bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Higher Muscle Mass and Higher Serum Prealbumin Levels Are Associated with Better Survival in Hemodialysis Patients during a Five-Year Observation Period
Authors: Jeznach-Steinhagen Anna , Boniecka Iwona , Rymarz Aleksandra , Staszków Monika , Romaszko Jerzy , Czerwonogrodzka-Senczyna Aneta
Published: March 2023

Background: Dialysis is the most commonly used renal replacement therapy in patients with end-stage renal disease. The mortality rate of hemodialysis patients is 15–20%, with cardiovascular complications being the most common. There is an association between the severity of atherosclerosis and both the development of protein-calorie malnutrition and inflammatory mediators. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between biochemical markers of nutritional status, body composition and survival in hemodialysis patients. Methods: Fifty-three hemodialysis patients were included in the study. Serum albumin, prealbumin, and IL-6 levels were measured, as well as body weight, body mass index, fat content and muscle mass. The five-year survival of patients was calculated using Kaplan–Meier estimators. The long-rank test was used for univariate comparison of survival curves, and the Cox proportional hazards model was used for multivariate analysis of survival predictors. Results: There were 47 deaths, 34 of which were due to cardiovascular disease. The hazard ratio (HR) for age in the middle-aged group (55–65 years) was 1.28 (confidence interval [CI] 0.58, 2.79) and 5.43 (CI 2.1, 14.07; statistically significant) for the oldest age group (over 65 years). A prealbumin level above 30 mg/dl was associated with an HR of 0.45 (CI 0.24, 0.84). Serum prealbumin (odds ratio [OR] = 5.23; CI 1.41, 19.43; p = 0.013) and muscle mass (OR = 7.5; CI 1.31, 43.03; p = 0.024) were significant predictors of all-cause mortality. Conclusions: Prealbumin level and muscle mass were associated with increased mortality risk. Identification of these factors may improve the survival of hemodialysis patients.
Developmental Programming-Aging Interactions Have Sex-Specific and Developmental Stage of Exposure Outcomes on Life Course Circulating Corticosterone and Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) Concentrations in Rats Exposed to Maternal Protein-Restricted Diets
Authors: Zambrano Elena , Reyes-Castro Luis A. , Rodríguez-González Guadalupe L. , Chavira Roberto , Lomas-Soria Consuelo , Gerow Kenneth G. , Nathanielsz Peter W.
Published: March 2023

The steroids corticosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) perform multiple life course functions. Rodent life-course circulating corticosterone and DHEA trajectories are unknown. We studied life course basal corticosterone and DHEA in offspring of rats fed protein-restricted (10% protein, R) or control (20% protein, C), pregnancy diet first letter, and/or lactation second letter, producing four offspring groups—CC, RR, CR, and RC. We hypothesize that 1. maternal diet programs are sexually dimorphic, offspring life course steroid concentrations, and 2. an aging-related steroid will fall. Both changes differ with the plastic developmental period offspring experienced R, fetal life or postnatally, pre-weaning. Corticosterone was measured by radioimmunoassay and DHEA by ELISA. Steroid trajectories were evaluated by quadratic analysis. Female corticosterone was higher than male in all groups. Male and female corticosterone were highest in RR, peaked at 450 days, and fell thereafter. DHEA declined with aging in all-male groups. DHEA: corticosterone fell in three male groups but increased in all-female groups with age. In conclusion, life course and sexually dimorphic steroid developmental programming-aging interactions may explain differences in steroid studies at different life stages and between colonies experiencing different early-life programming. These data support our hypotheses of sex and programming influences and aging-related fall in rat life course serum steroids. Life course studies should address developmental programming-aging interactions.
50 Years since Kaufman and Phillips’ Groundbreaking Trilogy Elucidating Ion and Water Homeostasis in Ixodid Ticks
Authors: Šimo Ladislav
Published: March 2023

The enormous volume of blood ingested by hard ticks during their long attachment period is without a doubt the hallmark of their biology. Maintaining a homeostatic balance between ion and water intake and loss during their feeding is critical to preventing osmotic stress and death. Exactly 50 years ago, Kaufman and Phillips published a series of three consecutive papers on “Ion and water balance in the ixodid tick Dermacentor andersoni”, Journal of Experimental Biology (1973): I. Routes of ion and water excretion, 58: 523–36; II. Mechanism and control of salivary secretion 58: 537–547; and III. Influence of monovalent ions and osmotic pressure on salivary secretion 58: 549–564. This classic series significantly expanded our knowledge of the unique regulatory processes governing ion and water balance in fed ixodid ticks, highlighting its uniqueness among the blood-feeding arthropods. Their pioneer work had an enormous impact on understanding the vital role of salivary glands in these actions, and ultimately provided a consequential stepping stone for a new era of hard tick salivary gland physiological research.
Companion Vector-Borne Pathogens and Associated Risk Factors in Apparently Healthy Pet Animals (Dogs and Cats) in Khukhot City Municipality, Pathum Thani Province, Thailand
Authors: Luong Nam Hung , Kamyingkird Ketsarin , Thammasonthijarern Nipa , Phasuk Jumnongjit , Nimsuphan Burin , Pattanatanang Khampee , Chimnoi Wissanuwat , Kengradomkij Chanya , Klinkaew Nutsuda , Inpankaew Tawin
Published: March 2023

Pet animals (dogs and cats) can be infected with several companion vector-borne pathogens (CVBPs). Morbidity and mortality have been reported in pet animals due to CVBP infections. Pet animals living in close proximity to humans are able to transmit zoonotic pathogens. This study used molecular techniques to investigate the prevalence of CVBPs in apparently healthy pet animals (dogs and cats) from Khukhot City Municipality, Pathum Thani province, Thailand. In total, 210 blood samples were randomly collected from 95 dogs and 115 cats for the detection of seven companion vector-borne pathogens (Anaplasma, Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, Hepatozoon, Mycoplasma, and Rickettsia) using polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that 10.5% (22/210) of apparently healthy pet animals were infected with at least one pathogen, comprising 6 dogs (6.3% of all dogs tested) and 16 cats (13.9% of all cats tested). Ehrlichia (6.3%) was present only in dogs; furthermore, 1.1% of the dogs were positive for Anaplasma. There was one dog case co-infected with two pathogens (1.1%). In cats, Mycoplasma (9.6%) was the predominant CVBP, followed by Rickettsia (4.4%). The DNA sequences of all positive animals were 97–99% homologous to those found in the GenBank™ database for all CVBPs identified, namely Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma platys, Rickettsia felis, Mycoplasma haemofelis, and Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum. Additionally, the risk of infection with CVBPs in pets was significantly associated with age, with young dogs more likely to be infected with CVBPs than adult dogs (OR 8.5, 95% CI 1.4–50.1, p = 0.006), while adult cats were more likely to be infected with CVBPs than young cats (OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.0–14.0, p = 0.038). The detection of CVBPs demonstrated the potential risk of infection that may occur in apparently healthy pet animals in Pathum Thani province. These results confirmed that apparently healthy pet animals may still be at risk of vector-borne infections and could maintain the infection cycle in pet populations. Furthermore, sampling a greater number of apparently healthy pet animals may disclose predictors of CVBP positivity in domesticated animals in this area.
Design and Optimization of a Monkeypox virus Specific Serological Assay
Authors: Taha Taha Y. , Townsend Michael B. , Pohl Jan , Karem Kevin L. , Damon Inger K. , Mbala Kingebeni Placide , Muyembe Tamfum Jean-Jacques , Martin James W. , Pittman Phillip R. , Huggins John W. , Satheshkumar Panayampalli S. , Bagarozzi Jr. Dennis A. , Reynolds Mary G. , Hughes Laura J.
Published: March 2023

Monkeypox virus (MPXV), a member of the Orthopoxvirus (OPXV) genus, is a zoonotic virus, endemic to central and western Africa that can cause smallpox-like symptoms in humans with fatal outcomes in up to 15% of patients. The incidence of MPXV infections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the majority of cases have occurred historically, has been estimated to have increased as much as 20-fold since the end of smallpox vaccination in 1980. Considering the risk global travel carries for future disease outbreaks, accurate epidemiological surveillance of MPXV is warranted as demonstrated by the recent Mpox outbreak, where the majority of cases were occurring in non-endemic areas. Serological differentiation between childhood vaccination and recent infection with MPXV or other OPXVs is difficult due to the high level of conservation within OPXV proteins. Here, a peptide-based serological assay was developed to specifically detect exposure to MPXV. A comparative analysis of immunogenic proteins across human OPXVs identified a large subset of proteins that could potentially be specifically recognized in response to a MPXV infection. Peptides were chosen based upon MPXV sequence specificity and predicted immunogenicity. Peptides individually and combined were screened in an ELISA against serum from well-characterized Mpox outbreaks, vaccinee sera, and smallpox sera collected prior to eradication. One peptide combination was successful with ~86% sensitivity and ~90% specificity. The performance of the assay was assessed against the OPXV IgG ELISA in the context of a serosurvey by retrospectively screening a set of serum specimens from the region in Ghana believed to have harbored the MPXV-infected rodents involved in the 2003 United States outbreak.
Nanocapsules of ZnO Nanorods and Geraniol as a Novel Mean for the Effective Control of Botrytis cinerea in Tomato and Cucumber Plants
Authors: Tryfon Panagiota , Kamou Nathalie N. , Pavlou Akrivi , Mourdikoudis Stefanos , Menkissoglu-Spiroudi Urania , Dendrinou-Samara Catherine
Published: March 2023

Inorganic-based nanoparticle formulations of bioactive compounds are a promising nanoscale application that allow agrochemicals to be entrapped and/or encapsulated, enabling gradual and targeted delivery of their active ingredients. In this context, hydrophobic ZnO@OAm nanorods (NRs) were firstly synthesized and characterized via physicochemical techniques and then encapsulated within the biodegradable and biocompatible sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), either separately (ZnO NCs) or in combination with geraniol in the effective ratios of 1:1 (ZnOGer1 NCs), 1:2 (ZnOGer2 NCs), and 1:3 (ZnOGer2 NCs), respectively. The mean hydrodynamic size, polydispersity index (PDI), and ζ-potential of the nanocapsules were determined at different pH values. The efficiency of encapsulation (EE, %) and loading capacity (LC, %) of NCs were also determined. Pharmacokinetics of ZnOGer1 NCs and ZnOGer2 NCs showed a sustainable release profile of geraniol over 96 h and a higher stability at 25 ± 0.5 °C rather than at 35 ± 0.5 °C. ZnOGer1 NCs, ZnOGer2 NCs and ZnO NCs were evaluated in vitro against B. cinerea, and EC50 values were calculated at 176 μg/mL, 150 μg/mL, and > 500 μg/mL, respectively. Subsequently, ZnOGer1 NCs and ZnOGer2 NCs were tested by foliar application on B. cinerea-inoculated tomato and cucumber plants, showing a significant reduction of disease severity. The foliar application of both NCs resulted in more effective inhibition of the pathogen in the infected cucumber plants as compared to the treatment with the chemical fungicide Luna Sensation SC. In contrast, tomato plants treated with ZnOGer2 NCs demonstrated a better inhibition of the disease as compared to the treatment with ZnOGer1 NCs and Luna. None of the treatments caused phytotoxic effects. These results support the potential for the use of the specific NCs as plant protection agents against B. cinerea in agriculture as an effective alternative to synthetic fungicides.
Production of Two Isomers of Sphaeralcic Acid in Hairy Roots from Sphaeralcea angustifolia
Authors: Barrera Karen , González-Cortazar Manasés , Reyes-Pérez Rogelio , Pérez-García Dolores , Herrera-Ruiz Maribel , Arellano-García Jesús , Cruz-Sosa Francisco , Nicasio-Torres Pilar
Published: March 2023

The Sphaeralcea angustifolia plant is used as an anti-inflammatory and gastrointestinal protector in Mexican traditional medicine. The immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects have been attributed to scopoletin (1), tomentin (2), and sphaeralcic acid (3) isolated from cells in suspension cultures and identified in the aerial tissues of the wild plant. The hairy roots from S. angustifolia established by infecting internodes with Agrobacterium rhizogenes were explored to produce active compounds based on biosynthetic stability and their capacity to produce new compounds. Chemical analysis was resumed after 3 years in these transformed roots, SaTRN12.2 (line 1) produced scopoletin (0.0022 mg g−1) and sphaeralcic acid (0.22 mg g−1); instead, the SaTRN7.1 (line 2) only produced sphaeralcic acid (3.07 mg g−1). The sphaeralcic acid content was 85-fold higher than that reported for the cells in the suspension cultivated into flakes, and it was similar when the cells in suspension were cultivated in a stirring tank under nitrate restriction. Moreover, both hairy root lines produced stigmasterol (4) and β-sitosterol (5), as well as two new naphthoic derivates: iso-sphaeralcic acid (6) and 8-methyl-iso-sphaeralcic acid (7), which turned out to be isomers of sphaeralcic acid (3) and have not been reported. The dichloromethane–methanol extract from SaTRN7.1 hairy root line had a gastroprotective effect on an ulcer model in mice induced with ethanol.
Determination of the Total Phenolics Content and Antioxidant Activity of Extracts from Parts of Plants from the Greek Island of Crete
Authors: Kalpoutzakis Eleftherios , Chatzimitakos Theodoros , Athanasiadis Vassilis , Mitakou Sofia , Aligiannis Nektarios , Bozinou Eleni , Gortzi Olga , Skaltsounis Leandros A. , Lalas Stavros I.
Published: March 2023

Oxidative damages are responsible for many adverse health effects and food deterioration. The use of antioxidant substances is well renowned, and as such, much emphasis is placed on their use. Since synthetic antioxidants exhibit potential adverse effects, plant-derived antioxidants are a preferable solution. Despite the myriads of plants that exist and the fact that numerous studies have been carried out so far, there are many species that have not been examined so far. Many plants under research exist in Greece. Trying to fill this research gap, the total phenolics content and antioxidant activity of seventy methanolic extracts from parts of Greek plants were evaluated. The total phenolics content was measured by the Folin–Ciocalteau assay. Their antioxidant capacity was calculated by the 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging test, the Rancimat method based on conductometric measurements, and the thermoanalytical method DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry). The tested samples were obtained from several parts of fifty-seven Greek plant species belonging to twenty-three different families. Both a remarkably high phenolic content (with gallic acid equivalents varying between 311.6 and 735.5 mg/g of extract) and radical scavenging activity (IC50 values ranged from 7.2 to 39.0 μg/mL) were found in the extract of the aerial parts of Cistus species (C. creticus subsp. creticus, C. creticus subsp. eriocephalus, C. monspeliensis, C. parviflorus and C. salviifolius), Cytinus taxa (C. hypocistis subsp. hypocistis, C. hypocistis subsp. orientalis and C. ruber), and Sarcopoterium spinosum. Furthermore, the sample of Cytinus ruber showed the highest protection factor (PF = 1.276) regarding the Rancimat method, which was similar to that of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) (PF = 1.320). The results indicated that these plants are rich in antioxidant compounds, potentiating their use either as food additives to enhance the antioxidant properties of food products, or protect them from oxidation, or as sources for the preparation of food supplements with antioxidant properties.
Leaf Sample Size for Pesticide Application Technology Trials in Coffee Crops
Authors: Palma Roxanna Patricia , Cunha João Paulo Arantes Rodrigues da , de Santana Denise Garcia
Published: March 2023

Plot size, sample sufficiency, and number of repetitions are factors that affect the experimental errors or residuals and the expression of true differences among treatments. The objective of this study was to determine, using statistical models, the appropriate sample size for application technology experiments in coffee crops through the evaluation of foliar spray deposition and soil runoff in the ground-based application of pesticides. In the first stage, we determined the quantity of leaves per set and the volume of the solution for washing the leaves and extracting the tracer. We analyzed the variability between the coefficients of variation (CVs) of the amount of tracer extracted in two droplet classes (fine and coarse), for the different parts of the plants, and for the different quantities of leaves per set that were organized into intervals of five leaves (1–5, 6–10, 11–15, and 16–20). Less variability was found in the intervals with 10 leaves per set and using 100 mL of extraction solution. In the second stage, a field experiment was conducted using an entirely randomized design with 20 plots: 10 sprayed with fine droplets and 10 with coarse droplets. In each plot, 10 sets (samples) with 10 leaves each were collected from the upper and lower canopy of the coffee trees. Moreover, 10 Petri dishes were placed per plot and collected after application. Based on the results of the spray deposition (mass of tracer extracted per cm2 of leaf), we determined the optimal sample size using the maximum curvature and maximum curvature of the coefficient of variation methods. Higher variabilities were related to the targets that are more difficult to reach. Thus, this study determined an optimal sample size between five and eight sets of leaves for spray deposition, and four to five Petri dishes for soil runoff.
Effects of Coumarin on Rhizosphere Microbiome and Metabolome of Lolium multiflorum
Authors: Yang Yihu , Xu Jun , Li Yan , He Yuchen , Yang Yuqing , Liu Dalin , Wu Caixia
Published: March 2023

Rhizosphere microorganisms can help plants absorb nutrients, coordinate their growth, and improve their environmental adaptability. Coumarin can act as a signaling molecule that regulates the interaction between commensals, pathogens, and plants. In this study, we elucidate the effect of coumarin on plant root microorganisms. To provide a theoretical basis for the development of coumarin-derived compounds as biological pesticides, we determined the effect of coumarin on the root secondary metabolism and rhizosphere microbial community of annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.). We observed that a 200 mg/kg coumarin treatment had a negligible effect on the rhizosphere soil bacterial species of the annual ryegrass rhizosphere, though it exhibited a significant effect on the abundance of bacteria in the rhizospheric microbial community. Under coumarin-induced allelopathic stress, annual ryegrass can stimulate the colonization of beneficial flora in the root rhizosphere; however, certain pathogenic bacteria, such as Aquicella species, also multiply in large numbers in such conditions, which may be one of the main reasons for a sharp decline in the annual ryegrass biomass production. Further, metabolomics analysis revealed that the 200 mg/kg coumarin treatment triggered the accumulation of a total of 351 metabolites, of which 284 were found to be significantly upregulated, while 67 metabolites were significantly downregulated in the T200 group (treated with 200 mg/kg coumarin) compared to the CK group (control group) (p < 0.05). Further, the differentially expressed metabolites were primarily associated with 20 metabolic pathways, including phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, etc. We found significant alterations in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and purine metabolism pathways (p < 0.05). In addition, there were significant differences between the rhizosphere soil bacterial community and root metabolites. Furthermore, changes in the bacterial abundance disrupted the balance of the rhizosphere micro-ecosystem and indirectly regulated the level of root metabolites. The current study paves the way towards comprehensively understanding the specific relationship between the root metabolite levels and the abundance of the rhizosphere microbial community.
Study on Relationships between Coal Microstructure and Coke Quality during Coking Process
Authors: Wang Yan , Zhou Qi , Zhao Qi , Qu Sijian , Zhang Yuming
Published: March 2023

Optimizing coal blending is important for high-quality development of coking industries, among which deep understanding of relationships between coal characteristics and coke quality is critical. This work selected four typical coals from Shanxi Province in China to investigate influences of their structures and properties on coke quality. Although these samples belong to coking coals, the mechanical strength and thermal strength of the corresponding cokes are quite different. Macerals in coals, especially vitrinite, have significant effect on thermal strength of cokes. The thermal strength of coke B is better than coke A, because coal A mainly contains desmocollinite and coal B has more telocollinite. The CSR of coke B, C and D is higher than 60%, indicating they possess good thermal property. In the coking process, relatively low initial softening temperature (<400 °C), wide plastic temperature range (>100 °C), smooth fluidity region and appropriate maximum fluidity is helpful to improve coke quality based on Gieseler fluidity analysis. Coal C and Coal D have lower condensation degree, shorter aliphatic chain, and more hydrogen bond, which reveals that the condensation degree and hydrogen bond play important roles on the formation of plastic mass and coke thermal strength. Coke A shows unsatisfied properties because coal A has higher condensation degree and less hydrogen bond. In addition, TG-MS and CH4 evolution characteristics also imply the volatile matter released from coal A during pyrolysis mainly comes from the covalent bond with higher bond energy, which indicates that the chemical bond of coal A is more stable than other coals.
Identification and Analysis of Heatwave Events Considering Temporal Continuity and Spatial Dynamics
Authors: Ren Yanqun , Liu Jinping , Zhang Tongchang , Shalamzari Masoud Jafari , Arshad Arfan , Liu Tie , Willems Patrick , Gao Huiran , Tao Hui , Wang Tingli
Published: March 2023

In the context of global warming, the general increase in temperature has led to an increase in heatwave events, as well as a dramatic intensification of economic losses and social risks. This study employs the latest intensity–area–duration (IAD) framework that takes into account the temporal continuity and spatial dynamics of extreme events to identify regional heatwave events, and extracts key parameters of heatwave events to study the associated changes in frequency, intensity, influence area, and duration in seven geographic subregions of China in the 1979–2018 period. Heatwaves of all durations increased in frequency and intensity during the research period, with shorter heatwaves increasing in frequency and intensity at a faster rate than longer heatwaves. Among the seven geographic subregions, Xinjiang (XJ) and Southern China (SC) are the regions with the most frequent heatwave occurrence, while the Southwest (SW) and SC have the highest increase in heatwave frequency. In terms of regional distributions, XJ has the strongest heatwave event intensity and the largest affected area, while SC has the longest duration. However, in terms of spatial trends, SC, XJ, and the SW have the highest rates of intensity growth, influence area, and duration, respectively. In addition, heatwaves with extended durations and vast influence areas are more likely to occur in SC, and their frequency is on the rise. During the study period, the intensity, influence area, and length of heatwave occurrences in China exhibited an upward tendency, and it was shown that the longer the duration, the greater the intensity and the broader the influence area. In addition, the evolutionary characteristics of heatwave events with the longest duration indicate a certain consistency in their intensity and influence. These findings can contribute to the development of strategies to prepare for and mitigate the adverse effects of heatwave occurrences.
Application of Pulse Compression Technique in High-Temperature Carbon Steel Forgings Crack Detection with Angled SV-Wave EMATs
Authors: He Min , Shi Wenze , Lu Chao , Chen Guo , Qiu Fasheng , Zhu Ying , Liu Yuan
Published: March 2023

In order to solve the difficulty in localization and poor signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the angled shear vertical wave (SV wave) electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) in cracks detection of high-temperature carbon steel forgings, a finite element (FE) model of the angled SV wave EMAT detection process was established, and the influence of specimen temperature on the EMAT excitation, propagation, and reception processes was analyzed. A high-temperature resistant angled SV wave EMAT was designed to detect carbon steel from 20 °C to 500 °C, and the influence law of the angled SV wave at different temperatures was analyzed. Then a circuit-field coupled FE model of angled SV wave EMAT in the carbon steel detection process based on the Barker code pulse compression technique was established, and the effects of the Barker code element length, impedance matching method, and matching component parameters on the pulse compression effect were analyzed. In addition, the noise suppression effect and the SNR of the crack-reflected wave in the tone-burst excitation method and the Barker code pulse compression technique were compared. The results show that the amplitude of the block-corner reflected wave decreases from 556 mV to 195 mV, and the SNR decreases from 34.9 dB to 23.5 dB when the specimen temperature increases from 20 °C to 500 °C. When the temperature is 500 °C, the SNR of the crack-reflected wave obtained by the Barker code pulse compression technique can be improved by 9.2 dB compared to the tone-burst excitation method with 16 synchronous averages. The study can provide technical and theoretical guidance for online crack detection for high-temperature carbon steel forgings.
Anomaly Detection in Biological Early Warning Systems Using Unsupervised Machine Learning
Authors: Grekov Aleksandr N. , Kabanov Aleksey A. , Vyshkvarkova Elena V. , Trusevich Valeriy V.
Published: March 2023

The use of bivalve mollusks as bioindicators in automated monitoring systems can provide real-time detection of emergency situations associated with the pollution of aquatic environments. The behavioral reactions of Unio pictorum (Linnaeus, 1758) were employed in the development of a comprehensive automated monitoring system for aquatic environments by the authors. The study used experimental data obtained by an automated system from the Chernaya River in the Sevastopol region of the Crimean Peninsula. Four traditional unsupervised machine learning techniques were implemented to detect emergency signals in the activity of bivalves: elliptic envelope, isolation forest (iForest), one-class support vector machine (SVM), and local outlier factor (LOF). The results showed that the use of the elliptic envelope, iForest, and LOF methods with proper hyperparameter tuning can detect anomalies in mollusk activity data without false alarms, with an F1 score of 1. A comparison of anomaly detection times revealed that the iForest method is the most efficient. These findings demonstrate the potential of using bivalve mollusks as bioindicators in automated monitoring systems for the early detection of pollution in aquatic environments.
Emotional Valence from Facial Expression as an Experience Audit Tool: An Empirical Study in the Context of Opera Performance
Authors: Ceccacci Silvia , Generosi Andrea , Giraldi Luca , Mengoni Maura
Published: March 2023

This paper aims to explore the potential offered by emotion recognition systems to provide a feasible response to the growing need for audience understanding and development in the field of arts organizations. Through an empirical study, it was investigated whether the emotional valence measured on the audience through an emotion recognition system based on facial expression analysis can be used with an experience audit to: (1) support the understanding of the emotional responses of customers toward any clue that characterizes a staged performance; and (2) systematically investigate the customer’s overall experience in terms of their overall satisfaction. The study was carried out in the context of opera live shows in the open-air neoclassical theater Arena Sferisterio in Macerata, during 11 opera performances. A total of 132 spectators were involved. Both the emotional valence provided by the considered emotion recognition system and the quantitative data related to customers’ satisfaction, collected through a survey, were considered. Results suggest how collected data can be useful for the artistic director to estimate the audience’s overall level of satisfaction and make choices about the specific characteristics of the performance, and that emotional valence measured on the audience during the show can be useful to predict overall customer satisfaction, as measured using traditional self-report methods.
Design and Analysis of a Fluid-Filled RF MEMS Switch
Authors: Zhu Hongyu , Cui Wenhao , Li Yanzhang , Song Mingxin
Published: March 2023

In the present study, a fluid-filled RF MEMS (Radio Frequency Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) switch is proposed and designed. In the analysis of the operating principle of the proposed switch, air, water, glycerol and silicone oil were adopted as filling dielectric to simulate and research the influence of the insulating liquid on the drive voltage, impact velocity, response time, and switching capacity of the RF MEMS switch. The results show that by filling the switch with insulating liquid, the driving voltage can be effectively reduced, while the impact velocity of the upper plate to the lower plate is also reduced. The high dielectric constant of the filling medium leads to a lower switching capacitance ratio, which affects the performance of the switch to some extent. By comparing the threshold voltage, impact velocity, capacitance ratio, and insertion loss of the switch filled with different media with the filling media of air, water, glycerol, and silicone oil, silicone oil was finally selected as the liquid filling medium for the switch. The results show that the threshold voltage is 26.55 V after filling with silicone oil, which is 43% lower under the same air-encapsulated switching conditions. When the trigger voltage is 30.02 V, the response time is 10.12 μs and the impact speed is only 0.35 m/s. The frequency 0–20 GHz switch works well, and the insertion loss is 0.84 dB. To a certain extent, it provides a reference value for the fabrication of RF MEMS switches.
Global Context Attention for Robust Visual Tracking
Authors: Choi Janghoon
Published: March 2023

Although there have been recent advances in Siamese-network-based visual tracking methods where they show high performance metrics on numerous large-scale visual tracking benchmarks, persistent challenges regarding the distractor objects with similar appearances to the target object still remain. To address these aforementioned issues, we propose a novel global context attention module for visual tracking, where the proposed module can extract and summarize the holistic global scene information to modulate the target embedding for improved discriminability and robustness. Our global context attention module receives a global feature correlation map to elicit the contextual information from a given scene and generates the channel and spatial attention weights to modulate the target embedding to focus on the relevant feature channels and spatial parts of the target object. Our proposed tracking algorithm is tested on large-scale visual tracking datasets, where we show improved performance compared to the baseline tracking algorithm while achieving competitive performance with real-time speed. Additional ablation experiments also validate the effectiveness of the proposed module, where our tracking algorithm shows improvements in various challenging attributes of visual tracking.
Field Assessment of Two Micronutrients (Zinc and Boron) on the Seed Yield and Oil Content of Mustard
Authors: Halim Abdul , Paul Swapan Kumar , Sarkar Md. Abdur Rahman , Rashid Md. Harun , Perveen Suriaya , Mia Md. Liton , Islam Md. Shafiqul , Islam A. K. M. Mominul
Published: March 2023

In an experimental investigation, we looked into how different zinc (Zn) and boron (B) dosages affected the production and the amount of oil in mustard. Zn and B treatments, respectively, were separated into four levels: 0, 1, 2, 4, and 0, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 kg per hectare. We observed considerable Zn as well as B effects on mustard yield and its oil content. The maximum (1.6 Ton per hectare) and minimum (1.3 T ha−1) seed output, the maximum (1.9 T ha−1) and minimum (1.5 T ha−1) stover production, the maximum (4.9) and minimum (3.99) number branches plant−1, and the longest (114.6 cm) and shortest (87.44 cm) plant height were observed from 4 kg of Zn ha−1 and 0 kg of Zn ha−1, respectively. On the other hand, we discovered that applying 0.8 kg and 0 kg of B ha−1, respectively, resulted in the highest (1.6 T ha−1) and lowest (1.3 T ha−1) seed yield, the highest (1.8 T ha−1) and lowest (1.5 T ha−1) stover yield, the maximum (4.75) and minimum (4.02) number of branches plant−1, and the longest (118.7 cm) and shortest (85.15 cm) plant heights. The maximum seed (1.9 T ha−1) and stover output (2.0 T ha−1), tallest plant (140.9 cm), and most branches per plant−1 (5.47) were obtained when 4 kg of Zn ha−1 was given with 0.8 kg of B ha−1. However, while Zn and B were not applied, the lowest output for all of the crop attributes assessed was observed. As a result, for mustard, 4 kg of Zn ha−1 combined with 0.8 kg of B ha−1 may be advised as an effective approach in terms of seed yield and oil content.
EU-Funded Energy-Related Projects for Sustainable Ports: Evidence from the Port of Piraeus
Authors: Platias Charalampos , Spyrou Dimitris
Published: March 2023

Energy matters are a challenge for many ports and port industry stakeholders, especially in today’s rapidly changing environment and on the back of multiple transitions in the sector. In particular, mainstreaming environmental targets and sustainability in port operation and development affects strategic choices. This article focuses on EU-funded energy-related projects in the Port of Piraeus, presenting field evidence in the form of a case study. We take stock of efforts undertaken, results achieved and impacts of the projects so far, in order to provide useful insights for the industry, but also reflections on policy and governance in this subject area. We argue that implemented projects have created added value for the port and clearly helped achieve its stated objectives, in relation to both energy and environmental issues and promoting sustainability. What is more, goal-setting has often been initiated within the framework of the projects and/or their implementation. In addition, project identification and implementation have produced positive externalities for the port, thus laying the groundwork for further change. Project impacts obviously depend on many different factors, as well as on their interaction. The momentum for EU-funded energy-related projects in the port sector will hold up and most probably grow, as will mainstreaming sustainability. Industry, policy and governance need to step up their efforts in order to maximise results.
Early Identification and Influencing Factors Analysis of Active Landslides in Mountainous Areas of Southwest China Using SBAS−InSAR
Authors: Ran Peilian , Li Shaoda , Zhuo Guanchen , Wang Xiao , Meng Mingjie , Liu Liang , Chen Youdong , Huang Huina , Ye Yu , Lei Xiangqi
Published: March 2023

Potential landslides in the mountainous areas of southwest China pose a serious threat to the lives and property of local residents. Synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR) technology has the advantages of wide coverage, all weather applicability, and low cost and can quickly and accurately identify large range of active landslides, making it a useful geodetic tool for the early identification and prevention of landslides. This paper employed small baseline subset InSAR (SBAS−InSAR) technology and ascending and descending Sentinel−1 data from January 2019 to December 2021 to early identify active landslides in the Maoxian County to Li County National Highway (G317 and G213). The InSAR deformation results were verified by geometric distortion analysis, optical remote sensing interpretation, and field investigation, and 115 active landslides were successfully determined, among which 23 active landslides were identified by ascending and descending Sentinel−1 data together. In addition, InSAR deformation results show that fault, stratigraphic lithology, and rainfall are the three main factors that accelerate the deformation of active landslides and can trigger new active landslides. This study can provide an important reference for the early identification and prevention of landslides in mountainous areas.
Flexoelectric Polarization in Liquid Crystalline Elastomers Prepared by Cross-Linking under Horseshoe-Shaped Deformation
Authors: Hiraoka Kazuyuki , Ishihara Toshio , Minami Hiroyuki , Taira Shiori , Yamada Katsumi , Hiejima Toshihiro
Published: March 2023

Flexoelectric polarization, which is caused by symmetry breaking in a distortion of material, was investigated in liquid crystalline elastomers composed of wedge-shaped mesogens prepared by cross-linking under horseshoe-shaped deformation. X-ray diffractometry suggested that splay distortion along the depth direction was induced in the pseudo-isotropic phase. While almost no electric charge was observed in the smectic A phase, an electric charge caused by polarization due to the flexoelectric effect appeared and reached −1367 pC/mm2 in the pseudo-isotropic phase. We tentatively conclude that the macroscopic polarization due to the flexoelectric effect emerged and was fixed in the liquid crystalline elastomers by cross-linking under horseshoe-shaped deformation.
User Sentiment Analysis of COVID-19 via Adversarial Training Based on the BERT-FGM-BiGRU Model
Authors: Li Zhaohui , Zhou Luli , Yang Xueru , Jia Hongyu , Li Wenli , Zhang Jiehan
Published: March 2023

With the rapid development of social network platforms, Sina Weibo has become the main carrier for modern netizens to express public views and emotions. How to obtain the tendency of public opinion and analyze the text’s emotion more accurately and reasonably has become one of the main challenges for the government to monitor public opinion in the future. Due to the sparseness of Weibo text data and the complex semantics of Chinese, this paper proposes an emotion analysis model based on the Bidirectional Encoder Representation from Transformers pre-training model (BERT), Fast Gradient Method (FGM) and the bidirectional Gated Recurrent Unit (BiGRU), namely BERT-FGM-BiGRU model. Aiming to solve the problem of text polysemy and improve the extraction effect and classification ability of text features, this paper adopts the BERT pre-training model for word vector representation and BiGRU for text feature extraction. In order to improve the generalization ability of the model, this paper uses the FGM adversarial training algorithm to perturb the data. Therefore, a BERT-FGM-BiGRU model is constructed with the goal of sentiment analysis. This paper takes the Chinese text data from the Sina Weibo platform during COVID-19 as the research object. By comparing the BERT-FGM-BiGRU model with the traditional model, and combining the temporal and spatial characteristics, it further studies the changing trend of user sentiment. Finally, the results show that the BERT-FGM-BiGRU model has the best classification effect and the highest accuracy compared with other models, which provides a scientific method for government departments to supervise public opinion. Based on the classification results of this model and combined with the temporal and spatial characteristics, it can be found that public sentiment is spatially closely related to the severity of the pandemic. Due to the imbalance of information sources, the public showed negative emotions of fear and worry in the early and middle stages, while in the later stage, the public sentiment gradually changed from negative to positive and hopeful with the improvement of the epidemic situation.
Zearalenone and Its Emerging Metabolites Promptly Affect the Rumen Microbiota in Holstein Cows Fed a Forage-Rich Diet
Authors: Hartinger Thomas , Kröger Iris , Neubauer Viktoria , Faas Johannes , Doupovec Barbara , Schatzmayr Dian , Zebeli Qendrim
Published: March 2023

The study investigated the short-term effects of a single oral bolus of zearalenone (ZEN) on the rumen microbiota and fermentation patterns in four rumen-cannulated Holstein cows fed a forage diet with daily 2 kg/cow concentrate. During the baseline day, cows received uncontaminated concentrate, followed by ZEN-contaminated concentrate on the second day, and again the uncontaminated concentrate on day three. Free rumen liquid (FRL) and particle-associated rumen liquid (PARL) were collected at different hours post-feeding on all days to analyze the prokaryotic community composition, absolute abundances of bacteria, archaea, protozoa, and anaerobic fungi, as well as short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) profiles. The ZEN reduced the microbial diversity in FRL but not in the PARL fraction. The abundance of protozoa was higher after ZEN exposure in PARL, which may be related to their strong biodegradation capacity that, therefore, promoted protozoal growth. In contrast, α-zearalenol might compromise anaerobic fungi as indicated by reduced abundances in FRL and fairly negative correlations in both fractions. Total SCFA significantly increased in both fractions after ZEN exposure, while the SCFA profile only changed marginally. Concluding, a single ZEN challenge caused changes in the rumen ecosystem soon after intake, including ruminal eukaryotes, that should be the subject of future studies.
Protective Effect of Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccines against Omicron BA.2 Infection in Guangzhou: A Test-Negative Case-Control Real-World Study
Authors: Zhang Dingmei , Zhong Jiayi , Xiong Husheng , Li Yufen , Guo Tong , Peng Bo , Fang Chuanjun , Kang Yan , Tan Jinlin , Ma Yu
Published: March 2023

This study aims to explore the relationship between the doses of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines received and SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection in the real-world setting, so as to preliminarily evaluate the protective effect induced by COVID-19 vaccination. We conducted a test-negative case-control study and recruited the test-positive cases and test-negative controls in the outbreak caused by Omicron BA.2 in April 2022 in Guangzhou, China. All the participants were 3 years and older. The vaccination status between the case group and the control group was compared in the vaccinated and all participants, respectively, to estimate the immune protection of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines. After adjusting for sex and age, compared with a mere single dose, full vaccination of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines (OR = 0.191, 95% CI: 0.050 to 0.727) and booster vaccination (OR = 0.091, 95% CI: 0.011 to 0.727) had a more superior protective effect. Compared with one dose, the second dose was more effective in males (OR = 0.090), as well as two doses (OR = 0.089) and three doses (OR = 0.090) among individuals aged 18–59. Whereas, when compared with the unvaccinated, one dose (OR = 7.715, 95% CI: 1.904 to 31.254) and three doses (OR = 2.055, 95% CI: 1.162 to 3.635) could contribute to the increased risk of Omicron infection after adjusting for sex and age. Meanwhile, by contrast with unvaccinated individuals, the result of increased risk was also manifested in the first dose in males (OR = 12.400) and one dose (OR = 21.500), two doses (OR = 1.890), and a booster dose (OR = 1.945) in people aged 18–59. In conclusion, the protective effect of full and booster vaccination with inactivated COVID-19 vaccines exceeded the incomplete vaccination, of which three doses were more effective. Nevertheless, vaccination may increase the risk of Omicron infection compared with unvaccinated people. This may result from the transmission traits of BA.2, the particularity and stronger protection awareness of the unvaccinated population, as well as the ADE effect induced by the decrease of antibody titers after a long time of vaccination. It is crucial to explore this issue in depth for the formulation of future COVID-19 vaccination strategies.
Heart Rate Variability in Subjects with Severe Allergic Background Undergoing COVID-19 Vaccination
Authors: Cilona Maria Bernadette , D’Amico Filippo , Asperti Chiara , Ramirez Giuseppe Alvise , Turi Stefano , Benanti Giovanni , Bohane Shai Marc , Nannipieri Serena , Labanca Rosa , Gervasini Matteo , Russetti Federica , Viapiana Naomi , Lezzi Martina , Landoni Giovanni , Dagna Lorenzo , Yacoub Mona-Rita
Published: March 2023

Anti-Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination is the world’s most important strategy for stopping the pandemic. Vaccination challenges the body’s immune response and can be complicated by hypersensitivity reactions. The autonomic nervous system can modulate the inflammatory immune response, therefore constituting a potential marker to characterize individuals at high risk of hypersensitivity reactions. Autonomic nervous system functionality was assessed through measurement of the heart rate variability (HRV) in subjects with a history of severe allergic reactions and 12 control subjects. HRV parameters included the mean electrocardiograph RR interval and the standard deviation of all normal R–R intervals (SDNN). All measurements were performed immediately before the anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. The median RR variability was lower in the study than in the control group: 687 ms (645–759) vs. 821 ms (759–902); p = 0.02. The SDNN was lower in the study group than in the control group: 32 ms (23–36) vs. 50 ms (43–55); p < 0.01. No correlation was found between age and the SDNN. Autonomic nervous system activity is unbalanced in people with a severe allergy background.