bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Pre-Anesthesia Anxiety on Propofol Induction Dose in Cats
Authors: Shimizu Yuki , Kanda Teppei
Published: July 2021

In humans, peri-anesthesia anxiety reportedly increases the anesthetic requirements for anesthesia induction. However, no studies have been conducted on cats regarding the effects of anxiety on anesthesia induction or anesthetic-mediated physiological changes. Therefore, we intended to investigate the effect of pre-anesthesia anxiety in healthy cats on the propofol dose required for anesthesia induction, and its impact on behavioral and physiological evaluations. The cats were placed in either a calm (CAL) or tense (ANX) environment. We performed physiological and behavioral evaluations before and after each environmental acclimatization period. Anesthesia was induced using propofol. We recorded the total dose of propofol administered for each clinical sign observed during anesthesia induction. The post-acclimatization behavioral evaluation score was significantly higher in the ANX group than the pre-acclimatization score. However, there was no significant difference in the propofol dose required for each clinical sign in the ANX or CAL groups. There were also no significant differences in the physiological evaluations between the ANX and CAL groups. Therefore, pre-anesthesia anxiety felt by cats did not affect propofol-mediated anesthesia induction.
Healthy Ageing Is Associated with Preserved or Enhanced Nutrient and Mineral Apparent Digestibility in Dogs and Cats Fed Commercially Relevant Extruded Diets
Authors: Schauf Sofia , Stockman Jonathan , Haydock Richard , Eyre Ryan , Fortener Lisa , Park Jean Soon , Bakke Anne Marie , Watson Phillip
Published: July 2021

Age-related changes in gastrointestinal function have been reported in companion animals, but the impact on digestive efficiency remains uncertain. Healthy dogs (n = 37; 2.6–14.2 years) received four diets varying in total dietary fibre (TDF; 6–29%, as fed). Healthy cats (n = 28; 1–13 years) received four diets with two fat (10–12%; 17–18%) and TDF (9 and 12%) levels. In a crossover design, diets were provided over four consecutive 10-day cycles, including a 4-day faecal collection. Apparent crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), TDF, calcium (Ca), and phosphorus (P) digestibilities were determined. The effect of age was analysed as a continuous variable in dogs and as differences between adult (1–5 years) and senior (7–13 years) cats. In dogs, EE digestibility was unaffected by age (p > 0.10). Dogs of 6–12 years had higher digestibility of CP (p = 0.032), TDF (p = 0.019), Ca (p = 0.019), and P (p = 0.024) when fed the 6% TDF diet. Senior cats had greater digestibility of TDF (p < 0.01) and Ca (p = 0.024) but had lower EE and CP digestibility with one diet (17% fat; 9%TDF) (age, p > 0.10; diet × age, p < 0.001). Healthy ageing was associated with preserved nutrient digestibility in dogs and cats within the age ranges studied. The effect of ingredient sources in senior cats warrants further investigation.
Evaluation of the Conservation Status of the Croatian Posavina Horse Breed Based on Pedigree and Microsatellite Data
Authors: Ivanković Ante , Bittante Giovanni , Konjačić Miljenko , Kelava Ugarković Nikolina , Pećina Mateja , Ramljak Jelena
Published: July 2021

The Croatian Posavina horse (CPH) is native Croatian breed under a conservation program and under various programs of economic use (ecosystem services, agrotourism, and meat production). The aim of this study was to analyze the status of the CPH population through an analysis of their pedigree (28,483 records), phenotype (292 licensed stallions, 255 mares), and genetic structure (292 licensed stallions). The average generation interval was 8.20 years, and the number of complete generations was 1.66. The effective number of founders and ancestors was 138 and 107, respectively, with a ratio of 1.29, and the genetic conservation index was 4.46. As for the morphometric characteristics, the average withers height of the stallions was 142.79 cm, the chest circumference was 194.28 cm, and the cannon bone circumference was 22.34. In mares, the withers height, chest, and cannon bone circumference were lower (139.71 cm, 190.30 cm, and 20.94 cm, respectively). Genetic microsatellite analysis of the 29 sire-lines showed high genetic diversity, expressed as the mean allele number (7.7), allele richness (4.0), and expected heterozygosity (0.740). There was no evidence of high inbreeding or a genetic bottleneck. The genetic and phenotypic data indicate that the CPH is an important and diverse reservoir of genetic diversity and can be conserved because of its special characteristics (adaptability).
Predicting Subclinical Ketosis in Dairy Cows Using Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Satoła Alicja , Bauer Edyta Agnieszka
Published: July 2021

The diagnosis of subclinical ketosis in dairy cows based on blood ketone bodies is a challenging and costly procedure. Scientists are searching for tools based on results of milk performance assessment that would allow monitoring the risk of subclinical ketosis. The objective of the study was (1) to design a scoring system that would allow choosing the best machine learning models for the identification of cows-at-risk of subclinical ketosis, (2) to select the best performing models, and (3) to validate them using a testing dataset containing unseen data. The scoring system was developed using two machine learning modeling pipelines, one for regression and one for classification. As part of the system, different feature selections, outlier detection, data scaling and oversampling methods were used. Various linear and non-linear models were fit using training datasets and evaluated on holdout, testing the datasets. For the assessment of suitability of individual models for predicting subclinical ketosis, three β-hydroxybutyrate concentration in blood (bBHB) thresholds were defined: 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4 mmol/L. Considering the thresholds of 1.2 and 1.4, the logistic regression model was found to be the best fitted model, which included independent variables such as fat-to-protein ratio, acetone and β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations in milk, lactose percentage, lactation number and days in milk. In the cross-validation, this model showed an average sensitivity of 0.74 or 0.75 and specificity of 0.76 or 0.78, at the pre-defined bBHB threshold 1.2 or 1.4 mmol/L, respectively. The values of these metrics were also similar in the external validation on the testing dataset (0.72 or 0.74 for sensitivity and 0.80 or 0.81 for specificity). For the bBHB threshold at 1.0 mmol/L, the best classification model was the model based on the SVC (Support Vector Classification) machine learning method, for which the sensitivity in the cross-validation was 0.74 and the specificity was 0.73. These metrics had lower values for the testing dataset (0.57 and 0.72 respectively). Regression models were characterized by poor fitness to data (R2 < 0.4). The study results suggest that the prediction of subclinical ketosis based on data from test-day records using classification methods and machine learning algorithms can be a useful tool for monitoring the incidence of this metabolic disorder in dairy cattle herds.
Screening Candidate Genes Regulating Placental Development from Trophoblast Transcriptome at Early Pregnancy in Dazu Black Goats (Capra hircus)
Authors: Luo Nanjian , Cheng Wenqiang , Zhou Yumei , Gu Bowen , Zhao Zhongquan , Zhao Yongju
Published: July 2021

This study explored the trophoblast transcriptome to understand potential functional genes involved in early placental development in goats and their enriched signaling pathways. Trophoblast samples were collected from nine Dazu Black goats on days 20, 25, and 30 of pregnancy (D20, D25, and D30). As the pregnancy progressed, the morphology and histological structures showed significant growth, adhesion, and angiogenesis. A total of 23,253 commonly expressed genes (CEGs) and 4439 differently expressed genes (DEGs) were detected by RNA sequencing. The common highly expressed genes (ChEGs) (the top 100 CEGs) with the highest FPKM percentage (29.9%) of all CEGs were annotated to the ribosome pathway and maintain pregnancy. DEGs were abundant in D30 vs. D20 (3715 DEGs). Besides, the DEGs were associated with the inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation and activation of PI3K-Akt, focal adhesion, ECM–receptor interaction, Rap1, and CAM signaling pathways. The RAP1 may be a central pathway since it coordinates with others to regulate the cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and fusion of trophoblasts. qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis confirmed the transcriptional expression in IGF1, VEGFC, RAPGEF3, PIK3CA, AKT3, ITGB3, ITGA11, SPP1, NOS1, and ATP6V0B genes and protein levels in VEGF, RAPGEF3, and Akt. This is the first study of transcriptome profiling in goat placenta and provides diverse genetic resources for further research on placenta development.
Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Klebsiella Strains Isolated from a County Hospital in Romania
Authors: Ghenea Alice Elena , Cioboată Ramona , Drocaş Andrei Ioan , Țieranu Eugen Nicolae , Vasile Corina Maria , Moroşanu Aritina , Țieranu Cristian George , Salan Alex-Ioan , Popescu Mihaela , Turculeanu Adriana , Padureanu Vlad , Udriștoiu Anca-Loredana , Calina Daniela , Cȃrţu Dan , Zlatian Ovidiu Mircea
Published: July 2021

The study evaluated the evolution of the incidence of infections with Klebsiella in the County Clinical Emergency Hospital of Craiova (SCJUC), Romania. Also, we monitored antibiotic resistance over more than two years and detected changes in resistance to various antimicrobial agents. Our study included 2062 patients (823 women and 1239 men) hospitalised in SCJUC during the period 1st of September 2017 to 30 June 2019. In 458 patients (22.21%) from the 2062 total patients, the collected samples (1116) were positive and from those, we isolated 251 strains of Klebsiella spp. We conducted a longitudinal analysis of the prevalence of Klebsiella spp. over calendar months, which showed a prevalence in surgical wards that ranged between 5.25% and 19.49% in June 2018, while in medical wards the variation was much wider, between 5.15% and 17.36% in April 2018. Klebsiella spp. strains showed significant resistance to Amoxicillin/Clavulanate, Aztreonam and Cephalosporins such as Ceftriaxone, Ceftazidime and Cefepime. We examined the possible link with the consumption of antibiotics in the same month by performing a multiple linear regression analysis. The evolution of antibiotic resistance in Klebsiella was correlated with the variation of resistance in other bacteria, which suggests common resistance mechanisms in the hospital environment. By performing the regression for dependency between antibiotic resistance and antibiotic consumption, we observed some correlations between antibiotic consumption and the development of antibiotic resistance after 1, 2 and even 3 months (e.g., resistance to meropenem was influenced by the consumption in the hospital ward of imipenem 1 month and two months before, but only 1 month before by the consumption of meropenem). The clustering of strains showed filiation between multiresistant Klebsiella spp. strains isolated from specific patients from the ICU. The evolution of prevalence and antibiotic resistance in Klebsiella correlated with the resistance in other bacteria, which suggest common resistance mechanisms in the hospital environment, and also with the consumption of antibiotics.
MCR Expression Conferring Varied Fitness Costs on Host Bacteria and Affecting Bacteria Virulence
Authors: Li Wan , Liu Zhihai , Yin Wenjuan , Yang Lu , Qiao Lu , Song Shikai , Ling Zhuoren , Zheng Ruicheng , Wu Congming , Wang Yang , Shen Jianzhong
Published: July 2021

Since the first report of the plasmid-mediated, colistin-resistant gene, mcr-1, nine mcr genes and their subvariants have been identified. The spreading scope of mcr-1~10 varies greatly, suggesting that mcr-1~10 may have different evolutionary advantages. Depending on MCR family phylogeny, mcr-6 is highly similar to mcr-1 and -2, and mcr-7~10 are highly similar to mcr-3 and -4. We compared the expression effects of MCR-1~5 on bacteria of common physiological background. The MCR-1-expressing strain showed better growth than did MCR-2~5-expressing strains in the presence of colistin. LIVE/DEAD staining analysis revealed that MCR-3~5 expression exerted more severe fitness burdens on bacteria than did MCR-1 and -2. Bacteria expressing MCRs except MCR-2 showed enhanced virulence with increased epithelial penetration ability determined by trans-well model (p < 0.05). Enhanced virulence was also observed in the Galleria mellonella model, which may have resulted from bacterial membrane damage and different levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) release due to MCR expression. Collectively, MCR-1-expressing strain showed the best survival advantage of MCR-1~5-expressing strains, which may partly explain the worldwide distribution of mcr-1. Our results suggested that MCR expression may cause increased bacterial virulence, which is alarming, and further attention will be needed to focus on the control of infectious diseases caused by mcr-carrying pathogens.
An Application of Imipenem Discs or P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 Reference Strain Increases Sensitivity of Carbapenem Inactivation Method for Non-Fermenting Gram-Negative Bacteria
Authors: Bogiel Tomasz , Rzepka Mateusz , Gospodarek-Komkowska Eugenia
Published: July 2021

Non-fermenting Gram-negative rods are one of the most commonly isolated bacteria from human infections. These microorganisms are typically opportunistic pathogens that pose a serious threat to public health due to possibility of transmission in the human population. Resistance to beta-lactams, due to carbapenemases synthesis, is one of the most important antimicrobial resistance mechanisms amongst them. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the Carbapenem Inactivation Method (CIM), and its modifications, for the detection of carbapenemase activity amongst non-fermenting Gram-negative rods. This research involved 81 strains of Gram-negative rods. Of the tested strains, 55 (67.9%) synthesized carbapenemases. For non-fermenting rods, 100% sensitivity and specificity was obtained in the version of the CIM test using imipenem discs and E. coli ATCC 25922 strain. The CIM test allows for differentiation of carbapenems resistance mechanisms resulting from carbapenemase synthesis from other resistance types. It is a reliable diagnostic method for the detection of carbapenemase activity amongst non-fermenting Gram-negative rods. Application of imipenem discs and P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 reference strain increases CIM results sensitivity, while imipenem discs and E. coli ATCC 25922 strain use maintains full precision of the test for non-fermenting rods.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO 1 In Vitro Time–Kill Kinetics Using Single Phages and Phage Formulations—Modulating Death, Adaptation, and Resistance
Authors: Pinto Ana Mafalda , Faustino Alberta , Pastrana Lorenzo M. , Bañobre-López Manuel , Sillankorva Sanna
Published: July 2021

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is responsible for nosocomial and chronic infections in healthcare settings. The major challenge in treating P. aeruginosa-related diseases is its remarkable capacity for antibiotic resistance development. Bacteriophage (phage) therapy is regarded as a possible alternative that has, for years, attracted attention for fighting multidrug-resistant infections. In this work, we characterized five phages showing different lytic spectrums towards clinical isolates. Two of these phages were isolated from the Russian Microgen Sextaphage formulation and belong to the Phikmvviruses, while three Pbunaviruses were isolated from sewage. Different phage formulations for the treatment of P. aeruginosa PAO1 resulted in diversified time–kill outcomes. The best result was obtained with a formulation with all phages, prompting a lower frequency of resistant variants and considerable alterations in cell motility, resulting in a loss of 73.7% in swimming motility and a 79% change in swarming motility. These alterations diminished the virulence of the phage-resisting phenotypes but promoted their growth since most became insensitive to a single or even all phages. However, not all combinations drove to enhanced cell killings due to the competition and loss of receptors. This study highlights that more caution is needed when developing cocktail formulations to maximize phage therapy efficacy. Selecting phages for formulations should consider the emergence of phage-resistant bacteria and whether the formulations are intended for short-term or extended antibacterial application.
The Multifaceted Role of Flavonoids in Cancer Therapy: Leveraging Autophagy with a Double-Edged Sword
Authors: Zhang Zhe , Shi Jiayan , Nice Edouard C. , Huang Canhua , Shi Zheng
Published: July 2021

Flavonoids are considered as pleiotropic, safe, and readily obtainable molecules. A large number of recent studies have proposed that flavonoids have potential in the treatment of tumors by the modulation of autophagy. In many cases, flavonoids suppress cancer by stimulating excessive autophagy or impairing autophagy flux especially in apoptosis-resistant cancer cells. However, the anti-cancer activity of flavonoids may be attenuated due to the simultaneous induction of protective autophagy. Notably, flavonoids-triggered protective autophagy is becoming a trend for preventing cancer in the clinical setting or for protecting patients from conventional therapeutic side effects in normal tissues. In this review, focusing on the underlying autophagic mechanisms of flavonoids, we hope to provide a new perspective for clinical application of flavonoids in cancer therapy. In addition, we highlight new research ideas for the development of new dosage forms of flavonoids to improve their various pharmacological effects, establishing flavonoids as ideal candidates for cancer prevention and therapy in the clinic.
UHPLC-HRMS Analysis of Fagus sylvatica (Fagaceae) Leaves: A Renewable Source of Antioxidant Polyphenols
Authors: Formato Marialuisa , Piccolella Simona , Zidorn Christian , Pacifico Severina
Published: July 2021

European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) is a deciduous tree, widely distributed in Europe and largely appreciated for its wood and nutritive nuts. Beech leaf also enjoys food use as salad, but an understanding of its nutraceutical value is still far from being achieved. Indeed, and also taking into account beech leaf as a consistent biomass residue available beechwood production and use, it needs to be explored as a valuable renewable specialized source of bioactive molecules. In this context, an untargeted ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography hyphenated with high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) approach was favorably applied to a beech leaf alcoholic extract, which also was evaluated for its antiradical capability (by means of assays based on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and [2,2’-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazolin-6-sulfonic acid)] (ABTS) radical cation) and its ferric ion reducing power. Redox mitochondrial activity towards Caco-2 cells paved the way to explore the extract’s capability to inhibit intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) using 2’,7’dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFH-DA) assay. Hydroxycinnamoyl derivatives, mainly belonging to the chlorogenic acid class, and flavonoids were the main constituents. Uncommon flavanone C-glycosides were also found, together with a plentiful flavonol diversity. Cell-free and cell-based assays highlight its dose-dependent antioxidant efficacy, providing a foundation for further investigation of beech leaf constituents and its valorization and use as a reservoir of bioactive natural products with potential nutraceutical applications.
Comparison of Phenolic Contents and Scavenging Activities of Miang Extracts Derived from Filamentous and Non-Filamentous Fungi-Based Fermentation Processes
Authors: Abdullahi Aliyu Dantani , Kodchasee Pratthana , Unban Kridsada , Pattananandecha Thanawat , Saenjum Chalermpong , Kanpiengjai Apinun , Shetty Kalidas , Khanongnuch Chartchai
Published: July 2021

The study investigated the impact of the fermentation process on the phenolic contents and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in extracts of Miang, an ethnic fermented tea product of northern Thailand. The acetone (80%) extraction of Miang samples fermented by a non-filamentous fungi-based process (NFP) and filamentous fungi-based process (FFP) had elevated levels of total polyphenols, total tannins, and condensed tannins compared to young and mature tea leaves. The antioxidant studies also showed better the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values for fermented leaves in both 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity assays as well as improved ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) compared to young and mature tea leaves. Extracts of NFP and FFP samples at concentrations of 50 and 100 ppm showed better protective effects against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in HT-29 colorectal cells without exerting cytotoxicity. Additionally, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of nitric oxide (a proinflammatory mediator as well as a reactive nitrogen species) was also inhibited by these fermented Miang extracts with an IC50 values of 17.15 μg/mL (NFP), 20.17 μg/mL (FFP), 33.96 μg/mL (young tea leaves), and 31.33 μg/mL (mature tea leaves). Therefore, both NFP-Miang and FFP-Miang showed the potential to be targeted as natural bioactive functional ingredients with preventive properties against free radical and inflammatory-mediated diseases.
Ohmic Baking of Gluten-Free Bread: Role of Starch and Flour on Batter Properties
Authors: Waziiroh Elok , Bender Denisse , Saric Anisa , Jaeger Henry , Schoenlechner Regine
Published: July 2021

The viscosity of gluten-free (GF) batter significantly influences GF bread quality. This study attempts to understand how the rheological properties of GF batter are affected by the type of starch and the amount of water and how they influence GF bread properties when baked with two methods (conventional oven, ohmic heating). For this purpose, the physical and chemical properties of different starches (corn, wheat, potato, cassava) and GF flours (rice, buckwheat) were evaluated. Rheological behavior of GF batter was not only influenced by the starch:water ratio, but also greatly by the starch source and structure, which influenced its physical properties (e.g., water holding capacity, swelling power, solubility, starch damage, and pasting properties). All batters consistently exhibited shear-thinning and dominant viscous behavior. Between viscosity and ohmic-heated bread properties, a non-linear relationship was observed. Two categories of required water content or viscosity ranges were defined for estimating final GF bread properties: low water content with a viscosity range of 47.12–56.20 Pa·s for B-type starches, and medium water content with a low to medium viscosity range of 2.29–15.86 Pa·s for A-type starches. This finding could be useful for further research to design GF batter viscosities for tailored bread quality.
A Feasibility Study for a Nonlinear Guided Wave Mixing Technique
Authors: Park Junpil , Choi Jeongseok , Lee Jaesun
Published: July 2021

Ultrasonic non-destructive testing is an effective means of examining objects without destroying them. Among such testing, ultrasonic nonlinear evaluation is used to detect micro-damage, such as corrosion or plastic deformation. In terms of micro-damage evaluation, the data that comes from amplitude comparison in the frequency domain plays a significant role. Its technique and parameter are called ultrasonic nonlinear technique and nonlinearity. A certain portion of nonlinearity comes from the equipment system, while the other portion of nonlinearity comes from the material. The former is system nonlinearity, while the latter is material nonlinearity. System nonlinearity interferes with interpretation, because its source is not from the material. In this study, in order to minimize system effects, a mixing technique is implemented. To use the large area inspection ability of the guided wave, the main research issue in this paper is focused on the guided wave mixing technique. Moreover, several bulk wave mixing theory equations become good concepts for guided wave mixing theoretical study, and the conventional nonlinear technique and guided wave mixing experimental results are compared in this study to confirm the reliability. This technique can play an important role in quantitatively discriminating fine damage by minimizing the nonlinearity of the equipment system.
Co-Production of Hydrogen and Methanol Using Fuel Mix Systems: Technical and Economic Assessment
Authors: Ahmed Usama , Zahid Umer , Onaizi Sagheer , Abdul Jameel Abdul , Ahmad Nauman , Ahmad Nabeel , AlMohamadi Hamad
Published: July 2021

With the increase in global energy requirements, the utilization of fossil fuels has also increased, which has caused global warming. In this study, a process integration framework based on an energy mix system is proposed to simultaneously produce two cleaner fuels (methanol and H2). Aspen Plus is used to develop process models followed by their techno-economic assessment. Case 1 is considered the base case process, where the coal–biomass gasification process is used to produce the synthesis gas, which is further converted into H2 and methanol. Conversely, the case 2 design represents the novel process configuration framework, where the coal–biomass gasification technology in case 1 is sequentially integrated with the methane reforming technology to minimize the energy penalties while increasing the net fuel production. To perform the technical analysis, the fuel production rates, carbon conversion efficiencies and specific energy requirements are compared for both models. It is analyzed from the results that the case 2 design offers higher methanol and H2 production rates with lower energy requirements. Additionally, the specific energy requirement for case 2 is 29% lower compared to the case 1 design, leading to an increase in the process efficiency of case 2 by 3.5%.
Dehumidified Air-Assisted Spray-Drying of Cloudy Beetroot Juice at Low Temperature
Authors: Jedlińska Aleksandra , Barańska Alicja , Witrowa-Rajchert Dorota , Ostrowska-Ligęza Ewa , Samborska Katarzyna
Published: July 2021

This paper discusses the physicochemical properties of powders obtained by spray drying of cloudy beetroot juice, using dehumidified air in variants with or without carriers. The inlet air temperature was 130 °C or 90 °C, and the addition of the carriers was at a ratio of juice to carrier solids of 3:2. In the obtained powders, the following physicochemical properties were determined: water content and water activity, apparent density, loose and tapped density, porosity, flowability, particle size and morphology, and the content and retention of betalains. It was possible to dry cloudy beetroot juice without the use of carriers at low temperatures (90 or 130 °C). The 100% beetroot powders were characterized by satisfactory physicochemical properties, often better than those with carriers (including lower hygroscopicity and higher color saturation and yield). A lower loss of betalains was found for the powders with the addition of carriers. The best process yields were obtained for the powder without carriers at 130 °C and 90 °C.
Changing Cross-Reactivity for Different Immunoassays Using the Same Antibodies: Theoretical Description and Experimental Confirmation
Authors: Sotnikov Dmitriy V. , Zherdev Anatoly V. , Zvereva Elena A. , Eremin Sergei A. , Dzantiev Boris B.
Published: July 2021

Many applications of immunoassays involve the possible presence of structurally similar compounds that bind with antibodies, but with different affinities. In this regard, an important characteristic of an immunoassay is its cross-reactivity: the possibility of detecting various compounds in comparison with a certain standard. Based on cross-reactivity, analytical systems are assessed as either high-selective (responding strictly to a specific compound) or low-selective (responding to a number of similar compounds). The present study demonstrates that cross-reactivity is not an intrinsic characteristic of antibodies but can vary for different formats of competitive immunoassays using the same antibodies. Assays with sensitive detection of markers and, accordingly, implementation at low concentrations of antibodies and modified (competing) antigens are characterized by lower cross-reactivities and are, thus, more specific than assays requiring high concentrations of markers and interacting reagents. This effect was confirmed by both mathematical modeling and experimental comparison of an enzyme immunoassay and a fluorescence polarization immunoassay of sulfonamides and fluoroquinolones. Thus, shifting to lower concentrations of reagents decreases cross-reactivities by up to five-fold. Moreover, the cross-reactivities are changed even in the same assay format by varying the ratio of immunoreactants’ concentrations and shifting from the kinetic or equilibrium mode of the antigen-antibody reaction. The described patterns demonstrate the possibility of modulating immunodetection selectivity without searching for new binding reactants.
Statistical Analysis for Transmission Error of Gear System with Mechanical and Thermal Deformation Uncertainties
Authors: Lee Joon-Ho , Choi Hee-Sun , Sohn Jong-Hyeon , Lee Geun-Ho , Park Dong-Il , Kim Jin-Gyun
Published: July 2021

We establish a robust algorithm to analyze the influence of system uncertainties on the transmission error of a spur gear pair under 2D simplification. The algorithm provides a way of generating smooth cutter profiles with machining uncertainties and measuring the thermal deformation through the uncertainties in material properties. Then, it produces realizations of gear tooth profiles based on the analytical method for accuracy and computational efficiency. Numerical investigations show the statistical analysis on the tooth contact analysis by comparing steel and plastic gears. It is worthwhile remarking that the plastic gear is susceptible to the geometric error caused by thermal deformation. Moreover, although the impact of thermal deformation on steel gear may seem slim, it can have a noticeable influence when it exists with mechanical uncertainties together.
Comparative Analysis of Current Approaches to Quality Estimation for Neural Machine Translation
Authors: Eo Sugyeong , Park Chanjun , Moon Hyeonseok , Seo Jaehyung , Lim Heuiseok
Published: July 2021

Quality estimation (QE) has recently gained increasing interest as it can predict the quality of machine translation results without a reference translation. QE is an annual shared task at the Conference on Machine Translation (WMT), and most recent studies have applied the multilingual pretrained language model (mPLM) to address this task. Recent studies have focused on the performance improvement of this task using data augmentation with finetuning based on a large-scale mPLM. In this study, we eliminate the effects of data augmentation and conduct a pure performance comparison between various mPLMs. Separate from the recent performance-driven QE research involved in competitions addressing a shared task, we utilize the comparison for sub-tasks from WMT20 and identify an optimal mPLM. Moreover, we demonstrate QE using the multilingual BART model, which has not yet been utilized, and conduct comparative experiments and analyses with cross-lingual language models (XLMs), multilingual BERT, and XLM-RoBERTa.
Fusing Dexterity and Perception for Soft Robot-Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery: What We Learnt from STIFF-FLOP
Authors: Dawood Abu Bakar , Fras Jan , Aljaber Faisal , Mintz Yoav , Arezzo Alberto , Godaba Hareesh , Althoefer Kaspar
Published: July 2021

In recent years we have seen tremendous progress in the development of robotic solutions for minimally invasive surgery (MIS). Indeed, a number of robot-assisted MIS systems have been developed to product level and are now well-established clinical tools; Intuitive Surgical’s very successful da Vinci Surgical System a prime example. The majority of these surgical systems are based on the traditional rigid-component robot design that was instrumental in the third industrial revolution—especially within the manufacturing sector. However, the use of this approach for surgical procedures on or around soft tissue has come under increasing criticism. The dangers of operating with a robot made from rigid components both near and within a patient are considerable. The EU project STIFF-FLOP, arguably the first large-scale research programme on soft robots for MIS, signalled the start of a concerted effort among researchers to investigate this area more comprehensively. While soft robots have many advantages over their rigid-component counterparts, among them high compliance and increased dexterity, they also bring their own specific challenges when interacting with the environment, such as the need to integrate sensors (which also need to be soft) that can determine the robot’s position and orientation (pose). In this study, the challenges of sensor integration are explored, while keeping the surgeon’s perspective at the forefront of ourdiscussion. The paper critically explores a range of methods, predominantly those developed during the EU project STIFF-FLOP, that facilitate the embedding of soft sensors into articulate soft robot structures using flexible, optics-based lightguides. We examine different optics-based approaches to pose perception in a minimally invasive surgery settings, and methods of integration are also discussed.
Silicon Compounds in Sponges
Authors: Drozdov Anatoliy L. , Zemnukhova Lyudmila A. , Panasenko Alexandr E. , Polyakova Nataliya V. , Slobodyuk Arseniy B. , Ustinov Alexandr Yu. , Didenko Nina A. , Tyurin Sergey A.
Published: July 2021

A comparative study of the microscopic morphology and chemical characteristics of spicules of Hexactinellids (Hexactinellida) with different structural features of the skeletons, as well as the freshwater Baikal sponge belonging to the class of common sponges (Demospongia), was carried out. The trace element composition of sponge spicules was determined by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. The spicules of siliceous sponges contain many elements, arranged in decreasing order of concentration: Si, Ca, Fe, Cl, K, Zn, and others. It was shown that the surface layer of sea sponges contains mainly carbon (C), oxygen (O), and to a lesser extent nitrogen (N), silicon (Si), and sodium (Na). The spicules of the studied siliceous sponges can be divided into two groups according to the phase composition, namely one containing crystalline calcium compounds and one without them. Analysis of infrared absorption spectra allows us to conclude that the sponges Euplectella aspergillum, E. suberia and Dactylocalyx sp. contain silica partially bound to the organic matrix, while the silica skeleton of the sponges of the other group (Schulzeviella gigas, Sericolophus sp., Asconema setubalense, Sarostegia oculata, Farrea sp. and Lubomirskia baicalensis sp.) practically does not differ from the precipitated SiO2. This comparative study of the chemical composition of the skeletons of marine Hexactinellids and common freshwater sponge allows us to conclude that there are no fundamental differences in the chemical composition of spicules, and all of them can be used as a starting material for creating new composite silicon–organic functional materials.
Neuro-Fuzzy Transformation with Minimize Entropy Principle to Create New Features for Particulate Matter Prediction
Authors: Srijiranon Krittakom , Eiamkanitchat Narissara
Published: July 2021

Air pollution is a major global issue. In Thailand, this issue continues to increase every year, similar to other countries, especially during the dry season in the northern region. In this period, particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters smaller than 10 and 2.5 micrometers, known as PM10 and PM2.5, are important pollutants, most of which exceed the national standard levels, the so-called Thailand air quality index (T-AQI). Therefore, this study created a prediction model to classify T-AQI calculated from both types of PM. The neuro-fuzzy model with a minimum entropy principle model is proposed to transform the original data into new informative features. The processes in this model are able to discover appropriate separation points of the trapezoidal membership function by applying the minimum entropy principle. The membership value of the fuzzy section is then passed to the neural section to create a new data feature, the PM level, for each hour of the day. Finally, as an analytical process to obtain new knowledge, predictive models are created using new data features for better classification results. Various experiments were utilized to find an appropriate structure with high prediction accuracy. The results of the proposed model were favorable for predicting both types of PM up to three hours in advance. The proposed model can help people who are planning short-term outdoor activities.
Radiographic and Histologic Analysis 1–2 Years after Alveolar Ridge Preservation in Maxillary Premolar and Molar: A Case Report
Authors: Yoon Sung-Wook , Song Young Woo , Jung Ui-Won , Cha Jae-Kook
Published: July 2021

After tooth extraction, notable ridge alterations occur due to resorption of bundle bones during the healing process. In areas with thin or damaged socket walls and multiple adjacent tooth extraction, dimensional changes are more prominent in the marginal proportion. In addition to the marginal changes, upper molar teeth are also vulnerable to pneumatization of the maxillary sinus. To reduce dimensional changes in extraction sockets, alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) is favored by many clinicians in areas where a large amount of dimensional change is expected. This case report presents two cases of ARP using collagenated demineralized bovine bone mineral and demineralized porcine bone mineral in the apically involved upper premolar and molar, respectively. Implants were placed one and two years, respectively, after the ARP. Radiographic analyses of residual bone height and volume were measured using cone-beam-computed tomography (CBCT) and histologic analysis of newly formed mineralized bone and residual graft material percentages were measured from the collected tissue samples using a trephine bur. Implants were placed using a simple technique, without any additional bone grafts at the marginal proportion. The ARP technique could maintain the alveolar bone height and volume, as well as minimize the invasiveness of surgical procedures during implant surgery.
Fine Dust Creation during Hardwood Machine Sanding
Authors: Pędzik Marta , Rogoziński Tomasz , Majka Jerzy , Stuper-Szablewska Kinga , Antov Petar , Kristak Lubos , Kminiak Richard , Kučerka Martin
Published: July 2021

Wood dust generated during woodworking—particularly from hardwood species during sanding—poses a health and safety hazard to workers in the wood industry. This study aimed to determine the particle-size distribution of selected hardwood species and the content of fine particles in dust created during machine sanding, which pose the highest health and safety hazards in the woodworking industry. Six hardwood species were studied: black alder, European ash, common walnut, pedunculate oak, hornbeam, and European beech. The sieve analysis method was used to determine the particle-size distribution and article mean arithmetic particle diameter, and laser diffraction analysis was used to determine the finest particle content. Two size ranges were assumed: <2.5 μm and <10 μm. Beech dust had the smallest mean particle diameter. Dust from wood species used in the test had similar contents of fine fractions of particles. The average content of particles smaller than 2.5 µm in wood dust from the tested hardwood species did not exceed 1.9%. In terms of occupational exposure to wood dust, machine sanding conditions of hardwoods should be properly adjusted to limit the formation of large amounts of dust.
Calculation Methods for Construction Material Stocks: A Systematic Review
Authors: Nasir Usman , Chang Ruidong , Omrany Hossein
Published: July 2021

This paper aims to critically review the current body of literature relating to the calculation methods of construction material stock. To this end, this study adopts a systematic literature review technique in order to identify the relevant studies. The findings revealed that the bottom-up and top-down methodologies were commonly employed by the reviewed studies. Based on the findings, it is recommended that the bottom-up approach should be utilized when dealing with small-scale areas or where more accurate results are required. The top-down method should be used wherein the research area is large, and the results could be estimated based upon assumptions and statistical data. Similarly, the demand-driven methodology should be used to find the material stock accumulation due to socio-economic factors. The study also found that the material stock results can be used as data for other research, such as waste management and embodied energy. Further, this paper proposes a conceptual framework to ease the process of calculating construction material stocks in different projects. The outcomes of this research shall be beneficial for future studies that explore the literature connected to the construction material stock and recommend methods and techniques that should be used to quantify the material stock.
Ultrasonic Attenuation Characteristics of Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Hull Structure
Authors: Han Zhiqiang , Jeong Sookhyun , Jang Jae-Won , Woo Jong Hun , Oh Daekyun
Published: July 2021

Glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) ship structures have hull plate thicknesses of 10 mm or more and are fabricated using a higher proportion of resin matrix systems than E-glass fiber reinforcements. Therefore, GFRP is classified as a highly attenuative material, and this characteristic is a major cause of large errors in ultrasonic nondestructive testing for quality inspections. In this study, considering the aforementioned design and fabrication characteristics of GFRP ship structures, hull plate prototypes with various glass fiber weight fractions, glass contents (Gc), and laminate thicknesses were fabricated. Then, a pulse-echo ultrasonic test was performed with the fabricated prototypes, and the attenuation characteristics of the GFRP hull plates were investigated by conducting statistical analyses. These results demonstrated that with a variation of 30–50% in the Gc used for GFRP structure design, the plate thickness variation had a greater impact than the Gc variation on the attenuation characteristics. The increase in Gc naturally increased the scattering of ultrasonic waves but did not significantly affect the attenuation coefficient. The effects of the inner voids on the ultrasonic waves were also investigated, and the results confirmed that the laminates in this Gc region did not significantly affect attenuation.
Image Quality Assessment to Emulate Experts’ Perception in Lumbar MRI Using Machine Learning
Authors: Chabert Steren , Castro Juan Sebastian , Muñoz Leonardo , Cox Pablo , Riveros Rodrigo , Vielma Juan , Huerta Gamaliel , Querales Marvin , Saavedra Carolina , Veloz Alejandro , Salas Rodrigo
Published: July 2021

Medical image quality is crucial to obtaining reliable diagnostics. Most quality controls rely on routine tests using phantoms, which do not reflect closely the reality of images obtained on patients and do not reflect directly the quality perceived by radiologists. The purpose of this work is to develop a method that classifies the image quality perceived by radiologists in MR images. The focus was set on lumbar images as they are widely used with different challenges. Three neuroradiologists evaluated the image quality of a dataset that included T1-weighting images in axial and sagittal orientation, and sagittal T2-weighting. In parallel, we introduced the computational assessment using a wide range of features extracted from the images, then fed them into a classifier system. A total of 95 exams were used, from our local hospital and a public database, and part of the images was manipulated to broaden the distribution quality of the dataset. Good recall of 82% and an area under curve (AUC) of 77% were obtained on average in testing condition, using a Support Vector Machine. Even though the actual implementation still relies on user interaction to extract features, the results are promising with respect to a potential implementation for monitoring image quality online with the acquisition process.
A Cache Policy Based on Request Association Analysis for Reliable NAND-Based Storage Systems
Authors: Su Chi-Hsiu , Wu Chin-Hsien
Published: July 2021

Compared with the traditional hard-disk drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs) have adopted NAND flash memory and become the current popular storage devices. However, when the free space in NAND flash memory is not enough, the garbage collection will be triggered to recycle the free space. The activities of the garbage collection include a large amount of data written and time-consuming erase operations that can reduce the performance of NAND flash memory. Therefore, DRAM is usually added to NAND flash memory as cache to store frequently used data. The typical cache methods mainly utilize the data characteristics of temporal locality and spatial locality to keep the frequently used data in the cache as much as possible. In addition, we find that there are not only temporal/spatial locality, but also certain associations between the accessed data. Therefore, we suggest that a cache policy should not only consider the temporal/spatial locality but also consider the association relationship between the accessed data to improve the cache hit ratio. In the paper, we will propose a cache policy based on request association analysis for reliable NAND-based storage systems. According to the experimental results, the cache hit ratio of the proposed method can be increased significantly when compared with the typical cache methods.
Variational Reward Estimator Bottleneck: Towards Robust Reward Estimator for Multidomain Task-Oriented Dialogue
Authors: Park Jeiyoon , Lee Chanhee , Park Chanjun , Kim Kuekyeng , Lim Heuiseok
Published: July 2021

Despite its significant effectiveness in adversarial training approaches to multidomain task-oriented dialogue systems, adversarial inverse reinforcement learning of the dialogue policy frequently fails to balance the performance of the reward estimator and policy generator. During the optimization process, the reward estimator frequently overwhelms the policy generator, resulting in excessively uninformative gradients. We propose the variational reward estimator bottleneck (VRB), which is a novel and effective regularization strategy that aims to constrain unproductive information flows between inputs and the reward estimator. The VRB focuses on capturing discriminative features by exploiting information bottleneck on mutual information. Quantitative analysis on a multidomain task-oriented dialogue dataset demonstrates that the VRB significantly outperforms previous studies.