bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inactivation of Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis on Chicken Eggshells Using Blue Light
Authors: Hu Xiaoqing , Sun Xiaoying , Luo Shuanghua , Wu Shuyan , Chu Zhaojuan , Zhang Xiujuan , Liu Zhaojun , Wu Jiaxin , Wang Xiaohong , Liu Chang , Wang Xiaoyuan
Published: August 2021

Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) is a pathogen that poses a health risk. Blue light (BL), an emerging sanitization technology, was employed for the first time in the present study to inactivate S. Enteritidis on eggshell surfaces and its influence on maintaining eggshell freshness was investigated systematically. The results showed that 415 nm-BL irradiation at a dose of 360 J/cm2 reduced 5.19 log CFU/mL of S. Enteritidis in vitro. The test on eggshells inoculated with S. Enteritidis showed that a BL dose at 54.6 J/cm2 caused a 3.73 log CFU reduction per eggshell surface and the impact of BL inactivation could be sustained in post-5-week storage. The quality of the tested eggs (weight loss, yolk index, Haugh unit (HU) and albumen pH) demonstrated that BL treatments had negligible effects on the albumen pH of eggs. However, compared to the control, BL-treated eggs showed lower weight loss and higher HU after 5 weeks of storage at 25 °C and 65% humidity and yolk index in the control group could not be determined after 5 weeks of storage. Besides, the total amino acid content of the BL-treated egg was higher than the control, exhibiting an advantage of BL irradiation in maintaining the nutrient quality of whole eggs. The current study determined the efficacy of BL against S. Enteritidis on eggshell and suggested that BL could be an effective application in maintaining the freshness and quality of eggs.
A Computer-Vision-Based Approach for Nitrogen Content Estimation in Plant Leaves
Authors: Haider Tazeem , Farid Muhammad Shahid , Mahmood Rashid , Ilyas Areeba , Khan Muhammad Hassan , Haider Sakeena Tul-Ain , Chaudhry Muhammad Hamid , Gul Mehreen
Published: August 2021

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient element required for optimum crop growth and yield. If a specific amount of nitrogen is not applied to crops, their yield is affected. Estimation of nitrogen level in crops is momentous to decide the nitrogen fertilization in crops. The amount of nitrogen in crops is measured through different techniques, including visual inspection of leaf color and texture and by laboratory analysis of plant leaves. Laboratory analysis-based techniques are more accurate than visual inspection, but they are costly, time-consuming, and require skilled laboratorian and precise equipment. Therefore, computer-based systems are required to estimate the amount of nitrogen in field crops. In this paper, a computer vision-based solution is introduced to solve this problem as well as to help farmers by providing an easier, cheaper, and faster approach for measuring nitrogen deficiency in crops. The system takes an image of the crop leaf as input and estimates the amount of nitrogen in it. The image is captured by placing the leaf on a specially designed slate that contains the reference green and yellow colors for that crop. The proposed algorithm automatically extracts the leaf from the image and computes its color similarity with the reference colors. In particular, we define a green color value (GCV) index from this analysis, which serves as a nitrogen indicator. We also present an evaluation of different color distance models to find a model able to accurately capture the color differences. The performance of the proposed system is evaluated on a Spinacia oleracea dataset. The results of the proposed system and laboratory analysis are highly correlated, which shows the effectiveness of the proposed system.
Feeding Laying Hens a Diet Containing High-Oleic Peanuts or Oleic Acid Enriches Yolk Color and Beta-Carotene While Reducing the Saturated Fatty Acid Content in Eggs
Authors: Toomer Ondulla T. , Vu Thien Chuong , Sanders Elliot , Redhead Adam Karl , Malheiros Ramon , Anderson Kenneth E.
Published: August 2021

We investigated the dietary effects of high-oleic peanuts (HOPN) or oleic fatty acids (OA) on older production hen performance, egg mass and quality, and lipid composition. A total of 99 laying hens were divided between three treatments and fed ad libitum for 8 weeks: (1) Conventional diet; (2) HOPN diet; (3) OA diet. Body weight (BW) was measured at weeks 1 and 8, and feed, egg weights (EW), and egg quality parameters were collected. Data was analyzed by analysis of variance at p < 0.05 significance level. There were no treatment differences in 8 week BW, feed conversion ratio, or average weekly egg quality parameters. The 8 week average EW of eggs from the HOPN group had reduced EW relative to the other treatment groups (p = 0.0004). The 8-week average yolk color score (p < 0.0001) was greater in eggs from the HOPN group relative to the other treatments. Overall, the β-carotene (p < 0.006) and OA content (p < 0.0001) was greater in eggs from the HOPN group, with reduced saturated fats in eggs from the HOPN group relative to the other treatments. These results suggest that HOPN and/or OA may be a useful layer feed ingredient to enrich eggs, while significantly reducing egg size in older production hens.
Automatic Phenotyping of Tomatoes in Production Greenhouses Using Robotics and Computer Vision: From Theory to Practice
Authors: Fonteijn Hubert , Afonso Manya , Lensink Dick , Mooij Marcel , Faber Nanne , Vroegop Arjan , Polder Gerrit , Wehrens Ron
Published: August 2021

High-throughput phenotyping is playing an increasingly important role in many areas of agriculture. Breeders will use it to obtain values for the traits of interest so that they can estimate genetic value and select promising varieties; growers may be interested in having predictions of yield well in advance of the actual harvest. In most phenotyping applications, image analysis plays an important role, drastically reducing the dependence on manual labor while being non-destructive. An automatic phenotyping system combines a reliable acquisition system, a high-performance segmentation algorithm for detecting fruits in individual images, and a registration algorithm that brings the images (and the corresponding detected plants or plant components) into a coherent spatial reference frame. Recently, significant advances have been made in the fields of robotics, image registration, and especially image segmentation, which each individually have improved the prospect of developing a fully integrated automatic phenotyping system. However, so far no complete phenotyping systems have been reported for routine use in a production environment. This work catalogs the outstanding issues that remain to be resolved by describing a prototype phenotyping system for a production tomato greenhouse, for many reasons a challenging environment.
Microbial Biomass Sulphur—An Important Yet Understudied Pool in Soil
Authors: Heinze Stefanie , Hemkemeyer Michael , Schwalb Sanja Annabell , Khan Khalid Saifullah , Joergensen Rainer Georg , Wichern Florian
Published: August 2021

Soil microorganisms require a range of essential elements for their optimal functioning and store several elements in the microbial biomass (MB), such as carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and sulphur (S), as well as other secondary and trace elements. The C, N and P content of the microbial biomass has been quantified in many studies for many years, whereas S has been the focus only in a few studies, despite the availability of methods and the relevance of MBS for the S turnover in soils. To illustrate the relevance of MBS, this review aims at summarizing the current state of knowledge on the quantities of MBS in different soils, influencing environmental and agricultural management factors, methodological shortcomings, and prospects for soil microbial biomass research. Median MBS contents were 6.0 µg g−1 soil in arable, 7.6 µg g−1 soil in grassland, and 5.7 µg g−1 soil in forest soils. All extractants used led to similar MBS contents in soils with similar soil organic (SO) C contents. MBC and soil pH positively explained MBS, using multiple linear regression analysis. Median MB-C/S ratios increased in the order arable (55), grassland (85), and forest (135) soils. As the overall quantity of MBS data is still small, future studies are required to verify these observations. Moreover, future research needs to more strongly consider stoichiometric relationships of elements in the soil and the soil microbial ionome. The role of S and its complex relationship with the availability of other elements in soils for the soil microbial biomass and its functions remains to be elucidated.
Enzymatic Activity and Microbial Diversity of Sod-Podzolic Soil Microbiota Using 16S rRNA Amplicon Sequencing following Antibiotic Exposure
Authors: Trifonova Tatiana , Kosmacheva Anastasia , Sprygin Alexander , Chesnokova Svetlana , Byadovskaya Olga
Published: August 2021

Antibiotic contamination of the environment negatively affects soil fertility by disrupting natural microbial communities. Currently, the study of the effect of antibacterial drugs on soils typical in Russia, which are of great importance for agriculture, is insufficient. Despite a rapid increase in the number of metagenomic studies, this article is the first publication devoted to the microbial diversity of sod-podzolic soil and its relationship with enzymatic activity. In the present study, we use 16S rRNA metagenomic sequencing to analyze microbiota dynamics and to examine soil enzymatic activities after antibiotic treatment with benzylpenicillin, oxytetracycline, and tylosin. We found that, following treatment, urease activity was reduced regardless of the antibiotic used while nitrification activity showed no statistically significant changes (p > 0.05). Oxytetracycline and tylosin produced no effect on catalase activity but benzylpenicillin caused an increase. Benzylpenicillin and oxytetracycline increased cellulolytic activity whereas tylosin had no significant effect (p > 0.05). Microbiome profiling through 16S rRNA gene sequencing demonstrated antibiotic administration and exhibited no significant impact on bacterial abundance and species diversity (p > 0.05), thus pointing to the resilience of the soil microbial community. Oxytetracycline, benzylpenicillin, and tylosin are likely to negatively affect the enzymatic profiles in sod-podzolic soil but with a negligible influence on the bacterial composition.
Whole-Genome Sequencing for Molecular Characterization of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Causing Lower Urinary Tract Infection among Pediatric Patients
Authors: Al Mana Hassan , Sundararaju Sathyavathi , Tsui Clement K. M. , Perez-Lopez Andres , Yassine Hadi , Al Thani Asmaa , Al-Ansari Khalid , Eltai Nahla O.
Published: August 2021

Antibiotic resistance is a growing public health problem globally, incurring health and cost burdens. The occurrence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections has increased significantly over the years. Gram-negative bacteria display the broadest resistance range, with bacterial species expressing extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs), AmpC, and carbapenemases. All carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) isolates from pediatric urinary tract infections (UTIs) between October 2015 and November 2019 (n = 30). All isolates underwent antimicrobial resistance phenotypic testing using the Phoenix NMIC/ID-5 panel, and carbapenemase production was confirmed using the NG-Test CARBA 5 assay. Whole-genome sequencing was performed on the CREs. The sequence type was identified using the Achtman multi-locus sequence typing scheme, and antimicrobial resistance markers were identified using ResFinder and the CARD database. The most common pathogens causing CRE UTIs were E. coli (63.3%) and K. pneumoniae (30%). The most common carbapenemases produced were OXA-48-like enzymes (46.6%) and NDM enzymes (40%). Additionally, one E. coli harbored IMP-26, and two K. pneumoniae possessed mutations in ompK37 and/or ompK36. Lastly, one E. coli had a mutation in the marA porin and efflux pump regulator. The findings highlight the difference in CRE epidemiology in the pediatric population compared to Qatar’s adult population, where NDM carbapenemases are more common.
Aronia melanocarpa Extract Fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum EJ2014 Modulates Immune Response in Mice
Authors: Ali Md. Sekendar , Lee Eon-Bee , Lee Seung-Jin , Lee Sam-Pin , Boby Naila , Suk Kyoungho , Birhanu Biruk Tesfaye , Park Seung-Chun
Published: August 2021

The present study aimed to assess the immunomodulatory effects of fermented Aronia melanocarpa extract (FAME) on RAW 264.7 cells and BALB/c mice. Aronia melanocarpa fruit was fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum EJ2014 by adding yeast extract and monosodium glutamate for 9 days at 30 °C to produce γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). After fermentation, significant GABA production was noted, along with minerals, polyphenols, and flavonoids (p < 0.05). The polyphenol content was confirmed by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) analysis. RAW 264.7 cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 1 μg/mL) in the presence or absence of FAME, and proinflammatory cytokine contents were measured by qPCR. In the in vivo experiment, female BALB/c mice were administered 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg of FAME for 21 days. FAME treatment increased neutrophil migration and phagocytosis (p < 0.05). It also increased splenocyte proliferation, CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell expression, and lymphocyte proliferation. Furthermore, it increased IFN-γ, IL-2, and IL-4 cytokine levels in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.05). However, it decreased TNF-α and IL-6 levels (p < 0.05). These results indicate that FAME fortified with GABA including bioactive compounds exerts anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting proinflammatory cytokines in RAW 264.7 cells and modulates immune response in mice. Thus, FAME could be a potential therapeutic agent for inflammatory disorders.
Pterostilbene Increases LDL Metabolism in HL-1 Cardiomyocytes by Modulating the PCSK9/HNF1α/SREBP2/LDLR Signaling Cascade, Upregulating Epigenetic hsa-miR-335 and hsa-miR-6825, and LDL Receptor Expression
Authors: Lin Yen-Kuang , Yeh Chi-Tai , Kuo Kuang-Tai , Yadav Vijesh Kumar , Fong Iat-Hang , Kounis Nicholas G. , Hu Patrick , Hung Ming-Yow
Published: August 2021

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) can promote the degradation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor (LDLR), leading to hypercholesterolemia and myocardial dysfunction. The intracellular regulatory mechanism by which the natural polyphenol pterostilbene modulates the PCSK9/LDLR signaling pathway in cardiomyocytes has not been evaluated. We conducted Western blotting, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence staining, and mean fluorescence intensity analyses of pterostilbene-treated mouse HL-1 cardiomyocytes. Pterostilbene did not alter cardiomyocyte viability. Compared to the control group, treatment with both 2.5 and 5 μM pterostilbene significantly increased the LDLR protein expression accompanied by increased uptake of LDL. The expression of the mature PCSK9 was significantly suppressed at the protein and mRNA level by the treatment with both 2.5 and 5 μM pterostilbene, respectively, compared to the control. Furthermore, 2.5 and 5 μM pterostilbene treatment resulted in a significant reduction in the protein hepatic nuclear factor 1α (HNF1α)/histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) ratio and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-2 (SREBP2)/HDAC2 ratio. The expression of both hypoxia-inducible factor-1 α (HIF1α) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) at the protein level was also suppressed. Pterostilbene as compared to short hairpin RNA against SREBP2 induced a higher protein expression of LDLR and lower nuclear accumulation of HNF1α and SREBP2. In addition, pterostilbene reduced PCSK9/SREBP2 interaction and mRNA expression by increasing the expression of hsa-miR-335 and hsa-miR-6825, which, in turn, increased LDLR mRNA expression. In cardiomyocytes, pterostilbene dose-dependently decreases and increases the protein and mRNA expression of PCSK9 and LDLR, respectively, by suppressing four transcription factors, HNF1α, SREBP2, HIF1α, and Nrf2, and enhancing the expression of hsa-miR-335 and hsa-miR-6825, which suppress PCSK9/SREBP2 interaction.
Synchrotron X-ray Irradiation of a Rat’s Head Model: Monte Carlo Study of Chromatic Gel Dosimetry
Authors: Peleg Walg Yarden , Krutman Yanai , Berman Amir , Orion Itzhak
Published: August 2021

Accurate treatment planning in radiotherapy essentially decreases damage to healthy tissue surrounding the tumor. Due to plans to use a direct, highly collimated, narrow beam with high intensity to treat small area tumors, researchers have studied microbeam radiation therapy extensively. Using a synchrotron beam as the radiation source may help to limit damage, but treatment planning using computerized simulations and dosimetry is still necessary to achieve optimal results. For this purpose, PDA-gel dosimeters were developed and their sensitivity around a 150 keV induced synchrotron X-ray radiation beam was examined via Monte Carlo simulations using the EGS5 code system. The microbeam development is now at the animal study stage. In this study, we simulate the irradiation of a rat’s brain. The simulation results obtained spectra for two types of PDA-gel dosimeters that were compared with the spectrum obtained in a modelized brain tumor of a rat. Additionally, percentage depth dose curves were calculated for the brain tissue and the two gels. Correction equations for the dosimeters were obtained from the dose-difference plots. For further references, these equations can be used to calculate the actual dose in a brain tumor in a rat. The Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that PDA-gel dosimeters can be used for treatment planning using synchrotron irradiations.
Fostering the Creation of Personalized Content for Cultural Visits
Authors: De Benedictis Riccardo , De Medio Carlo , Palombini Augusto , Cortellessa Gabriella , Limongelli Carla , Cesta Amedeo
Published: August 2021

Among more dramatic effects, the COVID-19 scenario also raised the need for new online information and communication services, promoting the spread of software solutions whose usefulness will last well beyond the pandemic situation. Particularly in the cultural heritage domain, it has been unveiled the relevance of new AI-based approaches, able to dynamically aggregate information and making them available for a customized fruition aimed to the individual cultural growth. Here, we integrate machine learning techniques for the automatic generation of contents for an intelligent tutoring system grounded on automated planning techniques. We present a solution for semantic, intelligent creation of personalized cultural contents, born as a lesson-making assistant, but developed as to become a multi-function “cultural crossover”, useful in the frame of a wide range of planning, dissemination, and managing activities for cultural heritage contents.
Effects of Organic Additives on Chemical, Microbiological and Plant Pathogen Suppressive Properties of Aerated Municipal Waste Compost Teas
Authors: Palese Assunta Maria , Pane Catello , Villecco Domenica , Zaccardelli Massimo , Altieri Gessica , Celano Giuseppe
Published: August 2021

The aim of the present study was to characterize the physical-chemical and microbiological features of aerated compost teas (CTs) extracted with dechlorinated tap water and with two different additives, molasses and whey, in increasing doses. Plant pathogen suppression properties of CTs were also taken into account. Total nitrogen in CTs increased with rising doses of the additives used. In spite of this, nitrogen and mineral element contributions were limited but complementary for plant mineral nutrition. Although total heavy metal contents in CTs were low, an increase of their bioavailable forms (ionic and chelated forms, presence in microorganisms) should be taken into account. In addition, the distribution on soil of acid and/or chelating products by CTs could increase the bioavailability of heavy metals, especially in the case of several annual distribution cycles and of medium–long term treatments. Additives modulated the structure and composition of microbial communities and CTs, exhibiting a broad spectrum of suppressive properties against plant pathogens, especially when they were used in a raw form.
Evaluation of Anti-Obesity Activity of an Herbal Formulation (F2) in DIO Mice Model and Validation of UPLC-DAD Method for Quality Control
Authors: Pandeya Prakash Raj , Lee Kyung-Hee , Lamichhane Ramakanta , Lamichhane Gopal , Poudel Amrit , Jung Hyun-Ju
Published: August 2021

Obesity is considered a chronic metabolic disorder that can be associated with multiple medical complications. Currently, there is no or limited curative therapy for obesity. This study focused on the assessment of anti-obesity activity and UPLC standardization of a polyherbal formulation (F2). An anti-obesity activity was investigated using the diet-induced obese (DIO) mice model, where obesity was developed in C57BL/6J mice by providing a high-fat diet (HFD) for five weeks without treating drugs. After the successful development of obesity, the obese mice were treated with F2 for seven weeks with continuing HFD feeding. The major obesity-related parameters such as body weight gain, food efficiency ratio, serum lipid profile, and white adipose tissue (WAT) mass were found to be significantly reduced in F2 treated obese mice. These results were supported by the down-regulation of specific adipogenic transcription factors (PPARγ, SREBP-1c, and ap2) in epididymal WAT. Histological evaluation of liver and WAT also revealed reduced fat deposition in the tissues by F2 compared to the HFD control group. The overall observations indicated that the F2 exhibited pronounced obesity-controlling activity through the inhibition of adipocyte differentiation and triglyceride accumulation in the tissues, and serum lipid depletion. In addition, F2 ameliorated obesity-induced insulin resistance. Furthermore, the UPLC-DAD method for quality control of F2 was validated and standardized using five reference compounds: astragalin, ellagic acid, fisetin, fustin, and sulfuretin.
The Association of Salivary Conductivity with Cardiomegaly in Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Lee An-Ting , Lu Yen-Pei , Chen Chun-Hao , Chang Chia-Hao , Tsai Yuan-Hsiung , Tung Chun-Wu , Yang Jen-Tsung
Published: August 2021

Patients on maintenance hemodialysis are at high risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Fluid overload is generally regarded as the main cause of cardiovascular death among them. Cardiothoracic ratio (CTR) by chest plain film is routinely performed to evaluate their volumetric states and cardiac conditions. We recently reported that salivary conductivity is a reliable marker for assessing fluid status in healthy adults. This cross-sectional study aims to explore the association between salivary conductivity and CTR. Cardiomegaly is defined as a CTR greater than 0.5. A total of 129 hemodialysis patients were enrolled, 42 of whom (32.6%) had cardiomegaly. Patients with cardiomegaly had significantly lower serum osmolality, lower serum sodium, and lower salivary conductivity, but a higher percentage of underlying atrial fibrillation. In the multiple linear regression analysis, CTR was negatively associated with salivary conductivity or to the serum sodium level and positively correlated with older age. We further divided patients into low, medium, and high salivary conductivity groups according to the tertials of conductivity levels. There was a significant trend for the increment of cardiomegaly from high to low salivary conductivity groups (p for trend: 0.021). The receiver operating characteristic curves for the diagnostic ability of salivary conductivity on cardiomegaly reported the area under the curve equal to 0.626 (95% CI: 0.521–0.730, p = 0.02). Moreover, older age and higher serum osmolality were independent determinants for salivary conductivity by multiple linear regression analysis. This work has presented that salivary conductivity is a novel approach to uncover fluid overload and cardiomegaly among chronic hemodialysis patients.
The Influence of Smartphone Games on Students’ Self-Concept
Authors: Ko Ya-Chuan , Lo Chi-Hung , Chang Yung-Chih
Published: August 2021

Children begin to understand the world from birth, gradually recognizing their existence. On interaction with their surrounding environments, they begin to recognize themselves and gradually develop self-concepts. With the advancement in technology, smartphones have become an indispensable daily necessity. The age at which a child handles a smartphone is gradually decreasing. Many traditional toys are increasingly being replaced by smartphone games, which have become an essential part of children’s lives. This study attempts to understand the impact of smartphone games on the development of children’s self-concept. Using the Piers-Harris Children’s Self-Concept Scale, a questionnaire survey was conducted among students of grades 3 and 4 in elementary school.
CAD/CAM System for Additive Manufacturing with a Robust and Efficient Topology Optimization Algorithm Based on the Function Representation
Authors: Popov Dmitry , Kuzminova Yulia , Maltsev Evgenii , Evlashin Stanislav , Safonov Alexander , Akhatov Iskander , Pasko Alexander
Published: August 2021

Additive manufacturing erases the distance between design ideas and finished parts. However, designers must use several software tools to use these advantages. Moreover, these tools operate with different representations of geometry. This paper describes the architecture of a new CAD/CAM system that uses only the function representation of the geometry (FRep). It provides all widely used design operations and allows an engineer to employ robust and efficient topology optimization algorithms. The developed CAD/CAM system consists of 3D modeling, simulation, topology optimization, and direct manufacturing modules. We successfully printed designed parts and performed mechanical tests of printed parts. The results of tests show good agreement with simulation data. The system makes it possible to create structures with the desired properties in a fast and flexible way. The proposed approach significantly helps in designing additive manufacturing process and saves time for its users.
Strong Influence of Responses in Training Dialogue Response Generator
Authors: Kim So-Eon , Lim Yeon-Soo , Park Seong-Bae
Published: August 2021

The sequence-to-sequence model is a widely used model for dialogue response generators, but it tends to generate safe responses for most input queries. Since safe responses are unattractive and boring, a number of efforts have been made to make the generator produce diverse responses, but generating diverse responses is yet an open problem. As a solution to this problem, this paper proposes a novel response generator, Response Generator with Response Weight (RGRW). The proposed response generator is a transformer-based sequence-to-sequence model of which the encoder is a pre-trained Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) and the decoder is a variant of Generative Pre-Training of a language model-2 (GPT-2). Since the attention on the response is not reflected enough at the transformer-based sequence-to-sequence model, the proposed generator enhances the influence of a response by the response weight, which determines the importance of each token in a query with respect to the response. Then, the decoder of the generator processes the response weight as well as a query encoding to generate a diverse response. The effectiveness of RGRW is proven by showing that it generates more diverse and informative responses than the baseline response generator by focusing more on the tokens that are important for generating the response. Additionally, the proposed model overwhelms the Commonsense Knowledge-Aware Dialogue generation model (ConKADI), which is a state-of-the-art model.
Antioxidant Activity and Bioactive Compounds of Lamium album Flower Extracts Obtained by Supercritical Fluid Extraction
Authors: Uwineza Pascaline Aimee , Gramza-Michałowska Anna , Bryła Marcin , Waśkiewicz Agnieszka
Published: August 2021

In this research, supercritical CO2 extraction is applied to extract bioactive compounds from Lamium album (white dead nettle, Lamiaceae). Extraction was performed at various temperatures (40, 50, and 60 °C) using methanol as co-solvent at a constant flow rate of CO2, methanol, and pressure. The collected extracts were characterized in terms of antioxidant capacity by using DPPH, ABTS and FRAP in vitro antioxidant activity assays, whereas the Folin–Ciocalteu procedure was employed to estimate the total phenols content (TPC). On the other hand, phenolic compounds in the extracts were quantitated by liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array detector (UPLC-PDA) and confirmed with a mass detector (TQD). The extracts have shown high TPC ranged between 234.17 to 650.17 mg GAE/g extract. DPPH scavenging of the extracts was estimated and obtained EC50 values ranged from 0.12 to 0.37 mg/mL of solution. The ABTS radical scavenging activity ranged from 43.20 to 44.53 µg TE/g. The FRAP value was found within the range of 19.48 to 44.74 µmol TE/g of extract. Differences between extraction conditions were observed. In this research, 50 °C/250 bar was efficient for the TPC, DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays; moreover, statistically, TPCs and FRAP assay showed significant differences between the conditions at α = 0.05. The identification of phenolic compounds in the obtained extract of Lamium album flowers, using UPLC/PDA, revealed that chrysin, pinostrobin, myricetin, and trans-3-hydroxycinnamic acid were the significant molecules present, which may be responsible for the high content of polyphenols and antioxidant activity. The results obtained indicated that SC-CO2 could be considered an alternative method for extracting bioactive compounds of Lamium album. High antioxidant activity and the presence of various bioactive compounds indicate the potential of this plant from the Lamiaceae family and the possibility of its application in various industries, including agriculture, food technology, or pharmacy.
New Orthogonal Transforms for Signal and Image Processing
Authors: Dziech Andrzej
Published: August 2021

In the paper, orthogonal transforms based on proposed symmetric, orthogonal matrices are created. These transforms can be considered as generalized Walsh–Hadamard Transforms. The simplicity of calculating the forward and inverse transforms is one of the important features of the presented approach. The conditions for creating symmetric, orthogonal matrices are defined. It is shown that for the selection of the elements of an orthogonal matrix that meets the given conditions, it is necessary to select only a limited number of elements. The general form of the orthogonal, symmetric matrix having an exponential form is also presented. Orthogonal basis functions based on the created matrices can be used for orthogonal expansion leading to signal approximation. An exponential form of orthogonal, sparse matrices with variable parameters is also created. Various versions of orthogonal transforms related to the created full and sparse matrices are proposed. Fast computation of the presented transforms in comparison to fast algorithms of selected orthogonal transforms is discussed. Possible applications for signal approximation and examples of image spectrum in the considered transform domains are presented.
The Role of Correlation in the Performance of Massive MIMO Systems
Authors: Naser Marwah Abdulrazzaq , Salman Mustafa Ismael , Alsabah Muntadher
Published: August 2021

Massive multiple-input multiple-output (m-MIMO) is considered as an essential technique to meet the high data rate requirements of future sixth generation (6G) wireless communications networks. The vast majority of m-MIMO research has assumed that the channels are uncorrelated. However, this assumption seems highly idealistic. Therefore, this study investigates the m-MIMO performance when the channels are correlated and the base station employs different antenna array topologies, namely the uniform linear array (ULA) and uniform rectangular array (URA). In addition, this study develops analyses of the mean square error (MSE) and the regularized zero-forcing (RZF) precoder under imperfect channel state information (CSI) and a realistic physical channel model. To this end, the MSE minimization and the spectral efficiency (SE) maximization are investigated. The results show that the SE is significantly degraded using the URA topology even when the RZF precoder is used. This is because the level of interference is significantly increased in the highly correlated channels even though the MSE is considerably minimized. This implies that using a URA topology with relatively high channel correlations would not be beneficial to the SE unless an interference management scheme is exploited.
A Comparison of the Characteristics of Drought during the Late 20th and Early 21st Centuries over Eastern Europe, Western Russia and Central North America
Authors: Lupo Anthony R. , Kononova Nina K. , Semenova Inna G. , Lebedeva Maria G.
Published: August 2021

The character of the atmospheric general circulation during summer-season droughts over Eastern Europe/Western Russia and North America during the late twentieth and early twenty first century is examined here. A criterion to examine atmospheric drought events that encompassed the summer season (an important part of the growing season) was used to determine which years were driest, using precipitation, evaporation, and areal coverage. The relationship between drought and the character of the atmosphere, using the Dzerzeevsky weather and climatic classification scheme, atmospheric blocking, teleconnections, and information entropy, was used to study the atmospheric dynamics. The National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) re-analyses dataset archived at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, CO, USA, is used to examine the synoptic character and calculate the dynamic quantities for these dry events. The results demonstrate that extreme droughts over North America are associated with a long warm and dry period of weather and the development of a moderate ridge over the Central USA driven by surface processes. These were more common in the late 20th century. Extreme droughts over Eastern Europe and Western Russia are driven by the occurrence of prolonged blocking episodes, as well as surface processes, and have become more common during the 21st century.
Exponentially Convergent Galerkin Method for Numerical Modeling of Lasing in Microcavities with Piercing Holes
Authors: Spiridonov Alexander O. , Repina Anna I. , Ketov Ilya V. , Solov’ev Sergey I. , Karchevskii Evgenii M.
Published: August 2021

The paper investigates an algorithm for the numerical solution of a parametric eigenvalue problem for the Helmholtz equation on the plane specially tailored for the accurate mathematical modeling of lasing modes of microring lasers. The original problem is reduced to a nonlinear eigenvalue problem for a system of Muller boundary integral equations. For the numerical solution of the obtained problem, we use a trigonometric Galerkin method, prove its convergence, and derive error estimates in the eigenvalue and eigenfunction approximation. Previous numerical experiments have shown that the method converges exponentially. In the current paper, we prove that if the generalized eigenfunctions are analytic, then the approximate eigenvalues and eigenfunctions exponentially converge to the exact ones as the number of basis functions increases. To demonstrate the practical effectiveness of the algorithm, we find geometrical characteristics of microring lasers that provide a significant increase in the directivity of lasing emission, while maintaining low lasing thresholds.
BRCAness as a Biomarker of Susceptibility to PARP Inhibitors in Glioblastoma Multiforme
Authors: Xavier Mary-Ann , Rezende Fernando , Titze-de-Almeida Ricardo , Cornelissen Bart
Published: August 2021

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary brain cancer. GBMs commonly acquire resistance to standard-of-care therapies. Among the novel means to sensitize GBM to DNA-damaging therapies, a promising strategy is to combine them with inhibitors of the DNA damage repair (DDR) machinery, such as inhibitors for poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). PARP inhibitors (PARPis) have already shown efficacy and have received regulatory approval for breast, ovarian, prostate, and pancreatic cancer treatment. In these cancer types, after PARPi administration, patients carrying specific mutations in the breast cancer 1 (BRCA1) and 2 (BRCA2) suppressor genes have shown better response when compared to wild-type carriers. Mutated BRCA genes are infrequent in GBM tumors, but their cells can carry other genetic alterations that lead to the same phenotype collectively referred to as ‘BRCAness’. The most promising biomarkers of BRCAness in GBM are related to isocitrate dehydrogenases 1 and 2 (IDH1/2), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), MYC proto-oncogene, and estrogen receptors beta (ERβ). BRCAness status identified by accurate biomarkers can ultimately predict responsiveness to PARPi therapy, thereby allowing patient selection for personalized treatment. This review discusses potential biomarkers of BRCAness for a ‘precision medicine’ of GBM patients.
The Identification of Zinc-Finger Protein 433 as a Possible Prognostic Biomarker for Clear-Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Heyliger Simone O. , Soliman Karam F. A. , Saulsbury Marilyn D. , Reams Romonia Renee
Published: August 2021

Clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common and aggressive form of all urological cancers, with poor prognosis and high mortality. At late stages, ccRCC is known to be mainly resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Therefore, it is urgent and necessary to identify biomarkers that can facilitate the early detection of ccRCC in patients. In this study, the levels of transcripts of ccRCC from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset were used to identify prognostic biomarkers in this disease. Analyzing the data obtained indicated that the KRAB-ZNF protein is significantly suppressed in clear-cell carcinomas. Furthermore, ZNF433 is differentially expressed in ccRCC in a stage- and histological-grade-specific manner. In addition, ZNF433 expression was correlated with metastasis, with greater node involvement associated with lower ZNF433 expression (p < 0.01) and with a more unsatisfactory overall survival outcome (HR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.33–0.6; p = 8.5 × 10−8). Since ccRCC is characterized by mutations in proteins that alter epigenetic modifications and /or chromatin remodeling, we examined the expression of ZNF433 transcripts in ccRCC with wildtype and mutated forms of BAP1, KDMC5, MTOR, PBRM1, SETD2, and VHL. Analysis revealed that ZNF433 expression was significantly reduced in ccRCC with mutations in the BAP1, SETD2, and KDM5C genes (p < 0.05). In addition, the ZNF433 promoter region was highly methylated, and hypermethylation was significantly associated with mRNA suppression (p < 2.2 × 10−16). In silico analysis of potential ZNF target genes found that the largest group of target genes are involved in cellular metabolic processes, which incidentally are particularly impaired in ccRCC. It was concluded from this study that gene expression of ZNF433 is associated with cancer progression and poorer prognosis, and that ZNF433 behaves in a manner that suggests that it is a prognostic marker and a possible tumor-suppressor gene in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma.
Effects of the Blending Ratio on the Design of Keratin/Poly(butylene succinate) Nanofibers for Drug Delivery Applications
Authors: Guidotti Giulia , Soccio Michelina , Bondi Edoardo , Posati Tamara , Sotgiu Giovanna , Zamboni Roberto , Torreggiani Armida , Corticelli Franco , Lotti Nadia , Aluigi Annalisa
Published: August 2021

In recent years there has been a growing interest in the use of proteins as biocompatible and environmentally friendly biomolecules for the design of wound healing and drug delivery systems. Keratin is a fascinating protein, obtainable from several keratinous biomasses such as wool, hair or nails, with intrinsic bioactive properties including stimulatory effects on wound repair and excellent carrier capability. In this work keratin/poly(butylene succinate) blend solutions with functional properties tunable by manipulating the polymer blending ratios were prepared by using 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropanol as common solvent. Afterwards, these solutions doped with rhodamine B (RhB), were electrospun into blend mats and the drug release mechanism and kinetics as a function of blend composition was studied, in order to understand the potential of such membranes as drug delivery systems. The electrophoresis analysis carried out on keratin revealed that the solvent used does not degrade the protein. Moreover, all the blend solutions showed a non-Newtonian behavior, among which the Keratin/PBS 70/30 and 30/70 ones showed an amplified orientation ability of the polymer chains when subjected to a shear stress. Therefore, the resulting nanofibers showed thinner mean diameters and narrower diameter distributions compared to the Keratin/PBS 50/50 blend solution. The thermal stability and the mechanical properties of the blend electrospun mats improved by increasing the PBS content. Finally, the RhB release rate increased by increasing the keratin content of the mats and the drug diffused as drug-protein complex.
Organization of the Cytoskeleton in Ectopic Foci of the Endometrium with Rare Localization
Authors: Toniyan Konstantin A. , Povorova Victoria V. , Gorbacheva Elena Yu. , Boyarintsev Valery V. , Ogneva Irina V.
Published: August 2021

(1) Background: Endometriosis is a common pathology of the female reproductive system, often accompanied by pain and decreased fertility. However, its pathogenesis has not been sufficiently studied regarding the role of the cytoskeleton. In this study, we describe two clinical cases involving rare localization of extragenital endometriosis (umbilicus) and compare them with genital endometriosis of different localization (ovaries and uterus), as well as eutopic endometrium obtained with separate diagnostic curettage without confirmed pathology. (2) Methods: The relative content of actin and tubulin cytoskeleton proteins was determined by Western blotting, and the expression of genes encoding these proteins was determined by RT-PCR in the obtained intraoperative biopsies. The content of 5hmC was estimated by dot blot experiments, and the methylase/demethylase and acetylase/deacetylase contents were determined. (3) Results: The obtained results indicate that the content of the actin-binding protein alpha-actinin1 significantly increased (p < 0.05) in the groups with endometriosis, and this increase was most pronounced in patients with umbilical endometriosis. In addition, both the mRNA content of the ACTN1 gene and 5hmC content increased. It can be assumed that the increase in 5hmC is associated with a decrease in the TET3 demethylase content. Moreover, in the groups with extragenital endometriosis, alpha- and beta-tubulin content was decreased (p < 0.05) compared to the control levels. (4) Conclusions: In analyzing the results, further distance of ectopic endometrial foci from the eutopic localization may be associated with an increase in the content of alpha-actinin1, probably due to an increase in the expression of its gene and an increase in migration potential. In this case, a favorable prognosis can be explained by a decrease in tubulin content and, consequently, a decrease in the rate of cell division.
NAD+ Precursors and Antioxidants for the Treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Authors: Obrador Elena , Salvador-Palmer Rosario , López-Blanch Rafael , Dellinger Ryan W. , Estrela José M.
Published: August 2021

Charcot first described amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) between 1865 and 1874 as a sporadic adult disease resulting from the idiopathic progressive degeneration of the motor neuronal system, resulting in rapid, progressive, and generalized muscle weakness and atrophy. There is no cure for ALS and no proven therapy to prevent it or reverse its course. There are two drugs specifically approved for the treatment of ALS, riluzol and edaravone, and many others have already been tested or are following clinical trials. However, at the present moment, we still cannot glimpse a true breakthrough in the treatment of this devastating disease. Nevertheless, our understanding of the pathophysiology of ALS is constantly growing. Based on this background, we know that oxidative stress, alterations in the NAD+-dependent metabolism and redox status, and abnormal mitochondrial dynamics and function in the motor neurons are at the core of the problem. Thus, different antioxidant molecules or NAD+ generators have been proposed for the therapy of ALS. This review analyzes these options not only in light of their use as individual molecules, but with special emphasis on their potential association, and even as part of broader combined multi-therapies.
Genes Common in Primary Immunodeficiencies and Cancer Display Overrepresentation of Codon CTG and Dominant Role of Selection Pressure in Shaping Codon Usage
Authors: Khandia Rekha , Alqahtani Taha , Alqahtani Ali M.
Published: August 2021

Primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) are disorders of the immune system that involve faulty cellular, humoral, or both cellular and humoral functions. PIDs are present at the crossroad between infections, immune dysregulation, and cancers. A panel encompassing 42 genes involved in both PIDs and cancer has been investigated for the genes’ compositional properties, codon usage patterns, various forces affecting codon choice, protein properties, and gene expression profiles. In the present study, the codon choice of genes was found to be dependent upon the richness of the nucleotide; the viz AT nucleotide rich genome preferred AT ending codons. The dinucleotide TpA adversely affected protein expression, while CpG did not. The CTG codon was the most overrepresented codon in 80.95% of genes. Analysis of various protein properties, including GRAVY, AROMA, isoelectric point, aliphatic index, hydrophobicity, instability index, and numbers of acidic, basic, and neutral amino acid residues revealed that the hydrophobicity index, instability index, and numbers of acidic and basic amino acid residues are the factors affecting gene expression. Based on neutrality analysis, parity analysis, ENc-GC3 analysis, and regression analysis of nucleotides present at the first and third positions of the codon, it was determined that selection pressure, mutation pressure, and compositional constraints all participated in shaping codon usage. The study will help determine the various evolutionary forces acting on genes common to both PIDs and cancer. Codon usage analysis might be helpful in the future to augment both diseases simultaneously. The research also indicates a peculiar pattern adapted by a set of genes involved in any disease.