bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Crossroads between Zinc and Steroidal Implant-Induced Growth of Beef Cattle
Authors: Messersmith Elizabeth M. , Smerchek Dathan T. , Hansen Stephanie L.
Published: June 2021

Growth-promoting technologies such as steroidal implants have been utilized in the beef industry for over 60 years and remain an indispensable tool for improving economic returns through consistently improved average daily gain via increased skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Zinc has been implicated in skeletal muscle growth through protein synthesis, satellite cell function, and many other growth processes. Therefore, the objective of this review was to present the available literature linking Zn to steroidal implant-induced protein synthesis and other metabolic processes. Herein, steroidal implants and their mode of action, the biological importance of Zn, and several connections between steroidal implants and Zn related to growth processes are discussed. These include the influence of Zn on hormone receptor signaling, circulating insulin-like growth factor-1 concentrations, glucose metabolism, protein synthesis via mTOR, and satellite cell proliferation and differentiation. Supplemental Zn has also been implicated in improved growth rates of cattle utilizing growth-promoting technologies, and steroidal implants appear to alter liver and circulating Zn concentrations. Therefore, this review provides evidence of the role of Zn in steroidal implant-induced growth yet reveals gaps in the current knowledge base related to optimizing Zn supplementation strategies to best capture growth performance improvements offered through steroidal implants.
Cell Source-Dependent In Vitro Chondrogenic Differentiation Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Established from Bone Marrow and Synovial Fluid of Camelus dromedarius
Authors: Son Young-Bum , Jeong Yeon Ik , Jeong Yeon Woo , Hossein Mohammad Shamim , Olsson Per Olof , Tinson Alex , Singh Kuhad Kuldip , Lee Sang-Yun , Hwang Woo Suk
Published: June 2021

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are promising multipotent cells with applications for cartilage tissue regeneration in stem cell-based therapies. In cartilage regeneration, both bone marrow (BM-MSCs) and synovial fluid (SF-MSCs) are valuable sources. However, the cellular characteristics and chondrocyte differentiation potential were not reported in either of the camel stem cells. The in vitro chondrocyte differentiation competence of MSCs, from (BM and SF) sources of the same Camelus dromedaries (camel) donor, was determined. Both MSCs were evaluated on pluripotent markers and proliferation capacity. After passage three, both MSCs showed fibroblast-like morphology. The proliferation capacity was significantly increased in SF-MSCs compared to BM-MSCs. Furthermore, SF-MSCs showed an enhanced expression of transcription factors than BM-MSCs. SF-MSCs exhibited lower differentiation potential toward adipocytes than BM-MSCs. However, the osteoblast differentiation potential was similar in MSCs from both sources. Chondrogenic pellets obtained from SF-MSCs revealed higher levels of chondrocyte-specific markers than those from BM-MSCs. Additionally, glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content was elevated in SF-MSCs related to BM-MSCs. This is, to our knowledge, the first study to establish BM-MSCs and SF-MSCs from the same donor and to demonstrate in vitro differentiation potential into chondrocytes in camels.
Appetite Regulation, Growth Performances and Fish Quality Are Modulated by Alternative Dietary Protein Ingredients in Gilthead Sea Bream (Sparus aurata) Culture
Authors: Pulido-Rodriguez Lina Fernanda , Cardinaletti Gloriana , Secci Giulia , Randazzo Basilio , Bruni Leonardo , Cerri Roberto , Olivotto Ike , Tibaldi Emilio , Parisi Giuliana
Published: June 2021

By answering the need for increasing sustainability in aquaculture, the present study aimed to compare growth, gene expression involved in appetite regulation, physical characteristics, and chemical composition of Sparus aurata fed alternative protein sources. Fish were fed ten iso-proteic, iso-lipidic, and isoenergetic diets: a vegetable-based (CV) and a marine ingredient-rich (CF) diet were set as control diets. The others were prepared by replacing graded levels (10, 20 or 40%) of the vegetable proteins in the CV with proteins from a commercial defatted Hermetia illucens pupae meal (H), poultry by-product meal (PBM) singly (H10, H20, H40, P20, P40) or in combination (H10P30), red swamp crayfish meal (RC10) and from a blend (2:1, w:w) of Tisochrysis lutea and Tetraselmis suecica (MA10) dried biomasses. The increase in ghre gene expression observed in MA10 fed fish matched with increased feed intake and increased feed conversion ratio. Besides, the MA10 diet conferred a lighter aspect to the fish skin (p < 0.05) than the others. Overall, no detrimental effects of H, PBM, and RC meal included in the diets were observed, and fish fatty acid profile resulted as comparable among these groups and CV, thus demonstrating the possibility to introduce H, PBM, and RC in partial replacement of vegetable proteins in the diet for Sparus aurata.
Impact of Ag Nanoparticles (AgNPs) and Multimicrobial Preparation (EM) on the Carcass, Mineral, and Fatty Acid Composition of Cornu aspersum aspersum Snails
Authors: Niemiec Tomasz , Łozicki Andrzej , Pietrasik Robert , Pawęta Sylwester , Rygało-Galewska Anna , Matusiewicz Magdalena , Zglińska Klara
Published: June 2021

The hygienic practices on farms should reduce pathogenic microorganisms while simultaneously not harming the animals themselves; they must also not degrade the products’ quality. We assessed the effect of covering feed tables with paint containing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and the periodic spraying of effective microorganisms (EM) on production indicators and basic chemical composition, mineral content and fatty acid profiles in the bodies of Cornu aspersum aspersum snails. The animals were divided into four groups: (1) control, (2) with feed tables covered with AgNPs paint, (3) with EM spray applied and (4) with both factors—AgNP paint and EM spray. The highest increase in Ag, Zn, Fe and Ca retention, and the remodelling of the fatty acid profile in the carcasses of snails was found to be in the group of animals in contact with the feed tables covered with AgNP paint. In the group of animals exposed to the action of EM, an increased retention of Fe, Cu, P, Mg and Zn was found.
Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity of Cleome droserifolia (Forssk.) Del. and Its Biological Effects on Redox Status, Immunity, and Gut Microflora
Authors: Hashem Nesrein , Shehata Mohamed
Published: June 2021

This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and immunomodulatory activities of a Cleome droserifolia (Forssk.) Del. (Cd) shoot methanolic extracts considering the biological activity of its phytogenic compounds. For this purpose, the Cd phenolic compounds were detected, and an in vitro evaluation of the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the Cd extract was performed. For a biological evaluation, 30 v-line rabbits were randomly distributed into three groups with treatments including: a basal diet without Cd shoots powder supplement (C group) or supplemented with 1.25- (Cdl group) or 2.5 (Cdh group)-mg Cd/kg dry matter (DM). The Cd extract showed a linear scavenging activity for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), with the maximal activity observed at a concentration of 1 mg/mL. A total of 16 phenolic compounds were identified by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) in the Cd methanolic extract, among which benzoic acid, rutin, ellagic acid, naringenin, and o-coumaric acid were the major compounds. The methanolic extract of Cd showed inhibitory actions against microbial pathogen species. The in vivo study showed that the two concentrations of Cd significantly improved the redox status of the blood plasma and lysozyme activity. Treatment with Cdh significantly decreased the levels of interleukin-β1 in the blood plasma compared with the control. Moreover, the two concentrations of Cd significantly increased the counts of intestinal and cecal yeast and Lactobacillus species and decreased the Salmonella and Coliform species compared with the control. The aerial parts of the Cd shrub had strong antioxidant, antimicrobial, and immunomodulatory activities, which can improve the overall health status and seem to be related to its impressive range of biologically active phenolic compounds.
Numerical Simulation of Flame Retardant Polymers Using a Combined Eulerian–Lagrangian Finite Element Formulation
Authors: Marti Julio , de la Vega Jimena , Wang De-Yi , Oñate Eugenio
Published: June 2021

Many polymer-made objects show a trend of melting and dripping in fire, a behavior that may be modified by adding flame retardants (FRs). These affect materials properties, e.g., heat absorption and viscosity. In this paper, the effect of a flame retardant on the fire behavior of polymers in the UL 94 scenario is studied. This goal is achieved essentially by applying a new computational strategy that combines the particle finite element method for the polymer with an Eulerian formulation for air. The sample selected is a polypropylene (PP) with magnesium hydroxide at 30 wt.%. For modelling, values of density, conductivity, specific heat, viscosity, and Arrhenius coefficients are obtained from different literature sources, and experimental characterization is performed. However, to alleviate the missing viscosity at a high temperature, three viscosity curves are introduced on the basis of the viscosity curve provided by NIST and the images of the test. In the experiment, we burn the specimen under the UL 94 condition, recording the process and measuring the temperature evolution by means of three thermocouples. The UL 94 test is solved, validating the methodology and quantifying the effect of FR on the dripping behavior. The numerical results prove that well-adjusted viscosity is crucial to achieving good agreement between the experimental and numerical results in terms of the shape of the polymer and the temperature evolution inside the polymer.
The Significance of Hydrophobicity for the Water Retention Properties of Sand and Coal
Authors: Vidler Andrew , Buzzi Olivier , Fityus Stephen
Published: June 2021

For mine wastes such as coal tailings, management of these materials requires complex geotechnical engineering that uses many soil properties, such as water retention. However, coal itself is chemically heterogeneous and often appears to be partially hydrophobic, which affects its water retention properties. This study aims to outline how hydrophobic soil particles and coal alter water retention curves compared to hydrophilic materials. The study involves four materials: sand, hydrophobized sand, crushed rock and crushed coal. Mixtures of sand with different proportions of hydrophobic particles had their water retention curves measured and compared, with the only variable being the particle surface characteristics. The rock and coal were separated into different particle size fractions and had their water retention curves measured and compared, with the only variable being particle hydrophobicity. A clear trend was observed for the sand mixtures: the degree of saturation at any suction was reduced when increasing the hydrophobicity of the material. This trend indicates the fundamental water retention behavior expected for soils more hydrophobic than is typical, which was not clearly demonstrated in previous studies. However, a similar trend was not seen when comparing the rock and otherwise identical hydrophobic coal samples, which actually appeared hydrophilic in terms of water retention. ESEM imaging shows a dual hydrophilic and hydrophobic behavior for coal which may explain the result. However, further research is required to understand the discrepancy, which appears to be caused by an unknown coal–water phenomena.
Special Issue of the Manufacturing Engineering Society 2020 (SIMES-2020)
Authors: Camacho Ana María , Rubio Eva María
Published: June 2021

The Special Issue of the Manufacturing Engineering Society 2020 (SIMES-2020) has been launched as a joint issue of the journals “Materials” and “Applied Sciences”. The 14 contributions published in this Special Issue of Applied Sciences present cutting-edge advances in the field of Manufacturing Engineering focusing on advances and innovations in manufacturing processes; additive manufacturing and 3D printing; manufacturing of new materials; Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) technologies; robotics, mechatronics and manufacturing automation; Industry 4.0; design, modeling and simulation in manufacturing engineering; manufacturing engineering and society; and production planning. Among them, the topic “Manufacturing engineering and society” collected the highest number of contributions (representing 22%), followed by the topics “Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) technologies”, “Industry 4.0”, and “Design, modeling and simulation in manufacturing engineering” (each at 14%). The rest of the topics represent the remaining 35% of the contributions.
Durability of Ternary Cements Based on New Supplementary Cementitious Materials from Industrial Waste
Authors: Sáez del Bosque Isabel Fuencisla , Sánchez de Rojas María Isabel , Medina Gabriel , Barcala Sara , Medina César
Published: June 2021

Cement-based materials decay with exposure to aggressive agents, a development that raises infrastructure operation and maintenance costs substantially. This paper analyses the inclusion of ultrafine construction and demolition (UC&DW) and biomass-fuelled power plant (BA) waste as pozzolanic additions to cement in pursuit of more sustainable and eco-respectful binders and assesses the durability of the end materials when exposed to seawater, chlorides (0.5 M NaCl) or sulphates (0.3 M Na2SO4). The effect of adding silica fume (SF) at a replacement ratio of 5% was also analysed. Durability was determined using the methodology proposed by Koch and Steinegger, whilst microstructural changes were monitored with mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for a fuller understanding of decay processes. According to the findings, the new blended cements containing 20%UC&DW + 10%BA or 20%UC&DW + 20%BA + 5%SF resist the attack by the aggressive media studied, with a 56-d corrosion index of over 0.7. The composition of the reaction products generated with the attack is essentially the same in OPC and the SCM-bearing materials. The results show that the optimal replacement ratio for SCM is 30%.
Experimental Study of Coflow Propane—Air Laminar Diffusion Flames at Subatmospheric Pressures
Authors: Yao Jiajie , Liu Jiahao , Wang Jian
Published: June 2021

The effect of pressure on the flame’s physical structure and soot formation of the coflow propane—air laminar diffusion flames was studied experimentally at subatmospheric pressures from 30 to 101 kPa. Flames with a constant fuel mass flow rate combined with two different coflow air mass flow rates were investigated at different pressures. The spatially resolved relative soot volume fraction was measured using the laser-induced incandescence (LII) method. The height of the visible flame decreased moderately as the pressure (p) reduced from 101 to 30 kPa. The maximum flame diameter increased proportionally to pn, where the exponent changed from −0.4 to −0.52 as the air-to-fuel velocity ratio decreased from 1.0 to 0.5. Strong pressure dependence of the maximum relative soot volume fraction and the normalized maximum soot mass flow were observed and could be described by a power law relationship. However, a nonmonotonic dependence of soot formation on the air-to-fuel velocity ratio was observed at all the considered pressures.
Partition Quantitative Assessment (PQA): A Quantitative Methodology to Assess the Embedded Noise in Clustered Omics and Systems Biology Data
Authors: Camacho-Hernández Diego A. , Nieto-Caballero Victor E. , León-Burguete José E. , Freyre-González Julio A.
Published: June 2021

Identifying groups that share common features among datasets through clustering analysis is a typical problem in many fields of science, particularly in post-omics and systems biology research. In respect of this, quantifying how a measure can cluster or organize intrinsic groups is important since currently there is no statistical evaluation of how ordered is, or how much noise is embedded in the resulting clustered vector. Much of the literature focuses on how well the clustering algorithm orders the data, with several measures regarding external and internal statistical validation; but no score has been developed to quantify statistically the noise in an arranged vector posterior to a clustering algorithm, i.e., how much of the clustering is due to randomness. Here, we present a quantitative methodology, based on autocorrelation, in order to assess this problem.
Finding Location Visiting Preference from Personal Features with Ensemble Machine Learning Techniques and Hyperparameter Optimization
Authors: Kim Young Myung , Song Ha Yoon
Published: June 2021

For the question regarding the relationship between personal factors and location selection, many researches support the effect of personal features for personal location favorite. However, it is also found that not all of personal factors are effective for location selection. In this research, only distinguished personal features excluding meaningless features are used in order to predict visiting ratio of specific location categories by using three different machine learning techniques: Random Forest, XGBoost, and Stacking. Through our research, the accuracy of prediction of visiting ratio to a specific location regarding personal features are analyzed. Personal features and visited location data had been collected by tens of volunteers for this research. Different machine learning methods showed very similar tendency in prediction accuracy. As well, precision of prediction is improved by application of hyperparameter optimization which is a part of AutoML. Applications such as location based service can utilize our result in a way of location recommendation and so on.
Augmented Reality and Machine Learning Incorporation Using YOLOv3 and ARKit
Authors: Le Huy , Nguyen Minh , Yan Wei Qi , Nguyen Hoa
Published: June 2021

Augmented reality is one of the fastest growing fields, receiving increased funding for the last few years as people realise the potential benefits of rendering virtual information in the real world. Most of today’s augmented reality marker-based applications use local feature detection and tracking techniques. The disadvantage of applying these techniques is that the markers must be modified to match the unique classified algorithms or they suffer from low detection accuracy. Machine learning is an ideal solution to overcome the current drawbacks of image processing in augmented reality applications. However, traditional data annotation requires extensive time and labour, as it is usually done manually. This study incorporates machine learning to detect and track augmented reality marker targets in an application using deep neural networks. We firstly implement the auto-generated dataset tool, which is used for the machine learning dataset preparation. The final iOS prototype application incorporates object detection, object tracking and augmented reality. The machine learning model is trained to recognise the differences between targets using one of YOLO’s most well-known object detection methods. The final product makes use of a valuable toolkit for developing augmented reality applications called ARKit.
Unveiling Biological Activities of Marine Fungi: The Effect of Sea Salt
Authors: Gonçalves Micael F. M. , Paço Ana , Escada Luís F. , Albuquerque Manuela S. F. , Pinto Carlos A. , Saraiva Jorge A. , Duarte Ana Sofia , Rocha-Santos Teresa A. P. , Esteves Ana Cristina , Alves Artur
Published: June 2021

There is an urgent need for new substances to overcome current challenges in the health sciences. Marine fungi are known producers of numerous compounds, but the manipulation of growth conditions for optimal compound production can be laborious and time-consuming. In Portugal, despite its very long coastline, there are only a few studies on marine fungi. From a collection of Portuguese marine fungi, we screened for antimicrobial, antioxidant, enzymatic, and cytotoxic activities. Mycelia aqueous extracts, obtained by high pressure-assisted extraction, and methanolic extracts of culture media showed high antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities. The mycelium extracts of Cladosporium rubrum showed higher antioxidant potential compared to extracts from other fungi. Mycelia and culture media extracts of Aspergillus affinis and Penicillium lusitanum inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Kocuria rhizophila, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, including multiresistant strains. Penicillium lusitanum and Trichoderma aestuarinum inhibited the growth of clinical strains of Candida albicans, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis. All extracts from culture media were cytotoxic to Vero cells. Sea salt induced alterations in the mycelium’s chemical composition, leading to different activity profiles.
Prediction of Change Rate of Settlement for Piled Raft Due to Adjacent Tunneling Using Machine Learning
Authors: Oh Dong-Wook , Kong Suk-Min , Lee Yong-Joo , Park Heon-Joon
Published: June 2021

For tunneling in urban areas, understanding the interaction and behavior of tunnels and the foundation of adjacent structures is very important, and various studies have been conducted. Superstructures in urban areas are designed and constructed with piled rafts, which are more effective than the conventional piled foundation. However, the settlement of a piled raft induced by tunneling mostly focuses on raft settlement. In this study, therefore, raft and pile settlements were obtained through 3D numerical analysis, and the change rate of settlement along the pile length was calculated by linear assumption. Machine learning was utilized to develop prediction models for raft and pile settlement and change rate of settlement along the pile length due to tunneling. In addition, raft settlement in the laboratory model test was used for the verification of the prediction model of raft settlement, derived through machine learning. As a result, the change rate of settlement along the pile length was between 0.64 and −0.71. In addition, among features, horizontal offset pile tunnel had the greatest influence, and pile diameter and number had relatively little influence.
Spectra of Acoustic-Gravity Waves in the Atmosphere with a Quasi-Isothermal Upper Layer
Authors: Kshevetskii Sergey P. , Kurdyaeva Yuliya A. , Gavrilov Nikolai M.
Published: June 2021

In this paper, we study, in theoretical terms, the structure of the spectrum of acoustic-gravity waves (AGWs) in the nonisothermal atmosphere having asymptotically constant temperature at high altitudes. A mathematical problem of wave propagation from arbitrary initial perturbations in the half-infinite nonisothermal atmosphere is formulated and analyzed for a system of linearized hydrodynamic equations for small-amplitude waves. Besides initial and lower boundary conditions at the ground, wave energy conservation requirements are applied. In this paper, we show that this mathematical problem belongs to the class of wave problems having self-adjoint evolution operators, which ensures the correctness and existence of solutions for a wide range of atmospheric temperature stratifications. A general solution of the problem can be built in the form of basic eigenfunction expansions of the evolution operator. The paper shows that wave frequencies considered as eigenvalues of the self-adjoint evolution operator are real and form two global branches corresponding to high- and low-frequency AGW modes. These two branches are separated since the Brunt–Vaisala frequency is smaller than the acoustic cutoff frequency at the upper boundary of the model. Wave modes belonging to the low-frequency global spectral branch have properties of internal gravity waves (IGWs) at all altitudes. Wave modes of the high-frequency spectral branch at different altitudes may have properties of IGWs or acoustic waves depending on local stratification. The results of simulations using a high-resolution nonlinear numerical model confirm possible changes of AGW properties at different altitudes in the nonisothermal atmosphere.
Saccharides Emissions from Biomass and Coal Burning in Northwest China and Their Application in Source Contribution Estimation
Authors: He Kun , Sun Jian , Wang Xin , Zhang Bin , Zhang Yue , Zhang Renjian , Shen Zhenxing
Published: June 2021

Saccharides are important tracers in aerosol source identification but results in different areas varied significantly. In this study, six saccharides (levoglucosan, arabitol, glucose, mannitol, inositol, and sucrose) were determined for their emission factors and diagnostic ratios from domestic combustion of typical biomass and coal fuels in Northwest China. Three types of coal (i.e., anthracitic coal, bituminous coal, and briquettes) and five types of biomass (i.e., maize straw, wheat straw, corn cob, wood branches, and wood block) collected from regional rural areas were selected. Overall, the ranking of the fuel types in terms of the emission factor of particulate matter less than 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5) was coal < firewood fuel < straw fuel, with a range of 0.14–36.70 g/kg. Furthermore, the emission factor (e.g., organic carbon (OC) levels) of traditional stove-Heated Kang in the Guanzhong Plain differed significantly from that of wood stoves burning the same fuel, which is attributable to differences in the combustion conditions. The combined diagnostic ratios of levoglucosan (LG)/OC and arabitol/elemental carbon can be used to accurately distinguish the source contribution from coal and biomass combustion to atmospheric PM. Estimation of the biomass burning (BB) contribution to PM2.5 had an uncertainty of −2.7% to 41.0% and overestimation of 9.9–28.2% when LG was used as the sole tracer, despite its widespread use in other studies; thus, these estimation methods are inadequate and require improvement. The results also revealed that specialized emission control and clean energy strategies are required for both residential BB and non-BB sources on a regional scale.
Spatio-Temporal Evolution and Prediction of Tourism Comprehensive Climate Comfort in Henan Province, China
Authors: Zhao Junyuan , Wang Shengjie
Published: June 2021

The tourism comprehensive climate comfort index (TCCI) was used to evaluate the tourism climate comfort in Henan Province in the last 61 years, and its future development trend is predicted. The results showed that the temporal variation of the TCCI had a “double peak” type (monthly variation), and an overall comfort improvement trend (interannual variation). The change of tourism climate comfort days was similar to the change of the index, especially in the months with a low comfort level. In space, the distribution of the TCCI gradually increased from northeast to southwest, and the area with a high comfort level also increased over time. Meanwhile, it also showed the spatial distribution of months with a low comfort level, which provides reliable information for tourists to use when choosing tourist destinations across all periods of the year. The TCCI was classified by hierarchical classification, and principal components were extracted to explore the main climate factors controlling different types of TCCIs and the relationship between them, and large-scale atmospheric–oceanic variability. According to the temporal change trend and correlation, the long-term change trend of tourism climate comfort was predicted, which will provide a scientific basis for tourism planners to choose tourist destinations.
Lattice Boltzmann Method-Based Simulations of Pollutant Dispersion and Urban Physics
Authors: Jacob Jérôme , Merlier Lucie , Marlow Felix , Sagaut Pierre
Published: June 2021

Mesocale atmospheric flows that develop in the boundary layer or microscale flows that develop in urban areas are challenging to predict, especially due to multiscale interactions, multiphysical couplings, land and urban surface thermal and geometrical properties and turbulence. However, these different flows can indirectly and directly affect the exposure of people to deteriorated air quality or thermal environment, as well as the structural and energy loads of buildings. Therefore, the ability to accurately predict the different interacting physical processes determining these flows is of primary importance. To this end, alternative approaches based on the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) wall model large eddy simulations (WMLESs) appear particularly interesting as they provide a suitable framework to develop efficient numerical methods for the prediction of complex large or smaller scale atmospheric flows. In particular, this article summarizes recent developments and studies performed using the hybrid recursive regularized collision model for the simulation of complex or/and coupled turbulent flows. Different applications to the prediction of meteorological humid flows, urban pollutant dispersion, pedestrian wind comfort and pressure distribution on urban buildings including uncertainty quantification are especially reviewed. For these different applications, the accuracy of the developed approach was assessed by comparison with experimental and/or numerical reference data, showing a state of the art performance. Ongoing developments focus now on the validation and prediction of indoor environmental conditions including thermal mixing and pollutant dispersion in different types of rooms equipped with heat, ventilation and air conditioning systems.
The Influence of s-Wave Interactions on Focussing of Atoms
Authors: Richberg Roham , Martin Andrew M.
Published: June 2021

The focusing of a rubidium Bose–Einstein condensate via an optical lattice potential is numerically investigated. The results are compared with a classical trajectory model which underestimates the width of the focused beam. Via the inclusion of the effects of interactions into the classical trajectories model, we show that it is possible to obtain reliable estimates for the width of the focused beam when compared to numerical integration of the Gross–Pitaevskii equation. Finally, we investigate the optimal regimes for focusing and find that for a strongly interacting Bose–Einstein condensate focusing of order 20 nm may be possible.
Variational-Like Inequality Problem Involving Generalized Cayley Operator
Authors: Rather Zahoor Ahmad , Ahmad Rais , Wen Ching-Feng
Published: June 2021

This article deals with the study of a variational-like inequality problem which involves the generalized Cayley operator. We compare our problem with a fixed point equation, and based on it we construct an iterative algorithm to obtain the solution of our problem. Convergence analysis as well as stability analysis are studied.
Big Data and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) at a Glance
Authors: Hassani Hossein , Huang Xu , MacFeely Steve , Entezarian Mohammad Reza
Published: June 2021

The launch of the United Nations (UN) 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 was a historic event, uniting countries around the world around the shared agenda of sustainable development with a more balanced relationship between human beings and the planet. The SDGs affect or impact almost all aspects of life, as indeed does the technological revolution, empowered by Big Data and their related technologies. It is inevitable that these two significant domains and their integration will play central roles in achieving the 2030 Agenda. This research aims to provide a comprehensive overview of how these domains are currently interacting, by illustrating the impact of Big Data on sustainable development in the context of each of the 17 UN SDGs.
Greater Mouse-Eared Bats (Myotis myotis) Hibernating in the Nietoperek Bat Reserve (Poland) as a Vector of Airborne Culturable Fungi
Authors: Borzęcka Justyna , Piecuch Agata , Kokurewicz Tomasz , Lavoie Kathleen H. , Ogórek Rafał
Published: June 2021

Bats can contribute to an increase of aeromycota in underground ecosystems and might be a vector/reservoir of microorganisms; however, there is no information about the number and species composition of fungi around hibernating bats. One of the most common species in Europe with direct human contact is the greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis). The goal of our research was the first report of the airborne fungi present in the close vicinity of hibernating M. myotis in the Nietoperek bat reserve (Western Poland) by the use of culture-based techniques and genetic and phenotypic identifications. Aerobiological investigations of mycobiota under hibernating bats were performed on two culture media (PDA and YPG) and at two incubation temperatures (7 and 24 ± 0.5 °C). Overall, we detected 32 fungal species from three phyla (Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Zygomycota) and 12 genera. The application of YPG medium and the higher incubation temperature showed higher numbers of isolated fungal species and CFU. Penicillium spp. were dominant in the study, with spores found outside the underground hibernation site from 51.9% to 86.3% and from 56.7% to 100% inside the bat reserve. Penicillium chrysogenum was the most frequently isolated species, then Absidia glauca, Aspergillus fumigatus, A. tubingensis, Mortierella polycephala, Naganishia diffluens, and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. Temperature, relative humidity, and the abundance of bats correlated positively with the concentration of airborne fungal propagules, between fungal species diversity, and the concentration of aeromycota, but the number of fungal species did not positively correlate with the number of bats. The air in the underground site was more contaminated by fungi than the air outside; however, the concentration of aeromycota does not pose a threat for human health. Nevertheless, hibernating bats contribute to an increase in the aeromycota and as a vector/reservoir of microscopic fungi, including those that may cause allergies and infections in mammals, and should be monitored.
Spatial Movement Patterns and Local Co-Occurrence of Nutria Individuals in Association with Habitats Using Geo-Self-Organizing Map (Geo-SOM)
Authors: Lee Do-Hun , Jung Nam , Jang Yong-Hyeok , Lee KyoungEun , Lim Joobaek , Jang Gab-Sue , Lee Jae Woo , Chon Tae-Soo
Published: June 2021

Nutrias (Myocastor coypus) were imported to South Korea for farming in 1985; individuals escaped captivity and established wild populations in natural ecosystems in the late 1990s. Numerous studies have focused on their monitoring and management; however, information on the continuous movement of individuals is not available. In this study, telemetry data from field conditions were used to identify the nearest-neighbor distances of individuals in association with environmental factors, including plant type, land cover, and biological parameters. The minimum nearest-neighbor distances for the different sexes were, overall, according to the minimum distances for the same sex. Local co-occurrences of individuals, either of the same or different sex, were seasonal. Tall grasslands, followed by herbaceous vegetation, were associated with the co-occurrence of different sexes. Conversely, floating-leaved hydrophytes, followed by xeric herbaceous vegetation, were correlated with the co-occurrence of the same sex. Local female–male co-occurrences were negatively associated with male–male co-occurrences but not with female–female co-occurrences, suggesting male dominance in group formations. Movement and co-occurrence information extracted using Geo-self-organizing maps furthers our understanding of population dispersal and helps formulate management strategies for nutria populations.
A Multi-Chamber Paper-Based Platform for the Detection of Amyloid β Oligomers 42 via Copper-Enhanced Gold Immunoblotting
Authors: Phan Le-Minh-Tu , Cho Sungbo
Published: June 2021

The early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains a challenge for medical scientists worldwide, leading to a number of research efforts that focus on biosensor development for AD biomarkers. However, the application of these complicated biosensors is limited in medical diagnosis, due to the difficulties in robust sensing platform development, high costs, and the necessity for technical professionals. We successfully developed a robust straightforward manufacturing process for the fabrication of multi-chamber paper devices using the wax printing method and exploited it to detect amyloid beta 42 oligomers (AβO42, a significant biomarker of AD) using copper-enhanced gold nanoprobe colorimetric immunoblotting. Small hydrophilic reaction chambers could concentrate the target sample to the desired size to improve the sensing performance. The copper-enhanced gold nanoprobe immunoblot using the designed multi-chamber platform exhibited a highly sensitive performance with a limit of detection of 320 pg/mL by the naked eye and 23.7 pg/mL by a smartphone camera. This process from sensing manufacture to sensing conduction is simple to perform whenever medical technicians require time- and cost-savings, without complicated instruments or the need for technical professionals, making it feasible to serve as a diagnostic tool worldwide for the early monitoring of AD and scalable devices for the sensing application of various biomarkers in clinical settings.
Sub-Lethal 5-Fluorouracil Dose Challenges Planarian Stem Cells Promoting Transcriptional Profile Changes in the Pluripotent Sigma-Class Neoblasts
Authors: Gambino Gaetana , Ippolito Chiara , Evangelista Monica , Salvetti Alessandra , Rossi Leonardo
Published: June 2021

Under physiological conditions, the complex planarian neoblast system is a composite of hierarchically organized stem cell sub-populations with sigma-class neoblasts, including clonogenic neoblasts, endowed with larger self-renewal and differentiation capabilities, thus generating all the other sub-populations and dominating the regenerative process. This complex system responds to differentiated tissue demands, ensuring a continuous cell turnover in a way to replace aged specialized cells and maintain tissue functionality. Potency of the neoblast system can be appreciated under challenging conditions in which these stem cells are massively depleted and the few remaining repopulate the entire body, ensuring animal resilience. These challenging conditions offer the possibility to deepen the relationships among different neoblast sub-populations, allowing to expose uncanonical properties that are negligible under physiological conditions. In this paper, we employ short, sub-lethal 5-fluorouracil treatment to specifically affect proliferating cells passing through the S phase and demonstrate that S-phase slowdown triggers a shift in the transcriptional profile of sigma neoblasts, which reduces the expression of their hallmark sox-P1. Later, some cells reactivate sox-P1 expression, suggesting that some neoblasts in the earlier steps of commitment could modulate their expression profile, reacquiring a wider differentiative potential.
Instruments for Outcome Evaluation of Specific Domains in Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome
Authors: Del Papa Nicoletta , Minniti Antonina , Maglione Wanda , Pignataro Francesca , Caporali Roberto , Vitali Claudio
Published: June 2021

Primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) is a systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by very heterogeneous features. The spectrum of this disorder may vary from benign but disabling symptoms such as dryness, due to lachrymal and salivary involvement, pain and fatigue, to systemic, potentially severe, manifestations that may involve any organ. In recent decades, the arrival of biotechnological therapy has offered new opportunities for the treatment of this—until now—orphan disease. Currently, the possible use of these new drugs in therapeutic trials has made it necessary to have reliable outcome measures to evaluate their efficacy in this disease. A great effort has been made in multicenter, often multinational, studies to develop and validate instruments capable of assessing the different disease-related features. The adoption in therapeutic trials of the newly developed outcome measures aimed at assessing systemic features and patient reported symptoms has often yielded disappointing results. These negative data have been ascribed, on the one hand, to the trial design not being completely appropriate, and, on the other hand, to the fact that a single instrument may be not sufficient to cover the great clinical heterogeneity of the disease features. There is now growing belief that composite end points that include instruments that are able to assess the various aspects of the disease may be more properly and successfully used in future therapeutic trials.
PI3K and MAPK Pathways as Targets for Combination with the Pan-HER Irreversible Inhibitor Neratinib in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer and TNBC by Kinome RNAi Screening
Authors: Lee Jangsoon , Liu Huey , Pearson Troy , Iwase Toshiaki , Fuson Jon , Lalani Alshad S. , Eli Lisa D. , Diala Irmina , Tripathy Debu , Lim Bora , Ueno Naoto T.
Published: June 2021

Human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) 2 (HER2) is overexpressed/amplified in about 25% of all breast cancers, and EGFR is overexpressed in up to 76% and amplified in up to 24% of triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC). Here, we aimed to identify inhibitors that may enhance the anti-tumor activity of neratinib for HER2+ breast cancer and TNBC. By conducting a non-biased high-throughput RNA interference screening, we identified PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPK as two potential inhibitory synergistic canonical pathways. We confirmed that everolimus (mTOR inhibitor) and trametinib (MEK inhibitor) enhances combinatorial anti-proliferative effects with neratinib under anchorage-independent growth conditions (p < 0.05). Compared to single agent neratinib, the combination therapies significantly enhanced tumor growth inhibition in both SUM190 HER2+ breast cancer (neratinib plus everolimus, 77%; neratinib plus trametinib, 77%; p < 0.0001) and SUM149 TNBC (neratinib plus everolimus, 71%; neratinib plus trametinib, 81%; p < 0.0001) xenograft models. Compared to single-agent neratinib, everolimus, or trametinib, both everolimus plus neratinib and trametinib plus neratinib significantly suppressed proliferation marker Ki67 and enhanced antitumor efficacy by activating the apoptosis pathway shown by increased Bim and cleaved-PARP expression. Taken together, our data justify new neratinib-based combinations for both HER2+ breast cancer and TNBC.
Prognostic Significance of the Microbiome and Stromal Cells Phenotype in Esophagus Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Kovaleva Olga , Podlesnaya Polina , Rashidova Madina , Samoilova Daria , Petrenko Anatoly , Mochalnikova Valeria , Kataev Vladimir , Khlopko Yuri , Plotnikov Andrey , Gratchev Alexei
Published: June 2021

Esophageal cancer is one of the most aggressive malignant neoplasms, with low survival rates and limited treatment options. In this study we analyzed the microbiome composition and the phenotype of inflammatory tumor infiltrate in squamous cell carcinoma of esophagus (ESCC) and examined possible relationships between them and their prognostic significance. We found that the predominant phyla of microorganisms found in both tumors and adjacent normal tissues were Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes and Bacteroidetes. We established that only bacteria of the genus Staphylococcus differ between tumors and normal tissues. We found a significant correlation between bacterial burden and the phenotype of the tumor stroma. Namely, a group of tumors characterized by a high expression of CD206 (r = −0.3976, p = 0.0056) in the stroma and iNOS (r = −0.2953, p = 0.0439) in tumor cells is characterized by a higher bacterial burden. Further, we established that in the group with a high content of CD206+ macrophages, there is also a predominance of gram-positive bacteria over gram-negative ones. We found that gram-positive bacterial burden is associated with disease prognosis in ESCC showing high content of CD206+ macrophages. In conclusion we established that the tumor microbiome, can be prognostically significant for ESCC when combined with other stromal markers.
Success of Hand Movement Imagination Depends on Personality Traits, Brain Asymmetry, and Degree of Handedness
Authors: Bobrova Elena V. , Reshetnikova Varvara V. , Vershinina Elena A. , Grishin Alexander A. , Bobrov Pavel D. , Frolov Alexander A. , Gerasimenko Yury P.
Published: June 2021

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), based on motor imagery, are increasingly used in neurorehabilitation. However, some people cannot control BCI, predictors of this are the features of brain activity and personality traits. It is not known whether the success of BCI control is related to interhemispheric asymmetry. The study was conducted on 44 BCI-naive subjects and included one BCI session, EEG-analysis, 16PF Cattell Questionnaire, estimation of latent left-handedness, and of subjective complexity of real and imagery movements. The success of brain states recognition during imagination of left hand (LH) movement compared to the rest is higher in reserved, practical, skeptical, and not very sociable individuals. Extraversion, liveliness, and dominance are significant for the imagination of right hand (RH) movements in “pure” right-handers, and sensitivity in latent left-handers. Subjective complexity of real LH and of imagery RH movements correlates with the success of brain states recognition in the imagination of movement of LH compared to RH and depends on the level of handedness. Thus, the level of handedness is the factor influencing the success of BCI control. The data are supposed to be connected with hemispheric differences in motor control, lateralization of dopamine, and may be important for rehabilitation of patients after a stroke.
Single Word Intelligibility of Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease in Noise: Pre-Specified Secondary Outcome Variables from a Randomized Control Trial (RCT) Comparing Two Intensive Speech Treatments (LSVT LOUD vs. LSVT ARTIC)
Authors: Schulz Geralyn , Halpern Angela , Spielman Jennifer , Ramig Lorraine , Panzer Ira , Sharpley Alan , Freeman Katherine
Published: June 2021

The majority of people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) experience both prosodic changes (reduced vocal volume, reduced pitch range) and articulatory changes (imprecise articulation) that often limit speech intelligibility and may contribute to significant declines in quality of life. We conducted a randomized control trial comparing two intensive treatments, voice (LSVT LOUD) or articulation (LSVT ARTIC) to assess single word intelligibility in the presence of background noise (babble and mall). Participants (64 PD and 20 Healthy) read words from the diagnostic rhyme test (DRT), an ANSI Standard for measuring intelligibility of speech, before and after one month (treatment or no treatment). Teams of trained listeners blindly rated the data. Speech intelligibility of words in the presence of both noise conditions improved in PD participants who had LSVT LOUD compared to the groups that had LSVT ARTIC or no treatment. Intensive speech treatment targeting prominent prosodic variables in LSVT LOUD had a positive effect on speech intelligibility at the single word level in PD.