bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pioglitazone-Loaded Nanostructured Hybrid Material for Skin Ulcer Treatment
Authors: Rojewska Agnieszka , Karewicz Anna , Karnas Karolina , Wolski Karol , Zając Mateusz , Kamiński Kamil , Szczubiałka Krzysztof , Zapotoczny Szczepan , Nowakowska Maria
Published: April 2020

Pioglitazone, a popular antidiabetic drug, which was recently shown to be effective in the treatment of skin ulcers, was successfully encapsulated in polysaccharide nanoparticles and used as a bioactive component of the wound-dressing material based on modified bacterial nanocellulose. Alginate and hydroxypropyl cellulose were used as a matrix for the nanoparticulate drug-delivery system. The matrix composition and particles’ size, as well as drug encapsulation efficiency and loading, were optimized. Pioglitazone hydrochloride (PIO) loaded particles were coated with chitosan introduced into the crosslinking medium, and covalently attached to the surface of bacterial nanocellulose functionalized with carboxyl groups. PIO was released from the surface of the hybrid material in a controlled manner for 5 days. Preliminary cytotoxicity studies confirmed safety of the system at PIO concentrations as high as 20 mg/mL. The obtained hybrid system may have potential application in the treatment of skin ulcers e.g., in diabetic foot.
Improvement of the Laser-Welded Lap Joint of Dissimilar Mg Alloy and Cu by Incorporation of a Zn Interlayer
Authors: Dai Jun , Yu Banglong , Ruan Qingdong , Chu Paul K.
Published: April 2020

During pulsed laser welding of AZ 31B magnesium (Mg) alloy and T2 pure copper (Cu), Cu2Mg and Mg2Cu are generated, but the bonding ability of the two compounds is usually weak, resulting in low strength. In order to improve the joint of two dissimilar metals, a zinc interlayer was inserted between the Mg alloy and Cu, and the effects of the thickness of the Zn interlayer on the microstructure and properties of the joint were studied. The fused zone consisted of Cu2Mg and MgZn, and, according to first-principles calculation, in the same energy range, the area enclosed by the density of the state curve of MgZn was larger than that of Cu2Mg. Hence, the bonding ability of MgZn was better than that of Cu2Mg, and MgZn improved the strength of the welded joint. The most advantageous thickness of the Zn interlayer was 0.1 mm, and the shear strength was 48.15 MPa that was 161% higher than that of the directly welded Mg/Cu joint.
Highly Defective Dark Nano Titanium Dioxide: Preparation via Pulsed Laser Ablation and Application
Authors: D. Fakhrutdinova Elena , V. Shabalina Anastasiia , A. Gerasimova Marina , L. Nemoykina Anna , V. Vodyankina Olga , A. Svetlichnyi Valery
Published: April 2020

The development of methods to synthesize and study the properties of dark titania is of the utmost interest due to prospects for its use, primarily in photocatalysis when excited by visible light. In this work, the dark titania powder was prepared by pulsed laser ablation (Nd:YAG laser, 1064 nm, 7 ns) in water and dried in air. To study the changes occurring in the material, the thermal treatment was applied. The structure, composition, and properties of the obtained powders were studied using transmission electron microscopy, low-temperature N2 adsorption/desorption, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry/differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray photoelectron, Raman and UV-vis spectroscopies, and photoluminescence methods. The processes occurring in the initial material upon heating were studied. The electronic structure of the semiconductor materials was investigated, and the nature of the defects providing the visible light absorption was revealed. The photocatalytic and antibacterial activities of the materials obtained were also studied. Dark titania obtained via laser ablation in liquid was found to exhibit catalytic activity in the phenol photodegradation process under visible light (>420 nm) and showed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and bacteriostatic effect towards Escherichia coli.
Improving the Accuracy of Convolutional Neural Networks by Identifying and Removing Outlier Images in Datasets Using t-SNE
Authors: Perez Husein , Tah Joseph H. M.
Published: April 2020

In the field of supervised machine learning, the quality of a classifier model is directly correlated with the quality of the data that is used to train the model. The presence of unwanted outliers in the data could significantly reduce the accuracy of a model or, even worse, result in a biased model leading to an inaccurate classification. Identifying the presence of outliers and eliminating them is, therefore, crucial for building good quality training datasets. Pre-processing procedures for dealing with missing and outlier data, commonly known as feature engineering, are standard practice in machine learning problems. They help to make better assumptions about the data and also prepare datasets in a way that best expose the underlying problem to the machine learning algorithms. In this work, we propose a multistage method for detecting and removing outliers in high-dimensional data. Our proposed method is based on utilising a technique called t-distributed stochastic neighbour embedding (t-SNE) to reduce high-dimensional map of features into a lower, two-dimensional, probability density distribution and then use a simple descriptive statistical method called interquartile range (IQR) to identifying any outlier values from the density distribution of the features. t-SNE is a machine learning algorithm and a nonlinear dimensionality reduction technique well-suited for embedding high-dimensional data for visualisation in a low-dimensional space of two or three dimensions. We applied this method on a dataset containing images for training a convolutional neural network model (ConvNet) for an image classification problem. The dataset contains four different classes of images: three classes contain defects in construction (mould, stain, and paint deterioration) and a no-defect class (normal). We used the transfer learning technique to modify a pre-trained VGG-16 model. We used this model as a feature extractor and as a benchmark to evaluate our method. We have shown that, when using this method, we can identify and remove the outlier images in the dataset. After removing the outlier images from the dataset and re-training the VGG-16 model, the results have also shown that the accuracy of the classification has significantly improved and the number of misclassified cases has also dropped. While many feature engineering techniques for handling missing and outlier data are common in predictive machine learning problems involving numerical or categorical data, there is little work on developing techniques for handling outliers in high-dimensional data which can be used to improve the quality of machine learning problems involving images such as ConvNet models for image classification and object detection problems.
Dynamics of the Stochastic Belousov-Zhabotinskii Chemical Reaction Model
Authors: Yang Ying , Jiang Daqing , O’Regan Donal , Alsaedi Ahmed
Published: April 2020

In this paper, we discuss the dynamic behavior of the stochastic Belousov-Zhabotinskii chemical reaction model. First, the existence and uniqueness of the stochastic model’s positive solution is proved. Then we show the stochastic Belousov-Zhabotinskii system has ergodicity and a stationary distribution. Finally, we present some simulations to illustrate our theoretical results. We note that the unique equilibrium of the original ordinary differential equation model is globally asymptotically stable under appropriate conditions of the parameter value f, while the stochastic model is ergodic regardless of the value of f.
The Dirichlet Problem of Hessian Equation in Exterior Domains
Authors: Li Hongfei , Dai Limei
Published: April 2020

In this paper, we will obtain the existence of viscosity solutions to the exterior Dirichlet problem for Hessian equations with prescribed asymptotic behavior at infinity by the Perron’s method. This extends the Ju–Bao results on Monge–Ampère equations det D 2 u = f ( x ) .
Brown Seaweed Fucoidan in Cancer: Implications in Metastasis and Drug Resistance
Authors: Reyes María Elena , Riquelme Ismael , Salvo Tomás , Zanella Louise , Letelier Pablo , Brebi Priscilla
Published: April 2020

Fucoidans are sulphated polysaccharides that can be obtained from brown seaweed and marine invertebrates. They have anti-cancer properties, through their targeting of several signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms within malignant cells. This review describes the chemical structure diversity of fucoidans and their similarity with other molecules such as glycosaminoglycan, which enable them to participation in diverse biological processes. Furthermore, this review summarizes their influence on the development of metastasis and drug resistance, which are the main obstacles to cure cancer. Finally, this article discusses how fucoidans have been used in clinical trials to evaluate their potential synergy with other anti-cancer therapies.
Clinical Predictors of Preeclampsia in Pregnant Women with Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Sorohan Bogdan Marian , Andronesi Andreea , Ismail Gener , Jurubita Roxana , Obrisca Bogdan , Baston Cătălin , Harza Mihai
Published: April 2020

Background and Objectives: Pregnant women with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at high risk of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Preeclampsia (PE) superimposed on CKD is estimated to occur in 21%–79% of pregnancies. Both conditions share common features such as proteinuria and hypertension, making differential diagnosis difficult. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and the clinical-biological predictors of preeclampsia in pregnant women with CKD. Material and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 34 pregnant women with pre-existing CKD admitted to our department between 2008 and 2017. Results: Among the 34 patients, 19 (55.8%) developed PE and the mean time of occurrence was 31.26 ± 2.68 weeks of gestation. The median value of 24-h proteinuria at referral was 0.87 g/day (interquartile range 0.42–1.50) and 47.1% of patients had proteinuria of ≥1 g/day. Patients with PE tended to be more hypertensive, with a more decreased renal function at referral and had significantly higher proteinuria (1.30 vs. 0.63 g/day, p = 0.02). Cox multivariate analysis revealed that proteinuria ≥1 g/day at referral and pre-existing hypertension were independently associated with PE (adjusted hazard ratio = 4.10, 95% confidence interval: 1.52–11.02, p = 0.005, adjusted hazard ratio = 2.62, 95% confidence interval: 1.01–6.77, p = 0.04, respectively). The cumulative risk of PE was significantly higher in pregnant women with proteinuria ≥1 g/day at referral (log-rank, p = 0.003). Proteinuria ≥ 1 g/day at referral and pre-exiting hypertension predicted PE development with accuracies of 73.5% and 64.7%, respectively. Conclusions: Pregnant patients with pre-existing CKD are at high risk of developing preeclampsia, while proteinuria ≥ 1 g/day at referral and pre-existing hypertension were independent predictors of superimposed preeclampsia.
Evaluation of TP-E Interval and TP-E/QT Ratio in Panic Disorder
Authors: Afsin Abdulmecit , Asoğlu Ramazan , Orum Mehmet Hamdi , Cicekci Elvan
Published: April 2020

Background and Objectives: The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is involved in panic disorders. ANS dysfunction has been shown to be associated with ventricular arrhythmia and increased heterogeneity of ventricular repolarization. However, there remains limited evidence of the relationship between panic disorders and ventricular depolarization markers, including the Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio. This study aimed to evaluate ventricular repolarization parameters in patients with panic disorder. Materials and Methods: In total, 40 patients with panic disorder, diagnosed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria, were included in the study group. The control group comprised of 50 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals. A standard 12 lead electrocardiogram was recorded on all participants, and heart rate, QT interval, QRS duration, Tp-e interval, and Tp-e/QT ratio were measured. Results: QRS durations and QT intervals were similar in the study and control groups. Compared to the control group, QTd, Tp-e, and cTp-e intervals as well as Tp-e/QT and Tp-e/QTc ratios were significantly increased in patients with panic disorder (p < 0.05 for all). In the study group, the Severity Measure for Panic Disorder—Adult score had a significant positive correlation with the Tp-e interval (r = 0.369, p < 0001), cTp-e interval (r = 0.531, p < 0.001), Tp-e/QT ratio (r = 0.358, p = 0.001), and Tp-e/QTc ratio (r = 0.351, p = 0.001). Conclusion: These findings indicate that panic disorders are associated with increased ventricular repolarization heterogeneity, which may be attributed to ANS dysregulation.
A Plasmid-Encoded FetMP-Fls Iron Uptake System Confers Selective Advantages to Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium in Growth under Iron-Restricted Conditions and for Infection of Mammalian Host Cells
Authors: García Vanesa , Herrero-Fresno Ana , Rodicio Rosaura , Felipe-López Alfonso , Montero Ignacio , Olsen John E. , Hensel Michael , Rodicio María Rosario
Published: April 2020

The resistance plasmid pUO-StVR2, derived from virulence plasmid pSLT, is widespread in clinical isolates of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium recovered in Spain and other European countries. pUO-StVR2 carries several genes encoding a FetMP-Fls system, which could be involved in iron uptake. We therefore analyzed S. Typhimurium LSP 146/02, a clinical strain selected as representative of the isolates carrying the plasmid, and an otherwise isogenic mutant lacking four genes (fetMP-flsDA) of the fetMP-fls region. Growth curves and determination of the intracellular iron content under iron-restricted conditions demonstrated that deletion of these genes impairs iron acquisition. Thus, under these conditions, the mutant grew significantly worse than the wild-type strain, its iron content was significantly lower, and it was outcompeted by the wild-type strain in competition assays. Importantly, the strain lacking the fetMP-flsDA genes was less invasive in cultured epithelial HeLa cells and replicated poorly upon infection of RAW264.7 macrophages. The genes were introduced into S. Typhimurium ATCC 14028, which lacks the FetMP-Fls system, and this resulted in increased growth under iron limitation as well as an increased ability to multiply inside macrophages. These findings indicate that the FetMP-Fls iron acquisition system exceeds the benefits conferred by the other high-affinity iron uptake systems carried by ATCC 14028 and LSP 146/02. We proposed that effective iron acquisition by this system in conjunction with antimicrobial resistance encoded from the same plasmid have greatly contributed to the epidemic success of S. Typhimurium isolates harboring pUO-StVR2.
Thymol Protects Channel Catfish from Aeromonas hydrophila Infection by Inhibiting Aerolysin Expression and Biofilm Formation
Authors: Dong Jing , Zhang Lushan , Liu Yongtao , Xu Ning , Zhou Shun , Yang Qiuhong , Yang Yibin , Ai Xiaohui
Published: April 2020

Aeromonas hydrophila is an opportunistic pathogen responsible for a number of diseases in freshwater farming. Moreover, the bacterium has been identified as a zoonotic pathogen that threatens human health. Antibiotics are widely used for treatments of infectious diseases in aquaculture. However, the abuse of antibiotics has led to the emergence of antimicrobial resistant strains. Thus, novel strategies are required against resistant A. hydrophila strains. The quorum sensing (QS) system, involved in virulence factor production and biofilm formation, is a promising target in identifying novel drugs against A. hydrophila infections. In this study, we found that thymol, at sub-inhibitory concentrations, could significantly reduce the production of aerolysin and biofilm formation by inhibiting the transcription of genes aerA, ahyI, and ahyR. These results indicate that thymol inhibits the quorum sensing system. The protective effects of thymol against A. hydrophila mediated cell injury were determined by live/dead assay and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay. Moreover, the in vivo study showed that thymol could significantly decrease the mortality of channel catfish infected with A. hydrophila. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that thymol could be chosen as a phytotherapeutic candidate for inhibiting quorum sensing system-mediated aerolysin production and biofilm formation in A. hydrophila.
Coral Productivity Is Co-Limited by Bicarbonate and Ammonium Availability
Authors: Roberty Stephane , Béraud Eric , Grover Renaud , Ferrier-Pagès Christine
Published: April 2020

The nitrogen environment and nitrogen status of reef-building coral endosymbionts is one of the important factors determining the optimal assimilation of phototrophic carbon and hence the growth of the holobiont. However, the impact of inorganic nutrient availability on the photosynthesis and physiological state of the coral holobiont is partly understood. This study aimed to determine if photosynthesis of the endosymbionts associated with the coral Stylophora pistillata and the overall growth of the holobiont were limited by the availability of dissolved inorganic carbon and nitrogen in seawater. For this purpose, colonies were incubated in absence or presence of 4 µM ammonium and/or 6 mM bicarbonate. Photosynthetic performances, pigments content, endosymbionts density and growth rate of the coral colonies were monitored for 3 weeks. Positive effects were observed on coral physiology with the supplementation of one or the other nutrient, but the most important changes were observed when both nutrients were provided. The increased availability of DIC and NH4+ significantly improved the photosynthetic efficiency and capacity of endosymbionts, in turn enhancing the host calcification rate. Overall, these results suggest that in hospite symbionts are co-limited by nitrogen and carbon availability for an optimal photosynthesis.
Characterizing the Fungal Microbiome in Date (Phoenix dactylifera) Fruit Pulp and Peel from Early Development to Harvest
Authors: Piombo Edoardo , Abdelfattah Ahmed , Danino Yaara , Salim Shoshana , Feygenberg Oleg , Spadaro Davide , Wisniewski Michael , Droby Samir
Published: April 2020

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is considered to be a highly important food crop in several African and Middle Eastern countries due to its nutritional value and health-promoting properties. Microbial contamination of dates has been of concern to consumers, but very few works have analyzed in detail the microbial load of the different parts of date fruit. In the present work, we characterized the fungal communities of date fruit using a metagenomic approach, analyzing the data for differences between microbial populations residing in the pulp and peel of “Medjool” dates at the different stages of fruit development. The results revealed that Penicillium, Cladosporium, Aspergillus, and Alternaria were the most abundant genera in both parts of the fruit, however, the distribution of taxa among the time points and tissue types (peel vs. pulp) was very diverse. Penicillium was more abundant in the pulp at the green developmental stage (Kimri), while Aspergillus was more frequent in the peel at the brown developmental stage (Tamer). The highest abundance of Alternaria was detected at the earliest sampled stage of fruit development (Hababauk stage). Cladosporium had a high level of abundance in peel tissues at the Hababauk and yellow (Khalal) stages. Regarding the yeast community, the abundance of Candida remained stable up until the Khalal stage, but exhibited a dramatic increase in abundance at the Tamer stage in peel tissues, while the level of Metschnikowia, a genus containing several species with postharvest biocontrol activity, exhibited no significant differences between the two tissue types or stages of fruit development. This work constitutes a comprehensive metagenomic analysis of the fungal microbiome of date fruits, and has identified changes in the composition of the fungal microbiome in peel and pulp tissues at the different stages of fruit development. Notably, this study has also characterized the endophytic fungal microbiome present in pulp tissues of dates.
Selection of Wild Lactic Acid Bacteria Strains as Promoters of Postbiotics in Gluten-Free Sourdoughs
Authors: Păcularu-Burada Bogdan , Georgescu Luminița Anca , Vasile Mihaela Aida , Rocha João Miguel , Bahrim Gabriela-Elena
Published: April 2020

The occurrence of inflammatory responses in humans is frequently associated with food intolerances and is likely to give rise to irritable bowel disease. The use of conventional or unconventional flours to produce gluten-free baking doughs brings important technological and nutritional challenges, and the use of the sourdough biotechnology has the potential to overcome such limitations. In addition, the typical metabolic transformations carried out by Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) can become an important biotechnological process for the nutritional fortification and functionalization of sourdoughs due to the resulting postbiotics. In such a context, this research work aimed at isolating and selecting new LAB strains that resort to a wide range of natural environments and food matrices to be ultimately employed as starter cultures in gluten-free sourdough fermentations. Nineteen LAB strains belonging to the genera of Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, and Streptococcus were isolated, and the selection criteria encompassed their acidification capacity in fermentations carried out on chickpea, quinoa, and buckwheat flour extracts; the capacity to produce exopolysaccharides (EPS); and the antimicrobial activity against food spoilage molds and bacteria. Moreover, the stability of the LAB metabolites after the fermentation of the gluten-free flour extracts submitted to thermal and acidic treatments was also assessed.
Detection of Two Species of the Genus Parapoxvirus (Bovine Papular Stomatitis Virus and Pseudocowpox Virus) in Ticks Infesting Cattle in Burkina Faso
Authors: Ouedraogo Achille , Luciani Léa , Zannou Olivier , Biguezoton Abel , Pezzi Laura , Thirion Laurence , Belem Adrien , Saegerman Claude , Charrel Rémi , Lempereur Laetitia
Published: April 2020

The molecular identification of arboviruses in West Africa is of particular interest, due to their zoonotic potential in a population living in close contact with livestock, and in a region where the livestock migration across borders raises the risk of diseases infection and dissemination. The aim of the study was the screening of potential circulating arboviruses and the assessment of their zoonotic implications. Therefore, ticks were collected on cattle located in three provinces of eastern Burkina Faso. Tick pools were tested using a panel of genus-specific real-time assays targeting conserved regions of parapoxvirus, orthopoxvirus, flavivirus and phlebovirus. On the 26 farms visited, a total of 663 ticks were collected. Four genera and six tick species were morphologically identified, with Amblyomma variegatum and Hyalomma spp. being the most represented species. No arboviruses were found. However, this study highlights the presence of pseudocowpox virus (8.2%) and bovine papular stomatitis virus (5.8%) among the positive tick pools. BPSV positive ticks were found in herds sharing water and pastures resources and with a history of seasonal transhumance. Therefore, common grazing and the seasonal transhumance are likely to support the transmission of the virus. This could have important health and economic impacts, especially regarding transboundary cattle movements.
Nephrite-Bearing Mining Waste As a Promising Mineral Additive in the Production of New Cement Types
Authors: Khudyakova Liudmila I. , Kislov Evgeniy V. , Paleev Pavel L. , Kotova Irina Yu.
Published: April 2020

A growing demand for products made of jewelry and ornamental stones, including nephrite, requires an increase in mining volume. However, only less than 30% of the extracted raw material is suitable for processing. The rest of the low grade nephrites are substandard and unclaimed, and they negatively affect various life spheres. In this regard, their involvement in industrial turnover is an actual task. One of the directions of mining waste use is production of building materials, in particular, cements. The low grade nephrite can act here as mineral additives. In the course of the research, the optimal amount of low grade nephrite waste additive was determined, which is 30% of the cement mass. The grinding time of a raw mix is 10 min. It was found that introduction of the additive affects the hydration activity of cement compositions. Compressive strength of the mixed cement is 25% higher than that of the control sample. At the same time, new phases in the hydrated cement were not recorded. Good physical and mechanical properties of the obtained cements are achieved when hardening in normal humidity conditions. Heat and humidity treatments do not facilitate the hydration processes in binary systems. The conducted studies have shown that low grade nephrite can be used as mineral additives in cement production. This will allow development of not only a new type of product, but also reduction of the negative impact of cement production on the environment.
The Making of Transgenic Drosophila guttifera
Authors: Shittu Mujeeb , Steenwinkel Tessa , Koshikawa Shigeyuki , Werner Thomas
Published: April 2020

The complex color patterns on the wings and body of Drosophila guttifera (D. guttifera) are emerging as model systems for studying evolutionary and developmental processes. Studies regarding these processes depend on overexpression and downregulation of developmental genes, which ultimately rely upon an effective transgenic system. Methods describing transgenesis in Drosophila melanogaster (D. melanogaster) have been reported in several studies, but they cannot be applied to D. guttifera due to the low egg production rate and the delicacy of the eggs. In this protocol, we describe extensively a comprehensive method used for generating transgenic D. guttifera. Using the protocol described here, we are able to establish transgenic lines, identifiable by the expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in the eye disks of D. guttifera larvae. The entire procedure, from injection to screening for transgenic larvae, can be completed in approximately 30 days and should be relatively easy to adapt to other non-model Drosophila species, for which no white-eyed mutants exist.
Monitoring Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition of Pancreatic Cancer Cells via Investigation of Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Authors: Sim Jae Jun , Jeong Keun-Yeong
Published: April 2020

In this protocol, we introduced a method of measuring mitochondrial dysfunction to confirm the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in pancreatic cancer cells under a hypoxic environment. There are many expertized and complicated methods to verify EMT. However, our methods have indicated that EMT can be identified by examining changes in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and membrane potential in mitochondria. To demonstrate whether the changes in the indicators of mitochondrial dysfunction are correlative to EMT, cell morphology, and expression of E-cadherin and N-cadherin were additionally observed. The results verified that a decrease in membrane potential and an increase in ROS in mitochondria were associated with EMT of pancreatic cancer cells. This protocol would be useful as a basis for providing an additional indicator for changes in the tumor microenvironment of pancreatic cancer cells relating to EMT under a hypoxic environment.
Suppression of Oral Sweet Sensations during Consumption of Sweet Food in Humans: Effects on Gastric Emptying Rate, Glycemic Response, Appetite, Food Satisfaction and Desire for Basic Tastes
Authors: Kashima Naomi , Kimura Kanako , Nishitani Natsumi , Yamaoka Endo Masako , Fukuba Yoshiyuki , Kashima Hideaki
Published: April 2020

Suppression of oral sweet sensation (OSS) acutely reduces intake of sweet-tasting food due to lower liking. However, little is known about other physiological responses during both the prandial and postprandial phase. Here, we explored the effects of Gymnema sylvestre (GS)-based suppression of OSS of several types of sweet-tasting food (muffin, sweet yogurt, banana) on gastric emptying, blood glucose (BG), plasma insulin (PI), appetite indices (hunger, fullness and prospective consumption), satisfaction and desire for tastes. Fifteen healthy subjects (22 ± 3 years, 9 women) took part in the study. Subjects rinsed their mouth with either GS solution or distilled water before eating the sweet-tasting food. Subjects felt decreased sweet taste intensity and reduced taste liking associated with GS rinsing after consuming each food, compared with rinsing with distilled water (p < 0.05). Gastric emptying, BG, PI and appetite indices during and after the prandial phase did not significantly change with GS rinsing compared to rinsing with distilled water (p > 0.05). Higher desire for sweet taste as well as lower satisfaction (p < 0.05) in the postprandial phase were observed with GS rinsing. These results suggest that the suppression of OSS does not affect gastric emptying, glycemic response and appetite during and after consumption of sweet-tasting food.
Comparative Genomic Analysis Provides Insights into the Phylogeny, Resistome, Virulome, and Host Adaptation in the Genus Ewingella
Authors: Liu Zhenghui , Sheng Hongyan , Okorley Benjamin Azu , Li Yu , Sossah Frederick Leo
Published: April 2020

Ewingella americana is a cosmopolitan bacterial pathogen that has been isolated from many hosts. Here, we sequenced a high-quality genome of E. americana B6-1 isolated from Flammulina filiformis, an important cultivated mushroom, performed a comparative genomic analysis with four other E. americana strains from various origins, and tested the susceptibility of B6-1 to antibiotics. The genome size, predicted genes, and GC (guanine-cytosine) content of B6-1 was 4.67 Mb, 4301, and 53.80%, respectively. The origin of the strains did not significantly affect the phylogeny, but mobile genetic elements shaped the evolution of the genus Ewingella. The strains encoded a set of common genes for type secretion, virulence effectors, CAZymes, and toxins required for pathogenicity in all hosts. They also had antibiotic resistance, pigments to suppress or evade host defense responses, as well as genes for adaptation to different environmental conditions, including temperature, oxidation, and nutrients. These findings provide a better understanding of the virulence, antibiotic resistance, and host adaptation strategies of Ewingella, and they also contribute to the development of effective control strategies.
A Vertical Cooperation Model to Manage Digital Collections and Institutional Resources
Authors: Maness Jack , Pham Kim , Reyes Fernando , Rynhart Jeff
Published: April 2020

The technology space of the University of Denver Libraries to manage digital collections and institutional resources isn’t relegated to one department on campus – rather, it distributed across a network of collaborators with the skills and expertise to provide that support. The infrastructure, which is comprised of an archival metadata management system (Archivespace), a digital repository (Node.js + ElasticSearch), preservation storage (ArchivesDirect), and a streaming server (Kaltura) is independently but cooperatively managed across IT, library departments and vendors. The coordinated effort of digital curation activities still allows each group to focus on the service they have the most vested interest in providing. This paper will talk about the different management and development practices involved in developing our integrated infrastructure to provide digital collections as a service.
Primary Intraosseous Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Anterior Mandible Arising in an Odontogenic Cyst in 34-Year-Old Male
Authors: Negrello Sara , Pellacani Arrigo , di Bartolomeo Mattia , Bernardelli Giuditta , Nocini Riccardo , Pinelli Massimo , Chiarini Luigi , Anesi Alexandre
Published: April 2020

Primary intraosseous squamous cell carcinoma (PIOSCC) is a rare and aggressive malignancy arising exclusively within the jaws, without any initial connection with the oral mucosa. The etiology and the epidemiology are unclear due to the rarity of the disease, and there is no current universally accepted staging or treatment protocol. Clinically, the posterior mandible is the most affected site, and common symptoms are swelling and pain. The diagnosis is often difficult either because it requires stringent criteria to be satisfied or because of the absence of a pathognomonic histological pattern. Aggressive surgery is the first-choice treatment, often followed by radiotherapy. The lymph nodal status seems to be the most important factor influencing the prognosis, which is usually poor, with a 5-year survival rate ranging from 30% to 40%. In the present article, we report an unusual case of cystogenic PIOSCC interesting the anterior mandible of a young 34-year-old male, which came to our attention after complaint about recurrent infective episodes affecting a dentigerous cyst (impacted lower canine) discovered ten years before. The age, site, and extension are uncommon. Extensive surgical treatment with fibula free flap reconstruction, adjuvant therapy, and salvage surgery was carried out. The patient was disease-free at a 31-month follow-up.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Postpartum of a Woman Recovered from Drug Addiction: A Case Report
Authors: Antoniou Evangelia , Orovou Eirini , Stavropoulos Vasileios , Palaska Ermioni , Sarella Angeliki , Iliadou Maria , Iatrakis Georgios , Dagla Maria
Published: April 2020

There is high degree of prevalence and variety of risk factors of postpartum Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However, some postpartum women seem to struggle with their past traumatic life events and previous PTSD can result in them sinking deeper into a new PTSD, a postpartum PTSD. The person who has undergone detoxification has endured a very painful process and there is a strong association between drug addiction and mortality. The aim of this case report study is to raise the understanding of health professionals regarding the impact that these two factors might have on ex-drug addicted women. Data were collected from the Maternity unit of the University Hospital of Larisa in Greece. A mother on day 2 after elective cesarean section confirmed her participation and filled in a Life Events Checklist (LEC-5), Posttraumatic Checklist (PCL-5), Criteria A, and a socio-demographic questionnaire. After the sixth postpartum week, the woman answered via telephone, adapted for postpartum PCL-5. This case study describes vividly and painfully the impact of past drug addiction not only on her cesarean section but also how it affected her postpartum period. Eight past traumatic life events led to the creation of a chronic PTSD, i.e., trauma re-experiencing, avoidance, negative thoughts and feelings, agitation, and reactivity. Unfortunately, in cases of traumatic childbirth, especially cesarean section, when there are past traumatic experiences, such as addiction or sexual abuse, postpartum PTSD is an unbearable experience.
How Do Health, Care Services Consumption and Lifestyle Factors Affect the Choice of Health Insurance Plans in Switzerland?
Authors: Kalouguina Veronika , Wagner Joël
Published: April 2020

In compulsory health insurance in Switzerland, policyholders can choose two main features, the level of deductible and the type of plan. Deductibles can be chosen among six levels, which range from CHF 300 to 2500. While the coverage and benefits are identical, insurers offer several plans where policyholders must first call a medical hotline, consult their family doctor, or visit a doctor from a defined network. The main benefit of higher deductibles and insurance plans with limitations is lower premiums. The insureds’ decisions to opt for a specific cover depend on observed and unobserved characteristics. The aim of this research is to understand the correlation between insurance plan choices and lifestyle through the state of health and medical care consumption in the setting of Swiss mandatory health insurance. To do so, we account for individual health and medical health care consumption as unobserved variables employing structural equation modeling. Our empirical analysis is based on data from the Swiss Health Survey wherein lifestyle factors like the body mass index, diet, physical activity, and commuting mode are available. From the 9301 recorded observations, we find a positive relationship between having a “healthy” lifestyle, a low consumption of doctors’ services, and choosing a high deductible, as well as an insurance plan with restrictions. Conversely, higher health care services’ usage triggers the choice of lower deductibles and standard insurance plans.
Adjustable and Adaptive Control for an Unstable Mobile Robot Using Imitation Learning with Trajectory Optimization
Authors: Dengler Christian , Lohmann Boris
Published: April 2020

In this contribution, we develop a feedback controller in the form of a parametric function for a mobile inverted pendulum. The control both stabilizes the system and drives it to target positions with target orientations. A design of the controller based only on a cost function is difficult for this task, which is why we choose to train the controller using imitation learning on optimized trajectories. In contrast to popular approaches like policy gradient methods, this approach allows us to shape the behavior of the system by including equality constraints. When transferring the parametric controller from simulation to the real mobile inverted pendulum, the control performance is degraded due to the reality gap. A robust control design can reduce the degradation. However, for the framework of imitation learning on optimized trajectories, methods that explicitly consider robustness do not yet exist to the knowledge of the authors. We tackle this research gap by presenting a method to design a robust controller in the form of a recurrent neural network, to improve the transferability of the trained controller to the real system. As a last step, we make the behavior of the parametric controller adjustable to allow for the fine tuning of the behavior of the real system. We design the controller for our system and show in the application that the recurrent neural network has increased performance compared to a static neural network without robustness considerations.
Prediction of Wheat Grain Protein by Coupling Multisource Remote Sensing Imagery and ECMWF Data
Authors: Xu Xiaobin , Teng Cong , Zhao Yu , Du Ying , Zhao Chunqi , Yang Guijun , Jin Xiuliang , Song Xiaoyu , Gu Xiaohe , Casa Raffaele , Chen Liping , Li Zhenhai
Published: April 2020

Industrialization production with high quality and effect on winter is an important measure for accelerating the shift from increasing agricultural production to improving quality in terms of grain protein content (GPC). Remote sensing technology achieved the GPC prediction. However, large deviations in interannual expansion and regional transfer still exist. The present experiment was carried out in wheat producing areas of Beijing (BJ), Renqiu (RQ), Quzhou, and Jinzhou in Hebei Province. First, the spectral consistency of Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (LS8) and RapidEye (RE) was compared with Sentinel-2 (S2) satellites at the same ground point in the same period. The GPC prediction model was constructed by coupling the vegetation index with the meteorological data obtained by the European Center for Medium-range Weather Forecasts using hierarchical linear model (HLM) method. The prediction and spatial expansion of regional GPC were validated. Results were as follows: (1) Spectral information calculated from S2 imagery were highly consistent with LS8 (R2 = 1.00) and RE (R2 = 0.99) imagery, which could be jointly used for GPC modeling. (2) The predicted GPC by using the HLM method (R2 = 0.524) demonstrated higher accuracy than the empirical linear model (R2 = 0.286) and showed higher improvements across inter-annual and regional scales. (3) The GPC prediction results of the verification samples in RQ, BJ, Xiaotangshan (XTS) in 2018, and XTS in 2019 were ideal with root mean square errors of 0.61%, 1.13%, 0.91%, and 0.38%, and relative root mean square error of 4.11%, 6.83%, 6.41%, and 2.58%, respectively. This study has great application potential for regional and inter-annual quality prediction.
A Causal Long Short-Term Memory Sequence to Sequence Model for TEC Prediction Using GNSS Observations
Authors: Kaselimi Maria , Voulodimos Athanasios , Doulamis Nikolaos , Doulamis Anastasios , Delikaraoglou Demitris
Published: April 2020

The necessity of predicting the spatio-temporal phenomenon of ionospheric variability is closely related to the requirement of many users to be able to obtain high accuracy positioning with low cost equipment. The Precise Point Positioning (PPP) technique is highly accepted by the scientific community as a means for providing high level of position accuracy from a single receiver. However, its main drawback is the long convergence time to achieve centimeter-level accuracy in positioning. Hereby, we propose a deep learning-based approach for ionospheric modeling. This method exploits the advantages of Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN) for timeseries modeling and predicts the total electron content per satellite from a specific station by making use of a causal, supervised deep learning method. The scope of the proposed method is to compare and evaluate the between-satellites ionospheric delay estimation, and to aggregate the Total Electron Content (TEC) outcomes per-satellite into a single solution over the station, thus constructing regional TEC models, in an attempt to replace Global Ionospheric Maps (GIM) data. The evaluation of our proposed recurrent method for the prediction of vertical total electron content (VTEC) values is compared against the traditional Autoregressive (AR) and the Autoregressive Moving Average (ARMA) methods, per satellite. The proposed model achieves error lower than 1.5 TECU which is slightly better than the accuracy of the current GIM products which is currently about 2.0–3.0 TECU.
The Capability of Integrating Optical and Microwave Data for Detecting Soil Moisture in an Oasis Region
Authors: Huang Shuai , Ding Jianli , Liu Bohua , Ge Xiangyu , Wang Jinjie , Zou Jie , Zhang Junyong
Published: April 2020

In the earth ecosystem, surface soil moisture is an important factor in the process of energy exchange between land and atmosphere, which has a strong control effect on land surface evapotranspiration, water migration, and carbon cycle. Soil moisture is particularly important in an oasis region because of its fragile ecological environment. Accordingly, a soil moisture retrieval model was conducted based on Dubois model and ratio model. Based on the Dubois model, the in situ soil roughness was used to simulate the backscattering coefficient of bare soil, and the empirical relationship was established with the measured soil moisture. The ratio model was used to eliminate the backscattering contribution of vegetation, in which three vegetation indices were used to characterize vegetation growth. The results were as follows: (1) the Dubois model was used to calibrate the unknown parameters of the ratio model and verified the feasibility of the ratio model to simulate the backscattering coefficient. (2) All three vegetation indices (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Vegetation Water Content (VWC), and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)) can represent the scattering characteristics of vegetation in an oasis region, but the VWC vegetation index is more suitable than the others. (3) Based on the Dubois model and ratio model, the soil moisture retrieval model was conducted, and the in situ soil moisture was used to analyze the accuracy of the simulated soil moisture, which found that the soil moisture retrieval accuracy is the highest under VWC vegetation index, and the coefficient of determination is 0.76. The results show that the soil moisture retrieval model conducted on the Dubois model and ratio model is feasible.
Soil Moisture–Vegetation–Carbon Flux Relationship under Agricultural Drought Condition using Optical Multispectral Sensor
Authors: Sur Chanyang , Kang Do-Hyuk , Lim Kyoung Jae , Yang Jae E. , Shin Yongchul , Jung Younghun
Published: April 2020

Agricultural drought is triggered by a depletion of moisture content in the soil, which hinders photosynthesis and thus increases carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in the atmosphere. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between soil moisture (SM) and vegetation activity toward quantifying CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. To this end, the MODerate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS), an optical multispectral sensor, was used to evaluate two regions in South Korea for validation. Vegetation activity was analyzed through MOD13A1 vegetation indices products, and MODIS gross primary productivity (GPP) product was used to calculate the CO2 flux based on its relationship with respiration. In the case of SM, it was calculated through the method of applying apparent thermal inertia (ATI) in combination with land surface temperature and albedo. To validate the SM and CO2 flux, flux tower data was used which are the observed measurement values for the extreme drought period of 2014 and 2015 in South Korea. These two variables were analyzed for temporal variation on flux tower data as daily time scale, and the relationship with vegetation index (VI) was synthesized and analyzed on a monthly scale. The highest correlation between SM and VI (correlation coefficient (r) = 0.82) was observed at a time lag of one month, and that between VI and CO2 (r = 0.81) at half month. This regional study suggests a potential capability of MODIS-based SM, VI, and CO2 flux, which can be applied to an assessment of the global view of the agricultural drought by using available satellite remote sensing products.
A Soil Erosion Indicator for Supporting Agricultural, Environmental and Climate Policies in the European Union
Authors: Panagos Panos , Ballabio Cristiano , Poesen Jean , Lugato Emanuele , Scarpa Simone , Montanarella Luca , Borrelli Pasquale
Published: April 2020

Soil erosion is one of the eight threats in the Soil Thematic Strategy, the main policy instrument dedicated to soil protection in the European Union (EU). During the last decade, soil erosion indicators have been included in monitoring the performance of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study comes five years after the assessment of soil loss by water erosion in the EU [Environmental science & policy 54, 438–447 (2015)], where a soil erosion modelling baseline for 2010 was developed. Here, we present an update of the EU assessment of soil loss by water erosion for the year 2016. The estimated long-term average erosion rate decreased by 0.4% between 2010 and 2016. This small decrease of soil loss was due to a limited increase of applied soil conservation practices and land cover change observed at the EU level. The modelling results suggest that, currently, ca. 25% of the EU land has erosion rates higher than the recommended sustainable threshold (2 t ha−1 yr−1) and more than 6% of agricultural lands suffer from severe erosion (11 t ha−1 yr−1). The results suggest that a more incisive set of measures of soil conservation is needed to mitigate soil erosion across the EU. However, targeted measures are recommendable at regional and national level as soil erosion trends are diverse between countries which show heterogeneous application of conservation practices.