bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How Different Cooking Methods Affect the Phenolic Composition of Sweet Potato for Human Consumption (Ipomea batata (L.) Lam)
Authors: Carrera Ceferino , Zelaya-Medina Cristy Fabiola , Chinchilla Nuria , Ferreiro-González Marta , Barbero Gerardo F. , Palma Miguel
Published: August 2021

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the functional components of sweet potato because of its nutritional and medicinal value. The aim of this study is to analyse how much sweet potato phenolic compounds composition (derived from caffeoylquinic acids) varies as a result of cooking. Traditional techniques such as: boiling, oven roasting and more recent processing techniques such as microwave cooking were tested. Three sweet potato varieties were cooked for different periods of time and under different conditions. Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was used to extract the compounds of interest and then, a chemometric tool such as Box-Behnken design (BBD) was successfully used to evaluate and optimise the most influential factors in the extraction, i.e., temperature, solvent composition and sample-to-solvent ratio. The optimal settings for UAE were: solvent 100% methanol, a temperature of 39.4 °C and a mass/volume ratio of 0.5 g per 10 mL solvent. Oven roasting of sweet potatoes resulted in increased levels of caffeoylquinic acids, whereas prolonged cooking times in water resulted in decreasing levels of the same.
Chronic Gamma Irradiation Changes Phenotype and Gene Expression Partially Transmitted to Next-Generation Tomato Seedlings
Authors: Kim Seong-Min , Jo Yeong Deuk , Chun Jae-In , Kim Jin-Baek , Kang Jin-Ho
Published: August 2021

Compared to the studies on acute irradiation of seeds, fewer studies have reported on the chronic irradiation of seedlings, especially in fruit-bearing vegetables. We examined the effects of chronic gamma irradiation on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum ‘Micro-Tom’) seedlings exposed to gamma rays (50, 100, 150, and 200 Gy) for 4 weeks. As the total dose of gamma rays increased, leaf length, trichome density, and seed number were reduced in the irradiated seedlings (M1). Additionally, a change in fruit shape was observed. Chronic gamma irradiation reduced the expression of two trichome-related genes and affected the expression levels of 11 reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related genes. We examined the transmittance of these effects using M2 plants. The trichome density and fruit shape were similar between M2 and control plants; however, a reduction in leaf length and seed number was detected in M2 plants. Interestingly, changes in the expression of four ROS-related genes (ZAT10, Mn-SOD, POD3, and RBOH1) found in M1 were detected in M2 plants. Thus, the changes in phenotype and gene expression induced by chronic gamma irradiation were transmitted to the next generation. Additionally, we found novel mutants from M2 plants, suggesting that chronic gamma irradiation may be considered in tomato mutation breeding.
The Impact of Ensiling at Different Moisture Contents on Germinability and Viability of Selected Weed Species’ Seeds
Authors: Piltz John W. , Bailes Kristy L. , Boschma Suzanne P. , Weston Leslie A.
Published: August 2021

Weeds are an increasingly significant issue inhibiting agricultural production worldwide. Forage conservation could form part of an integrated weed management program if ensiling killed weed seeds. In Experiment 1, seeds of five grass (Hordeum spp., Bromus diandrus, Bromus hordeaceum, Lolium rigidum and Vulpia spp.) and two broad-leaved temperate weed species (Echium spp. and Raphanus raphanistrum), that were either untreated, ensiled in pasture (Trifolium subterranean/Lolium rigidum mixture) forage for a minimum of three months, underwent 48 h in sacco digestion in steers or ensiled prior to digestion were tested for germinability and viability. In Experiment 2, seeds of eight tropical weed species (Cenchrus ciliaris, Rumex spp., Bidens pilosa, Sorghum halepense, Urochloa panicaoides, Paspalum dilatatum, Brachiara eruciformis and Choris truncata) were ensiled in Sorghum bicolor forage. In Experiment 3, L. rigidum and R. raphanistrum seeds were ensiled in either Medicago sativa forage wilted to 336.9, 506.5 or 610.7 g/kg dry matter; or in chaff to which water or water plus acid was added at rates to achieve 350, 450 or 550 g/kg dry matter content with lactic plus acetic acid added in the ratio of 3:2 at 80, 45 or 10 g/kg DM, respectively. In Experiment 4, L. rigidum and R. raphanistrum seeds were ensiled in cotton wool to which water or water plus acid was added at the same rates as in Experiment 3. Germinability of all seeds following ensiling was substantially reduced or nil. The extent of the reduction varied with species and experiment. In sacco digestion reduced germinability in Experiment 1, but to a lesser extent than ensiling; while ensiling plus digestion reduced germination rates to 0%.
Purchasing Bakery Goods during COVID-19: A Mind Genomics Cartography of Hungarian Consumers
Authors: Biró Barbara , Gere Attila
Published: August 2021

At both global and national levels, COVID-19 caused huge changes both in politics and economics, including the agricultural sector and the food industry, from producers, manufacturers, and traders to consumers. Since March 2020, many restrictions and protective measures were introduced worldwide, which only began to be relaxed in the last weeks of spring 2021 as the number of people vaccinated against the coronavirus increased in Hungary. The aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes of Hungarian consumers toward food purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic, in terms of safety. The research was based on the purchase of bakery products, which are basic food products and are most often found in an unpackaged form in Hungarian stores. The BimiLeap® study, a revolutionary tool for uncovering people’s minds, was completed by 125 participants, gathered by a snowballing technique. There were no significant differences among consumers’ attitudes based on the traditional socio-demographic descriptors; however, the mindset-based classification was able to differentiate significantly. The three identified mindsets covered people who themselves consider bakery products, the purchase method, and being in the store as the highest risk of a potential COVID infection.
Genome-Wide Association Mapping for Stomata and Yield Indices in Bread Wheat under Water Limited Conditions
Authors: Ahmed Hafiz Ghulam Muhu-Din , Iqbal Muhammad Nouman , Iqbal Muhammad Arslan , Zeng Yawen , Ullah Aziz , Iqbal Muhammad , Raza Humayun , Yar Muhammad Majid , Sarwar Nadeem , Imran Muhammad , Hussain Saddam
Published: August 2021

Genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed for stomata- and yield-related attributes with high-density Illumina 90 K Infinium SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) array in bread wheat to determine genetic potential of germplasm for scarce water resources with sustainable yield potential. Major yield and stomata attributes were phenotyped on a panel of Pakistani and foreign accessions grown in non-stressed and water shortage environments during two seasons. Highly significant variations were shown among accessions in both conditions for examined characteristics. Water shortage conditions reduced the overall wheat yield and strong positive correlation existed among stomatal frequency, leaf venation and grain yield per plant. Population structure analyses based on 90,000 SNP data classified the accessions into four sub-populations which indicated the presence of genetic variability. Marker-trait association (MTA) analyses revealed that 422 significant SNPs at p ≤ 10−3, after crossing the false discovery rate (FDR) <0.05 threshold, were linked with examined attributes. Pleiotropic loci (wsnp_Ex_c8913_14881924 and Tdurum_contig10598_304) were associated with flag leaf area (FLA), stomata size (SS), stomata frequency (SF), leaf venation (LV), number of grain per spike (NGS) and grain yield per plant (GYP), which were located on chromosome 4B and 6B at the positions 173.63cM and 229.64cM, respectively, under water shortage conditions. Pleotropic loci wsnp_Ex_c24167_33416760, wsnp_Ex_c5412_9564046 and Tdurum_contig81797_369 on chromosomes 7A, 2A and 4B at the positions 148.26cM, 261.05cM and 173.63cM, respectively, were significantly linked with stomata and yield indices such as FLA, SS, SF, LV, NGS and GYP under normal and water shortage conditions. The current experiment not only validated several MTAs for studied indices reported in other studies but also discovered novel MTAs significant under water shortage environments. Associated and significant SNPs will be useful in discovering novel genes underpinning water shortage tolerance in bread wheat for producing high-yielding and drought tolerant wheat varieties to fulfill the wheat demand for growing populations.
Intestinal Barrier Function and Performance of Broiler Chickens Fed Additional Arginine, Combination of Arginine and Glutamine or an Amino Acid-Based Solution
Authors: Barekatain Reza , Chalvon-Demersay Tristan , McLaughlan Clive , Lambert William
Published: August 2021

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of arginine (Arg); the combination of Arg and glutamine (Gln); as well as an amino acid-based solution (MIX) containing Arg, Gln, threonine (Thr), and grape extract, on performance, intestinal permeability, and expression of selected mechanistic genes. Using 240 male Ross 308 off-sex broiler chickens, four experimental treatments were replicated six times with 10 birds per replicate. The experimental treatments included 5 g/kg Arg, 2.5 g/kg Arg and 2.5 g/kg Gln, and 1 g/kg MIX added to a basal diet as control. In the second study, the four dietary treatments were then given to 24 birds with or without a synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone (DEX), as a gut dysfunction model. Feed conversion ratio was improved by all the supplemented treatments from day 7 to 35 of age (p < 0.001). DEX injections increased (p < 0.001) the intestinal permeability in all treatments, which tended to be reversed by Arg or MIX. Additional Arg, Arg-Gln, and MIX suppressed (p < 0.05) the overexpression of IL-1β generated by DEX. Feeding birds with MIX treatment increased (p < 0.05) expression of SGLT-1 and glutathione synthetase. In conclusion, tested amino acid supplements were effective in improving feed efficiency and restraining intestinal inflammation caused by DEX through IL-1β pathway.
Impact of Weight Carriage on Joint Kinematics in Asian Elephants Used for Riding
Authors: Kongsawasdi Siriphan , Brown Janine L. , Boonprasert Khajohnpat , Pongsopawijit Pornsawan , Wantanajittikul Kittichai , Khammesri Siripat , Tajarernmuang Tanapong , Thonglorm Nipaporn , Kanta-In Rungtiwa , Thitaram Chatchote
Published: August 2021

Background: Elephants in Thailand have changed their roles from working in the logging industry to tourism over the past two decades. In 2020, there were approximately 2700 captive elephants participating in activities such as riding and trekking. During work hours, riding elephants carry one or two people in a saddle on the back with a mahout on the neck several hours a day and over varying terrain. A concern is that this form of riding can cause serious injuries to the musculoskeletal system, although to date there have been no empirical studies to determine the influence of weight carriage on kinematics in elephants. Methods: Eight Asian elephants from a camp in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand, aged between 21 and 41 years with a mean body mass of 3265 ± 140.2 kg, were evaluated under two conditions: walking at a normal speed without a saddle and with a 15% body mass load (saddle and two persons plus additional weights). Gait kinematics, including the maximal angles of fore- and hindlimb joints, were determined using a novel three-dimensional inertial measurement system with wireless sensors. Results: There were no statistical differences between movement angles and a range of motion of the fore- and hindlimbs, when an additional 15% of body mass was added. Conclusion: There is no evidence that carrying a 15% body mass load causes significant changes in elephant gait patterns. Thus, carrying two people in a saddle may have minimal effects on musculoskeletal function. More studies are needed to further test longer durations of riding on different types of terrain to develop appropriate working guidelines for captive elephants. Nevertheless, elephants appear capable of carrying significant amounts of weight on the back without showing signs of physical distress.
Annual Recurrences of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Epizootics in Age 0 Pacific Herring Clupea pallasii Valenciennes, 1847
Authors: Hershberger Paul K. , Meyers Theodore R. , Gregg Jacob L. , Groner Maya L. , Hall Sophie A. , Jayasekera Hiruni T. , MacKenzie Ashley H. , Neat Abigail S. , Piatt Ella N. , Garver Kyle A.
Published: August 2021

Throughout a 20 year biosurveillance period, viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus was isolated in low titers from only 6/7355 opportunistically sampled adult Pacific herring, reflecting the typical endemic phase of the disease when the virus persists covertly. However, more focused surveillance efforts identified the presence of disease hot spots occurring among juvenile life history stages from certain nearshore habitats. These outbreaks sometimes recurred annually in the same temporal and spatial patterns and were characterized by infection prevalence as high as 96%. Longitudinal sampling indicated that some epizootics were relatively transient, represented by positive samples on a single sampling date, and others were more protracted, with positive samples occurring throughout the first 10 weeks of the juvenile life history phase. These results indicate that viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) epizootics in free-ranging Pacific herring C. pallasii are more common than previously appreciated; however, they are easily overlooked if biosurveillance efforts are not designed around times and locations with high disease potential.
Replacing Soybean Meal with Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles plus Rumen-Protected Lysine and Methionine: Effects on Growth Performance, Nutrients Digestion, Rumen Fermentation, and Serum Parameters in Hu Sheep
Authors: Chen Jiao , Niu Xiaolin , Li Fei , Li Fadi , Guo Long
Published: August 2021

(1) Background: we investigated the influence of dietary soybean meal (SBM) replaced with distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) plus rumen-protected (RP) lysine and methionine on the growth performance, nutrients digestion, rumen fermentation, and serum parameters of Hu sheep. (2) Methods: ninety Hu sheep were allocated to five groups: the control group (CON) which received the SBM diet, the DDGS group (NSM), the DDGS diet with RP lysine group (DRPL), the DDGS diet with RP methionine group (DRPM), and the DDGS diet with a mixture of RP lysine and methionine group (DRPLM). (3) Results: Final BW and carcass weight of the DRPLM and CON groups were greater (p ≤ 0.05) compared to NSM, DRPL, and DRPM groups. The DRPLM group tended to increase the dry matter intake (DMI, p = 0.06), average daily gain (ADG, p = 0.06), dressing percentage (p = 0.07), and tail fat weight (p = 0.09). The DRPLM group had increased (p ≤ 0.05) apparent digestibility and had altered ruminal fermentation characteristics. (4) Conclusions: replacement of SBM with DDGS in a diet with adequate metabolizable protein and by-pass amino acids (lysine and methionine) could maintain the growth performance of Hu sheep.
Insight View on the Role of in Ovo Feeding of Clenbuterol on Hatched Chicks: Hatchability, Growth Efficiency, Serum Metabolic Profile, Muscle, and Lipid-Related Markers
Authors: Saleh Ahmed A. , Alhotan Rashed A. , Alharthi Abdulrahman S. , Nassef Eldsokey , Kassab Mohamed A. , Farrag Foad A. , Hendam Basma M. , Abumnadour Mohamed M. A. , Shukry Mustafa
Published: August 2021

The present study aimed to assess the in ovo administration of clenbuterol on chick fertility, growth performance, muscle growth, myogenic gene expression, fatty acid, amino acid profile, intestinal morphology, and hepatic lipid-related gene expressions. In this study, 750 healthy fertile eggs from the local chicken breed Dokki-4 strain were analyzed. Fertile eggs were randomly divided into five experimental groups (150 eggs/3 replicates for each group). On day 14 of incubation, in addition to the control group, four other groups were established where 0.5 mL of worm saline (30 °C) was injected into the second group of eggs. In the third, fourth, and fifth groups, 0.5 mL of worm saline (30 °C), 0.9% of NaCl, and 10, 15, and 20 ppm of clenbuterol were injected into the eggs. Results suggested that clenbuterol increased growth efficiency up to 12 weeks of age, especially at 15 ppm, followed by 10 ppm, decreased abdominal body fat mass, and improved hatchability (p < 0.01). Clenbuterol also modulated saturated fatty acid levels in the breast muscles and improved essential amino acids when administered at 10 and 15 ppm. Additionally, clenbuterol at 15 ppm significantly decreased myostatin gene expression (p < 0.01) and considerably increased IGF1r and IGF-binding protein (IGFBP) expression. Clenbuterol administration led to a significant upregulation of hepatic PPARα, growth hormone receptor, and Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) mRNA expression with a marked decrease in fatty acid synthase (FAS) and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP-1c) expression. In conclusion, the current study revealed that in ovo injection of clenbuterol showed positive effects on the growth of hatched chicks through reduced abdominal fat deposition, improved intestinal morphology, and modulation of hepatic gene expressions in myogenesis, lipogenesis, and lipolysis.
Salbutamol Transport and Deposition in the Upper and Lower Airway with Different Devices in Cats: A Computational Fluid Dynamics Approach
Authors: Fernández-Parra Rocio , Pey Pascaline , Reinero Carol , Malvè Mauro
Published: August 2021

Pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pMDI) with or without spacers are commonly used for the treatment of feline inflammatory airway disease. During traditional airways treatments, a substantial amount of drugs are wasted upstream of their target. To study the efficiency of commonly used devices in the transport of inhaled salbutamol, different computational models based on two healthy adult client-owned cats were developed. Computed tomographic images from one cat were used to generate a three-dimensional geometry, and two masks (spherical and conical shapes) and two spacers (10 and 20 cm) completed the models. A second cat was used to generate a second model having an endotracheal tube (ETT) with and without the same spacers. Airflow, droplet spray transport, and deposition were simulated and studied using computational fluid dynamics techniques. Four regions were evaluated: device, upper airways, primary bronchi, and downstream lower airways/parenchyma (“lung”). Regardless of the model, most salbutamol is deposited in devices and/or upper airways. In general, particles reaching the lung varied between 5.8 and 25.8%. Compared with the first model, pMDI application through the ETT with or without a spacer had significantly higher percentages of particles reaching the lung (p = 0.006).
New Insights into the Hourly Manure Coverage Proportion on the Manure Belt in a Typical Layer House for Accurate Ammonia Emission Modeling
Authors: Yang Li , Yang Chaowu , Hu Chenming , Yu Chunlin , Liu Siyang , Zhu Shiliang , Qiu Mohan , Zhu Hongqiang , Xie Lingzhi , Du Longhuan
Published: August 2021

The main advantage of having livestock, for example, the laying hens, in a controlled environment is that the optimum growth conditions can be achieved with accuracy. The indoor air temperature, humidity, gases concentration, etc., would significantly affect the animal performance, thus should be maintained within an acceptable range. In order to achieve the goals of precision poultry farming, various models have been developed by researchers all over the world to estimate the hourly indoor environmental parameters so as to provide decision suggestions. However, a key parameter of hourly manure area in the poultry house was missing in the literature to predict the ammonia emission using the recently developed mechanistic model. Therefore, in order to fill the gap of the understanding of hourly manure coverage proportion and area on the manure belt, experimental measurements were performed in the present study using laying hens from 10 weeks age to 30 weeks age. For each test, six polypropylene (pp) plates were applied to collect the manure dropped by the birds every hour, and photographs of the plates were taken at the same time using a pre-fixed camera. Binary images were then produced based on the color pictures to determine the object coverage proportion. It was demonstrated that for laying hens of stocking density around 14 birds/m2, the manure coverage proportion at the 24th hour after the most recent manure removal was about 60%, while the value was approximately 82% at the 48th hour. Meanwhile, for laying hens at different ages, the hourly increment of manure coverage proportion showed a similar pattern with four distinct stages within 48 h. The statistical analyses demonstrated no significant correlation between the hourly increment of manure weight and the hourly increment of manure coverage proportion. Finally, prediction models for estimating the hourly manure coverage proportion on the manure belt in typical laying hen houses were provided.
Old and New Beta-Lactamase Inhibitors: Molecular Structure, Mechanism of Action, and Clinical Use
Authors: Carcione Davide , Siracusa Claudia , Sulejmani Adela , Leoni Valerio , Intra Jari
Published: August 2021

The β-lactams have a central place in the antibacterial armamentarium, but the increasing resistance to these drugs, especially among Gram-negative bacteria, is becoming one of the major threats to public health worldwide. Treatment options are limited, and only a small number of novel antibiotics are in development. However, one of the responses to this threat is the combination of β-lactam antibiotics with β-lactamase inhibitors, which are successfully used in the clinic for overcoming resistance by inhibiting β-lactamases. The existing inhibitors inactivate most of class A and C serine β-lactamases, but several of class D and B (metallo-β-lactamase) are resistant. The present review provides the status and knowledge concerning current β-lactamase inhibitors and an update on research efforts to identify and develop new and more efficient β-lactamase inhibitors.
Microbiological Characteristics and Surgical Management of Animal-Bite-Related Oral & Maxillofacial Injuries: A Single Center’s Experience
Authors: Spille Johannes , Schulz Juliane , Spille Dorothee Cäcilia , Naujokat Hendrik , Wieker Henning , Wiltfang Jörg , Gülses Aydin
Published: August 2021

The objective of the current study is to retrospectively evaluate animal-bite injuries and to gain insight into the epidemiology, accident consequences and treatment concept of these accidents in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Data of patients, who were admitted January 2015 and April 2021, were retrospectively evaluated regarding the patients’ characteristics (age, gender), facial distribution of substance defects/partial amputations, duration of hospitalization, operation treatments and antibiotic treatments. Data of 75 patients were included. Patients were bitten by dogs (n = 69.92%), cats (n = 4) and horses (n = 2). Lower eyelid/cheek complex was the most affected region (n = 37, 32.74%). Most of the patients between 0 and 3 years had to be operated on under general anesthesia (p = 0.011), while most of the adults could be operated on under local anesthesia (p = 0.007). In the age group 0–12 years, 30 patients (68%) were operated on under general anesthesia. Ampicillin/Sulbactam (48%) was the antibiotic most used. Antibiotics were adjusted after wound swabs in case of wound infections or critical wound conditions. This means that resistant antibiotics were stopped, and sensitive antibiotics were used. Structured surgical and antibiotic management of animal-bite wounds in the maxillofacial region is the most important factor for medical care to avoid long-term aesthetic consequences. Public health actions and policies under the leadership of an interdisciplinary committee could improve primary wound management, healing outcome and information status in the general population.
Gram-Positive Pneumonia: Possibilities Offered by Phage Therapy
Authors: Fernández Lucía , Cima-Cabal María Dolores , Duarte Ana Catarina , Rodríguez Ana , García-Suárez María del Mar , García Pilar
Published: August 2021

Pneumonia is an acute pulmonary infection whose high hospitalization and mortality rates can, on occasion, bring healthcare systems to the brink of collapse. Both viral and bacterial pneumonia are uncovering many gaps in our understanding of host–pathogen interactions, and are testing the effectiveness of the currently available antimicrobial strategies. In the case of bacterial pneumonia, the main challenge is antibiotic resistance, which is only expected to increase during the current pandemic due to the widespread use of antibiotics to prevent secondary infections in COVID-19 patients. As a result, alternative therapeutics will be necessary to keep this disease under control. This review evaluates the advantages of phage therapy to treat lung bacterial infections, in particular those caused by the Gram-positive bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus, while also highlighting the regulatory impediments that hamper its clinical use and the difficulties associated with phage research.
In Vitro and In Silico Toxicological Properties of Natural Antioxidant Therapeutic Agent Azima tetracantha. LAM
Authors: Prakash Palanisamy , Kumari Nisha , Gayathiri Ekambaram , Selvam Kuppusamy , Ragunathan Manikavali Gurunadhan , Chandrasekaran Murugesan , Al-Dosary Munirah Abdullah , Hatamleh Ashraf Atef , Nadda Ashok Kumar , Kumar Manu
Published: August 2021

Plant-derived antioxidants are a large group of natural products with the capacity to reduce radical-scavenging. Due to their potent therapeutic and preventive actions, these compounds receive a lot of attention from scientists, particularly pharmacologists. The pharmacological activities of the Azima tetracantha Lam. (AT) plant, belonging to the Salvadoraceae family, reported here justifies its traditional use in treating several diseases or disorders. This study aims to look at the propensity of certain plant compounds found in natural AT plant extracts that might play a critical role as a secondary metabolite in cervical cancer treatment. There is a shortage of information on the plant’s phytochemical and biological characteristics. Methanol (MeOH) solvent extracts of the dried AT plant were screened phytochemically. Its aqueous extract was tested for antioxidant, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and anticancerous properties. Absorption Distribution Metabolism and Excretion (ADME/T), Docking, and HPLC were also performed. In clinical treatment, the plant shown no adverse effects. The antioxidant activity was evaluated and showed the highest concentration at 150 µg/mL (63.50%). MeOH leaf extract of AT exhibited the highest and best inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus (15.3 mm/1000) and displayed a high antiseptic potential. At a 200 µg/mL concentration, MeOH leaves-extract inhibited red blood cells (RBC) hemolysis by 66.56 ± 0.40, compared with 62.33 ± 0.40 from the standard. Albumin’s ability to suppress protein denaturation ranged from 16.75 ± 0.65 to 62.35 ± 0.20 inhibitions in this test, providing even more support for its favorable anti-inflammatory properties. The ADME/T studies were considered for a potential cancer drug molecule, and one of our compounds from MeOH extract fills the ADME and toxicity parameters. The forms of compound 4 showed a strong hydrogen-bonding interaction with the vital amino acids (ASN923, THR410, LEU840TRY927, PHE921, and GLY922). A total of 90% of cell inhibition was observed when HeLa cell lines were treated with 300 µg/mL of compound 4 (7-acetyl-3a1-methyl- 4,14-dioxo-1,2,3a,3a1,4,5,5a,6,8a,9b,10,11,11a-tetradecahydro-2,5a epoxy5,6a (methanooxymethano)phenaleno[1′,9′:5,6,7]indeno[1,7a-b]oxiren-2-yl acetate). The polyphenol compounds demonstrated significant advances in anticancer drug properties, and it could lead to activation of cancer cell apoptosis.
GPR Data Interpretation Approaches in Archaeological Prospection
Authors: Manataki Merope , Vafidis Antonis , Sarris Apostolos
Published: August 2021

This article focuses on the possible drawbacks and pitfalls in the GPR data interpretation process commonly followed by most GPR practitioners in archaeological prospection. Standard processing techniques aim to remove some noise, enhance reflections of the subsurface. Next, one has to calculate the instantaneous envelope and produce C-scans which are 2D amplitude maps showing high reflectivity surfaces. These amplitude maps are mainly used for data interpretation and provide a good insight into the subsurface but cannot fully describe it. The main limitations are discussed while studies aiming to overcome them are reviewed. These studies involve integrated interpretation approaches using both B-scans and C-scans, attribute analysis, fusion approaches, and recent attempts to automatically interpret C-scans using Deep Learning (DL) algorithms. To contribute to the automatic interpretation of GPR data using DL, an application of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to classify GPR data is also presented and discussed.
SAET: The Non-Verbal Measurement Tool in User Emotional Experience
Authors: Wang Jianmin , Liu Yujia , Wang Yuxi , Mao Jinjing , Yue Tianyang , You Fang
Published: August 2021

In this paper, the development process and validation of a self-assessment emotion tool (SAET) is described, which establishes an emotion-assessment method to improve pictorial expression design. The tool is based on an emotion set of emotional-cognition-derived rules obtained from an OCC model proposed by Ortony, Clore, and Collins, and the emotion set and expression design are validated by numerical computation of the dimensional space pleasure–arousal–dominance (PAD) and the cognitive assessment of emotion words. The SAET consists of twenty images that display a cartoon figure expressing ten positive and ten negative emotions. The instrument can be used during interactions with visual interfaces such as websites, posters, cell phones, and vehicles, and allows participants to select interface elements that elicit specific emotions. Experimental results show the validity of this type of tool in terms of both semantic discrimination of emotions and quantitative numerical validation.
Application of Piezoelectric Fast Tool Servo for Turning Non-Circular Shapes Made of 6082 Aluminum Alloy
Authors: Pelic Marcin , Gapiński Bartosz , Ptaszyński Wojciech
Published: August 2021

The paper presents the design and testing of a new servo drive for turning non-circular shapes. The presented solution is based on a commercially available piezoelectric drive unit with a stroke equal to 1000 µm and a resonant frequency of 150 Hz. The device was used in a conventional turning lathe and installed in a tool turret. The performance of the proposed tool was tested while turning multiple non-circular contours from a cylindrical shaft made of 6082 aluminum alloy. The machining accuracy was tested online using a laser sensor and offline with a coordinate measuring machine. The additional aim of those tests was also to verify if the application of an online transducer can allow a confident preliminary assessment of as-machined geometry. The drive positioning accuracy was compensated using 6th order polynomial what resulted in the fabrication of non-circular contours with an accuracy of no less than 39.8 µm when operating below the limit frequency of the drive (<9 Hz). It was found out that the deviations of the profile from ideal geometries increase linearly with frequency when turning at higher than the limit frequency.
Line Drawing Extraction from Cartoons Using a Conditional Generative Adversarial Network
Authors: Yu Kyungho , Noh Juhyeon , Yang Hee-Deok
Published: August 2021

Recently, three-dimensional (3D) content used in various fields has attracted attention owing to the development of virtual reality and augmented reality technologies. To produce 3D content, we need to model the objects as vertices. However, high-quality modeling is time-consuming and costly. Drawing-based modeling is a technique that shortens the time required for modeling. It refers to creating a 3D model based on a user’s line drawing, which is a 3D feature represented by two-dimensional (2D) lines. The extracted line drawing provides information about a 3D model in the 2D space. It is sometimes necessary to generate a line drawing from a 2D cartoon image to represent the 3D information of a 2D cartoon image. The extraction of consistent line drawings from 2D cartoons is difficult because the styles and techniques differ depending on the designer who produces the 2D cartoons. Therefore, it is necessary to extract line drawings that show the geometric characteristics well in 2D cartoon shapes of various styles. This paper proposes a method for automatically extracting line drawings. The 2D cartoon shading image and line drawings are learned using a conditional generative adversarial network model, which outputs the line drawings of the cartoon artwork. The experimental results show that the proposed method can obtain line drawings representing the 3D geometric characteristics with a 2D line when a 2D cartoon painting is used as the input.
Radiation-Balanced Lasers: History, Status, Potential
Authors: Nemova Galina
Published: August 2021

The review of history and progress on radiation-balanced (athermal) lasers is presented with a special focus on rare earth (RE)-doped lasers. In the majority of lasers, heat generated inside the laser medium is an unavoidable product of the lasing process. Radiation-balanced lasers can provide lasing without detrimental heating of laser medium. This new approach to the design of optically pumped RE-doped solid-state lasers is provided by balancing the spontaneous and stimulated emission within the laser medium. It is based on the principle of anti-Stokes fluorescence cooling of RE-doped low-phonon solids. The theoretical description of the operation of radiation-balanced lasers based on the set of coupled rate equations is presented and discussed. It is shown that, for athermal operation, the value of the pump wavelength of the laser must exceed the value of the mean fluorescence wavelength of the RE laser active ions doped in the laser medium. The improved purity of host crystals and better control of the transverse intensity profile will result in improved performance of the radiation-balanced laser. Recent experimental achievements in the development of radiation-balanced RE-doped bulk lasers, fibre lasers, disk lasers, and microlasers are reviewed and discussed.
Impact Sound Generation for Audiovisual Interaction with Real-World Movable Objects in Building-Scale Virtual Reality
Authors: Nagao Katashi , Kumon Kaho , Hattori Kodai
Published: August 2021

In building-scale VR, where the entire interior of a large-scale building is a virtual space that users can walk around in, it is very important to handle movable objects that actually exist in the real world and not in the virtual space. We propose a mechanism to dynamically detect such objects (that are not embedded in the virtual space) in advance, and then generate a sound when one is hit with a virtual stick. Moreover, in a large indoor virtual environment, there may be multiple users at the same time, and their presence may be perceived by hearing, as well as by sight, e.g., by hearing sounds such as footsteps. We, therefore, use a GAN deep learning generation system to generate the impact sound from any object. First, in order to visually display a real-world object in virtual space, its 3D data is generated using an RGB-D camera and saved, along with its position information. At the same time, we take the image of the object and break it down into parts, estimate its material, generate the sound, and associate the sound with that part. When a VR user hits the object virtually (e.g., hits it with a virtual stick), a sound is generated. We demonstrate that users can judge the material from the sound, thus confirming the effectiveness of the proposed method.
A State-of-Art-Review on Machine-Learning Based Methods for PV
Authors: Tina Giuseppe Marco , Ventura Cristina , Ferlito Sergio , De Vito Saverio
Published: August 2021

In the current era, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly pervasive with applications in several applicative fields effectively changing our daily life. In this scenario, machine learning (ML), a subset of AI techniques, provides machines with the ability to programmatically learn from data to model a system while adapting to new situations as they learn more by data they are ingesting (on-line training). During the last several years, many papers have been published concerning ML applications in the field of solar systems. This paper presents the state of the art ML models applied in solar energy’s forecasting field i.e., for solar irradiance and power production forecasting (both point and interval or probabilistic forecasting), electricity price forecasting and energy demand forecasting. Other applications of ML into the photovoltaic (PV) field taken into account are the modelling of PV modules, PV design parameter extraction, tracking the maximum power point (MPP), PV systems efficiency optimization, PV/Thermal (PV/T) and Concentrating PV (CPV) system design parameters’ optimization and efficiency improvement, anomaly detection and energy management of PV’s storage systems. While many review papers already exist in this regard, they are usually focused only on one specific topic, while in this paper are gathered all the most relevant applications of ML for solar systems in many different fields. The paper gives an overview of the most recent and promising applications of machine learning used in the field of photovoltaic systems.
Creating Tactile Educational Materials for the Visually Impaired and Blind Students Using AI Cloud Computing
Authors: See Aaron Raymond , Advincula Welsey Daniel
Published: August 2021

There are 24.5 million visually impaired and blind (VIB) students who have limited access to educational materials due to cost or availability. Although advancement in technology is prevalent, providing individualized learning using technology remains a challenge without the proper tools or experience. The TacPic system was developed as an online platform to create tactile educational materials (TEM) based on the image inputs of users who do not have prior experience in tactile photo development or 3D printing. The TacPic system allows the users to simply upload images to a website and uses AI cloud computing on the Amazon Web Services platform. First, it segments and labels the images. Then, the text label is converted into braille words. Subsequently, surface rendering and consolidation of the image and text is performed, before it is converted into a single file that is ready for 3D printing. Currently, the types of TEM that can be created are tactile flashcards, tactile maps, and tactile peg puzzles, which can be developed within a few hours. This is in contrast to a development period of weeks using traditional methods. Furthermore, the tactile educational materials were tested by two VIB teachers and six VIB students. It was found that those who are congenitally blind need more time to identify the object and rely more on the braille labels compared to students who became blind at a later age. Teachers also suggested producing TEM that use simpler images, and TEM that are suitable for both sighted and VIB students. In conclusion, the researchers successfully developed a platform that allows more educators or parents to develop personalized and individualized TEM. In the future, further optimization of the algorithms to improve segmentation and the inclusion of other features, such as color, could be undertaken. Finally, new printing materials and methods are needed to improve printing efficiency.
Crack Forms Sensitivity-Based Prediction on Subsurface Cracks Depth in Ultrasonic-Vibration-Assisted Grinding of Optical Glasses
Authors: Zhao Peiyi , Zhang Lei , Liu Xianli
Published: August 2021

Subsurface cracks in ultrasonic-vibration-assisted grinding (UVAG) of optical glasses often exhibit diverse forms and proportions. Due to the variety of loads involved in crack formation and propagation, the crack forms and propagation depths have different sensitivities to each process parameter. Predicting the maximum subsurface cracks depth (MSSCD) by considering the varying effects of process parameters plays a key role in implementing effective control of the UVAG process. In this work, the subsurface crack forms and their proportions are investigated by conducting 40 sets of UVAG experiments. The varying effects of the grinding and ultrasonic parameters on the crack form proportions are unveiled by using grey relational analysis. The weighted least square support vector machine (WLS-SVM) prediction model for the MSSCD was developed. Twelve sets of UVAG experiments were carried out to validate the proposed model. The results show that arc-shaped cracks and bifurcated cracks account for 72.5% of all cracks, while ultrasonic vibration amplitude influences most of the proportions of arc-shaped and bifurcated cracks. Compared to other widely used prediction methods, the maximum and average relative prediction errors of the proposed model are 10.54% and 5.59%, respectively, which proves the high prediction accuracy of the model.
Research on Temperature Compensation Method in Crankshaft Online Measurement System
Authors: Gu Tingting , Qian Xiaoming , Lou Peihuang
Published: August 2021

The crankshaft online measurement system has realized the full inspection function with fast beats, at the same time it requires for high-precision measurement. Considering the effect of ambient temperature and temperature changes on measuring machine, the calibration part, the measured crankshaft and displacement sensor, a temperature compensation method is proposed. Firstly, relationship between calibration part and ambient temperature can be get through the zero calibration. Then use the material properties to obtain compensation values of the calibration part and the measured crankshaft part at different temperatures. Finally, the compensation parameters for displacement sensor can be obtained through the BP algorithm. The improved dragonfly algorithm (DA) is used to optimize the parameters of BP neural network algorithm. Experiments verify the effectiveness of IDA-BP for LVDT in temperature compensation. After temperature compensation, the error range of main journal radius is reduced from 0.0156 mm to 0.0028 mm, the residual error decreased from −0.0282 mm~+0.0018 mm to −0.0058 mm~−0.0008 mm. The influence of temperature changes on the measurement is reduced and measurement accuracy is improved through the temperature compensation method. The effectiveness of the method is proved.
Immediate Implants with Early Loading Accompanying Autogenous Bone Grafting in a Maxilla with Periodontal Destruction: A Case Report
Authors: Ku Jeong-Kui , Kim Jae-Young , Huh Jong-Ki
Published: August 2021

In the case of multiple hopeless teeth and severe bone loss, a conventional healing protocol of 3–4 months has been recommended to prevent the possibility of infection or unpredictable resorption of grafted bone during consolidation of the extraction socket. The use of a provisional denture is inevitable in the case of delayed implant placement, which is a common risk factor for wound dehiscence after a bone graft. Although autogenous bone is still the gold standard for bone grafting because of its excellent biocompatibility and osteogenic potential, there has been controversy in the unpredictable resorption of autogenous bone grafting. We present a case of successful maxillary rehabilitation without the use of provisional dentures by immediate implant placement, with early loading accompanying an extensive autogenous bone graft.
Analysis of the Thermal Decomposition Products of Pathological and Healthy Tissues in Paranasal Sinuses: A High-Resolution Terahertz Gas Spectroscopy Study
Authors: Vaks Vladimir , Aizenshtadt Andrey , Anfertev Vladimir , Chernyaeva Maria , Domracheva Elena , Gavrilova Kseniya , Larin Roman , Pripolzin Sergey , Shakhova Mariya
Published: August 2021

We present the novel results of studying tissue metabolites of the ear-nose-throat organs (pathological and relatively healthy mucosal tissues) during heating and thermal exposure using gas spectrometers of the terahertz (THz) frequency range based on non-stationary effects. Tissue metabolites of the ear-nose-throat organs obtained during surgery according to strict medical indications have been studied for the first time in the world. All the tissues used in the samples were histological verified for confirming the morphological diagnosis. For obtaining a unified picture, chemical compounds appearing during thermal decomposition of pathological and relatively healthy tissues were identified using the spectroscopic approach, with mandatory histological verification of the samples. The obtained results demonstrate that a powerful research tool has been proposed for evaluation of metabolites in otorhinolaryngology with detection of diseases markers.
The Role of BiodentineTM on the Odontogenic/Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells
Authors: Abuarqoub Duaa , Zaza Rand , Aslam Nazneen , Jafar Hanan , Zalloum Suzan , Atoom Renata , Awidi Abdalla
Published: August 2021

The clinical use of bioactive material in the field of biomedical tissue engineering has become increasingly of interest in practice. This study investigates how BiodentineTM (BD), a tricalcium silicate cement, in culture media, affects the odonto/osteogenic differentiation potential of in vitro cultured human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs). hDPSCs were extracted and characterized for their expression profile by flow cytometry. Then, hDPSCs were cultured in media containing BD for 3 weeks to study the impact of BD on the odonto/osteogenesis pathway, compared to the positive control (osteogenic media) and negative control (cell culture media). Odonto/osteogenic differentiation of hDPSCs treated with BD was assessed by measuring the level of expression of odonto/osteogenic markers by flow cytometry, ELISA and Alizarin red stain. Additionally, the expression profile of the genes involved in the odonto/osteogenesis pathway was investigated, using PCR array. Our results indicate that hDPSCs treatment with BD results in an increased tendency for odonto/osteogenic differentiation. The BD treated group demonstrates a significant increase in the expression of odonto/osteogenic markers, osteocalcin (OCN) (p < 0.005), osteopontin (OPN) (p < 0.0005) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (p < 0.0005), and the presentation of calcium deposits by ARS, compared to the negative control by using t-test and ANOVA. Moreover, the BD-treated group is marked by the upregulation of genes related to the odonto/osteogenesis pathway, compared to the control groups, specifically the genes that are involved in the bone morphogenic protein (BMP) (p < 0.05) signaling pathway, the activation of the extracellular matrix-related gene (ECMG) (p < 0.05) and the Ca2+ signaling pathway (p < 0.05), compared to day 1 of treatment by using ANOVA. BD shows a stimulatory effect on the odonto/steogenic capacity of hDPSCs, suggesting BD as a good candidate and a very promising and useful means to be applied in regenerative medicine to regenerate dentine tissue in clinical settings.