bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On Share Conversions for Private Information Retrieval
Authors: Paskin-Cherniavsky Anat , Schmerler Leora
Published: August 2019

Beimel et al. in CCC 12’ put forward a paradigm for constructing Private Information Retrieval (PIR) schemes, capturing several previous constructions for k ≥ 3 servers. A key component in the paradigm, applicable to three-server PIR, is a share conversion scheme from corresponding linear three-party secret sharing schemes with respect to a certain type of “modified universal” relation. In a useful particular instantiation of the paradigm, they used a share conversion from ( 2 , 3 ) -CNF over Z m to three-additive sharing over Z p β for primes p 1 , p 2 , p where p 1 ≠ p 2 and m = p 1 · p 2 . The share conversion is with respect to the modified universal relation C S m . They reduced the question of whether a suitable share conversion exists for a triple ( p 1 , p 2 , p ) to the (in)solvability of a certain linear system over Z p . Assuming a solution exists, they also provided a efficient (in m , log p ) construction of such a sharing scheme. They proved a suitable conversion exists for several triples of small numbers using a computer program; in particular, p = p 1 = 2 , p 2 = 3 yielded the three-server PIR with the best communication complexity at the time. This approach quickly becomes infeasible as the resulting matrix is of size Θ ( m 4 ) . In this work, we prove that the solvability condition holds for an infinite family of ( p 1 , p 2 , p ) ’s, answering an open question of Beimel et al. Concretely, we prove that if p 1 , p 2 > 2 and p = p 1 , then a conversion of the required form exists. We leave the full characterization of such triples, with potential applications to PIR complexity, to future work. Although larger (particularly with m a x ( p 1 , p 2 ) > 3 ) triples do not yield improved three-server PIR communication complexity via BIKO’s construction, a richer family of PIR protocols we obtain by plugging in our share conversions might have useful properties for other applications. Moreover, we hope that the analytic techniques for understanding the relevant matrices we developed would help to understand whether share conversion as above for C S m , where m is a product of more than two (say three) distinct primes, exists. The general BIKO paradigm generalizes to work for such Z m ’s. Furthermore, the linear condition in Beimel et al. generalizes to m’s, which are products of more than two primes, so our hope is somewhat justified. In case such a conversion does exist, plugging it into BIKO’s construction would lead to major improvement to the state of the art of three-server PIR communication complexity (reducing Communication Complexity (CC) in correspondence with certain matching vector families).
On Shock Propagation through Double-Bend Ducts by Entropy-Generation-Based Artificial Viscosity Method
Authors: Chaudhuri Arnab
Published: August 2019

Shock-wave propagation through obstacles or internal ducts involves complex shock dynamics, shock-wave shear layer interactions and shock-wave boundary layer interactions arising from the associated diffraction phenomenon. This work addresses the applicability and effectiveness of the high-order numerical scheme for such complex viscous compressible flows. An explicit Discontinuous Spectral Element Method (DSEM) equipped with entropy-generation-based artificial viscosity method was used to solve compressible Navier–Stokes system of equations for this purpose. The shock-dynamics and viscous interactions associated with a planar moving shock-wave through a double-bend duct were resolved by two-dimensional numerical simulations. The shock-wave diffraction patterns, the large-scale structures of the shock-wave-turbulence interactions, agree very well with previous experimental findings. For shock-wave Mach number M s = 1.3466 and reference Reynolds number Re f = 10 6 , the predicted pressure signal at the exit section of the duct is in accordance with the literature. The attenuation in terms of overpressure for M s = 1.53 is found to be ≈0.51. Furthermore, the effect of reference Reynolds number is studied to address the importance of viscous interactions. The shock-shear layer and shock-boundary layer dynamics strongly depend on the Re f while the principal shock-wave patterns are generally independent of Re f .
Techno-Economic Comparison of Onshore and Offshore Underground Coal Gasification End-Product Competitiveness
Authors: Nakaten Natalie , Kempka Thomas
Published: August 2019

Underground coal gasification (UCG) enables utilization of coal reserves, currently not economically exploitable due to complex geological boundary conditions. Hereby, UCG produces a high-calorific synthesis gas that can be used for generation of electricity, fuels, and chemical feedstock. The present study aims to identify economically-competitive, site-specific end-use options for onshore- and offshore-produced UCG synthesis gas, taking into account the capture and storage (CCS) and/or utilization (CCU) of produced CO 2 . Modeling results show that boundary conditions favoring electricity, methanol, and ammonia production expose low costs for air separation, low compression power requirements, and appropriate shares of H 2 /N 2 . Hereby, a gasification agent ratio of more than 30% oxygen by volume is not favorable from the economic and CO 2 mitigation viewpoints. Compared to the costs of an offshore platform with its technical equipment, offshore drilling costs are marginal. Thus, uncertainties related to parameters influenced by drilling costs are negligible. In summary, techno-economic process modeling results reveal that air-blown gasification scenarios are the most cost-effective ones, while offshore UCG-CCS/CCU scenarios are up to 1.7 times more expensive than the related onshore processes. Hereby, all investigated onshore scenarios except from ammonia production under the assumed worst-case conditions are competitive on the European market.
A Study on the Improvement of the Evaluation Scale of Discomfort Glare in Educational Facilities
Authors: Lee Sewon , Lee Kyung Sun
Published: August 2019

The lighting environment is a factor that significantly affects the physical and psychological aspects of occupants of a building. In particular, educational facilities should be designed to provide adequate natural lighting because it has a profound impact on students’ health and learning performance. Although environmental certification systems include evaluation items for improving the indoor light environment, there is a lack of evaluation criteria regarding the corresponding issue of glare. Therefore, this study aims to help visualize areas where indoor glare problems occur, and to improve the evaluation scale of discomfort glare in environmental certification systems. A standard high school classroom in Seoul was analyzed to study glare issues in the educational space. DIVA for Rhino—Grasshopper, a light environment simulation program based on Radiance and DAYSIM program, was used to obtain reliable light analysis simulation results, and the daylight glare probability (DGP) measure was used to calculate discomfort glare. The results of the simulation and analysis suggest this is a method for improving glare evaluation measures that are lacking in indoor environmental certification standards. The visualized frequency of discomfort glare data is useful for planning the layout of the indoor space, opening, and shading design of a building to prevent glare problems.
Thermal-Hydraulic Studies on the Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchanger with Minijets
Authors: Wajs Jan , Bajor Michał , Mikielewicz Dariusz
Published: August 2019

In this paper a patented design of a heat exchanger with minijets, with a cylindrical construction is presented. It is followed by the results of its systematic experimental investigations in the single-phase convection heat transfer mode. Based on these results, validation of selected correlations (coming from the literature) describing the Nusselt number was carried out. An assessment of the heat exchange intensification level in the described heat exchanger was done through the comparison with a shell-and-tube exchanger of a classical design. The thermal-hydraulic characteristics of both units were the subjects of comparison. They were constructed for the identical thermal conditions, i.e., volumetric flow rates of the working media and the media temperatures at the inlets to the heat exchanger. The experimental studies of both heat exchangers were conducted on the same test facility. An increase in the heat transfer coefficients values for the minijets heat exchanger was observed in comparison with the reference one, whereas the generated minijets caused greater hydraulic resistance. Experimentally confirmed intensification of heat transfer on the air side, makes the proposed minijets heat exchanger application more attractive, for the waste heat utilization systems from gas sources.
A Study on Improving Switching Characteristics According to a Circuit Analysis Technique in Converter Applications Using Gallium Nitride Field Effect Transistors
Authors: Kim Tae-Kue
Published: August 2019

In this paper, we studied how the switching characteristics of a power conversion system could be improved using gallium nitride (GaN) devices. To this end, a circuit system applying GaN field effect transistors (FETs) was modeled to derive a mathematical differential equation, and the transfer function of the system was obtained through the modeled equation to propose the analysis model. The frequency response of the system where the GaN FET device was applied was analyzed through the proposed modeling circuit, and the method to compensate for characteristics of the system was proposed. The applied method and the proposed model were validated through the comparative analysis on the frequency responses before and after the frequency response. This study’s results were proposed that the problem occurring in systems with GaN FETs could be solved through this theoretical and systematic method.
T–S Fuzzy Modeling for Aircraft Engines: The Clustering and Identification Approach
Authors: Pan Muxuan , Wang Hao , Huang Jinquan
Published: August 2019

This paper presents a data-based Takagi-Sugeno (T–S) fuzzy modeling approach for aircraft engines in the flight envelope. We propose a series of T–S fuzzy models for engines with flight conditions as premises and engine linear dynamic models as consequences. By engine dynamic clustering, we determine rough T–S fuzzy models to approximate the nonlinear dynamics of engines in the flight envelope. After that, the maximum–minimum distance-based fuzzy c-means (MMD-FCM) algorithm comes to refine the fuzzy rules and the least square method (LSM) comes to identify premise parameters for each single rough model. The proposed MMD-FCM algorithm guarantees the refined results are stable and reasonable, and the identification improves the accuracy of the steady and transient phases. The model verification showed that the T–S fuzzy models for engines had a high accuracy with a steady error less than 5%, and that the root mean squared error (RMSE) of transient errors was less than 8 × 10−4 with good generalization ability in the flight envelope.
Transcriptome Profiling Provides Insight into the Genes in Carotenoid Biosynthesis during the Mesocarp and Seed Developmental Stages of Avocado (Persea americana)
Authors: Ge Yu , Cheng Zhihao , Si Xiongyuan , Ma Weihong , Tan Lin , Zang Xiaoping , Wu Bin , Xu Zining , Wang Nan , Zhou Zhaoxi , Lin Xinge , Dong Xiangshu , Zhan Rulin
Published: August 2019

Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is an economically important crop because of its high nutritional value. However, the absence of a sequenced avocado reference genome has hindered investigations of secondary metabolism. For next-generation high-throughput transcriptome sequencing, we obtained 365,615,152 and 348,623,402 clean reads as well as 109.13 and 104.10 Gb of sequencing data for avocado mesocarp and seed, respectively, during five developmental stages. High-quality reads were assembled into 100,837 unigenes with an average length of 847.40 bp (N50 = 1725 bp). Additionally, 16,903 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected, 17 of which were related to carotenoid biosynthesis. The expression levels of most of these 17 DEGs were higher in the mesocarp than in the seed during five developmental stages. In this study, the avocado mesocarp and seed transcriptome were also sequenced using single-molecule long-read sequencing to acquired 25.79 and 17.67 Gb clean data, respectively. We identified 233,014 and 238,219 consensus isoforms in avocado mesocarp and seed, respectively. Furthermore, 104 and 59 isoforms were found to correspond to the putative 11 carotenoid biosynthetic-related genes in the avocado mesocarp and seed, respectively. The isoform numbers of 10 out of the putative 11 genes involved in the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway were higher in the mesocarp than those in the seed. Besides, alpha- and beta-carotene contents in the avocado mesocarp and seed during five developmental stages were also measured, and they were higher in the mesocarp than in the seed, which validated the results of transcriptome profiling. Gene expression changes and the associated variations in gene dosage could influence carotenoid biosynthesis. These results will help to further elucidate carotenoid biosynthesis in avocado.
Genome-Wide Analysis of the Growth-Regulating Factor Family in Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)
Authors: Zhao Kunkun , Li Ke , Ning Longlong , He Jialin , Ma Xingli , Li Zhongfeng , Zhang Xingguo , Yin Dongmei
Published: August 2019

Growth-regulating factors (GRFs) are plant-specific transcription factors that perform important functions in plant growth and development. Herein, we identified and characterised 24 AhGRF genes in peanut (Arachis hypogaea). AhGRF family genes were divided into six classes with OLQ and WRC domains. Transcriptome expression profile showed that more AhGRF genes, such as AhGRF5a gene, were at higher expression during pod development in Arachis monticola than cultivated species, especially at the pod rapid-expansion stage. AhGRF5a and AhGRF5b genes expressed at higher levels in pods than roots, leaves and stems tissues, existing in the difference between Arachis monticola and H8107. Exogenous GA3 application can activate AhGRF5a and AhGRF5b genes and H8107 line showed more positive response than Arachis monticola species. These results imply that these two AhGRF genes may be active during the peanut pod development.
Potential Fluid Biomarkers for the Diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Giau Vo Van , Bagyinszky Eva , An Seong Soo A.
Published: August 2019

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is characterized by a level of cognitive impairment that is lower than normal for a person’s age, but a higher function than that that observed in a demented person. MCI represents a transitional state between normal aging and dementia disorders, especially Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Much effort has been made towards determining the prognosis of a person with MCI who will convert to AD. It is now clear that cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of Aβ40, Aβ42, total tau and phosphorylated tau are useful for predicting the risk of progression from MCI to AD. This review highlights the advantages of the current blood-based biomarkers in MCI, and discusses some of these challenges, with an emphasis on recent studies to provide an overview of the current state of MCI.
Local Growth Hormone Therapy for Pressure Ulcer Healing on a Human Skin Mouse Model
Authors: Cristóbal Lara , de los Reyes Nerea , Ortega Miguel A. , Álvarez-Mon Melchor , García-Honduvilla Natalio , Buján Julia , Maldonado Andrés A.
Published: August 2019

The growth hormone is involved in skin homeostasis and wound healing. We hypothesize whether it is possible to improve pressure ulcer (PU) healing by locally applying the recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) in a human skin mouse model. Non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient mice (n = 10) were engrafted with a full-thickness human skin graft. After 60 days with stable grafts, human skin underwent three cycles of ischemia-reperfusion with a compression device to create a PU. Mice were classified into two groups: rhGH treatment group (n = 5) and control group (n = 5). In the rhGH group for local intradermal injections, each had 0.15 mg (0.5IU) applied to the PU edges, once per week for four weeks. Evaluation of the wound healing was conducted with photographic and visual assessments, and histological analysis was performed after complete wound healing. The results showed a healing rate twice as fast in the rhGH group compared to the control group (1.25 ± 0.33 mm2/day versus 0.61 ± 0.27 mm2/day; p-value < 0.05), with a faster healing rate during the first 30 days. The rhGH group showed thicker skin (1953 ± 457 µm versus 1060 ± 208 µm; p-value < 0.05) in the repaired area, with a significant decrease in collagen type I/III ratio at wound closure (62 days, range 60–70). Local administration of the rhGH accelerates PU healing in our model. The rhGH may have a clinical use in pressure ulcer treatment.
Discovery of Novel Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitory Peptides from Todarodes pacificus and Their Inhibitory Mechanism: In Silico and In Vitro Studies
Authors: Yu Dingyi , Wang Cong , Song Yufeng , Zhu Junxiang , Zhang Xiaojun
Published: August 2019

In order to rapidly and efficiently excavate antihypertensive ingredients in Todarodes pacificus, its myosin heavy chain was hydrolyzed in silico and the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptides were predicted using integrated bioinformatics tools. The results showed the degree of hydrolysis (DH) theoretically achieved 56.8% when digested with papain, ficin, and prolyl endopeptidase (PREP), producing 126 ACE inhibitory peptides. By predicting the toxicity, allergenicity, gastrointestinal stability, and intestinal epithelial permeability, 30 peptides were finally screened, of which 21 had been reported and 9 were new. Moreover, the newly discovered peptides were synthesized to evaluate their in vitro ACE inhibition, showing Ile-Ile-Tyr and Asn-Pro-Pro-Lys had strong effects with a pIC50 of 4.58 and 4.41, respectively. Further, their interaction mechanisms and bonding configurations with ACE were explored by molecular simulation. The preferred conformation of Ile-Ile-Tyr and Asn-Pro-Pro-Lys located in ACE were successfully predicted using the appropriate docking parameters. The molecular dynamics (MD) result indicated that they bound tightly to the active site of ACE by means of coordination with Zn(II) and hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction with the residues in the pockets of S1 and S2, resulting in stable complexes. In summary, this work proposed a strategy for screening and identifying antihypertensive peptides from Todarodes pacificus.
Reaction of 1-propanol with Ozone in Aqueous Media
Authors: Reisz Erika , Tekle-Röttering Agnes , Naumov Sergej , Schmidt Winfried , Schmidt Torsten C.
Published: August 2019

The main aim of this work is to substantiate the mechanism of 1-propanol oxidation by ozone in aqueous solution when the substrate is present in large excess. Further goals are assessment of the products, their formation yields as well as the kinetic parameters of the considered reaction. The reaction of ozone with 1-propanol in aqueous solution occurs via hydride transfer, H-abstraction and insertion. Of these three mechanisms, the largest share is for hydride transfer. This implies the extraction of an hydride ion from the activated C−H group by O3 according to reaction: (C2H5)(H)(HO)C−H + O3 → [(C2H5)(H)(HO)C+ + HO3−]cage → (C2H5)(H)(HO)C+ + HO3−. The experimentally determined products and their overall formation yields with respect to ozone are: propionaldehyde—(60 ± 3)%, propionic acid—(27.4 ± 1.0)%, acetaldehyde—(4.9 ± 0.3)%, acetic acid—(0.3 ± 0.1)%, formaldehyde—(1.0 ± 0.1)%, formic acid—(4.6 ± 0.3)%, hydrogen peroxide—(11.1 ± 0.3)% and hydroxyl radical—(9.8 ± 0.3)%. The reaction of ozone with 1-propanol in aqueous media follows a second order kinetics with a reaction rate constant of (0.64 ± 0.02) M−1·s−1 at pH = 7 and 23 °C. The dependence of the second order rate constant on temperature is described by the equation: l n   k I I = ( 27.17 ± 0.38 ) – ( 8180 ± 120 ) × T − 1 , which gives the activation energy, Ea = (68 ± 1) kJ mol−1 and pre-exponential factor, A = (6.3 ± 2.4) × 1011 M−1 s−1. The nature of products, their yields and the kinetic data can be used in water treatment. The fact that the hydride transfer is the main pathway in the 1-propanol/ozone system can probably be transferred on other systems in which the substrate is characterized by C−H active sites only.
Syntenin: PDZ Protein Regulating Signaling Pathways and Cellular Functions
Authors: Shimada Tadayuki , Yasuda Shin , Sugiura Hiroko , Yamagata Kanato
Published: August 2019

Syntenin is an adaptor-like molecule that has two adjacent tandem postsynaptic density protein 95/Discs large protein/Zonula occludens 1 (PDZ) domains. The PDZ domains of syntenin recognize multiple peptide motifs with low to moderate affinity. Many reports have indicated interactions between syntenin and a plethora of proteins. Through interactions with various proteins, syntenin regulates the architecture of the cell membrane. As a result, increases in syntenin levels induce the metastasis of tumor cells, protrusion along the neurite in neuronal cells, and exosome biogenesis in various cell types. Here, we review the updated data that support various roles for syntenin in the regulation of neuronal synapses, tumor cell invasion, and exosome control.
Structural Analysis and Dynamic Processes of the Transmembrane Segment Inside Different Micellar Environments—Implications for the TM4 Fragment of the Bilitranslocase Protein
Authors: Szutkowski Kosma , Sikorska Emilia , Bakanovych Iulia , Choudhury Amrita Roy , Perdih Andrej , Jurga Stefan , Novič Marjana , Zhukov Igor
Published: August 2019

The transmembrane (TM) proteins are gateways for molecular transport across the cell membrane that are often selected as potential targets for drug design. The bilitranslocase (BTL) protein facilitates the uptake of various anions, such as bilirubin, from the blood into the liver cells. As previously established, there are four hydrophobic transmembrane segments (TM1–TM4), which constitute the structure of the transmembrane channel of the BTL protein. In our previous studies, the 3D high-resolution structure of the TM2 and TM3 transmembrane fragments of the BTL in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micellar media were solved using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations (MD). The high-resolution 3D structure of the fourth transmembrane region (TM4) of the BTL was evaluated using NMR spectroscopy in two different micellar media, anionic SDS and zwitterionic DPC (dodecylphosphocholine). The presented experimental data revealed the existence of an α -helical conformation in the central part of the TM4 in both micellar media. In the case of SDS surfactant, the α -helical conformation is observed for the Pro258–Asn269 region. The use of the zwitterionic DPC micelle leads to the formation of an amphipathic α -helix, which is characterized by the extension of the central α -helix in the TM4 fragment to Phe257–Thr271. The complex character of the dynamic processes in the TM4 peptide within both surfactants was analyzed based on the relaxation data acquired on 15 N and 31 P isotopes. Contrary to previously published and present observations in the SDS micelle, the zwitterionic DPC environment leads to intensive low-frequency molecular dynamic processes in the TM4 fragment.
Biopolymeric Films of Amphiphilic Derivatives of Chitosan: A Physicochemical Characterization and Antifungal Study
Authors: Alves Anna Carolina Rodrigues Santos , Lima Aline Margarete Furuyama , Tiera Marcio José , Aparecida de Oliveira Tiera Vera
Published: August 2019

The chemical modification of chitosan has been an active subject of research in order to improve the physicochemical and antifungal properties of chitosan-based films. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physiochemical and antifungal properties of films prepared with chitosan and its derivatives containing diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) and dodecyl groups (Dod). Chitosans and selected derivatives were synthesized and characterized, and their films blended with glycerol and sorbitol (5%, 10%, and 20%). They were studied by means of the evaluation of their mechanical, thermal, barrier, and antifungal properties. The collected data showed that molecular weight (Mw), degree of acetylation, and grafting with DEAE and Dod groups greatly affected the mechanical, thickness, color, and barrier properties, all of which could be tailored by the plasticizer percentage. The antifungal study against Aspergillus flavus, Alternaria alternata, Alternaria solani, and Penicillium expansum showed that the films containing DEAE and Dod groups exhibited higher antifungal activity than the non-modified chitosans. The mechanical properties of highly soluble films were improved by the plasticizers at percentages of 5% and 10%, indicating these derivatives as potential candidates for the coating of seeds, nuts and fruits of various crops.
Building a Bridge between Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: Investigating the Effect of Chemotherapy on Immune Checkpoint Expression
Authors: Marcq Elly , Van Audenaerde Jonas RM , De Waele Jorrit , Jacobs Julie , Van Loenhout Jinthe , Cavents Glenn , Pauwels Patrick , van Meerbeeck Jan P , Smits Evelien LJ
Published: August 2019

In light of the promising results of immune checkpoint blockade (ICPB) in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), we investigated the effect of different chemotherapeutic agents on the expression of immune checkpoints (ICPs) in order to rationally design a good treatment schedule for their combination with ICP blocking antibodies. Cisplatin, oxaliplatin and pemetrexed are interesting chemotherapeutic agents to combine with immunotherapy given their immunomodulatory capacities. We looked into cisplatin and pemetrexed because their combination is used as first-line treatment of MPM. Additionally, the effect of the immunogenic chemotherapeutic agent, oxaliplatin, was also studied. Three different MPM cell lines were used for representation of both epithelioid and sarcomatoid subtypes. The desired inhibitory concentrations of the chemotherapeutic agents were determined with the SRB-assay. Allogeneic co-cultures of MPM cells with healthy donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were set up to assess the effect of these chemotherapeutic agents on the expression of ICPs (PD-1, LAG-3, TIM-3) and their ligands (PD-L1, PD-L2, galectin-9). Cisplatin might be a promising treatment to combine with ICP blocking antibodies since our MPM cell lines were most susceptible to this stand-alone treatment. We found that the expression of ICPs and their ligands on both MPM cells and PBMC was mostly downregulated or unaltered when treated with chemotherapeutic agents, though no clear trend could be determined.
Marine Natural Products: A Source of Novel Anticancer Drugs
Authors: Khalifa Shaden A. M. , Elias Nizar , Farag Mohamed A. , Chen Lei , Saeed Aamer , Hegazy Mohamed-Elamir F. , Moustafa Moustafa S. , Abd El-Wahed Aida , Al-Mousawi Saleh M. , Musharraf Syed G. , Chang Fang-Rong , Iwasaki Arihiro , Suenaga Kiyotake , Alajlani Muaaz , Göransson Ulf , El-Seedi Hesham R.
Published: August 2019

Cancer remains one of the most lethal diseases worldwide. There is an urgent need for new drugs with novel modes of action and thus considerable research has been conducted for new anticancer drugs from natural sources, especially plants, microbes and marine organisms. Marine populations represent reservoirs of novel bioactive metabolites with diverse groups of chemical structures. This review highlights the impact of marine organisms, with particular emphasis on marine plants, algae, bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, sponges and soft corals. Anti-cancer effects of marine natural products in in vitro and in vivo studies were first introduced; their activity in the prevention of tumor formation and the related compound-induced apoptosis and cytotoxicities were tackled. The possible molecular mechanisms behind the biological effects are also presented. The review highlights the diversity of marine organisms, novel chemical structures, and chemical property space. Finally, therapeutic strategies and the present use of marine-derived components, its future direction and limitations are discussed.
Immune-Mediated Inflammation in Vulnerable Atherosclerotic Plaques
Authors: Mangge Harald , Almer Gunter
Published: August 2019

Atherosclerosis is a chronic long-lasting vascular disease leading to myocardial infarction and stroke. Vulnerable atherosclerotic (AS) plaques are responsible for these life-threatening clinical endpoints. To more successfully work against atherosclerosis, improvements in early diagnosis and treatment of AS plaque lesions are required. Vulnerable AS plaques are frequently undetectable by conventional imaging because they are non-stenotic. Although blood biomarkers like lipids, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, troponins, and natriuretic peptides are in pathological ranges, these markers are insufficient in detecting the critical perpetuation of AS anteceding endpoints. Thus, chances to treat the patient in a preventive way are wasted. It is now time to solve this dilemma because clear results indicate a benefit of anti-inflammatory therapy per se without modification of blood lipids (CANTOS Trial, NCT01327846). This fact identifies modulation of immune-mediated inflammation as a new promising point of action for the eradication of fatal atherosclerotic endpoints.
Structure and Function of Multimeric G-Quadruplexes
Authors: Kolesnikova Sofia , Curtis Edward A.
Published: August 2019

G-quadruplexes are noncanonical nucleic acid structures formed from stacked guanine tetrads. They are frequently used as building blocks and functional elements in fields such as synthetic biology and also thought to play widespread biological roles. G-quadruplexes are often studied as monomers, but can also form a variety of higher-order structures. This increases the structural and functional diversity of G-quadruplexes, and recent evidence suggests that it could also be biologically important. In this review, we describe the types of multimeric topologies adopted by G-quadruplexes and highlight what is known about their sequence requirements. We also summarize the limited information available about potential biological roles of multimeric G-quadruplexes and suggest new approaches that could facilitate future studies of these structures.
Plant Leucine-Rich Repeat Receptor Kinase (LRR-RK): Structure, Ligand Perception, and Activation Mechanism
Authors: Chakraborty Sayan , Nguyen Brian , Wasti Syed Danyal , Xu Guozhou
Published: August 2019

In recent years, secreted peptides have been recognized as essential mediators of intercellular communication which governs plant growth, development, environmental interactions, and other mediated biological responses, such as stem cell homeostasis, cell proliferation, wound healing, hormone sensation, immune defense, and symbiosis, among others. Many of the known secreted peptide ligand receptors belong to the leucine-rich repeat receptor kinase (LRR-RK) family of membrane integral receptors, which contain more than 200 members within Arabidopsis making it the largest family of plant receptor kinases (RKs). Genetic and biochemical studies have provided valuable data regarding peptide ligands and LRR-RKs, however, visualization of ligand/LRR-RK complex structures at the atomic level is vital to understand the functions of LRR-RKs and their mediated biological processes. The structures of many plant LRR-RK receptors in complex with corresponding ligands have been solved by X-ray crystallography, revealing new mechanisms of ligand-induced receptor kinase activation. In this review, we briefly elaborate the peptide ligands, and aim to detail the structures and mechanisms of LRR-RK activation as induced by secreted peptide ligands within plants.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Phenolic Compounds Isolated from Quercus Mongolica Fisch. ex Ledeb. on UVB-Irradiated Human Skin Cells
Authors: Yin Jun , Kim Han Hyuk , Hwang In Hyeok , Kim Dong Hee , Lee Min Won
Published: August 2019

Quercus mongolica Fisch. ex Ledeb. (QM) has been used as an oriental traditional medicine to relieve hemorrhoids, fever, and enteritis. We screened the inhibitory activities of the extracts and compounds (1–6) isolated from QM on the production of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines to evaluate their anti-inflammatory activities. Further, we evaluated the expression levels of cytokines, chemokines, and immune factors on pedunculagin (PC, 1), which was selected from isolated compounds (1–6) because of its potential anti-inflammation effect. Additionally, we evaluated whether the inflammation mitigation effects of PC (1) following UVB exposure in keratinocytes occurred because of nuclear factor (NF)-κB and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)/Janus kinase (JAK) activation. PC (1) remarkably suppressed interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-13, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) mRNA expression and reduced the mRNA expression level of Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and also reduced the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (p38), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in a concentration-dependent manner.
Optimization of Membrane Electrode Assembly of PEM Fuel Cell by Response Surface Method
Authors: Vuppala Rohit K. S. S. , Chaedir Benitta A. , Jiang Lishuai , Chen Lianjun , Aziz Muhammad , Sasmito Agus P.
Published: August 2019

The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) plays an important role in the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) performance. Typically, the structure comprises of a polymer electrolyte membrane sandwiched by agglomerate catalyst layers at the anode and cathode. Optimization of various parameters in the design of MEA is, thus, essential for reducing cost and material usage, while improving cell performance. In this paper, optimization of MEA is performed using a validated two-phase PEMFC numerical model. Key MEA parameters affecting the performance of a single PEMFC are determined from sensitivity analysis and are optimized using the response surface method (RSM). The optimization is carried out at two different operating voltages. The results show that membrane thickness and membrane protonic conductivity coefficient are the most significant parameters influencing cell performance. Notably, at higher voltage (0.8 V per cell), the current density can be improved by up to 40% while, at a lower voltage (0.6 V per cell), the current density may be doubled. The results presented can be of importance for fuel cell engineers to improve the stack performance and expedite the commercialization.
Sensors Driven AI-Based Agriculture Recommendation Model for Assessing Land Suitability
Authors: Vincent Durai Raj , Deepa N , Elavarasan Dhivya , Srinivasan Kathiravan , Chauhdary Sajjad Hussain , Iwendi Celestine
Published: August 2019

The world population is expected to grow by another two billion in 2050, according to the survey taken by the Food and Agriculture Organization, while the arable area is likely to grow only by 5%. Therefore, smart and efficient farming techniques are necessary to improve agriculture productivity. Agriculture land suitability assessment is one of the essential tools for agriculture development. Several new technologies and innovations are being implemented in agriculture as an alternative to collect and process farm information. The rapid development of wireless sensor networks has triggered the design of low-cost and small sensor devices with the Internet of Things (IoT) empowered as a feasible tool for automating and decision-making in the domain of agriculture. This research proposes an expert system by integrating sensor networks with Artificial Intelligence systems such as neural networks and Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) for the assessment of agriculture land suitability. This proposed system will help the farmers to assess the agriculture land for cultivation in terms of four decision classes, namely more suitable, suitable, moderately suitable, and unsuitable. This assessment is determined based on the input collected from the various sensor devices, which are used for training the system. The results obtained using MLP with four hidden layers is found to be effective for the multiclass classification system when compared to the other existing model. This trained model will be used for evaluating future assessments and classifying the land after every cultivation.
A Fully-Differential Switched-Capacitor Dual-Slope Capacitance-To-Digital Converter (CDC) for a Capacitive Pressure Sensor
Authors: Rogi Christopher , Buffa Cesare , De Milleri Niccolo , Gaggl Richard , Prefasi Enrique
Published: August 2019

This article focuses on a proposed Switched-Capacitor Dual-Slope based CDC. Special attention is paid to the measurement setup using a real pressure sensor. Performance scaling potential as well as dead zones are pointed out and discussed. In depth knowledge of the physical sensor behavior is key to design an optimal readout circuit. While this is true for high-end applications, low-performance IoT (Internet of Things) sensors aim at moderate resolution with very low power consumption. This article also provides insights into basic MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System) physics. Based on that, an ambient air pressure sensor model for SPICE (Simulation-Program-with-Integrated-Circuit-Emphasis) circuit simulators is presented. The converter concept was proven on silicon in a 0.13 μ m process using both a real pressure sensor and an on-chip dummy MEMS bridge. A 3.2-ms measurement results in 13-bit resolution while consuming 35 μ A from a 1.5-V supply occupying 0.148 mm2. A state-of-the-art comparison identifies potential room for improvements towards hybrid solutions, which is proposed in subsequent publications already.
Electrochemical Sensors Fabricated by Electrospinning Technology: An Overview
Authors: Chen Ke , Chou Weimin , Liu Lichao , Cui Yonghui , Xue Ping , Jia Mingyin
Published: August 2019

Nanofibers or nanofibrous membranes prepared by electrospinning possess many attractive properties, including excellent mechanical properties, high specific surface area and high porosity, making them attractive for sensor application, especially for the electrochemical sensors. Many nanomaterials are used as additives to improve the conductivity, sensitivity and selectivity of sensors. Based on the different modifiers of electrode materials, electrochemical sensors can be divided into enzyme sensors and non-enzyme sensors. In this review, we summarize the recent progress of the electrochemical sensors fabricated by electrospinning, including hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) sensors, glucose sensors and other sensors. In addition, the sensing mechanisms of various electrochemical sensors are introduced in detail. Finally, future research directions of electrochemical sensors based on electrospinning and the challenges faced by large-scale applications of electrospun electrochemical sensors are presented.
Fusion of Video and Inertial Sensing for Deep Learning–Based Human Action Recognition
Authors: Wei Haoran , Jafari Roozbeh , Kehtarnavaz Nasser
Published: August 2019

This paper presents the simultaneous utilization of video images and inertial signals that are captured at the same time via a video camera and a wearable inertial sensor within a fusion framework in order to achieve a more robust human action recognition compared to the situations when each sensing modality is used individually. The data captured by these sensors are turned into 3D video images and 2D inertial images that are then fed as inputs into a 3D convolutional neural network and a 2D convolutional neural network, respectively, for recognizing actions. Two types of fusion are considered—Decision-level fusion and feature-level fusion. Experiments are conducted using the publicly available dataset UTD-MHAD in which simultaneous video images and inertial signals are captured for a total of 27 actions. The results obtained indicate that both the decision-level and feature-level fusion approaches generate higher recognition accuracies compared to the approaches when each sensing modality is used individually. The highest accuracy of 95.6% is obtained for the decision-level fusion approach.
Intelligent Framework for Learning Physics with Aikido (Martial Art) and Registered Sensors
Authors: Corbi Alberto , Santos Olga C. , Burgos Daniel
Published: August 2019

Physics is considered a tough academic subject by learners. To leverage engagement in the learning of this STEM area, teachers try to come up with creative ideas about the design of their classroom lessons. Sports-related activities can foster intuitive knowledge about physics (gravity, speed, acceleration, etc.). In this context, martial arts also provide a novel way of visualizing these ideas when performing the predefined motions needed to master the associated techniques. The recent availability of cheap monitoring hardware (accelerometers, cameras, etc.) allows an easy tracking of the aforementioned movements, which in the case of aikido, usually involve genuine circular motions. In this paper, we begin by reporting a user study among high-school students showing that the physics concept of moment of inertia can be understood by watching live exhibitions of specific aikido techniques. Based on these findings, we later present Phy + Aik, a tool for educators that enables the production of innovative visual educational material consisting of high-quality videos (and live demonstrations) synchronized/tagged with the inertial data collected by sensors and visual tracking devices. We think that a similar approach, where sensors are automatically registered within an intelligent framework, can be explored to teach other difficult-to-learn STEM concepts.
A High-Voltage Energy-Harvesting Interface for Irregular Kinetic Energy Harvesting in IoT Systems with 1365% Improvement Using All-NMOS Power Switches and Ultra-low Quiescent Current Controller
Authors: Saif Hassan , Khan Muhammad Bilawal , Lee Jongmin , Lee Kyoungho , Lee Yoonmyung
Published: August 2019

An energy-harvesting interface for kinetic energy harvesting from high-voltage piezoelectric and triboelectric generators is proposed in this paper. Unlike the conventional kinetic energy-harvesting interfaces optimized for continuous sinusoidal input, the proposed harvesting interface can efficiently handle irregular and random high voltage energy inputs. An N-type mosfet (NMOS)-only power stage design is introduced to simplify power switch drivers and minimize conduction loss. Controller active mode power is also reduced by introducing a new voltage peak detector. For efficient operation with potentially long intervals between random kinetic energy inputs, standby power consumption is minimized by monitoring the input with a 43 pW wake-up controller and power-gating all other circuits during the standby intervals. The proposed harvesting interface can harvest energy from a wide range of energy inputs, 10 s of nJ to 10 s of µJ energy/pulse, with an input voltage range of 5–200 V and an output range of 2.4–4 V under discontinuous as well as continuous excitation. The proposed interface is examined in two scenarios, with integrated power stage devices (maximum input 45 V) and with discrete power stage devices (maximum input 200 V), and the harvesting efficiency is improved by up to 600% and 1350%, respectively, compared to the case when harvesting is performed with a full bridge rectifier.
Heat Flux Sensing for Machine-Learning-Based Personal Thermal Comfort Modeling
Authors: Jung Wooyoung , Jazizadeh Farrokh , Diller Thomas E.
Published: August 2019

In recent years, physiological features have gained more attention in developing models of personal thermal comfort for improved and accurate adaptive operation of Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems. Pursuing the identification of effective physiological sensing systems for enhancing flexibility of human-centered and distributed control, using machine learning algorithms, we have investigated how heat flux sensing could improve personal thermal comfort inference under transient ambient conditions. We have explored the variations of heat exchange rates of facial and wrist skin. These areas are often exposed in indoor environments and contribute to the thermoregulation mechanism through skin heat exchange, which we have coupled with variations of skin and ambient temperatures for inference of personal thermal preferences. Adopting an experimental and data analysis methodology, we have evaluated the modeling of personal thermal preference of 18 human subjects for well-known classifiers using different scenarios of learning. The experimental measurements have revealed the differences in personal thermal preferences and how they are reflected in physiological variables. Further, we have shown that heat exchange rates have high potential in improving the performance of personal inference models even compared to the use of skin temperature.
Experimental Investigation of Inductive Sensor Characteristic for Blade Tip Clearance Measurement at High Temperature
Authors: Liu Zhenxia , Zhao Ziyu , Lyu Yaguo , Zhao Lingqiang
Published: August 2019

Turbine tip clearance of aero-engine is important to engine performance. Proper tip clearance can reduce the gas leakage over turbine blade tips and improve the engine efficiency of turbo machinery and reduce the fuel consumption. Therefore, accurate tip clearance measurement is essential. The inductive measurement method is one of the non-contact distance measurement methods, which has the characteristics of high sensitivity, fast response speed, and strong anti-interference ability. Based on the principle of inductive sensor measuring tip clearance, the ambient temperature change may cause the material electromagnetic performance change for the conductivity and permeability varies with temperature. In order to verify the temperature effect on the sensor performance, the repeated calibration experiments were carried out to obtain the sensor repeatability error of 5.4%. Then, the sensor was calibrated in the range of 0 mm–4 mm clearance at temperature from 600 °C to 1000 °C and obtained the measurement error of 4.6%. Results indicate when the temperature ranged from 600 °C to 1000 °C, clearance measurement error is smaller than the sensor repeatability error so the temperature effect on the sensor characteristics can be ignored. This conclusion makes the sensor promising for monitoring the blade tip clearances at various temperature environment.
Deep Learning-Based Target Tracking and Classification for Low Quality Videos Using Coded Aperture Cameras
Authors: Kwan Chiman , Chou Bryan , Yang Jonathan , Rangamani Akshay , Tran Trac , Zhang Jack , Etienne-Cummings Ralph
Published: August 2019

Compressive sensing has seen many applications in recent years. One type of compressive sensing device is the Pixel-wise Code Exposure (PCE) camera, which has low power consumption and individual control of pixel exposure time. In order to use PCE cameras for practical applications, a time consuming and lossy process is needed to reconstruct the original frames. In this paper, we present a deep learning approach that directly performs target tracking and classification in the compressive measurement domain without any frame reconstruction. In particular, we propose to apply You Only Look Once (YOLO) to detect and track targets in the frames and we propose to apply Residual Network (ResNet) for classification. Extensive simulations using low quality optical and mid-wave infrared (MWIR) videos in the SENSIAC database demonstrated the efficacy of our proposed approach.