bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Non-Coding RNAs as Sensors of Oxidative Stress in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Authors: Gámez-Valero Ana , Guisado-Corcoll Anna , Herrero-Lorenzo Marina , Solaguren-Beascoa Maria , Martí Eulàlia
Published: November 2020

Oxidative stress (OS) results from an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species and the cellular antioxidant capacity. OS plays a central role in neurodegenerative diseases, where the progressive accumulation of reactive oxygen species induces mitochondrial dysfunction, protein aggregation and inflammation. Regulatory non-protein-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are essential transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene expression controllers, showing a highly regulated expression in space (cell types), time (developmental and ageing processes) and response to specific stimuli. These dynamic changes shape signaling pathways that are critical for the developmental processes of the nervous system and brain cell homeostasis. Diverse classes of ncRNAs have been involved in the cell response to OS and have been targeted in therapeutic designs. The perturbed expression of ncRNAs has been shown in human neurodegenerative diseases, with these changes contributing to pathogenic mechanisms, including OS and associated toxicity. In the present review, we summarize existing literature linking OS, neurodegeneration and ncRNA function. We provide evidences for the central role of OS in age-related neurodegenerative conditions, recapitulating the main types of regulatory ncRNAs with roles in the normal function of the nervous system and summarizing up-to-date information on ncRNA deregulation with a direct impact on OS associated with major neurodegenerative conditions.
Changes in Phenolics and Fatty Acids Composition and Related Gene Expression during the Development from Seed to Leaves of Three Cultivated Cardoon Genotypes
Authors: Graziani Giulia , Docimo Teresa , Palma Monica De , Sparvoli Francesca , Izzo Luana , Tucci Marina , Ritieni Alberto
Published: November 2020

Cultivated cardoon (Cynara cardunculus var. altilis) has long been used as a food and medicine remedy and nowadays is considered a functional food. Its leaf bioactive compounds are mostly represented by chlorogenic acids and coumaroyl derivatives, known for their nutritional value and bioactivity. Having antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties, these molecules are used for medicinal purposes. Apart from the phenolic compounds in green tissues, cultivated cardoon is also used for the seed oil, having a composition suitable for the human diet, but also valuable as feedstock for the production of biofuel and biodegradable bioplastics. Given the wide spectrum of valuable cardoon molecules and their numerous industrial applications, a detailed characterization of different organs and tissues for their metabolic profiles as well as an extensive transcriptional analysis of associated key biosynthetic genes were performed to provide a deeper insight into metabolites biosynthesis and accumulation sites. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis of the phenylpropanoids profile through UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS analysis, of fatty acids content through GC-MS analysis, along with quantitative transcriptional analyses by qRT-PCR of hydroxycinnamoyl-quinate transferase (HQT), stearic acid desaturase (SAD), and fatty acid desaturase (FAD) genes in seeds, hypocotyls, cotyledons and leaves of the cardoon genotypes “Spagnolo”, “Bianco Avorio”, and “Gigante”. Both oil yield and total phenols accumulation in all the tissues and organs indicated higher production in “Bianco Avorio” and “Spagnolo” than in “Gigante”. Antioxidant activity evaluation by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays mirrored total phenols content. Overall, this study provides a detailed analysis of tissue composition of cardoon, enabling to elucidate value-added product accumulation and distribution during plant development and hence contributing to better address and optimize the sustainable use of this natural resource. Besides, our metabolic and transcriptional screening could be useful to guide the selection of superior genotypes.
BMS-986020, a Specific LPA1 Antagonist, Provides Neuroprotection against Ischemic Stroke in Mice
Authors: Gaire Bhakta Prasad , Sapkota Arjun , Choi Ji Woong
Published: November 2020

Stroke is a leading cause of death. Stroke survivors often suffer from long-term functional disability. This study demonstrated neuroprotective effects of BMS-986020 (BMS), a selective lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 (LPA1) antagonist under clinical trials for lung fibrosis and psoriasis, against both acute and sub-acute injuries after ischemic stroke by employing a mouse model with transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). BMS administration immediately after reperfusion significantly attenuated acute brain injuries including brain infarction, neurological deficits, and cell apoptosis at day 1 after tMCAO. Neuroprotective effects of BMS were preserved even when administered at 3 h after reperfusion. Neuroprotection by BMS against acute injuries was associated with attenuation of microglial activation and lipid peroxidation in post-ischemic brains. Notably, repeated BMS administration daily for 14 days after tMCAO exerted long-term neuroprotection in tMCAO-challenged mice, as evidenced by significantly attenuated neurological deficits and improved survival rate. It also attenuated brain tissue loss and cell apoptosis in post-ischemic brains. Mechanistically, it significantly enhanced neurogenesis and angiogenesis in injured brains. A single administration of BMS provided similar long-term neuroprotection except survival rate. Collectively, BMS provided neuroprotection against both acute and sub-acute injuries of ischemic stroke, indicating that BMS might be an appealing therapeutic agent to treat ischemic stroke.
A New Split Gate Resurf Stepped Oxide UMOSFET Structure with High Doped Epitaxial Layer for Improving Figure of Merit (FOM)
Authors: Chen Runze , Wang Lixin , Zhang Hongkai , Cui Mengyao , Guo Min
Published: November 2020

The split gate resurf stepped oxide with highly doped epitaxial layer (HDSGRSO) UMOSFET has been proposed. The epitaxial layer of HDSGRSO u-shape metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (UMOSFET) has been divided into three parts: the upper epitaxial layer, the lower epitaxial layer and the middle epitaxial layer with higher doping concentration. The research shows that the reduced SURface field (RESURF) active has been enhanced due to the high doped epitaxial layer, which can modulate the electric field distribution and reduce the internal high electric field. Therefore, the HDGRSO UMOSFET has a higher breakdown voltage (BV), a lower on-state specific resistance (RSP) and a better figure of merit (FOM). According to the results of Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) simulations, the FOM (BV2/RSP) of HDSGRSO UMOSFET has been improved by 464%, and FOM (RSP × Qgd) of HDSGRSO UMOSFET has been reduced by 27.9% compared to the conventional structure, respectively, when the BV is 240 V. Furthermore, there is no extra special process required in this advanced fabrication procedure, which is relatively cost-effective and achievable.
Spatiotemporal Analysis of Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) Changes and Precipitation Trends in Shanghai
Authors: Jiang Qin , He Xiaogang , Wang Jun , Wen Jiahong , Mu Haizhen , Xu Ming
Published: November 2020

The impacts of anthropogenic land use and land cover (LULC) changes on the spatiotemporal distribution of precipitation in megacities have been highlighted in studies on urban climate change. In this study, we conducted a quantitative analysis of urban growth on the impact on precipitation in Shanghai, China. We considered four periods of LULC data in 1979, 1990, 2000 and 2010, in addition to the long-term (1979–2010) trend of daily precipitation. The results indicate that the trend in precipitation exhibit different characteristics for urban (Ur), outskirt of urban (OUr) and outer suburb (OS) regions. Most Ur regions had an upward trend in annual and extreme precipitation during 1979–2010, while annual precipitation for the OUr and OS regions exhibited a decreasing trend. From 1979 to 2010, the areas of fastest expansion were located in the OUr region. The OS region, far away from the central area, had a relatively lower rate of change. In addition, OUr regions with rapid LULC changes exhibited higher increasing trends in annual and daily extreme precipitation, which is critical for the identification of frequent precipitation areas and the reliable projection of further changes.
Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment for United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain
Authors: Sawires Rashad , Peláez José A. , Hamdache Mohamed
Published: November 2020

A probabilistic seismic hazard assessment in terms of peak ground acceleration (PGA) and spectral acceleration (SA) values, for both 10% and 5% probability of exceedance in 50 years, has been performed for the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Bahrain. To do that, an updated, unified, and Poissonian earthquake catalog (since 685 to 2019) was prepared for this work. Three alternative seismic source models were considered in a designed logic-tree framework. The discrimination between the shallow and intermediate depth seismicity along the Zagros and the Makran regions was also considered in this assessment. Three alternative ground-motion attenuation models for crustal earthquakes and one additional for intermediate-depth ones have been selected and applied in this study, considering the predominant stress regime computed previously for each defined source. This assessment highlights that the maximum obtained hazard values are observed in the northeastern part of the studied region, specifically at Ras Al-Khaimah, Umm Al-Quwain, and Fujaira, being characterized by mean PGA and SA (0.2 s) pair values equal to (0.13 g, 0.30 g), (0.12 g, 0.29 g), and (0.13 g, 0.28 g), respectively, for a 475-year return period and for B/C National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) boundary site conditions. Seismic hazard deaggregation in terms of magnitude and distance was also computed for a return period of 475 years, for ten emirates and cities, and for four different spectral periods.
MR-Based Electrical Conductivity Imaging Using Second-Order Total Generalized Variation Regularization
Authors: Sun Xiangdong , Lu Lijun , Qi Li , Mei Yingjie , Liu Xiaoyun , Chen Wufan
Published: November 2020

Electrical properties provide essential information for cancer detection and specific absorption rate (SAR) estimation. Magnetic resonance electrical properties tomography (MREPT) is an approach to retrieve the distribution of electrical properties. The conventional method suffers from the locally homogeneous assumption and amplification of noise. In this study, a novel approach was introduced to improve the accuracy and the noise robustness of conductivity imaging. The proposed approach reformulated the central equation of the gradient-based method to avoid the calculation of the Laplacian operator. The equation was regularized using the second-order total generalized variation, which formulates an objective function. The optimization problem was solved by the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) method. The proposed method was validated by the simulation data of the cylindrical phantom and Ella head model, and the performance was compared with existing methods. The results demonstrated that the proposed method reconstructed an accurate conductivity image and alleviated the noise effects. Furthermore, phantom and healthy volunteer experiments were implemented at a 3 Tesla (T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. The results suggested that the developed method can provide solutions for improved conductivity reconstruction and show potential for clinical application.
Proposal and Application of a Methodology to Improve the Control and Monitoring of Complex Hydroelectric Power Station Construction Projects
Authors: Urgiles Paul , Sebastian Miguel A. , Claver Juan
Published: November 2020

All complex projects take place in environments of great uncertainty. Maintaining a monitoring and control system from the early stages of execution is a critical factor in the success of this type of project. Large hydroelectric power station construction projects are regarded as highly complex because they are affected by factors such as the risks inherent in a variety of fields of engineering, geology and the environment, the long execution times, and the large number of multidisciplinary activities to be carried out in parallel, among others. These types of projects are commonly affected by cost overruns and delays. This work develops a methodology for the monitoring and control of complex construction projects in the hydroelectric sector that enables a periodical calculation of metrics for physical progress, financial progress, and predictions for costs and durations on completion of the project. The verification of the efficiency of this methodology was based on stochastic simulation models applied to real projects in the hydropower sector. The results showed that the proposed methodology improved efficiency compared with existing traditional methodologies. The proposed methodology allows the simultaneous consideration of costs, deadlines, criticality, and risks of the activities of the analyzed projects and also incorporates multicriteria decision techniques to manage the influence of key aspects during the development of the project.
Biomechanical Force Prediction for Lengthening of Small Intestine during Distraction Enterogenesis
Authors: Hosseini Hadi S. , Dunn James C. Y.
Published: November 2020

Distraction enterogenesis has been extensively studied as a potential treatment for short bowel syndrome, which is the most common form of intestinal failure. Different strategies including parenteral nutrition and surgical lengthening to manage patients with short bowel syndrome are associated with high complication rates. More recently, self-expanding springs have been used to lengthen the small intestine using an intraluminal axial mechanical force, where this biomechanical force stimulates the growth and elongation of the small intestine. Differences in physical characteristics of patients with short bowel syndrome would require a different mechanical force—this is crucial in order to achieve an efficient and safe lengthening outcome. In this study, we aimed to predict the required mechanical force for each potential intestinal size. Based on our previous experimental observations and computational findings, we integrated our experimental measurements of patient biometrics along with mechanical characterization of the soft tissue into our numerical simulations to develop a series of computational models. These computational models can predict the required mechanical force for any potential patient where this can be advantageous in predicting an individual’s tissue response to spring-mediated distraction enterogenesis and can be used toward a safe delivery of the mechanical force.
Metabolic Cancer-Macrophage Crosstalk in the Tumor Microenvironment
Authors: de Goede Kyra E. de , Driessen Amber J. M. , Van den Bossche Jan
Published: November 2020

Tumors consist of a wide variety of cells, including immune cells, that affect tumor progression. Macrophages are abundant innate immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and are crucial in regulating tumorigenicity. Specific metabolic conditions in the TME can alter the phenotype of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in a direction that supports their pro-tumor functions. One of these conditions is the accumulation of metabolites, also known as oncometabolites. Interactions of oncometabolites with TAMs can promote a pro-tumorigenic phenotype, thereby sustaining cancer cell growth and decreasing the chance of eradication. This review focuses on the metabolic cancer-macrophage crosstalk in the TME. We discuss how cancer cell metabolism and oncometabolites affect macrophage phenotype and function, and conversely how macrophage metabolism can impact tumor progression. Lastly, we propose tumor-secreted exosome-mediated metabolic signaling as a potential factor in tumorigenesis. Insight in these processes may contribute to the development of novel cancer therapies.
Loss of Class III Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase Vps34 Results in Cone Degeneration
Authors: Rajala Ammaji , He Feng , Anderson Robert E. , Wensel Theodore G. , Rajala Raju V. S.
Published: November 2020

The major pathway for the production of the low-abundance membrane lipid phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PI(3)P) synthesis is catalyzed by class III phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) Vps34. The absence of Vps34 was previously found to disrupt autophagy and other membrane-trafficking pathways in some sensory neurons, but the roles of phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate and Vps34 in cone photoreceptor cells have not previously been explored. We found that the deletion of Vps34 in neighboring rods in mouse retina did not disrupt cone function up to 8 weeks after birth, despite diminished rod function. Immunoblotting and lipid analysis of cones isolated from the cone-dominant retinas of the neural retina leucine zipper gene knockout mice revealed that both PI(3)P and Vps34 protein are present in mouse cones. To determine whether Vps34 and PI(3)P are important for cone function, we conditionally deleted Vps34 in cone photoreceptor cells of the mouse retina. Overall retinal morphology and rod function appeared to be unaffected. However, the loss of Vps34 in cones resulted in the loss of structure and function. There was a substantial reduction throughout the retina in the number of cones staining for M-opsin, S-opsin, cone arrestin, and peanut agglutinin, revealing degeneration of cones. These studies indicate that class III PI3K, and presumably PI(3)P, play essential roles in cone photoreceptor cell function and survival.
Yeast-Based Fluorescent Sensors for the Simultaneous Detection of Estrogenic and Androgenic Compounds, Coupled with High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography
Authors: Moscovici Liat , Riegraf Carolin , Abu-Rmailah Nidaa , Atias Hadas , Shakibai Dror , Buchinger Sebastian , Reifferscheid Georg , Belkin Shimshon
Published: November 2020

The persistence of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) throughout wastewater treatment processes poses a significant health threat to humans and to the environment. The analysis of EDCs in wastewater remains a challenge for several reasons, including (a) the multitude of bioactive but partially unknown compounds, (b) the complexity of the wastewater matrix, and (c) the required analytical sensitivity. By coupling biological assays with high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), different samples can be screened simultaneously, highlighting their active components; these may then be identified by chemical analysis. To allow the multiparallel detection of diverse endocrine disruption activities, we have constructed Saccharomyces cerevisiae-based bioreporter strains, responding to compounds with either estrogenic or androgenic activity, by the expression of green (EGFP), red (mRuby), or blue (mTagBFP2) fluorescent proteins. We demonstrate the analytical potential inherent in combining chromatographic compound separation with a direct fluorescent signal detection of EDC activities. The applicability of the system is further demonstrated by separating influent samples of wastewater treatment plants, and simultaneously quantifying estrogenic and androgenic activities of their components. The combination of a chemical separation technique with an optical yeast-based bioassay presents a potentially valuable addition to our arsenal of environmental pollution monitoring tools.
Effects of Dissipative Systems on the Seismic Behavior of Irregular Buildings—Two Case Studies
Authors: Miani Marco , Di Marco Caterina , Frappa Giada , Pauletta Margherita
Published: November 2020

Conservation of heritage buildings has become a very important issue in many countries, as it is in Italy, where a great number of existing buildings of historical–artistic importance are seismically vulnerable. To improve existing building behavior, researchers focus on the design of retrofit interventions. This paper presents the application of energy dissipation devices in the retrofit of two existing Reinforced Concrete (RC) buildings, both irregular in plan and along their heights, designed for gravitational loads only. These buildings are representative of Italian public housing built in the 1960s and early 1970s. Technical information and mechanical properties of materials are presented, and non-linear analyses are carried out to evaluate the buildings’ behavior under earthquake loads. Many of their structural members do not satisfy the verifications required by the Italian Building Code. Retrofit interventions with buckling-restrained axial dampers in one building and viscous fluid dampers in the other are proposed. The verifications of the retrofitted buildings and the amount of the energy absorbed by the devices with respect to that absorbed by the unretrofitted buildings show the effectiveness of the proposed interventions. Moreover, it is demonstrated that adequate dispositions of the dissipative devices in plan and along the height increase the torsional stiffness of the buildings, improving their structural response under seismic action.
Hybrid Molybdenum Carbide/Heteroatom-Doped Carbon Electrocatalyst for Advanced Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Hydrogen Production
Authors: Kim Jihun , Lee Dae Hoon , Yang Yang , Chen Kai , Liu Chunli , Kang Jun , Li Oi Lun
Published: November 2020

Hydrogen energy is one of the key technologies that can help to prevent global warming. A water electrolysis process can be used to produce hydrogen, in which hydrogen is produced at one electrode of the electrochemical cell, and oxygen is produced at the other electrode. On the other hand, the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) requires multiple reaction steps and precious-metal-based catalysts (e.g., Ru/C, Ir/C, RuO2, and IrO2) as electrocatalysts to improve the reaction rate. Their high cost and limited supply, however, limit their applications to the mass production of hydrogen. In this study, boron, nitrogen-doped carbon incorporated with molybdenum carbide (MoC-BN/C) was synthesized to replace the precious-metal-based catalysts in the OER. B, N-doped carbon with nanosized molybdenum nanoparticles was fabricated by plasma engineering. The synthesized catalysts were heat-treated at 600, 700, and 800 °C in nitrogen for one hour to enhance the conductivity. The best MoC-BN/C electrocatalysts (heated at 800 °C) exhibited superior OER catalytic activity: 1.498 V (vs. RHE) and 1.550 V at a current density of 10 and 100 mA/cm2, respectively. The hybrid electrocatalysts even outperformed the noble electrocatalyst (5 wt.% Ru/C) with higher stability. Therefore, the hybrid electrocatalyst can replace expensive precious-metal-based catalysts for the upcoming hydrogen economy.
Nutritional Status of Pediatric Cancer Patients at Diagnosis and Correlations with Treatment, Clinical Outcome and the Long-Term Growth and Health of Survivors
Authors: Diakatou Vassiliki , Vassilakou Tonia
Published: November 2020

Malnutrition is caused either by cancer itself or by its treatment, and affects the clinical outcome, the quality of life (QOL), and the overall survival (OS) of the patient. However, malnutrition in children with cancer should not be accepted or tolerated as an inevitable procedure at any stage of the disease. A review of the international literature from 2014 to 2019 was performed. Despite the difficulty of accurately assessing the prevalence of malnutrition, poor nutritional status has adverse effects from diagnosis to subsequent survival. Nutritional status (NS) at diagnosis relates to undernutrition, while correlations with clinical outcome are still unclear. Malnutrition adversely affects health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children with cancer and collective evidence constantly shows poor nutritional quality in childhood cancer survivors (CCSs). Nutritional assessment and early intervention in pediatric cancer patients could minimize the side effects of treatment, improve their survival, and reduce the risk of nutritional morbidity with a positive impact on QOL, in view of the potentially manageable nature of this risk factor.
Nanobiosensors for Non-Amyloidbeta-Tau Biomarkers as Advanced Reporters of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Phan Le Minh Tu , Hoang Thi Xoan , Vo Thuy Anh Thu , Kim Jae Young , Lee Sang-Myung , Cho Won Woo , Kim Young Hyo , Choi Seong Hye , Cho Sungbo
Published: November 2020

Emerging nanomaterials providing benefits in sensitivity, specificity and cost-effectiveness are being widely investigated for biosensors in the application of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) diagnosis. Core biomarkers amyloid-beta (Aβ) and Tau have been considered as key neuropathological hallmarks of AD. However, they did not sufficiently reflect clinical severity and therapeutic response, proving the difficulty of the Aβ- and Tau-targeting therapies in clinical trials. In recent years, there has still been a shortage of sensors for non-Aβ-Tau pathophysiological biomarkers that serve as advanced reporters for the early diagnosis of AD, predict AD progression, and monitor the treatment response. Nanomaterial-based sensors measuring multiple non-Aβ-Tau biomarkers could improve the capacity of AD progression characterization and supervised treatment, facilitating the comprehensive management of AD. This is the first review to principally represent current nanobiosensors for non-Aβ-Tau biomarker and that strategically deliberates future perspectives on the merit of non-Aβ-Tau biomarkers, in combination with Aβ and Tau, for the accurate diagnosis and prognosis of AD.
Predictive Value of Serum Ferritin in Combination with Alanine Aminotransferase and Glucose Levels for Noninvasive Assessment of NAFLD: Fatty Liver in Obesity (FLiO) Study
Authors: Galarregui Cristina , Marin-Alejandre Bertha Araceli , Perez-Diaz-Del-Campo Nuria , Cantero Irene , Monreal J. Ignacio , Elorz Mariana , Benito-Boillos Alberto , Herrero José Ignacio , Tur Josep A. , Martínez J. Alfredo , Zulet M. Angeles , Abete Itziar
Published: November 2020

The identification of affordable noninvasive biomarkers for the diagnosis and characterization of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major challenge for the research community. This study aimed to explore the usefulness of ferritin as a proxy biomarker of NAFLD condition, alone or in combination with other routine biochemical parameters. Subjects with overweight/obesity and ultrasound-confirmed liver steatosis (n = 112) from the Fatty Liver in Obesity (FLiO) study were assessed. The hepatic evaluation considered magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasonography, and credited routine blood liver biomarkers. Anthropometry and body composition, dietary intake (by means of a validated 137-item food frequency questionnaire), and specific biochemical markers were also determined. Serum ferritin levels were analyzed using a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay kit. Lower serum ferritin concentrations were associated with general better liver health and nutritional status. The evaluation of ferritin as a surrogate of liver damage by means of quantile regression analyses showed a positive association with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (β = 19.21; p ≤ 0.001), liver fat content (β = 8.70; p = 0.008), and hepatic iron (β = 3.76; p ≤ 0.001), after adjusting for potential confounders. In receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses, the panel combination of blood ferritin, glucose, and ALT showed the best prediction for liver fat mass (area under the curve (AUC) 0.82). A combination of ferritin and ALT showed the higher predictive ability for estimating liver iron content (AUC 0.73). This investigation demonstrated the association of serum ferritin with liver health as well as with glucose and lipid metabolism markers in subjects with NAFLD. Current findings led to the identification of ferritin as a potential noninvasive predictive biomarker of NAFLD, whose surrogate value increased when combined with other routine biochemical measurements (glucose/ALT).
Tracking and Localization based on Multi-angle Vision for Underwater Target
Authors: Liu Jun , Gong Shenghua , Guan Wenxue , Li Benyuan , Li Haobo , Liu Jiaxin
Published: November 2020

With the cost reduction of underwater sensor network nodes and the increasing demand for underwater detection and monitoring, near-land areas, shallow water areas, lakes and rivers have gradually tended to densely arranged sensor nodes. In order to achieve real-time monitoring, most nodes now have visual sensors instead of acoustic sensors to collect and analyze optical images, mainly because cameras might be more advantageous when it comes to dense underwater sensor networks. In this article, image enhancement, saliency detection, calibration and refraction model calculation are performed on the video streams collected by multiple optical cameras to obtain the track of the dynamic target. This study not only innovatively combines the application of AOD-Net’s (all-in-one network) image defogging algorithm with underwater image enhancement, but also refers to the BASNet (Boundary-Aware Salient network) network architecture, introducing frame difference results in the input to reduce the interference of static targets. Based on the aforementioned technologies, this paper designs a dynamic target tracking system centered on video stream processing in dense underwater networks. As part of the process, most nodes carried underwater cameras. When the dynamic target could be captured by at least two nodes in the network at the same time, the target position could then be calculated and tracked.
Effects of Annealing Atmosphere on Electrical Performance and Stability of High-Mobility Indium-Gallium-Tin Oxide Thin-Film Transistors
Authors: Jeong Hwan-Seok , Cha Hyun Seok , Hwang Seong Hyun , Kwon Hyuck-In
Published: November 2020

In this study, we examined the effects of the annealing atmosphere on the electrical performance and stability of high-mobility indium-gallium-tin oxide (IGTO) thin-film transistors (TFTs). The annealing process was performed at a temperature of 180 °C under N2, O2, or air atmosphere after the deposition of IGTO thin films by direct current magnetron sputtering. The field-effect mobility (μFE) of the N2- and O2-annealed IGTO TFTs was 26.6 cm2/V·s and 25.0 cm2/V·s, respectively; these values were higher than that of the air-annealed IGTO TFT (μFE = 23.5 cm2/V·s). Furthermore, the stability of the N2- and O2-annealed IGTO TFTs under the application of a positive bias stress (PBS) was greater than that of the air-annealed device. However, the N2-annealed IGTO TFT exhibited a larger threshold voltage shift under negative bias illumination stress (NBIS) compared with the O2- and air-annealed IGTO TFTs. The obtained results indicate that O2 gas is the most suitable environment for the heat treatment of IGTO TFTs to maximize their electrical properties and stability. The low electrical stability of the air-annealed IGTO TFT under PBS and the N2-annealed IGTO TFT under NBIS are primarily attributed to the high density of hydroxyl groups and oxygen vacancies in the channel layers, respectively.
Overwater Image Dehazing via Cycle-Consistent Generative Adversarial Network
Authors: Zheng Shunyuan , Sun Jiamin , Liu Qinglin , Qi Yuankai , Yan Jianen
Published: November 2020

In contrast to images taken on land scenes, images taken over water are more prone to degradation due to the influence of the haze. However, existing image dehazing methods are mainly developed for land-scene images and perform poorly when applied to overwater images. To address this problem, we collect the first overwater image dehazing dataset and propose a Generative Adversial Network (GAN)-based method called OverWater Image Dehazing GAN (OWI-DehazeGAN). Due to the difficulties of collecting paired hazy and clean images, the dataset contains unpaired hazy and clean images taken over water. The proposed OWI-DehazeGAN is composed of an encoder–decoder framework, supervised by a forward-backward translation consistency loss for self-supervision and a perceptual loss for content preservation. In addition to qualitative evaluation, we design an image quality assessment neural network to rank the dehazed images. Experimental results on both real and synthetic test data demonstrate that the proposed method performs superiorly against several state-of-the-art land dehazing methods. Compared with the state-of-the-art, our method gains a significant improvement by 1.94% for SSIM, 7.13% for PSNR and 4.00% for CIEDE2000 on the synthetic test dataset.
Disturbance Rejection and Control Design of MVDC Converter with Evaluation of Power Loss and Efficiency Comparison of SiC and Si Based Power Devices
Authors: Shah Faisal Mehmood , Maqsood Sarmad , Damaševičius Robertas , Blažauskas Tomas
Published: November 2020

With direct current (DC) power generation from renewable sources, as well as the current relocation of loads from alternating current (AC) to DC, medium-voltage DC (MVDC) should fill gaps in the areas of distribution and transmission, thereby improving energy efficiency. The MVDC system is a platform that interconnects electric power generation renewables (solar, wind) with loads such as data centers, industrial facilities and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations (also using MVDC technology). DC–DC power converters are part of the rising technology for interconnecting future DC grids, providing good controllability, reliability and bi-directional power flow. The contribution of this work is a novel and efficient multi-port DC–DC converter topology having interconnections between two converters, three-level neutral point clamping (NPC) on the high-voltage (HV) side and two converters on the low-voltage (LV) side, providing two nominal low voltages of 400 V (constant) and 500 V (variable), respectively. The design of this new and effective control strategy on the LV side has taken into condition load disturbances, fluctuations and voltage dips. A double-closed-loop control topology is suggested, where an outside voltage control loop (in which the capacitance energies are analyzed as variable, and the inside current loop is decoupled without the precise value of boost inductance) is used. The simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed control system. In the second part of this study, wide-bandgap SiC and Si devices are compared by using comprehensive mathematical modeling and LT-spice software. Improving power loss efficiency and overall cost comparisons are also discussed.
Effects of Different Test Setups on the Experimental Tensile Behaviour of Basalt Fibre Bidirectional Grids for FRCM Composites
Authors: D’Anna Jennifer , Amato Giuseppina , Chen Jianfei , Minafò Giovanni , La Mendola Lidia
Published: November 2020

Fibre-reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM) composites have been effectively used during the last ten years for the strengthening of existing concrete and masonry structures. These composite materials are made of medium- and high-strength fibre meshes embedded in inorganic matrices. Synthetic fibres are the ones that are currently the most used; however, natural fibres, such as basalt fibres, have recently been receiving growing attention. This work presents an extensive experimental study on the mechanical characterisation of a primed basalt fibre bidirectional grid. Fifty monotonic tensile tests on basalt grid strips were performed by varying different parameters, such as the dimension of the specimens, the clamping system, the measurement system and the test rate. Some of the tests were carried out using a video-extensometer to measure each specimen’s strain. The aim of the study was to find the most suitable setup for the tensile characterisation of basalt textiles, in particular, to prevent slippage of the samples at the gripping area and fully exploit the tensile capacity of the grid.
Evaluating Socioecological Wildfire Effects in Greece with a Novel Numerical Index
Authors: Palaiologou Palaiologos , Kalabokidis Kostas , Day Michelle A. , Kopsachilis Vasilis
Published: November 2020

Large-scale wildfires have become more frequent in Greece and coupled with the country’s limited economic resources, investments in both pre-fire planning and post-fire rehabilitation for most affected areas are not feasible. From the perspective of forest and fire management agencies, the severity and importance of fire effects are evaluated based only on total area burned, while from a societal standpoint, by the number of fatalities and destroyed houses. A holistic approach to rank wildfires with an inclusive assessment of all their effects is missing. We developed a new evaluation and ranking index based on expert judgment, the study of 50 large-scale fire events in Greece and a detailed review of the literature, to develop a set of categories and criteria to assess ecological and socioeconomic effects of wildfires. The Fire Inventory and Ranking of Effects (FIRE) Index provides a comprehensive and easy-to-use semi-numeric framework that combines scores from seven fire effects categories and 56 criteria through a user-friendly web-platform. The seven categories include fire effects on landscape and vegetation, general environmental impacts, regeneration potential and vegetation recovery, casualties and fatalities, destruction and damages to infrastructure, economic losses, and firefighting and wildfire suppression. Each of the 56 criteria within these categories describes a different anticipated fire effect. The magnitude of each fire effect criterion is estimated by predefined ranked choices by one or more persons/assessors in a multi-level evaluation procedure. We apply the FIRE Index assessment to a significant 5900-ha wildfire that occurred in 2011 in northern Greece, including a sensitivity analysis of how different category weights impact the final index score. More diverse metrics to assess wildfire effects will help address the complex social and biophysical dimensions of the wildfire governance challenge and help guide pre- and post-fire management actions.
Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Extract and Its Anthocyanin and Copigment Fractions—Free Radical Scavenging Activity and Influence on Cellular Oxidative Stress
Authors: Kostka Tina , Ostberg-Potthoff Johanna Josefine , Briviba Karlis , Matsugo Seiichi , Winterhalter Peter , Esatbeyoglu Tuba
Published: November 2020

Secondary plant metabolites, e.g., polyphenols, are widely known as health-improving compounds that occur in natural functional foods such as pomegranates. While extracts generated from these fruits inhibit oxidative stress, the allocation of these effects to the different subgroups of substances, e.g., anthocyanins, “copigments” (polyphenols without anthocyanins), or polymeric compounds, is still unknown. Therefore, in the present study, polyphenols from pomegranate juice were extracted and separated into an anthocyanin and copigment fraction using adsorptive membrane chromatography. Phenolic compounds were determined by high performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array (HPLC–PDA) detection and HPLC-PDA electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–PDA–ESI–MS/MS), while the free radical scavenging activity of the pomegranate XAD‑7 extract and its fractions was evaluated by the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assay and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. Compared to juice, the total phenolic content and free radical scavenging potential was significantly higher in the pomegranate XAD-7 extract and its fractions. In comparison to the anthocyanin and copigment fraction, pomegranate XAD-7 extract showed the highest radical scavenging activity against galvinoxyl and DPPH radicals. Moreover, the enriched XAD-7 extract and its fractions were able to protect human hepatocellular HepG2 cells against oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide. Overall, these results indicated that anthocyanins and copigments act together in reducing oxidative stress.
KIMEHS—Proposal of an Index for Qualitative Evaluation of Children’s Menus—A Pilot Study
Authors: Rocha Ada , Viegas Claudia
Published: November 2020

Considering the importance of the food environments for health promotion, and the lack of simple, easy to use, low-cost measures of the quality of meals, the authors developed a qualitative menu index (KIMEHS—Kids’ Menu Healthy Score), tailored to children’s menu evaluation. Development of the tool was based on the Mediterranean food pattern. It includes 18 components, divided into seven main groups that reflect key aspects of menu quality, including protein source, side dishes, vegetables, dessert and beverages, and also allergens and nutritional information. The index was analysed for content and construct validity, as well as inter-rater reliability, and was applied to a sample of menus from restaurants in shopping centres in the Lisbon region. Possible index point ranges from −17 to 17, with a higher score indicating greater compliance with the recommendations. A value of 5.5 is obtained if all KIMEHS items are available, considering healthy and non-healthy options. The inter-rater reliability was assessed and values above 0.80 were obtained for Alpha Cronbach, as well as agreement % rate >75%. Agreement percentage is above 75% for all the components. Evaluated restaurants scored from −14 to 7, with an average KIMEHS of −6.15. Only four restaurants scored positive values, ranging from 0.25 to 7. KIMEHS was considered to be an adequate index to evaluate children’s menus, from the menu information displayed on restaurant websites and/or on restaurant displays or table menus. It is a simple, low-cost tool that may be used as a reference for health professionals as an objective measure to evaluate the food environment. Stakeholders could also be involved in their own assessment to help educate consumers about healthy food choices, strengthening the efforts to promote an adequate food pattern and health, contributing to the fight against obesity.
Assessment of Bioactive Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Blackberry Wines
Authors: Amidžić Klarić Daniela , Klarić Ilija , Mornar Ana , Velić Natalija , Velić Darko
Published: November 2020

Blackberry wine is a natural source of bioactive phenolic compounds that have profound antioxidant potential. The objectives of the present research were to assess the phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of blackberry wines (BW), and to use the chemometric analysis to differentiate among the two groups of samples, i.e., conventional and organic. Fifteen BW samples were analyzed for their total polyphenol index, total polyphenols, total flavonoids, total tannins, total monomeric anthocyanins and antioxidant activity by the appropriate spectrophotometric methods. The concentrations of individual phenolic acids (gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid and cinnamic acid) and trans-resveratrol were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. A comparison between the two groups of investigated BW samples revealed a statistically significant difference in the concentration of caffeic acid and p-coumaric acid, both being higher in the organic BW samples. Furthermore, the results showed a series of statistically highly significant relationships between the analyzed constituents (caffeic acid and p-coumaric acid). The antioxidant activity of the investigated wines was proportional to the concentrations of bioactive phytochemicals.
Effect of Different Combinations of Freezing and Thawing Rates on the Shelf-Life and Oxidative Stability of Ostrich Moon Steaks (M. Femorotibialis medius) under Retail Display Conditions
Authors: Leygonie Coleen , Hoffman Louwrens Christiaan
Published: November 2020

The aim of this study was to investigate the interaction between different rates of freezing and thawing on whole ostrich moon steaks to establish a combination or singular main effect that minimises thaw loss and maximises the retail display shelf-life regarding moisture loss, colour, lipid oxidation and tenderness. Five characteristic freezing rates (FR: 1, 2, 4, 8, 24 h) were compared with five characteristic thawing rates (TR: 1.5, 3, 6.5, 14, 21 h) in a completely randomised block design. Moon steaks (M. femorotibialis medius) from 125 birds were randomly assigned to a specific treatment combination before being subjected (after thawing) to a 10-day chilled storage at 4 °C shelf-life trial. Thawing rate had no effect (p > 0.05) on any of the quality (colour, drip and cooking losses, shear force, 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBARS)) parameters whilst freezing rate and display time both had significant (p < 0.05) influences. Thaw loss was lowest (p < 0.05) for the FR_1h and FR_2h, followed by FR_4h, FR_8h and FR_24. The FR_1h had the highest (p < 0.05) drip and shear force values during display while the FR_2h and FR_8h had the highest rate of oxidation (TBARS and metmyoglobin formation). FR_24h had the second best (p < 0.05) colour retention after FR_4h and minimal package drip. Overall, FR_4h resulted in the best quality meat over the entire shelf-life with high bloom retention, low TBARS and shear force, and average thaw, drip and cooking loss.
Identification of Problems Associated with the Usage of Friction (Koeppe) Hoists Based on Geodetic Measurements
Authors: Ochałek Agnieszka , Jaśkowski Wojciech , Jabłoński Mateusz
Published: November 2020

The hoist assembly based on the Koeppe friction is a commonly used solution in mining. However, it has some disadvantages. A few centimeters offset of the groove axis can lead to excessive abrasion of linings on the Koeppe friction and pulleys. As a consequence, the mines are forced to bear the direct and indirect costs of replacing the linings such as the cost of materials and service as well as the cost of extended machine and shaft downtime. Last year, the authors undertook a geodetic inventory of the condition of two hoisting machines with a Koeppe winder. Terrestrial laser scanning enhanced with precision total station measurements were performed. Additionally, elements particularly important for the performed analysis (inclination of hoisting machine and rope wheels shafts) were determined by the precision leveling technique. Obtained results were verified using measurements on Szpetkowski’s tribrach. Appropriate selection of the measurement methods in both analyzed examples allowed us to determine the causes of destruction of each hoist assembly component. Based on precise geodetic data, guidelines have been defined for rectification (twisting and shifting the rope pulleys), which seems unavoidable despite the lack of unambiguous legal regulations.
Disparity of Phoresy in Mesostigmatid Mites upon Their Specific Carrier Ips typographus (Coleoptera: Scolytinae)
Authors: Paraschiv Marius , Isaia Gabriela
Published: November 2020

Ips typographus Linnaeus, 1758, the most important pest of Norway spruce (Picea abies Linnaeus, 1753) from Eurasia has damaged, in the last decades, a large area of forest in Romania. Associations between beetles and their symbiotic fungi are well known compared to beetle-mite relationships. The objectives of the study are to determine: (i) the diversity of mites species associated with I. typographus in a local outbreak from Central Romania; (ii) the mite’s preferences concerning the body parts of their carriers; and (iii) how phoresy changes during seasonal flight activity of the host. A total of 7896 adult I. typographus were analyzed and six mite species (both adults and immature stages) were found: Dendrolaelaps quadrisetus Berlese,1920, Proctolaelaps fiseri Samsinak, 1960, Trichouropoda polytricha Vitzthum, 1923, Histiostoma piceae Scheucher, 1957, Uroobovella ipidis Vitzthum, 1923, and Uroobovella vinicolora Vitzthum, 1926. Most mites were observed under the carriers’ elytra (46.8%), while 26.7% and 25.8% were seen on the thorax and elytral declivities, respectively. Mite phoresy peaked in the spring corresponding to the dispersal flight of the carrier. A smaller peak in phoresy occurred in the summer during the second beetle generation.