bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incidence of Characteristic Findings during Veterinary Carcass Inspections 2010–2019 in the Czech Republic and the Relation to the Level of Health and Welfare of Individual Classes of Cattle
Authors: Kaluza Michal , Vecerek Vladimir , Voslarova Eva , Semerad Zbynek , Passantino Annamaria
Published: February 2021

Pathological findings in individual classes of cattle were assessed from the viewpoint of their localization and category. The objective of the study was to evaluate whether there are differences in the range and number of findings made between the individual classes of cattle. The results of veterinary inspections on 2,514,666 head of cattle slaughtered in the Czech Republic in the period 2010–2019 were used for the assessment. In terms of localization, the most frequent findings in cows were in the liver and pancreas (46.13%), the urinary tract (40.76%) and the lungs (36.23%). These findings also predominated in heifers and bulls, though they were recorded at lower frequencies (p < 0.01) than in cows. The most frequent pathological changes in heifers and bulls were chronic findings in the lungs (16.09% and 12.27%, respectively). The range of findings in calves differed significantly from other classes of cattle, primarily as the result of respiratory and diarrheal syndrome being the most frequent diseases in calves. Calves were the class of cattle most frequently diagnosed with findings in the lungs (44.89%), as well as other unclassified changes (24.43%) and overall changes (21.55%), which point to a systemic disorder of the organism. The results of this study confirmed the differing states of health in the individual classes of cattle and the differing health issues to which treatment and the prevention of the most frequently occurring infectious and non-infectious diseases must be adapted. Cattle welfare is affected not only by the level of health but also by the herd management and economics. This is confirmed by the range of findings, and the deterioration of living conditions especially in cows, likely because of great intensity of farming, but also in calves which suffered from emaciation or stunted growth.
Effects of Sedation with Medetomidine and Dexmedetomidine on Doppler Measurements of Ovarian Artery Blood Flow in Bitches
Authors: Nicolás-Barceló Paloma , Facchin Martina , Martínez-Taboada Fernando , Barrera Rafael , Cristóbal José Ignacio , González Mario Alberto , Durán-Galea Ángela , Macías-García Beatriz , Duque Francisco Javier
Published: February 2021

The aim was to evaluate if medetomidine and dexmedetomidine affected arterial ovarian blood flow in dogs. The dogs were randomly assigned to two different groups. In Group 1, medetomidine (10 µg/kg) was administered intramuscularly and, in Group 2, dexmedetomidine (5 µg/kg) was used. After a preliminary exam, arterial blood pressure (BP) was measured and a duplex Doppler ultrasonographic examination of both ovarian arteries was performed. Twenty minutes after the administration of medetomidine or dexmedetomidine, BP and ovarian Doppler ultrasonography were repeated. High quality tracings of ovarian artery flow velocity were obtained in all dogs and Doppler parameters: Peak Systolic Velocity (PSV), End Diastolic Velocity (EDV) and Resistive Index (RI) were measured before and after drug administration in the left (LO) and right (RO) ovaries. PSV and EDV values decreased significantly after drug administration (p < 0.05) compared to the non-sedated values, but no differences were found between the LO and RO (p > 0.05). The RI was not affected by drugs administration in neither of the groups studied (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the administration of medetomidine or dexmedetomidine causes a decrease in blood flow velocity in the ovarian artery and may be a good choice to avoid excessive bleeding prior surgeries in which ovariectomy.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Antibiotic Prescribing for Common Infections in The Netherlands: A Primary Care-Based Observational Cohort Study
Authors: van de Pol Alma C. , Boeijen Josi A. , Venekamp Roderick P. , Platteel Tamara , Damoiseaux Roger A. M. J. , Kortekaas Marlous F. , van der Velden Alike W.
Published: February 2021

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought dramatic changes in the delivery of primary health care across the world, presumably changing the number of consultations for infectious diseases and antibiotic use. We aimed to assess the impact of the pandemic on infections and antibiotic prescribing in Dutch primary care. All patients included in the routine health care database of the Julius General Practitioners’ Network were followed from March through May 2019 (n = 389,708) and March through May 2020 (n = 405,688). We extracted data on consultations for respiratory/ear, urinary tract, gastrointestinal and skin infections using the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) codes. These consultations were combined in disease episodes and linked to antibiotic prescriptions. The numbers of infectious disease episodes (total and those treated with antibiotics), complications, and antibiotic prescription rates (i.e., proportion of episodes treated with antibiotics) were calculated and compared between the study periods in 2019 and 2020. Fewer episodes were observed during the pandemic months than in the same months in 2019 for both the four infectious disease entities and complications such as pneumonia, mastoiditis and pyelonephritis. The largest decline was seen for gastrointestinal infections (relative risk (RR), 0.54; confidence interval (CI), 0.51 to 0.58) and skin infections (RR, 0.71; CI, 0.67 to 0.75). The number of episodes treated with antibiotics declined as well, with the largest decrease seen for respiratory/ear infections (RR, 0.54; CI, 0.52 to 0.58). The antibiotic prescription rate for respiratory/ear infections declined from 21% to 13% (difference −8.0% (CI, −8.8 to −7.2)), yet the prescription rates for other infectious disease entities remained similar or increased slightly. The decreases in primary care infectious disease episodes and antibiotic use were most pronounced in weeks 15–19, mid-COVID-19 wave, after an initial peak in respiratory/ear infection presentation in week 11, the first week of lock-down. In conclusion, our findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic has had profound effects on the presentation of infectious disease episodes and antibiotic use in primary care in the Netherlands. Consequently, the number of infectious disease episodes treated with antibiotics decreased. We found no evidence of an increase in complications.
Development of an Epitaxial Growth Technique Using III-V on a Si Platform for Heterogeneous Integration of Membrane Photonic Devices on Si
Authors: Fujii Takuro , Hiraki Tatsurou , Aihara Takuma , Nishi Hidetaka , Takeda Koji , Sato Tomonari , Kakitsuka Takaaki , Tsuchizawa Tai , Matsuo Shinji
Published: February 2021

The rapid increase in total transmission capacity within and between data centers requires the construction of low-cost, high-capacity optical transmitters. Since a tremendous number of transmitters are required, photonic integrated circuits (PICs) using Si photonics technology enabling the integration of various functional devices on a single chip is a promising solution. A limitation of a Si-based PIC is the lack of an efficient light source due to the indirect bandgap of Si; therefore, hybrid integration technology of III-V semiconductor lasers on Si is desirable. The major challenges are that heterogeneous integration of III-V materials on Si induces the formation of dislocation at high process temperature; thus, the epitaxial regrowth process is difficult to apply. This paper reviews the evaluations conducted on our epitaxial growth technique using a directly bonded III-V membrane layer on a Si substrate. This technique enables epitaxial growth without the fundamental difficulties associated with lattice mismatch or anti-phase boundaries. In addition, crystal degradation correlating with the difference in thermal expansion is eliminated by keeping the total III-V layer thickness thinner than ~350 nm. As a result, various III-V photonic-device-fabrication technologies, such as buried regrowth, butt-joint regrowth, and selective area growth, can be applicable on the Si-photonics platform. We demonstrated the growth of indium-gallium-aluminum arsenide (InGaAlAs) multi-quantum wells (MQWs) and fabrication of lasers that exhibit >25 Gbit/s direct modulation with low energy cost. In addition, selective-area growth that enables the full O-band bandgap control of the MQW layer over the 150-nm range was demonstrated. We also fabricated indium-gallium-arsenide phosphide (InGaAsP) based phase modulators integrated with a distributed feedback laser. Therefore, the directly bonded III-V-on-Si substrate platform paves the way to manufacturing hybrid PICs for future data-center networks.
Cognitive Pervasive Service Composition Applied to Predatory Crime Deterrence
Authors: Ramos Corchado Félix Francisco , López Fraga Alan Christian , Salazar Salazar Rafael , Ramos Corchado Marco Antonio , Begovich Mendoza Ofelia
Published: February 2021

Pervasive service composition is useful in many scenarios, for instance, in urban planning or controlled harvest. Currently, there is no standard to develop solutions using pervasive service composition. However, big companies propose their frameworks to develop complex services, but their frameworks are appropriate in specific applications, such as home automation and agriculture. On the other hand, there are different very well-grounded academic proposals for pervasive service composition. However, these do not solve the problems of traditional approaches that are appropriate to specific areas of application, and adaptation is needed to deal with the dynamism of the environment. This article presents a cognitive approach for pervasive service composition where InfoCom devices and the implementation of cognitive functions interact to create pervasive composite services. Our central hypothesis is that cognitive theory can help solve actual problems requiring pervasive service composition, as it addresses the above-mentioned problems. To test our approach, in this article we present a case of urban insecurity. Specifically, in different countries, street robbery using firearms is one of the problems with a high impact because of its frequency. This article proposes to compose a pervasive service for deterring criminals from committing their crimes. The results obtained by simulating our proposal in our case study are promising. However, more research needs to be achieved before applying the proposed approach to actual problems. The research needed ought to address various problems, some of which are discussed in this article.
The Efficiency of Large Hole Boring (MSP) Method in the Reduction of Blast-Induced Vibration
Authors: Kim Min , Lee Sean
Published: February 2021

Drill and blast is the most cost-effective excavation method for underground construction, however, vibration and noise, induced by blasting, have been consistently reported as problems. Cut blasting has been widely employed to reduce the blast-induced problems during underground excavation. We propose that the large hole boring method using the state-of-the-art MSP (Multi-setting smart-investigation of the ground and pre-large hole boring) machine (“MSP method”) can efficiently improve vibration reduction. The MSP machine will be used to create 382 mm diameter empty holes at the tunnel cut area for this purpose. This study assessed the efficiency of the MSP method in reducing blast-induced vibration in five blasting patterns using a cylinder-cut, which is a traditional cut blasting method. The controlled blasting patterns using the MSP method demonstrated up to 72% reduction in blast-induced vibration, compared to the base case, Pattern B, where only cylinder-cut and smooth blasting method were applied. Therefore, the MSP method proves to be a promising alternative for blasting in sensitive urban areas where non-vibration excavation techniques were initially considered. Geological characteristics of 50 m beyond the excavation face can be acquired through the proposed real-time boring data monitoring system together with a borehole alignment tracking and ground exploration system. The obtained geological information will be a great help in preparing alternative designs, and scheduling of construction equipment and labour during the tunnel construction.
UFMC-Based Underwater Voice Transmission Scheme with LDPC Codes
Authors: Lin Chin-Feng
Published: February 2021

An underwater universal filtered multicarrier (UFMC)-based voice transmission scheme is proposed using a 512-point inverse discrete Fourier transform, utilizing 10 sub-bands, and that each had 20 subcarriers. In this proposed UFMC method, the adaptive modulation technologies with 4 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), 16-QAM, and low-density parity-check (LDPC) channel coding were integrated. Additionally, the bit error rate (BER), transmission power weighting, the ratios of power-saving, and underwater voice transmission performance with perfect channel estimation (PCE), and 5% and 10% channel estimation errors (CEEs) were investigated. The underwater voice transmission had a BER quality of service 10−3. Simulation results showed that the PCE outperformed 5% and 10% CEEs, under 4-QAM, with gains of 0.5 and 0.9 dB, respectively, and a BER of 4×10−4. The PCE outperformed 5% and 10% CEEs, under 16-QAM, with gains of 0.5 and 2.4 dB, respectively, and a BER of 8.5×10−4. The proposed UFMC scheme can be applied to underwater voice transmission with a BER below 10−3 The proposed system showed a superior capability to contend with additive white Gaussian noise, underwater multipath channel fading, and CEEs.
Experimental Study on Improving the Mechanical Properties of Material Extrusion Rapid Prototyping Polylactic Acid Parts by Applied Vibration
Authors: Jiang Shijie , Dong Tiankuo , Zhan Yang , Dai Weibing , Zhan Ming
Published: February 2021

Due to the stratified nature of the manufacturing process, material extrusion (ME) parts have lower mechanical properties than those fabricated by traditional technology. This is one of the most significant defects hindering the development and application of this rapid prototyping technique. In this paper, vibration was applied to the ME process by using piezoelectric ceramics for the first time to improve the mechanical properties of the built parts. The vibrating ME equipment was established, and the specimens processed in different build directions were individually fabricated without applied vibration and with different applied vibrations. To quantify the effect of applied vibration on their mechanical properties and to summarize the influencing rule, a series of experimental tests were then performed on these specimens. A comparison between the testing results shows that the tensile strength and plasticity of the specimens, especially those processed in the Z direction, can be obviously improved by applied vibration. The orthogonal anisotropy is decreased obviously. The improvement becomes greater with increasing vibration frequency or amplitude. From the microscopic point of view, it can be seen that applied vibration can reduce the part’s defects of porosity and inclusion as well as separation between layers and, thereby, improve the bonding strength.
Physical Computing Strategy to Support Students’ Coding Literacy: An Educational Experiment with Arduino Boards
Authors: Chung Chih-Chao , Lou Shi-Jer
Published: February 2021

The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of introduction of the physical computing strategy of Arduino Boards in a program design course on coding literacy and the effectiveness of the application in technical high school students. This study selected two classes of twelfth-grade students enrolled in a program design course at a technical high school in Southern Taiwan as the samples. One class was the control group (43 students), and the other was the experimental group (42 students). During the 18-week course, the control group carried out a DBL (design-based learning) programming project, and the experimental group carried out the DBL programming project using the physical computing strategy of Arduino boards. Pre- and posttests and a questionnaire survey were carried out, while ANCOVA (analysis of covariance) was used for evaluation purposes. In the course, students in the experimental group were randomly selected for semi-structured interviews to understand their learning status and to perform qualitative analysis and summarization. This study proposed the physical computing strategy of Arduino boards, featuring staged teaching content, practical teaching activities, and real themes and problem-solving tasks. The results show that the coding literacy of students in the different teaching strategy groups was significantly improved. However, in the Arduino course on DBL programming, the students in the experimental group had a significantly higher learning efficiency in coding literacy than those in the control group. Moreover, according to the qualitative analysis using student interviews, Arduino boards were found to improve students’ motivation to learn coding and to aid in systematically guiding students toward improving their coding literacy by combining their learning with DBL theory. Thus, Arduino technology can be effectively used to improve students’ programming abilities and their operational thinking in practically applying programming theories.
Model-Free High Order Sliding Mode Control with Finite-Time Tracking for Unmanned Underwater Vehicles
Authors: González-García Josué , Narcizo-Nuci Néstor Alejandro , García-Valdovinos Luis Govinda , Salgado-Jiménez Tomás , Gómez-Espinosa Alfonso , Cuan-Urquizo Enrique , Cabello Jesús Arturo Escobedo
Published: February 2021

Several strategies to deal with the trajectory tracking problem of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles are encountered, from traditional controllers such as Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) or Lyapunov-based, to backstepping, sliding mode, and neural network approaches. However, most of them are model-based controllers where it is imperative to have an accurate knowledge of the vehicle hydrodynamic parameters. Despite some sliding mode and neural network-based controllers are reported as model-free, just a few of them consider a solution with finite-time convergence, which brings strong robustness and fast convergence compared with asymptotic or exponential solutions and it can also help to reduce the power consumption of the vehicle thrusters. This work aims to implement a model-free high-order sliding-mode controller and synthesize it with a time-base generator to achieve finite-time convergence. The time-base was included by parametrizing the control gain at the sliding surface. Numerical simulations validated the finite-time convergence of the controller for different time-bases even in the presence of high ocean currents. The performance of the obtained solution was also evaluated by the Root Mean Square (RMS) value of the control coefficients computed for the thrusters, as a parameter to measure the power consumption of the vehicle when following a trajectory. Computational results showed a reduction of up to 50% in the power consumption from the thrusters when compared with other solutions.
Environmental Partitioning, Spatial Distribution, and Transport of Atmospheric Mercury (Hg) Originating from a Site of Former Chlor-Alkali Plant
Authors: Guney Mert , Kumisbek Aiganym , Akimzhanova Zhanel , Kismelyeva Symbat , Beisova Kamila , Zhakiyenova Almagul , Inglezakis Vassilis , Karaca Ferhat
Published: February 2021

Mercury (Hg) is one of the trace toxic and bioaccumulative global pollutants, and due to its long atmospheric lifetime, it presents a significant global challenge. The present study (1) utilizes total gaseous mercury (TGM) measurements made around a former Hg-cell chlor-alkali plant (CAP) located in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan, and predicts the spatial distribution of Hg over its premises and the nearby city. It then (2) estimates the environmental repartition of Hg deposited by the CAP using three fugacity models of varying complexity: Level I, QWASI, and HERMES. Finally, it (3) predicts long-range Hg transport via forward trajectory-based cluster analysis. The atmospheric Hg levels measured in Pavlodar and around Lake Balkyldak were elevated: in the range of 1–37 ng/m3 with an urban background level at 4.9 ng/m3. Specifically, concentrations up to 37 ng/m3 close to Lake Balkyldak and up to 22 ng/m3 nearby the city’s industrial zone (where the CAP was located) had been observed. Interpolation maps created using kriging also suggest these locations as the primary sources of atmospheric Hg in the city. The Level I fugacity model indicated that almost all of Hg is expected to end up in the atmosphere. The modeling results obtained using more complex QWASI and HERMES models showed that some significant quantity of Hg would still be associated with the sediments of Lake Balkyldak (a large wastewater discharge pond nearby the CAP). The forward trajectory-based cluster analysis method revealed the long-range atmospheric transportation routes and local, regional, and global impact zones. Furthermore, a source-receptor relationship using air transportation pathways to identify “areas of impact” was addressed. During both heating and non-heating seasons, the frequency-based analysis identified the distribution of Hg reaching the territories of Mongolia, northwest China, southwest Kazakhstan. The Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT-4) model forward trajectory analysis has confirmed similar patterns during heating and non-heating seasons, except with shorter impact distances during the non-heating period. Even though the CAP was closed more than 30 years ago and those past remediation efforts cleaned up the site, the residual Hg pollution seems significant and should be further investigated in different environmental media.
PM10 Chemical Profile during North African Dust Episodes over French West Indies
Authors: Quénel Philippe , Vadel Jade , Garbin Céline , Durand Séverine , Favez Olivier , Albinet Alexandre , Raghoumandan Christina , Guyomard Stéphanie , Alleman Laurent Yves , Mercier Fabien
Published: February 2021

The French West Indies are periodically affected by North African dust episodes (NADE) resulting in PM10 concentrations exceeding air quality standards. The aim of the present study was to decipher the PM10 chemical profile during NADE over Guadeloupe. PM10 samples were collected daily at a rural site and an urban site during five episodes between April and October in 2017. During these events, the median PM10 mass concentrations were, on average, 2 to 5 times higher than in the post-episode baseline period. Sampled filters were analyzed for their quantification of chemical constituents including carbonaceous fractions (elemental and organic carbon, EC/OC), anions/cations and levoglucosan, 51 elements, and 57 selected organic species. An orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) was conducted to identify the specific chemical profile of PM10 during NADE: 16 elements were identified as the most discriminant between the NADE and the control samples with mass concentration levels twice as high during a NADE. Among them, only two (Mn and V) are classified as emerging pollutant while no limit values exist for the other ones. The extensive characterization of the NADE PM10 chemical profile we performed is a key step to assess the chemical exposure of French West Indies populations during such events.
A Stress Syndrome Prototype Reflects Type 3 Diabetes and Ischemic Stroke Risk: The SABPA Study
Authors: Malan Leoné , Hamer Mark , von Känel Roland , van Wyk Roelof D. , Sumner Anne E. , Nilsson Peter M. , Lambert Gavin W. , Steyn Hendrik S. , Badenhorst Casper J. , Malan Nico T.
Published: February 2021

Type 3 diabetes (T3D) accurately reflects that dementia, e.g., Alzheimer’s disease, represents insulin resistance and neurodegeneration in the brain. Similar retinal microvascular changes were observed in Alzheimer’s and chronic stressed individuals. Hence, we aimed to show that chronic stress relates to T3D dementia signs and retinopathy, ultimately comprising a Stress syndrome prototype reflecting risk for T3D and stroke. A chronic stress and stroke risk phenotype (Stressed) score, independent of age, race or gender, was applied to stratify participants (N = 264; aged 44 ± 9 years) into high stress risk (Stressed, N = 159) and low stress risk (non-Stressed, N = 105) groups. We determined insulin resistance using the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR), which is interchangeable with T3D, and dementia risk markers (cognitive executive functioning (cognitiveexe-func); telomere length; waist circumference (WC), neuronal glia injury; neuron-specific enolase/NSE, S100B). Retinopathy was determined in the mydriatic eye. The Stressed group had greater incidence of HOMA-IR in the upper quartile (≥5), larger WC, poorer cognitiveexe-func control, shorter telomeres, consistently raised neuronal glia injury, fewer retinal arteries, narrower arteries, wider veins and a larger optic cup/disc ratio (C/D) compared to the non-Stressed group. Furthermore, of the stroke risk markers, arterial narrowing was related to glaucoma risk with a greater C/D, whilst retinal vein widening was related to HOMA-IR, poor cognitiveexe-func control and neuronal glia injury (Adjusted R2 0.30; p ≤ 0.05). These associations were not evident in the non-Stressed group. Logistic regression associations between the Stressed phenotype and four dementia risk markers (cognitiveexe-func, telomere length, NSE and WC) comprised a Stress syndrome prototype (area under the curve 0.80; sensitivity/specificity 85%/58%; p ≤ 0.001). The Stress syndrome prototype reflected risk for HOMA-IR (odds ratio (OR) 7.72) and retinal glia ischemia (OR 1.27) and vein widening (OR 1.03). The Stressed phenotype was associated with neuronal glia injury and retinal ischemia, potentiating glaucoma risk. The detrimental effect of chronic stress exemplified a Stress syndrome prototype reflecting risk for type 3 diabetes, neurodegeneration and ischemic stroke.
Small in Size, but Large in Action: microRNAs as Potential Modulators of PTEN in Breast and Lung Cancers
Authors: Abadi Asal Jalal , Zarrabi Ali , Gholami Mohammad Hossein , Mirzaei Sepideh , Hashemi Farid , Zabolian Amirhossein , Entezari Maliheh , Hushmandi Kiavash , Ashrafizadeh Milad , Khan Haroon , Kumar Alan Prem
Published: February 2021

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are well-known regulators of biological mechanisms with a small size of 19–24 nucleotides and a single-stranded structure. miRNA dysregulation occurs in cancer progression. miRNAs can function as tumor-suppressing or tumor-promoting factors in cancer via regulating molecular pathways. Breast and lung cancers are two malignant thoracic tumors in which the abnormal expression of miRNAs plays a significant role in their development. Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) is a tumor-suppressor factor that is capable of suppressing the growth, viability, and metastasis of cancer cells via downregulating phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling. PTEN downregulation occurs in lung and breast cancers to promote PI3K/Akt expression, leading to uncontrolled proliferation, metastasis, and their resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. miRNAs as upstream mediators of PTEN can dually induce/inhibit PTEN signaling in affecting the malignant behavior of lung and breast cancer cells. Furthermore, long non-coding RNAs and circular RNAs can regulate the miRNA/PTEN axis in lung and breast cancer cells. It seems that anti-tumor compounds such as baicalein, propofol, and curcumin can induce PTEN upregulation by affecting miRNAs in suppressing breast and lung cancer progression. These topics are discussed in the current review with a focus on molecular pathways.
Nitric Oxide Enhances Photosynthetic Nitrogen and Sulfur-Use Efficiency and Activity of Ascorbate-Glutathione Cycle to Reduce High Temperature Stress-Induced Oxidative Stress in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Plants
Authors: Gautam Harsha , Sehar Zebus , Rehman Md Tabish , Hussain Afzal , AlAjmi Mohamed F. , Khan Nafees A.
Published: February 2021

The effects of nitric oxide (NO) as 100 µM sodium nitroprusside (SNP, NO donor) on photosynthetic-nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), photosynthetic-sulfur use efficiency (SUE), photosynthesis, growth and agronomic traits of rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars, Taipie-309 (high photosynthetic-N and SUE) and Rasi (low photosynthetic-N and SUE) were investigated under high temperature stress (40 °C for 6 h). Plants exposed to high temperature stress caused significant reduction in photosynthetic activity, use efficiency of N and S, and increment in H2O2 and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) content. The drastic effects of high temperature stress were more pronounced in cultivar Rasi than Taipie-309. However, foliar spray of SNP decreased the high temperature induced H2O2 and TBARS content and increased accumulation of proline and activity of ascorbate–glutathione cycle that collectively improved tolerance to high temperature stress more effectively in Taipie-309. Exogenously applied SNP alleviated the high temperature induced decrease in photosynthesis through maintaining higher photosynthetic-NUE and photosynthetic-SUE, activity of ribulose 1,5 bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), and synthesis of reduced glutathione (GSH). The use of 2-4-carboxyphenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxy-3-oxide (cPTIO, NO scavenger) substantiated the study that in the absence of NO oxidative stress increased, while NO increased photosynthetic-NUE and photosynthetic-SUE, net photosynthesis and plant dry mass. Taken together, the present investigation reveals that NO increased heat stress tolerance and minimized high temperature stress adversaries more effectively in cultivar Taipie-309 than Rasi by enhancing photosynthetic-NUE and SUE and strengthening the antioxidant defense system.
Imaging-Based Staging of Hepatic Fibrosis in Patients with Hepatitis B: A Dynamic Radiomics Model Based on Gd-EOB-DTPA-Enhanced MRI
Authors: Zheng Rencheng , Shi Chunzi , Wang Chengyan , Shi Nannan , Qiu Tian , Chen Weibo , Shi Yuxin , Wang He
Published: February 2021

Accurate grading of liver fibrosis can effectively assess the severity of liver disease and help doctors make an appropriate diagnosis. This study aimed to perform the automatic staging of hepatic fibrosis on patients with hepatitis B, who underwent gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging with dynamic radiomics analysis. The proposed dynamic radiomics model combined imaging features from multi-phase dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) images and time-domain information. Imaging features were extracted from the deep learning-based segmented liver volume, and time-domain features were further explored to analyze the variation in features during contrast enhancement. Model construction and evaluation were based on a 132-case data set. The proposed model achieved remarkable performance in significant fibrosis (fibrosis stage S1 vs. S2–S4; accuracy (ACC) = 0.875, area under the curve (AUC) = 0.867), advanced fibrosis (S1–S2 vs. S3–S4; ACC = 0.825, AUC = 0.874), and cirrhosis (S1–S3 vs. S4; ACC = 0.850, AUC = 0.900) classifications in the test set. It was more dominant compared with the conventional single-phase or multi-phase DCE-based radiomics models, normalized liver enhancement, and some serological indicators. Time-domain features were found to play an important role in the classification models. The dynamic radiomics model can be applied for highly accurate automatic hepatic fibrosis staging.
Enzymatic Synthesis of Lipophilic Esters of Phenolic Compounds, Evaluation of Their Antioxidant Activity and Effect on the Oxidative Stability of Selected Oils
Authors: Zieniuk Bartłomiej , Groborz Katarzyna , Wołoszynowska Małgorzata , Ratusz Katarzyna , Białecka-Florjańczyk Ewa , Fabiszewska Agata
Published: February 2021

The aim of the study was to compare the effect of the substituent and its position in the aromatic ring on the antioxidant activity of hexanoic acid esters obtained in reactions catalyzed by immobilized lipase B from Candida antarctica. 4-Hydroxybenzyl hexanoate, 2-hydroxybenzyl hexanoate, 4-methoxybenzyl hexanoate, and vanillyl hexanoate were obtained with conversion yields of 50 to 80%. The antioxidant activity of synthesized esters, their alcohol precursors and BHT (Butylated HydroxyToluene) was compared with DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), CUPRAC (cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity), and CBA (crocin bleaching assay) methods. Furthermore, it was investigated whether the presence of vanillyl hexanoate in a concentration of 0.01 and 0.1% affected the oxidative stability of sunflower and rapeseed oils in the Rancimat test. It was observed that the antioxidant activity of hexanoic acid esters depends on the presence and position of the hydroxyl group in the aromatic ring. The highest activities were found for vanillyl alcohol, vanillyl hexanoate, and BHT. The addition of the ester and BHT significantly extended the induction times of the tested oils, and these compounds exhibited similar activity. Vanillyl hexanoate increased the induction time from 4.49 to 5.28 h and from 2.73 to 3.12 h in the case of rapeseed and sunflower oils, respectively.
Skeletal Muscle Transcriptome Analysis of Hanzhong Ma Duck at Different Growth Stages Using RNA-Seq
Authors: Hu Zhigang , Cao Junting , Zhang Jianqin , Ge Liyan , Zhang Huilin , Liu Xiaolin
Published: February 2021

As one of the most important poultry worldwide, ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) are raised mainly for meat and egg products, and muscle development in ducks is important for meat production. Therefore, an investigation of gene expression in duck skeletal muscle would significantly contribute to our understanding of muscle development. In this study, twenty-four cDNA libraries were constructed from breast and leg muscles of Hanzhong Ma ducks at day 17, 21, 27 of the embryo and postnatal at 6-month-old. High-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics were used to determine the abundances and characteristics of transcripts. A total of 632,172,628 (average 52,681,052) and 637,213,938 (average 53,101,162) reads were obtained from the sequencing data of breast and leg muscles, respectively. Over 71.63% and 77.36% of the reads could be mapped to the Anas platyrhynchos genome. In the skeletal muscle of Hanzhong duck, intron variant (INTRON), synonymous variant (SYNONYMOUS_CODING), and prime 3′ UTR variant (UTR_3_PRIME) were the main single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) annotation information, and “INTRON”, “UTR_3_PRIME”, and downstream-gene variant (DOWNSTREAM) were the main insertion-deletion (InDel) annotation information. The predicted number of alternative splicing (AS) in all samples were mainly alternative 5′ first exon (transcription start site)-the first exon splicing (TSS) and alternative 3′ last exon (transcription terminal site)-the last exon splicing (TTS). Besides, there were 292 to 2801 annotated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in breast muscle and 304 to 1950 annotated DEGs in leg muscle from different databases. It is worth noting that 75 DEGs in breast muscle and 49 DEGs in leg muscle were co-expressed at all developmental points of comparison, respectively. The RNA-Seq data were confirmed to be reliable by qPCR. The identified DEGs, such as CREBL2, RHEB, GDF6, SHISA2, MYLK2, ACTN3, RYR3, and STMN1, were specially highlighted, indicating their strong associations with muscle development in the Hanzhong Ma duck. KEGG pathway analysis suggested that regulation of actin cytoskeleton, oxidative phosphorylation, and focal adhesion were involved in the development of skeletal muscle. The findings from this study can contribute to future investigations of the growth and development mechanism in duck skeletal muscle.
Silver Nanoparticles Induce Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Via Activation of PAD and Neutrophil Elastase
Authors: Kang HanGoo , Seo Jinwon , Yang Eun-Jeong , Choi In-Hong
Published: February 2021

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used in various fields because of their antimicrobial properties. However, many studies have reported that AgNPs can be harmful to both microorganisms and humans. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are a key factor of cytotoxicity of AgNPs in mammalian cells and an important factor in the immune reaction of neutrophils. The immune reactions of neutrophils include the expulsion of webs of DNA surrounded by histones and granular proteins. These webs of DNA are termed neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). NETs allow neutrophils to catch and destroy pathogens in extracellular spaces. In this study, we investigated how AgNPs stimulate neutrophils, specifically focusing on NETs. Freshly isolated human neutrophils were treated with 5 or 100 nm AgNPs. The 5 nm AgNPs induced NET formation, but the 100 nm AgNPs did not. Subsequently, we investigated the mechanism of AgNP-induced NETs using known inhibitors related to NET formation. AgNP-induced NETs were dependent on ROS, peptidyl arginine deiminase, and neutrophil elastase. The result in this study indicates that treatment of 5 nm AgNPs induce NET formation through histone citrullination by peptidyl arginine deiminase and histone cleavage by neutrophil elastase.
A Portable, Label-Free, Reproducible Quartz Crystal Microbalance Immunochip for the Detection of Zearalenone in Food Samples
Authors: Liu Shengmiao , Liu Xinyu , Pan Qianwen , Dai Zhihan , Pan Mingfei , Wang Shuo
Published: February 2021

This research reports a portable immunochip, based on quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) for label-free, low-cost qualitative detection of zearalenone (ZEN) in food samples. The experimental parameters in the functionalization and working process were evaluated in detail, in order to achieve a high accuracy and sensitivity. Under optimal conditions, the ZEN concentration at an inhibition ratio of 50% and 15% of the proposed QCM immunochip achieved 3.41 µg L−1 and 0.37 µg L−1, respectively. This portable QCM immunochip also exhibited high specificity, no obvious cross-reaction to five structural analogs of ZEN, and showed other mycotoxins. It could finish the whole qualitative measurement within 30 min, showed good stability during the processes of preparation (SD < 5%, n = 9), storage (frequency response >90%, in PBS at 4 °C for 15 days), and application (frequency response >90% after being reused 6 times). The developed QCM immunochip obtained accurate and repeatable recovery results in ZEN analysis in the chosen food samples (corn, wheat flour, soy sauce, and milk), which had a high correlation (R2 = 0.9844) with that achieved by the HPLC–MS/MS method. In short, this work developed a portable, stable, and reproducible QCM immunochip that could be used for rapid, low-cost, and sensitively measurement of ZEN content in real food samples.
Specific Behavioral Responses Rather Than Autonomic Responses Can Indicate and Quantify Acute Pain among Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Authors: Defrin Ruth , Benromano Tali , Pick Chaim G.
Published: February 2021

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are at a high risk of experiencing pain. Pain management requires assessment, a challenging mission considering the impaired communication skills in IDD. We analyzed subjective and objective responses following calibrated experimental stimuli to determine whether they can differentiate between painful and non-painful states, and adequately quantify pain among individuals with IDD. Eighteen adults with IDD and 21 healthy controls (HC) received experimental pressure stimuli (innocuous, mildly noxious, and moderately noxious). Facial expressions (analyzed with the Facial Action Coding System (FACS)) and autonomic function (heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), pulse, and galvanic skin response (GSR)) were continuously monitored, and self-reports using a pyramid and a numeric scale were obtained. Significant stimulus-response relationships were observed for the FACS and pyramid scores (but not for the numeric scores), and specific action units could differentiate between the noxious levels among the IDD group. FACS scores of the IDD group were higher and steeper than those of HC. HRV was overall lower among the IDD group, and GSR increased during noxious stimulation in both groups. In conclusion, the facial expressions and self-reports seem to reliably detect and quantify pain among individuals with mild-moderate IDD; their enhanced responses may indicate increased pain sensitivity that requires careful clinical consideration.
A Top-Down Digital Mapping of Spatial-Temporal Energy Use for Municipality-Owned Buildings: A Case Study in Borlänge, Sweden
Authors: Quintana Samer , Huang Pei , Han Mengjie , Zhang Xingxing
Published: February 2021

Urban energy mapping plays a crucial role in benchmarking the energy performance of buildings for many stakeholders. This study examined a set of buildings in the city of Borlänge, Sweden, owned by the municipality. The aim was to present a digital spatial map of both electricity use and district heating demand in the spatial–temporal dimension. A toolkit for top-down data processing and analysis was considered based on the energy performance database of municipality-owned buildings. The data were initially cleaned, transformed and geocoded using custom scripts and an application program interface (API) for OpenStreetMap and Google Maps. The dataset consisted of 228 and 105 geocoded addresses for, respectively, electricity and district heating monthly consumption for the year 2018. A number of extra parameters were manually incorporated to this data, i.e., the total floor area, the building year of construction and occupancy ratio. The electricity use and heating demand in the building samples were about 24.47 kWh/m2 and 268.78 kWh/m2, respectively, for which great potential for saving heating energy was observed. Compared to the electricity use, the district heating showed a more homogenous pattern following the changes of the seasons. The digital mapping revealed a spatial representation of identifiable hotspots for electricity uses in high-occupancy/density areas and for district heating needs in districts with buildings mostly constructed before 1980. These results provide a comprehensive means of understanding the existing energy distributions for stakeholders and energy advisors. They also facilitate strategy geared towards future energy planning in the city, such as energy benchmarking policies.
Synergistic Effects of Lenvatinib (E7080) and MEK Inhibitors against Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer in Preclinical Models
Authors: Enomoto Keisuke , Hirayama Shun , Kumashiro Naoko , Jing Xuefeng , Kimura Takahito , Tamagawa Shunji , Matsuzaki Ibu , Murata Shin-Ichi , Hotomi Muneki
Published: February 2021

E7080, known as lenvatinib, is an oral multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor that has been shown to improve the survival rate of patients with radioiodine-refractory thyroid cancer. However, a majority of patients do not continue lenvatinib intake due to disease progression or significant toxicity. To improve treatment success rates, we propose the combination of lenvatinib with mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK) inhibitors. To test this hypothesis, we tested the effects of lenvatinib with the MEK inhibitor U0126 in vitro using two human anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) cell lines, 8505C and TCO1, and with another MEK inhibitor, selumetinib (AZD6244), in an ATC mouse model. We found that the combination of lenvatinib with MEK inhibitors enhanced the antitumor effects of monotherapy with either agent in vitro and in vivo, and these effects may be through the AKT (Protein Kinase B) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathways. Furthermore, the combination does not have significant adverse effects in the ATC mouse models in terms of body weight, blood biochemical parameters, and histopathology. In conclusion, the combination of lenvatinib with an MEK inhibitor is a potentially viable therapeutic approach for ATC treatment.
Role of Stem Cell Transplantation in Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Devarakonda Srinivas , Efebera Yvonne , Sharma Nidhi
Published: February 2021

Autologous stem cell transplantation (auto-SCT) has been the standard of care in eligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Outcomes of patients with MM have improved significantly due to the advent of several novel drugs. Upfront use of these drugs in induction therapy has significantly increased the rate and depth of responses that have translated into longer remission and survival. This has now raised a debate regarding the role and relevance of auto-SCT in the management of myeloma. However, clinical trials have confirmed the utility of auto-SCT even in the era of novel drugs. Tandem auto-SCT followed by maintenance has shown a progression-free survival (PFS) benefit in high-risk MM, and hence can be considered in young and fit patients with high-risk disease. Auto-SCT has the advantages of resetting the bone marrow microenvironment, short-lived toxicity compared to the long-term physical and financial toxicities of continued chemotherapy in the absence of SCT, very low transplant-related mortality (TRM) in high volume centers, and providing longer disease-free survival when followed by maintenance therapy. Allogeneic SCT is one potentially curative option for MM, albeit with an increased risk of death due to high TRM. Strategies to modulate the graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) while maintaining or improving the graft-versus-myeloma (GVM) effect could place allogeneic SCT back in the treatment armamentarium of MM.
Partial and Total Flap Failure after Fibula Free Flap in Head and Neck Reconstructive Surgery: Retrospective Analysis of 180 Flaps over 19 Years
Authors: Knitschke Michael , Sonnabend Sophia , Bäcker Christina , Schmermund Daniel , Böttger Sebastian , Howaldt Hans-Peter , Attia Sameh
Published: February 2021

Fibula free flap (FFF) is widely used in head and neck reconstructive surgery and is considered as a standard and therapy of choice after ablative cancer surgery. The aim of this retrospective monocenter study was to determine the success rates of fibula free flaps for jaw reconstruction after ablative tumor surgery. The disease course of patients who underwent jaw reconstructive surgery with FFF from January 2002 to June 2020 was evaluated regarding the flap success rate. Flap failure was analyzed in detail and categorized into two groups: partial flap failure (PFF) and total flap failure (TFF). A total of 180 free fibular flaps were performed over the last 19 years and a total of 36 flap failures were recorded. TFF occurred in n = 20 (56.6%) and PFF in n = 16 cases (44.4%) cases. No statistically significant differences were found concerning patients’ age at flap transfer, sex, BMI, ASA-Score, preoperative non-virtual or virtual surgical planning (non-VSP vs. VSP), and time of reconstruction (immediately vs. delayed). Duration of hospitalization shows statistically significant differences between both groups (p = 0.038), but no differences concerning operating time and duration on Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Partial flap failure appears to be underreported in literature. Sub- and complete failure of the skin paddle leads to clinical complaints like uncovered bone segments and plate exposure. Partial or complete FFF failure lead to infections on the recipient site and prolonged wound healing and therefore may cause a delay of the beginning of adjuvant radiation therapy (RT). PFF of hard tissue can be induced by RT.