bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antitumoral Drug: Loaded Hybrid Nanocapsules Based on Chitosan with Potential Effects in Breast Cancer Therapy
Authors: Dellali Kheira Zanoune , Rata Delia Mihaela , Popa Marcel , Djennad M’hamed , Ouagued Abdallah , Gherghel Daniela
Published: August 2020

Cancer remains one of the world’s most devastating diseases and is responsible for more than 20% of all deaths. It is defined as uncontrolled proliferation of cells and spreads rapidly to healthy tissue. Controlled drug delivery systems offers great opportunities for the development of new non-invasive strategies for the treatment of cancers. The main advantage of these systems is their capacity to accumulate in tumors via enhanced permeability and retention effects. In the present study, an innovative hybrid drug delivery system based on nanocapsules obtained from the interfacial condensation between chitosan and poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone-alt-itaconic anhydride) and containing both magnetic nanoparticles and an antitumoral drug was developed in order to improve the efficiency of the antitumoral treatment. Using dynamic light scattering, it was observed that the mean diameter of these hybrid nanocapsules was in the range of 43 to 142 nm. SEM confirmed their nanometric size and their well-defined spherical shape. These nanocapsules allowed the encapsulation of an increased amount of 5-fluorouracil and provided controlled drug release. In vitro studies have revealed that these drug-loaded hybrid nanocapsules were able to induce a cytostatic effect on breast carcinoma MCF-7 cell lines (Human Caucasian breast adenocarcinoma - HTB-22) comparable to that of the free drug.
Orchestration of Intracellular Circuits by G Protein-Coupled Receptor 39 for Hepatitis B Virus Proliferation
Authors: Goto Kaku , Nishitsuji Hironori , Sugiyama Masaya , Nishida Nao , Mizokami Masashi , Shimotohno Kunitada
Published: August 2020

Hepatitis B virus (HBV), a highly persistent pathogen causing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), takes full advantage of host machinery, presenting therapeutic targets. Here we aimed to identify novel druggable host cellular factors using the reporter HBV we have recently generated. In an RNAi screen of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), GPCR39 (GPR39) appeared as the top hit to facilitate HBV proliferation. Lentiviral overexpression of active GPR39 proteins and an agonist enhanced HBV replication and transcriptional activities of viral promoters, inducing the expression of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (CEBP)-β (CEBPB). Meanwhile, GPR39 was uncovered to activate the heat shock response, upregulating the expression of proviral heat shock proteins (HSPs). In addition, glioma-associated oncogene homologue signaling, a recently reported target of GPR39, was suggested to inhibit HBV replication and eventually suppress expression of CEBPB and HSPs. Thus, GPR39 provirally governed intracellular circuits simultaneously affecting the carcinopathogenetic gene functions. GPR39 and the regulated signaling networks would serve as antiviral targets, and strategies with selective inhibitors of GPR39 functions can develop host-targeted antiviral therapies preventing HCC.
Functional Aspects of Seminal Plasma in Bird Reproduction
Authors: Santiago-Moreno Julian , Blesbois Elisabeth
Published: August 2020

This review provides an updated overview of the seminal plasma composition, and the role of metabolic and protein components on the sperm function of avian species. In addition, the implication of seminal plasma on assisted reproductive techniques of birds was discussed. The semen of birds usually has exceptionally high sperm concentration with relatively little seminal plasma, but this contributes to very fast changes in sperm metabolism and function. The biochemical characteristics and physiological roles of the various seminal plasma components in birds (carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids, hormones, and proteins) are poorly understood. Seminal plasma content of proteins has an action on most cellular functions: metabolism, immunity, oxido-reduction regulation, proteolysis, apoptosis, ion homeostasis, and antimicrobial defenses. The variable amount of many proteins is related to a different fertility capacity of poultry sperm. The role of seminal plasma on semen conservation (chilling and freezing) remains largely a matter of speculation, as both inhibitory and stimulating effects have been found. Whereas the presence of seminal plasma did not seem to affect the sperm survival after freezing–thawing, DNA fragmentation is lower in the absence of seminal plasma. The molecular basis of the influence of seminal plasma on sperm cryo-resistance was also discussed in the present review.
Dual Substrate Specificity of the Rutinosidase from Aspergillus niger and the Role of Its Substrate Tunnel
Authors: Brodsky Katerina , Kutý Michal , Pelantová Helena , Cvačka Josef , Rebroš Martin , Kotik Michael , Kutá Smatanová Ivana , Křen Vladimír , Bojarová Pavla
Published: August 2020

Rutinosidases (α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-6)-β-d-glucopyranosidases, EC 3.2.1.168, CAZy GH5) are diglycosidases that cleave the glycosidic bond between the disaccharide rutinose and the respective aglycone. Similar to many retaining glycosidases, rutinosidases can also transfer the rutinosyl moiety onto acceptors with a free –OH group (so-called transglycosylation). The recombinant rutinosidase from Aspergillus niger (AnRut) is selectively produced in Pichia pastoris. It can catalyze transglycosylation reactions as an unpurified preparation directly from cultivation. This enzyme exhibits catalytic activity towards two substrates; in addition to rutinosidase activity, it also exhibits β-d-glucopyranosidase activity. As a result, new compounds are formed by β-glucosylation or rutinosylation of acceptors such as alcohols or strong inorganic nucleophiles (NaN3). Transglycosylation products with aliphatic aglycones are resistant towards cleavage by rutinosidase, therefore, their side hydrolysis does not occur, allowing higher transglycosylation yields. Fourteen compounds were synthesized by glucosylation or rutinosylation of selected acceptors. The products were isolated and structurally characterized. Interactions between the transglycosylation products and the recombinant AnRut were analyzed by molecular modeling. We revealed the role of a substrate tunnel in the structure of AnRut, which explained the unusual catalytic properties of this glycosidase and its specific transglycosylation potential. AnRut is attractive for biosynthetic applications, especially for the use of inexpensive substrates (rutin and isoquercitrin).
Small Non-Coding RNAome of Ageing Chondrocytes
Authors: Balaskas Panagiotis , Green Jonathan A. , Haqqi Tariq M. , Dyer Philip , Kharaz Yalda A. , Fang Yongxiang , Liu Xuan , Welting Tim J.M. , Peffers Mandy J.
Published: August 2020

Ageing is a leading risk factor predisposing cartilage to osteoarthritis. However, little research has been conducted on the effect of ageing on the expression of small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs). RNA from young and old chondrocytes from macroscopically normal equine metacarpophalangeal joints was extracted and subjected to small RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Differential expression analysis was performed in R using package DESeq2. For transfer RNA (tRNA) fragment analysis, tRNA reads were aligned to horse tRNA sequences using Bowtie2 version 2.2.5. Selected microRNA (miRNAs or miRs) and small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA) findings were validated using real-time quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) in an extended cohort of equine chondrocytes. tRNA fragments were further investigated in low- and high-grade OA human cartilage tissue. In total, 83 sncRNAs were differentially expressed between young and old equine chondrocytes, including miRNAs, snoRNAs, small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs), and tRNAs. qRT-PCR analysis confirmed findings. tRNA fragment analysis revealed that tRNA halves (tiRNAs), tiRNA-5035-GluCTC and tiRNA-5031-GluCTC-1 were reduced in both high grade OA human cartilage and old equine chondrocytes. For the first time, we have measured the effect of ageing on the expression of sncRNAs in equine chondrocytes. Changes were detected in a number of different sncRNA species. This study supports a role for sncRNAs in ageing cartilage and their potential involvement in age-related cartilage diseases.
Strain Rate Sensitivity of Epoxy Composites Reinforced with Varied Sizes of Bagasse Particles
Authors: Debnath Sujan , Ke Khieng Tan , Anwar Mahmood , Basak Animesh Kumar , Pramanik Alokesh
Published: August 2020

Viscoelastic materials, such as natural fibre-reinforced polymer composites, are strain rate sensitive. In the present investigation, the low strain rate sensitivity (0.00028 s−1, 0.00085 s−1 and 0.0017 s−1) of different sized bagasse particle-reinforced (212 µm and 300 µm) epoxy composites was examined using the Weibull analysis method. The filler loading content was optimized at 2 wt.% to achieve better mechanical properties. Based on the experimental results, it was observed that composites with 212 µm filler particles had higher characteristic strengths, more consistent failure strengths and higher energy absorption properties with higher loading speeds, compared to that of 300 µm filler particles. Based on the mathematical models for particle–matrix interactions, improvements in mechanical properties are attributed to proper filler dispersion and a better fibre–matrix interfacial strength.
N-Acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) Sensing, Utilization, and Functions in Candida albicans
Authors: Du Han , Ennis Craig L. , Hernday Aaron D. , Nobile Clarissa J. , Huang Guanghua
Published: August 2020

The sensing and efficient utilization of environmental nutrients are critical for the survival of microorganisms in environments where nutrients are limited, such as within mammalian hosts. Candida albicans is a common member of the human microbiota as well as an opportunistic fungal pathogen. The amide derivative sugar N-acetlyglucosamine (GlcNAc) is an important signaling molecule for C. albicans that could be a major nutrient source for this fungus in host settings. In this article, we review progress made over the past two decades on GlcNAc utilization, sensing, and functions in C. albicans and its related fungal species. GlcNAc sensing and catabolic pathways have been intensively studied in C. albicans. The C. albicans protein Ngt1 represents the first identified GlcNAc-specific transporter in eukaryotic organisms. In C. albicans, GlcNAc not only induces morphological transitions including the yeast to hyphal transition and the white to opaque phenotypic switch, but it also promotes fungal cell death. The Ras-cAMP/PKA signaling pathway plays critical roles in regulating these processes. Given the importance of GlcNAc sensing and utilization in C. albicans, targeting GlcNAc associated pathways and key pathway components could be promising in the development of new antifungal strategies.
Stochastic Optimization System for Bank Reverse Stress Testing
Authors: Montesi Giuseppe , Papiro Giovanni , Fazzini Massimiliano , Ronga Alessandro
Published: August 2020

The recent evolution of prudential regulation establishes a new requirement for banks and supervisors to perform reverse stress test exercises in their risk assessment processes, aimed at detecting default or near-default scenarios. We propose a reverse stress test methodology based on a stochastic simulation optimization system. This methodology enables users to derive the critical combination of risk factors that, by triggering a preset key capital indicator threshold, causes the bank’s default, thus detecting the set of assumptions that defines the reverse stress test scenario. This article presents a theoretical presentation of the approach, providing a general description of the stochastic framework and, for illustrative purposes, an example of the application of the proposed methodology to the Italian banking sector, in order to illustrate the possible advantages of the approach in a simplified framework, which highlights the basic functioning of the model. In the paper, we also show how to take into account some relevant risk factor interactions and second round effects such as liquidity–solvency interlinkage and modeling of Pillar 2 risks including interest rate risk, sovereign risk, and reputational risk. The reverse stress test technique presented is a practical and manageable risk assessment approach, suitable for both micro- and macro-prudential analysis.
Scope of Using Autonomous Trucks and Lorries for Parcel Deliveries in Urban Settings
Authors: Kassai Evelyne Tina , Azmat Muhammad , Kummer Sebastian
Published: August 2020

Courier, express, and parcel (CEP) services represent one of the most challenging and dynamic sectors of the logistics industry. Companies of this sector must solve several challenges to keep up with the rapid changes in the market. In this context, the introduction of autonomous delivery using self-driving trucks might be an appropriate solution to overcome the problems that the industry is facing today. This paper investigates if the introduction of autonomous trucks would be feasible for deliveries in urban areas from the experts’ point of view. Furthermore, the potential advantages of such autonomous vehicles were highlighted and compared to traditional delivery methods. At the same time, barriers that could slow down or hinder such an implementation were also discovered by conducting semi-structured interviews with experts from the field. The results show that CEP companies are interested in innovative logistics solutions such as autonomous vans, especially when it comes to business-to-consumer (B2C) activities. Most of the experts acknowledge the benefits that self-driving vans could bring once on the market. Despite that, there are still some difficulties that need to be solved before actual implementation. If this type of vehicle will become the sector’s disruptor is yet to be seen.
Silane Treatment as an Effective Way of Improving the Reinforcing Activity of Carbon Nanofibers in Nitrile Rubber Composites
Authors: Szadkowski Bolesław , Marzec Anna , Rybiński Przemysław
Published: August 2020

Two different silane treatment methods were used to improve the reinforcing activity of carbon nanofibers (CNF) in acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) composites. The first method was chemical silanization with [3-(2-aminoethylamino)propyl]trimethoxysilane (APTS) in ethanol solution, preceded by oxidation of the CNF with H2SO4/HNO3. The second method was direct incorporation of silanes during preparation of the composites (in-situ silanization). Three different silane coupling agents were used: [3-(2-aminoethylamino)propyl]trimethoxysilane, (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPTS), and 3-ureidopropyltrimethoxysilane (UPTS). The NBR composites were prepared in an internal laboratory mixer, with increasing concentrations of pure or modified CNF. The crosslink density and flammability of the NBR-filled composites were analyzed, as well as their rheological and mechanical properties. The electrical conductivity of the composites was measured to assess the formation of CNF networks in the elastomer matrix. The morphology of the CNF was assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Both the dispersion of the CNF in the NBR matrix and the polymer-filler interactions were improved following silane modification, as shown in SEM images and by the Payne Effect. The composites were also found to have enhanced moduli, tensile strength, hardness, damping, and electrical conductivity. Chemical treatment proved to be more effective at improving the reinforcing effect of CNF in the elastomer matrix than in-situ silanization. The results of this study demonstrate the great potential of both in-situ and chemical silanization for the preparation of reinforced polymer composites filled with CNF.
The Crystallization Mechanism of Zr-Based Bulk Metallic Glass during Electron Beam Remelting
Authors: Li Xiaopeng , Zhang Zeyu , Yang Yi , Fan Jikang , Kong Jian , Wang Kehong
Published: August 2020

Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) are promising for multifunctional and structural application in different industries. However, the limited size of BMGs hinders their further application. The welding of BMGs has shown the possibility of getting rid of the casting size limitation. The heat-affected zone (HAZ) and fusion zone (FZ) often undergo severe crystallization during the welding process. It is still unclear whether the crystallization occurs during the heating process or the cooling process. To figure out the crystallization mechanisms of Zr-based BMGs during the electron beam welding process, the Zr-based BMGs with the composition of Zr41.2Ti13.8Cu12.5Ni10Be22.5 were remelted by electron beam. The microstructures of the HAZ and the remelting zone (RZ) were analyzed. The thermal field of the electron beam welding was obtained by the finite element method (FEM). The critical conditions for crystallization during the heating and cooling processes were obtained by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and the Kissinger equation. The results show that the Zr41.2Ti13.8Cu12.5Ni10Be22.5 in the HAZ undergoes severe crystallization, while the Zr41.2Ti13.8Cu12.5Ni10Be22.5 in RZ keeps amorphous state after the remelting process. The low cooling rate in the HAZ is responsible for its crystallization.
Ruthenium(II) and Iridium(III) Complexes as Tested Materials for New Anticancer Agents
Authors: Masternak Joanna , Gilewska Agnieszka , Barszcz Barbara , Łakomska Iwona , Kazimierczuk Katarzyna , Sitkowski Jerzy , Wietrzyk Joanna , Kamecka Anna , Milczarek Magdalena
Published: August 2020

The oncological use of cisplatin is hindered by its severe side effects and a very important resistance problem. To overcome these problems, scientists have attempted to design new generation transition-metal anticancer complexes. In this study, we present new complexes, ruthenium(II) [(η6-p-cymene)RuCl(py2CO)]PF6 (1), iridium(III) [(η5-Cp)IrCl(py2CO)]PF6 (2), and NH4[IrCl4(py2CO)]·H2O (3), based on di-2-pyridylketone (py2CO). The prepared complexes were characterized by FTIR, 1H, 13C, 15N NMR, UV-Vis, PL and elemental analysis techniques. The single-crystal X-ray structure analysis and comparative data revealed pseudo-octahedral half-sandwich 1 and 2 complexes and octahedral tetrachloroiridate(III) 3 with a rare chelating κ2N,O coordination mode of py2CO. The compounds were tested in vitro against three cancer cell lines—colorectal adenoma (LoVo), myelomonocytic leukaemia (MV-4-11), breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), and normal fibroblasts (BALB/3T3). The most promising results were obtained for iridium(III) complex 3 against MV-4-11 (IC50 = 35.8 ± 13.9 µg/mL) without a toxic effect against normal BALB/3T3, which pointed towards its selectivity as a potential anticancer agent. Extensive research into their mode of binding with DNA confirmed for 1 and 2 complexes non-classical binding modes, while the 3D circular dichroism (CD) experiment (ΔTm) suggested that 3 induced the probable formation of covalent bonds with DNA. In addition, the obtained iridium complexes induce ROS, which, in synergy with hydrolysis promoting DNA bonding, may lead to cancer cell death.
The Harmonic Mapping Whose Hopf Differential Is a Constant
Authors: Shen Liang
Published: August 2020

Suppose that h(z) is a harmonic mapping from the unit disk D to itself with respect to the hyperbolic metric. If the Hopf differential of h(z) is a constant c>0, the Beltrami coefficient μ(z) of h(z) is radially symmetric and takes the maximum at z=0. Furthermore, the mapping γ:c→μ(0) is increasing and gives a homeomorphism from (0,+∞) to (0,1).
Iron-Uptake Systems of Chicken-Associated Salmonella Serovars and Their Role in Colonizing the Avian Host
Authors: Wellawa Dinesh H. , Allan Brenda , White Aaron P. , Köster Wolfgang
Published: August 2020

Iron is an essential micronutrient for most bacteria. Salmonella enterica strains, representing human and animal pathogens, have adopted several mechanisms to sequester iron from the environment depending on availability and source. Chickens act as a major reservoir for Salmonella enterica strains which can lead to outbreaks of human salmonellosis. In this review article we summarize the current understanding of the contribution of iron-uptake systems to the virulence of non-typhoidal S. enterica strains in colonizing chickens. We aim to address the gap in knowledge in this field, to help understand and define the interactions between S. enterica and these important hosts, in comparison to mammalian models.
Antibiogram Signatures of Some Enterobacteria Recovered from Irrigation Water and Agricultural Soil in two District Municipalities of South Africa
Authors: Iwu Chidozie Declan , du Plessis Erika M , Korsten Lise , Nontongana Nolonwabo , Okoh Anthony Ifeanyi
Published: August 2020

This study was undertaken to evaluate the antibiogram fingerprints of some Enterobacteria recovered from irrigation water and agricultural soil in two District Municipalities of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa using standard culture-based and molecular methods. The prevalent resistance patterns in the isolates follow the order: Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium [tetracycline (92.3%), ampicillin (69.2%)]; Enterobacter cloacae [amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (77.6%), ampicillin (84.5%), cefuroxime (81.0%), nitrofurantoin (81%), and tetracycline (80.3%)]; Klebsiella pneumoniae [amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (80.6%), ampicillin (88.9%), and cefuroxime (61.1%)]; and Klebsiella oxytoca [chloramphenicol (52.4%), amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (61.9%), ampicillin (61.9%), and nitrofurantoin (61.9%)]. Antibiotic resistance genes detected include tetC (86%), sulII (86%), and blaAmpC (29%) in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium., tetA (23%), tetB (23%), tetC (12%), sulI (54%), sulII (54%), catII (71%), blaAmpC (86%), blaTEM (43%), and blaPER (17%) in Enterobacter cloacae., tetA (20%), tetC (20%), tetD (10%), sulI (9%), sulII (18%), FOX (11%) and CIT (11%)-type plasmid-mediated AmpC, blaTEM (11%), and blaSHV (5%) in Klebsiella pneumoniae and blaAmpC (18%) in Klebsiella oxytoca. Our findings document the occurrence of some antibiotic-resistant Enterobacteria in irrigation water and agricultural soil in Amathole and Chris Hani District Municipalities, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, thus serving as a potential threat to food safety.
Comparative Study of Machine Learning Algorithms to Classify Hand Gestures from Deployable and Breathable Kirigami-Based Electrical Impedance Bracelet
Authors: Joseph Vedhagiri Godwin Ponraj , Wang Xin Zhi , Senthil Kumar Kirthika , Ren Hongliang
Published: August 2020

Wearable devices are gaining recognition for their use as a biosensor platform. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is one of the sensing techniques that utilizes wearable sensors as its primary data acquisition system. It measures the impedance or resistance at the peripheral (skin) level and calculates the conductivity distribution throughout the body. Even though the technology has existed for several decades, modern-day EIT devices are still costly and bulky. The paper proposes a novel low-cost kirigami-based wearable device that has soft PEDOT: PSS electrodes for sensing skin impedances. Simulation results show that the proposed kirigami structure for the bracelet has a large deformation during actuation while experiencing relatively lower stress. The paper also presents a comparative study on a few machine learning algorithms to classify hand gestures, based on the measured skin impedance. The best classification accuracy (91.49%) was observed from the quadratic support vector machine (SVM) algorithm with 48 principal components.
Nutritional Status and Quality of Life in Hospitalised Cancer Patients Who Develop Intestinal Failure and Require Parenteral Nutrition: An Observational Study
Authors: Plyta Marina , Patel Pinal S. , Fragkos Konstantinos C. , Kumagai Tomoko , Mehta Shameer , Rahman Farooq , Di Caro Simona
Published: August 2020

(1) Background: Malnutrition in cancer patients impacts quality of life (QoL) and performance status (PS). When oral/enteral nutrition is not possible and patients develop intestinal failure, parenteral nutrition (PN) is indicated. Our aim was to assess nutritional status, QoL, and PS in hospitalised cancer patients recently initiated on PN for intestinal failure. (2) Methods: The design was a cross-sectional observational study. The following information was captured: demographic, anthropometric, biochemical and medical information, as well as nutritional screening tool (NST), patient-generated subjective global assessment (PG-SGA), functional assessment of cancer therapy-general (FACT-G), and Karnofsky PS (KPS) data. (3) Results: Among 85 PN referrals, 30 oncology patients (56.2 years, 56.7% male) were identified. Mean weight (60.3 ± 16.6 kg) corresponded to normal body mass index values (21.0 ± 5.1 kg/m2). However, weight loss was significant in patients with gastrointestinal tumours (p < 0.01). A high malnutrition risk was present in 53.3–56.7% of patients, depending on the screening tool. Patients had impaired QoL (FACT-G: 26.6 ± 9.8) but PS indicated above average capability with independent daily activities (KPS: 60 ± 10). (4) Conclusions: Future research should assess the impact of impaired NS and QoL on clinical outcomes such as survival, with a view to encompassing nutritional and QoL assessment in the management pathway of this patient group.
Early Nutritional Interventions with Zinc, Selenium and Vitamin D for Raising Anti-Viral Resistance Against Progressive COVID-19
Authors: Alexander Jan , Tinkov Alexey , Strand Tor A. , Alehagen Urban , Skalny Anatoly , Aaseth Jan
Published: August 2020

Objectives: The novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) conveys a serious threat globally to health and economy because of a lack of vaccines and specific treatments. A common factor for conditions that predispose for serious progress is a low-grade inflammation, e.g., as seen in metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and heart failure, to which micronutrient deficiencies may contribute. The aim of the present article was to explore the usefulness of early micronutrient intervention, with focus on zinc, selenium, and vitamin D, to relieve escalation of COVID-19. Methods: We conducted an online search for articles published in the period 2010–2020 on zinc, selenium, and vitamin D, and corona and related virus infections. Results: There were a few studies providing direct evidence on associations between zinc, selenium, and vitamin D, and COVID-19. Adequate supply of zinc, selenium, and vitamin D is essential for resistance to other viral infections, immune function, and reduced inflammation. Hence, it is suggested that nutrition intervention securing an adequate status might protect against the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - coronavirus-2) and mitigate the course of COVID-19. Conclusion: We recommended initiation of adequate supplementation in high-risk areas and/or soon after the time of suspected infection with SARS-CoV-2. Subjects in high-risk groups should have high priority as regards this nutritive adjuvant therapy, which should be started prior to administration of specific and supportive medical measures.
Effect of Polyglucosamine on Weight Loss and Metabolic Parameters in Overweight and Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Perna Simone , Basharat Sana , Ali Khawla , Eid Abdulla , Gasparri Clara , Infantino Vittoria , Faliva Milena , Naso Maurizio , Cazzola Roberta , Cestaro Benvenuto , Rondanelli Mariangela
Published: August 2020

The use of dietary supplements for weight loss has gained significant momentum. Polyglucosamine, a chitosan derivative, is a dietary supplement increasingly used for weight loss. In this meta-analysis, we systematically summarized and quantified the key findings of four randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials examining the effects of polyglucosamine supplementation and caloric restriction, and physical activity on body weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference in subjects with overweight and obesity. The control group was set with a physical activity from 6–7 MET-h/week activity and up to 21 MET-h/week activity with caloric restriction. Compliance in the latter trials was reported via a follow-up questionnaire with the individual participants. The analysis included 399 subjects followed for a period ranging from 12 weeks to one year. Subjects’ age ranged from 21–75 years, BMI from 26–45 kg/m2, and all were white European or Caucasian in ethnicity. The meta-analyzed mean differences for random effects showed that polyglucosamine supplementation improves weight loss by −1.78 kg [−2.78, −0.79], BMI by −1.52 kg/m2 [−3.58, 0.54], and improves waist circumference reduction by −1.45 cm [−2.77, −0.12]. In conclusion, the use of polyglucosamine supplementation in conjunction with lifestyle behavioral therapies can be effective for weight reduction. Further studies are needed to examine the long-term effects of polyglucosamine supplementation on weight loss and other metabolic parameters
Gastrointestinally Digested Protein from the Insect Alphitobius diaperinus Stimulates a Different Intestinal Secretome than Beef or Almond, Producing a Differential Response in Food Intake in Rats
Authors: Miguéns-Gómez Alba , Grau-Bové Carme , Sierra-Cruz Marta , Jorba-Martín Rosa , Caro Aleidis , Rodríguez-Gallego Esther , Beltrán-Debón Raúl , Blay M Teresa , Terra Ximena , Ardévol Anna , Pinent Montserrat
Published: August 2020

In this study we compare the interaction of three protein sources—insect, beef, and almond—with the gastrointestinal tract. We measured the enterohormone secretion ex vivo in human and pig intestine treated with in vitro digestions of these foods. Insect and beef were the most effective in inducing the secretion of CCK, while almond was the most effective in inducing PYY in pig duodenum. In the human colon, almond was also the most effective in inducing PYY, and GLP-1 levels were increased by insect and beef. The three digested proteins reduced ghrelin secretion in pig duodenum, while only insect reduced ghrelin secretion in human colon. We also found that food intake in rats increased in groups fed a raw insect pre-load and decreased when fed raw almond. In conclusion, the insect Alphitobius diaperinus modulates duodenal and colonic enterohormone release and increases food intake in rats. These effects differ from beef and almond.
Fully Convolutional Neural Network for Rapid Flood Segmentation in Synthetic Aperture Radar Imagery
Authors: Nemni Edoardo , Bullock Joseph , Belabbes Samir , Bromley Lars
Published: August 2020

Rapid response to natural hazards, such as floods, is essential to mitigate loss of life and the reduction of suffering. For emergency response teams, access to timely and accurate data is essential. Satellite imagery offers a rich source of information which can be analysed to help determine regions affected by a disaster. Much remote sensing flood analysis is semi-automated, with time consuming manual components requiring hours to complete. In this study, we present a fully automated approach to the rapid flood mapping currently carried out by many non-governmental, national and international organisations. We design a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) based method which isolates the flooded pixels in freely available Copernicus Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery, requiring no optical bands and minimal pre-processing. We test a variety of CNN architectures and train our models on flood masks generated using a combination of classical semi-automated techniques and extensive manual cleaning and visual inspection. Our methodology reduces the time required to develop a flood map by 80%, while achieving strong performance over a wide range of locations and environmental conditions. Given the open-source data and the minimal image cleaning required, this methodology can also be integrated into end-to-end pipelines for more timely and continuous flood monitoring.
Monitoring Pasture Aboveground Biomass and Canopy Height in an Integrated Crop–Livestock System Using Textural Information from PlanetScope Imagery
Authors: Dos Reis Aliny A. , Werner João P. S. , Silva Bruna C. , Figueiredo Gleyce K. D. A. , Antunes João F. G. , Esquerdo Júlio C. D. M. , Coutinho Alexandre C. , Lamparelli Rubens A. C. , Rocha Jansle V. , Magalhães Paulo S. G.
Published: August 2020

Fast and accurate quantification of the available pasture biomass is essential to support grazing management decisions in intensively managed fields. The increasing temporal and spatial resolutions offered by the new generation of orbital platforms, such as Planet CubeSat satellites, have improved the capability of monitoring pasture biomass using remotely sensed data. Here, we assessed the feasibility of using spectral and textural information derived from PlanetScope imagery for estimating pasture aboveground biomass (AGB) and canopy height (CH) in intensively managed fields and the potential for enhanced accuracy by applying the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) algorithm. Our results demonstrated that the texture measures enhanced AGB and CH estimations compared to the performance obtained using only spectral bands or vegetation indices. The best results were found by employing the XGBoost models based only on texture measures. These models achieved moderately high accuracy to predict pasture AGB and CH, explaining 65% and 89% of AGB (root mean square error (RMSE) = 26.52%) and CH (RMSE = 20.94%) variability, respectively. This study demonstrated the potential of using texture measures to improve the prediction accuracy of AGB and CH models based on high spatiotemporal resolution PlanetScope data in intensively managed mixed pastures.
Toward Super-Resolution Image Construction Based on Joint Tensor Decomposition
Authors: Ren Xiaoxu , Lu Liangfu , Chanussot Jocelyn
Published: August 2020

In recent years, fusing hyperspectral images (HSIs) and multispectral images (MSIs) to acquire super-resolution images (SRIs) has been in the spotlight and gained tremendous attention. However, some current methods, such as those based on low rank matrix decomposition, also have a fair share of challenges. These algorithms carry out the matrixing process for the original image tensor, which will lose the structure information of the original image. In addition, there is no corresponding theory to prove whether the algorithm can guarantee the accurate restoration of the fused image due to the non-uniqueness of matrix decomposition. Moreover, degenerate operators are usually unknown or difficult to estimate in some practical applications. In this paper, an image fusion method based on joint tensor decomposition (JTF) is proposed, which is more effective and more applicable to the circumstance that degenerate operators are unknown or tough to gauge. Specifically, in the proposed JTF method, we consider SRI as a three-dimensional tensor and redefine the fusion problem with the decomposition issue of joint tensors. We then formulate the JTF algorithm, and the experimental results certify the superior performance of the proposed method in comparison to the current popular schemes.
Comparative Quality and Trend of Remotely Sensed Phenology and Productivity Metrics across the Western United States
Authors: Berman Ethan E. , Graves Tabitha A. , Mikle Nate L. , Merkle Jerod A. , Johnston Aaron N. , Chong Geneva W.
Published: August 2020

Vegetation phenology and productivity play a crucial role in surface energy balance, plant and animal distribution, and animal movement and habitat use and can be measured with remote sensing metrics including start of season (SOS), peak instantaneous rate of green-up date (PIRGd), peak of season (POS), end of season (EOS), and integrated vegetation indices. However, for most metrics, we do not yet understand the agreement of remotely sensed data products with near-surface observations. We also need summaries of changes over time, spatial distribution, variability, and consistency in remote sensing dataset metrics for vegetation timing and quality. We compare metrics from 10 leading remote sensing datasets against a network of PhenoCam near-surface cameras throughout the western United States from 2002 to 2014. Most phenology metrics representing a date (SOS, PIRGd, POS, and EOS), rather than a duration (length of spring, length of growing season), better agreed with near-surface metrics but results varied by dataset, metric, and land cover, with absolute value of mean bias ranging from 0.38 (PIRGd) to 37.92 days (EOS). Datasets had higher agreement with PhenoCam metrics in shrublands, grasslands, and deciduous forests than in evergreen forests. Phenology metrics had higher agreement than productivity metrics, aside from a few datasets in deciduous forests. Using two datasets covering the period 1982–2016 that best agreed with PhenoCam metrics, we analyzed changes over time to growing seasons. Both datasets exhibited substantial spatial heterogeneity in the direction of phenology trends. Variability of metrics increased over time in some areas, particularly in the Southwest. Approximately 60% of pixels had consistent trend direction between datasets for SOS, POS, and EOS, with the direction varying by location. In all ecoregions except Mediterranean California, EOS has become later. This study comprehensively compares remote sensing datasets across multiple growing season metrics and discusses considerations for applied users to inform their data choices.
Prospects for Detecting Volcanic Events with Microwave Radiometry
Authors: MacKenzie Shannon M. , Lorenz Ralph D.
Published: August 2020

Identifying volcanic activity on worlds with optically thick atmospheres with passive microwave radiometry has been proposed as a means of skirting the atmospheric interference that plagues near infrared observations. By probing deeper into the surface, microwave radiometers may also be sensitive to older flows and thus amenable for investigations where repeat observations are infrequent. In this investigation we explore the feasibility of this tactic using data from the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission in three case studies: the 2018 Kilauea eruption, the 2018 Oct-Nov eruption at Fuego, and the ongoing activity at Erta Ale in Ethiopia. We find that despite SMAP’s superior spatial resolution, observing flows that are small fractions of the observing footprint are difficult to detect—even in resampled data products. Furthermore, the absorptivity of the flow, which can be temperature dependent, can limit the depths to which SMAP is sensitive. We thus demonstrate that the lower limit of detectability at L-band (1.41 GHz) is in practice higher than expected from first principles.
Regional Precipitation Model Based on Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression Kriging
Authors: Zhang Wei , Liu Dan , Zheng Shengjie , Liu Shuya , Loáiciga Hugo A. , Li Wenkai
Published: August 2020

High-resolution precipitation field has been widely used in hydrological and meteorological modeling. This paper establishes the spatial and temporal distribution model of precipitation in Hubei Province from 2006 through 2014, based on the data of 75 meteorological stations. This paper applies a geographically and temporally weighted regression kriging (GTWRK) model to precipitation and assesses the effects of timescales and a time-weighted function on precipitation interpolation. This work’s results indicate that: (1) the optimal timescale of the geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) precipitation model is daily. The fitting accuracy is improved when the timescale is converted from months and years to days. The average mean absolute error (MAE), mean relative error (MRE), and the root mean square error (RMSE) decrease with scaling from monthly to daily time steps by 36%, 56%, and 35%, respectively, and the same statistical indexes decrease by 13%, 15%, and 14%, respectively, when scaling from annual to daily steps; (2) the time weight function based on an exponential function improves the predictive skill of the GTWR model by 3% when compared to geographically weighted regression (GWR) using a monthly time step; and (3) the GTWRK has the highest accuracy, and improves the MAE, MRE and RMSE by 3%, 10% and 1% with respect to monthly precipitation predictions, respectively, and by 3%, 10% and 5% concerning annual precipitation predictions, respectively, compared with the GWR results.
Model-Assisted Bird Monitoring Based on Remotely Sensed Ecosystem Functioning and Atlas Data
Authors: Regos Adrián , Gómez-Rodríguez Pablo , Arenas-Castro Salvador , Tapia Luis , Vidal María , Domínguez Jesús
Published: August 2020

Urgent action needs to be taken to halt global biodiversity crisis. To be effective in the implementation of such action, managers and policy-makers need updated information on the status and trends of biodiversity. Here, we test the ability of remotely sensed ecosystem functioning attributes (EFAs) to predict the distribution of 73 bird species with different life-history traits. We run ensemble species distribution models (SDMs) trained with bird atlas data and 12 EFAs describing different dimensions of carbon cycle and surface energy balance. Our ensemble SDMs—exclusively based on EFAs—hold a high predictive capacity across 71 target species (up to 0.94 and 0.79 of Area Under the ROC curve and true skill statistic (TSS)). Our results showed the life-history traits did not significantly affect SDM performance. Overall, minimum Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) and maximum Albedo values (descriptors of primary productivity and energy balance) were the most important predictors across our bird community. Our approach leverages the existing atlas data and provides an alternative method to monitor inter-annual bird habitat dynamics from space in the absence of long-term biodiversity monitoring schemes. This study illustrates the great potential that satellite remote sensing can contribute to the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and to the Essential Biodiversity Variables framework (EBV class “Species distribution”).
Defect Detection of Industry Wood Veneer Based on NAS and Multi-Channel Mask R-CNN
Authors: Shi Jiahao , Li Zhenye , Zhu Tingting , Wang Dongyi , Ni Chao
Published: August 2020

Wood veneer defect detection plays a vital role in the wood veneer production industry. Studies on wood veneer defect detection usually focused on detection accuracy for industrial applications but ignored algorithm execution speed; thus, their methods do not meet the required speed of online detection. In this paper, a new detection method is proposed that achieves high accuracy and a suitable speed for online production. Firstly, 2838 wood veneer images were collected using data collection equipment developed in the laboratory and labeled by experienced workers from a wood company. Then, an integrated model, glance multiple channel mask region convolution neural network (R-CNN), was constructed to detect wood veneer defects, which included a glance network and a multiple channel mask R-CNN. Neural network architect search technology was used to automatically construct the glance network with the lowest number of floating-point operations to pick out potential defect images out of numerous original wood veneer images. A genetic algorithm was used to merge the intermediate features extracted by the glance network. Multi-Channel Mask R-CNN was then used to classify and locate the defects. The experimental results show that the proposed method achieves a 98.70% overall classification accuracy and a 95.31% mean average precision, and only 2.5 s was needed to detect a batch of 50 standard images and 50 defective images. Compared with other wood veneer defect detection methods, the proposed method is more accurate and faster.
Real-Time Stress Assessment Using Sliding Window Based Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Naqvi Syed Faraz , Ali Syed Saad Azhar , Yahya Norashikin , Yasin Mohd Azhar , Hafeez Yasir , Subhani Ahmad Rauf , Adil Syed Hasan , Al Saggaf Ubaid M , Moinuddin Muhammad
Published: August 2020

Mental stress has been identified as a significant cause of several bodily disorders, such as depression, hypertension, neural and cardiovascular abnormalities. Conventional stress assessment methods are highly subjective and tedious and tend to lack accuracy. Machine-learning (ML)-based computer-aided diagnosis systems can be used to assess the mental state with reasonable accuracy, but they require offline processing and feature extraction, rendering them unsuitable for real-time applications. This paper presents a real-time mental stress assessment approach based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs). The CNN-based approach afforded real-time mental stress assessment with an accuracy as high as 96%, the sensitivity of 95%, and specificity of 97%. The proposed approach is compared with state-of-the-art ML techniques in terms of accuracy, time utilisation, and quality of features.
The Accuracy of the Microsoft Kinect V2 Sensor for Human Gait Analysis. A Different Approach for Comparison with the Ground Truth
Authors: Guffanti Diego , Brunete Alberto , Hernando Miguel , Rueda Javier , Navarro Cabello Enrique
Published: August 2020

Several studies have examined the accuracy of the Kinect V2 sensor during gait analysis. Usually the data retrieved by the Kinect V2 sensor are compared with the ground truth of certified systems using a Euclidean comparison. Due to the Kinect V2 sensor latency, the application of a uniform temporal alignment is not adequate to compare the signals. On that basis, the purpose of this study was to explore the abilities of the dynamic time warping (DTW) algorithm to compensate for sensor latency (3 samples or 90 ms) and develop a proper accuracy estimation. During the experimental stage, six iterations were performed using the a dual Kinect V2 system. The walking tests were developed at a self-selected speed. The sensor accuracy for Euclidean matching was consistent with that reported in previous studies. After latency compensation, the sensor accuracy demonstrated considerably lower error rates for all joints. This demonstrated that the accuracy was underestimated due to the use of inappropriate comparison techniques. On the contrary, DTW is a potential method that compensates for the sensor latency, and works sufficiently in comparison with certified systems.
An Evaluation of Posture Recognition Based on Intelligent Rapid Entire Body Assessment System for Determining Musculoskeletal Disorders
Authors: Li Ze , Zhang Ruiqiu , Lee Ching-Hung , Lee Yu-Chi
Published: August 2020

Determining the potential risks of musculoskeletal disorders through working postures in a workplace is expensive and time-consuming. A novel intelligent rapid entire body assessment (REBA) system based on convolutional pose machines (CPM), entitled the Quick Capture system, was applied to determine the risk levels. The aim of the study was to validate the feasibility and reliability of the CPM-based REBA system through a simulation experiment. The reliability was calculated from the differences of motion angles between the CPM-based REBA and a motion capture system. Results show the data collected by the Quick Capture system were consistent with those of the motion capture system; the average of root mean squared error (RMSE) was 4.77 and the average of Spearman’s rho (ρ) correlation coefficient in the different 12 postures was 0.915. For feasibility evaluation, the linear weighted Cohen’s kappa between the REBA score obtained by the Quick Capture system and those from the three experts were used. The result shows good agreement, with an average proportion agreement index (P0) of 0.952 and kappa of 0.738. The Quick Capture system does not only accurately analyze working posture, but also accurately determines risk level of musculoskeletal disorders. This study suggested that the Quick Capture system could be applied for a rapid and real-time on-site assessment.