SARS-CoV 2 also known as COVID-19 is a fast spreading coronavirus related disease that emerged from China in December 2019 and is currently attained the status of a pandemic. There are currently no drugs/ vaccines against the same and moreover limited diagnostic tests to identify the infection. Additionally, these tests are expensive and hence are exclusive for very highly suspected cases of the disease especially in developing countries. This is causing an under-diagnosis which is an alarming state of affairs, as even a single missed SARS-CoV 2 case would spread the disease exponentially and keep it in the community. Through this entirely in silico study, we have developed a cheaper and faster diagnostic method based on simple PCR and restriction enzyme digestion, commonly used in restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) tests. Through comparative genomics, we found the closest neighbours of SARS-CoV 2 then found the highly conserved regions of the genome which were absent in SARS-CoV 1, its closest neighbour. Then we found restriction sites for various enzymes followed by designing of PCR primers flanking those sites. We have found the primer pair to produce a 401 bp amplicon and when digested by SwaI enzyme, it produces two fragments of lengths 216 bp and 185 bp. As an internal control, GAPDH primers are pooled with the SARS-CoV 2 primers as the patient sample will also include human RNA mixed with the viral RNA. This primer pair gives an amplicon of 131 bp and hence a negative sample should show a single band of 131 bp while a positive digested sample will give three bands of 401 bp, 216 bp and 131 bp. The primers are specific to SARS-CoV 2 only and can additionally be used for SYBR green based real time quantification of viral load. The developed tests have not yet been tested in vitro due to stressed out working hours in the only pathogenic virus handling laboratory in our institute. Nonetheless, this study works as a head start for other laboratories to rapidly test the suggested protocols in vitro and make available a cheaper alternative test for SARS-CoV 2 which would especially be beneficial for the lower to middle income countries.

In this era of technology, programming has become more significant than ever before. Python and C++ are both widely used programming languages. Python, the most popular programming language in today’s world, is a high-level object-oriented language whereas C++, the language behind most operating systems, is a low-level object-oriented language. In this paper, we present a comparative study of Python and C++. This paper discusses the introduction to these languages, their memory management techniques, and the reasons behind their program execution speed. Furthermore, we analyzed the execution time and memory used by multiple algorithms in both the languages with best, average, and worst cases. They are also compared with respect to the benefits and issues related to them. Results indicate that C++ is faster than Python in execution speed but Python serves as a better language for beginners due to its simplicity. Moreover, for the best results, the language should be selected according to the type of project.

Large-scale hydrological modeling in China is challenging given the sparse meteorological stations and large uncertainties associated with atmospheric forcing data.Here we introduce the development and use of the China Meteorological Assimilation Driving Datasets for the SWAT model (CMADS) in the Heihe River Basin(HRB) for improving hydrologic modeling, by leveraging the datasets from the China Meteorological Administration Land Data Assimilation System (CLDAS)(including climate data from nearly 40000 area encryption stations, 2700 national automatic weather stations, FengYun (FY) 2 satellite and radar stations). CMADS uses the Space Time Multiscale Analysis System (STMAS) to fuse data based on ECWMF ambient field and ensure data accuracy. In addition, compared with CLDAS, CMADS includes relative humidity and climate data of varied resolutions to drive hydrological models such as the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. Here, we compared climate data from CMADS, Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) and traditional weather station (TWS) climate forcing data and evaluatedtheir applicability for driving large scale hydrologic modeling with SWAT. In general, CMADS has higher accuracy than CFRS when evaluated against observations at TWS; CMADS also provides spatially continuous climate field to drive distributed hydrologic models, which is an important advantage over TWS climate data, particular in regions with sparse weather stations. Therefore, SWAT model simulations driven with CMADS and TWS achieved similar performances in terms of monthly and daily stream flow simulations, and both of them outperformed CFRS. For example, for the three hydrological stations (Ying Luoxia, Qilian Mountain, and ZhaMasheke) in the HRB at the monthly and daily Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency ranges of 0.75-0.95 and 0.58-0.78, respectively, which are much higher than corresponding efficiency statistics achieved with CFSR (monthly: 0.32-0.49 and daily: 0.26 – 0.45). The CMADS dataset is available free of charge and is expected to a valuable addition to the existing climate reanalysis datasets for deriving distributed hydrologic modeling in China and other countries in East Asia.

The present paper reviews evidence for ecological evolution of Montiaceae. Montiaceae (Portulacineae) comprise a family of ca. 275 species and ca. 25 subspecific taxa of flowering plants distributed mainly in extreme western America, with additional endemism elsewhere, including other continents and islands. They have diversified repeatedly across steep ecological gradients. Based on narrative analysis, I argue that phylogenetic transitions from annual to perennial life history have been more frequent than suggested by computational phylogenetic reconstructions. I suggest that a reported phylogenetic correlation between the evolution of life history and temperature niche is coincidental and not causal. I demonstrate how statistical phylogenetic comparative analysis (PhCA) missed evidence for marked moisture niche diversification among Montiaceae. I discount PhCA evidence for the relation between Montiaceae genome duplication and ecological diversification. Based on the present analysis of Montiaceae evolution, I criticize the premise of the prevalent statistical approach to PhCA, which tests Darwinian deterministic hypotheses against stochastic evolutionary null models. I discuss theoretical/empirical evidence that evolution is neither stochastic, nor Darwinistically-determined, but idiosyncratic. Idiosyncraticity describes the outcome of a stochastically perturbed nonlinear chaos-like process. The Principle of Evolutionary Idiosyncraticity (PEI) is based on the evolutionary theory of Natural Drift, which maintains that determinism in evolution is a property of the organism and not, as maintained by the theory of Natural Selection, its traits or its milieu. This determinism is characteristic of chaotic functions, which are absolutely determinate, generate self-similarity, but remain absolutely unpredictable. PEI explains precisely observations that evolution proceeds not linearly, but chaotically, producing both quasi-linear fractal-like patterns and non-linear jumps. PEI has ramifications for all areas of macroevolutionary research. In particular, it demonstrates both the fallacy and futility of the statistical PhCA approach that interprets evolutionary causes in terms of evolutionary correlations. However, statistical methods of PhCA can be applied heuristically and fruitfully to reveal idiosyncraticity and discover evolutionary novelty. This, in turn, is demonstrated by the emergence of statistical anomalies in evolutionary analyses of Montiaceae.

An array of Ag nanowires has been prepared from a facile, templated approach on Cu(BTC) (1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid) metal organic framework (MOF) micropillars. The Ag-deposited scaffolding material may be used to prepare electronic or optoelectronic devices for various applications.

The existence of multiple copies of genes is a well-known phenomenon. A gene family is a set of sufficiently similar genes, formed by gene duplication. In earlier works conducted on limited number of completely sequenced and annotated genomes it was found that size of gene family and size of genome are positively correlated. Additionally, it was found that several atypical microbes deviated from the observed general trend. In this study, we reexamined these associations on a larger dataset consisting of 1484 prokaryotic genomes and using several ranking approaches. We applied ranking methods in such a way that genomes with lower number of paralogs would have lower rank. Until now only simple ranking methods were used; we applied the Kemeny optimal aggregation approach as well. Regression and correlation analysis were utilized in order to accurately quantify and characterize the relationships between measures of paralog indices and genome size. In addition, boxplot analysis was employed as a method for outlier detection. We found that, in general, all paralog indexes positively correlate with an increase of genome size. As expected, different groups of atypical prokaryotic genomes were found for different types of paralog quantities.

This paper investigates the feasibility of a backend design for real-time, multiple-channel processing digital phased array system, particularly for high-performance embedded computing platforms constructed of using general purpose digital signal processors. Frist, we obtained the lab-scale backend performance benchmark from simulating beamforming, pulse compression, and Doppler filtering based on MicroTCA chassis using Serial RapidIO protocol in backplane communication. Next, a field-scale demonstrator of a multifunctional phased array radar is emulated by using the similar configuration. Interestingly, the performance of a barebone design is compared to that of emerging tools that systematically take advantage of parallelism and multicore capabilities, including Open Computing Language.

Emerging countries in Southeast Asia are facing considerable challenges in addressing rising motorisation and its negative impact on air quality, traffic, energy security, liveability, and greenhouse gas emissions. Indeed, even as initial policies to address these issues are being agreed and implemented, current trends are incompatible with sustainable development and long-term climate change targets. This paper presents a comparative analysis of the approach and status of sustainable, low-carbon transport policy in ASEAN countries and identifies differences and similarities, with the aim of helping assessment of feasibility of future policies and informing future studies on policy innovations and cross-country learning. The methodology is based on the taxonomy of policy components developed by Howlett and Cashore, and our data on comprehensive country studies for Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam and interviews. We find that each country has a specific set of goals, objectives and targets that support sustainable transport, and, directly or indirectly, climate change mitigation. In terms of specific instruments and calibrations, which we analyse based on the Avoid-Shift-Improve approach, there are notable differences between the countries, for example in fuel economy policy.

A time-sequential working, spatially multiplexed autostereoscopic 3D display design consisting of a fast switchable RGB-color filter array is presented. The wavelength-selective filter barrier emits the light from a display over a larger active area than common autostereoscopic barrier displays. An optical modelling of wavelength-selective barriers has been used for instance to calculate the light ray distribution properties of that arrangement. To find well working display designs, automated searches by simulation and computational evaluation has been proceeded. Wavelength-selective filter barrier arrangements exhibit characteristics different from common barrier displays with similar barrier pitch and ascent. In particular, these constructions show strong angular luminance dependency under barrier inclination specified by correspondent slant angle. In time-sequential implementation it is important to avoid that quick eye or eyelid movement lead to visible color artifacts. In the millisecond regime tunable liquid crystal Fabry-Pérot color filters for the colors red, green and blue are presented. They consist of a sub-micrometer thick nematic layer sandwiched between dielectric mirrors and ITO-electrodes. These cells shall switch narrow-banding light of red, green or blue. An array for a glasses-free 3D display has to be equipped with several thousand switchable filter elements having different color apertures. The newly introduced design is usable as a multi user display as well as a single user system with user adaptive control.

The genus Fritillaria belongs to the widely distributed family Liliaceae. The bulbs of Fritillaria ussuriensis and Fritillaria cirrhosa are valuable herbaceous medicinal ingredients. However, they are still used indiscriminately in herbal medicine. Identification and molecular phylogenic analysis of Fritillaria species is therefore required. Here, we report the complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequences of F. ussuriensis and F. cirrhosa. The two Fritillaria cp genomes were 151,524 and 151,083 bp in length, respectively, including a pair of inverted repeat regions (52,678 and 52,156 bp) separated by a large single copy region (81,732 and 81,390 bp) and small single copy region (17,114 and 17,537 bp). A total of 111 genes in F. ussuriensis and 112 in F. cirrhosa comprised 77 protein-coding genes in F. ussuriensis and 78 in F. cirrhosa, 30 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. The gene order, content, and orientation of the two Fritillaria cp genomes exhibited the general structure of flowering plants, and were similar to those of other Fritillaria species. Comparison of the six Fritillaria species’ cp genomes indicated seven highly divergent regions in intergenic spacers and in the matK, rpoC1, rpoC2, ycf1, ycf2, ndhD, and ndhF coding regions. We established the position of the six species through phylogenic analysis. The complete chloroplast genome sequences of two Fritillaria species will be useful genomics resources for identification of Fritillaria species and for studying the phylogenetic relationship among Fritillaria species within the Liliaceae family.

This thesis completion works it out to deepen into diverse modeling techniques for Point Absorbers. A combined frequency-time domain model is conceived, designed and developed in Matlab with FoRtran as a base., leading to obtain physical variables of primary importance, namely position, velocity and power to Energy net balance relationships of absorption. Integration of different degrees of freedom with heave as main executable leads in turn to a single buoy motion focus. Acquisition of the needed hydrodynamic coefficients is provided though application of NEMOH & BEMIO solvers due to the Boundary Element Methodology. Initially, this Wave-to-motion model is validated through comparison with previous experimental results for a floating cone cylinder shape (Buldra-FO3). A single, generic, vertical floating cylinder is contemplated then, that responds to the action of the passing regular waves excitation. Later, two equally sized vertical floating cylinders aligned with the incident wave direction are modeled for a variable distance between the bodies. For both unidirectional regular and irregular waves as an input in deep water, we approximate the convolutive radiation force function term through the Prony method. By changing the spatial disposition of the axisymmetric buoys, using for instance triangular or rectangular shaped arrays of three and four bodies respectively, the study delves into motion characteristics for regular waves. The results highlight efficient layouts for maximizing the energy production whilst providing important insights into their performance, revealing displacement amplification- and capture width-ratios, while deriving in possible interpretations of scenarios related to the the known park effect. These terms are encompassed by the novelty of a new conceptual Post-Processing methodology in the field, which leads to obtain an optimal distance for the separated bodies with effective energy absorption in a regular wave regime. In conclusion, this computational excursion envisions and proposes potentials fields of study, which will surely enhance new connections and link this renewable energy form.

Fractal array antennas are multiband arrays having ultra wide band and space filling facility. But Side lobe levels and large number of antenna elements are the major designing challenges of these arrays. In this paper, design and analysis of octagonal fractal array antenna is investigated with Morse-Thue fractal density tapering technique (MTFDT). Due to the proposed technique, a remarkable improvement has observed in Side lobe levels and thinning of the elements can also be attained at the various iterations of octagonal fractal array antenna. These arrays are analyzed and simulated by MATLAB-15 programming.

Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) systems for e-health applications usually suffer of poor signal detection mainly due to a low end-to-end signal to noise ratio of the electronics chain. Lock-In Amplifiers (LIA) historically represent a powerful technique helping to improve performances in such circumstances. In this work it has been designed and implemented a digital LIA system, based on a Zynq® Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), trying to explore if this technique might improve fNIRS system performances. More broadly, FPGA based solution flexibility has been investigated, with particular emphasis applied to digital filter parameters, needed in the digital LIA, and it has been evaluated its impact on the final signal detection and noise rejection capability. The realized architecture was a mixed solution between VHDL hardware modules and software ones, running within a softcore microprocessor. Experimental results have shown the goodness of the proposed solutions and comparative details among different implementation will be detailed. Finally a key aspect taken into account throughout the design was its modularity, allowing an ease increase of the input channels while avoiding the growth of the design cost of the electronics system.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a common cause of acute hepatitis worldwide, accounting for approximately 25% of deaths among pregnant women. We previously reported that pregnancy serum facilitates HEV replication in vitro. However, the differences in host cells with HEV infection induced by pregnancy serum and fetal bovine serum (FBS) are unclear. In this study, differentially expressed proteins were identified in HEV-infected hepatoma cells (HepG2) supplemented with different sera by using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation. Proteomic analysis indicated that HEV infection significantly induced 1014 differentially expressed proteins in HEV-infected HepG2 cells when supplemented with FBS compared with pregnancy serum. Further validation by Western blot confirmed that filamin A, heat-shock proteins 70 and 90, Cytochrome c, and Thioredoxin were associated with HEV infection. This comparative analysis provides an important basis to further investigate HEV pathogenesis in pregnant women and HEV replication.

In the wake of the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic devastating the world, it is imperative to elucidate the comparative genomics of geographically-diverse strains of this novel coronavirus to gain insights into its microevolution, pathogenesis and control. Here we explore the molecular nature, genome-wide frequency, and gene-wise distribution of mutations in three distinct datasets encompassing 68 SARS-CoV-2 RNA-genomes altogether. While phylogenomic analysis revealed parallelism between the evolutionary paths charted by distinct quasispecies clusters of the virus, occurrence of mutations across genomes was found to be non-random. Whereas deletion mutations are extremely scarce and insertions totally absent, of all the instances of single nucleotide substitution detected, the overwhelming majority were transition mutations with cytidine to uridine being the most prevalent type. Propensity of this transition could be attributed to hydrolytic deamination mediated by ultra-violet irradiation or bisulfite reagent, both of which find wide usage as sterilizer/disinfectant. Transversions, albeit few and predominated by the guanosine to uridine form, were found concentrated in loci encoding the structural proteins of the virus, so might confer versatile tissue-colonization potentials. Mutation frequency of the three distinct genome-sets ranged narrowly between 0.07-1.08 × 10^-4 nucleotides positions mutated per nucleotide aligned. Gene-wise mapping of the global mutations illuminated the highly conserved nature of the genes encoding the non-structural proteins Nsp7, Nsp8 (two essential cofactors of the viral RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase) and Nsp9 (Nsp8-interacting single-strand RNA-binding protein), plus the envelope protein E (involved in SARS-CoV-2 assembly, budding and pathogenesis). These mutation-free genomic loci and/or their protein products could be potent targets for future drug designing/targeting.

Synechococcus sp. PCC 11901 reportedly demonstrates the highest, sustained growth of any known cyanobacterium under optimized conditions. Due to its recent discovery our knowledge of its biology, including the factors underlying sustained, fast growth, is limited. Furthermore, tools specific for genetic manipulation of PCC 11901 are not established. Here, we demonstrate that PCC 11901 shows faster growth than other model cyanobacteria, including the fast-growing species Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973, under optimal growth conditions for UTEX 2973. Comparative genomics between PCC 11901 and Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 reveal conservation of most metabolic pathways but PCC 11901 has a simplified electron transport chain and reduced light-harvesting complex. This may underlie its superior light utilization, reduced photoinhibition and higher photosynthetic and respiratory rates. To aid biotechnology applications we developed a vitamin B12 auxotrophic mutant but were unable to generate unmarked knockouts using two negative selectable markers, suggesting that recombinase- or CRISPR-based approaches may be required for repeated genetic manipulation. Overall, this study establishes PCC 11901 as one of the most promising species currently available for cyanobacterial biotechnology and provides a useful set of bioinformatics tools and strains for advancing this field, in addition to insights into the factors underlying its fast growth phenotype.

In this paper, a novel integrated high precision vacuum microelectronic accelerometer is put forward based on the theory of field emission, the accelerometer consists of sensitive structure and interface ASIC. The sensitive structure has a mass of a cathode cone tips array, a folded beam, an emitter electrode and a feedback electrode. The sensor is fabricated on a double side polished (1 0 0) N-type silicon wafer, the tips array of cathode are shaped by wet etching with HNA (HNO3, HF and CH3COOH) and metalized by TiW/Au thin film. The structure of sensor is released by ICP process finally. The interface ASIC was designed and fabricated based on the P-JFET high voltage bipolar process. The accelerometer is tested through static field rollover test, and the test results show the integrated vacuum microelectronic accelerometer has good performances, which sensitivity is 3.081V/g and non-linearity is 0.84% in the measuring range of −1g~1g.

A novel binary toxin-positive non-027, non-078 Clostridium difficile strain designated LC693 whose sequence type was ST201 was isolated from the fecal sample of a patient with severe diarrhea in China. To understand the pathogenesis basis of C. difficile ST201, this recently recovered isolate LC693 was then chosen for whole genome sequencing. The project finally generated an estimated genome size of approximately 4.07 Mbp. The genome sequence was then analyzed together with the other two ST201 strains VL-0104 and VL-0391 and compared to the epidemic 027/ST1 and 078/ST11 strains. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the ST201 strains belonged to clade 3. Genome size of the three ST201 strains ranged from 4.07 Mb~4.16 Mb, with an average GC content between 28.5%~28.9%. The ST201 genomes contained more than 40 antibiotic resistance genes and 15 of them were predicted to be associated with vancomycin-resistance, suggesting that they may have a strong antibiotic resistance. The ST201 strains contained a typical clade 3 specific PaLoc with a Tn6218 element inserted, and those genes harbored on their PaLoc that participated in the toxin expression and regulation were highly homologues to the epidemic 027 and 078 strains, with the exception of tcdC. A truncated TcdC was found in the ST201 strains, which is suggestive to have a contribution to the toxin production of the ST201 strains. In addition, the ST201 strains contained intact binary toxin coding and regulation genes, which is also proposed to contribute to the virulence. Genome comparison of the ST201 strains with the epidemic 027 and 078 strain identified 641 genes specific for the C. difficile ST201, and a number of them were predicted as fitness and virulence associated genes. The identification of those genes also contributes to the pathogenesis of the ST201 strain. To our knowledge, this is the first study that the genome sequence of C. difficile ST201 was discussed in detail, and the present study would have a contribution to understanding the pathogenesis basis of C. difficile ST201.

Load transfer through orthopaedic joint implants is poorly understood. The longer-term outcomes of these implants are just starting to be studied, making it imperative to monitor contact loads across the entire joint implant interface to elucidate the force transmission and distribution mechanisms exhibited by these implants in service. This study proposes and demonstrates the design, implementation, and characterization of a 3D-printed smart polymer sensor array using conductive polyaniline (PANI) structures embedded within a polymeric parent phase. The piezoresistive characteristics of PANI were studied to characterize the sensing behaviours inherent to these embedded pressure sensor arrays. PANI's stable response to a continuous load, its stability throughout loading and unloading cycles, and its repeatable and linear response to incremental loading cycles together with the accuracy of these measurements were investigated. It is demonstrated that this specially developed multi-material additive manufacturing process for polyaniline is an attractive approach for the fabrication of implant components having embedded smart-polymer sensors for the measurement and analysis of joint loads in orthopaedic implants.

Dermal interstitial fluid (ISF) is a novel source of biomarkers that can be considered as an alternative to blood sampling for disease diagnosis and treatment. Nevertheless, in vivo extraction and analysis of ISF are challenging. On the other hand, microneedle (MN) technology can address most of the challenges associated with dermal ISF extraction and is well-suited for long-term, continuous ISF monitoring as well as in situ detection. In this review, we first briefly summarise the different dermal ISF collection methods and compare them with MN methods. Next, we elaborate on the design considerations and biocompatibility of MNs. Subsequently, the fabrication technologies of various MNs used for dermal ISF extraction, including solid MNs, hollow MNs, porous MNs and hydrogel MNs, are thoroughly explained. In addition, different sensing mechanisms of ISF detection will be discussed in detail. Subsequently, we identify the challenges and propose the possible solutions associated with ISF extraction. A detailed investigation is provided for the transport and sampling mechanism of ISF in vivo. Also, the current in vitro skin model integrated with the MN arrays will be discussed. Finally, future directions to develop a point-of-care (POC) device to sample ISF are proposed.

Based on a modified dice-and-fill technique, a PIN-PMN-PT single crystal 1-3 composite with the kerf of 12 μm and pitch of 50 μm was prepared. The as-made piezoelectric composite material behaved with high piezoelectric constant (d33 = 1500 pC/N), high electromechanical coefficient (kt = 0.81), and low acoustic impedance (16.2 Mrayls). Using lithography and flexible circuit method, a 48-element phased array was successfully fabricated from such a piezoelectric composite. The array element was measured to have a central frequency of 20 MHz and a fractional bandwidth of approximately 77% at −6 dB. Of particular significance was that this PIN-PMN-PT single crystal 1-3 composite-based phased array exhibits a superior insertion loss compared with PMN-PT single crystal and PZT-5H-based 20 MHz phased arrays. The focusing and steering capabilities of the obtained phased array were demonstrated theoretically and experimentally. These promising results indicate that the PIN-PMN-PT single crystal 1-3 composite-based high frequency phased array is a good candidate for ultrasound imaging applications.

This paper proposes a crack recognition method based on high-resolution line array cameras and adaptive lifting algorithm. By defining the crack rate, this algorithm calculates the ratio of the crack area to the area of the entire collected image to characterize the damage extent of the current section. The algorithm first uses image preprocessing to reduce the image noise, then uses histogram equalization to enhance the feature of the crack region, divides the whole image into multiple sub-blocks, and extracts region features in the sub-block. At the same time, this algorithm defines related feature descriptors, and constructs weak classifiers according to each feature descriptor, and converts the weak classifiers into strong classifiers by using an adaptive lifting algorithm. Finally, this algorithm realizes the division of the crack regions. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can meet the actual needs and is better than other classical algorithms.

Full-scale/model test comparison studies to validate the traditional ABL wind tunnel simulation technique are reviewed. According to the literature review, notable discrepancies between full-scale measurement results and model test results were observed by most performed comparison studies, but the causes of the observed discrepancies were not revealed in a scientific way by those studies. In this regard, a new research scheme for future full-scale/model test comparison studies is proposed in this article, which utilizes the multiple-fan actively controlled wind tunnel simulation technique. With the new research scheme, future full-scale/model test comparison studies are expected to reasonably disclose the main problems with the traditional ABL wind tunnel simulation technique, and the technique can be improved correspondingly.

In this paper, the methods and their analysis for estimating the location of three dimension (3-D) single source buried in lossy medium are presented with uniform circular array (UCA). The mathematical model of the signal in the lossy medium is proposed. Using location information in the covariance matrix obtained by sensors’ output, the equations of the source location (azimuth angle, elevation angle and range) are obtained. The phase and amplitude of the covariance matrix function are used to process these equations respectively. Then, the phase and amplitude of the covariance matrix function are used to process the source localization in the conductive medium together. By analyzing the characteristics of the proposed methods and MUSIC method, the computational complexity and the valid range of these methods are given. From the results, whether the loss is known, we can choose the appropriate method to process the issues (localization in lossless medium or lossy medium).

The ability to monitor Sprained Ankle Rehabilitation Exercises (SPAREs) in home environments can help therapists to ascertain if exercises have been performed as prescribed. Whilst wearable devices have been shown to provide advantages such as high accuracy and precision during monitoring activities, disadvantages such as limited battery life, users' inability to remember to charge and wear the devices are often the challenges for their usage. Also, video cameras, which are notable for high frame rates and granularity, are not privacy-friendly. This paper, therefore, proposes the use and fusion of unobtrusive and privacy-friendly sensing solutions for data collection and processing during SPAREs in home environments. Two Infrared Thermopile Array (ITA-32) thermal sensors and two Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) Radar sensors were used to simultaneously monitor 15 healthy participants during SPAREs which involved twisting their ankle in 4-fundamental movement patterns namely (i) extension, (ii) flexion, (iii) eversion and (iv) inversion. Experimental results indicated the ability to identify thermal blobs of participants performing the 4 fundamental movement patterns of the human ankle. Cluster-based analysis of data gleaned from the ITA-32 sensors and the FMCW Radar sensors indicated average classification accuracy of 96.9% with K-Nearest Neighbours, Neural Network, AdaBoost, Decision Tree, Stochastic Gradient Descent and Support Vector Machine, amongst others.

Clupeiformes, such as sardines and herrings, represent an important share of worldwide fisheries. Among those, the European sardine (Sardina pilchardus, Walbaum 1792) exhibits significant commercial relevance. While the last decade showed a steady and sharp decline in capture levels, recent advances in culture husbandry represent promising research avenues. Yet, the complete absence of genomic resources from sardine imposes a severe bottleneck to understand its physiological and ecological requirements. We generated 69 Gbp of paired-end reads using Illumina HiSeq X Ten and assembled a draft genome assembly with an N50 scaffold length of 25579 bp and BUSCO completeness of 82.1% (Actinopterygii). The estimated size of the genome ranges between 655 and 850 Mb. Additionally, we generated a relatively high-level liver transcriptome. To deliver a proof of principle of the value of this dataset, we established the presence and function of enzymes (elovl2, elovl5 and fads2) that have pivotal roles in the biosynthesis of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, essential nutrients particularly abundant in oily fish such as sardines. Our study provides the first omics dataset from a valuable economic marine teleost species, the European sardine, an essential resource for their effective conservation, management and sustainable exploitation.

This compendium presents new mathematical techniques for modeling Point Absorbers. A combined frequency-time domain framework is developed. It is used to simulate the energy generated by the wave farms. With Matlab and Fortran as a base, this leads to obtain physical variables of primary importance, namely position, velocity and power to energy net balance relationships of absorption. Integration of different degrees of freedom with heave as main executable leads in turn to a single buoy motion focus. Acquisition of the needed hydrodynamic coefficients is provided through application of potential field solvers with Boundary Element Methodology background. Initially, this Wave-to-motion model is validated by comparison with previous experimental results for a floating cone cylinder shape (Buldra-FO3). A single, generic, vertical floating cylinder is contemplated then, that responds to the action of the passing regular waves excitation. Later, two equally sized vertical floating cylinders aligned with the incident wave direction are modeled for a variable distance between the bodies. For both unidirectional regular and irregular waves as an input in deep water, we approximate the convolutive radiation force function term through the Prony method. By changing the spatial disposition of the axisymmetric buoys, using for instance triangular or rectangular shaped arrays of three and four bodies respectively, the study delves into motion characteristics for regular waves. The results highlight efficient layouts for maximizing the energy production whilst providing important insights into their performance, revealing displacement amplification- and capture width-ratios, while deriving in possible interpretations of scenarios related to the known park effect. These terms are encompassed by the novelty of a new conceptual Post-Processing methodology in the field, which leads to obtain an optimal distance for the separated bodies with effective energy absorption in a regular wave regime. The main objective is to generate a tendency within the hydrodynamic field of study, which is the Wave to motion perspective. More generally, this computational excursion envisions and depicts potential fields of study, which will surely enhance new connections and link this renewable energy form. Therefore, this research delves first into the historical and technical background on Ocean Wave Energy. Next, it is in the section regarding Materials and Methods, where boundaries and related equations are introduced step by step, together with latter mentioned case scenarios, and their corresponding configuration parameters. A separate section frames then the scope of results, while finally, there is an ensuing discussion and conclusions for evaluation assessment.

This paper presents the design and implementation of a multichannel bio-impedance spectroscopy system on field programmable gate arrays (FPGA). The proposed system is capable of acquiring multiple signals from multiple bio-impedance sensors, process the data on the FPGA and store the final data in the on-board Memory. The system employs the Digital Automatic Balance Bridge (DABB) method to acquire data from biosensors. The DABB measures initial data of a known impedance to extrapolate the value of the impedance for the device under test. This method offers a simpler design because the balancing of the circuit is done digitally in the FPGA rather than using an external circuit. Calculations of the impedance values for the device under test were done in the processor. The final data is sent to an onboard Flash Memory to be stored for later access. The control unit handles the interfacing and the scheduling between these different modules (Processor, Flash Memory) as well as interfacing to multiple Balance Bridge and multiple biosensors. The system has been simulated successfully and has comparable performance to other FPGA based solutions. The system has a robust design that is capable of handling and interfacing input from multiple biosensors. Data processing and storage is also performed with minimal resources on the FPGA.

With rapid advances in gene editing and gene therapy technologies, the development of genetic, cell, or protein-based cures to disease are no longer the realm of science fiction but that of today’s practice. The impact of these technologies are rapidly bringing them to the veterinary market as both enhanced therapeutics and towards modeling their outcomes for translational application. Simply put, gene editing enables scientists to modify an organism’s DNA a priori through the use of site-specific DNA targeting tools like clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9). Gene therapy is a broader definition that encompasses the addition of exogenous genetic materials into specific cells to correct a genetic defect. More precisely, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) defines gene therapy as “a technique that modifies a person’s genes to treat or cure disease” by either (i) replacing a disease-causing gene with a healthy copy of the gene; (ii) inactivating a disease-causing gene that was not functioning properly; or (iii) introducing a new or modified gene into the body to help treat a disease. In some instances, this can be accomplished through direct transfer of DNA or RNA into target cells of interest or more broadly through gene editing. While gene therapy is possible through the simple addition of genetic information into cells of interest, gene editing allows the genome to be reprogrammed intentionally through the deletion of diseased alleles, reconstitution of wild type sequence, or targeted integration of exogenous DNA to impart new function. Cells can be removed from the body, altered, and reinfused, or edited in vivo. Indeed, manufacturing and production efficiencies in gene editing and gene therapy in the 21^st century has brought the therapeutic potential of in vitro and in vivo reprogrammed cells, to the front lines of therapeutic intervention (Brooks et al., 2016). For example, CAR-T cell therapy is revolutionizing hematologic cancer care in humans and is being translated to canines by us and others, and gene therapy trials are ongoing for mitral valve disease in dogs.

A signal analysis of the genoma sequenced of coronavirus variants: B.1.1.7, B.1.135, B.1.429-B.1.427, B.1.525 and P1 is presented. We deal with a certain type of finite alternating sum series having independently distributed terms associated with binary (0,1) indicators for the nucleotide bases A,C,G,T. This method provides additional information to conventional Similarity comparisons and Power Spectrum approaches. It leads to uncover distinctive patterns regarding the intrinsic data organization of genomic sequences according to its progression along the nucleotide bases position. Hence, the method could be useful for survelliance of genoma variants.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a leading form of human cardiovascular disease and commonly associated with systemic hypertension. Unique evolved adaptations in giraffe myocardia may be a natural animal model of resistance to HFpEF. In humans, pressure-overload induced left ventricular thickening (PLVT) impairs diastolic relaxation, elevates left atrial pressures and may progress to heart failure with symptoms including exercise intolerance. In healthy giraffe, the left ventricle thickens as developmental neck lengthening widens the vertical distance between the heart and head increasing pressures needed to maintain constant brain perfusion. Yet, diastolic relaxation and exercise capacity are unimpaired, a critical adaptation for prey species such as giraffe. The proximate mechanisms underlying this unique cardiovascular physiology are not yet characterized. Developmental PLVT in giraffe emerges as a species-specific evolved adaptation which offers a roadmap for identifying innovations in therapeutic and prevention strategies for HFpEF.

This thesis completion works it out to deepen into diverse modeling techniques for Point Absorbers. A combined frequency-time domain model is conceived, designed and developed in Matlab with Fortran as a base, leading to obtain physical variables of primary importance, namely position, velocity and power to energy net balance relationships of absorption. Integration of different degrees of freedom with heave as main executable leads in turn to a single buoy motion focus. Acquisition of the needed hydrodynamic coefficients is provided through application of NEMOH \& BEMIO solvers due to the Boundary Element Methodology. Initially, this Wave-to-motion model is validated by comparison with previous experimental results for a floating cone cylinder shape (Buldra-FO3). A single, generic, vertical floating cylinder is contemplated then, that responds to the action of the passing regular waves excitation. Later, two equally sized vertical floating cylinders aligned with the incident wave direction are modeled for a variable distance between the bodies. For both unidirectional regular and irregular waves as an input in deep water, we approximate the convolutive radiation force function term through the Prony method. By changing the spatial disposition of the axisymmetric buoys, using for instance triangular or rectangular shaped arrays of three and four bodies respectively, the study delves into motion characteristics for regular waves. The results highlight efficient layouts for maximizing the energy production whilst providing important insights into their performance, revealing displacement amplification- and capture width-ratios, while deriving in possible interpretations of scenarios related to the the known park effect. These terms are encompassed by the novelty of a new conceptual Post-Processing methodology in the field, which leads to obtain an optimal distance for the separated bodies with effective energy absorption in a regular wave regime. In conclusion, this computational excursion envisions and proposes potential fields of study, which will surely enhance new connections and link this renewable energy form.

Members of the Fusarium oxysporum species complex (FOSC) has the capacity to specialize into host-specific pathogens known as formae speciales through horizontal gene transfer between pathogenic and endophytic individuals. To this day, the origin of these formae speciales and the genetic determinants dictating the switch from endophytic to pathogenic Fusarium oxysporum (Fox) are still unknown. F. oxysporum f. sp. vanillae (Fov), member of FOSC, is the causal agent of root and stem rot disease, representing the main phytosanitary problem in vanilla plantations worldwide. Here we analyzed the RNA-seq libraries resulting from the interaction vanilla-Fov at early and late stages of the infection, and what we initially identified as control in a previous study, detecting the presence of Fox endophytes. We identified virulence, hypervirulence, sporulation, conidiation, necrosis, and production of fusaric acid as key processes taking place during Fov-vanilla interaction. Through comparison with endophytic Fox, we found that Fov can infect vanilla thanks to the presence of pathogenicity islands and genomic regions associated with supernumerary chromosomes. These play a central role as carriers of genes involved with pathogenic activity and could have being obtained by Fov through horizontal gene transfer. We also found that, unlike other pathogenic members of FOSC, Fov do not use Secreted in Xylem proteins (SIX) to infect vanilla.

Thermal interface material (TIM) that can exist as liquid at the service temperature enables efficient heat transfer across two adjacent surfaces in electronic applications. In this work, the thermal conductivities of different phase regions in the Ga-In system at various compositions and temperatures are measured for the first time. A modified comparative cut bar technique is used for the measurement of the thermal conductivities of In_xGa_1-x (x=0, 0.1, 0.214, 0.3, and 0.9) alloys at 40, 60, 80, and 100^oC that are the temperatures commonly encountered in consumer electronics. The thermal conductivity values for the liquid and semi-liquid (liquid+β) Ga-In alloys are higher than the TIM currently used in consumer electronics. These measured quantities, along with the available experimental data from the literature, served as input for the thermal conductivity parameter optimization using the CALPHAD (CALculation of PHase Diagram) method for the pure elements, solution phase, and two-phase region. A set of self-consistent parameters for the description of the thermal conductivity of the Ga-In system is obtained. There is good agreement between the measured and calculated thermal conductivity values for all the phases. Hence, it can be envisaged that liquid/semi-liquid Ga-In alloys can be considered as a potential TIM in consumer electronics due to its high thermal conductivity.

Plant-parasitic nematodes cause expressive annual yield losses to worldwide agricultural production. Most cultivated plants have no known resistance against nematodes and the few bearing a resistance gene can be overcome by certain species. The chemical methods that have been deployed to control nematodes were largely banned from use due to their poor specificity and high toxicity. Hence, there is an urgent need for the development of cleaner and more specific control methods. Recent advances in nematode genomics, including in phytoparasitic species, provide an unprecedented opportunity to identify genes and functions specific to these pests. Using phylogenomics, we compared 61 nematode genomes, including 16 for plant-parasitic species and identified more than 24,000 protein families specific to these parasites. In the genome of Meloidogyne incognita, one of the most devastating plant parasites, we found ca. 10,000 proteins with orthologs restricted only to phytoparasitic species and no further homology in protein databases. Among these phytoparasites-specific proteins, ca. 1,000 shared the same properties as known secreted effectors involved in essential parasitic functions. Of those, 68 were novel and showed strong expression during the endophytic phase of the nematode life cycle, based on both RNA-seq and RT-qPCR analyses. Besides effector candidates, transcription-related and neuro-perception functions were enriched in phytoparasites-specific proteins, revealing interesting targets for nematode control methods. This phylogenomics analysis, constitutes an unprecedented resource for the further understanding of the genetic basis of nematode adaptation to phytoparasitism and for the development of more efficient control methods.

Cancer cell lines are widely used as in vitro models of tumorigenesis, facilitating fundamental discoveries in cancer biology and translational medicine. Currently, there are few options for glioblastoma (GBM) treatment and limited in vitro models with accurate genomic and transcriptomic characterization. Here, a detailed characterization of a new GBM cell line, namely AHOL1, was conducted in order to fully characterize its molecular composition based on its copy number alteration (CNA) and transcriptome profiling, followed by the validation of key elements associated with GBM tumorigenesis. Large numbers of CNAs and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. CNAs were distributed throughout the genome, including gains at Xq11.1-q28, Xp22.33-p11.1, Xq21.1-q21.33, 4p15.1-p14, 8q23.2-q23.3 and losses at Yq11.21-q12, Yp11.31-p11.2 and 12p13.31 positions. Nine druggable genes were identified, including HCRTR2, ETV1, PTPRD, PRKX, STS, RPS6KA6, ZFY, USP9Y and KDM5D. By integrating DEGs and CNAs, we identified 57 overlapping genes enriched in fourteen pathways. Altered expression of several cancer-related candidates found in the DEGs-CNA dataset was confirmed by RT-qPCR. Taken together, this first comprehensive genomic and transcriptomic landscape of AHOL1 provides unique resources for further studies and identifies several druggable targets that may be useful for therapeutics and biologic and molecular investigation of GBM.

The competitiveness of domestic products at the regional or global market is one of the cornerstones of a country’s internationalcompetitiveness. In this regard, the assessment and analysis of the competitiveness of a country’s international trade becomes an important issue. Thus, development and diversification of the export potential of the country is viewed as one of the most important directions of the international trade policy of the given country. Therefore, another important task is the specialization of the country in the most efficient and competitive segments of the economy. The above-mentioned circumstances embody the fact, that the role of quantitative assessment of potential competitive advantages is important, as it allows determining to what extent certain factors influence on the formation of export capacity in the country. The main objective of the study is to determine the role of export competitiveness in the process of competitive advantages formation of a country. This study mainly focuses on quantitative analysis based on the calculation of Balassa index, determining the extent to which a country has a comparative advantage in producing and exporting certain goods. The study presents the example of the Republic of Armenia, the study covers the period between 2002- 2016. Based on the index calculation, it can be determined whether the country has "revealed" comparative advantage or not. The practical significance of the study lies in the fact that its main findings and conclusions arising from it can be used in assessing the export competitiveness of not only Armenia, but also for other countries or groups of countries.The outcomes and implication of the research can be used to improve the competitiveness of goods and services in the global market.

A fast calculation method for the full parallax high-resolution hologram is proposed based on the elemental light field image (EI) rendering. A 3D object located near the holographic plane is firstly rendered as multiple EIs with a pinhole array. Each EI is interpolated and multiplied by a divergent sphere wave and interfered with a reference wave to form a hogel. Parallel acceleration is used to calculate the high-resolution hologram because calculation of each hogel is independent. A high-resolution hologram with the resolution of 20,0000×20,0000 pixels is calculated only within 8 minutes. Full parallax high-resolution 3D displays are realized by optical reconstructions.

This paper presents a new approach to suppress interference between neighbouring radiating elements resulting from surface wave currents. The proposed technique will enable the realization of low-profile implementation of highly dense antenna configuration necessary in SAR and MIMO communication systems. Unlike other conventional techniques of mutual coupling suppression where decoupling slab is located between the radiating antennas the proposed technique is simpler and only requires embedding linear slots near the periphery of the patch. Attributes of this technique are (i) significant improvement in the maximum isolation between the adjacent antennas by 26.7 dB in X-band, & >15 dB in Ku and K-bands; (ii) reduction in edge-to-edge gap between antennas to 10 mm (0.37λ); and (iii) improvement in gain by >40% over certain angular directions, which varies between 4.5 dBi to 8.2 dBi. The proposed technique is simple to implement at low-cost.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) challenges include understanding what triggered SARS-CoV-2 emergence, how this RNA virus is evolving or how the genomic variability may impact the primary structure of proteins that are targets for vaccine. We analyzed 19471 SARS-CoV-2 genomes and 199,984 spike glycoprotein sequences available at the GISAID database from all over the world and 3335 genomes of other Coronoviridae family members available at Genbank, collecting SARS-CoV-2 high-quality genomes and distinct Coronoviridae family genomes. Here, we identify a SARS-CoV-2 emerging cluster containing 13 closely related genomes isolated from bat and pangolin that showed evidence of recombination, which may have contributed to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2. The analyzed SARS-CoV-2 genomes presented 9632 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) corresponding to a variant density of 0.3 over the genome, and a clear geographic distribution. SNPs are unevenly distributed throughout the genome and hotspots for mutations were found for the spike gene and ORF 1ab. We describe a set of predicted spike protein epitopes whose variability is negligible. All predicted epitopes for the structural E, M and N proteins are highly conserved. This result favors the continuous efficacy of the available vaccines.

We characterize the performance of a system based on a magnetoresistor array. This instrument is developed to map the magnetic field, and to track a dipolar magnetic source in the presence of a static homogeneous field. The position and orientation of the magnetic source with respect to the sensor frame is retrieved together with the orientation of the frame with respect to the environmental field. A nonlinear best-fit procedure is used, and its precision, time performance, and reliability are analyzed. This analysis is performed in view of the practical application for which the system is designed that is an eye-tracking diagnostics and rehabilitative tool for medical purposes, which require high speed ($\ge 100$~Sa/s) and sub-millimetric spatial resolution. A throughout investigation on the results makes it possible to list several observations, suggestions, and hints, which will be useful in the design of similar setups.

Stable suspensions of metal/metalloid oxide nanoparticles (Me-NPs) obtained by laser ablation of 99.99% pure elemental aluminum, titanium or silicon under a layer of deionized water were used separately, or in three binary combinations, or in a ternary combination to induce subchronic intoxications in rats. To this end, the Me-NPs were repeatedly injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) 18 times during 6 weeks before measuring a large number of functional, biochemical, morphological and cytological indices for the organism’s status. In many respects, the Al₂O₃-NP was found to be the most toxic species alone and the most dangerous component of the combinations studied. Mathematical modeling with the help of the Response Surface Methodology showed that, as well as in the case of any other binary toxic combinations previously investigated by us, the organism’s response to a simultaneous exposure to any two of the Me-NP species under study was characterized by a complex interaction between all possible types of combined toxicity (additivity, subadditivity or superadditivity of unidirectional action and different variants of opposite effects) depending on which outcome a given type was estimated for and on effect and dose levels. With any third MeO-NP species acting in the background, the type of combined toxicity displayed by the other two remained virtually the same or changed significantly, becoming either more or less unfavorable. Various harmful effects produced by the [Al₂O₃-NP+TiO₂-NP+SiO₂-NP]-combination, including its genotoxicity, were substantially attenuated by giving the rats per os during the entire exposure period a complex of innocuous bioactive substances expected to increase the organism’s antitoxic resistance.

Motivation: 16S rRNA gene amplicon based sequencing has significantly expanded the scope of metagenomics research by enabling microbial community analyses in a cost-effective manner. The possibility to infer functional potential of a microbiome through amplicon sequencing derived taxonomic abundance profiles has further strengthened the utility of 16S sequencing. In fact, a surge in 'inferred function metagenomic analysis' has recently taken place, wherein most 16S microbiome studies include inferred functional insights in addition to taxonomic characterization. Tools like PICRUSt, Tax4Fun, Vikodak and iVikodak have significantly eased the process of inferring function potential of a microbiome using the taxonomic abundance profile. A platform that can enable hosting of inferred function 'metagenomic studies' with comprehensive metadata driven search utilities (of a typical database), coupled with on-the-fly comparative analytics between studies of interest, can be a major improvement to the state of art. ReFDash represents an effort in the proposed direction. Methods: This work introduces ReFDash - a Repository of Functional Dashboards. ReFDash, developed as a significant extension of iVikodak (function inference tool), provides three broad unique offerings in inferred function space - (i) a platform that hosts a database of inferred function data being continously updated using public 16S metagenomic studies (ii) a tool to search studies of interest and compare upto three metagenomic environments on the fly (iii) a community initiative wherein users can contribute their own inferred function data to the platform. ReFDash therefore provides a first-of-its-kind community-driven frame-work for scientific collaboration, data analytics, and sharing in this area of microbiome research. Results: Overall, the ReFDash database is aimed at compiling together a global ensemble of 16S-derived Functional Metagenomics projects. ReFDash currently hosts close to 50 ready-to-use, re-analyzable functional dashboards representing data from approximately 18,000 microbiome samples sourced from various published studies. Each entry also provides direct downloadable links to associated taxonomic files and metadata employed for analysis. Conclusion: The vision behind ReFDash is creation of a framework, wherein users can not only analyze their microbiome datasets in functional terms, but also contribute towards building an information base by submitting their functional analyses to ReFDash database. ReFDash web-server may be freely accessed at https://web.rniapps.net/iVikodak/refdash/

A novel configuration for a super-wide impedance planar antenna is presented based on a 2 × 2 microstrip patch antenna (MPA). The antenna comprises a symmetrical arrangement of four-square patches that are interconnected to each other with cross-shaped high impedance microstrip lines. The antenna array is exciting through a single feedline connected to one of the patches. The proposed antenna array configuration overcomes the main drawback of conventional MPA of narrow bandwidth that is typically <5%. The antenna exhibits a super-wide frequency bandwidth from 20 GHz to 120 GHz for S₁₁<−15 dB, which corresponds to a fractional bandwidth of 142.85%. The antenna’s performance of bandwidth, impedance match, and radiation gain were enhanced by etching slots on the patches. The slotted microstrip patch essentially acts like a left-handed capacitance to exhibit metamaterial properties over a given frequency range. With the inclusion of the slot the maximum radiation gain and efficiency of the MPA have increased to 15.11 dBi and 85.79% at 80 GHz, which show an improvement of 2.58 dBi and 12.54%, respectively. The dimension of each patch antenna is 30 × 30 mm². The results show that the proposed MPA is useful for various communications existing and emerging systems such as ultra-wideband (UWB) communications, RFID systems, massive multiple-output multiple-input (MIMO) for 5G, and radar systems.

Leaf variegation pale yellowing is observed in the Calcineurin B-Like-Interacting Protein Kinase14 (CIPK14) overexpression line (oeCIPK14) and double knockout WHIRLY1/WHIRLY3 (why1/3) lines of Arabidopsis, the distribution of WHIRLY1 (WHY1) protein between plastids and the nucleus are affected by the phosphorylation of WHY1 by CIPK14. To elucidate the coregulation of CIPK14 and WHIRLY1/WHIRLY3 mediated leaf pale yellowing, a differential proteomic analysis is conducted between the oeCIPK14 variegated (oeCIPK14-var) line, why1/3 variegated (why1/3-var) line and wild type (WT). More than 800 protein spots are distinguished on each gel, 67 differential abundance proteins (DAPs) are identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight/time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS), of which, 34 DAPs are in the oeCIPK14-var, 33 DAPs are in the why1/3-var compared to WT. Five overlapping proteins differentially change both in the oeCIPK14-var and in the why1/3-var. They are ATP-dependent Clp protease proteolytic subunit-related protein 3 (ClpR3), Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase large chain (RBL), Beta-amylase 3 (BAM3), Ribosome-recycling factor (RRF), Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase small chain (RBS). Bioinformatics analysis show that most of DAPs are involved in photosynthesis, defense and antioxidation pathway, protein metabolism, amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism, malate biosynthesis, lipid metabolism and transcription. Thus, the photosystem parameters are measured that the content of chlorophyll, the photochemical efficiency of PSⅡ (Fv/Fm), and electron transport rates (ETR) decrease in the why1/3-var and oeCIPK14-var, but the non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) increases. Both mutants show high sensitivity to strong light. Based on the annotation of DAPs from both why1/3-var and oeCIPK14-var lines, we conclude that CIPK14 phosphorylation mediated WHY1 deficiency in plastids is related to impairment of protein metabolism leading to chloroplast dysfunction.

Micro-technology has played a substantial role in bioscience, biomedical and biotechnological research due to its core advantages in modern science and engineering. It has created unique development in various sectors of bio-research and upsurges the efficacy of research at the molecular level in recent years. Microfluidic technology makes it possible to manipulate sample volumes at the micro- and nano-level (called nanofluidics) with terrific control outside in vivo cellular microenvironment, enabling the reduction of discrepancies between in vivo and in vitro environments as well as reducing reaction time and cost. In this review, we discuss various effective integrations of microfluidic technologies into biotechnology and its paradigmatic significance in bio-research, supporting mechanical and chemical in vitro cellular micro-environment. Specific innovations relating to the application of microfluidics to advance microbial life, solitary and co-cultures along with a multiple-type cell culturing, cellular communications, cellular interactions and population dynamics are discussed.

This paper analyzes the measurement error, caused by the position of the current-carrying conductor, of circular array of magnetic sensors for current measurement. The circular array of magnetic sensors is an effective approach for AC or DC non-contact measurement, as its low cost, large linear range, wide bandwidth, light weight and low noise. Especially it has claimed that such structure has the excellent reduction ability for the errors caused by the position of the current-carrying conductor, crosstalk current interference, shape of the conduction cross section and the earth magnetic field. However, the positions of the current-carrying conductor, including un-center and un-perpendicularity, has not analyzed in detail until now. In this paper, the theoretical analysis has been proposed based on vector inner and exterior product. In the presented mathematical model of relative error, the un-center offset distance, the un-perpendicular angle, the radius of the circle and the number of the magnetic sensor are expressed in one equation. The comparison of the relative error caused by the position of the current-carrying conductor between four and eight sensors is conducted. The Tunnel Magnetoresistance (TMR) sensors are used in the experimental prototype to verify the mathematical model. The analysis results can be the reference to design the detail of circular array of magnetic sensors for current measurement in practical situation.

A focal plane array (FPA) detector was used for hyperspectral imaging in the infrared (IR) spectral region using thermal and synchrotron light sources. FPA Fourier-transform IR (FTIR) imaging microspectroscopy will be able to monitor real time changes at specific absorption bands when combined with high brightness synchrotron source. In this study, several types of samples with unique structural motifs were selected and used for assessing the capability of the FPA-FTIR imaging technique. It was shown that the time required for polariscopy at IR wavelengths can be substantially reduced by the FPA-FTIR imaging approach. By using natural and laser fabricated polymers with sub-wavelength features, alignment of absorbing molecular dipoles was revealed as well as higher order patterns (laser fabricated structures). Micro-spectroscopy of absorber orientation reveals alignment patterns even when they are not spatially resolved.

DNA origami has emerged in recent years as a powerful technique for designing and building 2D and 3D nanostructures. While the breadth of structures that have been produced is impressive, one of the remaining challenges, especially for DNA origami structures intended to carry out useful biomedical tasks in vivo, is to endow them with the ability to detect and respond to molecules of interest. Target molecules may be disease indicators or cell surface receptors, and the responses may include conformational changes leading to release of therapeutically relevant cargo. Nucleic acid aptamers are ideally suited to this task and are beginning to be used in DNA origami designs. In this review we consider examples of uses of DNA aptamers in DNA origami structures and summarise what is currently understood regarding aptamer-origami integration. We review three major roles for aptamers in such applications: protein immobilisation, triggering of structural transformation, and cell targeting. Finally, we consider future perspectives for DNA aptamer integration with DNA origami.

Antibiotics are in excessive use that has extensively increased antimicrobial resistance worldwide which has become the major public concern among the countries. To control this threat proper monitoring of the antimicrobial usage along with the increasing rate of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is required. Further, surveillance of both the parameters is highly recommended for comparing the differences in distinct countries. Moreover, alternatives for antibiotics are also surveyed and are being researched for quick use in the near future. AMR is an issue that needs immense attention from various sectors. Thus, intervention of multisector is highly encouraged for better outcomes. One Health is one of the approaches that play a vital role in resolving this issue. In this research paper, six different European countries are discussed in terms of antimicrobial usage and AMR in the human and livestock sectors with the help of literature study and various reports published by different organizations. Data study has been conducted to collect the data for comparison study. Data sources of AMR and antimicrobial usage are analyzed and a thorough comparison of both antimicrobial use and AMR are conducted. Also, the application of One Health is studied for a balanced system. This article provides about various surveillance systems that are formed only to keep a track on the upcoming situation of AMR and the consumption of antimicrobials by the humans as well as animals. The article does not provide about all the details required to monitor the AMR issue but firmly allow the readers to get acknowledged with the broad information about the antimicrobial resistance across the six countries of Europe. The regular data collected by the different organizations play a vital role in monitoring the status of AMR and antimicrobial usage by humans and in live stocks. These annual reports have highly helped the government to decide for alternatives and have focused in many training activities to combat the AMR situation globally. AMR prevention is linked to the One Health concept. As antibiotic resistance genes persist on an interface between environment and animal and animal health, an approach is required in all three areas that stress the concept of 'One Approach to Health.'

Cardamom is one of important spice commodities in the world; however, Indonesia’s export contribution to global market is considered low. Cardamom production in Central Java contributes to the export of Indonesian cardamom. Central Java has the potential of human and natural resource for cardamom cultivation, but it has not been optimally utilized. This article aims to study the comparative advantages of cardamom and its sustainability. The design of this study is exploratory research, in which a research aims to obtain description or study on the condition of comparative advantage of cardamom in Central Java. Revealed Comparative Agency (RCA) belongs to one of methods used to find out competitiveness of commodity export of a country viewed from a comparative advantage. Cardamom sustainability is analyzed descriptively based on the actual situation and by using RCA result analysis. The result shows that the RCA value above 1 means in that period the cardamom commodity of Central Java has a strong comparative advantage in the international market. Despite the strong comparative advantage, its value tends to decrease. A serious concern should be given, considering the sharp decline. Therefore, the sustainability of cardamom comparative advantage needs to be improved.

Background: Multifunctional nanoparticles are known for their wide range of biomedical applications. Controlling the magnetic properties of these nanoparticles is imperative for various applications, including therapeutic angiogenesis. The study was performed to evaluate the magnetic properties and their control mechanisms by the external magnetic field. Methods: A 100nm magnetic nanoparticle was placed in the magnetic field, and parametrically the magnet field strength and distance was evaluated. Various models of magnetic strength and disposition were evaluated. Magnetic flux density, force/weight, and magnetic gradient strength were the parameters evaluated in electromagnetic computational software. Results: The seven-coil method with three centrally placed coils as Halbach array, and each coil with a flux density of 7 Tesla, and with a coil dimension of 20cmx20cm (square model) of each coil showed a good magnetic strength and force/weight parameters in a distance of 15cm from the centrally placed coil. The particles were then evaluated for their motion characteristics in saline. It showed good displacement and acceleration properties. After that, the particles were theoretically assessed in a similar mathematical model after parametrically correcting the drag force. After application of high drag forces, the particles showed adequate motion characteristics. When the particle size was reduced further, the motion characteristics were preserved even with high drag forces. Conclusion: There is potential for a novel method of controlling multifunctional magnetic nanoparticles using high magnetic fields. Further studies are required to evaluate the motion characteristics of these particles in-vivo and invitro.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of most common cancers with a high mortality rate. HBV/HCV infection is an important risk factor to trigger HCC. Therefore, developing serum biomarkers for early diagnosis is crucial to prolong survival in HCC patients. Methods: An antibody array technology was utilized to detect serum from 20 HBV-related HCC patients, 20 chronic hepatitis B patients and 20 normal population, whose results were further validated by ELISA. Results: Both antibody array and ELISA showed that ten growth factors (SCF R, GDF-15, HGF, FGF-4, IGFBP-1, PIGF, GH, GDNF, BDNF and IGF-1) were significantly differential in HCC patients when compared to the non-HCC population. Among these growth factors, the levels of SCF R, GDF-15, HGF, GH and IGF-1 showed significant correlation with hepatitis B and its severity, indicating that these growth factors may promote HCC progression by an HBV-specific mechanism. A therapy targeting these growth factors in hepatitis B patients may help to prevent the development of HCC. FGF4 and GH were found, for the first time, to be upregulated in HCC, suggesting that these two growth factors may serve as novel serum biomarkers for the early diagnosis of HCC. Conclusion: The combined detection of all the differential growth factors may improve the diagnostic accuracy of HCC.

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemics prompted a fast development of novel diagnostic methods of the etiologic virus SARS-CoV-2. Methods based on CRISPR-Cas systems have been particularly promising because they can achieve a similar sensitivity and specificity to the golden standard RT-qPCR, especially when coupled to an isothermal pre-amplification step. Furthermore, they have also solved inherent limitations of RT-qPCR that impede its decentralized use and deployment in the field, such as the need for expensive equipment, high cost per reaction, and delivery of results in hours, among others. In this review, we evaluate publicly available methods to detect SARS-CoV-2 that are based on CRISPR-Cas and isothermal amplification. We critically analyze the steps required to obtain a successful result from clinical samples and pinpoint key experimental conditions and parameters that could be optimized or modified to improve clinical and analytical outputs. The COVID outbreak has propelled intensive research in a short time, which is paving the way to develop effective and very promising CRISPR-Cas systems for the precise detection of SARS-CoV-2. This review could also serve as an introductory guide to new labs delving into this technology.

In this study, a matched-mode autoregressive source depth estimation method (MMAR) based on autoregressive (AR) wavenumber estimation is proposed for a moving source in shallow water waveguides. The signal original frequency and the environmental parameters, namely, the sound speed profile and bottom properties are known as a prior knowledge. The mode wavenumbers are estimated by the AR modal wavenumber spectrum. On the basis of the mode wavenumber estimation, the mode amplitudes can be estimated by the wavenumber spectrum that is obtained by generalized Hankel transform. The source depth estimation is determined by the peak of source depth function wherein the data mode best matches the replica mode that is calculated using a propagation model. Compared with other methods of moving source depth estimation, the proposed method exhibits a better performance in source depth estimation under low signal-to-noise ratio or the small range span. The selection of horizontal line array depth is illustrated by simulation and normal mode theory in details.

To compare The effects of organic and inorganic impregnation on the properties of unmodified, phenol formaldehyde oligomer-modified (PFOMCF), and sodium silicate-modified Chinese fir wood (SSMCF) were compared using samples prepared using the respiratory impregnation method. Impregnation and reinforcement effects and water resistance of PFOMCF and SSMCF were compared and the results was showed that the weight percentage gain, density increase rate, bending strength, and compressive strength of SSMCF were clearly higher than those of PFOMCF and had a lower water absorption rate within 60 h. The impregnation and reinforcement effects and dimensional stability of SSMCF were better than those of PFOMCF. FT-IR, XRD, CONE, and TGA examinations were used to test and analyze the chemical structure, crystalline structure, flame retardancy, and heat resistance of these modified woods. The results indicated that SSMCF possessed more hydrogen bonds than PFOMCF and that Si–O–Si chemical bonding with high bond energy was formed. Meanwhile, the weakened degree of the diffraction peak of SSMCF was much less than that of PFOMCF. These results explained that the mechanical properties and water resistance of SSMCF were better than PFOMCF. Compared with PFOMCF, SSMCF had a lower heat release rate (HRR), peak-HRR, mean-HRR, total heat release, smoke production rate, and total smoke production as well as higher thermal decomposition temperature and residual rate. Inorganic sodium silicate was shown to be a better flame retardant, while SSMCF had good smoke suppression effects, thermal stability, and safety performance in the case of fire.

Sea level rise and increased storm events, urge cities to develop governance capacity. However, a cohesive conceptual and empirical-based understanding of what governance capacity implies, how to measure it, and what cities can learn, is largely lacking. Understanding the influence of context is critical to address this issue. Accordingly, we aim to identify crosscutting contextual factors and their influence in impeding, enhancing or prioritising different elements of governance capacity to address urban flood risk. By assessing governance capacity through nine conditions and 27 indicators in two Dutch and two cities in the UK, three crosscutting contextual factors are identified: 1) flood probability and impact, 2) national imposed institutional setting, and 3) level of authority to secure long-term financial support. We found that contextual factors explain differences in urban capacity-priorities within and between both countries. The institutional setting in the UK and recent political devolution emphasized the role of citizen awareness, stakeholder engagement, entrepreneurial agents, and the overall necessity for local capacity-development. The Dutch focus on flood safety through centralised public coordination reduces flood probability but also inhibits incentives to reduce flood impacts and reduced public awareness. In conclusion, the three identified contextual factors enable a better understanding of capacity-building priorities.

IoT system becomes hot topic nowadays for smart home, IoT helps devices to communicate together without human intervention inside home, so it is offering many challenges. A new smart home IoT platform powered using electromagnetic energy harvesting is proposed in this paper. It contains a high gain transmitted antenna array and efficient circular polarized array rectenna system to harvest enough power from any direction to increase life time of the batteries used in IoT system. Optimized energy consumption, the software with adopting the Zigbee protocol of the sensor node and low power microcontroller are used to operate in lower power modes. The proposed system has an 84.6 days lifetime which is approximately 10 times the lifetime for similar system. On the other hand, the proposed power management circuit operated at 0.3 V DC to boost the voltage to ~3.7V from radio frequency energy harvesting and manage battery level to increase the batteries lifetime. A predictive indoor environment monitoring system is designed based on a novel hybrid system to provide a non-static plan, approve energy consumption and avoiding failure of sensor nodes in smart home.

In view of increasing concerns over non-renewable resource depletion and waste management, this study aimed to apply the Taguchi optimization technique to determine the process conditions for producing bricks by incorporating thin film transition liquid crystal displays (TFT-LCD) waste glass powder with reservoir sediments. An orthogonal array L₁₆(4⁵) was adopted, which consisted of five controllable four-level factors (i.e., cullet content, drying method, preheat time, sintering temperature, and error). Moreover, the analysis of variance method was used to explore the effects of the experimental factors on the density, water absorption, shrinkage ratio, loss of ignition, porosity, and compressive strength of the fired bricks. The microstructures of the fired specimens were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Then, the large-scale production techniques for fired bricks containing recycled TFT-LCD glass cullet and reservoir sediments was developed in a commercially available tunnel kiln. The test results showed that the structure of fired specimen was loose at a sintering temperature ranged from 900–950 °C. However, the fired specimen showed a significant densification at the sintering temperature of 1050 °C. In addition, Taguchi method is a feasible approach for optimizing process condition of brick using recycled TFT-LCD glass cullet and reservoir sediments and it significantly reduces the number of tests. On the other hand, the characteristics of fired bricks developed in the tunnel kiln were in compliance with Chinese National Standards class Ι building bricks criteria.

Abstract: As innovative way to express grief, social media posts about the deceased have become fairly common. However, few studies examined grief photos commonly posted. The purpose of the present study was to examine such pictures, as well as the motivation and reactions of those who posted, among Italians and Americans. Surveys were sent to both Italian and U.S. participants. The U.S. group yielded 262 responses (Mean age = 22 years; 81% female), the Italian yielded 51 (Mean age = 32. Several key issues emerged, such as the need to receive empathic support from other users, the desire to maintain continuing bonds, the wish to remember the deceased, and the desire to share beauty and symbolic pictures. The images were analyzed using content analysis. Both samples posted photos to remember and to enhance their posts. A strong preference for pictures with a positive emotional connotation appeared, depicting the deceased in a conjoint appearance with the participant. Results suggest that imagery used for the expression of grief in social media sites, an “iconography of grief,” is a popular means of expression for grievers.

Focusing geophysics to improve recovery factor of hydrocarbon reservoirs adds value and contributes toward ZERO carbon footprint by increasing the recovery factor by of 30-40 % and thus reducing the cost/carbon emission per produced barrel. Thus, the Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) market is expected to grow more than 3.5% annually. This will be even more fueled by the Green-House-Gas (GHG) reduction and subsequent CO2 injection into the reservoirs as they are being produced. Presently, geophysics only ac-counts for a small percentage of this market, thus its growth is inevitable since more deterministic observation lead higher operating efficiency. Imaging the fluids (hydro-carbon, water, and CO2) is a key component to optimized production and injection. We designed a novel electromagnetic (EM) acquisition system that combines mul-ti-physics fluid imaging and acquires surface and borehole data with high fidelity. Borehole calibration is needed to upscale reservoir data and parameters to measurement scale. Multiple electromagnetic methods are used as well as microseismics in one layout for Exploration and Production (E & P) problems. Multi-components in electromagnetics allows resolving oil and water-bearing zones equally well while achieving the best ac-curacy suitable for repeat measurements. Because sedimentary basins are intrinsically anisotropic, considering 3-dimensional anisotropy is essential from measurement and 3D modeling viewpoint. Thus, the results have the better subsurface images. Here, we combine hardware design, methodology, 3D modeling, processing, and interpretations into an integrated technology and demonstrate the success with verifiable case histories.

We present the hardware of a cheap multi-sensor magnetometric setup, where a relatively large set of magnetic field components is measured in several positions by calibrated magnetoresistive detectors. The setup is developed to map the (inhomogeneous) field generated by a known magnetic source, which is measured and then discerned from the background (homogeneous) geomagnetic field. The data output from this hardware can be successfully and reliably used to retrieve the position and orientation of the magnetic source with respect to the sensor frame, together with the orientation of the frame with respect to the environmental field. Possible applications of the setup are briefly discussed, and a synthetic description of the methods of data elaboration and analysis is provided.

In this paper, a study of modeling PV cell (solar cell), PV module (solar modules) and PV array solar array) using Matlab/Simulink software is presented. This study is focused on the study to design photovoltaic cell, photovoltaic modules, photovoltaic panels and PV array (solar array) and to analyze the change in PV performance according to changes in different parameters such temperature, solar irradiation, reverse saturation current, series resistance and shunt resistance. This study shows the PV and IV characteristics curve for each model from which MPP (maximum power point) is determined. In this study, different PV and IV characteristic curves are gained for varying temperatures with specified solar irradiation conditions,s and then the MPP is tracked. The highest power output is also compared between the designed PV module and the selected PV module (MX Solar USA MX60-245)

Abstract— Flight Control System is an integrated avionics system equipped with the minimum required components for an autonomous flight. This paper focuses on the Hardware Design of the Flight Control System and presents specific details of the components and its interface. The system architecture is based on Field Programmable Gate Array and Digital Signal Processor. Employing these two processors in the flight control system would improve the Flight Control System performance in terms of fast sequential processing of high-level control algorithms. In addition to Field Programmable Gate Array and Digital Signal Processor, the flight control computer system will also make use of Global Positioning System and Micro Electro Mechanical System sensors. The project will be implemented using Altera’s System On Programmable Chip builder, currently known as Qsys – Platform Designer implemented in Quartus-II. The system employs Nios-II processor which is 32-bit soft-core embedded-processor architecture designed especially for the Altera’s family of Field Programmable Gate Array. From conceptualization to final design, this paper presents the functionality of the different modulus and complex interfaces employed in this Flight Control System.

After World War II, the economic recovery of Western Europe implied a swift economic transition for all regions, including the area of the Alps, although affecting various parts at different pace and stages. The resulting out-migration led to population decline in some mountain valleys and regions already since the 1950s. A similar out-migration movement began in China after its rural reform started in the 1970s. The effect was in some cases even more significant than in the Alps, with the first village being deserted in the 1980s. Current estimations report of about 380,000 abandoned rural villages in China between 2000 and 2016, particularly in its mountain regions. While lower population densities might alleviate the pressures on ecology and contribute to environmental benefits, these movements aggravate a spiraling-down process of local economies and culture. In the Alps many regions facing challenges of out-migration and economic changes elaborated agritourism schemes that provided both economic incentives and stability to involved mountain farmers, and continuation of local land management systems. In contrast, in China hardly any comparable trends of rural tourism developed. However, in recent years China's interest for tourism-oriented farm diversification increased and a range of rural tourism and agricultural tourism initiatives emerged. This paper focuses on the analysis of successful initiatives, problems and development prospects in the Alps and China's rural areas, redefining agritourism as a systematic integrated activity. Agritourism might therefore be assessed as a core element of the future sustainable development of the Alps and the Chinese countryside.

Liquid metal alloy, incorporated with microfluidic manipulation, has become a promising candidate for flexible resistive sensor array (RSA) that can imitate the functions of human skin. One advantage of RSA with shared rows and shared columns is to reduce the number of wires from M × N to M + N (rows: M and columns: N) and hence to greatly lessen the complexity and burden on the electrical system. The associated drawback is the crosstalk effect between adjacent elements during measurement. Although many literatures have reported several methods to resolve this limitation, almost all of them focus only on the high resistance value (≥100 Ω) RSA. There is a lack of detailed experimental data that addresses low resistance RSA with sensing elements below 100 Ω. Here, we aim to fill the gap of this field. We established two common RSA readout systems, i.e. zero potential methods (ZPM) (setting non-scanned-sampling-electrode zero potential (S-NSSE-ZP) and setting non-scanned-sampling-electrode zero potential with amplifier (S-NSSE-ZP-A)) and to compare their performances in low resistance value (≤100 Ω) RSA. For ideal resistor RSA, the measurement results show that S-NSSE-ZP has at least one time higher error than S-NSSE-ZP-A.

Full-order state-space models represent the starting point for the development of advanced control methods for wind turbine systems (WTSs). Regarding existing control-oriented WTS models, two research gaps must be noted: (i) There exists no full-order WTS model in form of one overall ordinary differential equation that considers all dynamical effects which significantly influence the electrical power output; (ii) all existing reduced-order WTS models are subject to rather arbitrary simplifications and are not validated against a full-order model. Therefore, in this paper, two full-order nonlinear state-space models (of 11th and 9th-order in the (a, b, c)- and (d, q)-reference frame, resp.) for variable-speed variable-pitch permanent magnet synchronous generator WTSs are derived. The full-order models cover all relevant dynamical effects with significant impact on the system’s power output, including the switching behavior of the power electronic devices. Based on the full-order models, by a step-by-step model reduction procedure, two reduced-order WTS models are deduced: A non-switching (averaging) 7th-order WTS model and a non-switching 3rd-order WTS model. Comparative simulation results reveal that all models capture the dominant system dynamics properly. The full-order models allow for a detailed analysis covering the high frequency oscillations in the instantaneous power output due to the switching in the power converters. The reduced-order models provide a time-averaged instantaneous power output (which still correctly reflects the energy produced by the WTS) and come with a drastically reduced complexity making those models appropriate for large-scale power grid controller design.

Members of the DUF34 (domain of unknown function 34) family, also known as the NIF3 protein superfamily, are ubiquitous across superkingdoms. Proteins of this family have been widely annotated as “GTP cyclohydrolase I type 2” through electronic propagation based on one study. Here, the annotation status of this protein family was examined through comprehensive literature review and integrative bioinformatic analyses that revealed varied pleiotropic associations and phenotypes. This analysis combined with functional complementation studies strongly challenges the current annotation and suggests that DUF34 family members may serve as metal ion insertases, chaperones, or metallocofactor maturases. This general molecular function could explain how DUF34 subgroups participate in highly diversified pathways such as cell differentiation, metal ion homeostasis, pathogen virulence, redox and universal stress responses.

Defensive behavior is a function of specific survival circuits, the “aversive brain system”, that are thought to be conserved across vertebrates, and involve threat detection and the organization of defensive responses to reduce or eliminate threat. In mammals, these circuits involve amygdalar and hypothalamic subnuclei and midbrain circuits. The increased interest in teleost fishes as model organisms in neuroscience created a demand to understand which brain circuits are involved in defensive behavior. Telencephalic and habenular circuits represent a “forebrain circuit” for threat processing and organization of responses, being important to mounting appropriate coping responses. Specific hypothalamic circuits organize neuroendocrine and neurovegetative outputs, but are the less well-studied in fish. A “midbrain circuit” is represented by projections to interneurons in the optic tectum which mediate fast escape responses via projections to the central gray and/or the brainstem escape network. Threatening stimuli (especially visual stimuli) can bypass the “high road” and directly activate this system, initiating escape responses. Increased attention to these circuits in an evolutionary framework is still needed.

Few switching transitions in high power and medium voltage application of Power converters are desirable. The selective harmonics elimination (SHE) pulse width modulation offers a better quality waveform with lower switching transitions and hence lower switching losses. The SHE is a pre-programmed modulation technique where certain amounts of lower order harmonics are removed and fundamental voltage is controlled. After Fourier analysis of output waveform, a set of nonlinear transcendental equations is obtained which exhibits, multiple, unique or no solution in different range of modulation index (MI). In this paper, an iterative method based on the Jacobian estimate is proposed to solve a highly non-linear set of SHE equations. The proposed technique is easy in implementation and can solve a large number of such equations as computation of the Jacobian matrix in the subsequent iteration is estimated from the previous values. Moreover, the proposed method also removes the singularity problem, especially for large SHE equations. High accuracy in the initial guess is also not essential for this method and can converge to the solution with any random initial guess. The computational and simulation results are given to validate the concept. The hardware result is provided to confirm the computational and simulation results.

The extensive use of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) such as zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) in various commercial fields has spurred significant concern about its possible toxicological effects of ZnO NPs on human health and eco-system. Therefore, it is substantial to understand the aggregation phenomena which could attenuate this effect. This data article provides information on aggregation of ZnO NPs under the influence of various parameters of water chemistry. Moreover, Taguchi orthogonal array L27(313) design matrix was used to evaluate the effect of multiple parameters in aqueous solution. The data were obtained from single beam UV-Vis spectrophotometer (Optizen 2120 UV, Mecasys, Korea) using Optizenview 4.2.5 PC interference software, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT/IR-4700, spectroscopy, JASCO Analytical Instruments, Easton, USA) and particle electrophoresis (NanoZS, Zetasizer, Malvern Instruments Ltd, Worcestershire, UK). The dataset draws attention on dominant parameters influencing aggregation of ZnO NPs in water. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) data revealed that electrolyte concentration, type and natural organic matter (NOM) concentration were the most significant parameters. Furthermore, FT-IR data presents a possible mechanism of ZnO NPs stabilization in the presence of different NOM. This data will be helpful for the development of environmental risk assessment strategies and prediction of fate and mobility of other ENPs in the aquatic environment.

Existing methods for detecting magnetic leakage signals from damaged wire ropes require axial saturation magnetisation, and the accuracy of the detection equipment depends on the saturation degree of magnetisation. Moreover, the expected magnetisation effect is usually difficult to achieve owing to the special characteristics of the rope structure, diameter, and operating environment of the wire rope. Consequently, in addition to other issues, the detection accuracy and versatility of the equipment are low. In this study, a method based on spatial multidimensional orthogonal array loop magnetisation for detecting mine wire rope defects is proposed. Firstly, a new sensor excitation structure model is developed. Then a method of radiant magnetic flux of permanent magnet array is analysed, and the influence law of the number of permanent radiant magnetic blocks on the magnetisation effect is studied. In addition, a method of wire rope detection based on the principle of clustering is investigated, according to which the influence law of the shape, structure, and size of the polyurethane device on the effect of magnetisation is discussed. Finally, through laboratory experiments, the test model and proposed method are verified. The results show that the magnetisation effect is better and more cost-effective when the number of permanent magnet radiation magnetic block is n=8, and the proposed detection method can effectively distinguish damaged wire rope joints. Furthermore, the proposed equipment achieved signal-to-noise ratio of the signals, improving the reliability of damage detection.

In a context of global mobility of skilled professionals, this is a comparative study of library science education and librarianship in the USA and Iran. The study attempts to determine how education and professional skills may transfer from one country to another. Historically, the USA and Iran are two different major centers of development of knowledge, science and technology and culture. Each one of these two countries developed its own system of general education and library science education and professional practice. This study investigates the definition of the librarian profession, historical perspectives, types of librarians and librarian-related positions, the initial academic training of librarian (schools, duration, curriculum, and accreditation), daily activities of librarians, continuing education, and opportunities and challenges of the profession in each country. The qualitative research methods was selected to conduct this study. This investigation leads to a comparative analysis pointing out similarities and differences. The first part of the paper present historical perspectives and library science education and librarianship. The second part of the paper presents contemporary library science education and librarianship in each country. The last part of the paper is a comparative critical discussion of both systems. This study concludes that, even though both systems are different, with the globalization of knowledge, education, and communications, under certain circumstances, one could consider a librarian “qualified” to practice across the border. Contributions: The comparative investigation of LIS profession and education have been conducted for the first time.

Lactobacillus plantarum is a bacterium with promising applications to the food industry and agriculture and probiotic properties. So far, bacteriophages of this bacterium have been moderately addressed. We examined the diversity of five new L. plantarum phages via whole genome shotgun sequencing and in silico protein predictions. Moreover, we looked into their phylogeny and their potential genomic similarities to other complete phage genome records through extensive nucleotide and protein comparisons. These analyses revealed a high degree of similarity among the five phages, which extended to the vast majority of predicted virion-associated proteins. Based on these, we selected one of the phages as a representative and performed transmission electron microscopy and structural protein sequencing tests. Overall, the results suggested that the five phages belong to the family Myoviridae, they have a long genome of 137.973-141.344 bp, a G/C content of 36,3-36,6% that is quite distinct from their host’s, and, surprisingly, seven to 15 tRNAs. Only an average 41/174 of their predicted genes were assigned a function. The comparative analyses unraveled considerable genetic diversity for the five L. plantarum phages of this study. Hence, the new genus “Semelevirus” was proposed, which comprises exclusively the five phages. This novel lineage of Lactobacillus phages provides further insight into the genetic heterogeneity of phages infecting Lactobacillus sp.. The five new Lactobacillus phages have a potential value for the development of more robust starters through, for example, the selection of mutants insensitive to phage infections. The five phages could also form part of phage cocktails, which producers would apply in different stages of L. plantarum fermentations in order to create a range of organoleptic outputs.

Rhodovulum spp. are anoxygenic photosynthetic purple bacteria with versatile metabolisms, including the ability to obtain electrons from minerals in their environment to drive photosynthesis, a relatively novel process called phototrophic extracellular electron uptake (pEEU). Recently, our group isolated 15 strains of R. sulfidophilum to observe this metabolism in marine phototrophs. Our group previously observed carbon dioxide fixation coupled to phototrophic iron oxidation (photoferrotrophy) and pEEU in AB26 and identified a novel di-heme c¬-type cytochrome EeuP important for pEEU but not photoferrotrophy. Taxonomic re-evaluation based on 16S and pufM phylogenetic analyses led us to re-classify two isolates, AB26 and AB19, as Rhodovulum visakhapatnamense. The AB26 genome consists of 4,380,746 base-pairs, including two plasmids, and encodes 4,296 predicted protein-coding genes. AB26 contains 22 histidine kinases, 20 response regulators, and dedicates ~16% of its genome to transport. Transcriptomic data under aerobic, photoheterotrophy, photoautotrophy, and pEEU reveals how gene expression varies between metabolisms. Lastly, we use transcriptomic data for a comparative genomic analysis of potential pEEU-relevant genes between all 15 isolates. With these data we identify potential pEEU capable phototrophs within these isolates, and likely molecular mechanisms of pEEU.

This paper aims to present a smart high speed battery charger, powered by a photovoltaic module array, for a LiFePO4 battery as a solar energy storage device. With a battery charging strategy, the presented battery charger involves a Buck converter as the core equipped with a simple maximum power point (MPP) tracker. Considering complexity reduction and easy hardware implementation, a constant voltage MPP tracking approach is adopted such that the maximum amount of output power can be delivered to the load in response to an arbitrary change in the solar radiation. A smart two-stage charging strategy, with a constant current mode followed by a constant voltage mode, is employed in such a way that the battery charge process can be accelerated largely, while the damage caused by overcharging can be prevented. In the end, the performance of this proposal is validated experimentally.

The usage of Quantum Similarity through the equation Z = {∀θ ∈ Z → ∃s ∈ S ∧ ∃t ∈ T : θ = (s, t)}, represents a way to analyze the way communication works in our DNA. Being able to create the object set reference for z being (s, t) in our DNA strands, we are able to set logical tags and representations of our DNA in a completely computational form. This will allow us to have a better understanding of the sequences that happen in our DNA. With this approach, we can also utilize mathematical formulas such as the Euler–Mascheroni constant, regression analysis, and computational proofs to answer important questions on Quantum biology, Quantum similarity, and Theoretical Physics.

The development of a novel and simple inhibition biosensor array for detection of water pollutants based on immobilized bacteria is the main goal of this work. A series of electrochemical measurements (i.e. cyclic voltammograms) were carried out on screen-printed gold electrodes with three types of bacteria, namely Escherichia coli, Shewanella oneidensis, and Methylococcus capsulatus, immobilized via poly L-lysine. For comparison purposes, similar measurements were carried out on bacteria samples in solutions,; also optical measurements (fluorescence microscopy, optical density, and flow cytometry) were performed on the same bacteria in both liquid and immobilized forms. The study of the effect of heavy metal ions (lead), pesticides (atrazine) and petrochemicals (hexane) on DC electrochemical characteristics of immobilized bacteria revealed a possibility of pattern recognition of the above inhibition agents in aquatic environment.

This paper presents a unified reconfigurable coordinate rotation digital computer (CORDIC) processor for floating-point arithmetic. It can be configured to operate in multi-mode to achieve a variety of operations and replaces multiple single-mode CORDIC processors. A reconfigurable pipeline-parallel mixed architecture is proposed to adapt different operations, which maximizes the sharing of common hardware circuit and achieves the area-delay-efficiency. Compared with previous unified floating-point CORDIC processors, the consumption of hardware resources is greatly reduced. As a proof of concept, we apply it to 1638416384 points target Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging system, which is implemented on Xilinx XC7VX690T FPGA platform. The maximum relative error of each phase function between hardware and software computation and the corresponding SAR imaging result can meet the accuracy index requirements.

In this paper, we present a high-speed, unified elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) processor for arbitrary Weierstrass curves over GF(p), which to the best of our knowledge, outperforms other similar works in terms of execution time. Our approach employs the combination of the schoolbook long and Karatsuba multiplication algorithm for the elliptic curve point multiplication (ECPM) to achieve better parallelization while retaining low complexity. In the hardware implementation, the substantial gain in speed is also contributed by our n-bit pipelined Montgomery Modular Multiplier (pMMM), which is constructed from our n-bit pipelined multiplier-accumulators that utilizes DSP primitives as digit multipliers. Additionally, we also introduce our unified, pipelined modular adder/subtractor (pMAS) for the underlying field arithmetic, and leverage a more efficient yet compact scheduling of the Montgomery ladder algorithm. The implementation on the 7-series FPGA: Virtex-7, Kintex-7, and XC7Z020, yields 0.139, 0.138, and 0.206 ms of execution time, respectively. Furthermore, since our pMMM module is generic for any curve in Weierstrass form, we support multi-curve parameters, resulting in a unified ECC architecture. Lastly, our method also works in constant time, making it suitable for applications requiring high speed and SCA-resistant characteristics.

In this study, we asked participants to answer an online questionnaire about videos showing animal epimeletic behaviours: an individual (a sparrow, an elephant and a macaque) displayed behaviours towards an inanimate conspecific who suddenly got back to conscious at the end of the footage. A fourth video showed a dog-robot kicked by an engineer to demonstrate its stability. After each video, questions were asked to score the degree of anthropomorphism of participants, from mentophobia (no attribution whatever the species) to full anthropomorphism and to measure how close participants are to biological reality (actual scientific knowledge). A first important result is that there is a negative correlation (about 61%) between the anthropomorphism score (AS) and the biological reality one (BRS) showing a wrong statement. The heterogeneity of responses proved that all levels of anthropomorphism are covered from mentaphobia to full anthropomorphism. However, the scores participants attributed to animals differ according to the species shown in the video and to human characteristics. Understanding how one can play with these factors can conduct to better relationships with animals as encourage human-robot interactions. Finally, such reflective anthropomorphism can lead to an increase of human empathy and sociality, finally increasing our humanity.

Tidal stream energy, due to its high level of consistency and predictability, is one of the feasible and promising type of renewable energy for future development and investment. Applicability of Blade Element Momentum (BEM) method for modeling the interaction of turbines in tidal arrays has been proven in many studies. Apart from its well-known capabilities, yet there is scarcity of research using BEM for the modeling of tidal stream energy farms considering full scale rotors. In this paper, a real geographical site for developing a tidal farm in the southern coasts of Iran is selected. Then, a numerical methodology is validated and calibrated for the selected farm by analyzing array of turbines. A linear equation is proposed to calculate tidal power of marine hydrokinetic turbines. This methodology narrows down the wide range of turbine array configurations, reduces the cost of optimization and focuses on estimating best turbine arrangements in a limited number of positions.

Microbolometer is the most common uncooled infrared technique that allows to achieve 50mK-temperature resolution on the scene. However, this approach has to struggle with both the self-heating inherent to the resistive readout principle and the 1/f noise. We present an alternative approach that consists in using micro / nanoresonators vibrating according to a torsional mode, and whose resonant frequency changes with the incident IR-radiation. Dense arrays of such electromechanical structures were fabricated with a 12µm-pitch at low temperature allowing their integration on CMOS circuits according to a post-processing method. H-shape pixels with 9 µm-long nano-rods and a cross-section of 250 × 30 nm² were fabricated to provide large thermal responses, whose experimental measurements reached up to 1024 Hz/nW. These electromechanical resonators featured a noise equivalent power of 140pW for a response time of less than 1 ms. To our knowledge, these performance are unrivaled with such small dimensions. We also showed that a temperature sensitivity of 20 mK within 100ms-integration time is conceivable at a 12µm-pitch by co-integrating the resonators with their readout electronics and suggesting a new readout scheme. This sensitivity could be reached at short-term by depositing on top of the nano-rods a vanadium oxide layer having a phase-transition that could possibly enhance the thermal response by one order of magnitude.

With the current technological transformation in the automotive industry, autonomous vehicles are getting closer to the Society of Automative Engineers (SAE) automation level 5. This level corresponds to the full vehicle automation, where the driving system autonomously monitors and navigates the environment. With SAE-level 5, the concept of a Shared Autonomous Vehicle (SAV) will soon become a reality and mainstream. The main purpose of an SAV is to allow unrelated passengers to share an autonomous vehicle without a driver/moderator inside the shared space. However, to ensure their safety and well-being until they reach their final destination, it is required an active monitoring of all passengers. In this context, this article presents a microphone-based sensor system that is able to localize sound events inside an SAV. The solution is composed of a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) microphone array with a circular geometry connected to an embedded processing platform that resorts to Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology to successfully process in hardware the sound localization algorithms.

Recently, there has been, on the one hand, an increase in the complexity of digital device designs and, on the other hand, an increase in the requirements for the development time and the reliability of the designs. One of the directions of solving this problem is developing new techniques for designing digital devices.This paper proposes a new technique for designing digital devices based on finite state machines with datapath (FSMD), when the functioning of the device is described in the form of an algorithm state machine with datapath (ASMD) charts. The new technique is called ASMD-FSMD. Different digital device design techniques are compared to each other using design examples of a synchronous multiplier on field programmable gate array (FPGA). The efficiency of the ASMD-FSMD technique compared to the traditional approach in terms of area and performance was investigated. The ASMD-FSMD technique, compared to the traditional one, reduces the area from 28.6% to 39.7% and increases the speed for some designs to 17.6%. In addition, using the ASMD-FSMD technique significantly reduces design time and increases design reliability. In conclusion, recommendations for using the ASMD-FSMD technique are made.

In this paper, we proposed a novel saddle type FinFET (S-FinFET) to effectively solve problems occurring under the capacitor node of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) cell and showed how its structure was superior to conventional S-FinFETs in terms of short channel effect (SCE), subthreshold slope (SS), and gate-induced drain leakage (GIDL). The proposed FinFET exhibited 4 times lower Ioff than modified S-FinFET called RFinFET with more improved DIBL characteristics while minimizing Ion reduction compared to RFinFET. Our results also confirmed that the proposed device showed improved DIBL and Ioff characteristics as gate channel length decreased.

Centromeres are among the fastest evolving genomic regions in a diverse array of organisms. The evolutionary process driving this rapid evolution has not been unambiguously established. Here I integrate diverse information to motivate a model in which centromeres evolve rapidly because of their intrinsic molecular phenotype: they tightly bind centromeric proteins throughout the cell cycle. DNA-bound proteins have been shown to cause stalling and collapse of DNA replication forks in many genomic regions, including centromeres. Collapsed replication forks generate one-sided double strand breaks (DSBs) that are repaired by the Break-Induced Repair (BIR) pathway. Here I show why this repair is expected to generate tandem repeat structure and three key features at centromeres: i) increased nucleotide substitution mutation rates, ii) out-of- register re-initiation of replication that leads to indels spanning one or more repeat units, and iii) elevated rates of large and small transpositions within centromeres and between genomic regions. These phenotypes lead to: i) a rapid rate of nucleotide substitutions within a clade of centromeric sequences, ii) continual turnover of monomers within centromeres that fosters molecular-drift and molecular-drive, and iii) recurrent quantum leaps in centromere sequence due to the formation of mosaic monomers and new sequences transposed into non-homologous centromeres. These features are plausibly the major reason centromeres evolve so rapidly. I also speculate on how the DNA sequence of centromeres might perpetually coevolve with the protein sequence of histone CENH3 –the major epigenetic mark of centromeres.

The order Nymphaeales, consisting of three families with a record of eight genera, has gained significant interest from botanists probably due to its position as a basal-angiosperm. The phylogenetic relationships within the order have well been studied and resolved; however, a few controversial nodes still remain in the Nymphaeaceae including the position of the genus Nuphar. The position of the genus Nuphar and the monophyly of the Nymphaeaceae family remain uncertain. This study adds to the increasing number of completely sequenced plastid genomes of the Nymphaeales and applies large chloroplast gene data set in reconstructing the intergeneric relationships within the Nymphaeaceae. Five complete chloroplast genomes were newly generated, including a first one for the monotypic genus Euryale. Using a set of 66 protein coding genes from the chloroplast genomes of 17 taxa, the phylogenetic position of Nuphar was determined and a monophyletic Nymphaeaceae family was obtained with a convincing statistical support from both partitioned and unpartitioned data schemes. Although genomic comparative analyses revealed a high degree of synteny among the chloroplast genomes of the ancient angiosperms, key minor variations were evident particularly in the contraction/expansion of the Inverted Repeat regions and in RNA editing events. Genome structure, gene content and arrangement were highly conserved among the chloroplast genomes.

Magnesium (Mg) is a vital element, which involves in various key cellular processes in plants. Mg transporter (MGT) genes play an important role in magnesium distribution and ionic balance maintenance. Here, MGT family members were identified and characterized in three species of the plant family Malvaceae, including Theobroma cacao, Corchorus capsularis, and Gossypium hirsutum to improve our understanding of their structure, regulatory systems, functions, and possible interactions. We identified 18, 41, and 16 putative non-redundant MGT genes from the genome of T. cacao, G. hirsutum, and C. capsularis, respectively, which were clustered into five groups within maximum likelihood tree. Several segmental/tandem duplication events were determined between MGTs genes. It seems that MGTs were slowly evolving and have been evolved under a purifying selection. Analysis of gene promoter regions showed that MGTs have a high potential to respond to biotic/abiotic stresses as well as hormones. The expression patterns of MGT genes revealed their possible T. cacaorole in response to P. megakarya fungi in T. cacao, whereas MGT genes showed differential expression in various tissues and respond to several abiotic stresses, including cold, salt, drought, and heat stress in G. hirsutum. Besides, the co-expressions network of MGTs indicated that genes involved in auxin responsive, lipid metabolism, cell wall organization, and photoprotection can interact with MGTs.

Food preservatives are compound that are used for the treatment of food to improve the shelf life. In the food industry, is necessary to monitor all processes, for both safety and quality of the product. An electronic nose (or e-nose) is a biomimetic olfactory system that could find numerous industrial applications, including food quality control. Commercial electronic noses are based on sensor arrays composed by a combination of different sensors, which include conductometric metal oxide devices. Metal oxide nanowires are considered among the most promising materials for the fabrication of novel sensing devices, which can enhance the overall performances of e-noses in food applications. In the present work, is reported the fabrication of a novel sensor array based on SnO2, CuO and WO₃ nanowires deposited on top of commercial μHPs, provided by ams Sensor Solutions Germany GmbH. The array was tested for the discrimination of four typical compounds added to food products or used for their treatment to increase the shelf life: ethanol, acetone, nitrogen dioxide and ozone. Results are very promising: the sensors array was able to operate for long time consuming less than 50mW for each single sensor, and PCA analysis confirms that the device was able to discriminate between different compounds.

Since the 1970s, researchers in international relations have asserted that the enhancement of interdependence between nations can reduce conflicts among them (Keohane and Nye 1973). Thus, interdependency between nations is regarded as desirable for the stability of the countries' networks. On the other hand, there has been no confirmation of empirical data on the benevolent effects of interdependency on the nations' networks. This article aims to analyze the concept of interdependence into reciprocity and dependence, leading to quantifying both of them. To assess the usefulness of this approach, the empirical analysis of trade relations among five countries, namely, THE U.S.., China, Germany, Japan, and Korea from 1992 to 2020 was empirically analyzed with the aid of reciprocity index (R) and dependency index (D).

Child and adolescent sexual abuse (CSA) is an international public health problem. Despite the importance of the CSA, there is no consensus definition, and the lack of consensus is related to difficulties in conducting prevalence studies, as well as research in other areas. To establish a consensual definition, legal aspects such as the age of sexual consent and the difference in age or power between victim and aggressor, aspects related to sexual freedom and sexual indemnity must be considered. Therefore, the main goal of this research was to analyze the age of sexual consent in the legal systems of Spanish-speaking countries and to examine whether the Romeo and Juliet clause is established. To achieve the proposed aims, we employed the legal interpretation method, and we analyzed the current Criminal Codes of the 21 Spanish-speaking countries. From the results, it is found that the age of sexual consent varies between countries, establishing valid sexual consent between 13 and 18 years. In addition, only six countries have the Romeo and Juliet clause that protects sexual freedom in adolescents. Finally, we discussed the lack of consensus on the age of sexual consent and the limitations presented by the Romeo and Juliet clause.

The mangrove plant Acanthus ilicifolius and its relative, A. mollis, have been previously proved to possess diverse pharmacological effects. Therefore, evaluating the differentially expressed proteins of these species under tidal flooding stress is essential to fully exploit and benefit from their medicinal values. The roots of A. ilicifolius and A. mollis were exposed to 6 h of flooding stress per day for 10 days. The dry weight, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content, anatomical characteristics, carbon and energy levels, and two-dimensional electrophoresis coupled with MALDI-TOF/TOF MS technology were used to reveal the divergent flooding resistant strategies. A. ilicifolius performed better under tidal flooding stress, which was reflected in the integrity of the morphological structure, more efficient use of carbon and energy, and a higher percentage of up-regulated proteins associated with carbon and energy metabolism. A. mollis could not survive in flooding conditions for a long time, as revealed by incomplete cell structures of the roots, less efficient use of carbon and energy, and a higher percentage of down-regulated proteins associated with carbon and energy metabolism. Energy provision and flux balance played a role in the flooding tolerance of A. ilicifolius and A. mollis.

In recent years, since the propagation channel characteristics have been effectively used for applications such as motion sensing, position detection, etc. A great deal of attention is attracted to channel sounding methods easy to utilize using low-cost devices. This paper presents a device-free indoor location estimation method using spatio-temporal features of radio propagation channels using the 2.4-GHz band 3-by-3 MIMO channel sounder developed using commodity wireless LANs. The measurement results demonstrated a reasonable performance of the proposed method with small number of antennas.

Cities’ delineation remains a hot topic of debate in a time where comparisons between cities are becoming increasingly based on different issues that address various scales of interventions and thus different concepts of cities. Aiming to compare cities and their insertion into globalization, we suggest that the “urban field of influence” is the best way to approach cities for this specific perspective. However, after reviewing the different existing possible concepts, we replace this concept with four different approaches proposed by Pumain et al. (1992): political entities, morphological agglomerations, functional urban areas and conurbations/Mega city regions. We discuss the top-down and bottom-up existing initiatives launched at the world scale and then use a mixed top-down and bottom-up approach to propose a new delineation of a large urban region (LUR), denoting a concept close to the conurbation or Mega city-region concept. The compositions of these LURs are published as an initial incomplete framework, suggesting the need for further critical comments and contributions to improve them.

The literature on substance use usually extracts conclusions from data with correlational methods. Our study shows the usefulness of complementing ordered logistic regression (OLR) and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to assess factors inducing cannabis consumption in a sample of 1,935 teenagers. OLR showed a significant influence of gender (odd ratio (OR) =0.383, p<0.0001), parental monitoring (OR=0.587, p=0.0201); religiousness (OR=0.476, p=0.006); parental tolerance to substance use (OR=42.01, p<0.0001) and having close peers that consume substances (OR=5.60, p<0.0001). FsQCA has allowed fitting linkages between factors from a complementary perspective. (1) Coverage (cov) and consistency (cons) attained by solutions explaining use (cons=0.808, cov=0.357) are clearly lower than by recipes of non-use (cons=0.952, cov=0.869) (2) The interaction of gender, a tolerant family to use and the attitude toward substances by peers is very consistent to explain cannabis use. (3) The most important recipe explaining resistance to cannabis is simply parental disagreement with substance consumption (cons=0.956, cov=0.861) (4) Factors as gender, religiosity, parental monitoring and age show also a relevant impact on attitude toward cannabis use. However, whereas some of them impact symmetrically on use and non-use this does not follow in factors such as parental monitoring or age.

Full Matrix Capture is a multi-channel data acquisition method which enables flexible, high resolution imaging using ultrasound arrays. However, the measurement time and data volume are increased considerably. Both of these costs can be circumvented via compressed sensing, which exploits prior knowledge of the underlying model and its sparsity to reduce the amount of data needed to produce a high resolution image. In order to design compression matrices that are physically realizable without sophisticated hardware constraints, structured subsampling patterns are designed and evaluated in this work. The design is based on the analysis of the Cramér-Rao Bound of a single scatterer in a homogeneous, isotropic medium. A numerical comparison of the point spread functions obtained with different compression matrices and the Fast Iterative Shrinkage/Thresholding Algorithm shows that the best performance is achieved when each transmit event can use a different subset of receiving elements and each receiving element uses a different section of the echo signal spectrum. Such a design has the advantage of outperforming other structured patterns to the extent that suboptimal selection matrices provide a good performance and can be efficiently computed with greedy approaches.

The availability of multiple sequenced genomes from a single species made it possible to explore intra- and inter-specific genomic comparisons at higher resolution and build clade-specific pangenomes of several crops. The pan-genomes of crops constructed from various cultivars/accessions, landraces, and wild ancestral species represent a compendium of genes and structural variations and allow researchers to search for the novel genes and alleles that were inadvertently lost in domesticated crops during the historical process of crop domestication or in the process of extensive plant breeding. Fortunately, many valuable genes and alleles associated with desirable traits like disease resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, plant architecture, and nutrition qualities exist in landraces, ancestral species, and crop wild relatives. The novels genes from the wild ancestors and landraces can be introduced back to high-yielding varieties of modern crops by implementing classical plant breeding, genomic selection, and transgenic/gene editing approaches. Thus, pan-genomic represents a great leap in plant research and offers new avenues for targeted breeding for mitigating the impact of global climate change. Here we summarize the tools used for pangenome assembly and annotations, web-portals hosting plant pangenomes. Furthermore, we highlight a few discoveries made in crops using the pan-genomic approach and its future potential.

Potato is among one of the most important food crops, yet maintaining plant productivity in this drought-sensitive crop has become a challenge. Competition for scarce water resources and the continued effects of global warming exacerbate current constraints on crop production. While plants’ response to drought in above-ground tissues has been well documented, the regulatory cascades in developing tubers have been largely unexplored. Using the commercial Canadian cultivar ‘Vigor’, plants were subjected to a drought treatment under high-tunnels causing a 4 ℃ increase in canopy temperature when compared to the well-watered control. Tubers were sampled for RNAseq and metabolite analysis. Approximately 2600 genes and 3898 transcripts were differentially expressed by at least four-fold in drought-stressed potato tubers, with 75 % and 69 % being down-regulated respectively. A further 229 small RNAs were implicated in gene regulation during drought. The comparison of protein homologues between Solanum tuberosum L. and Arabidopsis thaliana L. indicates that downregulated genes are associated with phenylpropanoid, carotenoid, and patatin biosynthesis. This suggests that there may be nutritive implications to drought stress occurring during the potato tuber bulking phase in sensitive cultivars.

With the increased use of simulation based training using animal models for the education of surgical and anaesthetic techniques, an increased understanding of the anatomy of such models and how they compare to humans is required. The transversus abdominis plane block is a regional anaesthetic technique that requires an understanding of the abdominal wall anatomy along with proficient ultrasound use. The current review aims to compare the anatomy of the abdominal wall across species, particularly focussing on the pertinent differences within the class of mammals, and secondarily, it aims to address the implications of these differences for simulation based training of the transversus abdominis plane block. To achieve this, the PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases were searched for relevant literature. The mammalian abdominal wall differs in its musculature, vasculature or innervation from that of amphibians, birds or reptiles, however, among species of mammals, the structure of the abdominal wall follows a similar framework. Particular differences among mammals include the additional muscular layer of the panniculus carnosus found in most mammals other than humans, the variable arterial origins and dominant vascular supply of the abdominal wall and the number of thoracolumbar nerves innervating the abdominal wall. When using animal models for simulation based training, the pig is recommended for the transversus abdominis plane block given its closely homologous abdominal wall structure, availability and larger comparative size.