bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differential Evolution with Linear Bias Reduction in Parameter Adaptation
Authors: Stanovov Vladimir , Akhmedova Shakhnaz , Semenkin Eugene
Published: November 2020

In this study, a new parameter control scheme is proposed for the differential evolution algorithm. The developed linear bias reduction scheme controls the Lehmer mean parameter value depending on the optimization stage, allowing the algorithm to improve the exploration properties at the beginning of the search and speed up the exploitation at the end of the search. As a basic algorithm, the L-SHADE approach is considered, as well as its modifications, namely the jSO and DISH algorithms. The experiments are performed on the CEC 2017 and 2020 bound-constrained benchmark problems, and the performed statistical comparison of the results demonstrates that the linear bias reduction allows significant improvement of the differential evolution performance for various types of optimization problems.
Mode-2 Knowledge Production within Community-Based Sustainability Projects: Applying Textual and Thematic Analytics to Action Research Conversations
Authors: Mitchell Andrew S.
Published: November 2020

Sustainability transition projects (STPs) employ specialist knowledge and learning to lever changes for the communities with which they engage. Research into these forms of organizations often focuses on engagement practices and their relative success or failure to facilitate local transitions toward sustainability. What has attracted comparatively less attention, however, is how STPs develop their own sense of expertise in this role as a broker of Mode-2 knowledge or their own understanding about what it is that they are doing in facilitating community-scale changes. Privileging an emphasis on language-in-use research in organizational theory, this study analyzed the transcriptions of facilitated action research (AR) meetings of a case study STP by applying text mining methods in conjunction with a thematic analysis, the latter exploring insights gained across themes of governance, delivery, networks, challenges, and learning. The findings from these analyses are discussed with reference to how the case study STP staff group construes their work in the domain of sustainability and the generation and acquisition of relevant knowledge and learning in this specialized subsector of community development.
Performance and Establishment of a Commercial Mycorrhizal Inoculant in Viticulture
Authors: Rosa Daniel , Pogiatzis Antreas , Bowen Pat , Kokkoris Vasilis , Richards Andrew , Holland Taylor , Hart Miranda
Published: November 2020

(1) Background: Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are symbiotic organisms that help plants acquire nutrients from the soil in exchange for photosynthetic carbon. Commercial AM fungal inoculants are widely available and are used extensively in agriculture including wine grape production. However, positive growth responses from inoculants are more consistent in the greenhouse compared to the field. (2) Methods: We grew three grapevine rootstocks with and without an AM fungal inoculant in the greenhouse for one year, then they were transplanted to the field for two years. To quantify the establishment of the inoculant, we analyzed root samples with a digital PCR assay. (3) Results: We show that AM fungal inoculation increased biomass production only in the greenhouse. After two growing seasons in the field, the commercial inoculant colonized roots but did not increase biomass production compared to uninoculated rootstocks. (4) Conclusions: This study highlights that AM fungal inoculants do not always promote growth of grapevines in the field. Future research should focus on inoculant strains designed for viticulture applications and take rootstock into consideration to maximize their efficacy.
Micropropagation Effects on Juvenile Traits, Flower Differentiation, and Tree Architecture in Young Olive Trees
Authors: Neri Davide , Cioccolanti Tonino , Zuccherelli Giuseppe , Navacchi Oriano , Giorgi Veronica , Lodolini Enrico Maria
Published: November 2020

Olive micropropagation is nowadays possible but knowing if it induces juvenile traits and how juvenility, vigor and fruit productivity are affected is pivotal. Three trials were carried out during micropropagation and afterwards in the field. Three varieties were characterized during multiplication in vitro, after several subcultures. ‘Arbequina’ revealed higher shoot miniaturization than ‘Coratina’ and ‘Frantoio’, and likely-juvenile shoots with three or four leaves per node. The ‘Arbequina’ trees obtained from two- and three-leaves-per-node in vitro plantlets were compared to cuttings in the field. Two years after planting, flower-differentiated shoots were found in the apical part of the canopy in all tested trees while in this position the ramification was more intense on three-leaves-per-node trees. Architecture of ‘Arbequina’ trees from micropropagation and cuttings was finally characterized in a high-density commercial grove. Micropropagated trees showed a well distributed and deep root system, a regular conical shape of the canopy, a higher number of primary branches, and a reproductive ability equivalent to cuttings. In conclusion, some juvenile traits and vigor may appear in vitro and last after ex vitro acclimation, but no more than two years in the field.
Comparison of the Yield and Chemical Composition of Eleven Timothy (Phleum pratense L.) Genotypes under Three Locations in Poland
Authors: Radkowski Adam , Bocianowski Jan , Nowosad Kamila , Piwowarczyk Elżbieta , Bakinowska Ewa , Radkowska Iwona , Wolski Karol
Published: November 2020

Field trials were conducted in the years 2017–2019 at the Małopolska Plant Breeding in the Plant Breeding Stations in Polanowice, Nieznanice and Palikije. The trials were designed to determine the yield of some timothy genotypes in the context of chemical composition under different habitat conditions. The present evaluation of the strain quality shows a high potential for breeding. The analyzed genotypes produced high dry matter yields, which differed by as much as 53%. The experimental plots also differed in the crude protein content, which varied from 104.5 to 230.1 g kg−1 d.m., depending on the crop and year of harvest. For crude fiber, these values ranged from 173.9 to 274.8 g kg−1 d.m., depending on the crop and harvest year. The analysis of the mineral composition also revealed significant large variation.
Physiological and Biochemical Properties of Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) in Response to Ozone-Induced Oxidative Stress
Authors: Szpunar-Krok Ewa , Jańczak-Pieniążek Marta , Migut Dagmara , Skrobacz Karol , Piechowiak Tomasz , Pawlak Renata , Balawejder Maciej
Published: November 2020

We investigated the changes in the physiological and biochemical properties of potato plants exposed to differing ozone (O3) concentrations (5 ppm, 10 ppm) and exposure times (2, 4, 8, 12, 16 min) to determine the safe dose that could be used in crop protection programs. We measured the gas exchange, relative chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence and total antioxidant capacity in potato leaves exposed to O3 fumigation. The fresh weight (FW) of the aboveground part of the plants and a visual assessment of plant condition were determined after the end of the experiment. The plants were given two O3 treatments and measurements were carried out four times: on the 1st and 7th day after treatment. We conclude that O3 exposure time had a greater impact on the reduction in the efficiency of the potato photosynthetic apparatus than O3 concentration. Research has showed that O3 in 5 ppm concentration for 2 and 4 min and 10 ppm for 2 min increased the efficiency of the photosynthesis and antioxidant activity in leaf processes, and these doses could be taken into account in further research on the potential for using O3 in potato protection.
Is Tillage a Suitable Option for Weed Management in Conservation Agriculture?
Authors: Cordeau Stéphane , Baudron Auxence , Adeux Guillaume
Published: November 2020

In Europe, conservation agriculture (CA) is currently challenged by higher weed pressure, potential glyphosate ban and reduced crop yield. Based on preliminary results and a critical analysis, we provide insights on how to assess the effect of introducing different levels of tillage intensity, after a long-term CA sequence, on weed communities and crop yield. The experiment compared three types of fallow management (ploughing (CT), reduced tillage (RT), no-till with glyphosate (NT)) on four fields after 17 years of no-plough, which ended with 7 years of CA. The introduction of tillage proved to be a major driver of weed communities before weeding (density, richness and composition) in winter wheat. Weed density and species richness before weeding was greatest in RT, intermediate in CT and lowest in NT. The number of grains per ear and crop yield increased with tillage intensity (+11% for RT, +31% for CT). We provide avenues for future research through detailed methods and key references. Differences in winter wheat productivity were possibly related to enhanced soil structure and increased mineralisation of soil organic matter. Potential benefits of occasional ploughing will depend on the density and composition of the newly upwelled weed seedbank, which will need to be assessed before implementing tillage. From a multicriteria perspective, the long-term benefits associated with CA could largely exceed short-term yield increases associated with occasional tillage. Future studies will need to characterize the impact of occasional tillage operations on the long-term multiperformance of CA systems.
Mammary Cistern Size during the Dry Period in Healthy Dairy Cows: A Preliminary Study for an Ultrasonographic Evaluation
Authors: Bonelli Francesca , Orsetti Chiara , Turini Luca , Meucci Valentina , Pierattini Alessio , Sgorbini Micaela , Citi Simonetta
Published: November 2020

We evaluated the udder cistern (UC) size during the dry period using ultrasound. Forty healthy quarters were evaluated in both the longitudinal and cross-section of the UC. Quarters were evaluated at the drying-off (T0) and 24 h later (T1), then regularly until the end of the dry period (T7–T58), during the colostrum production phase (TCPP) and at 7 days in milking (T7PP). The Spearman test was applied to find the correlation between the ultrasonographic UC size (UUCS) assessment and time. The Friedman test and Dunn’s test for multiple comparisons as a post-hoc test were performed to compare the forequarter and hindquarter cross-sections (FQCSs and HQCSs, respectively) and the forequarter and hindquarter longitudinal sections (FQLSs and HQLSs, respectively) at T0 vs. T58 vs. TCPP vs. T7PP. A total of 440 images were evaluated. A negative linear correlation between time and FQCS and FQLS (r = −0.95; p < 0.0004) and between time and HQCS and HQLS (r = −0.90; p < 0.002) was found. The UUCS decreased throughout the dry period, starting to increase at the beginning of the next lactation. Measuring the UUCS provides useful information for monitoring the dry period.
Are Flavonoids Effective Antioxidants in Plants? Twenty Years of Our Investigation
Authors: Agati Giovanni , Brunetti Cecilia , Fini Alessio , Gori Antonella , Guidi Lucia , Landi Marco , Sebastiani Federico , Tattini Massimiliano
Published: November 2020

Whether flavonoids play significant antioxidant roles in plants challenged by photooxidative stress of different origin has been largely debated over the last few decades. A critical review of the pertinent literature and our experimentation as well, based on a free-of-scale approach, support an important antioxidant function served by flavonoids in plants exposed to a wide range of environmental stressors, the significance of which increases with the severity of stress. On the other side, some questions need conclusive answers when the putative antioxidant functions of plant flavonoids are examined at the level of both the whole-cell and cellular organelles. This partly depends upon a conclusive, robust, and unbiased definition of “a plant antioxidant”, which is still missing, and the need of considering the subcellular re-organization that occurs in plant cells in response to severe stress conditions. This likely makes our deterministic-based approach unsuitable to unveil the relevance of flavonoids as antioxidants in extremely complex biological systems, such as a plant cell exposed to an ever-changing stressful environment. This still poses open questions about how to measure the occurred antioxidant action of flavonoids. Our reasoning also evidences the need of contemporarily evaluating the changes in key primary and secondary components of the antioxidant defense network imposed by stress events of increasing severity to properly estimate the relevance of the antioxidant functions of flavonoids in an in planta situation. In turn, this calls for an in-depth analysis of the sub-cellular distribution of primary and secondary antioxidants to solve this still intricate matter.
Evaluation of Relevance between Advanced Glycation End Products and Diabetic Retinopathy Stages Using Skin Autofluorescence
Authors: Takayanagi Yuji , Yamanaka Mikihiro , Fujihara Jo , Matsuoka Yotaro , Gohto Yuko , Obana Akira , Tanito Masaki
Published: November 2020

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are thought to play important roles in the pathogenesis of diabetic microangiopathy, particularly in the progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR). We assessed the levels of skin autofluorescence (sAF) to assess the association between AGEs and DR stages. A total of 394 eyes of 394 Japanese subjects (172 men, 222 women; mean age ± standard deviation [SD], 68.4 ± 13.7 years) comprised the study population, i.e., subjects with diabetes mellitus (DM) (n = 229) and non-diabetic controls (n = 165). The patients with DM were divided into those without DR (NDR, n = 101) and DR (n = 128). DR included simple (SDR, n = 36), pre-proliferative (PPDR, n = 25), and PDR (n = 67). Compared to controls (0.52 ± 0.12), the AGE scores were significantly higher in patients with DM (0.59 ± 0.17, p < 0.0001), NDR (0.58 ± 0.16, p = 0.0012), and DR (0.60 ± 0.18, p < 0.0001). The proportion of patients with PDR was significantly higher in the highest quartile of AGE scores than the other quartiles (p < 0.0001). Compared to those without PDR (SDR and PPDR), those with PDR were younger (p = 0.0006), more were pseudophakic (p < 0.0001), had worse visual acuity (VA) (p < 0.0001), had higher intraocular pressure (IOP) (p < 0.0001), and had higher AGE scores (p = 0.0016). Multivariate models also suggested that younger age, male gender, pseudophakia, worse VA, higher IOP, and higher AGE scores were risk factors for PDR. The results suggested that AGE scores were higher in patients with DM and were independently associated with progression of DR. In addition, more PDR was seen in the highest quartile of AGE scores. This study highlights the clinical use of the AGE score as a non-invasive, reliable marker to identity patients at risk of sight-threatening DR.
Cell Clearing Systems as Targets of Polyphenols in Viral Infections: Potential Implications for COVID-19 Pathogenesis
Authors: Limanaqi Fiona , Busceti Carla Letizia , Biagioni Francesca , Lazzeri Gloria , Forte Maurizio , Schiavon Sonia , Sciarretta Sebastiano , Frati Giacomo , Fornai Francesco
Published: November 2020

The novel coronavirus named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has generated the ongoing coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, still with an uncertain outcome. Besides pneumonia and acute lung injury (ALI) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), other features became evident in the context of COVID-19. These includes endothelial and coagulation dysfunction with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), along with the occurrence of neurological alterations. The multi-system nature of such viral infection is a witness to the exploitation and impairment of ubiquitous subcellular and metabolic pathways for the sake of its life-cycle, ranging from host cell invasion, replication, transmission, up to a cytopathic effect and overt systemic inflammation. In this frame, alterations in cell-clearing systems of the host are emerging as a hallmark in the pathogenesis of various respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. Indeed, exploitation of the autophagy and proteasome pathways might contribute not only to the replication of the virus at the site of infection but also to the spreading of either mature virions or inflammatory mediators at both cellular and multisystem levels. In this frame, besides a pharmacological therapy, many researchers are wondering if some non-pharmacological substances might counteract or positively modulate the course of the infection. The pharmacological properties of natural compounds have gained increasing attention in the field of alternative and adjunct therapeutic approaches to several diseases. In particular, several naturally-occurring herbal compounds (mostly polyphenols) are reported to produce widespread antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant effects while acting as autophagy and (immuno)-proteasome modulators. This article attempts to bridge the perturbation of autophagy and proteasome pathways with the potentially beneficial effects of specific phytochemicals and flavonoids in viral infections, with a focus on the multisystem SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Tackling Chronic Inflammation with Withanolide Phytochemicals—A Withaferin A Perspective
Authors: Logie Emilie , Vanden Berghe Wim
Published: November 2020

Chronic inflammatory diseases are considered to be one of the biggest threats to human health. Most prescribed pharmaceutical drugs aiming to treat these diseases are characterized by side-effects and negatively affect therapy adherence. Finding alternative treatment strategies to tackle chronic inflammation has therefore been gaining interest over the last few decades. In this context, Withaferin A (WA), a natural bioactive compound isolated from Withania somnifera, has been identified as a promising anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory compound. Although the majority of studies focus on the molecular mechanisms of WA in cancer models, recent evidence demonstrates that WA also holds promise as a new phytotherapeutic agent against chronic inflammatory diseases. By targeting crucial inflammatory pathways, including nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling, WA suppresses the inflammatory disease state in several in vitro and preclinical in vivo models of diabetes, obesity, neurodegenerative disorders, cystic fibrosis and osteoarthritis. This review provides a concise overview of the molecular mechanisms by which WA orchestrates its anti-inflammatory effects to restore immune homeostasis.
Double Trapezoidal Wave Transmitting System with Controllable Turn-Off Edge
Authors: Jiang Yuan , Ji Yanju , Yu Yibing , Wang Shipeng , Wang Yuan
Published: November 2020

For time domain transient electromagnetic measurement, the negative sign often appears in the polarization region, which contains the induced polarization information. It is considered that the polarization effect is caused by the capacitance charge of the earth. Extending the turn-off time of the emission current means increasing the charging time, and reducing the charging voltage, which makes the polarization effect easier to observe. Therefore, a double trapezoidal wave transmitting system with a controllable turn-off edge is designed in this paper. In the process of current transmitting, the turn-off time can be controlled by changing the clamping voltage depending on the passive clamping technology. By cutting into the absorption resistance, the current oscillation can be eliminated under the condition of ensuring linearity. To verify the effectiveness of the system, we designed a polarized wire loop based on the filament model simulating the polarized earth. Comparing the response of the wire loop, the emission current with short and long turn-off times contributes to inducing the induction and polarization fields respectively. The double trapezoidal wave transmitting system with a controllable turn-off edge is suitable for measuring the induced polarization effect.
Korean Historical Documents Analysis with Improved Dynamic Word Embedding
Authors: Jin KyoHoon , Wi JeongA , Kang KyeongPil , Kim YoungBin
Published: November 2020

Historical documents refer to records or books that provide textual information about the thoughts and consciousness of past civilisations, and therefore, they have historical significance. These documents are used as key sources for historical studies as they provide information over several historical periods. Many studies have analysed various historical documents using deep learning; however, studies that employ changes in information over time are lacking. In this study, we propose a deep-learning approach using improved dynamic word embedding to determine the characteristics of 27 kings mentioned in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, which contains a record of 500 years. The characteristics of words for each king were quantitated based on dynamic word embedding; further, this information was applied to named entity recognition and neural machine translation.In experiments, we confirmed that the method we proposed showed better performance than other methods. In the named entity recognition task, the F1-score was 0.68; in the neural machine translation task, the BLEU4 score was 0.34. We demonstrated that this approach can be used to extract information about diplomatic relationships with neighbouring countries and the economic conditions of the Joseon Dynasty.
Investigation of 2D-WH/TS OCDMA Code Stability in Systems with SOA-Based Device
Authors: Abuhelala Mohamed , Korai Umair A. , Sanches Anderson L. , Kwong Wing C. , Glesk Ivan
Published: November 2020

This paper investigates for the first time how the implementation of semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA)-based devices in photonic networks can negatively impact the integrity of two-dimensional wavelength-hopping time-spreading (2D-WH/TS) optical code-division multiple access (OCDMA) codes based on multi-wavelength picosecond code carriers. It is demonstrated and confirmed by simulations that the influence of an SOA under driving currents of 50 mA to 250 mA causes a 0.08 to 0.8 nm multi-wavelength picosecond code carriers’ wavelength redshift. The results obtained are then used to calculate the degradation of OCDMA system performance in terms of the probability of error Pe and the decrease in the number of simultaneous users. It is shown that, when the SOA-induced 0.8 nm code carriers redshift becomes equal to the code carries wavelength channel spacing, the (8,53)-OCDMA system performs only as a (7,53)-OCDMA system, and the number of simultaneous users drops from 14 to 10 or 84 to 74 with the forward error correction (FEC) Pe of 10−9, respectively. The impact of the 0.8 nm redshift is then shown on a (4,53)-OCDMA system, where it causes a drop in the number of simultaneous users from 4 to 3 or 37 to 24 with the FEC Pe of 10−9, respectively.
Exchange Rate Analysis for Ultra High Bypass Ratio Geared Turbofan Engines
Authors: Nikolaidis Theoklis , Jafari Soheil , Bosak David , Pilidis Pericles
Published: November 2020

This paper investigates the impact of thermal management methods on the design point and synthesis exchange rates of an ultra-high bypass ratio geared turbofan engine. In a typical thermal management system, where heat is managed by means of heat exchangers that transfer engine waste heat into oil, air, or fuel. However, the utilization of air–oil and fuel–oil heat exchangers has an adverse impact on engine performance. This paper investigates the impact on and engine’s specific fuel consumption and summarizes it into common exchange rates for different thermal management configurations. The results show that any pressure loss in the bypass duct results in a severe specific fuel consumption penalty (an increase of 1% pressure loss in the bypass duct causes a 2% specific fuel consumption increase at cruise conditions). In addition, quite severe is the impact of extracting air from the gas path, particularly when the bleed location is in the bypass duct or the high-pressure compressor. It is also found that the utilization of a fuel–oil heat exchanger improves the specific fuel consumption at a higher rate than an air–oil heat exchanger. For the performance characteristics of the examined engine, the specific fuel consumption benefit with the former is 1.33%, while for the latter it is 0.38%.
Process Optimisation of Anaerobic Digestion Treating High-Strength Wastewater in the Australian Red Meat Processing Industry
Authors: Harris Peter W. , McCabe Bernadette K.
Published: November 2020

This work represents and reviews a compilation of investigations into improving anaerobic digestion performance of high-strength wastewater in the Australian Red Meat Processing industry. The industry produces significant quantities of organic-rich wastewater which requires treatment prior to release to the environment. Anaerobic lagoons are a cost-effective method of waste treatment where land availability is not an issue; however, the high fat load in the wastewater can negatively impact the anaerobic lagoon system and result in compromised anaerobic digestion performance. This paper will discuss the importance of upstream primary pre-treatment and review a series of investigations focused on optimising digester performance and improving fat biodegradability. These studies include: 1. the effect of temperature and mixing; 2. the influence of feedstock trace element composition and supplementation, and; 3. the potential benefit from pre-treatments such as chemical, thermobaric, thermochemical and bio-surfactant. This paper discusses the implications of these findings for covered anaerobic lagoon operation and provides recommendations to promote optimum digester performance and future opportunities in adopting alternate anaerobic digestion technology options. Finally, the paper provides recent trends toward the use of other waste streams for co-digestion and discusses this in terms of digester optimization and technology options.
Quality Evaluation of the Clinical Trials for Natural Products Used in Cancer: An Evidence-Based Literature Review
Authors: Ahmad Rizwan , AlLehaibi Lina Hussain , Alshammari Abdulrahman K. , Alkhaldi Saif M.
Published: November 2020

The amount of data regarding the use of herbs/herbal products in cancer clinical trials at times creates a great challenge for oncologists to prescribe or counsel patients. It urges critical evaluation of the quality of clinical trials. Herein, for the first time, the clinical trials for herbs used in cancer were critically evaluated on the basis of three widely used scales, i.e., Jadad, Delphi, and Cochrane scales. The literature was collected with the help of online databases, journals, libraries, and books using a number of specific keywords as mentioned in detail in forthcoming sections. A total of 73 clinical trials were extracted, evaluated, and scored for 14 herbs, according to the predefined criteria mentioned below. A major deficiency of “non-blinding of clinical trials” was observed. The principal component analysis revealed four components (PC1–PC4) with a total variability of 68.21%, wherein the highest percentage variability was observed for PC1 loaded with “non-blinding of the clinical trials, no concealment of the treatment allocation, non-blindness of the patient and care provider”, which accounted for 30.81% of the total variability. The next major variability of 14.70% was observed for PC2 loaded with “non-randomization of the studies, non-blinding of the outcome assessors, no proper drop-out procedures, and lack of information regarding baseline characteristics for the groups”. Pearson’s correlation further confirmed a similar correlation pattern for the mentioned deficiencies (p = 0.05). An in-house grading scale was developed, showing a very small portion (16.44%), i.e., 12/73 studies with a good quality, whereas the majority (57.54%) of the studies, i.e., 42/73, were found to be of poor quality. The rules and regulations governing the quality of clinical trials needs to be more stringent and updated for the natural products/herbs used in cancer clinical trials.
Call Graph and Model Checking for Fine-Grained Android Malicious Behaviour Detection
Authors: Iadarola Giacomo , Martinelli Fabio , Mercaldo Francesco , Santone Antonella
Published: November 2020

The increasing diffusion of mobile devices, widely used for critical tasks such as the transmission of sensitive and private information, corresponds to an increasing need for methods to detect malicious actions that can undermine our data. As demonstrated in the literature, the signature-based approach provided by antimalware is not able to defend users from new threats. In this paper, we propose an approach based on the adoption of model checking to detect malicious families in the Android environment. We consider two different automata representing Android applications, based respectively on Control Flow Graphs and Call Graphs. The adopted graph data structure allows to detect potentially malicious behaviour and also localize the code where the malicious action happens. We experiment the effectiveness of the proposed method evaluating more than 3000 real-world Android samples (with 2552 malware belonging to 21 malicious family), by reaching an accuracy ranging from 0.97 to 1 in malicious family detection.
In-Vitro Experimental Modeling of Oscillatory Respiratory Flow in a CT-Scanned OSAHS Tract
Authors: Zhu Zhenshan , Ju Yaping , Zhang Chuhua
Published: November 2020

Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is a highly prevalent respiratory disorder. The knowledge of respiratory flow is an essential prerequisite for the establishment and development of OSAHS physiology, pathology, and clinical medicine. We made the first in-vitro experimental attempt to measure the oscillatory flow velocity in a computed tomography (CT) scanned extra-thoracic airway (ETA) model with OSAHS by using the particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique. In order to mimic respiration flow, three techniques were adopted to address difficulties in in-vitro experimental modeling: (1) fabricating the obstructive ETA measurement section with the CT-scanned data of an OSAHS patient airway; (2) maintaining the measurement accuracy by using the optical index-matching technique; (3) reproducing the oscillatory respiratory flow rates with the compiled clinical data of transient tidal volumes. The in-vitro measurements of oscillatory respiratory flow velocity manifested the time evolution of the complex OSAHS flow patterns, and the potential wall collapse of the ETA model with OSAHS.
Agent-Based Modeling of Rumor Propagation Using Expected Integrated Mean Squared Error Optimal Design
Authors: Tseng Shih-Hsien , Son Nguyen Tien
Published: November 2020

In the “Age of the Internet”, fake news and rumor-mongering have emerged as some of the most critical factors that affect our online social lives. For example, in the workplace, rumor spreading runs rampant during times when employees may be plagued with uncertainty about the nature and consequences of major changes. Positive information should be widely propagated as much as possible; however, we must limit the spread of rumors in an effort to reduce their inherently harmful effects. The purpose of this research is to explain the mechanisms for controlling rumors and suggest an approach for dispelling the rumor effect in the workplace. In this study, we will present a simple simulation framework of agent-based modeling and apply Social Impact Theory to explain rumor propagation within social networks. Based on our results, we have found that organizations can significantly reduce the spread of the rumors by improving the workplace environment and instituting counseling for those in management positions.
Shifting Paradigm of Education Landscape in Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Revealing of a Digital Education Management Information System
Authors: Ibrahim Fahmi , Susanto Heru , Haghi Parastou Khodaparast , Setiana Desi
Published: November 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has indirectly changed the landscape of the country’s education system. Through information-based decision-making, the management of the education system seeks to increase the access to and efficiency, effectiveness, equity and quality of education through effective systems of monitoring, evaluation, budgeting and planning. From this perspective, an Integrated National Education Information System (iNEISTM) was developed to streamline and transform business processes and to provide an application and technology platform to comply with the National Education System that may be suitable for the COVID-19 pandemic environment. The implementation of iNEIS™ aimed to significantly improve operational efficiency and productivity and provide better services, value and “holistic education” to students. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the newly implemented, integrated iNEISTM and its implications for educational management systems that were implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. It specifically examines the benefits and obstacles that hinder the efficiency and effectiveness of the system. The result is very interesting. These findings demonstrate that there was a lack of positive impact on end-users, such as lacking readiness to accept organizational change and uncoordinated communication and information exchange between stakeholders and end-users. This research implies that when both the stakeholder-provider and end-user understand the significance of iNEISTM, there is a great possibility that the implementation will succeed in harvesting the full value of the system. This paper provides the stakeholder-provider with useful guidelines, in the form of recommendations, that need to be implemented to ensure improvement in the effectiveness of iNEISTM.
Deep Reinforcement Learning Agent for S&P 500 Stock Selection
Authors: Huotari Tommi , Savolainen Jyrki , Collan Mikael
Published: November 2020

This study investigated the performance of a trading agent based on a convolutional neural network model in portfolio management. The results showed that with real-world data the agent could produce relevant trading results, while the agent’s behavior corresponded to that of a high-risk taker. The data used were wide in comparison with earlier reported research and was based on the full set of the S&P 500 stock data for twenty-one years supplemented with selected financial ratios. The results presented are new in terms of the size of the data set used and with regards to the model used. The results provide direction and offer insight into how deep learning methods may be used in constructing automatic trading systems.
Fer1L5, a Dysferlin Homologue Present in Vesicles and Involved in C2C12 Myoblast Fusion and Membrane Repair
Authors: Usha Kalyani R. , Perinbam K. , Jeyanthi P. , Al-Dhabi Naif Abdullah , Valan Arasu Mariadhas , Esmail Galal Ali , Kim Young Ock , Kim Hyungsuk , Kim Hak-Jae
Published: November 2020

Fer1L5 is a dysferlin and myoferlin related protein, which has been predicted to have a role in vesicle trafficking and muscle membrane fusion events. Mutations in dysferlin and otoferlin genes cause heredity diseases: muscular dystrophy and deafness in humans, respectively. Dysferlin is implicated in membrane repair. Myoferlin has a role in myogenesis. In this study, we investigated the role of the Fer1L5 protein during myoblast fusion and membrane repair. To study the functions of Fer1L5 we used confocal microscopy, biochemical fractionation, Western blot analysis and multiphoton laser wounding assay. By immunolabelling, Fer1L5 was detected in vesicular structures. By biochemical fractionation Fer1L5 was observed in low density vesicles. Our studies show that the membranes of Fer1L5 vesicles are non-resistant to non-ionic detergent. Partial co-staining of Fer1L5 with other two ferlin vesicles, respectively, was observed. Fer1L5 expression was highly detected at the fusion sites of two apposed C2C12 myoblast membranes and its expression level gradually increased at D2 and reached a maximum at day 4 before decreasing during further differentiation. Our studies showed that Fer1L5 has fusion defects during myoblast fusion and impaired membrane repair when the C2C12 cultures were incubated with inhibitory Fer1L5 antibodies. In C2C12 cells Fer1L5 vesicles are involved in two stages, the fusion of myoblasts and the formation of large myotubes. Fer1L5 also plays a role in membrane repair.
Evaluation for the Genetic Association between Store-Operated Calcium Influx Pathway (STIM1 and ORAI1) and Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Infection
Authors: Muhammad Irham Lalu , Chou Wan-Hsuan , Wang Yu-Shiuan , Adikusuma Wirawan , Sung-Ching Wong Henry , Aryani Perwitasari Dyah , Huang Wan-Chen , Chen Ben-Kuen , Yang Hwai-I , Chang Wei-Chiao
Published: November 2020

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) often develops from chronic hepatitis B (CHB) through replication of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Calcium (Ca2+) signaling plays an essential role in HBV replication. Store-operated calcium (SOC) channels are a major pathway of Ca2+ entry into non-excitable cells such as immune cells and cancer cells. The basic components of SOC signaling include the STIM1 and ORAI1 genes. However, the roles of STIM1 and ORAI1 in HBV-mediated HCC are still unclear. Thus, long-term follow-up of HBV cohort was carried out in this study. This study recruited 3631 patients with chronic hepatitis (345 patients with HCC, 3286 patients without HCC) in a Taiwanese population. Genetic variants of the STIM1 and ORAI1 genes were detected using an Axiom CHB1 genome-wide array. Clinical associations of 40 polymorphisms were analyzed. Three of the STIM1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs6578418, rs7116520, and rs11030472) and one SNP of ORAI1 (rs6486795) showed a trend of being associated with HCC disease (p < 0.05). However, after correction for multiple testing, none of the SNPs reached a significant level (q > 0.05); in contrast, neither STIM1 nor ORAI1 showed a significant association with HCC progression in CHB patients. Functional studies by both total internal reflection fluorescence images and transwell migration assay indicated the critical roles of SOC-mediated signaling in HCC migration. In conclusion, we reported a weak correlation between STIM1/ORAI1 polymorphisms and the risk of HCC progression in CHB patients.
The Tumor–Fat Interface Volume of Breast Cancer on Pretreatment MRI Is Associated with a Pathologic Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy
Authors: Cho Hwan-ho , Park Minsu , Park Hyunjin , Ko Eun Sook , Hwang Na Young , Im Young-Hyuck , Ko Kyounglan , Sim Sung Hoon
Published: November 2020

Adipocytes are active sources of numerous adipokines that work in both a paracrine and endocrine manner. It is not known that the direct contact between tumor and neighboring fat measured by pretreatment breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) affects treatment outcomes to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer patients. A biomarker quantifying the tumor–fat interface volume from pretreatment MRI was proposed and used to predict pathologic complete response (pCR) in breast cancer patients treated with NAC. The tumor–fat interface volume was computed with data-driven clustering using multiphasic MRI. Our approach was developed and validated in two cohorts consisting of 1140 patients. A high tumor–fat interface volume was significantly associated with a non-pCR in both the development and validation cohorts (p = 0.030 and p = 0.037, respectively). Quantitative measurement of the tumor–fat interface volume based on pretreatment MRI may be useful for precision medicine and subsequently influence the treatment strategy of patients.
Construction and Loss of Bacterial Flagellar Filaments
Authors: Zhuang Xiang-Yu , Lo Chien-Jung
Published: November 2020

The bacterial flagellar filament is an extracellular tubular protein structure that acts as a propeller for bacterial swimming motility. It is connected to the membrane-anchored rotary bacterial flagellar motor through a short hook. The bacterial flagellar filament consists of approximately 20,000 flagellins and can be several micrometers long. In this article, we reviewed the experimental works and models of flagellar filament construction and the recent findings of flagellar filament ejection during the cell cycle. The length-dependent decay of flagellar filament growth data supports the injection-diffusion model. The decay of flagellar growth rate is due to reduced transportation of long-distance diffusion and jamming. However, the filament is not a permeant structure. Several bacterial species actively abandon their flagella under starvation. Flagellum is disassembled when the rod is broken, resulting in an ejection of the filament with a partial rod and hook. The inner membrane component is then diffused on the membrane before further breakdown. These new findings open a new field of bacterial macro-molecule assembly, disassembly, and signal transduction.
Neuroprotective Effects of Methyl Caffeate against Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Cell Damage: Involvement of Caspase 3 and Cathepsin D Inhibition
Authors: Jantas Danuta , Chwastek Jakub , Malarz Janusz , Stojakowska Anna , Lasoń Władysław
Published: November 2020

Finding effective neuroprotective strategies to combat various neurodegenerative disorders still remain a clinically unmet need. Methyl caffeate (MC), a naturally occurring ester of caffeic acid, possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities; however, its role in neuroprotection is less investigated. In order to better characterize neuroprotective properties of MC, we tested its effectiveness in various models of neuronal cell injury in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells and in mouse primary neuronal cell cultures. MC at micromolar concentrations attenuated neuronal cell damage induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in undifferentiated and neuronal differentiated SH-SY5Y cells as well as in primary cortical neurons. This effect was associated with inhibition of both caspase-3 and cathepsin D but without involvement of the PI3-K/Akt pathway. MC was neuroprotective when given before and during but not after the induction of cell damage by H2O2. Moreover, MC was protective against 6-OHDA-evoked neurotoxicity in neuronal differentiated SH-SY5Y cells via inhibition of necrotic and apoptotic processes. On the other hand, MC was ineffective in models of excitotoxicity (induced by glutamate or oxygen–glucose deprivation) and even moderately augmented cytotoxic effects of the classical apoptotic inducer, staurosporine. Finally, in undifferentiated neuroblastoma cells MC at higher concentrations (above 50 microM) induced cell death and when combined with the chemotherapeutic agent, doxorubicin, it increased the cell damaging effects of the latter compound. Thus, neuroprotective properties of MC appear to be limited to certain models of neurotoxicity and depend on its concentrations and time of administration.
Molecular Context-Dependent Effects Induced by Rett Syndrome-Associated Mutations in MeCP2
Authors: Ortega-Alarcon David , Claveria-Gimeno Rafael , Vega Sonia , Jorge-Torres Olga C. , Esteller Manel , Abian Olga , Velazquez-Campoy Adrian
Published: November 2020

Methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) is a transcriptional regulator and a chromatin-binding protein involved in neuronal development and maturation. Loss-of-function mutations in MeCP2 result in Rett syndrome (RTT), a neurodevelopmental disorder that is the main cause of mental retardation in females. MeCP2 is an intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) constituted by six domains. Two domains are the main responsible elements for DNA binding (methyl-CpG binding domain, MBD) and recruitment of gene transcription/silencing machinery (transcription repressor domain, TRD). These two domains concentrate most of the RTT-associated mutations. R106W and R133C are associated with severe and mild RTT phenotype, respectively. We have performed a comprehensive characterization of the structural and functional impact of these substitutions at molecular level. Because we have previously shown that the MBD-flanking disordered domains (N-terminal domain, NTD, and intervening domain, ID) exert a considerable influence on the structural and functional features of the MBD (Claveria-Gimeno, R. et al. Sci Rep. 2017, 7, 41635), here we report the biophysical study of the influence of the protein scaffold on the structural and functional effect induced by these two RTT-associated mutations. These results represent an example of how a given mutation may show different effects (sometimes opposing effects) depending on the molecular context.
Exploring Valine Metabolism in Astrocytic and Liver Cells: Lesson from Clinical Observation in TBI Patients for Nutritional Intervention
Authors: Sonnay Sarah , Christinat Nicolas , Thevenet Jonathan , Wiederkehr Andreas , Chakrabarti Anirikh , Masoodi Mojgan
Published: November 2020

The utilization of alternative energy substrates to glucose could be beneficial in traumatic brain injury (TBI). Recent clinical data obtained in TBI patients reported valine, β-hydroxyisobutyrate (ibHB) and 2-ketoisovaleric acid (2-KIV) as three of the main predictors of TBI outcome. In particular, higher levels of ibHB, 2-KIV, and valine in cerebral microdialysis (CMD) were associated with better clinical outcome. In this study, we investigate the correlations between circulating and CMD levels of these metabolites. We hypothesized that the liver can metabolize valine and provide a significant amount of intermediate metabolites, which can be further metabolized in the brain. We aimed to assess the metabolism of valine in human-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived astrocytes and HepG2 cells using 13C-labeled substrate to investigate potential avenues for increasing the levels of downstream metabolites of valine via valine supplementation. We observed that 94 ± 12% and 84 ± 16% of ibHB, and 94 ± 12% and 87 ± 15% of 2-KIV, in the medium of HepG2 cells and in iPSC-derived astrocytes, respectively, came directly from valine. Overall, these findings suggest that both ibHB and 2-KIV are produced from valine to a large extent in both cell types, which could be of interest in the design of optimal nutritional interventions aiming at stimulating valine metabolism.
Ocular Paraneoplastic Syndromes
Authors: Przeździecka-Dołyk Joanna , Brzecka Anna , Ejma Maria , Misiuk-Hojło Marta , Torres Solis Luis Fernando , Solís Herrera Arturo , Somasundaram Siva G. , Kirkland Cecil E. , Aliev Gjumrakch
Published: November 2020

Ocular-involving paraneoplastic syndromes present a wide variety of clinical symptoms. Understanding the background pathophysiological and immunopathological factors can help make a more refined differential diagnosis consistent with the signs and symptoms presented by patients. There are two main pathophysiology arms: (1) autoimmune pathomechanism, which is presented with cancer-associated retinopathy (CAR), melanoma-associated retinopathy (MAR), cancer-associated cone dysfunction (CACD), paraneoplastic vitelliform maculopathy (PVM), and paraneoplastic optic neuritis (PON), and (2) ectopic peptides, which is often caused by tumor-expressed growth factors (T-exGF) and presented with bilateral diffuse uveal melanocytic proliferation (BDUMP). Meticulous systematic analysis of patient symptoms is a critical diagnostic step, complemented by multimodal imaging, which includes fundus photography, optical coherent tomography, fundus autofluorescence, fundus fluorescein angiography, electrophysiological examination, and sometimes fundus indocyjanin green angiography if prescribed by the clinician. Assessment of the presence of circulating antibodies is required for diagnosis. Antiretinal autoantibodies are highly associated with visual paraneoplastic syndromes and may guide diagnosis by classifying clinical manifestations in addition to monitoring treatment.