bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evidence for Maintained Post-Encoding Memory Consolidation Across the Adult Lifespan Revealed by Network Complexity
Authors: McDonough Ian M. , Letang Sarah K. , Erwin Hillary B. , Kana Rajesh K.
Published: November 2019

Memory consolidation is well known to occur during sleep, but might start immediately after encoding new information while awake. While consolidation processes are important across the lifespan, they may be even more important to maintain memory functioning in old age. We tested whether a novel measure of information processing known as network complexity might be sensitive to post-encoding consolidation mechanisms in a sample of young, middle-aged, and older adults. Network complexity was calculated by assessing the irregularity of brain signals within a network over time using multiscale entropy. To capture post-encoding mechanisms, network complexity was estimated using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during rest before and after encoding of picture pairs, and subtracted between the two rest periods. Participants received a five-alternative-choice memory test to assess associative memory performance. Results indicated that aging was associated with an increase in network complexity from pre- to post-encoding in the default mode network (DMN). Increases in network complexity in the DMN also were associated with better subsequent memory across all age groups. These findings suggest that network complexity is sensitive to post-encoding consolidation mechanisms that enhance memory performance. These post-encoding mechanisms may represent a pathway to support memory performance in the face of overall memory declines.
A Vehicle Target Recognition Algorithm for Wide-Angle SAR Based on Joint Feature Set Matching
Authors: Hu Rongchun , Peng Zhenming , Ma Juan
Published: November 2019

Target recognition is an important area in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) research. Wide-angle Synthetic Aperture Radar (WSAR) has obvious advantages in target imaging resolution. This paper presents a vehicle target recognition algorithm for wide-angle SAR, which is based on joint feature set matching (JFSM). In this algorithm, firstly, the modulus stretch step is added in the imaging process of wide-angle SAR to obtain the thinned image of vehicle contour. Secondly, the gravitational-based speckle reduction algorithm is used to obtain a clearer contour image. Thirdly, the image is rotated to obtain a standard orientation image. Subsequently, the image and projection feature sets are extracted. Finally, the JFSM algorithm, which combines the image and projection sets, is used to identify the vehicle model. Experiments show that the recognition accuracy of the proposed algorithm is up to 85%. The proposed algorithm is demonstrated on the Gotcha WSAR dataset.
Cooperative Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access over Log-Normal Power Line Communication Channels
Authors: Ahiadormey Roger Kwao , Anokye Prince , Lee Kyoung-Jae
Published: November 2019

In this paper, we analyze the performance of cooperative power domain non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) in power line communication (PLC) networks. Due to the high signal attenuation of the source to user links, a relay aids communication from the source to two users. With half-duplex transmission, the source transmits a superimposed symbol in the first phase. The relay utilizes amplify-and-forward (AF) and decode-and-forward (DF) protocol on the received superimposed signal and forwards it to the users in the second phase. We derive analytic expressions for the outage probability and the system throughput of the proposed system under a PLC log-normal channel with impulsive noise. Based on the results for AF NOMA relaying case, we analyze the system performance at high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and derive closed-form lower and upper bounds for the outage probability. Simulation results show an improvement in the outage probability and the system throughput performance of the AF and DF NOMA schemes compared to the NOMA without relaying transmission and conventional orthogonal multiple access scheme. Furthermore, the impact of the channel variance is highlighted in the results. It is shown that the DF NOMA has a better outage probability than the AF NOMA scheme for low channel variance scenarios (i.e., less branches and connected loads in the PLC network). However, as the channel variance increases, AF NOMA scheme has similar outage probability performance as the DF NOMA scheme. In addition, it is shown that the system throughput is enhanced when the relay employs DF relaying compared to AF relaying.
Open Electronics for Medical Devices: State-of-Art and Unique Advantages
Authors: Pandey Gaurav , Vora Ankit
Published: November 2019

A wide range of medical devices have significant electronic components. Compared to open-source medical software, open (and open-source) electronic hardware has been less published in peer-reviewed literature. In this review, we explore the developments, significance, and advantages of using open platform electronic hardware for medical devices. Open hardware electronics platforms offer not just shorter development times, reduced costs, and customization; they also offer a key potential advantage which current commercial medical devices lack—seamless data sharing for machine learning and artificial intelligence. We explore how various electronic platforms such as microcontrollers, single board computers, field programmable gate arrays, development boards, and integrated circuits have been used by researchers to design medical devices. Researchers interested in designing low cost, customizable, and innovative medical devices can find references to various easily available electronic components as well as design methodologies to integrate those components for a successful design.
High Accuracy Power Quality Evaluation under a Colored Noisy Condition by Filter Bank ESPRIT
Authors: Santos Elaine , Khosravy Mahdi , Lima Marcelo A. A. , Cerqueira Augusto S. , Duque Carlos A. , Yona Atsushi
Published: November 2019

Due to the highly increasing integration of renewable energy sources with the power grid and their fluctuations, besides the recent growth of new power electronics equipment, the noise in power systems has become colored. The colored noise affects the methodologies for power quality parameters’ estimation, such as harmonic and interharmonic components. Estimation of signal parameters via rotational invariance techniques (ESPRIT) as a parametric technique with high resolution has proven its efficiency in the estimation of power signal components’ frequencies, amplitudes, and phases for quality analysis, under the assumption of white Gaussian noise. Since ESPRIT suffers from high computational effort, filter bank ESPRIT (FB-ESPRIT) was suggested for mitigation of the complexity. This manuscript suggests FB-ESPRIT as well for accurate and robust estimation of power signal components’ parameters in the presence of the colored noise. Even though the parametric techniques depend on the Gaussianity of contaminating noise to perform properly, FB-ESPRIT performs well in colored noise. The FB-ESPRIT superiority compared with the conventional ESPRIT and MUSIC techniques was demonstrated through many simulations runs on synthetic power signals with multiple harmonics, interharmonics, and subharmonic components in the presence of noises of different colors and different SNR levels. FB-ESPRIT had a significant efficiency superiority in power quality analysis with a wide gap distance from the other estimators, especially under the high level of colored noise.
Decoding EEG in Motor Imagery Tasks with Graph Semi-Supervised Broad Learning
Authors: She Qingshan , Zhou Yukai , Gan Haitao , Ma Yuliang , Luo Zhizeng
Published: November 2019

In recent years, the accurate and real-time classification of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals has drawn increasing attention in the application of brain-computer interface technology (BCI). Supervised methods used to classify EEG signals have gotten satisfactory results. However, unlabeled samples are more frequent than labeled samples, so how to simultaneously utilize limited labeled samples and many unlabeled samples becomes a research hotspot. In this paper, we propose a new graph-based semi-supervised broad learning system (GSS-BLS), which combines the graph label propagation method to obtain pseudo-labels and then trains the GSS-BLS classifier together with other labeled samples. Three BCI competition datasets are used to assess the GSS-BLS approach and five comparison algorithms: BLS, ELM, HELM, LapSVM and SMIR. The experimental results show that GSS-BLS achieves satisfying Cohen’s kappa values in three datasets. GSS-BLS achieves the better results of each subject in the 2-class and 4-class datasets and has significant improvements compared with original BLS except subject C6. Therefore, the proposed GSS-BLS is an effective semi-supervised algorithm for classifying EEG signals.
A Fixed Length Adaptive Moving Average Filter-Based Synchrophasor Measurement Algorithm for P Class PMUs
Authors: Xue Hui , Ruan Mengjie , Cheng Yifan
Published: November 2019

Accurate and fast synchrophasor measurement is the key to the wide applications of PMUs in the system-wide monitoring and reliable operation of smart grid. To address this issue, a fixed length moving average filter-based synchrophasor measurement algorithm for P class phasor measurement units (PMUs) (FA-PSMA) is proposed in this paper. Firstly, a novel fixed length adaptive moving average filter (FAMAF) is proposed. The FAMAF has an adaptive filter capability with a fixed data window length. Then, the FAMAF is applied after a phase-locked loop (PLL) for enhanced disturbance rejection capability under frequency drifts. Finally, a detailed performance assessment is presented to validate the performance of the proposed FA-PSMA. Theoretical analysis and simulation results validate that the proposed FA-PSMA can track the grid frequency and phasor accurately under distorted grid conditions. The response time and measurement accuracy satisfy the requirements specified in IEC/IEEE 60255-118-1.
A Transformer Fault Diagnosis Model Based On Hybrid Grey Wolf Optimizer and LS-SVM
Authors: Zeng Bing , Guo Jiang , Zhu Wenqiang , Xiao Zhihuai , Yuan Fang , Huang Sixu
Published: November 2019

Dissolved gas analysis (DGA) is a widely used method for transformer internal fault diagnosis. However, the traditional DGA technology, including Key Gas method, Dornenburg ratio method, Rogers ratio method, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) three-ratio method, and Duval triangle method, etc., suffers from shortcomings such as coding deficiencies, excessive coding boundaries and critical value criterion defects, which affect the reliability of fault analysis. Grey wolf optimizer (GWO) is a novel swarm intelligence optimization algorithm proposed in 2014 and it is easy for the original GWO to fall into the local optimum. This paper presents a new meta-heuristic method by hybridizing GWO with differential evolution (DE) to avoid the local optimum, improve the diversity of the population and meanwhile make an appropriate compromise between exploration and exploitation. A fault diagnosis model of hybrid grey wolf optimized least square support vector machine (HGWO-LSSVM) is proposed and applied to transformer fault diagnosis with the optimal hybrid DGA feature set selected as the input of the model. The kernel principal component analysis (KPCA) is used for feature extraction, which can decrease the training time of the model. The proposed method shows high accuracy of fault diagnosis by comparing with traditional DGA methods, least square support vector machine (LSSVM), GWO-LSSVM, particle swarm optimization (PSO)-LSSVM and genetic algorithm (GA)-LSSVM. It also shows good fitness and fast convergence rate. Accuracies calculated in this paper, however, are significantly affected by the misidentifications of faults that have been made in the DGA data collected from the literature.
Facilitating the Energy Transition—The Governance Role of Local Renewable Energy Cooperatives
Authors: Wagemans Donné , Scholl Christian , Vasseur Véronique
Published: November 2019

The governance role of local renewable energy cooperatives (LRECs) in facilitating the energy transition remains under-scrutinized in the scholarly literature. Such a gap is puzzling, since LRECs are a manifestation of the current decentralization movement and yield a promising governance contribution to a ‘just energy transition.’ This paper presents a study of the governance roles of LRECs in the province of Limburg, the Netherlands. Building on existing work on the cooperative movement and energy governance, we, first, develop a conceptual framework for our analysis. The framework is built around three key interactions shaping these governance roles, between (1) LRECs and their (potential) members, (2) LRECs and the government and (3) LRECs with other LRECs. The results of an online survey and qualitative interviews with selected cooperatives led to the identification of five key governance roles that these cooperatives take up in the facilitation of the energy transition: (1) mobilizing the public, (2) brokering between government and citizens, (3) providing context specific knowledge and expertise, (4) initiating accepted change and (5) proffering the integration of sustainability. The paper concludes by reflecting on the relevance of our findings in this Dutch case for the broader ‘just transition’ movement.
Optimal Network Reconfiguration in Active Distribution Networks with Soft Open Points and Distributed Generation
Authors: Diaaeldin Ibrahim , Abdel Aleem Shady , El-Rafei Ahmed , Abdelaziz Almoataz , Zobaa Ahmed F.
Published: November 2019

In this study, we allocated soft open points (SOPs) and distributed generation (DG) units simultaneously with and without network reconfiguration (NR), and investigate the contribution of SOP losses to the total active losses, as well as the effect of increasing the number of SOPs connected to distribution systems under different loading conditions. A recent meta-heuristic optimization algorithm called the discrete-continuous hyper-spherical search algorithm is used to solve the mixed-integer nonlinear problem of SOPs and DGs allocation, along with new NR methodology to obtain radial configurations in an efficient manner without the possibility of getting trapped in local minima. Further, multi-scenario studies are conducted on an IEEE 33-node balanced benchmark distribution system and an 83-node balanced distribution system from a power company in Taiwan. The contributions of SOP losses to the total active losses, as well as the effect of increasing the number of SOPs connected to the system, are investigated to determine the real benefits gained from their allocation. It was clear from the results obtained that simultaneous NR, SOP, and DG allocation into a distribution system creates a hybrid configuration that merges the benefits offered by radial distribution systems and mitigates drawbacks related to losses, power quality, and voltage violations, while offering a far more efficient and optimal network operation. Also, it was found that the contribution of the internal loss of SOPs to the total loss for different numbers of installed SOPs is not dependent on the number of SOPs and that loss minimization is not always guaranteed by installing more SOPs or DGs along with NR. One of the findings of the paper demonstrates that NR with optimizing tie-lines could reduce active losses considerably. The results obtained also validate, with proper justifications, that SOPs installed for the management of constraints in LV feeders could further reduce losses and efficiently address issues related to voltage violations and network losses.
A Study on the Mechanism of Convective Heat Transfer Enhancement Based on Heat Convection Velocity Analysis
Authors: Xiao Hui , Dong Zhimin , Long Rui , Yang Kun , Yuan Fang
Published: November 2019

This paper explores the mechanism of convective heat transfer enhancement in a new perspective. In this paper, a new parameter called heat convection velocity is proposed based on the field synergy principle. It is defined as the velocity projection on the temperature gradient vector and reflects the magnitude of the velocity component that contributes to heat convection. Three typical cases are taken into consideration to investigate the influence factors of Nusselt number theoretically. The results indicate that the Nusselt number can be enhanced by increasing the mean heat convection velocity and the dimensionless mean temperature difference. Through theoretical analysis, three suggestions are found for designing heat transfer enhancement components: (a) the overall synergetic effect should be improved; (b) the fluid with lower temperature gradient should be guided to the region where the temperature gradient is higher; (c) temperature distribution should be an interphase distribution of hot and cold fluid. Besides, the heat convection velocity is used to investigate the mechanism of convective heat transfer in the smooth tube. It is found that the increase of Nusselt number is due to the increase of heat convection velocity. In addition, according to design suggestions, a new insert is invented and inserted in the circular tube. With heat convection velocity analysis, it is found that there is much potential of increasing heat convection velocity for enhancing the convective heat transfer in the circular tube.
The Effects of Coupling Stiffness and Slippage of Interface Between the Wellbore and Unconsolidated Sediment on the Stability Analysis of the Wellbore Under Gas Hydrate Production
Authors: Kim Jung-Tae , Kim Ah-Ram , Cho Gye-Chun , Kang Chul-Whan , Lee Joo Yong
Published: November 2019

Gas hydrates have great potential as future energy resources. Several productivity and stability analyses have been conducted for the Ulleung Basin, and the depressurization method is being considered for production. Under depressurization, ground settlement occurs near the wellbore and axial stress develops. For a safe production test, it is essential to perform a stability analysis for the wellbore and hydrate-bearing sediments. In this study, the development of axial stress on the wellbore was investigated considering the coupling stiffness of the interface between the wellbore and sediment. A coupling stiffness model, which can consider both confining stress and slippage phenomena, was suggested and applied in a numerical simulation. Parametric analyses were conducted to investigate the effects of coupling stiffness and slippage on axial stress development. The results show that shear coupling stiffness has a significant effect on wellbore stability, while normal coupling stiffness has a minor effect. In addition, the maximum axial stress of the well bore has an upper limit depending on the magnitude of the confining stress, and the axial stress converges to this upper limit due to slipping at the interface. The results can be used as fundamental data for the design of wellbore under depressurization-based gas production.
Advancing Hazard Assessment of Energy Accidents in the Natural Gas Sector with Rough Set Theory and Decision Rules
Authors: Cinelli Marco , Spada Matteo , Kadziński Miłosz , Miebs Grzegorz , Burgherr Peter
Published: November 2019

The impacts of energy accidents are of primary interest for risk and resilience analysts, decision makers, and the general public. They can cause human health and environmental impacts, economic and societal losses, which justifies the interest in developing models to mitigate these adverse outcomes. We present a classification model for sorting energy accidents in the natural gas sector into hazard classes, according to their potential fatalities. The model is built on decision rules, which are knowledge blocks in the form of “if (condition), then (classification to hazard class x)”. They were extracted by the rough sets method using natural gas accident data from 1970–2016 of the Energy-related Severe Accident Database (ENSAD) of the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), the most authoritative information source for accidents in the energy sector. This was the first attempt to explore the relationships between the descriptors of energy accidents and the consequence (fatalities). The model was applied to a set of hypothetical accidents to show how the decision-making process could be supported when there is an interest in knowing which class (i.e., low, medium, high) of fatalities an energy accident could cause. The successful use of this approach in the natural gas sector proves that it can be also adapted for other energy chains, such as oil and coal.
Critical Factors Influencing the Adoption of Smart Home Energy Technology in China: A Guangdong Province Case Study
Authors: Ji WeiYu , Chan Edwin H. W.
Published: November 2019

Smart home energy technology has been verified to be successful for energy reduction in the residential sector. However, the current penetration rate of smart home energy technology is at a low level. Considering the factors of economy, policy, and demographics, Guangdong Province in China is a suitable region as an exemplary case to promote smart home energy technology through the urban residents. Therefore, using Guangdong as the targeting area, this research examined the factors influencing residents’ intention to adopt smart home energy technology. A theoretical model based on the theory of planned behavior and Norm Activation Model theory was developed, with special consideration of the complex technical features. A questionnaire survey was performed in Guangdong Province and the data was analyzed by PLS-SEM. The analysis results indicated that residents’ attitude towards technical performance, social norm, perceived behavioral control, and personal norm all have positive influence on the adoption intention, of which, attitude towards technical performance had the strongest effect. On the other hand, the attitude towards economic performance was found not to lead adoption intention. To explain this consequence, the discussion based on behavioral economics was proposed.
Modelling Lichen Abundance for Woodland Caribou in a Fire-Driven Boreal Landscape
Authors: Silva Joseph , Nielsen Scott , Lamb Clayton , Hague Christine , Boutin Stan
Published: November 2019

Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) are reliant on Cladonia spp. ground lichens as a major component of their diet and lichen abundance could be an important indicator of habitat quality, particularly in winter. The boreal forest is typified by large, stand-replacing forest fires that consume ground lichens, which take decades to recover. The large spatial extent of caribou ranges and the mosaic of lichen availability created by fires make it challenging to track the abundance of ground lichens. Researchers have developed various techniques to map lichens across northern boreal and tundra landscapes, but it remains unclear which techniques are best suited for use in the continuous boreal forest, where many of the conflicts amongst caribou and human activities are most acute. In this study, we propose a two-stage regression modelling approach to map the abundance (biomass, kg/ha) of Cladonia spp. ground lichens in the boreal forest. Our study was conducted in Woodland Caribou Provincial Park, a wilderness-class protected area in northwestern Ontario, Canada. We used field sampling to characterize lichen abundance in 109 upland forest stands across the local time-since-fire continuum (2–119 years-since-fire). We then used generalized linear models to relate lichen presence and lichen abundance to forest structure, topographic and remote sensing attributes. Model selection indicated ground lichens were best predicted by ecosite, time-since-fire, and canopy closure. Lichen abundance was very low (<1000 kg/ha) across the time-since-fire continuum in upland forest stands with dense tree cover. Conversely, lichen abundance increased steadily across the time-since-fire continuum in upland forest stands with sparse tree cover, exceeding 3000 kg/ha in mature stands. We interpolated the best lichen presence and lichen abundance models to create spatial layers and combined them to generate a map that provides a reasonable estimation of lichen biomass (R2 = 0.39) for our study area. We encourage researchers and managers to use our method as a basic framework to map the abundance of ground lichens across fire-prone, boreal caribou ranges. Mapping lichens will aid in the identification of suitable habitat and can be used in planning to ensure habitat is maintained in adequate supply in areas with multiple land-use objectives. We also encourage the use of lichen abundance maps to investigate questions that improve our understanding of caribou ecology.
Management and Social Problems Linked to the Human Use of European Urban and Suburban Forests
Authors: Referowska-Chodak Ewa
Published: November 2019

This review regards the management and social problems in European urban and suburban forests linked to their maintenance and human use. They can be divided into major categories: forest management problems (e.g., the low priority of urban forestry, various or diffused urban forest management, lack of management plans or lack of sufficient funds); the social reception of forest works and forests (e.g., emotional reactions to total clear-cutting, negative evaluation of logging traces, negative evaluation of poor tourist infrastructure, specific expectations concerning a model forest: e.g., tall, of low density, mixed, old); and relations between forest users (problems related to e.g., crowding, fast-moving people, the presence of dogs, littering, thefts or noisy behaviour). Here, special attention is paid to problems and negative interactions, as they are challenges to forest management, as well as to the development of plans, strategies, and policies, both in relation to existent forests and those planned in various parts of Europe. Taking into account the feelings and expectations of forest users concerning forests, forest works/management, and infrastructure, as well as their attitude to other forest users, may reduce conflicts concerning various kinds of forest perception and use, and (with the support of societal education) may help to increase the sense of social responsibility for the “shared” forests. The presented findings are expected to be practical and useful for the management of urban and suburban forests, regardless of the location, as a type of checklist of possible problems, that may prove to be important and up-to-date in a particular location.
Aspects of the Process of Sorting European Black Pine Seeds
Authors: Kaliniewicz Zdzisław , Tylek Paweł
Published: November 2019

Research Highlights: Seed separation criteria and the optimal parameters of sorting devices were described. Background and Objectives: Seeds are often sorted into fractions which are sown separately to promote uniform seed germination and seedling emergence. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the correlations between the basic physical properties of European black pine (Pinus nigra J.F. Arnold subsp. nigra) seeds for the needs of planning seed sorting operations. Materials and Methods: Black pine seeds were divided into 5 batches representing individual parent trees, and the physical properties (terminal velocity, thickness, width, length, angle of external friction, mass) of each seed were determined. The measured geometric parameters and seed mass were used to calculate the respective indicators for each seed. The values of the analyzed parameters were used to plan the seed separation process. Results: The average values of the basic physical properties of seeds were determined in the following range: Terminal velocity—8.32 to 8.73 m s−1, thickness—2.24 to 2.27 mm, width—3.34 to 3.44 mm, length—5.87 to 6.08 mm, angle of external friction—28 to 32°, mass—18.8 to 20.0 mg. Seed mass was most highly correlated with terminal velocity, and it was least correlated with the angle of external friction. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that black pine seeds should be sorted with the use of pneumatic separators or, alternatively, mesh sieves with longitudinal openings. These sorting devices separate seeds into fractions characterized by similar seed mass, which delivers both economic and environmental benefits in nursery practice.
Toward Addressing Location Privacy Issues: New Affiliations with Social and Location Attributes
Authors: Vgena Katerina , Kitsiou Angeliki , Kalloniatis Christos , Kavroudakis Dimitris , Gritzalis Stefanos
Published: November 2019

Nowadays, location-sharing applications (LSA) within social media enable users to share their location information at different levels of precision. Users on their side are willing to disclose this kind of information in order to represent themselves in a socially acceptable online way. However, they express privacy concerns regarding potential malware location-sharing applications, since users’ geolocation information can provide affiliations with their social identity attributes that enable the specification of their behavioral normativity, leading to sensitive information disclosure and privacy leaks. This paper, after a systematic review on previous social and privacy location research, explores the overlapping of these fields in identifying users’ social attributes through examining location attributes while online, and proposes a targeted set of location privacy attributes related to users’ socio-spatial characteristics within social media.
Influence of Fluidic Control in a Staged Lean Jet Engine Burner on Combustor Performance
Authors: Yoshida Seiji , Hassa Christoph , Yamamoto Takeshi , Heinze Johannes , Schroll Michael
Published: November 2019

To improve the turn-down ratio of a lean combustor, which has the greatest potential for reducing NOx emissions from jet engines, fuel staging is commonly employed. To further extend the stable operation range, air staging with a fluidic element is also considered. The influence of fluidic control on combustion was analyzed to better understand fluidic element-burner interactions. The pressure loss of each fluidic element was determined by measuring the pressure at the element exits. The effect of fluidic control on the atomization, fuel distribution, and flow field was investigated using optical, noninvasive techniques. The combustion performance of the burner with the fluidic element was evaluated using exhaust gas analyses. The pressure losses of the swirlers and fuel mixers were varied depending on the bleed air from the fluidic element. Under the idle condition, the reduction of pressure loss in the pilot fuel mixer resulted in inferior atomization due to the reduced gas velocity around the fuel film, which had a positive effect on lean blowout. Under the cruise condition and the staged mode, the reduction of the pilot air flow increased the equivalence ratio of the lean pilot stage and resulted in higher combustion efficiency.
Blood Flow Dynamics at the Pulmonary Artery Bifurcation
Authors: Capuano Francesco , Loke Yue-Hin , Balaras Elias
Published: November 2019

Knowledge of physiologic hemodynamics is a fundamental requirement to establish pathological findings. However, little is known about the normal flow fields in the pulmonary arteries, especially for children. The purpose of this study is to characterize flow patterns in the pulmonary artery bifurcation of healthy pediatric subjects using direct numerical simulations. A realistic geometry is obtained via statistical shape modeling, by averaging five subject-specific digital models extracted from cardiovascular magnetic resonance datasets of healthy volunteers. Boundary conditions are assigned to mimic physiological conditions at rest, corresponding to a peak Reynolds number equal to 3400 and a Womersley number equal to 15. Results show that the normal bifurcation is highly hemodynamically efficient, as measured by an energy dissipation index. The curvature of the pulmonary arteries is sufficiently small to prevent flow separation along the inner walls, and no signs of a turbulent-like state are found. In line with previous imaging studies, a helical structure protruding into the right pulmonary artery is detected, and its formation mechanism is elucidated in the paper. These findings might help to identify abnormal flow features in patients with altered anatomic and physiologic states, particularly those with repaired congenital heart disease.
A Comparison of Two Sensory Panels Trained with Different Feedback Calibration Range Specifications via Sensory Description of Five Beers
Authors: Elgaard Line , Mielby Line A. , Hopfer Helene , Byrne Derek V.
Published: November 2019

Feedback on panel performance is traditionally provided by the panel leader, following an evaluation session. However, a novel method for providing immediate feedback to panelists was proposed, the Feedback Calibration Method (FCM). The aim of the current study was to compare the performance of two panels trained by using FCM with two different approaches for ranges calibration, namely self-calibrated and fixed ranges. Both panels were trained using FCM for nine one-hour sessions, followed by a sensory evaluation of five beer samples (in replicates). Results showed no difference in sample positioning in the sensory space by the two panels. Furthermore, the panels’ discriminability was also similar, while the self-calibrated panel had the highest repeatability. The results from the average distance from target and standard deviations showed that the self-calibrated panel had the lowest distance from target and standard deviation throughout all sessions. However, the decrease in average distance from target and standard deviations over training sessions was similar among panels, meaning that the increase in performance was similar. The fact that both panels had a similar increase in performance and yielded similar sensory profiles indicates that the choice of target value calibration method is unimportant. However, the use of self-calibrated ranges could introduce an issue with the progression of the target scores over session, which is why the fixed target ranges should be applied, if available.
Antimicrobial Properties of Encapsulated Antimicrobial Natural Plant Products for Ready-to-Eat Carrots
Authors: Ben-Fadhel Yosra , Maherani Behnoush , Aragones Melinda , Lacroix Monique
Published: November 2019

The antimicrobial activity of natural antimicrobials (fruit extracts, essential oils and derivates), was assessed against six bacteria species (E. coli O157:H7, L. monocytogenes, S. Typhimurium, B. subtilis, E. faecium and S. aureus), two molds (A. flavus and P. chrysogenum) and a yeast (C. albicans) using disk diffusion method. Then, the antimicrobial compounds having high inhibitory capacity were evaluated for the determination of their minimum inhibitory, bactericidal and fungicidal concentration (MIC, MBC and MFC respectively). Total phenols and flavonoids content, radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power of selected compounds were also evaluated. Based on in vitro assays, five antimicrobial compounds were selected for their lowest effective concentration. Results showed that, most of these antimicrobial compounds had a high concentration of total phenols and flavonoids and a good anti-oxidant and anti-radical activity. In situ study showed that natural antimicrobials mix, applied on the carrot surface, reduced significantly the count of the initial mesophilic total flora (TMF), molds and yeasts and allowed an extension of the shelf-life of carrots by two days as compared to the control. However, the chemical treatment (mix of peroxyacetic acid and hydrogen peroxide) showed antifungal activity and a slight reduction of TMF.
Swordfish or Shark Slice? A Rapid Response by COIBar–RFLP
Authors: Ferrito Venera , Raffa Alessandra , Rossitto Luana , Federico Concetta , Saccone Salvatore , Pappalardo Anna Maria
Published: November 2019

Market transparency is in strong demand by consumers, and the authentication of species is an important step for seafood traceability. In this study, a simple molecular strategy, COIBar–RFLP (cytochrome oxidase I barcode–restriction fragment length polymorphism), is proposed to unveil commercial fraud based on the practice of species substitution in the swordfish trade. In particular, COI barcoding allowed the identification of the species Prionace glauca, Mustelus mustelus, and Oxynotus centrina in slices labeled as Xiphias gladius. Furthermore, the enzymatic digestion of COI amplicons using the MboI restriction endonuclease allowed the simultaneous discrimination of the four species. Interestingly, an intraspecific differential MboI pattern was obtained for the swordfish samples. This pattern was useful to differentiate the two different clades revealed in this species by phylogenetic analyses using several molecular markers. These results indicate the need to strengthen regulations and define molecular tools for combating the occurrence of fraud along the seafood supply chain and show that COIBar–RFLP could become a standardized molecular tool to assess seafood authenticity.
Volatile Composition and Sensory Profiles of a Shiraz Wine Product Made with Pre- and Post-Fermentation Additions of Ganoderma lucidum Extract
Authors: Nguyen Anh N.H. , Capone Dimitra L. , Johnson Trent E. , Jeffery David W. , Danner Lukas , Bastian Susan E.P.
Published: November 2019

Novel Shiraz red wine products enriched with Ganoderma lucidum (GL) extract, a traditional Asian medicinal mushroom, were developed and characterized. GL extract was added at different levels prior to and after primary fermentation to investigate its impact on the juice fermentation kinetics, and the chemical composition and sensory properties of the resulting wines. The fermentation kinetics of red grape juice were not significantly different between ferments. Basic chemical analyses plus headspace solid-phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME), gas chromatography‒mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and a rate-all-that-apply (RATA) (n = 65) sensory panel were used to investigate the influence of GL extract additions on wine composition and sensory characteristics. Of the 54 sensory attributes assessed, 39 significantly differentiated the wines. A clear separation between GL wine treatments was evident with PLS regression, where specific volatiles were correlated with relevant sensory attributes that dominated the wines. These products could be promising for emerging wine markets.
Whole-Genome Bisulfite Sequencing Reveals a Role for DNA Methylation in Variants from Callus Culture of Pineapple (Ananas comosus L.)
Authors: Lin Wenqiu , Xiao Xi’ou , Zhang Hongna , Li Yunhe , Liu Shenghui , Sun Weisheng , Zhang Xiumei , Wu Qingsong
Published: November 2019

DNA methylation changes can occur in some loci during callus culture, resulting in somaclonal variations (SVs). In the present study, we applied whole genome bisulfite sequencing to analyze context-specific DNA methylation changes in the pineapple genome between the cutting seedings and 5 SV plants. In general, SV plants exhibited methylation patterns analogous to those of cutting seedlings (CK). A total of 27.98% of the genomic cytosines of CK were methylcytosines, which was higher than that of 5 SV plants. Moreover, mCG and mCHG was hypermethylated, whereas mCHH was hypomethylated among the 5 SV plants genomic when compared with the CK. Most of the variation of DNA methylation was distributed in gene bodies, thus suggesting that phenotypic differences are probably perturbed by genes methylated from callus culture. In addition, the methylated genes were highly enriched for the Gene Ontology (GO) categories of binding and catalytic activity, cell part and organelle, cellular process, abiotic stimulus, and DNA modification. These results suggest that methylation mediates these pathways in the callus culture of pineapple. The results also suggested that the callus culture induced DNA methylation may result in the SV.
Sow Thistle Chloroplast Genomes: Insights into the Plastome Evolution and Relationship of Two Weedy Species, Sonchus asper and Sonchus oleraceus (Asteraceae)
Authors: Cho Myong-Suk , Kim Jin Hyeong , Kim Chang-Seok , Mejías José A. , Kim Seung-Chul
Published: November 2019

Prickly sow thistle, Sonchus asper (L.) Hill, and common sow thistle, Sonchus oleraceus L., are noxious weeds. Probably originating from the Mediterranean region, they have become widespread species. They share similar morphology and are closely related. However, they differ in their chromosome numbers and the precise relationship between them remains uncertain. Understanding their chloroplast genome structure and evolution is an important initial step toward determining their phylogenetic relationships and analyzing accelerating plant invasion processes on a global scale. We assembled four accessions of chloroplast genomes (two S. asper and two S. oleraceus) by the next generation sequencing approach and conducted comparative genomic analyses. All the chloroplast genomes were highly conserved. Their sizes ranged from 151,808 to 151,849 bp, containing 130 genes including 87 coding genes, 6 rRNA genes, and 37 tRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis based on the whole chloroplast genome sequences showed that S. asper shares a recent common ancestor with S. oleraceus and suggested its likely involvement in a possible amphidiploid origin of S. oleraceus. In total, 79 simple sequence repeats and highly variable regions were identified as the potential chloroplast markers to determine genetic variation and colonization patterns of Sonchus species.
The BRCA1 c.4096+3A>G Variant Displays Classical Characteristics of Pathogenic BRCA1 Mutations in Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancers, But Still Allows Homozygous Viability
Authors: Arason Adalgeir , Agnarsson Bjarni A , Johannesdottir Gudrun , Johannsson Oskar Th , Hilmarsdottir Bylgja , Reynisdottir Inga , Barkardottir Rosa B
Published: November 2019

Mutations in BRCA1 result in predisposal to breast and ovarian cancers, but many variants exist with unknown clinical significance (VUS). One is BRCA1 c.4096+3A>G, which affects production of the full-length BRCA1 transcript, while augmenting transcripts lacking most or all of exon 11. Nonetheless, homozygosity of this variant has been reported in a healthy woman. We saw this variant cosegregate with breast and ovarian cancer in several family branches of four Icelandic pedigrees, with instances of phenocopies and a homozygous woman with lung cancer. We found eight heterozygous carriers (0.44%) in 1820 unselected breast cancer cases, and three (0.15%) in 1968 controls (p = 0.13). Seeking conclusive evidence, we studied tumors from carriers in the pedigrees for wild-type-loss of heterozygosity (wtLOH) and BRCA1-characteristic prevalence of estrogen receptor (ER) negativity. Of 15 breast and six ovarian tumors, wtLOH occurred in nine breast and all six ovarian tumours, and six of the nine breast tumors with wtLOH were ER-negative. These data accord with a pathogenic BRCA1-mutation. Our findings add to the current knowledge of BRCA1, and the role of its exon 11 in cancer pathogenicity, and will be of use in clinical genetic counselling.
Measuring and Assessing Healthcare Organisational Culture in the England’s National Health Service: A Snapshot of Current Tools and Tool Use
Authors: Simpson Dominic , Hamilton Sharon , McSherry Robert , McIntosh Rebecca
Published: November 2019

Healthcare Organisational Culture (OC) is a major contributing factor in serious failings in healthcare delivery. Despite an increased awareness of the impact that OC is having on patient care, there is no universally accepted way to measure culture in practice. This study was undertaken to provide a snapshot as to how the English National Health Service (NHS) is currently measuring culture. Although the study is based in England, the findings have potential to influence the measurement of healthcare OC internationally. An online survey was sent to 234 NHS hospital trusts, with a response rate of 35%. Respondents who completed the online survey, on behalf of their representative organisations, were senior clinical governance leaders. The findings demonstrate that the majority of organisations, that responded, were actively measuring culture. Significantly, a wide variety of tools were in use, with variable levels of satisfaction and success. The majority of tools had a focus on patient safety, not on understanding the determining factors which impact upon healthcare OC. This paper reports the tools currently used by the respondents. It highlights that there are deficits in these tools that need to be addressed, so that organisations can interpret their own culture in a standardised, evidence-based way.
Does Croton Argyrophyllus Extract Has an Effect on Muscle Damage and Lipid Peroxidation in Rats Submitted to High Intensity Strength Exercise?
Authors: de Araújo Silvan Silva , Aidar Felipe José , Matos Dihogo Gama de , Santos Jymmys Lopes dos , Vieira Souza Lúcio Marques , Silva Albená Nunes da , Santos Rodrigo Miguel dos , Marçal Anderson Carlos , Mourão Daniella Mota , Júnior Amário Lessa , Durães Geraldo Magela , Carneiro André Luiz Gomes , Silva Rodrigo Gonçalves da , Teixeira Mauro Martins , Estevam Charles dos Santos
Published: November 2019

Many species of the genus Croton have been used for anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, antidiabetic, and antitumor purposes. The objective was to evaluate the effect of a hydroethanolic extract (HEE) from the inner bark of Croton argyrophyllus (Euphorbiaceae) on muscle damage and oxidative stress in rats after high intensity exercise. The animals were divided into four groups: (i) the sedentary group (SV; n = 7), (ii) the exercise vehicle group (EV, n = 7), (iii) the sedentary group HEE (SHG; n = 7) composed of sedentary animals and treated with the hydroethanolic extract of C. argyrophyllus (200 mg/kg, v.o.), and (iv) the HEE exercise group (HEE; n = 7) composed of animals submitted to resistance exercise (RE) and treated with the hydroethanolic extract of C. argyrophyllus (200 mg/kg, v.o.). In the 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test, the HEE showed lower values of inhibition potential (IP%) at 39.79% compared to gallic acid, 87.61%, and lipoperoxidation inhibition at 27.4% (100 µg/mL) or 28.6% (200 µg/mL) (p < 0.001). There was inhibition in free radicals in vivo. The HEE of C. argyrophyllus partially reduced the biomarkers of oxidative stress in muscle tissue and muscular damage (creatine kinase (CK) and Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH)) (p < 0.05) in rats, and in this sense it can be an aid to the recovery process after exhaustive efforts.
Greening Blocks: A Conceptual Typology of Practical Design Interventions to Integrate Health and Climate Resilience Co-Benefits
Authors: Barron Sara , Nitoslawski Sophie , Wolf Kathleen L. , Woo Angie , Desautels Erin , Sheppard Stephen R. J.
Published: November 2019

It is increasingly evident that exposure to green landscape elements benefits human health. Urban green space in cities is also recognized as a crucial adaptation response to changes in climate and its subsequent effects. The exploration of conceptual and practical intersections between human health, green spaces, and climate action is needed. Evidence-based guidance is needed for stakeholders, practitioners, designers, and citizens in order to assess and manage urban green spaces that maximize co-benefits for both human health and climate resilience. This paper proposes interventions that provide strategic green space enhancement at the neighborhood and block scale. We propose eight tangible green space interventions and associated metrics to integrate climate resilience and population health co-benefits into urban green space design and planning: View from within, Plant entrances, Bring nature nearby, Retain the mature, Generate diversity, Create refuge, Connect experiences, and Optimize green infrastructure. These interventions represent a hierarchy of functional design concepts that respond to experiential qualities and physical/psychological dimensions of health, and which enhance resilience at a range of social scales from the individual to the neighborhood. The interventions also reveal additional research needs in green space design, particularly in neighborhood-level contexts.