bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Celiac Disease-Related Epitopes and Gluten Fractions, and Identification of Associated Loci in Durum Wheat
Authors: Taranto Francesca , D’Agostino Nunzio , Catellani Marcello , Laviano Luca , Ronga Domenico , Milc Justyna , Prandi Barbara , Boukid Fatma , Sforza Stefano , Graziano Sara , Gullì Mariolina , Visioli Giovanna , Marmiroli Nelson , Badeck Franz-W. , Minervini Anna Paola , Pecorella Ivano , Pecchioni Nicola , De Vita Pasquale , Francia Enrico
Published: August 2020

While durum wheat is a major food source in Mediterranean countries, storage (i.e., gluten) proteins are however responsible for celiac disease (CD), a serious autoimmune disease that occurs in genetically predisposed subjects. Different gluten epitopes—defined as “immunogenic” (IP) and “toxic” (TP) peptides—are involved in the pathology and their content in wheat grain depends on environmental and genetic factors. Detection of IP and TP is not trivial, and no work has been conducted so far to identify the genomic regions associated with their accumulation in wheat. In the present study, a genome-wide association study was performed on a durum wheat collection to identify marker–trait associations (MTAs) between 5730 high quality SNPs and the accumulation of CD-related peptides and gluten protein composition measured in two consecutive cropping seasons (2015/2016 and 2016/2017). High-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) were more stable between the two years, and differences in total gluten proteins were mainly due to low-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GS) and accumulation of gliadins. In the first instance, association tests were conducted on yellow pigment content (YP), a highly inheritable trait with a well-known genetic basis, and several significant MTAs were found corresponding to loci already known for being related to YP. These findings showed that MTAs found for the rest of the measured traits were reliable. In total, 28 significant MTAs were found for gluten composition, while 14 were found to be associated with IP and TP. Noteworthy, neither significant (−log10p > 4.7) nor suggestive (−log10p > 3.3) MTAs for the accumulation of CD-triggering epitopes were found on Gli-A1/Glu-A3 and Gli-B1/Glu-B3 loci, thus suggesting regulatory rather than structural gene effect. A PBF transcription factor on chromosome 5B, known to be involved in the regulation of the expression of CD-related peptides, was identified among the positional candidate genes in the LD-decay range around significant SNPs. Results obtained in the present study provide useful insights and resources for the long-term objective of selecting low-toxic durum wheat varieties while maintaining satisfactory gluten quality.
Effects of Feeding Increasing Levels of Yerba Mate on Lamb Meat Quality and Antioxidant Activity
Authors: Pena-Bermudez Yuli A. , Lobo Richard R. , Rojas-Moreno Danny A. , Poleti Mirele D. , Amorim Tamyres R. de , Rosa Alessandra F. , Pereira Angélica S. C. , Pinheiro Rafael S. B. , Bueno Ives C. S.
Published: August 2020

The present study investigated the inclusion of yerba mate extract (YME) in the lamb’s diet on meat quality traits, antioxidant activity, and shelf-life. Thirty–six lambs were distributed according to a block design with the following groups: control group without YME (0%) and three treatment groups with 1, 2, and 4% YME inclusion in the dry matter. The animals were fed these diets for 53 days. Samples were collected from the Longissimusthoracis (LT) muscle to analyze antioxidant activity and meat quality. Samples were placed on a counter display simulating a retail environment for 0, 3, and 6 days at 4 ± 2 °C. All data were analyzed using a MIXED model with orthogonal contrasts. Inclusion of 1 and 4% YME in the diet changed the yellow (b*) and the chroma (C*) of the meat (p ≤ 0.05). The pH, colour, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, and carbonyl values were influenced by the retail display time for all the evaluated treatments (p ≤ 0.03). However, neither diet nor the retail display time influenced the oxidation of proteins or the antioxidant enzyme activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and glutathione activity (GSH) in meat. Therefore, the inclusion of 4% YME showed positive results in the yellow and colour stability parameters of the meat without increasing the lipid peroxidation values or altering the normal meat quality parameters in lambs.
Use of Different Cooling Methods in Pig Facilities to Alleviate the Effects of Heat Stress—A Review
Authors: Godyń Dorota , Herbut Piotr , Angrecka Sabina , Corrêa Vieira Frederico Márcio
Published: August 2020

An increase in the frequency of hot periods, which has been observed over the past decades, determines the novel approach to livestock facilities improvement. The effects of heat stress are revealed in disorders in physiological processes, impaired immunity, changes in behaviour and decreases in animal production, thus implementation of cooling technologies is a key factor for alleviating these negative consequences. In pig facilities, various cooling methods have been implemented. Air temperature may be decreased by using adiabatic cooling technology such as a high-pressure fogging system or evaporative pads. In modern-type buildings large-surface evaporative pads may support a tunnel ventilation system. Currently a lot of attention has also been paid to developing energy- and water-saving cooling methods, using for example an earth-air or earth-to-water heat exchanger. The pigs’ skin surface may be cooled by using sprinkling nozzles, high-velocity air stream or conductive cooling pads. The effectiveness of these technologies is discussed in this article, taking into consideration the indicators of animal welfare such as respiratory rate, skin surface and body core temperature, performance parameters and behavioural changes.
Addendum: Eom, T. K. et al. Dendropanax morbifera Leaf Polyphenolic Compounds: Optimal Extraction Using the Response Surface Method and Their Protective Effects against Alcohol-Induced Liver Damage. Antioxidants 2020, 9, 120
Authors: Eom Taekil , Kim Kyeoung Cheol , Kim Ju-Sung
Published: August 2020

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...]
Multi-Objective, Reliability-Based Design Optimization of a Steering Linkage
Authors: Sleesongsom Suwin , Bureerat Sujin
Published: August 2020

Reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) of a mechanism is normally based on the non-probabilistic model, which is viewed as failure possibility constraints in each optimization loop. It leads to a double-loop nested problem that causes a computationally expensive evaluation. Several methods have been developed to solve the problem, which are expected to increase the realization of optimum results and computational efficiency. The purpose of this paper was to develop a new technique of RBDO that can reduce the complexity of the double-loop nested problem to a single-loop. This involves using a multi-objective evolutionary technique combined with the worst-case scenario and fuzzy sets, known as a multi-objective, reliability-based design optimization (MORBDO). The optimization test problem and a steering linkage design were used to validate the performance of the proposed technique. The proposed technique can reduce the complexity of the design problem, producing results that are more conservative and realizable.
Hybrid Learning of Hand-Crafted and Deep-Activated Features Using Particle Swarm Optimization and Optimized Support Vector Machine for Tuberculosis Screening
Authors: Win Khin Yadanar , Maneerat Noppadol , Hamamoto Kazuhiko , Sreng Syna
Published: August 2020

Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading infectious killer, especially for people with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Early diagnosis of TB is crucial for disease treatment and control. Radiology is a fundamental diagnostic tool used to screen or triage TB. Automated chest x-rays analysis can facilitate and expedite TB screening with fast and accurate reports of radiological findings and can rapidly screen large populations and alleviate a shortage of skilled experts in remote areas. We describe a hybrid feature-learning algorithm for automatic screening of TB in chest x-rays: it first segmented the lung regions using the DeepLabv3+ model. Then, six sets of hand-crafted features from statistical textures, local binary pattern, GIST, histogram of oriented gradients (HOG), pyramid histogram of oriented gradients and bags of visual words (BoVW), and nine sets of deep-activated features from AlexNet, GoogLeNet, InceptionV3, XceptionNet, ResNet-50, SqueezeNet, ShuffleNet, MobileNet, and DenseNet, were extracted. The dominant features of each feature set were selected using particle swarm optimization, and then separately input to an optimized support vector machine classifier to label ‘normal’ and ‘TB’ x-rays. GIST, HOG, BoVW from hand-crafted features, and MobileNet and DenseNet from deep-activated features performed better than the others. Finally, we combined these five best-performing feature sets to build a hybrid-learning algorithm. Using the Montgomery County (MC) and Shenzen datasets, we found that the hybrid features of GIST, HOG, BoVW, MobileNet and DenseNet, performed best, achieving an accuracy of 92.5% for the MC dataset and 95.5% for the Shenzen dataset.
Does Platelet-Rich Fibrin Decrease Dimensional Changes and Improve Postoperative Comfort in Post-Extraction Sockets? An Overview of Systematic Reviews
Authors: Moraschini Vittorio , Mourão Carlos Fernando de Almeida Barros , Machado Rafael Coutinho de Mello , Nascimento Jhonathan Raphaell Barros , Javid Kayvon , Calasans-Maia Monica Diuana , Cardarelli Angelo , Montemezzi Pietro , Calasans-Maia Jose de Albuquerque
Published: August 2020

This overview aimed to evaluate the methods, quality, and outcomes of systematic reviews (SRs) conducted to investigate the effects of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) in dental sockets on promoting bone regeneration and soft tissue healing and diminishing the incidence of pain, swelling, trismus, and alveolar osteitis after tooth extraction. An electronic search without date or language restriction was done in PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane, and Web of Science until March 2020. Eligibility criteria included SRs that assessed the effect of PRF for human alveolar socket preservation. The quality assessment of the included studies was performed using AMSTAR 2 guidelines. The protocol of this overview was recorded in PROSPERO under the number CRD42018089617. The search and selection process yielded 13 studies published between 2011 and 2018. The analysis of the studies showed inconclusive data for the effect of the PRF and the dimensional changes. There is no definitive evidence for the impact of using PRF alone on bone regeneration in post-extraction sockets. The use of PRF improves soft tissue healing and reduces pain, bleeding, and osteitis in post-extraction sockets.
A Review of Training and Guidance Systems in Medical Surgery
Authors: Escobar-Castillejos David , Noguez Julieta , Bello Fernando , Neri Luis , Magana Alejandra J. , Benes Bedrich
Published: August 2020

In this paper, a map of the state of the art of recent medical simulators that provide evaluation and guidance for surgical procedures is performed. The systems are reviewed and compared from the viewpoint of the used technology, force feedback, learning evaluation, didactic and visual aid, guidance, data collection and storage, and type of solution (commercial or non-commercial). The works’ assessment was made to identify if—(1) current applications can provide assistance and track performance in training, and (2) virtual environments are more suitable for practicing than physical applications. Automatic analysis of the papers was performed to minimize subjective bias. It was found that some works limit themselves to recording the session data to evaluate them internally, while others assess it and provide immediate user feedback. However, it was found that few works are currently implementing guidance, aid during sessions, and assessment. Current trends suggest that the evaluation process’s automation could reduce the workload of experts and let them focus on improving the curriculum covered in medical education. Lastly, this paper also draws several conclusions, observations per area, and suggestions for future work.
Investigation on Modeling and Formation Mechanism of Dynamic Rotational Error for Spindle-Rolling Bearing System
Authors: Hu Gaofeng , Chen Ye , Cui Liangyu , Jin Gang , Wang Tingjian , Qi Houjun , Tian Yanling
Published: August 2020

In the field of precision machining, the spindle-rolling bearing (SRB) system is widely used on the machine tool as one of the most fundamental and important components. The rotational error motions of the SRB system have significant effects on the machining accuracy (contour accuracy and surface roughness). Over the past decades, much work has been focused on the measurement of spindle balancing and rotational error motions, the vibrations response induced by the nonlinear stiffness and surface waviness of the bearing. However, the formative mechanism of the rotational error motions for the SRB system is not well understood. In this paper, the dynamic model of the SRB system considering the bearing nonlinearity is established. Seeking to reveal the effects of surface waviness of the bearing raceway, unbalance mass and disturbance force on the dynamic rotational error, the modeling method and formative mechanism of the dynamic rotational error for the SRB system is explored both theoretically and experimentally. Then, numerical simulation is performed to analyze the influence of the bearing raceway waviness, unbalance mass and disturbance force on the dynamic rotational error. An experimental setup is established based on a typical SRB system and a series of experiments are carried out. The experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical and simulation results, which can demonstrate the feasibility and validity of the modeling method. Furthermore, this method can be effectively applied to the design and development phases of an SRB system to improve dynamic rotational accuracy.
A C-BiLSTM Approach to Classify Construction Accident Reports
Authors: Zhang Jinyue , Zi Lijun , Hou Yuexian , Deng Da , Jiang Wenting , Wang Mingen
Published: August 2020

The construction sector is widely recognized as having the most hazardous working environment among the various business sectors, and many research studies have focused on injury prevention strategies for use on construction sites. The risk-based theory emphasizes the analysis of accident causes extracted from accident reports to understand, predict, and prevent the occurrence of construction accidents. The first step in the analysis is to classify the incidents from a massive number of reports into different cause categories, a task which is usually performed on a manual basis by domain experts. The research described in this paper proposes a convolutional bidirectional long short-term memory (C-BiLSTM)-based method to automatically classify construction accident reports. The proposed approach was applied on a dataset of construction accident narratives obtained from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration website, and the results indicate that this model performs better than some of the classic machine learning models commonly used in classification tasks, including support vector machine (SVM), naïve Bayes (NB), and logistic regression (LR). The results of this study can help safety managers to develop risk management strategies.
Can We Survive without Labelled Data in NLP? Transfer Learning for Open Information Extraction
Authors: Sarhan Injy , Spruit Marco
Published: August 2020

Various tasks in natural language processing (NLP) suffer from lack of labelled training data, which deep neural networks are hungry for. In this paper, we relied upon features learned to generate relation triples from the open information extraction (OIE) task. First, we studied how transferable these features are from one OIE domain to another, such as from a news domain to a bio-medical domain. Second, we analyzed their transferability to a semantically related NLP task, namely, relation extraction (RE). We thereby contribute to answering the question: can OIE help us achieve adequate NLP performance without labelled data? Our results showed comparable performance when using inductive transfer learning in both experiments by relying on a very small amount of the target data, wherein promising results were achieved. When transferring to the OIE bio-medical domain, we achieved an F-measure of 78.0%, only 1% lower when compared to traditional learning. Additionally, transferring to RE using an inductive approach scored an F-measure of 67.2%, which was 3.8% lower than training and testing on the same task. Hereby, our analysis shows that OIE can act as a reliable source task.
Mechanism and Investment Analysis of Recycling Gasoline Solvent with Mineral Powder for Asphalt Cleaning
Authors: Wang Fusong , Li Hechuan , Jiang Qi , Yang Chao , Li Yuanyuan , Wu Shaopeng
Published: August 2020

Gasoline is widely used as a powerful organic solvent to remove asphalt residuals in road engineering applications; however, it is also known as a non-renewable fuel resource. This research aims to employ mineral powder to mitigate the consumption of gasoline in asphalt binder cleaning process, and evaluate its mechanism, environmental and economic benefits. Based on X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) spectra, X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectra and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) detection, the microstructure and composition of mineral powder was investigated after adsorbing asphalt components from gasoline solution. Fourier Transform Infrared spectra (FTIR) were used to calculate the adsorption efficiency. Moreover, the assessments of environmental and economic impacts of investigated approach were evaluated quantitatively. The results indicated that the interactions between mineral powder and asphalt binder have not changed the crystal phase, and the rough interface of mineral powder could adsorb approximately 4% asphalt binder from the gasoline solution according to the detection of Zn. The comparative analysis, regarding cost-effectiveness and environmental impacts, demonstrated that once 1 kg asphalt adsorbed by mineral powder, recycling gasoline with mineral powder, could reduce costs by 80% (CNY 57.10), energy use by 97% (352.88 MJ) and equivalent CO2 emission by 93% (23.95 kg).
A Study of Waterproof Reinforcement Layers for the Post-Cracking Behavior of Fiber Reinforced Concrete
Authors: Kim Jung-Il , Gong Min-Ho , Song Je-Young , Oh Sang-Keun , Kim Byoungil
Published: August 2020

In this study, in order to protect the concrete layer from slab sinking cracks in the factory floor layer, four types of reinforcing materials with a notable waterproof performance are fixed at the bottom. Furthermore, short fibers mixed with concrete in order to evaluate the load transfer mechanism and residual stress retention ability are used. The change in flexural strength due to the waterproof reinforcement varied from about 10 to 48% depending on the type of reinforcing material, and the flexural strength of the specimen reinforced with Typar and Preprufe was demonstrated to be the best. Additionally, the increase in flexural strength due to the combination of the SF20 + Typar and MF2.8 + Preprufe specimens was remarkable. After the concrete matrix cracking, the toughness resulting from the fiber pull-out resistance and the increase in the reaction force of the waterproof reinforcement showed a marked improvement in all the test specimens. The test specimen reinforced with Typar demonstrated the best crack resistance regardless of the fiber type. The crack transfer mechanism in the concrete floor can be summarized in that the fiber pull-out resistance and the reaction force of the waterproof reinforcement immediately after cracking causes a reduction of the crack length (l) from the rapid load transfer, and as a result, the fiber bridging zone (lf) is widely protected. Therefore, it is determined that the residual stress rises, maintains, and slows, as the resistance of the fiber bridging in the cracked section and the effect of the waterproofing reinforcement layer is combined.
Vehicle Detection with Self-Training for Adaptative Video Processing Embedded Platform
Authors: Cygert Sebastian , Czyżewski Andrzej
Published: August 2020

Traffic monitoring from closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras on embedded systems is the subject of the performed experiments. Solving this problem encounters difficulties related to the hardware limitations, and possible camera placement in various positions which affects the system performance. To satisfy the hardware requirements, vehicle detection is performed using a lightweight Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), named SqueezeDet, while, for tracking, the Simple Online and Realtime Tracking (SORT) algorithm is applied, allowing for real-time processing on an NVIDIA Jetson Tx2. To allow for adaptation of the system to the deployment environment, a procedure was implemented leading to generating labels in an unsupervised manner with the help of background modelling and the tracking algorithm. The acquired labels are further used for fine-tuning the model, resulting in a meaningful increase in the traffic estimation accuracy, and moreover, adding only minimal human effort to the process allows for further accuracy improvement. The proposed methods, and the results of experiments organised under real-world test conditions are presented in the paper.
Tunable Optical Bistability, Tristability and Multistability in Arrays of Graphene
Authors: Zhao Xiuju , Xu Bin , Kong Xiangna , Zhong Dong , Fang Ming , Zhao Dong
Published: August 2020

The optical bistability, tristability and multistability are explored in arrays of graphene. The arrays are periodically arranged spatially by single sheets of graphene. Optical bistability could be achieved with a strong enough incident intensity of light wave. The thresholds of optical bistability and the intervals between the upper and lower thresholds change with the surface conductivity of graphene and the incident wavelength. By increasing the intensity of incident light, tristability and multistability can be induced as well. Furthermore, the thresholds of bistability, tristability and multistability can be regulated via the chemical potential of graphene. This study may have potential applications in optical logic gates, all-optical switches and photomemory.
Thermal Conductivity and Stability of Novel Aqueous Graphene Oxide–Al2O3 Hybrid Nanofluids for Cold Energy Storage
Authors: Gao Yuguo , An Jiancai , Xi Yangyang , Yang Zhenzhong , Liu Junjun , Mujumdar Arun S. , Wang Lijun , Sasmito Agus P.
Published: August 2020

Thermal ice storage has gained a lot of interest due to its ability as cold energy storage. However, low thermal conductivity and high supercooling degree have become major issues during thermal cycling. For reducing the cost and making full use of the advantages of the graphene oxide–Al2O3, this study proposes heat transfer enhancement of thermal ice storage using novel hybrid nanofluids of aqueous graphene oxide–Al2O3. Thermal conductivity of aqueous graphene oxide–Al2O3 nanofluid was measured experimentally over a range of temperatures (0–70 °C) and concentrations. Thermal conductivity of ice mixing with the hybrid nanoparticles was tested. The influences of pH, dispersant, ultrasonic power and ultrasonic time on the stability of the hybrid nanofluids were examined. A new model for the effective thermal conductivity of the hybrid nanofluids considering the structure and Brownian motion was proposed. The results showed that pH, dispersant, ultrasonic power level and ultrasonication duration are important factors affecting the stability of the hybrid nanofluids tested. The optimum conditions for stability are pH = 11, 1% SDS, 375 W ultrasonic power level and 120 min ultrasonic application time. The thermal conductivity of hybrid nanofluids increases with the increase of temperature and mass fraction of nanoparticles. A newly proposed thermal conductivity model considering the nanofluid structure and Brownian motion can predict the thermal conductivity of hybrid nanofluids reasonably well.
Quantum Proxy Signature Scheme with Discrete Time Quantum Walks and Quantum One-Time Pad CNOT Operation
Authors: Feng Yanyan , Zhang Qian , Shi Jinjing , Chen Shuhui , Shi Ronghua
Published: August 2020

The quantum proxy signature is one of the most significant formalisms in quantum signatures. We put forward a quantum proxy signature scheme using quantum walk-based teleportation and quantum one-time pad CNOT (QOTP-CNOT) operation, which includes four phases, i.e., initializing phase, authorizing phase, signing phase and verifying phase. The QOTP-CNOT is achieved by attaching the CNOT operation upon the QOTP and it is applied to produce the proxy signature state. The quantum walk-based teleportation is employed to transfer the encrypted message copy derived from the binary random sequence from the proxy signer to the verifier, in which the required entangled states do not need to be prepared ahead and they can be automatically generated during quantum walks. Security analysis demonstrates that the presented proxy signature scheme has impossibility of denial from the proxy and original signers, impossibility of forgery from the original signatory and the verifier, and impossibility of repudiation from the verifier. Notably, the discussion shows the complexity of the presented algorithm and that the scheme can be applied in many real scenarios, such as electronic payment and electronic commerce.
Preliminary Results on Different Text Processing Tasks Using Encoder-Decoder Networks and the Causal Feature Extractor
Authors: Javaloy Adrián , García-Mateos Ginés
Published: August 2020

Deep learning methods are gaining popularity in different application domains, and especially in natural language processing. It is commonly believed that using a large enough dataset and an adequate network architecture, almost any processing problem can be solved. A frequent and widely used typology is the encoder-decoder architecture, where the input data is transformed into an intermediate code by means of an encoder, and then a decoder takes this code to produce its output. Different types of networks can be used in the encoder and the decoder, depending on the problem of interest, such as convolutional neural networks (CNN) or long-short term memories (LSTM). This paper uses for the encoder a method recently proposed, called Causal Feature Extractor (CFE). It is based on causal convolutions (i.e., convolutions that depend only on one direction of the input), dilatation (i.e., increasing the aperture size of the convolutions) and bidirectionality (i.e., independent networks in both directions). Some preliminary results are presented on three different tasks and compared with state-of-the-art methods: bilingual translation, LaTeX decompilation and audio transcription. The proposed method achieves promising results, showing its ubiquity to work with text, audio and images. Moreover, it has a shorter training time, requiring less time per iteration, and a good use of the attention mechanisms based on attention matrices.
SDN-Based Control of IoT Network by Brain-Inspired Bayesian Attractor Model and Network Slicing
Authors: Alparslan Onur , Arakawa Shin’ichi , Murata Masayuki
Published: August 2020

One of the models in the literature for modeling the behavior of the brain is the Bayesian attractor model, which is a kind of machine-learning algorithm. According to this model, the brain assigns stochastic variables to possible decisions (attractors) and chooses one of them when enough evidence is collected from sensory systems to achieve a confidence level high enough to make a decision. In this paper, we introduce a software defined networking (SDN) application based on a brain-inspired Bayesian attractor model for identification of the current traffic pattern for the supervision and automation of Internet of things (IoT) networks that exhibit a limited number of traffic patterns. In a real SDN testbed, we demonstrate that our SDN application can identify the traffic patterns using a limited set of fluctuating network statistics of edge link utilization. Moreover, we show that our application can improve core link utilization and the power efficiency of IoT networks by immediately applying a pre-calculated network configuration optimized by traffic engineering with network slicing for the identified pattern.
Measurements of Indoor and Outdoor Fine Particulate Matter during the Heating Period in Jinan, in North China: Chemical Composition, Health Risk, and Source Apportionment
Authors: Gao Xiaomei , Gao Weidong , Sun Xiaoyan , Jiang Wei , Wang Ziyi , Li Wenshuai
Published: August 2020

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was simultaneously collected from the indoor and outdoor environments in urban area of Jinan in North China from November to December 2018 to evaluate the characteristics and sources of indoor PM2.5 pollution. The concentrations of indoor and outdoor PM2.5 were 69.0 ± 50.5 µg m−3 and 128.7 ± 67.9 µg m−3, respectively, much higher than the WHO-established 24-h standards for PM2.5, indicating serious PM2.5 pollution of indoor and outdoor environments in urban Jinan. SO42−, NO3−, NH4+, and organic carbon (OC) were the predominant components, which accounted for more than 60% of the PM2.5 concentration. The total elemental risk values in urban Jinan for the three highly vulnerable groups of population (children (aged 2–6 years and 6–12 years) and older adults (≥70 years)) were nearly 1, indicating that exposure to all of the elements in PM2.5 had potential non-carcinogenic risks to human health. Further analyses of the indoor/outdoor concentration ratios, infiltration rates (FINF), and indoor-generated concentration (Cig) indicated that indoor PM2.5 and its major chemical components (SO42−, NO3−, NH4+, OC, and elemental carbon) were primarily determined by outdoor pollution. The lower indoor NO3−/SO42− ratio and FINF of NO3− relative to the outdoor values were due to the volatility of NO3−. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was performed to estimate the sources of PM2.5 using the combined datasets of indoor and outdoor environments and revealed that secondary aerosols, dust, cement production, and coal combustion/metal smelting were the major sources during the sampling period.
Application of Fibre Bragg Grating Sensors in Strain Monitoring and Fracture Recovery of Human Femur Bone
Authors: Najafzadeh Ali , Serandi Gunawardena Dinusha , Liu Zhengyong , Tran Ton , Tam Hwa-Yaw , Fu Jing , K. Chen Bernard
Published: August 2020

Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors are gaining popularity in biomedical engineering. However, specific standards for in vivo testing for their use are absolutely limited. In this study, in vitro experimental tests were performed to investigate the behaviors and applications of gratings attached to intact and fractured thighbone for a range of compression loading (<300 N) based around some usual daily activities. The wavelength shifts and the corresponding strain sensitivities of the FBG sensors were measured to determine their effectiveness in monitoring the femoral fracture healing process. Four different arrangements of FBG sensors were selected to measure strains at different critical locations on the femoral sawbones surface. Data obtained for intact and plated sawbones were compared using both embedded longitudinal and coiled FBG arrays. Strains were measured close to the fracture, posterior linea aspera and popliteal surface areas, as well as at the proximal and distal ends of the synthetic femur; their responses are discussed herein. The gratings on the longitudinally secured FBG arrays were found to provide high levels of sensitivity and precise measurements, even for relatively small loads (<100 N). Nevertheless, embedding angled FBG sensors is essential to measure the strain generated by applied torque on the femur bone. The maximum recorded strain of the plated femur was 503.97 µε for longitudinal and −274.97 µε for coiled FBG arrays, respectively. These project results are important to configure effective arrangements and orientations of FBG sensors with respect to fracture position and fixation implant for future in vivo experiments.
The Combined Effects of Varroa destructor Parasitism and Exposure to Neonicotinoids Affects Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L.) Memory and Gene Expression
Authors: Morfin Nuria , Goodwin Paul H. , Guzman-Novoa Ernesto
Published: August 2020

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are exposed biotic and abiotic stressors but little is known about their combined effect and impact on neural processes such as learning and memory, which could affect behaviours that are important for individual and colony survival. This study measured memory with the proboscis extension response (PER) assay as well as the expression of neural genes in bees chronically exposed to three different sublethal doses of the insecticide clothianidin and/or the parasitic mite Varroa destructor. The proportion of bees that positively responded to PER at 24 and 48 h post-training (hpt) was significantly reduced when exposed to clothianidin. V. destructor parasitism reduced the proportion of bees that responded to PER at 48 hpt. Combined effects between the lowest clothianidin dose and V. destructor for the proportion of bees that responded to PER were found at 24 hpt. Clothianidin, V. destructor and their combination differentially affected the expression of the neural-related genes, AmNrx-1 (neurexin), AmNlg-1 (neuroligin), and AmAChE-2 (acetylcholinesterase). Different doses of clothianidin down-regulated or up-regulated the genes, whereas V. destructor tended to have a down-regulatory effect. It appears that clothianidin and V. destructor affected neural processes in honey bees through different mechanisms.
Formyl Peptide Receptor 1 Signaling in Acute Inflammation and Neural Differentiation Induced by Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Fusco Roberta , Gugliandolo Enrico , Siracusa Rosalba , Scuto Maria , Cordaro Marika , D’Amico Ramona , Evangelista Maurizio , Peli Angelo , Peritore Alessio Filippo , Impellizzeri Daniela , Crupi Rosalia , Cuzzocrea Salvatore , Di Paola Rosanna
Published: August 2020

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a shocking disease frequently followed by behavioral disabilities, including risk of cerebral atrophy and dementia. N-formylpeptide receptor 1 (FPR1) is expressed in cells and neurons in the central nervous system. It is involved in inflammatory processes and during the differentiation process in the neural stem cells. We investigate the effect of the absence of Fpr1 gene expression in mice subjected to TBI from the early stage of acute inflammation to neurogenesis and systematic behavioral testing four weeks after injury. C57BL/6 animals and Fpr1 KO mice were subjected to TBI and sacrificed 24 h or four weeks after injury. Twenty-four hours after injury, TBI Fpr1 KO mice showed reduced histological impairment, tissue damage and acute inflammation (MAPK activation, NF-κB signaling induction, NRLP3 inflammasome pathway activation and oxidative stress increase). Conversely, four weeks after TBI, the Fpr1 KO mice showed reduced survival of the proliferated cells in the Dentate Gyrus compared to the WT group. Behavioral analysis confirmed this trend. Moreover, TBI Fpr1 KO animals displayed reduced neural differentiation (evaluated by beta-III tubulin expression) and upregulation of astrocyte differentiation (evaluated by GFAP expression). Collectively, our study reports that, immediately after TBI, Fpr1 increased acute inflammation, while after four weeks, Fpr1 promoted neurogenesis.
Decellularized Human Chorion Membrane as a Novel Biomaterial for Tissue Regeneration
Authors: Frazão Laura P. , Vieira de Castro Joana , Nogueira-Silva Cristina , Neves Nuno M.
Published: August 2020

Although some placenta-derived products are already used for tissue regeneration, the human chorion membrane (HCM) alone has been poorly explored. In fact, just one study uses decellularized HCM (dHCM) with native tissue architecture (i.e., without extracellular matrix (ECM) suspension creation) as a substrate for cell differentiation. The aim of this work is to fully characterize the dHCM for the presence and distribution of cell nuclei, DNA and ECM components. Moreover, mechanical properties, in vitro biological performance and in vivo biocompatibility were also studied. Our results demonstrated that the HCM was successfully decellularized and the main ECM proteins were preserved. The dHCM has two different surfaces, the reticular layer side and the trophoblast side; and is biocompatible both in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, the in vivo experiments demonstrated that on day 28 the dHCM starts to be integrated by the host tissue. Altogether, these results support the hypothesis that dHCM may be used as a biomaterial for different tissue regeneration strategies, particularly when a membrane is needed to separate tissues, organs or other biologic compartments.
Low Doses of Cuscuta reflexa Extract Act as Natural Biostimulants to Improve the Germination Vigor, Growth, and Grain Yield of Wheat Grown under Water Stress: Photosynthetic Pigments, Antioxidative Defense Mechanisms, and Nutrient Acquisition
Authors: Ali Qasim , Perveen Rashida , El-Esawi Mohamed A. , Ali Shafaqat , Hussain Syed Makhdoom , Amber Maira , Iqbal Naeem , Rizwan Muhammad , Alyemeni Mohammed Nasser , El-Serehy Hamed A. , Al-Misned Fahad A. , Ahmad Parvaiz
Published: August 2020

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of Cuscuta reflexa extract (CRE) on the activities of germination enzymes, seed germination vigor, biomass production, physio-biochemical attributes, and seed yield of water-stressed wheat plants. Different levels of CRE (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50%), including water soaking, were used as seed priming. Water stress negatively affected the seed germination, germination enzyme activities, growth, yield, and different physio-biochemical attributes of wheat plants. Low doses of CRE (10, 20, and 30%) ameliorated the adverse effects of water stress on seed germination attributes, and activities of germination enzymes, but negative impacts were recorded at higher doses (40 and 50%) of CRE. Water-stressed wheat plants grown from seeds pre-treated with low doses of CRE also showed better growth and yield as compared with non-treated ones, and that was associated with an improvement in water relations, photosynthetic pigments, nutrient acquisition, reduced lipid peroxidation, and better antioxidative defense mechanisms. The maximum increase in seed yield was 14.77 and 12.32%, found in plants grown from seeds treated with 20% and 10% CRE, respectively. In conclusion, it is suggested that using low doses of CRE as seed priming can contribute to better wheat yield under water stress, especially in semi-arid and arid areas.
Insight into the Anticancer Activity of Copper(II) 5-Methylenetrimethylammonium-Thiosemicarbazonates and Their Interaction with Organic Cation Transporters
Authors: Milunović Miljan N. M. , Palamarciuc Oleg , Sirbu Angela , Shova Sergiu , Dumitrescu Dan , Dvoranová Dana , Rapta Peter , Petrasheuskaya Tatsiana V. , Enyedy Eva A. , Spengler Gabriella , Ilic Marija , Sitte Harald H. , Lubec Gert , Arion Vladimir B.
Published: August 2020

A series of four water-soluble salicylaldehyde thiosemicarbazones with a positively charged trimethylammonium moiety ([H2LR]Cl, R = H, Me, Et, Ph) and four copper(II) complexes [Cu(HLR)Cl]Cl (1–4) were synthesised with the aim to study (i) their antiproliferative activity in cancer cells and, (ii) for the first time for thiosemicarbazones, the interaction with membrane transport proteins, specifically organic cation transporters OCT1–3. The compounds were comprehensively characterised by analytical, spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction methods. The highest cytotoxic effect was observed in the neuroblastoma cell line SH-5YSY after 24 h exposure and follows the rank order: 3 > 2 > 4 > cisplatin > 1 >> [H2LR]Cl. The copper(II) complexes showed marked interaction with OCT1–3, comparable to that of well-known OCT inhibitors (decynium 22, prazosin and corticosterone) in the cell-based radiotracer uptake assays. The work paves the way for the development of more potent and selective anticancer drugs and/or OCT inhibitors.
Skin Inflammation and Testicular Function: Dermatitis Causes Male Infertility via Skin-Derived Cytokines
Authors: Umaoka Ai , Takeuchi Hiroki , Mizutani Kento , Seo Naohiro , Matsushima Yoshiaki , Habe Koji , Hagimori Kohei , Yamaguchi Yukie , Ikeda Tomoaki , Yamanaka Keiichi
Published: August 2020

The medical comorbidities including skin diseases are associated with male infertility. The most common cause of male infertility is the inability of testes to produce sperm; however, the influence of persistent dermatitis on testicular function has not been elucidated so far. We investigated the relationship between skin inflammation and impaired sperm production using a spontaneous dermatitis mouse model. We examined the breeding records of dermatitis mice and their wild-type littermates. Sperm count, motility, and viability were analyzed by direct microscopic observation and flow cytometry. In addition, testis and epididymis were histologically examined. Finally, sperm viability was evaluated in another dermatitis mouse model and in wild-type mice in which inflammatory cytokines were intraperitoneally administered. Compared to wild-type littermate mice, the number of children born was lower in mice with dermatitis. The body weight and testis size were decreased age-dependently. In the skin disease group, the sperm count and movement ratio were clearly decreased, and reduced sperm viability was observed. Histological examination revealed the detachment of Sertoli cells and reduced spermatogenesis. The fibrosis of epididymal stroma was severe, and it might affect defective sperm maturation in the epididymis. In addition, this phenomena was reproduced by a hapten applied dermatitis mouse model and the intraperitoneal administration of inflammatory cytokines. Once the skin is inflamed, inflammatory cytokines are produced and released, which may affect testicular and sperm function. Additional studies are needed to determine the relationship between male infertility and severe dermatitis in human.
Can We Put Aside Microelectrode Recordings in Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery?
Authors: Pastor Jesús , Vega-Zelaya Lorena
Published: August 2020

Microelectrode recording (MER) in deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery has long been a recognized and efficient method for defining a target. However, in recent decades, imaging techniques, including DBS surgery, have experienced significant growth. There is convincing evidence that imaging-guided surgery can be helpful for targeting anatomically well-defined nuclei (e.g., subthalamic nucleus (STN) or internal globus pallidus (GPi)), and reductions in secondary effects have also been claimed. It has even been proposed that MER is not necessary to perform DBS, identifying in this way asleep surgery and imaging-guided DBS. However, there are several reasons why this is not the case. Neurophysiological techniques can efficiently and safely help to identify neural structures even in sleeping patients (e.g., different types of evoked potentials or motor stimulation). Deep nuclei are not homogeneous structures (even STN), so it is important to identify different places inside the putative target. Evidently, this is more relevant in the case of thalamic or hypothalamic surgery. Moreover, it is important to remember that the clinical and scientific knowledge acquired during DBS surgery can be important to gain further insight into pathologies and develop more effective treatments. Finally, the cost/efficiency of medical technology should be considered.
Age-Related Differences in Arm and Trunk Responses to First and Repeated Exposure to Laterally Induced Imbalances
Authors: Akinlosotu Ruth Y. , Alissa Nesreen , Sorkin John D. , Wittenberg George F. , Westlake Kelly P.
Published: August 2020

The objective of this study was to examine age-related differences in arm and trunk responses during first and repeated step induced balance perturbations. Young and older adults received 10 trials of unpredictable lateral platform translations. Outcomes included maximum arm and trunk displacement within 1 s of perturbation and at first foot lift off (FFLO), arm and neck muscle activity as recorded using electromyography (EMG), initial step type, balance confidence, and percentage of harness-assisted trials. Compared to young adults, older adults demonstrated greater arm and trunk angular displacements during the first trial, which were present at FFLO and negatively associated with balance confidence. Unlike young adults, recovery steps in older adults were directed towards the fall with a narrowed base of support. Over repeated trials, rapid habituation of first-trial responses of bilateral arm and trunk displacement and EMG amplitude was demonstrated in young adults, but was absent or limited in older adults. Older adults also relied more on harness assistance during balance recovery. Exaggerated arm and trunk responses to sudden lateral balance perturbations in older adults appear to influence step type and balance recovery. Associations of these persistently amplified movements with an increased reliance on harness assistance suggest that training to reduce these deficits could have positive effects in older adults with and without neurological disorders.
The Association between CAG Repeat Length and Age of Onset of Juvenile-Onset Huntington’s Disease
Authors: Schultz Jordan L. , Moser Amelia D. , Nopoulos Peg C.
Published: August 2020

There is a known negative association between cytosine–adenine–guanine (CAG) repeat length and the age of motor onset (AMO) in adult-onset Huntington’s Disease (AOHD). This relationship is less clear in patients with juvenile-onset Huntington’s disease (JOHD), however, given the rarity of this patient population. The aim of this study was to investigate this relationship amongst a relatively large group of patients with JOHD using data from the Kids-JOHD study. Additionally, we analyzed data from the Enroll-HD platform and the Predict-HD study to compare the relationship between CAG repeat length and AMO amongst patients with AOHD to that amongst patients with JOHD using linear regression models. In line with previous reports, the variance in AMO that was predicted by CAG repeat length was 59% (p < 0.0001) in the Predict-HD study and 57% from the Enroll-HD platform (p < 0.0001). However, CAG repeat length predicted 84% of the variance in AMO amongst participants from the Kids-JOHD study (p < 0.0001). These results indicate that there may be a stronger relationship between CAG repeat length and AMO in patients with JOHD as compared to patients with AOHD. These results provide additional information that may help to model disease progression of JOHD, which is beneficial for the planning and implementation of future clinical trials.