bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Proteksi Protein Ampas Tahu dengan Crude Palm Oil (CPO) terhadap Degradasi Mikroba Rumen
Authors: Ainunisa Nadia , Rapsanjani Mohamad Busaeri , Tarmidi Ana Rohana , Hernaman Iman
Published: September 2020

ABSTRAKProtein ampas tahu memiliki kualitas yang baik, namun mudah didegradasi oleh mikroba rumen, sehingga membutuhkan perlindungan. Penelitian bertujuan untuk melindungi protein ampas tahu dari degradasi mikroba rumen. Penelitian dilaksanakan secara eksperimental dengan menggunakan rancangan acak lengkap dengan 4 perlakuan dan 5 ulangan. Data yang terkumpul dilakukan analisis sidik ragam dan dilanjutkan dengan uji Duncan. Ampas tahu kering dicampur dengan menggunakan mikser secara merata dengan crude palm oil (CPO) sebanyak 0%, 10%, 20%, dan 30 % atau setara dengan 0% (P0), 4% (P1), 8% (P2), 12% (P3) dalam ransum.  Kemudian ampas tahu tersebut digunakan sebagai konsentrat tunggal dalam ransum yang dicampur dengan rumput pada perbandingan 40:60, setelah itu dievaluasi secara in vitro. Hasil menunjukkan bahwa proteksi ampas tahu dengan CPO menghasilkan penurunan konsentrasi N-NH3 (P<0,05) dengan nilai yang terendah adalah 2,6 mM pada P3. Sementara itu proteksi CPO juga menurunkan nilai asam lemak terbang pada P3 dan semakin tinggi penggunaan CPO menghasilkan kecernaan bahan kering dan kecernaan bahan organik yang rendah (P<0,05). Kesimpulan, penggunaan CPO mampu memproteksi protein ampas tahu, namun dapat menurunkan asam lemak terbang dan kecernaan.Kata kunci: ampas tahu, crude palm oil (CPO), in vitro, protein, ruminansia ABSTRACT   Tofu cake protein has good quality but is easily degraded by rumen microbes, so it needs protection. The research aims to protect the tofu cake protein from rumen microbial degradation. The study was conducted experimentally using a randomized complete design with 4 treatments and 5 replications. The data collected was analyzed for variance analysis and followed by Duncan's test. Dried tofu waste is mixed by using mixer evenly with crude palm oil (CPO) as much as 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% or equivalent to 0% (P0), 4% (P1), 8% (P2), 12% (P3) in the ration. Then that tofu cake was used as a single concentrate in the ration mixed with grass at a ratio of 40:60, after which it was evaluated in vitro. The results showed that the protection of tofu cake with CPO resulted in a decrease in N-NH3 concentration (P<0.05) with the lowest value being 2.6 mM at P3. Meanwhile, CPO protection also reduced the value of volatile fatty acids at P3 and the higher use of CPO resulted in low dry matter and organic matter digestibility (P<0.05). In conclusion, the use of CPO is able to protect the protein of tofu cake, but it can reduce volatile fatty acids and digestibility.Keywords: crude palm oil (CPO), in vitro, protein, ruminant, tofu cake
HUBUNGAN ACCESS BLOCK DENGAN PERBURUKAN KONDISI PASIEN DI INSTALASI GAWAT DARURAT RSUD ULIN BANJARMASIN
Authors: Julianto Julianto , Daud Izma , Milyati Sari
Published: September 2020

Abstrak  Latar Belakang :Access block adalah situasi dimana pasien yang mengalami lama rawat di IGD 6 karena kurangnya akses ke ruang rawat inap dan kepadatan jumlah pasien yang tidak terkendali, dampaknya ditemukan bahwa semakin lama access block  semakin tinggi pula perburukan pasien dalam 24 jam.Tujuan : ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan access block dengan perburukan kondisi pasien di Instalasi Gawat Darurat RSUD Ulin Banjarmasin.Metode :Penelitian menggunakan desain analitik dengan pendekatan cross sectional. Jumlah sampel yang diambil berjumlah 40 orang dengan teknik pengambilan accidental sampling. Analisis data melalui uji spearman rank.Hasil : Hasil uji dipapatkan nilai p hitung 0,000 (0,05) ada hubungan antara access block dengan perburukan kondisi pasien di instalasi gawat darurat RSUD Ulin Banjarmasi.Simpulan: Berdasarka hasil penelitian Ada hubungan antara access block dengan perburukan kondisi pasien di Instalasi Gawat Darurat RSUD Ulin Banjarmasin dengan nilai P= 0,000 nilai α = 0,05 dengan nilai koefisien korelasi 0,588 Kata kunci: Access Block, Perburukan Pasien. Abstract Background :Access block is a situation where patients who experience length of stay in the ED 6 due to lack of access to the inpatient room and uncontrolled density of patients, it is found that the longer the access block the higher the deterioration of patients in 24 hours.Purpose: This study aims to determine the relationship of access block with deteriorating condition of patients in Emergency Installation Ulin Hospital Banjarmasin.Method : The research method uses an analytical design with a cross sectional approach. The number of samples taken is 40 people using the accidental sampling technique. Data analysis through spearman rank test.Result: The test results obtained p value calculated 0,000 (0.05) there is a relationship between the access block and deterioration of the patient's condition at the Ulin Banjarmasin Hospital emergency department.Conclusion: Based on the results of the study, there is a relationship between the access block and the worsening of the patient's condition at the Emergency Department of RSUD Ulin Banjarmasin with a value of P = 0.000 value α = 0.05 with a correlation coefficient value of 0.588. Keywords: Access Block, Patient worsening
A Novel Low-Frequency Piezoelectric Motor Modulated by an Electromagnetic Field
Authors: Xing Jichun , Qin Yong
Published: September 2020

For expanding the driving mode of the piezoelectric motor, a novel piezoelectric motor modulated by a magnetic field is proposed. This driving system combines piezoelectric driving and magnetic modulation together and can transform the reciprocating swing of the stator into step running of the rotor via the intermittent magnetic clamping between the rotor and stator. For investigating the inherent character of dynamics, the dynamic equations of key parts of the driving system are established. The natural frequencies and mode functions of the driving system are solved. A prototype was fabricated to prove the dynamic analysis and measure the output characteristic. The results show that the nature of the frequency measured from the test is coincident with theoretical analysis. In addition, by applying the driving frequency of 3 Hz, the voltage of the modulating signal of 4.5 V, the phase difference α between driving signal and modulating signal of 30°, the ideal outputs are 0.1046 rad/min for velocity and 0.405 Nmm for torque.
Soil-Mediated Effects on Weed-Crop Competition: Elucidating the Role of Annual and Perennial Intercrop Diversity Legacies
Authors: Menalled Uriel D. , Bybee-Finley K. Ann , Smith Richard G. , DiTommaso Antonio , Pethybridge Sarah J. , Ryan Matthew R.
Published: September 2020

Crop diversity may mediate the intensity of weed-crop competition by altering soil nutrient availability and plant-soil microbe interactions. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to analyze weed-crop competition in soils with varying crop diversity legacies. Soil greenhouse treatments included field soils (i.e., soil nutrient and microbial legacies), a sterile greenhouse potting mix inoculated with microorganisms of the field soils (i.e., microbial legacies), and a sterile greenhouse potting mix. Soils for the greenhouse experiment were sampled and assessed after two-years of conditioning with annual and perennial cropping systems under four levels of intercrop diversity. The greenhouse experiment involved growing one sorghum sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench × S. sudanese Piper) crop plant and zero to six common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.) weed plants in soil from each diversity and cropping system treatment. The weed density treatments created a weed-crop competition gradient, which was used to quantify legacy effects of crop diversity. Weed-crop competition increased with crop diversity in both the field soil and inoculated soil treatments in the annual system. In the perennial system, differences in weed-crop competition intensity were driven by crop yield potential. In the perennial field soil treatment, crop yield potential was greatest in the highest diversity treatment, whereas in the perennial inoculated soil treatment, crop yield potential was greatest in the lowest diversity treatment. Results show potential for negative effects from previous crop diversity on weed-crop competition, and the divergent impact of microbial and nutrient legacies on crop yield potential. Future research should aim to evaluate the consistency of legacy effects and identify principles that can guide soil and crop management, especially in conservation agriculture where soil tillage and its microbial legacy reducing effects are minimized.
Maize Hybrid Response to Sustained Moderate Drought Stress Reveals Clues for Improved Management
Authors: Ao Samadangla , Russelle Michael P. , Feyereisen Gary W. , Varga Tamás , Coulter Jeffrey A.
Published: September 2020

Crop water productivity (CWP), irrigation water productivity (IWP), actual seasonal basal crop coefficient (Kab), and actual crop evapotranspiration (ETa) are essential parameters for accurate estimation of crop water requirement to prevent irrigation water waste. These parameters were evaluated by conducting three experiments using a drought-tolerant maize hybrid and a non-drought-tolerant (‘standard’) maize hybrid receiving 50, 100, and 150% of the recommended optimal nitrogen (N) fertilizer rate and grown under well-watered conditions, drought stress from the 14 leaf collar maize phenological stage (V14) to maize physiological maturity (R6), and drought stress from the blister maize phenological stage (R2) to R6. Across hybrids, ETa decreased with increased duration of drought stress. The drought-tolerant hybrid had 7 and 8% greater CWP and IWP, respectively, compared to the standard hybrid when drought stress began at V14. Mid-season Kab was 1.08, 0.89, and 0.73 under well-watered conditions and when drought stress began at R2 and V14, respectively. These results reveal that (i) maize achieved more effective physiological acclimation with earlier exposure to drought stress, (ii) grain yield of the drought-tolerant hybrid was unchanged by earlier, compared to later, onset of drought despite a 10% decrease in ETa, and (iii) two phases of acclimation were identified: Maize Kab declined upon exposure to drought but stabilized as the crop acclimated.
Nitrogen Dynamics Following Incorporation of 3-Year Old Grassland Set-Asides in the Fraser River Delta of British Columbia
Authors: Walji Khalil , Krzic Maja , Bondar Drew , Smukler Sean M.
Published: September 2020

Short-term grassland set-asides (GLSA) have been incorporated into intensive annual crop rotations to improve soil quality. The legacy of the GLSA to subsequent annual crops, however, is not well understood. The objective of this study was to determine the impacts of 3-year-old GLSA on nitrogen (N) dynamics and the yield of the subsequent cash crop. A regional analysis was conducted over two years, utilizing eight production fields transitioning from GLSA, paired with fields in continuous annual crop rotation (ACR) with matching management. A controlled plot-scale experiment was also conducted on a single 3-year-old GLSA, comparing fertilizer types, rates, and timing of incorporation. In each experiment, soils were sampled every 10–14 days for ammonium (NH4+-N) and nitrate (NO3−-N), along with ion probes, installed near the rooting zone to track plant available nitrogen (PAN) throughout the season. The results from the regional analysis are confounding, in 2015 showing that GLSA supplied an additional 18 kg PAN ha−1 compared to ACR but showed no PAN benefits in 2016. The controlled plot-scale experiment highlighted the importance of fertilizer type to subsequent PAN, showing synthetic treatments consistently supplied more PAN than organic. The results from this study suggest that 3-year-old GLSAs can potentially improve PAN to subsequent crops depending on how they are managed.
Hyperhomocysteinemia Induced by Methionine Excess is Effectively Suppressed by Betaine in Geese
Authors: Yang Zhi , Yang Yu , Yang Jinjin , Wan Xiaoli , Yang Haiming , Wang Zhiyue
Published: September 2020

The objective of our study was to investigate the effects of excess Methionine (Met) on the growth performance, serum homocysteine levels, apoptotic rates, and Bax and Bcl-2 protein levels in geese and to study the role of Bet (betaine) in relieving excess Met-induced hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy). In this study, 150 healthy male 14-day-old Yangzhou geese of similar body weight were randomly distributed into three groups with five replicates per treatment and 10 geese per replicate: the control group (fed a control diet), the Met toxicity group (fed the control diet +1% Met), and the Bet detoxification group (fed the control diet +1% Met +0.2% Bet). At 28, 49, and 70 d of age, the geese in the Met toxicity group had significantly lower body weights than those in the control group (p < 0.05). The serum homocysteine levels in geese at 70 d of age in the detoxification group were significantly lower than those in the Met toxicity group (p < 0.05). Compared with the control, Met significantly increased cardiomyocyte apoptosis rates, while Bet reduced them. In conclusion, our results suggest that excess methionine reduces body weight induced by myocardial apoptosis, and Bet can be used to effectively lower plasma homocysteine levels.
Synergism of Dietary Co-Supplementation with Lutein and Bile Salts Improved the Growth Performance, Carotenoid Content, Antioxidant Capacity, Lipid Metabolism, and Lipase Activity of the Marbled Spinefoot Rabbitfish, Siganus rivulatus
Authors: Mansour Abdallah Tageldein , El-feky Mohamed M. M. , El-Beltagi Hossam S. , Sallam Ahmed Elsayed
Published: September 2020

A 60-day feeding trial was conducted to assess the effects of dietary supplementation with bile salts (BS), lutein (LTN), and their combination on growth, survival, carotenoid content, and antioxidant status of rabbitfish (Siganus rivulatus) larvae. Fish were fed four isonitrogenous (34.39% protein) and isoenergetic (20.57 kJ/g) diets supplemented with BS (0.15 g kg−1), LTN (0.1 g kg−1), BS+LTN (0.15 and 0.1 g kg−1, respectively), and a non-supplemented control diet. The results revealed that fish fed BS+LTN had the highest significant specific growth rate (4.37% day−1), feed efficiency (46.55%), and survival (97.78%). Lutein supplementation improved whole-body protein content, meanwhile, fish fed a BS-supplemented diet had a higher lipid content. The carotenoid deposition was significantly increased with LTN and BS+LTN in skin, muscle, and whole body compared to the control and BS treatment. All dietary supplementation of BS and LTN showed significant improvement in total antioxidant capacity, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities. Additionally, LTN alone or BS+LTN significantly reduced malondialdehyde levels by 5.30 and 29.91%, respectively compared to the control. BS supplementation modulated aminopeptidases activities, triglycerides, cholesterol, and increased the activity of pancreatic lipase. Therefore, it could be inferred that dietary supplementation with LTN in combination with BS could improve the growth performance, carotenoid deposition, antioxidant status, lipid digestion, and metabolism of S. rivulatus.
Bone Health or Performance? Adaptation Response of Genetically Divergent Chicken Layer Lines to a Nutritive Calcium Depletion
Authors: Jansen Simon , Bues Mara , Baulain Ulrich , Habig Christin , Halle Ingrid , Petow Stefanie , Sharifi Ahmad Reza , Weigend Annett , Wilkens Mirja Rosmarie , Weigend Steffen
Published: September 2020

In modern laying hybrids, calcium (Ca) homeostasis is immensely challenged by daily eggshell calcification. However, excessive mobilization of Ca from bones may lead to osteoporosis, which then manifests in a high incidence of poor bone quality. The aim of this study was to characterize the hens’ adaptation response to an alternating dietary Ca restriction. The animal model consisted of four purebred layer lines, differing in laying performance (high vs. moderately performing lines) and phylogenetic origin (white- vs. brown-egg lines). According to the resource allocation theory, hens selected for high egg production were assumed to show a different response pattern to cope with this nutritive challenge compared to moderately performing lines. Data collected included egg number, egg quality traits, body weight and bone characteristics. The Ca depletion led to a temporary drop in egg production and shell quality and a loss of bone stability due to Ca mobilization. The white-egg lines response was more pronounced, whereas the brown-egg lines were less sensitive towards reduced Ca supply. Our study shows that the hens’ responsiveness to coping with a nutritive Ca depletion is not ultimately linked to genetic selection for increased egg production but rather to phylogenetic origin.
Reliability of the Mouse Grimace Scale in C57BL/6JRj Mice
Authors: Hohlbaum Katharina , Corte Giuliano Mario , Humpenöder Melanie , Merle Roswitha , Thöne-Reineke Christa
Published: September 2020

To maintain and foster the welfare of laboratory mice, tools that reliably measure the current state of the animals are applied in clinical assessment. One of these is the Mouse Grimace Scale (MGS), a coding system for facial expression analysis. Since there are concerns about the objectivity of the MGS, we further investigated its reliability. Four observers (two experienced and two inexperienced in use of the MGS) scored 188 images of 33 female and 31 male C57BL/6JRj mice. Images were generated prior to, 150 min, and two days after ketamine/xylazine anesthesia. The intraclass correlations coefficient (ICC = 0.851) indicated good agreement on total MGS scores between all observers when all three time points were included in the analysis. However, interrater reliability was higher in the early post-anesthetic period (ICC = 0.799) than at baseline (ICC = 0.556) and on day 2 after anesthesia (ICC = 0.329). The best agreement was achieved for orbital tightening, and the poorest agreement for nose and cheek bulge, depending on the observers’ experience levels. In general, experienced observers produced scores of higher consistency when compared to inexperienced. Against this background, we critically discuss factors that potentially influence the reliability of MGS scoring.
Antibiotic Resistance Characteristics of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolated from Keratitis in Australia and India
Authors: Khan Mahjabeen , Stapleton Fiona , Summers Stephen , Rice Scott A. , Willcox Mark D. P.
Published: September 2020

This study investigated genomic differences in Australian and Indian Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from keratitis (infection of the cornea). Overall, the Indian isolates were resistant to more antibiotics, with some of those isolates being multi-drug resistant. Acquired genes were related to resistance to fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, beta-lactams, macrolides, sulphonamides, and tetracycline and were more frequent in Indian (96%) than in Australian (35%) isolates (p = 0.02). Indian isolates had large numbers of gene variations (median 50,006, IQR = 26,967–50,600) compared to Australian isolates (median 26,317, IQR = 25,681–33,780). There were a larger number of mutations in the mutL and uvrD genes associated with the mismatch repair (MMR) system in Indian isolates, which may result in strains losing their efficacy for DNA repair. The number of gene variations were greater in isolates carrying MMR system genes or exoU. In the phylogenetic division, the number of core genes were similar in both groups, but Indian isolates had larger numbers of pan genes (median 6518, IQR = 6040–6935). Clones related to three different sequence types—ST308, ST316, and ST491—were found among Indian isolates. Only one clone, ST233, containing two strains was present in Australian isolates. The most striking differences between Australian and Indian isolates were carriage of exoU (that encodes a cytolytic phospholipase) in Indian isolates and exoS (that encodes for GTPase activator activity) in Australian isolates, large number of acquired resistance genes, greater changes to MMR genes, and a larger pan genome as well as increased overall genetic variation in the Indian isolates.
PET Imaging for Oxidative Stress in Neurodegenerative Disorders Associated with Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Authors: Ikawa Masamichi , Okazawa Hidehiko , Nakamoto Yasunari , Yoneda Makoto
Published: September 2020

Oxidative stress based on mitochondrial dysfunction is assumed to be the principal molecular mechanism for the pathogenesis of many neurodegenerative disorders. However, the effects of oxidative stress on the neurodegeneration process in living patients remain to be elucidated. Molecular imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) can directly evaluate subtle biological changes, including the redox status. The present review focuses on recent advances in PET imaging for oxidative stress, in particular the use of the Cu-ATSM radioligand, in neurodegenerative disorders associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Since reactive oxygen species are mostly generated by leakage of excess electrons from an over-reductive state due to mitochondrial respiratory chain impairment, PET with 62Cu-ATSM, the accumulation of which depends on an over-reductive state, is able to image oxidative stress. 62Cu-ATSM PET studies demonstrated enhanced oxidative stress in the disease-related brain regions of patients with mitochondrial disease, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Furthermore, the magnitude of oxidative stress increased with disease severity, indicating that oxidative stress based on mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to promoting neurodegeneration in these diseases. Oxidative stress imaging has improved our insights into the pathological mechanisms of neurodegenerative disorders, and is a promising tool for monitoring further antioxidant therapies.
Influence of Oxidative Stress Biomarkers and Genetic Polymorphisms on the Clinical Severity of Hydroxyurea-Free Senegalese Children with Sickle Cell Anemia
Authors: Gueye Tall Fatou , Martin Cyril , Ndour El hadji Malick , Faes Camille , Déme Ly Indou , Pialoux Vincent , Connes Philippe , Gueye Papa Madieye , Ndiaye Diallo Rokhaya , Renoux Céline , Diagne Ibrahima , Diop Pape Amadou , Cissé Aynina , Sall Philomène Lopez , Joly Philippe
Published: September 2020

Oxidative stress would play a role in the pathophysiology of sickle cell anemia (SCA). We tested the impact of common SCA genetic modifiers (alpha-thalassemia, G6PD deficiency, HbF quantitative trait loci; QTL) and pro/antioxidant genes polymorphisms (SOD2 rs4880, XO rs207454, MPO rs2333227) on oxidative stress biomarkers (AOPP, MDA, MPO, XO, MnSOD, CAT, GPx) and clinical severity in 301 Senegalese SCA hydroxyurea-free children at steady-state (median age 9.1 years, sex ratio H/F = 1.3). Plasma oxidative stress biomarkers were compared with those of a control group (AA). CAT activity, AOPP, and MDA levels were higher in SCA than in AA individuals while XO, GPX, and MnSOD activities were lower. The presence of alpha-thalassemia decreased MDA level and MPO activity but no effect of the HbF QTL or G6PD deficiency was observed. SCA children who experienced their first hospitalized complication before 3 years old had higher MnSOD and CAT activities than the other children while those with no hospitalized VOC in the previous 2 years presented higher GPX activity. Age of the first hospitalized complication and AOPP levels were affected by the MPO rs2333227 SNP. Our results suggest that alpha-thalassemia modulates oxidative stress in SCA, presumably because of a reduction in the MPO activity.
Rubber Dam Isolation and High-Volume Suction Reduce Ultrafine Dental Aerosol Particles: An Experiment in a Simulated Patient
Authors: Balanta-Melo Julián , Gutiérrez Albio , Sinisterra Gustavo , Díaz-Posso María del Mar , Gallego David , Villavicencio Judy , Contreras Adolfo
Published: September 2020

The ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has triggered the paralysis of dental services ascribed to the potential spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2. Aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) are common in dentistry, which in turn increase the risk of infection of the dental personnel due to the salivary presence of SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 patients. The use of rubber dam isolation (RDI) and high-volume evacuators (HVE) during AGPs is recommended to control dental aerosols, but the evidence about their effectiveness is scarce. This first study aimed to compare, in a simulated patient, the effectiveness of the following strategies: standard suction (SS), RDI and RDI + HVE. Using the laser diffraction technique, the effect of each condition on the volume distribution, average size and concentration of coarse (PM10), fine (PM2.5) and ultrafine (PM0.1) particles were evaluated. During the teeth drilling, the highest volume fraction of dental aerosol particles with SS was below 1 μm of aerodynamic diameter. Additionally, the RDI + HVE significantly reduced both the ultrafine dental aerosol particles and the concentration of total particulate matter. AGPs represent a potential risk for airborne infections in dentistry. Taken together, these preliminary results suggest that isolation and high-volume suction are effective to reduce ultrafine dental aerosol particles.
A Diversity Combination Model Incorporating an Inward Bias for Interaural Time-Level Difference Cue Integration in Sound Lateralization
Authors: Mojtahedi Sina , Erzin Engin , Ungan Pekcan
Published: September 2020

A sound source with non-zero azimuth leads to interaural time level differences (ITD and ILD). Studies on hearing system imply that these cues are encoded in different parts of the brain, but combined to produce a single lateralization percept as evidenced by experiments indicating trading between them. According to the duplex theory of sound lateralization, ITD and ILD play a more significant role in low-frequency and high-frequency stimulations, respectively. In this study, ITD and ILD, which were extracted from a generic head-related transfer functions, were imposed on a complex sound consisting of two low- and seven high-frequency tones. Two-alternative forced-choice behavioral tests were employed to assess the accuracy in identifying a change in lateralization. Based on a diversity combination model and using the error rate data obtained from the tests, the weights of the ITD and ILD cues in their integration were determined by incorporating a bias observed for inward shifts. The weights of the two cues were found to change with the azimuth of the sound source. While the ILD appears to be the optimal cue for the azimuths near the midline, the ITD and ILD weights turn to be balanced for the azimuths far from the midline.
Finite-Time Fast Dynamic Terminal Sliding Mode Maximum Power Point Tracking Control Paradigm for Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator-Based Wind Energy Conversion System
Authors: Zafran Muhammad , Khan Laiq , Khan Qudrat , Ullah Shafaat , Sami Irfan , Ro Jong-Suk
Published: September 2020

Due to the intermittent nature of wind, there exists a major disparity between the power generation from the wind and the demand of electricity. Hence, a sophisticated maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control paradigm must be formulated for maximizing the power extraction from the wind. This research article focuses on the formulation of a nonlinear fast dynamic terminal sliding mode control (FDTSMC)-based MPPT strategy for optimizing the power extraction from a 3kW, variable speed, fixed-pitch wind energy conversion system equipped with a permanent magnet synchronous generator. The proposed MPPT strategy is compared with the benchmark fast terminal sliding mode control, conventional sliding mode control, feedback linearization control and proportional integral derivative control-based MPPT strategies under a stochastic wind speed profile. The proposed paradigm has been found superior in its tracking performance by converging the output tracking error to zero in a finite time, realizing a high precision performance, offering fast dynamic response, reducing the chattering to a minute level and guaranteeing global robustness. The superior performance and effectiveness of the proposed FDTSMC-based MPPT control paradigm is tested and validated through extensive MATLAB/Simulink simulations.
The Dynamic Adjusting Model of Traffic Queuing Time—A Monte Carlo Simulation Study
Authors: Huang Wen-Tso , Dang Jr-Fong
Published: September 2020

The traffic queueing problem usually can be solved by two concepts: static and dynamic mode. Usually, the static mode may not reflect the real-world situation. This encourages us to propose the dynamic adjusting model to solve the traffic queuing problem with a time-varying feature. Our model develops two modes and includes eight formulae to calculate the analysis results. In our first calculating mode, the three formulae intend to simulate the maximum traffic flow in the real-world situation. The second mode is to calculate the results based on the simulation data generated by Monte Carlo simulation. To see our model capability, we validate our model by the simulation data and verify the results by the Monte Carlo simulation method. By our proposed performance measurement, the resulting outcomes show that our model outperforms the previous studies. Additionally, our solution procedure is simple and assumes the model following pseudo-randomly, which coincides with the current status. Furthermore, because of the Internet of Things (IoT) trend, one can expect that the data can be automatically collected. This leads to our proposed model can be implemented once the data are obtained.
Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks: Estimation of Acoustic Channel in Shallow Water
Authors: Zanaj Elma , Gambi Ennio , Zanaj Blerina , Disha Deivis , Kola Nels
Published: September 2020

Underwater sensor networks (UWSN) include a large number of devices and sensors which are positioned in a specific area to carry out monitoring in cooperation with each other as well as data collection. In this paper it has been studied and simulated the performance of an extremely important parameter for communication in UWSN such as the acoustic channel capacity as function of water temperature and salinity arise. The performance’s knowledge on acoustic channel may be improved with a deep study of its dependence by season, weather conditions or environmental parameters variation. If an accurate estimation of the acoustic communication capacity utilization for a given area is required, we must consider also the bottom materials of this area. The simulation results presented in this study through an improved algorithm, will help to understand better the underwater acoustic channel performance as a function of all these factors. This is of particular importance for acoustic modems designing, in order to implement suitable functionalities able to adapt the data transmission capacity of the acoustic link to the structure of the oceanic bottom and its component material.
Investigation of Steel Fiber-Reinforced Mortar Overlay for Strengthening Masonry Walls by Prism Tests
Authors: Yu Ji-Hoon , Park Ji-Hun
Published: September 2020

A strengthening method using steel fiber-reinforced mortar (SFRM), proposed for the seismic retrofit of masonry buildings, is verified experimentally in this study. The SFRM is overlaid on masonry walls directly, which is possible to implement while the building is occupied for residence. First, tests of workability and material strengths were conducted for SFRM itself in order to find SFRM mixing ratios appropriate for overlay construction and strengthening. Then, masonry prisms were produced using two types of bricks and strengthened with SFRM for the chosen mixing ratios and test variables such as the number of overlaid sides and the fiber volume fraction. Compressive strength tests and diagonal tension tests for those specimens were conducted. Both compressive and shear strengths were improved the most highly by overlaying the SFRM with a fiber volume fraction of 1.3%, which is the highest among the test variables, on both sides. Overlaid SFRM tends to be detached without cracking almost at the maximum strength in both compression and diagonal tension tests. For red clay brick prisms, the compressive and shear strengths increased by up to 61% and 138%, respectively. For concrete brick prisms, the compressive and shear strengths increased by up to 26% and 67%. Finally, a design formula for the shear strength of strengthened masonry prisms is compared with the experimental results, and it is observed that the design formula gives slightly higher results.
Effective Privacy-Preserving Collection of Health Data from a User’s Wearable Device
Authors: Kim Jong Wook , Moon Su-Mee , Kang Sang-ug , Jang Beakcheol
Published: September 2020

The popularity of wearable devices equipped with a variety of sensors that can measure users’ health status and monitor their lifestyle has been increasing. In fact, healthcare service providers have been utilizing these devices as a primary means to collect considerable health data from users. Although the health data collected via wearable devices are useful for providing healthcare services, the indiscriminate collection of an individual’s health data raises serious privacy concerns. This is because the health data measured and monitored by wearable devices contain sensitive information related to the wearer’s personal health and lifestyle. Therefore, we propose a method to aggregate health data obtained from users’ wearable devices in a privacy-preserving manner. The proposed method leverages local differential privacy, which is a de facto standard for privacy-preserving data processing and aggregation, to collect sensitive health data. In particular, to mitigate the error incurred by the perturbation mechanism of location differential privacy, the proposed scheme first samples a small number of salient data that best represents the original health data, after which the scheme collects the sampled salient data instead of the entire set of health data. Our experimental results show that the proposed sampling-based collection scheme achieves significant improvement in the estimated accuracy when compared with straightforward solutions. Furthermore, the experimental results verify that an effective tradeoff between the level of privacy protection and the accuracy of aggregate statistics can be achieved with the proposed approach.
Investigating Effects of Landfill Soil Gases on Landfill Elevated Subsurface Temperature
Authors: Sabrin Samain , Nazari Rouzbeh , Fahad Md Golam Rabbani , Karimi Maryam , Everett Jess W. , Peters Robert W.
Published: September 2020

Subsurface temperature is a critical indicator for the identification of the risk associated with subsurface fire hazards in landfills. Most operational landfills in the United States (US) have experienced exothermic reactions in their subsurface. The subsurface landfill area is composed of various gases generated from chemical reactions inside the landfills. Federal laws in the US mandate the monitoring of gases in landfills to prevent hazardous events such as landfill fire breakouts. There are insufficient investigations conducted to identify the causes of landfill fire hazards. The objective of this research is to develop a methodological approach to this issue. In this study, the relationship was investigated between the subsurface elevated temperature (SET) and soil gases (i.e., methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, and oxygen) with the greatest influence in landfills. The significance level of the effect of soil gases on the SET was assessed using a decision tree approach. A naïve Bayes technique for conditional probability was implemented to investigate how different gas combinations can affect different temperature ranges with respect to the safe and unsafe states of these gases. The results indicate that methane and carbon dioxide gases are strongly associated with SETs. Among sixteen possible gas combinations, three were identified as the most probable predictors of SETs. A three-step risk assessment framework is proposed to identify the risk of landfill fire incidents. The key findings of this research could be beneficial to landfill authorities and better ensure the safety of the community health and environment.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Observations of the Vertical Distribution of Particulate Matter in the Surface Layer of the Taklimakan Desert in China
Authors: Jin Lili , He Qing , Jiang Hong , Xiao Junan , Zhao Quanwei , Zhou Sasa , Li Zhenjie , Zhao Jiawei
Published: September 2020

Field observations made with unmanned aerial vehicles of the particulate matter (PM) concentration from the ground to a height of 500 m were conducted at Xiaotang and Tazhong in the Taklimakan Desert (TD), China, from 7 to 15 November 2019. The vertical structures of the PM concentrations were studied. Pulsed lidar observations showed that dust aerosols in the TD can reach heights of 4 km. Within 500 m above the ground, the PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10 concentrations were <100, <201, and <764 µg∙m−3, respectively, in the TD. On days containing sand-blowing periods (e.g., at 18:00 on 11 November), the PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10 concentrations were 10–17.7 times higher than on clear days. The northern margin of the TD (Xiaotang) was dominated by fine particles, while the hinterland (Tazhong) was dominated by coarse particles, because there was sparse vegetation around Xiaotang and the surface was sand and clay, while there was no vegetation around Tazhong and the surface was sand. During floating dust periods, the boundary layer was dominated by fine particles. The average PM1.0/PM2.5 ratios were 0.25–0.65 and 0.40–0.80 at Tazhong and Xiaotang, respectively, while, during sand blowing periods, these ratios were 0.40–0.55 and 0.40–0.45, respectively. The critical condition in the atmospheric boundary layer for PM concentration was revealed with the enhanced momentum flux and sensible heat flux up to 0.52 kg∙m−1∙s−2, 0.69 m∙s−1, and 6.7 W∙m2, respectively, and the low mixed layer was high in the lower atmosphere.
Better Agronomic Management Increases Climate Resilience of Maize to Drought in Tanzania
Authors: Xiong Wei , Tarnavsky Elena
Published: September 2020

Improved access to better seeds and other inputs, as well as to market and financing, provides greater harvest security for smallholder farmers in Africa, boosting their incomes and increasing food security. Since 2015, a variety of agronomic measures have been introduced and adopted by smallholder farmers under a program led by the United Nations’ World Food Program (WFP) called the Patient Procurement Platform (PPP). Here, we integrate a variety of agronomic measures proposed by the PPP to more than 20,000 smallholder farmers in Tanzania into 18 management strategies. We apply these across the country through grid-based crop model (DSSAT) simulations in order to quantify their benefits and risk to regional food security and smallholder farmers’ livelihoods. The simulation demonstrates current maize yields are far below potential yields in the country. Simulated yields across the nation were slightly higher than the mean of reported values from 1984 to 2014. Periodic droughts delayed farmers’ sowing and reduced maize yield, leading to high risk and low sustainability of maize production in most of the maize areas of the country. Better agronomic management strategies, particularly the combination of long-maturity, drought tolerance cultivars, with high fertilizer input, can potentially increase national maize production by up to five times, promoting Tanzania as a regional breadbasket. Our study provides detailed spatial and temporal information of the yield responses and their spatial variations, facilitating the adoption of various management options for stakeholders.
Nephroprotective Effect of Pleurotus ostreatus and Agaricus bisporus Extracts and Carvedilol on Ethylene Glycol-Induced Urolithiasis: Roles of NF-κB, p53, Bcl-2, Bax and Bak
Authors: Ahmed Osama M. , Ebaid Hossam , El-Nahass El-Shaymaa , Ragab Mahmoud , Alhazza Ibrahim M.
Published: September 2020

This study was designed to assess the nephroprotective effects of Pleurotus ostreatus and Agaricus bisporus aqueous extracts and carvedilol on hyperoxaluria-induced urolithiasis and to scrutinize the possible roles of NF-κB, p53, Bcl-2, Bax and Bak. Phytochemical screening and GC-MS analysis of mushrooms’ aqueous extracts were also performed and revealed the presence of multiple antioxidant and anti-inflammatory components. Hyperoxaluria was induced in Wistar rats through the addition of 0.75% (v/v) ethylene glycol in drinking water for nine weeks. The ethylene glycol-administered rats were orally treated with Pleurotus ostreatus and Agaricus bisporus aqueous extracts (100 mg/kg) and carvedilol (30 mg/kg) daily during the last seven weeks. The study showed that Pleurotus ostreatus, Agaricus bisporus and carvedilol all successfully inhibited ethylene glycol-induced histological perturbations and the elevation of serum creatinine, serum urea, serum and urinary uric acid, serum, urinary and kidney oxalate, urine specific gravity, kidney calcium, kidney NF-κB, NF-κB p65, NF-κB p50, p53, Bax and Bak expressions as well as serum TNF-α and IL-1β levels. Moreover, the treatment decreased the reduction in urinary creatinine, urinary urea, ratios of urinary creatinine to serum creatinine and urinary urea to serum urea, Fex Urea and Bcl-2 expression in kidney. In conclusion, although Pleurotus ostreatus and Agaricus bisporus extracts and carvedilol all significantly inhibited the progression of nephrolithiasis and showed nephroprotective effects against ethylene glycol-induced kidney dysfunction, Pleurotus ostreatus and Agaricus bisporus seemed to be more effective than carvedilol. Moreover, the nephroprotective effects may be mediated via affecting NF-κB activation, extrinsic apoptosis and intrinsic apoptosis pathways.
Screen-Printed Sensor for Low-Cost Chloride Analysis in Sweat for Rapid Diagnosis and Monitoring of Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Hauke Alicia , Oertel Susanne , Knoke Leona , Fein Vanessa , Maier Christoph , Brinkmann Folke , Jank Michael P. M.
Published: September 2020

Analysis of sweat chloride levels in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients is essential not only for diagnosis but also for the monitoring of therapeutic responses to new drugs, such as cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators and potentiators. Using iontophoresis as the gold standard can cause complications like burns, is uncomfortable, and requires repetitive hospital visits, which can be particularly problematic during a pandemic, where distancing and hygiene requirements are increased; therefore, it is necessary to develop fast and simple measures for the diagnosis and monitoring of CF. A screen-printed, low-cost chloride sensor was developed to remotely monitor CF patients. Using potentiometric measurements, the performance of the sensor was tested. It showed good sensitivity and a detection limit of 2.7 × 10−5 mol/L, which covered more than the complete concentration range of interest for CF diagnosis. Due to its fast response of 30 s, it competes well with standard sensor systems. It also offers significantly reduced costs and can be used as a portable device. The analysis of real sweat samples from healthy subjects, as well as CF patients, demonstrates a proper distinction using the screen-printed sensor. This approach presents an attractive remote measurement alternative for fast, simple, and low-cost CF diagnosis and monitoring
Robust Single-Trial EEG-Based Authentication Achieved with a 2-Stage Classifier
Authors: Barayeu Uladzislau , Horlava Nastassya , Libert Arno , Van Hulle Marc
Published: September 2020

The risk of personal data exposure through unauthorized access has never been as imminent as today. To counter this, biometric authentication has been proposed: the use of distinctive physiological and behavioral characteristics as a form of identification and access control. One of the recent developments is electroencephalography (EEG)-based authentication. It builds on the subject-specific nature of brain responses which are difficult to recreate artificially. We propose an authentication system based on EEG signals recorded in response to a simple motor paradigm. Authentication is achieved with a novel two-stage decoder. In the first stage, EEG signal features are extracted using an inception- and a VGG-like deep learning neural network (NN) both of which we compare with principal component analysis (PCA). In the second stage, a support vector machine (SVM) is used for binary classification to authenticate the subject based on the extracted features. All decoders are trained on EEG motor-movement data recorded from 105 subjects. We achieved with the VGG-like NN-SVM decoder a false-acceptance rate (FAR) of 2.55% with an overall accuracy of 88.29%, a FAR of 3.33% with an accuracy of 87.47%, and a FAR of 2.89% with an accuracy of 90.68% for 8, 16, and 64 channels, respectively. With the Inception-like NN-SVM decoder we achieved a false-acceptance rate (FAR) of 4.08% with an overall accuracy of 87.29%, a FAR of 3.53% with an accuracy of 85.31%, and a FAR of 1.27% with an accuracy of 93.40% for 8, 16, and 64 channels, respectively. The PCA-SVM decoder achieved accuracies of 92.09%, 92.36%, and 95.64% with FARs of 2.19%, 2.17%, and 1.26% for 8, 16, and 64 channels, respectively.
Screen-Printed Glucose Sensors Modified with Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNCs) for Cell Culture Monitoring
Authors: Tang Ye , Petropoulos Konstantinos , Kurth Felix , Gao Hui , Migliorelli Davide , Guenat Olivier , Generelli Silvia
Published: September 2020

Glucose sensors are potentially useful tools for monitoring the glucose concentration in cell culture medium. Here, we present a new, low-cost, and reproducible sensor based on a cellulose-based material, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) oxidized-cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). This novel biocompatible and inert nanomaterial is employed as a polymeric matrix to immobilize and stabilize glucose oxidase in the fabrication of a reproducible, operationally stable, highly selective, cost-effective, screen-printed glucose sensor. The sensors have a linear range of 0.1–2 mM (R2 = 0.999) and a sensitivity of 5.7 ± 0.3 µA cm−2∙mM−1. The limit of detection is 0.004 mM, and the limit of quantification is 0.015 mM. The sensor maintains 92.3 % of the initial current response after 30 consecutive measurements in a 1 mM standard glucose solution, and has a shelf life of 1 month while maintaining high selectivity. We demonstrate the practical application of the sensor by monitoring the glucose consumption of a fibroblast cell culture over the course of several days.