bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae Postbiotic Feed Additive on Salmonella Enteritidis Colonization of Cecal and Ovarian Tissues in Directly Challenged and Horizontally Exposed Layer Pullets
Authors: Chaney W. Evan , McBride Hannah , Girgis George
Published: March 2023

Determining the efficacy of feed-additive technologies utilized as pre-harvest food-safety interventions against Salmonella enterica may be influenced by factors including, but not limited to, mechanism of action, experimental design variables, Salmonella serovar(s), exposure dose, route, or duration in both controlled research and real-world field observations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dietary inclusion of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation-derived postbiotic (SCFP) additive (Diamond V, Original XPC®) on the colonization of cecal and ovarian tissues of commercial pullets directly and indirectly exposed to Salmonella Enteritidis (SE). Four hundred and eighty commercial, day-of-age W-36 chicks were randomly allotted to 60 cages per treatment in two identical BSL-2 isolation rooms (Iowa State University) with four birds per cage and fed control (CON) or treatment (TRT) diets for the duration of study. At 16 weeks, two birds per cage were directly challenged via oral gavage with 1.1 × 109 CFU of a nalidixic-acid-resistant SE strain. The remaining two birds in each cage were thus horizontally exposed to the SE challenge. At 3, 7, and 14 days post-challenge (DPC), 20 cages per group were harvested and sampled for SE prevalence and load. No significant differences were observed between groups for SE prevalence in the ceca or ovary tissues of directly challenged birds. For the indirectly exposed cohort, SE cecal prevalence at 7 DPC was significantly lower for TRT (50.0%) vs. CON (72.5%) (p = 0.037) and, likewise, demonstrated significantly lower mean SE cecal load (1.69 Log10) vs. CON (2.83 Log10) (p = 0.005). At 14 DPC, no significant differences were detected but ~10% fewer birds remained positive in the TRT group vs. CON (p > 0.05). These findings suggest that diets supplemented with SCFP postbiotic may be a useful tool for mitigating SE colonization in horizontally exposed pullets and may support pre-harvest food-safety strategies.
A New Species of the Pythonomorph Carentonosaurus from the Cenomanian of Algora (Guadalajara, Central Spain)
Authors: Cabezuelo-Hernández Alberto , Pérez-García Adán
Published: March 2023

The Cenomanian (lowermost Upper Cretaceous) faunal assemblages are of high interest in understanding the turnovers that took place between the Early and the Late Cretaceous, resulting in significant differences. In this context, the analysis of the association of reptiles found in the Algora fossil site (Guadalajara Province, Central Spain) is of great interest since it represents the first European Cenomanian site with a high concentration of macrovertebrate remains. A new pythonomorph ‘lizard’ from Algora, Carentonosaurus algorensis sp. nov., is described here. It is the second representative of this European genus. Its microanatomical study reveals that an extreme pachyosteosclerosis affected at least its dorsal vertebrae, suggesting adaptations for slow-swimming habits in shallow-water environments. Consequently, this new taxon is interpreted as a slow swimmer, hovering near the bottom of near-shore marine environments of the Late Cretaceous European Archipelago and, more specifically, along the shores of the larger Iberian Island for that period. This is in concordance with the high diversification of ‘pachyostotic’ pythonomorphs recorded during the Cenomanian, allowing the subsequent adaptation of this lineage to open marine environments.
Anti-COVID-19 Credentials of Chitosan Composites and Derivatives: Future Scope?
Authors: Gopal Judy , Muthu Manikandan , Pushparaj Suraj Shiv Charan , Sivanesan Iyyakkannu
Published: March 2023

Chitosan derivatives and composites are the next generation polymers for biomedical applications. With their humble origins from the second most abundant naturally available polymer chitin, chitosan is currently one of the most promising polymer systems, with wide biological applications. This current review gives a bird’s eye view of the antimicrobial applications of chitosan composites and derivatives. The antiviral activity and the mechanisms behind the inhibitory activity of these components have been reviewed. Specifically, the anti-COVID-19 aspects of chitosan composites and their derivatives have been compiled from the existing scattered reports and presented. Defeating COVID-19 is the battle of this century, and the chitosan derivative-based combat strategies naturally become very attractive. The challenges ahead and future recommendations have been addressed.
Antifungal and Antibiofilm Activity of Colombian Essential Oils against Different Candida Strains
Authors: Ruiz-Duran Jennifer , Torres Rodrigo , Stashenko Elena E. , Ortiz Claudia
Published: March 2023

Most Candida species are opportunistic pathogens with the ability to form biofilms, which increases their resistance to antifungal drug therapies and the host immune response. Essential oils (EOs) are an alternative for developing new antimicrobial drugs, due to their broad effect on cellular viability, cell communication, and metabolism. In this work, we evaluated the antifungal and antibiofilm potential of fifty EOs on C. albicans ATCC 10231, C. parapsilosis ATCC 22019, and Candida auris CDC B11903. The EOs’ antifungal activity was measured by means of a broth microdilution technique to determine the minimum inhibitory and fungicidal concentrations (MICs/MFCs) against the different Candida spp. strains. The effects on biofilm formation were determined by a crystal violet assay using 96-well round-bottom microplates incubated for 48 h at 35 °C. The EOs from Lippia alba (Verbenaceae family) carvone-limonene chemotype and L. origanoides exhibited the highest antifungal activity against C. auris. The L. origanoides EOs also presented antifungal and antibiofilm activity against all three Candida spp., thus representing a promising alternative for developing new antifungal products focused on yeast infections, especially those related to biofilm formation, virulence factors, and antimicrobial resistance.
Pseudomonas Bacteremia in a Tertiary Hospital and Factors Associated with Mortality
Authors: Ioannou Petros , Alexakis Konstantinos , Maraki Sofia , Kofteridis Diamantis P.
Published: March 2023

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the third most commonly identified cause among gram-negative microorganisms causing bloodstream infection (BSI) and carries a very high mortality, higher than that by other gram-negative pathogens. The aim of the present study was to assess the epidemiological and microbiological characteristics of patients with BSI by Pseudomonas spp. in a tertiary hospital, characterize the resistance rates of different Pseudomonas strains to the most clinically relevant anti-microbials, estimate the mortality rate, and identify factors independently associated with mortality. In total, 540 cultures from 419 patients sent to the microbiology department of the hospital during the 8-year period of the study were positive. Patients had a median age of 66 years, and 262 (62.5%) were male. The blood culture was drawn in the ICU in 201 of the patients (48%). The infection was hospital-acquired in 329 patients (78.5%) and the median hospital day when the blood culture was drawn was 15, with a range of 0 to 267 days. Median duration of stay in the hospital was 36 days, hospital mortality was 44.2% (185 patients), and 30-day mortality was 29.6% (124 patients). The most commonly isolated Pseudomonas species were P. aeruginosa followed by P. putida and P. oryzihabitans. There was a statistically significant reduction of P. aeruginosa isolation relative to non-aeruginosa Pseudomonas species in the post-COVID-19 era. Antimicrobial resistance of P. aeruginosa in clinically relevant antimicrobials with anti-pseudomonal activity was similar before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic with the exception of gentamicin and tobramycin, with P. aeruginosa being more susceptible to these two antimicrobials in the post-COVID-19 era. Rates of multi-drug resistant (MDR), extensively-drug resistant (XDR), and difficult-to-treat (DTR) P. aeruginosa isolation were lower after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, even though a carbapenem-focused antimicrobial stewardship program had been implemented in the meantime. Increased age, ICU-acquisition of BSI, and more days in the hospital when positive blood culture was drawn were positively associated with 30-day mortality of patients with Pseudomonas BSI. The fact that rates of MDR, XDR, and DTR P. aeruginosa isolation were lower late in the study period, with a carbapenem-focused antimicrobial stewardship intervention being implemented in the meantime, further increases the understanding that implementation of antimicrobial stewardship interventions may halt the increase in antimicrobial resistance noted previously.
Staphylococcus spp. Causatives of Infections and Carrier of blaZ, femA, and mecA Genes Associated with Resistance
Authors: Pimenta Laryssa Ketelyn Lima , Rodrigues Carolina Andrade , Filho Arlindo Rodrigues Galvão , Coelho Clarimar José , Goes Viviane , Estrela Mariely , de Souza Priscila , Avelino Melissa Ameloti Gomes , Vieira José Daniel Gonçalves , Carneiro Lilian
Published: March 2023

Staphylococcus spp. have been associated with cases of healthcare associated infections due to their high incidence in isolates from the hospital environment and their ability to cause infections in immunocompromised patients; synthesize biofilms on medical instruments, in the case of negative coagulase species; and change in genetic material, thus making it possible to disseminate genes that code for the acquisition of resistance mechanisms against the action of antibiotics. This study evaluated the presence of blaZ, femA, and mecA chromosomal and plasmid genes of Staphylococcus spp. using the qPCR technique. The results were associated with the phenotypic expression of resistance to oxacillin and penicillin G. We found that the chromosomal femA gene was present in a greater proportion in S. intermedius when compared with the other species analyzed, while the plasmid-borne mecA gene was prevalent in the S. aureus samples. The binary logistic regression performed to verify the association among the expression of the genes analyzed and the acquisition of resistance to oxacillin and penicillin G were not significant in any of the analyses, p > 0.05.
Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Effect of Bacteriocin-Producing Pediococcus inopinatus K35 Isolated from Kimchi against Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Yi Eun-Ji , Kim Ae-Jung
Published: March 2023

Background: Recently, the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria due to the misuse of antibiotics has attracted attention as a global public health problem. Many studies have found that fermented foods are good sources of probiotics that are beneficial to the human immune system. Therefore, in this study, we tried to find a substance for the safe alternative treatment of multidrug-resistant bacterial infection in kimchi, a traditional fermented food from Korea. Method: Antimicrobial activity and antibiofilm activity were assessed against multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa using cell-free supernatants of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from kimchi. Then, UPLC-QTOF-MS analysis was performed to detect the substances responsible for the antimicrobial effect. Results: The cell-free supernatant (CFS) of strain K35 isolated from kimchi effectively inhibited the growth of MDR P. aeruginosa. Similarly, CFS from strain K35 combined with P. aeruginosa co-cultures produced significant inhibition of biofilm formation upon testing. On the basis of 16s rRNA gene sequence similarity, strain K35 was identified as Pediococcus inopinatus. As a result of UPLC-QTOF-MS analysis of the CFS of P. inopinatus K35, curacin A and pediocin A were detected. Conclusion: As a result of this study, it was confirmed that P. inopinatus isolated from kimchi significantly reduced MDR P. aeruginosa growth and biofilm formation. Therefore, kimchi may emerge as a potential source of bacteria able to help manage diseases associated with antibiotic-resistant infections.
Targeting BAM for Novel Therapeutics against Pathogenic Gram-Negative Bacteria
Authors: Overly Cottom Claire , Stephenson Robert , Wilson Lindsey , Noinaj Nicholas
Published: March 2023

The growing emergence of multidrug resistance in bacterial pathogens is an immediate threat to human health worldwide. Unfortunately, there has not been a matching increase in the discovery of new antibiotics to combat this alarming trend. Novel contemporary approaches aimed at antibiotic discovery against Gram-negative bacterial pathogens have expanded focus to also include essential surface-exposed receptors and protein complexes, which have classically been targeted for vaccine development. One surface-exposed protein complex that has gained recent attention is the β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM), which is conserved and essential across all Gram-negative bacteria. BAM is responsible for the biogenesis of β-barrel outer membrane proteins (β-OMPs) into the outer membrane. These β-OMPs serve essential roles for the cell including nutrient uptake, signaling, and adhesion, but can also serve as virulence factors mediating pathogenesis. The mechanism for how BAM mediates β-OMP biogenesis is known to be dynamic and complex, offering multiple modes for inhibition by small molecules and targeting by larger biologics. In this review, we introduce BAM and establish why it is a promising and exciting new therapeutic target and present recent studies reporting novel compounds and vaccines targeting BAM across various bacteria. These reports have fueled ongoing and future research on BAM and have boosted interest in BAM for its therapeutic promise in combatting multidrug resistance in Gram-negative bacterial pathogens.
An Integrated Strategy for Investigating Antioxidants from Ribes himalense Royle ex Decne and Their Potential Target Proteins
Authors: Liu Chuang , Lei Yuqing , Liu Youyi , Guo Jingrou , Chen Xingyi , Tang Yifei , Dang Jun , Wu Minchen
Published: March 2023

Natural products have been used extensively around the world for many years as therapeutic, prophylactic, and health-promotive agents. Ribes himalense Royle ex Decne, a plant used in traditional Tibetan medicine, has been demonstrated to have significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the material basis of its medicinal effects has not been sufficiently explored. In this study, we established an integrated strategy by online HPLC-1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, medium-pressure liquid chromatography, and HPLC to achieve online detection and separation of antioxidants in Ribes himalense extracts. Finally, four antioxidants with quercetin as the parent nucleus were obtained, namely, Quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside-7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside, Quercetin-3-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl(1-2)-β-D-glucopyranoside, Quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, and Quercetin-3-O-β-D-galactoside. Until now, the four antioxidants in Ribes himalense have not been reported in other literatures. Meanwhile, the free-radical-scavenging ability of them was evaluated by DPPH assay, and potential antioxidant target proteins were explored using molecular docking. In conclusion, this research provides insights into the active compounds in Ribes himalense which will facilitate the advancement of deeper studies on it. Moreover, such an integrated chromatographic strategy could be a strong driver for more efficient and scientific use of other natural products in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
Workout Detection by Wearable Device Data Using Machine Learning
Authors: Yoshida Yutaka , Yuda Emi
Published: March 2023

There are many reports that workouts relieve daily stress and are effective in improving mental and physical health. In recent years, there has been a demand for quick and easy methods to analyze and evaluate living organisms using biological information measured from wearable sensors. In this study, we attempted workout detection for one healthy female (40 years old) based on multiple types of biological information, such as the number of steps taken, activity level, and pulse, obtained from a wristband-type wearable sensor using machine learning. Data were recorded intermittently for approximately 64 days and 57 workouts were recorded. Workouts adopted for exercise were yoga and the workout duration was 1 h. We extracted 3416 min of biometric information for each of three categories: workout, awake activities (activities other than workouts), and sleep. Classification was performed using random forest (RF), SVM, and KNN. The detection accuracy of RF and SVM was high, and the recall, precision, and F-score values when using RF were 0.962, 0.963, and 0.963, respectively. The values for SVM were 0.961, 0.962, and 0.962, respectively. In addition, as a result of calculating the importance of the feature values used for detection, sleep state (39.8%), skin temperature (33.3%), and pulse rate (13.2%) accounted for approximately 86.3% of the total. By applying RF or SVM to the biological information obtained from the wearable wristband sensor, workouts could be detected every minute with high accuracy.
Progressive Dynamic Registration Method for Tile Maps Based on Optimum Multi-Features
Authors: Zhang Dong , Deng Jiqiu
Published: March 2023

Different tile maps may use different coordinate systems, and it is difficult to superimpose maps from different sources. In this regard, we propose a progressive dynamic registration (PDR) method based on optimum features extracted from images of tile map screenshots of a certain scale. Using this method, we can automatically register maps in roughly the same area from different sources without knowing the map project information. The better features among feature points and feature surfaces are selected for image registration based on the richness of the features in the map, and a new matching filter that combines the characteristics of the tile map and the features is proposed. In the progressive registration process during map zooming, the result of the adjacent scales are used as reference values for coarse registration. After experimental verification in different areas, the root mean square error of PDR is below 2.5 in different maps and is better than that of the registration method using feature points only. Moreover, the registration accuracies of remote sensing maps in all areas and vector maps in nonurban areas are better than that of the method based on coordinate system transformation. The calculation results of PDR can register not only the tile maps but also other nontiled vector or remote sensing data.
Cu(In,Ga)Se2:Te Thin Films for Stoichiometric Compensation by Using Co-Sputtering and Rapid Thermal Annealing
Authors: Pech Sakal , Rou Yun Ju , Kim Sara , Lee Kang-Yeon , Kim Nam-Hoon
Published: March 2023

Improvement in crystallinity was investigated by compensating for stoichiometric deviations of non-selenization processed Cu0.9In0.7Ga0.3Se2 (CIGS) thin films due to highly volatile Se by co-sputtering them with Te followed by rapid thermal annealing. The prepared CIGS:Te thin films did not show any linear correlation between the compositional ratio and the co-sputtering time of Te; however, the deviation parameter (Δs) from the stoichiometry and normalized stoichiometric deviations of Se + Te and In + Ga were largely consistent with the behavior of thin-film properties. The proposed method provides better crystallinity with a large grain size, clear grain boundaries, and low microstrain and dislocation density, resulting in a large volume of the unit cell. The CIGS:Te thin films used as absorbers show improved optical properties compared to the conventional CIGS thin films, with Eg = 1.548 eV. These results can advance the low-cost commercialization of the enhanced-efficiency CIGS:Te thin films without the selenization process.
Characteristics of Vibration Velocity Signal Using Liquid Carbon Dioxide Rock-Breaking Technology
Authors: Yu Chong , Wang Xiaohu , Wu Jiajun , Ma Yongan
Published: March 2023

Liquid carbon dioxide rock-breaking (L-CDRB) is a new physical blasting technology. To study the characteristics of its vibration velocity, rock-breaking field tests were conducted using a new type of liquid CO2 fracturing tube. Comparisons were made between explosive blasting and L-CDRB in terms of the peak values, frequencies, and energy distributions of the generated vibration velocities. The results show that (1) for the same scaled charge, L-CDRB (vs. explosive blasting) produced a smaller peak, a lower dominant frequency, and simpler frequency components of vibration velocities than explosive blasting. (2) The dominant frequency and energy distribution were related to the total liquid CO2 filling quantity. Higher total filling quantities resulted in higher dominant frequencies, and the energy distribution shifted from a low to a high-frequency band.
Can Semantics Uncover Hidden Relations between Neurodegenerative Diseases and Artistic Behaviors?
Authors: Koletis Adam , Bitilis Pavlos , Zafeiropoulos Nikolaos , Kotis Konstantinos
Published: March 2023

Semantics play a crucial role in organizing domain knowledge, schematizing it, and modeling it into classes of objects and relationships between them. Knowledge graphs (KGs) use semantic models to integrate and represent different types of data. This study aimed to systematically review related work on the topics of ontologies for neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), ontology-based expert systems for NDs, and the artistic behavior of ND patients. The utilization of ontologies allows for a more comprehensive understanding of the progression and etiology of NDs, the structure and function of the brain, and the artistic expression associated with these diseases. The data collected from ND patients highlights the presence of cases where artistic expression can be linked to the disease. By developing fuzzy ontologies for NDs and incorporating them into expert systems, early detection and monitoring can be supported. Through our systematic review, we identify and discuss open issues and challenges in understanding the relationship between ND patients and their artistic behavior. We also conclude that ontology-based expert systems hold immense potential in uncovering hidden correlations between these two. Further research in this area has the potential to address key research questions and provide deeper insights.
Predicting Astrocytic Nuclear Morphology with Machine Learning: A Tree Ensemble Classifier Study
Authors: Grimaldi Piercesare , Lorenzati Martina , Ribodino Marta , Signorino Elena , Buffo Annalisa , Berchialla Paola
Published: March 2023

Machine learning is usually associated with big data; however, experimental or clinical data are usually limited in size. The aim of this study was to describe how supervised machine learning can be used to classify astrocytes from a small sample into different morphological classes. Our dataset was composed of only 193 cells, with unbalanced morphological classes and missing observations. We combined classification trees and ensemble algorithms (boosting and bagging) with under sampling to classify the nuclear morphology (homogeneous, dotted, wrinkled, forming crumples, and forming micronuclei) of astrocytes stained with anti-LMNB1 antibody. Accuracy, sensitivity (recall), specificity, and F1 score were assessed with bootstrapping, leave one-out (LOOCV) and stratified cross-validation. We found that our algorithm performed at rates above chance in predicting the morphological classes of astrocytes based on the nuclear expression of LMNB1. Boosting algorithms (tree ensemble) yielded better classifications over bagging ones (tree bagger). Moreover leave-one-out and bootstrapping yielded better predictions than the more commonly used k-fold cross-validation. Finally, we could identify four important predictors: the intensity of LMNB1 expression, nuclear area, cellular area, and soma area. Our results show that a tree ensemble can be optimized, in order to classify morphological data from a small sample, even in the presence of highly unbalanced classes and numerous missing data.
The Improved A* Algorithm for Quadrotor UAVs under Forest Obstacle Avoidance Path Planning
Authors: Li Jiale , Kang Feng , Chen Chongchong , Tong Siyuan , Jia Yalan , Zhang Chenxi , Wang Yaxiong
Published: March 2023

In order to improve the obstacle avoidance and endurance capability of quadrotor UAVs performing tasks such as forest inspection and rescue search, this paper proposes improvements to address the problems of too many traversed nodes, too many redundant corners, too-large turning angles and unsmooth generated paths in the traditional A* algorithm in path planning. The traditional A* algorithm is improved by using a segmented evaluation function with dynamic heuristic and weighting processing, a steering cost heuristic function based on heading angle deviation control, a redundant turning points removal strategy, and a quasi-uniform cubic b-spline. Through the test comparison of different complexity map scenarios, it is found that the improved A* algorithm reduces the number of traversed nodes by 64.87% on average, the total turning angle by 54.53% on average, the path search time by 49.64% on average, and the path length by 12.52% on average compared to the traditional A* algorithm, and there is no obvious turning point in the path. The real-world applicability of the improved A* algorithm is confirmed by comparing the effect of different algorithms on obstacle avoidance in a map of a real plantation forest environment.
Force Analysis of Masonry Cave-Dwelling Structure Based on Elastic Center Method
Authors: Hao Yan’e , Lan Yongqiang
Published: March 2023

The cave dwelling is one of the most typical traditional dwellings and green building forms in the Loess Plateau of Northern Shaanxi. The construction of the cave dwelling was built only based on the experience passed down by predecessors, without the guidance of formal design theories and calculation methods, and the overall safety of the cave-dwelling structure needs to be solved urgently. To make the mechanical analysis model closer to the actual force of the masonry cave dwelling, it is proposed to simplify the arch ring in the masonry cave-dwelling structure into an unhinged arch mechanical calculation model. Applying the theory of elastic center to the force method calculation in structural mechanics, the force of the cave-dwelling structure is analyzed and compared with the force results of the three-hinged arch calculation model, so as to determine the correctness and reliability of the calculation diagram of the unhinged arch. The conclusions indicate it is correct and reliable to use the unhinged arch calculation model, which is closer to the actual force situation, to calculate the forces of the arch rings in masonry cave dwellings, and both the three-hinged arch and unhinged arch models are feasible to be applied to the mechanical analysis of the arch rings. The unhinged arch calculation model is more reliable and safer in the design and calculation of the cave-dwelling leg components compared with the three-hinged arch calculation model because it considers the bending moment at the arch foot support. The research results can be used to improve the structural design data of the cave dwelling and provide theoretical guidance for the construction, repair, and protection of the cave dwelling.
Saturation Effect on the Coherency Loss of Spatially Varying Vertical Ground Motions
Authors: Yao Erlei , Yang Zhaowei , Rao Yu , Ding Xiuli , Liu Zhifang , Wang Xiujie , Liu Wenbo , Li Weichao
Published: March 2023

The effect of the influence regularity of site saturation and water level on the coherency loss between spatially varying earthquake ground motions (SVEGMs) in a vertical direction is not yet clear. Therefore, taking an onshore-offshore site as an example, the influence regularity of site saturation and water level on the coherency loss of SVEGMs in a vertical direction was studied, in which the saturation degree of the whole site (SD), the groundwater level (GWL), and the thickness of the surface water layer (WLT) were considered. Under each case mentioned above, a large number of vertical in-plane SVEGMs were synthesized and then correspondingly, the mean lagged coherency loss and phase angle of coherence function were obtained, and a series of comparisons were carried out to shed light on the varying trend of the value of lagged coherency loss and phase angle, with predefined parameters. The results showed that SD, GWL, and WLT possess significant effects on the varying trend of the coherence function of vertical SVEGMs.
Mixtures of Cationic Linear Polymer and Anionic Polymeric Microspheres for Stabilization of Sand: Physicochemical, Structural and Mechanical Study
Authors: Panova Irina , Shevaleva Evgeniya , Gritskova Inessa , Arzhakov Maxim , Yaroslavov Alexander
Published: March 2023

Aqueous formulations based on anionic butadiene-styrene microspheres (BSMs) and cationic poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) with the weight PDADMAC fraction from 0 to 1 were studied as the stabilizers of loose sandy soils. In general, these systems were shown to be represented as the mixtures of microspheres saturated with PDADMAC and unbound polycation. Mechanical testing of BSMs–PDADMAC films evidenced that with increasing weight PDADMAC fraction, a 20-fold growth in elastic modulus, 2-fold growth in strength and 2-fold decrease in ultimate strain of the material were observed. Treatment of the sand with the above formulations resulted in formation of a protective porous polymer-sand surface crust with the strength from 0.8 to 45.0 MPa. “Elasticity–rigidity” balance and water resistance of the crusts were controlled by weight fraction of polycation in the mixed formulation. Stable water-resistant polymer-sand crusts were shown to be prepared using formulations with the weight PDADMAC fraction from 0 to 0.2. The results indicated a great potential of the polymer-colloid formulations for the fabrication of structured sand coatings with controlled properties.
Exploring the Potential of Four Novel Halotolerant Bacterial Strains as Plant-Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) under Saline Conditions
Authors: Oliva Gianmaria , Di Stasio Luca , Vigliotta Giovanni , Guarino Francesco , Cicatelli Angela , Castiglione Stefano
Published: March 2023

Soil salinity, due to natural phenomena or human activities, alters the water potential, which in turn affects plant growth, negatively influencing their nutrient and water uptake. Plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can be used to counteract these negative effects, especially in glycophytes. The aim of our study was to characterize physiologically, genetically, and biochemically the novel halotolerant/halophilic bacteria isolated in our previous work. We evaluated the plant-growth-promoting (PGP) features and NaCl regulation’s roles in them. In this regard, analysis based on 16S rDNA sequences confirmed that our isolates are distinct bacterial strains, probably belonging to new species, which we named Bacillus sp. M21 and M23 and Halomonas sp. QH23 and QH24. In literature, it is known that many species of Halomonas and Bacillus genera produce factors regulating plant development, such as indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), ammonium, and siderophores; and their efficiency in promoting plant growth and productivity was also demonstrated in vivo. We demonstrated that the newly isolated strains exhibit different PGP activities, highlighting how the latter are regulated by NaCl and in a strain-dependent manner. In particular, the main results showed that NaCl negatively affects the production of IAA in QH23, M21 and M23, whereas it promotes it in QH24, where it is strictly salt-dependent. Both Halomonas strains produce ammonium only in the presence of NaCl, directly correlated to its concentration. The opposite occurs in Bacillus strains, where salt reduces its production up to ten times. Overall, the results underline how halotolerance is a preferable, but not sufficient, condition for considering a PGPR potentially useful in applications aimed at improving the tolerance and productivity of crops in saline soils.
A Biologically Inspired Self-Organizing Underwater Sensor Network
Authors: Li Guannan , Zhang Yulong , Zhang Yao , Chen Chao , Wu Zhuoyu , Wang Yang
Published: March 2023

Wireless underwater sensor networks have various applications—such as ocean exploration and deep-sea disaster monitoring—making them a hot topic in the research field. To cover a larger area and gather more-precise information, building large-scale underwater sensor networks has become a trend. In such networks, acoustic signals are used to transmit messages in an underwater environment. Their features of low speed and narrow bandwidth make media access control (MAC) protocols unsuitable for radio communications. Furthermore, a network consists of a large number of randomly deployed nodes, making it impossible to pre-define an optimized routing table or assign a central controller to coordinate the message propagation process. Thus, optimized routing should emerge via interaction among individual nodes in the network. To address these challenges, in this paper we propose a communication coordinator under the time division multiple access (TDMA) framework. Each node in the network is equipped with such a coordinator so that messages in the network can be sent following the shortest path in a self-organized way. The coordinator consists of a slot distributor and a forwarding guide. With the slot distributor, nodes in the sensor network occupy proper communication slots and the network finally converges to the state without communication collision. This is achieved with a set of ecological niche- and pheromone-inspired laws, which encourage nodes to occupy slots that can decrease the waiting time for a node to send a message packet while weakening the enthusiasm for a node to occupy the slots that it fails to occupy several times. With the forwarding guide, a node can send the message packet to the best successor node so that the message packet can be sent to the base station along the shortest path. It has been proven that the laws in the forwarding guide are equivalent to the Dijkstra Algorithm. Simulation experiment results indicate that with our coordinator, the network can converge to the state without collision using fewer coordination messages. In addition, the time needed to send a message to the destination is shorter than that of the classical Aloha protocol.
An FDM-Based Dynamic Zoning Method for Disturbed Rock Masses above a Longwall Mining Panel
Authors: Zhao Kunyang , Jia Suizi
Published: March 2023

Underground longwall mining can seriously disturb the surrounding rock masses above the panel. A surface cracking zone, continuous deformation zone, fractured zone, and caved zone can be formed in the overlying strata (termed the “four zones”), which may further result in the spontaneous combustion of coal seams and water inrush. It is essential to study and predict the development characteristics of the four zones induced by longwall mining to guarantee mining safety. These four zones are developed during the mining process, and the mechanical properties in different regions correspondingly differ. Thus, the dynamic zoning characteristics of the disturbed rock masses should be considered in any simulations. In this paper, an FDM-based dynamic zoning method for disturbed rock masses above a longwall mining panel is proposed. This method is mainly composed of four stages: (1) establishing a simplified complete stress-strain curve; (2) determining the zoning criteria; (3) adaptively adjusting the mechanical parameters of the disturbed rock mass; and (4) numerically modeling the longwall mining based on the FDM. The proposed method was applied to a study site in the Taixi coal mine. The dynamic development process of the four zones induced by longwall mining was clearly observed in the modeling procedure. The numerical modeling results achieved in this work, including the periodical coal-seam roof caving and the dynamic development characteristics of the four zones, are consistent with the observed distribution and other studies. The heights of the caved and fractured zones are basically consistent with the empirical formula. Thus, the dynamic zoning method can analyze and predict the dynamic development characteristics of four regions.
Enhancement of Anticancer Effects by Combining 5-Fluorouracil with Refametinib in Human Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cell Line
Authors: Chen Po-Chun , Su Bor-Chyuan , Ma Tien-Li , Hong Ying Chui , Chen Yu-Wen , Vo Thi Thuy Tien , Wu Luo-Yun , Peng Tzu-Yu , Wang Ching-Shuen , Lee I-Ta
Published: March 2023

(1) Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a significant health burden worldwide. This study aimed to determine the potentials of Refametinib, an orally bioavailable selective MEK1/2 inhibitor, to increase the effectiveness of 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), a common cytotoxic drug, in the SCC4 cell line. (2) Methods: SCC4 cells were treated with increasing concentrations of 5-FU, either alone or in combination with Refametinib. The chemosensitivity to treatment was assessed via cell viability assay, microscopic observation, colony formation assay, and detection of apoptotic markers using Western blotting. The whole-cell expression and surface expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), an immune checkpoint protein which contributes to chemoresistance and affects treatment response, were also determined using Western blotting and flow cytometry, respectively. (3) Results: The combined treatment suppressed cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis in a more potent way than 5-FU treatment alone did. Additionally, MEK/ERK inhibition mitigated 5-FU-induced PD-L1 upregulation. (4) Conclusions: This is the first report of an enhanced anticancer effect and reduced PD-L1 expression for the combination of 5-FU with Refametinib in OSCC, suggesting a new promising combination strategy.
Reliability Techniques in Engineering Projects
Authors: García-Sanz-Calcedo Justo , Sánchez-Barroso Gonzalo , González-Domínguez Jaime , Botejara-Antúnez Manuel
Published: March 2023

In engineering projects, reliability is conceived as physical equipment’s ability to function without failure [...]
Analysis of the Influence of Thermal Loading on the Behaviour of the Earth’s Crust
Authors: Wandrol Ivo , Frydrýšek Karel , Čepica Daniel
Published: March 2023

The article focuses on the deformation and strain-stress analysis of the Earth’s crust under external thermal loading. More specifically, the influence of cyclic changes in the surface temperature field on the stress and displacement inside the crust over a two-year time span is investigated. The finite element program MSC.Marc Mentat was used to calculate the stresses and displacements. For practical analysis reasons, the Earth’s crust is simplified as a planar, piecewise homogeneous, isotropic model (plane strain), and time-varying temperature functions of illumination (thermal radiation) from the Sun are considered in the local isotropy sections of the model. Interaction between the Earth’s crust and mantle is defined by the Winkler elastic foundation. By applying a probabilistic approach (Monte Carlo Method), a new stochastic model of displacements and stresses and new information on crustal displacements relative to the Earth’s mantle were obtained. The results proved the heating influence of the Sun on the Earth’s crust and plate tectonics.
A Simple Neural-Network-Based Decoder for Short Binary Linear Block Codes
Authors: Hsieh Kunta , Lin Yan-Wei , Chu Shao-I , Chang Hsin-Chiu , Cho Ming-Yuan
Published: March 2023

The conventional soft decision decoding (SDD) methods require various hard decision decoders (HDDs) based on different codes or re-manipulate the generator matrix by the complicated Gaussian elimination technique according to the bit reliability. This paper presents a general multi-class neural network (NN)-based decoder for the short linear block codes, where no HDD and Gaussian elimination are required once the NN is constructed. This network architecture performs multi-classification to select the messages with high occurrence probabilities and chooses the best codeword on a maximum likelihood basis. Simulation results show that the developed approach outperforms the existing deep neural network (DNN)-based decoders in terms of decoding time and bit error rate (BER). The error-correcting performance is also superior to the conventional Chase-II algorithm and is close to the ordered statistics decoding (OSD) in most cases. For Bose–Chaudhuri–Hocquenghem (BCH) codes, the SNR is improved by 1dB to 4dB as the BER is 10−4. For the (23, 12) quadratic residue (QR) code, the SNR is improved by 2dB when the BER is 10−3. The developed NN-based decoder is quite general and applicable to various short linear block codes with good BER performance.
Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors Affecting the Color of Fresh Beef Meat—Comprehensive Review
Authors: Poveda-Arteaga Alejandro , Krell Johannes , Gibis Monika , Heinz Volker , Terjung Nino , Tomasevic Igor
Published: March 2023

Meat color research from the last two decades suggests that a combination of different intrinsic (ultimate pH, age of the animals, muscle position, breed, slaughter weight, and sex) and extrinsic factors (production systems and feeding, pre-mortem stress, slaughter season, and chilling rates) might have a deep impact in the color of beef muscle and influence consumers’ acceptance of fresh meat. Ultimate pH and muscle position were perceived as the most determinant intrinsic factors, whereas production systems, feeding, and ante-mortem stress were the extrinsic factors that more strongly influenced beef color attributes. From an industrial perspective, the extrinsic factors can be improved through the technological process at a higher ratio than the intrinsic ones. This review aims to evaluate the effect of each of those factors on myoglobin oxidation and beef color traits from a comprehensive standpoint. All the information discussed in this manuscript focuses on an industrial environment and offers possible solutions and recommendations for the global meat industry.
VLSM-Net: A Fusion Architecture for CT Image Segmentation
Authors: Gao Yachun , Guo Jia , Fu Chuanji , Wang Yan , Cai Shimin
Published: March 2023

Region of interest (ROI) segmentation is a key step in computer-aided diagnosis (CAD). With the problems of blurred tissue edges and imprecise boundaries of ROI in medical images, it is hard to extract satisfactory ROIs from medical images. In order to overcome the shortcomings in segmentation from the V-Net model or the level set method (LSM), we propose in this paper a new image segmentation method, the VLSM-Net model, combining these two methods. Specifically, we first use the V-Net model to segment the ROIs, and set the segmentation result as the initial contour. It is then fed through the hybrid LSM for further fine segmentation. That is, the complete segmentation of the V-Net model can be obtained by successively combining the V-Net model and the hybrid LSM. The experimental results conducted in the public datasets LiTS and LUNA show that, compared with the V-Net model or LSM alone, our VLSM-Net model greatly improves the sensitivity, precision and dice coefficient values (DCV) in 3D image segmentation, thus validating our model’s effectiveness.
A Novel Reduced Reaction Mechanism for Diesel/2,5-Dimethylfuran Engine Application
Authors: Li Song , Yu Wenbin , Yang Chen , Wei Mingrui , Liu Jinping
Published: March 2023

The application of 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) as an alternative fuel for internal combustion engines has been gaining popularity. However, it has rarely been studied in previous research on the chemical kinetics of DMF for engine combustion simulations. In the present study, a reduced n-heptane/toluene/DMF-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) reaction mechanism containing only 78 species amongst 190 reactions was proposed and applied to predict the combustion and emissions of a diesel engine using diesel/DMF blend fuel. First, a detailed reaction mechanism for DMF from the literature was chosen and reduced using combined mechanism reduction methods under engine-relevant conditions. Second, the reduced mechanism of DMF was incorporated into an existing reduced n-heptane/toluene-PAH mechanism to establish a three-component chemistry mechanism. Third, the predictive capability of the combined mechanism was improved by adjusting the rate constants of selected gas-phase reactions. Subsequently, the proposed three-component mechanism was compared and validated with experimental measurements of shock tube ignition delay times and premixed flame species profiles acquired from published papers. Moreover, new experimental data from a conventional diesel engine were used to evaluate the developed mechanism. Overall, the predicted results obtained by this proposed reduced n-heptane/toluene/DMF-PAH mechanism are in reasonable agreement with the available experiments.
The Effect of the Cordillera Mountain Range on Tropical Cyclone Rainfall in the Northern Philippines
Authors: Racoma Bernard Alan B. , Holloway Christopher E. , Schiemann Reinhard K. H. , Feng Xiangbo , Bagtasa Gerry
Published: March 2023

In this study, we examined the sensitivity of tropical cyclone (TC) characteristics and precipitation to the Cordillera Mountain Range (CMR) in Luzon, Philippines. Using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, we simulated eight TCs with four different CMR orographic elevations: Control, Flat, Reduced, and Enhanced. We found that at significance level α=0.05, TC intensity significantly weakened as early as 21 h prior to landfall in the Enhanced experiment relative to the Control, whereas there was little change in the Flat and Reduced experiments. However, throughout the period when the TC crossed Luzon, we found no significant differences for TC movement speed and position in the different orographic elevations. When a TC made landfall, associated precipitation over the CMR increased as the mountain height increased. We further investigated the underpinning processes relevant to the effect of the CMR on precipitation by examining the effects of mountain slope, incoming perpendicular wind speed, and the moist Froude Number (Fw). Compared with other factors, TC precipitation was most strongly correlated with the strength of approaching winds multiplied by the mountain slope, i.e., stronger winds blowing up steeper mountain slopes caused higher amounts of precipitation. We also found that individually, Fw, mountain height, and upslope wind speeds were poor indicators of orographically induced precipitation. The effects of mountain range on TC rainfall varied with TC cases, highlighting the complexity of the mountain, wind, and rainfall relationship.
Modeling COVID-19 Real Data Set by a New Extension of Haq Distribution
Authors: Tashkandy Yusra , Bakr Mahmoud E. , Gemeay Ahmed M. , Hussam Eslam , Abd El-Raouf Mahmoud M. , Hossain Md Moyazzem
Published: March 2023

Modeling real-life pandemics is very important; this study focuses on introducing a new superior flexible extension of the asymmetric Haq distribution known as the power Haq distribution (PHD). The most fundamental mathematical properties are derived. We determine its parameters using ten estimation methods. The asymptotic behavior of its estimators is investigated through simulation, and a comparison is done to find out the most efficient method for estimating the parameters of the distribution under consideration. We use a sample for the COVID-19 data set to evaluate the proposed model’s performance and usefulness in fitting the data set in comparison to other well-known models.