bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Solving the Parallel Drone Scheduling Traveling Salesman Problem via Constraint Programming
Authors: Montemanni Roberto , Dell’Amico Mauro
Published: January 2023

Drones are currently seen as a viable way of improving the distribution of parcels in urban and rural environments, while working in coordination with traditional vehicles, such as trucks. In this paper, we consider the parallel drone scheduling traveling salesman problem, where a set of customers requiring a delivery is split between a truck and a fleet of drones, with the aim of minimizing the total time required to serve all the customers. We propose a constraint programming model for the problem, discuss its implementation and present the results of an experimental program on the instances previously cited in the literature to validate exact and heuristic algorithms. We were able to decrease the cost (the time required to serve customers) for some of the instances and, for the first time, to provide a demonstrated optimal solution for all the instances considered. These results show that constraint programming can be a very effective tool for attacking optimization problems with traveling salesman components, such as the one discussed.
A Pixel-Wise k-Immediate Neighbour-Based Image Analysis Approach for Identifying Rock Pores and Fractures from Grayscale Image Samples
Authors: Naulia Pradeep S. , Roy Arunava , Watada Junzo , Aziz Izzatdin B. A.
Published: January 2023

The purpose of the current study is to propose a novel meta-heuristic image analysis approach using multi-objective optimization, named ‘Pixel-wise k-Immediate Neighbors’ to identify pores and fractures (both natural and induced, even in the micro-level) in the wells of a hydrocarbon reservoir, which presents better identification accuracy in the presence of the grayscale sample rock images. Pores and fractures imaging is currently being used extensively to predict the amount of petroleum under adequate trap conditions in the oil and gas industry. These properties have tremendous applications in contaminant transport, radioactive waste storage in the bedrock, and CO2 storage. A few strategies to automatically identify the pores and fractures from the images can be found in the contemporary literature. Several researchers employed classification technique using support vector machines (SVMs), whereas a few of them adopted deep learning systems. However, in these cases, the reported accuracy was not satisfactory in the presence of grayscale, low quality (poor resolution and chrominance), and irregular geometric-shaped images. The classification accuracy of the proposed multi-objective method outperformed the most influential contemporary approaches using deep learning systems, although with a few restrictions, which have been articulated later in the current work.
Consumers’ Online Purchasing Intentions Post COVID-19: Evidence from Lebanon and the Kingdom of Bahrain
Authors: M. El Khoury Charbel , Choudhary Mrinalini , F. Al Alam Adel
Published: January 2023

The future of consumers’ online shopping trends post COVID-19 remains among the contemporary topics that necessitate further explorations. The aim of this research is to explore the intention of Lebanese and Bahraini consumers to shop online in the post pandemic era. This study extends the technology acceptance model that has exhibited prominent results when it comes of online purchasing. An online survey was addressed to consumers in Lebanon and the Kingdom of Bahrain to collect the data. More precisely, a total of 778 responses equally divided between the two countries was collected. Following the analysis of the data, it was found that both Lebanese and Bahraini shoppers demonstrate variations in the positive evidence associated with the elements of the technology acceptance model, except the perceived usefulness positive impact on consumers’ intention toward online shopping where no significant impact was shown in both countries. Contactless payment modes have no significant impact on attitudes in both countries contrary to their positive impacts on the intention toward online shopping in both countries. The use of social media and price consciousness also have variations in the positive evidence linked to consumers attitudes in both countries. Finally, both the use of social media and price consciousness reveal differences in the level of negative association with consumers’ intention toward online shopping in Lebanon and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Computational Fluid Dynamics Analyses of a Wing with Distributed Electric Propulsion
Authors: Russo Oreste , Aprovitola Andrea , de Rosa Donato , Pezzella Giuseppe , Viviani Antonio
Published: January 2023

The efficiency increase that distributed propulsion could deliver for future hybrid-electric aircraft is in line with the urgent demand for higher aerodynamic performances and a lower environmental impact. Several consolidated proprietary tools (not always available) are developed worldwide for distributed propulsion simulation. Therefore, prediction and comparisons of propeller performances, with computational fluid dynamic codes featuring different implementation of solvers, numerical schemes, and turbulence models, is of interest to a wider audience of research end-users. In this framework, the paper presents a cross-comparison study among different CFD solvers, the SU2 Multiphysics Simulation and Design Software, the CIRA proprietary flow solver UZEN, and the commercial ANSYS-FLUENT code, for the simulation of a wing section with a tractor propeller at different flow attitudes. The propeller is modelled as an actuator disk according to the general momentum theory and is accounted for in the flow solvers as a boundary condition, for the momentum and energy equations. In this study, a propeller with a fixed advance ratio J=0.63 is considered, while propeller performances are assumed variable along with the radius. To perform the comparisons among the solvers, an in-house procedure, which provides the input thrust and torque distributions in a unified format among the three solvers, is developed. Steady RANS simulations are performed at Re∞=1.7×106 and M∞=0.11, for the flowfield of an isolated propeller. Successively, a wing section with a fixed forward-mounted propeller configuration with no nacelle, is studied at α=0∘,4∘, and 8∘ angles of attack. The comparisons in terms of the lift coefficient show a good agreement among the three flow solvers both in power-off and power-on conditions. Simulations also evidenced the strong stability preserving property of upwind schemes, applied to propeller simulation at low-Mach number. Some discrepancies in the drag coefficient are observed and related to different levels of numerical diffusion between the three codes, which affects the downstream wake. Differences in flow properties in near disk region are observed and explained considering the different hub implementations.
Digital Twin Modeling Method for Hierarchical Stiffened Plate Based on Transfer Learning
Authors: Xu Ziyu , Gao Tianhe , Li Zengcong , Bi Qingjie , Liu Xiongwei , Tian Kuo
Published: January 2023

As the key load-bearing component of spacecraft, the strength evaluation of stiffened plate structures faces two challenges. On the one hand, the simulation results are sometimes inaccurate, due to the simplification of the true loading conditions and modeling details. On the other hand, data from the sensors cannot provide the full-field strength information of the structure, which may result in the misjudgment of the structural state. To this end, a digital twin modeling method of multi-source data fusion based on transfer learning is proposed in this paper. In transfer learning, simulation data and sensor data are utilized as the source dataset and the target dataset, respectively. First, a pre-trained deep neural network (DNN) model is established based on the source dataset. Then, the pre-trained DNN model is fine-tuned based on the target dataset using a lower learning rate and fewer training epochs. Finally, a digital twin model can be built, which is capable of visualizing the full-field strength information of the stiffened plate structure. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, an experimental study on a hierarchical stiffened plate is carried out. Compared with the traditional data fusion method, the results verify the high prediction accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method, demonstrating its potential for the strength health monitoring of spacecraft in orbit.
Influence of Spinner Shape on Droplet Impact over Rotating Spinners
Authors: Gao Xuan , Qiu Borong , Wang Zongjie , Li Haiwang
Published: January 2023

Droplet impact affects water collection, which is the key to investigating the icing process on an aero-engine spinner. Different from a stationary spinner, droplet impact is affected by Coriolis acceleration and centrifugal acceleration on rotating aero-engine spinners, showing different impact dynamics. Based on the Eulerian method, using the rotating coordinate system we numerically investigated droplet impact characteristics on three different shapes of aero-engine spinners using ANSYS Fluent. The results indicate that the impact area covered all the windward surface on the conical spinner, and only covered the windward surface prior to the impingement limit of the elliptical spinner and the coniptical spinner. The sensitivity of water collection to inflow velocity declined in the order of coniptical the spinner, the elliptical spinner, and the conical spinner. In addition, the elliptical region could effectively improve aerodynamic performance, as shown in a lower total pressure loss through the spinner. This work is relevant to the anti-icing system of a rotating aero-engine spinner.
Alley Cropping and Organic Compost: An Efficient and Sustainable Agro-Ecological Strategy for Improving Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) Growth and Attributes
Authors: Soliman Yassin M. , Soliman Wagdi S. , Abbas Ahmed M.
Published: January 2023

Alley cropping is a sustainable agriculture approach that improves ecosystem services while also promoting biodiversity. The current study was conducted over two seasons, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021, to examine the impact of leucaena–turmeric alley cropping and organic compost addition as agroforestry systems on the growth, yield and characteristics of the turmeric crop. Alley cropping included four treatments: control (turmeric as sole crop), turmeric cultivated between leucaena trees pruned at 1 m height, leucaena trees pruned at 1.5 m height and unpruned leucaena trees. Meanwhile, organic compost rates were control (received recommended NPK) and 17 and 34 m3 ha−1. This study’s results showed that growing turmeric in between rows of unpruned leucaena resulted in maximum turmeric plant growth, production and characteristics. Minimum turmeric growth and yield parameters were recorded with plants grown between pruned leucaena at 1 m and those where the turmeric was the sole crop. In addition, compost addition at 34 m3 ha−1 led to maximum growth, yield and attributes of the turmeric crop. Compost addition and alley cropping were shown to be an effective and sustainable agro-ecological system for increasing turmeric output and quality. The study demonstrated the importance of selecting the appropriate crop–tree combination in this system and it was discovered that leguminous leucaena trees significantly contributed to improving fertility and nutrient availability, which in turn improved the growth characteristics of turmeric, particularly the leaf-area index and its nutrient content, which are beneficial to the characteristics of the rhizome yield and curcumin content.
The Effect of the Genotypes of the CSN2 Gene on Test-Day Milk Yields in the Slovak Holstein Cow
Authors: Miluchová Martina , Gábor Michal , Candrák Juraj
Published: January 2023

The aim of this study was to analyze the polymorphisms of the beta-casein gene and describe the association between the beta-casein genotypes and milk production in high milk-production Slovak Holstein cattle herds. Genomic DNA was isolated from the hair root samples of 1478 cows using a commercial column kit. The detection of the specific alleles A1 and A2 of the CSN2 gene was carried out using three molecular-genetics methods, including the TaqMan allelic discrimination assay, ACRS-PCR and SBE primer extension technology. The results of the molecular-genetic analysis were used for calculating the genetic structure in the analyzed population. All three genotypes, including A1A1 (5.28%), A1A2 (37.08%) and A2A2 (57.64%), were detected. The frequency of the allele A1 was 23.82% and the allele A2 was 76.18%. The statistical analysis and data preparation were performed using the SAS 9.2 Enterprise Guide 4.2 software. A general linear model (GLM) and the least squares means adjusted for multiple comparisons were used. A significant positive effect of the beta-casein genotype A2A2 on protein in kilograms and partially for the protein content in Holstein cows was found. Only the highest the least squares means for the fat percentage was found for the genotype A1A1 compared to the genotype A2A2. This can be considered a slightly negative trend.
Internet and Computers for Agriculture
Authors: Dimitrov Dimitre D.
Published: January 2023

The Special Issue “Internet and Computers for Agriculture” reflects the rapidly growing need for new information and communication technology (ICT) involvement in agriculture which is changing globally [...]
Exploring Barriers to the Adoption of Internet of Things-Based Precision Agriculture Practices
Authors: Hundal Gaganpreet Singh , Laux Chad Matthew , Buckmaster Dennis , Sutton Mathias J , Langemeier Michael
Published: January 2023

The production of row crops in the Midwestern (Indiana) region of the US has been facing environmental and economic sustainability issues. There has been an increase in trend for the application of fertilizers (nitrogen & phosphorus), farm machinery fuel costs and decreasing labor productivity leading to non-optimized usage of farm inputs. Literature describes how sustainable practices such as profitability (return on investments), operational cost reduction, hazardous waste reduction, delivery performance and overall productivity might be adopted in the context of precision agriculture technologies (variable rate irrigation, variable rate fertilization, cloud-based analytics, and telematics for farm machinery navigation). The literature review describes low adoption of Internet of Things (IoT)-based precision agriculture technologies, such as variable rate fertilizer (39%), variable rate pesticide (8%), variable rate irrigation (4%), cloud-based data analytics (21%) and telematics (10%) amongst Midwestern row crop producers. Barriers to the adoption of IoT-based precision agriculture technologies cited in the literature include cost effectiveness, power requirements, wireless communication range, data latency, data scalability, data storage, data processing and data interoperability. Therefore, this study focused on exploring and understanding decision-making variables related to barriers through three focus group interview sessions conducted with eighteen (n = 18) subject matter experts (SME) in IoT- based precision agriculture practices. Dependency relationships described between cost, data latency, data scalability, power consumption, communication range, type of wireless communication and precision agriculture application is one of the main findings. The results might inform precision agriculture practitioners, producers and other stakeholders about variables related to technical and operational barriers for the adoption of IoT-based precision agriculture practices.
On the Identification of Agroforestry Application Areas Using Object-Oriented Programming
Authors: Ioannou Konstantinos
Published: January 2023

The detection of possible areas for the application of agroforestry is essential and involves the usage of various technics. The recognition of forest types using satellite or aerial imagery is the first step toward this goal. This is a tedious task involving the application of remote sensing techniques and a variety of computer software. The overall performance of this approach is very good and the resulting land use maps can be considered of high accuracy. However, there is also the need for performing high-speed characterization using techniques that can determine forest types automatically and produce quick and acceptable results without the need for specific software. This paper presents a comprehensive methodology that uses Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument (MODIS) aboard the TERRA satellite. The software developed automatically downloads data using Google Earth Engine and processes them using Google Colab, which are both free-access platforms. The results from the analysis were exported to ArcGIS for evaluation and comparison against the CORINE land cover inventory using the latest update (2018).
Research on Instance Segmentation Algorithm of Greenhouse Sweet Pepper Detection Based on Improved Mask RCNN
Authors: Cong Peichao , Li Shanda , Zhou Jiachao , Lv Kunfeng , Feng Hao
Published: January 2023

The fruit quality and yield of sweet peppers can be effectively improved by accurately and efficiently controlling the growth conditions and taking timely corresponding measures to manage the planting process dynamically. The use of deep-learning-based image recognition technology to segment sweet pepper instances accurately is an important means of achieving the above goals. However, the accuracy of the existing instance segmentation algorithms is seriously affected by complex scenes such as changes in ambient light and shade, similarity between the pepper color and background, overlap, and leaf occlusion. Therefore, this paper proposes an instance segmentation algorithm that integrates the Swin Transformer attention mechanism into the backbone network of a Mask region-based convolutional neural network (Mask RCNN) to enhance the feature extraction ability of the algorithm. In addition, UNet3+ is used to improve the mask head and segmentation quality of the mask. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can effectively segment different categories of sweet peppers under conditions of extreme light, sweet pepper overlap, and leaf occlusion. The detection AP, AR, segmentation AP, and F1 score were 98.1%, 99.4%, 94.8%, and 98.8%, respectively. The average FPS value was 5, which can be satisfied with the requirement of dynamic monitoring of the growth status of sweet peppers. These findings provide important theoretical support for the intelligent management of greenhouse crops.
Detection of ‘Candidatus Phythoplasma prunorum’ in Apricot Trees and its Associated Psyllid Samples
Authors: Koncz László Sándor , Petróczy Marietta , Pénzes Béla , Ladányi Márta , Palkovics László , Gyócsi Piroska , Nagy Géza , Ágoston János , Fail József
Published: January 2023

‘Candidatus Phytoplasma prunorum’ is causing ever increasing economic losses through the decline of apricot trees in European countries, e.g., Hungary. In this study, the pathogen was identified from plant tissues and insects by nested-PCR. The insect species were identified via morphology and molecular methods. The incidence of the pathogen was 29.6% in randomly selected apricot trees. Most of the infected trees with symptoms died within a year. These results show that phytoplasma is significantly present and causes damage in the investigated plantations. The only known insect vector of this phytoplasma is the plum psyllid, Cacopsylla pruni, which was regularly encountered in the sampled apricot orchards and in their surroundings. In a two-year study, several adults among the sampled specimens were observed to be infected by the pathogen. This observation further confirms the role of the plum psyllid in vectoring the phytoplasma. All the sampled plum psyllid adults belonged to the ‘B’ biotype. Besides C. pruni, Cacopsylla crataegi was abundant in the samples. Several adults of the latter species were also infected by the pathogen ‘Ca. Phytoplasma prunorum’. The rates of occurrence of this phytoplasma in male and female adults of the two psyllid species appeared to be similar. The examined C. crataegi individuals showed genetic differences from each other and from specimens included in a previous investigation.
A Parallel Implementation of the Differential Evolution Method
Authors: Charilogis Vasileios , Tsoulos Ioannis G.
Published: January 2023

Global optimization is a widely used technique that finds application in many sciences such as physics, economics, medicine, etc., and with many extensions, for example, in the area of machine learning. However, in many cases, global minimization techniques require a high computational time and, for this reason, parallel computational approaches should be used. In this paper, a new parallel global optimization technique based on the differential evolutionary method is proposed. This new technique uses a series of independent parallel computing units that periodically exchange the best solutions they have found. Additionally, a new termination rule is proposed here that exploits parallelism to accelerate process termination in a timely and valid manner. The new method is applied to a number of problems in the established literature and the results are quite promising.
Origin and Distribution of the Brachial Plexus in Two Procyonids (Procyon cancrivorus and Nasua nasua, Carnivora)
Authors: Vélez García Juan Fernando , de Carvalho Barros Roseãmely Angélica , Miglino Maria Angélica
Published: January 2023

Procyon cancrivorus and Nasua nasua are two procyonids with different evolutionary adaptations to use their thoracic limbs. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the differences in the brachial plexus between both species. Five P. cancrivorus and five N. nasua cadavers were used to perform this investigation with the permission of the bioethics committee and environmental license. Gross dissections were performed on the cervical, pectoral, and thoracic limb regions to find the origin and distribution of the brachial plexus. The brachial plexus of both species originated in a variant manner from C5-T1, C5-T2, C6-T1, or C6-T2. All brachial plexus nerves were observed and, interestingly, the musculocutaneous sent a communicating branch to the median nerve medially to the axillary artery, forming an ansa axillaris in both species. An ansa pectoralis was also observed medially to the axillary artery. Additionally, in P. cancrivorus, the musculocutaneous nerve innervates the pronator teres and flexor carpi radialis muscles and communicates with the median nerve at the elbow level to continue as a common trunk at the antebrachium. The brachial plexus has differences between both procyonids, although in both species, it could conserve a primitive arrangement present within the infraorder Arctoidea.
Effects of Glyceryl Monolaurate on Production Performance, Egg Quality, Oviduct Cytokines and Intestinal Microflora of 66 Weeks Old Laying Hens
Authors: Cui Zhenchuan , Zhang Ruiqiang , Dai Bing , Fu Chunsheng , Zhao Guiling , Xu Yinglei , Yang Caimei
Published: January 2023

The principal purpose of this research was to study the effects of glycerol monolaurate (GML) on the production performance; egg quality; health state of the oviduct, ovary and ileum; and gut microbiota of laying hens in the later stage. The laying hens were randomly assigned to two groups: a control group and an experiment group, for which 1000 mg/kg of GML was added to a control diet. The results showed that GML increased the laying rate, average egg weight, albumen height, yolk color and Haugh unit and decreased the feed conversion ratio and defective eggs (p < 0.05). GML increased the intestinal villi height and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth (p < 0.05). Moreover, GML improved the contents of cytokines in the oviduct, ovary and ileum mucosa; ameliorated the expression of TLR2, TLR4, MyD88, IL-4, IL-1β and TNF-α; and increased the expression of Occludin and Muc-2 in the ileal mucosa. The supplementation of GML increased the volatile fatty acids in the cecal contents, such as acetic acid and propionic acid, and up-regulated Bacteroides (p < 0.01) and Alistipes (p < 0.05) richness in the cecal contents. In summary, GML improved production performance, egg quality and immunity; ameliorated the health status of the oviduct, ovary and ileum; enhanced the intestinal barrier function; improved the content of intestinal volatile fatty acids; and regulated the abundance of cecal flora.
Dietary Polysaccharide-Rich Extract from Noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) Fruit Modified Ruminal Fermentation, Ruminal Bacterial Community and Nutrient Digestion in Cashmere Goats
Authors: Zhang Qingyue , Zhao Yanli , Li Yinhao , Guo Xiaoyu , Guo Yongmei , Ma Guoqiang , Liang Xiaoshuai , Yan Sumei
Published: January 2023

In two consecutive studies, we evaluated the effects of polysaccharide-rich noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) fruit extract (NFP) on ruminal fermentation, ruminal microbes and nutrient digestion in cashmere goats. In Exp. 1, the effects of a diet containing NFP of 0, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.4% and 0.55% on in vitro ruminal fermentation at 3, 6, 9, 12 and 24 h were determined, whereas in Exp. 2, fourteen cashmere goats (46.65 ± 3.36 kg of BW ± SD) were randomly assigned to two treatments: the basal diet with or without (CON) supplementation of NFP at 4 g per kg DM (0.4%). The in vitro results showed that NFP linearly increased concentrations of volatile fatty acids (VFA), quadratically decreased ammonia-N concentration, and changed pH, protozoa number, gas production and the microbial protein (MCP) concentration, and was more effective at 0.4% addition, which yielded similar results in ruminal fermentation in Exp. 2. In addition, NFP increased the apparent digestibility of dry matter and crude protein and the abundance of Firmicutes, and reduced the abundance of Bacteroides and Actinobacteria. Ruminococcus_1 was positively associated with VFA concentration. The Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group was positively correlated with protozoa and negatively correlated with MCP concentration. Thus, NFP has potential as a ruminal fermentation enhancer for cashmere goats.
Feed Supplementation Detection during the Last Productive Stage of the Acorn-Fed Iberian Pig through a Faecal Volatilome Analysis
Authors: Rodríguez-Hernández Pablo , Cardador María José , Ríos-Reina Rocío , Simões João , Arce Lourdes , Rodríguez-Estévez Vicente
Published: January 2023

The acorn-fed Iberian pig is known worldwide due to the quality of the resulting products commercialized after a natural and free grazing period of fattening in the dehesa agroforestry ecosystem. The quality regulation of the pig breed reserves “acorn” denomination for only those products obtained from animals exclusively fed grazing acorns and other natural resources; however, sometimes, feed supplementation of the pig’s diet is fraudulently employed to reach an earlier slaughtering weight and to increase pig stocking rate, a strategy called postre (meaning “feed supplement”). In this sense, although many studies focused on Iberian pig diet have been published, the field detection of feed use for acorn-fed pig during the last finishing stage foraging in the dehesa, a practice which clashes with the official regulation, has not been explored yet. The present study employs a volatilome analysis (gas chromatography coupled to ion mobility spectrometry) of a non-invasive biological sample (faeces) to discriminate the grazing diet of only natural resources, that acorn-fed Iberian pigs are supposed to have, from those pigs that are also supplemented with feed. The results obtained show the suitability of the methodology used and the usefulness of the information obtained from faeces samples to discriminate and detect the fraudulent use of feed for acorn-fed Iberian pig fattening: a classification success ranging between 86.4% and 100% was obtained for the two chemometric approaches evaluated. These, together with the results of discriminant models, are discussed, in addition to the importance that the methodology optimized implies for the Iberian pig sector and market, which is also introduced. This methodology could be adapted to control organic farming animals or other upstanding livestock production systems which are supposed to be fully dependent on a natural grazing diet.
Advanced Hydrogels Combined with Silver and Gold Nanoparticles against Antimicrobial Resistance
Authors: Moreno Ruiz Yolice Patricia , de Almeida Campos Luís André , Alves Agreles Maria Andressa , Galembeck André , Macário Ferro Cavalcanti Isabella
Published: January 2023

The development of multidrug-resistant (MDR) microorganisms has increased dramatically in the last decade as a natural consequence of the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes that this is one of the top ten global public health threats facing humanity today, demanding urgent multisectoral action. The UK government foresees that bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR) could kill 10 million people per year by 2050 worldwide. In this sense, metallic nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as promising alternatives due to their outstanding antibacterial and antibiofilm properties. The efficient delivery of the NPs is also a matter of concern, and recent studies have demonstrated that hydrogels present an excellent ability to perform this task. The porous hydrogel structure with a high-water retention capability is a convenient host for the incorporation of the metallic nanoparticles, providing an efficient path to deliver the NPs properly reducing bacterial infections caused by MDR pathogenic microorganisms. This article reviews the most recent investigations on the characteristics, applications, advantages, and limitations of hydrogels combined with metallic NPs for treating MDR bacteria. The mechanisms of action and the antibiofilm activity of the NPs incorporated into hydrogels are also described. Finally, this contribution intends to fill some gaps in nanomedicine and serve as a guide for the development of advanced medical products.
Real-World Budget Impact of Fidaxomicin versus Vancomycin or Metronidazole for In-Hospital Treatment of Clostridioides difficile Infection
Authors: Whitney Laura , Nesnas John , Planche Timothy
Published: January 2023

Fidaxomicin, a macrocyclic antibiotic, selectively kills Clostridioides difficile and reduces C. difficile infection (CDI) recurrence compared with vancomycin, but some studies and guidelines report fidaxomicin as being less cost-effective. The aim of this study was to compare the cost-effectiveness and budget impact of fidaxomicin versus vancomycin or metronidazole for treating CDI in a real-world UK setting. Data were retrospectively collected from medical records of 86 patients with CDI treated with vancomycin or metronidazole at a single UK hospital between April 2011 and March 2012, and prospectively from 62 patients with CDI treated with fidaxomicin between August 2012 and July 2013. CDI cases were matched by age, financial year, and healthcare resource use to control cases. CDI recurrence rates were lower with fidaxomicin (6.5%) than vancomycin/metronidazole (19.8%). An estimated 12 additional recurrent CDIs were prevented with fidaxomicin treatment. Patients with CDI had significantly higher healthcare costs than those without CDI, with a mean excess spend of GBP 10,748 and GBP 17,451 per patient in the fidaxomicin (p = 0.015) and vancomycin/metronidazole cohorts (p < 0.001), respectively. A second CDI was associated with mean excess costs of GBP 8373 and GBP 20,249 per patient in the fidaxomicin and vancomycin/metronidazole cohorts, respectively. Despite higher fidaxomicin drug costs, overall cost savings were estimated at GBP 140,292 (GBP 2125 per CDI). In this real-world study, first-line CDI treatment with fidaxomicin reduced healthcare costs versus vancomycin/metronidazole, consistent with previous studies.
Antimicrobial Resistance, Virulence Factors, and Genotypes of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium Clinical Isolates in Northern Japan: Identification of optrA in ST480 E. faecalis
Authors: Aung Meiji Soe , Urushibara Noriko , Kawaguchiya Mitsuyo , Ohashi Nobuhide , Hirose Mina , Kudo Kenji , Tsukamoto Naoyuki , Ito Masahiko , Kobayashi Nobumichi
Published: January 2023

Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium are the major pathogens causing community- and healthcare-associated infections, with an ability to acquire resistance to multiple antimicrobials. The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of virulence factors, drug resistance and its genetic determinants, and clonal lineages of E. faecalis and E. faecium clinical isolates in northern Japan. A total of 480 (426 E. faecalis and 54 E. faecium) isolates collected over a four-month period were analyzed. Three virulence factors promoting bacterial colonization (asa1, efaA, and ace) were more prevalent among E. faecalis (46–59%) than E. faecium, while a similar prevalence of enterococcal surface protein gene (esp) was found in these species. Between E. faecalis and E. faecium, an evident difference was noted for resistance to erythromycin, gentamicin, and levofloxacin and its responsible resistance determinants. Oxazolidinone resistance gene optrA and phenicol exporter gene fexA were identified in an isolate of E. faecalis belonging to ST480 and revealed to be located on a cluster similar to those of isolates reported in other Asian countries. The E. faecalis isolates analyzed were differentiated into 12 STs, among which ST179 and ST16 of clonal complex (CC) 16 were the major lineage. Nearly all the E. faecium isolates were assigned into CC17, which consisted of 10 different sequence types (STs), including a dominant ST17 containing multidrug resistant isolates and ST78 with isolates harboring the hyaluronidase gene (hyl). The present study revealed the genetic profiles of E. faecalis and E. faecium clinical isolates, with the first identification of optrA in ST480 E. faecalis in Japan.
Antifungal Activity of Selenium Nanoparticles Obtained by Plant-Mediated Synthesis
Authors: Lazcano-Ramírez Hugo Gerardo , Garza-García Jorge J. O. , Hernández-Díaz José A. , León-Morales Janet M. , Macías-Sandoval Alejandro S. , García-Morales Soledad
Published: January 2023

The continuous need to satisfy world food demand has led to the search for new alternatives to combat economic losses in agriculture caused by phytopathogenic fungi. These organisms cause plant diseases, reducing their productivity and decreasing fruit quality. Among the new tools being explored is nanotechnology. Nanoparticles with antimicrobial properties could be an excellent alternative to address this problem. In this work, selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) were obtained using plant extracts of Amphipterygium glaucum leaves (SeNPs-AGL) and Calendula officinalis flowers (SeNPs-COF). Characterization of the SeNPs was performed and their ability as antifungal agents against two commercially relevant plant pathogenic fungi, Fusarium oxysporum and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, was evaluated. Assays were performed with different concentrations of SeNPs (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.7 mg/mL). It was observed that both SeNPs had antifungal activity against both plant pathogens at concentrations of 0.25 mg/mL and above. SeNPs-AGL demonstrated better antifungal activity and smaller size (around 8.0 nm) than SeNPs-COF (134.0 nm). FTIR analysis evidenced the existence of different functional groups that constitute both types of SeNPs. There are factors that have to be considered in the antimicrobial activity of SeNPs such as nanoparticle size and phytochemical composition of the plant extracts used, as these may affect their bioavailability.
The Antifungal Antibiotic Filipin as a Diagnostic Tool of Cholesterol Alterations in Lysosomal Storage Diseases and Neurodegenerative Disorders
Authors: Bruno Francesco , Camuso Serena , Capuozzo Elisabetta , Canterini Sonia
Published: January 2023

Cholesterol is the most considerable member of a family of polycyclic compounds understood as sterols, and represents an amphipathic molecule, such as phospholipids, with the polar hydroxyl group located in position 3 and the rest of the molecule is completely hydrophobic. In cells, it is usually present as free, unesterified cholesterol, or as esterified cholesterol, in which the hydroxyl group binds to a carboxylic acid and thus generates an apolar molecule. Filipin is a naturally fluorescent antibiotic that exerts a primary antifungal effect with low antibacterial activity, interfering with the sterol stabilization of the phospholipid layers and favoring membrane leakage. This polyene macrolide antibiotic does not bind to esterified sterols, but only to non-esterified cholesterol, and it is commonly used as a marker to label and quantify free cholesterol in cells and tissues. Several lines of evidence have indicated that filipin staining could be a good diagnostic tool for the cholesterol alterations present in neurodegenerative (e.g., Alzheimer’s Disease and Huntington Disease) and lysosomal storage diseases (e.g., Niemann Pick type C Disease and GM1 gangliosidosis). Here, we have discussed the uses and applications of this fluorescent molecule in lipid storage diseases and neurodegenerative disorders, exploring not only the diagnostic strength of filipin staining, but also its limitations, which over the years have led to the development of new diagnostic tools to combine with filipin approach.
Development of a Predictive Dosing Nomogram to Achieve PK/PD Targets of Amikacin Initial Dose in Critically Ill Patients: A Non-Parametric Approach
Authors: Coste Anne , Bellouard Ronan , Deslandes Guillaume , Jalin Laurence , Roger Claire , Ansart Séverine , Dailly Eric , Bretonnière Cédric , Grégoire Matthieu
Published: January 2023

French guidelines recommend reaching an amikacin concentration of ≥8 × MIC 1 h after beginning infusion (C1h), with MIC = 8 mg/L for probabilistic therapy. We aimed to elaborate a nomogram guiding clinicians in choosing the right first amikacin dose for ICU patients in septic shock. A total of 138 patients with 407 observations were prospectively recruited. A population pharmacokinetic model was built using a non-parametric, non-linear mixed-effects approach. The total body weight (TBW) influenced the central compartment volume, and the glomerular filtration rate (according to the CKD–EPI formula) influenced its clearance. A dosing nomogram was produced using Monte Carlo simulations of the amikacin amount needed to achieve a C1h ≥ 8 × MIC. The dosing nomogram recommended amikacin doses from 1700 mg to 4200 mg and from 28 mg/kg to 49 mg/kg depending on the patient’s TBW and renal clearance. However, a Cthrough ≤ 2.5 mg/L 24 h and 48 h after an optimal dose of amikacin was obtained with probabilities of 0.20 and 0.81, respectively. Doses ≥ 30 mg/kg are required to achieve a C1h ≥ 8 × MIC with MIC = 8 mg/L. Targeting a MIC = 8 mg/L should depend on local ecology.
Hydralazine Revives Cellular and Ocular Lens Health-Span by Ameliorating the Aging and Oxidative-Dependent Loss of the Nrf2-Activated Cellular Stress Response
Authors: Chhunchha Bhavana , Kubo Eri , Krueger Ronald R. , Singh Dhirendra P.
Published: January 2023

A major hallmark of aging-associated diseases is the inability to evoke cellular defense responses. Transcriptional protein Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-related factor) plays a pivotal role in the oxidative stress response, cellular homeostasis, and health span. Nrf2’s activation has been identified as a therapeutic target to restore antioxidant defense in aging. Here, we demonstrated that FDA-approved drug, hydralazine (Hyd), was a reactivator of the Nrf2/ARE (antioxidant response element) pathway in various ages and types of mouse (m) or human (h) lens epithelial cells (LECs) and mice lenses in-vitro/in-vivo. This led to Hyd-driven abatement of carbonyls, reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS), and reduced 4-HNE/MDA-adducts with cytoprotection, and extended lens healthspan by delaying/preventing lens opacity against aging/oxidative stress. We elucidated that Hyd activated the protective signaling by inducing Nrf2 to traverse from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and potentiated the ARE response by direct interaction of Nrf2 and ARE sequences of the promoter. Loss-of-function study and cotreatment of Hyd and antioxidant, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) or Peroxiredoxin (Prdx)6, specified that Nrf2/ARE-driven increase in the promoter activity was Hyd-dependent. Our study provides proof-of concept evidence and, thereby, paves the way to repurposing Hyd as a therapeutic agent to delay/prevent aging and oxidative-related disorders.
Role of Dietary Polyphenols in the Activity and Expression of Nitric Oxide Synthases: A Review
Authors: Serreli Gabriele , Deiana Monica
Published: January 2023

Nitric oxide (NO) plays several key roles in the functionality of an organism, and it is usually released in numerous organs and tissues. There are mainly three isoforms of the enzyme that produce NO starting from the metabolism of arginine, namely endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). The expression and activity of these isoforms depends on the activation/deactivation of different signaling pathways at an intracellular level following different physiological and pathological stimuli. Compounds of natural origin such as polyphenols, which are obtainable through diet, have been widely studied in recent years in in vivo and in vitro investigations for their ability to induce or inhibit NO release, depending on the tissue. In this review, we aim to disclose the scientific evidence relating to the activity of the main dietary polyphenols in the modulation of the intracellular pathways involved in the expression and/or functionality of the NOS isoforms.
Influence of the Neuroprotective Properties of Quercetin on Regeneration and Functional Recovery of the Nervous System
Authors: Fideles Simone Ortiz Moura , de Cássia Ortiz Adriana , Buchaim Daniela Vieira , de Souza Bastos Mazuqueli Pereira Eliana , Parreira Maria Júlia Bento Martins , de Oliveira Rossi Jéssica , da Cunha Marcelo Rodrigues , de Souza Alexandre Teixeira , Soares Wendel Cleber , Buchaim Rogerio Leone
Published: January 2023

Quercetin is a dietary flavonoid present in vegetables, fruits, and beverages, such as onions, apples, broccoli, berries, citrus fruits, tea, and red wine. Flavonoids have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, acting in the prevention of several diseases. Quercetin also has neuroprotective properties and may exert a beneficial effect on nervous tissue. In this literature review, we compiled in vivo studies that investigated the effect of quercetin on regeneration and functional recovery of the central and peripheral nervous system. In spinal cord injuries (SCI), quercetin administration favored axonal regeneration and recovery of locomotor capacity, significantly improving electrophysiological parameters. Quercetin reduced edema, neutrophil infiltration, cystic cavity formation, reactive oxygen species production, and pro-inflammatory cytokine synthesis, while favoring an increase in levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines, minimizing tissue damage in SCI models. In addition, the association of quercetin with mesenchymal stromal cells transplantation had a synergistic neuroprotective effect on spinal cord injury. Similarly, in sciatic nerve injuries, quercetin favored and accelerated sensory and motor recovery, reducing muscle atrophy. In these models, quercetin significantly inhibited oxidative stress and cell apoptosis, favoring Schwann cell proliferation and nerve fiber remyelination, thus promoting a significant increase in the number and diameter of myelinated fibers. Although there is still a lack of clinical research, in vivo studies have shown that quercetin contributed to the recovery of neurological functions, exerting a beneficial effect on the regeneration of the central and peripheral nervous system.
Oxidation of Quercetin and Kaempferol Markedly Amplifies Their Antioxidant, Cytoprotective, and Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Authors: Speisky Hernán , Arias-Santé María Fernanda , Fuentes Jocelyn
Published: January 2023

The contention that flavonoids’ oxidation would necessarily lead to a loss of their antioxidant properties was recently challenged by the demonstration that quercetin oxidation leads to the formation of 2-(3,4-dihydroxybenzoyl)-2,4,6-trihydroxy-3(2H)-benzofuranone (Que-BZF), a metabolite whose antioxidant potency was notably higher than that of its precursor. Here, we compared and expanded the former observation to that of the quercetin analogue kaempferol. Oxidation of kaempferol led to the formation of a mixture of metabolites that included the 2-(4-hydroxybenzoyl)-2,4,6-trihydroxy-3(2H)-benzofuranone (Kae-BZF). Following the chromatographic isolation of Kae-BZF from such a mixture, its antioxidant, mitochondria- and cell-protecting, and NF-kB-inhibiting effects were assessed, and compared with those of Que-BZF, in Caco-2 cells exposed to indomethacin as a source of ROS. The concentrations of Que-BZF (100 nm) and Kae-BZF (1 nm) needed to attain their maximal protection effects were 50- and 5000-fold lower than those of their respective precursors. The former differences in concentrations were also seen when the abilities of Que-BZF and Kae-BZF to inhibit the indomethacin-induced activation of NF-kB were compared. These data not only reveal that the oxidative conversion of quercetin and kaempferol into their respective 2-benzoyl-2-hydroxy-3(2H)-benzofuranones (BZF) results in a considerable amplification of their original antioxidant properties, but also that the in the case of kaempferol, such amplification is 100-fold greater than that of quercetin.
Research on Blast Furnace Tuyere Image Anomaly Detection, Based on the Local Channel Attention Residual Mechanism
Authors: Song Chuanwang , Li Ziyu , Li Yuming , Zhang Hao , Jiang Mingjian , Hu Keyong , Wang Rihong
Published: January 2023

The channel attention mechanism is widely used in deep learning. However, the existing channel attention mechanism directly performs the global average pooling and then full connection for all channels, which causes the local information to be ignored and the feature information cannot be reasonably assigned with the proper weights. This paper proposed a local channel attention module, based on the channel attention. This module focuses on the local information of the feature image, obtains the weight of each regional channel through convolution, and then integrates the information, so that the regional information can be fully utilized. Moreover, the local channel attention module is combined with the residual module, and the local channel attention residual network LSERNet is constructed to detect the abnormal state of the blast furnace tuyere image. With sufficient experiments on the collected datasets of the blast furnace tuyere, the results show that the proposed method can efficiently extract the feature information, and the recognition accuracy of the LSERNet model reached 98.59%. Further, our model achieved the highest accuracy, compared with SE-ResNet50, ResNet50, LSE-ResNeXt, SE-ResNeXt, and ResNeXt models.