bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comprehensive Transcriptome Analysis of Follicles from Two Stages of the Estrus Cycle of Two Breeds Reveals the Roles of Long Intergenic Non-Coding RNAs in Gilts
Authors: Liu Mingzheng , Xu Qinglei , Zhao Jing , Guo Yanli , Zhang Chunlei , Chao Xiaohuan , Cheng Meng , Schinckel Allan P. , Zhou Bo
Published: May 2022

Visible and long-lasting estrus expression of gilts and sows effectively sends a mating signal. To reveal the roles of Long Intergenic Non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs) in estrus expression, RNA-seq was used to investigate the lincRNAs expression of follicular tissues from Large White gilts at diestrus (LD) and estrus (LE), and Chinese Mi gilts at diestrus (MD) and estrus (ME). Seventy-three differentially expressed lincRNAs (DELs) were found in all comparisons (LE vs. ME, LD vs. LE, and MD vs. ME comparisons). Eleven lincRNAs were differentially expressed in both LD vs. LE and MD vs. ME comparisons. Fifteen DELs were mapped onto the pig corpus luteum number Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) fragments. A protein–protein interaction (PPI) network that involved estrus expression using 20 DEGs was then constructed. Interestingly, three predicted target DEGs (PTGs) (CYP19A1 of MSTRG.10910, CDK1 of MSTRG.10910 and MSTRG.23984, SCARB1 of MSTRG.1559) were observed in the PPI network. A competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network including three lincRNAs, five miRNAs, and five genes was constructed. Our study provides new insight into the lincRNAs associated with estrus expression and follicular development in gilts.
Ultrafast DNA Amplification Using Microchannel Flow-Through PCR Device
Authors: Lin Yen-Heng , Liao Xiang-Jun , Chang Wei , Chiou Chiuan-Chian
Published: May 2022

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is limited by the long reaction time for point-of-care. Currently, commercial benchtop rapid PCR requires 30–40 min, and this time is limited by the absence of rapid and stable heating and cooling platforms rather than the biochemical reaction kinetics. This study develops an ultrafast PCR (<3 min) platform using flow-through microchannel chips. An actin gene amplicon with a length of 151 base-pairs in the whole genome was used to verify the ultrafast PCR microfluidic chip. The results demonstrated that the channel of 56 μm height can provide fast heat conduction and the channel length should not be short. Under certain denaturation and annealing/extension times, a short channel design will cause the sample to drive slowly in the microchannel with insufficient pressure in the channel, causing the fluid to generate bubbles in the high-temperature zone and subsequently destabilizing the flow. The chips used in the experiment can complete 40 thermal cycles within 160 s through a design with the 56 µm channel height and with each thermal circle measuring 4 cm long. The calculation shows that the DNA extension speed is ~60 base-pairs/s, which is consistent with the theoretical speed of the Klen Taq extension used, and the detection limit can reach 67 copies. The heat transfer time of the reagent on this platform is very short. The simple chip design and fabrication are suitable for the development of commercial ultrafast PCR chips.
Real-Time Monitoring the Cytotoxic Effect of Andrographolide on Human Oral Epidermoid Carcinoma Cells
Authors: Liao Heng-Yi , Huang Chun-Chung , Chao Shih-Chi , Chiang Chien-Ping , Tang Bo-Hsuan , Lee Shiao-Pieng , Wang Jehng-Kang
Published: May 2022

Andrographolide is an active diterpenoid compound extracted from Andrographis paniculata. It exhibits antiinflammatory and anticancer effects. Previous studies show that it is non-toxic to experimental animals. The leading causes of cancer are chronic inflammation and high blood glucose. This study determines the cytotoxic effect of andrographolide on cellular morphology, viability, and migration for human oral epidermoid carcinoma cell Meng-1 (OEC-M1). We use electric cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS) to measure the subsequent overall impedance changes of the cell monolayer in response to different concentrations of andrographolide for 24 h (10–100 µM). The results for exposure of OEC-M1 cells to andrographolide (10–100 µM) for 24 h show a concentration-dependent decrease in the overall measured resistance at 4 kHz. AlamarBlue cell viability assay and annexin V also show the apoptotic effect of andrographolide on OEC-M1 cells. A reduction in wound-healing recovery rate is observed for cells treated with 30 μM andrographolide. This study demonstrates that ECIS can be used for the in vitro screening of anticancer drugs. ECIS detects the cytotoxic effect of drugs earlier than traditional biochemical assays, and it is more sensitive and shows more detail.
Olfactory Evaluation in Alzheimer’s Disease Model Mice
Authors: Zhang Jingjing , Zhao Zixuan , Sun Siqi , Li Jing , Wang Yu , Dong Jingyin , Yang Su , Lou Yiyi , Yang Jing , Li Weiyun , Li Shanshan
Published: May 2022

Olfactory dysfunction is considered a pre-cognitive biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Because the olfactory system is highly conserved across species, mouse models corresponding to various AD etiologies have been bred and used in numerous studies on olfactory disorders. The olfactory behavior test is a method required for early olfactory dysfunction detection in AD model mice. Here, we review the olfactory evaluation of AD model mice, focusing on traditional olfactory detection methods, olfactory behavior involving the olfactory cortex, and the results of olfactory behavior in AD model mice, aiming to provide some inspiration for further development of olfactory detection methods in AD model mice.
Lifestyle Matters: Effects of Habitual Physical Activity on Driving Skills in Older Age
Authors: Gökçe Evrim , Stojan Robert , Mack Melanie , Bock Otmar , Voelcker-Rehage Claudia
Published: May 2022

Research on multitasking driving has suggested age-related deterioration in driving performance. It has been shown that physical and cognitive functioning, which are related to driving performance and decline with aging, are positively associated with physical activity behavior. This study aimed to explore whether driving performance decline becomes severe with advancing age and whether physical activity behavior modifies age-related deterioration in driving performance. A total of one hundred forty-one healthy adults were categorized into three groups based on their age; old-old (74.21 ± 2.33 years), young-old (66.53 ± 1.50 years), and young adults (23.25 ± 2.82 years). Participants completed a realistic multitasking driving task. Physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness levels were evaluated. Older groups drove more slowly and laterally than young adults, and old-old adults drove slower than young-old ones across the whole driving course. Physical activity level did not interact with the aging effect on driving performance, whereas cardiovascular fitness interacted. Higher-fitness young-old and young adults drove faster than higher-fitness old-old adults. Higher-fitness old adults drove more laterally than higher-fitness young adults. The present study demonstrated a gradual decline in driving performance in old adults, and cardiorespiratory fitness interacted with the aging effect on driving performance. Future research on the interaction of aging and physical activity behavior on driving performance in different age groups is of great value and may help deepen our knowledge.
Analysis of Factors Influencing the Job Satisfaction of New Generation of Construction Workers in China: A Study Based on DEMATEL and ISM
Authors: Ni Guodong , Li Huaikun , Jin Tinghao , Hu Haibo , Zhang Ziyao
Published: May 2022

China’s construction industry is facing serious problems of aging construction workers and labor shortages. Improving the job satisfaction of construction workers is a key point for retaining existing construction workers and for attracting younger generations into the construction field in China. At present, the new generation of construction workers (NGCW) born after 1980 has been the main force on construction sites in China. Therefore, it is very important to study and explore the influencing factors of the job satisfaction of the NGCW. This paper aims to determine the influencing factors of job satisfaction of the NGCW through literature research and to clarify the interaction mechanisms and hierarchical structures of influencing factors using the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) to design appropriate human resource practices to promote their job satisfaction. Research findings show that there are 12 main influencing factors of job satisfaction of the NGCW, which are at three levels: personal traits, job characteristics and social environment, and the influencing factors can be divided into a cause group and an effect group, including four layers: the root layer, controllable layer, key layer and direct layer in the multi-level hierarchical structure model. Furthermore, the critical influencing factors of the job satisfaction of the NGCW consist of education level, competency, career development, salaries and rewards, rights protection and work–family balance. This research enriches the job satisfaction literature of construction workers and provides an important reference for decision makers in construction enterprises and the construction industry to understand what influences the job satisfaction of the NGCW and how it is influenced to then improve it in China.
Prediction of Compaction and Strength Properties of Amended Soil Using Machine Learning
Authors: Taffese Woubishet Zewdu , Abegaz Kassahun Admassu
Published: May 2022

In the current work, a systematic approach is exercised to monitor amended soil reliability for a housing development program to holistically understand the targeted material mixture and the building input derived, focusing on the three governing parameters: (i) optimum moisture content (OMC), (ii) maximum dry density (MDD), and (iii) unconfined compressive strength (UCS). It is in essence the selection of machine learning algorithms that could optimally show the true relation of these factors in the best possible way. Thus, among the machine learning approaches, the optimizable ensemble and artificial neural networks were focused on. The data sources were those compiled from wide-ranging literature sources distributed over the five continents and twelve countries of origin. After a rigorous manipulation, synthesis, and results analyses, it was found that the selected algorithms performed well to better approximate OMC and UCS, whereas that of the MDD result falls short of the established threshold of the set limits referring to the MSE statistical performance evaluation metrics.
Dissecting the Functional Role of the TRIM8 Protein on Cancer Pathogenesis
Authors: Esposito Jessica Elisabetta , De Iuliis Vincenzo , Avolio Francesco , Liberatoscioli Eliana , Pulcini Riccardo , Di Francesco Simona , Pennelli Alfonso , Martinotti Stefano , Toniato Elena
Published: May 2022

TRIM/RBCC are a large family of proteins that include more than 80 proteins, most of which act as E3 ligases and catalyze the direct transfer of Ubiquitin, SUMO and ISG15 on specific protein substrates. They are involved in oncogenesis processes and in cellular immunity. On this topic, we focus on TRIM8 and its multiple roles in tumor pathologies. TRIM8 inhibits breast cancer proliferation through the regulation of estrogen signaling. TRIM8 downregulation in glioma is involved in cell proliferation, and it is related to patients’ survival. Several studies suggested that TRIM8 regulates the p53 suppressor signaling pathway: it is involved in the NF-kB pathway (Nuclear Factor kappa light- chain-enhancer of activated B cells) and in STAT3 (Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3) of the JAK-STAT pathway. In this review, we summarize how the association between these different pathways reflects a dual role of TRIM8 in cancer as an oncogene or a tumor suppressor gene.
Congenital Aneuploidy in Klinefelter Syndrome with B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Might Be Associated with Chromosomal Instability and Reduced Telomere Length
Authors: Kjeldsen Eigil
Published: May 2022

Rare congenital aneuploid conditions such as trisomy 13, trisomy 18, trisomy 21 and Klinefelter syndrome (KS, 47,XXY) are associated with higher susceptibility to developing cancer compared with euploid genomes. Aneuploidy frequently co-exists with chromosomal instability, which can be viewed as a “vicious cycle” where aneuploidy potentiates chromosomal instability, leading to further karyotype diversity, and in turn, paving the adaptive evolution of cancer. However, the relationship between congenital aneuploidy per se and tumor initiation and/or progression is not well understood. We used G-banding analysis, array comparative genomic hybridization analysis and quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization for telomere length analysis to characterize the leukemic blasts of a three-year-old boy with KS and B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), to gain insight into genomic evolution mechanisms in congenital aneuploidy and leukemic development. We found chromosomal instability and a significant reduction in telomere length in leukemic blasts when compared with the non-leukemic aneuploid cells. Reviewing published cases with KS and B-ALL revealed 20 additional cases with B-ALL diagnostic cytogenetics. Including our present case, 67.7% (14/21) had acquired two or more additional chromosomal aberrations at B-ALL diagnosis. The presented data indicate that congenital aneuploidy in B-ALL might be associated with chromosomal instability, which may be fueled by enhanced telomere attrition.
Tany-Seq: Integrated Analysis of the Mouse Tanycyte Transcriptome
Authors: Sullivan Andrew I. , Potthoff Matthew J. , Flippo Kyle H.
Published: May 2022

The ability to maintain energy homeostasis is necessary for survival. Recently, an emerging role for ependymogial cells, which line the third ventricle in the hypothalamus in the regulation of energy homeostasis, has been appreciated. These cells are called tanycytes and are physically at the interface of brain communication with peripheral organs and have been proposed to mediate the transport of circulating hormones from the third ventricle into the parenchyma of the hypothalamus. Despite the important role tanycytes have been proposed to play in mediating communication from the periphery to the brain, we understand very little about the ontology and function of these cells due to their limited abundance and lack of ability to genetically target this cell population reliably. To overcome these hurdles, we integrated existing hypothalamic single cell RNA sequencing data, focusing on tanycytes, to allow for more in-depth characterization of tanycytic cell types and their putative functions. Overall, we expect this dataset to serve as a resource for the research community.
Nutrient-Response Pathways in Healthspan and Lifespan Regulation
Authors: Dabrowska Aleksandra , Kumar Juhi , Rallis Charalampos
Published: May 2022

Cellular, small invertebrate and vertebrate models are a driving force in biogerontology studies. Using various models, such as yeasts, appropriate tissue culture cells, Drosophila, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and the mouse, has tremendously increased our knowledge around the relationship between diet, nutrient-response signaling pathways and lifespan regulation. In recent years, combinatorial drug treatments combined with mutagenesis, high-throughput screens, as well as multi-omics approaches, have provided unprecedented insights in cellular metabolism, development, differentiation, and aging. Scientists are, therefore, moving towards characterizing the fine architecture and cross-talks of growth and stress pathways towards identifying possible interventions that could lead to healthy aging and the amelioration of age-related diseases in humans. In this short review, we briefly examine recently uncovered knowledge around nutrient-response pathways, such as the Insulin Growth Factor (IGF) and the mechanistic Target of Rapamycin signaling pathways, as well as specific GWAS and some EWAS studies on lifespan and age-related disease that have enhanced our current understanding within the aging and biogerontology fields. We discuss what is learned from the rich and diverse generated data, as well as challenges and next frontiers in these scientific disciplines.
Transcriptional Programs and Regulators Underlying Age-Dependent and Dark-Induced Senescence in Medicago truncatula
Authors: Mahmood Kashif , Torres-Jerez Ivone , Krom Nick , Liu Wei , Udvardi Michael K.
Published: May 2022

In forage crops, age-dependent and stress-induced senescence reduces forage yield and quality. Therefore, delaying leaf senescence may be a way to improve forage yield and quality as well as plant resilience to stresses. Here, we used RNA-sequencing to determine the molecular bases of age-dependent and dark-induced leaf senescence in Medicago truncatula. We identified 6845 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in M3 leaves associated with age-dependent leaf senescence. An even larger number (14219) of DEGs were associated with dark-induced senescence. Upregulated genes identified during age-dependent and dark-induced senescence were over-represented in oxidation–reduction processes and amino acid, carboxylic acid and chlorophyll catabolic processes. Dark-specific upregulated genes also over-represented autophagy, senescence and cell death. Mitochondrial functions were strongly inhibited by dark-treatment while these remained active during age-dependent senescence. Additionally, 391 DE transcription factors (TFs) belonging to various TF families were identified, including a core set of 74 TFs during age-dependent senescence while 759 DE TFs including a core set of 338 TFs were identified during dark-induced senescence. The heterologous expression of several senescence-induced TFs belonging to NAC, WKRY, bZIP, MYB and HD-zip TF families promoted senescence in tobacco leaves. This study revealed the dynamics of transcriptomic responses to age- and dark-induced senescence in M. truncatula and identified senescence-associated TFs that are attractive targets for future work to control senescence in forage legumes.
Genetic Kidney Diseases (GKDs) Modeling Using Genome Editing Technologies
Authors: Gómez-García Fernando , Martínez-Pulleiro Raquel , Carrera Noa , Allegue Catarina , Garcia-Gonzalez Miguel A.
Published: May 2022

Genetic kidney diseases (GKDs) are a group of rare diseases, affecting approximately about 60 to 80 per 100,000 individuals, for which there is currently no treatment that can cure them (in many cases). GKDs usually leads to early-onset chronic kidney disease, which results in patients having to undergo dialysis or kidney transplant. Here, we briefly describe genetic causes and phenotypic effects of six GKDs representative of different ranges of prevalence and renal involvement (ciliopathy, glomerulopathy, and tubulopathy). One of the shared characteristics of GKDs is that most of them are monogenic. This characteristic makes it possible to use site-specific nuclease systems to edit the genes that cause GKDs and generate in vitro and in vivo models that reflect the genetic abnormalities of GKDs. We describe and compare these site-specific nuclease systems (zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effect nucleases (TALENs) and regularly clustered short palindromic repeat-associated protein (CRISPR-Cas9)) and review how these systems have allowed the generation of cellular and animal GKDs models and how they have contributed to shed light on many still unknown fields in GKDs. We also indicate the main obstacles limiting the application of these systems in a more efficient way. The information provided here will be useful to gain an accurate understanding of the technological advances in the field of genome editing for GKDs, as well as to serve as a guide for the selection of both the genome editing tool and the gene delivery method most suitable for the successful development of GKDs models.
A Microphysiometric System Based on LAPS for Real-Time Monitoring of Microbial Metabolism
Authors: Jiang Nan , Liang Tao , Qin Chunlian , Yuan Qunchen , Liu Mengxue , Zhuang Liujing , Wang Ping
Published: May 2022

Macronutrients (carbohydrates, fat and protein) are the cornerstones of daily diet, among which carbohydrates provide energy for the muscles and central nervous system during movement and exercise. The breakdown of carbohydrates starts in the oral cavity, where they are primarily hydrolyzed to glucose and then metabolized to organic acids. The end products may have an impact on the oral microenvironment, so it is necessary to monitor the process of microbial metabolism and to measure the pH change. Although a pH meter has been widely used, it is limited by its sensitivity. We then introduce a light addressable potentiometric sensor (LAPS), which has been used in extracellular acidification detection of living cells with the advantages of being objective, quantitative and highly sensitive. However, it is difficult to use in monitoring bacterial metabolism because bacteria cannot be immobilization on the LAPS chip as easily as living cells. Therefore, a microphysiometric system integrated with Transwell insert and microfluidic LAPS chip was designed and constructed to solve this problem. The decrease in pH caused by glucose fermentation in Lactobacillus rhamnosus was successfully measured by this device. This proves the feasibility of the system for metabolism detection of non-adhere targets such as microorganisms and even 3D cells and organoids.
Time-Series Clustering of lncRNA-mRNA Expression during the Adipogenic Transdifferentiation of Porcine Skeletal Muscle Satellite Cells
Authors: Qiu Xiaoyu , Gao Guangliang , Du Lei , Wang Jing , Wang Qi , Yang Feiyun , Zhou Xiaorong , Long Dingbiao , Huang Jinxiu , Liu Zuohua , Qi Renli
Published: May 2022

Skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSCs), which are multifunctional muscle-derived stem cells, can differentiate into adipocytes. Long-chain non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has diverse biological functions, including the regulation of gene expression, chromosome silencing, and nuclear transport. However, the regulatory roles and mechanism of lncRNA during adipogenic transdifferentiation in muscle cells have not been thoroughly investigated. Here, porcine SMSCs were isolated, cultured, and induced for adipogenic differentiation. The expressions of lncRNA and mRNA at different time points during transdifferentiation were analysed using RNA-seq analysis. In total, 1005 lncRNAs and 7671 mRNAs showed significant changes in expression at differential differentiation stages. Time-series expression analysis showed that the differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs and mRNAs were clustered into 5 and 11 different profiles with different changes, respectively. GO, KEGG, and REACTOME enrichment analyses revealed that DE mRNAs with increased expressions during the trans-differentiation were mainly enriched in the pathways for lipid metabolism and fat cell differentiation. The genes with decreased expressions were mainly enriched in the regulation of cell cycle and genetic information processing. In addition, 1883 DE mRNAs were regulated by 193 DE lncRNAs, and these genes were related to the controlling in cell cycle mainly. Notably, three genes in the fatty acid binding protein (FABP) family significantly and continuously increased during trans-differentiation, and 15, 13, and 11 lncRNAs may target FABP3, FABP4, and FABP5 genes by cis- or trans-regulation, respectively. In conclusion, these studies identify a set of new potential regulator for adipogenesis and cell fate and help us in better understanding the molecular mechanisms of trans-differentiation.
Correlation of Medical Comorbidities and Upper Airway Measurements among Dental Patients at Risk of Developing Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Authors: Lin Kar Yi , Eow Pei Ying , Kohli Shivani , Math Swarna Yerebairapura
Published: May 2022

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a partial or total upper airway collapse resulting in sleep-breathing disturbances. There are many medical comorbidities associated with OSA; hence, this study is important as the prevalence of patients with medical comorbidities associated with OSA is increasing. The study aimed to correlate medical comorbidities and OSA symptoms of the patients along with their upper airway dimensions using Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) scans to identify patients at risk of developing OSA. This cross-sectional study included patients who had CBCT imaging taken between 2014 and 2020. A questionnaire was used to gather information on patients’ medical history and OSA symptoms. The upper airway dimensions of the CBCT scans were evaluated before logistic regression and Fisher’s exact test were carried out to determine the relationships between the variables. p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Logistic regression revealed an association of longer length (p = 0.016), smaller total volume (p = 0.017) and width (p = 0.010) of upper airways with hypertension. Furthermore, loud snoring was seen in patients with hypertension, heart disease and obesity whereas difficulty concentrating during the day was present in subjects with deviated nasal septum, tonsillitis and depression. For upper airway dimensions, a smaller average volume was associated with loud snoring (p = 0.037), difficulty concentrating during the day (p = 0.002) and mood changes (p = 0.036). A larger anterior-posterior dimension was also associated with excessive daytime sleepiness (p = 0.042), difficulty concentrating during the day (p < 0.001) and mood changes (p = 0.009). Longer airway length was additionally found to be associated with loud snoring (p = 0.021). CBCT taken for dental investigations could be correlated with patients’ medical history and OSA symptoms to screen patients at risk of OSA.
Adjustable Underwater Gas Transportation Using Bioinspired Superhydrophobic Elastic String
Authors: Sun Yaping , Liu Meichen , Li Xinlei , Sun Deshuai , Xia Yanzhi , Xiong Zhong
Published: May 2022

Dynamic and precise manipulation of the gas flow in a liquid environment through a facile and reliable approach is of great importance for directional gas transportation and multiphase chemical reactions. In this research, elastic superhydrophobic strings were prepared by a one-step, non-fluorinated dip-coating strategy. The surface-treatment string demonstrated a good superaerophilicity underwater. By simply elongating or shortening superaerophilic strings, the gas flux underwater was precisely manipulated in a gas-siphon underwater experiment. The result reveals that a large strain of the treated string induces a low gas flow, and a rope woven with more strings results in a larger range of gas flow regulation. The elastic superhydrophobic/superaerophilic string was utilized to adjust the reaction time of carbon dioxide and sodium hydroxide aqueous solution successfully. Furthermore, in a wet oxidation experiment for treating simulated flue gas composed of nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen and oxygen, superhydrophobic and stretched strings with a strain of 200% demonstrated a 7.9% higher NO removal efficiency than that of untreated strings. Interestingly, NO removal efficiency can be regulated by mechanical stretching of gas-conducting strings. We believe that this facile and low-cost approach provides a valid method of on-demand manipulation of the gas flow for underwater gas transportation.
Assessment of the Potential Diffusion Barriers between Tungsten and Silicon Carbide for Nuclear Fusion Application
Authors: Du Yina , Wang Baopu , Zhong Yansong , Hinoki Tatsuya
Published: May 2022

A tungsten (W) material is a candidate for the first wall and silicon carbide (SiC) composites are candidates for the structural materials applied in nuclear fusion. SiC fiber-reinforced W composites are also developed for nuclear fusion applications. An effective diffusion barrier is required to prevent reaction between W and SiC. Therefore, in this work, advanced ceramics coatings, such as oxides (ZrO2, TiO2 and Er2O3), nitrides (ZrN and TiN), carbides (TiC and ZrC) were chosen to assess abilities to suppress the reactions. Various films were coated on a CVD (chemical vapor deposition)-SiC plate using the dipping method. Additionally, nitrides coatings prepared by the sputtering method were also investigated in this work. Then evaluations were carried out by joining the coated CVD-SiC plates with W foils. Only the multi-dipped Er2O3 coating and the sputtered nitrides worked well compared with the other coatings. For the other oxide coatings, reactions were identified between oxides and SiC, and for the dipped nitrides and carbides films, cracks were observed on the coating, generated from the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch with the SiC substrate and volume change for the oxides changing to nitrides and carbides. This work provides suggestions about choosing an appropriate interface material between SiC and W.
Fabrication of Metallic Nano-Ring Structures by Soft Stamping with the Thermal Uplifting Method
Authors: Potejanasak Potejana , Pahasa Jonglak , Ngamroo Issarachai
Published: May 2022

In this study, the unconventional microfabrication method by the combined processes of the chemical soft stamping technique with the thermal uplifting technique to fabricate metal nanoarrays on a glass plate is proposed and their feasibility verified. The gold micro-ring arrays on a quartz glass plate are realized by utilizing a chemical template with the thermal uplifting method. Their optical properties are studied experimentally. First, a plastic mold is made of a Biaxially Oriented Polyethylene Terephthalate (BOPET) via the hot embossing method. Then, the Methanal micropatterns are transferred onto an etched surface of a substrate via a soft stamping process with a BOPET mold. The gold thin film is coated onto the methanol patterned glass plate via the Ar+ sputter coating process. Finally, the metallic micro-ring structures are aggregated on a glass plate via the thermal uplifting technique. The LSPR optical properties as the extinction spectrums of the gold micro-ring structure arrays are investigated experimentally. It is confirmed that this method was able to fabricate plasmonic micro-ring arrays with low cost and high throughput.
Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit II: Potential Marker for the Identification of Forensically Significant Species of Coleoptera—A Preliminary Study
Authors: Singh Neha , Singh Drishtant , Kesavan Anup Kumar , Alabdallah Nadiyah M. , Alshehri Mohammed A. , Sayed Samy , Ansari Mohammad Javed , Bala Madhu
Published: May 2022

The foremost concern in forensic entomology is the explicit identification of the species recovered from the crime scene. From the different orders of insects, Diptera is the prime focus in this field, followed by Coleoptera, whose identification can be extremely helpful for corpses in later decomposition stages. In this study, cytochrome oxidase subunit II (COII) was used to check its adequacy as a genetic marker and to create a reference database for eleven species belonging to five families of Coleoptera, namely, Silphidae, Staphylinidae, Histeridae, Dermestidae and Scarabaeidae, from two different states in India to assist in the accurate identification of imperative beetle species in medico-legal entomology. To achieve this, standard protocols of DNA isolation, amplification and sequencing were followed. We concluded that the COII gene can be used as a molecular marker for the identification of forensically relevant species, as observed from the similarities between the phylogenetic relationship constructed by COII and morphological data.
Climatic and Topographical Effects on the Spatiotemporal Variations of Vegetation in Hexi Corridor, Northwestern China
Authors: Jiang Youyan , Du Wentao , Chen Jizu , Wang Chunya , Wang Jinniu , Sun Wenxuan , Chai Xian , Ma Lijuan , Xu Zhilong
Published: May 2022

Oases, as complex geographical landscapes, are strongly influenced by both natural variation and human activities. However, they have degenerated because of unplanned land use and water resource development. The research of oasis changes has mostly discussed single components, but multiple components, especially spatial changes to oasis vegetation, need further strengthening. Land use and NDVI were extracted based on Landsat 5/8 and Mod13A3, respectively, and a transfer matrix was constructed to analyze changes of land use in the Hexi Corridor during 2000–2020. The significant changes in the area of each land use were also quantified. Combined with regional temperature and precipitation, interpolated from meteorological data, the correlations between regional temperature, precipitation, and vegetation coverage were calculated, especially in the quantized areas with significant associations. The results showed that the area of bare land or desert decreased, while the areas of agricultural and residential land increased. The normalized difference NDVI of the studied oases increased at the rate of 0.021 per decade, which was positively related to precipitation (p < 0.05), rather than temperature; of which, farmland and planted grass land were 55.65% and 33.79% in the significantly increased area. In the area of significant positive relation between NDVI and precipitation, the ratio of grassland, farmland, and forest was 79.21%, 12.82%, and 4.06%, respectively. Additionally, changes in oasis vegetation were determined primarily by agricultural activities, which reflected a combination of natural and anthropic influences.
Point-of-Care Ultrasonography as an Extension of the Physical Examination for Abdominal Pain in the Emergency Department: The Diagnosis of Small-Bowel Volvulus as a Rare Complication after Changing the Feeding Jejunostomy Tube
Authors: Wong Tse-Chyuan , Tan Rhu-Chia , Lu Jian-Xun , Cheng Tzu-Heng , Lin Wei-Jun , Chiu Te-Fa , Wu Shih-Hao
Published: May 2022

Point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) has become the most popular modality of testing for physicians in recent years and is used for improving the quality of care and increasing patient safety. However, POCUS is not always acceptable to all physicians. To address the benefits and importance of POCUS, numerous studies have examined the use of POCUS in clinical practice and even medical education. This article aims to highlight the effects of POCUS as an extension of the physical examination, and we present a case to address the reasons it should be performed. For a man experiencing abdominal pain immediately after his feeding jejunostomy tube was changed, there was high suspicion of small-bowel volvulus after a “whirlpool sign” was observed during the POCUS, whereby mesenteric vessels presented in a whirling or spiral shape. This impression was subsequently confirmed by computed tomography. Small-bowel volvulus is a rare complication of changing a feeding jejunostomy tube. The images submitted here add to the sparse evidence from the literature on the use of POCUS as an extension of the physical examination for evaluating abdominal pain. POCUS can be used after taking the patient’s history and conducting a physical examination. The observation of a whirlpool sign may indicate the presence of a volvulus that is life-threatening.
Mathematical Modelling of the Influence of Parasitic Capacitances of the Components of the Logarithmic Analogue-to-Digital Converter (LADC) with a Successive Approximation on Switched Capacitors for Increasing Accuracy of Conversion
Authors: Mychuda Zynoviy , Zhuravel Igor , Mychuda Lesia , Szcześniak Adam , Szcześniak Zbigniew , Yelisieieva Hanna
Published: May 2022

This paper presents an analysis of the influence of parasitic inter-electrode capacitances of the components of logarithmic analogue-to-digital converters with successive approximation with a variable logarithm base. Mathematical models of converter errors were developed and analyzed taking into account the parameters of modern components. It has been shown that to achieve satisfactory accuracy for the 16 bit LADC, the capacitance of the capacitor cell must not be less than 10 nF; for the 12 bit LADC, 1 nF is sufficient.
BSTProv: Blockchain-Based Secure and Trustworthy Data Provenance Sharing
Authors: Sun Lian-Shan , Bai Xue , Zhang Chao , Li Yang , Zhang Yong-Bin , Guo Wen-Qiang
Published: May 2022

In the Big Data era, data provenance has become an important concern for enhancing the trustworthiness of key data that are rapidly generated and shared across organizations. Prevailing solutions employ authoritative centers to efficiently manage and share massive data. They are not suitable for secure and trustworthy decentralized data provenance sharing due to the inevitable dishonesty or failure of trusted centers. With the advent of the blockchain technology, embedding data provenance in immutable blocks is believed to be a promising solution. However, a provenance file, usually a directed acyclic graph, cannot be embedded in blocks as a whole because its size may exceed the limit of a block, and may include various sensitive information that can be legally accessed by different users. To this end, this paper proposed the BSTProv, a blockchain-based system for secure and trustworthy decentralized data provenance sharing. It enables secure and trustworthy provenance sharing by partitioning a large provenance graph into multiple small subgraphs and embedding the encrypted subgraphs instead of raw subgraphs or their hash values into immutable blocks of a consortium blockchain; it enables decentralized and flexible authorization by allowing each peer to define appropriate permissions for selectively sharing some sets of subgraphs to specific requesters; and it enables efficient cross-domain provenance composition and tracing by maintaining a high-level dependency structure among provenance graphs from different domains in smart contracts, and by locally storing, decrypting, and composing subgraphs obtained from the blockchain. Finally, a prototype is implemented on top of an Ethereum-based consortium blockchain and experiment results show the advantages of our approach.
Quality Enhancement of MPEG-H 3DA Binaural Rendering Using a Spectral Compensation Technique
Authors: Moon Hyeongi , Park Young-cheol
Published: May 2022

The latest MPEG standard, MPEG-H 3D Audio, employs the virtual loudspeaker rendering (VLR) technique to support virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). During the rendering, the binaural downmixing of channel signals often induces the so-called comb filter effect, an undesirable spectral artifact, due to the phase difference between the binaural filters. In this paper, we propose an efficient algorithm that can mitigate such spectral artifacts. The proposed algorithm performs spectral compensation in both the panning gain and downmix signal domains depending on the frequency range. In the low-frequency bands where a band has a wider bandwidth than the critical-frequency scale, panning gains are directly compensated. In the high-frequency bands, where a band has a narrower bandwidth than the critical-frequency scale, a signal compensation similar to the active downmix is performed. As a result, the proposed algorithm optimizes the performance and the complexity within MPEG-H 3DA framework. By implementing the algorithm on MPEG-H 3DA BR, we verify that the additional computation complexity is minor. We also show that the proposed algorithm improves the subjective quality of MPEG-H 3DA BR significantly.
Coronary Artery Disease Detection Model Based on Class Balancing Methods and LightGBM Algorithm
Authors: Zhang Shasha , Yuan Yuyu , Yao Zhonghua , Yang Jincui , Wang Xinyan , Tian Jianwei
Published: May 2022

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a disease with high mortality and disability. By 2019, there were 197 million CAD patients in the world. Additionally, the number of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) owing to CAD reached 182 million. It is widely known that the early and accurate diagnosis of CAD is the most efficient method to reduce the damage of CAD. In medical practice, coronary angiography is considered to be the most reliable basis for CAD diagnosis. However, unfortunately, due to the limitation of inspection equipment and expert resources, many low- and middle-income countries do not have the ability to perform coronary angiography. This has led to a large loss of life and medical burden. Therefore, many researchers expect to realize the accurate diagnosis of CAD based on conventional medical examination data with the help of machine learning and data mining technology. The goal of this study is to propose a model for early, accurate and rapid detection of CAD based on common medical test data. This model took the classical logistic regression algorithm, which is the most commonly used in medical model research as the classifier. The advantages of feature selection and feature combination of tree models were used to solve the problem of manual feature engineering in logical regression. At the same time, in order to solve the class imbalance problem in Z-Alizadeh Sani dataset, five different class balancing methods were applied to balance the dataset. In addition, according to the characteristics of the dataset, we also adopted appropriate preprocessing methods. These methods significantly improved the classification performance of logistic regression classifier in terms of accuracy, recall, precision, F1 score, specificity and AUC when used for CAD detection. The best accuracy, recall, F1 score, precision, specificity and AUC were 94.7%, 94.8%, 94.8%, 95.3%, 94.5% and 0.98, respectively. Experiments and results have confirmed that, according to common medical examination data, our proposed model can accurately identify CAD patients in the early stage of CAD. Our proposed model can be used to help clinicians make diagnostic decisions in clinical practice.
A Novel Solution for Solving the Frequency Regulation Problem of Renewable Interlinked Power System Using Fusion of AI
Authors: Kader Mohammed Ozayr Abdul , Akindeji Kayode Timothy , Sharma Gulshan
Published: May 2022

The requirement for clean energy has increased drastically over the years due to the emission of CO2 and the degrading of the environment by introducing Renewable Energy Systems (RES) into the existing power grid. While these systems are a positive change, they come at a cost, with some issues relating to the stability of the grid and feasibility. Hence, this research paper closely investigates the modeling and interlinking of photovoltaic (PV)-based solar power and Double-Fed Induction Generator (DFIG)-based wind turbines with the conventional power systems. RES has been known to contribute to a highly non-linear system and complexity. To return the power systems to their original state after a load disturbance, a novel control technique based on the fractional-order Type-2 Fuzzy logic system, well developed via particle swarm optimization (PSO), has been utilized for solving the frequency control problem of a renewable interlinked power system. The efficacy of the proposed technique is validated for various possible operating conditions and the system results are compared with some of the recent methods with and without including non-linearity, and the performance of the controllers is superimposed on frequency/time graphs for ease of understanding to show the benefits of the proposed research work.
Oil-Immersed Power Transformer Condition Monitoring Methodologies: A Review
Authors: Jin Lan , Kim Dowon , Abu-Siada Ahmed , Kumar Shantanu
Published: May 2022

A power transformer is one of the most critical and expensive assets in electric power systems. Failure of a power transformer would not only result in a downtime to the entire transmission and distribution networks but may also cause personnel and environmental hazards due to oil leak and fire. Hence, to enhance a transformer’s reliability and extend its lifespan, a cost-effective and reliable condition monitoring technique should be adopted from day one of its installation. This will help detect incipient faults, extend a transformer’s operational life, and avoid potential consequences. With the global trend to establish digital substation automation systems, transformer online condition monitoring has been given much attention by utilities and researchers alike. Several online and offline condition monitoring techniques have been recently proposed for oil-immersed power transformers. This paper is aimed at providing a state-of-the-art review for the various condition monitoring technologies used for oil-immersed power transformers. Concept of measurements and analysis of the results along with the future trend of condition monitoring techniques are presented.
A Straightforward Approach to Site-Wide Assessment of Wind Turbine Tower Lifetime Extension Potential
Authors: Grieve Nicola , Kazemi Amiri Abbas Mehrad , Leithead William E.
Published: May 2022

This contribution presents a novel methodology to evaluate the lifetime extension potential of wind turbines—taking towers as the key component that preserves onshore turbines’ structural integrity—as a consequence of the difference between design and site-specific loads. Specifically, attention is drawn to the site-specific wind direction distribution, which provides an additional source of lifetime extension potential. For this purpose, variants of closed-form solutions (based on the tower section’s normal stress) are developed to enable fatigue damage accumulation due to fore-aft and side-to-side bending moments at any point on the tower circumference without the need for further information on tower section geometry or material properties. Based on the degree of data availability, different scenarios are defined to estimate lifetime extension potential from the accurate tower’s normal stress and approximations using resultant bending moment, fore-aft bending moment, and finally, wind rose data only. The methodology is applied to a wind farm case study using the actual SCADA data with a partially validated turbine’s aeroelastic model to obtain operational loads. The results indicate that this quick and fairly accurate approach can be used as an initial stage in identifying wind turbines across large farms, which have the largest lifetime extension potential.
Layer-by-Layer Materials for the Fabrication of Devices with Electrochemical Applications
Authors: Guzmán Eduardo , Ortega Francisco , Rubio Ramón G.
Published: May 2022

The construction of nanostructured materials for their application in electrochemical processes, e.g., energy storage and conversion, or sensing, has undergone a spectacular development over the last decades as a consequence of their unique properties in comparison to those of their bulk counterparts, e.g., large surface area and facilitated charge/mass transport pathways. This has driven strong research on the optimization of nanostructured materials for the fabrication of electrochemical devices, which demands techniques allowing the assembly of hybrid materials with well-controlled structures and properties. The Layer-by-Layer (LbL) method is well suited for fulfilling the requirements associated with the fabrication of devices for electrochemical applications, enabling the fabrication of nanomaterials with tunable properties that can be exploited as candidates for their application in fuel cells, batteries, electrochromic devices, solar cells, and sensors. This review provides an updated discussion of some of the most recent advances on the application of the LbL method for the fabrication of nanomaterials that can be exploited in the design of novel electrochemical devices.