bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm Inhibiting Activity of Advanced Glycation Endproduct Crosslink Breaking and Glycation Inhibiting Compounds
Authors: Haasbroek Kyle , Yagi Masayuki , Yonei Yoshikazu
Published: October 2022

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive bacterium that plays a role in the pathogenesis of skin lesions in diabetes mellitus, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis, all of which are associated with elevated non-enzymatic glycation biomarkers. The production of biofilm protects resident bacteria from host immune defenses and antibiotic interventions, prolonging pathogen survival, and risking recurrence after treatment. Glycated proteins formed from keratin and glucose induce biofilm formation in S. aureus, promoting dysbiosis and increasing pathogenicity. In this study, several glycation-inhibiting and advanced glycation endproduct (AGE) crosslink-breaking compounds were assayed for their ability to inhibit glycated keratin-induced biofilm formation as preliminary screening for clinical testing candidates. Ascorbic acid, astaxanthin, clove extract, n-phenacylthiazolium bromide, and rosemary extract were examined in an in vitro static biofilm model with S. aureus strain ATCC 12600. Near complete biofilm inhibition was achieved with astaxanthin (ED50 = 0.060 mg/mL), clove extract (ED50 = 0.0087 mg/mL), n-phenacylthiazolium bromide (ED50 = 5.3 mg/mL), and rosemary extract (ED50 = 1.5 mg/mL). The dosage necessary for biofilm inhibition was not significantly correlated with growth inhibition (R2 = 0.055. p = 0.49). Anti-glycation and AGE breaking compounds with biofilm inhibitory activity are ideal candidates for treatment of S. aureus dysbiosis and skin infection that is associated with elevated skin glycation.
Comparison of Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profiles of Thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. Isolated from Human and Poultry Samples in Georgia (Caucasus)
Authors: Metreveli Maia , Bulia Salome , Tevzadze Liana , Tsanava Shota , Zarske Michael , Goenaga Juan Cruz , Preuß Sandra , Lomidze Giorgi , Koulouris Stylianos , Imnadze Paata , Stingl Kerstin
Published: October 2022

Antimicrobial resistance remains a public health concern globally. This study presents antimicrobial resistance by microdilution and genetic diversity by the whole-genome sequencing of Campylobacter spp. from human and poultry samples isolated in Georgia in 2020/2021. The major species in poultry samples was C. coli, while C. jejuni was preferentially isolated from human samples. Resistance against tetracycline was highest (100%) in C. coli from industrial chicken and lowest in C. jejuni from clinical isolates (36%), while resistance against ciprofloxacin varied from 80% in C. jejuni from backyard chicken to 100% in C. jejuni and C. coli from industrial chicken. The point mutations in gyrA (T86I) and tet (O) genes were detected as resistance determinants for (fluoro-)quinolone or tetracycline resistance, respectively. Ertapenem resistance is still enigmatic. All isolates displayed sensitivity towards erythromycin, gentamicin and chloramphenicol. Multi-resistance was more frequently observed in C. coli than in C. jejuni, irrespective of the isolation matrix, and in chicken isolates compared to human isolates, independent of the Campylobacter species. The Georgian strains showed high variability of multi-locus sequence types (ST), including novel STs. This study provides the first antibiotic resistance data from Campylobacter spp. in Georgia and addresses the need for follow-up monitoring programs.
The Wine Industry By-Products: Applications for Food Industry and Health Benefits
Authors: Ferrer-Gallego Raúl , Silva Paula
Published: October 2022

Each year, 20 million tons of wine by-products are generated, corresponding to 30% of the total quantity of vinified grapes. Wine by-products are a source of healthy bioactive molecules, such as polyphenols and other molecules (pigments, fibers, minerals, etc.). The abundance of bioactive compounds assures a promising future for nutritional foodstuff production. Wine by-products can be used to fortify aromatized waters and infusions, bread, pasta, dairy products, alcohol, sugary beverages, and processed foods. These innovative products are part of the Mediterranean diet and are of great interest to both human and environmental health. Pre-clinical studies show that consumption of food produced with wine by-products or with their extracts attenuates the inflammatory state and increases antioxidant status. As such, wine by-products provide protective effects against the underlying pathophysiological hallmarks of some chronic diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and cancer. However, the poor bioavailability warrants further investigation on how to optimize the efficacy of wine by-products, and more clinical trials are also needed. The scientific evidence has validated the uses of the dietary nature of wine by-products and has helped to promote their use as a functional food to prevent chronic human diseases.
Aflatoxin B1 Toxicity and Protective Effects of Curcumin: Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Implications
Authors: Dai Chongshan , Tian Erjie , Hao Zhihui , Tang Shusheng , Wang Zhanhui , Sharma Gaurav , Jiang Haiyang , Shen Jianzhong
Published: October 2022

One of the most significant classes of mycotoxins, aflatoxins (AFTs), can cause a variety of detrimental outcomes, including cancer, hepatitis, aberrant mutations, and reproductive issues. Among the 21 identified AFTs, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is the most harmful to humans and animals. The mechanisms of AFB1-induced toxicity are connected to the generation of excess reactive oxygen species (ROS), upregulation of CYP450 activities, oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction, autophagy, necrosis, and inflammatory response. Several signaling pathways, including p53, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, Nrf2/ARE, NF-κB, NLRP3, MAPKs, and Wnt/β-catenin have been shown to contribute to AFB1-mediated toxic effects in mammalian cells. Curcumin, a natural product with multiple therapeutic activities (e.g., anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, and immunoregulation activities), could revise AFB1-induced harmful effects by targeting these pathways. Therefore, the potential therapeutic use of curcumin against AFB1-related side effects and the underlying molecular mechanisms are summarized. This review, in our opinion, advances significant knowledge, sparks larger discussions, and drives additional improvements in the hazardous examination of AFTs and detoxifying the application of curcumin.
Combination of Screen-Printed Carbon Electrode and Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for the Selective Determination of Phenolic Compounds in Wine
Authors: Elhachem Marie , Bou-Maroun Elias , Abboud Maher , Maroun Richard G. , Cayot Philippe
Published: October 2022

Caffeic acid (CA) is an efficient antioxidant found in wine and in plants and can be extracted from the by-products of the food industry. A molecularly imprinted polymer specific to caffeic acid (CA-MIP) was prepared by radical polymerization using N-phenylacrylamide as the functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the cross-linker, and azobisisobutyronitrile as the initiator, in the presence of CA as the template molecule. The rebinding activities between the polymers and CA were promoted by an indirect method and characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) using a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE). It is a fast method, which only requires simple and portable instrumentation. The polymer showed a high selectivity toward CA and a good repeatability. CA-MIP was then applied in wine samples spiked with CA, and the results were compared to those obtained by a chromatographic method. With a limit of detection of 0.06 mM in wine, the recovery values confirmed that the method is suitable for further applications.
Assessing the Neurotoxicity of a Sub-Optimal Dose of Rotenone in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) and the Possible Neuroactive Potential of Valproic Acid, Combination of Levodopa and Carbidopa, and Lactic Acid Bacteria Strains
Authors: Ilie Ovidiu-Dumitru , Duta Raluca , Balmus Ioana-Miruna , Savuca Alexandra , Petrovici Adriana , Nita Ilinca-Bianca , Antoci Lucian-Mihai , Jijie Roxana , Mihai Cosmin-Teodor , Ciobica Alin , Nicoara Mircea , Popescu Roxana , Dobrin Romeo , Solcan Carmen , Trifan Anca , Stanciu Carol , Doroftei Bogdan
Published: October 2022

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an enigmatic neurodegenerative disorder that is currently the subject of extensive research approaches aiming at deepening the understanding of its etiopathophysiology. Recent data suggest that distinct compounds used either as anticonvulsants or agents usually used as dopaminergic agonists or supplements consisting of live active lactic acid bacteria strains might alleviate and improve PD-related phenotypes. This is why we aimed to elucidate how the administration of rotenone (ROT) disrupts homeostasis and the possible neuroactive potential of valproic acid (VPA), antiparkinsonian agents (levodopa and carbidopa – LEV+CARB), and a mixture of six Lactobacillus and three Bifidobacterium species (PROBIO) might re-establish the optimal internal parameters. ROT causes significant changes in the central nervous system (CNS), notably reduced neurogenesis and angiogenesis, by triggering apoptosis, reflected by the increased expression of PARKIN and PINK1 gene(s), low brain dopamine (DA) levels, and as opposed to LRRK2 and SNCA compared with healthy zebrafish. VPA, LEV/CARB, and PROBIO sustain neurogenesis and angiogenesis, manifesting a neuroprotective role in diminishing the effect of ROT in zebrafish. Interestingly, none of the tested compounds influenced oxidative stress (OS), as reflected by the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) level and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymatic activity revealed in non-ROT-exposed zebrafish. Overall, the selected concentrations were enough to trigger particular behavioral patterns as reflected by our parameters of interest (swimming distance (mm), velocity (mm/s), and freezing episodes (s)), but sequential testing is mandatory to decipher whether they exert an inhibitory role following ROT exposure. In this way, we further offer data into how ROT may trigger a PD-related phenotype and the possible beneficial role of VPA, LEV+CARB, and PROBIO in re-establishing homeostasis in Danio rerio.
Maintenance over Time of the Effect Produced by Esmolol on the Structure and Function of Coronary Arteries in Hypertensive Heart Diseases
Authors: Martín-Oropesa Raquel , Rodríguez-Rodríguez Pilar , Pazó-Sayós Laia , Arnalich-Montiel Ana , Arribas Silvia Magdalena , González Maria Carmen , Quintana-Villamandos Begoña
Published: October 2022

We previously observed that esmolol treatment for 48 h reduced vascular lesions in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Therefore, we investigated whether this beneficial effect is persistent after withdrawal. Fourteen-month-old SHRs (SHR-Es) were treated with esmolol (300 μg/kg/min) or a vehicle for 48 h. Two separate groups were also given identical treatment, but they were then monitored for a further 1 week and 1 month after drug withdrawal. We analyzed the geometry and composition of the coronary artery, vascular reactivity and plasma redox status. Esmolol significantly decreased wall thickness (medial layer thickness and cell count), external diameter and cross-sectional area of the artery, and this effect persisted 1 month after drug withdrawal. Esmolol significantly improved endothelium-dependent relaxation by ACh (10−9–10−4 mol/L); this effect persisted 1 week (10−9–10−4 mol/L) and 1 month (10−6–10−4 mol/L) after withdrawal. Esmolol reduced the contraction induced by 5-HT (3 × 10−8–3 × 10−5 mol/L), and this effect persisted 1 week after withdrawal (10−6–3 × 10−5 mol/L). Esmolol increased nitrates and reduced glutathione, and it decreased malondialdehyde and carbonyls; this enhancement was maintained 1 month after withdrawal. This study shows that the effect of esmolol on coronary remodeling is persistent after treatment withdrawal in SHRs, and the improvement in plasma oxidative status can be implicated in this effect.
Influence of Laser Additive Manufacturing and Laser Polishing on Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of High-Strength Maraging Steel Metal Materials
Authors: Xiao Haibing , Chen Yongzhang , Liu Mingjun , Zhou Yongquan , Du Chenlin , Zhang Wei
Published: October 2022

To increase the surface quality of the high-strength maraging steel metal materials, a new method of executing the additive manufacturing process and subtraction polishing process of maraging steel metal materials was studied. The mechanical properties of maraging steel metal materials before and after laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) polishing were compared and analyzed. The influence of laser parameters on the formability of high-strength MS metal materials was studied, with MS additive parts successfully prepared. The initial surfaces had roughness values of 6.198–7.92 μm. The metal additive manufacturing parts were polished with double laser beams. Confocal microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction were used to obtain the microstructure and phase composition of the microstructures. The microhardness of high-strength maraging forming parts by using a microhardness tester and the mechanical properties were analyzed. The results showed that the surface roughness was considerably reduced to lengthen the service life of the high-strength MS metal materials from an initial roughness of Sa = 6.3 μm to Sa = 0.98 μm, with the surface hardness increased and the martensite content decreased after using double-laser-beam polishing.
Life Cycle Assessment for Environmental Impact Reduction and Evaluation of the Energy Indices in Lettuce Production
Authors: Mousavi Ali , Aghbolaghi Ebrahim Asadi , Khorramifar Ali , Gancarz Marek , Darvishi Yousef , Stasiak Mateusz , Miernik Anna , Karami Hamed
Published: October 2022

Since the supply of basic needs, especially food, is among the strategic priorities of each country and conventional food production methods no longer suffice, food production methods are now transforming into industrial approaches. Industrialization, however, requires higher energy usage. Greater energy demand brings about the issue of energy sustainability. In particular, the depletion of fossil fuels results in serious challenges in food production processes. On the other hand, the utilization of energy carriers is accompanied by environmental contamination. In this regard, evaluating energy consumption and environmental pollution in the production systems can be a proper approach to finding the energy consumption and pollution centers for presenting applicable solutions to decrease pollution. In this study, energy indices of ER, EP, SE, and NEG were assessed to evaluate the energy consumption of lettuce production. The results showed values of 0.4, 17.28 kg/MJ, 0.06 MJ/kg, and 29,922 MG/ha for ER, EP, SE, and NEG, respectively. Among the consumption inputs, diesel fuel and nitrogen fertilizer had the highest consumption rate. Pollutants were also explored by the life cycle assessment method. Accordingly, chemicals and agricultural machinery led to the highest contaminating emissions. To reduce environmental contaminants, lowering the application of chemical pesticides, using biological approaches to combat pests, determining the proper amount of chemical fertilizers, using animal fertilizers, and using the proper agricultural machines should be considered.
Oxidative Stability Analysis of Selected Oils from Unconventional Raw Materials Using Rancimat Apparatus
Authors: Symoniuk Edyta , Ksibi Nour , Wroniak Małgorzata , Lefek Marta , Ratusz Katarzyna
Published: October 2022

This study aimed to evaluate the quality of selected oils from the seeds of herbs and vegetables (basil, fenugreek, coriander, tomato, garden cress, parsley, and dill), especially their oxidative stability. The oils were tested for oxidation degree (acid value, peroxide value, p-anisidine value, TOTOX indicator, and specific extinction under ultraviolet light), colours, content of carotenoid and chlorophyll pigments, fatty acid composition, indicators of lipid nutritional quality, oxidative stability, and oxidation kinetics parameters (Rancimat). Principal component analysis was applied to identify a correlation between the oils’ quality parameters. The results of the fatty acid compositions show that basil oil was a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Coriander seed oil was found to be the most resistant to oxidation, containing mainly monounsaturated fatty acids. The highest value of activation energy was calculated for fenugreek oil (94.18 kJ/mol), and the lowest was for dill seed oil (72.61 kJ/mol). However, basil oil was characterised by the highest constant reaction rate at 120 °C—3.0679 h−1. The colour determined by the L* parameter and the calculated oxidizability value had the most significant influence on the oxidation stability of the oils, and the correlation coefficients were r = −0.88 and 0.87, respectively.
Simulation Study on Crack Initiation and Energy Mechanisms of Rock-like Samples with Non-Parallel Overlapping Flaws under Uniaxial Compression
Authors: Wu Peng , Chen Yanlong , Li Qiang , Mao Xianbiao , Zhang Lianying , Li Ming , Chen Liang , Zhao Zhong
Published: October 2022

Non-parallel overlapping flaws widely exist in engineering rock mass. Understanding their crack initiation and energy evolution characteristics is of great significance to ensure the stability of rock engineering. Based on the existing experiments, the influence of flaw inclination angles (β) on the crack initiation and energy evolution characteristics of rock samples with non-parallel overlapping flaws was studied by numerical simulation. The results show that (1) the uniaxial compressive strength, elastic modulus and crack initiation stress increase with the increase of flaw angle. (2) The boundary energy, strain energy and dissipated energy under peak stress increase with the increase of flaw angle; the dissipated energy increases the most. (3) With the increase of flaw angle, the tension stress zone is transferred to the flaw tip, and the zone is reduced gradually; the maximum tensile stress and the tension stress concentration decrease. (4) In the crack initiation stage, the influence of a lower flaw inclination angle (β ≤ 60°) on the lateral displacement field of the sample is higher than that of a high flaw inclination angle (β = 75°).
A DC Arc Fault Detection Method Based on AR Model for Photovoltaic Systems
Authors: Wang Yao , Li Xiang , Ban Yunsheng , Ma Xiaochen , Hao Chenguang , Zhou Jiawang , Cai Huimao
Published: October 2022

DC arc faults are dangerous to photovoltaic (PV) systems and can cause serious electric fire hazards and property damage. Because the PV inverter works in a high−frequency pulse width modulation (PWM) control mode, the arc fault detection is prone to nuisance tripping due to PV inverter noises. An arc fault detection method based on the autoregressive (AR) model is proposed. A test platform collects the database of this research according to the UL1699B standard, in which three different types of PV inverters are taken into consideration to make it more generalized. The arc current can be considered a nonstationary random signal while the noise of the PV inverter is not. According to the difference in randomness features between an arc and the noise, a detection method based on the AR model is proposed. The Burg algorithm is used to determine model coefficients, while the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) is applied to explore the best order of the proposed model. The correlation coefficient difference of the model coefficients plays a role as a criterion to identify if there is an arc fault. Moreover, a prototype circuit based on the TMS320F28033 MCU is built for algorithm verification. Test results show that the proposed algorithm can identify an arc fault without a false positive under different PV inverter conditions. The fault clearing time is between 60 ms to 80 ms, which can meet the requirement of 200 ms specified by the standard.
Conducting Thermographic Inspections in Electrical Substations: A Survey
Authors: Zarco-Periñán Pedro J. , Zarco-Soto Fco Javier , Zarco-Soto Irene M. , Martínez-Ramos José L.
Published: October 2022

Liberalization of the electricity market has forced the use of economic and efficient maintenance techniques. Thus, it is necessary to extend the useful life of the facilities in a perfect state of service, and with quality supply for customers. Furthermore, thermography is a maintenance technique that can be implemented quickly, has low cost, and is very effective in terms of the results provided. For this reason, it is very widespread within the electricity sector. As substations are critical facilities within the electrical supply, thermographic inspections are carried out on them very frequently. However, to ensure that the results obtained are reliable, a series of requirements must be met. A compilation of the complete process of the performance of a correct thermography in substations is shown. The factors that affect performing a correct thermographic inspection are indicated. These can be procedural, technical, and environmental. In addition, conditions for conducting thermographic inspections and the action to performed on a hot spot are indicated. The hot spot is usually identified with a current and wind speed other than nominal; these two variables can mask the true severity of the hot spot. For this reason, the extrapolation of the detected temperature to the nominal current conditions and in the absence of wind is carried out using a proposed formula. Finally, two examples of application of the proposed formula and the recommended action on them are exposed.
Numerical Investigation on the Correspondence between the Damping and Coefficient of Restitution (COR) in Rockfall Movement
Authors: Ai Yan , Liu Hongyan , Ge Ziwei
Published: October 2022

The rockfall process is characterized by bounces of a block on the ground. The coefficient of restitution (COR), which indicates the degree of rockfall energy dissipation, has a significant effect on the rockfall trajectory. The 3-dimensional Distinct Element Code (3DEC) is an effective tool to study the rockfall trajectory, and the damping can reflect the COR in numerical modeling. However, the relationship between damping and COR is not understood. A field test is numerically modelled to investigate the correspondence between damping and COR. A series of damping–COR correspondences are obtained and compared with the field test and its previous numerical simulation to verify the rationality of the correspondences. Then, the damping–COR correspondence is adopted in a typical rockslide in Yunnan province, China. The numerical results show that the proposed method is in good agreement with practical engineering. This study provides a new method for predicting rockfall trajectory.
Efficient Machine Learning Models for the Uplift Behavior of Helical Anchors in Dense Sand for Wind Energy Harvesting
Authors: Wang Le , Wu Mengting , Chen Hongzhen , Hao Dongxue , Tian Yinghui , Qi Chongchong
Published: October 2022

Helical anchors are widely used in engineering to resist tension, especially during offshore wind energy harvesting, and their uplift behavior in sand is influenced by many factors. Experimental studies are often used to investigate these anchors; however, scale effects are inevitable in 1× g model tests, soil conditions for in situ tests are challenging to control, and centrifuge tests are expensive and rare. To make full use of the limited valid data and to gain more knowledge about the uplift behaviors of helical anchors in sand, a prediction model integrating gradient-boosting decision trees (GBDT) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) was proposed in this study. Data obtained from a series of centrifuge tests formed the dataset of the prediction model. The relative density of soil, embedment ratio, helix spacing ratio, and the number of helices were used as input parameters, while the anchor mobilization distance and the ultimate monotonic uplift resistance were set as output parameters. A GBDT algorithm was used to construct the model, and a PSO algorithm was used for hyperparameter tuning. The results show that the optimal GBDT model accurately predicted the anchor mobilization distance and the ultimate monotonic uplift resistance of helical anchors in dense fine silica sand. By analyzing the relative importance of influencing variables, the embedment ratio was found to be the most significant variable in the model, while the relative density of the fine silica sand soil, the helix spacing ratio, and the number of helices had relatively minor influence. In particular, the helix spacing ratio was found to have no influence on the capacity of adjacent helices when S/D > 6.
Effect of Welding Sequence in Angular Distortion on Butt Joint GMAW Process
Authors: Afonso Inês S. , Martín Manuel Rodríguez , Ribeiro João E.
Published: October 2022

Over time, the industrial use of the welding process has grown in significance and is now one of the primary methods for joining metallic parts. During the welding process, metallurgical and structural modifications occur close to the welded joint. The thermal stresses and geometric distortions are undesirable, and they are a challenge to accurately forecast. Laboratory tests were conducted utilizing the GMAW method on S235JR steel as the base material with the goal of examining the impact of the welding sequence on angular distortion in butt joints when comparing three different welding sequences. Equipment that can determine coordinates in the operational space with metrological accuracy was used to measure distortions. As a result of metrological and statistical analyses, it was found that the sequence factor is shown to substantially influence the final distortions and that the symmetrical method results in less distortions followed by a one-step method.
Effects of Dexmedetomidine on the Localization of α2A-Adrenergic and Imidazoline Receptors in Mouse Testis
Authors: Nomura Hayato , Terayama Hayato , Kiyoshima Daisuke , Qu Ning , Shirose Kosuke , Tetsu Shuhei , Hayashi Shogo , Sakabe Kou , Suzuki Takeshi
Published: October 2022

Dexmedetomidine (DEX) used for sedation was reported to have organ-protecting effects in ischemia–reperfusion injury model animals. However, no testicular cell-protecting effect was observed with DEX treatment. The effects of DEX on a normal testis in vivo have not been reported. Therefore, DEX was administered to mice for 14 days to investigate the reproductive toxicology of DEX on the testis and the localization of DEX-responsive receptors. The testes, pituitary glands, and serum were examined and analyzed using real-time PCR, immunofluorescence staining, and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. In the testis, α2A-adrenergic receptors were observed in the cytoplasm of Leydig cells, while imidazoline receptors were observed in germ cells and Leydig cell cytoplasm. The levels of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone mRNA in the pituitary gland significantly temporarily decreased. Serum DEX could not be detected 26 h after DEX administration. DEX administration did not affect serum testosterone levels, some testicular mRNA related to spermatogenesis, and oxidative stress factors. Therefore, although DEX receptors are present in the testis, DEX is metabolized relatively quickly, and DEX administration has no damaging effects on the testis. This study is the first in vivo report about the effects of DEX administration on the testis.
Exchange of Heat Radiation between Human Body and Urban Environment: Characterization in Visible, Near-Infrared, and Far-Infrared Regions
Authors: Kono Takahiro , Naruse Yuichiro , Yamada Jun , Rajagopalan Uma Maheswari
Published: October 2022

In urban environments, radiation energy from the sun becomes a heat load on the human body. The radiation energy can be divided into visible, near-infrared, and far-infrared wavelengths. Far-infrared radiation is re-emitted from structures that have been warmed by the sun. On the other hand, visible and near-infrared light comes directly or reflected from structures. However, previous studies have measured environmental changes using only far-infrared cameras to study urban heat island (UHI) countermeasures. Therefore, it is important to measure the environmental radiation energy at each wavelength region to properly discuss the cause of the heat load. To conduct the measurements, we used three cameras operating at different wavelengths: visible, near-infrared, and far-infrared. In addition, the measurements were conducted in different urban locations, seasons, and weather conditions in the Tokyo area of Japan, an urban metropolis. The results for far-infrared wavelengths show that, in summer when the temperature is high, all structures except the sky have a positive heat load on the human body, while, in winter or cloudy weather when the temperature is low, the heat load on the human body is negative. The results of heat load measurements at visible and near-infrared wavelengths show that the heat load varies greatly depending on the proportion of sky, plants, and buildings, despite the proportion of ground area being the same. These results indicate that the differences in radiation wavelengths need to be considered when considering reducing the heat load on the human body in urban environments. Therefore, the proposed method could contribute to the development of more effective UHI countermeasures by measuring in a various environments and countries.
Learning to Prioritize Test Cases for Computer Aided Design Software via Quantifying Functional Units
Authors: Zeng Fenfang , Liu Shaoting , Yang Feng , Xu Yisen , Zhou Guofu , Xuan Jifeng
Published: October 2022

Computer Aided Design (CAD) is a family of techniques that support the automation of designing and drafting 2D and 3D models with computer programs. CAD software is a software platform that provides the process from designing to modeling, such as AutoCAD or FreeCAD. Due to complex functions, the quality of CAD software plays an important role in designing reliable 2D and 3D models. There are many dependencies between defects in CAD software. Software testing is a practical way to detect defects in CAD software development. However, it is expensive to frequently run all the test cases for all functions. In this paper, we design an approach to learning to prioritize test cases for the CAD software, called PriorCadTest. The key idea of this approach is to quantify functional units and to train a learnable model to prioritize test cases. The output of the approach is a sequence of existing test cases. We evaluate PriorCadTest on seven modules of an open-source real-world CAD project, ArtOfIllusion. The Average Percentage of Fault Detect (APFD) is used to measure the effectiveness. Experimental results show that the proposed approach outperforms the current industrial practice without test case prioritization.
Controlled Surface Morphology and Electrical Properties of Sputtered Titanium Nitride Thin Film for Metal–Insulator–Metal Structures
Authors: Dongquoc Viet , Seo Dong-Bum , Anh Cao Viet , Lee Jae-Hyun , Park Jun-Hong , Kim Eui-Tae
Published: October 2022

Titanium nitride (TiN) is a material of interest for electrodes owing to its high-temperature stability, robustness, low-cost, and suitable electrical properties. Herein, we studied the surface morphology and electrical properties of TiN thin film deposited onto an Si/SiO2 <100> substrate through direct current (DC) sputtering with a high-purity TiN target in an argon-gas environment. The electrical properties and surface morphology of TiN thin film significantly improved with increased source power and decreased working pressure. The improved electrical properties could be attributed to the suppressed secondary phase (Ti2N) formation and the reduced electron scattering on smoother surface. Consequently, high-quality TiN thin film with the lowest resistivity (ρ = 0.1 mΩ·cm) and the smallest surface roughness (RMS roughness, Rq = 0.3 nm) was obtained under the optimized condition. The TiN film was further used as the bottom electrode for a metal–insulator–metal (MIM) capacitor. Results demonstrated that the electrical properties of TiN film were comparable to those of noble-metal thin films. Therefore, the TiN thin film fabricated by DC sputtering method had excellent electrical properties and good Rq, indicating its potential applications in MIM capacitors and Si technology.
Stripe-Based Futurism-like Image—A New Type of Art and Its Application to Covert Communication
Authors: Liu Shan-Chun , Wu Da-Chun , Tsai Wen-Hsiang
Published: October 2022

The generation of art images using computers has been studied recently. A new type of art image called a stripe-based Futurism-like image, and its application to covert communication, are proposed. Firstly, a source image is segmented into regions. The region corners are extracted by chain code analysis, and polygon approximation is conducted accordingly to simplify the region shapes. Then, each region is partitioned into stripes according to the region direction and the stripes are filled with the region’s average color, or the color white alternatively, resulting in an image with the abstraction and dynamism of Futurism. Furthermore, a data hiding method is proposed to embed a secret message into the created art image by filling the stripes with the aforementioned colors in a message-dependent fashion, with the message bits being adjusted beforehand by a 2-to-3 mapping scheme to avoid filling a region’s stripes with consecutive identical colors. Furthermore, hidden data security is enhanced by randomizing both the message-bit embedding order and the region processing sequence via the use of a secret key. By processing a database of 100 images, good experimental results of art image creation and secure message hiding have been obtained, showing the feasibility of the proposed methods for covert communication.
On the Issues of NOx as Greenhouse Gases: An Ongoing Discussion…
Authors: Lasek Janusz Andrzej , Lajnert Radosław
Published: October 2022

Nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) emitted from a stationary combustion chamber (including waste to energy plants) or engines cause numerous undesirable environmental effects. These include negative influences on human and animal health, detrimental effects on plants and vegetation, acid rain, and smog. These negative influences are commonly accepted by the scientific community. However, the impact of NOx on the greenhouse effect (GHE) is not generally accepted by the scientific community. In this paper, the issue of the impact of NOx on the GHE is discussed, and it was analyzed and explained that NOx are an indirect greenhouse gas (GHG). However, the impact of NOx on the GHE is a complex process affected by different parameters (cooling and warming nature is possible). It has been estimated that NOx emitted from stationary, ground-placed sources (such as boilers and furnaces) have little impact on the GHE compared to CO2 and other direct GHGs. The contribution of NOx in the GHE compared to the emission of all GHGs is less than 3%. NOx sources from waste incineration and co-incineration plants were especially considered and analyzed. The co-incineration in smaller plants (capacity range of 1 ÷ 5 MW) gives more benefits to the environment due to a decrease in the NOx emission standards when the share of the waste increases.
Perception of Risks and Usefulness of Smart Video Surveillance Systems
Authors: Golda Thomas , Guaia Deborah , Wagner-Hartl Verena
Published: October 2022

The number of video cameras in public places increases due to different reasons such as detecting dangers (e.g., thefts, robberies, terrorist attacks) and security breaches in crowds. The application of video surveillance systems is sometimes evaluated ambivalently; therefore, the presented study focuses on factors influencing the acceptance of a privacy-friendly, smart video surveillance system. Overall, 216 persons aged between 18 and 81 years participated in an online survey. In terms of the perceived usefulness, there are significant interactions of public spaces × gender and public spaces × time of day. In addition, the assessment of different privacy levels of a video surveillance system differ significantly in terms of perceived risk. Interestingly, men rate the risk concerning their own privacy significantly higher than women do. Participants rate the presented system as fairly useful and slightly risky for their own privacy. The findings of the presented exploratory study provide insight into how people perceive smart video surveillance. These findings have the potential to support the conditions of the use of smart video surveillance systems and to address the possibly affected individuals.
Edge Intelligence Service Orchestration with Process Mining
Authors: Zhu Yong , Hu Zhihui , He Zhenyu
Published: October 2022

In the post-cloud computing era, edge computing as a distributed computing paradigm, integrating the core capabilities of computing, storage, network, and application, provides EIS (edge intelligence service), such as real-time business, data optimization, intelligent application, security, and privacy protection. The EIS has become the core value driver to promote the IoE (Internet of Everything), to dig deeply into data value and create a new ecology of application scenarios. With the emergence of new business processes, EIS orchestration has also become a hot topic in academic research. A design methodology based on a complete “describe-synthesize-verify-evaluate” process was established to explore executable design specifications for EIS by means of model validation and running instances. As proof of concept, a CPN (colored Petri net) prototype was simulated and its operational processes were discovered by process mining from event data available in EIS for behavior verification. The instances running on WISE-PaaS demonstrate the feasibility of the research methodology, which aims to optimize EIS through service orchestration.
Sedimentation of Microparticles in Highly Concentrated Non-Newtonian Emulsions
Authors: Błaszczyk Mariola M. , Przybysz Łukasz
Published: October 2022

From the perspective of many industrial products, it is important that no phase separation occurs over time, as this affects their quality. Therefore, every effort is made to maintain the stability of the systems by the addition of various stabilizers, but additional artificial ingredients often discourage consumers. However, there is another alternative possibility to maintain the stability of such systems by consciously controlling the parameters of liquids and solids, based on the knowledge of the mechanisms occurring between the components. This is of immeasurable importance also in cases where multicomponent systems need to be separated, which is particularly important in chemical engineering and environmental engineering. The paper presents an experimental study of the solids-sedimentation process in highly concentrated, stable emulsions that exhibit the properties of non-Newtonian liquids. A study based on turbidimetric techniques is presented in which the influence of both solids (average grain diameters 150–700 μm and concentration 0.2–0.4 g/mL) and emulsion parameters (concentration 60–70% and average droplet diameters of 8.24–15.72 μm) were taken into account. The occurring phenomena have been also explained. As a result, the dependence of system parameters on the intensity of the sedimentation process was determined. This can be of great practical importance in product design in the chemical, food, pharmaceutical, or even cosmetic industry.
RNAi-Based Biocontrol of Pests to Improve the Productivity and Welfare of Livestock Production
Authors: Menezes Pia S. , Yan Yakun , Yang Yunjia , Mitter Neena , Mahony Timothy J. , Mody Karishma T.
Published: October 2022

Insects and ectoparasites are causes for major concern throughout the world due to their economic and welfare impacts on livestock agriculture. Current control measures involve chemicals such as acaricides which pose challenges like chemical resistance and longer withholding periods. To enable more sustainable agriculture practices, it is important to develop technologies that combine targeted effectiveness with minimal environmental footprint. RNA interference (RNAi) is a eukaryotic process in which transcript expression is reduced in a sequence-specific manner. This makes it a perfect tool for developing efficient and effective biological control against pests and pathogens. Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is the key trigger molecule for inducing RNAi; this concept is widely studied for development of RNA-based biopesticides as an alternative to chemical controls in crop protection for targeting pests and pathogens with accuracy and specificity. In this review, we discuss key advances made using RNAi technology and how they can be applied to improve health in livestock industries. This includes research focused on different delivery mechanisms of dsRNA, important developments in regulatory frameworks, and risk identification, that will enable the future adoption of RNAi technologies to improve animal health.
Beyond Representation: Shanshui Motif on Chinese Porcelain and Portuguese Faience
Authors: Guo Mo , Min Rui
Published: October 2022

With the expedition of the Portuguese explorer Jorge Álvares in 1513, Portugal took the first step toward discovering the new world. Since then, the Portuguese have become messengers between Asia and Europe. They successfully created a unique image of China in Portuguese territory by accepting and spreading Chinese culture. However, people see what they can and what they want to see, which depends greatly on their cultural and philosophical perspectives. Therefore, when the Portuguese adopted and used Chinese traditional representations to create art through the prism of their own cultural and philosophical values, their subjective perspectives became involved, which could be reflected in their artistic creations. By decoding the shanshui motif on Chinese porcelain and Portuguese faience, this study aims to discuss the differences between Chinese and Portuguese views and explore what is beyond representations, which is related to aesthetic and cultural perspectives. This indicates that imitation without understanding and modification without intention give rise to a new aesthetic value, a distinct cultural phenomenon, and a mixed heritage where two worlds subtly intersect.
Hybrid Framework for Diabetic Retinopathy Stage Measurement Using Convolutional Neural Network and a Fuzzy Rules Inference System
Authors: Ghnemat Rawan
Published: October 2022

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is an increasingly common eye disorder that gradually damages the retina. Identification at the early stage can significantly reduce the severity of vision loss. Deep learning techniques provide detection for retinal images based on data size and quality, as the error rate increases with low-quality images and unbalanced data classes. This paper proposes a hybrid intelligent framework of a conventional neural network and a fuzzy inference system to measure the stages of DR automatically, Diabetic Retinopathy Stage Measurement using Conventional Neural Network and Fuzzy Inference System (DRSM-CNNFIS). The fuzzy inference used human experts’ rules to overcome data dependency problems. At first, the Conventional Neural Network (CNN) model was used for feature extraction, and then fuzzy rules were used to measure diabetic retinopathy stage percentage. The framework is trained using images from Kaggle datasets (Diabetic Retinopathy Detection, 2022). The efficacy of this framework outperformed the other models with regard to accuracy, macro average precision, macro average recall, and macro average F1 score: 0.9281, 0.7142, 0.7753, and 0.7301, respectively. The evaluation results indicate that the proposed framework, without any segmentation process, has a similar performance for all the classes, while the other classification models (Dense-Net-201, Inception-ResNet ResNet-50, Xception, and Ensemble methods) have different levels of performance for each class classification.
Analysis of Extreme Rainfall and Natural Disasters Events Using Satellite Precipitation Products in Different Regions of Brazil
Authors: Palharini Rayana , Vila Daniel , Rodrigues Daniele , Palharini Rodrigo , Mattos Enrique , Undurraga Eduardo
Published: October 2022

The number of natural disasters triggered by extreme events is increasing worldwide and significantly impacts modern society. Extreme rainfall is one of the most important factors contributing to these events. A better understanding of the physical process that causes extreme rainfall can allow rapid responses from decision-makers to lessen the impact of natural disasters on the local population. Satellite monitoring is widely used for this purpose and is essential for regions where terrestrial observations are limited or non-existent. The primary purpose of this study is to describe the performance of satellite products for extreme rainfall events that caused natural disasters in various climate regimes in Brazil and discuss the contribution of mesoscale convective systems (MCS) to these events. We defined regions based on the climatological rainfall distribution. Cases with rain values above the 99th percentile during 2012–2016 were considered statistically extreme. Our analysis is based on three datasets, with precipitation from (i) rain gauge stations, (ii) different satellite-based estimates, and (iii) mesoscale convective tracking data. The methodology was based on identifying extreme rainfall events, analyzing the performance of satellite precipitation estimates and, finally, quantifying the influence of convective systems on extreme rain. Although all regions of Brazil may be affected by natural disasters caused by extreme rains, the results suggest that the impacts caused in each region are different in magnitude. Convective systems explained over 90% of extreme rains in the case analyzed in Brazil’s south and about 60% to 90% of extreme rains in the case analyzed in the Northeast. In general, satellite products have identified rain events; however, in the southern region of Brazil, products have tended to overestimate rainfall, while other regions have tended to underestimate extreme rain values. The methods used in satellite precipitation estimation products have limitations to accurately identifying specific extreme rain events.
Simulation of Air Pollutants Emission by Trucks and Their Health Effects
Authors: Posada-Henao John Jairo , Restrepo-Peña Heliana Marcela , González-Calderón Carlos A.
Published: October 2022

This paper analyzes the amount of truck emissions and their variations according to changes in travel schedules or routes and the impact on human health represented by cases of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) due to PM2.5 emissions in Medellín, Colombia. To accomplish this, information on each vehicle was collected, including model, year, type of fuel used, Euro, and engine power trucks. The commercial vehicles were equipped with GPS to obtain second-to-second speed, location, acceleration, and deceleration; the rest of the data were provided by the vehicles’ owners. All this information was used to estimate emissions with the HBEFA model. The main findings show a decrease of approximately 38% in emissions by changing the truck circulation schedule to off-hours and a generation of 2.35 annual cases of ARI if the amount of PM2.5 increases 1 μg/m3. Moreover, this investigation proposes that the optimal inter-city speed for truck circulation is between 40 km/h and 50 km/h, and it is recommended that some cargo transport operations should be carried out during off-hours, especially at night.