Effect of aging in new oak, one-year-used oak, chestnut barrels and bottle on color, phenolics and gustative profile of three monovarietal red wines

This study provides specific information about the influence of storage in bottle and in 225-L barrels made from oak (new and used for 1 year) and chestnut wood on color indexes, spectrophotometric evaluable polyphenols, anthocyanins, phenolic acids and gustative attributes of three monovarietal red wines (Piedirosso, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot). The results of the analysis of variance show that wood type has a significant influence on chromatic characteristics, on vanilline reactive flavans, on low molecular weight phenolics and on astringency of wines. The effect depends on the type of wine. Therefore, both traditional and alternative wood containers could be used as an instrument to regulate the polymerization, oxidation and copigmentation reaction of wine phenolics and the sensory properties of red wine. The maturation in chestnut wood could be an interesting challenge to widen the supply of red wines maturated in wood, but its use needs more care than oak.     

A low-delay MAC solution for MIMO ad hoc networks

Beamforming is regarded as a key element for multiantenna ad hoc networks. However, it cannot simultaneously provide the omnidirectional and long-range coverage required by broadcast transmissions [1]–[4], a problem known as the Asymmetry in Gain. We propose a scheme for control packet exchange over an extended radio coverage based on a Space Time Code technique. This solution is shown to solve the Asymmetry in Gain issue, and is proposed as part of a MAC protocol for MIMO ad hoc networks, whose performance benefits include increased throughput and reduced delay and energy consumption.     

Scientific workflows with the jABC framework

The jABC is a framework for process modelling and execution according to the XMDD (eXtreme model-driven design) paradigm, which advocates the rigorous use of user-level models in the software development process and software life cycle. We have used the jABC in the domain of scientific workflows for more than a decade now—an occasion to look back and take stock of our experiences in the field. On the one hand, we discuss results from the analysis of a sample of nearly 100 scientific workflow applications that have been implemented with the jABC. On the other hand, we reflect on our experiences and observations regarding the workflow development process with the framework. We then derive and discuss ongoing further developments and future perspectives for the framework, all with an emphasis on simplicity for end users through increased domain specificity. Concretely, we describe how the use of the PROPHETS synthesis plugin can enable a semantics-based simplification of the workflow design process, how with the jABC4 and DyWA frameworks more attention is paid to the ease of data management, and how the Cinco SCCE Meta-Tooling Suite can be used to generate tailored workflow management tools.     

Evidence for Biological Age Acceleration and Telomere Shortening in COVID-19 Survivors

The SARS-CoV-2 infection determines the COVID-19 syndrome characterized, in the worst cases, by severe respiratory distress, pulmonary and cardiac fibrosis, inflammatory cytokine release, and immunosuppression. This condition has led to the death of about 2.15% of the total infected world population so far. Among survivors, the presence of the so-called persistent post-COVID-19 syndrome (PPCS) is a common finding. In COVID-19 survivors, PPCS presents one or more symptoms: fatigue, dyspnea, memory loss, sleep disorders, and difficulty concentrating. In this study, a cohort of 117 COVID-19 survivors (post-COVID-19) and 144 non-infected volunteers (COVID-19-free) was analyzed using pyrosequencing of defined CpG islands previously identified as suitable for biological age determination. The results show a consistent biological age increase in the post-COVID-19 population, determining a DeltaAge acceleration of 10.45 ± 7.29 years (+5.25 years above the range of normality) compared with 3.68 ± 8.17 years for the COVID-19-free population (p < 0.0001). A significant telomere shortening parallels this finding in the post-COVID-19 cohort compared with COVID-19-free subjects (p < 0.0001). Additionally, ACE2 expression was decreased in post-COVID-19 patients, compared with the COVID-19-free population, while DPP-4 did not change. In light of these observations, we hypothesize that some epigenetic alterations are associated with the post-COVID-19 condition, particularly in younger patients (< 60 years).     

An AC power supply with sliding-mode control

Electronic AC power supplies are classic products in power electronics. They include uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), test supplies, and conversion apparatus connecting DC power sources and DC storage systems to the utility grid or to AC loads. There is continuing pressure for increased performance in these supplies. In this article we propose an AC power supply with sliding-mode control. It is characterized by both outstanding performance and simple structure. The control method is similar to that already introduced for DC/DC converters with improvements necessitated by AC operation and by the presence of the insulating transformer. A simple, robust, fast and accurate operation is obtained, demonstrating the features of the sliding-mode approach in the control of electronic power systems     

Structure and evolution of innovation research in the last 60 years: review and future trends in the field of business through the citations and co-citations analysis

The field of innovation studies has grown considerably in the last four decades, which has led to the emergence of new approaches and theoretical aspects that need to be examined and considered. Therefore, this paper aims to understand what are the main theoretical pillars that support the structure of innovation theories and fields, how it evolved over the years and what are the directions that lead to future trends in innovation research. The procedure consists in a mix-methods using the citation and co-citation analysis associated with bibliometric methods, Social Network Analysis, and a systematic review of the literature. The results were validated by Delphi with academic specialists in innovation. Considering publications between 1956 and 2016 divided into four 15-years timespan, the longitudinal analysis results indicate the evolution of the main streams of thoughts that support the current innovation research fields and depict a research orientation for future works that can be developed to generate relevant contributions for the theoretical development of the area. This paper differentiates itself bringing results based on a large database, by the research methods employed, and by the perspective adopted provides solid contributions to the understanding of the past, present, and future of the scientific research in innovation to business administration field.     

Single-crystalline Te microtubes: Synthesis and NO2 gas sensor application

Tellurium tubular crystals were grown by direct thermal evaporation of tellurium metal in an inert atmosphere on quartz substrates at ambient pressure without employing any catalyst. Tellurium powder was evaporated by heating at 600 °C and was condensed at a substrate temperature of 300–350 °C in the downstream of argon gas at a flow rate of 100 mL/min. The structure and chemical composition of the as-synthesized samples were examined by X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-rays microanalysis and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy images and X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the as-synthesized Te had a tubular single-crystalline morphology with a hexagonal cross-section. The Te microtubes were typically 0.5–6 mm long, 30–70 μm in external diameter, and 5–20 μm thick. NO₂ gas-sensing properties of the Te microtubes at room temperature were also investigated. They showed a promising sensitivity and response towards tested gas.     

ASTER and Landsat ETM+ images applied to sugarcane yield forecast

This paper proposes a method to support sugarcane yield forecast using vegetation spectral indices, principal component analysis and historic yield data. The study area is located in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, and is divided into 11 production plots (108.75 ha), where sugarcane of the RB85 5536 variety is cultivated on red latossol (oxissol‐type) soil and flat topography. The data employed in the study include radiometrically and geometrically corrected enhanced thermatic mapper Plus (ETM+)/Landsat‐7 and ASTER/Terra images, acquired in June and April 2001, respectively, and historic harvest data measured in 2000 and 2001. The method comprises several steps: (a) enhancement of specific spectral responses of vegetation constituents; (b) reduction of spectral dimensions with prioritization of information and weighing of parameters related to foliar area; the data processed through these steps are reduced to a single image (the synthesis image), from which the mean DN (digital number) per cultivated area is calculated; (c) the image DNs are subsequently transformed into ton of stalk per hectare (t ha^?1) through normalization, which requires knowledge of the previous year's yield for the cultivated production plots under analysis. Yield estimates using the method showed greater precision in comparison to the ubiquitous visual methods employed by the sugarcane agro‐industry in Brazil. Using factual productivity data of the year 2000 harvest only, the method achieved estimate errors varying between 2.57% and 5.65%, compared with 9.06% expected by the sugar factory; whereas using data from the year 2001 harvest, error margins were remarkably lower, around 1%.     

Query representation and management in a multiparadigmatic visual query environment

We propose a framework for database querying providing the user with several interaction paradigms based on different (i.e., form-based, diagrammatic, iconic, and hybrid) visual representations of the database. A unified model, namely the Graph Model, is used as the common underlying model, in terms of which databases expressed in the most common data models can be easily converted. Graph Model databases can be queried by means of the multiparadigmatic interface. The semantics of the query operations is formally defined in terms of the Graphical Primitives. Such a formal approach enables the query manager to maintain the same query consistently in any representation. In the proposed multiparadigmatic environment, the user can switch from one interaction paradigm to another during query formulation, so that the most suitable query representation can be found.