bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Empire, Nation, Tribe: The Imagined Communities of The Te Kooti Trail in New Zealand, 1927
Authors: Cooper Annabel
Published: August 2020

Benedict Anderson's concept of ‘imagined community’ is crafted around the work of the newspaper and the novel as the critical media through which peoples came to imagine themselves as nations in a modernising world. In this article I extend this inquiry to silent cinema, and specifically Rudall Hayward's The Te Kooti Trail, a modern artefact of a late colonial setting: the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, in 1927. Hayward's nation-forming aim is explicit, but his apparent intentions and his community-centred practice of film-making created a film in which imperialist, nationalist and local concerns jostle for priority. This article first undertakes a textual analysis which investigates the discrepancy between an imperial, often paternalist narrative, and an aspirational, national ethos embodying kinship among different settler groups and Māori. Second, an archival and oral historical investigation into the production process reveals that the film's recreation of the past brought together iwi, or tribes, with diverse histories of negotiating with the new world of settler colonialism, and contrasting engagements with modernity. These histories can be read both on the screen, and in the brief censorship of the film before its release. The film provides a compelling case of diverse Māori engagement with nationhood-in-formation through the medium of film, both in the evidence of the text and in the circumstances of the film's production and release.
‘For I have fed on foreign bread’: Modernism, Colonial Education and Fijian Literature
Authors: Long Maebh , Hayward Matthew
Published: August 2020

This article examines the ways in which the Fijian authors Vanessa Griffen, Pio Manoa, and Subramani revised and reworked modernist texts in their construction of a local postcolonial literature. These writers were schooled in a colonial education system that was, by the 1950s and 60s, in ideological disarray, as the jingoistic, imperial texts of the English syllabus began to give way to the crisis and self-interrogation of literary modernism. The students who graduated from these classes went on to create a first wave of Fijian creative writing in English. As this article shows, Griffen, Manoa, and Subramani carried into their writing fragments and forms of the texts they had been required to learn by rote, and they refashioned these into new wholes. In their short stories and poems of the late 1960s and early 70s, these writers turned the literature of past imperial breakdown towards present and future needs, adapting fragmentary, perspectival and multivocal texts towards a postcolonial independence still riven by colonially introduced problems. Ultimately, we argue, the creation of this new literature denotes the failure of the education system to impress British superiority upon its colonial subjects, and the success of the subaltern in reclaiming the means of expression.
When Humour Has the Last Word: Freud and the Magnanimous, Playful, Not Cruel, Very Benign Superego
Authors: Rottenberg Elizabeth
Published: August 2020

This paper begins with a rather straightforward observation: Freud's last word on the theory of jokes and the comic is his 1927 essay on ‘Humour’. That is, when it comes to jokes and the comic, ‘humour’ has the last word, both textually and chronologically. What this also means, as this paper tries to show, is that the humour of last words is not far behind. Which is not to suggest that Freud's theory of humour is all fun and games. For, if there is one thing that Freud's examples of humour in both Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious and ‘Humour’ make clear, it is that humorous last words must be taken seriously if we are to understand how they comfort and protect the ego in the face of death.
Extravagance
Authors: Flesch William
Published: August 2020

Blanchot uses the word extravagance to mean the unworldliness of both love and literature—a wandering beyond the limits of the world. Extravagance is the standard English translation of Ludwig Binswanger's Verstiegenheit, which means a climbing to a perilous altitude from which one cannot rescue oneself. For Blanchot that peril is the space of literature and of love because it is an unteleological attentiveness to the other. This is not an attentiveness to meaning but to its fragility. Literature is the place of alterity and is most intense when it demands attention to that alterity rather than offering itself to interpretation. This is consistent with the costly signaling analyzed by evolutionary psychology.
Application of the Reed-Solomon Algorithm as a Remote Sensing Data Fusion Tool for Land Use Studies
Authors: Werner Piotr A.
Published: August 2020

The Reed-Solomon algorithm is well known in different fields of computer science. The novelty of this study lies in the different interpretation of the algorithm itself and its scope of application for remote sensing, especially at the preparatory stage, i.e., data fusion. A short review of the attempts to use different data fusion approaches in geospatial technologies explains the possible usage of the algorithm. The rationale behind its application for data fusion is to include all possible information from all acquired spectral bands, assuming that complete composite information in the form of one compound image will improve both the quality of visualization and some aspects of further quantitative and qualitative analyses. The concept arose from an empirical, heuristic combination of geographic information systems (GIS), map algebra, and two-dimensional cellular automata. The challenges are related to handling big quantitative data sets and the awareness that these numbers are in fact descriptors of a real-world multidimensional view. An empirical case study makes it easier to understand the operationalization of the Reed-Solomon algorithm for land use studies.
Numerical/Experimental Validation of Thin-Walled Composite Box Beam Optimal Design
Authors: Cestino Enrico , Frulla Giacomo , Piana Paolo , Duella Renzo
Published: August 2020

Thin-walled composite box beam structural configuration is representative of a specific high aspect ratio wing structure. The optimal design procedure and lay-up definition including appropriate coupling necessary for aerospace applications has been identified by means of “ad hoc” analytical formulation and by application of commercial code. The overall equivalent bending, torsional and coupled stiffness are derived and the accuracy of the simplified beam model is demonstrated by the application of Altair Optistruct. A simple case of a coupled cantilevered beam with load at one end is introduced to demonstrate that stiffness and torsion angle distribution does not always correspond to the trends that one would intuitively expect. The maximum of torsional stiffness is not obtained with fibers arranged at 45° and, at the maximum torsional stiffness, there is no minimum rotation angle. This observation becomes essential in any design process of composite structures where the constraints impose structural couplings. Furthermore, the presented theory is also extended to cases in which it is necessary to include composite/stiffened hybrid configurations. Good agreement has been found between the theoretical simplified beam model and numerical analysis. Finally, the selected composite configuration was compared to an experimental test case. The numerical and experimental validation is presented and discussed. A good correlation was found confirming the validity of the overall optimization for the optimal lay-up selection and structural configuration.
Linking Sap Flow and Trunk Diameter Measurements to Assess Water Dynamics of Touriga-Nacional Grapevines Trained in Cordon and Guyot Systems
Authors: Malheiro Aureliano C. , Pires Mafalda , Conceição Nuno , Claro Ana M. , Dinis Lia-Tânia , Moutinho-Pereira José
Published: August 2020

The present research aimed to evaluate the water dynamics of grapevines trained in Cordon and Guyot systems by coupling sap flow and trunk diameter measurements under Mediterranean climate conditions. The study was conducted in a vineyard with Touriga-Nacional located at the Douro Valley, Portugal, during 2017. The results showed daily trunk diameter fluctuations (TDFs), with the contraction, recovery and increment phases and higher sap flow (SF) rates at earlier stages. Under harsh pedoclimatic conditions, SF was reduced and TDF flattened. Rehydration and stomatal mechanisms were mostly associated with these responses. Guyot vines showed higher changes in TDF for the same SF values, whereas the TDFs of Cordon vines remained practically unchanged over maturation. Guyot vines generally showed increased values of cumulative increment and maximum daily trunk shrinkage. Although Guyot vines had a similar leaf area index (LAI), they showed higher SF/LAI ratios than Cordon vines. These results highlight the effect of the shorter length of the hydraulic pathways of the Guyot training system, in contrast to the higher trunk and the permanent horizontal branch (cordon) of the Cordon training system, indicating good adaptation to local pedoclimatic conditions. The study pointed to the complementary use of both techniques in the evaluation of grapevine water dynamics.
Crop Growth Stage GPP-Driven Spectral Model for Evaluation of Cultivated Land Quality Using GA-BPNN
Authors: Zhu Mingbang , Liu Shanshan , Xia Ziqing , Wang Guangxing , Hu Yueming , Liu Zhenhua
Published: August 2020

Rapid and accurate evaluation of cultivated land quality (CLQ) using remotely sensed images plays an important role for national food security and social stability. Current approaches for evaluating CLQ do not consider spectral response relationships between CLQ and spectral indicators based on crop growth stages. This study aimed to propose an accurate spectral model to evaluate CLQ based on late rice phenology. In order to increase the accuracy of evaluation, the Empirical Bayes Kriging (EBK) interpolation was first performed to scale down gross primary production (GPP) products from a 500 m spatial resolution to 30 m. As an indicator, the ability of MODIS-GPPs from critical growth stages (tillering, jointing, heading, and maturity stages) was then investigated by combining Pearson correlation analysis and variance inflation factor (VIF) to select the phases of CLQ evaluation. Finally, a linear Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR) and two nonlinear models, including Support Vector Regression (SVR) and Genetic Algorithm-Based Back Propagation Neural Network (GA-BPNN), were driven to develop an accurate spectral model of evaluating CLQ based on MODIS-GPPs. The models were tested and compared in the Conghua and Zengcheng districts of Guangzhou City, Guangdong, China. The results showed that based on field measured GPP data, the validation accuracy of 30 m spatial resolution MODIS GPP products with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 7.43 and normalized RMSE (NRMSE) of 1.59% was higher than that of the 500 m MODIS GPP products, indicating that the downscaled 30 m MODIS GPP products by EBK were more appropriate than the 500 m products. Compared with PLSR (R2 = 0.38 and RMSE = 87.97) and SVR (R2 = 0.64 and RMSE = 64.38), the GA-BPNN model (R2 = 0.69 and RMSE = 60.12) was more accurate to evaluate CLQ, implying a non-linear relationship of CLQ with the GPP spectral indicator. This is the first study to improve the accuracy of estimating CLQ using the rice growth stage GPP-driven spectral model by GA-BPNN and can thus advance the literature in this field.
Change in the Length of the Vegetation Period of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), White Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) and Carrot (Daucus carota L.) Due to Climate Change in Slovakia
Authors: Čimo Ján , Aydın Elena , Šinka Karol , Tárník Andrej , Kišš Vladimír , Halaj Peter , Toková Lucia , Kotuš Tatijana
Published: August 2020

Climate change is affecting all sectors of human activities worldwide, including crop production. The aim of the paper was to evaluate the average daily air temperatures measured at one hundred meteorological stations across Slovakia in 1961–2010 and calculate the maximum length of the vegetation period for Solanum lycopersicum L., Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata and Daucus carota L. Future trends predictions of the temporal and spatial development across the duration of the vegetation period in Slovakia were elaborated for decades 2011–2020, 2041–2050, 2071–2080 and 2091–2100. Our results show that there was an earlier start to the vegetation period in spring and a later termination in autumn for past 30 years. There is a predicted trend of prolongation of the maximum duration of the vegetation period up to 20 days (Solanum lycopersicum L., Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) and 15 days (Daucus carota L.) in comparison with the refence decade 2001–2010. The maximum vegetation period duration will extend from the south of Slovakia towards the north of the country. The predicted potential increase in crop vegetation periods will be limited by other constraints such as the availability of arable land and soil water availability.
Dynamic Changes of Fruit Shape Traits and Its Correlation to the Morphology of Other Organs in Cucumber
Authors: Cui Mingming , Yang Yue , Cheng Zhihui , Meng Huanwen
Published: August 2020

Fruit shape and size are important assessment parameters to evaluate and classify accessions in cucumber breeding. Clarifying the relations of the shape and size of commodity fruits or mature fruits to that of other organs, like seed, leaf, flower and so on, is significant for multitype breeding of cucumber fruit. It can help breeders to predict the shape and size of a cucumber fruit in the early selection and shorten the breeding cycle. In this study, the dynamic morphological observation of fruit length (FL), fruit diameter (FD) and the fruit shape index (FSI) of developing cucumber fruits in different types and the correlation of fruit shape indexes between fruit and other organs were investigated. The results showed that 28 cucumber accessions with different shape and size were classified into four types, namely long fruits, medium long fruits, medium fruits and short fruits. The comparative analysis of FL and FD among different types and different development stages of cucumber fruits showed that the development of FL and FD were both consistent with the model “S” curve, slow–fast–slow, and there existed strong positive correlation between their growth. During fruit development, the shape index was highly positively correlated among ovary, commodity fruit and mature fruit. Besides, both the length and width of cotyledon, true leaf and female flower petal were positively correlated to the FL of commodity fruit. The length and width of seed, length of ovary carpopodium and pedicel length were also positively correlated to the FD of commodity fruit. For seed, cotyledon and true leaf, no correlation was found between their shape index and their FSI.
Evapotranspiration and Precipitation over Pasture and Soybean Areas in the Xingu River Basin, an Expanding Amazonian Agricultural Frontier
Authors: de Oliveira Gabriel , Chen Jing M. , Mataveli Guilherme A. V. , Chaves Michel E. D. , Rao Jing , Sternberg Marcelo , dos Santos Thiago V. , dos Santos Carlos A. C.
Published: August 2020

The conversion from primary forest to agriculture drives widespread changes that have the potential to modify the hydroclimatology of the Xingu River Basin. Moreover, climate impacts over eastern Amazonia have been strongly related to pasture and soybean expansion. This study carries out a remote-sensing, spatial-temporal approach to analyze inter- and intra-annual patterns in evapotranspiration (ET) and precipitation (PPT) over pasture and soybean areas in the Xingu River Basin during a 13-year period. We used ET estimates from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and PPT estimates from the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) satellite. Our results showed that the annual average ET in the pasture was ~20% lower than the annual average in soybean areas. We show that PPT is notably higher in the northern part of the Xingu River Basin than the drier southern part. ET, on the other hand, appears to be strongly linked to land-use and land-cover (LULC) patterns in the Xingu River Basin. Lower annual ET averages occur in southern areas where dominant LULC is savanna, pasture, and soybean, while more intense ET is observed over primary forests (northern portion of the basin). The primary finding of our study is related to the fact that the seasonality patterns of ET can be strongly linked to LULC in the Xingu River Basin. Further studies should focus on the relationship between ET, gross primary productivity, and water-use efficiency in order to better understand the coupling between water and carbon cycling over this expanding Amazonian agricultural frontier.
Specific Adsorption of Heavy Metals in Soils: Individual and Competitive Experiments
Authors: Campillo-Cora Claudia , Conde-Cid Manuel , Arias-Estévez Manuel , Fernández-Calviño David , Alonso-Vega Flora
Published: August 2020

The partitioning between the soil solid phase and the soil solution determines the mobility of pollutants like heavy metals. If nonspecific sorption takes place, the reactions are easily reversible and heavy metals are released to soil solution increasing the probability of leaching through soil profile. Mobility and leaching are also favoured if other metals are in the system and competition for specific adsorption sites takes place. In this study, desorption equilibrium experiments were conducted after adsorption ones. The specific adsorption was evaluated through the amounts of the still adsorbed Cu, Pb, Cr, Ni and Zn after desorption experiments in ten different soils. In addition, competition adsorption and desorption binary experiments were conducted for evaluating the metal competition in three of the soils. Pb and Cu are the metals adsorbed and retained in higher amounts in all the studied soils. In slightly neutral soils, Cr is retained in lesser amounts while in acidic soils Zn is the metal less retained. Results showed that despite the high and variable amounts of organic matter in the soils, soil pH is the most important variable in neutral soils. In acidic soils, soil properties different than pH play important roles and specific sorption of Pb is related to the cationic exchange capacity of the soils while that of Zn to the clay content. Instead, the release of Cu during desorption experiments is probably due to the more soluble organic fraction of the soils. The individual retention of Cu, Zn, Ni and Pb is higher than when they are in competition, except if Cr is present. In this case, the amount of those four metals and that of Cr increased. Therefore, the presence of Cr together with cationic heavy metals favoured the adsorption of those metals in multi-metal polluted areas. Specific adsorption is also important during competition as soil affinities increase during competition experiments.
Sensitivity Assessment of Varieties, Effectiveness of Weed Control by Selected Herbicides, and Infection of the Fusarium in Maize (Zea mays L.) Cultivation
Authors: Jagła Małgorzata , Sobiech Łukasz , Szulc Piotr , Nowosad Kamila , Bocianowski Jan , Grzanka Monika
Published: August 2020

The amount of maize yield depends on many factors. Among them, plant health plays a significant role. Herbicide selectivity (of mesotrione, 2,4-D, and bromoxynil) for different maize varieties was assessed in greenhouse experiments. The effectiveness of herbicides (MCPA, 2,4-D + dicamba) and spraying mixture of the herbicide MCPA with mepiquat chloride was tested on Chenopodium album L. and self-seeding winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). The genetic distance between selected maize varieties and species composition of pathogens of the genus Fusarium isolated from the seeds of the discussed crop were examined. Research results indicated that individual herbicides differed in the selectivity in relation to maize, which depended on the crop variety. The selected herbicides showed high efficacy against the plants used in the experiment. The addition of mepiquat chloride to the composition of the spraying liquid did not affect the level of weed control. No relationship was found between the genetic distance of maize varieties and their sensitivity to selected herbicides. The presence of Fusarium subglutinans, Fusarium proliferatum, and Fusarium verticillioides was found in the samples of maize varieties.
Soil Amendment with Biosolids and Inorganic Fertilizers: Effects on Biochemical Properties and Oxidative Stress in Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)
Authors: de la Portilla Nadia , Vaca Rocio , Mora-Herrera Martha E. , Salinas Liliana , del Aguila Pedro , Yañez-Ocampo Gustavo , Lugo Jorge
Published: August 2020

We investigated changes in biochemical activity of a soil cultivated with Ocimum basilicum L. plants and in the oxidative stress of plants caused by the addition of biosolids and inorganic fertilizer. A greenhouse experiment was set up; it consisted of pots containing basil plants to which different treatments with biosolids and fertilizers were added. After 10 and 210 days of the incorporation of the treatments, both the biochemical properties and oxidative stress of the plants were evaluated. Mineralization of nitrogen (N) and respiratory activity increased with a higher dose of biosolid after 10 days of application. After 210 days, there were no changes in the mineralization of N and respiratory activity, catalase showed an increase, while microbial biomass carbon decreased. In relation to the oxidative stress, there was a decrease in the anthocyanin antioxidant capacity, and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), total flavonoids, and phenolic compounds were observed in soils treated with biosolids. The results indicated that the biochemical properties of the soil were favored in the presence of biosolids because they increased, especially after 10 days of application. The antioxidant capacity decreased in the presence of biosolids, which suggests that the amendment does not affect such capacity, and therefore oxidative stress could be reduced.
The Submergence of the Graft Union Causes the Death of Grafted Mango Trees (Mangifera indica L.) under Flooding
Authors: Saeki Akira , Iwasaki Naoto
Published: August 2020

The risk of flooding has increased as a result of climate change inspired by global warming. In this study, the difference in tolerance to flooding between grafted trees and seedlings was investigated in mango trees (Mangifera indica L.). Two levels of flooding treatment were established, in addition to a non-treated control. One was “30-flood,” in which trees were submerged up to 30 cm from the soil surface, and another was “10-flood,” in which trees were submerged up to 10 cm from the soil surface. Grafted trees treated with the 30-flood were submerged up to 5 cm above the graft union. Only the grafted trees in the 30-flood treatment began to decrease Fv/Fm and the root sugar content during treatment, then died after the completion of treatment. In grafted trees and seedlings alike, both flooding treatments also reduced root vigor, as determined by triphenyl tetrazolium chloride reduction tests and root starch content. However, root vigor and root starch content in grafted trees treated with the 10-flood as well as seedlings treated with both 10- and 30-flood recovered within two months after the completion of treatment, so that no significant differences were detected between the control. These results suggest that the submergence of the graft union into water causes the decline in photosynthesis of the scion first and the death of the grafted trees as a result.
Evaluation of In-Season Management Zones from High-Resolution Soil and Plant Sensors
Authors: Corti Martina , Marino Gallina Pietro , Cavalli Daniele , Ortuani Bianca , Cabassi Giovanni , Cola Gabriele , Vigoni Antonio , Degano Luigi , Bregaglio Simone
Published: August 2020

The adoption of precision agriculture has the potential to increase the environmental sustainability of cropping systems as well as farmers’ income. Farmers in transition to precision agriculture need low-input and effective protocols to delineate homogenous management zones to optimize their actions without past knowledge e.g., yield maps. Different approaches have been developed so far, based on the analysis of the within-field variability in crop and soil properties, but procedures were rarely suited for operational conditions. We identified here a low-inputs protocol to map management zones from soil electrical conductivity and/or crop vegetation indices, using a winter wheat field in northern Italy as a pilot case. The reliability of the alternative data sources was evaluated at three crop development stages using a yield map as reference. Red-edge and NIR (NDRE) bands were the most reliable data sources for management zones identification, with 62%, 68%, and 74% of correct classifications at early tillering, stem elongation, and late booting, respectively. Our work identifies a minimum dataset for accurate management zones’ definition and highlights that in-season monitoring based on the red-edge band was able to reliably identify management zones already at early tillering, despite minor differences in crop growth.
Acceleration of Flower Bud Differentiation of Runner Plants in “Maehyang” Strawberries Using Nutrient Solution Resupply during the Nursery Period
Authors: Hwang Hee Sung , Jeong Hyeon Woo , Lee Hye Ri , Jo Hyeon Gyu , Kim Hyeon Min , Hwang Seung Jae
Published: August 2020

The forced cultivation of strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) requires fast flower bud differentiation. Using temporary nutrient-withholding periods is a common management practice for inducing flower bud differentiation at strawberry nurseries in the Republic of Korea. After the temporary nutrient-withholding period, nutrient solution resupply can advance both flower bud growth and fruit yield. This study aims to determine the optimal nutrient solution resupply period with anatomical analysis in order to find a method for fast flower bud differentiation in the early harvest period. Here, the runner plants were divided into 5 groups, each receiving a treatment period of watering (W) and nutrient solution (N) (W40 + N0 (control), W30 + N10, W20 + N20, W10 + N30, and W0 + N40; each number represents the days of the treatment period). The nutrient solution treatments were supplied using a strawberry nutrient solution developed by Gyeongsangnam-do Agricultural Research and Extension. Rapid flower bud differentiation was found for W20 + N20 via anatomical analysis. When the temporary nutrient-withholding period was decreased, the T-N (total nitrogen), P, K, and S concentrations showed a tendency to increase. The C/N ratio showed a tendency to decrease when the nutrient solution resupply period was increased. The W20 + N20 group showed faster flower bud development than the other groups at 10 days before transplanting and on the day of transplanting (2.2 and 5.5), 6 days in a primary cluster budding ratio, and 16 days in flowering plants. No differences in fruit characteristics were observed for the different treatments. In conclusion, the W20 + N20 treatment, which maintains fast flowering, seems to be appropriate for nutrient solution resupply treatment for “Maehyang” strawberries during the nursery period.
Analysis of Genetic Factors Defining Head Blight Resistance in an Old Hungarian Wheat Variety-Based Mapping Population
Authors: Varga-László Emese , Puskás Katalin , Varga Balázs , Farkas Zsuzsanna , Veisz Ottó , Vida Gyula
Published: August 2020

One of the most important limiting factors of high-quality wheat production is Fusarium head blight infection. The various Fusarium species not only may cause severe yield loss but—due to toxin production—the grains also might become unsuitable for animal and human nutrition. In the present research, our aim was to examine the Fusarium resistance of a special mapping population (’BKT9086-95/Mv Magvas’) and identify the genetic factors and chromosome regions determining the tolerance to Fusarium culmorum and Fusarium graminearum. The connection between the genetic background and the Fusarium head blight sensitivity was confirmed by the analysis of variance in the case of three markers, among which the co-dominant pattern of the gtac2 and gtac3 amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers might indicate a marker development possibility. Consistently expressed quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were identified on the chromosomes 2A, 2B, 2D, 5A, and 7A. Loci linked to resistance were identified on 11 chromosomes. During the investigation of phenological and morphological traits (heading date, plant height, ear compactness) influencing the head blight resistance and the location of the resistance QTLs, the total overlap was found in the case of the region identified on chromosome 2D and partial overlap on chromosomes 2A and 2B. Whereas 5A may be a rare allelic variant of a novel QTL.
Spectrum and Antibiotic Resistance of Uropathogens in Romanian Females
Authors: Petca Răzvan-Cosmin , Mareș Cristian , Petca Aida , Negoiță Silvius , Popescu Răzvan-Ionuț , Boț Mihaela , Barabás Enikő , Chibelean Călin Bogdan
Published: August 2020

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women represent a common bacteriological finding, with negligible recent and consistent research on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the female population. We designed a retrospective study to observe the incidence of frequent uropathogens and their resistance rates to common antibiotics. We elaborated multicenter research in three different teaching hospitals in Romania, analyzing 13,081 urine samples, of which 1588 met the criteria of inclusion. Escherichia coli (58.37%) was the most frequent Gram-negative uropathogen, presenting high resistance rates to levofloxacin (R = 29.66%), amoxicillin–clavulanic ac. (R = 14.13%), and ceftazidime (R = 6.68%). We found good sensitivity to imipenem and meropenem (both 98.16%), amikacin (S = 96.0%), and fosfomycin (S = 90.39%). The second most prevalent uropathogen was Klebsiella (16.93%), with the highest resistance quota to amoxicillin–clavulanic ac. (R = 28.62%), levofloxacin and nitrofurantoin (both R = 15.61%), and ceftazidime (R = 15.24%), and good sensitivity to imipenem (S = 93.93%), meropenem (S = 91.91%), and amikacin (S = 88.47%). Enterococcus (13.35%) was the most encountered Gram-positive pathogen. It proved the highest resistance to levofloxacin (R = 32.07%), penicillin (R = 32.07%), and ampicillin (R = 14.62%) and good sensitivity to vancomycin (S = 91.98%), fosfomycin (S = 94.4%), and nitrofurantoin (S = 89.15%). Considering the lack of recent and consistent data on this topic, we find our survey a valuable starting research study in this area with high significance for an accurate clinical approach.
Contact Effect of a Methylobacterium sp. Extract on Biofilm of a Mycobacterium chimaera Strain Isolated from a 3T Heater-Cooler System
Authors: Pradal Inés , Esteban Jaime , Mediero Arancha , García-Coca Marta , Aguilera-Correa John Jairo
Published: August 2020

Mycobacterium chimaera is an opportunistic slowly growing non-tuberculous mycobacteriumof increasing importance due to the outbreak of cases associated with contaminated 3T heater-cooler device (HCD) extracorporeal membrane oxygenator (ECMO). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of pre-treating a surface with a Methylobacterium sp. CECT 7180 extract to inhibit the M. chimaera ECMO biofilm as well as of the treatment after different dehydration times. Surface adherence, biofilm formation and treatment effect were evaluated by estimating colony-forming units (CFU) per square centimeter and characterizing the amount of covered surface area, thickness, cell viability, and presence of intrinsic autofluorescence at different times using confocal laser scanning microscopy and image analysis. We found that exposing a surface to the Methylobacterium sp. CECT 7180 extract inhibited M. chimaera ECMO biofilm development. This effect could be result of the effect of Methylobacterium proteins, such as DNaK, trigger factor, and xanthine oxidase. In conclusion, exposing a surface to the Methylobacteriumsp. extract inhibits M. chimaera ECMO biofilm development. Furthermore, this extract could be used as a pre-treatment prior to disinfection protocols for equipment contaminated with mycobacteria after dehydration for at least 96 h.
Antioxidant Enzymes Haplotypes and Polymorphisms Associated with Obesity in Mexican Children
Authors: Costa-Urrutia Paula , Flores-Buendía Aline Mariana , Ascencio-Montiel Iván , Solares-Tlapechco Jacqueline , Medina-Campos Omar Noel , Pedraza-Chaverri José , Granados Julio , Jiménez-Osorio Angélica Saraí , Rodríguez-Arellano Martha Eunice
Published: August 2020

Obesity is a major health problem worldwide and constitutes a sanitary emergency in Mexico, especially childhood obesity. Several studies have proved the relationship between obesity and oxidative stress and the influence of genetic predisposition. This work was aimed to analyze the association of antioxidant enzyme polymorphisms with overweight and obesity in Mexican children and adolescents. A case-control study was performed in 585 children and adolescents aged 3 to 17 years, using two criteria to classify obesity: body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BFP). Anthropometric and biochemical measurements were carried out, and malondialdehyde serum levels were determined. Genotyping was done with the Axiom Genome-Wide LAT microarray, including 68 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and paraoxonase (PON) families. We found six haplotypes associated with obesity—two of them (one in GPX3 and the other in GPX5 and GPX6) in a protective direction when obesity was classified by BMI. The other four haplotypes were associated with obesity when classification was based on BFP—one of them in GPX3 in a protective direction and the others in PON genes conferring obesity risk. In addition, two SNPs, GPX3 rs922429 and GPX4 rs2074451 showed protection against obesity classified by BFP. This study showed genetic susceptibility to oxidative stress in relation to obesity in Mexican children and opens up the possibility that some genetic loci related to obesity are not identified when weight classification is based on BMI.
Protective Effects of Glucose-Related Protein 78 and 94 on Cisplatin-Mediated Ototoxicity
Authors: Yi Junyeong , Kim Tae Su , Pak Jhang Ho , Chung Jong Woo
Published: August 2020

Cisplatin is a widely used chemotherapeutic drug for treating various solid tumors. Ototoxicity is a major dose-limiting side effect of cisplatin, which causes progressive and irreversible sensorineural hearing loss. Here, we examined the protective effects of glucose-related protein (GRP) 78 and 94, also identified as endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperone proteins, on cisplatin-induced ototoxicity. Treating murine auditory cells (HEI-OC1) with 25 μM cisplatin for 24 h increased cell death resulting from excessive intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and caspase-involved apoptotic signaling pathway activation with subsequent DNA fragmentation. GRP78 and GRP94 expression was increased in cells treated with 3 nM thapsigargin or 0.1 μg/mL tunicamycin for 24 h, referred to as mild ER stress condition. This condition, prior to cisplatin exposure, attenuated cisplatin-induced ototoxicity. The involvement of GRP78 and GRP94 induction was demonstrated by the knockdown of GRP78 or GRP94 expression using small interfering RNAs, which abolished the protective effect of mild ER stress condition on cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity. These results indicated that GRP78 and GRP94 induction plays a protective role in remediating cisplatin-ototoxicity.
Phenolic Composition and Skin-related Properties of the Aerial Parts Extract of Different Hemerocallis Cultivars
Authors: Szewczyk Katarzyna , Miazga-Karska Małgorzata , Pietrzak Wioleta , Komsta Łukasz , Krzemińska Barbara , Grzywa-Celińska Anna
Published: August 2020

Hemerocallis plants are important vegetables with nutritional and health value, especially in eastern Asia, where they have been used as medicines to cure disease such as depression and inflammation for thousands of years. The present study concerns the determination of flavonoids and phenolic acids, as well as antioxidant, anti-collagenase, anti-elastase, anti-tyrosinase and antimicrobial properties of taxa cultivated in Poland. For chemical composition estimation, LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis and spectrophotometric assays were performed. The results show the presence of sixteen compounds in all analyzed species. Among the investigated cultivars, it was found that H. “Chicago Apache” and H. fulva var. kwanso have the highest total phenolic acid and flavonoid content. The most abundant compounds in all analyzed extracts were chlorogenic acid (209.8 to 1010.0 µg/g of DE) and quercetin-3-O-rutinoside (114.7 to 1049.7 µg/g of DE). The studied extracts exhibited moderate to high skin-related activities. These properties were correlated with a high concentration of polyphenols. The present study demonstrated that Hemerocallis cultivars contain significant amounts of phenolic compounds with good skin-related activities and could be interesting as novel sources of bioactive agents for the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries.
Effects of Hydroxytyrosol against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells: A Natural Therapeutic Tool for Bovine Mastitis
Authors: Fusco Roberta , Cordaro Marika , Siracusa Rosalba , Peritore Alessio Filippo , D’Amico Ramona , Licata Patrizia , Crupi Rosalia , Gugliandolo Enrico
Published: August 2020

Background: Bovine mastitis is a growing health problem, affecting both welfare of dairy cattle and milk production. It often leads to chronic infections, disturbing the quality of milk and resulting in cow death. Thus, it has a great economic impact for breeders. Methods: In this study, we evaluated the protective effect of hydroxytyrosol—a natural molecule which is the major constituent of many phyto-complexes—in an in vitro model of mastitis induced by LPS (1μg/mL). Results: Our results showed that hydroxytyrosol (10 and 25 μM) was able to prevent the oxidative stress induced by LPS (intracellular ROS, GSH and NOX-1) and the consequently inflammatory response (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6). The protective effect of hydroxytyrosol is also related to the enhancement of endogenous antioxidant systems (Nrf2, HO-1, NQO-1 and Txnrd1). Moreover, hydroxytyrosol showed an important protective effect on cell functionality (α-casein S1, α-casein S2 and β-casein). Conclusions: Taken together, our results showed a significant protective effect of hydroxytyrosol on oxidative stress and inflammatory response in MAC-T cells. Thus, we indicated a possible important therapeutic role for hydroxytyrosol in the prevention or management of bovine mastitis.
Methanol Extract of Usnea barbata Induces Cell Killing, Apoptosis, and DNA Damage against Oral Cancer Cells through Oxidative Stress
Authors: Tang Jen-Yang , Wu Kuang-Han , Wang Yen-Yun , Farooqi Ammad Ahmad , Huang Hurng-Wern , Yuan Shyng-Shiou F. , Jian Ru-In , Tsao Li-Yi , Chen Po-An , Chang Fang-Rong , Cheng Yuan-Bin , Hu Hao-Chun , Chang Hsueh-Wei
Published: August 2020

Some lichens provide the resources of common traditional medicines and show anticancer effects. However, the anticancer effect of Usnproliea barbata (U. barbata) is rarely investigated, especially for oral cancer cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the cell killing function of methanol extracts of U. barbata (MEUB) against oral cancer cells. MEUB shows preferential killing against a number of oral cancer cell lines (Ca9-22, OECM-1, CAL 27, HSC3, and SCC9) but rarely affects normal oral cell lines (HGF-1). Ca9-22 and OECM-1 cells display the highest sensitivity to MEUB and were chosen for concentration effect and time course experiments to address its cytotoxic mechanisms. MEUB induces apoptosis of oral cancer cells in terms of the findings from flow cytometric assays and Western blotting, such as subG1 accumulation, annexin V detection, and pancaspase activation as well as poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage. MEUB induces oxidative stress and DNA damage of oral cancer cells following flow cytometric assays, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS)/mitochondrial superoxide (MitoSOX) production, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) depletion as well as overexpression of γH2AX and 8-oxo-2′deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG). All MEUB-induced changes in oral cancer cells were triggered by oxidative stress which was validated by pretreatment with antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC). In conclusion, MEUB causes preferential killing of oral cancer cells and is associated with oxidative stress, apoptosis, and DNA damage.
Assessment of Static Positioning Accuracy Using Low-Cost Smartphone GPS Devices for Geodetic Survey Points’ Determination and Monitoring
Authors: Uradziński Marcin , Bakuła Mieczysław
Published: August 2020

Recent developments enable to access raw Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurements of mobile phones. Initially, researchers using signals gathered by mobile phones for high accuracy surveying were not successful in ambiguity fixing. Nowadays, GNSS chips, which are built in the latest smartphones, deliver code and primarily carrier phase observations available for detailed analysis in post-processing applications. Therefore, we decided to check the performance of carrier phase ambiguity fixing and positioning accuracy results of the latest Huawei P30 pro smartphone equipped with a dual-frequency GNSS receiver. We collected 3 h of raw static data in separate sessions at a known point location. For two sessions, the mobile phone was mounted vertically and for the third one—horizontally. At the same time, a high-class geodetic receiver was used for L1 and L5 signal comparison purposes. The carrier phase measurements were processed using commercial post-processing software with reference to the closest base station observations located 4 km away. Additionally, 1 h sessions were divided into 10, 15, 20 and 30 min separate sub-sessions to check the accuracy of the surveying results in fast static mode. According to the post-processing results, we were able to fix all L1 ambiguities based on Global Positioning System (GPS)-only satellite constellation. In comparison to the fixed reference point position, all three 1 h static session results were at centimeters level of accuracy (1–4 cm). For fast static surveying mode, the best results were obtained for 20 and 30 min sessions, where average accuracy was also at centimeters level.
Introduction of Open-Source Engineering Tools for the Structural Modeling of a Multilayer Mountaineering Ski under Operation
Authors: Fraccaroli Lorenzo , Concli Franco
Published: August 2020

Winter sports have significantly developed in the last century. Among others, skiing is a winter-sport branch in which the equipment makes the difference in the performances. While in the beginning of the last century skis were simply made of wood, nowadays the increasing demand of performances and weight reduction has promoted the adoption of composite materials. However, no significant progress has been made in the engineering approach to design such equipment which are very often still designed on the basis of several physical prototypes and trials. This is particularly true in the niche sector of ski mountaineering, where the production batches are significantly smaller with respect to those of alpine skis and at the same time the weight reduction plays a determinant role. In this context, finite elements analysis (FEA) could represent an important tool to shorten the development times and costs leading to a more effective design process. The aim of this research is the development of an accurate virtual model of an existing mountaineering ski, capable of reproducing the behavior of the real component under operation. A preliminary characterization of all the materials used for the different layers of the ski was performed via tensile tests on flat dog-bone-shaped samples in combination with digital image correlation (DIC) techniques. Samples were laser cut from sheets. The tensile tests were performed in the two principal directions for each material. In combination with DIC, these tests allowed us to estimate the four in-plane (XY) elastic properties, namely, the two elastic modules, the shear module, and the Poisson ratio (Ex, Ey, Gxy, νxy). The DIC acquisitions were elaborated with the free software GOM-Correlate. The digital model of the ski was created and simulated in an open-source environment: Code_Aster/Salome-Meca. The reason for using an open-source software is the possibility to parallelize the calculation without restrictions due to licenses and to customize the code according to the specific problem of interest. These aspects underline the potential of open-source software to improve the design process. The results of the simulations were compared with the response of the real ski in a three-point bending and a torsion-bending tests. Differences of 2.5–10% with respect to the real ski were observed for the different modeling techniques. Moreover, the validated virtual model of the ski was used to study the behavior of the ski when interacting with the snow for different roll angles and loads.
Oral Microbiome in Four Female Centenarians
Authors: Nomura Yoshiaki , Kakuta Erika , Okada Ayako , Otsuka Ryoko , Shimada Mieko , Tomizawa Yasuko , Taguchi Chieko , Arikawa Kazumune , Daikoku Hideki , Sato Tamotsu , Hanada Nobuhiro
Published: August 2020

The oral microbiome of healthy older adults has valuable information about a healthy microbiome. In this study, we collected and analyzed the oral microbiome of denture plaque and tongue coating samples from four female centenarians. After DNA extraction and purification, pyrosequencing of the V3–V4 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA was carried out. The bacterial taxonomy for each lead was assigned based on a search of the EzBioCloud 16S database. We obtained a total of 199,723 valid, quality-controlled reads for denture plaque and 210,750 reads for tongue coating. The reads were assigned 407 operational taxonomic units with a 97% identity cutoff. Twenty-nine species were detected in both denture plaque and tongue coatings from all subjects. Firmicutes was the most abundant phylum; the Streptococcus salivarius group was the most abundant species in both the denture plaque and tongue coatings; and the Fusobacterium nucleatum group was detected in all subjects. In the bacterial profile, species formed clusters composed of bacteria with a wide range of prevalence and abundance, not dependent on phyla; each cluster may have specific species that could be candidates for a core microbiome. Firmicutes and Veillonella were abundant phyla on both plaque and tongue coatings of centenarians.
Semi-Active Magnetorheological Damper Device for Chatter Mitigation during Milling of Thin-Floor Components
Authors: Puma-Araujo Santiago Daniel , Olvera-Trejo Daniel , Martínez-Romero Oscar , Urbikain Gorka , Elías-Zúñiga Alex , López de Lacalle Luis Norberto
Published: August 2020

The productivity during the machining of thin-floor components is limited due to unstable vibrations, which lead to poor surface quality and part rejection at the last stage of the manufacturing process. In this article, a semi-active magnetorheological damper device is designed in order to suppress chatter conditions during the milling operations of thin-floor components. To validate the performance of the magnetorheological (MR) damper device, a 1 degree of freedom experimental setup was designed to mimic the machining of thin-floor components and then, the stability boundaries were computed using the Enhance Multistage Homotopy Perturbation Method (EMHPM) together with a novel cutting force model in which the bull-nose end mill is discretized in disks. It was found that the predicted EMHPM stability lobes of the cantilever beam closely follow experimental data. The end of the paper shows that the usage of the MR damper device modifies the stability boundaries with a productivity increase by a factor of at least 3.