bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Anthracnose Resistance in Pepper (Capsicum spp.) Genetic Resources
Authors: Ro Na-Young , Sebastin Raveendar , Hur On-Sook , Cho Gyu-Taek , Geum Bora , Lee Yong-Jik , Kang Byoung-Cheorl
Published: November 2021

Anthracnose (Colletotrichum spp.), is one of the major yield losing fungal disease in both pre- and post-harvest stage of pepper (Capsicum spp.) production worldwide. Among the Colletotrichum spp., C. acutatum has strong pathogenicity, which infects both immature and mature pepper fruit leads to severe economic losses in pepper production. Inheritance of anthracnose disease resistance was evaluated with 3738 pepper genetic resources which was collected from different countries and conserved at Korean genebank. The resistance analysis against pepper anthracnose (C. acutatum) was performed on detached mature green and red fruits under laboratory conditions by spray (non-wounding) and microinjection (wounding) inoculation methods. In the primary screening, about 261 accessions were appeared to be resistant against C. acutatum in spray inoculation. The resistant accessions were further evaluated with microinjection (wounding) inoculation method using the fungal (C. acutatum) isolate of pepper anthracnose. There were highly significant differences in the disease severity and distribution of disease rating scale, considering all the sources has significant genetic variation. Finally, the anthracnose resistant pepper accessions have been validated with cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) and high-resolution melting (HRM) markers in which, the CAPS and HRM marker analysis showed four types of genotypes such as resistant (R), susceptible (S), heterozygous (H) and Unidentified type (UT) or not detection. The Capsicum accessions showing high level of resistance to the pathogen could be used as source material in breeding programs for resistance to anthracnose disease.
The Relation between Intraday Limit Order Book Depth and Spread
Authors: Aidov Alexandre , Lobanova Olesya
Published: November 2021

Prior studies that examine the relation between market depth and bid–ask spread are often limited to the first level of the limit order book. However, the full limit order book provides important information beyond the first level about the depth and spread, which affects the trading decisions of market participants. This paper examines the intraday behavior of depth and spread in the five-deep limit order book and the relation between depth and spread in a futures market setting. A dummy-variables regression framework is employed and is estimated using the generalized method of moments (GMM). Results indicate an inverse U-shaped pattern for depth and an increasing pattern for spread. After controlling for known explanatory factors, an inverse relation between the limit order book depth and spread is documented. The inverse relation holds for depth and spread at individual levels in the limit order book as well. Results indicate that market participants actively manage both the price (spread) and quantity (depth) dimensions of liquidity along the five-deep limit order book.
Establishing Newborn Screening for SCID in the USA: Experience in California
Authors: Puck Jennifer M. , Gennery Andrew R.
Published: November 2021

Newborn screening for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) has developed from the realization that infants affected with SCID require prompt diagnosis and treatment to avoid fatal infectious complications. Screening DNA from infant dried blood spots for T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs), byproducts of normal antigen-receptor gene rearrangement, has proven to be a reliable method to identify infants with SCID and other serious T lymphocyte defects before the onset of serious infections. The experience of the SCID newborn screening program in California after screening over 3 million infants demonstrates the effectiveness of this measure.
Explicitly Assessing the Durability of RC Structures Considering Spatial Variability and Correlation
Authors: Wang Cao
Published: November 2021

The durability design of reinforced concrete (RC) structures that are exposed to aggressive environmental attacks (e.g., corrosion due to chloride ingress in marine environment) plays a vital role in ensuring the structural serviceability within a reference period of interest. Existing approaches for the durability design and assessment of RC structures have, for the most part, not considered the spatial distribution of corrosion-related structural properties. In this paper, a closed-form approach is developed for durability assessment of RC structures, where the structural dimension, spatial variability, and correlation of structural properties such as the concrete cover thickness and the chloride diffusion coefficient are taken into account. The corrosion and crack initiations of an emerged tube tunnel segment that was used in the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge project were assessed to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach. The accuracy of the method was verified through a comparison with Monte Carlo simulation results based on two-dimensional random field modeling. The proposed method can be used to efficiently assess the durability performance of RC structures in the marine environment and has the potential to become an efficient tool to guide the durability design of RC structures subjected to corrosion.
A Novel 2-D Point Absorber Numerical Modelling Method
Authors: Giannini Gianmaria , Day Sandy , Rosa-Santos Paulo , Taveira-Pinto Francisco
Published: November 2021

Despite several wave energy converters (WECs) having been developed to present, no particular concept has emerged yet. The existing inventions vary significantly in terms of the operation principle and complexity of WECs. The tethered point absorbers (PAs) are among the most known devices that, thanks to their simplicity, appear to be cost-effective and reliable for offshore installation. These devices need to be advanced further and, therefore, new tailored modelling methods are required. Numerical modelling of this type of WEC has been done mainly in one degree of freedom. Existing methods for multi-degrees of freedom analysis lack pragmatism and accuracy. Nevertheless, modelling of multiple degrees of freedom is necessary for correct analysis of the device dynamic response, wave loads and device performance. Therefore, an innovative numerical method for two degrees of freedom analysis of PA WECs, which permits precisely modelling the dynamics of PA for surge and heave motions, is introduced in this paper. The new method allows assessing, in the time-domain, the dynamic response of tethered PAs using regular and irregular sea states. The novel numerical model is explained, proved and empirically validated.
A Computer Vision System for Staff Gauge in River Flood Monitoring
Authors: Sabbatini Luisiana , Palma Lorenzo , Belli Alberto , Sini Francesca , Pierleoni Paola
Published: November 2021

Rivers close to populated or strategically important areas can cause damages and safety risks to people in the event of a flood. Traditional river flood monitoring systems like radar and ultrasonic sensors may not be completely reliable and require frequent on-site human interventions for calibration. This time-consuming and resource-intensive activity has attracted the attention of many researchers looking for highly reliable camera-based solutions. In this article we propose an automatic Computer Vision solution for river’s water-level monitoring, based on the processing of staff gauge images acquired by a V-IoT device. The solution is based on two modules. The first is implemented on the edge in order to avoid power consumption due to the transmission of poor quality frames, and another is implemented on the Cloud server, where the frames acquired and sent by the V-IoT device are processed for water level extraction. The proposed system was tested on sample images relating to more than a year of acquisitions at a river site. The first module of the proposed solution achieved excellent performances in discerning bad quality frames from good quality ones. The second module achieved very good results too, especially for what it concerns night frames.
Kalman Filter Adaptation to Disturbances of the Observer’s Parameters
Authors: Manin Alexander A. , Sokolov Sergey V. , Novikov Arthur I. , Polyakova Marianna V. , Demidov Dmitriy N. , Novikova Tatyana P.
Published: November 2021

Currently, one of the most effective algorithms for state estimation of stochastic systems is a Kalman filter. This filter provides an optimal root-mean-square error in state vector estimation only when the parameters of the dynamic system and its observer are precisely known. In real conditions, the observer’s parameters are often inaccurately known; moreover, they change randomly over time. This in turn leads to the divergence of the Kalman estimation process. The problem is currently being solved in a variety of ways. They include the use of interval observers, the use of an extended Kalman filter, the introduction of an additional evaluating observer by nonlinear programming methods, robust scaling of the observer’s transmission coefficient, etc. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that, firstly, all of the above ways are focused on application in specific technical systems and complexes, and secondly, they fundamentally do not allow estimating errors in determining the parameters of the observer themselves in order to compensate them for further improving the accuracy and stability of the filtration process of the state vector. To solve this problem, this paper proposes the use of accurate observations that are irregularly received in a complex measuring system (for example, navigation) for adaptive evaluation of the observer’s true parameters of the stochastic system state vector. The development of the proposed algorithm is based on the analytical dependence of the Kalman estimate variation on the observer’s parameters disturbances obtained using the mathematical apparatus for the study of perturbed multidimensional dynamical systems. The developed algorithm for observer’s parameters adaptive estimation makes it possible to significantly increase the accuracy and stability of the stochastic estimation process as a whole in the time intervals between accurate observations, which is illustrated by the corresponding numerical example.
The Organizer and Its Signaling in Embryonic Development
Authors: Kumar Vijay , Park Soochul , Lee Unjoo , Kim Jaebong
Published: November 2021

Germ layer specification and axis formation are crucial events in embryonic development. The Spemann organizer regulates the early developmental processes by multiple regulatory mechanisms. This review focuses on the responsive signaling in organizer formation and how the organizer orchestrates the germ layer specification in vertebrates. Accumulated evidence indicates that the organizer influences embryonic development by dual signaling. Two parallel processes, the migration of the organizer’s cells, followed by the transcriptional activation/deactivation of target genes, and the diffusion of secreting molecules, collectively direct the early development. Finally, we take an in-depth look at active signaling that originates from the organizer and involves germ layer specification and patterning.
Influence of Pre-Aging on the Hardness and Formability of a Thread Rolled 6056 Aluminum Alloy after Conventional Extrusion and Artificial Aging
Authors: Winter Lisa , Hellmig Ralph Jörg , Hockauf Kristin , Lampke Thomas
Published: November 2021

For the production of aluminum screws, an effective thermomechanical treatment is necessary for enabling high strength combined with good formability. In this study, the influence of pre-aging as initial heat treatment prior to following processing steps was investigated for the precipitation hardenable 6056 aluminum alloy. The short-term low temperature pre-aged condition was compared to a naturally aged one representing storage time in manufacturing. As reference, a solution-annealed condition was used. After these initial heat treatments, conventional extrusion and artificial aging followed prior to final thread rolling. The distribution of strain introduced by these forming processes was numerically investigated using finite element simulation. The initial heat treatment had a significant influence on the mechanical properties achievable after the complete thermomechanical processing route. After extrusion and artificial aging, the highest hardness was achieved by the pre-aged condition. Despite its high initial hardness, this condition exhibited the best formability indicated by well-formed threads combined with the highest hardness achieved after thread rolling. Therefore, pre-aging seems to be an advantageous heat treatment for integration in the manufacturing process of screws due to its beneficial effect on the mechanical properties.
Habitat Modelling on the Potential Impacts of Shipping Noise on Fin Whales (Balaenoptera physalus) in Offshore Irish Waters off the Porcupine Ridge
Authors: Ramesh Kavya , Berrow Simon , Meade Rossa , O’Brien Joanne
Published: November 2021

Little is known about the ecological importance of fin whales found year-round in southwestern offshore Irish waters. Understanding their ecology is important to reduce potential harm through any spatio-temporal overlap with commercial shipping and fishing activities. This study explored the potential environmental drivers and impacts of low-frequency shipping noise on fin whale calling at Porcupine Ridge using the presence/absence of call detections as a proxy for observed changes due to possible masking. Acoustic call data was collected at a low sampling rate (2 ksps) from the end of March 2016 to June 2016 (97 days) using a bottom-moored autonomous acoustic recorder with an omni-directional hydrophone. The high zero-inflated and binary nature of the data was addressed using generalised linear models. The results of our habitat modelling predicted call detections to increase significantly during night-time (p ≤ 0.01) with sea surface height and chlorophyll-a concentration (p ≤ 0.01), implying higher prey availability may occur on Porcupine Ridge. It also indicated a significant decrease in call detections with increasing shipping noise (p ≤ 0.01). Unfortunately, the model had a type II error. To provide robust results, a longer study not limited by data on the prey, and oceanographic drivers including spatial and temporal parameters is required. This study provides the foundations on which further ecological data could be added to establish management and mitigation measures to minimize the effects of shipping noise on fin whales.
Effects of Discontinuous Thermal Conductivity of a Substrate Surface on Ice Adhesion Strength
Authors: Chen Tingkun , Chen Yiying , Ren Luquan , Jin Jingfu , Cong Qian , Choy Kwang-Leong
Published: November 2021

This study proposes a novel anti-icing model in which silicone rubber with low thermal conductivity is coated at different positions on a material surface to change the continuity of the thermal conductivity of the surface. During the test, the surfaces of aluminum alloy and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) are discontinuously coated with silicone rubber. Repeated experiments are conducted to verify the anti-icing effect of the proposed model. Results showed that compared to the conventional surface ice adhesion strength, the rate of reduction of the ice adhesion strength of the aluminum alloy and PMMA could reach 75.07% and 76.70%, respectively, when the novel method is used. Because of the different levels of thermal conductivity at different positions on the material surface, the water attached to the surface locations without the coated silicone rubber had other freezing times. Combined with the heat and phase change of water during the freezing process, changing the stability of the interface between the ice and substrate could act as an active anti-icing power. The ice adhesion strength on the material surface could then be reduced. Compared with the conventional anti-icing methods, the anti-icing method proposed in this study could significantly increase the active anti-icing characteristics of the material and provide a novel anti-icing method for use in engineering applications.
Geological Oceanography of the Pliocene Warm Period: A Review with Predictions on the Future of Global Warming
Authors: Johnson Markes E.
Published: November 2021

Atmospheric carbon dioxide reached a record concentration of 419 parts per million in May 2021, 50% higher than preindustrial levels at 280 parts per million. The rise of CO2 as a heat-trapping gas is the principal barometer tracking global warming attributed to a global average increase of 1.2 °C over the last 250 years. Ongoing global warming is expected to perturb extreme weather events such as tropical cyclones (hurricanes/typhoons), strengthened by elevated sea-surface temperatures. The melting of polar ice caps in Antarctica and Greenland also is expected to result in rising sea levels through the rest of this century. Various proxies for the estimate of long-term change in sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) are available through geological oceanography, which relies on the recovery of deep-sea cores for the study of sediments enriched in temperature-sensitive planktonic foraminifera and other algal residues. The Pliocene Warm Period occurred between ~4.5 and 3.0 million years ago, when sea level and average global temperatures were higher than today, and it is widely regarded as a predictive analog to the future impact of climate change. This work reviews some of the extensive literature on the geological oceanography of the Pliocene Warm Period together with a summary of land-based studies in paleotempestology focused on coastal boulder deposits (CBDs) and coastal outwash deposits (CODs) from the margin of the Pacific basin and parts of the North Atlantic basin. Ranging in age from the Pliocene through the Holocene, the values of such deposits serve as fixed geophysical markers, against which the micro-fossil record for the Pliocene Warm Period may be compared, as a registry of storm events from Pliocene and post-Pliocene times.
Physical Welding Factors for Reclassified Welding Positions in Shipbuilding Assembly Process Based on Muscle Activity Measured by Surface Electromyography
Authors: Baek So-Yeon , Nam Jong-Ho
Published: November 2021

Welding, a key technology in the shipbuilding industry, is mostly performed by hand, owing to the complex structure and shape of production blocks. This manual welding requires a variety of working postures, which have become an important determinant of the worker’s workload and, consequently, assembly man-hours. Currently, major shipyards calculate welding man-hours by reflecting the welding factor, which is defined as the working time consumed in the welding process. A set of welding factors is known to be based on the accumulated experience in shipyards, whereas the verification or derivation process for these factors is not disclosed or available. This study proposed a method for quantitatively calculating work difficulty for welding positions based on the working posture in a process where the posture acts as an important variable. Standard welding positions reflecting the actual welding work at shipyards were established. A physiological assessment method was used to propose the physical welding factor by analyzing the measured muscle activity. The validity of the proposed method was verified by comparing the results of a musculoskeletal simulation package and shipyard welding factors. The proposed method can be readily applied to other fields in which workers’ physical activities are involved.
Improvement of Maritime Management as a Key Aspect of Sustainable Development and Blue Growth in the Russian Federation
Authors: Plink Nikolay , Semeoshenkova Vera , Eremina Tatyana , Ershova Alexandra , Mushket Ivan
Published: November 2021

The conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources has been declared by the United Nations as one of 17 priority Sustainable Development Goals. At present, most of the maritime states are striving to improve the efficiency of their use of marine resources, including sea space. In particular, the European Union is implementing a number of projects related to the implementation of marine spatial planning (MSP) tools. The Baltic Sea is considered as a pilot region, where a pan-Baltic coordinated MSP plan has been developed to provide for sustainable development and blue growth in the marine and coastal economy. The Russian Federation is one of the Baltic countries, but the MSP procedure at the state level does not have institutional and regulatory support, which requires the elimination of gaps and additional development of the maritime management system. The laws of the organization and development of the general theory of management are used in this study. An Integrated Management Model for sustainable marine and coastal use is proposed as a tool for ensuring blue growth, including four interrelated elements (specific management functions), namely “Integrated Coastal Zone Management”, “Marine Spatial Planning”, “Management of Marine Macroregion” and “Ocean Governance”. Their functional content and interaction mechanisms are discussed in order to implement an integral approach to marine use. The vertical structure of the proposed integral model includes three levels corresponding to the federal and regional levels of government and the level of municipal self-governance. The use of the integral model should help accelerate the process of introducing and using MSP instruments in the process of strategic planning in the socio-economic development of the Russian coastal territories.
Potential Applications of a Novel Ballast Water Pretreatment Device: Grinding Device
Authors: Hyun Bonggil , Cha Hyung-Gon , An Yeong-Kyu , Park Yong-Seok , Jang Min-Chul , Jang Pung-Guk , Shin Kyoungsoon
Published: November 2021

To investigate the removal efficiency of the grinding device (GD) as a potential replacement for the pretreatment filtration device of ballast water, solid grinding and viability experiment were conducted according to a treatment flow rate of 5 tons (Pilot test, PT), and 200 tons (Full-scale test, FST) per h. The solid grinding effect was observed in the particle size of ≥25 μm. Under the high-turbidity conditions (>300 mg L−1), no change in pressure (0.98 kgf/cm2) or stoppage in the GD were observed. The removal efficiency of the GD for >100 μm organism was determined to be 100% in both PT and FST, whereas the removal efficiency was determined to be 93% and 87% in the PT and FST, respectively, for the <100 μm organism. There was no statistically significant change in the removal efficiency stored within 2 h after passing through the GD, while the removal efficiency was determined to be ≥99% in the sample stored for 120 h. Future study is necessary to determine the additional removal efficiency according to the storage period after passing through the GD, but the GD might be utilized as the pretreatment device for the ballast water management system.
Modal Parameter Tracking in a Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Structure over Different Carbon Fiber Angles
Authors: Kim Chan-Jung
Published: November 2021

The dynamics of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) change according to the carbon fiber angle, and a mode order shift may occur in CFRP specimens. The variation trends in modal parameters differ in each mode; thus, an efficient mode-tracking method is needed to identify the reliable dynamic behavior of the CFRP structure. The mode-tracking method was assumed to be applicable for the same configuration of the tested specimen except for the differences in carbon fiber angle of the CFRP specimen. Simple rectangular specimens were prepared for one isotropic material, SS275, and five anisotropic CFRP specimens with five carbon fiber angles ranging from 0° to 90°. An experimental impact test was conducted to obtain all the modal parameters. The proposed mode-tracking method was applied using three indicators: the modal assurance criterion (MAC) and two modal parameters (resonance frequency and modal damping ratio). The MAC value was valid for the three bending modes at 0°, 30°, and 90°, but not for the two torsional modes. However, the variation in the resonance frequencies was a more efficient indicator with which to track all the modes of interest, except for the second torsional mode. The variation in the modal damping ratio was also a valid indicator for the two torsional modes. Therefore, the proposed three indicators were all required to derive reliable mode tracking for the CFRP specimens considering the mode order shift.
Antarctolichenia onofrii gen. nov. sp. nov. from Antarctic Endolithic Communities Untangles the Evolution of Rock-Inhabiting and Lichenized Fungi in Arthoniomycetes
Authors: Muggia Lucia , Coleine Claudia , De Carolis Roberto , Cometto Agnese , Selbmann Laura
Published: November 2021

Microbial endolithic communities are the main and most widespread life forms in the coldest and hyper-arid desert of the McMurdo Dry Valleys and other ice-free areas across Victoria Land, Antarctica. There, the lichen-dominated communities are complex and self-supporting assemblages of phototrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms, including bacteria, chlorophytes, and both free-living and lichen-forming fungi living at the edge of their physiological adaptability. In particular, among the free-living fungi, microcolonial, melanized, and anamorphic species are highly recurrent, while a few species were sometimes found to be associated with algae. One of these fungi is of paramount importance for its peculiar traits, i.e., a yeast-like habitus, co-growing with algae and being difficult to propagate in pure culture. In the present study, this taxon is herein described as the new genus Antarctolichenia and its type species is A. onofrii, which represents a transitional group between the free-living and symbiotic lifestyle in Arthoniomycetes. The phylogenetic placement of Antarctolichenia was studied using three rDNA molecular markers and morphological characters were described. In this study, we also reappraise the evolution and the connections linking the lichen-forming and rock-inhabiting lifestyles in the basal lineages of Arthoniomycetes (i.e., Lichenostigmatales) and Dothideomycetes.
The Temporal-Spatial Features of Pressure Pulsation in the Diffusers of a Large-Scale Vaned-Voluted Centrifugal Pump
Authors: Lu Zhaoheng , Tao Ran , Jin Faye , Li Puxi , Xiao Ruofu , Liu Weichao
Published: November 2021

A large-scale, vaned-voluted centrifugal pump can be applied as the key component in water-transfer projects. Pressure pulsation will be an important factor in affecting the operation stability. This paper researches the propagation and spatial distribution law of blade passing frequency (BPF) and its harmonics on the design condition by numerical simulation. Experimental and numerical monitoring is conducted for pressure pulsation on four discrete points in the vaneless region, which shows that the BPF is dominant. The pulsation tracking network (PTN) is applied to research propagation law and spatial distribution law. It provides a reference for frequency domain information and visualization vaned diffuser. The amplitude of BPF and its harmonics decays rapidly in the vaneless region. BPF and BPF’s harmonics influence each other. BPF has local enhancement in the vaneless region when its harmonics attenuate. In the vaned diffuser, the pulsation amplitude of BPF attenuates rapidly, but the local high-pressure pulsation amplitude can be found on the vane blade concave side because of obstruction and accumulation of the vaned diffuser. In the volute, the pulsation amplitude of BPF is low with the decelerating attenuation. This study provides an effective method for understanding the pressure pulsation law in turbomachinery and other engineering flow cases.
Finite Element Analysis of Thermal-Diffusions Problem for Unbounded Elastic Medium Containing Spherical Cavity under DPL Model
Authors: Hobiny Aatef D. , Abbas Ibrahim A.
Published: November 2021

In this work, the thermo-diffusions interaction in an unbounded material with spherical cavities in the context dual phase lag model is investigated. The finite element technique has been used to solve the problem. The bounding surface of the inner hole is loaded thermally by external heat flux and is traction-free. The delay times caused in the microstructural interactions, the requirement for thermal physics to take account of hyperbolic effects within the medium, and the phase lags of chemical potential and diffusing mass flux vector are interpreted. A comparison is made in the case of the presence and the absence of mass diffusions between coupled, Lord-Shulman and dual phase lag theories. The numerical results for the displacement, concentration, temperature, chemical potential and stress are presented numerically and graphically.
In Vitro Killing of Canine Urinary Tract Infection Pathogens by Ampicillin, Cephalexin, Marbofloxacin, Pradofloxacin, and Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole
Authors: Blondeau Joseph M. , Fitch Shantelle D.
Published: November 2021

Urinary tract infections are common in dogs, necessitating antimicrobial therapy. We determined the speed and extent of in vitro killing of canine urinary tract infection pathogens by five antimicrobial agents (ampicillin, cephalexin, marbofloxacin, pradofloxacin, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole) following the first 3 h of drug exposure. Minimum inhibitory and mutant prevention drug concentrations were determined for each strain. In vitro killing was determined by exposing bacteria to clinically relevant drug concentrations and recording the log10 reduction and percent kill in viable cells at timed intervals. Marbofloxacin and pradofloxacin killed more bacterial cells, and faster than other agents, depending on the time of sampling and drug concentration. Significant differences were seen between drugs for killing Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Enterococcus faecalis, and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius strains. At the maximum urine drug concentrations, significantly more E. coli cells were killed by marbofloxacin than by ampicillin (p < 0.0001), cephalexin (p < 0.0001), and TMP/SMX (p < 0.0001) and by pradofloxacin than by cephalexin (p < 0.0001) and TMP/SMX (p < 0.0001), following 5 min of drug exposure. Rapid killing of bacteria should inform thinking on drug selection for short course therapy for uncomplicated UTIs, without compromising patient care, and is consistent with appropriate antimicrobial use and stewardship principles.
Diabetes-Associated Susceptibility to Tuberculosis: Contribution of Hyperglycemia vs. Dyslipidemia
Authors: Ngo Minh Dao , Bartlett Stacey , Ronacher Katharina
Published: November 2021

Diabetes is a major risk factor for tuberculosis (TB). Diabetes increases the risk of the progression from latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) to active pulmonary TB and TB patients with diabetes are at greater risk of more severe disease and adverse TB treatment outcomes compared to TB patients without co-morbidities. Diabetes is a complex disease, characterised not only by hyperglycemia but also by various forms of dyslipidemia. However, the relative contribution of these underlying metabolic factors to increased susceptibility to TB are poorly understood. This review summarises our current knowledge on the epidemiology and clinical manifestation of TB and diabetes comorbidity. We subsequently dissect the relative contributions of body mass index, hyperglycemia, elevated cholesterol and triglycerides on TB disease severity and treatment outcomes. Lastly, we discuss the impact of selected glucose and cholesterol-lowering treatments frequently used in the management of diabetes on TB treatment outcomes.
Polyclonal Aptamers for Specific Fluorescence Labeling and Quantification of the Health Relevant Human Gut Bacterium Parabacteroides distasonis
Authors: Xing Hu , Kissmann Ann-Kathrin , Raber Heinz Fabian , Krämer Markus , Amann Valerie , Kohn Kathrin , Weil Tanja , Rosenau Frank
Published: November 2021

Single-stranded DNA aptamers as affinity molecules for the rapid, reliable detection of intestinal bacteria are of particular interest to equip health systems with novel robust and cheap diagnostic tools for monitoring the success of supplementation strategies with selected probiotic gut bacteria in the fight against major widespread threats, such as obesity and neurodegenerative diseases. The human gut bacterium Parabacteroides distasonis (P. distasonis) is positively associated with diseases such as obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and multiple sclerosis with reduced cell counts in these diseases and is thus a promising potential probiotic bacterium for future microbial supplementation. In this paper we report on the evolution of a specific polyclonal aptamer library by the fluorescence based FluCell-SELEX directed against whole cells of P. distasonis that specifically and efficiently binds and labels P. distasonis. The aptamer library showed high binding affinity and was suited to quantitatively discriminate P. distasonis from other prominent gut bacteria also in mixtures. We believe that this library against a promising probiotic bacterium as a prototype may open new routes towards the development of novel biosensors for the easy and efficient quantitative monitoring of microbial abundance in human microbiomes in general.
Assessment of the Impact of a Motorway on Content andSpatial Distribution of Mercury in Adjacent Agricultural Soils
Authors: Jaworska Hanna , Klimek Joanna
Published: November 2021

The distribution of Hg in the vicinity of roads is probably not exclusively dependent on car emissions, but also on the presence of other point or diffuse sources of Hg emissions located from metres to several km away. The source of mercury in urbanised areas is pollution derived from the burning of fuels and industrial and transport waste, while in agricultural areas, it is constituent in mineral fertilisers and crop protection products. The research objective was to evaluate the content and spatial distribution of mercury in arable soils adjacent to the A1 motorway in Poland. The research material consisted of 40 soil samples taken from 20 test points on four transects at distances of 5, 10, 25 and 50 m from a noise barrier and in the direction of an arable field, and 10 m from the noise barrier in the direction of the motorway. Total mercury content was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry using an AMA 254 analyser. The spatial relationship between adjacent observations of variables was assessed using Moran’s I overall autocorrelation coefficient. Probability maps of mercury distribution in the field and pollution indicators were elaborated in ArcGIS 10.4.1. using Inverse Distance Weighted interpolation. Analysis of the spatial correlation of Moran’s I showed a lack of spatial dependence between tested points, which may evidence that the motorway does not affect mercury contents in the soil. The elevated mercury content at a single test point may indicate a random event unrelated to the motorway’s operation.
Analysis of a Human-Machine Interface for Cooperative Truck Overtaking Maneuvers on Freeways: Increase Success Rate and Assess Driving Behavior during System Failures
Authors: Fank Jana , Knies Christian , Diermeyer Frank
Published: November 2021

Cooperation between road users based on V2X communication has the potential to make road traffic safer and more efficient. The exchange of information enables the cooperative orchestration of critical traffic situations, such as truck overtaking maneuvers on freeways. With the benefit of such a system, questions arise concerning system failure or the abrupt and unexpected behavior of road users. A human-machine interface (HMI) organizes and negotiates the cooperation between drivers and maintains smooth interaction, trust, and system acceptance, even in the case of a possible system failure. A study was conducted with 30 truck drivers on a dynamic truck driving simulator to analyze the negotiation of cooperation requests and the reaction of truck drivers to potential system failures. The results show that an automated cooperation request does not translate into a significantly higher cooperation success rate. System failures in cooperative truck passing maneuvers are not considered critical by truck drivers in this simulated environment. The next step in the development process is to investigate how the success rate of truck overtaking maneuvers on freeways can be further increased as well as the implementation of the system in a real vehicle to investigate the reaction behavior of truck drivers in case of system failures in a real environment.
Small RNAs Asserting Big Roles in Mycobacteria
Authors: Coskun Fatma S. , Płociński Przemysław , van Oers Nicolai S. C.
Published: November 2021

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), with 10.4 million new cases per year reported in the human population. Recent studies on the Mtb transcriptome have revealed the abundance of noncoding RNAs expressed at various phases of mycobacteria growth, in culture, in infected mammalian cells, and in patients. Among these noncoding RNAs are both small RNAs (sRNAs) between 50 and 350 nts in length and smaller RNAs (sncRNA) < 50 nts. In this review, we provide an up-to-date synopsis of the identification, designation, and function of these Mtb-encoded sRNAs and sncRNAs. The methodological advances including RNA sequencing strategies, small RNA antagonists, and locked nucleic acid sequence-specific RNA probes advancing the studies on these small RNA are described. Initial insights into the regulation of the small RNA expression and putative processing enzymes required for their synthesis and function are discussed. There are many open questions remaining about the biological and pathogenic roles of these small non-coding RNAs, and potential research directions needed to define the role of these mycobacterial noncoding RNAs are summarized.
Recent Trends in Graphitic Carbon Nitride-Based Binary and Ternary Heterostructured Electrodes for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting
Authors: Koutavarapu Ravindranadh , Peera Shaik Gouse , Lee Tae Gwan , Myla Chimpiri Rao , Lee Dong-Yeon , Shim Jaesool , Balasingam Suresh Kannan
Published: November 2021

The graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is a class of two-dimensional layered material. The ever-growing research on this fascinating material is due to its unique visible light absorption, surface, electrocatalytic, and other physicochemical properties that can be useful to different energy conversion and storage applications. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting reaction is one of the promising applications of g-C3N4, wherein it acts as a durable catalyst support material. Very recently, the construction of g-C3N4-based binary and ternary heterostructures exhibited superior PEC water splitting performance owing to its reduced reunion of e-/h+ pairs and the fast transfer of charge carriers at the heterostructure interface. This review compiles the recent advances and challenges on g-C3N4-based heterostructured photocatalysts for the PEC water splitting reaction. After an overview of the available literature, we presume that g-C3N4-based photocatalysts showed enhanced PEC water splitting performance. Therefore, it is believed that these materials have tremendous opportunities to act as durable catalyst support for energy-related applications. However, researchers also considered several limitations and challenges for using C3N4 as an efficient catalyst support material that must be addressed. This review article provides an overview of the fundamental principles of PEC water splitting, the current PEC water splitting research trends on g-C3N4-based binary and ternary heterostructured electrodes with respect to different electrolytes, and the other key factors influencing their photoelectrochemical performance. Finally, the future research direction with several recommendations to improve the photocatalytic efficiency of these materials is also provided at the end.
The Health Impact of Household Cooking Fuel Choice on Women: Evidence from China
Authors: Wu Shu
Published: November 2021

In order to achieve sustainable development, the world is experiencing a profound energy transition from traditional biomass through fossil fuel to clean and renewable energy. As women are the primary undertakers of cooking in developing countries, they are more vulnerable to household air pollution caused by solid fuel combustion. Although women can benefit from clean fuel switching for household cooking, its influence on women’s health is still not well understood. Using the longitudinal data from China Family Panel Studies in 2014 and 2018, this study adopts panel data models to investigate the impact of household cooking fuel choice on women’s health from multiple dimensions in China, including self-rated health, others-rated health, and instrumental activities of daily living, aiming at shedding light on energy transition and health improvement for developing countries. It is found that household cooking fuel switching from solid fuel to clean fuel improves women’s self-rated and others-rated health but has no significant impact on women’s abilities of independence in daily activities. Specifically, each level of household cooking fuel increases respondents’ self-rated and others-rated health by 0.009 and 0.043, respectively. Moreover, further investigation of the impact of household cooking fuel switching on the health status of women from different groups found: (1) the health effect of clean cooking fuel switching on women aged 46 and above is more significant than that on women aged 45 and below, (2) there are significant differences between urban and rural areas in the impact of household cooking fuel switching on women’s health, and (3) uneducated women benefit more than educated women from clean cooking fuel switching. Finally, this study provides some policy implications to promote the energy transition and improve women’s health in China and other developing countries.
Lifetime of Catalyst under Voltage Cycling in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Due to Platinum Oxidation and Dissolution
Authors: Kovtunenko Victor A. , Karpenko-Jereb Larisa
Published: November 2021

The durability of a platinum catalyst in a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell is studied at various operating conditions with respect to the different electric potential difference (called voltage) applied in accelerated stress tests. The electrochemical reactions of Pt ion dissolution and Pt oxide coverage of the catalyst lead to the degradation of platinum described by a one-dimensional Holby–Morgan model. The theoretical study of the underlying reaction–diffusion system with the nonlinear reactions is presented by numerical simulations which allow to predict a lifetime of the catalyst under applied voltage cycling. The computer simulation investigates how the Pt mass loss depends on the voltage slope and the upper potential level in cycles.
Limbic Perfusion Is Reduced in Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)
Authors: Li Xia , Julin Per , Li Tie-Qiang
Published: November 2021

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is an illness characterized by a diverse range of debilitating symptoms including autonomic, immunologic, and cognitive dysfunction. Although neurological and cognitive aberrations have been consistently reported, relatively little is known regarding the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in ME/CFS. In this study, we studied a cohort of 31 ME/CSF patients (average age: 42.8 ± 13.5 years) and 48 healthy controls (average age: 42.9 ± 12.0 years) using the pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (PCASL) technique on a whole-body clinical 3T MRI scanner. Besides routine clinical MRI, the protocol included a session of over 8 min-long rCBF measurement. The differences in the rCBF between the ME/CSF patients and healthy controls were statistically assessed with voxel-wise and AAL ROI-based two-sample t-tests. Linear regression analysis was also performed on the rCBF data by using the symptom severity score as the main regressor. In comparison with the healthy controls, the patient group showed significant hypoperfusion (uncorrected voxel wise p ≤ 0.001, FWE p ≤ 0.01) in several brain regions of the limbic system, including the anterior cingulate cortex, putamen, pallidum, and anterior ventral insular area. For the ME/CFS patients, the overall symptom severity score at rest was significantly associated with a reduced rCBF in the anterior cingulate cortex. The results of this study show that brain blood flow abnormalities in the limbic system may contribute to ME/CFS pathogenesis.
A Fast and Automated Strategy for the Identification and Risk Assessment of Unknown Substances (IAS/NIAS) in Plastic Food Contact Materials by GC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS: Recycled LDPE as a Proof-of-Concept
Authors: Miralles Pablo , Yusà Vicent , Pineda Adriana , Coscollà Clara
Published: November 2021

A fast and automated approach has been developed for the tentative identification and risk assessment of unknown substances in plastic food contact materials (FCM) by GC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS. The proposed approach combines GC-HRMS full scan data acquisition coupled to Compound Discoverer™ 3.2 software for automated data processing and compound identification. To perform the tentative identification of the detected features, a restrictive set of identification criteria was used, including matching with the NIST Mass Spectral Library, exact mass of annotated fragments, and retention index calculation. After the tentative identification, a risk assessment of the identified substances was performed by using the threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) approach. This strategy has been applied to recycled low-density polyethylene (LDPE), which could be used as FCM, as a proof-of-concept demonstration. In the analyzed sample, 374 features were detected, of which 83 were tentatively identified after examination of the identification criteria. Most of these were additives, such as plasticizers, used in a wide variety of plastic applications, oligomers of LDPE, and substances with chemical, industrial, or cosmetic applications. The risk assessment was performed and, according to the TTC approach, the obtained results showed that there was no risk associated with the release of the identified substances. However, complementary studies related to the toxicity of the unidentified substances and the potential mixture toxicity (cocktail effects) should be conducted in parallel using bioassays.
Effects of Co-Exposure of Nanoparticles and Metals on Different Organisms: A Review
Authors: Abd-Elhakim Yasmina M. , Hashem Mohamed M. , Abo-EL-Sooud Khaled , Hassan Bayan A. , Elbohi Khlood M. , Al-Sagheer Adham A.
Published: November 2021

Wide nanotechnology applications and the commercialization of consumer products containing engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) have increased the release of nanoparticles (NPs) to the environment. Titanium dioxide, aluminum oxide, zinc oxide, and silica NPs are widely implicated NPs in industrial, medicinal, and food products. Different types of pollutants usually co-exist in the environment. Heavy metals (HMs) are widely distributed pollutants that could potentially co-occur with NPs in the environment. Similar to what occurs with NPs, HMs accumulation in the environment results from anthropogenic activities, in addition to some natural sources. These pollutants remain in the environment for long periods and have an impact on several organisms through different routes of exposure in soil, water, and air. The impact on complex systems results from the interactions between NPs and HMs and the organisms. This review describes the outcomes of simultaneous exposure to the most commonly found ENMs and HMs, particularly on soil and aquatic organisms.