bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Odor Characterization of White Wines Produced from Indigenous Greek Grape Varieties Using the Frequency of Attribute Citation Method with Trained Assessors
Authors: Nanou Evangelia , Mavridou Emorfili , Milienos Fotios S. , Papadopoulos Georgios , Tempère Sophie , Kotseridis Yorgos
Published: October 2020

The aim of this study was to investigate the sensory aroma profiles of white wines of the indigenous Greek grape varieties Assyrtiko, Malagousia, Moschofilero, and Roditis. Twenty-three panelists evaluated 17 wines of the aforementioned varieties using the frequency of attribute citation method. Three indices were calculated to assess panel performance in terms of reproducibility. Correspondence analysis and cluster analysis were employed to investigate the sensory space of the wines. Samples of the Roditis variety were characterized mainly by Banana and Vanilla odors; Assyrtiko samples had Earthy, Mushroom, and Nutty odors, as well as Lemon and Honey for some of the samples. Malagousia wines were described as having Lemon, Grapefruit, and Citrus blossom character, and they shared some descriptors with Assyrtiko wines, such as Mushroom and Earthy, and some with Moschofilero samples, i.e., floral and citrus notes. All Moschofilero wines exhibited a floral odor profile: specifically, Rose, Jasmine, or more Citrus blossom-like. Moreover, some Moschofilero samples also revealed a Grapefruit, Lemon, and/or Earthy character, while others expressed Honey notes. In conclusion, despite common characteristics found within varieties, some samples of different varieties exhibited overlapping profiles, and in some cases, samples of the same variety were quite different from each other.
Optimization of Extraction Conditions to Improve Phenolic Content and In Vitro Antioxidant Activity in Craft Brewers’ Spent Grain Using Response Surface Methodology (RSM)
Authors: Andres Ana Isabel , Petron Maria Jesus , Lopez Ana Maria , Timon Maria Luisa
Published: October 2020

Extraction temperature, extraction time and liquid (water) to solid ratio were optimized in order to extract antioxidant phenolic compounds from brewers’ spent grain (BSG). The extracts were analysed for their total phenol content (TPC) and antioxidant activity was measured using three different methods: 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), and reducing power (RP) assays. All the parameters except extraction time promoted different efficiencies for the extraction of antioxidant phenolic compounds. TPC extraction was higher at lower temperatures and lower liquid/solid ratios up to a certain point. In this sense, a decrease in TPC with increasing liquid/solid ratios took place until a 16:1 ratio and a plateau was reached beyond that ratio. The highest DPPH activity was reported for 30–35 °C and 60–90 min extraction and 60–90 min extraction with a 25 mL/g ratio. ABTS values increased as the liquid to solid ratio decreased, being positively correlated with TPC (R = 0.788; p < 0.01). The highest RP was achieved at 30–33 °C extraction temperature and 10–14 mg/mL v/w ratio and at 116–120 min extraction and 16–17 mg/mL ratio. Gallic acid accounted for the majority of the phenolic compounds found, followed by hydroxyphenylacetic acid, epicatechin, and protocatechuic acid. Sinapic, 4-hydroxy benzoic, and syringic acids were also found in lower quantities. Coumaric, vanillic, ferulic, and caffeic acids were present in very small amounts. All the extracts contained phenolics and showed in vitro antioxidant activity, but the extracts obtained by using 30 °C, 121.9 min, and 10 mL/g liquid/solid ratio exhibited the highest content in TPC and antioxidant potential. The aqueous extraction of a potentially bioactive extract from BSG was demonstrated to be an efficient and simple method to recover these value-added compounds.
Selection of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Based on Their Antimicrobial and Enzymatic Activities
Authors: Linares-Morales José Rafael , Cuellar-Nevárez Guillermo Eduardo , Rivera-Chavira Blanca Estela , Gutiérrez-Méndez Néstor , Pérez-Vega Samuel Bernardo , Nevárez-Moorillón Guadalupe Virginia
Published: October 2020

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are an important source of bioactive metabolites and enzymes. LAB isolates from fresh vegetable sources were evaluated to determine their antimicrobial, enzymatic, and adhesion activities. A saline solution from the rinse of each sample was inoculated in De Man, Rogosa and Sharpe Agar (MRS Agar) for isolates recovery. Antimicrobial activity of cell-free supernatants from presumptive LAB isolates was evaluated by microtitration against Gram-positive, Gram-negative, LAB, mold, and yeast strains. Protease, lipase, amylase, citrate metabolism and adhesion activities were also evaluated. Data were grouped using cluster analysis, with 85% of similarity. A total of 76 LAB isolates were recovered, and 13 clusters were formed based on growth inhibition of the tested microorganisms. One cluster had antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, molds and yeasts. Several LAB strains, PIM4, ELO8, PIM5 and CAL14 strongly inhibited the growth of L. monocytogenes and JAV15 and TOV9 strongly inhibited the growth of F. oxysporum. Based on enzymatic activities, 5 clusters were formed. Seven isolates hydrolyzed starch, 46 proteins, 14 lipids, and 36 metabolized citrate. LAB isolates with the best activities were molecularly identified as Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Enterococcus mundtii and Enterococcus faecium. Overall, LAB isolated from vegetables showed potential technological applications and should be further evaluated.
Sugar Reduction in Dairy Food: An Overview with Flavoured Milk as an Example
Authors: Mahato Dipendra Kumar , Keast Russell , Liem Djin Gie , Russell Catherine Georgina , Cicerale Sara , Gamlath Shirani
Published: October 2020

Owing to the public health concern associated with the consumption of added sugar, the World Health Organization recommends cutting down sugar in processed foods. Furthermore, due to the growing concern of increased calorie intake from added sugar in sweetened dairy foods, the present review provides an overview of different types and functions of sugar, various sugar reduction strategies, and current trends in the use of sweeteners for sugar reduction in dairy food, taking flavoured milk as a central theme where possible to explore the aforementioned aspects. The strength and uniqueness of this review are that it brings together all the information on the available types of sugar and sugar reduction strategies and explores the current trends that could be applied for reducing sugar in dairy foods without much impact on consumer acceptance. Among different strategies for sugar reduction, the use of natural non-nutritive sweeteners (NNSs), has received much attention due to consumer demand for natural ingredients. Sweetness imparted by sugar can be replaced by natural NNSs, however, sugar provides more than just sweetness to flavoured milk. Sugar reduction involves multiple technical challenges to maintain the sensory properties of the product, as well as to maintain consumer acceptance. Because no single sugar has a sensory profile that matches sucrose, the use of two or more natural NNSs could be an option for food industries to reduce sugar using a holistic approach rather than a single sugar reduction strategy. Therefore, achieving even a small sugar reduction can significantly improve the diet and health of an individual.
The Effect of Apple Juice Concentration on Cider Fermentation and Properties of the Final Product
Authors: Rosend Julia , Kaleda Aleksei , Kuldjärv Rain , Arju Georg , Nisamedtinov Ildar
Published: October 2020

European legislation overall agrees that apple juice concentrate is allowed to be used to some extent in cider production. However, no comprehensive research is available to date on the differences in suitability for fermentation between fresh apple juice and that of reconstituted apple juice concentrate. This study aimed to apply freshly pressed juice and juice concentrate made from the same apple cultivar as a substrate for cider fermentation. Differences in yeast performance in terms of fermentation kinetics and consumption of nutrients have been assessed. Fermented ciders were compared according to volatile ester composition and off-flavor formation related to hydrogen sulfide. Based on the results, in the samples fermented with the concentrate, the yeasts consumed less fructose. The formation of long-chain fatty acid esters increased with the use of reconstituted juice concentrate while the differences in off-flavor formation could not be determined. Overall, the use of the concentrate can be considered efficient enough for the purpose of cider fermentation. However, some nutritional supplementation might be required to support the vitality of yeast.
Peptide–Mineral Complexes: Understanding Their Chemical Interactions, Bioavailability, and Potential Application in Mitigating Micronutrient Deficiency
Authors: Sun Xiaohong , Sarteshnizi Roghayeh Amini , Boachie Ruth T. , Okagu Ogadimma D. , Abioye Raliat O. , Pfeilsticker Neves Renata , Ohanenye Ikenna Christian , Udenigwe Chibuike C.
Published: October 2020

Iron, zinc, and calcium are essential micronutrients that play vital biological roles to maintain human health. Thus, their deficiencies are a public health concern worldwide. Mitigation of these deficiencies involves micronutrient fortification of staple foods, a strategy that can alter the physical and sensory properties of foods. Peptide–mineral complexes have been identified as promising alternatives for mineral-fortified functional foods or mineral supplements. This review outlines some of the methods used in the determination of the mineral chelating activities of food protein-derived peptides and the approaches for the preparation, purification and identification of mineral-binding peptides. The structure–activity relationship of mineral-binding peptides and the potential use of peptide–mineral complexes as functional food ingredients to mitigate micronutrient deficiency are discussed in relation to their chemical interactions, solubility, gastrointestinal digestion, absorption, and bioavailability. Finally, insights on the current challenges and future research directions in this area are provided.
Insights into Species Preservation: Cryobanking of Rabbit Somatic and Pluripotent Stem Cells
Authors: Gavin-Plagne Lucie , Perold Florence , Osteil Pierre , Voisin Sophie , Moreira Synara Cristina , Combourieu Quitterie , Saïdou Véronique , Mure Magali , Louis Gérard , Baudot Anne , Buff Samuel , Joly Thierry , Afanassieff Marielle
Published: October 2020

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are obtained by genetically reprogramming adult somatic cells via the overexpression of specific pluripotent genes. The resulting cells possess the same differentiation properties as blastocyst-stage embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and can be used to produce new individuals by embryonic complementation, nuclear transfer cloning, or in vitro fertilization after differentiation into male or female gametes. Therefore, iPSCs are highly valuable for preserving biodiversity and, together with somatic cells, can enlarge the pool of reproductive samples for cryobanking. In this study, we subjected rabbit iPSCs (rbiPSCs) and rabbit ear tissues to several cryopreservation conditions with the aim of defining safe and non-toxic slow-freezing protocols. We compared a commercial synthetic medium (STEM ALPHA.CRYO3) with a biological medium based on fetal bovine serum (FBS) together with low (0–5%) and high (10%) concentrations of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Our data demonstrated the efficacy of a CRYO3-based medium containing 4% DMSO for the cryopreservation of skin tissues and rbiPSCs. Specifically, this medium provided similar or even better biological results than the commonly used freezing medium composed of FBS and 10% DMSO. The results of this study therefore represent an encouraging first step towards the use of iPSCs for species preservation.
MiRNAs as Noninvasive Biomarkers and Therapeutic Agents of Pituitary Adenomas
Authors: Beylerli Ozal , Beeraka Narasimha M. , Gareev Ilgiz , Pavlov Valentin , Yang Guang , Liang Yanchao , Aliev Gjumrakch
Published: October 2020

Pituitary adenoma (PA) accounts for 10–15% of all intracranial neoplasms. Even though most pituitary adenomas are benign, it is known that almost 35% of them exhibit an aggressive clinical course, including rapid proliferative activity and invasion of neighboring tissues. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short single-stranded RNA molecules that can influence post-transcriptional regulation by controlling target genes. Based on research data on miRNAs over the past 20 years, more than 60% of genes encoding human proteins are regulated by miRNAs, which ultimately control basic cellular mechanisms, including cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Dysregulation of miRNAs has been observed in a number of diseases, especially tumors like PA. A majority of miRNAs are expressed within the cells themselves. However, the circulating miRNAs can be detected in several biological fluids of the human body. The identification of circulating miRNAs as new molecular markers may increase the ability to detect a tumor, predict the course of a disease, plan to choose suitable treatment, and diagnose at the earliest signs of impending neoplastic transformation. Therapy of PAs with aggressive behavior is a complex task. When surgery and chemotherapy fail, radiotherapy becomes the treatment of choice against PAs. Therefore, the possibility of implementing circulating miRNAs as innovative diagnostic and therapeutic agents for PA is one of the main exciting ideas.
Pathway Analysis of Selected Circulating miRNAs in Plasma of Breast Cancer Patients: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Holubekova Veronika , Kolkova Zuzana , Grendar Marian , Brany Dusan , Dvorska Dana , Stastny Igor , Jagelkova Marianna , Zelinova Katarina , Samec Marek , Liskova Alena , Laucekova Zuzana , Kudela Erik , Bobrovska Martina , Kalman Michal , Zubor Pavol , Dankova Zuzana
Published: October 2020

MicroRNAs in the circulation of breast cancer (BC) patients have great potential for the early diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of breast cancer. The aim of this preliminary study was to obtain the expression profile of selected miRNAs in the plasma of BC patients that could discriminate BC patients from healthy volunteers and may be useful in early detection of BC. Significantly deregulated miRNAs were evaluated by pathway analysis with the prediction of potential miRNA targets. The study enrolled plasma samples from 65 BC patients and 34 healthy volunteers. Selected miRNAs were screened in pilot testing by the real-time PCR (qPCR) method, and the most appropriate reference genes were selected for normalisation by the geNorm algorithm. In the final testing, we detected miR-99a, miR-130a, miR-484 and miR-1260a (p < 0.05) as significantly up-regulated in the plasma of BC patients. Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis revealed that all significantly deregulated miRNAs are involved in the Hippo and Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-beta) signalling pathways. Our study confirmed a different profile of selected circulating miRNAs in the plasma of BC patients with an emphasis on some critical points in the analysis process.
The Impact of Virtual Reality Training on the Quality of Real Antromastoidectomy Performance
Authors: Gawęcki Wojciech , Węgrzyniak Magdalena , Mickiewicz Patrycja , Gawłowska Maria Bratumiła , Talar Marcin , Wierzbicka Małgorzata
Published: October 2020

Background: The aim of this paper is to analyze the results of virtual reality (VR) antromastoidectomy simulation training and the transferability of the obtained skills to real temporal bone surgery. Methods: The study was conducted prospectively on a group of 10 physicians, and was composed of five VR simulation training sessions followed by live temporal bone surgery. The quality of performance was evaluated with a Task-Based Checklist (TBC) prepared by John Hopkins Hospital. Additionally, during every VR session, the number and type of mistakes (complications) were noted. Results: The quality of performance measured by the TBC increased significantly during consecutive VR sessions. The mean scores for the first and fifth sessions were 1.84 and 4.27, respectively (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the number of mistakes in consecutive VR sessions was gradually reduced from 11 to 0. During supervised surgery, all the participants were able to perform at least part of an antromastoidectomy, and the mean TBC score was 3.57. There was a significant strong positive correlation between the individual results of the fifth VR session and the individual results of supervised surgery in the operating room (rp = 0.89, p = 0.001). Conclusions: Virtual reality for temporal bone training makes it possible to acquire surgical skills in a safe environment before performing supervised surgery. Furthermore, the individual final score of virtual antromastoidectomy training allows a prediction of the quality of performance in real surgery.
Closed-Form Solutions and Conserved Vectors of a Generalized (3+1)-Dimensional Breaking Soliton Equation of Engineering and Nonlinear Science
Authors: Masood Khalique Chaudry , Davies Adeyemo Oke
Published: October 2020

In this article, we examine a (3+1)-dimensional generalized breaking soliton equation which is highly applicable in the fields of engineering and nonlinear sciences. Closed-form solutions in the form of Jacobi elliptic functions of the underlying equation are derived by the method of Lie symmetry reductions together with direct integration. Moreover, the (G′/G)-expansion technique is engaged, which consequently guarantees closed-form solutions of the equation structured in the form of trigonometric and hyperbolic functions. In addition, we secure a power series analytical solution of the underlying equation. Finally, we construct local conserved vectors of the aforementioned equation by employing two approaches: the general multiplier method and Ibragimov’s theorem.
Safety and Efficacy of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Treatment among Elderly Patients
Authors: Uchida Yoshitaka , Terada Jiro , Homma Tetsuya , Mikuni Hatsuko , Hirai Kuniaki , Saito Haruhisa , Honda Ryoichi , Sagara Hironori
Published: October 2020

Background and objectives: Incidence rates of pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) disease have been increasing, especially in the elderly population. Given the limited evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of NTM treatment, this study aimed to evaluate the same among elderly patients. Material and methods: Patients diagnosed with NTM disease at a tertiary hospital from January 2007 to December 2017 were enrolled and data were then retrospectively collected. Data of elderly patients who received antimycobacterial treatment were then analyzed. Results: A total of 161 patients satisfied the diagnostic criteria for NTM disease. There were 40 elderly patients who received treatments. Of the patients, 60% received the guideline oriented standard regimens. Single drug regimens were administered to 22.5% of patients. Only 55.0% of the patients were able to continue any treatment. Treatment-related discontinuation was observed in 44.4% of discontinued or changed patients. There were no significant differences in the characteristics of patients with or without adverse events. Patients who were able to continue the treatment for >12 months had a lower proportion of activities of daily living (ADL) disability (nine in 18, 50.0% vs. three in 22, 13.6%, p = 0.018) and heart disease (six in 18, 33.3% vs. 1/22, 4.6%, p = 0.033). Sputum culture conversion was achieved in 28 out of 40 (70.0%) elderly patients treated, and those who achieved sputum culture conversion had more standard regimens prescribed than those who failed sputum culture conversion (21 in 28, 75% vs. 3 in 12, 25%; p = 0.005). Conclusion: Age may not be an obstacle for receiving the benefits of the treatment of NTM disease with a precise evaluation of patient’s comorbidities. Furthermore, elderly patients without heart disease and ADL disability may have better rate of continuing the NTM treatment. The current study suggested that selecting standard regimens to treat pulmonary NTM is important for elderly patients.
Long-Term Helicobacter pylori Infection Switches Gastric Epithelium Reprogramming towards Cancer Stem Cell-Related Differentiation Program in Hp-Activated Gastric Fibroblast-TGFβ Dependent Manner
Authors: Krzysiek-Maczka Gracjana , Targosz Aneta , Szczyrk Urszula , Wrobel Tomasz , Strzalka Malgorzata , Brzozowski Tomasz , Czyz Jaroslaw , Ptak-Belowska Agata
Published: October 2020

Helicobacter pylori (Hp)-induced inflammatory reaction leads to a persistent disturbance of gastric mucosa and chronic gastritis evidenced by deregulation of tissue self-renewal and local fibrosis with the crucial role of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in this process. As we reported before, Hp activated gastric fibroblasts into cells possessing cancer-associated fibroblast properties (CAFs), which secreted factors responsible for EMT process initiation in normal gastric epithelial RGM1 cells. Here, we showed that the long-term incubation of RGM1 cells in the presence of Hp-activated gastric fibroblast (Hp-AGF) secretome induced their shift towards plastic LGR5+/Oct4high/Sox-2high/c-Mychigh/Klf4low phenotype (l.t.EMT+RGM1 cells), while Hp-non-infected gastric fibroblast (GF) secretome prompted a permanent epithelial–myofibroblast transition (EMyoT) of RGM1 cells favoring LGR−/Oct4high/Sox2low/c-Myclow/Klf4high phenotype (l.t.EMT−RGM1 cells). TGFβ1 rich secretome from Hp-reprogrammed fibroblasts prompted phenotypic plasticity and EMT of gastric epithelium, inducing pro-neoplastic expansion of post-EMT cells in the presence of low TGFβR1 and TGFβR2 activity. In turn, TGFβR1 activity along with GF-induced TGFβR2 activation in l.t.EMT−RGM1 cells prompted their stromal phenotype. Collectively, our data show that infected and non-infected gastric fibroblast secretome induces alternative differentiation programs in gastric epithelium at least partially dependent on TGFβ signaling. Hp infection-activated fibroblasts can switch gastric epithelium microevolution towards cancer stem cell-related differentiation program that can potentially initiate gastric neoplasm.
The Potential of Payment for Ecosystem Services for Crop Wild Relative Conservation
Authors: Tyack Nicholas , Dempewolf Hannes , Khoury Colin K.
Published: October 2020

Crop wild relatives (CWR) have proven to be very valuable in agricultural breeding programs but remain a relatively under-utilized and under-protected resource. CWR have provided resistance to pests and diseases, abiotic stress tolerance, quality improvements and yield increases with the annual contribution of these traits to agriculture estimated at USD 115 billion globally and are considered to possess many valuable traits that have not yet been explored. The use of the genetic diversity found in CWR for breeding provides much-needed resilience to modern agricultural systems and has great potential to help sustainably increase agricultural production to feed a growing world population in the face of climate change and other stresses. A number of CWR taxa are at risk, however, necessitating coordinated local, national, regional and global efforts to preserve the genetic diversity of these plants through complementary in situ and ex situ conservation efforts. We discuss the absence of adequate institutional frameworks to incentivize CWR conservation services and propose payment for ecosystem services (PES) as an under-explored mechanism for financing these efforts. Such mechanisms could serve as a potentially powerful tool for enhancing the long-term protection of CWR.
Latest Developments in Membrane (Bio)Reactors
Authors: Helmi Arash , Gallucci Fausto
Published: October 2020

The integration of membranes inside a catalytic reactor is an intensification strategy to combine separation and reaction steps in one single physical unit. In this case, a selective removal or addition of a reactant or product will occur, which can circumvent thermodynamic equilibrium and drive the system performance towards a higher product selectivity. In the case of an inorganic membrane reactor, a membrane separation is coupled with a reaction system (e.g., steam reforming, autothermal reforming, etc.), while in a membrane bioreactor a biological treatment is combined with a separation through the membranes. The objective of this article is to review the latest developments in membrane reactors in both inorganic and membrane bioreactors, followed by a report on new trends, applications, and future perspectives.
Coupling Coordination Relationship between Urban Sprawl and Urbanization Quality in the West Taiwan Strait Urban Agglomeration, China: Observation and Analysis from DMSP/OLS Nighttime Light Imagery and Panel Data
Authors: Lu Chunyan , Li Lin , Lei Yifan , Ren Chunying , Su Ying , Huang Yufei , Chen Yu , Lei Shaohua , Fu Weiwei
Published: October 2020

Urban sprawl is the most prominent characteristic of urbanization, and increasingly affects local and regional sustainable development. The observation and analysis of urban sprawl dynamics and their relationship with urbanization quality are essential for framing integrative urban planning. In this study, the urban areas of the West Taiwan Strait Urban Agglomeration (WTSUA) were extracted using nighttime light imagery from 1992 to 2013. The spatio-temporal characteristics and pattern of urban sprawl were quantitatively analyzed by combining an urban expansion rate index and a standard deviation ellipse model. The urbanization quality was assessed using an entropy weight model, and its relationship with urban sprawl was calculated by a coupling coordination degree model. The results showed that the urban area in the WTSUA experienced a significant increase, i.e., 18,806.73 km2, during the period 1992–2013. The central cities grew by 11.08% and noncentral cities by 27.43%, with a general uneven city rank-size distribution. The urban sprawl showed a circular expansion pattern, accompanied by a gradual centroid migration of urban areas from the southeast coast to the central-western regions. The coupling coordination level between urban expansion and urbanization quality increased from serious incoordination in 1992 to basic coordination in 2013. Dual driving forces involving state-led policies and market-oriented land reform had a positive influence on the harmonious development of urban sprawl and urbanization quality of the WTSUA. This research offers an effective approach to monitor changes in urban sprawl and explore the coupling coordination relationship between urban sprawl and urbanization quality. The study provides important scientific references for the formulation of future policies and planning for sustainable development in urban agglomerations.
Design, Construction and Testing of IoT Based Automated Indoor Vertical Hydroponics Farming Test-Bed in Qatar
Authors: Chowdhury Muhammad E. H. , Khandakar Amith , Ahmed Saba , Al-Khuzaei Fatima , Hamdalla Jalaa , Haque Fahmida , Reaz Mamun Bin Ibne , Al Shafei Ahmed , Al-Emadi Nasser
Published: October 2020

Growing plants in the gulf region can be challenging as it is mostly desert, and the climate is dry. A few species of plants have the capability to grow in such a climate. However, those plants are not suitable as a food source. The aim of this work is to design and construct an indoor automatic vertical hydroponic system that does not depend on the outside climate. The designed system is capable to grow common type of crops that can be used as a food source inside homes without the need of large space. The design of the system was made after studying different types of vertical hydroponic systems in terms of price, power consumption and suitability to be built as an indoor automated system. A microcontroller was working as a brain of the system, which communicates with different types of sensors to control all the system parameters and to minimize the human intervention. An open internet of things (IoT) platform was used to store and display the system parameters and graphical interface for remote access. The designed system is capable of maintaining healthy growing parameters for the plants with minimal input from the user. The functionality of the overall system was confirmed by evaluating the response from individual system components and monitoring them in the IoT platform. The system was consuming 120.59 and 230.59 kWh respectively without and with air conditioning control during peak summer, which is equivalent to the system running cost of 13.26 and 25.36 Qatari Riyal (QAR) respectively. This system was circulating around 104 k gallons of nutrient solution monthly however, only 8–10 L water was consumed by the system. This system offers real-time notifications to alert the hydroponic system user when the conditions are not favorable. So, the user can monitor several parameters without using laboratory instruments, which will allow to control the entire system remotely. Moreover, the system also provides a wide range of information, which could be essential for plant researchers and provides a greater understanding of how the key parameters of hydroponic system correlate with plant growth. The proposed platform can be used both for quantitatively optimizing the setup of the indoor farming and for automating some of the most labor-intensive maintenance activities. Moreover, such a monitoring system can also potentially be used for high-level decision making, once enough data will be collected. This work presents significant opportunities for the people who live in the gulf region to produce food as per their requirements.
UVIRT—Unsupervised Virtual Try-on Using Disentangled Clothing and Person Features
Authors: Tsunashima Hideki , Arase Kosuke , Lam Antony , Kataoka Hirokatsu
Published: October 2020

Virtual Try-on is the ability to realistically superimpose clothing onto a target person. Due to its importance to the multi-billion dollar e-commerce industry, the problem has received significant attention in recent years. To date, most virtual try-on methods have been supervised approaches, namely using annotated data, such as clothes parsing semantic segmentation masks and paired images. These approaches incur a very high cost in annotation. Even existing weakly-supervised virtual try-on methods still use annotated data or pre-trained networks as auxiliary information and the costs of the annotation are still significantly high. Plus, the strategy using pre-trained networks is not appropriate in the practical scenarios due to latency. In this paper we propose Unsupervised VIRtual Try-on using disentangled representation (UVIRT). After UVIRT extracts a clothes and a person feature from a person image and a clothes image respectively, it exchanges a clothes and a person feature. Finally, UVIRT achieve virtual try-on. This is all achieved in an unsupervised manner so UVIRT has the advantage that it does not require any annotated data, pre-trained networks nor even category labels. In the experiments, we qualitatively and quantitatively compare between supervised methods and our UVIRT method on the MPV dataset (which has paired images) and on a Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C) marketplace dataset (which has unpaired images). As a result, UVIRT outperform the supervised method on the C2C marketplace dataset, and achieve comparable results on the MPV dataset, which has paired images in comparison with the conventional supervised method.
Development and Application of a Multi-Residue Method to Determine Pesticides in Agricultural Water Using QuEChERS Extraction and LC-MS/MS Analysis
Authors: Song Nho-Eul , Jung Young Sung , Choi Ji Yeon , Koo Minseon , Choi Hyo-Kyoung , Seo Dong-Ho , Lim Tae-Gyu , Nam Tae Gyu
Published: October 2020

Agricultural water is closely linked to surface and ground water as well as soil; hence, ensuring its safety is an important endeavor. We used the “quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe” (QuEChERS) method to analyze multi-residue pesticides in agricultural water by using a combined-sorbent-based clean-up procedure. Among the various sorbents examined, clean-up using ENVI-Carb combined with a primary secondary amine sorbent delivered the highest recovery of multi-residue pesticides (>93.9%). While the developed method showed satisfactory linearity (R2 > 0.9991), precision, and specificity, recovery was low for pyrazolate (29.1%) and thidiazuron (59.2%). The limits of detection and quantification for the 55 pesticides targeted in this study were in 0.02–3.0 μg L−1 and 0.1–9.9 μg L−1, respectively. The developed method was used to identify and quantify multi-residue pesticides during sample analysis. The results suggest that the QuEChERS method employing a combination of ENVI-Carb and another sorbent can be applied for the effective analysis of multi-residue pesticides in agricultural water.
Supporting Resilient Urban Planning through Walkability Assessment
Authors: Abastante Francesca , Lami Isabella M. , La Riccia Luigi , Gaballo Marika
Published: October 2020

The urban planning and evaluation literature suggests that making a walkable city means creating a resilient and healthy city. In recent years, alternative mobility has been the subject of numerous studies, showing that the concept of urban walkability can be used as an additional support in planning resilient cities. Though researchers agree that walkability assessment has a positive impact on public space planning, it is still difficult to include the topic in planning strategies because of its novelty in the scientific debate. This paper will first review the literature on walkability assessment and then propose a multi-methodological assessment framework that fills the gaps in existing assessment methods. The multi-methodological assessment framework contributes to overcoming the idea that objective and subjective aspects are “not part of the same planning project.” Thanks to its combination of hard and soft methods, the assessment framework illustrated in this paper can consider physical and perceptual aspects simultaneously and represent them visually using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). It can thus provide easily readable results that can be applied in establishing guidelines for planning resilient cities.
Scenario Analysis for Incremental Community Planning in an African Context
Authors: Restrepo Arias Santiago , Torabi Moghadam Sara , Lombardi Patrizia
Published: October 2020

Urban areas are gradually becoming more viable places in terms of life quality than most rural areas. This phenomenon generates human movements, both at a local and at an international scale, the latter usually being labeled as irregular migration. This study aims at analyzing urban scenario proposals that part from incremental urbanism principles to create opportunities for youth and women in the area of Pikine Est (Senegal), a neighborhood with a high vocation toward migration. An integrated planning approach is proposed, where an initial project identification stage reveals through documentary analysis and discussion the adequate project strategies to apply and shines a light on proper life quality indicators (LQIs). In the successive stage, project formulation, future-oriented scenarios are proposed. Finally, at the evaluation stage, each urban scenario is assessed to determine which one contains a more suitable set of strategies in function of the community’s needs, employing multi-criteria analysis (MCA) and preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluation (PROMETHEE) methods. As a result, this study proves through measurable data that assessing incremental urban interventions makes sense in developing communities, not only as a study of their response to scarce financial resources, but also as means to overcome and avoid environmental issues that cities face at a global scale today.
Toward Sustainable and Inclusive Regulatory Policies to Meet Public Demands
Authors: Choi HaeOk , Lee KwangHo
Published: October 2020

This study presents methods for finding and utilizing demand-oriented data to meet public demands for creating sustainable and inclusive regulation policies. It attempted to analyze these methods scientifically, by collecting information on public demands. The results confirmed that there is a demand for policy that utilizes consensus in the regulation standards of newly emerging services. They also indicated that the legal system should be in alignment with the priorities associated with the setting of standards for regulation-related policies. Additionally, a group network analysis revealed that standards were linked to area management, confirming that area management should also be considered when resolving regulatory issues related to new industries and services. Finally, the results suggested that a land management system for regulatory policy is needed to allow for the autonomous formulation of regulatory policies through the small-scale management of land. The present study can be used to better comprehend civil complaint data and as a reliable reference in the policymaking process, ensuring more sustainable and adaptive regulations.
Assessing Spatial Configurations and Transport Energy Usage for Planning Sustainable Communities
Authors: Koning Remco de , Tan Wendy Guan Zhen , van Nes Akkelies
Published: October 2020

Energy usage in cities is intertwined with its spatial configuration—the denser and more compact the city, the more concentrated and efficient the energy usage is to be expected. To achieve sustainable communities, cities (and their inhabitants) must reconsider its spatial configurations in the context of rapid urbanisation and growth in light of limited resources and conflicting spatial claims. This article seeks to understand how spatial configurations affect transport energy usage in cities and propose an integrated assessment approach factoring spatial configurational analysis in relation to transport energy usage at the micro- and macroscale. Comparing Bergen, Norway, and Zürich, Switzerland, findings showed that spatial configurations were positively correlated to transport energy usage. Street structures suitable for walking and less suitable for car traffic tended to exhibit lower amounts of energy usage. Following this, nine typologies of transport and land use patterns are described to support planning for more sustainable means of transport.
Smartphone Application Using a Visual Programming Language to Compute Drying/Solar Drying Characteristics of Agricultural Products
Authors: Amer Baher M. A. , Chouikhi Houssam
Published: October 2020

Drying is an important process for food security. A software application on a smartphone can be used to prevent mistakes while carrying out the calculations for drying investigation and research using several mathematical equations. The objective of this research was to develop a software program on cellphones depending on some of the important mathematical equations which are used to conduct some of the drying/solar drying characteristics to assist researchers and engineers who work in the food engineering field for sustainable development. This innovative software application can be installed on mobiles in Android and iOS systems to save effort and time. Mathematical models were developed to compute drying/solar drying calculations. These mathematical models were integrated into the flowchart to develop a software program using visual programming language in the operating system and create the user interface. The collected data from references were used to compare the results from the normal way of calculations with results from the developed software. The results were agreed for both normal calculations and the software. This application software can calculate the moisture content of product, drying ratio, quantity of removed moisture from the fresh products, required heat to evaporate moisture from fresh product, and efficiency of the solar collector.
Measuring Logistics Efficiency in China Considering Technology Heterogeneity and Carbon Emission through a Meta-Frontier Model
Authors: Zhang Hao , You Jianxin , Haiyirete Xuekelaiti , Zhang Tianyu
Published: October 2020

Due to the differences in the economic and social environment, production technology heterogeneity exists in the logistics industry among provinces in China. If this fact is ignored, the evaluation result of logistics efficiency may be biased. To this end, this study developed a new analysis framework for evaluating logistics efficiency with the consideration of technology heterogeneity and carbon emission through a metafrontier data envelopment analysis (DEA) method. Furthermore, the source of logistics inefficiency were identified. The proposed method was employed in the regional logistics industry in China from 2011 to 2017. The following empirical findings could be drawn: (1) The overall logistics efficiency is low in China, and great potential exists in improving logistics efficiency. (2) Significant disparities exist in logistics efficiency and the technology gap among the three areas. The east area has higher logistics efficiency with advanced technology, while the central area and the west area have lower logistics efficiencies. (3) The technology gap and management issues in the utilization of logistics resources are the two primary reasons resulting in the logistics efficiency loss in China. The effect of the management factor is significant in the east area, while the impact of the technology gap is dominant in the central area and the west area. Some policy suggestions for enhancing logistics efficiency are provided.
A Novel RNA Virus, Macrobrachium rosenbergii Golda Virus (MrGV), Linked to Mass Mortalities of the Larval Giant Freshwater Prawn in Bangladesh
Authors: Hooper Chantelle , Debnath Partho P. , Biswas Sukumar , van Aerle Ronny , Bateman Kelly S. , Basak Siddhawartha K. , Rahman Muhammad M. , Mohan Chadag V. , Islam H. M. Rakibul , Ross Stuart , Stentiford Grant D. , Currie David , Bass David
Published: October 2020

Mass mortalities of the larval stage of the giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, have been occurring in Bangladesh since 2011. Mortalities can reach 100% and have resulted in an 80% decline in the number of hatcheries actively producing M. rosenbergii. To investigate a causative agent for the mortalities, a disease challenge was carried out using infected material from a hatchery experiencing mortalities. Moribund larvae from the challenge were prepared for metatranscriptomic sequencing. De novo virus assembly revealed a 29 kb single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus with similarities in key protein motif sequences to yellow head virus (YHV), an RNA virus that causes mass mortalities in marine shrimp aquaculture, and other viruses in the Nidovirales order. Primers were designed against the novel virus and used to screen cDNA from larvae sampled from hatcheries in the South of Bangladesh from two consecutive years. Larvae from all hatcheries screened from both years were positive by PCR for the novel virus, including larvae from a hatchery that at the point of sampling appeared healthy, but later experienced mortalities. These screens suggest that the virus is widespread in M. rosenbergii hatchery culture in southern Bangladesh, and that early detection of the virus can be achieved by PCR. The hypothesised protein motifs of Macrobrachium rosenbergii golda virus (MrGV) suggest that it is likely to be a new species within the Nidovirales order. Biosecurity measures should be taken in order to mitigate global spread through the movement of post-larvae within and between countries, which has previously been linked to other virus outbreaks in crustacean aquaculture.
A Synthetic Modified Live Chimeric Marker Vaccine against BVDV-1 and BVDV-2
Authors: Koethe Susanne , König Patricia , Wernike Kerstin , Pfaff Florian , Schulz Jana , Reimann Ilona , Makoschey Birgit , Beer Martin
Published: October 2020

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), a pestivirus which exists in the two distinct species BVDV-1 (syn. Pestivirus A) and BVDV-2 (syn. Pestivirus B), is the causative agent of one of the most widespread and economically important virus infections in cattle. For economic as well as for animal health reasons, an increasing number of national BVDV control programs were recently implemented. The main focus lies on the detection and removal of persistently infected cattle. The application of efficient marker or DIVA (differentiation of infected from vaccinated animals) vaccines would be beneficial for the eradication success in regions with a high BVDV prevalence to prevent fetal infection and it would allow serological monitoring of the BVDV status also in vaccinated farms. Therefore, a marker vaccine based on the cytopathic (cp) BVDV-1b strain CP7 was constructed as a synthetic backbone (BVDV-1b_synCP7). For serological discrimination of vaccinated from infected animals, the viral protein Erns was substituted by the heterologous Erns of Bungowannah virus (BuPV, species Pestivirus F). In addition, the vaccines were attenuated by a deletion within the type I interferon inhibitor Npro protein encoding sequence. The BVDV-2 vaccine candidate is based on the genetic sequence of the glycoproteins E1 and E2 of BVDV-2 strain CS8644 (CS), which were introduced into the backbone of BVDV-1b_synCP7_ΔNpro_Erns Bungo in substitution of the homologous glycoproteins. Vaccine virus recovery resulted in infectious cytopathic virus chimera that grew to titers of up to 106 TCID50/mL. Both synthetic chimera BVDV-1b_synCP7_ΔNpro_Erns Bungo and BVDV-1b_synCP7_ΔNpro_Erns Bungo_E1E2 BVDV-2 CS were avirulent in cattle, provided a high level of protection in immunization and challenge experiments against both BVDV species and allowed differentiation of infected from vaccinated cattle. Our study presents the first report on an efficient BVDV-1 and -2 modified live marker vaccine candidate and the accompanying commercially available serological marker ELISA system.
Department of Centrifuges and Dynamic Simulators of Yu.A. Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center – 50 Years Devoted to Domestic Cosmonautics and Aviation (Part 2).
Authors: Kirshanov V.N.
Published: October 2020

The article describes creation and development of the Department of Centrifuges and Dynamic Simulators in Yu.A. Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center and gives a chronological review of creation of the centrifuges CF-7 and CF-18 and dynamic simulators based on them. The main characteristics of the centrifuges, as well as the tasks that can be solved using them in the process of training cosmonauts and carrying out research and tests are presented. The article contains memoirs of veterans of the department including Pavlov V.A., Stepanov V.P., Chudinov A.P., Burdin B.V.
The Use of the MRM-1 Simulator for Experimental Development of the Future Internal Lighting System in the ISS RS Modules.
Authors: Batrakov V.V. , Krylov A.I , Makarov R.V. , Antroshchenko V.I. , Kutina I.V.
Published: October 2020

The paper presents the internal lighting system (ILS) for the ISS RS modules and main provisions for the creation and use of a lighting control device with time-varying spectral-energy characteristics. Special attention is paid to the optimization of artificial lighting in manned vehicles and the development of the future ILS for space purposed simulators.