bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Tributyrin Supplementation on Growth Performance, Insulin, Blood Metabolites and Gut Microbiota in Weaned Piglets
Authors: Sotira Stefania , Dell’Anno Matteo , Caprarulo Valentina , Hejna Monika , Pirrone Federica , Callegari Maria Luisa , Tucci Telma Vieira , Rossi Luciana
Published: April 2020

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of tributyrin supplementation on the production traits, the main metabolic parameters and gut microbiota in weaned piglets. One hundred and twenty crossbred piglets (Large White × Landrace) were randomly divided into two experimental groups (six pens each; 10 piglets per pen): the control group (CTRL), that received a basal diet, and the tributyrin group (TRIB) that received the basal diet supplemented with 0.2% tributyrin. The experimental period lasted 40 days. Production traits were measured at days 14, 28 and 40. A subset composed of 48 animals (n = 4 for each pen; n = 24 per group) was considered for the evaluation of serum metabolic parameters and hair cortisol by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and faecal microbiota by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Our results showed that the treatment significantly increased body weight (BW) at day 28 and day 40 (p = 0.0279 and p = 0.0006, respectively) and average daily gain (ADG) from day 28 to day 40 (p = 0.046). Gain to feed ratio (G:F) was significantly higher throughout the experimental period (p = 0.049). Even if the serum parameters were in the physiological range, albumin, albumin/globulin (A/G) ratio, glucose and high-density lipoproteins (HDL) fraction were significantly higher in the TRIB group. On the contrary, tributyrin significantly decreased the urea blood concentration (p = 0.0026), which was correlated with lean gain and feed efficiency. Moreover, serum insulin concentration, which has a regulatory effect on protein and lipid metabolism, was significantly higher in the TRIB group (p = 0.0187). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that tributyrin can be considered as a valid feed additive for weaned piglets.
Evaluation of Heavy Metal Content in Feed, Litter, Meat, Meat Products, Liver, and Table Eggs of Chickens
Authors: Korish Mohamed A. , Attia Youssef A.
Published: April 2020

We assessed the concentrations of Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, Se, Co, Cr, Pb, Cd, and Ni in chicken meat and meat products, feed, and litter, as well as laying hens’ eggs, feed and litter to monitor the quality of products on the market and their safety for human consumption as judged by recommended daily allowance (RDA) and tolerable upper levels. Samples were chosen as the most popular poultry products in Saudi Arabia. A total of 45 broiler samples of frozen or fresh meat, liver, burger, or frankfurter were chosen from the same brand. Additionally, 60 table eggs from four commercial brands were collected, and the edible parts of these were used to determine levels of minerals and toxic elements. Furthermore, 30 feed and litter samples were collected from the starter, grower, and layer diets of broilers and laying hens. The results indicated that there were significant levels of most of the trace elements and heavy metals in the different meat sources. Furthermore, the liver contained the highest levels of elements, except for Cr, Co, and Ni. The highest Cr level was detected in the fresh meat, followed by frozen meat. Trace elements (Mn and Co) and heavy metals (Ni and Pb) were not detected in either the frozen or the fresh meat. The chicken burger and the frankfurter exhibited similar trace-element and heavy-metal contents, except for Zn and Mn, as the frankfurter showed higher concentrations than the burger. Differences in most of the trace and toxic elements among the different sources of eggs were not found to be significant, except for Zn. Differences between the broiler meat and table eggs were only substantial for Fe and Zn. Fe was significantly higher in meat than in eggs, and the opposite trend was found for Zn. The liver contained higher heavy metals than the eggs, except for Cr. In addition, the burger had higher concentrations of essential (Cu and Co) and heavy metals (Pb and Ni) than the eggs but had lower levels of Zn and Cr. The frankfurter exhibited significantly higher levels of Fe, Cu, Mn, Co, Pb, and Ni than the eggs but lower levels of Zn and Cr. To summarize, Cd, Pb, As, and Se were not detected in the broiler meat or eggs, indicating no risks from these toxic elements. Conversely, the liver exhibited the highest content of heavy metals, except for Cr, indicating that the intake of Pb and Cd was above the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for adults. The meat products exhibited higher Pb, Cd, and Ni levels than the broiler meat and the table eggs, suggesting that they posed a health threat to humans, and the intake of Pb in the meat products was higher than the RDA. Thus, chicken meat and table eggs, which are primary protein sources, are safe sources of human nutrition, while liver and meat products may present potential health hazards through the food chain.
An Assay System to Evaluate Riboflavin/UV-A Corneal Phototherapy Efficacy in a Porcine Corneal Organ Culture Model
Authors: Perazzi Anna , Gomiero Chiara , Corain Livio , Iacopetti Ilaria , Grisan Enrico , Lombardo Marco , Lombardo Giuseppe , Salvalaio Gianni , Contin Roberta , Patruno Marco , Martinello Tiziana , Peruffo Antonella
Published: April 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate the response of porcine corneal organ cultures to riboflavin/UV-A phototherapy in the injury healing of induced lesions. A porcine corneal organ culture model was established. Corneal alterations in the stroma were evaluated using an assay system, based on an automated image analysis method able to (i) localize the holes and gaps within the stroma and (ii) measure the brightness values in these patches. The analysis has been performed by dividing the corneal section in 24 regions of interest (ROIs) and integrating the data analysis with a “multi-aspect approach.” Three group of corneas were analyzed: healthy, injured, and injured-and-treated. Our study revealed a significant effect of the riboflavin/UV-A phototherapy in the injury healing of porcine corneas after induced lesions. The injured corneas had significant differences of brightness values in comparison to treated (p < 0.00) and healthy (p < 0.001) corneas, whereas the treated and healthy corneas showed no significant difference (p = 0.995). Riboflavin/UV-A phototherapy shows a significant effect in restoring the brightness values of damaged corneas to the values of healthy corneas, suggesting treatment restores the injury healing of corneas after lesions. Our assay system may be compared to clinical diagnostic methods, such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging, for in vivo damaged ocular structure investigations.
In Vitro Estimation of the Effect of Grinding on Rumen Fermentation of Fibrous Feeds
Authors: Ortolani Ignacio Rubén , Amanzougarene Zahia , Fondevila Manuel
Published: April 2020

The fermentation patterns of six fiber sources, soybean hulls (SH), sugarbeet pulp (BP), palm kernel cake (PK), oat hulls (OH), dehydrated alfalfa meal (DA), and barley straw (BS) were evaluated for this study on the effect of their presentation form (non-processed, NP and ground, GR). Substrates were tested in a conventional in vitro batch system, using rumen fluid obtained from ewes fed 0.5 alfalfa hay and 0.5 barley straw. All substrates rendered a higher gas production in GR form (p < 0.05) except for BS but ranked similarly irrespective of the presentation form. Among the substrates, when incubated NP, the highest volume of gas was recorded with BP from 8 h onwards (p < 0.05), whereas OH and BS resulted in the lowest gas volume (p < 0.05). During the first half of the incubation period, methane production was higher in GR than NP (p < 0.05). Among substrates, despite NP or GR, methane production with BP was the highest (p < 0.05). Similarly, the presentation form did not qualitatively affect fermentation, as no differences were observed in volatile fatty acids proportions. The effect of particle size of fibrous substrates does not have a major impact on the rate and extent of the rumen microbial fermentation.
Changes in Pulse Rate, Respiratory Rate and Rectal Temperature in Working Dogs before and after Three Different Field Trials
Authors: Lopedote Mirella , Valentini Simona , Musella Vincenzo , Vilar Jose Manuel , Spinella Giuseppe
Published: April 2020

Physiological changes (pulse rate, respiratory rate and rectal temperature) induced by exercise are usually studied as physical fitness indices. The aim of this study was to investigate how these physiological parameters could be modified in a group of trained working dogs during three different field trials (rubble, search on field, obedience), in order to assess which parameter would be more useful to detect the dog response to exercise. Nine dogs were included in this study. The animals were monitored at rest, immediately before and after the working session. Pulse rate values increased significantly in all the phases compared to rest status. Respiratory rate values increased significantly after the competition, while rectal temperature was significantly increased only after search on rubbles and obedience activities. Reference values for specific competitions need to be stablished in order to promptly identify poor performance or exercise intolerance.
Coenzyme Q10: Clinical Applications in Cardiovascular Diseases
Authors: Martelli Alma , Testai Lara , Colletti Alessandro , Cicero Arrigo F. G.
Published: April 2020

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a ubiquitous factor present in cell membranes and mitochondria, both in its reduced (ubiquinol) and oxidized (ubiquinone) forms. Its levels are high in organs with high metabolism such as the heart, kidneys, and liver because it acts as an energy transfer molecule but could be reduced by aging, genetic factors, drugs (e.g., statins), cardiovascular (CV) diseases, degenerative muscle disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. As CoQ10 is endowed with significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory features, useful to prevent free radical-induced damage and inflammatory signaling pathway activation, its depletion results in exacerbation of inflammatory processes. Therefore, exogenous CoQ10 supplementation might be useful as an adjuvant in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and myocardial infarction and in associated risk factors such as hypertension, insulin resistance, dyslipidemias, and obesity. This review aims to summarize the current evidences on the use of CoQ10 supplementation as a therapeutic approach in cardiovascular diseases through the analysis of its clinical impact on patients’ health and quality of life. A substantial reduction of inflammatory and oxidative stress markers has been observed in several randomized clinical trials (RCTs) focused on several of the abovementioned diseases, even if more RCTs, involving a larger number of patients, will be necessary to strengthen these interesting findings.
Inflamma-miR-21 Negatively Regulates Myogenesis during Ageing
Authors: Borja-Gonzalez Maria , Casas-Martinez Jose C. , McDonagh Brian , Goljanek-Whysall Katarzyna
Published: April 2020

Ageing is associated with disrupted redox signalling and increased circulating inflammatory cytokines. Skeletal muscle homeostasis depends on the balance between muscle hypertrophy, atrophy and regeneration, however during ageing this balance is disrupted. The molecular pathways underlying the age-related decline in muscle regenerative potential remain elusive. microRNAs are conserved robust gene expression regulators in all tissues including skeletal muscle. Here, we studied satellite cells from adult and old mice to demonstrate that inhibition of miR-21 in satellite cells from old mice improves myogenesis. We determined that increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines, TNFα and IL6, as well as H2O2, increased miR-21 expression in primary myoblasts, which in turn resulted in their decreased viability and myogenic potential. Inhibition of miR-21 function rescued the decreased size of myotubes following TNFα or IL6 treatment. Moreover, we demonstrated that miR-21 could inhibit myogenesis in vitro via regulating IL6R, PTEN and FOXO3 signalling. In summary, upregulation of miR-21 in satellite cells and muscle during ageing may occur in response to elevated levels of TNFα and IL6, within satellite cells or myofibrillar environment contributing to skeletal muscle ageing and potentially a disease-related decline in potential for muscle regeneration.
Diet and Mental Health: Review of the Recent Updates on Molecular Mechanisms
Authors: Godos Justyna , Currenti Walter , Angelino Donato , Mena Pedro , Castellano Sabrina , Caraci Filippo , Galvano Fabio , Del Rio Daniele , Ferri Raffaele , Grosso Giuseppe
Published: April 2020

Over the last decades, there has been a substantial increase in the prevalence of mental health disorders, including an increased prevalence of depression, anxiety, cognitive, and sleep disorders. Diet and its bioactive components have been recognized among the modifiable risk factors, possibly influencing their pathogenesis. This review aimed to summarize molecular mechanisms underlying the putative beneficial effects toward brain health of different dietary factors, such as micro- and macronutrient intake and habits, such as feeding time and circadian rhythm. The role of hormonal homeostasis in the context of glucose metabolism and adiponectin regulation and its impact on systemic and neuro-inflammation has also been considered and deepened. In addition, the effect of individual bioactive molecules exerting antioxidant activities and acting as anti-inflammatory agents, such as omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenols, considered beneficial for the central nervous system via modulation of adult neurogenesis, synaptic and neuronal plasticity, and microglia activation has been summarized. An overview of the regulation of the gut–brain axis and its effect on the modulation of systemic inflammation and oxidative stress has been provided. Finally, the impact of bioactive molecules on inflammation and oxidative stress and its association with brain health has been summarized.
Unraveling Natural Products’ Role in Osteoarthritis Management—An Overview
Authors: Deligiannidou Georgia-Eirini , Papadopoulos Rafail-Efraim , Kontogiorgis Christos , Detsi Anastasia , Bezirtzoglou Eugenia , Constantinides Theodoros
Published: April 2020

The natural process of aging gradually causes changes in living organisms, leading to the deterioration of organs, tissues, and cells. In the case of osteoarthritis (OA), the degradation of cartilage is a result of both mechanical stress and biochemical factors. Natural products have already been evaluated for their potential role in the prevention and treatment of OA, providing a safe and effective adjunctive therapeutic approach. This review aimed to assess the therapeutic potential of natural products and their derivatives in osteoarthritis via a systematic search of literature after 2008, including in vitro, in vivo, ex vivo, and animal models, along with clinical trials and meta-analysis. Overall, 170 papers were obtained and screened. Here, we presented findings referring to the preventative and therapeutic potential of 17 natural products and 14 naturally occurring compounds, underlining, when available, the mechanisms implicated. The nature of OA calls to initially focus on the management of symptoms, and, in that context, several naturally occurring compounds have been utilized. Underlying a global need for more sustainable natural sources for treatment, the evidence supporting their chondroprotective potential is still building up. However, arriving at that kind of solution requires more clinical research, targeting the implications of long-term treatment, adverse effects, and epigenetic implications.
An Investigation of Early Detection of Driver Drowsiness Using Ensemble Machine Learning Based on Hybrid Sensing
Authors: Gwak Jongseong , Hirao Akinari , Shino Motoki
Published: April 2020

Drowsy driving is one of the main causes of traffic accidents. To reduce such accidents, early detection of drowsy driving is needed. In previous studies, it was shown that driver drowsiness affected driving performance, behavioral indices, and physiological indices. The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility of classification of the alert states of drivers, particularly the slightly drowsy state, based on hybrid sensing of vehicle-based, behavioral, and physiological indicators with consideration for the implementation of these identifications into a detection system. First, we measured the drowsiness level, driving performance, physiological signals (from electroencephalogram and electrocardiogram results), and behavioral indices of a driver using a driving simulator and driver monitoring system. Next, driver alert and drowsy states were identified by machine learning algorithms, and a dataset was constructed from the extracted indices over a period of 10 s. Finally, ensemble algorithms were used for classification. The results showed that the ensemble algorithm can obtain 82.4% classification accuracy using hybrid methods to identify the alert and slightly drowsy states, and 95.4% accuracy classifying the alert and moderately drowsy states. Additionally, the results show that the random forest algorithm can obtain 78.7% accuracy when classifying the alert vs. slightly drowsy states if physiological indicators are excluded and can obtain 89.8% accuracy when classifying the alert vs. moderately drowsy states. These results represent the feasibility of highly accurate early detection of driver drowsiness and the feasibility of implementing a driver drowsiness detection system based on hybrid sensing using non-contact sensors.
Donning/Doffing and Arm Positioning Influence in Upper Limb Adaptive Prostheses Control
Authors: Igual Carles , Camacho Andrés , Bernabeu Enrique J. , Igual Jorge
Published: April 2020

New upper limb prostheses controllers are continuously being proposed in the literature. However, most of the prostheses commonly used in the real world are based on very old basic controllers. One reason to explain this reluctance to change is the lack of robustness. Traditional controllers have been validated by many users and years, so the introduction of a new controller paradigm requires a lot of strong evidence of a robust behavior. In this work, we approach the robustness against donning/doffing and arm position for recently proposed linear filter adaptive controllers based on myoelectric signals. The adaptive approach allows to introduce some feedback in a natural way in real time in the human-machine collaboration, so it is not so sensitive to input signals changes due to donning/doffing and arm movements. The average completion rate and path efficiency obtained for eight able-bodied subjects donning/doffing five times in four days is 95.83% and 84.19%, respectively, and for four participants using different arm positions is 93.84% and 88.77%, with no statistically significant difference in the results obtained for the different conditions. All these characteristics make the adaptive linear regression a potential candidate for future real world prostheses controllers.
Performance of the OncomineTM Lung cfDNA Assay for Liquid Biopsy by NGS of NSCLC Patients in Routine Laboratory Practice
Authors: De Luca Giuseppa , Lastraioli Sonia , Conte Romana , Mora Marco , Genova Carlo , Rossi Giovanni , Tagliamento Marco , Coco Simona , Dal Bello Maria Giovanna , Zupo Simona , Dono Mariella
Published: April 2020

Targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) based on molecular tagging technology allowed considerable improvement in the approaches of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis. Previously, we demonstrated the feasibility of the OncomineTM Lung cell-free DNA Assay (OLcfA) NGS panel when applied on plasma samples of post-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Here, we explored in detail the coverage metrics and variant calling of the assay and highlighted strengths and challenges by analyzing 92 plasma samples collected from a routine cohort of 76 NSCLC patients. First, performance of OLcfA was assessed using Horizon HD780 reference standards and sensitivity and specificity of 92.5% and 100% reported, respectively. The OLcfA was consequently evaluated in our plasma cohort and NGS technically successful in all 92 sequenced libraries. We demonstrated that initial cfDNA amount correlated positively with library yields (p < 0.0001) and sequencing performance (p < 0.0001). In addition, 0.1% limit of detection could be achieved even when < 10 ng cfDNA was employed. In contrast, the cfDNA amount seems to not affect the EGFR mutational status (p = 0.16). This study demonstrated an optimal performance of the OLcfA on routine plasma samples from NSCLC patients and supports its application in the liquid biopsy practice for cfDNA investigation in precision medicine laboratories.
General Periodic Cruise Guidance Optimization for Hypersonic Vehicles
Authors: Gao Haitao , Chen Zhigang , Sun Mingwei , Wang Zenghui , Chen Zengqiang
Published: April 2020

Periodic cruise has the potential to improve the fuel efficiency of a hypersonic vehicle. However, the optimization of periodic cruise is very difficult and can only be performed inefficiently through trial-and-error due to the parameterized form. In this paper, we systematically optimized the hypersonic periodic cruise using the pseudo-spectral method (PSM) scheme. We specify the main variables as the given forms of periodic functions and parameterize the periodic guidance. The characteristic parameters can then be considered as augmented states to generate augmented dynamics. Therefore, periodic cruise optimization can be directly obtained by using GPOPS (Gauss Pseudo-spectral OPtimization Software). The numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The approach in this case study can be generalized to solve similar trajectory optimization problems that can be parameterized in a unified manner.
Performance Analysis in Heterogeneous Networks with Spatiotemporal Traffic and Scheduling
Authors: Xin Jianfang , Wang Ying , Zhu Qi , Liang Guangjun , Zhang Tianjiao
Published: April 2020

In this work, we consider interference performance under direct data transmission in a heterogeneous network. The heterogeneous network consists of K-tier base stations and users, whose locations follow independent Poisson point processes (PPPs). Packet arrivals of users follow independent Bernoulli processes. Two different scheduling policies, round-robin (RR) and random scheduling (RS), are employed to all the Base Stations (BS). The universal frequency reuse mode is adopted to reveal actual spectrum reuse. By leveraging stochastic geometry and queueing theory, the interference interactions of the proposed network are accurately modelled. Accurate expressions for the mean packet throughputs of the network under universal frequency reuse mode are derived. The simulation results explore the optical bias factors in heterogeneous networks to maximize the mean packet throughput. Under a given user density, by changing BS densities, we achieved a certain mean packet throughput level.
Performance Analysis of Quantum Key Distribution Technology for Power Business
Authors: Zhao Bingzhen , Zha Xiaoming , Chen Zhiyu , Shi Rui , Wang Dong , Peng Tianliang , Yan Longchuan
Published: April 2020

Considering the complexity of power grid environments and the diversity of power communication transmission losses, this study proposes a quantum key distribution (QKD) network structure suitable for power business scenarios. Through simulating the power communication transmission environment, performance indicators of quantum channels and data interaction channels in power QKD systems are tested and evaluated from six aspects, such as distance loss, galloping loss, splice loss, data traffic, encryption algorithm and system stability. In the actual environment, this study combines the production business to build a QKD network suitable for power scenarios, and conducts performance analyses. The experimental results show that power QKD technologies can meet the operation index requirements of power businesses, as well as provide a reference for large-scale applications of the technology.
Practical Adaptive Sliding-Mode Control Approach for Precise Tracking of Robot Manipulators
Authors: Baek Jaemin , Kwon Wookyong
Published: April 2020

We present a practical adaptive sliding-mode control approach, namely, the strong and stable adaptive sliding-mode control (SS-ASMC), in this paper. There is a significant effort towards addressing the technical challenges associated with the switching gains with two adaptive laws, which are called parent and child adaptive laws. A parent adaptive law helps achieve strong switching gains through fast adaptation rate when sliding variable moves away from the sliding manifold. A child adaptive law updates the parameter of the parent adaptive law, which helps to achieve the switching gains with fast and stable adaptation rate in the vicinity of the sliding manifold. Such switching gains with two adaptive laws provide remarkably precise tracking performance while enhancing the robustness. Besides, to yield desirable closed-loop poles and simplicity of control approach structure, the proposed SS-ASMC approach employs a combination of time-delayed estimation and pole-placement method, which makes it unnecessary to have a rather complete system dynamics. It is shown by the bounded-input-bounded-output stability through the Lyapunov approach, and thus the tracking errors are also proved to be uniformly ultimately bounded. The effectiveness of the proposed SS-ASMC approach is illustrated in simulations with robot manipulators, which is compared with that of the existing control approaches.
A Novel Method of Seismic Signal Detection Using Waveform Features
Authors: Li Jian , He Mengmin , Cui Gaofeng , Wang Xiaoming , Wang Weidong , Wang Juan
Published: April 2020

The detection of seismic signals is vital in seismic data processing and analysis. Many algorithms have been proposed to resolve this issue, such as the ratio of short-term and long-term power averages (STA/LTA), F detector, Generalize F, and etc. However, the detection performance will be affected by the noise signals severely. In this paper, we propose a novel seismic signal detection method based on the historical waveform features to improve the seismic signals detection performance and reduce the affection from the noise signals. We use the historical events location information in a specific area and waveform features information to build the joint probability model. For the new signal from this area, we can determine whether it is the seismic signal according to the value of the joint probability. The waveform features used to construct the model include the average spectral energy on a specific frequency band, the energy of the component obtained by decomposing the signal through empirical mode decomposition (EMD), and the peak and the ratio of STA/LTA trace. We use the Gaussian process (GP) to build each feature model and finally get a multi-features joint probability model. The historical events location information is used as the kernel of the GP, and the historical waveform features are used to train the hyperparameters of GP. The beamforming data of the seismic array KSRS of International Monitoring System are used to train and test the model. The testing results show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
MBR-Assisted VFAs Production from Excess Sewage Sludge and Food Waste Slurry for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment
Authors: Parchami Mohsen , Wainaina Steven , Mahboubi Amir , I’Ons David , Taherzadeh Mohammad J.
Published: April 2020

The significant amount of excess sewage sludge (ESS) generated on a daily basis by wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is mainly subjected to biogas production, as for other organic waste streams such as food waste slurry (FWS). However, these organic wastes can be further valorized by production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) that have various applications such as the application as an external carbon source for the denitrification stage at a WWTP. In this study, an immersed membrane bioreactor set-up was proposed for the stable production and in situ recovery of clarified VFAs from ESS and FWS. The VFAs yields from ESS and FWS reached 0.38 and 0.34 gVFA/gVSadded, respectively, during a three-month operation period without pH control. The average flux during the stable VFAs production phase with the ESS was 5.53 L/m2/h while 16.18 L/m2/h was attained with FWS. Moreover, minimal flux deterioration was observed even during operation at maximum suspended solids concentration of 32 g/L, implying that the membrane bioreactors could potentially guarantee the required volumetric productivities. In addition, the techno-economic assessment of retrofitting the membrane-assisted VFAs production process in an actual WWTP estimated savings of up to 140 €/h for replacing 300 kg/h of methanol with VFAs.
Scale-Dependent Turbulent Dynamics and Phase-Space Behavior of the Stable Atmospheric Boundary Layer
Authors: Carbone Francesco , Alberti Tommaso , Sorriso-Valvo Luca , Telloni Daniele , Sprovieri Francesca , Pirrone Nicola
Published: April 2020

The structure of turbulent dynamics in a stable atmospheric boundary layer was studied by means of a phase-space description. Data from the CASES-99 experiment, decomposed in local modes (with increasing time scale) using empirical mode decomposition, were analyzed in order to extract the proper time lag and the embedding dimension of the phase-space manifold, and subsequently to estimate their scale-dependent correlation dimension. Results show that the dynamics are low-dimensional and anisotropic for a large scale, where the flow is dominated by the bulk motion. Then, they become progressively more high-dimensional while transiting into the inertial sub-range. Finally, they reach three-dimensionality in the range of scales compatible with the center of the inertial sub-range, where the phase-space-filling turbulent fluctuations dominate the dynamics.
Improving Air Quality in the Po Valley, Italy: Some Results by the LIFE-IP-PREPAIR Project
Authors: Raffaelli Katia , Deserti Marco , Stortini Michele , Amorati Roberta , Vasconi Matteo , Giovannini Giulia
Published: April 2020

The Po Valley (Northern Italy) represents an important exceedance zone of the air-quality limit values for PM (particulate matter), NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) and O3 (ozone). This area covers the territory of most Italian northern regions and includes several urban agglomerates, such as Milan, Turin, Venice and Bologna. The area is densely populated and heavily industrialized. The paper summarizes the assessment of the impact of the current (2013) and future (2025) emissions and of the meteorological conditions on the air quality of the Po Valley. This study is one of the first outcomes of the EU LIFE-IP Clean Air Program Po Regions Engaged to Policies of Air (PREPAIR) project. The project, involving administrations and environmental agencies of eight regions and three municipalities in Northern Italy and Slovenia, started in 2017 and will end in 2024. Future emission scenarios consider the emissions reduction due to the air-quality action plans of the regions involved, of the agreements between the national authorities and regional administrations and of the PREPAIR project itself, in the overall context of the application of the current legislation of the European Union. The combination of these measures will lead to the reduction of direct emissions of PM10 in the Po Valley and of the main precursors emitted in the area (NOx, nitrogen oxides and NH3, and ammonia) by 38% for PM10, 39% for NOx and 22% for NH3, respectively. This lowering corresponds to a reduction of about 30.000 tons of primary PM10, 150.000 tons of NOx, 54.000 tons of NH3 and 1700 tons of SO2. The results show that these expected reductions should allow us to achieve the EU PM10 limit value in the Po Valley by the year 2025.
Effect of the Most Relevant CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 Polymorphisms on the Pharmacokinetic Parameters of 10 CYP3A Substrates
Authors: Saiz-Rodríguez Miriam , Almenara Susana , Navares-Gómez Marcos , Ochoa Dolores , Román Manuel , Zubiaur Pablo , Koller Dora , Santos María , Mejía Gina , Borobia Alberto M. , Rodríguez-Antona Cristina , Abad-Santos Francisco
Published: April 2020

Several cytochrome P450 (CYP) CYP3A polymorphisms were associated with reduced enzyme function. We aimed to evaluate the influence of these alleles on the pharmacokinetic parameters (PK) of several CYP3A substrates. We included 251 healthy volunteers who received a single dose of ambrisentan, atorvastatin, imatinib, aripiprazole, fentanyl, amlodipine, donepezil, olanzapine, fesoterodine, or quetiapine. The volunteers were genotyped for CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 polymorphisms by qPCR. To compare the PK across studies, measurements were corrected by the mean of each parameter for every drug and were logarithmically transformed. Neither CYP3A phenotype nor individual CYP3A4 or CYP3A5 polymorphisms were significantly associated with differences in PK. However, regarding the substrates that are exclusively metabolized by CYP3A, we observed a higher normalized AUC (p = 0.099) and a tendency of lower normalized Cl (p = 0.069) in CYP3A4 mutated allele carriers what was associated with diminished drug metabolism capacity. CYP3A4 polymorphisms did not show a pronounced influence on PK of the analysed drugs. If so, their impact could be detectable in a very small percentage of subjects. Although there are few subjects carrying CYP3A4 double mutations, the effect in those might be relevant, especially due to the majority of subjects lacking the CYP3A5 enzyme. In heterozygous subjects, the consequence might be less noticeable due to the high inducible potential of the CYP3A4 enzyme.
A Structured Approach for the Mitigation of Natural Methane Emissions—Lessons Learned from Anthropogenic Emissions
Authors: Johannisson Jonas , Hiete Michael
Published: April 2020

Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas. Natural methane emissions represent 35–50% of the global emissions budget. They are identified, measured and categorized, but, in stark contrast to anthropogenic emissions, research on their mitigation is largely absent. To explain this, 18 problems are identified and presented. This includes problems related to the emission characteristics, technological and economic challenges, as well as problems resulting from a missing framework. Consequently, strategies, methods and solutions to solve or circumvent the identified problems are proposed. The framework covers definitions for methane source categorization and for categories of emission types and mitigation approaches. Business cases for methane mitigation are discussed and promising mitigation technologies briefly assessed. The importance to get started with methane mitigation in the different areas is highlighted and avenues for doing so are presented.
Primary Resistance to PD-1-Based Immunotherapy—A Study in 319 Patients with Stage IV Melanoma
Authors: Amaral Teresa , Seeber Olivia , Mersi Edgar , Sanchez Stephanie , Thomas Ioannis , Meiwes Andreas , Forschner Andrea , Leiter Ulrike , Eigentler Thomas , Keim Ulrike , Garbe Claus
Published: April 2020

Background: Primary resistance to immunotherapy can be observed in approximately 40–65% of the stage IV melanoma patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. A minority of the patients receive a second-line therapy, and the clinical benefit is small. Patients and methods: Stage IV melanoma patients treated with first-line PD-1-based immunotherapy between January 2015 and December 2018 were investigated. Primary resistance was defined as progressive disease (PD) at the time of the first tumor assessment after starting immunotherapy. Patients with complete response, partial response, and stable disease were classified as having disease control (DC). Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were evaluated by Kaplan–Meier estimator. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine prognostic factors associated with OS. Results: Three hundred and nineteen patients were included, and 40% had primary resistance to immunotherapy. The median follow-up time was 22 months. Patients with primary resistance had 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS rates of 41%, 15%, and 10%, respectively, compared to 91%, 81%, and 65% for the patients who achieved DC. The following independently significant prognostic factors for OS were identified: protein S100B level and primary tumor localization. There was a statistically significant difference for OS (p < 0.0001) but not for PFS (p = 0.230) when analyzing risk groups formed with a combination of these two variables (low-, intermediate-, and high-risk subgroups). Conclusions: Melanoma patients with primary resistance to immunotherapy have a dismal prognosis. Response at the first tumor assessment after starting immunotherapy is a stronger prognostic factor for the further course of the disease than pretreatment risk factors.
The Effect of Higher Level Computerized Clinical Decision Support Systems on Oncology Care: A Systematic Review
Authors: Klarenbeek Sosse E. , Weekenstroo Harm H.A. , Sedelaar J.P. Michiel , Fütterer Jurgen J. , Prokop Mathias , Tummers Marcia
Published: April 2020

Background: To deal with complexity in cancer care, computerized clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) are developed to support quality of care and improve decision-making. We performed a systematic review to explore the value of CDSSs using automated clinical guidelines, Artificial Intelligence, datamining or statistical methods (higher level CDSSs) on the quality of care in oncology. Materials and Methods: The search strategy combined synonyms for ‘CDSS’ and ‘cancer.’ Pubmed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Association of Computing Machinery digital library and Web of Science were systematically searched from January 2000 to December 2019. Included studies evaluated the impact of higher level CDSSs on process outcomes, guideline adherence and clinical outcomes. Results: 11,397 studies were selected for screening, after which 61 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. Finally, nine studies were included in the final analysis with a total population size of 7985 patients. Types of cancer included breast cancer (63.1%), lung cancer (27.8%), prostate cancer (4.1%), colorectal cancer (3.1%) and other cancer types (1.9%). The included studies demonstrated significant improvements of higher level CDSSs on process outcomes and guideline adherence across diverse settings in oncology. No significant differences were reported for clinical outcomes. Conclusion: Higher level CDSSs seem to improve process outcomes and guidelines adherence but not clinical outcomes. It should be noticed that the included studies primarily focused on breast and lung cancer. To further explore the impact of higher level CDSSs on quality of care, high-quality research is required.
Effect of Transgene Location, Transcriptional Control Elements and Transgene Features in Armed Oncolytic Adenoviruses
Authors: Farrera-Sal Martí , Fillat Cristina , Alemany Ramon
Published: April 2020

Clinical results with oncolytic adenoviruses (OAds) used as antitumor monotherapies show limited efficacy. To increase OAd potency, transgenes have been inserted into their genome, a strategy known as “arming OAds”. Here, we review different parameters that affect the outcome of armed OAds. Recombinant adenovirus used in gene therapy and vaccination have been the basis for the design of armed OAds. Hence, early region 1 (E1) and early region 3 (E3) have been the most commonly used transgene insertion sites, along with partially or complete E3 deletions. Besides transgene location and orientation, transcriptional control elements, transgene function, either virocentric or immunocentric, and even the codons encoding it, greatly impact on transgene levels and virus fitness.
Targeted Next-Generation Sequencing of 117 Routine Clinical Samples Provides Further Insights into the Molecular Landscape of Uveal Melanoma
Authors: Thornton Sophie , Coupland Sarah , Olohan Lisa , Sibbring Julie , Kenny John , Hertz-Fowler Christiane , Liu Xuan , Haldenby Sam , Heimann Heinrich , Hussain Rumana , Kipling Natalie , Taktak Azzam , Kalirai Helen
Published: April 2020

Uveal melanoma (UM) has well-characterised somatic copy number alterations (SCNA) in chromosomes 1, 3, 6 and 8, in addition to mutations in GNAQ, GNA11, CYSLTR2, PLCB4, BAP1, SF3B1 and EIF1AX, most being linked to metastatic-risk. To gain further insight into the molecular landscape of UM, we designed a targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel to detect SCNA and mutations in routine clinical UM samples. We compared hybrid-capture and amplicon-based target enrichment methods and tested a larger cohort of primary UM samples on the best performing panel. UM clinical samples processed either as fresh-frozen, formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE), small intraocular biopsies or following irradiation were successfully profiled using NGS, with hybrid capture outperforming the PCR-based enrichment methodology. We identified monosomy 3 (M3)-UM that were wild-type for BAP1 but harbored SF3B1 mutations, novel frameshift deletions in SF3B1 and EIF1AX, as well as a PLCB4 mutation outside of the hotspot on exon 20 coinciding with a GNAQ mutation in some UM. We observed samples that harboured mutations in both BAP1 and SF3B1, and SF3B1 and EIF1AX, respectively. Novel mutations were also identified in TTC28, KTN1, CSMD1 and TP53BP1. NGS can simultaneously assess SCNA and mutation data in UM, in a reliable and reproducible way, irrespective of sample type or previous processing. BAP1 and SF3B1 mutations, in addition to 8q copy number, are of added importance when determining UM patient outcome.
The Catalyst Loading Effects on the Feed Rate of NaBH4 Solution for the Hydrogen Production Rate and Conversion Efficiency
Authors: Leu Jai-Houng , Su Ay , Sun Jung-Kang , Huang Zhen-Ming
Published: April 2020

The research in this study focused on the operating parameters for a high efficiency hydrogen production rate system, with the aim to design a hydrolysis of the NaBH4 hydrogen production module for lightweight and efficient hydrogen production and conversion. The experiment used a reactor, where the reaction volume was about 12 mL. The parameters on the feed rate of the NaBH4 solution and the catalyst loading for the hydrogen production rate and conversion efficiency were investigated. The catalyst is sufficient to allow the release of hydrogen in the 1 g/min solution, but the efficiency of hydrogen production at high flow rates has been shown to be low in previous studies. Therefore, the aim is to increase the catalyst to improve the reaction efficiency in this study. The results show that at the high temperature reaction condition, solid NaBO2 will not generate on the catalyst surface to influence the hydrogen production rate when using the five pcs catalyst. When the reaction temperature was 108 °C, the average hydrogen production rate was 1.72 L/min, and the conversion efficiency was 91.2%.
Research on Aftertreatment Inlet_Outlet Insulation for A Nonroad Middle Range Diesel Engine
Authors: Xie Lu , Jiang Guozhang , Qian Feng
Published: April 2020

Diesel exhaust aftertreatment systems are required for meeting China StageIV emission regulations. This paper addresses an aftertreatment system designed to meet the China StageIV emission standards for nonroad vehicle markets. It presents a comprehensive experimental research work on aftertreatment skin temperature and the radiated impact on its neighboring parts in a nonroad vehicle powered by a middle range diesel engine under aftertreatment inlet/outlet with insulation and without insulation with multiple experimental conditions, as well as validating the emission results with these two different aftertreatment configurations. According to the experimental results, it can be observed that the aftertreatment inlet/outlet with insulation and without insulation using a Diesel Oxidant Catalyst (DOC) + Diesel Particle Filter (DPF) + Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) scheme could both meet China StageIV emission regulations and the whole vehicle arrangement. The connection pipe is generally short between the aftertreatment and the engine turbo charger on nonroad application vehicles, which results in the exhaust gas temperature of the internal aftertreatment at each point being similar, with variation within ±2% for the aftertreatment inlet/outlet with insulation compared to the aftertreatment inlet/outlet without insulation. The aftertreatment skin temperature differences under these two configurations occur on the inlet module and outlet module, and the skin temperatures of other aftertreatment modules are little impacted. These experimental results also validate the radiation model. All aftertreatment skin temperatures are measured with different experimental conditions. In future, if considering integrating other parts like sensors on the surface of the aftertreatment, the configuration with insulation is recommended. As per the experimental results, the maximum inlet skin temperature can lower nearly 50% with insulation and the maximum outlet temperature could lower about 28% compared to the configuration without inlet/outlet insulation. If taking cost into consideration, the configuration without insulation is suggested. This research also introduces alternative solutions for different concerns for real applications. The methodology provides effective guidance and reference for future aftertreatment insulation considerations for inlet modules and outlet modules on real applications.
Simple Environmentally-Friendly Reduction of 4-Nitrophenol
Authors: Serrà Albert , Artal Raül , Pozo Maria , Garcia-Amorós Jaume , Gómez Elvira
Published: April 2020

The low molecular-mass organic compound 4-nitrophenol is involved in many chemical processes and is commonly present in soils and in surface and ground waters, thereby causing severe environmental impact and health risk. Several methods have been proposed for its transformation (bio and chemical degradation). However, these strategies not only produce equally or more toxic aromatic species but also require harsh operating conditions and/or time-consuming treatments. In this context, we report a comprehensive and systematic study of the electrochemical reduction of 4-nitrophenol as a viable alternative. We have explored the electrochemical reduction of this pollutant over different metallic and carbonaceous substrata. Specifically, we have focused on the use of gold and silver working electrodes since they combine a high electrocatalytic activity for 4-nitrophenol reduction and a low electrocatalytic capacity for hydrogen evolution. The influence of the pH, temperature, and applied potential have also been considered as crucial parameters in the overall optimization of the process. While acidic media and high temperatures favor the clean reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol, the simultaneous hydrogen evolution is pernicious for this purpose. Herein, a simple and effective electrochemical method for the transformation of 4-nitrophenol into 4-aminophenol is proposed with virtually no undesired by-products.