bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of a Blend of Microencapsulated Organic Acids and Botanicals on the Microbiome of Commercial Broiler Breeders under Clinical Necrotic Enteritis
Authors: Dittoe Dana K. , Johnson Casey N. , Byrd James A. , Ricke Steven C. , Piva Andrea , Grilli Ester , Swaggerty Christina L.
Published: May 2023

Previously, the supplementation of a microencapsulated blend of organic acids and botanicals improved the health and performance of broiler breeders under non-challenged conditions. This study aimed to determine if the microencapsulated blend impacted dysbiosis and necrotic enteritis (NE) in broiler breeders. Day-of-hatch chicks were assigned to non-challenge and challenge groups, provided a basal diet supplemented with 0 or 500 g/MT of the blend, and subjected to a laboratory model for NE. On d 20–21, jejunum/ileum content were collected for microbiome sequencing (n = 10; V4 region of 16S rRNA gene). The experiment was repeated (n = 3), and data were analyzed in QIIME2 and R. Alpha and beta diversity, core microbiome, and compositional differences were determined (significance at p ≤ 0.05; Q ≤ 0.05). There was no difference between richness and evenness of those fed diets containing 0 and 500 g/MT microencapsulated blend, but differences were seen between the non-challenged and challenged groups. Beta diversity of the 0 and 500 g/MT non-challenged groups differed, but no differences existed between the NE-challenged groups. The core microbiome of those fed 500 g/MT similarly consisted of Lactobacillus and Clostridiaceae. Furthermore, challenged birds fed diets containing 500 g/MT had a higher abundance of significantly different phyla, namely, Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidota, and Verrucomicrobiota, than the 0 g/MT challenged group. Dietary supplementation of a microencapsulated blend shifted the microbiome by supporting beneficial and core taxa.
Antibacterial Conjugates of Kanamycin A with Vancomycin and Eremomycin: Biological Activity and a New MS-Fragmentation Pattern of Cbz-Protected Amines
Authors: Solyev Pavel N. , Isakova Elena B. , Olsufyeva Evgenia N.
Published: May 2023

A significant increase of microbial resistance to glycopeptides (especially vancomycin-resistant enterococci and Staphylococcus aureus) prompted researchers to design new semisynthetic glycopeptide derivatives, such as dual-action antibiotics that contain a glycopeptide molecule and an antibacterial agent of a different class. We synthesized novel dimeric conjugates of kanamycin A with glycopeptide antibiotics, vancomycin and eremomycin. Using tandem mass spectrometry fragmentation, UV, IR, and NMR spectral data, it was unequivocally proven that the glycopeptide is attached to the kanamycin A molecule at the position 1 of 2-deoxy-D-streptamine. New MS fragmentation patterns for N-Cbz-protected aminoglycosides were discovered. It was found that the resulting conjugates are active against Gram-positive bacteria, and some are active against vancomycin-resistant strains. Conjugates of two different classes can serve as dual-target antimicrobial candidates for further investigation and improvement.
Understanding Antimicrobial Resistance Using Genome-Scale Metabolic Modeling
Authors: Alonso-Vásquez Tania , Fondi Marco , Perrin Elena
Published: May 2023

The urgent necessity to fight antimicrobial resistance is universally recognized. In the search of new targets and strategies to face this global challenge, a promising approach resides in the study of the cellular response to antimicrobial exposure and on the impact of global cellular reprogramming on antimicrobial drugs’ efficacy. The metabolic state of microbial cells has been shown to undergo several antimicrobial-induced modifications and, at the same time, to be a good predictor of the outcome of an antimicrobial treatment. Metabolism is a promising reservoir of potential drug targets/adjuvants that has not been fully exploited to date. One of the main problems in unraveling the metabolic response of cells to the environment resides in the complexity of such metabolic networks. To solve this problem, modeling approaches have been developed, and they are progressively gaining in popularity due to the huge availability of genomic information and the ease at which a genome sequence can be converted into models to run basic phenotype predictions. Here, we review the use of computational modeling to study the relationship between microbial metabolism and antimicrobials and the recent advances in the application of genome-scale metabolic modeling to the study of microbial responses to antimicrobial exposure.
Electrospun Membrane Based on Poly(L-co-D,L lactic acid) and Natural Rubber Containing Copaiba Oil Designed as a Dressing with Antimicrobial Properties
Authors: Pinto Marcelo Formigoni , Quevedo Bruna V. , Asami Jessica , Komatsu Daniel , Hausen Moema de Alencar , Duek Eliana Aparecida de Rezende
Published: May 2023

Drug delivery systems of natural antimicrobial compounds, such as copaiba oil (CO), have become relevant in the scientific community due to the recent prevalence of the public health complications related to antibiotic resistance. Electrospun devices act as an efficient drug delivery system for these bioactive compounds, reducing systemic side effects and increasing the effectiveness of the treatment. In this way, the present study aimed to evaluate the synergistic and antimicrobial effect of the direct incorporation of different concentrations of CO in a poly(L-co-D,L lactic acid) and natural rubber (NR) electrospun membrane. It was observed that CO showed bacteriostatic and antibacterial effects against S. aureus in antibiogram assays. The prevention of biofilm formation was confirmed via scanning electron microscopy. The test with crystal violet demonstrated strong bacteria inhibition in membranes with 75% CO. A decrease in hydrophilicity, observed in the swelling test, presented that the addition of CO promotes a safe environment for the recovery of injured tissue while acting as an antimicrobial agent. In this way, the study showed strong bacteriostatic effects of the CO incorporation in combination with electrospun membranes, a suitable feature desired in wound dressings in order to promote a physical barrier with prophylactic antimicrobial properties to avoid infections during tissue healing.
Impact of Selective Dry Cow Therapy on Antimicrobial Consumption, Udder Health, Milk Yield, and Culling Hazard in Commercial Dairy Herds
Authors: Lipkens Zyncke , Piepers Sofie , De Vliegher Sarne
Published: May 2023

The main objective of the study was to evaluate whether or not implementing selective dry cow therapy (SDCT) on commercial dairy farms reduces antimicrobial consumption without negatively affecting future performances when compared to blanket dry cow therapy (BDCT). Twelve commercial herds in the Flemish region of Belgium with overall good udder health management were enrolled in a randomized control trial, including 466 cows that were assigned to a BDCT (n = 244) or SDCT (n = 222) group within herds. Cows in the SDCT group were dried off with internal teat sealants combined or not with long-acting antimicrobials according to a predefined algorithm based on test-day somatic cell count (SCC) data. Total antimicrobial use for udder health between drying off and 100 days in milk was significantly lower in the SDCT group (i.e., a mean of 1.06 defined the course dose) compared to the BDCT group (i.e., a mean of 1.25 defined the course dose), although with substantial variation between herds. Test-day SCC values, milk yield, and the clinical mastitis and culling hazard in the first 100 days in milk did not differ between the BDCT and SDCT groups. SCC-based and algorithm-guided SDCT is suggested to decrease the overall use of antimicrobials without jeopardizing cows’ udder health and milk yield.
Aucubin Exerts Neuroprotection against Forebrain Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury in Gerbils through Antioxidative and Neurotrophic Effects
Authors: Park Joon Ha , Lee Tae-Kyeong , Kim Dae Won , Ahn Ji Hyeon , Lee Choong-Hyun , Lim Soon Sung , Kim Yang Hee , Cho Jun Hwi , Kang Il Jun , Won Moo-Ho
Published: May 2023

Aucubin is an iridoid glycoside that displays various pharmacological actions including antioxidant activity. However, there are few reports available on the neuroprotective effects of aucubin against ischemic brain injury. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether aucubin protected against damage to hippocampal function induced by forebrain ischemia-reperfusion injury (fIRI) in gerbils, and to examine whether aucubin produced neuroprotection in the hippocampus against fIRI and to explore its mechanisms by histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and Western analysis. Gerbils were given intraperitoneal injections of aucubin at doses of 1, 5, and 10 mg/kg, respectively, once a day for seven days before fIRI. As assessed by the passive avoidance test, short-term memory function following fIRI significantly declined, whereas the decline in short-term memory function due to fIRI was ameliorated by pretreatment with 10 mg/kg, but not 1 or 5 mg/kg, of aucubin. Most of the pyramidal cells (principal cells) of the hippocampus died in the Cornu Ammonis 1 (CA1) area four days after fIRI. Treatment with 10 mg/kg, but not 1 or 5 mg/kg, of aucubin protected the pyramidal cells from IRI. The treatment with 10 mg/kg of aucubin significantly reduced IRI-induced superoxide anion production, oxidative DNA damage, and lipid peroxidation in the CA1 pyramidal cells. In addition, the aucubin treatment significantly increased the expressions of superoxide dismutases (SOD1 and SOD2) in the pyramidal cells before and after fIRI. Furthermore, the aucubin treatment significantly enhanced the protein expression levels of neurotrophic factors, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor and insulin-like growth factor-I, in the hippocampal CA1 area before and after IRI. Collectively, in this experiment, pretreatment with aucubin protected CA1 pyramidal cells from forebrain IRI by attenuating oxidative stress and increasing neurotrophic factors. Thus, pretreatment with aucubin can be a promising candidate for preventing brain IRI.
Contribution of Elevated Glucose and Oxidized LDL to Macrophage Inflammation: A Role for PRAS40/Akt-Dependent Shedding of Soluble CD14
Authors: Sanjurjo Lucía , Castelblanco Esmeralda , Julve Josep , Villalmanzo Nuria , Téllez Érica , Ramirez-Morros Anna , Alonso Núria , Mauricio Dídac , Sarrias Maria-Rosa
Published: May 2023

Atherosclerosis, a process in which macrophages play a key role, is accelerated in diabetes. Elevated concentrations of serum-oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL) represent a common feature of both conditions. The main goal of this study was to determine the contribution of oxLDL to the inflammatory response of macrophages exposed to diabetic-mimicking conditions. THP1 cells and peripheral blood monocytes purified from non-diabetic healthy donors were cultured under normal (5 mM) or high glucose (HG) (15 mM) with oxLDL. Then, foam cell formation, expression of CD80, HLADR, CD23, CD206, and CD163, as well as toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and co-receptors CD36 and CD14 (both at the cell surface and soluble (sCD14)), and inflammatory mediators’ production were measured by flow cytometry, RT-qPCR, or ELISA. Additionally, serum sCD14 was determined in subjects with subclinical atherosclerosis with and without diabetes by ELISA. Our results showed that oxLDL-mediated intracellular lipid accumulation via CD36 increased under HG and that HG + oxLDL enhanced TNF, IL1B, and IL8, and decreased IL10. Moreover, TLR4 was upregulated in macrophages under HG and monocytes of subjects with diabetes and atherosclerosis. Interestingly, HG-oxLDL upregulated CD14 gene expression, although its total cellular protein abundance remained unaltered. sCD14 shedding via PRAS40/Akt-dependent mechanisms, with pro-inflammatory activity, was significantly increased in cultured macrophages and plasma from subjects with diabetes and subclinical atherosclerosis or hypercholesterolemia. Our data support an enhanced synergistic pro-inflammatory effect induced by HG and oxLDL in cultured human macrophages, possibly explained by increased sCD14 shedding.
Antioxidant Properties of Cranberry Leaves and Walnut Meal and Their Effect on Nutritional Quality and Oxidative Stability of Broiler Breast Meat
Authors: Untea Arabela Elena , Varzaru Iulia , Saracila Mihaela , Panaite Tatiana Dumitra , Oancea Alexandra Gabriela , Vlaicu Petru Alexandru , Grosu Iulian Alexandru
Published: May 2023

Dietary sources of bioactive compounds in animal diets, are the natural way to produce animal food products with improved nutritional quality. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis of a synergistic effect of bioactive compounds of cranberry leaf powder and walnut meal on the nutritional quality and antioxidant compounds of broiler meat. An experiment was conducted on 160 COBB 500 broiler chickens, housed in an experimental hall with permanent wood shave litter in boxes of 3 m2. The six dietary treatments were based on corn and soybean meal; three experimental groups were fed diets supplemented with cranberry leaves (CLs) with three inclusion rates (0% in the control group and CL 1% and CL 2%); two experimental groups were fed diets supplemented with walnut meal (WM) with two inclusion rates (0% and WM 6%); and two groups were fed diets with a combination of the selected supplements (CL 1% WM 6% and CL 2% WM 6%). The results show that the experimental groups registered higher concentrations of copper and iron compared with the control group. An antagonist effect was noticed on lipophilic compounds, and the lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations presented a dose-dependent increasing effect under CL influence, while vitamin E concentrations decreased in the same manner. The dietary WM positively influenced vitamin E deposits on breast tissue. The dietary supplements did not produce any effect on the primary oxidation products, but the secondary products were influenced, and the maximum effect on the TBARS values were recorded for the dietary combination of CL 1% and WM 6%.
Green Technologies for Persimmon By-Products Revalorisation as Sustainable Sources of Dietary Fibre and Antioxidants for Functional Beverages Development
Authors: Salazar-Bermeo Julio , Moreno-Chamba Bryan , Heredia-Hortigüela Rosa , Lizama Victoria , Martínez-Madrid María , Saura Domingo , Valero Manuel , Neacsu Madalina , Martí Nuria
Published: May 2023

The use of green technologies such as ultrasound and natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) for revalorisation of food and agricultural by-products represents a sustainable way to tackle waste and promote a healthier environment while delivering much-needed functional food ingredients for an increasingly unhealthy population. The processing of persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) generates large amounts of by-products rich in fibre-bound bioactive phytochemicals. This paper assessed the extractability of bioactive compounds through NADES and the functional properties of the persimmon polysaccharide-rich by-products to evaluate their suitability to be used as functional ingredients in commercial beverages. Although higher amounts of carotenoids and polyphenols were extracted after eutectic treatment vs. conventional extraction (p < 0.05), the fibre-bound bioactives remained abundant (p < 0.001) in the resulting persimmon pulp by-product (PPBP) and persimmon pulp dietary fibre (PPDF), showing also a strong antioxidant activity (DPPH•, ABTS•+ assays) and an improved digestibility and fibre fermentability. The main structural components of PPBP and PPDF are cellulose, hemicellulose and pectin. PPDF-added dairy-based drink showed more than 50% of preference over the control among panellists and similar acceptability scores to the commercial ones. Persimmon pulp by-products represent sustainable source of dietary fibre and bioactives and are suitable candidates to develop functional ingredients for food industry applications.
Black Pepper (Piper nigrum) Alleviates Oxidative Stress, Exerts Potential Anti-Glycation and Anti-AChE Activity: A Multitargeting Neuroprotective Agent against Neurodegenerative Diseases
Authors: Sharma Himadri , Sharma Niti , An Seong Soo A.
Published: May 2023

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are a family of disorders that cause progressive structural and functional degeneration of neurons. Among all the organs in the body, the brain is the one that is the most affected by the production and accumulation of ROS. Various studies have shown that an increase in oxidative stress is a common pathophysiology for almost all NDs, which further affects various other pathways. The available drugs lack the wide spectrum necessary to confront these complexities altogether. Hence, a safe therapeutic approach to target multiple pathways is highly desirable. In the present study, the hexane and ethyl acetate extracts of Piper nigrum (black pepper), an important spice, were evaluated for their neuroprotective potential in hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress in human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y). The extracts were also subjected to GC/MS to identify the important bioactives present. The extracts exhibited neuroprotection by significantly decreasing the oxidative stress and restoring the mitochondrial membrane potential in the cells. Additionally, the extracts displayed potent anti-glycation and significant anti-Aβ fibrilization activities. The extracts were competitive inhibitors of AChE. The multitarget neuroprotective mechanism displayed by Piper nigrum indicates it as a potential candidate in the treatment of NDs.
Evaluation of the Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Potential of SiO2 Modified with Cinnamon Essential Oil (Cinnamomum Verum) for Its Use as a Nanofiller in Active Packaging PLA Films
Authors: Martínez-Aguilar Verónica , Peña-Juárez Mariana G. , Carrillo-Sanchez Perla C. , López-Zamora Leticia , Delgado-Alvarado Enrique , Gutierrez-Castañeda Emmanuel J. , Flores-Martínez Norma L. , Herrera-May Agustín L. , Gonzalez-Calderon Jose Amir
Published: May 2023

One of the main causes of food spoilage is the lipid oxidation of its components, which generates the loss of nutrients and color, together with the invasion of pathogenic microorganisms. In order to minimize these effects, active packaging has played an important role in preservation in recent years. Therefore, in the present study, an active packaging film was developed using polylactic acid (PLA) and silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) (0.1% w/w) chemically modified with cinnamon essential oil (CEO). For the modification of the NPs, two methods (M1 and M2) were tested, and their effects on the chemical, mechanical, and physical properties of the polymer matrix were evaluated. The results showed that CEO conferred to SiO2 NPs had a high percentage of 2,2-diphenyl-l-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical inhibition (>70%), cell viability (>80%), and strong inhibition to E. coli, at 45 and 11 µg/mL for M1 and M2, respectively, and thermal stability. Films were prepared with these NPs, and characterizations and evaluations on apple storage were performed for 21 days. The results show that the films with pristine SiO2 improved tensile strength (28.06 MPa), as well as Young’s modulus (0.368 MPa) since PLA films only presented values of 27.06 MPa and 0.324 MPa, respectively; however, films with modified NPs decreased tensile strength values (26.22 and 25.13 MPa), but increased elongation at break (from 5.05% to 10.32–8.32%). The water solubility decreased from 15% to 6–8% for the films with NPs, as well as the contact angle, from 90.21° to 73° for the M2 film. The water vapor permeability increased for the M2 film, presenting a value of 9.50 × 10−8 g Pa−1 h−1 m−2. FTIR analysis indicated that the addition of NPs with and without CEO did not modify the molecular structure of pure PLA; however, DSC analysis indicated that the crystallinity of the films was improved. The packaging prepared with M1 (without Tween 80) showed good results at the end of storage: lower values in color difference (5.59), organic acid degradation (0.042), weight loss (24.24%), and pH (4.02), making CEO-SiO2 a good component to produce active packaging.
Availability of Primary Closure for Resection of Oral Cavity Cancer
Authors: Kim Hyo-Joon , Choi Jun-Seok , Jo Ye-Joon , Moon Seong-Yong
Published: May 2023

Resection of malignant lesions in the oral and maxillofacial area causes functional and morphological defects. In order to recover from these defects, reconstruction surgery is needed, such as a primary closure or a flap. There are advantages and disadvantages to the method of using the primary closure and the flap, and the choice of procedure is entirely up to the surgeon. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the availability of primary closure in patients. For 10 years, from January 2010 to May 2020, patients who recovered using flaps after removing malignant lesions from the oral cavity and those who closed the lesion using primary closure were investigated. The investigation was conducted by searching the database of the hospital. There were 85 patients who removed malignant lesions in the oral and maxillofacial area, and among them, 16 patients closed the soft tissue defects using primary closure. Operation time, histologic types, stages, wound status, and period of hospitalization according to the patient’s medical records were investigated retrospectively. Between the staging and the primary closure, statistically significant differences were observed between stage I and stage II patients in 13 patients using the primary closure. (p = 0.046). Statistically significant differences were identified between operation time and primary closure, with an average of 4.02 h (p = 0.015). The average period of hospitality for patients who underwent primary closure was 13.4 days, compared to 26.7 days for those who underwent flap surgery. This difference was statistically significant (p = 0.0003). As a result of three-way ANOVA analysis on operation time and hospital stay, only neck incision, reconstruction method (flap or primary suture), and intrastage reconstruction method had a statistically significant effect on operation time and period of hospitality. This study evaluated the use of primary closure in patients who underwent resection of malignant lesions in the oral and maxillofacial area. Although the majority of patients underwent reconstruction with flaps, our results showed that primary closure could be a viable option for certain patients with early-stage lesions.
Vibration Parameters Identification of Rotating Blades Based on Blade Tip-Timing Sensor Waveforms
Authors: Zhang Liang , Wang Qidi , Li Xin
Published: May 2023

Blade tip-timing is one of the most widely used non-contact measurement methods for rotating blade vibration. The classic blade tip-timing method is to identify the vibration parameters of the blade based on the time of blade tip arrival to the tip-timing sensor installed on the casing. Since the vibration measurement of blade tip-timing is a serious under-sampling method, the blade resonance frequency is usually higher than the sampling frequency of the BTT data acquisition system, resulting in a large identification error of blade vibration parameters. In view of the above shortcomings, a blade vibration parameters identification method is proposed based on the mapping matching between the static waveform of the sensor and the dynamic waveform of the blade tip-timing. The modulation effects of different vibration displacements, velocities and vibration amplitudes on the tip-timing waveform of the sensor are analyzed. The vibration displacements and velocities of the blade tip passing through the sensor are obtained by the waveform mapping method, and then the vibration parameters of the blade are identified. The influence of the number of blade tip-timing sensors on the identification accuracy of the blade vibration parameters identification algorithm is observed based on the waveform mapping theory. The identification accuracy of waveform mapping method is compared with other methods. The results show that compared with the under-sampled time of arrival (TOA) data of classic BTT applications, the modulation of the sensor waveform output by blade vibration can provide additional data, and the waveform mapping method can not only reduce the number of sensors but also improve the identification accuracy of blade vibration parameters. The waveform mapping method has higher identification accuracy of blade vibration parameters compared with the waveform method in the reference.
Differential Evolution and Fuzzy-Logic-Based Predictive Algorithm for V2G Charging Stations
Authors: da Silva Lucas G. , de Andrade Nicholas D. , Godoy Ruben B. , de Brito Moacyr A. G. , Maddalena Emilio T.
Published: May 2023

This work proposes a differential evolution algorithm to control a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) system based on photovoltaic generation and energy cost curves, and constraints associated with the power converters’ operation, battery charging strategy, and initial budgets. The algorithm is designed to trade off the batteries’ state of charge and the profits gained from selling energy to the grid. To achieve this balance, a fuzzy controller is employed and acts based on forecasts of the photovoltaic generation and the cost of electricity, within prediction windows of 120 min, adapting the batteries’ rate of charging or discharging. Simulation results show that for different curves and different initial budgets, the target state of charge is reached at the end of the time horizon. By evaluating the proposed scheme under different scenarios, the algorithm’s performance is proven to be suitable for future practical deployment.
Transformer-Based Cascading Reconstruction Network for Video Snapshot Compressive Imaging
Authors: Wen Jiaxuan , Huang Junru , Chen Xunhao , Huang Kaixuan , Sun Yubao
Published: May 2023

Video Snapshot Compressive Imaging (SCI) is a new imaging method based on compressive sensing. It encodes image sequences into a single snapshot measurement and then recovers the original high-speed video through reconstruction algorithms, which has the advantages of a low hardware cost and high imaging efficiency. How to construct an efficient algorithm is the key problem of video SCI. Although the current mainstream deep convolution network reconstruction methods can directly learn the inverse reconstruction mapping, they still have shortcomings in the representation of the complex spatiotemporal content of video scenes and the modeling of long-range contextual correlation. The quality of reconstruction still needs to be improved. To solve this problem, we propose a Transformer-based Cascading Reconstruction Network for Video Snapshot Compressive Imaging. In terms of the long-range correlation matching in the Transformer, the proposed network can effectively capture the spatiotemporal correlation of video frames for reconstruction. Specifically, according to the residual measurement mechanism, the reconstruction network is configured as a cascade of two stages: overall structure reconstruction and incremental details reconstruction. In the first stage, a multi-scale Transformer module is designed to extract the long-range multi-scale spatiotemporal features and reconstruct the overall structure. The second stage takes the measurement of the first stage as the input and employs a dynamic fusion module to adaptively fuse the output features of the two stages so that the cascading network can effectively represent the content of complex video scenes and reconstruct more incremental details. Experiments on simulation and real datasets show that the proposed method can effectively improve the reconstruction accuracy, and ablation experiments also verify the validity of the constructed network modules.
Hybrid Sampling and Dynamic Weighting-Based Classification Method for Multi-Class Imbalanced Data Stream
Authors: Han Meng , Li Ang , Gao Zhihui , Mu Dongliang , Liu Shujuan
Published: May 2023

The imbalance and concept drift problems in data streams become more complex in multi-class environment, and extreme imbalance and variation in class ratio may also exist. To tackle the above problems, Hybrid Sampling and Dynamic Weighted-based classification method for Multi-class Imbalanced data stream (HSDW-MI) is proposed. The HSDW-MI algorithm deals with imbalance and concept drift problems through the hybrid sampling and dynamic weighting phases, respectively. In the hybrid sampling phase, adaptive spectral clustering is proposed to sample the data after clustering, which can maintain the original data distribution; then the sample safety factor is used to determine the samples to be sampled for each class; the safe samples are oversampled and the unsafe samples are under-sampled in each cluster. If the data stream is extremely imbalanced, the sample storage pool is used to extract samples with a high safety factor to add to the data stream. In the dynamic weighting phase, a dynamic weighting method based on the G-mean value is proposed. The G-mean values are used as the weights of each base classifier in the ensemble and the ensemble is dynamically updated during the processing of the data stream to accommodate the occurrence of concept drift. Experiments were conducted with LB, OAUE, ARF, BOLE, MUOB, MOOD, CALMID, and the proposed HSDW-MI on 10 multi-class synthetic data streams with different class ratios and concept drifts and 3 real multi-class imbalanced streams with unknown drifts, and the results show that the proposed HSDW-MI has better classification capabilities and performs more consistently compared to all other algorithms.
3D Shape Generation via Variational Autoencoder with Signed Distance Function Relativistic Average Generative Adversarial Network
Authors: Ajayi Ebenezer Akinyemi , Lim Kian Ming , Chong Siew-Chin , Lee Chin Poo
Published: May 2023

3D shape generation is widely applied in various industries to create, visualize, and analyse complex data, designs, and simulations. Typically, 3D shape generation uses a large dataset of 3D shapes as the input. This paper proposes a variational autoencoder with a signed distance function relativistic average generative adversarial network, referred to as 3D-VAE-SDFRaGAN, for 3D shape generation from 2D input images. Both the generative adversarial network (GAN) and variational autoencoder (VAE) algorithms are typical algorithms used to generate realistic 3D shapes. However, it is very challenging to train a stable 3D shape generation model using VAE-GAN. This paper proposes an efficient approach to stabilize the training process of VAE-GAN to generate high-quality 3D shapes. A 3D mesh-based shape is first generated using a 3D signed distance function representation by feeding a single 2D image into a 3D-VAE-SDFRaGAN network. The signed distance function is used to maintain inside–outside information in the implicit surface representation. In addition, a relativistic average discriminator loss function is employed as the training loss function. The polygon mesh surfaces are then produced via the marching cubes algorithm. The proposed 3D-VAE-SDFRaGAN is evaluated with the ShapeNet dataset. The experimental results indicate a notable enhancement in the qualitative performance, as evidenced by the visual comparison of the generated samples, as well as the quantitative performance evaluation using the chamfer distance metric. The proposed approach achieves an average chamfer distance score of 0.578, demonstrating superior performance compared to existing state-of-the-art models.
Unusual Presentation of Juvenile Rhabdomyosarcoma in the Temporomandibular Area: A Case Report
Authors: Bartolucci Maria Lavinia , Incerti Parenti Serena , Alessandri-Bonetti Giulio , Marini Ida
Published: May 2023

Rhabdomyosarcoma frequently affects the craniofacial region with a rapid growing pattern that usually results in swelling of the interested area. The present paper describes a peculiar occurrence of rhabdomyosarcoma in a 12-year-old boy and the importance of a careful evaluation of clinical history to choose the correct diagnostic strategy. The patient was evaluated in the orthodontics section of the Dental School of the University of Bologna by an orofacial pain specialist, with a compliance of excruciating pain around the right ear that occurred 4 months earlier after a sports trauma. The patient had been previously evaluated by a pediatrician and an ENT specialist who requested a computerized tomography that did not show pathological conditions in the head/neck district. The drug therapy for pain control was not effective. The clinical examination showed a severe limitation of mouth opening, periauricular paresthesia and mandibular hyperalgesia on the right side. The patient reported intermittent, very intense stabs of pain occurring every 5 min, with a continuous dull pain in the temporal area. A nuclear magnetic resonance was requested and showed the presence of a solid expansive lesion in the right pterygoid area that eroded the cranial base and the medial portion of the mandibular condyle. An incisional biopsy led to the diagnosis of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. This case report emphasizes the importance of not underestimating the presence of pain in young subjects, suggesting a proper approach to apparently simple clinical cases.
Evolution of Qualitative and Quantitative Lipid Profiles of High-Pressure-Processed Serra da Estrela Cheese throughout Storage
Authors: Inácio Rita S. , Rodríguez-Alcalá Luís M. , Pimentel Lígia L. , Saraiva Jorge A. , Gomes Ana M. P.
Published: May 2023

High-pressure processing (HPP) can be used as a nonthermal pasteurization technique to overcome microbial safety issues of the raw ewes’ milk Serra da Estrela cheese without negatively influencing its quality, in particular, the lipid composition partly responsible for Serra da Estrela cheese’s sensorial and textural attributes. The aim of this work was to assess HPP’s effect (600 MPa/6 min and 450 MPa/6 and 9 min) on the qualitative and quantitative lipid profiles of Serra da Estrela cheese during 15 months of refrigerated storage. Total triglycerides content (65–66 g TG/100 g) was similarly determined for HPP-treated (450 MPa/6 min) and control cheeses. Similar total contents of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids were reported for all cheeses during storage. A high total conjugated linoleic acid content (1.29–1.65 g FA/100 g fat) was quantified in all cheeses during storage; all cheeses revealed similar atherogenic and thrombogenic indices (~2.3 and ~2.6, respectively). HPP can be used to process Serra da Estrela cheese at conditions that assure microbial safety without influencing cheese lipid profiles.
Materials Optimization and Service Performance Evaluation of a Novel Steel Bridge Deck Pavement Structure: A Case Study
Authors: Haibara Yu , Ge Hanbin , Sun Jia
Published: May 2023

Although the double-layer pavement structure with a top layer of stone mastic asphalt concrete (SMAC) and a bottom layer of epoxy asphalt concrete (EAC) has been confirmed to have excellent overall performance in the laboratory, there is a lack of comparison and verification in practical projects. Hence, the utilization of the SMAC + EAC structure in this steel bridge deck pavement (SBDP) practical project and the clarification of its service performance are of significant importance for facilitating the promotion and application of this novel structure. This study relied on an SBDP reconstruction project in Ningbo, China. Indoor performance tests were used to determine the appropriate material compositions for SMAC and EAC. Subsequently, both ERS and SMAC + EAC pavement structures were paved in the project, and the service conditions of the different pavements after one year of operation were tested and compared. The results indicated that the epoxy SBS asphalt (ESA) binder prepared by substituting SBS-modified asphalt binder for the base binder, exhibited improved mechanical strength and toughness. The variation of modifier content significantly affected the high-temperature stability, low-temperature crack resistance, and moisture damage resistance of epoxy SBS asphalt concrete (ESAC) and high-viscosity SBS asphalt concrete (HSAC), while the gradation mainly influenced the skid resistance. The optimal contents of modifiers in ESA and HAS binders were finalized at 45 wt% and 11 wt%. After one year of operation on the trial road, the pavement performance of the SMAC + EAC structure had significant advantages over the ERS system, with all lanes having an SBDP quality index (SDPQI) above 90 and an excellent service condition. The successful application of the SMAC + EAC structure validated its applicability and feasibility in SBDP, which provided strong evidence for the further promotion of this structure.
Mathematical Modeling and Digital Simulation of Teeth Dynamics for the Approximation of Orthodontic Treatment Duration
Authors: Bunta Olimpia , Festila Dana , Muresan Vlad , Coloși Tiberiu , Stan Ovidiu Petru , Unguresan Mihaela Ligia , Baciut Mihaela
Published: May 2023

The paper presents an original solution for modeling and simulation of the teeth movement biomedical processes which occur in the case of orthodontic treatments. The direct application of this method consists in the possibility to approximate, with high precision, the orthodontic treatment duration, depending on the physical characteristics of each patient. This aspect represents a novelty element in the biomedical processes’ domain since, until now, the research activities in the mentioned field did not generate a solution for the approximation of the orthodontic treatment’s duration. Analog modeling of the biomedical process operates with a fictional shaft defined to highlight the tooth symmetry axis. The tooth considered as an example is approximated as having a parabolic shape with an elliptical section. The digital simulation refers to the spatial-temporal evolution of this fictional shaft in the orthodontic dynamics, being made through the run of four computer programming algorithms. Interpretation of the obtained performance indicators will lead to an interesting study regarding the dynamics’ process in orthodontics, having a pronounced unitary and systematic characteristic. Using the developed programs for obtaining the simulations results presented in the four tables and in the 18 figures shown in the paper, several case studies can be elaborated, associated with a wide variety of orthodontic treatments.
Peroxide-Free Bleaching Gel: Effect on the Surface and Mechanical Properties of Nano- and Micro-Hybrid Restorative Composite Materials
Authors: Khan Aftab Ahmed , Abdullah Alkhureif Abdulaziz , Bautista Leonel S. J. , Alsunbul Hanan , Vellappally Sajith
Published: May 2023

This laboratory investigation was designed to test the influence of a novel bleaching formulation based on phthalimidoperoxycaproic acid (PAP) with additives on the surface and mechanical properties of nano- and micro-hybrid restorative composites. Twenty-four bar-shaped and twelve disk-shaped samples from each restorative composite were prepared. The samples from each restorative composite were randomly divided into two groups according to the treatment, i.e., experimental and control. The treated groups went through the bleaching process: by Opalescence Regular or novel PAP+-containing gel (HiSmile™). The treated group underwent a bleaching process for seven consecutive days (a 10-min session of bleaching application every day) before the properties were tested. A paired sample t-test was performed to compare the results between the experimental and the control groups. The level of significance was set at 0.05. The surface roughness of the nanohybrid composite using Opalescence Regular (p < 0.05) was significant. Additionally, a significant difference in nanohardness and elastic modulus between the experimental and the control groups of the microhybrid composite using Opalescence Regular was observed: p = 0.041 and p = 0.023, respectively. While a marked difference in flexural strength was observed in the experimental and control groups using Opalescence Regular, Hismile™ bleaching gel caused a diminutive and insignificant reduction in tested properties (p > 0.05). It was found that Opalescence Regular bleaching gel affects the surface and bulk properties of restorative composite materials, whereas the novel PAP+ formulation has no deleterious effect on either nano- or micro-hybrid restorative composites.
A Bearing Fault Diagnosis Method Based on Wavelet Denoising and Machine Learning
Authors: Fu Shaokun , Wu Yize , Wang Rundong , Mao Mingzhi
Published: May 2023

There are a lot of interference factors in the operating environment of machinery, which makes it ineffective to use traditional detection methods to judge the fault location and type of fault of the machinery, and even misjudgment of the fault location and type may occur. In order to solve these problems, this paper proposes a bearing fault diagnosis method based on wavelet denoising and machine learning. We use sensors to detect the operating conditions of rolling bearings under different working conditions to obtain datasets of different types of bearing failures. On the basis of using the wavelet denoising algorithm to reduce noise, we comprehensively evaluated five machine learning models, including K-means clustering, decision tree, random forest, and support vector machine to classify bearing faults and compare their results. By designing the fault classification evaluation prediction criteria, the following conclusions are drawn. The model proposed in this paper is significantly better than other traditional diagnostic models for bearing faults. In order to solve the problem of weak signal strength and background noise interference, this paper selects a better noise reduction algorithm under different quantitative evaluation indicators for wavelet denoising, which can better restore the true characteristics of the fault signal. Using unsupervised learning and supervised machine learning classification algorithms, the evaluation indicators before and after denoising are compared to make the classification results more accurate and reliable. This article will help researchers to intelligently diagnose the faults of rolling bearing equipment in rotating machinery.
Appointed-Time Leader-Following Consensus for Second-Order Multi-Agent Systems with Prescribed Performance Guarantees
Authors: Wang Hongfei , Li Zichuang , Hu Wenfeng
Published: May 2023

The appointed-time leader-following consensus problem for second-order multi-agent systems with external disturbance on directed graphs is addressed. A distributed controller based on the cumulative position difference and cumulative velocity difference is proposed, which does not require prior knowledge of external disturbances. It is shown that the proposed controller guarantees the prescribed performance of the controlled systems, namely, to keep the cumulative position difference within a predefined boundary envelope. Furthermore, by employing a novel performance function, it is ensured that the position tracking error converges to an arbitrarily small expected region within the appointed time. Different from most existing finite/fixed-time control methods, here the settling time and the convergence region can both be predefined, which are also independent of initial conditions and the system parameters. Finally, the theoretical results are verified by simulations.
Continuous Entity Authentication in the Internet of Things Scenario
Authors: De Santis Alfredo , Ferrara Anna Lisa , Flores Manuela , Masucci Barbara
Published: May 2023

In the context of the Internet of Things (IoT), the proliferation of identity spoofing threats has led to the need for the constant entity verification of devices. Recently, a formal framework has been proposed to study resistance to impersonation attacks for One-Message Unilateral Entity Authentication (OM-UEA) schemes, in which the prover continuously authenticates itself through the use of a sequence of authentication messages. Given the limited computing power of the parties (particularly the prover) and the often limited bandwidth channel, in the IoT scenario it is desirable to design unilateral entity authentication schemes that require the use of a single message per session and light computations. In this paper, we first show that OM-UEA schemes can be implemented through digital signatures and that a weak form of unforgeability is sufficient to achieve security against active adversaries. We then apply the signature scheme proposed by Yang et al. in ASIACCS 2020 to our framework, resulting in an OM-UEA scheme that requires minimal computational effort and low storage requirements for the prover. Inspired by this last construction, we propose an OM-UEA scheme based on the hardness of the discrete logarithm problem, which further improves the computational performance for the prover. Our findings offer feasible options for implementing secure continuous entity authentication in IoT applications.
Facial Soft Tissue Thickness Values for Romanian Adult Population
Authors: Diac Madalina Maria , Fotache Marin , Romanov Nicolai , Damian Simona Irina , Furnica Cristina , Iov Tatiana , David Sofia , Girlescu Nona , Hunea Iuliana , Lucasievici Codrin , Scripcaru Andrei , Iliescu Diana Bulgaru
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Forensic identification practice requires a multitude of methods for positive identification, among which the facial reconstruction occupies a high place. For this to be done in the best way possible, it is mandatory that each population have their own database regarding soft tissue thickness. Objective: The present research is focused on creating such a database for the Romanian adult population and on exploring the statistical distribution and correlation of craniometric landmarks, overall, and in groups defined according to sex and weight categories. This might provide support in estimating the values of missing landmarks or other variables (e.g., age, sex) for unidentified bodies. Methods: Twelve craniometric landmarks were measured on 100 cadavers less than 24 h after death. Results and discussions: Of the 12 anatomical landmarks, only one appears to manifest statistically significant differences between sexes, and seven landmarks appear to vary significantly among the weight categories. Additionally, some evidence of interpopulation differences in the average soft tissue thicknesses were observed by the comparison of these data with similar studies from Caucasian groups with different geographic origin. Additionally, correlations between facial landmarks were examined, overall and between sexes.
A 3D Occlusion Facial Recognition Network Based on a Multi-Feature Combination Threshold
Authors: Zhu Kaifeng , He Xin , Lv Zhuang , Zhang Xin , Hao Ruidong , He Xu , Wang Jun , He Jiawei , Zhang Lei , Mu Zhiya
Published: May 2023

In this work, we propose a 3D occlusion facial recognition network based on a multi-feature combination threshold (MFCT-3DOFRNet). First, we design and extract the depth information of the 3D face point cloud, the elevation, and the azimuth angle of the normal vector as new 3D facially distinctive features, so as to improve the differentiation between 3D faces. Next, we propose a multi-feature combinatorial threshold that will be embedded at the input of the backbone network to implement the removal of occlusion features in each channel image. To enhance the feature extraction capability of the neural network for missing faces, we also introduce a missing face data generation method that enhances the training samples of the network. Finally, we use a Focal-ArcFace loss function to increase the inter-class decision boundaries and improve network performance during the training process. The experimental results show that the method has excellent recognition performance for unoccluded faces and also effectively improves the performance of 3D occlusion face recognition. The average Top-1 recognition rate of the proposed MFCT-3DOFRNet for the Bosphorus database is 99.52%, including 98.94% for occluded faces and 100% for unoccluded faces. For the UMB-DB dataset, the average Top-1 recognition rate is 95.08%, including 93.41% for occluded faces and 100% for unoccluded faces. These 3D face recognition experiments show that the proposed method essentially meets the requirements of high accuracy and good robustness.