bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Field Application of NIR Spectroscopy for the Discrimination of the Biomphalaria Species That Are Intermediate Hosts of Schistosoma mansoni in Brazil
Authors: Valladares Vanessa , Pasquini Célio , Thiengo Silvana C. , Fernandez Monica A. , Mello-Silva Clélia C.
Published: March 2021

Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) is a spectroscopic technique that evaluates the vibrational energy levels of the chemical bonds of molecules within a wavelength range of 750–2,500 nm. This simple method acquires spectra that provide qualitative and quantitative data on the chemical components of the biomass of living organisms through the interaction between the electromagnetic waves and the sample. NIRS is an innovative, rapid, and non-destructive technique that can contribute to the differentiation of species based on their chemical phenotypes. Chemical profiles were obtained by NIRS from three snail species (Biomphalaria glabrata, Biomphalaria straminea, and Biomphalaria tenagophila) that are intermediate hosts of Schistosoma mansoni in Brazil. The correct identification of these species is important from an epidemiological viewpoint, given that each species has distinct biological and physiological characteristics. The present study aimed to develop a chemometric model for the interspecific and intra-specific classification of the three species, focusing on laboratory and field populations. The data were obtained from 271 live animals, including 150 snails recently collected from the field, with the remainder being raised in the laboratory. Populations were sampled at three localities in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, in the municipalities of Sumidouro (B. glabrata) and Paracambi (B. straminea), and the borough of Jacarepaguá in the Rio de Janeiro city (B. tenagophila). The chemometric analysis was run in the Unscrambler® software. The intra-specific classification of the field and laboratory populations obtained accuracy rates of 72.5% (B. tenagophila), 77.5% (B. straminea), and 85.0% (B. glabrata). The interspecific differentiation had a hit rate of 75% for the field populations and 80% for the laboratory populations. The results indicate chemical and metabolic differences between populations of the same species from the field and the laboratory. The chemical phenotype, which is closely related to the metabolic profile of the snails, varied between environments. Overall, the NIRS technique proved to be a potentially valuable tool for medical malacology, enabling the systematic discrimination of the Biomphalaria snails that are the intermediate hosts of S. mansoni in Brazil.
Impact of Power Output on Muscle Activation and 3D Kinematics During an Incremental Test to Exhaustion in Professional Cyclists
Authors: Pouliquen Camille , Nicolas Guillaume , Bideau Benoit , Bideau Nicolas
Published: March 2021

This study aimed to quantify the influence of an increase in power output (PO) on joint kinematics and electromyographic (EMG) activity during an incremental test to exhaustion for a population of professional cyclists. The hip flexion/extension and internal/external rotation as well as knee abduction/adduction ranges of motion were significantly decreased at 100% of the maximal aerobic power (MAP). EMG analysis revealed a significant increase in the root mean square (RMS) for all muscles from 70% of the MAP. Gastrocnemius muscles [lateralis gastrocnemius (GasL) and medialis gastrocnemius (GasM)] were the less affected by the increase of PO. Cross-correlation method showed a significant increase in the lag angle values for VM in the last stage compared to the first stage, meaning that the onset of the activation started earlier during the pedaling cycle. Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) demonstrated that from 70% MAP, biceps femoris (BF), tibialis anterior (TA), gluteus maximus (GM), and rectus femoris (RF) yielded larger ranges of the crank cycle on which the level of recruitment was significantly increased. This study revealed specific muscular and kinematic coordination for professional cyclists in response to PO increase.
The Physiology Associated With “Bed Rest” and Inactivity and How It May Relate to the Veterinary Patient With Spinal Cord Injury and Physical Rehabilitation
Authors: Thomovsky Stephanie A.
Published: March 2021

In the twentieth century, bed rest was commonly prescribed by human healthcare professionals as a treatment for a variety of ailments including spinal cord injury and disease. With time, the negative impact of bed rest was recognized as a source of slow and even reduced patient healing. As treatment paradigms shifted, the utility and importance of physical rehabilitation (PR) as a critical adjunctive treatment for human patients with spinal cord injury became fully recognized. Today, standardized PR protocols exist for humans with the spinal cord disease, but the same cannot be said for our veterinary patients with spinal cord injury. The purpose of this manuscript is to discuss the effects of inactivity on the musculoskeletal system and to explore how and why PR can play a critical role in improved mobility and overall health in the veterinary patient with spinal cord injury. Research with a focus on the effects of inactivity, in the form of cage rest, for the veterinary patient with spinal cord injury is lacking.
Data-Driven Surveillance: Effective Collection, Integration, and Interpretation of Data to Support Decision Making
Authors: Dórea Fernanda C. , Revie Crawford W.
Published: March 2021

The biggest change brought about by the “era of big data” to health in general, and epidemiology in particular, relates arguably not to the volume of data encountered, but to its variety. An increasing number of new data sources, including many not originally collected for health purposes, are now being used for epidemiological inference and contextualization. Combining evidence from multiple data sources presents significant challenges, but discussions around this subject often confuse issues of data access and privacy, with the actual technical challenges of data integration and interoperability. We review some of the opportunities for connecting data, generating information, and supporting decision-making across the increasingly complex “variety” dimension of data in population health, to enable data-driven surveillance to go beyond simple signal detection and support an expanded set of surveillance goals.
Industrial Processing Affects Product Yield and Quality of Diced Tomato
Authors: De Sio Francesco , Rapacciuolo Mariateresa , De Giorgi Alessandro , Sandei Luca , Giuliano Bonaventura , Tallarita Alessio , Golubkina Nadezhda , Sekara Agnieszka , Stoleru Vasile , Cuciniello Antonio , Morano Giuseppe , Caruso Gianluca
Published: March 2021

The tomato industry has been searching for new genotypes with improved fruit production, both in the field and industrially processed, together with high-quality performance under sustainable management conditions. This research was carried out in Southern Italy with the aim of assessing the effects of industrial processing on the yield and quality of four tomato hybrids grown according to organic farming methods and addressed at dicing. MAX 14111 and HMX 4228 showed the highest values of field and processing yield as well as reduced sugars and fructose. MAX 14111 had the highest values of total solids and soluble solids, titratable acidity, fiber, energetic value, polyphenols, and also rutin, though not significantly different from Impact. HMX 4228 performed best in terms of sugar ratio, color and naringenin. Concerning the diced products, the sensorial qualities of the four hybrids differed significantly. Total polyphenols, naringenin and rutin in the tomato fruits were higher in the processed than in the raw product. The appreciable fruit yield and quality resulting from both field and processing phase represent a promising perspective for identifying improved tomato genotypes addressed at dicing.
Can Soil pH Correction Reduce the Animal Supplementation Needs in the Critical Autumn Period in Mediterranean Montado Ecosystem?
Authors: Serrano João , Shahidian Shakib , Costa Francisco , Carreira Emanuel , Pereira Alfredo , Carvalho Mário
Published: March 2021

Extensive livestock production in Mediterranean climate conditions and acidic soils requires animal feed supplementation. This occurs during the summer and, frequently, also in the autumn and winter, depending on the prevailing rainfall patterns. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of dolomitic limestone application and of tree canopy on availability, quality, and floristic composition of a permanent pasture, grazed by sheep. At the end of autumn, winter, and spring of 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 pasture green and dry matter production (GM and DM, respectively), crude protein (CP), and fiber (neutral detergent fiber) were monitored in 24 sampling points. Half of these points were located in areas amended with dolomitic limestone (COR) and half in unamended areas (UCOR). In each of these, half of the sampling points were located under tree canopy (UTC) and half outside tree canopy (OTC). Pasture floristic composition was monitored in spring 2020. The results show, in autumn, a positive and significant effect (i) of soil pH amendment on pasture DM and CP daily growth rate (kg·ha−1·day−1) (+28.8% and +42.6%, respectively), and (ii) of tree canopy on pasture CP daily growth rate (+26.4%). Both factors affect pasture floristic composition. Pasture species were identified as potential bio-indicators, characteristic of each field area. These results show the practical interest of the soil pH correction to reduce the animal supplementation needs in the critical autumn period in the Mediterranean montado ecosystem.
Role of Long Chain Fatty Acids in Developmental Programming in Ruminants
Authors: Roque-Jiménez José Alejandro , Rosa-Velázquez Milca , Pinos-Rodríguez Juan Manuel , Vicente-Martínez Jorge Genaro , Mendoza-Cervantes Guillermo , Flores-Primo Argel , Lee-Rangel Héctor Aarón , Relling Alejandro E.
Published: March 2021

Nutrition plays a critical role in developmental programs. These effects can be during gametogenesis, gestation, or early life. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are essential for normal physiological functioning and for the health of humans and all domestic species. Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of n-3 PUFA in ruminant diets during gestation and its effects on pre-and postnatal offspring growth and health indices. In addition, different types of fatty acids have different metabolic functions, which affects the developmental program differently depending on when they are supplemented. This review provides a broad perspective of the effect of fatty acid supplementation on the developmental program in ruminants, highlighting the areas of a developmental program that are better known and the areas that more research may be needed.
Studying the Shape Variations of the Back, the Neck, and the Mandibular Angle of Horses Depending on Specific Feeding Postures Using Geometric Morphometrics
Authors: Raspa Federica , Roggero Angela , Palestrini Claudia , Marten Canavesio Martina , Bergero Domenico , Valle Emanuela
Published: March 2021

The effects of specific feeding positions upon the horse’s shape variations of the back and neck postures as well as the variations of the mandibular angle have never been objectively studied. For this reason, geometric morphometrics was applied. Six horses, aged 14 ± 8 years (mean ± standard deviation, SD), were video-recorded while using three different feeding positions: on the ground—control position (CP); neck held 15 ± 3° below withers height with low hay net position (LP); neck held 15 ± 3° above withers height with high hay net position (HP). Data were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA), multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), and partial least squares (PLS). A mixed model procedure was applied to evaluate differences in the magnitude of the mandibular angle. Whilst differences between individual horses were confirmed by canonical variate analysis (CVA), PCA analysis showed that a characteristic feeding position could also be identified on a group level. During the HP hay net position, the back and neck postures as well the mandibular angle were different compared to those exhibited by horses feeding from CP. In LP hay net position, the back posture more closely resembled those exhibited while feeding from CP; however, no similarity between LP and CP was found for neck posture and mandibular angle. Since only a few degrees of variation of the feeding position can influence back and neck postures, this aspect should be further investigated. The right compromise between horse welfare, horse safety, and management practices need to be further explored and long-term effects should be investigated.
Colloidal Iron Oxide Formulation for Equine Hoof Disinfection
Authors: Isola Maurizio , Piccinotti Cristina , Magro Massimiliano , Fasolato Luca , Vianello Fabio , Menandro Maria Luisa , Memarian Parastoo , Rossi Melissa , Falomo Maria Elena
Published: March 2021

The presence of bacteria of various origins on horse hoofs enables the onset of infections following trauma or even post-surgical wounds. Thus, the analysis of new antibacterial substances is of fundamental importance. In this study, the antibacterial efficacy of Iron Animals (IA), a stable colloidal suspension of iron oxide, organic acids, and detergents, was tested in vitro and in vivo. In vitro assays were performed to test the unspecific inhibitory effect of IA on both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria monitoring the microorganism growth by spectrophotometry (optical density OD600) at 37 °C for 24 h. In vivo test consists on the quantification of the bacterial load in colony forming units per gram (CFU/g) of specimens collected from the frog region of the anterior hooves of 11 horses. Sampling followed the application of four disinfectant protocols consisting of two consecutive 3 min scrubs with 50 mL of 10% Povidone-iodine (PI) or 4% Chlorhexidine (CHx), with or without an additional application for 15 min of 10 mL of Iron Animals (PI+IA and CHx+IA). In vitro, IA completely suppressed the bacterial growth of all the tested microorganisms, resulting in effectiveness also against CHx-resistant bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus. In vivo, PI emerged as an ineffective protocol; CHx was effective in 18% of cases, but with the addition of IA (CHx + IA) its use emerged as the best disinfectant protocol for horse hoof, achieving the lowest bacterial load in 55% of cases. The addition of IA, after PI or CHx, improves the effectiveness of both disinfectants leading to the highest bactericidal activity in 82% of cases.
The Effect of Age of Dam and Birth Rank on the Reproductive Performance of Ewes as One- and Two-Year-Olds
Authors: Pettigrew Emma , Hickson Rebecca , Morris Steve , Kenyon Paul , Corner-Thomas Rene , Haslin Emmanuelle , Blair Hugh
Published: March 2021

Currently, 30–43% of New Zealand sheep farmers breed their ewe lambs, but few retain the offspring as replacements for their flock. No difference in lamb production as a yearling among singletons and twins born to ewe lambs and twins born to mature ewes has been reported, provided the ewe lambs had reached the 60–65% of their likely mature weight prior to breeding at seven to eight months of age. The aim of this experiment was to determine the lamb production from singletons and twins born to ewe lambs and twins born to mature ewes during their first two years of lambing. The experiment included 8-month-old ewes born as twins to mature ewes (M2, n = 135), singletons born to ewe lambs (L1, n = 135), and twins born to ewe lambs (L2, n = 88), bred during the same period to the same rams, over two years. The efficiency of lamb production (total litter weight at weaning divided by the pre-breeding weight of the ewe, for all ewes presented for breeding) after two years of production was not significantly different (p > 0.05) among the groups (0.40 ± 0.02, 0.39 ± 0.02, and 0.39 ± 0.03, for M2, L1, and L2, respectively).
Exploiting Data Analytics and Deep Learning Systems to Support Pavement Maintenance Decisions
Authors: Roberts Ronald , Inzerillo Laura , Di Mino Gaetano
Published: March 2021

Road networks are critical infrastructures within any region and it is imperative to maintain their conditions for safe and effective movement of goods and services. Road Management, therefore, plays a key role to ensure consistent efficient operation. However, significant resources are required to perform necessary maintenance activities to achieve and maintain high levels of service. Pavement maintenance can typically be very expensive and decisions are needed concerning planning and prioritizing interventions. Data are key towards enabling adequate maintenance planning but in many instances, there is limited available information especially in small or under-resourced urban road authorities. This study develops a roadmap to help these authorities by using flexible data analysis and deep learning computational systems to highlight important factors within road networks, which are used to construct models that can help predict future intervention timelines. A case study in Palermo, Italy was successfully developed to demonstrate how the techniques could be applied to perform appropriate feature selection and prediction models based on limited data sources. The workflow provides a pathway towards more effective pavement maintenance management practices using techniques that can be readily adapted based on different environments. This takes another step towards automating these practices within the pavement management system.
Multiresolution Topology Optimization of Large-Deformation Path-Generation Compliant Mechanisms with Stress Constraints
Authors: Reinisch Joseph , Wehrle Erich , Achleitner Johannes
Published: March 2021

Topology optimization is a powerful numerical tool in the synthesis of lightweight structures and compliant mechanisms. Compliant mechanisms present challenges for topology optimization, as they typically exhibit large displacements and rotations. Path-generation mechanisms are a class of mechanisms that are designed to follow an exact path. The characteristics of compliant mechanisms therefore exclude the validity of linear finite-element analysis to ensure the proper modeling of deformation and stresses. As stresses can exceed the limit when neglected, stress constraints are needed in the synthesis of compliant mechanisms. Both nonlinear finite-element analysis as well as the consideration of stress constraints significantly increase computational cost of topology optimization. Multiresolution topology optimization, which employs different levels of discretization for the finite-element analysis and the representation of the material distribution, allows an important reduction of computational effort. A multiresolution topology optimization methodology is proposed integrating stress constraints based on nonlinear finite-element analysis for path-generation mechanisms. Two objective formulations are used to motivate and validate this methodology: maximum-displacement mechanisms and path-generation mechanisms. The formulation of the stress constraints and their sensitivities within nonlinear finite-element analysis and multiresolution topology optimization are explained. We introduce two academic benchmark examples to demonstrate the results for each of the objective formulations. To show the practical, large-scale application of this method, results for the compliant mechanism structure of a droop-nose morphing wing concept are shown.
Conditions Optimization and Physiochemical Analysis of Oil Obtained by Catalytic Pyrolysis of Scrap Tube Rubber Using MgO as Catalyst
Authors: Muhammad Riaz , Ali Yousaf , Messaddeq Younes , ur Rashid Haroon , Antonio Utrera Martines Marco , Naveed Umar Muhammad , Khan Sher Wali , Riaz Ali
Published: March 2021

Motor vehicles scrap tires and tube rubbers generate a large amount of waste with different characteristics and compositions, contaminating the environment when not properly disposed. Waste inner tube rubber (isobutylene isoprene) representing a threat to the environment can be used as valuable source of energy. Waste inner tube rubber was pyrolyzed thermally under atmospheric pressure both with and without catalyst. Parameters of temperature, time, and catalyst weight were optimized for catalytic and thermal pyrolysis of isobutylene-isoprene rubber into liquid fuel, using MgO as catalyst. It was found that one-hour heating time at 350 °C using 2 g catalyst (MgO) constitutes a suitable parameter for the maximum conversion of scrap inner tube rubber into oil. The oil obtained was characterized by physical and chemical tests. Among the physical tests, Density, specific gravity, viscosity, kinematic viscosity, analine point and flash point were determined according to IP and ASTM standard valves. The physical tests indicate the presence of aromatic and olefinic hydrocarbons. Among the chemical tests, the phenol test, bromine number, bromine water test, and KMnO4 tests were conducted. The chemical tests are also the support of physical tests conducted. The physical and chemical tests indicate that the oil obtained is a mixture of kerosene, diesel, and light oil and could be used for fuel purposes.
A Review on the Catalytic Hydrogenation of Bromate in Water Phase
Authors: Cerrillo Jose Luis , Palomares Antonio Eduardo
Published: March 2021

The presence of bromate in water sources generates environmental concern due to its toxicity for humans. Diverse technologies, like membranes, ion exchange, chemical reduction, etc., can be employed to treat bromate-polluted water but they produce waste that must be treated. An alternative to these technologies can be the catalytic reduction of bromate to bromide using hydrogen as a reducing agent. In this review, we analyze the research published about this catalytic technology. Specifically, we summarize and discuss about the state of knowledge related to (1) the different metals used as catalysts for the reaction; (2) the influence of the support on the catalytic activity; (3) the characterization of the catalysts; (4) the reaction mechanisms; and (5) the influence of the water composition in the catalytic activity and in the catalyst stability. Based on published papers, we analyze the strength and weaknesses of this technique and the possibilities of using this reaction for the treatment of bromate-polluted water as a sustainable process.
Catalytic Depolymerization of Date Palm Waste to Valuable C5–C12 Compounds
Authors: Galiwango Emmanuel , Al-Marzuoqi Ali H. , Khaleel Abbas A. , Abu-Omar Mahdi M.
Published: March 2021

Lignin depolymerization often requires multiple isolation steps to convert a lignocellulose matrix into high-value chemicals. In addition, lignin structural modification, low yields, and poor product characteristics remain challenges. Direct catalytic depolymerization of lignocellulose from date palm biomass was investigated. Production of high value chemicals heavily depends on optimization of different parameters and method of conversion. The goal of the study was to elucidate the role of different parameters on direct conversion of date palm waste in a bench reactor, targeting valuable C5–C12 compounds. The catalytic performance results demonstrated better liquid yields using a commercial alloy catalyst than with laboratory-prepared transition metal phosphide catalysts made using nickel, cobalt, and iron. According to the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry results, C7–C8 compounds were the largest product fraction. The yield improved from 3.6% without a catalyst to 68.0% with a catalyst. The total lignin product yield was lower without a catalyst (16.0%) than with a catalyst (76.0%). There were substantial differences between the carbon distributions from the commercial alloy catalyst, supported transition metal phosphide catalyst, and catalyst-free processes. This may be due to differences between reaction pathways. Lab-made catalysts cracked the biomass to produce more gases than the alloy catalyst. The final pressure rose from 2 bar at the start of the experiment to 146.15 bar and 46.50 bar after the respective reactions. The particle size, solvent type, time, temperature, gas, and catalytic loading conditions were 180 µm, methanol, 6 h, 300 °C, nitrogen, and 5 wt %, respectively. The results from this study provide a deep understanding of the role of different process parameters, the positive attributes of the direct conversion method, and viability of date palm waste as a potential lignocellulose for production of high-value chemicals.
The Relationship between the Antioxidant System and Proline Metabolism in the Leaves of Cucumber Plants Acclimated to Salt Stress
Authors: Naliwajski Marcin , Skłodowska Maria
Published: March 2021

The study examines the effect of acclimation on the antioxidant system and proline metabolism in cucumber leaves subjected to 100 and 150 NaCl stress. The levels of protein carbonyl group, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, α-tocopherol, and activity of ascorbate and glutathione peroxidases, catalase, glutathione S-transferase, pyrroline-5-carboxylate: synthetase and reductase as well as proline dehydrogenase were determined after 24 and 72 h periods of salt stress in the acclimated and non-acclimated plants. Although both groups of plants showed high α-tocopherol levels, in acclimated plants was observed higher constitutive concentration of these compounds as well as after salt treatment. Furthermore, the activity of enzymatic antioxidants grew in response to salt stress, mainly in the acclimated plants. In the acclimated plants, protein carbonyl group levels collapsed on a constitutive level and in response to salt stress. Although both groups of plants showed a decrease in proline dehydrogenase activity, they differed with regard to the range and time. Differences in response to salt stress between the acclimated and non-acclimated plants may suggest a relationship between increased tolerance in acclimated plants and raised activity of antioxidant enzymes, high-level of α-tocopherol as well, as decrease enzyme activity incorporates in proline catabolism.
The Importance of MDP Priming, Silica Blasting or Glazing on the Retention Force of Y-TZP Copings to Varying Geometry Tooth Abutments
Authors: Ramos Nathália C. , Alves Larissa M.M. , Ramos Gabriela F. , Bottino Marco Antonio , Melo Renata M. , Souza Rodrigo Othávio A.
Published: March 2021

To evaluate the influence of the convergence angle of tooth preparations and abutments height and several surface treatments for zirconia copings through the tensile retention test. 120 crown preparations were made in Nema G10 with the maxillary first molar anatomy. In total, 60 abutments of 5 mm height were divided into two groups of 6° and 20° convergence angles of tooth preparations, and 60 abutments with a convergence angle of tooth preparations of 12° were divided into groups of 4 and 6 mm heights. Three surface treatments used were MDP-primer (10-Methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate), glazing or silica blasting. The abutments were scanned to make zirconia copings (3Y-TZP–Yttria-Stabilized Tetragonal Zirconia Polycrystals, Vita In-Ceram YZ). After cementation, the mechanical cycling (2 × 106 cycles, 3 Hz, 100 N) was performed to aging. After cycling, the copings were tested in tensile (1 kN load cell; 0.5 mm/s speed). Both abutments support base and copings were embedded in acrylic resin with the aid of a device that maintained the long axis perpendicular to the horizontal plane. Data were analyzed with the two-way ANOVA and Tukey test (95%). ANOVA revealed that the convergence angle influenced the tensile retention (p = 0.0232), but the abutments height showed no statistically significant difference (p = 0.086). The MDP-primer and silica blasting showed higher retention forces in the specimens with height variations. For bonded zirconia crowns, the retention force provided by high convergence angle preparation is critical and cannot be improved by surface treatments. For short and long crown preparations, MDP-based Primers or Silica blasting are advisable to aid restoration longevity.
A Unifying Framework and Comparative Evaluation of Statistical and Machine Learning Approaches to Non-Specific Syndromic Surveillance
Authors: Kulessa Moritz , Mencía Eneldo Loza , Fürnkranz Johannes
Published: March 2021

Monitoring the development of infectious diseases is of great importance for the prevention of major outbreaks. Syndromic surveillance aims at developing algorithms which can detect outbreaks as early as possible by monitoring data sources which allow to capture the occurrences of a certain disease. Recent research mainly concentrates on the surveillance of specific, known diseases, putting the focus on the definition of the disease pattern under surveillance. Until now, only little effort has been devoted to what we call non-specific syndromic surveillance, i.e., the use of all available data for detecting any kind of infectious disease outbreaks. In this work, we give an overview of non-specific syndromic surveillance from the perspective of machine learning and propose a unified framework based on global and local modeling techniques. We also present a set of statistical modeling techniques which have not been used in a local modeling context before and can serve as benchmarks for the more elaborate machine learning approaches. In an experimental comparison of different approaches to non-specific syndromic surveillance we found that these simple statistical techniques already achieve competitive results and sometimes even outperform more elaborate approaches. In particular, applying common syndromic surveillance methods in a non-specific setting seems to be promising.
Affinity and Structural Analysis of the U1A RNA Recognition Motif with Engineered Methionines to Improve Experimental Phasing
Authors: Srivastava Yoshita , Bonn-Breach Rachel , Chavali Sai , Lippa Geoffrey , Jenkins Jermaine , Wedekind Joseph
Published: March 2021

RNA plays a central role in all organisms and can fold into complex structures to orchestrate function. Visualization of such structures often requires crystallization, which can be a bottleneck in the structure-determination process. To promote crystallization, an RNA-recognition motif (RRM) of the U1A spliceosomal protein has been co-opted as a crystallization module. Specifically, the U1-snRNA hairpin II (hpII) single-stranded loop recognized by U1A can be transplanted into an RNA target to promote crystal contacts and to attain phase information via molecular replacement or anomalous diffraction methods using selenomethionine. Herein, we produced the F37M/F77M mutant of U1A to augment the phasing capability of this powerful crystallization module. Selenomethionine-substituted U1A(F37M/F77M) retains high affinity for hpII (KD of 59.7 ± 11.4 nM). The 2.20 Å resolution crystal structure reveals that the mutated sidechains make new S-π interactions in the hydrophobic core and are useful for single-wavelength anomalous diffraction. Crystals were also attained of U1A(F37M/F77M) in complex with a bacterial preQ1-II riboswitch. The F34M/F37M/F77M mutant was introduced similarly into a lab-evolved U1A variant (TBP6.9) that recognizes the internal bulged loop of HIV-1 TAR RNA. We envision that this short RNA sequence can be placed into non-essential duplex regions to promote crystallization and phasing of target RNAs. We show that selenomethionine-substituted TBP6.9(F34M/F37M/F77M) binds a TAR variant wherein the apical loop was replaced with a GNRA tetraloop (KD of 69.8 ± 2.9 nM), laying the groundwork for use of TBP6.9(F34M/F37M/F77M) as a crystallization module. These new tools are available to the research community.
Combined COX-2/PPARγ Expression as Independent Negative Prognosticator for Vulvar Cancer Patients
Authors: Ansorge Nadine , Dannecker Christian , Jeschke Udo , Schmoeckel Elisa , Mayr Doris , Heidegger Helene H. , Vattai Aurelia , Burgmann Maximiliane , Czogalla Bastian , Mahner Sven , Fuerst Sophie
Published: March 2021

Vulvar cancer incidence numbers have been rising steadily over the past decades. Especially the number of young patients with vulvar cancer increased recently. Therefore, the need to identify new prognostic factors for vulvar carcinoma is more apparent. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) has long been an object of scientific interest in the context of carcinogenesis. This enzyme is involved in prostaglandin synthesis and the latter binds to nuclear receptors like PPARγ. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate COX-2- and PPARγ- expression in tissues of vulvar carcinomas and to analyze their relevance as prognostic factors. The cytoplasmatic expression of COX-2 as well as PPARγ is associated with a significantly reduced survival, whereas nuclear expression of PPARγ results in a better survival. Especially the combined expression of both COX-2 and PPARγ in the cytoplasm is an independent negative prognosticator for vulvar cancer patients.
Classification of Indoor Human Fall Events Using Deep Learning
Authors: Sultana Arifa , Deb Kaushik , Dhar Pranab Kumar , Koshiba Takeshi
Published: March 2021

Human fall identification can play a significant role in generating sensor based alarm systems, assisting physical therapists not only to reduce after fall effects but also to save human lives. Usually, elderly people suffer from various kinds of diseases and fall action is a very frequently occurring circumstance at this time for them. In this regard, this paper represents an architecture to classify fall events from others indoor natural activities of human beings. Video frame generator is applied to extract frame from video clips. Initially, a two dimensional convolutional neural network (2DCNN) model is proposed to extract features from video frames. Afterward, gated recurrent unit (GRU) network finds the temporal dependency of human movement. Binary cross-entropy loss function is calculated to update the attributes of the network like weights, learning rate to minimize the losses. Finally, sigmoid classifier is used for binary classification to detect human fall events. Experimental result shows that the proposed model obtains an accuracy of 99%, which outperforms other state-of-the-art models.
Ant Colony System Optimization for Spatiotemporal Modelling of Combined EEG and MEG Data
Authors: Opoku Eugene A. , Ahmed Syed Ejaz , Song Yin , Nathoo Farouk S.
Published: March 2021

Electroencephalography/Magnetoencephalography (EEG/MEG) source localization involves the estimation of neural activity inside the brain volume that underlies the EEG/MEG measures observed at the sensor array. In this paper, we consider a Bayesian finite spatial mixture model for source reconstruction and implement Ant Colony System (ACS) optimization coupled with Iterated Conditional Modes (ICM) for computing estimates of the neural source activity. Our approach is evaluated using simulation studies and a real data application in which we implement a nonparametric bootstrap for interval estimation. We demonstrate improved performance of the ACS-ICM algorithm as compared to existing methodology for the same spatiotemporal model.
FEEdBACk: An ICT-Based Platform to Increase Energy Efficiency through Buildings’ Consumer Engagement
Authors: Soares Filipe , Madureira André , Pagès Andreu , Barbosa António , Coelho António , Cassola Fernando , Ribeiro Fernando , Viana João , Andrade José , Dorokhova Marina , Morais Nélson , Wyrsch Nicolas , Sørensen Trine
Published: March 2021

Energy efficiency in buildings can be enhanced by several actions: encouraging users to comprehend and then adopt more energy-efficient behaviors; aiding building managers in maximizing energy savings; and using automation to optimize energy consumption, generation, and storage of controllable and flexible devices without compromising comfort levels and indoor air-quality parameters. This paper proposes an integrated Information and communications technology (ICT) based platform addressing all these factors. The gamification platform is embedded in the ICT platform along with an interactive energy management system, which aids interested stakeholders in optimizing “when and at which rate” energy should be buffered and consumed, with several advantages, such as reducing peak load, maximizing local renewable energy consumption, and delivering more efficient use of the resources available in individual buildings or blocks of buildings. This system also interacts with an automation manager and a users’ behavior predictor application. The work was developed in the Horizon 2020 FEEdBACk (Fostering Energy Efficiency and BehAvioral Change through ICT) project.
Economic Feasibility of Photovoltaic Micro-Installations Connected to the Brazilian Distribution Grid in Light of Proposed Changes to Regulations
Authors: de Doile Gabriel Nasser Doyle , Rotella Junior Paulo , Carneiro Priscila França Gonzaga , Peruchi Rogério Santana , Rocha Luiz Célio Souza , Janda Karel , Aquila Giancarlo
Published: March 2021

Brazil is currently undergoing changes to regulations on distributed generation (DG), specifically for solar energy micro-generation. The changes proposed by the Brazilian Regulatory Agency suggest that only the cost of energy be compensated to investors. The service costs and other charges related to energy tariffs must be divided among consumers. Investors with existing installations and class entities have contested these proposals, calling them “sun-fees”. To date, no scientific papers have been published discussing these changes. The new regulations propose an end to cross subsidies, where all consumers (even those who do not have DG) pay for the transmission and distribution systems. This study compares the economic feasibility of micro-generation before and after implementing the new standards proposed by the regulatory agency. We used data on average electrical energy demand, energy price, and solar radiation in different regions. The national averages were used as a base comparison with other scenarios. The results show that projects are viable for all analyzed scenarios, however, after implementing the proposed changes, the discounted payback time is extended. This, however, does not make projects unfeasible.
Considering the Environmental Impacts of Bioenergy Technologies to Support German Energy Transition
Authors: Kalu Amarachi , Vrzel Janja , Kolb Sebastian , Karl Juergen , Marzahn Philip , Pfaffenberger Fabian , Ludwig Ralf
Published: March 2021

Clean energy for all, as listed in the United Nation’s SDG7, is a key component for sustainable environmental development. Therefore, it is imperative to uncover the environmental implications of alternative energy technologies. SustainableGAS project simulates different process chains for the substitution of natural gas with renewable energies in the German gas market. The project follows an interdisciplinary approach, taking into account techno-social and environmental variabilities. However, this research highlights the project results from the environmental perspective. So far, a detailed assessment of the environmental costs of alternative gas technologies with a focus on the process of energy transition has remained rare. Although such data constitute key inputs for decision-making, this study helps to bridge a substantial knowledge gap. Competing land-use systems are examined to secure central ecosystem services. To fulfill this obligation, an Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) serves as the modelling tool. InVEST assesses ecosystem services (ES) that are or may be affected by alternative bioenergy technologies. Spatially explicit model results include the water provisioning from the Water Yield Model (WYM), soil erosion and sedimentation described by the Sediment Delivery Ratio (SDR), and nutrient fluxes (N) in response to changing land use are obtained through the Nutrient Delivery Ratio (NDR). The detailed model results are finally extrapolated, which provides a comprehensive image of the environmental impacts associated with bioenergy expansion in Germany from our combination of unique Renewable Gas Plants (RGPs). The final result shows that nutrient load will reduce in southern Germany by the year 2050 compared to the reference state, and biomass use reduced by 46% crops.
Modifying Effect of Soil Properties on Bio-Accessibility of As and Pb from Human Ingestion of Contaminated Soil
Authors: Lake Loryssa M. , Basta Nicholas T. , Barker David J.
Published: March 2021

Exposure to soils contaminated with heavy metals can pose human health risk to children through ingestion of contaminated soil. Soil properties such as soil pH, reactive Fe and Al oxide content, clay content, soil organic matter (SOM), and cation exchange capacity (CEC) can reduce contaminant bio-accessibility and exposure. In vitro bio-accessibility (%IVBA) of As and Pb in 19 soils was determined using U.S. EPA Method 1340. Soil properties reduced the bio-accessibility of As by 17–96.5% and 1.3–38.9% for Pb. For both As and Pb, bio-accessibility decreased with increasing Al and Fe oxide content. Al oxides were found to be the primary driver of As and Pb bio-accessibility. Multiple regressions with AlOx, soil pH, %clay and/or FeOx predicted %IVBA As (p < 0.001). The multiple regression including log (FeOx + AlOx) and %clay explained 63% of the variability in %IVBA Pb (p < 0.01). Fe and Al oxides were found to be important drivers of As and Pb bio-accessibility, regardless of in vitro method. These findings suggested soil pH should be used in addition to reactive oxides to predict bio-accessible As. Risk-based adjustments using soil properties for exposure via incidental ingestion should be considered for soils contaminated with As and/or Pb.
Towards Development of a Real-Time Point Feature Quality Assessment Method for Volunteered Geographic Information Using the Internet of Things
Authors: Honarparvar Sepehr , Malek Mohammad Reza , Saeedi Sara , Liang Steve
Published: March 2021

One of the most important challenges of volunteered geographic information (VGI) is the quality assessment. Existing methods of VGI quality assessment, either assess the quality by comparing a reference map with the VGI map or deriving the quality from the metadata. The first approach does not work for a real-time scenario and the latter delivers approximate values of the quality. Internet of Things (IoT) networks provide real-time observations for environment monitoring. Moreover, they publish more precise information than VGI. This paper introduces a method to assess the quality of VGI in real-time using IoT observations. The proposed method filters sensor observation outliers in the first step. Then it matches sensors and volunteers’ relationships in terms of location, time, and measurement type similarity using a hypergraph model. Then the quality of matched data is assessed by calculating positional and attribute accuracy. To evaluate the method, VGI data of the water level and quality in Tarashk–Bakhtegan–Maharlou water basin is studied. A VGI quality map of the data is assessed by a referenced authoritative map. The output of this step is a VGI quality map, which was used as a reference to check the proposed method quality. Then this reference VGI quality map and the proposed method VGI quality map are compared to assess positional and attribute accuracy. Results demonstrated that 76% of the method results have less than 20 m positional error (i.e., difference with the reference VGI quality map). Additionally, more than 92% of the proposed method VGI data have higher than 90% attribute accuracy in terms of similarity with the reference VGI quality map. These findings support the notion that the proposed method can be used to assess VGI quality in real-time.
Microglial Heterogeneity and Its Potential Role in Driving Phenotypic Diversity of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Sorrentino Stefano , Ascari Roberto , Maderna Emanuela , Catania Marcella , Ghetti Bernardino , Tagliavini Fabrizio , Giaccone Giorgio , Di Fede Giuseppe
Published: March 2021

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is increasingly recognized as a highly heterogeneous disorder occurring under distinct clinical and neuropathological phenotypes. Despite the molecular determinants of such variability not being well defined yet, microglial cells may play a key role in this process by releasing distinct pro- and/or anti-inflammatory cytokines, potentially affecting the expression of the disease. We carried out a neuropathological and biochemical analysis on a series of AD brain samples, gathering evidence about the heterogeneous involvement of microglia in AD. The neuropathological studies showed differences concerning morphology, density and distribution of microglial cells among AD brains. Biochemical investigations showed increased brain levels of IL-4, IL-6, IL-13, CCL17, MMP-7 and CXCL13 in AD in comparison with control subjects. The molecular profiling achieved by measuring the brain levels of 25 inflammatory factors known to be involved in neuroinflammation allowed a stratification of the AD patients in three distinct “neuroinflammatory clusters”. These findings strengthen the relevance of neuroinflammation in AD pathogenesis suggesting, in particular, that the differential involvement of neuroinflammatory molecules released by microglial cells during the development of the disease may contribute to modulate the characteristics and the severity of the neuropathological changes, driving—at least in part—the AD phenotypic diversity.
Treating Arterial Ageing in Patients with Diabetes: From Mechanisms to Effective Drugs
Authors: Lunder Mojca , Janić Miodrag , Šabovič Mišo
Published: March 2021

Diabetes mellitus is a major healthcare problem. It is not only characterized by hyperglycemia and chronic complications, but in longer lasting diabetes and a longer living population, it is also associated with accelerated arterial ageing, which importantly contributes to cardiovascular complications. The accelerated arterial ageing in patients with diabetes should be considered separately from arterial ageing in patients without diabetes. Basic and clinical research have allowed better insight into the mechanisms of arterial ageing. In a simplified mechanistic way, it could be considered that the three tightly connected cornerstone characteristics of arterial ageing in patients with diabetes are: phenotypic presentation as endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness, and the underlying basic ageing-facilitating mechanism represented as the impaired expression of genetic longevity pathways. Currently, specific drugs for preventing/treating arterial ageing are not available. Therefore, we aimed to review the capacity of available drugs, particularly antidiabetic drugs, to interfere with the arterial ageing process. In the near future, these characteristics could help to guide therapy in patients with diabetes. Overall, it appears that arterial ageing could become a new target in diabetes. The expanding knowledge regarding the capability of antidiabetic drugs and other available drugs to inhibit/delay arterial aging is therefore essential.