bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Skin in Celiac Disease Patients: The Other Side of the Coin
Authors: Abenavoli Ludovico , Dastoli Stefano , Bennardo Luigi , Boccuto Luigi , Passante Maria , Silvestri Martina , Proietti Ilaria , Potenza Concetta , Luzza Francesco , Nisticò Steven Paul
Published: September 2019

Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune enteropathy that primarily affects the small intestine and is characterized by atrophy of intestinal villi. The manifestations of the disease improve following a gluten-free diet (GFD). CD is associated with various extra-intestinal diseases. Several skin manifestations are described in CD patients. The present paper reviews all CD-associated skin diseases reported in the literature and tries to analyze the pathogenic mechanisms possibly involved in these associations. Different hypotheses have been proposed to explain the possible mechanisms involved in every association between CD and cutaneous manifestations. An abnormal small intestinal permeability seems to be implicated in various dermatological manifestations. However, most of the associations between CD and cutaneous diseases is based on case reports and case series and a few controlled studies. To better assess the real involvement of the cutaneous district in CD patients, large multicentric controlled clinical trials are required.
Multiplatform Urinary Metabolomics Profiling to Discriminate Cachectic from Non-Cachectic Colorectal Cancer Patients: Pilot Results from the ColoCare Study
Authors: Ose Jennifer , Gigic Biljana , Lin Tengda , Liesenfeld David B. , Böhm Jürgen , Nattenmüller Johanna , Scherer Dominique , Zielske Lin , Schrotz-King Petra , Habermann Nina , Ochs-Balcom Heather M. , Peoples Anita R. , Hardikar Sheetal , Li Christopher I. , Shibata David , Figueiredo Jane , Toriola Adetunji T. , Siegel Erin M. , Schmit Stephanie , Schneider Martin , Ulrich Alexis , Kauczor Hans-Ulrich , Ulrich Cornelia M.
Published: September 2019

Cachexia is a multifactorial syndrome that is characterized by loss of skeletal muscle mass in cancer patients. The biological pathways involved remain poorly characterized. Here, we compare urinary metabolic profiles in newly diagnosed colorectal cancer patients (stage I–IV) from the ColoCare Study in Heidelberg, Germany. Patients were classified as cachectic (n = 16), pre-cachectic (n = 13), or non-cachectic (n = 23) based on standard criteria on weight loss over time at two time points. Urine samples were collected pre-surgery, and 6 and 12 months thereafter. Fat and muscle mass area were assessed utilizing computed tomography scans at the time of surgery. N = 152 compounds were detected using untargeted metabolomics with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and n = 154 features with proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Thirty-four metabolites were overlapping across platforms. We calculated differences across groups and performed discriminant and overrepresentation enrichment analysis. We observed a trend for 32 compounds that were nominally significantly different across groups, although not statistically significant after adjustment for multiple testing. Nineteen compounds could be identified, including acetone, hydroquinone, and glycine. Comparing cachectic to non-cachectic patients, higher levels of metabolites such as acetone (Fold change (FC) = 3.17; p = 0.02) and arginine (FC = 0.33; p = 0.04) were observed. The two top pathways identified were glycerol phosphate shuttle metabolism and glycine and serine metabolism pathways. Larger subsequent studies are needed to replicate and validate these results.
Pharmacometabolomics of Bronchodilator Response in Asthma and the Role of Age-Metabolite Interactions
Authors: Kelly Rachel S. , Sordillo Joanne E. , Lutz Sharon M. , Avila Lydiana , Soto-Quiros Manuel , Celedón Juan C. , McGeachie Michael J. , Dahlin Amber , Tantisira Kelan , Huang Mengna , Clish Clary B. , Weiss Scott T. , Lasky-Su Jessica , Wu Ann Chen
Published: September 2019

The role of metabolism in modifying age-related differential responses to asthma medications is insufficiently understood. The objective of this study was to determine the role of the metabolome in modifying the effect of age on bronchodilator response (BDR) in individuals with asthma. We used longitudinal measures of BDR and plasma metabolomic profiling in 565 children with asthma from the Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP) to identify age by metabolite interactions on BDR. The mean ages at the three studied time-points across 16 years of follow-up in CAMP were 8.8, 12.8, and 16.8 years; the mean BDRs were 11%, 9% and 8%, respectively. Of 501 identified metabolites, 39 (7.8%) demonstrated a significant interaction with age on BDR (p-value < 0.05). We were able to validate two significant interactions in 320 children with asthma from the Genetics of Asthma in Costa Rica Study; 2-hydroxyglutarate, a compound involved in butanoate metabolism (interaction; CAMP: β = −0.004, p = 1.8 × 10−4; GACRS: β = −0.015, p = 0.018), and a cholesterol ester; CE C18:1 (CAMP: β = 0.005, p = 0.006; GACRS: β = 0.023, p = 0.041) Five additional metabolites had a p-value < 0.1 in GACRS, including Gammaminobutyric acid (GABA), C16:0 CE, C20:4 CE, C18.0 CE and ribothymidine. These findings suggest Cholesterol esters and GABA may modify the estimated effect of age on bronchodilator response.
Hybrid Resistance and Virulence Plasmids in “High-Risk” Clones of Klebsiella pneumoniae, Including Those Carrying blaNDM-5
Authors: Turton Jane , Davies Frances , Turton Jack , Perry Claire , Payne Zoë , Pike Rachel
Published: September 2019

Virulence plasmids are associated with hypervirulent types of Klebsiella pneumoniae, which generally do not carry antibiotic resistance genes. In contrast, nosocomial isolates are often associated with resistance, but rarely with virulence plasmids. Here, we describe virulence plasmids in nosocomial isolates of “high-risk” clones of sequence types (STs) 15, 48, 101, 147 and 383 carrying carbapenemase genes. The whole genome sequences were determined by long-read nanopore sequencing. The 12 isolates all contained hybrid plasmids containing both resistance and virulence genes. All carried rmpA/rmpA2 and the aerobactin cluster, with the virulence plasmids of two of three representatives of ST383 carrying blaNDM-5 and seventeen other resistance genes. Representatives of ST48 and ST15 had virulence plasmid-associated genes distributed between two plasmids, both containing antibiotic resistance genes. Representatives of ST101 were remarkable in all sharing virulence plasmids in which iucC and terAWXYZ were missing and iucB and iucD truncated. The combination of resistance and virulence in plasmids of high-risk clones is extremely worrying. Virulence plasmids were often notably consistent within a lineage, even in the absence of epidemiological links, suggesting they are not moving between types. However, there was a common segment containing multiple resistance genes in virulence plasmids of representatives of both STs 48 and 383.
Comparative Analysis of Blood Clot, Plasma Rich in Growth Factors and Platelet-Rich Fibrin Resistance to Bacteria-Induced Fibrinolysis
Authors: Puidokas Tomas , Kubilius Mantas , Nomeika Donatas , Januzis Gintaras , Skrodeniene Erika
Published: September 2019

Alveolar osteitis (AO) is a common, painful postoperative complication after tooth extraction. Fibrinolytic activity in the extraction socket is one etiological factor. Platelet concentrates are used to prevent and treat AO. The aim of this study was to find out whether the positive effect of platelet concentrates can be related to resistance to bacteria-induced fibrinolysis. Blood from 45 human volunteers was used to prepare four media: blood clot medium as control group; PRF and PRGF first fraction (PRGF I) and PRGF second fraction (PRGF II) as study groups. Additionally, collected blood was used for blood plasma preparation on which evaluation of initial value of d-dimer concentration was performed. A solution of five different microbes (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumonia, Bacillus cereus, and Candida albicans) was adjusted to 0.5 McFarland (1 × 108 CFU/mL) and then diluted to 0.25 McFarland (0.5 × 108 CFU/mL). The d-dimer concentration was evaluated after one and three hours of bacteria exposure. The resistance to fibrinolysis was not statistically distinguished among any media groups at any time. S. pneumoniae was statistically active in PRF after three hours. C. albicans was statistically active in PRGF II after one hour and in PRF between the first and third hour and after three hours. S. aureus and B. cereus were statistically active in PRGF II after three hours. S. pyogenes was statistically active after one hour, between the first and third hour, and after the third hour in all groups. S. pyogenes was the most active bacterium. Different blood formulations were not distinguishable based on resistance to bacteria-induced fibrinolysis. Low fibrinolytic properties of the found major microbes suggests that bacteria-induced fibrinolysis is one of the leading causes of absence of a clot in a post-extraction socket to be clinically insignificant. The initial absence of a clot or its mechanical elimination during formation or the healing period are major causes of dry socket.
Development and Characterization of Whey Protein-Based Nano-Delivery Systems: A Review
Authors: Ha Ho-Kyung , Rankin Scott , Lee Mee-Ryung , Lee Won-Jae
Published: September 2019

Various bioactive compounds (BCs) often possess poor stability and bioavailability, which makes it difficult for them to exert their potential health benefits. These limitations can be countered by the use of nano-delivery systems (NDSs), such as nanoparticles and nanoemulsions. NDSs can protect BCs against harsh environments during food processing and digestion, and thereby, could enhance the bioavailability of BCs. Although various NDSs have been successfully produced with both synthetic and natural materials, it is necessary to fulfill safety criteria in the delivery materials for food applications. Food-grade materials for the production of NDSs, such as milk proteins and carbohydrates, have received much attention due to their low toxicity, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. Among these, whey proteins—from whey, a byproduct of cheese manufacturing—have been considered as excellent delivery material because of their high nutritional value and various functional properties, such as binding capability to various compounds, gelation, emulsifying properties, and barrier effects. Since the functional and physicochemical properties of whey protein-based NDSs, including size and surface charge, can be key factors affecting the applications of NDSs in food, the objectives of this review are to discuss how manufacturing variables can modulate the functional and physicochemical properties of NDSs and bioavailability of encapsulated BCs to produce efficient NDSs for various BCs.
RNA-seq Based Transcriptome Analysis of the Anti-Obesity Effect of Green Tea Extract Using Zebrafish Obesity Models
Authors: Zang Liqing , Shimada Yasuhito , Nakayama Hiroko , Kim Youngil , Chu Djong-Chi , Juneja Lekh Raj , Kuroyanagi Junya , Nishimura Norihiro
Published: September 2019

Green tea is a popular beverage that is rich in polyphenolic compounds such as catechins. Its major content, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, has been shown to have beneficial effects on several diseases including cancer, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the anti-obesity effects and the underlying molecular mechanisms of green tea extract (GTE) using zebrafish larva and adult obesity models. We administered 100 μg/mL GTE to zebrafish larvae and performed a short-term obesogenic test. GTE significantly decreased the visceral adipose tissue volume induced by a high-fat diet. Oral administration (250 µg/g body weight/day) of GTE to adult diet-induced obese zebrafish also significantly reduced their visceral adipose tissue volume, with a reduction of plasma triglyceride and total cholesterol levels. To investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the GTE effects, we conducted RNA sequencing using liver tissues of adult zebrafish and found that GTE may ameliorate the obese phenotypes via the activation of Wnt/β-catenin and adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway signaling. In addition, the comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that zebrafish and mammals may share a common molecular response to GTE. Our findings suggest that daily consumption of green tea may be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of obesity.
Bioactive Compounds and Stability of a Typical Italian Bakery Products “Taralli” Enriched with Fermented Olive Paste
Authors: Durante Miriana , Bleve Gianluca , Selvaggini Roberto , Veneziani Gianluca , Servili Maurizio , Mita Giovanni
Published: September 2019

Olive paste (OP) is a novel by-product of olive mill industry composed of water, olive pulp, and skin. Due to its richness in bioactive compounds, OP exploitation for human consumption has recently been proposed. Starter driven fermented OP is characterized by a well-balanced lipid profile, rich in mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and a very good oxidative stability due to the high concentration of fat-soluble antioxidants. These characteristics make OP particularly suitable as a functional ingredient for food/feed industry, as well as for the formulation of nutraceutical products. New types of taralli were produced by adding 20% of fermented OP from black olives (cv Cellina di Nardò and Leccino) to the dough. The levels of bioactive compounds (polyphenols, triterpenic acids, tocochromanols, and carotenoids), as well as the fatty acid profile, were monitored during 180 days of storage and compared with control taralli produced with the same flour without OP supplementation. Taralli enriched with fermented OP showed significantly higher levels of bioactive compounds than conventional ones. Furthermore, enriched taralli maintained a low amount of saturated fatty acids and high levels of polyphenols, triterpenic acids, tocochromanols, and carotenoids, compared to the initial value, up to about 90 days in the usual conditions of retailer shelves.
Tyrosinase Inhibition Antioxidant Effect and Cytotoxicity Studies of the Extracts of Cudrania tricuspidata Fruit Standardized in Chlorogenic Acid
Authors: Oh Ha-Na , Park Dae-Hun , Park Ji-Yeon , Song Seung-Yub , Lee Sung-Ho , Yoon Goo , Moon Hong-Seop , Oh Deuk-Sil , Rhee Sang-Hoon , Im Eun-Ok , Yoon In-Soo , Shim Jung-Hyun , Cho Seung-Sik
Published: September 2019

In the present study, various extracts of C. tricuspidata fruit were prepared with varying ethanol contents and evaluated for their biomarker and biological properties. The 80% ethanolic extract showed the best tyrosinase inhibitory activity, while the 100% ethanolic extract showed the best total phenolics and flavonoids contents. The HPLC method was applied to analyze the chlorogenic acid in C. tricuspidata fruit extracts. The results suggest that the observed antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory activity of C. tricuspidata fruit extract could partially be attributed to the presence of marker compounds in the extract. In this study, we present an analytical method for standardization and optimization of C. tricuspidata fruit preparations. Further investigations are warranted to confirm the in vivo pharmacological activity of C. tricuspidata fruit extract and its active constituents and assess the safe use of the plant for the potential development of the extract as a skin depigmentation agent.
Therapeutic Potential of Pien-Tze-Huang: A Review on Its Chemical Composition, Pharmacology, and Clinical Application
Authors: Huang Lili , Zhang Yiping , Zhang Xiaoqin , Chen Xiuping , Wang Yitao , Lu Jinjian , Huang Mingqing
Published: September 2019

Pien-Tze-Huang (PTH) is a famous and commonly used traditional Chinese medicine formula in China. It was first formulated by a royal physician of the Ming Dynasty (around 1555 AD). Recently, PTH has attracted attention worldwide due to its beneficial effects against various diseases, especially cancer. This paper systematically reviewed the up-to-date information on its chemical composition, pharmacology, and clinical application. A range of chemical compounds, mainly ginsenosides and bile acids, have been identified and quantified from PTH. Pharmacological studies indicated that PTH has beneficial effects against various cancers, hepatopathy, and ischemic stroke. Furthermore, PTH has been used clinically to treat various diseases in China, such as colorectal cancer, liver cancer, and hepatitis. In summary, PTH is a potential agent with extensive therapeutic effects for the treatment of various diseases. However, the lack of information on the side effects and toxicity of PTH is a non-negligible issue, which needs to be seriously studied in the future.
Conjugation of Carbon Dots with β-Galactosidase Enzyme: Surface Chemistry and Use in Biosensing
Authors: Sharma Shiv K. , Micic Miodrag , Li Shanghao , Hoar Benjamin , Paudyal Suraj , Zahran Elsayed M. , Leblanc Roger M.
Published: September 2019

Nanoparticles have been conjugated to biological systems for numerous applications such as self-assembly, sensing, imaging, and therapy. Development of more reliable and robust biosensors that exhibit high response rate, increased detection limit, and enhanced useful lifetime is in high demand. We have developed a sensing platform by the conjugation of β-galactosidase, a crucial enzyme, with lab-synthesized gel-like carbon dots (CDs) which have high luminescence, photostability, and easy surface functionalization. We found that the conjugated enzyme exhibited higher stability towards temperature and pH changes in comparison to the native enzyme. This enriched property of the enzyme was distinctly used to develop a stable, reliable, robust biosensor. The detection limit of the biosensor was found to be 2.9 × 10−4 M, whereas its sensitivity was 0.81 µA·mmol−1·cm−2. Further, we used the Langmuir monolayer technique to understand the surface properties of the conjugated enzyme. It was found that the conjugate was highly stable at the air/subphase interface which additionally reinforces the suitability of the use of the conjugated enzyme for the biosensing applications.
Perspective on the Therapeutics of Anti-Snake Venom
Authors: Gómez-Betancur Isabel , Gogineni Vedanjali , Salazar-Ospina Andrea , León Francisco
Published: September 2019

Snakebite envenomation is a life-threatening disease that was recently re-included as a neglected tropical disease (NTD), affecting millions of people in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Improvement in the therapeutic approaches to envenomation is required to palliate the morbidity and mortality effects of this NTD. The specific therapeutic treatment for this NTD uses snake antivenom immunoglobulins. Unfortunately, access to these vital drugs is limited, principally due to their cost. Different ethnic groups in the affected regions have achieved notable success in treatment for centuries using natural sources, especially plants, to mitigate the effects of snake envenomation. The ethnopharmacological approach is essential to identify the potential metabolites or derivatives needed to treat this important NTD. Here, the authors describe specific therapeutic snakebite envenomation treatments and conduct a review on different strategies to identify the potential agents that can mitigate the effects of the venoms. The study also covers an increased number of literature reports on the ability of natural sources, particularly plants, to treat snakebites, along with their mechanisms, drawbacks and future perspectives.
Active Anti-Inflammatory and Hypolipidemic Derivatives of Lorazepam
Authors: Theodosis-Nobelos Panagiotis , Papagiouvannis Georgios , Kourounakis Panos N. , Rekka Eleni A.
Published: September 2019

Novel derivatives of some non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as of the antioxidants α-lipoic acid, trolox and (E)-3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)acrylic acid with lorazepam were synthesised by a straightforward method at satisfactory to high yields (40%–93%). All the tested derivatives strongly decreased lipidemic indices in rat plasma after Triton induced hyperlipidaemia. They also reduced acute inflammation and a number of them demonstrated lipoxygenase inhibitory activity. Those compounds acquiring antioxidant moiety were inhibitors of lipid peroxidation and radical scavengers. Therefore, the synthesised compounds may add to the current knowledge about multifunctional agents acting against various disorders implicating inflammation, dyslipidaemia and oxidative stress.
Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies against σA Protein and Cross-Reactive Epitope Identification and Application for Detection of Duck and Chicken Reovirus Infections
Authors: Chen Xueming , Li Tongtong , Chen Xiaodan , Li Chenxi , Lin Weiwei , Liu Hongyu , Song Shuping , Bai Xiaofei , Zhang Yun
Published: September 2019

Although σA is an important major core protein of duck reovirus (DRV), the B-cell epitopes of this protein remain unknown to reseacrhers. Six monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) (1A7, 3F4, 5D2, 4E2, 3C7, and 2B7) were developed by using prokaryotic-expressed recombinant His-σA protein. Five of six MAbs (1A7, 3F4, 4E2, 3C7, and 2B7) reacted with His-σA protein in a conformation-independent manner, while 5D2 reacted with σA in a conformation-dependent manner. Immunofluorescence assays showed that the MAbs could specifically bind to DRV infected BHK-21 cells. The MAbs were delineated as three groups by a competitive binding assay. By using 12-mer peptide phage display and mutagenesis, MAb 4E2 was identified to recognize minimal epitope 56EAPYPG61 and MAb 1A7 recognize 341WVV/MAGLI/V347, residues 341V/M and 347I/V are replaceable. Dot blotting and sequence analysis confirmed that EAPYPG and WVV/MAGLI/V are cross-reactive epitopes in both DRV and avian reovirus (ARV). An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on two expressed EAPYPG and WVVAGLI as antigen demonstrated its diagnostic potential by specific reacting with serum samples from DRV- or ARV-infected birds. Based on these observations, an epitope-based ELISA could be potentially used for DRV or ARV surveillance. These findings provide insights into the organization of epitopes on σA protein that might be valuable for the development of epitope-based serological diagnostic tests for DRV and ARV infection.
Diagnostic Tools for the Identification of Babesia sp. in Persistently Infected Cattle
Authors: Alvarez J. Antonio , Rojas Carmen , Figueroa Julio V.
Published: September 2019

Bovine babesiosis is a tick-borne disease of cattle caused by the protozoan parasites of the genus Babesia. Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina and Babesia divergens are considered by International health authorities (OIE) as the principal species of Babesia that cause bovine babesiosis. Animals that recover from a babesial primo infection may remain as persistent carriers with no clinical signs of disease and can be the source of infection for ticks that are able to acquire Babesia parasites from infected cattle and to transmit Babesia parasites to susceptible cattle. Several procedures that have been developed for parasite detection and diagnosis of this infectious carrier state constitute the basis for this review: A brief description of the direct microscopic detection of Babesia-infected erytrocytes; PCR-based diagnostic assays, which are very sensitive particularly in detecting Babesia in carrier cattle; in-vitro culture methods, used to demonstrate presence of carrier infections of Babesia sp.; animal inoculation, particularly for B. divergens isolation are discussed. Alternatively, persistently infected animals can be tested for specific antibabesial antibodies by using indirect serological assays. Serological procedures are not necessarily consistent in identifying persistently infected animals and have the disadvantage of presenting with cross reactions between antibodies to Babesia sp.
Effect of 6-Shogaol on the Glucose Uptake and Survival of HT1080 Fibrosarcoma Cells
Authors: Romero-Arias Angie C. , Sequeda-Castañeda Luis G. , Aristizábal-Pachón Andres F. , Morales Ludis
Published: September 2019

Ginger is a plant that is native to southern China. In the last decade and research on the components of ginger has significantly increased; of these components, 6-shogaol exhibits the greatest potential antitumor capacity. However, the molecular mechanism through which 6-shogaol exerts its effects has not yet been elucidated. In this study, the effect of 6-shogaol on tumor cells that were derived from human fibrosarcoma (HT1080) was evaluated. Cell viability was determined by a (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) MTT assay testing different concentrations of 6-shogaol (2.5–150 μM). Subsequently, the effect of 6-shogaol on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, glucose uptake, and protein expression of the signaling pathway phosphatase and tensin homolog/ protein kinase B /mammalian target of rapamycin (PTEN/Akt/mTOR) was measured. 6-Shogaol reduced the viability of the tumor cells and caused an increase in ROS production, which was attenuated with the addition of N-acetylcysteine, and the recovery of cell viability was observed. The increase in ROS production in response to 6-shogaol was associated with cell death. Similarly, glucose uptake decreased with incremental concentrations of 6-shogaol, and an increase in the expression of mTOR-p and Akt-p proteins was observed; PTEN was active in all the treatments with 6-shogaol. Thus, the results suggest that cells activate uncontrolled signaling pathways, such as phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mTOR, among other alternative mechanisms of metabolic modulation and of survival in order to counteract the pro-oxidant effect of 6-shogaol and the decrease in glucose uptake. Interestingly, a differential response was observed when non-cancerous cells were treated with 6-shogaol.
Optical Imaging in Brainsmatics
Authors: Shi Hua , Guan Yue , Chen Jianwei , Luo Qingming
Published: September 2019

When neuroscience’s focus moves from molecular and cellular level to systems level, information technology mixes in and cultivates a new branch neuroinformatics. Especially under the investments of brain initiatives all around the world, brain atlases and connectomics are identified as the substructure to understand the brain. We think it is time to call for a potential interdisciplinary subject, brainsmatics, referring to brain-wide spatial informatics science and emphasizing on precise positioning information affiliated to brain-wide connectome, genome, proteome, transcriptome, metabolome, etc. Brainsmatics methodology includes tracing, surveying, visualizing, and analyzing brain-wide spatial information. Among all imaging techniques, optical imaging is the most appropriate solution to achieve whole-brain connectome in consistent single-neuron resolution. This review aims to introduce contributions of optical imaging to brainsmatics studies, especially the major strategies applied in tracing and surveying processes. After discussions on the state-of-the-art technology, the development objectives of optical imaging in brainsmatics field are suggested. We call for a global contribution to the brainsmatics field from all related communities such as neuroscientists, biologists, engineers, programmers, chemists, mathematicians, physicists, clinicians, pharmacists, etc. As the leading approach, optical imaging will, in turn, benefit from the prosperous development of brainsmatics.
Drought Stress Affects the Response of Italian Local Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Varieties in a Genotype-Dependent Manner
Authors: Conti Veronica , Mareri Lavinia , Faleri Claudia , Nepi Massimo , Romi Marco , Cai Giampiero , Cantini Claudio
Published: September 2019

Drought stress is one of the most severe conditions for plants, especially in the face of the emerging problem of global warming. This issue is important when considering economically relevant crops, including the tomato. For these plants, a promising solution is the valorization of local agrobiodiversity as a source of genetic variability. In this paper we investigated how six Italian tomato varieties react to a prolonged period of water depletion. We used a multidisciplinary approach, from genetics to plant physiology and cytology, to provide a detailed overview of the response of plants to stress. The varieties analyzed, each characterized by a specific genetic profile, showed a genotype-specific response with the variety ‘Fragola’ being the most resistant and the variety ‘Pisanello’ the most susceptible. For all the parameters evaluated, ‘Fragola’ performed in a manner comparable to that of control plants. On the contrary, ‘Pisanello’ appeared to be more affected and showed an increase in the number of stomata and a drastic increase in antioxidants, a symptom of acute oxidative stress. Our work suggests the existence of a valuable reservoir of genetic biodiversity with more drought-tolerant tomato genotypes opening the way to further exploitation and use of local germplasm in breeding programs.
Herbicide Resistance Traits in Maize and Soybean: Current Status and Future Outlook
Authors: Nandula Vijay K.
Published: September 2019

This article reviews, focusing on maize and soybean, previous efforts to develop nontransgenic herbicide-resistant crops (HRCs), currently available transgenic HRC traits and technologies, as well as future chemical weed management options over the horizon. Since the mid twentieth century, herbicides rapidly replaced all other means of weed management. Overreliance on ‘herbicide-only’ weed control strategies hastened evolution of HR weed species. Glyphosate-resistant (GR) crop technology revolutionized weed management in agronomic crops, but GR weeds, led by Palmer amaranth, severely reduced returns from various cropping systems and affected the bottom line of growers across the world. An additional problem was the lack of commercialization of a new herbicide mode of action since the 1990s. Auxinic HRCs offer a short-term alternative for management of GR Palmer amaranth and other weed species. New HRCs stacked with multiple herbicide resistance traits and at least two new herbicide modes of action expected to be available in the mid-2020s provide new chemical options for weed management in row crops in the next decade.
Numerical Simulation and Performance Prediction of Centrifugal Pump’s Full Flow Field Based on OpenFOAM
Authors: Huang Si , Wei Yifeng , Guo Chenguang , Kang Wenming
Published: September 2019

The open-source software OpenFOAM 5.0 was used as a platform to perform steady-state and transient numerical simulation for full flow field of a pipeline centrifugal pump (specific speed ns = 65) in a wide operating capacity range of 0.3Qd~1.4Qd. The standard k-ε and k-ω SST (Shear-Stress Transport) turbulence models were selected in the flow governing equations. The simpleFoam and pimpleDyMFoam solvers were used for the steady-state and transient calculations, respectively. ParaView, the postprocessor in OpenFOAM, was used to display the calculated flow velocity, pressure and streamline distributions, and to analyze the relationship between the vortex and the hydraulic loss in the pump. The external performance parameters of the pump such as head, input power and efficiency were also calculated based on the simulated flow fields. The predicted pump performances by OpenFOAM and Ansys-Fluent are compared with the test results under the same calculation model, grids and boundary conditions. The comparison indicates that OpenFOAM had high accuracy in the prediction of pump performance in the current case.
Benefit Sharing in the Arctic: A Systematic View
Authors: Petrov Andrey , Tysiachniouk Maria
Published: September 2019

Benefit sharing is a key concept for sustainable development in communities affected by the extractive industry. In the Arctic, where extractive activities have been growing, a comprehensive and systematic understanding of benefit sharing frameworks is especially critical. The goal of this paper is to develop a synthesis and advance the theory of benefit sharing frameworks in the Arctic. Based on previously published research, a review of literature, a desktop analysis of national legislation, as well as by capitalizing on the original case studies, this paper analyzes benefit sharing arrangements and develops the typology of benefit sharing regimes in the Arctic. It also discusses the examples of various regimes in Russia, Alaska, and Canada. Each regime is described by a combination of principles, modes, mechanisms, and scales of benefit sharing. Although not exhaustive or entirely comprehensive, this systematization and proposed typologies appear to be useful for streamlining the analysis and improving understanding of benefit sharing in the extractive sector. The paper has not identified an ideal benefit sharing regime in the Arctic, but revealed the advantages and pitfalls of different existing arrangements. In the future, the best regimes –in respect to sustainable development would support the transition from benefit sharing to benefit co-management.
Scale Accuracy Evaluation of Image-Based 3D Reconstruction Strategies Using Laser Photogrammetry
Authors: Istenič Klemen , Gracias Nuno , Arnaubec Aurélien , Escartín Javier , Garcia Rafael
Published: September 2019

Rapid developments in the field of underwater photogrammetry have given scientists the ability to produce accurate 3-dimensional (3D) models which are now increasingly used in the representation and study of local areas of interest. This paper addresses the lack of systematic analysis of 3D reconstruction and navigation fusion strategies, as well as associated error evaluation of models produced at larger scales in GPS-denied environments using a monocular camera (often in deep sea scenarios). Based on our prior work on automatic scale estimation of Structure from Motion (SfM)-based 3D models using laser scalers, an automatic scale accuracy framework is presented. The confidence level for each of the scale error estimates is independently assessed through the propagation of the uncertainties associated with image features and laser spot detections using a Monte Carlo simulation. The number of iterations used in the simulation was validated through the analysis of the final estimate behavior. To facilitate the detection and uncertainty estimation of even greatly attenuated laser beams, an automatic laser spot detection method was developed, with the main novelty of estimating the uncertainties based on the recovered characteristic shapes of laser spots with radially decreasing intensities. The effects of four different reconstruction strategies resulting from the combinations of Incremental/Global SfM, and the a priori and a posteriori use of navigation data were analyzed using two distinct survey scenarios captured during the SUBSAINTES 2017 cruise (doi: 10.17600/17001000). The study demonstrates that surveys with multiple overlaps of nonsequential images result in a nearly identical solution regardless of the strategy (SfM or navigation fusion), while surveys with weakly connected sequentially acquired images are prone to produce broad-scale deformation (doming effect) when navigation is not included in the optimization. Thus the scenarios with complex survey patterns substantially benefit from using multiobjective BA navigation fusion. The errors in models, produced by the most appropriate strategy, were estimated at around 1 % in the central parts and always inferior to 5 % on the extremities. The effects of combining data from multiple surveys were also evaluated. The introduction of additional vectors in the optimization of multisurvey problems successfully accounted for offset changes present in the underwater USBL-based navigation data, and thus minimize the effect of contradicting navigation priors. Our results also illustrate the importance of collecting a multitude of evaluation data at different locations and moments during the survey.
A Method for the Destriping of an Orbita Hyperspectral Image with Adaptive Moment Matching and Unidirectional Total Variation
Authors: Li Qingyang , Zhong Ruofei , Wang Ya
Published: September 2019

The Orbita hyperspectral satellite (OHS) is the first hyperspectral satellite with surface coating technology for sensors in the world. It includes 32 bands from visible to near-infrared wavelengths. However, technology such as the fabricating process of complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) sensors makes the image contain a lot of random and unsystematic stripe noise, which is so bad that it seriously affects visual interpretation, object recognition and the application of the OHS data. Although a large number of stripe removal algorithms have been proposed, very few of them take into account the characteristics of OHS sensors and analyze the causes of OHS data noise. In this paper, we propose a destriping algorithm for OHS data. Firstly, we use both the adaptive moment matching method and multi-level unidirectional total variation method to remove stripes. Then a model based on piecewise linear least squares fitting is proposed to restore the vertical details lost in the first step. Moreover, we further utilize the spectral information of the OHS image, and extend our 2-D destriping method to the 3-D case. Results demonstrate that the proposed method provides the optimal destriping result on both qualitative and quantitative assessments. Moreover, the experimental results show that our method is superior to the existing single-band and multispectral destriping methods. Also, we further use the algorithm to the stripe noise removal of other real remote sensing images, and excellent image quality is obtained, which proves the universality of the algorithm.
Introducing a New Remote Sensing-Based Model for Forecasting Forest Fire Danger Conditions at a Four-Day Scale
Authors: Ahmed M. , Hassan Quazi , Abdollahi Masoud , Gupta Anil
Published: September 2019

Forest fires are natural disasters that create a significant risk to the communities living in the vicinity of forested landscape. To minimize the risk of forest fires for the resilience of such urban communities and forested ecosystems, we proposed a new remote sensing-based medium-term (i.e., four-day) forest fire danger forecasting system (FFDFS) based on an existing framework, and applied the system over the forested regions in the northern Alberta, Canada. Hence, we first employed moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS)-derived daily land surface temperature (Ts) and surface reflectance products along with the annual land cover to generate three four-day composite for Ts, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and normalized difference water index (NDWI) at 500 m spatial resolution for the next four days over the forest-dominant regions. Upon generating these four-day composites, we calculated the variable-specific mean values to determine variable-specific fire danger maps with two danger classes (i.e., high and low). Then, by assuming the cloud-contaminated pixels as the low fire danger areas, we combined these three danger maps to generate a four-day fire danger map with four danger classes (i.e., low, moderate, high, and very high) over our study area of interest, which was further enhanced by incorporation of a human-caused static fire danger map. Finally, the four-day scale fire danger maps were evaluated using observed/ground-based forest fire occurrences during the 2015–2017 fire seasons. The results revealed that our proposed system was able to detect about 75% of the fire events in the top two danger classes (i.e., high and very high). The system was also able to predict the 2016 Horse River wildfire, the worst fire event in Albertian and Canadian history, with about 67% agreement. The higher accuracy outputs from our proposed model indicated that it could be implemented in the operational management, which would be very useful for lessening the adverse impact of such fire events.
Monitoring Drought Impact on Annual Forage Production in Semi-Arid Grasslands: A Case Study of Nebraska Sandhills
Authors: Poděbradská Markéta , Wylie Bruce K. , Hayes Michael J. , Wardlow Brian D. , Bathke Deborah J. , Bliss Norman B. , Dahal Devendra
Published: September 2019

Land management practices and disturbances (e.g. overgrazing, fire) have substantial effects on grassland forage production. When using satellite remote sensing to monitor climate impacts, such as drought stress on annual forage production, minimizing land management practices and disturbance effects sends a clear climate signal to the productivity data. This study investigates the effect of this climate signal by: (1) providing spatial estimates of expected biomass under specific climate conditions, (2) determining which drought indices explain the majority of interannual variability in this biomass, and (3) developing a predictive model that estimates the annual biomass early in the growing season. To address objective 1, this study uses an established methodology to determine Expected Ecosystem Performance (EEP) in the Nebraska Sandhills, US, representing annual forage levels after accounting for non-climatic influences. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-based Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data were used to approximate actual ecosystem performance. Seventeen years (2000–2016) of annual EEP was calculated using piecewise regression tree models of site potential and climate data. Expected biomass (EB), EEP converted to biomass in kg*ha−1*yr−1, was then used to examine the predictive capacity of several drought indices and the onset date of the growing season. Subsets of these indices were used to monitor and predict annual expected grassland biomass. Independent field-based biomass production data available from two Sandhills locations were used for validation of the EEP model. The EB was related to field-based biomass production (R2 = 0.66 and 0.57) and regional rangeland productivity statistics of the Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO) dataset. The Evaporative Stress Index (ESI), the 3- and 6-month Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), and the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM), which represented moisture conditions during May, June and July, explained the majority of the interannual biomass variability in this grassland system (three-month ESI explained roughly 72% of the interannual biomass variability). A new model was developed to use drought indices from early in the growing season to predict the total EB for the whole growing season. This unique approach considers only climate-related drought signal on productivity. The capability to estimate annual EB by the end of May will potentially enable land managers to make informed decisions about stocking rates, hay purchase needs, and other management issues early in the season, minimizing their potential drought losses.
Portable Skin Analyzers with Simultaneous Measurements of Transepidermal Water Loss, Skin Conductance and Skin Hardness
Authors: Sim Daniel (Jai Kyoung) , Kim Sung Mok , Kim Steve S. , Doh Il
Published: September 2019

Simultaneous measurement of skin physiological and physical properties are important for the diagnosis of skin diseases and monitoring of human performance, since it provides more comprehensive understanding on the skin conditions. Current skin analysis devices, however, require each of probes and unique protocols for the measurement of individual skin properties, resulting in inconvenience and increase of measurement uncertainty. This paper presents a pen-type skin analyzing device capable tomeasure three key skin properties at the same time: transepidermal water loss (TEWL), skin conductance, and skin hardness. It uses a single truncated hollow cone (THC) probe integrated with a humidity sensor, paired electrodes, and a load cell for the multimodal assessment of the skin properties. The present device measured TEWL with a sensitivity of 0.0068 (%/s)/(g/m2/h) and a linearity of 99.63%, conductance with a sensitivity of 1.02 µS/µS and a linearity of 99.36%, and hardness with a sensitivity of 0.98 Shore 00/Shore 00 and a linearity of 99.85%, within the appropriate ranges for the human skin. The present pen-type device has a high potential for the skin health diagnosis as well as the human performance monitoring applications.
Effective Efficiency Advantage Assessment of Information Filter for Conventional Kalman Filter in GNSS Scenarios
Authors: Zheng Yanning , Wang Siyou , Wang Shengli
Published: September 2019

The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is a widely used positioning technique. Computational efficiency is crucial to applications such as real-time GNSS positioning and GNSS network data processing. Many researchers have made great efforts to address this problem by means such as parameter elimination or satellite selection. However, parameter estimation is rarely discussed when analyzing GNSS algorithm efficiency. In addition, most studies on Kalman filter (KF) efficiency commonly have defects, such as neglecting application-specified optimization and limiting specific hardware platforms in the conclusion. The former reduces the practicality of the solution, because applications that need such analyses on filters are often optimized, and the latter reduces its generality because of differences between platforms. In this paper, the computational cost enhancement of replacing the conventional KF with the information filter (IF) is tested considering GNSS application-oriented optimization conditions and hardware platform differences. First, optimization conditions are abstracted from GNSS data-processing scenarios. Then, a thorough analysis is carried out on the computational cost of the filters, considering hardware–platform differences. Finally, a case of GNSS dynamic differencing positioning is studied. The simulation shows that the IF is slightly faster for precise point positioning and much faster for the code-based single-difference GNSS (SDGNSS) with the constant velocity (CV) model than the conventional KF, but is not a good substitute for the conventional KF in the other algorithms mentioned. The real test shows that the IF is about 50% faster than the conventional KF handling code-based SDGNSS with the CV model. Also, the information filter is theoretically equivalent to and can produce results that are consistent with the Kalman filter. Our conclusions can be used as a reference for GNSS applications that need high process speed or real-time capability.
Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Imagery and Deep Learning UNet to Extract Rice Lodging
Authors: Zhao Xin , Yuan Yitong , Song Mengdie , Ding Yang , Lin Fenfang , Liang Dong , Zhang Dongyan
Published: September 2019

Rice lodging severely affects harvest yield. Traditional evaluation methods and manual on-site measurement are found to be time-consuming, labor-intensive, and cost-intensive. In this study, a new method for rice lodging assessment based on a deep learning UNet (U-shaped Network) architecture was proposed. The UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) equipped with a high-resolution digital camera and a three-band multispectral camera synchronously was used to collect lodged and non-lodged rice images at an altitude of 100 m. After splicing and cropping the original images, the datasets with the lodged and non-lodged rice image samples were established by augmenting for building a UNet model. The research results showed that the dice coefficients in RGB (Red, Green and Blue) image and multispectral image test set were 0.9442 and 0.9284, respectively. The rice lodging recognition effect using the RGB images without feature extraction is better than that of multispectral images. The findings of this study are useful for rice lodging investigations by different optical sensors, which can provide an important method for large-area, high-efficiency, and low-cost rice lodging monitoring research.