bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regulation of COX Assembly and Function by Twin CX9C Proteins—Implications for Human Disease
Authors: Gladyck Stephanie , Aras Siddhesh , Hüttemann Maik , Grossman Lawrence I.
Published: January 2021

Oxidative phosphorylation is a tightly regulated process in mammals that takes place in and across the inner mitochondrial membrane and consists of the electron transport chain and ATP synthase. Complex IV, or cytochrome c oxidase (COX), is the terminal enzyme of the electron transport chain, responsible for accepting electrons from cytochrome c, pumping protons to contribute to the gradient utilized by ATP synthase to produce ATP, and reducing oxygen to water. As such, COX is tightly regulated through numerous mechanisms including protein–protein interactions. The twin CX9C family of proteins has recently been shown to be involved in COX regulation by assisting with complex assembly, biogenesis, and activity. The twin CX9C motif allows for the import of these proteins into the intermembrane space of the mitochondria using the redox import machinery of Mia40/CHCHD4. Studies have shown that knockdown of the proteins discussed in this review results in decreased or completely deficient aerobic respiration in experimental models ranging from yeast to human cells, as the proteins are conserved across species. This article highlights and discusses the importance of COX regulation by twin CX9C proteins in the mitochondria via COX assembly and control of its activity through protein–protein interactions, which is further modulated by cell signaling pathways. Interestingly, select members of the CX9C protein family, including MNRR1 and CHCHD10, show a novel feature in that they not only localize to the mitochondria but also to the nucleus, where they mediate oxygen- and stress-induced transcriptional regulation, opening a new view of mitochondrial-nuclear crosstalk and its involvement in human disease.
Phototropin 1 and 2 Influence Photosynthesis, UV-C Induced Photooxidative Stress Responses, and Cell Death
Authors: Rusaczonek Anna , Czarnocka Weronika , Willems Patrick , Sujkowska-Rybkowska Marzena , Van Breusegem Frank , Karpiński Stanisław
Published: January 2021

Phototropins are plasma membrane-associated photoreceptors of blue light and UV-A/B radiation. The Arabidopsis thaliana genome encodes two phototropins, PHOT1 and PHOT2, that mediate phototropism, chloroplast positioning, and stomatal opening. They are well characterized in terms of photomorphogenetic processes, but so far, little was known about their involvement in photosynthesis, oxidative stress responses, and cell death. By analyzing phot1, phot2 single, and phot1phot2 double mutants, we demonstrated that both phototropins influence the photochemical and non-photochemical reactions, photosynthetic pigments composition, stomata conductance, and water-use efficiency. After oxidative stress caused by UV-C treatment, phot1 and phot2 single and double mutants showed a significantly reduced accumulation of H2O2 and more efficient photosynthetic electron transport compared to the wild type. However, all phot mutants exhibited higher levels of cell death four days after UV-C treatment, as well as deregulated gene expression. Taken together, our results reveal that on the one hand, both phot1 and phot2 contribute to the inhibition of UV-C-induced foliar cell death, but on the other hand, they also contribute to the maintenance of foliar H2O2 levels and optimal intensity of photochemical reactions and non-photochemical quenching after an exposure to UV-C stress. Our data indicate a novel role for phototropins in the condition-dependent optimization of photosynthesis, growth, and water-use efficiency as well as oxidative stress and cell death response after UV-C exposure.
Can Event-Related Potentials Evoked by Heel Lance Assess Pain Processing in Neonates? A Systematic Review
Authors: Shiroshita Yui , Kirimoto Hikari , Ozawa Mio , Watanabe Tatsunori , Uematsu Hiroko , Yunoki Keisuke , Sobue Ikuko
Published: January 2021

To clarify the possibility of event-related potential (ERP) evoked by heel lance in neonates as an index of pain assessment, knowledge acquired by and problems of the methods used in studies on ERP evoked by heel lance in neonates were systematically reviewed, including knowledge about Aδ and C fibers responding to noxious stimuli and Aβ fibers responding to non-noxious stimuli. Of the 863 reports searched, 19 were selected for the final analysis. The following points were identified as problems for ERP evoked by heel lance in neonates to serve as a pain assessment index: (1) It is possible that the ERP evoked by heel lance reflected the activation of Aβ fibers responding to non-noxious stimuli and not the activation of Aδ or C fibers responding to noxious stimulation; (2) Sample size calculation was presented in few studies, and the number of stimulation trials to obtain an averaged ERP was small. Accordingly, to establish ERP evoked by heel lance as a pain assessment in neonates, it is necessary to perform a study to clarify ERP evoked by Aδ- and C-fiber stimulations accompanied by heel lance in neonates.
Intervention of Climate-Smart Practices in Wheat under Rice-Wheat Cropping System in Nepal
Authors: Gairhe Janma Jaya , Adhikari Mandeep , Ghimire Deepak , Khatri-Chhetri Arun , Panday Dinesh
Published: January 2021

Besides a proper agronomic management followed by Nepalese farmers, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production has been severely affected by changing climate. There are many interventions, including climate-smart practices, to cope with this situation and possibly enhance crop and soil productivity. Field experiments were set up in a randomized complete block design with six treatments (TRT) with four replications in three locations (LOC) during wheat-growing seasons in Nepal from 2014 to 2016. Treatments included (i) Controlled Practice (CP), (ii) Improved Low (IL), (iii) Improved High (IH), (iv) Climate Smart Agriculture Low (CSAL), (v) Climate Smart Agriculture Medium (CSAM), and (vi) Climate Smart Agriculture High (CSAH), whereas those LOC were Banke, Rupandehi and Morang districts. There was a significant main effect of TRT and LOC on grain yield and a significant interactionn effect of TRT × LOC on biomass yield in 2014–2015. About 55.5% additional grain yield was produced from CSAM treatment compared to CP in 2014–2015. Among locations, grain yield was the highest in Banke (3772.35 kg ha−1) followed by Rupandehi (2504.47 kg ha−1) and Morang districts (2504.47 kg ha−1). In 2015–2016, there was a significant interaction effect of TRT × LOC on grain and biomass yields. The highest grain yield was produced from CSAH treatment in Banke district in 2015–2016. Overall, grain yield and other parameters showed a better response with either of the climate-smart interventions (mostly CSAH or CSAM) despite variability in geography, climate, and other environmental factors indicating the potential of climate-smart practices to improve wheat production in southern plains of Nepal.
A Novel Decarburizing-Nitriding Treatment of Carburized/through-Hardened Bearing Steel towards Enhanced Nitriding Kinetics and Microstructure Refinement
Authors: Yan Fuyao , Yao Jiawei , Chen Baofeng , Yang Ying , Xu Yueming , Yan Mufu , Zhang Yanxiang
Published: January 2021

Decarburization is generally avoided as it is reckoned to be a process detrimental to material surface properties. Based on the idea of duplex surface engineering, i.e., nitriding the case-hardened or through-hardened bearing steels for enhanced surface performance, this work deliberately applied decarburization prior to plasma nitriding to cancel the softening effect of decarburizing with nitriding and at the same time to significantly promote the nitriding kinetics. To manifest the applicability of this innovative duplex process, low-carbon M50NiL and high-carbon M50 bearing steels were adopted in this work. The influence of decarburization on microstructures and growth kinetics of the nitrided layer over the decarburized layer is investigated. The metallographic analysis of the nitrided layer thickness indicates that high carbon content can hinder the growth of the nitrided layer, but if a short decarburization is applied prior to nitriding, the thickness of the nitrided layer can be significantly promoted. The analysis of nitriding kinetics shows that decarburization reduces the activation energy for nitrogen diffusion and enhances nitrogen diffusivity. Moreover, the effect of decarburization in air can promote surface microstructure refinement via spinodal decomposition during plasma nitriding.
Superhydrophilic Coating of Pine Wood by Plasma Functionalization of Self-Assembled Polystyrene Spheres
Authors: Dahle Sebastian , Meuthen John , Gustus René , Prowald Alexandra , Viöl Wolfgang , Maus-Friedrichs Wolfgang
Published: January 2021

Self-assembling films typically used for colloidal lithography have been applied to pine wood substrates to change the surface wettability. Therefore, monodisperse polystyrene (PS) spheres have been deposited onto a rough pine wood substrate via dip coating. The resulting PS sphere film resembled a polycrystalline face centered cubic (FCC)-like structure with typical domain sizes of 5–15 single spheres. This self-assembled coating was further functionalized via an O2 plasma. This plasma treatment strongly influenced the particle sizes in the outermost layer, and hydroxyl as well as carbonyl groups were introduced to the PS spheres’ surfaces, thus generating a superhydrophilic behavior.
Recent Progresses of Superhydrophobic Coatings in Different Application Fields: An Overview
Authors: Bai Yuxing , Zhang Haiping , Shao Yuanyuan , Zhang Hui , Zhu Jesse
Published: January 2021

With the development of material engineering and coating industries, superhydrophobic coatings with exceptional water repellence have increasingly come into researchers’ horizons. The superhydrophobic coatings with corrosion resistance, self-cleaning, anti-fogging, drag-reduction, anti-icing properties, etc., meet the featured requirements from different application fields. In addition, endowing superhydrophobic coatings with essential performance conformities, such as transparency, UV resistance, anti-reflection, water-penetration resistance, thermal insulation, flame retardancy, etc. plays a remarkable role in broadening their application scope. Various superhydrophobic coatings were fabricated by diverse technologies resulting from the fundamental demands of different fields. Most past reviews, however, provided only limited information, and lacked detailed classification and presentation on the application of superhydrophobic coatings in different sectors. In the current review, we will highlight the recent progresses on superhydrophobic coatings in automobile, marine, aircraft, solar energy and architecture-buildings fields, and discuss the requirement of prominent functionalities and performance conformities in these vital fields. Poor durability of superhydrophobic coating remains a practical challenge that needs to be addressed through real-world application. This review serves as a good reference source and provides insight into the design and optimization of superhydrophobic coatings for different applications.
Dam Breach Simulation with the Material Point Method
Authors: Cao Chendi , Neilsen Mitchell
Published: January 2021

Dam embankment breaches caused by overtopping or internal erosion can impact both life and property downstream. It is important to accurately predict the amount of erosion, peak discharge, and the resulting downstream flow. This paper presents a new model based on the material point method to simulate soil and water interaction and predict failure rate parameters. The model assumes that the dam consists of a homogeneous embankment constructed with cohesive soil, and water inflow is defined by a hydrograph using other readily available reach routing software. The model uses continuum mixture theory to describe each phase where each species individually obeys the conservation of mass and momentum. A two-grid material point method is used to discretize the governing equations. The Drucker–Prager plastic flow model, combined with a Hencky strain-based hyperelasticity model, is used to compute soil stress. Water is modeled as a weakly compressible fluid. Analysis of the model demonstrates the efficacy of our approach for existing examples of overtopping dam breach, dam failures, and collisions. Simulation results from our model are compared with a physical-based breach model, WinDAM C. The new model can capture water and soil interaction at a finer granularity than WinDAM C. The new model gradually removes the granular material during the breach process. The impact of material properties on the dam breach process is also analyzed.
Optimized Growth and Laser Application of Yb:LuAG Single-Crystal Fibers by Micro-Pulling-Down Technique
Authors: Wang Anye , Zhang Jian , Ye Shuai , Ma Xiaofei , Wu Baiyi , Wang Siyuan , Wang Feifei , Wang Tao , Zhang Baitao , Jia Zhitai
Published: January 2021

Single-crystal fibers (SCFs) have a great application potential in high-power lasers due to their excellent performance. In this work, high-quality and crack-free Yb3+:Lu3Al5O12 (Yb:LuAG) SCFs were successfully fabricated by the micro-pulling-down (μ-PD) technology. Based on the laser micrometer and the X-ray Laue diffraction results, these Yb:LuAG SCFs have a less than 5% diameter fluctuation and good crystallinity along the axial direction. More importantly, the distribution of Yb ions is proved to be uniform by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and the scanning electron microscope (SEM). In the laser experiment, the continuous-wave (CW) output power using a 1 mm diameter Yb:LuAG single-crystal fiber is determined to be 1.96 W, at the central wavelength of 1047 nm, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 13.55%. Meanwhile, by applying a 3 mm diameter Yb:LuAG SCF, we obtain a 4.7 W CW laser output at 1049 nm with the slope efficiency of 22.17%. The beam quality factor M2 is less than 1.1 in both conditions, indicating a good optical quality of the grown fiber. Our results show that the Yb:LuAG SCF is a potential solid-state laser gain medium for 1 μm high-power lasers.
Cryptic Clitellata: Molecular Species Delimitation of Clitellate Worms (Annelida): An Overview
Authors: Martinsson Svante , Erséus Christer
Published: January 2021

Methods for species delimitation using molecular data have developed greatly and have become a staple in systematic studies of clitellate worms. Here we give a historical overview of the data and methods used to delimit clitellates from the mid-1970s to today. We also discuss the taxonomical treatment of the cryptic species, including the recommendation that cryptic species, as far as possible, should be described and named. Finally, we discuss the prospects and further development of the field.
Novel Metabolic Signatures of Prostate Cancer Revealed by 1H-NMR Metabolomics of Urine
Authors: Yang Bo , Zhang Chuan , Cheng Sheng , Li Gonghui , Griebel Jan , Neuhaus Jochen
Published: January 2021

Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the most common male cancers worldwide. Until now, there is no consensus about using urinary metabolomic profiling as novel biomarkers to identify PC. In this study, urine samples from 50 PC patients and 50 non-cancerous individuals (control group) were collected. Based on 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) analysis, 20 metabolites were identified. Subsequently, principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares-differential analysis (PLS-DA) and ortho-PLS-DA (OPLS-DA) were applied to find metabolites to distinguish PC from the control group. Furthermore, Wilcoxon test was used to find significant differences between the two groups in metabolite urine levels. Guanidinoacetate, phenylacetylglycine, and glycine were significantly increased in PC, while L-lactate and L-alanine were significantly decreased. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis revealed that the combination of guanidinoacetate, phenylacetylglycine, and glycine was able to accurately differentiate 77% of the PC patients with sensitivity = 80% and a specificity = 64%. In addition, those three metabolites showed significant differences in patients stratified for Gleason score 6 and Gleason score ≥7, indicating potential use to detect significant prostate cancer. Pathway enrichment analysis using the KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) and the SMPDB (The Small Molecule Pathway Database) revealed potential involvement of KEGG “Glycine, Serine, and Threonine metabolism” in PC. The present study highlights that guanidinoacetate, phenylacetylglycine, and glycine are potential candidate biomarkers of PC. To the best knowledge of the authors, this is the first study identifying guanidinoacetate, and phenylacetylglycine as potential novel biomarkers in PC.
The Importance of Alliance between Hematologists and Dentists: A Retrospective Study on the Development of Bisphosphonates Osteonecrosis of the Jaws (Bronj) in Multiple Myeloma Patients
Authors: Bacci Christian , Cerrato Alessia , Dotto Virginia , Zambello Renato , Barilà Gregorio , Liço Albana , Semenzato Gianpietro , Stellini Edoardo , Zanette Gastone
Published: January 2021

(1) Background: Multiple myeloma is a rare cancer that primarily affects the bone marrow. Osteoclasts are responsible for increased bone resorption and, therefore, bone destruction. Bisphosphonates are a class of drugs that can slow down bone resorption by reducing the number and action of osteoclasts. Intravenous injections of bisphosphonates (generally Zoledronic Acid) are administered to patients affected by Multiple Myeloma, but BRONJ is described as a serious side effect. This 5-year retrospective study aims to evaluate the efficacy of appropriate dental treatment protocols prior to initiating bisphosphonate therapy to prevent the development of BRONJ. (2) Methods: A total of 99 patients with symptomatic multiple myeloma were involved in this study (41–90 years, mean age 65 years, standard deviation 5 years). The data relating to the visits were tracked using a specific server and consulting the clinical reports. The AAOMS (American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons) position was applied for both diagnosis and treatment. A total of 79 patients were examined before the administration of bisphosphonates (group A) and 20 after (group B). (3) Results: The entire sample required dental treatment: 23.2% underwent restorative therapy, 8% endodontic treatments, 44.4% tooth extractions. Periodontal disease was present in 41.4% of the patients. No osteonecrosis was observed in the first group, whereas BRONJ was found in five patients of the second one (25%) and two patients (10%) showed osteosclerotic areas under investigation [OR 0.026 (CI 0.0027 to 0.2454)]. (4) Conclusions: In the literature, there are no precise data about the prevalence of BRONJ. Despite the limitation of the present study, we point out that dental treatment before the treatment with intravenous bisphosphonates can help in reducing the incidence of BRONJ and good dental status is necessary for BRONJ prevention.
Research on the Coordinated Control of Regenerative Braking System and ABS in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Based on Composite Structure Motor
Authors: Xu Qiwei , Zhou Chuan , Huang Hong , Zhang Xuefeng
Published: January 2021

An antilock braking system (ABS) can ensure that the wheels are not locked during the braking process which is an important system to ensure the safety of braking. Regenerative braking is also a crucial system for hybrid vehicles and helps to improve the cruising range of the car. As such, the coordinated control of a braking system and an ABS is an important research direction. This paper researches the coordinated control of the regenerative braking system and the ABS in the hybrid vehicle based on the composite structure motor (CSM-HEV). Firstly, two new braking modes which are engine-motor coordinated braking (EMCB) and dual-motor braking (DMB) are proposed and the coordinated control model of regenerative braking and ABS is established. Then, for the purpose of optimal operating efficiency and guaranteeing the vehicle brake slip rate, a braking force distribution strategy based on predictive control algorithm is proposed. Finally, the Simulink model is established to simulate the control strategy. Results show that the slip rate can well track the target and ensure the efficient operation of the system. Compared with the normal braking mode, the braking energy recovery rate of EMCB is similar, but it can reduce the fuel loss of the engine during the braking process by 30.1%, DMB can improve the braking energy recovery efficiency by 16.78%, and the response time to track target slip is increased by 12 ms.
Muon–Electron Pulse Shape Discrimination for Water Cherenkov Detectors Based on FPGA/SoC
Authors: Garcia Luis Guillermo , Molina Romina Soledad , Crespo Maria Liz , Carrato Sergio , Ramponi Giovanni , Cicuttin Andres , Morales Ivan Rene , Perez Hector
Published: January 2021

The distinction of secondary particles in extensive air showers, specifically muons and electrons, is one of the requirements to perform a good measurement of the composition of primary cosmic rays. We describe two methods for pulse shape detection and discrimination of muons and electrons implemented on FPGA. One uses an artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm; the other exploits a correlation approach based on finite impulse response (FIR) filters. The novel hls4ml package is used to build the ANN inference model. Both methods were implemented and tested on Xilinx FPGA System on Chip (SoC) devices: ZU9EG Zynq UltraScale+ and ZC7Z020 Zynq. The data set used for the analysis was captured with a data acquisition system on an experimental site based on a water Cherenkov detector. A comparison of the accuracy of the detection, resources utilization and power consumption of both methods is presented. The results show an overall accuracy on particle discrimination of 96.62% for the ANN and 92.50% for the FIR-based correlation, with execution times of 848 ns and 752 ns, respectively.
Cooperation Promotion from the Perspective of Behavioral Economics: An Incentive Mechanism Based on Loss Aversion in Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks
Authors: Liu Jiaqi , Huang Shiyue , Xu Hucheng , Li Deng , Zhong Nan , Liu Hui
Published: January 2021

As a special mobile ad-hoc network, Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs) have the characteristics of high-speed movement, frequent topology changes, multi-hop routing, a lack of energy, storage space limitations, and the possible selfishness of the nodes. These characteristics bring challenges to the design of the incentive mechanism in VANETs. In the current research on the incentive mechanism of VANETs, the mainstream is the reward-based incentive mechanism. Most of these mechanisms are designed based on the expected utility theory of traditional economics and assume that the positive and negative effects produced by an equal amount of gain and loss are equal in absolute value. However, the theory of loss aversion points out that the above effects are not equal. Moreover, this will lead to a deviation between the final decision-making behavior of nodes and the actual optimal situation. Therefore, this paper proposed a Loss-Aversion-based Incentive Mechanism (LAIM) to promote the comprehensive perception and sharing of information in the VANETs. This paper designs the incentive threshold and the threshold factor to motivate vehicle nodes to cooperate. Furthermore, based on the number of messages that the nodes face, the utility function of nodes is redesigned to correct the assumption that a gain and a loss of an equal amount could offset each other in traditional economics. The simulation results show that compared with the traditional incentive mechanism, the LAIM can increase the average utility of nodes by more than 34.35%, which promotes the cooperation of nodes.
The Role of Mixed Criticality Technology in Industry 4.0
Authors: Simó José , Balbastre Patricia , Blanes Juan Francisco , Poza-Luján José-Luis , Guasque Ana
Published: January 2021

Embedded systems used in critical systems, such as aeronautics, have undergone continuous evolution in recent years. In this evolution, many of the functionalities offered by these systems have been adapted through the introduction of network services that achieve high levels of interconnectivity. The high availability of access to communications networks has enabled the development of new applications that introduce control functions with higher levels of intelligence and adaptation. In these applications, it is necessary to manage different components of an application according to their levels of criticality. The concept of “Industry 4.0” has recently emerged to describe high levels of automation and flexibility in production. The digitization and extensive use of information technologies has become the key to industrial systems. Due to their growing importance and social impact, industrial systems have become part of the systems that are considered critical. This evolution of industrial systems forces the appearance of new technical requirements for software architectures that enable the consolidation of multiple applications in common hardware platforms—including those of different criticality levels. These enabling technologies, together with use of reference models and standardization facilitate the effective transition to this approach. This article analyses the structure of Industry 4.0 systems providing a comprehensive review of existing techniques. The levels and mechanisms of interaction between components are analyzed while considering the impact that the handling of multiple levels of criticality has on the architecture itself—and on the functionalities of the support middleware. Finally, this paper outcomes some of the challenges from a technological and research point of view that the authors identify as crucial for the successful development of these technologies.
Fog Computing Enabled Locality Based Product Demand Prediction and Decision Making Using Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Neelakantam Gone , Onthoni Djeane Debora , Sahoo Prasan Kumar
Published: January 2021

Wastage of perishable and non-perishable products due to manual monitoring in shopping malls creates huge revenue loss in supermarket industry. Besides, internal and external factors such as calendar events and weather condition contribute to excess wastage of products in different regions of supermarket. It is a challenging job to know about the wastage of the products manually in different supermarkets region-wise. Therefore, the supermarket management needs to take appropriate decision and action to prevent the wastage of products. The fog computing data centers located in each region can collect, process and analyze data for demand prediction and decision making. In this paper, a product-demand prediction model is designed using integrated Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and K-means Unsupervised Learning (UL) algorithms and a decision making model is developed using State-Action-Reward-State-Action (SARSA) Reinforcement Learning (RL) algorithm. Our proposed method can cluster the products into low, medium, and high-demand product by learning from the designed features. Taking the derived cluster model, decision making for distributing low-demand to high-demand product can be made using SARSA. Experimental results show that our proposed method can cluster the datasets well with a Silhouette score of ≥60%. Besides, our adopted SARSA-based decision making model outperforms over Q-Learning, Monte-Carlo, Deep Q-Network (DQN), and Actor-Critic algorithms in terms of maximum cumulative reward, average cumulative reward and execution time.
Design and Implementation of a Farrow-Interpolator-Based Digital Front-End in LTE Receivers for Carrier Aggregation
Authors: Park Chester Sungchung , Kim Sunwoo , Wang Jooho , Park Sungkyung
Published: January 2021

A digital front-end decimation chain based on both Farrow interpolator for fractional sample-rate conversion and a digital mixer is proposed in order to comply with the long-term evolution standards in radio receivers with ten frequency modes. Design requirement specifications with adjacent channel selectivity, inband blockers, and narrowband blockers are all satisfied so that the proposed digital front-end is 3GPP-compliant. Furthermore, the proposed digital front-end addresses carrier aggregation in the standards via appropriate frequency translations. The digital front-end has a cascaded integrator comb filter prior to Farrow interpolator and also has a per-carrier carrier aggregation filter and channel selection filter following the digital mixer. A Farrow interpolator with an integrate-and-dump circuitry controlled by a condition signal is proposed and also a digital mixer with periodic reset to prevent phase error accumulation is proposed. From the standpoint of design methodology, three models are all developed for the overall digital front-end, namely, functional models, cycle-accurate models, and bit-accurate models. Performance is verified by means of the cycle-accurate model and subsequently, by means of a special C++ class, the bitwidths are minimized in a methodic manner for area minimization. For system-level performance verification, the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing receiver is also modeled. The critical path delay of each building block is analyzed and the spectral-domain view is obtained for each building block of the digital front-end circuitry. The proposed digital front-end circuitry is simulated, designed, and both synthesized in a 180 nm CMOS application-specific integrated circuit technology and implemented in the Xilinx XC6VLX550T field-programmable gate array (Xilinx, San Jose, CA, USA).
Two-Stage Hybrid Network Clustering Using Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Kim Joohyun , Ryu Dongkwan , Kim Juyeon , Kim Jae-Hoon
Published: January 2021

In the Internet-of-Things (IoT) environments, the publish (pub)/subscribe (sub)-operated communication is widely employed. The use of pub/sub operation as a lightweight communication protocol facilitates communication among IoTs. The protocol consists of network nodes functioning as publishers, subscribers, and brokers, wherein brokers transfer messages from publishers to subscribers. Thus, the communication capability of the broker is a critical factor in the overall communication performance. In this study, multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) is applied to find the best combination of broker nodes. MARL goes through various combinations of broker nodes to find the best combination. However, MARL is inefficient to perform with an excessive number of broker nodes. Delaunay triangulation selects candidate broker nodes among the pool of broker nodes. The selection process operates as a preprocessing of the MARL. The suggested Delaunay triangulation is improved by the custom deletion method. Consequently, the two-stage hybrid approach outperforms any methods employing single-agent reinforcement learning (SARL). The MARL eliminates the performance fluctuation of the SARL caused by the iterative selection of broker nodes. Furthermore, the proposed approach requires a fewer number of candidate broker nodes and converges faster.
The Impacts of Drought Stress and Phytophthora cinnamomi Infection on Short-Term Water Relations in Two Year-Old Eucalyptus obliqua
Authors: Umami Mashlahatul , Parker Linda M. , Arndt Stefan K.
Published: January 2021

The effects of drought stress, Phytophthora cinnamomi infection and their interaction on water relations and growth were examined for 28 days on two year-old potted trees of Eucalyptus obliqua (L’Hér.). There were significant effects of drought stress on plant photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, biomass accumulation, plant water potential at turgor loss point and the bulk modulus of elasticity. E. obliqua was successfully infected but the trees showed only mild symptoms. Infection with P. cinnamomi led to a significant reduction in the root biomass and root-to-shoot ratio in well-watered and droughted plants but did not impact water relations. There was no observable cumulative effect of drought and P. cinnamomi infection. There are multiple potential reasons why P. cinnamomi infection did not lead to drought-like symptoms in E. obliqua, including short experimental duration, delayed infection symptoms, potential resistance of E. obliqua and a possible lower aggressiveness of the P. cinnamomi strain. Hence, our results indicate that P. cinnamomi infection will not always lead to immediate short-term symptoms, and that plants that are mildly symptomatic respond very similar to drought stress compared to non-infected trees.
Genetic and Environmental Variation in Starch Content, Starch Granule Distribution and Starch Polymer Molecular Characteristics of French Bread Wheat
Authors: Rhazi Larbi , Méléard Benoît , Daaloul Olfa , Grignon Guénolé , Branlard Gérard , Aussenac Thierry
Published: January 2021

This study investigates genetic and environmental variation in starch content and characteristics of 14 French bread cultivars. Understanding the impact of these factors on wheat quality is important for processors and especially bakers to maintain and meet the requirements of industrial specifications. Different traits were evaluated: starch content, distribution of starch granules, percentage of amylose and amylopectin and their molecular characteristics (weight-average molar mass, number-average molar mass, polydispersity and gyration radius). Genetic, environment and their interaction had significant effects on all parameters. The relative magnitude of variance attributed to growth conditions, for most traits, was substantially higher (21% to 95%) than that attributed to either genotype (2% to 73%) or G × E interaction (2% to 17%). The largest environmental contribution (95%) to total variance was found for starch dispersity. The highest genetic influence was found for the percentage of A-type starch granules. G × E interaction had relatively little influence (≈7%) on total phenotypic variance. All molecular characteristics were much more influenced by environment than the respective percentages of amylose and amylopectin were. This huge difference in variance between factors obviously revealed the importance of the effect of growing conditions on characteristics of cultivars.
Use of New Glycerol-Based Dendrimers for Essential Oils Encapsulation: Optimization of Stirring Time and Rate Using a Plackett—Burman Design and a Surface Response Methodology
Authors: Maes Chloë , Brostaux Yves , Bouquillon Sandrine , Fauconnier Marie-Laure
Published: January 2021

Essential oils are used in an increasing number of applications including biopesticides. Their volatility minimizes the risk of residue but can also be a constraint if the release is rapid and uncontrolled. Solutions allowing the encapsulation of essential oils are therefore strongly researched. In this study, essential oils encapsulation was carried out within dendrimers to control their volatility. Indeed, a spontaneous complexation occurs in a solution of dendrimers with essential oils which maintains it longer. Six parameters (temperature, stirring rate, relative concentration, solvent volume, stirring time, and pH) of this reaction has been optimized by two steps: first a screening of the parameters that influence the encapsulation with a Plackett–Burmann design the most followed by an optimization of those ones by a surface response methodology. In this study, two essential oils with herbicide properties were used: the essential oils of Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume and Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt; and four biosourced dendrimers: glycerodendrimers derived from polypropylenimine and polyamidoamine, a glyceroclikdendrimer, and a glyceroladendrimer. Meta-analysis of all Plackett–Burman assays determined that rate and stirring time were effective on the retention rate thereby these parameters were used for the surface response methodology part. Each combination gives a different optimum depending on the structure of these molecules.
Macroalgae-Fortified Sausages: Nutritional and Quality Aspects Influenced by Non-Thermal High-Pressure Processing
Authors: Marçal Catarina , Pinto Carlos A. , Silva Artur M. S. , Monteiro Carla , Saraiva Jorge A. , Cardoso Susana M.
Published: January 2021

The present work evaluated the nutritional impact of macroalgae flours used as new ingredients in fermented sausages and the feasibility of using high-pressure processing (HPP) as a non-thermal pasteurization methodology to keep the quality attributes of the new food products. A commercial macroalgae mix was used in the formulation of new macroalgae-fortified meat frankfurter sausages (F-MFS), macroalgae-fortified vegetable frankfurter sausages (F-VFS) and in macroalgae-fortified traditional Portuguese sausage “chouriço” (F-TPS), overall incrementing the contents of Mg, K, Ca, Mn and Fe and decreasing the Na/K ratio. The application of HPP allowed extending the shelf-life of frankfurters by about 3-fold and improved the safety of “chouriço” along 180 days of storage, keeping its microbial load below the detection limit. The prevention of microbial growth in F-MFS and F-VFS was accompanied by pH stability of the products. In addition, no significant detriment on surface color and fatty acids was observed between pressurized and non-pressurized sausages, allowing consolidating the suitability of HPP in seaweed-fortified fermented sausages.
Special Issue: Genetic Perspectives in Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Silva Susana Nunes
Published: January 2021

Thyroid cancer is not just a common type of cancer, it is the most frequently diagnosed endocrine malignancy worldwide [...]
Msh Pilus Mutations Increase the Ability of a Free-Living Bacterium to Colonize a Piscine Host
Authors: Lebov Jarrett F. , Bohannan Brendan J. M.
Published: January 2021

Symbioses between animals and bacteria are ubiquitous. To better understand these relationships, it is essential to unravel how bacteria evolve to colonize hosts. Previously, we serially passaged the free-living bacterium, Shewanella oneidensis, through the digestive tracts of germ-free larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) to uncover the evolutionary changes involved in the initiation of a novel symbiosis with a vertebrate host. After 20 passages, we discovered an adaptive missense mutation in the mshL gene of the msh pilus operon, which improved host colonization, increased swimming motility, and reduced surface adhesion. In the present study, we determined that this mutation was a loss-of-function mutation and found that it improved zebrafish colonization by augmenting S. oneidensis representation in the water column outside larvae through a reduced association with environmental surfaces. Additionally, we found that strains containing the mshL mutation were able to immigrate into host digestive tracts at higher rates per capita. However, mutant and evolved strains exhibited no evidence of a competitive advantage after colonizing hosts. Our results demonstrate that bacterial behaviors outside the host can play a dominant role in facilitating the onset of novel host associations.
Splicing Genomics Events in Cervical Cancer: Insights for Phenotypic Stratification and Biomarker Potency
Authors: Francies Flavia Zita , Bassa Sheynaz , Chatziioannou Aristotelis , Kaufmann Andreas Martin , Dlamini Zodwa
Published: January 2021

Gynaecological cancers are attributed to the second most diagnosed cancers in women after breast cancer. On a global scale, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer and the most common cancer in developing countries with rapidly increasing mortality rates. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a major contributor to the disease. HPV infections cause prominent cellular changes including alternative splicing to drive malignant transformation. A fundamental characteristic attributed to cancer is the dysregulation of cellular transcription. Alternative splicing is regulated by several splicing factors and molecular changes in these factors lead to cancer mechanisms such as tumour development and progression and drug resistance. The serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins and heterogeneous ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) have prominent roles in modulating alternative splicing. Evidence shows molecular alteration and expression levels in these splicing factors in cervical cancer. Furthermore, aberrant splicing events in cancer-related genes lead to chemo- and radioresistance. Identifying clinically relevant modifications in alternative splicing events and splicing variants, in cervical cancer, as potential biomarkers for their role in cancer progression and therapy resistance is scrutinised. This review will focus on the molecular mechanisms underlying the aberrant splicing events in cervical cancer that may serve as potential biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and novel drug targets.
Access to Information and Degree of Community Awareness of Preventive Health Measures in the Face of COVID-19 in Spain
Authors: Gutiérrez-Velasco Laura , Liébana-Presa Cristina , Abella-Santos Elena , Villar-Suárez Vega , Fernández-Gutiérrez Rocío , Fernández-Martínez Elena
Published: January 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic is posing a major health crisis. Spanish legislation establishes the mandatory use of masks and the implementation of hygienic measures such as hand washing and physical distancing. The aim of this study is to describe access to information and the level of community knowledge/adoption about the preventive measures proposed by the Spanish health authorities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to analyze the influence of socio-demographic factors in compliance among people over 18 years of age resident in Spain. An observational, descriptive and transversal study was conducted. Data was collected on sociodemographic variables, access to information and the degree of knowledge/adoption about the preventive measures: use of masks, hand hygiene and physical distancing. A total of 1811 people participated. The average age was 45.1 ± 15.1 years, predominantly female (69.3%), from an urban geographical area (74%), with a higher education level of 53.2%. Most of the respondents (57.5%) are or live with people at risk. The main access to information on preventive measures was from secondary sources (49.2%), with television being the main medium; 72.3% think that there are some difficulties in accessing information, while 8.7% of the participants do not consider the use of masks to be useful. As regards the choice of type of mask, the majority of people (44.8%) opt for the surgical variety; 88.5% of respondents believe that the physical distancing established is at least 1.5 m. This study confirmed that socio-demographic factors influence compliance with or the degree of knowledge/adoption of the preventive measures proposed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and has made it possible to ascertain the sectors of the population with the greatest deficiencies in this respect. It shows the importance of implementing health information and education systems in the community, and it is advisable to promote specific programs aimed at men, people living in rural areas and people with a low level of education.
Tree Planting Density and Canopy Position Affect ‘Cerasuola’ and ‘Koroneiki’ Olive Oil Quality
Authors: Grilo Filipa , Sedaghat Sahar , Di Stefano Vita , Sacchi Raffaele , Caruso Tiziano , Lo Bianco Riccardo
Published: January 2021

To maximize orchard production and tree crop efficiency, optimization of both maximum orchard light interception and radiation distribution within the tree canopy are important strategies. To study the influence of planting density and fruit position within the canopy on oil quality from ‘Cerasuola’ and ‘Koroneiki’ olive (Olea europaea L.), fruits were harvested from the upper and lower canopy layers of trees in hedgerow planting systems at two densities: High at 1000 trees ha−1 (HD) and Medium at 500 trees ha−1 (MD). Tree crop efficiency and fruit weight, water and fat content were measured together with olive oil standard quality parameters, phenolic and volatile composition. Fruits in the upper layers of the canopy always showed a higher maturity index, 6% more fat content, and 4% less water content than lower layers. Upper layers of HD trees showed the highest phenol content, whereas lower layers of MD trees showed the lowest phenol content (36% less than the upper layers of HD). HD trees showed the largest differences in fruit maturation, water and fat content between upper and lower canopy positions, increasing quality and oil yield variability at harvest. ‘Koroneiki’ showed more stable oils with a 28% higher MUFA/PUFA ratio and 12% higher phenol content than ‘Cerasuola’ oils. This study provides further evidence of the fact that cultivar, planting density, and canopy architecture may be strong determinants of olive oil yield and composition in hedgerow planting systems.
Time Distances to Residential Food Amenities and Daily Walking Duration: A Cross-Sectional Study in Two Low Tier Chinese Cities
Authors: Sun Ziwen , Scott Iain , Bell Simon , Zhang Xiaomeng , Wang Lan
Published: January 2021

Recent studies indicate the accepted concept of using land-use mix (LUM) to promote physical activity is ineffective and even counteractive in the Chinese context. Before considering LUM as a whole, different amenity types need to be respectively analyzed in relation to various functions and demands. This study aims to examine the specific associations between food-related amenities and perceived daily walking duration (WD) in small Chinese cities. Two interviewer-administered questionnaire surveys (n = 354) were conducted in Yuncheng and Suihua between 2017 and 2018. Logistic regression models were used to examine the associations of WD with seven different categories of food outlet at three levels of walking distance. The associations were further explored by food environment diversity and through two age groups. With the exception of café/tea house, the other six food outlets were positively associated with WD. After adjusting for socioeconomic variables, the associations of grocery store and supermarket weakened. Higher levels of food environment diversity were associated with a longer WD. Among the age groups, food outlets were more associated with older adults’ WD. This novel quantitative study suggests that increasing the number and heterogeneity of food-related amenities (including mobile street vendors) within a neighborhood can enhance physical activity in small Chinese cities.
Effects of an African Circle Dance Programme on Internally Displaced Persons with Depressive Symptoms: A Quasi-Experimental Study
Authors: Salihu Dauda , Wong Eliza M. L. , Kwan Rick Y. C.
Published: January 2021

Background: Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are people who have been forced to flee their homes due to disasters. Depressive symptoms, at over 31–67%, are prevalent in IDPs in Africa. Despite the evidence for the benefits of the promotion of dance interventions on psychological health, supporting information is needed to outline the benefits of an African Circle Dance (ACD) intervention for IDPs in Africa. Methods: A quasi-experimental design (pre-/post-test) was employed. Two IDP camps were randomized into the intervention group (psychoeducation and ACD intervention) and the control group (psychoeducation). Adults aged ≥18 years, living in an IDP camp, able to perform brisk walking, and who scored ≥10 on a depressive symptoms subscale were recruited. The intervention group received an 8-week ACD dance intervention and two 1-h psychoeducation sessions on stress management; the controls only received the psychoeducation sessions. Outcomes were depressive symptoms, stress, and anxiety. Data were collected at baseline (T0), immediately after the intervention at week 8 (T1), and at week 12 (T2) at the post-intervention and follow-up session. A generalized estimating equation was used to test the effects of the ACD intervention, with a 0.05 significance level. Results: 198 IDPs completed the study (ncontrol = 98; nintervention = 100). The intervention group reported significantly greater improvements in depressive symptoms (v = 0.33, p < 0.001) and stress (v = 0.15, 0.008) than did the control group. Conclusions: ACD could be a valuable complementary intervention in health promotion but more research is needed.