bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Carcass Composition and Quality of Meat of Pulawska and Pulawska x PLW Crossbred Pigs Fed Rations with Naked Oats
Authors: Milczarek Anna
Published: November 2021

The study aimed to determine the impact of a 60% inclusion of naked oats in feed rations for Pulawska pigs and Pulawska x Polish Large White (PLW) crossbreds on the fattening performance, carcass composition, and meat quality. It was demonstrated that—independent from their diet—Pulawska pigs showed a daily weight gain about 14.5% lower (p ≤ 0.05), with about 15% higher feed conversion rate. The experimental factors showed no impact on the dressing percentage, meatiness, and backfat thickness, except that the “eye” of the loin was significantly smaller (by 4.55 cm2) in Pulawska pigs. There was no interaction effect (diet/breed) for the pigs’ performance results and carcass composition. A 60% inclusion of naked oats in the pigs’ diet did not affect the weight of primal cuts in the right-side half-carcass. Compared to Pulawska pigs, crossbreds featured a significantly lower weight of bacon and ribs (by 1.17 kg) but a higher (p ≤ 0.05) weight of fillet (by 1.0 kg) and ham with shin (by 0.43 kg). The diet had no impact on the evaluated muscles, except a reduction (by 2.3 points) in colour lightness (L) of musculus semimembranosus in fattening pigs receiving feed rations with a 60% share of oats. Both muscles in Pulawska pigs showed significantly better (p ≤ 0.05) water-holding capacity and reduced colour lightness (L) in comparison to crossbred pigs. Moreover, the longissimus lumborum muscle of Pulawska pigs had a higher chroma (C) and a lower hue (H). The contents of essential nutrients in the evaluated muscles did not depend on the pigs’ diet and breed, except that a higher by 0.3% (p ≤ 0.05) intramuscular fat content was found in the longissimus lumborum muscle of Pulawska pigs. Neither of the experimental factors showed significant impact on the total saturated fatty acids (SFA) and total unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), or on neutral or hypocholesterolemic (DFA) and hypercholesterolemic fatty acids (OFA) in the evaluated muscles. The muscles of Pulawska x PLW pigs contained more (by 1.77% FA in the longissimus lumborum and 1.16% in the semimembranosus) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) than the muscles of the Pulawska breed (p ≤ 0.05). In addition, naked oats included in the pigs’ diet increased (p ≤ 0.05) the share of PUFA in intramuscular fat. The muscles of Pulawska pigs, in comparison to the muscles of crossbreds, showed a significantly improved ratio: by 66% and 69% in the longissimus lumborum and the semimembranosus muscles, respectively. To sum up, a 60% inclusion of naked oats is recommended in the rations of both Pulawska pigs and Pulawska x PLW crossbreds, since it allows satisfactory carcass composition and meat quality to be maintained. Pulawska pigs had worse productivity ratios but showed improved meat quality traits in terms of the n-6/n-3 ratio.
Behavioural and Physiological Correlates of the Canine Frustration Questionnaire
Authors: McPeake Kevin J. , Collins Lisa M. , Zulch Helen , Mills Daniel S.
Published: November 2021

Frustration is a negative emotional state implicated in a range of canine behaviour problems. The Canine Frustration Questionnaire (CFQ) is the first psychometric tool developed to assess frustration tendencies in dogs based on owner report. However, to date, no published studies have assessed behavioural and physiological correlates of this trait. A novel behaviour test battery was developed to induce frustration in dogs, mapping onto the CFQ. Forty-four dogs were recruited and filmed whilst undertaking the test battery, and a CFQ was completed by each owner. Targeted behavioural measures were assessed from this footage, based on hypotheses aimed at evaluating convergent and discriminant validity with facets of the CFQ. In addition, a saliva sample was collected pre- and post-testing for 39 dogs, and a cortisol assay performed using ELISA to provide a physiological measure of arousal. A range of predicted behavioural test measures (e.g., vocalising and lunging) positively correlated with CFQ scores. For 22 dogs with pre-test salivary cortisol levels of <4 ng/mL (indicative of normal arousal at baseline), cortisol change and post-test cortisol levels positively correlated with the CFQ PC5 ‘Frustration coping’ score. These results provide further evidence of the validity of frustration tendencies as measured by owner report through the CFQ.
The Relationship between Antibiotic Susceptibility and pH in the Case of Uropathogenic Bacteria
Authors: Kincses Annamária , Rácz Bálint , Baaity Zain , Vásárhelyi Orsolya , Kristóf Erzsébet , Somogyvári Ferenc , Spengler Gabriella
Published: November 2021

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common bacterial infections caused mainly by enteric bacteria. Numerous virulence factors assist bacteria in the colonization of the bladder. Bacterial efflux pumps also contribute to bacterial communication and to biofilm formation. In this study, the phenotypic and genetic antibiotic resistance of clinical UTI pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Proteus mirabilis were determined by disk diffusion method and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Following this, different classes of antibiotics were evaluated for their antibacterial activity at pH 5, 6, 7 and 8 by a microdilution method. Gentamicin (GEN) was the most potent antibacterial agent against E. coli strains. The effect of GEN on the relative expression of marR and sdiA genes was evaluated by quantitative PCR. The slightly acidic pH (pH 6) and GEN treatment induced the upregulation of marR antibiotic resistance and sdiA QS activator genes in both E. coli strains. Consequently, bacteria had become more susceptible to GEN. It can be concluded that antibiotic activity is pH dependent and so the artificial manipulation of urinary pH can contribute to a more effective therapy of multidrug resistant bacterial infections.
Changes in the Framing of Antimicrobial Resistance in Print Media in Australia and the United Kingdom (2011–2020): A Comparative Qualitative Content and Trends Analysis
Authors: Degeling Chris , Brookes Victoria , Hill Tarant , Hall Julie , Rowles Anastacia , Tull Cassandra , Mullan Judy , Byrne Mitchell , Reynolds Nina , Hawkins Olivia
Published: November 2021

Educating the public about antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is considered a key part of an optimal public health response. In both media depictions and policy discourses around health risks, how a problem is framed underpins public awareness and understanding, while also guiding opinions on what actions can and should be taken. Using a mixed methods approach we analyse newspaper content in Australia and the United Kingdom (UK) from 2011 to 2020 to track how causes, consequences and solutions to AMR are represented in countries with different policy approaches. Analyses demonstrate greater variability in the frames used in UK newspapers reflecting large hospital and community outbreaks and a sustained period of policy reform mid-decade. Newspapers in Australia focus more on AMR causes and consequences, highlighting the importance of scientific discovery, whereas UK coverage has greater discussion of the social and economic drivers of AMR and their associated solutions. Variations in the trends of different frames around AMR in UK newspapers indicate greater levels of public deliberation and debate around immediate and actionable solutions; whereas AMR has not had the same health and political impacts in Australia resulting in a media framing that potentially encourages greater public complacency about the issue.
“If It Works in People, Why Not Animals?”: A Qualitative Investigation of Antibiotic Use in Smallholder Livestock Settings in Rural West Bengal, India
Authors: Arnold Jean-Christophe , Day Dominic , Hennessey Mathew , Alarcon Pablo , Gautham Meenakshi , Samanta Indranil , Mateus Ana
Published: November 2021

Smallholder farms are the predominant livestock system in India. Animals are often kept in close contact with household members, and access to veterinary services is limited. However, limited research exists on how antibiotics are used in smallholder livestock in India. We investigated antibiotic supply, usage, and their drivers in smallholder livestock production systems, including crossover-use of human and veterinary antibiotics in two rural sites in West Bengal. Qualitative interviews were conducted with key informants (n = 9), livestock keepers (n = 37), and formal and informal antibiotic providers from veterinary and human health sectors (n = 26). Data were analysed thematically and interpreted following a One Health approach. Livestock keepers and providers used antibiotics predominantly for treating individual animals, and for disease prevention in poultry but not for growth promotion. All providers used (highest priority) critically important antimicrobials for human health and engaged in crossover-use of human antibiotic formulations in livestock. Inadequate access to veterinary drugs and services, and a perceived efficacy and ease of dosing of human antibiotics in animals drove crossover-use. Veterinary antibiotics were not used for human health due to their perceived adverse effects. Given the extent of usage of protected antibiotics and crossover-use, interventions at the community level should adopt a One Health approach that considers all antibiotic providers and livestock keepers and prioritizes the development of evidence-based guidelines to promote responsible use of antibiotics in animals.
Utility of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Nares Screening in Hospitalized Children with Acute Infectious Disease Syndromes
Authors: Sands Ashley , Mulvey Nicole , Iacono Denise , Cerise Jane , Hagmann Stefan H. F.
Published: November 2021

Studies in adults support the use of a negative methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nares screening (MNS) to help limit empiric anti-MRSA antibiotic therapy. We aimed to evaluate the use of MNS for anti-MRSA antibiotic de-escalation in hospitalized children (<18 years). Records of patients admitted between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2020 with a presumed infectious diagnosis who were started on anti-MRSA antibiotics, had a PCR-based MNS, and a clinical culture performed were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 95 children were included with a median age (range) of 2 (0–17) years. The top three diagnosis groups were skin and soft tissue infections (n = 38, 40%), toxin-mediated syndromes (n = 17, 17.9%), and osteoarticular infections (n = 14, 14.7%). Nasal MRSA colonization and growth of MRSA in clinical cultures was found in seven patients (7.4%) each. The specificity and the negative predictive value (NPV) of the MNS to predict a clinical MRSA infection were both 95.5%. About half (n = 55, 57.9%) had anti-MRSA antibiotics discontinued in-house. A quarter (n = 14, 25.5%) were de-escalated based on the negative MNS test alone, and another third (n = 21, 38.2%) after negative MNS test and negative culture results became available. A high NPV suggests that MNS may be useful for limiting unnecessary anti-MRSA therapy and thereby a useful antimicrobial stewardship tool for hospitalized children. Prospective studies are needed to further characterize the utility of MNS for specific infectious diagnoses.
Effect of the Olive Oil Extraction Process on the Formation of Complex Pectin–Polyphenols and Their Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Activities
Authors: Bermúdez-Oria Alejandra , Rodríguez-Juan Elisa , Rodríguez-Gutiérrez Guillermo , Fernández-Prior África , Fernández-Bolaños Juan
Published: November 2021

The aim of this research was to investigate the interaction of phenols and pectic polysaccharides during the olive oil extraction process. For this, pectin was extracted from fresh olive fruits and compared to the pectin isolated from the paste resulting from the extraction of the olive oil after milling with malaxation at 30 °C/30 min and subsequent centrifugation of the olive paste from the same lot of olive fruits in a system called ABENCOR (AB). The results indicate that these interactions were enhanced during the olive oil extraction process. In addition, the resulting AB extracts exhibited high antioxidant activity (ORAC) and strong antiproliferative activity in vitro against colon carcinoma Caco-2 cell lines compared to olive fruit extracts. The polyphenols associated mainly with the acidic pectin substance, with a higher content in AB extracts, seem to be responsible for these activities, and appear to maintain their activities in part after complexation. However, even in olive fruit extracts with smaller amounts of phenols in their compositions, pectic polysaccharides may also be involved in antioxidant and antiproliferative activities.
Validity and Absolute Reliability of Axial Vertebral Rotation Measurements in Thoracic and Lumbar Vertebrae
Authors: Hurtado-Avilés José , León-Muñoz Vicente J. , Andújar-Ortuño Pilar , Santonja-Renedo Fernando , Collazo-Diéguez Mónica , Cabañero-Castillo Mercedes , Ponce-Garrido Ana Belén , González-Ballester Miriam , Sánchez-Martínez Francisco Javier , Fiorita Pietro G. , Ruiz-Cambra Nieves Aidé , Campuzano-Melgarejo Andrés , Fuentes-Santos Victoria Eugenia , Santonja-Medina Fernando
Published: November 2021

Axial vertebral rotation (AVR) and Cobb angles are the essential parameters to analyse different types of scoliosis, including adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The literature shows significant discrepancies in the validity and reliability of AVR measurements taken in radiographic examinations, according to the type of vertebra. This study’s scope evaluated the validity and absolute reliability of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae AVR measurements, using a validated software based on Raimondi’s method in digital X-rays that allowed measurement with minor error when compared with other traditional, manual methods. Twelve independent evaluators measured AVR on the 74 most rotated vertebrae in 42 X-rays with the software on three separate occasions, with one-month intervals. We have obtained a gold standard for the AVR of vertebrae. The validity and reliability of the measurements of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae were studied separately. Measurements that were performed on lumbar vertebrae were shown to be 3.6 times more valid than those performed on thoracic, and with almost an equal reliability (1.38° ± 1.88° compared to −0.38° ± 1.83°). We can conclude that AVR measurements of the thoracic vertebrae show a more significant Mean Bias Error and a very similar reliability than those of the lumbar vertebrae.
Campus City Project: Challenge Living Lab for Smart Cities
Authors: Huertas José I. , Mahlknecht Jürgen , Lozoya-Santos Jorge de J. , Uribe Sergio , López-Guajardo Enrique A. , Ramirez-Mendoza Ricardo A.
Published: November 2021

This work presents the Campus City initiative followed by the Challenge Living Lab platform to promote research, innovation, and entrepreneurship with the intention to create urban infrastructure and creative talent (human resources) that solves different community, industrial and government Pain Points within a Smart City ecosystem. The main contribution of this work is to present a working model and the open innovation ecosystem used in Tecnologico de Monterrey that could be used as both, a learning mechanism as well as a base model for scaling it up into a Smart Campus and Smart City. Moreover, this work presents the Smart Energy challenge as an example of a pedagogic opportunity for the development of competencies. This included the pedagogic design of the challenge, the methodology followed by the students and the results. Finally, a discussion on the findings and learnings of the model and challenge implementation. Results showed that Campus City initiative and the Challenge Living Lab allows the identification of highly relevant and meaningful challenges while providing a pedagogic framework in which students are highly motivated, engaged, and prepared to tackle different problems that involve government, community, industry, and academia.
Underexposed Vision-Based Sensors’ Image Enhancement for Feature Identification in Close-Range Photogrammetry and Structural Health Monitoring
Authors: Ngeljaratan Luna , Moustafa Mohamed A.
Published: November 2021

This paper describes an alternative structural health monitoring (SHM) framework for low-light settings or dark environments using underexposed images from vision-based sensors based on the practical implementation of image enhancement algorithms. The proposed framework was validated by two experimental works monitored by two vision systems under ambient lights without assistance from additional lightings. The first experiment monitored six artificial templates attached to a sliding bar that was displaced by a standard one-inch steel block. The effect of image enhancement in the feature identification and bundle adjustment integrated into the close-range photogrammetry were evaluated. The second validation was from a seismic shake table test of a full-scale three-story building tested at E-Defense in Japan. Overall, this study demonstrated the efficiency and robustness of the proposed image enhancement framework in (i) modifying the original image characteristics so the feature identification algorithm is capable of accurately detecting, locating and registering the existing features on the object; (ii) integrating the identified features into the automatic bundle adjustment in the close-range photogrammetry process; and (iii) assessing the measurement of identified features in static and dynamic SHM, and in structural system identification, with high accuracy.
Modeling the Process of Thawing of Tailings Dam Base Soils by Technological Waters
Authors: Yurkevich Nataliya , Fadeeva Irina , Shevko Elizaveta , Yannikov Alexey , Bortnikova Svetlana
Published: November 2021

The storage of wastes from mining and mineral processing plants in the tailing dumps in regions with cold climates has a number of environmental consequences. Interactions of water with tailings in cold climates often lead to the thawing of permafrost soils, formation of technogenic thawing zones, and leakage of drainage waters. In the case of fault zones development in these areas, technogenic solutions are often filtered outside the tailing dump, promoting further development of filtration channels. In order to prevent leakage of solution from tailing dumps over time, it is necessary to determine the thawing zones and prevent the formation of filtration channels. In the case of the formation of a filtration channel, it is necessary to know what rate of rock thawing occurred near the formed filtration channel. In this study, for the tailing dump of a diamond mining factory, we calculated two exothermic effects: (1) due to physical heating of dump rock by filtering industrial water with temperatures from 2 to 15 °C through the rock; and (2) due to the chemical interaction of industrial water with the dam base rock. The amount of energy transferred by the water to the frozen and thawed rock over 10 years was calculated using thermophysical modeling and was 207.8 GJ and 8.39 GJ respectively. The amount of energy that the rock received during the ten-year period due to dissolution of the limestones and equilibration of solutions was calculated using thermodynamic modeling and was 0.37 GJ, which is 4.4% of the average amount of energy, expended on heating the thawed rock (8.39 GJ).
Neuroadaptive Robust Speed Control for PMSM Servo Drives with Rotor Failure
Authors: Aguilar-Mejía Omar , Minor-Popocatl Hertwin , Pacheco-García Prudencio Fidel , Tapia-Olvera Ruben
Published: November 2021

In this paper, a neuroadaptive robust trajectory tracking controller is utilized to reduce speed ripples of permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) servo drive under the presence of a fracture or fissure in the rotor and external disturbances. The dynamics equations of PMSM servo drive with the presence of a fracture and unknown frictions are described in detail. Due to inherent nonlinearities in PMSM dynamic model, in addition to internal and external disturbances; a traditional PI controller with fixed parameters cannot correctly regulate the PMSM performance under these scenarios. Hence, a neuroadaptive robust controller (NRC) based on a category of on-line trained artificial neural network is used for this purpose to enhance the robustness and adaptive abilities of traditional PI controller. In this paper, the moth-flame optimization algorithm provides the optimal weight parameters of NRC and three PI controllers (off-line) for a PMSM servo drive. The performance of the NRC is evaluated in the presence of a fracture, unknown frictions, and load disturbances, likewise the result outcomes are contrasted with a traditional optimized PID controller and an optimal linear state feedback method.
PVP-Assisted Shellac Nanofiber Membrane as Highly Efficient, Eco-Friendly, Translucent Air Filter
Authors: Lu Shanshuai , Li Congling , Liu Rui , Lv Aifeng
Published: November 2021

Particulate matter (PM), composed of tiny solids and liquid droplets in polluted air, poses a serious threat to human health. Traditional air filters usually cause secondary pollution due to their poor degradability. Here, shellac, as an environmentally friendly natural organic material, was successfully applied to fabricate biodegradable air filters. Since pure shellac fiber shows poor mechanical properties and bad light transmittance, we then introduced a small amount of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in the shellac solution to prepare highly efficient air filter membranes by the electrospinning method. The prepared PVP-assisted shellac nanofiber membrane (P-Shellac FME) demonstrated improved filtration efficiencies as high as 95% and 98% for PM2.5 and PM10, respectively. The P-Shellac FME also showed good stability, with filtration efficiencies still above 90% and 95% for PM2.5 and PM10 even after six hours of air filtering under high PM concentrations. The pressure drop going through the filter was only 101 Pa, which is also comparable to the value of 76 Pa obtained using commercial polypropylene nanofibers (PP nanofibers, peeled off from the surgical mask), indicating good air permeability of P-Shellac FME. Additionally, P-Shellac FME also showed the advantages of translucence, biodegradability, improved mechanical properties, and low cost. We believe that the P-Shellac FME will make a significant contribution in the application of air filtration.
Evaluation of Manual Skill Degradation Due to Automation in Apparel Manufacturing
Authors: Rashid Zahid , Rötting Matthias
Published: November 2021

Manual skill degradation is a common problem that production managers face in assembly lines due to frequent changes in batch styles. Since the advancement in automated machinery, reliance on manual machines has been reduced. However, due to the high cost of fully automated machinery, it is still not available on a large scale in apparel manufacturing setups as most of the setups are in developing countries. Few related studies regarding the effects of automation on manual skills have been conducted in aviation and other emerging technological advanced fields; little focus was given on the effects of automation in apparel manufacturing. This exploratory study examines automation-induced performance degradation in the apparel production line. Sixty-seven sewing machine operators were initially trained on manual sewing machines to learn a complex production operation. Then, participants were divided randomly into three groups to experience varied amount of automation exposure. The manual machine group (MMG)kept working on the manual machines after the initial training and skill development. In contrast, the automation group (AG) shifted to automated pocket setting machines after skill development. Finally, the refresher training group (RTG) rotated between manual and automated machines after the skill development. The skill retrieval assessment was carried out after six weeks in the production line. The result of an independent t-test showed no significant differences among performances of the three groups after the initial training stage. A significant increase in the average single cycle time (ASCT) and decrease in the right-first-time percent (RFT %) was found in the AG while the ASCT decreased and the RFT% increased among the MMG after the retention interval. The RTG almost maintained its production output and the ASCT due to refresher training drills. Relevance to industry: Production managers usually maintain a skill set among the operators to run the production line smoothly. Therefore, capacity development drills of sewing operators are essential to maintain an efficient required skill set.
Phytohormones and Elicitors Enhanced the Ecdysteroid and Glycosylflavone Content and Antioxidant Activity of Silene repens
Authors: Kashchenko Nina I. , Olennikov Daniil N. , Chirikova Nadezhda K.
Published: November 2021

In the course of the ongoing chemical study of species of Silene genus, S. repens Patrin as a common species of the genus, was selected as the object of this study. Using high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection and electrospray ionization triple quadrupole mass spectrometric detection (HPLC-PDA-ESI-tQ-MS), the presence of 12 ecdysteroids and 6 glycosylflavones was established in S. repens introduced seedlings. 20-Hydroxyecdysone and polypodine B, as well as sileneside E and schaftoside, were the dominant compounds in introduced seedlings of S. repens. The effect of exogenous phytohormones and elicitors on the productivity and accumulation of ecdysteroids and glycosylflavones in introduced seedlings of S. repens was investigated for the first time. It was found that the use of ethyl arachidonate (100 mg/L) to increase the productivity of S. repens is justified. To obtain S. repens with a high content of ecdysteroids and glycosylflavones, it is recommended to apply epibrassinolide (100 mg/L) and 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (100 mg/L), respectively. Antioxidant activity of S. repens against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH·) was determined, and it was revealed that sileneside E and schaftoside, as well as meloside A and isovitexin had the highest antioxidant activity among the studied compounds of S. repens.
Algorithmic Method for the Design of Sequential Circuits with the Use of Logic Elements
Authors: Szcześniak Adam , Szcześniak Zbigniew
Published: November 2021

This article presents issues related to the design of sequential control systems. The algorithmic design method of sequential control systems is discussed, which allows the design of a diagram of any sequential system. The algorithmic method uses the description in the form of a connection formula. The connection formula defines the order of actuations of driver elements, in this case actuators. The algorithmic method is used, among others, for systems with actuators cooperating with distributors controlled electrically on both sides. The process of creating a system graph has been characterized. The operation of the system has been shown graphically. On the basis of the created graph describing the functions of signal processing, a method for rapid programming of sequential electro-pneumatic systems with the use of logic elements has been provided. A separate dedicated timing unit has been used to perform memory functions. Its operation is based on successive states, in such a way that the next state deletes the previous one. Graph-based systems have been validated through simulation using Festo’s FluidSim computer-aided design software.
Biomechanical Analysis of Clavicle Hook Plates with a Range of Posterior Hook Offsets Implanted at Different Acromion Positions in the Acromioclavicular Joint: A Finite Element Analysis Study
Authors: Hung Li-Kun , Lee Cheng-Hung , Su Kuo-Chih
Published: November 2021

The clavicle hook plate is commonly used in acromioclavicular injuries; however, the biomechanical effect of the posterior hook offset and hook position is unclear. This study applied a finite element analysis (FEA) to evaluate these parameters to improve the clinical strategy. Nine FEA models with 0-mm, 5-mm, and 10-mm posterior hook offsets implanted in the anterior, middle, and posterior acromion were established to evaluate the stress distribution and the reaction force on the acromion. The 5-mm and 10-mm posterior hook offsets at all acromion positions reduced the reaction force on the acromion but slightly increased the stress on the clavicle. The 0-mm offset increased the reaction force at all acromion positions and was relatively lower at the middle acromion. The clavicle hook plate with a posterior hook offset reduces the reaction force on the acromion, providing a flexibility of the hook position. These results provide surgeons with the biomechanical basis for the hook offset and position and engineers with the mechanical basis for the implant design.
Advanced Omics and Radiobiological Tissue Archives: The Future in the Past
Authors: Azimzadeh Omid , Gomolka Maria , Birschwilks Mandy , Saigusa Shin , Grosche Bernd , Moertl Simone
Published: November 2021

Archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues and their related diagnostic records are an invaluable source of biological information. The archival samples can be used for retrospective investigation of molecular fingerprints and biomarkers of diseases and susceptibility. Radiobiological archives were set up not only following clinical performance such as cancer diagnosis and therapy but also after accidental and occupational radiation exposure events where autopsies or cancer biopsies were sampled. These biobanks provide unique and often irreplaceable materials for the understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying radiation-related biological effects. In recent years, the application of rapidly evolving “omics” platforms, including transcriptomics, genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and sequencing, to FFPE tissues has gained increasing interest as an alternative to fresh/frozen tissue. However, omics profiling of FFPE samples remains a challenge mainly due to the condition and duration of tissue fixation and storage, and the extraction methods of biomolecules. Although biobanking has a long history in radiation research, the application of omics to profile FFPE samples available in radiobiological archives is still young. Application of the advanced omics technologies on archival materials provides a new opportunity to understand and quantify the biological effects of radiation exposure. These newly generated omics data can be well integrated into results obtained from earlier experimental and epidemiological analyses to shape a powerful strategy for modelling and evaluating radiation effects on health outcomes. This review aims to give an overview of the unique properties of radiation biobanks and their potential impact on radiation biology studies. Studies recently performed on FFPE samples from radiobiology archives using advanced omics are summarized. Furthermore, the compatibility of archived FFPE tissues for omics analysis and the major challenges that lie ahead are discussed.
Reconstruction of Rice Drying Model and Analysis of Tempering Characteristics Based on Drying Accumulated Temperature
Authors: Jin Yi , Yin Jun , Xie Huihuang , Zhang Zhongjie
Published: November 2021

Previous research has shown that the accumulated temperature can describe drying processes as well as crop growth. To describe the mass and heat transfer processes in the rice drying process more accurately, a mathematical model of rice drying was proposed based on the drying accumulated temperature, and the optimal tempering ratio for conventional hot air drying was obtained through data comparison and analysis. First, it was proven that there was an exponential relationship between the moisture ratio and the drying accumulated temperature of rice. Second, by comparing and analyzing the fitting results of seven different drying mathematical models, the model with the highest fitting degree was selected and reconstructed to obtain the drying accumulated temperature–moisture ratio model. Finally, the new model was used to fit the results of two drying experiments without and with tempering, and the tempering characteristics of rice drying were proved by comparing and analyzing the coefficient difference between the two models. The results showed that the optimal tempering ratio was 3. This study thus provides a reference for rice drying process parameters.
A Cost-Sensitive Diagnosis Method Based on the Operation and Maintenance Data of UAV
Authors: Zheng Ke , Jia Guozhu , Yang Linchao , Liu Chunting
Published: November 2021

In the fault diagnosis of UAVs, extremely imbalanced data distribution and vast differences in effects of fault modes can drastically affect the application effect of a data-driven fault diagnosis model under the limitation of computing resources. At present, there is still no credible approach to determine the cost of the misdiagnosis of different fault modes that accounts for the interference of data distribution. The performance of the original cost-insensitive flight data-driven fault diagnosis models also needs to be improved. In response to this requirement, this paper proposes a two-step ensemble cost-sensitive diagnosis method based on the operation and maintenance data of UAV. According to the fault criticality from FMECA information, we defined a misdiagnosis hazard value and calculated the misdiagnosis cost. By using the misdiagnosis cost, a static cost matrix could be set to modify the diagnosis model and to evaluate the performance of the diagnosis results. A two-step ensemble cost-sensitive method based on the MetaCost framework was proposed using stratified bootstrapping, choosing LightGBM as meta-classifiers, and adjusting the ensemble form to enhance the overall performance of the diagnosis model and reduce the occupation of the computing resources while optimizing the total misdiagnosis cost. The experimental results based on the KPG component data of a large fixed-wing UAV show that the proposed cost-sensitive model can effectively reduce the total cost incurred by misdiagnosis, without putting forward excessive requirements on the computing equipment under the condition of ensuring a certain overall level of diagnosis performance.
A Review on LiFi Network Research: Open Issues, Applications and Future Directions
Authors: Badeel Rozin , Subramaniam Shamala K. , Hanapi Zurina Mohd , Muhammed Abdullah
Published: November 2021

This paper extensively reviews and analyses Light Fidelity (LiFi), a new technology that uses light to transmit data as a high-speed wireless connection system from a wide spectrum of domains. An in-depth analysis and classifications of pertinent research areas for LiFi networks are presented in this paper. The various aspects constituting this paper include a detailed literature review, proposed classifications, and statistics, which further is deliberated to encompass applications, system architecture, system components, advantages, and disadvantages. LiFi and other technologies are compared, multi-user access techniques used in LiFi networks are investigated and open issues are addressed in detail. The paper is concluded with a comprehensive taxonomy of literature comparison that has served as the basis of the proposed open issues and research trends.
Improving the Performance of Vietnamese–Korean Neural Machine Translation with Contextual Embedding
Authors: Vu Van-Hai , Nguyen Quang-Phuoc , Tunyan Ebipatei Victoria , Ock Cheol-Young
Published: November 2021

With the recent evolution of deep learning, machine translation (MT) models and systems are being steadily improved. However, research on MT in low-resource languages such as Vietnamese and Korean is still very limited. In recent years, a state-of-the-art context-based embedding model introduced by Google, bidirectional encoder representations for transformers (BERT), has begun to appear in the neural MT (NMT) models in different ways to enhance the accuracy of MT systems. The BERT model for Vietnamese has been developed and significantly improved in natural language processing (NLP) tasks, such as part-of-speech (POS), named-entity recognition, dependency parsing, and natural language inference. Our research experimented with applying the Vietnamese BERT model to provide POS tagging and morphological analysis (MA) for Vietnamese sentences,, and applying word-sense disambiguation (WSD) for Korean sentences in our Vietnamese–Korean bilingual corpus. In the Vietnamese–Korean NMT system, with contextual embedding, the BERT model for Vietnamese is concurrently connected to both encoder layers and decoder layers in the NMT model. Experimental results assessed through BLEU, METEOR, and TER metrics show that contextual embedding significantly improves the quality of Vietnamese–Korean NMT.
Assessment of Smoke Pollution Caused by Wildfires in the Baikal Region (Russia)
Authors: Efimova Natalia V. , Rukavishnikov Viktor S.
Published: November 2021

Climate change has increased the prevalence of wildfires, resulting in longer fire seasons and larger geographic area burned. The aim of this work was to assess the air pollution and health risk to the population caused during exposure to smoke in fire season. The study design included: an analysis of long-term air pollution to determine background levels; an analysis of short-term (<24 h) and subchronic (10–14 days) concentrations during wildfires; and an assessment of the health risk in the industrial center of the Baikal region (Russia). In Irkutsk, at a distance of 2000 km from the fire focal points, the maximum short-term concentrations of pollution were noted during the smoke period, when the average CO level increased 2.4 times, and PM1 increased 1.4 times relative to the background levels in August 2021. In Bratsk, located near the fires, the increases in short-term concentrations were: CO—21.0; SO2—13.0; formaldehyde—12.0; TPM—4.4 times. The hazard indices of respiratory and coronary diseases in the burning period exceeded the acceptable level. Acute reactions to smoke can be expected in 30% of the exposed population near fires and 11% in remote areas (Bratsk). The results obtained from the remote sensing of atmospheric smoke can be used to urgently resolve the issue of organizing medical assistance or evacuating the population groups most sensitive to the effects of smoke in fire season.
Panama’s Current Climate Replicability in a Non-Hydrostatic Regional Climate Model Nested in an Atmospheric General Circulation Model
Authors: Pinzón Reinhardt , Ishizaki Noriko N. , Sasaki Hidetaka , Nakaegawa Tosiyuki
Published: November 2021

To simulate the current climate, a 20-year integration of a non-hydrostatic regional climate model (NHRCM) with grid spacing of 5 and 2 km (NHRCM05 and NHRCM02, respectively) was nested within the AGCM. The three models did a similarly good job of simulating surface air temperature, and the spatial horizontal resolution did not affect these statistics. NHRCM02 did a good job of reproducing seasonal variations in surface air temperature. NHRCM05 overestimated annual mean precipitation in the western part of Panama and eastern part of the Pacific Ocean. NHRCM05 is responsible for this overestimation because it is not seen in MRI-AGCM. NHRCM02 simulated annual mean precipitation better than NHRCM05, probably due to a convection-permitting model without a convection scheme, such as the Kain and Fritsch scheme. Therefore, the finer horizontal resolution of NHRCM02 did a better job of replicating the current climatological mean geographical distributions and seasonal changes of surface air temperature and precipitation.
Performance of RegCM4.5 in Simulating the Regional Climate of Western Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang, China
Authors: Cheng Quanying , Li Fan
Published: November 2021

The western Tianshan Mountains region in China has a complex topography where basins, mountains and glaciers co-exist. It is of great significance to study the sensitivity of meteorological factors in this region to different parameterization schemes of climate models. In this paper, the regional climate model RegCM4.5 is used to simulate the meteorological factor (mean temperature, maximum temperature, minimum temperature, precipitation and wind speed) occurring in the western Tianshan Mountains region from 2012 to 2016, so as to investigate the effects of different cumulus convective schemes (Grell, Tiedtke and Emanuel), including land cumulus convective schemes (LCCs) and ocean convective schemes (OCCs) on annual and seasonal simulations of meteorological factor by using the schemes of RUN1 (Grell for LCC and Tiedtke for OCC), RUN2 (Tiedtke for LCC and Emanuel for OCC), RUN3 (Grell for LCC and Emanuel for OCC) and ENS (the ensemble of RUN1, RUN2 and RUN3). The results show that the simulations of annual and seasonal meteorological factors are not significantly sensitive to the combination of LCCs and OCCs. In the annual simulations, RUN2 scheme has the best simulation performance for the maximum, average and minimum temperatures. However, other schemes of precipitation simulation outperform RUN2 scheme, and there is no difference among the four schemes for wind speed simulation. In the seasonal simulations, RUN2 scheme still performs well in the simulation of the average, maximum and minimum temperatures for four seasons, except for the simulation of the average temperature in spring and summer. For the simulation of the maximum temperature in summer, RUN2 scheme performs the same as ENS. For the simulation of other seasons, different meteorological factors have different performances in four seasons. Overall, the results show that different combinations of cumulus convection schemes can improve the simulation performance of meteorological factors in the western Tianshan Mountains of Xinjiang.
Preclinical Efficacy of Pro- and Anti-Angiogenic Peptide Hydrogels to Treat Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Authors: Acevedo-Jake Amanda , Shi Siyu , Siddiqui Zain , Sanyal Sreya , Schur Rebecca , Kaja Simon , Yuan Alex , Kumar Vivek A.
Published: November 2021

Pro-angiogenic and anti-angiogenic peptide hydrogels were evaluated against the standard of care wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) therapy, Aflibercept (Eylea®). AMD was modeled in rats (laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV) model), where the contralateral eye served as the control. After administration of therapeutics, vasculature was monitored for 14 days to evaluate leakiness. Rats were treated with either a low or high concentration of anti-angiogenic peptide hydrogel (0.02 wt% 8 rats, 0.2 wt% 6 rats), or a pro-angiogenic peptide hydrogel (1.0 wt% 7 rats). As controls, six rats were treated with commercially available Aflibercept and six with sucrose solution (vehicle control). Post lasering, efficacy was determined over 14 days via fluorescein angiography (FA) and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Before and after treatment, the average areas of vascular leak per lesion were evaluated as well as the overall vessel leakiness. Unexpectedly, treatment with pro-angiogenic peptide hydrogel showed significant, immediate improvement in reducing vascular leak; in the short term, the pro-angiogenic peptide performed better than anti-angiogenic peptide hydrogel and was comparable to Aflibercept. After 14 days, both the pro-angiogenic and anti-angiogenic peptide hydrogels show a trend of improvement, comparable to Aflibercept. Based on our results, both anti-angiogenic and pro-angiogenic peptide hydrogels may prove good therapeutics in the future to treat wet AMD over a longer-term treatment period.
The Central Role of the F-Actin Surface in Myosin Force Generation
Authors: Doran Matthew H. , Lehman William
Published: November 2021

Actin is one of the most abundant and versatile proteins in eukaryotic cells. As discussed in many contributions to this Special Issue, its transition from a monomeric G-actin to a filamentous F-actin form plays a critical role in a variety of cellular processes, including control of cell shape and cell motility. Once polymerized from G-actin, F-actin forms the central core of muscle-thin filaments and acts as molecular tracks for myosin-based motor activity. The ATP-dependent cross-bridge cycle of myosin attachment and detachment drives the sliding of myosin thick filaments past thin filaments in muscle and the translocation of cargo in somatic cells. The variation in actin function is dependent on the variation in muscle and non-muscle myosin isoform behavior as well as interactions with a plethora of additional actin-binding proteins. Extensive work has been devoted to defining the kinetics of actin-based force generation powered by the ATPase activity of myosin. In addition, over the past decade, cryo-electron microscopy has revealed the atomic-evel details of the binding of myosin isoforms on the F-actin surface. Most accounts of the structural interactions between myosin and actin are described from the perspective of the myosin molecule. Here, we discuss myosin-binding to actin as viewed from the actin surface. We then describe conserved structural features of actin required for the binding of all or most myosin isoforms while also noting specific interactions unique to myosin isoforms.
Atmospheric Stilling Promotes Summer Algal Growth in Eutrophic Shallow Lakes
Authors: Zou Wei , Zhu Guangwei , Xu Hai , Zhu Mengyuan , Guo Chaoxuan , Qin Boqiang , Zhang Yunlin
Published: November 2021

Algal blooms are environmental challenges confronting lakes worldwide and are significantly influenced by chlorophyll a yields per unit phosphorus (Chla/TP), or nitrogen (Chla/TN). Here, the influence of inter-annual hydrometeorological variations on Chla/TP and Chla/TN were evaluated in eutrophic shallow Lake Taihu, China. Our results demonstrated significant increases (p < 0.001) in both Chla/TN and Chla/TP from 2005 to 2017, and increased Chla yields during the winter months were mainly correlated with higher water temperature and longer sunshine hours, which may cause severer blooms in winter and spring. In remaining months from 2005 to 2017, typical associations between atmospheric stilling (or water level elevation) and higher Chla yields were observed. The results also indicate that atmospheric stilling and water level elevation significantly (p < 0.001) decreased background turbidity and promoted buoyant cyanobacterial biomass, alleviating phytoplankton light limitation. Given the subtropical location, eutrophic status, and high background turbidity of Lake Taihu, light may be the critical limiting factor for summer phytoplankton growth; thus, improved light availability would promote Chla yields until self-shading caused further light limitations. If the mechanism is general, promoting the effect of atmospheric stilling on annual peak Chla in shallow lakes may be greatly underestimated, and our finding will affect future bloom mitigation efforts in such systems.