bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multi-Step Prestressing with Hybrid SMA Wires
Authors: Jung Chi-Young , Woo Tae-Ryeon , Lee Jong-Han
Published: April 2020

Prestressing force is induced in reinforced concrete (RC) structures to improve their load-carrying capacity. Generally, the prestressing strand of an RC structure is tensioned using a hydraulic jack, which decreases its workability. In this study, we evaluate the application of prestressing force by using a shape memory alloy (SMA), as has been actively studied in civil engineering. Experiments were conducted to measure the multi-stepwise prestressing force introduced in a hybrid SMA wire composed of two different types of SMA wires. The experimental parameters were determined based on the combinations of the SMA wires and the heating temperatures. The results of the experiments show that the prestressing force was induced in a sequence. The magnitude of the prestressing force generated by the hybrid SMA wire was equal to the sum of the prestressing forces generated by the NiTi50 and NiTi90 SMA wires. In conclusion, this study verified the applicability of the proposed concept of multi-stepwise prestressing by using hybrid SMA wires. Further research is required to measure the effect of prestressing by locally heating the center of a girder with the aim of expanding the applicability of this concept.
Evaluating Collapse Fragility Curves for Existing Buildings Retrofitted Using Seismic Isolation
Authors: Flora Amedeo , Perrone Giuseppe , Cardone Donatello
Published: April 2020

Few studies have investigated so far the collapse capacity of buildings with base-isolation. In such studies, preliminary considerations have been drawn based on a number of assumptions regarding: (i) the methodology used for assessing the collapse capacity, (ii) the collapse conditions and failure modes assumed for both superstructure and isolation system, and (iii) the numerical modeling assumptions. The main results pointed out that the collapse conditions of base-isolated buildings may occur for intensity levels slightly higher than those associated with the design earthquake. In this paper, further developments are made through the use of enhanced models for the description of the behavior of a rubber-based isolation system and the assumption of more rational collapse conditions. Collapse fragility functions, in terms of mean and dispersion values, are proposed for two archetypes representative of existing buildings retrofitted using the seismic isolation technique. The collapse margin ratio (median collapse capacity Sa,C, namely the spectral acceleration associated to a probability of exceedance equal to 50%, divided by the design spectral acceleration at the collapse prevention limit state) has been evaluated for each examined case-study. Values ranging from 1.10 to 1.45 were found.
ConvProtoNet: Deep Prototype Induction towards Better Class Representation for Few-Shot Malware Classification
Authors: Tang Zhijie , Wang Peng , Wang Junfeng
Published: April 2020

Traditional malware classification relies on known malware types and significantly large datasets labeled manually which limits its ability to recognize new malware classes. For unknown malware types or new variants of existing malware containing only a few samples each class, common classification methods often fail to work well due to severe overfitting. In this paper, we propose a new neural network structure called ConvProtoNet which employs few-shot learning to address the problem of scarce malware samples while prevent from overfitting. We design a convolutional induction module to replace the insufficient prototype reduction in most few-shot models and generates more appropriate class-level malware prototypes for classification. We also adopt meta-learning scheme to make classifier robust enough to adapt unseen malware classes without fine-tuning. Even in extreme conditions where only 5 samples in each class are provided, ConvProtoNet still achieves more than 70% accuracy on average and outperforms other traditional malware classification methods or existed few-shot models in experiments conducted on several datasets. Extra experiments across datasets illustrate that ConvProtoNet learns general knowledge of malware which is dataset-invariant and careful model analysis proves effectiveness of ConvProtoNet in few-shot malware classification.
Numerical Simulation for Fractional-Order Bloch Equation Arising in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance by Using the Jacobi Polynomials
Authors: Singh Harendra , Srivastava H. M.
Published: April 2020

In the present paper, we numerically simulate fractional-order model of the Bloch equation by using the Jacobi polynomials. It arises in chemistry, physics and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). It also arises in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electron spin resonance (ESR). It is used for purity determination, provided that the molecular weight and structure of the compound is known. It can also be used for structural determination. By the study of NMR, chemists can determine the structure of many compounds. The obtained numerical results are compared and simulated with the known solutions. Accuracy of the proposed method is shown by providing tables for absolute errors and root mean square errors. Different orders of the time-fractional derivatives results are illustrated by using figures.
Hyperspectral Imaging System with Rotation Platform for Investigation of Jujube Skin Defects
Authors: Pham Quoc Thien , Liou Nai-Shang
Published: April 2020

A novel object rotation hyperspectral imaging system with the wavelength range of 468–950 nm for investigating round-shaped fruits was developed. This system was used to obtain the reflection spectra of jujubes for the application of surface defect detection. Compared to the traditional linear scan system, which can scan about 49% of jujube surface in one scan pass, this novel object rotation scan system can scan 95% of jujube surface in one scan pass. Six types of jujube skin condition, including rusty spots, decay, white fungus, black fungus, cracks, and glare, were classified by using hyperspectral data. Support vector machine (SVM) and artificial neural network (ANN) models were used to differentiate the six jujube skin conditions. Classification effectiveness of models was evaluated based on confusion matrices. The percentage of classification accuracy of SVM and ANN models were 97.3% and 97.4%, respectively. The object rotation scan method developed for this study could be used for other round-shaped fruits and integrated into online hyperspectral investigation systems.
Development of a Pipeline Inspection Robot for the Standard Oil Pipeline of China National Petroleum Corporation
Authors: Li Hui , Li Ruiqin , Zhang Jianwei , Zhang Pengyu
Published: April 2020

The periodic inspection for oil pipelines is required due to the deterioration over time. A multitude of factors brings such a deterioration, from corrosion, leaks, to cracks, which may lead to blowbacks and cause the damages for operators and the environments. With the progress of robotics technology, various types of mobile robots and mechanisms are designed to cope with this issue. Rather than the assignment of human workers in hazardous environments, the deployment of such kinds of inspection robots can take on this duty more time-efficiently and safely, preventing the human workers from the high-risk of the inspection task in the oil pipelines. This paper presents a novel design of a mobile robot for oil pipeline inspection, which is cooperated with the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). With the improvement of the previous inspection robot used in CNPC’s standard oil pipelines, the newly designed robot is composed of six groups of symmetrical supporting wheels, and a more powerful motors as well as a more advanced control system. This new design endows the oil pipeline inspection robot with better performance on six aspects: traction, obstacle-adaptivity, operation endurance, gradeability, visual perception, and stability. The field testing results at multiple oil transfer stations across several months demonstrate the reliability of this mobile robot under various severe situations in China and validate its performance in the studied aspects.
A System-Level Failure Propagation Detectability Using ANFIS for an Aircraft Electrical Power System
Authors: Ezhilarasu Cordelia Mattuvarkuzhali , Jennions Ian K
Published: April 2020

The Electrical Power System (EPS) in an aircraft is designed to interact extensively with other systems. With a growing trend towards more electric aircraft, the complexity of interactions between the EPS and other systems has grown. This has resulted in an increased necessity of implementing health monitoring methods like diagnosis and prognosis of the EPS at the systems level. This paper focuses on developing a diagnostic algorithm for the EPS to detect and isolate faults and their root causes that occur at the Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) connecting with aircraft systems like the engine and the fuel system. This paper aims to achieve this in two steps: (i) developing an EPS digital twin and presenting the simulation results for both healthy and fault scenarios, (ii) developing an Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) monitor to detect faults in the EPS. The results from the ANFIS monitor are processed in two methods: (i) a crisp boundary approach, and (ii) a fuzzy boundary approach. The former approach has a poor misclassification rate; hence the latter method is chosen to combine with causal reasoning for isolating root causes of these interacting faults. The results from both these methods are presented through examples in this paper.
Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor Based on Polypyrrole–Chitosan–BaFe2O4 Nanocomposite Layer to Detect the Sugar
Authors: Sadrolhosseini Amir Reza , Moozarm Nia Pooria , Naseri Mahmoud , Mohammadi Ahmad , Wing Fen Yap , Shafie Suhidi , Kamari Halimah Mohamed
Published: April 2020

The surface plasmon resonance sensor was used to detect and measure low concentrations of sugar. A polypyrrole–chitosan–BaFe2O4 nanocomposite layer was prepared to improve the surface of the gold layer for the detection of glucose, fructose, and sucrose using the surface plasmon resonance technique. The polypyrrole–chitosan–BaFe2O4 was synthesized using the electrodeposition method in different thicknesses. The functional group, crystal structure, and morphology of the layer were investigated with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction technique, and field emission electron microscopy. Consequently, the BaFe2O4 was scattered on the surface of the polymer, and the affinity of polypyrrole–chitosan–BaFe2O4 to bond with glucose is higher than that for the other sugars. The sensor limit was 0.005 ppm.
Straw Buildings: A Good Compromise between Environmental Sustainability and Energy-Economic Savings
Authors: Mutani Guglielmina , Azzolino Cristina , Macrì Maurizio , Mancuso Stefania
Published: April 2020

Some straw buildings, which combine eco-sustainability with versatility, low cost, and fast construction times, have recently been built in Northern Italy. In this work, the technologies used to build straw houses are presented, and the characteristics of the raw materials, the straw bales, and the construction techniques are dealt with. Two straw buildings, which have different characteristics and types of application, are analyzed. The first building is a residential, nearly zero-energy building, which was built in Saluggia (Vercelli) in 2012. This house is presently inhabited by a family and is heated with a wood stove. The second building was built in 2014 in Verres (Aosta) and is a pre-assembled demonstration prototype used for teaching purposes. The thermal performance of the straw envelopes was evaluated during the heating season by measuring the thermal conductance of the straw walls through two experimental campaigns. Straw bale walls offer good insulating performance, as well as high thermal inertia, and can be used in green buildings since straw is derived from agricultural waste, does not require an industrial process, and is degradable. Finally, these characteristics of straw can be combined with its low cost. Local economic development in this field may be possible.
Multi-Objective Optimal Reactive Power Planning under Load Demand and Wind Power Generation Uncertainties Using ε-Constraint Method
Authors: Shojaei Amir Hossein , Ghadimi Ali Asghar , Miveh Mohammad Reza , Mohammadi Fazel , Jurado Francisco
Published: April 2020

This paper presents an improved multi-objective probabilistic Reactive Power Planning (RPP) in power systems considering uncertainties of load demand and wind power generation. The proposed method is capable of simultaneously (1) reducing the reactive power investment cost, (2) minimizing the total active power losses, (3) improving the voltage stability, and (4) enhancing the loadability factor. The generators’ voltage magnitude, the transformer’s tap settings, and the output reactive power of VAR sources are taken into account as the control variables. To solve the probabilistic multi-objective RPP problem, the ε-constraint method is used. To test the effectiveness of the proposed approach, the IEEE 30-bus test system is implemented in the GAMS environment under five different conditions. Finally, for a better comprehension of the obtained results, a brief comparison of outcomes is presented.
Experimental Investigation of Stochastic Mechanical Behavior of Cement Emulsified Asphalt Mortar under Monotonic Compression
Authors: Li Xiao , Yu Zhiwu , Liu Peng , Shan Zhi , Meng Zilong
Published: April 2020

Experimental investigation on cement emulsified asphalt mortar (CA mortar) under uniaxial monotonic compression by taking into account the stochastic properties were investigated. An analytical constitutive model based on the statistic damage approach capable of mimicking the stochastic mechanical responses of CA mortar under uniaxial compression was proposed. The comparison between the experimental results and the predictions demonstrated that the proposed model was able to characterize the salient features for CA mortar under uniaxial monotonic compression. Furthermore, the compressive stochastic evolution (SE) of CA mortar tested in this work and comparative analyses among typical China Railway Track System-I (CRTS-I) type CA mortar and concrete in several aspects were examined and performed; it was revealed that the Lognormal distribution density function can well represent the damage probability density for CA mortar, and its stochastic constitutive relationship can be reflected by a media process of transition from microscale to macroscale.
FedOpt: Towards Communication Efficiency and Privacy Preservation in Federated Learning
Authors: Asad Muhammad , Moustafa Ahmed , Ito Takayuki
Published: April 2020

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been applied to solve various challenges of real-world problems in recent years. However, the emergence of new AI technologies has brought several problems, especially with regard to communication efficiency, security threats and privacy violations. Towards this end, Federated Learning (FL) has received widespread attention due to its ability to facilitate the collaborative training of local learning models without compromising the privacy of data. However, recent studies have shown that FL still consumes considerable amounts of communication resources. These communication resources are vital for updating the learning models. In addition, the privacy of data could still be compromised once sharing the parameters of the local learning models in order to update the global model. Towards this end, we propose a new approach, namely, Federated Optimisation (FedOpt) in order to promote communication efficiency and privacy preservation in FL. In order to implement FedOpt, we design a novel compression algorithm, namely, Sparse Compression Algorithm (SCA) for efficient communication, and then integrate the additively homomorphic encryption with differential privacy to prevent data from being leaked. Thus, the proposed FedOpt smoothly trade-offs communication efficiency and privacy preservation in order to adopt the learning task. The experimental results demonstrate that FedOpt outperforms the state-of-the-art FL approaches. In particular, we consider three different evaluation criteria; model accuracy, communication efficiency and computation overhead. Then, we compare the proposed FedOpt with the baseline configurations and the state-of-the-art approaches, i.e., Federated Averaging (FedAvg) and the paillier-encryption based privacy-preserving deep learning (PPDL) on all these three evaluation criteria. The experimental results show that FedOpt is able to converge within fewer training epochs and a smaller privacy budget.
Polarimetric Backscatter Sonde Observations of Southern Ocean Clouds and Aerosols
Authors: Hamilton Murray , Alexander Simon P. , Protat Alain , Siems Steven , Carpentier Scott
Published: April 2020

Balloon-borne polarimetric backscatter sonde (polarsonde) observations of aerosol and cloud during the approach of a cold front at Macquarie Island (54.499 S 158.937 E) are described. The polarsonde captures vertical profiles of cloud occurrence and phase. The cloud base and cloud top heights from the backscatter sonde compare favourably with observations made by a co-located cloud radar and ceilometer. An estimate of the total scatter probability from a liquid cloud layer at 1000 m height is used with a Monte Carlo model of the instrument to obtain cloud particle concentration, and this is compared to a measurement of cloud condensation nucleus concentration made at sea level. Backscatter from aerosol, as well as cloud, is significant. A high aerosol loading in part of the pre-frontal airmass is observed at altitudes up to 6 km. Below the melting level, the high cross-polarised return, relative to the co-polarised, indicates a substantial concentration of solid, non-spherical aerosol particles, which due to the high humidity cannot be sea salt or sulphate. A back trajectory analysis indicates that the observed aerosol includes continental dust.
Contribution of the Incinerator to the Inorganic Composition of the PM10 Collected in Turin
Authors: Conca Eleonora , Malandrino Mery , Giacomino Agnese , Inaudi Paolo , Buoso Sandro , Bande Stefano , Sacco Milena , Abollino Ornella
Published: April 2020

Modern incinerator plants are equipped with an efficient system for the removal of pollutants and, hence, the gas and particle emissions are generally extremely low. However, it is possible that malfunctions, together with specific meteorological conditions, temporarily cause significant emissions. In this study, the evolution of the inorganic composition of PM10 samples collected in the vicinity of the Turin incinerator before and after its commissioning was assessed. The purpose was to identify the PM sources present in the area, and to evaluate if the operation of the incinerator caused an increase of the concentration of some species. Significant differences were registered among the composition of samples collected in 2012 and 2014, as the latter year was characterized by higher concentrations of Al, As, Ba, Ca, K, Na, Ni, Pb, Sr, and Zn. Considering the position of the incinerator and of the monitoring station, it seems that this increment was not directly caused by the plant emissions. The most probable source of these elements is the highway vehicular traffic, which might have increased due to the travelling of trucks carrying wastes to the incinerator. However, a direct contribution deriving from the incinerator emissions cannot be excluded.
Climatology of Cloud Vertical Structures from Long-Term High-Resolution Radiosonde Measurements in Beijing
Authors: Zhou Qing , Zhang Yong , Jia Shuze , Jin Junli , Lv Shanshan , Li Yanan
Published: April 2020

Clouds are significant in the global radiation budget, atmospheric circulation, and hydrological cycle. However, knowledge regarding the observed climatology of the cloud vertical structure (CVS) over Beijing is still poor. Based on high-resolution radiosonde observations at Beijing Nanjiao Weather Observatory (BNWO) during the period 2010–2017, the method for identifying CVS depending on height-resolved relative humidity thresholds is improved, and CVS estimation by radiosonde is compared with observations by millimeter-wave cloud radar and ceilometer at the same site. Good consistency is shown between the three instruments. Then, the CVS climatology, including the frequency distribution and seasonal variation, is investigated. Overall, the occurrence frequency (OF) of cloudy cases in Beijing is slightly higher than that of clear-sky cases, and the cloud OF is highest in summer and lowest in winter. Single-layer clouds and middle-level clouds are dominant in Beijing. In addition, the average cloud top height (CTH), cloud base height (CBH), and cloud thickness in Beijing are 6.2 km, 4.0 km, and 2.2 km, respectively, and show the trend of reaching peaks in spring and minimums in winter. In terms of frequency distribution, the CTH basically resides below an altitude of 16 km, and approximately 43% of the CBHs are located at altitudes of 0.5–1.5 km. The cloud OF has only one peak located at altitudes of 4–8 km in spring, whereas it shows a trimodal distribution in other seasons. The height at which the cloud OF reaches its peak is highest in summer and lowest in winter. To the best of our knowledge, the cloud properties analyzed here are the first to elucidate the distribution and temporal variation of the CVS in Beijing from a long-term sounding perspective, and these results will provide a scientific observation basis for improving the atmospheric circulation model, as well as comparisons and verifications for measurements by ground-based remote sensing equipment.
Low Concentration Analysis of Silver Nanoparticles in Consumer Spray Products
Authors: Calcaterra Hannah , Shin Nara , Quirk Phillip L. , Tsai Candace S.J.
Published: April 2020

The lack of regulations regarding the manufacture of nanoparticle-containing products has enabled the release of many consumer products into the market with uncorroborated claims. Silver nanoparticles are commonly used in consumer goods, particularly in medical and household products. This study was designed to evaluate the aerosol exposure of silver nanoparticles from two consumer spray products currently on the market that claim to contain silver nanoparticles for antibacterial purposes. The study relies on our current understanding of various sampling and analytical methods to effectively evaluate aerosolized nanoparticles, particularly at low concentrations. To characterize low-concentration nanoparticles, various sophisticated sampling methods, including a NanoScan scanning mobility particle sizer, an optical particle sizer, an impinger, and diffusion samplers, were utilized to quantify, collect, and analyze the chemical compositions of the aerosolized products. Our results show that while both products aerosolize silver particles when sprayed, the emitted nanoparticles contain a low concentration of silver and vary in size and overall chemical composition. Further investigation of silver nanoparticle commercial spray products is needed to assess exposure risk and inform health professionals, industrial hygienists, and the general public regarding disparities in product marketing claims and nanoparticle aerosol exposure.
Evaluating the Sensitivity of Growing Degree Days as an Agro-Climatic Indicator of the Climate Change Impact: A Case Study of the Russian Far East
Authors: Grigorieva Elena
Published: April 2020

Climate is a key factor in agriculture, but we are unable to adequately predict future climates. Although some studies have addressed the short and long-run impacts of climate change on agriculture, few of them specifically focused on the analysis of its thermal component. Climatic regions with an extreme thermal range are a special case, as seasonal contrasts complicate the picture. Based on the above, the purpose of the paper is twofold. First, we review methods and indices used for the estimation of changes in the thermal component of the climate and demonstrate the usefulness of a sensitivity assessment methodology that gives some indication of the likely spatial extent of areas of high or low sensitivity to climate change and the size of the potential impact of that change, which is specifically beneficial in regions with high temperature extremes. Secondly, we constructed a composite indicator, called the Growing Degree Day Sensitivity Index (GDDSI) and defined as the percentage change in Growing Degree Day (GDD) for warming scenarios +1, +2 and +3 °C. GDDs were calculated for threshold base air temperatures of 0, 5, 10 and 15 °C, and a high-temperature limit of 30 °C. A GDD sensitivity analysis was applied to the thermally extreme climate of the Russian Far East. We analyzed the data of 50 weather stations across the study region over the period 1966–2017. The results show a strong GDDSI north-to-south gradient. In most cases, the sensitivity does not increase significantly as the warming rate increases. The higher the base threshold, the higher the sensitivity: GDDs with a threshold at 15 °C had the highest sensitivity in the far north of the study area where conditions are currently marginal for crop growth. The sensitivity analysis circumnavigates the difficulty of uncertainty in knowing what future climate to expect and informs planning decisions. The mapped results are useful for identifying areas of high sensitivity to climate change as well as the magnitude of the potential impact of that change.
Sensitivity of the Intensity and Structure of Tropical Cyclones to Tropospheric Stability Conditions
Authors: Takemi Tetsuya , Yamasaki Shota
Published: April 2020

The intensity of tropical cyclones (TCs) is controlled by their environmental conditions. In addition to the sea surface temperature, tropospheric temperature lapse rate and tropopause height are highly variable. This study investigates the sensitivity of the intensity and structure of TCs to environmental static stability with a fixed sea surface temperature by conducting a large ensemble of axisymmetric numerical experiments in which tropopause height and tropospheric temperature lapse rate are systematically changed based on the observed environmental properties for TCs that occurred in the western North Pacific. The results indicate that the intensity of the simulated TCs changes more sharply with the increase in the temperature lapse rate than with the increase in the tropopause height. The increases in the intensity of TCs are 1.3–1.9 m s−1 per 1% change of the lapse rate and 0.1–0.5 m s−1 per 1% change of the tropopause height. With the increase in the intensity of TCs, supergradient wind at low levels and double warm core structures are evident. Specifically, the formation of the warm core at the lower levels is closely tied with the intensification of TCs, and the temperature excess of the lower warm core becomes larger in higher lapse rate cases.
Elastic Photon Scattering on Hydrogenic Atoms near Resonances
Authors: Samoilenko Dmitrii , Volotka Andrey , Fritzsche Stephan
Published: April 2020

Scattering of light on relativistic heavy ion beams is widely used for characterizing and tuning the properties of both the light and the ion beam. Its elastic component—Rayleigh scattering—is investigated in this work for photon energies close to certain electronic transitions because of its potential usage in the Gamma Factory initiative at CERN. The angle-differential cross-section, as well as the degree of polarization of the scattered light are investigated for the cases of 1 s − 2 p 1 / 2 and 1 s − 2 p 3 / 2 resonance transitions in H-like lead ions. In order to gauge the validity and uncertainty of frequently used approximations, we compare different methods. In particular, rigorous quantum electrodynamics calculations are compared with the resonant electric-dipole approximation evaluated within the relativistic and nonrelativistic formalisms. For better understanding of the origin of the approximation, the commonly used theoretical approach is explained here in detail. We find that in most cases, the nonrelativistic resonant electric-dipole approximation fails to describe the properties of the scattered light. At the same time, its relativistic variant agrees with the rigorous treatment within a level of 10% to 20%. These findings are essential for the design of an experimental setup exploiting the scattering process, as well as for the determination of the scattered light properties.
Analytical Results for the Three-Body Radiative Attachment Rate Coefficient, with Application to the Positive Antihydrogen Ion H+
Authors: Straton Jack C.
Published: April 2020

To overcome the numerical difficulties inherent in the Maxwell–Boltzmann integral of the velocity-weighted cross section that gives the radiative attachment rate coefficient α R A for producing the negative hydrogen ion H − or its antimatter equivalent, the positive antihydrogen ion H ¯ + , we found the analytic form for this integral. This procedure is useful for temperatures below 700 K, the region for which the production of H ¯ + has potential use as an intermediate stage in the cooling of antihydrogen to ultra-cold (sub-mK) temperatures for spectroscopic studies and probing the gravitational interaction of the anti-atom. Our results, utilizing a 50-term explicitly correlated exponential wave function, confirm our prior numerical results.
A Semantic Mixed Reality Framework for Shared Cultural Experiences Ecosystems
Authors: Vassilakis Costas , Kotis Konstantinos , Spiliotopoulos Dimitris , Margaris Dionisis , Kasapakis Vlasios , Anagnostopoulos Christos-Nikolaos , Santipantakis Georgios , Vouros George A. , Kotsilieris Theodore , Petukhova Volha , Malchanau Andrei , Lykourentzou Ioanna , Helin Kaj Michael , Revenko Artem , Gligoric Nenad , Pokric Boris
Published: April 2020

This paper presents SemMR, a semantic framework for modelling interactions between human and non-human entities and managing reusable and optimized cultural experiences, towards a shared cultural experience ecosystem that might seamlessly accommodate mixed reality experiences. The SemMR framework synthesizes and integrates interaction data into semantically rich reusable structures and facilitates the interaction between different types of entities in a symbiotic way, within a large, virtual, and fully experiential open world, promoting experience sharing at the user level, as well as data/application interoperability and low-effort implementation at the software engineering level. The proposed semantic framework introduces methods for low-effort implementation and the deployment of open and reusable cultural content, applications, and tools, around the concept of cultural experience as a semantic trajectory or simply, experience as a trajectory (eX-trajectory). The methods facilitate the collection and analysis of data regarding the behaviour of users and their interaction with other users and the environment, towards optimizing eX-trajectories via reconfiguration. The SemMR framework supports the synthesis, enhancement, and recommendation of highly complex reconfigurable eX-trajectories, while using semantically integrated disparate and heterogeneous related data. Overall, this work aims to semantically manage interactions and experiences through the eX-trajectory concept, towards delivering enriched cultural experiences.
Influence of Physicochemical Characteristics of Neem Seeds (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) on Biodiesel Production
Authors: Hamadou Bakari , Djomdi  , Falama Ruben Zieba , Delattre Cedric , Pierre Guillaume , Dubessay Pascal , Michaud Philippe
Published: April 2020

The aim of this work is to study the influence of the physicochemical characteristics of neem seeds, according to their mass and oil content, on the production of biodiesel. After the physical characterization of the seeds and extraction of the oil (triglycerides), biodiesel was produced from crude neem seed oil by transesterification with ethanol in the presence of sodium hydroxide. This study shows that the physicochemical characteristics of these seeds vary according to the origin of the samples. The seeds from Zidim, with a mass average of 200 seeds evaluated at 141.36 g and an almond content of 40.70%, have better characteristics compared to those collected in the city of Maroua, with average values evaluated at 128.00 g and 36.05%, respectively. Almonds have an average lipid content of 53.98 and 56.75% for the Maroua and Zidim samples, respectively. This study also reveals that neem oil, by its physicochemical characteristics, has a satisfactory quality for a valorization in the production of biodiesel. However, its relatively high free fatty acid content is a major drawback, which leads to a low yield of biodiesel, evaluated on average at 89.02%, and requires a desacidification operation to improve this yield. The analysis of biodiesel indicates physicochemical characteristics close and comparable to those of petrodiesel, particularly in terms of calorific value, density, kinematic viscosity, acid value, evaluated at 41.00 MJ/kg, 0.803, 4.42 cSt, and 0.130 mg/g, respectively.
Structural Insight into the Mechanism of N-Linked Glycosylation by Oligosaccharyltransferase
Authors: Mohanty Smita , P Chaudhary Bharat , Zoetewey David
Published: April 2020

Asparagine-linked glycosylation, also known as N-linked glycosylation is an essential and highly conserved post-translational protein modification that occurs in all three domains of life. This modification is essential for specific molecular recognition, protein folding, sorting in the endoplasmic reticulum, cell–cell communication, and stability. Defects in N-linked glycosylation results in a class of inherited diseases known as congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG). N-linked glycosylation occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen by a membrane associated enzyme complex called the oligosaccharyltransferase (OST). In the central step of this reaction, an oligosaccharide group is transferred from a lipid-linked dolichol pyrophosphate donor to the acceptor substrate, the side chain of a specific asparagine residue of a newly synthesized protein. The prokaryotic OST enzyme consists of a single polypeptide chain, also known as single subunit OST or ssOST. In contrast, the eukaryotic OST is a complex of multiple non-identical subunits. In this review, we will discuss the biochemical and structural characterization of the prokaryotic, yeast, and mammalian OST enzymes. This review explains the most recent high-resolution structures of OST determined thus far and the mechanistic implication of N-linked glycosylation throughout all domains of life. It has been shown that the ssOST enzyme, AglB protein of the archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus, and the PglB protein of the bacterium Campylobactor lari are structurally and functionally similar to the catalytic Stt3 subunit of the eukaryotic OST enzyme complex. Yeast OST enzyme complex contains a single Stt3 subunit, whereas the human OST complex is formed with either STT3A or STT3B, two paralogues of Stt3. Both human OST complexes, OST-A (with STT3A) and OST-B (containing STT3B), are involved in the N-linked glycosylation of proteins in the ER. The cryo-EM structures of both human OST-A and OST-B complexes were reported recently. An acceptor peptide and a donor substrate (dolichylphosphate) were observed to be bound to the OST-B complex whereas only dolichylphosphate was bound to the OST-A complex suggesting disparate affinities of two OST complexes for the acceptor substrates. However, we still lack an understanding of the independent role of each eukaryotic OST subunit in N-linked glycosylation or in the stabilization of the enzyme complex. Discerning the role of each subunit through structure and function studies will potentially reveal the mechanistic details of N-linked glycosylation in higher organisms. Thus, getting an insight into the requirement of multiple non-identical subunits in the N-linked glycosylation process in eukaryotes poses an important future goal.
Extreme Diversity of IgGs Against Histones, DNA, and Myelin Basic Protein in the Cerebrospinal Fluid and Blood of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Kostrikina Irina A. , Buneva Valentina N. , Granieri Enrico , Nevinsky Georgy A.
Published: April 2020

It was recently shown that IgGs from sera of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are active in the hydrolysis of DNA and myelin basic protein (MBP). We first analyzed the relative concentration of antibodies against five histones (H1, H2a, H2b, H3, and H4) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum of patients with MS. The relative concentrations of blood and CSF IgGs against histones and their activity in the hydrolysis of five histones varied greatly from patient to patient. However, all 28 IgG preparations were hydrolyzed from one to five histones. Relative activities and correlation coefficients among the activities of IgGs from serum and CSF in the hydrolysis of five histones (H1, H2a, H2b, H3, and H4), DNA, and MBP were calculated. It was shown that auto-IgGs from CSF and sera of MS patients are extremely heterogeneous in their affinity to histones, MBP, and DNA. The heterogeneity of IgG-abzymes hydrolyzing DNA, MBP, and histones from CSF and sera was also demonstrated using their isoelectrofocusing. The isofocusing profiles DNase, MBP-, and histone-hydrolyzing activities of IgGs may be very different for various individuals, but the total IgG subfractions with all their activities are distributed from pH 3 to 10.
Multiscale Molecular Modeling in G Protein-Coupled Receptor (GPCR)-Ligand Studies
Authors: Nakliang Pratanphorn , Lazim Raudah , Chang Hyerim , Choi Sun
Published: April 2020

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are major drug targets due to their ability to facilitate signal transduction across cell membranes, a process that is vital for many physiological functions to occur. The development of computational technology provides modern tools that permit accurate studies of the structures and properties of large chemical systems, such as enzymes and GPCRs, at the molecular level. The advent of multiscale molecular modeling permits the implementation of multiple levels of theories on a system of interest, for instance, assigning chemically relevant regions to high quantum mechanics (QM) level of theory while treating the rest of the system using classical force field (molecular mechanics (MM) potential). Multiscale QM/MM molecular modeling have far-reaching applications in the rational design of GPCR drugs/ligands by affording precise ligand binding configurations through the consideration of conformational plasticity. This enables the identification of key binding site residues that could be targeted to manipulate GPCR function. This review will focus on recent applications of multiscale QM/MM molecular simulations in GPCR studies that could boost the efficiency of future structure-based drug design (SBDD) strategies.
Effects of Red and Fermented Ginseng and Ginsenosides on Allergic Disorders
Authors: Han Myung Joo , Kim Dong-Hyun
Published: April 2020

Both white ginseng (WG, dried root of Panax sp.) and red ginseng (RG, steamed and dried root of Panax sp.) are reported to exhibit a variety of pharmacological effects such as anticancer, antidiabetic, and neuroprotective activities. These ginsengs contain hydrophilic sugar-conjugated ginsenosides and polysaccharides as the bioactive constituents. When taken orally, their hydrophilic constituents are metabolized into hydrophobic ginsenosides compound K, Rh1, and Rh2 that are absorbable into the blood. These metabolites exhibit the pharmacological effects more strongly than hydrophilic parental constituents. To enforce these metabolites, fermented WG and RG are developed. Moreover, natural products including ginseng are frequently used for the treatment of allergic disorders. Therefore, this review introduces the current knowledge related to the effectiveness of ginseng on allergic disorders including asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and pruritus. We discuss how ginseng, its constituents, and its metabolites regulate allergy-related immune responses. We also describe how ginseng controls allergic disorders.
Comment in Response to “Temozolomide in Glioblastoma Therapy: Role of Apoptosis, Senescence and Autophagy etc. by B. Kaina”
Authors: Westhoff Mike-Andrew , Baisch Tim , Herbener Verena J. , Karpel-Massler Georg , Debatin Klaus-Michael , Strobel Hannah
Published: April 2020

It is with great pleasure that we acknowledge the fact that our review on Temozolomide (TMZ) has initiated a discussion [...]
Rapid Nondestructive Detection of Water Content and Granulation in Postharvest “Shatian” Pomelo Using Visible/Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Xu Sai , Lu Huazhong , Ference Christopher , Qiu Guangjun , Liang Xin
Published: April 2020

Visible/near-infrared (VIS/NIR) spectroscopy is a powerful tool for rapid, nondestructive fruit quality detection. This technology has been widely applied for quality detection of small, thin-peeled fruit, though less so for large, thick-peeled fruit due to a weak spectral signal resulting in a reduction of accuracy. More modeling work should be focused on solving this problem. “Shatian” pomelo is a traditional Chinese large, thick-peeled fruit, and granulation and water loss are two major internal quality factors that influence its storage quality. However, there is no efficient, nondestructive detection method for measuring these factors. Thus, the VIS/NIR spectral signal detection of 120 pomelo samples during storage was performed. Information mining (singular sample elimination, data processing, feature extraction) and modeling were performed in different ways to construct the optimal method for achieving an accurate detection. Our results showed that the water content of postharvest pomelo was optimally detected using the Savitzky–Golay method (SG) plus the multiplicative scatter correction method (MSC) for data processing, genetic algorithm (GA) for feature extraction, and partial least squares regression (PLSR) for modeling (the coefficient of determination and root mean squared error of the validation set were 0.712 and 0.0488, respectively). Granulation degree was best detected using SG for data processing and PLSR for modeling (the detection accuracy of the validation set was 100%). Additionally, our research showed a weak relationship between the pomelo water content and granulation degree, which provided a reference for the existing debates. Therefore, our results demonstrated that VIS/NIR combined with optimal information mining and modeling methodswas feasible for determining the water content and granulation degree of postharvest pomelo, and for providing references for the nondestructive internal quality detection of other large, thick-peeled fruits.
Comparison of Different Visual Feedback Methods for SSVEP-Based BCIs
Authors: Benda Mihaly , Volosyak Ivan
Published: April 2020

In this paper we compared different visual feedback methods, informing users about classification progress in a steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP)-based brain–computer interface (BCI) speller application. According to results from our previous studies, changes in stimulus size and contrast as online feedback of classification progress have great impact on BCI performance in SSVEP-based spellers. In this experiment we further investigated these effects, and tested a 4-target SSVEP speller interface with a much higher number of subjects. Five different scenarios were used with variations in stimulus size and contrast, “no feedback”, “size increasing”, “size decreasing”, “contrast increasing”, and “contrast decreasing”. With each of the five scenarios, 24 participants had to spell six letter words (at least 18 selections with this three-steps speller). The fastest feedback modalities were different for the users, there was no visual feedback which was generally better than the others. With the used interface, six users achieved significantly better Information Transfer Rates (ITRs) compared to the “no feedback” condition. Their average improvement by using the individually fastest feedback method was 46.52%. This finding is very important for BCI experiments, as by determining the optimal feedback for the user, the speed of the BCI can be improved without impairing the accuracy.
Individual Features in the Typology of the Nervous System and the Brain Activity Dynamics of Freestyle Wrestlers Exposed to a Strong Physical Activity (a Pilot Study)
Authors: Polikanova Irina , Leonov Sergey , Isaev Aleksey , Liutsko Liudmila
Published: April 2020

Nowadays, knowledge of psychophysiological features, particularly on the nervous system’s characteristics, is essential in the sporting context, particularly for freestyle wrestling. The study aimed to investigate the peculiarities of the wrestlers’ nervous system—on the individual and electrophysiological levels in two functional states—in calm wakefulness and during intense physical fatigue. Psychological (Well-being, Activity, Mood; Spielberger–Hanin; Leonhard’s questionnaires), as well as electrophysiological techniques (dynamics of the dominant and average frequencies of the main electroencephalogram (EEG) spectra—theta, alpha, low and high-frequency beta rhythms), were used in the study. It was shown that athletes were mainly characterized by the hyperthymic type of character accentuation and a low frequency of theta rhythm in a calm wakefulness state. After the acute physical load, wrestlers with high hyperthymia showed a moderate increase in theta, whereas other athletes showed a decrease in this parameter. Regardless of the level of hyperthymic accentuation, all wrestlers were characterized by an increase in the frequency of alpha rhythm after exercises in the left hemisphere. These results suggest the existence of a particular functional system in freestyle wrestlers, which allows the body’s regulatory systems to be adapted for the effective implementation of sports activity.
Identifying Genetic Lesions in Ocular Adnexal Extranodal Marginal Zone Lymphomas of the MALT Subtype by Whole Genome, Whole Exome and Targeted Sequencing
Authors: Johansson Patricia , Klein-Hitpass Ludger , Budeus Bettina , Kuhn Matthias , Lauber Chris , Seifert Michael , Roeder Ingo , Pförtner Roman , Stuschke Martin , Dührsen Ulrich , Eckstein Anja , Dürig Jan , Küppers Ralf
Published: April 2020

The pathogenesis of ocular adnexal marginal zone lymphomas of mucosa-associated lymphatic tissue-type (OAML) is not fully understood. We performed whole genome sequencing (WGS) and/or whole exome sequencing (WES) for 13 cases of OAML and sequenced 38 genes selected from this analysis in a large cohort of 82 OAML. Besides confirmation of frequent mutations in the genes transducin beta like 1 X-linked receptor 1 (TBL1XR1) and cAMP response element binding protein (CREBBP), we newly identifed JAK3 as a frequently mutated gene in OAML (11% of cases). In our retrospective cohort, JAK3 mutant cases had a shorter progression-free survival compared with unmutated cases. Other newly identified genes recurrently mutated in 5–10% of cases included members of the collagen family (collagen type XII alpha 1/2 (COL12A1, COL1A2)) and DOCK8. Evaluation of the WGS data of six OAML did not reveal translocations or a current infection of the lymphoma cells by viruses. Evaluation of the WGS data for copy number aberrations confirmed frequent loss of TNFAIP3, and revealed recurrent gains of the NOTCH target HES4, and of members of the CEBP transcription factor family. Overall, we identified several novel genes recurrently affected by point mutations or copy number alterations, but our study also indicated that the landscape of frequently (>10% of cases) mutated protein-coding genes in OAML is now largely known.