bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coming to Grips with Age Prediction on Imbalanced Multimodal Community Question Answering Data
Authors: Figueroa Alejandro , Peralta Billy , Nicolis Orietta
Published: January 2021

For almost every online service, it is fundamental to understand patterns, differences and trends revealed by age demographic analysis—for example, take the discovery of malicious activity, including identity theft, violation of community guidelines and fake profiles. In the particular case of platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Yahoo! Answers, user demographics have impacts on their revenues and user experience; demographics assist in ensuring that the needs of each cohort are fulfilled via personalizing and contextualizing content. Despite the fact that technology has been made more accessible, thereby becoming evermore prevalent in both personal and professional lives alike, older people continue to trail Gen Z and Millennials in its adoption. This trailing brings about an under-representation that has a harmful influence on the demographic analysis and on supervised machine learning models. To that end, this paper pioneers attempts at examining this and other major challenges facing three distinct modalities when dealing with community question answering (cQA) platforms (i.e., texts, images and metadata). As for textual inputs, we propose an age-batched greedy curriculum learning (AGCL) approach to lessen the effects of their inherent class imbalances. When built on top of FastText shallow neural networks, AGCL achieved an increase of ca. 4% in macro-F1-score with respect to baseline systems (i.e., off-the-shelf deep neural networks). With regard to metadata, our experiments show that random forest classifiers significantly improve their performance when individuals close to generational borders are excluded (up to 20% more accuracy); and by experimenting with neural network-based visual classifiers, we discovered that images are the most challenging modality for age prediction. In fact, it is hard for a visual inspection to connect profile pictures with age cohorts, and there are considerable differences in their group distributions with respect to meta-data and textual inputs. All in all, we envisage that our findings will be highly relevant as guidelines for constructing assorted multimodal supervised models for automatic age recognition across cQA platforms.
Predicting Oil Production Sites for Planning Road Infrastructure: Trip Generation Using SIR Epidemic Model
Authors: Lee EunSu , Chakraborty Debananda , McDonald Melanie
Published: January 2021

Drilling activity produces a significant amount of road traffic through unpaved and paved local roads. Because oil production is an important contributor to the local economy in the state of North Dakota, the state and local transportation agencies make efforts to support local energy logistics through the expansion and good repair and maintenance of transportation infrastructure. As part of this effort, it is important to build new roads and bridges, maintain existing road pavement and non-marked road surface conditions, and improve bridge and other transportation infrastructure. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to review previous oil location prediction models and propose a novel geospatial model to predict drilling locations which have a significant impact on local roads, to verify and provide a better prediction model. Then, this study proposes a SIR (susceptible–infected–recovered) epidemic model to predict oil drilling locations which are traffic generators. The simulation has been done on the historical data from 1980 to 2015. The study found that the best fit parameters of β (contact rate) and μ (recovery rate) were estimated by using a dataset of historical oil wells. The study found that the SIR epidemic model can be applied to predict the locations of oil wells. The proposed model can be used to predict other drilling locations and can assist with traffic, road conditions, and other related issues, which is a much needed predictive model that is key in transportation planning and pavement design and maintenance.
Floral Plantings in Large-Scale Commercial Agroecosystems Support Both Pollinators and Arthropod Predators
Authors: Middleton Eric G. , MacRae Ian V. , Philips Christopher R.
Published: January 2021

Beneficial insect populations and the services that they provide are in decline, largely due to agricultural land use and practices. Establishing perennial floral plantings in the unused margins of crop fields can help conserve beneficial pollinators and predators in commercial agroecosystems. We assessed the impacts of floral plantings on both pollinators and arthropod predators when established adjacent to conventionally managed commercial potato fields. Floral plantings significantly increased the abundance of pollinators within floral margins compared with unmanaged margins. Increased floral cover within margins led to significantly greater pollinator abundance as well. The overall abundance of arthropod predators was also significantly increased in floral plantings, although it was unrelated to the amount of floral cover. Within adjacent potato crops, the presence of floral plantings in field margins had no effect on the abundance of pollinators or predators, although higher floral cover in margins did marginally increase in-crop pollinator abundance. Establishing floral plantings of this kind on a large scale in commercial agroecosystems can help conserve both pollinators and predators, but may not increase ecosystem services in nearby crops.
Adaptive Stochastic Filtration Based on the Estimation of the Covariance Matrix of Measurement Noises Using Irregular Accurate Observations
Authors: Sokolov Sergey , Novikov Arthur , Polyakova Marianna
Published: January 2021

In measurement systems operating under various disturbances the probabilistic characteristics of measurement noises are usually known approximately. To improve the observation accuracy, a new approach to the Kalman’s filter adaptation is proposed. In this approach, the Covariance Matrix of Measurement Noises (CMMN) is estimated by accurate measurements detected irregularly by the mobile object observation system (from radiofrequency identifiers, etalon reference, fixed points etc.). The problem of adaptive estimation of the observer’s noises covariance matrix in the Kalman filter is solved analytically for two cases: mutual noises correlation, and its absence. The numerical example for adaptive filtration of complexing navigation system parameters of a mobile object using irregular accurate measurements is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. Coordinate estimating errors have changed in comparison with the traditional scheme from 100 m to 2 m in latitude, and from 200 m to 1.5 m in longitude.
Local Treatment of Burns with Cell-Based Therapies Tested in Clinical Studies
Authors: Domaszewska-Szostek Anna Paulina , Krzyżanowska Marta Olga , Czarnecka Anna Maria , Siemionow Maria
Published: January 2021

Effective wound management is an important determinant of the survival and prognosis of patients with severe burns. Thus, novel techniques for timely and full closure of full-thickness burn wounds are urgently needed. The purpose of this review is to present the current state of knowledge on the local treatment of burn wounds (distinguishing radiation injury from other types of burns) with the application of cellular therapies conducted in clinical studies. PubMed search engine and ClinicalTrials.gov were used to analyze the available data. The analysis covered 49 articles, assessing the use of keratinocytes (30), keratinocytes and fibroblasts (6), fibroblasts (2), bone marrow-derived cells (8), and adipose tissue cells (3). Studies on the cell-based products that are commercially available (Epicel®, Keraheal™, ReCell®, JACE, Biobrane®) were also included, with the majority of reports found on autologous and allogeneic keratinocytes. Promising data demonstrate the effectiveness of various cell-based therapies; however, there are still scientific and technical issues that need to be solved before cell therapies become standard of care. Further evidence is required to demonstrate the clinical efficacy and safety of cell-based therapies in burns. In particular, comparative studies with long-term follow-up are critical.
Area-under-the-Curve-Based Mycophenolate Mofetil Dosage May Contribute to Decrease the Incidence of Graft-versus-Host Disease after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Pediatric Patients
Authors: Carlone Giorgia , Simeone Roberto , Baraldo Massimo , Maestro Alessandra , Zanon Davide , Barbi Egidio , Maximova Natalia
Published: January 2021

Acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) remains the second leading cause of death, after disease relapse, in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). The medical records of 112 pediatric patients who underwent allo-HSCT from matched unrelated and haploidentical donors were analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups, according to the GvHD prophylactic regimen used. In the control group, GvHD prophylaxis consisted of cyclosporine A (CsA) and methotrexate (MTX) or CsA and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) at a standard daily dose of 30 mg/kg. All subjects in the study group received tacrolimus (FK506) and MMF. In this group, MMF was subjected to therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) through mycophenolic acid (MPA) area under the curve AUC0–12. We found a statistically significant difference in both overall acute GvHD (p < 0.0001) and overall chronic GvHD (p < 0.05) incidence between the study and the control group. The initial daily MMF dose and the age at transplant in the study group proved to be inversely correlated (r = −0.523, p < 0.0001). The children under six years of age required a significantly higher daily MMF dose (p < 0.008). This study showed that pharmacological monitoring of MPA AUC0–12 concentration allowed a reduction in the incidence of acute and chronic GvHD. MMF showed age-dependent pharmacokinetics due to greater drug clearance in younger children.
Novelties in 3D Transthoracic Echocardiography
Authors: Italiano Gianpiero , Fusini Laura , Mantegazza Valentina , Tamborini Gloria , Muratori Manuela , Ghulam Ali Sarah , Penso Marco , Garlaschè Anna , Gripari Paola , Pepi Mauro
Published: January 2021

Cardiovascular imaging is developing at a rapid pace and the newer modalities, in particular three-dimensional echocardiography, allow better analysis of heart structures. Identifying valve lesions and grading their severity represents crucial information and nowadays is strengthened by the introduction of new software, such as transillumination, which provide detailed morphology descriptions. Chambers quantification has never been so rapid and accurate: machine learning algorithms generate automated volume measurements, including left ventricular systolic and diastolic function, which is extremely important for clinical decisions. This review provides an overview of the latest innovations in the echocardiography field, and is helpful by providing a better insight into heart diseases.
Cognitive and Physical Activity-Related Aspects of Children Associated to the Performance of the Crunning Movement
Authors: Thomas Ewan , Alesi Marianna , Tabacchi Garden , Silva Carlos Marques da , Sturm David J. , Şahin Fatma Neşe , Güler Özkan , Gómez-López Manuel , Pajaujiene Simona , Basile Michele , Rada Ante , Palma Antonio , Bianco Antonino
Published: January 2021

The aim of this investigation was to identify possible related factors associated to the performance of the crunning test in European children and adolescents. A total number of 559 children and adolescents (age range 6–14 years) of which 308 boys (55.1%) and 251 girls (44.9%), from seven European countries, were screened. A questionnaire concerning demographic and personal life-related factors and a cognitive assessment were performed. A regression analysis was conducted with the performance measures of the crunning movement. T-tests and ANCOVA were used to analyze sub-group differences. Boys have greater crunning performance values compared to girls (5.55 s vs. 7.06 s, p < 0.001) and older children perform better than younger ones (R2 −0.23; p < 0.001). Children with healthy and active habits (exercising or spending time with family members vs. reading or surfing the internet) performed better in the test. Children engaged in team sports had better crunning performances compared to those engaged in individual sports (6.01 s vs. 6.66 s, p = 0.0166). No significant association was found regarding cognitive-related aspects in either children engaged in team or individual sports and the crunning performance. Older and male children performed better in the crunning test than younger and female children. Physical activity-related aspects of children’s life are associated with crunning movement performance. No association was found between higher cognitive performance and the crunning test results.
An Efficient Ultraprecision Machining System Automating Setting Operations of Roughly Machined Workpiece
Authors: Xu Meng , Nakamoto Keiichi , Takeuchi Yoshimi
Published: January 2021

Ultraprecision machining is required in many advanced fields. To create precise parts for realizing their high performance, the whole machining process is usually conducted on the same ultraprecision machine tool to avoid setting errors by reducing setting operations. However, feed rate is relatively slow and machining efficiency is not so high compared to ordinary machine tools. Thus, the study aims to develop an efficient ultraprecision machining system including an industrial robot to avoid manual setting and to automate the setting operations. In this system, ultraprecision machining is conducted for the workpiece having a shape near the target shape, which is beforehand prepared by ordinary machine tools and is located on the machine table by means of an industrial robot. Since the setting errors of the roughly machined workpiece deteriorate machining accuracy, the differences from the ideal position and attitude are detected with a contact type of on-machine measurement device. Numerical control (NC) data is finally modified to compensate the identified workpiece setting errors to machine the target shape on an ultraprecision machine tool. From the experimental results, it is confirmed that the proposed system has the possibility to reduce time required in ultraprecision machining to create precise parts with high efficiency.
Does Proteomic Mirror Reflect Clinical Characteristics of Obesity?
Authors: Kiseleva Olga I. , Arzumanian Viktoriia A. , Poverennaya Ekaterina V. , Pyatnitskiy Mikhail A. , Ilgisonis Ekaterina V. , Zgoda Victor G. , Plotnikova Oksana A. , Sharafetdinov Khaider K. , Lisitsa Andrey V. , Tutelyan Victor A. , Nikityuk Dmitry B. , Archakov Alexander I. , Ponomarenko Elena A.
Published: January 2021

Obesity is a frightening chronic disease, which has tripled since 1975. It is not expected to slow down staying one of the leading cases of preventable death and resulting in an increased clinical and economic burden. Poor lifestyle choices and excessive intake of “cheap calories” are major contributors to obesity, triggering type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and other comorbidities. Understanding the molecular mechanisms responsible for development of obesity is essential as it might result in the introducing of anti-obesity targets and early-stage obesity biomarkers, allowing the distinction between metabolic syndromes. The complex nature of this disease, coupled with the phenomenon of metabolically healthy obesity, inspired us to perform data-centric, hypothesis-generating pilot research, aimed to find correlations between parameters of classic clinical blood tests and proteomic profiles of 104 lean and obese subjects. As the result, we assembled patterns of proteins, which presence or absence allows predicting the weight of the patient fairly well. We believe that such proteomic patterns with high prediction power should facilitate the translation of potential candidates into biomarkers of clinical use for early-stage stratification of obesity therapy.
Land Suitability Evaluation for Wild-Simulated Ginseng Cultivation in South Korea
Authors: Kim Sung Soo , Lee Chong Kyu , Kang Hag Mo , Choi Soo Im , Jeon So Hui , Kim Hyun
Published: January 2021

Wild-simulated ginseng (WSG) is highly sensitive to growth conditions. Nevertheless, the suitability evaluation of actual WSG cultivation sites for a sustainable yield has not been conducted in South Korea, nor at a global level. This study aimed to evaluate the suitability of actual WSG cultivation sites to understand the status of these sites and to present a methodology that can be applied to the determination of WSG cultivation sites by combining the major factors essential for WSG growth. Suitability was evaluated for the WSG cultivation sites using geographic information systems (GIS). The study region has a high forest coverage of 77%, of which 48.7% was possibly suitable (including suitable sites) for WSG cultivation. However, of the area of actual WSG cultivation sites, 43.6% was probably unsuitable (including unsuitable sites). The WSG yield showed a relatively low rate of increase compared to the rate of increase in the cultivation area, and the rate of increase in the production amount showed a tendency to decrease. In regions and countries with high forest coverage, the application of scientific techniques, such as GIS should be considered to identify suitable WSG cultivation sites. The application of the methodology of this study will be a useful method for the production of high-quality WSG and sustainable yield.
Are There Moral Duties toward Refugees? Considerations in Legal Ethics
Authors: Tiedemann Paul
Published: January 2021

In the political and legal debate surrounding international refugee law, moral considerations play a large and important role. It often turns out, however, that the legal ethical reflection is not rooted deep enough. At first, it is necessary to demonstrate and justify the moral principle, on which the argumentation is based. There are different moral theories, among them the utilitarian, the egalitarian, the eudemonistical, and the deontological approach. These different approaches lead or at least can lead to different results concerning the question of what duties states or their citizens have toward refugees. The article is supposed to show that only the deontological approach is sufficient and appropriate in order to deliver a well-founded refugee ethics on the basis of moral duties and moral rights. The ethics of refugee protection is not an ethics of assistance to needy people, but the ethics of the prohibition of torts, namely, in particular, the violation of human rights. This is only inadequately reflected in international refugee law, because here the damage as such is not in the foreground, from which people flee, but the reasons why they are mistreated by persecutors. The damage-oriented approach clarifies the reasons for the different moral and legal status between persons in need of international protection, who have already reached the territory of the country of refuge and those who have not. The former are qualified as the holder of the subjective right not to be exposed to the dangers they have fled from, while the latter can in principle only appeal to the compassion and humanity of possible helpers. However, the boundary between “inside” and “outside” shifts according to the expansion of the de facto sphere of power of the acting person or state. This may also create a legal position for persons who are rescued by a ship at sea or whose living and travel conditions are essentially determined by the power of a state outside its territory. The damage-oriented approach shows furthermore that the refoulement ban has to be considered not only a mere side-aspect of the right to asylum but its core content. However, the right to asylum, cannot be considered a separate right beside the list of human rights. The refoulement ban is rather an integral part of every (“fundamental”) human right. This shows on the one hand that the separate right to asylum is redundant as long as it is supposed to protect against human rights violations. It is relevant only in the context of protection on reasons of solidarity. Finally, it can be shown that the national and international case law concerning the refoulement ban is insufficient because it is focused only on threatening torture and inhuman and degrading treatment, meanwhile, it neglects the threatening violation of other (“fundamental”) human rights.
Chitosan-Based Biomaterial, Calcium Hydroxide and Chlorhexidine for Potential Use as Intracanal Medication
Authors: Nunes Bruna de Siqueira , Rosendo Rosana Araújo , Filho Abrahão Alves de Oliveira , Fook Marcus Vinícius Lia , de Sousa Wladymyr Jefferson Bacalhau , Barbosa Rossemberg Cardoso , Pina Hermano de Vasconcelos , da Silva Neto João Emídio , Amoah Solomon Kweku Sagoe , Fontana Carlos Eduardo , Bueno Carlos Eduardo da Silveira , De Martin Alexandre Sigrist
Published: January 2021

The objective of this study was to develop a chitosan-based biomaterial with calcium hydroxide and 2% chlorhexidine for intracanal treatment application and, consequently, to diminish the number of microorganisms in the root canal system. The chitosan solution was prepared by dissolving it in 2% and 4% acetic acid (v/v) for 1 h at room temperature (25 °C) with magnetic agitation (430 rpm). Calcium hydroxide was obtained in two stages: the first was the synthesis of the calcium oxide—CaO, and the second was that of the calcium hydroxide—Ca(OH)2. The samples were developed using different concentrations of chitosan, calcium hydroxide, and chlorhexidine 2%. They were codified as Ca(OH)2 + Q2% (M1), Ca(OH)2 + Q4% (M2), Ca(OH)2 + Q2% + CLX (M3), Ca(OH)2 + Q4% + CLX (M4), Ca(OH)2 + Q2% + PEG (M5), and Ca(OH)2 + Q4% + PEG (M6). They were characterized through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and rheological measurement, and the antimicrobial activity was evaluated in vitro. Characteristic absorption bands of the source materials used in this research were observed in the FTIR spectra. The X-ray diffraction technique indicated that the material has a semi-crystalline structure and that the presence of calcium hydroxide made the biomaterial more crystalline. The viscosity measurement showed a pseudoplastic behavior of the studied samples. The microbiologic analysis was positive for all samples tested, with bigger inhibition zones for the samples M3 and M4. As a result, we conclude that the formulation developed based on chitosan is promising and has potential to be an intracanal medication.
Interpretable Topic Extraction and Word Embedding Learning Using Non-Negative Tensor DEDICOM
Authors: Hillebrand Lars , Biesner David , Bauckhage Christian , Sifa Rafet
Published: January 2021

Unsupervised topic extraction is a vital step in automatically extracting concise contentual information from large text corpora. Existing topic extraction methods lack the capability of linking relations between these topics which would further help text understanding. Therefore we propose utilizing the Decomposition into Directional Components (DEDICOM) algorithm which provides a uniquely interpretable matrix factorization for symmetric and asymmetric square matrices and tensors. We constrain DEDICOM to row-stochasticity and non-negativity in order to factorize pointwise mutual information matrices and tensors of text corpora. We identify latent topic clusters and their relations within the vocabulary and simultaneously learn interpretable word embeddings. Further, we introduce multiple methods based on alternating gradient descent to efficiently train constrained DEDICOM algorithms. We evaluate the qualitative topic modeling and word embedding performance of our proposed methods on several datasets, including a novel New York Times news dataset, and demonstrate how the DEDICOM algorithm provides deeper text analysis than competing matrix factorization approaches.
Neuroadaptability and Habit: Modern Medicine and Ayurveda
Authors: Wallace Robert Keith , Wallace Ted
Published: January 2021

In our increasingly stressed world, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic, the activation of the threat network in everyday situations can adversely affect our mental and physical health. Neurophysiological response to these threats/challenges depends on the type of challenge and the individual’s neuroadaptability. Neuroadaptability is defined as the ability of the nervous system to alter responsiveness over time to reoccurring stimuli. Neuroadaptability differs from neuroplasticity, which is more inclusive and refers to the ability of the nervous system to change and learn from any experience. We examine neuroadaptability and how it affects health from the perspective of modern medicine and Ayurveda.
Nasal Cavity CT Imaging Contribution to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Choanal Atresia
Authors: Šebová Irina , Vyrvová Ivana , Barkociová Jana
Published: January 2021

Background and Objectives: Choanal atresia is the most common congenital malformation of the nose. Materials and Methods: We have evaluated 24 CT images of children with choanal atresia treated at the Department of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology FM CU and the NICD Bratislava (Slovakia). In accordance with the methodology used by Slovis et al. (1985), we have measured parameters related to anomalous development in the nasal cavity: vomer width, the width of soft atresia and the width of the air space of unilaterally developed choana. Results: In the group of 24 patients, 11 (46%) were male and 13 (54%) were female. The age of patients at the time of CT imaging varied. Associated syndromes had been manifested in 11 (46%) children, with 7 (29%) patients having CHARGE syndrome. In 13 (54%) cases it was a bone membranous type of atresia, in 8 (33%) cases a membranous type, and in 3 (13%) patients a bone type. Among the group of patients, unilateral disorder was present in 13 (54%) patients and bilateral in 11 (46%). Based on the Pearson’s correlation test, we have found in the studied group that the width of the vomer correlates with age, and the vomer is wider in bone atresia than in the membranous ones. Based on determining the average vomer’s width within the age groups 0–8 and >8–20, compared to the standard widths, we found that the vomer’s widths reached the upper limits of the standard ±2 SD (cm) or even exceeded that limit. The same applies to the width in soft choanal atresia. On the other hand, the width of the developed choana in the case of unilateral atresia is almost standard. Conclusions: The above findings are the basis for selecting the appropriate type of surgery. Currently, the gold standard is the endoscopic fenestration. associated with posterior septotomy.
Primary Recrystallization Behaviors of Hi-B Steel with Lower Initial Nitrogen Produced by the Thin Slab Casting and Rolling Process
Authors: Fu Bing , Xiang Li , Qiao Jia-Long , Wang Hai-Jun , Liu Jing , Qiu Sheng-Tao
Published: January 2021

Based on low-temperature high-permeability grain-oriented silicon steel designed with an initial nitrogen content of 0.0055% and produced by the thin slab casting and rolling process, the effect of total nitrogen content and nitriding temperature on primary recrystallization microstructure and texture were studied by optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, and electron backscatter diffraction. The nitriding temperature affects the primary recrystallization behaviors significantly, while the total nitrogen content has a small effect. As the nitriding temperature is 750–850 °C, the average primary grain size and its inhomogeneity factor are about 26.58–26.67 μm and 0.568–0.572, respectively. Moreover, the texture factor is mostly between 0.15 and 0.40. Because of the relatively sufficient inhibition ability of inherent inhibitors in a decarburized sheet, the nitriding temperature (750–850 °C) affects the primary recrystallization microstructure and texture slightly. However, as the nitriding temperature rises to 900–950 °C, the average primary grain size and its inhomogeneity factor increase to 27.75–28.26 μm and 0.575–0.578, respectively. Furthermore, because of the great increase on the area fraction of {112} <110> grains, part of texture factor is increased sharply. Therefore, in order to obtain better primary grain size and homogeneity, better texture composition, and stability of the decarburized sheet, the optimal nitriding temperature is 750–850 °C.
A Novel Fabrication Method for a Capacitive MEMS Accelerometer Based on Glass–Silicon Composite Wafers
Authors: He Yurong , Si Chaowei , Han Guowei , Zhao Yongmei , Ning Jin , Yang Fuhua
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we report a novel teeter-totter type accelerometer based on glass-silicon composite wafers. Unlike the ordinary micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometers, the entire structure of the accelerometer, includes the mass, the springs, and the composite wafer. The composite wafer is expected to serve as the electrical feedthrough and the fixed capacitance plate at the same time, to simplify the fabrication process, and to save on chip area. It is manufactured by filling melted borosilicate glass into an etched silicon wafer and polishing the wafer flat. A sensitivity of 51.622 mV/g in the range of ±5 g (g = 9.8 m/s2), a zero-bias stability under 0.2 mg, and the noise floor with 11.28 µg/√Hz were obtained, which meet the needs of most acceleration detecting applications. The micromachining solution is beneficial for vertical interconnection and miniaturization of MEMS devices.
Innovative 3D Microfluidic Tools for On-Chip Fluids and Particles Manipulation: From Design to Experimental Validation
Authors: Zoupanou Sofia , Chiriacò Maria Serena , Tarantini Iolena , Ferrara Francesco
Published: January 2021

Micromixers are essential components in lab-on-a-chip devices, of which the low efficiency can limit many bio-application studies. Effective mixing with automation capabilities is still a crucial requirement. In this paper, we present a method to fabricate a three-dimensional (3D) poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) fluidic mixer by combining computer-aided design (CAD), micromilling technology, and experimental application via manipulating fluids and nanoparticles. The entire platform consists of three microfabricated layers with a bottom reservoir-shaped microchannel, a central serpentine channel, and a through-hole for interconnection and an upper layer containing inlets and outlet. The sealing process of the three layers and the high-precision and customizable methods used for fabrication ensure the realization of the monolithic 3D architecture. This provides buried running channels able to perform passive chaotic mixing and dilution functions, thanks to a portion of the pathway in common between the reservoir and serpentine layers. The possibility to plug-and-play micropumping systems allows us to easily demonstrate the feasibility and working features of our device for tracking the mixing and dilution performances of the micromixer by using colored fluids and fluorescent nanoparticles as the proof of concept. Exploiting the good transparency of the PMMA, spatial liquid composition and better control over reaction variables are possible, and the real-time monitoring of experiments under a fluorescence microscope is also allowed. The tools shown in this paper are easily integrable in more complex lab-on-chip platforms.
Studying of Cultural Properties of Pyricularia oryzae Cav. Strains in the South of Russia
Authors: Nartymov Dmitry , Kharitonov Evgeny , Dubina Elena , Garkusha Sergey , Ruban Margarita , Istomin Nikita , Kostylev Pavel
Published: January 2021

This article presents the results of the development of a methodology for describing the main morphological and cultural traits of the Pyricularia oryzae Cav. strains widespread in the south of Russia. At the same time, the types of traits are identified and listed, which make it possible to unambiguously determine the uniqueness and variety of the pathogen. The relationships and patterns established using cluster and statistical analysis make it possible to identify the conditions for the development of a pathogen that determine its predominant forms. Thus, research shows that leaf forms of P. oryzae strains isolated from rice plants with leaf form of blast disease have an equally directional growth pattern of a colony with a felt structure, and strains isolated from neck-affected plant form often produce a zone of a colony with a clumpy structure. The classification of cultural traits will make it possible to obtain scientifically grounded and comparable data that can be used in the analysis of the interaction of P. oryzae strains with rice plants on various varieties and in various agro-technological conditions in order to improve and rationalize agricultural activities. The study opens up the possibility of using data in breeding, making it possible to identify forms of a pathogen that infect certain varieties.
Prevalence of ESβL, AmpC and Colistin-Resistant E. coli in Meat: A Comparison between Pork and Wild Boar
Authors: Rega Martina , Carmosino Ilaria , Bonilauri Paolo , Frascolla Viviana , Vismarra Alice , Bacci Cristina
Published: January 2021

A global increase in Escherichia coli (E. coli) resistant to cephalosporins (extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESβLs) and AmpC β-lactamases) has been recorded in the last 20 years. Similarly, several studies have reported the spread of colistin resistance in Enterobacteriaceae isolated from food and the environment. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of ESβL, AmpC and colistin-resistant E. coli isolated from pork and wild boar meat products in the Emilia Romagna region (North Italy). The isolates were analysed phenotypically (considering both resistant and intermediate profiles) and genotypically. The prevalence of genotypically confirmed ESβL and AmpC E. coli was higher in pork meat products (ESβL = 11.1% vs. AmpC = 0.3%) compared to wild boar meat (ESβL = 6.5% vs. AmpC = 0%). Intermediate profiles for cefotaxime (CTX) and ceftazidime (CAZ) were genotypically confirmed as ESβL in pork meat isolates but not for wild boar. Four E. coli from wild boar meat were resistant to colistin but did not harbour the mcr-1 gene. E. coli isolated from wild boar meat seem to show aspecific antimicrobial resistance mechanisms for cephalosporins and colistin. The prevalence of resistant isolates found in wild boar is less alarming than in pork from farmed domestic pigs. However, the potential risk to consumers of these meat products will require further investigations.
Detection of Infectious Cryptosporidium parvum Oocysts from Lamb’s Lettuce: CC–qPCR’s Intake
Authors: Kubina Sophie , Costa Damien , Favennec Loïc , Gargala Gilles , Rousseau Angélique , Villena Isabelle , La Carbona Stéphanie , Razakandrainibe Romy
Published: January 2021

Cryptosporidium spp. is responsible for several food and waterborne disease outbreaks worldwide. Healthier lifestyles attract consumers to eat, notably, fresh food like fruits and vegetables. The consumption of raw or under-cooked food increases the risk of foodborne transmission of Cryptosporidiosis. The assessment of the consumer’s exposure to Cryptosporidium danger is crucial for public health. Still, the standardized method to detect this parasite in fresh leafy greens and berry fruits has only been available since 2016 and suffers from weaknesses. Consequently, in this study, we propose a method with minimum processing steps that combines cell culture and the quantitative PCR (CC–qPCR) for detecting infectious C. parvum oocysts recovered from lamb’s lettuce. This CC–qPCR is a rapid and easy method that can detect up to one oocyst, whereas it is undetectable by classic qPCR.
Bioactive Secondary Metabolites of the Genus Diaporthe and Anamorph Phomopsis from Terrestrial and Marine Habitats and Endophytes: 2010–2019
Authors: Xu Tang-Chang , Lu Yi-Han , Wang Jun-Fei , Song Zhi-Qiang , Hou Ya-Ge , Liu Si-Si , Liu Chuan-Sheng , Wu Shao-Hua
Published: January 2021

The genus Diaporthe and its anamorph Phomopsis are distributed worldwide in many ecosystems. They are regarded as potential sources for producing diverse bioactive metabolites. Most species are attributed to plant pathogens, non-pathogenic endophytes, or saprobes in terrestrial host plants. They colonize in the early parasitic tissue of plants, provide a variety of nutrients in the cycle of parasitism and saprophytism, and participate in the basic metabolic process of plants. In the past ten years, many studies have been focused on the discovery of new species and biological secondary metabolites from this genus. In this review, we summarize a total of 335 bioactive secondary metabolites isolated from 26 known species and various unidentified species of Diaporthe and Phomopsis during 2010–2019. Overall, there are 106 bioactive compounds derived from Diaporthe and 246 from Phomopsis, while 17 compounds are found in both of them. They are classified into polyketides, terpenoids, steroids, macrolides, ten-membered lactones, alkaloids, flavonoids, and fatty acids. Polyketides constitute the main chemical population, accounting for 64%. Meanwhile, their bioactivities mainly involve cytotoxic, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-algae, phytotoxic, and enzyme inhibitory activities. Diaporthe and Phomopsis exhibit their potent talents in the discovery of small molecules for drug candidates.
Automated Indicator Mineral Analysis of Fine-Grained Till Associated with the Sisson W-Mo Deposit, New Brunswick, Canada
Authors: Lougheed H. , McClenaghan M. , Layton-Matthews Daniel , Leybourne Matthew , Dobosz Agatha
Published: January 2021

Exploration under thick glacial sediment cover is an important facet of modern mineral exploration in Canada and northern Europe. Till heavy mineral concentrate (HMC) indicator mineral methods are well established in exploration for diamonds, gold, and base metals in glaciated terrain. Traditional methods rely on visual examination of >250 µm HMC material. This study applies mineral liberation analysis (MLA) to investigate the finer (<250 µm) fraction of till HMC. Automated mineralogy (e.g., MLA) of finer material allows for the rapid collection of precise compositional and morphological data from a large number (10,000–100,000) of heavy mineral grains in a single sample. The Sisson W-Mo deposit has a previously documented dispersal train containing the ore minerals scheelite, wolframite, and molybdenite, along with sulfide and other accessory minerals, and was used as a test site for this study. Wolframite is identified in till samples up to 10 km down ice, whereas in previous work on the coarse fraction of till it was only identified directly overlying mineralization. Chalcopyrite and pyrite are found up to 10 km down ice, an increase over 2.5 and 5 km, respectively, achieved in previous work on the coarse fraction of the same HMC. Galena, sphalerite, arsenopyrite, and pyrrhotite are also found up to 10 km down ice after only being identified immediately overlying mineralization using the >250 µm fraction of HMC. Many of these sulfide grains are present only as inclusions in more chemically and robust minerals and would not be identified using optical methods. The extension of the wolframite dispersal train highlights the ability of MLA to identify minerals that lack distinguishing physical characteristics to aid visual identification.
Dynamic Changes in Glutenin Macropolymer during Different Dough Mixing and Resting Processes
Authors: Feng Yulin , Zhang Huijuan , Wang Jing , Chen Haitao
Published: January 2021

The glutenin macropolymer (GMP), which is an important component of the glutenin protein in wheat flour, plays a prominent role in governing dough properties and breadmaking quality. This study investigated the changes in GMP properties during the mixing and resting stages of dough processing. The results show that the GMP content decreases by about 20.20% when the mixing time increases from 3 to 5 min, while increasing the resting time can lead to restoration of some GMP contents. Resting promotes greater formation of large-sized GMP particles, which is likely related to the increased disulfide bond content in the GMP during this process. In contrast, the mechanical force of mixing causes GMP depolymerization and formation of smaller particles. Furthermore, after mixing, the protein secondary structure tends to be disordered, the protein morphology becomes irregular, and the protein subunit ratio changes. Thus, mixing has many of the opposite effects to resting, although resting can (to some extent) restore the properties of the GMP after mixing. However, excessive resting time can lead to negative results, reflected in lower disulfide bond (SS) and GMP contents, and more irregular particle sizes. The presented results suggest that dough mixing induces rearrangement of the dough’s protein structure, and resting somewhat restores the chemical bonds and internal protein structure.
Antioxidant Activity and Chemical Characteristics of Supercritical CO2 and Water Extracts from Willow and Poplar
Authors: Ostolski Mateusz , Adamczak Marek , Brzozowski Bartosz , Wiczkowski Wiesław
Published: January 2021

Renewable feedstock from perennial industrial crops, including those cultivated on marginal land in a short-rotation coppice system, could be an important contribution to the bioeconomy. The majority of data available on the topic are limited to the production of bioenergy from this type of biomass. According to the concept of bioeconomy, biomass-based bioproducts have priority over energy production. This paper characterizes the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of extracts from bark (b), wood (w) or a mixture of bark and wood (b + w) from Salix purpurea, Salix viminalis and Populus nigra obtained using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2), scCO2 and water (1%, w/w) or only water. Generally, a high concentration of polyphenols was obtained after extraction with scCO2 and water, while the lowest concentration was found in extracts obtained with scCO2. The highest concentration of polyphenols (p < 0.05) was obtained in an extract from P. nigra (b) (502.62 ± 9.86 mg GAE/g dry matter (d.m.)) after extraction with scCO2 and water, whereas the lowest polyphenol concentration was observed in an scCO2 extract from S. purpurea (b) (6.02 ± 0.13 mg GAE/g d.m.). The flavonoids were effectively separated by extraction with scCO2 (0.88–18.37 mg QE/g d.m.). A positive linear relationship between the antioxidant activity determined by DPPH and ABTS assays and the concentration of polyphenols was demonstrated, R2 = 0.8377 and R2 = 0.9568, respectively. It is most probable that the concentration of flavonoids, rather than the concentration of polyphenols, determines the chelating activity of Fe2+. The Fe2+-chelating activity of scCO2 extracts ranged from 75.11% (EC50 = 5.41 mg/cm3, S. purpurea, b + w) to 99.43% (EC50 = 0.85 mg/cm3, P. nigra, b + w). The lowest chelating activity was demonstrated by the extracts obtained with scCO2 and water (maximum 26.36%, S. purpurea, b + w). In extracts obtained with scCO2 and water, p-hydroxybenzoic acid (210–428 µg/g), p-coumaric acid (56–281 µg/g), saligenin (142–300 µg/g) and salicortin (16–164 µg/g) were the dominant polyphenols. All of these chemical compounds occurred mainly in the free form. The S. purpurea, S. viminalis and P. nigra biomass proved to be an attractive source of biologically active compounds for various possible applications in food, drugs or cosmetics. These compounds could be extracted using an environmentally friendly method with scCO2 and water as a co-solvent.
Discriminant Profiles of Volatile Compounds in the Alveolar Air of Patients with Squamous Cell Lung Cancer, Lung Adenocarcinoma or Colon Cancer
Authors: Politi Leonardo , Monasta Lorenzo , Rigressi Maria Novella , Princivalle Andrea , Gonfiotti Alessandro , Camiciottoli Gianna , Perbellini Luigi
Published: January 2021

The objective of the present work was to analyze volatile compounds in alveolar air in patients with squamous cell lung cancer, lung adenocarcinoma or colon cancer, to prepare algorithms able to discriminate such specific pathological conditions. The concentration of 95 volatile compounds was measured in the alveolar air of 45 control subjects, 36 patients with lung adenocarcinoma, 25 patients with squamous cell lung cancer and 52 patients with colon cancer. Volatile compounds were measured with ion molecule reaction mass spectrometry (IMR-MS). An iterated least absolute shrinkage and selection operator multivariate logistic regression model was used to generate specific algorithms and discriminate control subjects from patients with different kinds of cancer. The final predictive models reached the following performance: by using 11 compounds, patients with lung adenocarcinoma were identified with a sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 84%; nine compounds allowed us to identify patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma with a sensitivity of 88% and specificity of 84%; patients with colon adenocarcinoma could be identified with a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 73% using a model comprising 13 volatile compounds. The different alveolar profiles of volatile compounds, obtained from patients with three different kinds of cancer, suggest dissimilar biological–biochemistry conditions; each kind of cancer has probably got a specific alveolar profile.
Chemical and Physical Implications of the Use of Alternative Vessels to Oak Barrels during the Production of White Wines
Authors: Gil i Cortiella Mariona , Ubeda Cristina , Covarrubias José Ignacio , Laurie V. Felipe , Peña-Neira Álvaro
Published: January 2021

Recently, the use of alternative vessels to oak barrels during winemaking has become increasingly popular, but little is known about their impact on the chemical composition of the resulting wines. To address this issue, a Sauvignon Blanc wine was elaborated from the same grape juice by using cylindrical stainless-steel tanks, oval-shaped concrete vessels, oval-shaped polyethylene vessels, and clay jars in triplicate. Each vessel was used for alcoholic fermentation and the aging of wines over its own lees. Wines elaborated in concrete vessels showed the highest pH and the lowest titratable acidity, most likely related to the observed release of inorganic compounds from the concrete walls. Little effect of the vessels was seen on the wine color and phenolic composition. Wines elaborated in clay jars showed the highest turbidity and the highest content of soluble polysaccharides, while those made using cylindrical stainless-steel tanks showed the highest content of volatile compounds. Despite the observed differences, all of the vessels tested seem suitable for white wine production since every wine showed chemical features that corresponded with the quality standards of Sauvignon Blanc wines.
Visible Light Photochemical Reactions for Nucleic Acid-Based Technologies
Authors: Koo Bonwoo , Yoo Haneul , Choi Ho Jeong , Kim Min , Kim Cheoljae , Kim Ki Tae
Published: January 2021

The expanding scope of chemical reactions applied to nucleic acids has diversified the design of nucleic acid-based technologies that are essential to medicinal chemistry and chemical biology. Among chemical reactions, visible light photochemical reaction is considered a promising tool that can be used for the manipulations of nucleic acids owing to its advantages, such as mild reaction conditions and ease of the reaction process. Of late, inspired by the development of visible light-absorbing molecules and photocatalysts, visible light-driven photochemical reactions have been used to conduct various molecular manipulations, such as the cleavage or ligation of nucleic acids and other molecules as well as the synthesis of functional molecules. In this review, we describe the recent developments (from 2010) in visible light photochemical reactions involving nucleic acids and their applications in the design of nucleic acid-based technologies including DNA photocleaving, DNA photoligation, nucleic acid sensors, the release of functional molecules, and DNA-encoded libraries.