bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fluctuations of Physiological Variables during Conditioning of Lipizzan Fillies before Starting under Saddle
Authors: Čebulj-Kadunc Nina , Frangež Robert , Kruljc Peter
Published: March 2022

Scientific studies on the physiological responses of young horses to workloads are limited. Therefore, the aim of our study was to determine the basal values of some cardiovascular, thermoregulatory, hematological, and biochemical parameters in 10 purebred Lipizzan fillies aged 4 years in the initial phase of training, and their responses to a graded workload, i.e., by lunging for 15 min in four exercise tests at 2-week intervals. The basal values of the measured parameters were within a range for warm-blooded horses and mostly increased after exercise in all four exercise tests. Resting heart rates were above physiological values at the baseline but decreased as the study progressed. Bilateral symmetry of body surface temperatures (BSTs) was confirmed at rest and after exercise. The highest BSTs were measured at the cranial, followed by the caudal and distal body regions. A moderate increase in cortisol and a small increase in lactate concentration indicated a low intensity of workload. The results presented contribute to the knowledge of the complex physiological processes that occur in young horses during exercise and provide a basis for further research into the field of sports physiology and welfare, as well as the conservation and development of the Lipizzan breed.
A Brief Update on the Challenges and Prospects for Goat Production in Mexico
Authors: Tajonar Karen , López Díaz Carlos Antonio , Sánchez Ibarra Luis Enrique , Chay-Canul Alfonso Juventino , Gonzalez-Ronquillo Manuel , Vargas-Bello-Pérez Einar
Published: March 2022

In Mexico, information on goat production is scarce and documenting goat production challenges and future perspectives could be of great value, not only for Latin America, but also for international players—including those from farms, industry, and academia. Therefore, the objective of this review is to provide current knowledge on goat production systems in Mexico and discuss current challenges and future perspectives for this animal production sector. In Mexico, more than 70% of goats are produced under extensive production systems in arid and semi-arid areas and roughly 25% are produced in intensive or semi-intensive systems. Main breeds are French Alpine, Saanen, Toggenburg, LaMancha, Nubian, Boer, and their crosses. The main challenges are correlated at different levels, where economic, social, and environmental issues are mixed and are closely associated with goat health and welfare. Newly available farming technologies could be an option that should be explored. Mexican goat farming systems will need to look at the animal, social, and environmental factors to promote sustainable production systems.
In Silico Screen Identifies a New Family of Agonists for the Bacterial Mechanosensitive Channel MscL
Authors: Wray Robin , Blount Paul , Wang Junmei , Iscla Irene
Published: March 2022

MscL is a highly conserved mechanosensitive channel found in the majority of bacterial species, including pathogens. It functions as a biological emergency release valve, jettisoning solutes from the cytoplasm upon acute hypoosmotic stress. It opens the largest known gated pore and has been heralded as an antibacterial target. Although there are no known endogenous ligands, small compounds have recently been shown to specifically bind to and open the channel, leading to decreased cell growth and viability. Their binding site is at the cytoplasmic/membrane and subunit interfaces of the protein, which has been recently been proposed to play an essential role in channel gating. Here, we have targeted this pocket using in silico screening, resulting in the discovery of a new family of compounds, distinct from other known MscL-specific agonists. Our findings extended the study of this functional region, the progression of MscL as a viable drug target, and demonstrated the power of in silico screening for identifying and improving the design of MscL agonists.
Enhancing Building Monitoring and Control for District Energy Systems: Technology Selection and Installation within the Living Lab Energy Campus
Authors: Althaus Philipp , Redder Florian , Ubachukwu Eziama , Mork Maximilian , Xhonneux André , Müller Dirk
Published: March 2022

With regard to climate change, it is imperative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One solution approach is to increase energy efficiency in buildings. Buildings contribute a high share of the total global energy usage. As the rate of new building constructions is low, measures applicable to existing buildings become paramount. Before applying new approaches on a large scale, it is necessary to evaluate them in a representative, realistic environment. Living labs such as the Living Lab Energy Campus (LLEC) at Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ) facilitate innovative monitoring and control approaches in a real-world setting. In this work, we investigate the required steps for bringing sensor and control networks, comprising more than 1800 devices, into 18 existing and new buildings. This enables both room-level monitoring and control, as well as the integration of building-wide automation. By introducing an ICT infrastructure, we pave the way towards holistic approaches on a district level. We describe the workflows used for selected instrumentation variants and show first insights from the operation of the resulting infrastructure. We show that the investigated instrumentation variants exhibit similar characteristics; however, they affect control behavior differently. We emphasize that instrumentation should be planned in the context of existing infrastructure. Moreover, we present and evaluate sample measurements obtained from different buildings.
Pareto-Optimised Fog Storage Services with Novel Service-Level Agreement Specification
Authors: Kochovski Petar , Paščinski Uroš , Stankovski Vlado , Ciglarič Mojca
Published: March 2022

(1) Background: Cloud storage is often required for successful operation of novel smart applications, relying on data produced by the Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Big Data processing tasks and management operations for such applications require high Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees, requiring an Edge/Fog computing approach. Additionally, users often require specific guarantees in the form of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for storage services. To address these problems, we propose QoS-enabled Fog Storage Services, implemented as containerised storage services, orchestrated across the Things-to-Cloud computing continuum. (2) Method: The placement of containerised data storage services in the Things-to-Cloud continuum is dynamically decided using a novel Pareto-based decision-making process based on high availability, high throughput, and other QoS demands of the user. The proposed concept is first confirmed via simulation and then tested in a real-world environment. (3) Results: The decision-making mechanism and a novel SLA specification have been successfully implemented and integrated in the DECENTER Fog and Brokerage Platform to complement the orchestration services for storage containers, thus presenting their applicable value. Simulation results as well as practical experimentation in a Europe-wide testbed have shown that the proposed decision-making method can deliver a set of optimal storage nodes, thus meeting the SLA requirements. (4) Conclusion: It is possible to provide new smart applications with the expected SLA guarantees and high QoS for our proposed Fog Storage Services.
COME-UP: Computation Offloading in Mobile Edge Computing with LSTM Based User Direction Prediction
Authors: Zaman Sardar Khaliq uz , Jehangiri Ali Imran , Maqsood Tahir , Umar Arif Iqbal , Khan Muhammad Amir , Jhanjhi Noor Zaman , Shorfuzzaman Mohammad , Masud Mehedi
Published: March 2022

In mobile edge computing (MEC), mobile devices limited to computation and memory resources offload compute-intensive tasks to nearby edge servers. User movement causes frequent handovers in 5G urban networks. The resultant delays in task execution due to unknown user position and base station lead to increased energy consumption and resource wastage. The current MEC offloading solutions separate computation offloading from user mobility. For task offloading, techniques that predict the user’s future location do not consider user direction. We propose a framework termed COME-UP Computation Offloading in mobile edge computing with Long-short term memory (LSTM) based user direction prediction. The nature of the mobility data is nonlinear and leads to a time series prediction problem. The LSTM considers the previous mobility features, such as location, velocity, and direction, as input to a feed-forward mechanism to train the learning model and predict the next location. The proposed architecture also uses a fitness function to calculate priority weights for selecting an optimum edge server for task offloading based on latency, energy, and server load. The simulation results show that the latency and energy consumption of COME-UP are lower than the baseline techniques, while the edge server utilization is enhanced.
Orthognathic versus Camouflage Treatment of Class III Malocclusion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Alam Mohammad Khursheed , Nowrin Shifat A , Shahid Fazal , AlHarby Hassan , Abutayyem Huda , Alswairki Haytham Jamil , El-Din Mohamed Sally Kamal
Published: March 2022

This systematic review (SR) and meta-analysis (MA) aimed to compare the treatment effects of orthognathic surgery and orthodontic camouflage treatment in adult subjects with Class III malocclusion (C-III-M). Two independent reviewers conducted the literature search comprehensively from 1990 to 8 November 2021. PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, EBSCOhost and Google Scholar databases were included for literature search. Moreover, a manual search of references from relevant studies was performed. Based on the literature search, a total of six articles were selected for SR and three articles fulfilled the criteria of a MA. Standardized mean difference (SMD) was used to evaluate and compare the treatment effects of orthodontic camouflage treatment and orthognathic surgery in adult C-III-M patients. Test for overall effect from the studies was used to estimate the treatment effect of C-III-M. However, Significant heterogeneity and publication bias was apparent among the selected studies. More research on the treatment effects of orthodontic camouflage treatment and orthognathic surgery in C-III-M is necessary to conclude possible interactions with better specificity.
Creating a Remote Choir Performance Recording Based on an Ambisonic Approach
Authors: Mróz Bartłomiej , Odya Piotr , Kostek Bożena
Published: March 2022

The aim of this paper is three-fold. First, the basics of binaural and ambisonic techniques are briefly presented. Then, details related to audio-visual recordings of a remote performance of the Academic Choir of the Gdansk University of Technology are shown. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, artists had a choice, namely, to stay at home and not perform or stay at home and perform. In fact, staying at home brought in the possibility of creating and developing art at home while working online. During the first months of lock-down, the audience was satisfied with music performances that were fairly far from the typical experience of a real concert hall. Then, more advanced technology was brought to facilitate joint rehearsal and performance of better quality, including multichannel sound and spatialization. At the same time, spatial music productions benefited from the disadvantage of remote rehearsal by creating immersive experiences for the audience based on ambisonic and binaural techniques. Finally, subjective tests were prepared and performed to observe performers’ attention behavior divided between the conductor and music notation in the network-like environment. To this end, eye-tracking technology was employed. This aspect is related to the quality of experience (QoE), which in the performance area–and especially in remote mode–is essential.
Detailed Characterization of Solid and Volatile Particle Emissions of Two Euro 6 Diesel Vehicles
Authors: Giechaskiel Barouch , Melas Anastasios , Lähde Tero
Published: March 2022

The solid particle number emissions of Diesel vehicles are very low due to the particulate filters as exhaust aftertreatment devices. However, periodically, the trapped particles are oxidized (i.e., active regeneration) in order to keep the backpressure at low levels. The solid particle number emissions during regenerations are only partly covered by the regulations. Many studies have examined the emissions during regenerations, but their contribution to the overall emissions has not been addressed adequately. Furthermore, the number concentration of volatile particles, which is not included in the regulations, can be many of orders of magnitude higher. In this study, the particulate emissions of two light-duty Euro 6 vehicles were measured simultaneously at the tailpipe and the dilution tunnel. The results showed that the weighted (i.e., considering the emissions during regeneration) solid particle number emissions remained well below the applicable limit of 6 × 1011 #/km (solid particles > 23 nm). This was true even when considering solid sub-23 nm particles. However, the weighted volatile particle number emissions were many orders of magnitude higher, reaching up to 3 × 1013 #/km. The results also confirmed the equivalency of the solid particle number results between tailpipe and dilution tunnel locations. This was not the case for the volatile particles which were strongly affected by desorption phenomena. The high number of volatiles during regenerations even interfered with the 10 nm solid particle number measurements at the dilution tunnel, even though a catalytic stripper equipped instrument was also used in the dilution tunnel.
Correction: Evans et al. Salt Cavern Exergy Storage Capacity Potential of UK Massively Bedded Halites, Using Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES). Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 4728
Authors: Evans David , Parkes Daniel , Dooner Mark , Williamson Paul , Williams John , Busby Jonathan , He Wei , Wang Jihong , Garvey Seamus
Published: March 2022

The author wishes to make a change to the mail address of Dr [...]
The Active Aroma of “Cerrado” Cashew and Cagaita Fruits: Comparison between Two Extraction Methods
Authors: Santos Nathalia Horrana , Zapata Julian , Dereix Juan David , Escobar Jhonathan , de Almeida Adrielle Borges , Silva Fabiano Guimarães , Egea Mariana Buranelo
Published: March 2022

The objective of the present work is to characterize the aroma of “Cerrado” cashew (Anacardium othonianum Rizz.) and cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica) pulps. For this, we used headspace (HS) and two extraction methods (solid-phase extraction, SPE and solid-phase microextraction, SPME), as well as gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for identification of aroma compounds. While SPME was more efficient and extracted 17 and 21 compounds for “Cerrado” cashew and cagaita pulps, respectively, the SPE method extracted 13 compounds for both pulps. SPME showed higher modified frequency (MF), that is, compounds perceived with higher intensity and by number of judges during olfactometry. On the other hand, the results obtained in this work showed that the extraction techniques seem complementary, since some compounds were not identified by SPE, but were identified by SPME, and vice versa.
Reconstruction of Preclinical PET Images via Chebyshev Polynomial Approximation of the Sinogram
Authors: Protonotarios Nicholas E. , Fokas Athanassios S. , Vrachliotis Alexandros , Marinakis Vangelis , Dikaios Nikolaos , Kastis George A.
Published: March 2022

Over the last decades, there has been an increasing interest in dedicated preclinical imaging modalities for research in biomedicine. Especially in the case of positron emission tomography (PET), reconstructed images provide useful information of the morphology and function of an internal organ. PET data, stored as sinograms, involve the Radon transform of the image under investigation. The analytical approach to PET image reconstruction incorporates the derivative of the Hilbert transform of the sinogram. In this direction, in the present work we present a novel numerical algorithm for the inversion of the Radon transform based on Chebyshev polynomials of the first kind. By employing these polynomials, the computation of the derivative of the Hilbert transform of the sinogram is significantly simplified. Extending the mathematical setting of previous research based on Chebyshev polynomials, we are able to efficiently apply our new Chebyshev inversion scheme for the case of analytic preclinical PET image reconstruction. We evaluated our reconstruction algorithm on projection data from a small-animal image quality (IQ) simulated phantom study, in accordance with the NEMA NU 4-2008 standards protocol. In particular, we quantified our reconstructions via the image quality metrics of percentage standard deviation, recovery coefficient, and spill-over ratio. The projection data employed were acquired for three different Poisson noise levels: 100% (NL1), 50% (NL2), and 20% (NL3) of the total counts, respectively. In the uniform region of the IQ phantom, Chebyshev reconstructions were consistently improved over filtered backprojection (FBP), in terms of percentage standard deviation (up to 29% lower, depending on the noise level). For all rods, we measured the contrast-to-noise-ratio, indicating an improvement of up to 68% depending on the noise level. In order to compare our reconstruction method with FBP, at equal noise levels, plots of recovery coefficient and spill-over ratio as functions of the percentage standard deviation were generated, after smoothing the NL3 reconstructions with three different Gaussian filters. When post-smoothing was applied, Chebyshev demonstrated recovery coefficient values up to 14% and 42% higher, for rods 1–3 mm and 4–5 mm, respectively, compared to FBP, depending on the smoothing sigma values. Our results indicate that our Chebyshev-based analytic reconstruction method may provide PET reconstructions that are comparable to FBP, thus yielding a good alternative to standard analytic preclinical PET reconstruction methods.
Mechanical Performance of Curved Link-Slab of Simply Supported Bridge Beam
Authors: Zhuang Yizhou , Luo Silv , Easa Said M. , Zhang Meng , Wang Chengquan
Published: March 2022

This paper proposes a curved link-slab (CLS) structure, simplified into a hingeless arch model, to address the current cracking phenomenon of CLS concrete. The stress formula of the hingeless arch under various loads is derived based on the classical mechanic’s method. Based on an actual bridge example, the mechanical properties of CLS are analyzed under different loads and load combinations. The results show that: (1) the CLS stress is significantly lower than that of the flat link-slab structure (FLS), (2) its stress values are less than the concrete tensile limit, and (3) the CLS can effectively solve the concrete cracking phenomenon on the link-slab. The rationality of the stress formula derived from the simplified model of the hingeless arch is verified using the finite element method (FEM). The parametric sensitivity analysis shows that variation of the reinforcement ratio of the CLS has a limited impact on it. Considering both the concrete tensile and compressive limit, the thickness of the CLS should be 15 cm to 20 cm, and its design span should be about 5% to 7.5% of the main beam length.
Digitization of Accounting: The Premise of the Paradigm Shift of Role of the Professional Accountant
Authors: Coman Dan Marius , Ionescu Constantin Aurelian , Duică Anișoara , Coman Mihaela Denisa , Uzlau Marilena Carmen , Stanescu Sorina Geanina , State Violeta
Published: March 2022

The current pandemic crisis has led to a paradigm shift in the economy. Expressions such as digital transformation and digitalization of business are common in the communication channels of economic entities, which want to benefit from the advantages of information technology (artificial intelligence, software robots, and blockchain) to streamline their business. The aim of this research is to highlight the impact of the digitalization of accounting on the business environment, the work style, and the role of professional accountants: the paradigm shift. The study is based on theoretical research as well as empirical research based on a questionnaire applied in economic entities, and respondents are both decision makers and professional accountants. The results obtained by the statistical analysis of the questionnaire (Chi-square, Crosstabulation, Friedman test) suggest that digitization is more than a conventional change, being equally about technology and people. The orientation towards digitalization implies, in addition to a well-organized implementation plan, a change in the mentalities of the human factor corroborated with the evolution of the organizational culture of economic entities. At the same time, we are witnessing a change in the accounting paradigm, and the role of professional accountants is evolving from “transaction logger” to analyst and consultant for entrepreneurs. Research confirms that the digitalization of accounting is proving to be not only a modern solution, imposed by technological progress, but also timely, necessary, and even mandatory given the difficulty of anticipating the economic and social context due to the pandemic crisis. This study stands out both because of the innovative character of the approached subject, the digitalization of accounting, which represents a concept in full expansion, and because of its practical utility. This is proven by the analyses performed and the conclusions drawn in the context of an economic environment that is constantly looking for solutions. All operations can be moved to a controlled and accessible digital environment that can be accessed from any location.
A Note on Limits and Trends in PV Cells and Modules
Authors: Benda Vitezslav , Cerna Ladislava
Published: March 2022

The key components of photovoltaic (PV) systems are PV modules representing basic devices, which are able to operate in outdoor conditions for a long time. PV modules can be manufactured from different materials using different production technologies. The main criterion supporting or limiting the successful placement of specific technologies on the market is the price of electricity produced by PV systems. The levelized cost of energy (LCOE) method considers investment costs, operating costs, and the total energy produced during a PV system’s service life. The influence of price, efficiency, and service life of PV modules on the LCOE (together with the availability of materials) sets limits for applicable technologies. Increasing the efficiency of the modules from 21% to 23% could lead to a reduction of the area-dependent part of the PV system costs by 8.7%. Extending the service life from 25 to 30 years could reduce the LCOE by about 10%. As shown in the work, wafer-based crystalline silicon technologies best meet these criteria due to their high efficiency, low costs, long service life, and the availability of materials at present. Technological innovations make it possible to increase the efficiency of the modules closer to the physical limits and to extend the service life of the modules.
Liquid Biopsy and Dielectrophoretic Analysis—Complementary Methods in Skin Cancer Monitoring
Authors: Schreiner Thomas Gabriel , Turcan Ina , Olariu Marius Andrei , Ciobanu Romeo Cristian , Adam Maricel
Published: March 2022

The incidence and prevalence of skin cancers is currently increasing worldwide, with early detection, adequate treatment, and prevention of recurrences being topics of great interest for researchers nowadays. Although tumor biopsy remains the gold standard of diagnosis, this technique cannot be performed in a significant proportion of cases, so that the use of alternative methods with high sensitivity and specificity is becoming increasingly desirable. In this context, liquid biopsy appears to be a feasible solution for the study of cellular and molecular markers relevant to different types of skin cancers. Circulating tumor cells are just one of the components of interest obtained from performing liquid biopsy, and their study by complementary methods, such as dielectrophoresis, could bring additional benefits in terms of characterizing skin tumors and subsequently applying personalized therapy. One purpose of this review is to demonstrate the utility of liquid biopsy primarily in monitoring the most common types of skin tumors: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and malign melanoma. In addition, the originality of the article is based on the detailed presentation of the dielectrophoretic analysis method of the most important elements obtained from liquid biopsy, with direct impact on the clinical and therapeutic approach of skin tumors.
Generative Model Using Knowledge Graph for Document-Grounded Conversations
Authors: Kim Boeun , Lee Dohaeng , Kim Damrin , Kim Hongjin , Kim Sihyung , Kwon Ohwoog , Kim Harksoo
Published: March 2022

Document-grounded conversation (DGC) is a natural language generation task to generate fluent and informative responses by leveraging dialogue history and document(s). Recently, DGCs have focused on fine-tuning using pretrained language models. However, these approaches have a problem in that they must leverage the background knowledge under capacity constraints. For example, the maximum length of the input is limited to 512 or 1024 tokens. This problem is fatal in DGC because most documents are longer than the maximum input length. To address this problem, we propose a document-grounded generative model using a knowledge graph. The proposed model converts knowledge sentences extracted from the given document(s) into knowledge graphs and fine-tunes the pretrained model using the graph. We validated the effectiveness of the proposed model using a comparative experiment on the well-known Wizard-of-Wikipedia dataset. The proposed model outperformed the previous state-of-the-art model in our experiments on the Doc2dial dataset.
A New Coupled Approach for Enthalpy Pumping Consideration in a Free Piston Stirling Engine (FPSE)
Authors: Majidniya Mahdi , Mabrouk Mohamed Tahar , Kheiri Abdelhamid , Remy Benjamin , Boileau Thierry
Published: March 2022

One group of losses that can considerably affect the performance of Free Piston Stirling Engines’ (FPSE) is the enthalpy pumping and the shuttle effect, which are due to the gap standing between the cylinder and the displacer. The shuttle effect is induced by the periodic displacer motion between the hot and the cold sources. The enthalpy pumping, which is the subject of the present study, is due to the short-circuit-like flow between the hot and cold spaces. To study these losses, first, a fine nonlinear dynamic model of the FPSE is developed and validated. Then, to study the enthalpy pumping based on that, a coupled model (for the first time) and a decoupled model are presented. The difference between the two models is that the first one provides a dynamic and a thermic linkage between the Stirling and loss model, while the second one studies them separately. The effect of the gap size on both loss models was investigated. The coupled and decoupled modeling results were quite different due to the considerable effect of the enthalpy pumping on the FPSE response. The results showed that the enthalpy pumping in the decoupled model exceeds the total output power when the gap exceeds 30 μm, and when the gap exceeds 70 μm, the enthalpy pumping is around ten times larger than the output power. In contrast, the enthalpy pumping in the coupled model is always less than the output power, which is logical. Thus, the coupled one was presented as the adapted model that should be considered for further FPSE studies.
Effect of the Installation Angle of Nozzle on the Atomizing Performance of Air-Assisted Spraying Dust Suppression Device
Authors: Li Huijun , Wang Jinxuan , Wang Pengfei , Liu Jiajia , Yuan Xinhu , Han Han
Published: March 2022

Investigation of the JJPW-G100 air-assisted spraying dust suppression device was performed to obtain the reasonable installation angle of the nozzle in the air-assisted spraying dust suppression device. First, an equal-scale physical model was established, and then the effect of the installation angle of the nozzle on the atomizing performance of the air-assisted spraying dust suppression device was investigated in-depth via numerical simulation. Results showed that the installation angle of the nozzle imposed no significant effect on the spraying range of the air-assisted spraying dust suppression device, while the initial falling range in the spray field increased with the increasing installation angle. At the installation angle of over 45°, the loss of droplets at the outlet of the air cylinder disappeared. Mean droplet size of the spraying dust suppression device increased with the increasing installation angle, which first increased and then dropped with the increasing spraying range. The optimal installation angle of the nozzle was determined as 45°, under which the loss of droplets at the outlet of the air cylinder in the air-assisted spraying dust suppression device can be effectively prevented, while the dust suppression device can maintain a small droplet size and large falling range.
Compositions, Sources, and Aging Processes of Aerosol Particles during Winter Hazes in an Inland Megacity of NW China
Authors: Liu Pengju , Shao Longyi , Li Yaowei , Wang Wenhua , Zhang Mengyuan , Yang Cheng-Xue , Niu Hongya , Feng Xiaolei , Zhang Daizhou
Published: March 2022

As one of the largest inland megacities in Northwest (NW) China, Xi’an has been facing serious regional haze frequently, especially during winter. The composition of aerosols in Xi’an is highly complex due to its unique basinal topography and unique meteorological conditions. In this study, we characterized the morphology, size, and composition of individual aerosol particles collected during regional haze events at an urban site in Xi’an using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) coupled with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (EDX). Six types of particles were identified based on their morphology and chemical composition, including organic (41.88%), sulfate (32.36%), soot (8.33%), mineral (7.91%), K-rich (5.13%), and fly ash particles (4.49%). These results demonstrate that the organic particles made a larger contribution to haze formation than the secondary inorganic particles during the sampling period. Size distribution and dominance suggest that organic and sulfate particles exert major control on the variation trends of particle size in haze. The coating thickness of organic-cored particles was about 369 nm and that of sulfate-cored particles was about 322 nm, implying that the organic particles were more aged than the sulfate particles. The results presented in this study provide further insights into understanding haze particle formation.
Ionospheric Sounding Based on Spaceborne PolSAR in P-Band
Authors: Guo Wulong , Wang Cheng , Zhao Haisheng , Zhang Shaodong , Cao Le , Xiao Peng , Liu Lu , Chen Liang , Zhang Yuanyuan
Published: March 2022

The signal of spaceborne low-frequency full-polarization synthetic aperture radar (full-pol SAR) contains abundant ionospheric information. Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) working in the L-band has been verified as an emerging ionospheric sounding technology. Aiming for a future P-band SAR system, this paper investigates the ability of the P-band SAR system in ionospheric one-dimensional and two-dimensional detection. First, considering different systematic error levels, the total electron content (TEC) retrieval in L/P-band is studied by using three typical full-pol SAR data sets based on a circular polarization algorithm. Second, the TEC data retrieved by SAR are fused with the ionosonde, and the joint retrieval of ionospheric electron density is performed. Results show that the P-band TEC retrieval is approximately twice as accurate as the L-band retrieval under the same conditions, and possesses excellent robustness. In addition, the TEC obtained by L/P-band SAR can be used to correct the electron density of the topside on the ionosonde. Results also show that compared with the topside correction accuracy of L-band SAR, that of the P-band SAR is improved by more than 20%. SAR has natural high-resolution characteristics and the P-band signal contains more obvious ionospheric information than the L-band signal. Therefore, future spaceborne P-band SAR has many advantages in two-dimensional fine ionospheric observation and one-dimensional electron density retrieval.
Startups and Consumer Purchase Behavior: Application of Support Vector Machine Algorithm
Authors: Ebrahimi Pejman , Salamzadeh Aidin , Soleimani Maryam , Khansari Seyed Mohammad , Zarea Hadi , Fekete-Farkas Maria
Published: March 2022

This study evaluated the impact of startup technology innovations and customer relationship management (CRM) performance on customer participation, value co-creation, and consumer purchase behavior (CPB). This analytical study empirically tested the proposed hypotheses using structural equation modeling (SEM) and SmartPLS 3 techniques. Moreover, we used a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm to verify the model’s accuracy. SVM algorithm uses four different kernels to check the accuracy criterion, and we checked all of them. This research used the convenience sampling approach in gathering the data. We used the conventional bias test method. A total of 466 respondents were completed. Technological innovations of startups and CRM have a positive and significant effect on customer participation. Customer participation significantly affects the value of pleasure, economic value, and relationship value. Based on the importance-performance map analysis (IPMA) matrix results, “customer participation” with a score of 0.782 had the highest importance. If customers increase their participation performance by one unit during the COVID-19 epidemic, its overall CPB increases by 0.782. In addition, our results showed that the lowest performance is related to the technological innovations of startups, which indicates an excellent opportunity for development in this area. SVM results showed that polynomial kernel, to a high degree, is the best kernel that confirms the model’s accuracy.
Neuronal Electrophysiological Activities Detection of Defense Behaviors Using an Implantable Microelectrode Array in the Dorsal Periaqueductal Gray
Authors: Lu Botao , Fan Penghui , Wang Yiding , Dai Yuchuan , Xie Jingyu , Yang Gucheng , Mo Fan , Xu Zhaojie , Song Yilin , Liu Juntao , Cai Xinxia
Published: March 2022

Defense is the basic survival mechanism of animals when facing dangers. Previous studies have shown that the midbrain periaqueduct gray (PAG) was essential for the production of defense responses. However, the correlation between the endogenous neuronal activities of the dorsal PAG (dPAG) and different defense behaviors was still unclear. In this article, we designed and manufactured microelectrode arrays (MEAs) whose detection sites were arranged to match the shape and position of dPAG in rats, and modified it with platinum-black nanoparticles to improve the detection performance. Subsequently, we successfully recorded the electrophysiological activities of dPAG neurons via designed MEAs in freely behaving rats before and after exposure to the potent analog of predator odor 2-methyl-2-thiazoline (2-MT). Results demonstrated that 2-MT could cause strong innate fear and a series of defensive behaviors, accompanied by the significantly increased average firing rate and local field potential (LFP) power of neurons in dPAG. We also observed that dPAG participated in different defense behaviors with different degrees of activation, which was significantly stronger in the flight stage. Further analysis showed that the neuronal activities of dPAG neurons were earlier than flight, and the intensity of activation was inversely proportional to the distance from predator odor. Overall, our results indicate that dPAG neuronal activities play a crucial role in controlling different types of predator odor-evoked innate fear/defensive behaviors, and provide some guidance for the prediction of defense behavior.
A V-Shaped Microcantilever Sensor Based on a Gap Method for Real-Time Detection of E. coli Bacteria
Authors: Fathy Jino , Lai Yongjun
Published: March 2022

This paper presents a dynamic-mode microcantilever sensor based on a gap method. The sensor has a V-shaped microcantilever and a fixed structure at a distance of 2 µm from its free end. The microcantilever is excited by applying an ac electric potential (3 Vp) to its piezoelectric pads and vibrates at its fundamental resonant frequency. An independent ac electric potential (200 kHz, 15 Vpp) is applied to the fixed structure. This creates a non-uniform electric field with its maxima at the gap and exerts a dielectrophoresis (DEP) force. The DEP force attracts and adsorbs the E. coli bacteria to the cantilever edge at the gap. The binding of the bacteria to the cantilever creates a shift in the resonant frequency of the microcantilever sensor, which is detected by a laser vibrometer. The real-time detection of E. coli bacteria samples, diluted in distilled water, was performed for concentrations of 105–103 cells/mL and the real-time frequency shifts were −2264.3 to −755 Hz in 4 min, respectively. The tests were expanded to study the effect of the electric potential amplitude (10, 12, 15 Vpp) and higher frequency shifts were observed for higher amplitudes.
Portable Waveguide-Based Optical Biosensor
Authors: Kocheril Philip A. , Lenz Kiersten D. , Mascareñas David D. L. , Morales-Garcia John E. , Anderson Aaron S. , Mukundan Harshini
Published: March 2022

Rapid, on-site diagnostics allow for timely intervention and response for warfighter support, environmental monitoring, and global health needs. Portable optical biosensors are being widely pursued as a means of achieving fieldable biosensing due to the potential speed and accuracy of optical detection. We recently developed the portable engineered analytic sensor with automated sampling (PEGASUS) with the goal of developing a fieldable, generalizable biosensing platform. Here, we detail the development of PEGASUS’s sensing hardware and use a test-bed system of identical sensing hardware and software to demonstrate detection of a fluorescent conjugate at 1 nM through biotin-streptavidin chemistry.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Confirmed Olfactory Bulb Reduction in Long COVID-19: Literature Review and Case Series
Authors: Frosolini Andrea , Parrino Daniela , Fabbris Cristoforo , Fantin Francesco , Inches Ingrid , Invitto Sara , Spinato Giacomo , Filippis Cosimo
Published: March 2022

An altered sense of smell and taste was recognized as one of the most characteristic symptoms of coronavirus infection disease (COVID-19). Despite most patients experiencing a complete functional resolution, there is a 21.3% prevalence of persistent alteration at 12 months after infection. To date, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in these patients have been variable and not clearly defined. We aimed to clarify radiological alterations of olfactory pathways in patients with long COVID-19 characterized by olfactory dysfunction. A comprehensive review of the English literature was performed by analyzing relevant papers about this topic. A case series was presented: all patients underwent complete otorhinolaryngology evaluation including the Sniffin’ Sticks battery test. A previous diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed by positive swabs. The MRIs were acquired using a 3.0T MR scanner with a standardized protocol for olfactory tract analysis. Images were first analysed by a dedicated neuroradiologist and subsequently reviewed and compared with the previous available MRIs. The review of the literature retrieved 25 studies; most cases of olfactory dysfunction more than 3 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection showed olfactory bulb (OB) reduction. Patients in the personal case series had asymmetry and a reduction in the volume of the OB. This evidence was strengthened by the comparison with a previous MRI, where the OBs were normal. The results preliminarily confirmed OB reduction in cases of long COVID-19 with an altered sense of smell. Further studies are needed to clarify the epidemiology, pathophysiology and prognosis.
Integrative Hedonic and Homeostatic Food Intake Regulation by the Central Nervous System: Insights from Neuroimaging
Authors: Campos Alejandro , Port John D. , Acosta Andres
Published: March 2022

Food intake regulation in humans is a complex process controlled by the dynamic interaction of homeostatic and hedonic systems. Homeostatic regulation is controlled by appetitive signals from the gut, adipose tissue, and the vagus nerve, while conscious and unconscious reward processes orchestrate hedonic regulation. On the one hand, sight, smell, taste, and texture perception deliver potent food-related feedback to the central nervous system (CNS) and influence brain areas related to food reward. On the other hand, macronutrient composition stimulates the release of appetite signals from the gut, which are translated in the CNS into unconscious reward processes. This multi-level regulation process of food intake shapes and regulates human ingestive behavior. Identifying the interface between hormones, neurotransmitters, and brain areas is critical to advance our understanding of conditions like obesity and develop better therapeutical interventions. Neuroimaging studies allow us to take a glance into the central nervous system (CNS) while these processes take place. This review focuses on the available neuroimaging evidence to describe this interaction between the homeostatic and hedonic components in human food intake regulation.
The Human Myelin Proteome and Sub-Metalloproteome Interaction Map: Relevance to Myelin-Related Neurological Diseases
Authors: Chasapis Christos T. , Kelaidonis Konstantinos , Ridgway Harry , Apostolopoulos Vasso , Matsoukas John M.
Published: March 2022

Myelin in humans is composed of about 80% lipids and 20% protein. Initially, myelin protein composition was considered low, but various recent proteome analyses have identified additional myelin proteins. Although, the myelin proteome is qualitatively and quantitatively identified through complementary proteomic approaches, the corresponding Protein–Protein Interaction (PPI) network of myelin is not yet available. In the present work, the PPI network was constructed based on available experimentally supported protein interactions of myelin in PPI databases. The network comprised 2017 PPIs between 567 myelin proteins. Interestingly, structure-based in silico analysis revealed that 20% of the myelin proteins that are interconnected in the proposed PPI network are metal-binding proteins/enzymes that construct the main sub-PPI network of myelin proteome. Finally, the PPI networks of the myelin proteome and sub-metalloproteome were analyzed ontologically to identify the biochemical processes of the myelin proteins and the interconnectivity of myelin-associated diseases in the interactomes. The presented PPI dataset could provide a useful resource to the scientific community to further our understanding of human myelin biology and serve as a basis for future studies of myelin-related neurological diseases and particular autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis where myelin epitopes are implicated.
Val66Met Polymorphism Is Associated with Altered Motor-Related Oscillatory Activity in Youth with Cerebral Palsy
Authors: Trevarrow Michael , Bergwell Hannah , Sanmann Jennifer , Wilson Tony , Kurz Max
Published: March 2022

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a critical role in the capacity for neuroplastic change. A single nucleotide polymorphism of the BDNF gene is well known to alter the activity-dependent release of the protein and may impact the capacity for neuroplastic change. Numerous studies have shown altered sensorimotor beta event-related desynchronization (ERD) responses in youth with cerebral palsy (CP), which is thought to be directly related to motor planning. The objective of the current investigation was to use magnetoencephalography (MEG) to evaluate whether the BDNF genotype affects the strength of the sensorimotor beta ERD seen in youth with CP while youth with CP performed a leg isometric target matching task. In addition, we collected saliva samples and used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification to determine the status of the amino acid fragment containing codon 66 of the BDNF gene. Our genotyping results identified that 25% of the youth with CP had a Val66Met or Met66Met polymorphism at codon 66 of the BDNF gene. Furthermore, we identified that the beta ERD was stronger in youth with CP who had the Val66Met or Met66Met polymorphism in comparison to those without the polymorphism (p = 0.042). Overall, these novel findings suggest that a polymorphism at the BDNF gene may alter sensorimotor cortical oscillations in youth with CP.
Subcortical Brain Morphometry Differences between Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Schizophrenia
Authors: Weerasekera Akila , Ion-Mărgineanu Adrian , Nolan Garry , Mody Maria
Published: March 2022

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SZ) are neuropsychiatric disorders that overlap in symptoms associated with social-cognitive impairment. Subcortical structures play a significant role in cognitive and social-emotional behaviors and their abnormalities are associated with neuropsychiatric conditions. This exploratory study utilized ABIDE II/COBRE MRI and corresponding phenotypic datasets to compare subcortical volumes of adults with ASD (n = 29), SZ (n = 51) and age and gender matched neurotypicals (NT). We examined the association between subcortical volumes and select behavioral measures to determine whether core symptomatology of disorders could be explained by subcortical association patterns. We observed volume differences in ASD (viz., left pallidum, left thalamus, left accumbens, right amygdala) but not in SZ compared to their respective NT controls, reflecting morphometric changes specific to one of the disorder groups. However, left hippocampus and amygdala volumes were implicated in both disorders. A disorder-specific negative correlation (r = −0.39, p = 0.038) was found between left-amygdala and scores on the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) Social-Cognition in ASD, and a positive association (r = 0.29, p = 0.039) between full scale IQ (FIQ) and right caudate in SZ. Significant correlations between behavior measures and subcortical volumes were observed in NT groups (ASD-NT range; r = −0.53 to −0.52, p = 0.002 to 0.004, SZ-NT range; r = −0.41 to −0.32, p = 0.007 to 0.021) that were non-significant in the disorder groups. The overlap of subcortical volumes implicated in ASD and SZ may reflect common neurological mechanisms. Furthermore, the difference in correlation patterns between disorder and NT groups may suggest dysfunctional connectivity with cascading effects unique to each disorder and a potential role for IQ in mediating behavior and brain circuits.