bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Dietary Inositol Supplementation on Growth, Digestive Performance, Antioxidant Capacity, and Body Composition of Golden Pompano (Trachinotus ovatus)
Authors: Chen Xu , Wang Jun , Zhao Wei
Published: February 2022

A 56-day culture experiment was performed to evaluate effects of inositol supplementation on growth, digestive performance, antioxidant capacity, and body composition of golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus). Five experimental diets (D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5) supplemented with 0, 150, 300, 600, and 1,200 mg kg−1 inositol were formulated, respectively. Triplicate groups of 300 fish with an initial weight of (18.78 ± 0.21 g) and 15 seawater cages were used in the feeding experiment. Results indicated that the final body weight (FBW), weight gain rate (WGR), specific growth ratio (SGR), and condition factor (CF) in fish fed with D3–D5 diets were significantly higher than those fed the D1 and D2 diets, and the highest values were detected in D3 diet treatment. The whole-body composition was not significantly affected by different experimental diets. Fish fed with D3-D5 diets showed higher activities of amylase (AMS), lipase (LPS), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and significantly higher than those fed with D1 and D2 diets. In contrast, fish fed with D3–D5 diets showed lower MDA content and significantly lower than those fed with D1 and D2 diets. The mRNA level of glutathione reductase (GR) in fish fed with D3 and D4 diets was significantly higher than those fed with D1, D2, and D5 diets. Likewise, the mRNA level of catalase (CAT) significantly increased in the dietary inositol groups compared with the D1 group. In conclusion, the supplement of inositol not less than 300 mg kg−1 in the diet is indispensable to maintain the rapid growth and promote antioxidative capacity of T. ovatus.
Characterization of Arabidopsis Post-Glycosylphosphatidylinositol Attachment to Proteins Phospholipase 3 Like Genes
Authors: Bernat-Silvestre Cesar , Ma Yingxuan , Johnson Kim , Ferrando Alejandro , Aniento Fernando , Marcote María Jesús
Published: February 2022

Lipid remodeling of Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors is required for their maturation and may influence the localization and function of GPI-anchored proteins (GPI-APs). Maturation of GPI-anchors is well characterized in animals and fungi but very little is known about this process in plants. In yeast, the GPI-lipid remodeling occurs entirely at the ER and is initiated by the remodeling enzyme Bst1p (Post-Glycosylphosphatidylinositol Attachment to Proteins inositol deacylase 1 -PGAP1- in mammals and Arabidopsis). Next, the remodeling enzyme Per1p (Post-Glycosylphosphatidylinositol Attachment to Proteins phospholipase 3 -PGAP3- in mammals) removes a short, unsaturated fatty acid of phosphatidylinositol (PI) that is replaced with a very long-chain saturated fatty acid or ceramide to complete lipid remodeling. In mammals, lipid remodeling starts at the ER and is completed at the Golgi apparatus. Studies of the Arabidopsis PGAP1 gene showed that the lipid remodeling of the GPI anchor is critical for the final localization of GPI-APs. Here we characterized loss-of-function mutants of Arabidopsis Per1/PGAP3 like genes (AtPGAP3A and AtPGAP3B). Our results suggest that PGAP3A function is required for the efficient transport of GPI-anchored proteins from the ER to the plasma membrane/cell wall. In addition, loss of function of PGAP3A increases susceptibility to salt and osmotic stresses that may be due to the altered localization of GPI-APs in this mutant. Furthermore, PGAP3B complements a yeast strain lacking PER1 gene suggesting that PGAP3B and Per1p are functional orthologs. Finally, subcellular localization studies suggest that PGAP3A and PGAP3B cycle between the ER and the Golgi apparatus.
A Multilevel Model of Entrepreneurship Education and Entrepreneurial Intention: Opportunity Recognition as a Mediator and Entrepreneurial Learning as a Moderator
Authors: Hou Fei , Su Yu , Qi Mingde , Chen Jun , Tang Jiayun
Published: February 2022

Highlighting the implications of entrepreneurship education, this study examines the effects of entrepreneurship education in predicting the entrepreneurial intention of university students. The study also explores the mediating role of opportunity recognition and the moderating role of entrepreneurial learning in this process. To test our multilevel-moderated mediation model, based on a dataset containing 1,150 university students from 55 universities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area of China, hierarchical linear modeling is utilized to test the research hypotheses. The findings reveal that entrepreneurship education can promote the entrepreneurial intention of students through opportunity recognition. Furthermore, entrepreneurial learning plays a moderating role in the link between entrepreneurship education and opportunity recognition. Implications for the design and delivery of entrepreneurship education are discussed.
The Psychological Impact of the Tertiary Hospital Reappraisal on Resident Doctors in the Post-pandemic Era: A Cross-sectional Study in Ningbo
Authors: Shao Zhonghao , Cao Angyang , Luo Wenjun , Zhou Yanling , Wang Jianhua , Gui Yu , Gao Bin , Xu Zhipeng , Zhu Binbin , Sheng Zhiren
Published: February 2022

Participants

Competent resident doctor were expected to help the patients, advance medical knowledge, and promote public health. The time and effort necessary for residents to devote to standarized training is extensive. Anxiety and depression can negatively affect professional development and work efficacy. The study aimed to assess the psychosocial effects of the hospital reappraisal during the post-pandemic era of COVID-19 and analyze potential risk factors leading to their symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Method

In March 2021, the “Questionnaire Star” electronic questionnaire system was used to collect data. A total of 96 resident doctors from the affiliated hospital of the medical school of Ningbo University were invited to complete the questionnaires.

Results

According to our study, the prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression in the resident doctors in the institution was 61.5 and 59.4%, respectively. The residents who were worried about clinical skills tend to have anxiety symptoms under online education (OR = 3.436, 95%CI: 1.122–10.526). Compared with participants who were assigned by other hospitals, social trainees (OR: 7.579, 95%CI: 1.747–32.885), and full-time masters (OR: 5.448, 95% CI: 1.586–18.722) were more likely to have anxiety symptoms. Participants without a labor contract (OR = 3.257, 95% CI: 1.052–10.101) had a high risk of depression symptoms. Participants who spent more time learning the details prepared for the tertiary hospital reappraisal were significantly more likely to develop anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Conclusion

This study suggested that the tertiary hospital reappraisal program has an impact on the high incidence of anxiety and depression of the young resident doctors during the post-pandemic era of the COVID-19 in Ningbo.
Perception of COVID-19 Testing in the Entire Population
Authors: Gavurova Beata , Ivankova Viera , Rigelsky Martin , Caha Zdenek , Mudarri Tawfik
Published: February 2022

In the Slovak Republic, a mass testing of the entire population was performed. Estimates show that this testing cost more than 400 million EUR and thousands of euros were paid for one positively identified case. Thus, it is possible to state a high cost for such a project, which has been criticized by many parties. On the other hand, from a public health point of view, mass testing has helped fight the pandemic. Both the health and economic perspectives are important in assessing the success of a pandemic strategy, but the social perspective is equally important. In fact, the situation is perceived from the position of public leaders who make decisions, but also from the position of the society that bears individual political decisions. It is not appropriate to forget about the society that is most affected by restrictions, testing, health status, but also the burden on the state budget. The objective of the presented research was to examine the perception of testing for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Slovak population. Non-parametric difference tests and correspondence analysis were used for statistical processing. The research sample consisted of 806 respondents and data collection took place in February 2021. The main findings include significant differences in perceptions between the first and the last participation in testing in terms of gender, age, testing experience, and time aspect. The last participation in testing showed lower rates of positive aspects related to the internal motivation to test compared to the first participation. In contrast, external stimulation by government regulations related to restrictions in the absence of a negative result was higher in the last participation in testing. There were also differences between the first and the last test in the level of doubts about the accuracy of the test result, while a higher level was found at the last testing participation. It can be concluded that the frequency of testing and its requirements need to be approached very carefully over time, as it is likely that the positive perceptions may deteriorate. The recommendations include clear and timely government communication, trust building and health education.
Full Genome Nobecovirus Sequences From Malagasy Fruit Bats Define a Unique Evolutionary History for This Coronavirus Clade
Authors: Kettenburg Gwenddolen , Kistler Amy , Ranaivoson Hafaliana Christian , Ahyong Vida , Andrianiaina Angelo , Andry Santino , DeRisi Joseph L. , Gentles Anecia , Raharinosy Vololoniaina , Randriambolamanantsoa Tsiry Hasina , Ravelomanantsoa Ny Anjara Fifi , Tato Cristina M. , Dussart Philippe , Heraud Jean-Michel , Brook Cara E.
Published: February 2022

Bats are natural reservoirs for both Alpha- and Betacoronaviruses and the hypothesized original hosts of five of seven known zoonotic coronaviruses. To date, the vast majority of bat coronavirus research has been concentrated in Asia, though coronaviruses are globally distributed; indeed, SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2-related Betacoronaviruses in the subgenus Sarbecovirus have been identified circulating in Rhinolophid bats in both Africa and Europe, despite the relative dearth of surveillance in these regions. As part of a long-term study examining the dynamics of potentially zoonotic viruses in three species of endemic Madagascar fruit bat (Pteropus rufus, Eidolon dupreanum, Rousettus madagascariensis), we carried out metagenomic Next Generation Sequencing (mNGS) on urine, throat, and fecal samples obtained from wild-caught individuals. We report detection of RNA derived from Betacoronavirus subgenus Nobecovirus in fecal samples from all three species and describe full genome sequences of novel Nobecoviruses in P. rufus and R. madagascariensis. Phylogenetic analysis indicates the existence of five distinct Nobecovirus clades, one of which is defined by the highly divergent ancestral sequence reported here from P. rufus bats. Madagascar Nobecoviruses derived from P. rufus and R. madagascariensis demonstrate, respectively, Asian and African phylogeographic origins, mirroring those of their fruit bat hosts. Bootscan recombination analysis indicates significant selection has taken place in the spike, nucleocapsid, and NS7 accessory protein regions of the genome for viruses derived from both bat hosts. Madagascar offers a unique phylogeographic nexus of bats and viruses with both Asian and African phylogeographic origins, providing opportunities for unprecedented mixing of viral groups and, potentially, recombination. As fruit bats are handled and consumed widely across Madagascar for subsistence, understanding the landscape of potentially zoonotic coronavirus circulation is essential for mitigation of future zoonotic threats.
Differences in Older Patients' Attitudes Toward Deprescribing at Contextual and Individual Level
Authors: Oktora Monika Pury , Edwina Angela Elma , Denig Petra
Published: February 2022

Background

Deprescribing requires patients' involvement and taking patients' attitudes toward deprescribing into account. To understand the observed variation in these attitudes, the influence of contextual-level factors, such as country or healthcare setting, should be taken into account.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review of studies using the revised Patients' Attitudes Towards Deprescribing (rPATD) questionnaire among older adults. We searched articles in Medline and Embase up to 30 June 2021. PRISMA guideline was used for the search process and reporting. We summarized the outcomes from the rPATD and compared attitudes at study population level between high or low-middle-income countries, global regions, and healthcare settings using ANOVA testing. Correlations of the rPATD outcomes with the mean age of the study populations were tested. Associations with the rPATD outcomes at individual patient level extracted from the included studies were summarized.

Results

Sixteen articles were included. Percentages of patients willing to stop medication were significantly lower in low-middle-income countries (<70% in Nepal and Malaysia) compared to high-income countries (>85% in USA, Australia, European countries). No significant differences were observed when results were compared by global region or by healthcare setting but a high willingness (>95%) was seen in the two studies conducted in an inpatient population. A higher mean age at study level was associated with a higher willingness to stop medication. At individual level, associations between patient characteristics, including demographics and education, and attitudes toward deprescribing showed inconsistent results.

Conclusion

Findings about attitudes toward deprescribing are influenced by contextual factors. Future research should pay more attention to the influence of the healthcare system and setting as well as the culture on patients' attitudes.
Hydrodynamical Fingerprint of a Neighbour in a Fish Lateral Line
Authors: Li Gen , Kolomenskiy Dmitry , Liu Hao , Thiria Benjamin , Godoy-Diana Ramiro
Published: February 2022

For fish, swimming in group may be favorable to individuals. Several works reported that in a fish school, individuals sense and adjust their relative position to prevent collisions and maintain the group formation. Also, from a hydrodynamic perspective, relative-position and kinematic synchronisation between adjacent fish may considerably influence their swimming performance. Fish may sense the relative-position and tail-beat phase difference with their neighbors using both vision and the lateral-line system, however, when swimming in dark or turbid environments, visual information may become unavailable. To understand how lateral-line sensing can enable fish to judge the relative-position and phase-difference with their neighbors, in this study, based on a verified three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics approach, we simulated two fish swimming adjacently with various configurations. The lateral-line signal was obtained by sampling the surface hydrodynamic stress. The sensed signal was processed by Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), which is robust to turbulence and environmental flow. By examining the lateral-line pressure and shear-stress signals in the frequency domain, various states of the neighboring fish were parametrically identified. Our results reveal that the FFT-processed lateral-line signals in one fish may potentially reflect the relative-position, phase-differences, and the tail-beat frequency of its neighbor. Our results shed light on the fluid dynamical aspects of the lateral-line sensing mechanism used by fish. Furthermore, the presented approach based on FFT is especially suitable for applications in bioinspired swimming robotics. We provide suggestions for the design of artificial systems consisting of multiple stress sensors for robotic fish to improve their performance in collective operation.
Examining the Role of Green Infrastructure as an Advocate for Regeneration
Authors: Mell Ian
Published: February 2022

The alignment of Green Infrastructure (GI) planning principles with urban regeneration mandates can have a significant impact on the long-term socio-economic and ecological functionality of an area. As a mechanism to address landscape dereliction GI has been promoted as offering a suite of options to revitalize denuded spaces. This can take many forms including tree planting, waterfront redevelopment, the regeneration of former industrial sites, and a rethinking of spaces to make them more ecologically diverse. However, the successes seen in GI-led regeneration need to be considered in terms of the geographical, political, and socio-economic context. The following provides a review of regeneration projects that have integrated GI into development principles, examining whether these have led to positive change. Through a reflection on the scale, focus and location of these projects we discuss the factors that have shaped investment before identifying key factors that influence the inclusion of GI in regeneration works. The paper concludes that we have a growing catalogue of projects that can be used as a “green print” to align GI with regeneration to successfully delivery landscape rehabilitation and socio-economic revitalization.
Beamspace ESPRIT for mmWave Channel Sensing: Performance Analysis and Beamformer Design
Authors: Shahsavari Sina , Sarangi Pulak , Pal Piya
Published: February 2022

In this paper, we consider the beamspace ESPRIT algorithm for Millimeter-Wave (mmWave) channel sensing. We provide a non-asymptotic analysis of the beamspace ESPRIT algorithm. We derive a deterministic upper bound for the matching distance error between the true angle of arrival (AoA) of the channel paths and the estimated AoA considering a bounded noise model. Additionally, we leverage the insight obtained from our theoretical analysis to propose a novel max-min criterion for beamformer design which can enhance the performance of mmWave channel estimation algorithms, including beamspace ESPRIT. We consider a family of multi-resolution beamformers which can be implemented using phase shifters and introduce a design scheme for the optimal beamformers from this family with respect to the proposed max-min criteria. We can guarantee a minimum beamforming gain uniformly over a region of possible multipath directions, which can lead to more robust channel estimation. We provide several numerical experiments to verify our theoretical claims and demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed beamformers compared to existing beamformer design criteria.
PancreaSys: An Automated Cloud-Based Pancreatic Cancer Grading System
Authors: Sehmi Muhammad Nurmahir Mohamad , Fauzi Mohammad Faizal Ahmad , Ahmad Wan Siti Halimatul Munirah Wan , Chan Elaine Wan Ling
Published: February 2022

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest diseases which has taken millions of lives over the past 20 years. Due to challenges in grading pancreatic cancer, this study presents an automated cloud-based system, utilizing a convolutional neural network deep learning (DL) approach to classifying four classes of pancreatic cancer grade from pathology image into Normal, Grade I, Grade II, and Grade III. This cloud-based system, named PancreaSys, takes an input of high power field images from the web user interface, slices them into smaller patches, makes predictions, and stitches back the patches before returning the final result to the pathologist. Anvil and Google Colab are used as the backbone of the system to build a web user interface for deploying the DL model in the classification of the cancer grade. This work employs the transfer learning approach on a pre-trained DenseNet201 model with data augmentation to alleviate the small dataset’s challenges. A 5-fold cross-validation (CV) was employed to ensure all samples in a dataset were used to evaluate and mitigate selection bias during splitting the dataset into 80% training and 20% validation sets. The experiments were done on three different datasets (May Grunwald-Giemsa (MGG), hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), and a mixture of both, called the Mixed dataset) to observe the model performance on two different pathology stains (MGG and H&E). Promising performances are reported in predicting the pancreatic cancer grade from pathology images, with a mean f1-score of 0.88, 0.96, and 0.89 for the MGG, H&E, and Mixed datasets, respectively. The outcome from this research is expected to serve as a prognosis system for the pathologist in providing accurate grading for pancreatic cancer in pathological images.
Predicting Cervical Lymph Node Metastasis Following Endoscopic Surgery in Superficial Head and Neck Carcinoma
Authors: Okabe Ryuichi , Ueki Yushi , Ohashi Riuko , Takeuchi Manabu , Hashimoto Satoru , Takahashi Takeshi , Shodo Ryusuke , Yamazaki Keisuke , Matsuyama Hiroshi , Umezu Hajime , Terai Shuji , Ajioka Yoichi , Horii Arata
Published: February 2022

Background

Early detection of head and neck carcinoma (HNC) as superficial HNC (SHNC) identified using recently developed optical techniques, such as magnifying endoscopy and narrow-band imaging (NBI), in combination with endoscopic surgeries enables minimally invasive treatment with favorable outcomes for HNC. This study aimed to identify the predictive factors for the rare but important clinical issue of SHNC, namely cervical lymph node metastasis (CLNM), following endoscopic resection.

Methods

Sixty-nine patients with SHNC who underwent endoscopic resection were enrolled in the study. Clinical data, preoperative endoscopic findings, pathological findings, and treatment outcomes were retrospectively reviewed. Because the pharyngeal mucosa lacks the muscularis mucosa, we measured tumor thickness in permanent pathology as an alternative to the depth of invasion. Correlations with the occurrence of CLNM were statistically examined.

Results

The 5-year disease-specific survival rate was 100%. Of 69 patients, 3 (4.3%) developed CLNM. All had subepithelial but not epithelial tumors. The 0-IIa type in the macroscopic findings, type B2/B3 vessels in narrow-band imaging, tumors ≥ pathological stage T2, lymphatic invasion, positive surgical margins, and tumor thickness >1,000 μm showed significant correlations with CLNM following endoscopic resection. Furthermore, the classification of type B vessels was significantly associated with tumor thickness.

Conclusion

The treatment outcomes following endoscopic resection for SHNC were favorable. The risk of CLNM following endoscopic resection in SHNC can be predicted by several preoperative endoscopic and postoperative pathological findings. Among them, the classification of type B vessels, which correlated with both tumor thickness and CLNM, might be a useful predictive factor.
Policy Support for Home Gardens in Vietnam Can Link to Sustainable Development Goals
Authors: Mulia Rachmat , Le Tam Thi , Tran Nghia Dai , Simelton Elisabeth
Published: February 2022

Despite research evidence on the diverse benefits of home gardens and their potential contributions to multiple sustainable development goals (SDGs), the role of policy towards supporting these contributions remains unclear in developing countries like Vietnam. In this study, we found that 25 out of Vietnam’s 86 key rural development and agricultural policies enacted over the last decade (2010–2021) set specific targets for home gardens. The targets, however, focus strongly on income generation with indicators stipulating e.g., 50–80% of total income from home gardens should be generated by the main product. The policies set no specific target for other potential roles of home gardens beyond the economy of rural households and can exacerbate the widespread transformation of home gardens in Vietnam into farming practices with low crop diversity. The latter potentially limits contributions of home gardens to two (SDG 1, 10) of at least 11 (SDG 1–3, 5, 6, 8, 10–13, 15) of Vietnam’s 17 SDGs. To narrow the gap between research and policy in home garden contributions to Vietnam’s SDGs, we need to better mainstream integrated home garden systems and their diverse benefits, enrich policy targets beyond the income generation, and strengthen coordination among state departments for policy implementation.
Development of an Occurrence Prediction Model for Cucumber Downy Mildew in Solar Greenhouses Based on Long Short-Term Memory Neural Network
Authors: Liu Kaige , Zhang Chunhao , Yang Xinting , Diao Ming , Liu Huiying , Li Ming
Published: February 2022

The occurrence of cucumber downy mildew in solar greenhouses directly affects the yield and quality of cucumber. Chemical control methods may cause excessive pesticide residues, endanger food quality and safety, pollute the ecological environment, etc. Therefore, it is very important to predict the disease before its occurrence. To provide farmers with better and effective guidance for the prevention and control work, minimize the loss of disease damage, this article took cucumber ‘Lyujingling No. 2′ as the experimental material and acquired greenhouse environmental factors data by wireless sensors, including Temp (Temperature), RH (Relative Humidity), ST (Soil Temperature) and SR (Solar Radiation). LSTM (Long Short-Term Memory) neural network structure was constructed based on Keras deep learning framework to develop a prediction model with time-series environmental factors. Combined with the occurrence of downy mildew from manual investigation and statistics, through debugging the parameters, this article developed an occurrence prediction model for cucumber downy mildew and compared it with KNN (K-Nearest Neighbors Classification) and ANN (Artificial Neural Network). In the prediction model, the forecasted results of the four environmental factors were consistent with the true value distributions, and R2 (R-Squared) were all above 0.95. Among them, the ST variable predicted the best results, e.g., R2 = 0.9982, RMSE (Root Mean Square Error) = 0.08 °C, and MAE (Mean Absolute Error) = 0.05 °C. In the disease occurrence prediction model, the training accuracy was 95.99%, the Loss value was 0.0159, the disease occurrence prediction Accuracy was 90%, Precision was 94%, Recall was 89%, F1-score was 91%, the AUC (Area Under Curve) value was 90.15%, and Kappa coefficient was 0.80. It also had obvious advantages over other different models. In summary, the model had a high classification accuracy and performance, and it can provide a reference for the occurrence prediction of cucumber downy mildew in actual production.
Use of Agro-Waste as a Source of Crop Nutrients in Intensive Horticulture System
Authors: Carricondo-Martínez Isidoro , Falcone Domenico , Berti Francesca , Orsini Francesco , Salas-Sanjuan María del Carmen
Published: February 2022

The inadequate management of agro-waste in intensive agriculture has a severe negative impact on the environment. The valorization of crop residue as a source of crop nutrients is a valid alternative to close the nutrient cycle and reduce the use of external input. In this study, plant material was incorporated into the soil as fresh crop residue, after either composting and vermicomposting processes, to evaluate their effects on tomato yield and nutritional status (petiole sap analysis: NO3 and K+ concentration) over three crop cycles. A control treatment with mineral fertigation and an organic control treatment with goat manure were also included. Enzymatic activity and microbial population in the soil were evaluated. Although no differences between treatments were observed in the first cycle, in the second and third cycles, the yield obtained with the application of organic amendments derived from agro-waste was comparable to the yield obtained with mineral fertilizers. Overall, the sap analysis did not reveal a clear relationship with yield performances. The compost treatment resulted in higher microorganism presence in the soil. Soil dehydrogenase activity (DHA), acid phosphatase activity (ACP), and β-glucosidase activity (β-GLU) were generally more stimulated when organic amendments were used. The study confirms the applicability of soil fertilizers derived from agro-waste as a good alternative to mineral fertilizers.
Performance, Digestibility, Nitrogen Balance and Ingestive Behavior of Young Feedlot Bulls Supplemented with Palm Kernel Oil
Authors: dos Santos Neiri J. A. , Bezerra Leilson R. , Castro Daniela P. V. , Marcelino Polyana D. R. , de Andrade Ederson A. , Virgínio Júnior Gercino F. , da Silva Júnior Jarbas M. , Pereira Elzânia S. , Barbosa Analívia M. , Oliveira Ronaldo L.
Published: February 2022

Vegetable oils can be used to increase energy density in diets; manipulate rumen fermentation; and alter the capacity for degradation, digestion and absorption of nutrients. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate palm kernel oil (PKO) in the diet of confined bulls with the inclusion of 0.0, 11.5, 23.0 and 34.6 g PKO/kg dry matter (DM). The first experiment evaluated nutrient intake, performance, ingestive behavior and carcass characteristics. In the second experiment, steers crossbred with a ruminal cannula were used to evaluate digestibility, nitrogen balance, microbial protein synthesis, short-chain fatty acid levels and protozoal counts. The results showed that the inclusion of PKO linearly reduced intake in kg/day (DM, crude protein—CP, neutral detergent fiber—NDFap, nonfibrous carbohydrates—NFC and total digestible nutrient—TDN) and digestibility (DM, NDFap and TDN). Ether extract intake increased quadratically with the predicted maximum intake of 15.4 g/kg DM. Regarding ingestive behavior, there was a quadratic increase in rumination time and a quadratic reduction in idle time. Nitrogen balance, nitrogen intake, nitrogen retention, microbial protein production, acetate, butyrate, acetate/propionate ratio and protozoa count showed linear decreases due to dietary PKO inclusion. Regarding the carcass characteristics, linear decreases were observed for the final weight, average daily gain, hot carcass weight, cold carcass weight, hot carcass yield, cold carcass yield, loin eye area and subcutaneous fat thickness. The inclusion of PKO at up to 34.6 g/kg DM in diets for confined bulls reduces intake, negatively affecting digestibility, performance and carcass characteristics.
Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Antibodies Isolated from a SARS-CoV-2 Delta Semi-Immune Phage Display Library
Authors: Mendoza-Salazar Ivette , Gómez-Castellano Keyla M. , González-González Edith , Gamboa-Suasnavart Ramsés , Rodríguez-Luna Stefany D. , Santiago-Casas Giovanni , Cortés-Paniagua María I. , Pérez-Tapia Sonia M. , Almagro Juan C.
Published: February 2022

This report describes the discovery and characterization of antibodies with potential broad SARS-CoV-2 neutralization profiles. The antibodies were obtained from a phage display library built with the VH repertoire of a convalescent COVID-19 patient who was infected with SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta). The patient received a single dose of Ad5-nCoV vaccine (Convidecia™, CanSino Biologics Inc.) one month before developing COVID-19 symptoms. Four synthetic VL libraries were used as counterparts of the immune VH repertoire. After three rounds of panning with SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain wildtype (RBD-WT) 34 unique scFvs, were identified, with 27 cross-reactive for the RBD-WT and RBD Delta (RBD-DT), and seven specifics for the RBD-WT. The cross-reactive scFvs were more diverse than the RBD-WT specific ones, being encoded by several IGHV genes from the IGHV1 and IGHV3 families combined with short HCDR3s. Six cross-reactive scFvs and one RBD-WT specific scFv were converted to human IgG1 (hIgG1). Out of the seven antibodies, six blocked the RBD-WT binding to angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), suggesting these antibodies may neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Importantly, one of the antibodies also recognized the RBD from the B.1.1.529 (Omicron) isolate, implying that the VH repertoire of the convalescent patient would protect against SARS-CoV-2 Wildtype, Delta, and Omicron. From a practical viewpoint, the triple cross-reactive antibody provides the substrate for developing therapeutic antibodies with a broad SARS-CoV-2 neutralization profile.
Evidence of Linezolid Resistance and Virulence Factors in Enterococcus spp. Isolates from Wild and Domestic Ruminants, Italy
Authors: Smoglica Camilla , Vergara Alberto , Angelucci Simone , Festino Anna Rita , Antonucci Antonio , Marsilio Fulvio , Di Francesco Cristina Esmeralda
Published: February 2022

The aim of this study was to evaluate the resistance patterns against selected critically and highly important antibiotics (quinupristin/dalfopristin, vancomycin, and linezolid) in 48 Enterococcus isolates obtained from wild (red deer and Apennine chamois) and domestic (cattle, sheep, and goats) ruminants living with varying degrees of sympatry in the protected area of Maiella National Park (central Italy). According to CLSI breakpoints, 9 out of 48 isolates (18.8%) showed resistance to at least one antibiotic. One Apennine chamois isolate was resistant to all tested antibiotics. The PCR screening of related resistance genes highlighted the occurrence of msrC or cfrD in seven Enterococcus resistant isolates. In addition, msrC and vanC genes were amplified in susceptible isolates. Specific sequences of virulence genes (gelE, ace, efa, asa1, and esp) related to pathogenic enterococci in humans were amplified in 21/48 isolates (43.75%), belonging mostly to wild animals (15/21; 71.42%). This is the first report of linezolid-resistant enterococci harboring virulence genes in Italian wildlife with special regard to the red deer and Apennine chamois species. The results allow us to evaluate the potential role of wild animals as indicators of antibiotic resistance in environments with different levels of anthropic pressure.
Campylobacter Bacteriophage Cocktail Design Based on an Advanced Selection Scheme
Authors: Steffan Severin Michael , Shakeri Golshan , Kehrenberg Corinna , Peh Elisa , Rohde Manfred , Plötz Madeleine , Kittler Sophie
Published: February 2022

Campylobacteriosis is a worldwide-occurring disease and has been the most commonly reported zoonotic gastrointestinal infection in the European Union in recent years. The development of successful phage-based intervention strategies will require a better understanding of phage–bacteria interactions to facilitate advances in phage cocktail design. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of newly isolated group II and group III phages and their combinations on current Campylobacter field strains. A continuous workflow for host range and efficiency of plating (EOP) value determination was combined with a qPCR-based phage group identification and a liquid-based planktonic killing assay (PKA). An advanced analysis scheme allowed us to evaluate phage cocktails by their efficacy in inhibiting bacterial population growth and the resulting phage concentrations. The results of this study indicate that data obtained from PKAs are more accurate than host range data based on plaque formation (EOP). Planktonic killing assays with Campylobacter appear to be a useful tool for a straightforward cocktail design. Results show that a group II phage vB_CcM-LmqsCP218-2c2 and group III phage vB_CjM-LmqsCP1-1 mixture would be most promising for practical applications against Campylobacter coli and Campylobacter jejuni.
Dietary Selenium Alleviated Mouse Liver Oxidative Stress and NAFLD Induced by Obesity by Regulating the KEAP1/NRF2 Pathway
Authors: Wang Yi , Liu Bingbing , Wu Peixuan , Chu Yi , Gui Sisi , Zheng Yazhen , Chen Xiaodong
Published: February 2022

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) occurs when excess fat is stored in the liver and it is strongly linked with metabolic syndrome and oxidative stress. Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient in animals, which has a variety of biological functions, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. However, the exact effect of dietary selenium on NAFLD and the underlying molecular mechanism are not yet clear. Herein, we fed a high-fat diet (HFD) to C57BL/6 mice to construct an in vivo NAFLD model, treated AML-12 cells with palmitic acid (PA) to construct an in vitro NAFLD model, and AML-12 cells were stimulated with H2O2 to induce hepatocyte oxidative stress and then treated with adequate selenium. We observed that adequate selenium significantly improved the hepatic injury and insulin resistance in HFD mice, and decreased the fat accumulation and the expression of lipogenic genes in PA-induced AML-12 cells. Meanwhile, selenium significantly inhibited the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), inhibited apoptosis, and restored mitochondrial number and membrane potential in PA- induced AML-12 cells. In addition, selenium can promote selenoproteinP1 (SEPP1) synthesis to regulate the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1)/NF-E2-related factor 2 (NRF2) pathway, so as to defend against hepatocyte oxidative stress. These findings suggest that dietary selenium supplementation can effectively resist hepatic injury and insulin resistance during NAFLD development, and regulate the KEAP1/NRF2 pathway to resist oxidative stress by promoting SEPP1 synthesis.
Modular Combined DC-DC Autotransformer for Offshore Wind Power Integration with DC Collection
Authors: Song Yuanjian , Zhang Zheren , Xu Zheng
Published: February 2022

Offshore wind farms (OWFs) integration are attractive extensively for furnishing more robust power than land wind farms. This paper introduces a modular combined DC-DC autotransformer (MCAT), which contributes to the offshore wind power integration of DC grids with different voltage levels. Traditional DC transformers contains medium- or high-frequency converter transformers, which have the disadvantages of high manufacturing difficulty and cost. These shortcomings seriously affect the progress of commercial application of DC transformers. To solve these problems, in the proposed MCAT, converter transformers are replaced with a DC-isolation capacitor and a compensation inductor in series to reduce the footprint of offshore platforms and improve economy. Theoretical analysis is carried out for the MCAT operation principle. Selection methods of main circuit parameters for the MCAT are discussed in detail. Then, corresponding control strategies of the MCAT are proposed. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed MCAT and its control strategies are validated by time domain simulations in PSCAD/EMTDC. The time-domain simulation results show the correctness of the main circuit parameters and the rationality of the MCAT control strategies.
Experimental Assessment of the Influence of the Design on the Performance of Novel Evaporators with Latent Energy Storage Ability
Authors: Mselle Boniface Dominick , Zsembinszki Gabriel , Veréz David , Borri Emiliano , Strehlow Andreas , Nitsch Birgo , Cabeza Luisa F.
Published: February 2022

This study was carried out within the HYBUILD project, as part of the task aimed at developing novel evaporators for compact and direct integration of phase-change materials (PCM) into air-conditioning systems for efficient utilization of solar energy. To achieve this, novel evaporators were designed to contain PCM between refrigerant and heat transfer fluid (HTF) channels, allowing a three-media heat exchange mechanism. This paper experimentally assesses the influence of the configuration/arrangement of the channels on the performance of the evaporators, using three different lab-scale prototypes. Key performance indicators (KPI) relevant for thermal energy storage (TES) and heat exchangers (HEX) were used to study the influence of the design on the performance of the different designs of the novel evaporators. The results show that the change in the PCM, refrigerant, and HTF channel configuration affects the performance of the novel evaporators independently. The coefficient of performance (COP) of the refrigeration system and the energy storage density of the modules are the least affected KPIs (less than 16%), whereas the state of charge (SOC) at thermal equilibrium is the most affected KPI (about 44%). A discussion on how these effects provide unique strength for specific applications is included.
Variational Inference for a Recommendation System in IoT Networks Based on Stein’s Identity
Authors: Liu Jia , Chen Yuanfang , Islam Sardar M. N. , Alam Muhammad
Published: February 2022

The recommendation services are critical for IoT since they provide interconnection between various devices and services. In order to make Internet searching convenient and useful, algorithms must be developed that overcome the shortcomings of existing online recommendation systems. Therefore, a novel Stein Variational Recommendation System algorithm (SVRS) is proposed, developed, implemented and tested in this paper in order to address the long-standing recommendation problem. With Stein’s identity, SVRS is able to calculate the feature vectors of users and ratings it has generated, as well as infer the preference for users who have not rated certain items. It has the advantages of low complexity, scalability, as well as providing insights into the formation of ratings. A set of experimental results revealed that SVRS performed better than other types of recommendation methods in root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE).
Multi-Objective Optimization of Drilling Trajectory Considering Buckling Risk
Authors: Jeong Jiho , Lim Chaeog , Park Byeong-Cheol , Bae Jeonghoon , Shin Sung-chul
Published: February 2022

Directional drilling involves three sections—vertical, curved, and horizontal—and is used for drilling offshore wells and mining unconventional resources. The initial design of a well trajectory is important because the total length of the well trajectory is associated with the drilling cost; furthermore, the drag force and torque may cause buckling and damage the drill pipe. The well trajectory should be optimized considering the length and load of drill pipes. In this study, a new method of optimizing directional well trajectory is used to formulate the objective function considering the length, drag, and torque. To verify the applicability of this method, we applied it to an actual oil well and a theoretical oil well. The results obtained show that the use of the proposed method in the initial design of drilling trajectory can reduce the torque by up to 15%, drag by 2.6%, and length by 8.5% for the two models used in this study. This method is safer as it reduces the risk of buckling compared to the design that relies on the previous designer’s experience, and it reduces the trajectory length; thus, it can save time and costs of drilling.
A Comparative Assessment of Mid-Water Trawl and Deep Vision for Investigating Fishery Resources in the Coastal Waters off Jeju Island, Korea
Authors: Lee Yong-Deuk , Lee Hyungbeen , Yoon Euna , Park Cheol , Osborg Eirik Svoren , Løvall Kristoffer
Published: February 2022

Acoustic-trawl surveys use trawl sampling to identify aquatic species. The Deep Vision stereo camera system collects images of fish passing through trawl extensions. We conducted a survey using Deep Vision with a mid-water trawl to identify and measure the lengths of domestic fish species in October 2020 and July 2021 in coastal waters off Jeju Island, Korea. We identified 86.4% of 22 species captured from images and estimated the lengths of 40% of the identified fish. A comparison of species numbers identified by mid-water trawl and Deep Vision revealed that, with the exception of three species with fewer than five individuals, identification was consistent. Our results indicate that the combined use of Deep Vision and mid-water trawl can be an eco-friendly and effective approach of examining the spatial distribution and size of fish species.
High-Efficiency Quantum Dot Lasers as Comb Sources for DWDM Applications
Authors: Dumont Mario , Liu Songtao , Kennedy M. J. , Bowers John
Published: February 2022

The trend of data center transceivers is to increase bandwidth while simultaneously decreasing their size, power consumption, and cost. While data center links have previously relied on vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) or in-plane lasers using coarse wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) to encode data, recently, dense WDM (DWDM) has moved to the forefront for next-generation links. Several approaches exist as light sources for DWDM links; DFB arrays, nonlinear microcombs, and semiconductor mode-locked lasers (MLLs). This paper focuses on quantum dot MLLs (QDMLLs), which currently offer the best efficiency, simplicity, and size. The efficiency of optical combs generated by QDMLLs is analyzed in depth in this study.
Profilometer Comparison of the Surface Roughness of Four Denture Base Resins: An In Vitro Study
Authors: Rapone Biagio , Pedone Sebastian , Carnevale Antonio , Plantamura Pasquale , Scarano Antonio , Demelio Antonio , Demelio Giuseppe Pompeo , Corsalini Massimo
Published: February 2022

Background: The roughness of denture base materials is mainly affected by inherent material features, the polishing technique, and the operator’s manual skills. The surface irregularities of the denture base resin’s roughness profile is one of the components characterizing the superficial topography of dental prostheses, and it is a critical parameter for describing surface morphology. Generally, the increment of the surface roughness minimizes cleanability and promotes the rate of bacterial adherence, affecting the expression of bacterial adhesins. The purpose of this in vitro study was to investigate the roughness of four commercially available denture base resins employed for removable prosthodontics. Methods: Twenty-five specimens were realized and submitted to observation for three dimensions (vertically, horizontally, 45°). Average surface roughness (Ra), Rv, Rp, and Rq were measured with a calibrated mechanical roughness tester (Taylor Hobson Surtronic 25; Taylor Hobson, Leicester, UK). Data were analyzed through a Kruskal–Wallis test. Results: Significant differences in Ra between the groups were assessed. Baltic Denture System™ (Merz Dental GmbH; Lütjenburg, Germania) showed a lower surface roughness coefficient and a more homogeneous surface. Conclusions: The functional importance of surface roughness parameters for denture base materials must be explored, not only considering recognized surface features.
Improving the Consistency of the Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA) Documents in Semiconductor Manufacturing
Authors: Razouk Houssam , Kern Roman
Published: February 2022

Digitalization of causal domain knowledge is crucial. Especially since the inclusion of causal domain knowledge in the data analysis processes helps to avoid biased results. To extract such knowledge, the Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA) documents represent a valuable data source. Originally, FMEA documents were designed to be exclusively produced and interpreted by human domain experts. As a consequence, these documents often suffer from data consistency issues. This paper argues that due to the transitive perception of the causal relations, discordant and merged information cases are likely to occur. Thus, we propose to improve the consistency of FMEA documents as a step towards more efficient use of causal domain knowledge. In contrast to other work, this paper focuses on the consistency of causal relations expressed in the FMEA documents. To this end, based on an explicit scheme of types of inconsistencies derived from the causal perspective, novel methods to enhance the data quality in FMEA documents are presented. Data quality improvement will significantly improve downstream tasks, such as root cause analysis and automatic process control.