bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Application of Bayesian Additive Regression Trees for Estimating Daily Concentrations of PM2.5 Components
Authors: Zhang Tianyu , Geng Guannan , Liu Yang , Chang Howard H.
Published: November 2020

Bayesian additive regression tree (BART) is a recent statistical method that combines ensemble learning and nonparametric regression. BART is constructed under a probabilistic framework that also allows for model-based prediction uncertainty quantification. We evaluated the application of BART in predicting daily concentrations of four fine particulate matter (PM2.5) components (elemental carbon, organic carbon, nitrate, and sulfate) in California during the period 2005 to 2014. We demonstrate in this paper how BART can be tuned to optimize prediction performance and how to evaluate variable importance. Our BART models included, as predictors, a large suite of land-use variables, meteorological conditions, satellite-derived aerosol optical depth parameters, and simulations from a chemical transport model. In cross-validation experiments, BART demonstrated good out-of-sample prediction performance at monitoring locations (R2 from 0.62 to 0.73). More importantly, prediction intervals associated with concentration estimates from BART showed good coverage probability at locations with and without monitoring data. In our case study, major PM2.5 components could be estimated with good accuracy, especially when collocated PM2.5 total mass observations were available. In conclusion, BART is an attractive approach for modeling ambient air pollution levels, especially for its ability to provide uncertainty in estimates that may be useful for subsequent health impact and health effect analyses.
A Simple Conceptual Model for the Heat Induced Circulation over Northern South America and Meso-America
Authors: Rojo Hernández Julián David , Mesa Óscar José
Published: November 2020

The physical description of the atmosphere’s general circulation over Northern South America and Meso-America deserves a more comprehensive explanation. This work presents the Pacific coast of Colombia as the rainiest place on Earth, with annual rainfall averaging 5000 to 13,000 mm, and record values as high as 13,159 mm for the location of Puerto López (77∘14′ W, 2∘50′ N). Using information from the ECMWF ERA-40 Atlas and ERA-Interim Reanalysis, we describe the existence of a concentrated diabatic heating source due to condensation and the main features of its related circulation over Northern South America and Meso-America. For simplicity, we used the analytical solution of the Phlips-Gill Model to diagnose the main flow patterns. Results show that the diabatic source over western Colombia generates equatorial trapped Rossby-Kelvin waves, which dominate the low-level circulation. A Kelvin wave explains the low-level easterly flows over the Tropical Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, the Venezuelan-Colombian Llanos, and the Northern Amazon Basin. This circulation is analogous to a Walker cell. To the west, two cyclonic flows and strong westerly winds are present in Meso-America and the far eastern Pacific because planetary waves propagate there. A slight asymmetry in the equator’s diabatic heating location is responsible for the intense low-level pressure over Panama. The vertical velocity over the source area induces vortex tube stretching, and zonal mean flow excites a mixed wave and a northward flow.
Yersinia pestis Plasminogen Activator
Authors: Sebbane Florent , Uversky Vladimir N. , Anisimov Andrey P.
Published: November 2020

The Gram-negative bacterium Yersinia pestis causes plague, a fatal flea-borne anthropozoonosis, which can progress to aerosol-transmitted pneumonia. Y. pestis overcomes the innate immunity of its host thanks to many pathogenicity factors, including plasminogen activator, Pla. This factor is a broad-spectrum outer membrane protease also acting as adhesin and invasin. Y. pestis uses Pla adhesion and proteolytic capacity to manipulate the fibrinolytic cascade and immune system to produce bacteremia necessary for pathogen transmission via fleabite or aerosols. Because of microevolution, Y. pestis invasiveness has increased significantly after a single amino-acid substitution (I259T) in Pla of one of the oldest Y. pestis phylogenetic groups. This mutation caused a better ability to activate plasminogen. In paradox with its fibrinolytic activity, Pla cleaves and inactivates the tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI), a key inhibitor of the coagulation cascade. This function in the plague remains enigmatic. Pla (or pla) had been used as a specific marker of Y. pestis, but its solitary detection is no longer valid as this gene is present in other species of Enterobacteriaceae. Though recovering hosts generate anti-Pla antibodies, Pla is not a good subunit vaccine. However, its deletion increases the safety of attenuated Y. pestis strains, providing a means to generate a safe live plague vaccine.
Cheminformatics to Characterize Pharmacologically Active Natural Products
Authors: Medina-Franco José L. , Saldívar-González Fernanda I.
Published: November 2020

Natural products have a significant role in drug discovery. Natural products have distinctive chemical structures that have contributed to identifying and developing drugs for different therapeutic areas. Moreover, natural products are significant sources of inspiration or starting points to develop new therapeutic agents. Natural products such as peptides and macrocycles, and other compounds with unique features represent attractive sources to address complex diseases. Computational approaches that use chemoinformatics and molecular modeling methods contribute to speed up natural product-based drug discovery. Several research groups have recently used computational methodologies to organize data, interpret results, generate and test hypotheses, filter large chemical databases before the experimental screening, and design experiments. This review discusses a broad range of chemoinformatics applications to support natural product-based drug discovery. We emphasize profiling natural product data sets in terms of diversity; complexity; acid/base; absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADME/Tox) properties; and fragment analysis. Novel techniques for the visual representation of the chemical space are also discussed.
A BCI System Based on Motor Imagery for Assisting People with Motor Deficiencies in the Limbs
Authors: Attallah Omneya , Abougharbia Jaidaa , Tamazin Mohamed , Nasser Abdelmonem A.
Published: November 2020

Motor deficiencies constitute a significant problem affecting millions of people worldwide. Such people suffer from a debility in daily functioning, which may lead to decreased and incoherence in daily routines and deteriorate their quality of life (QoL). Thus, there is an essential need for assistive systems to help those people achieve their daily actions and enhance their overall QoL. This study proposes a novel brain–computer interface (BCI) system for assisting people with limb motor disabilities in performing their daily life activities by using their brain signals to control assistive devices. The extraction of useful features is vital for an efficient BCI system. Therefore, the proposed system consists of a hybrid feature set that feeds into three machine-learning (ML) classifiers to classify motor Imagery (MI) tasks. This hybrid feature selection (FS) system is practical, real-time, and an efficient BCI with low computation cost. We investigate different combinations of channels to select the combination that has the highest impact on performance. The results indicate that the highest achieved accuracies using a support vector machine (SVM) classifier are 93.46% and 86.0% for the BCI competition III–IVa dataset and the autocalibration and recurrent adaptation dataset, respectively. These datasets are used to test the performance of the proposed BCI. Also, we verify the effectiveness of the proposed BCI by comparing its performance with recent studies. We show that the proposed system is accurate and efficient. Future work can apply the proposed system to individuals with limb motor disabilities to assist them and test their capability to improve their QoL. Moreover, the forthcoming work can examine the system’s performance in controlling assistive devices such as wheelchairs or artificial limbs.
Contemporary Review of Smartphone Apps for Tinnitus Management and Treatment
Authors: Mehdi Muntazir , Dode Albi , Pryss Rüdiger , Schlee Winfried , Reichert Manfred , Hauck Franz J.
Published: November 2020

Tinnitus is a complex and heterogeneous psycho-physiological disorder responsible for causing a phantom ringing or buzzing sound albeit the absence of an external sound source. It has a direct influence on affecting the quality of life of its sufferers. Despite being around for a while, there has not been a cure for tinnitus, and the usual course of action for its treatment involves use of tinnitus retaining and sound therapy, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). One positive aspect about these therapies is that they can be administered face-to-face as well as delivered via internet or smartphone. Smartphones are especially helpful as they are highly personalized devices, and offer a well-established ecosystem of apps, accessible via respective marketplaces of differing mobile platforms. Note that current therapeutic treatments such as CBT have shown to be effective in suppressing the tinnitus symptoms when administered face-to-face, their effectiveness when being delivered using smartphones is not known so far. A quick search on the prominent market places of popular mobile platforms (Android and iOS) yielded roughly 250 smartphone apps offering tinnitus-related therapies and tinnitus management. As this number is expected to steadily increase due to high interest in smartphone app development, a contemporary review of such apps is crucial. In this paper, we aim to review scientific studies validating the smartphone apps, particularly to test their effectiveness in tinnitus management and treatment. We use the PRISMA guidelines for identification of studies on major scientific literature sources and delineate the outcomes of identified studies.
Nanostructured Anodic Copper Oxides as Catalysts in Electrochemical and Photoelectrochemical Reactions
Authors: Giziński Damian , Brudzisz Anna , Santos Janaina S. , Trivinho-Strixino Francisco , Stępniowski Wojciech J. , Czujko Tomasz
Published: November 2020

Recently, nanostructured copper oxides formed via anodizing have been intensively researched due to their potential catalytic applications in emerging issues. The anodic Cu2O and CuO nanowires or nanoneedles are attractive photo- and electrocatalysts since they show wide array of desired electronic and morphological features, such as highly-developed surface area. In CO2 electrochemical reduction reaction (CO2RR) copper and copper-based nanostructures indicate unique adsorption properties to crucial reaction intermediates. Furthermore, anodized copper-based materials enable formation of C2+ hydrocarbons and alcohols with enhanced selectivity. Moreover, anodic copper oxides provide outstanding turnover frequencies in electrochemical methanol oxidation at lowered overpotentials. Therefore, they can be considered as precious metals electrodes substituents in direct methanol fuel cells. Additionally, due to the presence of Cu(III)/Cu(II) redox couple, these materials find application as electrodes for non-enzymatic glucose sensors. In photoelectrochemistry, Cu2O-CuO heterostructures of anodic copper oxides with highly-developed surface area are attractive for water splitting. All the above-mentioned aspects of anodic copper oxides derived catalysts with state-of-the-art background have been reviewed within this paper.
Ablation of NPFFR2 in Mice Reduces Response to Single Prolonged Stress Model
Authors: Lin Ya-Tin , Huang Yi-Ling , Tsai Sze-Chi , Chen Jin-Chung
Published: November 2020

Mental stress is highly related to many clinical symptoms and disorders, as it activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis to affect a wide variety of physiological functions. Furthermore, stress leads to the aberrations in HPA axis activity and disruptions of body homeostasis. It was previously shown that neuropeptide FF (NPFF) regulates the HPA axis through the activation of hypothalamus paraventricular nucleus (PVN), and genetic overexpression or pharmacological stimulation of NPFF receptor 2 (NPFFR2) triggers hyperactivity of HPA axis and suppresses behavioral correlates of emotion in mice. In this study, we further examined the role of NPFFR2 in stress response in mice by utilizing a single prolonged stress (SPS). SPS is considered a model of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and mice undergo physical restraint, forced swimming, and ether anesthesia within a day followed by social isolation for one week. NPFFR2 knockout B6 mice were generated by CRISPR/Cas9 technology and exposed to SPS. The NPFFR2 knockouts showed resistance to stress exposure-induced anxiety-like behaviors and HPA axis hyperactivity. Additionally, the hippocampal mRNA levels of glucocorticoid receptor and mineralocorticoid receptor were reduced in wild-type (WT) mice but not in NPFFR2 knockouts after stress exposure. Our data also suggested that NPFFR2 knockout mice have stronger negative feedback on the HPA axis after exposure to SPS. Mice with intra-PVN Npffr2 shRNA injection displayed trends toward resistance to SPS exposure in both behavioral and molecular assays. Together, our findings suggest that NPFFR2 may be a potential therapeutic target for disorders relating to stress/anxiety and HPA dysregulation.
Divide and Rule: Phase Separation in Eukaryotic Genome Functioning
Authors: Razin Sergey V. , Ulianov Sergey V.
Published: November 2020

The functioning of a cell at various organizational levels is determined by the interactions between macromolecules that promote cellular organelle formation and orchestrate metabolic pathways via the control of enzymatic activities. Although highly specific and relatively stable protein-protein, protein-DNA, and protein-RNA interactions are traditionally suggested as the drivers for cellular function realization, recent advances in the discovery of weak multivalent interactions have uncovered the role of so-called macromolecule condensates. These structures, which are highly divergent in size, composition, function, and cellular localization are predominantly formed by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS): a physical-chemical process where an initially homogenous solution turns into two distinct phases, one of which contains the major portion of the dissolved macromolecules and the other one containing the solvent. In a living cell, LLPS drives the formation of membrane-less organelles such as the nucleolus, nuclear bodies, and viral replication factories and facilitates the assembly of complex macromolecule aggregates possessing regulatory, structural, and enzymatic functions. Here, we discuss the role of LLPS in the spatial organization of eukaryotic chromatin and regulation of gene expression in normal and pathological conditions.
Investigating the Potential of the Er:YAG Laser for the Removal of Cemented Dust from Limestone and Painted Plaster
Authors: Melita Lucia Noor , Węgłowska Katarzyna , Tamburini Diego , Korenberg Capucine
Published: November 2020

A successful application of Er:YAG laser for the cleaning of a restored Assyrian relief sculpture from the British Museum collection is presented. Displayed in the gallery, the sculpture has darkened over time due to the natural deposition of dirt, in particular on restored parts. Since traditional cleaning methods have demonstrated to be unsuccessful, a scientific investigation was performed to identify the composition of the soiling and the materials used for the restoration. The analysis suggested the presence of gypsum, calcium oxalate, carbonates and alumino-silicates on the encrustation. The molded plaster, composed of lime and gypsum and pigmented aggregates, was likely prepared at the end of the 19th century to mimic the stone color. It was repainted with what was identified as a modern oil-based overpaint, applied to cover darkening during a second conservation treatment in the 20th century. Laser trials were first performed on small areas of the objects and on mock-ups to determine the critical fluence thresholds of the surface, investigated through visual examination and analyses using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py–GC–MS). The right parameters and conditions to be used during the cleaning process were, therefore, determined. The chemical selectivity of the cleaning process allowed us to complete the treatment safely while preserving the restoration.
Smart Structural Health Monitoring of Flexible Pavements Using Machine Learning Methods
Authors: Karballaeezadeh Nader , Mohammadzadeh S. Danial , Moazemi Dariush , Band Shahab S. , Mosavi Amir , Reuter Uwe
Published: November 2020

The pavement is a complex structure that is influenced by various environmental and loading conditions. The regular assessment of pavement performance is essential for road network maintenance. International roughness index (IRI) and pavement condition index (PCI) are well-known indices used for smoothness and surface condition assessment, respectively. Machine learning techniques have recently made significant advancements in pavement engineering. This paper presents a novel roughness-distress study using random forest (RF). After determining the PCI and IRI values for the sample units, the PCI prediction process is advanced using RF and random forest trained with a genetic algorithm (RF-GA). The models are validated using correlation coefficient (CC), scatter index (SI), and Willmott’s index of agreement (WI) criteria. For the RF method, the values of the three parameters mentioned were −0.177, 0.296, and 0.281, respectively, whereas in the RF-GA method, −0.031, 0.238, and 0.297 values were obtained for these parameters. This paper aims to fulfill the literature’s identified gaps and help pavement engineers overcome the challenges with the conventional pavement maintenance systems.
Enhanced Dissolution Efficiency of Tamoxifen Combined with Methacrylate Copolymers in Amorphous Solid Dispersions
Authors: T. C. da Silva Dayanne , Nadvorny Daniela , Danda Lucas J. de A. , Vieira Amanda C. Q. de M. , Severino Patricia , Soares Monica F. La R. , Soares-Sobrinho José L. , Souto Eliana B.
Published: November 2020

Amorphous solid dispersions (SDs) containing poorly soluble tamoxifen dispersed in a meth(acrylate) copolymer combination were proposed as a controlled release system. The objective of this work was to investigate the characteristics and performance of the tamoxifen–polymer mixture and evaluate the changes in functionality through a supersaturating dissolution study condition while comparing it to a physical mixture at a fixed drug-loading proportion. Two polymers, Eudragit® L 100 and Eudragit® RL 100, were used to prepare SDs with a 1:1 polymer ratio, containing 10%, 20%, or 30% (wt/wt%) of tamoxifen, by the solvent evaporation method. A physical mixture containing 30% of tamoxifen was also prepared for comparison. SDs were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. Dissolution tests were conducted under non-sink conditions to verify the occurrence of drug recrystallization upon its release. Solid-state characterizations confirmed that the drug was in the amorphous state within the polymeric matrix. Tamoxifen release in an acidic medium was mainly affected by the increase in drug concentration caused by the possible loss of interactions that characterize the main polymer functionalities. At pH 7.4, supersaturation was slowly achieved while also contributing to the increase in the kinetic solubility of the drug. The physical mixture demonstrated the best overall performance, suggesting that the polymeric interactions may have negatively affected the drug release. The combination of polymers in the composing SD proved to be a promising strategy to tailor the delivery of poorly soluble drugs. Our study highlights important information on the behavior of tamoxifen as a poorly soluble drug in supersaturating dissolution conditions while released from SD systems.
Environmental Exigencies and the Efficient Voter Rule
Authors: Anderson David A.
Published: November 2020

Externality problems hinder solutions to existential threats, including climate change and mass extinction. To avert environmental crises, policymakers seek mechanisms that align private incentives with societal exigencies. Successful solutions bring individuals to internalize the broad repercussions of their behavior. In some cases, privatization, Coasian bargaining, or Pigouvian taxes effectively place the weight of externalities on the relevant decision makers. Yet, the available remedies often fail to provide satisfactory outcomes, and inefficiencies persist in the markets for energy, transportation, and manufactured goods, among others. This article explains how a simple voting mechanism can achieve socially optimal decisions about many of the innumerable externality problems that remain.
Implementation of Agile Methodologies in an Engineering Course
Authors: Pócsová Jana , Bednárová Dagmar , Bogdanovská Gabriela , Mojžišová Andrea
Published: November 2020

At present, a new generation of students is studying at universities with their specific abilities and skills. In addition to hard skills, potential employers also require significantly developed soft skills from their employees. The school, and not just the university, is entering this process in a different position than in the past due to the changing requirements placed on it. Activities in the school environment must adapt to emerging trends. This article explains how present-day requirements on graduates and specifics of the new generation of students challenge the approach to education. In order to increase the efficiency and attractiveness of the educational process, the SCRUM framework has been implemented into course Mathematics 1. The re-designed course was implemented and validated by an experimental group of students in the academic year 2019/2020. Two questionnaire analyses and a comparison of learning outcomes were conducted to find out the answers to research questions. The results of students indicate that agile methodologies are useful for increasing the efficiency of the educational process. The paper offers our proposal for the introduction of agile methodology into the educational process and our first-hand experience with this way of teaching and its impact on the studying results of the experimental group and, last but not least, suggestions for possible improvements.
Fast Packet Inspection for End-To-End Encryption
Authors: Kim So-Yeon , Yun Sun-Woo , Lee Eun-Young , Bae So-Hyeon , Lee Il-Gu
Published: November 2020

With the recent development and popularization of various network technologies, communicating with people at any time, and from any location, using high-speed internet, has become easily accessible. At the same time, eavesdropping, data interception, personal data leakage, and distribution of malware during the information transfer process have become easier than ever. Recently, to respond to such threats, end-to-end encryption (E2EE) technology has been widely implemented in commercial network services as a popular information security system. However, with the use of E2EE technology, it is difficult to check whether an encrypted packet is malicious in an information security system. A number of studies have been previously conducted on deep packet inspection (DPI) through trustable information security systems. However, the E2EE is not maintained when conducting a DPI, which requires a long inspection time. Thus, in this study, a fast packet inspection (FPI) and its frame structure for quickly detecting known malware patterns while maintaining E2EE are proposed. Based on the simulation results, the proposed FPI allows for inspecting packets approximately 14.4 and 5.3 times faster, respectively, when the inspection coverage is 20% and 100%, as compared with a DPI method under a simulation environment in which the payload length is set to 640 bytes.
Physiological and Structural Aspects of In Vitro Somatic Embryogenesis in Abies alba Mill
Authors: Salaj Terezia , Klubicová Katarina , Panis Bart , Swennen Rony , Salaj Jan
Published: November 2020

Initiation of somatic embryogenesis from immature zygotic embryos, long-term maintenance of embryogenic tissue in vitro or by cryopreservation, as well as maturation, of somatic embryos of Abies alba Mill. are reported in this study. For the initiation of embryogenic tissues, a DCR medium containing different types of cytokinins (1 mg.L−1) were tested. During three consecutive years, 61 cell lines were initiated out of 1308 explants, with initiation frequencies ranging between 0.83 and 13.33%. The type of cytokinin had no profound effect on the initiation frequency within one given year. Microscopic observations revealed presence of bipolar somatic embryos in all initiated embryogenic tissues. Besides the typical bipolar somatic embryos, huge polyembryonal complexes, as well as “twin” embryos, were observed. Maturation of somatic embryos occurred on a DCR medium supplemented by abscisic acid (10 mg.L−1), polyethylene glycol (PEG-4000, 7.5%) and 3% maltose. The maturation capacity was cell-line dependent. All of the four tested cell lines produced cotyledonary somatic embryos, though at different quantities, of 16 to 252 per g of fresh weight. After germination, seedlings developed, but their further growth soon stopped after the formation of a resting bud. Altogether, seven cell lines were cryopreserved, using the slow-freezing technique. After rewarming, all tested cell lines showed regrowth rates between 81.8 and 100%.
Enological Repercussions of Non-Saccharomyces Species 2.0
Authors: Morata Antonio
Published: November 2020

Non-Saccharomyces yeast species are currently a biotechnology trend in enology and broadly used to improve the sensory profile of wines because they affect aroma, color, and mouthfeel. They have become a powerful biotool to modulate the influence of global warming on grape varieties, helping to maintain the acidity, decrease the alcoholic degree, stabilize wine color, and increase freshness. In cool climates, some non-Saccharomyces can promote demalication or color stability by the formation of stable derived pigments. Additionally, non-Saccharomyces yeasts open new possibilities in biocontrol for removing spoilage yeast and bacteria or molds that can produce and release mycotoxins, and therefore, can help in reducing SO2 levels. The promising species Hanseniaspora vineae is analyzed in depth in this Special Issue in two articles, one concerning the glycolytic and fermentative metabolisms and its positive role and sensory impact by the production of aromatic esters and lysis products during fermentation are also assessed.
Physico-Chemical, Sensory and Texture Properties of an Aged Mexican Manchego-Style Cheese Produced from Hair Sheep Milk
Authors: Mezo-Solís Jesús Alberto , Moo-Huchin Víctor Manuel , Sánchez-Zarate Adriana , Gonzalez-Ronquillo Manuel , Estrada-León Raciel Javier , Ibáñez Rodrigo , Toro-Mujica Paula , Chay-Canul Alfonso J. , Vargas-Bello-Pérez Einar
Published: November 2020

The objective of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical and texture changes of the Manchego-style cheese produced from hair sheep (Pelibuey) throughout 180 days of ripening, as well as consumer’s acceptance. Cheese pH was constant from 1 to 180 days of ripening. Moisture, water activity, fat, elasticity and hardness decreased from day 1 to day 180, while protein, trichloroacetic acid-soluble N and free amino acid increased. Cheese lightness decreased as ripening time increased, while elasticity and hardness decreased. Principal Component Analysis was useful in discriminating cheeses according to their physicochemical composition and that allowed cheeses to be classified in two groups according to their ripening time and this resulted in those with less than 60 days and those with more than 90 days of ripening. Compared with cheeses ripened at 1 and 90 days, aged cheeses at 180 days reduced scores for appearance, color, odor, taste, texture and overall acceptance. Overall, Manchego-style cheeses from hair sheep had the usual ripened-cheese physicochemical changes.
The Impact of a Consecutive Process of Pulsed Electric Field, Sous-Vide Cooking, and Reheating on the Properties of Beef Semitendinosus Muscle
Authors: Jeong Se-Ho , Kim Eui-Chan , Lee Dong-Un
Published: November 2020

The effects of a consecutive process of pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment, sous-vide cooking, and reheating on the properties of beef semitendinosus muscle were investigated. Fresh meats were PEF-treated with different electric field strengths of 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 kV/cm, and then the control and PEF-pretreated beef samples were sous-vide cooked at 60 °C for up to 24 h. The PEF pretreatment resulted in tenderization of the fresh meat proportional to the increase in the electric field strength. A significant decrease in cutting force (by 35%) was observed after PEF treatment at 2.0 kV/cm. The hardness and chewiness of the meat were also significantly reduced by PEF treatment. After sous-vide cooking, the PEF-pretreated samples exhibited a significantly reduced cutting force, redness value (a*), and myoglobin content (mg/g) (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in cooking loss and drip loss (p > 0.05). When the sous-vide-cooked meats were reheated in an oven (230 °C, 5 min), the reduced cutting force induced by the PEF pretreatment was retained.
Seasonal Variation of Glucosinolate Hydrolysis Products in Commercial White and Red Cabbages (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)
Authors: Wermter Nicole S. , Rohn Sascha , Hanschen Franziska S.
Published: November 2020

Brassica vegetables contain glucosinolates, which are well-known for their potential to form health-promoting isothiocyanates. Among those crucifers, white and red cabbage are commonly consumed vegetables, exhibiting different glucosinolate and hydrolysis profiles thereof. Regarding the health beneficial effects from these vegetables, more information, especially concerning the seasonal variation of glucosinolate profiles and the formation of their bioactive hydrolysis products in commercial cabbages, is needed. In this study, glucosinolates and glucosinolate hydrolysis product profiles in red and white cabbages from three different food retailers were monitored over six different sampling dates across the selling season in autumn. For the first time, it was shown that, while glucosinolate profiles were similar in each cabbage variety, glucosinolate hydrolysis product profiles and hydrolysis behavior varied considerably over the season. The highest total isothiocyanate concentrations were observed in conventional red (1.66 μmol/g FW) and organic white (0.93 μmol/g FW) cabbages purchased at the first sampling date in September. Here, red cabbage was with up to 1.06 μmol/g FW of 4-(methylsulfinyl)butyl isothiocyanate (sulforaphane), an excellent source for this health-promoting isothiocyanate. Cabbages purchased 11 weeks later in autumn released lower levels of isothiocyanates, but mainly nitriles and epithionitriles. The results indicate that commercial cabbages purchased in early autumn could be healthier options than those purchased later in the year.
Density-Based Spatial Clustering and Ordering Points Approach for Characterizations of Tourist Behaviour
Authors: Rodríguez-Echeverría Jorge , Semanjski Ivana , Van Gheluwe Casper , Ochoa Daniel , IJben Harm , Gautama Sidharta
Published: November 2020

Knowledge about the spots where tourist activity is undertaken, including which segments from the tourist market visit them, is valuable information for tourist service managers. Nowadays, crowdsourced smartphones applications are used as part of tourist surveys looking for knowledge about the tourist in all phases of their journey. However, the representativeness of this type of source, or how to validate the outcomes, are part of the issues that still need to be solved. In this research, a method to discover hotspots using clustering techniques and give to these hotspots a data-driven interpretation is proposed. The representativeness of the dataset and the validation of the results against existing statistics is assessed. The method was evaluated using 124,725 trips, which have been gathered by 1505 devices. The results show that the proposed approach successfully detects hotspots related with the most common activities developed by overnight tourists and repeat visitors in the region under study.
Estimators for Time Synchronization—Survey, Analysis, and Outlook
Authors: Puttnies Henning , Danielis Peter , Sharif Ali Rehan , Timmermann Dirk
Published: November 2020

Time (or clock) synchronization is a large and vital field of research, as synchronization is a precondition for many applications. A few example applications are distributed data acquisition, distributed databases, and real-time communication. First, this survey paper introduces the research area of time synchronization and emphasizes its relation to other research areas. Second, we give an overview of the state-of-the-art of time synchronization. Herein, we discuss both established protocol and research approaches. We analyze all techniques according to three criteria: used estimation algorithm, achievable synchronization accuracy, and the experimental conditions. In our opinion, this analysis highlights potential improvements. The most important question in this survey is as follows: which estimation method can be used to achieve which accuracies under which conditions? The intention behind this is to identify estimation methods that are particularly worth considering, as these already achieve good results in the wireless area but have not yet been examined in the wired area (and vice versa). This survey paper differs from other surveys in particular through the consideration of wireless and wired synchronization and the focus on estimation algorithms and their achievable accuracy.
Bibliometric Analysis of Scientific Productivity around Edge Computing and the Internet of Things
Authors: Moreno-Guerrero Antonio-José , Hinojo-Lucena Francisco-Javier , Navas-Parejo Magdalena Ramos , Gómez-García Gerardo
Published: November 2020

Technological progress has recently led to the emergence of various technological resources and means that are improving specific aspects of society. An example of this can be found in the “internet of things” and “edge computing”. The present study aims at knowing and analyzing the scientific literature of the set of terms formed by “edge computing” and “internet of things”, called from now on ECIT. In order to carry out the research, a study has been developed, based on bibliometrics, by means of scientific mapping. In this case, different production indicators have been taken into account, as well as the structural and dynamic development of the terms and authors extracted from the publications through the programs Analyze Results, Creation Citation Report and SciMAT. The results indicate that the study theme “edge computing” and “internet of things” is of recent creation, given that its beginnings date back to 2014. Since then the level of production has been dizzying, increasing considerably in the past two years. It can be concluded that the field of study of ECIT is of recent creation, with a solid research base based on the “internet of things”. Furthermore, the themes “big data”, “energy” and “framework” can be considered as the future lines of research on ECIT.
Comparison of Contrast Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Angiography to Computed Tomography in Detecting Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformations
Authors: Van den Heuvel Daniel A.F. , Post Marco C. , Koot Ward , Kelder Johannes C. , Van Es Hendrik W. , Snijder Repke J. , Vos Jan-Albert , Mager Johannes J.
Published: November 2020

Background: Computed tomography (CT) is considered the imaging modality of choice to diagnose pulmonary arteriovenous malformations PAVMs. The drawback of this technique is that it requires ionizing radiation. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging does not have the limitation, but little is known about the performance of MR compared to CT for the detection of PAVMs. The aim of this study is to investigate the sensitivity of contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA) in the detection of PAVMs with feeding artery diameters (FAD) > 2 mm. Methods: Patients with a grade 2 or 3 shunt on screening transthoracic contrast echocardiography (TTCE) were asked to participate. Included patients underwent chest CT and CE-MRA. CT was considered the reference standard. CT and CE-MRA scans were anonymized and assessed for the presence of PAVMs with FAD > 2 mm by one and two readers respectively. Data analysis was performed on per patient and per PAVM basis. Results: Fifty-three patients were included. 105 PAVMs were detected on CT, 45 with a FAD ≥ 2 mm. In per patient analysis, sensitivity and specificity of CE-MRA were 92% and 97% respectively for reader 1 and 92% and 62% for reader 2. Negative and positive predictive value (NPV/PPV) were 93% and 96% for R1 and 90% and 67% for R2. In per PAVM analysis, sensitivity, specificity, NPV and PPV were 96%, 99%, 100% and 86% for R1 and 93%, 96%, 100% and 56% for R2, respectively. Conclusions: CE-MRA has excellent sensitivity and NPV for detection of PAVMs with FAD ≥ 2 mm and can therefore be used to detect these PAVMs. We are hopeful that future advancements in CE-MRA technology will reduce false positive rates and allow for more broad use of CE-MRA in PAVM diagnosis and management.
A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study of Self-Reported Adherence and Factors Associated with Analgesic Treatment in People with Chronic Pain
Authors: Ortega-Jiménez Patricia , De Sola Helena , Salazar Alejandro , Dueñas María , Del Reguero Leticia , Failde Inmaculada
Published: November 2020

This study aims to shed light on the frequency and associated factors of self-reported adherence to analgesic treatment among chronic pain (CP) patients in the Spanish population. A nationwide cross-sectional study was performed of 1066 Spanish adults, of whom 251 suffered from CP and 168 had been prescribed analgesic treatment. Adherence was assessed using a self-reported direct questionnaire and related factors were collected. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were conducted. Among the 23.5% (95% CI: 21.0–26.2%) of the sample with CP, 66.9% (95% CI: 60.7–72.7%) were taking analgesic treatment prescribed by a doctor, and 81.0% (95% CI: 74.2–86.6%) said they took the treatment as the doctor indicated. However, 17.6% forgot to take the medication, 11% overused them when in great pain, 46.3% stopped the treatment when feeling better and 33.3% when feeling worse, and 7.3% stopped taking them for financial reasons. Higher intensity of pain, polymedication, administration route (injection/patches) and some patient-related factors were associated with self-perceived adherence to treatment. Most Spanish people with CP consider that they are adherent to their analgesic treatment. However, their behavior presents contradictions. It would be advisable for professionals to inform patients about appropriate behavior regarding their therapy recommendations, and to explore potential factors related to non-adherence. This could contribute to improving pain control.
Risk Factors and Outcome of C. difficile Infection after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
Authors: Rosignoli Chiara , Petruzzellis Giuseppe , Radici Vera , Facchin Gabriele , Girgenti Marco , Stella Rossella , Isola Miriam , Battista Martalisa , Sperotto Alessandra , Geromin Antonella , Cerno Michela , Arzese Alessandra , Deias Paola , Tascini Carlo , Fanin Renato , Patriarca Francesca
Published: November 2020

Patients who undergo hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT) are at major risk of C. difficile (CD) infection (CDI), the most common cause of nosocomial diarrhea. We conducted a retrospective study, which enrolled 481 patients who underwent autologous (220) or allogeneic HSCT (261) in a 5-year period, with the aim of identifying the incidence, risk factors and outcome of CDI between the start of conditioning and 100 days after HSCT. The overall cumulative incidence of CDI based upon clinical evidence was 5.4% (95% CI, 3.7% to 7.8%), without any significant difference between the two types of procedures. The median time between HSCT and CDI diagnosis was 12 days. Out of 26 patients, 19 (73%) with clinical and symptomatic evidence of CDI were positive also for enzymatic or molecular detection of toxigenic CD; in particular, in 5 out of 26 patients (19%) CD binary toxin was also detected. CDI diagnoses significantly increased in the period 2018–2019, since the introduction in the microbiology lab unit of the two-step diagnostic test based on GDH immunoenzymatic detection and toxin B/binary toxin/027 ribotype detection by real-time PCR. Via multivariate analysis, abdominal surgery within 10 years before HSCT (p = 0.002), antibiotic therapy within two months before HSCT (p = 0.000), HCV infection (p = 0.023) and occurrence of bacterial or fungal infections up to 100 days after HSCT (p = 0.003) were significantly associated with a higher risk of CDI development. The 26 patients were treated with first-line vancomycin (24) or fidaxomicine (2) and only 2 patients needed a second-line treatment, due to the persistence of stool positivity. No significant relationship was identified between CDI and the development of acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) after allogeneic HSCT. At a median follow-up of 25 months (range 1–65), the cumulative incidence of transplant related mortality (TRM) was 16.6% (95% CI 11.7% to 22.4%) and the 3-year overall survival (OS) was 67.0% (95% CI 61.9% to 71.6%). The development of CDI had no significant impact on TRM and OS, which were significantly impaired in the multivariate analysis by gastrointestinal and urogenital comorbidities, severe GVHD, previous infections or hospitalization within two months before HSCT, active disease at transplant and occurrence of infections after HSCT. We conclude that 20% of all episodes of diarrhea occurring up to 100 days after HSCT were related to toxigenic CD infection. Patients with a history of previous abdominal surgery or HCV infection, or those who had received broad spectrum parenteral antibacterial therapy were at major risk for CDI development. CDIs were successfully treated with vancomycin or fidaxomicin after auto-HSCT as well as after allo-HSCT.
Outcomes of Liver Resections after Liver Transplantation at a High-Volume Hepatobiliary Center
Authors: Pohl Julian M. O. , Raschzok Nathanael , Eurich Dennis , Pflüger Michael , Wiering Leke , Daneshgar Assal , Dziodzio Tomasz , Jara Maximilian , Globke Brigitta , Sauer Igor M. , Biebl Matthias , Lurje Georg , Schöning Wenzel , Schmelzle Moritz , Tacke Frank , Pratschke Johann , Ritschl Paul V. , Öllinger Robert
Published: November 2020

Although more than one million liver transplantations have been carried out worldwide, the literature on liver resections in transplanted livers is scarce. We herein report a total number of fourteen patients, who underwent liver resection after liver transplantation (LT) between September 2004 and 2017. Hepatocellular carcinomas and biliary tree pathologies were the predominant indications for liver resection (n = 5 each); other indications were abscesses (n = 2), post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (n = 1) and one benign tumor. Liver resection was performed at a median of 120 months (interquartile range (IQR): 56.5–199.25) after LT with a preoperative Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score of 11 (IQR: 6.75–21). Severe complications greater than Clavien–Dindo Grade III occurred in 5 out of 14 patients (36%). We compared liver resection patients, who had a treatment option of retransplantation (ReLT), with actual ReLTs (excluding early graft failure or rejection, n = 44). Bearing in mind that late ReLT was carried out at a median of 117 months after first transplantation and a median of MELD of 32 (IQR: 17.5–37); three-year survival following liver resection after LT was similar to late ReLT (50.0% vs. 59.1%; p = 0.733). Compared to ReLT, liver resection after LT is a rare surgical procedure with significantly shorter hospital (mean 25, IQR: 8.75–49; p = 0.034) and ICU stays (mean 2, IQR: 1–8; p < 0.001), acceptable complications and survival rates.
Clinical Reasoning for the Examination and Physical Therapy Treatment of Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD): A Narrative Literature Review
Authors: Fernández-de-las-Peñas César , Von Piekartz Harry
Published: November 2020

The current narrative literature review aims to discuss clinical reasoning based on nociceptive pain mechanisms for determining the most appropriate assessment and therapeutic strategy and to identify/map the most updated scientific evidence in relation to physical therapy interventions for patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). We will also propose an algorithm for clinical examination and treatment decisions and a pain model integrating current knowledge of pain neuroscience. The clinical examination of patients with TMDs should be based on nociceptive mechanisms and include the potential identification of the dominant, central, or peripheral sensitization driver. Additionally, the musculoskeletal drivers of these sensitization processes should be assessed with the aim of reproducing symptoms. Therapeutic strategies applied for managing TMDs can be grouped into tissue-based impairment treatments (bottom-up interventions) and strategies targeting the central nervous system (top-down interventions). Bottom-up strategies include joint-, soft tissue-, and nerve-targeting interventions, as well as needling therapies, whereas top-down strategies include exercises, grade motor imagery, and also pain neuroscience education. Evidence shows that the effectiveness of these interventions depends on the clinical reasoning applied, since not all strategies are equally effective for the different TMD subgroups. In fact, the presence or absence of a central sensitization driver could lead to different treatment outcomes. It seems that multimodal approaches are more effective and should be applied in patients with TMDs. The current paper also proposes a clinical decision algorithm integrating clinical diagnosis with nociceptive mechanisms for the application of the most appropriate treatment approach.