bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Seeds of Transformative Learning: Investigating Past Experiences From Implementing Nature-Based Solutions
Authors: Wickenberg Björn , Kiss Bernadett , McCormick Kes , Palgan Yuliya Voytenko
Published: April 2022

Nature-based solutions (NBS) attract a growing interest in research and practice due to their potential to address climate change while improving human health and well-being and safeguarding biodiversity. The integration of the NBS concept in urban governance, however, is still emerging and it faces regulatory, political, financial and cognitive barriers. While the literature acknowledges an increase in NBS experimentation in cities and documents new governance approaches for NBS, academic knowledge on transformative learning to advance the potential of NBS is scarce. This article unpacks enabling and constraining factors for transformative learning through interpretative case study analysis of two NBS projects in Malmö, Sweden: BiodiverCity and EcoCity Augustenborg. To map instances of learning and investigate conditions for transformative learning in NBS implementation, this article draws on the concepts of experimenting, governing and learning and uses an analytical framework resting on three pillars: visionary ideas and strategies; stakeholder participation; and institutional arrangements. The article identifies seeds of transformative learning and argues that cross-boundary collaboration, action-oriented knowledge production, reflexive governance and citizen involvement are key enablers for transformative learning, which requires supporting structures, evaluation, continuity and relational capacities to thrive. To advance the implementation of NBS and increase urban sustainability, transformative learning should be acknowledged as a key strategic component of change. This, however, requires transformative learning to be more seriously considered in research and practice related to nature-based urban transformations.
HLA Class I Downregulation in Progressing Metastases of Melanoma Patients Treated With Ipilimumab
Authors: Ladányi Andrea , Hegyi Barbara , Balatoni Tímea , Liszkay Gabriella , Rohregger Raphael , Waldnig Christoph , Dudás József , Ferrone Soldano
Published: April 2022

Characterization of the molecular mechanisms underlying antitumor immune responses and immune escape mechanisms has resulted in the development of more effective immunotherapeutic strategies, including immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. ICIs can induce durable responses in patients with advanced cancer in a wide range of cancer types, however, the majority of the patients fail to respond to this therapy or develop resistance in the course of the treatment. Information about the molecular mechanisms underlying primary and acquired resistance is limited. Although HLA class I molecules are crucial in the recognition of tumor antigens by cytotoxic T lymphocytes, only a few studies have investigated the role of their expression level on malignant cells in ICI resistance. To address this topic, utilizing immunohistochemical staining with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) we analyzed HLA class I expression level in pre-treatment and post-treatment tumor samples from melanoma patients treated with ipilimumab. Twenty-nine metastases removed from six patients were available for the study, including 18 pre-treatment and 11 post-treatment lesions. Compared to metastases excised before ipilimumab therapy, post-treatment lesions displayed a significantly lower HLA class I expression level on melanoma cells; HLA class I downregulation was most marked in progressing metastases from nonresponding patients. We also evaluated the level of infiltration by CD8+ T cells and NK cells but did not find consistent changes between pre- and post-treatment samples. Our results indicate the potential role of HLA class I downregulation as a mechanism of ICI resistance.
Adaptive Cooperative Control of Multiple Urban Rail Trains with Position Output Constraints
Authors: Yang Junxia , Zhang Youpeng
Published: April 2022

This paper studies the distributed adaptive cooperative control of multiple urban rail trains with position output constraints and uncertain parameters. Based on an ordered set of trains running on the route, a dynamic multiple trains movement model is constructed to capture the dynamic evolution of the trains in actual operation. Aiming at the position constraints and uncertainties in the system, different distributed adaptive control algorithms are designed for all trains by using the local information about the position, speed and acceleration of the train operation, so that each train can dynamically adjust its speed through communicating with its neighboring trains. This control algorithm for each train is designed to track the desired position and speed curve, and the headway distance between any two neighboring trains is stable within a preset safety range, which guarantee the safety of tracking operation of multiple urban rail trains. Finally, the effectiveness of the designed scheme is verified by numerical examples.
Scoliosis: Causes and Treatments
Authors: Lee Gyu Bin , Priefer David T. , Priefer Ronny
Published: April 2022

Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine, which generally develops during childhood or adolescence. It affects 2–4 percent of the global population and is more prevalent among girls. Scoliosis is classified by its etiology: idiopathic, congenital, or neuromuscular. Among these, the former is the most common. Treatment options for scoliosis vary depending on the severity of the curve. Most scoliosis diagnoses tend to be mild and only require monitoring. However, curves between 20 and 40 degrees require bracing, while 40 degrees and above require surgery. There are various bracings available, such as Boston, Charleston, and Milwaukee. In severe cases of scoliosis, either fusion or fusionless surgery may be required. This review aims to discuss etiologies and different treatment interventions for scoliosis.
Regression-Based Correction and I-PSO-Based Optimization of HMCVT’s Speed Regulating Characteristics for Agricultural Machinery
Authors: Cheng Zhun , Lu Zhixiong
Published: April 2022

To improve the speed regulating characteristics of continuously variable transmission for agricultural machinery, in order to meet the engineering and technical requirements of precision agriculture and intelligent agriculture, the paper researches and proposes a method combining the analysis of speed regulating characteristics, regression-based correction, and the improved particle swarm optimization (I-PSO) algorithm. First, the paper analyzes the degree of deviation between the linearization degree and the theoretical value of the speed regulating characteristics of the variable-pump constant-motor system of agricultural machinery according to the measurement results of the bench test. Next, the paper corrects the speed regulating characteristics and compares the regression results based on four models. Finally, the paper proposes a design method for the expected speed regulating characteristics of agricultural machinery and it completes the optimization of speed regulating characteristics and the matching of transmission parameters with the I-PSO algorithm. Results indicate that the speed regulating characteristics of the variable-pump constant-motor system show high linearization (with a coefficient of determination of 0.9775). The theoretical and measured values of the speed regulating characteristics have a certain deviation (with a coefficient of determination of 0.8934). Therefore, correcting the speed regulating characteristics of the variable-pimp constant-motor system is highly necessary. In addition, the second reciprocal function model proposed has the highest correction precision (with a coefficient of determination of 0.9978). The I-PSO algorithm is applicable to the design and application of hydro-mechanical continuously variable transmission (HMCVT) for agricultural machinery. The new method proposed can improve the HMCVT’s speed regulating characteristics efficiently and quickly. It also ensures that the speed regulating characteristics are highly consistent with the expected design characteristics (with a mean error of 1.73%). Thus, the research offers a theoretical direction and design basis for the research and development of continuously variable transmission units in agricultural machinery.
Grafting Enhances Bacterial Wilt Resistance in Peppers
Authors: Duan Xi , Liu Fengjiao , Bi Huangai , Ai Xizhen
Published: April 2022

Ralstonia solanacearum is a causative agent of bacterial wilt and therefore poses a serious threat to cultivated peppers (Capsicum annuum L.). Although attempts have been made to control bacterial wilt by grafting, the disease resistance mechanisms that protect grafted peppers are poorly understood. Here, we grew grafted peppers composed of the rootstock Buyeding or Weishi and the scion Xinfeng 2. Following infection by R. solanacearum, we assessed the differences in lipid peroxidation, cellular structure, root secondary metabolism, and biomass, between grafted plants and controls. The grafted plants exhibited a greater root biomass than the control plants after infection. The root cell ultrastructure of the grafted plants showed only slight injury relative to that in the controls, and the roots of the grafted peppers were partially resistant to R. solanacearum. Grafted pepper plants showed lower levels of lipid peroxidation. Lignin content, salicylic acid levels, and the activities of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO), were also higher in grafted plants. All of these effects occurred concomitantly with increased R. solanacearum resistance. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that grafting can significantly improve the disease resistance of pepper. Moreover, our results suggest that the Weishi rootstock may be very useful for the prevention and control of bacterial wilt in cultivated peppers.
Prediction of Potassium in Peach Leaves Using Hyperspectral Imaging and Multivariate Analysis
Authors: Abenina Megan Io Ariadne , Maja Joe Mari , Cutulle Matthew , Melgar Juan Carlos , Liu Haibo
Published: April 2022

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is an emerging technology being utilized in agriculture. This system could be used to monitor the overall health of plants or in pest/disease detection. As sensing technology advancement expands, measuring nutrient levels and disease detection also progresses. This study aimed to predict three different levels of potassium (K) concentration in peach leaves using principal component analysis (PCA) and develop models for predicting the K concentration of a peach leaf using a hyperspectral imaging technique. Hyperspectral images were acquired from a randomly selected fresh peach leaf from multiple trees over the spectral region between 500 and 900 nm. Leaves were collected from trees with varying potassium levels of high (2.7~3.2%), medium (2.0~2.6%), and low (1.3~1.9%). Four pretreatment methods (multiplicative scatter effect (MSC), Savitzky–Golay first derivative, Savitzky–Golay second derivative, and standard normal variate (SNV)) were applied to the raw data and partial least square (PLS) was used to develop a model for each of the pretreatments. The R2 values for each pretreatment method were 0.8099, 0.6723, 0.5586, and 0.8446, respectively. The SNV prediction model has the highest accuracy and was used to predict the K nutrient using the validation data. The result showed a slightly lower R2 = 0.8101 compared with the training. This study showed that HSI could measure K concentration in peach tree cultivars.
Throwing Copper Around: How Plants Control Uptake, Distribution, and Accumulation of Copper
Authors: Wairich Andriele , De Conti Lessandro , Lamb Thainá I. , Keil Rosana , Neves Leonardo O. , Brunetto Gustavo , Sperotto Raul A. , Ricachenevsky Felipe K.
Published: April 2022

Copper (Cu) is essential to plants but can also be harmful due to Fenton chemistry. Because of that, it is necessary to keep Cu within a narrow concentration limit. Plants evolved mechanisms to sense Cu and precisely regulate uptake and accumulation to avoid both deficiency and toxicity. However, plants experience variable Cu levels in soils, both due to natural environments as well as human’s-based farming practices that can lead to Cu accumulation in soils. Therefore, we need to understand Cu homeostasis. Here, we review how Cu is found in soils; Cu toxicity responses in plants; the role of Cu transporters, described mainly in model species such as Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa; the crosstalk between Cu and iron (Fe) homeostasis; Cu hyperaccumulator plants; and discuss some gaps and future directions, which can improve our understanding in the field.
Hardening Blueberry Plants to Face Drought and Cold Events by the Application of Fungal Endophytes
Authors: Acuña-Rodríguez Ian S. , Ballesteros Gabriel I. , Atala Cristian , Gundel Pedro E. , Molina-Montenegro Marco A.
Published: April 2022

Harsh environmental conditions derived from current climate change trends are among the main challenges for agricultural production worldwide. In the Mediterranean climatic region of central Chile, sudden occurrence of spring cold temperatures in combination with water shortage for irrigation (drought) constitutes a major limitation to highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) plantations, as flowering and fruiting stages are highly sensitive. Hardening crops may be achievable by boosting beneficial interactions of plants with microorganisms. Inoculation with symbiotic fungi isolated from plants adapted to extreme environments could be a good strategy, if they are able to maintain functional roles with non-original hosts. Here, we evaluated the effect of two Antarctic fungal endophytes (AFE), Penicillium rubens and P. bialowienzense, on the tolerance of V. corymbosum plants to cold events in combination with drought under controlled conditions. Inoculated and uninoculated plants were exposed for a month to one event of a cold temperature (2 °C/8 h) per week with or without drought and were evaluated in physiological, biochemical, and molecular variables. A complementary set of plants was kept under the same environmental conditions for two additional months to evaluate survival as well as fruit weight and size. There was an overall positive effect of AFE on plant performance in both environmental conditions. Endophyte-inoculated plants exhibited higher gene expression of the Late Embryogenesis Abundant protein (LEA1), higher photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), and low oxidative stress (TBARS) than uninoculated counterparts. On the other hand, plant survival was positively affected by the presence of fungal endophytes. Similarly, fruit diameter and fruit fresh weight were improved by fungal inoculation, being this difference higher under well-watered condition. Inoculating plants with fungal endophytes isolated from extreme environments represents a promising alternative for hardening crops. This is especially relevant nowadays since agriculture is confronting great environmental uncertainties and difficulties which could became worse in the near future due to climate change.
Volatilization of Dicamba Diglycolamine Salt in Combination with Glyphosate Formulations and Volatility Reducers in Brazil
Authors: Carbonari Caio Antonio , Costa Renato Nunes , Giovanelli Bruno Flaibam , Bevilaqua Natalia Cunha , Palhano Matheus , Barbosa Henrique , Lopez Ovejero Ramiro Fernando , Velini Edivaldo Domingues
Published: April 2022

Dicamba can be included in weed management programs for Brazilian agricultural crops, such as Conyza spp. and Amaranthus spp., and it is essential to implement good management practices that include salts with low volatility levels and appropriate associations to maintain volatility at acceptable levels. The objective of this study was to evaluate the volatilization of dicamba diglycolamine (DGA) salt associated with different glyphosate salts and volatility reducers. Laboratory and field studies were conducted with the application of DGA alone and in mixtures with three glyphosate formulations (potassium salt, ammonium salt, and di-ammonium salt) with and without a volatility reducer. Under laboratory conditions, the sprayed targets (corn straw) were sent to a vapor collection system for subsequent determination of the amount of volatilized dicamba. In the field, the treatments were applied in a tray containing clay soil, and then, these trays were arranged in soybean rows for 48 h under plastic tunnels. The plant injury and the concentrations of the dicamba in the soybean plants at different distances from the tray were determined. The methodologies used in this study were adequate for understanding the volatility of DGA. The volatility of the dicamba DGA salt used was reduced and was managed through the use of volatility reducers and the correct formulation of glyphosate in the mixture. The VR was efficient in reducing the volatility for dicamba alone and DGA in combination with all glyphosate salts. The combination of dicamba DGA salt with glyphosate potassium salt and a volatility reducer was the mixture with the lowest volatility and is the most suitable combination to recommend to farmers.
Distributed Big Data Analytics Method for the Early Prediction of the Neonatal 5-Minute Apgar Score before or during Birth and Ranking the Risk Factors from a National Dataset
Authors: Khatibi Toktam , Farahani Ali , Sepehri Mohammad Mehdi , Heidarzadeh Mohammad
Published: April 2022

One-minute and five-minute Apgar scores are good measures to assess the health status of newborns. A five-minute Apgar score can predict the risk of some disorders such as asphyxia, encephalopathy, cerebral palsy and ADHD. The early prediction of Apgar score before or during birth and ranking the risk factors can be helpful to manage and reduce the probability of birth producing low Apgar scores. Therefore, the main aim of this study is the early prediction of the neonate 5-min Apgar score before or during birth and ranking the risk factors for a big national dataset using big data analytics methods. In this study, a big dataset including 60 features describing birth cases registered in Iranian maternal and neonatal (IMAN) registry from 1 April 2016 to 1 January 2017 is collected. A distributed big data analytics method for the early prediction of neonate Apgar score and a distributed big data feature ranking method for ranking the predictors of neonate Apgar score are proposed in this study. The main aim of this study is to provide the ability to predict birth cases with low Apgar scores by analyzing the features that describe prenatal properties before or during birth. The top 14 features were identified in this study and used for training the classifiers. Our proposed stack ensemble outperforms the compared classifiers with an accuracy of 99.37 ± 1.06, precision of 99.37 ± 1.06, recall of 99.50 ± 0.61 and F-score of 99.41 ± 0.70 (for confidence interval of 95%) to predict low, moderate and high 5-min Apgar scores. Among the top predictors, fetal height around the baby’s head and fetal weight denote fetal growth status. Fetal growth restrictions can lead to low or moderate 5-min Apgar score. Moreover, hospital type and medical science university are healthcare system-related factors that can be managed via improving the quality of healthcare services all over the country.
Potential of Oral Nanoparticles Containing Cytokines as Intestinal Mucosal Immunostimulants in Pigs: A Pilot Study
Authors: López-Cano Adrià , Bach Alex , López-Serrano Sergi , Aragon Virginia , Blanch Marta , Pastor Jose J. , Tedó Gemma , Morais Sofia , Garcia-Fruitós Elena , Arís Anna
Published: April 2022

Antimicrobial resistance is a global threat that is worryingly rising in the livestock sector. Among the proposed strategies, immunostimulant development appears an interesting approach to increase animal resilience at critical production points. The use of nanoparticles based on cytokine aggregates, called inclusion bodies (IBs), has been demonstrated as a new source of immunostimulants in aquaculture. Aiming to go a step further, the objective of this study was to produce cytokine nanoparticles using a food-grade microorganism and to test their applicability to stimulate intestinal mucosa in swine. Four cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α) involved in inflammatory response were produced recombinantly in Lactococcus lactis in the form of protein nanoparticles (IBs). They were able to stimulate inflammatory responses in a porcine enterocyte cell line (IPEC-J2) and alveolar macrophages, maintaining high stability at low pH and high temperature. In addition, an in vivo assay was conducted involving 20 piglets housed individually as a preliminary exploration of the potential effects of IL-1β nanoparticles in piglet intestinal mucosa after a 7 d oral administration. The treated animals tended to have greater levels of TNF-α in the blood, indicating that the tested dose of nanoparticles tended to generate an inflammatory response in the animals. Whether this response is sufficient to increase animal resilience needs further evaluation.
Productive Performance, Egg Quality and Yolk Lipid Oxidation in Laying Hens Fed Diets including Grape Pomace or Grape Extract
Authors: Romero Carlos , Arija Ignacio , Viveros Agustin , Chamorro Susana
Published: April 2022

An experiment was conducted to assess in laying hens the effect of including grape pomace (GP, at 30 or 60 g/kg) or grape extract (GE, at 0.5 or 1.0 g/kg) on egg production, feed conversion ratio, protein and polyphenol digestibility, egg weight, egg quality, yolk fatty acid profile and oxidative stability of yolk lipids. No differences were detected among diets for egg production (83.8%, on average) or egg mass (56.8 g/d, on average). However, the average egg weight was lower (p = 0.004) for dietary treatments GP 30, GP 60 and GE 0.5 (67.5 g, on average) than for control hens (68.5 g). Accordingly, in hens fed the GP diets the proportion of XL eggs was lower (p = 0.008) than in control hens, while the proportion of M eggs was higher (p < 0.001) in hens fed the diets GP 30, GP 60 and GE 0.5 than in the control group. The dietary inclusion of both GP and GE decreased daily feed intake (120.9 vs. 125.3 g/d, p < 0.001) and the feed conversion ratio (2.09 vs. 2.18, p = 0.01). Feeding GP at 60 g/kg or GE reduced excreta protein digestibility (54.7 vs. 62.8%, p < 0.001), whereas all GP and GE diets showed higher excreta polyphenol digestibility than the control treatment (57.2 vs. 41.0%, p < 0.001). While yolk colour score was increased with all grape diets (8.12 vs. 7.34, p < 0.001), the dietary inclusion of GP, either at 30 or 60 g/kg, and that of GE at 1.0 g/kg increased the Haugh units of the albumen (80.8 vs. 76.4 Haugh units, p = 0.001). Shell thickness remained unaffected by dietary treatments (365.2 μm, on average). When included in the diet at 60 g/kg, GP reduced the proportion of saturated fatty acids in the yolk (31.6 vs. 32.9%, p = 0.001) and that of monounsaturated fatty acids (39.5 vs. 41.4%, p < 0.001), while it increased the percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids (28.9 vs. 25.7%, p < 0.001). In fresh eggs, no significant differences were found for the malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration (0.146 mg/kg, on average). In stored eggs, the MDA amount was lower in the eggs of the laying hens fed GP at 60 g/kg than in the eggs of the control hens (1.14 vs. 1.64 mg/kg, p = 0.025). In conclusion, the inclusion of grape pomace, either at 30 or 60 g/kg, and grape extract at 1.0 g/kg in the diet of laying hens improved some egg quality traits, but feeding grape pomace resulted in a lower average weight of eggs. Nevertheless, feeding laying hens with diets containing grape pomace resulted in a higher antioxidant potential in egg yolk than dietary inclusion of grape extract.
The Case for Modernizing Biomedical Research in Ireland through the Creation of an Irish 3Rs Centre
Authors: Galligioni Viola , Movia Dania , Ruiz-Pérez Daniel , Sánchez-Morgado José Manuel , Prina-Mello Adriele
Published: April 2022

Since its publication, the 3Rs principle has provided a cornerstone for more ethical and humane biomedical and regulatory research. In Europe, the 3Rs principle has been incorporated into the European Directive 63/2010/EU, with the ultimate aim of fully replacing the procedures on live animals for scientific and educational purposes as soon as it is scientifically possible to do so. Thus, a critical shift in the discussion on animal use in biomedical and regulatory research is undergoing in Europe, a discussion where satisfying the “replacement” principle is becoming more and more defined as a scientific rather than ethical need. 3Rs Centres have been established in recent years across Europe. To date, Ireland has no 3Rs Centre, and the uptake of the 3Rs principle, and in particular of the “replacement” aspect, has been slow. In this Commentary, we present the Irish context of the use of animal models in biomedical and regulatory research, and urge for what, in the authors’ opinion, are the most critical actions that Ireland must undertake to align its biomedical (basic, applied and translational) research with the European 3Rs strategy.
Bacteriophage Tail Proteins as a Tool for Bacterial Pathogen Recognition—A Literature Review
Authors: Filik Karolina , Szermer-Olearnik Bożena , Oleksy Sabina , Brykała Jan , Brzozowska Ewa
Published: April 2022

In recent years, a number of bacterial detection methods have been developed to replace time-consuming culture methods. One interesting approach is to mobilize the ability of phage tail proteins to recognize and bind to bacterial hosts. In this paper, the authors provide an overview of the current methodologies in which phage proteins play major roles in detecting pathogenic bacteria. Authors focus on proteins capable of recognizing highly pathogenic strains, such as Acinetobacter baumannii, Campylobacter spp., Yersinia pestis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus spp., Salmonella spp., and Shigella. These pathogens may be diagnosed by capture-based detection methods involving the use of phage protein-coated nanoparticles, ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay)-based methods, or biosensors. The reviewed studies show that phage proteins are becoming an important diagnostic tool due to the discovery of new phages and the increasing knowledge of understanding the specificity and functions of phage tail proteins.
Salvia officinalis L. Essential Oil: Characterization, Antioxidant Properties, and the Effects of Aromatherapy in Adult Patients
Authors: Mot Maria-Daniela , Gavrilaș Simona , Lupitu Andreea I. , Moisa Cristian , Chambre Dorina , Tit Delia Mirela , Bogdan Mihaela Alexandra , Bodescu Adina-Maria , Copolovici Lucian , Copolovici Dana Maria , Bungau Simona Gabriela
Published: April 2022

The purpose of this study is to reveal the chemical and biochemical characteristics and the potential aromatherapy applications of the essential oil (EO) of Salvia officinalis (common sage) within a hospital environment. The chemical composition was determined by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Three types of sage EOs were included in this study: two commercial oils and one oil obtained by in-house hydrodistillation. Based on the findings, these EOs were included in different chemotypes. The first two samples were similar to the most common chemotype (α-thujone > camphor > 1,8-cineole > β-thujone), while the in-house sage EO revealed a high content of 1,8-cineole, borneol, α-thujone, similar to the Dalmatian type. The latter sample was selected to be evaluated for its antioxidant and medical effects, as borneol, a bicyclic monoterpene, is known as a substance with anesthetic and analgesic effects in traditional Asian medicine. The study suggests that the antioxidant capacity of the sage EO is modest (33.61% and 84.50% inhibition was determined by DPPH and ABTS assays, respectively), but also that the inhalation of sage EO with high borneol content by hospitalized patients could improve these patients’ satisfaction.
Inhibitory Effects of Jakyakgamcho-Tang (Glycyrrhiza uralensis and Paeonia lactiflora) on the Pacemaker Potential of the Interstitial Cells of Cajal in the Murine Small Intestine
Authors: Choi Na Ri , Kim Jeong Nam , Lee Min Jae , Kim Byung Joo
Published: April 2022

Jakyakgamcho-tang (JYGCT) has been used to treat various diseases. The interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) regulate gastrointestinal (GI) motility as pacemaker cells. Here, we examined the effects of JYGCT on the pacemaker potential of the ICC in the small intestine. We observed that JYGCT inhibited the pacemaker potential in a dose-dependent manner. Glibenclamide did not affect the pacemaker potential and on these conditions, JYGCT also had no effect on the pacemaker potential. Pretreatment with capsazepine or SB452533 blocked the JYGCT-induced effects. In the presence of SQ-22536, JYGCT did not inhibit the pacemaker potential. Additionally, JYGCT inhibited spontaneous [Ca2+]i oscillations and JYGCT-induced ITR increase was associated with TMEM16A, motilin and substance P activation. Moreover, JYGCT was effective in alleviating the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Our results suggest that JYGCT inhibited the pacemaker potential of the ICC via KATP, the TRPV1 or the cyclic AMP pathway, and intracellular Ca2+ regulation, indicating that JYGCT can affect ICC and thus have the function of regulating GI motility. Therefore, JYGCT may be used as a GI motility disorder regulator or disease prevention agent.
Typhoon-Induced Failure Process and Collapse Mechanism of Super-Large Cooling Tower Based on WRF-CFD-LS/DYNA Nesting Technology
Authors: Wu Hongxin , Ke Shitang , Wang Feitian , Wang Weihua
Published: April 2022

There have been several cases of large cooling towers being damaged by wind in history. A typhoon has the characteristics of a strong wind field energy and large shear wind speed. This paper simulates the entire collapse process of large hyperbolic cooling towers by the action of typhoons and refines the typhoon-induced failure mechanism for cooling towers. Firstly, based on WRF-CFD wind field downscaling technology, a fine simulation of the near-ground multiscale wind field produced by China’s strongest typhoon “Typhoon Rammasun” is performed to extract effective three-dimensional (3D) typhoon load input parameters. Then, by loading the obtained 3D wind load on the finite element model, a pseudo-dynamic analysis of the world’s tallest cooling tower “Luan Cooling Tower” is performed based on LS-DYNA explicit dynamic analysis, and the typhoon-induced collapse process is simulated. Finally, the stress distribution and distortions of the tower and the response time history of key units are compared and analyzed to determine the collapse mechanism. The process of collapse begins with large deformation of the windward surface of the tower throat, which shows folds in the range of 62° on both sides. Eventually, collapse occurs due to uncoordinated deformation. The collapse mechanism can be divided into a bending arch mechanism and a suspension wire mechanism.
EEG Oscillatory Power and Complexity for Epileptic Seizure Detection
Authors: Abou-Abbas Lina , Jemal Imene , Henni Khadidja , Ouakrim Youssef , Mitiche Amar , Mezghani Neila
Published: April 2022

Monitoring patients at risk of epileptic seizure is critical for optimal treatment and ensuing the reduction of seizure risk and complications. In general, seizure detection is done manually in hospitals and involves time-consuming visual inspection and interpretation by experts of electroencephalography (EEG) recordings. The purpose of this study is to investigate the pertinence of band-limited spectral power and signal complexity in order to discriminate between seizure and seizure-free EEG brain activity. The signal complexity and spectral power are evaluated in five frequency intervals, namely, the delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma bands, to be used as EEG signal feature representation. Classification of seizure and seizure-free data was performed by prevalent potent classifiers. Substantial comparative performance evaluation experiments were performed on a large EEG data record of 341 patients in the Temple University Hospital EEG seizure database. Based on statistically validated criteria, results show the efficiency of band-limited spectral power and signal complexity when using random forest and gradient-boosting decision tree classifiers (95% of the area under the curve (AUC) and 91% for both F-measure and accuracy). These results support the use of these automatic classification schemes to assist the practicing neurologist interpret EEG records more accurately and without tedious visual inspection.
Smart Manufacturing in Rolling Process Based on Thermal Safety Monitoring by Fiber Optics Sensors Equipping Mill Bearings
Authors: Brusa Eugenio , Delprete Cristiana , Giorio Lorenzo
Published: April 2022

The steel rolling process is critical for safety and maintenance because of loading and thermal operating conditions. Machinery condition monitoring (MCM) increases the system’s safety, preventing the risk of fire, failure, and rupture. Equipping the mill bearings with sensors allows monitoring of the system in service and controls the heating of mill components. Fiber optic sensors detect loading condition, vibration, and irregular heating. In several systems, access to machinery is rather limited. Therefore, this paper preliminarily investigates how fiber optics can be effectively embedded within the mill cage to set up a smart manufacturing system. The fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) technology allows embedding sensors inside the pins of backup bearings and performing some prognosis and diagnosis activities. The study starts from the rolling mill layout and defines its accessibility, considering some real industrial cases. Testing of an FBG sensor prototype checks thermal monitoring capability inside a closed cavity, obtained on the surface of either the fixed pin of the backup bearing or the stator surrounding the outer ring. Results encourage the development of the whole prototype of the MCM system to be tested on a real mill cage in full operation.
Neural Embeddings for the Elicitation of Jurisprudence Principles: The Case of Arabic Legal Texts
Authors: Alrumayyan Nafla , Al-Yahya Maha
Published: April 2022

In the domain of law and legal systems, jurisprudence principles (JPs) are considered major sources of legislative reasoning by jurisprudence scholars. Generally accepted JPs are often used to support the reasoning for a given jurisprudence case (JC). Although eliciting the JPs associated with a specific JC is a central task of legislative reasoning, it is complex and requires expertise, knowledge of the domain, and significant and lengthy human exertion by jurisprudence scholars. This study aimed to leverage advances in language modeling to support the task of JP elicitation. We investigated neural embeddings—specifically, doc2vec architectures—as a representation model for the task of JP elicitation using Arabic legal texts. Four experiments were conducted to evaluate three different architectures for document embedding models for the JP elicitation task. In addition, we explored an approach that integrates task-oriented word embeddings (ToWE) with document embeddings (paragraph vectors). The results of the experiments showed that using neural embeddings for the JP elicitation task is a promising approach. The paragraph vector distributed bag-of-words (PV-DBOW) architecture produced the best results for this task. To evaluate how well the ToWE model performed for the JP elicitation task, a graded relevance ranking measure, discounted cumulative gain (DCG), was used. The model achieved good results with a normalized DCG of 0.9 for the majority of the JPs. The findings of this study have significant implications for the understanding of how Arabic legal texts can be modeled and how the semantics of jurisprudence principles can be elicited using neural embeddings.
On-Farm Composting of Hop Plant Green Waste—Chemical and Biological Value of Compost
Authors: Luskar Lucija , Polanšek Julija , Hladnik Aleš , Čeh Barbara
Published: April 2022

Green agro waste can be turned into compost, which can then be used as an organic fertilizer, thus reducing the environmental impact of food and feed production. This research is focused on finding a feasible on-farm composting treatment of plant biomass to produce high-quality compost. Three different composting treatments were prepared and followed (with different additives at the start—biochar (BC) and effective microorganisms (EM), no additive (CON); covering and not covering the pile; different start particles size). Samples were analysed for nutrient concentrations, phytotoxicity and bacterial and fungal presence after seven months of composting. In 100 g of dry matter, the average compost contained 2.7 g, 0.38 g and 1.08 g of N, P and K, respectively. All investigated treatments contained more than 2% of total nitrogen in dry mass, so they could be used as a fertilizer. The highest nutrient content was observed in compost of small particle size (˂5 cm) and added biochar (11 kg/t fresh biomass). However, this compost had the least bacteria and fungi due to very high temperatures in the thermophilic phase of this pile. According to the radish germination index, the prepared composts have no phytotoxic properties and are stable and ready to use in plant production. Taking the cress germination test into consideration, they provided a nutrient-rich and biostimulative soil amendment. All three final composts were stable in terms of respiration rate, growth and germination tests. Results have shown that hop biomass after harvest has great potential for composting.
Application and Optimization of Algorithms for Pressure Wave Evaluation Based on Measurement Data
Authors: Vahldiek Kai , Yao Yao , Rüger Bernd , Klawonn Frank
Published: April 2022

Leakages can occur in a district heating network, resulting in high economical damage. The propagating pressure wave resulting from large, spontaneous leakages reaches sensors at different locations in the network. This leads to pressure drops registered at each sensor at a different point in time. The time differences help to localize the leakage. Different algorithms are presented and applied in this paper to estimate the pressure drop time points based on non-uniform, time-discrete sensor signals. Five of the nine algorithms are self-developed with, e.g., parts of linear regression, whereas the other four algorithms have already been described in the literature, such as change-point detection. In this paper, several recorded events were investigated, and the algorithms were applied to real measurement data. After detection, leakage localization was performed to determine the affected exclusion area. A performance criterion was used as a measure to compare the algorithms. For practical application, the best-performing algorithm was identified. Furthermore, the events were classified according to how well they could be evaluated.
Predictors of Employees’ Mobile Security Practice: An Analysis of Personal and Work-Related Variables
Authors: Ahmad Zauwiyah , Ong Thian Song , Gan Yen Wen , Liew Tze Hui , Norhashim Mariati
Published: April 2022

Personal mobile devices form an integral part of business activities today. Mobile devices, nevertheless, pose various security issues and data privacy threats, which require a close attention. The rational choice theory was utilized to examine the determinants of employees’ security behavior in relation to mobile device usage. Employees were postulated to rationally evaluate the costs and benefits of mobile security measures and decide on the option that is perceived to provide the best expected outcome. Twelve out of thirteen hypotheses examined in this study were found to be significant. We also hypothesized that demographics and work-related variables significantly affect employees’ mobile security practices, examined using ordinal logistic regression analysis. The findings indicate the efficacy of the rational choice theory in explaining mobile security behavior. Security inconvenience has been found to be a significant cost to information security measures. Moreover, the findings also showed the influence of gender, job function, past security experience, and perceived risk on the dependent variable. In conclusion, we would like to draw considerable attention to the contribution of security awareness programs and security training to good mobile security behaviors.
Comparative Study of Physiological Changes in Turbot Scophthalmus maximus in Different Living Conditions
Authors: Križanac Silvia , Topić Popović Natalija , Barišić Josip , Beer-Ljubić Blanka , Bujak Maro , Babić Sanja , Bojanić Krunoslav , Čož-Rakovac Rozelindra , Matulić Daniel , Strunjak-Perović Ivančica
Published: April 2022

The aim of this study was to compare the organismal responses of farmed and wild-caught turbot, Scophthalmus maximus, based on analyses of biochemical plasma parameters, leukocyte profile, and histological tissue profile of gills, kidney, liver, intestine, and spleen, as well as gene expression of stress proteins in kidney and liver tissue. The results revealed significant differences in plasma triglycerides (TRIG), total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), globulin (GLOB), bilirubin (TBIL), creatinine (CRE) levels, creatine kinase (CK), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities that were higher, and A/G ratio, calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) concentrations, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, which were lower in farmed population. The neutrophil-leukocyte (N:L) ratio and gene expression of HSP70, HSP90, and WAP65-2 were increased in the wild-caught turbot. The wild-caught turbot were infested with the gill digenean parasite Dactylogyrus sp. and tapeworm Bothriocephalus scorpii. The obtained results provide valuable data for the assessment of the physiological responses of turbot for future comparative studies of the effects of various endogenous and exogenous factors on homeostasis of this species.
Image Watermarking Scheme Using LSB and Image Gradient
Authors: Faheem Zaid Bin , Ali Mubashir , Raza Muhammad Ahsan , Arslan Farrukh , Ali Jehad , Masud Mehedi , Shorfuzzaman Mohammad
Published: April 2022

In the modern age, watermarking techniques are mandatory to secure digital communication over the internet. For an optimal technique, a high signal-to-noise ratio and normalized correctional is required. In this paper, a digital watermarking technique is proposed on the basis of the least significant bit through an image gradient and chaotic map. The image is segmented into noncorrelated blocks, and the gradient of each block is calculated. The gradient of the image expresses the rapid changes in an image. A chaotic substitution box (S-Box) is used to scramble the watermark according to a piecewise linear chaotic map (PWLCM). PWLCM has a positive Lyapunov exponent and better balance property as compared to other chaotic maps. This S-Box technique is capable of producing a disperse sequence with high nonlinearity in the generated sequence. Least significant bit is a simple technique for embedding but it has a high payload capacity and direct pixel manipulation. The embedding payload introduces a tradeoff between robustness and imperceptibility; hence, the image gradient is a technique to identify the best-suited place to embed a watermark and avoid image degradation. By modifying the least significant bits of the original image, the watermark signal is embedded according to the image gradient. In the image gradient, the direction and magnitude decide how much embeding can be done. In comparison with other methods, the experimental results show satisfactory progress in robustness against several image processing and geometrical attacks while maintaining the imperceptibility of the watermark signal.
A Novel Distributed Media Caching Technique for Seamless Video Streaming in Multi-Access Edge Computing Networks
Authors: Osei-Mensah Emmanuel , Thabet Saqr Khalil Saeed , Luo Chunbo , Asiedu-Ayeh Emelia , Bamisile Olusola , Nyantakyi Isaac Osei , Adun Humphrey
Published: April 2022

Online video is anticipated to be the largest fraction of all mobile network traffic aside from the huge processing tasks imposed on networks by the billions of IoT devices, causing unprecedented challenges to the current network architecture. Edge caching has been proposed as a highly promising technology to overcome this challenge by placing computational and data storage resources at the network edge to reduce latency and backhaul traffic. However, the edge resources are heavily constrained in their storage and computational capacities as large-scale deployments mean fairly distributing resources across the network. Addressing this limitation, we propose an edge video caching scheme that dynamically caches the first part of popularity-ranked video files on Multi-Edge Computing Access Node (MAN) servers envisioned to achieve higher cache hit ratios, lower latencies, and lower backhaul traffic. The concept of Regionally Organized Clouds (ROCs) with sufficient resources for file caching and compute-intensive tasks was introduced, and a formulation of the edge caching problem as an Integer Linear Programming (ILP) problem was made. Additionally, this study proposes a file view-time threshold for each cached video aimed at reducing the resource wastage caused when buffered contents are abandoned. Comparative evaluations of the proposed show its excellent performance over FIFO, Greedy, LFRU and TLRU schemes.
All-Optical Tuning of Fano Resonance for Quasi-BIC and Terahertz Sensing Applications
Authors: Liu Wenyao , Li Wei , Liu Chenxi , Xing Enbo , Zhou Yanru , Liu Lai , Shi Yunbo , Tang Jun
Published: April 2022

The bound states in the continuum (BIC) support anomalous resonances in the optical or terahertz band with a theoretically infinite quality factor. Therefore, it has great application prospects in the field of sensors. However, the current regulation of BIC mainly relies on the asymmetry of the material structure, which requires high processing technology. The structure can hardly be effectively adjusted once it is formed. In this work, we propose a new metasurface consisting of an array rectangular hole structure combined with aluminum and photosensitive silicon, which supports quasi-BIC to achieve ultrasensitive sensing in the terahertz range. By introducing photosensitive silicon, the asymmetry of the structure is efficiently controlled by the light field, thus realizing the bidirectional continuous control from quasi-BIC to BIC-like states. Through the optimization of the structure, a class of highly sensitive terahertz sensing based on optical tuning is finally proposed. The narrow-band quasi-BIC resonance is sensitive to medium thickness and refractive index, and compared with pure metal structure, the sensitivity and dynamic range can be increased by 2.60 times and 2.63 times, respectively. Due to the high slope of the Fano lineshape, sensitivity can reach 9.41 GHz/RIU and 0.65 GHz/μm, respectively. Furthermore, this feasible and practical structure provides an ideal platform for highly sensitive sensing.