bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transcriptional Reprogramming and Constitutive PD-L1 Expression in Melanoma Are Associated with Dedifferentiation and Activation of Interferon and Tumour Necrosis Factor Signalling Pathways
Authors: Ahn Antonio , Rodger Euan J. , Motwani Jyoti , Gimenez Gregory , Stockwell Peter A. , Parry Matthew , Hersey Peter , Chatterjee Aniruddha , Eccles Michael R.
Published: August 2021

Melanoma is the most aggressive type of skin cancer, with increasing incidence worldwide. Advances in targeted therapy and immunotherapy have improved the survival of melanoma patients experiencing recurrent disease, but unfortunately treatment resistance frequently reduces patient survival. Resistance to targeted therapy is associated with transcriptomic changes and has also been shown to be accompanied by increased expression of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), a potent inhibitor of immune response. Intrinsic upregulation of PD-L1 is associated with genome-wide DNA hypomethylation and widespread alterations in gene expression in melanoma cell lines. However, an in-depth analysis of the transcriptomic landscape of melanoma cells with intrinsically upregulated PD-L1 expression is lacking. To determine the transcriptomic landscape of intrinsically upregulated PD-L1 expression in melanoma, we investigated transcriptomes in melanomas with constitutive versus inducible PD-L1 expression (referred to as PD-L1CON and PD-L1IND). RNA-Seq analysis was performed on seven PD-L1CON melanoma cell lines and ten melanoma cell lines with low inducible PD-L1IND expression. We observed that PD-L1CON melanoma cells had a reprogrammed transcriptome with a characteristic pattern of dedifferentiated gene expression, together with active interferon (IFN) and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) signalling pathways. Furthermore, we identified key transcription factors that were also differentially expressed in PD-L1CON versus PD-L1IND melanoma cell lines. Overall, our studies describe transcriptomic reprogramming of melanomas with PD-L1CON expression.
Deterioration of Intended Target Volume Radiation Dose Due to Anatomical Changes in Patients with Head-and-Neck Cancer
Authors: Hamming-Vrieze Olga , van Kranen Simon , Walraven Iris , Navran Arash , Al-Mamgani Abrahim , Tesselaar Margot , van den Brekel Michiel , Sonke Jan-Jakob
Published: August 2021

Delivered radiation dose can differ from intended dose. This study quantifies dose deterioration in targets, identifies predictive factors, and compares dosimetric to clinical patient selection for adaptive radiotherapy in head-and-neck cancer patients. One hundred and eighty-eight consecutive head-and-neck cancer patients treated up to 70 Gy were analyzed. Daily delivered dose was calculated, accumulated, and compared to the planned dose. Cutoff values (1 Gy/2 Gy) were used to assess plan deterioration in the highest/lowest dose percentile (D1/D99). Differences in clinical factors between patients with/without dosimetric deterioration were statistically tested. Dosimetric deterioration was evaluated in clinically selected patients for adaptive radiotherapy with CBCT. Respectively, 16% and 4% of patients had deterioration over 1 Gy in D99 and D1 in any of the targets, this was 5% (D99) and 2% (D1) over 2 Gy. Factors associated with deterioration of D99 were higher baseline weight/BMI, weight gain early in treatment, and smaller PTV margins. The sensitivity of visual patient selection with CBCT was 22% for detection of dosimetric changes over 1 Gy. Large dose deteriorations in targets occur in a minority of patients. Clinical prediction based on patient characteristics or CBCT is challenging and dosimetric selection tools seem warranted to identify patients in need for ART, especially in treatment with small PTV margins.
Cytokines, Genetic Lesions and Signaling Pathways in Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphomas
Authors: Merlio Jean-Philippe , Kadin Marshall E.
Published: August 2021

ALCL is a tumor of activated T cells and possibly innate lymphoid cells with several subtypes according to clinical presentation and genetic lesions. On one hand, the expression of transcription factors and cytokine receptors triggers signaling pathways. On the other hand, ALCL tumor cells also produce many proteins including chemokines, cytokines and growth factors that affect patient symptoms. Examples are accumulation of granulocytes stimulated by IL-8, IL-17, IL-9 and IL-13; epidermal hyperplasia and psoriasis-like skin lesions due to IL-22; and fever and weight loss in response to IL-6 and IFN-γ. In this review, we focus on the biology of the main ALCL subtypes as the identification of signaling pathways and ALCL-derived cytokines offers opportunities for targeted therapies.
Targeting CA-125 Transcription by Development of a Conditionally Replicative Adenovirus for Ovarian Cancer Treatment
Authors: Yue Er , Yang Guangchao , Yao Yuanfei , Wang Guangyu , Mohanty Atish , Fan Fang , Zhao Ling , Zhang Yanqiao , Mirzapoiazova Tamara , Walser Tonya C. , Rodriguez-Rodriguez Lorna , Fong Yuman , Salgia Ravi , Wang Edward Wenge
Published: August 2021

CA-125, encoded by the MUC16 gene, is highly expressed in most ovarian cancer cells and thus serves as a tumor marker for monitoring disease progression or treatment response in ovarian cancer patients. However, targeting MUC16/CA-125 for ovarian cancer treatment has not been successful to date. In the current study, we performed multiple steps of high-fidelity PCR and obtained a 5 kb DNA fragment upstream of the human MUC16 gene. Reporter assays indicate that this DNA fragment possesses transactivation activity in CA-125-high cancer cells, but not in CA-125-low cancer cells, indicating that the DNA fragment contains the transactivation region that controls specific expression of the MUC16 gene in ovarian cancer cells. We further refined the promoter and found a 1040 bp fragment with similar transcriptional activity and specificity. We used this refined MUC16 promoter to replace the E1A promoter in the adenovirus type 5 genome DNA, where E1A is an essential gene for adenovirus replication. We then generated a conditionally replicative oncolytic adenovirus (CRAd) that replicates in and lyses CA-125-high cancer cells, but not CA-125-low or -negative cancer cells. In vivo studies showed that intraperitoneal virus injection prolonged the survival of NSG mice inoculated intraperitoneally (ip) with selected ovarian cancer cell lines. Furthermore, the CRAd replicates in and lyses primary ovarian cancer cells, but not normal cells, collected from ovarian cancer patients. Collectively, these data indicate that targeting MUC16 transactivation utilizing CRAd is a feasible approach for ovarian cancer treatment that warrants further investigation.
Performance Evaluation of Selenite (SeO32−) Reduction by Enterococcus spp.
Authors: Tendenedzai Job T. , Chirwa Evans M. N. , Brink Hendrik G.
Published: August 2021

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) such as Enterococcus spp. have an advantage over several bacteria because of their ability to easily adapt to extreme conditions which include high temperatures, highly acidic or alkaline conditions and toxic metals. Although many microorganisms have been shown to reduce selenite (SeO32−) to elemental selenium (Se0), not much work has been done on the combined effect of Enterococcus spp. In this study, aerobic batch reduction of different selenite concentrations (1, 3 and 5 mM) was conducted using Enterococcus hermanniensis sp. and Enterococcus gallinarum sp. (3.5 h, 35 ± 2 °C, starting pH > 8.5). Results from the experiments showed that the average reductions rates were 0.608, 1.921 and 3.238 mmol·(L·h)−1, for the 1, 3 and 5 mM SeO32− concentrations respectively. In addition, more selenite was reduced for the 5 mM concentration compared to the 1 and 3 mM concentrations albeit constant biomass being used for all experiments. Other parameters which were monitored were the glucose consumption rate, protein variation, pH and ORP (oxidation reduction potential). TEM analysis was also conducted and it showed the location of electron-dense selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs). From the results obtained in this study, the authors concluded that Enterococcus species’s high adaptability makes it suitable for rapid selenium reduction and biosynthesis of elemental selenium.
Haloperidol Attenuates Lung Endothelial Cell Permeability In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Colamonici Marco A. , Epshtein Yulia , Chen Weiguo , Jacobson Jeffrey R.
Published: August 2021

We previously reported that claudin-5, a tight junctional protein, mediates lung vascular permeability in a murine model of acute lung injury (ALI) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Recently, it has been reported that haloperidol, an antipsychotic medication, dose-dependently increases expression of claudin-5 in vitro and in vivo, in brain endothelium. Notably, claudin-5 is highly expressed in both brain and lung tissues. However, the effects of haloperidol on EC barrier function are unknown. We hypothesized that haloperidol increases lung EC claudin-5 expression and attenuates agonist-induced lung EC barrier disruption. Human pulmonary artery ECs were pretreated with haloperidol at variable concentrations (0.1–10 μM) for 24 h. Cell lysates were subjected to Western blotting for claudin-5, in addition to occludin and zona occludens-1 (ZO-1), two other tight junctional proteins. To assess effects on barrier function, EC monolayers were pretreated for 24 h with haloperidol (10 µM) or vehicle prior to treatment with thrombin (1 U/mL), with measurements of transendothelial electrical resistance (TER) recorded as a real-time assessment of barrier integrity. In separate experiments, EC monolayers grown in Transwell inserts were pretreated with haloperidol (10 µM) prior to stimulation with thrombin (1 U/mL, 1 h) and measurement of FITC-dextran flux. Haloperidol significantly increased claudin-5, occludin, and ZO-1 expression levels. Measurements of TER and FITC-dextran Transwell flux confirmed a significant attenuation of thrombin-induced barrier disruption associated with haloperidol treatment. Finally, mice pretreated with haloperidol (4 mg/kg, IP) prior to the intratracheal administration of LPS (1.25 mg/kg, 16 h) had increased lung claudin-5 expression with decreased lung injury as assessed by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid protein content, total cell counts, and inflammatory cytokines, in addition to lung histology. Our data confirm that haloperidol results in increased claudin-5 expression levels and demonstrates lung vascular-protective effects both in vitro and in vivo in a murine ALI model. These findings suggest that haloperidol may represent a novel therapy for the prevention or treatment of ALI and warrants further investigation in this context.
Study of Photoregeneration of Zinc Phthalocyanine Chemiresistor after Exposure to Nitrogen Dioxide
Authors: Tomeček David , Piliai Lesia , Hruška Martin , Fitl Přemysl , Gadenne Virginie , Vorokhta Mykhailo , Matolínová Iva , Vrňata Martin
Published: August 2021

In this work, we present a complex study of photoregeneration of a zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) sensor by illumination from light-emitting diodes (LEDs). It includes an investigation of photoregeneration effectivity for various wavelengths (412–723 nm) of incident light carried out at sensor operating temperatures of 55 °C. It is demonstrated that the efficiency of photoregeneration is increasing with a decrease in the light wavelength. In the region of longer wavelengths (723–630 nm), the regeneration degree (RD) was low and ranged from 12% to 15%. In the region of shorter wavelengths (518–412 nm), the RD rose from 35% for 518 nm to 94% for 412 nm. The efficiency of photoregeneration is also shown to be higher in comparison with the temperature regeneration efficiency. In order to understand the chemism of photoregeneration processes, the electrical measurements are supplemented with Raman and near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS) studies. The spectroscopic results showed that nitrogen dioxide bonds to the Zn atom in ZnPc in the form of NO2− and NO−, i.e., partial decomposition of NO2 molecules occurs during the interaction with the surface. NAP-XPS spectra proved that light illumination of the ZnPc surface is essential for almost complete desorption of NOx species. At the same time, it is demonstrated that in case of long-time exposure or exposure of a ZnPc chemiresistor with a high concentration of NO2, the oxygen, released due to the NO2 decomposition, slowly but irreversibly oxidizes the layer. This oxidation process is most probably responsible for the sensor deactivation observed in sensor experiments with high NO2 concentrations. Based on these studies, the mechanism of nitrogen dioxide interaction with zinc phthalocyanine both under LED illumination and in dark conditions is proposed, and a special method for the sensor operation called “constant exposure dose” is established.
Fabrication by Spin-Coating and Optical Characterization of Poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) Thin Films
Authors: Hedl Elizabeth , Fabijanić Ivana , Šrut Rakić Iva , Vadla Ivan , Sancho-Parramon Jordi
Published: August 2021

The optical characteristics of poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) thin films obtained by spin-coating of polymer blend in tetrahydrofuran were investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry, spectrophotometry, and atomic force microscopy. Film thickness can be broadly varied by changing the polymer concentration.The film thickness dependence on PSAN concentration shows a non-linear behavior that can be explained by a concentration-dependent viscosity. According to previously proposed models, prepared solutions are close to the concentrated solution regime. Films show a broad transparency range and refractive index independent of film thickness. The refractive index values range from 1.55 to 1.6 in the visible range. Thermal treatment revealed good stability of the films up to 220 °C and a progressive deterioration for larger temperatures, with evident damage at 300 °C. UV-induced photodegradation was observed and results showed a progressive decrease of transmittance in the range between 200 and 300 nm but PSAN thin films show no changes when exposed to light from a solar illuminator. These investigations indicate that PSAN is an excellent candidate for thin film polymer-based optical uses like interference coatings or encapsulation of solar cells.
Exploring the Protective Effects of Phaeodactylum tricornutum Extract on LPS-Treated Fibroblasts
Authors: Mosxou Dimitra , Letsiou Sophia
Published: August 2021

Background: Microalgal extracts are an important source of bioactive compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can be used in cosmetics. The microalgae Phaeodactylum tricornutum (PT) is known for its high content of omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to attenuate inflammation. Here, we explore the effects of aqueous microencapsulated extract of PT on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) to underline its application as an active ingredient in cosmetics. Methods: We assessed cell viability using MTT assay, so as to target any potential cytotoxicity of the extract. Moreover, with the aid of RT-qPCR, we studied the transcript accumulation of genes involved in cell antioxidant response, cell proliferation, and inflammation. Results: Our results revealed that the hydrolyzed rice flour-encapsulated (HRF) PT extract promotes anti-inflammatory and antioxidant response, increasing cell proliferation in NHDF cells. Conclusions: Our data indicate a promising use of HRF-encapsulated PT extract in cosmetics by reducing skin inflammation.
Atomic Simulation of the Melting and Mechanical Behaviors of Silicon Nanowires
Authors: Zhao Dandan , Li Jing , Zhang Lin
Published: August 2021

Molecular dynamics simulations using a three-body potential show that the melting and mechanical behaviors of silicon nanowires are strongly dependent on their cross-section area. For the wire with a small cross-section area, rearrangements of surface atoms greatly affect thermal stability in a relatively low temperature regime. For these wires with a relatively large area, while some surface atoms adjust their positions, most of the interior atoms hold their tetrahedra packing patterns. At a high temperature, the accumulation of structural disorder can quickly extend into the entire wire, which resembles the melting of the bulk phase. By applying the uniaxial tensile, these silicon nanowires present the typical mechanical behavior of plastic materials. The atomic local stress in the necking region is apparently larger than that outside of the necking region. As the cross-section area becomes large, both the yield strength and tensile strength increase. With the increasing temperature, the elasticity decreases significantly.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss as the Prominent Symptom in Meningeal Carcinomatosis
Authors: Huang Xiaoqin , Jia Yu , Jiao Lidong
Published: August 2021

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) has been reported rarely in patients with meningeal carcinomatosis (MC). We summarized the clinical data of eight MC patients with SNHL and 35 patients reported from publications. In the eight patients with SNHL, the medium onset age was 48 (range from 37 to 66) years and six (75%) were male. Seven (87.5%) suffered from headaches as the initial symptom, and they experienced SNHL during the first two months after the occurrence of headaches (0.5 to 2 months, average 1.5 months). The audiogram configuration was flat in three patients (37.5%) and showed total deafness in five patients (62.5%). The damage of cranial nerves VI (abducens) was observed in six patients (75%), and four patients (50%) had cranial nerves VII (facial) injury during the disease course. The percentage of damage of cranial nerves was higher than the patients without SNHL (VIth, 75.0% vs. 13.3%, p = 0.002 and VIIth 50.0% vs. 6.7%, p = 0.012). Four (50%) patients suffered from lung adenocarcinoma as primary tumor, two (25%) experienced stomach adenocarcinoma, one had colon cancer, and one patient was unknown. The symptom of SNHL improved after individualized therapy in four patients (focal radiotherapy and chemotherapy for three patients and whole brain radiotherapy for one patient), but all passed away from 2 to 11 months after diagnosis. Total deafness and flat hearing loss in audiogram were the common types of SNHL resulting from MC. MC patients with SNHL were more likely to suffer from the damage of other cranial nerves, especially to cranial nerves VI and VII. Treatment might improve SNHL, but not improve the case fatality rate.
Bioacoustics Reveal Hidden Diversity in Frogs: Two New Species of the Genus Limnonectes from Myanmar (Amphibia, Anura, Dicroglossidae)
Authors: Köhler Gunther , Zwitzers Britta , Than Ni Lar , Gupta Deepak Kumar , Janke Axel , Pauls Steffen U. , Thammachoti Panupong
Published: August 2021

Striking geographic variation in male advertisement calls was observed in frogs formerly referred to as Limnonectes doriae and L. limborgi, respectively. Subsequent analyses of mtDNA and external morphological data brought supporting evidence for the recognition of these populations as distinct species. We describe two new frog species of the genus Limnonectes (i.e., L. bagoensis sp. nov. and L. bagoyoma sp. nov.) from Myanmar. Limnonectes bagoensis sp. nov. is closely related to L. doriae whereas L. bagoyoma sp. nov. is closely related to L. limborgi. Results of this integrative study provide evidence for the presence of additional undescribed species in these species complexes but due to the lack of bioacoustical data, we consider these additional diverging populations as candidate species that need further study to resolve their respective taxonomic status. Both new species are distributed in Lower Myanmar. Limnonectes doriae is restricted to southern Myanmar along the Malayan Peninsula whereas L. limborgi is known to occur in eastern Myanmar and northwestern Thailand. The remaining populations formerly referred to as either L. doriae or L. limborgi are considered representatives of various candidate species that await further study. We further provide a de novo draft genome of the respective holotypes of L. bagoensis sp. nov. and L. bagoyoma sp. nov. based on short-read sequencing technology to 25-fold coverage.
Entropy Estimation Using a Linguistic Zipf–Mandelbrot–Li Model for Natural Sequences
Authors: Back Andrew D. , Wiles Janet
Published: August 2021

Entropy estimation faces numerous challenges when applied to various real-world problems. Our interest is in divergence and entropy estimation algorithms which are capable of rapid estimation for natural sequence data such as human and synthetic languages. This typically requires a large amount of data; however, we propose a new approach which is based on a new rank-based analytic Zipf–Mandelbrot–Li probabilistic model. Unlike previous approaches, which do not consider the nature of the probability distribution in relation to language; here, we introduce a novel analytic Zipfian model which includes linguistic constraints. This provides more accurate distributions for natural sequences such as natural or synthetic emergent languages. Results are given which indicates the performance of the proposed ZML model. We derive an entropy estimation method which incorporates the linguistic constraint-based Zipf–Mandelbrot–Li into a new non-equiprobable coincidence counting algorithm which is shown to be effective for tasks such as entropy rate estimation with limited data.
Inward Foreign Direct Investment and Trade Openness in Vietnam: A Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag Approach
Authors: Lee Jen-Yao , Hsiao Ya-Chuan , Bui Ngochien , Nguyen Tien-Thinh
Published: August 2021

This study aims to examine the asymmetric relationship between trade openness and FDI (foreign direct investment) inflows to Vietnam by using NARDL (nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag) during the period from 1997 to 2019. Our findings show that the influence of FDI on trade openness is asymmetric in the short-run and long-run. But the influence of trade openness on FDI is symmetric in the short-run and asymmetric in the long run.
Perceived Autonomy Support from Peers, Parents, and Physical Education Teachers as Predictors of Physical Activity and Health-Related Quality of Life among Adolescents—A One-Year Longitudinal Study
Authors: Tilga Henri , Kalajas-Tilga Hanna , Hein Vello , Raudsepp Lennart , Koka Andre
Published: August 2021

The current research adopts the trans-contextual model of motivation (TCM) to examine the role of perceived autonomy support from peers, parents, and physical education (PE) teachers on adolescents’ autonomous motivation, intentions, and physical activity (PA) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) over a one-year period. Adolescents (N = 264) aged between 11 and 15 years (M = 13.24; SD = 0.96) filled in relevant questionnaires during a four-wave longitudinal study. Perceived autonomy support from peers, parents, and PE teachers predicted PA (β ≥ 0.03, p < 0.009) and HRQoL (β ≥ 0.01, p < 0.009) mediated by constructs of TCM over a one-year period. The regressions of PA (β = 0.45, p < 0.001) and HRQoL (β = 0.56, p < 0.001) on themselves over a one-year period were significant. PA significantly predicted the HRQoL measured one year later (β = 0.20, p < 0.001), but not vice versa (β = 0.04, p = 0.52). The unidirectional cross-lagged relationship with the flow from PA to later HRQoL suggests that intervention programs focusing on promoting PA behaviour in adolescents should produce the most pronounced effects if their aim is also to promote HRQoL.
The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Learning Quality and Practices in Higher Education—Using Deep and Surface Approaches
Authors: Alhammadi Salah
Published: August 2021

This paper explores the student learning experience using technology as an e-learning tool during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article utilized qualitative methods to examine the quality of student learning using deep and surface approaches to understand what influences student engagement with technology. Interviews were conducted with 21 students from various academic majors using deductive content analysis to evaluate their responses. The findings show that technology increased student engagement with class discussion, and students became more informed about lecture material. It is noteworthy that there were some variations in the students’ interpretation of the learning experience with technology, indicating a gap in the quality of learning. Notably, there was an improvement in grades compared to the last online session and the face-to-face learning experience prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and there were fewer missing quizzes and late assignments. These outcomes may be used to enhance teaching strategies and problem solving within teaching and learning to develop a new mode of delivery. In addition, these findings are important for the future of education in a post-pandemic world.
Research on Strong Ground Pressure of Multiple-Seam Caused by Remnant Room Pillars Undermining in Shallow Seams
Authors: Yu Dan , Yi Xiaoyong , Liang Zhimeng , Lou Jinfu , Zhu Weibing
Published: August 2021

Numerous room-and-pillar mining goaf are apparent in western China due to increasing small coal mining activities, which causes the collapse of the overlying coal pillars and the occurrence of strong ground pressure on the longwall face and surface subsidence. In this study, Yuanbao Bay Coal Mine, Shuozhou, Shanxi, was selected to study the collapse of the overlying coal pillars on the longwall face and reveal the mechanism of the pillar collapse and the disaster-causing mechanism caused by strong ground pressure. Results show that the dynamic collapse process of coal pillars is relatively complicated. First, the coal pillars on both sides of the goaf are destroyed and destabilized, followed by the adjacent coal pillars, which eventually cause a large-scale collapse of the coal pillars. This results in a large-scale cut-off movement of the overlying strata, and the large impact load that acts on the longwall face causes an unmovable longwall face support. Moreover, the roof weighting is severe when strong ground pressure occurs on the longwall face, causing local support jammed accidents. Furthermore, the data of each measurement point of the strata movement inside the ground borehole significantly increases, and the position of the borescope peeping error holes in the ground drill hole rise steeply. The range of movement of the overlying strata increases instantaneously, and the entire strata begin to move. Research on the mechanism of strong ground pressure can effectively prevent mine safety accidents and avoid huge economic losses.
Adaptive Cost Function FCSMPC for 6-Phase IMs
Authors: Arahal Manuel R. , Satué Manuel G. , Barrero Federico , Ortega Manuel G.
Published: August 2021

In this paper, an adaptive cost function FCSMPC is derived from newly obtained results concerning the distribution of figures of merits used for the assessment of stator current model-based control of multi-phase induction machines. A parameter analysis of FCSMPC is carried out for the case of a six-phase motor. After extensive simulation and Pareto screening, a new structure has been discovered linking several figures of merit. This structure provides an simple explanation for previously reported results concerning the difficulty of cost function tuning for FCSMPC. In addition, the newly discovered link among figures of merit provides valuable insight that can be used for control design. As an application, a new cost function design scheme is derived and tested. This new method avoids the usual and cumbersome procedure of testing many different controller parameters.
Prospects for the Application of Wavelet Analysis to the Results of Thermal Conductivity Express Control of Thermal Insulation Materials
Authors: Hotra Oleksandra , Kovtun Svitlana , Dekusha Oleg , Grądz Żaklin
Published: August 2021

This article discusses an express control method that allows in situ measurements of the thermal conductivity of insulation materials. Three samples of the most common thermal insulation materials, such as polyurethane, extruded polystyrene, and expanded polystyrene, were studied. Additionally, optical and organic glasses were investigated as materials with a stable value of thermal conductivity. For the measurement of thermal conductivity, the express control device, which implements the differential method of local heat influence, was used. The case studies were focused on the reduction of fluctuations of the measured signals caused by different influencing factors using wavelet transform. The application of wavelet transform for data processing decreased the thermal conductivity measurement’s relative error for organic glass SOL and optical glasses TF-1 and LK-5. The application of wavelet transform thermal conductivity measurement data for polyurethane, extruded polystyrene, and expanded polystyrene allowed to reduce twice the duration of express control while maintaining the same level of measurement error. The results of the investigation could be used to increase the accuracy in express control of the thermal conductivity of insulation materials by improving the data processing. This approach could be implemented in software and does not require a change in the design of the measuring equipment or the use of additional tools.
Learning Latent Representation of Freeway Traffic Situations from Occupancy Grid Pictures Using Variational Autoencoder
Authors: Rákos Olivér , Bécsi Tamás , Aradi Szilárd , Gáspár Péter
Published: August 2021

Several problems can be encountered in the design of autonomous vehicles. Their software is organized into three main layers: perception, planning, and actuation. The planning layer deals with the sort and long-term situation prediction, which are crucial for intelligent vehicles. Whatever method is used to make forecasts, vehicles’ dynamic environment must be processed for accurate long-term forecasting. In the present article, a method is proposed to preprocess the dynamic environment in a freeway traffic situation. The method uses the structured data of surrounding vehicles and transforms it to an occupancy grid which a Convolutional Variational Autoencoder (CVAE) processes. The grids (2048 pixels) are compressed to a 64-dimensional latent vector by the encoder and reconstructed by the decoder. The output pixel intensities are interpreted as probabilities of the corresponding field is occupied by a vehicle. This method’s benefit is to preprocess the structured data of the dynamic environment and represent it in a lower-dimensional vector that can be used in any further tasks built on it. This representation is not handmade or heuristic but extracted from the database patterns in an unsupervised way.
The Impact of Globalization, Energy Use, and Trade on Ecological Footprint in Pakistan: Does Environmental Sustainability Exist?
Authors: Rehman Abdul , Radulescu Magdalena , Ma Hengyun , Dagar Vishal , Hussain Imran , Khan Muhammad
Published: August 2021

Globalization has contributed to several advances in technology including linking people around the globe and driving us to modern economies. With fast economic growth and industrialization progress, the negative impact of globalization on biodiversity can be easily ignored. Globalization is an undeniable factor in our planetary devastation from pollution to global warming and climate change. The major intention of our recent analysis was to examine the globalization, energy consumption, trade, economic growth, and fuel importation to determine the ecological footprint in Pakistan by taking the annual data variables from 1974–2017. A linear ARDL (autoregressive distributed lag) technique with limited information maximum likelihood and linear Gaussian model estimation were utilized to check the variables association. Outcomes show that in the long run, globalization, energy usage, trade, and GDP growth have consistently productive interactions with the ecological footprint, while an examination of fuel importation uncovers an adversative linkage to impacts on the ecological footprint in Pakistan. Similarly, the findings of short-run interactions also reveal that globalization, energy usage, trade, and GDP growth have constructive linkages; however, an examination of fuel importation also uncovers an adversative linkage to impacts on the ecological footprint. The outcomes of limited information maximum likelihood also expose that the variables of globalization, energy usage, trade, and fuel importation have productive linkages, while an examination the GDP growth uncovers an adversative linkage to the ecological footprint. Furthermore, the outcomes of the linear Gaussian model estimation also uncover that globalization and energy usage demonstrate a constructive linkage, while other variables reveal an adverse linkage to the ecological footprint. Environmental pollution is now an emerging issue which causes the climatic variations associated with greenhouse gases emissions. The Pakistani government must adopt new strategies to ensure that CO2 emissions are reduced in order to stimulate economic growth.
Optimized Planning of Distribution Grids Considering Grid Expansion, Battery Systems and Dynamic Curtailment
Authors: Laribi Ouafa , Rudion Krzysztof
Published: August 2021

The increasing integration of renewable energies into the grid is calling for the expansion of the power transport capacities in the distribution system. Yet, the expansion of the grid could require long authorization procedures and cannot be always asserted. Therefore, a higher utilization of the existing grid is becoming increasingly necessary today. This paper proposes a new time series-based planning method for distribution systems using classical grid expansion instruments as well as innovative planning instruments such as battery storage systems (BSS) and dynamic power curtailment (DPC). These planning instruments could be applied individually or combined. The aim of the BSS and DPC application is to enable a higher utilization of the grid at minimal costs. The proposed method, which has been implemented as an automated planning algorithm, determines the cost-optimal grid reinforcement measures that ensure the prevention of prognosticated congestions in the considered grid. Furthermore, the application of the proposed planning method on the considered power system has proven that a combination of BSS and grid expansion could be more economical than an individual application of BSS and grid expansion.
Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Internal Flow Characteristics and Pressure Fluctuation in Inlet Passage of Axial Flow Pump under Deflection Flow Conditions
Authors: Yang Fan , Li Zhongbin , Yuan Yao , Liu Chao , Zhang Yiqi , Jin Yan
Published: August 2021

The deflection flow of inlet passage seriously affects the performance of axial flow pump devices, and reduces the operation efficiency and stability of pumping station systems. In this paper, the influence of different deflection angles on the internal flow characteristics and outlet pulsation characteristics of the inlet passage of the vertical axial flow pump are studied. Based on the Reynolds time-averaged N-S equation of the three-dimensional incompressible fluid and the standard k-ε turbulence model, the model axial flow pump device was numerically simulated. Under optimal working conditions (Qbep = 31.04 L/s), the internal flow field of the axial flow pump was analyzed to study the change law of the axial flow pump performance under different deflection angles. Under the flow conditions of 0.6 Qbep, 1.0 Qbep and 1.2 Qbep, the pulsation characteristics of the outlet of inlet passage in axial flow pump at different deflection angles were analyzed. The result shows that with the increase of the deflection angle, the flow pattern of the inlet passage becomes turbulent, forming vortices of different sizes, the hydraulic loss of the inlet passage increases continuously, and the uniformity of the outlet flow velocity of the inlet passage increases first and then decreases. The time-domain waveform of outlet of the inlet passage at the pressure pulsation monitoring point has obvious periodicity, and the dominant frequency of the monitoring point is four times the rotation frequency, which corresponds to the number of impeller blades. It shows that the numerical calculation is in good agreement with the experimental results, which proves the reliability and validity of the numerical simulation calculation.
How Much Is the Abandonment of Forest Management in Private Forests Worth? A Case of Poland
Authors: Gołos Piotr Tadeusz , Ukalska Joanna , Wysocka-Fijorek Emilia , Gil Wojciech
Published: August 2021

The provision of forest ecosystem services (such as biodiversity, water and soil protection, and recreation) is often associated with a reduction in timber harvesting. In the case of private forests, such a situation requires institutional solutions that allow the economic balance of forest management to be maintained. The aim of the study was to find out the average value of monetary compensation private forest owners would expect in case of timber harvesting restrictions. The study was conducted with a random sample of 1003 forest landowners. The average value of expected compensation ranged from PLN 2300/year/ha (which corresponds to the price of about 12 m3 of wood in Poland) under the condition of no restrictions on timber harvesting but the need to apply indicated of forest management methods, to PLN 4900/year/ha in the model assuming a total ban on harvesting. In general, higher compensation was expected by farmers who stated that they sold timber and those whose agricultural area was larger than the average in Poland. When harvesting restrictions are low, the expected compensation is influenced by the age and gender of the respondent, or the number of people in the household.
Effect of MMP/TIMP Balancing of Cynoglossus semilaevis Shell Extracts on Skin Protection
Authors: Choi Soo-Cheol , Lee In-Ah
Published: August 2021

Cynoglossus semilaevis shell is a by-product of the Cynoglossus semilaevis, a species of fish mainly distributed along the west coast of Korea. As its skin is very tough and difficult to process, it is not useful as food. For this reason, most of it is discarded except for a small amount that is used as feed, which results in environmental pollution. Considering this, there is a need for research on the development of functional materials using Cynoglossus semilaevis shell. This study focused on the mechanism of in vitro expression function of Cynoglossus semilaevis shell extract (CSE) for skin tissue in human dermal fibroblasts that induced or did not induce wrinkles by UV-B irradiation and aims to use it as a functional material for human skin beauty or wrinkle improvement through extraction and purification. According to the ELISA results using human dermal fibroblast cells, CSE reduced MMP-1 and elastase activity by up to 21.89% and 12.04%, respectively, in a concentration-dependent manner, and increased PIP synthesis by up to 62.24% in a concentration-dependent manner. The RT-PCR test results using mRNA showed the MMP-1, 2, and 3 expression levels were suppressed in the CSE-treated group compared to the UVB-induced group and caused a concentration-dependent increase in TIMP-1 in the CSE-treat group. These results suggest that CSE can maintain and improve skin tissue conditions through MMP/TIMP balancing in human dermal fibroblast cell lines and indicate its potential as a functional material for improving skin diseases and suppressing photo-aging.
Physicochemical Parameters, Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant Properties of a New Beverage Formulated with Xique-Xique (Pilosocereus gounellei) Cladode Juice
Authors: de Oliveira Julia M. C. , de Souza Evandro L. , de Lima Kaíque Y. G. , dos S. Lima Marcos , Viera Vanessa B. , Queiroga Rita de Cássia R. do E. , de Oliveira Maria Elieidy G.
Published: August 2021

This study elaborated different formulations with xique-xique (Pilosocereus gounellei) cladode, passion fruit and lime juice and sugar cane syrup. The formulated beverages were subjected to physical and physicochemical analysis, determination of total carotenoid, total flavonoid and total phenolic compound contents, as well as of their antioxidant activity (ABTS and FRAP method), organic acid, sugar and phenolic compound profile during 21 days of refrigeration storage (4 °C). Significant variations were found among formulated beverages for most of the measured parameters during storage. Beverages with xique-xique juice were less acidic (7.90–10.27 g/100 mL) than beverages without this juice (11.66–12.76 g/100 mL). Beverages with xique-xique juice had overall higher contents of bioactive compounds and higher antioxidant activity when compared to the control formulation. Beverages with the highest xique-xique juice concentrations had the highest contents of carotenoids (51.51–59.27 µg/100 mL), flavonoids (1.39–2.15 mg CE/100 mL), phenolic compounds (68.49–115.66 mg EGA/100 mL) and antioxidant activity, as measured by ABTS (0.71–0.84 µmol Trolox/mL) and FRAP (0.33–0.39 µmol Trolox/mL). These results indicate that the incorporation of xique-xique cladode juice in these mixed beverages enhanced their bioactive properties, especially of antioxidant compounds, enabling the development of a new product with potential functional properties to the beverage industry.
Influence of Plant-Based Proteins on the Fresh and Cooked Characteristics of Ground Beef Patties
Authors: Ball Jase J. , Wyatt Ross P. , Lambert Barry D. , Smith Hunter R. , Reyes Tristan M. , Sawyer Jason T.
Published: August 2021

Blended meat/plant products are capturing industry market space at the retail counter for value-added beef products. Plant protein ingredients can be added to meat formulations to create appealing and functional products. Ground beef was combined with one of three plant protein inclusion treatments: control, pea, oat, or rice, along with 5% textured vegetable protein (TVP) and 1.5% soy protein concentrate then formed into 226 g patties containing up to 10% plant-based proteins. Patties were analyzed for fresh and cooked characteristics throughout a 5- or 7-day retail display. The inclusion of plant-based proteins negatively affected the instrumental tenderness values which were greater (p < 0.01) in plant-inclusion patties compared to the control patties. The inclusion of plant proteins increased (p = 0.01) the cooking yield of patties compared to the control. Cooking time was longer (p = 0.04) for oat patties compared to the control patties. Cooked color values for vegetable inclusion patties did not affect (p = 0.12) lightness (CIE L*) values; however, redness (CIE a*) was greater (p < 0.01) for rice than all other treatments and yellowness (CIE b*) values were greater (p < 0.01) for all protein treatments compared to the control. Rice improved (p < 0.01) fresh a* values on day 5 of display compared to the control; whereas pea decreased (p = 0.04) values compared to the control. There was a treatment × day interaction (p < 0.01) on lipid oxidation values with a reduction in values on day 3 for all vegetable proteins compared to the control and on day 7 lipid oxidation was reduced (p ≤ 0.03) for oat patties.
Neuroorganoleptics: Organoleptic Testing Based on Psychophysiological Sensing
Authors: Valente João , Godinho Leonor , Pintado Cristina , Baptista Cátia , Kozlova Veronika , Marques Luís , Fred Ana , Plácido da Silva Hugo
Published: August 2021

There is an increasing interest, in consumer behaviour research related to food and beverage, in taking a step further from the traditional self-report questionnaires and organoleptic properties assessment. With the growing availability of psychophysiological data acquisition devices, and advancements in the study of the underlying signal sources seeking affective state assessment, the use of psychophysiological data analysis is a natural evolution in organoleptic testing. In this paper we propose a protocol for what can be defined as neuroorganoleptic analysis, a method that combines traditional approaches with psychophysiological data acquired during sensory testing. Our protocol was applied to a case study project named MobFood, where four samples of food were tested by a total of 83 participants, using preference and acceptance tasks, across three different sessions. Best practices and lessons learned regarding the laboratory setting and the acquisition of psychophysiological data were derived from this case study, which are herein described. Preliminary results show that certain Heart Rate Variability (HRV) features have a strong correlation with the preferences self-reported by the participants.
Monitoring by a Sensitive Liquid-Based Sampling Strategy Reveals a Considerable Reduction of Listeria monocytogenes in Smeared Cheese Production over 10 Years of Testing in Austria
Authors: Zangerl Peter , Schoder Dagmar , Eliskases-Lechner Frieda , Zangana Abdoulla , Frohner Elisabeth , Stessl Beatrix , Wagner Martin
Published: August 2021

Most Austrian dairies and cheese manufacturers participated in a Listeria monitoring program, which was established after the first reports of dairy product-associated listeriosis outbreaks more than thirty years ago. Within the Listeria monitoring program, up to 800 mL of product-associated liquids such as cheese smear or brine are processed in a semi-quantitative approach to increase epidemiological sensitivity. A sampling strategy within cheese production, which detects environmental contamination before it results in problematic food contamination, has benefits for food safety management. The liquid-based sampling strategy was implemented by both industrial cheese makers and small-scale dairies located in the mountainous region of Western Austria. This report considers more than 12,000 Listeria spp. examinations of liquid-based samples in the 2009 to 2018 timeframe. Overall, the occurrence of L. monocytogenes in smear liquid samples was 1.29% and 1.55% (n = 5043 and n = 7194 tested samples) for small and industrial cheese enterprises, respectively. The liquid-based sampling strategy for Listeria monitoring at the plant level appears to be superior to solid surface monitoring. Cheese smear liquids seem to have good utility as an index of the contamination of cheese up to that point in production. A modelling or validation process should be performed for the new semi-quantitative approach to estimate the true impact of the method in terms of reducing Listeria contamination at the cheese plant level.
Standardization of Aquafaba Production and Application in Vegan Mayonnaise Analogs
Authors: He Yue , Purdy Sarah K. , Tse Timothy J. , Tar’an Bunyamin , Meda Venkatesh , Reaney Martin J. T. , Mustafa Rana
Published: August 2021

Canning or boiling pulse seeds in water produces a by-product solution, called “aquafaba”, that can be used as a plant-based emulsifier. One of the major problems facing the commercialization of aquafaba is inconsistency in quality and functionality. In this study, chickpea aquafaba production and drying methods were optimized to produce standardized aquafaba powder. Aquafaba samples, both freeze-dried and spray-dried, were used to make egg-free, vegan mayonnaise. Mayonnaise and analog physicochemical characteristics, microstructure, and stability were tested and compared to mayonnaise prepared using egg yolk. Chickpeas steeped in water at 4 °C for 16 h, followed by cooking at 75 kPa for 30 min at 116 °C, yielded aquafaba that produced the best emulsion qualities. Both lyophilization and spray drying to dehydrate aquafaba resulted in powders that retained their functionality following rehydration. Mayonnaise analogs made with aquafaba powder remained stable for 28 days of storage at 4 °C, although their droplet size was significantly higher than the reference sample made with egg yolk. These results show that aquafaba production can be standardized for optimal emulsion qualities, and dried aquafaba can mimic egg functions in food emulsions and has the potential to produce a wide range of eggless food products.