bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Are Cover Crops Affecting the Quality and Sustainability of Fruit Production?
Authors: Giacalone Giovanna , Peano Cristiana , Isocrono Deborah , Sottile Francesco
Published: November 2021

The study of the interaction between fruit trees and cover crops has been addressed in numerous works over the last 50 years or more, evidencing the need to evolve from a productive orchard to an orchard that plays different ecosystem roles in terms of environmental sustainability rather than just productivity. This review, through an analysis of the scientific literature since the 1950s, highlights the development of sustainable soil management models in fruit tree orchards, mostly considering the relationship with fruit quality traits and with the ecosystem services that result from the adoption of cover crops, aiming at identifying and formulating technical recommendations in perennial orchards. Cover crop management surely improves soil features and positively influences fruit quality in perennial woody species, but also helps to develop a better habitat for beneficial insects, thus influencing pollination. A large number of scientific approaches highlight the beneficial use of a mixture of seeds in order to enhance biodiversity, aiming at improving ecosystem services for a transition towards more sustainable systems based on agroecological management.
Application of Internet of Things (IoT) for Optimized Greenhouse Environments
Authors: Maraveas Chrysanthos , Bartzanas Thomas
Published: November 2021

This review presents the state-of-the-art research on IoT systems for optimized greenhouse environments. The data were analyzed using descriptive and statistical methods to infer relationships between the Internet of Things (IoT), emerging technologies, precision agriculture, agriculture 4.0, and improvements in commercial farming. The discussion is situated in the broader context of IoT in mitigating the adverse effects of climate change and global warming in agriculture through the optimization of critical parameters such as temperature and humidity, intelligent data acquisition, rule-based control, and resolving the barriers to the commercial adoption of IoT systems in agriculture. The recent unexpected and severe weather events have contributed to low agricultural yields and losses; this is a challenge that can be resolved through technology-mediated precision agriculture. Advances in technology have over time contributed to the development of sensors for frost prevention, remote crop monitoring, fire hazard prevention, precise control of nutrients in soilless greenhouse cultivation, power autonomy through the use of solar energy, and intelligent feeding, shading, and lighting control to improve yields and reduce operational costs. However, particular challenges abound, including the limited uptake of smart technologies in commercial agriculture, price, and accuracy of the sensors. The barriers and challenges should help guide future Research & Development projects and commercial applications.
Sustainability Estimation of Oat:Pea Intercrops from the Agricultural Life Cycle Assessment Perspective
Authors: Bernas Jaroslav , Bernasová Tereza , Kaul Hans-Peter , Wagentristl Helmut , Moitzi Gerhard , Neugschwandtner Reinhard W.
Published: November 2021

Winter cereal:legume intercropping is considered a sustainable arable farming system not only in temperate regions but also in Mediterranean environments. Previous studies have shown that with suitable crop stand composition, high grain yield can be achieved. In this study, a life cycle assessment (LCA) of the influence of sowing ratio and nitrogen (N) fertilization on grain nitrogen yield of oat (Avena sativa L.) and pea (Pisum sativum L.) in intercrops was performed to find the optimal design to achieve low environmental impact. This study compared the environmental impact of oat:pea intercrops using agricultural LCA. Monocrops of oat and pea and substitutive intercrops, which were fertilized with different levels of N, were compared. The system boundaries included all the processes from cradle to farm gate. Mass-based (grain N yield) and area-based (land demand for generating the same grain N yield) functional units were used. The results covered the impact categories related to the agricultural LCAs. The ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint and Endpoint characterization model was used for the data expression. According to the results, an unfertilized combination of oat and pea (50%:50%) had the lowest environmental impact in comparison with the other 14 assessed variants and selected impact categories. In the assessed framework, pea monocrops or intensively fertilized oat monocrops can also be considered as alternatives with relatively low impact on the environment. However, an appropriate grain N yield must be reached to balance the environmental impact resulting from the fertilizer inputs. The production and use of fertilizers had the greatest impact on the environment within the impact categories climate change, eutrophication, and ecotoxicity. The results indicated that high fertilizer inputs did not necessarily cause the highest environmental impact. In this respect, the achieved grain N yield level, the choice of allocation approach, the functional unit, and the data expression approach played dominant roles.
Members of the Trichoderma harzianum Species Complex with Mushroom Pathogenic Potential
Authors: Allaga Henrietta , Zhumakayev Anuar , Büchner Rita , Kocsubé Sándor , Szűcs Attila , Vágvölgyi Csaba , Kredics László , Hatvani Lóránt
Published: November 2021

Previously, severe green mould infections could be attributed mainly to Trichoderma aggressivum Samuels & W. Gams, as well as T. pleuroti S.H. Yu & M.S. Park and T. pleuroticola S.H. Yu & M.S. Park in the case of Agaricus bisporus (J.E. Lange) Imbach (button mushroom) and Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.) P. Kumm. (oyster mushroom), respectively. The purpose of our study was the examination of green mould agents deriving from the growing facilities of button mushroom, oyster mushroom and shiitake (Lentinula edodes (Berk.) Pegler) located in various countries of Europe, and initially classified into the Trichoderma harzianum Rifai species complex (THSC). Species identification was carried out using the multilocus sequence typing analysis of the internal transcribed spacer regions, as well as translation elongation factor 1-alpha, calmodulin and RNA polymerase B subunit II gene sequences. In vitro confrontation assays were applied to test the aggressiveness of the isolates towards mushrooms, while the effect of commercial fungicides on the growth of the strains was examined by the macrodilution method. Six Trichoderma species, namely T. afroharzianum P. Chaverri, F.B. Rocha, Degenkolb & Druzhin., T. atrobrunneum F.B. Rocha, P. Chaverri & Jaklitsch, T. guizhouense Q.R. Li, McKenzie & Yong Wang, T. harzianum sensu stricto, T. pollinicola F. Liu & L. Cai and T. simmonsii P. Chaverri, F.B. Rocha, Samuels, Degenkolb & Jaklitsch were detected in the different samples, with T. harzianum, T. pollinicola and T. simmonsii being the most aggressive. Prochloraz was found to have strong in vitro inhibitory effect on mycelial growth on most strains, however, T. simmonsii isolates showed remarkable tolerance to it. Our data suggest that T. harzianum and T. simmonsii may also be considered as potential causal agents of mushroom green mould.
Morphological Characteristics, Fruit Qualities and Evaluation of Reproductive Functions in Autotetraploid Satsuma Mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marcow.)
Authors: Sudo Miki , Yasuda Kiichi , Yahata Masaki , Sato Mai , Tominaga Akiyoshi , Mukai Hiroo , Ma Gang , Kato Masaya , Kunitake Hisato
Published: November 2021

The morphological characteristics and fruit quality of an autotetraploid plant selected from nucellar seedlings of Satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marcow.) were investigated. Additionally, in order to evaluate the reproductive potential of male and female gametes of the tetraploid Satsuma mandarin, reciprocal crosses with diploid cultivars were also carried out. The tetraploid had significantly thick and round leaves, as compared to those of the diploid Satsuma mandarin. The sizes of the flowers and pollen grains of the tetraploid were significantly larger than those of the diploid. Pollen fertility of tetraploid was high compared with that of the diploid. The tetraploid produced seedless fruits. The fruit weight of the tetraploid was equal to that of the diploid. Compared to the diploid fruits, the tetraploid fruit had less sugar contents and more organic acid contents. Although the tetraploid fruits showed similar traits to other Citrus tetraploids such as thick and hard peels, the tetraploid had a higher content of carotenoids in the flavedo than the diploid, and the rind color of the tetraploid was much better. In the reciprocal crosses between the tetraploid Satsuma mandarin and diploid cultivars, some seeds were obtained, and triploid progenies were obtained in all cross combinations.
Effect of Essential Oils on the Oxyntopeptic Cells and Somatostatin and Ghrelin Immunoreactive Cells in the European Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) Gastric Mucosa
Authors: Mazzoni Maurizio , Lattanzio Giulia , Bonaldo Alessio , Tagliavia Claudio , Parma Luca , Busti Serena , Gatta Pier Paolo , Bernardi Nadia , Clavenzani Paolo
Published: November 2021

The current work was designed to assess the effect of feed supplemented with essential oils (EOs) on the histological features in sea bass’s gastric mucosa. Fish were fed three diets: control diet (CTR), HERBAL MIX® made with natural EOs (N-EOs), or HERBAL MIX® made with artificial EOs obtained by synthesis (S-EOs) during a 117-day feeding trial. Thereafter, the oxyntopeptic cells (OPs) and the ghrelin (GHR) and somatostatin (SOM) enteroendocrine cells (EECs) in the gastric mucosa were evaluated. The Na+K+-ATPase antibody was used to label OPs, while, for the EECs, anti-SOM and anti-GHR antibody were used. The highest density of OP immunoreactive (IR) area was in the CTR group (0.66 mm2 ± 0.1). The OP-IR area was reduced in the N-EO diet group (0.22 mm2 ± 1; CTR vs. N-EOs, p < 0.005), while in the S-EO diet group (0.39 mm2 ± 1) a trend was observed. We observed an increase of the number of SOM-IR cells in the N-EO diet (15.6 ± 4.2) compared to that in the CTR (11.8 ± 3.7) (N-EOs vs. CTR; p < 0.05), but not in the S-EOs diet. These observations will provide a basis to advance current knowledge on the anatomy and digestive physiology of this species in relation to pro-heath feeds.
Effects of Selective Dry Cow Treatment on Intramammary Infection Risk after Calving, Cure Risk during the Dry Period, and Antibiotic Use at Drying-Off: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Current Literature (2000–2021)
Authors: Weber Jim , Borchardt Stefan , Seidel Julia , Schreiter Ruben , Wehrle Frederike , Donat Karsten , Freick Markus
Published: November 2021

The objectives of this paper were (i) to perform a systematic review of the literature over the last 21 yr and (ii) to evaluate the efficacy of selective dry cow treatment (SDCT) vs. blanket dry cow treatment (BDCT) in dairy cows regarding the risk of intramammary infection (IMI) after calving, new IMI risk after calving, cure risk during the dry period, and a reduction in antibiotic use at drying-off by meta-analysis. The systematic search was carried out using the databases PubMed, CAB Direct, and ScienceDirect. A meta-analytical assessment was performed for each outcome of interest using random-effects models, and the relative risk (RR) for IMI and cure or the pooled proportion for antibiotic use was calculated. The final number of included studies was n = 3 for IMI risk after calving and n = 5 for new IMI risk after calving, cure risk during the dry period, and antibiotic use. The RR levels for IMI (RR, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02, 0.94–1.11; p = 0.592), new IMI (RR, 95% CI: 1.06, 0.94–1.20; p = 0.994), and cure (RR, 95% CI: 1.00, 0.97–1.02; p = 0.661) did not differ significantly between SDCT and BDCT. Substantial heterogeneity was observed between the trials regarding the pooled proportion of antibiotic use within the SDCT groups (I2 = 97.7%; p < 0.001). This meta-analysis provides evidence that SDCT seems to be an adequate alternative to BDCT regarding udder health with a simultaneous reduction in antibiotic use. Limitations might arise because of the small number of studies included.
Risk and Predictive Factors of Leptospirosis in Dogs Diagnosed with Kidney and/or Liver Disease in Selangor, Malaysia
Authors: Abdul Rahman Mohammad Sabri , Khor Kuan Hua , Khairani-Bejo Siti , Lau Seng Fong , Mazlan Mazlina , Roslan Mohd Azri
Published: November 2021

Canine leptospirosis is commonly associated with kidney and/or liver disease. It has been widely reported and causes public health concerns due to its zoonotic potential and its re-emergence, resulting from close contact between humans and dogs. The current study identified potential risk and predictive factors for dogs diagnosed with kidney and/or liver disease due to leptospirosis. A total of 124 client-owned dogs were recruited, and information such as signalment, medical history, management, and clinical findings were documented. Samples collected from the recruited dogs were directly tested using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and subsequently inoculated for bacterial isolation. Statistical analyses were descriptively analyzed, and risk analyses were performed using Pearson chi-square tests and logistic regression. A total of 53 dogs (42.7%) were positive for leptospiral infection based on PCR, and 10 leptospiral isolates were successfully recovered from eight dogs. The mortality rate of infected dogs was 34.0% (18/53). Medium and large dog breeds, with a history of exposure to rats, and managed outdoors had a greater risk for leptospirosis (p < 0.05). The significant predictors for the dogs’ positivity were the presence of rats and acute clinical illness (p < 0.05). Administration of antibiotics and the detection of clinical illness at an early stage of the disease improved the survivability of the dogs (p < 0.05). Identifying the profile of dogs that are at risk to leptospirosis could be useful in the design of diagnostic and treatment strategies, as well as to increase awareness for prevention of the disease.
Molecular and Histological Evaluation of Sheep Ovarian Tissue Subjected to Lyophilization
Authors: Bebbere Daniela , Arav Amir , Nieddu Stefano Mario , Burrai Giovanni Pietro , Succu Sara , Patrizio Pasquale , Ledda Sergio
Published: November 2021

Cryopreservation is routinely used to preserve cells and tissues; however, long time storage brings many inconveniences including the use of liquid nitrogen. Freeze-drying could enable higher shelf-life stability at ambient temperatures and facilitate transport and storage. Currently, the possibility to freeze-dry reproductive tissues maintaining vitality and functions is still under optimization. Here, we lyophilized sheep ovarian tissue with a novel device named Darya and a new vitrification and drying protocol and assessed effects on tissue integrity and gene expression. The evaluation was performed immediately after lyophilization (Lio), after rehydration (LR0h) or after two hours of in vitro culture (IVC; LR2h). The tissue survived lyophilization procedures and maintained its general structure, including intact follicles at different stages of development, however morphological and cytoplasmic modifications were noticed. Lyophilization, rehydration and further IVC increasingly affected RNA integrity and caused progressive morphological alterations. Nevertheless, analysis of a panel of eight genes showed tissue survival and reaction to the different procedures by regulation of specific gene expression. Results show that sheep ovarian tissue can tolerate the applied vitrification and drying protocol and constitute a valid basis for further improvements of the procedures, with the ultimate goal of optimizing tissue viability after rehydration.
Herd Routines and Veterinary Advice Related to Dry-Cow Therapy and Treatment with Internal Teat Sealants in Dairy Cows
Authors: Persson Waller Karin , Landin Håkan , Nyman Ann-Kristin
Published: November 2021

Dry-cow therapy with antibiotics (DCT) and treatment with internal teat sealants (ITS) are often used to control mastitis in dairy cows. However, the knowledge on farmer and veterinary compliance with recommendations for DCT and ITS is scarce. Thus, the main aim was to collect information on farmer routines and veterinary advice for such treatments. Associations with herd and veterinary variables were also studied. Web-based questionnaires including questions on demographics and the use of DCT and ITS were sent to 2472 farmers and 517 veterinarians in Sweden. The answers were summarized descriptively, and associations with demographics were evaluated using univariable regression models. The response rate was 14% for farmers and 25% for veterinarians. Among the farmers, 81% used selective DCT (SDCT), 3% used blanket DCT (BDCT), and 16% did not use DCT. Almost all (93%) veterinarians prescribed DCT and among those most recommended SDCT while 8% recommended BDCT. Eighty-two percent of the farmers did not use ITS and 45% of the veterinarians never prescribed ITS. Milking system and milk production, and post-graduate training and number of mastitis cases per month were associated with the largest numbers of farmer and veterinary answers, respectively. In conclusion, many farmer routines and veterinary advice complied with the recommendations available at the time, but a clear need for more education was also identified. The results also indicated that an up-date of the national recommendations was warranted.
Synthesis of Ribose-Coated Copper-Based Metal–Organic Framework for Enhanced Antibacterial Potential of Chloramphenicol against Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria
Authors: Haseena  , Khan Adnan , Ghaffar Iqra , Baty Roua S. , Abdel-Daim Mohamed M. , Habib Shahida M. , Kanwal Tasmina , Shah Muhammad Raza
Published: November 2021

The rise in bacterial resistance to currently used antibiotics is the main focus of medical researchers. Bacterial multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major threat to humans, as it is linked to greater rates of chronic disease and mortality. Hence, there is an urgent need for developing effective strategies to overcome the bacterial MDR. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are a new class of porous crystalline materials made up of metal ions and organic ligands that can vary their pore size and structure to better encapsulate drug candidates. This study reports the synthesis of ribose-coated Cu-MOFs for enhanced bactericidal activity of chloramphenicol (CHL) against Escherichia coli (resistant and sensitive) and MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The synthesized Cu-MOFs were characterized with DLS, FT-IR, powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and atomic force microscope. They were further investigated for their efficacy against selected bacterial strains. The synthesized ribose-coated Cu-MOFs were observed as spherical shape structure with the particle size of 562.84 ± 13.42 nm. CHL caused the increased inhibition of E. coli and MDR P. aeruginosa with significantly reduced MIC and MBIC values after being encapsulated in ribose-coated Cu-MOFs. The morphological analysis of the bacterial strains treated with ribose-coated CHL-Cu-MOFs showed the complete morphological distortion of both E. coli and MDR P. aeruginosa. Based on the results of the study, it can be suggested that ribose-coated Cu-MOFs may be an effective alternate candidate to overcome the MDR and provide new perspective for the treatment of MDR bacterial infections.
Noiseless Attenuation for Continuous-Variable Quantum Key Distribution over Ground-Satellite Uplink
Authors: Xu Shengjie , Li Yin , Wang Yijun , Mao Yun , Zuo Zhiyue , Ruan Xinchao , Guo Ying
Published: November 2021

Satellite-based quantum key distribution (QKD) has lately received considerable attention due to its potential to establish a secure global network. Associated with its application is a turbulent atmosphere that sets a notable restriction to the transmission efficiency, which is especially challenging for ground-to-satellite uplink scenarios. Here, we propose a novel noiseless attenuation (NA) scheme involving a zero-photon catalysis operation for source preparation to improve the performance of continuous-variable (CV) QKD over uplink. Numerical analysis shows that the NA-based CV-QKD, under attenuation optimization, outperforms the traditional CV-QKD, which is embodied in extending the allowable zenith angle while improving the effective communication time. Attributing to characteristics of the attenuation optimization, we find that the NA-involved source preparation improves the security bound by relatively reducing the amount of information available to eavesdroppers. Taking the finite-size effect into account, we achieve a tighter bond of security, which is more practical compared with the asymptotic limit.
Fully Distributed Control for a Class of Uncertain Multi-Agent Systems with a Directed Topology and Unknown State-Dependent Control Coefficients
Authors: Liu Zongcheng , Huang Hanqiao , Luo Sheng , Fu Wenxing , Li Qiuni
Published: November 2021

To address the control of uncertain multi-agent systems (MAS) with completely unknown system nonlinearities and unknown control coefficients, a global consensus method is proposed by constructing novel filters and barrier function-based distributed controllers. The main contributions are as follows. Firstly, a novel two-order filter is designed for each agent to produce informational estimates from the leader, such that a connectivity matrix is not used in the controller’s design, solving the difficultly caused by the time-varying control coefficients in a MAS with a directed graph. Secondly, combined with the novel filters, barrier functions are used to construct the distributed controller to deal with the completely unknown system nonlinearities, resulting in the global consensus of the MAS. Finally, it is rigorously proved that the consensus of the MAS is achieved while guaranteeing the prescribed tracking-error performance. Two examples are given to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, in which the simulation results demonstrate the claims.
Galvanic Phase Coupling of Superconducting Flux Qubits
Authors: Kim Mun-Dae
Published: November 2021

We investigate the galvanic coupling schemes of superconducting flux qubits. From the fundamental boundary conditions, we obtain the effective potential of the coupled system of two or three flux qubits to provide the exact Lagrangian of the system. While usually the two-qubit gate has been investigated approximately, in this study we derive the exact inductive coupling strength between two flux qubits coupled directly and coupled through a connecting central loop. We observe that the inductive coupling strength needs to be included exactly to satisfy the criteria of fault-tolerant quantum computing.
Sentiment Analysis of Online Course Evaluation Based on a New Ensemble Deep Learning Mode: Evidence from Chinese
Authors: Pu Xiaomin , Yan Guangxi , Yu Chengqing , Mi Xiwei , Yu Chengming
Published: November 2021

In recent years, online course learning has gradually become the mainstream of learning. As the key data reflecting the quality of online courses, users’ comments are very important for improving the quality of online courses. The sentiment information contained in comments is the guide of course improvement. A new ensemble model is proposed for sentiment analysis. The model takes full advantage of Word2Vec and Glove in word vector representation, and utilizes the bidirectional long and short time network and convolutional neural network to achieve deep feature extraction. Moreover, the multi-objective gray wolf optimization (MOGWO) ensemble method is adopted to integrate the models mentioned above. The experimental results show that the sentiment recognition accuracy of the proposed model is higher than that of the other seven comparison models, with an F1score over 91%, and the recognition results of different emotion levels indicate the stability of the proposed ensemble model.
Organic Nanostructured Materials for Sustainable Application in Next Generation Solar Cells
Authors: Mabindisa Rorisang , Tambwe Kevin , Mciteka Lulama , Ross Natasha
Published: November 2021

Meeting our current energy demands requires a reliable and efficient renewable energy source that will bring balance between power generation and energy consumption. Organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs), perovskite solar cells and dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are among the next-generation technologies that are progressing as potential sustainable renewable energy sources. Since the discoveries of highly conductive organic charge-transfer compounds in the 1950s, organic semiconductors have captured attention. Organic photovoltaic solar cells possess key characteristics ideal for emerging next-generation technologies such as being nontoxic, abundant, an inexpensive nanomaterial with ease of production, including production under ambient conditions. In this review article, we discuss recent methods developed towards improving the stability and average efficiency of nanostructured materials in OPVs aimed at sustainable agriculture and improve land-use efficiency. A comprehensive overview on developing cost-effective and user-friendly organic solar cells to contribute towards improved environmental stability is provided. We also summarize recent advances in the synthetic methods used to produce nanostructured active absorber layers of OPVs with improved efficiencies to supply the energy required towards ending poverty and protecting the planet.
Content Analysis of Mobile Device Applications for Artistic Creation for Children between 4 and 12 Years of Age
Authors: Domínguez-Lloria Sara , Martínez López de Castro Rut , Fernández-Aguayo Sara , Pino-Juste Margarita
Published: November 2021

This article presents the results of the content analysis of 32 painting and drawing mobile applications aimed at children between 4 and 12 years old. The characteristics of the artistic dimension were studied, such as the possibilities of drawing, color, and experimentation, as well as the characteristics of the technical dimension related to the visual design of the interface, usability, and adaptability to users. The results collected show that mobile apps offer tools that have great potential for artistic and creative development, but also reveal certain limitations and problems in the quality of the graphic tools and interface design. One of the central problems of the interfaces of these apps is related to decontextualization and the lack of attention to the diversity and the heterogeneity of users in that age group.
Location Analysis for Arabic COVID-19 Twitter Data Using Enhanced Dialect Identification Models
Authors: Essam Nader , Moussa Abdullah M. , Elsayed Khaled M. , Abdou Sherif , Rashwan Mohsen , Khatoon Shaheen , Hasan Md. Maruf , Asif Amna , Alshamari Majed A.
Published: November 2021

The recent surge of social media networks has provided a channel to gather and publish vital medical and health information. The focal role of these networks has become more prominent in periods of crisis, such as the recent pandemic of COVID-19. These social networks have been the leading platform for broadcasting health news updates, precaution instructions, and governmental procedures. They also provide an effective means for gathering public opinion and tracking breaking events and stories. To achieve location-based analysis for social media input, the location information of the users must be captured. Most of the time, this information is either missing or hidden. For some languages, such as Arabic, the users’ location can be predicted from their dialects. The Arabic language has many local dialects for most Arab countries. Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques have provided several approaches for dialect identification. The recent advanced language models using contextual-based word representations in the continuous domain, such as BERT models, have provided significant improvement for many NLP applications. In this work, we present our efforts to use BERT-based models to improve the dialect identification of Arabic text. We show the results of the developed models to recognize the source of the Arabic country, or the Arabic region, from Twitter data. Our results show 3.4% absolute enhancement in dialect identification accuracy on the regional level over the state-of-the-art result. When we excluded the Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) set, which is formal Arabic language, we achieved 3% absolute gain in accuracy between the three major Arabic dialects over the state-of-the-art level. Finally, we applied the developed models on a recently collected resource for COVID-19 Arabic tweets to recognize the source country from the users’ tweets. We achieved a weighted average accuracy of 97.36%, which proposes a tool to be used by policymakers to support country-level disaster-related activities.
Synthesis and Characterization of Some Graphene Oxide Powders Used as Additives in Hydraulic Mortars
Authors: Prodan Doina , Moldovan Marioara , Furtos Gabriel , Saroși Codruța , Filip Miuța , Perhaița Ioana , Carpa Rahela , Popa Maria , Cuc Stanca , Varvara Simona , Popa Dorin
Published: November 2021

Various powders of graphene oxide (GO), GO with silver (GO-Ag) and zinc oxide (GO-ZnO) were obtained. The powders were silanized with (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES) aiming to be used, in a future stage, as additives in the hydraulic lime mortars composition. The powders were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) before and after the silanization process. GO, GO-Ag, GO-Ag-APTES, GO-ZnO and GO-ZnO-APTES powders were also investigated by Thermogravimetric Analysis (TG/DTA) and Ultraviolet–Visible Spectroscopy (UV-Vis). Likewise, the antibacterial effect of powders against five bacterial strains was evaluated. The peaks associated to the functional groups from GO, GO-APTES, GO-Ag, GO-Ag-APTES, GO-ZnO and GO-ZnO-APTES powders were identified by FTIR analysis. The mass losses of powders, analyzed by TG/DTA were lower than those recorded for GO. By UV-VIS analysis, maxima corresponding to the electronic π-π * and n-π * transitions were recorded. SEM images highlighted the lamellar and layered structure of GO, but also the presence of Ag and Zn nanoparticles on the surface of graphene sheets. All these results confirm the presence of Ag/ZnO/APTES on the GO. The antibacterial effect evaluated by recording the diameter of the inhibition zone ranged between 12–22 mm.
ANN Modeling to Analyze the R404A Replacement with the Low GWP Alternative R449A in an Indirect Supermarket Refrigeration System
Authors: Ghanbarpour Morteza , Mota-Babiloni Adrián , Makhnatch Pavel , Badran Bassam E. , Rogstam Jörgen , Khodabandeh Rahmatollah
Published: November 2021

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) have been considered for assessing the potential of low GWP refrigerants in experimental setups. In this study, the capability of using R449A as a lower GWP replacement of R404A in different temperature levels of a supermarket refrigeration system is investigated through an ANN model trained using field measurements as input. The supermarket refrigeration was composed of two indirect expansion circuits operated at low and medium temperatures and external subcooling. The results predicted that R449A provides, on average, a higher 10% and 5% COP than R404A at low and medium temperatures, respectively. Moreover, the cooling capacity was almost similar with both refrigerants in both circuits. This study also revealed that the ANN model could be employed to accurately predict the energy performance of a commercial refrigeration system and provide a reasonable judgment about the capability of the alternative refrigerant to be retrofitted in the system. This is very important, especially when the measurement data comes from field measurements, in which values are obtained under variable operating conditions. Finally, the ANN results were used to compare the carbon footprint for both refrigerants. It was confirmed that this refrigerant replacement could reduce the emissions of supermarket refrigeration systems.
A Novel Multi-Input Multi-Output Recurrent Neural Network Based on Multimodal Fusion and Spatiotemporal Prediction for 0–4 Hour Precipitation Nowcasting
Authors: Zhang Fuhan , Wang Xiaodong , Guan Jiping
Published: November 2021

Multi-source meteorological data can reflect the development process of single meteorological elements from different angles. Making full use of multi-source meteorological data is an effective method to improve the performance of weather nowcasting. For precipitation nowcasting, this paper proposes a novel multi-input multi-output recurrent neural network model based on multimodal fusion and spatiotemporal prediction, named MFSP-Net. It uses precipitation grid data, radar echo data, and reanalysis data as input data and simultaneously realizes 0–4 h precipitation amount nowcasting and precipitation intensity nowcasting. MFSP-Net can perform the spatiotemporal-scale fusion of the three sources of input data while retaining the spatiotemporal information flow of them. The multi-task learning strategy is used to train the network. We conduct experiments on the dataset of Southeast China, and the results show that MFSP-Net comprehensively improves the performance of the nowcasting of precipitation amounts. For precipitation intensity nowcasting, MFSP-Net has obvious advantages in heavy precipitation nowcasting and the middle and late stages of nowcasting.
Gambling Strategies and Prize-Pricing Recommendation in Sports Multi-Bets
Authors: Pirvandy Oz , Fridman Moti , Yaari Gur
Published: November 2021

A sports multi-bet is a bet on the results of a set of N games. One type of multi-bet offered by the Israeli government is WINNER 16, where participants guess the results of a set of 16 soccer games. The prizes in WINNER 16 are determined by the accumulated profit in previous rounds, and are split among all winning forms. When the reward increases beyond a certain threshold, a profitable strategy can be devised. Here, we present a machine-learning algorithm scheme to play WINNER 16. Our proposed algorithm is marginally profitable on average in a range of hyper-parameters, indicating inefficiencies in this game. To make a better prize-pricing mechanism we suggest a generalization of the single-bet approach. We studied the expected profit and risk of WINNER 16 after applying our suggestion. Our proposal can make the game more fair and more appealing without reducing the profitability.
Understanding Nutrition and Metabolism of Threatened, Data-Poor Rheophilic Fishes in Context of Riverine Stocking Success- Barbel as a Model for Major European Drainages?
Authors: Roy Koushik , Podhorec Peter , Dvorak Petr , Mraz Jan
Published: November 2021

Large-bodied, river-migrating, rheophilic fishes (cyprinids) such as barbel Barbus barbus, nase Chondrostoma nasus, asp Leuciscus aspius, and vimba bream Vimba vimba are threatened in major European drainages. This represents the subject of our present study. Their hatchery nutrition prior to river-release is mostly on a hit-and-trial or carp-based diet basis. The study demonstrates an alternative approach to decide optimum nutrition for these conservation-priority and nutritionally data-poor fishes. The study revealed barbel as a central representative species in terms of wild body composition among other native rheophilic cyprinids considered (asp, nase, vimba bream). Taking barbel as a model, the study shows that barbel or rheophilic cyprinids may have carnivorous-like metabolism and higher requirements of S-containing, aromatic, branched-chain amino acids (AAs) than carps. Besides, there are important interactions of AAs and fatty acids (FAs) biosynthesis to consider. Only proper feeding of nutritionally well-selected diets may contribute to river stocking mandates such as steepest growth trajectory (≈less time in captivity), ideal size-at-release, body fitness (≈blend-in with wild conspecifics, predator refuge), better gastrointestinal condition, maximized body reserves of functional nutrients, and retention efficiencies (≈uncompromised physiology). Considering important physiological functions and how AA–FA interactions shape them, hatchery-raised fishes on casually chosen diets may have high chances of physiological, morphological, and behavioral deficits (≈low post-stocking survivability). Based on the observations, optimum nutrient requirements of juvenile (0+ to 1+ age) barbels are suggested. Future efforts may consider barbels as a nutrition model for conservation aquaculture of threatened and data poor rheophilic cyprinids of the region.
The Functions of β-Defensin in Flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus): Antibiosis, Chemotaxis and Modulation of Phagocytosis
Authors: Hao Xiaokai , Chi Heng , Tang Xiaoqian , Xing Jing , Sheng Xiuzhen , Zhan Wenbin
Published: November 2021

Most defensins are cationic antimicrobial peptides with broad-spectrum killing activity against bacteria, fungi and enveloped viruses. However, it should be recognized that there are some non-cationic β-defensins in organisms, which need to be further studied. In this study, a new spliced isoform of anionic β-defensin from flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus, fBD) was identified, and its antibiosis, chemotaxis and modulation of phagocytosis were examined. In addition, the contributions of fBD to the antimicrobial activity of extracellular traps (ETs) were also analyzed. The recombinant fBD (rfBD) could effectively inhibit the growth of Gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus, Micrococcus luteus) and Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli, V. alginolyticus, V. anguillarum). An indirect immunofluorescence assay showed that the fBD was co-localized in the extracellular traps released by the leukocytes. When the ETs were blocked with antibodies against rfBD, the proliferation of S. aureus and E. coli incubated with ETs tended to increase compared with that in the control group. In addition, the results obtained by flow cytometry showed that the rfBD could significantly chemoattract leukocytes and increase phagocytic activity in vitro. In conclusion, this study provides new insights into the biological function of anionic defensins, which can serve as one of the important effectors in extracellular traps and as a bridge between innate and adaptive immunity in teleosts.
A Novel WT1 Mutation Identified in a 46,XX Testicular/Ovotesticular DSD Patient Results in the Retention of Intron 9
Authors: Sirokha Dmytro , Gorodna Olexandra , Vitrenko Yakov , Zelinska Nataliya , Ploski Rafal , Nef Serge , Jaruzelska Jadwiga , Kusz-Zamelczyk Kamila , Livshits Ludmila
Published: November 2021

The 46,XX testicular DSD (disorder/difference of sexual development) and 46,XX ovotesticular DSD (46,XX TDSD and 46,XX OTDSD) phenotypes are caused by genetic rearrangements or point mutations resulting in imbalance between components of the two antagonistic, pro-testicular and pro-ovarian pathways; however, the genetic causes of 46,XX TDSD/OTDSD are not fully understood, and molecular diagnosis for many patients with the conditions is unavailable. Only recently few mutations in the WT1 (WT1 transcription factor; 11p13) gene were described in a group of 46,XX TDSD and 46,XX OTDSD individuals. The WT1 protein contains a DNA/RNA binding domain consisting of four zinc fingers (ZnF) and a three-amino acid (KTS) motif that is present or absent, as a result of alternative splicing, between ZnF3 and ZnF4 (±KTS isoforms). Here, we present a patient with 46,XX TDSD/OTDSD in whom whole exome sequencing revealed a heterozygous de novo WT1 c.1437A>G mutation within an alternative donor splice site which is used for −KTS WT1 isoform formation. So far, no mutation in this splice site has been identified in any patient group. We demonstrated that the mutation results in the retention of intron 9 in the mature mRNA of the 46,XX TDSD/OTDSD patient. In cases when the erroneous mRNA is translated, exclusively the expression of a truncated WT1 +KTS protein lacking ZnF4 and no −KTS protein occurs from the mutated allele of the patient. We discuss potential mechanisms and pathways which can be disturbed upon two conditions: Absence of Zn4F and altered +KTS/−KTS ratio.
Identification, Synthesis, Conformation and Activity of an Insulin-like Peptide from a Sea Anemone
Authors: Mitchell Michela L. , Hossain Mohammed Akhter , Lin Feng , Pinheiro-Junior Ernesto L. , Peigneur Steve , Wai Dorothy C. C. , Delaine Carlie , Blyth Andrew J. , Forbes Briony E. , Tytgat Jan , Wade John D. , Norton Raymond S.
Published: November 2021

The role of insulin and insulin-like peptides (ILPs) in vertebrate animals is well studied. Numerous ILPs are also found in invertebrates, although there is uncertainty as to the function and role of many of these peptides. We have identified transcripts with similarity to the insulin family in the tentacle transcriptomes of the sea anemone Oulactis sp. (Actiniaria: Actiniidae). The translated transcripts showed that these insulin-like peptides have highly conserved A- and B-chains among individuals of this species, as well as other Anthozoa. An Oulactis sp. ILP sequence (IlO1_i1) was synthesized using Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis of the individual chains, followed by regioselective disulfide bond formation of the intra-A and two interchain disulfide bonds. Bioactivity studies of IlO1_i1 were conducted on human insulin and insulin-like growth factor receptors, and on voltage-gated potassium, sodium, and calcium channels. IlO1_i1 did not bind to the insulin or insulin-like growth factor receptors, but showed weak activity against KV1.2, 1.3, 3.1, and 11.1 (hERG) channels, as well as NaV1.4 channels. Further functional studies are required to determine the role of this peptide in the sea anemone.
xDEEP-MSI: Explainable Bias-Rejecting Microsatellite Instability Deep Learning System in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Bustos Aurelia , Payá Artemio , Torrubia Andrés , Jover Rodrigo , Llor Xavier , Bessa Xavier , Castells Antoni , Carracedo Ángel , Alenda Cristina
Published: November 2021

The prediction of microsatellite instability (MSI) using deep learning (DL) techniques could have significant benefits, including reducing cost and increasing MSI testing of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Nonetheless, batch effects or systematic biases are not well characterized in digital histology models and lead to overoptimistic estimates of model performance. Methods to not only palliate but to directly abrogate biases are needed. We present a multiple bias rejecting DL system based on adversarial networks for the prediction of MSI in CRC from tissue microarrays (TMAs), trained and validated in 1788 patients from EPICOLON and HGUA. The system consists of an end-to-end image preprocessing module that tile samples at multiple magnifications and a tissue classification module linked to the bias-rejecting MSI predictor. We detected three biases associated with the learned representations of a baseline model: the project of origin of samples, the patient’s spot and the TMA glass where each spot was placed. The system was trained to directly avoid learning the batch effects of those variables. The learned features from the bias-ablated model achieved maximum discriminative power with respect to the task and minimal statistical mean dependence with the biases. The impact of different magnifications, types of tissues and the model performance at tile vs patient level is analyzed. The AUC at tile level, and including all three selected tissues (tumor epithelium, mucin and lymphocytic regions) and 4 magnifications, was 0.87 ± 0.03 and increased to 0.9 ± 0.03 at patient level. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that incorporates a multiple bias ablation technique at the DL architecture in digital pathology, and the first using TMAs for the MSI prediction task.
Smoking as a Common Modulator of Sensory Gating and Reward Learning in Individuals with Psychotic Disorders
Authors: Whitton Alexis E. , Lewandowski Kathryn E. , Hall Mei-Hua
Published: November 2021

Motivational and perceptual disturbances co-occur in psychosis and have been linked to aberrations in reward learning and sensory gating, respectively. Although traditionally studied independently, when viewed through a predictive coding framework, these processes can both be linked to dysfunction in striatal dopaminergic prediction error signaling. This study examined whether reward learning and sensory gating are correlated in individuals with psychotic disorders, and whether nicotine—a psychostimulant that amplifies phasic striatal dopamine firing—is a common modulator of these two processes. We recruited 183 patients with psychotic disorders (79 schizophrenia, 104 psychotic bipolar disorder) and 129 controls and assessed reward learning (behavioral probabilistic reward task), sensory gating (P50 event-related potential), and smoking history. Reward learning and sensory gating were correlated across the sample. Smoking influenced reward learning and sensory gating in both patient groups; however, the effects were in opposite directions. Specifically, smoking was associated with improved performance in individuals with schizophrenia but impaired performance in individuals with psychotic bipolar disorder. These findings suggest that reward learning and sensory gating are linked and modulated by smoking. However, disorder-specific associations with smoking suggest that nicotine may expose pathophysiological differences in the architecture and function of prediction error circuitry in these overlapping yet distinct psychotic disorders.
Neuropsychological Profile in Pediatric Migraine without Aura: A Pilot Study
Authors: Esposito Maria , Antinolfi Lorenzo , Carotenuto Marco
Published: November 2021

Despite the high prevalence of headache in developmental age, current reports about its neuropsychological effects are still lacking. The aim of the present pilot study is to assess the neuropsychological skills among children affected by migraine without aura (MwoA). Fifteen children (7M/8F) (mean age 10.73 ± 2.13) with MwoA, consecutively referred to the Center for Childhood Headache at Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, underwent the Italian version of the NEPSY-2 after cognitive evaluation. Moreover, to assess the pain level and disability grade during daily activity, the VAS and PedMIDAS scales were used. MwoA children were comparable with the control group of 38 children with respect to age, gender, language, and education level. Written informed consent was obtained from all parents and from children directly, when appropriate. MwoA children differed from controls significantly among the NEPSY-2 subscales, with a relevant relationship between the frequency and intensity of the attacks. In conclusion, the results of the present pilot study may suggest that MwoA could impact significantly neuropsychological functioning in children.
Targeted Therapy in HR+ HER2− Metastatic Breast Cancer: Current Clinical Trials and Their Implications for CDK4/6 Inhibitor Therapy and beyond Treatment Options
Authors: Elfgen Constanze , Bjelic-Radisic Vesna
Published: November 2021

A metastatic state of breast cancer (MBC) affects hundreds of thousands of women worldwide. In hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2−) MBC, cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)4/6 inhibitors can improve the progression-free survival (PFS), as well as the overall survival (OS), in selected patients and have been established as first- and second-line therapies. However, as MBC remains uncurable, resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors occurs and requires alternative treatment approaches. Data on targeted therapy continue to mature, and the number of publications has been constantly rising. This review provides a summary and update on the clinical relevance, patient selection, ongoing trials of CDK4/6 inhibitors, and further targeted therapy options. It focuses on clinical aspects and practicability, as well as adverse events and patient-reported outcomes.