bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Peningkatan Pemahaman Ayah tentang Air Susu Ibu (ASI) Eksklusif sebagai Upaya Peningkatan Kepedulian Ayah terhadap ASI Eksklusif di Brimobda Bengkulu
Authors: Pratiwi Bintang Agustina , Oktarianita Oktarianita , Sartika Andry
Published: March 2022

The results of a survey on fathers of under-five in Brimobda Bengkulu found that their children were not given exclusive breastfeeding. Fathers do not know what exclusive breastfeeding is, the benefits, and forms of father support that can support the success of exclusive breastfeeding. The service activity aimed to improve the understanding and skills of fathers in providing support for breastfeeding, especially exclusive breastfeeding through counseling activities and providing examples of the role of fathers in exclusive breastfeeding. The activity was carried out with the target of prospective fathers and fathers of under-five. The implementing team for this activity is a lecturer at the health sciences faculty of the University of Muhammadiyah Bengkulu. Community service that was carried out online using zoom media. This was due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation. Implementation was carried out in April 2021. Complete information about breastfeeding was given to fathers/husbands so that they understand what exclusive breastfeeding is, and provide support to breastfeeding mothers. The results of this activity indicated an increase in fathers' knowledge about breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding. Participants seemed enthusiastic in participating in this activity. It is advisable to continue to provide education about breastfeeding to groups of fathers and other prospective fathers. To be able to prepare to support breastfeeding.
ABSTRAK
Hasil survei pada ayah yang memiliki anak balita di Brimobda Bengkulu ditemukan bahwa anaknya tidak diberikan ASI Eksklusif. Ayah tidak mengetahui apa itu ASI Eksklusif, manfaatnya serta bentuk dukungan Ayah yang bagaimana dapat mendukung keberhasilan ASI Eksklusif. Kegiatan pengabdian bertujuan meningkatkan pemahaman dan keterampilan ayah dalam memberikan dukungan pemberian ASI khususnya ASI Eksklusif melalui kegiatan penyuluhan serta memberikan contoh bentuk peran ayah dalam pemberian ASI Eksklusif. Kegiatan dilakukan dengan sasaran calon ayah dan ayah yang mempunyai Balita. Tim pelaksana kegiatan ini adalah dosen fakultas ilmu kesehatan Universitas Muhammadiyah Bengkulu. Pengabdian kepada masyarakat yang dilakukan secara daring menggunakan media zoom. Hal ini dikarenakan situasi pandemi Covid-19. Pelaksanaan dilakukan pada bulan April. Informasi lengkap tentang ASI diberikan kepada para ayah/suami agar mereka memahami apa itu ASI eksklusif, serta memberikan dukungan kepada para ibu menyusui. Hasil dari kegiatan ini menunjukkan adanya peningkatan pengetahuan Ayah tentang ASI dan ASI Eksklusif. Peserta terlihat antusias mengikuti kegiatan ini. Sebaiknya edukasi tentang ASI terus dilakukan kepada kelompok ayah dan calon ayah lainnya. Agar bisa mempersiapkan diri untuk mendukung pemberian ASI.
Pelatihan Pembuatan Makanan Tambahan Lokal untuk Pencegahan Stunting
Authors: Wijianto Wijianto , Galenso Nitro , Sahid Rugayah , Subchan Djadid , Hasan Sri Musriniawati , Riyanto Ekawati , Mangemba Dg. , Aswati Aswati
Published: March 2022

Jayabakti village is the most densely populated village that is at risk of suffering from stunting with 19.3% of the total under-five cases. The level of public knowledge about nutrition and poor nutritional intake from the fetus to children aged 2 years is one of the causes of stunting. This community service activity aimed to improve the knowledge and skills of the community, especially pregnant women and mothers of infants and under-five children in utilizing local food ingredients for making supplementary food. Training activities for making local food that demonstrate 4 types of menus, namely: breadfruit meatballs, pumpkin pukis, purple sweet potato steamed cake, and mackerel sticks were carried out by lecturers and students of Luwuk Nursing DIII study program in Jayabakti village on November 3, 2021. This activity increased the community's knowledge and skills. It can be seen from the results of the pre-test and post-test an increase of 17%. The enthusiasm of the participants in participating in the training activities was also very good.
 
ABSTRAK
Desa Jayabakti yang merupakan desa terpadat di dunia berisiko mengalami Stunting dengan jumlah kasus 19,3% dari total balita. Tingkat pengetahuan masyarakat tentang gizi dan buruknya asupan gizi sejak janin hingga anak usia 2 tahun adalah merupakan salah satu penyebab terjadinya stunting. Kegiatan Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan dan ketrampilan masyarakat khususnya ibu hamil dan ibu bayi balita dalam memanfaatkan bahan pangan lokal untuk pembuatan makanan tambahan. Kegiatan pelatihan pembuatan makanan tambahan lokal yang mendemonstrasikan 4 jenis menu yaitu: bakso sukun, pukis labu kuning, bolu kukus ubi ungu dan stik ikan kembung dilaksanakan oleh dosen berserta mahasiswa, Prodi DIII keperawatan Luwuk di desa Jayabakti pada tanggal 3 November 2021. Melalui kegiatan ini telah terjadi peningkatan pengetahuan dan ketrampilan masyarakat, hal tersebut terlihat dari hasil pre-test dan post-test terjadi peningkatan sebesar 17%. Antusias peserta dalam mengikuti kegiatan pelatihan juga sangat baik.
Re-Assessment of the Oral Salt Loading Test Using a New Chemiluminescent Enzyme Immunoassay Based on a Two-Step Sandwich Method to Measure 24-Hour Urine Aldosterone Excretion
Authors: Ozeki Yoshinori , Kinoshita Mizuki , Miyamoto Shotaro , Yoshida Yuichi , Okamoto Mitsuhiro , Gotoh Koro , Masaki Takayuki , Kambara Kengo , Shibata Hirotaka
Published: March 2022

Since April 2021, the plasma aldosterone concentration has been measured by chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA) in Japan. In the present study, we developed a new CLEIA using a two-step sandwich method to measure the 24-hour urine aldosterone level. We collected 115 urine samples and measured 24-hour urine aldosterone levels employing radioimmunoassay (RIA), CLEIA, and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The results showed that the 24-hour urine aldosterone levels measured using CLEIA and LC-MS/MS were significantly correlated (ρ = 0.992, P < 0.0001). Based on the results of Passing–Bablok regression analysis, the slope was 0.992 and the intercept –19.3. The 24-hour urine aldosterone levels measured using CLEIA and RIA were also significantly correlated (ρ = 0.905, P < 0.0001). However, the aldosterone level measured by CLEIA was lower than that measured by RIA (slope, 0.729; intercept, 120.9). In Japan, a new guideline for primary aldosteronism has been announced, with changes in the aldosterone measurement method. The cutoff values for oral sodium loading test (OSLT) were changed, but clinical verification using real-world urine samples has not been performed. Therefore, we examined the cut-off value of the 24-hour urine aldosterone level after the OSLT. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed a cut-off value for primary aldosteronism of 3 μg/day.
Case Report: Guillain-Barré Syndrome Characterized by Severe Headache Associated With Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5 Antibody
Authors: Yan Weiqian , Zhao Cheng , Zhang Hainan , Hu Zhiping , Wang Chunyu
Published: March 2022

Autoantibodies to metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) are known to be the cause of autoimmune encephalitis, particularly limbic encephalitis, closely related to Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL). The involvement of peripheral neuropathy is rarely reported. In our case, mGluR5 antibody was found in a Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) patient accompanied by severe headache but without neuropsychiatric manifestations or HL. Presenting with severe headache, the patient developed progressive bilateral limb weakness, areflexia, and cranial nerve involvement consisting of eye movement disorder, restricted mouth opening and chewing, bilateral facial paralysis and bulbar palsy. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) revealed elevated CSF protein level and normal cell count, known as “albumino-cytological dissociation”. Oligoclonal IgG bands were found in both the CSF and serum. Electrophysiological studies revealed symmetrical sensory and motor neuropathy with a mixture of axonal and demyelinating features. Brain and spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as well as the electroencephalogram, were normal. The mGluR5 antibody was positive in both serum and CSF with a Cell-Based Assay (CBA). The patient responded well to intravenous gammaglobulin therapy, correlated with a reduction of mGluR5 antibody titer from 1:30 to 1:10 in the serum. After 6 months, the patient recovered completely without any sign of recurrence or neoplasm. This first case of mGluR5 antibody-associated GBS accompanied by severe headache shows that mGluR5-associated disorders are not limited to manifestations of limbic encephalitis and HL.
Case Report: Identification of Compound Heterozygous Mutations in a Patient With Late-Onset Glycogen Storage Disease Type II (Pompe Disease)
Authors: Zhang Huiting , Chen Jun , Zhu Yuchang , Ma Xiaotang , Zhong Wangtao
Published: March 2022

Pompe disease is an autosomal recessive hereditary lysosomal disorder and correlated with acid α-glucosidase enzyme (GAA) deficiencies, which lead to accumulation of glycogen in all tissues, most notably in skeletal muscles. Adult late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) is a slowly progressive disease of proximal myopathy with later involvement of the respiratory muscles, resulting in respiratory failure. In this study, we reported a 22-year-old Chinese woman with inability to withstand heavy physical activity since childhood, who presented with respiratory and ambulation weakness in 2 months. On admission, her bilateral upper limbs strength was 4/5 and lower limbs strength was 3/5 according to Medical Research Council (MRC) score. The patient had compound heterozygotes containing a newly identified 4 nt deletion of coding sequence (deletion nt 1411_1414) in one of the acid α-glucosidase alleles and a c.2238G>C (p.Trp746Cys) missense mutation. This deletion has been reported in infant-onset Pompe disease (IOPD) but not LOPD. Intriguingly, this deletion mutation was not found in the patient's family and was considered as pathogenic. Muscle biopsy showed scattered vacuoles with basophilic granules inside the subsarcolemmal area, which were strongly stained by periodic acid-Schiff (PAS). Laboratory tests revealed a significant increase of creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). GAA level was 9.77 nmol/1 h/mg and was not sufficient for the diagnosis of GAA activity deficiency (0–3.78 nmol/1 h/mg). In summary, mutational analysis of GAA and muscle biopsy are crucial in the diagnosis of Pompe disease.
Functional Trait Diversity Shapes the Biomass in the Dam-Induced Riparian Zone
Authors: Wang Yanfeng , Wu Shengjun , Liu Ying , Li Xiaohong , Zhang Jing
Published: March 2022

The construction of dams has caused a serious decline in riparian ecosystem functioning and associated services. It is crucial to assess the response of riparian plant communities to flooding stress for their conservation. Functional traits composition, functional diversity, and species diversity are commonly used to investigate the effect of abiotic stress on ecosystem functioning and services (i.e., biomass). Yet, how the functional traits respond to the flooding stress along a dam-induced riparian habitat remains unclear, and how biodiversity affects biomass still exists controversy. Accordingly, this study investigated the response strategies of functional traits subjected to the flooding stress and its correlation with aboveground biomass (AGB) in the water level fluctuation zone (WLFZ) of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR). We found that leaf traits and root traits showed a significant response to elevation, whereas they demonstrated different distribution patterns. Leaf traits showed acquisitive-conservative-acquisitive resource strategies along the flooding stress, while root traits shifted from species conservative resource to acquisitive resource strategies. AGB was found to be positively related to the community weighted mean (CWM) trait values for leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and negatively related to specific leaf area (SLA), but the AGB showed no relationship with the root traits. AGB accumulated greatly in the intermediate species diversity, and we also found a significant relationship between functional diversity and biomass within threshold values. Additionally, Rao’s exerted the most significant influence on the biomass, suggesting that the functional diversity index is a better indicator of biomass variation. The results obtained only partly supported the “mass ratio hypothesis” in leaf traits and mainly supported the “niche complementarity hypothesis”, which suggested that these two theories are not mutually exclusive at the early stage of vegetation community succession with an unstable community structure in dam-regulated riparian zones.
Optimizing the In-Vessel Composting Process of Sugarbeet Dry-Cleaning Residue
Authors: Abdallah Said Elshahat , Mazrou Yasser S. A. , Elsakhawy Tamer , Elgarhy Reda , Elmetwalli Adel H. , Elsayed Salah , Elmessery Wael M.
Published: March 2022

Rapid urbanization and industrialization around the world have created massive amounts of organic residues, which have been prioritized for conversion into valuable resources through the composting process to keep their harmful effect at a minimum. This research aimed to assess the influence of active and passive aeration on composting mass of sugar beet residues in the case of using additives (e.g., charcoal only or manure only or combination). Some physicochemical properties of composting mass were analyzed on certain days of composting. Some parameters including temperature–time profile, carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N ratio), moisture content, electrical conductivity, pH, germination and microbial population enumeration of compost were measured. Cress germination test was conducted for each medium of germination which contains a mixture of soil and compost (at a ratio of 3:1) taken from each treatment. The results showed that temperature–time profile data of composting mass showed an irregularity. Forcedly aerated composting mass did not demonstrate a thermophilic phase while passively aerated ones did not show a mesophilic phase. Carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio reduction was greater in most forcedly aerated composting mass than passively aerated on days from 1 to 33 of composting period. The results further showed that electrical conductivity decreased at the end of the composting period where it ranged from 2.55 to 3.1 dS/m. Germination medium containing forcedly aerated compost treated with a combination of charcoal and manure achieved the highest germination index which was higher than the control sample by 58.63% followed by forcedly aerated composting mass treated by charcoal only which exceeded the control sample by 5.35%. Strong correlation coefficient (r > 0.80) for the relationship between germination index and number of bacteria was obtained on day 17th of composting period.
A Fast Analysis of Pesticide Spray Dispersion by an Agricultural Aircraft Very near the Ground
Authors: King Ji , Xue Xinyu , Yao Weixiang , Jin Zhen
Published: March 2022

This study provides a fast analysis of pesticide spray trails and dispersion influenced by crosswind, headwind, velocity field and the wake of an agricultural aircraft approaching the ground, to improve operational efficiency and reduce environmental impact. The lifting line-wingtip vortices mixture model is proposed to calculate induced velocity field around a monoplane far to 190 wingspans downstream, and N-vortex system based on point vortex dynamics is applied to simulate vortex rebound and vortex motion on considering extreme ground effect. The droplet trajectories governed by wake vortices and their induced velocity field are therefore determined under the Lagrangian framework. According to the ground deposition of typical droplets, the Gaussian mixture model is employed to predict droplet drift or dispersal for the whole spectrum of droplets in the spanwise direction. The fast analysis is compared to AGDISP and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation for Thrush 510G aircraft, which runs on a common personal computer (CPU 2 GHz, memory 2 GB) within 3.2 s, faster than AGDISP and CFD, and does not rely on swath width input needed by AGDISP. The results suggest crosswind speed and droplet size are two leading factors affecting the drift and ground deposition. To increase droplet size or reduce the portion of fine droplets, the pesticide drift can be suppressed in some degrees.
Restoration of Degraded Lands in the Arid Zone of the European Part of Russia by the Method of Phytomelioration
Authors: Vlasenko Marina Vladimirovna , Rybashlykova Ludmila Petrovna , Turko Svetlana Yurievna
Published: March 2022

In arid areas, it is necessary to apply phytomelioration widely to create an organized, stable and ecologically well-maintained forest–agrarian landscape in which agricultural lands can provide diverse and stable products, and to provide optimum ecologyfor the existence of a natural and anthropogenic system. The aim of this work is to select shrub and herbaceous plant species for the restoration of degraded lands in the arid zone of the European part of Russia with the prospect of preserving and increasing the productivity of native biodiversity, and the structure and dynamics of pasture ecosystems. The object of this study is the desert and semi-desert zone in the south-east of the European part of Russia within the Caspian lowland. The productivity of vegetation in the studied zone is largely determined by soil conditions, seasonal weather phenomena and animal grazing. The lowest forage productivity is characterized by the winter period with very strongly beaten white-field-grain pastures on unsalted, weakly- and medium-salted light chestnut soils; very strongly beaten bulbous-bluegrass-white-field pastures on saline deep, medium and strongly saline light chestnut soils; or medium-beaten black-wormwood and bulbous-bluegrass-black-wormwood pastures on small and crusty salt flats. The highest productivity is observed in the spring-summer period on unbroken areas of unsalted, weakly and medium saline light chestnut soils occupied by white-field cereal phytocenoses. The intensity of transpiration of perennial forage grasses growing on sandy loam soils of the dry steppe zone was measured. The analysis of biomorphological features of native forage species resistant to climate change and pasture load, and promising for phytomeliorative reconstruction of degraded pastures include: ecotypes of the genus Artemisia (A. pauciflora, A. Lercheana) and the genus Agropyron (A. cristatum, A. fragile, A. pectinatum), growing on various soils in natural conditions in the south-east of the European part of Russia. It was revealed that the seed productivity of Agropyron varieties varies within 0.5–4.0 c/ha depending on the variety, the method of sowing and climatic conditions of the year. To increase seed productivity, wide-row sowing with row spacing widths of 45 and 70 cm is promising.
New Biostimulants Screening Method for Crop Seedlings under Water Deficit Stress
Authors: Jiménez-Arias David , Morales-Sierra Sarai , Borges Andrés A. , Herrera Antonio J. , Luis Juan C.
Published: March 2022

Biostimulants can be used in many crops growing under water deficit conditions at the seedling stage. This study used tomato, Solanum lycopersicum L., seedlings growing in commercial 150-cell trays as an experimental setup to reproduce mild drought stress effects. The method showed significant reductions in seedling growth and RGR (25%) after a seven-day experiment. Gas exchange parameters (Pn, Gs and E) had significantly lower values (30–50%) than the control seedlings. Stress-related metabolite, ABA, exhibited a significant accumulation in the tomato seedlings (24 h), consistent with SINCED2 gene expression. Proline levels were twice as high in the water-deficit treated seedlings, remaining at this level until the end of the experiment. However, total carbohydrates were significantly lower in water-deficit treated seedlings. Qualitative and quantitative analysis suggested that using the variable ‘seedling biomass accumulation’ could simplify the methodology. Twelve different biostimulants were assayed, implementing this simplification, and all of them showed higher biomass accumulation in the treated seedlings than in the non-treated ones under water deficit. Among them, putrescine, spermine and spermidine were the most effective. The method is adjustable to different biostimulant volumes (1, 3 and 5 mL; 1 mM BABA), with no significant differences between the treatments.
Assessment of Indicators in a Human Liver Cell Line HL-7702 for Tetracycline Toxicity in Farm Soil
Authors: Liu Di , Aziz Rukhsanda , Shohag Md. Jahidul Islam , Lu Lingli , Wang Yuyan , Feng Ying , Li Tingqiang , Wang Mei , Tian Shengke , Yang Xiaoe , Chen Siyu , Tu Mingguang , Wang Zhiqiang
Published: March 2022

Tetracycline (TC) contamination has become hot research topic, but little attention has been paid to its ecotoxicological monitoring. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the impact of TC on human normal liver cells (HL-7702) and find indicators for monitoring their ecotoxicity. The cytotoxicity of TC, at concentrations ranging from 0 to 1000 μg L−1, was assessed on HL-7702 cells. The results showed that TC significantly inhibited the cell viability at a high concentration (1000 μg L−1). The TC at exposure levels ≥ 50–100 μg L−1 significantly increased the levels of extracellular catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA), alanine transaminase (ALT), and aspartate transaminase (AST), and a significantly positive correlation between the TC concentrations and the values of the above parameters was observed. Swelling of the mitochondrial cristae (MC) and rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and the loss of ribosomes in HL-7702 cells, were observed at high TC levels. There was a positive correlation between soil TC concentration and ALT activities. The above results suggest that TC is cytotoxic to HL-7702 cells and that extracellular ALT activities can be used as a sensitive bioindicator for monitoring soil TC contamination. We, therefore, propose that the HL-7702 cell line can be a novel tool for early antibiotics toxicity monitoring.
Humic Substances as Indicator of Degradation Rate of Chernozems in South-Eastern Poland
Authors: Dudek Michał , Łabaz Beata , Bednik Magdalena , Medyńska-Juraszek Agnieszka
Published: March 2022

Unfavourable quantitative and qualitative changes of soil organic matter result from degradation processes, such as water erosion connected with intense arable land use. In order to take adequate preventive action, the proper indicators of soil quality or degradation are urgently needed. In particular, tests considering the soil organic matter quality seem to be beneficial for soil monitoring. In this paper, we performed organic matter fractionation using the Tyurin and IHSS procedures on eight profiles of chernozemic soils (non-degraded, eroded, forest and accumulative soils). The study conducted confirmed the applicability of using humic and fulvic fractions in order to determine the pedogenesis processes and degradation rates of chernozemic soils. For example, the HA/FA ratio was higher in non-eroded and accumulative soils, compared with eroded or forest profiles. These findings were supported by statistical discrimination performed on the mid-infrared spectra of humic acids extracted from the selected profiles. Groups of samples were divided into classes depending on land usage or degradation rate. Considering the results, fractions of humic substances can be recommended as useful tools for the assessment of soil transformation.
Influence of Dietary Inclusion of Exhausted Bergamot By-Product in Pigs on Animal Performance, Fatty Acid Profile and Oxidative Stability of Meat and Meat Products
Authors: Scerra Manuel , Rao Rosa , Foti Francesco , Caparra Pasquale , Cilione Caterina , Natalello Antonio , Biondi Luisa , Bella Marco Sebastiano , Chies Luigi
Published: March 2022

An investigation was carried out on the effect in pig diet of supplementation with exhausted bergamot by-product, stemming from pharmaceutical industry after extraction of phenolic compounds, on growth performance and on the quality of meat and meat products. Twenty pigs were assigned to two dietary treatments and fed a conventional concentrate (control) or a concentrate including exhausted bergamot by-product at the level of 15% on a DM basis (EB). No significant differences between dietary treatments were found for final weight (p = 0.243), carcass weight (p = 0.679), dry matter intake (p = 0.321). In EB pork, the proportion of docosapentaenoic acid was significantly increased (p < 0.05); it tended to have a greater proportion of n-3 PUFA (p = 0.09), and the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio was lower in EB treatment (p = 0.01). In salami from EB pigs fed, the proportion of α-linolenic acid and the total n-3 PUFA were higher than in the control group (p < 0.001). In salami, the TBARS value was lower after 5 days of storage (p < 0.001) in the EB group. Therefore, the present results suggest that the inclusion of exhausted bergamot by-product in pig diet resulted in a qualitative improvement of meat and meat products.
Evolution of the Concepts of Endometrosis, Post Breeding Endometritis, and Susceptibility of Mares
Authors: Katila Terttu , Ferreira-Dias Graça
Published: March 2022

In this paper, the evolution of our understanding about post breeding endometritis (PBE), the susceptibility of mares, and events leading to endometrosis are reviewed. When sperm arrive in the uterus, pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines are released. They attract neutrophils and induce modulatory cytokines which control inflammation. In susceptible mares, this physiological defense can be prolonged since the pattern of cytokine release differs from that of resistant mares being delayed and weaker for anti-inflammatory cytokines. Delayed uterine clearance due to conformational defects, deficient myometrial contractions, and failure of the cervix to relax is detected by intrauterine fluid accumulation and is an important reason for susceptibility to endometritis. Multiparous aged mares are more likely to be susceptible. Untreated prolonged PBE can lead to bacterial or fungal endometritis called persistent or chronic endometritis. Exuberant or prolonged neutrophilia and cytokine release can have deleterious and permanent effects in inducing endometrosis. Interactions of neutrophils, cytokines, and prostaglandins in the formation of collagen and extracellular matrix in the pathogenesis of fibrosis are discussed. Endometritis and endometrosis are interconnected, influencing each other. It is suggested that they represent epigenetic changes induced by age and hostile uterine environment.
Estimating Discard Mortality in Commercial Fisheries without Fish Dying: A 3R Challenge
Authors: Madsen Niels , Ern Rasmus , Olsen Alstrup Aage Kristian
Published: March 2022

Globally, it is estimated that around 10% of the fish that are caught are discarded. This is considered to be a wasteful human marine activity since these fish are often dead or dying. To reduce the high discard rates of commercial fisheries, the European Union (E.U.) has enacted a landing obligation that includes the ability to exempt “species for which scientific evidence demonstrates high survival rates”. Therefore, discard survival studies (henceforth DSSs) have become one of the most politically prioritized fisheries research areas in European fisheries. International expert groups have produced guidance reports to promote best practices and to harmonize the methodologies. Nevertheless, there has not been any focus on how to implement animal welfare (AW) regulations experimentally. Discard survival studies are “frontrunners” in fisheries science research areas that are embedded by animal research welfare requirements and are expected to be more restrictive in the future because of an increased public focus on fish welfare. This paper focuses on AW regulations in relation to conducting DSSs, but the outreach is much broader. We investigate experimental procedures by bringing in relevant examples, using output results, and relating this information to relevant AW guidelines and regulations by focusing on implementing 3R principles.
The Protective Role of Melatonin in Sperm Cryopreservation of Farm Animals and Human: Lessons for Male Fish Cryopreservation
Authors: Alevra Alexandra I. , Exadactylos Athanasios , Mente Eleni , Papadopoulos Serafeim
Published: March 2022

Cryopreservation is a technique that offers various advantages, especially in fish, among others, that makes the reproduction of species easier through a constant supply of sperm, synchronization of the gamete availability of both sexes, storage of semen for genetic improvement programs, reduction in the cost by eliminating the need to maintain male broodstock, and conserving the gametes of endangered species. However, freezing and warming procedures for cryopreservation lead to a reduction in the quality and viability of cryopreserved sperm because of oxidative stress. For this reason, the enrichment of extender media with antioxidants is a common method of cryopreservation of the semen of several fish species. Recently, many studies have been published for the protective role of antioxidants and especially of melatonin on male fertility preservation both in farm animals and humans, demonstrating the beneficial effects of melatonin as a sperm cryoprotectant. On the other hand, very few studies were conducted using melatonin as an antioxidant in different male fish species for semen cryopreservation. We conclude that the use of moderate concentrations of melatonin are beneficial to semen preservation, and the mechanisms through which melatonin acts positively on spermatozoa need to be further investigated to establish improvement protocols for cryopreservation in fish species.
Estimation System of Disturbance Force and Torque for Underwater Robot Based on Artificial Lateral Line
Authors: Kang Song , Chou Wusheng , Yu Junhao
Published: March 2022

The motion-control precision of a shallow-sea underwater robot is seriously affected by external disturbances such as wind, waves and ocean currents. Due to the lack of a specialized disturbance-sensor system, the disturbance force and torque cannot be sensed effectively. Inspired by bionics, an artificial lateral-line system for estimating external disturbances of an underwater robot is presented in this paper. In the system, the pressure of water is first collected through the pressure-sensor array. Then, the pressure data is processed by a series of algorithms, and the disturbance force and torque are observed from the data. Both multiple linear regression and the artificial neural network method are used to fit the mathematical models of the disturbances. Finally, the system is validated experimentally to be effective and practical. The underwater robot senses the disturbance force and torque from the water indirectly through the artificial lateral-line system, which will improve the accuracy of motion control.
Exploiting Diverse Information in Pre-Trained Language Model for Multi-Choice Machine Reading Comprehension
Authors: Bai Ziwei , Liu Junpeng , Wang Meiqi , Yuan Caixia , Wang Xiaojie
Published: March 2022

Answering different multi-choice machine reading comprehension (MRC) questions generally requires different information due to the abundant diversity of the questions, options and passages. Recently, pre-trained language models which provide rich information have been widely used to address MRC tasks. Most of the existing work only focuses on the output representation at the top layer of the models; the subtle and beneficial information provided by the intermediate layers is ignored. This paper therefore proposes a multi-decision based transformer model that builds multiple decision modules by utilizing the outputs at different layers to confront the various questions and passages. To avoid the information diversity in different layers being damaged during fine-tuning, we also propose a learning rate decaying method to control the updating speed of the parameters in different blocks. Experimental results on multiple publicly available datasets show that our model can answer different questions by utilizing the representation in different layers and speed up the inference procedure with considerable accuracy.
Hyaluronic Acid-Based Wound Dressing with Antimicrobial Properties for Wound Healing Application
Authors: Della Sala Francesca , Longobardo Gennaro , Fabozzi Antonio , di Gennaro Mario , Borzacchiello Assunta
Published: March 2022

Wound healing is a naturally occurring process that can be aided by a wound dressing properly designed to assure an efficient healing process. An infection caused by several microorganisms could interfere with this process, delaying or even impairing wound healing. Hyaluronic acid (HA), a main constituent of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of a vertebrate’s connective tissue, represents a promising biomaterial for wound dressing thanks to its intrinsic biocompatibility, hydrophilicity and bacteriostatic properties. In this review, different and recent types of HA-based wound dressings endowed with intrinsic antimicrobial properties or co-adjuvated by antimicrobial natural or synthetic agents are highlighted.
Structural Damage Localization under Unknown Seismic Excitation Based on Mahalanobis Squared Distance of Strain Transmissibility Function
Authors: Liu Lijun , Zhang Xin , Lei Ying , Zheng Zhupeng
Published: March 2022

Due to the unpredictability of seismic excitation, the data-driven damage identification method, which only depends on the monitoring response data, has a good development prospect in structural health monitoring. In recent years, damage identification methods based on transmissibility function (TF) and Mahalanobis squared distance (MSD) have been widely studied. However, the existing methods are only applicable to damage warning. To overcome this limitation, an improved method for structural damage localization is proposed. Strain TF is used to eliminate the influence of unknown ambient excitation and unknown seismic excitation, which is more sensitive to local damage than traditional TF based on acceleration and displacement data. The MSD of strain TF is employed to construct a novel damage indicator that is used to identify the damage location. Two numerical simulations have been conducted to verify the feasibility of the method for damage localization and good anti-noise performance. In the case of the multi-damage condition, the novel damage indicator is performed to estimate the severity of damage to some extent.
LPCP: An efficient Privacy-Preserving Protocol for Polynomial Calculation Based on CRT
Authors: Tang Jiajian , Cao Zhenfu , Shen Jiachen , Dong Xiaolei
Published: March 2022

With the development of privacy-preserving techniques, the increasing demand for secure multiparty computation (MPC) of mobile devices has become a significant challenge. Unfortunately, it is inapplicable for mobile devices to implement the existing secure multiparty computation schemes that rely on costly computation and communication overhead. To solve this problem, we propose an efficient two-party computation protocol secure against semi-honest adversary based on the Chinese remainder theorem (CRT). Our protocol utilizes CRT-based encryption and re-encryption techniques to realize additional and multiplicative homomorphic encryption, which can be transformed into a two-party secure computation scheme. Then, we extend our two-party LPCP protocol into a multiparty LPCP protocol, which is much faster and more space saving than the previous works. For practical purpose, we describe a distance measurement application for mobile devices based on LPCP. In the end, we implement LPCP codes and compare the experimental results to the state-of-the-art two-party and multiparty computation protocols. The experimental result shows that the high computation and communication efficiency of LPCP makes it possible for low computing-power mobile devices to implement multiparty secure computation protocols in reality.
An Overview of the Alternative Use of Seaweeds to Produce Safe and Sustainable Bio-Packaging
Authors: Lomartire Silvia , Marques João C. , Gonçalves Ana M. M.
Published: March 2022

In modern times, seaweeds have become widely involved in several biotechnological applications due to the variety of their constituent bioactive compounds. The consumption of seaweeds dates to ancient times; however, only from the last few decades of research can we explain the mechanisms of action and the potential of seaweed-derived bioactive compounds, which has led to their involvement in food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries. Macroalgae-derived bioactive compounds are of great importance as their properties enable them to be ideal candidates for the production of sustainable “green” packaging. Diverse studies demonstrate that seaweed polysaccharides (e.g., alginates and carrageenans) not only provide health benefits, but also contribute to the production of biopolymeric film and biodegradable packaging. The dispersion of plastics and microplastics in the oceans provoke serious environmental issues that influence ecosystems and aquatic organisms. Thus, the sustainable use of seaweed-derived biopolymers is now crucial to replace plasticizers with biodegradable materials, and thus preserve the environment. The present review aims to provide an overview on the potential of seaweeds in the production of bioplastics which might be involved in food or pharmaceutical packaging.
Steel Cruciform Sample with Nitrided Arms Achieves Higher Plastic Strain in the Gauge Region
Authors: Mitukiewicz Grzegorz
Published: March 2022

This paper describes a novel solution to increase plastic strain in the gauge region of a cruciform sample during a forming limit test. A nitriding procedure was used to increase the strength of the arms of the specimen and at the same time enabled higher plastic deformation in the centre of the sample. DC 5 steel sheets were cut in bone-shape samples and subjected to the nitriding procedure. Uniaxial tensile tests were done to obtain the properties of both the raw and thermo-chemically treated material. Two shapes of the gauge region, partially protected against diffusion of nitrogen, were modelled with the use of Abaqus software and a numerical analysis of biaxial tensile tests were conducted. Based on the obtained numerical analysis results DC 5 steel cruciform samples were nitrided while keeping the same gauge region geometries and subsequently subjected to a biaxial tensile test. The obtained results prove the positive influence of the nitriding procedure on increasing the strength of the cruciform sample arms and at the same time the plastic strain in the centre of the sample. The test bench analysis showed almost six times higher plastic deformation, as compared to the raw specimen, however special attention should be paid to the nitriding process parameters and the shape of the protected gauge region.
FedQAS: Privacy-Aware Machine Reading Comprehension with Federated Learning
Authors: Ait-Mlouk Addi , Alawadi Sadi A. , Toor Salman , Hellander Andreas
Published: March 2022

Machine reading comprehension (MRC) of text data is a challenging task in Natural Language Processing (NLP), with a lot of ongoing research fueled by the release of the Stanford Question Answering Dataset (SQuAD) and Conversational Question Answering (CoQA). It is considered to be an effort to teach computers how to “understand” a text, and then to be able to answer questions about it using deep learning. However, until now, large-scale training on private text data and knowledge sharing has been missing for this NLP task. Hence, we present FedQAS, a privacy-preserving machine reading system capable of leveraging large-scale private data without the need to pool those datasets in a central location. The proposed approach combines transformer models and federated learning technologies. The system is developed using the FEDn framework and deployed as a proof-of-concept alliance initiative. FedQAS is flexible, language-agnostic, and allows intuitive participation and execution of local model training. In addition, we present the architecture and implementation of the system, as well as provide a reference evaluation based on the SQuAD dataset, to showcase how it overcomes data privacy issues and enables knowledge sharing between alliance members in a Federated learning setting.
Acute Myocardial Infarction and Periodontitis: Importance of Awareness and Prevention in Latin America
Authors: González-Ramírez Javier , Martínez-Coronilla Gustavo , López-Rocha Laura Dayanara , Leija-Montoya Ana Gabriela , Hernández-Díazcouder Adrián , Fontes-Garcia Zureya , Silva-Mancilla Marina , Sánchez-Muñoz Fausto
Published: March 2022

By 2030, non-communicable diseases will have accounted for more than three-quarters of deaths worldwide. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have been the leading cause of death worldwide for several years. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a CVD characterized by necrosis of the heart at the myocardial level due to prolonged ischemia caused by the reduction or sudden absence of coronary blood supply. The prevalence of AMI is higher in men at all ages. The incidence of AMI has decreased in industrialized nations; however, it has been on the rise in Latin America (LATAM) due to lifestyle changes. These changes have caused the combined incidence of CVDs and unresolved health concerns in LATAM, such as infections and malnutrition. It is well known that periodontitis, a highly prevalent chronic infectious inflammatory disease, has been associated with systemic diseases, such as diabetes, kidney diseases, and AMI. This review addresses proposed aspects of the correlation between periodontitis and AMI, explains the importance of preventing periodontitis and CVDs, and analyzes the preventative measures being implemented in LATAM, particularly in Mexico.
Electrons and X-rays to Muon Pairs (EXMP)
Authors: Curatolo Camilla , Serafini Luca
Published: March 2022

One of the challenges of future muon colliders involves the production of muon beams carrying high phase space densities. In particular, the muon beam normalised transverse emittance is a relevant figure of merit used to meet luminosity requests. A typical issue impacting the achieved transverse emittance in muon collider schemes, thus far considered, is the phase space dilution caused by the Coulomb interaction of primary particles propagating into the target where muons were generated. In this study, we present a new scheme(named electrons and X-rays to muon pairs) for muon beam generation occurring in a vacuum via interactions of electron and photon beams. Setting the center of mass energy at about twice the threshold (i.e., around 350 MeV), the normalised emittance of the muon beam generated via muon pair production reaction (e−+γ→e−+μ++μ−) is largely independent on the emittance of the colliding electron beam and is set basically by the excess of transverse momentum in the muon pair creation. In absence of any other mechanism for emittance dilution, the resulting muon beam, with energy in the range of a few tens of GeV, is characterised by an ultra-low normalised transverse RMS emittance of a few nm rad, corresponding to a geometrical emittance below 10 π pm rad. This opens up the way to a new muon collider paradigm based on muon sources conceived with primary colliding beams delivered by 100 GeV-class energy recovery LINACs interacting with hard-X ray free electron lasers. The challenge is to achieve the requested luminosity of the muon collider adopting a strategy of low muon fluxes/currents combined to ultra-low emittances, to largely reduce the levels of muon beam-induced backgrounds.
Enhancement in Charge Carrier Mobility by Using Furan as Spacer in Thieno[3,2-b]Pyrrole and Alkylated-Diketopyrrolopyrrole Based Conjugated Copolymers
Authors: Gamage Prabhath L. , Udamulle Gedara Chinthaka M. , Gunawardhana Ruwan , Bulumulla Chandima , Ma Ziyuan , Shrivastava Ashutosh , Biewer Michael C. , Stefan Mihaela C.
Published: March 2022

The structural alteration of semiconducting polymer backbones can improve the optoelectronic properties of organic semiconductors and enhance field-effect mobilities. In our efforts towards improving the performance of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), we are reporting a donor–acceptor polymer containing thieno[3,2-b]pyrrole (TP) donor and a furan-flanked diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) electron acceptor, which yielded an asymmetric poly(methylthienopyrrolo)furanyl)diketopyrrolopyrrol) P(FDPP-TP) organic semiconducting polymer. The introduction of a furan spacer improved thermally induced crystallinity and molecular packing, as confirmed by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (XRD) and tapping-mode atomic force microscopy (TMAFM). The tested OFET devices gave maximum hole mobility of 0.42 cm2 V−1 s−1 with threshold voltages around 0 V for bottom-gate bottom-contact device configuration.
Analytical Solution and Shaking Table Test on Tunnels through Soft-Hard Stratum with a Transition Tunnel and Flexible Joints
Authors: Yan Gaoming , Zhao Boming
Published: March 2022

Tunnels, where they pass through soft-hard strata, are severely damaged during earthquakes. These issues have not yet been well understood. In this study, the seismic performances of a tunnel passing through soft-hard stratum with a transition tunnel and flexible joints under earthquake motion were investigated by proposed analytical solutions and scaled shaking table tests. First, a mechanical model of a tunnel passing through soft-hard stratum with flexible joints is proposed, and it is derived by the Green’s function method. Then, a parametric analysis is conducted to investigate the effects of important variables on tunnels through soft-hard stratum. Finally, shaking table tests are conducted to verify the proposed solution and further investigate the seismic behaviors of the tunnel. The results show that: (1) the analytical solutions are workable and effective; (2) the influence of the soft-hard stratum junction on the tunnel responses is remarkable—the largest bending moment is located at the side of soft rock near the sharp contact area and the maximum shear force appears at the contact; (3) the joints and the transition tunnel could mitigate the potential adverse effects of the sharp contact area—the region affected by the joint is approximately 4.5 times the tunnel diameter on both sides of the stratum interface; and (4) the influence of sharp change of ground layers is more remarkable with a larger excitation amplitude.