bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Genotype × Environment Interaction for Seed Traits in Winter Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus L.)
Authors: Liersch Alina , Bocianowski Jan , Nowosad Kamila , Mikołajczyk Katarzyna , Spasibionek Stanisław , Wielebski Franciszek , Matuszczak Marcin , Szała Laurencja , Cegielska-Taras Teresa , Sosnowska Katarzyna , Bartkowiak-Broda Iwona
Published: December 2020

Brassica napus (L.), winter oilseed rape (WOSR) or canola, is one of the most important oilseed crop species of the moderate climate zone. Improving the seed quality and yield makes the main target in breeding programs worldwide. In this study, we examined the genotype-by-environment (G×E) interaction with respect to six seed traits among 25 WOSR genotypes. The plant material included the registered canola cultivars, our newly developed mutant breeding lines and the Ogura F1 hybrids and their parental components, in addition to our domestic breeding lines including two semi-resynthesized (semi-RS) lines. The 25 genotypes were examined in field trials at two locations, in three growing seasons. Seed oil and protein content, total glucosinolates (GLS) content in seed meal and C18 unsaturated fatty acid (oleic, linoleic and linolenic) composition in seed oil were examined. The additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) analyses revealed significant effects of both, genotype (G) and environment (E) as well as the G×E interaction regarding the analyzed seed traits. In our study, two Ogura F1 hybrids, a CMS line and a new high oleic mutant breeding line revealed high stability and good average values for most of the analyzed seed traits, thus making a valuable source of starting materials for further improvement.
Smart Harrowing—Adjusting the Treatment Intensity Based on Machine Vision to Achieve a Uniform Weed Control Selectivity under Heterogeneous Field Conditions
Authors: Spaeth Michael , Machleb Jannis , Peteinatos Gerassimos G. , Saile Marcus , Gerhards Roland
Published: December 2020

Harrowing is mostly applied with a constant intensity across the whole field. Heterogeneous field conditions such as variable soil texture, different crop growth stages, variations of the weed infestation level, and weed species composition are usually not considered during the treatment. This study offers a new approach to sensor-based harrowing which addresses these field variations. Smart harrowing requires the continuous adaptation of the treatment intensity to maintain the same level of crop selectivity while ensuring a high weed control efficacy. Therefore, a harrow was equipped with a sensor-system to automatically adjust the angle of the harrow tines based on a newly developed decision algorithm. In 2020, three field experiments were conducted in winter wheat and spring oats to investigate the response of the weed control efficacy and the crop to different harrowing intensities, in Southwest Germany. In all experiments, six levels of crop soil cover (CSC) were tested. The CSC determines the balance between crop damage and weed removal. Each experiment contained an untreated control and an herbicide treatment as a comparison to the harrowing treatments. The results showed an increase in the weed control efficacy (WCE) with an increasing CSC threshold. Difficult-to-control weed species such as Cirsium arvense L. and Galium aparine L. were best controlled with a CSC threshold of 70%. However, 70% CSC caused up to 50% crop biomass loss and up to 2 t·ha−1 of grain yield reduction. With a CSC threshold of 20% it was possible to control up to 98% of Thlaspi arvense L. The highest crop biomass, grain yield, and selectivity were achieved with an CSC threshold of 20–25% at all locations. With this harrowing intensity, grain yields were higher than in the herbicide plots and a WCE of 68–98% was achieved. Due to the rapid adjustment of tine angle, the new sensor-based harrow allows users to apply the most selective harrowing intensity in every location of the field. Therefore, it can achieve equal weed control efficacies as using herbicide applications.
Machine Learning Feature Extraction Based on Binary Pixel Quantification Using Low-Resolution Images for Application of Unmanned Ground Vehicles in Apple Orchards
Authors: Lyu Hong-Kun , Yun Sanghun , Choi Byeongdae
Published: December 2020

Deep learning and machine learning (ML) technologies have been implemented in various applications, and various agriculture technologies are being developed based on image-based object recognition technology. We propose an orchard environment free space recognition technology suitable for developing small-scale agricultural unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) autonomous mobile equipment using a low-cost lightweight processor. We designed an algorithm to minimize the amount of input data to be processed by the ML algorithm through low-resolution grayscale images and image binarization. In addition, we propose an ML feature extraction method based on binary pixel quantification that can be applied to an ML classifier to detect free space for autonomous movement of UGVs from binary images. Here, the ML feature is extracted by detecting the local-lowest points in segments of a binarized image and by defining 33 variables, including local-lowest points, to detect the bottom of a tree trunk. We trained six ML models to select a suitable ML model for trunk bottom detection among various ML models, and we analyzed and compared the performance of the trained models. The ensemble model demonstrated the best performance, and a test was performed using this ML model to detect apple tree trunks from 100 new images. Experimental results indicate that it is possible to recognize free space in an apple orchard environment by learning using approximately 100 low-resolution grayscale images.
Aeration to Manage Insects in Wheat Stored in the Balkan Peninsula: Computer Simulations Using Historical Weather Data
Authors: Morrison William R. , Arthur Frank H. , Wilson Lloyd Ted , Yang Yubin , Wang Jing , Athanassiou Christos G.
Published: December 2020

Wheat is one of the major crops throughout the Balkan peninsula of Europe. Specific harvest and binning dates can vary depending on the specific geographic region. Grain aeration, wherein ambient air is used at low-volume airflow rates to cool a grain mass to levels that will suppress insect population development, is an under-utilized component of pest management plans for stored wheat. The successful use of aeration can potentially reduce fumigation of stored wheat, which will contribute to the amelioration of increasingly prevalent phosphine resistance. Historical weather data were used from 19 sites in the Balkan region to predict how quickly grains could be cooled through the use of aeration, using a web-based aeration model, and three different starting dates, including 1, 15, and 30 July. The model was used to predict population growth and development of Sitophilus oryzae, the rice weevil, with and without the use of aeration. Results show that, in the northern regions of the Balkans, aeration implemented at the start of binning reduced insect populations far below pest levels in unaerated wheat, and may potentially eliminate the need for fumigations. In more southerly regions, additional chemical inputs, such as fumigation or grain protectants, may be necessary in conjunction with aeration. Results provide guidelines for the increased potential of using aeration for the management of wheat produced and stored in the Balkan peninsula.
Extending the CSM-CERES-Beet Model to Simulate Impact of Observed Leaf Disease Damage on Sugar Beet Yield
Authors: Memic Emir , Graeff-Hönninger Simone , Hensel Oliver , Batchelor William D.
Published: December 2020

A CSM-CERES-Beet pest damage routine was modified to simulate the impact of Cercospora leaf spot disease effects on sugar beet yield. Foliar disease effects on sugar beet growth and yield were incorporated as daily damage to leaf area and photosynthesis, which was linked to daily crop growth and biomass accumulation. An experiment was conducted in Southwest Germany (2016–2018) with different levels of disease infection. Data collected included time-series leaf area index, top weight, storage root weight and Cercospora leaf spot disease progress. The model was calibrated using statistical and visual fit for one treatment and evaluated for eight treatments over three years. Model performance of the calibration treatment for all three variables resulted in R2 values higher than 0.82 and d-statistics higher than 0.94. Evaluation treatments for all three observation groups resulted in high R2 and d-statistics with few exceptions mainly caused by weather extremes. Root mean square error values for calibration and evaluation treatments were satisfactory. Model statistics indicate that the approach can be used as a suitable decision support system to simulate the impact of observed Cercospora leaf spot damage on accumulated above-ground biomass and storage root yield on a plot/site-specific scale.
Association between Physicians’ Perception of Shared Decision Making with Antibiotic Prescribing Behavior in Primary Care in Hubei, China: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Wang Dan , Liu Chenxi , Wang Xuemei , Zhang Xinping
Published: December 2020

Shared decision-making (SDM) has been advocated as one effective strategy for improving physician–patient relationships and optimizing clinical outcomes. Our study aimed to measure physicians’ perception of SDM and establish the relationship between physicians’ perception of SDM and prescribing behavior in patients with upper respiratory tract infections. One cross-sectional study was conducted in Hubei Province from December 2019 to January 2020. The SDM questionnaire and prescription data of 2018 from electronic health records data were matched for each physician in this study. Multilevel modeling was applied to explore the relationship between physicians’ perception of SDM and antibiotic prescribing in primary care. Analyses were statistically controlled for demographic characteristics of the physicians and patients. Physicians’ positive perception of SDM had small but statistically significant effects on lower prescribing of antibiotics in the patient group aged over 40 years (odds ratio (OR) < 1; p < 0.05). Moreover, female physicians (OR = 0.71; p = 0.007) with higher educational levels (bachelor’s degree and above; OR = 0.71; p = 0.024) were significantly associated with the prescribing of less antibiotics (p < 0.05). A more positive perception of SDM was demonstrated as one significant predictor of less prescribing of antibiotics in the patient group over 40 years. There may be a promising focus of implementing SDM strategies targeting physician–patient communication in primary care.
A Relay Selection Protocol for UAV-Assisted VANETs
Authors: He Yixin , Zhai Daosen , Wang Dawei , Tang Xiao , Zhang Ruonan
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we investigate the relay selection problem for the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-assisted vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs). For the considered network, we first model and analyze the link quality of service (LQoS) from the source node (SN) to the neighbor node and the node forward capacity (NFC) from the neighbor node to the destination node (DN). Then, the relay selection problem is formulated as a multi-objective optimization problem by jointly considering the LQoS and the NFC. Afterward, we decompose the problem into two subproblems and propose a relay selection protocol with the storage-carry-forward (SCF) method. Moreover, we define a utility function with the node encounter frequency (NEF) and the message time-to-live (TTL) taken into account, based on which a redundant copy-deleting approach is devised. Furthermore, we analyze the security of the designed protocol. Finally, the simulation results demonstrate that the proposed relay selection protocol can improve the message delivery ratio, reduce the average end-to-end delay, and limit the overhead.
Modeling of the Minimum Fluidization Velocity and the Incipient Fluidization Pressure Drop in a Conical Fluidized Bed with Negative Pressure
Authors: Fang Sheng , Wei Yanding , Fu Lei , Tian Geng , Qu Haibin
Published: December 2020

The modeling of the minimum fluidization velocity (U0mf) and the incipient fluidization pressure drop (ΔPmf) is a valuable research topic in the fluidization field. In this paper, first, a series of experiments are carried out by changing the particle size and material mass to explore their effects on U0mf and ΔPmf. Then, an Ergun equation modifying method and the dimensional analysis method are used to obtain the modeling correlations of U0mf and ΔPmf by fitting the experimental data, and the advantages and disadvantages of the two methods are discussed. The experimental results show that U0mf increases significantly with increasing particle size but has little relationship with the material mass; ΔPmf increases significantly with increasing material mass but has little relationship with the particle size. Experiments with small particles show a significant increase at large superficial gas velocity; we propose a conjecture that the particles’ collision with the fluidization chamber’s top surface causes this phenomenon. The fitting accuracy of the modified Ergun equation is lower than that of the dimensionless model. When using the Ergun equation modifying method, it is deduced that the gas drag force is approximately 0.8995 times the material total weight at the incipient fluidized state.
Design and Modeling of a Parent Big STAR Robot Platform That Carries a Child RSTAR
Authors: Yacoby Daniel , Yehezkel Liran , Inbar Ori , Zarrouk David
Published: December 2020

In this paper we present a wheeled robot platform for child-parent robot collaboration. The new robot, named Big STAR (BSTAR), is fitted with a tail that can act as a ramp to carry and deploy a child RSTAR that can crawl between small cracks and underneath obstacles. Both robots possess sprawling capabilities inspired from insects, enabling them to transform their external geometry and dynamics to overcome a variety of obstacles. The BSTAR can travel at speeds of up to 1.4 m/s, carry payloads of more than five kilograms and travel over rough terrains. The collaboration between the two robots substantially increases their navigability and their capability to overcome obstacles. It increases their working distance and scouting area since the larger robot can act as a charging point for the smaller one. We first describe the design of the newly developed parent BSTAR robot and provide a kinematic and dynamic analysis that determines the force requirements of the robots when collaborating, followed by an evaluation of their mechanical and electrical requirements. We show that under multiple challenging scenarios the robot pair can successfully overcome a variety of obstacles.
Caulerpa lentillifera Polysaccharides-Rich Extract Reduces Oxidative Stress and Proinflammatory Cytokines Levels Associated with Male Reproductive Functions in Diabetic Mice
Authors: Khairuddin Khairiyah , Sudirman Sabri , Huang Luqiang , Kong Zwe-Ling
Published: December 2020

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease that is positively correlated with reproductive dysfunction. Caulerpa lentillifera is an edible green alga with antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties. This study aims to evaluate the ameliorative effects of a polysaccharides-rich extract from C. lentillifera on the reproductive dysfunctions of diabetic male BALB/c mice induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) supplemented with intraperitoneal injections of streptozotocin (STZ). C. lentillifera was obtained from hot water and converted into a powder form (C. lentillifera extract (CLE)) by freeze drying. Mice were fed an HFD for 4 weeks before supplementing with STZ (30 mg/kg). The diabetic mice were divided into five groups, including a control group, a diabetic (DM) group, a DM with administration of a low-dose CLE treatment (DM+CLE1, 600 mg/kg), a DM with administration of a high-dose of CLE (DM+CLE2, 1000 mg/kg) and a DM with metformin treatment as a positive control (DM+Met, 200 mg/kg) for 6 weeks. The results showed that the CLE administration improved hyperglycemia and insulin resistance. Proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α were found to decrease in the CLE-treated groups. Additionally, CLE was shown to improve sperm motility and testis morphology. Based on the results, it was confirmed that the polysaccharides-rich extract from C. lentillifera extract was able to prevent diabetes-induced male reproductive dysfunction.
Analysis of the Railway Accident-Related Damages in South Korea
Authors: Park Man Sik , Eom Jin Ki , Choi Jungsoon , Heo Tae-Young
Published: December 2020

Railway accidents are critical issues characterized by a large number of injuries and fatalities per accident due to massive public transport systems. This study proposes a new approach for evaluating the damages resulting from railway accidents using the two-part models (TPMs) such as the zero-inflated Poisson regression model (ZIP model) and the zero-inflated negative-binomial regression model (ZINB model) for the non-negative count measurements and the zero-inflated gamma regression model (ZIG model) and the zero-inflated log-normal regression model (ZILN model) for the semi-continuous measurements. The models are employed for the evaluation of the railway accidents on Korea Railroad, considering the accident damages, such as the train delay time, the number of trains delayed and the cost of considering the accident count responses, for the period 2008 to 2016. From the results obtained, we found that the human-related factors, the high-speed railway system or the Korea Train Express (KTX) and the number of casualties, are the main cost-escalating factors. The number of trains delayed and the amount of delay time tend to increase both the probability of incurring costs and the amount of cost. For better evaluation, the railway accident data should contain accurate information with less recurrence of zeros.
Ferroelectret Ultrasonic Transducers for Pulse-Echo Water Immersion
Authors: Quirce Julio , Svilainis Linas , Camacho Jorge , Gomez Alvarez-Arenas Tomas
Published: December 2020

Ferroelectrets are thin and porous polymeric films with a cellular microstructure, high porosity, permanent polarization and piezoelectric response. They have been used for different applications, where one of the most interesting ones is for the fabrication of air-coupled ultrasonic transducers. More recently they have been tested as water immersion transducers, showing a promising wide bandwidth but limited sensitivity along with other technical problems. This paper investigates ultrasonic transducers for water immersion and pulse-echo operation based on ferroelectret films. Two different ferroelectret foams with different resonant frequencies, acoustic impedances and cellular structures were tried. Flat and spherically focused prototypes (radius of curvature of 22 and 35 mm) were produced and tested. Finally, different materials and methods were tried to provide a protective surface coating. Acoustic field measurements for the focused transducers confirm the possibility to efficiently focus the ultrasonic beam by the proposed fabrication method, with focal spot size of 1.86 mm at −6 dB. Results show that in spite of the reduced sensitivity (about −115 dB), some of the tried ferroelectret films provide a very wide band response (−6 dB band from 0.29 to 2.7 MHz) and short pulse duration (2–3 us) that can be of interest for different applications.
A Framework for Identifying Influential People by Analyzing Social Media Data
Authors: Ahsan Md. Sabbir Al , Arefin Mohammad Shamsul , Kayes A. S. M. , Hammoudeh Mohammad , Aldabbas Omar
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we introduce a new framework for identifying the most influential people from social sensor networks. Selecting influential people from social networks is a complicated task as it depends on many metrics like the network of friends, followers, reactions, comments, shares, etc. (e.g., friends-of-a-friend, friends-of-a-friend-of-a-friend). Data on social media are increasing day-by-day at an enormous rate. It is also a challenge to store and process these data. Towards this goal, we use Hadoop to store data and Apache Spark for the fast computation of the data. To select influential people, we apply the mechanisms of skyline query and top-k query. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work to apply the Apache Spark framework to identify influential people on social sensor network, such as online social media. Our proposed mechanism can find influential people very quickly and efficiently on the data pattern of Facebook.
Design of Three-Phase V-Shaped Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor for Air Conditioning Compressor of Electric Vehicle
Authors: Jeong Hojin , Baek Jeihoon
Published: December 2020

Air conditioning system of electric vehicles has new change as the internal combustion engine is being replaced with electrified AC motor. With large amount of batteries installed at the bottom of frame, the conventional compressor, which is belt-driven, can be removed, and another AC motor can play the role for air conditioning in electric vehicles. From this change, the system efficiency would be improved since it is possible to control the electrified compressor independently from traction system in contrast with the belt-driven compressor. As a result, by applying the electrified compressor for air conditioning system, the whole system can achieve better efficiency and longer driving distance, which is most important in electric vehicles. In this paper, 3-phase interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) was designed using lumped-parameter model and finite element method.
Economic Freedom and Inequality in the Art Market: The Case of the Commercial Gallery
Authors: Milano Ronit
Published: December 2020

This article aims to consider the contemporary art market vis-à-vis the concept of economic freedom. Drawn from a larger study, this paper offers a glimpse of the political function of the art market, which is essentially an economic field. What I demonstrate is an inevitable clash between a free market and between political constructions that effect levels of freedom—concentrating on the parameter of inequality. The article focuses on the case of commercial art galleries, and analyzes their operation under neoliberal conditions, which represent the implementation of the idea of freedom in the economic field. Subsequently, I demonstrate the how high levels of concentration in the art market erode the levels of the equality of the players in the field. Ultimately, I argue that this case offers an example of the more general operation of the art market, which follows neoliberal principles, and thereby undermines the concept of economic freedom that is intrinsic to them.
Aberrant Non-Coding RNA Expression in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Consequences for Immune Dysfunctions and Tissue Damage
Authors: Tsai Chang-Youh , Shen Chieh-Yu , Liu Chih-Wei , Hsieh Song-Chou , Liao Hsien-Tzung , Li Ko-Jen , Lu Cheng-Shiun , Lee Hui-Ting , Lin Cheng-Sung , Wu Cheng-Han , Kuo Yu-Min , Yu Chia-Li
Published: December 2020

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex systemic autoimmune disease with heterogeneous clinical manifestations. A diverse innate and adaptive immune dysregulation is involved in the immunopathogenesis of SLE. The dysregulation of immune-related cells may derive from the intricate interactions among genetic, epigenetic, environmental, and immunological factors. Of these contributing factors, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs, miRs), and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in the post-transcriptional mRNA expression of cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors, which are essential for immune modulation. In the present review, we emphasize the roles of ncRNA expression in the immune-related cells and cell-free plasma, urine, and tissues contributing to the immunopathogenesis and tissue damage in SLE. In addition, the circular RNAs (circRNA) and their post-translational regulation of protein synthesis in SLE are also briefly described. We wish these critical reviews would be useful in the search for biomarkers/biosignatures and novel therapeutic strategies for SLE patients in the future.
Verbascoside Protects Pancreatic β-Cells against ER-Stress
Authors: Galli Alessandra , Marciani Paola , Marku Algerta , Ghislanzoni Silvia , Bertuzzi Federico , Rossi Raffaella , Di Giancamillo Alessia , Castagna Michela , Perego Carla
Published: December 2020

Substantial epidemiological evidence indicates that a diet rich in polyphenols protects against developing type 2 diabetes. The phenylethanoid glycoside verbascoside/acteoside, a widespread polyphenolic plant compound, has several biological properties including strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective activities. The aim of this research was to test the possible effects of verbascoside on pancreatic β-cells, a target never tested before. Mouse and human β-cells were incubated with verbascoside (0.8–16 µM) for up to five days and a combination of biochemical and imaging techniques were used to assess the β-cell survival and function under normal or endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stress inducing conditions. We found a dose-dependent protective effect of verbascoside against oxidative stress in clonal and human β-cells. Mechanistic studies revealed that the polyphenol protects β-cells against ER-stress mediated dysfunctions, modulating the activation of the protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) branch of the unfolded protein response and promoting mitochondrial dynamics. As a result, increased viability, mitochondrial function and insulin content were detected in these cells. These studies provide the evidence that verbascoside boosts the ability of β-cells to cope with ER-stress, an important contributor of β-cell dysfunction and failure in diabetic conditions and support the therapeutic potential of verbascoside in diabetes.
Fabrication of a Cu2O-Au-TiO2 Heterostructure with Improved Photocatalytic Performance for the Abatement of Hazardous Toluene and α-Pinene Vapors
Authors: Lee Joon Yeob , Choi Jeong-Hak
Published: December 2020

In the current research, a Cu2O-Au-TiO2 heterostructure was fabricated via a step-wise photodeposition route to determine its possible application in the photocatalytic oxidation of hazardous vapors. The results of electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirm the successful fabrication of the Cu2O-Au-TiO2 heterostructure. Strong absorption in the visible region, along with a slight red-shift in the absorption edge, was observed in the UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectrum of Cu2O-Au-TiO2 composite, which implies that the composite can generate a greater number of photoexcited charges necessary for photocatalytic reaction. Toluene and α-pinene, as common gas contaminants in the indoor atmosphere, were employed to assess the photooxidation efficiency of the Cu2O-Au-TiO2 composite. Importantly, photocatalytic activity results indicate that the Cu2O-Au-TiO2 composite showed excellent photodegradation performance compared to pure TiO2 and Cu2O-TiO2 and Au-TiO2, where photocatalytic efficiency was approximately 92.9% and 99.9% for toluene and α-pinene, respectively, under standard daylight illumination. The increased light-harvesting capacity and boosted separation efficiency of electron-hole pairs were mainly accountable for improved degradation performance of the Cu2O-Au-TiO2 composite. In addition, the degradation efficiencies for toluene and α-pinene by the Cu2O-Au-TiO2 composite were also examined under three different light sources: 0.32 W white, blue and violet LEDs. The findings of this work suggested a great promise of effective photooxidation of gas pollutants by the Cu2O-Au-TiO2 composite.
NETs Are Double-Edged Swords with the Potential to Aggravate or Resolve Periodontal Inflammation
Authors: Vitkov Ljubomir , Minnich Bernd , Knopf Jasmin , Schauer Christine , Hannig Matthias , Herrmann Martin
Published: December 2020

Periodontitis is a general term for diseases characterised by inflammatory destruction of tooth-supporting tissues, gradual destruction of the marginal periodontal ligament and resorption of alveolar bone. Early-onset periodontitis is due to disturbed neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation and clearance. Indeed, mutations that inactivate the cysteine proteases cathepsin C result in the massive periodontal damage seen in patients with deficient NET formation. In contrast, exaggerated NET formation due to polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) hyper-responsiveness drives the pathology of late-onset periodontitis by damaging and ulcerating the gingival epithelium and retarding epithelial healing. Despite the gingival regeneration, periodontitis progression ends with almost complete loss of the periodontal ligament and subsequent tooth loss. Thus, NETs help to maintain periodontal health, and their dysregulation, either insufficiency or surplus, causes heavy periodontal pathology and edentulism.
Neuron-Astrocyte Interactions in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Miyazaki Ikuko , Asanuma Masato
Published: December 2020

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. PD patients exhibit motor symptoms such as akinesia/bradykinesia, tremor, rigidity, and postural instability due to a loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. Although the pathogenesis in sporadic PD remains unknown, there is a consensus on the involvement of non-neuronal cells in the progression of PD pathology. Astrocytes are the most numerous glial cells in the central nervous system. Normally, astrocytes protect neurons by releasing neurotrophic factors, producing antioxidants, and disposing of neuronal waste products. However, in pathological situations, astrocytes are known to produce inflammatory cytokines. In addition, various studies have reported that astrocyte dysfunction also leads to neurodegeneration in PD. In this article, we summarize the interaction of astrocytes and dopaminergic neurons, review the pathogenic role of astrocytes in PD, and discuss therapeutic strategies for the prevention of dopaminergic neurodegeneration. This review highlights neuron-astrocyte interaction as a target for the development of disease-modifying drugs for PD in the future.
Deciphering the Relevance of Bone ECM Signaling
Authors: Alcorta-Sevillano Natividad , Macías Iratxe , Infante Arantza , Rodríguez Clara I.
Published: December 2020

Bone mineral density, a bone matrix parameter frequently used to predict fracture risk, is not the only one to affect bone fragility. Other factors, including the extracellular matrix (ECM) composition and microarchitecture, are of paramount relevance in this process. The bone ECM is a noncellular three-dimensional structure secreted by cells into the extracellular space, which comprises inorganic and organic compounds. The main inorganic components of the ECM are calcium-deficient apatite and trace elements, while the organic ECM consists of collagen type I and noncollagenous proteins. Bone ECM dynamically interacts with osteoblasts and osteoclasts to regulate the formation of new bone during regeneration. Thus, the composition and structure of inorganic and organic bone matrix may directly affect bone quality. Moreover, proteins that compose ECM, beyond their structural role have other crucial biological functions, thanks to their ability to bind multiple interacting partners like other ECM proteins, growth factors, signal receptors and adhesion molecules. Thus, ECM proteins provide a complex network of biochemical and physiological signals. Herein, we summarize different ECM factors that are essential to bone strength besides, discussing how these parameters are altered in pathological conditions related with bone fragility.
How Bad Are Bad Templates? Optimistic Design-Stage Side-Channel Security Evaluation and its Cost
Authors: Breuer Rinat , Levi Itamar
Published: December 2020

Cryptographic designs are vulnerable to side-channel analysis attacks. Evaluating their security during design stages is of crucial importance. The latter is achieved by very expensive (slow) analog transient-noise simulations over advanced fabrication process technologies. The main challenge of such rigorous security-evaluation analysis lies in the fact that technologies are becoming more and more complex and the physical properties of manufactured devices vary significantly due to process variations. In turn, a detailed security evaluation process imposes exponential time complexity with the circuit-size, the number of physical implementation corners (statistical variations) and the accuracy of the circuit-simulator. Given these circumstances, what is the cost of not exhausting the entire implementation space? In terms of simulation-time complexity, the benefits would clearly be significant; however, we are interested in evaluating the security implications. This question can be formulated for many other interesting side-channel contexts such as for example, how would an attack-outcome vary when the adversary is building a leakage template over one device, i.e., one physical corner, and it performs an evaluation (attack) phase of a device drawn from a different statistical corner? Alternatively, is it safe to assume that a typical (average) corner would represent the worst case in terms of security evaluation or would it be advisable to perform a security evaluation over another specific view? Finally, how would the outcome vary concretely? We ran in-depth experiments to answer these questions in the hope of finding a nice tradeoff between simulation efforts and expertise, and security-evaluation degradation. We evaluate the results utilizing methodologies such as template-attacks with a clear distinction between profiling and attack-phase statistical views. This exemplary view of what an adversary might capture in these scenarios is followed by a more complete statistical evaluation analysis utilizing tools such as the Kullback–Leibler (KL) divergence and the Jensen-Shannon (JS) divergence to draw conclusions.
Elasmobranch Use of Nearshore Estuarine Habitats Responds to Fine-Scale, Intra-Seasonal Environmental Variation: Observing Coastal Shark Density in a Temperate Estuary Utilizing Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS)
Authors: DiGiacomo Alexandra E. , Harrison Walker E. , Johnston David W. , Ridge Justin T.
Published: December 2020

Many coastal shark species are known to use estuaries of the coastal southeastern United States for essential purposes like foraging, reproducing, and protection from predation. Temperate estuarine landscapes, such as the Rachel Carson Reserve (RCR) in Beaufort, NC, are dynamic habitat mosaics that experience fluctuations in physical and chemical oceanographic properties on various temporal and spatial scales. These patterns in abiotic conditions play an important role in determining species movement. The goal of this study was to understand the impact of environmental conditions around the RCR on shark density within the high-abundance summer season. Unoccupied Aircraft System (UAS) surveys of coastal habitats within the reserve were used to quantify shark density across varying environmental conditions. A combination of correlation analyses and Generalized Linear Modelling (GLM) revealed that density differs substantially across study sites and increases with rising water temperatures, conclusions that are supported by previous work in similar habitats. Additionally, density appears to increase moving towards dawn and dusk, potentially supporting crepuscular activity in coastal estuarine areas. By describing shark density dynamics in the RCR, this study provides new information on this population and presents a novel framework for studying elasmobranchs in temperate estuaries.
Signal Transformations for Analysis of Supraharmonic EMI Caused by Switched-Mode Power Supplies
Authors: Sandrolini Leonardo , Mariscotti Andrea
Published: December 2020

Switched-Mode Power Supplies (SMPSs) are a relevant source of conducted emissions, in particular in the frequency interval of supraharmonics, between 2 kHz and 150 kHz. When using sampled data for assessment of compliance, methods other than Fourier analysis should be considered for better frequency resolution, compact signal energy decomposition and a shorter time support. This work investigates the application of the Wavelet Packet Transform (WPT) and the Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) to measured recordings of SMPS conducted emissions, featuring steep impulses and damped oscillations. The comparison shows a general accuracy of the amplitude estimate within the variability of data themselves, with very good performance of WPT in tracking on stationary components in the low frequency range at some kHz. WPT performance however may vary appreciably depending on the selected mother wavelet for which some examples are given. EMD and its Ensemble EMD implementation show a fairly good accuracy in representing the original signal with a very limited number of base functions with the capability of exploiting a filtering effect on the low-frequency components of the signal.
Wireless Sensors for Brain Activity—A Survey
Authors: TajDini Mahyar , Sokolov Volodymyr , Kuzminykh Ievgeniia , Shiaeles Stavros , Ghita Bogdan
Published: December 2020

Over the last decade, the area of electroencephalography (EEG) witnessed a progressive move from high-end large measurement devices, relying on accurate construction and providing high sensitivity, to miniature hardware, more specifically wireless wearable EEG devices. While accurate, traditional EEG systems need a complex structure and long periods of application time, unwittingly causing discomfort and distress on the users. Given their size and price, aside from their lower sensitivity and narrower spectrum band(s), wearable EEG devices may be used regularly by individuals for continuous collection of user data from non-medical environments. This allows their usage for diverse, nontraditional, non-medical applications, including cognition, BCI, education, and gaming. Given the reduced need for standardization or accuracy, the area remains a rather incipient one, mostly driven by the emergence of new devices that represent the critical link of the innovation chain. In this context, the aim of this study is to provide a holistic assessment of the consumer-grade EEG devices for cognition, BCI, education, and gaming, based on the existing products, the success of their underlying technologies, as benchmarked by the undertaken studies, and their integration with current applications across the four areas. Beyond establishing a reference point, this review also provides the critical and necessary systematic guidance for non-medical EEG research and development efforts at the start of their investigation.
A Multimodal User Interface for an Assistive Robotic Shopping Cart
Authors: Ryumin Dmitry , Kagirov Ildar , Axyonov Alexandr , Pavlyuk Nikita , Saveliev Anton , Kipyatkova Irina , Zelezny Milos , Mporas Iosif , Karpov Alexey
Published: December 2020

This paper presents the research and development of the prototype of the assistive mobile information robot (AMIR). The main features of the presented prototype are voice and gesture-based interfaces with Russian speech and sign language recognition and synthesis techniques and a high degree of robot autonomy. AMIR prototype’s aim is to be used as a robotic cart for shopping in grocery stores and/or supermarkets. Among the main topics covered in this paper are the presentation of the interface (three modalities), the single-handed gesture recognition system (based on a collected database of Russian sign language elements), as well as the technical description of the robotic platform (architecture, navigation algorithm). The use of multimodal interfaces, namely the speech and gesture modalities, make human-robot interaction natural and intuitive, as well as sign language recognition allows hearing-impaired people to use this robotic cart. AMIR prototype has promising perspectives for real usage in supermarkets, both due to its assistive capabilities and its multimodal user interface.
Assessment of the Synergy between Recycling and Thermal Treatments in Municipal Solid Waste Management in Europe
Authors: Abis Marco , Bruno Martina , Kuchta Kerstin , Simon Franz-Georg , Grönholm Raul , Hoppe Michel , Fiore Silvia
Published: December 2020

In 2018, the production of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in EU-28 reached 250.6 Mt, with the adoption of different management strategies, involving recycling (48 wt %), incineration and thermal valorization (29 wt %) and landfilling (23 wt %). This work was based on the analysis of the baseline situation of MSW management in EU-28 in 2018, considering its progress in 2008–2018, and discussed the possible improvement perspectives based on a framework involving incineration and recycling as the only possible alternatives, specifically evaluating the capability of already-existing incineration plants to fulfill the EU needs in the proposed framework. The results of the assessment showed two main crucial issues that could play a pivotal role in the achievement of Circular Economy action plan targets: the need to increase the recycling quotas for specific MSW fractions through the separate collection, and therefore the improvement of definite treatment process chains; the optimization of the recovery of secondary raw materials from incineration bottom ash, involving the recycling of ferrous and nonferrous metals and the mineral fraction. Both issues need to find an extensive application across all member states to decrease the actual differences in the adoption of sustainable MSW management options.
Numerical Analysis of the Deformation Performance of Monopile under Wave and Current Load
Authors: Chen Libo , Yang Xiaoyan , Li Lichen , Wu Wenbing , El Naggar M. Hesham , Wang Kuihua , Chen Jinyong
Published: December 2020

The research on the deformation mechanism of monopile foundation supporting offshore wind turbines is significant to optimize the design of a monopile foundation under wave and current load. In this paper, a three-dimensional wave-pile-soil coupling finite element model is proposed to investigate the deformation mechanism of monopile undercurrent and fifth-order Stokes wave. Different from the conventional assumption that there is no slip at the pile-soil interface, Frictional contact is set to simulate the relative movement between monopile and soil. Numerical results indicate that under extreme environmental conditions, the monopile foundation sways within a certain range and the maximum displacement in the loading direction is 1.3 times the displacement in the reverse direction. A further investigation has been made for a large-diameter pipe pile with various design parameters. The finite element analyses reveal that the most efficient way to reduce the deflection of the pile head is by increasing the embedment depth of the monopile. When the embedment depth is limited, increasing the pile diameter is a more effective way to strengthen the foundation than increasing the wall thickness.
Solar Cell Technology Selection for a PV Leaf Based on Energy and Sustainability Indicators—A Case of a Multilayered Solar Photovoltaic Tree
Authors: Kumar Nallapaneni Manoj , Chopra Shauhrat S. , Malvoni Maria , Elavarasan Rajvikram Madurai , Das Narottam
Published: December 2020

Harnessing energy from the sunlight using solar photovoltaic trees (SPVTs) has become popular at present as they reduce land footprint and offer numerous complimentary services that offset infrastructure. The SPVT’s complimentary services are noticeable in many ways, e.g., electric vehicle charging stations, landscaping, passenger shelters, onsite energy generated security poles, etc. Although the SPVT offers numerous benefits and services, its deployment is relatively slower due to the challenges it suffers. The most difficult challenges include the structure design, the photovoltaic (PV) cell technology selection for a leaf, and uncertainty in performance due to weather parameter variations. This paper aims to provide the most practical solution supported by the performance prioritization approach (PPA) framework for a typical multilayered SPVT. The proposed PPA framework considers the energy and sustainability indicators and helps in reporting the performance of a multilayered SPVT, with the aim of selecting an efficient PV leaf design. A three-layered SPVT (3-L SPVT) is simulated; moreover, the degradation-influenced lifetime energy performance and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions were evaluated for three different PV-cell technologies, namely crystalline silicon (c-Si), copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), and cadmium telluride (CdTe). While evaluating the performance of the 3-L SPVT, the power conversion efficiency, thermal regulation, degradation rate, and lifecycle carbon emissions were considered. The results of the 3-L SPVT were analyzed thoroughly, and it was found that in the early years, the c-Si PV leaves give better energy yields. However, when degradation and other influencing weather parameters were considered over its lifetime, the SPVT with c-Si leaves showed a lowered energy yield. Overall, the lifetime energy and CO2 emission results indicate that the CdTe PV leaf outperforms due to its lower degradation rate compared to c-Si and CIGS. On the other side, the benefits associated with CdTe cells, such as flexible and ultrathin glass structure as well as low-cost manufacturing, make them the best acceptable PV leaf for SPVT design. Through this investigation, we present the selection of suitable solar cell technology for a PV leaf.
Effectiveness of Instruments Supporting Inter-Organizational Cooperation in the RES Market in Europe. Case Study of Enterprise Europe Network
Authors: Gródek-Szostak Zofia , Suder Marcin , Kusa Rafał , Sikora Jakub , Niemiec Marcin
Published: December 2020

In the renewable energy source (RES) market, which is highly atomized, business events play an important role in supporting inter-organizational cooperation. The aim of this paper was to examine the impact of three characteristics of the events, namely, the location of the event, type of event (brokerage event versus company mission), and type of leading partner (public versus private), on the effectiveness of the business events (expressed by the number of meetings during an event and the number of partnerships initiated as a result of these meetings). We analyzed 304 promotional events organized in the European RES market. We employed basic statistical tests to verify our hypotheses. Our findings suggest that (1) the numbers of meetings and partnerships differ depending on the event’s location (country and region of Europe), (2) the type of the event (brokerage event versus company mission) affects the numbers of meetings and partnerships (in particular, during brokerage events (BEs), significantly more meetings take place than during company meetings (CMs)), and (3) the type of an event’s leading partner (public versus private) has no impact on the numbers of meetings and partnerships. With its findings, this paper contributes to RES market development and the theory of inter-organizational relations. It presents meaningful implications and recommendations for enterprises, business networks, and event managers operating in RES markets.