bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Political and International Affairs Simulations and Civic Engagement on Campus
Authors: Siegel-Stechler Kelly , Gee Gretchen
Published: August 2020

We use a pre/post survey comparison group design to assess the effectiveness of political simulations on student civic engagement. We find that participation in simulations is associated with an increase in both the number of activities in which students participate and the time they devote to these activities. This suggests an immediate and significant effect of classroom experiences on campus engagement.
PCR-Based InDel Marker Associated with Powdery Mildew-Resistant MR-1
Authors: Choi Yu-Ri , Lee Jae Yong , Hwang Seongbin , Kim Hyun Uk
Published: August 2020

Powdery mildew (PM) is a fungal disease occurring in both field and greenhouse conditions worldwide. It infects many plant species and reduces both the productivity and quality of crops. Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is an economically important crop. In order to develop a molecular marker that can be used more conveniently in the development of PM-resistant melon using MR-1 melon resources, the previously reported cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) marker was improved with a length polymorphism PCR marker. Two cleaved CAPS markers—BSA12-LI3ECORI and BSA12-LI4HINFI—associated with BPm12.1, a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) corresponding to the PM resistance of MR-1, have been reported. In this study, we found that in the BSA12-LI3ECORI CAPS marker specifically, a 41 bp deletion was present in the PCR DNA region of the MR-1 melon genome. A new marker capable of distinguishing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) length polymorphism was produced using insertion-deletion (InDel) information in this region. This PCR-based InDel marker distinguished the genotypes of PM-resistant MR-1, PM-susceptible Top Mark, and their F1 progeny. These results suggest that this InDel marker could be used to develop PM-resistant melon varieties based on MR-1.
Systematic Review on the Impact of Guidelines Adherence on Antibiotic Prescription in Respiratory Infections
Authors: Oliveira Inês , Rego Catarina , Semedo Guilherme , Gomes Daniel , Figueiras Adolfo , Roque Fátima , Herdeiro Maria Teresa
Published: August 2020

Overuse and inappropriate antibiotic prescription for respiratory tract infections (RTI) are one of the major contributors to the current antibiotic resistance problem. Guidelines provide support to prescribers for proper decision-making. Our purpose is to review the impact of prescribers’ exposure to guidelines in antibiotic prescription for RTIs. A systematic review was performed searching in the scientific databases MEDLINE PubMed and EMBASE for studies which exposed prescribers to guidelines for RTI and compared antibiotic prescription rates/quality before and after the implementation, with thirty-four articles included in the review. The selected studies consisted on a simple intervention in the form of guideline implementation while others involved multifaceted interventions, and varied in population, designs, and settings. Prescription rate was shown to be reduced in the majority of the studies, along with an improvement in appropriateness, defined mainly by the prescription of narrow-spectrum rather than broad-spectrum antibiotics. Intending to ascertain if this implementation could decrease prescription costs, 7 articles accessed it, of which 6 showed the intended reduction. Overall interventions to improve guidelines adherence can be effective in reducing antibiotic prescriptions and inappropriate antibiotic selection for RTIs, supporting the importance of implementing guidelines in order to decrease the high levels of antibiotic prescriptions, and consequently reduce antimicrobial resistance.
Antibiotic Tolerance of Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm in Periprosthetic Joint Infections and Antibiofilm Strategies
Authors: Lamret Fabien , Colin Marius , Mongaret Céline , Gangloff Sophie C. , Reffuveille Fany
Published: August 2020

The need for bone and joint prostheses is currently growing due to population aging, leading to an increase in prosthetic joint infection cases. Biofilms represent an adaptive and quite common bacterial response to several stress factors which confer an important protection to bacteria. Biofilm formation starts with bacterial adhesion on a surface, such as an orthopedic prosthesis, further reinforced by matrix synthesis. The biofilm formation and structure depend on the immediate environment of the bacteria. In the case of infection, the periprosthetic joint environment represents a particular interface between bacteria, host cells, and the implant, favoring biofilm initiation and maturation. Treating such an infection represents a huge challenge because of the biofilm-specific high tolerance to antibiotics and its ability to evade the immune system. It is crucial to understand these mechanisms in order to find new and adapted strategies to prevent and eradicate implant-associated infections. Therefore, adapted models mimicking the infectious site are of utmost importance to recreate a relevant environment in order to test potential antibiofilm molecules. In periprosthetic joint infections, Staphylococcus aureus is mainly involved because of its high adaptation to the human physiology. The current review deals with the mechanisms involved in the antibiotic resistance and tolerance of Staphylococcus aureus in the particular periprosthetic joint infection context, and exposes different strategies to manage these infections.
Novel Treatments against Mycobacterium tuberculosis Based on Drug Repurposing
Authors: Mourenza Álvaro , Gil José A. , Mateos Luis M. , Letek Michal
Published: August 2020

Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death, worldwide, due to a bacterial pathogen. This respiratory disease is caused by the intracellular pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis and produces 1.5 million deaths every year. The incidence of tuberculosis has decreased during the last decade, but the emergence of MultiDrug-Resistant (MDR-TB) and Extensively Drug-Resistant (XDR-TB) strains of M. tuberculosis is generating a new health alarm. Therefore, the development of novel therapies based on repurposed drugs against MDR-TB and XDR-TB have recently gathered significant interest. Recent evidence, focused on the role of host molecular factors on M. tuberculosis intracellular survival, allowed the identification of new host-directed therapies. Interestingly, the mechanism of action of many of these therapies is linked to the activation of autophagy (e.g., nitazoxanide or imatinib) and other well-known molecular pathways such as apoptosis (e.g., cisplatin and calycopterin). Here, we review the latest developments on the identification of novel antimicrobials against tuberculosis (including avermectins, eltrombopag, or fluvastatin), new host-targeting therapies (e.g., corticoids, fosfamatinib or carfilzomib) and the host molecular factors required for a mycobacterial infection that could be promising targets for future drug development.
Design of an Active Vision System for High-Level Isolation Units through Q-Learning
Authors: Gil Ruiz Andrea , Victores Juan G. , Łukawski Bartek , Balaguer Carlos
Published: August 2020

The inspection of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is one of the most necessary measures when treating patients affected by infectious diseases, such as Ebola or COVID-19. Assuring the integrity of health personnel in contact with infected patients has become an important concern in developed countries. This work focuses on the study of Reinforcement Learning (RL) techniques for controlling a scanner prototype in the presence of blood traces on the PPE that could arise after contact with pathological patients. A preliminary study on the design of an agent-environment system able to simulate the required task is presented. The task has been adapted to an environment for the OpenAI Gym toolkit. The evaluation of the agent’s performance has considered the effects of different topological designs and tuning hyperparameters of the Q-Learning model-free algorithm. Results have been evaluated on the basis of average reward and timesteps per episode. The sample-average method applied to the learning rate parameter, as well as a specific epsilon decaying method worked best for the trained agents. The obtained results report promising outcomes of an inspection system able to center and magnify contaminants in the real scanner system.
Performance Index of Incremental Granular Model with Information Granule of Linguistic Intervals and Its Application
Authors: Yeom Chan-Uk , Lee Myung-Won , Kwak Keun-Chang
Published: August 2020

This paper addresses the performance index (PI) of an incremental granular model (IGM) with information granules of linguistic intervals. For this purpose, IGM is designed by combining a linear regression (LR) and an interval-based granular model (GM). The fundamental scheme of IGM construction comprises two essential phases: (1) development of LR as a basic model and (2) design of a local granular model, which attempts to reduce errors obtained by the LR model. Here, the local interval-based GM is based on an interval-based fuzzy clustering algorithm, which is materialized by information granulations. The PI of IGM is calculated by multiplying the coverage with specificity property, because the output of IGM is not a numerical value but a linguistic interval value. From the concept of coverage and specificity, we can construct information granules; thus, it is justified by the available experimental proof and presented as clearly defined semantics. To validate the PI method, an experiment is conducted on concrete compressive strength for civil engineering applications. The experimental results confirm that the PI of IGM is an effective performance evaluation method.
Influence of Process Parameters on Forming Load of Variable-Section Thin-Walled Conical Parts in Spinning
Authors: Xia Yingxiang , Shu Xuedao , Zhu Ying , Li Zixuan
Published: August 2020

Thin-walled conical parts with variable-section are usually made of superalloy material, with poor plasticity and complex forces, which are difficult to form and control. In this research, a thin-walled conical casing of superalloy GH1140 with variable-section is studied; the real stress–strain curve of the material is fitted and the load-displacement curves of superalloy GH1140 are obtained through a universal testing machine. To clarify the equivalent stress distribution on the upper surface of the thin-walled casing during the forming process and after unloading the rotary wheel, the finite element model of the thin-walled conical casing during the spinning forming process is established with the Simufact Forming finite element analysis software. The effects of processing parameters, such as the mandrel rotational speed ω, the roller feed ratio f and the gap deviation rate δ between the roller and mandrel, on the spinning forming load were obtained. The distribution and numerical trend of the tangential residual stress after forming were detected by X-ray diffraction, and the causes of defects such as flange instability were analyzed. The results of the forming test and the test of residual stress conform well with the simulation, which verifies the stability of the model. The research provides a theoretical basis for improving the forming quality of thin-walled parts with variable-section.
The Objective Space and the Formulation of Design Requirement in Natural Laminar Flow Optimization
Authors: Wang Shuyue , Wang Cong , Sun Gang
Published: August 2020

Design requirement is as important in aerodynamic design as in other industries because it sets up the objective for the samples in design space to approach. Natural Laminar Flow (NLF) optimization belongs to the type of aerodynamic design problems featured by the combination of distinct aerodynamic performance, where the design requirement is often formulated in form of summation of laminar-related performance and pressure drag performance with different weight assignment according to different perspectives. However, the formulations are rather experience-oriented and are decided non-quantitatively. Inspired by data manipulation approaches in design space (spanned by design variables of geometrical representation parameters) in many aerodynamic designs, this paper proposes new formulations of design requirement in NLF optimization via consideration of objective space (projection of design space through aerodynamics) and shows the impact of the corresponding formulation of design requirement to the result of NLF optimization in cases of transonic airfoil and aero engine compressor blade design from two perspectives: Pareto front convergence and improving effect of accessory performance. The paper uses Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to obtain the eigenvectors of objective space to extract the intrinsic information about specific problem. The method is realized in two cases with satisfactory result.
Hyperspectral Imaging for Color Adulteration Detection in Red Chili
Authors: Khan Muhammad Hussain , Saleem Zainab , Ahmad Muhammad , Sohaib Ahmed , Ayaz Hamail , Mazzara Manuel
Published: August 2020

The quality of red chili is characterized based on its color and pungency. Several factors like humidity, temperature, light, and storage conditions affect the characteristic qualities of red chili, thus preservation required several measures. Instead of ensuring these measures, traders are using oil and Sudan dye in red chili to increase the value of an inferior product. Thus, this work presents the feasibility of utilizing a hyperspectral camera for the detection of oil and Sudan dye in red chili. This study describes the important wavelengths (500–700 nm) where different adulteration affects the response of the reflected spectrum. These wavelengths are then utilized for training an Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm to detect pure, oil-adulterated, and Sudan dye-adulterated red chili. The classification performance achieves 97% with the reduced dimensionality and 100% with complete validation data. The trained algorithm is further tested on separate data with different adulteration levels in comparison to the training data. Results show that the algorithm successfully classifies pure, oil-adulterated, and Sudan-adulterated red chili with an accuracy of 100%.
A Comparison of Human against Machine-Classification of Spatial Audio Scenes in Binaural Recordings of Music
Authors: Zieliński Sławomir K. , Lee Hyunkook , Antoniuk Paweł , Dadan Oskar
Published: August 2020

The purpose of this paper is to compare the performance of human listeners against the selected machine learning algorithms in the task of the classification of spatial audio scenes in binaural recordings of music under practical conditions. The three scenes were subject to classification: (1) music ensemble (a group of musical sources) located in the front, (2) music ensemble located at the back, and (3) music ensemble distributed around a listener. In the listening test, undertaken remotely over the Internet, human listeners reached the classification accuracy of 42.5%. For the listeners who passed the post-screening test, the accuracy was greater, approaching 60%. The above classification task was also undertaken automatically using four machine learning algorithms: convolutional neural network, support vector machines, extreme gradient boosting framework, and logistic regression. The machine learning algorithms substantially outperformed human listeners, with the classification accuracy reaching 84%, when tested under the binaural-room-impulse-response (BRIR) matched conditions. However, when the algorithms were tested under the BRIR mismatched scenario, the accuracy obtained by the algorithms was comparable to that exhibited by the listeners who passed the post-screening test, implying that the machine learning algorithms capability to perform in unknown electro-acoustic conditions needs to be further improved.
Trend-Based Categories Recommendations and Age-Gender Prediction for Pinterest and Twitter Users
Authors: Garcia-Guzman Roberto , Andrade-Ambriz Yair A. , Ibarra-Manzano Mario-Alberto , Ledesma Sergio , Gomez Juan Carlos , Almanza-Ojeda Dora-Luz
Published: August 2020

Category suggestions or recommendations for customers or users have become an essential feature for commerce or leisure websites. This is a growing topic that follows users’ activity in social networks generating a huge quantity of information about their interests, contacts, among many others. These data are usually collected to analyze people’s behavior, trends, and integrate a complete user profile. In this sense, we analyze a dataset collected from Pinterest to predict the gender and age by processing input images using a Convolutional Neural Network. Our method is based on the meaning of the image rather than the visual content. Additionally, we propose a heuristic-based approach for text analysis to predict users’ age and gender from Twitter. Both of the classifiers are based on text and images and they are compared with various similar approaches in the state of the art. Suggested categories are based on association rules conformed by the activity of thousands of users in order to estimate trends. Computer simulations showed that our approach can recommend interesting categories for a user analyzing his current interest and comparing this interest with similar users’ profiles or trends and, therefore, achieve an improved user profile. The proposed method is capable of predicting the user’s age with high accuracy, and at the same time, it is able to predict gender and category information from the user. The certainty that one or more suggested categories be interesting to people is higher for those users with a large number of publications.
Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Role in Co-Ordinating SARS-CoV-2 Entry and Symptomatology: Linking Cytotoxicity Changes in COVID-19 and Cancers; Modulation by Racial Discrimination Stress
Authors: Anderson George , Carbone Annalucia , Mazzoccoli Gianluigi
Published: August 2020

There is an under-recognized role of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in co-ordinating the entry and pathophysiology of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) that underpins the COVID-19 pandemic. The rise in pro-inflammatory cytokines during the ‘cytokine storm’ induce indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), leading to an increase in kynurenine that activates the AhR, thereby heightening the initial pro-inflammatory cytokine phase and suppressing the endogenous anti-viral response. Such AhR-driven changes underpin the heightened severity and fatality associated with pre-existent high-risk medical conditions, such as type II diabetes, as well as to how racial discrimination stress contributes to the raised severity/fatality in people from the Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities. The AhR is pivotal in modulating mitochondrial metabolism and co-ordinating specialized, pro-resolving mediators (SPMs), the melatonergic pathways, acetyl-coenzyme A, and the cyclooxygenase (COX) 2-prostaglandin (PG) E2 pathway that underpin ‘exhaustion’ in the endogenous anti-viral cells, paralleling similar metabolic suppression in cytolytic immune cells that is evident across all cancers. The pro-inflammatory cytokine induced gut permeability/dysbiosis and suppression of pineal melatonin are aspects of the wider pathophysiological underpinnings regulated by the AhR. This has a number of prophylactic and treatment implications for SARS-CoV-2 infection and cancers and future research directions that better investigate the biological underpinnings of social processes and how these may drive health disparities.
Molecular and Therapeutic Aspects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Neurological Conditions
Authors: Fischer Inbar , Barak Boaz
Published: August 2020

In hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), the subject is placed in a chamber containing 100% oxygen gas at a pressure of more than one atmosphere absolute. This treatment is used to hasten tissue recovery and improve its physiological aspects, by providing an increased supply of oxygen to the damaged tissue. In this review, we discuss the consequences of hypoxia, as well as the molecular and physiological processes that occur in subjects exposed to HBOT. We discuss the efficacy of HBOT in treating neurological conditions and neurodevelopmental disorders in both humans and animal models. We summarize by discussing the challenges in this field, and explore future directions that will allow the scientific community to better understand the molecular aspects and applications of HBOT for a wide variety of neurological conditions.
Mouse WIF1 Is Only Modified with O-Fucose in Its EGF-like Domain III Despite Two Evolutionarily Conserved Consensus Sites
Authors: Pennarubia Florian , Pinault Emilie , Al Jaam Bilal , Brun Caroline E. , Maftah Abderrahman , Germot Agnès , Legardinier Sébastien
Published: August 2020

The Wnt Inhibitory Factor 1 (Wif1), known to inhibit Wnt signaling pathways, is composed of a WIF domain and five EGF-like domains (EGF-LDs) involved in protein interactions. Despite the presence of a potential O-fucosylation site in its EGF-LDs III and V, the O-fucose sites occupancy has never been demonstrated for WIF1. In this study, a phylogenetic analysis on the distribution, conservation and evolution of Wif1 proteins was performed, as well as biochemical approaches focusing on O-fucosylation sites occupancy of recombinant mouse WIF1. In the monophyletic group of gnathostomes, we showed that the consensus sequence for O-fucose modification by Pofut1 is highly conserved in Wif1 EGF-LD III while it was more divergent in EGF-LD V. Using click chemistry and mass spectrometry, we demonstrated that mouse WIF1 was only modified with a non-extended O-fucose on its EGF-LD III. In addition, a decreased amount of mouse WIF1 in the secretome of CHO cells was observed when the O-fucosylation site in EGF-LD III was mutated. Based on sequence comparison and automated protein modeling, we suggest that the absence of O-fucose on EGF-LD V of WIF1 in mouse and probably in most gnathostomes, could be related to EGF-LD V inability to interact with POFUT1.
S-allyl Cysteine, a Garlic Compound, Produces an Antidepressant-Like Effect and Exhibits Antioxidant Properties in Mice
Authors: Ruiz-Sánchez Elizabeth , Pedraza-Chaverri José , Medina-Campos Omar N. , Maldonado Perla D. , Rojas Patricia
Published: August 2020

Depression is a psychiatric disorder, and oxidative stress is a significant mechanism of damage in this mood disorder. It is characterized by an enhancement of oxidative stress markers and low concentrations of endogenous antioxidants, or antioxidants enzymes. This suggests that antioxidants could have an antidepressant effect. S-allyl cysteine (SAC) is a compound with antioxidant action or free radical scavenger capacity. The purpose of the current research was to evaluate the antidepressant-like effect as well as the antioxidant role of SAC on a preclinical test, using the Porsolt forced swim test (FST). SAC (30, 70, 120, or 250 mg/kg, ip) was administered to male BALB/c mice daily for 17 days, followed by the FST at day 18. Oxidative stress markers (reactive oxygen species, superoxide production, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant enzymes activities) were analyzed in the midbrain, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus. SAC (120 mg/kg) attenuated the immobility scores (44%) in the FST, and protection was unrelated to changes in locomotor activity. This antidepressant-like effect was related to decreased oxidative stress, as indicated by lipid peroxidation and manganese-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) activity in the hippocampus. SAC exerts an antidepressant-like effect that correlated, in part, with preventing oxidative damage in hippocampus.
Concussion Office Based Rehabilitation Assessment: A Novel Clinical Tool for Concussion Assessment and Management
Authors: Katz Matthew , Lenoski Stephane , Ali Haitham , Craton Neil
Published: August 2020

The Concussion Office Based Rehabilitation Assessment (COBRA) is a novel tool constructed to ensure a comprehensive assessment of patients who may have sustained a concussion. The SCAT-5 (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool) has long been the gold standard for concussion assessment, however, it was designed as a sideline tool and its utility can be seen to decrease after a few days post-concussion. It also does not prompt evaluation of all the phenotypes of concussion. As such, the COBRA was created to assess the majority of potential manifestations of concussion in the office setting a day or two after an injury has been sustained. The COBRA utilizes the eight phenotypes of concussion as a guide to assess each of the potential biopsychosocial features that can be associated with these injuries and can be used to guide evidence-based treatments. Through early identification of concussion phenotypes, the clinician may start optimal treatment and hopefully prevent prolonged recovery and persisting symptoms.
Preoperative Fasting and General Anaesthesia Alter the Plasma Proteome
Authors: Gyllensten Ulf , Bosdotter Enroth Sofia , Stålberg Karin , Sundfeldt Karin , Enroth Stefan
Published: August 2020

Background: Blood plasma collected at time of surgery is an excellent source of patient material for investigations into disease aetiology and for the discovery of novel biomarkers. Previous studies on limited sets of proteins and patients have indicated that pre-operative fasting and anaesthesia can affect protein levels, but this has not been investigated on a larger scale. These effects could produce erroneous results in case-control studies if samples are not carefully matched. Methods: The proximity extension assay (PEA) was used to characterize 983 unique proteins in a total of 327 patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 50 age-matched healthy women. The samples were collected either at time of initial diagnosis or before surgery under general anaesthesia. Results: 421 of the investigated proteins (42.8%) showed statistically significant differences in plasma abundance levels comparing samples collected at time of diagnosis or just before surgery under anaesthesia. Conclusions: The abundance levels of the plasma proteome in samples collected before incision, i.e., after short-time fasting and under general anaesthesia differs greatly from levels in samples from awake patients. This emphasizes the need for careful matching of the pre-analytical conditions of samples collected from controls to cases at time of surgery in the discovery as well as clinical use of protein biomarkers.
Review of First-Principles Studies of TiO2: Nanocluster, Bulk, and Material Interface
Authors: Yang Kesong , Dai Ying , Huang Baibiao
Published: August 2020

TiO2 has extensive applications in the fields of renewable energy and environmental protections such as being used as photocatalysts or electron transport layers in solar cells. To achieve highly efficient photocatalytic and photovoltaic applications, ongoing efforts are being devoted to developing novel TiO2-based material structures or compositions, in which a first-principles computational approach is playing an increasing role. In this review article, we discuss recent computational and theoretical studies of structural, energetic, electronic, and optical properties of TiO2-based nanocluster, bulk, and material interface for photocatalytic and photovoltaic applications. We conclude the review with a discussion of future research directions in the field.
Selective Targeting of the Hedgehog Signaling Pathway by PBM Nanoparticles in Docetaxel-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Authors: Singh Santosh Kumar , Gordetsky Jennifer B. , Bae Sejong , Acosta Edward P. , Lillard James W. , Singh Rajesh
Published: August 2020

An abnormality in hedgehog (Hh) signaling has been implicated in the progression of prostate cancer (PCa) to a more aggressive and therapy-resistant disease. Our assessments of human PCa tissues have shown an overexpression of the Hh pathway molecules, glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (GLI-1), and sonic hedgehog (SHH). The effect of the natural compound thymoquinone (TQ) in controlling the expression of Hh signaling molecules in PCa was investigated in this study. We generated planetary ball-milled nanoparticles (PBM-NPs) made with a natural polysaccharide, containing TQ, and coated with an RNA aptamer, A10, which binds to prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA). We prepared docetaxel-resistant C4-2B-R and LNCaP-R cells with a high expression of Hh, showing the integration of drug resistance and Hh signaling. Compared to free TQ, A10-TQ-PBM-NPs were more effective in controlling the Hh pathway. Our findings reveal an effective treatment strategy to inhibit the Hh signaling pathway, thereby suppressing PCa progression.
Modeling Cancer Using Zebrafish Xenografts: Drawbacks for Mimicking the Human Microenvironment
Authors: Cabezas-Sáinz Pablo , Pensado-López Alba , Sáinz Bruno , Sánchez Laura
Published: August 2020

The first steps towards establishing xenografts in zebrafish embryos were performed by Lee et al., 2005 and Haldi et al., 2006, paving the way for studying human cancers using this animal species. Since then, the xenograft technique has been improved in different ways, ranging from optimizing the best temperature for xenografted embryo incubation, testing different sites for injection of human tumor cells, and even developing tools to study how the host interacts with the injected cells. Nonetheless, a standard protocol for performing xenografts has not been adopted across laboratories, and further research on the temperature, microenvironment of the tumor or the cell–host interactions inside of the embryo during xenografting is still needed. As a consequence, current non-uniform conditions could be affecting experimental results in terms of cell proliferation, invasion, or metastasis; or even overestimating the effects of some chemotherapeutic drugs on xenografted cells. In this review, we highlight and raise awareness regarding the different aspects of xenografting that need to be improved in order to mimic, in a more efficient way, the human tumor microenvironment, resulting in more robust and accurate in vivo results.
Carbonate and Oxalate Crystallization by Interaction of Calcite Marble with Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus subtilis–Aspergillus niger Association
Authors: Sazanova (nee Barinova) Katerina V. , Frank-Kamenetskaya Olga V. , Vlasov Dmitry Yu. , Zelenskaya Marina S. , Vlasov Alexey D. , Rusakov Aleksei V. , Petrova Maya A.
Published: August 2020

Rock surfaces in natural systems are inhabited by multispecies communities of microorganisms. The biochemical activity of microorganisms and the patterns of microbial crystallization in these communities are mostly unexplored. Patterns of calcium carbonate and calcium oxalate crystallization induced by bacteria Bacillus subtilis and by B. subtilis together with Aspergillus niger on marble surface in vitro in liquid medium and in humidity chamber—were studied. Phase identification was supported by XRD, SEM, EDXS; metabolite composition was determined by GC–MS. It was found that the activity of B. subtilis–A. niger associations significantly differ from the activity of B. subtilis monocultures in the same trophic conditions. The phase composition and the morphology of the forming crystals are determined by the composition of the metabolites excreted by the microorganisms—particularly by the ratio of the concentrations of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and oxalic acid in the medium. The acidification activity of micromycetes may suppress the formation of bacterial EPS and prevent the formation of calcite. The present results can be used in the development of biotechnologies using microbial communities.
Efficient Multi-Object Detection and Smart Navigation Using Artificial Intelligence for Visually Impaired People
Authors: Joshi Rakesh Chandra , Yadav Saumya , Dutta Malay Kishore , Travieso-Gonzalez Carlos M.
Published: August 2020

Visually impaired people face numerous difficulties in their daily life, and technological interventions may assist them to meet these challenges. This paper proposes an artificial intelligence-based fully automatic assistive technology to recognize different objects, and auditory inputs are provided to the user in real time, which gives better understanding to the visually impaired person about their surroundings. A deep-learning model is trained with multiple images of objects that are highly relevant to the visually impaired person. Training images are augmented and manually annotated to bring more robustness to the trained model. In addition to computer vision-based techniques for object recognition, a distance-measuring sensor is integrated to make the device more comprehensive by recognizing obstacles while navigating from one place to another. The auditory information that is conveyed to the user after scene segmentation and obstacle identification is optimized to obtain more information in less time for faster processing of video frames. The average accuracy of this proposed method is 95.19% and 99.69% for object detection and recognition, respectively. The time complexity is low, allowing a user to perceive the surrounding scene in real time.
Modeling of Eddy Current Welding of Rail: Three-Dimensional Simulation
Authors: Sun Xiankun , Liu He , Song Wanqing , Villecco Francesco
Published: August 2020

In this paper is given a three-dimensional numerical simulation of the eddy current welding of rails where the longitudinal two directions are not ignored. In fact, usually it is considered a model where, in the two-dimensional numerical simulation of rail heat treatment, the longitudinal directions are ignored for the magnetic induction strength and temperature, and only the axial calculation is performed. Therefore, we propose the electromagnetic-thermal coupled three-dimensional model of eddy current welding. The induced eddy current heat is obtained by adding the z-axis spatial angle to the two-dimensional electromagnetic-thermal, thus obtaining some new results by coupling the numerical simulation and computations of the electric field and magnetic induction intensity of the three-dimensional model. Moreover, we have considered the objective function into a weak formulation. The three-dimensional model is then meshed by the finite element method. The electromagnetic-thermal coupling has been numerically computed, and the parametric dependence to the eddy current heating process has been fully studied. Through the numerical simulation with different current densities, frequencies, and distances, the most suitable heat treatment process of U75V rail is obtained.
A Dirichlet Process Prior Approach for Covariate Selection
Authors: Cabras Stefano
Published: August 2020

The variable selection problem in general, and specifically for the ordinary linear regression model, is considered in the setup in which the number of covariates is large enough to prevent the exploration of all possible models. In this context, Gibbs-sampling is needed to perform stochastic model exploration to estimate, for instance, the model inclusion probability. We show that under a Bayesian non-parametric prior model for analyzing Gibbs-sampling output, the usual empirical estimator is just the asymptotic version of the expected posterior inclusion probability given the simulation output from Gibbs-sampling. Other posterior conditional estimators of inclusion probabilities can also be considered as related to the latent probabilities distributions on the model space which can be sampled given the observed Gibbs-sampling output. This paper will also compare, in this large model space setup the conventional prior approach against the non-local prior approach used to define the Bayes Factors for model selection. The approach is exposed along with simulation samples and also an application of modeling the Travel and Tourism factors all over the world.
Efficient and Versatile Modeling of Mono- and Multi-Layer MoS2 Field Effect Transistor
Authors: Pelagalli Nicola , Laudadio Emiliano , Stipa Pierluigi , Mencarelli Davide , Pierantoni Luca
Published: August 2020

Two-dimensional (2D) materials with intrinsic atomic-level thicknesses are strong candidates for the development of deeply scaled field-effect transistors (FETs) and novel device architectures. In particular, transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), of which molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is the most widely studied, are especially attractive because of their non-zero bandgap, mechanical flexibility, and optical transparency. In this contribution, we present an efficient full-wave model of MoS2-FETs that is based on (1) defining the constitutive relations of the MoS2 active channel, and (2) simulating the 3D geometry. The former is achieved by using atomistic simulations of the material crystal structure, the latter is obtained by using the solver COMSOL Multiphysics. We show examples of FET simulations and compare, when possible, the theoretical results to the experimental from the literature. The comparison highlights a very good agreement.
Backhaul-Aware Resource Allocation and Optimum Placement for UAV-Assisted Wireless Communication Network
Authors: Xue Yishi , Xu Bo , Xia Wenchao , Zhang Jun , Zhu Hongbo
Published: August 2020

Driven by its agile maneuverability and deployment, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) becomes a potential enabler of the terrestrial networks. In this paper, we consider downlink communications in a UAV-assisted wireless communication network, where a multi-antenna UAV assists the ground base station (GBS) to forward signals to multiple user equipments (UEs). The UAV is associated with the GBS through in-band wireless backhaul, which shares the spectrum resource with the access links between UEs and the UAV. The optimization problem is formulated to maximize the downlink ergodic sum-rate by jointly optimizing UAV placement, spectrum resource allocation and transmit power matrix of the UAV. The deterministic equivalents of UE’s achievable rate and backhaul capacity are first derived by utilizing large-dimensional random matrix theory, in which, only the slowly varying large-scale channel state information is required. An approximation problem of the joint optimization problem is then introduced based on the deterministic equivalents. Finally, an algorithm is proposed to obtain the optimal solution of the approximate problem. Simulation results are provided to validate the accuracy of the deterministic equivalents, and the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Hybrid Modulation for Modular Voltage Source Inverters with Coupled Reactors
Authors: Szwarc Krzysztof Jakub , Szczepankowski Pawel , Nieznański Janusz , Swinarski Cezary , Usoltsev Alexander , Strzelecki Ryszard
Published: August 2020

This paper proposes and discusses a concept of a hybrid modulation for the control of modular voltage source inverters with coupled reactors. The use of coupled reactors as the integrating elements leads to significant reduction in the size and weight of the circuit. The proposed modulation combines novel coarsely quantized pulse amplitude modulation (CQ-PAM) and innovative space-vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM). The former enjoys very low transistor switching frequency and low harmonic elimination, while the latter ensures high resolution of amplitude control. The SVPWM is based on the use of barycentric coordinates. The feasibility of the proposed solution is verified by simulations and laboratory tests of a 12-pulse modular voltage source inverters with two-level and three-level component inverters.
Characterization of Prickly Pear Peel Flour as a Bioactive and Functional Ingredient in Bread Preparation
Authors: Parafati Lucia , Restuccia Cristina , Palmeri Rosa , Fallico Biagio , Arena Elena
Published: August 2020

The aim of the present research was to evaluate the addition of prickly pear peel flour (PPPF) to bread dough as a source of nutrient and bioactive compounds. The PPPF’s physical, chemical and nutritional composition was evaluated, as well as its content of bioactive compounds betalains, and flavonoids. The characterization evidenced high fiber and carbohydrate contents and an elevated amount of polyphenols and betalain compounds. The PPPF was then added at different concentrations (5, 10, 15, 20, 50%, w/w) to bread formulations as a potential functional ingredient. All concentrations, except 50% PPPF, evidenced good leavening dough properties and were then tested for baking. In relation to the content of added PPPF, the amount of betalains, representing bioactive compounds, remained high even after the baking process, suggesting a protective matrix effect. Among the different formulations, those containing PPPF at 10% showed the highest values in terms of the leavening dough capacity and bread specific volume and received the best sensory evaluation score.
X-ray and Gamma-ray Variability of NGC 1275
Authors: Chitnis Varsha , Shukla Amit , Singh K. P. , Roy Jayashree , Bhattacharyya Sudip , Chandra Sunil , Stewart Gordon
Published: August 2020

Gamma-ray emission from the bright radio source 3C 84, associated with the Perseus cluster, is ascribed to the radio galaxy NGC 1275 residing at the centre of the cluster. Study of the correlated X-ray/gamma-ray emission from this active galaxy, and investigation of the possible disk-jet connection, are hampered because the X-ray emission, particularly in the soft X-ray band (2–10 keV), is overwhelmed by the cluster emission. Here we present a method to spectrally decouple the cluster and active galactic nucleus (AGN) emission in imaging X-ray detectors. We use three sets of simultaneous Niel Gehrels Swift XRT and NuStar data. These observations were made during the period 2015 November to 2017 February, when a huge increase in the gamma-ray emission was observed. We find that the gamma-ray emission shows a very high degree of variability (40%–50%) on time scales of 1–10 days, whereas the hard X-ray emission, associated with the AGN, shows a low variability (∼15%–30%), on various time scales in the range of 0.01–60 days.
PPARGC1A rs8192678 and NRF1 rs6949152 Polymorphisms Are Associated with Muscle Fiber Composition in Women
Authors: Yvert Thomas , Miyamoto-Mikami Eri , Tobina Takuro , Shiose Keisuke , Kakigi Ryo , Tsuzuki Takamasa , Takaragawa Mizuki , Ichinoseki-Sekine Noriko , Pérez Margarita , Kobayashi Hiroyuki , Tanaka Hiroaki , Naito Hisashi , Fuku Noriyuki
Published: August 2020

PPARGC1A rs8192678 G/A (Gly482Ser) and NRF1 rs6949152 A/G polymorphisms have been associated with endurance athlete status, endurance performance phenotypes, and certain health-related markers of different pathologies such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. We hypothesized that they could be considered interesting candidates for explaining inter-individual variations in muscle fiber composition in humans. We aimed to examine possible associations of these polymorphisms with myosin heavy-chain (MHC) isoforms as markers of muscle fiber compositions in vastus lateralis muscle in a population of 214 healthy Japanese subjects, aged between 19 and 79 years. No significant associations were found in men for any measured variables. In contrast, in women, the PPARGC1A rs8192678 A/A genotype was significantly associated with a higher proportion of MHC-I (p = 0.042) and with a lower proportion of MHC-IIx (p = 0.033), and the NRF1 rs6949152 AA genotype was significantly associated with a higher proportion of MHC-I (p = 0.008) and with a lower proportion of MHC IIx (p = 0.035). In women, the genotype scores of the modes presenting the most significant results for PPARGC1A rs8192678 G/A (Gly482Ser) and NRF1 rs6949152 A/G polymorphisms were significantly associated with MHC-I (p = 0.0007) and MHC IIx (p = 0.0016). That is, women with combined PPARGC1A A/A and NRF1 A/A genotypes presented the highest proportion of MHC-I and the lowest proportion of MHC-IIx, in contrast to women with combined PPARGC1A GG+GA and NRF1 AG+GG genotypes, who presented the lowest proportion of MHC-I and the highest proportion of MHC-IIx. Our results suggest possible associations between these polymorphisms (both individually and in combination) and the inter-individual variability observed in muscle fiber composition in women, but not in men.
New-Generation Washing Agents in Remediation of Metal-Polluted Soils and Methods for Washing Effluent Treatment: A Review
Authors: Gusiatin Zygmunt M. , Kulikowska Dorota , Klik Barbara
Published: August 2020

Soil quality is seriously reduced due to chemical pollution, including heavy metal (HM) pollution. To meet quality standards, polluted soils must be remediated. Soil washing/soil flushing offers efficient removal of heavy metals and decreases environmental risk in polluted areas. These goals can be obtained by using proper washing agents to remove HMs from soil. These washing agents should not pose unacceptable threats to humans and ecosystems, including soil composition. Currently, it is desirable to use more environmentally and economically attractive washing agents instead of synthetic, environmentally problematic chemicals (e.g., ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)). The usefulness of novel washing agents for treatment of heavy metal-contaminated soils is being intensively developed, in terms of the efficiency of HM removal and properties of washed soils. Despite the unquestionable effectiveness of soil washing/flushing, it should be remembered that both methods generate secondary fluid waste (spent washing solution), and the final stage of the process should be treatment of the contaminated spent washing solution. This paper reviews information on soil contamination with heavy metals. This review examines the principles and status of soil washing and soil flushing. The novel contribution of this review is a presentation of the sources and characteristics of novel washing agents and chemical substitutes for EDTA, with their potential for heavy metal removal. Methods for treating spent washing solution are discussed separately.
Migrants Are Underrepresented in Mental Health and Rehabilitation Services—Survey and Register-Based Findings of Russian, Somali, and Kurdish Origin Adults in Finland
Authors: Castaneda Anu E. , Çilenti Katja , Rask Shadia , Lilja Eero , Skogberg Natalia , Kuusio Hannamaria , Salama Essi , Lahti Jari , Elovainio Marko , Suvisaari Jaana , Koskinen Seppo , Koponen Päivikki
Published: August 2020

Mounting evidence suggests that migration background increases the risk of mental ill health, but that problems exist in accessing healthcare services in people of migrant origin. The present study uses a combination of register- and survey-based data to examine mental health-related health service use in three migrant origin populations as well as the correspondence between the need and use of services. The data are from the Finnish Migrant Health and Wellbeing Study (Maamu), a comprehensive cross-sectional interview and a health examination survey. A random sample consisted of 5909 working-aged adults of Russian, Somali, and Kurdish origin of which 3000 were invited to participate in the survey and the rest were drawn for a register-based approach. Some of the mental health services, based on registers, were more prevalent in the Kurdish origin group in comparison with the general population and less prevalent in the Russian and Somali origin groups. All the migrant origin groups were underrepresented in rehabilitation services. When affective symptoms were taken into account, all the migrant origin groups were underrepresented in all of the services. This calls for actions to promote mental health, diminish the barriers to access services, and improve the service paths for migrants.