bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Simple and Highly Specific MassARRAY-Based Stool DNA Assay to Prioritize Follow-up Decisions in Fecal Immunochemical Test-Positive Individuals
Authors: Chang Pi-Yueh , Chen Chia-Chun , Chiang Jy-Ming , Chang Shih-Cheng , Wang Mei-Chia , Chen Jinn-Shiun , Tsai Wen-Sy , You Jeng Fu , Lu Jang-Jih
Published: March 2019

Background: Seventy-five percent of fecal immunochemical test (FIT)-positive individuals are false positives and undergo unnecessary colonoscopies. Here, we established a stool DNA (sDNA) test that uses the Single Allele Base Extension Reaction (SABER) MassARRAY platform to improve the accuracy of FIT-based CRC detection. Methods: Twenty-one variants in five CRC-associated genes were selected for the sDNA panel. Cell line DNA and matched mutation-confirmed tissue and stool samples from 34 patients were used for accuracy assessment (cohort 1). The clinical performance of the sDNA assay was further evaluated in 101 independent FIT-positive stool samples (cohort 2). Results: In cohort 1, we obtained a 62% mutation concordance rate in paired tissue and stool samples of the CRC group, regardless of the FIT status. In cohort 2, 100% specificity in normal controls with positive FIT results was observed. By weighting the FIT value and the presence of a given variant type in stool and then summing the two scores, we found that a one-increment increase in the score was associated with a 4.538-fold risk (95% CI = 2.121–9.309) for malignancy in the FIT-positive setting. Conclusions: Our highly specific sDNA assay can help prioritize the most at-risk FIT-positive persons to receive prompt colonoscopic confirmation of CRC.
Prospective Evaluation of Neoadjuvant Imatinib Use in Locally Advanced Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors: Emphasis on the Optimal Duration of Neoadjuvant Imatinib Use, Safety, and Oncological Outcome
Authors: Wang Shang-Yu , Wu Chiao-En , Lai Chun-Chi , Chen Jen-Shi , Tsai Chun-Yi , Cheng Chi-Tung , Yeh Ta-Sen , Yeh Chun-Nan
Published: March 2019

Background: Neoadjuvant imatinib therapy has been proposed for routine practice with favorable long-term results for patients with locally advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). However, clarification of the optimal duration, safety, and oncological outcomes of neoadjuvant imatinib use before surgical intervention remains necessary. Methods: We prospectively analyzed the treatment outcomes of 51 patients with locally advanced, nonmetastatic GISTs treated with neoadjuvant imatinib followed by surgery. The optimal duration was defined as the timepoint when there was a <10% change in the treatment response or a size decrease of less than 5 mm between two consecutive computed tomography scans. Results: Primary tumors were located in the stomach (23/51; 45%), followed by the rectum (17/51; 33%), ileum/jejunum (9/51; 18%), and esophagus (2/51; 4%). The median maximal shrinkage time was 6.1 months, beyond which further treatment may not be beneficial. However, the maximal shrinkage time was 4.3 months for the stomach, 8.6 months for the small bowel and 6.9 months for the rectum. The R0 tumor resection rate in 27 patients after neoadjuvant imatinib and surgery was 81.5%, and 70.4% of resection procedures succeeded in organ preservation. However, 10 of 51 patients (19.6%) had complications following neoadjuvant imatinib use (six from imatinib and four from surgery). Conclusion: Our analysis supports treating GIST patients with neoadjuvant imatinib, which demonstrated favorable long-term results of combined therapy. However, careful monitoring of complications is necessary. The optimal duration of neoadjuvant imatinib use before surgical intervention is, on average, 6.1 months.
The Flavonoid Metabolite 2,4,6-Trihydroxybenzoic Acid Is a CDK Inhibitor and an Anti-Proliferative Agent: A Potential Role in Cancer Prevention
Authors: Sankaranarayanan Ranjini , Valiveti Chaitanya , Kumar D. , Van slambrouck Severine , Kesharwani Siddharth , Seefeldt Teresa , Scaria Joy , Tummala Hemachand , Bhat G.
Published: March 2019

Flavonoids have emerged as promising compounds capable of preventing colorectal cancer (CRC) due to their anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is hypothesized that the metabolites of flavonoids are primarily responsible for the observed anti-cancer effects owing to the unstable nature of the parent compounds and their degradation by colonic microflora. In this study, we investigated the ability of one metabolite, 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzoic acid (2,4,6-THBA) to inhibit Cyclin Dependent Kinase (CDK) activity and cancer cell proliferation. Using in vitro kinase assays, we demonstrated that 2,4,6-THBA dose-dependently inhibited CDKs 1, 2 and 4 and in silico studies identified key amino acids involved in these interactions. Interestingly, no significant CDK inhibition was observed with the structurally related compounds 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid (3,4,5-THBA) and phloroglucinol, suggesting that orientation of the functional groups and specific amino acid interactions may play a role in inhibition. We showed that cellular uptake of 2,4,6-THBA required the expression of functional SLC5A8, a monocarboxylic acid transporter. Consistent with this, in cells expressing functional SLC5A8, 2,4,6-THBA induced CDK inhibitory proteins p21Cip1 and p27Kip1 and inhibited cell proliferation. These findings, for the first time, suggest that the flavonoid metabolite 2,4,6-THBA may mediate its effects through a CDK- and SLC5A8-dependent pathway contributing to the prevention of CRC.
An Insight into the Roles of MicroRNAs and Exosomes in Sarcoma
Authors: Kohama Isaku , Kosaka Nobuyoshi , Chikuda Hirotaka , Ochiya Takahiro
Published: March 2019

Sarcomas are rare solid tumors, but at least one-third of patients with sarcoma die from tumor-related disease. MicroRNA (miRNA) is a noncoding RNA that regulates gene expression in all cells and plays a key role in the progression of cancers. Recently, it was identified that miRNAs are transferred between cells by enclosure in extracellular vesicles, especially exosomes. The exosome is a 100 nm-sized membraned vesicle that is secreted by many kinds of cells and contains miRNA, mRNA, DNA, and proteins. Cancer uses exosomes to influence not only the tumor microenvironment but also the distant organ to create a premetastatic niche. The progression of sarcoma is also regulated by miRNAs and exosomes. These miRNAs and exosomes can be targeted as biomarkers and treatments. In this review, we summarize the studies of miRNA and exosomes in sarcoma.
A Pilot Clinical Study on the Prognostic Relevance of Plasmatic Exosomes Levels in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients
Authors: Rodríguez Zorrilla Samuel , Pérez-Sayans Mario , Fais Stefano , Logozzi Mariantonia , Gallas Torreira Mercedes , García García Abel
Published: March 2019

Background: To evaluate the relationship between the plasmatic CD63 and CAV1 positive exosome levels, in patients with OSCC before and after surgical treatment and to correlate it with their overall survival. Methods: A double-blind pilot study over 10 patients OSCC and T4 stage without distant metastases or local bone invasion has been performed. The average follow-up period was 37.64 months (34.3–40.84). We obtained 2 plasma tubes of 1 mL each before surgery and 7 days after surgery. Before performing the immunocapture-based analysis, EVs (Extracellular Vesicles) were isolated from the plasma and characterized with western blot analysis. Results: Mean values of CD63 positive plasmatic exosomes (EXO-CD63) after surgery decreased from 750.88 ± 286.67 to 541.71 ± 244.93 (p = 0.091). On the other hand, CAV-1 positive plasmatic exosomes (EXO-CAV-1) increased after surgery from 507 ± 483.39 to 1120.25 ± 1151.17 (p = 0.237). Patients with EXO-CD63 levels lower than the mean global value before the surgery had a survival of 36.04 months compared with the group with EXO-CD63 higher than the average who only survived 12.49 ± 1.67 months from the diagnosis, p = 0.225. When EXO-CAV-1 levels before surgery was lower than the average (813.94 ± 801.21) overall survival was 24.69 ± 22.23 months in contrast when it was higher that was only 11.64 months, p = 0.157. Patients with lower EXO-CD63 levels after surgery lived an average of 23.84 ± 23.9 months, while those with higher plasmatic levels of EXO-CD63 live 13.35 months, p = 0.808. When EXO-CAV-1 levels after surgery were lower, the average overall survival was 20.344 ± 15.40 months, in contrast when the EXO-CAV-1 levels were higher showing rather an estimate survival expectation of 1.64 months. Conclusions: Surgical treatment induced a dramatic reduction of the plasmatic levels of exosomes expressing CD63 as early as 1 week after resection. This first result suggests that the tumour mass is responsible of the high levels of circulating exosomes detected in cancer patients. At the same time point exosome expressing CAV-1 increased, possibly due to the inflammatory reaction immediately after surgery. Lastly, statistical analysis showed that lower levels of plasmatic exosomes both before and after surgery correlated with a better life expectancy of OSCC patients. Hopefully, this approach will prove useful in the clinical follow-up of cancer patients.
Defect-Rich Nickel Nanoparticles Supported on SiC Derived from Silica Fume with Enhanced Catalytic Performance for CO Methanation
Authors: Song Qi , Zhai Xingwu , Yu Feng , Li Jiangbing , Ren Xin , Zhang Haiyang , Zhu Mingyuan , Dai Bin , Ge Guixian , Zhang Jinli
Published: March 2019

With the increased demands of environmental protection, recycling/utilization of industrial byproducts has attracted much attention from both industry and academic communities. In this work, silicon carbide (SiC) was successfully synthesized from industrial waste silica fume (SF) during metallic silicon production. Following this, Ni nanoparticles with many defects were supported on the as-obtained SiC by conventional impregnation method. The results showed that defect-rich Ni nanoparticles were dispersed onto the surface of SiC. The as-obtained Ni/SF-SiC exhibited an enhanced metal-support interaction between Ni and SiC. Furthermore, the density functional theory (DFT) calculations showed that the H2 and CO adsorption energy on Ni vacancy (VNi) sites of Ni/SF-SiC were 1.84 and 4.88 eV, respectively. Finally, the Ni/SF-SiC performed high catalytic activity with CO conversion of 99.1% and CH4 selectivity of 85.7% at 350 °C, 0.1 MPa and a gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 18,000 mL·g−1·h−1. Moreover, Ni/SF-SiC processed good catalytic stability in the 50 h continuous reaction.
Zirconia-Supported Silver Nanoparticles for the Catalytic Combustion of Pollutants Originating from Mobile Sources
Authors: Montaña Maia , Leguizamón Aparicio María S. , Ocsachoque Marco A. , Navas Marisa B. , de C. L. Barros Ivoneide , Rodriguez-Castellón Enrique , Casella Mónica L. , Lick Ileana D.
Published: March 2019

This work presents the physicochemical characterization and activity of zirconia-supported silver catalysts for the oxidation of pollutants present in diesel engine exhaust (propane, propene, naphthalene and soot). A series of silver-supported catalysts AgxZ (x = 1, 5 and 10 wt.%, Z = zirconia) were prepared, which were studied by various characterization techniques. The results show that silver is mainly found under the form of small metal nanoparticles (<10 nm) dispersed over the support. The metallic phase coexists with the AgOx oxidic phases. Silver is introduced onto the zirconia, generating Ag–ZrO2 catalysts with high activity for the oxidation of propene and naphthalene. These catalysts also show some activity for soot combustion. Silver species can contribute with zirconia in the catalytic redox cycle, through a synergistic effect, providing sites that facilitate the migration and availability of oxygen, which is favored by the presence of structural defects. This is a novel application of the AgOx–Ag/ZrO2 system in the combustion reaction of propene and naphthalene. The results are highly promising, given that the T50 values found for both model molecules are quite low.
Synthesis and Evaluation of Copper-Supported Titanium Oxide Nanotubes as Electrocatalyst for the Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Oxide to Organics
Authors: Hossain SK Safdar , Saleem Junaid , Rahman SleemUr , Zaidi Syed Mohammed Javaid , McKay Gordon , Cheng Chin Kui
Published: March 2019

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is considered as the prime reason for the global warming effect and one of the useful ways to transform it into an array of valuable products is through electrochemical reduction of CO2 (ERC). This process requires an efficient electrocatalyst with high faradaic efficiency at low overpotential and enhanced reaction rate. Herein, we report an innovative way of reducing CO2 using copper-metal supported on titanium oxide nanotubes (TNT) electrocatalysts. The TNT support material was synthesized using alkaline hydrothermal process with Degussa (P-25) as a starting material. Copper nanoparticles were anchored on the TNT by homogeneous deposition-precipitation method (HDP) with urea as precipitating agent. The prepared catalysts were tested in a home-made H-cell with 0.5 M NaHCO3 aqueous solution in order to examine their activity for ERC and the optimum copper loading. Continuous gas-phase ERC was carried out in a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) reactor. The 10% Cu/TNT catalysts were employed in the gas diffusion layer (GDL) on the cathode side with Pt-Ru/C on the anode side. Faradaic efficiencies for the three major products namely methanol, methane, and CO were found to be 4%, 3%, and 10%, respectively at −2.5 V with an overall current density of 120 mA/cm2. The addition of TNT significantly increased the catalytic activity of electrocatalyst for ERC. It is mainly attributed to their better stability towards oxidation, increased CO2 adsorption capacity and stabilization of the reaction intermediate, layered titanates, and larger surface area (400 m2/g) as compared with other support materials. Considering the low cost of TNT, it is anticipated that TNT support electrocatalyst for ECR will gain popularity.
One-Step Synthesis of MoS2/TiSi2 via an In Situ Photo-Assisted Reduction Method for Enhanced Photocatalytic H2 Evolution under Simulated Sunlight Illumination
Authors: Zhang Chunyong , Liu Aijuan , Li Kezhen , Du Yukou , Yang Ping
Published: March 2019

A new MoS2/TiSi2 complex catalyst was designed and synthesized by a simple one-step in situ photo-assisted reduction procedure. The structural and morphological properties of the composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and ultraviolet-visible diffused reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), which proved the formation of MoS2/TiSi2. MoS2/TiSi2 with optimized composition showed obviously enhanced photocatalytic activity and superior durability for water reduction to produce H2. The H2 generation rate over the MoS2/TiSi2 photocatalyst containing 3 wt % MoS2 reached 214.1 μmol·h−1·g−1 under visible light irradiation, which was ca. 5.6 times that of the pristine TiSi2. The improved photocatalytic activity of MoS2/TiSi2 could be related to the broad response spectrum, large visible light absorption, and synergies among MoS2 and TiSi2 that enhance photoexcited charge transfer and separation.
Impact of Char Properties and Reaction Parameters on Naphthalene Conversion in a Macro-TGA Fixed Char Bed Reactor
Authors: Abu El-Rub Ziad , Bramer Eddy , Al-Gharabli Samer , Brem Gerrit
Published: March 2019

Catalytic tar removal is one of the main challenges restricting the successful commercialization of biomass gasification. Hot gas cleaning using a heterogeneous catalyst is one of the methods used to remove tar. In order to economically remove tar, an efficient low-cost catalyst should be applied. Biomass char has the potential to be such a catalyst. In this work, the reactor parameters that affect the conversion of a model tar component “naphthalene” were investigated employing an in situ thermogravimetric analysis of a fixed bed of biomass char. The following reactor and catalyst parameters were investigated: bed temperature (750 to 900 °C), gas residence time in the char bed (0.4 to 2.4 s), char particle size (500 to 1700 μm), feed naphthalene concentration, feed gas composition (CO, CO2, H2O, H2, CH4, naphthalene, and N2), char properties, and char precursor. It was found that the biomass char has a high activity for naphthalene conversion. However, the catalytic performance of the biomass char was affected by the gasification reactions that consumed its carbon, and the coke deposition that reduced its activity. Furthermore, high ash and iron contents enhanced char activity. The results of this work will be used in the design of a process that uses biomass char as an auto-generated catalyst in the gasification process.
Strategies to Circumvent Host Innate Immune Response by Hepatitis C Virus
Authors: Patra Tapas , Ray Ratna B. , Ray Ranjit
Published: March 2019

Innate immune responses generate interferons, proinflammatory cytokines, complement activation, and natural killer (NK) cell response. Ultimately, this leads to the induction of a robust virus-specific adaptive immunity. Although the host innate immune system senses and responds to eliminate virus infection, hepatitis C virus (HCV) evades immune attack and establishes persistent infection within the liver. Spontaneous clearance of HCV infection is associated with a prompt induction of innate immunity generated in an infected host. In this review, we have highlighted the current knowledge of our understanding of host–HCV interactions, especially for endogenous interferon production, proinflammatory response, NK cell response, and complement activation, which may impair the generation of a strong adaptive immune response for establishment of chronicity. The information may provide novel strategies in augmenting therapeutic intervention against HCV.
Recent Progress on the Localization of the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint Machinery to Kinetochores
Authors: Dou Zhen , Prifti Diogjena Katerina , Gui Ping , Liu Xing , Elowe Sabine , Yao Xuebiao
Published: March 2019

Faithful chromosome segregation during mitosis is crucial for maintaining genome stability. The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) is a surveillance mechanism that ensures accurate mitotic progression. Defective SAC signaling leads to premature sister chromatid separation and aneuploid daughter cells. Mechanistically, the SAC couples the kinetochore microtubule attachment status to the cell cycle progression machinery. In the presence of abnormal kinetochore microtubule attachments, the SAC prevents the metaphase-to-anaphase transition through a complex kinase-phosphatase signaling cascade which results in the correct balance of SAC components recruited to the kinetochore. The correct kinetochore localization of SAC proteins is a prerequisite for robust SAC signaling and, hence, accurate chromosome segregation. Here, we review recent progresses on the kinetochore recruitment of core SAC factors.
FM19G11-Loaded Gold Nanoparticles Enhance the Proliferation and Self-Renewal of Ependymal Stem Progenitor Cells Derived from ALS Mice
Authors: Marcuzzo Stefania , Isaia Davide , Bonanno Silvia , Malacarne Claudia , Cavalcante Paola , Zacheo Antonella , Laquintana Valentino , Denora Nunzio , Sanavio Barbara , Salvati Elisa , Andreozzi Patrizia , Stellacci Francesco , Krol Silke , Mellado-López Maravillas , Mantegazza Renato , Moreno-Manzano Victoria , Bernasconi Pia
Published: March 2019

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons. In ALS mice, neurodegeneration is associated with the proliferative restorative attempts of ependymal stem progenitor cells (epSPCs) that normally lie in a quiescent in the spinal cord. Thus, modulation of the proliferation of epSPCs may represent a potential strategy to counteract neurodegeneration. Recent studies demonstrated that FM19G11, a hypoxia-inducible factor modulator, induces epSPC self-renewal and proliferation. The aim of the study was to investigate whether FM19G11-loaded gold nanoparticles (NPs) can affect self-renewal and proliferation processes in epSPCs isolated from G93A-SOD1 mice at disease onset. We discovered elevated levels of SOX2, OCT4, AKT1, and AKT3, key genes associated with pluripotency, self-renewal, and proliferation, in G93A-SOD1 epSPCs at the transcriptional and protein levels after treatment with FM19G11-loaded NPs. We also observed an increase in the levels of the mitochondrial uncoupling protein (UCP) gene in treated cells. FM19G11-loaded NPs treatment also affected the expression of the cell cycle-related microRNA (miR)-19a, along with its target gene PTEN, in G93A-SOD1 epSPCs. Overall our findings establish the significant impact of FM19G11-loaded NPs on the cellular pathways involved in self-renewal and proliferation in G93A-SOD1 epSPCs, thus providing an impetus to the design of novel tailored approaches to delay ALS disease progression.
Emerging Cellular Therapies: T Cells and Beyond
Authors: Todryk Stephen , Jozwik Agnieszka , de Havilland Julian , Hester Joanna
Published: March 2019

Cellular therapies, including those based on T cells, are becoming approved options for clinicians treating a range of diseases. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) can be modified ex vivo to express receptors such as chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) or T cell receptors, allowing them to target tumour cells when infused back into patients with particular cancers. CTLs specific for viruses can be purified ex vivo and reinfused into patients transplanted with haematopoietic stem cells to help combat viral reactivation. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) can be expanded ex vivo for infusion into patients with autoimmunity or allergy, or into those at risk of rejecting transplanted cells or tissues, or suffering graft versus host disease. Effector and regulatory T cells can also be generated by infusion of patient-derived dendritic cells (DCs) conditioned in ways to elicit anti-tumour immunity (CTLs) or Tregs. All such therapies are resource-heavy (particularly in process regulation) and so must be initially targeted to patients that have limited treatment options, but also where they have a chance of being effective.
Import of Non-Coding RNAs into Human Mitochondria: A Critical Review and Emerging Approaches
Authors: Jeandard Damien , Smirnova Anna , Tarassov Ivan , Barrey Eric , Smirnov Alexandre , Entelis Nina
Published: March 2019

Mitochondria harbor their own genetic system, yet critically depend on the import of a number of nuclear-encoded macromolecules to ensure their expression. In all eukaryotes, selected non-coding RNAs produced from the nuclear genome are partially redirected into the mitochondria, where they participate in gene expression. Therefore, the mitochondrial RNome represents an intricate mixture of the intrinsic transcriptome and the extrinsic RNA importome. In this review, we summarize and critically analyze data on the nuclear-encoded transcripts detected in human mitochondria and outline the proposed molecular mechanisms of their mitochondrial import. Special attention is given to the various experimental approaches used to study the mitochondrial RNome, including some recently developed genome-wide and in situ techniques.
External Field Assisted Freeze Casting
Authors: Niksiar Pooya , Su Frances Y. , Frank Michael B. , Ogden Taylor A. , Naleway Steven E. , Meyers Marc A. , McKittrick Joanna , Porter Michael M.
Published: March 2019

Freeze casting under external fields (magnetic, electric, or acoustic) produces porous materials having local, regional, and global microstructural order in specific directions. In freeze casting, porosity is typically formed by the directional solidification of a liquid colloidal suspension. Adding external fields to the process allows for structured nucleation of ice and manipulation of particles during solidification. External control over the distribution of particles is governed by a competition of forces between constitutional supercooling and electromagnetism or acoustic radiation. Here, we review studies that apply external fields to create porous ceramics with different microstructural patterns, gradients, and anisotropic alignments. The resulting materials possess distinct gradient, core–shell, ring, helical, or long-range alignment and enhanced anisotropic mechanical properties.
The Fabrication of a UV Notch Filter by Using Solid State Diffusion
Authors: Chen Hung-Pin , Cho Wen-Hao , Chen Wei-Chun , Lee Chao-Te , Lee Cheng-Chung
Published: March 2019

One of the methods used to obtain notch filters involves one or several gradient index layers. In this method, the indices are decreased and then increased step by step to create a sinusoidal-like gradient layer. This paper reports a sinusoidal-like gradient layer fabrication method based on solid state diffusion. Al2O3/MgO/Al2O3 (AMA) was deposited by electron beam evaporation and then post-annealed at 800 °C for 4 h. Through inner diffusion, the MgO layers became a low refractive index material with a porous structure (the average refractive index was 1.55) such that the MgAl2O4 spinel was formed as an inhomogeneous layer with an average refractive index of 1.69. This allowed simply using a structured multilayer, (Al2O3/MgO)8 Al2O3, and post-annealing to form a sinusoidal-like gradient layer for a UV notch filter.
Anticorrosion Properties of Zn–Al Composite Coating Prepared by Cold Spraying
Authors: Lu Xinqiang , Wang Shouren , Xiong Tianying , Wen Daosheng , Wang Gaoqi , Du Hao
Published: March 2019

In order to slow down the corrosion and wear of offshore equipment, the Zn–Al composite coating was prepared on Q345 substrate by cold spray technique. The mass fraction of Zn and Al in the raw material was 2:3. The microstructure of the original coating was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and was characterized by energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). From the composite alloy coating obtained by cold spraying, it was observed that the Zn and Al particles were uniformly distributed without oxidation product, and the powder particles were significantly plastically deformed. The microstructure of the composite coating is very dense and has strong adhesion to the substrate. Neutral salt spray test (NSS) and electrochemical accelerated corrosion test results showed that Zn–Al composite coating can effectively provide corrosion protection.
Flat ORAM: A Simplified Write-Only Oblivious RAM Construction for Secure Processors
Authors: Haider Syed Kamran , van Dijk Marten
Published: March 2019

Oblivious RAM (ORAM) is a cryptographic primitive which obfuscates the access patterns to a storage, thereby preventing privacy leakage. So far in the current literature, only ‘fully functional’ ORAMs are widely studied which can protect, at a cost of considerable performance penalty, against the strong adversaries who can monitor all read and write operations. However, recent research has shown that information can still be leaked even if only the write access pattern (not reads) is visible to the adversary. For such weaker adversaries, a fully functional ORAM turns out to be an overkill, causing unnecessary overheads. Instead, a simple ‘write-only’ ORAM is sufficient, and, more interestingly, is preferred as it can offer far better performance and energy efficiency than a fully functional ORAM. In this work, we present Flat ORAM: an efficient write-only ORAM scheme which outperforms the closest existing write-only ORAM called HIVE. HIVE suffers from performance bottlenecks while managing the memory occupancy information vital for correctness of the protocol. Flat ORAM introduces a simple idea of Occupancy Map (OccMap) to efficiently manage the memory occupancy information resulting in far better performance. Our simulation results show that, compared to HIVE, Flat ORAM offers

50
%

performance gain on average and up to

80
%

energy savings.
Power Allocation Optimization Design for the Quadrichromatic LED Based VLC Systems with Illumination Control
Authors: Zuo Yu , Zhang Jian , Qu Jing
Published: March 2019

For requiring high communication rate and high-quality illumination, multi-color light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have been utilized in visible light communication (VLC) systems and attracted substantial research interests. It should be noted that multiple colors are not independent from each other since they are jointly limited by the chromaticity constraint. Thus, taking full consideration of the multi-color crosstalk problem and actual communication and illumination constraints, this paper formulates a power-efficient illumination control optimization design to reduce power consumption for the quadrichromatic LED (QLED) based VLC systems where signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) and quadrangle chromaticity tolerance region constraints should be satisfied. Simulation results illustrate that our proposed optimal power allocation strategy can significantly increase power efficiency for the VLC system compared with the uniform power allocation method. Moreover, the proposed scheme can provide optimal performance under different given correlated color temperature (CCT) values.
Ceramic Conductors
Authors: Gazda Maria , Mielewczyk-Gryń Aleksandra
Published: March 2019

For more than 4000 years, mankind has used and developed ceramics [...]
Fab Fragment of VHH-Based Antibody Netakimab: Crystal Structure and Modeling Interaction with Cytokine IL-17A
Authors: Kostareva Olga , Kolyadenko Ilya , Ulitin Andrey , Ekimova Victoria , Evdokimov Stanislav , Garber Maria , Tishchenko Svetlana , Gabdulkhakov Azat
Published: March 2019

Interleukin 17A (IL-17A) is a proinflammatory cytokine produced by Th17 cells. Antibody BCD-085 (netakimab) against human IL-17A is one of the new inhibitors of this cytokine. In netakimab, the VH domain is replaced by the VHH domain of Lama glama possessing a long complementarity determining region (CDR-H3) in its heavy chain. Here we demonstrate the high affinity of IL-17A to the Fab fragment of netakimab and to its integral part, the VHH domain. We have determined the crystal structure of the Fab fragment of netakimab at 1.9 Å resolution. High variability in the orientation of light and heavy chains of the Fab fragment of netakimab was shown, which is determined by the peculiarity of the structural organization of the CDR-H3. As the high conformational plasticity of the molecule hampers modeling the Fab fragment of netakimab complexed to IL-17A, we have carried out modeling the complex between the antigen and the integral part of the Fab fragment, the VHH domain. We explain the high netakimab Fab fragment affinity for IL-17A by a large number of protein–protein contacts due to additional interactions between CDR-H3 and the cytokine dimer.
Bat Pass Duration Measurement: An Indirect Measure of Distance of Detection
Authors: Kerbiriou Christian , Bas Yves , Le Viol Isabelle , Lorrillière Romain , Mougnot Justine , Julien Jean-François
Published: March 2019

Few reports have been published on detection distances of bat calls because the evaluation of detection distance is complicated. Several of the approaches used to measure detection distances are based on the researcher’s experience and judgment. More recently, multiple microphones have been used to model flight path. In this study, the validity of a low-cost and simple detectability metric was tested. We hypothesize that the duration of an echolocating-bat-pass within the area of an ultrasonic bat detector is correlated with the distance of detection. Two independent datasets from a large-scale acoustic bat survey—a total of 25,786 bat-passes from 20 taxa (18 species and two genera)—were measured. We found a strong relationship between these measures of bat-pass duration and published detection distances. The advantages of bat-pass duration measures are that, for each study, experimenters easily produce their own proxy for the distance of detection. This indirect measure of the distance of detection could be mobilized to monitor the loss in microphone sensitivity used to monitor long-term population trends. Finally, the possibility of producing an index for distance of detection provides a weight for each bat species’ activity when they are aggregated to produce a bat community metric, such as the widely used “total activity”.
Longitudinal Changes of Handgrip, Knee Extensor Muscle Strength, and the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Score in Cardiac Patients During Phase II Cardiac Rehabilitation
Authors: Izawa Kazuhiro P. , Kasahara Yusuke , Hiraki Koji , Hirano Yasuyuki , Oka Koichiro , Watanabe Satoshi
Published: March 2019

Handgrip strength (HS) and knee extensor muscle strength (KEMS) showed a negative correlation with the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) score at one month following cardiac surgery. We performed a longitudinal study to examine changes in HS/KEMS and DASH score during phase II cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in patients after cardiac surgery. We measured and assessed HS, KEMS, and DASH score in 41 consecutive patients at one and three months following cardiac surgery and examined the relation between these factors at three months following cardiac surgery. Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Spearman correlation coefficients were used to analyze the results. Finally, 26 patients (63.2 years, 73.1% male) were analyzed. There were significant differences from one month to three months following cardiac surgery in HS (26.78 ± 8.26 to 31.35 ± 9.41 kgf, p < 0.001), KEMS (1.53 ± 0.42 to 1.72 ± 0.46 Nm/kg, p = 0.001), and DASH score (14.76 ± 12.58 to 7.62 ± 9.29, p < 0.001). DASH score correlated negatively with HS (r = −0.41, p = 0.01) but not with KEMS (r = −0.32, p = 0.09) after three months of phase II CR. Although HS, KEMS, and DASH scores changed significantly from one to three months following cardiac surgery during phase II CR, only HS correlated negatively with DASH score at three months following cardiac surgery.
Applications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to Survey Mesocarnivores
Authors: Bushaw Jacob D. , Ringelman Kevin M. , Rohwer Frank C.
Published: March 2019

With the widespread extirpation of top predators over the past two centuries, mesocarnivores play an increasingly important role in structuring terrestrial trophic webs. However, mesocarnivores are difficult to survey at a population level because their widely spaced territories and nocturnal behavior result in low detection probability. Existing field survey techniques such as track plates and motion-sensitive camera traps are time-consuming and expensive, and yet still yield data prone to systematic errors. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have recently emerged as a new tool for conducting population surveys on a wide variety of wildlife, eclipsing the efficiency and even accuracy of traditional methods. We used a UAV equipped with a thermal imaging camera to conduct nighttime mesocarnivore surveys in the prairie pothole region of southern Manitoba, Canada. This was part of a much larger ecological study evaluating how lethal removal of mesocarnivores affects duck nest success. Here, our objective was to describe methods and equipment that were successful in detecting mesocarnivores. We used a modified point-count survey from six waypoints that surveyed a spatial extent of 29.5 ha. We conducted a total of 200 flights over 53 survey nights during which we detected 32 mesocarnivores of eight different species. Given the large home ranges of mesocarnivores relative to the spatial and temporal scale of our spot sampling approach, results of these types of point-count surveys should be considered estimates of minimum abundance and not a population census. However, more frequent sampling and advanced statistics could be used to formally estimate population occupancy and abundance. UAV-mounted thermal imaging cameras appear to be an effective tool for conducting nocturnal population surveys on mesocarnivores at a moderate spatial scale.
Exponential Synchronization in Inertial Neural Networks with Time Delays
Authors: Ke Liang , Li Wanli
Published: March 2019

In this paper, exponential synchronization for inertial neural networks with time delays is investigated. First, by introducing a directive Lyapunov functional, a sufficient condition is derived to ascertain the global exponential synchronization of the drive and response systems based on feedback control. Second, by introducing a variable substitution, the second-order differential equation is transformed into a first-order differential equation. As such, a new Lyapunov functional is constructed to formulate a novel global exponential synchronization for the systems under study. The two obtained sufficient conditions complement each other and are suitable to be applied in different cases. Finally, two numerical examples are given to illustrated the effectiveness of the proposed theoretical results.
Design and Development of a Reduced Form-Factor High Accuracy Three-Axis Teslameter
Authors: Cassar Johann , Sammut Andrew , Sammut Nicholas , Calvi Marco , Dimitrijevic Sasa , Popovic Radivoje S.
Published: March 2019

A novel three-axis teslameter and other similar machines have been designed and developed for SwissFEL at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). The developed instrument will be used for high fidelity characterisation and optimisation of the undulators for the ATHOS soft X-ray beamline. The teslameter incorporates analogue signal conditioning for the three-axes interface to a SENIS Hall probe, an interface to a Heidenhain linear absolute encoder and an on-board high-resolution 24-bit analogue-to-digital conversion. This is in contrast to the old instrumentation setup used, which only comprises the analogue circuitry with digitization being done externally to the instrument. The new instrument fits in a volumetric space of 150 mm × 50 mm × 45 mm, being very compact in size and also compatible with the in-vacuum undulators. This paper describes the design and the development of the different components of the teslameter. Performance results are presented that demonstrate offset fluctuation and drift (0.1–10 Hz) with a standard deviation of 0.78 µT and a broadband noise (10–500 Hz) of 2.05 µT with an acquisition frequency of 2 kHz.
Variable Sampling Rate based Active Disturbance Control for a Marine Diesel Engine
Authors: Wang Runzhi , Li Xuemin , Liu Yufei , Ahemd Qadeer , Yang Yunlong , Feng Chunyue , Ma Xiuzhen
Published: March 2019

In this paper, in order to handle the high nonlinearity and the sophisticated disturbance in marine engines, a variable sampling rate based active disturbance rejection controller is developed for engine speed control. In the proposed method, the Active Disturbance Rejection Control (ADRC) is designed with the consideration of the practical application in engine speed control that is known as the Crank-angle (CA) based or event-based sampling and control, which means the sampling interval varies with the engine speed. Such a problem has not been discussed in any previous study regarding the application of ADRC in engine control. To this end, this paper discusses the convergence of the variable sampling rate based Extended State Observer (ESO), as well as its parameters that guarantee stability. To verify the proposed control scheme more properly, a cycle-detailed hybrid nonlinear engine model is employed. Finally, simulations are carried out on the Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) system to assess the superiority of the proposed strategy. The comparative results with a Fuzzy-Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller demonstrate that the proposed control scheme has better adaptation to engine speed, load disturbances, and stronger robustness towards model uncertainties, which indicates a promising reduction of time and burden for calibrating the controller. It also proved that the proposed CA based ADRC by variable sampling rate method outperforms the general fixed sampling rate ADRC, which is widely used in previous works. Moreover, the successful application of the proposed algorithm via CA based strategy in a real Engine Control Unit (ECU) indicates its huge potential in practical engine control.
Beam Scanning Capabilities of a 3D-Printed Perforated Dielectric Transmitarray
Authors: Massaccesi Andrea , Dassano Gianluca , Pirinoli Paola
Published: March 2019

In this paper, the design of a beam scanning, 3D-printed dielectric Transmitarray (TA) working in Ka-band is discussed. Thanks to the use of an innovative three-layer dielectric unit-cell that exploits tapered sections to enhance the bandwidth, a 50 × 50 elements transmitarray with improved scanning capabilities and wideband behavior has been designed and experimentally validated. The measured radiation performances over a scanning coverage of ±27 ∘ shown a variation of the gain lower than 2.9 dB and a 1-dB bandwidth in any case higher than 23%. The promising results suggest that the proposed TA technology is a valid alternative to realize a passive multibeam antenna, with the additional advantage that it can be easily manufactured using 3D-printing techniques.
Adaptive Power Allocation Scheme for Mobile NOMA Visible Light Communication System
Authors: Dong Zanyang , Shang Tao , Li Qian , Tang Tang
Published: March 2019

Recently, due to its higher spectral efficiency and enhanced user experience, non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) has been widely studied in visible light communication (VLC) systems. As a main concern in NOMA-VLC systems, the power allocation scheme greatly affects the tradeoff between the total achievable data rate and user fairness. In this context, our main aim in this work was to find a more balanced power allocation scheme. To this end, an adaptive power allocation scheme based on multi-attribute decision making (MADM), which flexibly chooses between conventional power allocation or inverse power allocation (IPA) and the optimal power allocation factor, has been proposed. The concept of IPA is put forward for the first time and proves to be beneficial to achieving a higher total achievable data rate at the cost of user fairness. Moreover, considering users’ mobility along certain trajectories, we derived a fitting model of the optimal power allocation factor. The feasibility of the proposed adaptive scheme was verified through simulation and the fitting model was approximated to be the sum of three Gaussian functions.
Green Computing in Sensors-Enabled Internet of Things: Neuro Fuzzy Logic-Based Load Balancing
Authors: Kumar Kashyap Pankaj , Kumar Sushil , Dohare Upasana , Kumar Vinod , Kharel Rupak
Published: March 2019

Energy is a precious resource in the sensors-enabled Internet of Things (IoT). Unequal load on sensors deplete their energy quickly, which may interrupt the operations in the network. Further, a single artificial intelligence technique is not enough to solve the problem of load balancing and minimize energy consumption, because of the integration of ubiquitous smart-sensors-enabled IoT. In this paper, we present an adaptive neuro fuzzy clustering algorithm (ANFCA) to balance the load evenly among sensors. We synthesized fuzzy logic and a neural network to counterbalance the selection of the optimal number of cluster heads and even distribution of load among the sensors. We developed fuzzy rules, sets, and membership functions of an adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system to decide whether a sensor can play the role of a cluster head based on the parameters of residual energy, node distance to the base station, and node density. The proposed ANFCA outperformed the state-of-the-art algorithms in terms of node death rate percentage, number of remaining functioning nodes, average energy consumption, and standard deviation of residual energy.
Energy, Economy, and Environment: A Worldwide Research Update
Authors: Uribe-Toril Juan , Ruiz-Real José Luis , Milán-García Juan , de Pablo Valenciano Jaime
Published: March 2019

This paper has reviewed the international research on the interactions between the Economy, Energy, and Environment (3E) in the 21st century. For this purpose, a bibliometric and cluster analysis by fractional accounting has been carried out based on the two most important databases: Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus. The research found and studied 2230 documents from the WoS Core Collection and 3,149 from Scopus. The results show a continuous increase in the number of articles that were published and citations during the whole period. They also showed that China and the United States (U.S.) were the most productive countries and there was a predominance of Asian organizations supporting and fostering researches. The main contribution of this article is the analysis of keywords from 2001 to 2018. The trends show that the main common elements are sustainable development and sustainability and they also include CO2 emissions and consumption. Future research in this field should address the energy transition issue in the area of sustainable development by adapting it to the restrictions of this economic model.
Modelling of the Bearing Breakdown Resistance in Bearing Currents Problem of AC Motors
Authors: Ren Xuejiao , Liu Ruifang , Yang Erle
Published: March 2019

With the wide application of pulse width modulation (PWM) technology in motor driving, the bearing current problem has become more and more severe. The most complicated problem in analyzing bearing currents is modeling the equivalent circuit of the bearing and determination of the equivalent parameters of the model. During the process of bearing current breakdown, the bearing undergoes a transition from the capacitor state to the resistor state. The previously used equivalent model, which only consists of a capacitor parallel with a constant resistor, cannot reveal the real breakdown process. In this paper, an improved equivalent bearing model is derived from the waveform analysis of the experiment. The variable breakdown resistance model of the bearing is put forward and the calculation method of the breakdown resistance is given. The circuit simulation results from the variable resistance bearing model were much closer to the results of the experiment than those from the constant resistance model.
Torque Optimal Allocation Strategy of All-Wheel Drive Electric Vehicle Based on Difference of Efficiency Characteristics between Axis Motors
Authors: Wu Xiaogang , Zheng Dianyu , Wang Tianze , Du Jiuyu
Published: March 2019

All-wheel drive is an important technical direction for the future development of pure electric vehicles. The difference in the efficiency distribution of the shaft motor caused by the optimal load matching and motor manufacturing process, the traditional torque average distribution strategy is not applicable to the torque distribution of the all-wheel drive power system. Aiming at the above problems, this paper takes the energy efficiency of power system as the optimization goal, proposes a dynamic allocation method to realize the torque distribution of electric vehicle all-wheel drive power system, and analyzes and verifies the adaptability of this optimization algorithm in different urban passenger vehicle working cycles. The simulation results show that, compared with the torque average distribution method, the proposed method can effectively solve the problem that the difference of the efficiency distribution of the two shaft motors in the power system affects the energy consumption of the power system. The energy consumption rate of the proposed method is reduced by 5.96% and 5.69%, respectively, compared with the average distribution method under the China urban passenger driving cycle and the Harbin urban passenger driving cycle.