bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and Characterization of Integrated Nano-Sensors for Organic Residues and pH Field Detection
Authors: Chajanovsky Itamar , Cohen Sarah , Shtenberg Giorgi , Suckeveriene Ran Yosef
Published: September 2021

Meeting global water quality standards is a real challenge to ensure that food crops and livestock are fit for consumption, as well as for human health in general. A major hurdle affecting the detection of pollutants in water reservoirs is the lapse of time between the sampling moment and the availability of the laboratory-based results. Here, we report the preparation, characterization, and performance assessment of an innovative sensor for the rapid detection of organic residue levels and pH in water samples. The sensor is based on carbonaceous nanomaterials (CNMs) coated with an intrinsically conductive polymer, polyaniline (PANI). Inverse emulsion polymerizations of aniline in the presence of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or graphene were prepared and confirmed by thermogravimetric analysis and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. Aminophenol and phenol were used as proxies for organic residue detection. The PANI/CNM nanocomposites were used to fabricate thin-film sensors. Of all the CNMs, the smallest limit of detection (LOD) was achieved for multi-walled CNT (MWCNT) with a LOD of 9.6 ppb for aminophenol and a very high linearity of 0.997, with an average sensitivity of 2.3 kΩ/pH at an acid pH. This high sensor performance can be attributed to the high homogeneity of the PANI coating on the MWCNT surface.
An LSTM Network for Apnea and Hypopnea Episodes Detection in Respiratory Signals
Authors: Drzazga Jakub , Cyganek Bogusław
Published: September 2021

One of the most common sleep disorders is sleep apnea. It manifests itself by episodes of shallow breathing or pauses in breathing during the night. Diagnosis of this disease involves polysomnography examination, which is expensive. Alternatively, diagnostic doctors can be supported with recordings from the in-home polygraphy sensors. Furthermore, numerous attempts for providing an automated apnea episodes annotation algorithm have been made. Most of them, however, do not distinguish between apnea and hypopnea episodes. In this work, a novel solution for epoch-based annotation problem is presented. Utilizing an architecture based on the long short-term memory (LSTM) networks, the proposed model provides locations of sleep disordered breathing episodes and identifies them as either apnea or hypopnea. To achieve this, special pre- and postprocessing steps have been designed. The obtained labels can be then used for calculation of the respiratory event index (REI), which serves as a disease severity indicator. The input for the model consists of the oronasal airflow along with the thoracic and abdominal respiratory effort signals. Performance of the proposed architecture was verified on the SHHS-1 and PhysioNet Sleep databases, obtaining mean REI classification error of 9.24/10.52 with standard deviation of 11.61/7.92 (SHHS-1/PhysioNet). Normal breathing, hypopnea and apnea differentiation accuracy is assessed on both databases, resulting in the correctly classified samples percentage of 86.42%/84.35%, 49.30%/58.28% and 68.20%/69.50% for normal breathing, hypopnea and apnea classes, respectively. Overall accuracies are 80.66%/82.04%. Additionally, the effect of wake periods is investigated. The results show that the proposed model can be successfully used for both episode classification and REI estimation tasks.
Multiplex Detection of Magnetic Beads Using Offset Field Dependent Frequency Mixing Magnetic Detection
Authors: Pourshahidi Ali Mohammad , Achtsnicht Stefan , Nambipareechee Mrinal Murali , Offenhäusser Andreas , Krause Hans-Joachim
Published: September 2021

Magnetic immunoassays employing Frequency Mixing Magnetic Detection (FMMD) have recently become increasingly popular for quantitative detection of various analytes. Simultaneous analysis of a sample for two or more targets is desirable in order to reduce the sample amount, save consumables, and save time. We show that different types of magnetic beads can be distinguished according to their frequency mixing response to a two-frequency magnetic excitation at different static magnetic offset fields. We recorded the offset field dependent FMMD response of two different particle types at frequencies f1 + n⋅f2, n = 1, 2, 3, 4 with f1 = 30.8 kHz and f2 = 63 Hz. Their signals were clearly distinguishable by the locations of the extremes and zeros of their responses. Binary mixtures of the two particle types were prepared with different mixing ratios. The mixture samples were analyzed by determining the best linear combination of the two pure constituents that best resembled the measured signals of the mixtures. Using a quadratic programming algorithm, the mixing ratios could be determined with an accuracy of greater than 14%. If each particle type is functionalized with a different antibody, multiplex detection of two different analytes becomes feasible.
Development of a Low-Cost Electronic Nose for Detection of Pathogenic Fungi and Applying It to Fusarium oxysporum and Rhizoctonia solani
Authors: Borowik Piotr , Adamowicz Leszek , Tarakowski Rafał , Wacławik Przemysław , Oszako Tomasz , Ślusarski Sławomir , Tkaczyk Miłosz
Published: September 2021

Electronic noses can be applied as a rapid, cost-effective option for several applications. This paper presents the results of measurements of samples of two pathogenic fungi, Fusarium oxysporum and Rhizoctonia solani, performed using two constructions of a low-cost electronic nose. The first electronic nose used six non-specific Figaro Inc. metal oxide gas sensors. The second one used ten sensors from only two models (TGS 2602 and TGS 2603) operating at different heater voltages. Sets of features describing the shapes of the measurement curves of the sensors’ responses when exposed to the odours were extracted. Machine learning classification models using the logistic regression method were created. We demonstrated the possibility of applying the low-cost electronic nose data to differentiate between the two studied species of fungi with acceptable accuracy. Improved classification performance could be obtained, mainly for measurements using TGS 2603 sensors operating at different voltage conditions.
PDMS-ZnO Piezoelectric Nanocomposites for Pressure Sensors
Authors: Jeronimo Karina , Koutsos Vasileios , Cheung Rebecca , Mastropaolo Enrico
Published: September 2021

The addition of piezoelectric zinc oxide (ZnO) fillers into a flexible polymer matrix has emerged as potential piezocomposite materials that can be used for applications such as energy harvesters and pressure sensors. A simple approach for the fabrication of PDMS-ZnO piezoelectric nanocomposites based on two ZnO fillers: nanoparticles (NP) and nanoflowers (NF) is presented in this paper. The effect of the ZnO fillers’ geometry and size on the thermal, mechanical and piezoelectric properties is discussed. The sensors were fabricated in a sandwich-like structure using aluminium (Al) thin films as top and bottom electrodes. Piezocomposites at a concentration of 10% w/w showed good flexibility, generating a piezoelectric response under compression force. The NF piezocomposites showed the highest piezoelectric response compared to the NP piezocomposites due to their geometric connectivity. The piezoelectric compound NF generated 4.2 V while the NP generated 1.86 V under around 36 kPa pressure. The data also show that the generated voltage increases with increasing applied force regardless of the type of filler.
Performance Evaluation of Hybrid Crowdsensing and Fixed Sensor Systems for Event Detection in Urban Environments
Authors: Hirth Matthias , Seufert Michael , Lange Stanislav , Meixner Markus , Tran-Gia Phuoc
Published: September 2021

Crowdsensing offers a cost-effective way to collect large amounts of environmental sensor data; however, the spatial distribution of crowdsensing sensors can hardly be influenced, as the participants carry the sensors, and, additionally, the quality of the crowdsensed data can vary significantly. Hybrid systems that use mobile users in conjunction with fixed sensors might help to overcome these limitations, as such systems allow assessing the quality of the submitted crowdsensed data and provide sensor values where no crowdsensing data are typically available. In this work, we first used a simulation study to analyze a simple crowdsensing system concerning the detection performance of spatial events to highlight the potential and limitations of a pure crowdsourcing system. The results indicate that even if only a small share of inhabitants participate in crowdsensing, events that have locations correlated with the population density can be easily and quickly detected using such a system. On the contrary, events with uniformly randomly distributed locations are much harder to detect using a simple crowdsensing-based approach. A second evaluation shows that hybrid systems improve the detection probability and time. Finally, we illustrate how to compute the minimum number of fixed sensors for the given detection time thresholds in our exemplary scenario.
A Simple Low-Cost Electrocardiogram Synchronizer
Authors: Amorós Susana , Gálvez-Montón Carolina , Rodríguez-Leor Oriol , O’Callaghan Juan Manuel
Published: September 2021

Electrocardiogram (ECG) synchronization is useful to avoid the effects of cardiac motion in medical measurements, and is widely used in standard medical imaging. A number of medical equipment include embedded commercial synchronizers. However, the use of independent synchronization modules is sometimes needed when several non-integrated instruments are used, or in the development of new medical instruments and procedures. We present a simple low-cost ECG synchronizer module based on an Arduino controller board that converts the ECG signal into a transistor-transistor-logic (TTL) one, allowing real-time medical measurements triggered at specific phases of the cardiac cycle. The device and conversion algorithm developed is optimized in vitro using synthetic and human ECG signals, and tested in vivo on three swine specimens. Error rates during the in vivo testing stage remain below the 2% of the cycles in all animals and critical false positives are less than 1%, which is sufficient for most applications. Possible algorithm updates are discussed if its performance needs to be improved.
Improvement of Cucurbitacin B Content in Cucumis melo Pedicel Extracts by Biotransformation Using Recombinant β-Glucosidase
Authors: Mei Jianfeng , Wu Xia , Zheng Sujing , Chen Xiang , Huang Zhuliang , Wu Yichun
Published: September 2021

For the efficient biotransformation of cucurbitacin B 2-o-β-d-glucoside (CuBg) to cucurbitacin B (CuB) in Cucumis melo pedicel extracts, the β-glucosidase gene bglS—consisting of 1344 bp (447 amino acids) from Streptomyces sp. RW-2—was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). The activity of recombinant β-glucosidase with p-nitrophenyl-β-d-glucoside (pNPG) as a substrate was 3.48 U/mL in a culture. Using the recombinant β-glucosidase for the biotransformation of C. melo pedicel extracts, CuBg was converted into CuB with a conversion rate of 87.6% when the concentration of CuBg was 0.973 g/L in a reaction mixtures. The concentration of CuB in C. melo pedicel extracts was improved from 13.6 to 20.2 g/L after biotransformation. The present study provides high-efficiency technology for the production of CuB from its glycoside by biotransformation.
Gender, Education, and Attitudes toward Women’s Leadership in Three East Asian Countries: An Intersectional and Multilevel Approach
Authors: Liao Wenjie , Luo Liying
Published: September 2021

Despite their achievements in the past few decades, women remain largely excluded from impactful leadership positions in many countries and fields. In this research, we focus on how gender and education shape public opinions that favor men over women for political and economic leadership in three East Asian countries. Utilizing an intersectional theoretical framework and multilevel methodological approach to analyze the World Value Survey data, we investigate the heterogeneous effects of education on gender attitudes between men and women and how such heterogeneity is conditioned by national contexts. We found that the negative association between higher levels of education and traditional gender attitudes is much stronger among women than among men, especially in Japan. National contexts not only directly shape gender attitudes but also modify the main and interactive effects of gender and education on attitudes toward women leadership. This research contributes to the emergent literature on the contingency of intersectionality and highlights the utility of multilevel analysis in intersectional and/or comparative studies.
Nutrient Storage and Stoichiometry of the Forest Floor Organic Matter in Japanese Forests
Authors: Takahashi Masamichi
Published: September 2021

Nutrient storage in the forest floor is regulated through litter decomposition and nutrient cycling. Stoichiometry of nutrients can provide characterization of the forest floor. To quantify nutrient storage in the forest floor and to determine stoichiometry among different forest types, available data on nutrients were meta-analyzed. The data on nutrients—nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium—were collected from published reports and original data on Japanese forests. The relationship between nutrient storage and forest floor mass was also examined. Japanese cypress and cedar plantations had small N and P storage in the forest floor with high C:N and C:P ratios, whereas subalpine conifers had large N and P storage in the forest floor with low C:N and C:P ratios; cedar plantations showed large Ca-specific storage in the forest floor. The stoichiometry of the forest floor varied between different forest types, namely C:N:P ratios were 942:19:1 for cedar and cypress plantations, 625:19:1 for broad-leaved forests, and 412:13:1 for subalpine conifers and fir plantations. N storage was closely correlated; however, P and other mineral storages were weakly correlated with the forest floor mass. Nutrient storage and stoichiometry can provide a better perspective for the management of forest ecosystem.
Drop-Set Training Elicits Differential Increases in Non-Uniform Hypertrophy of the Quadriceps in Leg Extension Exercise
Authors: Varović Dorian , Žganjer Kristian , Vuk Saša , Schoenfeld Brad J.
Published: September 2021

The study aimed to compare the effects of drop set resistance training (RT) versus traditional RT on markers of maximal muscle strength and regional hypertrophy of the quadriceps femoris. Sixteen recreationally active young men had one leg randomly assigned to the drop-set method (DS) and the other to training in a traditional manner (TRAD). Participants performed unilateral seated leg extensions using a periodized approach for eight weeks. Rectus femoris (RF) and vastus lateralis (VL) muscle thickness (MT), estimated one repetition maximum (RM) in the unilateral knee extension, and peak and average isokinetic knee extension torque at 60°/s angular velocity were measured pre- and post-study. Both conditions increased muscle thickness of the RF and VL from pre- to post-intervention. DS showed statistically greater increases in the RF at 30% and 50% of muscle length, whereas no MT differences were detected at 70% muscle length nor at any aspect of the VL. Both DS and TRAD increased estimated one RM from pre- to post-study (+34.6% versus +32.0%, respectively) with no between-condition differences noted. Both conditions showed similar increases in peak torque (DS: +21.7%; TRAD: +22.5%) and average torque (DS: +23.6%; TRAD: +22.5%) from pre- to post-study. Our findings indicate a potential benefit of the drop-set method for inducing non-uniform hypertrophic gains in the RF muscle pursuant to leg extension training. The strategy did not promote an advantage in improving hypertrophy of the VL, nor in strength-related measures, compared to traditional training.
Reduced L-Arginine and L-Arginine-ADMA-Ratio, and Increased SDMA after Norseman Xtreme Triathlon
Authors: Nyborg Christoffer , Bonnevie-Svendsen Martin , Melsom Helene Støle , Melau Jørgen , Seljeflot Ingebjørg , Hisdal Jonny
Published: September 2021

Endothelial vasodilatory function is dependent on the NO synthesis from L-arginine by endothelial NO-synthetase (eNOS). eNOS can be inhibited by asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) by competitive inhibition on the binding site, and symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) can reduce the L-arginine availability intracellularly through competing for transport over the cellular membrane. To study the NO synthesis after prolonged exercise, we assessed circulatory L-arginine, the L-arginine/ADMA ratio, and SDMA before, after, and on the day after the Norseman Xtreme triathlon, an Ironman distance triathlon. We found significantly reduced levels of L-arginine and the L-arginine/ADMA ratio and increased levels of SDMA after the race (all p < 0.05). L-arginine rose toward baseline levels the day after the race, but ADMA increased beyond baseline levels, and SDMA remained above baseline the day after the race. The reduced levels of L-arginine and the L-arginine/ADMA ratio, and increased SDMA, after the race indicate a state of reduced capability of NO production. Increased levels of ADMA and SDMA, and reduced L-arginine/ADMA ratio, as seen the day after the race, are known risk markers of atherosclerosis and warrant further studies.
Potential Physiological and Cellular Mechanisms of Exercise That Decrease the Risk of Severe Complications and Mortality Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Authors: Jakobsson Johan , Cotgreave Ian , Furberg Maria , Arnberg Niklas , Svensson Michael
Published: September 2021

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has unmasked mankind’s vulnerability to biological threats. Although higher age is a major risk factor for disease severity in COVID-19, several predisposing risk factors for mortality are related to low cardiorespiratory and metabolic fitness, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension. Reaching physical activity (PA) guideline goals contribute to protect against numerous immune and inflammatory disorders, in addition to multi-morbidities and mortality. Elevated levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, being non-obese, and regular PA improves immunological function, mitigating sustained low-grade systemic inflammation and age-related deterioration of the immune system, or immunosenescence. Regular PA and being non-obese also improve the antibody response to vaccination. In this review, we highlight potential physiological, cellular, and molecular mechanisms that are affected by regular PA, increase the host antiviral defense, and may determine the course and outcome of COVID-19. Not only are the immune system and regular PA in relation to COVID-19 discussed, but also the cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, and hormonal systems, as well as skeletal muscle, epigenetics, and mitochondrial function.
Robust Variable Selection with Optimality Guarantees for High-Dimensional Logistic Regression
Authors: Insolia Luca , Kenney Ana , Calovi Martina , Chiaromonte Francesca
Published: September 2021

High-dimensional classification studies have become widespread across various domains. The large dimensionality, coupled with the possible presence of data contamination, motivates the use of robust, sparse estimation methods to improve model interpretability and ensure the majority of observations agree with the underlying parametric model. In this study, we propose a robust and sparse estimator for logistic regression models, which simultaneously tackles the presence of outliers and/or irrelevant features. Specifically, we propose the use of L0-constraints and mixed-integer conic programming techniques to solve the underlying double combinatorial problem in a framework that allows one to pursue optimality guarantees. We use our proposal to investigate the main drivers of honey bee (Apis mellifera) loss through the annual winter loss survey data collected by the Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association. Previous studies mainly focused on predictive performance, however our approach produces a more interpretable classification model and provides evidence for several outlying observations within the survey data. We compare our proposal with existing heuristic methods and non-robust procedures, demonstrating its effectiveness. In addition to the application to honey bee loss, we present a simulation study where our proposal outperforms other methods across most performance measures and settings.
Integrated Seismic and Energy Retrofit Interventions on a URM Masonry Building: The Case Study of the Former Courthouse in Fabriano
Authors: Caprino Amedeo , Lorenzoni Filippo , Carnieletto Laura , Feletto Leonardo , De Carli Michele , da Porto Francesca
Published: September 2021

Following the 2016 central Italy earthquakes, the high seismic vulnerability of existing buildings is once again at the center of the debate. Indeed, the majority of the Italian building stock (around 60%) was built before adopting the first seismic provisions (1974) and in a territory entirely characterized by medium to high levels of seismic hazard. On the other hand, the first provisions addressing thermal performance criteria were introduced in 1976 but with limited impact. A consistent reduction in energy consumption was further achieved in 1991, when even more buildings were erected. As a consequence, the Italian building stock is characterized by reduced seismic capacity and poor energy efficiency and, to optimize the available resources, combined retrofit interventions approaches are required. In this context, a synergic strategy for the seismic and energy retrofit of a unreinforced masonry (URM) building was proposed. The former Courthouse in Fabriano (Ancona, Marche), a strategic, three-story, unreinforced masonry building in the network of permanent monitoring systems of the Italian Department of Civil Protection, was selected as a case study. The overall effectiveness of various solutions of combined structural refurbishment and energy retrofit interventions, having different levels of invasiveness on the building, was assessed. In addition, a common methodology based on the expected annual losses allowed evaluating the financial feasibility of the proposed integrated interventions and estimating the changes in the return of the retrofitting investment in various seismic and climate zones. The results also show how the payback period could be significantly reduced by incentives and regulatory frameworks that currently favour the execution of integrated interventions.
How Sustainable Social Media Advertising Affect Visitors’ Decision to Attend a Festival Event?
Authors: Qiu Luyi , I Aro , Lee Timothy J. , Kim Jinok Susanna
Published: September 2021

This research aims to investigate the possibilities of event visitors being persuaded to purchase tickets by music festival advertising on social media. Music festival and social media in general were chosen to be analyzed in two major areas: advertising formats and persuasion. Moreover, general perception towards music festival advertising on social media and the relationship between social media advertising with tactics were examined. The main objective of this research was to investigate the relationship between the use of social media advertising and the purchase of music festival tickets. To investigate the analysis of how consumers perceived music festival advertising on social media and the possibilities of being persuaded to purchase the festival ticket, a quantitative offline questionnaire method was adopted and applied. It was identified that general perception toward music festival advertising on social media is positive. Furthermore, it was found that being persuaded by social media advertisement to purchase music festival ticket is positive as well. The findings of this study concluded that consumers might be persuaded to purchase the music festival ticket although different conditions were applied to the social media advertising.
Enhancing the Learning Effectiveness of University of Science and Technology Students through Flipped Teaching in Chinese-Language Curriculum
Authors: Huang Cheng-Chih , Lin Yen-Ling , Ho Ching-Yen
Published: September 2021

Chinese is one of the most important global languages, but at some universities of science and technology, Chinese-language learning is unfortunately not valued by students. According to the results of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), organized by the United Nations every three years, although Taiwanese students’ performance in reading improved from 2015 to 2018, many problems remain in the teaching field that lead to a lack of student interest in Chinese-language learning. We attempted to use flipped teaching to intervene in the Chinese-language curriculum at the university of science and technology at which we teach. This methodological process and procedure was used to plan teaching materials, and 36 weeks of teaching with a Chinese-language curriculum were offered to freshman students in one academic year. We then evaluated teaching effectiveness through the pre- and post-tests of students’ language proficiency, obtained feedback from students through school-wide teaching evaluation questions, reviewed the teaching effectiveness of the Chinese-language curriculum for the academic year, and achieved significant improvements in students’ reading skills with regard to language learning.
An Exploratory Study of the Sustainable Practices Used at Each Level of the Bordeaux Wine Value Chain
Authors: Tahon Caroline , Batt Peter J.
Published: September 2021

This paper explores environmental and socially sustainable practices among different actors in the Bordeaux wine value chain (WVC). The main research question is to identify the extent to which the different actors in the wine value chain are aligned in terms of practices and beliefs concerning the importance and implementation of sustainable practices. While each actor in the Bordeaux WVC performs different sustainable practices depending on the activities that they undertake, some share common practices and exert some upstream pressure on the value chain as they seek to support sustainable practices at the wine grape grower and wine producer level. Environmentally sustainable practices are more developed than socially sustainable practices and were more widely adopted by most of the WVC actors.
Strategizing Dinner: How American Pantry Users Think about Feeding Their Families with Limited Resources
Authors: Burke Tracey Kathleen , Walch Amanda K. , Holland Kiana , Byam Brynn , Reamer David
Published: September 2021

The financial crisis associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated food insecurity in the United States. The emergency provides an opportunity to re-think the American nutrition-assistance system. In this paper, we describe findings from a community-based project conducted in urban Alaska before the pandemic in collaboration with a local food pantry. We conducted semi-structured interviews with nineteen food recipients, half of them twice, about how they procure food and prepare their meals in the context of juggling other expenses and demands on their time. What participants in our study do fits mainstream American patterns. Our study adds to the knowledge base by focusing on how families think strategically about their situations in context. In addition to cost, participants take nutrition and flavor into account. Most importantly, they do not think about assistance programs in isolation but holistically.
Identifying Influential Nodes in Complex Networks Based on Node Itself and Neighbor Layer Information
Authors: Zhu Jingcheng , Wang Lunwen
Published: September 2021

Identifying influential nodes in complex networks is of great significance for clearly understanding network structure and maintaining network stability. Researchers have proposed many classical methods to evaluate the propagation impact of nodes, but there is still some room for improvement in the identification accuracy. Degree centrality is widely used because of its simplicity and convenience, but it has certain limitations. We divide the nodes into neighbor layers according to the distance between the surrounding nodes and the measured node. Considering that the node’s neighbor layer information directly affects the identification result, we propose a new node influence identification method by combining degree centrality information about itself and neighbor layer nodes. This method first superimposes the degree centrality of the node itself with neighbor layer nodes to quantify the effect of neighbor nodes, and then takes the nearest neighborhood several times to characterize node influence. In order to evaluate the efficiency of the proposed method, the susceptible–infected–recovered (SIR) model was used to simulate the propagation process of nodes on multiple real networks. These networks are unweighted and undirected networks, and the adjacency matrix of these networks is symmetric. Comparing the calculation results of each method with the results obtained by SIR model, the experimental results show that the proposed method is more effective in determining the node influence than seven other identification methods.
Integrability of the Multi-Species TASEP with Species-Dependent Rates
Authors: Lee Eunghyun
Published: September 2021

Assume that each species l has its own jump rate bl in the multi-species totally asymmetric simple exclusion process. We show that this model is integrable in the sense that the Bethe ansatz method is applicable to obtain the transition probabilities for all possible N-particle systems with up to N different species.
Blue Phase Liquid Crystals with Tailored Crystal Orientation for Photonic Applications
Authors: Cho SeongYong , Ozaki Masanori
Published: September 2021

Blue phase (BP) liquid crystals, which self-assemble into soft three-dimensional (3D) photonic crystals, have attracted enormous research interest due to their ability to control light and potential photonic applications. BPs have long been known as optically isotropic materials, but recent works have revealed that achieving on-demand 3D orientation of BP crystals is necessary to obtain improved electro-optical performance and tailored optical characteristics. Various approaches have been proposed to precisely manipulate the crystal orientation of BPs on a substrate, through the assistance of external stimuli and directing self-assembly processes. Here, we discuss the various orientation-controlling technologies of BP crystals, with their mechanisms, advantages, drawbacks, and promising applications. This review first focuses on technologies to achieve the uniform crystal plane orientation of BPs on a substrate. Further, we review a strategy to control the azimuthal orientation of BPs along predesigned directions with a uniform crystal plane, allowing the 3D orientation to be uniquely defined on a substrate. The potential applications such as volume holograms are also discussed with their operation principle. This review provides significant advances in 3D photonic crystals and gives a huge potential for intelligent photonic devices with tailored optical characteristics.
The Search for μ+ → e+γ with 10–14 Sensitivity: The Upgrade of the MEG Experiment
Authors: Baldini Alessandro , Baranov Vladimir , Biasotti Michele , Boca Gianluigi , Cattaneo Paolo , Cavoto Gianluca , Cei Fabrizio , Chiappini Marco , Chiarello Gianluigi , Corvaglia Alessandro , Cuna Federica , dal Maso Giovanni , de Bari Antonio , De Gerone Matteo , Francesconi Marco , Galli Luca , Gallucci Giovanni , Gatti Flavio , Grancagnolo Francesco , Grassi Marco , Grigoriev Dmitry , Hildebrandt Malte , Ieki Kei , Ignatov Fedor , Iwamoto Toshiyuki , Kettle Peter-Raymond , Khomutov Nikolay , Kobayashi Satoru , Kolesnikov Alexander , Kravchuk Nikolay , Krylov Victor , Kuchinskiy Nikolay , Kyle William , Libeiro Terence , Malyshev Vladimir , Meucci Manuel , Mihara Satoshi , Molzon William , Mori Toshinori , Mtchedlishvili Alexander , Nakao Mitsutaka , Nicolò Donato , Nishiguchi Hajime , Ogawa Shinji , Onda Rina , Ootani Wataru , Oya Atsushi , Palo Dylan , Panareo Marco , Papa Angela , Pettinacci Valerio , Popov Alexander , Renga Francesco , Ritt Stefan , Rossella Massimo , Rozhdestvensky Aleksander , Schwendimann Patrick , Shimada Kohei , Signorelli Giovanni , Stoykov Alexey , Tassielli Giovanni , Toyoda Kazuki , Uchiyama Yusuke , Usami Masashi , Voena Cecilia , Yanai Kosuke , Yamamoto Kensuke , Yonemoto Taku , Yudin Yury
Published: September 2021

The MEG experiment took data at the Paul Scherrer Institute in the years 2009–2013 to test the violation of the lepton flavor conservation law, which originates from an accidental symmetry that the Standard Model of elementary particle physics has, and published the most stringent limit on the charged lepton flavor violating decay μ+→e+γ: BR(μ+→e+γ) <4.2×10−13 at 90% confidence level. The MEG detector has been upgraded in order to reach a sensitivity of 6×10−14. The basic principle of MEG II is to achieve the highest possible sensitivity using the full muon beam intensity at the Paul Scherrer Institute (7×107 muons/s) with an upgraded detector. The main improvements are better rate capability of all sub-detectors and improved resolutions while keeping the same detector concept. In this paper, we present the current status of the preparation, integration and commissioning of the MEG II detector in the recent engineering runs.
The Analysis of Fractional-Order Kersten–Krasil Shchik Coupled KdV System, via a New Integral Transform
Authors: Shah Nehad Ali , Seikh Asiful H. , Chung Jae Dong
Published: September 2021

In this article, we use the homotopy perturbation transform method to find the fractional Kersten–Krasil’shchik coupled Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) non-linear system. This coupled non-linear system is typically used to describe electric circuits, traffic flow, shallow water waves, elastic media, electrodynamics, etc. The homotopy perturbation method is modified with the help of the ρ-Laplace transformation to investigate the solution of the given examples to show the accuracy of the current technique. The solution of the given technique and the actual results are shown and analyzed with figures.
Lower Porosity on R2
Authors: Kowalczyk Stanislaw , Turowska Malgorzata
Published: September 2021

In this paper, we study the properties of a lower porosity of a set in R2. It turns out that the properties of the lower and upper porosity are symmetrical, except that the main tools for testing the lower porosity are not balls but cones. New families of topologies on R2 generated by the lower porosity are defined. Furthermore, by applying the notion of the lower porosity, we introduce the definition of generalized continuity. Using defined topologies, we study properties of this continuity. We show that the properties of topologies generated by the lower and (upper) porosity are symmetrical.
A Design Study of Orthotic Shoe Based on Pain Pressure Measurement Using Algometer for Calcaneal Spur Patients
Authors: Wibowo Dwi Basuki , Suprihanto Agus , Caesarendra Wahyu , Glowacz Adam , Harahap Rudiansyah , Tadeusiewicz Ryszard , Kańtoch Eliasz , Abas Pg Emeroylariffion
Published: September 2021

The pressure pain threshold (PPT) is a useful tool for evaluating mechanical sensitivity in individuals suffering from various musculoskeletal disorders. The aim of this study is to investigate PPT at the heel area in order to assist in the design of orthotic shoes for sufferers of heel pain due to a calcaneal spur. The size and location of the calcaneal spur was determined by x-ray images, with PPT data measured around the spur at five points by using algometer FDIX 25. The pain test experiment was conducted by pressing each point to obtain the pain minimum compressive pressure (PMCP) and its location. The information of shoe size, spur location and dimensions, and the PMCP location for each individual is used to obtain the exact point location for applying a softer material to the shoe in-sole, in order to reduce heel pain. The results are significant as it can be used by designers to design appropriate shoe in-soles for individuals suffering from heel pain.
Evaluation of One- and Two-Box Models as Particle Exposure Prediction Tools at Industrial Scale
Authors: Ribalta Carla , López-Lilao Ana , Fonseca Ana , Jensen Alexander , Jensen Keld , Monfort Eliseo , Viana Mar
Published: September 2021

One- and two-box models have been pointed out as useful tools for modelling indoor particle exposure. However, model performance still needs further testing if they are to be implemented as trustworthy tools for exposure assessment. The objective of this work is to evaluate the performance, applicability and reproducibility of one- and two-box models on real-world industrial scenarios. A study on filling of seven materials in three filling lines with different levels of energy and mitigation strategies was used. Inhalable and respirable mass concentrations were calculated with one- and two-box models. The continuous drop and rotating drum methods were used for emission rate calculation, and ranges from a one-at-a-time methodology were applied for local exhaust ventilation efficiency and inter-zonal air flows. When using both dustiness methods, large differences were observed for modelled inhalable concentrations but not for respirable, which showed the importance to study the linkage between dustiness and processes. Higher model accuracy (ratio modelled vs. measured concentrations 0.5–5) was obtained for the two- (87%) than the one-box model (53%). Large effects on modelled concentrations were seen when local exhausts ventilation and inter-zonal variations where parametrized in the models. However, a certain degree of variation (10–20%) seems acceptable, as similar conclusions are reached.
Early Low-Level Arsenic Exposure Impacts Post-Synaptic Hippocampal Function in Juvenile Mice
Authors: Foley Karl F. W. , Barnett Daniel , Cory-Slechta Deborah A. , Xia Houhui
Published: September 2021

Arsenic is a well-established carcinogen known to increase mortality, but its effects on the central nervous system are less well understood. Epidemiological studies suggest that early life exposure is associated with learning deficits and behavioral changes. Studies in arsenic-exposed rodents have begun to shed light on potential mechanistic underpinnings, including changes in synaptic transmission and plasticity. However, previous studies relied on extended exposure into adulthood, and little is known about the effect of arsenic exposure in early development. Here, we studied the effects of early developmental arsenic exposure in juvenile mice on synaptic transmission and plasticity in the hippocampus. C57BL/6J females were exposed to arsenic (0, 50 ppb, 36 ppm) via drinking water two weeks prior to mating, with continued exposure throughout gestation and parturition. Electrophysiological recordings were then performed on juvenile offspring prior to weaning. In this paradigm, the offspring are exposed to arsenic indirectly, via the mother. We found that high (36 ppm) and relatively low (50 ppb) arsenic exposure both decreased basal synaptic transmission. A compensatory increase in pre-synaptic vesicular release was only observed in the high-exposure group. These results suggest that indirect, ecologically relevant arsenic exposure in early development impacts hippocampal synaptic transmission and plasticity that could underlie learning deficits reported in epidemiological studies.
Development and Validation of an LC-MS/MS Based Method for the Determination of Deoxynivalenol and Its Modified Forms in Maize
Authors: Fiby Iris , Sopel Marta Magdalena , Michlmayr Herbert , Adam Gerhard , Berthiller Franz
Published: September 2021

The Fusarium mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) is a common contaminant of cereals and is often co-occurring with its modified forms DON-3-glucoside (D3G), 3-acetyl-DON (3ADON) or 15-acetyl-DON (15ADON). A stable-isotope dilution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) based method for their determination in cereals was developed and validated for maize. Therefore, 13C-labelled D3G was enzymatically produced using 13C-DON and [13C6Glc]-sucrose and used as an internal standard (IS) for D3G, while uniformly 13C labelled IS was used for the other mycotoxins. Baseline separation was achieved for the critical peak pair DON/D3G, while 3ADON/15ADON could not be fully baseline separated after testing various reversed phase, fluorinated phase and chiral LC columns. After grinding, weighing and extracting the cereal samples, the raw extract was centrifuged and a mixture of the four 13C-labelled ISs was added directly in a microinsert vial. The subsequent analytical run took 7 min, followed by negative electrospray ionization and selected reaction monitoring on a triple quadrupole MS. Maize was used as a complex cereal model matrix for validation. The use of the IS corrected the occurring matrix effects efficiently from 76 to 98% for D3G, from 86 to 103% for DON, from 68 to 100% for 15ADON and from 63 to 96% for 3ADON.
Apamin Enhances Neurite Outgrowth and Regeneration after Laceration Injury in Cortical Neurons
Authors: Kim Hyunseong , Hong Jin Young , Lee Junseon , Jeon Wan-Jin , Ha In-Hyuk
Published: September 2021

Apamin is a minor component of bee venom and is a polypeptide with 18 amino acid residues. Although apamin is considered a neurotoxic compound that blocks the potassium channel, its neuroprotective effects on neurons have been recently reported. However, there is little information about the underlying mechanism and very little is known regarding the toxicological characterization of other compounds in bee venom. Here, cultured mature cortical neurons were treated with bee venom components, including apamin, phospholipase A2, and the main component, melittin. Melittin and phospholipase A2 from bee venom caused a neurotoxic effect in dose-dependent manner, but apamin did not induce neurotoxicity in mature cortical neurons in doses of up to 10 µg/mL. Next, 1 and 10 µg/mL of apamin were applied to cultivate mature cortical neurons. Apamin accelerated neurite outgrowth and axon regeneration after laceration injury. Furthermore, apamin induced the upregulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neurotrophin nerve growth factor, as well as regeneration-associated gene expression in mature cortical neurons. Due to its neurotherapeutic effects, apamin may be a promising candidate for the treatment of a wide range of neurological diseases.
Oxidation of Cylindrospermopsin by Fenton Process: A Bench-Scale Study of the Effects of Dose and Ratio of H2O2 and Fe(II) and Kinetics
Authors: Ferreira Matheus Almeida , Brandão Cristina Celia Silveira , Ginoris Yovanka Pérez
Published: September 2021

The cyanotoxin cylindrospermopsin (CYN) has become a significant environmental and human health concern due to its high toxicological potential and widespread distribution. High concentrations of cyanotoxins may be produced during cyanobacterial blooms. Special attention is required when these blooms occur in sources of water intended for human consumption since extracellular cyanotoxins are not effectively removed by conventional water treatments, leading to the need for advanced water treatment technologies such as the Fenton process to produce safe water. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the application of the Fenton process for the degradation of CYN at bench-scale. The oxidation of CYN was evaluated by Fenton reaction at H2O2/Fe(II) molar ratio in a range of 0.4 to 4.0, with the highest degradation of about 81% at molar ratio of 0.4. Doubling the concentrations of reactants for the optimized H2O2/Fe(II) molar ratio, the CYN degradation efficiency reached 91%. Under the conditions studied, CYN degradation by the Fenton process followed a pseudo-first-order kinetic model with an apparent constant rate ranging from 0.813 × 10−3 to 1.879 × 10−3 s−1.
Effect of (−)-Epigallocatechin Gallate on Activation of JAK/STAT Signaling Pathway by Staphylococcal Enterotoxin A
Authors: Shimamura Yuko , Noaki Rina , Kurokawa Ami , Utsumi Mio , Hirai Chikako , Kan Toshiyuki , Masuda Shuichi
Published: September 2021

Staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA), which is a superantigen toxin protein, binds to cytokine receptor gp130. Gp130 activates intracellular signaling pathways, including the Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway. The effects of SEA on the JAK/STAT signaling pathway in mouse spleen cells were examined. After treatment with SEA, mRNA expression levels of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and suppressor of cytokine-signaling 1 (SOCS1) increased. SEA-induced IFN-γ and SOCS1 expression were decreased by treatment with (−)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). The phosphorylated STAT3, Tyr705, increased significantly in a SEA concentration-dependent manner in mouse spleen cells. Although (−)-3″-Me-EGCG did not inhibit SEA-induced phosphorylated STAT3, EGCG and (−)-4″-Me-EGCG significantly inhibited SEA-induced phosphorylated STAT3. It was thought that the hydroxyl group at position 3 of the galloyl group in the EGCG was responsible for binding to SEA and suppressing SEA-induced phosphorylation of STAT3. Through protein thermal shift assay in vitro, the binding of the gp130 receptor to SEA and the phosphorylation of STAT3 were inhibited by the interaction between EGCG and SEA. As far as we know, this is the first report to document that EGCG inhibits the binding of the gp130 receptor to SEA and the associated phosphorylation of STAT3.
Response of Fecal Bacterial Flora to the Exposure of Fumonisin B1 in BALB/c Mice
Authors: Zhang Fan , Chen Zhiwei , Jiang Lin , Chen Zihan , Sun Hua
Published: September 2021

Fumonisins are a kind of mycotoxin that has harmful influence on the health of humans and animals. Although some research studies associated with fumonisins have been reported, the regulatory limits of fumonisins are imperfect, and the effects of fumonisins on fecal bacterial flora of mice have not been suggested. In this study, in order to investigate the effects of fumonisin B1 (FB1) on fecal bacterial flora, BALB/c mice were randomly divided into seven groups, which were fed intragastrically with 0 mg/kg, 0.018 mg/kg, 0.054 mg/kg, 0.162 mg/kg, 0.486 mg/kg, 1.458 mg/kg and 4.374 mg/kg of FB1 solutions, once a day for 8 weeks. Subsequently, feces were collected for analysis of microflora. The V3-V4 16S rRNA of fecal bacterial flora was sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform. The results revealed that fecal bacterial flora of mice treated with FB1 presented high diversity. Additionally, the composition of fecal bacterial flora of FB1 exposure groups showed marked differences from that of the control group, especially for the genus types including Alloprevotella, Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, Parabacteroides and phylum types including Cyanobacteria. In conclusion, our data indicate that FB1 alters the diversity and composition of fecal microbiota in mice. Moreover, the minimum dose of FB1 exposure also causes changes in fecal microbiota to some extent. This study is the first to focus on the dose-related effect of FB1 exposure on fecal microbiota in rodent animals and gives references to the regulatory doses of fumonisins for better protection of human and animal health.