bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Health Status in Long-Term Survivors of Hepatoblastoma
Authors: Dembowska-Bagińska Bożenna , Więckowska Jolanta , Brożyna Agnieszka , Święszkowska Ewa , Ismail Hor , Broniszczak-Czyszek Dorota , Stefanowicz Marek , Grajkowska Wiesława , Kaliciński Piotr
Published: November 2019

The aim of this study was to evaluate the health status of children cured from hepatoblastoma. Forty-five patients with hepatoblastoma treated between 1996–2014 were assessed. The recorded data included sex, age at diagnosis, disease stage, treatment methods, time since diagnosis, and the evaluation of health status domains which included performance status, growth development, hearing, cardiovascular, skeletal, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, neurological, and hematological function. There were 30 boys and 15 girls. The age at diagnosis ranged from one month to 14 years (median one year). At the time of the health status evaluation, the youngest patient was 5.5 years old and the oldest was 21 years of age (median—10 years). All patients were treated according to the Childhood Liver Tumors Strategy Group—SIOPEL recommendations, though they were not active participants of the studies. The median cumulative dose of cisplatin was 520 mg/m2 and 360 mg/m2 for doxorubicin. Thirty-six patients underwent partial hepatectomy, and nine total hepatectomy and liver transplantation. At a median of nine years from diagnosis, 68% of hepatoblastoma survivors had experienced at least one chronic health condition of any grade. The most frequent late complication was ototoxicity (28.8%), and the most serious were second malignancies (6.6%) and cardiomyopathy (4.4%). Conclusion: Survivors of hepatoblastoma are at risk for long-term complications. They require long-term monitoring for late effects.
A Role for the Biological Clock in Liver Cancer
Authors: Mazzoccoli Gianluigi , Miele Luca , Marrone Giuseppe , Mazza Tommaso , Vinciguerra Manlio , Grieco Antonio
Published: November 2019

The biological clock controls at the molecular level several aspects of mammalian physiology, by regulating daily oscillations of crucial biological processes such as nutrient metabolism in the liver. Disruption of the circadian clock circuitry has recently been identified as an independent risk factor for cancer and classified as a potential group 2A carcinogen to humans. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the prevailing histological type of primary liver cancer, one of the most important causes of cancer-related death worldwide. HCC onset and progression is related to B and C viral hepatitis, alcoholic and especially non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)-related milieu of fibrosis, cirrhosis, and chronic inflammation. In this review, we recapitulate the state-of-the-art knowledge on the interplay between the biological clock and the oncogenic pathways and mechanisms involved in hepatocarcinogenesis. Finally, we propose how a deeper understanding of circadian clock circuitry–cancer pathways’ crosstalk is promising for developing new strategies for HCC prevention and management.
Rationale for a Combination Therapy Consisting of MCL1- and MEK-Inhibitors in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Seipel Katja , Schmitter Karin , Bacher Ulrike , Pabst Thomas
Published: November 2019

Amplification and overexpression of the myeloid cell leukemia differentiation protein MCL1 and the murine double minute protein MDM2 have been reported in various human tumors as well as hematological malignancies including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). While MCL1 is an anti-apoptotic member of the BCL-2 family proteins, MDM2 is an important cellular inhibitor of the p53 tumor suppressor. The key oncogene in AML is the FLT3 growth factor receptor gene. FLT3 signaling pathways including the MAPK cascade (RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK) are highly active in AML cells, leading to induced protein translation and cell proliferation as well as reduced apoptosis. Consequently, combined administration of MCL1-, MDM2-, and MEK-inhibitors may present a promising anti-leukemic treatment strategy. Here, we assessed the MCL1-antagonist S63845, the MDM2-inhibitor HDM201, and the MEK1/2-inhibitor trametinib as single agents and in combination in a variety of AML cell lines and mononuclear cells isolated from patients with hematological malignancies centered on myeloid leukemia, some lymphatic leukemia, as well as some lymphomas, for their ability to induce apoptosis and cell death. We observed a considerably varying anti-leukemic efficacy of the MCL1-inhibitor S63845 and the MEK1/2-inhibitor trametinib. Hematological cells with susceptibility to the single compounds as well as to the combined treatment were defined by elevated MCL1- and MEK-protein levels, independent of the mutational status of FLT3 and TP53. Our data indicate that hematological cells with elevated MCL1- and MEK-protein levels are most sensitive to the combined treatment with S63845 and trametinib. MCL1- and MEK1/2-protein expression may be valid biomarkers for treatment response to S63845 and trametinib, respectively.
Ni/NiO Nanocomposites with Rich Oxygen Vacancies as High-Performance Catalysts for Nitrophenol Hydrogenation
Authors: Zhou Jun , Zhang Yue , Li Song , Chen Jing
Published: November 2019

Heterogeneous catalysis often involves charge transfer between adsorbed molecules and the surface of catalyst, and thus their activity depends on the surface charge density. The efficiency of charge transfer could be optimized by adjusting the concentration of oxygen vacancies (Ov). In this work, hexagonal Ni(OH)2 nanoparticles were initially synthesized by a hydrothermal process using aluminum powder as the sacrificial agent, and were then converted into 2D Ni/NiO nanocomposites through in situ reduction in hydrogen flow. The oxygen vacancy concentration in the NiO nanosheet could be well-controlled by adjusting the reduction temperature. This resulted in strikingly high activities for hydrogenation of nitrophenol. The Ni/NiO nanocomposite could easily be recovered by a magnetic field for reuse. The present finding is beneficial for producing better hydrogenation catalysts and paves the way for the design of highly efficient catalysts.
{CeO2/Bi2Mo1−xRuxO6} and {Au/Bi2Mo1−xRuxO6} Catalysts for Low-Temperature CO Oxidation
Authors: González Edson Edain , Rangel Ricardo , Lara Javier , Bartolo-Pérez Pascual , Alvarado-Gil Juan José , Galván Donald Homero , García Rafael
Published: November 2019

Nowadays, one of the most important challenges that humanity faces is to find alternative ways of reducing pollutant emissions. CeO2/Bi2Mo1−xRuxO6 and Au/Bi2Mo1−xRuxO6 catalysts were prepared to efficiently transform carbon monoxide (CO) to carbon dioxide (CO2) at low temperatures. The systems were prepared in a two-step process. First, Bi2Mo1−xRuxO6 supports were synthesized through the hydrothermal procedure under microwave heating. Then, CeO2 was deposited on Bi2Mo1−xRuxO6 using the wet impregnation method, while the incipient impregnation method was selected to deposit gold nanoparticles. The CeO2/Bi2Mo1−xRuxO6 and Au/Bi2Mo1−xRuxO6 catalysts were characterized using SEM microscopy and XRD. Furthermore, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy were used. Tests were carried out for the supported catalysts in CO oxidation, and high conversion values, nearing 100%, was observed in a temperature range of 100 to 250 °C. The results showed that the best system was the Au/Bi2Mo0.95Ru0.05O6 catalyst, with CO oxidation starting at 50 °C and reaching 100% conversion at 186 °C.
Subversion of Host Cell Mitochondria by RSV to Favor Virus Production is Dependent on Inhibition of Mitochondrial Complex I and ROS Generation
Authors: Hu MengJie , Bogoyevitch Marie A. , Jans David A.
Published: November 2019

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a key cause of severe respiratory infection in infants, immunosuppressed adults, and the elderly worldwide, but there is no licensed vaccine or effective, widely-available antiviral therapeutic. We recently reported staged redistribution of host cell mitochondria in RSV infected cells, which results in compromised respiratory activities and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Here, bioenergetic measurements, mitochondrial redox-sensitive dye, and high-resolution quantitative imaging were performed, revealing for the first time that mitochondrial complex I is key to this effect on the host cell, whereby mitochondrial complex I subunit knock-out (KO) cells, with markedly decreased mitochondrial respiration, show elevated levels of RSV infectious virus production compared to wild-type cells or KO cells with re-expressed complex I subunits. This effect correlates strongly with elevated ROS generation in the KO cells compared to wild-type cells or retrovirus-rescued KO cells re-expressing complex I subunits. Strikingly, blocking mitochondrial ROS levels using the mitochondrial ROS scavenger, mitoquinone mesylate (MitoQ), inhibits RSV virus production, even in the KO cells. The results highlight RSV’s unique ability to usurp host cell mitochondrial ROS to facilitate viral infection and reinforce the idea of MitoQ as a potential therapeutic for RSV.
Increased Adipose Tissue Expression of Interferon Regulatory Factor (IRF)-5 in Obesity: Association with Metabolic Inflammation
Authors: Sindhu Sardar , Thomas Reeby , Kochumon Shihab , Wilson Ajit , Abu-Farha Mohamed , Bennakhi Abdullah , Al-Mulla Fahd , Ahmad Rasheed
Published: November 2019

Interferon regulatory factor (IRF)-5 is known to be involved in M1 macrophage polarization, however, changes in the adipose expression of IRF5 in obesity and their relationship with the local expression of proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines are unknown. Therefore, IRF5 gene expression was determined in the subcutaneous adipose tissue samples from 53 non-diabetic individuals (6 lean, 18 overweight, and 29 obese), using real-time RT-PCR. IRF5 protein expression was also assessed using immunohistochemistry and/or confocal microscopy. Adipose gene expression of signature immune metabolic markers was also determined and compared with adipose IRF5 gene expression. Systemic levels of C-reactive protein and adiponectin were measured by ELISA. The data show that adipose IRF5 gene (P = 0.008) and protein (P = 0.004) expression was upregulated in obese compared with lean individuals. IRF5 expression changes correlated positively with body mass index (BMI; r = 0.37/P = 0.008) and body fat percentage (r = 0.51/P = 0.0004). In obese, IRF5 changes associated positively with HbA1c (r = 0.41/P = 0.02). A good agreement was found between gene and protein expression of IRF5 in obese subjects (r = 0.65/P = 0.001). IRF5 gene expression associated positively with adipose inflammatory signatures including local expression of TNF-α, IL-6, CXCL8, CCL-2/5, IL-1β, IL-18, CXCL-9/10, CCL7, CCR-1/2/5, TLR-2/7/8/9, IRF3, MyD88, IRAK-1, and inflammatory macrophage markers (P < 0.05). Interestingly, IRF5 gene expression correlated positively with CRP (r = 0.37, P = 0.03) and negatively with adiponectin levels (r = −0.43, P = 0.009). In conclusion, elevated adipose IRF5 expression in obesity concurs with the typical inflammatory signatures, locally and systemically. Hence, the IRF5 upregulation may represent a novel adipose tissue marker for metabolic inflammation.
The Effect of Sertoli Cells on Xenotransplantation and Allotransplantation of Ventral Mesencephalic Tissue in a Rat Model of Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Jhao Yun-Ting , Chiu Chuang-Hsin , Chen Chien-Fu F. , Chou Ta-Kai , Lin Yi-Wen , Ju Yu-Ten , Wu Shinn-Chih , Yan Ruoh-Fang , Shiue Chyng-Yann , Chueh Sheau-Huei , Halldin Christer , Cheng Cheng-Yi , Ma Kuo-Hsing
Published: November 2019

Intra-striatal transplantation of fetal ventral mesencephalic (VM) tissue has a therapeutic effect on patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Sertoli cells (SCs) possess immune-modulatory properties that benefit transplantation. We hypothesized that co-graft of SCs with VM tissue can attenuate rejection. Hemi-parkinsonian rats were generated by injecting 6-hydroxydopamine into the right medial forebrain bundle of Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. The rats were then intrastriatally transplanted with VM tissue from rats or pigs (rVM or pVM), with/without a co-graft of SCs (rVM+SCs or pVM+SCs). Recovery of dopaminergic function and survival of the grafts were evaluated using the apomorphine-induced rotation test and small animal-positron emission tomography (PET) coupled with [18F] DOPA or [18F] FE-PE2I, respectively. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) examination was used to determine the survival of the grafted dopaminergic neurons in the striatum and to investigate immune-modulatory effects of SCs. The results showed that the rVM+SCs and pVM+SCs groups had significantly improved drug-induced rotational behavior compared with the VM alone groups. PET revealed a significant increase in specific uptake ratios (SURs) of [18F] DOPA and [18F] FE-PE2I in the grafted striatum of the rVM+SCs and pVM+SCs groups as compared to that of the rVM and pVM groups. SC and VM tissue co-graft led to better dopaminergic (DA) cell survival. The co-grafted groups exhibited lower populations of T-cells and activated microglia compared to the groups without SCs. Our results suggest that co-graft of SCs benefit both xeno- and allo-transplantation of VM tissue in a PD rat model. Use of SCs enhanced the survival of the grafted dopaminergic neurons and improved functional recovery. The enhancement may in part be attributable to the immune-modulatory properties of SCs. In addition, [18F]DOPA and [18F]FE-PE2I coupled with PET may provide a feasible method for in vivo evaluation of the functional integrity of the grafted DA cell in parkinsonian rats.
Augmenter of Liver Regeneration Reduces Ischemia Reperfusion Injury by Less Chemokine Expression, Gr-1 Infiltration and Oxidative Stress
Authors: Weiss Thomas S. , Lupke Madeleine , Dayoub Rania , Geissler Edward K. , Schlitt Hans J. , Melter Michael , Eggenhofer Elke
Published: November 2019

Hepatic ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) is a major complication in liver resection and transplantation. Here, we analyzed the impact of recombinant human augmenter of liver regeneration (rALR), an anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic protein, on the deleterious process induced by ischemia reperfusion (IR). Application of rALR reduced tissue damage (necrosis), levels of lipid peroxidation (oxidative stress) and expression of anti-oxidative genes in a mouse IRI model. Damage associated molecule pattern (DAMP) and inflammatory cytokines such as HMGB1 and TNFα, were not affected by rALR. Furthermore, we evaluated infiltration of inflammatory cells into liver tissue after IRI and found no change in CD3 or γδTCR positive cells, or expression of IL17/IFNγ by γδTCR cells. The quantity of Gr-1 positive cells (neutrophils), and therefore, myeloperoxidase activity, was lower in rALR-treated mice. Moreover, we found under hypoxic conditions attenuated ROS levels after ALR treatment in RAW264.7 cells and in primary mouse hepatocytes. Application of rALR also led to reduced expression of chemo-attractants like CXCL1, CXCL2 and CCl2 in hepatocytes. In addition, ALR expression was increased in IR mouse livers after 3 h and in biopsies from human liver transplants with minimal signs of tissue damage. Therefore, ALR attenuates IRI through reduced neutrophil tissue infiltration mediated by lower expression of key hepatic chemokines and reduction of ROS generation.
Development of a Front Identification Scheme for Compiling a Cold Front Climatology of the Mediterranean
Authors: Bitsa E. , Flocas H. , Kouroutzoglou J. , Hatzaki M. , Rudeva I. , Simmonds I.
Published: November 2019

The objective of this work is the development of an automated and objective identification scheme of cold fronts in order to produce a comprehensive climatology of Mediterranean cold fronts. The scheme is a modified version of The University of Melbourne Frontal Tracking Scheme (FTS), to take into account the particular characteristics of the Mediterranean fronts. We refer to this new scheme as MedFTS. Sensitivity tests were performed with a number of cold fronts in the Mediterranean using different threshold values of wind-related criteria in order to identify the optimum scheme configuration. This configuration was then applied to a 10-year period, and its skill was assessed against synoptic surface charts using statistic metrics. It was found that the scheme performs well with the dynamic criteria employed and can be successfully applied to cold front identification in the Mediterranean.
Synthesis and Characterization of Nanostructured Polyaniline Thin Films with Superhydrophobic Properties
Authors: Abdel Hamid Zeinab , Hasan Gomaa Mona , S. Abdel Rehim Sayed , Abdel Hamid Maamoun , Ibrahim Ahmed
Published: November 2019

Polyaniline (PANI) thin films incorporated with TiO2 or ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized via an electrochemical polymerization technique. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was used to synthesize PANI from a strongly acidic medium (0.5 M H2SO4). The effects of different deposition cycles on the morphology, thickness, color, and properties of electrodeposited PANI thin films nanocomposites were investigated. Furthermore, the effects of the nanoparticles concentration on the morphology and water contact angle (CA) of the produced coating were investigated. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) were used to investigate the morphological structure. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to study the surface composition of the formed film. The results reveal that the CA of the prepared coating reached 146°. A granular morphology of PANI with a moderate concentration of nanoparticles was obtained. In addition, XPS analysis confirmed the incorporation of the oxide nanoparticles in the matrix.
Advanced Analysis of Corroded Solar Reflectors
Authors: Buendía-Martínez Francisco , Fernández-García Aránzazu , Sutter Florian , Valenzuela Loreto , García-Segura Alejandro
Published: November 2019

The corrosion of the reflective layer is one of the main degradation mechanisms of solar reflectors. However, the appropriate assessment of the corroded reflector samples is not accomplished by the current analysis techniques. On the one hand, the reflectance measurement protocol of non-damaged solar reflectors for concentrating solar thermal technologies is widely addressed in the SolarPACES reflectance guideline. However, this methodology is not adequate for reflectors whose surface is partially corroded by many kind of corrosion agents. In this work, a new measurement technique to properly assess corroded samples was developed. To check the usefulness of the method, several damaged samples (subjected to two accelerated aging tests) were evaluated with the conventional technique and with the improved one. The results showed that a significant discrepancy is observed between the two methods for heavily corroded samples, with average reflectance differences of 0.053 ppt. The visualization of the reflector images illustrated that the improved method is more reliable. On the other hand, both the corrosion products formed and the corrosion rates were identified after each corrosive test. The chemical atmosphere significantly affects the products formed, whereas the corrosion rates are influenced by the test conditions and the reflector quality.
Field Programmable Gate Array Applications—A Scientometric Review
Authors: Ruiz-Rosero Juan , Ramirez-Gonzalez Gustavo , Khanna Rahul
Published: November 2019

Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a general purpose programmable logic device that can be configured by a customer after manufacturing to perform from a simple logic gate operations to complex systems on chip or even artificial intelligence systems. Scientific publications related to FPGA started in 1992 and, up to now, we found more than 70,000 documents in the two leading scientific databases (Scopus and Clarivative Web of Science). These publications show the vast range of applications based on FPGAs, from the new mechanism that enables the magnetic suspension system for the kilogram redefinition, to the Mars rovers’ navigation systems. This paper reviews the top FPGAs’ applications by a scientometric analysis in ScientoPy, covering publications related to FPGAs from 1992 to 2018. Here we found the top 150 applications that we divided into the following categories: digital control, communication interfaces, networking, computer security, cryptography techniques, machine learning, digital signal processing, image and video processing, big data, computer algorithms and other applications. Also, we present an evolution and trend analysis of the related applications.
PbI2 Single Crystal Growth and Its Optical Property Study
Authors: Lin Der-Yuh , Guo Bo-Cheng , Dai Zih-You , Lin Chia-Feng , Hsu Hung-Pin
Published: November 2019

In this work, we used the chemical vapor transport (CVT) method to grow PbI2 crystals using iodine as a self-transporting agent. The crystals’ structure, composition, and uniformity were confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) measurements. We investigated the band gap energy using absorption spectroscopy measurements. Furthermore, we explored the temperature dependence of the band gap energy, which shifts from 2.346 eV at 300 K to 2.487 eV at 20 K, and extracted the temperature coefficients. A prototype photodetector with a lateral metal–semiconductor–metal (MSM) configuration was fabricated to evaluate its photoelectric properties using a photoconductivity spectrum (PC) and persistent photoconductivity (PPC) experiments. The resonance-like PC peak indicates the excitonic transition in absorption. The photoresponse ILight/IDark-1 is up to 200%.
Self-Assembly Motifs of Water in Crystals of Palladium β-Amino Acid Complexes Influenced by Methyl Substitution on the Amino Acid Backbone
Authors: Hobart David B. , Patel Vraj G. , Pendergrass Heather , Florio Jacqueline , Merola Joseph S.
Published: November 2019

Amino acid complexes of transition metals show interesting hydrogen-bonding motifs. In this paper, the syntheses and structures of three β-amino acid complexes of palladium that differ only by the substitution on the β-carbon will be discussed. With only hydrogen on the β-carbon, no additional water is incorporated into the crystal lattice and hydrogen-bonding is all complex-to-complex. With the addition of one and two methyl groups on the amino acid β-carbon, water is incorporated into the crystal lattice giving intricate water networks held together by complex-to-water and water-to-water hydrogen-bonding networks.
An Entropy-Based Failure Prediction Model for the Creep and Fatigue of Metallic Materials
Authors: Wang Jundong , Yao Yao
Published: November 2019

It is well accepted that the second law of thermodynamics describes an irreversible process, which can be reflected by the entropy increase. Irreversible creep and fatigue damage can also be represented by a gradually increasing damage parameter. In the current study, an entropy-based failure prediction model for creep and fatigue is proposed based on the Boltzmann probabilistic entropy theory and continuum damage mechanics. A new method to determine the entropy increment rate for creep and fatigue processes is proposed. The relationship between entropy increase rate during creep process and normalized creep failure time is developed and compared with the experimental results. An empirical formula is proposed to describe the evolution law of entropy increase rate and normalized creep time. An entropy-based model is developed to predict the change of creep strain during the damage process. Experimental results of metals and alloys with different stresses and at different temperatures are adopted to verify the proposed model. It shows that the theoretical predictions agree well with experimental data.
A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss? The Case of Mature Students in Higher Education and Their Plurilingual Repertoires
Authors: Ambrósio Susana , Araújo e Sá Maria Helena , Simões Ana Raquel
Published: November 2019

This study diagnoses how the plurilingual repertoires of mature students (MS) in higher education (HE) are constructed throughout their lives. It addresses the main characteristics of MS; the contexts in which they move throughout their lives, and the situations they contact with languages. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire, mostly comprising open-ended questions. The questionnaire was emailed to 485 MS and was filled in by 195 (40.2%). The results highlight the intrinsic relationship between the MS’ life histories and the construction of their plurilingual repertoires. The findings reinforce the relevance of considering the MS’ plurilingual repertoires and life histories in the development of educational linguistic policies in HE.
Computer-Based Prognostic Task Measurements as Indicators of Uncertainty Acceptance
Authors: Epishin Vitalii , Bogacheva Nataliya
Published: November 2019

There were few studies of individual differences in prognostic decision-making from the psychological point of view; most of them focused on the differences between novices and experts making the prognoses. In this study, we suggested a new task that matched the criteria of a prognostic one, was computerized, and did not require expertise in any field of knowledge. Thus, the proposed method investigated how people processed information and controlled uncertainty in prognostic tasks. On a sample of 78 people aged 17–66, we used a quasi-experimental design to find the patterns of the proposed task parameters and how they correlated with personality and cognitive variables. Five well-known personality questionnaires accessing traits, known to be included in decision-making regulation, were used along with a cognitive abilities test to measure those variables. Two patterns were identified via cluster analysis. Differences in intolerance for uncertainty were demonstrated for the people from two identified clusters. Those patterns could be interpreted as uncertainty control strategies for decision-making grounding in prognostic tasks.
SDR Based Indoor Beacon Localization Using 3D Probabilistic Multipath Exploitation and Deep Learning
Authors: Hall Donald L. , Narayanan Ram M. , Jenkins David M.
Published: November 2019

Wireless indoor positioning systems (IPS) are ever-growing as traditional global positioning systems (GPS) are ineffective due to non-line-of-sight (NLoS) signal propagation. In this paper, we present a novel approach to learning three-dimensional (3D) multipath channel characteristics in a probabilistic manner for providing high performance indoor localization of wireless beacons. The proposed system employs a single triad dipole vector sensor (TDVS) for polarization diversity, a deep learning model deemed the denoising autoencoder to extract unique fingerprints from 3D multipath channel information, and a probabilistic k-nearest-neighbor (PkNN) to exploit the 3D multipath characteristics. The proposed system is the first to exploit 3D multipath channel characteristics for indoor wireless beacon localization via vector sensing methodologies, a software defined radio (SDR) platform, and multipath channel estimation.
FPGA-Based Mechatronic Design and Real-Time Fuzzy Control with Computational Intelligence Optimization for Omni-Mecanum-Wheeled Autonomous Vehicles
Authors: Huang Hsu-Chih , Tao Chin-Wang , Chuang Chen-Chia , Xu Jing-Jun
Published: November 2019

This study presents a field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based mechatronic design and real-time fuzzy control method with computational intelligence optimization for omni-Mecanum-wheeled autonomous vehicles. With the advantages of cuckoo search (CS), an evolutionary CS-based fuzzy system is proposed, called CS-fuzzy. The CS’s computational intelligence was employed to optimize the structure of fuzzy systems. The proposed CS-fuzzy computing scheme was then applied to design an optimal real-time control method for omni-Mecanum-wheeled autonomous vehicles with four wheels. Both vehicle model and CS-fuzzy optimization are considered to achieve intelligent tracking control of Mecanum mobile vehicles. The control parameters of the Mecanum fuzzy controller are online-adjusted to provide real-time capability. This methodology outperforms the traditional offline-tuned controllers without computational intelligences in terms of real-time control, performance, intelligent control and evolutionary optimization. The mechatronic design of the experimental CS-fuzzy based autonomous mobile vehicle was developed using FPGA realization. Some experimental results and comparative analysis are discussed to examine the effectiveness, performance, and merit of the proposed methods against other existing approaches.
Complexity Reduction of MLSE and MAP Equalizers Using Modified Prolate Basis Expansion
Authors: Charles-Darby Karel , Carrasco-Alvarez Roberto , Parra-Michel R.
Published: November 2019

Maximum likelihood sequence estimation (MLSE) and maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) equalizers are optimum receivers for dealing with intersymbol interference (ISI) in time-dispersive channels. However, their high complexity and latency limit their widespread implementation; therefore, research into reducing their complexity is an open topic. This paper proposes a novel modification to reduce the computational complexity of the aforementioned algorithms, which exploits the representation of the communication channels in a time-delay-domain basis expansion model (BEM). It is shown that an appropriate basis is a set of modified prolate functions, in which the transmitter and receiver filters are considered in the kernel construction. Simulation results show that a reduction in sums and multiplications on the order of 55% can be obtained, maintaining the same bit error rate performance as in the traditional implementation.
Development and Analysis of a Multi-Node Dynamic Model for the Simulation of Stratified Thermal Energy Storage
Authors: Cadau Nora , De Lorenzi Andrea , Gambarotta Agostino , Morini Mirko , Rossi Michele
Published: November 2019

To overcome non-programmability issues that limit the market penetration of renewable energies, the use of thermal energy storage has become more and more significant in several applications where there is a need for decoupling between energy supply and demand. The aim of this paper is to present a multi-node physics-based model for the simulation of stratified thermal energy storage, which allows the required level of detail in temperature vertical distribution to be varied simply by choosing the number of nodes and their relative dimensions. Thanks to the chosen causality structure, this model can be implemented into a library of components for the dynamic simulation of smart energy systems. Hence, unlike most of the solutions proposed in the literature, thermal energy storage can be considered not only as a stand-alone component, but also as an important part of a more complex system. Moreover, the model behavior has been analyzed with reference to the experimental results from the literature. The results make it possible to conclude that the model is able to accurately predict the temperature distribution within a stratified storage tank typically used in a district heating network with limitations when dealing with small storage volumes and high flow rates.
Energy Accounting for a Renewable Energy Future
Authors: Moriarty Patrick , Honnery Damon
Published: November 2019

For millennia, humans relied almost entirely on renewable energy (RE), largely biomass, for their energy needs. Over the past century, fossil fuels (FFs) have not only largely replaced RE, but have enabled a many-fold rise in total energy use. This FF dominance changed the way we think about and accounted for energy use. If (as at present) the world essentially continues to ignore climate change, eventual resource depletion will force conversion to RE and, perhaps, nuclear energy will once again have to provide most of the world’s energy use. However, the change is more likely to come about because of the urgent need for climate change mitigation. At present, primary RE electricity accounting is done by calculating the FF energy that would be needed to produce it. But as FFs disappear, this approach makes less sense. Instead, a new approach to energy accounting will be needed, one that allows for the intermittent nature of the two most abundant RE sources, wind and solar power. Surplus intermittent RE might be converted to H2, further complicating energy accounting. An additional complication will be the treatment of energy reductions, especially from passive solar energy, likely to be more important in the coming decades. This paper is a review of the evidence to try to determine the best approach to future energy accounting.
Production of Carbohydrates from Cardoon Pre-Treated by Acid-Catalyzed Steam Explosion and Enzymatic Hydrolysis
Authors: Bertini Alessandro , Gelosia Mattia , Cavalaglio Gianluca , Barbanera Marco , Giannoni Tommaso , Tasselli Giorgia , Nicolini Andrea , Cotana Franco
Published: November 2019

Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) is a promising crop from which to obtain oilseeds and lignocellulosic biomass. Acid-catalyzed steam explosion is a thermochemical process that can efficiently pre-treat lignocellulosic biomass. The drawback is the production of a high number of carbohydrate degradation products in the liquid fraction that could inhibit microbial growth. In this work, the lignocellulosic biomass of cardoon, gathered from a dedicated field, were used as the raw material for the production of fermentable monosaccharides by employing acid-catalyzed steam explosion. The raw material was pre-soaked with a dilute 1% (w/w) sulfuric acid solution and then subjected to steam explosion under three different severity conditions. The recovered slurry was separated into solid and liquid fractions, which were individually characterized to determine total carbohydrate and inhibitor concentrations. The slurry and the washed solid fraction underwent enzymatic hydrolysis to release glucose and pentose monosaccharides. By conducting the pre-treatment at 175 °C for 35 min and hydrolyzing the obtained slurry, a yield of 33.17 g of monosaccharides/100 g of cardoon was achieved. At the same conditions, 4.39 g of inhibitors/100 g of cardoon were produced.
Research on the Interrelation between Temperature Distribution and Dry Band on Wet Contaminated Insulators
Authors: Zhang Da , Meng Fancui
Published: November 2019

In this paper, the interrelation between temperature distribution and dry band on wet contaminated insulators is studied by theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and a high-voltage artificial contamination experiment. The influences of the composition of the contaminant and the relative humidity of the environment on the moisture absorption of the contamination layer are studied. It is indicated that the critical relative humidity (CRH) of the soluble mixture in the contamination layer decreases with the increase of the variety of soluble substances. This can be considered as a previously neglected reason for the inconsistency between the result of an artificial contamination test and that of a natural contamination test. Furthermore, the influences of the maximum temperature, wind speed, altitude, relative humidity, and the composition of the contamination on the water evaporation rate of the contaminated layer are also studied. The formation of dry band is predicted by studying the law of water transport in the contamination layer. The influence of the location, width, drying degree, and quantity of dry bands on the insulator surface temperature are studied by numerical simulation. An infrared thermal imager and ultraviolet camera are adopted to measure the temperature distribution and the discharge phenomenon on the insulator surface separately, which verifies the above numerical simulation. The study results deepen the research on the moisture absorption characteristics, the law of temperature distribution, the formation of dry bands, and the influence of dry bands on the temperature distribution of wet contaminated insulators.
Optimization, Transesterification and Analytical Study of Rhus typhina Non-Edible Seed Oil as Biodiesel Production
Authors: Khan Inam Ullah , Yan Zhenhua , Chen Jun
Published: November 2019

Production of biodiesel from non-edible oils is one of the effective methods to reduce production costs and alleviate the obstacle of traditional raw material supply. Rhus typhina L. (RT) is a promising non-edible plant because it grows fast and has abundant seeds. But previously reported oil content of RT was only 9.7% and 12%. Further research into improving the biodiesel production of RT seed oil is urgently needed. Here we obtained the biodiesel production of RT with a maximum oil content of 22% with a low free fatty acid content of 1.0%. The fatty acid methyl ester (FAMEs) of the RT seed oil was produced by a standard optimized protocol use KOH as a catalyst with the highest yield of 93.4% (w/w). The quality and purity of RT FAMEs, as well as the physio-chemical characterizations of the biodiesel products, were investigated and compared with the international standard of ASTM D6751 and EN 14214. The values of fuel properties are comparable with mineral diesel and environmentally friendly. Overall, the proposed RT seed oil could be a potential source of raw materials for producing high-quality biodiesel after the optimization and transesterification.
Households’ Willingness to Adopt Technological and Behavioral Energy Savings Measures: An Empirical Study in The Netherlands
Authors: Vasseur Véronique , Marique Anne-Francoise
Published: November 2019

The aim of this paper is to investigate households’ willingness to adopt technological and behavioral energy savings measures, in their dwellings and for daily mobility. Based on the evidence that occupants’ behavior has a major impact on energy uses at home and on the road, this paper aims at investigating which determinants influence household preferences for energy-saving measures, both technical as well as behavioral ones, as well as highlighting the key determinants for adopting energy-savings measures, at the household scale. This paper will attempt to shed more light on the factors that may bridge the intention–behavior gap. The analysis is based on an empirical survey carried out in the Netherlands. Main results show that (1) behavioral energy saving measures are more acceptable than technical ones; (2) the adoption of energy savings measures at home is more likely than on the road; (3) there is a relatively small market for technical energy measures, especially through the initial investment and the low return on investment; (4) environmental aspects seem to be more important for relatively expensive technical energy measures; (5) the reason for taking technological energy measures is rather to be found in differences among socio-demographic background than in environmental concerns; and (6) comfort at home and on the road is an important explanatory variable that many respondents used to justify not implementing energy savings measures and should be investigated in further research.
Preliminary Study on the Performance Evaluation of a Light Shelf Based on Reflector Curvature
Authors: Lee Heangwoo , Seo Janghoo , Choi Chang-ho
Published: November 2019

The consumption of lighting energy in buildings continues to rise, and many studies are being conducted to address this problem. As part of such initiatives, research is being performed on light shelves, which are natural lighting systems. However, most prior studies focused on variables for operating flat reflectors and light shelves. This study aims to evaluate the performance of curved light shelves to prove their effectiveness and derive optimal specifications for them. The following conclusions were reached. The optimal light shelf angles for a flat light shelf were found to be 30°, 20°, and 20° for the summer, mid-season, and winter, respectively, and accordingly, a movable light shelf system would be suitable for all three seasons. The optimal light shelf angles for a movable curved light shelf with an arc angle of 60° were found to be 30°, 30°, and 10° for the summer, mid-season, and winter, respectively. The optimal light shelf angle and arc angle for a fixed-type curved light shelf were found to be 20° and 60°, respectively. A fixed-type curved light shelf designed according to these optimal specifications can reduce energy consumption by 3.6% in comparison to a movable flat light shelf. Consequently, the curved light shelf is considered an effective system, and additional studies analyzing various other factors should be carried out in the future.
Passivity-Based Control Design Methodology for UPS Systems
Authors: Rymarski Zbigniew , Bernacki Krzysztof , Dyga Łukasz , Davari Pooya
Published: November 2019

This paper presents a passivity-based control (PBC) design methodology for three-phase voltage source inverters (VSI) for uninterruptable power supply (UPS) systems where reduced harmonic distortions for the nonlinear load, reduced output voltage overshoot, and a restricted settling time are required. The output filter design and modification for efficient control and existing challenges with the assignment of scaling coefficients of the output voltage, load, and inductor currents are addressed and analyzed. Notably, special attention is given to the modulator saturation issue through implementing an accurate converter model. Applications of the two versions of PBC in three-phase voltage source inverters using stationary αβ and rotating dq frames for a constant frequency of the output voltage are presented. Furthermore, the influence of the PBC parameters on the power converter performance is investigated. A comparative simulation and the experimental results validate the effectiveness of the presented passivity-based control design methodology.
Insight into the Pore Characteristics of a Saudi Arabian Tight Gas Sand Reservoir
Authors: Adebayo Abdulrauf R. , Babalola Lamidi , Hussaini Syed R. , Alqubalee Abdullah , Babu Rahul S.
Published: November 2019

The petrophysical characterization of tight gas sands can be affected by clay minerals, gas adsorption, microfractures, and the presence of high-density minerals. In this study, we conducted various petrophysical, petrographic, and high-resolution image analyses on Saudi Arabian tight sand in order to understand how a complex pore system responds to measurement tools. About 140 plug samples extracted from six wells were subjected to routine core analyses including cleaning, drying, and porosity–permeability measurements. The porosity–permeability data was used to identify hydraulic flow units (HFU). In order to probe the factors contributing to the heterogeneity of this tight sand, 12 subsamples representing the different HFUs were selected for petrographic study and high-resolution image analysis using SEM, quantitative evaluation of minerals by scanning electron microscope (QEMSCAN), and micro-computed tomography (µCT). Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electrical resistivity measurements were also conducted on 56 subsamples representing various lithofacies. NMR porosity showed good agreement with other porosity measurements. The agreement was remarkable in specific lithofacies with porosity ranging from 0.1% to 7%. Above this range, significant scatters were seen between the porosity methods. QEMSCAN results revealed that samples with <7% porosity contain a higher proportion of clay than those with porosity >7%, which are either microfractured or contain partially dissolved labile minerals. The NMR T2 profiles also showed that samples with porosity <7% are dominated by micropores while samples with porosity >7% are dominated by macropores. Analysis of the µCT images revealed that pore throat sizes may be responsible for the poor correlation between NMR porosity and other porosity methods. NMR permeability values estimated using the Shlumberger Doll Research (SDR) method are fairly correlated with helium permeability (with an R2 of 0.6). Electrical resistivity measurements showed that the different rock types fall on the same slope of the formation factors versus porosity, with a cementation factor of 1.5.
Diversity of Understory Communities in Boreal Forests: Influences of Forest Type, Latitude, and Spatial Scale
Authors: Jin Yu-Song , Hu Yu-Kun , Wang Jing , Liu Dan-Dan , Lin Ying-Hua , Liu Guang , Zhang Yun-Hui , Zhou Zhi-Qiang
Published: November 2019

Understory vegetation hosts high biodiversity and plays a critical role in the ecosystem processes of boreal forests. However, the drivers of understory plant diversity in this high-latitude ecosystem remain uncertain. To investigate the influences of forest type and latitude on understory beta diversity at different scales, we quantified the species composition of Vaccinium uliginosum Linnaeus communities under broadleaf and coniferous forests at two latitudes at the quadrat (2 × 2 m) and plot (10 × 10 m) scales in the Greater Xing’an Mountains, NE China. At the quadrat scale, species alpha diversity of V. uliginosum communities was higher in broadleaf forests than that in coniferous forests at both latitudes. The differences in species beta diversity (the Sørensen’s dissimilarity) in two forest types depended on the latitude: beta diversity in broadleaf forests was higher than that in coniferous forests at the higher latitude, while beta diversity in coniferous forests was higher at the lower latitude. At the plot scale, alpha and beta diversity of V. uliginosum communities decreased from broadleaf forests to coniferous forests at the higher latitude, and they did not show significant differences between forest types at the lower latitude. These results indicate the interactive effects of forest type and latitude on beta diversity of understory vegetation. Moreover, the influences of forest type and latitude on species alpha and beta diversity were different across the two spatial scales, suggesting that the assembly mechanisms underlying species diversity may be different at different scales. Understanding the maintenance of understory vegetation diversity will benefit the conservation and management of boreal forests.