bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Laser Speckle Contrast Analysis: Functional Evaluation of Microvascular Damage in Connective Tissue Diseases. Is There Evidence of Correlations With Organ Involvement, Such as Pulmonary Damage?
Authors: Ruaro Barbara , Bruni Cosimo , Wade Barbara , Baratella Elisa , Confalonieri Paola , Antonaglia Caterina , Geri Pietro , Biolo Marco , Confalonieri Marco , Salton Francesco
Published: October 2021

Laser speckle contrast analysis (LASCA) is a non-contact technique able to quantify peripheral blood perfusion (PBP) over large skin areas. LASCA has been used to study hand PBP in several clinical conditions. These include systemic sclerosis (SSc) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and LASCA showed that PBP was significantly lower in these conditions than in healthy subjects (HS). Moreover, it has been demonstrated that LASCA is a safe technique also able to monitor digital ulcer perfusion and their evolution in SSc patients, during systemic and local treatment. The use of LASCA, coupled with reactivity tests is commonplace in the field of microvascular function research. Post-occlusive hyperemia reactivity (POHR) and local thermal hyperemia, associated with laser techniques are reliable tests in the evaluation of perfusion in SSc patients. Other studies used laser speckled techniques, together with acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside iontophoresis, as specific tests of endothelium function. In conclusion, LASCA is a safe, non-contact reliable instrument for the quantification of PBP at skin level and can also be associated with reactivity tests to monitor disease progression and response to treatment in different connective tissue diseases.
Responding to Positive Emotions at Work – The Four Steps and Potential Benefits of a Validating Response to Coworkers’ Positive Experiences
Authors: Paakkanen Miia A. , Martela Frank , Pessi Anne B.
Published: October 2021

In order to capitalize on positive emotions at work and build high-quality interpersonal relationships and psychological safety, it is important that coworkers respond to each other’s positive emotions in a constructive and validating way. However, despite the importance of symmetrical emotion regulation outcomes, organizational research has largely overlooked how an employee can positively respond to coworkers’ positive emotions. Existing research has concentrated almost exclusively on negative ways of responding, with a particular focus on envy. This article develops a theoretical model of employees’ positive responses to coworkers’ positive emotional experiences, introduced here as a validating response. We identify four steps – noticing, sensemaking, feeling, and acting – and the key mechanisms within each step that enable a responder to react in a validating way. We connect the validating response to important potential individual and organizational outcomes. These outcomes include improved relationship quality and trust, as well as increased positivity and well-being that can result in enhanced learning behavior and collaboration. This article also discusses the connection between a validating response and compassion. We identify them both as parallel affirmative processes that acknowledge a coworker’s emotions, with the former being a response to positive emotion while the latter is a response to negative emotion.
Professorial Advancement Initiative: A Cross-Institutional Collaboration to Increase Faculty Diversity in STEM
Authors: Yadav Aman , Smith Mark J. T. , Farber Charity Rae , Mason Linda J.
Published: October 2021

In this paper, we describe the model for faculty diversity developed as part of the Professorial Advancement Initiative (PAI) funded under the NSF AGEP program. The PAI, consisting of 12 of the 14 Big Ten Academic Alliance universities,1 had the goal of doubling the rate at which the universities hired tenure-track minoritized faculty, defined by National Science Foundation as African Americans, Hispanic/Latinx, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders. This paper reviews the key programmatic elements of the PAI and discusses lessons learned and the practices developed that helped the Alliance achieve its faculty diversity goal.
Monitoring Processes and Their Neuronal Correlates as the Basis of Auditory Verbal Hallucinations in a Non-clinical Sample
Authors: Storchak Helena , Hudak Justin , Dresler Thomas , Haeussinger Florian B. , Fallgatter Andreas J. , Ehlis Ann-Christine
Published: October 2021

Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) are a characteristic symptom of psychosis. An influential cognitive model accounting for the mechanisms in the generation of AVHs describes a defective monitoring of inner speech, leading to the misidentification of internally generated thoughts as externally generated events. In this study, we utilized an inner speech paradigm during a simultaneous measurement with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), in order to replicate the findings of neural correlates of inner speech and auditory verbal imagery (AVI) in healthy subjects, reported in earlier studies, and to provide the first validation of the paradigm for fNIRS measurements. To this end, 20 healthy subjects were required to generate and silently recite first and second person sentences in their own voice (inner speech) and imagine the same sentences in a different, alien voice (AVI). Furthermore, questionnaires were deployed to assess the predisposition to acoustic hallucinations and schizotypal traits to investigate their connection to activation patterns associated with inner speech and monitoring processes. The results showed that both methods, fNIRS and fMRI, exhibited congruent activations in key brain areas, claimed to be associated with monitoring processes, indicating that the paradigm seems to be applicable using fNIRS alone. Furthermore, the results showed similar brain areas activated during inner speech and monitoring processes to those from earlier studies. However, our results indicate that the activations were dependent more on the sentence form and less on the imaging condition, showing more active brain areas associated with second person sentences. Integration of the sentence construction into the model of inner speech and deficient monitoring processes as the basis for the formation of AVHs should be considered in further studies. Furthermore, negative correlations between questionnaires' scores and activations in precentral gyrus and premotor cortex indicate a relationship of schizotypal characteristics and a deficient activation pattern.
The Societal Influences and Quality of Life Among Healthcare Team Members During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Kao Wei-Tsung , Hsu Su-Ting , Chou Frank Huang-Chih , Chou Li-Shiu , Hsieh Kuan-Ying , Li Dian-Jeng , Lin Guei-Ging , Wu Pay-Jen , Chen Wei-Jen , Huang Joh-Jong
Published: October 2021

Background: The coronavirus infection disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is likely to put healthcare professionals across the world in an unprecedented situation.

Methods: A total of 683 healthcare workers were recruited in this study. Short form-12 items (SF-12), Societal Influences Survey Questionnaire (SISQ), and Disaster-Related Psychological Screening Test (DRPST) were used to survey participants. Multiple linear regression and structural equation model (SEM) were used to explore the possible factors to the societal influences and quality of life.

Results: After multiple linear regression analysis, female, older, more education years, married, regular intake, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) frequency had positive association with SISQ. To physical component summary (PCS) of SF-12, chronic illness, sleep score, PTSD frequency, and social distance had negative association, and exercise habits had positive association. A mental component summary (MCS) value of SF-12, age, participate in social activities, and social information had positive association, and PTSD frequency, sleep score, social anxiety, and depression had negative association. Under SEM analysis, PTSD had positive influence on SISQ. Sleep score and MCS value had negative influences on SISQ. PTSD severity, older age, sleep score, smoking, and nursing staff had negative influences on PCS value. Young age, PTSD frequency, sleep score, and depression had negative influences on MCS value.

Conclusion: Healthcare team members with severe PTSD symptoms suffered more societal influences. Relative to PTSD severity, PTSD frequency was more important to the quality of life. Members of older age who frequently participate in clubs, volunteers, or charity activities had better mental life quality.
Clinical Heterogeneity in ME/CFS. A Way to Understand Long-COVID19 Fatigue
Authors: Murga Iñigo , Aranburu Larraitz , Gargiulo Pascual A. , Gómez Esteban Juan Carlos , Lafuente José-Vicente
Published: October 2021

The aim of present paper is to identify clinical phenotypes in a cohort of patients affected of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Ninety-one patients and 22 healthy controls were studied with the following questionnaires, in addition to medical history: visual analogical scale for fatigue and pain, DePaul questionnaire (post-exertional malaise, immune, neuroendocrine), Pittsburgh sleep quality index, COMPASS-31 (dysautonomia), Montreal cognitive assessment, Toulouse-Piéron test (attention), Hospital Anxiety and Depression test and Karnofsky scale. Co-morbidities and drugs-intake were also recorded. A hierarchical clustering with clinical results was performed. Final study group was made up of 84 patients, mean age 44.41 ± 9.37 years (66 female/18 male) and 22 controls, mean age 45 ± 13.15 years (14 female/8 male). Patients meet diagnostic criteria of Fukuda-1994 and Carruthers-2011. Clustering analysis identify five phenotypes. Two groups without fibromyalgia were differentiated by various levels of anxiety and depression (13 and 20 patients). The other three groups present fibromyalgia plus a patient without it, but with high scores in pain scale, they were segregated by prevalence of dysautonomia (17), neuroendocrine (15), and immunological affectation (19). Regarding gender, women showed higher scores than men in cognition, pain level and depressive syndrome. Mathematical tools are a suitable approach to objectify some elusive features in order to understand the syndrome. Clustering unveils phenotypes combining fibromyalgia with varying degrees of dysautonomia, neuroendocrine or immune features and absence of fibromyalgia with high or low levels of anxiety-depression. There is no a specific phenotype for women or men.
A Roadmap for Building Data Science Capacity for Health Discovery and Innovation in Africa
Authors: Beyene Joseph , Harrar Solomon W. , Altaye Mekibib , Astatkie Tessema , Awoke Tadesse , Shkedy Ziv , Mersha Tesfaye B.
Published: October 2021

Technological advances now make it possible to generate diverse, complex and varying sizes of data in a wide range of applications from business to engineering to medicine. In the health sciences, in particular, data are being produced at an unprecedented rate across the full spectrum of scientific inquiry spanning basic biology, clinical medicine, public health and health care systems. Leveraging these data can accelerate scientific advances, health discovery and innovations. However, data are just the raw material required to generate new knowledge, not knowledge on its own, as a pile of bricks would not be mistaken for a building. In order to solve complex scientific problems, appropriate methods, tools and technologies must be integrated with domain knowledge expertise to generate and analyze big data. This integrated interdisciplinary approach is what has become to be widely known as data science. Although the discipline of data science has been rapidly evolving over the past couple of decades in resource-rich countries, the situation is bleak in resource-limited settings such as most countries in Africa primarily due to lack of well-trained data scientists. In this paper, we highlight a roadmap for building capacity in health data science in Africa to help spur health discovery and innovation, and propose a sustainable potential solution consisting of three key activities: a graduate-level training, faculty development, and stakeholder engagement. We also outline potential challenges and mitigating strategies.
Voice-Activated Virtual Home Assistant Use and Social Isolation and Loneliness Among Older Adults: Mini Review
Authors: Corbett Cynthia F. , Wright Pamela J. , Jones Kate , Parmer Michael
Published: October 2021

A lack of social connectedness is common among older adults due to living alone, loss of loved ones, reduced mobility, and, more recently, social distancing created by the global Covid-19 pandemic. Older adults are vulnerable to social isolation and loneliness, which pose significant health risks comparable to those of smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, and high blood pressure. A lack of social connectedness is also correlated with higher mortality rates even when controlling for other factors such as age and comorbid conditions. The purpose of this mini review was to explore the emerging concepts of older adults' use of commercially available artificial intelligent virtual home assistants (VHAs; e.g., Amazon Echo, Google Nest), and its relationship to social isolation and loneliness. A secondary purpose was to identify potential areas for further research. Results suggest that VHAs are perceived by many older adult users as “companions” and improve social connectedness and reduce loneliness. Available studies are exploratory and descriptive and have limited generalizability due to small sample sizes, however, similar results were reported across several studies conducted in differing countries. Privacy concerns and other ethical issues and costs associated with VHA use were identified as potential risks to older adults' VHA adoption and use. Older adults who were using VHAs expressed the need and desire for more structured training on device use. Future research with stronger methods, including prospective, longitudinal, and randomized study designs are needed. Public education, industry standards, and regulatory oversight is required to mitigate potential risks associated with VHA use.
Distribution Network for the Last Mile of Cross-Border E-business in a Smart City at Emerging Market in Response to COVID-19: A Key Node Analysis Based on a Vision of Fourth Party Logistics
Authors: Huo Da , Zhang Xiaotao , Cai Yinghui , Hung Ken
Published: October 2021

This research studies the development of distribution networks for the last mile distribution for cross-border E-business based on a vision of fourth party logistics (4PL) in smart cities in emerging markets in response to COVID-19. This research analyzes the distribution centers of distribution companies in Beijing city using fuzzy cluster analysis as a case study of smart cities. The location decision for distribution centers to serve cross-border E-business is further analyzed by considering the local conditions of the distribution centers. The solutions to the location decisions for distribution centers in different cases are further visualized by 2-mode networks. The key nodes in the distribution network of the last mile for cross-border E-business are further studied based on fourth-party logistics by a immune algorithm. Cross-border E-business value creation based on the development of distribution networks using fourth-party logistics is further discussed. The location distribution of key nodes can spread from the downtown district to suburban areas as the coverage of the distribution network is expanded. This research can help managers and decision makers address the last mile distribution for cross-border E-business in smart cities in emerging markets based on a vision of fourth-party logistics in response to COVID-19.
A Preliminary Assessment of the Potential Health and Genetic Impacts of Releasing Confiscated Passerines Into the Wild: A Reduced-Risk Approach
Authors: Cruz Cláudio E. F. , Funkler Gustavo R. , Zani André L. S. , Wagner Paulo G. C. , Andretta Inês , Segura Luciano N. , Fagundes Nelson J. R.
Published: October 2021

The illegal capture and trade of wild birds have long been threats to biodiversity. The rehabilitation and release of confiscated animals may be a useful conservation tool in species management. However, differences between populations regarding health (e.g., different pathogens) and adaptation (e.g., local adaptation) must be taken into account, since both can negatively impact the recipient population. In this pilot study, we used two of the most illegally trafficked Brazilian wild passerine species, namely the red-crested cardinal (Paroaria coronata) and green-winged saltator (Saltator similis) as case studies and assessed some of the health threats that the release of confiscated passerines may pose to free-living birds. We also investigated the level of difference in mitochondrial genetic structure among populations living in different ecoregions. Blood, feces, and oropharyngeal swabs from confiscated (n = 115) and free-living (n = 120) passerines from the release sites were tested for the Newcastle disease virus, Salmonella spp., and Mycoplasma gallisepticum. These are considered major avian diseases by the Brazilian National Avian Health Program. We analyzed mtDNA to study the difference in genetic structure between populations using samples from 127 free-living passerines. We found no evidence of the Newcastle disease virus or Salmonella spp. in confiscated or free-living passerines from either species. However, the levels of infection with M. galissepticum detected in our study for red-crested cardinals and green-winged saltators calls for a high degree of caution in captive release programs. The difference in genetic structure between populations occurring in different regions was low, and was not significant between those from the Pampa/Subtropical Grasslands region. These results suggest that it may be possible to establish a cost-effective and sensitive protocol for releasing confiscated songbirds, provided that further genome-wide studies indicate that the functional genetic diversity among (at least some of the) populations is also low.
Event-Based, Intermittent, Discrete Adaptive Control for Speed Regulation of Artificial Legs
Authors: Echeveste Salvador , Hernandez-Hinojosa Ernesto , Bhounsule Pranav A.
Published: October 2021

For artificial legs that are used in legged robots, exoskeletons, and prostheses, it suffices to achieve velocity regulation at a few key instants of swing rather than tight trajectory tracking. Here, we advertise an event-based, intermittent, discrete controller to enable set-point regulation for problems that are traditionally posed as trajectory following. We measure the system state at prior-chosen instants known as events (e.g., vertically downward position), and we turn on the controller intermittently based on the regulation errors at the set point. The controller is truly discrete, as these measurements and controls occur at the time scale of the system to be controlled. To enable set-point regulation in the presence of uncertainty, we use the errors to tune the model parameters. We demonstrate the method in the velocity control of an artificial leg, a simple pendulum, with up to 50% mass uncertainty. Starting with a 100% regulation error, we achieve velocity regulation of up to 10% in about five swings with only one measurement per swing.
Consumers within the Spicy Pepper Supply Chain
Authors: Lillywhite Jay , Tso Sunshine
Published: October 2021

“Spicy pepper” is a term used to describe a variety of “pungent” peppers, sometimes referred to as hot, chili, or chile. The USDA reports that the per capita availability of chile peppers has increased more than 100% since the early 1980s. While the availability of spicy peppers has increased, easily accessible data regarding which varieties are consumed, how they are used by households, and who is most likely to consume them is not available. This paper provides insights into U.S. spicy pepper production and consumption as provided by a review of existing trade data and a survey of U.S. consumers.
Beneficial Microbes and Basal Fertilization in Antagonism of Banana Fusarium Wilt
Authors: Lin Chung-Pao , Ho Yi-Cheng
Published: October 2021

Fusarium Wilt Tropical Race 4 (TR4) is spreading rapidly all over the world and threatens banana production, especially the Cavendish variety, which is the main commercial cultivar in Asia. This work aims to use beneficial microbes and fertilizers to control TR4. Both Bacillus mycoides NP02 (BM) and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BaPD1 (BA) antagonized TR4 growth in plate tests. In addition, basal nutrients (BN) in combination with BM and BA were used to treat 1-month-old banana seedlings infected by Fusarium Wilt; plant growth and nutrients of leaves were investigated after 6-month cultivation in the field. The seedling survival rates for uninfected and infected controls without the microbes were 89.4 ± 14.8% and 50 ± 10.7%, respectively. In contrast, the corresponding rates for 2BM, 5BM, 1BA, F1 (5BM + 4BN + 1BA) and G1 (1BM + 4BN + 1BA) in the infected plants were 80 ± 9.4%, 83 ± 4.3%, 85 ± 14.2%, 96.7 ± 1.9% and 96.7 ± 3.3%, respectively. The 2BM treatment promoted the growth of both uninfected and infected banana plants and the 5BA treatment significantly reduced the severity index by 1.45-fold. Plants infected with TR4 showed significantly reduced contents of nitrogen and potassium, but the contents of iron, copper and zinc were higher than those of healthy plants. Additionally, 1BM treatment stimulated the accumulation of nitrogen and zinc ions in the leaves of uninfected plants. Both the 1BA and 2BN treatments increased the iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni) metal ion levels of TR4 infected plants. The F2 (5BM + 2BN + 1BA) treatment significantly maintained the growth of banana plants under TR4 stress with increased contents of nickel and zinc in banana leaves, suggesting that these ions may play a key role in stimulating the growth of banana plants under the threat of TR4. This work shows the potential of applying BM, BN and BA in the control of Fusarium wilt in field conditions.
Assessing the Productivity, Quality and Profitability of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes Grown in Riverbank of the Tista Floodplain Agro-Ecological Zone of Bangladesh
Authors: Mahmud Abdullah-Al , Alam Md Jahangir , Heck Simon , Grüneberg Wolfgang J. , Chanda Debashish , Rahaman E. H. M. Shofiur , Molla Md Samim Hossain , Anwar Md Mazharul , Talukder Md Al-Amin Hossain , Ali Md Akkas , Amin Md Nurul , Alhomrani Majid , Gaber Ahmed , Hossain Akbar
Published: October 2021

Orange fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP) are desirable for high productivity and profitability and their distribution to improve the nutrition of river bank inhabitants of Gaibandha and Rangpur districts of Bangladesh. In this context, a field trial was conducted in two riverbank-based farmers’ fields such as Saghata, Gaibandha, and Pirganj, Rangpur, particularly in the Active Tista Floodplain Agro-ecological Zone of Bangladesh. Four OFSP varieties were evaluated, i.e., G1: BARI SP-8; G2: BARI SP-12; G3: BARI SP-14; G4: BARI SP-15, along with one local cultivar as a control (Red skin with white flesh). Significant variations among the sweet potato genotypes were noted for a number of tuberous roots plant−1, length of root diameter of roots, tuberous root weight plant−1, root yield (fresh), root yield (dry), beta-carotene yield, as well as energy output. Over the locations, BARI SP-12 produced about 73% higher root yield (32.00 t ha−1) and it was like the BARI SP-8 (31.07 t ha−1), which produced about 68% higher yield in comparison with local cultivar (18.51 t ha−1). Across the location, BARI SP-8 performed better in root yield (31.89 t ha−1) in Gaibandha, 69% superior to local cultivar, whereas BARI SP-12 performed better in Rangpur (33.66 t ha−1), which was 86% greater than the local sweet potato cultivar. Considering the root dry yield production, BARI SP-8 produced the highest in the Gaibandha location after that Rangpur location. Further, BARI SP-14 had wider adaptability and stability over the year and location depended on the AMMI model. The beta carotene yield (Vitamin-A precursor) ranged 336–2957 kg ha−1 among the OFSP varieties, whereas the highest (2957 kg ha−1) carotene was recorded in BARI SP-14, similar to BARI SP-15 (2952 kg ha−1) but was much lower in BARI SP-8 and BARI SP-12. Moreover, BARI SP-8 and BARI SP-12 were also economically profitable in terms of gross margin (3233 and 3364 US$ ha−1, respectively), net return (3039 and 3170 US$ ha−1, respectively) and BCR (3.21 and 3.31, respectively, vs. 1.91) due to higher returns with a similar production cost of the local cultivar. The results suggested that BARI SP-8 is economically profitable in the riverbank areas of Gaibandha, and BARI SP-12 is suitable for the riverbank areas of Rangpur.
Effects of Probiotics, Prebiotics and Synbiotics Injected in Ovo on the Microstructure of the Breast Muscle in Different Chicken Genotypes
Authors: Stasiak Karolina , Slawinska Anna , Bogucka Joanna
Published: October 2021

The aim of the study was to analyse the effect of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics injected in ovo on day 12 of embryonic development on the microstructure of the superficial pectoral muscle (musculus pectoralis superficialis) from 42-day-old chickens of different genotypes: broilers (Ross 308) and general-purpose type (green-legged partridge (GP) chickens Zk-11, native chickens). Incubated eggs were divided into four groups (each genotype separately) depending on the substance injected in ovo: normal saline (C, control); Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris (PRO); galactooligosaccharides, GOS (PRE) or GOS + L. lactis (SYN). After hatching, chicks were placed in eight replicated pens (four pens/genotype group). There were eight birds per pen. In total, 64 birds were used in the experiment. Birds were slaughtered at the age of 42 days, and samples of superficial pectoral muscles were taken for analysis. The microstructure of the pectoral muscles was evaluated using the cryosectioning (frozen tissue sectioning) technique and staining with haematoxylin and eosin. Statistical analysis revealed that the in ovo injection of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics had no significant effect on the diameter of muscle fibres from chickens of the two genotypes. The number of fibres in the muscles from green-legged partridge chickens was about three-fold higher than the fibre density in the muscles from broiler chickens, with the fibre diameter being two-fold smaller. This fact may indicate a greater tenderness of meat from GP chickens compared to the meat from Ross 308 broilers. In the case of broilers, a prebiotic (GOS) was the most effective bioactive substance in reducing the number of histopathological changes. Considering muscles from GP chickens, the number of normal fibres was highest in birds treated with the probiotic. These findings indicate that the microstructural features of pectoral muscles depend not only on the type of the injected bioactive substance but also on the genotype of chickens.
Tetrahydrocurcumin Has Similar Anti-Amyloid Properties as Curcumin: In Vitro Comparative Structure-Activity Studies
Authors: Maiti Panchanan , Manna Jayeeta , Thammathong Joshua , Evans Bobbi , Dubey Kshatresh Dutta , Banerjee Souvik , Dunbar Gary L.
Published: October 2021

Despite its potent anti-amyloid properties, the utility of curcumin (Cur) for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is limited due to its low bioavailability. Tetrahydrocurcumin (THC), a more stable metabolite has been found in Cur-treated tissues. We compared the anti-amyloid and neuroprotective properties of curcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC), demethoxycurcumin (DMC) and THC using molecular docking/dynamics, in-silico and in vitro studies. We measured the binding affinity, H-bonding capabilities of these compounds with amyloid beta protein (Aβ). Dot blot assays, photo-induced cross linking of unmodified protein (PICUP) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were performed to monitor the Aβ aggregation inhibition using these compounds. Neuroprotective effects of these derivatives were evaluated in N2a, CHO and SH-SY5Y cells using Aβ42 (10 µM) as a toxin. Finally, Aβ-binding capabilities were compared in the brain tissue derived from the 5× FAD mouse model of AD. We observed that THC had similar binding capability and Aβ aggregation inhibition such as keto/enol Cur and it was greater than BDMC and DMC. All these derivatives showed a similar degree of neuroprotection in vitro and labeled Aβ-plaques ex vivo. Overall, ECur and THC showed greater anti-amyloid properties than other derivatives. Therefore, THC, a more stable and bioavailable metabolite may provide greater therapeutic efficacy in AD than other turmeric derivatives.
Tannin Supplementation Improves Oocyte Cytoplasmic Maturation and Subsequent Embryo Development in Pigs
Authors: Yin Zhi , Sun Jing-Tao , Cui Hong-Di , Jiang Chao-Qian , Zhang Yu-Ting , Lee Sanghoon , Liu Zhong-Hua , Jin Jun-Xue
Published: October 2021

To investigate the effects of tannins (TA) on porcine oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM), different concentrations of TA (0, 1, 10 and 100 μg/mL) were supplemented with a maturation medium and the COCs and subsequent embryonic development were examined. The results showed that 10 µg/mL TA significantly improved the cumulus expansion index (CEI), cumulus-expansion-related genes (PTGS1, PTGS2, PTX-3, TNFAIP6 and HAS2) expression and blastocyst formation rates after parthenogenetic activation (PA), in vitro fertilization (IVF) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) compared to the control groups, but not oocyte nuclear maturation. Nevertheless, 10 µg/mL TA dramatically enhanced the mRNA expression of oocyte-development-related genes (BMP15, GDF9, CDC2 and CYCLIN B1), GSH, ATP, SOD1, PGC1α, BMP15, GDF9 and CDC2 levels and reduced intracellular ROS level in porcine oocytes. These results indicated that porcine oocyte cytoplasmic maturation was improved by 10 µg/mL TA treatment during IVM. In contrast, a high concentration of TA (100 μg/mL) significantly decreased the CEI and PTGS1, PTGS2, PTX-3 and HAS2 mRNA expressions in cumulus cells, and reduced oocyte nuclear maturation and the total cell numbers/blastocyst. In general, these data showed that 10 μg/mL TA supplementation has beneficial effects on oocyte cytoplasmic maturation and subsequent embryonic development in pigs.
Modulation of SOD3 Levels Is Detrimental to Retinal Homeostasis
Authors: Ikelle Larissa , Naash Muna I. , Al-Ubaidi Muayyad R.
Published: October 2021

Retinal oxidative stress is a common secondary feature of many retinal diseases. Though it may not be the initial insult, it is a major contributor to the pathogenesis of highly prevalent retinal dystrophic diseases like macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinitis pigmentosa. We explored the role of superoxide dismutase 3 (SOD3) in retinal homeostasis since SOD3 protects the extracellular matrix (ECM) from oxidative injury. We show that SOD3 is mainly extracellularly localized and is upregulated as a result of environmental and pathogenic stress. Ablation of SOD3 resulted in reduced functional electroretinographic responses and number of photoreceptors, which is exacerbated with age. By contrast, overexpression showed increased electroretinographic responses and increased number of photoreceptors at young ages, but appears deleterious as the animal ages, as determined from the associated functional decline. Our exploration shows that SOD3 is vital to retinal homeostasis but its levels are tightly regulated. This suggests that SOD3 augmentation to combat oxidative stress during retinal degenerative changes may only be effective in the short-term.
Modulation of Telomere Length by Mediterranean Diet, Caloric Restriction, and Exercise: Results from PREDIMED-Plus Study
Authors: Fernández de la Puente María , Hernández-Alonso Pablo , Canudas Silvia , Marti Amelia , Fitó Montserrat , Razquin Cristina , Salas-Salvadó Jordi
Published: October 2021

Telomere length (TL) has been associated with aging and is determined by lifestyle. However, the mechanisms by which a dietary pattern such as the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) affects TL homeostasis are still unknown. Our aim was to analyse the effect of an energy-restricted MedDiet with physical activity promotion (intervention group) versus an unrestricted-caloric MedDiet with no weight-loss advice (control group) on TL and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) plasma levels. In total, 80 non-diabetic participants with metabolic syndrome were randomly selected from the PREDIMED (PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea)-Plus-Reus study. TL was measured by a hybridisation method and 8-OHdG levels by ELISA at baseline and after one year of intervention. Linear mixed models (LMM)—raw and after adjusting for potential confounders—were used to examine the associations between TL or 8-OHdG plasma levels by intervention group and/or time. A total of 69 subjects with available DNA samples were included in the analyses. A significant β-coefficient was found for time towards increasing values through the year of follow-up for TL (unadjusted β of 0.740 (95% CI: 0.529 to 0.951), and multivariable model β of 0.700 (95% CI: 0.477 to 0.922)). No significant βs were found, neither for the intervention group nor for the interaction between the intervention group and time. Regarding 8-OHdG plasma levels, no significant βs were found for the intervention group, time, and its interaction. Our results suggest that MedDiet could have an important role in preventing telomere shortening, but calorie restriction and exercise promotion did not provide an additional advantage concerning telomere length after one year of MedDiet intervention.
Variation in the Accumulation of Phytochemicals and Their Bioactive Properties among the Aerial Parts of Cauliflower
Authors: Drabińska Natalia , Jeż Maja , Nogueira Mariana
Published: October 2021

Vegetables from the Brassicaceae family are excellent sources of bioactive phytochemicals and may reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Variation of phytochemicals in the edible part of cauliflower is known. However, information about the distribution of bioactive and nutritive compounds as well as antioxidant activity among aerial organs of cauliflower is unavailable. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the distribution of glucosinolates (GLS), phenolics, flavonoids, chlorophylls, nutritive compounds and antioxidant capacity between the aerial parts of the common variety of cauliflower and to evaluate whether these changes contribute to the differences in the antioxidant capacity between the plant organs. Our study showed that all the aerial organs of cauliflower are a rich source of health-promoting bioactive compounds, including GLS, phenolics and flavonoids, exhibiting antioxidant capacity. The highest contents of phytochemicals and the highest antioxidant capacity were found in leaves. Cauliflower organs were also found to be rich in nutritive compounds, including minerals, proteins and amino acids. Our study showed that the non-edible organs, such as stems and leaves, being neglected parts of cauliflower, if not consumed as the main ingredient, can be used as additives for developing new, functional foodstuff.
Performance Evaluation of Linear and Nonlinear Models for Short-Term Forecasting of Tropical-Storm Winds
Authors: Tao Tianyou , Shi Peng , Wang Hao , Yuan Lin , Wang Sheng
Published: October 2021

Wind-sensitive structures usually suffer from violent vibrations or severe damages under the action of tropical storms. It is of great significance to forecast tropical-storm winds in advance for the sake of reducing or avoiding consequent losses. The model used for forecasting becomes a primary concern in engineering applications. This paper presents a performance evaluation of linear and nonlinear models for the short-term forecasting of tropical storms. Five extensively employed models are adopted to forecast wind speeds using measured samples from the tropical storm Rumbia, which facilitates a comparison of the predicting performances of different models. The analytical results indicate that the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model outperforms the other models in the one-step ahead prediction and presents the least forecasting errors in both the mean and maximum wind speeds. However, the support vector regression (SVR) model has the worst performance on the selected dataset. When it comes to the multi-step ahead forecasting, the prediction error of each model increases as the number of steps expands. Although each model shows an insufficient ability to capture the variation of future wind speed, the ARIMA model still appears to have the least forecasting errors. Hence, the ARIMA model can offer effective short-term forecasting of tropical-storm winds in both one-step and multi-step scenarios.
Urban Heritage Facility Management: A Scoping Review
Authors: Prabowo Bintang Noor , Salaj Alenka Temeljotov , Lohne Jardar
Published: October 2021

This review examines current discussions from the cross-section study between urban heritage conservation and urban facility management fields in the academic literature from 2011–2020. The purpose is to identify the gaps within the examined papers to reveal the challenges and opportunities in the combined fields using the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s recommendation of the historic urban landscape (HUL) approach. The scoping review procedure was followed. The six critical steps and four supporting tools of the HUL approach were used to analyze the examined papers. Most aspects of urban heritage management within the body of literature were directly related to urban-scale facility management. The potential usage of building information modelling became one of the most discussed technological aspects. The expansion of the public–private partnership model into the public–private–people partnership is considered as a new potential business model. At the same time, the adaptive reuse approach is deemed to be the most sustainable method of managing heritage areas. This scoping review identified the financial tools as the most under-researched urban heritage facility management component. Therefore, it needs to be endorsed among the scientific communities to improve the knowledge and provide operable guidelines for the authorities and practitioners in the urban heritage field.
The Effect of an Ag Nanofilm on Low-Temperature Cu/Ag-Ag/Cu Chip Bonding in Air
Authors: Kim Yoonho , Park Seungmin , Kim Sarah Eunkyung
Published: October 2021

Low-temperature Cu-Cu bonding technology plays a key role in high-density and high-performance 3D interconnects. Despite the advantages of good electrical and thermal conductivity and the potential for fine pitch patterns, Cu bonding is vulnerable to oxidation and the high temperature of the bonding process. In this study, chip-level Cu bonding using an Ag nanofilm at 150 °C and 180 °C was studied in air, and the effect of the Ag nanofilm was investigated. A 15-nm Ag nanofilm prevented Cu oxidation prior to the Cu bonding process in air. In the bonding process, Cu diffused rapidly to the bonding interface and pure Cu-Cu bonding occurred. However, some Ag was observed at the bonding interface due to the short bonding time of 30 min in the absence of annealing. The shear strength of the Cu/Ag-Ag/Cu bonding interface was measured to be about 23.27 MPa, with some Ag remaining at the interface. This study demonstrated the good bonding quality of Cu bonding using an Ag nanofilm at 150 °C.
RLSchert: An HPC Job Scheduler Using Deep Reinforcement Learning and Remaining Time Prediction
Authors: Wang Qiqi , Zhang Hongjie , Qu Cheng , Shen Yu , Liu Xiaohui , Li Jing
Published: October 2021

The job scheduler plays a vital role in high-performance computing platforms. It determines the execution order of the jobs and the allocation of resources, which in turn affect the resource utilization of the entire system. As the scale and complexity of HPC continue to grow, job scheduling is becoming increasingly important and difficult. Existing studies relied on user-specified or regression techniques to give fixed runtime prediction values and used the values in static heuristic scheduling algorithms. However, these approaches require very accurate runtime predictions to produce better results, and fixed heuristic scheduling strategies cannot adapt to changes in the workload. In this work, we propose RLSchert, a job scheduler based on deep reinforcement learning and remaining runtime prediction. Firstly, RLSchert estimates the state of the system by using a dynamic job remaining runtime predictor, thereby providing an accurate spatiotemporal view of the cluster status. Secondly, RLSchert learns the optimal policy to select or kill jobs according to the status through imitation learning and the proximal policy optimization algorithm. Extensive experiments on real-world job logs at the USTC Supercomputing Center showed that RLSchert is superior to static heuristic policies and outperforms the learning-based scheduler DeepRM. In addition, the dynamic predictor gives a more accurate remaining runtime prediction result, which is essential for most learning-based schedulers.
Antibiotic Prophylaxis in the Prevention of Postoperative Infections in Mandibular Third Molar Extractions: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Lupi Saturnino Marco , Olivieri Giorgia , Landini Jessica , Ferrigno Andrea , Richelmi Plinio , Todaro Claudia , Rodriguez y Baena Ruggero
Published: October 2021

Background: This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the effectiveness of antibiotic prophylaxis in the prevention of surgical wound infection (SWI) following mandibular third molar extraction. Methods: A systematic search on electronic databases and a manual search on paper journals was carried out. Two independent reviewers selected the studies. The onset of SWI was used as the main outcome. The data from the studies were analyzed, both with the fixed and the random models, according to the type of antibiotic and the method of administration; a further stratification was adopted, if possible, based on surgical difficulty. The risk of bias and heterogeneity were evaluated. Results: 15 studies were included. Antibiotic prophylaxis, especially in pre-surgical administration and in case of osteotomy, is effective in the prevention of SWI in case of mandibular third molar extraction. Post-surgical administration of prophylaxis, although effective, does not seem to be fully supported by the literature. Pre- and post-surgical prophylaxis did not demonstrate superiority compared to pre-surgical administration alone. Conclusions: Antibiotic prophylaxis is effective in reducing SWI after third molar extraction; pre-surgical administration, minimizing antibiotics administration, allows one to reduce complications related to antibiotic and risk of onset of antibiotic resistance.
A Novel Manufacturing Process for Glass THGEMs and First Characterisation in an Optical Gaseous Argon TPC
Authors: Lowe Adam , Majumdar Krishanu , Mavrokoridis Konstantinos , Philippou Barney , Roberts Adam , Touramanis Christos
Published: October 2021

This paper details a novel, patent pending, abrasive machining manufacturing process for the formation of sub-millimetre holes in THGEMs, with the intended application in gaseous and dual-phase TPCs. Abrasive machining favours a non-ductile substrate such as glasses or ceramics. This innovative manufacturing process allows for unprecedented versatility in THGEM substrates, electrodes, and hole geometry and pattern. Consequently, THGEMs produced via abrasive machining can be tailored for specific properties: for example, high stiffness, low total thickness variation, radiopurity, moisture absorption/outgassing and/or carbonisation resistance. This paper specifically focuses on three glass substrate THGEMs (G-THGEMs) made from Schott Borofloat 33 and fused silica. Circular and hexagonal hole shapes are also investigated. The G-THGEM electrodes are made from indium tin oxide (ITO), with a resistivity of 150 Ω/Sq. All G-THGEMs were characterised in an optical (EMCCD) readout GArTPC and compared to a traditionally manufactured FR4 THGEM, with their charging and secondary scintillation (S2) light production behaviour analysed.
A Simple Water Retention Model Based on Grain Size Distribution
Authors: Vidler Andrew , Buzzi Olivier , Fityus Stephen
Published: October 2021

The Hunter valley region in NSW Australia is an area with a heavy coal mining presence. As some mines come to their end of life, options are being investigated to improve the topsoil on post mining land for greater plant growth, which may allow economically beneficial farmland to be created. This research is part of an investigation into mixing a mine waste material, coal tailings, with topsoil in order to produce an improved soil for plant growth. Implementing such a solution requires estimation of the drying path of the water retention curves for the tailings and topsoil used. Instead of a lengthy laboratory measurement, a prediction of the drying curve is convenient in this context. No existing prediction models were found that were suitable for these mine materials, hence this paper proposes a simple and efficient model that can more accurately predict drying curves for these mine materials. The drying curves of two topsoils and two tailings from Australian coal mines were measured and compared with predictions using the proposed model, which performs favorably compared to several existing models in the literature. Additionally, the proposed model is assessed using data from a variety of fine- and coarse-grained materials in the literature. It is shown that the proposed model is overall more accurate than every other model assessed, indicating the model may be useful for various materials other than those considered in this study.
Cardiac Arrhythmia Classification Based on One-Dimensional Morphological Features
Authors: Lee Heechang , Yoon Taeyoung , Yeo Chaeyun , Oh HyeonYoung , Ji Yebin , Sim Seongwoo , Kang Daesung
Published: October 2021

The electrocardiogram (ECG) is the most commonly used tool for diagnosing cardiovascular diseases. Recently, there have been a number of attempts to classify cardiac arrhythmias using machine learning and deep learning techniques. In this study, we propose a novel method to generate the gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) and gray-level run-length matrix (GLRLM) from one-dimensional signals. From the GLCM and GLRLM, we extracted morphological features for automatic ECG signal classification. The extracted features were combined with six machine learning algorithms (decision tree, k-nearest neighbor, naïve Bayes, logistic regression, random forest, and XGBoost) to classify cardiac arrhythmias. Experiments were conducted on a 12-lead ECG database collected from Chapman University and Shaoxing People’s Hospital. Of the six machine learning algorithms, combining XGBoost with the proposed features yielded an accuracy of 90.46%, an AUC of 0.982, a sensitivity of 0.892, a precision of 0.900, and an F1 score of 0.895 and presented better results than wavelet features with XGBoost. The experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed feature extraction algorithm.