bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Olfactory Stimulation Effect of Aldehydes, Nonanal, and Decanal on the Human Electroencephalographic Activity, According to Nostril Variation
Authors: Kim Minju , Sowndhararajan Kandhasamy , Choi Hae Jin , Park Se Jin , Kim Songmun
Published: July 2019

Fragrances play a pivotal role in humans’ psychological and physiological functions through the olfactory system. Aldehydes are important organic compounds with a variety of fragrance notes. Particularly, nonanal (C9) and decanal (C10) aldehydes are important natural fragrant components used to enhance floral, as well as citrus notes in perfumery products. In general, each nostril of the human nose is tuned to smell certain odor molecules better than others due to slight turbinate swelling between the nostrils. Hence, the objective of the present investigation was aimed to evaluate the influence of binasal and uninasal inhalations of C9 and C10 aldehydes on human electroencephalographic (EEG) activity. Twenty healthy participants (10 males and 10 females) participated in this study. The EEG readings were recorded from 8 electrodes (QEEG-8 system) according to the International 10-20 System. The results revealed that C10 exposure exhibited significantly different EEG changes, during binasal and uninasal inhalations. In different brain regions, C10 odor markedly decreased the absolute alpha and absolute beta power spectra. In regards to C9 odor, significant changes of EEG power spectra were noticed only during binasal inhalation. In addition, C10 mainly produced changes at the left parietal site (P3) than other brain sites. In conclusion, the variations in EEG activities of C9 and C10 aldehydes might be owing to their characteristic fragrance quality, as well as the influence of nostril differences.
Combination of Whole-Brain Radiotherapy with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Improves Overall Survival in EGFR-Mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients with Brain Metastases
Authors: Chen Chien-Hung , Lee Hsin-Hua , Chuang Hung-Yi , Hung Jen-Yu , Huang Ming-Yii , Chong Inn-Wen
Published: July 2019

Brain metastases (BM) cause morbidity and mortality in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The use of upfront epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and withholding of whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) is controversial. We aim to investigate the impact of WBRT on overall survival (OS). After screening 1384 patients, a total of 141 EGFR-mutated patients with NSCLC and BM were enrolled. All patients received EGFR-TKIs between 2011 and 2015. Ninety-four patients (66.7%) were treated with WBRT (TKI + WBRT group). With a median follow-up of 20.3 months (95% confidence interval (CI), 16.9–23.7), the median OS after the diagnosis of BM was 14.3 months (95% CI, 9.5 to 18.3) in the TKI + WBRT group and 2.3 months (95% CI, 2 to 2.6) in the TKI alone group. On multivariate analysis, WBRT (p < 0.001), female, surgery to primary lung tumor, and surgery to BM were associated with improved OS. The 1-year OS rate was longer in the TKI+WBRT group than that in the TKI alone group (81.9% vs. 59.6%, p = 0.002). In conclusion, this is the first study to demonstrate the negative survival impact from the omission of WBRT in patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC.
Synthesis of Porous Organic Polymer-Based Solid-Acid Catalysts for 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Production from Fructose
Authors: Sebati Wilhemina , Ray Suprakas Sinha , Moutloali Richard
Published: July 2019

Herein, we report the synthesis of nanoporous polytriphenylamine polymers (PPTPA) by a simple one-step oxidative polymerization pathway and the materials were sulfonated with chlorosulfonic acid to introduce acidic sulfonic groups to the polymers to form solid acid catalysts (SPPTPA). Magnetic properties were added to SPPTPA catalysts by depositing Fe3O4 nanoparticles to develop (FeSPPTPA) solid acid catalysts, for performing dehydration of fructose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), which is regarded as a sustainable source for liquid fuels and commodity chemicals. XRD, FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, TGA, and N2 sorption techniques were used to characterize synthesized materials. The FeSPPTPA80 nanocatalyst showed superior catalytic activities in comparison to other catalysts due to the nanorods that formed after sulfonation of the PPTPA polymeric material which gave the catalyst enough catalytic centers for dehydration reaction of fructose. The recyclability tests revealed that the magnetic solid acid catalysts could be reused for four consecutive catalytic runs, which made FeSPPTPA a potential nanocatalyst for production of HMF.
Combi-CLEAs of Glucose Oxidase and Catalase for Conversion of Glucose to Gluconic Acid Eliminating the Hydrogen Peroxide to Maintain Enzyme Activity in a Bubble Column Reactor
Authors: Mafra Agnes , Ulrich Letícia , Kornecki Jakub , Fernandez-Lafuente Roberto , Tardioli Paulo , Ribeiro Marcelo
Published: July 2019

In this study combined cross-linked aggregates of catalase from bovine liver and glucose-oxidase from Aspergillus niger were prepared, and the effects of the precipitant and crosslinking agents, as well as the use of bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a feeder protein, on enzyme immobilization yield and thermal stability of both enzymes, were evaluated. Combi- crosslinking of enzyme aggregates (CLEAs) prepared using dimethoxyethane as precipitant, 25 mM glutaraldehyde and BSA/enzymes mass ratio of 5.45 (w/w), exhibited the highest enzyme activities and stabilities at 40 °C, pH 6.0, and 250 rpm for 5 h. The stability of both immobilized enzymes was fairly similar, eliminating one of the problems of enzyme coimmobilization. Combi-CLEAs were used in gluconic acid (GA) production in a bubble column reactor operated at 40 °C, pH 6.0 and 10 vvm of aeration, using 26 g L−1 glucose as the substrate. Results showed conversion of around 96% and a reaction course very similar to the same process using free enzymes. The operational half-life was 34 h, determined from kinetic profiles and the first order inactivation model. Combi-CLEAs of glucose-oxidase and catalase were shown to be a robust biocatalyst for applications in the production of gluconic acid from glucose.
Recent Advances in MOF-based Nanocatalysts for Photo-Promoted CO2 Reduction Applications
Authors: Liu Chang , Wang Wenzhi , Liu Bin , Qiao Jing , Lv Longfei , Gao Xueping , Zhang Xue , Xu Dongmei , Liu Wei , Liu Jiurong , Jiang Yanyan , Wang Zhou , Wu Lili , Wang Fenglong
Published: July 2019

The conversion of CO2 to valuable substances (methane, methanol, formic acid, etc.) by photocatalytic reduction has important significance for both the sustainable energy supply and clean environment technologies. This review systematically summarized recent progress in this field and pointed out the current challenges of photocatalytic CO2 reduction while using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)-based materials. Firstly, we described the unique advantages of MOFs based materials for photocatalytic reduction of CO2 and its capacity to solve the existing problems. Subsequently, the latest research progress in photocatalytic CO2 reduction has been documented in detail. The catalytic reaction process, conversion efficiency, as well as the product selectivity of photocatalytic CO2 reduction while using MOFs based materials are thoroughly discussed. Specifically, in this review paper, we provide the catalytic mechanism of CO2 reduction with the aid of electronic structure investigations. Finally, the future development trend and prospect of photocatalytic CO2 reduction are anticipated.
Metabolic Plasticity of Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Kreitz Johanna , Schönfeld Christine , Seibert Marcel , Stolp Verena , Alshamleh Islam , Oellerich Thomas , Steffen Björn , Schwalbe Harald , Schnütgen Frank , Kurrle Nina , Serve Hubert
Published: July 2019

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is one of the most common and life-threatening leukemias. A highly diverse and flexible metabolism contributes to the aggressiveness of the disease that is still difficult to treat. By using different sources of nutrients for energy and biomass supply, AML cells gain metabolic plasticity and rapidly outcompete normal hematopoietic cells. This review aims to decipher the diverse metabolic strategies and the underlying oncogenic and environmental changes that sustain continuous growth, mediate redox homeostasis and induce drug resistance in AML. We revisit Warburg’s hypothesis and illustrate the role of glucose as a provider of cellular building blocks rather than as a supplier of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle for energy production. We discuss how the diversity of fuels for the TCA cycle, including glutamine and fatty acids, contributes to the metabolic plasticity of the disease and highlight the roles of amino acids and lipids in AML metabolism. Furthermore, we point out the potential of the different metabolic effectors to be used as novel therapeutic targets.
Impact of Heat Shock Protein 90 Inhibition on the Proteomic Profile of Lung Adenocarcinoma as Measured by Two-Dimensional Electrophoresis Coupled with Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Marrugal Ángela , Ferrer Irene , Pastor Maria Dolores , Ojeda Laura , Quintanal-Villalonga Álvaro , Carnero Amancio , Molina-Pinelo Sonia , Paz-Ares Luis
Published: July 2019

Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is an important chaperone in lung adenocarcinoma, with relevant protein drivers such as EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) and EML4-ALK (echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like protein4 fused to anaplastic lymphoma kinase) depending on it for their correct function, therefore HSP90 inhibitors show promise as potential treatments for lung adenocarcinoma. To study responses to its inhibition, HSP90 was pharmacologically interrupted by geldanamycin and resorcinol derivatives or with combined inhibition of HSP90 plus HSP70 in lung adenocarcinoma cell lines. Two-dimensional electrophoresis was performed to identify proteomic profiles associated with inhibition which will help to understand the biological basis for the responses. HSP90 inhibition resulted in altered protein profiles that differed according the treatment condition studied. Results revealed 254 differentially expressed proteins after treatments, among which, eukaryotic translation initiation factor3 subunit I (eIF3i) and citrate synthase demonstrated their potential role as response biomarkers. The differentially expressed proteins also enabled signalling pathways involved in responses to be identified; these included apoptosis, serine-glycine biosynthesis and tricarboxylic acid cycle. The proteomic profiles identified here contribute to an improved understanding of HSP90 inhibition and open possibilities for the detection of potential response biomarkers which will be essential to maximize treatment efficacy in lung adenocarcinoma.
Stabilizing of Mechanical Property of Amorphous In−Zn−O Thin Films with Hydrogen Flow
Authors: Kim Seo-han , Yoon Janghee , Jin Sung-Ho , Bang Joonho , Song Pungkeun
Published: July 2019

Amorphous In−Zn−O thin films were deposited with various hydrogen flow rates using a magnetron sputtering system. With the addition of hydrogen, the mechanical stability of the films was dramatically improved without any degradation of electrical properties and optical transmittance. The average change in the resistance of the sample deposited at a hydrogen flow rate of 0.4% was approximately six times lower than that in the sample deposited without hydrogen. Both, the compressive residual stress and absorption coefficient of the sample, decreased with hydrogen flow, indicating similar trends with the average change in the resistance. The absorption coefficient near 3.1 eV indicated that subgap state defects also decreased with increasing hydrogen flow rates. It was confirmed that the improvement in mechanical stability was derived from the suppression of subgap defects due to the hydrogen impurity. Thus, we demonstrated that hydrogen is a promising candidate for stabilizing the mechanical properties of oxide thin films.
An Attribute-Based Access Control Model in RFID Systems Based on Blockchain Decentralized Applications for Healthcare Environments
Authors: Figueroa Santiago , Añorga Javier , Arrizabalaga Saioa
Published: July 2019

The growing adoption of Radio-frequency Identification (RFID) systems, particularly in the healthcare field, demonstrates that RFID is a positive asset for healthcare institutions. RFID offers the ability to save organizations time and costs by enabling data of traceability, identification, communication, temperature and location in real time for both people and resources. However, the RFID systems challenges are financial, technical, organizational and above all privacy and security. For this reason, recent works focus on attribute-based access control (ABAC) schemes. Currently, ABAC are based on mostly centralized models, which in environments such as the supply chain can present problems of scalability, synchronization and trust between the parties. In this manuscript, we implement an ABAC model in RFID systems based on a decentralized model such as blockchain. Common criteria for the selection of the appropriate blockchain are detailed. Our access control policies are executed through the decentralized application (DApp), which interfaces with the blockchain through the smart contract. Smart contracts and blockchain technology, on the one hand, solve current centralized systems issues as well as being flexible infrastructures that represent the relationship of trust and support essential in the ABAC model in order to provide the security of RFID systems. Our system has been designed for a supply chain environment with an use case suitable for healthcare systems, so that assets such as surgical instruments containing an associated RFID tag can only access to specific areas. Our system is deployed in both a local and Testnet environment in order to stablish a deep comparison and determining the technical feasibility.
Selection of CVD Diamond Crystals for X-ray Monochromator Applications Using X-ray Diffraction Imaging
Authors: Stoupin Stanislav , Krawczyk Thomas , Liu Zunping , Franck Carl
Published: July 2019

A set of 20 single crystal diamond plates synthesized using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was studied using X-ray diffraction imaging to determine their applicability as side-bounce (single-reflection) Laue monochromators for synchrotron radiation. The crystal plates were of optical grade (as provided by the supplier) with (001) nominal surface orientation. High dislocation density was found for all samples. Distortions in the crystal lattice were quantified for low-index Laue reflections of interests using rocking curve topography. Maps of effective radius of curvature in the scattering plane were calculated using spline interpolation of the rocking curve peak position across the studied plates. For several selected plates, nearly flat regions with large effective radius of curvature were found ( R 0 ≳ 30 − 70 m, some regions as large as 1 × 4 mm 2 ). The average width of the rocking curve for these regions was found to be about 150 μ rad (r.m.s.). These observations suggest that the selected CVD diamond plates could be used as intermediate-bandwidth monochromators refocusing the radiation source to a specific location downstream with close to 1:1 distance ratio.
First-Principles Study on Hydrogen Storage Performance of Transition Metal-Doped Zeolite Template Carbon
Authors: Han Bai , Lv Peng-Hao , Sun Wei-Feng , Song Shu-Wei
Published: July 2019

The hydrogen adsorption characteristics and mechanism of transition metal-doped zeolite template carbon (ZTC) as a novel porous material are studied by theoretical calculations employing first-principle all-electron atomic orbital method based on density functional theory. The stability of transition metal atoms (Sc, Ti, and V) decorated on zeolite template carbon is investigated by calculating the absorption binding energy. The adsorption configurations of the doped metal atom and adsorbed hydrogen are obtained from the energy functional minimization of first-principles calculations. The underlying mechanism for improving hydrogen storage performance of ZTC by doping transition metal atoms are explored through analyzing charge/spin populations of metal atoms in combination with the calculated results of hydrogen adsorption quantity and binding energy. To improve the hydrogen storage capability, the Sc, Ti, and V are individually introduced into the ZTC model according to the triplex axisymmetry. The hydrogen storage properties of ZTC decorated with different metal atoms are characterized by the adsorption energy and structure of several hydrogen atoms. The more energetically stable complex system with higher binding energy and adsorbing distance of hydrogen than lithium-doped ZTC can be achieved by doping Sc, Ti, V atoms in ZTC, which is expected to fulfill the substantial safe hydrogen storage by increasing hydrogen capacity with multi-sites doping of transition metal atoms. The present investigation provides a theoretical basis and predictions for the following experimental research and design of porous materials for hydrogen storage.
Fault Modeling of Graphene Nanoribbon FET Logic Circuits
Authors: Gil-Tomàs D. , Gracia-Morán J. , Saiz-Adalid L.J. , Gil-Vicente P.J.
Published: July 2019

Due to the increasing defect rates in highly scaled complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) devices, and the emergence of alternative nanotechnology devices, reliability challenges are of growing importance. Understanding and controlling the fault mechanisms associated with new materials and structures for both transistors and interconnection is a key issue in novel nanodevices. The graphene nanoribbon field-effect transistor (GNR FET) has revealed itself as a promising technology to design emerging research logic circuits, because of its outstanding potential speed and power properties. This work presents a study of fault causes, mechanisms, and models at the device level, as well as their impact on logic circuits based on GNR FETs. From a literature review of fault causes and mechanisms, fault propagation was analyzed, and fault models were derived for device and logic circuit levels. This study may be helpful for the prevention of faults in the design process of graphene nanodevices. In addition, it can help in the design and evaluation of defect- and fault-tolerant nanoarchitectures based on graphene circuits. Results are compared with other emerging devices, such as carbon nanotube (CNT) FET and nanowire (NW) FET.
Distributed Meta-Brokering P2P Overlay for Scheduling in Cloud Federation
Authors: Latif Sajid , Gilani Syed Mushhad , Ali Rana Liaqat , Liaqat Misbah , Ko Kwang-Man
Published: July 2019

The interconnected cloud (Intercloud) federation is an emerging paradigm that revolutionizes the scalable service provision of geographically distributed resources. Large-scale distributed resources require well-coordinated and automated frameworks to facilitate service provision in a seamless and systematic manner. Unquestionably, standalone service providers must communicate and federate their cloud sites with other vendors to enable the infinite pooling of resources. The pooling of these resources provides uninterpretable services to increasingly growing cloud users more efficiently, and ensures an improved Service Level Agreement (SLA). However, the research of Intercloud resource management is in its infancy. Therefore, standard interfaces, protocols, and uniform architectural components need to be developed for seamless interaction among federated clouds. In this study, we propose a distributed meta-brokering-enabled scheduling framework for provision of user application services in the federated cloud environment. Modularized architecture of the proposed system with uniform configuration in participating resource sites orchestrate the critical operations of resource management effectively, and form the federation schema. Overlaid meta-brokering instances are implemented on the top of local resource brokers to keep the global functionality isolated. These instances in overlay topology communicate in a P2P manner to maintain decentralization, high scalability, and load manageability. The proposed framework has been implemented and evaluated by extending the Java-based CloudSim 3.0.3 simulation application programming interfaces (APIs). The presented results validate the proposed model and its efficiency to facilitate user application execution with the desired QoS parameters.
Design of a Novel Double Negative Metamaterial Absorber Atom for Ku and K Band Applications
Authors: Hannan Saif , Islam Mohammad Tariqul , Hoque Ahasanul , Singh Mandeep Jit , Almutairi Ali F.
Published: July 2019

This paper presents a multiband metamaterial (MM) absorber based on a novel spiral resonator with continuous, dual, and opposite P-shape. The full wave analysis shows 80.06% to 99.95% absorption at frequencies range for Ku and K bands for several substrate materials of 100 mm2 area. The results indicate that the absorption rate remains similar for different polarizing angles in TEM mode with different substrates. With FR4 (Flame Retardant 4) substrate and 64 mm2 ground plane, the design acts as single negative (SNG) MM absorber in K band resonance frequencies (19.75–21.37 GHz) and acts as double negative (DNG) absorber in Ku band resonance frequencies (15.28–17.07 GHz). However, for Rogers 3035 substrate and 36 mm2 ground plane, it acts as an SNG absorber for Ku band resonance frequency 14.64 GHz with 83.25% absorption and as a DNG absorber for K band frequencies (18.24–16.15 GHz) with 83.69% to 94.43% absorption. With Rogers 4300 substrate and 36 mm2 ground plane, it acts as an SNG absorber for Ku band at 15.04 GHz with 89.77% absorption and as DNG absorber for K band frequencies (22.17–26.88 GHz) with 92.87% to 93.72% absorption. The design was fabricated with all three substrates and showed quite similar results as simulation. In comparison with other broadband absorbers, this proposed MM absorber illustrated broad incidence angles in TEM mode.
Correction: Park, J.-H. et al. 915-MHz Continuous-Wave Doppler Radar Sensor for Detection of Vital Signs. Electronics 2019, 8, 561
Authors: Park Jae-Hyun , Jeong Yeo-Jin , Lee Ga-Eun , Oh Jun-Taek , Yang Jong-Ryul
Published: July 2019

The authors wish to make the following corrections to the published paper [...]
Optimized Placement of Onshore Wind Farms Considering Topography
Authors: Wu Xiawei , Hu Weihao , Huang Qi , Chen Cong , Chen Zhe , Blaabjerg Frede
Published: July 2019

As the scale of onshore wind farms are increasing, the influence of wake behavior on power production becomes increasingly significant. Wind turbines sittings in onshore wind farms should take terrain into consideration including height change and slope curvature. However, optimized wind turbine (WT) placement for onshore wind farms considering both topographic amplitude and wake interaction is realistic. In this paper, an approach for optimized placement of onshore wind farms considering the topography as well as the wake effect is proposed. Based on minimizing the levelized production cost (LPC), the placement of WTs was optimized considering topography and the effect of this on WTs interactions. The results indicated that the proposed method was effective for finding the optimized layout for uneven onshore wind farms. The optimization method is applicable for optimized placement of onshore wind farms and can be extended to different topographic conditions.
Wave-to-Wire Power Maximization Control for All-Electric Wave Energy Converters with Non-Ideal Power Take-Off
Authors: Sousounis Marios Charilaos , Shek Jonathan
Published: July 2019

The research presented in this paper investigates novel ways of optimizing all-electric wave energy converters for maximum wave-to-wire efficiency. In addition, a novel velocity-based controller is presented which was designed specifically for wave-to-wire efficiency maximization. In an ideal wave energy converter system, maximum efficiency in power conversion is achieved by maximizing the hydrodynamic efficiency of the floating body. However, in a real system, that involves losses at different stages from wave to grid, and the global wave-to-wire optimum differs from the hydrodynamic one. For that purpose, a full wave-to-wire wave energy converter that uses a direct-drive permanent magnet linear generator was modelled in detail. The modelling aspect included complex hydrodynamic simulations using Edinburgh Wave Systems Simulation Toolbox and the electrical modelling of the generator, controllers, power converters and the power transmission side with grid connection in MATLAB/Simulink. Three reference controllers were developed based on the previous literature: a real damping, a reactive spring damping and a velocity-based controller. All three literature-based controllers were optimized for maximum wave-to-wire efficiency for a specific wave energy resource profile. The results showed the advantage of using reactive power to bring the velocity of the point absorber and the wave excitation force in phase, which was done directly using the velocity-based controller, achieving higher efficiencies. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that maximizing hydrodynamic energy capture may not lead to maximum wave-to-wire efficiency. Finally, the controllers were also tested in random sea states, and their performance was evaluated.
The Effect of Lignin Content in Birch and Beech Kraft Cellulosic Pulps on Simple Sugar Yields from the Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Cellulose
Authors: Przybysz Buzała Kamila , Kalinowska Halina , Małachowska Edyta , Boruszewski Piotr , Krajewski Krzysztof , Przybysz Piotr
Published: July 2019

The results of enzymatic hydrolysis of birch and beech kraft cellulosic pulps indicate that they may be promising feedstocks for fermentation processes including biofuel manufacturing. The aim of this study was to investigate whether birch and beech wood require the same degree of delignification by kraft pulping as pine wood. The differences observed in the efficiency of hydrolysis for the raw materials tested suggest that the differences in the anatomical structure of the examined wood in relation to pine wood is essential for the efficiency of the enzymatic hydrolysis process. The yields of glucose and other reducing sugars obtained from the birch and beech cellulosic pulps were similar (up to around 75% and 98.3% dry weight, and 76% and 98.6% dry weight, respectively). The highest glucose yields from cellulose contained in the birch and beech pulp were around 81.2% (at a Kappa number of 28.3) and 83.1% (at a Kappa number of 30.4), respectively. The maximum glucose yields and total reducing sugars of birch wood on a dry weight basis (39.8% and 52.1%, respectively) were derived from the pulp at a Kappa number of 28.3, while the highest yields of glucose and total reducing sugars of beech wood on a dry weight basis (around 36.9% and 48.2%, respectively) were reached from the pulp at a Kappa number of 25.3. To obtain the highest glucose yields and total reducing sugars of a wood on a dry weight basis, total lignin elimination from the birch and beech pulps was not necessary. However more in-depth delignification of birch and beech wood is required than for pine wood.
Current Control of the Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Generator Using Interval Type-2 T-S Fuzzy Systems
Authors: Chang Yuan-Chih , Tsai Chi-Ting , Lu Yong-Lin
Published: July 2019

The current control of the permanent-magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) using an interval type-2 (IT2) Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy systems is designed and implemented. PMSG is an energy conversion unit widely used in wind energy generation systems and energy storage systems. Its performance is determined by the current control approach. IT2 T-S fuzzy systems are implemented to deal with the nonlinearity of a PMSG system in this paper. First, the IT2 T-S fuzzy model of a PMSG is obtained. Second, the IT2 T-S fuzzy controller is designed based on the concept of parallel distributed compensation (PDC). Next, the stability analysis can be conducted through the Lyapunov theorem. Accordingly, the stability conditions of the closed-loop system are expressed in Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) form. The AC power from a PMSG is converted to DC power via a three-phase six-switch full bridge converter. The six-switch full bridge converter is controlled by the proposed IT2 T-S fuzzy controller. The analog-to-digital (ADC) conversion, rotor position calculation and duty ratio determination are digitally accomplished by the microcontroller. Finally, simulation and experimental results verify the performance of the proposed current control.
Multi-Scale Evaluation of the Effect of Phenol Formaldehyde Resin Impregnation on the Dimensional Stability and Mechanical Properties of Pinus Massoniana Lamb.
Authors: Wang Xinzhou , Chen Xuanzong , Xie Xuqin , Cai Shaoxiang , Yuan Zhurun , Li Yanjun
Published: July 2019

The local chemistry and mechanics of the control and phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin modified wood cell walls were analyzed to illustrate the modification mechanism of wood. Masson pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) is most widely distributed in the subtropical regions of China. However, the dimensional instability and low strength of the wood limits its use. Thus, the wood was modified by PF resin at concentrations of 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30%, respectively. The density, surface morphology, chemical structure, cell wall mechanics, shrinking and swelling properties, and macro-mechanical properties of Masson pine wood were analyzed to evaluate the modification effectiveness. The morphology and Raman spectra changes indicated that PF resin not only filled in the cell lumens, but also penetrated into cell walls and interacted with cell wall polymers. The filling and diffusing of resin in wood resulted in improved dimensional stability, such as lower swelling and shrinking coefficients, an increase in the elastic modulus (Er) and hardness (H) of wood cell walls, the hardness of the transverse section and compressive strength of the wood. Both the dimensional stability and mechanical properties improved as the PF concentration increased to 20%; that is, a PF concentration of 20% may be preferred to modify Masson pine wood.
Clinical and Genetic Findings in Children with Neurofibromatosis Type 1, Legius Syndrome, and Other Related Neurocutaneous Disorders
Authors: Giugliano Teresa , Santoro Claudia , Torella Annalaura , Del Vecchio Blanco Francesca , Grandone Anna , Onore Maria Elena , Melone Mariarosa Anna Beatrice , Straccia Giulia , Melis Daniela , Piccolo Vincenzo , Limongelli Giuseppe , Buono Salvatore , Perrotta Silverio , Nigro Vincenzo , Piluso Giulio
Published: July 2019

Pigmentary manifestations can represent an early clinical sign in children affected by Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), Legius syndrome, and other neurocutaneous disorders. The differential molecular diagnosis of these pathologies is a challenge that can now be met by combining next generation sequencing of target genes with concurrent second-level tests, such as multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification and RNA analysis. We clinically and genetically investigated 281 patients, almost all pediatric cases, presenting with either NF1 (n = 150), only pigmentary features (café au lait macules with or without freckling; (n = 95), or clinical suspicion of other RASopathies or neurocutaneous disorders (n = 36). The causative variant was identified in 239 out of the 281 patients analyzed (85.1%), while 42 patients remained undiagnosed (14.9%). The NF1 and SPRED1 genes were mutated in 73.3% and 2.8% of cases, respectively. The remaining 8.9% carried mutations in different genes associated with other disorders. We achieved a molecular diagnosis in 69.5% of cases with only pigmentary manifestations, allowing a more appropriate clinical management of these patients. Our findings, together with the increasing availability and sharing of clinical and genetic data, will help to identify further novel genotype–phenotype associations that may have a positive impact on patient follow-up.
Identification of a Novel Melon Transcription Factor CmNAC60 as a Potential Regulator of Leaf Senescence
Authors: Cao Songxiao , Zhang Zhenbiao , Wang Chenghui , Li Xiaoxu , Guo Cun , Yang Liyu , Guo Yongfeng
Published: July 2019

NAC transcription factors (TFs) play important roles in plants’ responses to abiotic stresses and developmental processes, including leaf senescence. Oriental melon (Cucumis melo var. makuwa Makino) is an important vegetable crop in China and eastern Asia countries. However, little is known about the functions of the melon NAC family members. In this study, a phylogenetic tree was constructed to show that CmNAC60 and the senescence regulator AtNAP were in the same cluster, which implied that CmNAC60 might be a NAC related to leaf senescence. The expression analysis of CmNAC60 in different melon organs showed that the expression of CmNAC60 was highest in the male flowers and lowest in the hypocotyl. In addition, the expression level of CmNAC60 in the senescing leaves was significantly higher than in the non-senescing leaves. Similarly, the expression level of CmNAC60 in the dark-treated leaves was significantly higher than in the untreated leaves. Furthermore, the subcellular localization and transcriptional activation assays indicated that CmNAC60 was a nucleus localized NAC transcription factor with a C-terminal transactivation domain. An analysis of the tissue specific expression showed that the promoter of CmNAC60 may contain cis-acting regulatory elements responsive to leaf senescence. CmNAC60 overexpressing lines of Arabidopsis showed a precocious senescence compared with the wild type (WT). Collectively, our results showed that CmNAC60 was associated with leaf senescence, and could be potentially utilized in molecular breeding to improve melon yield or to extend the postharvest shelf life by delaying leaf senescence.
Migration and Mental Health in the Aftermath of Disaster: Evidence from Mt. Merapi, Indonesia
Authors: Muir Jonathan A. , Cope Michael R. , Angeningsih Leslie R. , Jackson Jorden E. , Brown Ralph B.
Published: July 2019

Migration is a standard survival strategy in the context of disasters. While prior studies have examined factors associated with return migration following disasters, an area that remains relatively underexplored is whether moving home to one’s original community results in improved health and well-being compared to other options such as deciding to move on. In the present study, our objective is to explore whether return migration, compared to other migration options, results in superior improvements to mental health. We draw upon data from a cross-sectional pilot study conducted 16 months after a series of volcanic eruptions in Merapi, Indonesia. Using ordinal logistic regression, we find that compared to respondents who were still displaced (reference category), respondents who had “moved home” were proportionally more likely to report good mental health (proportional odds ratios (POR) = 2.02 [95% CI = 1.05, 3.91]) compared to average or poor mental health. Likewise, respondents who had “moved on” were proportionally more likely to report good mental health (POR = 2.64 [95% CI = 0.96, 7.77]. The results suggest that while moving home was an improvement from being displaced, it may have been better to move on, as this yielded superior associations with self-reported mental health.
Quantification of Elemental Contaminants in Unregulated Water across Western Navajo Nation
Authors: Credo Jonathan , Torkelson Jaclyn , Rock Tommy , Ingram Jani C.
Published: July 2019

The geologic profile of the western United States lends itself to naturally elevated levels of arsenic and uranium in groundwater and can be exacerbated by mining enterprises. The Navajo Nation, located in the American Southwest, is the largest contiguous Native American Nation and has over a 100-year legacy of hard rock mining. This study has two objectives, quantify the arsenic and uranium concentrations in water systems in the Arizona and Utah side of the Navajo Nation compared to the New Mexico side and to determine if there are other elements of concern. Between 2014 and 2017, 294 water samples were collected across the Arizona and Utah side of the Navajo Nation and analyzed for 21 elements. Of these, 14 elements had at least one instance of a concentration greater than a national regulatory limit, and six of these (V, Ca, As, Mn, Li, and U) had the highest incidence of exceedances and were of concern to various communities on the Navajo Nation. Our findings are similar to other studies conducted in Arizona and on the Navajo Nation and demonstrate that other elements may be a concern for public health beyond arsenic and uranium.
Sociosexuality and Bright and Dark Personality: The Prediction of Behavior, Attitude, and Desire to Engage in Casual Sex
Authors: Fernández del Río Elena , Ramos-Villagrasa Pedro J. , Castro Ángel , Barrada Juan Ramón
Published: July 2019

Research about sociosexuality, understood as differences in people’s willingness to have sex without commitment in terms of its predictors, such as demographics, relationship status, or individual traits, such as personality, is still scarce. Although sociosexuality was initially considered unidimensional, a tridimensional structure—with behavior, attitudes, and desire as its components—is gaining momentum in the literature nowadays. The present study proposes to develop different predictive models for each dimension, examining the role of personality (i.e., the “Big Five” and the “Dark Tetrad”) and sociodemographic variables. Participants were 991 university students from a Spanish university (75.5% women, 72.0% heterosexual, Mage = 20.66). Our results provide evidence that predictors of sociosexuality vary depending on the dimension under analysis. Being female, older, not having a heterosexual orientation, and not being involved in a current relationship predicted higher scores in sociosexual behavior and attitudes. Regarding personality, psychopathy and extraversion were the only traits involved in all three components of sociosexuality. Neuroticism, agreeableness, and conscientiousness also play a role in the prediction of some of the sociosexuality dimensions. These results help to disentangle the relationship between personality and sociosexuality and to design more effective programs and policies to promote sexual health.
Differences in the Levels of Physical Activity, Mental Health, and Quality of Life of Elderly Koreans with Activity-Limiting Disabilities
Authors: Lee Kyujin , So Wi-Young
Published: July 2019

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the differences in physical activity, mental health, and quality of life between the elderly without activity-limiting disabilities and in elderly with activity-limiting disabilities, stratified by medical category. Methods: A total of 1504 elders aged 65–80 who responded to the 2016 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were the participants in this study. They were divided into two groups, 303 elders with disabilities who responded to the survey saying they have active limiting disabilities, and 1201 elders without disabilities. The questionnaire reflected the criteria of a survey developed by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) to measure the physical activity of elders. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) were used to measure participants’ mental health and quality of life, respectively. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) adjusted for age, sex, marital status, notional basic livelihood, recipient status, and personal income was conducted for data analysis after the normal distribution was confirmed. Results: Significant differences between elders with disabilities and those without disabilities were seen in terms of physical activity levels (p < 0.01), stress, and depression (p < 0.001), and in all five domains measuring the quality of life (p < 0.05). The ANCOVA revealed significant differences in motor ability (p < 0.01) and pain/discomfort (p < 0.05) relating to the quality of life among the elders with activity-limiting disability depending on the medical category. Conclusions: The results could provide basic data regarding the degree of physical activity, mental health, and quality of life according to activity-limitation disability status and medical category. From the findings, elders with disabilities are clearly more exposed to risk in the areas of physical activity, mental health, and quality of life. Differences in quality of life among elderly with disabilities were also seen based on medical category. Our findings suggest that research into elders with disabilities should consider the implications of these results.
Interteam Cooperation and Competition and Boundary Activities: The Cross-Level Mediation of Team Goal Orientations
Authors: Shin Yuhyung , Kim Mihee , Hur Won-Moo
Published: July 2019

Drawing on Dragoni’s cross-level model of state goal orientation, this research aims to examine the cross-level mediating effect of team goal orientation on the relationships between interteam cooperation and competition and three forms of boundary activities. Study 1 tested the proposed mediating relationships by collecting survey data from 249 members of 45 South Korean work teams. Additionally, we conducted a two-wave longitudinal study (Study 2) on 188 undergraduate students to replicate the relationships between three types of team goal orientation and their relevant forms of boundary activities. In Study 1, we found positive associations between interteam cooperation and team learning goal orientation, and between interteam competition and team performance-prove and performance-avoid goal orientations. Team learning and performance-prove goal orientations were positively related to boundary spanning and reinforcement. As predicted, team learning goal orientation had a stronger relationship with boundary spanning than team performance-prove goal orientation, whereas team performance-prove goal orientation had a stronger relationship with boundary reinforcement than team learning goal orientation. While team learning goal orientation mediated the relationship between interteam cooperation and boundary spanning and reinforcement, team performance-prove goal orientation mediated the relationship between interteam competition and boundary spanning and reinforcement. The results of Study 2 demonstrated the positive lagged effects of team performance-prove goal orientation on boundary reinforcement and of team performance-avoid goal orientation on boundary buffering.
Semantic Profiles for Easing SensorML Description: Review and Proposal
Authors: Tagliolato Paolo , Fugazza Cristiano , Oggioni Alessandro , Carrara Paola
Published: July 2019

The adoption of Sensor Web Enablement (SWE) practices by sensor maintainers is hampered by the inherent complexity of the Sensor Model Language (SensorML), its high expressiveness, and the scarce availability of editing tools. To overcome these issues, the Earth Observation (EO) community often recurs to SensorML profiles narrowing the range of admitted metadata structures and value ranges. Unfortunately, profiles frequently fall short of providing usable editing tools and comprehensive validation criteria, particularly for the difficulty of checking value ranges in the multi-tenanted domain of the Web of Data. In this paper, we provide an updated review of current practices, techniques, and tools for editing SensorML in the perspective of profile support and introduce our solution for effective profile definition. Beside allowing for formalization of a broad range of constraints that concur in defining a metadata profile, our proposal closes the gap between profile definition and actual editing of the corresponding metadata by allowing for ex-ante validation of the metadata that is produced. On this basis, we suggest the notion of Semantic Web SensorML profiles, characterized by a new family of constraints involving Semantic Web sources. We also discuss implementation of SensorML profiles with our tool and pinpoint the benefits with respect to the existing ex-post validation facilities provided by schema definition languages.
An Improved Global Analysis of Population Distribution in Proximity to Active Volcanoes, 1975–2015
Authors: Freire Sergio , Florczyk Aneta , Pesaresi Martino , Sliuzas Richard
Published: July 2019

Better and more detailed analyses of global human exposure to hazards and associated disaster risk require improved geoinformation on population distribution and densities. In particular, issues of temporal and spatial resolution are important for determining the capacity for assessing changes in these distributions. We combine the best-available global population grids with latest data on volcanoes, to assess and characterize the worldwide distribution of population from 1975–2015 in relation to recent volcanism. Both Holocene volcanoes and those where there is evidence of significant eruptions are considered. A comparative analysis is conducted for the volcanic hot spots of Southeast Asia and Central America. Results indicate that more than 8% of the world’s 2015 population lived within 100 km of a volcano with at least one significant eruption, and more than 1 billion people (14.3%) lived within 100 km of a Holocene volcano, with human concentrations in this zone increasing since 1975 above the global population growth rate. While overall spatial patterns of population density have been relatively stable in time, their variation with distance is not monotonic, with a higher concentration of people between 10 and 20 km from volcanoes. We find that in last 40 years in Southeast Asia the highest population growth rates have occurred in close proximity to volcanoes (within 10 km), whereas in Central America these are observed farther away (beyond 50 km), especially after 1990 and for Holocene volcanoes.
Research on Urban Ecological Network Under the Threat of Road Networks—A Case Study of Wuhan
Authors: Miao Zuohua , Pan Lei , Wang Qiaozhi , Chen Pei , Yan Cheng , Liu Likun
Published: July 2019

The creation of a road network can lead to the fragmentation and reduction of the connectivity of the ecological habitat. The study of urban ecological networks under threat from rapidly developing road networks is of great significance in understanding the changes in urban ecological processes and in constructing a reasonable ecological network. Spatial syntax is a linear space analysis method based on graph theory. Taking Wuhan city as an example and adopting spatial syntax to quantify road network threat factors, two resistance surfaces are established based on land use type assignment and overlapping road network threat factor assignment. The ecological environment under two scenarios is constructed by combining the MSPA (Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis) method and MCR (Minimal Cumulative Resistance) model to comprehensively evaluate the network. Results demonstrate that spatial syntax can effectively describe the spatial characteristics of the road network. The average resistance value of the study area increases by 15.94%, the length of corridor increases by 37.9 km, the energy consumption of biological and material exchanges increases, and the resistance increases. To a certain extent, the model reflects the impact of road network threats on ecological processes. The results are useful in identifying the impact of human activities on ecological processes and provide a reference point for the construction of urban ecological security patterns.