bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Novel Fast Parallel Batch Scheduling Algorithm for Solving the Independent Job Problem
Authors: Zhang Bin , Wu Dawei , Song Yingjie , Liu Kewei , Xiong Juxia
Published: January 2020

With the rapid economic development, manufacturing enterprises are increasingly using an efficient workshop production scheduling system in an attempt to enhance their competitive position. The classical workshop production scheduling problem is far from the actual production situation, so it is difficult to apply it to production practice. In recent years, the research on machine scheduling has become a hot topic in the fields of manufacturing systems. This paper considers the batch processing machine (BPM) scheduling problem for scheduling independent jobs with arbitrary sizes. A novel fast parallel batch scheduling algorithm is put forward to minimize the makespan in this paper. Each of the machines with different capacities can only handle jobs with sizes less than the capacity of the machine. Multiple jobs can be processed as a batch simultaneously on one machine only if their total size does not exceed the machine capacity. The processing time of a batch is determined by the longest of all the jobs processed in the batch. A novel and fast 4.5-approximation algorithm is developed for the above scheduling problem. For the special case of all the jobs having the same processing times, a simple and fast 2-approximation algorithm is achieved. The experimental results show that fast algorithms further improve the competitive ratio. Compared to the optimal solutions generated by CPLEX, fast algorithms are capable of generating a feasible solution within a very short time. Fast algorithms have less computational costs.
Learning and Development of Home Service Robots’ Service Cognition Based on a Learning Mechanism
Authors: Lu Fei , Huang Min , Li Xiaolei , Tian Guohui , Wu Hao , Si Wenjia
Published: January 2020

In order to improve the intelligence of home service robots and resolve their inability to develop service cognition skills in an autonomous, human-like manner, we propose a method for home service robots to learn and develop skills that allow them to perform their services appropriately in a dynamic and uncertain home environment. In a context model built with the support of intelligent sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) technology in a smart home, common-sense information about environmental comfort is recorded into the logical judgment of the robot as a reward provided by the environment. Our approach uses a reinforcement learning algorithm that helps train the robot to provide appropriate services that bring the environment to the user’s comfort level. We modified the incremental hierarchical discriminant regression (IHDR) algorithm to construct an IHDR tree from the discrete part of the data in a smart home to store the robot’s historical experience for further service cognition. Poor adaptive capacity in a changeable home environment is avoided by additional user guidance, which can be inputted after the decision is made by the IHDR tree. In the early development period, when robots make an inappropriate service decision because they lack historical experience, the user can help fix this decision. Then, the IHDR tree is updated incrementally with fixed decisions to enrich the robot’s empirical knowledge and realize the development of its autonomic cognitive ability. The experimental results show that the robot accumulates increasingly more experience over time, and this experience plays an important role in its future service cognition, similar to the process of human mental development.
Practical Risk Assessment of Ground Vibrations Resulting from Blasting, Using Gene Expression Programming and Monte Carlo Simulation Techniques
Authors: Mahdiyar Amir , Jahed Armaghani Danial , Koopialipoor Mohammadreza , Hedayat Ahmadreza , Abdullah Arham , Yahya Khairulzan
Published: January 2020

Peak particle velocity (PPV) is a critical parameter for the evaluation of the impact of blasting operations on nearby structures and buildings. Accurate estimation of the amount of PPV resulting from a blasting operation and its comparison with the allowable ranges is an integral part of blasting design. In this study, four quarry sites in Malaysia were considered, and the PPV was simulated using gene expression programming (GEP) and Monte Carlo simulation techniques. Data from 149 blasting operations were gathered, and as a result of this study, a PPV predictive model was developed using GEP to be used in the simulation. In order to ensure that all of the combinations of input variables were considered, 10,000 iterations were performed, considering the correlations among the input variables. The simulation results demonstrate that the minimum and maximum PPV amounts were 1.13 mm/s and 34.58 mm/s, respectively. Two types of sensitivity analyses were performed to determine the sensitivity of the PPV results based on the effective variables. In addition, this study proposes a method specific to the four case studies, and presents an approach which could be readily applied to similar applications with different conditions.
Comparison of Atmospheric Mercury Speciation at a Coastal and an Urban Site in Southeastern Texas, USA
Authors: Griggs Travis , Liu Lei , Talbot Robert W. , Torres Azucena , Lan Xin
Published: January 2020

Sixteen months of continuous measurements and the analysis of atmospheric mercury (gaseous elemental mercury GEM, gaseous oxidized mercury GOM, and particulate bound mercury PBM) under urban and coastal settings were conducted in Southeastern Texas. At the urban site, the GEM mean mixing ratio was 185 ppqv, 5%–10% higher than the Northern Hemisphere GEM background level. GOM and PBM mixing ratios were as much as six times higher than their background level. The coastal site GEM mean mixing ratio was 165 ppqv, higher than other coastal sites located in the Northern Hemisphere. GOM and PBM mean mixing ratios at the coastal site were 0.75 ppqv and 0.58 ppqv. The urban site had a higher frequency of high mercury events (>300 ppqv) compared to the coastal site. The diurnal patterns were found for both sites: In the urban environment, GEM accumulated to the maximum mixing ratio just after sunrise and decreased to the minimum mixing ratio in late afternoon. In the coastal environment, GEM decreased at night reaching its minimum mixing ratio before sunrise. The relationship between atmospheric mercury species and meteorological parameters was investigated. An examination of the relationship between atmospheric mercury species and key trace gases was conducted as well, showing that the concurrence of GEM, CO2, CO, CH4, and SO2 maximum mixing ratios was notable and provided evidence they may originate from the same emission source. The coastal site was at times influenced by polluted air from urban Houston and the cleaner Gulf of Mexico marine air at other times.
Numerical Modeling of the Natural and Manmade Factors Influencing Past and Current Changes in Polar, Mid-Latitude and Tropical Ozone
Authors: Smyshlyaev Sergei , Galin Vener , Blakitnaya Polina , Jakovlev Andrei
Published: January 2020

A chemistry–climate model of the lower and middle atmosphere is used to compare the role of natural and anthropogenic factors in the observed variability of stratospheric ozone. Numerical experiments have been carried out on several scenarios of separate and combined effects of solar activity, stratospheric aerosol, sea surface temperature, greenhouse gases, and ozone-depleting substances emissions on ozone for the period from 1979 to 2020. Simulations for the past and present periods are compared to the results of ground-based and satellite observations. Estimates of observed trends in column total ozone for the entire period 1980–2018 and separately for the late twentieth and early twenty-first century are presented.
Designing New Yeasts for Craft Brewing: When Natural Biodiversity Meets Biotechnology
Authors: Iattici Fabrizio , Catallo Martina , Solieri Lisa
Published: January 2020

Beer is a fermented beverage with a history as old as human civilization. Ales and lagers are by far the most common beers; however, diversification is becoming increasingly important in the brewing market and the brewers are continuously interested in improving and extending the range of products, especially in the craft brewery sector. Fermentation is one of the widest spaces for innovation in the brewing process. Besides Saccharomyces cerevisiae ale and Saccharomyces pastorianus lager strains conventionally used in macro-breweries, there is an increasing demand for novel yeast starter cultures tailored for producing beer styles with diversified aroma profiles. Recently, four genetic engineering-free approaches expanded the genetic background and the phenotypic biodiversity of brewing yeasts and allowed novel costumed-designed starter cultures to be developed: (1) the research for new performant S. cerevisiae yeasts from fermented foods alternative to beer; (2) the creation of synthetic hybrids between S. cerevisiae and Saccharomyces non-cerevisiae in order to mimic lager yeasts; (3) the exploitation of evolutionary engineering approaches; (4) the usage of non-Saccharomyces yeasts. Here, we summarized the pro and contra of these approaches and provided an overview on the most recent advances on how brewing yeast genome evolved and domestication took place. The resulting correlation maps between genotypes and relevant brewing phenotypes can assist and further improve the search for novel craft beer starter yeasts, enhancing the portfolio of diversified products offered to the final customer.
Protein Deimination and Extracellular Vesicle Profiles in Antarctic Seabirds
Authors: Phillips Richard A. , Kraev Igor , Lange Sigrun
Published: January 2020

Pelagic seabirds are amongst the most threatened of all avian groups. They face a range of immunological challenges which seem destined to increase due to environmental changes in their breeding and foraging habitats, affecting prey resources and exposure to pollution and pathogens. Therefore, the identification of biomarkers for the assessment of their health status is of considerable importance. Peptidylarginine deiminases (PADs) post-translationally convert arginine into citrulline in target proteins in an irreversible manner. PAD-mediated deimination can cause structural and functional changes in target proteins, allowing for protein moonlighting in physiological and pathophysiological processes. PADs furthermore contribute to the release of extracellular vesicles (EVs), which play important roles in cellular communication. In the present study, post-translationally deiminated protein and EV profiles of plasma were assessed in eight seabird species from the Antarctic, representing two avian orders: Procellariiformes (albatrosses and petrels) and Charadriiformes (waders, auks, gulls and skuas). We report some differences between the species assessed, with the narrowest EV profiles of 50–200 nm in the northern giant petrel Macronectes halli, and the highest abundance of larger 250–500 nm EVs in the brown skua Stercorarius antarcticus. The seabird EVs were positive for phylogenetically conserved EV markers and showed characteristic EV morphology. Post-translational deimination was identified in a range of key plasma proteins critical for immune response and metabolic pathways in three of the bird species under study; the wandering albatross Diomedea exulans, south polar skua Stercorarius maccormicki and northern giant petrel. Some differences in Gene Ontology (GO) biological and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways for deiminated proteins were observed between these three species. This indicates that target proteins for deimination may differ, potentially contributing to a range of physiological functions relating to metabolism and immune response, as well as to key defence mechanisms. PAD protein homologues were identified in the seabird plasma by Western blotting via cross-reaction with human PAD antibodies, at an expected 75 kDa size. This is the first study to profile EVs and to identify deiminated proteins as putative novel plasma biomarkers in Antarctic seabirds. These biomarkers may be further refined to become useful indicators of physiological and immunological status in seabirds—many of which are globally threatened.
Production of Polyhydroxyalkanoates by Two Halophilic Archaeal Isolates from Chott El Jerid Using Inexpensive Carbon Sources
Authors: Ben Abdallah Manel , Karray Fatma , Sayadi Sami
Published: January 2020

The large use of conventional plastics has resulted in serious environmental problems. Polyhydroxyalkanoates represent a potent replacement to synthetic plastics because of their biodegradable nature. This study aimed to screen bacteria and archaea isolated from an extreme environment, the salt lake Chott El Jerid for the accumulation of these inclusions. Among them, two archaeal strains showed positive results with phenotypic and genotypic methods. Phylogenetic analysis, based on the 16S rRNA gene, indicated that polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)-producing archaeal isolates CEJGTEA101 and CEJEA36 were related to Natrinema altunense and Haloterrigena jeotgali, respectively. Gas chromatography and UV-visible spectrophotometric analyses revealed that the PHA were identified as polyhydroxybutyrate and polyhydroxyvalerate, respectively. According to gas chromatography analysis, the strain CEJGTEA101 produced maximum yield of 7 wt % at 37 °C; pH 6.5; 20% NaCl and the strain CEJEA36 produced 3.6 wt % at 37 °C; pH 7; 25% NaCl in a medium supplemented with 2% glucose. Under nutritionally optimal cultivation conditions, polymers were extracted from these strains and were determined by gravimetric analysis yielding PHA production of 35% and 25% of cell dry weight. In conclusion, optimization of PHA production from inexpensive industrial wastes and carbon sources has considerable interest for reducing costs and obtaining high yield.
Electrochemical Sensing Fabricated with Ta2O5 Nanoparticle-Electrochemically Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite for the Detection of Oxytetracycline
Authors: Magesa Felista , Wu Yiyong , Dong Shuai , Tian Yaling , Li Guangli , Vianney John Mary , Buza Joram , Liu Jun , He Quanguo
Published: January 2020

A novel tantalum pentoxide nanoparticle-electrochemically reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite-modified glassy carbon electrode (Ta2O5-ErGO/GCE) was developed for the detection of oxytetracycline in milk. The composition, structure and morphology of GO, Ta2O5, and Ta2O5-ErGO were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Oxytetracycline electrochemical behavior on the bare GCE, GO/GCE, ErGO/GCE, and Ta2O5-ErGO/GCE was studied by cyclic voltammetry. The voltammetric conditions (including scan rate, pH, deposition potential, and deposition time) were systematically optimized. With the spacious electrochemical active area, the Ta2O5-ErGO/GCE showed a great magnification of the oxidation signal of oxytetracycline, while that of the other electrodes (GCE, GO/GCE, ErGO/GCE) could not reach the same level. Under the optimum conditions, the currents were proportional to the oxytetracycline concentration in the range from 0.2 to 10 μM, and a low detection limit of 0.095 μM (S/N = 3) was detectable. Moreover, the proposed Ta2O5-ErGO/GCE performed practically with satisfactory results. The preparation of Ta2O5-ErGO/GCE in the current work provides a minor outlook of detecting trace oxytetracycline in milk.
Perspectives on Deep Brain Stimulation and Its Earlier Use for Parkinson’s Disease: A Qualitative Study of US Patients
Authors: Cabrera Laura Y. , Kelly-Blake Karen , Sidiropoulos Christos
Published: January 2020

Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is being used earlier than was previously the case in the disease progression in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). To explore preferences about the timing of DBS, we asked PD patients with DBS whether they would have preferred the implantation procedure to have occurred earlier after diagnosis. Methods: Twenty Michigan-based patients were interviewed about both their experiences with DBS as well as their attitudes regarding the possible earlier use of DBS. We used a structured interview, with both closed and open-ended questions. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a mixed-methods approach. Results: We found that the majority of our participants (72%) had high overall satisfaction with DBS in addressing motor symptoms (mean of 7.5/10) and quality of life (mean of 8.25/10). Participants were mixed about whether they would have undergone DBS earlier than they did, with five participants being unsure and the remaining nearly equally divided between yes and no. Conclusion: Patient attitudes on the early use of DBS were mixed. Our results suggest that while patients were grateful for improvements experienced with DBS, they would not necessarily have endorsed its implementation earlier in their disease progression. Larger studies are needed to further examine our findings.
Cortactin: A Major Cellular Target of the Gastric Carcinogen Helicobacter pylori
Authors: Sharafutdinov Irshad , Backert Steffen , Tegtmeyer Nicole
Published: January 2020

Cortactin is an actin binding protein and actin nucleation promoting factor regulating cytoskeletal rearrangements in nearly all eukaryotic cell types. From this perspective, cortactin poses an attractive target for pathogens to manipulate a given host cell to their own benefit. One of the pathogens following this strategy is Helicobacter pylori, which can cause a variety of gastric diseases and has been shown to be the major risk factor for the onset of gastric cancer. During infection of gastric epithelial cells, H. pylori hijacks the cellular kinase signaling pathways, leading to the disruption of key cell functions. Specifically, by overruling the phosphorylation status of cortactin, H. pylori alternates the activity of molecular interaction partners of this important protein, thereby manipulating the performance of actin-cytoskeletal rearrangements and cell movement. In addition, H. pylori utilizes a unique mechanism to activate focal adhesion kinase, which subsequently prevents host epithelial cells from extensive lifting from the extracellular matrix in order to achieve chronic infection in the human stomach.
BiOCOOH Microflowers Decorated with Ag/Ag2CrO4 Nanoparticles as Highly Efficient Photocatalyst for the Treatment of Toxic Wastewater
Authors: Li Shijie , Xue Bing , Chen Jialin , Jiang Wei , Liu Yanping
Published: January 2020

A novel flower-like Ag/Ag2CrO4/BiOCOOH heterojunction photocatalyst was synthesized by a facile in-situ precipitation strategy combined with photoreduction treatment. Morphological studies revealed that numerous Ag/Ag2CrO4 nanoparticles were evenly anchored on BiOCOOH microflowers, producing a novel heterojunction with the compactly interfacial contact. Optical absorption characterization demonstrated that Ag/Ag2CrO4/BiOCOOH possessed much better sunlight harvesting ability than Ag2CrO4/BiOCOOH and BiOCOOH. Photocatalytic experiments verified that compared with BiOCOOH, Ag2CrO4, Ag/Ag2CrO4, and Ag2CrO4/BiOCOOH, Ag/Ag2CrO4/BiOCOOH achieved remarkable efficiency by eliminating 100% of rhodamine B (RhB), 82.6% of methyl orange (MO) or 69.4% of ciprofloxacin (CIP) within 50 min at a catalyst dosage of 0.4 g/L. The high photocatalytic performance is likely owing to the improved sunlight response and the distinctly suppressed recombination of charge carriers arising from the formation of the novel 3D hierarchical heterostructure. The quenching test signified that h+, and •O2− were detected as the prevailing active species in wastewater treatment. This study may provide a viable strategy for enhancing the photocatalytic performance of wide band-gap semiconductors.
Fibronectin and Periostin as Prognostic Markers in Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Kujawa Katarzyna Aleksandra , Zembala-Nożyńska Ewa , Cortez Alexander Jorge , Kujawa Tomasz , Kupryjańczyk Jolanta , Lisowska Katarzyna Marta
Published: January 2020

Previously, based on a DNA microarray experiment, we identified a 96-gene prognostic signature associated with the shorter survival of ovarian cancer patients. We hypothesized that some differentially expressed protein-coding genes from this signature could potentially serve as prognostic markers. The present study was aimed to validate two proteins, namely fibronectin (FN1) and periostin (POSTN), in the independent set of ovarian cancer samples. Both proteins are mainly known as extracellular matrix proteins with many important functions in physiology. However, there are also indications that they are implicated in cancer, including ovarian cancer. The expression of these proteins was immunohistochemically analyzed in 108 surgical samples of advanced ovarian cancer (majority: high-grade serous) and additionally on tissue arrays representing different stages of the progression of ovarian and fallopian tube epithelial tumors, from normal epithelia, through benign tumors, to adenocarcinomas of different stages. The correlation with clinical, pathological, and molecular features was evaluated. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and Cox-proportional hazards models were used to estimate the correlation of the expression levels these proteins with survival. We observed that the higher expression of fibronectin in the tumor stroma was highly associated with shorter overall survival (OS) (Kaplan–Meier analysis, log-rank test p = 0.003). Periostin was also associated with shorter OS (p = 0.04). When we analyzed the combined score, calculated by adding together individual scores for stromal fibronectin and periostin expression, Cox regression demonstrated that this joint FN1&POSTN score was an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR = 2.16; 95% CI: 1.02–4.60; p = 0.044). The expression of fibronectin and periostin was also associated with the source of ovarian tumor sample: metastases showed higher expression of these proteins than primary tumor samples (χ2 test, p = 0.024 and p = 0.032). Elevated expression of fibronectin and periostin was also more common in fallopian cancers than in ovarian cancers. Our results support some previous observations that fibronectin and periostin have a prognostic significance in ovarian cancer. In addition, we propose the joint FN1&POSTN score as an independent prognostic factor for OS. Based on our results, it may also be speculated that these proteins are related to tumor progression and/or may indicate fallopian–epithelial origin of the tumor.
Establishment of A Reversibly Inducible Porcine Granulosa Cell Line
Authors: Bai Yinshan , Zhu Cui , Feng Meiying , Pan Bo , Zhang Shouquan , Zhan Xiaoshu , Chen Huifang , Wang Bingyun , Li Julang
Published: January 2020

Granulosa cells (GCs) are the key components of ovarian follicles for regulating oocyte maturation. Previous established GC lines have allowed prolonged proliferation, but lost some physiological features owing to long-term immortalization. This study was to establish an induced immortal porcine GC line with reversible proliferation status by the tetracycline inducible (Tet-on) 3G system. Our conditional immortal porcine GCs (CIPGCs) line steadily propagated for at least six months and displayed primary GC morphology when cultured in the presence of 50 ng/mL doxycycline [Dox (+)]. Upon Dox withdrawal [Dox (–)], Large T-antigen expression, reflected by mCherry fluorescence, gradually became undetectable within 48 h, accompanied by less proliferation and size increase. The levels of estradiol and progesterone, and the expression of genes associated with steroid production, such as CYP11A1 (cytochrome P450 family 11), 3β-HSD (3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase), StAR (steroidogenic acute regulatory protein), and CYP19A1 (cytochrome P450 family 19 subfamily a member 1), were all significantly higher in the Dox (–) group than Dox (+) group. The CIPGCs could switch into a proliferative state upon Dox induction. Interestingly, the expression of StAR and CYP19A1 in the CIPGCs (–Dox) was significantly increased by adding porcine follicular fluid (PFF) to mimic an ovary follicle environment. Moreover, PFF priming the CIPGCs in Dox (–) group resulted in similar estradiol production as that of primary GC, and enabled this cell line to respond to gonadotrophins in estradiol production. Collectively, we have established an inducible immortal porcine GC line, which offers a unique and valuable model for future research on the regulation of ovarian functions.
Metallothionein Expression and its Influence on the In Vitro Biological Behavior of Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma
Authors: Aquime João Rafael Habib Souza , Zampieri Lara Carolina D’Araújo Pinto , Kataoka Maria Sueli da Silva , Ribeiro Nelson Antonio Bailão , Jaeger Ruy Gastaldoni , da Silva Artur Luiz , Ramos Rommel Thiago Jucá , Alves Júnior Sérgio de Melo , Pinheiro João de Jesus Viana
Published: January 2020

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is the most common tumor in the salivary glands, often presenting with recurrence and metastasis due to its high invasive capacity. Metallothionein (MT), a zinc storage protein that supplies this element for protease activity, is probably related to mucoepidermoid carcinoma behavior. This prompted us to characterize a cell line derived from mucoepidermoid carcinoma and to correlate metallothionein expression with transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Transcriptomic analysis and cytogenetic assays were performed to detect the expression of genes of interest and cellular chromosomal alterations, respectively. MEC cells with a depleted metallothionein 2A (MT2A) gene were subjected to Western blot to correlate metallothionein expression with growth factors and MMPs. Additionally, cells with depleted MT were subjected to migration and invasion assays. The transcriptomic study revealed reads mapped to cytokeratins 19 and AE1/AE3, α-smooth muscle actin, vimentin, and fibronectin. Cytogenetic evaluation demonstrated structural and numerical alterations, including the translocation t(11;19)(q21;p13), characteristic of MEC. Metallothionein depletion was correlated with the decreased expression of TGF-α and MMP-9, while TNF-α protein levels were augmented. Migration and invasion activity were diminished after metallothionein silencing. Our findings suggest an important role of MT in MEC invasion, through the regulation of proteins involved in this process.
Cold Gas Spraying of a High-Entropy CrFeNiMn Equiatomic Alloy
Authors: Lehtonen Joonas , Koivuluoto Heli , Ge Yanling , Juselius Aapo , Hannula Simo-Pekka
Published: January 2020

Cold gas spraying was used to make a coating from an equiatomic CrFeNiMn high-entropy alloy. This four-component alloy was chosen because it is Co-free, thus allowing application in nuclear industries as a possible replacement of currently used stainless steel coatings. The feedstock material was gas atomized powder with a particle size distribution from 20 to 45 µm. A number of parameters were tested, such as the powder feed rate and gas feed pressure, in order to obtain as dense a coating as possible with nitrogen as the process gas. Spraying was performed using a gas preheating temperature of 1000 °C, gas feed pressure ranging from 50 to 60 bar, and two powder feeding rates. The coating thicknesses ranging from 230 to 490 µm and porosities ranging from 3% to 10% were obtained depending on the powder feed rate and gas feed pressure. The hardness of the cross-section of the coating was usually lower than that of the surface. The highest coating hardness obtained was above 300 HV0.3 for both the surface and the cross-section. The as-atomized powder consisted of a face-centered cubic (FCC) phase with a minute amount of body-centered cubic (BCC) phase, which was no longer detectable in the coatings. The microstructure of the coating was highly stressed due to the high degree of deformation occurring in cold gas spraying. The deformation leads to strain hardening and induces a pronounced texture in the coating. The {111} planes tend to align along the coating surface, with deformation and texturing concentrating mainly on particle boundaries. A high-entropy alloy (HEA) coating was successfully sprayed for the first time using nitrogen as a process gas. The coating has the potential to replace stainless steel coatings in nuclear industry applications.
Preparation of Aniline-Based Nitrogen-Containing Diamond-Like Carbon Films with Low Electrical Resistivity
Authors: Hatada Ruriko , Flege Stefan , Ensinger Wolfgang , Hesse Sabine , Tanabe Shuji , Nishimura Yasuhisa , Baba Koumei
Published: January 2020

The intrinsic high electrical resistivity of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films prevents their use in certain applications. The addition of metal or nitrogen during the preparation of the DLC films leads to a lower resistivity of the films, but it is usually accompanied by several disadvantages, such as a potential contamination risk for surfaces in contact with the film, a limited area that can be coated, deteriorated mechanical properties or low deposition rates of the films. To avoid these problems, DLC films have been prepared by plasma source ion implantation using aniline as a precursor gas, either in pure form or mixed with acetylene. The nitrogen from the precursor aniline is incorporated into the DLC films, leading to a reduced electrical resistivity. Film properties such as hardness, surface roughness and friction coefficient are nearly unchanged as compared to an additionally prepared reference sample, which was deposited using only pure acetylene as precursor gas.
On Magnetohydrodynamic Flow of Viscoelastic Nanofluids with Homogeneous–Heterogeneous Reactions
Authors: Alghamdi Metib
Published: January 2020

This article explores magnetohydrodynamic stretched flow of viscoelastic nanofluids with heterogeneous–homogeneous reactions. Attention in modeling has been specially focused to constitutive relations of viscoelastic fluids. The heat and mass transport process is explored by thermophoresis and Brownian dispersion. Resulting nonlinear systems are computed for numerical solutions. Findings for temperature, concentration, concentration rate, skin-friction, local Nusselt and Sherwood numbers are analyzed for both second grade and elastico-viscous fluids.
Quantum-Granularity Effect in the Formation of Supermixed Solitons in Ring Lattices
Authors: Richaud Andrea , Penna Vittorio
Published: January 2020

We investigate a notable class of states peculiar to a bosonic binary mixture featuring repulsive intraspecies and attractive interspecies couplings. We evidence that, for small values of the hopping amplitudes, one can access particular regimes marked by the fact that the interwell boson transfer occurs in a jerky fashion. This property is shown to be responsible for the emergence of a staircase-like structure in the phase diagram of a mixture confined in a ring trimer and to resemble the mechanism of the superfluid-Mott insulator transition strongly. Under certain conditions, in fact, we show that it is possible to interpret the interspecies attraction as an effective chemical potential and the supermixed soliton as an effective particle reservoir. Our investigation is developed both within a fully quantum approach based on the analysis of several quantum indicators and by means of a simple analytical approximation scheme capable of capturing the essential features of this ultraquantum effect.
Basic Features of the Analysis of Germination Data with Generalized Linear Mixed Models
Authors: Gianinetti Alberto
Published: January 2020

Germination data are discrete and binomial. Although analysis of variance (ANOVA) has long been used for the statistical analysis of these data, generalized linear mixed models (GzLMMs) provide a more consistent theoretical framework. GzLMMs are suitable for final germination percentages (FGP) as well as longitudinal studies of germination time-courses. Germination indices (i.e., single-value parameters summarizing the results of a germination assay by combining the level and rapidity of germination) and other data with a Gaussian error distribution can be analyzed too. There are, however, different kinds of GzLMMs: Conditional (i.e., random effects are modeled as deviations from the general intercept with a specific covariance structure), marginal (i.e., random effects are modeled solely as a variance/covariance structure of the error terms), and quasi-marginal (some random effects are modeled as deviations from the intercept and some are modeled as a covariance structure of the error terms) models can be applied to the same data. It is shown that: (a) For germination data, conditional, marginal, and quasi-marginal GzLMMs tend to converge to a similar inference; (b) conditional models are the first choice for FGP; (c) marginal or quasi-marginal models are more suited for longitudinal studies, although conditional models lead to a congruent inference; (d) in general, common random factors are better dealt with as random intercepts, whereas serial correlation is easier to model in terms of the covariance structure of the error terms; (e) germination indices are not binomial and can be easier to analyze with a marginal model; (f) in boundary conditions (when some means approach 0% or 100%), conditional models with an integral approximation of true likelihood are more appropriate; in non-boundary conditions, (g) germination data can be fitted with default pseudo-likelihood estimation techniques, on the basis of the SAS-based code templates provided here; (h) GzLMMs are remarkably good for the analysis of germination data except if some means are 0% or 100%. In this case, alternative statistical approaches may be used, such as survival analysis or linear mixed models (LMMs) with transformed data, unless an ad hoc data adjustment in estimates of limit means is considered, either experimentally or computationally. This review is intended as a basic tutorial for the application of GzLMMs, and is, therefore, of interest primarily to researchers in the agricultural sciences.
Duodenal Ulceration in a Child with Coeliac Disease
Authors: Lototskaya Polina S. , Manina Marina A. , Tertychnyy Aleksandr S. , Zamyatnin Andrey A. , Erdes Svetlana I.
Published: January 2020

Coeliac disease (CD) is a gluten-dependent inflammatory disease of the small bowel that affects up to 1% of the global population. Herein, the presence of ulcers, erosions, or strictures in the duodenum for non-advanced cases of CD is a rarity. Case report: We present a clinical case of a 17-year-old girl, who from the age of 9, had suffered from erosive Helicobacter pylori (HP)-associated gastritis and erosive duodenitis. At 16, she was diagnosed with a duodenal ulcer, complicated by cicatricial deformity of the bulb. While an atypical course in the development of the disease had led to the initial delay in diagnosis, a serum study and an intestinal biopsy confirmed CD. Discussion: A recent study found an elevated rate of peptic ulcer disease in patients with CD. From literature searches, comorbid HP infection and CD have indeed been widely reported, whereas cases highlighting the prevalence of CD-associated peptic ulcers have been observed and reported in only a few instances. Consequently, greater awareness is warranted and must be exercised for identifying the origins of ulcerative lesions that may be CD-related or -derived.
EyeTrackUAV2: A Large-Scale Binocular Eye-Tracking Dataset for UAV Videos
Authors: Perrin Anne-Flore , Krassanakis Vassilios , Zhang Lu , Ricordel Vincent , Perreira Da Silva Matthieu , Le Meur Olivier
Published: January 2020

The fast and tremendous evolution of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery gives place to the multiplication of applications in various fields such as military and civilian surveillance, delivery services, and wildlife monitoring. Combining UAV imagery with study of dynamic salience further extends the number of future applications. Indeed, considerations of visual attention open the door to new avenues in a number of scientific fields such as compression, retargeting, and decision-making tools. To conduct saliency studies, we identified the need for new large-scale eye-tracking datasets for visual salience in UAV content. Therefore, we address this need by introducing the dataset EyeTrackUAV2. It consists of the collection of precise binocular gaze information (1000 Hz) over 43 videos (RGB, 30 fps, 1280 × 720 or 720 × 480). Thirty participants observed stimuli under both free viewing and task conditions. Fixations and saccades were then computed with the dispersion-threshold identification (I-DT) algorithm, while gaze density maps were calculated by filtering eye positions with a Gaussian kernel. An analysis of collected gaze positions provides recommendations for visual salience ground-truth generation. It also sheds light upon variations of saliency biases in UAV videos when opposed to conventional content, especially regarding the center bias.
Lengths for Which Fourth Degree PP Interleavers Lead to Weaker Performances Compared to Quadratic and Cubic PP Interleavers
Authors: Trifina Lucian , Tarniceriu Daniela , Ryu Jonghoon , Rotopanescu Ana-Mirela
Published: January 2020

In this paper, we obtain upper bounds on the minimum distance for turbo codes using fourth degree permutation polynomial (4-PP) interleavers of a specific interleaver length and classical turbo codes of nominal 1/3 coding rate, with two recursive systematic convolutional component codes with generator matrix G = [ 1 , 15 / 13 ] . The interleaver lengths are of the form 16 Ψ or 48 Ψ , where Ψ is a product of different prime numbers greater than three. Some coefficient restrictions are applied when for a prime p i ∣ Ψ , condition 3 ∤ ( p i − 1 ) is fulfilled. Two upper bounds are obtained for different classes of 4-PP coefficients. For a 4-PP f 4 x 4 + f 3 x 3 + f 2 x 2 + f 1 x ( mod 16 k L Ψ ) , k L ∈ { 1 , 3 } , the upper bound of 28 is obtained when the coefficient f 3 of the equivalent 4-permutation polynomials (PPs) fulfills f 3 ∈ { 0 , 4 Ψ } or when f 3 ∈ { 2 Ψ , 6 Ψ } and f 2 ∈ { ( 4 k L − 1 ) · Ψ , ( 8 k L − 1 ) · Ψ } , k L ∈ { 1 , 3 } , for any values of the other coefficients. The upper bound of 36 is obtained when the coefficient f 3 of the equivalent 4-PPs fulfills f 3 ∈ { 2 Ψ , 6 Ψ } and f 2 ∈ { ( 2 k L − 1 ) · Ψ , ( 6 k L − 1 ) · Ψ } , k L ∈ { 1 , 3 } , for any values of the other coefficients. Thus, the task of finding out good 4-PP interleavers of the previous mentioned lengths is highly facilitated by this result because of the small range required for coefficients f 4 , f 3 and f 2 . It was also proven, by means of nonlinearity degree, that for the considered inteleaver lengths, cubic PPs and quadratic PPs with optimum minimum distances lead to better error rate performances compared to 4-PPs with optimum minimum distances.
Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21): Construct Validity Problem in Hispanics
Authors: González-Rivera Juan Aníbal , Pagán-Torres Orlando M. , Pérez-Torres Emily M.
Published: January 2020

The main purpose of this research was to examine the construct validity of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21) in order to determine whether it is able to adequately discriminate between symptoms of depression and anxiety in the Hispanic population in Puerto Rico. This study has an instrumental design. A total of 1073 Hispanics participated in this psychometric study. The results showed that the DASS-21 has serious psychometric deficiencies, especially related to the construct validity, as well as convergent and discriminatory validity. In addition, it was shown that DASS-21 do not replicate the three-dimensional structure of the original instrument in the Hispanic community. Finally, it was confirmed that the DASS-21 have difficulty in properly identifying and discriminating between symptoms associated with depression and anxiety in a Hispanic population.
Numerical Analysis on Effective Mass and Traps Density Dependence of Electrical Characteristics of a-IGZO Thin-Film Transistors
Authors: Park Jihwan , Kim Do-Kyung , Park Jun-Ik , Kang In Man , Jang Jaewon , Kim Hyeok , Lang Philippe , Bae Jin-Hyuk
Published: January 2020

We have investigated the effect of electron effective mass (me*) and tail acceptor-like edge traps density (NTA) on the electrical characteristics of amorphous-InGaZnO (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) through numerical simulation. To examine the credibility of our simulation, we found that by adjusting me* to 0.34 of the free electron mass (mo), we can preferentially derive the experimentally obtained electrical properties of conventional a-IGZO TFTs through our simulation. Our initial simulation considered the effect of me* on the electrical characteristics independent of NTA. We varied the me* value while not changing the other variables related to traps density not dependent on it. As me* was incremented to 0.44 mo, the field-effect mobility (µfe) and the on-state current (Ion) decreased due to the higher sub-gap scattering based on electron capture behavior. However, the threshold voltage (Vth) was not significantly changed due to fixed effective acceptor-like traps (NTA). In reality, since the magnitude of NTA was affected by the magnitude of me*, we controlled me* together with NTA value as a secondary simulation. As the magnitude of both me* and NTA increased, µfe and Ion deceased showing the same phenomena as the first simulation. The magnitude of Vth was higher when compared to the first simulation due to the lower conductivity in the channel. In this regard, our simulation methods showed that controlling me* and NTA simultaneously would be expected to predict and optimize the electrical characteristics of a-IGZO TFTs more precisely.
A Low Cost Civil Vehicular Seamless Navigation Technology Based on Enhanced RISS/GPS between the Outdoors and an Underground Garage
Authors: Li Ningbo , Guan Lianwu , Gao Yanbin , Liu Zhejun , Wang Ye , Rong Hanxiao
Published: January 2020

Vehicles have to rely on satellite navigation in an open environment. However, satellite navigation cannot obtain accurate positioning information for vehicles in the interior of underground parking lots, as they comprise a semi-enclosed navigation space. Therefore, vehicular navigation needs to take into consideration both outdoor and indoor environments. Actually, outdoor navigation and indoor navigation require different positioning methods, and it is of great importance to choose a reasonable navigation and positioning algorithm solution for vehicles. Fortunately, the integrated navigation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and the Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) inertial navigation system could solve the problem of switching navigation algorithms in the entrance and exit of underground parking lots. This paper proposes a low cost vehicular seamless navigation technology based on the reduced inertial sensor system (RISS)/GPS between the outdoors and an underground garage. Specifically, the enhanced RISS is a positioning algorithm based on three inertial sensors and one odometer, which could achieve a similar location effect as the full model integrated navigation, reduce the costs greatly, and improve the efficiency of each sensor.
Iterative Decoding of LDPC-Based Product Codes and FPGA-Based Performance Evaluation
Authors: Chen Weigang , Zhao Wenting , Li Hui , Dai Suolei , Han Changcai , Yang Jinsheng
Published: January 2020

Low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes have the potential for applications in future high throughput optical communications due to their significant error correction capability and the parallel decoding. However, they are not able to satisfy the very low bit error rate (BER) requirement due to the error floor phenomenon. In this paper, we propose a low-complexity iterative decoding scheme for product codes consisting of very high rate outer codes and LDPC codes. The outer codes aim at eliminating the residual error floor of LDPC codes with quite low implementation costs. Furthermore, considering the long simulation time of computer simulation for evaluating very low BER, the hardware platform is built to accelerate the evaluation of the proposed iterative decoding methods. Simultaneously, the fixed-point effects of the decoding algorithms are also be evaluated. The experimental results show that the iterative decoding of the product codes can achieve a quite low bit error rate. The evaluation using field programmable gate array (FPGA) also proves that product codes with LDPC codes and high-rate algebraic codes can achieve a good trade-off between complexity and throughput.
Design of Nonequiprobable High-Order Constellations over Non-Linear Satellite Channels
Authors: Chen Weigang , Peng Yu , Han Changcai , Yang Jinsheng
Published: January 2020

High-order modulations are essential to improve the bandwidth efficiency of communication systems. However, such modulated signals with large envelopes are typically sensitive to the non-linear distortion caused by high power amplifiers (HPAs) in the transponder of satellite channels. In this paper, a new nonequiprobable constellation is designed to combat the non-linear effects of HPAs. We use non-uniformly distributed symbols to construct the appropriate high-order constellation for non-linear satellite channels. The nonequiprobable symbols are generated using the non-linear mapping method, which specifically consists of expansion mapping, symbol decomposition, permutation, and combination. Moreover, the demapping method adapting to the designed nonequiprobable constellation is also discussed. The simulation results show that the proposed scheme has considerable performance improvements compared with the traditional equiprobable constellations over the non-linear satellite channel.
CFD Analysis of Falling Film Hydrodynamics for a Lithium Bromide (LiBr) Solution over a Horizontal Tube
Authors: Tahir Furqan , Mabrouk Abdelnasser , Koç Muammer
Published: January 2020

Falling film evaporators are used in applications where high heat transfer coefficients are required for low liquid load and temperature difference. One such application is the lithium bromide (LiBr)-based absorber and generator. The concentration of the aqueous LiBr solution changes within the absorber and generator because of evaporation and vapor absorption. This causes the thermophysical properties to differ and affects the film distribution, heat, and mass transfer mechanisms. For thermal performance improvement of LiBr-based falling film evaporators, in-depth analysis at the micro level is required for film distribution and hydrodynamics. In this work, a 2D numerical model was constructed using the commercial CFD software Ansys Fluent v18.0. The influence of the liquid load corresponding to droplet and jet mode, and the concentration, on film hydrodynamics was examined. It was found that the jet mode was more stable at a higher concentration of 0.65 with ±0.5% variation compared to lower concentrations. The recirculation was stronger at a low concentration of 0.45 and existed until the angular position (θ) = 10°, whereas at 0.65 concentration it diminished after θ = 5°. The improved heat transfer is expected at lower concentrations due to lower film thickness and thermal resistance, more recirculation, and a higher velocity field.