bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The applications of plasmonics biosensor and bamboo char filtration to the prevention of nervous necrosis virus infection in grouper farming ponds
Authors: Wang S C
Published: March 2021

Fiber optic particle plasmon resonance (FOPPR) biosensors have been useful tools to determine a variety of biological samples including viruses with superior detection limits than using conventional ELISA methods. In addition, without using tedious procedures required in ELISA protocols, FOPPR method can minimize contamination interferences and obtain accurate results in timely fashion. FOPPR biosensor is potentially a suitable virus detection device to implement in fish farms. In Taiwan, aquaculture products such as groupers suffer tremendous loss because of ineffective disease prevention efforts. The infected signs are not detected in the early stage before severe outbreak to cause uncontrollable consequences. Therefore when the virus level is low, using highly sensitive FOPPR biosensors to monitor pond water is a promising means to improve the effectiveness of aquatic product disease prevention by taking water treatment actions. We have also developed FOPPR assays to determine nervous necrosis virus (NNV), which cause massively high mortality rate (∼90%) in larva and juvenile stages of grouper species. Using coat proteins of NNV as standards in 2% salt water, the detection limit of 100 ng/mL is obtained. This limit is nearly 2 orders of magnitude lower than that using ELISA assays and adequate to indicate the severance level of NNV outbreak. Ground meat of infected juvenile grouper was diluted with saline to prepare simulated water samples. Ultra-low virus level of 40k TCID50 per mL is found in filtrate. The comparison determination data between using FOPPR and quantitative PCR methods are acceptable too. Unlike RT-PCR method not able to detect NNV RNA in pond water until severe infection, we demonstrate that FOPPR assay can detect NNV in pond water at very low NNV level at early infection stage, a couple of days prior to the outbreak occurrence. We also show that commercial FOPPR biosensor maintains stable immuno-sensing signal readout in indoor aquaculture settings. We will also discuss the potential applications of using FOPPR to monitor grouper larvae pond water to activate biochar filtration equipment when infection sign occurs.
Reducing MSDs and physical workload of manual-harvesting peasan
Authors: Sa’diyah N , Maksum M , Mulyati G T
Published: March 2021

The peasant who owns small paddy field does their harvesting activity manually using sickle and wooden-bench manual thresher. Harvesting activity using those tools make peasant work in bad posture, and it is done repeatedly in a long period which increases the risk of Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) and physical workload. The aim of the study is to reduce WMSDs and physical workload of the peasant by redesigning the tools used in harvesting activity. The proposed way is evaluation using a digital human model to create more comfortable and safer work system so that the Nordic Body Map (NBM) score, work posture score assessed by using Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA), and the compression force of work biomechanics can be decreased. Theoretically, some alternative size of wooden-bench manual thresher design can decrease the RULA score, from high to moderate. Practically, the new manual paddy thresher that was proposed is better optimized. The use of that tool reduces peasants’ physical workload as much as 1,47% and NBM scores as much as 7-20%.
An energy needs analysis for agricultural sector in Indonesia
Authors: Widjaya E R , Budiharti U , Prabowo A
Published: March 2021

Agriculture sector contributes highly to the GDP of Indonesia. One of the strategies to increase the agricultural production is by accelerating the application of agricultural mechanization. Due to the limitation of manpower in agriculture, the use of agricultural machinery has increased massively since 2014. The index of mechanization has been leveraged from 0.015 in 1983 to 1.68 in 2018. The use of machinery in agriculture will continue to increase, given the adequacy levels of some machinery are still low. The adequacy level of available machinery was estimated at about 49.2% for 2-wheel tractors, 11.9% for 4-wheel tractors, 39.7% for water pumps. This paper estimates the energy use in agriculture by expanding the previous studies of the mechanization index and the adequacy level of agricultural machinery in Indonesia. Currently, the energy in agriculture is under the category of ‘Other Sector’ based on National Statistical Energy Report. Employing available data, this study estimates that the consumption of diesel oil (GasoilCN48) by agricultural machinery is approximately 1.5 million kL or about 82% of particular fuel consumption at ‘Other Sector’ of 2018 Report. Simulating to exponentially increase adequacy level of on-farm machinery (mechanization index up to 4.6 by 2028), the energy consumption of machinery may also grow equal to 3.5 million kL/year. The contribution of energy consumption from agricultural sector can be targeted to intensify the renewable energy application. The renewable energy has been disseminated progressively in agriculture sector. Those are biomass as heating fuel in grain dryers, solar energy to power water pumps, dual fuel (LPG/biogas & gasoline) engines and biodiesel (B30 to B100) for fueling the agricultural machinery with diesel engine. The B100 can be efficiently and effectively used as an alternate fuel for small diesel engines.
Spatial projection of food needs and food availability in Purworejo District
Authors: Nugroho Ananda Trisakti , Sudrajat  , Awanda Pratama Muhammad
Published: March 2021

Food needs and food availability is a factor in measuring food security. Conditions of availability and demand for food always changes every year, because it is influenced by several factors. Uncertainty of supporting factors regarding food availability (such as land area, climate and others) as well as the population that continues to increase which has an impact on amount of food needs, can cause an imbalance in the region’s food adequacy conditions. This study aims to project the availability and need for food until 2030 in Purworejo District. The study was conducted using quantitative methods that were analyzed descriptively and spatially. The study uses data on population, agricultural production and the value of rice consumption obtained through the Central Statistics Agency (BPS). The results show that the projected availability and demand for rice in 2030 shows an increase in both the amount of availability and food needs. Total food availability increased by 1.27 percent from 2018, while total food demand increased by 3.78 percent from 2018. Spatially, there was an increase in the number of sub-districts included in the “low” classification of food availability in 2030, namely Purworjeo, Gebang and Bruno Sub-district, while the districts that have the highest food needs from 2018 to 2030, still occur in Purworejo District.
Perceived benefits and constraints in urban farming practice during COVID-19
Authors: Suryantini A , Anjani H D , Fadhliani Z , Taryono
Published: March 2021

COVID-19 has a significant impact on supply chains and logistics, causing a severe threat in accessing fresh and nutritious food. Urban farming activities have the potency to contribute to fresh and nutritious food and reduce the cost of food consumption. This study objective is to emphasizing the critical role of urban farming during the COVID-19 pandemic. By utilizing a questionnaire, we descriptively present community members’ characteristics practicing urban farming located in residential neighborhoods in the City of Yogyakarta. We also explore the perceived benefits and constraints of urban farming in the pandemic era. Most urban farmers favorably perceived the benefits of urban farming in the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily its psychological benefits. Another positive effect of urban farming perceived by the gardeners is its ability to enhance the accessibility of nutritional diets and food security. In general, most of the respondents find no barriers to obtaining inputs used to practice urban farming during the COVID-19 situation. Instead, the main constrain comes when the farmers need to host events and activities to engage the neighborhoods.
Agriculture land management in Gorontalo Province
Authors: Putri R F , Dewi R P , Sulistya A R
Published: March 2021

Gorontalo is the smallest province in Sulawesi Island with the higher population density than three other provinces. But, it has large agriculture area with the corn as the highest exported commodity in 2019. Most of people in Gorontalo Province are working in agriculture sector. Although the number of population are increasing every year, the agriculture land are still existing in Gorontalo Province. This study focuses on population dynamic and agriculture land management in Gorontalo. Secondary data from Statistic Board Center of Indonesia are used to assess the population dynamic, such as population growth rate, population density, and population pressure on the agriculture land. We used time series data from 2008 until 2017. The data then analyzed with descriptive quantitative method by discussing the results of data calculation. The results show that although there is an increasing of population density in Gorontalo Province, but the population pressure is low. The optimum development on agriculture sector in Gorontalo Province affect the high productivity on many agricultural commodities, especially for corn crop. So, the agriculture land area are still prioritized in this region.
Estimation of peak discharge using a rational method in Kodil Sub-Watershed, Purworejo Regency, Central Java
Authors: Sudaryatno  , Rahardjo N , Winanda  , Saputri S Y
Published: March 2021

The Kodil Sub-Watershed is one of the areas that has a high potential for flooding in Bogowonto Watershed. Flood disasters can cause significant losses to society, both in terms of physical, social and economic. This causes are need for information on the estimated peak discharge in The Kodil Sub-Watershed. Peak discharge estimation uses the rational method and The Cook Method to measure runoff coefficient or C value. Runoff coefficient using The Cook Method uses physical parameters, i.e land use, slope, drainage density, and infiltration. These parameters are extracted using remote sensing technology and Geographic Information System (GIS). Remote sensing data used for extraction of physical land parameters of Sentinel 2A Imagery and DEM ALOS PALSAR imagery. The results of the processing of peak discharge by the method obtained an estimate of the peak discharge of the Kodil Sub-Watershed of 209,659 m3/second and an average peak discharge of 135,024 m3/second.
A proposal for the determination of a Protected Natural Area (PNA) of the Wirikuta zone in the state of San Luis Potosi, México
Authors: Tristán A C , Saldaña M R , Ovalle A G C , Cárdenas O R , Waskita T B , Putri R F
Published: March 2021

The Wixárika route was declared by the Government of the State of San Luis Potosí with a first proposal for a polygon as a state reserve area on 27th of October, 2000, and in 2001 the category of Natural Sacred Site is awarded. Initially, this region had an original area of 138,750 ha. Subsequently, the Federal Government of Mexico, through the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONANP), creates the “Preliminary Justification Study”, where a larger polygon is proposed, including the Sacred Natural Sites for the Wixárika within the reserve. On the 3rd of November 2012, a group formed by scientists and researchers discussed the study carried out, in which they argued that the limits of the Reserve should respond to natural criteria defined by the watersheds of the basins, rather than linear geometric criteria, thus protecting hydrogeological, eco-systematic and social dynamics. So it is proposed adding to the previous polygon the water area of the basin, which represented an increase of 65,437.41 ha to the previously recognized within the PNA, decreeing a total area of 256,946.32 ha, according to the basin limit. However, after analyzing the zone, it was observed that other important elements were not analyzed in-depth and must be considered, such as; physiological, hydrological and topographical elements, meteorological and climatological phenomena, hydrogeology of the area as an adequate element of the basin delimitation, establishment and location of mining concessions. Also, fauna, flora and vegetation of the area were not studied. Thus, an evaluation of the soil was considered recognizing its relationship with toxic elements that could persist in the area. Similarly, an attempt was contemplated, including economic and social elements of the place. Consequently, it was proposed to expand the polygon, covering a new area of 293,388.42 ha. This expansion included all the elements described.
Analysing the land use/land cover influence on land surface temperature in San Luis Potosí Basin, México using remote sensing techniques
Authors: Ovalle A G C , Tristán A C , Amador-Nieto J A , Putri R F , Zahra R A
Published: March 2021

Changes in Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) generate several impacts which affect the energy balance of the Earth and, consequently, modifying the climate of a region. Accordingly, one of the most important indicators of this modification is the Land Surface Temperature (LST). The present work aims to analyze the relationship between LULC and LST, determining the influence of LULC on LST using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) techniques. The selected study area was the San Luis Potosí Basin, México (SLPB). A temporal analysis has been developed for 2007 and 2020. Satellite images from Landsat 5 TM and 8 OLI/TIRS has been used to calculate LST through a single-channel algorithm for winter and spring. LULC has been determined from a supervised classification with neural network algorithm. Finally, change rates for LULC and LST were assessed. The results indicate that an LST increase of 11 °C from 2007 to 2020 has been detected in the region. Also, results showed that covers with spare vegetation or without vegetation have the highest temperatures (29°C to 32°C). In comparison, the covers with dense vegetation and water showed the lowest temperatures (23°C to 25°C). This type of research allows addressing the LULC effects on LST, as well as prove its importance in improving land use planning systems.
Impact of agricultural land-use change to the surface run-off: a case study of Cereng catchment area, Kulon Progo Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta
Authors: Erdinata L , Pradipta A G , Ngadisih N , Setyawan C , Sartika F D
Published: March 2021

Agricultural land-use changes can cause a reduction in the green open space area, thereby reducing infiltration and increase surface run-off. One of the phenomena in agricultural land-use changes as indicated by the addition of the percentage of irrigation paddy fields in Cereng Catchment Area (CA) by 2.31%, 2.94%, and 4.39%, respectively, in 1995, 2008, and 2018. Besides, the addition of the settlement area and the plantation area’s reduction were also phenomena of land-use change. The impact of these changes is associated with curve number (CN) and direct run-off. The analysis conducted on the relationship between effective design rainfall and response to the land-use changes to produce direct run-off volume in 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 years-return period, respectively, in 1995, 2008, and 2018 using the HEC-HMS model. The result showed that have addition to CN that were 81.85, 85.82, and 86.66, respectively, in 1995, 2008, and 2018. This addition caused an increase in the percentage of direct run-off volume from 1995 to 2018; those values were 24.28%, 16.8%, 13.76%, 11.61%, and 9.53%, respectively, at the 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50-years return period. The increase in the value of direct run-off volume causes a high possibility of a flood.
Catalogue of representative scales to visualize different coverages in Google Earth
Authors: Tristán A C , Cárdenas O R , Garza E J T , Alvarado A G R , Putri R F , Thio J
Published: March 2021

Representative scales were established, based on the zoom level of Google Maps, for generating a catalogue of indicators from the scale-image relationship, into the Google Earth visualization system. It was possible to analyze some functionalities of the visualization system proposed, such as the depth of detail from image resolution and the images return. Therefore, samples of four land use were analyzed. Furthermore, to associate the multilevel mechanism of the visualization in Google Earth, a digital ruler was used as a tool that measures the pixels per inch into the screen. In consequence, it is possible to analyze the changing behaviour from one screen to another. With this, it is feasible to associate a specific mechanism to improve the relationship between the handling of several images covering a limiting territory, and the scales that best represents the themes described. Finally, 893 samples were analyzed in 32 points of the territory, between the coordinates 14° to 33° N and 86° to 119° W. Finally, the error percentage, the variance, and the standard deviation were estimated for determining the variation between the values calculated in different samples.
Agricultural planning based on local agro-climatology assessment in Bongkot, Purwodadi, Purworejo
Authors: Qonita M
Published: March 2021

Bongkot, located in Purwodadi, Purworejo is a village dominated by wetland ricefield reaching 68% total area, with the majority of its population work as farmers. Climate parameters, especially rain intensity affect crop patterns. Farmers strongly depend on rain intensity to support productivity thus they need climate-based crop patterns. This study aims to plan agricultural calendar and crop patterns based on rainfall and dry patterns analysis. Rainfall data is derived from multi-temporal CHIRPS data. A monthly time series with thirty consecutive years (1990-2019) was used to identify local agro-climatology types. Climate of Bongkot generally has 5-6 consecutive wet months and 5-6 dry months. According to Oldeman criteria, this type belongs to C3, which is adequate to plant crops three times a year, with a couple of period for palawija crops on first and second planting, and one time paddy on November or December. The Oldeman classification can be applied as a climate-based crop adaptation.
Time-series Cross-orbit Sentinel-1 Synthetic-Aperture Radar (SAR) Data for Mapping Paddy Extent: Case Study of Magelang District, Central Java
Authors: Arjasakusuma S , Kusuma S S , Rafif R , Saringatin S , Wicaksono P
Published: March 2021

Dual-polarized (VV and VH) Sentinel-1 Synthetic-Aperture Radar (SAR) Ground Range Detected (GRD) data are available in 9-m spatial resolution and 12-day repeat orbit. A constellation of two satellites, Sentinel 1A and Sentinel 1B, capture these data with ascending and descending orbits, thus increasing the revisit time at the equator to every six days. Those specifications allow creating dense cross-orbit time-series data with a relatively high spatial resolution, beneficial for identifying land-covers and land-uses with unique temporal dynamics, such as paddies. This study was intended to assess the accuracy of time-series dual-polarized cross-orbit Sentinel 1A and 1B GRD data for mapping paddy extents. The monthly median value of these data was processed in Google Earth Engine and used as inputs in the paddy identification in Magelang District using bagging random forests (RF) and extreme gradient boosting (XGB) algorithms. Variables were ranked based on importance and selected using recursive feature elimination (RFE) and RF model to reduce the data dimensionality and understand the variable importance corresponding to a different month of the year. The resulting variable importance demonstrates better contributions of VV polarization and ascending orbit to the mapping model, and the producer’s and user’s accuracies achieved by RF classifier were 75% and 93.9%. For these reasons, an ascending (ASC) dataset provides better accuracy than its descending (DSC) counterpart and the combination of both (ASC+DSC). The user’s accuracy of the paddy identified using the RF model with ascending Sentinel 1-data is 4% and 6% higher than the XGB models built using ASC and cross-orbit (ASC+DSC) datasets, respectively.
Yolk color measurement using image processing and deep learning
Authors: Kaewtapee C , Supratak A
Published: March 2021

A high yellow yolk color of laying hens is required by customer. As yolk color measurement is determined by visual perception, color score may be expressed differently. The objective of this study was to develop the recognition of yolk color using red green blue (RGB) image and deep learning. The three hundred and fifty-three RGB images were obtained. The rectified linear unit (ReLU) and softmax were used as the activation function. An optimizer was configured with Adam, and categorical crossentropy was used as a loss function. The results showed that the loss had decreased to 0.45 and 0.63, whereas the accuracy had increased and reached 0.80 and 0.76 for training dataset and testing dataset, respectively. For evaluation, the loss value was 0.27 and 0.63, whereas the accuracy value was 0.90 and 0.76 for training dataset and testing dataset, respectively. The average f1-score was 0.76, whereas the highest precision (1.00) was observed in color score 5, 6 and 8. In conclusion, RGB image can be used as an alternative method to classify yolk color score with lower cost of analysis for egg producers in the near future.
Stakeholder preferences on major characteristics of promising rice lines
Authors: Aristya V E , Taryono  , Trisyono Y A , Mulyo J H
Published: March 2021

The main purpose of plant breeding programs is to improve varieties acceptable to rural communities. Participatory crop improvement for rice lines was initiated using techniques which were designed with the purposes to strengthen the collaboration between breeders and stakeholder especially farmers to produce varieties. Before the promising rice lines released and adopted by farmers, it is necessary to study the preferences on characteristics, especially its quality, because farmers have their own criteria or considerations before adopting a new variety. A bottom-up preferences in this study is to understand the major phenotypic performance, sensory quality, and provide recommendations for improving promising rice lines (Oryza sativa L.). The respondents are farmers, extension workers, members of academic institutions, and local government officers, came from four Regencies (Banyumas, Magelang, Batang, Klaten) that representing the main rice production areas in Central Java province. The attribute data on rice characteristics showed that grain size, plant age, and lemma shape of apiculus was essentially regarded as a major factor for better performing varieties. The respondents’ preference provides recommendations for breeders to release promising rice lines GM 8 and GM 2 into commercial varieties.
A computational study of MoS2 for band gap engineering by substitutional doping of TMN (T = transition metal (Cu), M = metalloid (B) and N = non-metal (C))
Authors: Tayyab Muhammad , Hussain Akhtar , Asif Qurat ul Ain , Adil Waqar , Nabi Shafqat , Rafiq Nouman , Ahmed Basharat
Published: March 2021

Tunable electronic properties of two dimensional Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) make it a potential material. In this study, we inspect electronic and structural properties of TMN-doped MoS2 (T = Transition metal (Cu-copper), M = Metalloid (B-boron) and N = Nonmetal (C-carbon)) by using first principles DFT (density functional theory) calculations. Cu is substituted by Mo with varying concentration, which ranges from 2.08 to 8.33%, whereas B and C are replaced by S atoms with varying concentration of 2.08 to 4.16%. The substitutions result into significant variations in electronic and structural properties of MoS2. Moreover, the importance of substitutional site has been elaborated. The substitution of these impurities, variation in concentration and the replaced sites of MoS2 cause to modify the structure and energy gaps. Resulting bandgap fluctuates remain between 0.16 eV to 0.48 eV relative to 1.95 eV of pristine MoS2. The PDOS calculations show good bonding relation among the host MoS2 and the foreign impurity TMN. Therefore, substitution of impurities gives the opportunity to vary the bandgap as required for its valuable applications as semiconducting materials.
Regulatable I–V behaviors of graphene nanoplatelets-carbon nanotubes/epoxy resin composite
Authors: Yuan Yang , Wang Qingguo , Sun Xiaoning , Dong Wenjie , Qu Zhaoming
Published: March 2021

Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are two kinds of significant carbon fillers of conductive switching composites with excellent nonlinear I-V property for protecting overvoltage damages of electronic equipment. In this research, GNPs-CNTs hybrid were fabricated and mixed with epoxy resin (ER) by the way of solution blending. Due to the better morphological features and conductivity of GNPs-CNTs hybrid than pure GNPs or CNTs, the GNPs-CNTs/ER composite could exhibit regulatable I-V behaviors with diverse weight ratios of graphene oxide (GO) to multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and filler concentrations. Especially, the samples (A-0.7, C-0.7 and C-0.8) with proper filler concentrations and weight ratios of GO to MWCNTs could not only possess good nonlinear conductive characteristic, but exhibit stable reversibility throughout multiple measurements as well, which indicates the GNPs-CNTs/ER composite is more usable and practicable for actual overvoltage protection than previous carbon composite. Furthermore, the mechanisms of regulatable I-V behavior of GNPs-CNTs/ER composite were discussed.
Magnetic localized states and tunable magnetism of single vacancies in generalized chiral graphene nanoribbons
Authors: Lu Tian-lun , Zuo Cheng-yi , Zhang Meng , Bao Zhi-qiang , Li Yan
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we obtain the generalized chiral edges of graphene nanoribbons, through longitudinal unzipping of carbon nanotubes. After analysing the stability and magnetic localized states of the generalized chiral edges based on first-principles calculations, we find the novel phenomena will arise, i.e., antiferromagnetic order in one edge and ferromagnetic order between different edges. And furthermore, the vacancy in the bulk can induce or enhance the magnetic states in the edges.
Thermal properties of TiNiSn and VFeSb half-Heusler thermoelectrics from synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction
Authors: Ferluccio Daniella A , Kennedy Blair F , Barczak Sonia A , Popuri Srinivas R , Murray Claire , Pollet Michael , Bos Jan-Willem G
Published: March 2021

Half-Heusler (HH) alloys are an important class of thermoelectric materials that combine promising performance with good engineering properties. This manuscript reports a variable temperature synchrotron x-ray diffraction study of several TiNiSn- and VFeSb-based HH alloys. A Debye model was found to capture the main trends in thermal expansion and atomic displacement parameters. The linear thermal expansion coefficient α(T) of the TiNiSn-based samples was found to be independent of alloying or presence of Cu interstitials with α
av = 10.1 × 10−6 K−1 between 400 and 848 K. The α(T) of VFeSb and TiNiSn are well-matched, but NbFeSb has a reduced α
av = 8.9 × 10−6 K−1, caused by a stiffer lattice structure. This is confirmed by analysis of the Debye temperatures, which indicate significantly larger bond force constants for all atomic sites in NbFeSb. This work also reveals substantial amounts of Fe interstitials in VFeSb, whilst these are absent for NbFeSb. The Fe interstitials are linked to low thermal conductivities, but also reduce the bandgap and lower the onset of thermal bipolar transport.
Chalcogenide perovskites for photovoltaics: current status and prospects
Authors: Tiwari Devendra , Hutter Oliver S , Longo Giulia
Published: March 2021

Chalcogenide perovskite materials are anticipated to have favourable structural, optical and electronic characteristics for solar energy conversion, yet experimental verification of the numerous computational studies is still lacking. In this perspective we summarise and critically review the computational and synthetic achievements, whilst suggesting new pathways for achieving the goal of developing this exiting class of materials. Greater knowledge of phase chemistry would allow the realisation of bandgap engineering through mixed cation and anion compositions. Combining this with fabrication and characterisation of thin films could yield promising new tailored materials for photovoltaic absorbers in the near future.
Progress in micro/nano sensors and nanoenergy for future AIoT-based smart home applications
Authors: Haroun Ahmed , Le Xianhao , Gao Shan , Dong Bowei , He Tianyiyi , Zhang Zixuan , Wen Feng , Xu Siyu , Lee Chengkuo
Published: March 2021

Self-sustainable sensing systems composed of micro/nano sensors and nano-energy harvesters contribute significantly to developing the internet of things (IoT) systems. As one of the most promising IoT applications, smart home relies on implementing wireless sensor networks with miniaturized and multi-functional sensors, and distributed, reliable, and sustainable power sources, namely energy harvesters with a variety of conversion mechanisms. To extend the capabilities of IoT in the smart home, a technology fusion of IoT and artificial intelligence (AI), called the artificial intelligence of things (AIoT), enables the detection, analysis, and decision-making functions with the aids of machine learning assisted algorithms to form a smart home based intelligent system. In this review, we introduce the conventional rigid microelectromechanical system (MEMS) based micro/nano sensors and energy harvesters, followed by presenting the advances in the wearable counterparts for better human interactions. We then discuss the viable integration approaches for micro/nano sensors and energy harvesters to form self-sustainable IoT systems. Whereafter, we emphasize the recent development of AIoT based systems and the corresponding applications enabled by the machine learning algorithms. Smart home based healthcare technology enabled by the integrated multi-functional sensing platform and bioelectronic medicine is also presented as an important future direction, as well as wearable photonics sensing system as a complement to the wearable electronics sensing system.
The Poisson problem for the fractional Hardy operator: Distributional identities and singular solutions
Authors: Chen Huyuan , Weth Tobias
Published: March 2021

The purpose of this paper is to study and classify singular solutions of the Poisson problem
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for the fractional Hardy operator
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is the best constant in the fractional Hardy inequality. The analysis requires a thorough study of fundamental solutions and associated distributional identities. Special attention will be given to the critical case

μ
=

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\mu = \mu _0

which requires more subtle estimates than the case

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.
Overlapping roles of JIP3 and JIP4 in promoting axonal transport of lysosomes in human iPSC-derived neurons
Authors: Gowrishankar Swetha , Lyons Lila , Rafiq Nisha Mohd , Roczniak-Ferguson Agnes , De Camilli Pietro , Ferguson Shawn M.
Published: March 2021

CRISPR-mediated genome editing in human iPSC-derived neurons is established as a model system to investigate how the lysosomal pathway is adapted to the unique demands of neurons. JIP3 and JIP4 proteins promote lysosome axonal transport in these neurons with putative relevance for Alzheimer’s disease.
Mps1 promotes poleward chromosome movements in meiotic prometaphase
Authors: Meyer Régis E. , Tipton Aaron R. , LaVictoire Rebecca , Gorbsky Gary J. , Dawson Dean S.
Published: March 2021

Mps1 is a kinase that regulates several steps in mitosis and meiosis. Mps1 is essential for the spindle checkpoint and helps stabilize attachment of kinetochores to microtubules. Here we show that following microtubule attachment, Mps1 promotes microtubule depolymerization to trigger migration of the chromosome toward the spindle pole.
Imaging methods in mechanosensing: a historical perspective and visions for the future
Authors: Lavrenyuk Kirill , Conway Daniel , Dahl Kris Noel
Published: March 2021

Recently established microscopic techniques are shedding new light on fundamental questions regarding mechanotransduction. Evidence suggests that myosin motors and the actin cytoskeleton are the single largest aggregate producers and transmitters of force within the cell. We review the roots of this hypothesis and future directions of the field.
Association Between Actual and Perceived U.S. COVID-19 Policies and Preventive Behavior
Authors: Li Meng , Colby Helen
Published: March 2021

Background

COVID-19 related policies in the USA can be confusing: some states, but not others, implemented mask mandates mid-pandemic, and states reopened their economies to different levels with different timelines after initial shutdowns.

Purpose

The current research asks: How well does the public’s perception of such policies align with actual policies, and how well do actual versus perceived policies predict the public’s mask-wearing and social distancing behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Methods

We conducted a preregistered cross-sectional study among 1,073 online participants who were representative of the U.S. population on age, gender, and education on Monday–Tuesday, July 20–21, 2020. We asked participants which locations they visited in the past weekend, and their mask-wearing and social distancing behaviors at each location. We also measured participants’ beliefs about their state’s policies on mask mandate and business opening and obtained objective measures of these policies from publicly available data.

Results

Perception about the existence of mask mandate was 91% accurate in states with a mask mandate but only 46% accurate in states without one. Perception of state reopening level did not correlate with policy. It was the perceived but not actual state mask mandate that positively predicted both mask-wearing and social distancing, controlling for state COVID-19 cases, demographic factors, and participants’ numeracy and COVID-19 history.

Conclusions

The public’s perception of state-level mask mandates erred on the side of assuming there is one. Perception of reopening is almost completely inaccurate. Paradoxically, public perception that a mask mandate exists predicts preventive behaviors better than actual mandates.
Long-Term Variability of Blood Pressure, Cardiovascular Outcomes, and Mortality: The Look AHEAD Study
Authors: Kaze Arnaud D , Santhanam Prasanna , Erqou Sebhat , Yuyun Matthew , Bertoni Alain G , Ahima Rexford S , Echouffo-Tcheugui Justin B
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND

We evaluated the associations of visit-to-visit blood pressure (BP) variability with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and deaths in adults with type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

We analyzed 4,152 participants in Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) free of CVD events and deaths during the first 36 months of follow-up. Variability of systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) across 4 annual visits was assessed using the intraindividual SD, variation independent of the mean, and coefficient of variation. Cox regression was used to generate the adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for CVD (myocardial infarction [MI], stroke, or CVD-related deaths) and mortality.

RESULTS

Over a median of 6.6 years, there were 220 MIs, 105 stroke cases, 62 CVD-related deaths, and 236 deaths. After adjustment for confounders including average BP, the aHRs for the highest (vs. lowest) tertile of SD of SBP were 1.98 (95% CI 1.01–3.92), 1.25 (95% CI 0.90–1.72), 1.26 (95% CI 0.96–1.64), 1.05 (95% CI 0.75–1.46), and 1.64 (95% CI 0.99–2.72) for CVD mortality, all-cause mortality, CVD, MI, and stroke, respectively. The equivalent aHRs for SD of DBP were 1.84 (95% CI 0.98–3.48), 1.43 (95% CI 1.03–1.98), 1.19 (95% CI 0.91–1.56), 1.14 (95% CI 0.82–1.58), and 0.97 (95% CI 0.58–1.60), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

In a large sample of individuals with type 2 diabetes, a greater variability in SBP was associated with higher cardiovascular mortality and CVD events; a higher variability in DBP was linked to increased overall and cardiovascular mortality.
A critical assessment of gene catalogs for metagenomic analysis
Authors: Commichaux Seth , Shah Nidhi , Ghurye Jay , Stoppel Alexander , Goodheart Jessica A , Luque Guillermo G , Cummings Michael P , Pop Mihai
Published: March 2021

Motivation

Microbial gene catalogs are data structures that organize genes found in microbial communities, providing a reference for standardized analysis of the microbes across samples and studies. Although gene catalogs are commonly used, they have not been critically evaluated for their effectiveness as a basis for metagenomic analyses.

Results

As a case study, we investigate one such catalog, the Integrated Gene Catalog (IGC), however, our observations apply broadly to most gene catalogs constructed to date. We focus on both the approach used to construct this catalog and on its effectiveness when used as a reference for microbiome studies. Our results highlight important limitations of the approach used to construct the IGC and call into question the broad usefulness of gene catalogs more generally. We also recommend best practices for the construction and use of gene catalogs in microbiome studies and highlight opportunities for future research.

Availability and implementation

All supporting scripts for our analyses can be found on GitHub: https://github.com/SethCommichaux/IGC.git. The supporting data can be downloaded from: https://obj.umiacs.umd.edu/igc-analysis/IGC_analysis_data.tar.gz.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Fast identification of differential distributions in single-cell RNA-sequencing data with waddR
Authors: Schefzik Roman , Flesch Julian , Goncalves Angela
Published: March 2021

Motivation

Single-cell gene expression distributions measured by single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) often display complex differences between samples. These differences are biologically meaningful but cannot be identified using standard methods for differential expression.

Results

Here, we derive and implement a flexible and fast differential distribution testing procedure based on the 2-Wasserstein distance. Our method is able to detect any type of difference in distribution between conditions. To interpret distributional differences, we decompose the 2-Wasserstein distance into terms that capture the relative contribution of changes in mean, variance and shape to the overall difference. Finally, we derive mathematical generalizations that allow our method to be used in a broad range of disciplines other than scRNA-seq or bioinformatics.

Availability and implementation

Our methods are implemented in the R/Bioconductor package waddR, which is freely available at https://github.com/goncalves-lab/waddR, along with documentation and examples.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
A complex genetic structure ofTetraclinis articulata(Cupressaceae) in the western Mediterranean
Authors: García-Castaño Juan Luis , Balao Francisco , Lorenzo María Teresa , Véla Errol , Hadjadj-Aoul Seghir , Mifsud Stephen , Terrab Anass
Published: March 2021

Some tree species have distributions on both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar and the Strait of Sicily. It is a challenge to determine whether such distributions result from the Tertiary or Pleistocene or from more recent dispersal related to human activities. Tetraclinis articulata (Cupressaceae) is a gymnosperm that offers an ideal model to deal with this problem because it has a limited area of distribution and has been used only moderately by humans. Three hundred and twenty-three individuals from 30 populations covering the entire distribution of the species were analysed. A multiple approach was developed: (1) by assessing the genetic structure through two molecular techniques, AFLP and nSSR markers, which were used to evaluate the genetic diversity of these populations and the relationships among them and (2) by estimating past distributions. Four lineages of populations that are geographically intermixed to a certain extent are documented here. Results obtained are discussed in the context of palaeontological records and climatic models. There is evidence of an ancient widespread distribution, including Europe, and the subsequent appearance of four isolated lineages that, nowadays, are partially intermixed. Nevertheless, the origin of the current populations could not be fully ascertained through this work, although logical deductions are discussed that consider human activities or, much less probably, wind dispersal of seeds out of refugia in northern Africa-southern Europe during the Quaternary, including shore connections.
Early nutrition and white matter microstructure in children born very low birth weight
Authors: Sato Julie , Vandewouw Marlee M , Bando Nicole , Ng Dawn V Y , Branson Helen M , O’Connor Deborah L , Unger Sharon L , Taylor Margot J
Published: March 2021

Infants born at very low birth weight (<1500 g) are vulnerable to nutritional deficits during their first postnatal month, which are associated with poor neurodevelopmental outcomes. Despite this knowledge, the impact of early postnatal nutrition on white matter microstructure in children born with very low birth weight has not been investigated. In this prospective cohort study, we employed a whole-brain approach to investigate associations between precise estimates of nutrient intake within the first postnatal month with white matter microstructure at 5 years of age. Detailed information about breastmilk, macronutrient and energy intakes during this period were prospectively recorded for all participants. Multi-shell diffusion and T1-weighted MRIs were acquired in 41 children (21 males; mean scan age: 5.75 ± 0.22 years; mean birth weight: 1028.6 ± 256.8 g). The diffusion tensor imaging and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging models were used to obtain maps of fractional anisotropy, radial diffusivity, orientation dispersion and neurite density indices. Tract-based spatial statistics was used to test associations between metrics of white matter microstructure with breastmilk, macronutrient (protein, lipids and carbohydrate) and energy intake. Associations between white matter microstructure and cognitive outcomes were also examined. Compared to children who did not meet enteral feeding recommendations, those who achieved enteral protein, lipid and energy recommendations during the first postnatal month showed improved white matter maturation at 5 years. Among the macronutrients, greater protein intake contributed most to the beneficial effect of nutrition, showing widespread increases in fractional anisotropy and reductions in radial diffusivity. No significant associations were found between white matter metrics with breastmilk or carbohydrate intake. Voxel-wise analyses with cognitive outcomes revealed significant associations between higher fractional anisotropy and neurite density index with higher processing speed scores. Lower radial diffusivity and orientation dispersion index were also associated with improved processing speed. Our findings support the long-term impacts of early nutrition on white matter microstructure, which in turn is related to cognitive outcomes. These results provide strong support for early postnatal nutritional intervention as a promising strategy to improve long-term cognitive outcomes of infants born at very low birth weight.
An Ensemble-Based Credit Card Fraud Detection Algorithm Using an Efficient Voting Strategy
Authors: Rakhshaninejad Morteza , Fathian Mohammad , Amiri Babak , Yazdanjue Navid
Published: March 2021

The existence of fraud in credit card transactions causes many financial losses leading to customers’ loss of trust. Fraud detection methods based on machine learning techniques prevent such losses. Despite the literature on fraud detection, there is a lack of algorithms that detect fraud with acceptable performance in the credit card fraud detection field. Therefore, this study proposed a comprehensive ensemble-based method using an efficient weighted voting strategy for credit card fraud detection that can address the previous algorithms’ weaknesses. First, since the dataset is imbalanced, the proposed method balanced the dataset by stratifying it into three different proportions of normal and fraudulent transactions (1 to 1, 1 to 4 and 1 to 9 ratios). The features in each dataset are ranked by four feature-ranking methods, and the Random Forest classifier is applied to each of them for selecting the essential features. Afterward, using the seven base classifiers and the chosen features, 12 ensembles have been developed. Besides, a weighted voting strategy is proposed, and the fraudulent transactions are detected through voting based on the base classifiers’ and ensembles’ weights, which are calculated by their performance. The computational results indicated that the suggested Eclf10 is the best ensemble and its Logistic Regression classifier also has the best performance among other base classifiers. The Eclf10 leads to 99.97% accuracy, 87.78% precision, 97.70% recall, 92.21% F1-score and 95.634% F2-score, which has a superiority over the previous ensemble-based methods (e.g. majority voting ensemble, stacking classifier, Adaboost, Gradient Boosting).