bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Construção e análise da confiabilidade de um instrumento para identificar a concepção de licenciandos e egressos da licenciatura em química sobre cinética química
Authors: Oliveira Ricardo de , Bellettini Ismael Casagrande , Nogueira Keysy Solange Costa
Published: October 2020

Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo realizar a construção e análise da confiabilidade destinado à identificação e registro das concepções de licenciandos e egressos do curso de química sobre cinética química. Esta pesquisa figura como quantitativa. Nesse sentido, foi elaborado um questionário Likert constituído por 18 questões e as escalas discordo totalmente, discordo parcialmente, nem concordo e nem discordo, concordo parcialmente e concordo totalmente, para identificar o grau de concordância do participante com cada afirmativa. Essas afirmativas foram construídas considerando-se pesquisas sobre o ensino de cinética e validadas teoricamente por especialistas na área. Posteriormente, realizou-se a validação semântica, com possíveis participantes da pesquisa, para que pontuassem suas compreensões sobre o questionário. As mudanças no questionário foram realizadas em virtude das sugestões dos especialistas. Em consonância, a versão final do questionário foi constituída pela mesma estrutura inicial, exceto pela readequação da parte conceitual de algumas questões e da exclusão da escala nem concordo e nem discordo. O questionário foi respondido por 55 participantes, entre licenciandos e egressos do curso de licenciatura em química de oito instituições públicas brasileiras. Para analisar a confiabilidade das respostas concedidas pelos participantes, adotou-se o Alfa de Cronbach. Para todo o instrumento valor de confiabilidade do alfa foi de 0.64 e posteriormente a realização da purificação do instrumento, considerando apenas 12 questões, pertencentes aos blocos temático B e C a confiabilidade do instrumento foi de 0.94, sugerindo uma alta confiabilidade e que o instrumento constituído por essas questões é confiável e tem medições consistentes.
Apendagite epiploica: um diagnóstico diferencial: relato de caso
Authors: Andrade Gabriela Vellano de Andrade , Pereira Marcela Araújo , Abreu Rone Antônio Alves de , Abreu Rebeca Fontoura Morais , Quinta Mayra Carneiro de Brito , Gallo Fabiana , Filho Jandui Diniz Araújo
Published: October 2020

Objetivo: Descrever um caso de apendagite epiploica em paciente atendido na Clínica Gastromed, enfatizando os aspectos clínicos, propedêuticos e o tratamento adotado. Metodologia: Trata-se de um estudo retrospectivo que irá abordar o caso de paciente com apendagite epiploica, utilizando para isso o prontuário do paciente em questão. Será realizada durante todo período de estudo consultas a literatura disponível e pertinente ao assunto, tais como: artigos científicos, livros, revistas, etc. Resultados: Paciente masculino, 38 anos, procura atendimento em 20/05/2019 com queixa de diarreia, febre não aferida e mialgia. Ao exame do abdomem, desconforto a palpação superficial e profunda em fossa ilíaca esquerda, não apresentando dor à descompressão brusca, sem outras alterações. A tomografia computadorizada de abdomem inferior revelou estrutura ovoide com densidade de gordura, com a dimensão de 1,5 x 0,8 cm, com a região central hiperdensa, na porção antimesentérica do colón, sugerindo apendagite epiploica incipiente, no colón esquerdo. Foi submetido a acompanhamento domiciliar com antiinflamatório não esteroidal e antiespasmódico, com evolução favorável. Conclusão:  Nas condições que foram realizados o presente estudo podemos concluir que apendagite epiplóica é uma condição clínica incomum que inclui em seu diagnóstico diferencial diversas patologias cujo tratamento é cirúrgico ilustrando a importância do raciocínio clínico adequado.
Diversidade vegetativa e índices arbóreos de escolas do município de Uruçuí, Piauí: diagnóstico e intervenção
Authors: Cipriano Tyago Henrique Alves Saraiva , Santos Laura Cristina Ferreira dos , Narzetti Vanusa Ribeiro , Rodrigues Miguel Antônio
Published: October 2020

As taxas de urbanização vêm aumentando nos últimos anos, com um crescimento populacional igualmente significativo, ampliando o distanciamento das pessoas das áreas com vegetação. Objetivou-se analisar índices de arborização de escolas públicas da Educação Básica de Uruçuí-PI. Foram realizadas visitas prévias para conhecer os espaços internos dessas instituições, bem como um levantamento quali-quantitativo de seus índices arbóreos, através das projeções dos índices arbóreos das 03 (três) instituições de ensino pesquisadas, onde foi possível o registro de 167 árvores, distribuídas em 14 espécies e 10 famílias botânicas, sendo que, em termos de biodiversidade, 64% são espécies nativas. Entretanto, em termos populacionais, 52% são indivíduos exóticos. O estudo mostrou baixos índices na U.E. José Patrício Franco, necessitando de ações que visem corrigir a atual situação. Porém, a referida instituição não dispõe de espaços suficientes para implementação da prática de arborização, o que exige medidas alternativas. Em contrapartida, os resultados mais satisfatórios para esses índices foram registrados no Campus Uruçuí. Nesse sentido, a U.E. Cícero Coelho foi selecionada para tal intervenção. Assim, espera-se que o trabalho de plantio contribua para alcançar melhores índices de arborização.
A persistencia da cultura caiçara em Perequê-Açú – Ubatuba-Brasil
Authors: Bruno Priscilla Lopes , Raimundo Sidnei , Fujita Dennis Minoru
Published: October 2020

O presente estudo analisou a produção do espaço e territorialidades na praia do Perequê Açú, no município de Ubatuba, litoral norte do estado de São Paulo, tendo como objetivo discutir as transformações socioespaciais e econômicas sofridas pelo grupo tradicional caiçara-pescador. Optou-se por um método de abordagem etnográfica, de pesquisa qualitativa e exploratória, com aplicação de entrevista dirigida com as principais lideranças do passado e do presente envolvidas na transformação da localidade de Pereque-Açu, bem como turistas (90 entrevistados) nos meses de janeiro e julho de 2019 e janeiro de 2020. Os resultados indicaram da atividade turística bem como da especulação imobiliária de segunda residência no contexto de manutenção da cultura caiçara, que sendo subjugada, deslocou-se para uma zona periférica onde luta por sua sobrevivência sem o apoio do estado. A manutenção da cultura caiçara é necessária para a proteção deste patrimônio imaterial bem como para a sobrevivência da identidade local.
GEOSPATIAL ASPECTS OF COMBAT OPERATIONS OF 1941-42 IN SEVASTOPOL DEFENSE AREA
Authors: Novikov Igor S. , Mamedov Guseyn M. , Cherkas Oleg V.
Published: October 2020

Based on topographic maps of a scale of 1: 50 000, geological maps of a scale of 1: 200 000, satellite images with a resolution of 1-2 m and digital terrain models based on SRTM, tactical maps of the terrain of the Sevastopol defensive region constructed with using patented authoring techniques. The influence of the parameters of off-road patency and the suitability of the terrain for the creation of field fortification objects on the course of military operations in 1941-42 was assessed. It is shown that when creating defensive lines, the conditions of the terrain were poorly taken into account and that with the same resources, with the correct use of these conditions, the defensive operation had every chance of success.
Exploring the Role of Awe in Architecture as a Pain Disruptor- A Call for New Research
Authors: Hoffman Miriam
Published: October 2020

Chronic pain is a widespread and complex phenomenon, driven by a diverse range of factors. Pain management has become a significant concern over the past several decades in the United States as controversy has grown surrounding the use of opioids for chronic pain management, the use of which has led to abuse and addiction. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 128 people die in the United States every day from an opioid overdose, whether obtained illicitly or by prescription. While opioids remain one of the frontline methods for pain management, their long term safety and efficacy has come under scrutiny. As with any complex systemic issue, there are many contributing factors to chronic pain and pain management. This paper proposes that the experience of awe – specifically elicited by design of the built environment – can serve as an innovative, non-pharmacological pain management tool. Awe is an emotional response to perceptually vast stimuli, precipitating accommodation or a shift in existing mental structures. The author hypothesizes that awe can be used as a form of the proven self-regulating pain management method known as reappraisal. Pain reappraisal is cognitive reframing of the context and meaning of pain, changing the value that pain is assigned and resulting in decreased pain perception. This paper explores the pertinent intersection of emotions, neuroscience, and the impact of the physical environment on our health and wellbeing. The intention of this paper is to call for a new line of research and does not attempt to address methods or results at this time.
RETRACTED: Exosome-Delivered LncHEIH Promotes Gastric Cancer Progression by Upregulating EZH2 and Stimulating Methylation of the GSDME Promoter
Authors: Lu Yan , Hou Kaiqing , Li Mengsen , Wu Xiaobin , Yuan Shaochun
Published: October 2020

Gastric cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and is characterized by poor survival and high recurrence rates. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have gained considerable attention in recent years as prognostic markers and gene regulators in various cancers. Here, we found that lncHEIH was upregulated in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines and positively correlated with high expression levels of EZH2. Mechanistically, the lncHEIH-EZH2 axis could promote the progression of gastric cancer. In addition, lncHEIH encapsulated in exosomes was released by gastric cancer cells and then absorbed by normal gastric cells. The uptake of lncHEIH resulted in the upregulation of EZH2, which inhibited the expression of the tumor suppressor GSDME by methylation of the GSDME promoter, promoting the malignant transformation of normal gastric cells. Overall, lncHEIH promotes gastric cancer progression by upregulating the expression of EZH2 and reducing the expression of GSDME in normal cells to induce malignant cell proliferation and migration, indicating its potential as a target in gastric cancer therapy.
Design for Disassembly and Augmented Reality Applied to a Tailstock
Authors: Freddi Marco , Frizziero Leonardo
Published: October 2020

The work here described aims to offer a starting point for improving and making a generic maintenance process more efficient, first of all thanks to the use of a cutting-edge technology such as augmented reality, as a key tool that makes it possible and immediate to communicate to operators which are the fundamental stages of the maintenance process to be followed in the working area. Furthermore, thanks to the use of two methods applied in the context of the Design for Disassembly (later described), we also propose to search for all the possible sequences to get to the removal of a target component to be adjusted—in particular the optimal one (if it exists, in terms of time and costs) to be subsequently applied in an augmented reality “self-disassembly” model that can be viewed and followed by the operator, in a way that is still very little used today.
Admittance-Controlled Teleoperation of a Pneumatic Actuator: Implementation and Stability Analysis
Authors: Garmsiri Naghmeh , Sun Yuming , Sekhavat Pooya , Yang Cai Xia , Sepehri Nariman
Published: October 2020

Implementation, experimental evaluation and stability analysis of an admittance-controlled teleoperated pneumatic system is presented. A master manipulator navigates a pneumatic slave actuation, which interacts with a human arm as an environment. Considering the external force in the position control loop in the admittance control, enables the slave to handle the external force independent of the master. The proposed control system is evaluated experimentally using the admittance models with different settings. Stability of the control system is analyzed using the concept of Lyapunov exponents. Parametric stability analysis is conducted to show the effect of changing system parameters on stability.
Analysis of Innovation Activities of Slovak Small and Medium-Sized Family Businesses
Authors: Urbaníková Marta , Štubňová Michaela , Papcunová Viera , Hudáková Jarmila
Published: October 2020

Family businesses began to emerge in Slovakia after the change of social establishment in 1989, and since then they represent a significant group of business entities with a significant contribution to the economy, and have significant growth potential. Innovations have become a driving force for the future opportunities of these companies. Based on empirical research, this paper aims to identify the innovation activities of small and medium-sized family businesses in Slovakia and to determine their impact on the company’s economic results. We can state that out of small and medium-sized family businesses included in the survey, 76.5% have implemented innovations in the last five years. We use statistical tests to verify the research hypotheses. We can state that there is a statistically significant relationship between the size of the company and the number of types of introduced innovations, as well as between the generation running the company and the number of types of introduced innovations. Second-generation family businesses can, therefore, be considered more innovative than first-generation family businesses. We investigate the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic on innovation activities in these companies. It is interesting that in 30.6% of family businesses the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic positively affected their innovation activities.
Phenology and Dwarfing Gene Interaction Effects on the Adaptation of Selected Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Advanced Lines across Diverse Water-Limited Environments of Western Australia
Authors: Dowla Mirza A.N.N.U. , Islam Shahidul , Stefanova Katia , Hara Graham O’ , Ma Wujun , Edwards Ian
Published: October 2020

Photoperiod, vernalization, and plant height controlling genes are major developmental genes in wheat that govern environmental adaptation and hence, knowledge on the interaction effects among different alleles of these genes is crucial in breeding cultivars for target environments. The interaction effects among these genes were studied in nineteen Australian advanced lines from diverse germplasm pools and four commercial checks. Diagnostic markers for the Vrn-A1 locus revealed the presence of the spring allele Vrn-A1a in 10 lines and Vrn-A1c in one line. The dominant alleles of Vrn-B1a and Vrn-D1a were identified in 19 and 8 lines, respectively. The most common photoperiod-insensitive allele of Ppd-D1a was identified in 19 lines and three and four copy photoperiod-insensitive alleles (Ppd-B1a and Ppd-B1c) were present in five and one lines, respectively. All the lines were photoperiod-sensitive for the Ppd-A1 locus. All lines were semi-dwarf, having either of the two dwarfing alleles; 14 lines had the Rht-B1b (Rht-1) and the remaining had the Rht-D1b (Rht-2) dwarfing allele. The presence of the photoperiod-insensitive allele Ppd-D1a along with one or two spring alleles at the Vrn1 loci resulted in an earlier heading and better yield. Dwarfing genes were found to modify the heading time—the Rht-D1b allele advanced heading by three days and also showed superior effects on yield-contributing traits, indicating its beneficial role in yield under rain-fed conditions along with an appropriate combination of photoperiod and vernalization alleles. This study also identified the adaptability value of these allelic combinations for higher grain yield and protein content across the different the water-limited environments.
Long Term Effects of Ploughing and Conservation Tillage Methods on Earthworm Abundance and Crumb Ratio
Authors: Dekemati Igor , Simon Barbara , Bogunovic Igor , Kisic Ivica , Kassai Katalin , Kende Zoltán , Birkás Márta
Published: October 2020

In addition to the dry (D) and rainy (R) seasons, a combination of the two i.e., rainy-dry (RD) and dry-rainy (DR), can also be observed in one year. The effects of the dry (D) and rainy (R) on soil are known, hence we hypothesized that the effects of the rainy-dry (RD) and dry-rainy (DR) periods on soil may differ from the former assessments. The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of six tillage treatments (ploughing—P, disk tillage—DT, loosening—L, tine tillage (a deeper—T and a shallower—ST) and no-till—NT) on earthworm abundance and crumb ratio during a long-term research (16 years) on Chernozems. The results related to the four year-groups (D, R, RD, and DR) with different residue cover. Seven degrees of cover ratio (between 12.5% and 62.5%) were selected on stubbles. Higher cover ratio (≥52.5%) improved water conservation, increased earthworm abundance (31 and 41 ind m–2) and crumb (78 and 82%) ratio (p < 0.01). R year came first in the rank of water content and earthworm abundance and DR proved to be more favorable for crumb formation. Considering the rank of soil tillage treatments, ST takes first place in evaluation of soil water content (SWC) and crumb ratio, and NT for earthworm abundance.
Antibiotics in Food Chain: The Consequences for Antibiotic Resistance
Authors: Kumar Shashi B. , Arnipalli Shanvanth R. , Ziouzenkova Ouliana
Published: October 2020

Antibiotics have been used as essential therapeutics for nearly 100 years and, increasingly, as a preventive agent in the agricultural and animal industry. Continuous use and misuse of antibiotics have provoked the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria that progressively increased mortality from multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, thereby posing a tremendous threat to public health. The goal of our review is to advance the understanding of mechanisms of dissemination and the development of antibiotic resistance genes in the context of nutrition and related clinical, agricultural, veterinary, and environmental settings. We conclude with an overview of alternative strategies, including probiotics, essential oils, vaccines, and antibodies, as primary or adjunct preventive antimicrobial measures or therapies against multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. The solution for antibiotic resistance will require comprehensive and incessant efforts of policymakers in agriculture along with the development of alternative therapeutics by experts in diverse fields of microbiology, biochemistry, clinical research, genetic, and computational engineering.
Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin Resistant S. aureus in Nepalese Primates: Resistance to Antimicrobials, Virulence, and Genetic Lineages
Authors: Roberts Marilyn C. , Joshi Prabhu Raj , Monecke Stefan , Ehricht Ralf , Müller Elke , Gawlik Darius , Diezel Celia , Braun Sascha D. , Paudel Saroj , Acharya Mahesh , Khanal Laxman , Koju Narayan P. , Chalise Mukesh , Kyes Randall C.
Published: October 2020

Staphylococcus aureus is a ubiquitous pathogen and colonizer in humans and animals. There are few studies on the molecular epidemiology of S. aureus in wild monkeys and apes. S. aureus carriage in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) and Assam macaques (Macaca assamensis) is a species that has not previously been sampled and lives in remote environments with limited human contact. Forty Staphylococcus aureus isolates including 33 methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and seven methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) were characterized. Thirty-four isolates were from rhesus macaques and six isolates (five MSSA, one MRSA) were from Assam macaques. Isolates were characterized using StaphyType DNA microarrays. Five of the MRSA including one from Assam macaque were CC22 MRSA-IV (PVL+/tst+), which is a strain previously identified in Nepalese rhesus. One MRSA each were CC6 MRSA-IV and CC772 MRSA-V (PVL+). One MSSA each belonged to CC15, CC96, and CC2990. Six MRSA isolates carried the blaZ, while ten known CC isolates (seven MRSA, three MSSA) carried a variety of genes including aacA-aphD, aphA3, erm(C), mph(C), dfrA, msrA, and/or sat genes. The other 30 MSSA isolates belonged to 17 novel clonal complexes, carried no antibiotic resistance genes, lacked Panton–Valentine Leukocidin (PVL), and most examined exotoxin genes. Four clonal complexes carried egc enterotoxin genes, and four harbored edinB, which is an exfoliative toxin homologue.
Molecular Epidemiology of Carbapenemases in Enterobacteriales from Humans, Animals, Food and the Environment
Authors: Taggar Gurleen , Attiq Rehman Muhammad , Boerlin Patrick , Diarra Moussa
Published: October 2020

The Enterobacteriales order consists of seven families including Enterobacteriaceae, Erwiniaceae, Pectobacteriaceae, Yersiniaceae, Hafniaceae, Morganellaceae, and Budviciaceae and 60 genera encompassing over 250 species. The Enterobacteriaceae is currently considered as the most taxonomically diverse among all seven recognized families. The emergence of carbapenem resistance (CR) in Enterobacteriaceae caused by hydrolytic enzymes called carbapenemases has become a major concern worldwide. Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) isolates have been reported not only in nosocomial and community-acquired pathogens but also in food-producing animals, companion animals, and the environment. The reported carbapenemases in Enterobacteriaceae from different sources belong to the Ambler class A (blaKPC), class B (blaIMP, blaVIM, blaNDM), and class D (blaOXA-48) β-lactamases. The carbapenem encoding genes are often located on plasmids or associated with various mobile genetic elements (MGEs) like transposons and integrons, which contribute significantly to their spread. These genes are most of the time associated with other antimicrobial resistance genes such as other β-lactamases, as well as aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones resistance genes leading to multidrug resistance phenotypes. Control strategies to prevent infections due to CRE and their dissemination in human, animal and food have become necessary. Several factors involved in the emergence of CRE have been described. This review mainly focuses on the molecular epidemiology of carbapenemases in members of Enterobacteriaceae family from humans, animals, food and the environment.
Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of New Pyridothienopyrimidine Derivatives as Antibacterial Agents and Escherichia coli Topoisomerase II Inhibitors
Authors: Mohi El-Deen Eman M. , Abd El-Meguid Eman A. , Karam Eman A. , Nossier Eman S. , Ahmed Marwa F.
Published: October 2020

The growing resistance of bacteria to many antibiotics that have been in use for several decades has generated the need to discover new antibacterial agents with structural features qualifying them to overcome the resistance mechanisms. Thus, novel pyridothienopyrimidine derivatives (2a,b–a,b) were synthesized by a series of various reactions, starting with 3-aminothieno[2,3-b]pyridine-2-carboxamides (1a,b). Condensation of compounds 1a,b with cyclohexanone gave 1’H-spiro[cyclohexane-1,2’-pyrido[3’,2’:4,5]thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin]-4’(3’H)-ones (2a,b), which in turn were utilized to afford the target 4-substituted derivatives (3a,b–8a,b). In vitro antibacterial activity evaluations of all the new compounds (2a,b–8a,b) were performed against six strains of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The target compounds showed significant antibacterial activity, especially against Gram-negative strains. Moreover, the compounds (2a,b; 3a,b; 4a,b; and 5a,b) that exhibited potent activity against Escherichia coli were selected to screen their inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli topoisomerase II (DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV) enzymes. Compounds 4a and 4b showed potent dual inhibition of the two enzymes with IC50 values of 3.44 µΜ and 5.77 µΜ against DNA gyrase and 14.46 µΜ and 14.89 µΜ against topoisomerase IV, respectively. In addition, docking studies were carried out to give insight into the binding mode of the tested compounds within the E. coli DNA gyrase B active site compared with novobiocin.
Dalbavancin, Vancomycin and Daptomycin Alone and in Combination with Cefazolin against Resistant Phenotypes of Staphylococcus aureus in a Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Model
Authors: Abdul-Mutakabbir Jacinda C. , Kebriaei Razieh , Stamper Kyle C. , Sheikh Zain , Maassen Philip T. , Lev Katherine L. , Rybak Michael J.
Published: October 2020

The most efficacious antimicrobial therapy to aid in the successful elimination of resistant S. aureus infections is unknown. In this study, we evaluated varying phenotypes of S. aureus against dalbavancin (DAL), vancomycin (VAN), and daptomycin (DAP) alone and in combination with cefazolin (CFZ). The objective of this study was to observe whether there was a therapeutic improvement in adding a beta-lactam to a glycopeptide, lipopeptide, or a lipoglycopeptide. We completed a series of in vitro tests including minimum inhibitory concentration testing (MIC) of the antimicrobials in combination, time-kill analysis (TKA), and a 168 h (7-day) one-compartment pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model on two daptomycin non-susceptible (DNS), vancomycin intermediate S. aureus strains (VISA), D712 and 6913. Results from our MIC testing demonstrated a minimum 2-fold and a maximum 32-fold reduction in MIC values for DAL, VAN, and DAP in combination with CFZ, in contrast to either agent used alone. The TKAs completed on four strains paralleled the enhanced activity demonstrated via the combination MICs. In the one-compartment PK/PD models, the combination of DAP plus CFZ or VAN plus CFZ resulted in a significant (p < 0.001) improvement in bactericidal activity and overall reduction in CFU/ml over the 7-day period. While the addition of CFZ to DAL improved time to bactericidal activity, DAL alone demonstrated equal and more sustained overall activity compared to all other treatments. The use of DAL alone, with or without CFZ and the combinations of VAN or DAP with CFZ appear to result in increased bactericidal activity against various recalcitrant S. aureus phenotypes.
Roles of Nrf2 in Liver Diseases: Molecular, Pharmacological, and Epigenetic Aspects
Authors: Galicia-Moreno Marina , Lucano-Landeros Silvia , Monroy-Ramirez Hugo Christian , Silva-Gomez Jorge , Gutierrez-Cuevas Jorge , Santos Arturo , Armendariz-Borunda Juan
Published: October 2020

Liver diseases represent a critical health problem with 2 million deaths worldwide per year, mainly due to cirrhosis and its complications. Oxidative stress plays an important role in the development of liver diseases. In order to maintain an adequate homeostasis, there must be a balance between free radicals and antioxidant mediators. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) and its negative regulator Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) comprise a defense mechanism against oxidative stress damage, and growing evidence considers this signaling pathway as a key pharmacological target for the treatment of liver diseases. In this review, we provide detailed and updated evidence regarding Nrf2 and its involvement in the development of the main liver diseases such as alcoholic liver damage, viral hepatitis, steatosis, steatohepatitis, cholestatic damage, and liver cancer. The molecular and cellular mechanisms of Nrf2 cellular signaling are elaborated, along with key and relevant antioxidant drugs, and mechanisms on how Keap1/Nrf2 modulation can positively affect the therapeutic response are described. Finally, exciting recent findings about epigenetic modifications and their link with regulation of Keap1/Nrf2 signaling are outlined.
Potential Anti-Skin Aging Effect of (-)-Catechin Isolated from the Root Bark of Ulmus davidiana var. japonica in Tumor Necrosis Factor-α-Stimulated Normal Human Dermal Fibroblasts
Authors: Lee Sullim , Yu Jae Sik , Phung Hung Manh , Lee Jeong Gun , Kim Ki Hyun , Kang Ki Sung
Published: October 2020

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated during skin aging, including intrinsic (chronologic aging) and extrinsic aging (photoaging). Therefore, antioxidants that inhibit ROS generation can delay skin aging. In this study, we evaluated the potential anti-skin aging effect of (-)-phenolic compounds isolated from the root bark of Ulmus davidiana var. japonica. We preferentially investigated the possible preventive effects of isolates against the degradation of skin extracellular matrix. Among the isolates, (-)-catechin suppressed the activity of collagenase MMP-1, and reversed the degradation of collagen induced by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in normal human dermal fibroblast. This action mechanism of (-)-catechin was validated by the suppression of tumor necrosis factor-α-induced accumulation of ROS and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, protein kinase B (Akt), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). The proinflammatory cytokines upregulate inflammatory reactions, and ultimately promote aging-related reactions. In this milieu, we demonstrated that (-)-catechin decreased the expression and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6. In conclusion, (-)-catechin is a candidate to ameliorate both intrinsic and extrinsic skin aging.
Study on Mechanical Properties and Cracking Mode of Coal Samples under Compression–Shear Coupled Load Considering the Effect of Loading Rate
Authors: Chen Yanlong , Cui Huidong , Pu Hai , Wu Peng , Chen Liang , Zhang Kai
Published: October 2020

Under coupled compression–shear loading, the failure and instability behavior of inclined pillars is different from that of horizontal pillars. To enhance the reliability and accuracy of pillar strength design, the influence of different inclination angles and loading rates on mechanical property and the failure behavior of inclined pillar should be studied. In this paper, the combined compression and shear test (C-CAST) system was developed, and mechanical properties and macro failure behavior of coal samples under different inclination angles and loading rates were studied, and acoustic emission (AE) technology was used to determine the internal cracking mode of the sample. The results show that with the increase of inclination angle, the peak shear stress of coal sample increases gradually, while the peak axial stress and elastic modulus slightly increase first and then decrease, and reach the maximum value at an inclination angle of 5°. Within the inclination angle range of 0°–15°, with the increase of loading rate, the peak axial stress and elastic modulus of coal samples first increase and then decrease, while the loading rate corresponding to peak axial stress and elastic modulus decreases. Within the inclination angle range of 20°–25°, the peak axial stress and elastic modulus of the sample gradually decrease with the increase of loading rate. The failure mode of coal samples changes from tension-splitting failure (0°–5°), tension–shear composite failure (10°) to single shear failure (15°–25°). Meanwhile, the loading rate has little effect on the failure mode of coal samples, but has a significant effect on the failure degree. When the loading rate is 1.0 and 10 mm/min and the inclination angle ranges from 0°–5°, the proportion of tensile crack is significantly greater than that of the shear crack, and tensile failure is the main failure mode; when the inclination angle ranges from 10°–25°, the proportion of shear crack is more than 50% and increases gradually with the increase of inclination angle, and shear failure is the main failure mode. This law is consistent with the macroscopic failure mode of the sample.
Comparison of Machine Learning Methods in Stochastic Skin Optical Model Inversion
Authors: Annala Leevi , Äyrämö Sami , Pölönen Ilkka
Published: October 2020

In this study, we compare six different machine learning methods in the inversion of a stochastic model for light propagation in layered media, and use the inverse models to estimate four parameters of the skin from the simulated data: melanin concentration, hemoglobin volume fraction, and thicknesses of epidermis and dermis. The aim of this study is to determine the best methods for stochastic model inversion in order to improve current methods in skin related cancer diagnostics and in the future develop a non-invasive way to measure the physical parameters of the skin based partially on the results of the study. Of the compared methods, which are convolutional neural network, multi-layer perceptron, lasso, stochastic gradient descent, and linear support vector machine regressors, we find the convolutional neural network to be the most accurate in the inversion task.
Mechanisms of Fluoride Toxicity: From Enzymes to Underlying Integrative Networks
Authors: Strunecka Anna , Strunecky Otakar
Published: October 2020

Fluoride has been employed in laboratory investigations since the early 20th century. These studies opened the understanding of fluoride interventions to fundamental biological processes. Millions of people living in endemic fluorosis areas suffer from various pathological disturbances. The practice of community water fluoridation used prophylactically against dental caries increased concern of adverse fluoride effects. We assessed the publications on fluoride toxicity until June 2020. We present evidence that fluoride is an enzymatic poison, inducing oxidative stress, hormonal disruptions, and neurotoxicity. Fluoride in synergy with aluminum acts as a false signal in G protein cascades of hormonal and neuronal regulations in much lower concentrations than fluoride acting alone. Our review shows the impact of fluoride on human health. We suggest focusing the research on fluoride toxicity to the underlying integrative networks. Ignorance of the pluripotent toxic effects of fluoride might contribute to unexpected epidemics in the future.
Kalman Filter-Based Adaptive Delay Compensation for Benchmark Problem in Real-Time Hybrid Simulation
Authors: Ning Xizhan , Wang Zhen , Wu Bin
Published: October 2020

Real-time hybrid simulation (RTHS) is a versatile, effective, and promising experimental method used to evaluate the structural performance under dynamic loads. In RTHS, the emulated structure is divided into a numerically simulated substructure (NS) and a physically tested substructure (PS), and a transfer system is used to ensure the force equilibrium and deformation compatibility between the substructures. Owing to the inherent dynamics of the PS and transfer system (referred to as a control plant in this study), there is a time-delay between the displacement command and measurement. This causes de-synchronization between the boundary of the PS and NS, and affects the stability and accuracy of the RTHS. In this study, a Kalman filter-based adaptive delay compensation (KF-ADC) method is proposed to address this issue. In this novel method, the control plant is represented by a discrete-time model, whose coefficients are time-varying and are estimated online by the KF using the displacement commands and measurements. Based on this time-varying model, the delay compensator is constructed employing the desired displacements. The KF performance is investigated theoretically and numerically. To assess the performance of the proposed strategy, a series of virtual RTHSs are performed on the Benchmark problem in RTHS, which was based on an actual experimental system. Meanwhile, several promising delay-compensation strategies are employed for comparison. Results reveal that the proposed time-delay compensation method effectively enhances the accuracy, stability, and robustness of RTHS.
Development of a Numerical Model of the Hot Air Staking Process Based on Experimental Data
Authors: Härtel Sebastian , Brueckner Eric , Awiszus Birgit , Gehde Michael
Published: October 2020

Intelligent light weight concepts are increasingly designed as multi-material systems in order to achieve optimized properties through a targeted combination of materials. For these applications, the market demands joining technologies that make it possible to join foreign materials reliably (e.g., incompatible thermoplastics, thermoplastic-metal and thermoplastic-thermoset). In view of these industrial challenges, thermoplastic staking is an established forming process. At present, computer-aided development and precise FE-simulation (finite element-simulation) of these processes are not state-of-the-art. Accordingly, the previous design is based on subjective empirical values and empirical tests of the component. Within the framework of the paper, these gaps are to be closed by the development of numerical models for the heating and forming behavior of thermal plastic rivets (hot air staking) and the associated experimental validation. This requires the experimental development of the cause-effect relationships between melt formation and the resulting forming behavior. Finally, the numerical simulation shows a high conformity to the experimental data and allows an evaluation of the minimum heating time as well as initial approaches to evaluating the resulting structures by the simulation.
Influences of Sub-Atmospheric Pressure on Upward Flame Spread over Flexible Polyurethane Foam Board with Multiple Inclinations
Authors: Tu Ran , Ma Xin , Zeng Yi , Zhou Xuejin , Zhang Qixing
Published: October 2020

Fire propagation and burning characteristics of upward flame spread over flexible polyurethane (FPU) foam board were investigated under coupling effects of pressure and orientation. As a further comparative research of our previous work, three pressures (70, 85 and 100 kPa) and four fuel surface inclination angles (0°, 30°, 60°, 90°) were applied, respectively, as before, to study the variation of typical parameters including flame spread rate (FSR), burning rate, heat transfer components, flame length, etc. First, a phenomenological interpretation was taken to show the special spreading process with melting flow combustion and flash burning observed. Second, an overall theoretical analysis was proposed to reveal the individual or coupling effects of pressure and inclined burning surface on spreading behavior. A semi-quantitative correlation was developed and formulated to show the tendency of FSR as a function of pressure, inclination and other burning parameters, which was validated by data in paper. Meanwhile, comparison of detailed differences between upward and downward spread was conducted to give a full insight on FPU fire development. At last, comprehensive discussions of coupling effects on variation of spreading characteristics and heat transfer mechanisms were performed based on fire dynamics.
Toward Energy Savings in Campus Buildings under a Life Cycle Thinking Approach
Authors: Abejón Ricardo , Laso Jara , Rodrigo Marta , Ruiz-Salmón Israel , Mañana Mario , Margallo María , Aldaco Rubén
Published: October 2020

Recent studies have identified that buildings all over the world are great contributors to energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The relationship between the building industry and environmental pollution is continuously discussed. The building industry includes many phases: extraction of raw materials, manufacturing, construction, use, and demolition. Each phase consumes a large amount of energy, and subsequent emissions are released. The life cycle energy assessment (LCEA) is a simplified version of the life cycle assessment (LCA) that focuses only on the evaluation of energy inputs for different phases of the life cycle. Operational energy is the energy required for day-to-day operation processes of buildings, such as heating, cooling and ventilation systems, lighting, as well as appliances. This use phase accounts for the largest portion of energy consumption of the life cycle of conventional buildings. In addition, energy performance certification of buildings is an obligation under current European legislation, which promotes efficient energy use, so it is necessary to ensure that the energy performance of the building is upgraded to meet minimum requirements. For this purpose, this work proposes the consideration of the energy impacts and material resources used in the operation phase of a building to calculate the contribution of these energy impacts as new variables for the energy performance certification. The application of this new approach to the evaluation of university buildings has been selected as a case study. From a methodological point of view, the approach relied on the energy consumption records obtained from energy and materials audit exercises with the aid of LCA databases. Taking into practice the proposed methodology, the primary energy impact and the related emissions were assessed to simplify the decision-making process for the energy certification of buildings. From the results obtained, it was concluded that the consumption of water and other consumable items (paper) are important from energy and environmental perspectives.
Development of Visual Servoing-Based Autonomous Docking Capabilities in a Heterogeneous Swarm of Marine Robots
Authors: Babić Anja , Mandić Filip , Mišković Nikola
Published: October 2020

This paper describes the design, development, and testing of both hardware and software for a visual servoing-based system that enables agents within a heterogeneous marine robotic swarm to share energy. The goal of this system is prolonging the active operational time of the swarm as a whole, allowing it to perform long-term environmental monitoring and data collection missions. The implementation presented in the paper features an over-actuated autonomous surface platform docking up to four floating sensor nodes at a time and replenishing their batteries using wireless inductive charging. Mechanical solutions for each robot segment related to the docking procedure are presented, along with pertinent high-level and low-level control structures. A node featuring an extended Kalman filter and additional heuristics is used to fuse measurements from a neural network trained for object detection and a hue thresholding image processing algorithm, in order to track the docking target and achieve visual servoing. Finally, experimental results in both a controlled environment and challenging conditions on-site are presented. Once deployed, the developed system successfully enables the approach and docking of the designated target, showing its feasibility in different real-life conditions.
Lightweight Semantic Segmentation Network for Real-Time Weed Mapping Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Authors: Deng Jizhong , Zhong Zhaoji , Huang Huasheng , Lan Yubin , Han Yuxing , Zhang Yali
Published: October 2020

The timely and efficient generation of weed maps is essential for weed control tasks and precise spraying applications. Based on the general concept of site-specific weed management (SSWM), many researchers have used unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing technology to monitor weed distributions, which can provide decision support information for precision spraying. However, image processing is mainly conducted offline, as the time gap between image collection and spraying significantly limits the applications of SSWM. In this study, we conducted real-time image processing onboard a UAV to reduce the time gap between image collection and herbicide treatment. First, we established a hardware environment for real-time image processing that integrates map visualization, flight control, image collection, and real-time image processing onboard a UAV based on secondary development. Second, we exploited the proposed model design to develop a lightweight network architecture for weed mapping tasks. The proposed network architecture was evaluated and compared with mainstream semantic segmentation models. Results demonstrate that the proposed network outperform contemporary networks in terms of efficiency with competitive accuracy. We also conducted optimization during the inference process. Precision calibration was applied to both the desktop and embedded devices and the precision was reduced from FP32 to FP16. Experimental results demonstrate that this precision calibration further improves inference speed while maintaining reasonable accuracy. Our modified network architecture achieved an accuracy of 80.9% on the testing samples and its inference speed was 4.5 fps on a Jetson TX2 module (Nvidia Corporation, Santa Clara, CA, USA), which demonstrates its potential for practical agricultural monitoring and precise spraying applications.
A Coaxial Dielectric Barrier Discharge Reactor for Treatment of Winter Wheat Seeds
Authors: Nishime Thalita M. C. , Wannicke Nicola , Horn Stefan , Weltmann Klaus-Dieter , Brust Henrike
Published: October 2020

Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasmas have been recently explored for their potential usage in agricultural applications as an interesting alternative solution for a potential increase in food production with a minor impact on the ecosystem. However, the adjustment and optimization of plasma sources for agricultural applications in general is an important study that is commonly overlooked. Thus, in the present work, a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor with coaxial geometry designed for the direct treatment of seeds is presented and investigated. To ensure reproducible and homogeneous treatment results, the reactor mechanically shakes the seeds during treatment, and ambient air is admixed while the discharge runs. The DBD, operating with argon and helium, produces two different chemically active states of the system for seed modification. The temperature evolution was monitored to guarantee a safe manipulation of seeds, whereas a physiological temperature was assured by controlling the exposure time. Both treatments led to a remarkable increase in wettability and acceleration in germination. The present study showed faster germination acceleration (60% faster after 24 h) and a lower water contact angle (WCA) (82% reduction) for winter wheat seeds by using the described argon discharge (with air impurities). Furthermore, the treatment can be easily optimized by adjusting the electrical parameters.
Performance Comparison of Massive MIMO System with Orthogonal and Nonorthogonal Multiple Access for Uplink in 5G Systems
Authors: Berceanu Madalina-Georgiana , Florea Carmen , Halunga Simona
Published: October 2020

In the attempt to respond to market demands, new techniques for wireless communication systems have been proposed to ensure, to all active users that are sharing the same network cell, an increased quality of service, regardless of any environmental factors, such as their position within the cell, time, space, climate, and noise. One example is the nonorthogonal multiple access (NOMA) technique, proposed within the 5G standard, known for supporting a massive connectivity and a more efficient use of radio resources. This paper presents two new sets of complex codes— multiple-user shared-access (MUSA) and extended MUSA (EMUSA), and an algorithm of allocation such that the intercorrelation should be as reduced as possible that can be used in MUSA for 5G NOMA-based technique scheme. Also, it analyzes the possibility of creating complex codes starting from PN (cPN), which is a novel idea proposed in this paper, whose results are promising with respect to the overall system performances. First, a description of the basic principles of MUSA are presented; next, the description of the proposed system will be provided, whose performance will be tested using Monte Carlo MATLAB simulations based on bit error rate (BER) versus signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The system performances are evaluated in different scenarios and compared with classical code division multiple access (CDMA) having the following system parameters in sight: the number of antennas at the receiver side and the number of active users.