bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of Fluorescence Polarization Immunoassay for Imidacloprid in Environmental and Agricultural Samples
Authors: Zhou Liangliang , Yang Jiachuan , Tao Zhexuan , Eremin Sergei A. , Hua Xiude , Wang Minghua
Published: December 2020

A fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) for the determination of imidacloprid (IMI) was developed with advantages of simple operation and short assay time. The haptens of IMI, acetamiprid (ACE), and thiamethoxam (THI) were conjugated with fluorescein isothiocyanate ethylenediamine (EDF) and 4′-Aminomethyl fluorescein (AMF), respectively, to prepare six fluorescence tracers. The conjugation of IMI hapten and EDF (IMI-EDF) was selected to develop the FPIA due to the largest fluorescent polarization value increase in the presence of anti-IMI monoclonal antibody. Under the optimum condition, the limit of detection, 50% inhibition concentration and detection range of the FPIA were 1.7, 4.8, and 1.7–16.3 μg/L, respectively. The cross-reactivities (CRs) with the analogs of IMI were negligible except for imidaclothiz with CR of 79.13%. The average recovery of spiked paddy water, corn and cucumber samples were 82.4–118.5% with the RSDs of 7.0–15.9%, which indicated the FPIA had good accuracy. Thus, the developed FPIA was a potential tool for the rapid and accurate determination of IMI in agricultural and environmental samples.
Human Papillomavirus Infection in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas: Transcriptional Triggers and Changed Disease Patterns
Authors: Aggarwal Nikita , Yadav Joni , Thakur Kulbhushan , Bibban Rakhi , Chhokar Arun , Tripathi Tanya , Bhat Anjali , Singh Tejveer , Jadli Mohit , Singh Ujala , Kashyap Manoj K. , Bharti Alok C.
Published: December 2020

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a heterogeneous group of cancers. Collectively, HNSCC ranks sixth in incidence rate worldwide. Apart from classical risk factors like tobacco and alcohol, infection of human papillomavirus (HPV) is emerging as a discrete risk factor for HNSCC. HPV-positive HNSCC represent a distinct group of diseases that differ in their clinical presentation. These lesions are well-differentiated, occur at an early age, and have better prognosis. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated a specific increase in the proportions of the HPV-positive HNSCC. HPV-positive and HPV-negative HNSCC lesions display different disease progression and clinical response. For tumorigenic-transformation, HPV essentially requires a permissive cellular environment and host cell factors for induction of viral transcription. As the spectrum of host factors is independent of HPV infection at the time of viral entry, presumably entry of HPV only selects host cells that are permissive to establishment of HPV infection. Growing evidence suggest that HPV plays a more active role in a subset of HNSCC, where they are transcriptionally-active. A variety of factors provide a favorable environment for HPV to become transcriptionally-active. The most notable are the set of transcription factors that have direct binding sites on the viral genome. As HPV does not have its own transcription machinery, it is fully dependent on host transcription factors to complete the life cycle. Here, we review and evaluate the current evidence on level of a subset of host transcription factors that influence viral genome, directly or indirectly, in HNSCC. Since many of these transcription factors can independently promote carcinogenesis, the composition of HPV permissive transcription factors in a tumor can serve as a surrogate marker of a separate molecularly-distinct class of HNSCC lesions including those cases, where HPV could not get a chance to infect but may manifest better prognosis.
Epidemiology and Genetic Variabilities of Human Adenovirus Type 55 Reveal Relative Genome Stability Across Time and Geographic Space in China
Authors: Chen Shi-ying , Liu Wenkuan , Xu Yun , Qiu Shuyan , Chen Yong , Tian Xingui , Zhou Rong
Published: December 2020

After the first outbreak in China in 2006, human adenovirus type 55 (HAdV-B55) has become a common pathogen causing life threatening pneumonia in northern China. However, HAdV-B55 infection has been rarely reported in southern China. Here, we collected throat swabs from 3,192 hospitalized children with acute respiratory disease (ARD) from May 2017 to April 2019 in Guangzhou, southern China, tested them for HAdV-B55 infection. Only one of 1,399 patients from May 2017 to April 2018 was HAdV-B55 positive; HAdV-B55 infections significantly increased with 10 of 1,792 patients testing positive since May 2018. HAdV-B55-267, isolated from a case of death, was sequenced for whole genomic analysis. Three other strains, HAdV-B55-Y16, -TY12, and -TY26, isolated earlier in patients from Shanxi, northern China, were also sequenced and analyzed. The four HAdV-B55 strains formed similar plaques, grew to similar titers, and resulted in similar typical cell pathogenic effects. HAdV-B55-267 formed a subclade with the prototype strain QS-DLL; strains HAdV-B55-Y16, -TY12, and -TY26 were closely related to strain QZ01. HAdV-B55 could be divided into two subtypes (HAdV-B55-a and -b) according to the presence or absence of the insertion of “CCATATCCGTGTT”; all strains isolated from China except for strain BJ01 belong to subtype b. HAdV-B55-267 had only one non-synonymous substitution comparing with strain QS-DLL, and all HAdV-B55 strains had highly conserved capsid proteins and few non-synonymous substitutions. This study suggests that HAdV-B55 is an important pathogen associated with ARD in Guangzhou since 2018, exhibiting the relative genome stability across time and geographic space in China.
Hypoxia-Associated Prognostic Markers and Competing Endogenous RNA Co-Expression Networks in Breast Cancer
Authors: Gong Peng-Ju , Shao You-Cheng , Huang Si-Rui , Zeng Yi-Fan , Yuan Xiao-Ning , Xu Jing-Jing , Yin Wei-Nan , Wei Lei , Zhang Jing-Wei
Published: December 2020

Objective

Many primary tumors have insufficient supply of molecular oxygen, called hypoxia. Hypoxia is one of the leading characteristics of solid tumors resulting in a higher risk of local failure and distant metastasis. It is quite necessary to investigate the hypoxia associated molecular hallmarks in breast cancer.

Materials and Methods

According to the published studies, we selected 13 hypoxia related gene expression signature to define the hypoxia status of breast cancer using ConsensusClusterPlus package based on the data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Subsequently, we characterized the infiltration of 24 immune cell types under different hypoxic conditions. Furthermore, the differentially expressed hypoxia associated microRNAs, mRNAs and related signaling pathways were analyzed and depicted. On this basis, a series of prognostic markers related to hypoxia were identified and ceRNA co-expression networks were constructed.

Results

Two subgroups (cluster1 and cluster2) were identified and the 13 hypoxia related gene signature were all up-regulated in cluster1. Thus, we defined the cluster1 as “hypoxic subgroup” compared with cluster2. The infiltration of CD8+ T cell and CD4+ T cell were lower in cluster1 while the nTreg cell and iTreg cell were higher, indicating that there was immunosuppressive status in cluster1. We observed widespread hypoxia-associated dysregulation of microRNAs and mRNAs. Next, a risk signature for predicting prognosis of breast cancer patients was established based on 12 dysregulated hypoxia associated prognostic genes. Two microRNAs, hsa-miR-210-3p and hsa-miR-190b, with the most significant absolute logFC value were related to unfavorable and better prognosis, respectively. Several long non-coding RNAs were predicted to be microRNA targets and positively correlated with two selected mRNAs, CPEB2 and BCL11A. Predictions based on the LINC00899/PSMG3-AS1/PAXIP1-AS1- hsa-miR-210-3p-CPEB2 and SNHG16- hsa-miR-190b-BCL11A ceRNA regulation networks indicated that the two genes might act as tumor suppressor and oncogene, respectively.

Conclusion

Hypoxia plays an important role in the initiation and progression of breast cancer. Our research provides potential mechanisms into molecular-level understanding of tumor hypoxia.
A Study of Nitrogen Deficiency Inversion in Rice Leaves Based on the Hyperspectral Reflectance Differential
Authors: Yu Fenghua , Feng Shuai , Du Wen , Wang Dingkang , Guo Zhonghui , Xing Simin , Jin Zhongyu , Cao Yingli , Xu Tongyu
Published: December 2020

To achieve rapid, accurate, and non-destructive diagnoses of nitrogen deficiency in cold land japonica rice, hyperspectral data were collected from field experiments to investigate the relationship between the nitrogen (N) content and the difference in the spectral reflectance relationship and to establish the hyperspectral reflectance difference inversion model of differences in the N content of rice. In this study, the hyperspectral reflectance difference was used to invert the nitrogen deficiency of rice and provide a method for the implementation of precision fertilization without reducing the yield of chemical fertilizer. For the purpose of constructing the standard N content and standard spectral reflectance the principle of minimum fertilizer application at maximum yield was used as a reference standard, and the acquired rice leaf nitrogen content and leaf spectral reflectance were differenced from the standard N content and standard spectral reflectance to obtain N content. The difference and spectral reflectance differential were then subjected to discrete wavelet multiscale decomposition, successive projections algorithm, principal component analysis, and iteratively retaining informative variables (IRIVs); the results were treated as partial least squares (PLSR), extreme learning machine (ELM), and genetic algorithm-extreme learning machine (GA-ELM). The results of hyperspectral dimensionality reduction were used as input to establish the inverse model of N content differential in japonica rice. The results showed that the GA-ELM inversion model established by discrete wavelet multi-scale decomposition obtained the optimal results in data set modeling and training. Both the R2of the training data set and the validation data set were above 0.68, and the root mean square errors (RMSEs) were <0.6 mg/g and were more predictive, stable, and generalizable than the PLSR and ELM predictive models.
We Really Need Clear Guidelines and Recommendations for Safer and Proper Use of Aripiprazole and Risperidone in a Pediatric Population: Real-World Analysis of EudraVigilance Database
Authors: Rafaniello Concetta , Sullo Maria Giuseppa , Carnovale Carla , Pozzi Marco , Stelitano Barbara , Radice Sonia , Bernardini Renato , Rossi Francesco , Clementi Emilio , Capuano Annalisa
Published: December 2020

Background: Although aripiprazole and risperidone are used widespread in pediatrics, there are still limited pieces of evidence on their actual safety profile. By using the EudraVigilance database, we carried out an analysis to perform a comprehensive overview of reported adverse events among children and adolescents treated with aripiprazole and risperidone.

Methods: Descriptive analysis was performed of all individual case safety reports (ISCRs) submitted to EudraVigilance associated with aripiprazole and risperidone and related to the pediatric population from 2016 to 2018.

Results: A total of 855 and 2,242 ISCRs for aripiprazole and risperidone, respectively, were recorded for a total of 11,042 suspected adverse drug reactions (2,993 for aripiprazole and 8,049 for risperidone). Most ISCRs were related to male patients (65.0 and 86.3% for aripiprazole and risperidone, respectively) and were serious (81.0 and 94.1% for aripiprazole and risperidone, respectively). Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders, such as disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders, and autism spectrum disorder were the top three clinical indications for aripiprazole (19.0, 16.1, and 11.6%, respectively). For risperidone, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (25.4%), disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders (17.1%), and bipolar and related disorders (14.2%) were more commonly reported as clinical indications. Data also showed a high proportion of use for clinical conditions not authorized in children. Psychiatric disorders were the main related adverse events for aripiprazole (20.2%), and among these, suicidal behavior was one of the most reported (14.9%). Reproductive system and breast disorders were the main related adverse events for risperidone (19.8%), and gynecomastia was the most reported event; metabolism and nutrition disorders, mainly reported as weight gain disorders, were more reported in children (3–11 years) than in adolescents (12–17 years).

Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that spontaneously reported adverse events associated with aripiprazole and risperidone reflect what is already known in terms of safety profile, although with about 90% of them being serious. This analysis stresses the need for further studies and effective training and information activities to better define the actual benefit/risk ratio of these drugs in pediatric patients.
Impact of the Inflow Population From Outbreak Areas on the COVID-19 Epidemic in Yunnan Province and the Recommended Control Measures: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Sun Zhong , He Guozhong , Huang Ninghao , Chen Hongyu , Zhang Shuwei , Zhao Zizhao , Zhao Yao , Yang Guang , Yang Songwang , Xiong Haiyan , Karuppiah Thilakavathy , Kumar S. Suresh , He Jibo , Xiong Chenglong
Published: December 2020

Background:COVID-19 developed into a global pandemic in 2020 and poses challenges regarding the prevention and control capabilities of countries. A large number of inbound travelers from other regions could lead to a renewed outbreak of COVID-19 in the local regions. Globally, as a result of the imbalance in the control of the epidemic, all countries are facing the risk of a renewed COVID-19 outbreak brought about by travelers from epidemic areas. Therefore, studies on a proper management of the inbound travelers are urgent.

Methods:We collected a total of 4,733,414 inbound travelers and 174 COVID-19 diagnosed patients in Yunnan province from 21 January 2020 to 20 February 2020. Data on place of origin, travel history, age, and gender, as well as whether they had suspected clinical manifestations for inbound travelers in Yunnan were collected. The impact of inbound travelers on the local epidemic was analyzed with a collinear statistical analysis and the effect of the control measures on the epidemic was evaluated with a sophisticated modeling approach.

Results:Of the 174 COVID-19 patients, 60.9% were not from Yunnan, and 76.4% had a history of travel in Hubei. The amount of new daily cases in Yunnan was significant correlated with the number of inbound travelers from Hubei and suspected cases among them. Using Susceptible–Exposed–Infectious–Recovered (SEIR) model analysis, we found that the prevention and control measures dropped the local R0 down to 1.07 in Yunnan province.

Conclusions:Our preliminary analysis showed that the proper management of inbound travelers from outbreak areas has a significantly positive effect on the prevention and control of the virus. In the process of resettlement, some effective measures taken by Yunnan province may provide an important reference for preventing the renewed COVID-19 outbreak in other regions.
Body and Boat: Significance of Morphology on Elite Rowing Performance
Authors: De Larochelambert Quentin , Del Vecchio Scott , Leroy Arthur , Duncombe Stephanie , Toussaint Jean-Francois , Sedeaud Adrien
Published: December 2020

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine and weigh the anthropometric indicators that were associated with pacing performances for each Olympic rowing category.

Methods: Between 2010 and 2015, 1,148 rowers (650 men and 498 women) participated in the finals of World Championships in each heavyweight Olympic event. They were categorized into four morphological clusters according to their height and body mass index (BMI): tall and thin (TT), tall and robust (TR), small and thin (ST), and small and robust (SR). Time and speed, were collected every 50 m for all boats in each competition. Non-parametric inferential methods were used to understand the differences in performance between morphological clusters over the entire race. After, we calculated a new indicator to determine the differences between these morphotypes within the race.

Results: In this article, we determined which morphologies had a significant effect on speed for both men and women. For example, the biggest rowers were the fastest in skiff. Analysis of each 50 m demonstrated that between the four morphological categories that the TR male athletes were significantly faster than their ST counterparts between the 800 and 2,000 m of the race by 1.76% of mean speed. Furthermore, the SR were the fastest in female coxless pairs over the majority of the race. These differences in speed by morphological cluster are summarized, by race segment, for all categories and sex.

Conclusion: Anthropometric factors impact pacing among rowers' categories. Coupling anthropometry and race pacing is not only helpful to understand which factors work where, but is also helpful in improving training and performance. This can help both in the recruiting of rowers for specific boats and adapting the race strategy. In future, the method used can be adapted for factors other than anthropometry. It can also be individualized to enable athletes to prepare for their race according to future competitors.
Amino Acids in Entomopathogenic Fungi Cultured In Vitro
Authors: Szajdak Lech Wojciech , Bałazy Stanisław , Meysner Teresa
Published: December 2020

The content of bounded amino acids in six entomopathogenic fungi was identified and determined. Analyzing the elements characterizing the pathogenicity of individual species of fungi based on infectivity criteria, ranges of infected hosts, and the ability to induce epizootics, these can be ranked in the following order: Isaria farinosa, Isaria tenuipes, Isaria fumosorose, Lecanicillium lecanii, Conidiobolus coronatus, Isaria coleopterorum. These fungi represent two types of Hyphomycetales-Paecilomyces Bainier and Verticillium Nees ex Fr. and one type of Entomophtorales-Conidiobolus Brefeld. Our study indicates that there are significant quantitative and qualitative differences of bounded amino acids in the entomopathogenic fungal strains contained in the mycelium between high and low pathogenicity strains. The richest composition of bounded amino acids has been shown in the mycelium of the Isaria farinosa strain, which is one of the most commonly presented pathogenic fungi in this group with a very wide range of infected hosts and is the most frequently recorded in nature as an important factor limiting the population of insects.
Ecosystem Functions of Microbial Consortia in Sustainable Agriculture
Authors: Aguilar-Paredes Ana , Valdés Gabriela , Nuti Marco
Published: December 2020

Knowledge of the agricultural soil microbiota, of the microbial consortia that comprise it, and the promotion of agricultural practices that maintain and encourage them, is a promising way to improve soil quality for sustainable agriculture and to provide food security. Although numerous studies have demonstrated the positive effects of beneficial soil microorganisms on crop yields and quality, the use of microbial consortia in agriculture remains low. Microbial consortia have more properties than an individual microbial inoculum, due to the synergy of the microorganisms that populate them. This review describes the main characteristics, ecosystem functions, crop benefits, and biotechnological applications of microbial consortia composed of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), and Actinobacteria, to promote the restoration of agricultural soils and, consequently, the quality and health of agricultural crops. The aim is to provide knowledge that will contribute to the development of sustainable and sufficiently productive agriculture, which will adapt in a good way to the pace of the growing human population and to climate change.
Evaluation of Different Crop Models for Simulating Rice Development and Yield in the U.S. Mississippi Delta
Authors: Li Sanai , Fleisher David , Timlin Dennis , Reddy Vangimalla R. , Wang Zhuangji , McClung Anna
Published: December 2020

The United States is one of the top rice exporters in the world, but warming temperatures and other climate trends may affect grain yield and quality. The use of crop models as decision support tools for a climate impact assessment would be beneficial, but suitability of models for representative growing conditions need to be verified. Therefore, the ability of CERES-Rice and ORYZA crop models to predict rice yield and growing season duration in the Mississippi Delta region was assessed for two widely-grown varieties using a 34-year database. CERES-Rice simulated growth duration more accurately than ORYZA as a result of the latter model’s use of lower cardinal temperatures. An increase in base and optimal temperatures improved ORYZA accuracy and reduced systematic error (e.g., correlation coefficient increased by 0.03–0.27 and root mean square error decreased by 0.3–1.9 days). Both models subsequently showed acceptable skill in reproducing the growing season duration and had similar performance for predicting rice yield for most locations and years. CERES-Rice predictions were more sensitive to years with lower solar radiation, but neither model accurately mimicked negative impacts of very warm or cold temperatures. Both models were shown to reproduce 50% percentile yield trends of more than 100 varieties in the region for the 34-year period when calibrated with two representative cultivars. These results suggest that both models are suitable for exploring the general response of multiple rice cultivars in the Mississippi Delta region for decision support studies involving the current climate. The response of rice growth and development to cold injury and high temperature stress, and variation in cultivar sensitivity, should be further developed and tested for improved decision making tools.
The Promising Role of Antioxidant Phytochemicals in the Prevention and Treatment of Periodontal Disease via the Inhibition of Oxidative Stress Pathways: Updated Insights
Authors: Vo Thi Thuy Tien , Chu Pei-Ming , Tuan Vo Phuoc , Te Joyce Si-Liang , Lee I-Ta
Published: December 2020

There is growing evidence on the involvement of oxidative stress, which is simply described as the imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants in favor of the former, in the development of periodontal disease that is the most common inflammatory disease in the oral cavity. Thus, the potential of antioxidant phytochemicals as adjunctively preventive and therapeutic agents against the initiation and progression of periodontal disease is a topic of great interest. The current review firstly aims to provide updated insights about the immuno-inflammatory pathway regulated by oxidative stress in periodontal pathology. Then, this work further presents the systemic knowledge of antioxidant phytochemicals, particularly the pharmacological activities, which can be utilized in the prevention and treatment of periodontal disease. Additionally, the challenges and future prospects regarding such a scope are figured out.
Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein Associates with Ventricular Stress in Young Adults and Triggers Intracellular Ca2+ Alterations in Adult Ventricular Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Rodríguez-Sánchez Elena , Navarro-García José Alberto , González-Lafuente Laura , Aceves-Ripoll Jennifer , Vázquez-Sánchez Sara , Poveda Jonay , Mercado-García Elisa , Corbacho-Alonso Nerea , Calvo-Bonacho Eva , Fernández-Velasco María , Álvarez-Llamas Gloria , Barderas María G. , Ruilope Luis M. , Ruiz-Hurtado Gema
Published: December 2020

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) is associated with cardiac damage and causes injury to multiple cell types. We aimed to investigate the role of oxLDL in ventricular stress. We first examined the association between circulating oxLDL and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), a marker of myocardial stress, in young subjects (30–50 years) with or without stable coronary artery disease (SCAD). oxLDL and NT-proBNP were significantly higher in subjects at high cardiovascular risk (CVR) than in subjects at low CVR and were associated independently of traditional CVR factors and C-reactive protein. Furthermore, the levels of oxLDL and NT-proBNP were significantly lower in subjects with SCAD than in peers at high CVR. To determine the intracellular mechanisms involved in the cardiac effects of oxLDL, we analyzed the in vitro effect of oxLDL on intracellular Ca2+ handling in adult rat ventricular cardiomyocytes using confocal microscopy. Acute challenge of adult ventricular cardiomyocytes to oxLDL reduced systolic Ca2+ transients and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ load. Moreover, diastolic spontaneous Ca2+ leak increased significantly after acute exposure to oxLDL. Thus, we demonstrate that oxLDL associates with NT-proBNP in young subjects, and can directly induce Ca2+ mishandling in adult ventricular cardiomyoyctes, predisposing cardiomyocytes to cardiac dysfunction and arrhythmogenicity.
Heme Oxygenase-1 in Gastrointestinal Tract Health and Disease
Authors: Puentes-Pardo Jose D. , Moreno-SanJuan Sara , Carazo Ángel , León Josefa
Published: December 2020

Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) is the rate-limiting enzyme of heme oxidative degradation, generating carbon monoxide (CO), free iron, and biliverdin. HO-1, a stress inducible enzyme, is considered as an anti-oxidative and cytoprotective agent. As many studies suggest, HO-1 is highly expressed in the gastrointestinal tract where it is involved in the response to inflammatory processes, which may lead to several diseases such as pancreatitis, diabetes, fatty liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancer. In this review, we highlight the pivotal role of HO-1 and its downstream effectors in the development of disorders and their beneficial effects on the maintenance of the gastrointestinal tract health. We also examine clinical trials involving the therapeutic targets derived from HO-1 system for the most common diseases of the digestive system.
Assessment of Antioxidant Contents and Free Radical-Scavenging Capacity of Chlorella vulgaris Cultivated in Low Cost Media
Authors: Mtaki Kulwa , Kyewalyanga Margareth S. , Mtolera Matern S. P.
Published: December 2020

The current study assessed antioxidants contents (total phenolics and total flavanoids, β-carotene and lycopene) present in Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) cultivated in low cost media and their free radical scavenging activities. Microalgae was cultured using Bold basal medium (BBM) as a control, 5% banana stem compost (BCM) and aquaculture wastewater supplemented with 1.0 g/L NPK (ANM). The free radical scavenging ability was analysed using 1,1-diphenyl -2-picrylhydrazyl assay. Cells grown on BCM resulted in higher (13.73 ± 0.121%) extraction yield than in other media. The phenolic (8.53 ± 0.10 mg/g GAE) and lycopene (0.29 ± 0.008 mg/g) content were highest in cells grown on BCM and BBM, respectively. Microalgae cultured in ANM displayed higher (547.023 ± 34.703 mg/g RE) flavanoid and β-carotene (2.887 ± 0.121 mg/g) content than in other media. Furthermore, cells cultivated in BCM showed highest (97.87 ± 0.088%) scavenging activity than in BBM. These results indicated that the BCM and ANM can be used as alternative to expensive synthetic media for antioxidant production in C. vulgaris.
A Deep Learning Approach for Automatic Hate Speech Detection in the Saudi Twittersphere
Authors: Alshalan Raghad , Al-Khalifa Hend
Published: December 2020

With the rise of hate speech phenomena in the Twittersphere, significant research efforts have been undertaken in order to provide automatic solutions for detecting hate speech, varying from simple machine learning models to more complex deep neural network models. Despite this, research works investigating hate speech problem in Arabic are still limited. This paper, therefore, aimed to investigate several neural network models based on convolutional neural network (CNN) and recurrent neural network (RNN) to detect hate speech in Arabic tweets. It also evaluated the recent language representation model bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT) on the task of Arabic hate speech detection. To conduct our experiments, we firstly built a new hate speech dataset that contained 9316 annotated tweets. Then, we conducted a set of experiments on two datasets to evaluate four models: CNN, gated recurrent units (GRU), CNN + GRU, and BERT. Our experimental results in our dataset and an out-domain dataset showed that the CNN model gave the best performance, with an F1-score of 0.79 and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.89.
Hybrid GA-SOCP Approach for Placement and Sizing of Distributed Generators in DC Networks
Authors: Montoya Oscar Danilo , Gil-González Walter , Grisales-Noreña Luis Fernando
Published: December 2020

This research addresses the problem of the optimal location and sizing distributed generators (DGs) in direct current (DC) distribution networks from the combinatorial optimization. It is proposed a master–slave optimization approach in order to solve the problems of placement and location of DGs, respectively. The master stage applies to the classical Chu & Beasley genetic algorithm (GA), while the slave stage resolves a second-order cone programming reformulation of the optimal power flow problem for DC grids. This master–slave approach generates a hybrid optimization approach, named GA-SOCP. The main advantage of optimal dimensioning of DGs via SOCP is that this method makes part of the exact mathematical optimization that guarantees the possibility of finding the global optimal solution due to the solution space’s convex structure, which is a clear improvement regarding classical metaheuristic optimization methodologies. Numerical comparisons with hybrid and exact optimization approaches reported in the literature demonstrate the proposed hybrid GA-SOCP approach’s effectiveness and robustness to achieve the global optimal solution. Two test feeders compose of 21 and 69 nodes that can locate three distributed generators are considered. All of the computational validations have been carried out in the MATLAB software and the CVX tool for convex optimization.
Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors and Anticoagulants Delay Surgery for Hip Fractures
Authors: Suciu Oana , Deleanu Bogdan , Haragus Horia , Hoinoiu Teodora , Tudoran Cristina , Todor Adrian , Ghiorghitoiu Andrei , Velimirovici Nevena , Onofrei Roxana Ramona
Published: December 2020

Background: we aimed to analyze the influence of antithrombotic medication in delaying surgery for fragility hip fractures; Method: a total of 312 consecutive hip fracture cases over 55 years who underwent surgery in our Orthopedic Clinic; Results: of these, 90 patients received chronic antithrombotic medication. There were no differences between the medicated group and controls (n = 222) regarding age, gender, type of fracture and haemoglobin at admittance. However, median time to surgery was significantly longer in the medicated group: 4(3–6) days compared to 2(1–4) (p < 0.0001). By type of medication, time to surgery was: 3(1–4) days for acetylsalicylic acid (n = 44), 6(5.25–7.75) days for clopidogrel (n = 15), 4.5(4–7) days for acenocoumarin (n = 18) and 5(4–7.25) days for novel direct oral anticoagulants (n = 13). The Charlson comorbidity index was significantly higher in the medicated group: 5 [4–5] versus 4 [3–5]. There were no differences in transfusions except for fresh frozen plasma, which was administered more in the medicated patients; Conclusions: the prevalence of platelet aggregation inhibitors and anticoagulant use among fragility hip fracture patients is high, with almost a third using some form of antithrombotic medication. This may significantly lengthen time to surgery.
A Smart Algorithm for Personalizing the Workstation in the Assembly Process
Authors: Turk Maja , Pipan Miha , Simic Marko , Herakovic Niko
Published: December 2020

Due to increasing competition in the global market and to meet the need for rapid changes in product variability, it is necessary to introduce self-configurable and smart solutions within the entire process chain, including manual assembly to ensure the more efficient and ergonomic performance of the manual assembly process. This paper presents a smart assembly system including newly developed smart manual assembly workstation controlled by a smart algorithm. The smart assembly workstation is self-configurable according to the anthropometry of the individual worker, the complexity of the assembly process, the product characteristics, and the product structure. The results obtained by a case study show that is possible to organize manual assembly process with rapid adaptation of the smart assembly system to new products and workers characteristics, to achieve ergonomic working conditions through Digital Human Modelling (DHM), to minimize assembly time, and to prevent error during the assembly process. The proposed system supports the manual assembly process redesign to ensure a better working environment and aims to have an important value for applying the smart algorithms to manual assembly workstations in human-centered manufacturing systems.
The Assisted Positioning Technology for High Speed Train Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Song Yali , Wen Yinghong
Published: December 2020

In the positioning process of a high-speed train, cumulative error may result in a reduction in the positioning accuracy. The assisted positioning technology based on kilometer posts can be used as an effective method to correct the cumulative error. However, the traditional detection method of kilometer posts is time-consuming and complex, which greatly affects the correction efficiency. Therefore, in this paper, a kilometer post detection model based on deep learning is proposed. Firstly, the Deep Convolutional Generative Adversarial Networks (DCGAN) algorithm is introduced to construct an effective kilometer post data set. This greatly reduces the cost of real data acquisition and provides a prerequisite for the construction of the detection model. Then, by using the existing optimization as a reference and further simplifying the design of the Single Shot multibox Detector (SSD) model according to the specific application scenario of this paper, the kilometer post detection model based on an improved SSD algorithm is established. Finally, from the analysis of the experimental results, we know that the detection model established in this paper ensures both detection accuracy and efficiency. The accuracy of our model reached 98.92%, while the detection time was only 35.43 ms. Thus, our model realizes the rapid and accurate detection of kilometer posts and improves the assisted positioning technology based on kilometer posts by optimizing the detection method.
A Novel Color-Based Segmentation Method for the Objective Measurement of Human Masticatory Performance
Authors: Aquilanti Luca , Scalise Lorenzo , Mascitti Marco , Santarelli Andrea , Napolitano Rachele , Verdenelli Lorenzo , Rappelli Giorgio
Published: December 2020

The aims of this study were to propose an automatic color-based segmentation method to separate mixed and unmixed colors of images that were derived from the application of the two-color chewing-gum mixing test and to determine the validity of this method in the assessment of masticatory performance (MP). Fifty young adults (mean age: 24.3 ± 2.7 years) were enrolled in the study. Each participant chewed a double-colored chewing gum for 5, 10, 20, 30, and 50 masticatory cycles. Boluses were collected and flattened. Both sides of each bolus were photographed, and images were processed using a novel k-means clustering method. The specimens corresponding to 20 masticatory cycles were re-analyzed by the same investigator in order to evaluate the intra-rater reliability and by a second investigator to assess the inter-rater reliability. To assess the test–retest reliability, 25% of the participants performed a second test with 20 chewing cycles. Each bolus was subjectively scored as either poorly, moderately, or highly mixed by an investigator to assess the construct validity. The percentage of mixed colors in the samples increased with an increase in the number of strokes. Significative differences were detected when varying from 5 to 10 strokes, from 10 to 20 strokes, and from 30 to 50 strokes (p < 0.05). The Pearson correlation coefficient explained these relations (r = 0.78, p < 0.05). The interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) showed a good correlation concerning both the intra- and inter-rater reliability (r = 0.85 and r = 0.77, respectively) and an excellent test–retest correlation (r = 0.93). The subjective assessment was coherent with the digital one. The proposed digital method was proved to be able to automatically quantify the percentage of the mixed color area by providing quantitative data with minimal human interaction.
A Parametric Study of Wind Pressure Distribution on Façades Using Computational Fluid Dynamics
Authors: McGuill Christopher , Keenahan Jennifer
Published: December 2020

This paper uses Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to determine wind pressures on façades for the purpose of efficient design of these elements. An outstand fin arrangement was modeled where local brackets are used to protrude the fins from the building. A parametric study, for both changes in the length of the bracket and the fin, was derived from CFD simulations with 1-in-50-year storm conditions adopted throughout. Further simulations are performed for revised wind directions that ensure all fins are equally exposed to oncoming winds. In total, 15 models are created to act as a representative sample of the total number of possible configurations. Peak values for pressure are used to calculate forces and moments on the fins. These wind loading results were then used to interpolate the values for the remaining façade geometries. From interpreting the trends that are apparent in the relationship of fin size and bracket length to efficient loading, a set of design criteria is established. The optimal façade design is defined, based on placing equal importance onto minimizing the force along the fin’s length and the moment acting at the fin-bracket connection. The performance of some façade elements is shown to worsen the effects of the wind, relative to other designs, with the potential for very negative consequences. Wind direction is shown to have a significant effect on loading, with the magnitude of wind pressures reduced considerably for the worst affected fin, if the sheltering effect is absent between the fins.
Multiple Kernel Stein Spatial Patterns for the Multiclass Discrimination of Motor Imagery Tasks
Authors: Galindo-Noreña Steven , Cárdenas-Peña David , Orozco-Gutierrez Álvaro
Published: December 2020

Brain–computer interface (BCI) systems communicate the human brain and computers by converting electrical activity into commands to use external devices. Such kind of system has become an alternative for interaction with the environment for people suffering from motor disabilities through the motor imagery (MI) paradigm. Despite being the most widespread, electroencephalography (EEG)-based MI systems are highly sensitive to noise and artifacts. Further, spatially close brain activity sources and variability among subjects hampers the system performance. This work proposes a methodology for the classification of EEG signals, termed Multiple Kernel Stein Spatial Patterns (MKSSP) dealing with noise, raveled brain activity, and subject variability issues. Firstly, a bank of bandpass filters decomposes brain activity into spectrally independent multichannel signals. Then, Multi-Kernel Stein Spatial Patterns (MKSSP) maps each signal into low-dimensional covariance matrices preserving the nonlinear channel relationships. The Stein kernel provides a parameterized similarity metric for covariance matrices that belong to a Riemannian manifold. Lastly, the multiple kernel learning assembles the similarities from each spectral decomposition into a single kernel matrix that feeds the classifier. Experimental evaluations in the well-known four-class MI dataset 2a BCI competition IV proves that the methodology significantly improves state-of-the-art approaches. Further, the proposal is interpretable in terms of data distribution, spectral relevance, and spatial patterns. Such interpretability demonstrates that MKSSP encodes features from different spectral bands into a single representation improving the discrimination of mental tasks.
A Self-Adaptive Shrinking Projection Method with an Inertial Technique for Split Common Null Point Problems in Banach Spaces
Authors: Okeke Chibueze Christian , Jolaoso Lateef Olakunle , Nwokoye Regina
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we present a new self-adaptive inertial projection method for solving split common null point problems in p-uniformly convex and uniformly smooth Banach spaces. The algorithm is designed such that its convergence does not require prior estimate of the norm of the bounded operator and a strong convergence result is proved for the sequence generated by our algorithm under mild conditions. Moreover, we give some applications of our result to split convex minimization and split equilibrium problems in real Banach spaces. This result improves and extends several other results in this direction in the literature.
The Therapeutic Effects of Dodecaborate Containing Boronophenylalanine for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy in a Rat Brain Tumor Model
Authors: Fukuo Yusuke , Hattori Yoshihide , Kawabata Shinji , Kashiwagi Hideki , Kanemitsu Takuya , Takeuchi Koji , Futamura Gen , Hiramatsu Ryo , Watanabe Tsubasa , Hu Naonori , Takata Takushi , Tanaka Hiroki , Suzuki Minoru , Miyatake Shin-Ichi , Kirihata Mitsunori , Wanibuchi Masahiko
Published: December 2020

Background: The development of effective boron compounds is a major area of research in the study of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). We created a novel boron compound, boronophenylalanine–amide alkyl dodecaborate (BADB), for application in BNCT and focused on elucidating how it affected a rat brain tumor model. Methods: The boron concentration of F98 rat glioma cells following exposure to boronophenylalanine (BPA) (which is currently being utilized clinically) and BADB was evaluated, and the biodistributions in F98 glioma-bearing rats were assessed. In neutron irradiation studies, the in vitro cytotoxicity of each boron compound and the in vivo corresponding therapeutic effect were evaluated in terms of survival time. Results: The survival fractions of the groups irradiated with BPA and BADB were not significantly different. BADB administered for 6 h after the termination of convection-enhanced delivery ensured the highest boron concentration in the tumor (45.8 μg B/g). The median survival time in the BADB in combination with BPA group showed a more significant prolongation of survival than that of the BPA group. Conclusion: BADB is a novel boron compound for BNCT that triggers a prolonged survival effect in patients receiving BNCT.
Acylpolyamine Mygalin as a TLR4 Antagonist Based on Molecular Docking and In Vitro Analyses
Authors: Espinoza-Culupú Abraham , Vázquez-Ramírez Ricardo , Farfán-López Mariella , Mendes Elizabeth , Notomi Sato Maria , da Silva Junior Pedro Ismael , Borges Monamaris Marques
Published: December 2020

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are transmembrane proteins that are key regulators of innate and adaptive immune responses, particularly TLR4, and they have been identified as potential drug targets for the treatment of disease. Several low-molecular-weight compounds are being considered as new drug targets for various applications, including as immune modulators. Mygalin, a 417 Da synthetic bis-acylpolyamine, is an analog of spermidine that has microbicidal activity. In this study, we investigated the effect of mygalin on the innate immune response based on a virtual screening (VS) and molecular docking analysis. Bone marrow-derived macrophages and the cell lines J774A.1 and RAW 264.7 stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were used to confirm the data obtained in silico. Virtual screening and molecular docking suggested that mygalin binds to TLR4 via the protein myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD-2) and LPS. Macrophages stimulated by mygalin plus LPS showed suppressed gene expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukine 6 (IL-6), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), as well as inhibition of signaling protein p65 of the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), resulting in decreased production of nitric oxide (NO) and TNF-α. These results indicate that mygalin has anti-inflammatory potential, being an attractive option to be explored. In addition, we reinforce the importance of virtual screening analysis to assist in the discovery of new drugs.
Long-Term Systemic Expression of a Novel PD-1 Blocking Nanobody from an AAV Vector Provides Antitumor Activity without Toxicity
Authors: Silva-Pilipich Noelia , Martisova Eva , Ballesteros-Briones María Cristina , Hervas-Stubbs Sandra , Casares Noelia , González-Sapienza Gualberto , Smerdou Cristian , Vanrell Lucia
Published: December 2020

Immune checkpoint blockade using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) able to block programmed death-1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 axis represents a promising treatment for cancer. However, it requires repetitive systemic administration of high mAbs doses, often leading to adverse effects. We generated a novel nanobody against PD-1 (Nb11) able to block PD-1/PD-L1 interaction for both mouse and human molecules. Nb11 was cloned into an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector downstream of four different promoters (CMV, CAG, EF1α, and SFFV) and its expression was analyzed in cells from rodent (BHK) and human origin (Huh-7). Nb11 was expressed at high levels in vitro reaching 2–20 micrograms/mL with all promoters, except SFFV, which showed lower levels. Nb11 in vivo expression was evaluated in C57BL/6 mice after intravenous administration of AAV8 vectors. Nb11 serum levels increased steadily along time, reaching 1–3 microgram/mL two months post-treatment with the vector having the CAG promoter (AAV-CAG-Nb11), without evidence of toxicity. To test the antitumor potential of this vector, mice that received AAV-CAG-Nb11, or saline as control, were challenged with colon adenocarcinoma cells (MC38). AAV-CAG-Nb11 treatment prevented tumor formation in 30% of mice, significantly increasing survival. These data suggest that continuous expression of immunomodulatory nanobodies from long-term expression vectors could have antitumor effects with low toxicity.