bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fibers of Failure: Classifying Errors in Predictive Processes
Authors: Carlsson Leo S. , Vejdemo-Johansson Mikael , Carlsson Gunnar , Jönsson Pär G.
Published: June 2020

Predictive models are used in many different fields of science and engineering and are always prone to make faulty predictions. These faulty predictions can be more or less malignant depending on the model application. We describe fibers of failure (FiFa), a method to classify failure modes of predictive processes. Our method uses Mapper, an algorithm from topological data analysis (TDA), to build a graphical model of input data stratified by prediction errors. We demonstrate two ways to use the failure mode groupings: either to produce a correction layer that adjusts predictions by similarity to the failure modes; or to inspect members of the failure modes to illustrate and investigate what characterizes each failure mode. We demonstrate FiFa on two scenarios: a convolutional neural network (CNN) predicting MNIST images with added noise, and an artificial neural network (ANN) predicting the electrical energy consumption of an electric arc furnace (EAF). The correction layer on the CNN model improved its prediction accuracy significantly while the inspection of failure modes for the EAF model provided guiding insights into the domain-specific reasons behind several high-error regions.
Compression of Next-Generation Sequencing Data and of DNA Digital Files
Authors: Carpentieri Bruno
Published: June 2020

The increase in memory and in network traffic used and caused by new sequenced biological data has recently deeply grown. Genomic projects such as HapMap and 1000 Genomes have contributed to the very large rise of databases and network traffic related to genomic data and to the development of new efficient technologies. The large-scale sequencing of samples of DNA has brought new attention and produced new research, and thus the interest in the scientific community for genomic data has greatly increased. In a very short time, researchers have developed hardware tools, analysis software, algorithms, private databases, and infrastructures to support the research in genomics. In this paper, we analyze different approaches for compressing digital files generated by Next-Generation Sequencing tools containing nucleotide sequences, and we discuss and evaluate the compression performance of generic compression algorithms by confronting them with a specific system designed by Jones et al. specifically for genomic file compression: Quip. Moreover, we present a simple but effective technique for the compression of DNA sequences in which we only consider the relevant DNA data and experimentally evaluate its performances.
The Chemical Composition of Biogas Digestates Determines Their Effect on Soil Microbial Activity
Authors: Nielsen Kerstin , Roß Christina-Luise , Hoffmann Marieke , Muskolus Andreas , Ellmer Frank , Kautz Timo
Published: June 2020

Digestates are commonly used as organic inputs in agriculture. This study aimed to answer four questions: (1) What are the immediate and longer-term impacts of digestates on soil microbial activity?; (2) How much of the digestates’ carbon is mineralized within the first months? (3) How do the nitrogen, lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose contents of digestates influence microbial activity and carbon mineralization? (4) How does the soil type influence mineralization? To investigate this, dehydrogenase activity (DHA) was measured in a field trial and in laboratory experiments with five digestates (DGs), cattle slurry, and cattle manure. DHA measurements were supplemented with soil respiration experiments using two different soils. DHA was significantly increased by all organic inputs, but decreased back to the control level within seven months under field conditions. Twenty percent to 44% of the organic carbon (Corg) in the digestates was converted to CO2 after 178 days. Soil respiration was significantly negatively correlated to lignin content (r = −0.82, p < 0.01) and not correlated to nitrogen, cellulose, or hemicellulose content. On the basis of equal carbon application, slurry promoted soil respiration and DHA more strongly than digestates in the short term.
Soybean Fertilized by P-Phases from Bagasse-Based Materials: P-Extraction Procedures, Diffusive Gradients in Thin Films (DGT), and X-ray Diffraction Analysis (XRD)
Authors: Herzel Hannes , Dombinov Vitalij , Vogel Christian , Willbold Sabine , Vettorazzi Levandowski Gabriel , Meiller Martin , Müller Felix , Zang Joachim Werner , da Fonseca-Zang Warde Antonieta , Jablonowski Nicolai David , Schrey Silvia Diane , Adam Christian
Published: June 2020

The Brazilian sugarcane industry produced around 173 million tons (Mt) of bagasse in 2018. Bagasse is a by-product of juice extraction for ethanol and sugar production and is combusted in order to generate power, producing up to 10 Mt of ash per year. This ash contains various concentrations of plant nutrients, which allow the ash to be used as a crop fertilizer. However, the concentration and extractability of phosphorus (P), an essential plant nutrient, are low in bagasse ash. To increase the P content, we co-gasified and co-combusted bagasse with P-rich chicken manure. The resulting ash was thermochemically post-treated with alkali additives (Na2SO4 and K2SO4) to increase the availability of P to plants. We aimed to: (i) investigate the effect of thermochemical post-treatment of co-gasification residue and co-combustion ash on P availability to soybeans, (ii) explore the potential of chemical extraction methods (citric acid, neutral ammonium citrate, formic acid, and Mehlich-I) and diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) to predict the availability of P to soybeans, and (iii) identify the responsible P-phases using X-ray diffraction. We evaluated P availability to soybeans growing in Brazilian Oxisol soil in two independent greenhouse pot experiments. The positive effect of thermochemical treatment on P availability from gasification residue was confirmed through the observation of increased P uptake and biomass in soybean plants. These findings were confirmed by chemical extraction methods and DGT. The gasification residue contained whitlockite as its main P-bearing phase. Thermochemical post-treatment converted whitlockite into highly soluble CaNaPO4. In contrast, co-combustion ash already contained highly soluble Ca(Na,K)PO4 as its main P-bearing phase, making thermochemical post-treatment unnecessary for increasing P availability. In conclusion, increased extractability and availability of P for soybeans were closely connected to the formation of calcium alkali phosphate. Our findings indicate that this combined methodology allows for the prediction of P-fertilization effects of ash.
Co-Regulation of Long Non-Coding RNAs with Allele-Specific Genes in Wheat Responding to Powdery Mildew Infection
Authors: Hu Weiguo , Wang Guanghao , Wang Siwen , Nie Xiaojun , Wang Changyou , Wang Yajuan , Zhang Hong , Ji Wanquan
Published: June 2020

Powdery mildew (caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici; Bgt) is an important fungal disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum) worldwide, and results in significant crop damage in epidemic years. Understanding resistance mechanisms could have undoubted benefits in controlling disease and minimizing crop losses. The recent explosion in genomic knowledge and the discovery of noncoding RNAs have led to the idea that long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) might be key regulators of protein-coding gene expression. However, in-depth functional analyses of lncRNAs in wheat remain limited. Here, we evaluated the possible role of lncRNAs in regulating functional genes in wheat responding to Bgt pathogen, using genome-wide transcriptome data and quantitative RT-PCR. Our results demonstrated that both long intron ncRNAs (linncRNA) and long intergenic ncRNAs (lincRNAs) play roles in regulating allele-specific genes, including transcription factors, both positively and negatively. The correlation of expression between lincRNAs and flanking functional genes increased as the spacing distance decreased. Co-expression of microRNAs, their target lncRNA and target functional genes showed that lincRNA interacted competitively with functional genes via miRNA regulation. These results will be beneficial for further dissecting molecular mechanisms of lncRNAs functions at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels in wheat.
Manipulation of Fruit Dry Matter via Seasonal Pruning and Its Relationship to d’Anjou Pear Yield and Fruit Quality
Authors: Goke Alex , Serra Sara , Musacchi Stefano
Published: June 2020

Orchard-side optimization of fruit quality is experiencing renewed research focus in the fresh fruit industry as new technologies and quality metrics have emerged to enhance consumer acceptance and satisfaction. Fruit dry matter, one such quality index gaining traction among numerous fresh fruit commodities, was targeted for improvement in d’Anjou pear with the application of seasonal pruning cycles (fall, fall and summer, winter, and winter and summer) across two growing seasons in 2016 and 2017 in a mid-aged, traditionally managed commercial orchard in the Columbia basin, Washington, USA. Dry matter was assessed non-destructively on pears using near-infrared spectroscopy at harvest and fruit categorized in to low (<13%), moderate (13–16%), and high (>16%) dry matter quality categories, revealing that fall pruning positively impacted average predicted fruit dry matter in comparison to winter pruning (15.1 vs. 14.2% in 2016 and 13.7 vs. 13.1% predicted dry matter in 2017 for winter vs. fall pruning, respectively), as well in the abundance of high dry matter fruits. The addition of summer pruning to either fall or winter pruning increased fruit size by up to 13% of proportion of fruits 80 mm or greater in diameter. Further, a tendency for summer pruning to decrease yield (up to nearly 30 kg/tree lower yields), average fruit dry matter (up to 0.5% lower average predicted dry matter), and abundance of high dry matter fruits (up to 11% fewer high predicted dry matter fruits) was observed. Fruit quality classes assembled on predicted dry matter verified the utility of this emerging parameter as a fruit quality metric for pears as demonstrated by more desirable post-harvest eating characteristics such as higher soluble solids content corresponding to greater at-harvest predicted dry matter categories. Targeted seasonal pruning in association with precise at-harvest dry matter fruit sorting may preserve the profitability of pear cultivation through their impact on fruit quality and associated consumer experiences.
Humboldtian Diagnosis of Peach Tree (Prunus persica) Nutrition Using Machine-Learning and Compositional Methods
Authors: Leitzke Betemps Debora , Vahl de Paula Betania , Parent Serge-Étienne , Galarça Simone P. , Mayer Newton A. , Marodin Gilmar A.B. , Rozane Danilo E. , Natale William , Melo George Wellington B. , Parent Léon E. , Brunetto Gustavo
Published: June 2020

Regional nutrient ranges are commonly used to diagnose plant nutrient status. In contrast, local diagnosis confronts unhealthy to healthy compositional entities in comparable surroundings. Robust local diagnosis requires well-documented data sets processed by machine learning and compositional methods. Our objective was to customize nutrient diagnosis of peach (Prunus persica) trees at local scale. We collected 472 observations from commercial orchards and fertilizer trials across eleven cultivars of Prunus persica and six rootstocks in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil. The random forest classification model returned an area under curve exceeding 0.80 and classification accuracy of 80% about yield cutoff of 16 Mg ha−1. Centered log ratios (clr) of foliar defective compositions have appropriate geometry to compute Euclidean distances from closest successful compositions in “enchanting islands”. Successful specimens closest to defective specimens as shown by Euclidean distance allowed reaching trustful fruit yields using site-specific corrective measures. Comparing tissue composition of low-yielding orchards to that of the closest successful neighbors in two major Brazilian peach-producing regions, regional diagnosis differed from local diagnosis, indicating that regional standards may fail to fit local conditions. Local diagnosis requires well-documented Humboldtian data sets that can be acquired through ethical collaboration between researchers and stakeholders.
Integration of Extra-Large-Seeded and Double-Podded Traits in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)
Authors: Kivrak Kamile Gul , Eker Tuba , Sari Hatice , Sari Duygu , Akan Kadir , Aydinoglu Bilal , Catal Mursel , Toker Cengiz
Published: June 2020

A large seed size in the kabuli chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is important in the market not only due to its high price but also for its superior seedling vigor. The double-podded chickpea has a considerable yield and stability advantage over the single-podded chickpea. The study aimed at (i) integrating extra-large-seeded and double-podded traits in the kabuli chickpea, (ii) increasing variation by transgressive segregations and (iii) estimating the heritability of the 100-seed weight along with important agro-morphological traits in F2 and F3 populations. For these objectives, the large-seeded chickpea, Sierra, having a single pod and unifoliolate leaves, was crossed with the small-seeded CA 2969, having double pods and imparipinnate leaves. The inheritance pattern of the extra-large-seeded trait was polygenically controlled by partial dominant alleles. Transgressive segregations were found for all agro-morphological traits. Some progeny with 100-seed weights of ≥55 g and two pods had larger seed sizes than those of the best parents. As outputs of the epistatic effect of the double-podded gene in certain genetic backgrounds, three or more flowers or pods were found in some progeny. Progeny having imparipinnate leaves or two or more pods should be considered in breeding, since they had higher numbers of pods and seeds per plant and seed yields than their counterparts.
Detecting and Classifying Pests in Crops Using Proximal Images and Machine Learning: A Review
Authors: Barbedo Jayme Garcia Arnal
Published: June 2020

Pest management is among the most important activities in a farm. Monitoring all different species visually may not be effective, especially in large properties. Accordingly, considerable research effort has been spent towards the development of effective ways to remotely monitor potential infestations. A growing number of solutions combine proximal digital images with machine learning techniques, but since species and conditions associated to each study vary considerably, it is difficult to draw a realistic picture of the actual state of the art on the subject. In this context, the objectives of this article are (1) to briefly describe some of the most relevant investigations on the subject of automatic pest detection using proximal digital images and machine learning; (2) to provide a unified overview of the research carried out so far, with special emphasis to research gaps that still linger; (3) to propose some possible targets for future research.
The Effect of Diet Based on Legume Seeds and Rapeseed Meal on Pig Performance and Meat Quality
Authors: Zmudzińska Anna , Bigorowski Bartosz , Banaszak Mirosław , Roślewska Aleksandra , Adamski Marek , Hejdysz Marcin
Published: June 2020

The aim of this work was to assess the impact of a total dietary replacement of extracted soybean meal (SBM) on body weight gain and pork quality. DanBred hybrid piglets were divided into four groups of 10 piglets each. Groups I (males) and II (females) were the control groups and fed a standardized SBM-based complete feed. The experimental groups III (males) and IV (females) were offered a diet in which the SBM was replaced with extracted rapeseed meal (RSM) and legume plants (pea and yellow lupin). After 83 days of fattening, the animals were slaughtered. Based on the collected data, the daily weight gain (DWG), feed intake (FI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were calculated. In addition, longissimus dorsi muscle was subjected to physicochemical analyses, including the basic chemical composition. All the analyses were performed in accordance with the applicable methodologies. As a result of this experiment, no interactions were found between the experimental factors (sex and diet). The replacement of SMB by legumes and RSM resulted in a significant reduction in the final body weight of growing–finishing pigs. Additionally, daily body weight gain was reduced between 35–83 days, and through the whole fattening period (0–83 days). Most pork meat quality parameters were not affected by the type of mix feed and sex (p > 0.05). The fattening pigs that were fed legume seeds and RSM had significantly reduced fatness (p > 0.05) compared to the control pigs. In males, there was also a significantly lower pH45 (p < 0.05). It can be concluded that feeding pigs with diets containing legume plants and extracted rapeseed meal does not affect the pork meat quality, but it may worsen the body weight gain.
Effects of Single and Repeated Doses on Disposition and Kinetics of Doxycycline Hyclate in Goats
Authors: Turk Erdinc , Corum Orhan , Tekeli Ibrahim Ozan , Sakin Fatih , Uney Kamil
Published: June 2020

The aims of this study in goats were to determine the pharmacokinetics of doxycycline hyclate following single intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM) and oral administrations of 20 mg/kg and to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and accumulation of doxycycline hyclate after repeated oral administrations at a 20 mg/kg dose every 24 h for 5 days. Six healthy male goats were used for the study. The study was performed in four periods according to a longitudinal study with a 15-day washout period. Plasma concentrations of doxycycline were determined using HPLC-UV and analyzed by a non-compartmental method. IM injection of doxycycline caused swelling and pain due to irritation in the injection site. After IM and oral administrations, terminal elimination half-life (t1/2λz) and mean residence time (MRT) were prolonged and areas under the curve (AUCs) were low. The mean bioavailability of IM and oral administration was 51.51% and 31.39%, respectively. Following repeated oral administration, the accumulation ratio of doxycycline was 1.76. Pharmacokinetic properties including weak accumulation, wide distribution volume and long elimination half-life can make doxycycline hyclate valuable for repeated use via an oral route in the treatment of some infectious diseases in goats. However, the determination of pharmacodynamic effects on susceptible pathogens isolated from goats is also necessary to confirm the drug dosage regimen.
Methane Emissions and Milk Fatty Acid Profiles in Dairy Cows Fed Linseed, Measured at the Group Level in a Naturally Ventilated Housing and Individually in Respiration Chambers
Authors: Poteko Jernej , Schrade Sabine , Zeyer Kerstin , Mohn Joachim , Zaehner Michael , Zeitz Johanna O. , Kreuzer Michael , Schwarm Angela
Published: June 2020

The present study evaluated the effects of linseed supplementation on CH4 emission and milk fatty acid composition in dairy cows measured at the group level in an experimental dairy loose housing using a tracer gas technique and individually in tied stalls and respiration chambers. Cows (2 × 20) were maintained in two separate sections under loose-housing conditions and received a diet supplemented with extruded linseed (L) lipids (29 g·kg−1 dry matter) or a control (C) diet containing corn flour. Subsequently, 2 × 6 cows per dietary group were investigated in a tied-housing system and respiration chambers. Substantially higher proportions of favorable milk fatty acids were recovered in L cows when compared with C cows at the group level, making the analysis of bulk milk a suitable control instrument for retailers. Linseed supplementation resulted in a slightly lower diurnal course of CH4 emission intensity than the control at the group and individual levels. However, we found no more than a trend for a CH4 mitigating effect, unlike in other studies supplementing similar linseed lipid levels. Feed supplements in concentrations that lead to a significant reduction in CH4 emissions must show whether the reduction potential determined at the group and individual levels is comparable.
Reversible Oxidative Modifications in Myoglobin and Functional Implications
Authors: Mannino Mark H. , Patel Rishi S. , Eccardt Amanda M. , Janowiak Blythe E. , Wood David C. , He Fahu , Fisher Jonathan S.
Published: June 2020

Myoglobin (Mb), an oxygen-binding heme protein highly expressed in heart and skeletal muscle, has been shown to undergo oxidative modifications on both an inter- and intramolecular level when exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in vitro. Here, we show that exposure to H2O2 increases the peroxidase activity of Mb. Reaction of Mb with H2O2 causes covalent binding of heme to the Mb protein (Mb-X), corresponding to an increase in peroxidase activity when ascorbic acid is the reducing co-substrate. Treatment of H2O2-reacted Mb with ascorbic acid reverses the Mb-X crosslink. Reaction with H2O2 causes Mb to form dimers, trimers, and larger molecular weight Mb aggregates, and treatment with ascorbic acid regenerates Mb monomers. Reaction of Mb with H2O2 causes formation of dityrosine crosslinks, though the labile nature of the crosslinks broken by treatment with ascorbic acid suggests that the reversible aggregation of Mb is mediated by crosslinks other than dityrosine. Disappearance of a peptide containing a tryptophan residue when Mb is treated with H2O2 and the peptide’s reappearance after subsequent treatment with ascorbic acid suggest that tryptophan side chains might participate in the labile crosslinking. Taken together, these data suggest that while exposure to H2O2 causes Mb-X formation, increases Mb peroxidase activity, and causes Mb aggregation, these oxidative modifications are reversible by treatment with ascorbic acid. A caveat is that future studies should demonstrate that these and other in vitro findings regarding properties of Mb have relevance in the intracellular milieu, especially in regard to actual concentrations of metMb, H2O2, and ascorbate that would be found in vivo.
NTARC: A Data Model for the Systematic Review of Network Traffic Analysis Research
Authors: Iglesias Félix , Ferreira Daniel C. , Vormayr Gernot , Bachl Maximilian , Zseby Tanja
Published: June 2020

The increased interest in secure and reliable communications has turned the analysis of network traffic data into a predominant topic. A high number of research papers propose methods to classify traffic, detect anomalies, or identify attacks. Although the goals and methodologies are commonly similar, we lack initiatives to categorize the data, methods, and findings systematically. In this paper, we present Network Traffic Analysis Research Curation (NTARC), a data model to store key information about network traffic analysis research. We additionally use NTARC to perform a critical review of the field of research conducted in the last two decades. The collection of descriptive research summaries enables the easy retrieval of relevant information and a better reuse of past studies by the application of quantitative analysis. Among others benefits, it enables the critical review of methodologies, the detection of common flaws, the obtaining of baselines, and the consolidation of best practices. Furthermore, it provides a basis to achieve reproducibility, a key requirement that has long been undervalued in the area of traffic analysis. Thus, besides reading hard copies of papers, with NTARC, researchers can make use of a digital environment that facilitates queries and reviews over a comprehensive field corpus.
Lipid Signalling in Human Immune Response and Bone Remodelling under Microgravity
Authors: Fava Marina , Leuti Alessandro , Maccarrone Mauro
Published: June 2020

Since the first Apollo mission in 1969, microgravity has been linked to many alterations of astronauts’ physiology, among which immunosuppression, altered inflammation and bone loss represent relevant examples. In the past 40 years, extensive investigations have been conducted in order to characterize the molecular mechanisms driving the alterations caused by prolonged weightlessness on human health. However, almost all studies eluded the role played by bioactive lipids, a vastly heterogeneous class of endogenous molecules, which, under normal conditions, control immune and bone homeostasis. This is somewhat surprising, because it is widely accepted that pathological derangement of the production or signalling of these endogenous compounds leads to the onset and/or progression of numerous diseases. In particular, eicosanoids and endocannabinoids are known to play a role in immune responses and bone remodelling. Both classes represent the only lipids as yet investigated in Space, and are increasingly recognised as promising therapeutic candidates to combat different human disorders. This review summarizes evidence gathered in the past two decades on the changes in these two pivotal lipid signalling systems, through both simulated and authentic weightlessness (i.e., on board the International Space Station and in parabolic flights).
Review of V2X–IoT Standards and Frameworks for ITS Applications
Authors: Kiela Karolis , Barzdenas Vaidotas , Jurgo Marijan , Macaitis Vytautas , Rafanavicius Justas , Vasjanov Aleksandr , Kladovscikov Leonid , Navickas Romualdas
Published: June 2020

The intelligent transport system (ITS) has become one of the most globally researched topics with a lot of investment and development resources being dedicated into it due to its foreseen impact on the economic growth of the transport sector. Currently there are two main vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technologies, whose primary application is focused on ITS, backed up by the key players of various automotive, telecommunication and transport industries: dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) and cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X), respectively based on IEEE 802.11p and 3GPP LTE/5G NR. While DSRC already has deployments, C-V2X is expected to see larger scale trails and deployments in 2020. In this work, the authors provide insight and review into two main V2X technologies, DSRC and C-V2X, their core parameters, shortcomings and limitations, and explore the need for integration of IoT-based technologies into modern ITS solutions. A comprehensive overview and analysis of currently commercially available V2X products, their sub-blocks and features is provided.
Potential Acetylcholinesterase, Lipase, α-Glucosidase, and α-Amylase Inhibitory Activity, as well as Antimicrobial Activities, of Essential Oil from Lettuce Leaf Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) Elicited with Jasmonic Acid
Authors: Złotek Urszula , Rybczyńska-Tkaczyk Kamila , Michalak-Majewska Monika , Sikora Małgorzata , Jakubczyk Anna
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the elicitation with jasmonic acid on the biological activities of essential oils (EOs) from lettuce leaf basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). Specifically, 0.01 µM jasmonic acid (JA1), 1 µM jasmonic acid (JA2), and 100 µM jasmonic acid (JA3) were used as elicitors. The results indicated that the elicitation increased the acetylcholinesterase, lipase, and α-amylase inhibitory activity of essential oils. A significant difference in α-glucosidase inhibition was noted only for the JA3 extract (IC50 = 0.81 µL/mL), as this activity was lower than in the control sample without elicitation (IC50 = 0.68 µL/mL). The studied basil EOs exhibited similar activity against Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive bacteria) and Escherichia coli (Gram-negative bacteria). Based on the value of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC), the best antimicrobial activity was observed for JA2 and JA3.
Improving Sentence Retrieval Using Sequence Similarity
Authors: Boban Ivan , Doko Alen , Gotovac Sven
Published: June 2020

Sentence retrieval is an information retrieval technique that aims to find sentences corresponding to an information need. It is used for tasks like question answering (QA) or novelty detection. Since it is similar to document retrieval but with a smaller unit of retrieval, methods for document retrieval are also used for sentence retrieval like term frequency—inverse document frequency (TF-IDF), BM 25 , and language modeling-based methods. The effect of partial matching of words to sentence retrieval is an issue that has not been analyzed. We think that there is a substantial potential for the improvement of sentence retrieval methods if we consider this approach. We adapted TF-ISF, BM 25 , and language modeling-based methods to test the partial matching of terms through combining sentence retrieval with sequence similarity, which allows matching of words that are similar but not identical. All tests were conducted using data from the novelty tracks of the Text Retrieval Conference (TREC). The scope of this paper was to find out if such approach is generally beneficial to sentence retrieval. However, we did not examine in depth how partial matching helps or hinders the finding of relevant sentences.
Impact of Inulin Addition on Properties of Natural Yogurt
Authors: Żbikowska Anna , Szymańska Iwona , Kowalska Małgorzata
Published: June 2020

The influence of the amount of inulin addition (3%, 6%, 9%, 12% or 15% w/w) on the physicochemical properties of natural yogurt was analyzed. The acidity (titration; pH), texture parameters (penetration test), viscosity curves (rotational rheometer), microrheology (macroscopic viscosity index, MVI; elasticity index, EI; solid-liquid balance—SLB; multi-speckle diffusing-wave spectroscopy, MS-DWS) and physical stability (syneresis; LUMiSizer test) of yogurts were investigated. All samples were non-Newtonian pseudoplastic liquids. The sample with 15% inulin content presented an approx. 4% higher pH value (4.34), 3-fold greater MVI and almost 5-fold higher penetration force, compared to the control sample (0% of inulin). In turn, the use of inulin addition in the range of 3–15% w/w resulted in a reduction of syneresis (p < 0.05). A linear decrease in the values of instability indexes and sedimentation velocities was noted in the function of inulin content increase (LUMiSizer test). The application of inulin (in the range of 3–15% w/w) as a functional additive to yogurts significantly contributed to enhancement of their physical stability. Summing up, the possibility of obtaining natural yogurts with a high content of this prebiotic has been demonstrated, thus such products can be classified as functional foods and a health claim can be put on the label.
The Acute Influence of Running-Induced Fatigue on the Performance and Biomechanics of a Countermovement Jump
Authors: Yu Peimin , Gong Zhen , Meng Yao , Baker Julien S , István Bíró , Gu Yaodong
Published: June 2020

Lower limb kinematics and kinetics during the landing phase of jumping might change because of localized muscle fatigue. This study aimed to investigate the acute influence of running-induced fatigue on the performance and lower limb kinematics and kinetics of a countermovement jump. A running-induced fatigue protocol was applied to fifteen male subjects. Participants were asked to perform three successful countermovement jumps before and after fatigue. Kinematic and kinetic data were collected to compare any fatigue influences. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and paired-sample t-tests were used to analyze the data. Running-induced fatigue did not significantly change vertical jump height and peak vertical ground reaction forces (GRF) during the push-off and landing phases. Lower limb biomechanics significantly changed, especially kinematic parameters. During the push-off phase, fatigue resulted in an increased ankle peak inversion angle, knee minimal flexion angle, knee peak abduction angle, and hip peak flexion moment. In addition, the range of motion (ROM) of the ankle and knee joints in the frontal plane was also increased. Certain parameters decreased as a result of fatigue, such as the ankle peak internal rotation angle, hip peak abduction angle, the ROM of the ankle joint in the sagittal plane, and ROM of the hip joint in the frontal plane. During the landing phase, the peak inversion angle and peak external rotation angle of the ankle joint, peak abduction angle of the knee and hip joint, ROM of the ankle joint in the horizontal plane, ROM of the ankle and knee joint in the frontal plane were all increased as a result of fatigue. The knee peak flexion moment and hip peak extension moment, however, were decreased. Under fatigue conditions, lower limb kinetics and kinematics were changed during both the push-off and landing phases. More attention should be focused on the landing phase and the last period of the push-off phase due to potentially higher risks of injury. The findings of the current study may be beneficial to athletes and coaches in preventing jumping related injuries.
Study of the Mechanism of a Stable Deposited Height During GMAW-Based Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Shen Hongyao , Deng Rongxin , Liu Bing , Tang Sheng , Li Shun
Published: June 2020

Gas metal arc welding (GMAW)-based additive manufacturing has the advantages of a high deposition rate, low cost, the production of a compact and dense microstructure in the cladding layer, and good mechanical properties, but the forming process is unstable. The shape of the welding bead critically affects the layer height and dimensional accuracy of the parts manufactured, and it is difficult to control. A series of experiments were designed and the results indicated that when the value of the predefined layer height is set in a certain range and other parameters are held constant, the height of the thin wall produced by GMAW-based additive manufacturing is almost equal to the predefined layer height multiplied by the number of layers. This research work shows that during the GMAW process, the changes in the distance between the torch and the top surface of the part cause a variety of dry extensions of the electrode; furthermore, the changes lead to a variety in the heat input into the molten pool. Therefore, the dry extension of the electrode is the key factor influencing the geometry of the welding bead, especially the layer height, and it has a compensating effect that makes the actual layer height close to the predefined value. A three-dimensional numerical model was established to study the influence of the predefined layer height to the fluid flow and heat transfer behaviors during the weld-deposition process.
Nanotechnology and Early Human Development
Authors: Nobile Stefano , Nobile Lucio
Published: June 2020

The application of nanotechnology, molecular biotechnologies, and nano-sciences for medical purposes has been termed nanomedicine, a promising growing area of medical research. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of and discuss nanotechnology applications in the early epochs of life, from transplacental transfer to neonatal/pediatric conditions. Diagnostic and therapeutic applications, mainly related to the respiratory tract, the neurosensory system, and infections, are explored and discussed. Preclinical studies show promising results for a variety of conditions, including for the treatment of pregnancy complications and fetal, neonatal, and pediatric diseases. However, given the complexity of the functions and interactions between the placenta and the fetus, and the complex and incompletely understood determinants of tissue growth and differentiation during early life, there is a need for much more data to confirm the safety and efficacy of nanotechnology in this field.
Ten Years of Micro-CT in Dentistry and Maxillofacial Surgery: A Literature Overview
Authors: Campioni Ilaria , Pecci Raffaella , Bedini Rossella
Published: June 2020

Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is a consolidated imaging technology allowing non-destructive three-dimensional (3D) qualitative and quantitative analysis by the observation of microstructures with high resolution. This paper aims at delivering a structured overview of literature about studies performed using micro-CT in dentistry and maxillofacial surgery (MFS) by analyzing the entire set of articles to portray the state of the art of the last ten years of scientific publications on the topic. It draws the scenario focusing on biomaterials, in vitro and in/ex vivo applications, bone structure analysis, and tissue engineering. It confirms the relevance of the micro-CT analysis for traditional research applications and mainly in dentistry with respect to MFS. Possible developments are discussed in relation to the use of the micro-CT combined with other, traditional, and not, techniques and technologies, as the elaboration of 3D models based on micro-CT images and emerging numerical methods. Micro-CT results contribute effectively with whose ones obtained from other techniques in an integrated multimethod approach and for multidisciplinary studies, opening new possibilities and potential opportunities for the next decades of developments.
Probability-Based Concrete Carbonation Prediction Using On-Site Data
Authors: Jung Hyunjun , Im Seok-Been , An Yun-Kyu
Published: June 2020

This study proposes a probability-based carbonation prediction approach for successful monitoring of deteriorating concrete structures. Over the last several decades, a number of researchers have studied the concrete carbonation prediction to estimate the long-term performance of carbonated concrete structures. Recently, probability-based durability analyses have been introduced to precisely estimate the carbonation of concrete structures. Since the carbonation of concrete structures, however, can be affected by material compositions as well as various environmental conditions, it is still a challenge to predict concrete carbonation in the field. In this study, the Fick’s first law and a Bayes’ theorem-based carbonation prediction approach is newly proposed using on-site data, which were obtained over 19 years. In particular, the effects of design parameters such as diffusion coefficient, concentration, absorption quantity of CO2, and the degree of hydration have been thoroughly considered in this study. The proposed probabilistic approach has shown a reliable prediction of concrete carbonation and remaining service life.
Probing Collisional Plasmas with MCRS: Opportunities and Challenges
Authors: Platier Bart , Staps Tim , Koelman Peter , van der Schans Marc , Beckers Job , IJzerman Wilbert
Published: June 2020

Since the 1940s, Microwave Cavity Resonance Spectroscopy (MCRS) has been used to investigate a variety of solids, gases, and low-pressure plasmas. Recently, the working terrain of the diagnostic method has been expanded with atmospheric-pressure plasmas. This review discusses the advancements that were required for this transition and implications of studying highly collisional, with respect to the probing frequencies, plasmas. These developments and implications call for a redefinition of the limitations of MCRS, which also impact studies of low-pressure plasmas using the diagnostic method. Moreover, a large collection of recommendations concerning the approach and its potential for future studies is presented.
SoftRec: Multi-Relationship Fused Software Developer Recommendation
Authors: Xie Xinqiang , Wang Bin , Yang Xiaochun
Published: June 2020

Collaboration efficiency is of primary importance in software development. It is widely recognized that choosing suitable developers is an efficient and effective practice for improving the efficiency of software development and collaboration. Recommending suitable developers is complex and time-consuming due to the difficulty of learning developers’ expertise and willingness. Existing works focus on learning developers’ expertise and interactions from their explicit historical information and matching them to specific task. However, such procedures may suffer low accuracy because they ignore implicit information, such as (1) developer–developer collaboration relationships, (2) developer–task implicit interaction relationships, and (3) task–task association relationships, etc. To that end, this paper proposes a multi-relationship fused approach for software developer recommendation (termed SoftRec). First, in addition to explicit developer–task interactions, it considers multivariate implicit relationships, including the three types mentioned above. Second, it integrates these relationships based on joint matrix factorization and generates forecast results upon the architecture of deep neural network. Furthermore, we propose a fast update method to address the cold start issue by making online recommendations for new developers and new tasks. Extensive experiments are conducted on two real-world datasets, and a user study is conducted in a well-known software company. The results demonstrate that SoftRec outperforms four state-of-the-art works.
Robust-Extended Kalman Filter and Long Short-Term Memory Combination to Enhance the Quality of Single Point Positioning
Authors: Tan Truong-Ngoc , Khenchaf Ali , Comblet Fabrice , Franck Pierre , Champeyroux Jean-Marc , Reichert Olivier
Published: June 2020

In the recent years, multi-constellation and multi-frequency have improved the positioning precision in GNSS applications and significantly expanded the range of applications to new areas and services. However, the use of multiple signals presents advantages as well as disadvantages, since they may contain poor quality signals that negatively impact the position precision. The objective of this study is to improve the Single Point Positioning (SPP) accuracy using multi-GNSS data fusion. We propose the use of robust-Extended Kalman Filter (referred to as robust-EKF hereafter) to eliminate outliers. The robust-EKF used in the present work combines the Extended Kalman Filter with the Iterative ReWeighted Least Squares (IRWLS) and the Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM). The weight matrix in IRWLS is defined by the MM Estimation method which is a robust statistics approach for more efficient statistical data analysis with high breaking point. The RAIM algorithm is used to check the accuracy of the protection zone of the user. We apply the robust-EKF method along with the robust combination of GPS, Galileo and GLONASS data from ABMF base station, which significantly improves the position accuracy by about 84% compared to the non-robust data combination. ABMF station is a GNSS reception station managed by Météo-France in Guadeloupe. Thereafter, ABMF will refer to the acronym used to designate this station. Although robust-EKF demonstrates improvement in the position accuracy, its outputs might contain errors that are difficult to estimate. Therefore, an algorithm that can predetermine the error produced by robust-EKF is needed. For this purpose, the long short-term memory (LSTM) method is proposed as an adapted Deep Learning-Based approach. In this paper, LSTM is considered as a de-noising filter and the new method is proposed as a hybrid combination of robust-EKF and LSTM which is denoted rEKF-LSTM. The position precision greatly improves by about 95% compared to the non-robust combination of data from ABMF base station. In order to assess the rEKF-LSTM method, data from other base stations are tested. The position precision is enhanced by about 87%, 77% and 93% using the rEKF-LSTM compared to the non-robust combination of data from three other base stations AJAC, GRAC and LMMF in France, respectively.
A Logarithmic Turbulent Heat Transfer Model in Applications with Liquid Metals for Pr = 0.01–0.025
Authors: Da Vià Roberto , Giovacchini Valentina , Manservisi Sandro
Published: June 2020

The study of turbulent heat transfer in liquid metal flows has gained interest because of applications in several industrial fields. The common assumption of similarity between the dynamical and thermal turbulence, namely, the Reynolds analogy, has been proven to be invalid for these fluids. Many methods have been proposed in order to overcome the difficulties encountered in a proper definition of the turbulent heat flux, such as global or local correlations for the turbulent Prandtl number and four parameter turbulence models. In this work we assess a four parameter logarithmic turbulence model for liquid metals based on the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RAN) approach. Several simulation results considering fluids with P r = 0.01 and P r = 0.025 are reported in order to show the validity of this approach. The Kays turbulence model is also assessed and compared with integral heat transfer correlations for a wide range of Peclet numbers.
Compressive Sampling with Multiple Bit Spread Spectrum-Based Data Hiding
Authors: Budiman Gelar , Suksmono Andriyan Bayu , Danudirdjo Donny
Published: June 2020

We propose a novel data hiding method in an audio host with a compressive sampling technique. An over-complete dictionary represents a group of watermarks. Each row of the dictionary is a Hadamard sequence representing multiple bits of the watermark. Then, the singular values of the segment-based host audio in a diagonal matrix are multiplied by the over-complete dictionary, producing a lower size matrix. At the same time, we embed the watermark into the compressed audio. In the detector, we detect the watermark and reconstruct the audio. This proposed method offers not only hiding the information, but also compressing the audio host. The application of the proposed method is broadcast monitoring and biomedical signal recording. We can mark and secure the signal content by hiding the watermark inside the signal while we compress the signal for memory efficiency. We evaluate the performance in terms of payload, compression ratio, audio quality, and watermark quality. The proposed method can hide the data imperceptibly, in the range of 729–5292 bps, with a compression ratio 1.47–4.84, and a perfectly detected watermark.
HMB-I/O: Fast Track for Handling Urgent I/Os in Nonvolatile Memory Express Solid-State Drives
Authors: Kim Kyusik , Kim Seongmin , Kim Taeseok
Published: June 2020

Differentiated I/O services for applications with their own requirements are very important for user satisfaction. Nonvolatile memory express (NVMe) solid-state drive (SSD) architecture can improve the I/O bandwidth with its numerous submission queues, but the quality of service (QoS) of each I/O request is never guaranteed. In particular, if many I/O requests are pending in the submission queues due to a bursty I/O workload, urgent I/O requests can be delayed, and consequently, the QoS requirements of applications that need fast service cannot be met. This paper presents a scheme that handles urgent I/O requests without delay even if there are many pending I/O requests. Since the pending I/O requests in the submission queues cannot be controlled by the host, the host memory buffer (HMB), which is part of the DRAM of the host that can be accessed from the controller, is used to process urgent I/O requests. Instead of sending urgent I/O requests into the SSDs through legacy I/O paths, the latency is removed by directly inserting them into the HMB. Emulator experiments demonstrated that the proposed scheme could reduce the average and tail latencies by up to 99% and 86%, respectively.