bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Managing Phosphorus Loss from Agroecosystems of the Midwestern United States: A Review
Authors: Singh Gurbir , Kaur Gurpreet , Williard Karl , Schoonover Jon , Nelson Kelly A.
Published: April 2020

Best management practices (BMPs) are site-specific and their implementation, long-term management, and maintenance are important for successful reduction of phosphorus (P) loss into headwater streams. This paper reviews published research on managing P loss from agricultural cropping systems in the Midwestern United States and classified the available research based on BMPs and their efficacy in reducing P loss. This review paper also identifies the areas where additional research could provide insight for managing P losses. Our literature review shows that cover crops, reduced tillage, saturated buffers, and constructed wetlands are the most evaluated areas of current research. However, additional research is necessary on the site-specific area to measure the effectiveness of BMPs in managing P loss. The BMPs that serve as a sink of P need further evaluation in long-term field-scale trials. Studies evaluating adsorption and desorption mechanisms of P in surface and subsurface soils with materials or amendments that bind P in the soil are needed. The time required and pathways, where the flush of available P is lost or fixed in the soil matrix, need further investigation. Measured P loss from BMPs like bioreactors and saturated buffers supplemented with P adsorption materials or filters need to be simulated with models for their prediction and validation. Field evaluations of P index and critical source area concepts should be investigated for identifying problematic areas in the watersheds. Identification of overlapping areas of high P source and transport can help in strategic planning and layout, thereby resulting in reducing the cost of implementing BMPs at field and watershed scales.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Intelligence Augmentation (IA): What Is the Future?
Authors: Hassani Hossein , Silva Emmanuel Sirimal , Unger Stephane , TajMazinani Maedeh , Mac Feely Stephen
Published: April 2020

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a rapidly growing technological phenomenon that all industries wish to exploit to benefit from efficiency gains and cost reductions. At the macrolevel, AI appears to be capable of replacing humans by undertaking intelligent tasks that were once limited to the human mind. However, another school of thought suggests that instead of being a replacement for the human mind, AI can be used for intelligence augmentation (IA). Accordingly, our research seeks to address these different views, their implications, and potential risks in an age of increased artificial awareness. We show that the ultimate goal of humankind is to achieve IA through the exploitation of AI. Moreover, we articulate the urgent need for ethical frameworks that define how AI should be used to trigger the next level of IA.
Inflammasome Activation in Bovine Peripheral Blood-Derived Macrophages Is Associated with Actin Rearrangement
Authors: Tahoun Amin , Jensen Kirsty , El-Sharkawy Hanem , Gally David , Rizk Amira M. , Ajarem Jamaan , Allam Ahmed , Mahmoud Ayman M.
Published: April 2020

Inflammation is critical for infection control and acts as an arsenal defense mechanism against invading microbes through activation of the host immune system. It works via its inflammasome components to sense the dangerous invading microorganism and send messages to the immune system to destroy them. To date, the function of bovine macrophage inflammasome and its relationship with actin has not been identified. This study aimed to investigate the activation of bovine inflammasome by phase one flagellin from Salmonella typhimurium and its interaction with actin. Bovine monocyte-derived macrophages were prepared and challenged with S. typhimurium SL1344 phase one flagellin. The results demonstrated the relationship between the flagellin-based activation of inflammasome and actin rearrangement. The flagellin-based activation of inflammasome promoted the activation and co-localization of F-actin and the inflammasome complex. Actin was remodeled to different degrees according to the stage of inflammasome activation. The actin redistribution varied from polymerization to filopodia, while at the stage of pyroptotic cell death, actin was broken down and interacted with activated inflammasome complexes. In conclusion, flagellin-dependent inflammasome activation and actin localization to the inflammasome at the stage of pyroptotic cell death may be of importance for appropriate immune responses, pending further studies to explore the exact cross-linking between the inflammasome complex and actin.
Effect of Dietary Fiber Sources on In-Vitro Fermentation and Microbiota in Monogastrics
Authors: Ngalavu Asavela , Jiang Hailong , El-Ashram Saeed , Tellez-Isaias Guillermo , Farouk Mohammed Hamdy , Nyingwa Pakama Siphelele , Seidu Adams , Tyasi Thobela Louis
Published: April 2020

Feed fiber composition is usually considered as one of the factors that have an impact on digestive tract microbiota composition. The investigations on the level of fermentation and in-vitro digestibility of different fibers are not well understood. The aim of the current study is to determine the effect of different fiber sources on intestinal nutrient digestibility, hindgut fermentation, and microbial community composition under in vitro conditions using pigs’ hindgut as a model. The experimental treatment diets contained alfalfa hay, cornstalk, and rice straw. Cornstalk treatment displayed higher digestibility compared to alfalfa hay and rice straw; similar results were observed with in-vitro digestibility using intestinal digesta. Firmicutes were the most abundant phyla (Firmicutes = 89.2%), and Lactobacillus were the prominent genera (75.2%) in response to alfalfa compared to rice straw and cornstalk treatments. In simulated in-vitro digestion, corn stalk fiber improved dry matter digestibility; rice straw fiber improved volatile fatty acid content and fermentation efficiency. Alfalfa fiber improved the thickness of deposited Firmicutes and Lactobacillus.
Quantifying the Geometric Shell Shape between Populations of True Limpets Lottia Mesoleuca (Mollusca: Lottidae) in Colombia
Authors: Echeverry Ana María , Londoño-Cruz Edgardo , Benítez Hugo A.
Published: April 2020

The increasing activity in morphological studies has provided new tools to analyses the shape quantitatively, these quantitative measurements allow the researcher to examine the variation in shape and perform analysis to examine the quantitative differences among the species shapes, where geometric morphometrics has rendered great results in the last years. This study was focused on assessing the morphometric variation between populations of Lottia mesoleuca of the family Lottidae, an abundant group of gastropods in the rocky ecosystems of Bahía Málaga and Isla Gorgona (Colombian Pacific). This family has a high morphological diversity, making the identification of some morphotypes problematic work. Geometric morphometrics methods were applied on the shell using dorsal, lateral and ventral views. Different multivariate analyses were performed to differentiate the groups of species and populations (principal component analysis, morphological distances comparisons and grouping analysis by means of the Ward method). The results indicate that individuals of the species Lottia mesoleuca have key geometric characteristics associated to the different populations (depth intertidal zones) for classification, being the geometric shape of the shell enough to determine morphotypes between the different populations studied. Aspects associated with the combination of ecological variables with morphometric ones are necessary to be able to visualize with a higher resolution the structural complexity of populations and their adaptation processes. Furthermore, it is obvious that there is a strong need to conduct more explorations of environmental and ecological processes that provide some insight on why the morphological characteristics are so variable in the same species.
Transport to the Slaughterhouse Affects the Salmonella Shedding and Modifies the Fecal Microbiota of Finishing Pigs
Authors: Massacci Francesca Romana , Morelli Alessandra , Cucco Lucilla , Castinel Adrien , Ortenzi Roberta , Tofani Silvia , Pezzotti Giovanni , Estellé Jordi , Paniccià Marta , Magistrali Chiara Francesca
Published: April 2020

Contaminated pork is a significant source of foodborne Salmonellosis. Pork is contaminated at the slaughterhouse and the intestinal content is the predominant source of Salmonella for carcass contamination. The prevalence of Salmonella-positive pigs increases significantly when the time of transport to the slaughterhouse is longer than two hours. The hypothesis behind this study is that transport to the slaughterhouse increases the load of Salmonella in feces and determines a shift of the fecal microbiota in finishing pigs. Fecal samples were collected in a pig herd positive for Salmonella spp., the day before the transport and at the slaughterhouse. Salmonella loads were estimated by the most probable number (MPN) technique, according to the ISO/TS 6579-2:2012/A1. Moreover, the fecal bacteria composition was assessed by sequencing the V3-V4 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene. Our study showed that the load of Salmonella increases after transport, confirming that this phase of the production chain is a critical point for the control of Salmonella contamination. A lower richness and an increased beta-diversity characterized the fecal microbiota composition of Salmonella-positive animals after transport. In this stage, a natural Salmonella infection causes a disruption of the fecal microbiota as observed in challenge studies.
Induction of Melanogenesis by Fosfomycin in B16F10 Cells Through the Upregulation of P-JNK and P-p38 Signaling Pathways
Authors: Ullah Sana , Chung You Chul , Hyun Chang-Gu
Published: April 2020

Fosfomycin disodium salt (FDS), which is a water-soluble extract, is a bactericidal drug used to inhibit the synthesis of cells. Moreover, it has been found to be effective in the treatment of urinary tract infections. The present study was conducted to investigate the melanogenesis-stimulating effect of FDS in B16F10 cells. Several experiments were performed on B16F10 cells: the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, the melanin content assay, the cellular tyrosinase activity assay, and Western blotting. FDS upregulated the activity of tyrosinase in a dose-dependent manner at a wide concentration range of 0–1 mg/mL, which showed no cytotoxicity. It also increased the melanin content and the activity of the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase related protein 1 (TRP-1), and tyrosinase related protein 2 (TRP-2) enzymes in a dose-dependent manner. Western blotting results showed that FDS clearly upregulated the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) and p38 pathways. These data are clear evidence of the melanogenesis-inducing effect of FDS in B16F10 murine melanoma cells.
Genomic Characterization of Antimicrobial Resistance, Virulence, and Phylogeny of the Genus Ochrobactrum
Authors: Yagel Yael , Sestito Stephanie , Motro Yair , Shnaiderman-Torban Anat , Khalfin Boris , Sagi Orly , Navon-Venezia Shiri , Steinman Amir , Moran-Gilad Jacob
Published: April 2020

Ochrobactrum is a ubiquitous Gram-negative microorganism, mostly found in the environment, which can cause opportunistic infections in humans. It is almost uniformly resistant to penicillins and cephalosporins through an AmpC-like β-lactamase enzyme class (OCH). We studied 130 assembled genomes, of which 5 were animal-derived isolates recovered in Israel, and 125 publicly available genomes. Our analysis focused on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes, virulence genes, and whole-genome phylogeny. We found that 76% of Ochrobactrum genomes harbored a blaOCH β-lactamase gene variant, while 7% harbored another AmpC-like gene. No virulence genes other than lipopolysaccharide-associated genes were found. Core genome multilocus sequence typing clustered most samples to known species, but neither geographical clustering nor isolation source clustering were evident. When analyzing the distribution of different blaOCH variants as well as of the blaOCH-deficient samples, a clear phylogenomic clustering was apparent for specific species. The current analysis of the largest collection to date of Ochrobactrum genomes sheds light on the resistome, virulome, phylogeny, and species classification of this increasingly reported human pathogen. Our findings also suggest that Ochrobactrum deserves further characterization to underpin its evolution, taxonomy, and antimicrobial resistance.
Effects of A2E-Induced Oxidative Stress on Retinal Epithelial Cells: New Insights on Differential Gene Response and Retinal Dystrophies
Authors: Donato Luigi , D’Angelo Rosalia , Alibrandi Simona , Rinaldi Carmela , Sidoti Antonina , Scimone Concetta
Published: April 2020

Oxidative stress represents one of the principal inductors of lifestyle-related and genetic diseases. Among them, inherited retinal dystrophies, such as age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa, are well known to be susceptible to oxidative stress. To better understand how high reactive oxygen species levels may be involved in retinal dystrophies onset and progression, we performed a whole RNA-Seq experiment. It consisted of a comparison of transcriptomes’ profiles among human retinal pigment epithelium cells exposed to the oxidant agent N-retinylidene-N-retinylethanolamine (A2E), considering two time points (3h and 6h) after the basal one. The treatment with A2E determined relevant differences in gene expression and splicing events, involving several new pathways probably related to retinal degeneration. We found 10 different clusters of pathways involving differentially expressed and differentially alternative spliced genes and highlighted the sub- pathways which could depict a more detailed scenario determined by the oxidative-stress-induced condition. In particular, regulation and/or alterations of angiogenesis, extracellular matrix integrity, isoprenoid-mediated reactions, physiological or pathological autophagy, cell-death induction and retinal cell rescue represented the most dysregulated pathways. Our results could represent an important step towards discovery of unclear molecular mechanisms linking oxidative stress and etiopathogenesis of retinal dystrophies.
Seismic Isolation Effect of Non-Water Reacted Two-Component Polymeric Material Coating on Tunnels
Authors: Ma Xue , Wang Fuming , Guo Chengchao , Sun Bo
Published: April 2020

An isolation layer is one of the countermeasures to promote the anti-seismic performance of tunnels. A newly invented polymeric material, non-water reacted two-component polymeric material (NRTCPM), is superior in impermeability and construction efficiency. In this study, covering a tunnel with NRTCPM coating to mitigate the damage caused by an earthquake is discussed, and an Impact Resonance Test (IRT) is firstly used to obtain the damping ratios and dynamic elastic modulus of NRTCPM. By using infinite element boundary, eight dynamic numerical modelsare made to study the isolation effects based on different density, Poisson’s ratio, dynamic elastic modulus and thickness of isolation layer values. Three different conditions are explored in this paper, namely (1) no NRTCPM layer coating around tunnel; (2) different densities, Poisson’s ratios and dynamic elastic moduli of a polymeric layer; and (3) various thicknesses of polymeric isolation layers around the lining. Tensile and compressive stresses are compared under these different conditions. The results show that retrofitting tunnel lining with this material has a good effect on seismic isolation. An optimum density and thickness of the NRTCPM layer is suggested considering cost and strength.
Luminous Intensity Field Optimization for Antiglare LED Desk Lamp without Second Optical Element
Authors: Ye Zhi-Ting , Chang Chieh , Juan Mao-Chieh , Chen Kuei-Jung
Published: April 2020

This study proposes a model of a light module with an optimized luminous intensity field for realizing an antiglare light-emitting diode (LED) desk lamp without a second optical element. We simulated different luminous intensity field profiles to analyze the unified glare rating (UGR) and illumination uniformity performance of a desk lamp. The spatial effect of UGR and the illumination uniformity affect eye comfort. The light module was set to different beam angles without a second optical element, louver structure, and reflective element on the luminaire to compare different UGRs and uniformity values for evaluating human eye comfort. The simulation and experimental results indicated that the luminous intensity curve for a beam angle of 90° achieved an illumination uniformity of 80% and a UGR of 18.1 at a height of 45 cm, thus realizing a human-friendly antiglare desk lamp.
Modeling the Measurements of the Determinants of ICT Fluency and Evolution of Digital Divide Among Students in Developing Countries—East Africa Case Study
Authors: Niyigena Jean-Pierre , Jiang Qingshan , Ziou Djemel , Shaw Ruey-Shiang , Hasan A S M Touhidul
Published: April 2020

During the last decade, information and communication technology has brought remarkable changes to the education style of developed countries, especially in the context of online learning materials accessibility. However, in developing nations such as the East African (EA) countries, university students may lack the necessary ICT training to take advantage of e-learning resources productively. Therefore, the comprehension of the key factors behind ICT fluency is a significant concern for this region and all the developing countries in general. This paper applies the Concentration Index and proposes a Logistic Regression based model to discover the key determinants of ICT fluency and to explore the evolution of the digital divide among EA students within the four years of undergraduate studies. To identify the principal determinants, data composing of 1237 participants is collected from three different universities in EA within a one year period. The experimental results indicate that the digital divide among students decreases quite fast from the first year to the fourth year. Regression computational findings show that the key determinants of ICT fluency are the student urban/rural origin, computer ownership, computer experience, class year, and major. The findings provide heuristic implications for developers, practitioners, and policy makers for an improved ICT environment implementation in EA and the developing nations in general.
Design of a Two-DOFs Driving Mechanism for a Motion-Assisted Finger Exoskeleton
Authors: Carbone Giuseppe , Gerding Eike Christian , Corves Burkard , Cafolla Daniele , Russo Matteo , Ceccarelli Marco
Published: April 2020

This paper presents a novel exoskeleton mechanism for finger motion assistance. The exoskeleton is designed as a serial 2-degrees-of-freedom wearable mechanism that is able to guide human finger motion. The design process starts by analyzing the motion of healthy human fingers by video motion tracking. The experimental data are used to obtain the kinematics of a human finger. Then, a graphic/geometric synthesis procedure is implemented for achieving the dimensional synthesis of the proposed novel 2 degrees of freedom linkage mechanism for the finger exoskeleton. The proposed linkage mechanism can drive the three finger phalanxes by using two independent actuators that are both installed on the back of the hand palm. A prototype is designed based on the proposed design by using additive manufacturing. Results of numerical simulations and experimental tests are reported and discussed to prove the feasibility and the operational effectiveness of the proposed design solution that can assist a wide range of finger motions with proper adaptability to a variety of human fingers.
Scenario-Based Pyroclastic Density Current Invasion Maps at Poorly Known Volcanoes: A Case Study from Changbaishan (China/North Korea)
Authors: Lombardi Anna Maria , Del Gaudio Pierdomenico , Guo Zhengfu , Zhang Maoliang , Liu Guoming , Sepe Vincenzo , Liu Jiaqi , Ventura Guido
Published: April 2020

Changbaishan volcano (China/North Korea; last eruption in 1903 AD) was responsible for a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) 7 eruption in 946 AD. Approximately 186,000 people live around Changbaishan and 2,000,000 tourists/year visit the volcano. An unrest occurred between 2002 and 2006. Despite the relevant hazard, the eruptive history is poorly known, a condition common to many volcanoes worldwide. Here, we investigate the extension of the areas potentially affected by pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) in case of future eruptions following a scenario-based approach. We perform energy cone runs referred to four scenarios from columns of height 3, 10, 20 and 30 km at different vents. By using global datasets on PDCs, we produce spatial probability maps of PDCs invasion. Empirical laws between covered areas, PDC travelled distances, and heights of collapse are provided. In scenarios 3 and 4, PDCs expand at distances up to 42 km and 85 km, respectively. In scenarios 1 and 2, PDCs invade the touristic area and few main roads. Severe effects emerge from scenarios 3 and 4 with the interruption of the China–North Korea land and aerial connections and PDC. Our approach may serve as guide for the rapid evaluation of the PDC-related hazard at poorly known volcanoes.
Log Analysis-Based Resource and Execution Time Improvement in HPC: A Case Study
Authors: Yoon JunWeon , Hong TaeYoung , Park ChanYeol , Noh Seo-Young , Yu HeonChang
Published: April 2020

High-performance computing (HPC) uses many distributed computing resources to solve large computational science problems through parallel computation. Such an approach can reduce overall job execution time and increase the capacity of solving large-scale and complex problems. In the supercomputer, the job scheduler, the HPC’s flagship tool, is responsible for distributing and managing the resources of large systems. In this paper, we analyze the execution log of the job scheduler for a certain period of time and propose an optimization approach to reduce the idle time of jobs. In our experiment, it has been found that the main root cause of delayed job is highly related to resource waiting. The execution time of the entire job is affected and significantly delayed due to the increase in idle resources that must be ready when submitting the large-scale job. The backfilling algorithm can optimize the inefficiency of these idle resources and help to reduce the execution time of the job. Therefore, we propose the backfilling algorithm, which can be applied to the supercomputer. This experimental result shows that the overall execution time is reduced.
A Smart Terrain Identification Technique Based on Electromyography, Ground Reaction Force, and Machine Learning for Lower Limb Rehabilitation
Authors: Gao Shuo , Wang Yixuan , Fang Chaoming , Xu Lijun
Published: April 2020

Automatic terrain classification in lower limb rehabilitation systems has gained worldwide attention. In this field, a simple system architecture and high classification accuracy are two desired attributes. In this article, a smart neuromuscular–mechanical fusion and machine learning-based terrain classification technique utilizing only two electromyography (EMG) sensors and two ground reaction force (GRF) sensors is reported for classifying three different terrains (downhill, level, and uphill). The EMG and GRF signals from ten healthy subjects were collected, preprocessed and segmented to obtain the EMG and GRF profiles in each stride, based on which twenty-one statistical features, including 9 GRF features and 12 EMG features, were extracted. A support vector machine (SVM) machine learning model is established and trained by the extracted EMG features, GRF features and the fusion of them, respectively. Several methods or statistical metrics were used to evaluate the goodness of the proposed technique, including a paired-t-test and Kruskal–Wallis test for correlation analysis of the selected features and ten-fold cross-validation accuracy, confusion matrix, sensitivity and specificity for the performance of the SVM model. The results show that the extracted features are highly correlated with the terrain changes and the fusion of the EMG and GRF features produces the highest accuracy of 96.8%. The presented technique allows simple system construction to achieve the precise detection of outcomes, potentially advancing the development of terrain classification techniques for rehabilitation.
Prebiotic Activity of Poly- and Oligosaccharides Obtained from Plantago major L. Leaves
Authors: Lukova Paolina , Nikolova Mariana , Petit Emmanuel , Elboutachfaiti Redouan , Vasileva Tonka , Katsarov Plamen , Manev Hristo , Gardarin Christine , Pierre Guillaume , Michaud Philippe , Iliev Ilia , Delattre Cédric
Published: April 2020

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prebiotic potential of Plantago major L. leaves water-extractable polysaccharide (PWPs) and its lower molecular fractions. The structure of PWPs was investigated by high pressure anion exchange chromatography (HPAEC), size exclusion chromatography coupled with multi-angle laser light scattering detector (SEC-MALLS) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The chemical composition and monosaccharide analyses showed that galacturonic acid was the main monosaccharide of PWPs followed by glucose, arabinose, galactose, rhamnose and xylose. FTIR study indicated a strong characteristic absorption peak at 1550 cm−1 corresponding to the vibration of COO− group of galacturonic acid. The PWPs was subjected to hydrolysis using commercial enzymes to obtain P. major low molecular fraction (PLM) which was successively separated by size exclusion chromatography on Biogel P2. PWPs and PLM were examined for in vitro prebiotic activity using various assays. Results gave evidence for changes in optical density of the bacteria cells and pH of the growth medium. A heterofermentative process with a lactate/acetate ratio ranged from 1:1 to 1:5 was observed. The ability of PLM to stimulate the production of certain probiotic bacteria glycohydrolases and to be fermented by Lactobacillus sp. strains was successfully proved.
Torque and Battery Distribution Strategy for Saving Energy of an Electric Vehicle with Three Traction Motors
Authors: Tseng Yi-Hsiang , Yang Yee-Pien
Published: April 2020

A torque and battery distribution (TBD) strategy is proposed for saving energy for an electric vehicle (EV) that is driven by three traction motors. Each traction motor is driven by an independent inverter and a battery pack. When the vehicle is accelerating or cruising, its vehicle control unit determines the optimal torque distribution of the three motors by particle swarm optimization (PSO) theory to minimize energy consumption on the basis of their torque–speed–efficiency maps. Simultaneously, the states of charge (SOC) of the three battery packs are controlled in balance for improving the driving range and for avoiding unexpected battery depletion. The proposed TBD strategy can increase 7.7% driving range in the circular New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) of radius 100 m and 28% in the straight-line NEDC. All the battery energy can be effectively distributed and utilized for extending the driving range with an improved energy consumption efficiency.
Determination of Vitamin C in Foods Using the Iodine-Turbidimetric Method Combined with an Infrared Camera
Authors: Miao Yi , Zhu Yuanyang , Zhao Wenzhu , Jiao Changshuai , Mo Hongwei , Zhang Xincheng , Liu Sheng , Gao Hongwen
Published: April 2020

A novel method was proposed for the determination of vitamin C (VC) using an infrared camera combined with the iodine-turbidimetric method. Based on the redox between VC and iodine, the residual iodine was measured using the turbidimetric method with an infrared camera to obtain VC content. The light emitted by the infrared light-emitting diode (LED) was absorbed and scattered when it penetrated the residual iodine suspension. The transmitted light was captured by the infrared camera to form a digital image and the responding color components and grayscale values were obtained. The obtained color components and log-grayscale were fitted to the VC concentration, and the fitted relation expressions were used to measure the unknown VC solution. A VC measuring device equipped with an infrared camera and processing software was designed to obtain the color components corresponding to the images of the iodine suspensions. Compared with the spectrophotometry, the method based on the color component of brightness had a higher accuracy for measuring the VC standard solution. For VC measurements in tomatoes, nectarines, and VC tablets, our proposed method was highly consistent with spectrophotometry. Therefore, this method could potentially be implemented in the determination of VC in fruits and tablets, or other foods.
Uncaria tomentosa (Willd. ex Schult.) DC.: A Review on Chemical Constituents and Biological Activities
Authors: Batiha Gaber El-Saber , Magdy Beshbishy Amany , Wasef Lamiaa , Elewa Yaser H. A. , Abd El-Hack Mohamed E. , Taha Ayman E. , Al-Sagheer Adham Abdullah , Devkota Hari Prasad , Tufarelli Vincenzo
Published: April 2020

Uncaria tomentosa (Willd. ex Schult.) DC. (Family: Rubiaceae), commonly known as cat’s claw, is a tropical medicinal vine originating at the Amazon rainforest and other areas of South and Central America. It has been traditionally used to treat asthma, abscesses, fever, urinary tract infections, viral infections, and wounds and found to be effective as an immune system rejuvenator, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory agent. U. tomentosa is rich in many phytoconstituents such as oxindole and indole alkaloids, glycosides, organic acids, proanthocyanidins, sterols, and triterpenes. Biological activities of U. tomentosa have been examined against various microorganisms and parasites, including pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and Plasmodium, Babesia and Theileria parasites. Several formulations of cat’s claw (e.g., tinctures, decoctions, capsules, extracts, and teas) are recently available in the market. The current review covers the chemical constituents, biological activities, pharmacokinetics, and toxic properties of U. tomentosa extracts.
RectMag3D: A Magnetic Actuation System for Steering Milli/Microrobots Based on Rectangular Electromagnetic Coils
Authors: Yuan Sishen , Wan Yue , Song Shuang
Published: April 2020

Milli/microrobots benefit from their small size and can perform minimally invasive surgery in a limited tissue space and eliminate the need for fine operations such as thrombus, which not only reduces trauma to patients but also shortens the recovery period after surgery. In order to realize motion control of the milli/microrobot at a small scale, the external magnetic field-based control method has a significant advantage of wireless connection, safety, and high efficiency compared to other external actuation ways. Aiming at the actuation of milli/microrobots in human tissue fluid during a medical operation, we designed a milli/microrobot magnetic actuation system called RectMag3D, which is based on rectangular electromagnetic coils. It can realize five-degree-of-freedom motion control of milli/microrobot in three-dimensional space. It has the advantage of the accurate modeling of a magnetic field from each rectangular coil. Therefore, accurate control can be achieved. In this paper, the design and modeling of the proposed system have been introduced. A linear programming algorithm has been applied to achieve fixed-point actuation and displacement actuation. Experiments show that the milli/microrobot can realize the steering and linear motion to the target point in any direction in the limited working space under the control of the magnetic actuation system.
Comparison of Deep Transfer Learning Techniques in Human Skin Burns Discrimination
Authors: Abubakar Aliyu , Ajuji Mohammed , Usman Yahya Ibrahim
Published: April 2020

While visual assessment is the standard technique for burn evaluation, computer-aided diagnosis is increasingly sought due to high number of incidences globally. Patients are increasingly facing challenges which are not limited to shortage of experienced clinicians, lack of accessibility to healthcare facilities and high diagnostic cost. Certain number of studies were proposed in discriminating burn and healthy skin using machine learning leaving a huge and important gap unaddressed; whether burns and related skin injuries can be effectively discriminated using machine learning techniques. Therefore, we specifically use transfer learning by leveraging pre-trained deep learning models due to deficient dataset in this paper, to discriminate two classes of skin injuries—burnt skin and injured skin. Experiments were extensively conducted using three state-of-the-art pre-trained deep learning models that includes ResNet50, ResNet101 and ResNet152 for image patterns extraction via two transfer learning strategies—fine-tuning approach where dense and classification layers were modified and trained with features extracted by base layers and in the second approach support vector machine (SVM) was used to replace top-layers of the pre-trained models, trained using off-the-shelf features from the base layers. Our proposed approach records near perfect classification accuracy in categorizing burnt skin ad injured skin of approximately 99.9%.
Experimental Assessment of Dust Emissions on Compacted Soils Degraded by Traffic
Authors: Le Vern Mickael , Sediki Ouardia , Razakamanantsoa Andry , Murzyn Frédéric , Larrarte Frédérique
Published: April 2020

Haul traffic on earthworks runways during construction works is an important factor of dust emission. Compacted soils surface become progressively degraded as the number of wheels passing increases. Fine particles are then segregated from the soil surface and lifted when the shear stress generated by the flow above the surface increases, leading to the worsening of air quality and reduction of visibility. Laboratory tests were performed to assess dust emissions on traffic degraded soils. Mixtures of kaolin clay and sand were compacted using a laboratory roller compactor and were degraded using a vehicle simulator. Models describing the evolutions of soil degradation and Particle Size Distribution (PSD) during traffic were established. Then, the velocity profiles above each soil sample were obtained in a wind tunnel. The experimental results were analyzed to determine the Reynolds shear stresses generated by the turbulence of the flow. PSD, degradation and stresses were implemented in the Convective Turbulent Dust Emission (CTDE) model to estimate the dust emission flux of the soils for several passes of the wheel. A comparison between results from the model and field measurements underlines that turbulence is not the main contributor to dust emissions when a vehicle is in motion.
Influence of the Long-Term Temperature Trend on the Number of New Records for Annual Maximum Daily Precipitation in Japan
Authors: Yamada Tomohito J. , Seang Chhay Ngorn , Hoshino Tsuyoshi
Published: April 2020

Record-breaking precipitation events have been frequent in Japan in recent years. To investigate the statistical characteristics of the frequency of record-breaking events, observations can be compared with the values derived from sampling theory with a stationary state. This study counted the number of record-breaking daily and 3-day total precipitation events at 58 rain-gauge stations in Japan between 1901 and 2018. The average number of record-breaking events over the 118-year period was 5.9 for daily total precipitation, which is larger than the theoretical value of 5.4 derived using the assumption that the climate system over the same period was stationary. Sampling theory was used to incorporate the influence of the long-term temperature trend from the Clausius–Clapeyron relation associated with the saturation vapor pressure. In theory, the long-term temperature trend gives a similar number of observed record-breaking events when the long-term temperature trend is approximately 0.5 Kelvin/100 years.
Halocarbon Emissions from Hazardous Waste Landfills: Analysis of Sources and Risks
Authors: Ravina Marco , Facelli Angelica , Zanetti Mariachiara
Published: April 2020

Landfills are sources of fugitive volatile organic carbon (VOC) emissions, including halocarbons. The objective of this study was to evaluate the contribution of halogenated VOCs to the health risks associated with the exposure of workers operating in landfills, gathering information on the role of endogenous/exogenous sources present in anthropized areas. A hazardous waste landfill located in Turin, Italy was used as a case study. Ambient concentrations of 10 pollutants (BTEX, styrene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, 1,2-dichloroethane, and 1,2-dichloropropane), measured in 10 points of the landfill area, were considered and analyzed. The data had a monthly frequency and covered two years. A cumulative health risk analysis was conducted by applying a Monte-Carlo method. The results showed that the contribution of 1,2-dichloroethane and 1,2-dichloropropane was 17.9% and 19.4% for the total risk and hazard index respectively. Benzene and ethylbenzene gave the highest contribution to the total risk (56.8% and 24.8%, respectively). In the second phase of the study, waste typologies that are possibly responsible for halocarbon emissions were investigated. Halocarbon concentration trends and waste disposal records were compared. Although further investigation is needed, some waste typologies were not excluded to contribute to halocarbon emissions, in particular sludge coming from wastewater treatment plants.
Assessment of a Coastal Offshore Wind Climate by Means of Mesoscale Model Simulations Considering High-Resolution Land Use and Sea Surface Temperature Data Sets
Authors: Kikuchi Yuka , Fukushima Masato , Ishihara Takeshi
Published: April 2020

In this study, offshore wind climate assessments are carried out by using mesoscale model Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) and validated by measurement at a demonstration site located 3.1 km offshore of Choshi. An optimal nudging method is investigated by using offshore and meteorological observations. The land-use datasets are then created from a higher-resolution land-use data by using a maximum area sampling scheme according to the horizontal resolution of the mesoscale model. Finally, the sea surface temperature datasets are corrected by observation data. It is found that the relative error of annual wind speed is reduced from 7.3% to 2.2% and the correlation coefficient between predicted and measured wind speed is improved from 0.80 to 0.84 by considering the effects of land-use and sea surface temperature.
Coincidence Continuation Theory for Multivalued Maps with Selections in a Given Class
Authors: O’Regan Donal
Published: April 2020

This paper considers the topological transversality theorem for general multivalued maps which have selections in a given class of maps.
Vague Expert Information/Recommendation in Portfolio Optimization-An Empirical Study
Authors: Bartkowiak Marcin , Rutkowska Aleksandra
Published: April 2020

In a real market, the quantity of information and recommendations is constantly increasing. However, recommendations are often in linguistic form and no one recommendation is based on a single piece of information. Predictions of individuals and their confidence can vary greatly. Thus, a problem arises concerning different (disjointed or partially coherent) vague opinions of various experts or information from multiple sources. In this paper, we introduce extensions of the Black—Litterman model with linguistic expressed views from different experts/many sources. The study focuses on empirical analysis of proposed fuzzy approach results. In the presented modification every expert presents its opinion about particular assets according to intervals, and then an experton for each asset is built. In the portfolio optimization, we use aggregated views presented by interval, which is the mean value of the experton built on particular views. In an empirical study, we built and tested 10,000 portfolios based on recommendation from EquityRT, which was made by 14–49 experts monthly between November 2017 and June 2019 for the 29 biggest companies from the US market and different sectors. The annual average return from portfolios is 9.5–11.8%, depending on the width of the intervals and additional constraints. This approach allows people to formulate intuitive views and view the opinions of a group of experts.
Molecular Identification and Evaluation of the Genetic Diversity of Dendrobium Species Collected in Southern Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen Nhu-Hoa , Vu Huyen-Trang , Le Ngoc-Diep , Nguyen Thanh-Diem , Duong Hoa-Xo , Tran Hoang-Dung
Published: April 2020

Dendrobium has been widely used not only as ornamental plants but also as food and medicines. The identification and evaluation of the genetic diversity of Dendrobium species support the conservation of genetic resources of endemic Dendrobium species. Uniquely identifying Dendrobium species used as medicines helps avoid misuse of medicinal herbs. However, it is challenging to identify Dendrobium species morphologically during their immature stage. Based on the DNA barcoding method, it is now possible to efficiently identify species in a shorter time. In this study, the genetic diversity of 76 Dendrobium samples from Southern Vietnam was investigated based on the ITS (Internal transcribed spacer), ITS2, matK (Maturase_K), rbcL (ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase large subunit) and trnH-psbA (the internal space of the gene coding histidine transfer RNA (trnH) and gene coding protein D1, a polypeptide of the photosystem I reaction center (psaB)) regions. The ITS region was found to have the best identification potential. Nineteen out of 24 Dendrobium species were identified based on phylogenetic tree and Indel information of this region. Among these, seven identified species were used as medicinal herbs. The results of this research contributed to the conservation, propagation, and hybridization of indigenous Dendrobium species in Southern Vietnam.
Oxidative Stress in Male Infertility: Causes, Effects in Assisted Reproductive Techniques, and Protective Support of Antioxidants
Authors: Ribas-Maynou Jordi , Yeste Marc
Published: April 2020

The spermatozoon is a highly specialized cell, whose main function is the transport of the intact male genetic material into the oocyte. During its formation and transit throughout male and female reproductive tracts, sperm cells are internally and externally surrounded by reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are produced from both endogenous and exogenous sources. While low amounts of ROS are known to be necessary for crucial physiological sperm processes, such as acrosome reaction and sperm–oocyte interaction, high levels of those species underlie misbalanced antioxidant-oxidant molecules, generating oxidative stress (OS), which is one of the most damaging factors that affect sperm function and lower male fertility potential. The present work starts by reviewing the different sources of oxidative stress that affect sperm cells, continues by summarizing the detrimental effects of OS on the male germline, and discusses previous studies addressing the consequences of these detrimental effects on natural pregnancy and assisted reproductive techniques effectiveness. The last section is focused on how antioxidants can counteract the effects of ROS and how sperm fertilizing ability may benefit from these agents.
uL3 Mediated Nucleolar Stress Pathway as a New Mechanism of Action of Antiproliferative G-quadruplex TBA Derivatives in Colon Cancer Cells
Authors: Pecoraro Annalisa , Virgilio Antonella , Esposito Veronica , Galeone Aldo , Russo Giulia , Russo Annapina
Published: April 2020

The antiproliferative G-quadruplex aptamers are a promising and challenging subject in the framework of the anticancer therapeutic oligonucleotides research field. Although several antiproliferative G-quadruplex aptamers have been identified and proven to be effective on different cancer cell lines, their mechanism of action is still unexplored. We have recently described the antiproliferative activity of a heterochiral thrombin binding aptamer (TBA) derivative, namely, LQ1. Here, we investigate the molecular mechanisms of LQ1 activity and the structural and antiproliferative properties of two further TBA derivatives, differing from LQ1 only by the small loop base-compositions. We demonstrate that in p53 deleted colon cancer cells, LQ1 causes nucleolar stress, impairs ribosomal RNA processing, leading to the accumulation of pre-ribosomal RNAs, arrests cells in the G2/M phase and induces early apoptosis. Importantly, the depletion of uL3 abrogates all these effects, indicating that uL3 is a crucial player in the mechanism of action of LQ1. Taken together, our findings identify p53-independent and uL3-dependent nucleolar stress as a novel stress response pathway activated by a specific G-quadruplex TBA derivative. To the best of our knowledge, this investigation reveals, for the first time, the involvement of the nucleolar stress pathway in the mechanism of action of antiproliferative G-quadruplex aptamers.
The Clinical Potential of Circulating miRNAs as Biomarkers: Present and Future Applications for Diagnosis and Prognosis of Age-Associated Bone Diseases
Authors: Bottani Michela , Banfi Giuseppe , Lombardi Giovanni
Published: April 2020

Osteoporosis, related fracture/fragility, and osteoarthritis are age-related pathologies that, over recent years, have seen increasing incidence and prevalence due to population ageing. The diagnostic approaches to these pathologies suffer from limited sensitivity and specificity, also in monitoring the disease progression or treatment. For this reason, new biomarkers are desirable for improving the management of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis patients. The non-coding RNAs, called miRNAs, are key post-transcriptional factors in bone homeostasis, and promising circulating biomarkers for pathological conditions in which to perform a biopsy can be problematic. In fact, miRNAs can easily be detected in biological fluids (i.e., blood, serum, plasma) using methods with elevated sensitivity and specificity (RT-qPCR, microarray, and NGS). However, the analytical phases required for miRNAs’ evaluation still present some practical issues that limit their use in clinical practice. This review reveals miRNAs’ potential as circulating biomarkers for evaluating predisposition, diagnosis, and prognosis of osteoporosis (postmenopausal or idiopathic), bone fracture/fragility, and osteoarthritis, with a focus on pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical protocols used for their validation and thus on their clinical applicability. These evidences may support the definition of early diagnostic tools based on circulating miRNAs for bone diseases and osteoarthritis as well as for monitoring the effects of specific treatments.