bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimal Linear Precodings for Multi-Color, Multi-User Visible Light Communication System with Fairness Considerations
Authors: Zhang Dong-Fang , Yu Hong-Yi , Zhu Yi-Jun , Sun Zheng-Guo
Published: October 2018

With fairness consideration, optimal linear precoding designs for multi-color, multi-user visible light communication (VLC) systems are presented in this paper. Utilizing both the spatial and multi-color resources, the precoding designs are proposed to mitigate the impact of the multi-user interference (MUI) and the multi-color crosstalk. With the constraints of chromaticity, luminance, and signal range, the precoding designs are formulated to achieve the max-min fairness and the maximum sum-rate. Since the closed-form expression for the capacities is not available, the lower and upper bounds are chosen as the performance criterions. To make the optimization problems be easy to be solved by using standard optimization packages, the non-convex problems are cast into convex ones. Subsequently, algorithms are developed to find optimal solutions. Extensive simulation results indicate that the proposed precoding schemes outperform the conventional pseudo inverse method.
Ecophysiology of Amphibians: Information for Best Mechanistic Models
Authors: Bovo Rafael P. , Navas Carlos A. , Tejedo Miguel , Valença Saulo E. S. , Gouveia Sidney F.
Published: October 2018

Several amphibian lineages epitomize the faunal biodiversity crises, with numerous reports of population declines and extinctions worldwide. Predicting how such lineages will cope with environmental changes is an urgent challenge for biologists. A promising framework for this involves mechanistic modeling, which integrates organismal ecophysiological features and ecological models as a means to establish causal and consequential relationships of species with their physical environment. Solid frameworks built for other tetrapods (e.g., lizards) have proved successful in this context, but its extension to amphibians requires care. First, the natural history of amphibians is distinct within tetrapods, for it includes a biphasic life cycle that undergoes major habitat transitions and changes in sensitivity to environmental factors. Second, the accumulated data on amphibian ecophysiology is not nearly as expressive, is heavily biased towards adult lifeforms of few non-tropical lineages, and overlook the importance of hydrothermal relationships. Thus, we argue that critical usage and improvement in the available data is essential for enhancing the power of mechanistic modeling from the physiological ecology of amphibians. We highlight the complexity of ecophysiological variables and the need for understanding the natural history of the group under study and indicate directions deemed crucial to attaining steady progress in this field.
Improving the Quality of Survey Data Documentation: A Total Survey Error Perspective
Authors: Jedinger Alexander , Watteler Oliver , Förster André
Published: October 2018

Surveys are a common method in the social and behavioral sciences to collect data on attitudes, personality and social behavior. Methodological reports should provide researchers with a complete and comprehensive overview of the design, collection and statistical processing of the survey data that are to be analyzed. As an important aspect of open science practices, they should enable secondary users to assess the quality and the analytical potential of the data. In the present article, we propose guidelines for the documentation of survey data that are based on the total survey error approach. Considering these guidelines, we conclude that both scientists and data-holding institutions should become more sensitive to the quality of survey data documentation.
Geometric Average Asian Option Pricing with Paying Dividend Yield under Non-Extensive Statistical Mechanics for Time-Varying Model
Authors: Wang Jixia , Zhang Yameng
Published: October 2018

This paper is dedicated to the study of the geometric average Asian call option pricing under non-extensive statistical mechanics for a time-varying coefficient diffusion model. We employed the non-extensive Tsallis entropy distribution, which can describe the leptokurtosis and fat-tail characteristics of returns, to model the motion of the underlying asset price. Considering that economic variables change over time, we allowed the drift and diffusion terms in our model to be time-varying functions. We used the I t o ^ formula, Feynman–Kac formula, and P a d e ´ ansatz to obtain a closed-form solution of geometric average Asian option pricing with a paying dividend yield for a time-varying model. Moreover, the simulation study shows that the results obtained by our method fit the simulation data better than that of Zhao et al. From the analysis of real data, we identify the best value for q which can fit the real stock data, and the result shows that investors underestimate the risk using the Black–Scholes model compared to our model.
Public Health Expenditures and Health Outcomes: New Evidence from Ghana
Authors: Kofi Boachie Micheal , Ramu K. , Põlajeva Tatjana
Published: October 2018

The effect of government spending on population’s health has received attention over the past decades. This study re-examines the link between government health expenditures and health outcomes to establish whether government intervention in the health sector improves outcomes. The study uses annual data for the period 1980–2014 on Ghana. The ordinary least squares (OLS) and the two-stage least squares (2SLS) estimators are employed for analyses; the regression estimates are then used to conduct cost-effectiveness analysis. The results show that, aside from income, public health expenditure contributed to the improvements in health outcomes in Ghana for the period. We find that, overall, increasing public health expenditure by 10% averts 0.102–4.4 infant and under-five deaths in every 1000 live births while increasing life expectancy at birth by 0.77–47 days in a year. For each health outcome indicator, the effect of income dominates that of public spending. The cost per childhood mortality averted ranged from US$0.20 to US$16, whereas the cost per extra life year gained ranged from US$7 to US$593.33 (2005 US$) during the period. Although the health effect of income outweighs that of public health spending, high (and rising) income inequality makes government intervention necessary. In this respect, development policy should consider raising health sector investment inter alia to improve health conditions.
Decentralized Load Shedding Method Based on Voltage Stability Margin Index Using Synchrophasor Measurement Technology
Authors: Lee Yunhwan , Song Hwachang
Published: October 2018

This study develops an analytical method for assessing the voltage stability margins of a decentralized load shedding scheme; it then examines the challenges related to the existing load shedding scheme. It also presents a practical application for implementing the proposed method, based on the synchrophasor measurement technology in modern power grid operations. By applying the concept of a continuously-computed voltage stability margin index to the configuration of the Thévenin equivalent system, the maximum transfer power could be used as an index to monitor the voltage instability phenomenon and thus determine the required load shedding amount. Thus, the calculated voltage stability margin might be a useful index for system operators in the critical decision-making process of load shedding. Dynamic simulations are performed on real Korean power systems as case studies. Simulation results, when comparing the existing and proposed methods, showed that there was a considerable reduction in the amount of load shedding in the voltage instability scenario. This indicates that the synchrophasor measurement technology has a considerable effect on the proposed load shedding method. The simulation results have validated the performance of the proposed method.
Experimental Evaluation of Radiant Heating Ceiling Systems Based on Thermal Comfort Criteria
Authors: Safizadeh M. Reza , Schweiker Marcel , Wagner Andreas
Published: October 2018

Low-temperature radiant heating systems can be considered as suitable candidates for the refurbishment of old heating systems. These systems are proven to save energy, however, their drawback is their impact on the creation of radiant temperature asymmetry and local thermal discomfort, especially in old buildings where the temperatures of surfaces (for example external walls with a low level of insulation and large windows) are low. This study aims to evaluate the potential application of low-temperature radiant ceiling heating systems (28–38 °C) in old and energy-renovated buildings, based on subjective experiments and thermal comfort criteria such as thermal sensation, comfort, satisfaction, and sensation asymmetry votes. Later, in the Discussion section, the guideline for the radiant temperature asymmetry for the warm ceiling presented in ASHRAE Standard-55 is corrected for relatively low air temperatures and different surface temperatures corresponding to “about neutral” conditions for winter clothing. Findings of this research show that the radiant ceiling heating system operating at low temperatures (33–38 °C) can provide fairly neutral thermal sensation and satisfactory comfort at the majority of body-parts, if the building envelope satisfies advanced building energy-efficiency regulations. Additionally, the experimental analyses imply that limitation of 5% suggested by ASHRAE-55 for the percentage of dissatisfied occupants feeling uncomfortable due to overhead radiation can be elevated to 10%.
A Review of Underground Soil and Night Sky as Passive Heat Sink: Design Configurations and Models
Authors: Vidhi Rachana
Published: October 2018

Energy consumption for heating and cooling constitute the majority of the energy use for building loads. Using passive cooling systems to reduce the energy consumption or to make the process more efficient can be very beneficial. Ground coupled heat exchangers and night sky radiative cooling systems have been used for centuries to achieve cooling and ice making. Ground coupled heat exchangers use the temperature difference between underground soil and ambient air or water for heat transfer between the soil and the fluid passing through buried pipes. Night sky radiative cooling takes advantage of the night sky as the coldest heat sink available for heat transfer with any surface. Use of these simple designs with the modern cooling/heating systems has the potential for a major impact on the heating and cooling needs. This review paper describes the various designs, configurations and applications of these systems as well as determining the parameters that impact their performance.
Optimal Investment Timing and Scale Choice of Overseas Oil Projects: A Real Option Approach
Authors: Huang Jia-Yue , Cao Yun-Fei , Zhou Hui-Ling , Cao Hong , Tang Bao-Jun , Wang Nan
Published: October 2018

This article presents a real option model for helping investors to determine the optimal investment timing and scale of overseas oil projects. The model is suitable for the highly uncertain environments in which many oil companies operate, where they have to suspend upstream investment, stop new oilfield construction, and wait for proper oil prices in order to avoid losses. Considering the uncertainty of oil prices and exchange rates, the results of analytical solutions presented in this paper show the critical oil price that can be seen as the investment threshold for triggering oilfield development as well as the optimal recoverable factor for every oil price level to indicate the optimal investment scale. Results of the case project show the critical oil price, which is 82.32 US dollar per barrel, and the selection of optimal investment scale. The article also demonstrates the impact of investment scale on investment timing in overseas oil projects. The policy implication from the case project is that investment decisions are finitely impacted by geological conditions. Besides, the existence of tax holiday directly contributes to a lower investment threshold. In addition, reducing unit operation cost can obviously enlarge optimal investment scale and initiate oil projects in a relatively low level of investment threshold.
Diversity and Utilization of Edible Plants and Macro-Fungi in Subtropical Guangdong Province, Southern China
Authors: Liao Juyang , Zhang Linping , Liu Yan , Li Qiaoyun , Chen Danxia , Zhang Qiang , Li Jianrong
Published: October 2018

Food supply from forests is a fundamental component of forest ecosystem services, but information relating to suitability for human consumption and sustainable utilization of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in developing countries is lacking. To address this gap in knowledge, diverse datasets of edible plants and macro-fungi were obtained from field collections, historical publications, and community surveys across seven cities in Guangdong Province (GP), southern China. Seven edible parts and five food categories of plant species were classified according to usage and specific nutrient components. Edible plant species were also categorized into different seasons and life forms. Our results show that at least 100 plant species (with 64 plant species producing fruit) and 20 macro-fungi were commonly used as edible forest products in subtropical GP. There were 55 and 57 species providing edible parts in summer and autumn, respectively. Many edible plants had multiple uses. Tree and herbaceous species made up the majority of the total. Our study provides evidence that both edible plants and macro-fungi can enrich the food supply for residents in rural and urban areas by acting as supplemental resources. We therefore suggest that, in spite of the prevalence of imported foods due to modern infrastructure, edible NTFPs from subtropical forests might be leveraged to support the increasing demand for food in an era of rapid urbanization and global change.
Sankofa, or “Go Back and Fetch It”: Merging Genealogy and Africana Studies—An Introduction
Authors: Martin Kameelah L. , West Elizabeth J.
Published: October 2018

With the overwhelming popularity of genealogy-themed television series, genetic genealogy testing, online subscription services for research, and the enduring aphorism of Sankofa, people of African descent are consistently dispelling the long-avowed assertion that the ancestry of the enslaved in the United States and their descendants is, for the most part, unknowable. [...]
Valproic Acid Inhibits Proliferation and Reduces Invasiveness in Glioma Stem Cells Through Wnt/β Catenin Signalling Activation
Authors: Riva Gabriele , Cilibrasi Chiara , Bazzoni Riccardo , Cadamuro Massimiliano , Negroni Caterina , Butta Valentina , Strazzabosco Mario , Dalprà Leda , Lavitrano Marialuisa , Bentivegna Angela
Published: October 2018

Glioblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumour in adults. The failure of current therapies can be ascribed to glioma stem cells (GSCs), which can rapidly repopulate the tumour following the initial treatment. The study of histone deacetylase inhibitors, such as valproic acid (VPA), is becoming an attractive field in cancer research. However, the exact mechanisms underlying its anti-cancer effect remain to be elucidated due to its pleiotropic effects on several cell-signalling pathways. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) bioinformatics analysis was performed on genome-wide data regarding GSCs methylome to identify the signalling pathways mainly affected by methylation changes induced by VPA. Real time PCR and luciferase reporter assay were used to better investigate VPA effects on Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway. VPA effect on GSC proliferation was evaluated by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide (MTT) and Trypan blue assays. Finally, VPA impact on GSC motility was demonstrated by Boyden chamber assay and further confirmed evaluating the expression levels or localisation, through western blot or immunofluorescence, of Twist1, Snail1, E-Cadherin and N-Cadherin. The bioinformatics analyses performed on GSCs methylome highlighted that Wnt/β-catenin signalling was affected by the methylation changes induced by VPA, which could influence its activation status. In particular, we pointed out a general activation of this pathway after VPA exposure, which was accompanied by an inhibitory potential on GSCs proliferation. Finally, we also proved VPA’s ability to inhibit GSCs invasion through Snail1 and Twist1 downregulation and E-Cadherin relocalisation. VPA treatment may represent a new, interesting therapeutic approach to affect GSC proliferation and motility, but further investigations are certainly needed.
Cognitive Plasticity in Young-Old Adults and Old-Old Adults and Its Relationship with Successful Aging
Authors: Navarro Elena , Calero M. Dolores
Published: October 2018

The general objective of this study was to analyze cognitive plasticity as a variable related to successful aging in a group of young-old adults and old-old adults using the Auditory Verbal Learning Test—Learning Potential (AVLT-LP). Method: A total of 569 persons, with mean age 76.67 years (379 between the ages of 65 and 80 years, and 190 older than age 80). They were assessed with a socio-health questionnaire, with the AVLT-LP, and with the Spanish version of the Mini Mental State Examination. Results: The results showed significant differences on the test, in favor of the younger group, while the over 80 group gave poorer performance and showed less cognitive plasticity. With relation to gender, slight differences appeared in favor of the women, on the first four test trials, but not on the last two, nor in delayed recall or cognitive plasticity. As for cognitive status, the results showed significantly better task performance levels in healthy elders, as well as greater plasticity. Nonetheless, certain persons with high plasticity were also found among those with cognitive impairment. Conclusions: The data obtained here offers evidence for the importance of cognitive plasticity in elders and its relation to longevity and successful aging. It also provides information about the influence of variables like age, gender and cognitive status on a verbal memory and plasticity assessment task that is in wide use today.
Many Cells Make Life Work—Multicellularity in Stem Cell-Based Cardiac Disease Modelling
Authors: Wang Brian X. , Kit-Anan Worrapong , Terracciano Cesare M. N.
Published: October 2018

Cardiac disease causes 33% of deaths worldwide but our knowledge of disease progression is still very limited. In vitro models utilising and combining multiple, differentiated cell types have been used to recapitulate the range of myocardial microenvironments in an effort to delineate the mechanical, humoral, and electrical interactions that modulate the cardiac contractile function in health and the pathogenesis of human disease. However, due to limitations in isolating these cell types and changes in their structure and function in vitro, the field is now focused on the development and use of stem cell-derived cell types, most notably, human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived CMs (hiPSC-CMs), in modelling the CM function in health and patient-specific diseases, allowing us to build on the findings from studies using animal and adult human CMs. It is becoming increasingly appreciated that communications between cardiomyocytes (CMs), the contractile cell of the heart, and the non-myocyte components of the heart not only regulate cardiac development and maintenance of health and adult CM functions, including the contractile state, but they also regulate remodelling in diseases, which may cause the chronic impairment of the contractile function of the myocardium, ultimately leading to heart failure. Within the myocardium, each CM is surrounded by an intricate network of cell types including endothelial cells, fibroblasts, vascular smooth muscle cells, sympathetic neurons, and resident macrophages, and the extracellular matrix (ECM), forming complex interactions, and models utilizing hiPSC-derived cell types offer a great opportunity to investigate these interactions further. In this review, we outline the historical and current state of disease modelling, focusing on the major milestones in the development of stem cell-derived cell types, and how this technology has contributed to our knowledge about the interactions between CMs and key non-myocyte components of the heart in health and disease, in particular, heart failure. Understanding where we stand in the field will be critical for stem cell-based applications, including the modelling of diseases that have complex multicellular dysfunctions.
Nitrogen Limitation Alters the Response of Specific Genes to Biotic Stress
Authors: Farjad Mahsa , Rigault Martine , Pateyron Stéphanie , Martin-Magniette Marie-Laure , Krapp Anne , Meyer Christian , Fagard Mathilde
Published: October 2018

In their natural environment, plants are generally confronted with multiple co-occurring stresses. However, the interaction between stresses is not well known and transcriptomic data in response to combined stresses remain scarce. This study aims at characterizing the interaction between transcriptomic responses to biotic stress and nitrogen (N) limitation. Plants were grown in low or full N, infected or not with Erwinia amylovora (Ea) and plant gene expression was analyzed through microarray and qRT-PCR. Most Ea-responsive genes had the same profile (induced/repressed) in response to Ea in low and full N. In response to stress combination, one third of modulated transcripts responded in a manner that could not be deduced from their response to each individual stress. Many defense-related genes showed a prioritization of their response to biotic stress over their response to N limitation, which was also observed using Pseudomonas syringae as a second pathosystem. Our results indicate an interaction between transcriptomic responses to N and biotic stress. A small fraction of transcripts was prioritized between antagonistic responses, reflecting a preservation of the plant defense program under N limitation. Furthermore, this interaction also led to a complex and specific response in terms of metabolism and cellular homeostasis-associated genes.
Exosome and Macrophage Crosstalk in Sleep-Disordered Breathing-Induced Metabolic Dysfunction
Authors: Khalyfa Abdelnaby , Kheirandish-Gozal Leila , Gozal David
Published: October 2018

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent worldwide public health problem that is characterized by repetitive upper airway collapse leading to intermittent hypoxia, pronounced negative intrathoracic pressures, and recurrent arousals resulting in sleep fragmentation. Obesity is a major risk factor of OSA and both of these two closely intertwined conditions result in increased sympathetic activity, oxidative stress, and chronic low-grade inflammation, which ultimately contribute, among other morbidities, to metabolic dysfunction, as reflected by visceral white adipose tissue (VWAT) insulin resistance (IR). Circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes, are released by most cell types and their cargos vary greatly and reflect underlying changes in cellular homeostasis. Thus, exosomes can provide insights into how cells and systems cope with physiological perturbations by virtue of the identity and abundance of miRNAs, mRNAs, proteins, and lipids that are packaged in the EVs cargo, and are secreted from the cells into bodily fluids under normal as well as diseased states. Accordingly, exosomes represent a novel pathway via which a cohort of biomolecules can travel long distances and result in the modulation of gene expression in selected and targeted recipient cells. For example, exosomes secreted from macrophages play a critical role in innate immunity and also initiate the adaptive immune response within specific metabolic tissues such as VWAT. Under normal conditions, phagocyte-derived exosomes represent a large portion of circulating EVs in blood, and carry a protective signature against IR that is altered when secreting cells are exposed to altered physiological conditions such as those elicited by OSA, leading to emergence of IR within VWAT compartment. Consequently, increased understanding of exosome biogenesis and biology should lead to development of new diagnostic biomarker assays and personalized therapeutic approaches. Here, the evidence on the major biological functions of macrophages and exosomes as pathophysiological effectors of OSA-induced metabolic dysfunction is discussed.
Clinical Utility of Definitive Drug–Drug Interaction Testing in Primary Care
Authors: Peabody John , Tran Mary , Paculdo David , Schrecker Joshua , Valdenor Czarlota , Jeter Elaine
Published: October 2018

Drug–drug interactions (DDIs) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. New tools are needed to improve identification and treatment of DDIs. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to assess the clinical utility of a new test to identify DDIs and improve their management. Primary care physicians (PCPs) cared for simulated patients presenting with DDI symptoms from commonly prescribed medications and other ingestants. All physicians, in either control or one of two intervention groups, cared for six patients over two rounds of assessment. Intervention physicians were educated on the DDI test and given access to these test reports when caring for their patients in the second round. At baseline, we saw no significant differences in making the DDI diagnosis (p = 0.071) or DDI-related treatment (p = 0.640) between control and intervention arms. By round two, providers who accessed the DDI test performed significantly better in making the DDI diagnosis (+41.6%) and performing DDI-specific treatment (+12.2%) than in the previous round, and were 9.8 and 20.4 times more likely to diagnose and identify the DDI (p < 0.001 for all). The introduction of a definitive DDI test significantly increased identification, appropriate management, and counseling of DDIs among PCPs, which has the potential to improve clinical care.
High Risk of Deep Neck Infection in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Chang Geng-He , Ding Meng-Chang , Yang Yao-Hsu , Lin Yung-Hsiang , Liu Chia-Yen , Lin Meng-Hung , Wu Ching-Yuan , Hsu Cheng-Ming , Tsai Ming-Shao
Published: October 2018

Objective: To investigate the risk of deep neck infection (DNI) in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Methods: The database of the Registry for Catastrophic Illness Patients, affiliated to the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, was used to conduct a retrospective cohort study. In total, 5741 patients with T1DM and 22,964 matched patients without diabetes mellitus (DM) were enrolled between 2000 and 2010. The patients were followed up until death or the end of the study period (31 December 2013). The primary outcome was the occurrence of DNI. Results: Patients with T1DM exhibited a significantly higher cumulative incidence of DNI than did those without DM (p < 0.001). The Cox proportional hazards model showed that T1DM was significantly associated with a higher incidence of DNI (adjusted hazard ratio, 10.71; 95% confidence interval, 6.02–19.05; p < 0.001). The sensitivity test and subgroup analysis revealed a stable effect of T1DM on DNI risk. The therapeutic methods (surgical or nonsurgical) did not differ significantly between the T1DM and non-DM cohorts. Patients with T1DM required significantly longer hospitalization for DNI than did those without DM (9.0 ± 6.2 vs. 4.1 ± 2.0 days, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the patients with T1DM were predisposed to DNI at a younger age than were those without DM. Conclusions: T1DM is an independent risk factor for DNI and is associated with a 10-fold increase in DNI risk. The patients with T1DM require longer hospitalizations for DNI and are younger than those without DM.
Circulating Levels of Osteopontin Predict Patients’ Outcome after Resection of Colorectal Liver Metastases
Authors: Loosen Sven H. , Heise Daniel , Dejong Cees H. , Roy Sanchari , Tacke Frank , Trautwein Christian , Roderburg Christoph , Luedde Tom , Neumann Ulf P. , Binnebösel Marcel
Published: October 2018

For colorectal liver metastases (CRLM), surgical resection is the only potentially curative therapy, but even successfully resected patients often face disease recurrence, leading to 5-year survival rate below 50%. Despite available preoperative stratification strategies, it is not fully elucidated which patients actually benefit from CRLM resection. Here we evaluated osteopontin, a secreted glyco-phosphoprotein, as a biomarker in the context of CRLM resection. Tissue levels of osteopontin were analysed in CRLM using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. Pre- and postoperative osteopontin serum concentrations were analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 125 patients undergoing resection of CRLM as well as 65 healthy controls. Correlating with an upregulation of osteopontin tissue expression in CRLM, osteopontin serum levels were significantly elevated in patients with CRLM compared to healthy controls. Importantly, high pre- and post-operative osteopontin serum levels were associated with a poor prognosis after tumour resection. Patients with initial osteopontin serum levels above our ideal cut-off value of 264.4 ng/mL showed a significantly impaired median overall survival of 304 days compared to 1394 days for patients with low osteopontin levels. Together, our data suggest a role of osteopontin as a prognostic biomarker in patients with resectable CRLM that might help to identify patients who particularly benefit from liver resection.
Green Stability Assumption: Unsupervised Learning for Statistics-Based Illumination Estimation
Authors: Banić Nikola , Lončarić Sven
Published: October 2018

In the image processing pipeline of almost every digital camera, there is a part for removing the influence of illumination on the colors of the image scene. Tuning the parameter values of an illumination estimation method for maximal accuracy requires calibrated images with known ground-truth illumination, but creating them for a given sensor is time-consuming. In this paper, the green stability assumption is proposed that can be used to fine-tune the values of some common illumination estimation methods by using only non-calibrated images. The obtained accuracy is practically the same as when training on calibrated images, but the whole process is much faster since calibration is not required and thus time is saved. The results are presented and discussed. The source code website is provided in Section Experimental Results.
A 0.7 V, Ultra-Wideband Common Gate LNA with Feedback Body Bias Topology for Wireless Applications
Authors: Singh Vikram , Arya Sandeep K. , Kumar Manoj
Published: October 2018

An ultra-wideband (UWB) low noise amplifier (LNA) for 3.3–13.0 GHz wireless applications using 90 nm CMOS is proposed in this paper. The proposed LNA uses an improved common-gate (CG) topology utilizing feedback body biasing (FBB), which improves noise figure (NF) by a considerable amount. Parallel-series tuned LC network was used between the common-gate first stage and the cascoded common-source (CS) stage to achieve the maximum signal flow from CG to CS stage. Improved CS topology with a series inductor at the drain terminal in the second stage connected and cascoded CS third stage provides high power gain (S21) and bandwidth enhancement throughout the complete UWB. A common-drain buffer stage at the output provides high output reflection coefficient (S22). It achieves an average power gain (S21) of 14.7 ± 0.5 dB with a noise figure (NF) of 3.0–3.7 dB. It has an input reflection coefficient (S11) less than −11.7 dB for 3.3–13.0 GHz frequency and output reflection coefficient (S22) of less than −10.6 dB with a very high reversion isolation (S12) of less than −72.4 dB. It consumes only 5.2 mW from a 0.7 V power supply.
Adhesins of Yeasts: Protein Structure and Interactions
Authors: Willaert Ronnie G.
Published: October 2018

The ability of yeast cells to adhere to other cells or substrates is crucial for many yeasts. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae can switch from a unicellular lifestyle to a multicellular one. A crucial step in multicellular lifestyle adaptation is self-recognition, self-interaction, and adhesion to abiotic surfaces. Infectious yeast diseases such as candidiasis are initiated by the adhesion of the yeast cells to host cells. Adhesion is accomplished by adhesin proteins that are attached to the cell wall and stick out to interact with other cells or substrates. Protein structures give detailed insights into the molecular mechanism of adhesin-ligand interaction. Currently, only the structures of a very limited number of N-terminal adhesion domains of adhesins have been solved. Therefore, this review focuses on these adhesin protein families. The protein architectures, protein structures, and ligand interactions of the flocculation protein family of S. cerevisiae; the epithelial adhesion family of C. glabrata; and the agglutinin-like sequence protein family of C. albicans are reviewed and discussed.
Book Review for “Credit Default Swap Markets in the Global Economy” by Go Tamakoshi and Shigeyuki Hamori. Routledge: Oxford, UK, 2018; ISBN: 9781138244726
Authors: Xu Haifeng
Published: October 2018

Credit default swaps (CDS) came into existence in 1994 when they were invented by JP Morgan, then it became popular in the early 2000s, and by 2007, the outstanding credit default swaps balance reached $62 trillion. [...]
Farmers’ Perceptions of Agricultural Land Abandonment in Rural Western New York State
Authors: Kuntz Kara A. , Beaudry Frederic , Porter Karen L.
Published: October 2018

Over the last century, the U.S. economy has favored large-scale agribusiness over small-scale farming. In some regions, this trend has led to the abandonment of cultivated land, and there is little scholarly literature that discusses how farmers are affected. The goal of this study was to examine Allegany County (NY) farmers’ perceptions of abandoned land and associated correlates. The data were collected through surveys mailed to farmers in Allegany County in 2012. We found that the majority of farmers felt personally affected by abandoned land and expressed the greatest amount of dissatisfaction with the state of the U.S. economy and local, state, and national regulations, especially if they considered themselves Republican. These findings address the sociopolitical significance of abandoned land and contribute to an understanding of how abandoned land affects residents of rural communities who are typically left out of discussions on policies affecting their livelihoods.
Analysis of an Educational Cathodic Protection System with a Single Drainage Point: Modeling and Experimental Validation in Aqueous Medium
Authors: Matos Luís , Martins José
Published: October 2018

Cathodic protection, often taught in curricular units, such as corrosion and materials science, is an important subject in the study of chemical engineering. The implementation of lab setups and experimental activities in this field, are core to promoting understanding of the underlying concepts and to developing “hands-on” skills fundamental to the success of future process engineers. This paper reports the influence of different variables on the electrical potential and current behaviors of an educational cathodic protection system operated with a single drainage point. The system comprised a steel bar cathode connected to a zinc sacrificial anode, both placed in aqueous medium. The study variables were the anode area, the cathode diameter, the NaCl electrolyte concentration and the anode placement. Each variable showed a specific influence on the attenuation curves, allowing us to conclude that: (1) increasing the sacrificial anode area, or decreasing the resistivity of the medium, promotes more electronegative potentials on the structure and higher currents; (2) increasing the cathode diameter decreases the protection capacity; (3) positioning the anode in the middle of the cathode lengthwise gives rise to a more balanced potential distribution; and (4), the attenuation curves, both for potential and current, can be successfully predicted using equations based on Morgan and Uhlig’s work. High correlations were obtained between the experimental and modeling data for all the studied variables.
Materials and Devices for Biodegradable and Soft Biomedical Electronics
Authors: Li Rongfeng , Wang Liu , Yin Lan
Published: October 2018

Biodegradable and soft biomedical electronics that eliminate secondary surgery and ensure intimate contact with soft biological tissues of the human body are of growing interest, due to their emerging applications in high-quality healthcare monitoring and effective disease treatments. Recent systematic studies have significantly expanded the biodegradable electronic materials database, and various novel transient systems have been proposed. Biodegradable materials with soft properties and integration schemes of flexible or/and stretchable platforms will further advance electronic systems that match the properties of biological systems, providing an important step along the path towards clinical trials. This review focuses on recent progress and achievements in biodegradable and soft electronics for biomedical applications. The available biodegradable materials in their soft formats, the associated novel fabrication schemes, the device layouts, and the functionality of a variety of fully bioresorbable and soft devices, are reviewed. Finally, the key challenges and possible future directions of biodegradable and soft electronics are provided.
Terahertz Time Domain Spectroscopy of Transformer Insulation Paper after Thermal Aging Intervals
Authors: Wang Liang , Tang Chao , Zhu Shiping , Zhou Shengling
Published: October 2018

An accelerated thermal aging process was used to simulate the condition of paper insulation in transformer oil-paper systems. Optical parameters of the insulation paper after various aging intervals were analyzed with terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) over the range 0.1~1.8 THz. The result shows that the paper had seven absorption peaks at 0.19, 0.49, 0.82, 1.19, 1.43, 1.53, and 1.74 THz, and density functional theory of B3LYP/6-311G+ (d, p) was used to simulate the molecular dynamics of the repeating component (cellobiose) of the cellulose paper. Theoretical spectra were consistent with experiment, which had absorption peaks at 0.18, 0.82, 1.47, and 1.53 THz in the same frequency range. At the same time, the paper samples after various aging intervals had different refractive indexes, and least squares fitting revealed a linear relationship between the degree of polymerization and the refractive index of the paper. Hence, this paper demonstrates that THz-TDS could be used to analyze the aging condition of transformer insulation paper and provides the theoretical and experimental basis for detection.
Single Step, Electrochemical Preparation of Copper-Based Positive Electrode for Lithium Primary Cells
Authors: Ratynski Maciej , Hamankiewicz Bartosz , Krajewski Michal , Boczar Maciej , Ziolkowska Dominika , Czerwinski Andrzej
Published: October 2018

Lithium primary cells are commonly used in applications where high energy density and low self-discharge are the most important factors. This include small coin cells for electronics, power backup batteries for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor memory or as a long-term emergency power source. In our study we present a fast, electrochemical method of the positive electrode preparation for lithium primary cells. The influence of the current density and oxygen presence in a solution on the preparation of the electrode and thus its electrochemical behavior is examined. Electrode compositions were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The prepared electrodes may be used in Li cells as competition to Zn-MnO2 primary batteries.
Energy-Efficient Scheduling for a Job Shop Using an Improved Whale Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Jiang Tianhua , Zhang Chao , Zhu Huiqi , Gu Jiuchun , Deng Guanlong
Published: October 2018

Under the current environmental pressure, many manufacturing enterprises are urged or forced to adopt effective energy-saving measures. However, environmental metrics, such as energy consumption and CO2 emission, are seldom considered in the traditional production scheduling problems. Recently, the energy-related scheduling problem has been paid increasingly more attention by researchers. In this paper, an energy-efficient job shop scheduling problem (EJSP) is investigated with the objective of minimizing the sum of the energy consumption cost and the completion-time cost. As the classical JSP is well known as a non-deterministic polynomial-time hard (NP-hard) problem, an improved whale optimization algorithm (IWOA) is presented to solve the energy-efficient scheduling problem. The improvement is performed using dispatching rules (DR), a nonlinear convergence factor (NCF), and a mutation operation (MO). The DR is used to enhance the initial solution quality and overcome the drawbacks of the random population. The NCF is adopted to balance the abilities of exploration and exploitation of the algorithm. The MO is employed to reduce the possibility of falling into local optimum to avoid the premature convergence. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, extensive simulations have been performed in the experiment section. The computational data demonstrate the promising advantages of the proposed IWOA for the energy-efficient job shop scheduling problem.
Identification and Molecular Docking Study of a Novel Angiotensin-I Converting Enzyme Inhibitory Peptide Derived from Enzymatic Hydrolysates of Cyclina sinensis
Authors: Yu Fangmiao , Zhang Zhuangwei , Luo Liwang , Zhu Junxiang , Huang Fangfang , Yang Zuisu , Tang Yunping , Ding Guofang
Published: October 2018

Marine-derived angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptides have shown potent ACE inhibitory activity with no side effects. In this study, we reported the discovery of a novel ACE-inhibitory peptide derived from trypsin hydrolysates of Cyclina sinensis (CSH). CSH was separated into four different molecular weight (MW) fractions by ultrafiltration. Fraction CSH-I showed the strongest ACE inhibitory activity. A peptide was purified by fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and its sequence was determined to be Trp-Pro-Met-Gly-Phe (WPMGF, 636.75 Da). The Lineweaver-Burk plot showed that WPMGF was a competitive inhibitor of ACE. WPMGF showed a significant degree of stability at varying temperatures, pH, and simulated gastrointestinal environment conditions. We investigated the interaction between this pentapeptide and ACE by means of a flexible molecular docking tool. The results revealed that effective interaction between WPMGF and ACE occurred mainly through hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, and coordination bonds between WPMGF and Zn(II). In conclusion, our study indicates that a purified extract derived from Cyclina sinensis or the WPMGF peptide could potentially be incorporated in antihypertensive functional foods or dietary supplements.
TiFe Precipitation Behavior and its Effect on Strengthening in Solution Heat-Treated Ti-5Al-3.5Fe During Isothermal Aging
Authors: Choe Hye-Jeong , Won Jong Woo , Hyun Yong-Taek , Lim Ka Ram , Yoon Seog-Young
Published: October 2018

We investigated the TiFe precipitation behavior of solution heat-treated Ti-5Al-3.5Fe during isothermal aging, quantified the effect of precipitation on strengthening by evaluating the hardness, and compared it to the effect of Ti3Al precipitation in Ti-6Al-4V. TiFe precipitates formed both at grain boundaries (GBs) and within the grain matrices. Phase transformation from the β to α phase also occurred during isothermal aging; this transformation generated lamellar interphase boundaries between the transformed α phase and remaining β phase in prior β grains. These interphase boundaries enabled the formation of in-grain TiFe precipitates by acting as a nucleation site. GB precipitation did not require prior β → α phase transformation to generate nucleation sites (i.e., interphase boundaries), so TiFe precipitation could occur immediately upon isothermal aging. Thus, GB precipitation proceeded more quickly than in-grain precipitation; as a result, precipitates were larger and more spherical at the GBs than in grains. The strengthening behavior exhibited by TiFe precipitation differed obviously from that caused by Ti3Al precipitation in Ti-6Al-4V because of its differing precipitation kinetics and related microstructural evolution.
Monolithic Wafer Scale Integration of Silicon Nanoribbon Sensors with CMOS for Lab-on-Chip Application
Authors: Jayakumar Ganesh , Hellström Per-Erik , Östling Mikael
Published: October 2018

Silicon ribbons (SiRi) have been well-established as highly sensitive transducers for biosensing applications thanks to their high surface to volume ratio. However, selective and multiplexed detection of biomarkers remains a challenge. Further, very few attempts have been made to integrate SiRi with complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) circuits to form a complete lab-on-chip (LOC). Integration of SiRi with CMOS will facilitate real time detection of the output signal and provide a compact small sized LOC. Here, we propose a novel pixel based SiRi device monolithically integrated with CMOS field-effect-transistors (FET) for real-time selective multiplexed detection. The SiRi pixels are fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator wafer using a top-down method. Each pixel houses a control FET, fluid-gate (FG) and SiRi sensor. The pixel is controlled by simultaneously applying frontgate (VG) and backgate voltage (VBG). The liquid potential can be monitored using the FG. We report the transfer characteristics (ID-VG) of N- and P-type SiRi pixels. Further, the ID-VG characteristics of the SiRis are studied at different VBG. The application of VBG to turn ON the SiRi modulates the subthreshold slope (SS) and threshold voltage (VTH) of the control FET. Particularly, N-type pixels cannot be turned OFF due to the control NFET operating in the strong inversion regime. This is due to large VBG (≥25 V) application to turn ON the SiRi sensor. Conversely, the P-type SiRi sensors do not require large VBG to switch ON. Thus, P-type pixels exhibit excellent ION/IOFF ≥ 106, SS of 70–80 mV/dec and VTH of 0.5 V. These promising results will empower the large-scale cost-efficient production of SiRi based LOC sensors.
A Modified Cooperative A* Algorithm for the Simultaneous Motion of Multiple Microparts on a “Smart Platform” with Electrostatic Fields
Authors: Kritikou Georgia , Lamprianidis Nikos , Aspragathos Nikos
Published: October 2018

In this article, a method for microparts parallel manipulation with electrostatic forces, applied by conductive electrodes embedded on a Programmable “Smart Platform”, is introduced. The design of the platform and the layout of the electrodes underneath the rectangular microparts with respect to the platform’s geometry are presented. The electrostatic phenomena that result to the electrostatic forces applied to the microparts by the activated electrodes of the “Smart Platform” are studied in detail. Algorithms for the activation of the platform’s electrodes for the motion of the rectangular microparts are introduced and their motion is simulated. The Configuration-Space (C-Space) of the microparts on the “Smart Platform” is defined taking into account the static obstacles that are placed on the platform and the rest of moving microparts. Considering the layout of the platform, the activation algorithms, the motion and the C-Space of the microparts, a modified A* algorithm is proposed and the best path for every moving rectangular micropart on the “Smart Platform”, is computed with respect to time. Simulated experiments are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach and the results are discussed.