bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Survival Is Related to Estrogen Signal Transduction Pathway Activity in Postmenopausal Women Diagnosed with High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma
Authors: van Lieshout Laura , van der Ploeg Phyllis , Wesseling-Rozendaal Yvonne , van de Stolpe Anja , Bosch Steven , Lentjes-Beer Marjolein , Ottenheijm Meggy , Meriaan Annelen , Vos Caroline , de Hullu Joanne , Massuger Leon , Bekkers Ruud , Piek Jurgen
Published: October 2021

High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSC), the most common subtype of ovarian cancer, has a high mortality rate. Although there are some factors associated with survival, such as stage of disease, there are remarkable differences in survival among women diagnosed with advanced stage disease. In this study, we investigate possible relations between survival and signal transduction pathway (STP) activity. We assessed the functional activity of the androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptor (ER), phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K), Hedgehog (HH), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and canonical wingless-type MMTV integration site (Wnt) pathway in 85 primary tumor samples of patients with FIGO stage IIIC to IVB HGSC and disease-free survival (DFS) below 12 (n = 52) or over 24 months (n = 33). There were no significant differences in median pathway activity between patients with a short and long DFS. In univariate Cox proportional hazards analysis, ER pathway activity was related to a favorable DFS and overall survival (OS) in postmenopausal women (p = 0.033 and p = 0.041, respectively), but not in premenopausal women. We divided the postmenopausal group into subgroups based on ER pathway activity quartiles. Survival analysis revealed that postmenopausal women in the lowest ER quartile had a shorter DFS and OS (log-rank p = 0.006 and p < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, we were able to form subgroups of patients based on an inverse relation between ER and PI3K pathway activity. In conclusion, in postmenopausal patients with advanced stage HGSC, a poorer survival outcome was associated with low functional ER pathway activity.
Mastocytosis—A Review of Disease Spectrum with Imaging Correlation
Authors: Elsaiey Ahmed , Mahmoud Hagar S. , Jensen Corey T. , Klimkowski Sergio , Taher Ahmed , Chaudhry Humaira , Morani Ajaykumar C. , Wong Vincenzo K. , Salem Usama I. , Palmquist Sarah M. , Elsayes Khaled M.
Published: October 2021

Mastocytosis is a rare disorder due to the abnormal proliferation of clonal mast cells. Mast cells exist in most tissues, mature in situ from hematopoietic stem cells and develop unique characteristics of local effector cells. Mastocytosis develops by activation mutation of the KIT surface receptor which is involved in the proliferation of a number of cell lines such as mast cells, germ cells, melanocytes, and hematopoietic cells. It manifests as two main categories: cutaneous mastocytosis and systemic mastocytosis. Imaging can play an important role in detection and characterization of the disease manifestation, not only by radiography and bone scans, but also magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography, which can be more sensitive in the assessment of distinctive disease patterns. Radiologists should be aware of various appearances of this disease to better facilitate diagnosis and patient management. Accordingly, this review will discuss the clinical presentation, pathophysiology, and role of imaging in detection and extent estimation of the systemic involvement of the disease, in addition to demonstration of appearance on varying imaging modalities. Familiarity with the potential imaging findings associated with mastocytosis can aid in early disease diagnosis and classification and accordingly can lead directing further work up and better management.
Specific Deletion of the FHA Domain Containing SLMAP3 Isoform in Postnatal Myocardium Has No Impact on Structure or Function
Authors: Rehmani Taha , Mlynarova Jana , Byers Joseph , Salih Maysoon , Tuana Balwant S.
Published: October 2021

Sarcolemmal membrane-associated proteins (SLMAPs) belong to the superfamily of tail-anchored membrane proteins known to regulate diverse biological processes, including protein trafficking and signal transduction. Mutations in SLMAP have been linked to Brugada and defective sodium channel Nav1.5 shuttling. The SLMAP gene is alternatively spliced to generate numerous isoforms, broadly defined as SLMAP1 (~35 kDa), SLMAP2 (~45 kDa) and SLMAP3 (~80–95 kDa), which are highly expressed in the myocardium. The SLMAP3 isoform exhibits ubiquitous expression carrying an FHA domain and is believed to negatively regulate Hippo signaling to dictate cell growth/death and differentiation. Using the αMHC-MerCreMer-flox system to target the SLMAP gene, we specifically deleted the SLMAP3 isoform in postnatal mouse hearts without any changes in the expression of SLMAP1/SLMAP2 isoforms. The in vivo analysis of mice with SLMAP3 cardiac deficiency revealed no significant changes to heart structure or function in young or aged mice without or with isoproterenol-induced stress. SLMAP3-deficient hearts revealed no obvious differences in cardiac size, function or hypertrophic response. Further, the molecular analysis indicated that SLMAP3 loss had a minor impact on sodium channel (Nav1.5) expression without affecting cardiac electrophysiology in postnatal myocardium. Surprisingly, the loss of SLMAP3 did not impact Hippo signaling in postnatal myocardium. We conclude that the FHA domain-containing SLMAP3 isoform has no impact on Hippo signaling or sodium channels in postnatal myocardium, which is able to function and respond normally to stress in its absence. Whether SLMAP1/SMAP2 isoforms can compensate for the loss of SLMAP3 in the affairs of the postnatal heart remains to be determined.
Process Intensification of Methane Production via Catalytic Hydrogenation in the Presence of Ni-CeO2/Cr2O3 Using a Micro-Channel Reactor
Authors: Tongnan Vut , Ait-lahcen Youssef , Wongsartsai Chuthamas , Khajonvittayakul Chalempol , Siri-Nguan Nuchanart , Laosiripojana Navadol , Hartley Unalome Wetwatana
Published: October 2021

A slight amount of Cr2O3 segregation in 40 wt% NiO/Ce0.5Cr0.5O2 was presented at the surface. The best catalytic performance towards the reaction was achieved at 74% of CO2 conversion and 100% CH4 selectivity at 310 °C, the reactant (H2/CO2) feed molar ratio was 4, and the WHSV was 56,500 mlN·h−1·g−1cat. The mechanistic pathway was proposed through carbonates and formates as a mediator during CO2 and H2 interaction. Activation energy was estimated at 4.85 kJ/mol, when the orders of the reaction were ranging from 0.33 to 1.07 for nth-order, and 0.40 to 0.53 for mth-order.
Wise Ancestors, Good Ancestors: Why Mindfulness Matters in the Promotion of Planetary Health
Authors: Logan Alan , Berman Susan , Scott Richard , Berman Brian , Prescott Susan
Published: October 2021

The concept of planetary health blurs the artificial lines between health at scales of person, place, and planet. It emphasizes the interconnected grand challenges of our time, and underscores the need for integration of biological, psychological, social, and cultural aspects of health in the modern environment. Here, in our Viewpoint article, we revisit vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk’s contention that wisdom is central to the concept of planetary health. Our perspective is centered on the idea that practical wisdom is associated with decision-making that leads to flourishing—the vitality and fullest potential of individuals, communities, and life on the planet as a whole. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has illustrated the acute consequences of unwise and mindless leadership; yet, wisdom and mindfulness, or lack thereof, is no less consequential to grotesque biodiversity losses, climate change, environmental degradation, resource depletion, the global burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), health inequalities, and social injustices. Since mindfulness is a teachable asset linked to both wisdom and flourishing, we argue that mindfulness deserves much greater attention in the context of planetary health.
Study on Adsorption Performance of Benzoic Acid in Cyclocarya paliurus Extract by Ethyl Cellulose Microspheres
Authors: Zhao Yamin , Zhang Lujun , Zhai Xiaoxue , Liu Qian , Sun Lebing , Liu Mengshi , An Lili , Xian Liang , Zhang Ping , Chen Lihua
Published: October 2021

Polymer microspheres with inter-connecting pores are widely used as microsphere materials. In the study, the ethyl cellulose microspheres (ECM) were prepared by using the solvent-evaporation method. Based on that, a method for the separation and purification of benzoic acid from crude extract of Cyclocarya paliurus was established by the ECM and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The ECM after the sorption equilibrium was desorbed by using 40% methanol as the analytical solvent. The content of benzoic acid in eluent is up to 0.0216 mg/mL, and the benzoic acid can be obtained with a high purity of 82.22%. Furthermore, the adsorption-desorption behavior of benzoic acid onto ECM was investigated. The results of adsorption kinetics of benzoic acid showed that the adsorption followed the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The ECM was characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that the ECM has a high adsorption property due to its more porous structure, phenolic hydroxyl group, and other oxygen-containing functional groups. This method and the ECM can be used stably, continuously, and efficiently to purify the benzoic acid from the methanol extract of C. paliurus on a large scale.
Partitioning Hückel–London Currents into Cycle Contributions
Authors: Myrvold Wendy , Fowler Patrick W. , Clarke Joseph
Published: October 2021

Ring-current maps give a direct pictorial representation of molecular aromaticity. They can be computed at levels ranging from empirical to full ab initio and DFT. For benzenoid hydrocarbons, Hückel–London (HL) theory gives a remarkably good qualitative picture of overall current patterns, and a useful basis for their interpretation. This paper describes an implemention of Aihara’s algorithm for computing HL currents for a benzenoid (for example) by partitioning total current into its constituent cycle currents. The Aihara approach can be used as an alternative way of calculating Hückel–London current maps, but more significantly as a tool for analysing other empirical models of induced current based on conjugated circuits. We outline an application where examination of cycle contributions to HL total current led to a simple graph-theoretical approach for cycle currents, which gives a better approximation to the HL currents for Kekulean benzenoids than any of the existing conjugated-circuit models, and unlike these models it also gives predictions of the HL currents in non-Kekulean benzenoids that are of similar quality.
Exploiting In-Situ Characterization for a Sabatier Reaction to Reveal Catalytic Details
Authors: Yunes Simon , Kim Urim Pearl , Nguyen Hoang , Kenvin Jeffrey
Published: October 2021

In situ characterization of catalysts provides important information on the catalyst and the understanding of its activity and selectivity for a specific reaction. TPX techniques for catalyst characterization reveal the role of the support on the stabilization and dispersion of the active sites. However, these can be altered at high temperature since sintering of active species can occur as well as possible carbon deposition through the Bosch reaction, which hinders the active species and deactivates the catalyst. In situ characterization of the spent catalyst, however, may expose the causes for catalyst deactivation. For example, a simple TPO analysis on the spent catalyst may produce CO and CO2 via a reaction with O2 at high temperature and this is a strong indication that deactivation may be due to the deposition of carbon during the Sabatier reaction. Other TPX techniques such as TPR and pulse chemisorption are also valuable techniques when they are applied in situ to the fresh catalyst and then to the catalyst upon deactivation.
Electrical and Humidity-Sensing Properties of EuCl2, Eu2O3 and EuCl2/Eu2O3 Blend Films
Authors: Su Pi-Guey , Choy Nok-Him
Published: October 2021

Impedance-type humidity sensors based on EuCl2, Eu2O3 and EuCl2/Eu2O3 blend films were fabricated. The electrical properties of the pure EuCl2 and Eu2O3 films and EuCl2/Eu2O3 blend film that was blended with different amounts of EuCl2 were investigated as functions of relative humidity. The influences of the EuCl2 to the humidity-sensing properties (sensitivity and linearity) of the EuCl2/Eu2O3 blend film were thus elucidated. The impedance-type humidity sensor that was made of a 7 wt% EuCl2/Eu2O3 blend film exhibited the highest sensitivity, best linearity, a small hysteresis, a fast response time, a small temperature coefficient and long-term stability. The complex impedance plots were used to elucidate the role of ions in the humidity-sensing behavior of the EuCl2/Eu2O3 blend film.
Multiplexed DNA Methylation Analysis in Colorectal Cancer Using Liquid Biopsy and Its Diagnostic and Predictive Value
Authors: Pulverer Walter , Kruusmaa Kristi , Schönthaler Silvia , Huber Jasmin , Bitenc Marko , Bachleitner-Hofmann Thomas , Bhangu Jagdeep Singh , Oehler Rudolf , Egger Gerda , Weinhäusel Andreas
Published: October 2021

Early diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) is of high importance as prognosis depends on tumour stage at the time of diagnosis. Detection of tumour-specific DNA methylation marks in cfDNA has several advantages over other approaches and has great potential for solving diagnostic needs. We report here the identification of DNA methylation biomarkers for CRC and give insights in our methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme coupled qPCR (MSRE-qPCR) system. Targeted microarrays were used to investigate the DNA methylation status of 360 cancer-associated genes. Validation was done by qPCR-based approaches. A focus was on investigating marker performance in cfDNA from 88 patients (44 CRC, 44 controls). Finally, the workflow was scaled-up to perform 180plex analysis on 110 cfDNA samples, to identify a DNA methylation signature for advanced colonic adenomas (AA). A DNA methylation signature (n = 44) was deduced from microarray experiments and confirmed by quantitative methylation-specific PCR (qMSP) and by MSRE-qPCR, providing for six genes’ single areas under the curve (AUC) values of >0.85 (WT1, PENK, SPARC, GDNF, TMEFF2, DCC). A subset of the signatures can be used for patient stratification and therapy monitoring for progressed CRC with liver metastasis using cfDNA. Furthermore, we identified a 35-plex classifier for the identification of AAs with an AUC of 0.80.
Association of Bitter Taste Receptor T2R38 Polymorphisms, Oral Microbiota, and Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: de Jesus Vivianne Cruz , Singh Manu , Schroth Robert J. , Chelikani Prashen , Hitchon Carol A.
Published: October 2021

The association of taste genetics and the oral microbiome in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has not been reported. We explored a novel oral mucosal innate immune pathway involving the bitter taste G protein-coupled receptor T2R38. This case–control study aimed to evaluate whether T2R38 polymorphisms associate with the buccal microbial composition in RA. Genomic DNA was obtained from buccal swabs of 35 RA patients and 64 non-RA controls. TAS2R38 genotypes were determined by Sanger sequencing. The buccal microbiome was assessed by Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the V4-16S rRNA gene. Bacterial community differences were analyzed with alpha and beta diversity measures. Linear discriminant analysis effect size identified taxa discriminating between RA versus non-RA and across TAS2R38 genotypes. TAS2R38 genotype frequency was similar between RA and non-RA controls (PAV/PAV; PAV/AVI; AVI/AVI: RA 42.9%; 45.7%; 11.4% versus controls 32.8%; 48.4%; 18.8%, chi-square (2, N = 99) = 2.1, p = 0.35). The relative abundance of Porphyromonas, among others, differed between RA and non-RA controls. The relative abundance of several bacterial species also differed across TAS2R38 genotypes. These findings suggest an association between T2R38 polymorphisms and RA buccal microbial composition. However, further research is needed to understand the impact of T2R38 in oral health and RA development.
Genistein: A Potent Anti-Breast Cancer Agent
Authors: Bhat Smitha S. , Prasad Shashanka K. , Shivamallu Chandan , Prasad Kollur Shiva , Syed Asad , Reddy Pruthvish , Cull Charley A. , Amachawadi Raghavendra G.
Published: October 2021

Genistein is an isoflavonoid present in high quantities in soybeans. Possessing a wide range of bioactives, it is being studied extensively for its tumoricidal effects. Investigations into mechanisms of the anti-cancer activity have revealed many pathways including induction of cell proliferation, suppression of tyrosine kinases, regulation of Hedgehog-Gli1 signaling, modulation of epigenetic activities, seizing of cell cycle and Akt and MEK signaling pathways, among others via which the cancer cell proliferation can be controlled. Notwithstanding, the observed activities have been time- and dose-dependent. In addition, genistein has also shown varying results in women depending on the physiological parameters, such as the early or post-menopausal states.
MC1R Is a Prognostic Marker and Its Expression Is Correlated with MSI in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Peng Lixiong , Chang Jiang , Liu Xilin , Lu Shiying , Ren Honglin , Zhou Xiaoshi , Liu Zengshan , Hu Pan
Published: October 2021

Melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) is thought to be a marker of poor prognosis and a potential target for the treatment of melanoma. Studies have found that MC1R promotes several tumor behaviors, including cell proliferation and differentiation, pigment formation, and genome damage repair. Some single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of MC1R are involved in the occurrence and development of melanoma. A few studies have reported a relationship between MC1R and colorectal cancer (CRC). In this research, our objective was to examine MC1R expression and MC1R SNPs and investigate their correlation with the clinicopathological features of human CRC tissues. We evaluated MC1R mRNA expression by performing bioinformatic analyses on human CRC expression datasets. We used Western blotting and RT-qPCR to compare MC1R expression in CRC tissues with that in normal tissues, and MC1R SNPs in CRC tissues were detected by PCR-direct sequencing (DS). The expression of MC1R was significantly decreased in CRC tissues compared with normal tissue, and its expression was negatively associated with P53 expression, MLH1 expression, and PMS2 expression, and high MC1R expression was significantly associated with microsatellite instability (MSI). MC1R SNPs were also associated with the clinicopathological characteristics of CRC; for example, the rs2228479 locus genotype was correlated with Ki67 status, and the rs885479 locus genotype was correlated with age and T stage. In conclusion, MC1R plays a crucial role in the progression of CRC and may be a marker of poor prognosis in CRC.
Literature Review on the Response of Concrete Structures Subjected to Underwater Explosions
Authors: Sanders Jacob , Urgessa Girum , Löhner Rainald
Published: October 2021

This paper presents a review of research on underwater explosions (UNDEX) with a focus on the structural response of concrete or reinforced concrete (RC) structures. First, the physical phenomena of UNDEX and its effects are discussed describing both the theory and considerations of the event. Then a brief description of the standard UNDEX experiment is followed by computational methods that employ governing equations that are used for verification of those methods. Lastly, a discussion on structural response for UNDEX is presented with a particular focus on concrete structures.
Influence of Particle Concentration on the Elemental Penetration Region and Properties of Ni-P-SiC Composite Coatings Prepared through Sandblasting and Scanning Electrodeposition on 45 Steel Surfaces
Authors: Zhang Zhengwei , Xian Jieyu , Wu Hongbin , Jin Meifu , Shen Zhenyu
Published: October 2021

Ni-P-SiC composite coating was prepared on 45 steel surfaces through sandblasting and scanning electrodeposition to explore the relationship between element penetration region and composite coating properties. The single-factor control variable method with particle concentration as the research variable was used. Results showed that with the gradually increasing concentration of SiC nanoparticles, a trend of first increasing and then gradually decreasing was observed for the surface and cross-sectional microstructure of the coating, interpenetration ability of the elements, adhesion performance, and corrosion resistance. The best deposition quality of the coating was obtained when the concentration of SiC nanoparticles was 3 g·L−1. For cross-sectional microstructure, the scratch test revealed that the maximum coating thickness was 17.3 μm, the maximum range of elemental penetration region was 28.39 μm, and the maximum adhesion of the composite coating was 36.5 N. The electrochemical test showed that the composite coating had a −0.30 V self-corrosion potential and 8.45 × 10−7 A·cm−2 self-corrosion current density, the slowest corrosion rate. In addition, the composite coating had the best corrosion resistance and the largest impedance arc radius corresponding to an equivalent impedance value R2 of 3108 Ω.
The Effect of Substrate Temperature on the Evaporative Behaviour and Desiccation Patterns of Foetal Bovine Serum Drops
Authors: Efstratiou Marina , Christy John , Bonn Daniel , Sefiane Khellil
Published: October 2021

The drying of bio-fluid drops results in the formation of complex patterns, which are morphologically and topographically affected by environmental conditions including temperature. We examine the effect of substrate temperatures between 20 °C and 40 °C, on the evaporative dynamics and dried deposits of foetal bovine serum (FBS) drops. The deposits consist of four zones: a peripheral protein ring, a zone of protein structures, a protein gel, and a central crystalline zone. We investigate the link between the evaporative behaviour, final deposit volume, and cracking. Drops dried at higher substrate temperatures in the range of 20 °C to 35 °C produce deposits of lower final volume. We attribute this to a lower water content and a more brittle gel in the deposits formed at higher temperatures. However, the average deposit volume is higher for drops dried at 40 °C compared to drops dried at 35 °C, indicating protein denaturation. Focusing on the protein ring, we show that the ring volume decreases with increasing temperature from 20 °C to 35 °C, whereas the number of cracks increases due to faster water evaporation. Interestingly, for deposits of drops dried at 40 °C, the ring volume increases, but the number of cracks also increases, suggesting an interplay between water evaporation and increasing strain in the deposits due to protein denaturation.
Ontology-Based Reasoning for Educational Assistance in Noncommunicable Chronic Diseases
Authors: Larentis Andrêsa Vargas , Neto Eduardo Gonçalves de Azevedo , Barbosa Jorge Luis Victória , Barbosa Débora Nice Ferrari , Leithardt Valderi Reis Quietinho , Correia Sérgio Duarte
Published: October 2021

Noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCDs) affect a large part of the population. With the emergence of COVID-19, its most severe cases impact people with NCDs, increasing the mortality rate. For this reason, it is necessary to develop personalized solutions to support healthcare considering the specific characteristics of individuals. This paper proposes an ontology to represent the knowledge of educational assistance in NCDs. The purpose of ontology is to support educational practices and systems oriented towards preventing and monitoring these diseases. The ontology is implemented under Protégé 5.5.0 in Ontology Web Language (OWL) format, and defined competency questions, SWRL rules, and SPARQL queries. The current version of ontology includes 138 classes, 31 relations, 6 semantic rules, and 575 axioms. The ontology serves as a NCDs knowledge base and supports automatic reasoning. Evaluations performed through a demo dataset demonstrated the effectiveness of the ontology. SWRL rules were used to define accurate axioms, improving the correct classification and inference of six instantiated individuals. As a scientific contribution, this study presents the first ontology for educational assistance in NCDs.
Three New Dexpanthenol-Containing Face Creams: Performance and Acceptability after Single and Repeated Applications in Subjects of Different Ethnicity with Dry and Sensitive Skin
Authors: Barrionuevo-Gonzalez Ana , Trapp Sonja , de Salvo Raffaella , Reitmann Marina , Cassar Eva , Rharbaoui Siham , Reber Florence , Stettler Hans
Published: October 2021

Three novel face creams containing dexpanthenol with different lipid contents were developed for dry skin sufferers: a day face cream (DFC), a day face cream with sun protection (DFC-SPF), and a night face cream (NFC). Three identically designed studies (N = 42–44 each) were conducted with healthy adults of three ethnicities (African, Asian, Caucasian) with dry/sensitive skin. Effects on stratum corneum (SC) hydration, SC lipid content, and skin elasticity were quantified by established noninvasive methods during the 4-week studies. After single and repeated once-daily applications of the face creams, facial hydration significantly increased from baseline. On day 28, the mean increments in skin hydration amounted to 27%, 26%, and 27% (p < 0.0001 each) for DFC, DFC-SPF, and NFC, respectively. Favorable effects of DFC, DFC-SPF, and NFC on facial moisturization were observed in all three ethnic groups. The enhancements in SC hydration were not paralleled by improvements in skin elasticity parameters but lipid analyses showed significant increases in SC cholesterol, SC free fatty acid, and/or SC ceramide levels. All three face creams were well tolerated and achieved a high product satisfaction and acceptability by study participants. Our findings support the once-daily use of the face creams in adults of different ethnicities with dry and sensitive skin.
A Fault Attack on the Family of Enocoro Stream Ciphers
Authors: Danner Julian , Kreuzer Martin
Published: October 2021

A differential fault attack framework for the Enocoro family of stream ciphers is presented. We only require that the attacker can reset the internal state and inject a random byte-fault, in a random register, during a known time period. For a single fault injection, we develop a differential clocking algorithm that computes a set of linear equations in the in- and output differences of the non-linear parts of the cipher and relates them to the differential keystream. The usage of these equations is two-fold. Firstly, one can determine those differentials that can be computed from the faulty keystream, and secondly they help to pin down the actual location and timing of the fault injection. Combining these results, each fault injection gives us information on specific small parts of the internal state. By encoding the information we gain from several fault injections using the weighted Horn clauses, we construct a guessing path that can be used to quickly retrieve the internal state using a suitable heuristic. Finally, we evaluate our framework with the ISO-standardized and CRYPTREC candidate recommended cipher Enocoro-128v2. Simulations show that, on average, the secret key can be retrieved within 20 min on a standard workstation using less than five fault injections.
Power System Modeling for the Study of High Penetration of Distributed Photovoltaic Energy
Authors: Cuello-Polo Gustavo , O’Neill-Carrillo Efraín
Published: October 2021

Many conventional power systems are evolving due to the growth of renewable energy and distributed energy resources (DERs). Modeling the interplay of transmission and distribution systems is critical to analyze how DERs impact a system’s conventional operation and which electric infrastructure improvements are needed to achieve a balance between centralized generation and DERs. This article describes the process, tools, and resources used to model electric power systems with a centralized infrastructure in an isolated context and limited access to actual utility data. Photovoltaic systems installed on residential rooftops were the main design option. This work broadened the typical power system modeling to include planning and social considerations. This integrative engineering-social method allows for interdisciplinary teams to work in the development of a model as part of broader design goals for a renewable-dominant energy system. The Puerto Rico electric power system was used as a case study to demonstrate the process. The integrative engineering-social perspective in developing the model and the actions to manage data limitations are aspects that could be followed in other locations with aggressive renewable energy goals and where utility data are not readily available.
End Effects and Geometric Compensation in Linear Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generators with Different Topologies
Authors: Sjölund Jonathan , Frost Anna E. , Leijon Mats , Eriksson Sandra
Published: October 2021

Electricity production from ocean waves with different solutions is a topic of major research interest. Many of such designs are based on linear generators that inherently introduce end forces. In this paper, detent force using Maxwell Stress Tensor and induced voltage is initially investigated for two different winding patterns for a generator topology with buried magnets in a finite element software. Two ways of overcoming the end forces are further examined: the first method reduces the magnetic flux variations of the translator between stator and air. The second method aims at countering the end forces at both ends for full active stator area. A comparison is then made between buried and surface-mounted topologies for the second end effect compensation method. Both no-load and load conditions are investigated in the comparison. The end effect compensation shows promising results for both topologies. Some clear similarities of the extended stator used to counter the end forces are also apparent, where the stator extensions completely cover the outer poles of both topologies. The results also indicate a longer full active stator area for the buried topology for the same pole-pitch and stroke length, resulting in a higher average voltage for partial stator overlap.
An ALO Optimized Adaline Based Controller for an Isolated Wind Power Harnessing Unit
Authors: Kodakkal Amritha , Veramalla Rajagopal , Kuthuri Narasimha Raju , Salkuti Surender Reddy
Published: October 2021

A power generating system should be able to generate and feed quality power to the loads which are connected to it. This paper suggests a very efficient controlling technique, supported by an effective optimization method, for the control of voltage and frequency of the electrical output of an isolated wind power harnessing unit. The wind power unit is modelled using MATLAB/SIMULINK. The Leaky least mean square algorithm with a step size is used by the proposed controller. The Least Mean Square (LMS) algorithm is of adaptive type, which works on the online modification of the weights. LMS algorithm tunes the filter coefficients such that the mean square value of the error is the least. This avoids the use of a low pass filter to clean the voltage and current signals which makes the algorithm simpler. An adaptive algorithm which is generally used in signal processing is applied in power system applications and the process is further simplified by using optimization techniques. That makes the proposed method very unique. Normalized LMS algorithm suffers from drift problem. The Leaky factor is included to solve the drift in the parameters which is considered as a disadvantage in the normalized LMS algorithm. The selection of suitable values of leaky factor and the step size will help in improving the speed of convergence, reducing the steady-state error and improving the stability of the system. In this study, the leaky factor, step size and controller gains are optimized by using optimization techniques. The optimization has made the process of controller tuning very easy, which otherwise was carried out by the trial-and-error method. Different techniques were used for the optimization and on result comparison, the Antlion algorithm is found to be the most effective. The controller efficiency is tested for loads that are linear and nonlinear and for varying wind speeds. It is found that the controller is very efficient in maintaining the system parameters under normal and faulty conditions. The simulated results are validated experimentally by using dSpace 1104. The laboratory results further confirm the efficiency of the proposed controller.
Ocular Surface Temperature: Characterization in a Large Cohort of Healthy Human Eyes and Correlations to Systemic Cardiovascular Risk Factors
Authors: Cohen Gal Yaakov , Ben-David Gil , Singer Reut , Benyosef Sahar , Shemesh Rachel , Leshno Ari , Barkana Yaniv , Skaat Alon
Published: October 2021

Purpose: To characterize ocular surface temperature (OST) in healthy eyes and its association with systemic risk factors of cardiovascular and ischemic heart disease. Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study included consenting subjects who were examined at the Institute for Medical Screening in Sheba Medical Center. A Therm-App™ thermal imaging camera (Opgal LTD, Israel) was used for OST acquisition, and the mean OST of the medial canthal, lateral canthal, and central cornea regions were measured. Room and body temperatures were also recorded. Past medical and ocular history as well as data from various clinical examinations performed at the same visit were obtained. Results: Thermographic images were obtained from 186 subjects, 150 of which were included in the final analysis. OST was significantly higher in the medial canthal, central cornea, and lateral canthal regions in people with a history of ischemic heart disease (p = 0.02, p = 0.02, and p = 0.03, respectively). There were no significant OST differences (ANOVA test) associated with the presence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or active smoking status. Conclusions: OST correlated positively with the presence of ischemic heart disease. This correlation, its pathophysiological base, and its clinical application warrants further investigation.
Automated Bowel Polyp Detection Based on Actively Controlled Capsule Endoscopy: Feasibility Study
Authors: Hoang Manh Cuong , Nguyen Kim Tien , Kim Jayoung , Park Jong-Oh , Kim Chang-Sei
Published: October 2021

This paper presents an active locomotion capsule endoscope system with 5D position sensing and real-time automated polyp detection for small-bowel and colon applications. An electromagnetic actuation system (EMA) consisting of stationary electromagnets is utilized to remotely control a magnetic capsule endoscope with multi-degree-of-freedom locomotion. For position sensing, an electronic system using a magnetic sensor array is built to track the position and orientation of the magnetic capsule during movement. The system is integrated with a deep learning model, named YOLOv3, which can automatically identify colorectal polyps in real-time with an average precision of 85%. The feasibility of the proposed method concerning active locomotion and localization is validated and demonstrated through in vitro experiments in a phantom duodenum. This study provides a high-potential solution for automatic diagnostics of the bowel and colon using an active locomotion capsule endoscope, which can be applied for a clinical site in the future.
Incidence, Reproductive Outcome, and Economic Impact of Reciprocal Translocations in the Domestic Pig
Authors: Lewis Nicole M. , Rathje Claudia C. , Canedo-Ribeiro Carla , Bosman Lisa M. , Kiazim Lucas G. , Jennings Rebecca L. , O’Connor Rebecca E. , Silvestri Giuseppe , Griffin Darren K.
Published: October 2021

Pigs (Sus scrofa) have vast economic importance, with pork accounting for over 30% of the global meat consumption. Chromosomal abnormalities, and in particular reciprocal translocations (RTs), are an important cause of hypoprolificacy (litter size reduction) in pigs. However, these do not necessarily present with a recognizable phenotype and may cause significant economic losses for breeders when undetected. Here, we present a reappraisal of the incidence of RTs across several European pig herds, using contemporary methodology, as well as an analysis modelling the economic impact of these abnormalities. Molecular cytogenetic investigation was completed by karyotyping and/or multiprobe FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridisation) between 2016–2021, testing 2673 animals. We identified 19 types of chromosome abnormalities, the prevalence of these errors in the database was 9.1%, and the estimated incidence of de novo errors was 0.90%. Financial modelling across different scenarios revealed the potential economic impact of an undetected RT, ranging from £69,802 for an individual affected terminal boar in a commercial farm selling weaned pigs, to £51,215,378 for a genetics company with an undetected RT in a dam line boar used in a nucleus farm. Moreover, the added benefits of screening by FISH instead of karyotyping were estimated, providing a strong case for proactive screening by this approach.
Drone-Based Non-Destructive Inspection of Industrial Sites: A Review and Case Studies
Authors: Nooralishahi Parham , Ibarra-Castanedo Clemente , Deane Shakeb , López Fernando , Pant Shashank , Genest Marc , Avdelidis Nicolas P. , Maldague Xavier P. V.
Published: October 2021

Using aerial platforms for Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) of large and complex structures is a growing field of interest in various industries. Infrastructures such as: buildings, bridges, oil and gas, etc. refineries require regular and extensive inspections. The inspection reports are used to plan and perform required maintenance, ensuring their structural health and the safety of the workers. However, performing these inspections can be challenging due to the size of the facility, the lack of easy access, the health risks for the inspectors, or several other reasons, which has convinced companies to invest more in drones as an alternative solution to overcome these challenges. The autonomous nature of drones can assist companies in reducing inspection time and cost. Moreover, the employment of drones can lower the number of required personnel for inspection and can increase personnel safety. Finally, drones can provide a safe and reliable solution for inspecting hard-to-reach or hazardous areas. Despite the recent developments in drone-based NDI to reliably detect defects, several limitations and challenges still need to be addressed. In this paper, a brief review of the history of unmanned aerial vehicles, along with a comprehensive review of studies focused on UAV-based NDI of industrial and commercial facilities, are provided. Moreover, the benefits of using drones in inspections as an alternative to conventional methods are discussed, along with the challenges and open problems of employing drones in industrial inspections, are explored. Finally, some of our case studies conducted in different industrial fields in the field of Non-Destructive Inspection are presented.
Vision Object-Oriented Augmented Sampling-Based Autonomous Navigation for Micro Aerial Vehicles
Authors: Zhao Xishuang , Chong Jingzheng , Qi Xiaohan , Yang Zhihua
Published: October 2021

Autonomous navigation of micro aerial vehicles in unknown environments not only requires exploring their time-varying surroundings, but also ensuring the complete safety of flights at all times. The current research addresses estimation of the potential exploration value neglect of safety issues, especially in situations with a cluttered environment and no prior knowledge. To address this issue, we propose a vision object-oriented autonomous navigation method for environment exploration, which develops a B-spline function-based local trajectory re-planning algorithm by extracting spatial-structure information and selecting temporary target points. The proposed method is evaluated in a variety of cluttered environments, such as forests, building areas, and mines. The experimental results show that the proposed autonomous navigation system can effectively complete the global trajectory, during which an appropriate safe distance could always be maintained from multiple obstacles in the environment.
Power Line Charging Mechanism for Drones
Authors: Ben-Moshe Boaz
Published: October 2021

The use of multirotor drones has increased dramatically in the last decade. These days, quadcopters and Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) drones can be found in many applications such as search and rescue, inspection, commercial photography, intelligence, sports, and recreation. One of the major drawbacks of electric multirotor drones is their limited flight time. Commercial drones commonly have about 20–40 min of flight time. The short flight time limits the overall usability of drones in homeland security applications where long-duration performance is required. In this paper, we present a new concept of a “power-line-charging drone”, the idea being to equip existing drones with a robotic mechanism and an onboard charger in order to allow them to land safely on power lines and then charge from the existing 100–250 V AC (50–60 Hz). This research presents several possible conceptual models for power line charging. All suggested solutions were constructed and submitted to a field experiment. Finally, the paper focuses on the optimal solution and presents the performance and possible future development of such power-line-charging drones.
The Use of Drones in the Spatial Social Sciences
Authors: Hall Ola , Wahab Ibrahim
Published: October 2021

Drones are increasingly becoming a ubiquitous feature of society. They are being used for a multiplicity of applications for military, leisure, economic, and academic purposes. Their application in academia, especially as social science research tools, has seen a sharp uptake in the last decade. This has been possible due, largely, to significant developments in computerization and miniaturization, which have culminated in safer, cheaper, lighter, and thus more accessible drones for social scientists. Despite their increasingly widespread use, there has not been an adequate reflection on their use in the spatial social sciences. There is need for a deeper reflection on their application in these fields of study. Should the drone even be considered a tool in the toolbox of the social scientist? In which fields is it most relevant? Should it be taught as a course in the social sciences much in the same way that spatially-oriented software packages have become mainstream in institutions of higher learning? What are the ethical implications of its application in spatial social science? This paper is a brief reflection on these questions. We contend that drones are a neutral tool which can be good and evil. They have actual and potentially wide applicability in academia but can be a tool through which breaches in ethics can be occasioned given their unique abilities to capture data from vantage perspectives. Researchers therefore need to be circumspect in how they deploy this powerful tool which is increasingly becoming mainstream in the social sciences.
Use of Average Mutual Information and Derived Measures to Find Coding Regions
Authors: Newcomb Garin , Sayood Khalid
Published: October 2021

One of the important steps in the annotation of genomes is the identification of regions in the genome which code for proteins. One of the tools used by most annotation approaches is the use of signals extracted from genomic regions that can be used to identify whether the region is a protein coding region. Motivated by the fact that these regions are information bearing structures we propose signals based on measures motivated by the average mutual information for use in this task. We show that these signals can be used to identify coding and noncoding sequences with high accuracy. We also show that these signals are robust across species, phyla, and kingdom and can, therefore, be used in species agnostic genome annotation algorithms for identifying protein coding regions. These in turn could be used for gene identification.
Assessment of Physicochemical Properties and Comparative Pollution Status of the Dhaleshwari River in Bangladesh
Authors: Islam Md. Al Sadikul , Hossain Mohammad Enayet , Majed Nehreen
Published: October 2021

The Dhaleshwari river which flows near Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is currently under threat due to the recent relocation of the Hazaribagh tannery to the Savar area. This study investigated the physicochemical parameters of water quality along with the heavy metal levels in the Dhaleshwari river and performed a comparative analysis among the peripheral rivers around Dhaka City. Surface water quality parameters such as total dissolved solids (TDS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) obtained for the Dhaleshwari river deviated by as much as 90% from World Health Organization (WHO) standards in certain instances due to direct discharge from untreated point sources. Concentrations of toxic metals such as chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), and nickel (Ni) were above the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) standards for heavy metals in surface waters. Strong correlations among the heavy metals indicated significant linear dependences. Based on the physicochemical and toxicity-based characterization, the river system in Dhaka city can be termed as severely polluted with respect to organic and solids discharge, while ecological risk indices (ERI) indicated disastrously high risk in the Dhaleshwari and Buriganga rivers. The study outcomes emphasize the necessity of frequent investigation while controlling the point and nonpoint urban pollution sources discharging into the peripheral rivers of Dhaka city.
Role of Agricultural Terraces in Flood and Soil Erosion Risks Control in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco
Authors: Meliho Modeste , Khattabi Abdellatif , Nouira Asmae , Orlando Collins Ashianga
Published: October 2021

Terraced farming play several roles, from improving ecosystem services to enhancing associated population livelihoods. In this study, we were interested in evaluating the roles of mountain terraces in controlling floods and erosion risks, in particular in the Ourika watershed, located in the High Atlas mountains of Morocco. Rainfall simulation tests were conducted to measure infiltration, runoff and initial abstraction, while the Cesium-137 isotope technique was used to quantify soil loss. The results highlighted high infiltration for dense forests (78.00 ± 2.65 mm/h) and low for rangelands (27.12 ± 2.82 mm/h). For terraces, infiltration was found to be about 70.36 ± 0.56 mm/h, confirming the role of terraces in promoting infiltration. The runoff coefficient obtained was lowest for dense forests, followed by cultivated terraces, and highest for rangelands (62.71 ± 3.51). Thus, outside dense forests, infiltration and runoff were significantly very high and low, respectively, for agricultural terraces compared to other land use. The assessment of soil erosion rates showed a significant soil loss for rangelands compared to the agricultural terraces, further underlining the role of terraces in soil conservation. Terraces in the Ourika watershed, by increasing water infiltration, reduce the rate of surface runoff, and consequently, flood risks and soil degradation.