bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Combining Low Temperature Plasma, Negative Pressure Wound Therapy, and Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells on an Acute Skin Wound Healing Mouse Model
Authors: Cui Hui Song , Joo So Young , Cho Yoon Soo , Park Ji Heon , Kim June-Bum , Seo Cheong Hoon
Published: May 2020

Low-temperature plasma (LTP; 3 min/day), negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT; 4 h/day), and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs; 1 × 106 cells/day) were used as mono- and combination therapy in an acute excisional skin wound-healing ICR mouse model. These therapies have been beneficial in treating wounds. We investigated the effectiveness of monotherapy with LTP, NPWT, and MSC and combination therapy with LTP + MSC, LTP + NPWT, NPWT + MSC, and LTP + NPWT + MSC on skin wounds in mice for seven consecutive days. Gene expression, protein expression, and epithelial thickness were analyzed using real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), western blotting, and hematoxylin and eosin staining (H&E), respectively. Wound closure was also evaluated. Wound closure was significantly accelerated in monotherapy groups, whereas more accelerated in combination therapy groups. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) expression was increased in the LTP monotherapy group but decreased in the NPWT, MSC, and combination therapy groups. Expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and type I collagen were increased in the combination therapy groups. Re-epithelialization was also considerably accelerated in combination therapy groups. Our findings suggest that combination therapy with LPT, NPWT, and MSC exert a synergistic effect on wound healing, representing a promising strategy for the treatment of acute wounds.
Pleiotropic Roles of Calmodulin in the Regulation of KRas and Rac1 GTPases: Functional Diversity in Health and Disease
Authors: Tebar Francesc , Chavero Albert , Agell Neus , Lu Albert , Rentero Carles , Enrich Carlos , Grewal Thomas
Published: May 2020

Calmodulin is a ubiquitous signalling protein that controls many biological processes due to its capacity to interact and/or regulate a large number of cellular proteins and pathways, mostly in a Ca2+-dependent manner. This complex interactome of calmodulin can have pleiotropic molecular consequences, which over the years has made it often difficult to clearly define the contribution of calmodulin in the signal output of specific pathways and overall biological response. Most relevant for this review, the ability of calmodulin to influence the spatiotemporal signalling of several small GTPases, in particular KRas and Rac1, can modulate fundamental biological outcomes such as proliferation and migration. First, direct interaction of calmodulin with these GTPases can alter their subcellular localization and activation state, induce post-translational modifications as well as their ability to interact with effectors. Second, through interaction with a set of calmodulin binding proteins (CaMBPs), calmodulin can control the capacity of several guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) to promote the switch of inactive KRas and Rac1 to an active conformation. Moreover, Rac1 is also an effector of KRas and both proteins are interconnected as highlighted by the requirement for Rac1 activation in KRas-driven tumourigenesis. In this review, we attempt to summarize the multiple layers how calmodulin can regulate KRas and Rac1 GTPases in a variety of cellular events, with biological consequences and potential for therapeutic opportunities in disease settings, such as cancer.
Lon Protease Is Important for Growth under Stressful Conditions and Pathogenicity of the Phytopathogen, Bacterium Dickeya solani
Authors: Figaj Donata , Czaplewska Paulina , Przepióra Tomasz , Ambroziak Patrycja , Potrykus Marta , Skorko-Glonek Joanna
Published: May 2020

The Lon protein is a protease implicated in the virulence of many pathogenic bacteria, including some plant pathogens. However, little is known about the role of Lon in bacteria from genus Dickeya. This group of bacteria includes important potato pathogens, with the most aggressive species, D. solani. To determine the importance of Lon for pathogenicity and response to stress conditions of bacteria, we constructed a D. solani Δlon strain. The mutant bacteria showed increased sensitivity to certain stress conditions, in particular osmotic and high-temperature stresses. Furthermore, qPCR analysis showed an increased expression of the lon gene in D. solani under these conditions. The deletion of the lon gene resulted in decreased motility, lower activity of secreted pectinolytic enzymes and finally delayed onset of blackleg symptoms in the potato plants. In the Δlon cells, the altered levels of several proteins, including virulence factors and proteins associated with virulence, were detected by means of Sequential Window Acquisition of All Theoretical Mass Spectra (SWATH-MS) analysis. These included components of the type III secretion system and proteins involved in bacterial motility. Our results indicate that Lon protease is important for D. solani to withstand stressful conditions and effectively invade the potato plant.
Pharmacological Modulation of Steroid Activity in Hormone-Dependent Breast and Prostate Cancers: Effect of Some Plant Extract Derivatives
Authors: Bayala Bagora , Zoure Abdou Azaque , Baron Silvère , de Joussineau Cyrille , Simpore Jacques , Lobaccaro Jean-Marc A.
Published: May 2020

The great majority of breast and prostate tumors are hormone-dependent cancers; hence, estrogens and androgens can, respectively, drive their developments, making it possible to use pharmacological therapies in their hormone-dependent phases by targeting the levels of steroid or modulating their physiological activity through their respective nuclear receptors when the tumors relapse. Unfortunately, at some stage, both breast and prostate cancers become resistant to pharmacological treatments that aim to block their receptors, estrogen (ER) or androgen (AR) receptors, respectively. So far, antiestrogens and antiandrogens used in clinics have been designed based on their structural analogies with natural hormones, 17-β estradiol and dihydrotestosterone. Plants are a potential source of drug discovery and the development of new pharmacological compounds. The aim of this review article is to highlight the recent advances in the pharmacological modulation of androgen or estrogen levels, and their activity through their cognate nuclear receptors in prostate or breast cancer and the effects of some plants extracts.
TATA-Like Boxes in RNA Polymerase III Promoters: Requirements for Nucleotide Sequences
Authors: Tatosyan Karina A. , Stasenko Danil V. , Koval Anastasia P. , Gogolevskaya Irina K. , Kramerov Dmitri A.
Published: May 2020

tRNA and some other non-coding RNA genes are transcribed by RNA polymerase III (pol III), due to the presence of intragenic promoter, consisting of boxes A and B spaced by 30–40 bp. Such pol III promoters, called type 2, are also intrinsic to Short Interspersed Elements (SINEs). The contribution of 5′-flanking sequences to the transcription efficiency of genes containing type 2 promoters is still studied insufficiently. Here, we studied this issue, focusing on the genes of two small non-coding RNAs (4.5SH and 4.5SI), as well as B1 and B2 SINEs from the mouse genome. We found that the regions from position −31 to −24 may significantly influence the transcription of genes and SINEs. We studied the influence of nucleotide substitutions in these sites, representing TATA-like boxes, on transcription of 4.5SH and 4.5SI RNA genes. As a rule, the substitutions of A and T to G or C reduced the transcription level, although the replacement of C with A also lowered it. In 4.5SH gene, five distal nucleotides of −31/−24 box (TTCAAGTA) appeared to be the most important, while in the box −31/−24 of 4.5SI gene (CTACATGA), all nucleotides, except for the first one, contributed significantly to the transcription efficiency. Random sequences occurring at positions −31/−24 upstream of SINE copies integrated into genome, promoted their transcription with different efficacy. In the 5′-flanking sequences of 4.5SH and 4.5SI RNA genes, the recognition sites of CREB, C/EBP, and Sp1 factors were found, and their deletion decreased the transcription.
The Mammalian High Mobility Group Protein AT-Hook 2 (HMGA2): Biochemical and Biophysical Properties, and Its Association with Adipogenesis
Authors: Su Linjia , Deng Zifang , Leng Fenfei
Published: May 2020

The mammalian high-mobility-group protein AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) is a small DNA-binding protein and consists of three “AT-hook” DNA-binding motifs and a negatively charged C-terminal motif. It is a multifunctional nuclear protein directly linked to obesity, human height, stem cell youth, human intelligence, and tumorigenesis. Biochemical and biophysical studies showed that HMGA2 is an intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) and could form homodimers in aqueous buffer solution. The “AT-hook” DNA-binding motifs specifically bind to the minor groove of AT-rich DNA sequences and induce DNA-bending. HMGA2 plays an important role in adipogenesis most likely through stimulating the proliferative expansion of preadipocytes and also through regulating the expression of transcriptional factor Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) at the clonal expansion step from preadipocytes to adipocytes. Current evidence suggests that a main function of HMGA2 is to maintain stemness and renewal capacity of stem cells by which HMGA2 binds to chromosome and lock chromosome into a specific state, to allow the human embryonic stem cells to maintain their stem cell potency. Due to the importance of HMGA2 in adipogenesis and tumorigenesis, HMGA2 is considered a potential therapeutic target for anticancer and anti-obesity drugs. Efforts are taken to identify inhibitors targeting HMGA2.
Pulsation and Vibration Measurement on Stator Side for Turbocharger Turbine Blade Vibration Monitoring
Authors: Ando Takashi
Published: May 2020

Mechanically robust turbine design with respect to blade vibration is challenging when dealing with nozzle-ring fouling and wear. Especially for engines operating with heavy fuel oil (HFO), the nozzle rings of the turbocharger turbines are prone to severe degradation in terms of contamination with unburned fuel deposits. This contamination will lead to an increased excitation of blade resonances in comparison to the nominal design. Due to the statistical character of contamination, long-term monitoring of blade vibration amplitudes would be beneficial. In the harsh environment of HFO operation, however, conventional blade vibration measurement techniques, such as those using strain gauges or blade tip timing, cannot work reliably for a long period. Thus, the objective of this research is to develop a method that enables the monitoring of turbine blades using pulsation or vibration sensors installed on the stator side. Almost a dozen turbines, both radial and axial, have been examined in order to determine a proper measurement chain/position and analytical method. Even though the challenges specific to the turbocharger turbine application—that high-frequency (up to 50 kHz) acoustic radiation from turbine blades has to be detected by a sensor on the stator side—were demanding, in the course of the investigations several clear examples of turbine blades engine-order resonance detection were gathered. Finally, the proposed method has been tested successfully in a power plant for over one year.
Experimental Validation of a Direct Fiber Model for Orientation Prediction
Authors: Simon Sara Andrea , Bechara Senior Abrahán , Osswald Tim
Published: May 2020

Predicting the fiber orientation of reinforced molded components is required to improve their performance and safety. Continuum-based models for fiber orientation are computationally very efficient; however, they lack in a linked theory between fiber attrition, fiber–matrix separation and fiber alignment. This work, therefore, employs a particle level simulation which was used to simulate the fiber orientation evolution within a sliding plate rheometer. In the model, each fiber is accounted for and represented as a chain of linked rigid segments. Fibers experience hydrodynamic forces, elastic forces, and interaction forces. To validate this fundamental modeling approach, injection and compression molded reinforced polypropylene samples were subjected to a simple shear flow using a sliding plate rheometer. Microcomputed tomography was used to measure the orientation tensor up to 60 shear strain units. The fully characterized microstructure at zero shear strain was used to reproduce the initial conditions in the particle level simulation. Fibers were placed in a periodic boundary cell, and an idealized simple shear flow field was applied. The model showed a faster orientation evolution at the start of the shearing process. However, agreement with the steady-state aligned orientation for compression molded samples was found.
Nanostructured Fibers Containing Natural or Synthetic Bioactive Compounds in Wound Dressing Applications
Authors: Croitoru Alexa-Maria , Ficai Denisa , Ficai Anton , Mihailescu Natalia , Andronescu Ecaterina , Turculet Stefan
Published: May 2020

The interest in wound healing characteristics of bioactive constituents and therapeutic agents, especially natural compounds, is increasing because of their therapeutic properties, cost-effectiveness, and few adverse effects. Lately, nanocarriers as a drug delivery system have been actively investigated and applied in medical and therapeutic applications. In recent decades, researchers have investigated the incorporation of natural or synthetic substances into novel bioactive electrospun nanofibrous architectures produced by the electrospinning method for skin substitutes. Therefore, the development of nanotechnology in the area of dressings that could provide higher performance and a synergistic effect for wound healing is needed. Natural compounds with antimicrobial, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory activity in combination with nanostructured fibers represent a future approach due to the increased wound healing process and regeneration of the lost tissue. This paper presents different approaches in producing electrospun nanofibers, highlighting the electrospinning process used in fabricating innovative wound dressings that are able to release natural and/or synthetic substances in a controlled way, thus enhancing the healing process.
Corrosion Behavior of AISI 304 Stainless Steel Reinforcements in SCBA-SF Ternary Ecological Concrete Exposed to MgSO4
Authors: Ariza-Figueroa Hilda A. , Bosch Juan , Baltazar-Zamora Miguel Angel , Croche René , Santiago-Hurtado Griselda , Landa-Ruiz Laura , Mendoza-Rangel José M. , Bastidas José M. , Almeraya-Calderón Facundo , Bastidas David M.
Published: May 2020

In this study, ternary ecological concrete (TEC) mixtures were produced with partial substitution of the ordinary Portland cement (OPC) by 10%, 20%, and 30% of sugar cane bagasse ash (SCBA) and silica fume (SF); a control mixture (100% OPC) was prepared according to ACI 211.1 standard. The studied TEC specimens were reinforced with AISI 304 stainless steel and AISI 1018 carbon steel rebars. TEC reinforced specimens were immersed in two different electrolytes, a control (DI-water) and 3.5 wt.% MgSO4 solution, for 180 days. The electrochemical corrosion was monitored by corrosion potential (Ecorr) according to ASTM C-876-15 standard, and the linear polarization resistance (LPR) technique using ASTM G59 standard. The Ecorr and current density icorr results show that AISI 304 stainless steel rebars have a high corrosion resistance, with icorr values below 0.1 µA/cm2, which is interpreted as a level of negligible corrosion. The best corrosion performance was found for the TEC mixture made with a 20% addition of blend of sugar cane bagasse ash-silica fume (SCBA-SF) to the OPC.
Effect of Isothermal Transformation Times below Ms and Tempering on Strength and Toughness of Low-Temperature Bainite in 0.53 C Bainitic Steel
Authors: Liu Enzuo , Li Qiangguo , Naseem Sufyan , Huang Xuefei , Huang Weigang
Published: May 2020

This study aims to investigate the microstructures, strength, and impact toughness of low-temperature bainite obtained by isothermal transformation at temperature below Ms (Martensite Starting temperature) for different times and tempering process in 0.53 C wt% bainitic steel. By using the optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron back scatter diffraction (EBSD), and mechanical property test, it was found that the microstructures after heat treatment consist of small amounts of martensite, fine bainite, and film retained austenite. After tempered at 250 °C for 2 h, the volume fraction of retained austenite (10.9%) in the sample treated by isothermal transformation at 220 °C for three hours is almost the same as that of the sample without tempering. In addition, the retained austenite fraction decreases with the increase of holding times and is reduced to 6.8% after holding for 15 h. The ultimate tensile strength (1827 MPa), yield strength (1496 MPa), total elongations (16.1%), and impact toughness (up to 58 J/cm2) were obtained by isothermal transformation at 220 °C for three hours and tempered at 250 °C. Whereas, the impact toughness of sample without tempering is 28 J/cm2. After holding for 15 h, the impact toughness raises to 56 J/cm2, while the ductility and strength decreases. These results indicate that the tempering process is helpful to improve the impact toughness of low-temperature bainite.
Influence of Desulfurization with Fe2O3 on the Reduction of Nickel Converter Slag
Authors: Wei Guangsheng , Wang Yun , Zhu Rong , Yang Lingzhi
Published: May 2020

Generally in the nickel converter slag, metals are mainly in the form of sulfides, which are difficult to separate from slag. Although metal oxides in the slag, such as NiO, CoO, and Cu2O, are easily reduced into metal using carbon, the presence of sulfur inhibits the reduction reaction. In this study, the addition of Fe2O3 to nickel converter slag produced desulfurized slag, which enhanced the carbothermal reduction process. Increasing the desulfurization rate promoted the conversion of sulfides into oxides in slag, which significantly increased the activity of NiO, Cu2O, and Fe2O3. However, the residual sulfur content had no significant effect on the activity of FeO and CoO, due to the high initial FeO content and cobalt existing mainly in the form of oxides. The optimum addition of Fe2O3 was 15.0 g per 100 g nickel slag, while the desulfurization ratio was 36.84% and the rates of nikel, cobalt and copper recovery were 95.33%, 77.73%, and 73.83%, respectively.
Cytotoxic Secondary Metabolites Isolated from the Marine Alga-Associated Fungus Penicillium chrysogenum LD-201810
Authors: Jiang Lin-Lin , Tang Jin-Xiu , Bo Yong-Heng , Li You-Zhi , Feng Tao , Zhu Hong-Wei , Yu Xin , Zhang Xing-Xiao , Zhang Jian-Long , Wang Weiyi
Published: May 2020

A new pentaketide derivative, penilactonol A (1), and two new hydroxyphenylacetic acid derivatives, (2’R)-stachyline B (2) and (2’R)-westerdijkin A (3), together with five known metabolites, bisabolane-type sesquiterpenoids 4–6 and meroterpenoids 7 and 8, were isolated from the solid culture of a marine alga-associated fungus Penicillium chrysogenum LD-201810. Their structures were elucidated based on extensive spectroscopic analyses, including 1D/2D NMR and high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectra (HRESIMS). The absolute configurations of the stereogenic carbons in 1 were determined by the (Mo2(OAc)4)-induced circular dichroism (CD) and comparison of the calculated and experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra, while the absolute configuration of the stereogenic carbon in 2 was established using single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Compounds 2 and 3 adapt the 2’R-configuration as compared to known hydroxyphenylacetic acid-derived and O-prenylated natural products. The cytotoxicity of 1–8 against human carcinoma cell lines (A549, BT-549, HeLa, HepG2, MCF-7, and THP-1) was evaluated. Compound 3 exhibited cytotoxicity to the HepG2 cell line with an IC50 value of 22.0 μM. Furthermore, 5 showed considerable activities against A549 and THP-1 cell lines with IC50 values of 21.2 and 18.2 μM, respectively.
An Intelligent Multi-Sensor Variable Spray System with Chaotic Optimization and Adaptive Fuzzy Control
Authors: Song Lepeng , Huang Jinpen , Liang Xianwen , Yang Simon X. , Hu Wenjin , Tang Dedong
Published: May 2020

During the variable spray process, the micro-flow control is often held back by such problems as low initial sensitivity, large inertia, large hysteresis, nonlinearity as well as the inevitable difficulties in controlling the size of the variable spray droplets. In this paper, a novel intelligent double closed-loop control with chaotic optimization and adaptive fuzzy logic is developed for a multi-sensor based variable spray system, where a Bang-Bang relay controller is used to speed up the system operation, and adaptive fuzzy nonlinear PID is employed to improve the accuracy and stability of the system. With the chaotic optimization of controller parameters, the system is globally optimized in the whole solution space. By applying the proposed double closed-loop control, the variable pressure control system includes the pressure system as the inner closed-loop and the spray volume system as the outer closed-loop. Thus, the maximum amount of spray droplets deposited on the plant surface may be achieved with the minimum medicine usage for plants. Multiple sensors (for example: three pressure sensors and two flow rate sensors) are employed to measure the system states. Simulation results show that the chaotic optimized controller has a rise time of 0.9 s, along with an adjustment time of 1.5 s and a maximum overshoot of 2.67% (in comparison using PID, the rise time is 2.2 s, the adjustment time is 5 s, and the maximum overshoot is 6.0%). The optimized controller parameters are programmed into the hardware to control the established variable spray system. The experimental results show that the optimal spray pressure of the spray system is approximately 0.3 MPa, and the flow rate is approximately 0.08 m3/h. The effective droplet rate is 89.4%, in comparison to 81.3% using the conventional PID control. The proposed chaotically optimized composite controller significantly improved the dynamic performance of the control system, and satisfactory control results are achieved.
The Contribution of Elastic Wave NDT to the Characterization of Modern Cementitious Media
Authors: Lefever Gerlinde , Snoeck Didier , De Belie Nele , Van Vlierberghe Sandra , Van Hemelrijck Danny , Aggelis Dimitrios G.
Published: May 2020

To mitigate autogenous shrinkage in cementitious materials and simultaneously preserve the material’s mechanical performance, superabsorbent polymers and nanosilica are included in the mixture design. The use of the specific additives influences both the hydration process and the hardened microstructure, while autogenous healing of cracks can be stimulated. These three stages are monitored by means of non-destructive testing, showing the sensitivity of elastic waves to the occurring phenomena. Whereas the action of the superabsorbent polymers was evidenced by acoustic emission, the use of ultrasound revealed the differences in the developed microstructure and the self-healing of cracks by a comparison with more commonly performed mechanical tests. The ability of NDT to determine these various features renders it a promising measuring method for future characterization of innovative cementitious materials.
Analysis of the Influence of the GPS Errors Occurred While Collecting Electrode Coordinates on the Electrical Resistivity of Tumuli
Authors: Pazzi Veronica , Ceccatelli Mattia , Ciani Lorenzo , Patrizi Gabriele , Guidi Giulia , Cappuccini Luca , Casagli Nicola , Catelani Marcantonio
Published: May 2020

In archaeological applications the accurate reconstruction of buried structures is mandatory. Electrical resistivity tomography is widely used for this purpose. Nevertheless, resistivity errors could be generated by wrong placement of electrodes. Papers in the literature do not discuss the influence of errors connected with the electrode position location (GPS-error). In this paper the first results of a Monte Carlo simulation analysis of data acquired on a tumulus are presented. The main research questions were: (i) if it is correct to ignore the GPS-error collect, and (ii) if a minimum threshold, that significantly affect the inversion, exists. Results, obtained considering planimetric GPS-errors of about one third of the fixed electrode distances, show that the GPS-errors affect resistivity, but the generated errors/anomalies: (a) are lower than that obtained without considering the topography, and (b) are significant from a numerical point of view, but do not affect the interpretation, being compatible with the soil resistivity ranges.
Evaluation of Real-Time PPP-Based Tide Measurement Using IGS Real-Time Service
Authors: Di Mingwei , Zhang Anmin , Guo Bofeng , Zhang Jiali , Liu Rongxia , Li Mengyuan
Published: May 2020

Tide data plays a key role in many marine scientific research fields such as seafloor topography measurement and navigation safety. To obtain reliable tide data, various methods have been proposed, e.g., tide station measurement, satellite altimeter measurement, and differential global positioning system (GPS) buoy measurement. However, these methods suffer from the limitation that continuous observations at different areas might not be always available. In order to provide high-precision as well as continuous real-time tide data, we propose a method based on real-time precise point positioning (RT-PPP) by using International GNSS Service (IGS) real-time service (RTS) products. Firstly, compared with the IGS final products, the accuracy of the RTS satellite orbit and clock is evaluated. Secondly, the positioning performance of RT-PPP is compared with the IGS ultra-fast products. Finally, a robust Vondrak filter is proposed to eliminate the influence of high-frequency noise and errors and to obtain tide results. Experimental results show that three-dimensional (3D) accuracy of the RTS orbit is better than 0.05 m, and also has 0.22 ns less clock bias. An improvement of 60% is achieved for positioning accuracy using RTS products compared to IGS ultra-fast products. Compared with the post-processing PPP method, the double difference (DD) method and tide gauge data, the root mean square (RMS) values of RT-PPP tide are 0.090, 0.194 and 0.167 m, respectively.
Artificial Intelligence Applied to a Robotic Dairy Farm to Model Milk Productivity and Quality based on Cow Data and Daily Environmental Parameters
Authors: Fuentes Sigfredo , Gonzalez Viejo Claudia , Cullen Brendan , Tongson Eden , Chauhan Surinder S. , Dunshea Frank R.
Published: May 2020

Increased global temperatures and climatic anomalies, such as heatwaves, as a product of climate change, are impacting the heat stress levels of farm animals. These impacts could have detrimental effects on the milk quality and productivity of dairy cows. This research used four years of data from a robotic dairy farm from 36 cows with similar heat tolerance (Model 1), and all 312 cows from the farm (Model 2). These data consisted of programmed concentrate feed and weight combined with weather parameters to develop supervised machine learning fitting models to predict milk yield, fat and protein content, and actual cow concentrate feed intake. Results showed highly accurate models, which were developed for cows with a similar genetic heat tolerance (Model 1: n = 116, 456; R = 0.87; slope = 0.76) and for all cows (Model 2: n = 665, 836; R = 0.86; slope = 0.74). Furthermore, an artificial intelligence (AI) system was proposed to increase or maintain a targeted level of milk quality by reducing heat stress that could be applied to a conventional dairy farm with minimal technology addition.
Cognitive States Matter: Design Guidelines for Driving Situation Awareness in Smart Vehicles
Authors: Park Daehee , Yoon Wan Chul , Lee Uichin
Published: May 2020

Situation awareness (SA) is crucial for safe driving. It is all about perception, comprehension of current situations and projection of the future status. It is demanding for drivers to constantly maintain SA by checking for potential hazards while performing the primary driving tasks. As vehicles in the future will be equipped with more sensors, it is likely that an SA aiding system will present complex situational information to drivers. Although drivers have difficulty to process a variety of complex situational information due to limited cognitive capabilities and perceive the information differently depending upon their cognitive states, the well-known SA design principles by Endsley only provide general guidelines. The principles lack detailed guidelines for dealing with limited human cognitive capabilities. Cognitive capability is a mental capability including planning, complex idea comprehension, and learning from experience. A cognitive state can be regarded as a condition of being (e.g., the state of being aware of the situation). In this paper, we investigate the key cognitive attributes related to SA in driving contexts (i.e., attention focus, mental model, workload, and memory). Endsley proposed that those key cognitive attributes are the main factors that influence SA. In those with higher levels of attributes, we found eight cognitive states which mainly influence a human driver in achieving SA. These are the focused attention state, inattentional blindness state, unfamiliar situation state, familiar situation state, insufficient mental resource state, sufficient mental resource state, high time pressure state, and low time pressure state. We then propose cognitive state aware SA design guidelines that can help designers to effectively convey situation information to drivers. As a case study, we demonstrated the usefulness of our cognitive state aware SA design guidelines by conducting controlled experiments where an existing SA interface is compared with a new SA interface designed following the key guidelines. We used the Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique (SAGAT) and Decision-Making Questionnaire (DMQ) to measure the SA and decision-making style scores, respectively. Our results show that the new guidelines allowed participants to achieve significantly higher SA and exhibit better decision making performance.
A Survey of Marker-Less Tracking and Registration Techniques for Health & Environmental Applications to Augmented Reality and Ubiquitous Geospatial Information Systems
Authors: Sadeghi-Niaraki Abolghasem , Choi Soo-Mi
Published: May 2020

Most existing augmented reality (AR) applications are suitable for cases in which only a small number of real world entities are involved, such as superimposing a character on a single surface. In this case, we only need to calculate pose of the camera relative to that surface. However, when an AR health or environmental application involves a one-to-one relationship between an entity in the real-world and the corresponding object in the computer model (geo-referenced object), we need to estimate the pose of the camera in reference to a common coordinate system for better geo-referenced object registration in the real-world. New innovations in developing cheap sensors, computer vision techniques, machine learning, and computing power have helped to develop applications with more precise matching between a real world and a virtual content. AR Tracking techniques can be divided into two subcategories: marker-based and marker-less approaches. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of marker-less registration and tracking techniques and reviews their most important categories in the context of ubiquitous Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) and AR focusing to health and environmental applications. Basic ideas, advantages, and disadvantages, as well as challenges, are discussed for each subcategory of tracking and registration techniques. We need precise enough virtual models of the environment for both calibrations of tracking and visualization. Ubiquitous GISs can play an important role in developing AR in terms of providing seamless and precise spatial data for outdoor (e.g., environmental applications) and indoor (e.g., health applications) environments.
Configurations of Aromatic Networks for Power Distribution System
Authors: Prakash K. , Islam F. R. , Mamun K. A. , Pota H. R.
Published: May 2020

A distribution network is one of the main parts of a power system that distributes power to customers. While there are various types of power distribution networks, a recently introduced novel structure of an aromatic network could begin a new era in the distribution levels of power systems and designs of microgrids or smart grids. In order to minimize blackout periods during natural disasters and provide sustainable energy, improve energy efficiency and maintain stability of a distribution network, it is essential to configure/reconfigure the network topology based on its geographical location and power demand, and also important to realize its self-healing function. In this paper, a strategy for reconfiguring aromatic networks based on structures of natural aromatic molecules is explained. Various network structures are designed, and simulations have been conducted to justify the performance of each configuration. It is found that an aromatic network does not need to be fixed in a specific configuration (i.e., a DDT structure), which provides flexibility in designing networks and demonstrates that the successful use of such structures will be a perfect solution for both distribution networks and microgrid systems in providing sustainable energy to the end users.
Research on the Task Assignment Problem with Maximum Benefits in Volunteer Computing Platforms
Authors: Xu Ling , Qiao Jianzhong , Lin Shukuan , Wang Xiaowei
Published: May 2020

As a type of distributed computing, volunteer computing (VC) has provided unlimited computing capacity at a low cost in recent decades. The architecture of most volunteer computing platforms (VCPs) is a master–worker model, which defines a master–slave relationship. Therefore, VCPs can be considered asymmetric multiprocessing systems (AMSs). As AMSs, VCPs are very promising for providing computing services for users. Users can submit tasks with deadline constraints to the VCPs. If the tasks are completed within their deadlines, VCPs will obtain the benefits. For this application scenario, this paper proposes a new task assignment problem with the maximum benefits in VCPs for the first time. To address the problem, we first proposed a list-based task assignment (LTA) strategy, and we proved that the LTA strategy could complete the task with a deadline constraint as soon as possible. Then, based on the LTA strategy, we proposed a maximum benefit scheduling (MBS) algorithm, which aimed at maximizing the benefits of VCPs. The MBS algorithm determined the acceptable tasks using a pruning strategy. Finally, the experiment results show that our proposed algorithm is more effective than current algorithms in the aspects of benefits, task acceptance rate and task completion rate.
Distribution and numbers of wintering waterbirds in Sweden in 2015 and changes during the last fifty years
Authors: Nilsson Leif , Haas Fredrik
Published: May 2020

The International Waterfowl Census started in Europe in 1967, in Sweden already in 1966. In Sweden, country-wide surveys of the inshore coastal areas were undertaken in 1971–1973, 2004 and 2015 in addition to the annual sample counts. In 2015, the entire coast between the Norwegian border and the northern part of the Stockholm archipelago was covered. The total estimate was 616,000 (excluding seaducks such as Long-tailed duck and scoters), a slight increase since 2004 and a large increase since 1971–1973. Long-term significant increase or little change was recorded for all species but the Longtailed Duck which decreased significantly. The distribution showed marked changes for several species, with larger proportions being found in the Baltic archipelagos in later years. In all EU the seaducks declined whereas most other species were stable or increased. In four diving ducks an increases in Sweden and other northern areas was balanced by decreasing numbers for countries to the south and southwest. Thus population changes in Sweden could be related to milder winters in the northern part of the wintering area.
ФАКТОРИ ВПЛИВУ НА ЕКОЛОГІЧНУ СВІДОМІСТЬГРОМАДЯН: ОГЛЯД ЗАРУБІЖНИХ ДОСЛІДЖЕНЬ
Authors: Shkolnik Eleonora , Iholkin Serhiі
Published: May 2020

Екологічні проблеми та невідкладність їх вирішення вимагає зміни екологічних уявлень громадян, дослідження екологічної свідомості та факторів впливу на неї. Формування в суспільстві екологічних цінностей та підвищення екологічної свідомості населення є важливим завданням державної екологічної політики. У статті розглядаються праці зарубіжних науковців, присвячені вивченню питань екологічної свідомості. Актуалізується проблема різних наукових підходів до розгляду поняття «екологічна свідомість», проводиться аналіз зарубіжної наукової літератури з даного питання. Підкреслено важливість екологічних переконань, а також їх зв'язок із соціально-демографічними характеристиками. Зокрема, такі фактори як освіта, вік, стать та політична ідеологія послідовно ідентифіковані як чинники, що корелюються з екологічною стурбованістю. Акцентовано що саме, молоді та добре освічені люди найбільш стурбовані станом навколишнього середовища, а тісний взаємозв'язок між соціальним статусом, рівнем інформованості та соціальною участю підкреслюють таку вирішальну роль, як ідеологія. Показанощо в зарубіжній науковій літературі існує проблема у визначенні терміну «екологічна свідомість» та відокремлення його від інших, схожих за змістом понять. Вивчення екологічної свідомості розвивалося іноді під іншими назвами, такими як «екологічна чутливість» чи «екологічна стурбованість».
Вивчаються фактори впливу на екологічну свідомість громадян, зокрема соціально-демографічні (освіта, вік, гендерна приналежність, щільність населення на певній території та поділ населення на міських та сільських жителів) та політико-економічні (рівень доходу, ВВП на душу населення, політична ситуація та економічний рівень країни). Надаються рекомендації щодо підвищення рівня екологічної свідомості громадян.
Notes on the late Cenozoic history of the Washington Land area, western North Greenland
Authors: Bennike Ole
Published: May 2020

Information on Late Tertiary and Quaternary deposits in the Washington Land area is extremely limited. This is perhaps surprising since, as a central part of Nares Strait separating Greenland and Canada, the Washington Land area is crucial to the understanding of the much debated Late Quaternary history of the region. Three shell samples, two wood samples and a peat sample, collected in the mid 1970s, have been radiocarbon dated and discussed by Weidick (1977, 1978), Jepsen (1982), Blake (1987) and Bennike & Jepsen (in press); wood samples collected in 1997 were described by Bennike (1998). Much more information is available from Inglefield Land to the south, and Hall Land to the north (Nichols 1969; Dawes 1987; Blake et al. 1992; Kelly & Bennike 1992). Thus, when the opportunity to carry out field work in the Washington Land area arose in connection with the project Kane Basin 1999 (see Dawes 2000a, this volume), the chance was taken to attempt to fill this knowledge gap. The main aim was to locate the source of the wood – hopefully within a sedimentary sequence. In addition, observations and sampling of Quaternary deposits and landforms were planned. However, since the source of the wood proved impossible to locate, more time was spent on Quaternary deposits than originally expected.
Marine and terrestrial investigations in the Norse Eastern Settlement, South Greenland
Authors: Mikkelsen Naja , Kuijpers Antoon , Lassen Susanne , Vedel Jesper
Published: May 2020

During the Middle Ages the Norse settlements in Greenland were the most northerly outpost of European Christianity and civilisation in the Northern Hemisphere. The climate was relatively stable and mild around A.D. 985 when Eric the Red founded the Eastern Settlement in the fjords of South Greenland. The Norse lived in Greenland for almost 500 years, but disappeared in the 14th century. Letters in Iceland report on a Norse marriage in A.D. 1408 in Hvalsey church of the Eastern Settlement, but after this account all written sources remain silent. Although there have been numerous studies and much speculation, the fate of the Norse settlements in Greenland remains an essentially unsolved question.
Projects MINEO and HyperGreen: airborne hyperspectral data acquisition in East Greenland for environmental monitoring and mineral exploration
Authors: Tukiainen Tapani
Published: May 2020

In remote sensing terminology the word ‘hyperspectral’ is used to distinguish sensors with several tens or hundreds of bands from the traditional ‘multispectral’ sensors such as Landsat TM or Landsat MSS. The success of hyperspectral techniques relies on the detection of subtle variations in the spectral properties of one or more of the components being imaged. The advances of worldwide research and development in sensor technology to achieve higher signal to noise ratios, good operational stability and improved levels of spectral and radiometric calibration have provided the instrumental basis for the deployment of this advanced technique to a number of earth resource and environmental mapping and monitoring tasks. The analysis and interpretation of hyperspectral data are extensively based on the use of spectral libraries covering a wide range of inorganic and organic natural materials and comparison of data between different areas and sensor systems.
Immune Status Creative Analysis in Patients after Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (CABS) With the use of Cardiopulmonary Bypass (CPB) Machine
Authors: A.A. Barsukov , V.M. Zemskov , K.N. Pronko , M.N. Kozlova , N.S. Shishkina , V.S. Demidova , V.A. Popov , G.P. Plotnikov, , A.N. Korostelev , V.V., Kazennov , A.M. Zemskov, , A.L. Sadiykov , A.Sh. Revishvili
Published: May 2020

An analysis of the immune status in 53 patients that underwent coronary artery bypass grafting under cardiopulmonary bypass was carried out in the preoperative period and on day 1 and 7 after the surgical intervention. Significant changes in innate and adaptive immunity were revealed. In the first case, they were expressed as an inflammatory process developed throughout the postoperative period; it was confirmed with an increase in leukocytes, total and stab granulocytes, monocytes, oxidative stress of phagocytes, CD64+ and CD40+ granulocytes, endogenous intoxication with the developed significant deficiency in CD4+ monocytes, and regulatory NK cells; while immediately after the surgery, it was confirmed by IgG and IgM levels.Some changes in adaptive immunity manifested through its activation, confirmed by an increased CD4+, CD11b+, HLA-DR+, and CD4+CD25+lymphocyte content, together with a deficiency noted in total lymphocytes and CD8+ lymphocytes.
God Intended It for Good: Re-forming Evil
Authors: IMBERT YANNICK
Published: May 2020

The Confession That God Intends Evil For Good, Which Is One Of The Great Conclusions Of The Cycle Of Joseph (Gen 37–50), Sheds Light On The Limited Manner In Which We Have Tried To Answer The Challenge Of Evil. Each Generation Faces Anew The Challenge Of Explaining The Sovereign Action Of A Benevolent God In A World Where Evil Rages. This Article Explores The Three Key Words Of The Sentence “God Intended It For Good”: God, Intended, And Good. Our Aim Is To Reflect On A “re-formed” Answer In Emphasizing The Need For A Language That Reclaims The Richness, Diversity, And Incomprehensibility Of The Biblical Language About God’s Action In The World. KEYWORDS: Evil, Theodicy, Causality, Anthropomorphism, Incomprehensibility (of God), Sovereignty (of God)
Schaeffer's Apologetics
Authors: BARRS JERRAM
Published: May 2020

This Article Presents Francis Schaeffer’s Apologetics Through A Consideration Of His Work And Writings. It Starts With An Overview Of His Books And Lectures, Which Reveal A Passion To Present Biblical Truth In A Way Relevant To The Questions Of His Interlocutors. Compassion And Encouragement, Motivated By His View Of The Dignity Of All, Characterized His Approach. The Article Then Answers Some Common Criticisms Of His Method. Persuasion, Life, And Prayer Were Key, As Illustrated By The Work Of L’Abri. Schaeffer’s Apologetic Methodology Was Presuppositionalist, Yet He Was More An Evangelist Than An Academic Apologist. KEYWORDS:
Newbigin’s Missionary Ecclesiology
Authors: VISSER ARJAN DE
Published: May 2020

Lesslie Newbigin Is An Inspirational Figure Whose Theological Legacy Should Be Considered Carefully. Using A New Book By Michael Goheen As Guideline (The Church And Its Vocation: Lesslie Newbigin’s Missionary Ecclesiology), This Article Focuses On Newbigin’s Views Regarding The Identity And Mandate Of The Church. Two Aspects Are Noted With Appreciation: Newbigin’s Defense Of The Uniqueness Of Christ And His Critique Of Western Culture. There Are Concerns, However, With Respect To Three Aspects Of Newbigin’s Ecclesiology: His Views Of Salvation, Election, And The Mandate Of The Church. The Common Thread In Newbigin’s Approach Appears To Be His Aversion And Over-reaction Against What He Deemed To Be An Individualistic View Of Salvation. KEYWORDS:
Book Review: Elijah Hixson and Peter J. Gurry, eds. Myths and Mistakes in New Testament Textual Criticism.
Authors: HAVILAND-PABST THOMAS
Published: May 2020

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Book Review: John V. Fesko. Reforming Apologetics: Retrieving the Classic Reformed Approach to Defending the Faith
Authors: GESKE ANDRÉ
Published: May 2020

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Book Review: Paul Helm. Human Nature from Calvin to Edwards
Authors: HART MATTHEW J.
Published: May 2020

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A Review of Trends in STEM Education Research
Authors: Ḥafṣa Aixa , Safaningrum Anggi Cecilia , Fadhilaturrahmi Fariha , Min Venice , Ling Cathryn Li Yuan
Published: May 2020

With the rapid increase in the number of scholarly publications on STEM education in recent years, reviews of the status and trends in STEM education research internationally support the development of the field. For this review, we conducted a systematic analysis of 798 articles in STEM education published between 2000 and the end of 2018 in 36 journals to get an overview about developments in STEM education scholarship. We examined those selected journal publications both quantitatively and qualitatively, including the number of articles published, journals in which the articles were published, authorship nationality, and research topic and methods over the years. The results show that research in STEM education is increasing in importance internationally and that the identity of STEM education journals is becoming clearer over time.