bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura with Mixed Connective Tissue Disease –Non-immune Hemolytic Anemia with Autoimmune Disease - Rare Case Report
Authors: Momin Majed Abdul Basit , Prusty B Saroj Kumar , Reddy Amitha
Published: March 2020

TTP (Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic purpura) is a nonimmune, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (MAHA), associated with thrombocytopenia, fever, neurologic or renal dysfunction. Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) is not a specific disorder and identified serologically by high titers of of antibodies to RNP. Coexistence of TTP with asymptomatic MCTD is rare encounter. We describe here a rare case of secondary TTP in a 42 year, old female presenting as menorrhagia for seven days, severe headache and one episode of seizure. This case emphasizes the early diagnosis of TTP and its association with underlying condition for proper management and to avoid fatal outcome. KeyWords: Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (MAHA); Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic purpura( TTP); hemolytic uremic syndrome(HUS); Mixed connective tissue disease(MCTD); U1-Ribonucleoprotein (RNP); Antineuclear antibody(ANA); A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with a thrombospondin type 1 motif,member 13(ADAMTS 13)

J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2020; 38(1): 46-48
Primary Fallopian Tube Carcinoma (PFTC), A Rare Malignancy of Female Genital Tract
Authors: Rashid Farhana Binte , Azad Mohammad Abul Kalam
Published: March 2020

Background: Primary fallopian tube carcinoma (PFTC) is one of the rarest malignancies of female genital tract. It represents <1% of all gynecologic malignancies. Preoperative diagnosis is uncommon due to its rarity and non-specific symptoms. In most cases diagnosis is made during surgery or histological examination. Rarity of this type of carcinoma prompted us to report it as individual case. Case: A 40-yearold parous women presented with bilateral PFTC. The patient gave a history of lower abdominal and pelvic pain for 2 years on several occasions. An abdominal ultrasound finding showed an adnexal mass and her CA125 level was 30IU/ml (normal- <35IU/ml). Clinically she was suspected as a case of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). She underwent Total Abdominal Hysterectomy with bilateral salpingoophorectomy. Intraoperative findings were consistent with PID. Final pathologic analysis showed bilateral primary fallopian tube carcinoma —well differentiated serous adenocarcinoma. Post operatively she was referred for oncological management.

Conclusion: Malignancy should be considered in the differential diagnosis of PID especially in premenopausal age and intraoperative frozen section biopsy is crucial to make correct diagnosis and to allow appropriate surgical staging.

J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2020; 38(1): 49-52
Genetic Evaluation Of Red Chittagong Cattle In Bangladesh
Authors: Ferdous F , Choudhury MP , Faruque MO , Hossain MM , Bhuiyan AKFH
Published: March 2020

The current study was carried out using data of the Nucleus Herd and Community Herd of Red Chittagong Cattle (RCC) established through USDA funded Red Chittagong Cattle project under the Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, BAU, Mymensingh. Data on 151 calves and 75 lactating cows were analyzed. The estimated heritability values were 0.45 ± 0.05 for birth weight, 0.48 ± 0.05 for weaning weight, 0.41 ± 0.08 for pre-weaning daily gain, 0.47 ± 0.06 for lactation length, 0.43 ± 0.07 for lactation milk yield and 0.35 ± 0.09 for average daily milk yield. The highest Breeding Value (BV) were for birth weight (3.2 kg), weaning weight (24.46 kg), pre-weaning daily gain (82.39g), lactation length (52.25 days), lactation milk yield (186.04 kg) and average daily milk yield (0.66 kg). The minimum and maximum phenotypic index values by using phenotypic parameters were for growth traits (1196.24 and 4713.24) and milk production traits (8573.93 and 40670.81). The minimum and maximum genetic index values by using breeding values were for growth traits (1812.49 and 2870.21) and milk production traits (-1812.49 and 2870.21). All the estimated index values can be used in animal selection and breeding programs for RCC improvement and similar index selection can be applied for other indigenous cattle development programs in Bangladesh or elsewhere.

SAARC J. Agri., 17(2): 141-154(2019)
Climatic Factors Affecting The Population Dynamics Of Lentil Aphid In Inner Terai Region Of Nepal
Authors: Neupane S , Subedi S
Published: March 2020

Population dynamics of lentil aphid Aphis craccivora (Hemiptera: Aphididae) was assessed in relation with climatic parameters at the research field of National Maize Research Program (NMRP), Rampur, Chitwan during winter season of two consecutive years 2016 to 2018. The experiment was organized in randomized complete block design consisting 20 lentil varieties with three replications. The crop was sown during last week of November in both the years. The daily meteorological parameters like maximum temperature (Tmax), minimum temperature (Tmin), relative humidity (RH) and rainfall (Rf) were recorded at the meteorological station located in NMRP, Rampur, Chitwan and then converted into weekly basis as the standard meteorological week (SMW) with correspondence to weekly population of aphid. The incidence of aphid was started from 2nd SMW of January (2 aphid/plant/10 cm apical twigs) during both experimentation years. Initially the population was low and gradually increased and reached to its peak (49 aphid/plant/10cm apical twigs) on 9th SMW i.e. first week of March with correspondence to weather parameters viz. maximum and minimum temperature (°C), relative humidity (%) and rainfall (mm) were 30.80, 15.34, 67.72 and 0, respectively over the years. The aphid population had significant positive correlation with Tmax (r= 0.94) while the Tmin showed highly significant correlation (r=0.99). The relative humidity (RH) had non significant negative correlation (r= -0.90) and rainfall (Rf) showed non significant negative impact (r= - 0.15) with aphid population. The regression model developed could explain 99% variation in aphid population in different cultivars of lentil.

SAARC J. Agri., 17(2): 155-164 (2019)
Conscientiousness and Altruism Impacting Supersonic Aircraft Fighter Pilots Performance
Authors: Raluca MAXIM Ionela
Published: March 2020

Research demonstrated that personality traits of fighter pilots have impact on their performance. The prediction of supersonic fighter pilots performance and professional success can be made by assessment of the levels of personality traits of those individuals that are selected to practice this profession.

The present research examined if the personality traits (self-efficacy, orderliness, dutifulness and altruism) can predict the level of performance of the fighter pilots on supersonic aircraft, by using the “IPIP NEO” (International Personality Item Pool NEO) based on Big Five model and inter-evaluation method within group of supersonic fighter pilots. The results indicated that the high performance of supersonic aircraft fighter pilots can be predicted by high levels of above-mentioned personality traits and that there is a significant positive relation between those variables.

The great need for success, the desire to adapt, to overcome their limitations and to face the difficulties, allow pilots to exercise their profession with all the special requirements of missions and the challenges in air combat.
Flow Field Analysis and Performance Assessment Inside a Vanned Diffuser of a Laboratory-Type Centrifugal Pump
Authors: Atif Abdelmadjid , Sami Sara
Published: March 2020

The paper refers to the analysis of flow fields inside a vaned diffuser and performance assessment of a laboratory-type centrifugal pump operating with air. The study deals with numerical simulation of the flow at design flow rate, with focus on velocity and pressure distributions across a diffuser passage. The aim is to highlight the flow structure how it leaves the impeller and evolves through the diffuser to understand the mechanism of pressure recovery. The performance assessment consists of evaluating diffuser effectiveness. The numerical results are compared to experimental measurements for validation.
The investigation of adaptogenic, hypoglycemic and hepatoprotective properties of Clitoria ternatea L. on experimental models in vivo
Authors: Hubich Aksana I. , Bandyk Yanina A. , Zalesskaya Natalya A. , Okarakava Svyatlana S. , Kapanic Alena I. , Herasimava Alina E.
Published: March 2020

This work is devoted to the study of the effect of Clitoria ternatea L. decoction for energy and carbohydrate metabolism in conditions of increased physical activity, the analysis of possibilities carbohydrate and lipid metabolism markers correcting in a model of experimental hyperphagia and experimental diabetes, and the efficiency of the stabilization of liver injury and lipid peroxidation markers in rats in an experimental model of chronic alcohol intoxication. It’s established that Clitoria ternatea L. has a stabilizing effect on carbohydrate metabolism in rats with experimental diabetes and hyperphagia, exhibits antioxidant and hepatoprotective effect in rats with experimental alcoholic liver, comparable to the action of classical hepatoprotector «Hepsil-Rn», has adaptogenic effect in experimental model of physical activity, comparable to the energy drink «Burn». The effect of the prepatation tested was more pronounced under alloxan diabetes than the effect of the anti-diabetic «Sadifit» collection. The results obtained may be due to the presence of flavonoids, ascorbic acid, tannins and unsaturated fatty acids, exhibiting an antioxidant effect, as well as glycosides, terpenes and diterpenes, contributing to increased permeability of cell membranes for glucose.
Receptor-mediated endocytosis is an important way for gelatin nano-particles penetration into cells
Authors: Potapovich Alla I. , Suhan Tatyana O. , Shutava Tatsiana G. , Kostyuk Vladimir A.
Published: March 2020

Experimental data detailing the possibilities of using gelatin nanoparticles obtained by the two-stage desolvation method without the use of surfactants for delivering pharmacologically active substances to cultured normal and human cancer cells are presented. It was shown that clathrin-dependent endocytosis is the main route of entry of such nanoparticles into normal human fibroblasts and cancer cells of the MDA-MB-231 line. Due to this type of endocytosis, more than 50 % of gelatin nanoparticles enter the cells. It was shown that in the process of clathrin-dependent endocytosis, gelatin nanoparticles specifically bind to collagen receptors.
Pengaruh Nilai Islam pada Visual Pakaian Dewa dan Resi Boneka Wayang Jekdong Jawa Timur
Authors: Ayuswantana Alfian Candra , Sachari Agus , Irfansyah Irfansyah
Published: March 2020

Abstrak Wayang Jekdong hidup dan berkembang dalam konteks sosial-budaya Arek yang sangat khas. Budaya Arek sebagai sub-budaya Jawa Timur menyebar dari pantai utara Jawa Timur ke pedalaman sepanjang aliran sungai Brantas menyebabkan pengaruh nilai-nilai Islam kental terasa pada budaya Arek. Nilai-nilai Islam yang kuat salah satunya dapat dilihat dalam wayang boneka Jekdong sebagai artefak budaya masyarakat budaya Arek. Penelitian ini berfokus pada pengamatan visual pada boneka Jekdong yang mewakili nilai-nilai Islam melalui bentuk boneka. Pengamatan dilakukan dengan pendekatan etnografi melalui proses analisis komponen visual Spradley dalam wayang Jekdong yang didukung oleh teori semiotika dyadic Saussure-Barthes. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa ada pengaruh nilai-nilai Islam yang diwakili dalam bentuk boneka wayang Jekdong terutama pada tokoh Dewa (dewa atau dewa tertinggi) dan Resi (pertapa). Bentuk budaya Arek sebagai komunitas Islam pesisir sangat jelas terlihat terutama pada atribut pakaian yang ditampilkan seperti keberadaan turban putih, khaftan, qamis, dan sepatu Persia. Diharapkan dengan penelitian ini dapat memberikan kontribusi ilmiah tentang wayang golek Jekdong dalam sudut pandang ilmiah seni di provinsi Jawa Timur khususnya. Kata Kunci: budaya Arek, busana, wayang Jekdong, Islam pesisir AbstractThe Jekdong puppets lives and develops in a very distinctive Arek socio-cultural context. The Arek culture as East Java sub-culture spreads from the north coast of East Java to the depths along with the Brantas river flow causing the influence of Islamic values upon the Arek Culture. Strong Islamic values, one of them can be seen within Jekdong puppets as a cultural artifact of the Arek society. This research focuses on visual observations on Jekdong puppets that represent Islamic values through the form of puppets. Observations performed with an ethnographic approach through a process of Spradley's visual components analyzing in Jekdong puppets and supported by the dyadic semiotics theory of Saussure-Barthes. The results of the analysis show that there are influences of Islamic values that represented in the form of Jekdong puppets, especially in Dewa (deity or supreme being) and Resi (hermits or saints) figures. The form of Arek culture as an Islamic coastal community is very clearly visible, especially in the fashion attributes that displayed such as the existence of white turban, Kaftan, Qamis, and Persian shoes. It expected that this research could provide scientific contributions about the Jekdong puppet show puppet in the scientific viewpoint of art, particularly in East Java province. Keywords: Arek culture, coastal Islam, fashion, Jekdong puppet
Analisis Visual Warna pada Game Post Apocalyptic (Studi Game The Last Of Us, Metro Exodus, dan Horizon Zero Dawn)
Authors: Salamoon Daniel Kurniawan , Muljosumarto Cindy
Published: March 2020

AbstrakVideo game sebagai bentuk media visual di era modern memiliki peranan dalam masyarakat sebagai salah satu bentuk hiburan yang bersifat interaktif. Video game terus berkembang dalam tata visual sebagai bentuk evolusi dari teknologi video game tersebut. Evolusi dalam video game membuat genre dalam video game juga mengalami perkembangan. Salah satu genre yang menjadi tren adalah genre post apocalyptic. Penelitian ini mencoba melihat narasi yang hendak disampaikan lewat tata visual beberapa video game dengan genre post apocalyptic. Metode yang dilakukan adalah dengan mengumpulkan data screen capture dari beberapa judul video game dengan rating yang baik. Dari metode ini, teori yang digunakan untuk melakukan analisa adalah teori semiotika khususnya yang berkaitan dengan tata visual pada video game khususnya elemen warna yang menjadi kunci genre ini dengan menggunakan software Image. Setelah itu data dianalisis lebih lanjut dengan metode AEIOU (Action, Environment, Interaction, Object, User). Studi ini memberi gambaran bagaimana tata visual yang menjadi ciri khas genre game post apocalyptic dan nilai estetis yang bisa dipelajari dari genre tersebut. Pada akhirnya studi ini dapat menjadi pondasi dalam melakukan riset warna khususnya dalam pengembangan sebuah video game Kata kunci : desain game, post apocalyptic, video game, warna AbstractVideo games as a form of visual media in the modern era has a role play in society as one of interactive entertainment form. Video games continue to grow in visual elements as evolution forms from video game technology itself. The evolution of video games also makes the genre of video games experience development. This research attempts to observe the narrative is to be conveyed through the visual elements of several video games with the Post-apocalyptic genre. The method used was to collect screen capture data from several video game titles with good ratings. The theory that used to conduct the analysis is a semiotic theory relate to visual elements, especially the colors element that is the key to this genre. The theory that used to conduct the analysis is a semiotic theory relate to visual elements of the video game, especially the colors element that is the key to this genre. The theory that used to conduct the analysis is a semiotic theory relate to visual elements of the video game, especially the colors element that is the key to this genre using image software. Afterward, data analyzed subsequently with AEIOU's (Action, Environment, Interaction, Object, User) method. This study gives a description of how the visual elements become a characteristic of the Post-apocalyptic genre and the aesthetic value that can be learned from the genre. So eventually these studies can be the foundation in conducting color research especially in the development of a video game. Keywords: color, game design, post apocalyptic, video game
The Rhetoric of Empire in the Scottish Mission in North America, 1732–63
Authors: Kelly Jamie J.
Published: March 2020

In 1755, William Robertson delivered a sermon before the Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge, entitled The Situation of the World at the Time of Christ's Appearance…. He addresses British imperial expansion and its prospects for civil and moral improvement, while denouncing the moral decay manifest in the growth of slavery and exploitation of natives. Through advocating a considered balance between submission to revealed religious principles and the exercise of reason, Robertson stresses the necessity of both for promoting virtue and preventing vice. The SSPCK, an organisation dedicated to spreading ‘reformed Christianity’ as a catalyst of cultural progress (and thus the growth of virtue) among rural Scots and Natives in North America, was responding to a perceived lack of government commitment to this very task. Empire provided the framework for mission, yet the government's secular agenda often outweighed religious commitments. This article makes use of SSPCK sermons from the eighteenth century to trace the attitudes of Scottish churchmen and missionaries towards the institutions and motives driving empire, in a period when they too were among its most prominent agents. This will shed light on the Scottish church's developing views on empire, evangelism, race, improvability and the role of government.
An Adapted Slipping Process to Exclude Jellyfish in the Sea of Marmara Purse Seine Fishery
Authors: KASAPOĞLU Nazlı , TOSUNOĞLU Zafer , GÖKÇE Gökhan
Published: March 2020

Excluding the jellyfish from the bunt-end is a common slipping process used in the Sea of Marmara purse seine fishery. For this aim, a sheet of netting piece, larger mesh size and thicker diameter, is rigged on the bunt-end of the purse seine net. The jellyfish mass on the netting piece are slipped by rolling over the headline (floating line) after partially hauling or drying-up the net while it is still in the water. In this study, the catch amount of this slipping was roughly estimated with the introduction of the slipping process only used by the purse seiners in the Sea of Marmara. There were eight successful purse seine operations conducted between 8 and 11 September 2018 in depth ranged 77 to 677 m. The percentage of landed species versus to jellyfish varied between 23% and 85%. The mean landed anchovy amount is 4379 (3756.6) kg for per operation. The mean slipped amount of jellyfish is 3812.5 (2404.4) kg. However, both anchovy (99.8%) and jellyfish (96.3%) are the vast majority species that landed and slipped, respectively. In the operations totally 100 boxes of anchovy (1180 kg) unintentionally was slipped with the jellyfish. In addition, two sharks with larger size were slipped to the sea as alive over the floating line of the net. Although slipping practised rarely in Turkey, all the purse seiner in the Sea of Marmara have to use the adapted slipped process to get rid of jellyfish. However, there are no records and scientific findings regarding slipped amount of the jellyfish. For this reason, this study is important to presented preliminary results regarding amount of the jellyfish. In conclusion, this study is extended completely the Sea of Marmara practised to understand the dimensions of jellyfish amount and slipping process.
Dissolving the self
Authors: Deane George
Published: March 2020

Psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin, LSD and DMT are known to induce powerful alterations in phenomenology. Perhaps of most philosophical and scientific interest is their capacity to disrupt and even “dissolve” one of the most primary features of normal experience: that of being a self. Such “peak” or “mystical” experiences are of increasing interest for their potentially transformative therapeutic value. While empirical research is underway, a theoretical conception of the mechanisms underpinning these experiences remains elusive. In the following paper, psychedelic-induced ego-dissolution is accounted for within an active inference framework, as a collapse in the “temporal thickness” of an agent’s deep temporal model, as a result of lowered precision on high-level priors. The argument here is composed of three moves: first, a view of the self-model is proposed as arising within a temporally deep generative model of an embodied organism navigating an affordance landscape in the service of allostasis. Next, a view of the action of psychedelics as lowering the precision of high-level priors within the generative model is unpacked in terms of a high Bayesian learning rate. Finally, the relaxation of high-level priors is argued to cause a “collapse” in the temporal thickness of the generative model, resulting in a collapse in the self-model and a loss of the ordinary sense of being a self. This account has implications for our understanding of ordinary self-consciousness and disruptions in self-consciousness present in psychosis, autism, depression, and dissociative disorders. The philosophical, theoretical and therapeutic implications of this account are touched upon.
The Application of Regulatory Cascades in Streptomyces: Yield Enhancement and Metabolite Mining
Authors: Xia Haiyang , Li Xiaofang , Li Zhangqun , Zhan Xinqiao , Mao Xuming , Li Yongquan
Published: March 2020

Streptomyces is taken as an important resource for producing the most abundant antibiotics and other bio-active natural products, which have been widely used in pharmaceutical and agricultural areas. Usually they are biosynthesized through secondary metabolic pathways encoded by cluster situated genes. And these gene clusters are stringently regulated by interweaved transcriptional regulatory cascades. In the past decades, great advances have been made to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms involved in antibiotic production in Streptomyces. In this review, we summarized the recent advances on the regulatory cascades of antibiotic production in Streptomyces from the following four levels: the signals triggering the biosynthesis, the global regulators, the pathway-specific regulators and the feedback regulation. The production of antibiotic can be largely enhanced by rewiring the regulatory networks, such as overexpression of positive regulators, inactivation of repressors, fine-tuning of the feedback and ribosomal engineering in Streptomyces. The enormous amount of genomic sequencing data implies that the Streptomyces has potential to produce much more antibiotics for the great diversities and wide distributions of biosynthetic gene clusters in Streptomyces genomes. Most of these gene clusters are defined cryptic for unknown or undetectable natural products. In the synthetic biology era, activation of the cryptic gene clusters has been successfully achieved by manipulation of the regulatory genes. Chemical elicitors, rewiring regulatory gene and ribosomal engineering have been employed to crack the potential of cryptic gene clusters. These have been proposed as the most promising strategy to discover new antibiotics. For the complex of regulatory network in Streptomyces, we proposed that the discovery of new antibiotics and the optimization of industrial strains would be greatly promoted by further understanding the regulatory mechanism of antibiotic production.
Sodium Hypochlorite Treatment: The Impact on Bacteria and Endotoxin Concentrations in Drinking Water Pipes of A Pig Nursery
Authors: Böger Regina , Rohn Karl , Kemper Nicole , Schulz Jochen
Published: March 2020

Poor drinking water quality can affect pigs’ health and performance. The disinfection of water may enhance microbial water quality. In this study, bacteria and endotoxins in sodium hypochlorite-treated and -untreated water from one pig nursery were analyzed. Water samples were taken from incoming water and from compartments with treated and untreated water at the beginning and end of pipes and from nipples. The farm was visited 14 times to measure total bacteria counts and concentrations of Pseudomonas spp. and endotoxins. Additionally, the occurrence of coliform bacteria was analyzed. A mixed model analysis revealed significant reductions in total bacteria counts and Pseudomonas spp. in treated water at the beginning of pipes and at nipple drinkers. The differences between bacteria concentrations at the end of pipes had no clear trend. Endotoxin concentrations were approximately equal at the beginning of pipes and at nipple drinkers but were found to have differences at the end of pipes. The occurrence of coliform bacteria was significantly reduced in treated water. The application of sodium hypochlorite can significantly reduce bacteria in water pipes. Endotoxin concentrations were mostly unaffected by water treatment. Disinfection of the dead-end pipe sections failed, and thus these parts should be regarded as potential contamination sources.
The ‘Palo a Pique’ Long-Term Research Platform: First 25 Years of a Crop–Livestock Experiment in Uruguay
Authors: Rovira Pablo , Ayala Walter , Terra José , García-Préchac Fernando , Harris Paul , Lee Michael R.F. , Rivero M. Jordana
Published: March 2020

Mixed crop–livestock long-term experiments (LTE) are critical to increase the understanding of sustainability in complex agroecosystems. One example is the ‘Palo a Pique’ LTE which has been running for 25 years in Uruguay (from 1995 to present), evaluating four pasture–crop rotations under livestock grazing with no-till technology in soils with severe limitations. The results demonstrate that cropping systems reduced soil organic carbon (SOC) compared with permanent pastures, and that perennial pastures rotating with crops were critical to mitigate SOC losses. Data from the ‘Palo a Pique’ LTE has contributed to the establishment of new national policies to secure the sustainability of agricultural-based systems. Although the original purpose of the LTE was oriented to crops and soils, a demand for sustainable livestock intensification has gathered momentum over recent years. As a result, the current approach of the ‘Palo a Pique’ LTE matches each pasture–crop rotation with the most suitable livestock strategy with the common goal of producing 400 kg liveweight/ha per year. General approaches to the pursuit of sustainable livestock intensification include shortening the cycle of production, diversifying animal categories, increasing liveweight gain and final animal liveweight, and strategic livestock supplementation. Prediction of trade-offs between environmental, economic, and production indicators can be addressed through monitoring and modeling, enabling the timely anticipation of adverse sustainability issues on commercial farms. The ‘Palo a Pique’ LTE serves as a framework to address contemporary and future questions dealing with the role of ruminants on climate change, competition for land, nutrient dynamics, and food security.
Nitrogen Availability in Biochar-Amended Soils with Excessive Compost Application
Authors: Tsai Chen-Chi , Chang Yu-Fang
Published: March 2020

Adding biochar to excessive compost amendments may affect compost mineralization rate and nitrogen (N) availability. The objective of this 371-day incubation study was to evaluate the effects of four proportions of woody biochar (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 2.0%) from lead tree (Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de. Wit) biochar produced at 750 °C through dynamic mineral N and N mineralization rates in three rural soils (one Oxisol and two Inceptisols). In each treatment, 5% poultry–livestock manure compost was added to serve as an excessive application. The results indicated that the biochar decreased available total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) (NO3−-N+NH4+-N) by on average 6%, 9% and 19% for 0.5%, 1.0% and 2.0% treatments, respectively. The soil type strongly influenced the impact of the biochar addition on the soil nitrogen mineralization potential, especially the soil pH and clay content. This study showed that the co-application of biochar and excessive compost benefited the agricultural soils by improving NO3−-N retention in agroecosystems. The application of biochar to these soils to combine it with excessive compost appeared to be an effective method of utilizing these soil amendments, as it diminished the net N mineralization potential and reduced the nitrate loss of the excessive added compost.
Development of Swine’s Digestive Tract Microbiota and Its Relation to Production Indices—A Review
Authors: Knecht Damian , Cholewińska Paulina , Jankowska-Mąkosa Anna , Czyż Katarzyna
Published: March 2020

The development of research methods and tools related to microbiome investigation, as well as widened knowledge and awareness concerning the significance of microorganisms inhabiting mammalian organisms, has led to an increasing popularity of studies in this field. This review paper presents some issues related to the swine microbiome, its development starting from an early age of life and its status in adult animals, as well as factors affecting the microbiome in pigs. Attention is paid to the role of probiotics and prebiotics as alternatives to antibiotics in the context of post-weaning diarrhea treatment, and to the role of microorganisms inhabiting the digestive tract of pigs in performance indices formation. In veterinary and pork production practice, understanding of the swine microbiome and its relationships with the host organism may be useful in the prevention of some diseases and also in improvement of performance results of animals.
Seroprevalence and Clinical Outcomes of Neospora caninum, Toxoplasma gondii and Besnoitia besnoiti Infections in Water Buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis)
Authors: Ciuca Lavinia , Borriello Giuliano , Bosco Antonio , D’Andrea Luigi , Cringoli Giuseppe , Ciaramella Paolo , Maurelli Maria Paola , Di Loria Antonio , Rinaldi Laura , Guccione Jacopo
Published: March 2020

One hundred twenty-four water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) originating from 9 farms located in southern Italy were tested to investigate simultaneously, for the first time, the seroprevalence of the protozoa Neospora caninum, Toxoplasma gondii and Besnoitia besnoiti by ELISA tests and to evaluate the clinical findings potentially associated to the presence of these aborting parasitic pathogens. Twenty-five of 124 buffaloes (20.2%) were positive for N. caninum, while 17/124 (13.7%) for T. gondii. No buffalo showed specific antibodies for B. besnoiti. Nineteen of 124 animals (15.3%) were found seropositive for both T. gondii and N. caninum. The univariate statistical analysis showed that the seroprevalence of N. caninum is significantly associated with abortion and presence of retained foetal membranes, while the seroprevalence of T. gondii is significantly associated with an increase of days open. The logistic regression models showed that the co-infection by N. caninum and T. gondii strengthened the abortive effects (OR = 7.330) and showed further negative effects on the parameter embryonic death (OR = 2.607). The outcome revealed herein represents a high exposure of N. caninum and T. gondii in water buffaloes with reproduction disorders that deserves attention for both economic reasons, animal health and welfare.
Effect of Breed on Fatty Acid Composition of Meat and Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue of Light Lambs
Authors: Budimir Katarina , Mozzon Massimo , Toderi Marco , D’Ottavio Paride , Trombetta Maria Federica
Published: March 2020

Lamb meat is the main product of Central Italy transhumant farms, where lambs are traditionally reared with their mothers on pastures and are supplemented with concentrates and/or hay from day 20–30 until slaughter. However, few data are available on the fatty acid (FA) composition of unweaned lambs reared by extensive systems in Central Italy. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of breed (Bergamasca, Italian Merino, and Sopravissana) on the FA composition of intramuscular (longissimus lumborum, LL) and subcutaneous (SC) fats of light lambs. Statistical analysis showed that breed had effect only on some FAs in LL muscle fat (C18:0, C20:0, C14:1, C16:1, C17:1, C18:3 n-3, trans and conjugated linoleic acid isomers) and in SC adipose tissue (C21:0, C16:1, C18:1, C20:4 n-6, C20:5 n-3, C18:1 trans isomers). Gas chromatography data in combination with a chemometric approach could have some potential to discriminate among breeds. Indices of nutritional quality of the lipids suggested that the meat of Italian Merino and Sopravissana lambs might have better nutritional quality than Bergamasca; further studies, involving a greater number of animals, are needed to confirm these early results.
Genetic Variability and Management in Nero di Parma Swine Breed to Preserve Local Diversity
Authors: Mariani Elena , Summer Andrea , Ablondi Michela , Sabbioni Alberto
Published: March 2020

Nero di Parma is an endangered swine breed reared in the North of Italy which nowadays counts 1603 alive pigs. The aims of this study were (i) to explore the genetic diversity of the breed at pedigree level to determine the actual genetic structure, (ii) to evaluate the effectiveness of the breeding recovery project and (iii) to potentially propose breeding strategies for the coming generations. The pedigree dataset contained 14,485 animals and was used to estimate demographic and genetic parameters. The mean equivalent complete generations was equal to 6.47 in the whole population, and it reached a mean value of 7.94 in the live animals, highlighting the quality of the available data. Average inbreeding was 0.28 in the total population, whereas it reached 0.31 in the alive animals and it decreased to 0.27 if only breeding animals were considered. The rate of inbreeding based on the individual increase in inbreeding was equal to 7%. This study showed the effectiveness of the recovery project of the breed. Nevertheless, we found that inbreeding and genetic diversity have reached alarming levels, therefore novel breeding strategies must be applied to ensure long-term survival of this breed.
In Vitro and In Vivo Nutraceutical Characterization of Two Chickpea Accessions: Differential Effects on Hepatic Lipid Over-Accumulation
Authors: Centrone Mariangela , Gena Patrizia , Ranieri Marianna , Di Mise Annarita , D’Agostino Mariagrazia , Mastrodonato Maria , Venneri Maria , De Angelis Davide , Pavan Stefano , Pasqualone Antonella , Summo Carmine , Fanelli Valentina , Valenti Giovanna , Calamita Giuseppe , Tamma Grazia
Published: March 2020

Dietary habits are crucially important to prevent the development of lifestyle-associated diseases. Diets supplemented with chickpeas have numerous benefits and are known to improve body fat composition. The present study was undertaken to characterize two genetically and phenotypically distinct accessions, MG_13 and PI358934, selected from a global chickpea collection. Rat hepatoma FaO cells treated with a mixture of free fatty acids (FFAs) (O/P) were used as an in vitro model of hepatic steatosis. In parallel, a high-fat diet (HFD) animal model was also established. In vitro and in vivo studies revealed that both chickpea accessions showed a significant antioxidant ability. However, only MG_13 reduced the lipid over-accumulation in steatotic FaO cells and in the liver of HFD fed mice. Moreover, mice fed with HFD + MG_13 displayed a lower level of glycemia and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) than HFD mice. Interestingly, exposure to MG_13 prevented the phosphorylation of the inflammatory nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-kB) which is upregulated during HFD and known to be linked to obesity. To conclude, the comparison of the two distinct chickpea accessions revealed a beneficial effect only for the MG_13. These findings highlight the importance of studies addressing the functional characterization of chickpea biodiversity and nutraceutical properties.
Synthesis, Anticancer Activity, and Molecular Modeling of New Halogenated Spiro[pyrrolidine-thiazolo-oxindoles] Derivatives
Authors: Islam Mohammad Shahidul , Al-Majid Abdullah Mohammed , El-Senduny Fardous F. , Badria Farid A. , Rahman A. F. M. Motiur , Barakat Assem , Elshaier Yaseen A. M. M.
Published: March 2020

A one-pot, single-step, and an atom-economical process towards the synthesis of highly functionalized spirooxindoles analogues was efficiently conducted to produce a satisfactory chemical yields (70–93%) with excellent relative diastereo-, and regio-selectivity. An in vitro antiproliferative assay was carried out on different cancer cell lines to evaluate the biological activity of the synthesized tetrahydro-1’H-spiro[indoline-3,5’-pyrrolo[1,2-c]thiazol]-2-one 5a–n. The prepared hybrids were then tested in vitro for their antiproliferative effects against three cancer cell lines, namely, HepG2 (liver cancer), MCF-7 (breast cancer), and HCT-116 (colon cancer). The spirooxindole analogue 5g exhibited a broad activity against HepG2, MCF-7, and HCT-116 cell lines of liver, breast, and colorectal cancers when compared to cisplatin. Modeling studies including shape similarity, lipophilicity scores, and physicochemical parameters were calculated. The results of this study indicated that spirooxindole analogue 5g retained a good physiochemical parameters with acceptable lipophilicity scores.
Stress Corrosion Cracking Threshold for Dissimilar Capacitive Discharge Welding Joint with Varied Surface Geometry
Authors: Djarot Darmadi B. , Gapsari Femiana , Lobo Osmar Buntu , Simanjuntak Firman Mangasa
Published: March 2020

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is known as a major factor that should be considered in the assessment of welding joint structure integrity. Despite the promising and wide application of dissimilar metal joints, the currently available SCC mitigation technique of dissimilar metal joints is not adequate. The challenge is to obtain a good joint while different melting points exist. This article reports a novel SCC mitigation method on a brass–steel dissimilar metal joint by modifying the geometry of the surface. It is evidenced that the sharpened steel (α1 specimen) significantly improves the SCC resilience of the joint. The evaluation of SEM/EDS photos reveals that the α1 geometry induces a smaller pore area around brass–steel micro-joint interfaces which in turn produces stronger joints.
Ag-Sensitized NIR-Emitting Yb3+-Doped Glass-Ceramics
Authors: Enrichi Francesco , Cattaruzza Elti , Finotto Tiziano , Riello Pietro , Righini Giancarlo C. , Trave Enrico , Vomiero Alberto
Published: March 2020

The optical photoluminescent (PL) emission of Yb3+ ions in the near infrared (NIR) spectral region at about 950–1100 nm has many potential applications, from photovoltaics to lasers and visual devices. However, due to their simple energy-level structure, Yb3+ ions cannot directly absorb UV or visible light, putting serious limits on their use as light emitters. In this paper we describe a broadband and efficient strategy for sensitizing Yb3+ ions by Ag codoping, resulting in a strong 980 nm PL emission under UV and violet-blue light excitation. Yb-doped silica–zirconia–soda glass–ceramic films were synthesized by sol-gel and dip-coating, followed by annealing at 1000 °C. Ag was then introduced by ion-exchange in a molten salt bath for 1 h at 350 °C. Different post-exchange annealing temperatures for 1 h in air at 380 °C and 430 °C were compared to investigate the possibility of migration/aggregation of the metal ions. Studies of composition showed about 1–2 wt% Ag in the exchanged samples, not modified by annealing. Structural analysis reported the stabilization of cubic zirconia by Yb-doping. Optical measurements showed that, in particular for the highest annealing temperature of 430 °C, the potential improvement of the material’s quality, which would increase the PL emission, is less relevant than Ag-aggregation, which decreases the sensitizers number, resulting in a net reduction of the PL intensity. However, all the Ag-exchanged samples showed a broadband Yb3+ sensitization by energy transfer from Ag aggregates, clearly attested by a broad photoluminescence excitation spectra after Ag-exchange, paving the way for applications in various fields, such as solar cells and NIR-emitting devices.
Multi-Pooled Inception Features for No-Reference Image Quality Assessment
Authors: Varga Domonkos
Published: March 2020

Image quality assessment (IQA) is an important element of a broad spectrum of applications ranging from automatic video streaming to display technology. Furthermore, the measurement of image quality requires a balanced investigation of image content and features. Our proposed approach extracts visual features by attaching global average pooling (GAP) layers to multiple Inception modules of on an ImageNet database pretrained convolutional neural network (CNN). In contrast to previous methods, we do not take patches from the input image. Instead, the input image is treated as a whole and is run through a pretrained CNN body to extract resolution-independent, multi-level deep features. As a consequence, our method can be easily generalized to any input image size and pretrained CNNs. Thus, we present a detailed parameter study with respect to the CNN base architectures and the effectiveness of different deep features. We demonstrate that our best proposal—called MultiGAP-NRIQA—is able to outperform the state-of-the-art on three benchmark IQA databases. Furthermore, these results were also confirmed in a cross database test using the LIVE In the Wild Image Quality Challenge database.
User Friendliness of a Wearable Visual Behavior Monitor for Cataract and Refractive Surgery
Authors: Pajic Bojan , Zakharov Pavel , Pajic-Eggspuehler Brigitte , Cvejic Zeljka
Published: March 2020

A prospective feasibility study was conducted to determine whether a new wearable device, the Visual Behavior Monitor (VBM), was easy to use and did not present any difficulties with the daily activities of patients. Patients for cataract surgery and refractive lens exchange were randomly selected and screened for inclusion in the study. A total of 129 patients were included in the study as part of a multicenter study. All measurements were performed before surgery. Upon inclusion, patients were trained to wear the device, instructed to wear it for a minimum of 36 h, and were scheduled to return in one week. The VBM measures the distance at which patients’ visual activities are performed, the level of illumination, and head translational and rotational movements along the three axes. On the follow-up visit, patients completed a questionnaire about their experience in wearing the device. All patients underwent standard diagnostic testing, with their cataract grade determined by the Lens Opacities Classification System (LOCS) classification. Results indicate that 87% of patients felt comfortable using the wearable device while 8% of patients responded as not feeling comfortable (5% of patients did not respond to the question). In addition, 91% of patients found it easy to attach the wearable to the magnetic clip while 4% of patients did not find it easy, and 5% of patients did not respond. Overall, patients found the device easy to use, with most reporting that the device was not intrusive.
Quasinormal Modes of Charged Black Holes in Higher-Dimensional Einstein-Power-Maxwell Theory
Authors: Panotopoulos Grigoris
Published: March 2020

We compute the quasinormal frequencies for scalar perturbations of charged black holes in five-dimensional Einstein-power-Maxwell theory. The impact on the spectrum of the electric charge of the black holes, of the angular degree, of the overtone number, and of the mass of the test scalar field is investigated in detail. The quasinormal spectra in the eikonal limit are computed as well for several different space-time dimensionalities.
PIRT the TRP Channel Regulating Protein Binds Calmodulin and Cholesterol-Like Ligands
Authors: Sisco Nicholas J. , Luu Dustin D. , Kim Minjoo , Van Horn Wade D.
Published: March 2020

Transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels are polymodal receptors that have been implicated in a variety of pathophysiologies, including pain, obesity, and cancer. The capsaicin and heat sensor TRPV1, and the menthol and cold sensor TRPM8, have been shown to be modulated by the membrane protein PIRT (Phosphoinositide-interacting regulator of TRP). The emerging mechanism of PIRT-dependent TRPM8 regulation involves a competitive interaction between PIRT and TRPM8 for the activating phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) lipid. As many PIP2 modulated ion channels also interact with calmodulin, we investigated the possible interaction between PIRT and calmodulin. Using microscale thermophoresis (MST), we show that calmodulin binds to the PIRT C-terminal α-helix, which we corroborate with a pull-down experiment, nuclear magnetic resonance-detected binding study, and Rosetta-based computational studies. Furthermore, we identify a cholesterol-recognition amino acid consensus (CRAC) domain in the outer leaflet of the first transmembrane helix of PIRT, and with MST, show that PIRT specifically binds to a number of cholesterol-derivatives. Additional studies identified that PIRT binds to cholecalciferol and oxytocin, which has mechanistic implications for the role of PIRT regulation of additional ion channels. This is the first study to show that PIRT specifically binds to a variety of ligands beyond TRP channels and PIP2.
1H-Imidazole-2,5-Dicarboxamides as NS4A Peptidomimetics: Identification of a New Approach to Inhibit HCV-NS3 Protease
Authors: Omar Abdelsattar M. , Elfaky Mahmoud A. , Arold Stefan T. , Soror Sameh H. , Khayat Maan T. , Asfour Hani Z. , Bamane Faida H. , El-Araby Moustafa E.
Published: March 2020

The nonstructural (NS) protein NS3/4A protease is a critical factor for hepatitis C virus (HCV) maturation that requires activation by NS4A. Synthetic peptide mutants of NS4A were found to inhibit NS3 function. The bridging from peptide inhibitors to heterocyclic peptidomimetics of NS4A has not been considered in the literature and, therefore, we decided to explore this strategy for developing a new class of NS3 inhibitors. In this report, a structure-based design approach was used to convert the bound form of NS4A into 1H-imidazole-2,5-dicarboxamide derivatives as first generation peptidomimetics. This scaffold mimics the buried amino acid sequence Ile-25` to Arg-28` at the core of NS4A21`–33` needed to activate the NS3 protease. Some of the synthesized compounds (Coded MOC) were able to compete with and displace NS4A21`–33` for binding to NS3. For instance, N5-(4-guanidinobutyl)-N2-(n-hexyl)-1H-imidazole-2,5-dicarboxamide (MOC-24) inhibited the binding of NS4A21`–33` with a competition half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 1.9 ± 0.12 µM in a fluorescence anisotropy assay and stabilized the denaturation of NS3 by increasing the aggregation temperature (40% compared to NS4A21`–33`). MOC-24 also inhibited NS3 protease activity in a fluorometric assay. Molecular dynamics simulations were conducted to rationalize the differences in structure–activity relationship (SAR) between the active MOC-24 and the inactive MOC-26. Our data show that MOC compounds are possibly the first examples of NS4A peptidomimetics that have demonstrated promising activities against NS3 proteins.