in 1.0 M KOH solution, Co0.9V0.1S0.002/NF exhibits the best catalytic activity, with an overpotential of only 194 mV at a current density of 20 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 28.4 mV dec−1. We also measured the long-term electrochemical durability of Co0.9V0.1S0.002/NF and found that Co0.9V0.1S0.002/NF maintains its stability for at least 100 h at a current density of 20 mA cm−2.
Oxygen Diffusion in Ceramic Mixed Conducting La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ
: The Role of Grain and Twin Boundaries
Authors: Thoréton V. , Niania M. , Druce J. , Tellez H. , Kilner J. A.
Published: April 2022

Measurements of the oxygen diffusivity of ceramic samples of the mixed ionic electronic conductor La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ
(LSCF6428) have shown the appearance of grain boundary tails in diffusion profiles at temperatures below 600 °C. Analysis of the tails yields values of the grain boundary diffusion products (

D

g
b

δ

). The activation enthalpies for the grain boundary and lattice diffusion are very close at 1.69 eV and 1.61 eV respectively, suggesting a common diffusion mechanism. Comparison with literature values on both lattice and grain boundary diffusion products have shown that values of

D

g
b

δ

obtained for LSCF6428 are the highest yet recorded for any oxide material. The reasons for this high value are discussed, including the degree of nonstoichiometry of the parent lattice and the possible involvement of the twin boundaries found in these ceramic samples.
A Prognostic Model for Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Based on Hypoxia‐Related Long Noncoding RNAs
Authors: Jiang Lan , Li Huacheng , Zhao Deqing
Published: April 2022

Objective. The prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) varies greatly due to the hypoxic environment and multiple factors driving metastasis progress. In this study, we aimed to correlate the expression of hypoxia‐related long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) with the survival of patients with HCC to develop a prognostic model for HCC. Methods. The Pearson correlation analysis was used to screen hypoxia‐related lncRNAs between differentially expressed lncRNAs by analyzing lncRNA expression profiles in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and 200 hypoxia genes downloaded from the Molecular Signatures Database (M5891). The univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to identify significantly predictive hypoxia‐related lncRNAs, and a prognostic model based on these factors was constructed to predict the survival of HCC. The Kaplan‐Meier (K‐M) survival analysis and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) were performed to evaluate the performance of the model. Results. A total of 490 hypoxia‐related lncRNAs were screened out. A prognostic model comprising 10 significantly predictive hypoxia‐related lncRNAs was constructed by the multivariate Cox regression analysis. The hypoxia‐related risk scores were calculated and were divided into high‐risk and low‐risk groups. The K‐M survival analysis showed a lower overall survival rate of patients in the high‐risk group (P < 0.05). ROC analysis showed that the AUC value of hypoxia‐related risk score was 0.799, demonstrating that the hypoxia‐related risk score was an independent prognosis factor of HCC. Conclusion. Our study indicates that identified 10 key hypoxia‐related lncRNAs have potential prognostic values for HCC patients and may provide new targets for the treatment of HCC.
Dynamic Characteristics of Coral Sand in the Condition of Particle Breakage
Authors: Long Hui , Zhuang Ke , Deng Bo , Jiao Jianlin , Zuo Junjie , You Enlu
Published: April 2022

To study the influence of coral sand particle breakage on its dynamic characteristics, taking the South China Sea coral sand as the research object, one-dimensional consolidation test was conducted to prepare different particle breakage degree samples, and then, the GCTS resonant column test was carried out on these samples. The results show that with the degree of coral sand particle breakage increases, the maximum dynamic shear modulus of coral sand first increases and then decreases, and the minimum damping ratio also shows a similar trend. In addition, based on Hardin’s theory of the relative breakage, this study proposes a new modified relative breakage

B

r

′

for describing particle breakage and establishes a relationship between the maximum dynamic shear modulus and the modified relative breakage

B

r

′

.
Low power residue number system using lookup table decomposition and finite state machine based post computation
Authors: Morasa Balaji , Nimmagadda Padmaja
Published: April 2022

In this paper, memory optimization and architectural level modifications are introduced for realizing the low power residue number system (RNS) with improved flexibility for electroencephalograph (EEG) signal classification. The proposed RNS framework is intended to maximize the reconfigurability of RNS for high-performance finite impulse response (FIR) filter design. By replacing the existing power-hungry RAM-based reverse conversion model with a highly decomposed lookup table (LUT) model which can produce the results without using any post accumulation process. The reverse conversion block is modified with an appropriate functional unit to accommodate FIR convolution results. The proposed approach is established to develop and execute pre-calculated inverters for various module sets. Therefore, the proposed LUT-decomposition with RNS multiplication-based post-accumulation technology provides a high-performance FIR filter architecture that allows different frequency response configuration elements. Experimental results shows the superior performance of decomposing LUT-based direct reverse conversion over other existing reverse conversion techniques adopted for energy-efficient RNS FIR implementations. When compared with the conventional RNS FIR design with the proposed FSM based decomposed RNS FIR, the logic elements (LEs) were reduced by 4.57%, the frequency component is increased by 31.79%, number of LUTs is reduced by 42.85%, and the power dissipation was reduced by 13.83%.
Electronic datasheet parameter extractor and verifier system for printed circuit board development
Authors: Cuntapay Ma. Chalina S. , Enojas Mark Joseph B. , Bongao Hohn Lois C.
Published: April 2022

Library components are composed of devices, symbols, and footprints which are the fundamental parts to design and develop printed circuit boards (PCB). In archiving PCB libraries, the creation and checking of the component’s parameters are very important. The checking of footprints and pin configurations from datasheets are manually done which causes delays and downtime when the components do not fit the developed PCB. It was found in a survey that 61.5% of errors come from footprints dimensions. These cause delays in the production and development of PCBs. In this study, a parameter extractor and verifier system were developed to mitigate the error of manual process of archiving library parameters from datasheets. Text recognition and pattern matching algorithms were used for the processing of images from datasheets. The 10-trial tests conducted for each footprint for the extraction of text from the cropped images for standard operating procedures (SOP) series and heat sink thin shrink small outline package (HTSSOP) series were found successful without any error. The checking of footprints and pin configuration was reduced from 45 minutes to 25 minutes. The developed system was evaluated based on user perception by 10 PCB library users which resulted to agree that the system is functional, efficient, and convenient to use.
Efficient carry select 16-bit square root adder with complementary metal-oxide semiconductor implementation
Authors: Sathyanarayan Pavitha Uppinakere , Mohan Mamtha , Kakde Sandeep , Karthik Annam
Published: April 2022

The adder is the maximum usually used mathematics block in programs inclusive of central processing unit (CPU) and virtual sign processing. As a result, it is important to expand a space-saving, low-strength, high-overall performance adder circuit. The hassle is diagnosed to layout mathematics sub structures with minimized strength dissipation, low area, and minimal time postpone of common-sense circuits. In conventional carry select adder (CSA), the time required to generate the sum output is less than other basic adder circuits but the principal difficulty is the location because the variety of transistors used to put in force the CSA circuit is fairly more. So, the area increases because of which the overall power consumption of the circuit will be more. If it's far viable to lessen the variety of transistors used withinside the structure of CSA adder, then, the strength intake of the circuit may be decreased or even the reaction time will improve. By lowering the area of the adder circuit, the suggested solution intends to reduce power consumption and latency.
Adaptive neuro-fuzzy controller trained by genetic-particle swarm for active queue management in internet congestion
Authors: I. Berbek Mohammed , A. Oglah Ahmed
Published: April 2022

Routers are vital during network congestion. All routers have input and output packet buffers. VVarious congestion control strategies have been suggested. Some controller-based proportional-integral derivative (PIDs) have recently been offered as active queue management (AQM) solutions to alleviate the deterioration of transmission control protocol (TCP) congestion management system performance. However, the time delay is large, the data retention decreases, and oscillation occurs, suggesting that the present PID-controller is unable to fulfill quality of service (QoS) criteria. Some research is developed on new control technologies such as neural networks and fuzzy logic. This paper proposes the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) like PID controller for AQM. This model employs genetic algorithms (GAs) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) to learn and optimize all variables for ANFIS like PID controller. Simulations were used to investigate the effects of using fuzzy like PID based on single sign-on (SSO), and (ANFIS like PI, ANFIS like PID with GA-PSO) controllers on the length of the queue for an AQM router, respectively. Then we compared the findings to see which approach should be utilized to manage the queue length for AQM routers. In simulations, ANFIS like PID has superior stability, convergence, resilience, loss ratio, goodput, lowest rising time, overshoot, and settling time.
Magnetic resonance coupling wireless power transfer for green technologies
Authors: Nafiaa Reem Emad , Yonis Aws Zuheer
Published: April 2022

Wireless power transfer (WPT) is a technology that is considered the focus of scientists' attention for its development and creation to be compatible with many devices that are used today and also consider one of the green technology apps which means any technology can reduce the effect of people on the environment which is today grow continuously. In this paper, a wireless power transfer for a mobile charger had been discussed to get a maximum power and efficiency power transfer. WPT is considered as a reliable technology, efficient, fast, not using wires, and can be used for short and long-range. There are three methods for WPT, electromagnetic induction, magnetic resonance coupling, and radio waves which are classified by the distance that sends the power. Magnetic resonance coupling is the method that has been focused on in this paper because of compatibility with short or medium distances as battery chargers which depend on the magnetic field to transfer power without wires that can protect devices from damages and heating. As result the effect of distance on efficiency has been discussed with reached to nearer distance can improve efficiency however by using magnetic resonance technique, acceptable efficiency can be obtained with appropriate distance.
A heuristic approach to minimize three criteria using efficient solutions
Authors: Hassan Dara Ali , Amiri Nezam Mehdavi , Ramadan Ayad Mohammed
Published: April 2022

In optimization, scheduling problems is concerning allocations of some resources which are usually limited. These allocations are done in order to fulfil some criterion by performing some tasks or jobs to optimize one or more objective functions. Simultaneous multi-criteria scheduling problem is known as np-hard optimization problem. Here, we consider three criteria for scheduling a number of jobs on a single machine. The problem is to minimize the sum of total completion time, maximum earliness and maximum tardiness. Every job is to be processed without interruption and becomes available for processing at time zero. The aim is to find a processing order of the jobs to minimize three-objective functions simultaneously. We present a new heuristic approach to find a best overall solution (accepted) of the problem using efficient solutions of one of the other related criteria. We establish a result to restrict the range of the optimal solution, and the lower bound depends on the decomposition of the problem into three subproblems. The approach is tested on a set of problems of different number of jobs. Computational results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed approach.
Improvised convolutional auto encoder for thyroid nodule image enhancement and segmentation
Authors: Gunjali Drakshaveni , Hansavath Prasad Naik
Published: April 2022

Thyroid ultrasonography and thermography are a widely used clinical technique for nodule diagnosis in thyroid regions. However, it remains difficult to detect and recognize the nodules due to low contrast, high noise, and diverse appearance of nodules. To alleviate doctors’ tremendous labor in the diagnosis procedure, we advocate a machine learning approach to the detection and recognition tasks in this paper. Moreover, this research mainly focuses on segmenting the image and finding the probable region. In this research work an improvised convolutional auto encoder (ICAE) is introduced for segmenting the image and finding the probable region of thyroid gland and it enhances image. ICAE comprises various layer and mechanism, each having their own task. Apart from the traditional approach, skip connection is applied for the image enhancement and dual frame is introduced for better feature extraction. Further optimization technique is used for increasing the learning rate. ICAE is evaluated considering digital database thyroid image (DDTI) dataset with performance metrics like accuracy, true positive rate, false positive rate, dice coefficient and similarity index (SI); also, comparative analysis is carried out with various existing model and proposed model simply outperforms the existing model.
A novel method for prediction of diabetes mellitus using deep convolutional neural network and long short-term memory
Authors: Kumari Gorli L Aruna , Padmaja Poosapati , Suma Jaya G
Published: April 2022

Hyperglycemia arises due to diabetes mellitus, which is a persistent and life-threatening ailment. In this paper deep convolution neural network can be embedded to long short-term memory networks to recognize early prediction of diabetes and to decrease the complications that can be occurred through diabetes irrespective to the age. Diabetes problem is being gradually growing and presently, it is reported as a significant cause of death in the top spot. According to the recent studies 48% of overall world population will be affected by diabetes by 2045. If diabetes unidentified in early stages, it may cause other additional cardiac problems. In the proposed based work, a deep learning framework deep combination of convolution neural network and long short-term memory is proposed by embedding both to leverage their respective advantages for diabetes recognition and to allow early prediction of diabetes to avoid other complications. The experimental evolution on the bunch mark of diabetes data set demonstrates the proposed model embedded deep long short-term memory outperforms other machine learning and conventional deep learning approaches. The proposed algorithm in this paper outperforms existing techniques and evaluates total effectiveness and accuracy of predicting whether a person will suffer from diabetes.
Transformer based multi-head attention network for aspect-based sentiment classification
Authors: Shirahatti Abhinandan , Rajpurohit Vijay , Sannakki Sanjeev
Published: April 2022

Aspect-based sentiment classification is vital in helping manufacturers identify the pros and cons of their products and features. In the latest days, there has been a tremendous surge of interest in aspect-based sentiment classification (ABSC). Since it predicts an aspect term sentiment polarity in a sentence rather than the whole sentence. Most of the existing methods have used recurrent neural networks and attention mechanisms which fail to capture global dependencies of the input sequence and it leads to some information loss and some of the existing methods used sequence models for this task, but training these models is a bit tedious. Here, we propose the multi-head attention transformation (MHAT) network the MHAT utilizes a transformer encoder in order to minimize training time for ABSC tasks. First, we used a pre-trained Global vectors for word representation (GloVe) for word and aspect term embeddings. Second, part-of-speech (POS) features are fused with MHAT to extract grammatical aspects of an input sentence. Whereas most of the existing methods have neglected this. Using the SemEval 2014 dataset, the proposed model consistently outperforms the state-of-the-art methods on aspect-based sentiment classification tasks.
Optimizing random forest classifier with Jenesis-index on an imbalanced dataset
Authors: Zeffora Joylin , Shobarani Shobarani
Published: April 2022

Random forest is an ensemble algorithm for machine learning. In decision trees, the splitting criteria is built on the prediction of the nodal points and formation of rules by Gini index and Information Gain. Gini index is a measure of inequality. Gini index does not take into consideration the structural changes in the dataset, and inaccurate data can distort the validity of the gini-coefficient. For data with the same feature but different outcomes, the gini-coefficient remained the same. The proposed method for attribute selection measure takes into consideration that there may be structural changes in the dataset overtime and it adapts to such expected changes and maintain the accuracy of the algorithm avoiding under-fitting and over-fitting. A dataset on myocardial infarctions was taken for the study and the results were promising.
iLearning education based on gamification blockchain
Authors: Aini Qurotul , Azizah Nur , Salam Rahmat , Santoso Nuke Puji Lestari , Millah Shofiyul
Published: April 2022

learning process implemented in universities due to COVID-19 has brought significant disruption to education. Interest and motivation to learn are very important in the learning process. It takes a platform that supports students to be motivated in running the activity hours well. Learning techniques that can be chosen are collaborative and creative learning in achieving effective graduate outcomes with the support of the Merdeka Campus program. This research aims to make gamification techniques to make students more creative, innovative, and interactive by utilizing the concepts of learning and playing. Furthermore, a learning platform based on blockchain technology can support quality universities as a layer of control in implementing security and fun learning. With gamification techniques in collaboration with blockchain technology, all devices connected to the network will become nodes or servers. This study uses agile development methods based on iterative and incremental models to create a distributed storage blockchain algorithm, and IPFS used to build the GamiChain iLearning education model (gamification blockchain). It can be concluded that GamiChain (gamification blockchain) can support the Merdeka Campus program, which can provide facilities for students to develop their potential and prepare excellent and outstanding graduates.
Vector support machine algorithm applied to the improvement of satisfaction levels in the acquisition of professional skills
Authors: Chamorro-Atalaya Omar , Ortega-Galicio Orlando , Morales-Romero Guillermo , Villar-Valenzuela Darío , Meza-Chaupis Yeferzon , León-Velarde César , Quevedo-Sánchez Lourdes
Published: April 2022

The study carried out identifies the metricss of the predictive model obtained through the support vector machine (VSM) algorithm, which will be applied in the satisfaction of the acquisition of professional skills of the students of the Professional Engineering Career. As part of the development, the statistical classification tool is used, during the development of the research, it was identified that the predictive model presents as general metrics an accuracy of 82.1%, a precision of 70.72%, a sensitivity of 91.06% and a specificity of 87.60%. Through this model, it contributes significantly to decision-making in relation to improving satisfaction related to the acquisition of professional skills in engineering students, since decision-making by university authorities will have a scientific basis, to take early and timely actions in relation to the predictive elements.
Delay-power efficient VLSI architecture design for robust proportionate adaptive filter
Authors: Lakshmaiah Gangadharaiah Soralamavu , Narayanappa Chikkajala Krishnappa , Narasimhaiah Divya Muddenahalli , Nagabhushanam Munivenkatappa , Venkatesh Nuthan Prasad , Shobhavathi Bhanu Darshan Srinivas
Published: April 2022

This paper proposes the robust proportionate adaptive filtering algorithms and their respective efficient very large-scale integration (VLSI) architectures for sparse system identification under impulsive noise, several types of algorithms are combined to obtain optimum results. Here, we rendered a relative analysis on these algorithms and the algorithms are mapped on to the hardware to show that the improvement is obtained with respect to convergence rate and hardware complexity of VLSI architectures and has negligible hardware overhead with improved robustness. Good performance and convergence rate is obtained by combining the delayed μ-law proportionate (DMP) and least mean logarithmic square (LMLS) algorithms i.e. delayed µ-law proportionate least mean logarithmic square (DMP LMLS). Robust proportionate adaptive filter is coded in system verilog and synthesized using cadence genus compiler with 90 nm technology library.
Mitigating board endorsement through re-spinning with surface-mounted device under test pad
Authors: Malimban Ber-Riel , Ortiz Glenn N. , Enojas Mark Joseph B.
Published: April 2022

The two-part legacy board device under test (DUT) pad has been very useful for testing of microelectronic packages. However, this board has been subjected to many repair endorsements due to open connection of DUT pad and cut traces of the board components as recorded. Board re-spin is used to improve the performance of the test boards in microelectronic packages production. It improves the board development to create more functional printed circuit boards for testing and introduces the use of modern tools and software applied to the schematic creation up to the production board debugging. This paper presents a method of creating test boards for the development and manufacturing of microelectronic packages and integrated circuits. The two-part board is converted into a single board interface which eliminates the open DUT connections. A surface-mounted DUT pad is introduced to replace the old hypertact pins which are included in the re-spin board for a more robust performance. The schematic creation and board debugging were done to lessen problems caused by connection faults. In result, producing re-spin boards mitigates board endorsement which in return increases the manufacturing output performance. A faster and convenient setup was achieved when the old two-board setup was eliminated.