bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
EXPERIENCE OF TOFACITINIB USING IN THERAPY OF ULCERATIVE COLITIS IN REAL CLINICAL PRACTICE
Authors: Belousova E. A. , Abdulganieva Вю I. , Alekseeva O. P. , Bakulin I. G. , Vasilyeva O. V. , Veselov A. V. , Kagramanova A. V. , Kashnikov V. N. , Knyazev O. V. , Koroleva M. V. , Nikitina N. V. , Nikolaeva N. N. , Tkachev A. V. , Chashkova T. Yu. , Shapina M. V.
Published: December 2019

AIM: to demonstrate the first Russian experience with the use of tofaciminib (TOFA) for the treatment of moderate and severe UC in real clinical practice.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: eighty-five patients with UC (aged 41.38±14.69 years, average disease duration 9.55±5.27 years, mild UC – 3.5%, moderate UC – 41.2%, severe – 52.9%, acute severe UC – 2.6%), resistant to corticosteroid therapy (36.5%) and biological agents (61.2%), were prescribed with TOFA at an induction dose of 10 mg 2 times a day, followed by a decrease in the dose to a maintenance dose (5 mg 2 times a day). Early clinical response, clinical and endoscopic remission, prevalence and dynamic of extraintestinal manifestations were assessed at 8 and 12 weeks of treatment, as well as safety and tolerability.

RESULTS: Sixty-eight (80.0%) patients completed induction treatment with TOFA for 8 weeks, other patients continue to receive TOFA. A quick response within one week was detected in 41 (50.6%) patients, on average, on the 5th day of therapy. At the end of induction, 52 (76.5%) patients achieved clinical remission, 3 (4.4%) achieved a clinical response, 13 (19.1%) patients showed no positive changes. Of the 53 patients observed over 12 weeks, 41 (77.4%) had clinical remission, 6 (11.3%) had clinical improvement, and 6 (11.3%) patients had no response to the treatment. The changes of extraintestinal manifestations were positive: 55.2% of patients at week 8 and 77.8% of patients at week 12 showed clinical improvement, mainly in relation to the joint syndrome. One episode of herpes zoster infection, one case of anemia, were identified dur-ing 12 weeks of follow-up.

CONCLUSION: TOFA in UC is effective in achieving a rapid clinical response, clinical remission and mucosal healing in patients who do not adequately respond to therapy with basic as well as biological drugs. Tofacitinib is an effective and safe therapeutic option for this challenging patient population.
Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis Strains from Different Decades
Authors: Kulik Eva M. , Thurnheer Thomas , Karygianni Lamprini , Walter Clemens , Sculean Anton , Eick Sigrun
Published: December 2019

The aim of this study was to determine the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of 57 Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and 56 Porphyromonas gingivalis strains isolated from subgingival biofilm samples of periodontitis patients in Switzerland from 1980 to 2017. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the most commonly used antibiotics in periodontal therapy (amoxicillin, metronidazole, azithromycin, and doxycycline) or in severe body infections (amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, clindamycin, ertapenem, and moxifloxacin) were determined. Furthermore, all the strains were screened for beta-lactamase activity and the presence of selected resistance genes (cfxA, ermF, and tetQ). Overall, there was no significant increase in MIC values over the 37‑year period. Two of the most recent P. gingivalis isolates yielded the highest MIC values. The first isolate was ermF-positive with MIC values >8 µg/mL, 2 µg/mL, and 0.25 µg/mL for clindamycin, azithromycin, and moxifloxacin, respectively. The second isolate showed a high MIC value of 4 µg/mL for moxifloxacin, which was associated with a confirmed single-point mutation in the quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) of the gyrA gene. Although there was no significant increase in the antibiotic resistance among the oral bacterial isolates tested, the detection of resistant P. gingivalis isolates underlines the need to optimize the antibiotic therapeutic protocols in dentistry.
Polyphenolic Antioxidants from Agri-Food Waste Biomass
Authors: Makris Dimitris P. , Şahin Selin
Published: December 2019

As the world’s population is rapidly expanding, environmental aggravation and bioresource depletion are becoming challenges of paramount importance [...]
Removal of Hydrogen Sulfide with Metal Oxides in Packed Bed Reactors—A Review from a Modeling Perspective with Practical Implications
Authors: Sadegh-Vaziri Ramiar , Babler Matthaus U.
Published: December 2019

Sulfur, and in particular, H 2 S removal is of significant importance in gas cleaning processes in different applications, including biogas production and biomass gasification. H 2 S removal with metal oxides is one of the most viable alternatives to achieve deep desulfurization. This process is usually conducted in a packed bed configuration in order to provide a high solid surface area in contact with the gas stream per unit of volume. The operating temperature of the process could be as low as room temperature, which is the case in biogas production plants or as high as 900 ∘ C suitable for gasification processes. Depending on the operating temperature and the cleaning requirement, different metal oxides can be used including oxides of Ca, Fe, Cu, Mn and Zn. In this review, the criteria for the design and scale-up of a packed bed units are reviewed and simple relations allowing for quick assessment of process designs and experimental data are presented. Furthermore, modeling methods for the numerical simulation of a packed bed adsorber are discussed.
Anomaly Detection in IoT Communication Network Based on Spectral Analysis and Hurst Exponent
Authors: Dymora Paweł , Mazurek Mirosław
Published: December 2019

Internet traffic monitoring is a crucial task for the security and reliability of communication networks and Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure. This description of the traffic statistics is used to detect traffic anomalies. Nowadays, intruders and cybercriminals use different techniques to bypass existing intrusion detection systems based on signature detection and anomalies. In order to more effectively detect new attacks, a model of anomaly detection using the Hurst exponent vector and the multifractal spectrum is proposed. It is shown that a multifractal analysis shows a sensitivity to any deviation of network traffic properties resulting from anomalies. Proposed traffic analysis methods can be ideal for protecting critical data and maintaining the continuity of internet services, including the IoT.
Potential Applications of Clay-Based Therapy for the Reduction of Pesticide Exposures in Humans and Animals
Authors: Wang Meichen , Phillips Timothy D.
Published: December 2019

The risk of pesticide exposure in humans and animals may be magnified following natural and man-made disasters such as hurricanes and floods that can result in mobilization and redistribution of contaminated sediments. To develop broad-acting sorbents for mixtures of diverse toxins, we have processed calcium and sodium montmorillonite clays with high concentrations of sulfuric acid. These acid-processed montmorillonite clays (APMs) have shown limited hydration and swelling in water, higher surface areas, and lower trace metal levels than the parent clays, prior to processing. Isothermal analyses have indicated that newly developed APMs are highly active sorbents, with significantly increased binding capacities for a wide range of pesticides, including pentachlorophenol (PCP), 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP), lindane, diazinon, linuron, trifluralin and paraquat. The safety and protective effects of APMs, against pesticide design mixtures, were confirmed in a living organism (Hydra vulgaris). Further work is planned to confirm the safety of the APMs in long-term rodent studies. This is the first report of a sorbent material (other than carbon) with high binding efficacy for mixtures of these pesticides. Based on our results, APMs (and similar clays), may be able to decrease human and animal pesticide exposures during disasters and emergencies.
Mechanical Response and Fracture Behavior of Brittle Rocks Containing Two Inverted U-Shaped Holes under Uniaxial Loading
Authors: Wu Hao , Zhao Guoyan , Liang Weizhang
Published: December 2019

Hole defects embedded in rocks have a crucial influence on their stability and failure mechanism. The purpose of this research is to explore the mechanical response and fracture behavior around inverted U-shaped openings in rocks under compressive stress. To begin with, a multitude of uniaxial compression experiments on prismatic sandstone samples with one single or two inverted U-shaped openings with different configurations were carried out. In the experiments, the advanced DIC (digital image correlation) and AE (acoustic emission) apparatus was combinedly utilized to monitor the crack growth and determine the threshold stresses involved in fracture behavior. After that, the stress distributions around the openings under unidirectional stress were simulated by a numerical study. Test results suggest that the presence of openings strongly degrades the strength and deformation parameters, and the reduction degree depends on the number and configuration of openings. During the fracture process, five sorts of cracks, namely the elementary tensile crack, posterior tensile crack, slabbing crack, shear crack and spalling crack, are formed around the openings. For the samples containing two openings, three categories of hole coalescence appear: slabbing coalescence, shear coalescence and tensile coalescence. The failure mode of the samples containing one single or two diagonal openings is dominated by shear cracks, while that of the other samples is tensile-shear failure. Stress analysis shows that the concentrated stresses at the peripheries of the openings can better explain the fracture behavior.
A Study on the Improvement of Parallel Operation Characteristics of DC/DC Converter Using Improved Full-Duplex Communication Hardware
Authors: Lim Sang-Kil , Park Seong-Mi , Cha Hyun-Rok , Park Sung-Jun
Published: December 2019

Recently, as dependence and demand for electricity are rapidly increasing in all areas, including industry, methods for increasing capacity and reliability through parallel operations have been studied. In general, Modbus communication method with RS485 is used as a method of parallel operation for capacity increase. However, this method has a disadvantage in that it is a half-duplex communication system that cannot transmit and receive at the same time. However, the Modbus communication method is a half-duplex communication system where physical transmission and reception cannot be performed simultaneously. Therefore, as the number of power converters performing parallel operation increases, the communication period increases, which affects the power quality due to the decrease in control speed. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a hardware that can achieve a full-duplex communication method by a communication signal level to improve power quality. The characteristic of the proposed communication hardware is that the transmitter generates two-level signals for data transmission, but the receiver generates three-level electrical signals according to the state of the transmission data generated by the receiver. The generated three-level electrical signal is characterized in that the data transmission signal information of the transmitter and the data transmission signal information of the receiver occur at the same time. As a result, the communication speed is reduced by more than twice, which improves the power quality by improving the control characteristics when performing parallel operation.
Inalienable Signs and Invited Guests: Australian Indigenous Art and Cultural Tourism
Authors: Butler Sally
Published: December 2019

Australian Indigenous people promote their culture and country in the context of tourism in a variety of ways but the specific impact of Indigenous fine art in tourism is seldom examined. Indigenous people in Australia run tourism businesses, act as cultural guides, and publish literature that help disseminate Indigenous perspectives of place, homeland, and cultural knowledge. Governments and public and private arts organisations support these perspectives through exposure of Indigenous fine art events and activities. This exposure simultaneously advances Australia’s international cultural diplomacy, trade, and tourism interests. The quantitative impact of Indigenous fine arts (or any art) on tourism is difficult to assess beyond exhibition attendance and arts sales figures. Tourism surveys on the impact of fine arts are rare and often necessarily limited in scope. It is nevertheless useful to consider how the quite pervasive visual presence of Australian Indigenous art provides a framework of ideas for visitors about relationships between Australian Indigenous people and place. This research adopts a theoretical model of ‘performing cultural landscapes’ to examine how Australian Indigenous art might condition tourists towards Indigenous perspectives of people and place. This is quite different to traditional art historical hermeneutics that considers the meaning of artwork. I argue instead that in the context of cultural tourism, Australian Indigenous art does not convey specific meaning so much as it presents a relational model of cultural landscape that helps condition tourists towards a public realm of understanding Indigenous peoples’ relationship to place. This relational mode of seeing involves a complex psychological and semiotic framework of inalienable signification, visual storytelling, and reconciliation politics that situates tourists as ‘invited guests’. Particular contexts of seeing under discussion include the visibility of reconciliation politics, the remote art centre network, and Australia’s urban galleries.
Radar Remote Sensing of Precipitation in High Mountains: Detection and Characterization of Melting Layer in the Grenoble Valley, French Alps
Authors: Khanal Anil Kumar , Delrieu Guy , Cazenave Frédéric , Boudevillain Brice
Published: December 2019

The RadAlp experiment aims at developing advanced methods for rain and snow estimation using weather radar remote sensing techniques in high mountain regions for improved water resource assessment and hydrological risk mitigation. A unique observation system has been deployed in the French Alps, Grenoble region. It is composed of a Météo-France operated X-band MOUC radar (volumetric, Doppler and polarimetric) on top of the Mt Moucherotte (1920 m ASL), the X-band XPORT research radar (volumetric, Doppler, polarimetric), a K-band micro rain radar (MRR, Doppler, vertically pointing) and in situ sensors (rain gauges, disdrometers), latter three operated on the Grenoble campus (220 m ASL). Based on the observation that the precipitation phase changes at/below the elevation of mountain-top MOUC radar for more than 60% of the significant events, an algorithm for ML identification has been developed using valley-based radar systems: it uses the quasi vertical profiles of XPORT polarimetric measurements (horizontal and vertical reflectivity, differential reflectivity, cross-polar correlation coefficient) and the MRR vertical profiles of apparent falling velocity spectra. The algorithm produces time series of the altitudes and values of peaks and inflection points of the different radar observables. A literature review allows us to link the micro-physical processes at play during the melting process with the available polarimetric and Doppler signatures, e.g., (i) regarding the altitude differences between the peaks of reflectivity, cross-polar correlation coefficient and differential reflectivity, as well as (ii) regarding the co-variation of the profiles of Doppler velocity spectra and cross-polar correlation coefficient. A statistical analysis of the ML based on 42 rain events (98 h of XPORT data) is then proposed. Among other results, this study indicates that (i) the mean value of the ML width in Grenoble is 610 m with a standard deviation of 160 m; (ii) the mean altitude difference between the horizontal reflectivity and the ρ H V peaks is 90 m and the mean altitude difference between the ρ H V and Zdr peaks is 30 m; (iii) even for the limited rainrate range in the dataset (0–8.5 mm h − 1 ), the “intensity effect” is clear on the reflectivity profile and the ML width, as well as on polarimetric variables such as ρ H V peak value and the Zdr enhancement in the upper part of the profile. On the contrary, the study of both the “density effect” and the influence of the 0   ° C isotherm altitude did not yield significant results with the considered dataset; (iv) a principal component analysis on one hand shows the richness of the dataset since the first 2 PCs explain only 50% of the total variance and on the other hand the added-value of the polarimetric variables since they rank high in a ranking of the total variance explained by individual variables.
Household Dust: Loadings and PM10-Bound Plasticizers and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Authors: Vicente E. D. , Vicente A. , Nunes T. , Calvo A. , del Blanco-Alegre C. , Oduber F. , Castro A. , Fraile R. , Amato F. , Alves C.
Published: December 2019

Residential dust is recognized as a major source of environmental contaminants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and plasticizers, such as phthalic acid esters (PAEs). A sampling campaign was carried out to characterize the dust fraction of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 10 µm (PM10), using an in situ resuspension chamber in three rooms (kitchen, living room, and bedroom) of four Spanish houses. Two samples per room were collected with, at least, a one-week interval. The PM10 samples were analyzed for their carbonaceous content by a thermo-optical technique and, after solvent extraction, for 20 PAHs, 8 PAEs and one non-phthalate plasticizer (DEHA) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In general, higher dust loads were observed for parquet flooring as compared with tile. The highest dust loads were obtained for rugs. Total carbon accounted for 9.3 to 51 wt% of the PM10 mass. Plasticizer mass fractions varied from 5 µg g−1 to 17 mg g−1 PM10, whereas lower contributions were registered for PAHs (0.98 to 116 µg g−1). The plasticizer and PAH daily intakes for children and adults via dust ingestion were estimated to be three to four orders of magnitude higher than those via inhalation and dermal contact. The thoracic fraction of household dust was estimated to contribute to an excess of 7.2 to 14 per million people new cancer cases, which exceeds the acceptable risk of one per million.
Bacteria as Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN) in the Atmosphere
Authors: Lazaridis Mihalis
Published: December 2019

Bacteria activation and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) formation have been studied in the atmosphere using the classical theory of heterogeneous nucleation. Simulations were performed for the binary system of sulfuric acid/water using laboratory-determined contact angles. Realistic model simulations were performed at different atmospheric heights for a set of 140 different bacteria. Model simulations showed that bacteria activation is a potentially favorable process in the atmosphere which may be enhanced at lower temperatures. CCN formation from bacteria nuclei is dependent on ambient atmospheric conditions (temperature, relative humidity), bacteria size, and sulfuric acid concentration. Furthermore, a critical parameter for the determination of bacteria activation is the value of the intermolecular potential between the bacteria’s surface and the critical cluster formed at their surface. In the classical nucleation theory, this is parameterized with the contact angle between substrate and critical cluster. Therefore, the dataset of laboratory values for the contact angle of water on different bacteria substrates needs to be enriched for realistic simulations of bacteria activation in the atmosphere.
Polysaccharide-Based Systems for Targeted Stem Cell Differentiation and Bone Regeneration
Authors: Witzler Markus , Büchner Dominik , Shoushrah Sarah , Babczyk Patrick , Baranova Juliana , Witzleben Steffen , Tobiasch Edda , Schulze Margit
Published: December 2019

Bone tissue engineering is an ever-changing, rapidly evolving, and highly interdisciplinary field of study, where scientists try to mimic natural bone structure as closely as possible in order to facilitate bone healing. New insights from cell biology, specifically from mesenchymal stem cell differentiation and signaling, lead to new approaches in bone regeneration. Novel scaffold and drug release materials based on polysaccharides gain increasing attention due to their wide availability and good biocompatibility to be used as hydrogels and/or hybrid components for drug release and tissue engineering. This article reviews the current state of the art, recent developments, and future perspectives in polysaccharide-based systems used for bone regeneration.
Neuronal Transmembrane Chloride Transport Has a Time-Dependent Influence on Survival of Hippocampal Cultures to Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation
Authors: Zagrean Ana-Maria , Grigoras Ioana-Florentina , Iesanu Mara Ioana , Ionescu Rosana-Bristena , Chitimus Diana Maria , Haret Robert Mihai , Ianosi Bogdan , Ceanga Mihai , Zagrean Leon
Published: December 2019

Neuronal ischemia results in chloride gradient alterations which impact the excitatory–inhibitory balance, volume regulation, and neuronal survival. Thus, the Na+/K+/Cl− co-transporter (NKCC1), the K+/ Cl− co-transporter (KCC2), and the gamma-aminobutyric acid A (GABAA) receptor may represent therapeutic targets in stroke, but a time-dependent effect on neuronal viability could influence the outcome. We, therefore, successively blocked NKCC1, KCC2, and GABAA (with bumetanide, DIOA, and gabazine, respectively) or activated GABAA (with isoguvacine) either during or after oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). Primary hippocampal cultures were exposed to a 2-h OGD or sham normoxia treatment, and viability was determined using the resazurin assay. Neuronal viability was significantly reduced after OGD, and was further decreased by DIOA treatment applied during OGD (p < 0.01) and by gabazine applied after OGD (p < 0.05). Bumetanide treatment during OGD increased viability (p < 0.05), while isoguvacine applied either during or after OGD did not influence viability. Our data suggests that NKCC1 and KCC2 function has an important impact on neuronal viability during the acute ischemic episode, while the GABAA receptor plays a role during the subsequent recovery period. These findings suggest that pharmacological modulation of transmembrane chloride transport could be a promising approach during stroke and highlight the importance of the timing of treatment application in relation to ischemia-reoxygenation.
Negative Control of Cell Migration by Rac1b in Highly Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Cells Is Mediated by Sequential Induction of Nonactivated Smad3 and Biglycan
Authors: Otterbein Hannah , Lehnert Hendrik , Ungefroren Hendrik
Published: December 2019

Expression of the small GTPase, Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1B (RAC1B), a RAC1-related member of the Rho GTPase family, in tumor tissues of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has been shown previously to correlate positively with patient survival, but the underlying mechanism(s) and the target genes involved have remained elusive. Screening of a panel of established PDAC-derived cell lines by immunoblotting indicated that both RAC1B and Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 3 (SMAD3) were more abundantly expressed in poorly metastatic and well-differentiated lines as opposed to highly metastatic, poorly differentiated ones. Both siRNA-mediated RAC1B knockdown in the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β-sensitive PDAC-derived cell lines, Panc1 and PaCa3, or CRISPR/Cas-mediated knockout of exon 3b of RAC1 in Panc1 cells resulted in a dramatic decrease in the expression of SMAD3. Unexpectedly, the knockdown of SMAD3 reproduced the promigratory activity of a RAC1B knockdown in Panc1 and PaCa3, but not in TGF-β-resistant BxPC3 and Capan1 cells, while forced expression of SMAD3 alone was able to mimic the antimigratory effect of ectopic RAC1B overexpression in Panc1 cells. Moreover, overexpression of SMAD3 was able to rescue Panc1 cells from the RAC1B knockdown-induced increase in cell migration, while knockdown of SMAD3 prevented the RAC1B overexpression-induced decrease in cell migration. Using pharmacological and dominant-negative inhibition of SMAD3 C-terminal phosphorylation, we further show that the migration-inhibiting effect of SMAD3 is independent of its activation by TGF-β. Finally, we provide evidence that the antimigratory program of RAC1B-SMAD3 in Panc1 cells is executed through upregulation of the migration and TGF-β inhibitor, biglycan (BGN). Together, our data suggest that a RAC1B-SMAD3-BGN axis negatively controls cell migration and that SMAD3 can induce antimigratory genes, i.e., BGN independent of its role as a signal transducer for TGF-β. Therefore, targeting this novel pathway for activation is a potential therapeutic strategy in highly metastatic PDAC to interfere with invasion and metastasis.
(S)-10-Hydroxycamptothecin Inhibits Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Growth In Vitro and In Vivo Via Decreasing Topoisomerase I Enzyme Activity
Authors: Song Mengqiu , Yin Shuying , Zhao Ran , Liu Kangdong , Kundu Joydeb Kumar , Shim Jung-Hyun , Lee Mee-Hyun , Dong Zigang
Published: December 2019

Topoisomerase (TOP) I plays a major role in the process of supercoiled DNA relaxation, thereby facilitating DNA replication and cell cycle progression. The expression and enzymatic activity of TOP I is positively correlated with tumor progression. Although the anticancer activity of (S)-10-Hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT), a TOP I specific inhibitor, has been reported in various cancers, the effect of HCPT on esophageal cancer is yet to be examined. In this study, we investigate the potential of HCPT to inhibit the growth of ESCC cells in vitro and verify its anti-tumor activity in vivo by using a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumor model in mice. Our study revealed the overexpression of TOP I in ESCC cells and treatment with HCPT inhibited TOP I enzymatic activity at 24 h and decreased expression at 48 h and 72 h. HCPT also induced DNA damage by increasing the expression of H2A.XS139. HCPT significantly decreased the proliferation and anchorage-independent growth of ESCC cells (KYSE410, KYSE510, KYSE30, and KYSE450). Mechanistically, HCPT inhibited the G2/M phase cell cycle transition, decreased the expression of cyclin B1, and elevated p21 expression. In addition, HCPT stimulated ESCC cells apoptosis, which was associated with elevated expression of cleaved PARP, cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-7, Bax, Bim, and inhibition of Bcl-2 expression. HCPT dramatically suppressed PDX tumor growth and decreased the expression of Ki-67 and TOP I and increased the level of cleaved caspase-3 and H2A.XS139 expression. Taken together, our data suggested that HCPT inhibited ESCC growth, arrested cell cycle progression, and induced apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo via decreasing the expression and activity of TOP I enzyme.
The Influence of Glass Flake and Micaceous Iron Oxide on Electrochemical Corrosion Performance of Waterborne Silicate Coatings in 3.5% NaCl Solution
Authors: Zhao Xu , Qi Yuhong , Zhang Zhanping , Li Kejiao
Published: December 2019

Waterborne silicate composite coatings were prepared to replace existing solvent-based coatings for ships. A series of complex coatings were prepared by adding anticorrosive pigments to the silicate resin. Adhesion, pencil hardness, and impact resistance were investigated, and corrosion performance in 3.5% NaCl solution was measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results show that adhesion and impact resistance are high, and that pencil hardness can reach 4H. The curing mechanism for the coatings were investigated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The mechanism of curing reaction in the studied waterborne silicate paint was found to be different from that reported in the literature. When the coatings were immersed in 3.5% NaCl solution for 8 h, there is only one time constant in the Bode plot, and coating capacitance (Qc) gradually increases while coating resistance (Rc) gradually decreases. Glass flake composite coatings have better corrosion resistance by comprehensive comparison of Qc and Rc.
Predicting Leaf Trait Variability as a Functional Descriptor of the Effect of Climate Change in Three Perennial Grasses
Authors: Hamdani Marwa , Krichen Khouloud , Chaieb Mohamed
Published: December 2019

Aims of the study: The most important trends of the current climate variability is the scarcity of rains that affects arid ecosystems. The aim of this study was to explore the variability of leaf functional traits by which grassland species survive and resist drought and to investigate the potential link between resource use efficiency and water scarcity resistance strategies of species. Methods: Three grasses (Cenchrus ciliaris (C4), Stipa parviflora and Stipa lagascae (C3)) were established in a randomized block consisting of eleven replications. The seedlings were kept under increasing levels of water stress. In addition to their functional leaf traits, the rate of water loss and dimensional shrinkage were also measured. Key Results: Thicker and denser leaves, with higher dry matter contents, low specific leaf area and great capacity of water retention are considered among the grasses’ strategies of dehydration avoidance. Significant differences between the means of the functional traits were obtained. Furthermore, strong correlations among leaf traits were also detected (Spearman’s r exceeding 0.8). Conclusions: The results provide evidence that the studied grasses respond differently to drought by exhibiting a range of interspecific functional strategies that may ameliorate the resilience of grassland species communities under extreme drought events.
Tree Diversity Reduces Fungal Endophyte Richness and Diversity in a Large-Scale Temperate Forest Experiment
Authors: Griffin Eric A. , Harrison Joshua G. , McCormick Melissa K. , Burghardt Karin T. , Parker John D.
Published: December 2019

Although decades of research have typically demonstrated a positive correlation between biodiversity of primary producers and associated trophic levels, the ecological drivers of this association are poorly understood. Recent evidence suggests that the plant microbiome, or the fungi and bacteria found on and inside plant hosts, may be cryptic yet important drivers of important processes, including primary production and trophic interactions. Here, using high-throughput sequencing, we characterized foliar fungal community diversity, composition, and function from 15 broadleaved tree species (N = 545) in a recently established, large-scale temperate tree diversity experiment using over 17,000 seedlings. Specifically, we tested whether increases in tree richness and phylogenetic diversity would increase fungal endophyte diversity (the “Diversity Begets Diversity” hypothesis), as well as alter community composition (the “Tree Diversity–Endophyte Community” hypothesis) and function (the “Tree Diversity–Endophyte Function” hypothesis) at different spatial scales. We demonstrated that increasing tree richness and phylogenetic diversity decreased fungal species and functional guild richness and diversity, including pathogens, saprotrophs, and parasites, within the first three years of a forest diversity experiment. These patterns were consistent at the neighborhood and tree plot scale. Our results suggest that fungal endophytes, unlike other trophic levels (e.g., herbivores as well as epiphytic bacteria), respond negatively to increasing plant diversity.
Entropy Rate Estimation for English via a Large Cognitive Experiment Using Mechanical Turk
Authors: Ren Geng , Takahashi Shuntaro , Tanaka-Ishii Kumiko
Published: December 2019

The entropy rate h of a natural language quantifies the complexity underlying the language. While recent studies have used computational approaches to estimate this rate, their results rely fundamentally on the performance of the language model used for prediction. On the other hand, in 1951, Shannon conducted a cognitive experiment to estimate the rate without the use of any such artifact. Shannon’s experiment, however, used only one subject, bringing into question the statistical validity of his value of h = 1.3 bits per character for the English language entropy rate. In this study, we conducted Shannon’s experiment on a much larger scale to reevaluate the entropy rate h via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, a crowd-sourcing service. The online subjects recruited through Mechanical Turk were each asked to guess the succeeding character after being given the preceding characters until obtaining the correct answer. We collected 172,954 character predictions and analyzed these predictions with a bootstrap technique. The analysis suggests that a large number of character predictions per context length, perhaps as many as 10 3 , would be necessary to obtain a convergent estimate of the entropy rate, and if fewer predictions are used, the resulting h value may be underestimated. Our final entropy estimate was h ≈ 1.22 bits per character.
Open-Access fNIRS Dataset for Classification of Unilateral Finger- and Foot-Tapping
Authors: Bak SuJin , Park Jinwoo , Shin Jaeyoung , Jeong Jichai
Published: December 2019

Numerous open-access electroencephalography (EEG) datasets have been released and widely employed by EEG researchers. However, not many functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) datasets are publicly available. More fNIRS datasets need to be freely accessible in order to facilitate fNIRS studies. Toward this end, we introduce an open-access fNIRS dataset for three-class classification. The concentration changes of oxygenated and reduced hemoglobin were measured, while 30 volunteers repeated each of the three types of overt movements (i.e., left- and right-hand unilateral complex finger-tapping, foot-tapping) for 25 times. The ternary support vector machine (SVM) classification accuracy obtained using leave-one-out cross-validation was estimated at 70.4% ± 18.4% on average. A total of 21 out of 30 volunteers scored a superior binary SVM classification accuracy (left-hand vs. right-hand finger-tapping) of over 80.0%. We believe that the introduced fNIRS dataset can facilitate future fNIRS studies.
Improvement of Steam Injection Processes Through Nanotechnology: An Approach through in Situ Upgrading and Foam Injection
Authors: Medina Oscar E. , Hurtado Yira , Caro-Velez Cristina , Cortés Farid B. , Riazi Masoud , Lopera Sergio H. , Franco Camilo A.
Published: December 2019

This study aims to evaluate a high-performance nanocatalyst for upgrading of extra-heavy crude oil recovery and at the same time evaluate the capacity of foams generated with a nanofluid to improve the sweeping efficiency through a continuous steam injection process at reservoir conditions. CeO2±δ nanoparticles functionalized with mass fractions of 0.89% and 1.1% of NiO and PdO, respectively, were employed to assist the technology and achieve the oil upgrading. In addition, silica nanoparticles grafted with a mass fraction of 12% polyethylene glycol were used as an additive to improve the stability of an alpha-olefin sulphonate-based foam. The nanofluid formulation for the in situ upgrading process was carried out through thermogravimetric analysis and measurements of zeta potential during eight days to find the best concentration of nanoparticles and surfactant, respectively. The displacement test was carried out in different stages, including, (i) basic characterization, (ii) steam injection in the absence of nanofluids, (iii) steam injection after soaking with nanofluid for in situ upgrading, (iv) N2 injection, and (v) steam injection after foaming nanofluid. Increase in the oil recovery of 8.8%, 3%, and 5.5% are obtained for the technology assisted by the nanocatalyst-based nanofluid, after the nitrogen injection, and subsequent to the thermal foam injection, respectively. Analytical methods showed that the oil viscosity was reduced 79%, 77%, and 31%, in each case. Regarding the asphaltene content, with the presence of the nanocatalyst, it decreased from 28.7% up to 12.9%. Also, the American Petroleum Institute (API) gravity values increased by up to 47%. It was observed that the crude oil produced after the foam injection was of higher quality than the crude oil without treatment, indicating that the thermal foam leads to a better swept of the porous medium containing upgraded oil.
Optimizing Off-Grid Generation in Large-Scale Electrification-Planning Problems: A Direct-Search Approach
Authors: Ciller Pedro , de Cuadra Fernando , Lumbreras Sara
Published: December 2019

Off-grid systems play a prominent role in rural electrification planning. The problem of optimizing the generation design of a single off-grid system has received a significant amount of attention in the literature, and several software tools and algorithms have addressed it. However, methods and tools designed for individual mini-grids are not directly applicable to regional planning, where it is necessary to estimate the generation cost of potentially thousands of mini-grids. Conversely, most regional planning tools estimate the generation cost of mini-grids with rules of thumb or analytical expressions. These estimations are useful, but they lack the accuracy necessary to develop a rural electrification plan. This paper presents a method to estimate the generation cost of any potential off-grid system in a large-scale rural electrification planning problem, which is currently implemented in the Reference Electrification Model (REM). The method uses a master-slave decomposition that exploits the structure of the problem and combines continuous and discrete variables. The algorithm is illustrated with a case study that shows that a direct application of a discrete model may lead to suboptimal results in large-scale planning.
Numerical Investigation on Heat Pipe Spanwise Spacing to Determine Optimum Configuration for Passive Cooling of Photovoltaic Panels
Authors: Aamir Al-Mabsali Samiya , Chaudhry Hassam Nasarullah , Gul Mehreen Saleem
Published: December 2019

The uncertainty regarding the capacity of photovoltaics to generate adequate renewable power remains problematic due to very high temperatures in countries experiencing extreme climates. This study analyses the potential of heat pipes as a passive cooling mechanism for solar photovoltaic panels in the Ecohouse of the Higher Colleges of Technology, Oman, using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). A baseline model has been set-up comprised of 20 units, 20 mm diameter water-filled heat pipes, with a length of 992 mm attached to a photovoltaic panel measuring 1956 mm × 992 mm. Using the source temperature of 64.5 °C (337.65 K), the findings of this work have established that a temperature reduction in the range of up to 9 °C is achievable when integrating heat pipes into photovoltaic panels. An optimum spacing of 50 mm (2.5 times the diameter of the heat pipe) was determined through this work, which is also a proof-of-concept towards the use of heat pipe technology for passive cooling of photovoltaic panels in hot climates.
Distributed Dynamic Economic Dispatch of an Isolated AC/DC Hybrid Microgrid Based on a Finite-Step Consensus Algorithm
Authors: Jiang Ke , Wu Feng , Zong Xuanjun , Shi Linjun , Lin Keman
Published: December 2019

The AC/DC hybrid microgrid is the main trend of microgrids’ development, and the dynamic economic dispatch is regarded as an important way to ensure the economic and safe operation of a microgrid system. In this paper, a dynamic economic dispatch model of the isolated AC/DC hybrid microgrid is developed with the objective of minimizing the daily operation cost of controllable units. Furthermore, a distributed algorithm based on the finite-step consensus algorithm is proposed, in which the incremental cost of each distributed generation unit is set as a consensus variable, and all units obtain the optimal values by exchanging information only with their neighbors. In addition, the algorithm converges to the optimal solutions in finite steps, and the efficiency is improved significantly. The effectiveness of the proposed model and the algorithm were verified by simulation.
The Relationship between Carbon Dioxide Emissions, Economic Growth and Agricultural Production in Pakistan: An Autoregressive Distributed Lag Analysis
Authors: Ali Sajjad , Gucheng Li , Ying Liu , Ishaq Muhammad , Shah Tariq
Published: December 2019

This study aims to explore the casual relationship between agricultural production, economic growth and carbon dioxide emissions in Pakistan. An autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model is applied to examine the relationship between agricultural production, economic growth and carbon dioxide emissions using time series data from 1960 to 2014. The Augmented Dickey–Fuller (ADF), Phillips–Perron (PP) and Kwiatkowski–Phillips–Schmidt–Shin (KPSS) tests are used to check the stationarity of variables. The results show both short-run and long-run relationships between agricultural production, gross domestic product (GDP) and carbon dioxide emissions in Pakistan. From the short-run estimates, it is found that a 1% increase in barley and sorghum production will decrease carbon dioxide emissions by 3% and 4%, respectively. The pairwise Granger causality test shows unidirectional causality of cotton, milled rice, and sorghum production with carbon dioxide emissions. Due to the aforementioned cause, it is essential to manage the effects of carbon dioxide emissions on agricultural production. Appropriate steps are needed to develop agricultural adaptation policies, improve irrigation facilities and introduce high-yielding and disease-resistant varieties of crops to ensure food security in the country.
Diversity and Functional Potential of Soil Bacterial Communities in Different Types of Farmland Shelterbelts in Mid-Western Heilongjiang, China
Authors: Zhang Jun , Xin Ying , Zhao Yusen
Published: December 2019

The diversity and function of surface soil bacterial community in farmland shelterbelts of five forest types and one abandoned wilderness area were analyzed by collecting 36 soil samples at depths of 0–10 cm (the upper soil layer) and 10–20 cm (the lower soil layer), extracting DNA from the samples and amplifying and sequencing the bacterial 16S rDNA V3~V4 region. Dominant bacterial phyla in forest soils included the Actinomycetes, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Chlorobacteria, and Bacillus. The number of unique bacterial OTUs (operational taxonomic units) was higher in the upper versus lower soil layer and greater in the abandoned cropland than in the shelterbelts. The number of total bacterial OTUs was highest in the mixed Pinus sylvestris var. mongholica Litv. and Larix gmelinii (Rupr.) Kuzen. forest. At the phyla level, Actinomycetes showed the greatest variation in abundance among forest types, while at the genus level, Actinoplanes varied most among forest types in the upper soil layer and Krasilnikovia varied most in the lower soil layer. Soil bacteria were more strongly correlated and more intense competition in the upper soil layer than in the lower soil layer; Actinoplanes and Krasilnikovia were key genera in bacterial networks. Functional predictions for bacterial community genes indicated that soil fertility potential was strong in the mixed Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr. and Larix gmelinii (Rupr.) Kuzen. forest, weak in the mixed Pinus sylvestris var. mongholica Litv. and Larix gmelinii (Rupr.) Kuzen. forest, and in the Populus×xiaohei forest, and intermediate in the Larix gmelinii (Rupr.) Kuzen. and Pinus sylvestris var. mongholica Litv. forests. This study provides a new theoretical basis for the sustainable management of soil fertility in the agroforestry system.
Assessment of Thermosonication as Postharvest Treatment Applied on Whole Tomato Fruits: Optimization and Validation
Authors: Pinheiro Joaquina , Ganhão Rui , M. Gonçalves Elsa , L.M. Silva Cristina
Published: December 2019

Tomatoes are a popular and rich fruit due to their nutritional and bioactive composition as vitamins, antioxidants, and phenolics contributing to the promotion of consumer health. For this reason, emerging postharvest technologies need to be evaluated to achieve the maintenance of sensorial and quality-related characteristics, like color and texture, while aiding to fruit decontamination. Optimization of thermosonication as postharvest treatments on whole, mature-green tomatoes (cv. “Zinac”) to improve quality (color, texture, total phenolic content, and weight loss) was performed by response surface methodology. Temperature (32–48 °C), treatment time (13–47 min), and storage period at 10 °C (1–15 days) at constant ultrasound frequency (45 kHz; 80% power level), were the independent variables. In general, thermosonication delayed tomato color changes while achieving total phenolic content increase and good overall quality. Three optimal thermosonication conditions were selected and validated (32 °C-13 min, 35 °C-20 min and 40 °C-30 min). The most suitable thermosonication condition that promoted a longer storage while keeping a high-quality standard was at 40 °C during 30 min. This study demonstrated that thermosonication provides an effective alternative methodology to guarantee tomato quality without significant change during the expected postharvest period.
Hydrothermally Treated Soybeans Can Enrich Maize Stiff Porridge (Africa’s Main Staple) without Negating Sensory Acceptability
Authors: Kalumbi Martin , Matumba Limbikani , Mtimuni Beatrice , Mwangwela Agnes , Gama Aggrey P.
Published: December 2019

Maize-based stiff porridge, a starchy protein-deficient staple food, dominates among the populations in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Unfortunately, this is often consumed along with leafy vegetables since the majority of the population in this region lack resources for the purchase of high protein animal source foods, a situation that exacerbates protein-energy malnutrition. Considering this, the current study evaluated the effect of enriching maize-based stiff porridge with flour made from hydrothermally treated soybeans on consumer acceptability. A total of nine experimental flours were prepared from maize and maize-soybean mixtures following a 32 factorial design involving two factors, namely maize flour type (whole maize, non-soaked dehulled maize, and soaked dehulled maize) and soybean flour proportion (0%, 20%, and 30%). A total of 125 adult consumers from a rural setting in Malawi evaluated maize-based stiff porridges made thereof using a 7-point hedonic scale. Subsequently, the participants were asked to guess an ingredient that was added to some of the test samples. The 10% and 20% soybean-enriched maize-based stiff porridges scored 5/7 and above, with some being statistically similar to plain maize-based stiff porridges. No participant recognized that soybeans were incorporated into the maize-based stiff porridges. The study has clearly demonstrated the potential of enriching maize-based stiff porridge with hydrothermally treated soybeans without compromising consumer acceptability. This innovation could significantly contribute towards reducing the burden of energy-protein under-nutrition in SSA.