bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Exaggerated Immune Response in Female BALB/c Mice Controls Initial Toxoplasma gondii Multiplication but Increases Mortality and Morbidity Relative to Male Mice
Authors: Alonaizan Rasha , Woods Stuart , Hargrave Kerrie E , Roberts Craig W.
Published: September 2021

Studies indicate that female mice are more susceptible to T. gondii infection, as defined by higher mortality rates in comparison to male mice. However, whether this is due to an inability to control initial parasite multiplication or due to detrimental effects of the immune system has not been determined. Therefore, the following studies were undertaken to determine the influence of sex on early parasite multiplication and the immune response during T. gondii infection and to correlate this with disease outcome. Early parasite replication was studied through applying an in vivo imaging system (IVIS) with luciferase expressing T. gondii. In parallel immunological events were studied by cytometric bead array to quantify key immunological mediators. The results confirmed the previous findings that female mice are more susceptible to acute infection, as determined by higher mortality rates and weight loss compared with males. However, conflicting with expectations, female mice had lower parasite burdens during the acute infection than male mice. Female mice also exhibited significantly increased production of Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1), Interferon (IFN)-γ, and Tumour Necrosis Factor (TNF)-α than male mice. MCP-1 was found to be induced by T. gondii in a dose dependent manner suggesting that the observed increased levels detected in female mice was due to a host-mediated sex difference rather than due to parasite load. However, MCP-1 was not affected by physiological concentration of estrogen or testosterone, indicating that MCP-1 differences observed between the sexes in vivo are due to an as yet unidentified intermediary factor that in turn influences MCP-1 levels. These results suggest that a stronger immune response in female mice compared with male mice enhances their ability to control parasite replication but increases their morbidity and mortality.
Co-Delivery of Curcumin and Bioperine via PLGA Nanoparticles to Prevent Atherosclerotic Foam Cell Formation
Authors: Pillai Sindhu C. , Borah Ankita , Le Minh Nguyen Tuyet , Kawano Hiroaki , Hasegawa Kouichi , Kumar D. Sakthi
Published: September 2021

Cholesterol-rich arterial plaques characterize atherosclerosis, a significant cause of heart disease. Nutraceuticals have received attention over the years, demonstrating potential benefits towards treating and preventing cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including atherosclerosis. Curcumin, a potent polyphenol present in Curcuma longa, has shown remarkable anti-atherosclerotic activity via anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. The bioavailability and low water solubility of curcumin limit its clinical translational purposes. These issues can be circumvented effectively by nano-drug delivery systems that can target atherosclerotic plaque sites. In this work, we chose to use curcumin and a natural bioenhancer called Bioperine (derived from Piper nigrum) inside a polymeric nano-drug delivery system for targeting atherosclerotic plaque sites. We selected two different ratios of curcumin:Bioperine to study its comparative effect on the inhibition of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL)-induced foam cell formation. Our studies demonstrated that Cur-Bio PLGA NPs (both ratios) maintained the cell viability in THP-1 monocyte-derived macrophages above 80% at all periods. The 1:0.2:10 ratio of Cur-Bio PLGA NPs at a concentration of 250 μg/mL illustrated an enhanced reduction in the relative cholesterol content in the THP-1-derived foam cells compared to the 1:1:10 ratio. Confocal microscopy analysis also revealed a reduction in macrophage-mediated foam cell formation when administered with both the ratios of Cur-Bio PLGA NPs. Relative fold change in the mRNA expression of the genes involved in the inflammatory pathways in the atherosclerotic process downregulated NF-κB, CCL2/MCP-1, CD-36, and STAT-3 activity while upregulating the SCAR-B1 expression when treated with the Cur-Bio PLGA NPs. This study thus highlights the importance of natural-based compounds towards the therapeutic intervention against atherosclerotic activity when administered as preventive medicine.
Analysis of Sequence Variability and Transcriptional Profile of Cannabinoid synthase Genes in Cannabis sativa L. Chemotypes with a Focus on Cannabichromenic acid synthase
Authors: Fulvio Flavia , Paris Roberta , Montanari Massimo , Citti Cinzia , Cilento Vincenzo , Bassolino Laura , Moschella Anna , Alberti Ilaria , Pecchioni Nicola , Cannazza Giuseppe , Mandolino Giuseppe
Published: September 2021

Cannabis sativa L. has been long cultivated for its narcotic potential due to the accumulation of tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) in female inflorescences, but nowadays its production for fiber, seeds, edible oil and bioactive compounds has spread throughout the world. However, some hemp varieties still accumulate traces of residual THCA close to the 0.20% limit set by European Union, despite the functional gene encoding for THCA synthase (THCAS) is lacking. Even if some hypotheses have been produced, studies are often in disagreement especially on the role of the cannabichromenic acid synthase (CBCAS). In this work a set of European Cannabis genotypes, representative of all chemotypes, were investigated from a chemical and molecular point of view. Highly specific primer pairs were developed to allow an accurate distinction of different cannabinoid synthases genes. In addition to their use as markers to detect the presence of CBCAS at genomic level, they allowed the analysis of transcriptional profiles in hemp or marijuana plants. While the high level of transcription of THCAS and cannabidiolic acid synthase (CBDAS) clearly reflects the chemical phenotype of the plants, the low but stable transcriptional level of CBCAS in all genotypes suggests that these genes are active and might contribute to the final amount of cannabinoids.
The Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (PECoVA) Composites with Pristine Dolomite and Organophilic Microcrystalline Dolomite (OMCD)
Authors: Kean Chong Lim , Osman Azlin Fazlina , Ahmad Fauzi Asfa Amalia , Alrashdi Awad A. , Abdul Halim Khairul Anwar
Published: September 2021

Poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (PECoVA) composite containing organophilic microcrystalline dolomite (OMCD) was studied to replace the non-recyclable silicone elastomer in biomedical application. Pristine dolomite (DOL) is an inorganic mineral filler and is hydrophilic in nature, hence incompatible with most polymers and limits its use in biomedical applications. DOL was subjected to a combination of size reduction, tip sonication and a surface modification process to obtain a more effective dolomite filler, known as OMCD, as reinforcement material in the PECoVA copolymer matrix. The effects of DOL and OMCD loadings (1, 3, 5 wt%) on the structure and properties of the PECoVA composite were investigated. According to the X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), tensile and tear tests, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis, the use of the OMCD filler brought a more pronounced positive impact to the PECoVA matrix as opposed to the DOL, where it enhanced the crystallinity of the matrix and led to much better matrix–filler interfacial interactions. Therefore, regardless of the filler loading, the PECoVA/OMCD composites demonstrate greater mechanical and thermal properties compared to the PECoVA/DOL composites. The best composite was produced with the OMCD loading of 3 wt%, in which the tensile strength (22.1 MPa), elongation at break (1413%) and Young’s modulus (2.0 MPa) of the copolymer matrix were increased by 44%, 23% and 21%, respectively. This proved that the combination of size reduction, tip sonication and the surface modification technique is efficient to obtain the PECoVA/dolomite composite with improved performance.
A Computational Fluid Dynamic Study of Developed Parallel Stations for Primary Fans
Authors: Hurtado Juan Pablo , Reyes Gabriel , Vargas Juan Pablo , Acuña Enrique
Published: September 2021

A Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model was developed considering three geometries for primary parallel fan stations that have already been developed, implemented, and are currently in operation within Chilean mines. To standardize the comparison, the same primary fan was used in all the simulations with a unique set of settings (speed, blade angle, and density). The CFD representation was used to determine the operating point per configuration and compare the performances in terms of airflow and pressure delivered. This approach allowed ranking primary fan station geometry based on resistance curve and energy consumption of the fan. This paper presents the results obtained through the CFD simulations and the corresponding primary fans operating points of each configuration: symmetrical branches (SB), overlap branches (OB), and run around (RA) bypass. The RA configuration was identified as the best-performing station geometry on the lowest frictional and shock pressure losses, highest airflow delivery, and lowest energy cost. The results are discussed, considering pressure, velocity, and vector contours to understand the fluid dynamics phenomena occurring inside the station. The capital cost involved in the development of each primary parallel station was considered in the analysis in addition to the energy cost to determine the economic configuration over time.
Optimization of the Tracer Particle Addition Method for PIV Flowmeters
Authors: Qiu Yilong , Chen Huiyu , Li Wangxu , Wu Feng , Li Zhenggui
Published: September 2021

When a PIV flowmeter is used to measure a large flow of natural gas, the flow field fluctuation and particle distribution have a significant influence on the measurement accuracy and the particle injection mode plays a key role in the flow field fluctuation and particle distribution. To improve the measurement accuracy of PIV flowmeters, the method of filling tracer particles in single pipes, multiple pipes, and L pipes of a natural gas DN100 pipeline under high-pressure working conditions was compared and analyzed through numerical calculation and testing. The results show that the disturbance distance of filling particles in L pipes was the shortest, but the particle distribution area was small, whereas the flow metering error was large. By shortening the intersection distance between the L tube injection flow field and the main flow field, the problem that the particles failed to fill the test area was effectively solved, and the peak turbulence intensity at the intersection of the flow field decreased from 13.4% to 8%. Furthermore, the optimized structure was used to measure a flow of 100–600 m3/h with different flow rates. The relative error between the flowmeter and the ultrasonic flowmeter was approximately 2%, and the metering deviation was significantly improved.
Research on Regional Short-Term Power Load Forecasting Model and Case Analysis
Authors: Qian Kang , Wang Xinyi , Yuan Yue
Published: September 2021

Integrated energy services will have multiple values and far-reaching significance in promoting energy transformation and serving “carbon peak and carbon neutralization”. In order to balance the supply and demand of power system in integrated energy, it is necessary to establish a scientific model for power load forecasting. Different algorithms for short-term electric load forecasting considering meteorological factors are presented in this paper. The correlation between electric load and meteorological factors is first analyzed. After the principal component analysis (PCA) of meteorological factors and autocorrelation analysis of the electric load, the daily load forecasting model is established by optimal support vector machine (OPT-SVM), Elman neural network (ENN), as well as their combinations through linear weighted average, geometric weighted average, and harmonic weighted average method, respectively. Based on the actual data of an industrial park of Nantong in China, the prediction performance in the four seasons with the different models is evaluated. The main contribution of this paper is to compare the effectiveness of different models for short-term electric load forecasting and to give a guideline to build the proper methods for load forecasting.
The Issue of Rights of Religious Freedom in Some Domestic Violence Cases in Indonesia
Authors: Nurtjahyo Lidwina Inge
Published: September 2021

Based on the National Commission for the Protection of the Rights of Women and Children of Indonesia’s annual report, in 2020 there were 11,105 cases of domestic violence reported. Those domestic violence cases were caused by complex factors. One of the causes is the limitation of religious freedom in the family. In Indonesia, between 2010 and 2019, there were several cases of domestic violence caused by women choosing different religions from their parents or husband. Domestic violence involving limitation of the rights of religious freedom is sometimes resolved by divorcing or by completing it with coercive efforts. The rights of religious freedom in Indonesia, although protected by the Constitution and by the Act of Protection of Human Rights No. 39 of 1999, still face various challenges in implementation. The choice of religion in some families is highly influenced and determined by the authority in the family. This article analyzes the secondary data from online news, verdicts, and statistics from the Supreme Court Directory between 2010 and 2019. Findings are analyzed using the perspective of gender studies and anthropology of law.
Use of X-Band Radars to Monitor Small Garbage Islands
Authors: Serafino Francesco , Bianco Andrea
Published: September 2021

The aim of this work is to verify and demonstrate the possibility of using X-band radars to identify, discriminate, characterize and follow small floating aggregations of marine litter (Small Garbage Islands—SGIs) made up mainly of plastic debris. To this end, a radar measurement campaign was carried out on a series of controlled releases into the sea of SGI modules assembled in the lab using the waste collected along a beach near the port of Livorno, in Tuscany, where the X-band radar of the Institute of Bioeconomy (IBE) of the National Research Council (CNR) is installed. The results of this first measurement campaign, which are illustrated in this preliminary work, are of interest to the entire scientific community that operates in the field of macroplastics analysis and monitoring, opening a new experimental avenue for the use of X-band radars also to monitor plastic waste at sea. Furthermore, the results obtained suggest good prospects for the use of X-band radars also for the study of coastal hydrodynamics on a local scale as well as in areas where it would be difficult to carry out measurements employing other technologies.
Machine Learning Algorithms for Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) Estimation Based on Landsat 8 Images
Authors: Sun Xiao , Zhang Yunlin , Zhang Yibo , Shi Kun , Zhou Yongqiang , Li Na
Published: September 2021

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is crucial in the biogeochemical cycle and carbon cycle of aquatic environments. However, in inland waters, remotely sensed estimates of CDOM remain challenging due to the low optical signal of CDOM and complex optical conditions. Therefore, developing efficient, practical and robust models to estimate CDOM absorption coefficient in inland waters is essential for successful water environment monitoring and management. We examined and improved different machine learning algorithms using extensive CDOM measurements and Landsat 8 images covering different trophic states to develop the robust CDOM estimation model. The algorithms were evaluated via 111 Landsat 8 images and 1708 field measurements covering CDOM light absorption coefficient a(254) from 2.64 to 34.04 m−1. Overall, the four machine learning algorithms achieved more than 70% accuracy for CDOM absorption coefficient estimation. Based on model training, validation and the application on Landsat 8 OLI images, we found that the Gaussian process regression (GPR) had higher stability and estimation accuracy (R2 = 0.74, mean relative error (MRE) = 22.2%) than the other models. The estimation accuracy and MRE were R2 = 0.75 and MRE = 22.5% for backpropagation (BP) neural network, R2 = 0.71 and MRE = 24.4% for random forest regression (RFR) and R2 = 0.71 and MRE = 24.4% for support vector regression (SVR). In contrast, the best three empirical models had estimation accuracies of R2 less than 0.56. The model accuracies applied to Landsat images of Lake Qiandaohu (oligo-mesotrophic state) were better than those of Lake Taihu (eutrophic state) because of the more complex optical conditions in eutrophic lakes. Therefore, machine learning algorithms have great potential for CDOM monitoring in inland waters based on large datasets. Our study demonstrates that machine learning algorithms are available to map CDOM spatial-temporal patterns in inland waters.
Fine-Scale Sea Ice Segmentation for High-Resolution Satellite Imagery with Weakly-Supervised CNNs
Authors: Gonçalves Bento C. , Lynch Heather J.
Published: September 2021

Fine-scale sea ice conditions are key to our efforts to understand and model climate change. We propose the first deep learning pipeline to extract fine-scale sea ice layers from high-resolution satellite imagery (Worldview-3). Extracting sea ice from imagery is often challenging due to the potentially complex texture from older ice floes (i.e., floating chunks of sea ice) and surrounding slush ice, making ice floes less distinctive from the surrounding water. We propose a pipeline using a U-Net variant with a Resnet encoder to retrieve ice floe pixel masks from very-high-resolution multispectral satellite imagery. Even with a modest-sized hand-labeled training set and the most basic hyperparameter choices, our CNN-based approach attains an out-of-sample F1 score of 0.698–a nearly 60% improvement when compared to a watershed segmentation baseline. We then supplement our training set with a much larger sample of images weak-labeled by a watershed segmentation algorithm. To ensure watershed derived pack-ice masks were a good representation of the underlying images, we created a synthetic version for each weak-labeled image, where areas outside the mask are replaced by open water scenery. Adding our synthetic image dataset, obtained at minimal effort when compared with hand-labeling, further improves the out-of-sample F1 score to 0.734. Finally, we use an ensemble of four test metrics and evaluated after mosaicing outputs for entire scenes to mimic production setting during model selection, reaching an out-of-sample F1 score of 0.753. Our fully-automated pipeline is capable of detecting, monitoring, and segmenting ice floes at a very fine level of detail, and provides a roadmap for other use-cases where partial results can be obtained with threshold-based methods but a context-robust segmentation pipeline is desired.
Hospitals and Laboratories on Paper-Based Sensors: A Mini Review
Authors: Zhang Huaizu , Xia Chengbin , Feng Guangfu , Fang Jun
Published: September 2021

With characters of low cost, portability, easy disposal, and high accuracy, as well as bulky reduced laboratory equipment, paper-based sensors are getting increasing attention for reliable indoor/outdoor onsite detection with nonexpert operation. They have become powerful analysis tools in trace detection with ultra-low detection limits and extremely high accuracy, resulting in their great popularity in medical detection, environmental inspection, and other applications. Herein, we summarize and generalize the recently reported paper-based sensors based on their application for mechanics, biomolecules, food safety, and environmental inspection. Based on the biological, physical, and chemical analytes-sensitive electrical or optical signals, extensive detections of a large number of factors such as humidity, pressure, nucleic acid, protein, sugar, biomarkers, metal ions, and organic/inorganic chemical substances have been reported via paper-based sensors. Challenges faced by the current paper-based sensors from the fundamental problems and practical applications are subsequently analyzed; thus, the future directions of paper-based sensors are specified for their rapid handheld testing.
Recent Advances in Multi- and Hyperspectral Image Analysis
Authors: Nalepa Jakub
Published: September 2021

Current advancements in sensor technology bring new possibilities in multi- and hyperspectral imaging. Real-life use cases which can benefit from such imagery span across various domains, including precision agriculture, chemistry, biology, medicine, land cover applications, management of natural resources, detecting natural disasters, and more. To extract value from such highly dimensional data capturing up to hundreds of spectral bands in the electromagnetic spectrum, researchers have been developing a range of image processing and machine learning analysis pipelines to process these kind of data as efficiently as possible. To this end, multi- or hyperspectral analysis has bloomed and has become an exciting research area which can enable the faster adoption of this technology in practice, also when such algorithms are deployed in hardware-constrained and extreme execution environments; e.g., on-board imaging satellites.
Diffusive Transport of Dissolved Gases in Potential Concretes for Nuclear Waste Disposal
Authors: Jacops Elke , Phung Quoc Tri , Frederickx Lander , Levasseur Séverine
Published: September 2021

In many countries, the preferred option for the long-term management of high- and intermediate level radioactive waste and spent fuel is final disposal in a geological repository. In this geological repository, the generation of gas will be unavoidable. In order to make a correct balance between gas generation and dissipation by diffusion, knowledge of the diffusion coefficients of gases in the host rock and the engineered barriers is essential. Currently, diffusion coefficients for the Boom Clay, a potential Belgian host rock, are available, but the diffusion coefficients for gases in the engineered concrete barriers are still lacking. Therefore, diffusion experiments with dissolved gases were performed on two concrete-based barrier materials considered in the current Belgian disposal concept, by using the double through-diffusion technique for dissolved gases, which was developed in 2008 by SCK CEN. Diffusion measurements were performed with four gases including helium, neon, methane and ethane. Information on the microstructure of the materials (e.g., pore size distribution) was obtained by combining N2-adsorption, mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and water sorptivity measurements. A comparison was made with data obtained from cement-based samples (intact and degraded), and the validity of existing predictive models was investigated.
Geoethics to Start Up a Pedagogical and Political Path towards Future Sustainable Societies
Authors: Peppoloni Silvia , Di Capua Giuseppe
Published: September 2021

The development of geoethics is at a turning point. After having strengthened its theoretical structure and launched new initiatives aimed at favouring the spread of geoethical thinking, geoethics must deal with some issues concerning the social organization of dominant cultures, the existing economic structures, and the political systems that govern the world. Nowadays geoethics must move towards the construction of a pedagogical proposal, which has a formative purpose, for future generations and the policy leaders, but also a political one, in the noble sense of the term, that is, concerning the action of citizens who take part in public life. The pedagogical and political project of geoethics will have to be founded on the principles of dignity, freedom, and responsibility on which to ground a set of values for global ethics in order to face planetary anthropogenic changes. Furthermore, this project must be inclusive, participatory, and proactive, without falling into simplistic criticism of the current interpretative and operational paradigms of the world, but always maintaining realism (therefore adherence to the reality of the observed facts) and a critical attitude towards the positive and negative aspects of any organizational socio-economic system of human communities. In our vision there can be no sustainability, adaptation, or transition in human systems that do not pass through an ethical regeneration of the human beings, who are aware of their inborn anthropocentric and anthropogenic perception/position and assume responsibility for the consequences of their actions impacting the Earth system. In fact, the ecological crisis is the effect of the crisis of humans who have moved away from their intimate human nature. Through this paper we want to enlarge disciplinary areas that should be investigated and discussed through the lens of geoethical thinking and propose geoethics for an ethical renewal of societies, making them more sustainable from a social, economic, and environmental perspectives.
Managing Maritime Container Ports’ Sustainability: A Reference Model
Authors: Mańkowski Cezary , Charłampowicz Jędrzej
Published: September 2021

The concept of sustainable development is one of the few ideas that require the integration of all areas of human life on earth in order to maintain further development without major disruptions. One such area is maritime transport, including maritime container ports. Their unique feature is the ability to combine equivalent types of transport within the framework of a cargo-handling system with related information. In order to ensure a sustainable shipping flow through ports, it is necessary to integrate management knowledge with IT knowledge, so as to build a reference model of sustainable management of transshipment in maritime container ports. The literature has neglected this problem, thus motivating our contribution to this matter. As a result of the research work undertaken, a sustainable transshipment management system is first defined as a whole unit which develops its subsystems in a harmonious way without compromising them in the process. Then, the form of the reference model is given in detail. Therefore, we suggest that the system and its constituent elements constitute a method for sustainably managing the transshipment process.
The Relationship of CSR and Employee Creativity in the Hotel Sector: The Mediating Role of Job Autonomy
Authors: Guo Mengmeng , Ahmad Naveed , Adnan Mohammad , Scholz Miklas , Khalil-ur-Rehman  , Naveed Rana Tahir
Published: September 2021

Despite the growing surge in the literature about employee creativity, the mainstream literature largely views it from an organizational perspective, and ignores the underlying mechanism that motivates employees to be engaged in different creative tasks. Against this backdrop, the current work was carried out to explore the relationship of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and employee creativity with the mediating effect of autonomy to explain the motivational pull for employee creativity. The data were collected from the employees of the hotel sector of Pakistan through a self-administered questionnaire (n = 511) and were analyzed by employing the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. The results revealed that CSR, through the mediating effect of job autonomy, influences employees’ creativity significantly. The findings of the current analysis will help both academia and professionals from the hotel sector to understand the importance of CSR as a booster for employee creativity. Furthermore, the potential role of job autonomy as a mediator in explaining this relationship will also help policymakers to understand the importance of freedom at the workplace to engage the workforce in different extra-roles, including creativity.
Simulation Methodology Based on Wind and Thermal Performance for Early Building Optimization Design in Taiwan
Authors: Lin Chuan-Hsuan , Chen Min-Yang , Tsay Yaw-Shyan
Published: September 2021

In a subtropical climate like that of Taiwan, the high temperature and humid environmental conditions often result in discomfort and health effects for building occupants. With regard to building geometry, the wind environment and thermal comfort assessment, which can enhance energy efficiency and the comfort and health of occupants, both ought to be considered as soon as possible in the design process. In view of the limited comprehensive design evaluation methods and design workflows regarding wind and thermal performance currently available, this research aims to develop an early decision support workflow that includes suggested performance evaluation methods and design optimization processes. The results of our case study show that the building had clear performance results using the proposed evaluation methods, making it easier for architects to understand and compare alternatives. Appropriate analysis and visualization of the results also effectively assisted architects in determining design solutions and making relevant decisions. The methods and results in this article can facilitate performance-based buildings for healthy and energy-efficient built environments.
Revisiting the Okubo–Marshak Argument
Authors: Gaß Christian , Gracia-Bondía José M. , Mund Jens
Published: September 2021

Modular localization and the theory of string-localized fields have revolutionized several key aspects of quantum field theory. They reinforce the contention that local symmetry emerges directly from quantum theory, but global gauge invariance remains in general an unwarranted assumption to be examined case by case. Armed with those modern tools, we reconsider here the classical Okubo–Marshak argument on the non-existence of a “strong CP problem” in quantum chromodynamics.
Dynamic Event-Triggered Adaptive Tracking Control for a Class of Unknown Stochastic Nonlinear Strict-Feedback Systems
Authors: Fu Yingying , Li Jing , Wu Shuiyan , Li Xiaobo
Published: September 2021

In this paper, the dynamic event-triggered tracking control issue is studied for a class of unknown stochastic nonlinear systems with strict-feedback form. At first, neural networks (NNs) are used to approximate the unknown nonlinear functions. Then, a dynamic event-triggered controller (DETC) is designed through the adaptive backstepping method. Especially, the triggered threshold is dynamically adjusted. Compared with its corresponding static event-triggered mechanism (SETM), the dynamic event-triggered mechanism (DETM) can generate a larger execution interval and further save resources. Moreover, it is verified by two simulation examples that show that the closed-loop stochastic system signals are ultimately fourth moment semi-globally uniformly bounded (SGUUB).
The Pbo Cluster from Pseudomonas syringae pv. Phaseolicola NPS3121 Is Thermoregulated and Required for Phaseolotoxin Biosynthesis
Authors: Guardado-Valdivia Lizeth , Chacón-López Alejandra , Murillo Jesús , Poveda Jorge , Hernández-Flores José Luis , Xoca-Orozco Luis , Aguilera Selene
Published: September 2021

The bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola NPS3121 synthesizes phaseolotoxin in a thermoregulated way, with optimum production at 18 °C. Gene PSPPH_4550 was previously shown to be thermoregulated and required for phaseolotoxin biosynthesis. Here, we established that PSPPH_4550 is part of a cluster of 16 genes, the Pbo cluster, included in a genomic island with a limited distribution in P. syringae and unrelated to the possession of the phaseolotoxin biosynthesis cluster. We identified typical non-ribosomal peptide synthetase, and polyketide synthetase domains in several of the pbo deduced products. RT-PCR and the analysis of polar mutants showed that the Pbo cluster is organized in four transcriptional units, including one monocistronic and three polycistronic. Operons pboA and pboO are both essential for phaseolotoxin biosynthesis, while pboK and pboJ only influence the amount of toxin produced. The three polycistronic units were transcribed at high levels at 18 °C but not at 28 °C, whereas gene pboJ was constitutively expressed. Together, our data suggest that the Pbo cluster synthesizes secondary metabolite(s), which could participate in the regulation of phaseolotoxin biosynthesis.
Identification of a BTV-Strain-Specific Single Gene That Increases Culicoides Vector Infection Rate
Authors: Ropiak Honorata M. , King Simon , Busquets Marc Guimerà , Newbrook Kerry , Pullinger Gillian D. , Brown Hannah , Flannery John , Gubbins Simon , Batten Carrie , Rajko-Nenow Paulina , Darpel Karin E.
Published: September 2021

Since the 2000s, the distribution of bluetongue virus (BTV) has changed, leading to numerous epidemics and economic losses in Europe. Previously, we found a BTV-4 field strain with a higher infection rate of a Culicoides vector than a BTV-1 field strain has. We reverse-engineered parental BTV-1 and BTV-4 strains and created BTV-1/BTV-4 reassortants to elucidate the influence of individual BTV segments on BTV replication in both C. sonorensis midges and in KC cells. Substitution of segment 2 (Seg-2) with Seg-2 from the rBTV-4 significantly increased vector infection rate in reassortant BTV-14S2 (30.4%) in comparison to reverse-engineered rBTV-1 (1.0%). Replacement of Seg-2, Seg-6 and Seg-7 with those from rBTV-1 in reassortant BTV-41S2S6S7 (2.9%) decreased vector infection rate in comparison to rBTV-4 (30.2%). However, triple-reassorted BTV-14S2S6S7 only replicated to comparatively low levels (3.0%), despite containing Seg-2, Seg-6 and Seg-7 from rBTV-4, indicating that vector infection rate is influenced by interactions of multiple segments and/or host-mediated amino acid substitutions within segments. Overall, these results demonstrated that we could utilize reverse-engineered viruses to identify the genetic basis influencing BTV replication within Culicoides vectors. However, BTV replication dynamics in KC cells were not suitable for predicting the replication ability of these virus strains in Culicoides midges.
Efficacy of SAT2 Foot-and-Mouth Disease Vaccines Formulated with Montanide ISA 206B and Quil-A Saponin Adjuvants
Authors: Rathogwa Ntungufhadzeni M. , Scott Katherine A. , Opperman Pamela , Theron Jacques , Maree Francois F.
Published: September 2021

The effective control of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) relies strongly on the separation of susceptible and infected livestock or susceptible livestock and persistently infected wildlife, vaccination, and veterinary sanitary measures. Vaccines affording protection against multiple serotypes for longer than six months and that are less reliant on the cold chain during handling are urgently needed for the effective control of FMD in endemic regions. Although much effort has been devoted to improving the immune responses elicited through the use of modern adjuvants, their efficacy is dependent on the formulation recipe, target species and administration route. Here we compared and evaluated the efficacy of two adjuvant formulations in combination with a structurally stabilized SAT2 vaccine antigen, designed to have improved thermostability, antigen shelf-life and longevity of antibody response. Protection mediated by the Montanide ISA 206B-adjuvanted or Quil-A Saponin-adjuvanted SAT2 vaccines were comparable. The Montanide ISA 206B-adjuvanted vaccine elicited a higher SAT2 neutralizing antibody response and three times higher levels of systemic IFN-γ responses at 14- and 28-days post-vaccination (dpv) were observed compared to the Quil-A Saponin-adjuvanted vaccine group. Interestingly, serum antibodies from the immunized animals reacted similarly to the parental vaccine virus and viruses containing mutations in the VP2 protein that simulate antigenic drift in nature.
Investigation of Biofilm Growth within a Monodisperse Porous Medium under Fluctuating Water Level Assessed by Means of MRI
Authors: Ranzinger Florian , Schröter Karin , Horn Harald , Wagner Michael
Published: September 2021

Microorganisms settle in diverse partially saturated porous media in the form of biofilms. The alteration of hydraulic properties and diffusive transport processes occurs simultaneously with biofilm growth in porous media. Imaging methods offer the ability to directly visualize and quantify alterations on the pore scale. However, imaging methods have mainly observed biofilm growth in completely saturated porous media. The current study used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to dynamically visualize biofilm growth within a porous medium under alternating drainage and flushing events. Prior to the MRI experiments, the sample was cultivated for 6 days within a porous medium consisting of 2 mm glass spheres. Starting from day 6, growth was monitored using MRI over a period of 7 days. The approach allowed for a visualization of all fractions (biofilm, water, air, and porous material) after drainage as well as flushing events. Biofilm was found to preferentially grow within permanently wetted areas situated next to pore throats. Furthermore, an increase in the water retention and connectivity of the liquid phase was found. The largest liquid cluster covered 11% (day 6) and 91% (day 12) of the total retained water, suggesting that biofilm growth might improve diffusive transport processes within partially saturated porous media.
Jogo Sério para reabilitação do equilíbrio de hemiparéticos por acidente vascular cerebral
Authors: Korn Rafaela , Fernandes dos Santos Danielle , Vinicius Soares Antonio , Noveletto Fabrício , Luís Fischer Eichinger Fernando
Published: September 2021

Introdução. Pacientes hemiparéticos por acidente vascular cerebral (AVC) possuem déficits funcionais residuais, incluindo alterações do equilíbrio, o que impacta na qualidade de vida. O uso de tecnologias inovadoras tem aumentado na reabilitação, entre estes recursos estão os Jogos Sérios (JS). Objetivo. Verificar os efeitos terapêuticos de um programa de exercícios utilizando um JS desenvolvido para avaliação e reabilitação do equilíbrio de pacientes hemiparéticos por AVC. Método. Trata-se de um estudo quase-experimental do tipo séries de tempo, envolvendo 12 pacientes com hemiparesia pós-AVC. A intervenção durou 10 semanas, com as sessões realizadas duas vezes por semana. Foram avaliados: força muscular de quadríceps femoral (dinamometria), equilíbrio (estabilometria dinâmica e Escala de Equilíbrio de Berg), mobilidade funcional (Timed Up and Go Test) e percepção da qualidade de vida (Perfil de Saúde de Nottingham). Resultados. Melhoras significativas e com grande tamanho de efeito (TDE) foram observadas em todas as variáveis, com exceção da força muscular no membro não parético, que apresentou TDE moderado. Destacam-se os incrementos em todos os testes de equilíbrio (p<0,001; TDE: 0,9). Conclusões. Um programa de exercícios com JS parece ser uma boa opção de tratamento para pacientes hemiparéticos após AVC, especialmente para a melhora do equilíbrio. Este recurso pode contribuir no processo de reabilitação destes pacientes.
Início da mobilização em pacientes com hemorragia subaracnoidea aneurismatica
Authors: Santos Domingos Jozilane , De Alencar Andrade Emília , Albuquerque Brito Rogleson , Maria da Silva Bezerra Aila
Published: September 2021

Introdução. As diretrizes para o manejo de pacientes com Hemorragia Subaracnóidea Aneurismática não apontam o momento ideal para iniciar a mobilização. Objetivo. Identificar critérios de segurança para o início da fisioterapia motora nesses pacientes. Método. Foi realizada uma revisão sistemática, desenvolvida conforme as recomendações do Preferred Reporting Intens for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). A busca foi feita por dois pesquisadores independentes nas bases de dados eletrônicos LILACS, SciELO, MedLine/PubMed e PEDro, utilizando a combinação dos termos: “Early Ambulation”, “Early Mobilization”, “Intracranial aneurysms”, “Subarachnoid hemorrhage. Definidos os critérios de inclusão: artigos publicados desde o início das bases até agosto de 2020, sem restrição de idioma, que abordam sobre intervenção com fisioterapia motora e/ou sobre efeitos da quebra do repouso no paciente adulto com Hemorragia Subaracnóidea Aneurismática. Resultados.  Foram incluídos nove artigos a partir dos 95 estudos encontrados na busca. Foram excluídos estudos que não atenderam aos critérios acima estabelecidos e revisões de literatura. A qualidade metodológica dos ensaios clínicos foi avaliada de acordo com a escala PEDro. O nível de evidência destes variou de quatro a cinco, sendo considerados de qualidade baixa e intermediária respectivamente. Os resultados permitiram a sumarização dos critérios de segurança em três categorias: cardiovascular, respiratória e neurológica. Nesta obtivemos maior número de itens com variáveis a serem consideradas para a elegibilidade do paciente a iniciar a mobilização. Conclusão. Os critérios de segurança concentraram-se em garantir a estabilidade neurológica e fisiológica do paciente antes do início das primeiras sessões de mobilização.
Considerações sobre a integração sináptica: uma introdução
Authors: Leopoldo Kae , Joselevitch Christina
Published: September 2021

A integração sináptica é a maneira através da qual neurônios processam múltiplas entradas. Ela não representa uma simples “soma” de sinais elétricos, mas apresenta capacidades computacionais complexas e finamente balanceadas. Aqui, abordamos desde alguns conceitos centrais envolvidos na integração pós-sináptica de sinais (como interação sináptica e geometria celular) até técnicas e abordagens metodológicas (como as eletrofisiológicas e computacionais) que pautam a pesquisa científica do tema. Por fim, discutimos como pesquisas sobre integração sináptica em sistemas e organismos específicos podem ser comparadas e extrapoladas na busca de princípios universais que governam a comunicação celular no sistema nervoso.
MASSAGE ABDOMINAL SEBAGAI TERAPI KOMPLEMENTER UNTUK MENJAGA KETERATURAN POLA ELIMINASI DEFEKASI PADA PASIEN DI RUANG ICU
Authors: Widiyawati Noferiana , Setyani Fransisca Anjar Rina , Ratnawati Emmelia
Published: September 2021

Konstipasi adalah satu masalah yang sering terjadi pada pasien kritis yang dirawat di Ruang ICU. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa massage abdominal digunakan sebagai terapi komplementer untuk mencegah konstipasi dan mempermudah serta memperlancar pengeluaran feses. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh massage abdominal terhadap pola defekasi pasien yang dirawat di Ruang ICU RS Panti Rapih Yogyakarta. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain penelitian quasi eksperimental post test only non equivalent control group. Teknik sampling menggunakan purposive sampling, yaitu sampel harus memenuhi kriteria inklusi dan eksklusi yang telah ditentukan oleh peneliti. Jumlah sampel yaitu 36 pasien yaitu pada kelompok intervensi (n=18) dan kelompok kontrol (n=18). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa rata-rata skor pola defekasi pada kelompok intervensi (1,33), lebih tinggi dibandingkan dengan kelompok kontrol (0,67). Hasil uji statistik menggunakan uji non parametrik Mann-Whitney didapatkan hasil p-value 0,025 (p<0,05), sehingga dapat disimpulkan ada pengaruh massage abdominal terhadap pola defekasi pada pasien yang dirawat di Ruang ICU RS Panti Rapih Yogyakarta. Terapi  komplementer dengan teknik massage abdominal dapat menjadi salah satu metode untuk mengatasi masalah konstipasi pada pasien yang dirawat di ICU.

Constipation is a problem that often occurs in critically ill patients admitted to the ICU. The results showed that abdominal massage was used as a complementary therapy to prevent constipation and facilitate and expedite expenditure. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of abdominal massage on the pattern of defecation of patients treated in the ICU room at Panti Rapih Hospital, Yogyakarta. This study uses a post-test only non-equivalent control group quasi-experimental research design. The sampling technique used purposive sampling, namely the sample must meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria that have been determined by the researcher. The number of samples was 36 patients, namely in the intervention group (n=18) and the control group (n=18). The results showed that the average score of the pattern of defecation in the intervention group (1.33) was higher than the control group (0.67). The results of statistical tests using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test showed a p-value of 0.025 (p<0.05), so it can be ascertained that there is an effect of abdominal massage on the pattern of defecation in patients treated in the ICU room at Panti Rapih Hospital, Yogyakarta. Complementary therapy with abdominal massage techniques can be a method to overcome the problem of constipation in patients treated in the ICU.
Personal characteristics and internal picture of the defect in disabled adults
Authors: Shipova Natalia S.
Published: September 2021

The presented article describes the results of the study of the components of the internal picture of the defect and their relationship with personality traits in adults with deficient dysontogeny type (respondents with visual impairment, speech impairment, musculoskeletal system impairment, hearing impairment). At the theoretical level, an analysis of the possibilities of a defect to determine violations of personal development and personal changes is presented. We noted a greater number of connections in the group of people with visual impairments, and the least in the group of people with severe speech impairments. As a result of empirical analysis, correlations of personality traits and components of the internal picture of a defect in respondents of various nosological groups were revealed, and the influence of personality traits on the folding of structure of internal picture of the defect as a whole was determined. As a result of regression analysis, the influence of spontaneity and sensitivity on the physical and sensitive components in the group of persons with musculoskeletal disorders was revealed; anxiety on the physical and sensitive component of internal picture of the defect in the group of people with visual impairment. When considering the influence of personal characteristics on the components of the internal picture of the defect without reference to nosological groups, the main influence of spontaneity was revealed.
Formation of constructive strategies of behaviour of primary school pupils in conflict with their peers
Authors: Istomina Svetlana V.
Published: September 2021

The article deals with the problem of primary schoolchildren’s conflict behaviour. The necessity of forming constructive strategies of children's behaviour in conflict through the implementation of the developed programme is shown. The results of ascertaining experiment conducted on a sample of 60 fourth-formers using the following diagnostic tools are presented – the method of Kenneth W. Thomas & Ralph H. Kilmann’s Conflict Mode Instrument (in the adaptation of Natal’ya Grishina), expert assessment of the behaviour of schoolchildren in a conflict situation by pedagogues and parents, a questionnaire for teachers ‟Signs of conflict” by Yelena Lyutova & Galina Monina). The analysis of the data showed that the majority of primary schoolchildren choose non-constructive behavioural strategies (adaptation, competition, avoidance), and also have an increased level of conflict, which indicated the feasibility of developing and implementing a programme for the formation of constructive behavioural strategies of pupils. 15 group sessions were conducted in the form of training using role-playing games, psychohymnastic exercises, mini-lectures, discussions, and situation analysis. The control experiment, as well as the use of mathematical statistics methods, showed the effectiveness of the work done – the presence of changes in the strategies of behaviour in conflict, in particular, pupils more often choose constructive strategies (cooperation and compromise) and less often destructive ones (rivalry and withdrawal), there was a decrease in the level of conflict.