bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Soil inorganic nitrogen in spatially distinct areas within a commercial dairy farm in Canterbury, New Zealand
Authors: Ekanayake D.C. , Owens J.L. , Hodge S. , Trethewey J.A.K. , Roten R.L. , Westerschulte M. , Belin S. , Werner A. , Cameron K.
Published: June 2020

For precision nitrogen (N) fertilisation of grazed dairy paddocks, soil N distribution needs to be quantified. It is expected that farm infrastructure will affect inorganic-N distribution due to its influence on cow grazing behaviour. Surface soil from four spatially distinct areas (main gate, water troughs, non-irrigated and the remaining pasture) was analysed for soil ammonium-N (NH4 +-N) and nitrate-N (NO3 --N) from three paddocks (180 soil samples) on an irrigated commercial dairy farm in Canterbury, New Zealand. Variation between paddocks was higher for NO3 - (P
Post-sampling procedure affects the measured nutritive value of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne)
Authors: Dale T.M. , Greenfield R.M. , Tozer K.N. , Cameron C.A.
Published: June 2020

Abstract Estimates of pasture nutritive value are affected by how samples are stored and dried before laboratory analyses. To determine which post-sampling procedures best preserved nutritive value, a range of procedures were compared for one diploid and one tetraploid perennial ryegrass cultivar in June 2016 and April 2017. Treatments included different combinations of transportation from the field to the laboratory either in liquid nitrogen or in a chilly-bin with ice-packs, storage at room temperature (19°C), a chiller (3°C), standard freezer (-18°C) or a -80°C freezer, and drying either in a freeze-drier or an oven at 65°C for 48 hours. Samples were sent to a commercial laboratory for near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy analysis. Values were higher for one or more of metabolisable energy, soluble sugars, non-structural carbohydrate, and organic matter digestibility, and lower for neutral detergent fibre and ash, when comparing transportation in liquid nitrogen with a chilly-bin, freezer storage (-80°C and standard freezer) with chiller and room temperature storage, and freeze-drying with ovendrying (P
Sediment and nutrient losses under winter cropping on two Manawatu hill country soils
Authors: Burkitt L.L. , Winters J.L. , Horne D.J.
Published: June 2020

Abstract Aerial spraying and surface seeding of winter crops in uncultivable hill country areas is rapidly being adopted as a method of increasing winter feed supply and as a precursor to regrassing. However, there is little research on the sediment and nutrient losses that may result from this practice. In the current study, winter swede crops were established on an imperfectly and on a welldrained soil and these crops were grazed by beef cattle. Soil damage caused by the winter grazing of the swedes generated sediment losses that were 5.5 times greater on the imperfectly drained soil than the well-drained soil. Surface runoff over 3 months (which included crop grazing and the non-grazed crop stubble period) resulted in losses of 1.1 t/ha of sediment, 0.85 kg of phosphorus (P)/ha and 5.4 kg of nitrogen (N)/ha from the poorly drained soil. This key risk period contributed between 88 and 99% of the total annual sediment and total N and P losses, compared to the pre-crop (pasture) and crop establishment phase. A simple comparison with two other sediment and nutrient loss studies located on the same farm as the current study, suggested that the losses associated with winter cropping in this landscape may be extreme. The current study highlights the need for targeted mitigation strategies and/or strategic grazing management to reduce soil and nutrient losses and to minimise the impacts on waterways of winter grazing of hill country crops. Keywords: winter cropping, hill country, surface runoff, sediment losses, nutrient losses
Identification of pasture mixtures that maximise dry matter yield
Authors: Black A.D. , Anderson S. , Dalgety S.K.
Published: June 2020

Abstract A mixture experiment was conducted to identify an optimal pasture seed mixture that maximised dry matter (DM) yield under irrigated, sheep-grazed conditions in mid-Canterbury, New Zealand. Nineteen seed mixtures were created using a simplex design from a pool of four species: perennial ryegrass, plantain, white clover and red clover. Seed mixtures were drilled into plots in March 2015 and the yield from sowing to May 2017 was modelled. The model analysis defined the optimal seed mixture proportions as 0.25 ryegrass, 0.28 plantain and 0.47 red clover of total number of seeds per unit area, or 7.5, 6.3 and 8.2 kg/ha, respectively (22.0 kg total seed). This mixture was predicted to yield 39.81 t DM/ha after 2 years. Ryegrass and plantain interacted more strongly with red clover than white clover, leading to increased yields over monocultures (diversity effects). Additional yield benefits arose from the three-species mixture of ryegrass, plantain and red clover. Keywords: diversity effect, pasture establishment, perennial ryegrass, plantain, red clover, seed mixtures, simplex design, white clover
Popülerleşen Deyişlerde Anlamı Yakalama ve Doğasına Dokunma Tartışmaları
Authors: AKKUŞ Murat , AKSOY SUGİYAMA Ceren
Published: June 2020

Deyişler bir halk edebiyatı türü olarak Alevi toplumunun kendi şifreleriyle oluşturduğu, belirli bir kolektif deneyime dayanan semantik bir sistemin parçasıdırlar. Görünürlük sağlayan kitle-iletişim araçlarında, Aleviler için kutsal sayılan deyişlerin ait oldukları asıl metinlerden kopuk ve değiştirilerek farklı janrlarda icra edilmesi, Alevi toplumu içerisinde tartışmalı bir konudur. Çalışmada, kendini Alevi olarak tanımlayan kişilerle yapılan görüşmelere bağlı kalınarak, Alevilerin kendileri için kutsal saydıkları deyişlerin, kitle-iletişim araçlarıyla beraber popülerleştirilmesinin Alevi topluluğu için ne anlam ifade ettiği ortaya konmaya çalışılacaktır. Ayrıca, popülerleşen deyişlerin yeni versiyonlarının Alevi olmayanlar ve onları ilk kez medya aracılığıyla dinlediğini söyleyenler tarafından nasıl değerlendirildiği de çalışmanın yanıt aramaya çalıştığı bir başka sorudur. Bu bağlamda, anlamların günümüz toplumlarında ne ölçüde sabitlenebileceği, topluluk sınırlarının ne kadar geçirgen olduğu ve topluluğa ait olmayanlar tarafından dışarıdan daha homojen oldukları varsayılan bir grup içerisinde anlamların çeşitliliğinin dereceleri anlaşılmaya çalışılacaktır.
Chopin's Alston and Alston's Chopin
Authors: Jordan Stephanie
Published: June 2020

This article presents Richard Alston's re-visioning of Chopin's music through two works: Such Longing (in two versions, 2005/2015), and Mazur (2015). Alston rescues the composer from dance associations with romance and sweet sentiment and celebrates his more robust, bolder and darker gamut of expression. The article includes detailed analysis of a range of solos and duets (for two men as well as for a woman and a man). Alston is widely regarded as an exceptionally musical choreographer, and the article identifies a particular choreomusical style emerging from his work. There is discussion of structural aspects, involving both music and dance, pursuing the dynamic interaction between them, and of creative processes and changes in the dances through the history of their performance. A landmark feature of Alston's choreomusical style is to allow rhythmic detail to shift more than most other choreographers would wish, encouraging subtle changes of relation to musical beat and bar-line as movement phrases ‘breathe’ within performance. I also foreground my own analytical process, which draws from music theory as well as dance principles. Film clips and music examples, some of which incorporate aligned notes on the choreography, illustrate my analyses.
Taming the Beast of Racism through Education, Understanding and Reform.
Authors: Bruno Alexander
Published: June 2020

Racism and race relations in America can be seen as a tool which was constructed for the maintenance of the status quo. Racism may not necessarily be totally eliminated, but I am advancing the point is that, through education, racism – as rigidly structured as it is – can be better understood and possibly maintained. It is my view, however, that racism is an indelible feature of the system, but it can be tamed and the taming process should follow a particular rubric. I revisit key readings of the Comparative Race Politics course, and others and conclude with suggestions on what a Racism Taming Rubric (RTR) could look like. The taming of racism, I, believe, will take a major multi-faceted effort, beginning with an introspective mindset, and tracing back to the roots or source of the race-making activity. Education, understanding, and reform are therefore key attributes of the RTR.
Photorefractive keratectomy – the first generation of laser vision correction
Authors: Shilova Tatiana
Published: June 2020

Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is the first generation of laser vision correction, which marked the beginning of the era of laser keratorefractive surgery. The technology can improve vision in case of myopia, hypermetropia, and astigmatism.
The article analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of the PRK method, its risks and side effects. The data obtained as a result of the analysis of scientific publications and by practical means are presented.
The Impact of Salt Concentration on the Mineral Nutrition of Tetragonia tetragonioides
Authors: Bekmirzaev Gulom , Ouddane Baghdad , Beltrao Jose , Fujii Yoshiharu
Published: June 2020

The purpose of the experiment was to study the effect of salinity (NaCl) on growth, biomass production (total yield), mineral composition (macro- and micronutrient contents in leaves and the soil in which the plant is grown) of Tetragonia tetragonioides during the vegetation period. The experimental work was conducted in the greenhouse at the University of Lille 1, France, from 2 November 2015 to 25 January 2016. Three salinity treatments (T1 (50 mM NaCl), T2 (100 mM NaCl), T3 (200 mM NaCl)) and a control treatment (T0 (0 mM NaCl)) were applied. Analysis of the results showed that the total yield of the crop had low variation between the salinity treatments and the control treatment. The salt concentrations had an effect on the macro- and micronutrient contents in leaves and soil. In conclusion, T. tetragonioides exhibited good potential for use as a species to remove salt. This is the main important finding of this research.
Allelopathic Potential of Teff Varieties and Effect on Weed Growth
Authors: Gebrehiwot Haftamu Gebretsadik , Aune Jens Bernt , Eklo Ole Martin , Torp Torfinn , Brandsæter Lars Olav
Published: June 2020

Allelopathic potential of 10 teff varieties was assessed in laboratory experimentation (conducted in NIBIO, Norway), and determined with an agar-based bioassay using ryegrass and radish as model weeds. Field experiments were conducted in Tigray, Ethiopia during 2015 and 2016 to identify the most important agronomic traits of teff contributing to its weed competitive ability. A split plot design with three blocks was used considering hand weeding as the main plot and varieties as the subplot. Randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four blocks was used in the laboratory experiment. The highest potential allelopathic activity (PAA) and specific potential allelopathic activity (SPAA) were recorded from a local landrace with an average PAA value of 11.77% and SPAA value of 1.21%/mg respectively, when ryegrass was used as the model weed. ‘Boset’ had the highest average PAA value of 16.25% and an SPAA value of 1.53%/mg, when using radish as the model weed. The lowest PAA and SPAA values were recorded from ‘DZ-Cr-387′ when using ryegrass and radish as model weeds. Days to emergence, height, tiller no./plant, biomass yield, and PAA of the crop significantly contributed to the variance of the weed biomass, cover, and density. Hence, they were the most important agronomic traits enhancing the competitive ability of teff.
Smartphone Applications Targeting Precision Agriculture Practices—A Systematic Review
Authors: Mendes Jorge , Pinho Tatiana M. , Neves dos Santos Filipe , Sousa Joaquim J. , Peres Emanuel , Boaventura-Cunha José , Cunha Mário , Morais Raul
Published: June 2020

Traditionally farmers have used their perceptual sensorial systems to diagnose and monitor their crops health and needs. However, humans possess five basic perceptual systems with accuracy levels that can change from human to human which are largely dependent on the stress, experience, health and age. To overcome this problem, in the last decade, with the help of the emergence of smartphone technology, new agronomic applications were developed to reach better, cost-effective, more accurate and portable diagnosis systems. Conventional smartphones are equipped with several sensors that could be useful to support near real-time usual and advanced farming activities at a very low cost. Therefore, the development of agricultural applications based on smartphone devices has increased exponentially in the last years. However, the great potential offered by smartphone applications is still yet to be fully realized. Thus, this paper presents a literature review and an analysis of the characteristics of several mobile applications for use in smart/precision agriculture available on the market or developed at research level. This will contribute to provide to farmers an overview of the applications type that exist, what features they provide and a comparison between them. Also, this paper is an important resource to help researchers and applications developers to understand the limitations of existing tools and where new contributions can be performed.
DK-RIM: Assisting Integrated Management of Lolium multiflorum, Italian Ryegrass
Authors: Sønderskov Mette , Somerville Gayle J. , Lacoste Myrtille , Jensen Jens Erik , Holst Niels
Published: June 2020

Lolium multiflorum (annual Italian ryegrass) and other grass weeds are an increasing problem in cereal cropping systems in Denmark. Grass weeds are highly competitive and an increasing number of species develop resistance against the most commonly used herbicide modes of action. A diverse management strategy provides a better overall control of grass weeds and decreases the reliance on herbicides. The bio-economic decision support system, DK-RIM (Denmark-Ryegrass Integrated Management), was developed to assist integrated management of L. multiflorum in Danish cropping systems, based on the Australian RIM model. DK-RIM provides long-term estimations (10-year period) and visual outputs of L. multiflorum population development, depending on management strategies. The dynamics of L. multiflorum plants within the season and of the soil seed bank across seasons are simulated. The user can combine cultural weed control practices with chemical control options. Cultural practices include crop rotation changes, seeding density, sowing time, soil tillage system, and cover crops. Scenarios with increasing crop rotation diversity or different tillage strategies were evaluated. DK-RIM aims at being an actual support system, aiding the farmer’s decisions and encouraging discussions among stakeholders on alternative management strategies.
Impact of Digestate Application as a Fertilizer on the Yield and Quality of Winter Rape Seed
Authors: Koszel Milan , Parafiniuk Stanisław , Szparaga Agnieszka , Bochniak Andrzej , Kocira Sławomir , Atanasov Atanas Zdravkov , Kovalyshyn Stepan
Published: June 2020

The operation of an agricultural biogas plant is associated with the formation of a large amount of digestate. The basic trend in digestate management, after taking into account its physicochemical properties, should be its use as a fertilizer. The possibility of the agricultural use of digestate as a fertilizer was determined. Digestate obtained from the agricultural biogas plant was tested for the content of macronutrients and heavy metals. The content of macronutrients was also determined in soil for winter rape cultivation. The analysis showed an increase in the yield depending on the digestate dose applied. In addition, an increase in the fat and protein content was found in winter rape seeds. The best results of mean values were obtained during the application of the 50,000 L ha−1 dose. The average diameter of the stem base was 1.48 cm. The average height was 36.20 cm. The seed yield was 3.44 t ha−1. The thousand seed weight was—5.34 g. The fat and protein contents were 43.62% and 22.95%, respectively. By applying a digestate dose of 50,000 L ha−1, the highest content of macronutrients, as well as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (31.17%), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) (61.89%) and saturated fatty acids (SFA) (6.87%), was recorded.
Evaluation of a Dog Population Management Intervention: Measuring Indicators of Impact
Authors: Ma Gemma C , Withers Ann-Margret , Spencer Jessica , Norris Jacqueline M , Ward Michael P
Published: June 2020

Dogs are important companions to people but can also present challenges to health and safety of communities if their populations are not effectively managed. Dog population management (DPM) is often undertaken by individual dog owners; however, some communities require additional DPM interventions, especially when veterinary services are unavailable or underutilised. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a DPM intervention conducted in 13 communities between September 2016 and November 2019 and assessed the utility of routinely collected data—program metrics and secondary data collected by local governments—to measure indicators of impacts. The intervention resulted in significant increases in the proportion of dogs presenting that were microchipped and surgically sterilised in participating communities. The intervention also resulted in significant reductions in dog attack incidents and euthanasia of dogs in council pounds in communities that participated for three or more years. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation of DPM interventions is critical to determine if impacts are being achieved. This study demonstrates the potential benefits of a DPM intervention for community safety and dog welfare and highlights the utility of routinely collected data. We also suggest benchmarks for indicators of community engagement to guide planning and monitoring of similar interventions.
Investigating the In Vitro Osteogenic Properties of the Inclusion Nanocarrier of Icariin with Beta-Cyclodextrin-Alginate
Authors: Choi Somang , Lee Yeong Seok , Jo Han-Saem , Jeong Woong Kyo , Kim Hak-Jun , Song Mi Hyun , Park Kyeongsoon , Kim Sung Eun
Published: June 2020

In this study, we created an inclusion nanocarrier of icariin (ICA) and β-cyclodextrin-alginate conjugate (ICA/β-CD-ALG) and determined its in vitro osteogenic ability on MC3T3-E1 cells. The morphological shape of the prepared β-CD-ALG with or without ICA was nano-sized and round. The use of β-CD-ALG achieved a sustained ICA release for up to 7 days. In vitro studies found that ICA/β-CD-ALG had a greater potential in osteogenesis on MC3T3-E1 cells compared to β-CD-ALG by exhibiting both higher alkaline phosphatase levels and the amount of calcium deposits. Moreover, ICA/β-CD-ALG greatly increased the levels of osteogenesis markers including osteocalcin (OCN) and osteopontin (OPN). Our results suggest that ICA/β-CD-ALG plays a significant role in cellular osteogenic activity.
Field Tests on Eco-Friendly Railway Precast Concrete Slab
Authors: Koh Taehoon , Shin Moochul
Published: June 2020

This study focuses on evaluating the field performance of a newly developed eco-friendly precast concrete slab track structure for railway/subway systems in Seoul, South Korea. Although Ballasted railway track structures are one of the most common track structures in the railway industry, they have some drawbacks including higher maintenance cost, un-uniform supports, and a high level of noise and vibration. However, a ballastless (slab-based) track structure system requires less maintenance and uniform support conditions, as well as several ballastless structure systems developed for high-speed trains. The Seoul Metro subway in South Korea has developed a ballastless reinforced concrete (RC) slab railway system using a type of conventional concrete. This study presents a ballastless precast concrete slab using a newly developed eco-friendly concrete, which can significantly improve structural performances and the manufacturability of a railway track structure system. This study evaluates the field performance of the eco-friendly concrete slab system deployed in one of the existing tunnel sections of the Seoul Metro subway system. A total of 10 m long slab sections including a 5 m long eco-friendly “ballasted track to slab track (B2S)” panels section and a 5 m long conventional B2S panels section are installed and monitored side by side. Field tests are performed to measure the level of noise, vibration, dynamic wheel load, rail displacement, and rail stress. The field measurements from the eco-friendly B2S section are compared to those of the conventional reinforced concrete slab track systems. The results show that the performance of the new B2S system using the eco-friendly concrete is comparable and/or superior to the conventional system.
Reversible Circuit Synthesis Time Reduction Based on Subtree-Circuit Mapping
Authors: Hawash Amjad , Awad Ahmed , Abdalhaq Baker
Published: June 2020

Several works have been conducted regarding the reduction of the energy consumption in electrical circuits. Reversible circuit synthesis is considered to be one of the major efforts at reducing the amount of power consumption. The field of reversible circuit synthesis uses a large number of proposed algorithms to minimize the overall cost of circuits synthesis (represented in the line number and quantum cost), with minimal concern paid for synthesis time. However, because of the iterative nature of the synthesis optimization algorithms, synthesis time cannot be neglected as a parameter which needs to be tackled, especially for large-scale circuits which need to be realized by cascades of reversible gates. Reducing the synthesis cost can be achieved by Binary Decision Diagrams (BDDs), which are considered to be a step forward in this field. Nevertheless, the mapping of each BDD node into a cascade of reversible gates during the synthesis process is time-consuming. In this work, we implement the idea of the subtree-based mapping of BDD nodes to reversible gates instead of the classical nodal-based algorithm to effectively reduce the entire reversible circuit synthesis time. Considering Depth-First Search (DFS), we convert an entire BDD subtree in one step into a cascade of reversible gates. A look-up table for all possible combinations of subtrees and their corresponding reversible gates has been constructed, in which a hash key is used to directly access subtrees during the mapping process. This table is constructed as a result of a comprehensive study of all possible BDD subtrees and considered as a reference during the conversion process. The conducted experimental tests show a significant synthesis time reduction (around 95% on average), preserving the correctness of the algorithm in generating a circuit realizing the required Boolean function.
Person Independent Recognition of Head Gestures from Parametrised and Raw Signals Recorded from Inertial Measurement Unit
Authors: Borowska-Terka Anna , Strumillo Pawel
Published: June 2020

Numerous applications of human–machine interfaces, e.g., dedicated to persons with disabilities, require contactless handling of devices or systems. The purpose of this research is to develop a hands-free head-gesture-controlled interface that can support persons with disabilities to communicate with other people and devices, e.g., the paralyzed to signal messages or the visually impaired to handle travel aids. The hardware of the interface consists of a small stereovision rig with a built-in inertial measurement unit (IMU). The device is to be positioned on a user’s forehead. Two approaches to recognize head movements were considered. In the first approach, for various time window sizes of the signals recorded from a three-axis accelerometer and a three-axis gyroscope, statistical parameters were calculated such as: average, minimum and maximum amplitude, standard deviation, kurtosis, correlation coefficient, and signal energy. For the second approach, the focus was put onto direct analysis of signal samples recorded from the IMU. In both approaches, the accuracies of 16 different data classifiers for distinguishing the head movements: pitch, roll, yaw, and immobility were evaluated. The recordings of head gestures were collected from 65 individuals. The best results for the testing data were obtained for the non-parametric approach, i.e., direct classification of unprocessed samples of IMU signals for Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier (95% correct recognitions). Slightly worse results, in this approach, were obtained for the random forests classifier (93%). The achieved high recognition rates of the head gestures suggest that a person with physical or sensory disability can efficiently communicate with other people or manage applications using simple head gesture sequences.
Seminal Plasma Modulates miRNA Expression by Sow Genital Tract Lining Explants
Authors: Barranco Isabel , Padilla Lorena , Martinez Cristina A. , Alvarez-Rodriguez Manuel , Parrilla Inmaculada , Lucas Xiomara , Ferreira-Dias Graça , Yeste Marc , Rodriguez-Martinez Heriberto , Roca Jordi
Published: June 2020

The seminal plasma (SP) modulates the female reproductive immune environment after mating, and microRNAs (miRNAs) could participate in the process. Considering that the boar ejaculate is built by fractions differing in SP-composition, this study evaluated whether exposure of mucosal explants of the sow internal genital tract (uterus, utero-tubal junction and isthmus) to different SP-fractions changed the profile of explant-secreted miRNAs. Mucosal explants retrieved from oestrus sows (n = 3) were in vitro exposed to: Medium 199 (M199, Control) or M199 supplemented (1:40 v/v) with SP from the sperm-rich fraction (SRF), the post-SRF or the entire recomposed ejaculate, for 16 h. After, the explants were cultured in M199 for 24 h to finally collect the media for miRNA analyses using GeneChip miRNA 4.0 Array (Affymetrix). Fifteen differentially expressed (False Discovery Rate (FDR) < 0.05 and Fold-change ≥ 2) miRNAs (11 down- versus 4 up-regulated) were identified (the most in the media of uterine explants incubated with SP from post-SRF). Bioinformatics analysis identified that predicted target genes of dysregulated miRNAs, mainly miR-34b, miR-205, miR-4776-3p and miR-574-5p, were involved in functions and pathways related to immune response. In conclusion, SP is able to elicit changes in the miRNAs profile secreted by female genital tract, ultimately depending SP-composition.
The Effect of Optically Induced Dielectrophoresis (ODEP)-Based Cell Manipulation in a Microfluidic System on the Properties of Biological Cells
Authors: Chu Po-Yu , Hsieh Chia-Hsun , Lin Chien-Ru , Wu Min-Hsien
Published: June 2020

Cell manipulation using optically induced dielectrophoresis (ODEP) in microfluidic systems has attracted the interest of scientists due to its simplicity. Although this technique has been successfully demonstrated for various applications, one fundamental issue has to be addressed—Whether, the ODEP field affects the native properties of cells. To address this issue, we explored the effect of ODEP electrical conditions on cellular properties. Within the experimental conditions tested, the ODEP-based cell manipulation with the largest velocity occurred at 10 Vpp and 1 MHz, for the two cancer cell types explored. Under this operating condition, however, the cell viability of cancer cells was significantly affected (e.g., 70.5 ± 10.0% and 50.6 ± 9.2% reduction for the PC-3 and SK-BR-3 cancer cells, respectively). Conversely, the exposure of cancer cells to the ODEP electrical conditions of 7–10 Vpp and 3–5 MHz did not significantly alter the cell viability, cell metabolic activity, and the EpCAM, VIM, and ABCC1 gene expression of cancer cells. Overall, this study fundamentally investigated the effect of ODEP electrical conditions on the cellular properties of cancer cells. The information obtained is crucially important for the utilization of ODEP-based cell manipulation in a microscale system for various applications.
The Clinical Application of EEG-Signals Recurrence Analysis as a Measure of Functional Connectivity: Comparative Case Study of Patients with Various Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Authors: Jonak Kamil , Syta Arkadiusz , Karakuła-Juchnowicz Hanna , Krukow Paweł
Published: June 2020

Background. An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a simple and widely used assessment tool that allows one to analyze the bioelectric activity of the brain. As a result, one can observe brain waves with different frequencies and amplitudes that correspond to the temporary synchronization of different parts of the brain. Synchronization patterns may be changed by almost any type of pathological conditions, such as psychiatric diseases and structural abnormalities of the brain tissue. In various neuropsychiatric disorders, the coordination of cortical activity may be decreased or enhanced as a result of neurobiological compensatory mechanisms. Methods. In this paper, we analyzed the EEG signals in resting-state condition, with reference to three patients with a similar set of psychopathological symptoms typical for the first psychotic episode, but with different functional and structural neural basis of the disease. Additionally, those patients were compared with a demographically matched healthy individual. We used the non-linear method of time series analysis based on the recurrences of states, to verify whether functional connectivity configurations assessed with recurrence method will qualitatively distinguish patients from a healthy subject, but also differentiate patients from each other. Results. Obtained results confirmed that the connectivity architecture mapped with the recurrence analysis substantially differentiated all participants from each other. An applied analysis additionally showed the specificity of cortical desynchronization and over-synchronization matched to the psychiatric or neurological basis of the disease. Despite this encouraging finding, group-oriented studies are needed to corroborate our qualitative results, based only on a series of clinical case studies.
Behavioral and Cognitive Electrophysiological Differences in the Executive Functions of Taiwanese Basketball Players as a Function of Playing Position
Authors: Chiu Yi-Kang , Pan Chien-Yu , Chen Fu-Chen , Tseng Yu-Ting , Tsai Chia-Liang
Published: June 2020

The effect of the predominant playing position of elite basketball players on executive functions using both behavioral and electrophysiological measurements was investigated in the present study. Forty-six elite basketball players, including 27 guards and 19 forwards, were recruited. Event-related potential (ERP) signals were simultaneously recorded when the athletes performed the visual Go/NoGo task. Analyses of the results revealed that the guards and forwards groups exhibited comparable behavioral (i.e., reaction time (RTs) and accuracy rates (ARs)) performance. With regards to the electrophysiological indices, the guards relative to the forwards exhibited a shorter N2 latency in the Go condition, a longer N2 latency in the NoGo condition, and a smaller P3 amplitude across the two conditions. These results suggested that although the guards and forwards exhibited similar abilities in terms of behavioral inhibition, different neural processing efficiencies still exist in the basketball playing positions, with guards showing divergent efficiencies in the target evaluation and response selection of the target and non-target stimuli and fewer cognitive resources during premotor preparation and decision-making as compared to the forwards.
A Novel Connectome-based Electrophysiological Study of Subjective Cognitive Decline Related to Alzheimer’s Disease by Using Resting-state High-density EEG EGI GES 300
Authors: Lazarou Ioulietta , Georgiadis Kostas , Nikolopoulos Spiros , Oikonomou Vangelis P. , Tsolaki Anthoula , Kompatsiaris Ioannis , Tsolaki Magda , Kugiumtzis Dimitris
Published: June 2020

Aim: To investigate for the first time the brain network in the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) spectrum by implementing a high-density electroencephalography (HD-EEG - EGI GES 300) study with 256 channels in order to seek if the brain connectome can be effectively used to distinguish cognitive impairment in preclinical stages. Methods: Twenty participants with AD, 30 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 20 with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and 22 healthy controls (HC) were examined with a detailed neuropsychological battery and 10 min resting state HD-EEG. We extracted correlation matrices by using Pearson correlation coefficients for each subject and constructed weighted undirected networks for calculating clustering coefficient (CC), strength (S) and betweenness centrality (BC) at global (256 electrodes) and local levels (29 parietal electrodes). Results: One-way ANOVA presented a statistically significant difference among the four groups at local level in CC [F (3, 88) = 4.76, p = 0.004] and S [F (3, 88) = 4.69, p = 0.004]. However, no statistically significant difference was found at a global level. According to the independent sample t-test, local CC was higher for HC [M (SD) = 0.79 (0.07)] compared with SCD [M (SD) = 0.72 (0.09)]; t (40) = 2.39, p = 0.02, MCI [M (SD) = 0.71 (0.09)]; t (50) = 0.41, p = 0.004 and AD [M (SD) = 0.68 (0.11)]; t (40) = 3.62, p = 0.001 as well, while BC showed an increase at a local level but a decrease at a global level as the disease progresses. These findings provide evidence that disruptions in brain networks in parietal organization may potentially represent a key factor in the ability to distinguish people at early stages of the AD continuum. Conclusions: The above findings reveal a dynamically disrupted network organization of preclinical stages, showing that SCD exhibits network disorganization with intermediate values between MCI and HC. Additionally, these pieces of evidence provide information on the usefulness of the 256 HD-EEG in network construction.
Parental Socialization and Its Impact across the Lifespan
Authors: Martinez-Escudero Jose Antonio , Villarejo Sonia , Garcia Oscar F. , Garcia Fernando
Published: June 2020

Classical studies have found that parental warmth combined with parental strictness is the best parental strategy to promote children’s psychosocial development. Nevertheless, a growing set of emergent studies has questioned the benefits of parental strictness. The present study examined parental socialization and its short- and long-term impact on the psychosocial development of adolescents and adult children. The sample consisted of 2150 Spanish participants, 623 adolescents (12–18 years), 619 young adults (19–35 years), 502 middle-aged adults (35–59 years), and 406 older adults (60 years or older). Families were classified into one of four typologies (indulgent, authoritative, authoritarian, and neglectful). Psychosocial development was examined with five indicators (physical and family self-concept, nervousness, empathy, and internalization of social values of benevolence). The results show a common short- and long-term pattern between parenting styles and psychosocial development: the indulgent style equaled or even surpassed the authoritative style, whereas the neglectful and authoritarian styles were associated with low scores. The present findings were discussed by considering the importance of the cultural context in family socialization. Additionally, the long-term impact of parental socialization seems to be crucial, even in adulthood.
Constructing Strategies and Applications of Nitrogen-Rich Energetic Metal–Organic Framework Materials
Authors: Xu Luping , Qiao Juan , Xu Siyu , Zhao Xiaoyu , Gong Wanjun , Huang Taizhong
Published: June 2020

The synthesis of energetic metal–organic frameworks (EMOFs) with one-dimensional, two-dimensional and three-dimensional structures is an effective strategy for developing new-generation high-energy-density and insensitive materials. The basic properties, models, synthetic strategies and applications of EMOF materials with nitrogen-rich energetic groups as ligands are reviewed. In contrast with traditional energetic materials, EMOFs exhibit some interesting characteristics, like tunable structure, diverse pores, high-density, high-detonation heat and so on. The traditional strategies to design EMOF materials with ideal properties are just to change the types and the size of energetic ligands and to select different metal ions. Recently, some new design concepts have come forth to produce more EMOFs materials with excellent properties, by modifying the energetic groups on the ligands and introducing highly energetic anion into skeleton, encapsulating metastable anions, introducing templates and so on. The paper points out that appropriate constructing strategy should be adopted according to the inherent characteristics of different EMOFs, by combining with functional requirements and considering the difficulties and the cost of production. To promote the development and application of EMOF materials, the more accurate and comprehensive synthesis, systematic performance measurement methods, theoretical calculation and structure simulation should be reinforced.
The Dysfunctional Immune System in Common Variable Immunodeficiency Increases the Susceptibility to Gastric Cancer
Authors: Gullo Irene , Costa Catarina , Silva Susana L. , Ferreira Cristina , Motta Adriana , Silva Sara P. , Ferreira Rúben Duarte , Rosmaninho Pedro , Faria Emília , Costa José Torres da , Câmara Rita , Gonçalves Gilza , Santos-Antunes João , Oliveira Carla , Machado José C. , Carneiro Fátima , Sousa Ana E.
Published: June 2020

Gastric carcinoma (GC) represents the most common cause of death in patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID). However, a limited number of cases have been characterised so far. In this study, we analysed the clinical features, bacterial/viral infections, detailed morphology and immune microenvironment of nine CVID patients with GC. The study of the immune microenvironment included automated digital counts of CD20+, CD4+, CD8+, FOXP3+, GATA3+ and CD138+ immune cells, as well as the evaluation of PD-L1 expression. Twenty-one GCs from non-CVID patients were used as a control group. GC in CVID patients was diagnosed mostly at early-stage (n = 6/9; 66.7%) and at younger age (median-age: 43y), when compared to non-CVID patients (p < 0.001). GC pathogenesis was closely related to Helicobacter pylori infection (n = 8/9; 88.9%), but not to Epstein-Barr virus (0.0%) or cytomegalovirus infection (0.0%). Non-neoplastic mucosa (non-NM) in CVID-patients displayed prominent lymphocytic gastritis (100%) and a dysfunctional immune microenvironment, characterised by higher rates of CD4+/CD8+/Foxp3+/GATA3+/PD-L1+ immune cells and the expected paucity of CD20+ B-lymphocytes and CD138+ plasma cells, when compared to non-CVID patients (p < 0.05). Changes in the immune microenvironment between non-NM and GC were not equivalent in CVID and non-CVID patients, reflecting the relevance of immune dysfunction for gastric carcinogenesis and GC progression in the CVID population.
Double Glow Plasma Surface Metallurgy Technology Fabricated Fe-Al-Cr Coatings with Excellent Corrosion Resistance
Authors: Luo Xixi , Cao Jing , Meng Guanghui , Yu Fangli , Jiang Qiong , Zhang Pingze , Xie Hui
Published: June 2020

Double glow plasma surface metallurgy (DGPSM) technology was applied to obtain a Fe-Al-Cr coating on the surface of Q235 carbon steel. The influence of the sample temperature, gas pressure, the distance between the substrate, and the source electrode on the quality of the obtained Fe-Al-Cr coatings was systematically investigated. The results showed that the parameters for DGPSM have a significant effect on the uniformity, particle size, compactness, and thickness of the coating. Under the optimized parameters (sample temperature: 800 °C, gas pressure: 35 Pa, and electrode distance: 15 mm), the obtained Fe-Al-Cr coating contains Fe2AlCr, Fe3Al(Cr), FeAl(Cr), Fe(Cr) solid solution, Cr23C6, and α-Fe(Al), exhibiting excellent corrosion resistance in a 0.5 mol/L H2SO4 solution, which is even better than that of the 304 stainless steel.
Microwave Liquid Crystal Enabling Technology for Electronically Steerable Antennas in SATCOM and 5G Millimeter-Wave Systems
Authors: Jakoby Rolf , Gaebler Alexander , Weickhmann Christian
Published: June 2020

Future satellite platforms and 5G millimeter wave systems require Electronically Steerable Antennas (ESAs), which can be enabled by Microwave Liquid Crystal (MLC) technology. This paper reviews some fundamentals and the progress of microwave LCs concerning its performance metric, and it also reviews the MLC technology to deploy phase shifters in different topologies, starting from well-known toward innovative concepts with the newest results. Two of these phase shifter topologies are dedicated for implementation in array antennas: (1) wideband, high-performance metallic waveguide phase shifters to plug into a waveguide horn array for a relay satellite in geostationary orbit to track low Earth orbit satellites with maximum phase change rates of 5.1°/s to 45.4°/s, depending on the applied voltages, and (2) low-profile planar delay-line phase shifter stacks with very thin integrated MLC varactors for fast tuning, which are assembled into a multi-stack, flat-panel, beam-steering phased array, being able to scan the beam from −60° to +60° in about 10 ms. The loaded-line phase shifters have an insertion loss of about 3 dB at 30 GHz for a 400° differential phase shift and a figure-of-merit (FoM) > 120°/dB over a bandwidth of about 2.5 GHz. The critical switch-off response time to change the orientation of the microwave LCs from parallel to perpendicular with respect to the RF field (worst case), which corresponds to the time for 90 to 10% decay in the differential phase shift, is in the range of 30 ms for a LC layer height of about 4 µm. These MLC phase shifter stacks are fabricated in a standard Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) process for manufacturing low-cost large-scale ESAs, featuring single- and multiple-beam steering with very low power consumption, high linearity, and high power-handling capability. With a modular concept and hybrid analog/digital architecture, these smart antennas are flexible in size to meet the specific requirements for operating in satellite ground and user terminals, but also in 5G mm-wave systems.
Mobile Laboratory Reveals the Circulation of Dengue Virus Serotype I of Asian Origin in Medina Gounass (Guediawaye), Senegal
Authors: Dieng Idrissa , Hedible Boris Gildas , Diagne Moussa Moïse , El Wahed Ahmed Abd , Diagne Cheikh Tidiane , Fall Cheikh , Richard Vicent , Vray Muriel , Weidmann Manfred , Faye Ousmane , Sall Amadou Alpha , Faye Oumar
Published: June 2020

With the growing success of controlling malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa, the incidence of fever due to malaria is in decline, whereas the proportion of patients with non-malaria febrile illness (NMFI) is increasing. Clinical diagnosis of NMFI is hampered by unspecific symptoms, but early diagnosis is a key factor for both better patient care and disease control. The aim of this study was to determine the arboviral aetiologies of NMFI in low resource settings, using a mobile laboratory based on recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assays. The panel of tests for this study was expanded to five arboviruses: dengue virus (DENV), zika virus (ZIKV), yellow fever virus (YFV), chikungunya virus (CHIKV), and rift valley fever virus (RVFV). One hundred and four children aged between one month and 115 months were enrolled and screened. Three of the 104 blood samples of children <10 years presented at an outpatient clinic tested positive for DENV. The results were confirmed by RT-PCR, partial sequencing, and non-structural protein 1 (NS1) antigen capture by ELISA (Biorad, France). Phylogenetic analysis of the derived DENV-1 sequences clustered them with sequences of DENV-1 isolated from Guangzhou, China, in 2014. In conclusion, this mobile setup proved reliable for the rapid identification of the causative agent of NMFI, with results consistent with those obtained in the reference laboratory’s settings.
COVID-19 Diagnostics, Tools, and Prevention
Authors: Allam Mayar , Cai Shuangyi , Ganesh Shambavi , Venkatesan Mythreye , Doodhwala Saurabh , Song Zexing , Hu Thomas , Kumar Aditi , Heit Jeremy , Study Group COVID-19 , Coskun Ahmet F.
Published: June 2020

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), outbreak from Wuhan City, Hubei province, China in 2019 has become an ongoing global health emergency. The emerging virus, SARS-CoV-2, causes coughing, fever, muscle ache, and shortness of breath or dyspnea in symptomatic patients. The pathogenic particles that are generated by coughing and sneezing remain suspended in the air or attach to a surface to facilitate transmission in an aerosol form. This review focuses on the recent trends in pandemic biology, diagnostics methods, prevention tools, and policies for COVID-19 management. To meet the growing demand for medical supplies during the COVID-19 era, a variety of personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators have been developed using do-it-yourself (DIY) manufacturing. COVID-19 diagnosis and the prediction of virus transmission are analyzed by machine learning algorithms, simulations, and digital monitoring. Until the discovery of a clinically approved vaccine for COVID-19, pandemics remain a public concern. Therefore, technological developments, biomedical research, and policy development are needed to decipher the coronavirus mechanism and epidemiological characteristics, prevent transmission, and develop therapeutic drugs.
Security Assessment and Coordinated Emergency Control Strategy for Power Systems with Multi-Infeed HVDCs
Authors: Zhang Qiufang , Shi Zheng , Wang Ying , He Jinghan , Xu Yin , Li Meng
Published: June 2020

Short-circuit faults in a receiving-end power system can lead to blocking events of the feed-in high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) systems, which may further result in system instability. However, security assessment methods based on the transient stability (TS) simulation can hardly catch the fault propagation phenomena between AC and DC subsystems. Moreover, effective emergency control strategies are needed to prevent such undesired cascading events. This paper focuses on power systems with multi-infeed HVDCs. An on-line security assessment method based on the electromagnetic transient (EMT)-TS hybrid simulation is proposed. DC and AC subsystems are modeled in EMTDC/PSCAD and PSS/E, respectively. In this way, interactions between AC and DC subsystems can be well reflected. Meanwhile, high computational efficiency is maintained for the on-line application. In addition, an emergency control strategy is developed, which coordinates multiple control resources, including HVDCs, pumped storages, and interruptible loads, to maintain the security and stability of the receiving-end system. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is verified by numerical simulations on two actual power systems in China. The simulation results indicate that the EMT-TS hybrid simulation can accurately reflect the fault propagation phenomena between AC and DC subsystems, and the coordinated emergency control strategy can work effectively to maintain the security and stability of systems.