bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of Antioxidant and Antihypertensive Properties during Growth of Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus reuteri on Cow’s Milk: Fermentation and Peptidomics Study
Authors: Begunova Anna V. , Savinova Olga S. , Glazunova Olga A. , Moiseenko Konstantin V. , Rozhkova Irina V. , Fedorova Tatyana V.
Published: December 2020

Bioactive peptides derived from milk proteins are an active research area. Exhibiting numerous positive physiological effects on digestive, cardiovascular, immune and nervous systems, these peptides thought to be one of the most promising ingredients for functional food. Generally, these peptides are inactive within the parent proteins and can be liberated during milk fermentation by the specific proteolytic systems of various Lactobacillus spp. Here we present the study of milk fermentation by Lactobacillus helveticus NK1, Lactobacillus rhamnosus F and Lactobacillus reuteri LR1 strains. It was demonstrated that the antioxidant activity of the milk fermented by these strains concomitantly increased with the strains’ proteolytic activity. For the angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity, the same tendency was not observed. Although the proteolytic activity of L. helveticus NK1 was two times higher than that of L. rhamnosus F, the milk fermented by these strains showed comparable ACE inhibition. The analysis of the peptide profiles of the fermented milk samples allowed us to hypothesize that some previously unreported peptides can be produced by L. rhamnosus F. In addition, it was demonstrated that these potential ACE-inhibiting peptides originated from the C-terminus of αS2-casein.
Phytic Acid in Brown Rice Can Be Reduced by Increasing Soaking Temperature
Authors: Fukushima Ayaka , Uchino Gun , Akabane Tatsuki , Aiseki Ayaka , Perera Ishara , Hirotsu Naoki
Published: December 2020

Phytic acid (PA) is a storage form of phosphorus in seeds. Phytase enzyme is activated at germination and hydrolyses PA into myo-inositol and inorganic phosphate. PA inhibits the absorption of minerals in the human intestine by chelation. Its degradation, therefore, is a key factor to improve mineral bioavailability in rice. Germinated brown rice (GBR) is favoured because it improves the availability of nutrients, and thus have a positive effect on health. In this study, we show the effects of soaking temperature on phytase activity and PA content in GBR. Rice phytase showed thermostability and its activity peaked at 50 °C. After 36 h of soaking, phytase activity was significantly increased at 50 °C and PA content was significantly decreased, compared to that at 30 °C. Zinc (Zn) analysis revealed that there was no significant difference in Zn content among different temperature treatments. Calculated total daily absorbed Zn (TAZ) was significantly higher in GBR compared with non-soaked seeds. Moreover, brown rice grains germinated at 50 °C showed a higher TAZ value than that at 30 °C. Seed germination and seed water soaking at high temperatures reduce PA content in brown rice showing a potentially effective way to improve mineral bioavailability in brown rice.
Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing: Current Perspectives and Future Challenges
Authors: Carbone Luigi , Cariati Federica , Sarno Laura , Conforti Alessandro , Bagnulo Francesca , Strina Ida , Pastore Lucio , Maruotti Giuseppe Maria , Alviggi Carlo
Published: December 2020

Fetal aneuploidies are among the most common causes of miscarriages, perinatal mortality and neurodevelopmental impairment. During the last 70 years, many efforts have been made in order to improve prenatal diagnosis and prenatal screening of these conditions. Recently, the use of cell-free fetal DNA (cff-DNA) testing has been increasingly used in different countries, representing an opportunity for non-invasive prenatal screening of pregnant women. The aim of this narrative review is to describe the state of the art and the main strengths and limitations of this test for prenatal screening of fetal aneuploidies.
Age and Serum AMH and FSH Levels as Predictors of the Number of Oocytes Retrieved from Chromosomal Translocation Carriers after Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation: Applicability and Limitations
Authors: Shilenkova Yulia V. , Pendina Anna A. , Mekina Irina D. , Efimova Olga A. , Komarova Evgeniia M. , Lesik Elena A. , Ishchuk Mariia A. , Fedorova Elena M. , Chiryaeva Olga G. , Petrova Lubov’ I. , Dudkina Vera S. , Talantova Olga E. , Gzgzyan Alexander M. , Kogan Igor Yu.
Published: December 2020

We studied the impact of age and the serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH)/follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels on the number of cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) retrieved from female reciprocal and Robertsonian translocation carriers after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH). The number of COCs retrieved after COH was retrospectively analyzed in female translocation carriers and 46,XX partners of male translocation carriers from 100 couples. The median number of COCs varied from nine to 16 and did not differ among subgroups of women categorized by age, presence and type of a translocation. The number of COCs correlated negatively with the woman’s age in both the reciprocal and the Robertsonian translocation carriers, while in 46,XX women no correlation was detected. The number of COCs did not differ between the reciprocal and the Robertsonian translocation carriers aged either <35 or ≥35 years. In translocation carriers, the number of COCs correlated with the serum AMH level only in the younger-age subgroups; the correlation was strong positive in reciprocal and moderate positive in Robertsonian translocation carriers. The 46,XX women aged both <35 and ≥35 years showed similar moderate positive correlations. Across all subgroups, the number of COCs correlated moderately negatively with the serum FSH level only in Robertsonian translocation carriers aged <35 years. Our results suggest that chromosomal translocations per se do not increase the risk of poor oocyte retrieval outcome after COH. In translocation carriers, oocyte retrieval outcome depends to a large extent on their age. The serum AMH level strongly predicts oocyte retrieval outcomes only in young reciprocal translocation carriers, while the serum FSH level has a moderate predictive value in young Robertsonian translocation carriers.
Translating the Buddha: Edwin Arnold’s Light of Asia and Its Indian Publics
Authors: Ober Douglas
Published: December 2020

In this article, I examine the popular Victorian poem The Light of Asia (1879) and its reception and adaptation in late nineteenth and early twentieth century colonial India. Authored by the popular writer, Sir Edwin Arnold, The Light of Asia is typically regarded as one of the foundational texts of modern Buddhism in the western world. Yet significantly less has been said about its influence in Asia and especially in India, where it has as an equally rich and varied history. While most scholarship has focused on its connections to the Sinhalese Buddhist leader Anagarika Dharmapala and his popular campaigns to ‘liberate’ the MahaBodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, the singular focus on Dharmapala has obscured the poem’s much more expansive and enduring impact on a wide array of colonial Indian publics, regardless of caste, region, religion, ethnicity or language. The article explores the early history of its numerous adaptations, dramatizations, and translations in various regional languages. In providing an analysis of the poem’s Indian publics, the article shows how regional, political, and cultural idioms formed in multilingual contexts enable different readings and how literary and performative cultures interacted with colonial conceptions of religion, nation, and caste.
A Wide Range of Strategies to Cope with Healthcare Workers’ Vaccine Hesitancy in A North-Eastern Italian Region: Are They Enough?
Authors: Brunelli Laura , Antinolfi Francesca , Malacarne Francesca , Cocconi Roberto , Brusaferro Silvio
Published: December 2020

The recent pandemic reminded the world of the high risk of healthcare workers (HCWs) and patient contagiousness along with the healthcare services disruption related to nosocomial outbreaks. This study aims at describing vaccination campaigns within healthcare institutions of a North-Italian Region and comparing their effectiveness in term of vaccination coverage. In December 2019, we surveyed all healthcare institutions of Friuli Venezia Giulia Region throughout an email questionnaire with 15 questions investigating strategies adopted for the vaccination of HCWs against influenza and other vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), along with actions put in place in case of a VPD exposure. We found a strong heterogeneity in VPDs prevention and control policy and practice for HCWs, along with responsibility attribution ranging among different stakeholders. Strategies adopted to promote vaccination included a wide range of methods, but HCWs’ influenza vaccination coverage still ranged from 17.0 to 33.3%. Contact tracing after a VPD exposure did not always include medical residents and students and visitors/caregivers/extra personnel as possible contacts. Even if knowledge and complacency gaps among HCWs could be faced with education activities, more efforts should be done in identifying and implementing effective vaccination strategies, and mandatory vaccination for HCWs could be introduced to achieve host, herd, and healthcare immunity preventing possible hospital outbreaks.
A Fast and Effective System for Analysis of Optokinetic Waveforms with a Low-Cost Eye Tracking Device
Authors: Tsai Chong-Bin , Hung Wei-Yu , Hsu Wei-Yen
Published: December 2020

Optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) is an involuntary eye movement induced by motion of a large proportion of the visual field. It consists of a “slow phase (SP)” with eye movements in the same direction as the movement of the pattern and a “fast phase (FP)” with saccadic eye movements in the opposite direction. Study of OKN can reveal valuable information in ophthalmology, neurology and psychology. However, the current commercially available high-resolution and research-grade eye tracker is usually expensive. Methods & Results: We developed a novel fast and effective system combined with a low-cost eye tracking device to accurately quantitatively measure OKN eye movement. Conclusions: The experimental results indicate that the proposed method achieves fast and promising results in comparisons with several traditional approaches.
Determinants of Intercorporate Investments: An Empirical Investigation of Indian Firms
Authors: Saxena Vedika , Sahoo Seshadev
Published: December 2020

We examine the determinants of intercorporate investments for a sample of 127 firms listed in the National Stock Exchange (NSE) in India for the period 2015–2019. This research indicates that the investor firm’s intercorporate investments are influenced by free cash flows, dividend yield, promoter holding, and leverage. Interestingly, contrary to anecdotes in the financial press, the investor firms where promoter holding (equity) is more, prefer to invest less in the other firm’s capital (as part of intercorporate investment). Using OLS regression, this analysis does not find evidence for the variables, that is, the firm’s age, the capital expenditure required, growth in earnings per share, board independence, and CEO duality for significant influence on intercorporate investments. Further tests for industry effect reveal the consumer and retail sector’s intercorporate investments to be significantly different (i.e., lower) from the manufacturing and service sectors.
Comparative Study of Dimensionality Reduction Techniques for Spectral–Temporal Data
Authors: You Shingchern D. , Hung Ming-Jen
Published: December 2020

This paper studies the use of three different approaches to reduce the dimensionality of a type of spectral–temporal features, called motion picture expert group (MPEG)-7 audio signature descriptors (ASD). The studied approaches include principal component analysis (PCA), independent component analysis (ICA), and factor analysis (FA). These approaches are applied to ASD features obtained from audio items with or without distortion. These low-dimensional features are used as queries to a dataset containing low-dimensional features extracted from undistorted items. Doing so, we may investigate the distortion-resistant capability of each approach. The experimental results show that features obtained by the ICA or FA reduction approaches have higher identification accuracy than the PCA approach for moderately distorted items. Therefore, to extract features from distorted items, ICA or FA approaches should also be considered in addition to the PCA approach.
Raising the Flag: Monitoring User Perceived Disinformation on Reddit
Authors: Achimescu Vlad , Chachev Pavel Dimitrov
Published: December 2020

The truth value of any new piece of information is not only investigated by media platforms, but also debated intensely on internet forums. Forum users are fighting back against misinformation, by informally flagging suspicious posts as false or misleading in their comments. We propose extracting posts informally flagged by Reddit users as a means to narrow down the list of potential instances of disinformation. To identify these flags, we built a dictionary enhanced with part of speech tags and dependency parsing to filter out specific phrases. Our rule-based approach performs similarly to machine learning models, but offers more transparency and interactivity. Posts matched by our technique are presented in a publicly accessible, daily updated, and customizable dashboard. This paper offers a descriptive analysis of which topics, venues, and time periods were linked to perceived misinformation in the first half of 2020, and compares user flagged sources with an external dataset of unreliable news websites. Using this method can help researchers understand how truth and falsehood are perceived in the subreddit communities, and to identify new false narratives before they spread through the larger population.
Online Multilingual Hate Speech Detection: Experimenting with Hindi and English Social Media
Authors: Vashistha Neeraj , Zubiaga Arkaitz
Published: December 2020

The last two decades have seen an exponential increase in the use of the Internet and social media, which has changed basic human interaction. This has led to many positive outcomes. At the same time, it has brought risks and harms. The volume of harmful content online, such as hate speech, is not manageable by humans. The interest in the academic community to investigate automated means for hate speech detection has increased. In this study, we analyse six publicly available datasets by combining them into a single homogeneous dataset. Having classified them into three classes, abusive, hateful or neither, we create a baseline model and improve model performance scores using various optimisation techniques. After attaining a competitive performance score, we create a tool that identifies and scores a page with an effective metric in near-real-time and uses the same feedback to re-train our model. We prove the competitive performance of our multilingual model in two languages, English and Hindi. This leads to comparable or superior performance to most monolingual models.
A Web-Based Approach for Visualizing Interactive Decision Maps
Authors: Marto Marco , Bushenkov Vladimir A. , Reynolds Keith M. , Borges José G. , Marques Susete
Published: December 2020

This research expands the applicability of the Feasible Goals (FGoal) Pareto frontier multiple criteria method to display the Edgeworth–Pareto hull using interactive decision maps (IDMs). Emphasis is placed upon the development of a communication architecture to display the Pareto frontiers, which includes a client device, a web server, and a dedicated computation server implemented with sockets. A standalone application on the latter processes client-server requests and responses to display updated information on the client. Specifically, the dedicated computation server is responsible for calculating the information needed to generate the Edgeworth–Pareto hull. This is delivered to the web server to generate the IDM to be displayed on the client device. The key innovation of this work is a tool that is developed to aid decision-makers with a network-based computational architecture that includes a computational server constantly in communication with a web server for fast responses to client requests to represent IDMs. Results show that this innovation avoids time-consuming communication, and this approach to represent IDMs on the web facilitates collaboration among decision-makers because they can analyze several complex problems in different browser windows and decide which problem and solution better correspond to their aims.
Residual Efficacy of Novaluron Applied on Concrete, Metal, and Wood for the Control of Stored Product Coleopteran Pests
Authors: Yasir Muhammad , Mankin Richard W. , ul Hasan Mansoor , Sagheer Muhammad
Published: December 2020

The residual efficacy of novaluron on concrete, metal and wood was evaluated against last-instar larvae of Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.), Triboliumcastaneum (Herbst), and Trogoderma granarium Everts. The larvae and food provided for survival were exposed to surfaces pretreated at rates of 0.053, to 0.209 mg/m2 and bioassays were conducted from 0- to 16-weeks post-treatment. Percentage emergence of adults was recorded after 30 days (d). On all surfaces at week 0, no O. surinamensis or T.castaneum adults emerged, and ≤3.3% emergence of T. granarium was found at 0.209 mg/m2. Novaluron significantly reduced the percentage emergence of adults of the three species compared to a distilled water control for the first 12 weeks on all the tested surfaces as the residual efficacy declined at a low rate during initial weeks and then at a high rate in the final weeks of the 16-week study. Reductions to emergence were most persistent on metal surfaces, with mean percentages of adult emergence of ≤18.3 in week 12, followed by concrete (≤32.5) and wood (≤45.0) for all species at novaluron application rates of 0.209 mg/m2. For >4-weeks protection, higher application rates would be needed to avoid buildup of pest populations and reductions in profitability. Such results can be helpful for the management of O. surinamensis, T.castaneum, and T. granarium as the costs of commonly used insecticides against postharvest insect pests and the resistance of these insects to the pesticides gradually increase in mills, warehouses, and food storage facilities.
Stability of Patches of Higher Population Density within the Heterogenous Distribution of the Gray Field Slug Deroceras reticulatum in Arable Fields in the UK
Authors: Forbes Emily , Back Matthew , Brooks Andrew , Petrovskaya Natalia B. , Petrovskii Sergei V. , Pope Tom , Walters Keith F.A.
Published: December 2020

Exploitation of heterogenous distributions of Deroceras reticulatum, in arable fields by targeting molluscicide applications toward areas with higher slug densities, relies on these patches displaying sufficient spatio-temporal stability. Regular sampling of slug activity/distribution was undertaken using 1 ha rectangular grids of 100 refuge traps established in 22 commercial arable field crops. Activity varied significantly between the three years of the study, and the degree of aggregation (Taylor’s Power Law) was higher in fields with higher mean trap catches. Hot spot analysis detected statistically significant spatial clusters in all fields, and in 162 of the 167 individual assessment visits. The five assessment visits in which no clusters were detected coincided with low slug activity (≤0.07 per trap). Generalized Linear Models showed significant spatial stability of patches in 11 fields, with non-significant fields also characterized by low slug activity (≤1.2 per trap). Mantel’s permutation tests revealed a high degree of correlation between location of individual patches between sampling dates. It was concluded that patches of higher slug density were spatio-temporally stable, but detection using surface refuge traps (which rely on slug activity on the soil surface) was less reliable when adverse environmental conditions resulted in slugs retreating into the upper soil horizons.
The Severity of Diabetic Retinopathy Is an Independent Factor for the Progression of Diabetic Nephropathy
Authors: Hsing Shi-Chue , Lee Chia-Cheng , Lin Chin , Chen Jiann-Torng , Chen Yi-Hao , Fang Wen-Hui
Published: December 2020

(1) Background: It has rarely been studied whether the severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR) could influence renal disease progression in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate renal disease progression in ESRD and CKD according to DR severity in patients with type 2 diabetes. (2) Methods: We included 1329 patients and divided the cohort into two end-points. The first was to trace the incidence of ESRD in all enrolled participants and the other was to follow their progression to CKD. (3) Results: Significantly higher crude hazard ratios (HRs) of ESRD incidence in all enrolled participants were noted, and this ratio increased in a stepwise fashion. However, after adjustment, DR severity was not associated with ESRD events. Therefore, a subgroup of 841 patients without CKD was enrolled to track their progression to CKD. Compared with no diabetic retinopathy, the progression of CKD increased in a stepwise fashion, from mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) to moderate NPDR, to severe NPDR and to proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), both in the crude and adjusted models. (4) Conclusions: The severity of retinopathy appeared to be associated with renal lesions and the development of CKD. Our findings suggest that the severity of DR is a risk factor for progression to CKD. Therefore, diabetic retinopathy is useful for prognosticating the clinical course of diabetic kidney disease.
A New Modified Experimental Meibomian Gland Injury Model: Partial Loss of Gland Due to Orifice Cauterization and the Alleviating Potential of 22-Oxacalcitriol
Authors: Jin Kai , Kawashima Motoko , Ito Masataka , Arita Reiko , Sano Kokoro , Tsubota Kazuo
Published: December 2020

1α,-25-dihydroxy-22-oxacalcitriol (maxacalcitol) is a non-calcemic vitamin D3 analog clinically approved to treat psoriasis, and its role has been increasingly recognized in suppressing keratinocyte proliferation, mediating inflammation, and regulating the immune response. A large number of studies have suggested that vitamin D plays an important role in maintaining ocular surface health. However, its topical effects on the Meibomian gland (MG) has been insufficiently investigated. Here, we introduce an experimental MG orifice injury model, where the partial glandular loss occurred after electrical cauterization on a limited number of MG orifices, and investigate the efficacy and safety of maxacalcitol ointment in treating this MG orifice injury model. We confirm the alleviation of MG atrophy and ductal dilation by maxacalcitol ointment application. The recovery of injured MG visualizing as the residual MG area is significantly better in the maxacalcitol group (p = 0.020) compared with the Vaseline® group, especially during the first two weeks. The cornea and other ocular tissues were not affected by maxacalcitol ointment application during our two-month observation period. Altogether, this work indicates that maxacalcitol has therapeutic potential in the amelioration of initial injury of MG orifices caused by electrocautery.
Feasibility, Safety and Efficacy of Enhanced Recovery after Living Donor Nephrectomy: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Prionas Apostolos , Craddock Charles , Papalois Vassilios
Published: December 2020

This meta-analysis aims to compare enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) vs. standard perioperative practice in the management of living kidney donors. Primary endpoints included mortality, complications, length of stay (LOS) and quality of life after living donor nephrectomy. Medline, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane and Web of Science databases were searched. In total, 3029 records were identified. We then screened 114 full texts. Finally, 11 studies were included in the systematic review corresponding to 813 living donors. Of these, four randomized controlled trials were included in the meta-analysis. ERAS resulted in shorter LOS (95CI: −1.144, −0.078, I2 = 87.622%) and lower incidence of post-operative complications (95CI: 0.158, 0.582, I2 = 0%). This referred to Clavien–Dindo I-II complications (95CI: 0.158, 0.582, I2 = 0%). There was no difference in Clavien–Dindo III-V complications (95CI: 0.061,16.173, I2 = 0%). ERAS donors consumed decreased amounts of narcotics during their hospital stay (95CI: −27.694, −8.605, I2 = 0%). They had less bodily pain (95CI: 6.735, 17.07, I2 = 0%) and improved emotional status (95CI: 6.593,13.319, I2 = 75.682%) one month postoperatively. ERAS protocols incorporating multimodal pain control interventions resulted in a mean reduction of 1 day in donors’ LOS (95CI: −1.374, −0.763, I2 = 0%). Our results suggest that ERAS protocols result in reduced perioperative morbidity, shorter length of hospital stay and improved quality of life after living donor nephrectomy.
Varying the Polishing Protocol Influences the Color Stability and Surface Roughness of Bulk-Fill Resin-Based Composites
Authors: Freitas Filipa , Pinheiro de Melo Teresa , Delgado António HS , Monteiro Paulo , Rua João , Proença Luís , Caldeira Jorge , Mano Azul Ana , Mendes José João
Published: December 2020

Surface properties of composites such as roughness and color impact periodontal health and aesthetic outcomes. Novel bulk-fill composites with improved functionality are being introduced and, in light of the existing variety of finishing/polishing procedures, research of their surface properties is warranted. Sixty discs were prepared from bulk-fill composites (Filtek™ Bulk Fill Posterior Restorative and Fill-Up™) and incremental-fill Filtek™ Z250. They were further divided according to different polishing procedures (n = 5): three multi-step polishing procedures or finishing with a bur (control). Surface roughness (Ra) was measured using an atomic force microscope (The AFM Workshop TT-AFM). A spectrophotometer (Spectroshade Micro Optic) was used to determine color stability, after exposure to a coffee solution. Data were analyzed using two-way MANOVA (significance level of 5%). Resin composite type, polishing procedure, and their interaction had a statistically significant effect on surface roughness (p < 0.001) and color change (p < 0.001). Fill-Up™ exhibited the highest surface roughness and greatest color change. Differences in color change were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Filtek™ Bulk Fill registered the lowest surface roughness and color change, after the three-step polishing procedure. Both parameters were significantly correlated (ρ = 0.754, p < 0.001) and found to be material dependent and polishing-procedure dependent. Higher surface roughness relates to greater color changes.
Cost-Benefit Evaluation on Promising Strategies in Compliance with Low Sulfur Policy of IMO
Authors: Wu Pei-Chi , Lin Cherng-Yuan
Published: December 2020

According to the amendment of the “International Convention for the Marine Prevention of Pollution from Ships” (MARPOL), Annex VI stating that the sulfur content in marine fuel oil cannot exceed 0.5 wt. % came into effect in 2020. This study uses cost-benefit analysis method to evaluate the feasibility and implementation benefits of those strategies. A container ship serving on the ship route is selected as a representative. It is found that the very low-sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) strategy has a higher total incremental cost than the scrubber strategy in the first 4.14 years, but then, the trend is reversed. After this container ship is equipped with a scrubber, the pollutant emission reduction is 5% higher than the condition of VLSFO only in the first year. The SOx and PM emission reduction rates of VLSFO strategy are higher than that of the scrubber strategy by 9% and 25%, respectively, within five years. In addition, during 3.3 years after the scrubber is installed, the cost-benefit ratio is higher than that of the VLSFO strategy. Hence, the scrubber for the ocean route container ships is merely a short-term compliance strategy within 3.3 years. In contrast, the low sulfur fuel oil strategy that less pollutant is emitted is a compliance strategy for periods longer than 3.3 years.
First-Order Peaks Determination for Direction-Finding High-Frequency Radar
Authors: Lai Yeping , Wang Yuhao , Zhou Hao
Published: December 2020

Direction-finding (DF) high-frequency radar (HFR) is preferred among the HFR family and is widely used around the world due to its compact structure. The correct determination of first-order peaks (FOPs) from Doppler spectra recorded by radar is a critical step toward attaining accurate mappings of surface currents. The commonly used FOPs determination method is generally sufficient for most situations. However, it needs six user-defined input parameters. These parameters result in complex procedures of optimizing the values of these six user-defined parameters. To simplify the FOPs determination for DF HFR, we propose an alternative method which only needs one user-defined parameter. To validate the reliability of the proposed method, we compare the FOPs determination results derived from the proposed method with those from the commonly used method on a data set covering a period of 256 days. The results indicate that the proposed method yields a similar FOPs determination result to the commonly used method. This proposed input-parameter-reduced method can greatly simplify the use of the HFR for users who are unprofessional in the HFR and promote the popularization and application of HFR.
The Predictive Value of Data from Virtual Investment Communities
Authors: Abdel-Karim Benjamin M. , Benlian Alexander , Hinz Oliver
Published: December 2020

Optimal investment decisions by institutional investors require accurate predictions with respect to the development of stock markets. Motivated by previous research that revealed the unsatisfactory performance of existing stock market prediction models, this study proposes a novel prediction approach. Our proposed system combines Artificial Intelligence (AI) with data from Virtual Investment Communities (VICs) and leverages VICs’ ability to support the process of predicting stock markets. An empirical study with two different models using real data shows the potential of the AI-based system with VICs information as an instrument for stock market predictions. VICs can be a valuable addition but our results indicate that this type of data is only helpful in certain market phases.
Research on Pricing Strategy of Dual-Channel Supply Chain Based on Customer Value and Value-Added Service
Authors: Yi Shiming , Yu Liying , Zhang Ziyuan
Published: December 2020

Considering customer value and value-added services provided by the online retail platform, this paper studies the differential pricing of a dual-channel supply chain consisting of one manufacturer and one online retail platform. Taking customer value into account in the dual-channel supply chain, this paper constructs separate and unified pricing of the direct sales channel and online retail platform’s distribution channel, and discusses each pricing model under a decentralized decision scenario and centralized decision scenario respectively. The results show that the total profit of a supply chain under the centralized decision scenario is better than the decentralized decision scenario in different ways, and the customer value of the two channels is also higher. Compared with the unified pricing of the two channels, the profit of the manufacturer is larger while the profit of the online retail platform is smaller under the separate pricing of the two channels. Moreover, the benefit of value-added services remains important to maximize the profit of the online retail platform and the customer value at the same time. Whether it is under separate pricing or unified pricing of the two channels, the antinomies effect always exists between the customer value and the profit per unit product. In order to further improve each party’s profit in the dual-channel supply chain under the decentralized decision scenario, it is necessary to improve the customer perception of profit as much as possible, and reduce the customer perception of loss as much as possible.
Research on the Factors of Competition in the Green Procurement Processes: A Case Study for the Conditions of Romania Using PLS-SEM Methodology
Authors: Busu Cristian , Busu Mihail
Published: December 2020

In this paper, starting from the conceptual model of the rational behavior theory developed by Icek Ajzen, the authors develop a behavioral model of rational expectations of the managerial decisions in order to determine the influence of the behavior of the undertakings on a competitive environmental market. The data were collected between 1 May 2019–30 June 2019 with the help of a questionnaire addressed to the employees and managers of the companies engaged in the green procurement processes in Romania. The sample volume was 160 and the data was analyzed with partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method and by using the statistical software Smart-PLS 3.2.8. Starting from the relevant economic literature in the field of rational behavior, the article identifies the behavioral indicators that underlie the decision to invest in this market. These indicators are the independent variables that model the impact of rational behavioral theory on managerial decisions. The conclusions of the study confirm the theoretical aspects presented in the article, emphasizing that the managerial decisions based on rational behavior theory are the direct result of the cooperation of several factors, such as the strategic vision, innovation, regulation, and the level of competences of the human factor.
Positive Solutions of the Fractional SDEs with Non-Lipschitz Diffusion Coefficient
Authors: Kubilius Kęstutis , Medžiūnas Aidas
Published: December 2020

We study a class of fractional stochastic differential equations (FSDEs) with coefficients that may not satisfy the linear growth condition and non-Lipschitz diffusion coefficient. Using the Lamperti transform, we obtain conditions for positivity of solutions of such equations. We show that the trajectories of the fractional CKLS model with β>1 are not necessarily positive. We obtain the almost sure convergence rate of the backward Euler approximation scheme for solutions of the considered SDEs. We also obtain a strongly consistent and asymptotically normal estimator of the Hurst index H>1/2 for positive solutions of FSDEs.
Induced OWA Operator for Group Decision Making Dealing with Extended Comparative Linguistic Expressions with Symbolic Translation
Authors: He Wen , Dutta Bapi , Rodríguez Rosa M. , Alzahrani Ahmad A. , Martínez Luis
Published: December 2020

Nowadays, decision making problems have increased their complexity and a single decision maker cannot handle these problems, with a more diverse and comprehensive view of them being necessary, which results in group decision making (GDM) schemes. The complexity of GDM problems is often due to their inherent uncertainty that is not solved just by using a group. Consequently, different methodologies has been proposed to handle it, in which, the use of the fuzzy linguistic approach stands out. Among the multiple fuzzy linguistic modeling approaches, Extended Comparative Linguistic Expressions with Symbolic Translation (ELICIT) information has been recently introduced, which enhances classical linguistic modeling that is based on single terms by providing linguistic expressions in a continuous linguistic domain. Its application to decision making is quite promising, but it is necessary to develop enough operators to accomplish aggregation processes in the decision solving scheme. So far, just a small number of aggregation operators have been defined for ELICIT information. Hence, this paper aims at providing new aggregation operators for ELICIT information by developing novel OWA based operators, such as the Induced OWA (IOWA) operator in order to avoid the OWA operator needs of reordering its arguments, because ELICIT information does not have an inherent order due to its fuzzy representation. Our proposal not only consists of extending the definition of an IOWA operator for ELICIT information with crisp weights, but it is also proposed a type-1 IOWA operator for ELICIT information in which both weights and arguments are fuzzy as well as the use of ELICIT information constructing the order inducing variable to reorder the arguments. Additionally, the use of ELICIT information in GDM demands the ability to manage majority based decisions that are better represented in the IOWA operator by linguistic quantifiers. Hence, a majority-driven GDM process for ELICIT information is proposed, which it is the first proposal for fulfilling the majority solving process for GDM while using ELICIT information. Eventually, an illustrative example and a brief comparative analysis are presented in order to show the performance of the proposal and its feasibility.
Ultralight, Strong and Renewable Hybrid Carbon Nanotubes Film for Oil-Water Emulsions Separation
Authors: Lu Yamei , Cao Yingze , Jia Yi , Dai Chunai , Wang Pengfei
Published: December 2020

A novel ultralight superhydrophobic-superoleophilic hybrid Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) film with double-layer structures is fabricated by using vacuum filtration method. The CNTs film can separate various surfactant-stabilized water-in-oil emulsions with a separation efficiency higher than 99.3%. Moreover, the hybrid films can be regenerated through a simple and rapid combustion process within 2 s. In addition, the CNTs film still retains good hydrophobic properties under the conditions of physical abrasion, and strong acidic and alkaline solutions, which shows the excellent durability. The hybrid CNTs film is ultralight, stable, and easily stored and reused. The outstanding features of the obtained CNTs films we present here may find many important applications in various fields like oil purification and wastewater treatment.
Histomorphometric Analysis of Osseointegrated Grade V Titanium Mini Transitional Implants in Edentulous Mandible by Backscattered Scanning Electron Microscopy (BS-SEM)
Authors: Beltrán Víctor , Weber Benjamín , Lillo Ricardo , Manzanares María-Cristina , Sanzana Cristina , Fuentes Nicolás , Acuña-Mardones Pablo , Valdivia-Gandur Ivan
Published: December 2020

The purpose of this study is to assess the use of grade V titanium mini transitional implants (MTIs) immediately loaded by a temporary overdenture. For this, a histomorphometric analysis of the bone area fraction occupancy (BAFO) was performed by backscattered scanning electron microscopy (BS-SEM). Four female patients were submitted to surgery in which two MTIs were installed and immediately loaded with a temporary acrylic prosthesis. During the same surgery, two regular diameter implants were placed inside the bone and maintained without mechanical load. After 8 months, the MTIs were extracted using a trephine and processed for ultrastructural bone analysis by BS-SEM, and the regular-diameter implants were loaded with an overdenture device. A total of 243 BAFOs of MTIs were analyzed, of which 94 were mainly filled with cortical bone, while 149 were mainly filled with trabecular bone. Bone tissue analysis considering the total BAFOs with calcified tissues showed 72.13% lamellar bone, 26.04% woven bone, and 1.82% chondroid bone without significant differences between the samples. This study revealed that grade V titanium used in immediately loaded MTI was successfully osseointegrated by a mature and vascularized bone tissue as assessed from the BAFO.
Control of Shrinkage Porosity and Spot Segregation in Ø195 mm Continuously Cast Round Bloom of Oil Pipe Steel by Soft Reduction
Authors: Li Liang , Zhang Zhonghua , Luo Ming , Li Bo , Lan Peng , Zhang Jiaquan
Published: December 2020

Based on the Ø195 mm round bloom continuous casting of oil pipe steel, a two dimensional thermal-mechanical coupled model has been developed to investigate the deformation behavior of round bloom during soft reduction (SR) in the reduction force mode. Good agreement was achieved in surface temperature, shell thickness and contact zone width from modeling and measurement. Under the same reduction force, the reduction amount of round bloom at the front unit is much larger than back unit. Moreover, due to its higher temperature and lower center solid fraction, the deformation penetration before solidification is much stronger than that after solidification. Considering the limitation of the round bloom ovality, the maximum allowable force in reduction unit is calculated. According to the simulation results, a multi-unit soft reduction plan was proposed and carried out on the Ø195 mm round bloom. After the reduction process of No.1 to No.3 withdrawal units, the shrinkage porosity in the center of the round bloom was almost vanished, while the number and size of spot segregation were significantly reduced. Moreover, the oil pipe produced by the round bloom with SR got a better resistance to sulfide stress corrosion (SSC). It indicates that SR is an effective technology for the round bloom to control the shrinkage porosity and spot segregation in the continuous casting.
Investigation on Direct-to-Blister Smelting of Chalcocite via Thermodynamics and Experiment
Authors: Zhou Shiwei , Guo Xiang , Tian Bo , Li Bo , Wei Yonggang
Published: December 2020

Direct-to-blister copper smelting is an important smelting process due to its short process, low energy consumption and environmental protection. This study attempts to use high-grade chalcocite as the raw material for direct-to-blister smelting to realize the production of blister in a single furnace. The issues and required conditions of the process are analyzed from the thermodynamics viewpoint. By adjusting the ratio of iron to silica, the flux content and other raw material components, the direct-to-blister smelting is finally realized in a lab-scale. The copper recovery is over 82%, and the copper loss in the slag is analyzed in detail. This work offers a theoretical guidance for the short-process smelting of high-grade copper concentrate.
Analytical Model to Calculate the Grain Size of Bulk Material Based on Its Electrical Resistance
Authors: Mehner Thomas , Uland Morgan , Lampke Thomas
Published: December 2020

The electrical resistivity of a material can provide information on the microstructure. However, this is usually limited to thin layers. In this study, an analytical model is derived that correlates the measured electrical resistance with the average grain size of the material for different grain shapes and orientations. Rolled steel sheets (material: DC04) are microstructurally characterized by X-ray diffraction and optical microscopy. Their electrical resistivity is measured using the four-point probe method. The sheets are utilized to validate the model. An excellent agreement between the model predictions and the experimental data is achieved. By using a calibration, unknown grain sizes can be determined. The model is applicable for materials with monomodal grain-size distributions.
Effect of a Single Bout of Aerobic Exercise on Kynurenine Pathway Metabolites and Inflammatory Markers in Prostate Cancer Patients—A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Schenk Alexander , Esser Tobias , Knoop André , Thevis Mario , Herden Jan , Heidenreich Axel , Bloch Wilhelm , Joisten Niklas , Zimmer Philipp
Published: December 2020

The kynurenine (KYN) pathway gains growing research interest concerning the genesis, progression and therapy of solid tumors. Previous studies showed exercise-induced effects on metabolite levels along the KYN pathway. Modulations of the KYN pathway might be involved in the positive impact of exercise on prostate cancer progression and mortality. The objective of this trial was to investigate whether a single-physical exercise alters tryptophan (TRP) metabolism and related inflammatory markers in this population. We conducted a randomized controlled trial with 24 patients suffering from prostate cancer. While the control group remained inactive, the intervention group performed a 30-min aerobic exercise on a bicycle ergometer at 75% of individual VO2peak. Before (t0) and directly after the exercise intervention (t1) KYN, TRP, kynurenic acid, quinolinic acid as well as various inflammation markers (IL6, TNF-α, TGF-β) were measured in blood serum. At baseline, the present sample showed robust correlations between TRP, KYN, quinolinic acid and inflammatory markers. Regarding the exercise intervention, interaction effects for TRP, the KYN/TRP ratio and TGF-β were observed. The results show for the first time that acute physical exercise impacts TRP metabolism in prostate cancer patients. Moreover, baseline associations underline the relationship between inflammation and the KYN pathway in prostate cancer.
The Liability Threshold Model for Predicting the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Multi-Cohort Study of Korean Adults
Authors: Hong Eun Pyo , Heo Seong Gu , Park Ji Wan
Published: December 2020

Personalized risk prediction for diabetic cardiovascular disease (DCVD) is at the core of precision medicine in type 2 diabetes (T2D). We first identified three marker sets consisting of 15, 47, and 231 tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (tSNPs) associated with DCVD using a linear mixed model in 2378 T2D patients obtained from four population-based Korean cohorts. Using the genetic variants with even modest effects on phenotypic variance, we observed improved risk stratification accuracy beyond traditional risk factors (AUC, 0.63 to 0.97). With a cutoff point of 0.21, the discrete genetic liability threshold model consisting of 231 SNPs (GLT231) correctly classified 87.7% of 2378 T2D patients as high or low risk of DCVD. For the same set of SNP markers, the GLT and polygenic risk score (PRS) models showed similar predictive performance, and we observed consistency between the GLT and PRS models in that the model based on a larger number of SNP markers showed much-improved predictability. In silico gene expression analysis, additional information was provided on the functional role of the genes identified in this study. In particular, HDAC4, CDKN2B, CELSR2, and MRAS appear to be major hubs in the functional gene network for DCVD. The proposed risk prediction approach based on the liability threshold model may help identify T2D patients at high CVD risk in East Asian populations with further external validations.
An Electrokinetically-Driven Microchip for Rapid Entrapment and Detection of Nanovesicles
Authors: Shi Leilei , Esfandiari Leyla
Published: December 2020

Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) has been widely used as a label-free and rapid characterization method for the analysis of cells in clinical research. However, the related work on exosomes (40–150 nm) and the particles of similar size has not yet been reported. In this study, we developed a new Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC) device to rapidly entrap a cluster of sub-micron particles, including polystyrene beads, liposomes, and small extracellular vesicles (exosomes), utilizing an insulator-based dielectrophoresis (iDEP) scheme followed by measuring their impedance utilizing an integrated electrical impedance sensor. This technique provides a label-free, fast, and non-invasive tool for the detection of bionanoparticles based on their unique dielectric properties. In the future, this device could potentially be applied to the characterization of pathogenic exosomes and viruses of similar size, and thus, be evolved as a powerful tool for early disease diagnosis and prognosis.