bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Executive Compensation on Report Lags: An Empirical Evidence
Authors: Laksmana Indrarini , Pham Trung , Dao Mai
Published: June 2020

The timeliness of financial reporting has been considered as an important factor that contributes to the well-functioning of an economy. This study extends the contemporary research stream by examining determinants of the timeliness of financial reporting process. Specifically, we investigate whether report lag is influenced by (1) the level of executive compensation; (2) the level of stock-based compensation compared to cash-based compensation, and (3) the level of executive compensation above the expected compensation level. We find that firms have shorter report lag when their level of executive compensation is higher. We also document that firms with more stock-based compensation have shorter financial reporting delays. Finally, firms with executive compensation level above the expected executive compensation are more likely to have shorter report lags. Our study underscores the importance of the type and the level of compensation as determinants of firms’ earnings reporting delays.
The Experimental Contribution of Petrus Van Musschenbroek to the Discovery of a Buckling Formula in the Early 18th Century
Authors: Godoy Luis A. , Elishakoff Isaac
Published: June 2020

This paper concentrates on the work by Petrus van Musschenbroek published in 1729, constituting apparently the first study in the literature on column buckling. To understand the significance of Musschenbroek’s contribution, we provide the combined personal, historic and scientific contexts in which he carried out his studies; he was the first researcher to deal with the failure of compressed elements as a new phenomenon. Most unfortunately, his name is not currently known except for a small circle of historians of science, whereas engineering students at present are told that buckling should be associated with the name of Leonhard Euler. We fully share the idea of Benvenuto stating that “Musschenbroek’s experimental law is of considerable historical interest.” The contributions in his 1729 book are shown not only to include his experimental work but Musschenbroek also devised a design procedure for column buckling.
New Economic Statecraft: Industrial Policy in an Era of Strategic Competition
Authors: AGGARWAL VINOD K. , REDDIE ANDREW W.
Published: June 2020

The 2018 U.S. National Defense Strategy notes that the United States faces “an increasingly complex global security environment, characterized by overt challenges to the free and open international order and the re-emergence of long-term, strategic competition between nations.” In the ensuing months, much has been made of the security-related aspects of this return to great power competition — including Donald Trump’s role in the decline of the existing arms control architecture, responses to Russia’s annexation of Ukraine, and China’s use of subconventional — or “gray zone” — military operations in the South China Sea. What this analysis tends to miss, however, are the economic dimensions of strategic competition. To address the question of how insights from international political economy and security studies can be usefully combined to examine strategic competition, we examine how economic statecraft increasingly takes the form of economic policy beyond sanctions regimes. We argue that economic statecraft has become an increasingly central aspect of geostrategic consideration and consider how economic statecraft is being transformed in the current era.
Integrated high-resolution PSV, RPI and
14
C study of IODP-347 Site M0060 (Anholt Loch, Baltic Sea) for the last
c.
14 ka
Authors: Herrero-Bervera Emilio , Snowball Ian
Published: June 2020

We have studied the rock and palaeomagnetic properties and
14
C dating of a
c.
205 m core from Site M0060 (Anholt Loch, BSB1 at Kattegat), recovering clays, (silty) sands and sandy clays. We took 297 8 cc samples at
c.
50 cm intervals down-core.
χ
was measured along with AF demagnetization of the NRM up to 80 mT. ChRM was isolated between 0 and 25 mT. A weak VRM was removed at 5 mT. The intensity shows a positive relationship with
χ
. At Site M0060 the upper lithologic units (i.e. 0–100 mcd) show inclinations that vary within 10° on either side of the GAD prediction (i.e. +72°). Curie points indicate minerals with temperatures of 360–400, 520, 575 and 610°C. We obtained calibrated
14
C determinations for 15 levels, with the oldest age from 78.87 mbsf to
c.
17 940 cal BP. The
J
, inclination,
χ
, ARM, SIRM, SIRM/
χ
and ARM/
χ
palaeomagnetic (i.e. inclination) wave forms results from the top
c.
100 mcd correlate well to the deglacial inclination wave forms master curve for Fennoscandia. The best correlation to this curve shows four oscillations of the inclination record of Site M0060 from 11 to 14 ka BP. Shallow negative inclinations are characteristic of the deeper coarse-grained sediments deposited during the rapid wasting of the Fennoscandian ice-sheet.
Coupled IGMM-GANs with Applications to Anomaly Detection in Human Mobility Data
Authors: Smolyak Daniel , Gray Kathryn , Badirli Sarkhan , Mohler George
Published: June 2020

Detecting anomalous activity in human mobility data has a number of applications, including road hazard sensing, telematics-based insurance, and fraud detection in taxi services and ride sharing. In this article, we address two challenges that arise in the study of anomalous human trajectories: (1) a lack of ground truth data on what defines an anomaly and (2) the dependence of existing methods on significant pre-processing and feature engineering. Although generative adversarial networks (GANs) seem like a natural fit for addressing these challenges, we find that existing GAN-based anomaly detection algorithms perform poorly due to their inability to handle multimodal patterns. For this purpose, we introduce an infinite Gaussian mixture model coupled with (bidirectional) GANs—IGMM-GAN—that is able to generate synthetic, yet realistic, human mobility data and simultaneously facilitates multimodal anomaly detection. Through the estimation of a generative probability density on the space of human trajectories, we are able to generate realistic synthetic datasets that can be used to benchmark existing anomaly detection methods. The estimated multimodal density also allows for a natural definition of outlier that we use for detecting anomalous trajectories. We illustrate our methodology and its improvement over existing GAN anomaly detection on several human mobility datasets, along with MNIST.
Electrochemical Oxidation of Methanol and Ethanol at Rh@Pt and Ru@Pt Catalysts
Authors: El Sawy Ehab N. , Brueckner Tobias M. , Pickup Peter G.
Published: June 2020

The influence of the amount of Pt deposited onto Rh and Ru nanoparticles on the oxidation of methanol and ethanol has been compared in H2SO4(aq) at ambient temperature and in a proton exchange membrane (PEM) cell at 80 °C. In H2SO4(aq), Rh@Pt and Ru@Pt show similar enhancements in activities over Pt for both methanol and ethanol oxidation. However, differences in the optimum Pt coverage indicate that compression of the Pt lattice by Rh plays a dominate role, while ligand effects are more important for Ru@Pt. In the PEM cell, the Ru core enhanced activities significantly for both methanol and ethanol, while activities were suppressed by the Rh core. This may arise from dominance of ligand and/or bifunctional effects for the Ru@Pt catalyst at 80 °C. Data from the PEM cell showed that the stoichiometry for ethanol oxidation at Ru@Pt was higher than for Rh@Pt, indicating a higher selectivity for the complete oxidation to CO2.
Gut Microbial Metabolites and Blood Pressure Regulation: Focus on SCFAs and TMAO
Authors: Poll Brian G. , Cheema Muhammad Umar , Pluznick Jennifer L.
Published: June 2020

Shifts in the gut microbiome play a key role in blood pressure regulation, and changes in the production of gut microbial metabolites are likely to be a key mechanism. Known gut microbial metabolites include short-chain fatty acids, which can signal via G-protein-coupled receptors, and trimethylamine-N oxide. In this review, we provide an overview of gut microbial metabolites documented thus far to play a role in blood pressure regulation.
Consumption of Raw Herbal Medicines Is Associated with Major Public Health Risks amongst Ugandans
Authors: Ssempijja Fred , Iceland Kasozi Keneth , Daniel Eze Ejike , Tamale Andrew , Ewuzie Sylvia Anurika , Matama Kevin , Ekou Justine , Bogere Paul , Mujinya Regan , Musoke Grace Henry , Atusiimirwe Jovile Kasande , Zirintunda Gerald , Kalange Muhamudu , Lyada Joel , Kiconco Ritah , Pius Theophilus , Nandala Christopher , Kamugisha Roland Mugisha , Hamira Yunusu , Fernandez Edgar Mario , Musinguzi Simon Peter
Published: June 2020

Background. Community consumption of herbal plants in developing countries is a common practice, however, scarcity of information on their physiochemical composition is a major public health concern. In Uganda, Vernonia amygdalina is of interest in rural communities due to its therapeutical action on both bacterial and protozoal parasites, however no studies have been conducted to assess the heavy metal concentrations in traditional plants used in alternative medicine. The aim of the study was to establish concentrations of heavy metals in Vernonia amygdalina, model the estimated daily intake (EDI), and assess both the non-cancer-related health risk using the target hazard quotient (THQ), and the risk related to cancer through the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) for the Ugandan population. Methods. Leaves of Vernonia amygdalina were collected from 20 georeferenced villages and processed into powder in the laboratory using standard methods. These were then analyzed in the laboratory using an atomic absorption spectrometer for lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cobalt (Co), iron (Fe), cadmium (Cd), and nickel (Ni). Concentrations were compared against the World Health Organization (WHO) limits. The EDI, THQ, and ILCR were modelled and significance was measured at 95% confidence. Results. The study showed that mean ± SEM concentrations of heavy metals were highest in the order of Cr, 121.8 ± 4.291 ppm > Ni, 84.09 ± 2.725 ppm > Zn, 53.87 ± 2.277 ppm > Pb, 40.61 ± 3.891 ppm > Cu, 28.75 ± 2.202 ppm > Fe, 14.15 ± 0.7271 ppm > Co, 7.923 ± 0.7674 ppm > Cd, 0.1163 ± 0.005714 ppm. Concentrations of Pb, Cr, Zn, Co, and Ni were significantly higher than the WHO limits. The EDI was significantly higher in children than in adults, demonstrating an increased risk of toxicity in children. The THQ and ILCR were over 1000 times higher in all Ugandans, demonstrating the undesirable health risks following oral consumption of Vernonia amygdalina due to very high Cr and Ni toxicities, respectively. Conclusion. Consumption of raw Vernonia amygdalina was associated with a high carcinogenic risk, demonstrating a need to enact policies to promote physiochemical screening of herbal medicines used in developing countries against toxic compounds.
Yield, Quality, and Antioxidant Activity of Clove (Syzygium aromaticumL.) Bud Oil at the Different Phenological Stages in Young and Mature Trees
Authors: Alfikri Faisal Nur , Pujiarti Rini , Wibisono Mochamat Gunawan , Hardiyanto Eko Bhakti
Published: June 2020

Buds and flowers of clove (Syzygium aromaticumL.) are economically important essential oil sources. The purpose of this study was to assess the yield, quality, and antioxidant activity of Zanzibar clove bud oil between three phenological stages (budding-3, full-budding, and flowering) in young (3-4 years) and mature trees (45 years). Chemical compositions of the oil were analyzed using GC-MS, and the physicochemical properties were measured based on SNI 06-4267-1996. Antioxidant activity was analyzed using the DPPH method. The results showed flowering buds of young trees produced higher yield (16.73%) than that of the mature ones (14.93%). The GC-MS analysis showed that the main bioactive compound of clove oil was eugenol (68.05–82.38%), which is highest at the flowering stage in mature trees. Almost all of the clove bud oils met physicochemical properties standard required by the SNI 06-4267-1996. DPPH scavenging activity IC50ranged 15.80–108.85 µg/mL, with the highest antioxidant activity at the flowering stage of young trees. The results indicate that clove at flowering stage produced the best essential oil ingredient, as well as the most efficient source of natural antioxidants with slight differences in quality between the young and mature trees.
ACTN3’s R577X Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Allele Distribution Differs Significantly in Professional Football Players according to Their Field Position
Authors: Clos Enric , Pruna Ricard , Lundblad Matilda , Artells Rosa , Maffulli Nicola
Published: June 2020

Introduction: Football is characterised by intermittent high-intensity efforts varying according to the field position of a player. We aimed to ascertain whether polymorphisms in the ACTN3 gene are associated with different playing positions in elite professional football players. Subjects and Methods: Genotyping of the ACTN3 gene was conducted in 43 elite professional football players of a single team. Playing position was recorded based on the player’s most frequent position. Results: The genotype distribution was not significant between positions (p = 0.057), while the allele distribution differed significantly (p = 0.035). Goalkeepers (p = 0.04, p = 0.03), central defenders (p = 0.03, p = 0.01), and central midfielders (p = 0.01, p = 0.00) had a significantly different allele distribution compared with wide midfielders and forward players. Conclusions: Genetic biomarkers may be important when analysing performance capability in elite professional football. Identifying the genetic characteristics of a player to adapt his playing position may lead to orientation of positions based on physical capabilities and tissue quality in young football players, and also to performance enhancement in those who are already playing in professional teams.
Enhancement of voltage regulation using a 7-Level inverter based electric spring with reduced number of switches
Authors: Deepika K. K. , Kumar J. Vijaya , Rao G. Kesava
Published: June 2020

Electric Springs has been testified recently to enhance voltage regulation in distribution systems using demand side management. In this paper, a 7-level Multilevel Inverter (MLI) with a resonant switched capacitor Converter based on sinusoidal PWM, is implemented to analyze the performance of an electric spring under voltage variations at PCC. By the proposed MLI based ES, voltage regulation of critical load voltage is studied for voltage sag and swell conditions. Remarkable features of the proposed topology are maintaining voltage balance in input capacitors and reduction of power components. Simulations have been done in MATLAB/Simulink on distribution system with DGs equipped with MLI based ES under line voltage anomalies. Tested results are analyzed with THD% in critical load voltage.
Relative stability enhancement for brushed DC motor using a PLL interfaced with LabVIEW
Authors: Mahmoud Mostafa , El-Biomey Ahmed , Ahmed El-sayed Soliman
Published: June 2020

This work presents a fast response and stable computer based a brushed DC motor speed controller.  The controller configured of gate drive circuits for H-Bridge accompanied with data acquisition unit DAQ-6211. These gate drive circuits include, phase comparator, current booster and wave forms cleaning circuits.  An optical encoder is used for motor speed to frequency conversion. The CD4046 PLL chip compares phases of the encoder output frequency (motor speed) with a reference frequency (desired speed). The obtained phase difference (error) is used to allocate the suitable PWM duty cycles.  An H-Bridge BJT switches driven by PWM is interfaced with the motor. The system hardware is provided with a simple and accurate data acquisition unit DAQ-6211 to be interfaced with the LabVIEW software Package. This allows monitoring and storing the different measured data of this platform. The system relative stability is determined and examined based on the Bode plot analysis and design. Then the relative stability criterion (Phase Margin) is measured the closed-loop stability of the system. This system considers the fast feedback response with indication of its stability state as well as the stable wide dynamic range. It compensates the changes in system parameters due to the environmental effects and other disturbances.
Comparative performance analysis of bridgeless boost and bridgeless buck converter for UPS application
Authors: Muhammad Khairul Safuan , Baharom Rahimi , N Siti Zaliha M. , Munim Wan Noraishah Wan Abdul
Published: June 2020

In this paper, a comparative performance analysis of bridgeless boost and bridgeless buck converter for Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) is presented. The performance of UPS application in terms of their efficiency is compared between the conventional diode bridge converter and both bridgeless converters. The input supply power quality is also been analysed by applying open and closed loop control techniques to the converter. The results show that the efficiency and the input supply quality of the bridgeless converters are significantly improved. UPS using bridgeless boost converter has better performance in all aspect compared to bridgeless buck converter. Aligned with that, the closed loop controller for the converter has also improved the efficiency and PF more than the open loop controller in performing the UPS system. All the analytical work was performed using PSIM software.
Multi-objective solution with PSO algorithm for minimization of torque ripple and speed settling time by using solar-fed 11,9 and 3-level multi-level inverter with vector control of induction motor
Authors: G. Shashibhushan , Sonoli Savita
Published: June 2020

The 11,9 & 3-level cascaded multi-level inverter is fed with vector control of induction motor. The speed performance of the machine is dependent on the PI controller used for speed control. Regulation of speed can go till 5% is allowable. If the PI controller parameters are not optimal the speed error gets increase. The torque ripple can be reduced by using the multilevel inverter. More than that the PI controller output is related with torque. So, the problem is formulated with reduction of settling time of speed and torque ripple. The Multi-objective Particle Swarm Optimization (MPSO) algorithm is used to solve the problem. And the performances are compared with PI controller and PSO-PI control of vector control drive. MATLAB is used to solve the entire system.
Investigating sine-band hysteresis control of photovoltaic-grid connected inverter
Authors: Krachai M. Della , Melouk K. , Keddar M.
Published: June 2020

In this paper, an optimization of PV grid connected system is investigated. This is achieved by considering the application of artificial intelligence in the DC side to realize maximal power extraction, and using a sine-band hysteresis control in the AC side of the system, to generate a sine current/voltage suitable for grid connection IEEE929-2000 standards. The overall system has been simulated taking into account environmental effects and standards constraints in order to achieve best performance. The choice of sine band hysteresis control was selected considering its implementation simplicity. The algorithm runs fast on a low-cost microcontroller allowing to avoid any delay that can cause a phase shift in the system.  An experimental setup has been realized for tests and validation purposes. Both simulation and experimental results lead to satisfactory results which are conform to the IEEE929-2000 standards.
Sensor/actuator fault tolerant sliding mode control for anti-lock braking in a quarter electric vehicle
Authors: Widjiantoro Bambang L. , Indriawati Katherin
Published: June 2020

This paper proposes a scheme to improve regenerative ABS technology that already exists today by adding accommodation faults to the control system. The nominal control algorithm used is a sliding mode control so that system nonlinearities can be handled properly. The proposed method then is called sensor/actuator fault tolerant sliding mode control system. In designing the proposed control, there are two stages, namely estimation of faults, as well as the active mechanism for reconfiguring controls. Estimation of faults is done by using proportional-integral (PI) observers based on extended state space equation. Whereas the control signal reconfiguration is done actively by replacing measured output with their estimates and compensating for control signal using the actuator fault estimate. The simulation shows that the control system based on the proposed algorithm produces better dynamic performance than the sliding mode control (SMC) without fault tolerant feature. Furthermore, the system provides inherent characteristic for dealing with a minor fault in the hydraulic actuator.
Harmonic minimization of a single-phase asymmetrical TCHB multilevel inverter based on nearest level control method
Authors: Ali Saleh Wail Ali , Mohd Said Nurul Ain , Abd Halim Wahidah
Published: June 2020

Multilevel inverters are gaining special interest among researchers and in the industry due to their widespread applications and numerous merits. Obtaining high quality, more reliable output while using a reduced number of electronic components is the main purpose of most of the research conducted in this area of study. The purpose of this study is to apply the nearest level control (NLC) method to a 13-level transistor-clamped H-bridge (TCHB) inverter with unequal DC voltage supplies. The NLC method operates at the fundamental frequency, thus reducing switching losses, and can reduce the harmonic content significantly. The adopted multilevel inverter consists of two TCHB cells supplied with two asymmetrical DC input sources with a voltage ratio of 1:2. This structure reduces the number of electronic components, and the asymmetry in the DC input voltages results in a higher number of levels. The adopted topology and its proposed control method were simulated in Matlab/Simulink, and the simulation results were verified through experiments using an Altera field-programmable gate array (FPGA) board. The results showed that the topology and its control method are efficient in obtaining a high-quality output with an improved total harmonic distortion (THD).
Using sigma-delta quantizer Based PI for inductive power transfer systems
Authors: Almakhles Dhafer J. , Swain Akshya , Yuefeng Hou
Published: June 2020

In this paper, a Sigma-Delta Quantizer (∑∆-Q) based Proportional and Integral control is proposed for a wireless power transfer control system, namely inductive power transfer system. The proposed control topology employs ∑∆-Qs to convert the conventional signals (analog/digital signals) into bitsreatm signals (1-bit per sample time). Considering the oversampling feature of ∑∆-Q, field programmable gate array is utilized in the implementation of the control system. To evaluate the effectiveness of the presented control topology, it is compared with an inductive power transfer control system using the conventional proportional and integral controller. For the sake of simplicity, the comparison is carried out using hardware in Loop. Both control systems exhibit almost identical responses. However, the bitstream feature of the proposed PI controller significantly helps in reducing the hardware resources (logic elements) in field programmable gate array. In addition, less wire routing and computational complexity is achieved due to absence of multipliers.
A new approach to extract reference currents for multilevel shunt active filter in three phase systems
Authors: Yousfi Abdelkader , Allaoui Tayeb , Chaker Abdelkader
Published: June 2020

In this article, we present a new study of technique to extract reference currents for three-level shunt active filter controlling by fuzzy logic. The APFs is realized using three phase voltage and the carrier-based PWM strategy. A new technique for identifying reference currents will be developed. It is based on concordia method using multi-variable filter, and makes the total or selective extraction harmonic currents of references, and by consequence making their compensations, total or selective. The results of digital simulation in the Matlab-Simulink environment of a system of power to thyristor outputs on an inductive load show well the effectiveness of this new technique of extraction of the harmonics of reference.
 
Decrystallization with high current pulses technique for capacity restoration of industrial nickel-cadmium battery
Authors: Martin M. P. , Ponniran Asmarashid , Rahman R. A. , Ibrahim N. S. M. , Eahambram A. , Aziz M. H. , Yassin A. M.
Published: June 2020

The process of crystallization occurred due to the process of charging and discharging during the usage of the Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cd) battery where crystalline formed on the surface of the battery plate. This situation causes the impedance of the Ni-Cd battery increased and contribute to the increment of the battery temperature and battery impedance. High battery temperature will cause the performance of Ni-Cd battery deteriorates. Therefore, this study is investigated on the performance of industrial Ni-Cd battery during the process of crystallization and de-crystallization with high current pulses. By this technique, it is capable to break the formed crystalline to recover back the capacity loss and enhanced the performance of Ni-Cd battery. Therefore, the study results shown that the life cycles and capacity of the Ni-Cd battery increased up to 41% of its capacity after the de-crystallization take place by injecting high current pulses. Consequently, the life span of the Nickel-Cadmium battery enhanced, and the battery is revived.
Frequency response analysis technique for induction motor short circuit faults detection
Authors: Alawady A. A. , Yousof M. F. M. , Azis N. , Talib M. A.
Published: June 2020

The paper presents the description for diagnostic methods of induction motor's stator windings fault. The presented methods use Frequency Response Analysis (FRA) technique for detection of Winding Faults in Induction Motor . This method is previously reliable method for faults diagnosis and detection in many parts of transformers including transformer windings. In this paper, this method was used for motor windings faults detection. This paper presents the FRA response interpretation on internal short circuit (SC) fault at stator winding on three cases studies of different three-phase induction motors (TPIM), were analysed according to two status: healthy induction motor at normal winding status and same motor with windings shorted of main windings. A conclusion of this paper provides the interpretation of and validation the FRA response due to internal SC fault case by using NCEPRI algorithm, which is considered as one of certified statistical indicators. The proposed method in this paper had a useful result for detect and diagnosis of stator windings faults of TPIM. The applications of developed method can be used to detece the other machines types faults.
Maps Matter. The 10/40 Window and Missionary Geography
Authors: de Korte Hannah , Onnekink David
Published: June 2020

The 10/40 Window map is used by evangelical missionary societies to promote mission in Northern Africa, the Middle East and South East Asia. It has been widely popular among Christians worldwide, but has also suffered sustained criticism. The map itself, however, has received no scholarly attention. This article investigates the 10/40 Window map through the lens of the concept of territoriality. Using insights from the field of critical cartography, it argues that the map is pivotal in directing missionary zeal, but that in turn it has also reshaped missionary thinking. This is so because the actual map’s metageographical proportions, its cartographic language and the accompanying rhetoric communicate several novel key propositions about mission. The overall argument of this article is that maps are not innocuous illustrations, but indeed that maps matter a great deal and that missionary geography should be taken seriously.
A new species of Limonium from Tunisia

Authors: SEFI ONS , GHRABI-GAMMAR ZEINEB , BEN HAJ JILANI IMTINEN , DAOUD-BOUATTOUR AMINA , BRULLO SALVATORE
Published: June 2020

Limonium steppicum, a new species is described and illustrated from the Island of Djerba in Tunisia, where it is localized at the edges of salt marshes in very dry environmental conditions. Morphologically, it is closely related to L. rubescens, widespread in southern Tunisia, from which it is differentiated in many morphological features and also for its ecological requirements.
A new genus with a new species of Shield-back Katydid, with comments on the phylogeny and diagnosis of the genus Kansua Uvarov and the tribe Drymadusini (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Tettigoniinae) from China
Authors: YIN ZI-XU , HE ZHU-QING , SHEN CHU-ZE , SHEN ZI-HAO
Published: June 2020

In this paper, a new species, Sichuana cryptospina sp. nov., is described from Sichuan, China. COI genes were used to analyze the phylogenetic relationships with the species belonging to Drymadusini from China. Phylogenetic reconstruction supports the monophyly of Drymadusini while the relationships among genera are still unclear. The new species should be placed in the new genus named Sichuana gen. nov. Additionally, Kansua Uvarov should be moved into this tribe, with supplementary expression of the tribe diagnosis. Types of the new species in this paper are preserved in the Museum of Biology, East China Normal University (ECNU).
Progranulin Reverses Decitabine-Induced Adipogenic Differentiation of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Through Downregulation of NF-κB Signaling Pathway
Authors: Zhang Shouping , Wang Ying , Sun Lili
Published: June 2020

Decitabine can induce BMSCs adipogenic differentiation. Progranulin (PGRN) is a chondrogenic factor. However, the effect of Progranulin on the adipogenic differentiation of BMSCs induced by decitabine remains unclear. Rat BMSCs were isolated and divided into control group, Decitabine
group, and Decitabine+PGRN group followed by analysis of survival rate of BMSCs cells by MTT assay, Caspase 3 activity, ALP activity, Runx2, OP and PPARγ2 expression by Real time PCR, lipids formation by Oil red O staining and the expression of NF-κB by Western blot.
Decitabine treatment can significantly inhibit the proliferation of BMSCs, promote the increase of Caspase 3 activity, decrease ALP activity and the expression of Runx2 and OP, increase PPARγ2 expression, the ability of adipogenesis and NF-κB expression (P
< 0005). Progranulin addition significantly promoted BMSCs proliferation, inhibited Caspase 3 activity, increased ALP activity and Runx2, OP expression, decreased PPARγ2 expression, adipogenic capacity and NF-κB expression, compared to Decitabine group (P
< 0005). Decitabine inhibits BMSCs proliferation, promotes apoptosis, induces adipogenic differentiation, and inhibits osteogenic differentiation. Progranulin reverses the effect of defercitin on the induction of adipogenic differentiation of BMSCs by down-regulating the NF-κB
signaling pathway.
Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Inhibits Differentiation of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Osteoblasts by Inhibiting Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase (PI3K)/Protein Kinase B (AKT) Pathway
Authors: Zhang Teng , Ding Guangjiang , Yang Wen , Xiao Zhongyu
Published: June 2020

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have the potential for multi-directional differentiation. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) plays a role in many diseases. However, the role of TNF-α in the differentiation of BMSCs into osteoblasts remains
unclear. Rat-derived BMSCs were divided into normal control group and TNF-α group (5 ng/ml or 10 ng/ml) followed by analysis of BMSCs proliferation by MTT, Caspase3 activity, TNF-α mRNA and serum secretion by Real time PCR and ELISA, ALP activity, Runx2, OP and OC
level by Real time PCR and PI3K/AKT signaling protein expression by Western blot. TNF-α significantly promoted the expression of TNF-α mRNA and serum secretion, inhibited cell proliferation, increased Caspase3 and ALP activity, decreased Runx2 and OP expression, and
inhibited AKT phosphorylation compared to control (P < 0.05). The inhibition of osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs was more obvious with the increase of TNF-α concentration. TNF-α can inhibit the proliferation of BMSCs, promote apoptosis and inhibit BMSCs
osteogenic differentiation via inhibiting the PI3K/AKT pathway.
Effect and Mechanism of Interferon-Gamma Combined with Pembrolizumab on Chemoresistance of Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Peng Chunling , Feng Chunqian , Feng Sha , Li Daiqiang
Published: June 2020

Tumor microenvironment can lead to chemotherapy resistance in lung cancer. PD-1 and PD-L1 are core regulatory molecules of immune checkpoint. Our study intends to assess IFN-γ combined with Pembrolizumab’s effect on chemoresistance of lung adenocarcinoma. Human A549/DDP
lung adenocarcinoma resistant strains were cultured in vitro and randomly divided into control group, IFN-γ group and Pembrolizumab+IFN-γ group followed by analysis of cell proliferation by MTT assay, cell apoptosis by flow cytometry, the levels of PD-L1 and Bcl-2
by Western Blot, the level of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and IL-17 by ELISA, as well as the expression of JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway by Western Blot. IFN-γ-treated A549/DDP cells showed significantly inhibited cell apoptosis, promoted cell proliferation, increased level of IL-10,
IL-17, and elevated expression of PD-L1 and Bcl-2, as well as increased phosphorylation of JAK and STAT3 (P < 0.05). However, Pembrolizumab combined with IFN-γ treatment significantly inhibited cell proliferation, increased cell apoptosis, decreased IL-10 and IL-17 level,
PD-L1 and Bcl-2 expression as well as JAK and STAT3 phosphorylation with significant difference compared to IFN-γ treatment alone (P < 0.05). IFN-γ up-regulates PD-L1 expression by up-regulating the JAK/STAT3 pathway, inhibits the apoptosis of drug-resistant
cells in lung adenocarcinoma, and promotes cell proliferation. Pembrolizumab can reverse IFN-γ’s effect on drug-resistant cells of lung adenocarcinoma, down-regulate JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway and, promote the apoptosis of drug-resistant lung cancer cells, and inhibit cell
proliferation.
miR-184 Inhibits Hypertrophic Scar Through Regulating Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase (PI3K)/Protein Kinase B (AKT) Signaling Pathway
Authors: Zhao Peng , Qin Junxia , Liang Lili , Zhang Xinzhong
Published: June 2020

Hypertrophic scar (HS) is a process of tissue repair and healing, and excessive fibrosis of local tissue leads to scar formation. During HS formation, fibroblasts (Fb) proliferate, synthesize and secrete and promote HS development. miR-184 regulates skin formation and tissue development.
However, miR-184’s role in HS remains unclear. miR-184 expression in HS patients and normal healthy (Control) tissues was measured by real-time PCR. pAKT expression was analyzed by Western blot. Fb cells from human HS were cultured and divided into 2 groups, siRNA NC group and miR-184
siRNA group followed by analysis of miR-184 expression by real time PCR, cell proliferation by MTT assay, secretion of inflammatory factors IL-1β and IL-6 by ELISA, as well as expression of pAKT and AKT by western blot. Compared with control group, miR-184 and pAKT expression was
significantly increased in the HS group. Transfection of miR-184 siRNA into Fb significantly downregulated miR-184 expression, inhibited cell proliferation, promoted Caspase 3 activity, decreased IL-1β and IL-6 secretion, and reduced pAKT level (P < 0.05). miR-184 expression
is increased in hypertrophic scar tissue. Down-regulation of miR-184 expression in proliferative scar tissue fibroblasts can down-regulate PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, inhibit inflammation, promote apoptosis, inhibit fibroblast proliferation, and regulate hypertrophic scar formation.
Preparation and Characterization of α-Calcium Sulfate Hemihydrate (CSH)/Marine Shells Scaffold with Cervus and Cucumis Polypeptide Composite Biomaterials for Bone Reconstruction
Authors: Lou Yi , Cheng Fengmei , Zhang Yinquan
Published: June 2020

Objective: Calcium sulfate, calcium carbonate and Cervus and Cucumis Polypeptide have been widely used for bone reconstruction. However, each of them has limitations. We aim to prepare and evaluate the safety and biocompatibility of α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate
(CSH)/marine shells scaf- fold with cervus and cucumis polypeptide composites. Methods: α-CSH/marine shell scaffold with cervus and cucumis polypeptide composite was first prepared by chemical coprecipitation and the hydrothermal method. The cell morphology and proliferation
in L929 fibroblasts and bone marrow stromal cells were tested by MTT assay. Phase composition and microstructure of the composites was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In vivo Tox- icity tests indicated that composites are biocompatible and can
be used as a safe bone implant in SD rats. Results: The structure, morphology and properties of α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate (CSH)/marine shells scaffold with cervus and cucumis polypeptide composites are characterized. The compressive strength of the composite was more
than 6MPa which is adequate for clinical needs. The morphology of L929 fibroblasts and bone marrow stromal cells remain normal and could proliferate rapidly. Remarkably, the composites showed good biocompatibility in vivo since no toxicity and irritation effects were observed in rat muscles.
Conclusion: Our study first prepared α-CSH/marine shell scaffold with cervus and cucumis polypeptide composites and proved its good biocompatibility, which is a desirable and suitable material for bone tissue engineering.
Guidelines for Resident Participation in Otolaryngology Telehealth Clinics During the COVID‐19 Pandemic
Authors: Plocienniczak Michal J. , Noordzij J. Pieter , Grillone Gregory , Platt Michael , Brook Christopher
Published: June 2020

The practice of otolaryngology has changed drastically since the start of the COVID‐19 pandemic. To limit exposure and maintain a reserve of caregivers, residency education ceased most clinical activities and shifted to remote lecture consortiums hosted online across the country in lieu of ambulatory and operative experiences. Many practicing university otolaryngologists have transitioned their clinics to telehealth medicine to maintain access to clinical care during the pandemic. The participation of residents in telemedicine visits has not been described. Here we present guidelines and experience‐based suggestions for successful resident involvement in telemedicine. While it is unclear what role telehealth medicine may play within the field of otolaryngology beyond the pandemic, our experiences suggest better patient outreach and access. Expanding residents’ skill set with telehealth medicine can enhance their education and better prepare them for future practice.
Perceptions and Barriers to SNAP Utilization Among Asian and Pacific Islanders in Greater Los Angeles
Authors: Louie Naomi T. , Kim Loan Pham , Chan Scott E.
Published: June 2020

Purpose:

To examine the perceptions of and barriers to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation among Asian and Pacific Islander (API) immigrants.

Design:

Qualitative focus groups were conducted in 4 API communities.

Setting and Participants:

Participants were recruited from 4 API communities (n = 68; 22 Tongan, 18 Vietnamese, 16 Filipino, and 12 Chinese) through local community-based organizations in Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

Method:

Trained bilingual and bicultural researchers conducted 8 focus groups in English, Chinese, and Vietnamese. Prior to the start of each focus group, participants completed a demographic questionnaire which included a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Security Module.

Analysis:

Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and those in the native languages were transcribed verbatim. Transcripts in native languages were reviewed and translated into English. All transcripts were organized in ATLAS ti version 8.0 and analyzed using thematic analysis. The USDA Food Security Module results were scored and assessed for food insecurity.

Results:

Median age of participants was 58 years and 59.4% (n = 38) were food insecure. Barriers to SNAP participation were identified and organized within the Social Ecological Model by the following themes: (1) unclear program information, (2) application process, (3) shame, and (4) pride. Despite commonalities found across API subgroups, unique challenges with public charge and immigration existed within the subgroups.

Conclusion:

Culturally relevant in-language SNAP materials and multilevel interventions are needed to mitigate barriers and increase SNAP participation rates among low-income API groups.
Multiple mutations at exon 2 of RHOA detected in plasma from patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma
Authors: Ottolini Barbara , Nawaz Nadia , Trethewey Christopher S. , Mamand Sami , Allchin Rebecca L. , Dillon Richard , Fields Paul A. , Ahearne Matthew J. , Wagner Simon D.
Published: June 2020

The mutational landscape of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) is being revealed through sequencing of lymph node samples, but there has been little work on the mutational load that is present in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from plasma. We report targeted sequencing of cfDNA from PTCL patients to demonstrate c.50G>T (p.Gly17Val) in RHOA as previously described in angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) and a group of PTCL not otherwise specified (NOS) but also detect novel mutations at c.73A>G (p.Phe25Leu) and c.48A>T (p.Cys16*) of exon 2, which were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. In a group of AITL and PTCL-NOS analyzed by droplet digital polymerase chain reaction, 63% (12/19) showed c.50G>T (p.Gly17Val), 53% (10/19) c.73A>G (p.Phe25Leu), and 37% (7/19) c.48A>T (pCys16*). Sequencing of lymph node tissue in 3 out of 9 cases confirmed the presence of c.73A>G (p.Phe25Leu). Inspection of individual sequencing reads from individual patients showed that a single RHOA allele could contain >1 mutation, suggesting haplotypes of mutations at RHOA. Serial sampling showed changes to RHOA mutational frequency with treatment and the apparent occurrence of clones bearing specific haplotypes associated with relapse. Therefore, sequencing of RHOA from cfDNA has revealed new mutations and haplotypes. The clinical significance of these findings will need to be explored in clinical trials, but liquid biopsy might have potential for guiding treatment decisions in PTCL.
Identification of Blast Resistance QTLs Based on Two Advanced Backcross Populations in Rice
Authors: Jiang Haichao , Feng Yutao , Qiu Lei , Gao Guanjun , Zhang Qinglu , He Yuqing
Published: June 2020

Background

Rice blast is an economically important and mutable disease of rice. Using host resistance gene to breed resistant varieties has been proven to be the most effective and economical method to control rice blast and new resistance genes or quantitative trait loci (QTLs) are then needed.

Results

In this study, we constructed two advanced backcross population to mapping blast resistance QTLs. CR071 and QingGuAi3 were as the donor parent to establish two BC3F1 and derived BC3F2 backcross population in the Jin23B background. By challenging the two populations with natural infection in 2011 and 2012, 16 and 13 blast resistance QTLs were identified in Jin23B/CR071 and Jin23B/QingGuAi3 population, respectively. Among Jin23B/CR071 population, 3 major and 13 minor QTLs have explained the phenotypic variation from 3.50% to 34.08% in 2 years. And, among Jin23B/QingGuAi3 population, 2 major and 11 minor QTLs have explained the phenotypic variation from 2.42% to 28.95% in 2 years.

Conclusions

Sixteen and thirteen blast resistance QTLs were identified in Jin23B/CR071 and Jin23B/QingGuAi3 population, respectively. QTL effect analyses suggested that major and minor QTLs interaction is the genetic basis for durable blast resistance in rice variety CR071 and QingGuAi3.
Consideration of risk management practices in regulatory risk assessments: evaluation of field trials with micro-dams to reduce pesticide transport via surface runoff and soil erosion
Authors: Sittig Stephan , Sur Robin , Baets Dirk , Hammel Klaus
Published: June 2020

Background

On sloped agricultural fields, water and sediment can be transported downhill as runoff and erosion. This process can cause losses of valuable top soil material, water resources for plant availability, and nutrients as well as transport of plant protection products (PPP) into adjacent surface water bodies. In the European and the US risk assessment for the registration of PPP, runoff and erosion are numerically calculated with the simulation model PRZM which uses the USDA runoff curve number (CN) concept for the water movement. Results from runoff field trials were used to estimate the effect of dedicated management practices in terms of mitigating runoff and erosion, i.e. creating micro-dams between the ridges of potato fields or in maize cultivation on model input parameters.

Results

Application of different cultivation and tillage techniques (micro-dams/bunds) showed a consistent decrease of the measured quantities of runoff, erosion, and PPP transport as well as of the calculated CN and predicted environmental concentrations in surface water. The results presented here support the approach to quantitatively consider in-field risk mitigation measures (if applied) in the context of regulatory surface water exposure calculations, as proposed by the SETAC MAgPIE workshop.

Conclusion

Based on these data, a robust case can be made to consider innovative runoff mitigation for risk assessment purposes by, e.g. lowering the CN in the exposure scenarios. In the assessment presented herein, an average decrease in the mean of the derived CN of 86 of 21 points (± 11, 10th percentile: 12) for potatoes could be derived. For maize, the mean calculated CN of 73 was lowered on average by 3 points.
DryMass: handling and analyzing quantitative phase microscopy images of spherical, cell-sized objects
Authors: Müller Paul , Cojoc Gheorghe , Guck Jochen
Published: June 2020

Background

Quantitative phase imaging (QPI) is an established tool for the marker-free classification and quantitative characterization of biological samples. For spherical objects, such as cells in suspension, microgel beads, or liquid droplets, a single QPI image is sufficient to extract the radius and the average refractive index. This technique is invaluable, as it allows the characterization of large sample populations at high measurement rates. However, until now, no universal software existed that could perform this type of analysis. Besides the choice of imaging modality and the variety in imaging software, the main difficulty has been to automate the entire analysis pipeline from raw data to ensemble statistics.

Results

We present DryMass, a powerful tool for QPI that covers all relevant steps from loading experimental data (multiple file formats supported), computing the phase data (built-in, automated hologram analysis), performing phase background corrections (offset, tilt, second order polynomial) to fitting scattering models (light projection, Rytov approximation, Mie simulations) to spherical phase objects for the extraction of dry mass, radius, and average refractive index. The major contribution of DryMass is a user-convenient, reliable, reproducible, and automated analysis pipeline for an arbitrary number of QPI datasets of arbitrary sizes.

Conclusion

DryMass is a leap forward for data analysis in QPI, as it not only makes it easier to visualize raw QPI data and reproduce previous results in the field, but it also opens up QPI analysis to users without a background in programming or phase imaging.