bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rederivation by Cryopreservation of a Paternal Line of Rabbits Suggests Exhaustion of Selection for Post-Weaning Daily Weight Gain after 37 Generations
Authors: Juarez Jorge Daniel , Marco-Jiménez Francisco , Lavara Raquel , Vicente José Salvador
Published: August 2020

Rabbit selection programmes have mainly been evaluated using unselected or divergently selected populations, or populations rederived from cryopreserved embryos after a reduced number of generations. Nevertheless, unselected and divergent populations do not avoid genetic drift, while rederived animals seem to influence phenotypic traits such as birth and adult weights or prolificacy. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of a long-term selection for post-weaning average daily weight gain (ADG) over 37 generations with two rederived populations. Specifically, two coetaneous populations were derived from vitrified embryos with 18 generational intervals (R19 and R37), reducing or avoiding genetic drift and environmental and cryopreservation effects. After two generations of both rederived populations (R21 vs. R39 generations), all evaluated traits showed some progress as a result of the selection, the response being 0.113 g/day by generation. This response does not seem to affect the estimated Gompertz growth curve parameters in terms of the day, the weight at the inflexion point or the adult weight. Moreover, a sexual dimorphism favouring females was observed in this paternal line. Results demonstrated that the selection programme had improved ADG without variations in adult body weight but, after 37 generations of selection, this trait seems exhausted. Given the reduction in the cumulative reproductive performance and as a consequence in the selection pressure, or possibly/perhaps due to an unexpected effect, rederivation could be the cause of this weak selection response observed from generation 18 onwards.
Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Pet Rabbit Mammary Carcinomas: A Study with Relevance to Comparative Pathology
Authors: Schöniger Sandra , Degner Sophie , Zhang Qian , Schandelmaier Claudia , Aupperle-Lellbach Heike , Jasani Bharat , Schoon Heinz-Adolf
Published: August 2020

Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) serve as prognostic biomarker in human breast cancer. Rabbits have the potential to act as animal model for human breast cancer, and close similarities exist between the rabbit and human immune system. The aim of this study is to characterize TILs in pet rabbit mammary carcinomas and to statistically correlate results with histological and immunohistochemical tumor characteristics. Microscopic evaluation of TILs was performed in hematoxylin and eosin stained sections of 107 rabbit mammary carcinomas according to international guidelines for human breast cancer. Data on histological features of malignancy, estrogen and progesterone receptor status and calponin expression were obtained from the data base. This study revealed a statistical association between stromal TILs in the central tumor (CT) and infiltrative margin. Higher maximal percentages of stromal TILs at the CT were statistically correlated with decreased mitotic count and lower tumor grade. An increased number of calponin positive tumor cells was statistically associated with a lower mitotic count and a higher percentage of stromal TILs. Results suggest that higher percentages of stromal TILs are useful biomarkers that may point toward a favorable prognosis in rabbit mammary carcinomas and support the concept of the use of rabbits for translational research.
Stress Associated with Simulated Transport, Changes Serum Biochemistry, Postmortem Muscle Metabolism, and Meat Quality of Broilers
Authors: Zheng Aijuan , Lin Shumei , Pirzado Shoaib Ahmed , Chen Zhimin , Chang Wenhuan , Cai Huiyi , Liu Guohua
Published: August 2020

Many factors contribute to the stress of transporting broilers from the farm to the processing plant. Using a motion simulation machine, a total of 144 male broilers were employed to determine the effect of motion, vibration, and feed withdrawal during transportation on serum biochemical parameters, postmortem muscle metabolism, and meat quality of broilers. The results indicated that transportation did not affect the activity of lactate dehydrogenase, γ-glutamyl transferase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase, and glucose in the serum, glutathione peroxidase in the breast and thigh muscle, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the breast, and heat stress protein 70 mRNA expression level in the liver (p > 0.05). Serum triiodothyronine, thyroxine, and insulin concentration declined with 2 h transportation (p < 0.05) and recovered with 4 h transportation (p < 0.05). NOS concentration in the thigh increased with 2 h transportation (p < 0.05) and recovered with 4 h transportation (p < 0.05). Two-hour and 4 h transportation increased the activity of superoxide dismutase in both muscles. Malondialdehyde, lactic acid, and drip loss24 h in both thigh and breast muscles increased, and glycogen in both muscles decreased with increasing transportation times (p < 0.05). Two-hour transportation did not influence pH45 min and pH24 h in the breast and thigh muscle, but these indexes decreased with 4 h transportation. This experiment supports and extends previous work that identified transportation as a major risk in relation to bird welfare and meat quality.
Oxidative Stress and Vascular Dysfunction in the Retina: Therapeutic Strategies
Authors: Ruan Yue , Jiang Subao , Musayeva Aytan , Gericke Adrian
Published: August 2020

Many retinal diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and age-related macular (AMD) degeneration, are associated with elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. ROS are important intracellular signaling molecules that regulate numerous physiological actions, including vascular reactivity and neuron function. However, excessive ROS formation has been linked to vascular endothelial dysfunction, neuron degeneration, and inflammation in the retina. ROS can directly modify cellular molecules and impair their function. Moreover, ROS can stimulate the production of inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) causing inflammation and cell death. However, there are various compounds with direct or indirect antioxidant activity that have been used to reduce ROS accumulation in animal models and humans. In this review, we report on the physiological and pathophysiological role of ROS in the retina with a special focus on the vascular system. Moreover, we present therapeutic approaches for individual retinal diseases targeting retinal signaling pathways involving ROS.
Oxidative Stress Response Is Mediated by Overexpression and Spatiotemporal Regulation of Caveolin-1
Authors: Goutas Andreas , Papathanasiou Ioanna , Mourmoura Evanthia , Tsesmelis Konstantinos , Tsezou Aspasia , Trachana Varvara
Published: August 2020

Oxidative stress (OS) has been linked to the aetiology of many diseases including osteoarthritis (OA). Recent studies have shown that caveolin-1—a structural protein of plasma membrane’s caveolae—is upregulated in response to OS. Here, we explore the function of caveolin-1 in chondrocytes derived from healthy individuals (control) and OA patients that were subjected to exogenous OS. We showed that caveolin-1 was upregulated in response to acute OS in the control, but not in OA chondrocytes. Moreover, OS-induced DNA damage analysis revealed that control cells started repairing the DNA lesions 6 h post-oxidative treatment, while OA cells seemed unable to restore these damages. Importantly, in the control cells, we observed a translocation of caveolin-1 from the membrane/cytoplasm in and out of the nucleus, which coincided with the appearance and restoration of DNA lesions. When caveolin-1 was prevented from translocating to the nucleus, the control cells were unable to repair DNA damage. In OA cells, no such translocation of caveolin-1 was observed, which could account for their inability to repair DNA damage. Taken together, these results provide novel insights considering the role of caveolin-1 in response to OS-induced DNA damage while revealing its implication in the pathophysiology of OA.
Two Decades of TB Drug Discovery Efforts—What Have We Learned?
Authors: Bandodkar Balachandra , Shandil Radha Krishan , Bhat Jagadeesh , Balganesh Tanjore S.
Published: August 2020

After several years of limited success, an effective regimen for the treatment of both drug-sensitive and multiple-drug-resistant tuberculosis is in place. However, this success is still incomplete, as we need several more novel combinations to treat extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, as well newer emerging resistance. Additionally, the goal of a shortened therapy continues to evade us. A systematic analysis of the tuberculosis drug discovery approaches employed over the last two decades shows that the lead identification path has been largely influenced by the improved understanding of the biology of the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Interestingly, the drug discovery efforts can be grouped into a few defined approaches that predominated over a period of time. This review delineates the key drivers during each of these periods. While doing so, the author’s experiences at AstraZeneca R&D, Bangalore, India, on the discovery of new antimycobacterial candidate drugs are used to exemplify the concept. Finally, the review also discusses the value of validated targets, promiscuous targets, the current anti-TB pipeline, the gaps in it, and the possible way forward.
Analyzing Zone-Based Registration Using a Three Zone System: A Semi-Markov Process Approach
Authors: Jung Jihee , Baek Jang Hyun
Published: August 2020

The location of user equipment (UE) should always be maintained in order to connect any incoming calls within a mobile network. While several methods of location registration have been proposed, most mobile networks have adopted zone-based registration due to its superior performance. Even though recommendations from research on these zone-based systems state that multiple zones can be stored in a zone-based registration system, actual current mobile networks only employ a zone-based registration system that stores a single zone. Therefore, some studies have been conducted on zone-based registration using multiple zones. However, most of these studies consider only two zones. In this study, through the development of a semi-Markov process approach, we present a simple but accurate mathematical model for zone-based registration using three zones. In addition, our research results in zone-based registration systems where one, two and three zones are used to suggest the optimal management scheme for zone-based registration. Given that most mobile networks have already adopted some kind of zone-based registration, these results are able to directly enhance the performance of the actual mobile network in the near future with the minimum of effort required for implementation.
Things2People Interaction toward Energy Savings in Shared Spaces Using BIM
Authors: Mataloto Bruno , Mendes Hugo , Ferreira Joao C.
Published: August 2020

People in shared building space have an important role in energy consumption because they can turn on/off equipment and heat/cooling systems. This behaviour can be influenced by giving then locally tailored context information (energy consumption, temperature, luminosity) and information about the cost of their actions. This paper presents an approach to create personalized local energy consumption predictions in a building using past sensor data, correlated with external conditions to create local context predictions. This prediction is sent in real-time to people’s mobile devices in order to influence their behaviour when increasing or decreasing temperature using heating or cooling systems. This information is essential for sustainability actions in shared spaces, where this information can have an important role. Also, the data (temperature) representation in the building information model (BIM) module can help the user understand environment conditions and, together with the user sharing their thermal feelings, can be used to change behaviour. This approach using BIM’s representation models allows Things2People interaction to improve energy savings in these shared spaces.
A High Manganese-Tolerant Pseudomonas sp. Strain Isolated from Metallurgical Waste Heap Can Be a Tool for Enhancing Manganese Removal from Contaminated Soil
Authors: Noszczyńska Magdalena , Łakomy Karolina , Nowacki Krzysztof , Piotrowska-Seget Zofia
Published: August 2020

Manganese (Mn) is widely used in industry. However, its extensive applications have generated a great amount of manganese waste, which has become an ecological problem and has led to a decrease in natural resources. The use of microorganisms capable of accumulating Mn ions from contaminated ecosystems offers a potential alternative for the removal and recovery of this metal. The main aim of this work was an investigation of removal potential of Mn from soil by isolated bacterial. For this purpose, eleven bacterial strains were isolated from the soil from metallurgical waste heap in Upper Silesia, Poland. Strain named 2De with the highest Mn removal potential was selected and characterized taking into account its ability for Mn sorption and bioaccumulation from soil and medium containing manganese dioxide. Moreover, the protein profile of 2De strain before and after exposition to Mn was analyzed using SDS/PAGE technique. The 2De strain was identified as a Pseudomonas sp. The results revealed that this strain has an ability to grow at high Mn concentration and possesses an enhanced ability to remove it from the solution enriched with the soil or manganese dioxide via a biosorption mechanism. Moreover, changes in cellular protein expression of the isolated strain were observed. This study demonstrated that autochthonous 2De strain can be an effective tool to remove and recover Mn from contaminated soil.
CB2 Receptors and Neuron–Glia Interactions Modulate Neurotoxicity Generated by MAGL Inhibition
Authors: Rojo-Bustamante Estefania , Íñigo-Marco Ignacio , Abellanas Miguel Angel , Vinueza-Gavilanes Rodrigo , Baltanás Ana , Luquin Esther , Arrasate Montserrat , Aymerich Maria S.
Published: August 2020

Monoacylglycerol lipase inhibition (MAGL) has emerged as an interesting therapeutic target for neurodegenerative disease treatment due to its ability to modulate the endocannabinoid system and to prevent the production of proinflammatory mediators. To obtain a beneficial response, it is necessary to understand how this inhibition affects the neuron–glia crosstalk and neuron viability. In this study, the effect of MAGL inhibition by KML29 was evaluated in two types of rat cortical primary cultures; mixed cultures, including neuron and glial cells, and neuron-enriched cultures. The risk of neuronal death was estimated by longitudinal survival analysis. The spontaneous neuronal risk of death in culture was higher in the absence of glial cells, a process that was enhanced by KML29 addition. In contrast, neuronal survival was not compromised by MAGL inhibition in the presence of glial cells. Blockade of cannabinoid type 2 (CB2) receptors expressed mainly by microglial cells did not affect the spontaneous neuronal death risk but decreased neuronal survival when KML29 was added. Modulation of cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptors did not affect neuronal survival. Our results show that neuron–glia interactions are essential for neuronal survival. CB2 receptors play a key role in these protective interactions when neurons are exposed to toxic conditions.
miR-142-3p Reduces the Size, Migration, and Contractility of Endometrial and Endometriotic Stromal Cells by Targeting Integrin- and Rho GTPase-Related Pathways That Regulate Cytoskeletal Function
Authors: Börschel Christin S. , Stejskalova Anna , Schäfer Sebastian D. , Kiesel Ludwig , Götte Martin
Published: August 2020

Downregulated microRNA-142-3p signaling contributes to the pathogenesis of endometriosis, an invasive disease where the lining of the uterus grows at ectopic locations, by yet incompletely understood mechanisms. Using bioinformatics and in vitro assays, this study identifies cytoskeletal regulation and integrin signaling as two relevant categories of miR-142-3p targets. qPCR revealed that miR-142-3p upregulation in St-T1b cells downregulates Rho-associated protein kinase 2 (ROCK2), cofilin 2 (CFL2), Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (RAC1), neural Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASL), and integrin α-V (ITGAV). qPCR and Western-blotting showed miR-142-3p effect on WASL and ITGAV was significant also in primary endometriotic stroma cells. Luciferase reporter assays in ST-T1b cells then confirmed direct regulation of ITGAV and WASL. On the functional side, miR-142-3p upregulation significantly reduced ST-T1b cell size, the size of vinculin plaques, migration through fibronectin-coated transwell filters, and the ability of ST-T1b and primary endometriotic stroma cells to contract collagen I gels. These results suggest that miR-142-3p has a strong mechanoregulatory effect on endometrial stroma cells and its external administration reduces the invasive endometrial phenotype. Within the limits of an in vitro investigation, our study provides new mechanistic insights into the pathogenesis of endometriosis and provides a perspective for the development of miR-142-3p based drugs for inhibiting invasive growth of endometriotic cells.
Thiamine Deficiency Causes Long-Lasting Neurobehavioral Deficits in Mice
Authors: Li Hui , Xu Hong , Wen Wen , Wu Liying , Xu Mei , Luo Jia
Published: August 2020

Thiamine deficiency (TD) has detrimental effects on brain health and neurobehavioral development, and it is associated with many aging-related neurological disorders. To facilitate TD-related neuropsychological studies, we generated a TD mouse model by feeding a thiamine-deficient diet for 30 days, followed by re-feeding the control diet for either one week or 16 weeks as recovery treatment. We then performed neurobehavioral tests in these two cohorts: cohort of one week post TD treatment (1 wk-PTDT) and 16 weeks post TD treatment (16 wks-PTDT). The TD mice showed no significant difference from control in any tests in the 1 wk-PTDT cohort at the age of 13–14 weeks. The tests for the 16 wks-PTDT cohort at the age of 28–29 weeks, however, demonstrated anxiety and reduced locomotion in TD animals in open field and elevated plus maze. In comparison, rotor rod and water maze revealed no differences between TD and control mice. The current findings of the differential effects of the same TD treatment on locomotion and anxiety at different ages may reflect the progressive and moderate change of TD-induced neurobehavioral effects. The study suggests that, even though the immediate neurobehavioral impact of TD is modest or negligible at a young age, the impact could develop and become severe during the aging process.
Parent of Origin Effects on Family Communication of Risk in BRCA+ Women: A Qualitative Investigation of Human Factors in Cascade Screening
Authors: Dwyer Andrew A. , Hesse-Biber Sharlene , Flynn Bailey , Remick Sienna
Published: August 2020

Pathogenic germline variants in Breast Cancer 1/2 (BRCA) genes confer increased cancer risk. Understanding BRCA status/risk can enable family cascade screening and improve cancer outcomes. However, more than half of the families do not communicate family cancer history/BRCA status, and cancer outcomes differ according to parent of origin (i.e., maternally vs. paternally inherited pathogenic variant). We aimed to explore communication patterns around family cancer history/BRCA risk according to parent of origin. We analyzed qualitative interviews (n = 97) using template analysis and employed the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to identify interventions to improve communication. Interviews revealed sub-codes of ‘male stoicism and ‘paternal guilt’ that impede family communication (template code: gender scripting). Conversely, ‘fatherly protection’ and ‘female camaraderie’ promote communication of risk. The template code ‘dysfunctional family communication’ was contextualized by several sub-codes (‘harmful negligence’, ‘intra-family ignorance’ and ‘active withdrawal of support’) emerging from interview data. Sub-codes ‘medical misconceptions’ and ‘medical minimizing’ deepened our understanding of the template code ‘medical biases’. Importantly, sub-codes of ‘informed physicians’ and ‘trust in healthcare’ mitigated bias. Mapping findings to the TPB identified variables to tailor interventions aimed at enhancing family communication of risk and promoting cascade screening. In conclusion, these data provide empirical evidence of the human factors impeding communication of family BRCA risk. Tailored, theory-informed interventions merit consideration for overcoming blocked communication and improving cascade screening uptake.
Extracellular Vesicle-Based Communication May Contribute to the Co-Evolution of Cancer Stem Cells and Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Anti-Cancer Therapy
Authors: Valcz Gábor , Buzás Edit I. , Sebestyén Anna , Krenács Tibor , Szállási Zoltán , Igaz Péter , Molnár Béla
Published: August 2020

Analogously to the natural selective forces in ecosystems, therapies impose selective pressure on cancer cells within tumors. Some tumor cells can adapt to this stress and are able to form resistant subpopulations, parallel with enrichment of cancer stem cell properties in the residual tumor masses. However, these therapy-resistant cells are unlikely to be sufficient for the fast tumor repopulation and regrowth by themselves. The dynamic and coordinated plasticity of residual tumor cells is essential both for the conversion of their regulatory network and for the stromal microenvironment to produce cancer supporting signals. In this nursing tissue “niche”, cancer-associated fibroblasts are known to play crucial roles in developing therapy resistance and survival of residual stem-like cells. As paracrine messengers, extracellular vesicles carrying a wide range of signaling molecules with oncogenic potential, can support the escape of some tumor cells from their deadly fate. Here, we briefly overview how extracellular vesicle signaling between fibroblasts and cancer cells including cancer progenitor/stem cells may contribute to the progression, therapy resistance and recurrence of malignant tumors.
Engineering Solutions for Mitigation of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Dysfunction
Authors: Gavriil Artemis , Barisa Marta , Halliwell Emma , Anderson John
Published: August 2020

The clinical successes of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell therapy targeting cell surface antigens in B cell leukaemias and lymphomas has demonstrated the proof of concept that appropriately engineered T-cells have the capacity to destroy advanced cancer with long term remissions ensuing. Nevertheless, it has been significantly more problematic to effect long term clinical benefit in a solid tumour context. A major contributing factor to the clinical failure of CAR-T-cells in solid tumours has been named, almost interchangeably, as T-cell “dysfunction” or “exhaustion”. While unhelpful ambiguity surrounds the term “dysfunction”, “exhaustion” is canonically regarded as a pejorative term for T-cells. Recent understanding of T-cell developmental biology now identifies exhausted cells as vital for effective immune responses in the context of ongoing antigenic challenge. The purpose of this review is to explore the critical stages in the CAR-T-cell life-cycle and their various contributions to T-cell exhaustion. Through an appreciation of the predominant mechanisms of CAR-T-cell exhaustion and resultant dysfunction, we describe a range of engineering approaches to improve CAR-T-cell function.
Real World Outcomes of Ipilimumab and Nivolumab in Patients with Metastatic Melanoma
Authors: Asher Nethanel , Ben-Betzalel Guy , Lev-Ari Shaked , Shapira-Frommer Ronnie , Steinberg-Silman Yael , Gochman Neta , Schachter Jacob , Meirson Tomer , Markel Gal
Published: August 2020

Background: Immunotherapy has drastically changed the outlook for melanoma patients over the past decade. Specifically, the dual blockade of immune checkpoints using ipilimumab and nivolumab has shown unprecedented response rates and survival outcomes. This immense achievement, though, is at the cost of toxicity, with 60% of the patients experiencing high-grade adverse events (AEs). Our study aims to report the efficacy and toxicity outcomes of an out-of-trial, real-life population. Methods: Data on metastatic melanoma patients treated with ipilimumab and nivolumab were retrieved from our melanoma database—a single-center prospectively updated, medical-records based oncologic registry. Data included demographics, clinical and pathological information, as well as tumor responses and survival. Associations between patient or treatment characteristics and outcomes were also evaluated. Results: We identified 172 metastatic melanoma patients, of whom 64% were treatment-naïve. The median follow-up was 12 months. The response rates for treatment-naïve and previously-treated patients were 61% and 25%, respectively; median progression-free survival (PFS) were 12.2 and 2.6 months, and median overall survival (OS) were not-reached (NR) and 6.1 months, respectively. The estimated three-year OS for treatment-naïve patients was 58% (95% CI 42–65). At data cutoff, 22% were still on-treatment. Grade 3–4 adverse events (AEs) were reported in 60% of the patients, almost all of whom were exposed to steroid treatments (59%); AEs were fatal in 4 patients, and led to permanent treatment discontinuation in 31%. Factors significantly associated with outcome were cutaneous histology, low lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), low number of metastatic sites, performance status, first line of treatment and number of combinations administered during the induction phase. Conclusions: Despite the profoundly different baseline patient characteristics, the combination of ipilimumab and nivolumab is as effective in the real-world population as it was in clinical trials, including long-term outcomes. In addition to confirming the significance of baseline prognostic factors, our study reveals that the number of combinations effectively administered may also be correlated with good outcome.
Synthesis of Titanium Carbide by Means of Pressureless Sintering
Authors: Kvashina Tatiana , Uvarov Nikolai , Ukhina Arina
Published: August 2020

In this study, titanium carbide was obtained by low-temperature pressureless (at pressure less than 1 MPa) sintering of a mixture of elementary titanium and graphite powders in a hot-pressing plant with a preliminary mechanical treatment of the initial mixture. The sintering was carried out at temperatures of 900 and 1000 °C in argon media. As a result, cubic modification (Fm3m) of titanium carbide was obtained. The content of impurities was about 12–13 wt.%
A Review of Technical Standards for Smart Cities
Authors: Lai Chun Sing , Jia Youwei , Dong Zhekang , Wang Dongxiao , Tao Yingshan , Lai Qi Hong , Wong Richard T. K. , Zobaa Ahmed F. , Wu Ruiheng , Lai Loi Lei
Published: August 2020

Smart cities employ technology and data to increase efficiencies, economic development, sustainability, and life quality for citizens in urban areas. Inevitably, clean technologies promote smart cities development including for energy, transportation and health. The smart city concept is ambitious and is being refined with standards. Standards are used to help with regulating how smart cities function and contributing to define a smart city. Smart cities must be officially recognized by national and international authorities and organizations in order to promote societal advancement. There are many research and review articles on smart cities. However, technical standards are seldom discussed in the current literature. This review firstly presents the study of smart city definitions and domain. The well-known smart city standards will be presented to better recognize the smart city concept. Well-defined standards allow meaningful comparisons among smart cities implementation. How smart city initiatives make a city smarter and improve the quality of life will be discussed for various countries. This review highlights that technical standards are important for smart cities implementation. This paper serves as a guide to the most recent developments of smart cities standards.
In-Situ and Ex-Situ Biodiversity Conservation in Ecuador: A Review of Policies, Actions and Challenges
Authors: Mestanza-Ramón Carlos , Henkanaththegedara Sujan M. , Vásconez Duchicela Paola , Vargas Tierras Yadira , Sánchez Capa Maritza , Constante Mejía Diana , Jimenez Gutierrez Mirian , Charco Guamán Manuel , Mestanza Ramón Paúl
Published: August 2020

Biodiversity is vital for the stability of the planet; its ecosystem services provide essential elements for our survival and well-being. This review analyzes the national biodiversity policies and describes the main strategies for biodiversity conservation in Ecuador, one of the “mega-diverse” countries in the world with the highest species density. It deepens an analysis of in-situ and ex-situ conservation processes. Ecuador has six clear policies for biodiversity conservation. These policies strengthen biodiversity conservation through mechanisms that improve the well-being of wildlife by ensuring human, wildlife and ecosystem health. It promotes actions for the welfare of wildlife, through technical, administrative and legal tools. The National System of Protected Areas, with 60 protected areas, is the most effective in-situ conservation instrument at the country level. Several ex-situ conservation and management means for the conservation of wild species are being utilized, including nurseries, botanical gardens, zoos, germplasm banks, aquariums, species reproduction and rehabilitation centers. Ecuador is making slow progress on ex-situ conservation despite the availability of a sound policy framework, possibly due to financial, infrastructural, and/or technological challenges, and knowledge gaps. We propose fostering international research collaborations and establishing fully funded small-scale captive breeding programs at zoos, aquariums and university research facilities to help recovery of at-risk species of reptiles, amphibians, fish and species beyond Galapagos region. We recommend utilizing citizen science programs to fill the gaps of biodiversity information and increasing efforts to revive the ex-situ conservation strategies in protecting the unique biodiversity of Ecuador.
Project Management Monitoring Based on Expected Duration Entropy
Authors: Cohen Kashi Shiva , Rozenes Shai , Ben-Gal Irad
Published: August 2020

Projects are rarely executed exactly as planned. Often, the actual duration of a project’s activities differ from the planned duration, resulting in costs stemming from the inaccurate estimation of the activity’s completion date. While monitoring a project at various inspection points is pricy, it can lead to a better estimation of the project completion time, hence saving costs. Nonetheless, identifying the optimal inspection points is a difficult task, as it requires evaluating a large number of the project’s path options, even for small-scale projects. This paper proposes an analytical method for identifying the optimal project inspection points by using information theory measures. We search for monitoring (inspection) points that can maximize the information about the project’s estimated duration or completion time. The proposed methodology is based on a simulation-optimization scheme using a Monte Carlo engine that simulates potential activities’ durations. An exhaustive search is performed of all possible monitoring points to find those with the highest expected information gain on the project duration. The proposed algorithm’s complexity is little affected by the number of activities, and the algorithm can address large projects with hundreds or thousands of activities. Numerical experimentation and an analysis of various parameters are presented.
Anti-Tanking Pair Matching before an Elimination Phase of a Two-Phase Tournament
Authors: Stronka Waldemar
Published: August 2020

Perverse incentives are ubiquitous in different economic settings. In sports, they often take the form of temptation to deliberately lose matches (the phenomenon known as tanking or sandbagging). In practice, there were even such pathological situations as when a soccer team intentionally scored an own goal. We show how and when the temptation is generated by the current pair matching method, the one applied after the first phase of many popular tournaments, including the most prestigious soccer championships. If the organizers of important sporting contests do not introduce any organizational innovations, they risk serious match-fixing scandals. We introduce an alternative procedure and show that its practical implementation could radically mitigate the risk. We perform a comparative analysis of the methods. We analyze the format “Winners and Runners-up Advancing from Two Adjacent Groups”, particularly its FIFA World Cup variant. In order to quantify the benefits of switching from the current method to the proposed one, we refer to simulation results. The expected decrease in temptation probability is about 83% and could be even about 90% if we additionally implement the suggested scheduling innovation.
Process Modelling and Simulation of Waste Gasification-Based Flexible Polygeneration Facilities for Power, Heat and Biofuels Production
Authors: Salman Chaudhary Awais , Omer Ch Bilal
Published: August 2020

There is increasing interest in the harnessing of energy from waste owing to the increase in global waste generation and inadequate currently implemented waste disposal practices, such as composting, landfilling or dumping. The purpose of this study is to provide a modelling and simulation framework to analyze the technical potential of treating municipal solid waste (MSW) and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) for the polygeneration of biofuels along with district heating (DH) and power. A flexible waste gasification polygeneration facility is proposed in this study. Two types of waste—MSW and RDF—are used as feedstock for the polygeneration process. Three different gasifiers—the entrained flow gasifier (EFG), circulating fluidized bed gasifier (CFBG) and dual fluidized bed gasifier (DFBG)—are compared. The polygeneration process is designed to produce DH, power and biofuels (methane, methanol/dimethyl ether, gasoline or diesel and ammonia). Aspen Plus is used for the modelling and simulation of the polygeneration processes. Four cases with different combinations of DH, power and biofuels are assessed. The EFG shows higher energy efficiency when the polygeneration process provides DH alongside power and biofuels, whereas the DFBG and CFBG show higher efficiency when only power and biofuels are produced. RDF waste shows higher efficiency as feedstock than MSW in polygeneration process.
Solution of Optimal Power Flow Using Non-Dominated Sorting Multi Objective Based Hybrid Firefly and Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Khan Abdullah , Hizam Hashim , Abdul-Wahab Noor Izzri , Othman Mohammad Lutfi
Published: August 2020

In this paper, a multi-objective hybrid firefly and particle swarm optimization (MOHFPSO) was proposed for different multi-objective optimal power flow (MOOPF) problems. Optimal power flow (OPF) was formulated as a non-linear problem with various objectives and constraints. Pareto optimal front was obtained by using non-dominated sorting and crowding distance methods. Finally, an optimal compromised solution was selected from the Pareto optimal set by applying an ideal distance minimization method. The efficiency of the proposed MOHFPSO technique was tested on standard IEEE 30-bus and IEEE 57-bus test systems with various conflicting objectives. Simulation results were also compared with non-dominated sorting based multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) and different optimization algorithms reported in the current literature. The achieved results revealed the potential of the proposed algorithm for MOOPF problems.
An Overview of Demand Response in Smart Grid and Optimization Techniques for Efficient Residential Appliance Scheduling Problem
Authors: Shewale Amit , Mokhade Anil , Funde Nitesh , Bokde Neeraj Dhanraj
Published: August 2020

Smart grid (SG) is a next-generation grid which is responsible for changing the lifestyle of modern society. It avoids the shortcomings of traditional grids by incorporating new technologies in the existing grids. In this paper, we have presented SG in detail with its features, advantages, and architecture. The demand side management techniques used in smart grid are also presented. With the wide usage of domestic appliances in homes, the residential users need to optimize the appliance scheduling strategies. These strategies require the consumer’s flexibility and awareness. Optimization of the power demand for home appliances is a challenge faced by both utility and consumers, particularly during peak hours when the consumption of electricity is on the higher side. Therefore, utility companies have introduced various time-varying incentives and dynamic pricing schemes that provides different rates of electricity at different times depending on consumption. The residential appliance scheduling problem (RASP) is the problem of scheduling appliances at appropriate periods considering the pricing schemes. The objectives of RASP are to minimize electricity cost (EC) of users, minimize the peak-to-average ratio (PAR), and improve the user satisfaction (US) level by minimizing waiting times for the appliances. Various methods have been studied for energy management in residential sectors which encourage the users to schedule their appliances efficiently. This paper aims to give an overview of optimization techniques for residential appliance scheduling. The reviewed studies are classified into classical techniques, heuristic approaches, and meta-heuristic algorithms. Based on this overview, the future research directions are proposed.
The Influence of Power Sources for Charging the Batteries of Electric Cars on CO2 Emissions during Daily Driving: A Case Study from Poland
Authors: Sobol Łukasz , Dyjakon Arkadiusz
Published: August 2020

The main sources of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution from the transport sector are diesel- and gasoline-powered passenger cars. The combustion of large amounts of conventional fuels by cars contributes to a significant release of various compounds into the atmosphere, such as solid particles, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. In order to reduce these pollutants in places of their high concentration (especially in urban agglomerations), the use of ecological means of transport for daily driving is highly recommended. Electric vehicles (EV) are characterized by ecological potential due to their lack of direct emissions and low noise. However, in Poland and many other countries, electricity production is still based on fossil fuels which can significantly influence the indirect emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere associated with battery charging. Thus, indirect emissions from electric cars may be comparable or even higher than direct emissions related to the use of traditional cars. Therefore, the aim of the work was to analyze the amount of carbon dioxide emissions associated with the use of electric vehicles for daily driving (City, Sedan, SUV) and their impact on the environment on a local and global scale. Based on the assumed daily number of kilometers driven by the vehicle and the collected certified catalog data (Car Info Nordic AB), the direct emissions generated by the internal combustion engines (ICE) were calculated for specific cars. These values were compared to the indirect emissions related to the source of electricity generation, for the calculation of which the CO2 emission coefficient for a particular energy source and energy mix was used, as well as reference values of electricity generation efficiency in a given combustion installation, in accordance with the KOBiZE (The National Centre for Emissions Management) and European Union regulation. Indirect emissions generated from non-renewable fuels (lignite, hard coal, natural gas, diesel oil, heating oil, municipal waste) and renewable emissions (wind energy, solar energy, hydro energy, biomass, biogas) were considered. The results indicated that for the Polish case study, indirect carbon dioxide emission associated with the daily driving of EV (distance of 26 km) ranges 2.49–3.28 kgCO2∙day−1. As a result, this indirect emission can be even higher than direct emissions associated with ICE usage (2.55–5.64 kgCO2∙day−1).
A Geospatial Framework to Assess Fireline Effectiveness for Large Wildfires in the Western USA
Authors: Gannon Benjamin M. , Thompson Matthew P. , Deming Kira Z. , Bayham Jude , Wei Yu , O’Connor Christopher D.
Published: August 2020

Quantifying fireline effectiveness (FLE) is essential to evaluate the efficiency of large wildfire management strategies to foster institutional learning and improvement in fire management organizations. FLE performance metrics for incident-level evaluation have been developed and applied to a small set of wildfires, but there is a need to understand how widely they vary across incidents to progress towards targets or standards for performance evaluation. Recent efforts to archive spatially explicit fireline records from large wildfires facilitate the application of these metrics to a broad sample of wildfires in different environments. We evaluated fireline outcomes (burned over, held, not engaged) and analyzed incident-scale FLE for 33 large wildfires in the western USA from the 2017 and 2018 fire seasons. FLE performance metrics varied widely across wildfires and often aligned with factors that influence suppression strategy. We propose a performance evaluation framework based on both the held to engaged fireline ratio and the total fireline to perimeter ratio. These two metrics capture whether fireline was placed in locations with high probability of engaging with the wildfire and holding and the relative level of investment in containment compared to wildfire growth. We also identify future research directions to improve understanding of decision quality in a risk-based framework.
Proteomics-Based Methodologies for the Detection and Quantification of Seafood Allergens
Authors: Carrera Mónica , Pazos Manuel , Gasset María
Published: August 2020

Seafood is considered one of the main food allergen sources by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). It comprises several distinct groups of edible aquatic animals, including fish and shellfish, such as crustacean and mollusks. Recently, the EFSA recognized the high risk of food allergy over the world and established the necessity of developing new methodologies for its control. Consequently, accurate, sensitive, and fast detection methods for seafood allergy control and detection in food products are highly recommended. In this work, we present a comprehensive review of the applications of the proteomics methodologies for the detection and quantification of seafood allergens. For this purpose, two consecutive proteomics strategies (discovery and targeted proteomics) that are applied to the study and control of seafood allergies are reviewed in detail. In addition, future directions and new perspectives are also provided.
Correction: Kim, N.K., et al. Study of the Association between microRNA (miR-25T>C, miR-32C>A, miR-125C>T, and miR-222G>T) Polymorphisms and the Risk of Recurrent Pregnancy Loss in Korean Women. Genes 2020, 11, 354
Authors: Lee Jeong Yong , Kim Jung Oh , Park Han Sung , Ryu Chang Soo , Kim Ji Hyang , Kim Young Ran , Lee Woo Sik , Lee Jung Ryeol , Kim Nam Keun
Published: August 2020

The authors wish to make a correction to the published version of their paper [...]
Manganese Ions Individually Alter the Reverse Transcription Signature of Modified Ribonucleosides
Authors: Kristen Marco , Plehn Johanna , Marchand Virginie , Friedland Kristina , Motorin Yuri , Helm Mark , Werner Stephan
Published: August 2020

Reverse transcription of RNA templates containing modified ribonucleosides transfers modification-related information as misincorporations, arrest or nucleotide skipping events to the newly synthesized cDNA strand. The frequency and proportion of these events, merged from all sequenced cDNAs, yield a so-called RT signature, characteristic for the respective RNA modification and reverse transcriptase (RT). While known for DNA polymerases in so-called error-prone PCR, testing of four different RTs by replacing Mg2+ with Mn2+ in reaction buffer revealed the immense influence of manganese chloride on derived RT signatures, with arrest rates on m1A positions dropping from 82% down to 24%. Additionally, we observed a vast increase in nucleotide skipping events, with single positions rising from 4% to 49%, thus implying an enhanced read-through capability as an effect of Mn2+ on the reverse transcriptase, by promoting nucleotide skipping over synthesis abortion. While modifications such as m1A, m22G, m1G and m3C showed a clear influence of manganese ions on their RT signature, this effect was individual to the polymerase used. In summary, the results imply a supporting effect of Mn2+ on reverse transcription, thus overcoming blockades in the Watson-Crick face of modified ribonucleosides and improving both read-through rate and signal intensity in RT signature analysis.
The Effects of Gibberellic Acid and Emasculation Treatments on Seed and Fruit Production in the Prickly Pear (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.) cv. “Gialla”
Authors: Marini Lorenzo , Grassi Chiara , Fino Pietro , Calamai Alessandro , Masoni Alberto , Brilli Lorenzo , Palchetti Enrico
Published: August 2020

Prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. 1768) is cultivated in several dry and semi-dry areas of the world to produce fresh fruit, bioenergy, cosmetics, medicine, and forage. One of the main production constraints is the presence of many seeds within the fruit, which can negatively influence both the fresh-fruit market price and industrial transformation processes. In this study, different gibberellic acid (GA3) concentrations were tested for their ability to produce well-formed and seedless fruits. Different application methods (injection and spraying) and concentrations of GA3 (0, 100, 200, 250, and 500 ppm) combined with floral-bud emasculation were applied to a commercial plantation in southern Italy to evaluate their effects on the weight, length, and diameter of the fruits, total seed number, hard-coated viable seed number, and seed weight per fruit. The results indicated that the application of 500 ppm GA3 sprayed on emasculated floral buds was the most effective method for reducing seed numbers of prickly pear fruits (−46.0%). The injection method resulted in a very low number of seeds (−50.7%) but produced unmarketable fruit. Observed trends suggest the need to investigate the impact of higher GA3 concentrations and the applicability of a maximum threshold. Further studies are needed to increase our understanding of the physiological effects of the gibberellic acid pathway through productive tissue in terms of organoleptic and fruit quality.