bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
YELKEN GÖĞÜSTE TORAKS DUVARI STABİLİZASYONU AMELİYATLARININ SAĞ KALIMA OLUMLU ETKİSİ
Authors: ASLANER Oktay
Published: December 2020

ÖZET

AMAÇ: künt otoraks travmaları sonrasında gelişen yelken göğüs patolojisinin cerrahi yöntemlerle tedavi edilmesinin sağ kalıma olumlu etkisini göstermek istedik.

HASTALAR VE YÖNTEM: 2010-2020 yılları arasında Alaaddin Keykubat Üniversitesi Alanya Eğitim Araştırma hastanesi göğüs cerrahisi kliniğinde takip ve tedavisi yapılan yelken göğüs vakaları retrospektif olarak incelendi. Cerrahi yöntem olarak; metal plaklarla kırık kostaların ve sternumun stabilizasyonu ile Judet Struts isimli titanyum plaklar kullannıldı.

BULGULAR: Vakaların 17 (%43,6) sına toraks duvarı stabilizasyonu ameliyatı yapıldı, 22 (%56,4) vaka ise konservatif yaklaşımlarla tedavi edilmeye çalışıldı. konservatif yaklaşımda bulunulan hastaların hem yoğun bakımda hem de serviste kalış sürelerine göre anlamlı şekilde düşüktü. Stabiliasyon ameliyatı yapılan 17 hastamızdan 1 hastamız (%5,8) mortaliteyle sonuçlanırken, konservatif yaklaşılan 22 hastadan 6(%27,2) tanesi mortalite ile sonuçlandı. Stabilizasyon ameliyatının sağ kalıma olumlu katkısı anlamlı bulundu. Pnömoni gelişen vakaların 1(%7,7) tanesi stabilasyon ameliyatı yapılan vaka iken, 12 (%92,3) tanesi konservatif yaklaşılan vakalardı. Pnömoni gelişme oranı açısından ise konservatif yaklaşılan vakalar istatistiksel olarak anlamlı oranda yüksek tespit edildi.

SONUÇ: Yelken göğüs patolojisi gelişen künt toraks travmalı vakalarda toraks stabiliasyonu ameliyatlarının akciğer kontüzyonu insidansını, pnömoni insidansını, ventilatörde ve yoğun bakımda kalma sürelerini önemli ölçüde azaltarak sağ kalıma önemli ölçüde katı sağladığını düşünüyoruz.

ANAHTAR SÖZCÜKLER: Yelken göğüs, kaburga kırığı, stabilizasyon ameliyatı
Kolorektal Adenokarsinomu Taklit Eden Nonadenokarsinom Tümörlerin Retrospektif Analizi
Authors: KAYA Tayfun , DURSUN Ayberk
Published: December 2020

Amaç: Kolorektal tümör (KRT) nedeniyle ameliyat edilen hastalarda en sık görülen patoloji adenokanserdir. Non-adenokarsinom KRT’ler nadirdir ve bu nedenle adenokarsinom dışı KRT’le ilgili veriler kısıtlıdır. Kliniğimizdeki nonadenokarsinom KRT’le ilgili verileri sunarak literatüre katkı sunmayı amaçlıyoruz. Yöntem: Kliniğimizde 01.01.2010 - 01.01.2020 tarihleri arasında KRT nedeniyle elektif olarak ameliyat edilen hastalar retrospektif olarak tarandı. Histopatolojik olarak adenokarsinom dışı tümör tanısı konan hastalar kaydedildi. Bulgular: KRT nedeniyle elektif olarak ameliyat edilen toplam 798 hasta arasından adenokarsinom dışı patolojik tanısı olan 18 hasta (%2,25) çalışmaya alındı. Dokuz hasta (%50) kadındı ve ortalama yaş 52,8’di (33-70). En sık patolojik tanı, 7 hastada (%38,9) nöroendokrin tümör ve 4 hastada (%22,2) lenfomaydı. İkişer hastada (%11,1) malign melanom ve lipom mevcuttu. Scwannoma, granüler tümör ve endometriozis diğer tanılardı. Hastalarda mortalite gelişmedi. Ortalama yatış süresi 7.44 gündü (3-18). Tümörler en sık rektuma (%33,3) lokalizeydi. On iki hastada (%66,6) 12 ve üzerinde lenf nodu eksize edildi. Tüm hastalarda cerrahi sınırlar salimdi. Ameliyat öncesi histopatolojik tanı sadece 9 hastaya (%50) konabildi. Sonuç: Nonadenokarsinom KRT’ler adenokarsinomlara göre daha genç yaşlarda görülen, erkek dominansı olmayan, ameliyat öncesi tanı oranı düşük nadir tümörlerdir. Kolorektal cerrahlar, ameliyat öncesi tanı konulamayan, atipik özellikleri olan tümöral kitlelerde adenokarsinom dışı tümörleri akılda tutmalıdır. Tanı ve tedavi sürecinde multidisipliner yaklaşım önemlidir.
Ratlarda Deneysel Artrit Modelinde Stronsiyum Kloridin Anti-İnlamatuvar Etkinliğinin Araştırılması
Authors: SERVİ Mustafa , CEYHAN DOĞAN Sevil , GÜNGÖR Hüseyin , GÖZE Fahrettin , YILDIZ Şeyma , AKYOL Melih
Published: December 2020

AMAÇ: Stronsiyum (Sr), osteoporoz tedavisinde uzun yıllardır kullanılan bir ilaçtır. Son dönemlerde Sr’nin pro-inflamatuvar sitokinleri inhibe ederek anti-inflamatuvar etkiler yaptığı gösterilmiştir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, Sr kloridin anti-inflamatuvar etkilerini ratlarda Freund’s Complete Adjuvan (FCA) kullanılarak oluşturulan deneysel artrit modelinde klinik, histopatolojik, immunohistokimyasal TNF-α ve TNF-α, IL-1 β, IL-6 serum seviyeleri ile değerlendirmektir.

YÖNTEM: Çalışmaya 48 adet wistar-albino cinsi dişi rat alınmıştır. Ratlar randomize olarak her grupta 8 rat olacak biçimde toplam 6 gruba ayrıldı. Grup I kontrol grubudur, diğer gruplarda deneysel artrit modeli oluşturulmuştur. Grup II artrit kontrol olarak ayrılmıştır. Grup III, Grup IV ve Grup V’e Sr klorid oral olarak verilmiştir. Grup VI’ya diklofenak sodyum oral olarak verilmiştir. Deney sürecinde aralıklı olarak grupların ağırlık ölçümleri, sağ pençe çevresi ölçümleri ve klinik artrit skorları takip edilmiştir. Deney sonunda deneklerden alınan kan örneklerinden serum TNF-α, IL-1 β, IL-6 çalışılmıştır. Alınan doku örneklerinden histopatolojik olarak inflamasyon skoru, sinovyal hiperplazi, kıkırdak erozyonu ve kemik erozyonu değerlendirilmiştir. Alınan doku örneklerinden immunohistokimyasal TNF-α değerlendirilmiştir.

BULGULAR: Sr kloridin anti-inflamatuvar etkileri değerlendirmelerde gösterilmiştir. Serum örneklerinden çalışılan TNF-α, IL-1 β, IL-6 seviyelerinde gruplar arasında anlamlı farklılık yoktu. İmmunohistokimyasal TNF-α değerlendirmesinde kontrol grubu hariç diğer gruplarda anlamlı farklılık yoktu.

SONUÇ: Çalışmamızda Sr kloridin anti-inflamatuvar etkileri klinik ve histopatolojik değerlendirmeler ile gösterilmiştir. Bu sonuçlar Romatoid Artrit tedavisinde Sr kloridin kullanılabileceğini düşündürmektedir.
Mutagenesis Analysis of ABCG2 Gene Promoter of Zebrafish (Danio Rerio)
Authors: BINTI MD YUSNI NABILA ZURAIN , LIM LEONARD WHYE KIT , CHUNG HUNG HUI
Published: December 2020

Breast cancer is the commonest cancer among women worldwide and the probability of a woman dying from breast cancer is high (about 1 in 38 of total human population (2.6%)).The main factor for mortality is due to the resistance of this particular disease to chemotherapeutic agents. One of the most well-known proteins to be found to correlate significantly with breast cancer resistance to chemotherapeutic agent is the ATP-binding cassette super-family G member 2 (ABCG2). Knowledge on ABCG2 gene regulation is still lacking in terms of how the increased cytotoxic levels are closely related to induce a hype in gene transcript levels and ultimately cause of the reduction in chemotherapeutic agents. The approach taken in this study is through mutational analysis of selected transcription factor governing the expression of ABCG2. In order to achieve this, a previously cloned ABCG2 promoter which has been isolated (around 1500 bp in size) from Danio rerio and inserted into pGL3.0 plasmid, was subjected to site-directed mutagenesis. Selected transcription factor which is AP-1 was successfully mutated by deletion of 5'- TGACGCG -3' sequence at position 1113 bp from TSS+1 where it would bind in order to define their role in ABCG2 physiological function. Sequencing result after site-directed mutagenesis shows high similarities about 98% with ABCG2 gene of Danio rerio. Upon validation, it was found that the intended AP-1 binding site has been mutated. In future work, the mutated clone here will be subjected to transfection analysis where dual-luciferase assay will be conducted to verify the loss of activity from the ABCG2 promoter upon mutation of the targeted AP-1 site. Hence, the mutagenesis analysis of ABCG2 promoter are able to provide information on the involvement of AP-1 transcription factor in multidrug resistance mechanism of breast cancer and thus will be a potential target for chemotherapeutic agent.
Impak Industri Pelancongan Terhadap Penduduk Kampung Tellian Tengah, Mukah, Sarawak: Satu Kajian Awal
Authors: BINTI SHUDIE NUR FARAHIN , GANI NICHOLAS
Published: December 2020

Industri pelancongan merupakan salah salah satu aktiviti ekonomi yang mampu memberi pelbagai impak, baik yang positif mahupun yang negatif, kepada penduduk setempat. Makalah ini membentangkan hasil awalan kajian yang telah dijalankan terhadap impak industri pelancongan masyarakat Melanau di Lamin Dana kepada penduduk setempat yang tinggal di Kampung Tellian Tengah, Mukah. Pengumpulan data untuk kajian ini menggunakan kaedah pemerhatian dan temubual yang telah dijalankan di kalangan penduduk Kampung Tellian Tengah. Data kajian dianalisis secara kualitatif untuk mengenalpasti impak-impak hasil daripada aktiviti pelancongan di Lamin Dana. Hasil analisis awal mendapati impak yang telah dialami oleh penduduk setempat adalah dalam aspek ekonomi, budaya dan kehidupan, serta infrastruktur dan persekitaran.
EMERGING STUDIES AMONG FAMILY CONTROLLED FIRMS
Authors: Mohd Ariffin Mohd Shazwan
Published: December 2020

This study maps and analyses the bibliometric analysis of family-controlled firms among Malaysian listed companies based on observation from article title on September 23, 2020. We examine the timeframe of publication, subject areas, influential affiliation, frequent keywords and the importance of network visualization maps. Thus, influential contributions, university affiliations and research networks are discussed. The review examines 49 documents from 65 subject areas, indexed in the Scopus and Web of Science databases between 2006 and 2020. Interestingly, there is an emerging development of family-controlled firms in general, and the leading scholars strongly interconnected.
The Determinants Of Human Capital Disclosure For Financial Sector In Malaysia
Authors: MD ARIS NAZARIA , Rahmat Nurul Hamizah , Sahari Salawati
Published: December 2020

Disclosure of human capital is evolving and has rapidly emerged as a critical area of focus through the lens of stakeholders. This study analyses the factors influencing human capital disclosure for financial sector in Malaysia from 2013 to 2017. The result of this study reported that there is significant positive relationship between firms’ performance and leverage towards human capital disclosure. This study discovered among the human capital characteristics, employee benefit has the highest value on human capital disclosure for Financial sector in Malaysia followed bytraining of employee, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the lowest value is descriptive employee.This study usesdescriptive analysis, content analysis, correlation analysis, and regression analysisto test and analyse the dependent variables and independent variables of this study. The results of this study should be great importance tomany parties such as employees, stakeholder, government, researcher and university in making right decision with regard to human capital disclosure.

Keywords:Human Capital Disclosure, Performance, Leverage, Financial Sector
Exotoxins of pathogenic Escherichia coli
Authors:   Veterinary Department of the Pashkovsky Agricultural College, Terekhov Vladimir I. , Tishchenko Aleksandr S. , Stepanenko Anastasiya V. ,   Kuban State Agrarian University named after I.T. Trubilin
Published: December 2020

Escherichia coli is a representative of the natural normal microflora of humans and animals. At the same time, some variants may acquire pathogenic properties that contribute to the occurrence of intestinal and extraintestinal infections. In the pathogenesis of these diseases, the main role is played by exotoxins. Currently, along with the well-known and well-studied toxins of Escherichia coli, there is information about new toxoid structures detected in this pathogen, which play an important role in pathologies in humans and animals. Authors summarized current data on the toxigenic properties of Escherichia coli bacteria and established the role of exotoxins of pathogenic Escherichia coli in the mechanism of disease development. Scientific publications of mainly foreign researchers were used as a material for the review. It was found that cyclodomodulating exotoxins that affect the eukaryotic cell cycle were currently identified in Escherichia coli in addition to thermolabile, thermostable, shigalike, necrotizing toxins and hemolysin. Also Escherichia coli has a number of pore-forming toxins that destroy the epithelial barrier and overcome the protection of the host's immune cells due to the formation of pores in their membranes, and so-called repeated toxins, the prototype of which is а-hemolysin. Thus, it can be seen from the review that Escherichia coli, having a wide range of toxoid structures, can cause pathological changes in the human and animal body. The nature of these changes directly depends on the type of E. coli and the type of exotoxin produced by them. Most toxigenic strains of Escherichia coli have the ability to modulate the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines and other immune cells, which can be further used in the design of effective vaccines and biological products for the treatment and prevention of enterobacterial infections.
Relationship Among Family Planning Attitude, Gender and Religious Orientation of Individuals Preparing for Marriage
Authors: Ibar Aydin Esra , Citak Bilgin Nevin
Published: December 2020

Aim: The research was conducted to examine the relationship among family planning attitude, gender and religious orientation of individuals preparing for marriage. Methods: The descriptive study was conducted with 588 individuals who applied to the pre-marital counseling unit between February and October 2018. Research data were collected using personal information form, Family Planning Attitude Scale, Gender Scale and Religious Orientation Scale. Descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis were used to evaluate the data. Results: The average age of participants was 26.81±4.83; 51.2% were women and 47.8% with university or higher education. The Family Planning Attitude Scale score average was 123.64±19.29, the Gender Scale average score was 85.43±16.76 and the Religious Orientation Scale average score was 57.7±8.27. There was a positive, moderate relationship between family planning attitude and gender of participants and a negative, weak relationship between family planning attitude and religious orientations. While the perception of gender explained 21% of the variance related to the family planning attitude, the variance explained about the family planning attitude with the addition of religious orientation increased to 22%. Conclusion: The family planning attitudes of participants were positive, the important variable affecting the family planning attitude was gender perception, and although religious orientation was a significant variable in explaining the family planning attitude, the effect was minimal. Keywords: family planning, gender, religion, attitude
Biomimetic Urban and Architectural Design: Illustrating and Leveraging Relationships between Ecosystem Services
Authors: Pedersen Zari Maibritt
Published: December 2020

Redesigning and retrofitting cities so they become complex systems that create ecological and cultural–societal health through the provision of ecosystem services is of critical importance. Although a handful of methodologies and frameworks for considering how to design urban environments so that they provide ecosystem services have been proposed, their use is not widespread. A key barrier to their development has been identified as a lack of ecological knowledge about relationships between ecosystem services, which is then translated into the field of spatial design. In response, this paper examines recently published data concerning synergetic and conflicting relationships between ecosystem services from the field of ecology and then synthesises, translates, and illustrates this information for an architectural and urban design context. The intention of the diagrams created in this research is to enable designers and policy makers to make better decisions about how to effectively increase the provision of various ecosystem services in urban areas without causing unanticipated degradation in others. The results indicate that although targets of ecosystem services can be both spatially and metrically quantifiable while working across different scales, their effectiveness can be increased if relationships between them are considered during design phases of project development.
Analytical Determination of the Optimal Feed Temperature for Hydrogen Peroxide Decomposition Process Occurring in Bioreactor with a Fixed-Bed of Commercial Catalase
Authors: Grubecki Ireneusz
Published: December 2020

The hydrogen peroxide-immobilized commercial catalase system was chosen to estimate the optimal feed temperature (OFT) for fixed-bed reactor (FXBR). This feed temperature was obtained based on analytical solution by maximizing the time-averaged substrate conversion under a constant feed flow rate and temperature constraints. In calculations a set of partial differential equations describing the conservation equation for fixed-bed reactor, assuming plug flow and kinetic equation for the rate of enzyme parallel deactivation was taken into account. The model is based on kinetic, and mass-transfer parameters estimated previously in a real decomposition process of hydrogen peroxide (HP). The simulation showed that the OFT is strongly dependent on hydrogen peroxide feed concentration, feed flow rate and diffusional resistances expressed by biocatalyst global effectiveness factor. It has been shown that the more significant diffusional resistances and the higher HP conversions are, the higher the optimal feed temperature is. The calculated values of the OFT were verified with the experimental results obtained in the model reactor at selected values of the feed flow rate. Presented analysis poses a significant simplification in a numerical computational procedure and can be very useful for engineers to select the temperature condition at which bioreactor productivity is expected to be maximal.
Common Phase and Structure Misidentifications in High-Resolution TEM Characterization of Perovskite Materials
Authors: Deng Yu-Hao
Published: December 2020

High-resolution TEM (HRTEM) is a powerful tool for structure characterization. However, methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) perovskite is highly sensitive to electron beams and easily decomposes into lead iodide (PbI2). Misidentifications, such as PbI2 being incorrectly labeled as perovskite, are widely present in HRTEM characterization and would negatively affect the development of perovskite research field. Here misidentifications in MAPbI3 perovskite are summarized, classified, and corrected based on low-dose imaging and electron diffraction (ED) simulations. Corresponding crystallographic parameters of intrinsic tetragonal MAPbI3 and the confusable hexagonal PbI2 are presented unambiguously. Finally, the method of proper phase identification and some strategies to control the radiation damage in HRTEM are provided. This warning paves the way to avoid future misinterpretations in HRTEM characterization of perovskite and other electron beam-sensitive materials.
Differences in ITO Interface Characteristics Change According to the Formation of Aromatic-Ring and Aliphatic Self-Assembled Monolayers
Authors: Baek Myung-Gyun , Shin Johng-Eon , Park Sang-Geon
Published: December 2020

Herein, we confirm the performance difference according to the structure of self-assembling monolayer (SAM) and investigate the characteristics of the indium tin oxide (ITO) surface when ITO substrates are deposited by (3,3,3-trifluoropropyl)trimethoxysilane (F-3SAM) and (heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrodecyl)triethoxysilane (F-10SAM) having different chain lengths with trifluoromethyl group as terminal functional group, as well as SAM benzoic acid (BA) and 2-naphthoic acid (NA) with benzene ring forms. Through these, it is possible to control the wetting properties, surface roughness, and work function of the ITO surface. Wetting characteristics, average roughness, and changes in work function of the ITO surface were characterized by contact angle measurement, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and UV photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). The measured contact angles were 41.1°, 82.25°, and 118° for the bare ITO, NA, and F-10SAM, respectively, the average roughnesses of the SAM-modified surfaces were 1.377, 1.033, and 0.838 nm for the bare ITO, NA, and F-10SAM, respectively. The work function of the ITO surface modified with NA and F-10SAM increased from 0.21 and 0.36 eV to 5.01 and 5.16 eV, respectively. As a result, the surface properties of ITO were better for aliphatic SAM than for aromatic ring SAM.
TomoSim: A Tomographic Simulator for Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy
Authors: Valente de Almeida Rui , Matela Nuno , Vieira Pedro
Published: December 2020

TomoSim comes as part of project ATMOS, a miniaturised Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) tomographic atmospheric evaluation device, designed to fit a small drone. During the development of the project, it became necessary to write a simulation tool for system validation. TomoSim is the answer to this problem. The software has two main goals: to mathematically validate the tomographic acquisition method; and to allow some adjustments to the system before reaching final product stages. This measurement strategy was based on a drone performing a sequential trajectory and gathering projections arranged in fan beams, before using some classical tomographic methods to reconstruct a spectral image. The team tested three different reconstruction algorithms, all of which were able to produce an image, validating the team’s initial assumptions regarding the trajectory and acquisition strategy. All algorithms were assessed on their computational performance and their ability for reconstructing spectral “images”, using two phantoms, one of which custom made for this purpose. In the end, the team was also able to uncover certain limitations of the TomoSim approach that should be addressed before the final stages of the system.
Spatiotemporal Intermittency in Pulsatile Pipe Flow
Authors: Feldmann Daniel , Morón Daniel , Avila Marc
Published: December 2020

Despite its importance in cardiovascular diseases and engineering applications, turbulence in pulsatile pipe flow remains little comprehended. Important advances have been made in the recent years in understanding the transition to turbulence in such flows, but the question remains of how turbulence behaves once triggered. In this paper, we explore the spatiotemporal intermittency of turbulence in pulsatile pipe flows at fixed Reynolds and Womersley numbers (Re=2400, Wo=8) and different pulsation amplitudes. Direct numerical simulations (DNS) were performed according to two strategies. First, we performed DNS starting from a statistically steady pipe flow. Second, we performed DNS starting from the laminar Sexl–Womersley flow and disturbed with the optimal helical perturbation according to a non-modal stability analysis. Our results show that the optimal perturbation is unable to sustain turbulence after the first pulsation period. Spatiotemporally intermittent turbulence only survives for multiple periods if puffs are triggered. We find that puffs in pulsatile pipe flow do not only take advantage of the self-sustaining lift-up mechanism, but also of the intermittent stability of the mean velocity profile.
Heat Pump Bridge Analysis Using the Modified Energy Transfer Diagram
Authors: Schlosser Florian , Wiebe Heinrich , Walmsley Timothy G. , Atkins Martin J. , Walmsley Michael R. W. , Hesselbach Jens
Published: December 2020

Heat pumps are the key technology to decarbonise thermal processes by upgrading industrial surplus heat using renewable electricity. Existing insight-based integration methods refer to the idealised Grand Composite Curve requiring the full exploitation of heat recovery potential but leave the question of how to deal with technical or economic limitations unanswered. In this work, a novel Heat Pump Bridge Analysis (HPBA) is introduced for practically targeting technical and economic heat pump potential by applying Coefficient of Performance curves into the Modified Energy Transfer Diagram (METD). Removing cross-Pinch violations and operating heat exchangers at minimum approach temperatures by combined application of Bridge Analysis increases the heat recovery rate and reduce the temperature lift to be pumped at the same time. The insight-based METD allows the individual matching of heat surpluses and deficits of individual streams with the capabilities and performance of different market-available heat pump concepts. For an illustrative example, the presented modifications based on HPBA increase the economically viable share of the technical heat pump potential from 61% to 79%.
Effect of Low-Temperature Conditioning of Excess Dairy Sewage Sludge with the Use of Solidified Carbon Dioxide on the Efficiency of Methane Fermentation
Authors: Kazimierowicz Joanna , Bartkowska Izabela , Walery Maria
Published: December 2020

This study aimed to determine the effect of the low-temperature conditioning of excess dairy sewage sludge using solidified carbon dioxide on the efficiency of methane fermentation. An increase in the solidified carbon dioxide to excess dairy sewage sludge volumetric ratio above 0.3 had no significant effect on chemical oxygen demand concentration in the dissolved phase. The highest chemical oxygen demand values, ranging from 490.6 ± 12.9 to 510.5 ± 28.5 mg·dm−3, were determined at solidified carbon dioxide to excess dairy sewage sludge ratio ranging from 0.3 to 0.5. The low-temperature conditioning caused ammonia nitrogen concentration to increase from 155.2 ± 10.2 to 185.9 ± 11.1 mg·dm−3 and orthophosphates concentration to increase from 198.5 ± 23.1 to 300.6 ± 35.9 mg·dm−3 in the dissolved phase. The highest unitary amount of biogas, reaching 630.2 ± 45.5 cm3·g o.d.m.−1, was produced in the variant with the solidified carbon dioxide to excess dairy sewage sludge volumetric ratio of 0.3. Methane content of the biogas produced was at 68.7 ± 1.5%. Increased solidified carbon dioxide dose did not lead to any significant changes in biogas and methane production. The efficiency of biogas production from unconditioned excess dairy sewage sludge was lower by 43.0 ± 3.2%. The analysis demonstrated that the low-temperature conditioning is an energetic viable technology aiding the methane fermentation process.
A Computer Vision-Based Occupancy and Equipment Usage Detection Approach for Reducing Building Energy Demand
Authors: Tien Paige Wenbin , Wei Shuangyu , Calautit John
Published: December 2020

Because of extensive variations in occupancy patterns around office space environments and their use of electrical equipment, accurate occupants’ behaviour detection is valuable for reducing the building energy demand and carbon emissions. Using the collected occupancy information, building energy management system can automatically adjust the operation of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems to meet the actual demands in different conditioned spaces in real-time. Existing and commonly used ‘fixed’ schedules for HVAC systems are not sufficient and cannot adjust based on the dynamic changes in building environments. This study proposes a vision-based occupancy and equipment usage detection method based on deep learning for demand-driven control systems. A model based on region-based convolutional neural network (R-CNN) was developed, trained and deployed to a camera for real-time detection of occupancy activities and equipment usage. Experiments tests within a case study office room suggested an overall accuracy of 97.32% and 80.80%. In order to predict the energy savings that can be attained using the proposed approach, the case study building was simulated. The simulation results revealed that the heat gains could be over or under predicted when using static or fixed profiles. Based on the set conditions, the equipment and occupancy gains were 65.75% and 32.74% lower when using the deep learning approach. Overall, the study showed the capabilities of the proposed approach in detecting and recognising multiple occupants’ activities and equipment usage and providing an alternative to estimate the internal heat emissions.
Water-Energy-Nutrients Synergies in the Agrifood Sector: A Circular Economy Framework
Authors: Rodias Efthymios , Aivazidou Eirini , Achillas Charisios , Aidonis Dimitrios , Bochtis Dionysis
Published: December 2020

Circular economy is emerging as a regenerative concept that minimizes emissions, relies on renewable energy, and eliminates waste based on the design of closed-loop systems and the reuse of materials and resources. The implementation of circular economy practices in resource-consuming agricultural systems is essential for reducing the environmental ramifications of the currently linear systems. As the renewable segment of circular economy, bioeconomy facilitates the production of renewable biological resources (i.e., biomass) that transform into nutrients, bio-based products, and bioenergy. The use of recycled agro-industrial wastewater in agricultural activities (e.g., irrigation) can further foster the circularity of the bio-based systems. In this context, this paper aims to provide a literature review in the field of circular economy for the agrifood sector to enhance resource efficiency by: (i) minimizing the use of natural resources (e.g., water, energy), (ii) decreasing the use of chemical fertilizers, (iii) utilizing bio-based materials (e.g., agricultural/livestock residues), and (iv) reusing wastewater from agrifood operations. The final objective is to investigate any direct or indirect interactions within the water-energy-nutrients nexus. The derived framework of synergetic circular economy interventions in agriculture can act as a basis for developing circular bio-based business models and creating value-added agrifood products.
Core Stress Analysis of Amorphous Alloy Transformer for Rail Transit under Different Working Conditions
Authors: Shao Jianwei , Xu Cuidong , Cheng Ka Wai Eric
Published: December 2020

The rail transit system is a large electric vehicle system that is strongly dependent on the energy technologies of the power system. The use of new energy-saving amorphous alloy transformers can not only reduce the loss of rail transit power, but also help alleviate the power shortage situation and electromagnetic emissions. The application of the transformer in the field of rail transit is limited by the problem that amorphous alloy is prone to debris. this paper studied the stress conditions of amorphous alloy transformer cores under different working conditions and determined that the location where the core is prone to fragmentation, which is the key problem of smoothly integrating amorphous alloy distribution transformers on rail transit power supply systems. In this study, we investigate the changes in the electromagnetic field and stress of the amorphous alloy transformer core under different operating conditions. The finite element model of an amorphous alloy transformer is established and verified. The simulation results of the magnetic field and stress of the core under different working conditions are given. The no-load current and no-load loss are simulated and compared with the actual experimental data to verify practicability of amorphous alloy transformers. The biggest influence on the iron core is the overload state and the maximum value is higher than the core stress during short circuit. The core strain caused by the side-phase short circuit is larger than the middle-phase short circuit.
Model Verification and Error Sensitivity of Turbulence-Related Tensor Characteristics in Pulsatile Blood Flow Simulations
Authors: Andersson Magnus , Karlsson Matts
Published: December 2020

Model verification, validation, and uncertainty quantification are essential procedures to estimate errors within cardiovascular flow modeling, where acceptable confidence levels are needed for clinical reliability. While more turbulent-like studies are frequently observed within the biofluid community, practical modeling guidelines are scarce. Verification procedures determine the agreement between the conceptual model and its numerical solution by comparing for example, discretization and phase-averaging-related errors of specific output parameters. This computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study presents a comprehensive and practical verification approach for pulsatile turbulent-like blood flow predictions by considering the amplitude and shape of the turbulence-related tensor field using anisotropic invariant mapping. These procedures were demonstrated by investigating the Reynolds stress tensor characteristics in a patient-specific aortic coarctation model, focusing on modeling-related errors associated with the spatiotemporal resolution and phase-averaging sampling size. Findings in this work suggest that attention should also be put on reducing phase-averaging related errors, as these could easily outweigh the errors associated with the spatiotemporal resolution when including too few cardiac cycles. Also, substantially more cycles are likely needed than typically reported for these flow regimes to sufficiently converge the phase-instant tensor characteristics. Here, higher degrees of active fluctuating directions, especially of lower amplitudes, appeared to be the most sensitive turbulence characteristics.
The Power of Wild Plants in Feeding Humanity: A Meta-Analytic Ethnobotanical Approach in the Catalan Linguistic Area
Authors: Gras Airy , Garnatje Teresa , Marín Jon , Parada Montse , Sala Ester , Talavera Marc , Vallès Joan
Published: December 2020

Wild food plants (WFP) have always been present in our kitchen, although they have not always been given the same importance as crops. In the Catalan linguistic area (CLA), covered in this paper, WFP were of great importance as a subsistence food not only during the years of the Spanish civil war (1936–1939) and World War II (1939–1945), but also long before these periods and in the years thereafter. The CLA has been well studied at the level of traditional knowledge on plant biodiversity, and much of this information is collected in a database by the EtnoBioFiC research group. The aim of this work is to carry out a meta-analysis of the WFP dataset of the CLA (only regarding edible uses, drinks excluded) and to identify the most quoted plants, and the information associated with them. With data from 1659 informants, we recorded 10,078 use reports of 291 taxa (278 of which at specific or subspecific levels and 13 only determined at generic level) belonging to 67 families. The most reported taxa, also with highest cultural importance indexes, are Thymus vulgaris, Foeniculum vulgare subsp. piperitum, Laurus nobilis, Rubus ulmifolius and Mentha spicata. The ethnobotanicity index for food plants is 6.62% and the informant consensus factor, also for food uses, is a very high 0.97, supporting the robustness of the information. The results provided and discussed in this work concern a significant part of the edible resources in the territory considered, which is, often and mainly, underestimated and underutilised. Its consideration could be an opportunity to promote closer and more sustainable agriculture. From the state-of-the-art of this question, it is possible to propose old, in some cases forgotten foods that could be newly introduced onto the market, first, but not only, at a local level, which could be interesting for new crop development in the frame of a valorisation of territorial identity.
Monitoring and Mapping of Shallow Landslides in a Tropical Environment Using Persistent Scatterer Interferometry: A Case Study from the Western Ghats, India
Authors: Rajaneesh Ambujendran , Logesh Natarajan , Vishnu Chakrapani Lekha , Bouali El Hachemi , Oommen Thomas , Midhuna Vinayan , Sajinkumar Kochappi Sathyan
Published: December 2020

Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) techniques are now well established and accepted for monitoring ground displacements. The presence of shallow-seated landslides, ubiquitous phenomena in the tropics, offers an opportunity to monitor and map these hazards using PSI at the regional scale. Thus, the Western Ghats of India, experiencing a tropical climate and in a topographically complex region of the world, provides an ideal study site to test the efficacy of landslide detection with PSI. The biggest challenge in using the PSI technique in tropical regions is the additional noise in data due to vegetation. In this study, we filtered these noises by utilizing the 95-percentile of the highest coherence data, which also reduced the redundancy of the PSI points. The study examined 12 landslides that occurred within one of the three temporal categories grouped as Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3, categorized in relation to PSI monitoring periods, which was also further classified into east- and west-facing landslides. The Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data is in descending mode, and, therefore, the east-facing landslides are characterized by positive deformation velocity values, whereas the west-facing landslides have negative deformation values. Further, the landslide-prone areas, delineated using the conventional factor of safety (FS), were refined and mapped using PSI velocity values. The combination of PSI with the conventional FS approach helped to identify exclusive zones prone to landslides. The main aim of such an attempt is to identify critical areas in the unstable category in the map prepared using FS and prioritizing the mitigation measures, and to develop a road map for any developmental activities. The approach also helps to increase confidence in the susceptibility mapping and reduce false alarms.
BION-2: Predicting Positions of Non-Specifically Bound Ions on Protein Surface by a Gaussian-Based Treatment of Electrostatics
Authors: Shashikala H. B. Mihiri , Chakravorty Arghya , Panday Shailesh Kumar , Alexov Emil
Published: December 2020

Ions play significant roles in biological processes—they may specifically bind to a protein site or bind non-specifically on its surface. Although the role of specifically bound ions ranges from actively providing structural compactness via coordination of charge–charge interactions to numerous enzymatic activities, non-specifically surface-bound ions are also crucial to maintaining a protein’s stability, responding to pH and ion concentration changes, and contributing to other biological processes. However, the experimental determination of the positions of non-specifically bound ions is not trivial, since they may have a low residential time and experience significant thermal fluctuation of their positions. Here, we report a new release of a computational method, the BION-2 method, that predicts the positions of non-specifically surface-bound ions. The BION-2 utilizes the Gaussian-based treatment of ions within the framework of the modified Poisson–Boltzmann equation, which does not require a sharp boundary between the protein and water phase. Thus, the predictions are done by the balance of the energy of interaction between the protein charges and the corresponding ions and the de-solvation penalty of the ions as they approach the protein. The BION-2 is tested against experimentally determined ion’s positions and it is demonstrated that it outperforms the old BION and other available tools.
LPMO AfAA9_B and Cellobiohydrolase AfCel6A from A. fumigatus Boost Enzymatic Saccharification Activity of Cellulase Cocktail
Authors: Bernardi Aline Vianna , Gerolamo Luis Eduardo , de Gouvêa Paula Fagundes , Yonamine Deborah Kimie , Pereira Lucas Matheus Soares , de Oliveira Arthur Henrique Cavalcante , Uyemura Sérgio Akira , Dinamarco Taisa Magnani
Published: December 2020

Cellulose is the most abundant polysaccharide in lignocellulosic biomass, where it is interlinked with lignin and hemicellulose. Bioethanol can be produced from biomass. Since breaking down biomass is difficult, cellulose-active enzymes secreted by filamentous fungi play an important role in degrading recalcitrant lignocellulosic biomass. We characterized a cellobiohydrolase (AfCel6A) and lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase LPMO (AfAA9_B) from Aspergillus fumigatus after they were expressed in Pichia pastoris and purified. The biochemical parameters suggested that the enzymes were stable; the optimal temperature was ~60 °C. Further characterization revealed high turnover numbers (kcat of 147.9 s−1 and 0.64 s−1, respectively). Surprisingly, when combined, AfCel6A and AfAA9_B did not act synergistically. AfCel6A and AfAA9_B association inhibited AfCel6A activity, an outcome that needs to be further investigated. However, AfCel6A or AfAA9_B addition boosted the enzymatic saccharification activity of a cellulase cocktail and the activity of cellulase Af-EGL7. Enzymatic cocktail supplementation with AfCel6A or AfAA9_B boosted the yield of fermentable sugars from complex substrates, especially sugarcane exploded bagasse, by up to 95%. The synergism between the cellulase cocktail and AfAA9_B was enzyme- and substrate-specific, which suggests a specific enzymatic cocktail for each biomass by up to 95%. The synergism between the cellulase cocktail and AfAA9_B was enzyme- and substrate-specific, which suggests a specific enzymatic cocktail for each biomass.
Inhibition or Reversal of the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Gastric Cancer: Pharmacological Approaches
Authors: Kozak Joanna , Forma Alicja , Czeczelewski Marcin , Kozyra Paweł , Sitarz Elżbieta , Radzikowska-Büchner Elżbieta , Sitarz Monika , Baj Jacek
Published: December 2020

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) constitutes one of the hallmarks of carcinogenesis consisting in the re-differentiation of the epithelial cells into mesenchymal ones changing the cellular phenotype into a malignant one. EMT has been shown to play a role in the malignant transformation and while occurring in the tumor microenvironment, it significantly affects the aggressiveness of gastric cancer, among others. Importantly, after EMT occurs, gastric cancer patients are more susceptible to the induction of resistance to various therapeutic agents, worsening the clinical outcome of patients. Therefore, there is an urgent need to search for the newest pharmacological agents targeting EMT to prevent further progression of gastric carcinogenesis and potential metastases. Therapies targeted at EMT might be combined with other currently available treatment modalities, which seems to be an effective strategy to treat gastric cancer patients. In this review, we have summarized recent advances in gastric cancer treatment in terms of targeting EMT specifically, such as the administration of polyphenols, resveratrol, tangeretin, luteolin, genistein, proton pump inhibitors, terpenes, other plant extracts, or inorganic compounds.
Kinematics Governing Mechanotransduction in the Sensory Hair of the Venus flytrap
Authors: Saikia Eashan , Läubli Nino F. , Burri Jan T. , Rüggeberg Markus , Schlepütz Christian M. , Vogler Hannes , Burgert Ingo , Herrmann Hans J. , Nelson Bradley J. , Grossniklaus Ueli , Wittel Falk K.
Published: December 2020

Insects fall prey to the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) when they touch the sensory hairs located on the flytrap lobes, causing sudden trap closure. The mechanical stimulus imparted by the touch produces an electrical response in the sensory cells of the trigger hair. These cells are found in a constriction near the hair base, where a notch appears around the hair’s periphery. There are mechanosensitive ion channels (MSCs) in the sensory cells that open due to a change in membrane tension; however, the kinematics behind this process is unclear. In this study, we investigate how the stimulus acts on the sensory cells by building a multi-scale hair model, using morphometric data obtained from μ-CT scans. We simulated a single-touch stimulus and evaluated the resulting cell wall stretch. Interestingly, the model showed that high stretch values are diverted away from the notch periphery and, instead, localized in the interior regions of the cell wall. We repeated our simulations for different cell shape variants to elucidate how the morphology influences the location of these high-stretch regions. Our results suggest that there is likely a higher mechanotransduction activity in these ’hotspots’, which may provide new insights into the arrangement and functioning of MSCs in the flytrap.
Role of IL-36 Cytokines in the Regulation of Angiogenesis Potential of Trophoblast Cells
Authors: Murrieta-Coxca José M. , Gutiérrez-Samudio Ruby N. , El-Shorafa Heba M. , Groten Tanja , Rodríguez-Martínez Sandra , Cancino-Diaz Mario E. , Cancino-Diaz Juan C. , Favaro Rodolfo R. , Markert Udo R. , Morales-Prieto Diana M.
Published: December 2020

IL-36 cytokines (the agonists IL-36α, IL-36β, IL-36γ, and the antagonist IL-36Ra) are expressed in the mouse uterus and associated with maternal immune response during pregnancy. Here, we characterize the expression of IL-36 members in human primary trophoblast cells (PTC) and trophoblastic cell lines (HTR-8/SVneo and JEG-3) and upon treatment with bacterial and viral components. Effects of recombinant IL-36 on the migration capacity of trophoblastic cells, their ability to interact with endothelial cells and the induction of angiogenic factors and miRNAs (angiomiRNAs) were examined. Constitutive protein expression of IL-36 (α, β, and γ) and their receptor (IL-36R) was found in all cell types. In PTC, transcripts for all IL-36 subtypes were found, whereas in trophoblastic cell lines only for IL36G and IL36RN. A synthetic analog of double-stranded RNA (poly I:C) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced the expression of IL-36 members in a cell-specific and time-dependent manner. In HTR-8/SVneo cells, IL-36 cytokines increased cell migration and their capacity to interact with endothelial cells. VEGFA and PGF mRNA and protein, as well as the angiomiRNAs miR-146a-3p and miR-141-5p were upregulated as IL-36 response in PTC and HTR-8/SVneo cells. In conclusion, IL-36 cytokines are modulated by microbial components and regulate trophoblast migration and interaction with endothelial cells. Therefore, a fundamental role of these cytokines in the placentation process and in response to infections may be expected.
S-Adenosylmethionine Inhibits Cell Growth and Migration of Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells through Upregulating MiRNA-34c and MiRNA-449a
Authors: Coppola Alessandra , Ilisso Concetta Paola , Stellavato Antonietta , Schiraldi Chiara , Caraglia Michele , Mosca Laura , Cacciapuoti Giovanna , Porcelli Marina
Published: December 2020

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide and shows maximum invasiveness and a high risk of metastasis. Recently, many natural compounds have been highlighted as a valuable source of new and less toxic drugs to enhance breast cancer therapy. Among them, S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) has emerged as a promising anti-cancer agent. MicroRNA (miRNA or miR)-based gene therapy provides an interesting antitumor approach to integrated cancer therapy. In this study, we evaluated AdoMet-induced modulation of miRNA-34c and miRNA-449a expression in MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 TNBC cells. We demonstrated that AdoMet upregulates miR-34c and miR-449a expression in both cell lines. We found that the combination of AdoMet with miR-34c or miR-449a mimic strongly potentiated the pro-apoptotic effect of the sulfonium compound by a caspase-dependent mechanism. For the first time, by video time-lapse microscopy, we showed that AdoMet inhibited the in vitro migration of MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells and that the combination with miR-34c or miR-449a mimic strengthened the effect of the sulfonium compound through the modulation of β-catenin and Small Mother Against Decapentaplegic (SMAD) signaling pathways. Our results furnished the first evidence that AdoMet exerts its antitumor effects in TNBC cells through upregulating the expression of miR-34c and miR-449a.