bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Communicating to Drive Sustainability-A Worked Example with Wind Power
Authors: Moskowitz Howard , JohnThistle David , Ortega George , Aber Judah , Gere Attila
Published: March 2020

We demonstrate the knowledge-development power of the emerging science of Mind Genomics, doing so by a study of appeals to fund a wind-power project in Texas. The paper focuses on the method, analyses, results, and application of the findings, showing what can be learned and implemented with the easy-to-do and affordable, iterated studies offered by Mind Genomics. Two groups of respondents evaluated 24 vignettes, comprising different combinations of 16 messages about wind power opportunities and benefits for the State of Texas. The first group of 51 respondents evaluated vignettes about wind-power, rating the vignettes on regarding whether they understood the messages and would recommend what they read. The second group of 50 respondents estimated the unit price of a share of stock based upon the messages in the vignette. The analysis linked the ratings to the presence/absence of each message. Two new-to-the-world mind-sets emerged, those focusing on the benefits to Texas, and those focusing on what specific actions must be taken. The mind-sets suggest different ways that people have of dealing with information in which appeals are embedded. Study 2 reaffirmed these two mind-sets when economic judgments were substituted for opinions. The paper incorporates the PVI, the personal viewpoint identifier, a technology to assign a new person to one of these two mind-sets, thus expanding the scope of the research from a study of a single population to the possible identification of the mind-sets in the general population around the United States or even around the world.
Effect of Music on Salivary Amylase in Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy
Authors: Imran Syed , MS Moosabba , Ancheril Alphonsa
Published: March 2020

Background: The diagnosis and the treatment for cancer are significant stressors for the patients. It can affect physical as well as psychological well-being. Variations in salivary amylase indicate physiological responses to the stressful experience during chemotherapy. Music therapy is witnessed to decrease psychosocial distress in the oncology setting. Listening to music can positively benefit neurophysiologic and emotional responses as well as promote relaxation, especially beneficial for cancer patients undergoing painful and anxiety-inducing chemotherapy. It is, therefore nurses, who are so familiar with this environment, not only to be aware of this anxiety-producing process but to cope with it and to alleviate it for the patient as much as possible.
Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the salivary amylase levels in patients undergoing chemotherapy before and after listening to preferred music. Design: Quasi-experimental repeated measure design. Setting; Experimental and control group were recruited from two oncology units of selected multispecialty hospitals. Participants: Purposive sampling techniques were used to select the study participants. Patients of age group eighteen and above, undergoing first time chemotherapy treatment and the chemotherapy infusion lasts for minimum of 3 hours duration was the inclusion criteria whereas Patients who were unable to listen to music due to hearing problems, those who were with head and neck cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and thyroid problems were excluded from the study. 168 eligible participants were recruited among which 8 were unable to continue.
Methods: Saliva was collected from both the study groups before and after the chemotherapy administration. The patient preferred instrumental music intervention was administered for the duration of 3 hours during chemotherapy with the help of mp3 player and musical pillow in the experimental group where the control group had a routine oncology unit care and they were rested on a bed during the chemotherapy administration. The post-tests were done on day 3 and day 5.
Results: Significant changes in mean salivary amylase were observed in the experimental group compared to the control group (p˂0.05). Repeated measure ANOVA also showed a significant difference (p˂0.05) in the experimental group at different time points of observation. There was a significant association between the baseline amylase level and stage of cancer in both the experimental and control group (p˂0.05).
Conclusion: Music was effective in patients undergoing chemotherapy in terms of reduction in salivary amylase level.
A Dynamic Testbed for Nanosatellites Attitude Verification
Authors: Modenini Dario , Bahu Anton , Curzi Giacomo , Togni Andrea
Published: March 2020

To enable a reliable verification of attitude determination and control systems for nanosatellites, the environment of low Earth orbits with almost disturbance-free rotational dynamics must be simulated. This work describes the design solutions adopted for developing a dynamic nanosatellite attitude simulator testbed at the University of Bologna. The facility integrates several subsystems, including: (i) an air-bearing three degree of freedom platform, with automatic balancing system, (ii) a Helmholtz cage for geomagnetic field simulation, (iii) a Sun simulator, and (iv) a metrology vision system for ground-truth attitude generation. Apart from the commercial off-the-shelf Helmholtz cage, the other subsystems required substantial development efforts. The main purpose of this manuscript is to offer some cost-effective solutions for their in-house development, and to show through experimental verification that adequate performances can be achieved. The proposed approach may thus be preferred to the procurement of turn-key solutions, when required by budget constraints. The main outcome of the commissioning phase of the facility are: a residual disturbance torque affecting the air bearing platform of less than 5 × 10−5 Nm, an attitude determination rms accuracy of the vision system of 10 arcmin, and divergence of the Sun simulator light beam of less than 0.5° in a 35 cm diameter area.
Identification and Validation a Major QTL from “Sea Rice 86” Seedlings Conferred Salt Tolerance
Authors: Wu Fengling , Yang Jun , Yu Diqiu , Xu Peng
Published: March 2020

Saline stress severely affects rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth and development and reduces crop yield. Therefore, developing salt-tolerant and high-yielding rice using quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and linkage markers is a priority for molecular breeding. Here, the indica rice Sea Rice 86 (SR86) seedlings showed higher tolerance than ordinary rice varieties in saline soil, and a dominant effect on salinity sensitivity was demonstrated by genetic analysis. We constructed bulked segregant analysis pools using F2 populations from parents Dianjingyou 1 as the recipient and SR86 as the donor. We identified a 2.78 Mb region on chromosome 1 as the candidate region. Using simple sequence repeat markers and substitution analysis, we mapped the target region within 5.49 cM in the vicinity of markers RM8904–RM493. We speculated that this QTL, named qST1.1, might contribute significantly to the salt tolerance of SR86. The high salt tolerance of introgression lines obtained by marker assistant selection (MAS) confirmed that the qST1.1 region was associated with salinity tolerance. This newly-discovered QTL will be helpful for the analysis of the salt-tolerant mechanism of rice and breeding high-quality rice varieties using MAS.
Environmental Impact Assessment of Organic vs. Integrated Olive-Oil Systems in Mediterranean Context
Authors: Maffia Angela , Pergola Maria , Palese Assunta Maria , Celano Giuseppe
Published: March 2020

Olive oil is a widely used consumer product, so producers and consumers are increasingly looking for sustainable productions. The olive-oil production chain requires continuous improvements to gradually replace the most environmentally impactful practices with others that are more sustainable. This research aimed to evaluate the environmental impacts of the production of olive oil in the Campania region by comparing six olive oil production systems (two organic certified, two integrated, and two organic—hobbyists). The environmental impacts for the production of one liter of oil—from field cultivation to oil distribution—were quantified by applying the life cycle assessment methodology. Impact categories were calculated according to the CML method, with particular attention paid to global warming potential. The production of one liter of oil caused CO2eq emissions ranging from 0.22 to 3.39 kg. The least impacting cultivation method was the hobby one, which did not use pesticides and carried out organic fertilization. On average, packaging accounted for 60% of total impacts; consequently, the materials and formats choice by farms had strong effects on the environmental sustainability of oil production. This research highlights the problem of expressing sustainability judgments in agriculture, since there are no reference standards/targets that set limits beyond which agricultural productions are no longer sustainable.
The Parietal Eye of Lizards (Pogona vitticeps) Needs Light at a Wavelength Lower than 580 nm to Activate Light-Dependent Magnetoreception
Authors: Nishimura Tsutomu
Published: March 2020

In a previous study, the agamid lizard Pogona vitticeps was discovered to respond to an electromagnetic field (EMF) of extremely low frequency (6 and 8 Hz; peak magnetic and electric fields of 2.6 µT and 10 V/m, respectively). Furthermore, when the third eye of a lizard was covered, using a small round aluminum cap, the reaction to the EMF disappeared. These results suggested that the parietal eye has a role in light-dependent magnetoreception. However, the wavelength of light needed to activate light-dependent magnetoreception has not been identified and was thus explored in the present study. Lizards were randomly divided into control and EMF groups. In both groups, a small round light-absorbing filter was positioned on the back of the head of each lizard and blocked light of wavelengths lower than 580 nm. The EMF group was subjected to EMF exposure for half of the day, whereas the control group was not. No significant intergroup differences were discovered in the average ratio of the number of tail lifts on test days to the baseline value or average increase in the number of test-day tail lifts minus the baseline value (p = 0.41 and p = 0.67, respectively). Lizards with light-absorption filters that cut out light with wavelengths lower than 380 nm were found to respond to the EMF. Therefore, the lizards appeared to respond to light of certain wavelengths rather than the filters themselves. The results of these experiments suggest that light of wavelengths lower than 580 nm is required to activate light-dependent magnetoreception in the parietal eye of P. vitticeps.
The Effect of Mycobacterium avium subsp. Paratuberculosis Infection on the Productivity of Cows in Two Dairy Herds with a Low Seroprevalence of Paratuberculosis
Authors: Wiszniewska-Łaszczych Agnieszka , Liedtke Katarzyna G. , Szteyn Joanna M. , Lachowicz Tomasz
Published: March 2020

Paratuberculosis is a chronic, progressive enteritis of ruminants, caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis. It affects the productivity of infected dairy cows, causing a reduction in the daily milk yield and basic milk components. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis on the productivity of dairy cows in two herds. The research materials were serum and milk samples taken from cows from two naturally infected dairy herds. All serum samples were serologically tested using the Mycobacterium paratuberculosis Antibody ELISA Kit by IDEXX—Screening and Verification. Seroprevalence differed between the herds (5.7% and 11.3%). Seroprevalence varied also between the groups of lactation. The highest seroprevalence was found in the first lactation group in both herds. The milk yield evaluation and analysis of the basic milk components’ content (protein and fat total solids) were tested once a month during one lactation period. The content of the basic milk components varied depending on the lactation group, as well as the serological status of the cows. A decrease in milk yield was observed in cows in herds with a higher seroprevalence (>11%). The largest decrease in milk yield and basic milk components was observed in older animals (>three lactations).
West Nile Virus and Related Flavivirus in European Wild Boar (Sus scrofa), Latium Region, Italy: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Petruccelli Angela , Zottola Tiziana , Ferrara Gianmarco , Iovane Valentina , Di Russo Cristina , Pagnini Ugo , Montagnaro Serena
Published: March 2020

Background: A retrospective sero-survey for evidence of West Nile virus (WNV) infection in European wild boar (Sus scorfa) was conducted in the Latium region, Italy, on stored serum samples of the period November 2011 to January 2012. Methods: Sera were collected from 168 European wild boars and screened for antibodies to WNV and other Flaviviruses by competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA). All sera positive for Flavivirus antibodies by cELISA were further examined by virus neutralization test (VNT). To test the presence of Flavivirus RNA in samples, an RT-PCR was performed using a pan-Flavivirus primers pair. Results: Thirteen wild boars (7.73%) were seropositive for Flaviviruses. The hemolysis of serum samples limited the interpretation of the VNT for 7 samples, confirming the presence of specific antibody against WNV in a single European wild boar serum sample. The presence of ELISA positive/VNT negative samples suggests the occurrence of non-neutralizing antibodies against WNV or other antigen-related Flaviviruses. No samples resulted positive for Flavivirus by RT-PCR assay. Conclusion: Although a moderately high percentage of animals with specific antibody for WNV has been detected in wild boar in other surveillance studies in Europe, this has not been reported previously in Italy. Together, these data indicate that European wild boar are exposed to WNV and/or other related-Flavivirus in central Italy and confirm the usefulness of wild ungulates, as suitable Flavivirus sentinels.
The German Shorthair Pointer Dog Breed (Canis lupus familiaris): Genomic Inbreeding and Variability
Authors: Boccardo Antonio , Marelli Stefano Paolo , Pravettoni Davide , Bagnato Alessandro , Busca Giuseppe Achille , Strillacci Maria Giuseppina
Published: March 2020

The German Shorthaired Pointer (GSHP) is a breed worldwide known for its hunting versatility. Dogs of this breed are appreciated as valuable companions, effective trackers, field trailers and obedience athletes. The aim of the present work is to describe the genomic architecture of the GSHP breed and to analyze inbreeding levels under a genomic and a genealogic perspective. A total of 34 samples were collected (24 Italian, 10 USA), and the genomic and pedigree coefficients of inbreeding have been calculated. A total of 3183 runs of homozygosity (ROH) across all 34 dogs have been identified. The minimum and maximum number of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) defining all ROH are 40 and 3060. The mean number of ROH for the sample was 93.6. ROH were found on all chromosomes. A total of 854 SNPs (TOP_SNPs) defined 11 ROH island regions (TOP_ROH), in which some gene already associated with behavioral and morphological canine traits was annotated. The proportion of averaged observed homozygotes estimated on total number of SNPs was 0.70. The genomic inbreeding coefficient based on ROH was 0.17. The mean inbreeding based on genealogical information resulted 0.023. The results describe a low inbred population with quite a good level of genetic variability.
A Genome-Wide Association Study for Calving Interval in Holstein Dairy Cows Using Weighted Single-Step Genomic BLUP Approach
Authors: Atashi Hadi , Salavati Mazdak , De Koster Jenne , Crowe Mark , Opsomer Geert , Hostens Miel ,   The GplusE Consortium
Published: March 2020

The aim of the present study was to identify genomic region(s) associated with the length of the calving interval in primiparous (n = 6866) and multiparous (n = 5071) Holstein cows. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) solutions were estimated using a weighted single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction (WssGBLUP) approach and imputed high-density panel (777 k) genotypes. The effects of markers and the genomic estimated breeding values (GEBV) of the animals were obtained by five iterations of WssGBLUP. The results showed that the accuracies of GEBVs with WssGBLUP improved by +5.4 to +5.7, (primiparous cows) and +9.4 to +9.7 (multiparous cows) percent points over accuracies from the pedigree-based BLUP. The most accurate genomic evaluation was provided at the second iteration of WssGBLUP, which was used to identify associated genomic regions using a windows-based GWAS procedure. The proportion of additive genetic variance explained by windows of 50 consecutive SNPs (with an average of 165 Kb) was calculated and the region(s) that accounted for equal to or more than 0.20% of the total additive genetic variance were used to search for candidate genes. Three windows of 50 consecutive SNPs (BTA3, BTA6, and BTA7) were identified to be associated with the length of the calving interval in primi- and multiparous cows, while the window with the highest percentage of explained genetic variance was located on BTA3 position 49.42 to 49.52 Mb. There were five genes including ARHGAP29, SEC24D, METTL14, SLC36A2, and SLC36A3 inside the windows associated with the length of the calving interval. The biological process terms including alanine transport, L-alanine transport, proline transport, and glycine transport were identified as the most important terms enriched by the genes inside the identified windows.
Humanity’s Best Friend: A Dog-Centric Approach to Addressing Global Challenges
Authors: Sykes Naomi , Beirne Piers , Horowitz Alexandra , Jones Ione , Kalof Linda , Karlsson Elinor , King Tammie , Litwak Howard , McDonald Robbie A. , Murphy Luke John , Pemberton Neil , Promislow Daniel , Rowan Andrew , Stahl Peter W. , Tehrani Jamshid , Tourigny Eric , Wynne Clive D. L. , Strauss Eric , Larson Greger
Published: March 2020

No other animal has a closer mutualistic relationship with humans than the dog (Canis familiaris). Domesticated from the Eurasian grey wolf (Canis lupus), dogs have evolved alongside humans over millennia in a relationship that has transformed dogs and the environments in which humans and dogs have co-inhabited. The story of the dog is the story of recent humanity, in all its biological and cultural complexity. By exploring human-dog-environment interactions throughout time and space, it is possible not only to understand vital elements of global history, but also to critically assess our present-day relationship with the natural world, and to begin to mitigate future global challenges. In this paper, co-authored by researchers from across the natural and social sciences, arts and humanities, we argue that a dog-centric approach provides a new model for future academic enquiry and engagement with both the public and the global environmental agenda.
Validation of Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Field Tool for Rapid and Sensitive Diagnosis of Contagious Agalactia in Small Ruminants
Authors: Tumino Serena , Tolone Marco , Parco Alessio , Puleio Roberto , Arcoleo Giuseppe , Manno Claudia , Nicholas Robin A.J. , Loria Guido Ruggero
Published: March 2020

Contagious agalactia (CA), an infectious disease of small ruminants, caused by Mycoplasma agalactiae, is responsible for severe losses to dairy sheep production with substantial socioeconomic impacts on small-scale farmers. The diagnosis of CA is still problematic, time-consuming and requires well-equipped labs for confirmation of outbreaks. Therefore, rapid, accurate and cost-effective diagnostic tests are urgently needed. This work aims to validate a novel Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) test, based on the p40 target gene, for the detection of M. agalactiae in dairy sheep in order to confirm its potential practical use as a rapid and cheap field test. The LAMP system proposed in this study consists of a portable device composed of real-time fluorometer with the automatic interpretation of results displayed in a tablet. A total of 110 milk samples (90 positives and 20 negatives) were analysed to optimise the analysis procedure and to investigate the efficacy and robustness of the LAMP method. All samples were analysed using LAMP and conventional real-time PCR to compare the diagnostic sensitivity of the methods. The sensitivity of the LAMP was 10-fold higher than that of real-time PCR, with a detection limit up to 103 CFU/ml. The LAMP assay was able to detect M. agalactiae in 81 of 90 (90%, 95%CI 0.84–0.96) positive milk samples compared to 69 (77%, 95%CI 0.59–0.95) positive samples detected by real-time PCR; no positive signal occurred for any of the negative milk samples in either test. Therefore, the LAMP assay was found to be more sensitive than real-time PCR, low-cost, easy to perform, fast and not affected by contamination, indicating its potential as an effective diagnostic tool in the field level for the diagnosis of CA.
Growth, Carcass Composition, Haematology and Immunity of Broilers Supplemented with Sumac Berries (Rhus coriaria L.) and Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
Authors: Ahmadian Amir , Seidavi Alireza , Phillips Clive J. C.
Published: March 2020

Alternatives to antibiotics as growth promoters for broilers could reduce bacterial resistance to antibiotics, while at the same time maintaining growth and improving carcass composition. We investigated the benefits of adding the medicinal plants sumac and thyme at 1, 2 or 3% of the diet for male Ross broiler chicks, with four replicates of ten birds in each treatment group and a Control. Feed intake was reduced for chickens fed the sumac supplements, and, at the two higher doses, defeathered body weight was also reduced. Abdominal fat was reduced by 41% in chickens fed thyme and 62% in those fed sumac. This reflected reduced low density lipoproteins in their blood, and in higher dose thyme treatments and all sumac treatments, reduced high density lipoproteins in blood. Apart from this, there was little effect of the supplements on carcass composition. Blood glucose was reduced in the supplemented chickens. There was evidence of higher antibody titers to Newcastle disease and influenza in supplemented chickens. It is concluded that both thyme and sumac offer potential to reduce fat content and improve disease responsiveness in broiler production systems.
Public Investment in Animal Protection Work: Data from Manitoba, Canada
Authors: Coulter Kendra , Campbell Brittany
Published: March 2020

There is a dearth of research on animal cruelty investigations policy and work, despite its importance for protecting animals from illegal forms of cruelty. This study provides baseline data about the approach used in Manitoba, one of the only Canadian provinces where animal protection is publicly funded. By integrating statistical and qualitative data collected through interviews with key informants, this paper elucidates how animal cruelty investigations are organized and undertaken in the province. Although animal protection in Manitoba is publicly funded, the workforce responsible for undertaking investigations is a cross-section of public and private actors with different occupational classifications and working conditions.
Characterization of Antioxidant Potential of Seaweed Extracts for Enrichment of Convenience Food
Authors: Corsetto Paola Antonia , Montorfano Gigliola , Zava Stefania , Colombo Irma , Ingadottir Bergros , Jonsdottir Rosa , Sveinsdottir Kolbrun , Rizzo Angela Maria
Published: March 2020

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in natural antioxidants as replacements of synthetic compounds because of increased safety concerns and worldwide trend toward the usage of natural additives in foods. One of the richest sources of natural antioxidants, nowadays largely studied for their potential to decrease the risk of diseases and to improve oxidative stability of food products, are edible brown seaweeds. Nevertheless, their antioxidant mechanisms are slightly evaluated and discussed. The aims of this study were to suggest possible mechanism(s) of Fucus vesiculosus antioxidant action and to assess its bioactivity during the production of enriched rye snacks. Chemical and cell-based assays indicate that the efficient preventive antioxidant action of Fucus vesiculosus extracts is likely due to not only the high polyphenol content, but also their good Fe2+-chelating ability. Moreover, the data collected during the production of Fucus vesiculosus-enriched rye snacks show that this seaweed can increase, in appreciable measure, the antioxidant potential of enriched convenience cereals. This information can be used to design functional foods enriched in natural antioxidant ingredients in order to improve the health of targeted consumers.
Reversible Data Hiding in Encrypted Image Based on Multi-MSB Embedding Strategy
Authors: Wang Dewang , Zhang Xianquan , Yu Chunqiang , Tang Zhenjun
Published: March 2020

In this paper, a reversible data hiding method in encrypted image (RDHEI) is proposed. Prior to image encryption, the embeddable pixels are selected from an original image according to prediction errors due to adjacent pixels with strong correlation. Then the embeddable pixels and the other pixels are both rearranged and encrypted to generate an encrypted image. Secret bits are directly embedded into the multiple MSBs (most significant bit) of the embeddable pixels in the encrypted image to generate a marked encrypted image during the encoding phase. In the decoding phase, secret bits can be extracted from the multiple MSBs of the embeddable pixels in the marked encrypted image. Moreover, the original embeddable pixels are restored losslessly by using correlation of the adjacent pixels. Thus, a reconstructed image with high visual quality can be obtained only when the encryption key is available. Since exploiting multiple MSBs of the embeddable pixels, the proposed method can obtain a very large embedding capacity. Experimental results show that the proposed method is able to achieve an average embedding rate as large as 1.7215 bpp (bits per pixel) for the BOW-2 database.
Development of a Piezoelectric Transducer-Based Integrated Structural Health Monitoring System for Impact Monitoring and Impedance Measurement
Authors: Guo Ziyi , Huang Tianxiang , Schröder Kai-Uwe
Published: March 2020

Structural health monitoring (SHM) techniques, which are also considered as online nondestructive testing methods, are significant in modern structural engineering due to their ability to guarantee structure safety while reducing maintenance cost. It is often necessary to combine different SHM methods to achieve a more reliable damage detection result. However, the hardware of the SHM systems is usually expensive, bulky, and heavy when they are designed separately. Therefore, this paper proposes a three-layer architecture for designing an integrated multi-function SHM system to achieve a small, lightweight, and low power consumption SHM system. Based on the architecture, an integrated SHM system with impact monitoring and electromechanical impedance measurement is developed. In addition, a scheduling module is developed to manage the two functions of the system. Furthermore, an integrated interface is developed to transfer the data and the command. Then, an integrated printed circuit board is designed and manufactured to achieve the aforementioned functions. The designed system is applied for impact monitoring and damage detection for a supporting structure of a sailplane.
Experimental Evaluation of Distortion in Amplitude Modulation Techniques for Parametric Loudspeakers
Authors: San Martín Ricardo , Tello Pablo , Valencia Ana , Marzo Asier
Published: March 2020

Parametric loudspeakers can generate a highly directional beam of sound, having applications in targeted audio delivery. Audible sound modulated into an ultrasonic carrier will get self-demodulated along the highly directive beam due to the non-linearity of air. This non-linear demodularization should be compensated to reduce audio distortion, different amplitude modulation techniques have been developed during the last years. However, some studies are only theoretical whereas others do not analyze the audio distortion in depth. Here, we present a detailed experimental evaluation of the frequency response, harmonic distortion and intermodulation distortion for various amplitude modulation techniques applied with different indices of modulation. We used a simple method to measure the audible signal that prevents the saturation of the microphones when the high levels of the ultrasonic carrier are present. This work could be useful for selecting predistortion techniques and indices of modulation for regular parametric arrays.
The S-Curve as a Tool for Planning and Controlling of Construction Process—Case Study
Authors: Konior Jarosław , Szóstak Mariusz
Published: March 2020

One of the key tasks of an investor and a contractor at the stage of planning and implementing construction works is to measure the progress of execution with regard to the planned deadlines and costs. During the execution of construction works, the actual progress of the works may differ significantly from the initial plan, and it is unlikely that the construction project will be implemented entirely according to the planned work and expenditure schedule. In order to monitor the process of deviations of the deadline and the budget of the investment task, several rudimentary methods of planning—as well as the cyclical control of the progress of construction projects—are used. An effective tool for measuring the utilization of the financial outlays of a construction project is the presentation of the planned financial flows on a timeline using a cumulative cost chart, the representation of which is the S-curve. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the course of an sample construction project comparing the planned costs of the scheduled works with the actual costs of the performed works, as well as identifying the reasons leading to the failure to meet the planned deadlines and budget of the project implementation. As part of the research conducted at a construction site of a hotel facility, the authors of this paper analyzed each of the 20-month effects of financial expenditures on construction works that were developed and processed by the Bank Investment Supervision (BIS) over a period of three years (between 2017 and 2019). Based on these results, charts and tables of the scheduled and actual cumulative costs of the completed construction project were prepared, the careful analysis of which enables interesting conclusions to be drawn.
Effect of SIFRCCs with Varying Steel Fiber Volume Fractions on Flexural Behavior
Authors: Kim Seungwon , Park Cheolwoo , Kim Yongjae
Published: March 2020

Conventional concrete is a brittle material with a very low tensile strength as a result of compressive strength and tensile strain. In this study, the flexural behavior characteristics of slurry-infiltrated fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (SIFRCCs) based on slurry-infiltrated fiber concrete (SIFCON), such as high-performance fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (HPFRCCs), were analyzed to maximize the fiber volume fraction and increase resistance to loads with very short working times (such as explosions or impacts). For extensive experimental variables, one fiber aspect ratio and three fiber volume fractions (6%, 5%, and 4%) were designed, and the flexural toughness and strength were figured out with respect to variables. A maximum flexural strength of 45 MPa was presented for a fiber volume fraction of 6%, and it was found that by increasing the fiber volume fraction the flexural strength and toughness increased. The test results with respect to fiber volume fraction revealed that after the initial crack, the load of SIFRCCs frequently increased because of the high fiber volume fraction. In addition to maximum strength, acceptable strength was found, which could have a positive effect on brittle fractures in structures where an accidental load is applied (such as an impact or explosion).
Magnetic Emissions from Brake Wear are the Major Source of Airborne Particulate Matter Bioaccumulated by Lichens Exposed in Milan (Italy)
Authors: Winkler Aldo , Contardo Tania , Vannini Andrea , Sorbo Sergio , Basile Adriana , Loppi Stefano
Published: March 2020

The concentration of selected trace elements and the magnetic properties of samples of the lichen Evernia prunastri exposed for 3 months in Milan (Italy) were investigated to test if magnetic properties can be used as a proxy for the bioaccumulation of chemical elements in airborne particulate matter. Magnetic analysis showed intense properties driven by magnetite-like minerals, leading to significant correlations between magnetic susceptibility and the concentration of Fe, Cr, Cu, and Sb. Selected magnetic particles were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscope and Energy Dispersion System microanalyses, and their composition, morphology and grain size supported their anthropogenic, non-exhaust origin. The overall combination of chemical, morphoscopic and magnetic analyses strongly suggested that brake abrasion from vehicles is the main source of the airborne particles accumulated by lichens. It is concluded that magnetic susceptibility is an excellent parameter for a simple, rapid and cost-effective characterization of atmospheric trace metal pollution using lichens.
Coupling Elephant Herding with Ordinal Optimization for Solving the Stochastic Inequality Constrained Optimization Problems
Authors: Horng Shih-Cheng , Lin Shieh-Shing
Published: March 2020

The stochastic inequality constrained optimization problems (SICOPs) consider the problems of optimizing an objective function involving stochastic inequality constraints. The SICOPs belong to a category of NP-hard problems in terms of computational complexity. The ordinal optimization (OO) method offers an efficient framework for solving NP-hard problems. Even though the OO method is helpful to solve NP-hard problems, the stochastic inequality constraints will drastically reduce the efficiency and competitiveness. In this paper, a heuristic method coupling elephant herding optimization (EHO) with ordinal optimization (OO), abbreviated as EHOO, is presented to solve the SICOPs with large solution space. The EHOO approach has three parts, which are metamodel construction, diversification and intensification. First, the regularized minimal-energy tensor-product splines is adopted as a metamodel to approximately evaluate fitness of a solution. Next, an improved elephant herding optimization is developed to find N significant solutions from the entire solution space. Finally, an accelerated optimal computing budget allocation is utilized to select a superb solution from the N significant solutions. The EHOO approach is tested on a one-period multi-skill call center for minimizing the staffing cost, which is formulated as a SICOP. Simulation results obtained by the EHOO are compared with three optimization methods. Experimental results demonstrate that the EHOO approach obtains a superb solution of higher quality as well as a higher computational efficiency than three optimization methods.
An Unsupervised Deep Learning System for Acoustic Scene Analysis
Authors: Wang Mou , Zhang Xiao-Lei , Rahardja Susanto
Published: March 2020

Acoustic scene analysis has attracted a lot of attention recently. Existing methods are mostly supervised, which requires well-predefined acoustic scene categories and accurate labels. In practice, there exists a large amount of unlabeled audio data, but labeling large-scale data is not only costly but also time-consuming. Unsupervised acoustic scene analysis on the other hand does not require manual labeling but is known to have significantly lower performance and therefore has not been well explored. In this paper, a new unsupervised method based on deep auto-encoder networks and spectral clustering is proposed. It first extracts a bottleneck feature from the original acoustic feature of audio clips by an auto-encoder network, and then employs spectral clustering to further reduce the noise and unrelated information in the bottleneck feature. Finally, it conducts hierarchical clustering on the low-dimensional output of the spectral clustering. To fully utilize the spatial information of stereo audio, we further apply the binaural representation and conduct joint clustering on that. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a binaural representation is being used in unsupervised learning. Experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art competing methods.
Principles and Characteristics of Different EDM Processes in Machining Tool and Die Steels
Authors: Qudeiri Jaber E. Abu , Zaiout Aiman , Mourad Abdel-Hamid I. , Abidi Mustufa Haider , Elkaseer Ahmed
Published: March 2020

Electric discharge machining (EDM) is one of the most efficient manufacturing technologies used in highly accurate processing of all electrically conductive materials irrespective of their mechanical properties. It is a non-contact thermal energy process applied to a wide range of applications, such as in the aerospace, automotive, tools, molds and dies, and surgical implements, especially for the hard-to-cut materials with simple or complex shapes and geometries. Applications to molds, tools, and dies are among the large-scale initial applications of this process. Machining these items is especially difficult as they are made of hard-to-machine materials, they have very complex shapes of high accuracy, and their surface characteristics are sensitive to machining conditions. The review of this kind with an emphasis on tool and die materials is extremely useful to relevant professions, practitioners, and researchers. This review provides an overview of the studies related to EDM with regard to selection of the process, material, and operating parameters, the effect on responses, various process variants, and new techniques adopted to enhance process performance. This paper reviews research studies on the EDM of different grades of tool steel materials. This article (i) pans out the reported literature in a modular manner with a focus on experimental and theoretical studies aimed at improving process performance, including material removal rate, surface quality, and tool wear rate, among others, (ii) examines evaluation models and techniques used to determine process conditions, and (iii) discusses the developments in EDM and outlines the trends for future research. The conclusion section of the article carves out precise highlights and gaps from each section, thus making the article easy to navigate and extremely useful to the related research community.
Durability and Mechanical Characteristics of Blast-Furnace Slag Based Activated Carbon-Capturing Concrete with Respect to Cement Content
Authors: Kim Seungwon , Park Cheolwoo
Published: March 2020

The recent abnormal temperature phenomena such as the rise of global mean temperature and sea level due to global climate change are clear threats that can no longer be overlooked to the human beings who have pursued indiscriminate development and rapid growth. Climate change has emerged as a serious risk that threatens the survival of the entire human race from the environmental and ecological aspects, despite international efforts for several decades. The CO2 concentration in the atmosphere has increased by approximately 39% since the industrial revolution. Even if carbon emissions are stopped right now, it is expected to take at least 50–200 years to return to the CO2 level before the industrial revolution. Therefore, we conducted an experimental study to develop a carbon-capturing concrete that has active as well as passive carbon reduction functions using blast-furnace slag, an industrial byproduct, instead of cement. For active carbon reduction, we used calcium hydroxide and sodium silicate as carbon capture activators, and conducted tests on mechanical properties and durability characteristics.
Lactoferrin’s Anti-Cancer Properties: Safety, Selectivity, and Wide Range of Action
Authors: Cutone Antimo , Rosa Luigi , Ianiro Giusi , Lepanto Maria Stefania , Bonaccorsi di Patti Maria Carmela , Valenti Piera , Musci Giovanni
Published: March 2020

Despite recent advances in cancer therapy, current treatments, including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, although beneficial, present attendant side effects and long-term sequelae, usually more or less affecting quality of life of the patients. Indeed, except for most of the immunotherapeutic agents, the complete lack of selectivity between normal and cancer cells for radio- and chemotherapy can make them potential antagonists of the host anti-cancer self-defense over time. Recently, the use of nutraceuticals as natural compounds corroborating anti-cancer standard therapy is emerging as a promising tool for their relative abundance, bioavailability, safety, low-cost effectiveness, and immuno-compatibility with the host. In this review, we outlined the anti-cancer properties of Lactoferrin (Lf), an iron-binding glycoprotein of the innate immune defense. Lf shows high bioavailability after oral administration, high selectivity toward cancer cells, and a wide range of molecular targets controlling tumor proliferation, survival, migration, invasion, and metastasization. Of note, Lf is able to promote or inhibit cell proliferation and migration depending on whether it acts upon normal or cancerous cells, respectively. Importantly, Lf administration is highly tolerated and does not present significant adverse effects. Moreover, Lf can prevent development or inhibit cancer growth by boosting adaptive immune response. Finally, Lf was recently found to be an ideal carrier for chemotherapeutics, even for the treatment of brain tumors due to its ability to cross the blood–brain barrier, thus globally appearing as a promising tool for cancer prevention and treatment, especially in combination therapies.
Flagella and Swimming Behavior of Marine Magnetotactic Bacteria
Authors: Zhang Wei-Jia , Wu Long-Fei
Published: March 2020

Marine environments are generally characterized by low bulk concentrations of nutrients that are susceptible to steady or intermittent motion driven by currents and local turbulence. Marine bacteria have therefore developed strategies, such as very fast-swimming and the exploitation of multiple directional sensing–response systems in order to efficiently migrate towards favorable places in nutrient gradients. The magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) even utilize Earth’s magnetic field to facilitate downward swimming into the oxic–anoxic interface, which is the most favorable place for their persistence and proliferation, in chemically stratified sediments or water columns. To ensure the desired flagella-propelled motility, marine MTBs have evolved an exquisite flagellar apparatus, and an extremely high number (tens of thousands) of flagella can be found on a single entity, displaying a complex polar, axial, bounce, and photosensitive magnetotactic behavior. In this review, we describe gene clusters, the flagellar apparatus architecture, and the swimming behavior of marine unicellular and multicellular magnetotactic bacteria. The physiological significance and mechanisms that govern these motions are discussed.
Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors in Epilepsy: A Review Focusing on AMPA and NMDA Receptors
Authors: Hanada Takahisa
Published: March 2020

It is widely accepted that glutamate-mediated neuronal hyperexcitation plays a causative role in eliciting seizures. Among glutamate receptors, the roles of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptors in physiological and pathological conditions represent major clinical research targets. It is well known that agonists of NMDA or AMPA receptors can elicit seizures in animal or human subjects, while antagonists have been shown to inhibit seizures in animal models, suggesting a potential role for NMDA and AMPA receptor antagonists in anti-seizure drug development. Several such drugs have been evaluated in clinical studies; however, the majority, mainly NMDA-receptor antagonists, failed to demonstrate adequate efficacy and safety for therapeutic use, and only an AMPA-receptor antagonist, perampanel, has been approved for the treatment of some forms of epilepsy. These results suggest that a misunderstanding of the role of each glutamate receptor in the ictogenic process may underlie the failure of these drugs to demonstrate clinical efficacy and safety. Accumulating knowledge of both NMDA and AMPA receptors, including pathological gene mutations, roles in autoimmune epilepsy, and evidence from drug-discovery research and pharmacological studies, may provide valuable information enabling the roles of both receptors in ictogenesis to be reconsidered. This review aimed to integrate information from several studies in order to further elucidate the specific roles of NMDA and AMPA receptors in epilepsy.
The Role of Torsin AAA+ Proteins in Preserving Nuclear Envelope Integrity and Safeguarding Against Disease
Authors: Rampello Anthony J. , Prophet Sarah M. , Schlieker Christian
Published: March 2020

Torsin ATPases are members of the AAA+ (ATPases associated with various cellular activities) superfamily of proteins, which participate in essential cellular processes. While AAA+ proteins are ubiquitously expressed and demonstrate distinct subcellular localizations, Torsins are the only AAA+ to reside within the nuclear envelope (NE) and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) network. Moreover, due to the absence of integral catalytic features, Torsins require the NE- and ER-specific regulatory cofactors, lamina-associated polypeptide 1 (LAP1) and luminal domain like LAP1 (LULL1), to efficiently trigger their atypical mode of ATP hydrolysis. Despite their implication in an ever-growing list of diverse processes, the specific contributions of Torsin/cofactor assemblies in maintaining normal cellular physiology remain largely enigmatic. Resolving gaps in the functional and mechanistic principles of Torsins and their cofactors are of considerable medical importance, as aberrant Torsin behavior is the principal cause of the movement disorder DYT1 early-onset dystonia. In this review, we examine recent findings regarding the phenotypic consequences of compromised Torsin and cofactor activities. In particular, we focus on the molecular features underlying NE defects and the contributions of Torsins to nuclear pore complex biogenesis, as well as the growing implications of Torsins in cellular lipid metabolism. Additionally, we discuss how understanding Torsins may facilitate the study of essential but poorly understood processes at the NE and ER, and aid in the development of therapeutic strategies for dystonia.
Special Issue: Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Plant Polyphenols
Authors: Sangiovanni Enrico , Dell’Agli Mario
Published: March 2020

Inflammation is considered the first physiological response of the human body to infection or injury, playing a critical role in both innate and adaptive immunity [...]