bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Greedy Heuristic for Maximizing the Lifetime of Wireless Sensor Networks Based on Disjoint Weighted Dominating Sets
Authors: Balbal Samir , Bouamama Salim , Blum Christian
Published: June 2021

Dominating sets are among the most well-studied concepts in graph theory, with many real-world applications especially in the area of wireless sensor networks. One way to increase network lifetime in wireless sensor networks consists of assigning sensors to disjoint dominating node sets, which are then sequentially used by a sleep–wake cycling mechanism. This paper presents a greedy heuristic for solving a weighted version of the maximum disjoint dominating sets problem for energy conservation purposes in wireless sensor networks. Moreover, an integer linear programming model is presented. Experimental results based on a large set of 640 problem instances show, first, that the integer linear programming model is only useful for small problem instances. Moreover, they show that our algorithm outperforms recent local search algorithms from the literature with respect to both solution quality and computation time.
Active Noise Control System Based on the Improved Equation Error Model
Authors: Yuan Jun , Li Jun , Zhang Anfu , Zhang Xiangdong , Ran Jia
Published: June 2021

This paper presents an algorithm structure for an active noise control (ANC) system based on an improved equation error (EE) model that employs the offline secondary path modeling method. The noise of a compressor in a gas station is taken as an example to verify the performance of the proposed ANC system. The results show that the proposed ANC system improves the noise reduction performance and convergence speed compared with other typical ANC systems. In particular, it achieves 28 dBA noise attenuation at a frequency of about 250 Hz and a mean square error (MSE) of about −20 dB.
Short-Term Effects of Spent Mushroom Substrate Mulching Thickness on the Soil Environment, Weed Suppression, Leaf Nutrients, and Nut Characteristics in a Hazelnut Orchard
Authors: Ma Zhong , Zhang Yun-Qi , Wang Lu-Jun , Hu Guang-Long , Gong Xiao-Qiang , Bai Qian , Su Shu-Chai , Qi Jian-Xun
Published: June 2021

Worldwide, a huge amount of solid fermented waste is produced every year during mushroom production. The rational utilization of spent mushroom substrate (SMS) is conducive to environmental protection and the sustainable development of agriculture. The aims of this work were to analyze the effects of the SMS mulching thickness on the soil environment, weed suppression, leaf nutrients, and nut traits in a hazelnut plantation and provide a theoretical basis for the scientific and reasonable utilization of SMS. An SMS mulching experiment with four mulching thickness treatments (MT1: 5 cm, MT2: 10 cm, MT3: 15 cm, and CK: 0 cm) was conducted in a semi-arid area of North China in 2019. The soil properties, weed control efficiency, leaf nutrient content, and nut yield and quality characteristics of these treatments were all measured and analyzed. The results showed that (1) the average soil temperatures of MT2 and MT3 at different soil depths were 0.73–1.78 °C and 1.18–2.50 °C lower than when no mulch was used in warm weather and 0.67–1.05 °C and 0.99–1.56 °C higher than when no mulch was used in cold weather. The average soil moisture content of MT1, MT2, and MT3 at different soil depths was 6.27–8.13%, 10.66–17.23%, and 7.26–12.81% higher than that of CK, respectively. There were no significant differences in the soil bulk density or porosity among the four treatments. The average soil nutrient contents (soil organic matter and available N, P, and K) of MT1, MT2, and MT3 were 7.05–15.23%, 14.90–38.93%, and 17.42–40.11% higher than those of CK, respectively. Soil enzymatic activities of these treatments followed the order MT3 ≈ MT2 > MT1 > CK. (2) MT2 and MT3 both had high levels of weed control efficiency: 55.66–92.93% and 70.43–97.90%, respectively. (3) The leaf N, P, K, and SPAD increased significantly under MT2 and MT3 by about 10% compared with the CK. (4) MT2 effectively increased the nut size, nut and kernel mass, and crude fat content of the nut (CFC). In general, the short-term field experiment clearly showed that SMS is a superior mulching material for improving the soil environment and plant growth, and 10 cm thickness is suitable for mulching practice.
Accelerated Dissipation of Two Herbicides after Repeated Application in Field Experiments with Organically-Amended Soil
Authors: Carpio María José , Marín-Benito Jesús M. , Sánchez-Martín María J. , Rodríguez-Cruz M. Sonia
Published: June 2021

Organic wastes applied as composted amendments may improve the quality of degraded soils and modify the fate of pesticides. This work has set out to study the dissipation kinetics of the herbicides chlorotoluron and flufenacet during their second-year application in field experimental plots with a sandy-loam agricultural soil without amendment (S) and amended with spent mushroom substrate (S + SMS) or green compost (S + GC). The SMS and GC were applied to the soil during the previous winter’s wheat crop campaign (1 year before the second herbicide application) at rates of 140 and 85 t ha−1 (dry weight basis), respectively. The experiment involved randomized complete blocks with plots of 81 m2, including three replicates per soil treatment. Surface soils were sampled after herbicide application for 225 days, and herbicide residues in the soil samples were determined by HPLC-MS. The dissipation curves of both herbicides for the three soil treatments were better fitted to the first order multi-compartment (FOMC) kinetic model. The dissipation rates of the most hydrophobic herbicide, flufenacet, were slower than those for chlorotoluron in both unamended and amended soils. The half-life (DT50) values ranged between 20.7 to 41.1 days for chlorotoluron, and 42.9 to 75.6 days for flufenacet, and they followed the order S > S + SMS > S + GC. The DT50 values of chlorotoluron were close for S + SMS and S + GC, and the DT50 of flufenacet for S was similar to that for S + SMS. These DT50 values decreased up to four times with respect to those calculated after the first application indicating an accelerated dissipation of the herbicides after the second application especially in amended soil in comparison with unamended soil. The persistence of chlorotoluron and flufenacet in an agricultural soil was modified by the effect of the organic amendments, weather conditions, and possibly the repeated application of the compounds under real field conditions.
Diversity of Leaf Stomatal Traits among Coffea canephora Pierre ex A. Froehner Genotypes
Authors: Dubberstein Danielly , Oliveira Marcos Góes , Aoyama Elisa Mitsuko , Guilhen José Henrique , Ferreira Adésio , Marques Isabel , Ramalho José C. , Partelli Fábio Luiz
Published: June 2021

Leaf morpho-anatomical characteristics directly reflect photosynthetic performance and the ability to adapt to different environmental conditions. The study of biometric traits is essential for the selection of promising plant materials for breeding purposes. To identify new varieties of coffee plants with desirable traits for genetic improvement programs, this study investigated the variability of leaf morpho-anatomical traits in 43 genotypes of Coffea canephora (as the species under study is hypostomatous). Seven leaf characteristics were used: epidermal cell density (ECD), stomatal length (SL), stomatal width (SW), stomatal density (SD), stomatal size (SS), stomatal index (SI), and stomatal length/width. Morphological traits (plant height, internodal distance, and leaf area) and grain production were also assessed. The data analyzed multivariate analysis of variance grouped by the unweighted pair group the arithmetic mean hierarchical method, and data were also subjected to a Pearson linear correlation and principal component analyses (PCAs). The results showed wide morphological variability reflecting six morphological groups, which is relevant for the genetic divergence analysis and for breeding purposes, as the results have the potential to identify superior genotypes. Within the groups, genotypes were mainly separated by the number of epidermal cells and the number and size of the stomata, reflecting a high genetic heterogeneity within genotypes. Positive and negative correlations were found, with levels of significance ranging from weak to strong among the analyzed traits. The highest correlation levels were found for SL × SS, SW × SS, and SI × SD. In addition, the PCA indicated that plant height, distance between nodes, and leaf area were positively correlated and associated. The greater the number and width of stomata, the higher the rate of gas exchange. Both characteristics are favorable for the development and production of coffee plants, explaining the positive correlation observed in this study. These results emphasize the usefulness of trait evaluations for the identification and breeding of genotypes to compose new C. canephora cultivars suitable for changing environments.
Drought Resistance and Recovery of Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) Cultivars under Different Nitrogen Fertilisation Rates
Authors: Pornaro Cristina , Dal Maso Michele , Macolino Stefano
Published: June 2021

Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) is one of the most popular cool-season turfgrass species. However, little is known about the effects of N supply on its resistance to drought stress. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of acute drought followed by a recovery period on four Kentucky bluegrass cultivars (‘Barduke’, ‘Brooklawn’, ‘NuBlue Plus’ and ‘Marauder’) and one tall fescue (‘Rhambler SRP’) under two different nitrogen fertilisation rates (100 or 200 kg N ha−1 yr−1). The study was conducted over two years in a rain-out structure to control water input in spring and summer. The cultivars were subjected to a drought stress phase (absence of irrigation) followed by a recovery phase (weekly irrigation with an intake of 80% of ET). The green cover percentage, visual quality, NDVI, and soil moisture were measured weekly. We found that Kentucky bluegrass maintains sufficient turf quality for 2 weeks without irrigation. During the first year of the experiment, slight differences were observed among the Kentucky bluegrass cultivars, with ‘Marauder’ showing a 15% of green turf cover less than ‘Brooklawn’ after 6 weeks of acute drought, while in the second year, ‘NuBlue Plus’ displayed higher green turf cover and NDVI than the other cultivars. Nitrogen treatment had limited influence on the performances of the cultivars, ‘Marauder’ being the only one benefitting from the higher rate of applications.
Live Yeast or Live Yeast Combined with Zinc Oxide Enhanced Growth Performance, Antioxidative Capacity, Immunoglobulins and Gut Health in Nursery Pigs
Authors: Long Shenfei , He Tengfei , Kim Sung Woo , Shang Qinghui , Kiros Tadele , Mahfuz Shad Uddin , Wang Chunlin , Piao Xiangshu
Published: June 2021

This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary LY or LY combined with ZnO supplementation on performance and gut health in nursery pigs. 192 Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire piglets (weaned on d 32 of the age with 9.2 ± 1.7 kg BW) were allocated into four treatments with eight replicate pens, six piglets per pen. The treatments included a basal diet as control (CTR), an antibiotic plus ZnO diet (CTC-ZnO, basal diet + 75 mg/kg of chlortetracycline + ZnO (2000 mg/kg from d 1 to 14, 160 mg/kg from d 15 to 28)), a LY diet (LY, basal diet + 2 g/kg LY), and a LY plus ZnO diet (LY-ZnO, basal diet + 1 g/kg LY + ZnO). The results showed that pigs fed LY or LY-ZnO had increased (p < 0.05) average daily gain, serum IgA, IgG, superoxide dismutase, fecal butyric acid, and total volatile fatty acid concentrations, as well as decreased (p < 0.05) feed conversion ratio and diarrhea rate compared with CTR. In conclusion, pigs fed diets with LY or LY combined with ZnO had similar improvement to the use of antibiotics and ZnO in performance, antioxidant status, immunoglobulins, and gut health in nursery pigs.
Effects of Encapsulated Methionine on Skeletal Muscle Growth and Development and Subsequent Feedlot Performance and Carcass Characteristics in Beef Steers
Authors: Baggerman Jessica O. , Thompson Alex J. , Jennings Michael A. , Hergenreder Jerilyn E. , Rounds Whitney , Smith Zachary K. , Johnson Bradley J.
Published: June 2021

Two studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of encapsulated methionine on live performance, carcass characteristics, and skeletal muscle development in feedlot steers. In Experiment 1, 128 crossbred steers (body weight [BW] = 341 ± 36.7 kg) were used in a randomized complete block design and supplemented with 0, 4, 8, or 12 g/(head day [d]) of ruminally protected methionine (0MET, 4MET, 8MET, and 12MET, respectively) for 111 d or 139 d. In Exp. 2, 20 steers (BW = 457 ± 58 kg) were stratified by BW and randomly assigned to either the 0MET or 8MET treatment; longissimus muscle (LM) biopsies were collected on d 0, 14, 28, 42, and 56, and analyzed for mRNA and protein expression. Additionally, immunohistochemical analysis was performed to measure fiber type area and distribution as well as the density of muscle nuclei and satellite cells (Myf5, Pax7, and Myf5/Pax7). In Experiment 1, no significant differences were observed for live performance (p ≥ 0.09). There was, however, a linear relationship between LM area and methionine supplementation (p = 0.04), with a 9% increase in the area when steers were supplemented with 12MET compared to 0MET. In Exp. 2, There were no treatment × day interactions (p ≥ 0.10) for expression of mRNA or protein abundance. Although mRNA expression and protein abundance of all genes were influenced by day (p ≤ 0.04), methionine supplementation did not have a significant effect (p ≥ 0.08). There was a significant treatment × day interaction for distribution of MHC-I fibers (p = 0.03), where 8MET supplemented cattle had a greater proportion of MHC-I fibers after 56 d of supplementation than did 0MET steers. Cross-sectional area was increased over time regardless of fiber type (p < 0.01) but was unaffected by treatment (p ≥ 0.36). While nuclei density was not impacted by treatment (p = 0.55), the density of myonuclei increased nearly 55% in 8MET supplemented cattle (p = 0.05). The density of Myf5 positive satellite cells tended to decrease with methionine supplementation (p = 0.10), while the density of Pax7 expressing cells tended to increase (p = 0.09). These results indicate that encapsulated methionine supplementation may influence markers of skeletal muscle growth, and potential improvements in the LM area may exist.
Genetic Variation in the Prion Protein Gene (PRNP) of Two Tunisian Goat Populations
Authors: Kdidi Samia , Yahyaoui Mohamed Habib , Conte Michela , Chiappini Barbara , Hammadi Mohamed , Khorchani Touhami , Vaccari Gabriele
Published: June 2021

Scrapie is a fatal prion disease. It belongs to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), and occurs in sheep and goats. Similarly, to ovine species, the prion protein gene (PRNP) plays a major role in conferring resistance or susceptibility to TSE in goats. This study assesses the variability of PRNP in native and crossed-breed goat populations raised in the Southeast of Tunisia and provides information on the distribution of PRNP haplotypes and genotypes in these goat populations. A total of 116 unrelated goats including 82 native and 34 crossed-breed goats were screened for PRNP polymorphisms using Sanger sequencing. Sequence analysis revealed 10 non-synonymous polymorphisms (G37V, M137I, R139S, I142M, H143R, N146D, R154H, R211Q, Q222K, and S240P), giving rise to 12 haplotypes and 23 genotypes. Moreover, four silent mutations were detected at codons 30, 42, 138, and 179; the former was reported for the first time in goat (nucleotide 60 c→t). Interestingly, the PrP variants associated with resistance (D146 and K222) or with a prolonged incubation time of goat to scrapie (M142, R143, H154, Q211) were absent or detected with low frequencies except for H154 variant, which is present with high frequency (1%, 1%, 4%, 0%, 88%, and 6%, respectively, for native goats, and 0%, 1%, 0%, 1%, 78%, and 1%, respectively, for crossed goats). The analysis of PRNP polymorphisms of goats raised in other regions of the country will be useful in getting a global view of PRNP genetic variability and the feasibility of goat breeding programs in Tunisia.
Canola Meal versus Soybean Meal as Protein Supplements in the Diets of Lactating Dairy Cows Affects the Greenhouse Gas Intensity of Milk
Authors: Holtshausen Lucia , Benchaar Chaouki , Kröbel Roland , Beauchemin Karen A.
Published: June 2021

Soybean meal (SBM) and canola meal (CM) are protein supplements used in lactating dairy cow diets and, recently, an enteric methane-mitigating effect (i.e., lower Ym value) was reported for CM. Before recommending CM as a greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation strategy, it is necessary to examine the net impact on total GHG emissions from milk production. The objective was to determine whether using CM rather than SBM in lactating dairy cow diets decreases GHG per kilogram of fat and protein corrected milk (FPCM), and whether the decrease depends upon where the meals are produced. Cradle to farm-gate life cycle assessments were conducted for a simulated dairy farm in eastern (Quebec) and western (Alberta) Canada. Scenarios examined the source of protein meal, location where meals were produced, and the methane-mitigating effect of CM. The Holos model was used to estimate GHG emissions from animals, manure, crop production, imported feeds, and energy use. GHG intensities (CO2e/kg FPCM) were 0.85–1.02 in the east and 1.07–1.11 in the west for the various scenarios, with enteric methane comprising 34 to 40% of total emissions. CM produced in western Canada with a low up-stream emission factor and low Ym value reduced CO2e/kg FPCM by 3% (western farm) to 6.6% (eastern farm) compared with SBM. We conclude that using CM rather than SBM in the diet of lactating dairy cows can be a GHG mitigation strategy depending upon where it is produced and whether it decreases enteric methane emissions.
Rule Discovery in Milk Content towards Mastitis Diagnosis: Dealing with Farm Heterogeneity over Multiple Years through Classification Based on Associations
Authors: Ebrahimie Esmaeil , Mohammadi-Dehcheshmeh Manijeh , Laven Richard , Petrovski Kiro
Published: June 2021

Subclinical mastitis, an economically challenging disease of dairy cattle, is associated with an increased use of antimicrobials which reduces milk quantity and quality. It is more common than clinical mastitis and far more difficult to detect. Recently, much attention has been paid to the development of machine-learning expert systems for early detection of subclinical mastitis from milking features. However, differences between animals within a farm as well as between farms, particularly across multiple years, are major obstacles to the generalisation of machine learning models. Here, for the first time, we integrated scaling by quartiling with classification based on associations in a multi-year study to deal with farm heterogeneity by discovery of multiple patterns towards mastitis. The data were obtained from one farm comprising Holstein Friesian cows in Ongaonga, New Zealand, using an electronic automated monitoring system. The data collection was repeated annually over 3 consecutive years. Some discovered rules, such as when the milking peak flow is low, electrical conductivity (EC) of milk is low, milk lactose is low, milk fat is high, and milk volume is low, the cow has subclinical mastitis, reached high confidence (>70%) in multiple years. On averages, over 3 years, low level of milk lactose and high value of milk EC were part of 93% and 83.8% of all subclinical mastitis detecting rules, offering a reproducible pattern of subclinical mastitis detection. The scaled year-independent combinational rules provide an easy-to-apply and cost-effective machine-learning expert system for early detection of hidden mastitis using milking parameters.
Overexpression of the MexXY Multidrug Efflux System Correlates with Deficient Pyoverdine Production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Ikarashi Kei , Kutsuna Ryo , Tomida Junko , Kawamura Yoshiaki , Morita Yuji
Published: June 2021

Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa poses a serious problem due to hospital- and healthcare-associated infections. A major drug resistance mechanism of P. aeruginosa involves active efflux via resistance nodulation cell division (RND)-type multidrug efflux pumps of which MexXY is increasingly recognized as a primary determinant of aminoglycoside resistance in P. aeruginosa. MexXY overexpression is often observed in drug-resistant P. aeruginosa clinical isolates. MexXY deficiency increased pyoverdine production in all four P. aeruginosa strains we tested. MexXY-overproducing multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa PA7 exhibited the greatest effect among the strains. Complementation with a MexXY-expressing plasmid restored low-level pyoverdine production in a MexXY-deficient P. aeruginosa mutant from PA7, indicating that MexXY expression decreases pyoverdine production. Because P. aeruginosa produces pyoverdine to acquire iron, MexXY-deficient mutants might be more susceptible to iron deficiency than MexXY-producing strains or might require extra iron. High-risk clones of multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa reportedly tend to be MexXY overproducers but defective pyoverdine producers. This study suggests that P. aeruginosa reduces production of a virulence factor after acquiring a drug resistance factor.
Antimicrobial Activity of Quasi-Enantiomeric Cinchona Alkaloid Derivatives and Prediction Model Developed by Machine Learning
Authors: Ramić Alma , Skočibušić Mirjana , Odžak Renata , Čipak Gašparović Ana , Milković Lidija , Mikelić Ana , Sović Karlo , Primožič Ines , Hrenar Tomica
Published: June 2021

Bacterial infections that do not respond to current treatments are increasing, thus there is a need for the development of new antibiotics. Series of 20 N-substituted quaternary salts of cinchonidine (CD) and their quasi-enantiomer cinchonine (CN) were prepared and their antimicrobial activity was assessed against a diverse panel of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. All tested compounds showed good antimicrobial potential (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values 1.56 to 125.00 μg/mL), proved to be nontoxic to different human cell lines, and did not influence the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Seven compounds showed very strong bioactivity against some of the tested Gram-negative bacteria (MIC for E. coli and K. pneumoniae 6.25 μg/mL; MIC for P. aeruginosa 1.56 μg/mL). To establish a connection between antimicrobial data and potential energy surfaces (PES) of the compounds, activity/PES models using principal components of the disc diffusion assay and MIC and data towards PES data were built. An extensive machine learning procedure for the generation and cross-validation of multivariate linear regression models with a linear combination of original variables as well as their higher-order polynomial terms was performed. The best possible models with predicted R2(CD derivatives) = 0.9979 and R2(CN derivatives) = 0.9873 were established and presented. This activity/PES model can be used for accurate prediction of activities for new compounds based solely on their potential energy surfaces, which will enable wider screening and guided search for new potential leads. Based on the obtained results, N-quaternary derivatives of Cinchona alkaloids proved to be an excellent scaffold for further optimization of novel antibiotic species.
Enhancement of the Antiobesity and Antioxidant Effect of Purple Sweet Potato Extracts and Enhancement of the Effects by Fermentation
Authors: Lee Seul Gi , Chae Jongbeom , Kim Dong Se , Lee Jung-Bok , Kwon Gi-Seok , Kwon Taeg Kyu , Nam Ju-Ock
Published: June 2021

The browning of white adipocytes, which transforms energy-storing white adipocytes to heat-producing beige adipocytes, is considered a strategy against metabolic diseases. Several dietary compounds, such as anthocyanins, flavonoids, and phenolic acids, induce a brown adipocyte-like phenotype in white adipocytes. In this study, we demonstrated that purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) extract (PSP) exhibited potent radical scavenging activity. In addition, PSP was found to contain large amounts of phenolic, flavonoid, and anthocyanin compounds; the amount of these compounds was affected by fermentation. Functionally, PSP-induced adipose browning in high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. The administration of PSP significantly suppressed the body weight gain and abnormal expansion of white adipose tissues in the obese mice. The expression of adipose browning-related genes was higher in the inguinal white adipose tissues from the PSP-treated mice than those in the HFD-fed mice. Moreover, PSP-treated 3T3-L1 adipocytes formed multilocular lipid droplets, similar to those formed in the 3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with a browning induction cocktail. The PSP-treated cells had an increased expression level of mitochondria and lipolysis-related genes. The browning effects of PSP were enhanced by fermentation with Lactobacillus. This study, to our knowledge, is the first to identify a new mechanism to increase the antiobesity effects of PSP by inducing adipocyte browning of adipocytes.
Discrete-Element Analysis of the Excavation Performance of an EPB Shield TBM under Different Operating Conditions
Authors: Park Byungkwan , Lee Chulho , Choi Soon-Wook , Kang Tae-Ho , Chang Soo-Ho
Published: June 2021

This study used a discrete-element analysis to predict the excavation performance of a 7.73 m-diameter earth pressure balance (EPB) shield tunnel boring machine (TBM). The simulation mainly predicted several excavation performance indicators for the machine, under different operating conditions. The number of particles in the chamber and the chamber pressure varied, as the operating conditions changed during the simulated TBM excavation. The results showed that the compressive force, torque, and driving power acting on the TBM cutterhead varied with its rotation speed, increasing as the cutterhead rotation speed rose. The overall compressive force acting on all of the disc cutters and their impact wear increased linearly as the cutterhead rotation accelerated. The position of a disc cutter on the cutterhead had a particularly strong influence, with higher compressive forces experienced by the cutters closer to the center. In contrast, the gauge disc cutters at the transition zone of the cutterhead showed more wear than those elsewhere. The muck discharge rate and the driving power of the screw conveyor rose with increasing screw conveyor and cutterhead rotation speeds. Finally, this study suggests optimal operation conditions, based on pressure balance and operational management of the TBM.
Evaluating the Presence of Lycopene-Enriched Extracts from Tomato on Topical Emulsions: Physico-Chemical Characterization and Sensory Analysis
Authors: Costa Ana , Marques Marta , Congiu Franca , Paiva Alexandre , Simões Pedro , Ferreira António , Bronze Maria Rosário , Marto Joana , Ribeiro Helena Margarida , Simões Sandra
Published: June 2021

One of the new trends of personal care industry is the use of organic ingredients derived from nature, in particular, from food-processing residues with proven efficacy. Lycopene is a carotenoid responsible for the red color of several fruits, namely tomato, whose antioxidant and photoprotective effects have been studied. Methods: Lycopene-enriched extracts (LEE) were obtained from tomato waste using supercritical CO2 extraction, incorporated in microemulsions and macroemulsions for topical use, and characterized through GC-MS for the identification of volatile compounds. The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of the presence of lycopene-enriched extracts developed emulsions through the identification of volatile compounds and by a sensory analysis to assess the odor and color perception and the acceptability of such semi-solid systems as cosmetic products. Results: Volatile compounds were identified in the extract and in the formulations containing the extract. Preliminary data show that the odor of both LEE-loaded microemulsions and LEE-loaded macroemulsions was classified as undefined. The information about the composition did not modify the odor perception but increased the acceptability of some cosmetic products. LEE conferred a yellowish color to formulations, and the information about the formulation composition increased the likelihood of different cosmetic products with this color being bought. Conclusions: The commercialization of personal care products does not only dependent on the associated organoleptic properties, but is influenced by the information about the composition, namely by the presence of an antioxidant compound.
Demonstration of Tunable Shielding Effectiveness in GHz and THz Bands for Flexible Graphene/Ion Gel/Graphene Film
Authors: Yao Lixiang , Liang Yuanlong , Wen Kui , Xu Yanlin , Liu Jibin , Liu Peiguo , Huang Xianjun
Published: June 2021

To satisfy the demands of wireless communication systems for tunable shielding materials, in this work, a graphene/ion gel/graphene sandwich structure is proposed, based on graphene and a solid ionic material ion gel. After modelling, preparing and testing, it was found that the structure could achieve more than 10 dB shielding effectiveness tuning in GHz and THz bands. Meanwhile, the adjusting speed of the structure was also studied, displaying effective dynamic tuning in the second order. Furthermore, the fabricated samples have the advantages of a low profile, easily conformable, and convenient processing, which are of great potential in emerging electronic devices.
Warpage Behavior on Silicon Semiconductor Device: The Impact of Thick Copper Metallization
Authors: Calabretta Michele , Sitta Alessandro , Oliveri Salvatore Massimo , Sequenzia Gaetano
Published: June 2021

Electrochemical deposited (ECD) thick film copper on silicon substrate is one of the most challenging technological brick for semiconductor industry representing a relevant improvement from the state of art because of its excellent electrical and thermal conductivity compared with traditional materials, such as aluminum. The main technological factor that makes challenging the industrial implementation of thick copper layer is the severe wafer warpage induced by Cu annealing process, which negatively impacts the wafer manufacturability. The aim of presented work is the understanding of warpage variation during annealing process of ECD thick (20 μm) copper layer. Warpage is experimentally characterized at different temperature by means of Phase-Shift Moiré principle, according to different annealing profiles. Physical analysis is employed to correlated the macroscopic warpage behavior with microstructure modification. A linear Finite Element Model (FEM) is developed to predict the geometrically stress-curvature relation, comparing results with analytical models.
A 3D Printed Physical Human–Robot Interface Based on a Sizing System to Facilitate Customization: Wearable Robots for Paraplegia
Authors: Kwon Chil-Yong , Jang Jung-Sik , Kim Gyoo-Suk
Published: June 2021

Wearable robots that assist paraplegia patients should be manufactured according to the shape of the individual wearer. With the development of advanced three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies, such customizations are becoming available. However, conventional 3D printing customization requires extensive template remodeling, which is non-productive and inefficient. This study proposes a 3D-printed (3DP) physical human–robot interface (pHRI) based on a sizing system that facilitates customization to body shapes. The proposed system is a pre-developed pHRI in various sizes and shapes using a human body shape database. Conformity of shapes and dimensions were evaluated visually via shape deviation analysis for 10 persons having paraplegia. With the proposed 3DP-pHRI, the trunk comprised 18 sections and the shank comprised nine. A biased trend of coverage rates in the shank 3DP-pHRI size system was identified. The trunk and shank subsystems were found to be adequate in terms of shapes and dimensions, with values within the mean deviation range of ±10 mm. A novel 3DP-pHRI size system facilitating customization tool for fabricating wearable robots for paraplegia patients according to body shape was developed, and its effectiveness was assured. The new system can be used for various wearable robot pHRIs, and the database is expected to supply a comprehensive pHRI template library.
Evaluation of the Long-Term Performances of SMA-13 Containing Different Fibers
Authors: Wu Bangwei , Wu Xing , Xiao Peng , Chen Chuangchuang , Xia Ji , Lou Keke
Published: June 2021

To clarify the influence of fiber type on the long-term performance of stone mastic asphalt (SMA), this paper used basalt fiber (BF) and lignin fiber (LF) to modify SMA-13 (SMA with aggregate nominal maximum particle size of 13.2 mm) asphalt mixture. The pavement performances (high-temperature performance, cracking resistance at low and medium temperature, and water stability) of the two kinds of fiber-reinforced SMA-13 were checked under different aging degrees (unaged, short-term aged and long-term aged), scanning electron microscope (SEM) test was conducted to explain the strengthening mechanism of the fibers. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) was used to analyze the changes in the chemical composition of asphalt after aging. The results of the wheel tracking test and uniaxial penetration test showed that the high-temperature performance of the BFSMA-13 (defined as the SMA-13 containing BF) is better than that of the LFSMA-13 (defined as the SMA-13 containing LF) at different aging degrees. The high-temperature performance of BFSMA-13 increases with the increase of the aging degree, while the aging process decreases the high-temperature property of LFSMA-13. The results of the three-point bending test and semi-circular bending (SCB) proved that BFSMA-13 is more capable of deformation and less prone to cracking at low and medium temperatures. The results of the immersion Marshal test indicated that BF can better improve the strength and the water stability of the SMA-13 mixture than LF. The SEM images showed that basalt fibers form a solid three-dimensional network structure in the mixture which could contribute to the strengthening of the mixture. The results of infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) degrades during asphalt mixture aging, and that the chemical composition of asphalt changes more after aging in LFSMA-13 than in BFSMA-13. The conclusions of this study help toward further understanding of the performance changes of the SMA-13 mixture during its service life and to guide the selection of fiber additives for SMA-13 mixtures.
Verification of the EURO-CORDEX RCM Historical Run Results over the Pannonian Basin for the Summer Season
Authors: Lazić Irida , Tošić Milica , Djurdjević Vladimir
Published: June 2021

In previous projects that focused on dynamical downscaling over Europe, e.g., PRUDENCE and ENSEMBLES, many regional climate models (RCMs) tended to overestimate summer air temperature and underestimate precipitation in this season in Southern and Southeastern Europe, leading to the so-called summer drying problem. This bias pattern occurred not only in the RCM results but also in the global climate model (GCM) results, so knowledge of the model uncertainties and their cascade is crucial for understanding and interpreting future climate. Our intention with this study was to examine whether a warm-and-dry bias is also present in the state-of-the-art EURO-CORDEX multi-model ensemble results in the summer season over the Pannonian Basin. Verification of EURO-CORDEX RCMs was carried out by using the E-OBS gridded dataset of daily mean, minimum, and maximum near-surface air temperature and total precipitation amount with a horizontal resolution of 0.1 degrees (approximately 12 km × 12 km) over the 1971–2000 time period. The model skill for selected period was expressed in terms of four verification scores: bias, centered root mean square error (RMSE), spatial correlation coefficient, and standard deviation. The main findings led us to conclude that most of the RCMs that overestimate temperature also underestimate precipitation. For some models, the positive temperature and negative precipitation bias were more emphasized, which led us to conclude that the problem was still present in most of the analyzed simulations.
Heating and Cooling Degree-Days Climate Change Projections for Portugal
Authors: Andrade Cristina , Mourato Sandra , Ramos João
Published: June 2021

Climate change is expected to influence cooling and heating energy demand of residential buildings and affect overall thermal comfort. Towards this end, the heating (HDD) and cooling (CDD) degree-days along with HDD + CDD were computed from an ensemble of seven high-resolution bias-corrected simulations attained from EURO-CORDEX under two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). These three indicators were analyzed for 1971–2000 (from E-OBS) and 2011–2040, and 2041–2070, under both RCPs. Results predict a decrease in HDDs most significant under RCP8.5. Conversely, it is projected an increase of CDD values for both scenarios. The decrease in HDDs is projected to be higher than the increase in CDDs hinting to an increase in the energy demand to cool internal environments in Portugal. Statistically significant linear CDD trends were only found for 2041–2070 under RCP4.5. Towards 2070, higher(lower) CDD (HDD and HDD + CDD) anomaly amplitudes are depicted, mainly under RCP8.5. Within the five NUTS II regions projections revealed for 2041–2070 a decrease in heating requirements for Algarve and Lisbon Area higher in Faro, Lisboa and Setúbal whereas for North and Center regions results predicts an increase in cooling energy demand mainly in Bragança, Vila Real, Braga, Viana do Castelo, Porto and Guarda, higher under RCP8.5.
Structural Differences of the Semantic Network in Adolescents with Intellectual Disability
Authors: Nilsson Karin , Palmqvist Lisa , Ivarsson Magnus , Levén Anna , Danielsson Henrik , Annell Marie , Schöld Daniel , Socher Michaela
Published: June 2021

The semantic network structure is a core aspect of the mental lexicon and is, therefore, a key to understanding language development processes. This study investigated the structure of the semantic network of adolescents with intellectual disability (ID) and children with typical development (TD) using network analysis. The semantic networks of the participants (nID = 66; nTD = 49) were estimated from the semantic verbal fluency task with the pathfinder method. The groups were matched on the number of produced words. The average shortest path length (ASPL), the clustering coefficient (CC), and the network’s modularity (Q) of the two groups were compared. A significantly smaller ASPL and Q and a significantly higher CC were found for the adolescents with ID in comparison with the children with TD. Reasons for this might be differences in the language environment and differences in cognitive skills. The quality and quantity of the language input might differ for adolescents with ID due to differences in school curricula and because persons with ID tend to engage in different out-of-school activities compared to TD peers. Future studies should investigate the influence of different language environments on the language development of persons with ID.
Brain Damage and Repair: From Molecular Effects to Central Nervous System Disorders
Authors: Armant Olivier , Adam-Guillermin Christelle
Published: June 2021

Chronical exposures to biological, chemical and physical stressors can be particularly detrimental during the early phase of embryonic development, increasing the risk of brain dysfunctions after birth [...]
Epigenetic Modulation of TLR4 Expression by Sulforaphane Increases Anti-Inflammatory Capacity in Porcine Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells
Authors: Qu Xueqi , Neuhoff Christiane , Cinar Mehmet Ulas , Pröll Maren , Tholen Ernst , Tesfaye Dawit , Hölker Michael , Schellander Karl , Uddin Muhammad Jasim
Published: June 2021

Inflammation is regulated by epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation and histone acetylation. Sulforaphane (SFN), a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, is also a potent immunomodulatory agent, but its anti-inflammatory functions through epigenetic modifications remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the epigenetic effects of SFN in maintaining the immunomodulatory homeostasis of innate immunity during acute inflammation. For this purpose, SFN-induced epigenetic changes and expression levels of immune-related genes in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation of monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDCs) were analyzed. These results demonstrated that SFN inhibited HDAC activity and caused histone H3 and H4 acetylation. SFN treatment also induced DNA demethylation in the promoter region of the MHC-SLA1 gene, resulting in the upregulation of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), MHC-SLA1, and inflammatory cytokines’ expression at 6 h of LPS stimulation. Moreover, the protein levels of cytokines in the cell culture supernatants were significantly inhibited by SFN pre-treatment followed by LPS stimulation in a time-dependent manner, suggesting that inhibition of HDAC activity and DNA methylation by SFN may restrict the excessive inflammatory cytokine availability in the extracellular environment. We postulate that SFN may exert a protective and anti-inflammatory function by epigenetically influencing signaling pathways in experimental conditions employing porcine moDCs.
RT-QuIC Using C-Terminally Truncated α-Synuclein Forms Detects Differences in Seeding Propensity of Different Brain Regions from Synucleinopathies
Authors: Poggiolini Ilaria , Erskine Daniel , Vaikath Nishant N. , Ponraj Janarthanan , Mansour Said , Morris Christopher M. , El-Agnaf Omar M. A.
Published: June 2021

Aggregated α-synuclein (αSyn) protein is a core pathological feature of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Both PD and DLB demonstrate the presence of diverse intracellular α-synuclein (αSyn) species, including C-terminally truncated αSyn (C-αSyn), although it is unknown how C-αSyn species contribute to disease progression. Using recombinant C-αSyn and PD and DLB brain lysates as seeds in the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay, we explored how C-αSyn may be involved in disease stratification. Comparing the seeding activity of aqueous-soluble fractions to detergent-soluble fractions, and using αSyn 1-130 as substrate for the RT-QuIC assay, the temporal cortex seeds differentiated PD and DLB from healthy controls. In contrast to the temporal cortex, where PD and DLB could not be distinguished, αSyn 1-130 seeded by the detergent-soluble fractions from the PD frontal cortex demonstrated greater seeding efficiency compared to the DLB frontal cortex. Moreover, proteinase K-resistant (PKres) fragments from the RT-QuIC end products using C-αSyn 1-130 or C-αSyn 1-115 were more obvious in the frontal cortex compared to the temporal cortex. Morphological examinations of RT-QuIC end products showed differences in the size of the fibrils between C-αSyn 1-130 and C-αSyn 1-115, in agreement with the RT-QuIC results. These data show that C-αSyn species can distinguish PD from DLB and suggest diversity in αSyn species across these synucleinopathies, which could play a role in disease progression.
Improved Transfer-Learning-Based Facial Recognition Framework to Detect Autistic Children at an Early Stage
Authors: Akter Tania , Ali Mohammad Hanif , Khan Md. Imran , Satu Md. Shahriare , Uddin Md. Jamal , Alyami Salem A. , Ali Sarwar , Azad AKM , Moni Mohammad Ali
Published: June 2021

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neuro-developmental disorder that affects social skills, language, speech and communication. Early detection of ASD individuals, especially children, could help to devise and strategize right therapeutic plan at right time. Human faces encode important markers that can be used to identify ASD by analyzing facial features, eye contact, and so on. In this work, an improved transfer-learning-based autism face recognition framework is proposed to identify kids with ASD in the early stages more precisely. Therefore, we have collected face images of children with ASD from the Kaggle data repository, and various machine learning and deep learning classifiers and other transfer-learning-based pre-trained models were applied. We observed that our improved MobileNet-V1 model demonstrates the best accuracy of 90.67% and the lowest 9.33% value of both fall-out and miss rate compared to the other classifiers and pre-trained models. Furthermore, this classifier is used to identify different ASD groups investigating only autism image data using k-means clustering technique. Thus, the improved MobileNet-V1 model showed the highest accuracy (92.10%) for k = 2 autism sub-types. We hope this model will be useful for physicians to detect autistic children more explicitly at the early stage.
Downregulation of CD73/A2AR-Mediated Adenosine Signaling as a Potential Mechanism of Neuroprotective Effects of Theta-Burst Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Acute Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis
Authors: Dragić Milorad , Zeljković Milica , Stevanović Ivana , Adžić Marija , Stekić Andjela , Mihajlović Katarina , Grković Ivana , Ilić Nela , Ilić Tihomir V. , Nedeljković Nadežda , Ninković Milica
Published: June 2021

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease caused by autoimmune-mediated inflammation in the central nervous system. Purinergic signaling is critically involved in MS-associated neuroinflammation and its most widely applied animal model—experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). A promising but poorly understood approach in the treatment of MS is repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effect of continuous theta-burst stimulation (CTBS), applied over frontal cranial bone, on the adenosine-mediated signaling system in EAE, particularly on CD73/A2AR/A1R in the context of neuroinflammatory activation of glial cells. EAE was induced in two-month-old female DA rats and in the disease peak treated with CTBS protocol for ten consecutive days. Lumbosacral spinal cord was analyzed immunohistochemically for adenosine-mediated signaling components and pro- and anti-inflammatory factors. We found downregulated IL-1β and NF- κB-ir and upregulated IL-10 pointing towards a reduction in the neuroinflammatory process in EAE animals after CTBS treatment. Furthermore, CTBS attenuated EAE-induced glial eN/CD73 expression and activity, while inducing a shift in A2AR expression from glia to neurons, contrary to EAE, where tight coupling of eN/CD73 and A2AR on glial cells is observed. Finally, increased glial A1R expression following CTBS supports anti-inflammatory adenosine actions and potentially contributes to the overall neuroprotective effect observed in EAE animals after CTBS treatment.