bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Dietary Starch Structure on Growth Performance, Serum Glucose–Insulin Response, and Intestinal Health in Weaned Piglets
Authors: Gao Xiaoqian , Yu Bing , Yu Jie , Mao Xiangbing , Huang Zhiqing , Luo Yuheng , Luo Junqiu , Zheng Ping , He Jun , Chen Daiwen
Published: March 2020

To investigate the effects of dietary starch structure (amylose/amylopectin ratio, AR) on serum glucose absorption metabolism and intestinal health, a total of ninety weaned piglets (Duroc × (Yorkshire × Landrace)) were randomly assigned to 5 dietary treatments and fed with a diet containing different AR (2.90, 1.46, 0.68, 0.31, and 0.14). The trial lasted for 21 d. In this study, the growth performance was not affected by the dietary starch structure (p > 0.05). Diets with higher amylose ratios (i.e., AR 2.90 and 1.46) led to a significant reduction of the serum glucose concentration at 3 h post-prandium (p < 0.01), while high amylopectin diets (AR 0.31 and 0.14) significantly elevated The expression of gene s at this time point (p < 0.01). High amylopectin diets also increased the apparent digestibility of crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), dry matter (DM), gross energy (GE), and crude ash (p < 0.001). Interestingly, diet rich in amylose (AR 2.90) significantly elevated the butyric acid content (p < 0.05) and decreased the pH value (p < 0.05) in the cecal digesta. In contrast, diet rich in amylopectin (i.e., AR 0.14) significantly elevated the total bacteria populations in the cecal digesta (p < 0.001). Moreover, a high amylopectin diet (AR 0.14) tended to elevate the mRNA level of fatty acid synthase (FAS, p = 0.083), but significantly decreased the mRNA level of sodium-dependent glucose transporter 1 (SGLT1, p < 0.05) in the duodenal and jejunal mucosa, respectively. These results suggested that blood glucose and insulin concentrations were improved in high AR diets, and the diet also helped to maintain the intestinal health.
Security Assessment of Urban Areas through a GIS-Based Analysis of Lighting Data Generated by IoT Sensors
Authors: Tagliabue Lavinia Chiara , Re Cecconi Fulvio , Moretti Nicola , Rinaldi Stefano , Bellagente Paolo , Ciribini Angelo Luigi Camillo
Published: March 2020

The current perspective about urban development expects 70% of energy consumption will be concentrated in the cities in 2050. In addition, a growing density of people in the urban context leads to the need for increased security and safety for citizens, which imply a better lighting infrastructure. Smart solutions are required to optimize the corresponding energy effort. In developing countries, the cities’ lighting is limited and the lighting world map is strongly significant about the urban density of the different areas. Nevertheless, in territories where the illumination level is particularly high, such as urban contexts, the conditions are not homogenous at the microscale level and the perceived security is affected by artificial urban lighting. As an example, 27.2% of the families living in the city of Milan, ombardy Region, Italy, consider critical the conditions of lighting in the city during the night, although the region has diffused infrastructure. The paper aims to provide a local illuminance geographic information system (GIS) mapping at the neighborhood level that can be extended to the urban context. Such an approach could unveil the need to increase lighting to enhance the perceived safety and security for the citizens and promote a higher quality of life in the smart city. Lighting mapping can be matched with car accident mapping of cities and could be extended to perceived security among pedestrians in urban roads and green areas, also related to degradation signs of the built environment. In addition, such an approach could open new scenarios to the adaptive street lighting control used to reduce the energy consumption in a smart city: the perceived security of an area could be used as an additional index to be considered during the modulation of the level of the luminosity of street lighting. An example of a measurement set-up is described and tested at the district level to define how to implement an extensive monitoring campaign based on an extended research schema.
Image Quality Improvement and Memory-Saving in a Permanent-Magnet-Array-Based MRI System
Authors: Gong Jia , Yu Wenwei , Huang Shao Ying
Published: March 2020

Point-of-care magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) requires clear images within a short scanning time, a small footprint of the scanner, and relatively low memory required for image reconstruction. A permanent magnet array (PMA)-based MRI system is a good candidate to supply a magnetic field due to its compactness and low power consumption. However, it has relatively inhomogeneous magnetic field and thus non-linear gradients, which results in location-dependent k-spaces (so called local k-spaces) and uneven signal point populations in the local k-spaces, compromising the image quality. Moreover, owing to the non-linearity, imaging reconstruction using Fourier transform does not work, which leads to an increase in the required computation memory. In this study, in order to improve the image quality, the approaches of compensating the uneven signal point population by increasing the numbers of sampling points or rotation angles are investigated in terms of their impacts on image quality improvement, acquisition time, image reconstruction time, and memory consumption. Both methods give a significant improvement on image image quality although they result in a large and dense encoding matrix and thus a large memory consumption. To lower the memory consumption, it is further proposed to transform such a matrix to frequency domain where the matrix could be sparse. Moreover, a row-wise truncation to the transformed encoding matrix is applied to further reduce the memory consumption. Through the results of numerical experiments, it is shown that the required memory for calculation can effectively be reduced by 71.6% while the image becomes clearer by increasing the number of sampling point and/or the number of rotation angles. With the successful demonstration where improved image quality and a lowered memory required can be obtained simultaneously, the proposed study is one step forward for a PMA-based MRI system towards its targeted point-of-care application scenario.
Investigation of Ytterbium Incorporation in Lithium Niobate for Active Waveguide Devices
Authors: Rüter Christian E. , Brüske Dominik , Suntsov Sergiy , Kip Detlef
Published: March 2020

In this work, we report on an investigation of the ytterbium diffusion characteristics in lithium niobate. Ytterbium-doped substrates were prepared by in-diffusion of thin metallic layers coated onto x- and z-cut congruent substrates at different temperatures. The ytterbium profiles were investigated in detail by means of secondary neutral mass spectroscopy, optical microscopy, and optical spectroscopy. Diffusion from an infinite source was used to determine the solubility limit of ytterbium in lithium niobate as a function of temperature. The derived diffusion parameters are of importance for the development of active waveguide devices in ytterbium-doped lithium niobate.
Estimation of Hand Motion from Piezoelectric Soft Sensor Using Deep Recurrent Network
Authors: Kim Sung Hee , Kwon Yongchan , Kim KangGeon , Cha Youngsu
Published: March 2020

Soft sensors are attracting significant attention in human–machine interaction due to their high flexibility and adaptability. However, estimating motion state from these sensors is difficult due to their nonlinearity and noise. In this paper, we propose a deep learning network for a smart glove system to predict the moving state of a piezoelectric soft sensor. We implemented the network using Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) units and demonstrated its performance in a real-time system based on two experiments. The sensor’s moving state was estimated and the joint angles were calculated. Since we use moving state in the sensor offset calculation and the offset value is used to estimate the angle value, the accurate moving state estimation results in good performance for angle value estimation. The proposed network performed better than the conventional heuristic method in estimating the moving state. It was also confirmed that the calculated values successfully mimic the joint angles measured using a leap motion controller.
Optics Based Label-Free Techniques and Applications in Brain Monitoring
Authors: Karthikeyan Priya , Moradi Sadegh , Ferdinando Hany , Zhao Zuomin , Myllylä Teemu
Published: March 2020

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) has been utilized already around three decades for monitoring the brain, in particular, oxygenation changes in the cerebral cortex. In addition, other optical techniques are currently developed for in vivo imaging and in the near future can be potentially used more in human brain research. This paper reviews the most common label-free optical technologies exploited in brain monitoring and their current and potential clinical applications. Label-free tissue monitoring techniques do not require the addition of dyes or molecular contrast agents. The following optical techniques are considered: fNIRS, diffuse correlations spectroscopy (DCS), photoacoustic imaging (PAI) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Furthermore, wearable optical brain monitoring with the most common applications is discussed.
Behavior and Performance of BIM Users in a Collaborative Work Environment
Authors: Forcael Eric , Martínez-Rocamora Alejandro , Sepúlveda-Morales Javier , García-Alvarado Rodrigo , Nope-Bernal Alberto , Leighton Francisco
Published: March 2020

Collaborative work in Building Information Modeling (BIM) projects is frequently understood as the interaction of modelers in an asynchronous way through modification requests or via e-mail/telephone. However, alternative work methodologies based on creating a common and synchronous environment allow solving issues instantaneously during the design process. This study aimed to analyze the behavior and performance of BIM users with different specialties who were subjected to an experimental exercise in a collaborative environment. For this purpose, a process was devised to collect, sort, and select the data from the log files generated by the BIM software. A timeline of the experiment was populated with data on the intensity and types of commands used by each specialist, which allowed determining behavioral patterns, preferred commands, indicators of their experience, further training needs, and possible strategies for improving the team’s performance. In the experiment, the mechanical designer’s performance was 49% and the rest approximately 64%, with respect to that of the architect. An average rate of 1.66 necessary or auxiliary commands for each contributory command was detected. The average performance was 200–400 commands per hour, which intensified by the end of the experiment. Further training needs were detected for the plumbing designer to reduce the use of backwards commands. Conversely, the electrical designer showed a positive evolution regarding this aspect during the experiment. The analysis methods here described become useful for the aforementioned purposes. Nevertheless, combinations with methods from existing research might improve the outcomes and therefore the specificity of recommendations.
On a Harmonic Univalent Subclass of Functions Involving a Generalized Linear Operator
Authors: Yousef Abdeljabbar Talal , Salleh Zabidin
Published: March 2020

In this paper, a subclass of complex-valued harmonic univalent functions defined by a generalized linear operator is introduced. Some interesting results such as coefficient bounds, compactness, and other properties of this class are obtained.
MYB Transcription Factors as Regulators of Secondary Metabolism in Plants
Authors: Cao Yunpeng , Li Kui , Li Yanli , Zhao Xiaopei , Wang Lihu
Published: March 2020

MYB transcription factors (TFs), as one of the largest gene families in plants, play important roles in multiple biological processes, such as plant growth and development, cell morphology and pattern building, physiological activity metabolism, primary and secondary metabolic reactions, and responses to environmental stresses. The function of MYB TFs in crops has been widely studied, but few studies have been done on medicinal plants. In this review, we summarized the MYB TFs that play important roles in secondary metabolism and emphasized the possible mechanisms underlying how MYB TFs are regulated at the protein, posttranscriptional, and transcriptional levels, as well as how they regulate the downstream target gene networks related to secondary metabolism in plants, especially in medicinal plants.
Camel Hemorphins Exhibit a More Potent Angiotensin-I Converting Enzyme Inhibitory Activity than Other Mammalian Hemorphins: An In Silico and In Vitro Study
Authors: Ali Amanat , Alzeyoudi Seham Abdullah Rashed , Almutawa Shamma Abdulla , Alnajjar Alya Nasir , Al Dhaheri Yusra , Vijayan Ranjit
Published: March 2020

Angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) is a zinc metallopeptidase that has an important role in regulating the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). It is also an important drug target for the management of cardiovascular diseases. Hemorphins are endogenous peptides that are produced by proteolytic cleavage of beta hemoglobin. A number of studies have reported various therapeutic activities of hemorphins. Previous reports have shown antihypertensive action of hemorphins via the inhibition of ACE. The sequence of hemorphins is highly conserved among mammals, except in camels, which harbors a unique Q>R variation in the peptide. Here, we studied the ACE inhibitory activity of camel hemorphins (LVVYPWTRRF and YPWTRRF) and non-camel hemorphins (LVVYPWTQRF and YPWTQRF). Computational methods were used to determine the most likely binding pose and binding affinity of both camel and non-camel hemorphins within the active site of ACE. Molecular dynamics simulations showed that the peptides interacted with critical residues in the active site of ACE. Notably, camel hemorphins showed higher binding affinity and sustained interactions with all three subsites of the ACE active site. An in vitro ACE inhibition assay showed that the IC50 of camel hemorphins were significantly lower than the IC50 of non-camel hemorphins.
Site-Specific Lipidomic Signatures of Sea Lettuce (Ulva spp., Chlorophyta) Hold the Potential to Trace Their Geographic Origin
Authors: da Costa Elisabete , Ricardo Fernando , Melo Tânia , Mamede Renato , Abreu Maria H. , Domingues Pedro , Domingues M. Rosário , Calado Ricardo
Published: March 2020

The wild harvest and aquaculture of Ulva spp. has deserved growing attention in Europe. However, the impact of geographical origin on the biochemical composition of different species and/or strains is yet to be described in detail. Hence, the present study aimed to detect the variability of the lipidome of different species and/or strains of Ulva originating from different geographic locations. We hypothesized that lipidomic signatures can be used to trace the geographic origin post-harvesting of these valuable green seaweeds. Ulva spp. was sampled from eight distinct ecosystems along the Atlantic Iberian coast and Ulva rigida was sourced from an aquaculture farm operating a land-based integrated production site. Results showed significant differences in the lipidomic profile displayed by Ulva spp. originating from different locations, namely, due to different levels of polyunsaturated betaine lipids and galactolipids; saturated betaine lipids and sulfolipids; and some phospholipid species. Overall, a set of 25 site-specific molecular lipid species provide a unique lipidomic signature for authentication and geographic origin certification of Ulva species. Present findings highlight the potential of lipidome plasticity as a proxy to fight fraudulent practices, but also to ensure quality control and prospect biomass for target bioactive compounds.
Interactions Under Crowding Milieu: Chemical-Induced Denaturation of Myoglobin is Determined by the Extent of Heme Dissociation on Interaction with Crowders
Authors: Nasreen Khalida , Parray Zahoor Ahmad , Ahamad Shahzaib , Ahmad Faizan , Ahmed Anwar , Freeh Alamery Salman , Hussain Tajamul , Hassan Md. Imtaiyaz , Islam Asimul
Published: March 2020

Generally, in vivo function and structural changes are studied by probing proteins in a dilute solution under in vitro conditions, which is believed to be mimicking proteins in intracellular milieu. Earlier, thermal-induced denaturation of myoglobin, in the milieu of crowder molecule showed destabilization of the metal protein. Destabilization of protein by thermal-induced denaturation involves a large extrapolation, so, the reliability is questionable. This led us to measure the effects of macromolecular crowding on its stability by chemical-induced denaturation of the protein using probes like circular dichroism and absorption spectroscopy in the presence of dextran 70 and ficoll 70 at various pHs (acidic: 6.0, almost neutral: 7.0 and basic: 8.0). Observations showed that the degree of destabilization of myoglobin was greater due to ficoll 70 as compared to that of dextran 70 so it can be understood that the nature of the crowder or the shape of the crowder has an important role towards the stability of proteins. Additionally, the degree of destabilization was observed as pH dependent, however the pH dependence is different for different crowders. Furthermore, isothermal titration calorimetry and molecular docking studies confirmed that both the crowders (ficoll and dextran) bind to heme moiety of myoglobin and a single binding site was observed for each.
Graphene Oxide Nanosheets for Localized Hyperthermia—Physicochemical Characterization, Biocompatibility, and Induction of Tumor Cell Death
Authors: Podolska Malgorzata , Barras Alexandre , Alexiou Christoph , Frey Benjamin , Gaipl Udo , Boukherroub Rabah , Szunerits Sabine , Janko Christina , Muñoz Luis
Published: March 2020

Background: The main goals of cancer treatment are not only to eradicate the tumor itself but also to elicit a specific immune response that overcomes the resistance of tumor cells against chemo- and radiotherapies. Hyperthermia was demonstrated to chemo- and radio-sensitize cancerous cells. Many reports have confirmed the immunostimulatory effect of such multi-modal routines. Methods: We evaluated the interaction of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets; its derivatives reduced GO and PEGylated rGO, with components of peripheral blood and evaluated its thermal conductivity to induce cell death by localized hyperthermia. Results: We confirmed the sterility and biocompatibility of the graphene nanomaterials and demonstrated that hyperthermia applied alone or in the combination with radiotherapy induced much more cell death in tumor cells than irradiation alone. Cell death was confirmed by the release of lactate dehydrogenase from dead and dying tumor cells. Conclusion: Biocompatible GO and its derivatives can be successfully used in graphene-induced hyperthermia to elicit tumor cell death.
Effect of Addition of Mo or V on the Structure and Cutting Performance of AlCrN-Based Coatings
Authors: Iram Sidra , Cai Fei , Wang Jianming , Zhang Jiamin , Liang Jiagang , Ahmad Farooq , Zhang Shihong
Published: March 2020

This study focuses on a comparative analysis of AlCrXN (X = Mo or V) coatings with the reference AlCrN coating via arc ion plating technique (AIP). The XRD and XPS results showed that the AlCrXN coatings were mainly composed of fcc-(Cr,Al)N solid solution phases. Both the AlCrMoN and AlCrVN coatings exhibited much higher hardness and adhesive strength than the AlCrN coating. The addition of Mo or V decreased the coefficient of friction (COF) and wear rate, which was due to the formation of lubricant oxides containing Mo or V on the coating surfaces. The cutting results showed that abrasive wear, adhesive wear, and oxidation wear were the main wear mechanisms for the coated tools at the cutting speeds of 60 m/min and 94 m/min. The addition of Mo or V dramatically improved the cutting performance of AlCrXN-coated tools by increasing the anti-wear ability due to the high hardness and the formed lubricant VOx or MoOx films.
Microstructures and Wear Resistance of FeCoCrNi-Mo High Entropy Alloy/Diamond Composite Coatings by High Speed Laser Cladding
Authors: Wang Haijiang , Zhang Wei , Peng Yingbo , Zhang Mingyang , Liu Shuyu , Liu Yong
Published: March 2020

FeCoCrNi-Mo high entropy alloy/diamond composite coatings were successfully prepared by high speed laser cladding. A high scanning speed was adopted (>30 mm/s), and the effects of laser power, scanning speed, and diamond content on the microstructure and wear resistance of the composite coating were studied. The processing parameters of laser cladding had significant influence on the dilution ratio, graphitization of diamond, and wear resistance of the composite coatings. When the laser cladding parameters were 3000 W of laser power and the high scanning speed of 50 mm/s, the composite coating exhibited a uniform microstructure, the lowest dilution ratio, and the best wear resistance. The wear resistance of the composite coating was enhanced with the addition of diamond, but microcracks also increased. When the amount of diamond was 15 wt.%, the best combination of microstructures and wear resistance was obtained.
Microrelief of Rounded Diamond Crystals as an Indicator of the Redox Conditions of Their Resorption in a Kimberlite Melt
Authors: Khokhryakov Alexander F. , Nechaev Denis V. , Sokol Alexander G.
Published: March 2020

We conducted a detailed study of the morphology of diamond crystals partially dissolved in a water-bearing kimberlite melt at pressure of 6.3 GPa, temperature of 1400 °C, and two oxygen fugacities (fO2) corresponding to the Re-ReO2 buffer and near the magnetite–hematite (MH) buffer. The triangular etch pits on the {111} faces, which formed during experimental diamond dissolution, were found to completely correspond to negative trigons on natural diamond crystals in the shape and sidewalls inclination angle. Furthermore, two experimental fO2 values were associated with two relief types of the rounded tetrahexahedroid surfaces typical of natural rounded diamonds. Therefore, the surface microrelief on rounded natural diamond crystals was concluded to be an indicator of the redox conditions of natural diamond resorption.
Object Detection Algorithm Based on Improved YOLOv3
Authors: Zhao Liquan , Li Shuaiyang
Published: March 2020

The ‘You Only Look Once’ v3 (YOLOv3) method is among the most widely used deep learning-based object detection methods. It uses the k-means cluster method to estimate the initial width and height of the predicted bounding boxes. With this method, the estimated width and height are sensitive to the initial cluster centers, and the processing of large-scale datasets is time-consuming. In order to address these problems, a new cluster method for estimating the initial width and height of the predicted bounding boxes has been developed. Firstly, it randomly selects a couple of width and height values as one initial cluster center separate from the width and height of the ground truth boxes. Secondly, it constructs Markov chains based on the selected initial cluster and uses the final points of every Markov chain as the other initial centers. In the construction of Markov chains, the intersection-over-union method is used to compute the distance between the selected initial clusters and each candidate point, instead of the square root method. Finally, this method can be used to continually update the cluster center with each new set of width and height values, which are only a part of the data selected from the datasets. Our simulation results show that the new method has faster convergence speed for initializing the width and height of the predicted bounding boxes and that it can select more representative initial widths and heights of the predicted bounding boxes. Our proposed method achieves better performance than the YOLOv3 method in terms of recall, mean average precision, and F1-score.
Classification and Segmentation of Mining Area Objects in Large-Scale Spares Lidar Point Cloud Using a Novel Rotated Density Network
Authors: Yan Yueguan , Yan Haixu , Guo Junting , Dai Huayang
Published: March 2020

The classification and segmentation of large-scale, sparse, LiDAR point cloud with deep learning are widely used in engineering survey and geoscience. The loose structure and the non-uniform point density are the two major constraints to utilize the sparse point cloud. This paper proposes a lightweight auxiliary network, called the rotated density-based network (RD-Net), and a novel point cloud preprocessing method, Grid Trajectory Box (GT-Box), to solve these problems. The combination of RD-Net and PointNet was used to achieve high-precision 3D classification and segmentation of the sparse point cloud. It emphasizes the importance of the density feature of LiDAR points for 3D object recognition of sparse point cloud. Furthermore, RD-Net plus PointCNN, PointNet, PointCNN, and RD-Net were introduced as comparisons. Public datasets were used to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. The results showed that the RD-Net could significantly improve the performance of sparse point cloud recognition for the coordinate-based network and could improve the classification accuracy to 94% and the segmentation per-accuracy to 70%. Additionally, the results concluded that point-density information has an independent spatial–local correlation and plays an essential role in the process of sparse point cloud recognition.
Factorial Structure and Validity of Depression (PHQ-9) and Anxiety (GAD-7) Scales after Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Teymoori Ali , Gorbunova Anastasia , Haghish Fardzadeh , Real Ruben , Zeldovich Marina , Wu Yi-Jhen , Polinder Suzanne , Asendorf Thomas , Menon David ,   CENTER-TBI Investigators and Participants, v. Steinbüchel Nicole
Published: March 2020

Background: The dimensionality of depression and anxiety instruments have recently been a source of controversy. Objectives and Design: In a European-wide sample of patients after Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), we aim to examine the factorial structure, validity, and association of the Patient Health Questionnaire for depression (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) instruments. This study is based on longitudinal observational data. We conducted analyses of factorial structure and discriminant validity of outcomes six-months after TBI. We also examined the prevalence, co-occurrence, and changes of scores on the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 at 3-, 6-, and 12-month post-TBI assessments. Participants: At six-months post-TBI assessment, 2137 (738 (34.5%) women) participants completed the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 questionnaires. For the longitudinal analysis, we had 1922 participants (672 (35.0%) women). Results: The results of exploratory factor analysis suggested a general latent construct underlying both PHQ-9 and GAD-7 measures. Confirmatory factor analyses showed a slight improvement in the fit indices for the bifactorial model. The Omega hierarchical test clearly differentiated two subfactors of PHQ-9 and GAD-7 items over and above the underlying general factor; however, most of the variance (85.0%) was explained by the general factor and the explained variance of the subfactors was small. The PHQ-9 and GAD-7 performed similarly in detecting post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As defined by conventional cut-offs, depression and anxiety have different prevalence rates in the sample. The scales also differed in their relationships with the short form of health survey (SF-36v2) subscales. The longitudinal analysis showed high stability of depression and anxiety symptoms: 49–67% of the post-TBI patients with comorbid depression and anxiety reported the persistence of the symptoms over time. Discussion: The factorial structure analysis favors a general latent construct underlying both depression and anxiety scales among patients after TBI. We discuss the implications our findings and future research directions.
The Influence of CD28 Gene Polymorphism in Transfusion Reaction after Transfusing Leukoreduced Blood Components
Authors: Chen Ding-Ping , Lin Wei-Tzu , Wang Wei-Ting , Chiueh Tzong-Shi
Published: March 2020

CTLA-4 and CD28 belong to co-stimulation molecules, the abnormal expression of which can regulate the T cell activation and then affect the degree of immune response. Moreover, blood transfusion reaction (TR) is a kind of immune reaction. Consequently, the hypothesis of this study was that the TR still occurred after transfusing leukoreduced blood components as a result of the sensitivity of immune system, and a small number of immune stimulations were enough to induce an immune response in patients. There were 38 cases and 36 healthy controls included in this study. The selected CD28 gene were sequenced to search single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs), and the correlation between TR and these SNPs was analyzed. According to our data, only the rs3181097 (promoter, −1059) of CD28 gene polymorphism was associated with TR. The p value of rs3181097 under the co-dominant model was 0.031. GG was used as a reference genotype, the p value of GG vs. AG was 0.010 (OR: 0.210, 95% CI: 0.062–0.712), and GG vs. AG + AA was 0.028 (OR: 0.292, 95% CI: 0.095–0.901). In addition to CTLA-4, CD28 gene was also a crucial SNP in TR, because there was a signification for the haplotype with Grs3181097 (p = 0.015). Consequently, we suggested that the TR was related to CD28 by regulating the degree of immune response.
Natural History of Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Mattesi Giulia , Zorzi Alessandro , Corrado Domenico , Cipriani Alberto
Published: March 2020

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (AC) is a heart muscle disease characterized by a scarred ventricular myocardium with a distinctive propensity to ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) and sudden cardiac death, especially in young athletes. Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) represents the best characterized variant of AC, with a peculiar genetic background, established diagnostic criteria and management guidelines; however, the identification of nongenetic causes of the disease, combined with the common demonstration of biventricular and left-dominant forms, has led to coin the term of “arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy”, to better define the broad spectrum of the disease phenotypic expressions. The genetic basis of AC are pathogenic mutations in genes encoding the cardiac desmosomes, but also non-desmosomal and nongenetic variants were reported in patients with AC, some of which showing overlapping phenotypes with other non-ischemic diseases. The natural history of AC is characterized by VAs and progressive deterioration of cardiac performance. Different phases of the disease are recognized, each characterized by pathological and clinical features. Arrhythmic manifestations are age-related: Ventricular fibrillation and SCD are more frequent in young people, while sustained ventricular tachycardia is more common in the elderly, depending on the different nature of the myocardial lesions. This review aims to address the genetic basis, the clinical course and the phenotypic variants of AC.
Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children: Handling the Unknown with Precision
Authors: Gozal David , Tan Hui-Leng , Kheirandish-Gozal Leila
Published: March 2020

Treatment approaches to pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have remarkably evolved over the last two decades. From an a priori assumption that surgical removal of enlarged upper airway lymphadenoid tissues (T&A) was curative in the vast majority of patients as the recommended first-line treatment for pediatric OSA, residual respiratory abnormalities are frequent. Children likely to manifest persistent OSA after T&A include those with severe OSA, obese or older children, those with concurrent asthma or allergic rhinitis, children with predisposing oropharyngeal or maxillomandibular factors, and patients with underlying medical conditions. Furthermore, selection anti-inflammatory therapy or orthodontic interventions may be preferable in milder cases. The treatment options for residual OSA after T&A encompass a large spectrum of approaches, which may be complementary, and clearly require multidisciplinary cooperation. Among these, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), combined anti-inflammatory agents, rapid maxillary expansion, and myofunctional therapy are all part of the armamentarium, albeit with currently low-grade evidence supporting their efficacy. In this context, there is urgent need for prospective evidence that will readily identify the correct candidate for a specific intervention, and thus enable some degree of scientifically based precision in the current one approach fits all model of pediatric OSA medical care.
A Visual Typology of Abandonment in Rural America: From End-of-Life to Treading Water, Recycling, Renaissance, and Revival
Authors: Holcomb Jason , Frederic Paul , Brunn Stanley
Published: March 2020

The contemporary American rural landscape reflects a mix of ongoing economic changes in agricultural land use, population change, and built environments. The mix depends on past and recent change which represent landscapes of memory and silence to those experiencing economic and demographic renaissance. We develop a typology of five stages that reflect the contemporary rural scene and conduct field transects in Northwest Iowa and Central Maine. Features of the dynamics in rural America are evident in photographs of residences, land use changes, and commercial structure. The study calls for additional studies on rural settlement populations, economies, and society in different environmental settings.
Sound Absorption Performance of the Poplar Seed Fiber/PCL Composite Materials
Authors: Liu Yingjie , Lyu Lihua , Guo Jing , Wang Ying
Published: March 2020

Composite materials were prepared by the hot pressing method using poplar seed fibers and polycaprolactone (PCL) as the raw materials to solve the problems related to the recycling of waste fibers. The effects of mass fraction of poplar seed fibers, the volume density, and thickness on the sound absorption performance of the resulting composite materials were studied. The sound absorption coefficient curves of the composite material were obtained by the acoustic impedance transfer function method. The sound absorption coefficient of the composite material that was prepared under the optimal process conditions was higher than 0.7, and the effective sound absorption frequency band was wide. According to the box counting dimension method, which is based on the fractal theory, the fractal dimensions of the composite materials were calculated while using the Matlab program. The relationships between the fractal dimensions and the volume densities, mass fractions of poplar seed fibers, and thicknesses of the composite materials were also analyzed. Subsequently, the quantitative relationship between the fractal dimension and the sound absorption property parameters of the composite material was established in order to provide a theoretical basis for the design of the sound absorption composite material.
Effects of Zn Content on Hot Tearing Susceptibility of Mg–7Gd–5Y–0.5Zr Alloy
Authors: Wei Ziqi , Liu Shimeng , Liu Zheng , Wang Feng , Mao Pingli , Wang Xiaoxia , Li Xingxing
Published: March 2020

Mg–7Gd–5Y–0.5Zr alloy has excellent mechanical properties but poor hot tearing resistance. The latter makes it difficult to cast billets, which limits the size of subsequently processed parts. Therefore, the hot tearing susceptibility of Mg–7Gd–5Y–xZn–0.5Zr (x = 0, 3, 5, 7 wt%) alloys was studied. It was found that Zn can significantly reduce hot tearing susceptibility of Mg–7Gd–5Y–0.5Zr alloy, which almost linearly decreased with Zn content. When Zn content was 3 wt%, 5 wt% and 7 wt%, hot tearing susceptibility will be reduced by 27%, 83% and 100%, respectively. It was further revealed that the solid solubility of Gd and Y in α-Mg decreased with the increase of Zn content, and the nucleation temperature decreased accordingly, which resulted in the increase of nucleation rate and the refinement of final grains. On the macro level, it showed that the dendrite coherency temperature decreased, the solidification shrinkage stress of α-Mg slowed down, and the residual liquid channel became shorter and hot tearing susceptibility decreased. It was also found that with the increase of Zn content, the content of Zn, Gd and Y enriched on the grain boundary increased, the content of residual liquid phase between dendrites increased after α-Mg crystallization, and the solidified precipitated second phase also changed from Mg5RE phase to long-period stacking ordered phase + W-phase (a little), long-period stacking ordered phase + W-phase (much) and finally to W-phase only. The feeding effect of sufficient intergranular residual liquid on the shrinkage of α-Mg dendrite and the bridging effect of the precipitated phase at the grain boundary (especially long-period stacking ordered phase which is coherent with the parent phase) also led to the decrease of hot tearing susceptibility.
Heat Effects Occurring in the Supercooled Liquid State and Upon Crystallization of Metallic Glasses as a Result of Thermally Activated Evolution of Their Defect Systems
Authors: Makarov Andrei , Afonin Gennadii , Mitrofanov Yurii , Kobelev Nikolai , Khonik Vitaly
Published: March 2020

We show that the kinetics of endothermal and exothermal effects occurring in the supercooled liquid state and upon crystallization of metallic glasses can be well reproduced using temperature dependences of their shear moduli. It is argued that the interrelation between the heat effects and shear modulus relaxation reflects thermally activated evolution of interstitial-type defect system inherited from the maternal melt.
Effects of Homogenization Conditions on the Microstructure Evolution of Aluminium Alloy EN AW 8006
Authors: Vončina Maja , Kresnik Kristijan , Volšak Darja , Medved Jožef
Published: March 2020

The industrial production of products, such as foil and aluminium alloy strips, begins with the production of semi-finished products in the form of slabs. These are produced by the continuous casting process, which is quick and does not allow the equilibrium conditions of solidification. Non-homogeneity—such as micro and macro segregation, non-equilibrium phases and microstructural constituents, as well as stresses arising during non-equilibrium solidification—are eliminated by means of homogenization annealing. In this way, a number of technological difficulties in the further processing of semi-finished products can be avoided. The aim of this research was the optimization of the homogenization annealing of the EN AW 8006 alloy. With the Thermo-Calc software, a thermodynamic simulation of equilibrium and non-equilibrium solidification was performed. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was performed on selected samples in as-cast state and after various regimes of homogenization annealing and was used for the simulation of homogenization annealing. Using an optical microscope (OM), a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an energy dispersion spectrometer (EDS), the microstructure of the samples was examined. Based on the results, it was concluded that homogenization annealing has already taken place after 8 h at 580 °C to the extent, that the material is then suitable for further processing.
Nucleation and Initial Growth of Garnet in Low-Grade Metamorphic Rocks of the Sanbagawa Metamorphic Belt, Kanto Mountains, Japan
Authors: Inui Mutsuko , Wakai Yumenosuke , Sakuragi Hiirou
Published: March 2020

The beginning of the recrystallization of minerals within a subducting oceanic plate provides a valuable record of dehydration within the subduction zone. Pelitic schists of the Nagatoro area, Kanto Mountains, Japan, record the initial stages of garnet growth. Consequently, these rocks were studied to analyze garnet nucleation and growth during metamorphism of the Sanbagawa metamorphic belt, one of the world’s most comprehensively studied subduction complexes. The garnet grains are small, euhedral, and occur only within micaceous lamellae that define the schistosity. Crystal size distribution analyses revealed most of the garnet grains follow the log-normal size distribution, indicating that they formed in the same event. A few exceptionally large garnet grains exist that do not seem to follow the log-normal distribution. The latter garnet grains contain a rounded fragmental area with a different chemical composition inside the core. It is possible that detrital fragments of garnet contribute to the irregular crystal size distribution of garnet in the studied area. Many of the smaller (log-normal) garnet grains have relatively large, homogeneous Mn-rich cores. The lack of chemical zoning within the garnet cores suggests that they grew under constant pressure and temperature in response to overstepping of the garnet-in reaction. The chemical composition changes very sharply at the boundary between the core and the surrounding mantle. The size of the Mn-rich core is different from sample to sample, suggesting that the nucleation was controlled by the local chemical condition of each sample.
Comparing the Effects of Intracellular and Extracellular Magnetic Hyperthermia on the Viability of BxPC-3 Cells
Authors: Hannon Gary , Bogdanska Anna , Volkov Yuri , Prina-Mello Adriele
Published: March 2020

Magnetic hyperthermia involves the use of iron oxide nanoparticles to generate heat in tumours following stimulation with alternating magnetic fields. In recent times, this treatment has undergone numerous clinical trials in various solid malignancies and subsequently achieved clinical approval to treat glioblastoma and prostate cancer in 2011 and 2018, respectively. However, despite recent clinical advances, many questions remain with regard to the underlying mechanisms involved in this therapy. One such query is whether intracellular or extracellular nanoparticles are necessary for treatment efficacy. Herein, we compare the effects of intracellular and extracellular magnetic hyperthermia in BxPC-3 cells to determine the differences in efficacy between both. Extracellular magnetic hyperthermia at temperatures between 40–42.5 °C could induce significant levels of necrosis in these cells, whereas intracellular magnetic hyperthermia resulted in no change in viability. This led to a discussion on the overall relevance of intracellular nanoparticles to the efficacy of magnetic hyperthermia therapy.
Challenges in Tracking of Fluorochrome-Labelled Nanoparticles in Mice via Whole Body NIRF Imaging
Authors: Gaffron Florian , Tilch Andrea , Grüttner Cordula , Kowalski Anja , Kramer Martin , Teichgräber Ulf , Hilger Ingrid
Published: March 2020

Fluorochrome-labelled iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) have been of great help in elucidating biological processes. Here, we used dually-fluorochrome-labelled MNP and studied to what extent fluorescence detection could reflect their fate in living animals. One day after application in mice (200 µmol Fe/kg body weight), the fluorescence of the dye attached to the core (DY-730) was very prominent and in agreement with the increase of iron in the liver and spleen of mice, but inconspicuous at time points thereafter. We attribute this fluorescence behavior to early degradation processes of the MNP´s core in the cellular lysosomal compartment. In contrast, the fluorescence of the dye DY-555 stuck to the PEG coating was not detectable in vivo. In summary, labelling of MNP with dyes at their metallic core could be of help when detecting first incidences of MNP biodegradation in vivo, as opposed to dyes attached to the MNP coating.
In Vitro Rooting of Capparis spinosa L. as Affected by Genotype and by the Proliferation Method Adopted During the Multiplication Phase
Authors: Gianguzzi Valeria , Barone Ettore , Sottile Francesco
Published: March 2020

The in vitro rooting of three caper (Capparis spinosa L.) selected biotypes, grown in a commercial orchard on the Sicilian island of Salina (38°33′49” N), was performed using—as base material for rooting experiments—shoot explants proceeding from two different in vitro culture systems: solid medium and liquid culture in a PlantForm bioreactor (TIS). The regenerated shoots of each accession were submitted to different auxin treatments (NAA, IBA, IAA - 1 or 2 mg L−1; NAA+IBA 0.75 and 0.25 mg L−1, respectively), supplemented with sucrose or fructose (mg L−1). The highest rooting rate in terms of root percentage (67%) was reached with the explants of the selected accession ‘Sal 39’ proceeding from liquid culture in PlantForm and induced in the MS medium with sucrose, as a carbon source, supplemented with NAA 0.75 mg L−1 + IBA 0.25 mg L−1, after six days in a climatic growth chamber at 25 ± 1 °C in the dark and then placed under a cool white fluorescent lamp, with a PPFD of 35 μmol m−1 s−1 and a photoperiod of 16 h. On the other hand, poor rooting rate was generally achieved under all the tested experimental conditions with the other biotypes, ‘Sal 37’ and ‘Sal 35’, demonstrating the strong role exerted by the previously adopted proliferation method and by the genotype for successful caper in vitro rooting.
A Novel Design and Implementation of Autonomous Robotic Car Based on ROS in Indoor Scenario
Authors: Liu Chunmei , Zhou Chengmin , Cao Wen , Li Fei , Jia Pengfei
Published: March 2020

Pervasive deployment of autonomous vehicle all over the world is an undisputed trend in the future. Autonomous vehicle will inevitably play an essential role in decreasing traffic jams, reducing threats from driving while intoxicated (DWI), and assisting the handicapped to get around. At the same time, the new energy vehicles (NEV) especially the electromobile is gradually adopted by several governments like Germany, USA and China as compulsive transportation tools from the standpoint of environmental friendliness. Taking these two crucial trends into consideration, this article proposes a scheme of autonomous robotic car based on robot operation system (ROS) in electromobile-like car which can be easily transplanted to commercial electromobile. In this article, the design and implementation of robotic car are demonstrated in detail which involves overall architecture of functional modules, hardware design, obstacle avoidance, localization and mapping, land detection and tracking, velocity control and indoor navigation. All software modules and hardware are integrated in NVIDIA Jetson TX1 and TRAXXAS car.
Use of Social Media Platforms among Adults in the United States—Behavior on Social Media
Authors: Hruska Jan , Maresova Petra
Published: March 2020

Social media has evolved over the last decade to become an important driver for acquiring and spreading information in different domains such as business, entertainment, crisis management, and politics. The increasing popularity of social media raises a number of questions regarding why we use it so much and what aspects influence this activity. What about gender? What about education, income, age or social status? This paper answers some of these questions using statistical analyses and by dividing overall social media use into selected social media, i.e., Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and Twitter. The analysis used a dataset that contains information related to 2002 respondents from the U.S. and their social media activity. The results show that people with high household incomes and high education use social media the most. As age increases, social media use decreases, while bigger household income means that social media are used more. Overall, understanding where and at what frequency users are on social media can be a key competitive advantage. When using social networks correctly for marketing, companies can significantly improve their brand awareness, customer satisfaction, quality, reach, and profit.