bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of acoustic myography to evaluate forelimb muscle function in retriever dogs carrying different mouth weights
Authors: Weber Melissa A. , Manfredi Jane M. , Tomlinson Julia E.
Published: November 2022

Objectives

To evaluate the effect of mouth weight on gait and relative function of forelimb muscles in retriever hunting dogs as a possible explanation for biceps tendinopathy.

Methods

Ten sound retriever dogs underwent acoustic myography, measuring efficiency (E-score), spatial summation (S-score), and temporal summation (T-score) during walk and trot on a pressure-sensitive walkway while carrying a 0 lb (0 kg), 1 lb (0.45 kg), and 3.2 lb (1.45 kg) mouth weight. Gait data included total pressure index (TPI), step length, and stance time. Statistics included a mixed effects model significant atp< 0.05.

Results

Forelimb TPI increased with increasing weight. There was no significant change in individual muscle parameters in response to weight. Significance was found in between-muscle comparisons. For walk, T-score was significantly lower in triceps vs. brachiocephalicus with 1 lb, not with 3.2 lb., S-score was significantly lower in the biceps at 0, 1 lb, and triceps at 0 lb. when compared to brachiocephalicus, E-score was significantly lower in deltoideus vs. brachiocephalicus at trot with l and 3.2 lb. There was an overall significant effect of muscle on T-score at trot, but no individual muscle comparison was significant.

Conclusion

Forelimb load increases with mouth weight. Deltoideus had a longer contraction time in response to increasing weight at trot when compared to brachiocephalicus. The biceps muscle did not show increased work in response to increasing weight.

Clinical relevance

The underlying etiology of biceps tendinopathies in retriever dogs remains uncertain but is not due to increasing weight.
Effects of message delivery on cross-cultural biosecurity compliance: Insights from experimental simulations
Authors: Liu Tung-Lin , Merrill Scott C. , O'Keefe Aislinn , Clark Eric M. , Langle-Chimal Ollin D. , Trinity Luke , Shrum Trisha R. , Koliba Christopher , Zia Asim , Sellnow Timothy L. , Sellnow Deanna D. , Smith Julia M.
Published: November 2022

Background

Effective biosecurity communication of transmission risks and associated protective behaviors can reduce the impacts of infectious diseases in US animal agriculture. Yet, more than 1/5 of animal production workers speak a language other than English at home, and more than 40 percent are less than fluent in English. Communicating with these workers often involves translating into their primary languages. However, communication strategies targeting different cultural groups are not well-understood.

Aims

To identify cross-linguistic risk communication strategies to facilitate compliance, we hypothesized that uncertainty avoidance cultures associated with the languages might affect biosecurity compliance contingent upon two additional covariates: (1) the risk of acquiring an infection and (2) the delivery method of the infection risk.

Methods

We designed an experimental game simulating a line of separation (LOS) biosecurity tactic in a swine production facility, where participants were tasked with completing tasks inside and outside of the facility. Data were collected using games in the two most spoken languages in the US: English (EN) and Spanish (SP). Participants made binary decisions about whether to use the LOS biosecurity tactic based on the risk information provided. Mixed-effect logistic models were used to test the effects of covariates on using the LOS tactic by different language groups.

Results

We found that biosecurity compliance rates of participants who took the experiments in the language associated with high and low uncertainty cultures showed no significant differences. However, there are substantial differences in how risk information is perceived between the two language groups under different infection risks. Specifically, and counterintuitively, SP participants were more risk-averse in gain scenarios but more risk-taking in loss scenarios. These differences are most pronounced in numeric risk messaging, indicating that numbers may not be the best way to communicate risk information regarding biosecurity cross-culturally.

Conclusions

When confronted with situational biosecurity decisions, risk perception and preferences vary by language group. Effective biosecurity communication needs to account for these differences and not assume that direct translation of risk messages will result in comparable compliance.
The Spherical Harmonic Family of Beampatterns
Authors: Parker Kevin J. , Alonso Miguel A.
Published: November 2022

The free space solution to the wave equation in spherical coordinates is well known as a separable product of functions. Re-examination of these functions, particularly the sums of spherical Bessel and harmonic functions, reveals behaviors which can produce a range of useful beampatterns from radially symmetric sources. These functions can be modified by several key parameters which can be adjusted to produce a wide-ranging family of beampatterns, from the axicon Bessel beam to a variety of unique axial and lateral forms. We demonstrate that several special properties of the simple sum over integer orders of spherical Bessel functions, and then the sum of their product with spherical harmonic functions specifying the free space solution, lead to a family of useful beampatterns and a unique framework for designing them. Examples from a simulation of a pure tone 5 MHz ultrasound configuration demonstrate strong central axis concentration, and the ability to modulate or localize the axial intensity with simple adjustment of the integer orders and other key parameters related to the weights and arguments of the spherical Bessel functions.
Temporal Howling Detector for Speech Reinforcement Systems
Authors: Alkaher Yehav , Cohen Israel
Published: November 2022

In this paper, we address the problem of howling detection in speech reinforcement system applications for utilization in howling control mechanisms. A general speech reinforcement system acquires speech from a speaker’s microphone, and delivers a reinforced speech to other listeners in the same room, or another room, through loudspeakers. The amount of gain that can be applied to the acquired speech in the closed-loop system is constrained by electro-acoustic coupling in the system, manifested in howling noises appearing as a result of acoustic feedback. A howling detection algorithm aims to early detect frequency-howls in the system, before the human ear notices. The proposed algorithm includes two cascaded stages: Soft Howling Detection and Howling False-Alarm Detection. The Soft Howling Detection is based on the temporal magnitude-slope-deviation measure, identifying potential candidate frequency-howls. Inspired by the temporal approach, the Howling False-Alarm Detection stage considers the understanding of speech-signal frequency components’ magnitude behavior under different levels of acoustic feedback. A comprehensive howling detection performance evaluation process is designed, examining the proposed algorithm in terms of detection accuracy and the time it takes for detection, under a devised set of howling scenarios. The performance improvement of the proposed algorithm, with respect to a plain magnitude-slope-deviation-based method, is demonstrated by showing faster detection response times over a set of howling change-rate configurations. The two-staged proposed algorithm also provides a significant recall improvement, while improving the precision decrease via the Howling False-Alarm Detection stage.
Structural Efficiency Analysis of a Piston for Aviation Engines
Authors: Pan Zhongjian , He Qinghua , Pang Xiaobing
Published: November 2022

The high-performance piston has a great impact on the performance parameters of the engine. The rapid design of a high-performance piston can shorten the research and development cycle and lower the experimental cost. At present, the piston design is mostly considered from a single factor, but it has not been comprehensively designed from multiple factors. Starting from the concept of structural efficiency, this paper defines the restrictive factors affecting engine performance parameters in piston design, puts forward an evaluation method of quantifying the benefit of piston design on engine performance parameters, and deduces the calculation model. The piston is designed and iterated many times to obtain the best two schemes. The two schemes are quantitatively compared through the above calculation model and verified by experiments. The results show that the structural efficiency of the piston in scheme 2 is 4.6% higher than that in scheme 1. The calculation method is applicable to the design of key engine components, which can shorten the research and development cycle, save the test costs, and greatly improve the R&D efficiency.
Stability of a Flexible Asteroid Lander with Landing Control
Authors: Yan Weifeng , Feng Ruoyu , Baoyin Hexi
Published: November 2022

Stable landing on asteroids is of considerable scientific and economic value but accompanied by huge difficulties. This paper proposes a novel flexible lander suitable for asteroids with microgravity and rugged surface. The gravity model with the artificial neural network and the surface model with the spherical harmonic method are introduced to establish the target asteroid’s dynamical environment. The flexible dynamics with the discrete shell model, the collision with the spring-damping model and viscous sliding friction, and the rigid coupling with the constraint violation stabilization method are elaborated for the lander. Combining the asteroid’s model with the lander’s dynamics, one successful landing scenario of the lander is presented. The lander’s landing stability of the final uncontrolled touching phase is studied through massive simulations. It is found that reasonable touching conditions can largely enhance the landing stability, and the lander can achieve a stable landing on the asteroid under a particular touching condition without control. The flexible lander’s comparison to the rigid lander is also discussed. It is concluded that the flexible lander does have higher adaptability and lower risk in asteroid landing. What is more, the attitude controller and position controller for the lander’s descent phase are also proposed and tested.
Addressing Rural–Urban Income Gap in China through Farmers’ Education and Agricultural Productivity Growth via Mediation and Interaction Effects
Authors: Liu Jianxu , Li Xiaoqing , Liu Shutong , Rahman Sanzidur , Sriboonchitta Songsak
Published: November 2022

Narrowing the rural–urban income gap is an important challenge in achieving sustained and stable economic and social development in China. The present study investigates the role of farmers’ education and agricultural productivity growth in influencing the rural–urban income gap by applying mediation, interaction, and quantile regression models to provincial panel data of China from 2003 to 2017. Results show that, first of all, China’s agricultural productivity (TFP) continues to improve, and it is mainly driven by technical change (TC), with no significant role of technical efficiency change (TEC) or stable scale change (SC). Improving farmers’ education not only directly narrows the rural–urban income gap but also indirectly improves agricultural productivity to further narrow the rural–urban income gap. Due to differences in income sources of farmers, the corresponding impacts of farmers’ education and agricultural productivity growth on the rural–urban income gap also differ. Policy recommendations include continued investments in farmers’ education and training as well as modernization of agricultural for higher productivity growth.
Decision Support in Horticultural Supply Chains: A Planning Problem Framework for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Authors: Drechsler Marius , Holzapfel Andreas
Published: November 2022

This paper investigates and systematizes planning problems along the supply chain of small and medium-sized companies in the horticultural market of ornamental plants, perennials, and cut flowers. The sector faces considerable challenges such as multiple planning uncertainties, product perishability, and considerable lead times. However, decisions in practice are often based on rules of thumb. Data-driven decision support is thus necessary to professionalize supply chain, logistics, and operations planning in the sector. We explore the practical planning problems with the help of expert interviews with people in charge of typical companies active in the market. We structure the planning problems along the supply chain according to their time horizon and highlight the critical elements of the planning tasks and horticultural specifics. We examine the status quo of research on decision support for these planning tasks with the help of a structured literature review, highlight research gaps, and outline promising future research directions. We find that the tactical planning domains of material/product requirement, production, and demand planning are especially critical in practice, and that there is a great need for research to develop practically relevant decision support systems. Such systems are currently available only to a limited extent in literature and are not fully compatible with requirements in the ornamental horticultural sector. By structuring and detailing the relevant decision problems, we contribute to an understanding of planning problems and decision-making in horticultural supply chains, and we provide a first comprehensive overview of planning problems, aligned literature, and research gaps for the horticultural business.
Physiological Characterization of Drought Responses and Screening of Rice Varieties under Dry Cultivation
Authors: Wei Xiaoshuang , Cang Baifeng , Yu Kuo , Li Wanchun , Tian Ping , Han Xiao , Wang Guan , Di Yuting , Wu Zhihai , Yang Meiying
Published: November 2022

Drought is a serious factor limiting rice production, and it leads to huge economic losses. Considering the current and projected global food demand, increasing productivity of drought-prone crops has become critical. In order to achieve the production target, rice drought-tolerant germplasm resources are an important prerequisite for the development of water-saving cultivation. Through multi-indicator measurement, the stress effect of drought on rice was clarified and a preliminary drought resistance identification index system was established based on the response of plant the germination, seedling and adult stages of rice and materials suitable for dry cultivation were screened. The results showed that relative root length, relative root weight and relative shoot weight were most affected by drought stress at the germination stage, while root length and root dry weight were positively correlated with the drought survival proportion at the seedling stage; high net photosynthetic rates and antioxidant enzyme activities are maintained in the late period in strongly drought-tolerant varieties. In this experiment, two drought-resistant varieties were screened, there was a high consistency in the screening of drought-tolerant varieties at the germination and seedling stages, with their joint screening showing the same performance as at the adult stage. The drought-resistant varieties at the adult stage can promote seed filling and ensure group yield by prolonging photosynthesis time and enhancing antioxidant enzyme activity, which can provide theoretical support and material basis for future variety screening and evaluation, as well as rice dry-crop cultivation.
Wheat Yield Estimation Using Remote Sensing Indices Derived from Sentinel-2 Time Series and Google Earth Engine in a Highly Fragmented and Heterogeneous Agricultural Region
Authors: Saad El Imanni Hajar , El Harti Abderrazak , El Iysaouy Lahcen
Published: November 2022

In Morocco, monitoring and estimation of wheat yield at the regional and national scales are critical issues for national food security. The recent Sentinel-2 imagery offers potential for managing grain production systems on a field and regional level. The present study was planned based on a time series of six remote sensing indices and Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) methods for real-time estimation of wheat yield using the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform in a highly heterogeneous and fragmented agricultural region, such as the Tadla Irrigated Perimeter (TIP). First, the spatial distribution of wheat in the TIP region was mapped by performing Random Forest (RF) classification of Sentinel 2 images. Following that, using MLR models, the wheat yield of nine sampled fields was estimated for the different phenological stages of wheat. The yield measured in-situ was the independent variable of the regressions. The dependent variables included the remote sensing indices derived from Sentinel-2. The remote sensing index and the phenological period of the greatest model were investigated to estimate and map the wheat yield in the entire study area. The RF generated the wheat mapping of the study area with an overall accuracy (OA) of 93.82%. Furthermore, the coefficient of determination (R2) of the tested MLR was from 0.53 to 0.89, while the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) varied from 4.29 to 7.78 q ha−1. The best model was the one that uses the Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (GNDVI) in the tillering and maturity stages.
Effects of Compound Biochar Substrate Coupled with Water and Nitrogen on the Growth of Cucumber Plug Seedlings
Authors: Ma Guoxin , Chen Xi , Liu Yang , Hu Jianping , Han Luhua , Mao Hanping
Published: November 2022

Since plug seedlings play a key role in automatic transplanting, this work aimed to explore the interaction between the biochar rate, water content, and N–fertilization in the substrate on the cultivation of cucumber seedlings before and after transplanting. The research showed that most of the factors obtained significant individual and interaction effects by measuring and analyzing the growth parameters of seedlings before transplanting. Most growth parameters significantly decreased with the increase in biochar rate except Water Use Efficiency which obtained the highest value of 2.06 g/L when the biochar rate was 10%. Furthermore, some growth parameters increased significantly with the increase in water content, while the Total Dry Matter and Water Use Efficiency reached their highest values, 0.778 g and 1.94 g/L, respectively, when the water content was 65%. All growth parameters reached their highest values when the N–fertilization was 50%; too high or too low of N–fertilization was not conducive to the growth of seedlings. The growth parameters and photosynthesis indices of seedlings cultivated after transplanting indicated that the seedlings with superior growth before transplanting performed better than other treatments in regard to growth and photosynthesis after transplanting. The interactions were in general optimal when the biochar rate was 5%, water content was 80%, and N–fertilization was 50% in the substrate, and seedlings cultivated under this treatment could not only meet the requirements of automatic transplanting, but also ensure rapid growth after transplanting. This study thus provides some guidance for the effective cultivation of vegetable plug seedlings.
Yields of Buckwheat and Alfalfa in an Intercropping System Inoculated with Dark Septate Endophytes in a Coal Mining Subsidence Dryland Area
Authors: Gao Yakun , Bi Yinli , Ma Shaopeng , Zhang Yanxu , Guo Yun , Zhou Yang , Xu Shihao , Christie Peter
Published: November 2022

Coal mining subsidence areas in north Shaanxi province in north China are commonly low-fertility drylands, and intercropping is a popular method locally of maximizing crop yields. Inoculation with dark septate endophytes (DSE) can increase the yields of conventional crops grown in monoculture, but the effects of DSE on the growth and yield of intercropped plants are unknown. Here, a field experiment was conducted in a coal mining subsidence area on the loess plateau in 2020 and 2021. The two crops were buckwheat and alfalfa, with four treatments for each crop: sole cropping control, sole cropping with DSE inoculation, intercropping control, and intercropping with DSE inoculation. The yields, land equivalent ratios, DSE colonization rates, and yield components of buckwheat and alfalfa were compared in the different treatments. Stepwise regression and path analysis was conducted to identify the factors that determined crop yields. Yields of intercropped buckwheat and alfalfa with DSE inoculation increased in two consecutive years compared with sole cropping control, with yields increasing in 2020 by 117 and 86%, respectively. In 2021, the yield of buckwheat in intercropping with DSE inoculation did not increase significantly, but the yield of alfalfa increased by 120% compared with the sole cropping control. Buckwheat-alfalfa intercropping has the advantage of increasing the yield. DSE inoculation significantly increased the yield of buckwheat-alfalfa intercropping in 2020, but there was no yield advantage in 2021. The yield components of buckwheat and alfalfa showed inconsistent differences among experimental treatments. Stepwise regression and path analysis shows that the DSE colonization rate played an important role in the yield, which was an increased in buckwheat and alfalfa in 2020 and 2021. DSE affected the buckwheat yield indirectly by increasing the grain weight per plant, plant phosphorus uptake, and plant nitrogen content. DSE indirectly affected alfalfa yields by increasing plant nitrogen uptake and plant height. DSE may therefore have some potential to increase yields in buckwheat-alfalfa intercropping systems in coal mining subsidence areas.
Metabolomic Profiling, In Vitro Antimalarial Investigation and In Silico Modeling of the Marine Actinobacterium Strain Rhodococcus sp. UR111 Associated with the Soft Coral Nephthea sp.
Authors: Gamaleldin Noha M. , Bahr Hebatallah S. , Mostafa Yaser A. , McAllister Bryant F. , El Zawily Amr , Ngwa Che J. , Pradel Gabriele , Hassan Hossam M. , Abdelmohsen Usama Ramadan , Alkhalifah Dalal Hussien M. , Hozzein Wael N.
Published: November 2022

Malaria is a persistent illness with a great public health concern. To combat this fatal disease, developing effective antimalarial medications has become a necessity. In the present study, we described the actinomycetes associated with the Red Sea soft coral Nephthea sp. and isolated a strain that was sub-cultured in three different media (M1, ISP2, and OLIGO). Actinomycete isolate’s phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that it belongs to the genus Rhodococcus. In vitro screening of the antimalarial activity for three extracts against Plasmodium falciparum was carried out. Non-targeted metabolomics for the chemical characterization of the isolated actinomycete species UA111 derived extracts were employed using high-resolution liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-HR-MS) for dereplication purposes. Additionally, statistical analysis of the vast LC-MS data was performed using MetaboAnalyst 5.0. Finally, an in silico analysis was conducted to investigate the potential chemical compounds that could be the source of the antimalarial potential. The results revealed that ISP2 media extract is the most effective against Plasmodium falciparum, according to antimalarial screening (IC50 8.5 µg/mL), in contrast, OLIGO media extract was inactive. LC-HRMS-based metabolomics identified a range of metabolites, mainly alkaloids, from the genus Rhodococcus. On the other hand, multivariate analysis showed chemical diversity between the analyzed samples, with ISP2 extract being optimal. The docking analysis was able to anticipate the various patterns of interaction of the annotated compounds with three malarial protein targets (P. falciparum kinase, P. falciparum cytochrome bc1 complex, and P. falciparum lysyl-tRNA synthetase). Among all of the test compounds, perlolyrine (11) and 3097-B2 (12) displayed the best docking profiles. In conclusion, this work demonstrated the value of the established method for the metabolic profiling of marine actinomycetes using the data from liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS), which helps to streamline the difficult isolation stages required for their chemical characterization. In addition, the antimalarial efficacy of this strain has intriguing implications for future pharmaceutical development.
Dietary L-Arginine or N-Carbamylglutamate Alleviates Colonic Barrier Injury, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation by Modulation of Intestinal Microbiota in Intrauterine Growth-Retarded Suckling Lambs
Authors: Zhang Hao , Zheng Yi , Zha Xia , Ma Yi , Liu Xiaoyun , Elsabagh Mabrouk , Wang Hongrong , Wang Mengzhi
Published: November 2022

Our previous studies have revealed that dietary N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) and L-arginine (Arg) supplementation improves redox status and suppresses apoptosis in the colon of suckling Hu lambs with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). However, no studies have reported the function of Arg or NCG in the colonic microbial communities, barrier function, and inflammation in IUGR-suckling lambs. This work aimed to further investigate how dietary Arg or NCG influences the microbiota, barrier function, and inflammation in the colon of IUGR lambs. Forty-eight newborn Hu lambs of 7 d old were assigned to four treatment groups (n = 12 per group; six male, six female) as follows: CON (normal birth weight, 4.25 ± 0.14 kg), IUGR (3.01 ± 0.12 kg), IUGR + Arg (2.99 ± 0.13 kg), and IUGR + NCG (3.03 ± 0.11 kg). A total of 1% Arg or 0.1% NCG was supplemented in a basal diet of milk replacer, respectively. Lambs were fed the milk replacer for 21 d until 28 d after birth. Compared to the non-supplemented IUGR lambs, the transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) was higher, while fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran 4 kDa (FD4) was lower in the colon of the NCG- or Arg-supplemented IUGR lambs (p < 0.05). The IUGR lambs exhibited higher (p < 0.05) colonic interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels than the CON lambs; the detrimental effects of IUGR on colonic proinflammatory cytokine concentrations and redox status were counteracted by dietary Arg or NCG supplementation. Both IUGR + Arg and IUGR + NCG lambs exhibited an elevated protein and mRNA expression of Occludin, Claudin-1, and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) compared to the IUGR lambs (p < 0.05). Additionally, the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) concentration was decreased while the levels of acetate, butyrate, and propionate were increased in IUGR + Arg and IUGR + NCG lambs compared to the IUGR lambs (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Clostridium, Lactobacillus, and Streptococcus was lower in the colonic mucosa of the IUGR lambs than in the CON lambs (p < 0.05) but was restored upon the dietary supplementation of Arg or NCG to the IUGR lambs (p < 0.05). Both Arg and NCG can alleviate colonic barrier injury, oxidative stress (OS), and inflammation by the modulation of colonic microbiota in IUGR-suckling lambs. This work contributes to improving knowledge about the crosstalk among gut microbiota, immunity, OS, and barrier function and emphasizes the potential of Arg or NCG in health enhancement as feed additives in the early life nutrition of ruminants.
Association between Dietary Total Antioxidant Capacity of Antioxidant Vitamins and the Risk of Stroke among US Adults
Authors: Yang Chaojun , Jia Xiaocan , Wang Yuping , Fan Jingwen , Zhao Chenyu , Yang Yongli , Shi Xuezhong
Published: November 2022

The intake of antioxidant vitamins can scavenge free radicals and reduce oxidative stress, which may be beneficial for stroke. However, the relationship between total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of antioxidant vitamins and stroke is controversial. This study aims to investigate the association between dietary TAC and the risk of stroke in US adults. This study included participants over 20 years old from the 2001–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Data from two 24 h dietary recalls were used to estimate the usual intake of antioxidant vitamins. TAC was calculated by the vitamin C equivalent antioxidant capacity reference values of individual antioxidant vitamins. Survey-weighted generalized linear models were performed to evaluate the relationship between TAC and the risk of stroke. A restricted cubic spline regression model was used to investigate the dose–response association. A total of 37,045 participants was involved, of whom 1391 suffered a stroke. Compared with the first tertile, the participants in the second tertile of TAC showed a lower risk of stroke (OR = 0.788, 95% CI: 0.662, 0.936) after adjusting for potential risk factors. The dose–response analysis showed a gradual increase in the risk of stroke as TAC decreases. Subgroups analyses indicated that this association was primarily in the population of those aged over 60 years old, who were female, consumed alcohol, were a former smoker and inactive. The sensitivity analysis presented consistent results. These results suggest that deficiency of dietary TAC was associated with an increased risk of stroke, particularly in populations with underlying oxidative stress injury.
Caesalpinia sappan Linn. Ameliorates Allergic Nasal Inflammation by Upregulating the Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 Pathway in an Allergic Rhinitis Mouse Model and Nasal Epithelial Cells
Authors: Pyun Bo-Jeong , Jo Kyuhyung , Lee Joo Young , Lee Ami , Jung Myung-A , Hwang Youn-Hwan , Jung Dong Ho , Ji Kon-Young , Choi Susanna , Kim Yun Hee , Kim Taesoo
Published: November 2022

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common upper-airway inflammatory disease of the nasal mucosa caused by immunoglobulin (IgE)-mediated inflammation. AR causes various painful clinical symptoms of the nasal mucosa that worsen the quality of daily life, necessitating the urgent development of therapeutic agents. Herein, we investigated the effects of Caesalpinia sappan Linn. heartwood water extract (CSLW), which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, on AR-related inflammatory responses. We examined the anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects of CSLW in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced AR mice and in primary human nasal epithelial cells (HNEpCs). Administration of CSLW mitigated allergic nasal symptoms in AR mice, decreased total immune cell and eosinophil counts in nasal lavage fluid, and significantly reduced serum levels of OVA-specific IgE, histamine, and Th2 inflammation-related cytokines. CSLW also inhibited the infiltration of several inflammatory and goblet cells, thereby ameliorating OVA-induced thickening of the nasal mucosa tissue. We found that CSLW treatment significantly reduced infiltration of eosinophils and production of periostin, MUC5AC, and intracellular reactive oxygen species through the Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway in HNEpCs. Thus, our findings strongly indicate that CSLW is a potent therapeutic agent for AR and can improve the daily life of patients by controlling the allergic inflammatory reaction of the nasal epithelium.
Effect of Particle Size on Compost Analysis by Portable X-ray Fluorescence
Authors: López-Núñez Rafael , Bello-López Miguel Angel , Santana-Sosa Marina , Bellido-Través Cristina , Burgos-Doménech Pilar
Published: November 2022

Portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) could be more widely used for analyzing organic amendments, because it allows for a fast and low-cost analysis and is easy to use, among other operational advantages. However, the heterogeneity of these materials causes deviations in the measurements made. In the present study, three composts different in their origin (municipal solid waste (MSW), sewage sludge, and alperujo (i.e., olive oil manufacturing) waste) and composition were used. The effect that the laboratory grinding process had on the results of their elemental analysis conducted with pXRF was studied, as well as the elemental composition of the compost granulometric fractions. The grinding process of the fractions larger than 0.5 mm caused higher concentration readings for the elements Si (up to 47%), Ti (up to 30%), Al (up to 27%), K (up to 26%), P (up to 24%), V (up to 18%), and Pb (up to 16%) and lower readings for Zn (up to −41%) and Cu (−64%) in the ground samples. The differences depended on the type of compost. However, in the complete compost samples, the grinding caused lower reductions: −34% in the Cu concentration of the MSW compost, −20% in the Zn concentrations of the MSW compost and the alperujo compost, and a 15.2% increase in the P concentration of the MSW compost. For most of the elements, grinding did not cause significant differences. Since several of the elements that presented wide variations are essential for the characterization of compost, it is recommended that in order to carry out measurements with this technique, a sample preparation process is carried out that guarantees its homogeneity.
Raspberries-LITRP Database: RGB Images Database for the Industrial Applications of Red Raspberries’ Automatic Quality Estimation
Authors: Quintero Rincón Antonio , Mora Marco , Naranjo-Torres Jose , Fredes Claudio , Valenzuela Andrés
Published: November 2022

This work presents a free new database designed from a real industrial process to recognize, identify, and classify the quality of the red raspberry accurately, automatically, and in real time. Raspberry trays with recently harvested fresh fruit enter the industry’s selection and quality control process to be categorized and subsequently their purchase price is determined. This selection is carried out from a sample of a complete batch to evaluate the quality of the raspberry. This database aims to solve one of the major problems in the industry: evaluating the largest amount of fruit possible and not a single sample. This major dataset enables researchers in various disciplines to develop practical machine-learning (ML) algorithms to improve red raspberry quality in the industry, by identifying different diseases and defects in the fruit, and by overcoming limitations by increasing the performance detection rate accuracy and reducing computation time. This database is made up of two packages and can be downloaded free from the Laboratory of Technological Research in Pattern Recognition repository at the Catholic University of the Maule. The RGB image package contains 286 raw original images with a resolution of 3948 × 2748 pixels from raspberry trays acquired during a typical process in the industry. Furthermore, the labeled images are available with the annotations for two diseases (86 albinism labels and 164 fungus rust labels) and two defects (115 over-ripeness labels, and 244 peduncle labels). The MATLAB code package contains three well-known ML methodological approaches, which can be used to classify and detect the quality of red raspberries. Two are statistical-based learning methods for feature extraction coupled with a conventional artificial neural network (ANN) as a classifier and detector. The first method uses four predictive learning from descriptive statistical measures, such as variance, standard deviation, mean, and median. The second method uses three predictive learning from a statistical model based on the generalized extreme value distribution parameters, such as location, scale, and shape. The third ML approach uses a convolution neural network based on a pre-trained fastest region approach (Faster R-CNN) that extracts its features directly from images to classify and detect fruit quality. The classification performance metric was assessed in terms of true and false positive rates, and accuracy. On average, for all types of raspberries studied, the following accuracies were achieved: Faster R-CNN 91.2%, descriptive statistics 81%, and generalized extreme value 84.5%. These performance metrics were compared to manual data annotations by industry quality control staff, accomplishing the parameters and standards of agribusiness. This work shows promising results, which can shed a new light on fruit quality standards methodologies in the industry.
A Novel Strategy for Computing Routing Paths for Software-Defined Networks Based on MOCell Optimization
Authors: Gonzalez-Trejo Jose E. , Rivera-Rodriguez Raul , Tchernykh Andrei , Lozano-Rizk Jose E. , Villarreal-Reyes Salvador , Galaviz-Mosqueda Alejandro , Gonzalez Compean Jose L.
Published: November 2022

Software-defined networking (SDN) is the fastest growing and most widely deployed network infrastructure due to its adaptability to new networking technologies and intelligent applications. SDN simplifies network management and control by separating the control plane from the data plane. The SDN controller performs the routing process using the traditional shortest path approach to obtain end-to-end paths. This process usually does not consider the nodes’ capacity and may cause network congestion and delays, affecting flow performance. Therefore, we evaluate the most conventional routing criteria in the SDN scenario based on Dijkstra’s algorithm and compare the found paths with our proposal based on a cellular genetic algorithm for multi-objective optimization (MOCell). We compare our proposal with another multi-objective evolutionary algorithm based on decomposition (MOEA/D) for benchmark purposes. We evaluate various network parameters such as bandwidth, delay, and packet loss to find the optimal end-to-end path. We consider a large-scale inter-domain SDN scenario. The simulation results show that our proposed method can improve the performance of data streams with TCP traffic by up to 54% over the traditional routing method of the shortest path and by 33% for the highest bandwidth path. When transmitting a constant data stream using the UDP protocol, the throughput of the MOCell method is more than 1.65% and 9.77% for the respective paths.
Study on the Stability of Soil–Rock Mixture Slopes Based on the Material Point Strength Reduction Method
Authors: Xu Zaixian , Li Chao , Fang Fang , Wu Fufei
Published: November 2022

In this paper, the material point strength reduction method is used to investigate the stability of soil–rock mixture (SRM) slopes and the whole process of large deformation occurring after destabilization. A comparative study with homogeneous soil slopes is conducted. First, a material point slope model with typical shapes, a homogeneous soil slope, and an SRM slope with stones of different sizes distributed inside is established. Next, gravity is linearly added to establish the initial state of the slopes. Then the material strength of the slope is discounted according to the criterion of strength discounting. The material point method (MPM) simulations of the two slopes are carried out separately until the slope’s displacement changes abruptly to determine the slope’s safety factor. The final accumulation form of the slope after the damage is studied. Finally, the deformation characteristics of the two slopes under extreme conditions are explored. The research shows that the stones are beneficial to the slope in maintaining slope stability, and due to the presence of stones, the slope presents different characteristics from the pure soil slope when damage occurs.
Point-by-Point-Contact-Based Approach to Compute Position and Orientation between Parts Assembled by Multiple Non-Ideal Planes
Authors: Zhang Jian , Qiao Lihong , Huang Zhicheng , Anwer Nabil
Published: November 2022

Position and orientation deviations (PODs), being affected by surface deviations, occur after parts are assembled, which directly affects the performance of mechanical products. Moreover, mechanical parts are generally assembled with multiple constraint planes, and the generated PODs are influenced by the type of positioning. Therefore, the PODs of multiple planes should be computed in the design stage according to the predicted surface deviations, to control the product performance. However, even though the POD computation of multiple planes has been researched, the effects of surface deviations and multiple types of positioning cannot be considered simultaneously. To address this problem, this study proposes a point-by-point-contact-based approach. The six-point positioning principle is employed to determine the possible number of contact points on each mating plane. The surface deviations are modeled from the perspective of manufacturing errors. Furthermore, the contact points on each mating plane are determined successively using both the strategies of progressively approaching position and of the orientation and recursion of contact points. As a result, the PODs are acquired. The feasibility and usefulness of the proposed approach are verified through a case study. Herein, effects of surface deviations and multiple types of positioning on PODs are unified as contact point variations. Consequently, this approach is expected to assist with accurately controlling the POD influence on the performance of mechanical products in the design stage.
A Three-Port Power Electronic Transformer Based on Magnetic Integration
Authors: Liao Zhixian , Jiao Yingzong , Suo Zhiwen , Li Binbin , Zhao Xiaodong , Han Linjie , Xu Dianguo
Published: November 2022

This paper proposes a three-port power electronic transformer (PET) based on magnetic integration, where the modular multilevel converter (MMC) arm inductors and high-frequency transformer are integrated; thus, the low-voltage DC (LVDC) port can be directly obtained. Such a magnetic integration structure has advantages of reduction in magnetic volume and number of active switches, implying a compact structure and reduced cost. Compared with existing PETs, the proposed PET can save more than 60% of magnetic volume and more than 19% of device cost. The proposed PET is suitable for AC/DC hybrid distribution applications with medium-voltage DC (MVDC), medium-voltage AC (MVAC), and LVDC ports, especially for scenarios where moderate amounts of power (100 s of kW) are tapped from an LVDC port. The feasibility of the proposed three-port PET has been verified by simulation and experimental results.
Cubic Nonlinearity of Tellurite and Chalcogenide Glasses: Terahertz-Field-Induced Second Harmonic Generation vs. Optical Kerr Effect
Authors: Bodrov Sergey , Sergeev Yuriy , Burova Ekaterina , Korytin Aleksey , Murzanev Aleksey , Romashkin Alexander , Stepanov Andrey
Published: November 2022

Third-order nonlinear susceptibilities χ3−2ω;ω,ω,0 and χ3−ω;ω,−ω,ω responsible for electric-field-induced second harmonic generation and the optical Kerr effect were measured and directly compared for tellurite and chalcogenide glasses. The nonlinear coefficients were found by measuring the second harmonic radiation from samples under the action of an external field of terahertz pulses and by the classical z-scan technique, respectively. The influence of ambient air and helium gas on second harmonic generation was analyzed. It was demonstrated that both susceptibilities χ3−2ω;ω,ω,0 and χ3−ω;ω,−ω,ω have close absolute values, which shows the dominant role of nonresonant electronic nonlinearity in the studied glasses.
The Robotic Intracorporeal Vesuvian Orthotopic Neobladder (VON)—A New Technique for Continent Urinary Diversion: Initial Experience and Description of the Technique
Authors: Del Biondo Dario , Napodano Giorgio , Barone Biagio , Iacone Mario , Grillo Marco , Ottaviano Nunzio , Piccoli Bruno , Di Giacomo Ferdinando , Di Domenico Dante , Yazici Sertac
Published: November 2022

Orthotopic neobladder reconstruction is becoming an increasing option as a urinary diversion following cystectomy for bladder cancer. The purpose of the following article is to describe, step-by-step, our technique for the robotic intracorporeal neobladder, the Vesuvian Orthotopic Neobladder. The primary aim of this new surgical procedure is to simplify and speed up the reservoir reconstruction, while at the same time obtaining an appropriate reservoir capacity. The Vesuvian Orthotopic Neobladder was performed employing an intestinal tract of 36 cm which was successively shaped in order to form a reservoir with three horns (left, right, and caudal), formed via the use of a mechanical stapler. Both ureters were stented and anastomosed to the left and right horn while the urethral-neobladder anastomosis was performed with the caudal horn. In this initial experience, two male patients with non-metastatic muscle-invasive bladder cancer underwent radical cystectomy followed by Vesuvian Orthotopic Neobladder reconfiguration. The mean age was 58.5 ± 3.53 years while the mean overall operative time was 435 ± 35.35 min, with an average neobladder reconstruction time of 59 ± 4.24 min. No intraoperative or postoperative complications were reported. The new intracorporeal Vesuvian Orthotopic Neobladder technique is a feasible and good alternative to traditional robotic intracorporeal orthotopic bladder procedures, permitting us to reduce operative time and obtain a neobladder with a fair reservoir capacity.
MR Imaging and Electrophysiological Features of Doxorubicin-Induced Fibrosis: Protocol Development in a Small Preclinical Pig Study with Histological Validation
Authors: Lin Peter , Escartin Terenz , Larsen Melissa , Ng Matthew , Li Mengyuan , Barry Jennifer , Roifman Idan , Pop Mihaela
Published: November 2022

A critical chemotherapeutic complication is cardiotoxicity, often leading, in time, to heart failure. In this work, we developed a novel animal protocol using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and electrophysiology (EP) tests, designed to detect subtle structural and functional changes associated with myocardial damage in sub-chronic phases post-chemotherapy. A weekly dose of doxorubicin (DOX) was injected in four juvenile swine throughout a four-week plan, using an intravenous approach that mimics the treatment in cancer patients. We performed cardiac MR imaging as follows: in all four pigs pre-DOX; at 1 and 5 weeks post-DOX in a group of two pigs; and, at 1 and 9 weeks post-DOX in the other two pigs, using Cine imaging to assess ejection fraction (EF) and late gadolinium enhancement to quantify collagen density in the left ventricle. Additionally, X-ray-guided voltage mapping and arrhythmia tests were conducted in the group at 9 weeks post-DOX and in a healthy pig. Tissue samples were collected for histology. The results showed that EF decreased from ~46% pre-DOX to ~34% within the first 9 weeks post-DOX. This decline in LV function was explained by a gradual increase in collagen density, especially noticeable at week 9 post-DOX as derived from MRI analysis. Furthermore, ventricular fibrillation was induced via rapid pacing at 9 weeks post-DOX, most likely caused by fibrotic patches identified in voltage maps, as confirmed by MRI and collagen-sensitive histological stains. Overall, our novel preclinical protocol was able to reveal key signs of potentially-irreversible tissue changes, along with electrical remodeling and arrhythmia risk in the early months following DOX therapy. Future work will include more datasets to statistically power the study, and will use the protocol to test cardioprotective strategies.