bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Overexpression of a Zea mays Brassinosteroid-Signaling Kinase Gene ZmBSK1 Confers Salt Stress Tolerance in Maize
Authors: Liu Lei , Sun Yanchao , Di Pengcheng , Cui Yakun , Meng Qingchang , Wu Xiaming , Chen Yanping , Yuan Jianhua
Published: May 2022

Salinity has become a crucial environmental factor seriously restricting maize (Zea mays L.) growth, development and productivity. However, how plants respond to salt stress is still poorly understood. In this study, we report that a maize brassinosteroid-signaling kinase gene ZmBSK1 plays a significant role in salt stress response. Expression pattern analysis revealed that the transcript level of ZmBSK1 was upregulated by NaCl treatment both in maize leaves, roots, and stems. Phenotypic and physiological analysis showed that overexpression of ZmBSK1 in maize improved salt tolerance by reducing the malondialdehyde (MDA) content, the percentage of electrolyte leakage, O2− and H2O2 accumulation under salt stress, relying on the increases of antioxidant defense enzyme activities and proline content. qRT-PCR analysis showed that overexpression of ZmBSK1 also positively modulated the expression levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging and proline biosynthesis-related genes under salt stress. Moreover, immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry (IP-MS) assay and firefly luciferase complementation imaging (LCI) assay showed that ZmBSK1 could associate with heat shock protein ZmHSP8 and 14-3-3-like protein ZmGF14-6, and their gene expression levels could be significantly induced by NaCl treatment in different maize tissues. Our findings unravel the new function of ZmBSK1 in salt stress response, which provides the theoretical bases for the improvement of maize salt resistance.
Detecting Compensatory Growth in Silviculture Trials: Empirical Evidence From Three Case Studies Across Canada
Authors: Li Chao , Barclay Hugh , Huang Shongming , Roitberg Bernard , Lalonde Robert , Thiffault Nelson
Published: May 2022

Compensatory growth (CG) appears common in biology and is defined as accelerated growth after experiencing a period of unfavorable conditions. It usually leads to an increase in biomass that may eventually equal or even surpass that of sites not experiencing disturbance. In forestry, with sufficient time the stand volume lost in a disturbance such as a thinning operation could match or even exceed those from undisturbed sites, respectively called exact and overcompensation. The forest sector could benefit from enhanced productivity and associated ecosystem services such as carbon storage through overcompensation. Therefore, detection of CG in different types of forests becomes important for taking advantage of it in forest management. However, compensatory growth has not been reported widely in forestry, partially due to the paucity of long-term observations and lack of proper indicators. Legacy forest projects can provide a suitable data source, though they may be originally designed for other purposes. Three case studies representing different data structures of silviculture trials are investigated to evaluate if compensatory growth is common in forest stands. Our results showed that compensatory growth occurred in all three cases, and thus suggested that the compensatory growth might indeed be common in forest stands. We found that the relative growth (RG) can serve as a universal indicator to examine stand-level compensatory growth in historical long-term silviculture datasets. When individual tree-based measurements are available, both volume and value-based indicators can be used in detecting compensatory growth, and lumber value-based indicators could be more sensitive in detecting overcompensation.
Application of Improved Satin Bowerbird Optimizer in Image Segmentation
Authors: Li Linguo , Qian Shunqiang , Li Zhangfei , Li Shujing
Published: May 2022

Aiming at the problems of low optimization accuracy and slow convergence speed of Satin Bowerbird Optimizer (SBO), an improved Satin Bowerbird Optimizer (ISBO) based on chaotic initialization and Cauchy mutation strategy is proposed. In order to improve the value of the proposed algorithm in engineering and practical applications, we apply it to the segmentation of medical and plant images. To improve the optimization accuracy, convergence speed and pertinence of the initial population, the population is initialized by introducing the Logistic chaotic map. To avoid the algorithm falling into local optimum (prematurity), the search performance of the algorithm is improved through Cauchy mutation strategy. Based on extensive visual and quantitative data analysis, this paper conducts a comparative analysis of the ISBO with the SBO, the fuzzy Gray Wolf Optimizer (FGWO), and the Fuzzy Coyote Optimization Algorithm (FCOA). The results show that the ISBO achieves better segmentation effects in both medical and plant disease images.
Further Investigation of the Dimensionality of the Questionnaire for Eudaimonic Well-Being
Authors: Cromhout Amanda , Schutte Lusilda , Wissing Marié P. , Schutte Willem D.
Published: May 2022

The dimensionality of the Questionnaire for Eudaimonic Well-Being (QEWB) has been a topic of debate and divergent findings in the literature up to date. This study investigated the factor structure and measurement invariance of the QEWB in four culturally diverse South African samples using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), bifactor CFA, exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM), and bifactor ESEM. Three student samples completed the English (n= 326), Afrikaans (n= 478), or Setswana (n= 260) version of the QEWB. An adult sample (n= 262) completed the English version. The one-factor structure revealed poor fit for the student samples. Although the four-factor models generally showed slightly better fit than the three-factor models, the latter was preferred for parsimony. The bifactor ESEM model displayed good fit for the student samples, with the general factor and some specific factors attaining sufficient reliability scores, pointing to the potential use of the scale in these samples. Configural invariance between the student samples was supported, but not metric nor scalar invariance. For the adult sample, none of the models displayed good fit and the use of the QEWB in this sample is not recommended. The results point towards the existence of a global eudaimonic well-being factor and, at the same time, the interrelatedness of facets of eudaimonic well-being. It suggests that eudaimonic well-being may be represented by the same items across the three student groups. The influence of developmental phase on the manifestation and measurement of eudaimonic well-being should be explored in future.
A Longitudinal Examination of Alcohol-Related Blackouts as a Predictor of Changes in Learning, Memory, and Executive Function in Adolescents
Authors: Lorkiewicz Sara A. , Baker Fiona C. , Müller-Oehring Eva M. , Haas Amie , Wickham Robert , Sassoon Stephanie A. , Clark Duncan B. , Nooner Kate B. , Tapert Susan F. , Brown Sandra A. , Schulte Tilman
Published: May 2022

Introduction

In adolescents, the relationship between alcohol-related blackouts (ARBs) and distinct cognitive changes lasting beyond intoxication is unclear. We examined ARBs as a predictor of persistent changes in the development of learning, memory, and executive function in participants from the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA) study.

Methods

Descriptive analyses of the NCANDA sample (N = 831, 50.9% female, 12–21 years at baseline) identified ARB patterns within participants with an ARB history (n = 106). Latent growth curve modeling evaluated ARB-related performance changes on four neuropsychological measures across five years, excluding baseline data to reduce the magnitude of practice effects over time (n = 790). Measures included the Penn Conditional Exclusion Test (PCET), Penn Letter N-back Test (PLBT), Penn Facial Memory Test immediate (PFMTi), and delayed (PFMTd) recognition trials, and the Rey Complex Figure Test copy (RCFTc), immediate recall (RCFTi), and delayed recall (RCFTd) trials. Multivariate models were fit for raw accuracy scores from each measure, with ARB history (i.e., presence of past-year ARBs) as the main independent variable. Age, sex, race, socioeconomic status, assessment site, and alcohol use (i.e., past-year frequency) were included as covariates. Interaction effects between ARB history and alcohol use frequency were tested.

Results

By year five, 16% of participants had experienced at least one ARB (59% of whom reported > 1 ARB and 57% of whom had an ARB lasting > 1 h). After controlling for demographics and alcohol use, ARB history predicted attenuated PFMTd performance growth at year one. Interaction effects between ARB history and alcohol use frequency predicted attenuated PFMTd performance growth at years one and two. ARB history predicted attenuated RCFTi and RCFTd performance growth by year four, but not PCET or PLBT performance over time. By contrast, greater past-year alcohol use predicted attenuated PFMTi and PFMTd performance growth between years two and four in adolescents without an ARB history.

Conclusion

We found that ARBs predict distinct, lasting changes in learning and memory for visual information, with results suggesting that the developing brain is vulnerable to ARBs during adolescence and emerging adulthood.
Comparing Temporospatial Performance During Brisk and Self-Paced Walking by Men With Osteomyoplastic Transfemoral Amputation and Controls Using Pressure and Muscle Activation Peak Times
Authors: Shotande Monique O. , Veirs Kimberly P. , Day Jonathan D. , Ertl William J. J. , Fagg Andrew H. , Dionne Carol P.
Published: May 2022

Background

The aim of osteomyoplastic transfemoral amputation (OTFA) is to produce sustained, robust prosthetic gait performance by residuum reconstructing. A better understanding of residuum-socket interface pressures (RSI) and residuum muscle activation should uniquely reveal gait stability to better inform long-term rehabilitation goals.

Objectives

The objectives of this study are to characterize RSI pressures and residuum muscle activation in men with OTFA while walking at two speeds and compare temporospatial muscle activation with intact controls.

Methods

In this study, we observed and compared healthy men with OTFA and controls during 2-min gait trials at brisk and self-paced speeds, two visits, and 1 year apart. RSI pressures and hip adductors, hamstrings, and quadriceps activation were recorded for those with OTFA. OTFA temporospatial muscle activation patterns were compared with the controls. Within the extracted strides, heel-strike and toe-off events and EMG activation peak times were characterized and compared. Peak times for pressure and EMG activity were examined in individual muscles and antagonist muscles of residual and intact limbs.

Results

Six men with OTFA exhibited adductor, hamstring, and quadriceps co-contraction within intact and residual limbs, regardless of walking speed or trial. Co-contraction within their intact limb occurred throughout the gait cycle. Within the residuum, co-contraction occurred during weight transference. The 75% most likely RSI peaks occurred during stance. EMG peaks were 75% most likely to occur during early stance, terminal stance-initial swing, and terminal swing.

Conclusion

Participants with OTFA demonstrated adductors-hamstrings-quadriceps co-contraction in the intact thigh and residuum with corresponding RSI pressure increase, primarily during transitions between stance and swing, indicating gait instability, demonstrating the need to explicitly address these deficits continuously in rehabilitation and wellness settings.
Historical Perspective: How the Discovery of HPV Virus Led to the Utilization of a Robot
Authors: Morand Grégoire B. , Sultanem Khalil , Mascarella Marco A. , Hier Michael P. , Mlynarek Alex M.
Published: May 2022

The treatment of oropharyngeal cancer has undergone many paradigms shifts in recent decades. First considered a surgical disease, improvements in radiotherapy led to its popularization in the 1990s. Subsequently, the discovery of the human papillomavirus (HPV) in the pathogenesis of oropharyngeal cancer, as well as the increase in HPV-associated oropharynx cancer incidence, have prompted a reevaluation of its management. Its sensitivity to standard treatment with a favorable prognosis compared to non HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer led to a focus on minimizing treatment toxicity. Advances in radiation and surgical techniques, including the use of transoral robotic surgery, gave the rationale to ongoing de-escalation clinical trials in HPV-associated oropharynx cancer.
[D-Ala2, D-Leu5] Enkephalin Attenuates Hepatic Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury in Cirrhotic Rats
Authors: Liu Jueying , Wang Yuan , Pan Qianling , Chen Xueqing , Qu Yifeng , Zhu Hao , Zheng Li , Fan Yinghui
Published: May 2022

Background and Aims

Hepatic ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI) is a common phenomenon that occurs after liver transplantation and liver tumor surgery. It can cause liver dysfunction and recovery failure after liver surgery, even leading to acute liver failure. Our aim is to investigate the protective effect and related potential mechanism of [D-Ala2, D-Leu5] enkephalin (DADLE) treatment on hepatic IRI in cirrhotic livers of rats.

Methods

The models of liver cirrhosis and hepatic IRI were established with male Sprague–Dawley rats. DADLE at a dose series of 0.5, 1, or 5 mg·kg−1 was injected intravenously to rats 10 min prior hepatic ischemia, followed by a 6- h reperfusion. The serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), histological changes, and liver cell apoptosis were used to assess liver IRI. The optimal dose of DADLE was assessed by using the Suzuki score and ALT and AST levels. We repeated the hepatic IRI procedure on the optimal dose of the DADLE group and the delta opioid receptor (DOR) antagonist natrindole hydrochloride (NTD) injection group. Serum ALT and AST levels, histological staining, hepatic apoptosis, and serum levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 1 β (IL-1β) were measured. The expression of protein kinase B (Akt) and its downstream proteins were evaluated by using quantitative real-time polymerase chain action (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting.

Results

Compared with the control group, DADLE treatment at a dose of 5 mg·kg−1 reduced the Suzuki score (mean: 5.8, range: 5.0–6.6 vs. mean: 8.0, range: 7.0–8.9), the ALT level (134.3 ± 44.7 vs. 247.8 ± 104.6), and the AST (297.1 ± 112.7 vs. 660.8 ± 104.3) level. DOR antagonist NTD aggravated hepatic IRI. Compared with the control group, DADLE treatment decreased the number of apoptosis cells and microphages and neutrophils, increased the expression of Akt and its mRNA to much higher levels, and upregulated the mRNA and protein expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-2-associated death promoter (BAD).

Conclusion

DADLE treatment at a dose of 5 mg·kg−1 injected intravenously 10 min prior hepatic ischemia could contain rats’ hepatic IRI by activating DOR in cirrhotic livers. The effects of DADLE could be offset by NTD. The potential molecular mechanism seems to be involved in the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway.
Changes in Soil Bacterial Community Structure in Bermudagrass Turf under Short-Term Traffic Stress
Authors: Wei Hongjian , Wang Yongqi , Zhang Juming , Ge Liangfa , Liu Tianzeng
Published: May 2022

Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) is an extensively utilized turf grass for football fields and golf courses. Traffic stress is one of the most important stresses affecting the life of turf, which leads to a decrease in turf quality and changes in the soil microbial community structure. The structural change in soil bacterial community is an important reference for turf growth, maintenance, and restoration. Tifgreen bermudagrass turf and Common bermudagrass turf were applied with traffic treatment by a traffic simulator with moderate intensity to explore soil bacterial community structural changes in turf under traffic stress. The environmental factors including turf quality indicators and soil properties were measured, and the association of the soil bacterial community diversity with the environment factors was analyzed. As a result, traffic treatments significantly changed the soil properties and bacterial community composition in two bermudagrass species at the phylum and genus level. Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Verrucomicrobia showed significantly high abundance in turf soils under traffic stress. The soil bacterial ACE, Chaol, and Shannon indexes of two bermudagrass species under traffic stress were significantly lower than non-traffic stress. The bacterial community structure was highly correlated with some turf quality indicators and soil properties under traffic stress. Our results illustrate that compared to Common bermudagrass, Tifgreen bermudagrass had better turf quality under traffic stress and less changes in its bacterial community structure, perhaps Tifgreen bermudagrass is a better choice of grass for sports turf as opposed to Common bermudagrass.
Assessment of Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Algerian Saharan Maize Populations for Tolerance under Drought and No-Nitrogen Stresses
Authors: Riache Meriem , Revilla Pedro , Malvar Rosa Ana , Djemel Abderahmane , Chemlal Azeddine , Mefti Mohamed
Published: May 2022

Increasing drought incidence and infertile soils require the improvement of maize for nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) under drought conditions. The objectives were to assess tolerance and genetic effects of Algerian populations under no-nitrogen and water stress. We evaluated a diallel among six Algerian maize populations under no-nitrogen vs. 120 kg/ha N fertilization and drought vs. control. Variability was significant among populations and their crosses for NUE under drought. Additive genetic effects could be capitalized using the populations BAH and MST, with high grain nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUtE). The most promising crosses were SHH × AOR with no-nitrogen supply under both water regimes for NUtE, AOR × IGS, under water stress for partial factor productivity (PFP), and well-watered conditions with nitrogen supply for protein content; AOR × IZM for agronomic nitrogen use efficiency (AE) under water stress; and AOR × BAH for grain nutrient utilization efficiency (NUtE) under well-watered conditions with nitrogen. These parents could be promising for developing drought-tolerant or/and low nitrogen hybrids to improve these traits. Maximum heterosis could be exploited using those populations and crosses. Reciprocal recurrent selection could be used to take advantage of additive and non-additive gene effects found based on estimations of genetic parameters.
Hybrid Deep Learning Techniques for Predicting Complex Phenomena: A Review on COVID-19
Authors: Jamshidi Mohammad (Behdad) , Roshani Sobhan , Daneshfar Fatemeh , Lalbakhsh Ali , Roshani Saeed , Parandin Fariborz , Malek Zahra , Talla Jakub , Peroutka Zdeněk , Jamshidi Alireza , Hadjilooei Farimah , Lalbakhsh Pedram
Published: May 2022

Complex phenomena have some common characteristics, such as nonlinearity, complexity, and uncertainty. In these phenomena, components typically interact with each other and a part of the system may affect other parts or vice versa. Accordingly, the human brain, the Earth’s global climate, the spreading of viruses, the economic organizations, and some engineering systems such as the transportation systems and power grids can be categorized into these phenomena. Since both analytical approaches and AI methods have some specific characteristics in solving complex problems, a combination of these techniques can lead to new hybrid methods with considerable performance. This is why several types of research have recently been conducted to benefit from these combinations to predict the spreading of COVID-19 and its dynamic behavior. In this review, 80 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, conference proceedings, and preprints with a focus on employing hybrid methods for forecasting the spreading of COVID-19 published in 2020 have been aggregated and reviewed. These documents have been extracted from Google Scholar and many of them have been indexed on the Web of Science. Since there were many publications on this topic, the most relevant and effective techniques, including statistical models and deep learning (DL) or machine learning (ML) approach, have been surveyed in this research. The main aim of this research is to describe, summarize, and categorize these effective techniques considering their restrictions to be used as trustable references for scientists, researchers, and readers to make an intelligent choice to use the best possible method for their academic needs. Nevertheless, considering the fact that many of these techniques have been used for the first time and need more evaluations, we recommend none of them as an ideal way to be used in their project. Our study has shown that these methods can hold the robustness and reliability of statistical methods and the power of computation of DL ones.
Effects of Hormone, NEFA and SCFA on the Migration of Neutrophils and the Formation of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Dairy Cows
Authors: Lv Guanxin , Wang Hai , Zhou Xiechen , Lian Shuai , Wang Jianfa , Wu Rui
Published: May 2022

Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) are the first line of defense against the invasion of foreign pathogenic microorganisms and play an essential role in the immune system of dairy cows. The changes in hormone secretion and metabolites of dairy cows during the perinatal period are the key factors that cause immunosuppression and increased risk of diseases. However, the effects of the hormone, nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA), and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) on the transmammary epithelial migration of dairy cows and the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) have rarely been studied. This study explored the effects of hormones, NEFAs and SCFAs on the neutrophil migration and NETs formation of dairy cows in vitro. It was found that P4 and Ac can regulate the transepithelial migration of PMN; SA and Pr can regulate the formation of NETs; E2, OA and Bt can regulate PMN transepithelial migration and NET formation. These results help to further explain the effects of changes in hormone secretion and metabolites on immunosuppression and the increased risk of disease in perinatal dairy cows.
Acute Stress in Lesser-Spotted Catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula Linnaeus, 1758) Promotes Amino Acid Catabolism and Osmoregulatory Imbalances
Authors: Ruiz-Jarabo Ignacio , Paullada-Salmerón José A. , Jerez-Cepa Ismael , Gonçalves Neto José Belquior , Bystriansky Jason S. , Mancera Juan M.
Published: May 2022

Acute-stress situations in vertebrates induce a series of physiological responses to cope with the event. While common secondary stress responses include increased catabolism and osmoregulatory imbalances, specific processes depend on the taxa. In this sense, these processes are still largely unknown in ancient vertebrates such as marine elasmobranchs. Thus, we challenged the lesser spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula) to 18 min of air exposure, and monitored their recovery after 0, 5, and 24 h. This study describes amino acid turnover in the liver, white muscle, gills, and rectal gland, and plasma parameters related to energy metabolism and osmoregulatory imbalances. Catsharks rely on white muscle amino acid catabolism to face the energy demand imposed by the stressor, producing NH4+. While some plasma ions (K+, Cl− and Ca2+) increased in concentration after 18 min of air exposure, returning to basal values after 5 h of recovery, Na+ increased after just 5 h of recovery, coinciding with a decrease in plasma NH4+. These changes were accompanied by increased activity of a branchial amiloride-sensitive ATPase. Therefore, we hypothesize that this enzyme may be a Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE) related to NH4+ excretion. The action of an omeprazole-sensitive ATPase, putatively associated to a H+/K+-ATPase (HKA), is also affected by these allostatic processes. Some complementary experiments were carried out to delve a little deeper into the possible branchial enzymes sensitive to amiloride, including in vivo and ex vivo approaches, and partial sequencing of a nhe1 in the gills. This study describes the possible presence of an HKA enzyme in the rectal gland, as well as a NHE in the gills, highlighting the importance of understanding the relationship between acute stress and osmoregulation in elasmobranchs.
Creatinine as a Urinary Marker of the Purine Derivatives Excretion in Urine Spot Samples of Lambs Fed Peach Palm Meal
Authors: Pereira Taiala Cristina de Jesus , Pereira Mara Lúcia Albuquerque , Carvalho Gleidson Giordano Pinto de , Silva Herymá Giovane de Oliveira , dos Santos Alana Batista , Pina Douglas dos Santos , Sousa Leandro Borges
Published: May 2022

The objective was to evaluate the influence of diets on lambs using different levels of peach palm meal as a replacement for maize (0, 10, 40, 60, and 85% of diet dry matter) on the endogenous creatinine clearance (CC), urine concentration ratio of purine derivatives to creatinine (PDC index), and daily creatinine excretion (DCE) as a marker to estimate purine derivatives (PD) excretion from urinary spot samples collected at different time points (4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 h after morning feeding) compared to 24-h total urine collection. The measured parameters were voluntary intake, urinary volume, CC, DCE, the concentration of plasma creatinine, and PD and purine derivatives’ excretion (PDE). Five lambs were allocated to metabolic cages and distributed in a 5 × 5 Latin square. Urine collection was taken daily on days 16 to 19 of each experimental period. The inclusion of peach palm meal linearly reduced the intake of dry matter (g kg BW−0.75, p = 0.005), crude protein (g kg BW−0.75, p = 0.010), metabolizable energy (MJ kg BW−0.75, p = 0.010) and CC (p < 0.0001). It also quadratically affected the urinary volume (p = 0.008) and DCE (p = 0.004). There was a linear decrease for PDC index (p = 0.032) and PDE (p < 0.0001) measured in the 24-h total urine with peach palm meal levels. The different times of spot urine sampling did not affect (p > 0.05) the PDC index and PDE. Peach palm meal decreases the CC thereby compromising the use of a mean value of DCE as a PDE marker in spot urine samples. There is greater accuracy when using different values of DCE obtained for each diet as markers for the PDE in spot urine samples. Unconventional foodstuffs of low palatability affecting the voluntary intake of feed change the renal function.
Establishment and Application of an Indirect Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Measuring GPI-Anchored Protein 52 (P52) Antibodies in Babesia gibsoni-Infected Dogs
Authors: Liu Qin , Zhan Xueyan , Li Dongfang , Zhao Junlong , Wei Haiyong , Alzan Heba , He Lan
Published: May 2022

Babesia gibsoni is a malaria-like protozoan that parasitizes the red blood cells of canids to cause babesiosis. Due to its high expression and essential function in the survival of parasites, the Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor protein family is considered an excellent immunodiagnostic marker. Herein, we identified a novel GPI-anchored protein named as BgGPI52-WH with a size of 52 kDa; the recombinant BgGPI52-WH with high antigenicity and immunogenicity was used as a diagnostic antigen to establish a new iELISA method. The iELISA had a sensitivity of 1:400, and no cross-reaction with other apicomplexan parasites occurred. We further demonstrated that the degree of variation was less than 10% using the same samples from the same or different batches of an enzyme-labeled strip. It was found that the method was able to detect early infection (6 days after infection) in the sera of the B. gibsoni-infected experimental dogs in which antibody response to rBgGPI52-WH was evaluated. Clinical sera from pet hospitals were further tested, and the average positive rate was about 11.41% (17/149). The results indicate that BgGPI52-WH is a reliable diagnostic antigen, and the new iELISA could be used as a practical method for the early diagnosis of B. gibsoni.
Supplementing a Phytogenic Feed Additive Modulates the Risk of Subacute Rumen Acidosis, Rumen Fermentation and Systemic Inflammation in Cattle Fed Acidogenic Diets
Authors: Rivera-Chacon Raul , Castillo-Lopez Ezequias , Ricci Sara , Petri Renee M. , Reisinger Nicole , Zebeli Qendrim
Published: May 2022

Feeding with high-concentrate diets increases the risk of subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA). This experiment was conducted to evaluate whether supplementing a phytogenic feed additive based on L-menthol, thymol, eugenol, mint oil (Mentha arvensis) and cloves powder (Syzygium aromaticum) (PHY) can amend the ruminal fermentation profile, modulate the risk of SARA and reduce inflammation in cattle. The experiment was designed as a crossover design with nine non-lactating Holstein cows, and was conducted in two experimental runs. In each run, cows were fed a 100% forage diet one week (wk 0), and were then transitioned stepwise over one week (0 to 65% concentrate, wk adapt.) to a high concentrate diet that was fed for 4 weeks. Animals were fed diets either with PHY or without (CON). The PHY group had an increased ruminal pH compared to CON, reduced time to pH < 5.8 in wk 3, which tended to decrease further in wk 4, reduced the ruminal concentration of D-lactate, and tended to decrease total lactate (wk 3). In wk 2, PHY increased acetate, butyrate, isobutyrate, isovalerate, and the acetate to propionate ratio compared to CON. Phytogenic supplementation reduced inflammation compared to CON in wk 3. Overall, PHY had beneficial effects on ruminal fermentation, reduced inflammation, and modulated the risk of SARA starting from wk 3 of supplementation.
Improved ADRC-Based Autonomous Vehicle Path-Tracking Control Study Considering Lateral Stability
Authors: Kang Nan , Han Yi , Guan Tian , Wang Siyu
Published: May 2022

The antidisturbance control problem of autonomous vehicle path tracking considering lateral stability is studied in this paper. This paper proposes an improved active disturbance rejection control (IADRC) control method including an improved extended state observer (IESO) and an error compensator based on LQR, where a new continuous nonlinear function is proposed in the IESO instead of the classical piecewise function. Based on the IADRC, an autonomous vehicle path-tracking controller considering lateral stability is designed. Using the output wheel steering angle and external yaw moment, the IESO estimates the disturbance value and compensates for the disturbance in the feedback to meet the goal of antidisturbance control. Based on the concept of control allocation (CA), the control distributor is designed to distribute the external yaw moment to the four wheels in a reasonable and optimal way to achieve differential braking. Finally, the control scheme is evaluated in the form of CarSim/Simulink cosimulation; the results show that the proposed autonomous vehicle path-tracking control scheme has better path-tracking effect and higher antidisturbance robustness.
Euryhaline Aliens Invading Italian Inland Waters: The Case of the Atlantic Blue Crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896
Authors: Scalici Massimiliano , Chiesa Stefania , Mancinelli Giorgio , Rontani Pietro Maria , Voccia Andrea , Nonnis Marzano Francesco
Published: May 2022

Alien invasive species represent a major threat in Italian freshwaters. Despite national and European regulations aimed at the control and prevention of new invasive species, the number of allochthonous species is increasing and so is the rate of spread. One of the most widespread invasive animals in coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea is the blue crab Callinectes sapidus, a native of the Western Atlantic from Nova Scotia to Argentina. The species is euryhaline, and besides coastal waters, it is also commonly recorded in upper estuaries and lower reaches of rivers. Considering its fast adaptability and invasiveness, the main purpose of this work is to assess whether its biological plasticity and invasive capability may represent, in addition to marine and coastal habitats, also a potential threat for inland waters. Samples were collected in seven sites distributed between Southern and Central Italy. The new records are herein presented, starting from the original introduction by ballast waters and the actual westward migration in inland waters of Latium and Tuscany. In addition, the threat to biodiversity is also discussed, considering the blue crab aggressiveness toward both vertebrates and invertebrates, which may limit the distribution of native freshwater fish and macrofauna.
Preparation of Ca- and Na-Modified Activated Clay as a Promising Heterogeneous Catalyst for Biodiesel Production via Transesterification
Authors: Wang Yue , Muhammad Yaseen , Yu Sishan , Fu Tian , Liu Kun , Tong Zhangfa , Hu Xueling , Zhang Hanbing
Published: May 2022

For efficient biodiesel production, an acid-activated clay (AC) modified by calcium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide (CaNa/AC) was prepared as a catalyst. CaNa/AC and Na/AC were characterized by Hammett indicators, CO2-TPD, FT-IR, XRD, and N2 adsorption techniques. The influence of catalyst dose, reaction temperature, methanol/oil molar ratio, and reaction time on the transesterification of Jatropha oil was studied. Due to the introduction of calcium, CaNa/AC displayed a higher activity and stability, thereby achieving an oil conversion of 97% under the optimal reaction conditions and maintaining over 80% activity after five successive reuses. The reaction was accelerated as the temperature rose, and the apparent activation energy of CaNa/AC was 75.6 kJ·mol−1. The enhanced biodiesel production by CaNa/AC was ascribed to the increase in active sites and higher basic strength. This study presents a facile and practical method for producing biodiesel on large-scale operation.
In-Process Measurement of Barkhausen Noise for Detection of Surface Integrity during Grinding
Authors: Jedamski Rahel , Heinzel Jonas , Karpuschewski Bernhard , Epp Jérémy
Published: May 2022

The Barkhausen noise (BN) analysis is a method increasingly used for the post-process assessment of thermo-mechanical surface damages from grinding and has several advantages compared with the established nital etching method. In-process measurement of the BN has not been used industrially yet, but the basics have already been developed and promise time savings by avoiding time spent on inspections after grinding. Furthermore, it bears potential for the optimization of grinding processes and, in perspective, a process control. In the present work, the suitability of in-process BN analysis for the detection of thermo-mechanically influenced near-surface regions was assessed. Case-hardened workpieces were ground, and BN signals were related to the properties of the surface and subsurface area, in particular residual stresses, microstructure and surface hardness after grinding. The results show a clear dependency of BN on surface layer properties that allows for an in-process detection of detrimental changes in the surface state. Special attention was paid to the differences between in-process and post-process measured signals, and the suitability of the different measurement parameters for in-process detection was investigated.
Performance Prediction of Rolling Bearing Using EEMD and WCDPSO-KELM Methods
Authors: Li Xiumei , Zhao Huimin
Published: May 2022

Research on bearings performance degradation trend is significant, and can greatly reduce the loss caused by potential faults in the whole life-cycle of rolling bearings. It is also a very important part of Prognostic and Health Management (PHM). This paper proposed a new performance degradation prediction method based on optimized kernel extreme learning machine (KELM), improved particle swarm optimization (PSO) and Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD). Firstly, the particle swarm optimization algorithm was improved by adjusting the inertia weight and linear learning factor and introducing a disturbance term, namely WCDPSO. Then, the penalty coefficient and kernel parameters of KELM were optimized by the WCDPSO, and the WCDPSO-KELM model was obtained. Subsequently, the EEMD method was used to extract original features from sample data, and a performance degradation index is selected from the EEMD feature space, which was input into the WCDPSO-KELM model in order to build a bearing performance degradation prediction trend model. Finally, the proposed method was verified by datasets of rolling bearings that were provided by the PRONOSTIA platform. Experimental results confirmed that the proposed method can efficiently predict the performance degradation trend of rolling bearings.
The Effect of Probiotics on Intestinal Tight Junction Protein Expression in Animal Models: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Ahn Sung-Il , Cho Sangbuem , Jeon Eunjeong , Park Myungsun , Chae Byungho , Ditengou Isaac Celestin Poaty , Choi Nag-Jin
Published: May 2022

This study investigates the effect of probiotics supplementation on tight junction protein (TJP) expression in animal models by meta-analysis. We estimated the effect of probiotics administration in an animal inflammatory bowel disease model based on 47 collected articles from the databases, including Sciencedirect, Pubmed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The effect size was analyzed with the standardized mean difference, and the heterogeneity of the effect sizes was assessed using Cochran’s Q test. To explain the heterogeneity, moderate analyses, such as meta-ANOVA and meta-regression, were performed using the mixed effects model. Finally, publication bias was assessed using Egger’s linear regression test. Among the evaluated items, zonula occluden (ZO)-1 showed the highest Q statistics value, and the effect sizes of all items were positive with high significance (p < 0.0001). The I2 value of all items reflected high heterogeneity (in excess of 80%). From the results of the meta-ANOVA, the factors of the heterogeneity found in the probiotics strains were investigated. Lactobacillus reuteri was identified as having the greatest effect on claudin and ZO-1 expression. The publication bias was detected by the Egger’s linear regression test, though it revealed that the occludin and ZO-1 had larger sample sizes than the claudin. In sum, this meta-analysis reveals that probiotics are effective at improving TJP expression in a gut environment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-induced animal model. Our findings will interest IBD patients, as they suggest an area warranting future study.
Operational Characteristics of Square-Law Combining Energy Detector in MIMO-OFDM Cognitive Radio Systems
Authors: Ramljak Ivana , Begušić Dinko , Lorincz Josip
Published: May 2022

To ensure effective spectrum usage, cognitive radio networks (CRNs) are being investigated extensively. The important function of CRNs is spectrum sensing (SS). This is the process of sensing the unused frequency spectrum and deciding whether the signal transmission of a primary user (PU) exists. In this work, the results of a performance analysis related to detecting PU signals using the energy detection (ED) SS method realized by employing the square-law combining (SLC) technique are presented. The assessment of the effectiveness of the ED method is performed in relation to prominent communication technology based on Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) transmissions. Due to the impact of changes in the noise power of the PU signal, referred to as noise uncertainty (NU), the MIMO-OFDM transmission in a real communication environment cannot guarantee accurate sensing performed by employing ED based on the SLC method at the secondary user (SU). More precise SS can be achieved if dynamic detection threshold (DDT) changes are employed according to the channel conditions impacted by NU. Thus, this work investigated the effect of NU variations and DDT adjustments on the detection probability for various levels of false alarm probability. This interdependence is presented as receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. A mathematical model including different operational parameters was developed to define the fundamental parameters of the ED method based on the SLC approach. Using the developed mathematical model, an algorithm was created which simulates SLC ED processes using DDT in single-input single-output (SISO)- and MIMO-OFDM communication systems affected by NU. Based on the simulation results, comprehensive analyses of the impact of versatile DDT adaptations and NU variations on the shape of the ROC curves for the ED process performed with different numbers of transmitting and receiving antenna, modulation techniques, detection sample numbers, PU transmitting powers, and SNR values are presented.
Impacts of Micro-Deviations of Aperture on the Characteristics of Collision Atomization Field
Authors: Ma Yarui , Cui Jiwen , Wang Hui , Tan Jiubin
Published: May 2022

As the final flow channel of the liquid rocket engine, the manufacturing of impinging atomization nozzles has become a critical link in the manufacture of impinging atomization components. At present, the high-precision machining of millimeter nozzles in large-scale production is quite difficult, which inevitably leads to the diversity of internal flow field and atomization field parameters. In this investigation, the influence of the diameter deviation of impinging nozzles on the atomization field is analyzed by experiment. The transparent nozzle is installed in a typical colliding atomizer. The ultra-precision measurement is carried out by the optical fiber measurement system and the flow field in the nozzle is visualized. The information of atomized droplets in the atomization field is assembled by the laser interferometric particle imaging technology (IPI). The experimental results indicate that the micro-deviations of the collision aperture have a profound influence on the cavitation state of the flow field in the nozzles and the atomization characteristics (droplet diameter and atomization cone angle) of the atomization field.
HDPP: High-Dimensional Dynamic Path Planning Based on Multi-Scale Positioning and Waypoint Refinement
Authors: Wang Jingyao , Ruan Xiaogang , Huang Jing
Published: May 2022

Algorithms such as RRT (Rapidly exploring random tree), A* and their variants have been widely used in the field of robot path planning. A lot of work has shown that these detectors are unable to carry out effective and stable results for moving objects in high-dimensional space, which generate a large number of multi-dimensional corner points. Although some filtering mechanisms (such as splines and valuation functions) reduce the calculation scale, the chance of collision is increased, which is fatal to robots. In order to generate fewer but more effective and stable feature points, we propose a novel multi-scale positioning method to plan the motion of the high-dimensional target. First, a multi-scale feature extraction and refinement scheme for waypoint navigation and positioning is proposed to find the corner points that are more important to the planning, and gradually eliminate the unnecessary redundant points. Then, in order to obtain a stable planning effect, we balance the gradient of corner point classification detection to avoid over-optimizing some of them during the training phase. In addition, considering the maintenance cost of the robot in actual operation, we pay attention to the mechanism of anti-collision in the model design. Our approach can achieve a complete obstacle avoidance rate for high-dimensional space simulation and physical manipulators, and also work well in low-dimensional space for path planning. The experimental results demonstrate the superiority of our approach through a comparison with state-of-the-art models.
Gender Stereotypes in Hollywood Movies and Their Evolution over Time: Insights from Network Analysis
Authors: Kumar Arjun M. , Goh Jasmine Y. Q. , Tan Tiffany H. H. , Siew Cynthia S. Q.
Published: May 2022

The present analysis of more than 180,000 sentences from movie plots across the period from 1940 to 2019 emphasizes how gender stereotypes are expressed through the cultural products of society. By applying a network analysis to the word co-occurrence networks of movie plots and using a novel method of identifying story tropes, we demonstrate that gender stereotypes exist in Hollywood movies. An analysis of specific paths in the network and the words reflecting various domains show the dynamic changes in some of these stereotypical associations. Our results suggest that gender stereotypes are complex and dynamic in nature. Specifically, whereas male characters appear to be associated with a diversity of themes in movies, female characters seem predominantly associated with the theme of romance. Although associations of female characters to physical beauty and marriage are declining over time, associations of female characters to sexual relationships and weddings are increasing. Our results demonstrate how the application of cognitive network science methods can enable a more nuanced investigation of gender stereotypes in textual data.
Single Gene Mutations in Pkd1 or Tsc2 Alter Extracellular Vesicle Production and Trafficking
Authors: Kumar Prashant , Zadjali Fahad , Yao Ying , Köttgen Michael , Hofherr Alexis , Gross Kenneth W. , Mehta Darshan , Bissler John J.
Published: May 2022

Patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) are born with normal or near-normal kidneys that later develop cysts and prematurely lose function. Both renal cystic diseases appear to be mediated, at least in part, by disease-promoting extracellular vesicles (EVs) that induce genetically intact cells to participate in the renal disease process. We used centrifugation and size exclusion chromatography to isolate the EVs for study. We characterized the EVs using tunable resistive pulse sensing, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and Western blot analysis. We performed EV trafficking studies using a dye approach in both tissue culture and in vivo studies. We have previously reported that loss of the Tsc2 gene significantly increased EV production and here demonstrate that the loss of the Pkd1 gene also significantly increases EV production. Using a cell culture system, we also show that loss of either the Tsc2 or Pkd1 gene results in EVs that exhibit an enhanced uptake by renal epithelial cells and a prolonged half-life. Loss of the primary cilia significantly reduces EV production in renal collecting duct cells. Cells that have a disrupted Pkd1 gene produce EVs that have altered kinetics and a prolonged half-life, possibly impacting the duration of the EV cargo effect on the recipient cell. These results demonstrate the interplay between primary cilia and EVs and support a role for EVs in polycystic kidney disease pathogenesis.