bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Going Conservative or Conventional? Investigating Farm Management Strategies in between Economic and Environmental Sustainability in Southern Italy
Authors: Simoniello Tiziana , Coluzzi Rosa , D’Emilio Mariagrazia , Imbrenda Vito , Salvati Luca , Sinisi Rosa , Summa Vito
Published: February 2022

The European “Green Deal” strategy is aimed at making Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 through integrated actions relying on healthier agricultural systems grounded in (environmental and economic) sustainable practices, including soil carbon management and biodiversity enhancement. In this vein, the present study contrasts the economic-environmental performances of conventional (deep tillage) and conservative (no-tillage and soil ripping) practices for two varieties of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum spp. durum), namely a modern (Anco Marzio) and an ancient landrace (Saragolla Lucana) variety in the Basilicata region (Southern Italy). Field and laboratory analysis (granulometry, mineralogy, and geochemistry) as well as satellite data (RapidEye) were used to characterize the soil and vegetation patterns. The empirical results indicate a higher biomass production and vegetative potential together with higher grain yields in soils managed with conventional deep tillage compared with soil managed with conservative practices. Similarly, the modern wheat variety exhibited better performance with respect to the old landrace. The soils managed with conventional practices had a distribution of exchangeable macro-nutrients characterized by a reduction in Ca+ and an increase in Mg2+ and K+ between pre-sowing and post-harvesting. Such a distribution was also genotype-dependent, with a higher variability for Saragolla Lucana than Anco Marzio, showing a diverging adsorption of macro-elements between the modern and ancient landrace varieties.
Salinity Eustress Increases the Biosynthesis and Accumulation of Phenolic Compounds That Improve the Functional and Antioxidant Quality of Red Lettuce
Authors: Santander Christian , Vidal Gladys , Ruiz Antonieta , Vidal Catalina , Cornejo Pablo
Published: February 2022

The application of different techniques of positive stress (eustress), such as mild and moderate saline stress, could enhance the nutritional and functional attributes of food vegetables. The present study aimed to evaluate the positive effect of salinity as a eustressor on the functional quality of red lettuce growing under hydroponic conditions and subjected to increasing salinity. Red lettuce plants were grown for 60 days and, 45 days after sowing, were subjected to different levels of salinity (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mM NaCl). The phenolic compound concentration and antioxidant activity were measured at 7 and 15 days after the application of salinity treatment. Moreover, at harvest, the root and shoot biomass and efficiency of photosystem II were evaluated. Our results showed that the highest phenolic concentration and antioxidant activity were obtained through moderate salt stress (50 mM NaCl) applied for 15 days without affecting the photosynthetic activity and biomass production of lettuce plants. By contrast, when severe salt stress levels (150–200 mM NaCl) were applied, an increase in phenolic compounds was also obtained, but concomitantly with a significant reduction in antioxidant activity and biomass production. The application of moderate stress in red lettuce suggests its potential use as a tool to increase the biosynthesis and accumulation of bioactive secondary metabolites, improving the nutritional characteristics of red lettuce.
Serum Amyloid A as a Promising Biomarker in Domestic Animals’ Reproduction: Current Knowledge and Future Perspective
Authors: Bazzano Marilena , Marchegiani Andrea , Troisi Alessandro , McLean Amy , Laus Fulvio
Published: February 2022

The investigation of acute phase proteins in veterinary medicine has opened the doors towards the identification and use of new markers for a timely assessment of health status in both companion and food-producing animals. The aim of this paper is to review the literature available on the use of serum amyloid A (SAA), an acute phase protein, for the diagnosis and monitoring of reproductive disorders in animals. This review critically appraises the usefulness of such marker in clinical practice and summarizes the current state of knowledge. Recent advances in the diagnosis and monitoring of reproductive diseases are presented, highlighting where SAA evaluation may enhance early diagnostic tools for dogs, cats, cattle, and equines.
Organic UV Filters Induce Toll-like-Receptors and Related Signaling Pathways in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Juvenile Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta caretta)
Authors: Cocci Paolo , Mosconi Gilberto , Palermo Francesco Alessandro
Published: February 2022

Recent evidence suggests that exposure to organic ultraviolet filters (UV filters) is associated with dysregulated neuroendocrine-immune homeostasis. Marine species are likely to be among the most vulnerable to UV filters due to widespread diffusion of these chemicals in the aquatic environment. In the present study, the effects of UV filter bioaccumulation on toll-like-receptors (TLRs) and related signaling pathways were investigated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of juvenile loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). We found that the expression of both TLR1 and TLR2 was significantly increased in UV-filter exposed turtles compared to control animals. Similarly, the signaling pathway downstream of activated TLRs (i.e., Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (RAC1), Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), serine/threonine-protein kinase (AKT3), and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB)) was significantly up-regulated, leading to an enhanced transcription of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In addition, we demonstrated that high levels of plasma UV filters increased lipid peroxidation in sea turtles’ PBMCs. Our results indicated that UV filters affected the inflammatory responses of PBMCs via modulation of the TLR/NF-κB signaling pathway and provided a new insight into the link between exposure to sunscreen agents and sea turtle health.
Personalized Strategy for Animal-Assisted Therapy for Individuals Based on the Emotions Induced by the Images of Different Animal Species and Breeds
Authors: Luksaite Jovita , Zokaityte Egle , Starkute Vytaute , Sidlauskiene Sonata , Zokaityte Gintare , Bartkiene Elena
Published: February 2022

The aim of this study was to apply the FaceReader technique to select the animal species and breed for a personalized AAT based on the emotions (‘neutral’, ‘happy’, ‘sad’, ‘angry’, ‘surprised’, ‘scared’, ‘disgusted’, and ‘contempt’) induced in the persons (18–64 years old) by the images of different animal species and breeds. To implement the aim, the images of different animal species (Canis familiaris, Felis silvestriscatus, Sus scrofa domesticus, Ovis aries, and Equus caballus) and their breeds (dogs: Australian shepherd, pug, Labrador retriever, Doberman, miniature schnauzer, beagle, three mixed-breed types, Yorkshire terrier, Cane Corso, Samoyed, and Chihuahua; cats: British shorthair, Himalayan cat, three mixed breed types, Siamese cat, Sphynx, and Bengal cat; horses: Norwegian Fjord, Exmoor pony, Andalusian, and Friesian; pigs: Vietnamese pot-bellied and Kunekune; sheep: Herdwick sheep and Suffolk sheep) were used. This study showed that the animal species is a significant factor in the intensity of the emotions ‘neutral’ and ‘happy’ as well as valence, and the animal breed is a significant factor for the emotion ‘happy’ intensity and valence. The obtained results could be used as a personalized strategy for improving AAT and helping the individuals to select a pet.
Evaluation of CHROMagar™ LIN-R for the Screening of Linezolid Resistant Staphylococci from Positive Blood Cultures and Nasal Swab Screening Samples
Authors: Girlich Delphine , Mihaila Liliana , Cattoir Vincent , Laurent Frédéric , Begasse Christine , David Florence , Metro Carole-Ann , Dortet Laurent
Published: February 2022

The increasing number of nosocomial pathogens with resistances towards last resort antibiotics, like linezolid for gram positive bacteria, leads to a pressing need for screening and, consequently, suitable screening media. Some national guidelines on infection prevention (e.g., in Germany) have already recommended screening for linezolid-resistant bacteria, despite an accurate screening medium that was not available yet. In this study, we analyzed the performance and reliability of the first commercial chromogenic medium, CHOMagar™ LIN-R, for screening of linezolid-resistant gram-positive isolates. Thirty-four pure bacterial cultures, 18 positive blood cultures, and 358 nasal swab screening samples were tested. This medium efficiently detected linezolid-resistant S. epidermidis isolates from pure bacterial cultures and from positive blood cultures with a high sensitivity (100%) and specificity (100%). Among the 358 nasal swab screening samples prospectively tested, 10.9% were cultured with linezolid-resistant isolates (mostly S. epidermidis). Of note, slight growth was observed for 7.5% samples with linezolid-susceptible isolates of S. epidermidis (n = 1), S. aureus (n = 1), Enterococcus faecalis (n = 4), Lactobacillus spp. (n = 3), gram negatives (n = 18). Moreover, few Candida spp. also cultured on this medium (1.4%).
Discrepancies in Antimicrobial Susceptibility between the JP2 and the Non-JP2 Genotype of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans
Authors: Granlund Margareta , Åberg Carola Höglund , Johansson Anders , Claesson Rolf
Published: February 2022

The Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans JP2 genotype is associated with high leukotoxin production and severe (aggressive) periodontitis. The aim of this study was to compare the antimicrobial susceptibility of JP2 and non-JP2 genotype strains. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 11 antimicrobials were determined for 160 A. actinomycetemcomitans of serotype a, b, or c, mostly isolated in Sweden or Ghana. MIC distributions for benzylpenicillin and fusidic acid revealed a more susceptible subpopulation for 38 serotype b strains, including the 32 of the JP2 genotype, with a benzylpenicillin MIC range of 0.125–0.5 mg/L. In contrast, benzylpenicillin MIC ≤ 16 mg/L was the estimated 99.5% epidemiological cutoff (ECOFF) of all strains. Beta-lactamase production was not detected. The fusidic acid MIC distribution of 11 strains of Aggregatibacter aphrophilus agreed with that found in non-JP2 strains. Cefotaxime, meropenem, levofloxacin, and trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole MICs were all ≤0.25 mg/L, while MIC90 values for amoxicillin, azithromycin and tetracycline were 1 mg/L. Metronidazole MICs varied between 0.5 and >256 mg/L. The discrepant findings indicate that A. actinomycetemcomitans may be divided into two separate wild types, with a suggested intrinsic reduced susceptibility for benzylpenicillin in the majority of non-JP2 genotype strains. Possible implications for the treatment of A. actinomycetemcomitans infections are discussed.
Venetoclax-Resistant MV4-11 Leukemic Cells Activate PI3K/AKT Pathway for Metabolic Reprogramming and Redox Adaptation for Survival
Authors: Alkhatabi Hind A. , Zohny Samir F. , Shait Mohammed Mohammed Razeeth , Choudhry Hani , Rehan Mohd , Ahmad Aamir , Ahmed Farid , Khan Mohammad Imran
Published: February 2022

Venetoclax (ABT199) is a selective B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) inhibitor. The US FDA recently approved it to be used in combination with low-dose cytarabine or hypomethylating agents in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or elderly patients non-eligible for chemotherapy. However, acquiring resistance to venetoclax in AML patients is the primary cause of treatment failure. To understand the molecular mechanisms inherent in the resistance to BCL-2 inhibitors, we generated a venetoclax-resistant cell line model and assessed the consequences of this resistance on its metabolic pathways. Untargeted metabolomics data displayed a notable impact of resistance on the PI3K/AKT pathway, the Warburg effect, glycolysis, the TCA cycle, and redox metabolism. The resistant cells showed increased NADPH and reduced glutathione levels, switching their energy metabolism towards glycolysis. PI3K/AKT pathway inhibition shifted resistant cells towards oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Our results provide a metabolic map of resistant cells that can be used to design novel metabolic targets to challenge venetoclax resistance in AML.
Potential Valorization of Edible Nuts By-Products: Exploring the Immune-Modulatory and Antioxidants Effects of Selected Nut Shells Extracts in Relation to Their Metabolic Profiles
Authors: Salem Mohamed A. , Aborehab Nora M. , Al-Karmalawy Ahmed A. , Fernie Alisdair R. , Alseekh Saleh , Ezzat Shahira M.
Published: February 2022

The immune system is a potent army that defends our body against various infections and diseases through innate and adaptive immunity. Herbal medicine is one of the essential sources for enhancing immunity because of affordability, availability, minor side effects, and consumers’ preferences. Hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, and peanuts are among the most widespread edible nuts that are rich in phenolics, fats, fibers, vitamins, proteins, and minerals. The potential of nut shells in phytoremediation has attracted increasing attention as a sustainable solution for waste recycling. Here, we determined the in vitro immune-modulatory activity as well as the metabolite profile of the four nut shell extracts. The addition of the extracts to LPS-stimulated macrophages, especially peanut and walnut shells, has downregulated the gene expression of AP-1, TNF-α, IL-8, iNOS, and COX-2 expression levels. Significant antioxidant capabilities and immune-modulatory effects have been traced for peanut shells. UPLC-MS metabolic profiling of the four nut shell extracts allowed the detection of a relatively high level of phenolic compounds in peanut shells. Intriguingly, a significant correlation between the antioxidant capacity and the total phenolic content was found, indicating the contribution of the phenolic compounds to the antioxidant properties and hence the immune-modulatory activity. Furthermore, molecular docking and structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies revealed kaempferol rutinoside and proanthocyanidin A5’ as potential iNOS inhibitors.
Bioactive Phenolic Compounds from Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.): Extraction, Chemical Characterization, Fractionation and Cellular Antioxidant Activity
Authors: Kostka Tina , Ostberg-Potthoff Johanna Josefine , Stärke Joachim , Guigas Claudia , Matsugo Seiichi , Mirčeski Valentin , Stojanov Leon , Veličkovska Sanja Kostadinović , Winterhalter Peter , Esatbeyoglu Tuba
Published: February 2022

Lingonberries contain high contents of bioactive compounds such as chlorogenic acids and anthocyanins. In addition to radical scavenging and antioxidant activities, these compounds can protect cells from DNA damage. For this reason, lingonberries might be well suited for nutraceuticals or natural biomedicines. To assess these applications, the present study characterized and identified the most effective extract, only consisting of anthocyanins, copigments or a mixture of both, obtained from a lingonberry juice concentrate. An extract was generated by using a XAD-7 column followed by fractionation into anthocyanins and copigments using adsorptive membrane chromatography. After identification of main polyphenols by HPLC–photodiode array–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry, free radical scavenging activity was analyzed by electron spin resonance spectroscopy using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and galvinoxyl radicals. Furthermore, cyclic voltammetry analyses and the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assay were applied. Finally, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) reducing effects of the lingonberry extract and its fractions were evaluated in HepG2 cells. While the combination of anthocyanins and copigments possessed the highest antioxidant activities, all samples (XAD-7 extract, anthocyanin and copigment fraction) protected cells from oxidative stress. Thus, synergistic effects between phenolic compounds may be responsible for the high antioxidant potential of lingonberries, enabling their use as nutraceuticals.
Lingonberry Improves Hepatic Lipid Metabolism by Targeting Notch1 Signaling
Authors: Madduma Hewage Susara , Au-Yeung Kathy K. W. , Prashar Suvira , Wijerathne Charith U. B. , O Karmin , Siow Yaw L.
Published: February 2022

Impaired hepatic lipid metabolism is a hallmark of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which has no effective treatment option. Recently, Notch signaling has been identified as an important mediator of hepatic lipid metabolism. Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) is an anthocyanin-rich fruit with significant lipid-lowering properties. In this study, we examined how lingonberry influenced Notch signaling and fatty acid metabolism in a mouse model of NAFLD. Mice (C57BL/6J) fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks developed fatty liver and activated hepatic Notch1 signaling. Lingonberry supplementation inhibited hepatic Notch1 signaling and improved lipid profile by improving the expression of the genes involved in hepatic lipid metabolism. The results were verified using a palmitic-acid-challenged cell model. Similar to the animal data, palmitic acid impaired cellular lipid metabolism and induced Notch1 in HepG2 cells. Lingonberry extract or cyanidin-3-glucoside attenuated Notch1 signaling and decreased intracellular triglyceride accumulation. The inhibition of Notch in the hepatocytes attenuated sterol-regulatory-element-binding-transcription-factor-1 (SREBP-1c)-mediated lipogenesis and increased the expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase-I-alpha (CPTIα) and acyl-CoA oxidase1 (ACOX1). Taken together, lingonberry’s hepatoprotective effect is mediated by, in part, improving hepatic lipid metabolism via inhibiting Notch1 signaling in HFD-induced fatty liver.
Hybrid In Situ Reinforcement of EPDM Rubber Compounds Based on Phenolic Novolac Resin and Ionic Coagent
Authors: Strohmeier Lara , Balasooriya Winoj , Schrittesser Bernd , van Duin Martin , Schlögl Sandra
Published: February 2022

For the design of stretchable and flexible high-performing materials, the reinforcement of elastomeric grades plays a crucial role. State-of-the-art fillers such as carbon black benefit from a high reinforcement but often negatively affect the processing and mixing properties of rubber compounds. To overcome this drawback, the synergistic properties of hybrid in situ filler systems are studied for EPDM compounds comprising a phenol novolac resin and ionic coagents such as zinc (meth)acrylates (ZD(M)A. With the help of a combined novolac/ZD(M)A system, the compounds could be tailored in a unique way towards higher toughness and enhanced cross-link density. Further, the fracture surface of the EPDM–novolac compounds was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, revealing a significant change of the morphology from rough and disordered to smooth and homogenous for samples with coagents. In addition, the results clearly showed that the introduction of ionic coagents is able to compensate shares of carbon black filler in the EPDM compound. The toughening of samples with zinc (meth)acrylates is attributed to the synergistic formation of an interpenetrating polymer-filler network by simultaneous covalent and ionic cross-linking.
Numerical Performance Investigation of a Hybrid eCVT Specialized Agricultural Tractor
Authors: Mocera Francesco , Martini Valerio
Published: February 2022

The need for highly efficient agricultural machineries is increasing the interest of the research community and of industrial manufacturers towards the use of integrated electric systems in combination with traditional powertrain elements. In this work, a hybrid electric tractor with electric continuously variable transmission (eCVT) capabilities was studied to investigate their performance in comparison with that of traditional diesel-powered tractor designs. This hybrid electric configuration can be classified as a power-split architecture that aims to combine the best characteristics of both the simpler parallel and the series hybrid layout while minimizing their main drawbacks. An eCVT configuration can allow for optimizing the diesel operating point with respect to the current working conditions, and achieving peak power performance and energy saving with relatively small electric machines. The proposed hybrid eCVT (HeCVT) tractor architecture was studied using a numerical model that allowed for developing two different control strategies: a charge depleting mode enabling the driver to use full power for the most power-intensive scenarios and a charge sustaining mode developed to optimize efficiency and battery use along an entire work day. To test the proposed architecture, several tasks derived from experimental field measurements on a specialized agricultural tractor were used. HeCVT results were compared with a numerical model of the traditional tractor validated by these experimental data. The HeCVT tractor showed good performance in terms of peak power capabilities using a downsized diesel engine, and consistent fuel savings were obtained according to typical daily working scenarios.
A Two-Phase Evolutionary Method to Train RBF Networks
Authors: Tsoulos Ioannis G. , Tzallas Alexandros , Karvounis Evangelos
Published: February 2022

This article proposes a two-phase hybrid method to train RBF neural networks for classification and regression problems. During the first phase, a range for the critical parameters of the RBF network is estimated and in the second phase a genetic algorithm is incorporated to locate the best RBF neural network for the underlying problem. The method is compared against other training methods of RBF neural networks on a wide series of classification and regression problems from the relevant literature and the results are reported.
Effects of Temperature and Strain Rate on the Ductility of an API X65 Grade Steel
Authors: Cortis Gabriele , Nalli Filippo , Sasso Marco , Cortese Luca , Mancini Edoardo
Published: February 2022

In the last few decades, great effort has been spent on advanced material testing and the development of damage models intended to estimate the ductility and fracture of ductile metals. While most studies focused on static testing are applied at room temperatures only, in this paper, multiaxial tests have been executed to investigate the effects of dynamic action and temperature on the mechanical and fracture behavior of an API X65 steel. To this end, a Split Hopkinson Bar (SHB) facility for dynamic tests, and a uniaxial testing machine equipped with a high-temperature furnace, were used. Numerical simulations of the experiments were setup for calibration and validation purposes. Based on the experimental results, the Johnson–Cook and Zerilli–Armstrong plasticity models were first tuned, resulting in a good experimental–numerical match. Secondly, the triaxiality and Lode angle dependent damage models proposed by Bai–Wierzbicki and Coppola–Cortese were also calibrated. The comparison of the fracture surfaces predicted by the damage models under different loading conditions showed, as expected, an overall significant increase in ductility with temperature; an appreciable increase in ductility was also observed with the increase in strain rate, in the range of low and moderate triaxialities.
Experiment Study on Mechanical Evolution Characteristics of Coal and Rock under Three-Dimensional Triaxial Stress
Authors: Tao Yabin , Du Han , Zhang Ruixin , Feng Jianzhao , Deng Zhiyun
Published: February 2022

The surrounding rock is in a complex stress environment and its mechanical behavior is also complex, especially after the excavation of the coal seam, the phenomenon of stress release of surrounding rock often occurs. The vertical stress and horizontal stress of the surrounding rock mass will have a series of complex changes. In underground engineering, rock mass is affected by dead weight pressure and tectonic stress. With coal mine production, the original stress of surrounding rock is demolished, and the destruction of surrounding rock is reflected in the loading and unloading failure of three-dimensional stress. Aiming at the phenomenon, this paper takes the Pingshuo East open-pit mine as the research background, and the experiments on physical and mechanical parameters of coal and rock mass was carried out, obtaining the coal and rock mechanics parameters, such as elastic modulus, Poisson’s ratio, internal friction angle, cohesive force, etc. The stress strain curve was created based on the conventional triaxial experiment of coal and rock under different confining pressure conditions. According to the characteristics of these curves, we obtain underground engineering rock mass unloading stress–strain variation characteristics. Through establishing a stress–strain equation based on confining pressure, we finally describe the mechanical failure characteristics of rock under triaxial stress.
Mn(II) Complexes of Enlarged Scorpiand-Type Azamacrocycles as Mimetics of MnSOD Enzyme
Authors: Inclán Mario , Albelda María Teresa , Blasco Salvador , Serena Carolina , Chicote Javier Ugarte , García-España Antonio , García-España Enrique
Published: February 2022

Living organisms depend on superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes to shield themselves from the deleterious effects of superoxide radical. In humans, alterations of these protective mechanisms have been linked to the pathogenesis of many diseases. However, the therapeutic use of the native enzyme is hindered by, among other things, its high molecular size, low stability, and immunogenicity. For this reason, synthetic SOD mimetic compounds of low molecular weight may have therapeutic potential. We present here three low-molecular-weight compounds, whose Mn2+ complexes can mimic, at least partially, the protective activity of SOD-enzymes. These compounds were characterized by NMR, potentiometry, and, to test whether they have protective activity in vitro, by their capacity to restore the growth of SOD-deficient strains of E. coli. In this report, we provide evidence that these compounds form stable complexes with Mn2+ and have an in vitro protective effect, restoring up to 75% the growth of the SOD-deficient E. coli.
Peak Energy Reduction in Flow Shop including Switch-Off Policies and Battery Storage
Authors: Renna Paolo , Materi Sergio
Published: February 2022

The energy storage system is typically used in manufacturing systems with renewables to reduce the impact of the instabilities of these sources. The switch-off policies are proposed in the literature to reduce the energy used by the machines in the idle state. This study uses simulation models to investigate the potential application of the energy storage system with switch-off policies to reduce the energy costs related to the use over the peak power constraint. The manufacturing system analyzed is a flow line with the possibility of introducing two switch-off policies considering the two parameters of the battery (capacity and charge rate) and three levels of power fluctuations needed by the manufacturing operations. The results highlight that the charge rate and the power fluctuations of the manufacturing operations are the more important factors that impact the model studied. The switch-off policies have a positive impact and can reduce the energy use over the peak power constraint even at a slower charge rate, which means battery at a lower cost.
Design and Experiment of Magnetic Antenna Vibration and Noise Reduction System
Authors: Jiang Sijie , Shuai Changgeng , Jiang Wei , Huang Linmin , Zheng Huan , Yuan Chengren
Published: February 2022

The magnetic antenna can receive extremely weak underwater magnetic signals, and induce the magnetic field intensity which can reach the femto-tesla (fT) level, making it widely used in underwater electromagnetic signal detection. However, even the slightest vibration in the environment transmitted to the antenna will make it cut the geomagnetic field movement; as a result, electromagnetic-induced noise would be generated, and affect the performance of the magnetic antenna. The best method to suppress the motion induced noise is to isolate the magnetic antenna effectively from the ambient vibration. In this paper, the vibration reduction requirements of magnetic antenna are identified, and the principle of vibration absorber system of the magnetic antenna model is established. A magnetic antenna damping system, mainly focusing on low frequency, is proposed by using a silicon rubber elastic element. Based on the proposed method, a magnetic antenna damping system with an attenuation rate up to 100 times is designed, and some performance experiments are scheduled. The experiment results show that the performance of the magnetic antenna damping system meets the design requirements.
Fault Imaging of Seismic Data Based on a Modified U-Net with Dilated Convolution
Authors: Wu Jizhong , Shi Ying , Wang Weihong
Published: February 2022

Fault imaging follows the processing and migration imaging of seismic data, which is very important in oil and gas exploration and development. Conventional fault imaging methods are easily influenced by seismic data and interpreters’ experience and have limited ability to identify complex fault areas and micro-faults. Conventional convolutional neural network uniformly processes feature maps of the same layer, resulting in the same receptive field of the neural network in the same layer and relatively single local information obtained, which is not conducive to the imaging of multi-scale faults. To solve this problem, our research proposes a modified U-Net architecture. Two functional modules containing dilated convolution are added between the encoder and decoder to enhance the network’s ability to select multi-scale information, enhance the consistency between the receptive field and the target region of fault recognition, and finally improve the identification ability of micro-faults. Training on synthetic seismic data and testing on real data were carried out using the modified U-Net. The actual fault imaging shows that the proposed scheme has certain advantages.
Effects of Including a Penetration Test in Motorcyclist Helmet Standards: Influence on Helmet Stiffness and Impact Performance
Authors: Juste-Lorente Óscar , Maza Mario , Piqueras Ana , Lorente Ana I. , López-Valdés Francisco J.
Published: February 2022

Regulation ECE-22.05/06 does not require a helmet penetration test. Penetration testing is controversial since it has been shown that it may cause the helmet to behave in a non-desirable stiff way in real-world crashes. This study aimed to assess the effect of the penetration test in the impact performance of helmets. Twenty full-face motorcycle helmets were penetration tested at multiple locations of the helmet shell. Then, 10 helmets were selected and split into two groups (hard shell and soft shell) depending on the results of the penetration tests. These 10 helmets were then drop tested at front, lateral, and top areas at two different impact speeds (5 m/s and 8.2 m/s) to assess their impact performance against head injuries. The statistical analyses did not show any significant difference between the two groups (hard/soft shell) at 5 m/s. Similar results were observed at 8.2 m/s, except for the top area of the helmet in which the peak linear acceleration was significantly higher for the soft shell group than for the hard shell group (230 ± 12 g vs. 211 ± 11 g; p-value = 0.038). The results of this study suggest that a stiffer shell does not necessarily cause helmets to behave in a stiffer way when striking rigid flat surfaces. These experiments also showed that hard shell helmets can provide better protection at higher impact speeds without damaging helmet performance at lower impact speeds.
A Potential “Vitaminic Strategy” against Caries and Halitosis
Authors: Pietrangelo Laura , Magnifico Irene , Petronio Petronio Giulio , Cutuli Marco Alfio , Venditti Noemi , Nicolosi Daria , Perna Angelica , Guerra Germano , Di Marco Roberto
Published: February 2022

Streptococcus mutans and Fusobacterium nucleatum are two key bacteria of the oral microbiota. Due to their ability to form biofilms on oral tissues, they are both involved in the onset of the most common oral diseases. F. nucleatum is also the principal producer of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), causative of the awkward bad breath of halitosis. In this study, the oral product Vea® Oris, made by vitamin E and capric/caprylic acid only, was evaluated as a potential treatment for the most common oral diseases. Different concentrations of the product were tested against both S. mutans and F. nucleatum. The effect on planktonic and biofilm growth was investigated for both strains, and for F. nucleatum, the influence on H2S production was evaluated. From our data, the product did not relevantly reduce the planktonic growth of both strains, whereas it validly counteracted biofilm assemblage. Moreover, an interesting trend of H2S reduction was highlighted. Overall, these results suggested, on the one hand, a synergistic antimicrobial–antibiofilm action of two Vea® Oris components and, together, potential modulation activity on H2S production. However, the study should be implemented to confirm these only preliminary findings, certainly extending the panel of tested bacteria and using alternative methods of detection.
Comparative Analysis of Fermentation Conditions on the Increase of Biomass and Morphology of Milk Kefir Grains
Authors: Avila-Reyes Sandra V. , Márquez-Morales Cruz E. , Moreno-León Germán R. , Jiménez-Aparicio Antonio Ruperto , Arenas-Ocampo Martha L. , Solorza-Feria Javier , García-Armenta Evangelina , Villalobos-Espinosa Julieta C.
Published: February 2022

Kefir grains represent a symbiotic association group of yeasts, lactic acid bacteria and acetic acid bacteria within an exopolysaccharide and protein matrix known as kefiran. The mechanism of growth of a biomass of kefir after successive fermentations and optimal conditions is not well understood yet. Biomass growth kinetics were determined to evaluate the effects of temperatures (10 °C to 40 °C) and different substrates, such as monosaccharides (fructose, galactose, glucose), disaccharides (lactose, saccharose) and polysaccharides (Agave angustifolia fructans) at 2%, in reconstituted nonfat milk powder at 10% (w/v) and inoculated with 2% of milk kefir grain (105 CFU/g), after determining the pH kinetics. The best conditions of temperature and substrates were 20 °C and fructans and galactose. An increase in cells, grain sizes and a change in the morphology of the granules with the best substrates were observed using environmental scanning electron microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy and Image Digital Analysis (IDA). Kefir grains with agave fructans as their carbon source showed the higher fractal dimension (2.380), related to a greater co-aggregation ability of LAB and yeasts, and increase the formation of exopolysaccharides and the size of the kefir grains, which opens new application possibilities for the use of branched fructans as a substrate for the fermentation of milk kefir grains for the enhancement of cellular biomasses and exopolysaccharide production, as well as IDA as a characterization tool.
Bio-Based Aromatic Polyesters Reversibly Crosslinked via the Diels–Alder Reaction
Authors: Beljaars Martijn , Heeres Hero J. , Broekhuis Antonius A. , Picchioni Francesco
Published: February 2022

Diphenolic acid is functionalized with furfuryl amine and subsequently incorporated in a (partly) bio-based polyester through interfacial polycondensation with terepthalic chloride. The furan groups present in the resulting polyester are able to form a thermoreversible covalent network with different bismaleimide moieties via the Diels–Alder (DA) reaction. Our analysis of the polymer network by 1H-NMR clearly shows the formation of both possible stereoisomers (endo and exo) from the Diels–Alder coordination of furan and maleimide. Furthermore, it was found that these isomers can be reversibly interchanged at temperatures below the reported retro Diels–Alder reaction temperature, a phenomenon often claimed but, until present, never directly observed, for thermally reversible polymeric systems. Finally, a proof of principle for reversibility and recyclability is shown.
Potential of Deep Learning Methods for Deep Level Particle Characterization in Crystallization
Authors: Lins Janine , Harweg Thomas , Weichert Frank , Wohlgemuth Kerstin
Published: February 2022

Crystalline particle properties, which are defined throughout the crystallization process chain, are strongly tied to the quality of the final product bringing along the need of detailed particle characterization. The most important characteristics are the size, shape and purity, which are influenced by agglomeration. Therefore, a pure size determination is often insufficient and a deep level evaluation regarding agglomerates and primary crystals bound in agglomerates is desirable as basis to increase the quality of crystalline products. We present a promising deep learning approach for particle characterization in crystallization. In an end-to-end fashion, the interactions and processing steps are minimized. Based on instance segmentation, all crystals containing single crystals, agglomerates and primary crystals in agglomerates are detected and classified with pixel-level accuracy. The deep learning approach shows superior performance to previous image analysis methods and reaches a new level of detail. In experimental studies, L-alanine is crystallized from aqueous solution. A detailed description of size and number of all particles including primary crystals is provided and characteristic measures for the level of agglomeration are given. This can lead to a better process understanding and has the potential to serve as cornerstone for kinetic studies.
Modeling the Impact of Extreme Droughts on Agriculture under Current and Future Climate Conditions Using a Spatialized Climatic Index
Authors: Kapsambelis Dorothée , Moncoulon David , Veysseire Martine , Soubeyroux Jean-Michel , Cordier Jean
Published: February 2022

Extreme droughts have a strong impact on agricultural production. In France, the 2003 drought generated records of yield losses at a national scale for grassland (more than 30%) and for cereals (more than 10% for soft winter wheat and winter barley). These extreme events raise the question of farm resilience in the future. Studying them makes it possible to adapt risk management policy to climate change. Therefore, the objective of this paper was to analyze the frequency and the intensity of extreme drought in 2050 and their impact on crop yield losses (grassland and cereals) in France. We used the DOWKI (Drought and Overwhelmed Water Key Indicator) meteorological index based on a cumulative water anomaly, which can explain droughts and their consequences on agricultural yield losses at a departmental scale. Then, using the ARPEGE-Climat Model developed by Meteo-France, DOWKI was projected in 2050 and grassland, soft winter wheat, and winter barley yield losses were simulated. The results compare the frequency and intensity of extreme droughts between the climate in 2000 and 2050. Our results show that the frequency of extreme droughts (at least as intense as in 2003) doubled in 2050. In addition, the yield losses due to 10-year droughts increased by 35% for grassland and by more than 70% for cereals.
Relational Graph Convolutional Network for Text-Mining-Based Accident Causal Classification
Authors: Chen Zaili , Huang Kai , Wu Li , Zhong Zhenyu , Jiao Zeyu
Published: February 2022

Accident investigation reports are text documents that systematically review and analyze the cause and process of accidents after accidents have occurred and have been widely used in the fields such as transportation, construction and aerospace. With the aid of accident investigation reports, the cause of the accident can be clearly identified, which provides an important basis for accident prevention and reliability assessment. However, since accident record reports are mostly composed of unstructured data such as text, the analysis of accident causes inevitably relies on a lot of expert experience and statistical analyses also require a lot of manual classification. Although, in recent years, with the development of natural language processing technology, there have been many efforts to automatically analyze and classify text. However, the existing methods either rely on large corpus and data preprocessing methods, which are cumbersome, or extract text information based on bidirectional encoder representation from transformers (BERT), but the computational cost is extremely high. These shortcomings make it still a great challenge to automatically analyze accident investigation reports and extract the information therein. To address the aforementioned problems, this study proposes a text-mining-based accident causal classification method based on a relational graph convolutional network (R-GCN) and pre-trained BERT. On the one hand, the proposed method avoids preprocessing such as stop word removal and word segmentation, which not only preserves the information of accident investigation reports to the greatest extent, but also avoids tedious operations. On the other hand, with the help of R-GCN to process the semantic features obtained by BERT representation, the dependence of BERT retraining on computing resources can be avoided.
Reconfigurable Fault-Tolerant Control for Spacecraft Formation Flying Based on Iterative Learning Algorithms
Authors: Gui Yule , Jia Qingxian , Li Huayi , Cheng Yuehua
Published: February 2022

This paper investigates the issues of iterative learning algorithm-based robust thruster fault reconstruction and reconfigurable fault-tolerant control for spacecraft formation flying systems subject to space perturbations. Motivated by sliding mode methodology, a novel iterative learning observer (ILO) was developed to robustly reconstruct the thruster faults. Based on the fault signals obtained from the ILO, a learning output–feedback fault-tolerant control (LOF2TC) approach was explored such that the closed-loop spacecraft formation configuration was accurately maintained in the presence of space perturbations and thruster faults. Numerical simulations were employed to demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed ILO-based fault-reconstructing approach and LOF2TC-based configuration maintenance approach for spacecraft formation flying systems.
Analysis of RGB Plant Images to Identify Root Rot Disease in Korean Ginseng Plants Using Deep Learning
Authors: Jayapal Praveen Kumar , Park Eunsoo , Faqeerzada Mohammad Akbar , Kim Yun-Soo , Kim Hanki , Baek Insuck , Kim Moon S. , Sandanam Domnic , Cho Byoung-Kwan
Published: February 2022

Ginseng is an important medicinal plant in Korea. The roots of the ginseng plant have medicinal properties; thus, it is very important to maintain the quality of ginseng roots. Root rot disease is a major disease that affects the quality of ginseng roots. It is important to predict this disease before it causes severe damage to the plants. Hence, there is a need for a non-destructive method to identify root rot disease in ginseng plants. In this paper, a method to identify the root rot disease by analyzing the RGB plant images using image processing and deep learning is proposed. Initially, plant segmentation is performed, and then the noise regions are removed in the plant images. These images are given as input to the proposed linear deep learning model to identify root rot disease in ginseng plants. Transfer learning models are also applied to these images. The performance of the proposed method is promising in identifying root rot disease.
Transverse Wave Propagation in a Thin Isotropic Plate Part I
Authors: Klimenda Frantisek , Soukup Josef , Rychlikova Lenka , Skocilas Jan
Published: February 2022

This article deals with the propagation of a transverse wave in a thin rectangular isotropic plate, which is fixed around the perimeter. The transverse wave is generated by an impact falling on the geometric center of the plate. The solution is performed analytically in the MATLAB software environment for Kirchhoff and Rayleigh geometric models and Hooke’s model. The introduction to the article outlines a very brief history of the solution, followed by a general analytical solution. The basic relations for displacements and velocities in the direction of the x, y, z axes are derived. Under the defined assumptions, the deformations in the individual axes and the rotation of the axes are also solved. Part of the general solution is the derivation of relations for normal and shear stresses, as well as the magnitudes of shear and normal forces and bending moments. Attention is also paid to determining the relationships for different types of excitation loads of the board. The relations for Kirchhoff’s and Rayleigh’s model are derived, as well as the results of the analytical solution at selected points of the plate. A comparison of the results of the solution of both models, i.e., Kirchhoff’s and Rayleigh’s, is performed, both in terms of displacements, velocities, and normal stresses.
Conversational AI over Military Scenarios Using Intent Detection and Response Generation
Authors: Chuang Hsiu-Min , Cheng Ding-Wei
Published: February 2022

With the rise of artificial intelligence, conversational agents (CA) have found use in various applications in the commerce and service industries. In recent years, many conversational datasets have becomes publicly available, most relating to open-domain social conversations. However, it is difficult to obtain domain-specific or language-specific conversational datasets. This work focused on developing conversational systems based on the Chinese corpus over military scenarios. The soldier will need information regarding their surroundings and orders to carry out their mission in an unfamiliar environment. Additionally, using a conversational military agent will help soldiers obtain immediate and relevant responses while reducing labor and cost requirements when performing repetitive tasks. This paper proposes a system architecture for conversational military agents based on natural language understanding (NLU) and natural language generation (NLG). The NLU phase comprises two tasks: intent detection and slot filling. Detecting intent and filling slots involves predicting the user’s intent and extracting related entities. The goal of the NLG phase, in contrast, is to provide answers or ask questions to clarify the user’s needs. In this study, the military training task was when soldiers sought information via a conversational agent during the mission. In summary, we provide a practical approach to enabling conversational agents over military scenarios. Additionally, the proposed conversational system can be trained by other datasets for future application domains.
Development and Application of a New Reduction Coefficient of Water Pressure on Sub-Sea Tunnel Lining
Authors: Zhao Jinpeng , Tan Zhongsheng , Ma Ning
Published: February 2022

Limited drainage tunnels face pore water pressure, water inflow, and permeability challenges. At present, there is little systematic analysis and research on the lining water pressure of sub-sea tunnels, and there is a lack of verification of relevant engineering examples and field monitoring data. Based on the numerical simulation method, this paper discusses the lining water pressure and its reduction coefficient of the horseshoe section tunnel, which is verified by an engineering example. Based on many numerical simulations, the recommended value of the water pressure reduction coefficient considering the thickness of the grouting ring and grouting effect is put forward. The stress law and safety of tunnel lining under different water reduction coefficients are studied, and the safety of lining is evaluated combined with the measured data of lining stress. The results show that the numerical simulation has been well verified. Considering the water pressure according to the water pressure reduction coefficient method proposed in this paper can ensure the structural safety of tunnel lining. The method of lining water pressure reduction coefficient proposed in this paper can provide a reference for the subsequent lining design of the sub-sea tunnel.