bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lead (Pb)-Induced Oxidative Stress Alters the Morphological and Physio-Biochemical Properties of Rice (Oryza sativa L.)
Authors: Khan Murtaza , Rolly Nkulu Kabange , Al Azzawi Tiba Nazar Ibrahim , Imran Muhammad , Mun Bong-Gyu , Lee In-Jung , Yun Byung-Wook
Published: February 2021

Lead (Pb) is one of the major environmental heavy metal pollutants, known as being neither essential nor beneficial for any living organisms, and which is detrimental to plant fitness, growth, and productivity, as well as human health. This study investigated the changes in the morphological, physiological, and biochemical properties of rice cultivars exposed to lead (Pb). Therefore, soil was contaminated with a solution containing 0.6 mM or 1.2 mM Pb four weeks prior to transplanting. Then, 4-week-old rice seedlings of Tunnae, Ilmi, Yasmen, Mashkab, and Amber Barka were transplanted into the contaminated soil and grown until maturity. The results showed that a high concentration of lead (1.2 mM) induced significant reduction in the plant height, number of tillers, number of panicles per plant, and the number of spikelets per panicle in Pb-sensitive rice cultivars, while in Pb-tolerant cultivars, a balanced growth of plants and non-significant change in the major yield components were recorded. However, all rice cultivars showed a reduced biomass dry weight. Under the same conditions, we observed a differential enzymatic antioxidant activity, with catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) being the most active. In addition, the proline accumulation and sucrose content increased concomitant with an increase in the Pb concentration, while the total protein and chlorophyll contents significantly decreased. Of all the soluble sugars analyzed, sucrose was the most abundant in response to Pb treatment. Interestingly, the rice cultivars Tunnae and Mashkab exhibited a high degree of tolerance towards Pb stress, with a balanced plant height, number of tillers, number of panicles, and number of spikelets per plant. Therefore, all results collectively suggest that the tolerance to Pb-induced oxidative stress observed in Tunnae and Mashkab could be a result of a synergetic action of both enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems, leading to a balanced reduction–oxidation status in rice.
The Water Needs of Grapevines in Central Poland
Authors: Jagosz Barbara , Rolbiecki Stanisław , Rolbiecki Roman , Łangowski Ariel , Sadan Hicran A. , Ptach Wiesław , Stachowski Piotr , Kasperska-Wołowicz Wiesława , Pal-Fam Ferenc , Liberacki Daniel
Published: February 2021

Climate warming increases the water needs of plants. The aim of this study was to estimate the water needs of grapevines in central Poland. Water needs were calculated using the crop coefficients method. Reference evapotranspiration was assessed by the Blaney–Criddle’s equation, modified for climate conditions in Poland. Crop coefficients were assumed according to the Doorenbos and Pruitt method. Water needs were calculated using the data from four meteorological stations. Rainfall deficit with the probability occurrence of normal years, medium dry years, and very dry years was determined by the Ostromęcki’s method. Water needs of grapevines during the average growing season were estimated at 438 mm. Upward time trend in the water needs both in the period of May–October and June–August was estimated. Temporal variability in the water needs was significant for all of the provinces. These changes were mainly impacted by a significant increasing tendency in mean air temperature and less by precipitation totals that did not show a clear changing tendency. Due to climate change, vineyards will require irrigation in the near future. The use of resource-efficient irrigation requires a precise estimate of the grapevines’ water needs. The study identified the water requirements for grapevines in central Poland.
Physical, Chemical and Histological Characterization of Pectoralis major Muscle of Broilers Affected by Wooden Breast Myopathy
Authors: Oliveira Rodrigo Fortunato de , Mello Juliana Lolli Malagoli de , Ferrari Fábio Borba , Cavalcanti Erika Nayara Freire , Souza Rodrigo Alves de , Pereira Mateus Roberto , Giampietro-Ganeco Aline , Villegas-Cayllahua Erick Alonso , Fidelis Heloisa de Almeida , Fávero Maísa Santos , Amoroso Lizandra , Souza Pedro Alves de , Borba Hirasilva
Published: February 2021

This study aimed to characterize the effects of wooden breast myopathy (WBM) on quality of broiler chicken breast meat. Normal samples (absence of myopathy), moderate-degree samples (hardness only in one area of the breast fillet) and severe-degree samples (hardness throughout the breast fillet) were classified. In macroscopic analysis, the pectoral muscle affected by the WBM showed, in general, pale color with stiff, irregular and reddish regions (suffusions and petechiae), with the presence of white striations. In microscopic analysis, the myopathy was characterized by loss of the polygonal aspect of the muscle fibers. Samples with moderate degree of the myopathy showed greater (p = 0.0266) water retention capacity. There was an increase (p = 0.004) in total collagen concentration in samples from the severe-degree group 0.29% in normal samples to 0.43% and 0.48% in samples from moderate- and severe-degree groups, respectively. Samples of chicken breast affected by the severe-degree WBM showed lower (p < 0.0001) myofibrillar fragmentation index (64.51) and lower (p = 0.0002) fat concentration (2.17%) than normal chicken samples (80.45 and 3.79%, respectively). Samples affected by WBM are larger and heavier and present poorer physical quality when compared to normal chicken meat. Histologically it is possible to observe loss of the polygonal aspect of muscle fibers.
Bimetal CuFe Nanoparticles—Synthesis, Properties, and Applications
Authors: Swiatkowska-Warkocka Zaneta
Published: February 2021

Bimetal CuFe (copper-iron) nanoparticles, which are based on the earth-abundant and inexpensive metals, have generated a great deal of interest in recent years. The possible modification of the chemical and physical properties of these nanoparticles by changing their size, structure, and composition has contributed to the development of material science. At the same time, the strong tendency of these elements to oxidize under atmospheric conditions makes the synthesis of pure bimetallic CuFe nanoparticles still a great challenge. This review reports on different synthetic approaches to bimetallic CuFe nanoparticles and bimetallic CuFe nanoparticles supported on various materials (active carbide, carbide nanotubes, silica, graphite, cellulose, mesoporous carbide), their structure, physical, and chemical properties, as well as their utility as catalysts, including electrocatalysis and photocatalysis.
Component-Oriented Modeling of a Micro-Scale Organic Rankine Cycle System for Waste Heat Recovery Applications
Authors: Moradi Ramin , Habib Emanuele , Bocci Enrico , Cioccolanti Luca
Published: February 2021

Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) systems are some of the most suitable technologies to produce electricity from low-temperature waste heat. In this study, a non-regenerative, micro-scale ORC system was tested in off-design conditions using R134a as the working fluid. The experimental data were then used to tune the semi-empirical models of the main components of the system. Eventually, the models were used in a component-oriented system solver to map the system electric performance at varying operating conditions. The analysis highlighted the non-negligible impact of the plunger pump on the system performance Indeed, the experimental results showed that the low pump efficiency in the investigated operating range can lead to negative net electric power in some working conditions. For most data points, the expander and the pump isentropic efficiencies are found in the approximate ranges of 35% to 55% and 17% to 34%, respectively. Furthermore, the maximum net electric power was about 200 W with a net electric efficiency of about 1.2%, thus also stressing the importance of a proper selection of the pump for waste heat recovery applications.
Reduction of Pesticide Use in Fresh-Cut Salad Production through Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Facchinetti Davide , Santoro Stefano , Galli Lavinia Eleonora , Fontana Giulio , Fedeli Lorenzo , Parisi Simone , Bonacchi Luigi Bono , Šušnjar Stefan , Salvai Fabio , Coppola Gabriele , Matteucci Matteo , Pessina Domenico
Published: February 2021

Incorrect pesticide use in plant protection often involve a risk to the health of operators and consumers and can have negative impacts on the environment and the crops. The application of artificial intelligence techniques can help the reduction of the volume sprayed, decreasing these impacts. In Italy, the production of ready-to-eat salad in greenhouses requires usually from 8 to 12 treatments per year. Moreover, inappropriate sprayers are frequently used, being originally designed for open-field operations. To solve this problem, a small vehicle suitable for moving over rough ground (named “rover”), was designed, able to carry out treatments based on a single row pass in the greenhouse, devoted to reduce significantly the sprayed product amount. To ascertain its potential, the prototype has been tested at two growth stages of some salad cultivars, adopting different nozzles and boom settings. Parameters such as boom height, nozzle spacing and inclination, pump pressure and rover traveling speed were studied. To assess the effectiveness of the spraying coverage, for each run several water-sensitive papers were placed throughout the vegetation. Compared to the commonly distributed mixture volume (1000 L/ha), the prototype is able to reduce up to 55% of product sprayed, but still assure an excellent crop coverage.
A Unique Model to Estimate Geometric Deviations in Drilling and Milling Due to Two Uncertainty Sources
Authors: Polini Wilma , Corrado Andrea
Published: February 2021

Industry 4.0 involves the use of information and communication technologies to transform industry by intelligent networking machines and processes. The availability of big data sets from manufacturing and inspection allow for developing new and more accurate simulation models. This involves the development of new machining simulation models to consider the geometrical deviations of the workpiece due to the machine tool, the part datum surfaces and the fixturing equipment. This work presents a model that kinematically correlates the locator uncertainty, the form deviation on the part datum surface in contact with the locators and the volumetric uncertainty of the machine tool, with the geometric deviations of a surface due to a drilling or milling process. An analytical model was developed in a Matlab® file to simulate the surface geometrical deviations from nominal during drilling or milling. It is new as regards the state of the art because it takes into account two sources of uncertainty. This numerical approach allows for avoiding experimental tests, with a resultant saving of time, energy and material. It was applied to drilling, face milling and contouring processes. It was proved that machine tool volumetric uncertainty influences the form deviation of the machined surface, while the locator configuration and the datum form deviation affect the orientation of the machined surface, as should be in reality. The proposed model allows us to take into account geometrical deviations of the part datum surfaces of 0.001 mm, location deviations in the locators of ± 0.03 mm and machine tool positional and rotational uncertainties of 0.01 mm and σd=0.01∗π180 mm, respectively.
Compact Model of a Screen under Fan-Induced Swirl Conditions Using a Porous Media Approach
Authors: Bengoechea Asier , Antón Raúl , Rivas Alejandro , Larraona Gorka S. , Ramos Juan Carlos
Published: February 2021

A perforated plate in an electronic device is typically placed downstream of an axial fan (push cooling) in order to avoid electromagnetic interferences. Because of the swirling component in the flow approaching the screen, determining how the screen affects the flow pattern downstream of the screen is a challenge. It is important to understand this interaction, as the correct location of the electronic components will depend on the flow pattern (the components that dissipate more heat will be located where the maximum magnitude of the velocity is located). This work aims to present an approach of the flow pattern via a compact model based on three directional pressure loss coefficients. The values for the pressure loss coefficients are obtained through different correlations depending on the flow and geometric characteristics for the case that is being modeled. These correlations are obtained through an iterative process that compares different flow patterns obtained through different modeling strategies: the compact one that is presented in this paper and another detailed one, which was validated in previous works. Results show that if this compact model is used, an approximation of the flow pattern could be obtained with a huge decrease in the amount of time invested.
HASPO: Harmony Search-Based Parameter Optimization for Just-in-Time Software Defect Prediction in Maritime Software
Authors: Kang Jonggu , Kwon Sunjae , Ryu Duksan , Baik Jongmoon
Published: February 2021

Software is playing the most important role in recent vehicle innovations, and consequently the amount of software has rapidly grown in recent decades. The safety-critical nature of ships, one sort of vehicle, makes software quality assurance (SQA) a fundamental prerequisite. Just-in-time software defect prediction (JIT-SDP) aims to conduct software defect prediction (SDP) on commit-level code changes to achieve effective SQA resource allocation. The first case study of SDP in the maritime domain reported feasible prediction performance. However, we still consider that the prediction model has room for improvement since the parameters of the model are not optimized yet. Harmony search (HS) is a widely used music-inspired meta-heuristic optimization algorithm. In this article, we demonstrated that JIT-SDP can produce better performance of prediction by applying HS-based parameter optimization with balanced fitness value. Using two real-world datasets from the maritime software project, we obtained an optimized model that meets the performance criterion beyond the baseline of a previous case study throughout various defect to non-defect class imbalance ratio of datasets. Experiments with open source software also showed better recall for all datasets despite the fact that we considered balance as a performance index. HS-based parameter optimized JIT-SDP can be applied to the maritime domain software with a high class imbalance ratio. Finally, we expect that our research can be extended to improve the performance of JIT-SDP not only in maritime domain software but also in open source software.
A Low Profile Dual-Band High Gain Directional Antenna for Anti-Interference WLAN Station Applications
Authors: Dou Yuqing , Dong Guiting , Lin Jiafu , Cai Qibo , Liu Gui
Published: February 2021

This paper presents a low-profile dual-band antenna with directional radiation characteristics for wireless local area network (WLAN) applications. The proposed directional antenna is composed of a coupling microstrip line, two F-shaped strips, two rectangular strips, and a defected ground plane. The measured impedance bandwidth of the proposed antenna is 180 MHz (2.33–2.51 GHz) and 830 MHz (5.09–5.92 GHz), which can cover Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 a/b/g frequency bands. The dual-band antenna exhibits a desirable directional radiation patterns in the vertical and horizontal planes with the peak gain of 6.55 dBi in the lower frequency band and 8.1 dBi in the higher frequency band. The measured antenna efficiency is 70% at 2.4 GHz and 84.5% at 5.5 GHz. The proposed dual-band WLAN station antenna is designed on a FR4 substrate with overall dimensions of 69 mm × 50 mm × 1.6 mm.
Spider U-Net: Incorporating Inter-Slice Connectivity Using LSTM for 3D Blood Vessel Segmentation
Authors: Lee Kyeorye , Sunwoo Leonard , Kim Tackeun , Lee Kyong Joon
Published: February 2021

Blood vessel segmentation (BVS) of 3D medical imaging such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is an essential task in the clinical field. Automation of 3D BVS using deep supervised learning is being researched, and U-Net-based approaches, which are considered as standard for medical image segmentation, are proposed a lot. However, the inherent characteristics of blood vessels, e.g., they are complex and narrow, as well as the resolution and sensitivity of the imaging modalities increases the difficulty of 3D BVS. We propose a novel U-Net-based model named Spider U-Net for 3D BVS that considers the connectivity of the blood vessels between the axial slices. To achieve this, long short-term memory (LSTM), which can capture the context of the consecutive data, is inserted into the baseline model. We also propose a data feeding strategy that augments data and makes Spider U-Net stable. Spider U-Net outperformed 2D U-Net, 3D U-Net, and the fully convolutional network-recurrent neural network (FCN-RNN) in dice coefficient score (DSC) by 0.048, 0.077, and 0.041, respectively, for our in-house brain MRA dataset and also achieved the highest DSC for two public datasets. The results imply that considering inter-slice connectivity with LSTM improves model performance in the 3D BVS task.
Validation of CloudSat-CPR Derived Precipitation Occurrence and Phase Estimates across Canada
Authors: Kodamana Rithwik , Fletcher Christopher G.
Published: February 2021

Snowfall affects the terrestrial climate system at high latitudes through its impacts on local meteorology, freshwater resources and energy balance. Precise snowfall monitoring is essential for cold countries such as Canada, and particularly in temperature-sensitive regions such as the Arctic; however, its size and remote location means the precipitation gauge network there is sparse. While satellite remote sensing of snowfall from instruments such as CloudSat-CPR offers a potential solution, satellite detection of precipitation phase has not been systematically evaluated across Canada. In this study, CloudSat-based precipitation occurrence and phase retrievals were validated at 26 stations across Canada maintained by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). Probability of Detection (POD), defined as the percentage agreement between coincident CloudSat and human-observed present weather information for precipitation (solid, liquid or no precipitation), and False Alarm Ratio (FAR) were used as the primary metrics for validation. The mean POD (FAR) for precipitation occurrence across Canada is 65.5% ± 4.3 (31.4% ± 5.1) and for no precipitation is 90.6% ± 1.4 (11% ± 2.5). The results show lower rates of detection under cloudier skies, in the presence of (freezing) drizzle and for lighter snowfall, which may be explained by a large number of false-positives due to CloudSat-CPR’s high instrumental sensitivity. When CloudSat correctly detects the occurrence of precipitation, it shows uniformly high POD (>80%) and low FAR (<10%) for classifying the phase of precipitation. Large databases of coincident ground and satellite measurements allow us to provide a new estimate of around 9% for the frequency of virga events, a factor of two smaller than a previous estimate for the Arctic. The results from this study show that CloudSat has useful accuracy in detecting precipitation occurrence and very high accuracy at classifying precipitation phase, over diverse climate zones across Canada. As such, there is significant potential for satellite monitoring of snowfall in remote, cold regions.
NLA-Bit: A Basic Structure for Storing Big Data with Complexity O(1)
Authors: Ivanova Krasimira Borislavova
Published: February 2021

This paper introduces a novel approach for storing Resource Description Framework (RDF) data based on the possibilities of Natural Language Addressing (NLA) and on a special NLA basic structure for storing Big Data, called “NLA-bit”, which is aimed to support middle-size or large distributed RDF triple or quadruple stores with time complexity O(1). The main idea of NLA is to use letter codes as coordinates (addresses) for data storing. This avoids indexing and provides high-speed direct access to the data with time complexity O(1). NLA-bit is a structured set of all RDF instances with the same “Subject”. An example based on a document system, where every document is stored as NLA-bit, which contains all data connected to it by metadata links, is discussed. The NLA-bits open up a wide field for research and practical implementations in the field of large databases with dynamic semi-structured data (Big Data). Important advantages of the approach are as follow: (1) The reduction of the amount of occupied memory due to the complete absence of additional indexes, absolute addresses, pointers, and additional files; (2) reduction of processing time due to the complete lack of demand—the data are stored/extracted to/from a direct address.
Plasma-Catalytic Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis at Very High Pressure
Authors: Govender Byron Bradley , Iwarere Samuel Ayodele , Ramjugernath Deresh
Published: February 2021

This study explored Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) by combining a non-thermal plasma (NTP), generated by an arc discharge reactor at pressures >> 1 MPa, coupled with a mullite-coated 2 wt%-Co/5 wt%-Al2O3 catalyst. The FTS product yields and electrical energy consumption for the pure plasma (no catalyst) and plasma-catalytic FTS processes were compared under the scope of various reactor operating parameters, namely, pressure (0.5 to 10 MPa), current (250 to 450 mA) and inter-electrode gap (0.5 to 2 mm). The major products, obtained in low concentrations for both processes, were gaseous C1–C3 hydrocarbons, synthesised in the order: methane >> ethane > ethylene > propane. The hydrocarbon product yields were observed to increase, while the specific required energy generally decreased with increasing pressure, decreasing current and increasing inter-electrode gap. Plasma-catalysis improved the FTS performance, with the optimum conditions as: (i) 10 MPa at 10 s and 2 MPa at 60 s for the pressure variation study with the longer treatment time producing higher yields; (ii) 250 mA for the current variation study; (iii) 2 mm for the inter-electrode gap variation study. Plasma-catalysis at a gap of 2 mm yielded the highest concentrations of methane (15,202 ppm), ethane (352 ppm), ethylene (121 ppm) and propane (20 ppm), thereby indicating the inter-electrode gap as the most influential parameter.
The Many Facets of Therapy Resistance and Tumor Recurrence in Glioblastoma
Authors: Goenka Anshika , Tiek Deanna , Song Xiao , Huang Tianzhi , Hu Bo , Cheng Shi-Yuan
Published: February 2021

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most lethal type of primary brain cancer. Standard care using chemo- and radio-therapy modestly increases the overall survival of patients; however, recurrence is inevitable, due to treatment resistance and lack of response to targeted therapies. GBM therapy resistance has been attributed to several extrinsic and intrinsic factors which affect the dynamics of tumor evolution and physiology thus creating clinical challenges. Tumor-intrinsic factors such as tumor heterogeneity, hypermutation, altered metabolomics and oncologically activated alternative splicing pathways change the tumor landscape to facilitate therapy failure and tumor progression. Moreover, tumor-extrinsic factors such as hypoxia and an immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) are the chief causes of immunotherapy failure in GBM. Amid the success of immunotherapy in other cancers, GBM has occurred as a model of resistance, thus focusing current efforts on not only alleviating the immunotolerance but also evading the escape mechanisms of tumor cells to therapy, caused by inter- and intra-tumoral heterogeneity. Here we review the various mechanisms of therapy resistance in GBM, caused by the continuously evolving tumor dynamics as well as the complex TME, which cumulatively contribute to GBM malignancy and therapy failure; in an attempt to understand and identify effective therapies for recurrent GBM.
Attenuation of Barkhausen Noise Emission due to Variable Coating Thickness
Authors: Zgútová Katarína , Pitoňák Martin
Published: February 2021

Monitoring of the stress state of bridges by the use of the Barkhausen noise technique has been already introduced and this method can be adapted for monitoring of component’s overstressing. Measurement of Barkhausen noise on real bridges is carried out through the coating applied as a layer to increase the corrosion resistance of bodies. However, it was found that the thickness of the coating could vary, which in turn affects the Barkhausen noise signals and makes it difficult to assess the real stress state. For this reason, this paper deals with attenuation of Barkhausen noise emission due to variable thicknesses of coatings on the steel S460MC. It was found that increasing the thickness progressively decreases the Barkhausen noise emission and shifts the Barkhausen noise envelopes to the higher magnetic fields. Furthermore, the thickness of the coating also affects the relationship between the tensile stress and the Barkhausen noise.
Influence of V and Heat Treatment on Characteristics of WMoNbTaV Refractory High-Entropy Alloy Coatings by Mechanical Alloying
Authors: Chen Chun-Liang , Sutrisna
Published: February 2021

Refractory high-entropy alloy (RHEA) is one of the most promising materials for use in high-temperature structural materials. In this study, the WMoNbTaV coatings on 304 stainless steel substrates has been prepared by mechanical alloying (MA). Effects of V addition and subsequent heat treatment on properties of the WMoNbTaV coatings were investigated. The results show that the RHEA coatings with nanocrystalline body-centered cubic (BCC) solid-solution phase were generated by the mechanical alloying process. The presence of the V element promotes a uniform microstructure and homogeneous distribution of composition in the RHEA coatings due to improving alloying efficiency, resulting in an increase of hardness. After the annealing treatment of the RHEA coatings, microstructure homogeneity was further enhanced; however, the high affinity of Ta for oxygen causes the formation of Ta-rich oxides. Annealing also removes strain hardening generated by high-energy ball milling and thus decreases the hardness of the RHEA coating and alters microstructure evolution and mechanical properties.
Feasibility and Acceptability of Accelerometer Measurement of Physical Activity in Pregnant Adolescents
Authors: Clark Emma L. M. , Gulley Lauren D. , Hilkin Allison M. , Rockette-Wagner Bonny , Leach Heather J. , Lucas-Thompson Rachel G. , Tanofsky-Kraff Marian , Nadeau Kristen J. , Scott Stephen M. , Sheeder Jeanelle L. , Shomaker Lauren B.
Published: February 2021

During pregnancy, physical activity relates to better maternal and child mental and physical health. Accelerometry is thought to be effective for assessing free-living physical activity, but the feasibility/acceptability of accelerometer use in pregnant adolescents has not been reported. In this short communication, we conducted secondary analysis of a small pilot study to describe the feasibility/acceptability of accelerometry in pregnant adolescents and the preliminary results of physical activity characteristics. Participants were recruited from a multidisciplinary adolescent perinatal clinic. Physical activity was assessed with wrist-worn accelerometers. Feasibility was described as median days of valid wear (≥10 h of wear/day) for the total sample and the number/percentage of participants with ≥4 days of valid wear. Sensitivity analyses of wear time were performed. Acceptability ratings were collected by structured interview. Thirty-six pregnant (14.6 ± 2.1 gestational weeks) adolescents (17.9 ± 1.0 years) participated. Median days of valid wear were 4 days. Seventeen participants (51.5%) had ≥4 days of valid wear. There were no differences in characteristics of adolescents with vs. without ≥4 days of valid wear. Twenty participants (60.6%) had ≥3 days of valid wear, 24 (72.7%) ≥2 valid days, and 27 (81.8%) ≥1 valid wear day. Acceptability ratings were neutral. Assessing physical activity with accelerometry in pregnant adolescents was neither feasible nor acceptable with the current conditions. Future research should investigate additional incentives and the potential utility of a lower wear-time criterion in pregnant adolescents.
The Incidence of Healthcare-Associated Infections, Their Clinical Forms, and Microbiological Agents in Intensive Care Units in Southern Poland in a Multicentre Study from 2016 to 2019
Authors: Rafa Elżbieta , Wałaszek Marta Z. , Wałaszek Michał J. , Domański Adam , Różańska Anna
Published: February 2021

Introduction. Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a serious problem of modern medicine. Patients hospitalized in intensive care units (ICUs) develop HAI significantly more often than patients in other hospital units. Materials and Methods. Analysis involved HAIs from three ICUs in southern Poland. The study was conducted in 2016–2019 on the basis of methodology recommended by the Healthcare-Associated Infections Surveillance Network (HAI-Net) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The objective was to analyse HAIs, their clinical forms, and microbiological agents. Results. The study included 3028 patients hospitalized for 26,558 person-days (pds) in ICU. A total of 540 HAIs were detected; incidence per 100 hospitalizations was 17.8%, incidence density per 1000 pds was 20.3. The mortality of patients with HAI was 16%, and in Clostridioidesdifficile infection (CDI), the mortality was 28%. The most common clinical form of HAI was bloodstream infection (BSI): 209 cases (incidence rate 6.9%), followed by pneumonia (PN): 131 (incidence rate 4.3%), and urinary tract infection (UTI): 110 cases (incidence rate 3.6%). The most frequently isolated bacteria were Klebsiella pneumoniae 16.4%, Acinetobacter baumannii 14.4%, Staphylococcus aureus 11.8%, and Escherichia coli 11.4%. Conclusions. A two-fold higher incidence rate of BSI was detected compared to the average incidence in European countries. BSI of unknown source (BSI-UNK) was predominant. K. pneumoniae and A. baumannii bacteria were the most often isolated microorganisms causing HAI. Infection control based on incidence rate for each type of infection is necessary in ICU to assess the epidemiological situation.
Does Science Literacy Guarantee Resistance to Health Rumors? The Moderating Effect of Self-Efficacy of Science Literacy in the Relationship between Science Literacy and Rumor Belief
Authors: He Lingnan , Chen Yue , Xiong Xiling , Zou Xiqian , Lai Kaisheng
Published: February 2021

Health rumors not only incite unnecessary fears and skepticism, but may also cause individuals to refuse effective remedy and thus delay their treatment. Studies have found that health literacy may help the public identify the falsity of health rumors and avoid their negative impact. However, whether other types of literacy work in helping people disbelieve health rumors is still unknown. With a national survey in China (N = 1646), our study examined the effect of science literacy on rumor belief and further analyzed the moderating role of self-efficacy of science literacy in their relationship. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that science literacy significantly decreased the likelihood of people believing in health rumors, and moderator analysis showed that self-efficacy of science literacy plays a moderating role in this relationship; such that the relationship between science literacy and health rumor belief would be weakened if one′s self-efficacy of science literacy was low. This finding reveals that during campaigns to combat health rumors, improving and enhancing the self-efficacy of people′s science literacy is an effective way to prevent them from believing in health rumors. Our study highlights the benefits of science education in public health and the improvement of public science literacy.
Preterm Deliveries in Women with Uterine Myomas: The Japan Environment and Children’s Study
Authors: Murata Tsuyoshi , Kyozuka Hyo , Endo Yuta , Fukuda Toma , Yasuda Shun , Yamaguchi Akiko , Sato Akiko , Ogata Yuka , Shinoki Kosei , Hosoya Mitsuaki , Yasumura Seiji , Hashimoto Koichi , Nishigori Hidekazu , Fujimori Keiya , Children’s Study (JECS) Group The Japan Environment
Published: February 2021

This study aimed to clarify the association between uterine myomas and preterm birth (PTB), preterm premature rupture of membranes (pPROM), and intrauterine infection (II). The study was based on data from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study, a nationwide birth-cohort study. Data of 86,370 women with singleton births after 22 weeks of gestation (with uterine myomas, n = 5354) were retrospectively analyzed. Using logistic regression, adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for PTB, pPROM, and II were calculated considering women without uterine myomas as the reference. Additionally, the effects of II on the incidence of PTB and pPROM were evaluated. In women with uterine myomas, the aORs for PTB before 37 and 34 weeks, pPROM, and II were 1.37 (95% confidence interval, 1.22–1.54), 1.61 (1.27–2.05), 1.65 (1.33–2.04), and 1.05 (0.75–1.46), respectively. The aORs for PTB and pPROM in women with II and uterine myomas were not significantly increased. Uterine myomas during pregnancy were associated with an increased incidence of PTB and pPROM. However, II in women with uterine myomas was not associated with an increased incidence of PTB or pPROM. These findings suggest a potential risk of occult PTB in pregnant women with uterine myomas.
First Investigative Study of Azole-Resistant Aspergillus fumigatus in the Environment in Burkina Faso
Authors: Yerbanga Isidore W. , Resendiz-Sharpe Agustin , Bamba Sanata , Lagrou Katrien , Nakanabo Diallo Seydou , Rodriguez-Villalobos Hector , Denis Olivier , Montesinos Isabel
Published: February 2021

Azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus (ARAF) strains have been reported on all continents, however, limited data exist on these strains in Africa, while several factors, mainly environmental ones, suggest their presence on this continent. This study aimed to assess the environmental prevalence of ARAF strains in Burkina Faso, a country situated in the West African region where data on ARAF is non-existent. In total, 120 environmental samples (soil) were collected and analyzed. Samples were screened for resistance using three azole-containing agar plates; one without azole antifungal (growth control) and two supplemented with either itraconazole (4 mg/L) or voriconazole (2 mg/L). The EUCAST susceptibility testing method was used to confirm the azole-resistant phenotype of A. fumigatus sensu-stricto isolates. Mutations in the cyp51A gene were determined by sequencing. Of the 120 samples, 51 positive samples showed growth of A. fumigatus isolates on control medium. One ARAF (2%; 1/51) isolate was found amongst A. fumigatus positive samples and harbored the F46Y/M172V/E427K cyp51A mutations. No TR34/L98H or TR46/Y121F/T289A mutations were observed. Our study described the first A. fumigatus isolate resistant to an azole antifungal in Burkina Faso.
International Total Worker Health: Applicability to Agribusiness in Latin America
Authors: Jaramillo Diana , Krisher Lyndsay , Schwatka Natalie V. , Tenney Liliana , Fisher Gwenith G. , Clancy Rebecca L. , Shore Erin , Asensio Claudia , Tetreau Stephane , Castrillo Magda E. , Amenabar Ines , Cruz Alex , Pilloni Daniel , Zamora Maria E. , Butler-Dawson Jaime , Dally Miranda , Newman Lee S.
Published: February 2021

Total Worker Health® (TWH) is a framework for integrating worker and workplace safety, health, and well-being, which has achieved success in European and US settings. However, the framework has not been implemented in Latin America or in agricultural sectors, leaving large and vulnerable populations underrepresented in the implementation and evaluation of these strategies to improve safety and promote health and well-being. This study presents a case study of how a TWH approach can be applied to a multinational Latin American agribusiness. We describe the process and adaptation strategy for conducting a TWH assessment at multiple organizational levels and in multiple countries. We follow this with a description of a TWH leadership training that was conducted based on the results of the assessment. Finally, we describe our methods to make corporate recommendations for TWH policies and programs that were informed by the TWH assessment and leadership trainings. With this case study we aim to demonstrate the importance and feasibility of conducting TWH in Latin America.
Multiple Visual Feature Integration Based Automatic Aesthetics Evaluation of Robotic Dance Motions
Authors: Peng Hua , Hu Jinghao , Wang Haitao , Ren Hui , Sun Cong , Hu Huosheng , Li Jing
Published: February 2021

Imitation of human behaviors is one of the effective ways to develop artificial intelligence. Human dancers, standing in front of a mirror, always achieve autonomous aesthetics evaluation on their own dance motions, which are observed from the mirror. Meanwhile, in the visual aesthetics cognition of human brains, space and shape are two important visual elements perceived from motions. Inspired by the above facts, this paper proposes a novel mechanism of automatic aesthetics evaluation of robotic dance motions based on multiple visual feature integration. In the mechanism, a video of robotic dance motion is firstly converted into several kinds of motion history images, and then a spatial feature (ripple space coding) and shape features (Zernike moment and curvature-based Fourier descriptors) are extracted from the optimized motion history images. Based on feature integration, a homogeneous ensemble classifier, which uses three different random forests, is deployed to build a machine aesthetics model, aiming to make the machine possess human aesthetic ability. The feasibility of the proposed mechanism has been verified by simulation experiments, and the experimental results show that our ensemble classifier can achieve a high correct ratio of aesthetics evaluation of 75%. The performance of our mechanism is superior to those of the existing approaches.
Design of Chemoresponsive Soft Matter Using Hydrogen-Bonded Liquid Crystals
Authors: Yu Huaizhe , Wang Kunlun , Szilvási Tibor , Nayani Karthik , Bao Nanqi , Twieg Robert J. , Mavrikakis Manos , Abbott Nicholas L.
Published: February 2021

Soft matter that undergoes programmed macroscopic responses to molecular analytes has potential utility in a range of health and safety-related contexts. In this study, we report the design of a nematic liquid crystal (LC) composition that forms through dimerization of carboxylic acids and responds to the presence of vapors of organoamines by undergoing a visually distinct phase transition to an isotropic phase. Specifically, we screened mixtures of two carboxylic acids, 4-butylbenzoic acid and trans-4-pentylcyclohexanecarboxylic acid, and found select compositions that exhibited a nematic phase from 30.6 to 111.7 °C during heating and 110.6 to 3.1 °C during cooling. The metastable nematic phase formed at ambient temperatures was found to be long-lived (>5 days), thus enabling the use of the LC as a chemoresponsive optical material. By comparing experimental infrared (IR) spectra of the LC phase with vibrational frequencies calculated using density functional theory (DFT), we show that it is possible to distinguish between the presence of monomers, homodimers and heterodimers in the mixture, leading us to conclude that a one-to-one heterodimer is the dominant species within this LC composition. Further support for this conclusion is obtained by using differential scanning calorimetry. Exposure of the LC to 12 ppm triethylamine (TEA) triggers a phase transition to an isotropic phase, which we show by IR spectroscopy to be driven by an acid-base reaction, leading to the formation of ammonium carboxylate salts. We characterized the dynamics of the phase transition and found that it proceeds via a characteristic spatiotemporal pathway involving the nucleation, growth, and coalescence of isotropic domains, thus amplifying the atomic-scale acid-base reaction into an information-rich optical output. In contrast to TEA, we determined via both experiment and computation that neither hydrogen bonding donor or acceptor molecules, such as water, dimethyl methylphosphonate, ethylene oxide or formaldehyde, disrupt the heterodimers formed in the LC, hinting that the phase transition (including spatial-temporal characteristics of the pathway) induced in this class of hydrogen bonded LC may offer the basis of a facile and chemically selective way of reporting the presence of volatile amines. This proposal is supported by exploratory experiments in which we show that it is possible to trigger a phase transition in the LC by exposure to volatile amines emitted from rotting fish. Overall, these results provide new principles for the design of chemoresponsive soft matter based on hydrogen bonded LCs that may find use as the basis of low-cost visual indicators of chemical environments.
The Role of Mesh Implants in Surgical Treatment of Parastomal Hernia
Authors: Turlakiewicz Karolina , Puchalski Michał , Krucińska Izabella , Sujka Witold
Published: February 2021

A parastomal hernia is a common complication following stoma surgery. Due to the large number of hernial relapses and other complications, such as infections, adhesion to the intestines, or the formation of adhesions, the treatment of hernias is still a surgical challenge. The current standard for the preventive and causal treatment of parastomal hernias is to perform a procedure with the use of a mesh implant. Researchers are currently focusing on the analysis of many relevant options, including the type of mesh (synthetic, composite, or biological), the available surgical techniques (Sugarbaker’s, “keyhole”, or “sandwich”), the surgical approach used (open or laparoscopic), and the implant position (onlay, sublay, or intraperitoneal onlay mesh). Current surface modification methods and combinations of different materials are actively explored areas for the creation of biocompatible mesh implants with different properties on the visceral and parietal peritoneal side. It has been shown that placing the implant in the sublay and intraperitoneal onlay mesh positions and the use of a specially developed implant with a 3D structure are associated with a lower frequency of recurrences. It has been shown that the prophylactic use of a mesh during stoma formation significantly reduces the incidence of parastomal hernias and is becoming a standard method in medical practice.
Shaping Ability and Debris Extrusion of New Rotary Nickel-Titanium Root Canal Instruments
Authors: Bürklein Sebastian , Donnermeyer David , Hentschel Tim Julian , Schäfer Edgar
Published: February 2021

The aim was to evaluate the canal straightening and the amount of apically extruded debris associated with five rotary nickel-titanium when preparing curved root canals. A total of 100 root canals in extracted human teeth (angles of curvatures 20°–30°; radii 5.9–13.5 mm) were divided into five groups (n = 20/group). The groups were balanced with respect to the angle and the radius of canal curvature. The root canals were prepared using conventional austenite 55-NiTi alloy instruments F360, F6 SkyTaper (both Komet, Lemgo, Germany), and the heat-treated NiTi Jizai, Silk-Complex and Silk-Standard instruments (all Mani, Tochigi, Japan) to an apical size 25. The amount of extruded debris was assessed with a micro balance. Statistical analysis was performed using Kruskal–Wallis test with Bonferroni correction at a significance level of p < 0.05. During canal preparation, neither instrument fractures nor procedural preparation errors were noticed. Regarding canal straightening, the use of Jizai instruments resulted in the significantly lowest straightening (p < 0.05), while no significant differences were obtained between all other groups (p > 0.05). Regarding the amount of apically extruded debris, no significant differences between all groups were obtained (p > 0.05). Within the limitations of this study, all instruments performed well, and especially the Jizai instruments showed an excellent shaping ability.
Three Representation Types for Systems of Forms and Linear Maps
Authors: Alazemi Abdullah , Anđelić Milica , da Fonseca Carlos M. , Futorny Vyacheslav , Sergeichuk Vladimir V.
Published: February 2021

We consider systems of bilinear forms and linear maps as representations of a graph with undirected and directed edges. Its vertices represent vector spaces; its undirected and directed edges represent bilinear forms and linear maps, respectively. We prove that if the problem of classifying representations of a graph has not been solved, then it is equivalent to the problem of classifying representations of pairs of linear maps or pairs consisting of a bilinear form and a linear map. Thus, there are only two essentially different unsolved classification problems for systems of forms and linear maps.
Fractional-Order Colour Image Processing
Authors: Henriques Manuel , Valério Duarte , Gordo Paulo , Melicio Rui
Published: February 2021

Many image processing algorithms make use of derivatives. In such cases, fractional derivatives allow an extra degree of freedom, which can be used to obtain better results in applications such as edge detection. Published literature concentrates on grey-scale images; in this paper, algorithms of six fractional detectors for colour images are implemented, and their performance is illustrated. The algorithms are: Canny, Sobel, Roberts, Laplacian of Gaussian, CRONE, and fractional derivative.
An Algorithm Based on Loop-Cutting Contribution Function for Loop Cutset Problem in Bayesian Network
Authors: Wei Jie , Xie Wenxian , Nie Yufeng
Published: February 2021

The loop cutset solving algorithm in the Bayesian network is particularly important for Bayesian inference. This paper proposes an algorithm for solving the approximate minimum loop cutset based on the loop-cutting contribution index. Compared with the existing algorithms, the algorithm uses the loop-cutting contribution index of nodes and node-pairs to analyze nodes from a global perspective, and select loop cutset candidates with node-pair as the unit. The algorithm uses the parameter μ to control the range of node-pairs, and the parameter ω to control the selection conditions of the node-pairs, so that the algorithm can adjust the parameters according to the size of the Bayesian networks, which ensures computational efficiency. The numerical experiments show that the calculation efficiency of the algorithm is significantly improved when it is consistent with the accuracy of the existing algorithm; the experiments also studied the influence of parameter settings on calculation efficiency using trend analysis and two-way analysis of variance. The loop cutset solving algorithm based on the loop-cutting contribution index uses the node-pair as the unit to solve the loop cutset, which helps to improve the efficiency of Bayesian inference and Bayesian network structure analysis.