bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Cash Flows on Firm’s Profitability of Construction Sector in Malaysia
Authors: MD ARIS NAZARIA , ANUAR RAZMAN , Trofimov Ivan , Sokat Nurhidayah
Published: December 2019

This research investigates the effect of cash flows towards firm’s profitability using the data collected and analysed from listed firms in construction sector on Bursa Malaysia. The sample comprises of 98 firms and the data is for 6 years throughout January 2009 to December 2015. For the purpose of this analysis, a discriminatory panel regression and Pearson correlation are used to test the hypotheses. This research uses cash flow from operations (CFO), cash flow from investments (CFI), and cash flow from financing (CFF) activities as independent variables to measure cash flows. In order to measure the firm’s profitability, this research uses Return on Assets (ROA) as the dependent variable. The result from this research reveals that cash flows from operations (CFO) and cash flow from investments (CFI) has a significant and positive impact on the profitability of the firms. The findings also show there is a negative relationship exists between cash flow from financing (CFF) and firm’s profitability.Thus, taking all into consideration, this research provides insights to the business managers in overseeing the cash for ongoing operations, controlling the investing strategy and tracking the financing activities for survival and growth of the organisation. On the other hand, other stakeholders of the business use historic cash flows in this information set to make projections for future cash flows investment decisions.
Uji Larvasida Ekstrak Etanol Pare (Momordica charantia L.) Terhadap Larva Nyamuk Aedes spp.
Authors: Parawansah P , Arismawati A , Rini Risky Sesa , Nuralifah N
Published: December 2019

Pencegahan kejadian DBD dengan penggunaan temefos yang terbuat dari bahan sintetis sudah mengalami resistensi di beberapa daerah sehingga diperlukan larvasida yang berasal dari bahan alam yang efektif. Buah pare yang mengandung alkaloid, flavonoid dan saponin dapat dijadikan alternatif sebagai antiparasit. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji ekstrak etanol buah pare dan granul ekstrak  etanol buah pare (Momordica  charantia L.) sebagai larvasida terhadap larva nyamuk Aedes spp. Penelitian ini menggunakan studi eksperimental laboratorium dengan desain pre and post test. Pengujian larvasida ekstrak etanol  buah pare dengan konsentrasi 10, 13, 16, dan 19 mg/100 mL. Granul ekstrak  etanol buah pare dibuat dengan dengan massa 100 mg, Temefos 0,02 ppm sebagai kontrol positif, akuades sebagai control negatif, serta granul plasebo (non ekstrak). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan nilai LC50 dan LT50 berdasarkan analisis regresi log probit dengan nilai LC50 pada pengamatan 10,080 menit adalah 48,9 mg/100mL dan LT50 pada konsentrasi 19 mg/100 mL adalah 144,543,9771 menit. Kematian larva pada pengujian ekstrak etanol buah pare mencapai 29%  pada konsentrasi 16 mg/100 mL dan mortalitas dari pengujian  granul ekstrak etanol buah pare  adalah 2%. Ekstrak etanol buah pare efektif pada konsentrasi 16 mg/100 mL dan granul ekstrak buah pare tidak efektif sebagai larvisida terhadap Aedes spp.Kata kunci: Momordica charantia L., Aedes spp., granul,
Formulasi dan Uji Stabilitas Lotion Antioksidan dari Ekstrak Etanol Rambut Jagung (Zea mays L.) sebagai Antioksidan dan Tabir Surya
Authors: Armadany Fery Indradewi , Musnina Wa Ode Sitti , Wilda Ulfa
Published: December 2019

Rambut jagung merupakan limbah tanaman pertanian yang belum banyak dimanfaatkan. Salah satu khasiat rambut jagung yang dapat dimanfaatkan adalah sebagai antioksidan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memformulasikan dan mengetahui stabilitas fisik lotion dari ekstrak etanol rambut jagung (Zea mays L.) sebagai antioksidan dan tabir surya. Ekstrak etanol rambut jagung diperoleh dengan cara maserasi menggunakan etanol 96%. Ekstrak diuji aktivitas antioksidannya dengan menggunakan metode DPPH diperoleh nilai IC50  sebesar 114,75 μg/mL. Lotion dibuat dengan konsentrasi ekstrak ekstrak 1,5%, 3%, dan 4,5%. Nilai IC50 dari masing-masing sediaan berturut-turut yaitu 111,68 μg/mL, 110,10μg/mL, dan 109,63μg/mL.sedangkan nilai SPF dari sediaan lotion berturut-turut yaitu 8,48; 8,78; dan 9,44. Sediaan lotion yang telah diformulasi selanjutnya dilakukan evaluasi karakteristik fisik dan kestabilan lotion sebelum dan sesudah cycling test selama 6 siklus. Evaluasi karakteristik fisik meliputi pengamatan organoleptik,  pengujian pH, viskositas, homogenitas dan daya sebar serta iritasi. Hasil evaluasi menunjukkan bahwa lotion secara keseluruhan stabil sebelum dan setelah dilakukan cycling test dimana sediaan yang dihasilkan berupa lotion dengan warna putih hingga coklat muda dengan bau khas, memiliki konsistensi  kental dan homogen, pH berkisar 5,91–6,63, daya sebar 12.000–17.000 cPs (sesuai dengan SNI untuk viskositas sediaan lotion), daya sebar 5,2–7,2 cm.  Hasil uji iritasi tidak menunjukkan adanya reaksi iritasi.Kata kunci: rambut jagung, lotion, antioksidan, tabir surya
Do Triticum aestivum L. and Triticum spelta L. Hybrids Constitute a Promising Source Material for Quality Breeding ofNew Wheat Varieties?
Authors: Suchowilska Elżbieta , Wiwart Marian , Krska Rudolf , Kandler Wolfgang
Published: December 2019

The aim of this two-year study was to determine whether the contents of macronutrients and macro and microelements in wheat grain can be increased by crossbreeding Triticum aestivum and T. spelta. The experimental material comprised the grains of F6 and F7 hybrids and their parental forms. The element content of grain was determined by ICP-SFMS. Hybrid grains had significantly higher ash contents than bread wheat grain (1.90% and 1.93% versus 1.62%). Crude protein content was lowest in bread wheat grain (11.75%) and highest in spelt grain (14.67%). Hybrid grains had significantly higher protein contents (12.97% and13.19%) than bread wheat grain. In both years of the study, the concentrations of P, S, Mg and Ca were highest in spelt grain, whereas their content in hybrids was lower than in spelt grain, but higher than in bread wheat grain. The concentrations of desirable microelements were highest in spelt grain, and the micronutrient profile of hybrid grains was more similar to bread wheat than spelt. Therefore, the hybrids can constitute promising source material for quality breeding in wheat.
Transcriptomic Profiling of Pomegranate Provides Insights into Salt Tolerance
Authors: Liu Cuiyu , Zhao Yujie , Zhao Xueqing , Wang Jinping , Gu Mengmeng , Yuan Zhaohe
Published: December 2019

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is widely grown in arid and semi-arid soils, with constant soil salinization. To elucidate its molecular responses to salt stress on mRNA levels, we constructed 18 cDNA libraries of pomegranate roots and leaves from 0 (controls), 3, and 6 days after 200 mM NaCl treatment. In total, we obtained 34,047 genes by mapping to genome, and then identified 2255 DEGs (differentially expressed genes), including 1080 up-regulated and 1175 down-regulated genes. We found that the expression pattern of most DEGs were tissue-specific and time-specific. Among root DEGs, genes associated with cell wall organization and transmembrane transport were suppressed, and most of metabolism-related genes were over-represented. In leaves, 41.29% of DEGs were first suppressed and then recovered, including ions/metal ions binding-related genes. Also, ion transport and oxidation-reduction process were restricted. We found many DEGs involved in ABA, Ca2+-related and MAPK signal transduction pathways, such as ABA-receptors, Ca2+-sensors, MAPK cascades, TFs, and downstream functional genes coding for HSPs, LEAs, AQPs and PODs. Fifteen genes were selected to confirm the RNA-seq data using qRT-PCR. Our study not only illuminated pomegranate molecular responses to salinity, but also provided references for selecting salt-tolerant genes in pomegranate breeding processes.
Whole-Genome Signatures of Selection in Sport Horses Revealed Selection Footprints Related to Musculoskeletal System Development Processes
Authors: Salek Ardestani Siavash , Aminafshar Mehdi , Zandi Baghche Maryam Mohammad Bagher , Banabazi Mohammad Hossein , Sargolzaei Mehdi , Miar Younes
Published: December 2019

Selective breeding has led to gradual changes at the genome level of horses. Deciphering selective pressure patterns is progressive to understand how breeding strategies have shaped the sport horse genome; although, little is known about the genomic regions under selective pressures in sport horse breeds. The major goal of this study was to shed light on genomic regions and biological pathways under selective pressures in sport horses. In this study, whole-genome sequences of 16 modern sport and 35 non-sport horses were used to investigate the genomic selective signals of sport performance, by employing fixation index, nucleotide diversity, and Tajima’s D approaches. A total number of 49 shared genes were identified using these approaches. The functional enrichment analysis for candidate genes revealed novel significant biological processes related to musculoskeletal system development, such as limb development and morphogenesis, having been targeted by selection in sport breeds.
ClassifyMe: A Field-Scouting Software for the Identification of Wildlife in Camera Trap Images
Authors: Falzon Greg , Lawson Christopher , Cheung Ka-Wai , Vernes Karl , Ballard Guy A. , Fleming Peter J. S. , Glen Alistair S. , Milne Heath , Mather-Zardain Atalya , Meek Paul D.
Published: December 2019

We present ClassifyMe a software tool for the automated identification of animal species from camera trap images. ClassifyMe is intended to be used by ecologists both in the field and in the office. Users can download a pre-trained model specific to their location of interest and then upload the images from a camera trap to a laptop or workstation. ClassifyMe will identify animals and other objects (e.g., vehicles) in images, provide a report file with the most likely species detections, and automatically sort the images into sub-folders corresponding to these species categories. False Triggers (no visible object present) will also be filtered and sorted. Importantly, the ClassifyMe software operates on the user’s local machine (own laptop or workstation)—not via internet connection. This allows users access to state-of-the-art camera trap computer vision software in situ, rather than only in the office. The software also incurs minimal cost on the end-user as there is no need for expensive data uploads to cloud services. Furthermore, processing the images locally on the users’ end-device allows them data control and resolves privacy issues surrounding transfer and third-party access to users’ datasets.
Negative Mood Is Associated with Diet and Dietary Antioxidants in University Students During the Menstrual Cycle: A Cross-Sectional Study from Guangzhou, China
Authors: Bu Lingling , Lai Yuting , Deng Yingyan , Xiong Chenlu , Li Fengying , Li Li , Suzuki Katsuhiko , Ma Sihui , Liu Chunhong
Published: December 2019

Postpubescent females may have negative mood or premenstrual syndrome during the menstrual cycle; with the emotional and physical symptoms interfering with their quality of life. Little is known about the relationship of dietary behaviors and dietary antioxidant intake with negative mood or premenstrual syndrome in university students in China; so we explored the relationship between negative mood and dietary behavior in female university students during the three menstrual cycle phases. Random sampling was used to enroll 88 individuals from a university in Guangzhou; China in the study. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. During the menstrual phase, tea, black coffee and carbonated beverage intake was higher in the group with a high negative affect scale score than in the low score group (p < 0.05). Likewise; during the premenstrual phase, fresh fruit (banana and red Chinese dates) intake was higher in the group with a high negative affect scale score than in the low-score group (p < 0.05). The logistic regression analysis results showed that negative mood was positively associated with tea, coffee, and carbonated beverage intake during the menstrual phase (β = 0.21, p = 0.0453, odds ratio = 1.23), and negative mood was positively associated with banana and red Chinese dates intake during the premenstrual phase (β = 0.59, p = 0.0172, odds ratio = 1.81). Our results suggest that negative mood may be associated with diet and specific food in university postpubescent females.
Natural Antioxidants Beneficial Effects on Anion Exchange through Band 3 Protein in Human Erythrocytes
Authors: Remigante Alessia , Morabito Rossana , Marino Angela
Published: December 2019

Band 3 protein (B3p) exchanging Cl− and HCO3− through erythrocyte membranes is responsible for acid balance, ion distribution and gas exchange, thus accounting for homeostasis of both erythrocytes and entire organisms. Moreover, since B3p cross links with the cytoskeleton and the proteins underlying the erythrocyte membrane, its function also impacts cell shape and deformability, essential to adaptation of erythrocyte size to capillaries for pulmonary circulation. As growing attention has been directed toward this protein in recent years, the present review was conceived to report the most recent knowledge regarding B3p, with specific regard to its anion exchange capability under in vitro oxidative conditions. Most importantly, the role of natural antioxidants, i.e., curcumin, melatonin and Mg2+, in preventing detrimental oxidant effects on B3p is considered.
Neuroprotective Effects of Cornus officinalis on Stress-Induced Hippocampal Deficits in Rats and H2O2-Induced Neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells
Authors: Tian Weishun , Zhao Jing , Lee Jeong-Ho , Akanda Md Rashedunnabi , Cho Jeong-Hwi , Kim Sang-Ki , Choi Yu-Jin , Park Byung-Yong
Published: December 2019

Oxidative stress plays a vital role in neurodegenerative diseases. Cornus officinalis (CC) has a wide range of pharmacological activities (e.g., antioxidant, neuroprotective, and anti-inflammatory). The present study was undertaken to elucidate the neuroprotective mechanism of CC and fermented CC (FCC) on stress and H2O2-induced oxidative stress damage in rats and SH-SY5Y cells. A dose of 100 mg/kg CC or FCC was orally administered to rats 1 h prior to immobilization 2 h per day for 14 days. CC, especially FCC administration decreased immobility time in forced swim test (FST), effectively alleviated the oxidative stress, and remarkably decreased corticosterone, β-endorphin and increased serotonin levels, respectively. In cells, CC and FCC significantly inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and significantly increased the genes expression of antioxidant and neuronal markers, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Moreover, the pro-apoptotic factor Bax and anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-2 (Bax/Bcl-2) ratio was regulated by CC and FCC pretreatment. Both in rats and cells, CC and FCC downregulated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation. Taken together, these results demonstrated that CC and particularly FCC ameliorated oxidative stress and may be used on the neuroprotection.
Study on Thermoelectric Conversion and Conjugate Heat Transfer for PCBA by Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Lin Ah-Der , Poon Sian Zheng , Tu Hong-Wei , Chen Cheng-Yi , Hsu Chao-Ming
Published: December 2019

In this study, the optical sphere and the power analyzer were exploited to measure the optical and power parameters for the high-power LED lamps. The results, derived from the experimental data, were used as the power distribution inputs in the finite element analysis (FEA) for the determination of the temperature distribution for the printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) built in the LED lamp. In the finite element analysis, the conjugate heat transfer model was adapted for the calculation of the heat transfer, including thermal conductivity, convection and radiation. Applied on the power chips located on the PCBA, the graphene thermal interface material (TIMs) had been studied for its effects on the temperature distribution. For an accurate simulation about the LED lamp, the model with closed and compact space was built in the analysis. Compared to the experimental data, it showed that the simulation results had a deviation in the range of 3–5% around the main heating source, the light-emitting diodes. It proves the FEA model proposed in this study were well developed for the simulation of the temperature distribution for the high-power LED lamps which have mixed heat transfer mechanisms. The thermal radiation effects by TIMs with graphene were also investigated in this study and proven to be useful for the heat dissipation for the LED lamps.
Optical Soliton Solutions of the Cubic-Quartic Nonlinear Schrödinger and Resonant Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation with the Parabolic Law
Authors: Gao Wei , Ismael Hajar Farhan , Husien Ahmad M. , Bulut Hasan , Baskonus Haci Mehmet
Published: December 2019

In this paper, the cubic-quartic nonlinear Schrödinger and resonant nonlinear Schrödinger equation in parabolic law media are investigated to obtain the dark, singular, bright-singular combo and periodic soliton solutions. Two powerful methods, the m + G ′ G improved expansion method and the exp − φ ξ expansion method are utilized to construct some novel solutions of the governing equations. The obtained optical soliton solutions are presented graphically to clarify their physical parameters. Moreover, to verify the existence solutions, the constraint conditions are utilized.
Direct-Mapping-Based MIMO-FBMC Underwater Acoustic Communication Architecture for Multimedia Signals
Authors: Lin Chin-Feng , Su Tsung-Jen , Chang Hung-Kai , Lee Chun-Kang , Chang Shun-Hsyung , Parinov Ivan A. , Shevtsov Sergey
Published: December 2019

In this paper, a direct-mapping (DM)-based multi-input multi-output (MIMO) filter bank multi-carrier (FBMC) underwater acoustic multimedia communication architecture (UAMCA) is proposed. The proposed DM-based MIMO-FBMC UAMCA is rare and non-obvious in the underwater multimedia communication research topic. The following are integrated into the proposed UAMCA: A 2 × 2 DM transmission mechanism, a (2000, 1000) low-density parity-check code encoder, a power assignment mechanism, an object-composition petrinet mechanism, adaptive binary phase shift keying modulation and 4-offset quadrature amplitude modulation methods. The multimedia signals include voice, image, and data. The DM transmission mechanism in different spatial hardware devices transmits different multimedia packets. The proposed underwater multimedia transmission power allocation algorithm (UMTPAA) is simple, fast, and easy to implement, and the threshold transmission bit error rates (BERs) and real-time requirements for voice, image, and data signals can be achieved using the proposed UMTPAA. The BERs of the multimedia signals, data symbol error rates of the data signals, power saving ratios of the voice, image and data signals, mean square errors of the voice signals, and peak signal-to-noise ratios of the image signals, for the proposed UAMCA with a perfect channel estimation, and channel estimation errors of 5%, 10%, and 20%, respectively, were explored and demonstrated. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed 2 × 2 DM-based MIMO-FBMC UAMCA is suitable for low power and high speed underwater multimedia sensor networks.
Precipitation Forecast Contribution Assessment in the Coupled Meteo-Hydrological Models
Authors: Jabbari Aida , So Jae-Min , Bae Deg-Hyo
Published: December 2019

A numerical weather prediction and a rainfall-runoff model employed to evaluate precipitation and flood forecast for the Imjin River (South and North Korea). The real-time precipitation at point and catchment scales evaluated to select proper hydrological model to couple with atmospheric model. As a major limitation of previous studies, temporal and spatial resolutions of hydrological model are smaller than those of meteorological model. Here, through high resolution of temporal (10 min) and spatial (1 km × 1 km), the optimal resolution determined. The results showed Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model underestimated precipitation in point and catchment assessment and its skill was relatively higher for catchment than point scale, as illustrated by the lower Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 59.67, 160.48, 68.49 for the catchment and 84.49, 212.80 and 91.53 for the point scale in the events 2002, 2007 and 2011, respectively. The findings led to choose the semi-distributed hydrological model. The variations in temporal and spatial resolutions illustrated accuracy decrease; additionally, the optimal spatial resolution obtained at 8 km and temporal resolution did not affect the inherent inaccuracy of the results. Lead-time variation demonstrated that lead-time dependency was almost negligible below 36 h. With reference to this study, comparisons of model performance provided quantitative knowledge for understanding credibility and restrictions of meteo-hydrological models.
Anticancer Plants: A Review of the Active Phytochemicals, Applications in Animal Models, and Regulatory Aspects
Authors: Khan Tariq , Ali Muhammad , Khan Ajmal , Nisar Parveen , Jan Sohail Ahmad , Afridi Shakeeb , Shinwari Zabta Khan
Published: December 2019

The rising burden of cancer worldwide calls for an alternative treatment solution. Herbal medicine provides a very feasible alternative to western medicine against cancer. This article reviews the selected plant species with active phytochemicals, the animal models used for these studies, and their regulatory aspects. This study is based on a meticulous literature review conducted through the search of relevant keywords in databases, Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Twenty plants were selected based on defined selection criteria for their potent anticancer compounds. The detailed analysis of the research studies revealed that plants play an indispensable role in fighting different cancers such as breast, stomach, oral, colon, lung, hepatic, cervical, and blood cancer cell lines. The in vitro studies showed cancer cell inhibition through DNA damage and activation of apoptosis-inducing enzymes by the secondary metabolites in the plant extracts. Studies that reported in vivo activities of these plants showed remarkable results in the inhibition of cancer in animal models. Further studies should be performed on exploring more plants, their active compounds, and the mechanism of anticancer actions for use as standard herbal medicine.
Low Temperature Methanation of CO2 on High Ni Content Ni-Ce-ZrOδ Catalysts Prepared via One-Pot Hydrothermal Synthesis
Authors: Meeyoo Vissanu , Panchan Noppadol , Phongprueksathat Nat , Traitangwong Atsadang , Guo Xinpeng , Li Chunshan , Rirksomboon Thirasak
Published: December 2019

Ni-Ce-Zr-Oδ catalysts were prepared via one-pot hydrothermal synthesis. It was found that Ni can be partially incorporated into the Ce-Zr lattice, increasing surface oxygen species. The catalysts possess high surface areas even at high Ni loadings. The catalyst with Ni content of 71.5 wt.% is able to activate CO2 methanation even at a low temperature (200 °C). Its CO2 conversion and methane selectivity were reported at 80% and 100%, respectively. The catalyst was stable for 48 h during the course of CO2 methanation at 300 °C. Catalysts with the addition of medium basic sites were found to have better catalytic activity for CO2 methanation.
Xenopus Interferon Complex: Inscribing the Amphibiotic Adaption and Species-Specific Pathogenic Pressure in Vertebrate Evolution?
Authors: Tian Yun , Jennings Jordan , Gong Yuanying , Sang Yongming
Published: December 2019

Several recent studies have revealed previously unknown complexity of the amphibian interferon (IFN) system. Being unique in vertebrate animals, amphibians not only conserve and multiply the fish-like intron-containing IFN genes, but also rapidly evolve amniote-like intronless IFN genes in each tested species. We postulate that the amphibian IFN system confers an essential model to study vertebrate immune evolution in molecular and functional diversity to cope with unprecedented pathophysiological requirement during terrestrial adaption. Studies so far have ascribed a potential role of these IFNs in immune regulation against intracellular pathogens, particularly viruses; however, many knowledge gaps remain elusive. Based on recent reports about IFN’s multifunctional properties in regulation of animal physiological and defense responses, we interpret that amphibian IFNs may evolve novel function pertinent to their superior molecular diversity. Such new function revealed by the emerging studies about antifungal and developmental regulation of amphibian IFNs will certainly promote our understanding of immune evolution in vertebrates to address current pathogenic threats causing amphibian decline.
Superconducting HfO2-YBa2Cu3O7−δ Nanocomposite Films Deposited Using Ink-Jet Printing of Colloidal Solutions
Authors: Rijckaert Hannes , Cayado Pablo , Nast Rainer , Diez Sierra Javier , Erbe Manuela , López Dominguez Pedro , Hänisch Jens , De Buysser Klaartje , Holzapfel Bernhard , Van Driessche Isabel
Published: December 2019

To reduce the fabrication costs while maximizing the superconducting and pinning properties of YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO) nanocomposite films, the drop-on-demand ink-jet printing technique was used to deposit colloidal YBCO inks onto LaAlO3 substrates. These inks containing preformed HfO2 nanocrystals were carefully adjusted, prior to the jettability, as the droplet formation depends on the rheological properties of the inks themselves. After carefully adjusting printing parameters, 450-nm thick pristine YBCO films with a self-field critical current density (Jc) of 2.7 MA cm−² at 77 K and 500-nm thick HfO2-YBCO nanocomposite films with a self-field Jc of 3.1 MA·cm−² at 77 K were achieved. The final HfO2-YBCO nanocomposite films contained dispersed BaHfO3 particles in a YBCO matrix due to the Ba2+ reactivity with the HfO2 nanocrystals. These nanocomposite films presented a more gradual decrease of Jc with the increased magnetic field. These nanocomposite films also showed higher pinning force densities than the pristine films. This pinning enhancement was related to the favorable size and distribution of the BaHfO3 particles in the YBCO matrix.
Accelerated Hermeticity Testing of Biocompatible Moisture Barriers Used for the Encapsulation of Implantable Medical Devices
Authors: Li Changzheng , Cauwe Maarten , Mader Lothar , Schaubroeck David , Op de Beeck Maaike
Published: December 2019

Barrier layers for the long-term encapsulation of implantable medical devices play a crucial role in the devices’ performance and reliability. Typically, to understand the stability and predict the lifetime of barriers (therefore, the implantable devices), the device is subjected to accelerated testing at higher temperatures compared to its service parameters. Nevertheless, at high temperatures, reaction and degradation mechanisms might be different, resulting in false accelerated test results. In this study, the maximum valid temperatures for the accelerated testing of two barrier layers were investigated: atomic layer deposited (ALD) Al2O3 and stacked ALD HfO2/Al2O3/HfO2, hereinafter referred to as ALD-3. The in-house developed standard barrier performance test is based on continuous electrical resistance monitoring and microscopic inspection of Cu patterns covered with the barrier and immersed in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) at temperatures up to 95 °C. The results demonstrate the valid temperature window to perform temperature acceleration tests. In addition, the optimized ALD layer in combination with polyimide (polyimide/ALD-3/polyimide) works as effective barrier at 60 °C for 1215 days, suggesting the potential applicability to the encapsulation of long-term implants.
Correlation between Defect Density and Corrosion Parameter of Electrochemically Oxidized Aluminum
Authors: Lou Hao-Ren , Tsai Dah-Shyang , Chou Chen-Chia
Published: December 2019

It has been recognized that a connection may exist between defects of oxide coating and its corrosion protection. Such a link has not been substantiated. We prepare two coatings of anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) and plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO), and analyze them with Mott-Schottky plots and potentiodynamic polarization scans. The as-grown and annealed AAO coatings exhibit both p-type and n-type semiconductor behaviors. Polarization resistance of the AAO coating increases from (1.8 ± 1.7) × 108 to (4.3 ± 0.5) × 108 Ω·cm2, while corrosion current decreases from (6.1 ± 3.6) × 10−7 to (2.3 ± 0.9) × 10−7 A·cm−2, as annealing temperature increases from room temperature to 400 °C. The parameter analysis on AAO indicates a positive correlation between corrosion current and donor density, a negative correlation between polarization resistance and donor density. The attempt on correlating corrosion potential gives rise to considerable deviation from a linear fit. The results suggest protection of AAO hinges on its donor density, not acceptor. On the PEO coatings, only the n-type behavior is observed. Intriguingly, the donor density of PEO coating is influenced by the annealing temperature of its pre-anodized layer. The most resistant PEO coating, with pre-anodized and 400 °C annealed AAO, exhibits polarization resistance (2.1 ± 0.4) × 109 Ω·cm2 and corrosion current (1.7 ± 0.4) × 10−8 A·cm−2.
A Comprehensive Review of DC–DC Converter Topologies and Modulation Strategies with Recent Advances in Solar Photovoltaic Systems
Authors: Raghavendra Kummara Venkat Guru , Zeb Kamran , Muthusamy Anand , Krishna T. N. V. , Kumar S. V. S. V Prabhudeva , Kim Do-Hyun , Kim Min-Soo , Cho Hwan-Gyu , Kim Hee-Je
Published: December 2019

Renewable Energy Sources (RES) showed enormous growth in the last few years. In comparison with the other RES, solar power has become the most feasible source because of its unique properties such as clean, noiseless, eco-friendly nature, etc. During the extraction of electric power, the DC–DC converters were given the prominent interest because of their extensive use in various applications. Photovoltaic (PV) systems generally suffer from less energy conversion efficiency along with improper stability and intermittent properties. Hence, there is a necessity of the Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm to ensure the maximum power available that can be harnessed from the solar PV. In this paper, the most important features of the DC/DC converters along with the MPPT techniques are reviewed and analyzed. A detailed comprehensive analysis is made on different converter topologies of both non-isolated and isolated DC/DC converters. Then, the modulation strategies, comparative performance evaluation are addressed systematically. At the end, recent advances and future trends are described briefly and considered for the next-generation converter’s design and applications. This review work will provide a useful structure and reference point on the DC/DC converters for researchers and designers working in the field of solar PV applications.
Power Source Electronic Ballast for Electrodeless Fluorescent Lamps
Authors: Diaz F. Javier , Azcondo Francisco J. , Casanueva Rosario , Brañas Christian
Published: December 2019

This paper presents the design, control strategy and experimental results of a two-step, power factor correction stage (PFC) and resonant inverter (RI), electronic ballast proposal to supply 150 W electrodeless fluorescent lamps (EFL). The PFC acts as a controlled power source and provides mid and long-term stability to the system, while the stability of the current through the lamp is achieved with the RI. In addition, the power-mode control requires limitation of the output voltage. The dual operation mode of the PFC (voltage source mode and power source mode) enables an efficient soft resonant ignition and the implementation of simple dimming regulation.
A Signal-Processing Neural Model Based on Biological Retina
Authors: Wei Hui , Wang Luping , Wang Shanshan , Jiang Yuxiang , Li Jingmeng
Published: December 2019

Image signal processing has considerable value in artificial intelligence. However, due to the diverse disturbance (e.g., color, noise), the image signal processing, especially the representation of the signal, remains a big challenge. In the human visual system, it has been justified that simple cells in the primary visual cortex are obviously sensitive to vision signals with partial orientation features. In other words, the image signals are extracted and described along the pathway of visual processing. Inspired by this neural mechanism of the primary visual cortex, it is possible to build an image signal-processing model as the neural architecture. In this paper, we presented a method to process the image signal involving a multitude of disturbance. For image signals, we first extracted 4 rivalry pathways via the projection of color. Secondly, we designed an algorithm in which the computing process of the stimulus with partial orientation features can be altered into a process of analytical geometry, resulting in that the signals with orientation features can be extracted and characterized. Finally, through the integration of characterizations from the 4 different rivalry pathways, the image signals can be effectively interpreted and reconstructed. Instead of data-driven methods, the presented approach requires no prior training. With the use of geometric inferences, the method tends to be interpreted and applied in the signal processor. The extraction and integration of rivalry pathways of different colors allow the method to be effective and robust to the signals with the image noise and disturbance of colors. Experimental results showed that the approach can extract and describing the image signal with diverse disturbance. Based on the characterization of the image signal, it is possible to reconstruct signal features which can effectively represent the important information from the original image signal.
Transcriptome-Wide Analysis Reveals Key DEGs in Flower Color Regulation of Hosta plantaginea (Lam.) Aschers
Authors: Zhang Jingying , Sui Changhai , Wang Yanli , Liu Shuying , Liu Huimin , Zhang Zhengren , Liu Hongzhang
Published: December 2019

Background: Hosta plantaginea (Lam.) Aschers (HPA), a species in the family Liliaceae, is an important landscaping plant and herbaceous ornamental flower. However, because the flower has only two colors, white and purple, color matching applications are extremely limited. To date, the mechanism underlying flower color regulation remains unclear. Methods: In this study, the transcriptomes of three cultivars—H. plantaginea (HP, white flower), H. Cathayana (HC, purple flower), and H. plantaginea ‘Summer Fragrance’ (HS, purple flower)—at three flowering stages (bud stage, initial stage, and late flowering stage) were sequenced with the Illumina HiSeq 2000 (San Diego, CA, USA). The RNA-Seq results were validated by qRT-PCR of eight differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Then, we further analyzed the relationship between anthocyanidin synthase (ANS), chalcone synthase (CHS), and P450 and the flower color regulation by Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Eukaryotic Orthologous Groups (KOG) network and pathway enrichment analyses. The overexpression of CHS and ANS in transgenic tobacco petals was verified using qRT-PCR, and the petal colors associated with the overexpression lines were confirmed using absorbance values. Results: Over 434,349 transcripts were isolated, and 302,832 unigenes were identified. Additionally, through transcriptome comparisons, 2098, 722, and 606 DEGs between the different stages were found for HP, HC, and HS, respectively. Furthermore, GO and KEGG pathway analyses showed that 84 color-related DEGs were enriched in 22 pathways. In particular, the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway, regulated by CHS, ANS, and the cytochrome P450-type monooxygenase gene, was upregulated in both purple flower varieties in the late flowering stage. In contrast, this gene was hardly expressed in the white flower variety, which was verified in the CHS and ANS overexpression transgenic tobacco petals. Conclusions: The results suggest that CHS, ANS, and the cytochrome P450s-regulated flavonoid biosynthetic pathway might play key roles in the regulation of flower color in HPA. These insights into the mechanism of flower color regulation could be used to guide artificial breeding of polychrome varieties of ornamental flowers.
Genome-Wide Profiling of Enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus Strains Used for the Production of Naturally Contaminated Cheeses
Authors: Macori Guerrino , Bellio Alberto , Bianchi Daniela Manila , Chiesa Francesco , Gallina Silvia , Romano Angelo , Zuccon Fabio , Cabrera-Rubio Raúl , Cauquil Alexandra , Merda Déborah , Auvray Fréderic , Decastelli Lucia
Published: December 2019

Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen and an important cause of livestock infections. More than 20 staphylococcal enterotoxins with emetic activity can be produced by specific strains responsible for staphylococcal food poisoning, one of the most common food-borne diseases. Whole genome sequencing provides a comprehensive view of the genome structure and gene content that have largely been applied in outbreak investigations and genomic comparisons. In this study, six enterotoxigenic S. aureus strains were characterised using a combination of molecular, phenotypical and computational methods. The genomes were analysed for the presence of virulence factors (VFs), where we identified 110 genes and classified them into five categories: adherence (n = 31), exoenzymes (n = 28), genes involved in host immune system evasion (n = 7); iron uptake regulatory system (n = 8); secretion machinery factors and toxins’ genes (n = 36), and 39 genes coding for transcriptional regulators related to staphylococcal VFs. Each group of VFs revealed correlations among the six enterotoxigenic strains, and further analysis revealed their accessory genomic content, including mobile genetic elements. The plasmids pLUH02 and pSK67 were detected in the strain ProNaCC1 and ProNaCC7, respectively, carrying out the genes sed, ser, and selj. The genes carried out by prophages were detected in the strain ProNaCC2 (see), ProNaCC4, and ProNaCC7 (both positive for sea). The strain ProNaCC5 resulted positive for the genes seg, sei, sem, sen, seo grouped in an exotoxin gene cluster, and the strain ProNaCC6 resulted positive for seh, a transposon-associated gene. The six strains were used for the production of naturally contaminated cheeses which were tested with the European Screening Method for staphylococcal enterotoxins. The results obtained from the analysis of toxins produced in cheese, combined with the genomic features represent a portrait of the strains that can be used for the production of staphylococcal enterotoxin-positive cheese as reference material.
Environmental Tax Reform and the “Double Dividend” Hypothesis in a Small Open Economy
Authors: Zhou Zhibo , Zhang Weiguo , Pan Xinxin , Hu Jiangfeng , Pu Ganlin
Published: December 2019

In this paper, we build and analyze a general equilibrium model to evaluate the effects of environment tax reform on a small open economy in a “suboptimal environment” with existing tax distortions. We then use the macroeconomic data from the Chongqing Municipality in China to conduct simulations to empirically test our analytic results. Our main findings include the followings. First, an increase in environmental tax rate can effectively reduce the use of polluting consumer goods by households as well as investment in polluting factors by enterprises. Hence, an increase in environmental tax rate can improve environmental quality and obtain “environmental dividend”. Second, an increase in environmental tax rate can negatively impact employment, family income and economic growth. Hence, there is no “non-environmental dividend” effect. Third, an increased environmental tax rate has both substitution effect and income effect on household consumption. On the one hand, it motivates households to substitute polluting consumer goods with clean consumer goods. On the other hand, it lowers the total consumption level of households. Fourth, we show that the “double dividend” hypothesis on environmental tax is invalid. And the optimal environmental tax under the suboptimal environment is lower than the Pigouvian tax rate. Finally, we discuss the policy implications of our results.
Identifying WeChat Message Types without Using Traditional Traffic
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Xu Ming , Zheng Ning , Qiao Tong , Wang Yaru
Published: December 2019

Attackers can eavesdrop and exploit user privacy by classifying traffic into different types of in-app service usage to identify user actions. WeChat is the largest social messaging platform, which is a popular application in China. When WeChat is shut down, it is unable to generate traffic; that is, traditional traffic. However, the traffic still can be generated by system. How to identify the message types within WeChat with traffic generated by a system instead of traditional traffic becomes a new challenge. To deal with this challenge, we designed a system to identify and analyze the traffic of the Apple Push Notification service (APNs) to identify the message types of WeChat. In detail, we designed a system to identify and analyze the traffic of the APNs. First, the system clusters the traffic based on the session and divides it into multiple bursts. Then, it extracts the features of each burst and sends these features to the learning-based classifier to extract APNs’s traffic from the background traffic. Finally, it uses a hash-based lookup table method to analyze message types from APNs traffic. Extensive evaluation results show that we can accurately identify the six message types of APN and WeChat. In addition, we propose two coping strategies for the method proposed in this article.
RNAi-Mediated Knockdown of Chitin Synthase 1 (CHS1) Gene Causes Mortality and Decreased Longevity and Fecundity in Aphis gossypii
Authors: Ullah Farman , Gul Hina , Wang Xiu , Ding Qian , Said Fazal , Gao Xiwu , Desneux Nicolas , Song Dunlun
Published: December 2019

Chitin is a vital part of the insect exoskeleton and peritrophic membrane, synthesized by chitin synthase (CHS) enzymes. Chitin synthase 1 (CHS1) is a crucial enzyme in the final step of chitin biosynthetic pathway and consequently plays essential role towards insect growth and molting. RNA interference (RNAi) is an agent that could be used as an extremely target-specific and ecologically innocuous tactic to control different insect pests associated with economically important crops. The sole purpose of the current study is to use CHS1 as the key target gene against the cotton-melon aphid, Aphis gossypii, via oral feeding on artificial diets mixed with dsRNA-CHS1. Results revealed that the expression level of CHS1 gene significantly decreased after the oral delivery of dsRNA-CHS1. The knockdown of CHS1 gene caused up to 43%, 47%, and 59% mortality in third-instar nymph after feeding of dsCHS1 for 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively, as compared to the control. Consistent with this, significantly lower longevity (approximately 38%) and fecundity (approximately 48%) were also found in adult stage of cotton-melon aphids that were fed with dsCHS1 for 72 h at nymphal stage. The qRT-PCR analysis of gene expression demonstrated that the increased mortality rates and lowered longevity and fecundity of A. gossypii were attributed to the downregulation of CHS1 gene via oral-delivery-mediated RNAi. The results of current study confirm that CHS1 could be an appropriate candidate target gene for the RNAi-based control of cotton-melon aphids.
Differences in the Head Roll Test, Bow and Lean Test, and Null Plane between Persistent and Transient Geotropic Direction-Changing Positional Nystagmus
Authors: Kim Sung Kyun , Li Sung Won , Hong Seok Min
Published: December 2019

Background: Persistent geotropic direction-changing positional nystagmus (DCPN) has the characteristics of cupulopathy, but its underlying pathogenesis is not known. We investigated the relationship of the results of the head roll test, bow and lean test, and side of the null plane between persistent and transient geotropic DCPN to determine the lesion side of persistent geotropic DCPN and understand its mechanism. Methods: We enrolled 25 patients with persistent geotropic DCPN and 41 with transient geotropic DCPN. We compared the results of the head roll test, bow and lean test, and side of the null plane between the two groups. Results: The rates of bowing and leaning nystagmus were significantly higher in the persistent DCPN group. Only 16.0% of the persistent DCPN patients had stronger nystagmus in the head roll test and the null plane on the same side. The rates of the direction of bowing nystagmus in the bow and lean test and stronger nystagmus in the head roll test on the same side were also significantly lower in persistent DCPN than in transient DCPN. Conclusion: It was difficult to determine the lesion side in persistent geotropic DCPN using the direction of stronger nystagmus in the head roll test and null plane when the direction of the stronger nystagmus and null plane were opposite. Further study is needed to understand the position of the cupula according to head rotation and the anatomical position in persistent geotropic DCPN.
A Translational Study of TNF-Alpha Antagonists as an Adjunctive Therapy for Preventing Hemophilic Arthropathy
Authors: Zhang Feixu , Xu Mengyang , Yang Qin , Hua Baolai , Xia Binglan , Lin Zhenyang , Xiao Xiao , Monahan Paul E. , Sun Junjiang
Published: December 2019

Repeated intra-articular hemorrhages lead to hemophilic arthropathy in severe hemophilia. Inflammation and pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα)) might be involved in this pathogenesis. We hypothesized that anti-TNFα may provide adjuvant protection for hemophilic arthropathy management. We measured TNFα in synovial lavage from hemophilia mice subjected to hemarthrosis induction and synovial fluid from patients with hemophilic arthropathy (n = 5). In hemophilia mice, recurrent hemarthroses were induced, anti-TNFα was initiated either from day (D)7 after one hemarthrosis episode or D21 after three hemarthroses episodes (n ≥ 7/treatment group). In patients with hemophilic arthropathy (16 patients with 17 affected joints), a single dose of anti-TNFα was administered intra-articularly. Efficacy, characterized by synovial membrane thickness and vascularity, was determined. Elevated TNFα in synovial lavage was found in the hemophilia mice and patients with hemophilic arthropathy. Hemophilia mice subjected to three hemarthroses developed severe synovitis (Synovitis score of 6.0 ± 1.6). Factor IX (FIX) replacement alone partially improved the pathological changes (Synovitis score of 4.2 ± 0.8). However, anti-TNFα treatment initiated at D7, not D21, significantly provided protection (Synovitis score of 1.8 ± 0.9 vs. 3.9 ± 0.3). In patients with hemophilic arthropathy, intra-articular anti-TNFα significantly decreased synovial thickness and vascularity during the observed period from D7 to D30. Collectively, this preliminary study seems to indicate that TNFα may be associated with the pathogenicity of hemophilic arthropathy and anti-TNFα could provide adjuvant protection against hemophilic arthropathy. Further studies are required to confirm the preliminary results shown in this study.