bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nitrogen-Doped Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Modified by an Electron Beam for Improving Human Breast Cancer Detection by Raman Spectroscopy: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Surmacki Jakub
Published: September 2020

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is commonly used as a pigment in paints, paper products, polymer compositions, and cosmetic products, and even as a food additive or drug coating material. In recent times, it has also been used in photovoltaic cells, semiconductors, biomedical devices, and air purification. In this paper, the potential application of nitrogen-doped TiO2 nanoparticles modified by an electron beam for improving human breast cancer detection by Raman spectroscopy is presented. Raman spectroscopy (RS) is a promising noninvasive analytical technique in cancer detection that enables us to retrieve a molecular signature of the biochemical composition of cancerous tissue. However, RS still has some challenges in signal detection, mainly related to strong concurrent background fluorescence from the analyzed tissue. The Raman signal scattering is several orders of magnitude smaller than the fluorescence intensity, and strong fluorescence masks a much weaker Raman signal. The Raman results demonstrate that the N-doped TiO2 electron beam-irradiated nanoparticles amplify the Raman scattering. The intrinsic properties of the adsorbed molecules from human breast tissue and the surface properties of the N-doped TiO2 electron beam-irradiated nanoparticles (the excited electron–hole pair at the surface) have a significant effect on the enhanced Raman signal intensity.
Coagulation Profiles of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Patients, Assessed by Non-Conventional Hemostatic Tests and Markers of Platelet Activation and Endothelial Dysfunction
Authors: Vrigkou Eleni , Tsantes Argyrios E. , Kopterides Petros , Orfanos Stylianos E. , Armaganidis Apostolos , Maratou Eirini , Rapti Evdoxia , Pappas Athanasios , Tsantes Andreas G. , Tsangaris Iraklis
Published: September 2020

Many pathophysiologic processes of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), namely, excess vasoconstriction, vascular remodeling and in situ thrombosis, involve the coagulation cascade, and more specifically, platelets. The aim of this study was to globally assess coagulation processes in PAH, by using non-conventional hemostatic tests, along with markers of platelet activation and endothelial dysfunction. We studied 44 new PAH patients (22 with idiopathic PAH and 22 with connective tissue disease) and 25 healthy controls. The following tests were performed: platelet function analyzer-100 (PFA-100), light transmission aggregometry (LTA), rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM), endogenous thrombin potential (ETP), serotonin, thromboxane A2 and p-selectin plasma levels, and von Willebrand antigen (VWF:Ag) and activity (VWF:Ac). Our results showed that PAH patients had diminished platelet aggregation, presence of disaggregation, defective initiation of the clotting process and clot propagation, and diminished thrombin formation capacity. Serotonin, thromboxane A2 and p-selectin levels were increased, and VWF:Ag and VWF:Ac decreased in the same population. The results of this study suggest that the platelets of PAH patients are activated and present functional abnormalities. The procoagulant activity, in general, appears to be impaired probably due to a sustained and prolonged activation of the procoagulant processes. Larger observational studies are warranted to confirm these laboratory findings.
How ‘Networked’ are Online Collaborative Concept-Maps? Introducing Metrics for Quantifying and Comparing the ‘Networkedness’ of Collaboratively Constructed Content
Authors: Sher Noa , Kent Carmel , Rafaeli Sheizaf
Published: September 2020

With the growing role of online multi-participant collaborations in shaping the academic, professional, and civic spheres, incorporating collaborative online practices in educational settings has become imperative. As more educators include such practices in their curricula, they are faced with new challenges. Assessment of collaborations, especially in larger groups, is particularly challenging. Assessing the quality of the collaborative “thought process” and its product is essential for both pedagogical and evaluative purposes. While traditional quantitative quality measures were designed for individual work or the aggregated work of individuals, capturing the complexity and the integrative nature of high-quality collaborative learning requires novel methodologies. Network analysis provides methods and tools that can identify, describe, and quantify non-linear and complex phenomena. This paper applies network analysis to the content created by students through large-scale online collaborative concept-mapping and explores how these can be applied for the assessment of the quality of a collective product. Quantitative network structure measures are introduced for this purpose. The application and the affordances of these metrics are demonstrated on data from six large-group online collaborative discussions from academic settings. The metrics presented here address the organization and the integration of the content and enable a comparison of collaborative discussions.
An Efficient Numerical Formulation for Wave Propagation in Magnetized Plasma Using PITD Method
Authors: Kang Zhen , Huang Ming , Li Weilin , Wang Yufeng , Yang Fang
Published: September 2020

A modified precise-integration time-domain (PITD) formulation is presented to model the wave propagation in magnetized plasma based on the auxiliary differential equation (ADE). The most prominent advantage of this algorithm is using a time-step size which is larger than the maximum value of the Courant–Friedrich–Levy (CFL) condition to achieve the simulation with a satisfying accuracy. In this formulation, Maxwell’s equations in magnetized plasma are obtained by using the auxiliary variables and equations. Then, the spatial derivative is approximated by the second-order finite-difference method only, and the precise integration (PI) scheme is used to solve the resulting ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The numerical stability and dispersion error of this modified method are discussed in detail in magnetized plasma. The stability analysis validates that the simulated time-step size of this method can be chosen much larger than that of the CFL condition in the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations. According to the numerical dispersion analysis, the range of the relative error in this method is 10−6 to 5×10−4 when the electromagnetic wave frequency is from 1 GHz to 100 GHz. More particularly, it should be emphasized that the numerical dispersion error is almost invariant under different time-step sizes which is similar to the conventional PITD method in the free space. This means that with the increase of the time-step size, the presented method still has a lower computational error in the simulations. Numerical experiments verify that the presented method is reliable and efficient for the magnetized plasma problems. Compared with the formulations based on the FDTD method, e.g., the ADE-FDTD method and the JE convolution FDTD (JEC-FDTD) method, the modified algorithm in this paper can employ a larger time step and has simpler iterative formulas so as to reduce the execution time. Moreover, it is found that the presented method is more accurate than the methods based on the FDTD scheme, especially in the high frequency range, according to the results of the magnetized plasma slab. In conclusion, the presented method is efficient and accurate for simulating the wave propagation in magnetized plasma.
EM-Sign: A Non-Contact Recognition Method Based on 24 GHz Doppler Radar for Continuous Signs and Dialogues
Authors: Ye Linting , Lan Shengchang , Zhang Kang , Zhang Guiyuan
Published: September 2020

We studied continuous sign language recognition using Doppler radar sensors. Four signs in Chinese sign language and American sign language were captured and extracted by complex empirical mode decomposition (CEMD) to obtain spectrograms. Image sharpening was used to enhance the micro-Doppler signatures of the signs. To classify the different signs, we utilized an improved Yolov3-tiny network by replacing the framework with ResNet and fine-tuned the network in advance. This method can remove the epentheses from the training process. Experimental results revealed that the proposed method can surpass the state-of-the-art sign language recognition methods in continuous sign recognition with a precision of 0.924, a recall of 0.993, an F1-measure of 0.957 and a mean average precision (mAP) of 0.99. In addition, dialogue recognition in three daily conversation scenarios was performed and evaluated. The average word error rate (WER) was 0.235, 10% lower than in of other works. Our work provides an alternative form of sign language recognition and a new approach to simplify the training process and achieve a better continuous sign language recognition effect.
Isolation Improvement in UWB-MIMO Antenna System Using Slotted Stub
Authors: Altaf Ahsan , Iqbal Amjad , Smida Amor , Smida Jamel , Althuwayb Ayman A. , Hassan Kiani Saad , Alibakhshikenari Mohammad , Falcone Francisco , Limiti Ernesto
Published: September 2020

Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) scheme refers to the technology where more than one antenna is used for transmitting and receiving the information packets. It enhances the channel capacity without more power. The available space in the modern compact devices is limited and MIMO antenna elements need to be placed closely. The closely spaced antennas undergo an undesirable coupling, which deteriorates the antenna parameters. In this paper, an ultra wide-band (UWB) MIMO antenna system with an improved isolation is presented. The system has a wide bandwidth range from 2–13.7 GHz. The antenna elements are closely placed with an edge to edge distance of 3 mm. In addition to the UWB attribute of the system, the mutual coupling between the antennas is reduced by using slotted stub. The isolation is improved and is below −20 dB within the whole operating range. By introducing the decoupling network, the key performance parameters of the antenna are not affected. The system is designed on an inexpensive and easily available FR-4 substrate. To better understand the working of the proposed system, the equivalent circuit model is also presented. To model the proposed system accurately, different radiating modes and inter-mode coupling is considered and modeled. The EM model, circuit model, and the measured results are in good agreement. Different key performance parameters of the system and the antenna element such as envelope correlation coefficient (ECC), diversity gain, channel capcity loss (CCL) gain, radiation patterns, surface currents, and scattering parameters are presented. State-of-the-art comparison with the recent literature shows that the proposed antenna has minimal dimensions, a large bandwidth, an adequate gain value and a high isolation. It is worth noticeable that the proposed antenna has high isolation even the patches has low edge-to-edge gap (3 mm). Based on its good performance and compact dimensions, the proposed antenna is a suitable choice for high throughput compact UWB transceivers.
A Survey of Context-Aware Recommendation Schemes in Event-Based Social Networks
Authors: Huang Xiaomei , Liao Guoqiong , Xiong Naixue , Vasilakos Athanasios V. , Lan Tianming
Published: September 2020

In recent years, Event-based social network (EBSN) applications, such as Meetup and DoubanEvent, have received popularity and rapid growth. They provide convenient online platforms for users to create, publish, and organize social events, which will be held in physical places. Additionally, they not only support typical online social networking facilities (e.g., sharing comments and photos), but also promote face-to-face offline social interactions. To provide better service for users, Context-Aware Recommender Systems (CARS) in EBSNs have recently been singled out as a fascinating area of research. CARS in EBSNs provide the suitable recommendation to target users by incorporating the contextual factors into the recommendation process. This paper provides an overview on the development of CARS in EBSNs. We begin by illustrating the concept of the term context and the paradigms of conventional context-aware recommendation process. Subsequently, we introduce the formal definition of an EBSN, the characteristics of EBSNs, the challenges that are faced by CARS in EBSNs, and the implementation process of CARS in EBSNs. We also investigate which contextual factors are considered and how they are represented in the recommendation process. Next, we focus on the state-of-the-art computational techniques regarding CARS in EBSNs. We also overview the datasets and evaluation metrics for evaluation in this research area, and discuss the applications of context-aware recommendation in EBSNs. Finally, we point out research opportunities for the research community.
Resource Allocation for GBR Services in D2D-Enabled Communication
Authors: Park Jae Hyun , Kwon Doyle , Kim Duk Kyung
Published: September 2020

In device-to-device (D2D)-enabled communications, a channel can be matched to a cellular user (CU)–D2D user (DU) pair, where either two separate resources can be allocated in a dedicated mode, or a single resource is shared in a shared mode. It affects the channel capacity and the channel bandwidth needed to guarantee the target data rate. The transmit power also needs to be adaptively controlled according to channel bandwidth, as well as channel quality. In this paper, we propose a resource allocation scheme to minimize the total channel bandwidth while guaranteeing the target data rate of guaranteed bit rate services. The original problem is separated into two sub-problems; (1) the channel bandwidth calculation and channel sharing mode selection for arbitrary matching (2) the 3-D matching problem of the CU, DU and channel. To mitigate computational complexity, the 3-D matching problem is transformed into two 2-D matching problems, and a sub-optimal solution is derived using a sub-gradient algorithm. From numerical results, it was confirmed that the average channel bandwidth was almost the same even though the computational complexity of the sub-optimal algorithm was very low compared to the original algorithm. We also investigate the impact of various parameters, such as maximum D2D distance and the number of users.
A Model-Free Control Scheme for Attitude Stabilization of Quadrotor Systems
Authors: Baek Jaemin , Jung Jinmyung
Published: September 2020

This paper presents an extended time-delayed control (ETDC) scheme and applies it to a quadrotor system. The proposed ETDC scheme uses a one-sample delayed information of the system for canceling out the uncertainties and disturbances in nonlinear quadrotor system, which involves a combination of pole-placement term to deal with the pole assignment. Thus, the proposed one requires no prior knowledge about the quadrotor dynamics, which is called model-free control scheme, and then assures fast convergence rate while providing simplicity structure. To suppress time-delayed estimation (TDE) errors generated by using one-sample delayed information of the system, a new auxiliary control scheme is designed in the proposed ETDC scheme. It results in a proper switching gain without undesirable side effect, including chattering and input fluctuation. Moreover, given that it does not require any number of additional parameters, the number of the parameters in the proposed ETDC scheme has no change compared to that in conventional time-delayed control. From these benefits, the proposed one can be recognized as a simple and effective alternative to the quadrotor system with nonlinearity and complexity. The tracking errors are proved to be uniformly ultimately bounded through Lyapunov function. The effectiveness of the proposed ETDC scheme is verified by the simulation with the quadrotor system, which is compared to that of the conventional time-delayed control scheme.
I2E: A Cognitive Architecture Based on Emotions for Assistive Robotics Applications
Authors: Martins Priscila Silva , Faria Gedson , Cerqueira Jés de Jesus Fiais
Published: September 2020

Emotions and personality play an essential role in human behavior, their considerations, and decision-making. Humans infer emotions from several modals, merging them all. They are an interface between a subject’s internal and external means. This paper presents the design, implementation, and tests of the Inference of an Emotional State (I2E): a cognitive architecture based on emotions for assistive robotics applications, which uses, as inputs, emotions recognized previously by four affective modals who inferred the emotional state to an assistive robot. Unlike solutions that classify emotions, with a single sign, the architecture proposed in this article will merge four sources of information about emotions into one. For this inference to be closer to a human being, a Fuzzy System Mamdani was used to infer the user’s personalities, and a MultiLayer Perceptron (MLP) was used to infer the robot’s personality. The hypothesis tested in this work was based on the Mehrabian studies and in addition to three experts in psychologists. The I2E architecture proved to be quite efficient for identifying an emotion with various types of input.
Area-Efficient Vision-Based Feature Tracker for Autonomous Hovering of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Authors: Kim Hyeon , Cho Jaechan , Jung Yongchul , Lee Seongjoo , Jung Yunho
Published: September 2020

In this paper, we propose a vision-based feature tracker for the autonomous hovering of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and present an area-efficient hardware architecture for its integration into a flight control system-on-chip, which is essential for small UAVs. The proposed feature tracker is based on the Shi–Tomasi algorithm for feature detection and the pyramidal Lucas–Kanade (PLK) algorithm for feature tracking. By applying an efficient hardware structure that leverages the common computations between the Shi–Tomasi and PLK algorithms, the proposed feature tracker offers good tracking performance with fewer hardware resources than existing feature tracker implementations. To evaluate the tracking performance of the proposed feature tracker, we compared it with the GPS-based trajectories of a drone in various flight environments, such as lawn, asphalt, and sidewalk blocks. The proposed tracker exhibited an average accuracy of 0.039 in terms of normalized root-mean-square error (NRMSE). The proposed feature tracker was designed using the Verilog hardware description language and implemented on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The proposed feature tracker has 2744 slices, 25 DSPs, and 93 Kbit memory and can support the real-time processing at 417 FPS and an operating frequency of 130 MHz for 640 × 480 VGA images.
Accurate Empirical Calculation System for Predicting the Seepage Discharge and Free Surface Location of Earth Dam over Horizontal Impervious Foundation
Authors: Fukuchi Tsugio
Published: September 2020

In the numerical analysis of the Laplace equation, which is the governing equation of the seepage phenomena of homogeneous, isotropic earth dams, it has been confirmed that numerical analysis with high accuracy is possible by using the interpolation finite difference method (IFDM). In a previous paper, based on this numerical analysis method, the equivalent Kozeny (KZ) flow method was proposed as a new empirical method to calculate the seepage discharges and free surface locations of earth dams. Although this method is generally a highly accurate method compared with the empirical method of A. Casagrande, owing to calculating the seepage problems within a few percentages of discharge relative errors, several additional studies are necessary. By integrating the finding of this study to the previous literature, an empirical seepage calculation system with high accuracy, the equivalent KZ flow method, is created. Owing to the finally proposed empirical method, called “interpolation-equivalent KZ flow method”, the discharge and free surface location can be predicted with high accuracy in a wide range.
Understanding Tree Health under Increasing Climate and Trade Challenges: Social System Considerations
Authors: Marzano Mariella , Urquhart Julie
Published: September 2020

Tree and forest health is increasingly influenced by climate change as well as growing globalisation and trade. Climate change enables species to colonise new environments, and species that previously were constrained by native predators are now able to flourish in these new environments with little or no resistance. Additionally, the growing trade in live plants and wood products results in the inadvertent movement of species (such as pests or fungi in soil) from far away areas of the globe. As a result, new forest and tree risks may occur with the potential for significant impacts on forest and tree health. However, managing these impacts through legislation and policy is a challenge, particularly in terms of balancing a predominant free trade policy alongside substantial biosecurity concerns. This Special Issue highlights the social system considerations around forest health: the ways in which specific legislative and policy systems, at the national, regional or local level, aim at regulating or managing increasing invasive species risks and outbreak events; the ways in which policy instruments, technologies or management practices can be developed to manage tree pests and pathogens; and the socioeconomic and cultural implications of pest or disease outbreaks. It illustrates the possibilities and limitations in specific socioeconomic and political systems to manage and limit the impacts of increasing challenges to forest health under climate change and globalisation.
Effect of Pasteurization and Ripening Temperature on Chemical and Sensory Characteristics of Traditional Motal Cheese
Authors: Rezaei Ashkan , Alirezalu Kazem , Damirchi Sodeif Azadmard , Hesari Javad , Papademas Photis , Domínguez Rubén , Lorenzo José M. , Yaghoubi Milad
Published: September 2020

The appropriate physicochemical and sensory characteristics and the traditional elaboration process of Motal cheese resulted in a high consumer acceptability. However, different process steps could have a significant effect on these characteristics. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of pasteurization, ripening time, and ripening temperature (6 °C and 12 °C) on the physicochemical properties, sensory characteristics, and proteolysis and lipolysis phenomenon of traditional Motal cheese. The cheeses were evaluated each 15 days during 3 months of ripening process. The results showed that pasteurization and ripening temperature had a significant effect on pH, acidity, dry matter, fat, protein, and salt (p < 0.05), which were higher in pasteurized cheeses ripened at higher temperature (12 °C). Moreover, the content of these parameters increased as ripening progressed. Proteolysis and lipolysis intensity were higher in the cheeses elaborated form raw milk and ripened at 12 °C (R12), mainly due to the higher activity of enzymes and/or bacteria. As a general conclusion, the pasteurization and low-temperature ripening process allows us to have a homogeneous product and ensure the microbiological stability of the cheeses, as well as presents higher physicochemical qualities than those obtained from raw milk.
Tourist Behaviour Analysis Based on Digital Pattern of Life—An Approach and Case Study
Authors: Mikhailov Sergei , Kashevnik Alexey
Published: September 2020

The tourism industry has been rapidly growing over the last years and IT technologies have had a great affect on tourists as well. Tourist behaviour analysis has been the subject of different research studies in recent years. This paper presents the digital pattern of life concept which simplifies the tourist behaviour models’ construction and usage. The digital pattern of life defines the general concepts of tourist behaviour, connects the tourist and the digital world and allows us to track behaviour changes over time. A literature review of the current state of the research in selected fields is performed for identifying the existing problems. The case studies of behaviour analysis based on classification, clustering and time series events behaviour models are shown. An ontological approach and artificial neural networks are used during behaviour model construction, training and evaluation. The gathered results can be used by smart tourism service developers and business stakeholders.
Identification and Analysis of microRNAs in Chlorella sorokiniana Using High-Throughput Sequencing
Authors: Azaman Siti Nor Ani , Satharasinghe Dilan Amila , Tan Sheau Wei , Nagao Norio , Yusoff Fatimah M. , Yeap Swee Keong
Published: September 2020

Chlorella is a popular microalga with robust physiological and biochemical characteristics, which can be cultured under various conditions. The exploration of the small RNA content of Chlorella could improve strategies for the enhancement of metabolite production from this microalga. In this study, stress was introduced to the Chlorella sorokiniana culture to produce high-value metabolites such as carotenoids and phenolic content. The small RNA transcriptome of C. sorokiniana was sequenced, focusing on microRNA (miRNA) content. From the analysis, 98 miRNAs were identified in cultures subjected to normal and stress conditions. The functional analysis result showed that the miRNA targets found were most often involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, followed by protein metabolism, cell cycle, and porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism. Furthermore, the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites such as carotenoids, terpenoids, and lipids was found mostly in stress conditions. These results may help to improve our understanding of regulatory mechanisms of miRNA in the biological and metabolic process of Chlorella species. It is important and timely to determine the true potential of this microalga species and to support the potential for genetic engineering of microalgae as they receive increasing focus for their development as an alternative source of biofuel, food, and health supplements.
Gene Loss and Evolution of the Plastome
Authors: Mohanta Tapan Kumar , Mishra Awdhesh Kumar , Khan Adil , Hashem Abeer , Abd_Allah Elsayed Fathi , Al-Harrasi Ahmed
Published: September 2020

Chloroplasts are unique organelles within the plant cells and are responsible for sustaining life forms on the earth due to their ability to conduct photosynthesis. Multiple functional genes within the chloroplast are responsible for a variety of metabolic processes that occur in the chloroplast. Considering its fundamental role in sustaining life on the earth, it is important to identify the level of diversity present in the chloroplast genome, what genes and genomic content have been lost, what genes have been transferred to the nuclear genome, duplication events, and the overall origin and evolution of the chloroplast genome. Our analysis of 2511 chloroplast genomes indicated that the genome size and number of coding DNA sequences (CDS) in the chloroplasts genome of algae are higher relative to other lineages. Approximately 10.31% of the examined species have lost the inverted repeats (IR) in the chloroplast genome that span across all the lineages. Genome-wide analyses revealed the loss of the Rbcl gene in parasitic and heterotrophic plants occurred approximately 56 Ma ago. PsaM, Psb30, ChlB, ChlL, ChlN, and Rpl21 were found to be characteristic signature genes of the chloroplast genome of algae, bryophytes, pteridophytes, and gymnosperms; however, none of these genes were found in the angiosperm or magnoliid lineage which appeared to have lost them approximately 203–156 Ma ago. A variety of chloroplast-encoded genes were lost across different species lineages throughout the evolutionary process. The Rpl20 gene, however, was found to be the most stable and intact gene in the chloroplast genome and was not lost in any of the analyzed species, suggesting that it is a signature gene of the plastome. Our evolutionary analysis indicated that chloroplast genomes evolved from multiple common ancestors ~1293 Ma ago and have undergone vivid recombination events across different taxonomic lineages.
Unique and Specific m6A RNA Methylation in Mouse Embryonic and Postnatal Cerebral Cortices
Authors: Zhang Longbin , Du Kunzhao , Wang Jing , Nie Yanzhen , Lee Trevor , Sun Tao
Published: September 2020

N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-mediated epitranscriptomic regulation is critical for various physiological processes. Genetic studies demonstrate that proper m6A-methylation is required for mouse brain development and function. Revealing landscapes of m6A-methylation in the cerebral cortex at different developmental stages will help to understand the biological meaning of epitranscriptomic regulation. Here, we depict the temporal-specific m6A-methylation status in mouse embryonic and postnatal cortices using methylated RNA immunoprecipitation (MeRIP) sequencing. We identified unique m6A binding motifs in stage-specific RNAs and found that more RNA transcripts are temporally methylated in embryonic cortices than in postnatal ones. Moreover, we found that cortical transcription factors and genes associated with neurological disorders are broadly as well specifically methylated at m6A sites. Our study highlights the importance of epitranscriptomic regulation in the developing cortex and provides a fundamental reference for future mechanistic examinations of m6A methylation-mediated gene expression regulation in normal brain development and neurological disorders.
Gigantea: Uncovering New Functions in Flower Development
Authors: Brandoli Claudio , Petri Cesar , Egea-Cortines Marcos , Weiss Julia
Published: September 2020

GIGANTEA (GI) is a gene involved in multiple biological functions, which have been analysed and are partially conserved in a series of mono- and dicotyledonous plant species. The identified biological functions include control over the circadian rhythm, light signalling, cold tolerance, hormone signalling and photoperiodic flowering. The latter function is a central role of GI, as it involves a multitude of pathways, both dependent and independent of the gene CONSTANS(CO), as well as on the basis of interaction with miRNA. The complexity of the gene function of GI increases due to the existence of paralogs showing changes in genome structure as well as incidences of sub- and neofunctionalization. We present an updated report of the biological function of GI, integrating late insights into its role in floral initiation, flower development and volatile flower production.
An Integrative miRNA-mRNA Expression Analysis Reveals Striking Transcriptomic Similarities between Severe Equine Asthma and Specific Asthma Endotypes in Humans
Authors: Hulliger Matthias F. , Pacholewska Alicja , Vargas Amandine , Lavoie Jean-Pierre , Leeb Tosso , Gerber Vincent , Jagannathan Vidhya
Published: September 2020

Severe equine asthma is an incurable obstructive respiratory condition affecting 10–15% of horses in temperate climates. Upon exposure to airborne antigens from hay feeding, affected horses show neutrophilic airway inflammation and bronchoconstriction, leading to increased respiratory effort. The resulting implications range from welfare concerns to economic impacts on equestrian sports and horse breeding. Immunological and pathophysiological characteristics of severe equine asthma show important parallels with allergic and severe neutrophilic human asthma. Our study aimed at investigating regulatory networks underlying the pathophysiology of the disease by profiling miRNA and mRNA expression in lung tissue samples from asthmatic horses compared with healthy controls. We sequenced small RNAs and mRNAs from lungs of seven asthmatic horses in exacerbation, five affected horses in remission, and eight healthy control horses. Our comprehensive differential expression analyses, combined with the miRNA–mRNA negative correlation approach, revealed a strong similarity on the transcriptomic level between severe equine asthma and severe neutrophilic asthma in humans, potentially through affecting Th17 cell differentiation. This study also showed that several dysregulated miRNAs and mRNAs are involved in airway remodeling. These results present a starting point for a better transcriptomic understanding of severe equine asthma and its similarities to asthma in humans.
Being Enclosed as a Lifestyle: Complex Neolithic Settlements of Eastern Croatia Re-Evaluated through Aerial and Magnetic Survey
Authors: Kalafatić Hrvoje , Klindžić Rajna Šošić , Šiljeg Bartul
Published: September 2020

Archeological excavations and field survey of Neolithic sites during the last 100 years have formed a certain framework within which we developed an interpretation of Neolithic life in this area. Even though researchers have stressed the importance of sites, region, or period in their publications, most of the results revealed very modest remains of Neolithic settlements, too small or too scarce to provide insight in settlement size, organization, and other aspects of life. A combination of non-destructive methods of research is proving to be a more effective means of Neolithic site detection and interpretation. Here, we present the sites Gorjani-Kremenjača, Koritna-Pašnik, Gat-Svetošnice, Ivanovac-Korođvar, Klisa-Groblje, and Brdo, whose size and shape were defined through a combination of the analysis of aerial and satellite imagery and geomagnetic survey. Experience in combined research strategies will help us in our efforts to define parameters in recognizing regularities in the remains of settlement organization visible only from the air. Our results showed a complex network of densely populated settlements with elaborate internal organization and infrastructure varying in size from 10 to 50 ha. All settlements were surrounded by at least one set of ditches. Their internal organization was complex and suggests dense habitation. Many sites have several ditched spaces organized in complex systems. Obtained data and results provide a comprehensive review in a wider European context.
Verification of the LOGOS Software Package for Tsunami Simulations
Authors: Tyatyushkina Elena , Kozelkov Andrey , Kurkin Andrey , Pelinovsky Efim , Kurulin Vadim , Plygunova Kseniya , Utkin Dmitry
Published: September 2020

Verification results for the LOGOS software package as applied to numerical simulations of tsunami waves are reported. The module of the LOGOS software package that is used for tsunami simulations is based on the numerical solution of three-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations. The verification included two steps. The first step involved the verification of LOGOS free-surface flow simulations on the test cases of a collapsing water column and gravity water sloshing in a tank and the known test cases of wave generation by objects falling into water or lifted out of it. The verification of LOGOS specifically for tsunami simulations was performed using a reference set of international benchmarks including the propagation and run-up of a single wave onto a flat slope and a vertical wall, the sliding of a wedge-shaped body down a slope, flow around an island and wave run-up over an obstacle. The results of the verification simulations demonstrate that LOGOS provides sufficient accuracy in numerical simulations of tsunami waves, namely, their generation, propagation and run-up.
Unsettling Australia: Disturbing White Settler Homemaking in Peter Carey’s True History of the Kelly Gang
Authors: Heinz Sarah
Published: September 2020

Proceeding from Australia’s specific situation as a settler colony, this article discusses how the ambivalences and fissures of settler subjectivity shape processes of homemaking. Settler homemaking depends on the disturbance of Indigenous Australians’ homelands via dispossession, exclusion, and genocide, but it equally depends upon the creation of a white settler subject as innocent, entitled, and belonging to what has been called ‘white indigeneity’. The article traces this double disturbance in Peter Carey’s novel True History of the Kelly Gang (2000). Carey’s rewriting of the iconic Kelly legend uncovers the dangers of a possessive, male, white indigeneity based on effacement and exclusion. The novel’s critical staging of Ned Kelly’s construction of Australia as a home for a new class of ‘natives’ challenges an essentialist white Australianness and its narratives of embattled settlement, independence, mateship, and the Bush. The novel shows that the creation of this national character is based on the denial of Aboriginal ownership and agency. Ned’s narrative of Irish victimhood and his formation of a new sense of Australianness is therefore doomed to repeat the violence, discrimination, and exclusion of colonialism that he seems to decry.
Multidrum Stone Columns at the Pompeii Archaeological Site: Analysis of Geometrical Properties and State of Preservation
Authors: Autiero Francesca , De Martino Giuseppina , Di Ludovico Marco , Mauro Annamaria , Prota Andrea
Published: September 2020

The seismic vulnerability of ancient free-standing multidrum stone columns is an important issue for the preservation of Greek and Roman archaeological sites. Such elements show a complex and highly non-linear dynamic behavior, requiring specific and sophisticated structural analysis. Different numerical studies on the dynamic behavior of ancient multidrum stone columns found that their seismic response is sensitive to their geometrical parameters, as well as to the material elastic properties, the kinetic coefficient of friction and the amplitude and frequency of the seismic action. Therefore, in the present research, a detailed survey of free-standing multidrum stone columns representative of a wide range of elements at the Pompeii Archaeological site was developed to provide a primary evaluation of the seismic vulnerability of such elements based on their geometrical properties. The study focuses on 103 multidrum grey-tuff columns, from four areas at the site: tetrastyle atrium of Casa del Fauno at Regio VI and Quadriportico dei Teatri, Foro Triangolare and Palestra Sannitica at Regio VIII. Grey tuff was a typically locally sourced natural stone, used as a building material in ancient Pompeii. The research areas included both private (Casa del Fauno) and public buildings (Quadriportico dei Teatri, Foro Triangolare and Palestra Sannitica). The mean overall geometrical properties affecting the seismic behavior of the columns in each research area and the discussion of the collected results are herein presented.
Impact of Alcohol Policies on Suicidal Behavior: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Kõlves Kairi , Chitty Kate M. , Wardhani Rachmania , Värnik Airi , de Leo Diego , Witt Katrina
Published: September 2020

Alcohol consumption has been found to be related to suicidal behavior at the individual and population level, but there is lack of literature reviews on the effect of alcohol policies on suicidal behavior. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to conduct a systematic literature review of the impact of alcohol policies at the population level on suicidal behavior and ideation. We searched the Cochrane CENTRAL, Cochrane DARE, EMBASE, Medline, ProQuest, PsycINFO, PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science electronic databases in March 2019. Papers analyzing alcohol policies limiting alcohol use and studying suicidal behaviors as an outcome measure were included; we identified 19 papers. Although the methods and effect sizes varied substantially in the studies, reducing alcohol often led to reduction in suicidal behavior. Ecological-level studies predominantly investigated the effect of restrictions on alcohol availability and increased cost of alcohol, and the majority presented a reduction in suicides across Western and Eastern Europe, as well as the US. The majority of studies were rated as unclear risk of bias for a number of domains due to a lack of clear reporting. Policies targeting harmful alcohol consumption may contribute towards a reduction in suicidal behavior at the population level.
Epidemiology of Exertional Heat Illness in the Military: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies
Authors: Alele Faith O. , Malau-Aduli Bunmi S. , Malau-Aduli Aduli E. O. , J. Crowe Melissa
Published: September 2020

Exertional heat illness (EHI) is an occupational hazard among military personnel. This systematic review describes the incidence, risk factors, clinical manifestations, and biomarkers of EHI in the military. Six databases from inception to 28 May 2020 were systematically reviewed using the PRISMA guidelines. Forty-one articles met the inclusion criteria and the incidence of EHI ranged from 0.2 to 10.5 per 1000 person years, while the prevalence rates ranged from 0.3% to 9.3%. Intrinsic risk factors influencing EHI were gender, physical fitness, obesity, previous history of heat illness, and motivation, while the extrinsic factors included hot environmental conditions and service unit. Evidence suggests that loss of consciousness, absence of sweating and confusion were the common clinical features of exertional heat stroke (EHS). The mean core temperature ranged from 40 to 41.6 °C, while elevated levels of creatine phosphokinase, liver enzymes, and creatinine were common biochemical markers of EHS. The findings of the review suggest a variation in the incidence of EHI among military populations possibly due to the varying definitions used. Although some risk factors of EHI were identified, more analytical studies are needed to investigate the association between EHI and other important factors such as acclimatisation and occlusive clothing.
Electrocochleography in Cochlear Implant Users with Residual Acoustic Hearing: A Systematic Review
Authors: Kim Jeong-Seo
Published: September 2020

(1) Objectives: This study reviews the use of electrocochleography (ECoG) as a tool for assessing the response of the peripheral auditory system and monitoring hearing preservation in the growing population of cochlear implant (CI) users with preserved hearing in the implanted ear. (2) Methods: A search was conducted in PubMed and CINAHL databases up to August 2020 to locate articles related to the ECoG measured during or after the cochlear implant (CI) surgery for monitoring purposes. Non-English articles, animal studies, literature reviews and editorials, case reports, and conference papers were excluded. The quality of studies was evaluated using the National Institute of Health (NIH) “Study Quality Assessment Tool for Case Series Studies”. (3) Results: A total 30 articles were included for the systematic review. A total of 21 articles were intraoperative ECoG studies, while seven articles were postoperative studies. Two studies were conducted ECoG both during and after the surgery. Intraoperative ECoG studies focused on monitoring changes in ECoG response amplitudes during and/or after electrode insertion and predicting the scalar location of the electrode array. Postoperative ECoG studies focused on using the ECoG measurements to estimate behavioral audiometric thresholds and monitor pathophysiological changes related to delayed onset hearing loss postimplant. (4) Conclusions: ECoG is feasible to provide real-time feedback intraoperatively and has a potential clinical value to monitor the status of hearing preservation postoperatively in this CI population with residual acoustic hearing.
Comparison between Gradual Reduced Nicotine Content and Usual Nicotine Content Groups on Subjective Cigarette Ratings in a Randomized Double-Blind Trial
Authors: Lin Wenxue , Krebs Nicolle M. , Zhu Junjia , Foulds Jonathan , Horn Kimberly , Muscat Joshua E.
Published: September 2020

In 2018, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking to reduce nicotine in tobacco products to produce a minimally addictive or nonaddictive effect, but there was a research gap in the subjective responses of reduced-nicotine-content cigarettes. We compared the responses of the modified cigarette evaluation questionnaire (mCEQ) and cigarette-liking scale (CLS) between the gradually reduced nicotine content (RNC) group and the usual nicotine content (UNC) group. Linear mixed-effects models for repeated measures were used to analyze and compare the change over time for the mCEQ and CLS across the two treatment groups (RNC and UNC). We found that the change over time for the mCEQ and CLS was significant between the RNC and the UNC treatment groups at the beginning of visit 6 with 1.4 mg nicotine/cigarette. At visits 8 and 9, the RNC group reported significantly lower satisfaction scores compared to UNC. Subscale analysis showed that smoking satisfaction decreased in RNC while other measures, such as cigarette enjoyment, did not change. Understanding the impact of nicotine reduction on cigarette subjective responses through evaluation and liking scales would provide valuable information to the FDA on nicotine reduction policies for cigarettes.
Nurses’ Workplace Bullying Experiences, Responses, and Ways of Coping
Authors: Yoo Sun Yee , Ahn Hye Young
Published: September 2020

Workplace bullying is a serious problem that hinders the provision of quality care services by seriously affecting their physical, psychological, and social health status. Workplace bullying experiences refer to verbal and nonverbal harassment, work-related harassment, and external threats. Workplace bullying responses are negative reactions that occur in individuals who have experienced workplace bullying, while coping is the process by which an individual copes with stress. This study aims to analyze the relationship between nurses’ workplace bullying experiences, responses, and ways of coping. We studied 113 nurses working in hospitals, analyzed the data using SPSS 25.0. We found that the more positive use of the positive viewpoint, the lower the bullying reaction in the workplace (r = −0.268, p = 0.004). Workplace bullying responses were lower as more positive ways of coping were used (r = −0. 268, p = 0.004). In conclusion, nurses who experience bullying in the workplace should be supported by the hospital organization and within the nursing organization, and a receptive nursing culture should be established. There is also a need for an intervention plan that allows nurses to use positive ways of coping with workplace bullying experiences.
Linking Mediterranean Diet and Lifestyle with Cardio Metabolic Disease and Depressive Symptoms: A Study on the Elderly in Europe
Authors: Vall Castelló Judit , Tubianosa Charisse
Published: September 2020

Against a backdrop of an aging population in Europe, promoting health in older adults becomes a pressing issue. This study aimed to explore if correlations exist between the adherence to the Mediterranean diet and specific health outcomes such as the incidence of chronic cardio metabolic illnesses and experiencing depressive symptoms for elderly individuals. We also looked into probable links between regularly engaging in vigorous physical activities and these health outcomes. Our goal was to clearly demonstrate these relationships while controlling for several individual characteristics and socio-demographic factors on a cross-national scale within Europe. Using the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) data for adults aged 50 years and above, we found that following the Mediterranean diet was negatively correlated with the incidence of chronic illnesses, as well as with levels of depressive symptoms. These results were robust to the inclusion of a number of individual and socio-demographic controls. We also showed that regular participation in sports and other strenuous physical activities were associated with lesser chronic disorders and lower levels of depressive symptoms. These findings may have important implications in formulating preventive interventions on ensuring the quality of life of the older population.