bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Privacy‐preserving dish‐recommendation for food nutrition through edging computing
Authors: Qiao Yimin , Sun Qindong , Cao Han , Wang Jiamin , Hao Tingting
Published: January 2020

The catering industry is a humungous service‐based industry, which includes food nutrition and security, transporting, tourism, and similar services. Employing the new techniques, such as machine learning and deep learning, competing firms can improve their strategies and deliver better services with lower price. In this work, we investigate a large number of historical dining data that reflect customer spending habits and taste preferences through terminal devices at the edge of the network, which can be used for customers to recommend dishes when ordering. With the popularity of cloud computing today, it is also prone to some shortcomings when the amount of computing is too large, such as poor real‐time performance, high server pressure, data security risks, and so on. Especially, the leakage of user privacy often has incalculable consequences. Based on this, this article proposes a hot pot dish recommendation algorithm based on data mining and food nutrition for edge devices, which can effectively protect user privacy. The experimental data in this article is derived from the massive consumption data of customers in China's large hot pot enterprises. First, clean the raw data and mask the user privacy to get feature data unrelated with user privacy that can be used for dish recommendation. On the basis of this, combined with data mining methods, diet, and other indicators, the results of final recommended dish can respond to both user preferences and nutrition arrange. The experimental results show that this dish‐recommended method is more reasonable and healthier.
Physicochemical and aromatic characterization of carob macerates produced by different maceration conditions
Authors: Hanousek Čiča Karla , Mrvčić Jasna , Srečec Siniša , Filipan Katarina , Blažić Marijana , Stanzer Damir
Published: January 2020

Carob liqueur is an alcoholic drink (minimum 15% v/v of ethanol and 100 g/L of sugar) typical for the Mediterranean countries. In the current work, carob macerate produced by maceration of carob pods in hydroalcoholic base at different maceration conditions was characterized for the first time based on its aroma compounds/profile, physicochemical parameters, and chromatic characteristics. The results confirm the migration process of bioactive compounds, aroma compounds, and sugars flowing from the carob pod to the hydroalcoholic base. Changes in ethanol concentration modify the physical properties of the solvent and influence the phenolic and aroma compounds extraction, color, and acidity of the obtained samples. The higher content of phenolic compounds was determinate in the samples obtained in the darkness. The amounts of phenols were in the range of some red fruit liqueurs or walnut liqueurs, and sugars (mostly sucrose) ranging between 96 and 107 g/L. Twenty‐six (out of total 94) aroma compounds were detected in all samples, of which 17 esters, 3 alcohols, 4 ketones, and 2 acids. Low molecular weight ethyl esters, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl 2‐methyl propanoate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl benzoate, ethyl butanoate, and ethyl cinnamate, were the most abundant. Carob pod maceration in 50% v/v hydroalcoholic base (1:5 solid to liquid ratio) in darkness at room temperature during 8 weeks can be recommended as optimal maceration conditions for production of the aromatic carob macerate with functional properties.
Appetite‐regulating hormones and anthropometric indicators of infants according to the type of feeding
Authors: Vásquez‐Garibay Edgar , Larrosa‐Haro Alfredo , Guzmán‐Mercado Elizabeth , Muñoz‐Esparza Nelly , García‐Arellano Samuel , Muñoz‐Valle Francisco , Romero‐ Velarde Enrique
Published: January 2020

It has been accepted that satiety‐ and appetite‐stimulating hormones play a role in the regulation of food intake and body composition during and after the lactation stage. Therefore, the purpose was to demonstrate that serum appetite‐regulating hormones in infants differ according to anthropometric indicators and type of feeding. In a nonrandom cohort study, 169 mother–newborn dyads whose pregnancy and birth were attended at the Hospital Civil de Guadalajara were enrolled. According to the type of feeding, infants were classified as full breastfeeding (FBF), partial breastfeeding (PBF), and infants receiving human milk substitutes (HMS). Serum concentrations of ghrelin (pg/ml), leptin (ng/ml), peptide YY (pg/ml), and glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) (pM) were measured. Anthropometric measurements including weight, length, cephalic, arm circumference, tricipital, and subscapular skinfolds were obtained. Weight/age, weight/height, height/age, and BMI Z‐score indexes were estimated. We performed one‐way ANOVA, unpaired Student's t test, post hoc Tukey test, and Pearson correlation tests. The ANOVA comparison of the three feeding types showed significant differences in most anthropometric indicators (z‐scores), especially between infants receiving FBF versus HMS and particularly on indicators of adiposity; no differences were observed in length and cephalic circumference z‐scores at 8th and 16th weeks. Further, significant correlations were found between most of the adiposity indicators with ghrelin, leptin, and GLP‐1, especially in infants who received FBF. There were differences in anthropometric and body composition parameters among infants receiving FBF, PBF, and HMS. There were significant correlations between body composition indicators with ghrelin, leptin, and GLP‐1 mainly in infants receiving FBF.
Design and Modeling of a Fuel Cell System Using Biomass Feedstock as a Biofuel
Authors: Rafique A. , Jaffery M. H. , Ali A. , Naqvi M. R. , Shakir I. , Ehsan M. , Ahmad D. , Babar M. A. , Raza R.
Published: January 2020

This paper aims to model ceramic fuel cell system based on low‐temperature planar solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) different biogases fuels from multiple biomasses, that is, animal waste, redwood, rice husk and sugar cane. Biomass is a better choice for the generation of energy globally. Therefore, there is a focus on the most available biomass resources in the country that can be used as clean energy sources. This developed model is designed by thermodynamic analysis and electrochemical calculations using MATLAB. The designed model is a lumped parameter model based on the steady‐state one‐dimensional flow. In this model, all calculated power and flow rate values were kept as positive values. Also, the system is considered to be free of leaks, and heat loss is neglected. The operating temperature and pressure are assumed to be 500–700 °C and the partial pressure is set at three different pressures; P1 (1 bar), P2 (2 bar), and P3 (3 bar), respectively, and fuel utilization factor is 80%. It is observed that the best performance is obtained with animal‐waste based biogas at 700 °C and P3 (3 bar).
Nonreplication of functional connectivity differences in autism spectrum disorder across multiple sites and denoising strategies
Authors: He Ye , Byrge Lisa , Kennedy Daniel P.
Published: January 2020

A rapidly growing number of studies on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have used resting‐state fMRI to identify alterations of functional connectivity, with the hope of identifying clinical biomarkers or underlying neural mechanisms. However, results have been largely inconsistent across studies, and there remains a pressing need to determine the primary factors influencing replicability. Here, we used resting‐state fMRI data from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange to investigate two potential factors: denoising strategy and data site (which differ in terms of sample, data acquisition, etc.). We examined the similarity of both group‐averaged functional connectomes and group‐level differences (ASD vs. control) across 33 denoising pipelines and four independently‐acquired datasets. The group‐averaged connectomes were highly consistent across pipelines (r = 0.92 ± 0.06) and sites (r = 0.88 ± 0.02). However, the group differences, while still consistent within site across pipelines (r = 0.76 ± 0.12), were highly inconsistent across sites regardless of choice of denoising strategies (r = 0.07 ± 0.04), suggesting lack of replication may be strongly influenced by site and/or cohort differences. Across‐site similarity remained low even when considering the data at a large‐scale network level or when considering only the most significant edges. We further show through an extensive literature survey that the parameters chosen in the current study (i.e., sample size, age range, preprocessing methods) are quite representative of the published literature. These results highlight the importance of examining replicability in future studies of ASD, and, more generally, call for extra caution when interpreting alterations in functional connectivity across groups of individuals.
Climate and hydrological changes in the Ob River Basin during 1936–2017
Authors: Xu Min , Kang Shichang , Wang Xiaoming , Wu Hao , Hu Didi , Yang Daqing
Published: January 2020

Changes in the hydrological regimes of Arctic rivers could affect the thermohaline circulation of the Arctic Ocean. In this study, we analysed spatiotemporal variations in temperature and precipitation in the Ob River Basin regions during 1936–2017 based on data from the Global Precipitation Climatology Center. Changes in discharge and response to climate change were examined based on monthly observed data during the same period. It is indicated the Ob River Basin experienced significant overall rapid warming and wetting (increased precipitation) in the study period, with average rates of 0.20°C (10 year−1) and 5.3 mm (10 year−1), respectively. The annual spatial variations of temperature and precipitation showed different scales in different regions. The discharge in spring and winter significantly increased at a rate of 384.1 and 173.1 m3/s (10 year−1), respectively. Hydrograph separation indicated infiltration and supported that deep flow paths increased the contribution of groundwater to base flow. Meanwhile, the variation of the ratio of Qmax/Qmin suggested that the basin storage and the mechanism of discharge generation have significantly changed. The hydrological processes were influenced by changes of permafrost in a certain in the Ob River Basin. An increase in the recession coefficient (RC) implies that the permafrost degradation in the basin due to climate warming affected hydrological processes in winter. Permafrost degradation affected the Qmax/Qmin more significantly in the warm season than RC due to the enhanced infiltration that converted more surface water into groundwater in the cold season. The impact of precipitation on discharge, including surface flow and base flow, was more significant than temperature at the annual and seasonal scales in the Ob River Basin. The base flow was more obviously influenced by temperature than surface flow. The results of this study are significant for analyses of the basin water budget and freshwater input to the Arctic Ocean.
Synthesis and Reactivity of Iron(II) Complexes with a New Tripodal Imine Ligand
Authors: Will Janine , Schneider Lars , Becker Jonathan , Becker Sabine , Miska Andreas , Gawlig Christopher , Schindler Siegfried
Published: January 2020

A new tripodal imine ligand tris(2‐(propan‐2‐ylideneamino)ethyl)amine (imine3tren) was prepared in order to stabilize high valent iron‐oxido complexes. Iron complexes were synthesized in template reactions from iron(II) salts, tris(2‐aminoethyl)amine (tren) and acetone. Due to the reversibility of the imine formation, complexes with different ligands were obtained depending on the reaction conditions. Three complexes, [Fe(imine3tren)(OAc)2] (1), [Fe(imine3tren)(OAc)]OTf (2) and [(imine3tren)2Fe2(F)2](SbF6)2 (3), could be synthesized and structurally characterized. However, reactions with hydrogen peroxide, iodosobenzene or ozone did not lead to any kind of “oxygen adduct” complex that could be spectroscopically observed.
ICT4D 3.0? Part 2—The patterns of an emerging “digital‐for‐development” paradigm
Authors: Heeks Richard
Published: January 2020

There is evidence of “ICT4D 3.0”: a new “digital‐for‐development” paradigm emerging in the relationship between digital technologies and international development. Part 1 of this paper looked at the component parts of that paradigm. Part 2, provided here, analyses the impact of the paradigm on development. It does this by looking for big‐picture patterns in terms of two key logics that shape society: the logic of competition and the logic of cooperation. Looking at evidence in the economic and political domains, it finds that digital technologies are associated with a reproduction, diffusion, mutation and intensification of the dominant, competitive logic in developing countries. We see this in relation to capitalism, competitive markets and hierarchical state‐citizen relations. At the same time, though, the digital‐for‐development paradigm is also associated with growing examples and opportunities for an alternative economics and an alternative politics based around cooperative logic. The paper ends with some suggestions for the future digital‐for‐development research agenda.
Recent advances in two‐dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides as photoelectrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction
Authors: Nguyen Van‐Huy , Nguyen Thang P , Le Thu‐Ha , Vo Dai‐Viet N , Nguyen Dang LT , Trinh Quang Thang , Kim Il Tae , Le Quyet Van
Published: January 2020

Hydrogen gas has been attracting significant interest as an emerging energy source that is clean, sustainable, and renewable. Primarily, it can be produced via photoelectrochemical (PEC) splitting of water using solar energy. Among the various catalysts employed for the photoreduction of water, two‐dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D‐TMDs) are inarguably the best candidates toward industrialization because they have extraordinary physical, optical, and electric properties, and are solution‐processable at low costs. In this review, we focus on the development of 2D‐TMDs and their PEC properties toward the hydrogen evolution reaction. First, the synthesis and properties of 2D materials are summarized and discussed. Next, the strategies for improving the photocatalytic activity of the 2D material‐based catalysts for water splitting are thoroughly investigated. Finally, the remaining challenges and direction for the future development of 2D‐TMDs in PEC catalysis‐derived hydrogen evolution reaction are addressed. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Surface modification of anti‐fouling novel cellulose/graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets (NS) microfiltration membranes for seawater desalination applications
Authors: Ibrahim Yazan , Banat Fawzi , Yousef Ahmed F , Bahamon Daniel , Vega Lourdes F , Hasan Shadi W
Published: January 2020

BACKGROUND

Reverse osmosis (RO) is becoming the predominant technology for the future of desalinated of seawater. Nonetheless, operational challenges such as membrane biofouling in RO desalination plants result in membrane deterioration and high energy costs. In this regard, pre‐treatment technologies, such as microfiltration (MF) membranes, are proven to reduce the impact of membrane biofouling in RO systems. Hence, surface modifications of commercial cellulose MF membranes with graphene oxide nanosheets (GONSs) at different concentrations were carried out in this research study. The new membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy amongst other methods of analysis. A continuous cross‐flow MF system was used to investigate the performance of the new cellulose/GONS membranes with regards to total bacteria count (TBC) removal, water flux, and biofouling resistance.

RESULTS

TBC removal efficiency of 93.6 ± 2.4% and 27.4 ± 12.5% was achieved using the new cellulose/GONS membranes and control pristine cellulose membranes, respectively. This higher removal efficiency was achieved at a water flux of 334.7 ± 10.4 L/(m2 h). Furthermore, a dramatic 55% increase in the transmembrane pressure (TMP) of the pristine cellulose membrane was observed after 24 h operation compared to only a 6% increase in the newly fabricated cellulose/GONS membranes, reflecting their strong anti‐fouling properties.

CONCLUSION

Surface modification of MF membranes with anti‐fouling nanomaterials such as GONS has the potential to be implemented in the pretreatment of seawater to improve the RO performance and lower the energy consumption. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Integrative process to extract chlorophyll and purify rosmarinic acid from rosemary leaves (Rosmarinus officialis)
Authors: Gomes Paula GC , Veloso Amanda F , Maynard Isabella FN , Marques Maria N , de Souza Ranyere Lucena , Pereira Matheus M , Soares Cleide MF , Lima Álvaro S
Published: January 2020

BACKGROUND

Rosemary leaves have been widely employed in the food and pharmaceutical industry due to the presence of important compounds. However, during the extraction process, in addition to the target biomolecules [chlorophyll (Chl), and rosmarinic acid], other components (phenolic compounds) are also extracted. This work focuses on the development of a sequential and selective protocol for the extraction and concentration of Chl using an aqueous micellar two‐phase system, and extraction and purification of rosmarinic acid using an aqueous two‐phase system (ATPS).

RESULTS

Firstly, the extraction and purification of Chls were studied. The Chls rich‐extract obtained using the best conditions of aqueous solution of Triton X‐100 (5 wt%) and phosphate buffer (50 mmol L−1), 50 °C solid–liquid ratio was evaluated at 1:100 and 60 min (Chl a = 69.3 ± 1.9 mg 100 g−1; Chl b = 41.1 ± 1.2 mg 100 g−1 and total Chl = 110.5 ± 3.1 mg 100 g−1) were submitted to temperature above cloud point. The Chl b and total Chl were concentrated 3.1 and 1.7 times. Further, the extraction and purification of rosmarinic acid were investigated. Ethanol, methanol, and acetonitrile (80 wt%) at 50°C were investigated; and after extraction, the rosmarinic acid rich‐extract were add in the ATPS composed of organic solvent + tripotassium phosphate (K3PO4). The extraction efficiencies were observed in the top phase (100%) for all systems. The highest purification factor was found using the ATPS based on acetonitrile (50 wt%) + K3PO4 (20 wt%).

CONCLUSIONS

The sequential protocols to extract Chls and purify rosmarinic acid can be applied. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Improvement of diagnostic yield in carbamoylphosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) molecular genetic investigation by RNA sequencing
Authors: Isler Jasmine , Rüfenacht Véronique , Gemperle Corinne , Allegri Gabriella , Häberle Johannes
Published: January 2020

Carbamoylphosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) deficiency is a rare inborn error of metabolism leading often to neonatal onset hyperammonemia with coma and high mortality. The biochemical features of the disease are nonspecific and cannot distinguish this condition from other defects of the urea cycle, namely N‐acetylglutamate synthase deficiency. Therefore, molecular genetic investigation is required for confirmation of the disease, and nowadays this is done with increasing frequency applying next‐generation sequencing (NGS) techniques. Our laboratory has a long‐standing interest in CPS1 molecular genetic investigation and receives samples from centers in Europe and many other countries. We perform RNA‐based CPS1 molecular genetic investigation as first line investigation and wanted in this study to evaluate our experience with this approach as compared to NGS. In the past 15 years, 297 samples were analyzed, which were referred from 37 countries. CPS1 deficiency could be confirmed in 155 patients carrying 136 different genotypes with only a single mutation recurring more than two times. About 10% of the total 172 variants comprised complex changes (eg, intronic changes possibly affecting splicing, deletions, insertions, or deletions_insertions), which would have been partly missed if only NGS was done. Likewise, RNA analysis was crucial for correct interpretation of at least half of the complex mutations. This study gives highest sensitivity to RNA‐based CPS1 molecular genetic investigation and underlines that NGS should be done together with copy number variation analysis. We propose that unclear cases should be investigated by RNA sequencing in addition, if this method is not used as the initial diagnostic procedure.
Fragmentation pathways of protonated coumarin by ESI‐QE‐Orbitrap‐MS/MS coupled with DFT calculations
Authors: Sun Changhai , Wang Yazhuo , Sun Shiyuan , Chen Xin , Shi Xinlei , Fang Hongzhuang , Zhang Yu , Fang Zhou
Published: January 2020

Coumarin is one of the basic structures of naturally oxygen heterocyclic compound, which was investigated in this paper for its gas‐phase fragmentation behaviors using electrospray quadrupole extractive orbitrap mass spectrometry in the positive mode. The possible fragmentation pathways were proposed based on electrospray ionization (ESI)‐ mass spectrometry (MS)/MS data and theory calculation. The elimination of two CO and CO2 was observed for protonated coumarin, which was followed by the formation of a stabilized seven‐, six‐, and five‐membered ring carbocation by loss of C2H2. The possible protonation sites occurred at Oxygen 11 atom of coumarin were the main fragmentation pathways. The relative abundance of characteristic fragment ions and the energy‐resolved breakdown curves were used to confirm the cleavage mechanism of protonated coumarin. The methodology and results of present work would contribute to the chemical structure identification of other coumarins.
Recent Advances in Performance‐Driven Surrogate Modeling of High‐Frequency Structures
Authors: Koziel Slawomir , Pietrenko‐Dabrowska Anna
Published: January 2020

Design of high‐frequency structures, including microwave and antenna components, heavily relies on full‐wave electromagnetic (EM) simulation models. Their reliability comes at a price of a considerable computational cost. This may lead to practical issues whenever numerous EM analyses are to be executed, e.g., in the case of parametric optimization. The difficulties entailed by massive simulations may be mitigated by the use of fast surrogates, among which data‐driven models are the most popular ones due to their versatility and accessibility. Unfortunately, conventional modeling techniques are significantly affected by the curse of dimensionality. It is particularly restrictive in the case of high‐frequency components, typically exhibiting highly nonlinear characteristics. Recently, the concept of performance‐driven modeling has been proposed where the surrogate model setup is focused on a small subset of the parameter space, containing the designs that are optimal or nearly optimal with respect to the considered performance figures. Domain confinement allows for a dramatic reduction of the number of training data samples needed for rendering reliable surrogates valid over wide ranges of the system parameters. In this paper, we review some of the recent techniques employing these concepts, discuss their properties, and illustrate them using real‐world examples of antenna and microwave components.
Safety and efficacy of direct oral anticoagulants compared to Vitamin K antagonists postpercutaneous coronary interventions in patients with atrial fibrillation: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Agasthi Pradyumna , Lee Justin Z. , Pujari Sai Harika , Tseng Andrew S. , Shipman Justin , Almader‐Douglas Diana , Ashraf Hasan , Mookadam Farouk , Fortuin Floyd David , Beohar Nirat , Arsanjani Reza , Mulpuru Siva
Published: January 2020

Background

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and coronary artery disease (CAD) are commonly associated. Cotreatment with multiple antithrombotic agents can increase the risk of bleeding. We sought to evaluate patient‐centered outcomes in patients with AF on double therapy with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) compared to patients with standard triple therapy, [a vitamin K antagonist (VKA) plus dual antiplatelet therapy].

Methods

We performed a literature search of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting outcomes of patients receiving double therapy with DOACs compared to triple therapy with VKAs in patients with AF undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Patient‐centered outcomes were the International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH) major or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding (CRNB), all‐cause mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), stent thrombosis, myocardial infarction, and stroke.

Results

Four RCTs (9602 patients) met our inclusion criteria. Compared to VKAs, DOACs were associated with significantly lower ISTH major bleeding/ CRNB (RR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.67‐0.82, P < .00001, I2 = 11%). There were no statistically significant differences in the efficacy outcomes, including myocardial infarction (RR: 0.99, 95% CI :0.79‐1.25, P = .96), stent thrombosis (RR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.6‐1.55, P = .89), ischemic stroke (RR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.5‐1.15, P = .19), all‐cause mortality (RR: 1.06, 95% CI: 0.85‐1.31, P = .61), and MACE (RR: 1.06, 95% CI: 0.91‐1.22, P = .97).

Conclusion

Compared with triple therapy with VKAS, double therapy with DOACs is associated with a reduced risk of bleeding and is as effective in patients with AF undergoing PCI.
Diurnal summer climate of the Abyssinia highlands
Authors: Jury Mark R.
Published: January 2020

This study explores the structure and modulation of diurnal climate over the Abyssinia highlands 7°–15°N, 35°–40°E using hourly satellite and reanalysis data in June–August season for the years 2014–2016. Solar heating generates surface heat fluxes that trigger moisture convergence in the late afternoon. Satellite measured rainfall frequently propagates westward from the highest mountains near 14°N, 38°E at ~7 m s−1 from 1200 to 1800 UTC (3 to 9 p.m. local time). The mean diurnal cycle of reanalysis and satellite (GPM) hourly rainfall are in‐phase and exhibit min/max at 0900/1600 UTC. Diagnostic analysis reveals a 3‐hr delay from surface evaporation to mid‐tropospheric moisture uplift, and another 3‐hr delay to low‐level velocity potential maxima, which together modulate the diurnal rainfall. Morning cooling and convective inhibition over the highlands is just as strong as evening enhancement. Year‐to‐year variations in the amplitude of diurnal rainfall are small and suggest dependable water resources.
In vitro bioaccessibility and activity of Greek oregano (Origanum vulgare L. ssp. hirtum (link) Ietswaart) compounds as affected by nitrogen fertilization
Authors: Sęczyk Łukasz , Król Beata , Kołodziej Barbara
Published: January 2020

BACKGROUND

Greek oregano is a culinary and medicinal herb native to the Mediterranean region; however nowadays it is cultivated in many regions all over the world. It is commonly used as a spice for flavoring food products and in various traditional medicine applications. This study investigated the effect of nitrogen fertilization at 0–150 kg N ha−1 on the potential bioaccessibility and activity of Greek oregano compounds. For this purpose the total phenolic content, rosmarinic acid content, and antioxidant activities of the raw material, as well as digested fractions, were determined.

RESULTS

Nitrogen fertilization had a negative influence on the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of raw material; however, its effect on the potential bioaccessibility varied depending on the dose. The highest potential bioaccessibility and activity was determined for plants fertilized with 30 kg N ha−1. For the gastric and intestinal phases of digestion, the potential bioaccessibility percentages were 39.5% and 29.6% for total phenolics, 53.1% and 11.2% for rosmarinic acid content, 45.2% and 44.4% for antiradical activity against 2,2′‐azino‐bis (3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid (ABTS), 39.2% and 27.2% for antiradical activity against 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 50.2% and 23.4% for reducing power, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The results showed that nitrogen fertilization is an important factor determining the in vitro bioaccessibility of Greek oregano compounds. Furthermore, the nutraceutical potential of herbs, in term of the bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds, may be optimized during plant cultivation by applying an accurate nitrogen level. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Betaine addition as a potent ruminal fermentation modulator under hyperthermal and hyperosmotic conditions in vitro
Authors: Mahmood Mubarik , Petri Renée Maxine , Gavrău Ana , Zebeli Qendrim , Khiaosa‐ard Ratchaneewan
Published: January 2020

BACKGROUND

Climatic and dietary shifts predispose ruminal microbes to hyperthermal and hyperosmotic stress, leading to poor fermentation and subsequently adverse effects on ruminant productivity. Betaine may function as substrate, osmolyte, antioxidant, and methyl donor for microbes. However, its effect depends on the extent of microbial catabolism. This study revealed the ruminal disappearance kinetics of betaine and its dose effect on ruminal fermentation during thermal and osmotic stress using a rumen simulation technique.

RESULTS

Three different betaine doses were used: 0, 50, and 286 mg L−1; each was assigned to two incubation temperatures (39.5 and 42 °C) and two osmotic conditions (295 and 420 mOsmol kg−1). Betaine disappeared rapidly within the first 6 h of incubation; however, the rate was lower during hyperosmotic stress (P < 0.05), the stress condition that also suppressed the overall fermentation and degradation of organic nutrients and decreased the bacterial diversity (P < 0.001). During hyperosmotic stress, betaine shifted the fermentation pathway to more propionate (P < 0.05). Betaine counteracted the negative effect of hyperthermal stress on total short‐chain fatty acid concentration (P < 0.05) without affecting the composition. Both stress conditions shifted the bacterial composition, but the effect of betaine was minimal.

CONCLUSION

Despite its rapid ruminal disappearance, betaine modulated microbial fermentation in different ways depending on stress conditions, indicating the plasticity of the betaine effect in response to various kinds of physicochemical stress. Although betaine did not affect the abundance of ruminal microbiota, the enhanced fermentation suggests an improved microbial metabolic activity under stress conditions. © 2020 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Social media for improved process management in organizations during disasters
Authors: Ray Arghya , Bala Pradip Kumar
Published: January 2020

Natural and man‐made disasters potentially cause significant damage and disruption to communities. As population density increases and natural disasters become more extreme, it becomes increasingly important to both manage communications and extract information from communications to be able to mitigate the negative effects of such disasters. The emergence of social media platforms has led to new avenues for the collection and dissemination of information that is either local or global. Although social studies have revealed that social media feeds can improve effective disaster preparedness and recovery, it has been observed that the use of social media can have severe negative consequences through the rapid spread of false information leading to the inappropriate allocation of resources and in extreme cases panic and lawlessness. Rumours and false information are likely to affect appropriate corporate responses as well as, where appropriate, responses of public organizations tasked with appropriately responding to natural and man‐made disasters. The ability to identify instances of false information through the course of natural and man‐made disasters is a critical capability for corporate and public bodies in order to improve disaster management and response.

To reduce the impact of these rumours, a technique is proposed that makes use of supervised learning to differentiate between information about an actual event from information about a false one and communicating it effectively to appropriate organizations. For this purpose, 934 social media feeds were analysed using a Naïve Bayes classifier. Clearly, applied early on this technique potentially can improve the quality of disaster response and recovery and mitigate the negative consequences.

Broadly speaking, we consider this research to relate to the management of knowledge and information flow in disaster situations. Clearly, the techniques introduced in this paper, in providing individuals and organizations with access to knowledge rather than false information and rumours, will help organizations manage resources and activities during disasters more efficiently and effectively. The study concludes with the implications, limitations, and future directions.
Thyroid Cartilage Cysts, A Rare Entity Causing Dysphonia
Authors: Verdam Froukje J. , Mahieu Hans
Published: January 2020

Five cases are presented with a strained voice quality due to a unique underlying cause: thyroid cartilage cysts. Laryngoscopy and radiological images show antero‐medial displacement of both vestibular and vocal fold(s). Swelling in the ala of the thyroid cartilage results in a pear‐shaped lumen. These cysts were marsupialized with CO2 laser, fluid emerged, and histological biopsies confirmed cartilaginous cysts. Postoperatively, all cases report largely reduced or completely resolved vocal complaints, with a consistent follow‐up of 2 years. Together with previous publications, an overview of 17 cases is presented, to enhance awareness that thyroid cartilage cysts can cause a strained voice quality. Laryngoscope, 130:E628–E631, 2020
A new grading system for evaluating China's cultivated land quality
Authors: Liu Liming , Zhou De , Chang Xiao , Lin Zhulu
Published: January 2020

Cultivated land is crucial to food security, social and economic stability, environmental quality, and sustainable urban–rural development in China and around the world. However, most of the current grading systems for evaluating cultivated land quality in China tend to generate homogeneous results and inadequate spatial descriptions mainly due to the use of a composite index method that often fails to recognize the matching relationship between land use needs and the quality of cultivated land. The purpose of this study is to propose a new grading system for evaluating China's cultivated land quality that involves two index systems and a scoring and grading scheme. In the proposed system, cultivated land quality is redefined in terms of production capacity quality and environmental quality, and the minimum limiting factor method and the weighted linear model are coupled for factor scoring and grading. The new system is demonstrated by a case‐study in Yimen Town, a loess plateau region in western China's Shaanxi Province. The results of this study clearly indicate that the new grading system is superior to the current system when compared using two methods: the spatial pattern comparison method and the crop performance validation method. The results are also favorable in terms of matching relationships between the subclasses of cultivated land quality versus soil types and landforms. The new grading system not only helps to better understand the cultivated land quality but also provides a clear direction for science‐based remediation and amelioration of cultivated land.
Quantifying regional effects of plastic mulch on soil nitrogen pools, cycles, and fluxes in rain‐fed agroecosystems of the Loess Plateau
Authors: Mo Fei , Han Juan , Wen Xiao‐Xia , Wang Xiu‐Kang , Li Pu‐Fang , Vinay Nangia , Jia Zhi‐Kuan , Xiong You‐Cai , Liao Yun‐Cheng
Published: January 2020

Farmland surface soil mulching with plastic film is extensively used to enhance agricultural productivity in the Loess Plateau (LP). However, the effect of mulching on the key processes that dominate soil nitrogen dynamics is rarely assessed quantitatively. We quantified the responses of agroecosystem nitrogen cycling to plastic mulching using a comprehensive database drawn from mulching experiments in the LP. Our results indicated that through increasing the soil mineral and dissolved organic nitrogen concentrations, plastic mulching significantly enhanced the soil nitrogen availability by 36.6% at the regional scale, compared with traditional nonmulching. Mulching pattern, nitrogen application, and soil type were found to be the most significant drivers in determining nitrogen availability. Furthermore, nitrogen gaseous releases and hydrological leaching were significantly reduced by 7.0% and 9.4%, respectively, under plastic mulching, which led to an insignificant change in the soil total nitrogen pool. Nitrogen input level and soil organic carbon appeared to be the most important factors influencing soil nitrogen losses. Critically, along with increased root residue inputs to soil and improved water thermal conditions under mulching, soil microbial activity was increased significantly. This was indicated by enhanced microbial biomass nitrogen and soil nitrogen‐related extracellular enzyme activity and was driven by nitrogen input, mulching duration, and soil carbon status. We generalize that in the rain‐fed agroecosystems of the LP, plastic mulch will have little impact on nitrogen pool size, largely due to reduced gaseous and hydrological nitrogen losses and increased crop‐sourced nitrogen inputs, but will strongly stimulate microbial growth, metabolism, and activities, which consequently will speed up biogeochemical cycles of soil nutrients.
An Insight into Structural and Mechanical Properties of Ideal‐Networked Poly(Ethylene Glycol)–Peptide Hydrogels from Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Authors: Rukmani Shalini J. , Anstine Dylan M. , Munasinghe Aravinda , Colina Coray M.
Published: January 2020

Simulations of local structure and interactions in stimuli‐responsive hydrogel networks at atomistic resolution has the capability to compliment experimental efforts by providing insight into current soft materials design challenges. This work simulates ideal hexafunctional networks of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)‐diacrylate (PEGDA) and PEG–peptide hydrogels with two enzyme‐responsive peptide sequences, Gly‐Leu‐Lys (GLK) and Gly‐Pro‐Gln‐Gly‐Ile‐Phe‐Gly‐Gln‐Lys (GPQGIFGQK), using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations at water contents from 84% to 90%. This presents the first atomistic MD study of a PEG–peptide hydrogel. The mesh sizes obtained are compared to common swelling theories and the available micropore space for diffusion is compared to the sizes of a family of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) to predict size‐based exclusion. The effects of interactions between PEG, peptide, and water on the chemical environment surrounding the cleaving site of peptides are investigated by examining partial radial distribution functions and solvent accessible surface areas. The chemical environment around the peptide sequence is found to be more hydrophobic in PEG‐9‐peptide hydrogels, thereby favoring cleavage by the hydrophobic binding pocket of MMPs. Furthermore, the mechanical moduli of the hydrogels is also examined, and an increase with the incorporation of peptide sequences and a general decrease with increasing water concentration is observed.
Missing data imputation of high‐resolution temporal climate time series data
Authors: Afrifa‐Yamoah E , Mueller U. A. , Taylor S. M. , Fisher A. J.
Published: January 2020

Analysis of high‐resolution data offers greater opportunity to understand the nature of data variability, behaviours, trends and to detect small changes. Climate studies often require complete time series data which, in the presence of missing data, means imputation must be undertaken. Research on the imputation of high‐resolution temporal climate time series data is still at an early phase. In this study, multiple approaches to the imputation of missing values were evaluated, including a structural time series model with Kalman smoothing, an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model with Kalman smoothing and multiple linear regression. The methods were applied to complete subsets of data from 12 month time series of hourly temperature, humidity and wind speed data from four locations along the coast of Western Australia. Assuming that observations were missing at random, artificial gaps of missing observations were studied using a five‐fold cross‐validation methodology with the proportion of missing data set to 10%. The techniques were compared using the pooled mean absolute error, root mean square error and symmetric mean absolute percentage error. The multiple linear regression model was generally the best model based on the pooled performance indicators, followed by the ARIMA with Kalman smoothing. However, the low error values obtained from each of the approaches suggested that the models competed closely and imputed highly plausible values. To some extent, the performance of the models varied among locations. It can be concluded that the modelling approaches studied have demonstrated suitability in imputing missing data in hourly temperature, humidity and wind speed data and are therefore recommended for application in other fields where high‐resolution data with missing values are common.
Specificity, Dose Dependency, and Kinetics of Markers of Chicken and Beef Intake Using Targeted Quantitative LC‐MS/MS: A Human Intervention Trial
Authors: Giesbertz Pieter , Brandl Beate , Lee Yu‐Mi , Hauner Hans , Daniel Hannelore , Skurk Thomas
Published: January 2020

Scope

Common methods for food intake assessment are error‐prone. Estimating food intake via metabolite biomarkers in blood/urine is challenged by inter‐individual variation. Here, meat intake markers based on criteria defined within the FoodBAll consortium, including dose dependency, specificity, kinetics, and their ability to predict meat dose, are evaluated.

Methods and results

In two randomized human interventions, meat at different doses are consumed. Plasma concentrations of 100 analytes, including previously proposed meat intake markers, are determined at different time points up to 24 h after meat ingestion using targeted liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Plasma concentrations of π‐methylhistidine (π‐M‐His) correlated best with the chicken meat amount consumed even after 24 h (R2 = 0.96). Both, anserine and π‐M‐His show first‐order elimination kinetics, irrespective of meat dose (t1/2 is 1.4 and 5.9 h, respectively). Surprisingly, π‐M‐His best predicted the amount of beef consumed, albeit at lower concentrations. Furthermore, trimethylamine‐N‐oxide (TMAO) increases only after beef, while dimethylglycine only after chicken consumption. The lack of baseline concentrations for π‐M‐His and anserine is likely the strength of these compounds to predict meat dose.

Conclusion

Quantitative assessment of meat intake within 24 h is most accurate with π‐M‐His, whereas TMAO and dimethylglycine best discriminate between chicken and beef.
High resolution silicon array detector implementation in an inline MRI‐linac
Authors: Alnaghy Sarah J. , Causer Trent , Roberts Natalia , Oborn Brad , Jelen Urszula , Dong Bin , Gargett Maegan , Begg Jarrad , Liney Gary , Petasecca Marco , Rosenfeld Anatoly B. , Holloway Lois , Metcalfe Peter
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Dynamic dosimaging is a concept whereby a detector in motion is tracked with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to validate the amount and position of dose in a radiation therapy treatment on an MRI‐linac. This work takes steps toward the realization of dynamic dosimaging with the novel high resolution silicon array detector: MagicPlate‐512 (M512). The performance of the M512 was assessed in a 1.0 T inline MRI‐linac, without simultaneous imaging and then during an imaging sequence, both during dosimetry. MR images were acquired to determine the effect of the detector and its components on image quality.

Methods

Beam profiles were measured using the M512 on the Australian MRI‐Linac and a comparison made with Gafchromic EBT3 film to investigate any intrinsic magnetic field effects in the silicon. The M512 has 512 sensitive volumes, each 0.5 × 0.5 × 0.037 mm3 in dimension, organized in a two‐dimensional array. Small field sizes up to 4.2 × 3.8 cm2 were investigated in both solid water and then solid lung phantoms. Beam profiles taken at 1.0 T were compared to 0 T conditions, and also to profiles taken during a gradient echo (GRE) imaging sequence. Differences in 80%‐20% penumbral width and full width at half maximum (FWHM) were investigated. Localizer MR images were acquired of the detector adjacent to a water phantom.

Results

Good agreement was observed between the M512 and film, with average differences in penumbral width and FWHM of <1 mm in the absence of the imaging sequence. Concurrent imaging widened the penumbra by up to 1.2 mm due to RF noise affecting the detector; film profiles were unchanged. Magnetic resonance images were affected by noise, in particular, due to the large amount of aluminum present, as well as from the USB cable, which acted as an antenna. Unfortunately, due to these issues, suitable dynamic dose imaging was not achieved with the current M512/phantom configuration and the MRI‐linac. However, progress was made toward achieving this goal for future work.

Conclusions

The M512 silicon array detector successfully measured high‐resolution beam profiles in agreement with Gafchromic film to within an average of <1 mm on the first MRI‐linac in Australia. More effective noise reduction will be required for the achievement of dynamic dosimaging in the future.
Normative noninvasive bladder function measurements in healthy women: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Wyman Jean F. , Zhou Jincheng , LaCoursiere D. Yvette , Markland Alayne D. , Mueller Elizabeth R. , Simon Laura , Stapleton Ann , Stoll Carolyn R. T. , Chu Haitao , Sutcliffe Siobhan
Published: January 2020

Aim

To conduct an evidence synthesis of normative reference values for bladder function parameters in women.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis of studies reporting bladder function parameters obtained from noninvasive tests in healthy women. Seven databases were searched for relevant studies from inception through December 2018, with manual searching of reference lists. We included English language articles that provided quantitative data on urination frequency, voided and postvoid residual volumes, and uroflowmetry results in women without lower urinary tract symptoms. Study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment were undertaken by at least two independent reviewers. Random‐effects meta‐analytic models were used to derive study‐level pooled mean estimates and 95% confidence intervals.

Results

A total of 24 studies (N = 3090 women, age range, 18‐91 years) met eligibility criteria. Pooled mean estimates of bladder function parameters were: 6.6 daytime voids (95% confidence interval (95% CI), 6.2, 7.0), 0.4 nighttime voids (95% CI, 0.0, 0.8), 1577 mL for 24‐hour voided volume (95% CI 1428,1725); 12 mL for postvoid residual volume (95% CI, 4, 20); and 28 mL/sec for maximum flow rate (95% CI, 27,30). Between‐study heterogeneity was high for all outcomes (I2 = 61.1‐99.6%), but insufficient data were available to explore reasons for this high heterogeneity (eg, differences by age).

Conclusion

Although summary mean estimates of bladder function parameters were calculated, the wide heterogeneity across studies precludes generalization of these estimates to all healthy women. Further research is needed to determine normative reference values within specific groups, such as those defined by age.