bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Development of a Novel Questionnaire Approach to the Investigation of Horse Training, Management, and Behaviour
Authors: Fenner Kate , Dashper Katherine , Serpell James , McLean Andrew , Wilkins Cristina , Klinck Mary , Wilson Bethany , McGreevy Paul
Published: October 2020

The Equine Behaviour Assessment and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ) is a questionnaire instrument developed to obtain quantitative data on the domestic equine triad of training, management, and behaviour of horses. The E-BARQ was developed to identify how changes in training and management impact behaviour over time, to define normal behaviour in horses, and to discover how to improve rider safety and horse welfare, leading to ethical equitation. During the development of the E-BARQ, we also investigated how best to motivate stakeholders to engage with this citizen science project. The pilot version of the E-BARQ collected qualitative data on respondents’ experience of the questionnaire. The pilot questionnaire was developed with the assistance of an international panel (with professional expertise in horse training, equitation science, veterinary science, equestrian coaching, welfare, animal behaviour, and elite-level riding), and was used to collect data on 1320 horses from approximately 1194 owner/caregiver respondents, with an option for respondents to provide free-text feedback. A Rotated Principal Component Analysis of the 218 behavioural, management, and training questionnaire items extracted a total of 65 rotated components. Thirty-six of the 65 rotated components demonstrated high internal reliability. Of the 218 questionnaire items, 43 items failed to reach the Rotated Principal Component Analysis criteria and were not included in the final version of the E-BARQ. Survey items that failed the Rotated Principal Component Analysis inclusion criteria were discarded if found to have a less than 85% response rate, or a variance of less than 1.3. Of those that survived the Rotated Principal Component Analysis, items were further assigned to horse temperament (17 rotated components), equitation (11 rotated components), and management and equipment (8 rotated components) groups. The feedback from respondents indicated the need for further items to be added to the questionnaire, resulting in a total of 214 items for the final E-BARQ survey. Many of these items were further grouped into question matrices, and the demographic items for horse and handler included, giving a final total of 97 questions on the E-BARQ questionnaire. These results provided content validity, showing that the questionnaire items were an acceptable representation of the entire horse training, management, and behavioural domain for the development of the final E-BARQ questionnaire.
Molecular Assessment of Chelonid Alphaherpesvirus 5 Infection in Tumor-Free Green (Chelonia mydas) and Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) Sea Turtles in North Carolina, USA, 2015–2019
Authors: Page-Karjian Annie , Serrano Maria E. , Cartzendafner Jeffrey , Morgan Ashley , Ritchie Branson W. , Gregory Christopher R. , McNeill Joanne Braun , Perrault Justin R. , Christiansen Emily F. , Harms Craig A.
Published: October 2020

Fibropapillomatosis is associated with chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV5) and tumor formation in sea turtles. We collected blood samples from 113 green (Chelonia mydas) and 112 loggerhead (Caretta caretta) turtles without fibropapillomatosis, including 46 free-ranging turtles (20 green turtles, 26 loggerheads), captured in Core Sound, North Carolina, and 179 turtles (93 green turtles, 86 loggerheads) in rehabilitative care in North Carolina. Blood samples were analyzed for ChHV5 DNA using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and for antibodies to ChHV5 peptides using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). None of the samples from foraging turtles tested positive for ChHV5 by qPCR; ELISA was not used for foraging turtles. Samples from 18/179 (10.1%) rehabilitating turtles tested positive for ChHV5 using qPCR, and 32/56 (57.1%) rehabilitating turtles tested positive for antibodies to ChHV5 using ELISA. Five turtles that tested positive by qPCR or ELISA at admission converted to being undetectable during rehabilitation, and five that initially tested negative converted to being positive. Both sea turtle species were significantly more likely to test positive for ChHV5 using ELISA than with qPCR (p < 0.001). There was no difference in the proportions of green turtles versus loggerheads that tested positive for ChHV5 using qPCR, but loggerheads were significantly more likely than green turtles to test positive for ChHV5 using ELISA. This finding suggests that loggerheads infected with ChHV5 at some point in their life may be more able than green turtles to mount an effective immune response against recrudescent infection, pointing to species-specific genetic differences in the two species’ immune response to ChHV5 infection. This is the first study to analyze antibodies to ChHV5 in loggerhead turtles and represents the most complete dataset on ChHV5 DNA detection in sea turtles encountered in the more northern latitudes of their western Atlantic habitat.
The Effect of Black Pepper (Piperine) Extract Supplementation on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Fecal Microbial, Fecal Gas Emission, and Meat Quality of Finishing Pigs
Authors: Sampath Vetriselvi , Shanmugam Sureshkumar , Park Jae Hong , Kim In Ho
Published: October 2020

The study was conducted to assess the effect of black pepper extract (BPE) supplementation on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal microbial, fecal gas emission, and meat quality of finishing pigs. A total of 180 crossbred [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc] finishing pigs with average initial body weight (BW) of 53.7 ± 1.42 kg were used in 10-week trial and allotted to 6 dietary treatments (6 replications pens/treatment with 5 pigs per pen). The dietary treatments were: CON (basal diet), TRT1-CON + 0.025% BPE, TRT2-CON + 0.05% BPE, TRT3-CON + 0.1% BPE, TRT4-CON + 0.2% BPE, TRT5-CON + 0.4% BPE. Linear increase in body weight gain (BWG) (p = 0.038, 0.006) and average daily gain (ADG) were observed (p = 0.035, 0.007,and 0.006 respectively), during the overall trial in pigs fed increasing levels of BPE in supplemented diet compared to control. The dietary supplementation of BPE showed a linear increase (p = 0.007) in gain-to-feed ratio (G:F) at week 10. However, there were no significant results observed on average daily feed intake (ADFI) during the overall experiment. The total tract digestibility of dry matter (DM) was linearly improved (p = 0.053) with graded levels of BPE. In addition, BPE diet supplementation had linearly increased fecal Lactobacillus counts (p = 0.048) and decreased Escherichia coli counts (p = 0.031) in pigs at week 10. Furthermore, NH3, methyl mercaptans, and acetic acid was linearly decreased (p = 0.023, 0.056, 0.054) in pigs fed graded level of BPE supplementation. The inclusion of BPE in pigs’ diet had linearly increased (p = 0.015) backfat thickness at week 10. Thus, we concluded that BPE supplementation had positively enhanced the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal microbial, fecal gas emission, and meat quality of finishing pigs.
From Agents to Blockchain: Stairway to Integration
Authors: Ciatto Giovanni , Mariani Stefano , Omicini Andrea , Zambonelli Franco
Published: October 2020

The blockchain concept and technology are impacting many different research and application fields; hence, many are looking at the blockchain as a chance to solve long-standing problems or gain novel benefits. In the agent community several authors are proposing their own combination of agent-oriented technology and blockchain to address both old and new challenges. In this paper we aim at clarifying which are the opportunities, the dimensions to consider, and the alternative approaches available for integrating agents and blockchain, by proposing a roadmap and illustrating the issues yet to be addressed. Then, as both validation of our roadmap and grounds for future development, we discuss the case of Tenderfone, a custom blockchain integrating concepts borrowed from agent-oriented programming.
Expert System for Mandibular Condyle Detection and Osteoarthritis Classification in Panoramic Imaging Using R-CNN and CNN
Authors: Kim Donghyun , Choi Eunhye , Jeong Ho Gul , Chang Joonho , Youm Sekyoung
Published: October 2020

Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ OA) is a degenerative condition of the TMJ led by a pathological tissue response of the joint under mechanical loading. It is characterized by the progressive destruction of the internal surfaces of the joint, which can result in debilitating pain and joint noise. Panoramic imaging can be used as a basic screening tool with thorough clinical examination in diagnosing TMJ OA. This paper proposes an algorithm that can extract the condylar region and determine its abnormality by using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and Faster region-based CNNs (R-CNNs). Panoramic images are collected retrospectively and 1000 images are classified into three categories—normal, abnormal, and unreadable—by a dentist or orofacial pain specialist. Labels indicating whether the condyle is detected and its location enabled more clearly recognizable panoramic images. The uneven proportion of normal to abnormal data is adjusted by duplicating and rotating the images. An R-CNN model and a Visual Geometry Group-16 (VGG16) model are used for learning and condyle discrimination, respectively. To prevent overfitting, the images are rotated ±10° and shifted by 10%. The average precision of condyle detection using an R-CNN at intersection over union (IoU) >0.5 is 99.4% (right side) and 100% (left side). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the TMJ OA classification algorithm using a CNN are 0.54, 0.94, and 0.84, respectively. The findings demonstrate that classifying panoramic images through CNNs is possible. It is expected that artificial intelligence will be more actively applied to analyze panoramic X-ray images in the future.
A Feature Extraction Method Using Auditory Nerve Response for Collapsing Coal-Gangue Recognition
Authors: Pang Huadong , Wang Shibo , Dou Xijie , Liu Houguang , Chen Xu , Yang Shanguo , Wang Teng , Wang Siyang
Published: October 2020

To intelligentize the top-coal caving’s process, many data-driven coal-gangue recognition techniques have been proposed recently. However, practical applications of these techniques are hindered by coal mine underground’s high background noise and complex environment. Considering that workers distinguish coal and gangue by hearing the impact sounds on the hydraulic support, we proposed a novel feature extraction method based on an auditory nerve (AN) response model simulating the human auditory system. Firstly, vibration signals were measured by an acceleration sensor mounted on the back of the hydraulic support’s tail beam, and then they were converted into acoustic pressure signals. Secondly, an AN response model of different characteristic frequencies was applied to process these signals, whose output constituted the auditory spectrum for feature extraction. Meanwhile, a feature selection method integrated with variance was used to reduce redundant information of the original features. Finally, a support vector machine was employed as the classifier model in this work. The proposed method was tested and evaluated on experimental datasets collected from the Tashan Coal Mine in China. In addition, its recognition accuracy was compared with other coal-gangue recognition methods based on commonly used features. The results show that our proposed method can reach a superior recognition accuracy of 99.23% and presents better generalization ability.
Investigating the Effects of Water in Feedstock on the Energetic Efficiency of Producing Polyoxymethylene Dimethyl Ethers
Authors: Han Zhenwei , Fu Chuanlei
Published: October 2020

Large-scale eco-efficient production of polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers (PODEn) has garnered wide attention as environmental-friendly diesel additives. Among the various PODEn research studies, the effect of water on the PODEn process is one of the most important research fields. In this work, the effects of water content in feedstock on the reboiler duty of the PODEn process were analyzed by rigorous simulation. To ensure the accuracy of the model, vapor–liquid equilibria (VLE) data of PODE2-H2O were measured and the model was regressed by using the experimental data. Furthermore, the production process consisting of raw material preparation section and PODEn synthesis section was evaluated by comparing it with the various water contents (0, 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15 g/g) in feedstock. We found the reboiler duty in the case of 0.10 g/g water in feedstock was lowest (77.99 MJ/kg), which is even lower than anhydrous case (100.24 MJ/kg). The results suggest that the water can be appropriately allowed in the production, which can reduce the reboiler duty of the PODEn.
Minimization of the Energy Consumption in Industrial Robots through Regenerative Drives and Optimally Designed Compliant Elements
Authors: Palomba Ilaria , Wehrle Erich , Carabin Giovanni , Vidoni Renato
Published: October 2020

This paper describes a method for reducing the energy consumption of industrial robots and electrically actuated mechanisms performing cyclic tasks. The energy required by the system is reduced by outfitting it with additional devices able to store and recuperate energy, namely, compliant elements coupled in parallel with axles and regenerative motor drives. Starting from the electromechanical model of the modified system moving following a predefined periodic path, the relationship between the electrical energy and the stiffness and preload of the compliant elements is analyzed. The conditions for the compliant elements to be optimal are analytically derived. It is demonstrated that under these conditions the compliant elements are always beneficial for reducing the energy consumption. The effectiveness of the design method is verified by applying it to two test cases: a five-bar mechanism and a SCARA robot. The numerical validations show that the system energy consumption can be reduced up to the 77.8% while performing a high-speed, standard, not-optimized trajectory.
Estimating the Performance of MIMO SC-FDE Systems Using SISO Measurements
Authors: Fernandes Daniel , Cercas Francisco , Dinis Rui , Sebastião Pedro
Published: October 2020

The demand for ubiquitous telecommunications services forces operators to have a special concern about signal quality and the coverage area they offer to their customers. This was usually checked by using suitable propagation models for Single Input Single Output (SISO) systems, which are no longer the case for new and future mobile generations, such as 5G and beyond. To guarantee good signal quality coverage, operators started to replace these models with Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) ones. To achieve the best results, these models are usually calibrated with Drive Test (DT) measures; however, the DTs available for MIMO propagation models are sparse, in contrast to SISO ones. The main contribution presented in this paper is a methodology to extend the propagation models of SISO systems so they can be applied in MIMO sytems with Single-Carrier and Frequency-Domain Equalization (SC-FDE), while still using DTs acquired for SISO systems. This paper presents the impact on Bit Error Rate (BER) performance and its coverage area resulting from the application of our proposed method. We consider a MIMO SC-FDE system with an Iterative Block Decision Feedback Equalization (IB-DFE) receiver and we present the improvement expressions for the BER that we illustrate with some simulations.
Performance Optimization of the Low-Capacity Adsorption Oxygen Generator
Authors: Gizicki Wojciech , Banaszkiewicz Tomasz
Published: October 2020

This paper presents an innovative method of optimizing energy consumption by a low-capacity adsorption oxygen generator. As a result of the applied optimization, reduction in the energy consumption of oxygen separation by about 40% with a possible increase in the maximum efficiency by about 80% was achieved. The experiments were carried out on a test stand with the use of a commercially available adsorption oxygen generator using the PSA technology. The experimental analysis clearly shows that the adsorption oxygen generators offered for sale are not optimized in terms of energy consumption or capacity. The reduction of the oxygen separation energy consumption was achieved by appropriate adjustment of the device operating parameters for the given adsorption pressure and maintaining an appropriate pressure difference between the adsorption bed and the product tank.
Environmental Evaluation of Concrete Containing Recycled and By-Product Aggregates Based on Life Cycle Assessment
Authors: Roh Seungjun , Kim Rakhyun , Park Won-Jun , Ban Hoki
Published: October 2020

This study aims to compare the potential environmental impact of the manufacture and production of recycled and by-product aggregates based on a life cycle assessment and to evaluate the environmental impact and cost when they are used as aggregates in concrete. To this end, the six potential environmental impacts (i.e., abiotic depletion potential, global warming potential, ozone-layer depletion potential, acidification potential, photochemical ozone creation potential, and eutrophication potential) of the manufacture and production of natural sand, natural gravel, recycled aggregate, slag aggregate, bottom ash aggregate, and waste glass aggregate were compared using information from life cycle inventory databases. Additionally, the environmental impacts and cost were evaluated when these aggregates were used to replace 30% of the fine and coarse aggregates in concrete with a design strength of 24 MPa. The environmental impact of concrete that incorporated slag aggregate as the fine aggregates or bottom ash aggregate as the coarse aggregates were lower than that of concrete that incorporated natural aggregate. However, concrete that incorporated bottom ash aggregate as the fine aggregates demonstrated relatively high environmental impacts. Based on these environmental impacts, the environmental cost was found to range from 5.88 to 8.79 USD/m3.
Effect of Electrospun Nanofiber Additive on Selected Mechanical Properties of Hardened Cement Paste
Authors: Nguyen Tri N.M. , Lee Do Hyung , Kim Jung J.
Published: October 2020

This study presents an estimation of the mechanical property enhancing mechanism of electrospun-nanofiber-blended cementitious materials. Four types of electrospun nanofibers (NFs) were introduced into Portland cement: nylon 66 nanofibers, tetraethyl orthosilicate/polyvinylpyrrolidone nanofibers (TEOS/PVP), hybrid nanofibers containing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and nylon 66, and hybrid nanofibers containing carbon nanotubes and TEOS/PVP (CNTs-TEOS/PVP NFs). Due to the mechanical strength results, there was an increase of 27.3% and 33.4% in compressive strength when adding TEOS/PVP nanofibers and the hybrid nanofibers containing carbon nanotubes and TEOS/PVP into the pastes, respectively. In addition, there was an increase of 25.7% and 54.3% in tensile strength when adding nylon 66 nanofibers and the hybrid nanofibers containing carbon nanotubes and nylon 66 into the pastes, respectively. The highest toughness of 61.7% was obtained by the paste blended with CNTs-TEOS/PVP NFs. The results observed from scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis clarified the change in the microstructure of the modified pastes, as well as the mechanical property enhancing mechanism of the electrospun-nanofiber-blended cementitious materials.
Morphological and Chemical Characterization of Titanium and Zirconia Dental Implants with Different Macro- and Micro-Structure
Authors: Menini Maria , Pera Francesco , Bagnasco Francesco , Delucchi Francesca , Morganti Elisa , Canullo Luigi , Pesce Paolo
Published: October 2020

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the macro- and micro-structure and the chemical composition of the surface of 5 different commercially available dental implants. Roughness values were also calculated. Materials and Methods: 1 zirconia implant (NobelPearl of Nobel Biocare) and 4 titanium implants, Syra (Sweden&Martina), Prama (Sweden&Martina), T3 (Biomet 3i), and Shard (Mech&Human), were analyzed through SEM-EDX analysis and quantitative evaluation of surface roughness (1 sample), and XPS chemical analysis (1 sample). Surface roughness was quantitatively assessed using the stereo-SEM method (SSEM). The following area roughness parameters were calculated, according to ISO25178: Sa, Sz, and Sdr. Results: From the SEM observations, all the implants analyzed presented modern well-developed micro-structures as the result of the specific process of double acid etching alone or combined with other additional treatments. Roughness values were generally greater at the level of the implant body and lower at the collar. The chemical characterization of the implant surfaces exhibited excellent results for all of the implants and indicated good care in the production processes. Conclusions: All the samples were well-conceived in terms of topography and surface roughness, and clean in terms of chemical residues.
Combination of Group Method of Data Handling (GMDH) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for Prediction of Velocity in Channel Intake
Authors: Band Shahab S. , Al-Shourbaji Ibrahim , Karami Hojat , Karimi Sohrab , Esfandiari Javad , Mosavi Amir
Published: October 2020

This paper utilizes computational fluid dynamics as well as a group method of data handling (GMDH) method to predict the mean velocity of intake. Firstly, the three dimensional flow pattern in a 90-degree intake is simulated with ANSYS-CFX at a transverse ratio equal to one (W*b/W*m = 1) that W*m is the width of the main channel and W*b is the width of the branch channel. The comparison of mean velocity in the simulated intake and experimental channel represents the high accuracy of ANSYS-CFX modeling (mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) = 5% and root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.017). A group method of data handling (GMDH) is one type of artificial intelligence approach that presents elementary equations for calculating the problem’s target parameter and performing well in complex nonlinear systems. In this research, to train and test the GMDH method, input data is needed in all parts of the channel. Since there is not enough laboratory data in all parts of the channel, to increase the benchmarks, the laboratory model is simulated by the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) numerical model. After ensuring the proper accuracy of the numerical results, the built-in CFD numerical model has been used as a tool to create primary benchmarks in the channel points, especially in areas where there is no laboratory data. This generated data has been used in training and testing the GMDH method. The diversion angle with the longitudinal direction of the main channel (θ), the longitudinal coordinates in the intake (y*), and the ratio of the branch channel width to the main channel (Wr) have been applied as the input training data in the GMDH method to estimate mean velocity. The results of the statistical indexes used to quantitatively examine this model, (R2 = 0.86, MAPE = 10.44, RMSE = 0.03, SI = 0.12), indicated the accuracy of this model in predicting the mean velocity of the flow within open channel intakes.
Chitosan-Based Delivery Systems Loaded with Glibenclamide and Lipoic Acid: Formulation, Characterization, and Kinetic Release Studies
Authors: Confederat Luminita-Georgeta , Motrescu Iuliana , Condurache Mihaela Iustina , Constantin Sandra , Bujor Alexandra , Tuchilus Cristina Gabriela , Profire Lenuta
Published: October 2020

Glibenclamide and lipoic acid are two drugs frequently recommended for the management of diabetes mellitus, and so, the development of a new formulation containing both substances has a great benefit in terms of efficiency and compliance, acting also as a multi-target drug system. Accordingly, the aim of this study was the formulation and physicochemicalcharacterization of new polymeric systems based on chitosan (CS) in whose matrix were encapsulated glibenclamide (Gly) and lipoic acid (LA). The polymeric systems were prepared as microparticles (CS–Gly, CS–LA, and CS–Gly–LA) through ionic gelation method, using pentasodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) as crosslinking agent. The polymeric systems obtained were characterized in terms of particle size and morphology, IR spectroscopy, entrapment efficiency and drug loading, swelling degree, and therelease of the active substances from the chitosan matrix. The polymeric systems obtained were stable systems; the presence of glibenclamide and lipoic acid into the polymer matrix were proved by IR spectroscopy. The entrapment efficiency was 94.66% for Gly and 39.68% for LA. The developed polymeric systems proved a favorable swelling degree and drug release profile, the percentage of release being 88.68% for LA and 75.17% for Gly from CS–Gly–LA systems.
Silica Mesoporous Structures: Effective Nanocarriers in Drug Delivery and Nanocatalysts
Authors: Mirzaei Masoud , Zarch Malihe Babaei , Darroudi Mahdieh , Sayyadi Khalilollah , Keshavarz Seyed Tahmoures , Sayyadi Jalil , Fallah Azadeh , Maleki Hajar
Published: October 2020

The application of silica mesoporous structures in drug delivery and the removal of pollutants and organic compounds through catalytic reactions is increasing due to their unique characteristics, including high loading capacities, tunable pores, large surface areas, sustainability, and so on. This review focuses on very well-studied class of different construction mesoporous silica nano(particles), such as MCM-41, SBA-15, and SBA-16. We discuss the essential parameters involved in the synthesis of these materials with providing a diverse set of examples. In addition, the recent advances in silica mesoporous structures for drug delivery and catalytic applications are presented to fill the existing gap in the literature with providing some promising examples on this topic for the scientists in both industry and academia active in the field. Regarding the catalytic applications, mesoporous silica particles have shown some promises to remove the organic pollutants and to synthesize final products with high yields due to the ease with which their surfaces can be modified with various ligands to create appropriate interactions with target molecules. In the drug delivery process, as nanocarriers, they have also shown very good performance thanks to the easy surface functionalization but also adjustability of their porosities to providing in-vivo and in-vitro cargo delivery at the target site with appropriate rate.
Fabrication of High-Aspect-Ratio Cylindrical Micro-Structures Based on Electroactive Ionogel/Gold Nanocomposite
Authors: Milana Edoardo , Santaniello Tommaso , Azzini Paolo , Migliorini Lorenzo , Milani Paolo
Published: October 2020

We present a fabrication process to realize 3D high-aspect-ratio cylindrical micro-structures of soft ionogel/gold nanocomposites by combining replica molding and Supersonic Cluster Beam Deposition (SCBD). Cylinders’ metallic masters (0.5 mm in diameter) are used to fabricate polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) molds, where the ionogel is casted and UV cured. The replicated ionogel cylinders (aspect ratio > 20) are subsequently metallized through SCBD to integrate nanostructured gold electrodes (150 nm thick) into the polymer. Nanocomposite thin films are characterized in terms of electrochemical properties, exhibiting large double layer capacitance (24 μF/cm2) and suitable ionic conductivity (0.05 mS/cm) for charge transport across the network. Preliminary actuation tests show that the nanocomposite is able to respond to low intensity electric fields (applied voltage from 2.5 V to 5 V), with potential applications for the development of artificial smart micro-structures with motility behavior inspired by that of natural ciliate systems.
Approximate Solutions of the Model Describing Fluid Flow Using Generalized ρ-Laplace Transform Method and Heat Balance Integral Method
Authors: Yavuz Mehmet , Sene Ndolane
Published: October 2020

This paper addresses the solution of the incompressible second-grade fluid models. Fundamental qualitative properties of the solution are primarily studied for proving the adequacy of the physical interpretations of the proposed model. We use the Liouville-Caputo fractional derivative with its generalized version that gives more comprehensive physical results in the analysis and investigations. In this work, both the ρ-Laplace homotopy transform method (ρ-LHTM) and the heat balance integral method (HBIM) are successfully combined to solve the fractional incompressible second-grade fluid differential equations. Numerical simulations and their physical interpretations of the mentioned incompressible second-grade fluid model are ensured to illustrate the main findings. It is also proposed that one can recognize the differences in physical analysis of diffusions such as ballistic diffusion, super diffusion, and subdiffusion cases by considering the impact of the orders ρ and φ.
Distributed-Order Non-Local Optimal Control
Authors: Ndaïrou Faïçal , Torres Delfim F. M.
Published: October 2020

Distributed-order fractional non-local operators were introduced and studied by Caputo at the end of the 20th century. They generalize fractional order derivatives/integrals in the sense that such operators are defined by a weighted integral of different orders of differentiation over a certain range. The subject of distributed-order non-local derivatives is currently under strong development due to its applications in modeling some complex real world phenomena. Fractional optimal control theory deals with the optimization of a performance index functional, subject to a fractional control system. One of the most important results in classical and fractional optimal control is the Pontryagin Maximum Principle, which gives a necessary optimality condition that every solution to the optimization problem must verify. In our work, we extend the fractional optimal control theory by considering dynamical system constraints depending on distributed-order fractional derivatives. Precisely, we prove a weak version of Pontryagin’s maximum principle and a sufficient optimality condition under appropriate convexity assumptions.
DMARDs–Gut Microbiota Feedback: Implications in the Response to Therapy
Authors: Zaragoza-García Oscar , Castro-Alarcón Natividad , Pérez-Rubio Gloria , Guzmán-Guzmán Iris Paola
Published: October 2020

Due to its immunomodulatory effects and the limitation in the radiological damage progression, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) work as first-line rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment. In recent years, numerous research projects have suggested that the metabolism of DMARDs could have a role in gut dysbiosis, which indicates that the microbiota variability could modify the employment of direct and indirect mechanisms in the response to treatment. The main objective of this review was to understand the gut microbiota bacterial variability in patients with RA, pre and post-treatment with DMARDs, and to identify the possible mechanisms through which microbiota can regulate the response to pharmacological therapy.
Chain-Selective Isotopic Labeling of the Heterodimeric Type III Secretion Chaperone, Scc4:Scc1, Reveals the Total Structural Rearrangement of the Chlamydia trachomatis Bi-Functional Protein, Scc4
Authors: Ukwaththage Thilini O. , Keane Samantha M. , Shen Li , Macnaughtan Megan A.
Published: October 2020

Scc4 is an unusual bi-functional protein from Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) that functions as a type III secretion system (T3SS) chaperone and an RNA polymerase (RNAP)-binding protein. Both functions require interactions with protein partners during specific stages of the CT developmental cycle. As a T3SS chaperone, Scc4 binds Scc1 during the late stage of development to form a heterodimer complex, which chaperones the essential virulence effector, CopN. During the early-middle stage of development, Scc4 regulates T3SS gene expression by binding the σ66-containing RNAP holoenzyme. In order to study the structure and association mechanism of the Scc4:Scc1 T3SS chaperone complex using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, we developed an approach to selectively label each chain of the Scc4:Scc1 complex with the 15N-isotope. The approach allowed one protein to be visible in the NMR spectrum at a time, which greatly reduced resonance overlap and permitted comparison of the backbone structures of free and bound Scc4. 1H,15N-heteronuclear single quantum coherence spectra of the 15N-Scc4:Scc1 and Scc4:15N-Scc1 complexes showed a total structural rearrangement of Scc4 upon binding Scc1 and a dynamic region isolated to Scc1, respectively. Development of the chain-selective labeling approach revealed that the association of Scc4 and Scc1 requires partial denaturation of Scc1 to form the high affinity complex, while low affinity interactions occurred between the isolated proteins under non-denaturing conditions. These results provide new models for Scc4′s functional switching mechanism and Scc4:Scc1 association in CT.
OGG1 Inhibitor TH5487 Alters OGG1 Chromatin Dynamics and Prevents Incisions
Authors: Hanna Bishoy M. F. , Helleday Thomas , Mortusewicz Oliver
Published: October 2020

8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1) is the main DNA glycosylase responsible for the excision of 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG) from duplex DNA to initiate base excision repair. This glycosylase activity is relevant in many pathological conditions including cancer, inflammation, and neurodegenerative diseases. To have a better understanding of the role of OGG1, we previously reported TH5487, a potent active site inhibitor of OGG1. Here, we further investigate the consequences of inhibiting OGG1 with TH5487. TH5487 treatment induces accumulation of genomic 8-oxoG lesions. Furthermore, it impairs the chromatin binding of OGG1 and results in lower recruitment of OGG1 to regions of DNA damage. Inhibiting OGG1 with TH5487 interferes with OGG1′s incision activity, resulting in fewer DNA double-strand breaks in cells exposed to oxidative stress. This study validates TH5487 as a potent OGG1 inhibitor that prevents the repair of 8-oxoG and alters OGG1–chromatin dynamics and OGG1′s recruitment kinetics.
Early Growth Response Gene Upregulation in Epstein–Barr Virus (EBV)-Associated Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)
Authors: Kerr Jonathan
Published: October 2020

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a chronic multisystem disease exhibiting a variety of symptoms and affecting multiple systems. Psychological stress and virus infection are important. Virus infection may trigger the onset, and psychological stress may reactivate latent viruses, for example, Epstein–Barr virus (EBV). It has recently been reported that EBV induced gene 2 (EBI2) was upregulated in blood in a subset of ME/CFS patients. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the pattern of expression of early growth response (EGR) genes, important in EBV infection and which have also been found to be upregulated in blood of ME/CFS patients, paralleled that of EBI2. EGR gene upregulation was found to be closely associated with that of EBI2 in ME/CFS, providing further evidence in support of ongoing EBV reactivation in a subset of ME/CFS patients. EGR1, EGR2, and EGR3 are part of the cellular immediate early gene response and are important in EBV transcription, reactivation, and B lymphocyte transformation. EGR1 is a regulator of immune function, and is important in vascular homeostasis, psychological stress, connective tissue disease, mitochondrial function, all of which are relevant to ME/CFS. EGR2 and EGR3 are negative regulators of T lymphocytes and are important in systemic autoimmunity.
Metabolomics Community in Russia: History of Development, Key Participants, and Results
Authors: Balashova Elena E. , Maslov Dmitry L. , Trifonova Oxana P.
Published: October 2020

Metabolomics is the latest trend in the “-omics” sciences, of which technologies are widely used today in all life sciences. Metabolomics gave impetus to the description of biochemical processes that occur in many organisms, search for new biomarkers of disease, and laid the foundation for new clinical laboratory diagnostics. The purpose of this review is to show how metabolomics is represented in Russian science, what main research areas were chosen, and to demonstrate the successes and main achievements of Russian scientists in this field. The review is dedicated to the 10th anniversary of Russian metabolomics and also touches on the history of the formation of Russian metabolomics and prospects for the future.
Facile Synthesis of N-Doped WS2 Nanosheets as an Efficient and Stable Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction in Acidic Media
Authors: Nayak Arpan Kumar , Enhtuwshin Enhbayar , Kim So Jung , Han HyukSu
Published: October 2020

Transition metal chalcogenides have been widely studied as a promising electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in acidic conditions. Among various transition metal chalcogenides, tungsten disulfide (WS2) is a distinguishable candidate due to abundant active sites and good electrical properties. Herein, we report a facile and selective synthetic method to synthesize WS2 with an intriguing two-dimensional nanostructure by using cysteine (C3H7NO2S) as a chemical agent. In addition, nitrogen can be incorporated during chemical synthesis from cysteine, which may be helpful for enhancing the HER. The electrocatalytic activity of N-doped WS2 exhibits a promising HER in acidic conditions, which are not only higher than W18O49 nanowires and hex-WO3 nanowires, but also comparable to the benchmark Pt/C. Moreover, excellent electrocatalytic stability is also demonstrated for acidic HER during long-term tests, thus highlighting its potential use of practical applications as an electrolyzer.
Deletion of Acid-Sensing Ion Channel 3 Relieves the Late Phase of Neuropathic Pain by Preventing Neuron Degeneration and Promoting Neuron Repair
Authors: Kung Chia-Chi , Huang Yi-Chu , Hung Ting-Yun , Teng Chih-Yu , Lee Tai-Ying , Sun Wei-Hsin
Published: October 2020

Neuropathic pain is one type of chronic pain that occurs as a result of a lesion or disease to the somatosensory nervous system. Chronic excessive inflammatory response after nerve injury may contribute to the maintenance of persistent pain. Although the role of inflammatory mediators and cytokines in mediating allodynia and hyperalgesia has been extensively studied, the detailed mechanisms of persistent pain or whether the interactions between neurons, glia and immune cells are essential for maintenance of the chronic state have not been completely elucidated. ASIC3, a voltage-insensitive, proton-gated cation channel, is the most essential pH sensor for pain perception. ASIC3 gene expression is increased in dorsal root ganglion neurons after inflammation and nerve injury and ASIC3 is involved in macrophage maturation. ASIC currents are increased after nerve injury. However, whether prolonged hyperalgesia induced by the nerve injury requires ASIC3 and whether ASIC3 regulates neurons, immune cells or glial cells to modulate neuropathic pain remains unknown. We established a model of chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve (CCI) in mice. CCI mice showed long-lasting mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. CCI also caused long-term inflammation at the sciatic nerve and primary sensory neuron degeneration as well as increased satellite glial expression and ATF3 expression. ASIC3 deficiency shortened mechanical allodynia and attenuated thermal hyperalgesia. ASIC3 gene deletion shifted ATF3 expression from large to small neurons and altered the M1/M2 macrophage ratio, thereby preventing small neuron degeneration and relieved pain.
New Diagnostic Criteria for Hypertension in Children and Adolescents: Lights and Shadows
Authors: Di Bonito Procolo , Di Sessa Anna
Published: October 2020

Pediatric hypertension (HTN) represents a challenging disease with a major cardiometabolic risk (CMR) burden from childhood to adulthood. In fact, it has been linked to cardiac and vascular damage even at pediatric age and recognized as an independent risk factor for HTN in adulthood. Therefore, HTN in children has gained remarkable scientific interest during the past decades. However, the availability of different diagnostic classifications complicates HTN definition. The Clinical Practice Guidelines released in 2017 updated the diagnostic criteria, by highlighting some important issues with clinical implications. Lowering the new cut-offs proposed by the CPG, as compared with those proposed by IV Report criteria, will increase the number of young people at risk of hypertension. However, evidence suggests that the CPG cutoff-points in further identifying subjects with an altered CMR profile. Currently, some issues are still debated such as the adoption of a fixed cut-off of BP ≥ 130/80 mmHg for children aged ≥ 13 years, or the adoption of criteria for cardiac damage derived from adults. Given the CMR burden of pediatric HTN, a better and early identification of children at higher HTN risk is strictly recommended in order to improve HTN management to reduce the cardiovascular risk in these youths.
Research on Interface Characteristics and Mechanical Properties of 6061 Al Alloy and Q235a Steel by Hot Melt-Explosive Compression Bonding
Authors: Sun Yu-ling , Ma Hong-hao , Yang Ming , Shen Zhao-wu , Luo Ning , Wang Lu-qing
Published: October 2020

In order to solve the shortcomings of the traditional explosion welding method for direct magnesia-aluminum alloy and steel welding, a processing method of groove hot casting plus explosion compression bonding (HCECB) was put forward, and the related theory of hot-melt metal plus explosion bonding was also proposed. Taking 6061 aluminum and Q235a steel as examples, the hot casting plus explosion compression test was carried out by the prefabrication of a dovetail groove on Q235a steel plate and the microstructure and mechanical properties of the interface were analyzed. The results showed that the 6061 aluminum/Q235a steel can be directly combined by the HCECB method. The interface is mainly irregularly microwave-shaped and straight-shaped with no defects, such as melting layer, holes and cracks, found. The hardness of the upper interface of the dovetail groove is larger than that far away from the welding interface, while the hardness of the lower interface is the same as that far away from the interface. The tensile and shear test results show that the shear strength is greater than 80 MPa, which meets the requirements of aluminum-steel composite plate bonding strength.
Service Life Modeling of Concrete with SCMs Using Effective Diffusion Coefficient and a New Binding Model
Authors: Oluwaseun Azeez Mukhtar Oluwaseun , Abd El Fattah Ahmed
Published: October 2020

This paper presents a new algorithm that predicts the service life of concrete contains supplementary cementitious materials, SCMs, and determines time of corrosion initiation. The algorithm drives effective diffusivity from an apparent diffusion model, using experimental binding data performed in the lab, temperature, free ion concentration, and carbonation, and generates free chloride profiles for concrete with and without SCMs by using Fick’s law in a finite element model. Adjusting diffusion coefficient at each step of the solution, by addressing the impact of different parameters, simplifies the algorithm and reduces calculation time without jeopardizing the results’ quality. Results generated by the model compare well to the performance of concrete blocks constructed in an exposure site on the east coast of Saudi Arabia. The exposure site hosted five different mixes of Portland cement and SCMs, and the concrete blocks were exposed to harsh weather over the period of two years. Linear polarization and chloride profiling assessed the performance of the mixes against corrosion activities. Lab work identified the performance of the mixes through binding capacity and chloride profiling. Statistical analysis evidenced the accuracy of the model through correlation and regression analysis. Furthermore, a new proposed binding model, produced from binding data in different studies, alters the experimental binding data in the algorithm to decouple the solution from experimental values. The algorithm proves its accuracy when compared to the experimental free chloride profile. The proposed transport model proves that using effective diffusion and binding capacity are enough to generate reliable results, and the effective diffusion can be calibrated with environmental conditions such as temperature, age, and carbonation. Finally, the algorithm presents its features in an object-oriented programming using C# and user friendly web interface.
Is Continuous ECG Recording on Heart Rate Monitors the Most Expected Function by Endurance Athletes, Coaches, and Doctors?
Authors: Gajda Robert
Published: October 2020

Heart rate monitors (HRMs) are important for measuring heart rate, which can be used as a training parameter for healthy athletes. They indicate stress-related heart rhythm disturbances—recognized as an unexpected increase in heart rate (HR)—which can be life-threatening. Most HRMs confuse arrhythmias with artifacts. This study aimed to assess the usefulness of electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings from sport HRMs for endurance athletes, coaches, and physicians, compared with other basic and hypothetical functions. We conducted three surveys among endurance athletes (76 runners, 14 cyclists, and 10 triathletes), 10 coaches, and 10 sports doctors to obtain information on how important ECG recordings are and what HRM functions should be improved to meet their expectations in the future. The respondents were asked questions regarding use and hypothetical functions, as well as their preference for HRM type (optical/strap). Athletes reported distance, pace, instant HR, and oxygen threshold as being the four most important functions. ECG recording ranked eighth and ninth for momentary and continuous recording, respectively. Coaches placed more importance on ECG recording. Doctors ranked ECG recording the highest. All participants preferred optical HRMs to strap HRMs. Research on the improvement and implementation of HRM functions showed slightly different preferences for athletes compared with coaches and doctors. In cases where arrhythmia was suspected, the value of the HRM’s ability to record ECGs during training by athletes and coaches increased. For doctors, this is the most desirable feature in any situation. Considering the expectations of all groups, continuous ECG recording during training will significantly improve the safety of athletes.