bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Carrots (Daucus carota L.) Biofortified with Iodine and Selenium as a Raw Material for the Production of Juice with Additional Nutritional Functions
Authors: Skoczylas Łukasz , Tabaszewska Małgorzata , Smoleń Sylwester , Słupski Jacek , Liszka-Skoczylas Marta , Barański Rafał
Published: September 2020

Many people around the world struggle with the problem of an insufficient supply of iodine (I) and selenium (SE) in their diet. Food enriched with these elements is a good source of iodine and selenium. Juices made from four carrot (CJ) cultivars and biofortified with iodine and selenium (BCJs) were investigated to determine their I and Se contents, their impact on the supply of these elements to the diet, and losses in the production process. Other juice parameters important for consumers health were also determined. A significant increase in I and Se content relative to CJ was observed for each BCJ. The losses of I and Se (relative to raw material) during juice preparation were depended based on variety and added elements. Carrot biofertilization with iodine and selenium contributed to decreased contents of dry matter, total soluble solids, protein, sugars, and β-carotene in the juices and lower antioxidative activity as compared with CJ. Biofortification had little effect on the color and pH of juices. Finally, six polyphenolic compounds were identified and determined. Despite the reduction in the content of some ingredients in BCJ, they still remain their valuable source. Their added value is the increased content of iodine and selenium, which largely cover the daily demand for these elementals.
First Report on Assessing the Severity of Herbicide Resistance to ACCase Inhibitors Pinoxaden, Propaquizafop and Cycloxydim in Six Avena fatua Populations in Ireland
Authors: Alwarnaidu Vijayarajan Vijaya Bhaskar , D. Forristal Patrick , K. Cook Sarah , Staples Jimmy , Schilder David , Hennessy Michael , Barth Susanne
Published: September 2020

In response to growers reports of poor weed control, resistance to ACCase inhibitors pinoxaden, propaquizafop and cycloxydim was investigated in populations of six wild oats, Avena fatua, collected from cereal-dominated crop rotations in Ireland. Glasshouse assays confirmed reduced sensitivity to all three ACCase inhibitors in four of the six populations, R2 to R5. R1 was cross-resistant to pinoxaden and propaquizafop and R6 was resistant to propaquizafop only. Dose-response studies confirmed significant differences in the severity of resistance amongst these populations (p < 0.05). For pinoxaden, the ED50 or GR50 resistance factor (RF) of R1, R3 and R5 were between 11.6 and 13.1 times or 25.1 and 30.2 times more resistant, respectively, compared with the susceptible populations. For propaquizafop, the ED50 and GR50 RF of R1, R2, R3, R5 and R6 were between >7.8 and >32 or 16.6 and 59 times more resistant, respectively. For cycloxydim, only R5 had both high ED50 and GR50 RF values of >43.2 and 98.4 respectively. In R2, although the ED50 values to both pinoxaden and cycloxydim and additionally, R3 to cycloxydim, were above recommended field rates, their GR50 values remained below, suggesting a shift towards cross-resistance. While R4 was the only population, where both ED50 and GR50 for all ACCase inhibitors remained below recommended field rates, they would not give effective control at these rates, strongly indicating evolving resistance. This is the first study reporting variable cross-resistance types and levels to ACCase inhibitors in A. fatua from Ireland.
Mature Twin Neonates Exhibit Oxidative Stress via Nitric Oxide Synthase Dysfunctionality: A Prognostic Stress Marker in the Red Blood Cells and Umbilical Cord Vessels
Authors: Chakraborty Payal , Dugmonits Krisztina N. , Orvos Hajnalka , Hermesz Edit
Published: September 2020

Intrauterine hypoxic condition increases the generation of reactive oxygen species and fetal oxidative stress. Multiple pregnancy always bears an additional oxidative stress condition with severe complications, such as prematurity, structural abnormalities, delayed development and low birthweight. The umbilical cord (UC) vessels, along with circulating fetal red blood cells (RBCs), highly determine the oxygenation status of fetus and regulate the feto-placental circulation. As UC lacks innervation, the activation of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) is fundamental for proper NO production. Therefore, we aimed to study the NOS3 activation pathways along with damages to macromolecules in the endothelium of UC vessels and RBCs of mature non-discordant twins, in connection to major differences in their birth weight. We provide evidence that, under severe hypoxic conditions such as twin pregnancy, the NOS3-related NO production pathways are altered both in UC vessels and RBCs; moreover, the extent of changes is highly birthweight-specific. Furthermore, macromolecular damages are prominent in the RBCs and arteries compared to the vein, with a similar increase in the Arginase1 level, which is believed to play a role in NOS3 functionality, resulting in endothelial dysfunctionality, which might have relevance to the major etiologies of cardiovascular diseases in later life.
Stability of Extended Earth Berm for High Landfill
Authors: Jiang Haoran , Zhou Xiaowen , Xiao Ziwei
Published: September 2020

This study presents a stability analysis of an extended berm reinforced by geotextiles, with a steep slope of 1V:1.1H (vertical: horizontal). Finite element (FE) analyses were carried out to explore the failure mechanism and factor of safety (FOS) of the berm, on which the effect of the strength of geotextiles, leachate level, and anti-slide pile arrangement located at the toe of the berm were considered. It was found that: (1) failure surfaces developed along the interface between the new and the existing berms; (2) the FOS decreased as the leachate increased, and an FOS value of 1.42 could be obtained if the leachate level was controlled at a height of 20 m; (3) the tensile force of geotextiles was far lower than the available strength, which suggested that the geotextile had enough of a safety reserve; and (4) one row of longer piles at the toe of the berm performed better than two rows of shorter piles if the total length of piles was the same. The design and analysis of this project can be used as a reference for landfill expansion. Especially for a site condition with limited space, a geosynthetic-reinforced soil (GRS) berm is a safe, reliable and promising alternative.
Robust Hand Shape Features for Dynamic Hand Gesture Recognition Using Multi-Level Feature LSTM
Authors: Do Nhu-Tai , Kim Soo-Hyung , Yang Hyung-Jeong , Lee Guee-Sang
Published: September 2020

This study builds robust hand shape features from the two modalities of depth and skeletal data for the dynamic hand gesture recognition problem. For the hand skeleton shape approach, we use the movement, the rotations of the hand joints with respect to their neighbors, and the skeletal point-cloud to learn the 3D geometric transformation. For the hand depth shape approach, we use the feature representation from the hand component segmentation model. Finally, we propose a multi-level feature LSTM with Conv1D, the Conv2D pyramid, and the LSTM block to deal with the diversity of hand features. Therefore, we propose a novel method by exploiting robust skeletal point-cloud features from skeletal data, as well as depth shape features from the hand component segmentation model in order for the multi-level feature LSTM model to benefit from both. Our proposed method achieves the best result on the Dynamic Hand Gesture Recognition (DHG) dataset with 14 and 28 classes for both depth and skeletal data with accuracies of 96.07% and 94.40%, respectively.
Evaluation of Forest Industry Scenarios to Increase Sustainable Forest Mobilization in Regions of Low Biomass Demand
Authors: Pérez-Rodríguez Fernando , Azevedo João C.
Published: September 2020

There is an increasing interest in forest biomass for energy throughout Europe, which is seen as a way of promoting forest mobilization and economic development locally, in particular in regions where forest biomass is available but its use is limited by lack of demand. This study was conducted to define, evaluate and select viable forest industry scenarios to increasing forest mobilisation in the North of Portugal using AppTitude®, a Forest Management Decision Support Systems (FMDSS) considering spatially explicitly supply (biomass growth and yield), demand (industry), and supply–demand interactions (markets). The protocol followed combined a set of indicators of sustainable forest management to guide the selection of the best industry solutions in terms of location, dimension, forest biomass and other variables defined as objectives. The simulations allowed the selection of a small set of industry scenarios compatible with an existing plant outside the study area, increasing wood mobilization, preventing overexploitation and competition among industries but increasing value and price of forest biomass. The results of the application of this FMDSS showed that introducing new biomass plants in the region will increase sustainable forest mobilization and related local development. AppTitude® revealed to be a powerful and reliable tool to assist forest planning.
Ultrasonic-Microwave and Infrared Assisted Convective Drying of Carrot: Drying Kinetic, Quality and Energy Consumption
Authors: Abbaspour-Gilandeh Yousef , Kaveh Mohammad , Aziz Muhammad
Published: September 2020

In this study, the drying time, effective moisture diffusivity (Deff), specific energy consumption (SEC), and quality (color, shrinkage, and rehydration) of the ultrasound-pretreated (US) carrot slices were compared when dried by hot air drying (HD), microwave drying (MWD), infrared drying (INFD), and hybrid methods of MW–HD and INF–HD. Five mathematical models were considered to describe the drying kinetics in the carrots. The results show that US+MW–HD and INFD were the fastest and the slowest drying techniques compared to the HD technique with a 73% and 23% drying time reduction, respectively. The Deff ranged from 7.12 × 10−9 to 2.78 × 10−8 m2/s. The highest and lowest SECs were 297.29 ± 11.21 and 23.75 ± 2.22 MJ/kg which were observed in the HD and US+MWD, respectively. The color variation indices indicated that the best sample in terms of color stability was the one dried by US+MW–HD with the color variation of 11.02 ± 0.27. The lowest and highest shrinkage values were also observed in the samples dried by US+MWD and HD (31.8 ± 1.1% and 62.23 ± 1.77%), respectively. Samples dried by US+MWD and HD possessed the highest and lowest rehydration, respectively. Although the carrot slices dried at a higher pace by US+MW–HD (compared to US+MWD), the shrinkage and SEC of the samples dried by US+MWD were significantly lower than the US+MW–HD (p < 0.05). Therefore, it can be concluded that the application of the US+MWD method can be considered as a proper alternative for drying the carrot slices when compared to the HD, MWD, INFD, and hybrid methods.
Investigation of Microcrystalline Silicon Thin Film Fabricated by Magnetron Sputtering and Copper-Induced Crystallization for Photovoltaic Applications
Authors: Shekoofa Omid , Wang Jian , Li Dejie , Luo Yi
Published: September 2020

Microcrystalline silicon, which is widely used in the microelectronics industry, is usually fabricated by chemical vapor deposition techniques. In recent years, magnetron sputtering has been considered as an alternative because it is a simpler, cheaper and more eco-friendly technique. The big drawback of this technique, however, is the need to recrystallize the as-deposited amorphous silicon, which can be done by metal-induced crystallization. Among the different suitable metals, copper has not been extensively investigated for this purpose. Furthermore, the applicability of the microcrystalline film prepared by this method has not been evaluated for photovoltaic device fabrication. Therefore, this paper reports the fabrication of p-type microcrystalline silicon thin film by magnetron sputtering and copper-induced crystallization techniques, and evaluates its appropriateness for solar cell fabrication. In the first step, 60 nm of silicon followed by 10 nm of copper were deposited on n-type silicon wafer and glass substrates, both by the magnetron sputtering technique. Then, the as-deposited samples were annealed at temperatures from 450 °C to 950 °C. The crystal properties of the resulting films were characterized by Raman and X-ray diffraction spectroscopies and optical and secondary emission microscopies, while their electrical characteristics were determined by Hall-effect, J-V curve and external quantum efficiency measurements. These characterizations confirmed the formation of a layer of microcrystalline silicon mostly in the <111> direction with a crystallization ratio of 93% and a largest grain size of 20 nm. The hole concentration and mobility of the fabricated p-type microcrystalline silicon layer were about 1017~1019 cm−3 and 8 cm2/V.s, respectively. By using the fabricated film as the emitter layer of a p-n junction solar cell, a good rectification ratio of 4100 and reverse saturation current density of 85 nA.cm−2 were measured under dark conditions. The highest photovoltaic conversion efficiency, i.e., 2.6%, with an open-circuit voltage of 440 mV and short-circuit current density of 16.7 mA/cm2, were measured under AM1.5G irradiance. These results indicate that microcrystalline silicon created by magnetron sputtering and copper-induced crystallization has considerable potential for photovoltaic device fabrication.
An Extended MABAC Method Based on Triangular Fuzzy Neutrosophic Numbers for Multiple-Criteria Group Decision Making Problems
Authors: Irvanizam Irvanizam , Zi Nawar Nabila , Zuhra Rahma , Amrusi Amrusi , Sofyan Hizir
Published: September 2020

In this manuscript, we extend the traditional multi-attributive border approximation area comparison (MABAC) method for the multiple-criteria group decision-making (MCGDM) with triangular fuzzy neutrosophic numbers (TFNNs) to propose the TFNNs-MABAC method. In the proposed method, we utilize the TFNNs to express the values of criteria for each alternative in MCGDM problems. First, we briefly acquaint the basic concept of TFNNs and describe its corresponding some operation laws, the functions of score and accuracy, and the normalized hamming distance. We then review two aggregation operators of TFNNs. Afterward, we combine the traditional MABAC method with the triangular fuzzy neutrosophic evaluation and provide a sequence of calculation procedures of the TFNNs-MABAC method. After comparing it with some TFNNs aggregation operators and another method, the results showed that our extended MABAC method can not only effectively handle the conflicting attributes, but also practically deal with incomplete and indeterminate information in the MCGDM problem. Therefore, the extended MABAC method is more effective, conformable, and reasonable. Finally, an investment selection problem is demonstrated as a practice to verify the reasonability of our MABAC method.
LipiSensors: Exploiting Lipid Nanoemulsions to Fabricate Ionophore-Based Nanosensors
Authors: Dailey Alexandra L. , Greer Meredith D. , Sodia Tyler Z. , Jewell Megan P. , Kalin Tabitha A. , Cash Kevin J.
Published: September 2020

Ionophore-based nanosensors (IBNS) are tools that enable quantification of analytes in complex chemical and biological systems. IBNS methodology is adopted from that of bulk optodes where an ion exchange event is converted to a change in optical output. While valuable, an important aspect for application is the ability to intentionally tune their size with simple approaches, and ensure that they contain compounds safe for application. Lipidots are a platform of size tunable lipid nanoemulsions with a hydrophobic lipid core typically used for imaging and drug delivery. Here, we present LipiSensors as size tunable IBNS by exploiting the Lipidot model as a hydrophobic structural support for the sensing moieties that are traditionally encased in plasticized PVC nanoparticles. The LipiSensors we demonstrate here are sensitive and selective for calcium, reversible, and have a lifetime of approximately one week. By changing the calcium sensing components inside the hydrophobic core of the LipiSensors to those sensitive for oxygen, they are also able to be used as ratiometric O2 sensitive nanosensors via a quenching-based mechanism. LipiSensors provide a versatile, general platform nanosensing with the ability to directly tune the size of the sensors while including biocompatible materials as the structural support by merging sensing approaches with the Lipidot platform.
Implementation of the Onsager Theorem to Evaluate the Speed of the Deflagration Wave
Authors: Sher Eran , Moshkovich-Makarenko Irena , Moshkovich Yahav , Cukurel Beni
Published: September 2020

While considering the deflagration regime, the thermal theory of combustion proposes that the mechanism of heat transfer from the flame exothermic zone to the front neighborhood reactants layer dominates the flame behavior. The introduction of the Fourier law allows a closed solution of the continuity and energy conservation equations to yield the burning velocity. It is, however, clear that this classical solution does not conform to the momentum equation. In the present work, instead of introducing the Fourier law, we suggest the introduction of a simplified version of the Onsager relationship, which accounts for the entropy increase due to the heat transfer process from the front layer to its successive layer. Solving for the burning velocity yields a closed solution that also definitely conforms to the momentum equation. While it is realized that the pressure difference across the flame front in the deflagration regime is very small, we believe that violating the momentum equation is intolerable. Quite a good fitting, similarly to the classic theory predictions, has been obtained between our predictions and some experimentally observed values for the propagation flame deflagration velocity, while here, the momentum equation is strictly conserved.
Vertical Integration of Nitride Laser Diodes and Light Emitting Diodes by Tunnel Junctions
Authors: Siekacz Marcin , Muziol Grzegorz , Turski Henryk , Hajdel Mateusz , Żak Mikolaj , Chlipała Mikolaj , Sawicka Marta , Nowakowski-Szkudlarek Krzesimir , Feduniewicz-Żmuda Anna , Smalc-Koziorowska Julita , Stańczyk Szymon , Skierbiszewski Czeslaw
Published: September 2020

We demonstrate the applications of tunnel junctions (TJs) for new concepts of monolithic nitride-based multicolor light emitting diode (LED) and laser diode (LD) stacks. The presented structures were grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE) on GaN bulk crystals. We demonstrate a stack of four LDs operated at pulse mode with emission wavelength of 453 nm. The output power of 1.1 W and high slope efficiency of 2.3 W/A is achieved for devices without dielectric mirrors. Atomically flat surface after the epitaxy of four LD stack and low dislocation density is measured as a result of proper TJ design with optimized doping level. The strain compensation design with InGaN waveguides and AlGaN claddings is shown to be crucial to avoid cracking and lattice relaxation of the 5 µm thick structure. Vertical connection of n-LDs allows for cascade emission of photons and increases the quantum efficiency n-times. The two-color (blue and green) LEDs are demonstrated. Application of TJs simplifies device processing, reducing the need for applications of p-type contact. The key factor enabling demonstration of such devices is hydrogen-free PAMBE technology, in which activation of buried p-type layers is not necessary.
Field-Oriented Driving/Braking Control for Electric Vehicles
Authors: Liu Shang-Ming , Tu Chia-Hung , Lin Chun-Liang , Liu Van-Tsai
Published: September 2020

Most electric vehicles use regenerative brakes, since this kind of braking system design recycles electromotive force to increase electric power endurance during braking. This research proposes a sensor-free, integrated driving and braking control system that uses a space-vector-pulse-width module to synthesize stator current by purpose. It calculates the rotor position angle of the motor by detecting variation in the stator current and completes a closed-loop control. When the motor receives a brake command, the controller changes the inverter-switching sequence to generate reverse torque and a magnetic field to complete the driving or braking function using field-oriented control (FOC). This provides a smoother and more accurate motor control than sinusoidal commands with Hall feedback. Compared to the regenerative brake and rheostatic brake, the proposed braking system has a powerful braking torque and shorter reaction time. Comparisons of reaction times for a modified four-wheel electric vehicle equipped with a permanent magnet synchronous motor under neutral-sliding-status, FOC based braking, and short-circuit braking were conducted.
Machine Learning for Energy Systems
Authors: Sidorov Denis , Liu Fang , Sun Yonghui
Published: September 2020

The objective of this editorial is to overview the content of the special issue “Machine Learning for Energy Systems”. This special issue collects innovative contributions addressing the top challenges in energy systems development, including electric power systems, heating and cooling systems, and gas transportation systems. The special attention is paid to the non-standard mathematical methods integrating data-driven black box dynamical models with classic mathematical and mechanical models. The general motivation of this special issue is driven by the considerable interest in the rethinking and improvement of energy systems due to the progress in heterogeneous data acquisition, data fusion, numerical methods, machine learning, and high-performance computing. The editor of this special issue has made an attempt to publish a book containing original contributions addressing theory and various applications of machine learning in energy systems’ operation, monitoring, and design. The response to our call had 27 submissions from 11 countries (Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taiwan, UK, and USA), of which 12 were accepted and 15 were rejected. This issue contains 11 technical articles, one review, and one editorial. It covers a broad range of topics including reliability of power systems analysis, power quality issues in railway electrification systems, test systems of transformer oil, industrial control problems in metallurgy, power control for wind turbine fatigue balancing, advanced methods for forecasting of PV output power as well as wind speed and power, control of the AC/DC hybrid power systems with renewables and storage systems, electric-gas energy systems’ risk assessment, battery’s degradation status prediction, insulators fault forecasting, and autonomous energy coordination using blockchain-based negotiation model. In addition, review of the blockchain technology for information security of the energy internet is given. We believe that this special issue will be of interest not only to academics and researchers, but also to all the engineers who are seriously concerned about the unsolved problems in contemporary power engineering, multi-energy microgrids modeling.
Advances and Promises of Epigenetics for Forest Trees
Authors: Amaral Joana , Ribeyre Zoé , Vigneaud Julien , Sow Mamadou Dia , Fichot Régis , Messier Christian , Pinto Gloria , Nolet Philippe , Maury Stéphane
Published: September 2020

The importance of tree genetic variability in the ability of forests to respond and adapt to environmental changes is crucial in forest management and conservation. Along with genetics, recent advances have highlighted “epigenetics” as an emerging and promising field of research for the understanding of tree phenotypic plasticity and adaptive responses. In this paper, we review recent advances in this emerging field and their potential applications for tree researchers and breeders, as well as for forest managers. First, we present the basics of epigenetics in plants before discussing its potential for trees. We then propose a bibliometric and overview of the literature on epigenetics in trees, including recent advances on tree priming. Lastly, we outline the promises of epigenetics for forest research and management, along with current gaps and future challenges. Research in epigenetics could use highly diverse paths to help forests adapt to global change by eliciting different innovative silvicultural approaches for natural- and artificial-based forest management.
Wettability and Anti-Corrosion Performances of Carbon Nanotube-Silane Composite Coatings
Authors: Calabrese Luigi , Khaskoussi Amani , Proverbio Edoardo
Published: September 2020

In this paper, a sol-gel N-propyl-trimethoxy-silane coating filled with different amount of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was investigated in order to improve the aluminum corrosion resistance. The nanocomposite coating was applied, by drop casting, on AA6061 aluminum alloy substrate. The morphological analysis highlighted that a uniform sol-gel coating was obtained with 0.4 wt.% CNT. Lower or higher nanotube contents lead to the formation of heterogeneities or agglomeration in the coating, respectively. Furthermore, all nanocomposite coatings exhibited effective adhesion to the substrate. In particular, the pull-off strength ranged in 0.82–1.17 MPa. Corrosion protection of the aluminum alloy in NaCl 3.5 wt.% electrolyte (seawater) was significantly improved after CNT addition to the base coating. The stability in electrochemical impedance was observed during three days of immersion in the sodium chloride solution. AS3-CNT2 and AS3-CNT4 batches showed advanced electrochemical stability during immersion tests. Furthermore, interesting results were evidenced in potentiodynamic polarization curves where a decrease of the corrosion current of at least two order of magnitude was observed. Moreover, the breakdown potential was shifted toward noble values. Best results were observed on AS3-CNT6 specimen which exhibited a passivation current density of approximately 1.0 × 10−5 mA/cm2 and a breaking potential of 0.620 V/AgAgClsat.
Exit Music: The Experience of Music Therapy within Medical Assistance in Dying
Authors: Black SarahRose , Bartel Lee , Rodin Gary
Published: September 2020

Since the 2015 Canadian legalization of medical assistance in dying (MAiD), many Canadian music therapists have become involved in the care of those requesting this procedure. This qualitative study, the first of its kind, examines the experience of music therapy within MAiD, exploring lived experience from three perspectives: the patient, their primary caregiver, and the music therapist/researcher. Overall thematic findings of a hermeneutic phenomenological analysis of ten MAiD cases demonstrate therapeutically beneficial outcomes in terms of quality of life, symptom management, and life review. Further research is merited to continue an exploration of the role of music therapy in the context of assisted dying.
A Multi-Endpoint Approach to Base Excision Repair Incision Activity Augmented by PARylation and DNA Damage Levels in Mice: Impact of Sex and Age
Authors: Winkelbeiner Nicola , Wandt Viktoria K. , Ebert Franziska , Lossow Kristina , Bankoglu Ezgi E. , Martin Maximilian , Mangerich Aswin , Stopper Helga , Bornhorst Julia , Kipp Anna P. , Schwerdtle Tanja
Published: September 2020

Investigation of processes that contribute to the maintenance of genomic stability is one crucial factor in the attempt to understand mechanisms that facilitate ageing. The DNA damage response (DDR) and DNA repair mechanisms are crucial to safeguard the integrity of DNA and to prevent accumulation of persistent DNA damage. Among them, base excision repair (BER) plays a decisive role. BER is the major repair pathway for small oxidative base modifications and apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites. We established a highly sensitive non-radioactive assay to measure BER incision activity in murine liver samples. Incision activity can be assessed towards the three DNA lesions 8-oxo-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG), 5-hydroxy-2’-deoxyuracil (5-OHdU), and an AP site analogue. We applied the established assay to murine livers of adult and old mice of both sexes. Furthermore, poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation) was assessed, which is an important determinant in DDR and BER. Additionally, DNA damage levels were measured to examine the overall damage levels. No impact of ageing on the investigated endpoints in liver tissue were found. However, animal sex seems to be a significant impact factor, as evident by sex-dependent alterations in all endpoints investigated. Moreover, our results revealed interrelationships between the investigated endpoints indicative for the synergetic mode of action of the cellular DNA integrity maintaining machinery.
Mapping Calcium Dynamics in the Heart of Zebrafish Embryos with Ratiometric Genetically Encoded Calcium Indicators
Authors: Salgado-Almario Jussep , Vicente Manuel , Vincent Pierre , Domingo Beatriz , Llopis Juan
Published: September 2020

Zebrafish embryos have been proposed as a cost-effective vertebrate model to study heart function. Many fluorescent genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators (GECIs) have been developed, but those with ratiometric readout seem more appropriate to image a moving organ such as the heart. Four ratiometric GECIs based on troponin C, TN-XXL, Twitch-1, Twitch-2B, and Twitch-4 were expressed transiently in the heart of zebrafish embryos. Their emission ratio reported the Ca2+ levels in both the atrium and the ventricle. We measured several kinetic parameters of the Ca2+ transients: systolic and diastolic ratio, the amplitude of the systolic Ca2+ rise, the heart rate, as well as the rise and decay times and slopes. The systolic ratio change decreased in cells expressing high biosensor concentration, possibly caused by Ca2+ buffering. The GECIs were able to report the effect of nifedipine and propranolol on the heart, which resulted in changes in heart rate, diastolic and systolic Ca2+ levels, and Ca2+ kinetics. As a result, Twitch-1 and Twitch-4 (Kd 0.25 and 2.8 µM, respectively) seem the most promising GECIs for generating transgenic zebrafish lines, which could be used for modeling heart disorders, for drug screening, and for cardiotoxicity assessment during drug development.
Silencing of HvGSK1.1—A GSK3/SHAGGY-Like Kinase–Enhances Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Growth in Normal and in Salt Stress Conditions
Authors: Kloc Yuliya , Dmochowska-Boguta Marta , Zielezinski Andrzej , Nadolska-Orczyk Anna , Karlowski Wojciech M. , Orczyk Waclaw
Published: September 2020

Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) is a highly conserved kinase present in all eukaryotes and functions as a key regulator of a wide range of physiological and developmental processes. The kinase, known in land plants as GSK3/SHAGGY-like kinase (GSK), is a key player in the brassinosteroid (BR) signaling pathway. The GSK genes, through the BRs, affect diverse developmental processes and modulate responses to environmental factors. In this work, we describe functional analysis of HvGSK1.1, which is one of the GSK3/SHAGGY-like orthologs in barley. The RNAi-mediated silencing of the target HvGSK1.1 gene was associated with modified expression of its paralogs HvGSK1.2, HvGSK2.1, HvGSK3.1, and HvGSK4.1 in plants grown in normal and in salt stress conditions. Low nucleotide similarity between the silencing fragment and barley GSK genes and the presence of BR-dependent transcription factors’ binding sites in promoter regions of barley and rice GSK genes imply an innate mechanism responsible for co-regulation of the genes. The results of the leaf inclination assay indicated that silencing of HvGSK1.1 and the changes of GSK paralogs enhanced the BR-dependent signaling in the plants. The strongest phenotype of transgenic lines with downregulated HvGSK1.1 and GSK paralogs had greater biomass of the seedlings grown in normal conditions and salt stress as well as elevated kernel weight of plants grown in normal conditions. Both traits showed a strong negative correlation with the transcript level of the target gene and the paralogs. The characteristics of barley lines with silenced expression of HvGSK1.1 are compatible with the expected phenotypes of plants with enhanced BR signaling. The results show that manipulation of the GSK-encoding genes provides data to explore their biological functions and confirm it as a feasible strategy to generate plants with improved agricultural traits.
Metabolic Roles of Androgen Receptor and Tip60 in Androgen-Dependent Prostate Cancer
Authors: Tan Kah Ni , Avery Vicky M. , Carrasco-Pozo Catalina
Published: September 2020

Androgen receptor (AR)-mediated signaling is essential for the growth and differentiation of the normal prostate and is the primary target for androgen deprivation therapy in prostate cancer. Tat interactive protein 60 kDa (Tip60) is a histone acetyltransferase that is critical for AR activation. It is well known that cancer cells rewire their metabolic pathways in order to sustain aberrant proliferation. Growing evidence demonstrates that the AR and Tip60 modulate key metabolic processes to promote the survival of prostate cancer cells, in addition to their classical roles. AR activation enhances glucose metabolism, including glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation, as well as lipid metabolism in prostate cancer. The AR also interacts with other metabolic regulators, including calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase kinase 2 and mammalian target of rapamycin. Several studies have revealed the roles of Tip60 in determining cell fate indirectly by modulating metabolic regulators, such as c-Myc, hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and p53 in various cancer types. Furthermore, Tip60 has been shown to regulate the activity of key enzymes in gluconeogenesis and glycolysis directly through acetylation. Overall, both the AR and Tip60 are master metabolic regulators that mediate cellular energy metabolism in prostate cancer, providing a framework for the development of novel therapeutic targets in androgen-dependent prostate cancer.
Chitin Biosynthesis Inhibition of Meloidogyne incognita by RNAi-Mediated Gene Silencing Increases Resistance to Transgenic Tobacco Plants
Authors: Mani Vimalraj , Reddy Chinreddy Subramanyam , Lee Seon-Kyeong , Park Soyoung , Ko Hyoung-Rai , Kim Dong-Gwan , Hahn Bum-Soo
Published: September 2020

Meloidogyne incognita is a devastating plant parasitic nematode that causes root knot disease in a wide range of plants. In the present study, we investigated host-induced RNA interference (RNAi) gene silencing of chitin biosynthesis pathway genes (chitin synthase, glucose-6-phosphate isomerase, and trehalase) in transgenic tobacco plants. To develop an RNAi vector, ubiquitin (UBQ1) promoter was directly cloned, and to generate an RNAi construct, expression of three genes was suppressed using the GATEWAY system. Further, transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana lines expressing dsRNA for chitin synthase (CS), glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI), and trehalase 1 (TH1) were generated. Quantitative PCR analysis confirmed endogenous mRNA expression of root knot nematode (RKN) and revealed that all three genes were more highly expressed in the female stage than in eggs and in the parasitic stage. In vivo, transformed roots were challenged with M. incognita. The number of eggs and root knots were significantly decreased by 60–90% in RNAi transgenic lines. As evident, root galls obtained from transgenic RNAi lines exhibited 0.01- to 0.70-fold downregulation of transcript levels of targeted genes compared with galls isolated from control plants. Furthermore, phenotypic characteristics such as female size and width were also marginally altered, while effect of egg mass per egg number in RNAi transgenic lines was reduced. These results indicate the relevance and significance of targeting chitin biosynthesis genes during the nematode lifespan. Overall, our results suggest that further developments in RNAi efficiency in commercially valued crops can be applied to employ RNAi against other plant parasitic nematodes.
Helios Expression in Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes Correlates with Overall Survival of Advanced Gastric Cancer Patients
Authors: Chen Wei-Ming , Liu Jing-Lan , Chuang Huei-Chieh , Chang Yong-Lin , Yeh Chia-Ming , Wu Cheng-Shyong , Wu Shu-Fen
Published: September 2020

Immunotherapy is a highly promising approach for the treatment of gastric cancer, the third-leading cause of overall cancer death worldwide. In particular, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells are believed to mediate host immune responses, although this activity may vary depending on the activation status and/ or their microenvironments. Here, we examined the expression of a specific zinc finger transcription factor, Helios (IKZF2), in gastric tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes by immunohistochemistry and the correlation with survival. Segregation of gastric cancer patients into high- vs. low-Helios-expressing tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes showed those with high expression to exhibit longer survival in gastric cancer patients, Helicobacter pylori-infected gastric cancer patients and advanced stage (III–IV) gastric cancer patients. In particular, Helios expression was an independent factor for survival in advanced gastric cancer patients. We performed immunofluorescence staining to detect Helios expression in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We found that Helios is expressed more in CD4+ T cells and little in CD8+ T cells in infiltrated lymphocytes in gastric cancer. In summary, we believe that the study of specific characteristics of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes can delineate the interactions of immune and tumor cells to improve upon immunotherapy strategies.
Suppression of the Swallowing Reflex during Rhythmic Jaw Movements Induced by Repetitive Electrical Stimulation of the Dorsomedial Part of the Central Amygdaloid Nucleus in Rats
Authors: Satoh Yoshihide , Tsuji Kojun
Published: September 2020

A previous study indicated that the swallowing reflex is inhibited during rhythmic jaw movements induced by electrical stimulation of the anterior cortical masticatory area. Rhythmic jaw movements were induced by electrical stimulation of the central amygdaloid nucleus (CeA). The swallowing central pattern generator is the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) and the lateral reticular formation in the medulla. Morphological studies have reported that the CeA projects to the NTS and the lateral reticular formation. It is therefore likely that the CeA is related to the control of the swallowing reflex. The purpose of this study was to determine if rhythmic jaw movements driven by CeA had inhibitory roles in the swallowing reflex induced by electrical stimulation of the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN). Rats were anesthetised with urethane. The SLN was solely stimulated for 10 s, and the swallowing reflex was recorded (SLN stimulation before SLN + CeA stimulation). Next, the SLN and the CeA were electrically stimulated at the same time for 10 s, and the swallowing reflex was recorded during rhythmic jaw movements (SLN + CeA stimulation). Finally, the SLN was solely stimulated (SLN stimulation following SLN + CeA stimulation). The number of swallows was reduced during rhythmic jaw movements. The onset latency of the first swallow was significantly longer in the SLN + CeA stimulation than in the SLN stimulation before SLN + CeA stimulation and SLN stimulation following SLN + CeA stimulation. These results support the idea that the coordination of swallowing reflex with rhythmic jaw movements could be regulated by the CeA.
The Effect of Tobacco Smoking and Smoking Cessation on Urinal miRNAs in a Pilot Study
Authors: Navratilova Zdenka , Losse Stanislav , Petrova Pavla , Sikorova Katerina , Chabronova Alzbeta , Petrek Martin
Published: September 2020

The diseases associated with tobacco smoking affect miRNAs and small single-stranded non-coding RNAs. However, there are no data on urinal miRNAs in healthy smokers. We searched for the possible effect of smoking and smoking cessation on miRNA urine expression. For screening, Affymetrix miRNA 4.0 arrays were used in 33 urine samples obtained from six never smokers and from current smokers in three time-points before smoking cessation (n = 10), after short time abstinence (3–8 weeks), and after long-term abstinence (1 year). For validation, a quantitative (q) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was used in 93 urine samples obtained from 18 never smokers and 25 current smokers in three time-points before smoking cessation, after short time abstinence (3–8 weeks), and after long-term abstinence (1 year). In screening analysis, 5 miRNAs (hsa-miR-3620-5p, hsa-miR-3613-5p, hsa-miR-3921, hsa-miR-5094, and hsa-miR-337-3p) were dysregulated in current vs. never smokers after multiple testing corrections. Smoking cessation was accompanied by miRNA dysregulation that did not reach a significant level after a multiple testing correction. In validation analysis, three miRNAs correlated with cotinine, but they were affected neither after smoking cessation nor between current and never smokers. Our whole-genome screening of 2.578 miRNAs and validation suggest that tobacco smoking has no or only a small effect on urinal miRNAs.
Linear Maps That Act Tridiagonally with Respect to Eigenbases of the Equitable Generators of Uq(sl2)
Authors: Alnajjar Hasan , Curtin Brian
Published: September 2020

Let F denote an algebraically closed field; let q be a nonzero scalar in F such that q is not a root of unity; let d be a nonnegative integer; and let X, Y, Z be the equitable generators of Uq(sl2) over F. Let V denote a finite-dimensional irreducible Uq(sl2)-module with dimension d+1, and let R denote the set of all linear maps from V to itself that act tridiagonally on the standard ordering of the eigenbases for each of X, Y, and Z. We show that R has dimension at most seven. Indeed, we show that the actions of 1, X, Y, Z, XY, YZ, and ZX on V give a basis for R when d≥3.
A Node Embedding-Based Influential Spreaders Identification Approach
Authors: Chen Dongming , Du Panpan , Fang Bo , Wang Dongqi , Huang Xinyu
Published: September 2020

Node embedding is a representation learning technique that maps network nodes into lower-dimensional vector space. Embedding nodes into vector space can benefit network analysis tasks, such as community detection, link prediction, and influential node identification, in both calculation and richer application scope. In this paper, we propose a two-step node embedding-based solution for the social influence maximization problem (IMP). The solution employs a revised network-embedding algorithm to map input nodes into vector space in the first step. In the second step, the solution clusters the vector space nodes into subgroups and chooses the subgroups’ centers to be the influential spreaders. The proposed approach is a simple but effective IMP solution because it takes both the social reinforcement and homophily characteristics of the social network into consideration in node embedding and seed spreaders selection operation separately. The information propagation simulation experiment of single-point contact susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) and full-contact SIR models on six different types of real network data sets proved that the proposed social influence maximization (SIM) solution exhibits significant propagation capability.
Modelling Tap Water Consumer Ratio
Authors: Ekiz Meltem , Ekiz Osman Ufuk
Published: September 2020

Increasing population and the rising air temperatures are known as factors that cause water depletion in the watersheds. Therefore, it is important to accurately predict the future ratios of tap water consumers using the same watershed to the population living in the specified area, to produce better water policies and to take the necessary measures. Predictions can be made by a growth curve model (GCM). Parameter estimations of the GCM are usually based on the ordinary least square (OLS) estimator. However, the outlier presence affects the estimations and the predictions, which are obtained by using the estimated model. The present article attempts to construct first- and third-order GCMs with robust least median square (LMS) and M estimators to make short-term predictions of ratios of tap water consumers. According to the findings, parameter estimations of the models, the outliers, and the predictions vary with respect to the estimators. The M estimator for short-term predictions is suggested for use, due to its robustness against outlier points.
Constitutive Model of 30CrMoA Steel with Strain Correction
Authors: Zhang Song , Shu Xuedao , Wang Jitai , Xia Yingxiang
Published: September 2020

It is necessary to establish a constitutive model of 30CrMoA steel to optimize the forming shape and mechanical properties of high-speed train axles. The experimental stress–strain curve of 30CrMoA steel was obtained by an isothermal compression test on a Gleeble-3500 thermal simulation test machine under temperature of 1273~1423 K and strain rate of 0.01~10 s−1. Considering the effect of strain on the material constant, an empirical constitutive model was proposed with strain correction for 30CrMoA steel. In addition, the material constant in the constitutive model is determined by linear regression analysis of the experimental stress–strain curve. Comparing the theoretical value and experimental value of flow stress, the correlation R is 0.9828 and the average relative error (ARRE) is 4.652%. The constitutive model of 30CrMoA steel with strain correction can reasonably predict the flow stress under various conditions. The results provide an effective numerical tool for further study on accurate near-net forming of high-speed train axles.
Determination of the Infectious Agent of Translucent Post-Larva Disease (TPD) in Penaeus vannamei
Authors: Zou Ying , Xie Guosi , Jia Tianchang , Xu Tingting , Wang Chong , Wan Xiaoyuan , Li Yingxia , Luo Kun , Bian Xiaodong , Wang Xiuhua , Kong Jie , Zhang Qingli
Published: September 2020

A new emerging disease called “translucent post-larvae disease” (TPD) or “glass post-larvae disease” (GPD) of Penaeus vannamei, characterized by pale or colorless hepatopancreas and digestive tract, has become an urgent threat to the shrimp farming industry. Following this clue that treatment of an antibacterial agent could alleviate the disease, systematic investigation of the potential infectious agent of TPD was conducted using bacterial identification and artificial challenge tests to fulfill Koch’s postulates. A dominant bacterial isolate, Vp-JS20200428004-2, from the moribund individuals was isolated and identified as Vibrio parahaemolyticus based on multi-locus sequence analysis. However, Vp-JS20200428004-2 differed from the V. parahaemolyticus that caused typical acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease. Immersion challenge tests revealed that Vp-JS20200428004-2 could cause 100% mortality within 40 h at a dose of 1.83 × 106 CFU/mL, and experimental infected shrimp showed similar clinical signs of TPD. The Vp-JS20200428004-2 could be re-isolated and identified from the experimental infected individuals. Moreover, histopathological analysis of diseased samples indicated that Vp-JS20200428004-2 caused severe necrosis and sloughing of epithelial cells of the hepatopancreas and midgut in shrimp individuals both naturally and experimentally infected. Our present results indicated that Vp-JS20200428004-2 is a highly virulent infectious agent associated with the TPD and deserves further attention.