bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MicroRNA Expression Profiles in Superficial Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma before Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection: A Pilot Study
Authors: Fujihara Shintaro , Kobara Hideki , Nishiyama Noriko , Hirose Kayo , Iwama Hisakazu , Masaki Tsutomu
Published: April 2021

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has a poor prognosis when diagnosed at an advanced stage, and early detection and treatment are essential to improve survival. However, intraobserver and interobserver variation make the diagnosis of superficial ESCC difficult, and suitable biomarkers are urgently needed. Here, we compared the microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles of superficial ESCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues obtained immediately before esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection. We found that ESCC and normal tissues differed in their miRNA expression profiles. In particular, miR-21-5p and miR-146b-5p were significantly upregulated and miR-210-3p was significantly downregulated in tumor tissues compared with normal tissues. We also detected significant associations between miRNA expression and ESCC invasion depth and lymphovascular invasion. The same differential expression of miR-21-5p, miR-146b-5p, and miR-210-3p was detected in ESCC cell lines compared with normal esophageal epithelial cells in vitro. However, transfection of ESCC cells with miR-210-3p and miR-21-5p mimics or inhibitors had partial effects on cell proliferation and invasion in vitro. These results indicate that miRNA expression is significantly deregulated in superficial ESCC, and suggest that the potential contribution of differentially expressed miRNAs to the malignant phenotype should be further investigated.
Mitochondrial Transplantation as a Novel Therapeutic Strategy for Mitochondrial Diseases
Authors: Park Anna , Oh Mihee , Lee Su , Oh Kyoung-Jin , Lee Eun-Woo , Lee Sang , Bae Kwang-Hee , Han Baek , Kim Won
Published: April 2021

Mitochondria are the major source of intercellular bioenergy in the form of ATP. They are necessary for cell survival and play many essential roles such as maintaining calcium homeostasis, body temperature, regulation of metabolism and apoptosis. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been observed in variety of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, aging, type 2 diabetes, cancer and degenerative brain disease. In other words, the interpretation and regulation of mitochondrial signals has the potential to be applied as a treatment for various diseases caused by mitochondrial disorders. In recent years, mitochondrial transplantation has increasingly been a topic of interest as an innovative strategy for the treatment of mitochondrial diseases by augmentation and replacement of mitochondria. In this review, we focus on diseases that are associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and highlight studies related to the rescue of tissue-specific mitochondrial disorders. We firmly believe that mitochondrial transplantation is an optimistic therapeutic approach in finding a potentially valuable treatment for a variety of mitochondrial diseases.
Comprehensive NGS Panel Validation for the Identification of Actionable Alterations in Adult Solid Tumors
Authors: Martínez-Fernández Paula , Pose Patricia , Dolz-Gaitón Raquel , García Arantxa , Trigo-Sánchez Inmaculada , Rodríguez-Zarco Enrique , Garcia-Ruiz MJose , Barba Ibon , Izquierdo-García Marta , Valero-Garcia Jennifer , Ruiz Carlos , Lázaro Marián , Carbonell Paula , Gargallo Pablo , Méndez Carlos , Ríos-Martín Juan José , Palmeiro-Uriach Alberto , Camarasa-Lillo Natalia , Forteza-Vila Jerónimo , Calabria Inés
Published: April 2021

The increasing identification of driver oncogenic alterations and progress of targeted therapies addresses the need of comprehensive alternatives to standard molecular methods. The translation into clinical practice of next-generation sequencing (NGS) panels is actually challenged by the compliance of high quality standards for clinical accreditation. Herein, we present the analytical and clinical feasibility study of a hybridization capture-based NGS panel (Action OncoKitDx) for the analysis of somatic mutations, copy number variants (CNVs), fusions, pharmacogenetic SNPs and Microsatellite Instability (MSI) determination in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor samples. A total of 64 samples were submitted to extensive analytical validation for the identification of previously known variants. An additional set of 166 tumor and patient-matched normal samples were sequenced to assess the clinical utility of the assay across different tumor types. The panel demonstrated good specificity, sensitivity, reproducibility, and repeatability for the identification of all biomarkers analyzed and the 5% limit of detection set was validated. Among the clinical cohorts, the assay revealed pathogenic genomic alterations in 97% of patient cases, and in 82.7%, at least one clinically relevant variant was detected. The validation of accuracy and robustness of this assay supports the Action OncoKitDx’s utility in adult solid tumors.
DNA Methylation Change Profiling of Colorectal Disease: Screening towards Clinical Use
Authors: Yi Joo Mi
Published: April 2021

Colon cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Transformation of colon epithelial cells into invasive adenocarcinomas has been well known to be due to the accumulation of multiple genetic and epigenetic changes. In the past decade, the etiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) which is characterized by chronic inflammation of the intestinal mucosa, was only partially explained by genetic studies providing susceptibility loci, but recently epigenetic studies have provided critical evidences affecting IBD pathogenesis. Over the past decade, A deep understanding of epigenetics along with technological advances have led to identifying numerous genes that are regulated by promoter DNA hypermethylation in colorectal diseases. Recent advances in our understanding of the role of DNA methylation in colorectal diseases could improve a multitude of powerful DNA methylation-based biomarkers, particularly for use as diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction for therapeutic approaches. This review focuses on the emerging potential for translational research of epigenetic alterations into clinical utility as molecular biomarkers. Moreover, this review discusses recent progress regarding the identification of unknown hypermethylated genes in colon cancers and IBD, as well as their possible role in clinical practice, which will have important clinical significance, particularly in the era of the personalized medicine.
Study on Interference Connection Based on Shape Recovery of NiTiNb Shape Memory Alloy
Authors: Niu Haojie , Sun Yubin , Lin Chengxin , Zou Yutang
Published: April 2021

Interference connection is an effective method for improving the fatigue life of bolt connections. In this paper, a new method of interference connection was designed based on the shape memory effect of shape memory alloy. Using the method of numerical simulation, a finite element model was established to analyze the stress–strain rule of the bolt and the hole wall under different interference fit sizes. The results show that the stress concentration is formed at the orifice of the connecting plate. When the interference fit size is less than 1%, the connection hole has elastic deformation. When the interference fit size is 1.5%, the hole wall has plastic deformation. When the interference fit size is 2.5%, the maximum stress on the connecting plate is close to the tensile limit of the material. If the interference fit size continues to increase, the strength of the connection structure will be damaged. The connection experiments with different interference fit size were designed, and the interference force was calculated by the pull-out force. The experimental results were compared with the numerical simulation results. The change trend of the interference force with the interference fit size is consistent, which verifies the rationality of the finite element simulation.
In-Situ Synthesis, Microstructure, and Mechanical Properties of TiB2-Reinforced Fe-Cr-Mn-Al Steel Matrix Composites Prepared by Spark Plasma Sintering
Authors: Liu Jian , Wu Min , Chen Jian , Ye Zibo , Lin Cheng , Chen Weiping , Du Canyi
Published: April 2021

In-situ synthesis, microstructure, and mechanical properties of four TiB2-Reinforced Fe-Cr-Mn-Al Steel Matrix Composites have been researched in this work. The microstructure and phases of the prepared specimens have been characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction technique, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The sintered specimens consisted of Fe2AlCr, CrFeB-type boride, and TiB2. The mechanical properties, such as hardness and compression strength at room temperature (RT) and at elevated temperatures (600 °C and 800 °C) have been evaluated. The compressive strength and Vickers hardness of the sintered specimens increase with the volume fraction of TiB2 in the matrix, which are all much higher than those of the ex-situ TiB2/Fe-15Cr-20Mn-8Al composites and the reported TiB2/Fe-Cr composites with the same volume fraction of TiB2. The highest Vickers hardness and compressive strength at room temperature are 1213 ± 35 HV and 3500 ± 20 MPa, respectively. As the testing temperature increases to 600 °C, or even 800 °C, these composites still show relatively high compressive strength. Precipitation strengthening of CrFeB and in-situ synthesis of TiB2 as well as nanocrystalline microstructure produced by the combination of mechanical alloying (MA) and spark plasma sintering (SPS) can account for the high Vickers hardness and compressive strength.
Comparison of Elemental Analysis Techniques for the Characterization of Commercial Alloys
Authors: Seidel Peter , Ebert Doreen , Schinke Robert , Möckel Robert , Raatz Simone , Chao Madlen , Niederschlag Elke , Kreschel Thilo , Gloaguen Richard , Renno Axel D.
Published: April 2021

Better quality control for alloy manufacturing and sorting of post-consumer scraps relies heavily on the accurate determination of their chemical composition. In recent decades, analytical techniques, such as X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), and spark optical emission spectroscopy (spark-OES), found widespread use in the metal industry, though only a few studies were published about the comparison of these techniques for commercially available alloys. Hence, we conducted a study on the evaluation of four analytical techniques (energy-dispersive XRF, wavelength-dispersive XRF, LIBS, and spark-OES) for the determination of metal sample composition. It focuses on the quantitative analysis of nine commercial alloys, representing the three most important alloy classes: copper, aluminum, and steel. First, spark-OES is proven to serve as a validation technique in the use of certified alloy reference samples. Following an examination of the lateral homogeneity by XRF, the results of the techniques are compared, and reasons for deviations are discussed. Finally, a more general evaluation of each technique with its capabilities and limitations is given, taking operation-relevant parameters, such as measurement speed and calibration effort, into account. This study shall serve as a guide for the routine use of these methods in metal producing and recycling industries.
Microstructure Refinement by Low-Temperature Ausforming in an Fe-Based Metastable High-Entropy Alloy
Authors: Koyama Motomichi , Gondo Takeaki , Tsuzaki Kaneaki
Published: April 2021

The effects of ausforming in an Fe30Mn10Cr10Co high-entropy alloy on the microstructure, hardness, and plastic anisotropy were investigated. The alloy showed a dual-phase microstructure consisting of face-centered cubic (FCC) austenite and hexagonal close-packed (HCP) martensite in the as-solution-treated condition, and the finish temperature for the reverse transformation was below 200 °C. Therefore, low-temperature ausforming at 200 °C was achieved, which resulted in microstructure refinement and significantly increased the hardness. Furthermore, plasticity anisotropy, a common problem in HCP structures, was suppressed by the ausforming treatment. This, in turn, reduced the scatter of the hardness.
Investigating the Influence of Process Parameters on the Mechanical Properties of Extruded Aluminum Tubes by Cyclic Indentation Tests
Authors: Görzen David , Schäfke Florian Patrick , Blinn Bastian , Klose Christian , Maier Hans Jürgen , Beck Tilmann
Published: April 2021

Given the complex process condition, extruded aluminum (Al) alloy tubes show locally pronounced differences in microstructure and mechanical properties, which can be influenced by subsequent heat treatment. In the present study, cyclic indentation tests (CITs) were conducted on extruded Al alloy EN AW-6082 to locally determine hardness and cyclic hardening potential, which was complemented with light optical microscopy. To analyze the influence of extrusion process and subsequent heat treatment, the EN AW-6082 tubes investigated were manufactured with extrusion ratios Ψ of 13:1 and 22:1, both in as-extruded and T6 heat-treated conditions. The results obtained for the as-extruded state showed significant differences of the local mechanical properties and demonstrated that an increased Ψ leads to higher hardness, caused by more pronounced plastic deformation during the manufacturing process. Moreover, an increase of hardness and cyclic hardening potential was observed after a T6 heat treatment, which also reduced the difference in hardness between the different extrusion ratios. Additionally, the pronounced local differences in hardness and cyclic hardening potential correlated with the local microstructure. The results demonstrated that CITs enable the analysis of local mechanical properties of extruded EN AW-6082 profiles, resulting from different extrusions ratios as well as subsequent heat treatment.
Valorization of Bio-Residues from the Processing of Main Portuguese Fruit Crops: From Discarded Waste to Health Promoting Compounds
Authors: Pascoalino Liege A. , Reis Filipa S. , Prieto Miguel A. , Barreira João C. M. , Ferreira Isabel C. F. R. , Barros Lillian
Published: April 2021

Food processing generates a large amount of bio-residues, which have become the focus of different studies aimed at valorizing this low-cost source of bioactive compounds. High fruit consumption is associated with beneficial health effects and, therefore, bio-waste and its constituents arouse therapeutic interest. The present work focuses on the main Portuguese fruit crops and revises (i) the chemical constituents of apple, orange, and pear pomace as potential sources of functional/bioactive compounds; (ii) the bioactive evidence and potential therapeutic use of bio-waste generated in the processing of the main Portuguese fruit crops; and (iii) potential applications in the food, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries. The current evidence of the effect of these bio-residues as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial agents is also summarized. Conclusions of the revised data are that these bio-wastes hold great potential to be employed in specific nutritional and pharmaceutical applications.
Fast Li-Ion Conduction in Spinel-Structured Solids
Authors: Allen Jan L. , Crear Bria A. , Choudhury Rishav , Wang Michael J. , Tran Dat T. , Ma Lin , Piccoli Philip M. , Sakamoto Jeff , Wolfenstine Jeff
Published: April 2021

Spinel-structured solids were studied to understand if fast Li+ ion conduction can be achieved with Li occupying multiple crystallographic sites of the structure to form a “Li-stuffed” spinel, and if the concept is applicable to prepare a high mixed electronic-ionic conductive, electrochemically active solid solution of the Li+ stuffed spinel with spinel-structured Li-ion battery electrodes. This could enable a single-phase fully solid electrode eliminating multi-phase interface incompatibility and impedance commonly observed in multi-phase solid electrolyte–cathode composites. Materials of composition Li1.25M(III)0.25TiO4, M(III) = Cr or Al were prepared through solid-state methods. The room-temperature bulk Li+-ion conductivity is 1.63 × 10−4 S cm−1 for the composition Li1.25Cr0.25Ti1.5O4. Addition of Li3BO3 (LBO) increases ionic and electronic conductivity reaching a bulk Li+ ion conductivity averaging 6.8 × 10−4 S cm−1, a total Li-ion conductivity averaging 4.2 × 10−4 S cm−1, and electronic conductivity averaging 3.8 × 10−4 S cm−1 for the composition Li1.25Cr0.25Ti1.5O4 with 1 wt. % LBO. An electrochemically active solid solution of Li1.25Cr0.25Mn1.5O4 and LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 was prepared. This work proves that Li-stuffed spinels can achieve fast Li-ion conduction and that the concept is potentially useful to enable a single-phase fully solid electrode without interphase impedance.
Effects of Aloe vera Flower Extract and Its Active Constituent Isoorientin on Skin Moisturization via Regulating Involucrin Expression: In Vitro and Molecular Docking Studies
Authors: Razia Sultana , Park Hyunsung , Shin Eunju , Shim Kyu-Suk , Cho Eunae , Kim Sun-Yeou
Published: April 2021

Skin moisturization is very crucial for maintaining the flexibility, viscoelasticity, and differentiation of the epidermis and its deprivation causes several diseases from dry skin to dermatitis. Aloe vera, a miracle plant having diverse medicinal properties including skin moisturization effects. This study investigated for the first time the molecular mechanism targeting skin moisturization effects of the Aloe vera flower and its major active constituent. By treating human epidermal keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) with Aloe vera flower water extract (AFWE), we found that AFWE upregulated epidermal involucrin by activating the expression of protein kinase C, p38, and ERK 1/2. Additionally, it modulated filaggrin, increased aquaporin expression, and hyaluronan synthesis via a balanced regulation of HAS1 and HYAL1 protein. Similarly, it was able to protect UVB-induced photodamage. Western blot analysis, ELISA, and qRT- PCR were performed to evaluate various epidermal differentiation markers and moisturization-related factors on human epidermal keratinocytes (HaCaT cells). TLC and HPLC were used to detect and analyze the chemical constituents. Among them, we found that an active component of Aloe vera flower, isoorientin (IO) has a high binding affinity to all of its targeted proteins such as involucrin, PKC, P38, etc. through molecular docking assay. This study indicated that the Aloe vera flower and its active constituent, IO can be used as a prominent ingredient to enhance skin barrier function and improve its related pathologies.
Chemical Constitution and Antimicrobial Activity of Kefir Fermented Beverage
Authors: Al-Mohammadi Abdul-Raouf , Ibrahim Rehab A. , Moustafa Ahmed H. , Ismaiel Ahmed A. , Abou Zeid Azza , Enan Gamal
Published: April 2021

Kefir beverage (KB) is a fermented milk initiated by kefir grains rich with starter probiotics. The KB produced in this study seemed to contain many chemical compounds elucidated by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and IR spectra. These compounds could be classified into different chemical groups such as alcohols, phenols, esters, fatty esters, unsaturated fatty esters, steroids, polyalkenes, heterocyclic compounds and aromatic aldehydes. Both KB and neutralized kefir beverage (NKB) inhibited some pathogenic bacteria including Escherichia coli ATCC11229 (E. coli), Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 4957 (L. monocytogenes), Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579 (B. cereus), Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 14028 (Sal. typhimurium) as well as some tested fungal strains such as Aspergillus flavus ATCC 16872 (A. flavus) and Aspergillus niger ATCC 20611 (A. niger), but the inhibitory activity of KB was more powerful than that obtained by NKB. It also appeared to contain four lactic acid bacteria species, one acetic acid bacterium and two yeast species. Finally, the KB inhibited distinctively both S. aureus and Sal. typhimurium bacteria in a brain heart infusion broth and in some Egyptian fruit juices, including those made with apples, guava, strawberries and tomatoes.
Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cell: Photoanodes, Counter Electrodes, and Electrolytes
Authors: Chung Nguyen Thi Kim , Nguyen Phat Tan , Tung Ha Thanh , Phuc Dang Huu
Published: April 2021

In this study, we provide the reader with an overview of quantum dot application in solar cells to replace dye molecules, where the quantum dots play a key role in photon absorption and excited charge generation in the device. The brief shows the types of quantum dot sensitized solar cells and presents the obtained results of them for each type of cell, and provides the advantages and disadvantages. Lastly, methods are proposed to improve the efficiency performance in the next researching.
Resolving Entangled JH-H-Coupling Patterns for Steroidal Structure Determinations by NMR Spectroscopy
Authors: Wu Danni , Carillo Kathleen Joyce , Shie Jiun-Jie , Yu Steve S.-F. , Tzou Der-Lii M.
Published: April 2021

For decades, high-resolution 1H NMR spectroscopy has been routinely utilized to analyze both naturally occurring steroid hormones and synthetic steroids, which play important roles in regulating physiological functions in humans. Because the 1H signals are inevitably superimposed and entangled with various JH–H splitting patterns, such that the individual 1H chemical shift and associated JH–H coupling identities are hardly resolved. Given this, applications of thess information for elucidating steroidal molecular structures and steroid/ligand interactions at the atomic level were largely restricted. To overcome, we devoted to unraveling the entangled JH–H splitting patterns of two similar steroidal compounds having fully unsaturated protons, i.e., androstanolone and epiandrosterone (denoted as 1 and 2, respectively), in which only hydroxyl and ketone substituents attached to C3 and C17 were interchanged. Here we demonstrated that the JH–H values deduced from 1 and 2 are universal and applicable to other steroids, such as testosterone, 3β, 21-dihydroxygregna-5-en-20-one, prednisolone, and estradiol. On the other hand, the 1H chemical shifts may deviate substantially from sample to sample. In this communication, we propose a simple but novel scheme for resolving the complicate JH–H splitting patterns and 1H chemical shifts, aiming for steroidal structure determinations.
Distribution and Severity of Placental Lesions Caused by the Chlamydia abortus 1B Vaccine Strain in Vaccinated Ewes
Authors: Caspe Sergio Gastón , Palarea-Albaladejo Javier , Underwood Clare , Livingstone Morag , Wattegedera Sean Ranjan , Milne Elspeth , Sargison Neil Donald , Chianini Francesca , Longbottom David
Published: April 2021

Chlamydia abortus infects livestock species worldwide and is the cause of enzootic abortion of ewes (EAE). In Europe, control of the disease is achieved using a live vaccine based on C. abortus 1B strain. Although the vaccine has been useful for controlling disease outbreaks, abortion events due to the vaccine have been reported. Recently, placental pathology resulting from a vaccine type strain (vt) infection has been reported and shown to be similar to that resulting from a natural wild-type (wt) infection. The aim of this study was to extend these observations by comparing the distribution and severity of the lesions, the composition of the predominating cell infiltrate, the amount of bacteria present and the role of the blood supply in infection. A novel system for grading the histological and pathological features present was developed and the resulting multi-parameter data were statistically transformed for exploration and visualisation through a tailored principal component analysis (PCA) to evaluate the difference between them. The analysis provided no evidence of meaningful differences between vt and wt strains in terms of the measured pathological parameters. The study also contributes a novel methodology for analysing the progression of infection in the placenta for other abortifacient pathogens.
Sylvatic Canine Morbillivirus in Captive Panthera Highlights Viral Promiscuity and the Need for Better Prevention Strategies
Authors: Batista Linhares Mainity , Whiteley Herbert E. , Samuelson Jonathan P. , Hsiao Shih Hsuan , Stern Adam W. , Sprandel Ian T. , Roady Patrick J. , Coleman David A. , Rizzo Rebecca , Froderman S. Fred , Terio Karen A.
Published: April 2021

Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) is a multi-host morbillivirus that infects virtually all Carnivora and a few non-human primates. Here we describe a CDV outbreak in an exotic felid rescue center that led to the death of eight felids in the genus Panthera. Similar to domestic dogs and in contrast to previously described CDV cases in Panthera, severe pneumonia was the primary lesion and no viral antigens or CDV-like lesions were detected in the central nervous system. Four tigers succumbed to opportunistic infections. Viral hemagglutinin (H)-gene sequence was up to 99% similar to strains circulating contemporaneously in regional wildlife. CDV lesions in raccoons and skunk were primarily encephalitis. A few affected felids had at least one previous vaccination for CDV, while most felids at the center were vaccinated during the outbreak. Panthera sharing a fence or enclosure with infected conspecifics had significantly higher chances of getting sick or dying, suggesting tiger-tiger spread was more likely than recurrent spillover. Prior vaccination was incomplete and likely not protective. This outbreak highlights the need for further understanding of CDV epidemiology for species conservation and public health.
Tremellomycetes Yeasts in Kernel Ecological Niche: Early Indicators of Enhanced Competitiveness of Endophytic and Mycoparasitic Symbionts against Wheat Pathobiota
Authors: Vujanovic Vladimir
Published: April 2021

Tremellomycetes rDNA sequences previously detected in wheat kernels by MiSeq were not reliably assigned to a genus or clade. From comparisons of ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and subsequent phylogenetic analyses, the following three basidiomycetous yeasts were resolved and identified: Vishniacozymavictoriae, V. tephrensis, and an undescribed Vishniacozyma rDNA variant. The Vishniacozyma variant’s clade is evolutionarily close to, but phylogenetically distinct from, the V. carnescens clade. These three yeasts were discovered in wheat kernel samples from the Canadian prairies. Variations in relative Vishniacozyma species abundances coincided with altered wheat kernel weight, as well as host resistance to chemibiotrophic Tilletia (Common bunt—CB) and necrotrophic Fusarium (Fusarium head blight—FHB) pathogens. Wheat kernel weight was influenced by the coexistence of Vishniacozyma with endophytic plant growth-promoting and mycoparasitic biocontrol fungi that were acquired by plants. Kernels were coated with beneficial Penicillium endophyte and Sphaerodes mycoparasite, each of which had different influences on the wild yeast population. Its integral role in the kernel microbiome renders Vishniacozyma a measurable indicator of the microbiome–plant interaction. The ability of NGS technology to detect specific endophytic DNA variants and early changes in dynamics among symbionts within the kernel ecological niche enables the prediction of crop disease emergence, suggesting that advanced microbiological testing may be a potentially useful tool for both phytoprotection and more efficient wheat breeding programs.
Effects of Agronomic Practices on the Severity of Sweet Basil Downy Mildew (Peronospora belbahrii)
Authors: Omer Chen , Nisan Ziv , Rav-David Dalia , Elad Yigal
Published: April 2021

Downy mildew (caused by Peronospora belbahrii) is a severe disease of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) crops around the world. We examined cultural methods for reducing the severity of sweet basil downy mildew (SBDM) under commercial conditions in greenhouses and walk-in tunnels. The effects of the orientation of walk-in tunnels, air circulation in greenhouses, plant density, and soil mulch were tested. SBDM was less severe in the tunnels that were oriented north-south than in those oriented east-west, but the yields in both types of tunnels were similar. Increased air circulation reduced SBDM severity, but did not affect yield. Gray or transparent polyethylene mulch reduced SBDM severity and, in most cases, increased yield relative to bare soil/growth medium. Yellow polyethylene mulch provided a smaller amount of control. The combination of increased air circulation and yellow polyethylene mulch provided synergistic SBDM control, whereas no synergism was observed when we combined increased air circulation with the other two types of mulch. Planting at half the usual density reduced disease severity. The reduced plant density was associated with reduced yield in the greenhouses, but not in the tunnels. All of the tested methods provided an intermediate level of SBDM control that varied among the different experiments.
Spatiotemporal Changes of Winter Wheat Planted and Harvested Areas, Photosynthesis and Grain Production in the Contiguous United States from 2008–2018
Authors: Wu Xiaocui , Xiao Xiangming , Steiner Jean , Yang Zhengwei , Qin Yuanwei , Wang Jie
Published: April 2021

Winter wheat is a main cereal crop grown in the United States of America (USA), and the USA is the third largest wheat exporter globally. Timely and reliable in-season forecast and year-end estimation of winter wheat grain production in the USA are needed for regional and global food security. In this study, we assessed the consistency between the agricultural statistical reports and satellite-based data for winter wheat over the contiguous US (CONUS) at both the county and national scales. First, we compared the planted area estimates from the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and the Cropland Data Layer (CDL) from 2008–2018. Second, we investigated the relationship between gross primary production (GPP) estimated by the vegetation photosynthesis model (VPM) and grain production from the NASS. Lastly, we explored the in-season utility of GPPVPM in monitoring seasonal production. Strong spatiotemporal consistency of planted areas was found between the NASS and CDL datasets. However, in the Southern Great Plains, both the CDL and NASS planted acreage were noticeable larger (>20%) than the NASS harvested area, where some winter wheat fields were used as forage for cattle grazing. County-level GPPVPM was linearly related with grain production of winter wheat, with an R2 value of 0.68 across the CONUS. The relationships between grain production and GPPVPM in those counties without a substantial difference (<20%) between planted and harvested area were much stronger and their harvest index (HIGPP) values ranged from 0.2–0.3. GPPVPM in May could explain about 70–90% of the variance of winter wheat grain production. Our findings highlight the potential of GPPVPM in winter wheat monitoring, especially for those high harvested/planted ratio, which could provide useful data to guide planning and marketing for decision makers, stakeholders, and the public.
Integrated Mapping of Spatial Urban Dynamics—A European-Chinese Exploration. Part 1—Methodology for Automatic Land Cover Classification Tailored towards Spatial Allocation of Ecosystem Services Features
Authors: Banzhaf Ellen , Wu Wanben , Luo Xiangyu , Knopp Julius
Published: April 2021

Urbanisation processes inherently influence land cover (LC) and have dramatic impacts on the amount, distribution and quality of vegetation cover. The latter are the source of ecosystem services (ES) on which humans depend. However, the temporal and thematical dimensions are not documented in a comparable manner across Europe and China. Three cities in China and three cities in Europe were selected as case study areas to gain a picture of spatial urban dynamics at intercontinental scale. First, we analysed available global and continental thematic LC products as a data pool for sample selection and referencing our own mapping model. With the help of the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform and earth observation data, an automatic LC mapping method tailored for more detailed ES features was proposed. To do so, differentiated LC categories were quantified. In order to obtain a balance between efficiency and high classification accuracy, we developed an optimal classification model by evaluating the importance of a large number of spectral, texture-based indices and topographical information. The overall classification accuracies range between 73% and 95% for different time slots and cities. To capture ES related LC categories in great detail, deciduous and coniferous forests, cropland, grassland and bare land were effectively identified. To understand inner urban options for potential new ES, dense and dispersed built-up areas were differentiated with good results. In addition, this study focuses on the differences in the characteristics of urban expansion witnessed in China and Europe. Our results reveal that urbanisation has been more intense in the three Chinese cities than in the three European cities, with an 84% increase in the entire built-up area over the last two decades. However, our results also show the results of China’s ecological restoration policies, with a total of 963 km2 of new green and blue LC created in the last two decades. We proved that our automatic mapping can be effectively applied to future studies, and the monitoring results will be useful for consecutive ES analyses aimed at achieving more environmentally friendly cities.
Capacity of the PERSIANN-CDR Product in Detecting Extreme Precipitation over Huai River Basin, China
Authors: Sun Shanlei , Wang Jiazhi , Shi Wanrong , Chai Rongfan , Wang Guojie
Published: April 2021

Assessing satellite-based precipitation product capacity for detecting precipitation and linear trends is fundamental for accurately knowing precipitation characteristics and changes, especially for regions with scarce and even no observations. In this study, we used daily gauge observations across the Huai River Basin (HRB) during 1983–2012 and four validation metrics to evaluate the Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information Using Artificial Neural Networks-Climate Data Record (PERSIANN-CDR) capacity for detecting extreme precipitation and linear trends. The PERSIANN-CDR well captured climatologic characteristics of the precipitation amount- (PRCPTOT, R85p, R95p, and R99p), duration- (CDD and CWD), and frequency-based indices (R10mm, R20mm, and Rnnmm), followed by moderate performance for the intensity-based indices (Rx1day, R5xday, and SDII). Based on different validation metrics, the PERSIANN-CDR capacity to detect extreme precipitation varied spatially, and meanwhile the validation metric-based performance differed among these indices. Furthermore, evaluation of the PERSIANN-CDR linear trends indicated that this product had a much limited and even no capacity to represent extreme precipitation changes across the HRB. Briefly, this study provides a significant reference for PERSIANN-CDR developers to use to improve product accuracy from the perspective of extreme precipitation, and for potential users in the HRB.
Comparison of Target Detectors to Identify Icebergs in Quad-Polarimetric L-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar Data
Authors: Bailey Johnson , Marino Armando , Akbari Vahid
Published: April 2021

Icebergs represent hazards to ships and maritime activities and therefore their detection is essential. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites are very useful for this, due to their capability to acquire data under cloud cover and during day and night passes. In this work, we compared six state-of-the-art polarimetric target detectors to test their performance and ability to detect small-sized icebergs <120 m in four locations in Greenland. We used four single-look complex (SLC) ALOS-2 quad-polarimetric images from JAXA for quad-polarimetric detection and we compared with dual-polarimetric detectors using only the channels HH and HV. We also compared these detectors with single-polarimetric intensity channels and we tested using two scenarios: open ocean and sea ice. Our results show that the multi-look polarimetric whitening filter (MPWF) and the optimal polarimetric detector (OPD) provide the most optimal performance in quad- and dual-polarimetric mode detection. The analysis shows that, overall, quad-polarimetric detectors provide the best detection performance. When the false alarm rate (PF) is fixed to 10−5, the probabilities of detection (PD) are 0.99 in open ocean and 0.90 in sea ice. Dual-polarimetric or single-polarimetric detectors show an overall reduction in performance (the ROC curves show a decrease), but this degradation is not very large (<0.1) when the value of false alarms is relatively high (i.e., we are interested in bigger icebergs with a brighter backscattering >120 m, as they are easier to detect). However, the differences between quad- and dual- or single-polarimetric detectors became much more evident when the PF value was fixed to low detection probabilities 10−6 (i.e., smaller icebergs). In the single-polarimetric mode, the HV channel showed PD values of 0.62 for open ocean and 0.26 for sea ice, compared to values of 0.81 (open ocean) and 0.77 (sea ice) obtained with quad-polarimetric detectors.
Characteristics of Bow-Tie Antenna Structures for Semi-Insulating GaAs and InP Photoconductive Terahertz Emitters
Authors: Alfihed Salman , Foulds Ian G. , Holzman Jonathan F.
Published: April 2021

This work presents a study of photoconductive (PC) terahertz (THz) emitters based upon varied bow-tie (BT) antenna structures on the semi-insulating (SI) forms of GaAs and InP. The BT antennas have electrodes in the form of a Sharp BT, a Broad BT, an Asymmetric BT, a Blunted BT, and a Doubled BT. The study explores the main features of PC THz emitters for spectroscopic studies and sensors application in terms of THz field amplitude and spectral bandwidth. The emitters’ performance levels are found to depend strongly upon the PC material and antenna structure. The SI-InP emitters display lower THz field amplitude and narrower bandwidth compared to the SI-GaAs emitters with the same structure (and dimensions). The characterized Doubled BT structure yields a higher THz field amplitude, while the characterized Asymmetric BT structure with flat edges yields a higher bandwidth in comparison to the sharp-edged structures. This knowledge on the PC THz emitter characteristics, in terms of material and structure, can play a key role in future implementations and applications of THz sensor technology.
A Review of RFID Sensors, the New Frontier of Internet of Things
Authors: Costa Filippo , Genovesi Simone , Borgese Michele , Michel Andrea , Dicandia Francesco Alessio , Manara Giuliano
Published: April 2021

A review of technological solutions for RFID sensing and their current or envisioned applications is presented. The fundamentals of the wireless sensing technology are summarized in the first part of the work, and the benefits of adopting RFID sensors for replacing standard sensor-equipped Wi-Fi nodes are discussed. Emphasis is put on the absence of batteries and the lower cost of RFID sensors with respect to other sensor solutions available on the market. RFID sensors are critically compared by separating them into chipped and chipless configurations. Both categories are further analyzed with reference to their working mechanism (electronic, electromagnetic, and acoustic). RFID sensing through chip-equipped tags is now a mature technological solution, which is continuously increasing its presence on the market and in several applicative scenarios. On the other hand, chipless RFID sensing represents a relatively new concept, which could become a disruptive solution in the market, but further research in this field is necessary for customizing its employment in specific scenarios. The benefits and limitations of several tag configurations are shown and discussed. A summary of the most suitable applicative scenarios for RFID sensors are finally illustrated. Finally, a look at some sensing solutions available on the market are described and compared.
People Lifting Patterns—A Reference Dataset for Practitioners
Authors: Kluwak Konrad , Klempous Ryszard , Chaczko Zenon , Rozenblit Jerzy W. , Kulbacki Marek
Published: April 2021

Many health professionals do not use correct person transfer techniques in their daily practice. This results in damage to the paraspinal musculature over time, resulting in lower back pain and injuries. In this work, we propose an approach for the accurate multimodal measurement of people lifting and related motion patterns for ergonomic education regarding the application of correct patient transfer techniques. Several examples of person lifting were recorded and processed through accurate instrumentation and the well-defined measurements of kinematics, kinetics, surface electromyography of muscles as well as multicamera video. This resulted in a complete measurement protocol and unique reference datasets of correct and incorrect lifting schemes for caregivers and patients. This understanding of multimodal motion patterns provides insights for further independent investigations.
CpG Methylation Profiles of HIV-1 Proviral DNA in Individuals on ART
Authors: Boltz Valerie F. , Ceriani Cristina , Rausch Jason W. , Shao Wei , Bale Michael J. , Keele Brandon F. , Hoh Rebecca , Milush Jeffrey M. , Deeks Steve G. , Maldarelli Frank , Kearney Mary F. , Coffin John M.
Published: April 2021

The latent HIV-1 reservoir is comprised of stably integrated and intact proviruses with limited to no viral transcription. It has been proposed that latent infection may be maintained by methylation of pro-viral DNA. Here, for the first time, we investigate the cytosine methylation of a replication competent provirus (AMBI-1) found in a T cell clone in a donor on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Methylation profiles of the AMBI-1 provirus were compared to other proviruses in the same donor and in samples from three other individuals on ART, including proviruses isolated from lymph node mononuclear cells (LNMCs) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We also evaluated the apparent methylation of cytosines outside of CpG (i.e., CpH) motifs. We found no evidence for methylation in AMBI-1 or any other provirus tested within the 5′ LTR promoter. In contrast, CpG methylation was observed in the env-tat-rev overlapping reading frame. In addition, we found evidence for differential provirus methylation in cells isolated from LNMCs vs. PBMCs in some individuals, possibly from the expansion of infected cell clones. Finally, we determined that apparent low-level methylation of CpH cytosines is consistent with occasional bisulfite reaction failures. In conclusion, our data do not support the proposition that latent HIV infection is associated with methylation of the HIV 5′ LTR promoter.
Identification, Virulence, and Molecular Characterization of a Recombinant Isolate of Grass Carp Reovirus Genotype I
Authors: Zeng Weiwei , Bergmannc Sven M. , Dong Hanxu , Yang Ying , Wu Minglin , Liu Hong , Chen Yanfeng , Li Hua
Published: April 2021

The hemorrhagic disease of grass carp (HDGC) caused by grass carp reovirus (GCRV) still poses a great threat to the grass carp industry. Isolation and identification of the GCRV genotype I (GCRV-I) has been rarely reported in the past decade. In this study, a new GCRV was isolated from diseased fish with severe symptoms of enteritis and mild hemorrhages on the body surface. The isolate was further identified by cell culture, transmission electron, indirect immunofluorescence, and SDS-PAGE electrophoretic pattern analysis of genomic RNA. The results were consistent with the new isolate as a GCRV-I member and tentatively named GCRV-GZ1208. Both grass carp and rare minnow infected by the GCRV-GZ1208 have no obvious hemorrhagic symptoms, and the final mortality rate was ≤10%, indicating that it may be a low virulent isolate. GZ1208 possessed highest genomic homology to 873/GCHV (GCRV-I) and golden shiner reovirus (GSRV). Additionally, it was found a 90.7–98.3% nucleotide identity, a 96.4–100% amino acid identity, and <50% identity with GCRV-II and III genotypes. Interestingly, the sequences of some segments of GZ1208 were similar to GCRV-8733/GCHV, whereas the remaining segments were more closely related to GSRV, suggesting that a recombination event had occurred. Bootscan analysis of the complete genomic sequence confirmed this hypothesis, and recombination events between 873/GCHV and other GSRV-like viruses were also accompanied by gene mutations.
Rainfall Forecast Model Based on the TabNet Model
Authors: Yan Jianzhuo , Xu Tianyu , Yu Yongchuan , Xu Hongxia
Published: April 2021

To further reduce the error rate of rainfall prediction, we used a new machine learning model for rainfall prediction and new feature engineering methods, and combined the satellite system’s method of observing rainfall with the machine learning prediction. Based on multivariate correlations among meteorological information, this study proposes a rainfall forecast model based on the Attentive Interpretable Tabular Learning neural network (TabNet). This study used self-supervised learning to help the TabNet model speed up convergence and maintain stability. We also used feature engineering methods to alleviate the uncertainty caused by seasonal changes in rainfall forecasts. The experiment used 5 years of meteorological data from 26 stations in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region of China to verify the proposed rainfall forecast model. The comparative experiment proved that our proposed method improves the performance of the model, and that the basic model used is also superior to other traditional models. This research provides a high-performance method for rainfall prediction and provides a reference for similar data-mining tasks.
GESTIÓN DEL TALENTO HUMANO Y CALIDAD DE VIDA LABORAL EN EL SECTOR CALZADO
Authors: Frías Pérez Edisson Andrés
Published: April 2021

La gestión del talento humano se considera una filosofía gerencial que involucra creencias, valores, roles y sociedad. Por tal motivo la investigación tiene por objetivo central, determinar la relación que existe entre la gestión del talento humano y la calidad de vida laboral en el sector calzado. Fue una investigación descriptiva, se usó una modalidad de tipo documental de campo, bajo un enfoque cuantitativo. La población que se usó para la aplicación de los instrumentos estuvo basada en 65 empresas productoras de calzado de la provincia de Tungurahua. Mientras que solo se usó para la muestra 6 empresas del sector calzado. Se obtuvo como resultado que la calidad de vida laboral es considerada como la representación positiva o negativa de un ambiente laboral. Por lo tanto, la óptima gestión del Talento Humano permitirá lograr un nivel superior en lo que refiere a la calidad de vida del trabajador.
THE STRATEGY OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SMEs) IN UPGRADING SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING TO CONTENT MARKETING
Authors: Gunardi Gunardi , Hurriyati Ratih , Dirgantari Puspo Dewi
Published: April 2021

The era of the internet is moving and developing very fast. The use of social media that had only been used to communicate and socialize turned into a marketing campaign tool. On the other hand, the use of the internet to develop content can also be used as a marketing campaign tool and is known as content marketing. It will be seen how social media marketing is also related to content marketing. The resulting conclusions show how content marketing will complement social media marketing so that it can be used for the development of small and medium businesses.