bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Dietary Olive Cake Supplementation on Performance, Carcass Characteristics, and Meat Quality of Beef Cattle
Authors: Chiofalo Vincenzo , Liotta Luigi , Lo Presti Vittorio , Gresta Fabio , Di Rosa Ambra Rita , Chiofalo Biagina
Published: July 2020

Dietary partially destoned olive cake supplementation on performance, carcass traits and meat quality of intensively finished bulls was evaluated. Forty-five Limousin bulls, divided into three homogenous groups, received a diet with no supplementation (Control-CTR), 7.5% (Low Olive Cake-LOC), and 15.0% of olive cake supplementation (High Olive Cake-HOC). The trial was realized for 150 days; all bulls were individually weighed at the beginning, middle, and end of the trial, to calculate the individual average daily gain (ADG). At slaughtering, on each carcass, hot weight was recorded and, after 7 days, the pH and temperature were measured. On Longissimus lumborum muscle, color, cooking loss, and shear force of the cooked sample were determined. The chemical composition and the fatty acid content of muscle were determined. Olive cake inclusions (7.5% and 15.0%) increased (p < 0.05) the body weight, ADG, slaughter traits and intramuscular fat content and influenced (p < 0.05) the quality indices. The 15.0% of the inclusion reduced (p < 0.05) the cooking loss and shear force, and increased the unsaturated fatty acid content. The olive cake can be considered as a functional component in beef production and, in substitution to a quote of cereals into the diet of bulls, could be an opportunity to improve agriculture sustainability.
Corpus Luteum Color Doppler Ultrasound and Pregnancy Outcome in Buffalo during the Transitional Period
Authors: Esposito Luigi , Salzano Angela , Russo Marco , de Nicola Donato , Prandi Alberto , Gasparrini Bianca , Campanile Giuseppe , Neglia Gianluca
Published: July 2020

This study evaluated corpus luteum (CL) development in buffaloes out of breeding season and assessed an early pregnancy diagnosis. Mediterranean buffaloes (n = 29) were synchronized and artificially inseminated. CL B-mode/color Doppler ultrasonography examinations were performed daily from Days 5 to 10 post-synchronization, recording CL dimensions and blood flow parameters. Blood samples were collected on the same days for the progesterone (P4) assay. Data were grouped into pregnant or nonpregnant and retrospectively analyzed. The total pregnancy rate was 50.0% (13/26) on Day 45. A significant difference between CL average area in pregnant and nonpregnant buffaloes was recorded only on Day 10. Pregnant buffaloes showed a significantly higher mean P4 concentration and higher mean time average medium velocity (TAMV) values from Day 5 to Day 10 compared to nonpregnant buffaloes. Linear regression analysis showed a significant relationship between P4 levels and TAMV. Multiple logistic regression highlighted a significant influence of TAMV on pregnancy outcome, particularly on Day 8. This is probably due to the strong relationship between TAMV and P4 production. Both TAMV and P4 could be used to predict pregnancy starting on Day 6, although a more reliable result was obtained at Day 10. Thus, the period between Days 5 and 10 is critical for CL development during the transitional period in buffalo.
Comparative Study of the Water-Soluble Antioxidants in Fodder Additives and Sheep Blood Serum by Amperometric and Biochemical Methods
Authors: Zaitsev Sergei Yu. , Savina Anastasia A. , Volnin Andrei A. , Voronina Oksana A. , Bogolyubova Nadezhda V.
Published: July 2020

The effects of chitosan as feed additive for animals (FAFAs) on various digestive processes are an important to study because of the animal nutrition and production quality, healthcare and farming. The aims of this study were to evaluate the total amount of water-soluble antioxidants (TAWSA) of chitosan and high protein microbiologically synthesized concentrate as FAFAs; to assess the effect of these FAFAs on TAWSA values, parameters of sheep blood serum and rumen content by biochemical, physical and chemical methods. The laboratory studies of TAWSA values of feed components based on chitosan from different manufacturers or/and a high-protein concentrate were implemented. The animal experiments were carried out on six rumen-fistulated ewes (in three rounds of 14 days each, i.e., three groups) to confirm the results of the laboratory studies. The particular differences of the TAWSA of sheep blood by using both FAFAs by amperometric method were determined. A strong negative correlation −0.67 (or −0.86) was observed between TAWSA and the total protein (globulin’s) content in the blood for the Group 3 of animals. A moderate (0.40) or strong (0.73) positive correlation between TAWSA and total protein content in the blood for the Group 2 of animals than weak correlation 0.23 (or 0.26) for the control Group 1. In conclusion, the correlations between the value changes of TAWSA vs. major biochemical parameters of a blood serum of rumen-fistulated ewes (Group 3 > Group 2 > Group 1) or some indicators of the rumen content (ingesta pH, total content of volatile fatty acids, etc.) were found for the first time.
Autochtonous Strain Enterococcus faecium EF2019(CCM7420), Its Bacteriocin and Their Beneficial Effects in Broiler Rabbits—A Review
Authors: Pogány Simonová Monika , Chrastinová Ľubica , Lauková Andrea
Published: July 2020

The present review evaluates and compares the effects achieved after application of rabbit-derived bacteriocin-producing strain Enterococcus faecium CCM7420 with probiotic properties and its bacteriocin Ent7420. The experiments included varying duration of application (14 and 21 days), form of application (fresh culture and lyophilized form), combination with herbal extract and application of the partially purified enterocin—Ent7420, produced by this strain. Results from these studies showed that E. faecium CCM7420 strain was able to colonize the gastrointestinal tract (caecum) of rabbits (in the range < 1.0–6.7 log cycle, respectively 3.66 log cycle on average), to change the composition of intestinal microbiota (increased lactic acid bacteria, reduced counts of coliforms, clostridia and staphylococci), to modulate the immunity (significant increase of phagocytic activity), morphometry (enlargement absorption surface in jejunum, higher villi height:crypt depth (VH:CD) ratio), physiological (serum biochemistry; altered total proteins, glucose and triglycerides levels) and parasitological (Eimeria sp. oocysts) parameters and to improve weight gains (in the range 4.8–22.0%, respectively 11.2% on average), feed conversion ratio and meat quality (physicochemical traits and mineral content).
Alterations in Rumen Bacterial Community and Metabolome Characteristics of Cashmere Goats in Response to Dietary Nutrient Density
Authors: Wang Yaoyue , Tang Peng , Xiao Yafei , Liu Jianming , Chen Yulin , Yang Yuxin
Published: July 2020

This study was conducted to investigate the impacts of dietary energy and protein on rumen bacterial composition and ruminal metabolites. A total of 12 ruminal samples were collected from Shaanbei white cashmere goats which were divided into two groups, including high-energy and high-protein (Group H; crude protein, CP: 9.37% in dry matter; metabolic energy, ME: 9.24 MJ/kg) and control (Group C; CP: 8.73%; ME: 8.60 MJ/kg) groups. Thereby, 16S rRNA gene sequencing and a quantitative polymerase chain reaction were performed to identify the rumen bacterial community. Metabolomics analysis was done to investigate the rumen metabolites and the related metabolic pathways in Groups C and H. The high-energy and high-protein diets increased the relative abundance of phylum Bacteroidetes and genera Prevotella_1 and Succiniclasticum, while decreasing the number of Proteobacteria (p < 0.05). The dominant differential metabolites were amino acids, peptides, and analogs. Tyrosine metabolism played an important role among the nine main metabolic pathways. Correlation analysis revealed that both Prevotella_1 (r = 0.608, p < 0.05) and Ruminococcus_2 (r = 0.613, p < 0.05) showed a positive correlation with catechol. Our findings revealed that the diets with high energy and protein levels in Group H significantly altered the composition of ruminal bacteria and metabolites, which can help to improve the dietary energy and protein use efficiency in goats.
Substandard Quality of the Antimicrobials Sold in the Street Markets in Haiti
Authors: Jean-Baptiste Théodule , Carpenter John F. , Dahl Kevin , Derameau Wellington , Veillard Rosemela , Jacquet John Redford , Osselyn Pierre Ludens , Figueras Albert
Published: July 2020

This pilot study was conducted to analyze the quality of the antimicrobials sold in the street markets in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. A total of 258 packs containing antimicrobials were bought in 28 street markets in Port-au-Prince (Haiti). Tablets and contents of capsules included in 196 packs were analyzed using a Raman handheld spectrometer (NanoRAM of BWTEK, Model: BWS456-785) during the first quarter of 2019. Three out of 11 antimicrobials (Amoxicillin, Metronidazole, and Cotrimoxazole) had a high spectral match with an HQI ≥ 90 to the respective authentic medicine for more than 95% of their tablets/capsules. For six antimicrobials (Tetracycline, Erythromycin, Cloxacillin, Azithromycin, Clarithromycin, and the combination Amoxicillin + Clavulanic Acid) none of their tablets/capsules showed a sufficient spectral match with the authentic medicine. This finding indicates that these products sold in the markets did not contain the labeled drug and/or contained a degraded drug. In addition to the fact that prescription antimicrobials can be purchased in street markets, the present field study found that for most of them (including “Watch” antimicrobials according to the AWaRe classification) were substandard, which contributes to the present antimicrobials resistance epidemic.
The Interplay between Oxidative Stress and miRNAs in Obesity-Associated Hepatic and Vascular Complications
Authors: Infante-Menéndez Jorge , López-Pastor Andrea R. , González-López Paula , Gómez-Hernández Almudena , Escribano Oscar
Published: July 2020

Nowadays, the obesity pandemic is one of the most relevant health issues worldwide. This condition is tightly related to comorbidities such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), namely atherosclerosis. Dysregulated lipid metabolism and inflammation link these three diseases, leading to a subsequent increase of oxidative stress (OS) causing severe cellular damage. On the other hand, microRNAs (miRNAs) are short, single-stranded, non-coding RNAs that act as post-transcriptional negative regulators of gene expression, thus being involved in the molecular mechanisms that promote the development of many pathologies including obesity and its comorbidities. The involvement of miRNAs in promoting or opposing OS in disease progression is becoming more evident. Some miRNAs, such as miR-200a and miR.421, seem to play important roles in OS control in NAFLD. On the other hand, miR-92a and miR-133, among others, are important in the development of atherosclerosis. Moreover, since both diseases are linked to obesity, they share common altered miRNAs, being miR-34a and miR-21 related to OS. This review summarizes the latest advances in the knowledge about the mechanisms of oxidative stress (OS) generation in obesity-associated NAFLD and atherosclerosis, as well as the role played by miRNAs in the regulation of such mechanisms.
Upregulation of Tolerogenic Pathways by the Hydrogen Sulfide Donor GYY4137 and Impaired Expression of H2S-Producing Enzymes in Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Lazarević Milica , Battaglia Giuseppe , Jevtić Bojan , Djedovic Neda , Bruno Valeria , Cavalli Eugenio , Miljković Đorđe , Nicoletti Ferdinando , Momčilović Miljana , Fagone Paolo
Published: July 2020

The aim of this study was to examine the in vitro effects of the slow-releasing H2S donor GYY4137 on the immune cells involved in the pathogenesis of the central nervous system (CNS) autoimmune disease, multiple sclerosis (MS). GYY4137 specifically potentiated TGF-β expression and production in dendritic cells and significantly reduced IFN-γ and IL-17 production in the lymph node and spinal cord T cells obtained from mice immunized with CNS antigens. Both the proportion of FoxP3+ regulatory CD4+ T cells in the lymph node cells, and the percentage of IL-17+ CD4+ T cells in the spinal cord cells were reduced upon culturing with GYY4137. Interestingly, the peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from the MS patients had a lower expression of the H2S-producing enzyme, 3-mercaptopyruvate-sulfurtransferase (MPST), in comparison to those obtained from healthy donors. A significant inverse correlation between the expression of MPST and several pro-inflammatory factors was also observed. Further studies on the relevance of the observed results for the pathogenesis and therapy of MS are warranted.
Estimating Proportion of Vegetation Cover at the Vicinity of Archaeological Sites Using Sentinel-1 and -2 Data, Supplemented by Crowdsourced OpenStreetMap Geodata
Authors: Agapiou Athos
Published: July 2020

Monitoring vegetation cover is an essential parameter for assessing various natural and anthropogenic hazards that occur at the vicinity of archaeological sites and landscapes. In this study, we used free and open access to Copernicus Earth Observation datasets. In particular, the proportion of vegetation cover is estimated from the analysis of Sentinel-1 radar and Sentinel-2 optical images, upon their radiometric and geometric corrections. Here, the proportion of vegetation based on the Radar Vegetation Index and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index is estimated. Due to the medium resolution of these datasets (10 m resolution), the crowdsourced OpenStreetMap service was used to identify fully and non-vegetated pixels. The case study is focused on the western part of Cyprus, whereas various open-air archaeological sites exist, such as the archaeological site of “Nea Paphos” and the “Tombs of the Kings”. A cross-comparison of the results between the optical and the radar images is presented, as well as a comparison with ready products derived from the Sentinel Hub service such as the Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar Urban and Sentinel-2 Scene classification data. Moreover, the proportion of vegetation cover was evaluated with Google Earth red-green-blue free high-resolution optical images, indicating that a good correlation between the RVI and NDVI can be generated only over vegetated areas. The overall findings indicate that Sentinel-1 and -2 indices can provide a similar pattern only over vegetated areas, which can be further elaborated to estimate temporal changes using integrated optical and radar Sentinel data. This study can support future investigations related to hazard analysis based on the combined use of optical and radar sensors, especially in areas with high cloud-coverage.
Underwater Optical Path Loss after Passage of a Tropical Storm
Authors: Chu Peter C. , Fan Chenwu
Published: July 2020

Underwater wireless optical communications (UWOCs) have attracted considerable attention in recent years as an alternative means for acoustic communication. However, optical path loss of light propagation from attenuation is in large part due to absorption and scattering in various water conditions. Identification of environmental effects, especially tropical storms on underwater optical path loss, is key to the success of using optics for UWOCs. Underwater inherent optical properties (IOPs), such as the beam attenuation coefficient for 470 nm light in the western North Pacific Ocean, were measured from U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office Seagliders deployed after Super Typhoon Guchol’s (June 7–20, 2012) passage from June 25 to June 30, 2012 and without any typhoon passage from January 9 to February 28, 2014. The two observed sets (with and without the super typhoon) of IOPs are taken as input for a recently developed radiative transfer equation solver. The simulated normalized received powers for the two durations show a large impact of typhoon passage on UWOCs.
Ginkgo biloba Alleviates Cisplatin-Mediated Neurotoxicity in Rats via Modulating APP/Aβ/P2X7R/P2Y12R and XIAP/BDNF-Dependent Caspase-3 Apoptotic Pathway
Authors: H. Gomaa Dina , G. Hozayen Walaa , Al-shafeey Haidy , M. Hussein Elkelawy Asmaa Mohammed , S. Hashem Khalid
Published: July 2020

Neurotoxicity is an obvious adverse effect in Patients encountering a complete course of chemotherapy. The present work is conducted to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo) against the neurotoxicity induced by Cisplatin (Cis) in rats. Forty male Wistar albino rats were arranged into four groups: (1) Control group, rats were given saline; (2) Cis group, rats were injected by Cis 2 mg/kg body weight i.p., twice a week starting on the fifth day for thirty days; (3) Ginkgo group, rats were administered Ginkgo (50 mg/kg orally) daily for thirty days; and (4) Ginkgo+Cis group, rats received Ginkgo (50 mg/kg orally) daily and on the fifth day, rats were injected with Cis (2 mg/Kg body weight i.p.) twice a week for thirty days. Cis significantly increased Gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT) and Acetyl Cholinesterase (CHE) as compared to the control group and also disturbed cerebral oxidative/antioxidant redox. Co-administration of Ginkgo and Cis reversed the adverse effect of Cis on the brain tissue. Moreover, co-administration of Ginkgo and Cis ameliorated Cis induced brain damage by reducing Amyloid precursor protein (APP), amyloid β (Aβ), P2Y12R and P2X7R mRNA expressions and proteins. Furthermore, Ginkgo regulated XIAP/BDNF expressions with a consequent decrease of caspase-3 and DNA fragmentation%. The current results concluded that concurrent treatment with Ginkgo can mitigate neurotoxicity mediated by Cis in experimental animals through exhibiting antioxidant effect by restoring cerebral oxidative/antioxidant redox and anti-apoptotic effect via regulating cerebral APP/Aβ/P2Y12R/P2X7R and XIAP/BDNF signaling pathways.
Automatic Tortuosity Estimation of Nerve Fibers and Retinal Vessels in Ophthalmic Images
Authors: Chen Honghan , Chen Bang , Zhang Dan , Zhang Jiong , Liu Jiang , Zhao Yitian
Published: July 2020

The tortuosity changes of curvilinear anatomical organs such as nerve fibers or vessels have a close relationship with a number of diseases. Therefore, the automatic estimation and representation of the tortuosity is desired in medical image for such organs. In this paper, an automated framework for tortuosity estimation is proposed for corneal nerve and retinal vessel images. First, the weighted local phase tensor-based enhancement method is employed and the curvilinear structure is extracted from raw image. For each curvilinear structure with a different position and orientation, the curvature is measured by the exponential curvature estimation in the 3D space. Then, the tortuosity of an image is calculated as the weighted average of all the curvilinear structures. Our proposed framework has been evaluated on two corneal nerve fiber datasets and one retinal vessel dataset. Experiments on three curvilinear organ datasets demonstrate that our proposed tortuosity estimation method achieves a promising performance compared with other state-of-the-art methods in terms of accuracy and generality. In our nerve fiber dataset, the method achieved overall accuray of 0.820, and 0.734, 0.881 for sensitivity and specificity, respectively. The proposed method also achieved Spearman correlation scores 0.945 and 0.868 correlated with tortuosity grading ground truth for arteries and veins in the retinal vessel dataset. Furthermore, the manual labeled 403 corneal nerve fiber images with different levels of tortuosity, and all of them are also released for public access for further research.
Evaluation of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Removal from a Denitrifying Woodchip Bioreactor Treatment System Receiving Silage Bunker Runoff
Authors: Sarazen Jillian C. , Faulkner Joshua W. , Hurley Stephanie E.
Published: July 2020

Leachate and storm-driven runoff from silage storage bunkers can degrade receiving water bodies if left untreated. This study evaluated a novel treatment system consisting of three treatment tanks with a moving-bed biofilm reactor and paired side-by-side denitrifying woodchip bioreactors for the ability to reduce influent nutrient mass loads. Flow-based samples were taken at four locations throughout the system, at the inflow to the first tank, outflow from the tanks prior to entering the woodchip bioreactors, and from the outflows of both bioreactors. Samples were analyzed for concentrations of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) species. Inflow concentrations were reduced from the bioreactor outflows by an average of 35% for total N (TN) and 16% for total P (TP) concentrations on a storm event basis. The treatment system cumulatively removed 76% of the TN mass load, 71% of the nitrite + nitrate-N (NO2−+NO3−-N) load, 26% of the TP mass load, and 19% of the soluble reactive P load, but was a source of ammonium-N, based on the monitoring of 16 storm events throughout 2019. While the system was effective, very low NO2−+NO3−-N concentrations in the silage bunker runoff entered the bioreactors, which may have inhibited denitrification performance.
Stress Wave Propagation through Rock Joints Filled with Viscoelastic Medium Considering Different Water Contents
Authors: Huang Xiaolin , Qi Shengwen , Zheng Bowen , Liu Youshan , Xue Lei , Liang Ning
Published: July 2020

A rock mass often contains joints filled with a viscoelastic medium of which seismic response is significant to geophysical exploration and seismic engineering design. Using the propagator matrix method, an analytical model was established to characterize the seismic response of viscoelastic filled joints. Stress wave propagation through a single joint highly depended on the water content and thickness of the filling as well as the frequency and incident angle of the incident wave. The increase in the water content enhanced the viscosity (depicted by quality factor) of the filled joint, which could promote equivalent joint stiffness and energy dissipation with double effects on stress wave propagation. There existed multiple reflections when the stress wave propagated through a set of filled joints. The dimensionless joint spacing was the main controlling factor in the seismic response of the multiple filled joints. As it increased, the transmission coefficient first increased, then it decreased instead, and at last it basically kept invariant. The effect of multiple reflections was weakened by increasing the water content, which further influenced the variation of the transmission coefficient. The water content of the joint filling should be paid more attention in practical applications.
WEEE Recycling and Circular Economy Assisted by Collaborative Robots
Authors: Álvarez-de-los-Mozos Esther , Rentería-Bilbao Arantxa , Díaz-Martín Fernando
Published: July 2020

Considering the amount of waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) generated each year at an increasing rate, it is of crucial importance to develop circular economy solutions that prioritize reuse and recycling, as well as reducing the amount of waste that is disposed of at landfills. This paper analyses the evolution of the amount of WEEE collection and its recycling rate at the national and European levels. It also describes the regulatory framework and possible future government policy measures to foster a circular economy. Furthermore, it identifies the different parts and materials that can be recovered from the recycling process with a special emphasis on plastics. Finally, it describes a recycling line that has been designed for the dismantling of computer cathodic ray tubes (CRT)s that combines an innovative participation of people and collaborative robots which has led to an effective and efficient material recovery solution. The key issue of this human–robot collaboration relies on only assigning tasks that require human skills to operators and sending all other tasks to robots. The first results from the model show a better economic performance than current manual processes, mainly regarding the higher degree of separation of recovered materials and plastic in particular, thus reaching higher revenues. This collaboration also brings considerable additional benefits for the environment, through a higher recovery rate in weight and for workers, who can make intelligent decisions in the factory and enjoy a safer working environment by avoiding the most dangerous tasks.
The Influence of Brushing Movement on Geometrical Shaping Outcomes: A Micro-CT Study
Authors: Alovisi Mario , Pasqualini Damiano , Carpegna Giorgia , Comba Allegra , Moccia Edoardo , Multari Stefania , Dioguardi Mario , Scotti Nicola , Berutti Elio
Published: July 2020

Brushing motion has been proposed for endodontic single-file reciprocating systems to eliminate coronal interferences, but it may hesitate in a less conservative root canal shaping. The aim of the study was to compare the maintenance of the original root canal anatomy using the WaveOne Gold (WOG) technique with or without a brushing motion. Sixty extracted human mandibular first molars were selected. Manual canal scouting and mechanical glide path were performed. Samples were randomized into two groups (n = 30): WOG Primary was used to shape the mesio-lingual canals without (NB group) or with (B group) an intentional brushing motion. Specimens were scanned with micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) before and after instrumentation in order to match the volumes. Increases in canal volume and surface area were measured. Centroid shift and thickness of removed dentine from the inner curvature were assessed at the furcation, 1.5 mm and 3 mm apically from the furcation, and in relation to the point of maximum curvature. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and post-hoc Student–Newmann–Keuls tests (p < 0.05). No brushing technique resulted in being significantly associated with a better maintenance of the canal anatomy, especially in the coronal third (p < 0.05). When using the WOG system, a no-brushing technique resulted in less invasive shaping, reducing the risk of stripping.
The Use of a Targeted Must Oxygenation Method in the Process of Developing the Archival Potential of Natural Wine
Authors: Pokrývková Jozefína , Ailer Štefan , Jedlička Jaroslav , Chlebo Peter , Jurík Ľuboš
Published: July 2020

We examined the effect of two different technological processes for wine production on qualitative parameters of wine. We used the reductive method, which is currently considered to be the conventional method, and a targeted must oxidation method. We evaluated the basic physicochemical parameters and sensory attributes of wine as well as the content of phenolic substances in wine, which are responsible for the oxidation processes. The vegetable materials used were the grape varieties, Welschriesling, Chardonnay, and Rheinriesling. The content of phenolic substances was determined by HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography), and the basic analytical parameters of wine were determined by FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) spectrometry. The sensory analysis was evaluated according to the International Union of Oenologists. For each of the wines examined, the total content of phenolic substances decreased after the targeted oxidation method was applied. For the Welschriesling variety produced by the reduction method, the total content of the 19 monitored phenolic substances in the year 2015 was 88.37 mg·L−1, and for the wine produced by target oxygenation, it was 68.63 mg·L−1. This represents a decrease of 21.5%. In the year 2016, the decrease was 20.91%. By reducing the content of phenolic substances, the oxidation processes in wines are eliminated after bottling. Thus, there is less need for sulphating wines with a reduced content of phenols.
New Methodological Approach towards a Complete Characterization of Structural Fiber Reinforced Concrete by Means of Mechanical Testing Procedures
Authors: Alberti Marcos G. , Picazo Álvaro , Gálvez Jaime C. , Enfedaque Alejandro
Published: July 2020

This work proposes a novel methodology for the complete characterization of fiber reinforced concrete (FRC). The method includes bending tests of prismatic notched specimens, based on the Standards for FRC, tensile and pure shear tests. The values adopted by the standards for designing FRC are the obtained from bending tests, typically fR3, even for shear and pure tension loading. This paper shows that the remaining strength of FRC, supplied by the fibers, depends on the type of loading. In the case of shear and tensile loading the prescriptions of the standards may be unsafe. In this work, the remaining halves of specimens subjected to bending test are prepared and used for shear and tension tests. This means significant savings in specimen preparation and a greater amount of information for structural use of FRC. The results provide relevant information for the design of structural elements of FRC compared with the only use of data supplied by bending tests. In the case of tensile tests, fLOP values are 42% of the strength of the equivalent bending results, being 31% the average reduction in remaining resistance in comparison with the bending test. Pure shear tests showed, for 0.5 mm shear displacement, that the shear resistance is greater than 160% of that expressed according to bending tests. In addition, a video-extensometry system was used to analyze the crack generation and cracking patterns. The video-extensometry applied to shear tests allowed the assessment of the sliding values and crack opening values at the crack discontinuity. These values may be quite relevant for the study of the FRC behavior when subjected to shear according to the shear-friction model theories.
A Method to Supervise the Effect on Railway Radio Transmission of Pulsed Disturbances Based on Joint Statistical Characteristics
Authors: Geng Xin , Wen Yinghong , Zhang Jinbao , Zhang Dan
Published: July 2020

Radiocommunication systems between train and trackside (RSTT) carry essential information for train operations between on-board radio equipment and the related radio infrastructure located along the trackside, such as the train control, voice dispatching, command, operational information as well as the monitoring data. In a high-speed railway environment, the electromagnetic interference (EMI) has been a major threat to RSTT, and may result in critical security issues for railway transportation and even passengers. Given the complex scenario of the high-speed railway, it is significant to monitor the impact of disturbances in order to guarantee the quality of RSTT. On one hand, RSTT operate in a complex electromagnetic environment where transient disturbances coexist with permanent ones, and they both vary dramatically while the train is running. On the other hand, various radiocommunication technologies have been used for railway applications, featuring forward error-correction codes to resist EMI. Therefore, this paper puts forward a novel approach to evaluate the impact on radio transmission based on the joint statistical characteristics of time-varying EMI. This approach applies a dynamic effective signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio mapping model to establish the relation between the block error performance of on-board radio and the joint statistical characteristics of disturbances with a mutual information-based metric. Simulations on radio transmission using Turbo coding and low-density-parity-check coding under various interferences indicate that this approach is effective to evaluate the degradation of transmission signal with forward error-correction coding due to EMI with different characteristics.
DLI-Based DP-QPSK Reception Scheme for Short-Range Optical Communication
Authors: Yin Huiwen , Yu Yue , Huang Zhiping
Published: July 2020

The unacceptably high cost of digital coherent receivers for short-range optical communication has in recent years fueled the study of alternative transmission schemes that are simultaneously highly performing and cost-effective. However, the proposed solutions (e.g., Kramers–Kronig receiver) usually require the cooperation of a transmitting end, which is unachievable in the context of non-cooperative communication. In this work, we mainly studied a dual-polarization quadrature phase-shift-keying (DP-QPSK) non-coherent reception scheme based on a delay-line interferometer (DLI) and measures to improve the reception performance. A data recovery algorithm was proposed for DLI-based DP-QPSK demodulation. The simulation results demonstrated that the algorithm could accurately recover the raw data from the transmitter. Moreover, decreasing the differential delay of the DLI could effectively increase the chromatic dispersion tolerance of the receiver and the optimal delay scaled inversely with the chromatic dispersion. It was found that a DLI-based DP-QPSK reception scheme is a better choice for short-range, non-cooperative communication with less severe transmission impairments.
Multibody Dynamics of Nonsymmetric Planar 3PRR Parallel Manipulator with Fully Flexible Links
Authors: Rosyid Abdur , El-Khasawneh Bashar
Published: July 2020

This paper presents the implementation of the floating frame of reference formulation to model the flexible multibody dynamics of a nonsymmetric planar 3PRR parallel manipulator. All of the links, including the moving platform, of the manipulator under study are assumed flexible whereas the joints are assumed rigid. Using the Euler-Bernoulli beam, the flexibility of the links is modeled by using the Rayleigh-Ritz and finite element approximations. In both approximations, fixed-free boundary conditions are applied to the elastic coordinates of the links. These boundary conditions enable the evaluation of the elastic displacement at a link tip coincident with the end-effector of the manipulator which is of interest in the high precision robotics application. Both the approximations were compared by applying two different types of loads to the manipulator. It is shown that the elastic displacements obtained by using both the approximations have an agreement with a slight difference in the magnitude. In addition, the sensitivity analysis shows that the rigidity of the manipulator is much affected by the in-plane depth of the manipulator links’ cross section.
Investigation of the Influence of Liquid Motion in a Flow-Based System on an Enzyme Aggregation State with an Atomic Force Microscopy Sensor: The Effect of Glycerol Flow
Authors: Ziborov Vadim S. , Pleshakova Tatyana O. , Shumov Ivan D. , Kozlov Andrey F. , Ivanova Irina A. , Valueva Anastasia A. , Tatur Vadim Yu. , Negodailov Andrey N. , Lukyanitsa Andrei A. , Ivanov Yuri D.
Published: July 2020

Atomic force microscopy is employed to study the influence of the motion of a glycerol solution through a coiled (spiral-wound) polymeric communication pipe on the aggregation state of a protein, with the example of a horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme. The measuring cell with the buffered solution of the protein was placed within the experimental setup over the pipe coil, through which glycerol was pumped. It is demonstrated that, in such a system, the flow of a non-aqueous liquid (glycerol) leads to a change in the physicochemical properties of a protein, whose solution was incubated in the measuring cell placed over the coil. Namely, changes in both the adsorbability onto mica and the aggregation state of the model HRP protein were observed. As glycerol-containing liquids are commonly used in biosensor operations, the results reported herein can be useful to the development of biosensor systems, in which polymeric communications are employed in sample delivery and thermal stabilization systems. The data obtained herein can also be of use for the development of specified hydrodynamic models.
A Positive Flow Control System for Electric Excavators Based on Variable Speed Control
Authors: Fu Shengjie , Li Zhongshen , Lin Tianliang , Chen Qihuai , Ren Haoling
Published: July 2020

Energy conservation and emission reduction of construction machinery are the focus of current research. The traditional excavator, whose hydraulic pump is driven by the engine, has high fuel consumption and emissions. Furthermore, it is difficult to match the working point of the engine to that of the hydraulic pump. Current pure electric drive technology has the advantages of zero pollution and low noise, and the motor used has the advantages of fast response and a wide speed range. Based on the characteristics of the pure electric drive technology, a positive flow system based on variable speed constant displacement instead of a variable displacement pump for pure electric construction machinery is put forward to realize the flow-matching of the whole machine. The basic structure and working principle were introduced. The control process was analyzed. The controllability and energy saving of the proposed system were tested through simulation and experimental analysis. The research results showed that the controllability of the proposed positive flow system was comparable to that of the traditional throttling speed-regulating control system. The energy-saving efficiency of the proposed positive flow system is increased by 35.2% compared to that of the tradition control system. To further exploit the strong overload capacity of electric motors of electric construction machinery and solve the insufficient power under sudden load, research on constant power control will be carried out in the future.
Impact of Deep Eutectic Solvents on Extraction of Polyphenols from Grape Seeds and Skin
Authors: Dabetić Nevena , Todorović Vanja , Panić Manuela , Radojčić Redovniković Ivana , Šobajić Sladjana
Published: July 2020

In the past few years, research efforts have focused on plant exploitation for deriving some valuable compounds. Extraction has been usually performed using petrochemical and volatile organic solvents, but nowadays, increased recognition of environmental pollution has prompted the utilization of green solvents as alternatives. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to exploit deep eutectic solvents (DES) (choline chloride: citric acid and choline chloride: glucose) as solvents for extracting valuable phenolic antioxidants from grapes. Investigation was conducted on ten grape varieties, observing seeds and skin as different matrix. Total polyphenol content (TPC) was determined by Folin-Ciocalteu spectrophotometric microassay. Antioxidant activity was investigated using four different tests and results were combined in a unique Antioxidant Composite Index (ACI) to reveal comprehensive information about this biological activity. Polyphenol compounds were identified and quantified with the aim of HPLC-diode array detector (DAD). Overall results support that DES (particularly choline chloride: citric acid) were comparable to conventional solvent, and in most cases even outperformed acidified aqueous ethanol (concerning extraction efficiency and antioxidant activity). Regardless of varietal distinctions, grape seeds have higher antioxidant capacity compared to grape skin, and such findings are according to their phenol compound concentrations.
Comparison of Three Location Estimation Methods of an Autonomous Driving Robot for Underground Mines
Authors: Kim Heonmoo , Choi Yosoon
Published: July 2020

In this study, we compared the accuracy of three location estimation methods of an autonomous driving robot for underground mines: an inertial measurement unit with encoder (IMU + encoder) sensors, Light Detecting and Ranging with encoder (LiDAR + encoder) sensors, and IMU with LiDAR and encoder (IMU + LiDAR + encoder) sensors. An accuracy comparison experiment was conducted in an indoor laboratory composed of four sections (X-change, X-Y change, X-Z change, and Y-change sections) that simulated an underground mine. The robot’s location was estimated using each of the three location estimation methods as the autonomous driving robot moved, and the results accuracy was analyzed by comparing the estimated location with the robot’s actual location. From the results of the indoor experiments, the average estimation error of the IMU + LiDAR + encoder sensors was approximately 0.09 m, that of the IMU + encoder was 0.19 m, and that of the LiDAR + encoder was 0.81 m. In a field experiment, the average error of the IMU + LiDAR + encoder was approximately 0.11 m, that of the IMU + encoder was 0.17 m, and that of the LiDAR + encoder was 0.70 m. In conclusion, the IMU + LiDAR + encoder method, which uses three types of sensors, showed the highest accuracy in estimating the location of autonomous robots in an underground mine.
Effect of Coulomb Focusing on the Electron–Atom Bremsstrahlung Cross Section for Tungsten and Iron in Nonthermal Lorentzian Plasmas
Authors: Lee Myoung-Jae , Ashikawa Naoko , Jung Young-Dae
Published: July 2020

The Coulomb focusing effect on the electron–atom bremsstrahlung spectrum is investigated in nonthermal Lorentzian plasmas. The universal expression of the cross section of nonrelativistic electron–atom bremsstrahlung process is obtained by the solution of the Thomas-Fermi equation with the effective atomic charge. The effective Coulomb focusing for the electron–atom bremsstrahlung cross section near the threshold domain is also investigated by adopting the modified Elwert-Sommerfeld factor with the mean effective charge for the bremsstrahlung process. In addition, the bremsstrahlung emission rates are obtained by considering encounters between nonthermal electrons and atoms such as Fe and W atoms. We found that the bremsstrahlung emission rates for nonthermal electron–atoms are lower than those for thermal plasmas. Various nonthermal effects on the bremsstrahlung emission rates in Lorentzian plasmas are also discussed.
The Synthesis and Effect of Silver Nanoparticles on the Adsorption of Cu2+ from Aqueous Solutions
Authors: Al-Senani Ghadah M. , Al-Kadhi Nada
Published: July 2020

The adsorption of Cu2+ ions from an aqueous solution using AgNPs synthesized from Convolvulus arvensis leaf extract was investigated. The characterization of AgNPs was investigated before and after the adsorption of Cu2+ ions via Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. The adsorbent contained various functional groups in addition to the AgNPs, which contributed to the Cu2+ ions adsorption. The silver nanoparticle surface consisted of spherical particles and deep pores, which adsorbed numerous Cu2+ ions. The influences of dosage, pH, and contact time on adsorption of 10 and 50 mg/L Cu2+ at 298 K, and initial Cu2+ concentrations at 298 and 323 K were studied. It was found that the highest percentage of Cu2+ ions adsorbed from an aqueous solution was 98.99%; the aqueous solution had 10 mg/L of Cu2+ ions and 0.2 g of AgNPs, at pH 12 and 298 K. A pseudo-second kinetics model offered the most accurate description of the process of adsorption. The process of Cu2+ adsorption more resembled a Langmuir rather than a Freundlich isotherm model, including chemical and physical mixed adsorption (mixed adsorption) processes, and was exothermic and spontaneous.
Climate Change Effects on Hydropower in Mozambique
Authors: Uamusse Miguel Meque , Tussupova Kamshat , Persson Kenneth M
Published: July 2020

The impact of climate change on the production of hydropower in Mozambique is reviewed and regression analysis is applied to evaluate future climate scenarios. The results show that climate change will cause increased variability of precipitation and create flooding that can damage infrastructure such as hydropower dams. Climate change can also cause drought that will decrease surface water and reduce hydroelectric generation in Mozambique. Electricity generation is to a major extent performed through large-scale hydropower in Mozambique. To fulfill the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and an increased demand for electricity, several large and many small hydropower projects are planned and were built in the country. The economic lifetime of a hydropower plant is typically 100 years, meaning that the hydrologic regimes for the plants should be evaluated for at least this period. Climate change effects are rarely included in present feasibility studies. Economic implications associated with climate change phenomena are higher in Mozambique than in neighboring countries as its future electricity demand to a large extent is forecasted to be met by hydropower. The large hydropower potential in Mozambique should as well be considered when investing in new power plants in southern Africa.
Cultural “Authenticity” as a Conflict-Ridden Hypotext: Mulan (1998), Mulan Joins the Army (1939), and a Millennium-Long Intertextual Metamorphosis
Authors: Wang Zhuoyi
Published: July 2020

Disney’s Mulan (1998) has generated much scholarly interest in comparing the film with its hypotext: the Chinese legend of Mulan. While this comparison has produced meaningful criticism of the Orientalism inherent in Disney’s cultural appropriation, it often ironically perpetuates the Orientalist paradigm by reducing the legend into a unified, static entity of the “authentic” Chinese “original”. This paper argues that the Chinese hypotext is an accumulation of dramatically conflicting representations of Mulan with no clear point of origin. It analyzes the Republican-era film adaptation Mulan Joins the Army (1939) as a cultural palimpsest revealing attributes associated with different stages of the legendary figure’s millennium-long intertextual metamorphosis, including a possibly nomadic woman warrior outside China proper, a Confucian role model of loyalty and filial piety, a Sinitic deity in the Sino-Barbarian dichotomy, a focus of male sexual fantasy, a Neo-Confucian exemplar of chastity, and modern models for women established for antagonistic political agendas. Similar to the previous layers of adaptation constituting the hypotext, Disney’s Mulan is simply another hypertext continuing Mulan’s metamorphosis, and it by no means contains the most dramatic intertextual change. Productive criticism of Orientalist cultural appropriations, therefore, should move beyond the dichotomy of the static East versus the change-making West, taking full account of the immense hybridity and fluidity pulsing beneath the fallacy of a monolithic cultural “authenticity”.
Iron Speciation in Different Saharan Dust Advections and Effect of the Procedural Blank on the Results From X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and Selective Leaching Experiments
Authors: Petroselli Chiara , Moroni Beatrice , Crocchianti Stefano , Selvaggi Roberta , Soggia Francesco , Grotti Marco , d’Acapito Francesco , Cappelletti David
Published: July 2020

In this work, we applied X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) and selective leaching experiments for investigating iron speciation in different dust advections collected on different unwashed quartz fiber filters. XAS analysis evidenced a predominance of Fe(III) in 6-fold coordination for Saharan dust and a trend towards Fe(II) and 4-fold coordination in the order: Saharan dust, mixed Saharan, and non-Saharan aerosol samples. The role of the sampling substrate was evaluated explicitly, including in the analysis a set of blank filters. We were able to pinpoint the possible contribution to the overall XAS spectrum of the residual Fe on quartz as the concentration decrease towards the blank value. In particular, the filter substrate showed a negligible effect on the structural trend mentioned above. Furthermore, selective leaching experiments evidenced a predominance of the residual fraction on Fe speciation and indicated the lowest Fe concentrations for which the blank contribution is <20% are 1 μ g for the first three steps of the procedure (releasing the acid-labile, reducible and oxidizable phases, respectively) and 10 μ g for the last step (dissolving the insoluble residuals).