bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Effective Energy Management Strategy Based on Mine-Blast Optimization Technique Applied to Hybrid PEMFC/Supercapacitor/Batteries System
Authors: Nassef Ahmed M. , Fathy Ahmed , Rezk Hegazy
Published: October 2019

An effective energy management strategy based on the mine-blast optimization (MBA) technique was proposed in this paper to optimally manage the energy in a hybrid power system. The hybrid system was composed of fuel cells, batteries, and supercapacitors. Such system was employed to supply highly fluctuated load. The results of the proposed strategy were compared with previously employed strategies such as fuzzy logic control (FLC), state machine control strategy (SMCS), and equivalent fuel consumption minimization strategy (ECMS). The comparison was carried out in terms of the hydrogen fuel economy and the overall efficiency as the key factors. The resulting responses of the proposed MBA-based management strategy indicate that its performance is the best among the other strategies of SMCS, FLC, and ECMS in both the hydrogen fuel economy and overall efficiency.
Effects of Live Fuel Moisture Content on Wildfire Occurrence in Fire-Prone Regions over Southwest China
Authors: Luo Kaiwei , Quan Xingwen , He Binbin , Yebra Marta
Published: October 2019

Previous studies have shown that Live Fuel Moisture Content (LFMC) is a crucial driver affecting wildfire occurrence worldwide, but the effect of LFMC in driving wildfire occurrence still remains unexplored over the southwest China ecosystem, an area historically vulnerable to wildfires. To this end, we took 10-years of LFMC dynamics retrieved from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) reflectance product using the physical Radiative Transfer Model (RTM) and the wildfire events extracted from the MODIS Burned Area (BA) product to explore the relations between LFMC and forest/grassland fire occurrence across the subtropical highland zone (Cwa) and humid subtropical zone (Cwb) over southwest China. The statistical results of pre-fire LFMC and cumulative burned area show that distinct pre-fire LFMC critical thresholds were identified for Cwa (151.3%, 123.1%, and 51.4% for forest, and 138.1%, 72.8%, and 13.1% for grassland) and Cwb (115.0% and 54.4% for forest, and 137.5%, 69.0%, and 10.6% for grassland) zones. Below these thresholds, the fire occurrence and the burned area increased significantly. Additionally, a significant decreasing trend on LFMC dynamics was found during the days prior to two large fire events, Qiubei forest fire and Lantern Mountain grassland fire that broke during the 2009/2010 and 2015/2016 fire seasons, respectively. The minimum LFMC values reached prior to the fires (49.8% and 17.3%) were close to the lowest critical LFMC thresholds we reported for forest (51.4%) and grassland (13.1%). Further LFMC trend analysis revealed that the regional median LFMC dynamics for the 2009/2010 and 2015/2016 fire seasons were also significantly lower than the 10-year LFMC of the region. Hence, this study demonstrated that the LFMC dynamics explained wildfire occurrence in these fire-prone regions over southwest China, allowing the possibility to develop a new operational wildfire danger forecasting model over this area by considering the satellite-derived LFMC product.
Characterization of Chromosome-Mediated BlaOXA-894 in Shewanella xiamenensis Isolated from Pig Wastewater
Authors: Zou Huiyun , Zhou Ziyu , Xia Huiyu , Zhao Qian , Li Xuewen
Published: October 2019

A new variant of the blaOXA-546 gene, namely blaOXA-894, was identified on the chromosome of Shewanella xiamenensis isolated from pig wastewater in rural China. OXA-894 differs from OXA-546 (A46V, I219del) and OXA-48 (T167I, I219del) with two amino acid substitutions, respectively. The isolate was resistant to ampicillin, aztreonam, imipenem, meropenem and fosfomycin. Carba NP test confirmed S. xiamenensis strain sx20 as a carbapenemase-producer. The blaOXA-894 gene was located between the gene encoding a LysR family transcriptional regulator and the C15 gene. Its gene environment was similar to other S. xiamenensis with chromosome-located blaOXA-48-like genes. The T24H and T94V amino acid substitutions of LuxS protein were predicted to be deleterious, which may affect the virulence phenotype. The occurrence and potential health risk of carbapenem-resistant S. xiamenensis in a water environment is of concern.
Health Literacy among Non-Familial Caregivers of Older Adults: A Study Conducted in Tuscany (Italy)
Authors: Bonaccorsi Guglielmo , Pieralli Francesca , Innocenti Maddalena , Milani Chiara , Del Riccio Marco , Donzellini Martina , Baggiani Lorenzo , Lorini Chiara
Published: October 2019

Many older adults who live at home depend on a caregiver. When familial support cannot provide the necessary care, paid caregivers are frequently hired. Health literacy (HL) is the knowledge and competence required of people to meet the complex demands of health in modern society. The aim of this study is to assess the HL level of paid non-familial caregivers who were enrolled through two different sources: from the homes of assisted people in two Tuscan health districts (first sample) and during job interviews in a home care agency operating in Florence (second sample). The two different recruitment contexts allow us to provide a broader view of the phenomenon, presenting a picture of the HL level of those who are already working and those who are looking for a new job in this field. One-on-one face-to-face interviews, which include the administration of the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) to measure HL, were conducted. Recruitment resulted in 84 caregivers in the first sample and 68 in the second sample. In the first sample, the mean age was 51.2 ± 9 years; 94% of the participants were women. A high likelihood or likelihood of inadequate HL (i.e., a low level of HL) was found in 73.8% of cases. In the second sample, the mean age was 43.7 ± 11.5 years; 83.8% of the participants were women, and 80.9% had a low level of HL. In both samples, HL was statistically associated with the level of understanding of the Italian language. In conclusion, inadequate HL is an under-recognized problem among non-familial caregivers. Educational programs that aim to increase HL skills could be an effective approach to improving the qualification of informal healthcare professionals.
Economic Growth and Cardiorespiratory Fitness of Children and Adolescents in Urban Areas: A Panel Data Analysis of 27 Provinces in China, 1985–2014
Authors: Gan Xiaomei , Wen Xu , Lu Yijuan , Yu Kehong
Published: October 2019

With rapid economic development in China, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) of children and adolescents is on a decline. However, this appears to have slowed down, reaching stagnation in certain areas. However, it is unclear if the change in CRF is related to economic growth and development or not. This study describes trends in CRF of Chinese children and adolescents, and empirically tests the relationships between China’s macro-economic developments and cardiorespiratory fitness of children and adolescents over the past 30 years using provincial panel data collected from one million samples. We used per capita disposable income as the economic indicator. CRF was assessed by using running tests: 50 m × 8 for boys and girls (7–12 years), 1000 m for boys (13–22 years), and 800 m for girls (13–22 years). The results show that economic growth has a U-shaped relationship with CRF of children and adolescents (both boys and girls). It appears that as incomes increased, CRF of urban male and female students in China gradually decreased to its lowest point, after which it showed an upward trend. From a horizontal perspective, it can be inferred that for low-developed provinces, increases in incomes cause a decrease in CRF levels. In contrast, for highly developed provinces, as incomes increase, CRF levels increase. This study provides the first empirical evidence of the relationship between macro-economy and CRF of youth, based on provincial panel data. The results presented here can be used to formulate health policies targeting the cardiorespiratory fitness of children and adolescents from middle-income provinces in China. This study also provides a reference for developing countries.
Water Environmental Capacity Calculation and Allocation of the Taihu Lake Basin in Jiangsu Province Based on Control Unit
Authors: Huang Juan , Pang Yong , Zhang Xiaoqiang , Tong Yifan
Published: October 2019

The water quality target management of the control unit is a convenient and direct technology for water environment management and the development direction of water environment management in China, involving control unit division and water environment capacity calculation. Taking the Taihu Lake Basin in Jiangsu Province as an example, we propose herein the basic principle of the division of a regional control unit in a plain river network and the method of analyzing the rationality of the control unit division. On this basis, the Taihu Lake Basin in Jiangsu Province was divided into 70 control units. To calculate the water environmental capacity in the plain river network area, we established a water environmental capacity calculation framework based on multiple targets of lakes and rivers, and proposed the goal of water quality “double compliance” of the water environmental functional zone and the assessment section. For this study, we calculated the regional water environmental capacity using the mathematical model of the Taihu Lake Basin’s water environmental capacity, and the water environmental capacities of the 70 control units were allocated by the weight coefficient method, which established water area and functional division length. The research results described herein were applied to the pollution permit management of the Taihu Lake Basin in Jiangsu Province. It provides important technical support for the establishment of a pollution permit system based on the total capacity to improve environmental quality.
Physiological and Metabolomic Responses of Kale to Combined Chilling and UV-A Treatment
Authors: Lee Jin-Hui , Kwon Min Cheol , Jung Eun Sung , Lee Choong Hwan , Oh Myung-Min
Published: October 2019

Short-term abiotic stress treatment before harvest can enhance the quality of horticultural crops cultivated in controlled environments. Here, we investigated the effects of combined chilling and UV-A treatment on the accumulation of phenolic compounds in kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala). Five-week-old plants were subjected to combined treatments (10 °C plus UV-A LED radiation at 30.3 W/m2) for 3-days, as well as single treatments (4 °C, 10 °C, or UV-A LED radiation). The growth parameters and photosynthetic rates of plants under the combined treatment were similar to those of the control, whereas UV-A treatment alone significantly increased these parameters. Maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm) decreased and H2O2 increased in response to UV-A and combined treatments, implying that these treatments induced stress in kale. The total phenolic contents after 2- and 3-days of combined treatment and 1-day of recovery were 40%, 60%, and 50% higher than those of the control, respectively, and the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity also increased. Principal component analysis suggested that stress type and period determine the changes in secondary metabolites. Three days of combined stress treatment followed by 2-days of recovery increased the contents of quercetin derivatives. Therefore, combined chilling and UV-A treatment could improve the phenolic contents of leafy vegetables such as kale, without growth inhibition.
Fertility of Pedicellate Spikelets in Sorghum Is Controlled by a Jasmonic Acid Regulatory Module
Authors: Gladman Nicholas , Jiao Yinping , Lee Young Koung , Zhang Lifang , Chopra Ratan , Regulski Michael , Burow Gloria , Hayes Chad , Christensen Shawn A. , Dampanaboina Lavanya , Chen Junping , Burke John , Ware Doreen , Xin Zhanguo
Published: October 2019

As in other cereal crops, the panicles of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) comprise two types of floral spikelets (grass flowers). Only sessile spikelets (SSs) are capable of producing viable grains, whereas pedicellate spikelets (PSs) cease development after initiation and eventually abort. Consequently, grain number per panicle (GNP) is lower than the total number of flowers produced per panicle. The mechanism underlying this differential fertility is not well understood. To investigate this issue, we isolated a series of ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS)-induced multiseeded (msd) mutants that result in full spikelet fertility, effectively doubling GNP. Previously, we showed that MSD1 is a TCP (Teosinte branched/Cycloidea/PCF) transcription factor that regulates jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis, and ultimately floral sex organ development. Here, we show that MSD2 encodes a lipoxygenase (LOX) that catalyzes the first committed step of JA biosynthesis. Further, we demonstrate that MSD1 binds to the promoters of MSD2 and other JA pathway genes. Together, these results show that a JA-induced module regulates sorghum panicle development and spikelet fertility. The findings advance our understanding of inflorescence development and could lead to new strategies for increasing GNP and grain yield in sorghum and other cereal crops.
More Impaired Dynamic Ventilatory Muscle Oxygenation in Congestive Heart Failure than in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors: Chuang Ming-Lung , Lin I-Feng , Hsieh Meng-Jer
Published: October 2019

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and congestive heart failure (CHF) often have dyspnea. Despite differences in primary organ derangement and similarities in secondary skeletal muscle changes, both patient groups have prominent functional impairment. With similar daily exercise performance in patients with CHF and COPD, we hypothesized that patients with CHF would have worse ventilatory muscle oxygenation than patients with COPD. This study aimed to compare differences in tissue oxygenation and blood capacity between ventilatory muscles and leg muscles and between the two patient groups. Demographic data, lung function, and maximal cardiopulmonary exercise tests were performed in 134 subjects without acute illnesses. Muscle oxygenation and blood capacity were measured using frequency-domain near-infrared spectroscopy (fd-NIRS). We enrolled normal subjects and patients with COPD and CHF. The two patient groups were matched by oxygen-cost diagram scores, New York Heart Association functional classification scores, and modified Medical Research Council scores. COPD was defined as forced expired volume in one second and forced expired vital capacity ratio ≤0.7. CHF was defined as stable heart failure with an ejection fraction ≤49%. The healthy subjects were defined as those with no obvious history of chronic disease. Age, body mass index, cigarette consumption, lung function, and exercise capacity were different across the three groups. Muscle oxygenation and blood capacity were adjusted accordingly. Leg muscles had higher deoxygenation (HHb) and oxygenation (HbO2) and lower oxygen saturation (SmO2) than ventilatory muscles in all participants. The SmO2 of leg muscles was lower than that of ventilatory muscles because SmO2 was calculated as HbO2/(HHb+HbO2), and the HHb of leg muscles was relatively higher than the HbO2 of leg muscles. The healthy subjects had higher SmO2, the patients with COPD had higher HHb, and the patients with CHF had lower HbO2 in both muscle groups throughout the tests. The patients with CHF had lower SmO2 of ventilatory muscles than the patients with COPD at peak exercise (p < 0.01). We conclud that fd-NIRS can be used to discriminate tissue oxygenation of different musculatures and disease entities. More studies on interventions on ventilatory muscle oxygenation in patients with CHF and COPD are warranted.
P2O5-Free Cerium Containing Glasses: Bioactivity and Cytocompatibility Evaluation
Authors: Lusvardi Gigliola , Sgarbi Stabellini Francesca , Salvatori Roberta
Published: October 2019

(1) Background: valuation of the bioactivity and cytocompatibility of P2O5-free and CeO2 doped glasses. (2) Methods: all glasses are based on the Kokubo (K) composition and prepared by a melting method. Doped glassed, K1.2, K3.6 and K5.3 contain 1.2, 3.6, and 5.3 mol% of CeO2. Bioactivity and cytotoxicity tests were carried out in simulated body fluid (SBF) solution and murine osteocyte (MLO-Y4) cell lines, respectively. Leaching of ions concentration in SBF was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The surface of the glasses were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. (3) Results: P2O5-free cerium doped glasses are proactive according to European directives. Cerium increases durability and retards, but does not inhibit, (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, HA) formation at higher cerium amounts (K3.6 and K5.3); however, cell proliferation increases with the amount of cerium especially evident for K5.3. (4) Conclusions: These results enforce the use of P2O5-free cerium doped bioactive glasses as a new class of biomaterials.
A Study of the Structural Characteristics of Titanium Alloy Products Manufactured Using Additive Technologies by Combining the Selective Laser Melting and Direct Metal Deposition Methods
Authors: Samodurova Marina , Logachev Ivan , Shaburova Nataliya , Samoilova Olga , Radionova Liudmila , Zakirov Ramil’ , Pashkeev Kirill , Myasoedov Vyacheslav , Trofimov Evgeny
Published: October 2019

Titanium alloy product manufacturing is traditionally considered to be a rather difficult task. Additive manufacturing technologies, which have recently become quite widespread, can ensure the manufacture of titanium alloys products of an arbitrary geometrical shape. During this study, we have developed a methodology for manufacturing titanium alloys products using additive technologies on FL-Clad-R-4 complex of laser melting of metals by combined Selective Laser Melting (SLM) and Direct Metal Deposition (DMD) methods. Ti–6Al–4V and Ti–6Al–4Mo–1V alloys were used for the manufacture of samples. We studied the microstructure of the obtained details and measured the microhardness of the samples. We discovered a gradient of the structure throughout the height of the details walls, which is connected with the peculiarities of thermal cycles of the technology used. This affected the microhardness values: in the upper part of the details, the microhardness is 10–25% higher (about 500 HV) than in the lower part (about 400 HV). Products made according to the developed technique do not have visible defects and pores. The obtained results indicate the competitiveness of the proposed methodology.
The Power of LC-MS Based Multiomics: Exploring Adipogenic Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells
Authors: Rampler Evelyn , Egger Dominik , Schoeny Harald , Rusz Mate , Pacheco Maria Pires , Marino Giada , Kasper Cornelia , Naegele Thomas , Koellensperger Gunda
Published: October 2019

The molecular study of fat cell development in the human body is essential for our understanding of obesity and related diseases. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) are the ideal source to study fat formation as they are the progenitors of adipocytes. In this work, we used human MSCs, received from surgery waste, and differentiated them into fat adipocytes. The combination of several layers of information coming from lipidomics, metabolomics and proteomics enabled network analysis of the biochemical pathways in adipogenesis. Simultaneous analysis of metabolites, lipids, and proteins in cell culture is challenging due to the compound’s chemical difference, so most studies involve separate analysis with unimolecular strategies. In this study, we employed a multimolecular approach using a two–phase extraction to monitor the crosstalk between lipid metabolism and protein-based signaling in a single sample (~105 cells). We developed an innovative analytical workflow including standardization with in-house produced 13C isotopically labeled compounds, hyphenated high-end mass spectrometry (high-resolution Orbitrap MS), and chromatography (HILIC, RP) for simultaneous untargeted screening and targeted quantification. Metabolite and lipid concentrations ranged over three to four orders of magnitude and were detected down to the low fmol (absolute on column) level. Biological validation and data interpretation of the multiomics workflow was performed based on proteomics network reconstruction, metabolic modelling (MetaboAnalyst 4.0), and pathway analysis (OmicsNet). Comparing MSCs and adipocytes, we observed significant regulation of different metabolites and lipids such as triglycerides, gangliosides, and carnitine with 113 fully reprogrammed pathways. The observed changes are in accordance with literature findings dealing with adipogenic differentiation of MSC. These results are a proof of principle for the power of multimolecular extraction combined with orthogonal LC-MS assays and network construction. Considering the analytical and biological validation performed in this study, we conclude that the proposed multiomics workflow is ideally suited for comprehensive follow-up studies on adipogenesis and is fit for purpose for different applications with a high potential to understand the complex pathophysiology of diseases.
Ultrasound and Microwave Assisted Extraction of Opuntia Fruit Peels Biocompounds: Optimization and Comparison Using RSM-CCD
Authors: Melgar Bruno , Dias Maria Inês , Barros Lillian , Ferreira Isabel C.F.R. , Rodriguez-Lopez Antonio D. , Garcia-Castello Esperanza M.
Published: October 2019

Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of bioactive compounds, peels from Opuntia engelmannii cultivar (cv.) Valencia were optimized by response surface methodology. Randomized extraction runs were performed for each of the technologies employed in order to build effective models with maximum (bioactive molecules content and yield) and minimum (antioxidant activity) responses. A 5-level, 4-factor central composite design was used to obtain target responses as a function of extraction time (t), solid to liquid ratio (S/L), methanol concentration (metOH), and temperature (T). Specific response optimization for each technology was analyzed, discussed, and general optimization from all the responses together was also gather. The optimum values for each factor were: t = 2.5 and 1.4 min, S/L = 5 and 5 g/L, metOH = 34.6 and 0% of methanol and T = 30 and 36.6 °C, achieving maximum responses of 201.6 and 132.9 mg of betalains/g, 13.9 and 8.0 mg of phenolic acids/g, 2.4 and 1.5 mg of flavonoids/g, 71.8% and 79.1% of extractable solid and IC50 values for the antioxidant activity of 2.9 and 3.6, for UAE and MAE, respectively. The present study suggested UAE as the best extraction system, in order to maximize recovery of bioactive compounds with a high antioxidant activity.
A Study of the Food Environment at Australian Family Day Care
Authors: Wallace Ruth , Mills Brennen
Published: October 2019

Overweight and obesity in childhood is a significant public health issue. Family day care (FDC) offers a setting where good eating habits can be nurtured in young children, yet often the food environment is unhealthy. This study aims to determine FDC educators’ knowledge and confidence about nutrition and the barriers and enablers to supporting healthy food environments. Australian FDC educators were recruited to a mixed methods study using self-administered e-surveys and qualitative in-depth interviews. The survey data (n = 188) revealed good knowledge about sugary foods, but poor knowledge of protein-rich foods. Nutrition knowledge was not associated with confidence to make nutrition recommendations. Interviews (n = 9) revealed parents’ dietary choices and educators’ personal beliefs as barriers to healthy food environments, although importantly, the FDC educator role was identified as being pivotal in supporting the health and wellbeing of children and their families. This study highlights that FDC-specific nutrition education and support is vital to ensure children at FDC and their families are exposed to healthy food environments. Research to investigate specific avenues for nutrition education promotion programs specifically designed to support the unique role played by FDC educators is needed, in order to support the long-term health and welfare of the next generation of Australians.
An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews on Food Choice and Nutrition Published between 2017 and-2019
Authors: Perez-Cueto Federico J. A.
Published: October 2019

The objective of this umbrella review was to provide an update on the latest knowledge in the field of food choice and nutrition. Databases Scopus and ISI-Web of Science were searched for “food choice” AND nutrition. Papers were included if they were systematic reviews published between January 2017 and August 2019 on any subpopulation group. In total, 26 systematic reviews were kept. Data were extracted with a predetermined grid including first author, publication year, country, population group, explanatory constructs (intervention focus) and reported outcomes. Common indicators for outcome measures on food choice and nutrition studies are nutrition knowledge, healthy food choices, food purchases and food and nutrient intake. The most common strategy implemented to alter food choice with a nutritional aim is nutrition education, followed by provision of information through labels. Among children, parent modelling is key to achieving healthy food choices. In general, combining strategies seems to be the most effective way to achieve healthier food consumption and to maintain good nutrition in all age groups.
Hyperthermia-Triggered Doxorubicin Release from Polymer-Coated Magnetic Nanorods
Authors: Reyes-Ortega Felisa , Checa Fernández Blanca Luna , Delgado Angel V. , Iglesias Guillermo R.
Published: October 2019

In this paper, it is proposed that polymer-coated magnetic nanorods (MNRs) can be used with the advantage of a double objective: first, to serve as magnetic hyperthermia agents, and second, to be used as magnetic vehicles for the antitumor drug doxorubicin (DOX). Two different synthetic methodologies (hydrothermal and co-precipitation) were used to obtain MNRs of maghemite and magnetite. They were coated with poly(ethyleneimine) and poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate), and loaded with DOX, using the Layer-by-Layer technique. Evidence of the polymer coating and the drug loading was justified by ATR-FTIR and electrophoretic mobility measurements, and the composition of the coated nanorods was obtained by a thermogravimetric analysis. The nanorods were tested as magnetic hyperthermia agents, and it was found that they provided sufficiently large heating rates to be used as adjuvant therapy against solid tumors. DOX loading and release were determined by UV-visible spectroscopy, and it was found that up to 50% of the loaded drug was released in about 5 h, although the rate of release could be regulated by simultaneous application of hyperthermia, which acts as a sort of external release-trigger. Shape control offers another physical property of the particles as candidates to interact with tumor cells, and particles that are not too elongated can easily find their way through the cell membrane.
Segregation Distortion Observed in the Progeny of Crosses Between Oryza sativa and O. meridionalis Caused by Abortion During Seed Development
Authors: Toyomoto Daiki , Uemura Masato , Taura Satoru , Sato Tadashi , Henry Robert , Ishikawa Ryuji , Ichitani Katsuyuki
Published: October 2019

Wild rice relatives having the same AA genome as domesticated rice (Oryza sativa) comprise the primary gene pool for rice genetic improvement. Among them, O. meridionalis and O. rufipogon are found in the northern part of Australia. Three Australian wild rice strains, Jpn1 (O. rufipogon), Jpn2, and W1297 (O. meridionalis), and one cultivated rice cultivar Taichung 65 (T65) were used in this study. A recurrent backcrossing strategy was adopted to produce chromosomal segment substitution lines (CSSLs) carrying chromosomal segments from wild relatives and used for trait evaluation and genetic analysis. The segregation of the DNA marker RM136 locus on chromosome 6 was found to be highly distorted, and a recessive lethal gene causing abortion at the seed developmental stage was shown to be located between two DNA markers, KGC6_10.09 and KGC6_22.19 on chromosome 6 of W1297. We name this gene as SEED DEVELOPMENT 1 (gene symbol: SDV1). O. sativa is thought to share the functional dominant allele Sdv1-s (s for sativa), and O. meridionalis is thought to share the recessive abortive allele sdv1-m (m for meridionalis). Though carrying the sdv1-m allele, the O. meridionalis accessions can self-fertilize and bear seeds. We speculate that the SDV1 gene may have been duplicated before the divergence between O. meridionalis and the other AA genome Oryza species, and that O. meridionalis has lost the function of the SDV1 gene and has kept the function of another putative gene named SDV2.
Fibrous Materials Made of Poly(ε-caprolactone)/Poly(ethylene oxide)-b-Poly(ε-caprolactone) Blends Support Neural Stem Cells Differentiation
Authors: Fernández Daniel , Guerra Montserrat , Lisoni Judit G. , Hoffmann Thomas , Araya-Hermosilla Rodrigo , Shibue Toshimichi , Nishide Hiroyuki , Moreno-Villoslada Ignacio , Flores Mario E.
Published: October 2019

In this work, we design and produce micron-sized fiber mats by blending poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) with small amounts of block copolymers poly(ethylene oxide)m-block-poly(ε-caprolactone)n (PEOm-b-PCLn) using electrospinning. Three different PEOm-b-PCLn block copolymers, with different molecular weights of PEO and PCL, were synthesized by ring opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone using PEO as initiator and stannous octoate as catalyst. The polymer blends were prepared by homogenous solvent mixing using dichloromethane for further electrospinning procedures. After electrospinning, it was found that the addition to PCL of the different block copolymers produced micron-fibers with smaller width, equal or higher hydrophilicity, lower Young modulus, and rougher surfaces, as compared with micron-fibers obtained only with PCL. Neural stem progenitor cells (NSPC), isolated from rat brains and grown as neurospheres, were cultured on the fibrous materials. Immunofluorescence assays showed that the NSPC are able to survive and even differentiate into astrocytes and neurons on the synthetic fibrous materials without any growth factor and using the fibers as guidance. Disassembling of the cells from the NSPC and acquisition of cell specific molecular markers and morphology progressed faster in the presence of the block copolymers, which suggests the role of the hydrophilic character and porous topology of the fiber mats.
Assessing Spatiotemporal Variations of Landsat Land Surface Temperature and Multispectral Indices in the Arctic Mackenzie Delta Region between 1985 and 2018
Authors: Nill Leon , Ullmann Tobias , Kneisel Christof , Sobiech-Wolf Jennifer , Baumhauer Roland
Published: October 2019

Air temperatures in the Arctic have increased substantially over the last decades, which has extensively altered the properties of the land surface. Capturing the state and dynamics of Land Surface Temperatures (LSTs) at high spatial detail is of high interest as LST is dependent on a variety of surficial properties and characterizes the land–atmosphere exchange of energy. Accordingly, this study analyses the influence of different physical surface properties on the long-term mean of the summer LST in the Arctic Mackenzie Delta Region (MDR) using Landsat 30 m-resolution imagery between 1985 and 2018 by taking advantage of the cloud computing capabilities of the Google Earth Engine. Multispectral indices, including the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) and Tasseled Cap greenness (TCG), brightness (TCB), and wetness (TCW) as well as topographic features derived from the TanDEM-X digital elevation model are used in correlation and multiple linear regression analyses to reveal their influence on the LST. Furthermore, surface alteration trends of the LST, NDVI, and NDWI are revealed using the Theil-Sen (T-S) regression method. The results indicate that the mean summer LST appears to be mostly influenced by the topographic exposition as well as the prevalent moisture regime where higher evapotranspiration rates increase the latent heat flux and cause a cooling of the surface, as the variance is best explained by the TCW and northness of the terrain. However, fairly diverse model outcomes for different regions of the MDR (R2 from 0.31 to 0.74 and RMSE from 0.51 °C to 1.73 °C) highlight the heterogeneity of the landscape in terms of influential factors and suggests accounting for a broad spectrum of different factors when modeling mean LSTs. The T-S analysis revealed large-scale wetting and greening trends with a mean decadal increase of the NDVI/NDWI of approximately +0.03 between 1985 and 2018, which was mostly accompanied by a cooling of the land surface given the inverse relationship between mean LSTs and vegetation and moisture conditions. Disturbance through wildfires intensifies the surface alterations locally and lead to significantly cooler LSTs in the long-term compared to the undisturbed surroundings.
Airborne Visual Detection and Tracking of Cooperative UAVs Exploiting Deep Learning
Authors: Opromolla Roberto , Inchingolo Giuseppe , Fasano Giancarmine
Published: October 2019

The performance achievable by using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for a large variety of civil and military applications, as well as the extent of applicable mission scenarios, can significantly benefit from the exploitation of formations of vehicles able to fly in a coordinated manner (swarms). In this respect, visual cameras represent a key instrument to enable coordination by giving each UAV the capability to visually monitor the other members of the formation. Hence, a related technological challenge is the development of robust solutions to detect and track cooperative targets through a sequence of frames. In this framework, this paper proposes an innovative approach to carry out this task based on deep learning. Specifically, the You Only Look Once (YOLO) object detection system is integrated within an original processing architecture in which the machine-vision algorithms are aided by navigation hints available thanks to the cooperative nature of the formation. An experimental flight test campaign, involving formations of two multirotor UAVs, is conducted to collect a database of images suitable to assess the performance of the proposed approach. Results demonstrate high-level accuracy, and robustness against challenging conditions in terms of illumination, background and target-range variability.
Design and Fabrication of a High-Frequency Single-Directional Planar Underwater Ultrasound Transducer
Authors: Huang Qiguo , Wang Hongwei , Hao Shaohua , Zhong Chao , Wang Likun
Published: October 2019

This paper describes the fabrication of 1-3 piezoelectric composites by using PZT5-A pure piezoelectric ceramics and the preparation of a high-frequency single-directional planar underwater ultrasound transducer by using the developed composites. First, three material models of the same size were designed and simulated by ANSYS finite element simulation software. Next, based on the simulation results, the 1-3 piezoelectric composites were developed. Finally, a high-frequency single-directional planar underwater ultrasound transducer was fabricated by encapsulating and gluing the 1-3 piezoelectric composites. The performance of the transducer was tested, and results showed that the device was characterized by single-mode operation in the working frequency band, a high transmitting voltage response, and single directivity.
Customized Bus Network Design Based on Individual Reservation Demands
Authors: Han Zhiling , Chen Yanyan , Li Hui , Zhang Kuanshuang , Sun Jiyang
Published: October 2019

With the advantages of congestion alleviation, environmental friendliness, as well as a better travel experience, the customized bus (CB) system to reduce individual motorized travel is highly popular in increasing numbers of cities in China. The line planning problem is a key aspect of the CB system. This paper presents a detailed flow chart of a CB network planning methodology, including individual reservation travel demand data processing, CB line origin–destination (OD) area division considering quantity constraints of demand in areas and distance constraints based on agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC), an initial set of CB lines generating quantity constraints of the demand on each line and line length constraints, and line selection model building, striking a balance between operator interests, social benefits, and passengers’ interests. Finally, the impacts of the CB vehicle type, the fixed operation cost of online car-hailing (OCH), and the weights of each itemized cost are discussed. Serval operating schemes for the Beijing CB network were created. The results show that the combination of CB vehicles with 49 seats and 18 seats is the most cost-effective and that CBs with low capacity are more cost-effective than those with larger capacity. People receive the best service when decision-makers pay more attention to environmental pollution and congestion issues. The CB network’s service acceptance rate and the spatial coverage increase with the fixed operating cost per OCH vehicle per day c 0 C . The CB vehicle use decreases as c 0 C c c increases. The results of this study can provide technical support for CB operators who design CB networks.
LocPass: A Graphical Password Method to Prevent Shoulder-Surfing
Authors: Por Lip Yee , Adebimpe Lateef Adekunle , Idris Mohd Yamani Idna , Khaw Chee Siong , Ku Chin Soon
Published: October 2019

Graphical passwords are a method of authentication in computer security. Computer security is one of the disciplines of computer science. Shoulder-surfing attacks are a well-known threat to graphical passwords, although is getting commonly used especially in granting access for a secure system. Shoulder-surfing occurs when attackers skillfully capture important data/activities, such as login passwords, via direct observation or video recording methods. Many methods have been proposed to overcome the problem of shoulder-surfing attacks. After we reviewed some related works, we found out that most of the existing methods are still vulnerable to multiple observations and video-recorded shoulder-surfing attacks. Thus, we propose a new method to combat this problem. In our proposed method, we make used of two concepts to combat shoulder-surfing attacks. In the first concept, we used registered locations (something that only the users know) and 5 image directions (something that the users can see) to determine a pass-location (new knowledge). Secondly, the images used in our proposed method have higher chances to offset each other. The idea of offset could increase the password spaces of our proposed method if an attacker intended to guess the registered location used. By combining these two concepts, the pass-location produced by our proposed method in each challenge set could be varied. Therefore, it is impossible for the attackers to shoulder-surf any useful information such as the images/locations clicked by the user in each challenge set. A user study was conducted to evaluate the capabilities of the proposed method to prevent shoulder-surfing attacks. The shoulder-surfing testing results indicated that none of the participants were able to login, although they knew the underlying algorithm and they have been given sufficient time to perform a shoulder-surfing attack. Therefore, the proposed method has proven it can prevent shoulder-surfing attacks, provided the enrolment procedure is carried out in a secure manner.
Evaluating Physical and Fiscal Water Leakage in Water Distribution System
Authors: Bhagat Suraj Kumar , Tiyasha  , Welde Wakjira , Tesfaye Olana , Tung Tran Minh , Al-Ansari Nadhir , Salih Sinan Q. , Yaseen Zaher Mundher
Published: October 2019

With increasing population, the need for research ideas on the field of reducing wastage of water can save a big amount of water, money, time, and energy. Water leakage (WL) is an essential problem in the field of water supply field. This research is focused on real water loss in the water distribution system located in Ethiopia. Top-down and bursts and background estimates (BABE) methodology is performed to assess the data and the calibration process of the WL variables. The top-down method assists to quantify the water loss by the record and observation throughout the distribution network. In addition, the BABE approach gives a specific water leakage and burst information. The geometrical mean method is used to forecast the population up to 2023 along with their fiscal value by the uniform tariff method. With respect to the revenue lost, 42575 Br and 42664 Br or in 1562$ and 1566$ were lost in 2017 and 2018, respectively. The next five-year population was forecasted to estimate the possible amount of water to be saved, which was about 549,627 m3 and revenue 65,111$ to make the system more efficient. The results suggested that the majority of losses were due to several components of the distribution system including pipe-joint failure, relatively older age pipes, poor repairing and maintenance of water taps, pipe joints and shower taps, negligence of the consumer and unreliable water supply. As per the research findings, recommendations were proposed on minimizing water leakage.
Resenha: OVÍDIO. Arte de Amar. Tradução livre de Foed Castro Chamma. Rio de Janeiro: Calibán, 2009.
Authors: Gonçalves Willamy Fernandes
Published: October 2019

O presente trabalho faz breve resenha da tradução da Arte de Amar do poeta latino Ovídio pelo poeta neomodernista brasileiro Foed Castro Chamma, publicada em 2009 pela editora Calibán.
O erotismo nas Dionisíacas de Nono de Panópolis
Authors: De Lima Paulo Henrique Oliveira
Published: October 2019

A poesia bucólica helenística, presente nos Idílios de Teócrito, narra os insucessos amorosos em um ambiente rústico, e Nono imita as características desse tipo de poesia no canto XV as Dionisíacas. O presente artigo tem como objetivo estabelecer as passagens emuladas dos Idílios nas Dionisíacas, e analisar os temas, estruturas e fórmulas que Nono utiliza a partir do poeta helenístico. Dessa forma, foi possível determinar a forma com que a bucólica influencia o amor na epopeia e seja um dos elementos assimilados para formar a ποικιλία representada nas Dionisíacas.
Consciência e decisão na Ilíada: uma discussão da hipótese de Julian Jaynes
Authors: Almeida Christiano Pereira de
Published: October 2019

Partindo da análise de cenas de tomada de decisão pelos personagens da Ilíada, o presente trabalho pretende discutir a proposta do psicólogo Julian Jaynes, segundo a qual, no período de concepção da obra homérica, não havia palavras e conceitos para o que modernamente, viria a ser concebido como subjetividade consciente, volição ou mesmo para o corpo como um todo, visto que tais conceitos só viriam a surgir muito mais tarde na história da espécie humana. Considerando tal proposta, este trabalho pretende questionar as hipóteses propostas por Jaynes.
Les salaires dans l'industrie, le commerce et les services en 1963 — Exploitation statistique des déclarations «modèle 2460»
Authors: Padieu René
Published: October 2019

Cette étude présente, pour 1963, les résultats de l'exploitation statistique des déclarations de salaires « modèle 2460 ». Ces résultats diffèrent légèrement de ceux, provisoires, publiés dans le supplément de mai 1965 d'Études et Conjoncture.

L'exploitation statistique a été cette année exceptionnellement détaillée : les taux de sondages employés par le passé ont été renforcés de façon à ce qu'on ait pour une année de base des renseignements particulièrement sûrs.

Cette étude se situe dans un cadre strictement annuel : tant à cause des fluctuations d'échantillonnage que des méthodes de calcul employées, elle se prête mal à l'analyse des évolutions d'une année sur l'autre. Ce n'est que sur quelques années que les tendances se manifestent avec sûreté. Malgré cela, elle constitue un panorama assez complet des salaires français et d'année en année, le progrès des méthodes aidant, cette image devient plus fidèle et plus précise. Les facteurs explicatifs du phénomène salarial sont nombreux et réagissent les uns sur les autres, de sorte qu'on ne peut isoler l'effet de chacun d'eux. Il est possible néanmoins de se faire une idée satisfaisante de leur action en mettant l'accent successivement sur chacun de ces divers facteurs. En variant ainsi les perspectives on parvient à comprendre comment les divers aspects découverts se complètent et se commandent.
Simulation Experiments for Observation of Different Genetic Parameters
Authors: Szőke Szilvia
Published: October 2019

The change of genetics variance in various simulated population were examined trough 25 generations. The population size were 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000 and 16000. The number of genes were1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Two allels per gene were applied. It was assumed that base population was randomly mated. Also it was assumed that a pair of allel genes was independent, there was no epistasis, linkage between alleles of different loci, dominance and overlapping generations. In the selection was kept the 93% of females and 0.186% of males. The size of populations was close to constant through generations.The size of populations and the number of loci were effects that how many generation is necessary to get genetical maximum. The change of the genetical mean of the population and the genetical variance were well subscribed cube and logistical curve. We can use to estimate these genetical parameters with the previous functons.
The Effect of Fertilization and Irrigation on Maize(Zea mays L.) Production
Authors: Megyes Attila , Rátonyi Tamás , Huzsvai László
Published: October 2019

In a long-term field experiment set up at the Látókép experimental station of the Center of Agricultural Sciences of Debrecen University, the data of the last five years (1995-1999) were analyzed to determine the crop production factors with the greatest influence on maize production and the relationship and interactions between irrigation and fertilization.In the extremely dry year of 1995, fertilization was found to cause substantial yield depression in the absence of irrigation. According to results of analysis of variance, fertilization significantly reduced the maize yield by 40-90% compared to control plots. Under irrigated conditions, there was a considerable increase in the maize yield, the yield surplus being 4.4-9.4 t ha-1, depending on the nutrient supply level.During the period from 1996-1999, when rainfall conditions were favorable for maize, fertilization significantly increased the maize yield even without irrigation over the average of the four years. The yield surplus due to fertilization was 3.9-4.6 t ha-1, depending on the fertilization rates. The maximum yield surplus was obtained on plots fertilized with 120 N kg ha-1, while at the rate of 240 N kg ha-1 the maize yield did not differ significantly from this value. During the period examined, corn yield was significantly higher at all three nutrient supply levels as the result of irrigation than in the non-irrigated treatment. As in the case of non-irrigated conditions, the highest fertilizer dose did not result in a substantial yield increase. An analysis of the interaction between fertilization and irrigation indicated that the yield-increasing effect of fertilization was not significantly different under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions. The significant year x irrigation interaction was confirmed by the fact that the yield surplus (1.3-2.3 t ha-1) differed greatly from the irrigation effect recorded in 1995.