bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fast Cylinder Shape Matching Using Random Sample Consensus in Large Scale Point Cloud
Authors: Jin Young-Hoon , Lee Won-Hyung
Published: March 2019

In this paper, an algorithm is proposed that can perform cylinder type matching faster than the existing method in point clouds that represent space. The existing matching method uses Hough transform and completes the matching through preprocessing such as noise filtering, normal estimation, and segmentation. The proposed method completes the matching through the methodology of random sample consensus (RANSAC) and principal component analysis (PCA). Cylindrical pipe estimation is based on two mathematical models that compute the parameters and combine the results to predict spheres and lines. RANSAC fitting computes the center and radius of the sphere, which can be the radius of the cylinder axis and finds straight and curved areas through PCA. This allows fast matching without normal estimation and segmentation. Linear and curved regions are distinguished by a discriminant using eigenvalues. The linear region is the sum of the vectors of linear candidates, and the curved region is matched by a Catmull–Rom spline. The proposed method is expected to improve the work efficiency of the reverse design by matching linear and curved cylinder estimation without vertical/horizontal constraint and segmentation. It is also more than 10 times faster while maintaining the accuracy of the conventional method.
Study of a Miniaturizable System for Optical Sensing Application to Human Cells
Authors: Sciuto Emanuele Luigi , Villaggio Giusy , Santangelo Maria Francesca , Laudani Samuele , Federico Concetta , Saccone Salvatore , Sinatra Fulvia , Libertino Sebania
Published: March 2019

Conventional approaches to human intracellular optical sensing, generally, require dedicated laboratories with bulky detection systems. They are performed by cell labeling procedures based on the use of fluorophores that are, mostly, phototoxic, invasive, bleached in case of prolonged light exposures, which require carriers and/or structural modifications for the cellular uptake. These issues, together with the sensitivity of the eukaryotic cell model, could be problematic towards the development of a robust sensing system suitable for biomedical screening. In this work, we studied a sensing system resulting from the combination of the commercial tris(2,2’bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) fluorophore, for cell labeling, with a potentially miniaturizable optical system composed by a laser source and a photomultiplier tube, for the fluorescence analysis.
A Comparative Study of TiO2 Paste Preparation Methods Using Solvothermally Synthesised Anatase Nanoparticles in Dye-Sensitised Solar Cells
Authors: Al-Attafi Kadhim , Nattestad Andrew , Dou Shi Xue , Kim Jung Ho
Published: March 2019

Dye-sensitised solar cells continue to be a promising photovoltaic technology for indoor and outdoor applications, with increased interest in power window applications integrated into buildings. This results from properties not seen in other, more established solar technologies, such as the range of available colours, partial transparency and good performance under low light intensities or in partial shade. In spite of the attractiveness of this application and the commercial availability of suitable non-scattering TiO2 materials, the vast majority of new TiO2 materials being developed and reported in the literature are dried prior to being made into a paste and subsequently into photoanode films. Here, we make a detailed side-by-side comparison of different paste-forming techniques, with one yielding scattering films, and the other yielding non-scattering films. Devices utilising the organic dye D149 showed comparable performance using both approaches (6.9% photovoltaic conversion efficiency (PCE) with drying versus 6.4% PCE without drying), while the difference was slightly more marked with the dye N719 (7.7% PCE versus 6.8% PCE), suggesting that the trade-off in light harvesting required for power windows may be acceptably small. We also discuss ways by which these differences may be further decreased.
Picture Fuzzy Petri Nets for Knowledge Representation and Acquisition in Considering Conflicting Opinions
Authors: Xu Xue-Guo , Shi Hua , Xu Dong-Hui , Liu Hu-Chen
Published: March 2019

Fuzzy Petri nets (FPNs) have been applied in many fields as a potential modeling tool for knowledge representation and reasoning. However, there exist many deficiencies in the conventional FPNs when applied in the real world. In this paper, we present a new type of FPN, called picture fuzzy Petri nets (PFPNs), to overcome the shortcomings and improve the effectiveness of the traditional FPNs. First, the proposed PFPN model adopts the picture fuzzy sets (PFSs), characterized by degrees of positive membership, neutral membership, and negative membership, to depict human expert knowledge. As a result, the uncertainty, due to vagueness, imprecision, partial information, etc., can be well-handled in knowledge representation. Second, a similarity degree-based expert weighting method is offered for consensus reaching processes in knowledge acquisition. The proposed PFPN model can manage the conflicts and inconsistencies among expert evaluations in knowledge parameters, thus, making the obtained knowledge rules more accurate. Finally, a realistic example of a gene regulatory network is provided to illustrate the feasibility and practicality of the proposed PFPN model.
Effects of Red Mud Addition in the Microstructure, Durability and Mechanical Performance of Cement Mortars
Authors: Ortega José Marcos , Cabeza Marta , Tenza-Abril Antonio José , Real-Herraiz Teresa , Climent Miguel Ángel , Sánchez Isidro
Published: March 2019

Recently, there has been a great effort to incorporate industrial waste into cement-based materials to reach a more sustainable cement industry. In this regard, the Bayer process of obtaining alumina from bauxite generates huge amounts of waste called red mud. Few research articles have pointed out the possibility that red mud has pozzolanic activity. In view of that, the objective of this research is to analyse the short-term effects in the pore structure, mechanical performance and durability of mortars which incorporate up to 20% of red mud as a clinker replacement. As a reference, ordinary Portland cement and fly ash Portland cement mortars were also studied. The microstructure was characterised through mercury intrusion porosimetry and non-destructive impedance spectroscopy, which has not previously been used for studying the pore network evolution of red mud cement-based materials. The possible pozzolanic activity of red mud has been checked using differential scanning calorimetry. The non-steady state chloride migration coefficient and the mechanical properties were studied too. According to the results obtained, the addition of red mud entailed a greater microstructure refinement of the mortar, did not worsen the resistance against chloride ingress and reduced the compressive strength compared to control binders.
Design Analysis of a Passive Buffer System for Space-Assembled Segmented Mirrors
Authors: Li Xupeng , Wang Wei , Shi Jinfeng , Qu Yanjun , Fan Xuewu
Published: March 2019

This paper presents a passive buffer system of connection mechanism for space-assembled segmented mirrors. The purpose of assembling telescope in space is to overcome the limits of launch volume and mass to support ever increasing aperture sizes. Using this buffer system, the docking impact between two mirror segments can be alleviated effectively. In this paper, first, a design methodology called “double-elastic contact model” is developed. Then, the design details and operation principle of the connection mechanism, are presented to validate the passive buffer system. Finally, by comparing the traditional docking system, the simulated results of dynamic performance show that the proposed buffer system can absorb the impact energy effectively and is considerably suitable for assembling the space optical system.
Investigation of Aerosol Properties and Structures in Two Representative Meteorological Situations over the Vipava Valley Using Polarization Raman LiDAR
Authors: Wang Longlong , Stanič Samo , Eichinger William , Močnik Griša , Drinovec Luka , Gregorič Asta
Published: March 2019

Vipava valley in Slovenia is a representative hot-spot for complex mixtures of different aerosol types of both anthropogenic and natural origin. Aerosol loading distributions and optical properties were investigated using a two-wavelength polarization Raman LiDAR, which provided extinction coefficient, backscatter coefficient, depolarization ratio, backscatter Ångström exponent and LiDAR ratio profiles. Two different representative meteorological situations were investigated to explore the possibility of identifying aerosol types present in the valley. In the first case, we investigated the effect of strong downslope (Bora) wind on aerosol structures and characteristics. In addition to observing Kelvin–Helmholtz instability above the valley, at the height of the adjacent mountain ridge, we found new evidence for Bora-induced processes which inject soil dust aerosols into the free troposphere up to twice the height of the planetary boundary layer (PBL). In the second case, we investigated aerosol properties and distributions in stable weather conditions. From the observed stratified vertical aerosol structure and specific optical properties of different layers we identified predominant aerosol types in these layers.
Structural Analysis of the 42 kDa Parvulin of Trypanosoma brucei
Authors: Rehic Edisa , Hoenig Dana , Kamba Bianca E. , Goehring Anna , Hofmann Eckhard , Gasper Raphael , Matena Anja , Bayer Peter
Published: March 2019

Trypanosoma brucei is a unicellular eukaryotic parasite, which causes the African sleeping sickness in humans. The recently discovered trypanosomal protein Parvulin 42 (TbPar42) plays a key role in parasite cell proliferation. Homologues of this two-domain protein are exclusively found in protozoa species. TbPar42 exhibits an N-terminal forkhead associated (FHA)-domain and a peptidyl-prolyl-cis/trans-isomerase (PPIase) domain, both connected by a linker. Using NMR and X-ray analysis as well as activity assays, we report on the structures of the single domains of TbPar42, discuss their intra-molecular interplay, and give some initial hints as to potential cellular functions of the protein.
Advance on Resveratrol Application in Bone Regeneration: Progress and Perspectives for Use in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Authors: Murgia Denise , Mauceri Rodolfo , Campisi Giuseppina , De Caro Viviana
Published: March 2019

The natural polyphenol Resveratrol (RSV) claims numerous positive effects on health due to the well documented biological effects demonstrating its potential as a disease-preventing agent and as adjuvant for treatment of a wide variety of chronic diseases. Since several studies, both in vitro and in vivo, have highlighted the protective bone aptitude of RSV both as promoter of osteoblasts’ proliferation and antagonist of osteoclasts’ differentiation, they could be interesting in view of applications in the field of dentistry and maxillofacial surgery. This review has brought together experimental findings on the use of RSV in the regeneration of bone tissue comprising also its application associated with scaffolds and non-transfusional hemocomponents.
Empagliflozin Ameliorates Type 2 Diabetes-Induced Ultrastructural Remodeling of the Neurovascular Unit and Neuroglia in the Female db/db Mouse
Authors: Hayden Melvin , Grant DeAna , Aroor Annayya , DeMarco Vincent
Published: March 2019

Type 2 diabetes is associated with diabetic cognopathy. Anti-hyperglycemic sodium glucose transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have shown promise in reducing cognitive impairment in mice with type 2 diabetes mellitus. We recently described marked ultrastructural (US) remodeling of the neurovascular unit (NVU) in type 2 diabetic db/db female mice. Herein, we tested whether the SGLT-2 inhibitor, empagliflozin (EMPA), protects the NVU from abnormal remodeling in cortical gray and subcortical white matter. Ten-week-old female wild-type and db/db mice were divided into lean controls (CKC, n = 3), untreated db/db (DBC, n = 3), and EMPA-treated db/db (DBE, n = 3). Empagliflozin was added to mouse chow to deliver 10 mg kg−1 day−1 and fed for ten weeks, initiated at 10 weeks of age. Brains from 20-week-old mice were immediately immersion fixed for transmission electron microscopic study. Compared to CKC, DBC exhibited US abnormalities characterized by mural endothelial cell tight and adherens junction attenuation and/or loss, pericyte attenuation and/or loss, basement membrane thickening, glia astrocyte activation with detachment and retraction from mural cells, microglia cell activation with aberrant mitochondria, and oligodendrocyte–myelin splitting, disarray, and axonal collapse. We conclude that these abnormalities in the NVU were prevented in DBE. Empagliflozin may provide neuroprotection in the diabetic brain.
Digitally Designed Airport Terminal Using Wind Performance Analysis
Authors: Kabošová Lenka , Kmeť Stanislav , Katunský Dušan
Published: March 2019

Over the past few decades, digital tools have become indispensable in the field of architecture. The complex design tasks that make up architectural design methods benefit from utilizing advanced simulation software and, consequently, design solutions have become more nature-adapted and site-specific. Computer simulations and performance-oriented design enable us to address global challenges, such as climate change, in the preliminary conceptual design phase. In this paper, an innovative architectural design method is introduced. This method consists of the following: (1) an analysis of the local microclimate, specifically the wind situation; (2) the parametric shape generation of the airport terminal incorporating wind as a form-finding factor; (3) Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis; and (4) wind-performance studies of various shapes and designs. A combination of programs, such as Rhinoceros (Rhino), and open-source plug-ins, such as Grasshopper and Swift, along with the post-processing software Paraview, are utilized for the wind-performance evaluation of a case study airport terminal in Reykjavik, Iceland. The objective of this wind-performance evaluation is to enhance the local wind situation and, by employing the proposed architectural shape, to regulate the wind pattern to find the optimal wind flow around the designed building. By utilizing the aforementioned software, or other open-source software, the proposed method can be easily integrated into regular architectural practice.
The Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid Type-2
(TRPV2) Ion Channels in Neurogenesis and
Gliomagenesis: Cross-Talk between Transcription
Factors and Signaling Molecules
Authors: Santoni Giorgio , Amantini Consuelo
Published: March 2019

Recently, the finding of cancer stem cells in brain tumors has increased the possibilitiesfor advancing new therapeutic approaches with the aim to overcome the limits of current availabletreatments. In addition, a role for ion channels, particularly of TRP channels, in developing neuronsas well as in brain cancer development and progression have been demonstrated. Herein, we focuson the latest advancements in understanding the role of TRPV2, a Ca2+ permeable channel belongingto the TRPV subfamily in neurogenesis and gliomagenesis. TRPV2 has been found to be expressedin both neural progenitor cells and glioblastoma stem/progenitor-like cells (GSCs). In developingneurons, post-translational modifications of TRPV2 (e.g., phosphorylation by ERK2) are required tostimulate Ca2+ signaling and nerve growth factor-mediated neurite outgrowth. TRPV2overexpression also promotes GSC differentiation and reduces gliomagenesis in vitro and in vivo.In glioblastoma, TRPV2 inhibits survival and proliferation, and induces Fas/CD95-dependentapoptosis. Furthermore, by proteomic analysis, the identification of a TRPV2 interactome-basedsignature and its relation to glioblastoma progression/recurrence, high or low overall survival anddrug resistance strongly suggest an important role of the TRPV2 channel as a potential biomarkerin glioblastoma prognosis and therapy.
Activation of COUP-TFI by a Novel Diindolylmethane Derivative
Authors: Yoon Kyungsil , Chen Chien-Cheng , Orr Asuka A. , Barreto Patricia N. , Tamamis Phanourios , Safe Stephen
Published: March 2019

Chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor I (COUP-TFI) is an orphan receptor and member of the nuclear receptor superfamily. Among a series of methylene substituted diindolylmethanes (C-DIMs) containing substituted phenyl and heteroaromatic groups, we identified 1,1-bis(3′-indolyl)-1-(4-pyridyl)-methane (DIM-C-Pyr-4) as an activator of COUP-TFI. Structure activity studies with structurally diverse heteroaromatic C-DIMs showed that the pyridyl substituted compound was active and the 4-pyridyl substituent was more potent than the 2- or 3-pyridyl analogs in transactivation assays in breast cancer cells. The DIM-C-Pyr-4 activated chimeric GAL4-COUP-TFI constructs containing full length, C- or N-terminal deletions, and transactivation was inhibited by phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase and protein kinase A inhibitors. However, DIM-C-Pyr-4 also induced transactivation and interactions of COUP-TFI and steroid receptor coactivators-1 and -2 in mammalian two-hybrid assays, and ligand-induced interactions of the C-terminal region of COUP-TFI were not affected by kinase inhibitors. We also showed that DIM-C-Pyr-4 activated COUP-TFI-dependent early growth response 1 (Egr-1) expression and this response primarily involved COUP-TFI interactions with Sp3 and to a lesser extent Sp1 bound to the proximal region of the Egr-1 promoter. Modeling studies showed interactions of DIM-C-Pyr-4 within the ligand binding domain of COUP-TFI. This report is the first to identify a COUP-TFI agonist and demonstrate activation of COUP-TFI-dependent Egr-1 expression.
Effects of Enteric Environmental Modification by Coffee Components on Neurodegeneration in Rotenone-Treated Mice
Authors: Miyazaki Ikuko , Isooka Nami , Wada Kouichi , Kikuoka Ryo , Kitamura Yoshihisa , Asanuma Masato
Published: March 2019

Epidemiological studies have shown that coffee consumption decreases the risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Caffeic acid (CA) and chlorogenic acid (CGA) are coffee components that have antioxidative properties. Rotenone, a mitochondrial complex I inhibitor, has been used to develop parkinsonian models, because the toxin induces PD-like pathology. Here, we examined the neuroprotective effects of CA and CGA against the rotenone-induced degeneration of central dopaminergic and peripheral enteric neurons. Male C57BL/6J mice were chronically administered rotenone (2.5 mg/kg/day), subcutaneously for four weeks. The animals were orally administered CA or CGA daily for 1 week before rotenone exposure and during the four weeks of rotenone treatment. Administrations of CA or CGA prevented rotenone-induced neurodegeneration of both nigral dopaminergic and intestinal enteric neurons. CA and CGA upregulated the antioxidative molecules, metallothionein (MT)-1,2, in striatal astrocytes of rotenone-injected mice. Primary cultured mesencephalic or enteric cells were pretreated with CA or CGA for 24 h, and then further co-treated with a low dose of rotenone (1–5 nM) for 48 h. The neuroprotective effects and MT upregulation induced by CA and CGA in vivo were reproduced in cultured cells. Our data indicated that intake of coffee components, CA and CGA, enhanced the antioxidative properties of glial cells and prevents rotenone-induced neurodegeneration in both the brain and myenteric plexus.
GPER Mediates a Feedforward FGF2/FGFR1 Paracrine Activation Coupling CAFs to Cancer Cells toward Breast Tumor Progression
Authors: Santolla Maria Francesca , Vivacqua Adele , Lappano Rosamaria , Rigiracciolo Damiano Cosimo , Cirillo Francesca , Galli Giulia Raffaella , Talia Marianna , Brunetti Giuseppe , Miglietta Anna Maria , Belfiore Antonino , Maggiolini Marcello
Published: March 2019

The FGF2/FGFR1 paracrine loop is involved in the cross-talk between breast cancer cells and components of the tumor stroma as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). By quantitative PCR (qPCR), western blot, immunofluorescence analysis, ELISA and ChIP assays, we demonstrated that 17β-estradiol (E2) and the G protein estrogen receptor (GPER) agonist G-1 induce the up-regulation and secretion of FGF2 via GPER together with the EGFR/ERK/c-fos/AP-1 signaling cascade in (ER)-negative primary CAFs. Evaluating the genetic alterations from METABRIC and TCGA datasets, we then assessed that FGFR1 is the most frequently amplified FGFRs family member and its amplification/expression associates with shorter survival rates in breast cancer patients. Therefore, in order to assess the functional FGF2/FGFR1 interplay between CAFs and breast cancer cells, we generated the FGFR1-knockout MDA-MB-231 cells using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing strategy. Using conditioned medium from estrogen-stimulated CAFs, we established that the activation of FGF2/FGFR1 paracrine signaling triggers the expression of the connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), leading to the migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells. Our findings shed new light on the role elicited by estrogens through GPER in the activation of the FGF2/FGFR1 signaling. Moreover, our findings may identify further biological targets that could be considered in innovative combination strategies halting breast cancer progression.
Evaluation of Biogas Biodesulfurization Using Different Packing Materials
Authors: Tayar Samir Prioto , Guerrero Renata de Bello Solcia , Hidalgo Leticia Ferraresi , Bevilaqua Denise
Published: March 2019

The packing material selection for a bioreactor is an important factor to consider, since the characteristics of this material can directly affect the performance of the bioprocess, as well as the investment costs. Different types of low cost packing materials were studied in columns to reduce the initial and operational costs of biogas biodesulfurization. The most prominent (PVC pieces from construction pipes) was applied in a bench-scale biotrickling filter to remove the H2S of the biogas from a real sewage treatment plant in Brazil, responsible for 90 thousand inhabitants. At the optimal experimental condition, the reactor presented a Removal Efficiency (RE) of up to 95.72% and Elimination Capacity (EC) of 98 gS·m−3·h−1, similar to open pore polyurethane foam, the traditional material widely used for H2S removal. These results demonstrated the high potential of application of this packing material in a full scale considering the robustness of the system filled with this support, even when submitted to high sulfide concentration, fluctuations in H2S content in biogas, and temperature variations.
High Friction Surfacing Systems Using Blends of Natural Aggregate and Calcined Bauxite
Authors: Friel Shaun , Woodward David
Published: March 2019

High friction surfacing (HFS), bonded to a road surface at high risk locations, has been shown to significantly reduce road fatalities and serious injuries, i.e., HFS saves lives. Calcined bauxite is the preferred aggregate for use in HFS systems due to its unique ability to resist polishing and abrasion by vehicle tires. Calcined bauxite is expensive, negatively impacts the environment due to mining, production and transporting processes and has come under supply pressures in recent years. This paper investigates the potential for blending natural aggregates with calcined bauxite for use in HFS systems. The experiments involved subjecting HFS specimens to laboratory simulated trafficking and testing for skid resistance, texture depth and mass loss. The testing was carried out in laboratories in Spain and Northern Ireland. The findings suggest that there is the potential to reduce the amount of calcined bauxite used in HFS systems by replacing a percentage of the calcined bauxite with high PSV natural sandstone or volcanic tuff aggregate. The impact of this research could reduce the risks associated with supply issues to the HFS industry, reduce environmental impact by using less calcined bauxite in HFS systems and reduce costs associated with the aggregate component of HFS systems—enabling road authorities to install more systems at high risk locations to further reduce fatalities and serious injuries on their roads.
An Evaluation Approach for a Physically-Based Sticky Lip Model †
Authors: Leach Matthew , Maddock Steve
Published: March 2019

Physically-based mouth models operate on the principle that a better mouth animation will be produced by simulating physically accurate behaviour of the mouth. In the development of these models, it is useful to have an evaluation approach which can be used to judge the effectiveness of a model and draw comparisons against other models and real-life mouth behaviour. This article presents a set of metrics which can be used to describe the motion of the lips, as well as a process for measuring these from video of real or simulated mouths, implemented using Python and OpenCV. As an example, the process is used to evaluate a physically-based mouth model focusing on recreating the stickiness effect of saliva between the lips. The metrics highlight the changes in behaviour due to the addition of stickiness between the lips in the synthetic mouth model and show quantitatively improved behaviour in relation to real mouth movements. The article concludes that the presented metrics provide a useful approach for evaluation of mouth animation models that incorporate sticky lip effects.
Lattice Thermal Conductivity of mGeTe•nSb2Te3 Phase-Change Materials: A First-Principles Study
Authors: Pan Yuanchun , Li Zhen , Guo Zhonglu
Published: March 2019

As the most promising materials for phase-change data storage, the pseudobinary mGeTe•nSb2Te3 (GST) chalcogenides have been widely investigated. Nevertheless, an in-depth understanding of the thermal-transport property of GST is still lacking, which is important to achieve overall good performance of the memory devices. Herein, by using first-principles calculations and Boltzmann transport theory, we have systematically studied the lattice thermal conductivity along the out of plane direction of both stable hexagonal and meta-stable rock-salt-like phases of GST, and good agreement with available experiments has been observed. It is revealed that with the increase of the n/m ratio, the lattice thermal conductivity of hexagonal GST increases due to the large contribution from the weak Te-Te bonding, while an inverse trend is observed in meta-stable GST, which is due to the increased number of vacancies that results in the decrease of the lattice thermal conductivity. The size effect on thermal conductivity is also discussed. Our results provide useful information to manipulate the thermal property of GST phase-change materials.
Investigation of Y2.1Er0.9(ScxGa1−x)5O12 Matrix Components on the Spectral Properties around 3.0 μm by Micro-Pulling-Down Method
Authors: Che Zhijiang , Zhang Jian , Wu Baiyi , Hu Qiangqiang , Mu Wenxiang , Yin Yanru , Jia Zhitai
Published: March 2019

Single crystal fibers of 30% Er3+-doped compound of Y3(ScxGa1−x)5O12 have been grown by using the micro-pulling down (μ-PD) technique successfully. Our main purpose is to tune the fluorescence properties by adjusting the ratios of Sc3+ and Ga3+ ions inside the matrix crystals. The crystal structures of the series compounds were measured and analyzed through X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. The components and doping elements distributions were measured by the X-ray Fluorescence spectrometry and electron-probe microanalyzer. The absorption and mid-infrared fluorescence spectra, including the fluorescent lifetime of Er3+:4I13/2 and 4I11/2 levels were measured and compared systematically at room temperature. Spectral analysis indicated that the fluorescent lifetime of Er3+:4I13/2 tended to shorten and the emission spectra began to show a red shift when the proportion of YSG increased in the compound. Furthermore, the Raman spectra were measured to reveal the variations of lattice vibration and phonon energy.
Bird-Wing Optical-Reflector Design with Photocatalyst for Low-Glare Mosquito Trapping System with Light-Emitting Diodes
Authors: Tseng Wei-Hsiung , Juan Diana , Hsiao Wei-Cheng , Chen Yi Chian , Chan Cheng-Han , Ma Hsin-Yi , Lee Hsiao-Yi
Published: March 2019

Dengue fever is the most serious vector-borne disease in Asia. There are still no dengue vaccines or therapeutic drugs, and vector-mosquito control is the main prevention and treatment method. The prevention and control of dengue-fever vector mosquitoes in Taiwan is still dominated by larval control. However, the removal of the source of mosquito-borne diseases has not been fully implemented, and the removal process of vector-borne mosquitoes cannot keep up with their breeding rate. In addition, chemical agents used in the elimination of pathogenic mosquitoes may cause mosquito resistance and environmental pollution. Therefore, it is important to develop new prevention and control technologies. This study is dedicated to the development of a mosquito trapping optical system with high efficiency and low glare that is safe for humans. The system is mainly equipped with ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (UV-LED), a freeform-surfaced optical reflector, and a photocatalyst. The reflector can lead light downward for the protection of user eyes, and expand the range of trapping mosquitoes to 225 π m2. Based on practical experiments, captured mosquitoes increased by about 450% through the proposed system compared to conventional traps using UV LED. In addition, the proposed system is shown to be 45% more enhanced in trapping capability after a photocatalyst (titanium dioxide) coating is applied to its reflector.
A Light Guide Plate That Uses Asymmetric Intensity Distribution of Mini-LEDs for the Planar Illuminator
Authors: Ye Zhi-Ting , Pai Yung-Min , Chen Cheng-Huan , Kuo Hao-Chung , Chen Lung-Chien
Published: March 2019

Traditional backlights are designed with new dot patterns, and then injection molding, laser beam fabrication, or UV (Ultraviolet) roll-to-plate imprinting is used to apply dot patterns to a light guide plate—the process consumes considerable time and resources. Therefore, we propose a novel light guide design that does not use a dot pattern. We designed an asymmetric intensity distribution of mini-LEDs (Light Emitting Diode) and a light guide plate with a fully printed diffusion reflection on the bottom surface for a planar illuminator. The design rules for the proposed architecture are described in this paper. The archetype design with a 152.4 mm circular down-light has a diameter of 143 mm for the planar light source module. The experiment achieved a total efficiency of 85% and uniformity of 92.6%.
Distributed State Estimation of Multi-region Power System based on Consensus Theory
Authors: Xia Shiwei , Zhang Qian , Jing Jiangping , Ding Zhaohao , Yu Jing , Chen Bing , Wu Haiwei
Published: March 2019

Effective state estimation is critical to the security operation of power systems. With the rapid expansion of interconnected power grids, there are limitations of conventional centralized state estimation methods in terms of heavy and unbalanced communication and computation burdens for the control center. To address these limitations, this paper presents a multi-area state estimation model and afterwards proposes a consensus theory based distributed state estimation solution method. Firstly, considering the nonlinearity of state estimation, the original power system is divided into several non-overlapped subsystems. Correspondingly, the Lagrange multiplier method is adopted to decouple the state estimation equations into a multi-area state estimation model. Secondly, a fully distributed state estimation method based on the consensus algorithm is designed to solve the proposed model. The solution method does not need a centralized coordination system operator, but only requires a simple communication network for exchanging the limited data of boundary state variables and consensus variables among adjacent regions, thus it is quite flexible in terms of communication and computation for state estimation. In the end, the proposed method is tested by the IEEE 14-bus system and the IEEE 118-bus system, and the simulation results verify that the proposed multi-area state estimation model and the distributed solution method are effective for the state estimation of multi-area interconnected power systems.
Sensitivity Analysis of Key Parameters for Population Balance Based Soot Model for Low-Speed Diffusion Flames
Authors: Wang Cheng , Yuen Anthony Chun Yin , Chan Qing Nian , Chen Timothy Bo Yuan , Yang Wei , Cheung Sherman Chi-Pok , Yeoh Guan Heng
Published: March 2019

In this article, the evolution of in-flame soot species in a slow speed, buoyancy-driven diffusion flame is thoroughly studied with the implementation of the population balance approach in association with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques. This model incorporates interactive fire phenomena, including combustion, radiation, turbulent mixing, and all key chemical and physical formation and destruction processes, such as particle inception, surface growth, oxidation, and aggregation. The in-house length-based Direct Quadrature Method of Moments (DQMOM) soot model is fully coupled with all essential fire sub-modelling components and it is specifically constructed for low-speed flames. Additionally, to better describe the combustion process of the parental fuel, ethylene, the strained laminar flamelet model, which considers detailed chemical reaction mechanisms, is adopted. Numerical simulation is validated against a self-conducted co-flow slot burner experimental measurement. A comprehensive assessment of the effect of adopting different nucleation laws, oxidation laws, and various fractal dimension and diffusivity values is performed. The results suggest the model employing Moss law of nucleation, modified NSC law of oxidation, and adopting a fractal dimension value of 2.0 and Schmidt number of 0.9 yields the simulation result that best agreed with experimental data.
Global Transcriptomic Profiling of Pulmonary Gene Expression in an Experimental Murine Model of Rickettsia conorii Infection
Authors: Narra Hema P. , Sahni Abha , Khanipov Kamil , Fofanov Yuriy , Sahni Sanjeev K.
Published: March 2019

Mediterranean spotted fever develops from an infection with Rickettsia conorii, an obligate intracellular, Gram-negative, endotheliotropic, and tick-transmitted bacterial pathogen, and is an acute, febrile illness that can progress to life-threatening complications if not diagnosed and treated early with effective antibiotics. Despite significant morbidity and mortality, little is known about changes in gene expression that determine the host responses during in vivo infection. We have investigated the transcriptional landscape of host lungs as a prominently affected organ system in an established murine model of infection by RNA-sequencing. Ingenuity pathway analysis resulted in the identification of 1332 differentially expressed genes and 292 upstream regulators. Notably, genes encoding for ubiquitin D, aconitate decarboxylase, antimicrobial peptides, calgranulins, cytokines and chemokines, and guanylate binding proteins were highly up-regulated, whereas those involved in hemoglobin biosynthesis and heme homeostasis were significantly down-regulated. Amongst response regulators, nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2 and killer cell lectin-like receptors were differentially expressed, and gene clustering revealed eukaryotic initiation factor-2, oxidative phosphorylation, and ubiquitination as the predominantly activated biological pathways. Collectively, this first global transcriptomic profiling has identified R. conorii-induced regulation of novel genes and pathways in the host lungs, further in-depth investigation of which will strengthen our understanding of the pathogenesis of human rickettsioses.
Volatile Evolution of Long Non-Coding RNA Repertoire in Retinal Pigment Epithelium: Insights from Comparison of Bovine and Human RNA Expression Profiles
Authors: Postnikova Olga A. , Rogozin Igor B. , Samuel William , Nudelman German , Babenko Vladimir N. , Poliakov Eugenia , Redmond T. Michael
Published: March 2019

Currently, several long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) (TUG1, MALAT1, MEG3 and others) have been discovered to regulate normal visual function and may potentially contribute to dysfunction of the retina. We decided to extend these analyses of lncRNA genes to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) to determine whether there is conservation of RPE-expressed lncRNA between human and bovine genomes. We reconstructed bovine RPE lncRNAs based on genome-guided assembly. Next, we predicted homologous human transcripts based on whole genome alignment. We found a small set of conserved lncRNAs that could be involved in signature RPE functions that are conserved across mammals. However, the fraction of conserved lncRNAs in the overall pool of lncRNA found in RPE appeared to be very small (less than 5%), perhaps reflecting a fast and flexible adaptation of the mammalian eye to various environmental conditions.
Geophysical and Sedimentological Investigations of Peatlands for the Assessment of Lithology and Subsurface Water Pathways
Authors: Trappe Julian , Kneisel Christof
Published: March 2019

Peatlands located on slopes (herein called slope bogs) are typical landscape units in the Hunsrueck, a low mountain range in Southwestern Germany. The pathways of the water feeding the slope bogs have not yet been documented and analyzed. The identification of the different mechanisms allowing these peatlands to originate and survive requires a better understanding of the subsurface lithology and hydrogeology. Hence, we applied a multi-method approach to two case study sites in order to characterize the subsurface lithology and to image the variable spatio-temporal hydrological conditions. The combination of Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and an ERT-Monitoring and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), in conjunction with direct methods and data (borehole drilling and meteorological data), allowed us to gain deeper insights into the subsurface characteristics and dynamics of the peatlands and their catchment area. The precipitation influences the hydrology of the peatlands as well as the interflow in the subsurface. Especially, the geoelectrical monitoring data, in combination with the precipitation and temperature data, indicate that there are several forces driving the hydrology and hydrogeology of the peatlands. While the water content of the uppermost layers changes with the weather conditions, the bottom layer seems to be more stable and changes to a lesser extent. At the selected case study sites, small differences in subsurface properties can have a huge impact on the subsurface hydrogeology and the water paths. Based on the collected data, conceptual models have been deduced for the two case study sites.
Protest and Apology in the Arctic: Enacting Citizenship in Two Recent Swedish Films
Authors: Kokkola Lydia , Palo Annbritt , Manderstedt Lena
Published: March 2019

Today, Sweden enjoys a positive international reputation for its commitment to human rights issues, for instance, in relation to the recent migrant crisis. Abuses committed by the Swedish state against certain ethnic groups within the country are less well known, both within and beyond its borders. These included systematic attempts to curtail the use of indigenous and local languages, thereby causing communicative and ideological rifts between children and their parents. These policies were enacted through the school system from the 1920s until the 1970s, and particularly affected people living in the Arctic region where the national borders are disputed. In this article, we examine two twenty-first-century films set during this era, featuring feisty female characters responding to the school policy. Elina: As though I wasn’t there is a children’s film created by people “outside” the cultural group represented; and Sámi Blood features an adolescent protagonist (and her older self), created by “insiders” of the cultural group represented. In both films, the female protagonists’ relative lack of agency within the state school system is contrasted with their powerful connections to the Arctic landscape. We seek to examine how these films contribute to the work of apology, beginning with a public acknowledgement of the wrongs of the past. Whilst one of the films concludes with a celebration of the female protagonists’ agency, the other proffers a more ambiguous portrayal of power in relation to culture, nationality, and identity.
From Motion Activity to Geo-Embeddings: Generating and Exploring Vector Representations of Locations, Traces and Visitors through Large-Scale Mobility Data
Authors: Crivellari Alessandro , Beinat Euro
Published: March 2019

The rapid growth of positioning technology allows tracking motion between places, making trajectory recordings an important source of information about place connectivity, as they map the routes that people commonly perform. In this paper, we utilize users’ motion traces to construct a behavioral representation of places based on how people move between them, ignoring geographical coordinates and spatial proximity. Inspired by natural language processing techniques, we generate and explore vector representations of locations, traces and visitors, obtained through an unsupervised machine learning approach, which we generically named motion-to-vector (Mot2vec), trained on large-scale mobility data. The algorithm consists of two steps, the trajectory pre-processing and the Word2vec-based model building. First, mobility traces are converted into sequences of locations that unfold in fixed time steps; then, a Skip-gram Word2vec model is used to construct the location embeddings. Trace and visitor embeddings are finally created combining the location vectors belonging to each trace or visitor. Mot2vec provides a meaningful representation of locations, based on the motion behavior of users, defining a direct way of comparing locations’ connectivity and providing analogous similarity distributions for places of the same type. In addition, it defines a metric of similarity for traces and visitors beyond their spatial proximity and identifies common motion behaviors between different categories of people.
A Citizen-Sensing-Based Digital Service for the Analysis of On-Site Post-Earthquake Messages
Authors: Di Felice Paolino , Iessi Michele
Published: March 2019

The effectiveness of disaster response depends on the correctness and timeliness of data regarding the location and the impact of the event. These two issues are critical when the data come from citizens’ tweets, since the automatic classification of disaster-related tweets suffers from many shortcomings. In this paper, we explore an approach based on participatory sensing (i.e., a subset of mobile crowdsourcing that emphasizes the active and intentional participation of citizens to collect data from the place where they live or work). We operate with the hypothesis of a “friendly world”, that is by assuming that after a calamitous event, in the survivors prevails the feeling of helping those who suffer. The extraction, from the Twitter repository, of the few tweets relevant to the event of interest has a long processing time. With the aggravating circumstance in the phase that follows a severe earthquake, the elaboration of tweets clashes with the need to act promptly. Our proposal allows a huge reduction of the processing time. This goal is reached by introducing a service and a mobile app, the latter is an intermediate tool between Twitter and the citizens, suitable to assist them to write structured messages that act as surrogates of tweets. The article describes the architecture of the software service and the steps involved in the retrieval, from the Twitter server, of the messages coming from citizens living in the places hit by the earthquake; moreover, it details the storage of those messages into a geographical database and their processing using SQL.
Epigenetic Suppression of the T-box Subfamily 2 (TBX2) in Human Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Nehme Eliana , Rahal Zahraa , Sinjab Ansam , Khalil Athar , Chami Hassan , Nemer Georges , Kadara Humam
Published: March 2019

(1) The TBX2 subfamily of transcription factors (TBXs 2, 3, 4 and 5) are markedly down-regulated in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and exert tumor suppressor effects in lung malignancy. Yet, mechanisms underlying suppressed expression of the TBX2 subfamily in NSCLC are elusive. Here, we interrogated probable epigenetic mechanisms in suppressed expression of the TBX2 subfamily in human NSCLC. (2) TBX2 subfamily gene expression and methylation levels in NSCLC and normal lung tissues were surveyed using publicly available RNA-sequence and genome-wide methylation datasets. Methylation β-values of the four genes were statistically compared between NSCLCs and normal lung tissues, correlated with gene expression levels, and interrogated with clinicopathological variables. Expression and methylation levels of TBXs were quantified in NSCLC cells using real-time PCR and methylation-specific PCR assays, respectively. Effects of the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-azacytidine (Aza) on TBX2 subfamily expression were assessed in NSCLC cells. Impact of TBX2 subfamily expression on Aza-treated cells was evaluated by RNA interference. (3) All four TBXs were significantly hypermethylated in NSCLCs relative to normal lung tissues (p < 0.05). Methylation β-values of the genes, with exception of TBX2, were significantly inversely correlated with corresponding mRNA expression levels (p < 0.05). We found no statistically significant differences in hypermethylation levels of the TBX2 subfamily by clinicopathological features including stage and tobacco history. Expression levels of the TBX genes were overall suppressed in NSCLC cells relative to normal alveolar cells. Members of the subfamily were significantly hypermethylated in all tested NSCLC cell lines relative to normal alveolar cells. Treatment with Aza induced the expression of the TBX2 subfamily concomitant with NSCLC cell growth inhibition. Further, simultaneous knockdown of the four TBX genes markedly reduced anti-growth effects of Aza in NSCLC cells. (4) Our study sheds light on new epigenetic profiles in the molecular pathogenesis of human NSCLC.
Integrin β1-Mediated Cell–Cell Adhesion Augments Metformin-Induced Anoikis
Authors: An Tingting , Zhang Zhiming , Li Yuhuang , Yi Jianqiao , Zhang Wenhua , Chen Deshi , Ao Juan , Xiao Zhi-Xiong , Yi Yong
Published: March 2019

Cell–cell adhesion plays an important role in regulation of cell proliferation, migration, survival, and drug sensitivity. Metformin, a first line drug for type 2 diabetes, has been shown to possess anti-cancer activities. However, whether cell–cell adhesion affects metformin anti-cancer activity is unknown. In this study, Microscopic and FACS analyses showed that metformin induced cancer cell–cell adhesion exemplified by cell aggregation and anoikis under glucose restriction. Furthermore, western blot and QPCR analyses revealed that metformin dramatically upregulated integrin β1 expression. Silencing of integrin β1 significantly disrupted cell aggregation and reduced anoikis induced by metformin. Moreover, we showed that p53 family member ΔNp63α transcriptionally suppressed integrin β1 expression and is responsible for metformin-mediated upregulation of integrin β1. In summary, this study reveals a novel mechanism for metformin anticancer activity and demonstrates that cell–cell adhesion mediated by integrin β1 plays a critical role in metformin-induced anoikis.