bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nutrient Removal by Grain in Modern Soybean Varieties
Authors: Esper Neto Michel , Lara Lorena Moreira , Maciel de Oliveira Silas , Santos Rayssa Fernanda dos , Braccini Alessandro Lucca , Inoue Tadeu Takeyoshi , Batista Marcelo Augusto
Published: June 2021

Knowing the nutrient removal by soybean grain harvest in different varieties, locations, and over time is essential to correctly adjust agronomic recommendations, update farmers’ practices, and increase nutrient use efficiency. A field-based research trial was carried out to assess macronutrients [nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), and sulfur (S)] removed in grain by modern soybean varieties from southern Brazil introduced between 2007 and 2016. We examined changes between our set of modern varieties and a dataset of historical values encompassing a wide range of varieties introduced before 2007. Moreover, we undertook a synthesis analysis using scientific literature published after 2007 to investigate nutrient removal by grain among modern Brazilian soybeans and a dataset that included field trials from Argentina, United States, and India. There were no yield gains across the years for modern soybean varieties introduced among 2007 and 2016 in Brazil, although the grain N and Mg concentrations decreased. Modern Brazilian soybeans increased nutrient removal compared with that by soybeans historically planted in Brazil, with 11.1, 26.9, 45.0, and 31.6% more N, P, K, and Mg removed, respectively. Our results indicated that soybean growing in Brazil removed 4.3% less N relative to the values reported in the literature dataset, whereas K removal was 21.4% greater. A significant difference was also recorded for high-yield soybean varieties, and Brazilian varieties removed 11.8% less N and 8.6% more K than varieties in the literature dataset. No differences were found among locations for P removal, averaging 4.9 kg Mg–1grain. In conclusion, this study indicates that the amounts of nutrients removed by modern soybean varieties were greater relative to the historical values recorded in Brazil, excluding Ca and S. Nonetheless, in the middle to long term (10 years), a significant impact of plant breeding on grain nutrient concentration was recorded only for N and Mg. The difference in nutrient removal patterns between Brazil and other countries indicates an integrated effect of management, genotype, and environment on nutrient removal. These findings provide guidance for optimal nutrient management and specific information for plant breeding programs to understand nutrient variability.
Is Perceived Athlete Leadership Quality Related to Inside Sacrifice and Perceived Performance in Team Sports? The Mediating Role of Team Identification
Authors: López-Gajardo Miguel A. , Pulido Juan J. , Tapia-Serrano Miguel A. , Ramírez-Bravo Iván , Leo Francisco M.
Published: June 2021

The study aimed to analyze the relationship between athletes' perceptions of athlete leadership quality, team identification, inside sacrifice, and performance. A total of 299 players of collective sports (soccer, beach soccer, basketball, volleyball; Mage 19.05, SD = 5.10) participated through a cross-sectional design survey. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results highlight the positive relationships between perceived quality of athlete leaders, inside sacrifice, and perceived performance, and between inside sacrifice and perceived performance. Furthermore, inside sacrifice perceived by the athletes was a positive mediator between perceived athlete leadership quality and perceived performance. Also, team identification was a positive mediator in the association between inside sacrifice and perceived performance. These findings extend knowledge about the athlete leadership quality context. These results can also be useful for further research and implications in team sports' performance, as coaches and sports psychologists would have more information about their teams' perceptions of leadership quality to achieve positive outcomes in players' inside sacrifice and performance. The findings also highlight the importance of developing team identification to improve the relationships between perceived athlete leadership quality, inside sacrifice, and perceived performance.
Childhood Socioeconomic Status Does Not Predict Late-Life Cognitive Decline in the 1936 Lothian Birth Cohort
Authors: Racine Maurice Stéphanie , Hébert Alisone , Turcotte Valérie , Potvin Olivier , Hudon Carol , Duchesne Simon
Published: June 2021

This study examined childhood socioeconomic status (SES) as a predictor of later life cognitive decline. Data came from 519 participants in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (LBC1936) study. SES measures at 11 years of age included parental educational attainment, father’s occupational status, household characteristics and a composite measure of global childhood SES (i.e., a total of low SES childhood indicators). Cognitive abilities were assessed by the Mini-Mental State Exam at ages 69.8, 72.8 and 76.7 years. Most indicators of low childhood SES (i.e., father manual worker, less than secondary school father education, household overcrowding, exterior located toilet, and global childhood SES) did not predict cognitive decline between the ages of 69.8 and 76.7. Participants with less educated mothers showed an increase in cognitive decline (β = −0.132, p = 0.048, and CI = −0.80, −0.00). The relationship between maternal educational attainment and cognitive decline became non-significant when controlling for adult SES (i.e., participant educational attainment and occupation). Adult SES did not mediate the latter relationship. This study provides new evidence that childhood SES alone is not strongly associated with cognitive decline. New knowledge is critical to improving population health by identifying life span stages in which interventions might be effective in preventing cognitive decline.
Reduced Emotional Awareness and Distress Concealment: A Pathway to Loneliness for Young Men Seeking Mental Health Care
Authors: Kealy David , Seidler Zac E. , Rice Simon M. , Cox Daniel W. , Oliffe John L. , Ogrodniczuk John S. , Kim Dan
Published: June 2021

Background: Loneliness, the painful affective state that reflects perceived deficits in social relationships, is a significant health issue requiring further understanding. Individual differences in awareness and disclosure of emotional concerns may contribute to loneliness, and may do so diversely according to gender and age. The present study examined a hypothesized mediation pathway from emotional awareness abilities to loneliness through distress concealment, with moderation by gender and age, in a sample of adults attending outpatient mental health services.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study design, 244 patients attending Canadian community mental health clinics completed study assessments at the commencement of care. Conditional process modeling examined interactions between gender and age and both emotional awareness and distress concealment in mediation models predicting loneliness.

Results: A significant three-way interaction between gender, age, and distress concealment was observed, along with significant conditional moderated mediation. The indirect effect of emotional awareness on loneliness through the mediating effect of distress concealment was significant for young- and mid-adulthood men, but not for women or older men.

Limitations: The study was limited by exclusive use of self-report assessment, and cross-sectional design precluding representation of causal sequencing over time.

Conclusion: Findings suggest the pathway to loneliness from reduced emotional awareness through distress concealment to be particularly salient for younger men. Thus, intervention targeting restricted awareness and disclosure of emotional concerns should be considered in helping young men to address the pain of loneliness.
Interest of Fluvoxamine as an Add-On to Clozapine in Children With Severe Psychiatric Disorder According to CYP Polymorphisms: Experience From a Case Series
Authors: Berel Camille , Mossé Ulysse , Wils Julien , Cousin Lauriane , Imbert Laurent , Gerardin Priscille , Chaumette Boris , Lamoureux Fabien , Ferrafiat Vladimir
Published: June 2021

Despite its drastic efficacy in resistant psychiatric disorders, clozapine remains rarely used in youth due to its side effects. Clozapine plasma level is determined through its metabolism involving several isoforms of cytochromes 450 (CYP450) family. Isoform CYP1A2 appears as a limiting enzyme involved in the metabolism of clozapine, while isoforms 2C19, 2D6, 3A4, and 3A5 also contribute in a minor way. Clozapine efficacy is limited by a significant inter-patient variability in exposure according to CYP's polymorphisms. Clozapine plasma levels may be increased with CYP inhibitors such as fluvoxamine. This drug is a potent enzymatic inhibitor of CYP1A2 and, to a lesser extent, of CYP3A4 and CYP2D6. Hence, in case of CYP's polymorphisms in youth, the use of fluvoxamine as add-on to clozapine could help in reaching clinical and biological efficacy and allowing lower clozapine dosage and a better tolerance profile as it has already been described in adults. We report four pediatric cases with severe psychiatric disorders underlying our experience with CYP polymorphism explorations and the use of fluvoxamine as add-on to clozapine. Our four patients clinically improved after the introduction of fluvoxamine, enhancing clozapine metabolism and therefore the clozapine plasma level within therapeutic range. Despite the interesting results of fluvoxamine, we report a severe issue of tolerance for one patient, emphasizing the need for caution regarding possible drug interactions when fluvoxamine is considered. Hence, we propose a detailed step-by-step multidisciplinary protocol.
Environmental Impacts and Their Association With Performance and Excretion Traits in Growing Pigs
Authors: Monteiro Alessandra N. T. R. , Brossard Ludovic , Gilbert Hélène , Dourmad Jean-Yves
Published: June 2021

The selection of pigs for improved production traits has been, for a long time, the major driver of pig breeding. More recently, because of the increasing concern with the environment, new selection criteria have been explored, such as nitrogen (N) excretion. However, many studies indicate that life cycle assessment (LCA) provides much better indicators of environmental impacts than excretion. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate, using a modeling approach, the relationships between production traits and LCA impacts of individual growing pigs calculated at the farm gate for 1 kg of body weight gain. Performances of pigs were simulated for 2-phase (2P) and precision feeding (PR), using the InraPorc population model (on 1,000 pigs). Nitrogen excretion was positively correlated with feed conversion ratio (FCR; r = +0.96), climate change (CC; r = +0.96), acidification potential (AC; r = +0.97), eutrophication potential (EU; r = +0.97), and land occupation (LO; r = +0.96), whatever the feeding program. However, FCR appeared to be a better indicator of LCA impacts, with very high and positive correlations (r > +0.99) with CC, AC, EU, and LO for both feeding programs. The CC, AC, and EU impacts of pig production for PR feeding were 1.3, 10, and 7.5% lower than for 2P, respectively, but the correlations within each outcome were very similar among feeding programs. It was concluded that the use of FCR as a selection criterion in pig breeding seems to be a promising approach to associate improved performance and low environmental impact of pig fattening.
A Safety Prediction System for Lunar Orbit Rendezvous and Docking Mission
Authors: Yu Dan , Liu Peng , Qiao Dezhi , Tang Xianglong
Published: June 2021

In view of the characteristics of the guidance, navigation and control (GNC) system of the lunar orbit rendezvous and docking (RVD), we design an auxiliary safety prediction system based on the human–machine collaboration framework. The system contains two parts, including the construction of the rendezvous and docking safety rule knowledge base by the use of machine learning methods, and the prediction of safety by the use of the base. First, in the ground semi-physical simulation test environment, feature extraction and matching are performed on the images taken by the navigation surveillance camera. Then, the matched features and the rendezvous and docking deviation are used to form training sample pairs, which are further used to construct the safety rule knowledge base by using the decision tree method. Finally, the safety rule knowledge base is used to predict the safety of the subsequent process of the rendezvous and docking based on the current images taken by the surveillance camera, and the probability of success is obtained. Semi-physical experiments on the ground show that the system can improve the level of intelligence in the flight control process and effectively assist ground flight controllers in data monitoring and mission decision-making.
A Stability Analysis Using AΜΜΙ and GGE Biplot Approach on Forage Yield Assessment of Common Vetch in Both Conventional and Low-Input Cultivation Systems
Authors: Greveniotis Vasileios , Bouloumpasi Elisavet , Zotis Stylianos , Korkovelos Athanasios , Ipsilandis Constantinos
Published: June 2021

Common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) is a widespread legume crop in the Mediterranean mega-environment, due to its versatile uses and its compatibility with organic and low-input farming systems. However, its adaptation to various such environments should be studied and varieties suitable for forage yield must be selected. This study aimed to explore forage yield stability of common vetch varieties based on the stability index, with a specific target to explore common vetch variety behavior in various environments. Six Greek varieties of common vetch were used over four environments for two years. The cultivation was conducted using a strip plot with the varieties randomized within each plot in both conventional and low-input cultivation systems. (Alexandros) and (Tempi) varieties showed stability for days to 50% of flowering (index >4000), while (Pigasos) and (Zefyros) for fresh forage yield (>200) across environments. Combined estimations, also showed stability of (Pigasos) and (Zefyros) for fresh forage yield. Comparisons between the conventional and low-input farming systems generally showed minor differences but revealed varieties that exhibit stable performance even in the low-input farming systems, where stability is generally a little higher. The AMMI and GGE biplot analysis depicted the stability performance of the varieties regarding the traits under experimentation. As far as the fresh forage and dry matter yield, (Zefyros) was the most stable and productive variety over all others. Correlations between traits displayed the positive relation of fresh forage yield with days for 50% flowering and dry forage yield. Positive correlations may be proved useful for indirect breeding through traits with high stability leading to the selection of traits that show low stability.
Preliminary Predictive Model of Termiticidal and Repellent Activities of Essential Oil Extracted from Ocotea quixos Leaves against Nasutitermes corniger (Isoptera: Termitidae) Using One-Factor Response Surface Methodology Design
Authors: Arteaga-Crespo Yasiel , Ureta-Leones Diego , García-Quintana Yudel , Montalván Mayra , Gilardoni Gianluca , Malagón Omar
Published: June 2021

Termites are one of the most challenging pests that agriculture and urban environments are faced with. They bring substantial losses in annual and perennial crops and damage wood components at construction sites. The development of natural products with biological activity for termite control is an ecological alternative in the search to replace conventional products. Hence, the aim of this research was to predict the termiticidal and repellent effects of the essential oil from Ocotea quixos leaves on Nasutitermes corniger using a one-factor response surface methodology design. The variable analysed was the concentration of essential oil in ethanol at an interval of 0.3–0.05% for anti-termite activity and between 0.12 and 0.01% for repellent action. A 100% mortality rate was found at concentrations higher than 0.12% and at the minimum concentration analysed, the effect was 22.2%. As for the repellent action, the concentration of 0.12% was able to repel 100% of the termites and at 0.01% it repelled 48.9%. The analysis of the essential oil from Ocotea quixos leaves by GC-MS resulted in the presence of 42 compounds, 39 of them elucidated. The main compounds were (E)-cinnamyl acetate (36.44%), (E)-cinnamaldehyde (27.03%), (E)-β-caryophyllene (5.21%) and (E)-methyl isoeugenol (4.18%).
Water and Nutrient Balance in an Ornamental Cascade Cropping System
Authors: García-Caparrós Pedro , Llanderal Alfonso , Velasquez Cristina , Lao María Teresa
Published: June 2021

Seedlings of Chrysalidocarpus lutescens, Dracaena deremensis and Dracaena marginata were grown in plastic containers filled with sphagnum peat-moss to assess the effects of three different water systems on plant growth, water saving and nutrient removal during the experimental period. The experiment lasted for 8 weeks and consisted of three water systems. These consisted of an open draining system fertigated with a standard nutrient solution (system T0) and two closed systems: sequential reuse of the leachate (system T1) and sequential reuse of the leachate with the addition of H2O2 (system T2). Over the course of the experiment, samples of water and supplies generated in each water treatment were collected weekly, and from these data water volume and nutrient loads were calculated. The addition of H2O2 to the leachate resulted in an enhancement in plant dry weight in Dracaena deremensis and Dracaena marginata. Regarding anion loads (Cl−, NO3−, H2PO4−, SO42−) in these water systems, there was a removal rate of 42%, 28%, 27% and 28%, respectively, in the closed systems compared to the open system. For the cation loads (Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+) in these water systems, there was a removal rate from 28% to 29%, respectively, in the closed systems compared to the open system.
Aluminum Toxicity in Sweet Cherry Trees Grown in an Acidic Volcanic Soil
Authors: Bonomelli Claudia , Artacho Pamela
Published: June 2021

Chile is the world’s largest exporter of sweet cherries. New plantings have been shifted to southern regions, where aluminum (Al) phytotoxicity could be a serious constraint on establishing orchards in acidic volcanic soils. This study investigated the effects of soil Al on growth and macronutrient uptake in non-bearing ‘Bing’ on Gisela®6 trees grown in 120 L pots containing volcanic soil with four concentrations of exchangeable Al (0.12, 0.40, 0.60, and 1.24 cmol kg−1). At the end of the first and second seasons after planting, the trees were destructively harvested, and individual organs were analyzed for dry weight, Al concentration, and macronutrient concentration. Increasing soil Al concentrations had a detrimental effect on nutrient uptake and growth, particularly in the second season. However, fine-root growth was significantly reduced from the first season and from low soil Al concentrations. In sweet cherry trees, Al was preferentially accumulated in root tissues and its translocation to aerial organs was restricted. In addition, Al accumulation in fine roots, in conjunction with a reduction in root growth, severely restricted the uptake of N, P, K, Mg, and, particularly, Ca. Therefore, soil acidity must be corrected to ensure the successful establishment of sweet cherry orchards in southern Chile.
Modified Black Soldier Fly Larva Fat in Broiler Diet: Effects on Performance, Carcass Traits, Blood Parameters, Histomorphological Features and Gut Microbiota
Authors: Dabbou Sihem , Lauwaerts Angelo , Ferrocino Ilario , Biasato Ilaria , Sirri Federico , Zampiga Marco , Bergagna Stefania , Pagliasso Giulia , Gariglio Marta , Colombino Elena , Narro Carlos Garcés , Gai Francesco , Capucchio Maria Teresa , Gasco Laura , Cocolin Luca , Schiavone Achille
Published: June 2021

In this study, a total of 200 male broiler chickens (Ross 308) were assigned to four dietary treatments (5 pens/treatment and 10 birds/pen) for two feeding phases: starter (0–11 days of age) and grower-finisher (11–33 days of age). A basal diet containing soy oil (SO) as added fat was used as control group (C), tested against three experimental diets where the SO was partially substituted by BSF larvae fat (BSF) or one of two types of modified BSF larvae fat (MBSF1 and MBSF2, respectively). The two modified BSF larvae fats had a high and low ratio of monobutyrin to monoglycerides of medium chain fatty acid, respectively. Diet did not influence the growth or slaughter performance, pH, color, or the chemical composition of breast and thigh muscles, gut morphometric indices, or histopathological alterations in all the organs. As far as fecal microbiota are concerned, MBSF1 and MBSF2 diets reduced the presence of Clostridium and Corynebacterium, which can frequently cause infection in poultry. In conclusion, modified BSF larva fat may positively modulate the fecal microbiota of broiler chickens without influencing the growth performance and intestinal morphology or showing any adverse histopathological alternations.
A New Dermal Substitute Containing Polyvinyl Alcohol with Silver Nanoparticles and Collagen with Hyaluronic Acid: In Vitro and In Vivo Approaches
Authors: Júnior Dario Mendes , Hausen Moema A. , Asami Jéssica , Higa Akemi M. , Leite Fabio L. , Mambrini Giovanni P. , Rossi Andre L. , Komatsu Daniel , Duek Eliana A. de Rezende
Published: June 2021

The experimental use of poly (alcohol-vinyl) (PVA) as a skin curative is increasing widely. However, the use of this hydrogel is challenging due to its favorable properties for microbiota growth. The association with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as an antimicrobial agent turns the match for PVA as a dressing, as it focuses on creating a physical barrier to avoid wound dehydration. When associated with extracellular components, such as the collagen matrix, the device obtained can create the desired biological conditions to act as a skin substitute. This study aimed to analyze the anti-microbiological activity and the in vitro and in vivo responses of a bilaminar device of PVA containing AgNPs associated with a membrane of collagen–hyaluronic acid (col-HA). Additionally, mesenchymal stem cells were cultured in the device to evaluate in vitro responses and in vivo immunomodulatory and healing behavior. The device morphology revealed a porous pattern that favored water retention and in vitro cell adhesion. Controlled wounds in the dorsal back of rat skins revealed a striking skin remodeling with new epidermis fulfilling all previously injured areas after 14 and 28 days. No infections or significant inflammations were observed, despite increased angiogenesis, and no fibrosis-markers were identified as compared to controls. Although few antibacterial activities were obtained, the addition of AgNPs prevented fungal growth. All results demonstrated that the combination of the components used here as a dermal device, chosen according to previous miscellany studies of low/mid-cost biomaterials, can promote skin protection avoiding infections and dehydration, minimize the typical wound inflammatory responses, and favor the cellular healing responses, features that give rise to further clinical trials of the device here developed
Antimicrobial Use in COVID-19 Patients in the First Phase of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: A Scoping Review
Authors: Cong Wenjuan , Poudel Ak Narayan , Alhusein Nour , Wang Hexing , Yao Guiqing , Lambert Helen
Published: June 2021

This scoping review provides new evidence on the prevalence and patterns of global antimicrobial use in the treatment of COVID-19 patients; identifies the most commonly used antibiotics and clinical scenarios associated with antibiotic prescribing in the first phase of the pandemic; and explores the impact of documented antibiotic prescribing on treatment outcomes in COVID-19 patients. The review complies with PRISMA guidelines for Scoping Reviews and the protocol is registered with the Open Science Framework. In the first six months of the pandemic, there was a similar mean antibiotic prescribing rate between patients with severe or critical illness (75.4%) and patients with mild or moderate illness (75.1%). The proportion of patients prescribed antibiotics without clinical justification was 51.5% vs. 41.9% for patients with mild or moderate illness and those with severe or critical illness. Comparison of patients who were provided antibiotics with a clinical justification with those who were given antibiotics without clinical justification showed lower mortality rates (9.5% vs. 13.1%), higher discharge rates (80.9% vs. 69.3%), and shorter length of hospital stay (9.3 days vs. 12.2 days). In the first 6 months of the pandemic, antibiotics were prescribed for COVID-19 patients regardless of severity of illness. A large proportion of antibiotic prescribing for mild and moderate COVID-19 patients did not have clinical evidence of a bacterial co-infection. Antibiotics may not be beneficial to COVID-19 patients without clinical evidence of a bacterial co-infection.
Green Tea Extract Enhances the Oxidative Stability of DHA-Rich Oil
Authors: Nain Caroline Waingeh , Berdal Gwennaëlle , Thao Phan Thi Phuong , Mignolet Eric , Buchet Marine , Page Melissa , Larondelle Yvan
Published: June 2021

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is one of the most important omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, with proven health-promoting properties. However, oils with a very high content in DHA (DHAO) are extremely susceptible to oxidation, which affects shelf stability and limits incorporation in food products. Green tea extracts (GTE) are potential candidates for the protection of these oils, but their use in such oils has not been previously reported. This study investigated the effect of GTE (160 ppm, 400 ppm, 1000 ppm) and α-tocopherol (80 ppm, 200 ppm, 500 ppm) on the oxidative stability of a DHAO over a 9-week storage at 30 °C. The oxidative status was monitored during storage by the measurement of peroxide value (PV) and p-anisidine value (p-AV). Changes in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and DHA content, as well as in catechins and tocopherol contents, were also evaluated. The addition of GTE enhanced the oxidative stability of DHAO by reducing the formation of peroxides and secondary oxidation products, whereas α-tocopherol had no significant effect on the PV of oil during storage but led to a significantly higher p-AV. The EPA and DHA content of DHAO was stable in GTE-supplemented samples whereas a decrease was observed in the control and α-tocopherol-supplemented samples. GTE also delayed the degradation of tocopherols initially present in the oil, while catechins resulting from the addition of GTE decreased progressively during the storage period.
Vitamin K2 Modulates Organelle Damage and Tauopathy Induced by Streptozotocin and Menadione in SH-SY5Y Cells
Authors: Shandilya Shruti , Kesari Kavindra Kumar , Ruokolainen Janne
Published: June 2021

Vitamin K2, known for its antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, can act as a potent neuroprotective molecule. Despite its action against mitochondrial dysfunction, the mechanism underlying the links between the protective effects of vitamin K2 and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress along with basal levels of total tau protein and amyloid-beta 42 (Aβ42) has not been elucidated yet. To understand the neuroprotective effect of vitamin K2 during metabolic complications, SH-SY5Y cells were treated with streptozotocin for 24 h and menadione for 2 h in a dose-dependent manner, followed by post-treatment of vitamin K2 for 5 h. The modulating effects of vitamin K2 on cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase release, reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential, ER stress marker (CHOP), an indicator of unfolded protein response (UPR), inositol requiring enzyme 1 (p-IRE1α), glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3α/β), total tau and Aβ42 were studied. Results showed that vitamin K2 significantly reduces neuronal cell death by inhibiting cytotoxicity and ROS levels and helps in the retainment of mitochondrial membrane potential. Moreover, vitamin K2 significantly decreased the expression of CHOP protein along with the levels and the nuclear localization of p-IRE1α, thus showing its significant role in inhibiting chronic ER stress-mediated UPR and eventually cell death. In addition, vitamin K2 significantly down-regulated the expression of GSK3α/β together with the levels of total tau protein, with a petite effect on secreted Aβ42 levels. These results suggested that vitamin K2 alleviated mitochondrial damage, ER stress and tauopathy-mediated neuronal cell death, which highlights its role as new antioxidative therapeutics targeting related cellular processes.
A New Geniposidic Acid Derivative Exerts Antiaging Effects through Antioxidative Stress and Autophagy Induction
Authors: Wang Ying , Pan Yanjun , Liu Yanan , Disasa Dejene , Akira Matsuura , Xiang Lan , Qi Jianhua
Published: June 2021

Two compounds that can prolong the replicative lifespan of yeast, geniposidic acid (Compound 1) and geniposide (Compound 2), were isolated from Gardenia jasminoides Ellis. Compared with Compound 1, Compound 2 was different at C11 and showed better bioactivity. On this basis, seven new geniposidic derivatives (3–9) were synthesized. Geniposidic 4-isoamyl ester (8, GENI), which remarkably prolonged the replicative and chronological lifespans of K6001 yeast at 1 µM, was used as the lead compound. Autophagy and antioxidative stress were examined to clarify the antiaging mechanism of GENI. GENI increased the enzymes activities and gene expression levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reduced the contents of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) to improve the survival rate of yeast under oxidative stress. In addition, GENI did not extend the replicative lifespan of ∆sod1, ∆sod2, ∆uth1, ∆skn7, ∆cat, and ∆gpx mutants with K6001 background. The free green fluorescent protein (GFP) signal from the cleavage of GFP-Atg8 was increased by GENI. The protein level of free GFP showed a considerable increase and was time-dependent. Furthermore, GENI failed to extend the replicative lifespans of ∆atg32 and ∆atg2 yeast mutants. These results indicated that antioxidative stress and autophagy induction were involved in the antiaging effect of GENI.
Glycoside Hydrolases and Non-Enzymatic Glycation Inhibitory Potential of Viburnum opulus L. Fruit—In Vitro Studies
Authors: Kajszczak Dominika , Kowalska-Baron Agnieszka , Podsędek Anna
Published: June 2021

Phytochemicals of various origins are of great interest for their antidiabetic potential. In the present study, the inhibitory effects against carbohydrate digestive enzymes and non-enzymatic glycation, antioxidant capacity, and phenolic compounds composition of Viburnum opulus L. fruits have been studied. Crude extract (CE), purified extract (PE), and ethyl acetate (PEAF) and water (PEWF) fractions of PE were used in enzymatic assays to evaluate their inhibitory potential against α-amylase with potato and rice starch as substrate, α-glucosidase using maltose and sucrose as substrate, the antioxidant capacity (ABTS, ORAC and FRAP assays), antiglycation (BSA-fructose and BSA-glucose model) properties. Among four tested samples, PEAF not only had the highest content of total phenolics, but also possessed the strongest α-glucosidase inhibition, antiglycation and antioxidant activities. UPLC analysis revealed that this fraction contained mainly chlorogenic acid, proanthocyanidin oligomers and flavalignans. Contrary, the anti-amylase activity of V. opulus fruits probably occurs due to the presence of proanthocyanidin polymers and chlorogenic acids, especially dicaffeoylquinic acids present in PEWF. All V. opulus samples have an uncompetitive and mixed type inhibition against α-amylase and α-glucosidase, respectively. Considering strong anti-glucosidase, antioxidant and antiglycation activities, V. opulus fruits may find promising applications in nutraceuticals and functional foods with antidiabetic activity.
Methodology for Designing Systems Based on Tangible User Interfaces and Gamification Techniques for Blind People
Authors: Ramos Aguiar Luis Roberto , Álvarez Rodríguez Francisco Javier
Published: June 2021

Having a disability does not mean being away from major technologies present today; even people with visual impairment or blindness use different options to access technological information. Recent studies have shown that using tangible user interfaces and gamification techniques brings considerable benefits to learning and the understanding of essential topics for these people. Therefore, METUIGA methodology has been developed to facilitate digital content creation that mixes both characteristics and seeks to take advantage of the primary means of knowledge that these people have as their sense of touch, enriched with techniques that encourage them to use applications more frequently. For this reason, novelties are shown within the requirements and the design stages to implement these techniques. This work shows prototypes that have been made following METUIGA methodology to help teach geometry and mathematical lessons for blind people. In addition, a third prototype focused on children with an autism spectrum disorder demonstrates how METUIGA methodology can be applied in a variety of subjects and for a number of disabilities. Finally, an analysis of the software methodology evaluation is presented to show the initial perceptions of software developers toward METUIGA methodology, where important results were obtained in relation to the software engineering process application.
Diversity of Essential Oils and the Respective Hydrolates Obtained from Three Pinus cembra Populations in the Austrian Alps
Authors: Chizzola Remigius , Billiani Felix , Singer Stefan , Novak Johannes
Published: June 2021

Pinus cembra, stone pine, is an Alpine coniferous tree rich in aromatic compounds. Twigs with needles are used commonly to produce essential oils for various purposes in pharmacy, food industry, and cosmetics. Hydrolates as byproducts of hydrodistillation encounter increasing interest owing to their aromatic properties. The variabilities in the compositions of essential oil and the related hydrolates are studied in samples from individual trees growing on three sites in the Austrian high mountain range. The essential oils have been obtained by steam distillation. All essential oils contained monoterpene hydrocarbons as main compounds, especially α-pinene (36–37%), β-phellandrene (27–30%), and β-pinene (7–9%). In contrast, the volatiles in the corresponding hydrolates were dominated by oxidized compounds as α-terpineol (28–34%), terpinen-4-ol (6–8%), and verbenone (6–7%). The pinene rich essential oils might be used in pharmacy as pinene containing oils from other Pinus species, while the hydrolates are of interest for cosmetics and other well-being promoting products.
Bioconservation of Historic Stone Buildings—An Updated Review
Authors: Ortega-Morales Benjamín Otto , Gaylarde Christine Claire
Published: June 2021

Cultural heritage buildings of stone construction require careful restorative actions to maintain them as close to the original condition as possible. This includes consolidation and cleaning of the structure. Traditional consolidants may have poor performance due to structural drawbacks such as low adhesion, poor penetration and flexibility. The requirement for organic consolidants to be dissolved in volatile organic compounds may pose environmental and human health risks. Traditional conservation treatments can be replaced by more environmentally acceptable, biologically-based, measures, including bioconsolidation using whole bacterial cells or cell biomolecules; the latter include plant or microbial biopolymers and bacterial cell walls. Biocleaning can employ microorganisms or their extracted enzymes to remove inorganic and organic surface deposits such as sulfate crusts, animal glues, biofilms and felt tip marker graffiti. This review seeks to provide updated information on the innovative bioconservation treatments that have been or are being developed.
Gamma Ray Shielding Properties of Yb3+-Doped Calcium Borotellurite Glasses
Authors: Almuqrin Aljawhara H. , Sayyed M. I.
Published: June 2021

This research work aims to investigate the radiation shielding ability of a Yb3+-doped calcium borotellurite glass system. The system has the basic composition of CaF2–CaO–B2O3–TeO2–Yb2O3 but is denoted as TeBYbn for simplicity. The effect of increasing the TeO2 content in the glasses from 10 to 54 mol% was investigated, with five different chosen compositions and densities. The Phy-X/PSD program was used to investigate the mass attenuation coefficient (µ/ρ) of the samples. The mass attenuation coefficients were theoretically determined by using an online software for the calculation of shielding parameters. Other parameters were then calculated and analyzed, such as the linear attenuation coefficient (µ), transmission factor (TF), radiation protection efficiency (RPE), effective atomic number (Zeff), and mean free path (MFP). TeBYb5, the glass with the greatest TeO2 content, was shown to have the greatest µ/ρ; however, at greater energies, the differences between the values are practically negligible. µ was shown to increase with density, such as from 0.386 cm−1 to 0.687 cm−1 for TeBYb1 and TeBYb5 at 0.284 MeV, respectively. The least TF was found for samples with a thickness of 1.5 cm, proving an inverse correlation between the thickness of the sample and the TF. The HVL and TVL of the glasses decreased as the density of the samples increased, which means that TeBYb1 is the least effective out of the investigated glasses. The five samples proved to have a lower MFP than some other shielding glasses, demonstrating their capabilities as radiation shields. Based on the calculated parameters, TeBYb5 indicated the greatest photon attenuation ability.
NOx Reduction Pathways during LNT Operation over Ceria Containing Catalysts: Effect of Copper Presence and Barium Content
Authors: Martínez-Munuera Juan Carlos , Giménez-Mañogil Javier A. , Matarrese Roberto , Castoldi Lidia , García-García Avelina
Published: June 2021

Ceria-based catalysts, with Cu in substitution of noble metals, were studied in a vertical microreactor system under isothermal conditions, where NOx was previously stored, followed by the reduction step conducted under H2. The possible remaining ad-NOx species after the reduction stage, were investigated by Temperature Programmed Desorption in He. In situ DRIFTS was used as a complementary technique for the analysis of the surface species formation/transformation on the catalysts’ surface. Catalysts containing both Ba and Cu were found to be selective in the NOx reduction, producing N2 and minor amounts of NH3 during the reduction step, as well as NO. The different ceria-based formulations (containing copper and/or barium) were prepared and tested at two different temperatures in the NOx reduction (NSR) processes. Their catalytic activities were analyzed in terms of their compositions and have been useful in the elucidation of the possible origin and relevant pathways for NOx reduction product formation, which seems to involve the oxygen vacancies of the ceria-based materials (whose generation seems to be promoted by copper) during the rich step. The scope of this work involves an interdisciplinary study of the impact that catalysts’ formulations (noble metal-free) have on their LNT performance under simulated conditions, thus covering aspects of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering in a highly applied context, related to the development of control strategies for hybrid powertrains and/or the reduction of the impact of cold-start emissions.
Accessibility in Native Mobile Applications for Users with Disabilities: A Scoping Review
Authors: Acosta-Vargas Patricia , Salvador-Acosta Belén , Salvador-Ullauri Luis , Villegas-Ch. William , Gonzalez Mario
Published: June 2021

The objective of this scoping review is to characterize the current scenario of mobile applications considering accessibility issues for people with cognitive, motor, and sensory disabilities. Nowadays, mobile devices have grown exponentially, giving way to new ways of relating, managing, and working. In this context, mobile devices seek to democratize access to knowledge on different topics; however, the application of accessibility guidelines is neglected. The reviewers extracted the most relevant articles published between 2000 and 2020 from the ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. In this scoping review, the PRISMA-ScR checklist was used to extract scientific articles; Cohen’s kappa coefficient = 0.4117 was applied, which implies moderate concordance of reviewers; 22 primary studies were extracted from a total of 211. The results obtained in this research suggest applying WCAG 2.1 in mobile applications to achieve an adequate level of accessibility. Future work suggests designing review tools that include machine learning based on artificial intelligence algorithms.
Semi-Supervised Training of Transformer and Causal Dilated Convolution Network with Applications to Speech Topic Classification
Authors: Zeng Jinxiang , Zhang Du , Li Zhiyi , Li Xiaolin
Published: June 2021

Aiming at the audio event recognition problem of speech recognition, a decision fusion method based on the Transformer and Causal Dilated Convolutional Network (TCDCN) framework is proposed. This method can adjust the model sound events for a long time and capture the time correlation, and can effectively deal with the sparsity of audio data. At the same time, our dataset comes from audio clips cropped by YouTube. In order to reliably and stably identify audio topics, we extract different features and different loss function calculation methods to find the best model solution. The experimental results from different test models show that the TCDCN model proposed in this paper achieves better recognition results than the classification using neural networks and other fusion methods.
Key Technologies of Photonic Artificial Intelligence Chip Structure and Algorithm
Authors: Pei Li , Xi Zeya , Bai Bing , Wang Jianshuai , Zuo Xiaoyan , Ning Tigang , Zheng Jingjing , Li Jing
Published: June 2021

Artificial intelligence chips (AICs) are the intersection of integrated circuits and artificial intelligence (AI), involving structure design, algorithm analysis, chip fabrication and application scenarios. Due to their excellent ability in data processing, AICs show a long-term industrial prospect in big data services, cloud centers, etc. However, with the conceivable exhaustion of Moore’s Law, the size of traditional electronic AICs (EAICs) is gradually approaching the limit, and an architectural update is highly required. Photonic artificial intelligence chips (PAIC) utilize light beam propagation in the silicon waveguide, contributing to a high parallelism configuration, fast calculation speed and low latency. Due to light manipulation, PAICs perform well in anti-electromagnetic interference and energy conservation. This invited paper summarized the recent research on PAICs. The characteristics of different hardware structures are discussed. The current widely used training algorithm is given and the Photonic Design Automatic (PDA) simulation platform is introduced. In addition, the authors’ related work on PAICs is presented and we believe that PAICs may play a critical role in the deployment of data processing technology.
Concerto: Dynamic Processor Scaling for Distributed Data Systems with Replication
Authors: Lee Jinsu , Lee Eunji
Published: June 2021

A surge of interest in data-intensive computing has led to a drastic increase in the demand for data centers. Given this growing popularity, data centers are becoming a primary contributor to the increased consumption of energy worldwide. To mitigate this problem, this paper revisits DVFS (Dynamic Voltage Frequency Scaling), a well-known technique to reduce the energy usage of processors, from the viewpoint of distributed systems. Distributed data systems typically adopt a replication facility to provide high availability and short latency. In this type of architecture, the replicas are maintained in an asynchronous manner, while the master synchronously operates via user requests. Based on this relaxation constraint of replica, we present a novel DVFS technique called Concerto, which intentionally scales down the frequency of processors operating for the replicas. This mechanism can achieve considerable energy savings without an increase in the user-perceived latency. We implemented Concerto on Redis 6.0.1, a commercial-level distributed key-value store, demonstrating that all associated performance issues were resolved. To prevent a delay in read queries assigned to the replicas, we offload the independent part of the read operation to the fast-running thread. We also empirically demonstrate that the decreased performance of the replica does not cause an increase of the replication lag because the inherent load unbalance between the master and replica hides the increased latency of the replica. Performance evaluations with micro and real-world benchmarks show that Redis saves 32% on average and up to 51% of energy with Concerto under various workloads, with minor performance losses in the replicas. Despite numerous studies of the energy saving in data centers, to the best of our best knowledge, Concerto is the first approach that considers clock-speed scaling at the aggregate level, exploiting heterogeneous performance constraints across data nodes.
Antimicrobial Properties, Cytotoxic Effects, and Fatty Acids Composition of Vegetable Oils from Purslane, Linseed, Luffa, and Pumpkin Seeds
Authors: Petropoulos Spyridon A. , Fernandes Ângela , Calhelha Ricardo C. , Rouphael Youssef , Petrović Jovana , Soković Marina , Ferreira Isabel C. F. R. , Barros Lillian
Published: June 2021

In the present study, the antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities, as well as the fatty acids composition in vegetable seed oils from linseed, purslane, luffa, and pumpkin were evaluated. For this purpose, two linseed oils and one luffa oil were commercially obtained, while purslane and pumpkin oils were obtained from own cultivated seeds. The results showed a variable fatty acids composition among the tested oils, with α-linolenic, linoleic, oleic, palmitic, and stearic acid being the most abundant compounds. In regards to particular oils, linseed oils were a rich source of α-linolenic acid, luffa and pumpkin oil were abundant in linoleic acid, while purslane oil presented a balanced composition with an almost similar amount of both fatty acids. Luffa oil was the most effective against two of the tested cancer cell lines, namely HeLa (cervical carcinoma) and NCI-H460 (non-small cell lung cancer), while it also showed moderate toxicity against non-tumor cells (PLP2 cell line). Regarding the antibacterial activity, linseed oil 3 and pumpkin oil showed the highest activity against most of the tested bacteria (especially against Enterobacter cloacae and Escherichia coli) with MIC and MBC values similar to the used positive controls (E211 and E224). All the tested oils showed significant antifungal activities, especially luffa and pumpkin oil, and for most of the tested fungi they were more effective than the positive controls, as for example in the case of Aspergillus versicolor, A. niger, and Penicillium verrucosum var. cyclopium. In conclusion, the results of our study showed promising antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties for the studied seed oils which could be partly attributed to their fatty acids composition, especially the long-chain ones with 12–18 carbons.