bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Tumor Suppressive mir-148a Is Epigenetically Inactivated in Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma
Authors: Paczkowska Julia , Janiszewska Joanna , Bein Julia , Schneider Markus , Bednarek Kinga , Ustaszewski Adam , Hartmann Sylvia , Hansmann Martin-Leo , Giefing Maciej
Published: October 2020

DNA methylation was shown previously to be a crucial mechanism responsible for transcriptional deregulation in the pathogenesis of classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). To identify epigenetically inactivated miRNAs in cHL, we have analyzed the set of miRNAs downregulated in cHL cell lines using bisulfite pyrosequencing. We focused on miRNAs with promoter regions located within or <1000 bp from a CpG island. Most promising candidate miRNAs were further studied in primary Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells obtained by laser capture microdissection. Last, to evaluate the function of identified miRNAs, we performed a luciferase reporter assay to confirm miRNA: mRNA interactions and therefore established cHL cell lines with stable overexpression of selected miRNAs for proliferation tests. We found a significant reverse correlation between DNA methylation and expression levels of mir-339-3p, mir-148a-3p, mir-148a-5p and mir-193a-5 demonstrating epigenetic regulation of these miRNAs in cHL cell lines. Moreover, we demonstrated direct interaction between miR-148a-3p and IL15 and HOMER1 transcripts as well as between mir-148a-5p and SUB1 and SERPINH1 transcripts. Furthermore, mir-148a overexpression resulted in reduced cell proliferation in the KM-H2 cell line. In summary, we report that mir-148a is a novel tumor suppressor inactivated in cHL and that epigenetic silencing of miRNAs is a common phenomenon in cHL.
PXR Functionally Interacts with NF-κB and AP-1 to Downregulate the Inflammation-Induced Expression of Chemokine CXCL2 in Mice
Authors: Okamura Maya , Shizu Ryota , Abe Taiki , Kodama Susumu , Hosaka Takuomi , Sasaki Takamitsu , Yoshinari Kouichi
Published: October 2020

Pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a liver-enriched xenobiotic-responsive transcription factor. Although recent studies suggest that PXR shows anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), the detailed mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to elucidate this mechanism. Mice were treated intraperitoneally with the PXR agonist pregnenolone 16α-carbonitrile (PCN) and/or carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Liver injury was evaluated, and hepatic mRNA levels were determined via quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Reporter assays with wild-type and mutated mouse Cxcl2 promoter-containing reporter plasmids were conducted in 293T cells. Results showed that the hepatic expression of inflammation-related genes was upregulated in CCl4-treated mice, and PCN treatment repressed the induced expression of chemokine-encoding Ccl2 and Cxcl2 among the genes investigated. Consistently, PCN treatment suppressed the increased plasma transaminase activity and neutrophil infiltration in the liver. In reporter assays, tumor necrosis factor-α-induced Cxcl2 expression was suppressed by PXR. Although an NF-κB inhibitor or the mutation of an NF-κB-binding motif partly reduced PXR-dependent suppression, the mutation of both NF-κB and activator protein 1 (AP-1) sites abolished it. Consistently, AP-1-dependent gene transcription was suppressed by PXR with a construct containing AP-1 binding motifs. In conclusion, the present results suggest that PXR exerts anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing both NF-κB- and AP-1-dependent chemokine expression in mouse liver.
Newborn Screening Samples for Diabetes Research: An Underused Resource
Authors: Estrella Jane Frances Grace Lustre , Immanuel Jincy , Wiley Veronica , Simmons David
Published: October 2020

Inborn errors of metabolism and diabetes share common derangements in analytes of metabolic networks that are tested for in newborn screening, usually performed 48–72 h after birth. There is limited research examining the metabolic imprint of diabetes on newborn screening results. This paper aims to demonstrate the links between diabetes, biochemical genetics and newborn screening in investigating disease pathophysiology in diabetes, provide possible reasons for the lack of research in diabetes in newborn screening and offer recommendations on potential research areas. We performed a systematic search of the available literature from 1 April 1998 to 31 December 2018 involving newborn screening and diabetes using OVID, MEDLINE, Cochrane and the PROSPERO register, utilizing a modified extraction tool adapted from Cochrane. Eight studies were included after screening 1312 records. Five studies reanalyzed dried blood spots (DBS) on filter paper cards, and three studies utilized pre-existing results. The results of these studies and how they relate to cord blood studies, the use of cord blood versus newborn screening dried blood spots as a sample and considerations on newborn screening and diabetes research is further discussed. The timing of sampling of newborn screening allows insight into neonatal physiology in a catabolic state with minimal maternal and placental influence. This, combined with the wide coverage of newborn screening worldwide, may aid in our understanding of the origins of diabetes.
Mechanistic Modeling of the Relative Biological Effectiveness of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy
Authors: Streitmatter Seth W. , Stewart Robert D. , Moffitt Gregory , Jevremovic Tatjana
Published: October 2020

Accurate dosimetry and determination of the biological effectiveness of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is challenging because of the mix of different types and energies of radiation at the cellular and subcellular levels. In this paper, we present a computational, multiscale system of models to better assess the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) and compound biological effectiveness (CBE) of several neutron sources as applied to BNCT using boronophenylalanine (BPA) and a potential monoclonal antibody (mAb) that targets HER-2-positive cells with Trastuzumab. The multiscale model is tested against published in vitro and in vivo measurements of cell survival with and without boron. The combined dosimetric and radiobiological model includes an analytical formulation that accounts for the type of neutron source, the tissue- or cancer-specific dose–response characteristics, and the microdistribution of boron. Tests of the model against results from published experiments with and without boron show good agreement between modeled and experimentally determined cell survival for neutrons alone and in combination with boron. The system of models developed in this work is potentially useful as an aid for the optimization and individualization of BNCT for HER-2-positive cancers, as well as other cancers, that can be targeted with mAb or a conventional BPA compound.
Differences in Gating Dynamics of BK Channels in Cellular and Mitochondrial Membranes from Human Glioblastoma Cells Unraveled by Short- and Long-Range Correlations Analysis
Authors: Wawrzkiewicz-Jałowiecka Agata , Trybek Paulina , Borys Przemysław , Dworakowska Beata , Machura Łukasz , Bednarczyk Piotr
Published: October 2020

The large-conductance voltage- and Ca2+-activated K+ channels (BK) are encoded in humans by the Kcnma1 gene. Nevertheless, BK channel isoforms in different locations can exhibit functional heterogeneity mainly due to the alternative splicing during the Kcnma1 gene transcription. Here, we would like to examine the existence of dynamic diversity of BK channels from the inner mitochondrial and cellular membrane from human glioblastoma (U-87 MG). Not only the standard characteristics of the spontaneous switching between the functional states of the channel is discussed, but we put a special emphasis on the presence and strength of correlations within the signal describing the single-channel activity. The considered short- and long-range memory effects are here analyzed as they can be interpreted in terms of the complexity of the switching mechanism between stable conformational states of the channel. We calculate the dependencies of mean dwell-times of (conducting/non-conducting) states on the duration of the previous state, Hurst exponents by the rescaled range R/S method and detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA), and use the multifractal extension of the DFA (MFDFA) for the series describing single-channel activity. The obtained results unraveled statistically significant diversity in gating machinery between the mitochondrial and cellular BK channels.
Novel 1D/2D KWO/Ti3C2Tx Nanocomposite-Based Acetone Sensor for Diabetes Prevention and Monitoring
Authors: Ama Obinna , Sadiq Mahek , Johnson Michael , Zhang Qifeng , Wang Danling
Published: October 2020

The acetone content in the exhaled breath of individuals as a biomarker of diabetes has become widely studied as a non-invasive means of quantifying blood glucose levels. This calls for development of sensors for the quantitative analysis of trace concentration of acetone, which is presents in the human exhaled breath. Traditional gas detection systems, such as the Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry and several types of chemiresistive sensors are currently being used for this purpose. However, these systems are known to have limitations of size, cost, response time, operating conditions, and consistent accuracy. An ideal breath acetone sensor should provide solutions to overcome the above limitations and provide good stability and reliability. It should be a simple and portable detection system of good sensitivity, selectivity that is low in terms of both cost and power consumption. To achieve this goal, in this paper, we report a new sensing nanomaterial made by nanocomposite, 1D KWO (K2W7O22) nanorods/2D Ti3C2Tx nanosheets, as the key component to design an acetone sensor. The preliminary result exhibits that the new nanocomposite has an improved response to acetone, with 10 times higher sensitivity comparing to KWO-based sensor, much better tolerance of humidity interference and enhanced stability for multiple months. By comparing with other nanomaterials: Ti3C2, KWO, and KWO/Ti3C2Tx nanocomposites with variable ratio of KWO and Ti3C2Tx from 1:1, 1:2, 1:5, 2:1, 4:1, and 9:1, the initial results confirm the potential of the novel KWO/Ti3C2 (2:1) nanocomposite to be an excellent sensing material for application in sensitive and selective detection of breath acetone for diabetics health care and prevention.
The Impact of Moderate-Dose Acetylsalicylic Acid in the Reduction of Inflammatory Cytokine and Prevention of Complication in Acute Phase of Kawasaki Disease: The Benefit of Moderate-Dose Acetylsalicylic Acid
Authors: Kwon Jung Eun , Roh Da Eun , Kim Yeo Hyang
Published: October 2020

Background: Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) is part of the recommended treatment of Kawasaki disease (KD). Controversies remain regarding the optimal dose of ASA. We aimed to evaluate the impact of different doses of ASA on inflammation control while minimizing adverse effects in the acute phase treatment of KD. Methods: The enrolled 323 patients with KD were divided into three groups according to ASA dose: moderate-dose (30–50 mg/kg/day), high-dose (80–100 mg/kg/day), and non-ASA. Results: High-dose ASA group showed a significantly shorter duration of fever from the start of treatment to remission than other groups. Baseline level and delta score of interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α, and transforming growth factor β were not statistically different among the groups. The number of patients who received additional treatments in the non-ASA group was more than other groups. Coronary artery dilatation was not significantly different among the groups. One patient with high-dose ASA was diagnosed with Reye syndrome. Conclusion: Different doses of ASA did not show any differences in changes of inflammatory bio-makers and cytokines. However, high-dose ASA showed occurrence of Reye syndrome, and non-ASA showed intravenous immunoglobulin refractoriness. We suggest that moderate-dose ASA may be beneficial for the treatment of patients in the acute phase of KD.
Longitudinal Predictors of Self-Regulation at School Entry: Findings from the All Our Families Cohort
Authors: Hetherington Erin , McDonald Sheila , Racine Nicole , Tough Suzanne
Published: October 2020

Self-regulation is the ability to manage emotions, modulate behaviors, and focus attention. This critical skill begins to develop in infancy, improves substantially in early childhood and continues through adolescence, and has been linked to long-term health and well-being. The objectives of this study were to determine risk factors and moderators associated with the three elements of self-regulation (i.e., inattention, emotional control, or behavioral control) as well as overall self-regulation, among children at age 5. Participants were mother–child dyads from the All Our Families study (n = 1644). Self-regulation was assessed at age 5. Risk factors included income, maternal mental health, child sex, and screen time, and potential moderation by parenting and childcare. Adjusted odds ratios of children being at risk for poor self were estimated using multivariable logistic regression. Twenty-one percent of children had poor self-regulation skills. Risk factors for poor self-regulation included lower income, maternal mental health difficulties, and male sex. Childcare and poor parenting did not moderate these associations and hostile and ineffective parenting was independently associated with poor self-regulation. Excess screen time (>1 h per day) was associated with poor self-regulation. Self-regulation involves a complex and overlapping set of skills and risk factors that operate differently on different elements. Parenting and participation in childcare do not appear to moderate the associations between lower income, maternal mental health, male sex, and screen time with child self-regulation.
Highly Hydrophobic and Self-Cleaning Heat-Treated Larix spp. Prepared by TiO2 and ZnO Particles onto Wood Surface
Authors: Xing Dong , Zhang Yan , Hu Jianpeng , Yao Lihong
Published: October 2020

The deposition of TiO2/ZnO on heat-treated wood was prepared by a hydrothermal reaction and sol-gel method. Highly hydrophobic wood was successfully prepared with low surface free energy. The surface-modified wood samples were characterized by 3D-laser shape measurement microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for the microstructure and chemical composition investigation. The deposited TiO2 or ZnO markedly made the wood surface brighter, which was demonstrated by visual observation and spectrophotometer. The TiO2/ZnO particles were successfully loaded onto the surface of the wood, proven by SEM-EDS and FTIR analyses. The contact angle of TiO2 and ZnO-modified wood reached 123.9° and 134.1° respectively, which is obviously higher than that of the control at 88.9°. The hydrophobic properties of the TiO2/ZnO modified wood samples were directly related to the shapes of clusters and spheres of particles, which increased the roughness of the wood surface. This study shows the hydrophobic properties of the TiO2/ZnO-modified wood and provides the color and roughness changes for the painting process of heat-treated wood.
Bismuth Polycations Revisited: Alternative Synthesis and Electronic Structure of Bi6Br7, and Bonding in Main-Group Polyatomic Ions from a Direct Space Perspective
Authors: Stroganova Ekaterina A. , Troyanov Sergey I. , Morozov Igor V. , Kuznetsov Alexey N.
Published: October 2020

A bismuth subbromide, Bi6Br7, was synthesized in the form of single crystals using the reaction between Bi and Hg2Br2 in a gradient furnace. Its crystal structure was reinvestigated by low-temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction (Pnnm, a = 15.4996(6) Å, b = 23.6435(7) Å, c = 9.0231(2) Å, Z = 8, R1 = 0.041, wRall = 0.087). Based on the diffraction data, the structure description was revised as containing Bi95+ cluster polycations and 1∞[Bi3Br145−] ladder-like anions. DFT calculations of band structure showed the compound to be a narrow-gap semiconductor with a band gap of ca. 1.3 eV, with the nature of the compound as ionic salt confirmed by charge density analysis. Direct-space bonding analysis based on the ELF topology and QTAIM partitioning, performed for all known homoatomic bismuth polycations, as well as isoelectronic main-group metal ions, shows patterns of localized pairwise and three-center bonding forming the frameworks of the clusters. In addition to obtaining new data, the use of highly augmented basis sets allowed us to revise and amend several previously made conclusions regarding bonding in such species.
The Detection of Monoclinic Zirconia and Non-Uniform 3D Crystallographic Strain in a Re-Oxidized Ni-YSZ Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Anode
Authors: Heenan Thomas M. M. , Vamvakeros Antonis , Tan Chun , Finegan Donal P. , Daemi Sohrab R. , Jacques Simon D. M. , Beale Andrew M. , Di Michiel Marco , Brett Dan J. L. , Shearing Paul R.
Published: October 2020

The solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) anode is often composed of nickel (Ni) and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). The yttria is added in small quantities (e.g., 8 mol %) to maintain the crystallographic structure throughout the operating temperatures (e.g., room-temperature to >800 °C). The YSZ skeleton provides a constraining structural support that inhibits degradation mechanisms such as Ni agglomeration and thermal expansion miss-match between the anode and electrolyte layers. Within this structure, the Ni is deposited in the oxide form and then reduced during start-up; however, exposure to oxygen (e.g., during gasket failure) readily re-oxidizes the Ni back to NiO, impeding electrochemical performance and introducing complex structural stresses. In this work, we correlate lab-based X-ray computed tomography using zone plate focusing optics, with X-ray synchrotron diffraction computed tomography to explore the crystal structure of a partially re-oxidized Ni/NiO-YSZ electrode. These state-of-the-art techniques expose several novel findings: non-isotropic YSZ lattice distributions; the presence of monoclinic zirconia around the oxidation boundary; and metallic strain complications in the presence of variable yttria content. This work provides evidence that the reduction–oxidation processes may destabilize the YSZ structure, producing monoclinic zirconia and microscopic YSZ strain, which has implications upon the electrode’s mechanical integrity and thus lifetime of the SOFC.
One-Dimensional Alternating Extended Hubbard Model at Quarter-Filling and Its Applications to Structural Instabilities of Organic Conductors
Authors: Ménard M. , Bourbonnais C.
Published: October 2020

The one-dimensional extended Hubbard model with lattice dimerization and alternated site potentials is analyzed using the renormalization group method. The coupling of electrons to structural degrees of freedom such as the anion lattice and acoustic phonons is investigated to obtain the possible instabilities against the formation of lattice superstructures. Applications of the theory to anionic and spin-Peierls instabilities in the Fabre and Bechgaard salts series of organic conductors and ordered alloys are presented and discussed.
Comment on “Maize and Grass Silage Feeding to Dairy Cows Combined with Different Concentrate Feed Proportions with a Special Focus on Mycotoxins, Shiga Toxin (stx)-Forming Escherichia coli and Clostridium botulinum Neurotoxin (BoNT) Genes: Implications for Animal Health and Food Safety”. Dairy 2020, 1, 91–125
Authors: Caroprese Mariangela
Published: October 2020

Dänicke and colleagues carried out an interesting experiment with late-lactating cows fed a diet with maize and grass silage (MS, GS) combined with different portions of concentrate in the ration (20% and 60% on a dry matter basis) [...]
Guideline for Urine Culture and Biochemical Identification of Bacterial Urinary Pathogens in Low-Resource Settings
Authors: Karah Nabil , Rafei Rayane , Elamin Wael , Ghazy Anan , Abbara Aula , Hamze Monzer , Uhlin Bernt Eric
Published: October 2020

Medical diagnosis in low-resource settings is confronted by the lack of suitable guidelines, protocols and checklists. Online-accessible procedural documents are difficult to find, might be mistranslated or interpreted and usually do not address the needs of developing countries. Urinalysis, one of the most frequently performed diagnostic examinations worldwide, involves a series of tests aiming to detect particular disorders, such as urinary tract infections, kidney disease and diabetes. In this guideline, we present an alternative approach for clinical laboratories with limited resources to identify common bacterial uropathogens. We propose dividing the identification plan into two levels. The implicated pathogen will first be assigned into a bacterial group, basic identification, against which a suitable panel of antimicrobial agents shall be selected for the antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). Characterization of the pathogen to the genus or species level, advanced identification, will then be performed to ensure correct reading of the AST results and determine the epidemiology of clinically significant pathogens. Most of the proposed steps in our guideline are tailored to meet the needs of clinical laboratories in low-resource settings. Such guidelines are needed to strengthen the capacity of regional pathology laboratories and to enhance international initiatives on antimicrobial resistance and health equity.
A Pilot Study of the Reliability and Agreement of Heart Rate, Respiratory Rate and Short-Term Heart Rate Variability in Elite Modern Pentathlon Athletes
Authors: Hoffmann Bartosz , Flatt Andrew A. , Silva Luiz Eduardo Virgilio , Młyńczak Marcel , Baranowski Rafał , Dziedzic Ewelina , Werner Bożena , Gąsior Jakub S.
Published: October 2020

Research on reliability of heart rate variability (HRV) parameters in athletes has received increasing attention. The aims of this study were to examine the inter-day reliability of short-term (5 min) and ultra-short-term (1 min) heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RespRate) and HRV parameters, agreement between short-term and ultra-short-term parameters, and association between differences in HR, RespRate and HRV parameters in elite modern pentathletes. Electrocardiographic recordings were performed in stable measurement conditions with a week interval between tests. Relative reliability was evaluated by intra-class correlation coefficients, absolute reliability was evaluated by within-subject coefficient of variation, and agreement was evaluated using Bland–Altman (BA) plot with limits of agreement and defined a priori maximum acceptable difference. Short-term HR, RespRate, log transformed (ln) root mean square of successive normal-to-normal interval differences (lnRMSSD), ln high frequency (lnHF) and SD2/SD1 HRV indices and ultra-short-term HR, RespRate and lnRMSSD presented acceptable, satisfactory inter-day reliability. Although there were no significant differences between short-term and ultra-short-term HR, RespRate and lnRMSSD, no parameter showed acceptable differences with BA plots. Differences in time-domain and non-linear HRV parameters were more correlated with differences in HR than with differences in RespRate. Inverse results were observed for frequency-domain parameters. Short-term HR, RespRate, lnRMSSD, lnHF, and SD2/SD1 and ultra-short-term HR, RespRate and lnRMSSD could be used as reliable parameters in endurance athletes. However, practitioners should interpret changes in HRV parameters with regard to concomitant differences in HR and RespRate and caution should be taken before considering 5 min and 1 min parameters as interchangeable.
Digital Competitiveness in the European Union Era: The Greek Case
Authors: Laitsou Eleni , Kargas Antonios , Varoutas Dimitris
Published: October 2020

Digital competitiveness is gaining more and more attention as a source of competitive advantage at the business and national economies levels. Digital economy performance is a matter of national strategies for achieving economic growth and socioeconomic development. Widely accepted instruments for reporting progress in these areas have been recently developed, including the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI index). The current study aims to use the DESI index and its five dimensions (namely Connectivity, Human Capital, Use of Internet Services, Integration of Digital Technology and Digital Public Services) not only as a tool for recognizing the current state, but also to forecast progress under the Greek economic environment. The Gompertz model was used as a methodological tool and it is valuable that a diffusion model has been implemented on a composite index related to countries’ digital competitiveness. Moreover, the results reveal the areas where convergencies and divergencies exist between Greece and the rest of the EU-28 member states, while forecast permits one to evaluate how current policies have a significant impact on digital competitiveness. Results indicate that Greece is facing significant challenges as a result of the low state of digitization, coming from both the demand side (businesses that consume internet services) and the offer side (institutional and governmental constraints). The proposed results could be used in order to readjust existing policies and to spot aspects where further improvement is needed to achieve high standards of digital competitiveness.
Cortical Contrast Processing in Retinitis Pigmentosa: Evidence of PVEPs Spatial Functions
Authors: Mancebo-Azor Rafael , Sáez-Moreno José Antonio , Rodríguez-Ferrer José Manuel
Published: October 2020

Objective: To study the effect of check width size of the stimuli on the amplitude and latency of the P100 component of visual evoked potentials recorded in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Methods: Pattern reversal visual evoked potentials (PVEPs) were recorded in 16 RP patients and 20 visually normal subjects. Pattern reversal stimuli with five different check widths and 100% of contrast were projected in the right eye of both patients and control subjects. PVEPs induced by stimuli with 78%, 16%, and 6% of contrast were also recorded in 10 of the control subjects. Results: In RP patients, the amplitude of P100 was smaller than controls in all check sized used and the peak P100 amplitude was obtained with a larger check width than in controls. P100 was also delayed in RP patients in all check sizes studied. The P100 amplitude- and latency-check size functions of RP patients were like those found in control subjects with low contrast stimuli of 16% and 6%. Conclusion: The PVEPs spatial functions of RP patients show quantitative and qualitative changes, suggesting disease induced alteration in the neural processing of stimulus contrast.
Classification of Essential Tremor and Parkinson’s Tremor Based on a Low-Power Wearable Device
Authors: Locatelli Patrick , Alimonti Dario , Traversi Gianluca , Re Valerio
Published: October 2020

Among movement disorders, essential tremor is by far the most common, as much as eight times more prevalent than Parkinson’s disease. Although these two conditions differ in their presentation and course, clinicians do not always recognize them, leading to common misdiagnoses. Proper and early diagnosis is important for receiving the right treatment and support. In this paper, the development of a portable and reliable tremor classification system based on a wearable device, enabling clinicians to differentiate between essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease-associated one, is reported. Inertial data were collected from subjects with a well-established diagnosis of tremor, and analyzed to extract different sets of relevant spectral features. Supervised learning methods were then applied to build several classification models, among which the best ones achieved an average accuracy above 90%. Results encourage the use of wearable technology as effective and affordable tools to support clinicians.
Design of Dual-Band Dual-Mode Band-Pass Filter Utilizing 0° Feed Structure and Lumped Capacitors for WLAN/WiMAX Applications
Authors: Ibrahim Ahmed A. , Ali Wael A. E. , A. Abdelghany Mahmoud
Published: October 2020

Two dual-band second-order highly selective band pass filters operated at 3.5/5.5 GHz and 3.5/6 GHz for wireless local area network /worldwide interoperability for microwave access WLAN/WiMAX applications are introduced in this paper. The designed filters are inspired of utilizing two coupled open-loop resonators loaded with stub, spiral resonators and lumped capacitors. The filters are designed based on calculating the desired coupling matrix and the external quality factor. The first and the second filters are designed at the fundamental mode of 3.5 GHz then the first filter is loaded with two spiral resonators in the microstrip line to produce the desired band stop behaviour, which in turn achieves the second pass-band. However, the second band of the second filter is achieved by loading the stub with the lumped capacitors, which controls the second mode. The centre frequency of the second band is adjusted by varying the lumped capacitors values. The two designed filters have insertion loss less than 0.7 dB in the pass-band region, high selectivity with more than 4 transmission zeros and more than 20 dB attenuation level in the stop band region. The suggested filter has compact size and high selectivity with tunability behavior. The two filters are fabricated and measured to validate the simulated results.
Temporal Auditory Coding Features for Causal Speech Enhancement
Authors: Thoidis Iordanis , Vrysis Lazaros , Markou Dimitrios , Papanikolaou George
Published: October 2020

Perceptually motivated audio signal processing and feature extraction have played a key role in the determination of high-level semantic processes and the development of emerging systems and applications, such as mobile phone telecommunication and hearing aids. In the era of deep learning, speech enhancement methods based on neural networks have seen great success, mainly operating on the log-power spectra. Although these approaches surpass the need for exhaustive feature extraction and selection, it is still unclear whether they target the important sound characteristics related to speech perception. In this study, we propose a novel set of auditory-motivated features for single-channel speech enhancement by fusing temporal envelope and temporal fine structure information in the context of vocoder-like processing. A causal gated recurrent unit (GRU) neural network is employed to recover the low-frequency amplitude modulations of speech. Experimental results indicate that the exploited system achieves considerable gains for normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners, in terms of objective intelligibility and quality metrics. The proposed auditory-motivated feature set achieved better objective intelligibility results compared to the conventional log-magnitude spectrogram features, while mixed results were observed for simulated listeners with hearing loss. Finally, we demonstrate that the proposed analysis/synthesis framework provides satisfactory reconstruction accuracy of speech signals.
Sky Imager-Based Forecast of Solar Irradiance Using Machine Learning
Authors: Al-lahham Anas , Theeb Obaidah , Elalem Khaled , A. Alshawi Tariq , A. Alshebeili Saleh
Published: October 2020

Ahead-of-time forecasting of the output power of power plants is essential for the stability of the electricity grid and ensuring uninterrupted service. However, forecasting renewable energy sources is difficult due to the chaotic behavior of natural energy sources. This paper presents a new approach to estimate short-term solar irradiance from sky images. The proposed algorithm extracts features from sky images and use learning-based techniques to estimate the solar irradiance. The performance of proposed machine learning (ML) algorithm is evaluated using two publicly available datasets of sky images. The datasets contain over 350,000 images for an interval of 16 years, from 2004 to 2020, with the corresponding global horizontal irradiance (GHI) of each image as the ground truth. Compared to the state-of-the-art computationally heavy algorithms proposed in the literature, our approach achieves competitive results with much less computational complexity for both nowcasting and forecasting up to 4 h ahead of time.
Modeling Biomass and Nutrients in a Eucalyptus Stand in the Cerrado
Authors: Valadão Marco B. X. , Carneiro Karla M. S. , Ribeiro Fabiana P. , Inkotte Jonas , Rodrigues Maísa I. , Mendes Thallita R. S. , Vieira Daniel A. , Matias Renan A. M. , Lima Mirella B. O. , Miguel Eder P. , Gatto Alcides
Published: October 2020

The prediction of biological processes, which involve growth and plant development, is possible via the adjustment of mathematical models. In forest areas, these models assist in management practices, silviculture, harvesting, and soil fertility. Diameter, basal area, and height are predictors of volume and biomass estimates in forest stands. This study utilized different non-linear models for estimating biomass and nutrient values in the aerial biomass and roots of an unmanaged eucalypt stand in Cerrado dystrophic soil. It was hypothesized that the models would estimate the nutrients of the aboveground biomass and roots after meeting the selection and validation criteria. By statistical analysis of the parameters and subsequent validation, the Schumacher–Hall model was presented to be the best fit for biomass and nutrients. This result confirmed the ability of different variables, including diameter, basal area, and height, to be predicted. Estimating the nutrient values in the aboveground biomass and roots allowed a better understanding of the quality of the vegetal residues that remained in the soil. For dystrophic soils, which occur in the Cerrado, these estimates become even more relevant.
On the Effect of Block Roughness in Ogee Spillways with Flip Buckets
Authors: Daneshfaraz Rasoul , Ghaderi Amir , Akhtari Aliakbar , Di Francesco Silvia
Published: October 2020

In this study, the effect of the presence of bed-block roughness in an ogee spillway on energy dissipation and jet length is investigated. A series of experimental and numerical tests were conducted using an ogee spillway with block roughness on the bed without a flip bucket and with a flip bucket at different take-off angles (32 °C and 52 °C). To model the free-flow surface, the volume-of-fluid (VOF) method and turbulence model from RNG k–ε were used. Results indicated that the numerical model is fairly capable of simulating a free-flow surface over an ogee spillway; using block roughness on the spillway chute without a bucket, relative energy dissipation increased by 15.4% compared to that in the spillway with a smooth bed, while for the spillway with 32 °C and 52 °C buckets, it increased by 9.5%. The jet length for a spillway with a flip bucket and roughened bed decreased by 8% to 58% compared to that in a smooth bed. Lastly, the relationships for the estimation of relative energy dissipation and jet length are presented.
Taste Interactions between Sweetness of Sucrose and Sourness of Citric and Tartaric Acid among Chinese and Danish Consumers
Authors: Junge Jonas Yde , Bertelsen Anne Sjoerup , Mielby Line Ahm , Zeng Yan , Sun Yuan-Xia , Byrne Derek Victor , Kidmose Ulla
Published: October 2020

Tastes interact in almost every consumed food or beverage, yet many aspects of interactions, such as sweet-sour interactions, are not well understood. This study investigated the interaction between sweetness from sucrose and sourness from citric and tartaric acid, respectively. A cross-cultural consumer study was conducted in China (n = 120) and Denmark (n = 139), respectively. Participants evaluated six aqueous samples with no addition (control), sucrose, citric acid, tartaric acid, or a mixture of sucrose and citric acid or sucrose and tartaric acid. No significant difference was found between citric acid and tartaric acid in the suppression of sweetness intensity ratings of sucrose. Further, sucrose suppressed sourness intensity ratings of citric acid and tartaric acid similarly. Culture did not impact the suppression of sweetness intensity ratings of citric or tartaric acid, whereas it did influence sourness intensity ratings. While the Danish consumers showed similar suppression of sourness by both acids, the Chinese consumers were more susceptible towards the sourness suppression caused by sucrose in the tartaric acid-sucrose mixture compared to the citric acid-sucrose mixture. Agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis revealed clusters of consumers with significant differences in sweetness intensity ratings and sourness intensity ratings. These results indicate that individual differences in taste perception might affect perception of sweet-sour taste interactions, at least in aqueous solutions.
Procedures for DNA Extraction from Opium Poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) and Poppy Seed-Containing Products
Authors: Kaňuková Šarlota , Mrkvová Michaela , Mihálik Daniel , Kraic Ján
Published: October 2020

Several commonly used extraction procedures and commercial kits were compared for extraction of DNA from opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) seeds, ground seeds, pollen grains, poppy seed filling from a bakery product, and poppy oil. The newly developed extraction protocol was much simpler, reduced the cost and time required for DNA extraction from the native and ground seeds, and pollen grains. The quality of extracted DNA by newly developed protocol was better or comparable to the most efficient ones. After being extended by a simple purification step on a silica membrane column, the newly developed protocol was also very effective in extracting of poppy DNA from poppy seed filling. DNA extracted from this poppy matrix was amplifiable by PCR analysis. DNA extracted from cold-pressed poppy oil and suitable for amplifications was obtained only by methods developed previously for olive oil. Extracted poppy DNA from all tested matrices was analysed by PCR using primers flanking a microsatellite locus (156 bp) and two different fragments of the reference tubulin gene (553 bp and 96 bp). The long fragment of the reference gene was amplified in DNA extracted from native seeds, ground seeds, and pollen grains. Poppy DNA extracted from the filling of bakery product was confirmed only by amplification of short fragments (96 bp and 156 bp). DNA extracted from cold-pressed poppy oil was determined also only by amplification of these two short fragments.
Comparison of Physicochemical Properties and Metabolite Profiling Using 1H NMR Spectroscopy of Korean Wheat Malt
Authors: Byeon Yang Soo , Lee Dabeen , Hong Young-Shick , Lim Seung-Taik , Kim Sang Sook , Kwak Han Sub
Published: October 2020

The objective of this study was to compare the physicochemical, enzymatic, and metabolic properties of two control wheat malts imported from Germany and the US to those of malts made from three Korean wheat varieties: Triticumaestivum L., var. Anzunbaengi, Jokyung, and Keumkang. The qualities and enzyme activities of the Korean wheat malts were generally similar to those of the control wheat malts. The Korean wheat malts had slightly lower diastatic power and enzyme activities related to saccharification. The analysis of metabolites in the wheat malt samples was performed using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics, which identified 32 metabolites that differed significantly among the samples. Most amino acids and lipids were more abundant in the Korean wheat malts than in the control wheat malts. These differences among malts could influence the quality and flavor of wheat beers. Further brewing studies are necessary to identify the association between beer quality and individual malt metabolites.
Application of Non-Destructive Rapid Determination of Piperine in Piper nigrum L. (Black Pepper) Using NIR and Multivariate Statistical Analysis: A Promising Quality Control Tool
Authors: Park Jong-Rak , Kang Hyun-Hee , Cho Jong-Ku , Moon Kwang-Deog , Kim Young-Jun
Published: October 2020

Piperine is a bioactive alkaloid compound which provides a unique spicy flavor derived from plants of the Piper nigrum L. Black pepper (n = 160) collected from Vietnam was studied using non-destructive near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The spectral acquisition ranged from 1100 to 2500 nm, and a chemometrics analysis program was performed to quantify the piperine contents. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis was carried out to develop a chemometric model based on reference values. The black pepper samples were divided into two groups used for calibration (n = 120) and prediction (n = 40) sets. The optimum calibration model was developed by pretreatment of the spectra. The analyses results based on the prediction samples included a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.914, a root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) and a standard error of prediction (SEP) of about 0.220 g/100 g, and a ratio performance to deviation (RPD) value of 3.378 regarding the partial least square (PLS) regression model, and an R2 of 0.921, an RMSEP and SEP of 0.210 g/100 g, and an RPD of 3.571, with respect to the principal components (PC) regression model. These results indicate that NIRS can be applicable as a control, or as an alternative rapid and effective method to quantify piperine in P. nigrum L.
Molecularly Imprinted Polymer as Selective Sorbent for the Extraction of Zearalenone in Edible Vegetable Oils
Authors: Lucci Paolo , David Stefano , Conchione Chiara , Milani Andrea , Moret Sabrina , Pacetti Deborah , Conte Lanfranco
Published: October 2020

A method based on the selective extraction of zearalenone (ZON) from edible vegetable oils using molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) has been developed and validated. Ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled with a fluorescence detection system was employed for the detection of zearalenone. The method was applied to the analysis of zearalenone in maize oil samples spiked at four concentration levels within the maximum permitted amount specified by the European Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1126/2007. As a result, the proposed methodology provided high recoveries (>72%) with good linearity (R2 > 0.999) in the range of 10–2000 μg/kg and a repeatability relative standard deviation below 1.8%. These findings meet the analytical performance criteria specified by the European Commission Regulation No. 401/2006 and reveal that the proposed methodology can be successfully applied for monitoring zearalenone at trace levels in different edible vegetable oils. A comparison of MIP behavior with the ones of QuEChERS and liquid–liquid extraction was also performed, showing higher extraction rates and precision of MIP. Finally, the evolution of ZON contamination during the maize oil refining process was also investigated, demonstrating how the process is unable to completely remove (60%) ZON from oil samples.
Comprehensive Characterization and Relative Quantification of α-Amylase/Trypsin Inhibitors from Wheat Cultivars by Targeted HPLC-MS/MS
Authors: Sagu Sorel Tchewonpi , Zimmermann Lynn , Landgräber Eva , Homann Thomas , Huschek Gerd , Özpinar Haydar , Schweigert Florian J. , Rawel Harshadrai M.
Published: October 2020

The α-amylase/trypsin inhibitors (ATIs) are discussed as being responsible for non-celiac wheat sensitivity (NCWS), besides being known as allergenic components for baker’s asthma. Different approaches for characterization and quantification including proteomics-based methods for wheat ATIs have been documented. In these studies generally the major ATIs have been addressed. The challenge of current study was then to develop a more comprehensive workflow encompassing all reviewed wheat-ATI entries in UniProt database. To substantially test proof of concept, 46 German and Turkish wheat samples were used. Two extractions systems based on chloroform/methanol mixture (CM) and under buffered denaturing conditions were evaluated. Three aspects were optimized, tryptic digestion, chromatographic separation, and targeted tandem mass spectrometric analysis (HPLC-MS/MS). Preliminary characterization with sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) documented the purity of the extracted ATIs with CM mixture and the amylase (60–80%)/trypsin (10–20%) inhibition demonstrated the bifunctional activity of ATIs. Thirteen (individual/common) biomarkers were established. Major ATIs (7–34%) were differently represented in samples. Finally, to our knowledge, the proposed HPLC-MS/MS method allowed for the first time so far the analysis of all 14 reviewed wheat ATI entries reported.
A Closer Look at Changes in High-Risk Food-Handling Behaviors and Perceptions of Primary Food Handlers at Home in South Korea across Time
Authors: Cho Tae Jin , Kim Sun Ae , Kim Hye Won , Rhee Min Suk
Published: October 2020

Food-handling behaviors and risk perceptions among primary food handlers were investigated by consumer surveys from different subjects in 2010 (N = 609; 1st survey will be called here “Year 2010”) and 2019 (N = 605; 2nd survey will be called here “Year 2019”). Year 2010 was characterized by consumers’ risk perception-behavior gap (i.e., consumers knew safe methods for food-handling, but responses regarding the behaviors did not support their confidence in food safety): they (1) did not wash/trim foods before storage, (2) thawed frozen foods at room temperature, and (3) exposed leftovers to danger zone temperatures. These trends were not improved and the gaps in Year 2010 remained in Year 2019. Year 2010 was also characterized by other common high-risk behaviors improved during 8 years for the following aspects: (1) 70.0% of consumers divided a large portion of food into smaller pieces for storage, but few consumers (12.5%) labeled divided foods with relevant information, and (2) they excessively reused kitchen utensils. Whereas in Year 2019, more consumers (25.7%) labeled food and usage periods for kitchen utensils were shortened. Consumers usually conformed to food safety rules in both Year 2010 and 2019: (1) separate storage of foods, (2) storage of foods in the proper places/periods, (3) washing fruits/vegetables before eating, (4) washing hands after handling potentially hazardous foods, and (5) cooking foods and reheating leftovers to eat. Our findings provided resources for understanding consumers’ high-risk behaviors/perceptions at home, highlighting the importance of behavioral control.
Legume Beverages from Chickpea and Lupin, as New Milk Alternatives
Authors: Lopes Mariana , Pierrepont Chloé , Duarte Carla Margarida , Filipe Alexandra , Medronho Bruno , Sousa Isabel
Published: October 2020

Recently, milk consumption has been declining and there is a high demand for non-dairy beverages. However, market offers are mainly cereal and nut-based beverages, which are essentially poor in protein (typically, less than 1.5% against the 3.5% in milk) and are not true milk replacers in that sense. In this work, new beverages from different pulses (i.e., pea, chickpea and lupin) were developed using technologies that enable the incorporation of a high level of seed components, with low or no discharge of by-products. Different processing steps were sequentially tested and discussed for the optimization of the sensorial features and stability of the beverage, considering the current commercial non-dairy beverages trends. The lupin beverage protein contents ranged from 1.8% to 2.4% (w/v) and the chickpea beverage varied between 1.0% and 1.5% (w/v). The “milk” yield obtained for the optimized procedure B was 1221 g/100 g of dry seed and 1247 g/100 g of dry seed, for chickpea beverage and lupin beverage, respectively. Sensory results show that chickpea beverage with cooking water has the best taste. All pulses-based beverages are typical non-Newtonian fluids, similarly to current non-dairy alternative beverages. In this respect, the sprouted chickpea beverage, without the cooking water, presents the most pronounced shear-thinning behavior of all formulations.