bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recovery of Phosphorus in Soils Amended with Manure for 119 Years
Authors: Pasket Amber , Zhang Hailin , Raun William , Deng Shiping
Published: December 2020

Manure phosphorus (P) accumulation in soils is of environmental concern. The objectives were to determine P concentrations and fate in soils following 119 years of manure and 89 years of chemical fertilizer application. The recovery and distribution of P were evaluated for five years in soils from the untreated check, and soils amended with manure, fertilizer-P, or NPK. Total P concentrations were significantly higher in fertilizer-treated surface soils, compared to manure application. Treated plots had significantly higher P concentrations than the check. Virtually all of the added P was accounted for, either remaining in the soil or harvested in grains. Over 50% of fertilizer-P and about 38% of manure-P were found in the top 15 cm of the soil. A majority (81–99%) of the added fertilizer-P was found in the top 30 cm, while about 40% of manure-P leached down to the 30–90 cm level of the soil profile. Following 119 years of moderate application, manure-P did not reach deeper than 90 cm, suggesting that leaching to groundwater is not a concern at this site. Preserving P in the lower soil profile could enhance the potential for plant uptake.
Biochar and Its Effects on Plant–Soil Macronutrient Cycling during a Three-Year Field Trial on Sandy Soil with Peppermint (Mentha piperita L.). Part I: Yield and Macro Element Content in Soil and Plant Biomass
Authors: Sadowska Urszula , Domagała-Świątkiewicz Iwona , Żabiński Andrzej
Published: December 2020

Pyrolyzed organic residues can be incorporated as a soil additive to improve their properties, crop productivity, or to increase retention or absorption of different compounds. However, in agronomy, the practice of biochar application is still under examination. The interactions between plant, soil, and biochar can be complex, and determines the agronomic effects obtained. A three-year field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of biochar addition and nitrogen (N) fertilization on biomass productivity and nutrient uptake of Mentha piperita L. The experiment was conducted with a three-factorial design in triplicate at N fertilizer rates of 75, 100, and 125 kg N ha−1 and biochar rates of 0, 5, 15, and 45 t ha−1. Commercial wood-based biochar produced at 650 °C was incorporated into sandy soil in 2017. Generally, our results demonstrated potential for treating a sandy soil, since biochar improved the nutrient availability for peppermint. However, on average, during a three-year mint-yielding period, no significant effect of the applied dose of biochar on this parameter was found. Significantly more soluble Ca, K, and SO4-S was found in the soil amended with biochar as compared with the control soil. Biochar, in doses of 15 and 45 t ha−1, increased the NH4-N concentration in the soil in the second and third year of the study, as well as NO3-N in 2018. The greatest amount of N and P was contained in the peppermint biomass after using 15 and 45 t biochar ha−1. The highest dose of biochar (45 t ha−1) also increased the contents of K and S in plants. Nitrogen fertilization increased the dry matter yield of peppermint on the harvest sampling dates. The N content in the mint increased proportionally to the nitrogen dose in fertilization, regardless of the biochar dose applied. The use of biochar in doses of 15 and 45 t ha−1 in coarse-textured soil contributed to increased use of nitrogen by plants after nitrogen fertilization at doses of 100 and 125 kg N ha−1. These findings suggest that the time-dependent responses of soil to biochar amendment are strongly influenced by plant, microbial, and soil feedback; if so, then practical long-term biochar effectiveness requires further study.
Nitrogen Isotope Fractionation during Composting of Sewage and Agri-Food Sludge with Pruning Waste
Authors: Sáez José Antonio , Flores Pilar , Bustamante María Ángeles , Sanchez-Hernandez Juan C. , Moral Raúl , Pérez-Murcia María Dolores
Published: December 2020

This work studies the changes in δ15N signature during the composting of sewage sludge (MS) and agri-food sludge (AS) with different bulking agents and the potential relationships between the changes in this parameter with both the source of the organic matter used as a raw material and the stability of the end-materials obtained. For this, eleven mixtures were prepared in commercial composting conditions using sewage sludge from municipal wastewater in a range of 60–85% (on a fresh weight basis) or agri-food sludge in a range of 65–75%, mixed with seven different pruning wastes as bulking agents. The thermal profile was monitored throughout the composting processes, and the main physico-chemical and chemical parameters were determined. The results obtained confirmed a correct development of the composting processes, observing slight differences in process evolution depending on the type of sludge used. The composts obtained showed adequate contents of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) and reached a good degree of maturity. Significant differences in the specific nitrogen isotopic composition were found in the initial materials. Moreover, the results suggest that the type of sludge had a main contribution in the δ15N value of the initial composting mixtures. The use of δ15N is recommended as an indicator of the composting process, especially to evaluate N dynamics, and the quality of the resultant compost.
Genera and Species of the Anisakidae Family and Their Geographical Distribution
Authors: Ángeles-Hernández Juan C. , Gómez-de Anda Fabian R. , Reyes-Rodríguez Nydia E. , Vega-Sánchez Vicente , García-Reyna Patricia B. , Campos-Montiel Rafael G. , Calderón-Apodaca Norma L. , Salgado-Miranda Celene , Zepeda-Velázquez Andrea P.
Published: December 2020

Nematodes of the Anisakidae family have the ability to infest a wide variety of aquatic hosts during the development of their larval stages, mainly marine mammals, aquatic birds, such as pelicans, and freshwater fish, such crucian carp, these being the hosts where the life cycle is completed. The participation of intermediate hosts such as cephalopods, shrimp, crustaceans and marine fish, is an important part of this cycle. Due to morphological changes and updates to the genetic information of the different members of the family, the purpose of this review was to carry out a bibliographic search of the genus and species of the Anisakidae family identified by molecular tests, as well as the geographical area in which they were collected. The Anisakidae family is made up of eight different parasitic genera and 46 different species. Those of clinical importance to human health are highlighted: Anisakis pegreffi, A. simplexsensu stricto, Contracaecumosculatum, Pseudoterranova azarazi, P. cattani, P. decipiens and P. krabbei. The geographical distribution of these genera and species is located mainly in the European continent, Asia and South America, as well as in North and Central America and Australia. Based on the information collected from the Anisakidae family, it was determined that the geographical distribution is affected by different environmental factors, the host and the ability of the parasite itself to adapt. Its ability to adapt to the human organism has led to it being considered as a zoonotic agent. The disease in humans manifests nonspecifically, however the consumption of raw or semi-raw seafood is crucial information to link the presentation of the parasite with the disease. The use of morphological and molecular tests is of utmost importance for the correct diagnosis of the genus and species of the Anisakidae family.
Pathology of Coronavirus Infections: A Review of Lesions in Animals in the One-Health Perspective
Authors: Zappulli Valentina , Ferro Silvia , Bonsembiante Federico , Brocca Ginevra , Calore Alessandro , Cavicchioli Laura , Centelleghe Cinzia , Corazzola Giorgia , De Vreese Steffen , Gelain Maria Elena , Mazzariol Sandro , Moccia Valentina , Rensi Nicolò , Sammarco Alessandro , Torrigiani Filippo , Verin Ranieri , Castagnaro Massimo
Published: December 2020

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are worldwide distributed RNA-viruses affecting several species, including humans, and causing a broad spectrum of diseases. Historically, they have not been considered a severe threat to public health until two outbreaks of COVs-related atypical human pneumonia derived from animal hosts appeared in 2002 and in 2012. The concern related to CoVs infection dramatically rose after the COVID-19 global outbreak, for which a spill-over from wild animals is also most likely. In light of this CoV zoonotic risk, and their ability to adapt to new species and dramatically spread, it appears pivotal to understand the pathophysiology and mechanisms of tissue injury of known CoVs within the “One-Health” concept. This review specifically describes all CoVs diseases in animals, schematically representing the tissue damage and summarizing the major lesions in an attempt to compare and put them in relation, also with human infections. Some information on pathogenesis and genetic diversity is also included. Investigating the lesions and distribution of CoVs can be crucial to understand and monitor the evolution of these viruses as well as of other pathogens and to further deepen the pathogenesis and transmission of this disease to help public health preventive measures and therapies.
Raw Cow Milk Bacterial Consortium as Bioindicator of Circulating Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR)
Authors: Piras Cristian , Greco Viviana , Gugliandolo Enrico , Soggiu Alessio , Tilocca Bruno , Bonizzi Luigi , Zecconi Alfonso , Cramer Rainer , Britti Domenico , Urbani Andrea , Roncada Paola
Published: December 2020

The environment, including animals and animal products, is colonized by bacterial species that are typical and specific of every different ecological niche. Natural and human-related ecological pressure promotes the selection and expression of genes related to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). These genes might be present in a bacterial consortium but might not necessarily be expressed. Their expression could be induced by the presence of antimicrobial compounds that could originate from a given ecological niche or from human activity. In this work, we applied (meta)proteomics analysis of bacterial compartment of raw milk in order to obtain a method that provides a measurement of circulating AMR involved proteins and gathers information about the whole bacterial composition. Results from milk analysis revealed the presence of 29 proteins/proteoforms linked to AMR. The detection of mainly β-lactamases suggests the possibility of using the milk microbiome as a bioindicator for the investigation of AMR. Moreover, it was possible to achieve a culture-free qualitative and functional analysis of raw milk bacterial consortia.
Concurrent and Predictive Criterion Validity of a Puppy Behaviour Questionnaire for Predicting Training Outcome in Juvenile Guide Dogs
Authors: Hunt Rebecca L. , England Gary C. W. , Asher Lucy , Whiteside Helen , Harvey Naomi D.
Published: December 2020

Working dog organisations regularly assess the behaviour of puppies to monitor progression. Here, we tested the predictive validity (for predicting success in guide dog training) of a shortened version of a previously developed juvenile dog behaviour questionnaire (the refined puppy walker questionnaire, r-PWQ) and compared it with the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ). The r-PWQ is used by Guide Dogs UK, whereas the C-BARQ was designed for pet dogs and is used by some other guide dog schools internationally. A cohort of dogs aged eight months (n = 359) were scored concurrently on the r-PWQ and C-BARQ. Analogous traits between the questionnaires were evaluated for internal consistency and association with training outcome and compared for concurrent validity. The r-PWQ was associated with training outcome for five scales (r-Excitability, Trainability, Animal Chase, r-Attachment and attention seeking and Distractibility) and the C-BARQ for two scales (Excitability and Separation-related behaviour). There were significant correlations between analogous C-BARQ and r-PWQ trait scores (p < 0.001) except for Separation-related behaviour and questionnaire scales had similar internal consistencies. The r-PWQ may be more suitable to use with guide dog schools. However, due to the correlation between analogous scales (except for “Distractibility”) some scales could be substituted for one another when reviewing the behaviour of dogs between guide dog schools using different questionnaires.
A High Dietary Incorporation Level of Chlorella vulgaris Improves the Nutritional Value of Pork Fat without Impairing the Performance of Finishing Pigs
Authors: Coelho Diogo , Pestana José , Almeida João M. , Alfaia Cristina M. , Fontes Carlos M. G. A. , Moreira Olga , Prates José A. M.
Published: December 2020

The influence of a high inclusion level of Chlorella vulgaris, individually and supplemented with two carbohydrase mixtures, in finishing pig diets was assessed on zootechnical performance, carcass characteristics, pork quality traits and nutritional value of pork fat. Forty crossbred entire male pigs, sons of Large White × Landrace sows crossed with Pietrain boars, with an initial live weight of 59.1 ± 5.69 kg were used in this trial. Swines were randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatments (n = 10): cereal and soybean meal-based diet (control), control diet with 5% C. vulgaris (CV), CV diet supplemented with 0.005% Rovabio® Excel AP (CV + R) and CV diet supplemented with 0.01% of a four-CAZyme mixture (CV + M). Animals were slaughtered, after the finishing period, with a BW of 101 ± 1.9 kg. Growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality traits were not influenced (p > 0.05) by the incorporation of C. vulgaris in the diets. However, the inclusion of the microalga in finishing pig diets increased some lipid-soluble antioxidant pigments and n-3 PUFA, and decreased the n-6:n-3 ratio of fatty acids, thus ameliorating the nutritional value of pork fat. Moreover, the supplementation of diets with the carbohydrase mixtures did not change (p > 0.05) neither animal performance nor meat quality traits, indicating their inefficacy in the increase of digestive utilization of C. vulgaris by pigs under these experimental conditions. It is concluded that the use of C. vulgaris in finishing pig diets, at this high incorporation level, improves the nutritional value of pork fat without compromising pig performance.
The Genomic Variation in the Aosta Cattle Breeds Raised in an Extensive Alpine Farming System
Authors: Strillacci Maria Giuseppina , Vevey Mario , Blanchet Veruska , Mantovani Roberto , Sartori Cristina , Bagnato Alessandro
Published: December 2020

The Aosta Red Pied (Valdostana Pezzata Rossa (VRP)), the Aosta Black Pied (Valdostana Pezzata Nera (VBP)) and the Aosta Chestnut (Valdostana Castana (CAS)) are dual-purpose cattle breeds (meat and milk), very well adapted to the harsh environmental conditions of alpine territories: their farming is in fact characterized by summer pasture at very high altitude. A total of 728 individuals were genotyped with the GeenSeek Genomic Profiler® (GGP) Bovine 150K Illumina SNP chip as a part of the DUALBREEDING-PSRN Italian-funded research project. The genetic diversity among populations showed that the three breeds are distinct populations based on the FST values, ADMIXTURE and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) results. Runs of Homozygosity (ROH) were obtained for the three populations to disclose recent autozygosity. The genomic inbreeding based on the ROH was calculated and coupled with information derived from the F (inbreeding coefficient) and FST parameters. The mean FROH values were low: CAS = 0.06, VBP = 0.05 and VRP = 0.07, while the average F values were −0.003, −0.01 and −0.003, respectively. The annotation and enrichment analysis, performed in the identified most frequent ROH (TOP_ROH), showed genes that can be linked to the resilience capacity of these populations to harsh environmental farming conditions, and to the peculiar characteristics searched for by farmers in each breed.
Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles and Evaluation of Their Antibacterial Activity against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria and Wound Healing Efficacy Using a Murine Model
Authors: Lakkim Vajravathi , Reddy Madhava C. , Pallavali Roja Rani , Reddy Kakarla Raghava , Reddy Ch Venkata , Inamuddin  , Bilgrami Anwar L. , Lomada Dakshayani
Published: December 2020

Green nanotechnology has significant applications in various biomedical science fields. In this study, green-synthesized silver nanoparticles, prepared by using Catharanthus roseus and Azadirachta indica extracts, were characterized using UV–Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) synthesized from leaf extracts of C. roseus and A. indica effectively inhibited the growth of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria isolated from patients with septic wound infections. The maximum bacteriolytic activity of the green-synthesized Ag NPs of C. roseus and A. indica against the MDR bacterium K. Pneumoniae was shown by a zone of inhibition of 19 and 16 mm, respectively. C. roseus Ag NPs exhibited more bacteriolytic activity than A. indica Ag NPs in terms of the zone of inhibition. Moreover, these particles were effective in healing wounds in BALB/c mice. Ag NPs of C. roseus and A. indica enhanced wound healing by 94% ± 1% and 87% ± 1%, respectively. Our data suggest that Ag NPs from C. roseus and A. indicia ameliorate excision wounds, and wound healing could be due to their effective antimicrobial activity against MDR bacteria. Hence, these Ag NPs could be potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of wounds.
Antioxidant Activity of Flavonoids in LPS-Treated IPEC-J2 Porcine Intestinal Epithelial Cells and Their Antibacterial Effect against Bacteria of Swine Origin
Authors: Kovács Dóra , Karancsi Zita , Farkas Orsolya , Jerzsele Ákos
Published: December 2020

Beneficial effects of flavonoids are widely known in human medicine, but less information is available about their veterinary usage. Based on their antioxidant and antibacterial activity, proanthocyanidins (PAs) and luteolin (LUT) might be used in the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal infections in swine. In this study, in vitro beneficial effects of grape seed oligomeric proanthocyanidins (GSOPs) and LUT were investigated against bacterial endotoxin (LPS)-induced oxidative stress in IPEC-J2 porcine epithelial intestinal cells. Furthermore, antibacterial effects of GSOP and LUT were assessed against field isolates of Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica ser. Typhimurium. Both GSOP and LUT were found to possess potent in vitro antioxidant activity in LPS-treated IPEC-J2 cells; furthermore, they showed a bacteriostatic effect against the tested bacterial strains of porcine origin. Both flavonoids seem to be effective in the protection of porcine intestinal epithelial cells against Gram-negative bacteria in vitro, but further in vivo studies are necessary to confirm these activities and to establish their optimal dosage regimen for future usage in veterinary practice.
Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Intermediate and Late Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Review of Current Technical Aspects and Applications
Authors: Carnevali Adriano , Mastropasqua Rodolfo , Gatti Valentina , Vaccaro Sabrina , Mancini Alessandra , D’Aloisio Rossella , Lupidi Marco , Cerquaglia Alessio , Sacconi Riccardo , Borrelli Enrico , Iovino Claudio , Vitiello Livio , Toro Mario Damiano , Vagge Aldo , Bernabei Federico , Pellegrini Marco , Di Zazzo Antonio , Forlini Matteo , Giannaccare Giuseppe
Published: December 2020

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is a non-invasive diagnostic instrument that has become indispensable for the management of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). OCTA allows quickly visualizing retinal and choroidal microvasculature, and in the last years, its use has increased in clinical practice as well as for research into the pathophysiology of AMD. This review provides a discussion of new technology and application of OCTA in intermediate and late AMD.
Voxel-Based Scene Representation for Camera Pose Estimation of a Single RGB Image
Authors: Lee Sangyoon , Hong Hyunki , Eem Changkyoung
Published: December 2020

Deep learning has been utilized in end-to-end camera pose estimation. To improve the performance, we introduce a camera pose estimation method based on a 2D-3D matching scheme with two convolutional neural networks (CNNs). The scene is divided into voxels, whose size and number are computed according to the scene volume and the number of 3D points. We extract inlier points from the 3D point set in a voxel using random sample consensus (RANSAC)-based plane fitting to obtain a set of interest points consisting of a major plane. These points are subsequently reprojected onto the image using the ground truth camera pose, following which a polygonal region is identified in each voxel using the convex hull. We designed a training dataset for 2D–3D matching, consisting of inlier 3D points, correspondence across image pairs, and the voxel regions in the image. We trained the hierarchical learning structure with two CNNs on the dataset architecture to detect the voxel regions and obtain the location/description of the interest points. Following successful 2D–3D matching, the camera pose was estimated using n-point pose solver in RANSAC. The experiment results show that our method can estimate the camera pose more precisely than previous end-to-end estimators.
Isolation and Optimization of Monascus ruber OMNRC45 for Red Pigment Production and Evaluation of the Pigment as a Food Colorant
Authors: Darwesh Osama M. , Matter Ibrahim A. , Almoallim Hesham S. , Alharbi Sulaiman A. , Oh You-Kwan
Published: December 2020

The color of food is a critical factor influencing its general acceptance. Owing to the effects of chemical colorants on health, current research is directly aimed at producing natural and healthy food colorants from microbial sources. A pigment-producing fungal isolate, obtained from soil samples and selected based on its rapidity and efficiency in producing red pigments, was identified as Monascus ruber OMNRC45. The culture conditions were optimized to enhance pigment production under submerged fermentation. The optimal temperature and pH for the highest red pigment yield were 30 °C and 6.5, respectively. The optimum carbon and nitrogen sources were rice and peptone, respectively. The usefulness of the pigment produced as a food colorant was evaluated by testing for contamination by the harmful mycotoxin citrinin and assessing its biosafety in mice. In addition, sensory evaluation tests were performed to evaluate the overall acceptance of the pigment as a food colorant. The results showed that M. ruber OMNRC45 was able to rapidly and effectively produce dense natural red pigment under the conditions of submerged fermentation without citrinin production. The findings of the sensory and biosafety assessments indicated the biosafety and applicability of the red Monascus pigment as a food colorant.
Efficient Removal Of U(VI) Ions from Aqueous Solutions by Tannic Acid/Graphene Oxide Composites
Authors: Zhu Bowu , Zhang Zhen , Song Fuxiang , Guo Zhijun , Liu Bin
Published: December 2020

Tannic acid/graphene oxide (TA/GO) composites were prepared in the present research, and their properties and sorption performance were evaluated by corresponding characterization methods and bath sorption experiments, respectively. The applications of TA/GO to remove U(VI) from aqueous solution were investigated with the maximum adsorption capacity of 87.8 mg·g−1 at low pH (pH = 3.6 ± 0.03). The sorption of U(VI) ions on TA/GO followed the Langmuir model because of the complexation of oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface of TA/GO composites and uranium ions. TA/GO manifested excellent selective adsorption toward uranium ions with other metal ions (Cs+, Sr2+, Co2+). Furthermore, TA/GO as an effective adsorbent was reused to remove a large amount of U(VI) ions from aqueous solution. Therefore, TA/GO is an ideal material to remove highly toxic U(VI) ions from wastewater.
Pose Estimation Utilizing a Gated Recurrent Unit Network for Visual Localization
Authors: Kim Sungkwan , Kim Inhwan , Vecchietti Luiz Felipe , Har Dongsoo
Published: December 2020

Lately, pose estimation based on learning-based Visual Odometry (VO) methods, where raw image data are provided as the input of a neural network to get 6 Degrees of Freedom (DoF) information, has been intensively investigated. Despite its recent advances, learning-based VO methods still perform worse than the classical VO that consists of feature-based VO methods and direct VO methods. In this paper, a new pose estimation method with the help of a Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) network trained by pose data acquired by an accurate sensor is proposed. The historical trajectory data of the yaw angle are provided to the GRU network to get a yaw angle at the current timestep. The proposed method can be easily combined with other VO methods to enhance the overall performance via an ensemble of predicted results. Pose estimation using the proposed method is especially advantageous in the cornering section which often introduces an estimation error. The performance is improved by reconstructing the rotation matrix using a yaw angle that is the fusion of the yaw angles estimated from the proposed GRU network and other VO methods. The KITTI dataset is utilized to train the network. On average, regarding the KITTI sequences, performance is improved as much as 1.426% in terms of translation error and 0.805 deg/100 m in terms of rotation error.
Bridge Health Monitoring via Displacement Reconstruction-Based NB-IoT Technology
Authors: Thedy John , Liao Kuo-Wei , Tseng Chun-Chieh , Liu Chia-Ming
Published: December 2020

An aged bridge’s performance is affected by degradation and becomes one of the major concerns in maintenance. A preliminary, simple and workable procedure of bridge damage detection is required to minimize maintenance costs. In the past, frequency is one of the most common indicators to detect damage occurrence. Recent research found that using frequency as a health indicator still has room to improve. Alternatively, dynamic displacement is used as an indicator in the current study. These dynamic displacements are reconstructed based on measured acceleration records from micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) sensors. The Newmark-beta method with Windows is proposed to acquire the reconstructed displacements of considered bridges. To demonstrate the accuracy and applicability of the proposed approach, three different experiments are carried out; (i) A small scale bridge with the implementation of MEMS acceleration sensors; (ii) a numerical complex finite element method (FEM) bridge model; (iii) an actual bridge with the implementation of MEMS acceleration sensors and narrow bandwidth Internet of things (NB-IoT) technology. The first experiment shows that the proposed method can successfully identify the difference between damaged/undamaged bridges and determine damage location. The second experiment indicates that the proposed method is able to identify the difference between stiffened/unstiffened bridges. The last experiment shows the applicability of the proposed method on an actual bridge health monitoring project.
Ageing-Related Gait Adaptations to Knee Joint Kinetics: Implications for the Development of Knee Osteoarthritis
Authors: Nagano Hanatsu , Begg Rezaul
Published: December 2020

The prevalence of knee osteoarthritis (OA) increases with ageing and this research aimed to identify gait adaptations that could reduce OA by investigating ageing effects on knee joint biomechanics. Participants were 24 healthy young males (18–35 yrs) and 14 healthy older males (60–75 yrs). Three-dimensional motion capture (Optotrak) and walkway-embedded force plates (AMTI) recorded their natural preferred-speed walking and the following parameters were computed: knee adduction moment, knee joint vertical force, foot contact angle, toe-out angle, foot centre of pressure displacement, time to foot flat, step length, step width and double support time. A 2 × 2 (age × limb) repeated measures mixed model analysis of variance design determined main effects and interactions. Pearson’s correlations between knee kinetic parameters and stride phase variables were also calculated. Both knee adduction moment and vertical joint force were larger in the older group. Relative to the young controls, older individuals showed a longer time to foot flat, less toe-out angle and wider steps. Correlation analysis suggested that reduced toe-out angle and increased step width were associated with lower knee adduction moment; furthermore, knee joint vertical force reduced with greater step length. Future research could focus on intervention strategies for managing excessive knee joint stresses to prevent the ageing-related development of knee OA.
Convex Model for Estimation of Single-Phase Photovoltaic Impact on Existing Voltage Unbalance in Distribution Networks
Authors: Püvi Verner , Lehtonen Matti
Published: December 2020

Due to the increasing adoption of solar power generation, voltage unbalance estimation gets more attention in sparsely populated rural networks. This paper presents a Monte Carlo simulation augmented with convex mixed-integer quadratic programming to estimate voltage unbalance and maximum photovoltaic penetration. Additionally, voltage unbalance attenuation by proper phase allocation of photovoltaic plants is analysed. Single-phase plants are simulated in low-voltage distribution networks and voltage unbalance is evaluated as a contribution of measured background and photovoltaic-caused unbalance. Voltage unbalance is calculated in accordance with EN 50160 and takes into account 10-minute average values with 5% tolerance condition. Results of the optimization revealed substantial unbalance attenuation with optimal phase selection and increased potential of local generation hosting capacity in case of higher background unbalance.
A New Approach to the Consideration and Analysis of Critical Factors in Robotic Machining
Authors: Iglesias Sánchez Iván , Ares José Enrique , González Gaya Cristina , Rosales Prieto Victor
Published: December 2020

The relative low stiffness of industrial robots is a major limitation on the development of flexible and reconfigurable systems in applications in which process forces and vibration lead into significant tool path deviations with respect to the programmed path as in the case of robotic machining. This paper presents a novel factorial procedure that allows for the preliminary study of the main conditions in robotic machining operations and it determines the critical factors that are affecting the machining path of any robotic cell in order to obtain the process conditions with lower path deviations. In this procedure the most influential robotic machining constraints were identified and classified, the factorial design of experiments was used to enable the execution of the experimental tests and the machining tool path deviation predictive methodology (PREMET) was used to determine the cutting tool path deviation between the programmed and the experimental path as a function of the process variables. Experimental trials have been carried out in order to determine the main factors that affect the robotic machining and influence the main constraints of the process, showing a reduction greater than a 36% of the cutting tool path deviation in groove milling of aluminum. The critical factors identified in order of importance are: hardness of the material, location of the workpiece, orientation of milling head relative to working direction and cutting conditions. This procedure can be extended to future factorial studies to improve the precision of robotic machining (in operations such as face milling, contouring, pocketing) and to establish design criteria for machining robotic cells.
Hardware-In-the-Loop Equipment for the Development of an Automatic Perturbator for Clinical Evaluation of Human Balance Control
Authors: Ferraresi Carlo , Maffiodo Daniela , Franco Walter , Muscolo Giovanni Gerardo , De Benedictis Carlo , Paterna Maria , Pica Oliviero Walter , Genovese Marco , Pacheco Quiñones Daniel , Roatta Silvestro , Dvir Zeevi
Published: December 2020

Nowadays, increasing attention is being paid to techniques aimed at assessing a subject’s ability to maintain or regain control of balance, thus reducing the risk of falls. To this end, posturographic analyses are performed in different clinical settings, both in unperturbed and perturbed conditions. This article presents a new Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) equipment designed for the development of an automatic perturbator for postural control analysis, capable of providing controlled mechanical stimulation by means of an impulsive force exerted on a given point of the body. The experimental equipment presented here includes the perturbator and emulates its interaction with both the subject’s body and the operator performing the test. The development of the perturbator and of the entire HIL equipment is described, including component selection, modeling of the entire system, and experimentally verified simulations used to study and define the most appropriate control laws.
Driving Safety Improved with Control of Magnetorheological Dampers in Vehicle Suspension
Authors: Krauze Piotr , Kasprzyk Jerzy
Published: December 2020

The article is dedicated to the control of magnetorheological dampers (MR) included in a semi-active suspension of an all-terrain vehicle moving along a rough road profile. The simulation results of a half-car model and selected feedback vibration control algorithms are presented and analysed with respect to the improvement of driving safety features, such as road holding and vehicle handling. Constant control currents correspond to the passive suspension of different damping parameters. Independent Skyhook control of suspension parts represents the robust and widely used semi-active algorithm. Furthermore, its extension allows for the control of vehicle body heave and pitch vibration modes. Tests of the algorithms are carried out for a vehicle model that is synthesised with particular emphasis on mapping different phenomena occurring in a moving vehicle. The coupling of the vehicle to the road and environment is described by non-linear tire-road friction, rolling resistance, and aerodynamic drag. The pitching behaviour of the vehicle body, as well as the deflection of the suspension, is described by a suspension sub-model that exhibits four degrees of freedom. Further, three degrees of freedom of the complete model describe longitudinal movement of the vehicle and angular motion of its wheels. The MR damper model that is based on hyperbolic tangent function is favoured for describing the key phenomena of the MR damper behaviour, including non-linear shape and force saturation that are represented by force-velocity characteristics. The applied simulation environment is used for the evaluation of different semi-active control algorithms supported by an inverse MR damper model. The vehicle model is subjected to vibration excitation that is induced by road irregularities and road manoeuvres, such as accelerating and braking. The implemented control algorithms and different configurations of passive suspension are compared while using driving-safety-related quality indices.
Fluctuations in the Homogeneity of Cell Medium Distinguish Benign from Malignant Lymphocytes in a Cellular Model of Acute T Cells Leukemia
Authors: Wohl Ishay , Yakovian Oren , Sherman Eilon
Published: December 2020

Intracellular mechanical work facilitates multiple cell functions, such as material transport, cell motility, etc., and is indicative of the cell’s physiological condition. Still, the characterization of intracellular mechanical work and resultant dynamics remain hard to determine in intact label-free cells. For that, we imaged live T cells via bright-field microscopy and studied fluctuations in the homogeneity of their intracellular medium. Specifically, we characterized medium homogeneity and dynamics by using the information entropy of its related intensity gray levels (termed Gray Level Information Entropy (GLIE)) and spectral analysis of GLIE fluctuations, respectively. First, we provide simple examples of particle motion, to demonstrate the utility of our approach. Using this approach, we could further study and distinguish mitochondrial dysfunction and ATP depletion state in live Jurkat cells. The relation of our results to intracellular dynamics was confirmed by comparison to image correlation spectroscopy (ICS) results in the same cells. Importantly, GLIE fluctuations combined with spectral analysis enabled differentiation of malignant Jurkat cells from benign lymphocytes with 86% accuracy for single cells and 95% for populations of 10 cells each. Our approach can serve for label-free live-cell study and diagnostics of important pathophysiological conditions, such as mitochondrial dysfunction and malignancy.
Determination of Transformer Oil Contamination from the OLTC Gases in the Power Transformers of a Distribution System Operator
Authors: Bustamante Sergio , Manana Mario , Arroyo Alberto , Laso Alberto , Martinez Raquel
Published: December 2020

Power transformers are considered to be the most important assets in power substations. Thus, their maintenance is important to ensure the reliability of the power transmission and distribution system. One of the most commonly used methods for managing the maintenance and establishing the health status of power transformers is dissolved gas analysis (DGA). The presence of acetylene in the DGA results may indicate arcing or high-temperature thermal faults in the transformer. In old transformers with an on-load tap-changer (OLTC), oil or gases can be filtered from the OLTC compartment to the transformer’s main tank. This paper presents a method for determining the transformer oil contamination from the OLTC gases in a group of power transformers for a distribution system operator (DSO) based on the application of the guides and the knowledge of experts. As a result, twenty-six out of the 175 transformers studied are defined as contaminated from the OLTC gases. In addition, this paper presents a methodology based on machine learning techniques that allows the system to determine the transformer oil contamination from the DGA results. The trained model achieves an accuracy of 99.76% in identifying oil contamination.
Species Distribution Modelling via Feature Engineering and Machine Learning for Pelagic Fishes in the Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Effrosynidis Dimitrios , Tsikliras Athanassios , Arampatzis Avi , Sylaios Georgios
Published: December 2020

In this work a fish species distribution model (SDM) was developed, by merging species occurrence data with environmental layers, with the scope to produce high resolution habitability maps for the whole Mediterranean Sea. The final model is capable to predict the probability of occurrence of each fish species at any location in the Mediterranean Sea. Eight pelagic, commercial fish species were selected for this study namely Engraulis encrasicolus, Sardina pilchardus, Sardinella aurita, Scomber colias, Scomber scombrus, Spicara smaris, Thunnus thynnus and Xiphias gladius. The SDM environmental predictors were obtained from the databases of Copernicus Marine Environmental Service (CMEMS) and the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet). The probabilities of fish occurrence data in low resolution and with several gaps were obtained from Aquamaps (FAO Fishbase). Data pre-processing involved feature engineering to construct 6830 features, representing the distribution of several mean-monthly environmental variables, covering a time-span of 10 years. Feature selection with the ensemble Reciprocal Ranking method was used to rank the features according to their relative importance. This technique increased model’s performance by 34%. Ten machine learning algorithms were then applied and tested based on their overall performance per species. The XGBoost algorithm performed better and was used as the final model. Feature categories were explored, with neighbor-based, extreme values, monthly and surface ones contributing most to the model. Environmental variables like salinity, temperature, distance to coast, dissolved oxygen and nitrate were found the strongest ones in predicting the probability of occurrence for the above eight species.
Design and Analysis of a Novel Microspeaker with Enhanced Low-Frequency SPL and Size Reduction
Authors: Park Ki-Hong , Jiang Zhi-Xiong , Hwang Sang-Moon
Published: December 2020

In the era of multimedia devices, smartphones have become the primary device for consuming multimedia content. As technological developments have facilitated a more immersive multimedia experience, enlarged displays and the use of several sensors have limited the allowable size of microspeakers. Although sound plays an important role when consuming multimedia content, the limited space for microspeakers in modern devices leads to poor acoustic performance, especially at low frequencies. To address this issue, this paper proposes a novel microspeaker structure that enhances the low-frequency sound pressure level (SPL), while also featuring reduced exterior dimensions. The structure was designed and analyzed using 3D finite element analysis. Through coupling analysis, the simulation results were verified on the basis of the experimental results. The novel microspeaker has one outer magnet surrounding the entire coil, unlike in prototype microspeakers, which have two outer magnets. The gap between the top plates and coil is reduced, and a new type of coil is introduced for the purpose of increasing electromagnetic force. The samples were manufactured, and their SPLs were tested in an anechoic chamber. The experimental results prove that the proposed microspeaker offers an improved SPL at low frequencies compared with prototype microspeakers.
Robust Resonant Controllers for Distributed Energy Resources in Microgrids
Authors: Bouzid Allal El Moubarek , Zerrougui Mohamed , Ben Elghali Seifeddine , Beddiar Karim , Benbouzid Mohamed
Published: December 2020

Motivated by the problem of different types and variations of load in micro-grids, this paper presents robust proportional-resonant controllers with a harmonics compensator based on the internal model principle. These controllers ensure robust tracking of sinusoidal reference signals in distributed energy resource systems subject to load variation with respect to sinusoidal disturbances. The distributed generation resource and the resonant controllers are described using the augmented state system approach, allowing the application of the state feedback technique. In order to minimize the tracking error and ensure robustness against perturbation, a set of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) are addressed for the synthesizing of controller gains. Finally, results obtained in the simulation for resonant compensators with the distributed energy system are presented, in which the controller is applied to the CC-CA inverter.
Climate Change and Health Impacts in Urban Areas: Towards Hybrid Evaluation Tools for New Governance
Authors: Girard Luigi Fusco , Nocca Francesca
Published: December 2020

The shift towards the new paradigm, that is, the “ecological and humanistic” paradigm, introduced by the United Nations in the Agenda 2030, and the current period of health emergency due to COVID-19 place the human dimension at the centre of the development strategies for our cities. The humanistic dimension, in particular, is related to human wellbeing, health and living conditions. The health and wellbeing of citizens depend on factors and actions that go beyond the health sector. In particular, here, the attention is focused on the negative impacts produced by pollution and climate change, issues that concern (and that are closely related to) most urban agglomerations in the world. The pandemic due to COVID-19 has highlighted the close relationship existing among social, natural and economic systems. Each system is interdependent on the other. Thus, the pandemic has boosted the necessity to accelerate efforts to address climate change. Therefore, in this framework, new urban development models are required. The circular economy model is proposed as a model able to reduce the negative impacts of urban transformations. The attention is then focused on implementation tools for improving decision-making processes and, in particular, on the evaluation tools for assessing the multidimensional impacts of urbanisation on human health.
Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation from Nitrophenols Photolysis under Atmospheric Conditions
Authors: Bejan Iustinian Gabriel , Olariu Romeo-Iulian , Wiesen Peter
Published: December 2020

Nitrophenols are important products of the aromatic compounds photooxidation and play a considerable role in urban chemistry. Nitrophenols are important components of agricultural biomass burning that could influence the climate. The formation of secondary organic aerosol from the direct photolysis of nitrophenols was investigated for the first time in a quartz glass simulation chamber under simulated solar radiation. The results from these experiments indicate rapid SOA formation. The proposed mechanism for the gas-phase degradation of nitrophenols through photolysis shows the formation of biradicals that could react further in the presence of oxygen to form low volatile highly oxygenated compounds responsible for secondary organic aerosol formation. The inhibiting effect of NOx and the presence of an OH radical scavenger on the aerosol formation were also studied. For 2-nitrophenol, significant aerosol formation yields were observed in the absence of an OH radical scavenger and NOx, varying in the range of 18%–24%. A gas-phase/aerosol partitioning model was applied assuming the presence of only one compound in both phases. A degradation mechanism is proposed to explain the aerosol formation observed in the photolysis of nitrophenols. The atmospheric impact of nitrophenol photolysis is discussed and the importance for atmospheric chemical models is assessed.
The Scarcity of Specific Nutrients in Wild Bee Larval Food Negatively Influences Certain Life History Traits
Authors: Filipiak Zuzanna M. , Filipiak Michał
Published: December 2020

Bee nutrition studies have focused on food quantity rather than quality, and on details of bee biology rather than on the functioning of bees in ecosystems. Ecological stoichiometry has been proposed for studies on bee nutritional ecology as an ecosystem-oriented approach complementary to traditional approaches. It uses atomic ratios of chemical elements in foods and organisms as metrics to ask ecological questions. However, information is needed on the fitness effects of nutritional mismatches between bee demand and the supply of specific elements in food. We performed the first laboratory feeding experiment on the wild bee Osmia bicornis, investigating the impact of Na, K, and Zn scarcity in larval food on fitness-related life history traits (mortality, cocoon development, and imago body mass). We showed that bee fitness is shaped by chemical element availability in larval food; this effect may be sex-specific, where Na might influence female body mass, while Zn influences male mortality and body mass, and the trade-off between K allocation in cocoons and adults may influence cocoon and body development. These results elucidate the nutritional mechanisms underlying the nutritional ecology, behavioral ecology, and population functioning of bees within the context of nutrient cycling in the food web.