bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Vertebrate TLR Supergene Family Evolved Dynamically by Gene Gain/Loss and Positive Selection Revealing a Host–Pathogen Arms Race in Birds
Authors: Khan Imran , Maldonado Emanuel , Silva Liliana , Almeida Daniela , Johnson Warren E. , O’Brien Stephen J. , Zhang Guojie , Jarvis Erich D. , Gilbert M. Thomas P. , Antunes Agostinho
Published: August 2019

The vertebrate toll-like receptor (TLRs) supergene family is a first-line immune defense against viral and non-viral pathogens. Here, comparative evolutionary-genomics of 79 vertebrate species (8 mammals, 48 birds, 11 reptiles, 1 amphibian, and 11 fishes) revealed differential gain/loss of 26 TLRs, including 6 (TLR3, TLR7, TLR8, TLR14, TLR21, and TLR22) that originated early in vertebrate evolution before the diversification of Agnatha and Gnathostomata. Subsequent dynamic gene gain/loss led to lineage-specific diversification with TLR repertoires ranging from 8 subfamilies in birds to 20 in fishes. Lineage-specific loss of TLR8-9 and TLR13 in birds and gains of TLR6 and TLR10-12 in mammals and TLR19-20 and TLR23-27 in fishes. Among avian species, 5–10% of the sites were under positive selection (PS) (omega 1.5–2.5) with radical amino-acid changes likely affecting TLR structure/functionality. In non-viral TLR4 the 20 PS sites (posterior probability PP > 0.99) likely increased ability to cope with diversified ligands (e.g., lipopolysaccharide and lipoteichoic). For viral TLR7, 23 PS sites (PP > 0.99) possibly improved recognition of highly variable viral ssRNAs. Rapid evolution of the TLR supergene family reflects the host–pathogen arms race and the coevolution of ligands/receptors, which follows the premise that birds have been important vectors of zoonotic pathogens and reservoirs for viruses.
Mechanism of Fibrosis Induced by Echinococcus spp.
Authors: Niu Fuqiu , Chong Shigui , Qin Mingqun , Li Shenmei , Wei Riming , Zhao Yumin
Published: August 2019

Infection with Echinococcus spp. causes fibrosis in various vital organs, including the liver and lungs. Hepatic fibrosis is a pathological feature of Echinococcus infection that destroys normal liver tissue, leading to jaundice, cholecystitis, portal hypertension, etc. Severe Echinococcus multilocularis infections lead to liver failure and hepatic encephalopathy. The formation of peripheral fiberboards around the metacestode is a major reason as to why antiparasitic drugs fail to be effectively transported to the lesion site. Studies on the mechanism of hepatic fibrosis caused by Echinococcus are important for treatment in patients. Recent studies have focused on miRNA and TGF-β. More recent findings have focused on the generation of collagen fibers around the metacestode. In this review paper we focus on the mechanism by which the Echinococcus parasite induces fibrosis in liver and some other organs in intermediate hosts—animals as well as human beings.
Causality Detection Methods Applied to the Investigation of Malaria Epidemics
Authors: Craciunescu Teddy , Murari Andrea , Gelfusa Michela
Published: August 2019

Malaria, a disease with major health and socio-economic impacts, is driven by multiple factors, including a complex interaction with various climatic variables. In this paper, five methods developed for inferring causal relations between dynamic processes based on the information encapsulated in time series are applied on cases previously studied in literature by means of statistical methods. The causality detection techniques investigated in the paper are: a version of the kernel Granger causality, transfer entropy, recurrence plot, causal decomposition and complex networks. The methods provide coherent results giving a quite good confidence in the conclusions.
Low Altitude Measurement Accuracy Improvement of the Airborne FMCW Radio Altimeters
Authors: Labun Ján , Kurdel Pavol , Češkovič Marek , Nekrasov Alexey , Gamec Ján
Published: August 2019

This manuscript focuses on the analysis of a critical height of radio altimeters that can help for the development of new types of aeronautical radio altimeters with increased accuracy in measuring low altitudes. Altitude measurement accuracy is connected with a form of processing the difference signal of a radio altimeter, which carries information on the measured altitude. The definition of the altitude measurement accuracy is closely linked to the value of a critical height. Modern radio altimeters with digital processing of a difference signal could shift the limit of accuracy towards better values when the basics of the determination of critical height are thoroughly known. The theory results from the analysis and simulation of dynamic formation and the dissolution of the so-called stable and unstable height pulses, which define the range of the critical height and are presented in the paper. The theory is supported by a new method of derivation of the basic equation of a radio altimeter based on a critical height. The article supports the new theory of radio altimeters with the ultra-wide frequency deviation that lead to the increase the accuracy of a low altitude measurement. Complex mathematical analysis of the dynamic formation of critical height and a computer simulation of its course supported by the new form of the derivation of the basic equation of radio altimeter guarantee the correctness of the new findings of the systematic creation of unstable height pulses and the influence of their number on the altitude measurement accuracy. Application of the presented findings to the aviation practice will contribute to increasing the accuracy of the low altitude measurement from an aircraft during its landing and to increasing air traffic safety.
Ultrasonic and Heat Treatment of Crude Oils
Authors: Kadyirov Aidar , Karaeva Julia
Published: August 2019

One of the methods of influence on rheological properties of heavy high-viscosity crude oils is ultrasonic treatment. Ultrasonic treatment allows reducing the viscosity of crude oil and, therefore, reducing the costs of its production and transportation. In this paper, the influence of ultrasonic treatment on the rheological characteristics of crude oil (sample No. 1 API = 29.1, sample No. 2 API = 15.9) was investigated. An experimental method was developed. Experimental studies were carried out using the Physica MCR 102 rheometer. The influence of the intensity and duration of ultrasonic treatment on the viscosity of the initial crude oils was studied for 24 h. In addition, the rheological characteristics of the treated oil were investigated after its natural cooling to 293 K. The results are compared with similar results for thermal heating.
Edge Computing Approach for Vessel Monitoring System
Authors: Ferreira Joao C. , Martins Ana Lucia
Published: August 2019

A vessel monitoring system (VMS) is responsible for real-time vessel movement tracking. At sea, most of the tracking systems use satellite communications, which have high associated costs. This leads to a less frequent transmission of data, which reduces the reliability of the vessel location. Our research work involves the creation of an edge computing approach on a local VMS, creating an intelligent process that decides whether the collected data needs to be transmitted or not. Only relevant data that can indicate abnormal behavior is transmitted. The remaining data is stored and transmitted only at ports when communication systems are available at lower prices. In this research, we apply this approach to a fishing control process increasing the data collection process from once every 10 min to once every 30 s, simultaneously decreasing the satellite communication costs, as only relevant data is transmitted in real-time to the competent central authorities. Findings show substantial communication savings from 70% to 90% as only abnormal vessel behavior is transmitted. Even with a data collection process of once every 30 s, findings also show that the use of more stable fishing techniques and fishing areas result in higher savings. The proposed approach is assessed as well in terms of the environmental impact of fishing and potential fraud detection and reduction.
Probabilistic Power Flow for Hybrid AC/DC Grids with Ninth-Order Polynomial Normal Transformation and Inherited Latin Hypercube Sampling
Authors: Peng Sui , Chen Huixiang , Lin Yong , Shu Tong , Lin Xingyu , Tang Junjie , Li Wenyuan , Wu Weijie
Published: August 2019

This paper proposes a new probabilistic power flow method for the hybrid AC/VSC-MTDC (Voltage Source Control-Multiple Terminal Direct Current) grids, which is based on the combination of ninth-order polynomial normal transformation (NPNT) and inherited Latin hypercube sampling (ILHS) techniques. NPNT is utilized to directly handle historical records of uncertain sources to build the accurate probability model of random inputs, and ILHS is adopted to propagate the randomness from inputs to target outputs. Regardless of whether the underlying probability distribution is known or unknown, the proposed method has the ability to adaptively evaluate the sample size according to a specific operational scenario of the power systems, thus achieving a good balance between computational accuracy and speed. Meanwhile, the frequency histograms, probability distributions, and some more statistics of the results can be accurately and efficiently estimated as well. The modified IEEE 118-bus system, together with the realistic data of wind speeds and diverse consumer behaviors following irregular distributions, is used to demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method.
Defect, Diffusion and Dopant Properties of NaNiO2: Atomistic Simulation Study
Authors: Kaushalya Ruwani , Iyngaran Poobalasuntharam , Kuganathan Navaratnarajah , Chroneos Alexander
Published: August 2019

Sodium nickelate, NaNiO2, is a candidate cathode material for sodium ion batteries due to its high volumetric and gravimetric energy density. The use of atomistic simulation techniques allows the examination of the defect energetics, Na-ion diffusion and dopant properties within the crystal. Here, we show that the lowest energy intrinsic defect process is the Na-Ni anti-site. The Na Frenkel, which introduces Na vacancies in the lattice, is found to be the second most favourable defect process and this process is higher in energy only by 0.16 eV than the anti-site defect. Favourable Na-ion diffusion barrier of 0.67 eV in the ab plane indicates that the Na-ion diffusion in this material is relatively fast. Favourable divalent dopant on the Ni site is Co2+ that increases additional Na, leading to high capacity. The formation of Na vacancies can be facilitated by doping Ti4+ on the Ni site. The promising isovalent dopant on the Ni site is Ga3+.
Thermal Runaway Characteristics of a Large Format Lithium-Ion Battery Module
Authors: Cheng Ximing , Li Tao , Ruan Xusong , Wang Zhenpo
Published: August 2019

The overheat abuse experiment of a 12S1P 37 Ah prismatic Lithium-ion battery module in a nominal energy of 1.65 kWh is conducted in this work. The cell behaviors and characterization in the process of thermal runaway propagation is investigated, including the gas eruption, the fire ejection, the flame combustion, the audio features, and the heat transfer, respectively. In the experiment, the central cell is heated on both sides until the pole temperature moves beyond 300 °C, the thermal runaway undergoes about 43 min and propagates from the central to both sides in the module, and all 12 cells burn. Results show that the first three runaway cells spout gas at first, and, then, emit sound with close amplitudes, frequencies, and energies, about 200 s earlier than the fire ejection. Then, the characteristic of the internal short circuit is the temperature rate zone of 1.0 K/s with time greater than 20 s. Moreover, the proposed thermal propagation coefficient is used to assess the thermal propagation capabilities of the runaway cells on their adjacent cells, and this explains the runaway sequence. It is anticipated that the experimental results can provide the deep understanding, thermal runaway warning, and evaluation method for the module safety design.
Spatial-Temporal Characteristics of the Driving Factors of Agricultural Carbon Emissions: Empirical Evidence from Fujian, China
Authors: Chen Yihui , Li Minjie , Su Kai , Li Xiaoyong
Published: August 2019

With the development of agricultural modernization, the carbon emissions caused by the agricultural sector have attracted academic and practitioners’ circles’ attention. This research selected the typical agricultural development province in China, Fujian, as the research object. Based on the carbon emission sources of five main aspects in agricultural production, this paper applied the latest carbon emission coefficients released by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change of the UN (IPCC) and World Resources Institute (WRI), then used the ordered weighted aggregation (OWA) operator to remeasure agricultural carbon emissions in Fujian from 2008–2017. The results showed that the amount of agricultural carbon emissions in Fujian was 5541.95 × 103 tonnes by 2017, which means the average amount of agricultural carbon emissions in 2017 was 615.78 × 103 tonnes, with a decrease of 13.13% compared with that in 2008. In terms of spatial distribution, agricultural carbon emissions in the eastern coastal areas were less than those in the inland regions. Among them, the highest agricultural carbon emissions were in Zhangzhou, Nanping, and Sanming, while the lowest were in Xiamen, Putian, and Ningde. In addition, this paper selected six influencing variables, the research and development intensity, the proportion of agricultural labor force, the added value of agriculture, the agricultural industrial structure, the per capita disposable income of rural residents, and per capita arable land area, to clarify further the impacts on agricultural carbon emissions. Finally, geographically- and temporally-weighted regression (GTWR) was used to measure the direction and degree of the influences of factors on agricultural carbon emission. The conclusion showed that the regression coefficients of each selected factor in cities were positive or negative, which indicated that the impacts on agricultural carbon emission had the characteristics of geospatial nonstationarity.
Modeling and Stability Analysis of Model Predictive Control Dual Active Bridge Converter
Authors: Gao Guoqing , Lei Wanjun , Cui Yao , Li Kai , Shi Ling , Yin Shiyuan
Published: August 2019

Digital control has been widely used in dual active bridge (DAB) converters, which are pivotal parts of electric vehicles and distributed generation systems. However, the time delays introduced by the digital control could affect the performance or even lead to the instability of the digitally controlled DAB converter. In order to reduce the effect of time delay on the dynamics and stability of the system, the model predictive control (MPC) of the DAB converter is proposed based on the discrete-time iteration in this paper to compensate for the digital control delay. According to the obtained discrete-time model, the instability mechanism of the MPC DAB converters with different parameters is revealed. The simulation and theoretical analysis indicate that this method could reduce the influence of the digital control delay and increase the stable range of the system compared with the conventional control strategy. The proposed method is also revealed to have a strong compatibility and portability. In addition, the accurately predicted stability boundaries can be applied to the practical parameter design and guarantee the stable operation of the system. The experimental results are consistent with the theoretical analysis and verify the proposed method.
Design of A New Hydraulic Accumulator for Transient Large Flow Compensation
Authors: Zhao Donglai , Ge Wenjie , Mo Xiaojuan , Liu Bo , Dong Dianbiao
Published: August 2019

Hydraulic accumulators are widely used in industry due to their ability to store energy and absorb fluid shock. Researchers have designed kinds of novel accumulators with better performance in these specific areas. However, the pressure in these accumulators decreases significantly when the fluid oil is continuously supplied from the accumulator to the hydraulic system. This limitation leads to a transient large pressure drop, especially in a small hydraulic system with varied working frequency. In this research, a combined piston type accumulator is proposed with a relatively steady pressure property. The gas chamber and the fluid chamber are separated by a cam mechanism. By using the nonlinear property of the cam mechanism, the nonlinear relationship between the pressure and the volume of the gas can be offset. Hence, the fluid pressure can be maintained in a relatively steady range. The defect of the traditional accumulator in the frequency varied system is analyzed in detail. Then, the structure of the new accumulator is proposed and modeled based on the traditional piston type accumulator. The mathematical equation of the cam mechanism is built under the assumption that the nitrogen gas works in an adiabatic process. A simulation system based on the Amesim platform is constructed, and mathematic equations of the system are given. Preliminary experiments are conducted to evaluate the performance of the new accumulator. The comparison results show that the adaptability of the new accumulator is obviously larger than that of the traditional accumulator in a frequency varied system.
Use of Time-of-Flight Ultrasound to Measure Wave Speed in Poplar Seedlings
Authors: Liu Fenglu , Xu Pengfei , Zhang Houjiang , Guan Cheng , Feng Dan , Wang Xiping
Published: August 2019

In this study, 145 poplar (Populus × euramericana cv.’74/76’) seedlings, a common plantation tree species in China, were selected and their ultrasonic velocities were measured at four timepoints during the first growth year. After that, 60 poplar seedlings were randomly selected and cut down to determine their acoustic velocity, using the acoustic resonance method. The effects of influencing factors such as wood green density, microfibril angle, growth days, and root-collar diameter on acoustic speed in seedlings and the relationship between ultrasonic speed and acoustic resonance speed were investigated and analyzed in this work. The number of specimens used for investigating growth days and root-collar diameter was 145 in both cases, while 60 and two specimens were used for investigating wood density and the microfibril angle, respectively. The results of this study showed that the ultrasonic speed of poplar seedlings significantly and linearly increased with growth days, within 209 growing days. The ultrasonic velocity of poplar seedlings has a high and positive correlation with growth days, and the correlation was 0.99. However, no significant relationship was found between the ultrasonic velocity and root-collar diameter of poplar seedlings. Furthermore, a low and negative relationship was found between wood density and ultrasonic speed (R2 = 0.26). However, ultrasonic velocity significantly decreased with increasing microfibril angle (MFA) in two seedlings, and thus MFA may have an impact on ultrasonic speed in poplar seedlings. In addition, ultrasonic velocity was found to have a strong correlation with acoustic resonance velocity (R2 = 0.81) and a good correlation, R2 = 0.75, was also found between the dynamic moduli of elasticity from ultrasonic and acoustic resonance tests. The results of this study indicate that the ultrasonic technique can possibly be used to measure the ultrasound speed of young seedlings, and thus early screen seedlings for their stiffness properties in the future.
Borosilicate Based Hollow-Core Optical Fibers
Authors: Belardi Walter , Sazio Pier John
Published: August 2019

We discuss the fabrication of hollow-core optical fibers made of borosilicate glass. We show that, despite the high attenuation of the glass relative to silica, the fiber optical losses can be of the same order of magnitude of those obtained by using ultrapure silica glass. Short lengths of the fabricated fibers, used in combination with incoherent optical sources, provide single-mode optical guidance in both near and mid-infrared spectral ranges without any additional optical components.
Yoghurt-Type Gels from Skim Sheep Milk Base Enriched with Whey Protein Concentrate Hydrolysates and Processed by Heating or High Hydrostatic Pressure
Authors: Sakkas Lambros , Tzevdou Maria , Zoidou Evangelia , Gkotzia Evangelia , Karvounis Anastasis , Samara Antonia , Taoukis Petros , Moatsou Golfo
Published: August 2019

An objective of the present study was the enrichment of skim sheep yoghurt milk base with hydrolysates (WPHs) of whey protein concentrate (WP80) derived from Feta cheesemaking. Moreover, the use of high hydrostatic pressure (HP) treatment at 600 MPa/55 °C/10 min as an alternative for heat treatment of milk bases, was studied. In brief, lyophilized trypsin and protamex hydrolysates of WP80 produced under laboratory conditions were added in skim sheep milk. The composition and heat treatment conditions were set after the assessment of the heat stability of various mixtures; trisodium citrate was used as a chelating agent, when needed. According to the results, the conditions of heat treatment were more important for the physical properties of the gel than the type of enrichment. High pressure treatment resulted in inferior gel properties, irrespective of the type of enrichment. Supplementation of skim sheep milk with whey protein hydrolysates at >0.5% had a detrimental effect on gel properties. Finally, skim sheep milk base inoculated with fresh traditional yoghurt, resulted in yoghurt-type gels with high counts of Lb. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Str. thermophilus -close to the ideal 1:1- and with a high ACE inhibitory activity >65% that were not essentially affected by the experimental factors.
Garlic (Allium sativum L.): A Brief Review of Its Antigenotoxic Effects
Authors: Morales-González José Antonio , Madrigal-Bujaidar Eduardo , Sánchez-Gutiérrez Manuel , Izquierdo-Vega Jeannett A. , Valadez-Vega María del Carmen , Álvarez-González Isela , Morales-González Ángel , Madrigal-Santillán Eduardo
Published: August 2019

Traditional Medicine/Complementary and Alternative Medicine is a practice that incorporates medicine based on plants, animals, and minerals for diagnosing, treating, and preventing certain diseases, including chronic degenerative diseases such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and cancer. Different factors generate its continued acceptance, highlighting its diversity, easy access, low cost, and the presence of relatively few adverse effects and, importantly, a high possibility of discovering antigenotoxic agents. In this regard, it is known that the use of different antigenotoxic agents is an efficient alternative to preventing human cancer and that, in general, these can act by means of a combination of various mechanisms of action and against one or various mutagens and/or carcinogens. Therefore, it is relevant to confirm its usefulness, efficacy, and its spectrum of action through different assays. With this in mind, the present manuscript has as its objective the compilation of different investigations carried out with garlic that have demonstrated its genoprotective capacity, and that have been evaluated by means of five of the most outstanding tests (Ames test, sister chromatid exchange, chromosomal aberrations, micronucleus, and comet assay). Thus, we intend to provide information and bibliographic support to investigators in order for them to broaden their studies on the antigenotoxic spectrum of action of this perennial plant.
Non-Invasive Investigation of Pigments of Wall Painting in S. Maria Delle Palate di Tusa (Messina, Italy)
Authors: Mollica Nardo Viviana , Renda Vincenzo , Bonanno Sara , Parrotta Francesco , Anastasio Gianfranco , Caponetti Eugenio , Saladino Maria Luisa , Vasi Cirino Salvatore , Ponterio Rosina Celeste
Published: August 2019

The characterization of materials used in the archaeological field needs an experimental approach in order to avoid the destruction or perturbation of artworks. In order to afford this purpose, a multi-analytical spectroscopic approach is regularly used. We combined non-invasive analysis by using handheld spectroscopic instrumentations (mainly XRF and Raman spectrometers) in order to characterize the wall painting preserved in the church of S. Maria delle Palate at Halaesa Arconidea archeological site (Tusa, Messina, Italy). The aim of the work is the characterization of the nature of pigments used for the realization of the wall painting. The wall painting, probably representing St. Francis in the act of receiving the stigmata, has been subject to cleaning and restoration. Thanks to use of in situ measurement, we have identified hematite and goethite for the red and yellow respectively, and lazurite for the blue. In addition, some relevant information about the black pigment, the technique used for the realization and the conservation state were also obtained. The results obtained during the diagnostic campaign have been a support for the work of restorers. For the first time, the wall painting has been studied, increasing the knowledge of Halaesa Arconidea archaeological site.
From Work Ability Research to Implementation
Authors: Ilmarinen Juhani
Published: August 2019

Work ability research started in Finland in the 1990s due to the challenges of work force aging. The employment rates of older workers (55+) were below 40% and early retirement and work disability rates were rather common in many European countries. The work ability concept and methods were developed and broad international research activities started in the 1990s. A comprehensive promotion model for work ability was created aiming to prevent work ability from declining during aging. However, to be able to impact the work ability is a complicated and difficult task, and requires effects on human resources, work arrangements, and management. Therefore, only a limited number of intervention studies have shown an improvement of work ability during aging. This article introduces some possibilities regarding how to make work ability interventions more successful.
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Early Pubertal Timing Among Girls: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zhang Lei , Zhang Dandan , Sun Ying
Published: August 2019

The association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and pubertal timing has been a topic of enduring controversy. A systematic search of PubMed and Web of Science databases was undertaken to quantify the magnitude of total and specific forms of ACEs effects on early pubertal timing among girls. Our search identified 3280 records, of which 43 studies with 46 independent data sets met inclusion criteria. We estimated pooled effect sizes (Cohen’s ds) for the association between ACEs with early pubertal timing. Total ACEs was not associated with early pubertal timing. When we examined the specific types of ACEs, associations were small to medium for father absence (d = −0.40, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.63, −0.16) and small for sexual abuse (d = −0.13, CI: −0.17, −0.10) and family dysfunction (d = −0.08, CI: −0.11, −0.02). We identified considerable heterogeneity between estimates for almost all of the outcomes. ACEs exposure may affect female reproductive reproduction, particularly father absence, sexual abuse, and family dysfunction. We propose that future research in this area test a theoretical model linking adversity with earlier reproductive strategy, which includes early pubertal timing as a core component linking early adversity and stress physiology with poor health outcomes later in life in females.
Increased Employment for Segregated Roma May Improve Their Health: Outcomes of a Public–Private Partnership Project
Authors: Bosakova Lucia , Madarasova Geckova Andrea , van Dijk Jitse P. , Reijneveld Sijmen A.
Published: August 2019

Increasing employment opportunities for segregated Roma might prevent major economic losses and improve their health. Involvement of the private sector in Roma employment, on top of intensified governmental actions, is likely to be a key to sustainable improvement, but evidence on this is scarce. Our aim was to determine the potential outcomes of such a partnership regarding increased employability and the resulting improved well-being and health. We therefore investigated a Roma employment project called Equality of Opportunity, run since 2002 by a private company, U.S. Steel Kosice, in eastern Slovakia. We conducted a multi-perspective qualitative study to obtain the perspectives of key stakeholders on the outcomes of this project. We found that they expected the employability of segregated Roma to increase in particular via improvements in their work ethic and working habits, education, skills acquisition, self-confidence, courage and social inclusion. They further expected as the main health effects of increased employability an improvement in Roma well-being and health via a stable income, better housing, crime reduction, improved hygienic standards, access to prevention and improved mental resilience. Social policies regarding segregated Roma could thus be best directed at increasing employment and at these topics in particular to increase their effects on Roma health.
Serum Chemerin Does Not Differentiate Colorectal Liver Metastases from Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Feder Susanne , Kandulski Arne , Schacherer Doris , Weiss Thomas S. , Buechler Christa
Published: August 2019

The chemoattractant adipokine chemerin is related to the metabolic syndrome, which is a risk factor for different cancers. Recent studies provide evidence that chemerin is an important molecule in colorectal cancer (CRC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Serum chemerin is high in CRC patients and low in HCC patients and may serve as a differential diagnostic marker for HCC and liver metastases from CRC. To this end, serum chemerin was measured in 36 patients with CRC metastases, 32 patients with HCC and 49 non-tumor patients by ELISA. Chemerin serum protein levels were, however, similar in the three cohorts. Serum chemerin was higher in hypertensive than normotensive tumor patients but not controls. Cancer patients with hypercholesterolemia or hyperuricemia also had increased serum chemerin. When patients with these comorbidities were excluded from the calculation, chemerin was higher in CRC than HCC patients but did not differ from controls. Chemerin did not correlate with the tumor markers carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 and alpha-fetoprotein in both cohorts and was not changed with tumor-node-metastasis stage in HCC. Chemerin was not associated with hepatic fat, liver inflammation and fibrosis. To conclude, systemic chemerin did not discriminate between CRC metastases and HCC. Comorbidities among tumor patients were linked with elevated systemic chemerin.
Impact of Astrocyte Depletion upon Inflammation and Demyelination in a Murine Animal Model of Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Allnoch Lisa , Baumgärtner Wolfgang , Hansmann Florian
Published: August 2019

Astrocytes play a key role in demyelinating diseases, like multiple sclerosis (MS), although many of their functions remain unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of astrocyte depletion upon de- and remyelination, inflammation, axonal damage, and virus distribution in Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis (TME). Groups of two to six glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-thymidine-kinase transgenic SJL mice and SJL wildtype mice were infected with TME virus (TMEV) or mock (vehicle only). Astrocyte depletion was induced by the intraperitoneal administration of ganciclovir during the early and late phase of TME. The animals were clinically investigated while using a scoring system and a rotarod performance test. Necropsies were performed at 46 and 77 days post infection. Cervical and thoracic spinal cord segments were investigated using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), luxol fast blue-cresyl violet (LFB), immunohistochemistry targeting Amigo2, aquaporin 4, CD3, CD34, GFAP, ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba1), myelin basic protein (MBP), non-phosphorylated neurofilaments (np-NF), periaxin, S100A10, TMEV, and immunoelectron microscopy. The astrocyte depleted mice showed a deterioration of clinical signs, a downregulation and disorganization of aquaporin 4 in perivascular astrocytes accompanied by vascular leakage. Furthermore, astrocyte depleted mice showed reduced inflammation and lower numbers of TMEV positive cells in the spinal cord. The present study indicates that astrocyte depletion in virus triggered CNS diseases contributes to a deterioration of clinical signs that are mediated by a dysfunction of perivascular astrocytes.
MiR-574-5p: A Circulating Marker of Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm
Authors: Boileau Adeline , Lino Cardenas Christian L. , Courtois Audrey , Zhang Lu , Rodosthenous Rodosthenis S. , Das Saumya , Sakalihasan Natzi , Michel Jean-Baptiste , Lindsay Mark E. , Devaux Yvan
Published: August 2019

Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) can lead to fatal complications such as aortic dissection. Since aneurysm dimension poorly predicts dissection risk, microRNAs (miRNAs) may be useful to diagnose or risk stratify TAA patients. We aim to identify miRNAs associated with TAA pathogenesis and that are possibly able to improve TAA diagnosis. MiRNA microarray experiments of aortic media tissue samples from 19 TAA patients and 19 controls allowed identifying 232 differentially expressed miRNAs. Using interaction networks between these miRNAs and 690 genes associated with TAA, we identified miR-574-5p as a potential contributor of TAA pathogenesis. Interestingly, miR-574-5p was significantly down-regulated in the TAA tissue compared to the controls, but was up-regulated in serum samples from a separate group of 28 TAA patients compared to 20 controls (p < 0.001). MiR-574-5p serum levels discriminated TAA patients from controls with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.87. In the Fbn1C1041G/+ mouse model, miR-574-5p was down-regulated in aortic tissue compared to wild-type (p < 0.05), and up-regulated in plasma extracellular vesicles from Fbn1C1041G/+ mice compared to wild-type mice (p < 0.05). Furthermore, in vascular smooth muscle cells, angiotensin II appears to induce miR-574-5p secretion in extracellular vesicles. In conclusion, miR-574-5p is associated with TAA pathogenesis and may help in diagnosing this disease.
Circular RNAs: Biogenesis, Mechanism, and Function in Human Cancers
Authors: Zhao Xing , Cai Yujie , Xu Jianzhen
Published: August 2019

CircRNAs are a class of noncoding RNA species with a circular configuration that is formed by either typical spliceosome-mediated or lariat-type splicing. The expression of circRNAs is usually abnormal in many cancers. Several circRNAs have been demonstrated to play important roles in carcinogenesis. In this review, we will first provide an introduction of circRNAs biogenesis, especially the regulation of circRNA by RNA-binding proteins, then we will focus on the recent findings of circRNA molecular mechanisms and functions in cancer development. Finally, some open questions are also discussed.
Ether Lipid Deficiency in Mice Produces a Complex Behavioral Phenotype Mimicking Aspects of Human Psychiatric Disorders
Authors: Dorninger Fabian , Gundacker Anna , Zeitler Gerhard , Pollak Daniela D. , Berger Johannes
Published: August 2019

Ether lipids form a specialized subgroup of phospholipids that requires peroxisomes to be synthesized. We have previously detected that deficiency in these lipids leads to a severe disturbance of neurotransmitter homeostasis and release as well as behavioral abnormalities, such as hyperactivity, in a mouse model. Here, we focused on a more detailed examination of the behavioral phenotype of ether lipid-deficient mice (Gnpat KO) and describe a set of features related to human psychiatric disorders. Gnpat KO mice show strongly impaired social interaction as well as nestlet shredding and marble burying, indicating disturbed execution of inborn behavioral patterns. Also, compromised contextual and cued fear conditioning in these animals suggests a considerable memory deficit, thus potentially forming a connection to the previously determined ether lipid deficit in human patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Nesting behavior and the preference for social novelty proved normal in ether lipid-deficient mice. In addition, we detected task-specific alterations in paradigms assessing depression- and anxiety-related behavior. The reported behavioral changes may be used as easy readout for the success of novel treatment strategies against ether lipid deficiency in ameliorating nervous system-associated symptoms. Furthermore, our findings underline that ether lipids are paramount for brain function and demonstrate their relevance for cognitive, social, and emotional behavior. We hereby substantially extend previous observations suggesting a link between deficiency in ether lipids and human mental illnesses, particularly autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Hydrolysed Collagen from Sheepskins as a Source of Functional Peptides with Antioxidant Activity
Authors: León-López Arely , Fuentes-Jiménez Lucía , Hernández-Fuentes Alma Delia , Campos-Montiel Rafael G. , Aguirre-Álvarez Gabriel
Published: August 2019

The extraction and enzymatic hydrolysis of collagen from sheepskins at different times of hydrolysis (0, 10, 15, 20, 30 min, 1, 2, 3 and 4 h) were investigated in terms of amino acid content (hydroxyproline), isoelectric point, molecular weight (Mw) by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) method, viscosity, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, antioxidant capacity by 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays, thermal properties (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) and morphology by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique. The kinetics of hydrolysis showed an increase in the protein and hydroxyproline concentration as the hydrolysis time increased to 4 h. FTIR spectra allowed us to identify the functional groups of hydrolysed collagen (HC) in the amide I region for collagen. The isoelectric point shifted to lower values compared to the native collagen precursor. The change in molecular weight and viscosity from time 0 min to 4 h promoted important antioxidant activity in the resulting HC. The lower the Mw, the greater the ability to donate an electron or hydrogen to stabilize radicals. From the SEM images it was evident that HC after 2 h had a porous and spongy structure. These results suggest that HC could be a good alternative to replace HC from typical sources like pigs, cows and fish.
Visual Saliency Prediction Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Ghariba Bashir , Shehata Mohamed S. , McGuire Peter
Published: August 2019

Human eye movement is one of the most important functions for understanding our surroundings. When a human eye processes a scene, it quickly focuses on dominant parts of the scene, commonly known as a visual saliency detection or visual attention prediction. Recently, neural networks have been used to predict visual saliency. This paper proposes a deep learning encoder-decoder architecture, based on a transfer learning technique, to predict visual saliency. In the proposed model, visual features are extracted through convolutional layers from raw images to predict visual saliency. In addition, the proposed model uses the VGG-16 network for semantic segmentation, which uses a pixel classification layer to predict the categorical label for every pixel in an input image. The proposed model is applied to several datasets, including TORONTO, MIT300, MIT1003, and DUT-OMRON, to illustrate its efficiency. The results of the proposed model are quantitatively and qualitatively compared to classic and state-of-the-art deep learning models. Using the proposed deep learning model, a global accuracy of up to 96.22% is achieved for the prediction of visual saliency.
Fuzzy Programming Approaches for Modeling a Customer-Centred Freight Routing Problem in the Road-Rail Intermodal Hub-and-Spoke Network with Fuzzy Soft Time Windows and Multiple Sources of Time Uncertainty
Authors: Sun Yan , Li Xinya
Published: August 2019

In this study, we systematically investigate a road-rail intermodal routing problem the optimization of which is oriented on the customer demands on transportation economy, timeliness and reliability. The road-rail intermodal transportation system is modelled as a hub-and-spoke network that contains time-flexible container truck services and scheduled container train services. The transportation timeliness is optimized by using fuzzy soft time windows associated with the service level of the transportation. Reliability is enhanced by considering multiple sources of time uncertainty, including road travel time and loading/unloading time. Such uncertainty is modelled by using fuzzy set theory. Triangular fuzzy numbers are adopted to represent the uncertain time. Under the above consideration, we first establish a fuzzy mixed integer nonlinear programming model with a weighted objective that includes minimizing the costs and maximizing the service level for accomplishing transportation orders. Then we use the fuzzy expected value model and fuzzy chance-constrained programming separately to realize the defuzzification of the fuzzy objective and use fuzzy chance-constrained programming to deal with the fuzzy constraint. After defuzzification and linearization, an equivalent mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model is generated to enable the problem to be solved by mathematical programming software. Finally, a numerical case modified from our previous study is presented to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed fuzzy programming approaches. Sensitivity analysis and fuzzy simulation are comprehensively utilized to discuss the effects of the fuzzy soft time windows and time uncertainty on the routing optimization and help decision makers to better design a crisp transportation plan that can effectively make tradeoffs among economy, timeliness and reliability.
A Soft-Rough Set Based Approach for Handling Contextual Sparsity in Context-Aware Video Recommender Systems
Authors: Abbas Syed Manzar , Alam Khubaib Amjad , Shamshirband Shahaboddin
Published: August 2019

Context-aware video recommender systems (CAVRS) seek to improve recommendation performance by incorporating contextual features along with the conventional user-item ratings used by video recommender systems. In addition, the selection of influential and relevant contexts has a significant effect on the performance of CAVRS. However, it is not guaranteed that, under the same contextual scenario, all the items are evaluated by users for providing dense contextual ratings. This problem cause contextual sparsity in CAVRS because the influence of each contextual factor in traditional CAVRS assumes the weights of contexts homogeneously for each of the recommendations. Hence, the selection of influencing contexts with minimal conflicts is identified as a potential research challenge. This study aims at resolving the contextual sparsity problem to leverage user interactions at varying contexts with an item in CAVRS. This problem may be investigated by considering a formal approximation of contextual attributes. For the purpose of improving the accuracy of recommendation process, we have proposed a novel contextual information selection process using Soft-Rough Sets. The proposed model will select a minimal set of influencing contexts using a weights assign process by Soft-Rough sets. Moreover, the proposed algorithm has been extensively evaluated using “LDOS-CoMoDa” dataset, and the outcome signifies the accuracy of our approach in handling contextual sparsity by exploiting relevant contextual factors. The proposed model outperforms existing solutions by identifying relevant contexts efficiently based on certainty, strength, and relevancy for effective recommendations.
Risk Assessment for Self Reported Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Excessive Daytime Sleepiness in a Greek Nursing Staff Population
Authors: Alexandropoulou Alexia , Vavougios Georgios D. , Hatzoglou Chrissi , Gourgoulianis Konstantinos I. , Zarogiannis Sotirios G.
Published: August 2019

Background and objectives: The risk assessment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) in specific occupational populations is important due to its association with morbidity. The aim of the present study was to identify the risk of OSA development and EDS in a Greek nursing staff population. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study a total of 444 nurses, 56 males (age = 42.91 ± 5.76 years/BMI = 27.17 ± 4.32) and 388 females (age = 41.41 ± 5.92 years/BMI = 25.08 ± 4.43) working in a Greek secondary and tertiary hospital participated during the period from 18 January 2015 to 10 February 2015. The participants completed the Berlin Questionnaire (BQ), concerning the risk for OSA and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), concerning the EDS. The work and lifestyle habits of the participants were correlated with the results of the questionnaires. Results: According to the BQ results 20.5% (n = 91) of the nursing staff was at high risk for OSA. Increased daytime sleepiness affected 27.7% (n = 123) of the nurses according to ESS results. Nurses at risk for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS), positive for both BQ and ESS, were 7.66% (n = 34). Out of the nurses that participated 77% (n = 342) were working in shifts status and had significant meal instability (breakfast p < 0.0001, lunch p < 0.0001, dinner p = 0.0008). Conclusions: The population at high risk for OSA and EDS in the nursing staff was found to be 20% and 28% respectively. High risk for OSAS was detected in 7.66% of the participants. The high risk for OSA and EDS was the same irrespective of working in shift status. In specific, nursing population age was an independent predictor for high risk for OSA and skipping lunch an independent predictor of daytime sleepiness.