bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protective Effect of Silibinin on Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammatory Responses in Equine Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells, an In Vitro Study
Authors: Gugliandolo Enrico , Crupi Rosalia , Biondi Vito , Licata Patrizia , Cuzzocrea Salvatore , Passantino Annamaria
Published: November 2020

Although inflammation is an important physiological response, it plays a prominent role in several diseases across the mammalian species. In horses, in particular, inflammation secondary to bacterial infection or translocation is one of the most frequent causes of morbidity and mortality. Research in new molecules with anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory proprieties and safe use profile is constantly an active field; natural compounds are an important source of molecules with peculiar properties such as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and immune modulating. Silibinin, a natural polyphenolic flavonoid, extracted from plant milk thistle, Silybum marianum, has been reported to have actions such as antioxidant immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory. The aim of this study was to test the effect of silibinin on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response in equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Our results showed the protective effect of silibinin 10 μM and 50 μM in equine PBMCs stimulated with LPS. Silibilinin was able to prevent the LPS induced increased levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8. The results from this study on LPS-stimulated equine PBMCs showed that silibinin could be a useful pharmacological approach in treatment or prevention of several inflammatory conditions in horse.
Effects of Wheat Bran Applied to Maternal Diet on the Intestinal Architecture and Immune Gene Expression in Suckling Piglets
Authors: Leblois Julie , Zhang Yuping , Wavreille José , Uerlings Julie , Schroyen Martine , Sureda Ester Arévalo , Soyeurt Hélène , Dehareng Frédéric , Grelet Clément , Oswald Isabelle P. , Li Bing , Bindelle Jérôme , Zhang Hongfu , Everaert Nadia
Published: November 2020

The strategy of improving the growth and health of piglets through maternal fiber diet intervention has attracted increasing attention. Therefore, 15 sows were conducted to a wheat bran (WB) group, in which the sows’ diets included 25% of WB in gestation and 14% in lactation, and a control (CON) group, in which the sows’ diets at all stages of reproduction did not contain WB. The results show that maternal high WB intervention seems not to have an impact on the growth of the offspring or the villus height of the duodenum, and the ratio of villi/crypts in the duodenum and jejunum were all higher in piglets born from WB sows, which may indicate that WB piglets had a larger absorption area and capacity for nutrients. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and interleukin 6 (IL6) expression levels were notably upregulated in the ileal mucosa of WB piglets, while no immune-related genes in the colonic mucosa were affected by the maternal WB supplementation. In conclusion, adding a high proportion of wheat bran to the sow’s gestation and lactation diet can affect the intestinal architecture and the expression of some inflammation genes, to some extent, in the ileal mucosa in the progeny.
Validation of an Alternative Feather Sampling Method to Measure Corticosterone
Authors: Voit Marielu , Merle Roswitha , Baumgartner Katrin , von Fersen Lorenzo , Reese Lukas , Ladwig-Wiegard Mechthild , Will Hermann , Tallo-Parra Oriol , Carbajal Annaïs , Lopez-Bejar Manel , Thöne-Reineke Christa
Published: November 2020

The most common feather sampling method for feather corticosterone measurement is by plucking the feathers from the bird’s skin. This procedure performed on living, restrained birds is qualified as an animal experiment according to German/European legislation, which has to be applied for from the competent authorities. The Directive 2010/63/EU requires the full implementation of the 3-R Principle of Russel and Burch in animal experiments, which means not only to replace the use of animals, but also to reduce the number of animals used and to refine procedures whenever possible. In response to this issue, the aim of this study was to validate an alternative, less invasive sampling method by cutting feathers close to the skin in comparison to the gold standard of plucking them. For this proof-of-principle study, a conventional poultry husbandry with trial groups of geese (Anser anser domesticus) and ducks (Anas sterilis) was selected. All birds were kept under the same living conditions to standardize the influencing factors regarding husbandry, and thus, their stress levels. Feather samples were collected between the shoulders from 46 geese and 51 ducks, both by cutting as well as by plucking, directly after slaughter for meat production. Feather corticosterone levels were measured with Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Results were compared using Bland–Altman plots and concordance correlation coefficients (CCC). It could be seen that concordance between corticosterone levels in cut and plucked feathers was rather poor: 0.38 for Anser, and 0.57 for Anas. However, comparing the mean corticosterone values in pg/mm of each species with their respective standard deviations, the differences between the methods were negligible. As the results showed that the differences between the individuals were markedly greater than the differences between the methods, the determination of corticosterone levels in cut feathers is valid compared to using plucked feathers. The validation tests of ELISA showed only acceptable repeatability and reliability. Hence, the results should be verified in further studies. In conclusion, it is recommended for future research to use cut instead of plucked feathers for corticosterone measurement.
Extension and Advisory Organizations on the Road to the Digitalization of Animal Farming: An Organizational Learning Perspective
Authors: Charatsari Chrysanthi , D. Lioutas Evagelos , De Rosa Marcello , Papadaki-Klavdianou Afroditi
Published: November 2020

Agricultural digitalization emerged as a radical innovation, punctuating the gradual evolution of the agrifood sector and having the potential to fundamentally restructure the context within which extension and advisory organizations operate. Digital technologies are expected to alter the practice and culture of animal farming in the future. To suit the changing environmental conditions, organizations can make minor adjustments or can call into question their purposes, belief systems, and operating paradigms. Each pattern of change is associated with different types of organizational learning. In this conceptual article, adopting an organizational learning perspective and building upon organizational change models, we present two potential change and learning pathways that extension and advisory organizations can follow to cope with digitalization: morphostasis and morphogenesis. Morphostatic change has a transitional nature and helps organizations survive by adapting to the new environmental conditions. Organizations that follow this pathway learn by recognizing and correcting errors. This way, they increase their competence in specific services and activities. Morphogenetic change, on the other hand, occurs when organizations acknowledge the need to move beyond existing operating paradigms, redefine their purposes, and explore new possibilities. By transforming themselves, organizations learn new ways to understand and interpret contextual cues. We conclude by presenting some factors that explain extension and advisory organizations’ tendency to morphostasis.
Oral Transmucosal or Intramuscular Administration of Dexmedetomidine–Methadone Combination in Dogs: Sedative and Physiological Effects
Authors: Gioeni Daniela , Brioschi Federica Alessandra , Di Cesare Federica , Rabbogliatti Vanessa , Amari Martina , Zanzani Sergio , Cagnardi Petra , Ravasio Giuliano
Published: November 2020

The aim of this study was to compare the sedative and physiological effects following either oral transmucosal (OTM) or intramuscular administration of dexmedetomidine–methadone combination in healthy dogs. Thirty dogs were randomly assigned to receive a dexmedetomidine–methadone combination either by the OTM (n = 15) or intramuscular (n = 15) route. Sedation was scored 10, 20, and 30 min after drugs administration. Heart rate (HR), non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP), respiratory rate (fR), and body rectal temperature were recorded before drugs administration and then every 10 min for 30 min. Propofol dose required for orotracheal intubation was recorded. Sedation scores increased over time within both groups with higher values in intramuscular group (p < 0.05). Within each group, HR decreased significantly compared with baseline (p < 0.001) and was significantly lower in intramuscular group compared with the OTM group (p < 0.001). In both groups, NIBP increased significantly compared with baseline (p < 0.05). In the intramuscular group, fR was lower compared with the OTM group at all the observational time points (p < 0.001). Propofol dose was lower in the intramuscular group (p < 0.05). Compared to intramuscular dexmedetomidine–methadone, OTM combination produced lower but effective sedation in healthy dogs.
Numerical Investigation of the Collapse of a Steel Truss Roof and a Probable Reason of Failure
Authors: Tüfekci Mertol , Tüfekci Ekrem , Dikicioğlu Adnan
Published: November 2020

This study investigated the failure of the roof, with steel truss construction, of a factory building in Tekirdag in the northwestern part of Turkey. The failure occurred under hefty weather conditions including lightning strikes, heavy rain, and fierce winds. In order to interpret the reason for the failure, the effects of different combinations of factors on the design and dimensioning of the roof were studied. Finite element analysis, using the commercial software Abaqus (Dassault Systèmes, Vélizy-Villacoublay, France), was performed several times under different assumptions and considering different factors with the aim of determining the dominant factors that were responsible for the failure. Each loading condition gives out a characteristic form of failure. The scenario with the most similar form of failure to the real collapse is considered as the most likely scenario of failure. In addition, the factors included in this scenario are expected to be the responsible factors for the partial collapse of the steel truss structure.
Studies Towards the Development of a Novel, Screen-Printed Carbon-Based, Biosensor for the Measurement of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids
Authors: Smart Amy , Crew Adrian , Doran Olena , Hart John P.
Published: November 2020

This paper describes the design, development and characterisation of an electrochemical biosensor for the measurement of linoleic and α-linolenic acid, as representative free polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), that may be implicated in food safety and food quality. Initial cyclic voltammetric studies were performed with solutions that contained enzyme-generated hydroperoxides of the two PUFAs. These were examined with plain screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs) and screen-printed carbon electrodes containing the electrocatalyst cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPC). The electrocatalytic oxidation peaks obtained with the latter occurred at potentials about 300 mV lower than the those obtained by direct oxidation with the plain SPCEs and were better defined; as these attributes would lead to better selectivity and sensitivity for fatty acid determinations, the CoPC-SPCEs were used in the fabrication of amperometric biosensors. The enzyme lipoxygenase (LOX) was immobilised on the surface of these devices using the crosslinking agent glutaraldehyde. These biosensors were optimised for the measurement of linoleic and α-linolenic acid using amperometry in stirred solution; the optimum conditions were deduced by studying the effect of enzyme loading, pH and temperature on the amperometric responses. These responses were examined over the concentration range 2.0 to 20 µM and the results indicated that the following conditions were optimal: LOX loading 15 units; pH 8.0; temperature 37 °C. Low concentration calibration studies were performed with the two PUFAs and it was shown that the steady state currents were linear between 0.2 and 10 µM for linoleic acid and 0.2 and 10 µM for α-linolenic acid; the detection limits were 24 and 100 nM, respectively. The precision (coefficient of variation, n = 6) was 5.3% for α-linoleic acid and 3.3% for linoleic acid, which were calculated from the steady state current following additions (n = 6) of 0.2 µM PUFA. These results demonstrate that the novel amperometric biosensor holds promise for determining whether foods contain acceptable levels of free fatty acids.
Visual Tracking Using Wang–Landau Reinforcement Sampler
Authors: Kwon Dokyeong , Kwon Junseok
Published: November 2020

In this study, we present a novel tracking system, in which the tracking accuracy can be considerably enhanced by state prediction. Accordingly, we present a new Q-learning-based reinforcement method, augmented by Wang–Landau sampling. In the proposed method, reinforcement learning is used to predict a target configuration for the subsequent frame, while Wang–Landau sampler balances the exploitation and exploration degrees of the prediction. Our method can adapt to control the randomness of policy, using statistics on the number of visits in a particular state. Thus, our method considerably enhances conventional Q-learning algorithm performance, which also enhances visual tracking performance. Numerical results demonstrate that our method substantially outperforms other state-of-the-art visual trackers and runs in realtime because our method contains no complicated deep neural network architectures.
Optimizing Automatic Transmission Double-Transition Shift Process Based on Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Zhang Heng , Zhao Xinxin , Yang Jue , Zhang Wenming
Published: November 2020

In order to improve fuel economy, the number of gears in the hydraulic automatic transmission of heavy-duty mining trucks is continuously increasing. Compared with single-transition shifts, double-transition shifts can optimize the structure of multi-speed transmissions, but the difficulty of control will also increase. In this paper, a dynamic model of a 6 + 2 speed automatic transmission and vehicle powertrain system are built based on the Lagrange method, and the dynamic analysis of the two sets of clutches that make up the double-transition shift are carried out. Since a simulation model of the double-transition shift process is built-in MATLAB/Simulink, the shift jerk and clutch energy loss are used as multi-objective, and the genetic algorithm is used to optimize the simulation. Five strategies for the overlapping time of the clutches are proposed, and simulation experiments and Pareto optimal analysis are carried out, respectively. The simulation results show that the non-overlapping of the two sets of clutch inertia phases in the double-transition shift can effectively reduce the shift jerk. The overlapping of the torque phase and the inertia phase of the other clutch set can control the clutch energy loss at a low level due to using less shift time.
Challenges and Opportunities with New Generation Geostationary Meteorological Satellite Datasets for Analyses and Initial Conditions for Forecasting Hurricane Irma (2017) Rapid Intensification Event
Authors: Elsberry Russell L. , Feldmeier Joel W. , Chen Hway-Jen , Peng Melinda , Velden Christopher S. , Wang Qing
Published: November 2020

This study utilizes an extremely high spatial resolution GOES-16 atmospheric motion vector (AMV) dataset processed at 15 min intervals in a modified version of our original dynamic initialization technique to analyze and forecast a rapid intensification (RI) event in Hurricane Irma (2017). The most important modifications are a more time-efficient dynamic initialization technique and adding a near-surface wind field adjustment as a low-level constraint on the distribution of deep convection relative to the translating center. With the new technique, the Coupled Ocean/Atmospheric Mesoscale Prediction System for Tropical Cyclones (COAMPS-TC) model initial wind field at 12.86 km elevation quickly adjusts to the cirrus-level GOES-16 AMVs to better detect the Irma outflow magnitude and areal extent every 15 min, and predicts direct connections to adjacent synoptic circulations much better than a dynamic initialization with only lower-resolution hourly GOES-13 AMVs and also better than a cold-start COAMPS-TC initialization with a bogus vortex. Furthermore, only with the GOES-16 AMVs does the COAMPS-TC model accurately predict the timing of an intermediate 12 h constant-intensity period between two segments of the Irma RI. By comparison, HWRF model study of the Irma case that utilized the same GOES-16 AMV dataset predicted a continuous RI without the intermediate constant-intensity period, and predicted more limited outflow areal extents without strong direct connections with adjacent synoptic circulations.
Combining Magnetization Transfer Ratio MRI and Quantitative Measures of Walking Improves the Identification of Fallers in MS
Authors: Fritz Nora E. , Edwards Erin M. , Keller Jennifer , Eloyan Ani , Calabresi Peter A. , Zackowski Kathleen M.
Published: November 2020

Multiple sclerosis (MS) impacts balance and walking function, resulting in accidental falls. History of falls and clinical assessment are commonly used for fall prediction, yet these measures have limited predictive validity. Falls are multifactorial; consideration of disease-specific pathology may be critical for improving fall prediction in MS. The objective of this study was to examine the predictive value of clinical measures (i.e., walking, strength, sensation) and corticospinal tract (CST) MRI measures, both discretely and combined, to fall status in MS. Twenty-nine individuals with relapsing-remitting MS (mean ± SD age: 48.7 ± 11.5 years; 17 females; Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS): 4.0 (range 1–6.5); symptom duration: 11.9 ± 8.7 years; 14 fallers) participated in a 3T brain MRI including diffusion tensor imaging and magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) and clinical tests of walking, strength, sensation and falls history. Clinical measures of walking were significantly associated with CST fractional anisotropy and MTR. A model including CST MTR, walk velocity and vibration sensation explained >31% of the variance in fall status (R2 = 0.3181) and accurately distinguished 73.8% fallers, which was superior to stand-alone models that included only MRI or clinical measures. This study advances the field by combining clinical and MRI measures to improve fall prediction accuracy in MS.
The Immune Checkpoint PD-1 in Natural Killer Cells: Expression, Function and Targeting in Tumour Immunotherapy
Authors: Quatrini Linda , Mariotti Francesca Romana , Munari Enrico , Tumino Nicola , Vacca Paola , Moretta Lorenzo
Published: November 2020

In the last years, immunotherapy with antibodies against programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) has shown remarkable efficacy in the treatment of different types of tumours, representing a true revolution in oncology. While its efficacy has initially been attributed only to unleashing T cell responses, responsivity to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade was observed in some tumours with low Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) I expression and increasing evidence has revealed PD-1 surface expression and inhibitory function also in natural killer (NK) cells. Thus, the contribution of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy to the recovery of NK cell anti-tumour response has recently been appreciated. Here, we summarize the studies investigating PD-1 expression and function in NK cells, together with the limitations and perspectives of immunotherapies. A better understanding of checkpoint biology is needed to design next-generation therapeutic strategies and to improve the clinical protocols of current therapies.
Standardization of BCR-ABL1 p210 Monitoring: From Nested to Digital PCR
Authors: Jovanovski Aleksandar , Petiti Jessica , Giugliano Emilia , Gottardi Enrico Marco , Saglio Giuseppe , Cilloni Daniela , Fava Carmen
Published: November 2020

The introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in 2001 as a targeted anticancer therapy has significantly improved the quality of life and survival of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia. At the same time, with the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, the need for precise monitoring of the molecular response to therapy has emerged. Starting with a qualitative polymerase chain reaction, followed by the introduction of a quantitative polymerase chain reaction to determine the exact quantity of the transcript of interest-p210 BCR-ABL1, molecular monitoring in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia was internationally standardized. This enabled precise monitoring of the therapeutic response, unification of therapeutic protocols, and comparison of results between different laboratories. This review aims to summarize the steps in the diagnosis and molecular monitoring of p210 BCR-ABL1, as well as to consider the possible future application of a more sophisticated method such as digital polymerase chain reaction.
The Roles of Non-Coding RNAs in Tumor-Associated Lymphangiogenesis
Authors: Md Yusof Khairunnisa’ , Rosli Rozita , Abdullah Maha , A. Avery-Kiejda Kelly
Published: November 2020

Lymphatic vessels are regarded as the ”forgotten” circulation. Despite this, growing evidence has shown significant roles for the lymphatic circulation in normal and pathological conditions in humans, including cancers. The dissemination of tumor cells to other organs is often mediated by lymphatic vessels that serve as a conduit and is often referred to as tumor-associated lymphangiogenesis. Some of the most well-studied lymphangiogenic factors that govern tumor lymphangiogenesis are the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-C/D and VEGFR-2/3), neuroplilin-2 (NRP2), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), to name a few. However, recent findings have illustrated that non-coding RNAs are significantly involved in regulating gene expression in most biological processes, including lymphangiogenesis. In this review, we focus on the regulation of growth factors and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in the lymphatic development in normal and cancer physiology. Then, we discuss the lymphangiogenic factors that necessitate tumor-associated lymphangiogenesis, with regards to ncRNAs in various types of cancer. Understanding the different roles of ncRNAs in regulating lymphatic vasculature in normal and cancer conditions may pave the way towards the development of ncRNA-based anti-lymphangiogenic therapy.
Perioperative Considerations in Osteogenesis Imperfecta: A 20-Year Experience with the Use of Blood Pressure Cuffs, Arterial Lines, and Tourniquets
Authors: Ross Kirsten E. , Gibian Joseph T. , Crockett Christy J. , Martus Jeffrey E.
Published: November 2020

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a rare genetic connective-tissue disorder with bone fragility. To avoid iatrogenic fractures, healthcare providers have traditionally avoided using non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP) cuffs and extremity tourniquets in the OI population in the perioperative setting. Here, we hypothesize that these procedures do not lead to iatrogenic fractures or other complications in patients with OI. A retrospective study of all children with OI who underwent surgery at a single tertiary care children’s hospital from 1998 to 2018 was performed. Patient positioning and the use of NIBP cuffs, arterial lines, and extremity tourniquets were documented. Fractures and other complications were recorded. Forty-nine patients with a median age of 7.9 years (range: 0.2–17.7) were identified. These patients underwent 273 procedures, of which 229 were orthopaedic operations. A total of 246 (90.1%) procedures included the use of an NIBP cuff, 61 (22.3%) an extremity tourniquet, and 40 (14.7%) an arterial line. Pediatric patients with OI did not experience any iatrogenic fractures related to hemodynamic monitoring or extremity tourniquet use during the 20-year period of this study. Given the benefits of continuous intra-operative hemodynamic monitoring and extremity tourniquets, we recommend that NIBP cuffs, arterial lines, and tourniquets be selectively considered for use in children with OI.
Explicit Sensitivity Coefficients for Estimation of Temperature-Dependent Thermophysical Properties in Inverse Transient Heat Conduction Problems
Authors: Mohebbi Farzad
Published: November 2020

Explicit expressions are obtained for sensitivity coefficients to separately estimate temperature-dependent thermophysical properties, such as specific heat and thermal conductivity, in two-dimensional inverse transient heat conduction problems for bodies with irregular shape from temperature measurement readings of a single sensor inside the body. The proposed sensitivity analysis scheme allows for the computation of all sensitivity coefficients in only one direct problem solution at each iteration with no need to solve the sensitivity and adjoint problems. In this method, a boundary-fitted grid generation (elliptic) method is used to mesh the irregular shape of the heat conducting body. Explicit expressions are obtained to calculate the sensitivity coefficients efficiently and the conjugate gradient method as an iterative gradient-based optimization method is used to minimize the objective function and reach the solution. A test case with different initial guesses and sensor locations is presented to investigate the proposed inverse analysis.
Advances in Industrial Crystallization
Authors: Temmel Erik , Lorenz Heike
Published: November 2020

Dear colleagues, [...]
Synthesis of ZnO Hollow Microspheres and Analysis of Their Gas Sensing Properties for n-Butanol
Authors: Wang Shichao , Qiao Gaoqun , Chen Xiaoyan , Wang Xinzhen , Cui Hongzhi
Published: November 2020

ZnO hollow microspheres with a diameter of approximately 1.4 μm were successfully synthesized by a facile one-step chemical precipitation method using trisodium citrate dihydrate as a morphology control agent. The ZnO hollow microspheres consisted of nanoplates and had good dispersibility. Control experiments revealed that trisodium citrate dihydrate played an important role in regulating the morphologies of ZnO products. The morphology of the ZnO product evolved from nanowires to hollow microspheres with the addition of trisodium citrate dihydrate. The sensor response of ZnO hollow microspheres toward 100 ppm n-butanol reached 86.6 at the optimum operating temperature of 340 °C, which was approximately three times higher than that of ZnO nanowires. In addition, the ZnO hollow microspheres also displayed good selectivity and long-term work stability toward n-butanol. The excellent gas sensing performance of ZnO hollow microspheres may be ascribed to the unique hollow sphere structure with high exposed polar crystal surface.
Adaptively Secure Efficient (H)IBE over Ideal Lattice with Short Parameters
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Liu Yuan , Guo Yurong , Zheng Shihui , Wang Licheng
Published: November 2020

Identity-based encryption (IBE), and its hierarchical extension (HIBE), are interesting cryptographic primitives that aim at the implicit authentication on the users’ public keys by using users’ identities directly. During the past several decades, numerous elegant pairing-based (H)IBE schemes were proposed. However, most pairing-related security assumptions suffer from known quantum algorithmic attacks. Therefore, the construction of lattice-based (H)IBE became one of the hot directions in recent years. In the setting of most existing lattice-based (H)IBE schemes, each bit of a user’s identity is always associated with a parameter matrix. This always leads to drastic but unfavorable increases in the sizes of the system public parameters. To overcome this issue, we propose a flexible trade-off mechanism between the size of the public parameters and the involved computational cost using the blocking technique. More specifically, we divide an identity into l′ segments and associate each segment with a matrix, while increasing the lattice modulo slightly for maintaining the same security level. As a result, for the setting of 160-bit identities, we show that the size of the public parameters can be reduced by almost 89.7% (resp. 93.8%) while increasing the computational cost by merely 5.2% (resp. 12.25%) when l′ is a set of 16 (resp. 8). Finally, our IBE scheme is extended to an HIBE scheme, and both of them are proved to achieve the indistinguishability of ciphertexts against adaptively chosen identity and chosen plaintext attack (IND-ID-CPA) in the standard model, assuming that the well-known ring learning with error (RLWE) problem over the involved ideal lattices is intractable, even in the post-quantum era.
Modeling the Device Behavior of Biological and Synthetic Nanopores with Reduced Models
Authors: Boda Dezső , Valiskó Mónika , Gillespie Dirk
Published: November 2020

Biological ion channels and synthetic nanopores are responsible for passive transport of ions through a membrane between two compartments. Modeling these ionic currents is especially amenable to reduced models because the device functions of these pores, the relation of input parameters (e.g., applied voltage, bath concentrations) and output parameters (e.g., current, rectification, selectivity), are well defined. Reduced models focus on the physics that produces the device functions (i.e., the physics of how inputs become outputs) rather than the atomic/molecular-scale physics inside the pore. Here, we propose four rules of thumb for constructing good reduced models of ion channels and nanopores. They are about (1) the importance of the axial concentration profiles, (2) the importance of the pore charges, (3) choosing the right explicit degrees of freedom, and (4) creating the proper response functions. We provide examples for how each rule of thumb helps in creating a reduced model of device behavior.
Emotions and Construction of National Identities in Historical Education
Authors: Ortega-Sánchez Delfín , Pagès Blanch Joan , Pérez-González Carlos
Published: November 2020

In this study, the authors analyzed the relationship between emotions and the construction of identities, particularly national identity. We reviewed the current debate on the role of emotions and feelings in people’s actions and in the configuration of their worldviews and practical actions. The world is witnessing a revival of ideologies that seemed to have been definitively banished from human thought and political action in the 20th century; however, it is being proved not only that they have survived and grown, but that they are also widely disseminated through networks and have come to shape the thinking of the many people who use them when deciding the future of their societies and how they want them to be governed. The growth of populism is based on emotions and on the most extremely nationalistic discourses. We analyzed, first of all, the influence of emotions on the perception of social reality and on the construction of historical and social knowledge. Next, we focused on the implications that emotions have had on the teaching of history and on the results of an international exploratory selection of particularly relevant research. Finally, as a conclusion, we suggest some ideas for the search of a balance that considers the weight of reason and emotion in the teaching and learning of history.
Mindfulness-Based Programs Improve Psychological Flexibility, Mental Health, Well-Being, and Time Management in Academics
Authors: Marais Gabriel A. B. , Lantheaume Sophie , Fiault Robin , Shankland Rebecca
Published: November 2020

(1) Background: Occupational stress is high in academia, and is partly related to time pressure. Mindfulness-based programs are known to be effective in reducing stress and increasing well-being. Recent work suggested that these programs may also improve time management. This study tested the effects of a mindfulness-based program on academics’ psychological flexibility, mental health, well-being, and time management. (2) Methods: The study was conducted in a French research department. Participants were offered to join a mindfulness-based program (n = 21) or to be on a wait-list control group (n = 22). Self-reported measures of psychological flexibility, mental health (stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms), well-being, and time use were collected before and after the eight week program. (3) Results: Results showed that psychological flexibility, mental health, well-being, and efficient time use significantly increased in the intervention group compared to the control condition. (4) Conclusions: The results suggested that the mindfulness-based programs were effective in improving adaptive functioning, well-being, and optimal time use in academia, thus underlining potential useful perspectives to help academics improve mental health and time management.
A Simulator to Support Machine Learning-Based Wearable Fall Detection Systems
Authors: Collado-Villaverde Armando , Cobos Mario , Muñoz Pablo , F. Barrero David
Published: November 2020

People’s life expectancy is increasing, resulting in a growing elderly population. That population is subject to dependency issues, falls being a problematic one due to the associated health complications. Some projects are trying to enhance the independence of elderly people by monitoring their status, typically by means of wearable devices. These devices often feature Machine Learning (ML) algorithms for fall detection using accelerometers. However, the software deployed often lacks reliable data for the models’ training. To overcome such an issue, we have developed a publicly available fall simulator capable of recreating accelerometer fall samples of two of the most common types of falls: syncope and forward. Those simulated samples are like real falls recorded using real accelerometers in order to use them later as input for ML applications. To validate our approach, we have used different classifiers over both simulated falls and data from two public datasets based on real data. Our tests show that the fall simulator achieves a high accuracy for generating accelerometer data from a fall, allowing to create larger datasets for training fall detection software in wearable devices.
A Latency-Insensitive Design Approach to Programmable FPGA-Based Real-Time Simulators
Authors: Montaño Federico , Ould-Bachir Tarek , David Jean Pierre
Published: November 2020

This paper presents a methodology for the design of field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based real-time simulators (RTSs) for power electronic circuits (PECs). The programmability of the simulator results from the use of an efficient and scalable overlay architecture (OA). The proposed OA relies on a latency-insensitive design (LID) paradigm. LID consists of connecting small processing units that automatically synchronize and exchange data when appropriate. The use of such data-driven architecture aims to ease the design process while achieving a higher computational efficiency. The benefits of the proposed approach is evaluated by assessing the performance of the proposed solver in the simulation of a two-stage AC–AC power converter. The minimum achievable time-step and FPGA resource consumption for a wide range of power converter sizes is also evaluated. The proposed overlays are parametrizable in size, they are cost-effective, they provide sub-microsecond time-steps, and they offer a high computational performance with a reported peak performance of 300 GFLOPS.
Efficient Implementation of a Crypto Library Using Web Assembly
Authors: Park BoSun , Song JinGyo , Seo Seog Chung
Published: November 2020

We implement a cryptographic library using Web Assembly. Web Assembly is expected to show better performance than Javascript. The proposed library provides comprehensive algorithm sets including revised CHAM, Hash Message Authentication Code (HMAC), and ECDH using the NIST P-256 curve to provide confidentiality, data authentication, and key agreement functions. To optimize the performance of revised CHAM in the proposed library, we apply an existing method that is a four-round combining method and additionally propose the precomputation method to CHAM-64/128. The proposed revised CHAM showed an approximate 2.06 times (CHAM-64/128), approximate 2.13 times (CHAM-128/128), and approximate 2.63 times (CHAM-128/256) performance improvement in Web Assembly compared to JavaScript. In addition, CHAM-64/128 applying the precomputation method showed an improved performance by approximately 1.2 times more than the existing CHAM-64/128. For the ECDH using P-256 curve, the naive implementation of ECDH is vulnerable to side-channel attacks (SCA), e.g., simple power analysis (SPA), and timing analysis (TA). Thus, we apply an SPA and TA resistant scalar multiplication method, which is a core operation in ECDH. We present atomic block-based scalar multiplication by revising the previous work. Existing atomic blocks show a performance overhead of 55%, 23%, and 37%, but atomic blocks proposed to use only P=(X,Y,Z) show 18%, 6%, and 11% performance overhead. The proposed Web Assembly-based crypto library provides enhanced performance and resistance against SCA thus, it can be used in various web-based applications.
Excitation Intensity and Temperature-Dependent Performance of InGaN/GaN Multiple Quantum Wells Photodetectors
Authors: Caria Alessandro , De Santi Carlo , Dogmus Ezgi , Medjdoub Farid , Zanoni Enrico , Meneghesso Gaudenzio , Meneghini Matteo
Published: November 2020

In this article, we investigate the behavior of InGaN–GaN Multiple Quantum Well (MQW) photodetectors under different excitation density (616 µW/cm2 to 7.02 W/cm2) and temperature conditions (from 25 °C to 65 °C), relating the experimental results to carrier recombination/escape dynamics. We analyzed the optical-to-electrical power conversion efficiency of the devices as a function of excitation intensity and temperature, demonstrating that: (a) at low excitation densities, there is a lowering in the optical-to-electrical conversion efficiency and in the short-circuit current with increasing temperature; (b) the same quantities increase with increasing temperature when using high excitation power. Moreover, (c) we observed an increase in the signal of photocurrent measurements at sub-bandgap excitation wavelengths with increasing temperature. The observed behavior is explained by considering the interplay between Shockley–Read–Hall (SRH) recombination and carrier escape. The first mechanism is relevant at low excitation densities and increases with temperature, thus lowering the efficiency; the latter is important at high excitation densities, when the effective barrier height is reduced. We developed a model for reproducing the variation of JSC with temperature; through this model, we calculated the effective barrier height for carrier escape, and demonstrated a lowering of this barrier with increasing temperature, that can explain the increase in short-circuit current at high excitation densities. In addition, we extracted the energy position of the defects responsible for SRH recombination, which are located 0.33 eV far from midgap.
Affective State Assistant for Helping Users with Cognition Disabilities Using Neural Networks
Authors: Muñoz-Saavedra Luis , Luna-Perejón Francisco , Civit-Masot Javier , Miró-Amarante Lourdes , Civit Anton , Domínguez-Morales Manuel
Published: November 2020

Non-verbal communication is essential in the communication process. This means that its lack can cause misinterpretations of the message that the sender tries to transmit to the receiver. With the rise of video calls, it seems that this problem has been partially solved. However, people with cognitive disorders such as those with some kind of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are unable to interpret non-verbal communication neither live nor by video call. This work analyzes the relationship between some physiological measures (EEG, ECG, and GSR) and the affective state of the user. To do that, some public datasets are evaluated and used for a multiple Deep Learning (DL) system. Each physiological signal is pre-processed using a feature extraction process after a frequency study with the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT), and those coefficients are used as inputs for a single DL classifier focused on that signal. These multiple classifiers (one for each signal) are evaluated independently and their outputs are combined in order to optimize the results and obtain additional information about the most reliable signals for classifying the affective states into three levels: low, middle, and high. The full system is carefully detailed and tested, obtaining promising results (more than 95% accuracy) that demonstrate its viability.
Economic Viability of Renewable Energy Communities under the Framework of the Renewable Energy Directive Transposed to Austrian Law
Authors: Fina Bernadette , Auer Hans
Published: November 2020

This study is concerned with the national transposition of the European Renewable Energy Directive into Austrian law. The objective is to estimate the economic viability for residential customers when participating in a renewable energy community (REC), focused on PV electricity sharing. The developed simulation model considers the omission of certain electricity levies as well as the obligatory proximity constraint being linked to grid levels, thus introducing a stepwise reduction of per-unit grid charges as an incentive to keep the inner-community electricity transfer as local as possible. Results show that cost savings in residential RECs cover a broad range from 9 EUR/yr to 172 EUR/yr. The lowest savings are gained by customers without in-house PV systems, while owners of a private PV system make the most profits due to the possibility of selling as well as buying electricity within the borders of the REC. Generally, cost savings increase when the source is closer to the sink, as well as when more renewable electricity is available for inner-community electricity transfer. The presence of a commercial customer impacts savings for households insignificantly, but increases local self-consumption approximately by 10%. Despite the margin for residential participants to break even being narrow, energy community operators will have to raise a certain participation fee. Such participation fee would need to be as low as 2.5 EUR/month for customers without in-house PV systems in a purely residential REC, while other customers could still achieve a break-even when paying 5 EUR/month to 6.7 EUR/month in addition. Those results should alert policy makers to find additional support mechanisms to enhance customers’ motivations to participate if RECs are meant as a concept that should be adopted on a large scale.
Co-Incineration of Rice Straw-Wood Pellets: A Sustainable Strategy for the Valorisation of Rice Waste
Authors: Moliner Cristina , Bove Dario , Arato Elisabetta
Published: November 2020

Agricultural activities produce an estimated amount of 32.7 MToe/year of residues in EU countries. They are mostly disposed in landfills, incinerated without any control, or abandoned in fields, causing severe impacts on human health and environment. Rice is one of the most consumed crops worldwide with an annual production of 782 million tons according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations database. In this context, the EU-funded project LIFE LIBERNITRATE promotes the use of renewable residual sources (i.e., rice straw) to obtain new materials with an added value. The methodology is based on the incineration of rice straw in an own-designed and constructed valorization system. Rice straw/wood pellets are burned in optimized conditions to produce a maximized quantity of ashes with high silica content. These materials will be then used to treat water polluted with nitrates, representing an optimal example of circular economy strategy. In this work, the own-designed valorization unit is described, with special focus on its main constituting elements. The theoretical study of the co-incineration of rice straw and wood pellets identified the optimised combustion conditions. Experimental tests using the theoretical inputs confirmed the most adequate operational conditions (10 g rice straw pellets/min + 10 g wood pellets/min, 6–7 Nm3/h of air, T = 500 °C) and helped in the definition of improvements on the experimental plant.
Influence of the Calcination Temperature of Synthetic Gypsum on the Particle Size Distribution and Setting Time of Modified Building Materials
Authors: Koper Artur , Prałat Karol , Ciemnicka Justyna , Buczkowska Katarzyna
Published: November 2020

The paper assesses the influence of the calcination temperature of synthetic gypsum binder on the binding properties of innovative gypsum pastes, as well as on masonry and plastering mortars. The calcination process of gypsum binder was carried out at four different temperatures ranging from 170 to 190 °C. The specimens for testing were prepared on the basis of the obtained raw material with a constant water to gypsum ratio of w/g = 0.75. It was noted that the calcination temperature influenced the setting time of the gypsum. Based on synthetic gypsum, mixtures of masonry and plastering mortars modified with tartaric acid and Plast Retard were designed. During the experiment, the particle diameter distribution of aqueous suspensions of building and synthetic gypsum particles (before and after calcination) was determined using the Fraunhofer laser method. The dimensions of the obtained artificial gypsum grains did not differ from the diameters of the gypsum grains in the reference sample. On the basis of the conducted research, it was found that the waste synthetic gypsum obtained in the flue gas desulphurization process met the standard conditions related to its setting time. Therefore, it may be a very good construction substitute for natural gypsum, and consequently, it may contribute to environmental protection and the saving and respecting of energy.
Development of a Coupled TRNSYS-MATLAB Simulation Framework for Model Predictive Control of Integrated Electrical and Thermal Residential Renewable Energy System
Authors: Narayanan Muthalagappan , de Lima Aline Ferreira , de Azevedo Dantas André Felipe Oliveira , Commerell Walter
Published: November 2020

An integrated electrical and thermal residential renewable energy system consisting of solar thermal collectors, gas boiler, fuel cell combined heat and power, a photovoltaic system with battery, inverter, and thermal storage for a single-family house of Sonnenhaus standard is investigated with a model predictive controller (MPC). The main focus of this article is to define a multi-objective mathematical function, develop a coupled simulation framework for the nonlinear time-varying deterministic discrete-time problem of the energy system using TRNSYS and MATLAB. With the developed methodology, a sensitivity analysis of maximum optimization time, swarm (or population or mesh) size of a typical spring day and a typical summer day assuming a 100% accurate weather and load forecast with three different algorithms: particle swarm optimization (PSO), genetic algorithm (GA) and global pattern search (GPS) are analyzed. Finally, the obtained results are compared with a status quo controller. Results show that the PSO algorithm optimizer performs the best in this MPC for such a complex and time-consuming MPC model in both the spring day and the summer day. The obtained results show that the PSO with swarm size 50 in the selected typical spring day and the PSO with swarm size 40 in the selected summer day reduces the objective function’s fitness value from 413 to −177 within 6 h optimization time and from 1396 to 1090 in 4 h optimization time respectively.