bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Which Risk Factors Predict Knee Ligament Injuries in Severely Injured Patients?—Results from an International Multicenter Analysis
Authors: Weber Christian D. , Solomon Lucian B. , Lefering Rolf , Horst Klemens , Kobbe Philipp , Hildebrand Frank ,   TraumaRegister DGU
Published: May 2020

Introduction: Ligament injuries around the knee joint and knee dislocations are rare but potentially complex injuries associated with high-energy trauma. Concomitant neurovascular injuries further affect their long-term clinical outcomes. In contrast to isolated ligamentous knee injuries, epidemiologic data and knowledge on predicting knee injuries in severely injured patients is still limited. Methods: The TraumaRegister DGU® (TR-DGU) was queried (01/2009–12/2016). Inclusion criteria for selection from the database: maximum abbreviated injury severity ≥ 3 points (MAIS 3+). Participating countries: Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The two main groups included a “control” and a “knee injury” group. The injury severity score (ISS) and new ISS (NISS) were used for injury severity classification, and the abbreviated injury scale (AIS) was used to classify the severity of the knee injury. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate various risk factors for knee injuries. Results: The study cohort included 139,462 severely injured trauma patients. We identified 4411 individuals (3.2%) with a ligament injury around the knee joint (“knee injury” group) and 1153 patients with a knee dislocation (0.8%). The risk for associated injuries of the peroneal nerve and popliteal artery were significantly increased in dislocated knees when compared to controls (peroneal nerve from 0.4% to 6.7%, popliteal artery from 0.3% to 6.9%, respectively). Among the predictors for knee injuries were specific mechanisms of injury: e.g., pedestrian struck (Odds ratio [OR] 3.2, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.69–3.74 p ≤ 0.001), motorcycle (OR 3.0, 95% CI: 2.58–3.48, p ≤ 0.001), and motor vehicle accidents (OR 2.2, 95% CI: 1.86–2.51, p ≤ 0.001) and associated skeletal injuries, e.g., patella (OR 2.3, 95% CI: 1.99–2.62, p ≤ 0.001), tibia (OR 1.9, 95% CI: 1.75–2.05, p ≤ 0.001), and femur (OR 1.8, 95% CI: 1.64–1.89, p ≤ 0.001), but neither male sex nor general injury severity (ISS). Conclusion: Ligament injuries and knee dislocations are associated with high-risk mechanisms and concomitant skeletal injuries of the lower extremity, but are not predicted by general injury severity or sex. Despite comparable ISS, knee injuries prolong the hospital length of stay. Delayed or missed diagnosis of knee injuries can be prevented by comprehensive clinical evaluation after fracture fixation and a high index of suspicion is advised, especially in the presence of the above mentioned risk factors.
Numerical Investigation of a Two-Element Wingsail for Ship Auxiliary Propulsion
Authors: Li Chen , Wang Hongming , Sun Peiting
Published: May 2020

The rigid wingsail is a new type of propulsion equipment which greatly improves the performance of the sailboat under the conditions of upwind and downwind. However, such sail-assisted devices are not common in large ships because the multi-element wingsail is sensitive to changes in upstream flow, making them difficult to operate. This problem shows the need for aerodynamic study of wingsails. A model of two-element wingsail is established and simulated by the steady and unsteady RANS approach with the k-ω SST turbulence model and compared with the known experimental data to ensure the accuracy of the numerical simulation. Then, some key design and structural parameters (camber, the rotating axis position of the flap, angle of attack, flap thickness) are used to characterize the aerodynamic characteristics of the wingsail. The results show that the position of the rotating shaft of the flap has little influence on the lift coefficient at low camber. When stall occurs, the lift coefficient first increases and then decreases as the flap axis moves backward, which also delays the stall angle at a low camber. At the high camber of AOA = 6°, the lift coefficient always increases with the increase of the rotating axis position of the flap; especially between 85% and 95%, the lift coefficient increases suddenly, which is caused by the disappearance of large-scale flow separation on the suction surface of the flap. It reflects the nonlinear coupling effect between camber of wingsail and the rotating axis position of the flap
Landscape Approach towards Integrated Conservation and Use of Primeval Forests: The Transboundary Kovda River Catchment in Russia and Finland
Authors: Angelstam Per , Manton Michael , Yamelynets Taras , Sørensen Ole , Kondrateva (Stepanova) Svetlana
Published: May 2020

Regional clear-felling of naturally dynamic boreal forests has left remote forest landscapes in northern Europe with challenges regarding rural development based on wood mining. However, biodiversity conservation with higher levels of ambition than what is possible in regions with a long forest history, and cultural heritage, offer opportunities for developing new value chains that support rural development. We explored the opportunities for pro-active integrated spatial planning based on: (i) landscapes’ natural and cultural heritage values in the transboundary Kovda River catchment in Russia and Finland; (ii) forest canopy loss as a threat; and (iii) private, public and civil sector stakeholders’ views on the use and non-use values at local to international levels. After a 50-year history of wood mining in Russia, the remaining primeval forest and cultural heritage remnants are located along the pre-1940 Finnish-Russian border. Forest canopy loss was higher in Finland (0.42%/year) than in Russia (0.09%/year), and decreased from the south to the north in both countries. The spatial scales of stakeholders’ use of forest landscapes ranged from stand-scale to the entire catchment of Kovda River in Russia and Finland (~2,600,000 ha). We stress the need to develop an integrated landscape approach that includes: (i) forest landscape goods; (ii) other ecosystem services and values found in intact forest landscapes; and (iii) adaptive local and regional forest landscape governance. Transboundary collaboration offers opportunities for effective knowledge production and learning.
Giant Stress Impedance Magnetoelastic Sensors Employing Soft Magnetic Amorphous Ribbons
Authors: Beato-López Juan Jesús , Urdániz-Villanueva Juan Garikoitz , Pérez-Landazábal José Ignacio , Gómez-Polo Cristina
Published: May 2020

Soft magnetic amorphous alloys obtained via rapid quenching techniques are widely employed in different technological fields such as magnetic field detection, bio labeling, non-contact positioning, etc. Among them, magnetoelastic applications stand out due to excellent mechanical properties exhibited by these alloys, resulting from their amorphous structure, namely, their high Young modulus and high tensile strength. In particular, the giant stress impedance (GSI) effect represents a powerful tool to develop highly sensitive magnetoelastic sensors. This effect is based on the changes in the high-frequency electric impedance as the result of the variation in magnetic permeability of the sample under the action of mechanical stresses. In this work, the GSI effect is analyzed in two soft magnetic ribbons ((Co0.93 Fe0.07)75 Si12.5 B12.5 and (Co0.95 Fe0.05)75 Si12.5 B12.5) for the subsequent development of two practical devices: (i) the characterization of the variations in the cross-section dimensions of irregularly shaped elements, and (ii) the design of a flow meter for measuring the rate of flow of water through a pipe.
Probing the Validity of the Zintl−Klemm Concept for Alkaline-Metal Copper Tellurides by Means of Quantum-Chemical Techniques
Authors: Smid Sabrina , Steinberg Simon
Published: May 2020

Understanding the nature of bonding in solid-state materials is of great interest for their designs, because the bonding nature influences the structural preferences and chemical as well as physical properties of solids. In the cases of tellurides, the distributions of valence-electrons are typically described by applying the Zintl−Klemm concept. Yet, do these Zintl−Klemm treatments provide adequate pictures that help us understanding the bonding nature in tellurides? To answer this question, we followed up with quantum-chemical examinations on the electronic structures and the bonding nature of three alkaline-metal copper tellurides, i.e., NaCu3Te2, K2Cu2Te5, and K2Cu5Te5. In doing so, we accordingly probed the validity of the Zintl−Klemm concept for these ternary tellurides, based on analyses of the respective projected crystal orbital Hamilton populations (−pCOHP) and Mulliken as well as Löwdin charges. Since all of the inspected tellurides are expected to comprise Cu−Cu interactions, we also paid particular attention to the possible presence of closed-shell interactions.
Direct Exposure of Dry Enzymes to Atmospheric Pressure Non-Equilibrium Plasmas: The Case of Tyrosinase
Authors: Lapenna Annamaria , Fanelli Fiorenza , Fracassi Francesco , Armenise Vincenza , Angarano Valeria , Palazzo Gerardo , Mallardi Antonia
Published: May 2020

The direct interaction of atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium plasmas with tyrosinase (Tyr) was investigated under typical conditions used in surface processing. Specifically, Tyr dry deposits were exposed to dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs) fed with helium, helium/oxygen, and helium/ethylene mixtures, and effects on enzyme functionality were evaluated. First of all, results show that DBDs have a measurable impact on Tyr only when experiments were carried out using very low enzyme amounts. An appreciable decrease in Tyr activity was observed upon exposure to oxygen-containing DBD. Nevertheless, the combined use of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and white-light vertical scanning interferometry revealed that, in this reactive environment, Tyr deposits displayed remarkable etching resistance, reasonably conferred by plasma-induced changes in their surface chemical composition as well as by their coffee-ring structure. Ethylene-containing DBDs were used to coat tyrosinase with a hydrocarbon polymer film, in order to obtain its immobilization. In particular, it was found that Tyr activity can be fully retained by properly adjusting thin film deposition conditions. All these findings enlighten a high stability of dry enzymes in various plasma environments and open new opportunities for the use of atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium plasmas in enzyme immobilization strategies.
Machinability Analysis and Optimization in Wire EDM of Medical Grade NiTiNOL Memory Alloy
Authors: Kulkarni Vinayak N. , Gaitonde V. N. , Karnik S. R. , Manjaiah M. , Davim J. Paulo
Published: May 2020

NiTiNOL (Nickel–Titanium) shape memory alloys (SMAs) are ideal replacements for titanium alloys used in bio-medical applications because of their superior properties like shape memory and super elasticity. The machining of NiTiNOL alloy is challenging, as it is a difficult to cut material. Hence, in the current research the experimental studies on machinability aspects of medical grade NiTiNOL SMA during wire electric discharge machining (WEDM) using zinc coated brass wire as electrode material have been carried out. Pulse time (Ton), pause time (Toff), wire feed (WF), and servo voltage (SV) are chosen as varying input process variables and the effects of their combinational values on output responses such as surface roughness (SR), material removal rate (MRR), and tool wear rate (TWR) are studied through response surface methodology (RSM) based developed models. Modified differential evolution (MDE) optimization technique has been developed and the convergence curve of the same has been compared with the results of differential evolution (DE) technique. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrography (EDS) analysis are carried out to study the surface morphology of the machined alloy. SV is found to be more influential process parameter for achieving better MRR with minimal SR and TWR, followed by Ton, Toff, and WF. The WF has good impact on reduced SR and TWR responses and found to be least significant in maximizing MRR.
Microstructure and Degradation of Mortar Containing Waste Glass Aggregate as Evaluated by Various Microscopic Techniques
Authors: Czapik Przemysław
Published: May 2020

The primary aim of this article is to focus on the alkali-silica reaction (ASR) in mortar specimens containing coloured waste glass used as an aggregate. Mortar expansion was measured using the ASTM C 1260 accelerated test procedure until the specimens disintegrated. Special attention was paid to the microscopic examination of the damaged mortar. Various methods were used for this purpose, including optical microscopy in reflected and transmitted light with one and two crossed polarizers. The specimens were also subjected to the scanning electron microscopy observations with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). The data obtained from these techniques provided information on the mechanism of glass-containing mortar degradation due to ASR and also allowed the comparison of different microscopic techniques in terms of the information they can provide on ASR occurrence.
A 4 Year Human, Randomized, Radiographic Study of Scalloped versus Non-Scalloped Cemented Implants
Authors: Sinjari Bruna , D’Addazio Gianmaria , Santilli Manlio , D’Avanzo Barbara , Rexhepi Imena , Scarano Antonio , Traini Tonino , Piattelli Maurizio , Caputi Sergio
Published: May 2020

Marginal bone loss (MBL) is a key factor in long-term implant success rate. Among the different factors that influence MBL, it is the different implant shoulder designs, such as scalloped or non-scalloped, which have been widely studied on screw retained but not on cemented retained implants. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the MBL around scalloped and non-scalloped cemented retained dental implants after 4 years of loading, in humans. A total of 15 patients were enrolled in the present study. A radiographic and clinical examination was performed after implant placement (T0) and after 4 years from it (T1). The results demonstrated a differential MBL (T1-T0) of 2.436 ± 1.103 mm and 1.923 ± 1.021 mm, respectively for test (scalloped) and control (non-scalloped) groups with a statistically significant difference between them. On the other hand, no statistically significant differences were found between the groups in terms of prosthetic complication and abutment decementation, whilst ceramic crowns chipping was shown in both groups. In conclusion, the use of a scalloped platform did not provide better results on the maintenance of MBL after 4 years follow-up. In this study, this probably was determined by multiple factors, among which was the subcrestal insertion of scalloped implants.
Influences of Low Intensity on Diode Parameters of CdTe Solar Cells
Authors: Xu Xiaobo , Gu Wenping , Wang Xiaoyan , Zhu Wei , Zhang Lin , Zhang Zan
Published: May 2020

This study deals with the CdS/CdTe solar cells under low illumination intensity, with cell #1 for the shunt resistance exceeding 100,000 Ω·cm2 and cell #2 for the shunt resistance above 1000 Ω·cm2. The diode parameter variations with the decline of the irradiance intensity are illustrated by dividing 0–100 mW/cm−2 into a number of small intensity ranges for J–V measurements and assuming the diode parameters to be constant within each range, the diode parameters of each range including the series resistance, the shunt resistance, the reverse saturation current density and the ideality factor are then extracted by employing an analytical approach. The mechanism of the cell performance deviations are also investigated by basic theories, reports and experiments. For cell #1 with higher Rsh corresponding to less traps, Rsh shows a upward tendency as the irradiance declines, n and J0 exhibit a rise with the irradiance and keep nearly unchanged at the low irradiance values mainly due to recombination and carrier contributions, Rs shows a slight increase when the irradiance intensity goes down because of the resistance of CdTe absorption layer. For cell #2 with lower Rsh corresponding to more traps, with the decrease of the illumination intensity, Rsh increases sharply only for captured carrier reduction, Rs goes steadily up similarly, n and J0 exhibit a decline with the irradiance due to recombination shift. It should be pointed out that Rs varies much smoother than the traditional approximation of a reciprocal of differential at short circuit, and the distribution of Rsh is diverse, and an average Rsh of for each intensity range can reflect the variation trend.
Phase Stability of Nanocrystalline Grains of Rare-Earth Oxides (Sm2O3 and Eu2O3) Confined in Magnesia (MgO) Matrix
Authors: Barad Chen , Kimmel Giora , Hayun Hagay , Shamir Dror , Hirshberg Kachal , Gelbstein Yaniv
Published: May 2020

Rare-earth (RE) oxides are important in myriad fields, including metallurgy, catalysis, and ceramics. However, the phase diagram of RE oxides in the nanoscale might differ from the phase diagrams for bulk, thus attracting attention nowadays. We suggest that grain size in the nanoscale also determines the obtained crystallographic phase along with temperature and pressure. For this purpose, nanoparticles of Sm2O3 and Eu2O3 were mixed in an inert MgO matrix via the sol-gel method. This preparation method allowed better isolation of the oxide particles, thus hindering the grain growth process associated with increasing the temperature. The mixed oxides were compared to pure oxides, which were heat-treated using two methods: gradual heating versus direct heating to the phase transition temperature. The cubic phase in pure oxides was preserved to a higher extent in the gradual heating treatment compared to the direct heating treatment. Additionally, in MgO, even a higher extent of the cubic phase was preserved at higher temperatures compared to the pure oxide, which transformed into the monoclinic phase at the same temperature in accordance with the phase diagram for bulk. This indicates that the cubic phase is the equilibrium phase for nanosized particles and is determined also by size.
Mathematical Modeling Shows That the Response of a Solid Tumor to Antiangiogenic Therapy Depends on the Type of Growth
Authors: Kuznetsov Maxim
Published: May 2020

It has been hypothesized that solid tumors with invasive type of growth should possess intrinsic resistance to antiangiogenic therapy, which is aimed at cessation of the formation of new blood vessels and subsequent shortage of nutrient inflow to the tumor. In order to investigate this effect, a continuous mathematical model of tumor growth is developed, which considers variables of tumor cells, necrotic tissue, capillaries, and glucose as the crucial nutrient. The model accounts for the intrinsic motility of tumor cells and for the convective motion, arising due to their proliferation, thus allowing considering two types of tumor growth—invasive and compact—as well as their combination. Analytical estimations of tumor growth speed are obtained for compact and invasive tumors. They suggest that antiangiogenic therapy may provide a several times decrease of compact tumor growth speed, but the decrease of growth speed for invasive tumors should be only modest. These estimations are confirmed by numerical simulations, which further allow evaluating the effect of antiangiogenic therapy on tumors with mixed growth type and highlight the non-additive character of the two types of growth.
Influence of Continuous Casting Speeds on Cast Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of an ADC14 Alloy
Authors: Lee Yoon-Seok , Makino Yuya , Nitta Jun , Lee Eunkyung
Published: May 2020

To improve the mechanical properties of the casting alloys, various attempts have been made to use alternative casting technologies. The Ohno continuous casting (OCC) process is a unidirectional solidification method, which leads to high-quality cast samples. In this study, the Al-Si-Cu-Mg alloy was cast at casting speeds of 1 mm/s, 2 mm/s, and 3 mm/s, by the OCC process. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of the casting process parameters, such as casting speeds and cooling conditions, on the crystallization characteristics and mechanical properties of OCC-Al-Si-Cu-Mg alloy. Particularly, secondary dendrite arms spacing of α-Al dendrites in OCC samples significantly decreases with increasing casting speed. Moreover, the mean tensile strength of the samples, produced at the highest casting speed of 4.0 mm/s, is significantly higher than that for the samples produced at a casting speed of 1.0 mm/s.
Precise Control of Copper-Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance in the Near Infrared Region for Enhancement of Up-Conversion Luminescence
Authors: Pan Yuyong , Chu Lingling , Liu Jiliang , Lv Baize , Belfiore Laurence A. , Tang Jianguo
Published: May 2020

The surface plasmon resonance of copper in the near infrared region provides a novel method for enhancement of up-conversion luminescence compared to using gold and silver, as the former grants significant cost savings. In this study, we made a flat Cu film covered TiO2 to enhance the up-conversion fluorescence intensity. The results show that the deposition of copper/TiO2 dioxide nanocomposite film prepared via spin-coating has no effect on the structure of NaGdF4:Er3+, Yb3+. The absorption wavelength of the copper film moved from the original visible wavelength (~600 nm) range to the infrared wavelength after covering TiO2, and most obviously, the copper film covered two layers of TiO2 by about 16 nm; the peak of the absorption appeared at 835 nm due to the enhanced excitation field. The behavior of the nanocomposite film with NaGdF4:Er3+ and Yb3+ under 980 nm excitation was investigated; it provides a novel way for studying mental-enhanced fluorescence. Besides, the peaks of the fluorescence spectrum show different emissions at 542 nm and 660 nm, respectively. The copper nanoparticles-covered TiO2 layer can obviously enhance the fluorescence intensity, and the maximum enhancement factors of emission of NaGdF4:Er3+ and Yb3+ nanoparticles are 3.1 and 1.9 on the nanocomposite film, respectively.
JUMPm: A Tool for Large-Scale Identification of Metabolites in Untargeted Metabolomics
Authors: Wang Xusheng , Cho Ji-Hoon , Poudel Suresh , Li Yuxin , Jones Drew R. , Shaw Timothy I. , Tan Haiyan , Xie Boer , Peng Junmin
Published: May 2020

Metabolomics is increasingly important for biomedical research, but large-scale metabolite identification in untargeted metabolomics is still challenging. Here, we present Jumbo Mass spectrometry-based Program of Metabolomics (JUMPm) software, a streamlined software tool for identifying potential metabolite formulas and structures in mass spectrometry. During database search, the false discovery rate is evaluated by a target-decoy strategy, where the decoys are produced by breaking the octet rule of chemistry. We illustrated the utility of JUMPm by detecting metabolite formulas and structures from liquid chromatography coupled tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analyses of unlabeled and stable-isotope labeled yeast samples. We also benchmarked the performance of JUMPm by analyzing a mixed sample from a commercially available metabolite library in both hydrophilic and hydrophobic LC-MS/MS. These analyses confirm that metabolite identification can be significantly improved by estimating the element composition in formulas using stable isotope labeling, or by introducing LC retention time during a spectral library search, which are incorporated into JUMPm functions. Finally, we compared the performance of JUMPm and two commonly used programs, Compound Discoverer 3.1 and MZmine 2, with respect to putative metabolite identifications. Our results indicate that JUMPm is an effective tool for metabolite identification of both unlabeled and labeled data in untargeted metabolomics.
Quantifying Plant-Borne Carbon Assimilation by Root-Associating Bacteria
Authors: Waller Spenser , Wilder Stacy L. , Schueller Michael J. , Housh Alexandra B. , Ferrieri Richard A.
Published: May 2020

Herbaspirillum seropedicae is a rhizobacteria that occupies a specialized ecological niche in agriculture. As an endophyte and prolific grass root colonizer it has the potential to promote plant growth, enhancing crop yield in many cereal crops. While the mechanisms for plant growth promotion are controversial, the one irrefutable fact is these microorganisms rely heavily on plant-borne carbon as their main energy source in support of their biological functions. Unfortunately, the tools and technology enabling researchers to trace carbon exchange between plants and the microorganisms associating with them has been limiting. Here, we demonstrate that radioactive 11CO2 administered to intact maize leaves with translocation of 11C-photosynthates to roots can provide a ‘traceable’ source of carbon whose assimilation by microbial organisms can be quantified with enormous sensitivity. Fluorescence root imaging of RAM10, a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporting strain of H. seropedicae, was used to identify regions of high microbial colonization. Microbes were mechanically removed from these regions via sonication in saline solution and extracts were subjected to fluorescence measurement and gamma counting to correlate carbon-11 atoms with numbers of colony forming units. The method has potential to translate to other microorganisms provided they possess an optical reporting trait.
Strigolactone Analogs Are Promising Antiviral Agents for the Treatment of Human Cytomegalovirus Infection
Authors: Biolatti Matteo , Blangetti Marco , D’Arrigo Giulia , Spyrakis Francesca , Cappello Paola , Albano Camilla , Ravanini Paolo , Landolfo Santo , De Andrea Marco , Prandi Cristina , Dell’Oste Valentina
Published: May 2020

The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a widespread pathogen and is associated with severe diseases in immunocompromised individuals. Moreover, HCMV infection is the most frequent cause of congenital malformation in developed countries. Although nucleoside analogs have been successfully employed against HCMV, their use is hampered by the occurrence of serious side effects. There is thus an urgent clinical need for less toxic, but highly effective, antiviral drugs. Strigolactones (SLs) are a novel class of plant hormones with a multifaceted activity. While their role in plant-related fields has been extensively explored, their effects on human cells and their potential applications in medicine are far from being fully exploited. In particular, their antiviral activity has never been investigated. In the present study, a panel of SL analogs has been assessed for antiviral activity against HCMV. We demonstrate that TH-EGO and EDOT-EGO significantly inhibit HCMV replication in vitro, impairing late protein expression. Moreover, we show that the SL-dependent induction of apoptosis in HCMV-infected cells is a contributing mechanism to SL antiviral properties. Overall, our results indicate that SLs may be a promising alternative to nucleoside analogs for the treatment of HCMV infections.
Biofilm Mode of Cultivation Leads to an Improvement of the Entomotoxic Patterns of Two Aspergillus Species
Authors: Francis Frédéric , Druart Florent , Mavungu José Diana Di , De Boevre Marthe , De Saeger Sarah , Delvigne Frank
Published: May 2020

Two fungi, i.e., Aspergillus flavus Link and Aspergillus oryzae (Ahlb.) E. Cohn, were cultivated according to two methodologies, namely submerged and biofilm cultures with the primary aim to use their secondary metabolites the supernatant CL50, and CL90 varied between 1.3% (v/v) to 12.7% (v/v) for incubation times from 24 to 72 h. While the A. flavus supernatant entomotoxicity was higher than this of A. oryzae, the biofilm culture application increased the efficiency of the former. Proteomic analysis of the supernatants revealed discrepancies among the two species and modes of cultivation. Furthermore, the secondary metabolite profiles of both Aspergillus cultures were verified. Aspergillic acid, beta-cyclopiazonic acid, cyclopiazonic acid, ferrineospergillin, flavacol, and spermadin A were most predominant. Generally, these secondary metabolites were present in higher concentrations in the supernatants of A. flavus and biofilm cultures. These molecular identifications correlated positively with entomotoxic activity. Noteworthy, the absence of carcinogenic aflatoxins was remarkable, and it will allow further valorization to produce A. flavus to develop potential biopesticides.
Transcriptional Regulation of the Outer Membrane Protein A in Acinetobacter baumannii
Authors: Oh Kyu-Wan , Kim Kyeongmin , Islam Md. Maidul , Jung Hye-Won , Lim Daejin , Lee Je Chul , Shin Minsang
Published: May 2020

Acinetobacter baumannii is known for its virulence in severely ill, hospitalized patients and for exhibiting multidrug resistance. A. baumannii infection treatment poses a serious problem in clinical environments. The outer membrane protein A (OmpA) of the Acinetobacter genus is involved in bacterial virulence. Regulatory factors of OmpA in the post-transcriptional stage have been previously identified. However, the regulatory factors that act before the transcriptional stage remain unclear. We investigated the A1S_0316 gene that encodes a putative transcription factor for OmpA expression in A. baumannii. A1S_0316 was purified and examined using size-exclusion chromatography, which revealed that it forms an oligomer. The binding affinity of A1S_0316 to the OmpA promoter region was also examined. We compared the binding affinity to the OmpA promotor region between A1S_0316 and the AbH-NS protein. A1S_0316 showed higher binding affinity to the OmpA promotor region than did H-NS. We examined the regulatory effect of these proteins on OmpA expression in A. baumannii using real-time qPCR and various in vitro tools. Our results indicated that A1S_0316 acts as an anti-repressor on the promotor region of the OmpA gene by inhibiting the binding of the AbH-NS protein. This study was the first demonstration of the transcriptional regulation of OmpA expression.
Occurrence of blaTEM and blaCTXM Genes and Biofilm-Forming Ability among Clinical Isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii in Yaoundé, Cameroon
Authors: Madaha Estelle Longla , Gonsu Hortense Kamga , Bughe Rhoda Nsen , Fonkoua Marie Christine , Ateba Collins Njie , Mbacham Wilfred Fon
Published: May 2020

Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PSA) and Acinetobacter baumannii (ACB) are non-fermentative bacteria mostly associated with nosocomial infections in humans. Objective: This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial resistance profiles and virulence gene of PSA and ACB previously isolated from humans in selected health facilities in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Methods: A total of 77 and 27 presumptive PSA and ACB isolates, respectively, were collected from the Yaoundé teaching hospital. These isolates were previously isolated from various samples including pus, blood and broncho-alveolar lavage. The identities of the isolates were determined through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of PSA and ACB specific sequences. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) was performed using the Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method. Phenotypical expression of AmpC β-lactamases (AmpC), extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and metallo β-Lactamases (MBLs) were determined using the combined disc method. Bacterial genomes were screened for the presence of β-lactamases blaTEM and blaCTXM genes using specific PCR. The pathogenicity of PSA and ACB was assessed through amplification of the lasB, exoA, pslA and exoS as well as OmpA and csuE virulence genes, respectively. Results: Of the 77 presumptive PSA isolates, a large proportion (75 to 97.4%) were positively identified. All (100%) of the presumptive 27 ACB harbored the ACB-specific ITS gene fragment by PCR. Twenty five percent of the PSA isolates produced ESBLs phenotypically while more than 90% of these isolates were positive for the lasB, exoA, pslA and exoS genes. A large proportion (88%) of the ACB isolates harboured the OmpA and csuE genes. blaTEM and blaCTXM were detected in 17 and 4% of PSA, respectively, while a much higher proportion (70 and 29%) of the ACB isolates possessed these resistance determinants respectively. Conclusion: Our findings reveal the occurrence of both virulence and drug-resistant determinants in clinical PSA and ACB isolates from patients in health care settings in Yaoundé, Cameroon, thus suggesting their role in the pathological conditions in patients.
Production of Raw Starch-Digesting Amylolytic Preparation in Yarrowia lipolytica and Its Application in Biotechnological Synthesis of Lactic Acid and Ethanol
Authors: Gęsicka Aleksandra , Borkowska Monika , Białas Wojciech , Kaczmarek Paulina , Celińska Ewelina
Published: May 2020

Sustainable economy drives increasing demand for raw biomass-decomposing enzymes. Microbial expression platforms exploited as cellular factories of such biocatalysts meet requirements of large-volume production. Previously, we developed Yarrowia lipolytica recombinant strains able to grow on raw starch of different plant origin. In the present study, we used the most efficient amylolytic strain as a microbial cell factory of raw-starch-digesting (RSD) amylolytic preparation composed of two enzymes. The RSD-preparation was produced in fed-batch bioreactor cultures. Concentrated and partly purified preparation was then tested in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) processes with thermotolerant Kluyveromyces marxianus for ethanol production and Lactobacillus plantarum for production of lactic acid. These processes were conducted as a proof-of-concept that application of the novel RSD-preparation supports sufficient starch hydrolysis enabling microbial growth and production of targeted molecules, as the selected strains were confirmed to lack amylolytic activity. Doses of the preparation and thermal conditions were individually adjusted for the two processes. Additionally, ethanol production was tested under different aeration strategies; and lactic acid production process was tested in thermally pre-treated substrate, as well. Conducted studies demonstrated that the novel RSD-preparation provides satisfactory starch hydrolyzing activity for ethanol and lactic acid production from starch by non-amylolytic microorganisms.
Breeding Maize Maternal Haploid Inducers
Authors: Uliana Trentin Henrique , Frei Ursula K. , Lübberstedt Thomas
Published: May 2020

Maize doubled haploid (DH) lines are usually created in vivo, through crosses with maternal haploid inducers. These inducers have the inherent ability of generating seeds with haploid embryos when used to pollinate other genotypes. The resulting haploid plants are treated with a doubling agent and self-pollinated, producing completely homozygous seeds. This rapid method of inbred line production reduces the length of breeding cycles and, consequently, increases genetic gain. Such advantages explain the wide adoption of this technique by large, well-established maize breeding programs. However, a slower rate of adoption was observed in medium to small-scale breeding programs. The high price and/or lack of environmental adaptation of inducers available for licensing, or the poor performance of those free of cost, might explain why smaller operations did not take full advantage of this technique. The lack of adapted inducers is especially felt in tropical countries, where inducer breeding efforts are more recent. Therefore, defining optimal breeding approaches for inducer development could benefit many breeding programs which are in the process of adopting the DH technique. In this manuscript, we review traits important to maize maternal haploid inducers, explain their genetic basis, listing known genes and quantitative trait loci (QTL), and discuss different breeding approaches for inducer development. The performance of haploid inducers has an important impact on the cost of DH line production.
Evaluation of Napier Grass for Bioethanol Production through a Fermentation Process
Authors: Kongkeitkajorn Mallika Boonmee , Sae-Kuay Chanpim , Reungsang Alissara
Published: May 2020

Ethanol is one of the widely used liquid biofuels in the world. The move from sugar-based production into the second-generation, lignocellulosic-based production has been of interest due to an abundance of these non-edible raw materials. This study interested in the use of Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach), a common fodder in tropical regions and is considered an energy crop, for ethanol production. In this study, we aim to evaluate the ethanol production potential from the grass and to suggest a production process based on the results obtained from the study. Pretreatments of the grass by alkali, dilute acid, and their combination prepared the grass for further hydrolysis by commercial cellulase (Cellic® CTec2). Separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF), and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) techniques were investigated in ethanol production using Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Scheffersomyces shehatae, a xylose-fermenting yeast. Pretreating 15% w/v Napier grass with 1.99 M NaOH at 95.7 °C for 116 min was the best condition to prepare the grass for further enzymatic hydrolysis using the enzyme dosage of 40 Filter Paper Unit (FPU)/g for 117 h. Fermentation of enzymatic hydrolysate by S. cerevisiae via SHF resulted in the best ethanol production of 187.4 g/kg of Napier grass at 44.7 g/L ethanol concentration. The results indicated that Napier grass is a promising lignocellulosic raw material that could serve a fermentation with high ethanol concentration.
Applied Cleaning Methods of Oil Residues from Industrial Tanks
Authors: Chrysalidis Alexandros , Kyzas George Z.
Published: May 2020

The oil industry is facing a major problem with the large amount of oil residue generated in the tanks that store and process crude oil or its products. Research has shown that the residues of petroleum sludge, which according to a sample from the Azzawiya oil refinery in Libya mainly consist of oil, water and solid residues in 42.8%, 2.9% and 55.2% respectively, result in the alteration of the product quality and reduced capacity of the tanks. The solution for this problem as well as the need for inspection and maintenance requires the removal of this oil sludge and the internal cleaning of the tanks. This report aims to review the applied clean-up methods available in the world market and to identify the most efficient, safest, most economical and most environmentally friendly cleaning process. It must be noted that until now, there is not any published work which presents the applied techniques. To accomplish this goal, a total of five manual, automatic and robotic cleaning systems were analyzed and evaluated according to their advantages and disadvantages. The results show that the MEGAMACS with sludge extractor automatic cleaning system with an output of 14.8 m3/h is the fastest cleaning system, while the MARTin where the presence of people inside the tank is not necessary at any stage is the safest. In terms of cleaning costs and environmental impact, the automated BLABO, COW and MEGAMACS systems as well as the MARTin robotic system are the most economical and environmentally friendly due to the closed cleaning circuit and the ability to recover up to 95% of the oil from the sludge, which is returned to the customer and the earnings cover the costs of cleaning. The conclusion drawn is that the current need in the oil industry, in the field of tank cleaning, is the use of high-efficiency automatic or robotic cleaning methods, which aim to reduce the tank downtime, without the need for staff entrance into a permit-required confined space and with the ability to recover up to 100% of the hydrocarbons present in the composition of the sludge.
Intercultural Sensitivity and Ethnocentrism Levels of Theology Students in a Turkish University Sample
Authors: Erdogan Irfan , Okumuslar Muhiddin
Published: May 2020

In this study, we aimed to examine the intercultural sensitivity levels and ethnocentrism levels, as well as some variables that affect them, of students studying in the Necmettin Erbakan University Theology Faculty in Turkey. A descriptive survey research method was adopted to realize this aim. The Intercultural Sensitivity Scale and the Generalized Ethnocentrism Scale were used as the data collection tools. The sample of the study consisted of 326 students studying in the Necmettin Erbakan University Faculty of Theology during the 2018–2019 academic year. According to our findings, the intercultural sensitivity level of the theology students was “high,” whereas their ethnocentrism level was “low.” The intercultural sensitivity levels of the theology students differed based on age and exposure to individuals from another country or culture. Ethnocentrism levels in the students differed based on gender, the nationality of the students (Europe, Turkey, Asia-Africa), the size of the settlement unit, and exposure to individuals from different countries or cultures.
Religion and Social Media: Communication Strategies by the Spanish Episcopal Conference
Authors: Baraybar-Fernández Antonio , Arrufat-Martín Sandro , Rubira-García Rainer
Published: May 2020

Over the past few years, we have seen significant changes in religious values and practices. This article describes and analyzes communication strategies carried out by the Spanish Episcopal Conference—i.e., Conferencia Episcopal Española (CEE)—through social media. For this, we have followed up the conference’s activity on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube for the last three years. Along with the evolution of followers, we identify and assess the messages that have received the majority of likes and the content that has generated the most controversy. At the same time, a comparison has been made between activity in the media in which the above-mentioned institution participates in Spain and the rest of the Episcopal Conferences in Latin America. Results allow us to obtain a diachronic vision of the CEE strategies on social media in order to generate a strong virtual community and on how it tries to connect with the thoughts and feelings of followers. In conclusion, it can be confirmed that social media is one of the most enthusiastic and outstanding platforms for Catholics to demonstrate their commitment to their Church, by which they form a common space to share and celebrate their vision of the world.
Epilogue: Luther’s Theology and Feminism
Authors: Stjerna Kirsi
Published: May 2020

‘Critically’ and ‘compassionately’—these are key words for engaging Luther and feminist scholarship in the same space.[...]
Gaussian Mixture Models for Control of Quasi-Passive Spinal Exoskeletons
Authors: Jamšek Marko , Petrič Tadej , Babič Jan
Published: May 2020

Research and development of active and passive exoskeletons for preventing work related injuries has steadily increased in the last decade. Recently, new types of quasi-passive designs have been emerging. These exoskeletons use passive viscoelastic elements, such as springs and dampers, to provide support to the user, while using small actuators only to change the level of support or to disengage the passive elements. Control of such devices is still largely unexplored, especially the algorithms that predict the movement of the user, to take maximum advantage of the passive viscoelastic elements. To address this issue, we developed a new control scheme consisting of Gaussian mixture models (GMM) in combination with a state machine controller to identify and classify the movement of the user as early as possible and thus provide a timely control output for the quasi-passive spinal exoskeleton. In a leave-one-out cross-validation procedure, the overall accuracy for providing support to the user was 86 . 72 ± 0 . 86 % (mean ± s.d.) with a sensitivity and specificity of 97 . 46 ± 2 . 09 % and 83 . 15 ± 0 . 85 % respectively. The results of this study indicate that our approach is a promising tool for the control of quasi-passive spinal exoskeletons.
Influence of Humidity on the Acoustic Properties of Mushroom Mycelium Films Used as Sensitive Layers for Acoustic Humidity Sensors
Authors: Kuznetsova Iren , Zaitsev Boris , Krasnopolskaya Larissa , Teplykh Andrey , Semyonov Alexander , Avtonomova Anastasia , Ziangirova Mayya , Smirnov Andrey , Kolesov Vladimir
Published: May 2020

The influence of humidity on the density, shear elastic module, viscosity, and thickness of the mushroom Pleurotus eryngii and Ganoderma lucidum mycelium films was studied. These data were obtained by comparing the theoretical and experimental frequency dependencies of the complex electrical impedance of bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonator loaded by mycelium film using the least-squares method. This procedure was performed for the BAW resonator with pointed films for the relative humidity range of 17%–56% at the room temperature. As a result, the changes of the density, shear elastic module, viscosity, and thickness of the films under study, due to the water vapor adsorption, were determined. It has been established that the properties of mycelium films are restored after removing from the water vapor. So, these results show the possibility of using investigated mycelium films as sensitive layers for acoustic humidity sensors.
Towards the Development of a 3-D Biochip for the Detection of Hepatitis C Virus
Authors: Antipchik Mariia , Polyakov Dmitry , Sinitsyna Ekaterina , Dzhuzha Apollinariia , Shavlovsky Mikhail , Korzhikova-Vlakh Evgenia , Tennikova Tatiana
Published: May 2020

The early diagnostics of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections is currently one of the most highly demanded medical tasks. This study is devoted to the development of biochips (microarrays) that can be applied for the detection of HCV. The analytical platforms of suggested devices were based on macroporous poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-di(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate) monolithic material. The biochips were obtained by the covalent immobilization of specific probes spotted onto the surface of macroporous monolithic platforms. Using the developed biochips, different variants of bioassay were investigated. This study was carried out using hepatitis C virus-mimetic particles (VMPs) representing polymer nanoparticles with a size close to HCV and bearing surface virus antigen (E2 protein). At the first step, the main parameters of bioassay were optimized. Additionally, the dissociation constants were calculated for the pairs “ligand–receptor” and “antigen–antibody” formed at the surface of biochips. As a result of this study, the analysis of VMPs in model buffer solution and human blood plasma was carried out in a format of direct and “sandwich” approaches. It was found that bioassay efficacy appeared to be similar for both the model medium and real biological fluid. Finally, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), spot-to-spot and biochip-to-biochip reproducibility for the developed systems were evaluated.
A Smart Sensor-Based Measurement System for Advanced Bee Hive Monitoring
Authors: Cecchi Stefania , Spinsante Susanna , Terenzi Alessandro , Orcioni Simone
Published: May 2020

The widespread decline of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies registered in recent years has raised great attention to the need of gathering deeper knowledge about this phenomenon, by observing the colonies’ activity to identify possible causes, and design corresponding countermeasures. In fact, honey bees have well-known positive effects on both the environment and human life, and their preservation becomes critical not only for ecological reasons, but also for the social and economic development of rural communities. Smart sensor systems are being developed for real-time and long-term measurement of relevant parameters related to beehive conditions, such as the hive weight, sounds emitted by the bees, temperature, humidity, and CO 2 inside the beehive, as well as weather conditions outside. This paper presents a multisensor platform designed to measure the aforementioned parameters from beehives deployed in the field, and shows how the fusion of different sensor measurements may provide insights on the status of the colony, its interaction with the surrounding environment, and the influence of climatic conditions.