Search Results (763)

The obscure puffer (Takifugu obscurus) is a popular cultured species and accounts for around 50% of the total pufferfish production in China. A hybrid puffer was generated by crossing a female obscure puffer with a male tiger puffer (T. rubripes). Its growth model has not been developed and the genetic basis underlying its growth superiority has not yet been fully investigated. In this study, the growth model and morphological traits of the hybrid puffer were explored. The results indicated that the hybrid puffer exhibited a significant growth advantage compared to the obscure puffer. There were also significant differences in their morphological traits. We conducted genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) on hybrid and obscure puffer groups, identifying 215,288 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on 22 chromosomes. Subsequently, a total of 13 growth-related selection regions were identified via a combination of selection signatures and a genome-wide association study (GWAS); these regions were mainly located on chromosomes 10 and 22. Ultimately, the screened regions contained 13 growth-related genes, including itgav, ighv3-43, ighm, atp6v1b2, pld1, xmrk, inhba, dsp, dsg2, and dsc2, which regulate growth through a variety of pathways. Taken together, the growth models and candidate genes used in this study will aid our understanding of production characteristics and the genetic basis of growth rates. The hybrid will also be of great significance for the genome-assisted breeding of pufferfish in the future. Full article

Multi-level inverters have characteristics suitable for high-voltage and high-power applications through various topology configurations. These reduce harmonic distortion and improve the quality of the output waveform by generating a multi-level output voltage waveform. In particular, an active neutral-point-clamped topology is one of the multi-level inverters advantageous for high-power and medium-voltage applications. It has the advantage of controlling the output waveform more precisely by actively clamping the neutral point using an active switch and diode. However, it has a problem, which is that an unwanted zero-crossing current may occur if an inaccurate switching signal is applied at the time when the polarity of the output voltage changes. In this paper, a control strategy to suppress the zero-crossing current of a single-phase half-bridge three-level active neutral-point-clamped inverter is proposed. The operating principle of a single-phase half-bridge three-level active neutral-point-clamped inverter is identified through an operation mode analysis. In addition, how the switching signal is reflected in an actual digital signal processor is analyzed to determine the situation in which the zero-crossing current occurs. Through this, a control strategy capable of suppressing zero-crossing current is designed. The proposed method prevents a zero-crossing current by appropriately modifying the update timing of reference voltages at the point where the polarity of the output changes. The validity of the proposed method is verified through simulation and experiments. Based on the proposed method, the total harmonic distortion of the output current is significantly reduced from 12.15% to 4.59% in a full-load situation. Full article

Time series data often display complex, time-varying patterns, which pose significant challenges for effective classification due to data variability, noise, and imbalance. Traditional time series classification techniques frequently fall short in addressing these issues, leading to reduced generalization performance. Therefore, there is a need for innovative methodologies to enhance data diversity and quality. In this paper, we introduce a method for the extraction of features for time series classification using noise injection to address these challenges. By employing noise injection techniques for data augmentation, we enhance the diversity of the training data. Utilizing digital signal processing (DSP), we extract key frequency features from time series data through sampling, quantization, and Fourier transformation. This process enhances the quality of the training data, thereby maximizing the model’s generalization performance. We demonstrate the superiority of our proposed method by comparing it with existing time series classification models. Additionally, we validate the effectiveness of our approach through various experimental results, confirming that data augmentation and DSP techniques are potent tools in time series data classification. Ultimately, this research presents a robust methodology for time series data analysis and classification, with potential applications across a broad spectrum of data analysis problems. Full article

Diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) toxins and pectenotoxins (PTXs) produced by endemic species of Dinophysis, mainly D. acuta and D. acuminata, threaten public health and negatively impact the shellfish industry worldwide. Despite their socioeconomic impact, research on the environmental drivers of DSP outbreaks in the Chilean fjords is scanty. From 22 to 24 March 2017, high spatial–temporal resolution measurements taken in Puyuhuapi Fjord (Northern Patagonia) illustrated the short-term (hours, days) response of the main phytoplankton functional groups (diatoms and dinoflagellates including toxic Dinophysis species) to changes in water column structure. Results presented here highlight the almost instantaneous coupling between time–depth variation in density gradients, vertical shifts of the subsurface chlorophyll maximum, and its evolution to a buoyancy-driven thin layer (TL) of diatoms just below the pycnocline the first day. A second shallower TL of dinoflagellates, including Dinophysis acuta, was formed on the second day in a low-turbulence lens in the upper part of the pycnocline, co-occurring with the TL of diatoms. Estimates of in situ division rates of Dinophysis showed a moderate growth maximum, which did not coincide with the cell density max. This suggests that increased cell numbers resulted from cell entrainment of off-fjord populations combined with in situ growth. Toxin profiles of the net tow analyses mirrored the dominance of D. acuminata/D. acuta at the beginning/end of the sampling period. This paper provides information about biophysical interactions of phytoplankton, with a focus on Dinophysis species in a strongly stratified Patagonian fjord. Understanding these interactions is crucial to improv predictive models and early warning systems for toxic HABs in stratified systems. Full article

Understanding the mechanism of stress concentration effects on the surface of semiconductor substrate materials—silicon wafers—in Double-Sided Polishing (DSP) is particularly important for improving polishing quality. In this study, a two-dimensional finite element model is established to study the effect of contact state and stress concentration during polishing on edge roll-off (ERO) and polishing rate uniformity. The variation in this contact state is influenced by changes in wafer thickness and the gap between it and the carrier. The model is validated by experiments and helps to further analyze and interpret the experimental results, identifying six stages of contact states during the polishing process. The research indicates that the phenomenon of stress concentration at the edge of a wafer is caused by the pads creating a large amount of compression at the edge of the wafer. Additionally, there appears to be a threshold value during the polishing process, below which the stress concentration on the wafer changes, thereby altering the magnitude of edge roll-off and, ultimately, affecting overall flatness. This study provides a basis for optimizing the process design. Full article

Myocarditis is an inflammatory condition of cardiac tissue presenting significant variability in clinical manifestations and outcomes. Its etiology is diverse, encompassing infectious agents (primarily viruses, but also bacteria, protozoa, and helminths) and non-infectious factors (autoimmune responses, toxins, and drugs), though often the specific cause remains unidentified. Recent research has highlighted the potential role of genetic susceptibility in the development of myocarditis (and in some cases the development of inflammatory dilated cardiomyopathy, i.e., the condition in which there is chronic inflammation (>3 months) and left ventricular dysfunction\dilatation), with several studies indicating a correlation between myocarditis and genetic backgrounds. Notably, pathogenic genetic variants linked to dilated or arrhythmic cardiomyopathy are found in 8–16% of myocarditis patients. Genetic predispositions can lead to recurrent myocarditis and a higher incidence of ventricular arrhythmias and heart failure. Moreover, the presence of DSP mutations has been associated with distinct pathological patterns and clinical outcomes in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (hot phases). The interplay between genetic factors and environmental triggers, such as viral infections and physical stress, is crucial in understanding the pathogenesis of myocarditis. Identifying these genetic markers can improve the diagnosis, risk stratification, and management of patients with myocarditis, potentially guiding tailored therapeutic interventions. This review aims to synthesize current knowledge on the genetic underpinnings of myocarditis, with an emphasis on desmoplakin-related arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, to enhance clinical understanding and inform future research directions. Full article

Solar energy is considered the major source of clean and ubiquitous renewable energy available on various scales in electric grids. In addition, solar energy is harnessed in various electronic devices to charge the batteries and power electronic equipment. Due to its ubiquitous nature, the corresponding market for solar-charged small-scale batteries is growing fast. The most important part to make the technology feasible is a portable battery charger and the associated controllers to automate battery charging. The charger should consider the case of charging to be convenient for the user and minimize battery degradation. However, the issue of slow charging and premature battery life loss plagues current industry standards or innovative battery technologies. In this paper, a new pulse charging technique is proposed that obviates battery deterioration and minimizes the overall charging loss. The solar-powered battery charger is prototyped and executed as a practical, versatile, and compact photovoltaic charge controller at cut rates. With the aid of sensor fusion, the charge controller is disconnected and reconnects the battery during battery overcharging and deep discharging conditions using sensors with relays. The laboratory model is tested using a less expensive PV panel, battery, and digital signal processor (DSP) controller. The charging behavior of the solar-powered PWM charge controller is studied compared with that of the constant voltage–constant current (CV–CC) method. The proposed method is pertinent for minimizing energy issues in impoverished places at a reasonable price. Full article

The You Only Look Once (YOLO) object detection network has garnered widespread adoption in various industries, owing to its superior inference speed and robust detection capabilities. This model has proven invaluable in automating production processes such as material processing, machining, and quality inspection. However, as market competition intensifies, there is a constant demand for higher detection speed and accuracy. Current FPGA accelerators based on 8-bit quantization have struggled to meet these increasingly stringent performance requirements. In response, we present a novel 4-bit quantization-based neural network accelerator for the YOLOv5 model, designed to enhance real-time processing capabilities while maintaining high detection accuracy. To achieve effective model compression, we introduce an optimized quantization scheme that reduces the bit-width of the entire YOLO network—including the first layer—to 4 bits, with only a 1.5% degradation in mean Average Precision (mAP). For the hardware implementation, we propose a unified Digital Signal Processor (DSP) packing scheme, coupled with a novel parity adder tree architecture that accommodates the proposed quantization strategies. This approach efficiently reduces on-chip DSP utilization by 50%, offering a significant improvement in performance and resource efficiency. Experimental results show that the industrial object detection system based on the proposed FPGA accelerator achieves a throughput of 808.6 GOPS and an efficiency of 0.49 GOPS/DSP for YOLOv5s on the ZCU102 board, which is 29% higher than a commercial FPGA accelerator design (Xilinx’s Vitis AI). Full article

Background/Objectives: Patients with post-COVID-2019 syndrome may have reduced functional capacity and physical activity levels. The pulmonary rehabilitation program (PRP)—an exercise training program—is designed to restore these functions and has been shown to improve dyspnea, exercise capacity, and other measures in these patients. This study aimed to analyze the effects of the RP on post-COVID-19 syndrome patients with respect to objective and subjective functional capacity, balance, and musculoskeletal strength. Methods: A prospective interventional trial was conducted before and after this phase. Patients were referred to the hospital with a confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 and subsequently directed to the RP. These patients underwent an 8-week pulmonary rehabilitation program (45-min sessions 3 times/week). Each session consisted of stationary cycle-ergometer and resistance musculoskeletal exercises tailored to individuals’ performance. They were evaluated pre- and post-PRP using the maximal handgrip strength (HGS) test, timed up-and-go test, 6-min walk test and its derived variables, and Duke Activity Status Index questionnaire. Results: From 142 hospitalized patients admitted with a diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, 60 completed the program, with an attendance rate of 85%. Nineteen patients were categorized as severe/critical, with a significantly higher hospital stay, compared to mild/moderate patients, and there were no differences in terms of sex distribution, age, or BMI between groups. Compared to the pre-PRP evaluation, both groups showed significant (p < 0.001) improvements in TUG, HGS, DASI D6MWT, 6MWS, and DSP variables after the PRP conduction. In addition, the groups exhibited similar improvement patterns following PRP (intragroup analysis), with no intergroup differences. Conclusions: RPs promote both objective and subjective functional capacity in patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome, with no difference in improvement regardless of the severity of the initial infection. Full article

The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) glycoprotein B (gB) is the viral fusogen required for entry into cells and for direct cell-to-cell spread of the virus. We have previously demonstrated that the exchange of the carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) of gB for the CTD of the structurally related fusion protein G of the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV-G) resulted in an intrinsically fusion-active gB variant (gB/VSV-G). In this present study, we employed a dual split protein (DSP)-based cell fusion assay to further characterize the determinants of fusion activity in the CTD of gB. We generated a comprehensive library of gB CTD truncation mutants and identified two mutants, gB-787 and gB-807, which were fusion-competent and induced the formation of multinucleated cell syncytia in the absence of other HCMV proteins. Structural modeling coupled with site-directed mutagenesis revealed that gB fusion activity is primarily mediated by the CTD helix 2, and secondarily by the recruitment of cellular SH2/WW-domain-containing proteins. The fusion activity of gB-807 was inhibited by gB-specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) targeting the antigenic domains AD-1 to AD-5 within the ectodomain and not restricted to MAbs directed against AD-4 and AD-5 as observed for gB/VSV-G. This finding suggested a differential regulation of the fusion-active conformational state of both gB variants. Collectively, our findings underscore a pivotal role of the CTD in regulating the fusogenicity of HCMV gB, with important implications for understanding the conformations of gB that facilitate membrane fusion, including antigenic structures that could be targeted by antibodies to block this essential step in HCMV infection. Full article

Optical-based sensing techniques and instruments, such as fluorometric systems, absorbance-based sensors, and photoacoustic spectrometers, are important tools for detecting food fraud, adulteration, and contamination for health and environmental purposes. All the aforementioned optical equipments generally require one or more low-frequency Lock-In Amplifiers (LIAs) to extract the signal of interest from background noise. In the cited applications, the required LIA frequency is quite low (up to 1 kHz), and this leads to a simplification of the hardware with consequent good results in portability, reduced size, weight, and low-cost characteristics. The present system, called ENEA DSP Box Due, is based on a very inexpensive microcontroller proto-board and can replace four commercial LIAs, resulting in significant savings in both cost and space. Furthermore, it incorporates a dual-channel oscilloscope and a sinusoidal function generator. This article outlines the architecture of the ENEA DSP Box Due, its electrical characterization, and its applications within a project concerning laser techniques for food and water safety. Full article

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is one of the most infectious viral transboundary diseases of livestock, which causes devastating global economic losses. Different enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) are used for sero-surveillance of the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). However, more sensitive, accurate, and convenient ELISAs are still required to detect antibodies against FMDV serotypes. The primary goal of this study was to establish serotype-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb)-based blocking ELISAs (mAb-bELISAs) that would provide better performance characteristics or be equivalent in performance characteristics compared with a conventional polyclonal antibody (pAb)-based competitive ELISA (pAb-cELISA). Four mAb-bELISAs were developed using FMDV serotype-specific mAbs for the detection of anti-FMDV/O/A/Asia1/SAT2 antibodies. Using a 50% cut-off, all four mAb-bELISAs exhibited species-independent 99.74%, 98.01%, 96.59%, and 98.55% diagnostic specificity (DSp) and 98.93%, 98.25%, 100%, and 87.50% diagnostic sensitivity (DSe) for FMDV serotypes O, A, Asia1, and SAT2, respectively. In addition, a 100% DSe of serotypes O- and SAT2-specific mAb-bELISAs was observed for porcine sera when the cut-off was 30%. All mAb-bELISAs developed in this study displayed high repeatability/reproducibility without cross-reactivity. Finally, the diagnostic performance of mAb-bELISAs was found to be better than or equivalent to compared with pAb-cELISAs, suggesting that mAb-bELISAs can be used to replace existing pAb-ELISAs for the detection of antibodies against these four FMDV serotypes. Full article

Multiplication, division, and square root operations introduce significant challenges in digital signal processing (DSP) systems, traditionally requiring multiple operations that increase execution time and hardware complexity. This study presents a novel approach that leverages binary logarithms to perform these operations using only addition, subtraction, and shifts, enabling a unified hardware implementation—a marked departure from conventional methods that handle these operations separately. The proposed design, involving logarithm and antilogarithm calculations, exhibits an algebraically symmetrical pattern that further optimizes the processing flow. Additionally, this study introduces innovative log-domain correction terms specifically designed to minimize computation errors—a critical improvement over existing methods that often struggle with precision. Compared to standard hardware implementations, the proposed design significantly reduces hardware resource utilization and power consumption while maintaining high operational frequency. Full article

Limb muscle is responsible for physical activities and myogenic cell migration during embryogenesis is indispensable for limb muscle formation. Maternal obesity (MO) impairs prenatal skeletal muscle development, but the effects of MO on myogenic cell migration remain to be examined. C57BL/6 mice embryos were collected at E13.5. The GeoMx DSP platform was used to customize five regions along myogenic cell migration routes (myotome, dorsal/ventral limb, limb stroma, limb tip), and data were analyzed by GeomxTools 3.6.0. A total of 2224 genes were down-regulated in the MO group. The GO enrichment analysis showed that MO inhibited migration-related biological processes. The signaling pathways guiding myogenic migration such as hepatocyte growth factor signaling, fibroblast growth factor signaling, Wnt signaling and GTPase signaling were down-regulated in the MO E13.5 limb tip. Correspondingly, the expression levels of genes involved in myogenic cell migration, such as Pax3, Gab1, Pxn, Tln2 and Arpc, were decreased in the MO group, especially in the dorsal and ventral sides of the limb. Additionally, myogenic differentiation-related genes were down-regulated in the MO limb. MO impedes myogenic cell migration and differentiation in the embryonic limb, providing an explanation for the impairment of fetal muscle development and offspring muscle function due to MO. Full article

An induction motor is an electric machine widely used in various industrial and commercial applications due to its efficiency and simple design. In this regard, a methodology based on the electric phasor analysis of line currents and the variations in the phase angles among these line currents is proposed. The values in degrees of the angles between every pair of line currents were introduced to a fuzzy logic algorithm based on the Mamdani model, developed using the Matlab toolbox for detection and isolation of the inter-turn short-circuit faults on the windings of an induction motor. To carry out the analysis, the induction motor was modified in its stator windings to artificially induce short-circuit faults of different magnitudes. The current signals are acquired in real time using a digital platform developed in the Delphi 7 high-level language communicating with a float point unit Digital Signal Processor (DSP) TMS320F28335 by Texas Instruments. The proposed method not only detects the short circuit faults but also isolates the faulty winding. Full article