bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
X-ray Irradiation-Induced Abnormal Development and DNA Damage in Phthorimaea operculella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)
Authors: Cho Sun-Ran , Kim Minjun , Shin Eungyeong , Kim Hyun Kyung , Koo Hyun-Na , Kim Gil-Hah
Published: May 2021

The potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller), is a destructive pest of Solanaceous crops. This study investigated the effects of X-ray irradiation on development, DNA damage and recovery in P. operculella. Eggs, larvae (*3rd and 5th), pupae, and adults were irradiated with various doses of X-ray irradiation. Egg hatching was inhibited at 70 Gy, and the pupation and adult emergence of 3rd-instar larvae were inhibited at 150 Gy and 70 Gy, respectively. Some 5th-instar larvae pupated at 150 Gy but failed to emerge as adults at 150 Gy. The adult emergence of pupae that spawned at 150 Gy, but egg hatching of F1 generation was completely inhibited. In addition, the adult emergence of irradiated-pupae was completely inhibited at 200 Gy. Adults spawned at 150 Gy, but the hatching of the F1 generation was completely suppressed. The levels of DNA damage and repair in P. operculella adults were investigated using the alkaline comet assay. The results indicated that X-ray irradiation increased DNA damage in a dose-dependent manner and showed that DNA damage was repaired in a time-dependent manner. However, damage from a high radiation doses was not completely repaired. This result suggests that at least 150 Gy radiation should be used for the control P. operculella.
Theoretical Modelling of Ion Exchange Processes in Glass: Advances and Challenges
Authors: Prieto-Blanco Xesús , Montero-Orille Carlos
Published: May 2021

In the last few years, some advances have been made in the theoretical modelling of ion exchange processes in glass. On the one hand, the equations that describe the evolution of the cation concentration were rewritten in a more rigorous manner. This was made into two theoretical frameworks. In the first one, the self-diffusion coefficients were assumed to be constant, whereas, in the second one, a more realistic cation behaviour was considered by taking into account the so-called mixed ion effect. Along with these equations, the boundary conditions for the usual ion exchange processes from molten salts, silver and copper films and metallic cathodes were accordingly established. On the other hand, the modelling of some ion exchange processes that have attracted a great deal of attention in recent years, including glass poling, electro-diffusion of multivalent metals and the formation/dissolution of silver nanoparticles, has been addressed. In such processes, the usual approximations that are made in ion exchange modelling are not always valid. An overview of the progress made and the remaining challenges in the modelling of these unique processes is provided at the end of this review.
Peri-Implantitis Management: Surgical versus Non-Surgical Approach Using Photodynamic Therapy Combined with Hydrogen Peroxide (OHLLT—Oxygen High Level Laser Therapy): A Retrospective Controlled Study
Authors: Caccianiga Gianluigi , Rey Gérard , Caccianiga Paolo , Leonida Alessandro , Baldoni Marco , Baldoni Alessandro , Ceraulo Saverio
Published: May 2021

Peri-implantitis management could be performed either with a surgical or non-surgical approach to the implant surfaces. Various treatment options have been proposed in the literature, such as antiseptic and antibiotic therapies, chemical agents, curettes, ultrasonic, air abrasive, rotary titanium brushes and laser treatments; in particular, photodynamic therapy combined with hydrogen peroxide (OHLLT) has proved to be efficient in the removal of bacterial biofilm from implant surfaces. The aim of our study is to compare OHLLT performed with a surgical approach to a non-surgical approach. We selected a cluster of 227 implants affected by peri-implantitis: 139 implants were treated with a non-surgical approach and 88 implants with a surgical approach. Bone loss pre-operative and post-operative (with a follow-up of five years) have been registered. The collected data were entered on the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 11.5. The results indicate a statistically significant difference between the two groups, with a mean bone loss after treatment of 2.3 mm for OHLLT with a surgical approach and 3.8 mm for OHLLT with a non-surgical approach; according to the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, the overall data followed a normal distribution (value of the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test statistic = 0.0891; p = 0.35794). Thus, a surgical approach in the case of peri-implantitis seems to be more effective, probably due to the possibility of a deeper sanitization of implant surfaces, hardly reachable with only non-surgical approach.
SCCDNet: A Pixel-Level Crack Segmentation Network
Authors: Li Haotian , Yue Zhuang , Liu Jingyu , Wang Yi , Cai Huaiyu , Cui Kerang , Chen Xiaodong
Published: May 2021

Cracks are one of the most serious defects that threaten the safety of bridges. In order to detect different forms of cracks in different collection environments quickly and accurately, we proposed a pixel-level crack segmentation network based on convolutional neural networks, which is called the Skip Connected Crack Detection Network (SCCDNet). The network is composed of three parts: the Encoder module with 13 convolutional layers pretrained in the VGG-16 network, the Decoder module with a densely connected structure, and the Skip-Squeeze-and-Excitation (SSE) module which connects the feature map shaving the same resolution in the Encoder and Decoder. We used depthwise separable convolution to improve the accuracy of crack segmentation while reducing the complexity of the model. In this paper, a dataset containing cracks collected in different scenes was established, and SCCDNet was trained and tested on this dataset. Compared with the advanced models, SCCDNet obtained the best crack segmentation performance, while F-score reached 0.7763.
A Scheduling Algorithm for Multi-Workshop Production Based on BOM and Process Route
Authors: Qiao Lihong , Zhang Zhenwei , Huang Zhicheng
Published: May 2021

For the scheduling problem of complex products in multi-workshop production, this paper studied the BOM (Bill of Materials) structure of complex products and the characteristics of the process route and developed the construction method of a multi-level process network diagram. Based on this, a comprehensive mathematical model for scheduling on multi-workshop production was proposed. An improved particle swarm algorithm (PSO) was proposed to solve the problem. By constructing the network subgraph, the invalid search path of the algorithm was avoided, and the efficiency of the algorithm was improved. In addition, for the scheduling problem with product time constraints, this paper presented a path search rescheduling strategy to ensure that the algorithm could obtain an effective search path. Finally, the model and algorithm were verified through a case study. This paper optimized the parameters of the algorithm by different tests and obtained the optimal range of the parameters. At the same time, through the analysis of the scheduling of complex products in a multi-workshop environment, the effectiveness and practicability of the above methods were verified.
Online Textual Symptomatic Assessment Chatbot Based on Q&A Weighted Scoring for Female Breast Cancer Prescreening
Authors: Chen Jen-Hui , Agbodike Obinna , Kuo Wen-Ling , Wang Lei , Huang Chiao-Hua , Shen Yu-Shian , Chen Bing-Hong
Published: May 2021

The increasing number of female breast cancer (FBC) incidences in the East predominated by Chinese language speakers has generated concerns over women’s medicare. To minimize the mortality rate associated with FBC in the region, governments and health experts are jointly encouraging women to undergo mammography screening at the earliest suspicion of FBC symptoms. However, studies show that a huge number of women affected by FBC tend to delay medical consultation at its early stage as a result of factors such as complacency due to unawareness of FBC symptoms, procrastination due to lifestyle, and the feeling of embarrassment in discussing private matters especially with medical personnel of the opposite gender. To address these issues, we propose a symptomatic assessment chatbot (SAC) based on artificial intelligence (AI) designed to prescreen women for FBC symptoms via a textual question-and-answer (Q&A) approach. The purpose of our chatbot is to assist women in engaging in communication regarding FBC symptoms, so as to subsequently initiate formal medical consultations for early FBC diagnosis and treatment. We implemented the SAC systematically with some of the latest natural language processing (NLP) techniques suitable for Chinese word segmentation (CWS) and trained the model with real-world FBC Q&A data obtained from a major hospital in Taiwan. The results from our experiments showed that the SAC achieved very high accuracy in FBC assessment scoring in comparison to FBC patients’ screening benchmark scores obtained from doctors.
Retrospecting the Antioxidant Activity of Japanese Matcha Green Tea–Lack of Enthusiasm?
Authors: Sivanesan Iyyakkannu , Gopal Judy , Muthu Manikandan , Chun Sechul , Oh Jae-Wook
Published: May 2021

Matcha tea is a traditional Japanese tea that is said to possess ten times higher bioactive components and polyphenols than that of conventional green teas. Matcha is remotely popular among the global community and meagerly researched and infamous among the scientific population. It is the powdered form of green tea leaves that are directly suspended in hot water and drunk without filtration. Matcha is said to be one of the richest antioxidant sources naturally available. This review summarizes the available research publications related to matcha and compares the research accomplishments of green tea and matcha researchers. The fact that green tea is backed up by 35,000 publications while matcha has merely 54 publications to its credit is highlighted in this review for the first time. The future of matcha for tapping its enormous antioxidant activity and health potentials remains connected to the volume of scientific awareness and enhanced research attention in this area. If green tea has so much to offer towards human health and welfare, there is certainly room for more benefits from matcha, which is yet to be disclosed. As public awareness cannot be won without scientific approval, this review seeks that this gap may be bridged using essential knowledge gained from matcha applications and allied research.
A Method of Ore Blending Based on the Quality of Beneficiation and Its Application in a Concentrator
Authors: Liu Bingyu , Zhang Dingsen , Gao Xianwen
Published: May 2021

Ore blending is an essential part of daily work in the concentrator. Qualified ore dressing products can make the ore dressing more smoothly. The existing ore blending modeling usually only considers the quality of ore blending products and ignores the effect of ore blending on ore dressing. This research proposes an ore blending modeling method based on the quality of the beneficiation concentrate. The relationship between the properties of ore blending products and the total concentrate recovery is fitted by the ABC-BP neural network algorithm, taken as the optimization goal to guarantee the quality of ore dressing products at the source. The ore blending system was developed and operated stably on the production site. The industrial test and actual production results have proved the effectiveness and reliability of this method.
Comparison of Testing Method Effects on Cracking Resistance of Asphalt Concrete Mixtures
Authors: Yang Dayong , Karimi Hamid Reza , Aliha Mohammad Reza Mohammad
Published: May 2021

As an inherent characteristic of materials, the fracture toughness is an important parameter to study the cracking behavior of asphalt concrete mixtures. Although material compositions and environmental conditions have a significant effect on the fracture toughness, for a certain material and testing environment, the test condition including the specimen configuration and loading type may also affect the obtained fracture toughness. In this paper, the effect of specimen configuration and applied loading type on the measured pure mode-I fracture toughness (KIc) is investigated. In order to achieve this purpose, using a typical asphalt mixture, four different test specimens including Semi-Circular Bend (SCB), Edge Notch Disc Bend (ENDB), Single Edge Notch Beam (SENB) and Edge Notch Diametral Compression (ENDC) disc are tested under pure mode I. The mentioned specimens have different shapes (i.e., full disc, semi-disc and rectangular beam) and are loaded either with symmetric three-point bending or diametral compressive force. The tests were performed at two low temperatures (−5 °C and −25 °C) and it was observed that the critical mode-I fracture toughness (KIc) was changed slightly (up to 10%) by changing the shape of the test specimen (i.e., disc and beam). This reveals that the fracture toughness is not significantly dependent on the shape of the test specimen. However, the type of applied loading has a significant influence on the determined mode I fracture toughness such that the fracture toughness determined by the disc shape specimen loaded by diametral compression (i.e., ENDC) is about 25% less than the KIc value with the same geometry but loaded with the three-point bending (i.e., ENDB) specimen. In addition, the fracture toughness values of all tested samples were increased linearly by decreasing the test temperature such that the fracture toughness ratio (KIc (@−25 °C)/KIc (@−5 °C)) was nearly constant for the ENDB, ENDC, SCB and SENB samples.
Dynamic Performance of Soil–Tunnel System under Transverse Sinusoidal Excitations
Authors: Zhang Shaohua , Yuan Yong , Yang Yusheng , Li Chong , Mang Herbert A.
Published: May 2021

Input of sinusoidal excitation with specified frequency is an optimal way to capture the mechanism of soil-tunnel interaction. Focusing on the relationship between the frequency of input sinusoidal motions and the dynamic response of a system, this study carried out a series of shaking table tests on both a free-field model and soil–tunnel model in the background of the tunnel in soft ground. To detect the detailed deformation of segmental linings, a refined lining ring of the model tunnel was developed, and the stiffness ratio between the soil and tunnel was verified. Seven sinusoidal excitations were designated to cover the fundamental frequency of the model ground, with the input of transverse direction. Effects of frequency of sinusoidal excitations on soil-tunnel interaction can be evaluated by the detailed responses of segmental linings, such as cross-sectional deformations, extension/closure of longitudinal joints, dynamic normal earth pressures, and dynamic strains of segments. Results shows that the differences of the acceleration responses, on the respects of waveform, phase, and peak, between the upper soil layer and the lower soil layer are obviously increasing with the input frequency increasing. The presence of the tunnel induces a relatively high effect on acceleration responses of the ground within excitation frequency varying from 9 to 17 Hz. The maximum responses of the tunnel are highly influenced by both the fundamental frequency of the model ground and lower frequency of excitations.
Business Intelligence in Airline Passenger Satisfaction Study—A Fuzzy-Genetic Approach with Optimized Interpretability-Accuracy Trade-Off
Authors: Gorzałczany Marian B. , Rudziński Filip , Piekoszewski Jakub
Published: May 2021

The main objective and contribution of this paper is the application of our knowledge-discovery business-intelligence technique (fuzzy rule-based classification systems) characterized by genetically optimized interpretability-accuracy trade-off (using multi-objective evolutionary optimization algorithms) to decision support related to airline passenger satisfaction problems. Recently published and accessible at Kaggle’s repository airline passengers satisfaction data set containing 259,760 records is used in our experiments. A comparison of our approach with an alternative method (using SAS-system’s accuracy-oriented prediction tools to determine the attribute importance hierarchy) is also performed showing the advantages of our method in terms of: (i) discovering the actual hierarchy of attribute significance for passenger satisfaction and (ii) knowledge-discovery system’s interpretability-accuracy trade-off optimization. The main results and findings of our work include: (i) an introduction of the modern fuzzy-genetic business-intelligence solution characterized both by high interpretability and high accuracy to the airline passenger satisfaction decision support, (ii) an analysis of the effect of possible "overlapping" of some input attributes over the other ones in order to discover the real hierarchy of influence of particular input attributes upon the airline passengers satisfaction, and (iii) an extended cross-validation experiment confirming high effectiveness of our approach for different learning-test splits of the data set considered.
A Novel Exact Analytical Solution Based on Kloss Equation towards Accurate Speed-Time Characteristics Modeling of Induction Machines during No-Load Direct Startups
Authors: Ćalasan Martin , Alqarni Mohammed , Rosić Marko , Koljčević Nikola , Alamri Basem , Abdel Aleem Shady H. E.
Published: May 2021

The acceleration time of induction machines (IMs) is essential for proper protection-relay settings of the machine to prevent voltage sags in local power areas. In this paper, mathematical modeling of IMs’ speed-time characteristics during no-load direct startup has been presented. Unlike the approaches presented in the literature, the proposed approach includes the bearing losses, in which two expressions of the speed-time characteristics of IMs during no-load direct startup are derived. The first expression was derived based on the Kloss equation used for representing the torque, and the second expression was derived based on the torque expression determined from the Thevenin equivalent circuit of the machine. The derived expressions’ accuracy was validated using laboratory measurement and computer simulation approaches. The results obtained show a good agreement between the measured and simulated speed-time characteristics of two IMs. Finally, the proposed formulations can provide a simple analytical base to enable accurate IM modeling.
Application of Visible/Near Infrared Spectrometers to Quickly Detect the Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium Content of Chemical Fertilizers
Authors: Shen Jiangang , Qiao Weiming , Chen Huizhe , Zhou Jun , Liu Fei
Published: May 2021

The rapid determination of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other major nutrient elements is an important technical guarantee in the quality control of chemical fertilizers. In this study, a small visible spectrometer and a small near-infrared spectrometer were used to collect spectrum information of 33 different common chemical fertilizers including compound fertilizers, blended fertilizers and controlled-release fertilizers. The 550~950 nm and 1050~1640 nm spectra with stable signals were intercepted as the analysis spectrum, and the competitive adaptive reweighted sampling algorithm (CARS) was used to select 161, 229, and 161 spectral characteristic wavelengths for the three nutrient contents of N, P2O5, and K2O respectively. The partial least squares (PLS) and extreme learning machine (ELM) models of N, P2O5, and K2O were established based on the 550~950 nm waveband, 1050~1640 nm waveband, full spectrum, and characteristic wavelength, respectively. The coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), and residual predictive deviation (RPD) were used to evaluate the effect of the model. With the optimal prediction models, the values of Rp2 for N, P2O5, and K2O were 0.989, 0.963, 0.981, and for RPD were 9.71, 5.09, 7.29, respectively. The research results show that Vis/NIR spectroscopy can predict the content of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium nutrients in fertilizers, and the near-infrared band from 1050 nm to 1640 nm has a better prediction effect. The characteristic wavelength selection reduces the spectral variables by 9/10, and the performance of the model based on the characteristic wavelength is close to that of the full-spectrum model.
A Year-Round Measurement of Water-Soluble Trace and Rare Earth Elements in Arctic Aerosol: Possible Inorganic Tracers of Specific Events
Authors: Turetta Clara , Feltracco Matteo , Barbaro Elena , Spolaor Andrea , Barbante Carlo , Gambaro Andrea
Published: May 2021

This study presents the year-round variability of the water-soluble fraction of trace elements (wsTE) and rare earth elements (wsREE) among size segregated airborne particulate matter samples collected at Ny-Ålesund in the Svalbard Archipelago from 26 February 2018 to 26 February 2019. Six different aerosol dimensional fractions were collected using a multi-stage Andersen impactor to better understand local and global circulation with the aim of disentangling the source of inorganic tracers from specific natural or anthropogenic sources. The wsTE and wsREE content, especially in the finest fractions in remote areas, is primarily related to long-range transport and it gives valuable information on (1) the global circulation, (2) the natural sources and (3) the contribution of human activities to aerosol composition. A Factor Analysis was applied to the dataset, including levoglucosan and methanesulfonic acid (MSA), to assess the possibility of using certain inorganic tracers as indicators of specific transport events or circulation regimes. We also investigate back-trajectories to determine potential source areas.
Models of Air Pollution Propagation in the Selected Region of Katowice
Authors: Foszcz Dariusz , Niedoba Tomasz , Siewior Jarosław
Published: May 2021

The paper deals with issues related to analyzing the spread of air pollution and pollutants in large urban agglomerations, specifically, the search for causality between meteorological conditions and the concentrations of particular substances. The pollutants SO2 and PM10 were selected for analysis, which, in addition to NOx, CO, CO2 and PM2.5, contribute to smog, especially during the heating seasons. This analysis is particularly important because Polish environmental standards are more lenient than those in western EU states. Industrial activity, transport and heating systems based on coal-burning are still a big problem in Poland, and each year their gaseous and particulate emissions exceed air-quality limits. This paper presents a statistical analysis of data recorded at the air-quality monitoring station on Kossuth Street in Katowice concerning the heating seasons from 2013–2016. The verification of proposed parabolic models containing concentrations from previous time periods and statistically significant meteorological conditions was conducted for individual heating seasons as well for the whole set of data, which included the influence of wind speed and temperature. The models obtained proved that the selected form of a model is statistically significant, and its use may produce satisfactory forecast results and permit various environmental applications. The specified model might be used both for forecasting (verification and possibly updating coefficients to increase forecast accuracy) and analyzing the factors influencing pollution values. Such statistical analysis may be helpful in assessing the impact of measures adopted to reduce air pollution, particularly in large Polish cities.
Dust Capturing Capacity of Woody Plants in Clean Air Zones throughout Taiwan
Authors: Wang Yi-Chung , Chen Bixia
Published: May 2021

To exploit the ability of vegetation to capture particulate matter (dust) from the air and improve air quality, 546 clean air zones (CAZs) consisting of various types of urban green space have been established in Taiwan. This study systematically assessed the pollutant filtering efficiency of tree species planted in these green spaces. This research aims to provide quantitative data on individual trees’ dust retention functions for future green space planning in urban areas. Field surveys were conducted in 98 CAZs throughout Taiwan. The vegetation composition of approximately 14,000 woody trees, consisting of 210 species, was surveyed. The vegetation surveyed showed that the dominant species in many CAZs in southern Taiwan were introduced species. The dust capturing capacity of the tree species was found to be positively correlated with leaf size. However, the amount of dust retention was affected mainly by the surface structure and morphological characteristics of the leaves, such as a rough, hairy surface. Among the tree species, Spathodea campanulata, Pterocarpus indicus, and Delonix regia exhibited the best dust capture and retention capacity in southern Taiwan, and Ficus macrocarpa, Alstonia scholaris, and Melia azedarach were the most desirable dust retention species. The results suggest that native evergreen species are suitable for dust retention in urban green spaces.
Are CH4, CO2, and N2O Emissions from Soil Affected by the Sources and Doses of N in Warm-Season Pasture?
Authors: Corrêa Darlena Caroline da Cruz , Cardoso Abmael da Silva , Ferreira Mariane Rodrigues , Siniscalchi Débora , Toniello Ariana Desie , Lima Gilmar Cotrin de , Reis Ricardo Andrade , Ruggieri Ana Claudia
Published: May 2021

The intensification of pasture production has increased the use of N fertilizers—a practice that can alter soil greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the fluxes of CH4, CO2, and N2O in the soil of Urochloa brizantha ‘Marandu’ pastures fertilized with different sources and doses of N. Two field experiments were conducted to evaluate GHG fluxes following N fertilization with urea, ammonium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate at doses of 0, 90, 180, and 270 kg N ha−1. GHG fluxes were quantified using the static chamber technique and gas chromatography. In both experiments, the sources and doses of N did not significantly affect cumulative GHG emissions, while N fertilization significantly affected cumulative N2O and CO2 emissions compared to the control treatment. The N2O emission factor following fertilization with urea, ammonium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate was lower than the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change standard (0.35%, 0.24%, and 0.21%, respectively, with fractionation fertilization and 1.00%, 0.83%, and 1.03%, respectively, with single fertilization). These findings are important for integrating national inventories and improving GHG estimation in tropical regions.
Comparative Analysis of Three Methods for HYSPLIT Atmospheric Trajectories Clustering
Authors: Cui Likai , Song Xiaoquan , Zhong Guoqiang
Published: May 2021

Using the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model to obtain backward trajectories and then conduct clustering analysis is a common method to analyze potential sources and transmission paths of atmospheric particulate pollutants. Taking Qingdao (N36 E120) as an example, the global data assimilation system (GDAS 1°) of days from 2015 to 2018 provided by National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) is used to process the backward 72 h trajectory data of 3 arrival heights (10 m, 100 m, 500 m) through the HYSPLIT model with a data interval of 6 h (UTC 0:00, 6:00, 12:00, and 18:00 per day). Three common clustering methods of trajectory data, i.e., K-means, Hierarchical clustering (Hier), and Self-organizing maps (SOM), are used to conduct clustering analysis of trajectory data, and the results are compared with those of the HYSPLIT model released by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is used to analyze the original trajectory data. The internal evaluation indexes of Davies–Bouldin Index (DBI), Silhouette Coefficient (SC), Calinski Harabasz Index (CH), and I index are used to quantitatively evaluate the three clustering algorithms. The results show that there is little information in the height data, and thus only two-dimensional plane data are used for clustering. From the results of clustering indexes, the clustering results of SOM and K-means are better than the Hier and HYSPLIT model. In addition, it is found that DBI and I index can help to select the number of clusters, of which DBI is preferred for cluster analysis.
Weakened Connection between East China Summer Rainfall and the East Asia-Pacific Teleconnection Pattern
Authors: Yin Xiaoxue , Zhou Lian-Tong , Huangfu Jingliang
Published: May 2021

The interdecadal change in the relationship between the East Asia-Pacific (EAP) teleconnection pattern and rainfall over East China during boreal summer (June–August) was investigated using observation and reanalysis datasets during 1951–2018. As proposed in a previous study, summer rainfall in the Yangtze-Huaihe River (YH-R) valley is below (above) normal when a positive (negative) EAP event occurs. Based on the close relationship with the rainfall anomalies, the EAP teleconnection pattern has been widely used in the prediction of summer rainfall variations in the YH-R valley. However, we found that the rainfall anomalies in the YH-R basin associated with the EAP pattern were weaker and less evident after the late 1980s. This finding indicates a decreased relationship between the EAP pattern and YH-R basin summer rainfall after the late 1980s, and a decrease in the quality and skill of seasonal predictions of YH-R basin summer rainfall related to the EAP pattern. This pronounced weakening in the YH-R summer rainfall-EAP pattern connection is attributed to the northeastward displacement of the Japanese action center of the EAP pattern after the late 1980s, which caused weaker anomalous vertical motion and moisture transportation over the YH-R valley. The present research reveals that the interdecadal expansion in the size of the Indo-Pacific warm pool in the late 1980s is likely responsible for the northeastward shift in the Japanese action center of the EAP teleconnection pattern by modulating anomalous convective activities and the northward propagation of the EAP pattern.
Determining the Role of Acidity, Fate and Formation of IEPOX-Derived SOA in CMAQ
Authors: Vasilakos Petros , Hu Yongtao , Russell Armistead , Nenes Athanasios
Published: May 2021

Formation of aerosol from biogenic hydrocarbons relies heavily on anthropogenic emissions since they control the availability of species such as sulfate and nitrate, and through them, aerosol acidity (pH). To elucidate the role that acidity and emissions play in regulating Secondary Organic Aerosol (SOA), we utilize the 2013 Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study (SOAS) dataset to enhance the extensive mechanism of isoprene epoxydiol (IEPOX)-mediated SOA formation implemented in the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model (Pye et al., 2013), which was then used to investigate the impact of potential future emission controls on IEPOX OA. We found that the Henry’s law coefficient for IEPOX was the most impactful parameter that controls aqueous isoprene OA products, and a value of 1.9 × 107 M atm−1 provides the best agreement with measurements. Non-volatile cations (NVCs) were found in higher-than-expected quantities in CMAQ and exerted a significant influence on IEPOX OA by reducing its production by as much as 30% when present. Consistent with previous literature, a strong correlation of isoprene OA with sulfate, and little correlation with acidity or liquid water content, was found. Future reductions in SO2 emissions are found to not affect this correlation and generally act to increase the sensitivity of IEPOX OA to sulfate, even in extreme cases.
Influence of Body Composition on Physical Literacy in Spanish Children
Authors: Mendoza-Muñoz María , Barrios-Fernández Sabina , Adsuar José Carmelo , Pastor-Cisneros Raquel , Risco-Gil María , García-Gordillo Miguel Ángel , Carlos-Vivas Jorge
Published: May 2021

Background: Childhood obesity is a major health challenge in modern societies; therefore, prevention and management policies are needed. This study aims to establish the level of Physical Literacy (PL) in overweight and non-overweight children in Extremadura (Spain), analysing the potential differences between them and exploring their relationships with body composition. Methods: A single-measure cross-sectional study was performed with 135 children, who were taken anthropometric measurements and administered The Canadian Assessment of PL Development (CAPL-2) to assess their level of PL. The CAPL-2 covers four domains and participants to be classified into four levels: beginning, progressing, achieving, and excelling. Statistical analysis included descriptive and correlations. Results: Significant differences between overweight and non-overweight participants were found. Non-overweight participants had higher scores in all the domains included in PL, with the PL level of overweight children mainly being in the two lowest levels. Inverse correlations between body composition variables and PL in all domains (r from −0.223 to −0.507) were found, except for the knowledge domain. Conclusions: Most of the non-overweight children had higher levels of PL than their overweight counterparts. The PL of overweight children was significantly lower compared to non-overweight children. Healthier body composition values were associated with a better PL.
Compromised N-Glycosylation Processing of Kv3.1b Correlates with Perturbed Motor Neuron Structure and Locomotor Activity
Authors: Issa Fadi A. , Hall M. Kristen , Hatchett Cody J. , Weidner Douglas A. , Fiorenza Alexandria C. , Schwalbe Ruth A.
Published: May 2021

Neurological difficulties commonly accompany individuals suffering from congenital disorders of glycosylation, resulting from defects in the N-glycosylation pathway. Vacant N-glycosylation sites (N220 and N229) of Kv3, voltage-gated K+ channels of high-firing neurons, deeply perturb channel activity in neuroblastoma (NB) cells. Here we examined neuron development, localization, and activity of Kv3 channels in wildtype AB zebrafish and CRISPR/Cas9 engineered NB cells, due to perturbations in N-glycosylation processing of Kv3.1b. We showed that caudal primary (CaP) motor neurons of zebrafish spinal cord transiently expressing fully glycosylated (WT) Kv3.1b have stereotypical morphology, while CaP neurons expressing partially glycosylated (N220Q) Kv3.1b showed severe maldevelopment with incomplete axonal branching and extension around the ventral musculature. Consequently, larvae expressing N220Q in CaP neurons had impaired swimming locomotor activity. We showed that replacement of complex N-glycans with oligomannose attached to Kv3.1b and at cell surface lessened Kv3.1b dispersal to outgrowths by altering the number, size, and density of Kv3.1b-containing particles in membranes of rat neuroblastoma cells. Opening and closing rates were slowed in Kv3 channels containing Kv3.1b with oligomannose, instead of complex N-glycans, which suggested a reduction in the intrinsic dynamics of the Kv3.1b α-subunit. Thus, N-glycosylation processing of Kv3.1b regulates neuronal development and excitability, thereby controlling motor activity.
Healing of Experimental Periodontal Defects Following Treatment with Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 and Deproteinized Bovine Bone Mineral
Authors: Murakami Tasuku , Matsugami Daisuke , Yoshida Wataru , Imamura Kentaro , Bizenjima Takahiro , Seshima Fumi , Saito Atsushi
Published: May 2021

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 used in combination with deproteinized bovine bone mineral (DBBM) on the healing of experimental periodontal defects. Periodontal defects created in rats were treated by FGF-2, DBBM, FGF-2 + DBBM, or left unfilled. Microcomputed tomography, histological, and immunohistochemical examinations were used to evaluate healing. In vitro cell viability/proliferation on DBBM with/without FGF-2 was assessed by WST-1. Cell behavior was analyzed using scanning electron and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Osteogenic differentiation was evaluated by staining with alkaline phosphatase and alizarin red. Bone volume fraction was significantly greater in FGF-2 and FGF-2 + DBBM groups than in other groups at 2 and 4 weeks postoperatively. In histological assessment, newly formed bone in FGF-2 and FGF-2 + DBBM groups appeared to be greater than other groups. Significantly greater levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen-, vascular endothelial growth factor-, and osterix-positive cells were observed in FGF-2 and FGF-2 + DBBM groups compared to Unfilled group. In vitro, addition of FGF-2 to DBBM promoted cell viability/proliferation, attachment/spreading, and osteogenic differentiation. The combination therapy using FGF-2 and DBBM was similarly effective as FGF-2 alone in the healing of experimental periodontal defects. In certain bone defect configurations, the combined use of FGF-2 and DBBM may enhance healing via promotion of cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and osteogenic differentiation.
The Effect of Metformin in Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Rats with Experimentally-Induced Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Za’abi Mohammed Al , Ali Badreldin H. , Al Suleimani Yousuf , Adham Sirin A. , Ali Haytham , Manoj Priyadarsini , Ashique Mohammed , Nemmar Abderrahim
Published: May 2021

This work aimed to investigate whether treatment with the antidiabetic drug metformin would affect adenine-induced chronic kidney disease (CKD) in non-diabetic rats and rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes. Rats were randomly divided into eight groups, and given either normal feed, or feed mixed with adenine (0.25% w/w, for five weeks) to induce CKD. Some of these groups were also simultaneously treated orally with metformin (200 mg/kg/day). Rats given adenine showed the typical signs of CKD that included detrimental changes in several physiological and traditional and novel biochemical biomarkers in plasma urine and kidney homogenates such as albumin/creatinine ratio, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, 8-isoprostane, adiponectin, cystatin C, as well as plasma urea, creatinine, uric acid, indoxyl sulfate, calcium, and phosphorus. Several indices of inflammation and oxidative stress, and renal nuclear factor-κB and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 levels were also measured. Histopathologically, adenine caused renal tubular necrosis and fibrosis. The activation of the intracellular mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway was inhibited in the groups that received metformin and STZ together, with or without adenine induced-CKD. Induction of diabetes worsened most of the actions induced by adenine. Metformin significantly ameliorated the renal actions induced by adenine and STZ when these were given singly, and more so when given together. The results suggest that metformin can be a useful drug in attenuating the progression of CKD in both diabetic and non-diabetic rats.
Surface Phenotype Changes and Increased Response to Oxidative Stress in CD4+CD25high T Cells
Authors: Yamamoto Yoshiki , Negoro Takaharu , Tada Rui , Narushima Michiaki , Hoshi Akane , Negishi Yoichi , Nakano Yasuko
Published: May 2021

Conversion of CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ T regulatory cells (Tregs) from the immature (CD45RA+) to mature (CD45RO+) phenotype has been shown during development and allergic reactions. The relative frequencies of these Treg phenotypes and their responses to oxidative stress during development and allergic inflammation were analysed in samples from paediatric and adult subjects. The FOXP3lowCD45RA+ population was dominant in early childhood, while the percentage of FOXP3highCD45RO+ cells began increasing in the first year of life. These phenotypic changes were observed in subjects with and without asthma. Further, there was a significant increase in phosphorylated ERK1/2 (pERK1/2) protein in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-treated CD4+CD25high cells in adults with asthma compared with those without asthma. Increased pERK1/2 levels corresponded with increased Ca2+ response to T cell receptor stimulation. mRNA expression of peroxiredoxins declined in Tregs from adults with asthma. Finally, CD4+CD25high cells from paediatric subjects were more sensitive to oxidative stress than those from adults in vitro. The differential Treg sensitivity to oxidative stress observed in children and adults was likely dependent on phenotypic CD45 isoform switching. Increased sensitivity of Treg cells from adults with asthma to H2O2 resulted from a reduction of peroxiredoxin-2, -3, -4 and increased pERK1/2 via impaired Ca2+ response in these cells.
Impact of Environmental and Pharmacologic Changes on the Upper Gastrointestinal Microbiome
Authors: Bilello Joshua , Okereke Ikenna
Published: May 2021

Diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract have become more prevalent over time. Mechanisms of disease formation are still only partially understood. Recent literature has shown that the surrounding microbiome affects the propensity for disease formation in various parts of the upper gastrointestinal tract. A review was performed of any literature to our best knowledge concerning the effects of pharmacologic agents, environmental changes, and surgical intervention on the microbiome of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Searches of the literature were performed using specific keywords related to drugs, surgical procedures, and environmental factors. Many prescription and nonprescription drugs that are commonly used have varying effects on the upper gastrointestinal tract. Proton pump inhibitors may affect the relative prevalence of some organisms in the lower esophagus and have less effect in the proximal esophagus. Changes in the esophageal microbiome correlate with some esophageal diseases. Drugs that induce weight loss have also been shown to affect the microbiomes of the esophagus and stomach. Common surgical procedures are associated with shifts in the microbial community in the gastrointestinal tract. Environmental factors have been shown to affect the microbiome in the upper gastrointestinal tract, as geographic differences correlate with alterations in the microbiome of the gastrointestinal tract. Understanding the association of environmental and pharmacologic changes on the microbiome of the upper gastrointestinal tract will facilitate treatment plans to reduce morbidity from disease.
Comparison of Labrum Resistance Force while Pull-Probing In Vivo and Cadaveric Hips
Authors: Hananouchi Takehito , Uchida Soshi , Hashimoto Yusuke , Noboru Funakoshi , Aoki Stephen K.
Published: May 2021

Cadaver tissue has been identified as the highest-fidelity anatomical representation in terms of the training for orthopedic surgery, including for arthroscopy of a damaged hip labrum. However, hip labrum stiffness in vivo and in cadavers has not been directly compared. The purpose of this study was to compare in vivo and cadaveric hip labrum stiffness during pull-probing with a force sensor. We measured the resistance force of the hip labrum in ten patients during hip arthroscopy (i.e., in vivo) and compared it with ten cadavers, both intact and detached from the acetabulum, using a surgical knife. We confirmed a partial labral tear (i.e., not detached fully from the rim) at an antero-superior potion in all of the patients. The mean highest resistance levels for the hip labrum in the patients (4.7 N) were significantly lower than the intact cadaveric labrum (8.3 N), and slightly higher than the detached labrum (4.2 N). In this study, the stiffness of the cadaveric labrum tissue was similar to that of the in-vivo hip labrum.
Restoring the Oxidase-Like Activity of His@AuNCs for the Determination of Alkaline Phosphatase
Authors: Xiao Fanfan , Yu Yuting , Wu Yang , Tian Lili , Zhao Guoyan , Pang Hailong , Du Jie
Published: May 2021

In this paper, we propose a simple colorimetric method for the sensitive and selective detection of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity based on the turn off/turn on oxidase mimic activity of His@AuNCs. His@AuNCs/graphene oxide hybrids (His@AuNCs/GO) were easily obtained using the self-assembly method with poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA)-coated GO and showed high oxidase-like activity compared with His@AuNCs. We found that the pyrophosphate ion (P2O74−, PPi) could effectively inhibit the oxidase mimic activity of His@AuNCs/GO, and the hydrolysis of PPi by ALP restored the inhibited activity of His@AuNCs/GO, enabling them to efficiently catalyze the oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to generate the blue oxidized product oxTMB. The intensity of the color showed a linear dependency with the ALP activity. ALP was detected in the linear range of 0–40 mU/mL with a low detection limit (LOD) of 0.26 mU/mL (S/N = 3). The proposed method is fast, easy, and can be applied to monitor the ALP activity in serum samples accurately and effectively, which suggests its practicability and reliability in the detection of ALP activity in clinical practice.
Simultaneous Imaging of Bio- and Non-Conductive Targets by Combining Frequency and Time Difference Imaging Methods in Electrical Impedance Tomography
Authors: Bai Xue , Liu Dun , Wei Jinzhao , Bai Xu , Sun Shijie , Tian Wenbin
Published: May 2021

As a promising medical imaging modality, electrical impedance tomography (EIT) can image the electrical properties within a region of interest using electrical measurements applied at electrodes on the region boundary. This paper proposes to combine frequency and time difference imaging methods in EIT to simultaneously image bio- and non-conductive targets, where the image fusion is accomplished by applying a wavelet-based technique. To enable image fusion, both time and frequency difference imaging methods are investigated regarding the reconstruction of bio- or non-conductive inclusions in the target region at varied excitation frequencies, indicating that none of those two methods can tackle with the scenarios where both bio- and non-conductive inclusions exist. This dilemma can be resolved by fusing the time difference (td) and appropriate frequency difference (fd) EIT images since they are complementary to each other. Through simulation and in vitro experiment, it is demonstrated that the proposed fusion method can reasonably reconstruct both the bio- and non-conductive inclusions within the lung models established to simulate the ventilation process, which is expected to be beneficial for the diagnosis of lung-tissue related diseases by EIT.
Social Behavior and Ultrasonic Vocalizations in a Genetic Rat Model Haploinsufficient for the Cross-Disorder Risk Gene Cacna1c
Authors: Wöhr Markus , Kisko Theresa M. , Schwarting Rainer K.W.
Published: May 2021

The top-ranked cross-disorder risk gene CACNA1C is strongly associated with multiple neuropsychiatric dysfunctions. In a recent series of studies, we applied a genomically informed approach and contributed extensively to the behavioral characterization of a genetic rat model haploinsufficient for the cross-disorder risk gene Cacna1c. Because deficits in processing social signals are associated with reduced social functioning as commonly seen in neuropsychiatric disorders, we focused on socio-affective communication through 22-kHz and 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USV). Specifically, we applied a reciprocal approach for studying socio-affective communication in sender and receiver by including rough-and-tumble play and playback of 22-kHz and 50-kHz USV. Here, we review the findings obtained in this recent series of studies and link them to the key features of 50-kHz USV emission during rough-and-tumble play and social approach behavior evoked by playback of 22-kHz and 50-kHz USV. We conclude that Cacna1c haploinsufficiency in rats leads to robust deficits in socio-affective communication through 22-kHz and 50-kHz USV and associated alterations in social behavior, such as rough-and-tumble play behavior.