bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
IN-VITRO BIOCONTROL POTENTIAL AND MECHANISM OF INHIBITION OF INDIGENOUS TRICHODERMA ISOLATES FROM SOUTHEAST SULAWESI PROVINCE OF INDONESIA AGAINST SCLEROTIUM ROLFSII
Authors: HS Gusnawaty , Taufik Muhammad , Satrah Vit Neru , Putri Novita Pramahsari , Mariadi Asniah,
Published: January 2021

Sclerotium rolfsii is an important plant pathogen and causes disease in some cultivated plants especially in Southeast Sulawesi. S. rolfsii is mainly controlled by using synthetic fungicides which are hazardous to human, livestock and environment. In the present study, eleven species of Trichoderma, indigenous to Southeast Sulawesi, were tested for their in vitro efficacy against S. rolfsii to replace deleterious fungicides. The analysis of variance showed significant results of the indigenous Trichoderma spp. against S. rolfsii. in in vitro test. All the Trichoderma isolates inhibited the growth of the test fungus differently. After three days of inoculation, ST1 treatment showed the highest inhibitory ability by 55.56% but was not significantly different from the inhibitory abilities of ST2, ST3, ST5, ST6, ST7, ST9, ST10, and ST11 treatments. The treatment ST4 and ST8 gave inhibitory abilities by 25.22% and 26.11% respectively. Furthermore, the data after 4, 5, 6 and 7 days after inoculation were also significant. The ST1 (DKT isolate) treatment gave the maximum inhibition of the test fungus after all the time intervals of seven days. On the other hand, ST8 (LKP isolate) treatment gave the lowest inhibitory ability. DKT isolate of indigenous Trichoderma had the highest inhibitory ability reaching to 55.56% on third days of observation while LKP isolate had the lowest inhibitory ability of 16.67% and then decreased subsequently. the antagonistic mechanisms of Trichoderma isolates were space and nutrition competition, antibiosis, and mycoparasitism. These results showed that Trichoderma indigenous to Southeast Sulawesi had better in vitro inhibitory ability to control S. rolfsii by the above-mentioned mechanisms.
A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TOMATO LEAF CURL VIRUS AND ITS MANAGEMENT
Authors: Mubeen Mustansar , Iftikhar Yasir , Shakeel Qaiser , Hassan Farazia , Abbas Aqleem , Ahmad Usama , Shahid Muhammad
Published: January 2021

The tomato crop is affected by various biotic and abiotic factors. Among the biotic factors, Tomato Leaf Curl Virus (TLCV) is one of the most devastating viruses of tomato. The virus belongs to Begomovirus and family Gemniniviridae. The genome of virus is single-stranded-DNA. It is naturally transmitted through whitefly (Bemisia tabaci). The virus is responsible for causing severe economic losses up to 80% in tomato crop-growing regions and continuously threatening the tomato crops. The increasing severity of TLCV has compelled plant virologists to develop accurate detection and identification of the virus. TLCV is responsible for certain biochemical changes and considerably affecting the plant growth. Tomato Leaf Curl Virus is significantly influenced physiological parameters and metabolic activities of all tomato varieties. The biochemical changes of cellular components are caused due to morphological deviation of infected virus plants, and symptoms expressed by the plants can determine the magnitude of the vegetable losses. It is evident from the previous reports, that nutrients were effective in reducing TLCV from a tomato plant. Moreover, the usage of resistant varieties and controlling of whitefly population and management of TLCV by different nutrients are some of the economical and recommendable ways to manage TLCV. Among the organic management strategies, the compost is also considered best in suppressing disease severity. Moreover, epidemiology plays a vital role in the spread and progress of the disease. Keeping in view the importance of TLCV and its effects on tomato crop, the present review will highlight the etiology, physiology and management of TLCV.
THE IMPACT OF TRANSGENIC BRINJAL FOR THE CONTROL OF LEUCINODES ORBONALIS GUENEE AND POSSIBLE EFFECTS ON NON-TARGET ARTHROPODS: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW
Authors: Muhammad Wali , Javed Khadija , Javed Humayun , Ahmad Munir , Khan Muhammad Azam
Published: January 2021

Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) is the most important vegetable crop in the Asia Pacific region, with Pakistan being the seventh largest producer. There are many biotic and abiotic factors affecting its production in terms of quantity and quality including insect pests as a significant constraint. In Pakistan, the brinjal shoot and fruit borer, Leucinodes orbonalis is the major insect pest of brinjal. However, some other chewing and sap-sucking insects are also essential pests. Bt-brinjal, a transgenic variety, has been introduced in India and Bangladesh for the management of lepidopteran pests. Before the commercialization of transgenic brinjal in Pakistan, it must be assessed for its effects on the environment and non-target organisms. This study is presenting the overview of transgenic brinjal as an option to manage brinjal shoot and fruit borer along with current and future challenges in areas of its commercialization.
SPODOPTERA FRUGIPERDA (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE), AN INVASIVE PEST IN AGRICULTURAL CROPS AND ITS MANAGEMENT
Authors: Tahir Ahmad Hassan , Tariq Muhammad , Mazhar Aqsa , Shehzad Muhammad
Published: January 2021

Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) commonly known as fall armyworm (FAW),Â is a pest that invaded the sub-tropical and tropical regions of America. In 2016, it was reported for the first time in central Africa and within a year it was reported from many countries of Africa. It then spread in Asia and in 2018 it was reported in India, and now its infestation was seen in Pakistan. Its strong flight, climatic adaptableness and large host range makes it a good colonizing agent as compared to other species of Spodoptera. In potential managing strategies we must know about its primary information such as its biology, host range, habitat and favorable conditions. Identification and life cycle is the most important process in the management of this pest. IPM strategies include physical and cultural control, botanical control, biological control and chemical control. These strategies will help in management of FAW. All these aspects have been reviewed in this article.
The origins of severe software defects method
Authors: Hillah Nico
Published: December 2020

Identifying the causes which may potentially generate high financial damage was the goal of our research. To reach this goal, we conducted a case study on a system in the field of education. We studied the software defects of this system over several months and classified them based on two classification concepts: the EVOLIS and their severity. These defects prevent any essential operation or activity to be conducted through the concerned system or other systems connected to it. In fact, the occurrence of these failures causes a double financial cost to organizations: one in fixing them and the other one because of the unavailability of the system or systems. We targeted three types of software defects as sources of these failures. We conducted this study by classifying 665 software defects of a school management system and we found that the top two trigger groups are the technology and the IS architecture groups. This result led us to propose a method to identify the origins of severe software defects.
Planimetric Determination of the Static Space of Cull Sows as the First Step towards a Recommendation of Loading Densities for Cull Sows during Road Transportation in the European Union
Authors: Arndt Heidi , Spindler Birgit , Hohmeier Stephanie , Hartung Jörg , Kemper Nicole
Published: December 2020

The available floor space is an important welfare factor for cull sows during transportation. Sows of modern genetics reach a size and weight far exceeding those of fattening pigs. In most countries, there are no binding, consistent regulations for the maximum loading densities, especially for sows during road transportation. As a first step towards such recommendations, the physical floor space requirement (static space) of 100 sows of a current breed, while standing and lying down, were determined using contrast-based planimetry. An average sow covered about 0.42–0.47 m2 (standing postures) up to 0.53–0.63 m2 (lying postures). The largest measured area was 0.72 m2 for a sow lying in the belly-chest position. We detected a significant dependency of the covered floor area and the live weight, which supports the common practice to derive space requirements and recommendations based on live weight. Also, our results suggest that especially heavy sows, under currently usual loading densities, are at risk of having insufficient floor space requirements during transport. The results cannot be used to define the space required by a sow to carry out movements or sustain the individual need for distance (social/dynamic space) but provide data on the static space covered by sows of current breeds.
Genome-Wide Identification, Characterization, and Expression Analyses of P-Type ATPase Superfamily Genes in Soybean
Authors: Zhao Bingqian , Wu Haicheng , Xu Wenjing , Zhang Wei , Chen Xi , Zhu Yiyong , Chen Huatao , Zeng Houqing
Published: December 2020

P-type ATPases are transmembrane pumps of cations and phospholipids. They are energized by hydrolysis of ATP and play important roles in a wide range of fundamental cellular and physiological processes during plant growth and development. However, the P-type ATPase superfamily genes have not been characterized in soybean. Here, we performed genome-wide bioinformatic and expression analyses of the P-type ATPase superfamily genes in order to explore the potential functions of P-type ATPases in soybean. A total of 105 putative P-type ATPase genes were identified in the soybean genome. Phylogenetic relationship analysis of the P-type ATPase genes indicated that they can be divided into five subfamilies including P1B, P2A/B, P3A, P4 and P5. Proteins belonging to the same subfamily shared conserved domains. Forty-seven gene pairs were related to segmental duplication, which contributed to the expansion of the P-type ATPase genes during the evolution of soybean. Most of the P-type ATPase genes contained hormonal- and/or stress-related cis-elements in their promoter regions. Expression analysis by retrieving RNA-sequencing datasets suggested that almost all of the P-type ATPase genes could be detected in soybean tissues, and some genes showed tissue-specific expression patterns. Nearly half of the P-type ATPase genes were found to be significantly induced or repressed under stresses like salt, drought, cold, flooding, and/or phosphate starvation. Four genes were significantly affected by rhizobia inoculation in root hairs. The induction of two P2B-ATPase genes, GmACA1 and GmACA2, by phosphate starvation was confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR. This study provides information for understanding the evolution and biological functions of the P-type ATPase superfamily genes in soybean.
Rootstock Genotypes Shape the Response of cv. Pinot gris to Water Deficit
Authors: Faralli Michele , Bianchedi Pier Lugi , Bertamini Massimo , Varotto Claudio
Published: December 2020

Understanding the physiological basis underlying the water stress responses in grapevine is becoming increasingly topical owing to the challenges that climate change will impose to grapevine agriculture. Here we used cv. Pinot gris (clone H1), grafted on a series of tolerant (1103Paulsen; P), sensitive (SO4) and recently selected (Georgikon28; G28, Georgikon121; G121, Zamor17; Z17) rootstocks. Plants were either subjected to reduced water availability (WS) or maintained at pot capacity (WW). Photosynthetic (light response curves), stomatal and in vivo gas exchange analysis were carried out as well as dynamics of daily water use (WU), leaf area accumulation with affordable RGB imaging pipelines and leaf water potential. Significant genotypic variation was recorded between rootstocks for most of the traits analyzed under optimal conditions with P and SO4 showing a more vigorous growth, higher CO2 assimilation rate, stomatal conductance and stomatal density per unit of leaf area than G28, G121, Z17 (p < 0.001). Under WS, rootstocks induced different water stress response in Pinot gris, with G28 and G121 showing a higher sensitivity of water use to reduced water availability (WS) (p = 0.021) and no variation for midday leaf water potential until severe WS. P, Z17 and to some extent SO4 induced a pronounced near-anisohydric response with a general WU maintenance followed by reduction in leaf water potential even at high levels of soil water content. In addition, G28 and G121 showed a less marked slope in the linear relationship between daily water use and VPD (p = 0.008) suggesting elevated sensitivity of transpiration to evaporative demand. This led to an insensitivity for total dry weight biomass of G28 and G121 under WS conditions (p < 0.001). This work provides: (i) an in-depth analysis for a series of preferable traits under WS in Pinot gris; (ii) a characterization of Pinot gris × rootstock interaction and a series of desirable traits under WS induced by several rootstocks; (iii) the potential benefit for the use a series of affordable methods (e.g., RGB imaging) to easily detect dynamic changes in biomass in grapevine and quickly phenotype genotypes with superior responses under WS. In conclusion, the near-isohydric and conservative behavior observed for G28 and G121 coupled with their low vigor suggest them as potential Pinot gris rootstock candidates for sustaining grapevine productivity in shallow soils likely to develop terminal stress conditions.
Radical Response: Effects of Heat Stress-Induced Oxidative Stress on Lipid Metabolism in the Avian Liver
Authors: Emami Nima K. , Jung Usuk , Voy Brynn , Dridi Sami
Published: December 2020

Lipid metabolism in avian species places unique demands on the liver in comparison to most mammals. The avian liver synthesizes the vast majority of fatty acids that provide energy and support cell membrane synthesis throughout the bird. Egg production intensifies demands to the liver as hepatic lipids are needed to create the yolk. The enzymatic reactions that underlie de novo lipogenesis are energetically demanding and require a precise balance of vitamins and cofactors to proceed efficiently. External stressors such as overnutrition or nutrient deficiency can disrupt this balance and compromise the liver’s ability to support metabolic needs. Heat stress is an increasingly prevalent environmental factor that impairs lipid metabolism in the avian liver. The effects of heat stress-induced oxidative stress on hepatic lipid metabolism are of particular concern in modern commercial chickens due to the threat to global poultry production. Chickens are highly vulnerable to heat stress because of their limited capacity to dissipate heat, high metabolic activity, high internal body temperature, and narrow zone of thermal tolerance. Modern lines of both broiler (meat-type) and layer (egg-type) chickens are especially sensitive to heat stress because of the high rates of mitochondrial metabolism. While this oxidative metabolism supports growth and egg production, it also yields oxidative stress that can damage mitochondria, cellular membranes and proteins, making the birds more vulnerable to other stressors in the environment. Studies to date indicate that oxidative and heat stress interact to disrupt hepatic lipid metabolism and compromise performance and well-being in both broilers and layers. The purpose of this review is to summarize the impact of heat stress-induced oxidative stress on lipid metabolism in the avian liver. Recent advances that shed light on molecular mechanisms and potential nutritional/managerial strategies to counteract the negative effects of heat stress-induced oxidative stress to the avian liver are also integrated.
Protective Role of Nrf2 in Renal Disease
Authors: Guerrero-Hue Melania , Rayego-Mateos Sandra , Vázquez-Carballo Cristina , Palomino-Antolín Alejandra , García-Caballero Cristina , Opazo-Rios Lucas , Morgado-Pascual José Luis , Herencia Carmen , Mas Sebastián , Ortiz Alberto , Rubio-Navarro Alfonso , Egea Javier , Villalba José Manuel , Egido Jesús , Moreno Juan Antonio
Published: December 2020

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the fastest-growing causes of death and is predicted to become by 2040 the fifth global cause of death. CKD is characterized by increased oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. However, therapies to slow or prevent CKD progression remain an unmet need. Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2) is a transcription factor that plays a key role in protection against oxidative stress and regulation of the inflammatory response. Consequently, the use of compounds targeting Nrf2 has generated growing interest for nephrologists. Pre-clinical and clinical studies have demonstrated that Nrf2-inducing strategies prevent CKD progression and protect from acute kidney injury (AKI). In this article, we review current knowledge on the protective mechanisms mediated by Nrf2 against kidney injury, novel therapeutic strategies to induce Nrf2 activation, and the status of ongoing clinical trials targeting Nrf2 in renal diseases.
Insight Study on the Comparison between Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and Its Bulk Impact on Reproductive Performance, Antioxidant Levels, Gene Expression, and Histopathology of Testes in Male Rats
Authors: Goma Amira A. , Tohamy Hossam G. , El-Kazaz Sara E. , Soliman Mohamed M. , Shukry Mustafa , Elgazzar Ahmed M. , Rashed Rashed R.
Published: December 2020

Background: Despite the beneficial effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) on different biomedical applications, including their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ones, it might have cytotoxic and genotoxic impacts on the male reproductive system. Objective: The current study compares the effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles and their bulk form, at different doses, on male rats’ reproductive performance, testicular antioxidants, gene expression, and histopathology. Materials and Methods: Thirty male rats were randomly allocated equally in five groups. The control one was injected with Tween 80 (10%). The zinc oxide nanoparticle (ZnONP) groups received ZnONPs < 50 nm, specifically, 5 mg/kg (ZnONP-1) and 10 mg/kg (ZnONP-2). The bulk zinc oxide (BZnO) groups were administered 5 mg/kg (BZnO-1) and 10 mg/kg (BZnO-2), correspondingly. Rats were injected intraperitoneally with the respected materials, twice/week for eight consecutive weeks. Finally, the male rats’ sexual behavior and their pup’s performance were determined in a monogamous mating system. Rats were then anesthetized and sacrificed for semen characteristics evaluation and tissue collection for antioxidant and hormones analysis, gene expression, and histopathological examination. Results: It was shown that ZnONP-1 improved sexual behavior, semen characteristics, and pup’s performance compared to its bulk form. Similarly, the testicular antioxidants activity, glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased with a decrease in the malonaldehyde (MDA), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) levels. It also improves the reproductive hormone levels and mRNA expression of different steroidogenesis-associated genes and anti-apoptotic genes. Conclusion: It can be concluded that zinc oxide nanoparticles, administered at 5 mg/kg, had the most beneficial effect on male reproductive performance, while 10 mg/kg could have a detrimental effect.
Towards an AI-Based Tailored Training Planning for Road Cyclists: A Case Study
Authors: Silacci Alessandro , Taiar Redha , Caon Maurizio
Published: December 2020

In a world where the data is a central piece, we provide a novel technique to design training plans for road cyclists. This study exposes an in-depth review of a virtual coach based on state-of-the-art artificial intelligence techniques to schedule road cycling training sessions. Together with a dozen of road cycling participants’ training data, we were able to create and verify an e-coach dedicated to any level of road cyclists. The system can provide near-human coaching advice on the training of cycling athletes based on their past capabilities. In this case study, we extend the tests of our empirical research project and analyze the results provided by experts. Results of the conducted experiments show that the computational intelligence of our system can compete with human coaches at training planification. In this case study, we evaluate the system we previously developed and provide new insights and paths of amelioration for systems based on artificial intelligence for athletes. We observe that our system performs equal or better than the control training plans in 14 and 24 week training periods where it was evaluated as better in 4 of our 5 test components. We also report a higher statistical difference in the results of the experts’ evaluations between the control and virtual coach training plan (24 weeks; training load: X2 = 4.751; resting time quantity: X2 = 3.040; resting time distance: X2 = 2.550; efficiency: X2 = 2.142).
Oil Sludge Deposition in Storage Tanks: A Case Study for Russian Crude Oil in Mo-he Station
Authors: Jiang Huayu , Wang Yumo , Nie Chaofei , Yan Feng , Ouyang Xin , Gong Jing
Published: December 2020

The oil tank can form a considerable amount of sludge deposition after continuous accumulation, which cause a seriously negative impact on both the storage capacity and the safe operation of the oil tank. Therefore, it is important to anticipate the rate of sludge deposition in advance so that proper measures can be planned to remove this heavy layer on the bottom. This paper proposes a method using a relatively simple formula for predicting the sludge deposits. The sedimentation mechanism of wax and asphaltene is introduced and summarized from both the micro and macro aspects, the factors causing the interaction between particles and the influence on coalescence were analyzed. We applied our prediction methods to calculate the sludge deposition of four oil tanks in Mo-he Station and compared our results with the data measured by experiments. The results show that our method had a good general accuracy to experimental data and can be used directly for on-site engineers to anticipate real sludge height before measuring the oil level inside the tank.
Enhancement of the Shielding Capability of Soda–Lime Glasses with Sb2O3 Dopant: A Potential Material for Radiation Safety in Nuclear Installations
Authors: Sayyed M.I. , Mahmoud K.A. , Tashlykov O.L. , Khandaker Mayeen Uddin , Faruque M.R.I.
Published: December 2020

Elastic moduli were theoretically computed using the Makishima–Mackenzie model for SiO2–Na2O–CaO glasses doped with Sb2O3 contents. The calculated elastic moduli (Young’s, bulk, shear, and longitudinal modulus) were observed to increase with an increase in the Sb2O3 contents. The microhardness showed an increase, while Poisson’s ratio decreased with the rise of the Sb2O3 contents. In addition, gamma-ray and neutron shielding parameters were evaluated for the investigated glasses. The linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) was simulated using the Monte Carlo N-particle transport code (MCNP-5). Other parameters, such as the mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), transmission factor (TF), and half-value layer, were calculated based on the simulated LAC. The addition of Sb2O3 content was observed to enhance the investigated glasses’ shielding parameters, where the highest LAC was achieved for the SCNSb10 glass with 10 mol% Sb2O3 and decreased from 0.441 to 0.154 cm−1 at gamma energies between 0.248 and 1.406 MeV. Furthermore, the fast neutron effective removal cross-section (∑R) was computed theoretically. The calculated results showed that the highest ∑R was equal to 0.0341 cm2g−1 and was obtained for the SCNSb0 glass, which had no Sb2O3 content, while the lowest ∑R was equal to 0.0286 cm2 g−1 for the SCNSb10 glass sample. The present work was carried out to examine the advantages of the soda–lime glasses with different Sb2O3 contents in several photon shielding applications, especially for radiation safety in nuclear installations.
A Multi-Agent System for Data Fusion Techniques Applied to the Internet of Things Enabling Physical Rehabilitation Monitoring
Authors: Blas Héctor Sánchez San , Mendes André Sales , Encinas Francisco García , Silva Luís Augusto , González Gabriel Villarubia
Published: December 2020

There are more than 800 million people in the world with chronic diseases. Many of these people do not have easy access to healthcare facilities for recovery. Telerehabilitation seeks to provide a solution to this problem. According to the researchers, the topic has been treated as medical aid, making an exchange between technological issues such as the Internet of Things and virtual reality. The main objective of this work is to design a distributed platform to monitor the patient’s movements and status during rehabilitation exercises. Later, this information can be processed and analyzed remotely by the doctor assigned to the patient. In this way, the doctor can follow the patient’s progress, enhancing the improvement and recovery process. To achieve this, a case study has been made using a PANGEA-based multi-agent system that coordinates different parts of the architecture using ubiquitous computing techniques. In addition, the system uses real-time feedback from the patient. This feedback system makes the patients aware of their errors so that they can improve their performance in later executions. An evaluation was carried out with real patients, achieving promising results.
4D Printing of Origami Structures for Minimally Invasive Surgeries Using Functional Scaffold
Authors: Langford Thomas , Mohammed Abdullah , Essa Khamis , Elshaer Amr , Hassanin Hany
Published: December 2020

Origami structures have attracted attention in biomedical applications due to their ability to develop surgical tools that can be expanded from a minimal volume to a larger and functional device. On the other hand, four-dimensional (4D) printing is an emerging technology, which involves 3D printing of smart materials that can respond to external stimuli such as heat. This short communication introduces the proof of concept of merging origami and 4D printing technologies to develop minimally invasive delivery of functional biomedical scaffolds with high shape recovery. The shape-memory effect (SME) of the PLA filament and the origami designs were also assessed in terms of deformability and recovery rate. The results showed that herringbone tessellation origami structure combined with internal natural cancellous bone core satisfies the design requirement of foldable scaffolds. The substantial and consistent SME of the 4D printed herringbone tessellation origami, which exhibited 96% recovery compared to 61% for PLA filament, was the most significant discovery of this paper. The experiments demonstrated how the use of 4D printing in situ with origami structures could achieve reliable and repeatable results, therefore conclusively proving how 4D printing of origami structures can be applied to biomedical scaffolds.
Key Technology and Experimental Study of Unequal Pitches Meshing between Metal Worm and Plastic Helical Gears
Authors: Shi Zhaoyao , Ren Jihua , Feng Zhipeng , Li Jing
Published: December 2020

In traditional gear design, the design theory is based on a rigid hypothesis and is popularly adopted in the preparation of metal gear. Plastic gear designing lacks a mature design theory. Hence, scholars still follow the traditional gear design theory. There is a marked difference in the rigidity and stiffness between the conventional gear design and plastic gear features. In traditional design theory, the deformation is 0.2% (Note: To assess the material yield, conditional yield strength is calculated). Designing deformation can exceed 2% for plastic gears, and the difference can sometimes be more than tenfold. The traditional design theory cannot match the gear strength and precision in the design of plastic gear. In the case of plastic gear, due to numerous meshing teeth, the 2% deformation seen cannot be neglected and should be taken into account in the presence and absence of loading to improve the meshing condition. Improvement in the gear loading ability and reduction in the meshing noise can thus be achieved. Herein, we propose an unequal pitch design theory. The results of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and experimental verification showed that the strength could be increased by 24% for unequal pitch design theory.
An Updated Review of Smac Mimetics, LCL161, Birinapant, and GDC-0152 in Cancer Treatment
Authors: Chang Yung-Chieh , Cheung Chun Hei Antonio
Published: December 2020

Inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) are suggested as therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. Smac/DIABLO is a natural IAP antagonist in cells; therefore, Smac mimetics have been developed for cancer treatment in the past decade. In this article, we review the anti-cancer potency and novel molecular targets of LCL161, birinapant, and GDC-0152. Preclinical studies demonstrated that Smac mimetics not only induce apoptosis but also arrest cell cycle, induce necroptosis, and induce immune storm in vitro and in vivo. The safety and tolerance of Smac mimetics are evaluated in phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials. In addition, the combination of Smac mimetics and chemotherapeutic compounds was reported to improve anti-cancer effects. Interestingly, the novel anti-cancer molecular mechanism of action of Smac mimetics was reported in recent studies, suggesting that many unknown functions of Smac mimetics still need to be revealed. Exploring these currently unknown signaling pathways is important to provide hints for the modification and combination therapy of further compounds.
Lightning Protection of Photovoltaic Systems: Computation of the Developed Potentials
Authors: Damianaki Katerina , Christodoulou Christos , Kokalis Christos-Christodoulos , Kyritsis Anastasios , Ellinas Emmanouil , Vita Vasiliki , Gonos Ioannis
Published: December 2020

In this paper, the performance of a lightning protection system (LPS) on a grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) park is studied by simulating different scenarios with the use of an appropriate software tool. The aim of this paper is to highlight the importance of an LPS and optimize its design for the protection of equipment and personnel in case of a direct lightning strike. In particular, developed potential due to lightning strikes is examined considering isolated and non-isolated external LPS. Moreover, the effect of the separation distance on the lightning performance of the PV installation is investigated for different soil structures and grounding systems. The extracted results are expected to support the design and implementation of a secure PV park and endorse its uninterrupted operation considering techno-economically balanced protection measures.
X-Reality Museums: Unifying the Virtual and Real World Towards Realistic Virtual Museums
Authors: Margetis George , Apostolakis Konstantinos C. , Ntoa Stavroula , Papagiannakis George , Stephanidis Constantine
Published: December 2020

Culture is a field that is currently entering a revolutionary phase, no longer being a privilege for the few, but expanding to new audiences who are urged to not only passively consume cultural heritage content, but actually participate and assimilate it on their own. In this context, museums have already embraced new technologies as part of their exhibitions, many of them featuring augmented or virtual reality artifacts. The presented work proposes the synthesis of augmented, virtual and mixed reality technologies to provide unified X-Reality experiences in realistic virtual museums, engaging visitors in an interactive and seamless fusion of physical and virtual worlds that will feature virtual agents exhibiting naturalistic behavior. Visitors will be able to interact with the virtual agents, as they would with real world counterparts. The envisioned approach is expected to not only provide refined experiences for museum visitors, but also achieve high quality entertainment combined with more effective knowledge acquisition.
A New SORM Method for Structural Reliability with Hybrid Uncertain Variables
Authors: Wang Pidong , Yang Lechang , Zhao Ning , Li Lefei , Wang Dan
Published: December 2020

(1) Background: in practical applications, probabilistic and non-probabilistic information often simultaneously exit. For a complex system with a nonlinear limit-state function, the analysis and evaluation of the reliability are imperative yet challenging tasks. (2) Methods: an improved second-order method is proposed for reliability analysis in the presence of both random and interval variables, where a novel polar transformation is employed. This method enables a unified reliability analysis taking both random variables and bounded intervals into account, simplifying the calculation by transforming a high-dimension limit-state function into a bivariate state function. The obtained nonlinear probability density functions of two variables in the function inherit the statistic characteristics of interval and random variables. The proposed method does not require any strong assumptions and so it can be used in various practical engineering applications. (3) Results: the proposed method is validated via two numerical examples. A comparative study towards a contemporary algorithm in state-of-the-art literature is carried out to demonstrate the benefits of our method. (4) Conclusions: the proposed method outperforms existing methods both in efficiency and accuracy, especially for cases with strong nonlinearity.
Evaluation of Siltation Degree of Permeable Asphalt Pavement and Detection of Noise Reduction Degree
Authors: Chen Shuang , Lin Xuechun , Zheng Chuanfeng , Guo Xuedong , Chen Wuxing
Published: December 2020

This study mainly uses PFC (particle follow code) to simulate the void characteristics of permeable asphalt mixture, and uses these to simulate the silting process. Then, a tire drop test was used to evaluate the noise reduction performance of permeable asphalt concrete. Finally, a self-made ring rutting test machine was used to simulate the silting process. Through experiments, the following conclusions were obtained: 1. The critical size of the sludge particle size is 0.3 mm–0.6 mm. 2. The quality of the water-permeable asphalt concrete specimens increased by 13% before and after silting, and the porosity of the specimens finally decreased from about 20% to about 8%. The water-permeable function only retained less than 20% of the original, and the water-permeable function was basically lost. 3. By measuring the road noise detection, it was found that the road noise is directly proportional to the degree of blockage of the permeable road. Compared with the original road with a perfect permeable function, the road noise of the completely blocked road increased by about 4 decibels. This study reveals the silting process of permeable asphalt mixture and the key particle size of the silt, which is of great significance for the detection, cleaning and maintenance of permeable asphalt pavements.
The Knudsen Paradox in Micro-Channel Poiseuille Flows with a Symmetric Particle
Authors: Kannan Ananda Subramani , Narahari Tejas Sharma Bangalore , Bharadhwaj Yashas , Mark Andreas , Sardina Gaetano , Maggiolo Dario , Sasic Srdjan , Ström Henrik
Published: December 2020

The Knudsen paradox—the non-monotonous variation of mass-flow rate with the Knudsen number—is a unique and well-established signature of micro-channel rarefied flows. A particle which is not of insignificant size in relation to the duct geometry can significantly alter the flow behavior when introduced in such a system. In this work, we investigate the effects of a stationary particle on a micro-channel Poiseuille flow, from continuum to free-molecular conditions, using the direct simulation Monte-Carlo (DSMC) method. We establish a hydrodynamic basis for such an investigation by evaluating the flow around the particle and study the blockage effect on the Knudsen paradox. Our results show that with the presence of a particle this paradoxical behavior is altered. The effect is more significant as the particle becomes large and results from a shift towards relatively more ballistic molecular motion at shorter geometrical distances. The need to account for combinations of local and non-local transport effects in modeling reactive gas–solid flows in confined geometries at the nano-scale and in nanofabrication of model pore systems is discussed in relation to these results.
Reactive Balance Control for Legged Robots under Visco-Elastic Contacts
Authors: Flayols Thomas , Del Prete Andrea , Khadiv Majid , Mansard Nicolas , Righetti Ludovic
Published: December 2020

Contacts between robots and environment are often assumed to be rigid for control purposes. This assumption can lead to poor performance when contacts are soft and/or underdamped. However, the problem of balancing on soft contacts has not received much attention in the literature. This paper presents two novel approaches to control a legged robot balancing on visco-elastic contacts, and compares them to other two state-of-the-art methods. Our simulation results show that performance heavily depends on the contact stiffness and the noises/uncertainties introduced in the simulation. Briefly, the two novel controllers performed best for soft/medium contacts, whereas “inverse-dynamics control under rigid-contact assumptions” was the best one for stiff contacts. Admittance control was instead the most robust, but suffered in terms of performance. These results shed light on this challenging problem, while pointing out interesting directions for future investigation.
The Determination of Pullout Parameters for Sand with a Geogrid
Authors: Park Kyungho , Kim Daehyeon , Park Jongbeom , Na Hyunho
Published: December 2020

The concept of designing mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls is divided into internal and external stability review methods, and one of the design factors required in internal stability analysis is the frictional characteristics between soil and geogrids for civil engineering applications. Typical methods for evaluating the frictional characteristics between soil and geogrids include the direct shear test and pullout test. It is desirable to apply the pullout test to geogrid reinforcements for pulling out geogrids embedded in soil, to measure both the surface-frictional force and passive resistance at the same time. Pullout parameters can be significantly affected by confining the stress and tensile strength of reinforcements. In general, the pullout parameters tend to be overestimated for low confining stresses in the pullout test, and underestimated for high confining stresses. Therefore, to address these issues, this study aims to evaluate the influence of the confining stress and the tensile strength of a geogrid reinforcement in the pullout test, and to propose a reasonable method for obtaining practical pullout parameters. Based on the pullout tests, the maximum pullout force depending on the tensile strength of the geogrid reinforcement was measured for one-third of the reinforcement tensile strength, and it was ruptured when pullout force greater than the maximum pullout force was exerted. Furthermore, it was observed that, in the reinforcement pullout test, pullout force was measured in the whole area of the reinforcement at a confining stress smaller than one-half of the tensile strength of the grid. As a result, the effective confining stress method considering only the confining stress at which the reinforcement is fully pulled out to develop the pullout characteristics can be a practical method for obtaining pullout parameters without regard to the reinforcement tensile strength.
Targeting Penicillium expansum GMC Oxidoreductase with High Affinity Small Molecules for Reducing Patulin Production
Authors: Tragni Vincenzo , Cotugno Pietro , De Grassi Anna , Cavalluzzi Maria Maddalena , Mincuzzi Annamaria , Lentini Giovanni , Sanzani Simona Marianna , Ippolito Antonio , Pierri Ciro Leonardo
Published: December 2020

Flavine adenine dinucleotide (FAD) dependent glucose methanol choline oxidoreductase (GMC oxidoreductase) is the terminal key enzyme of the patulin biosynthetic pathway. GMC oxidoreductase catalyzes the oxidative ring closure of (E)-ascladiol to patulin. Currently, no protein involved in the patulin biosynthesis in Penicillium expansum has been experimentally characterized or solved by X-ray diffraction. Consequently, nothing is known about P. expansum GMC oxidoreductase substrate-binding site and mode of action. In the present investigation, a 3D comparative model for P. expansum GMC oxidoreductase has been described. Furthermore, a multistep computational approach was used to identify P. expansum GMC oxidoreductase residues involved in the FAD binding and in substrate recognition. Notably, the obtained 3D comparative model of P. expansum GMC oxidoreductase was used for performing a virtual screening of a chemical/drug library, which allowed to predict new GMC oxidoreductase high affinity ligands to be tested in in vitro/in vivo assays. In vitro assays performed in presence of 6-hydroxycoumarin and meticrane, among the highly affinity predicted binders, confirmed a dose-dependent inhibition (17–81%) of patulin production by 6-hydroxycoumarin (10 µM–1 mM concentration range), whereas the approved drug meticrane inhibited patulin production by 43% already at 10 µM. Furthermore, 6-hydroxycoumarin and meticrane caused a 60 and 41% reduction of patulin production, respectively, in vivo on apples at 100 µg/wound.
Display of Microbial Glucose Dehydrogenase and Cholesterol Oxidase on the Yeast Cell Surface for the Detection of Blood Biochemical Parameters
Authors: Zhao Shiyao , Guo Dong , Zhu Quanchao , Dou Weiwang , Guan Wenjun
Published: December 2020

High levels of blood glucose are always associated with numerous complications including cholesterol abnormalities. Therefore, it is important to simultaneously monitor blood glucose and cholesterol levels in patients with diabetes during the management of chronic diseases. In this study, a glucose dehydrogenase from Aspergillus oryzae TI and a cholesterol oxidase from Chromobacterium sp. DS-1 were displayed on the surface of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, respectively, using the yeast surface display system at a high copy number. In addition, two whole-cell biosensors were constructed through the immobilization of the above yeast cells on electrodes, for electrochemical detection of glucose and cholesterol. The assay time was 8.5 s for the glucose biosensors and 30 s for the cholesterol biosensors. Under optimal conditions, the cholesterol biosensor exhibited a linear range from 2 to 6 mmol·L−1. The glucose biosensor responded efficiently to the presence of glucose at a concentration range of 20–600 mg·dL−1 (1.4–33.3 mmol·L−1) and showed excellent anti-xylose interference properties. Both biosensors exhibited good performance at room temperature and remained stable over a three-week storage period.
Numerically Evaluation of FRP-Strengthened Members under Dynamic Impact Loading
Authors: Tahmasebinia Faham , Zhang Linda , Park Sangwoo , Sepasgozar Samad
Published: December 2020

Reinforced concrete (RC) members in critical structures, such as bridge piers, high-rise buildings, and offshore facilities, are vulnerable to impact loads throughout their service life. For example, vehicle collisions, accidental loading, or unpredicted attacks could occur. The numerical models presented in this paper are shown to adequately replicate the impact behaviour and damage process of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP)-strengthened concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) columns and Reinforced Concrete slabs. Validated models are developed using Abaqus/Explicit by reproducing the results obtained from experimental testing on bare CFST and RC slab members. Parameters relating to the FRP and material components are investigated to determine the influence on structural behaviour. The innovative method of using the dissipated energy approach for structural evaluation provides an assessment of the effective use of FRP and material properties to enhance the dynamic response. The outcome of the evaluation, including the geometrical, material, and contact properties modelling, shows that there is an agreement between the numerical and experimental behaviour of the selected concrete members. The experimentation shows that the calibration of the models is a crucial task, which was considered and resulted in matching the force–displacement behaviour and achieving the same maximum impact force and displacement values. Different novel and complicated Finite Element Models were comprehensively developed. The developed numerical models could precisely predict both local and global structural responses in the different reinforced concrete members. The application of the current numerical techniques can be extended to design structural members where there are no reliable practical guidelines on both national and international levels.
Editorial: Special Issue on “Advanced Strategies for Catalyst Design”
Authors: Orian Laura
Published: December 2020

The word catalyst comes from the Greek κατα’λυσις, which means dissolution and was introduced in 1836 by the Swedish Berzelius [...]
Role of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Regenerative Therapy
Authors: Vasanthan Jayavardini , Gurusamy Narasimman , Rajasingh Sheeja , Sigamani Vinoth , Kirankumar Shivaani , Thomas Edwin L. , Rajasingh Johnson
Published: December 2020

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells which can proliferate and replace dead cells in the body. MSCs also secrete immunomodulatory molecules, creating a regenerative microenvironment that has an excellent potential for tissue regeneration. MSCs can be easily isolated and grown in vitro for various applications. For the past two decades, MSCs have been used in research, and many assays and tests have been developed proving that MSCs are an excellent cell source for therapy. This review focusses on quality control parameters required for applications of MSCs including colony formation, surface markers, differentiation potentials, and telomere length. Further, the specific mechanisms of action of MSCs under various conditions such as trans-differentiation, cell fusion, mitochondrial transfer, and secretion of extracellular vesicles are discussed. This review aims to underline the applications and benefits of MSCs in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.
MMP-7 Serum and Tissue Levels Are Associated with Poor Survival in Platinum-Treated Bladder Cancer Patients
Authors: Szarvas Tibor , Hoffmann Michèle J. , Olah Csilla , Szekely Eszter , Kiss Andras , Hess Jochen , Tschirdewahn Stephan , Hadaschik Boris , Grotheer Vera , Nyirady Peter , Csizmarik Anita , Varadi Melinda , Reis Henning
Published: December 2020

Chemotherapy resistance is a main cause of therapeutic failure and death in bladder cancer. With the approval of immune checkpoint inhibitors, prediction of platinum treatment became of great clinical importance. Matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) was shown to be involved in cisplatin resistance. Therefore, tissue and circulating MMP-7 levels were evaluated in 124 bladder cancer patients who received postoperative platinum-based chemotherapy. Tissue MMP-7 levels were analyzed by immunohistochemistry in 72 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded chemo-naïve tumor samples, while MMP-7 serum concentrations were determined in 132 serum samples of an independent cohort of 52 patients. MMP-7 tissue and serum levels were correlated with clinicopathological and follow-up data. MMP-7 gene expression was determined by RT-qPCR in 20 urothelial cancer cell lines and two non-malignant urothelial cell lines. MMP-7 was overexpressed in RT-112 and T-24 cells by stable transfection, to assess its functional involvement in platinum sensitivity. High MMP-7 tissue expression and pretreatment serum concentrations were independently associated with poor overall survival (tissue HR = 2.296, 95%CI = 1.235–4.268 and p = 0.009; serum HR = 2.743, 95%CI = 1.258–5.984 and p = 0.011). Therefore, MMP-7 tissue and serum analysis may help to optimize therapeutic decisions. Stable overexpression in RT-112 and T-24 cells did not affect platinum sensitivity.