bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is the Evolution of Energy System Productive Structures Driven by a Physical Principle?
Authors: Reini Mauro , Casisi Melchiorre
Published: March 2021

The aim of the paper is to identify the consequence of the Constructal Principle in the field of Thermoeconomics of (energy) production systems. This Principle has been recently formulated as an extension of the Maximum Entropy Production Principle and it has been used in literature to explain the shape and structure of all kind of flowing systems. First, the concept of Thermoeconomic Environment is defined consistently with the consumption of environmental resources and residual emissions, which inherently characterize every kind of production system. This approach allows to infer that the evolution of any energy system is strictly related to the exploitation of resources from the Thermoeconomic Environment. Moreover, the widely accepted assumption that energy systems have to be optimized by minimizing the specific resource (exergy) cost of products, has to be regarded as a consequence of a physical principle that tells us which energy systems can persist in time (to survive) and which others would be selected for extinction. The paper shows how the creation of a recycle may allow a reduction of the unit exergy cost of the product, obtaining a more sustainable behavior of the macro-system, made up by the production process together with its supply chains, consistently with the Constructal Principle. Finally, the definition of the Thermoeconomic Environment allows (at least in principle) to properly identify the resource (exergy) cost of disposing off residues and sub-products directly in the environment, without any kind of additional operation. As a consequence, residues and sub-products have to be generally converted into some kind of product by different (new) production processes, supporting the paradigm of the Circular Economy and highlighting the importance of recycling not only for system efficiency, but for system surviving. More generally, the results obtained may be regarded as the physical justifications of the evolutionary tendency toward the more and more complex and highly circular pathways that can be observed in both natural and artificial (energy) production systems.
Impact of Metals on (Star)Dust Chemistry: A Laboratory Astrophysics Approach
Authors: Bérard Rémi , Makasheva Kremena , Demyk Karine , Simon Aude , Nuñez Reyes Dianailys , Mastrorocco Fabrizio , Sabbah Hassan , Joblin Christine
Published: March 2021

Laboratory experiments are essential in exploring the mechanisms involved in stardust formation. One key question is how a metal is incorporated into dust for an environment rich in elements involved in stardust formation (C, H, O, Si). To address experimentally this question we have used a radiofrequency cold plasma reactor in which cyclic organosilicon dust formation is observed. Metallic (silver) atoms were injected in the plasma during the dust nucleation phase to study their incorporation in the dust. The experiments show formation of silver nanoparticles (~15 nm) under conditions in which organosilicon dust of size 200 nm or less is grown. The presence of AgSiO bonds, revealed by infrared spectroscopy, suggests the presence of junctions between the metallic nanoparticles and the organosilicon dust. Even after annealing we could not conclude on the formation of silver silicates, emphasizing that most of silver is included in the metallic nanoparticles. The molecular analysis performed by laser mass spectrometry exhibits a complex chemistry leading to a variety of molecules including large hydrocarbons and organometallic species. In order to gain insights into the involved chemical molecular pathways, the reactivity of silver atoms/ions with acetylene was studied in a laser vaporization source. Key organometallic species, AgnC2Hm (n = 1–3; m = 0–2), were identified and their structures and energetic data computed using density functional theory. This allows us to propose that molecular Ag–C seeds promote the formation of Ag clusters but also catalyze hydrocarbon growth. Throughout the article, we show how the developed methodology can be used to characterize the incorporation of metal atoms both in the molecular and dust phases. The presence of silver species in the plasma was motivated by objectives finding their application in other research fields than astrochemistry. Still, the reported methodology is a demonstration laying down the ground for future studies on metals of astrophysical interest, such as iron.
Odorant Binding Protein C17 Contributes to the Response to Artemisia vulgaris Oil in Tribolium castaneum
Authors: Gao Shan-Shan , Li Rui-Min , Xue Shuang , Zhang Yuan-Chen , Zhang Yong-Lei , Wang Jing-Shun , Zhang Kun-Peng
Published: March 2021

The red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (T. castaneum), generates great financial losses to the grain storage and food processing industries. Previous studies have shown that essential oil (EO) from Artemisia vulgaris (A. vulgaris) has strong contact toxicity to larvae of the beetle, and odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) contribute to the defense of larvae against A. vulgaris. However, the functions of OBPs in insects defending against plant oil is still not clear. Here, expression of one OBP gene, TcOBPC17, was significantly induced 12–72 h after EO exposure. Furthermore, compared to the control group, RNA interference (RNAi) against TcOBPC17 resulted in a higher mortality rate after EO treatment, which suggests that TcOBPC17 involves in the defense against EO and induces a declining sensitivity to EO. In addition, the tissue expression profile analysis revealed that the expression of TcOBPC17 was more abundant in the metabolic detoxification organs of the head, fat body, epidermis, and hemolymph than in other larval tissue. The expression profile of developmental stages showed that TcOBPC17 had a higher level in early and late adult stages than in other developmental stages. Taken together, these results suggest that TcOBPC17 could participate in the sequestration process of exogenous toxicants in T. castaneum larvae.
Canine-Assisted Interventions in Hospitals: Best Practices for Maximizing Human and Canine Safety
Authors: Barker Sandra B. , Gee Nancy R.
Published: March 2021

Canine-assisted interventions (CAI) are becoming more popular in hospital settings, representing a crucial intersection between animals, veterinary medicine, and society. However, standardized policies and procedures to minimize risk and maximize benefit to vulnerable humans and protect therapy dog welfare are lacking, posing a challenge to safe practice. Few intervention programs are evaluated to document efficacy compounding the potential risk. This paper presents a rationale for CAI in hospitals and describes the evidence, issues, and challenges to establishing and maintaining safe and effective programs for humans and animals. Recommendations are made for best practices based on the existing scientific evidence and a model program in place in a major medical center for 19 years. Scientific and practical implications are considered.
β-Elemene Triggers ROS-dependent Apoptosis in Glioblastoma Cells Through Suppressing STAT3 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Cai Shi-zhong , Xiong Qian-wei , Zhao Li-na , Ji Yi-ting , Luo Zheng-xiang , Ma Zhou-rui
Published: March 2021

Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive primary brain tumors with few treatment strategies. β-Elemene is a sesquiterpene known to have broad spectrum antitumor activity against various cancers. However, the signaling pathways involved in β-elemene induced apoptosis of glioblastoma cells remains poorly understood. In this study, we reported that β-elemene exhibited antiproliferative activity on U87 and SHG-44 cells, and induced cell death through induction of apoptosis. Incubation of these cells with β-elemene led to the activation of caspase-3 and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Western blot assay showed that β-elemene suppressed phosphorylation of STAT3, and subsequently down-regulated the activation of p-JAK2 and p-Src. Moreover, pre-incubation of cells with ROS inhibitor N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) significantly reversed β-elemene-mediated apoptosis effect and down-regulation of JAK2/Src-STAT3 signaling pathway. Overall, our findings implied that generation of ROS and suppression of STAT3 signaling pathway is critical for the apoptotic activity of β-elemene in glioblastoma cells.
Equilibrium Inefficiency and Computation in Cost-Sharing Games in Real-Time Scheduling Systems
Authors: Georgoulaki Eirini , Kollias Kostas , Tamir Tami
Published: March 2021

We study cost-sharing games in real-time scheduling systems where the server’s activation cost in every time slot is a function of its load. We focus on monomial cost functions and consider both the case when the degree is less than one (inducing positive congestion effect for the jobs) and when it is greater than one (inducing negative congestion effect for the jobs). For the former case, we provide tight bounds on the price of anarchy, and show that the price of anarchy grows to infinity as a polynomial of the number of jobs in the game. For the latter, we observe that existing results provide constant and tight (asymptotically in the degree of the monomial) bounds on the price of anarchy. We then turn to analyze payment mechanism with arbitrary cost-sharing, that is, when the strategy of a player includes also its payment. We show that our mechanism reduces the price of anarchy of games with n jobs and unit server costs from Θ(n) to 2. We also show that, for a restricted class of instances, a similar improvement is achieved for monomial server costs. This is not the case, however, for unrestricted instances of monomial costs, for which we prove that the price of anarchy remains super-constant for our mechanism. For systems with load-independent activation costs, we show that our mechanism can produce an optimal solution which is stable against coordinated deviations.
A Quasi-Hole Detection Algorithm for Recognizing k-Distance-Hereditary Graphs, with k < 2
Authors: Cicerone Serafino
Published: March 2021

Cicerone and Di Stefano defined and studied the class of k-distance-hereditary graphs, i.e., graphs where the distance in each connected induced subgraph is at most k times the distance in the whole graph. The defined graphs represent a generalization of the well known distance-hereditary graphs, which actually correspond to 1-distance-hereditary graphs. In this paper we make a step forward in the study of these new graphs by providing characterizations for the class of all the k-distance-hereditary graphs such that k<2. The new characterizations are given in terms of both forbidden subgraphs and cycle-chord properties. Such results also lead to devise a polynomial-time recognition algorithm for this kind of graph that, according to the provided characterizations, simply detects the presence of quasi-holes in any given graph.
Agricultural Potential of the EU Countries: How Far Are They from the USA?
Authors: Pawlak Karolina , Smutka Luboš , Kotyza Pavel
Published: March 2021

Although the EU and the USA are the largest players in the global agricultural market, there are only a few up-to-date comparative studies concerning their agricultural potential and performance. No comprehensive study covering all individual EU member states in relation to the USA has been provided so far. Considering that in the light of the lasting impasse in the negotiations on both international and transatlantic trade liberalization, differences in the production structures seem to be a decisive factor affecting competitiveness of the EU and the US agriculture, the paper attempts to identify the gap in the agricultural potential between individual EU countries and the USA and determine which EU countries are able to face the competitive pressure exerted by the US agricultural producers. Ward’s agglomerative hierarchical clustering method with the Euclidean distance was used to separate the most and the least competitive countries depending on their agricultural potential. Based on the conducted analyses it may be stated that the US agriculture is characterized by more rational ratios between production factors, resulting in their higher efficiency compared to the EU. The conducted typological analysis showed that thanks to the high standard of capital assets per employee leading to high labor productivity, only such countries as Germany, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, and Belgium may be considered as capable of meeting the competitive pressure exerted by the US agriculture with its greater degree of concentration and benefits from proper proportions between the production factors. A much more difficult competitive situation is observed in the EU countries of Central and Eastern Europe as well as the Mediterranean region, specializing in land- and labor-intensive production, in which the rational utilization of the production potential is limited by the structural deficit, resulting from the fragmented agrarian structure and manifested in the low level of land and capital assets assigned to labor actively involved in the production process.
Selective and Sensitive Quantification of Acetochlor and S-Metolachlor in Maize and Soybean Plant Samples by Gas Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Cara Irina Gabriela , Topa Denis , Raus Lucian , Calistru Anca Elena , Filipov Feodor , Jitareanu Gerard
Published: March 2021

Herbicide residue analysis has gained importance worldwide, mainly for food quality control to minimize potentially adverse impacts on human health. A Gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method for quantitative analysis of acetochlor and s-metolachlor in maize and soybean straw has been developed, validated and applied to analyze the residues of anilide herbicides. Straw material was dried, homogenized and extracted with a mixture of n-hexane and acetone by an accelerated solvent extraction method. Chromatographic separation of the target analytes was performed on an Agilent 7832 GC equipped with a mass spectrometer detector, a split-splitless injector and an HP-5 MS (5% phenylmethyl siloxane) capillary column (30 m × 0.25 mm × 0.25 µm). Under these parameters, the limit of detection (LOD) values were 0.2 ng g−1 for acetochlor and 0.07 ng g−1 for s-metolachlor, with average recoveries between 86% and 119.7%. The method was validated for acetochlor and s-metolachlor in maize and soybean straw at 0.5 and 0.01 mg kg −1. Furthermore, the final residues of the two herbicides in maize and soybean straw were below the maximum residue limit (MRL) at harvest time. The proposed method is suitable for routine analysis.
Screening for Cold Tolerance during Germination within Sweet and Fiber Sorghums [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] for Energy Biomass
Authors: Patanè Cristina , Cosentino Salvatore L. , Cavallaro Valeria , Saita Alessandro
Published: March 2021

Within the project “BIOSEA” funded by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, a preliminary laboratory test was conducted to assess the variability for cold tolerance during germination in 30 cultivars of biomass sorghum, among fiber and sweet types. Seed germination (%) and mean germination time (MGT) were examined at seven constant temperatures (from 8 °C to 35 °C) and base temperature (Tb) and thermal time (θT) for 50% germination were calculated. A wide genetic diversity in the germination response of sorghum was ascertained at 8 °C (CV 45%) and 10 °C (CV 25.4%). At 8 °C, in cultivars of ‘Padana 4’, ‘PR811F’, ‘PSE24213’, ‘PR849’ and ‘Zerberus’, seed germination exceeded 80%. Seeds of ‘Zerberus’ were also the fastest, requiring less than 13 days for final germination at this low temperature. Great differences were found in Tb and θT among cultivars. Tb varied between 7.44 °C (‘PR811F’) and 13.48 °C (‘Nectar’). Thermal time (θT) was, on average, 24.09 °Cd−1, and ranged between 16.62 (‘Nectar’) and 33.42 °Cd−1 (‘PSE24213’). The best combination of the two germination parameters (i.e., low Tb and θT) corresponded to ‘Zerberus’, ‘Sucrosorgo 506’, ‘Jumbo’ and ‘PR811F’. Accordingly, these cultivars are more tolerant to cold stress during germination and, thus, more adapt to early spring sowings in Mediterranean areas (March-April). Cultivars ‘PR811F’ (fiber type) and ‘Sucrosorgo 506’ (sweet type) also combine high cold tolerance with good productivity in terms of final dry biomass, as assessed in open-field conditions (late spring sowing). The genetic variation in the germination response to a low temperature is useful for the identification of genotypes of sorghum suitable to early sowings in semi-arid areas. Selection within existing cultivars for cold tolerance during germination may also contribute to the expansion of biomass sorghum into cooler cultivation areas, such as those of Northern Europe, which are less suitable to this warm season crop.
Sentinel-2 Images and Machine Learning as Tool for Monitoring of the Common Agricultural Policy: Calasparra Rice as a Case Study
Authors: López-Andreu Francisco Javier , Erena Manuel , Dominguez-Gómez Jose Antonio , López-Morales Juan Antonio
Published: March 2021

The European Commission introduces the Control by Monitoring through new technologies to manage Common Agricultural Policy funds through the Regulation 2018/746. The advances in remote sensing have been considered one of these new technologies, mainly since the European Space Agency designed the Copernicus Programme. The Sentinel-1 (radar range) and Sentinel-2 (optical range) satellites have been designed for monitoring agricultural problems based on the characteristics they provide. The data provided by the Sentinel 2 missions, together with the emergence of different scientific disciplines in artificial intelligence —especially machine learning— offer the perfect basis for identifying and classifying any crop and its phenological state. Our research is based on developing and evaluating a pixel-based supervised classification scheme to produce accurate rice crop mapping in a smallholder agricultural zone in Calasparra, Murcia, Spain. Several models are considered to obtain the most suitable model for each element of the time series used; pixel-based classification is performed and finished with a statistical treatment. The highly accurate results obtained, especially across the most significant vegetative development dates, indicate the benefits of using Sentinel-2 data combined with Machine Learning techniques to identify rice crops. It should be noted that it was possible to locate rice crop areas with an overall accuracy of 94% and standard deviation of 1%, which could be increased to 96% (±1%) if we focus on the months of the crop’s highest development state. Thanks to the proposed methodology, the on-site inspections carried out, 5% of the files, have been replaced by remote sensing evaluations of 100% of the analyzed season files. Besides, by adjusting the model input data, it is possible to detect unproductive or abandoned plots.
Horse Preferences for Insolation, Shade or Mist Curtain in the Paddock under Heat Conditions: Cardiac and Behavioural Response Analysis
Authors: Janczarek Iwona , Stachurska Anna , Wilk Izabela , Wiśniewska Anna , Różańska-Boczula Monika , Kaczmarek Beata , Łuszczyński Jarosław , Kędzierski Witold
Published: March 2021

The horse’s welfare and, consequently, the emotional arousal may be connected with stressful environmental conditions. This study aimed to determine whether horses show behavioural or physiological symptoms of thermal discomfort and if their behaviour and cardiac parameters are related to freely chosen insolated (IS), shaded (SH), or water sprayed (with a mist curtain (MC)) areas in a paddock under heat conditions (29–32 °C, 42.0 ± 1.5% humidity). Twelve adult horses freely moving in the paddock were studied during a 45 min solitary turnout. Six cardiac variables, locomotor, and non-locomotor activities as well as rectal temperature before and after the test were monitored with regard to the area of staying. Horses did not show clear preferences regarding the time spent in IS, SH, and MC, although preferences of particular horses differed considerably. When staying under IS and MC conditions, the horses showed a higher level of relaxation compared to SH. Horses did not exhibit symptoms of thermal discomfort while staying in the sun. Free choice between the three areas differing in environmental conditions could be a crucial factor in maintaining body temperature as well as emotional arousal at similar levels. Thus, the provision of a shade and mist curtain in paddocks seems to be reasonable.
Corn versus Barley in Finishing Diets: Effect on Steer Performance and Feeding Behavior
Authors: DelCurto-Wyffels Hannah M. , Dafoe Julia M. , Parsons Cory T. , Boss Darrin L. , DelCurto Timothy , Wyffels Samuel A. , Van Emon Megan L. , Bowman Janice G. P.
Published: March 2021

This study evaluated the effects of barley and corn finishing rations on feedlot performance and behavior of steers. Feedlot rations in this study were comprised of a main concentrate of either corn or barley. Steers were fed in a GrowSafe system to measure individual animal intake and behavior. Weight gain, average daily gain (ADG), and gain:feed were measured for each steer. Feeding behavior including time spent eating (min/day), visits per day, time per visit (min), eating rate (g/min), intake (kg/day), and intake per visit (g) were measured for each individual. Corn-fed steers had greater ADG (p < 0.01) and heavier hot carcass weights (HCW; p < 0.01). In addition, corn fed steers had a higher yield grade than barley fed steers (p < 0.01). No treatment effects (p ≥ 0.11) were observed for time spent eating, visits per day, time per visit, eating rate, intake g/kg body weight, or intake per visit. Although corn-fed steers had a greater ADG and HCW than barley-fed steers, they tended to consume more feed (p = 0.06). Depending on the difference of costs associated with feeding corn or barley, barley could be a potential high-quality feed source in beef cattle finishing rations.
Population Pharmacokinetics of Piperacillin in Non-Critically Ill Patients with Bacteremia Caused by Enterobacteriaceae
Authors: Merino-Bohórquez Vicente , Docobo-Pérez Fernando , Valiente-Méndez Adoración , Delgado-Valverde Mercedes , Cameán Manuel , Hope William W. , Pascual Álvaro , Rodríguez-Baño Jesús
Published: March 2021

This study analyzes the pharmacokinetic variability of piperacillin in non-critically ill patients with Enterobacteriaceae bloodstream infections (EBSI) and explores predicted clinical outcomes and piperacillin-related neurotoxicity under different renal conditions. Hospitalized, non-critically ill patients treated with piperacillin–tazobactam for EBSI were included. Four serum samples per patient were collected and analyzed. A population pharmacokinetic model was developed using the Pmetrics package for R. Monte Carlo simulations of various dosage regimens of 4 g piperacillin, administered q8 h or q12 h by short (0.5 h) or long (4 h) infusion, following the different glomerular filtration rate (GFR) categories used to classify chronic kidney disease (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes, KDIGO) to determine the probability of target attainment (PTA) using a free drug concentrations above the minimal inhibitory concentration (fT > MIC) of 50% for efficacy and targets for piperacillin-associated neurotoxicity. Twenty-seven patients (102 samples) were included. Extended piperacillin infusions reached a PTA > 90% (50%fT > MIC) within the susceptibility range, although a loading dose did not greatly improve the expected outcome. Long infusions reduced the expected toxicity in patients with severe renal impairment. The study supports the use of extended infusions of piperacillin in non-critically ill patients with EBSI. No benefits of a loading dose were expected in our population. Finally, extended infusions may reduce the risk of toxicity in patients with severe renal impairment.
Control of Oxidative Stress in Cancer Chemoresistance: Spotlight on Nrf2 Role
Authors: Barrera Giuseppina , Cucci Marie Angele , Grattarola Margherita , Dianzani Chiara , Muzio Giuliana , Pizzimenti Stefania
Published: March 2021

Chemoresistance represents the main obstacle to cancer treatment with both conventional and targeted therapy. Beyond specific molecular alterations, which can lead to targeted therapy, metabolic remodeling, including the control of redox status, plays an important role in cancer cell survival following therapy. Although cancer cells generally have a high basal reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, which makes them more susceptible than normal cells to a further increase of ROS, chemoresistant cancer cells become highly adapted to intrinsic or drug-induced oxidative stress by upregulating their antioxidant systems. The antioxidant response is principally mediated by the transcription factor Nrf2, which has been considered the master regulator of antioxidant and cytoprotective genes. Nrf2 expression is often increased in several types of chemoresistant cancer cells, and its expression is mediated by diverse mechanisms. In addition to Nrf2, other transcription factors and transcriptional coactivators can participate to maintain the high antioxidant levels in chemo and radio-resistant cancer cells. The control of expression and function of these molecules has been recently deepened to identify which of these could be used as a new therapeutic target in the treatment of tumors resistant to conventional therapy. In this review, we report the more recent advances in the study of Nrf2 regulation in chemoresistant cancers and the role played by other transcription factors and transcriptional coactivators in the control of antioxidant responses in chemoresistant cancer cells.
In Vivo and In Vitro Effects of Tracheloside on Colorectal Cancer Cell Proliferation and Metastasis
Authors: Shin Min-Kyoung , Jeon Yong-Deok , Hong Seung-Heon , Kang Sa-Haeng , Kee Ji-Ye , Jin Jong-Sik
Published: March 2021

Recent research suggests a relationship between cancer progression and oxidative mechanisms. Among the phenolic compounds such as tracheloside (TCS) are a major bioactive compound that can combat oxidant stress-related chronic diseases and that also displays anti-tumor activity. Although TCS can inhibit mammalian carcinoma, its effects on colorectal cancer (CRC) have not been clarified. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of TCS on the proliferation of CRC cells, the metastasis of CT26 cells, and the molecular mechanisms related to TCS in vitro and in vivo. A cell viability assay showed that TCS inhibited the proliferation of CRC cells. TCS-treated CT26 cells were associated with the upregulation of p16 as well as the downregulation of cyclin D1 and CDK4 in cell cycle arrest. In addition, TCS induced apoptosis of CT26 cells through mitochondria-mediated apoptosis and regulation of the Bcl-2 family. Expression of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers was regulated by TCS treatment in CT26 cells. TCS significantly inhibited the lung metastasis of CT26 cells in a mouse model. These results suggest that TCS, by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis through its anti-oxidant properties, is a novel therapeutic agent that inhibits metastatic phenotypes of murine CRC cells.
An Extract from Ficus carica Cell Cultures Works as an Anti-Stress Ingredient for the Skin
Authors: Dini Irene , Falanga Danila , Di Lorenzo Ritamaria , Tito Annalisa , Carotenuto Gennaro , Zappelli Claudia , Grumetto Lucia , Sacchi Antonia , Laneri Sonia , Apone Fabio
Published: March 2021

Psychological stress activates catecholamine production, determines oxidation processes, and alters the lipid barrier functions in the skin. Scientific evidence associated with the detoxifying effect of fruits and vegetables, the growing awareness of the long-term issues related to the use of chemical-filled cosmetics, the aging of the population, and the increase in living standards are the factors responsible for the growth of food-derived ingredients in the cosmetics market. A Ficus carica cell suspension culture extract (FcHEx) was tested in vitro (on keratinocytes cells) and in vivo to evaluate its ability to manage the stress-hormone-induced damage in skin. The FcHEx reduced the epinephrine (−43% and −24% at the concentrations of 0.002% and 0.006%, respectively), interleukin 6 (−38% and −36% at the concentrations of 0.002% and 0.006%, respectively), lipid peroxide (−25%), and protein carbonylation (−50%) productions; FcHEx also induced ceramide synthesis (+150%) and ameliorated the lipid barrier performance. The in vivo experiments confirmed the in vitro test results. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL; −12.2%), sebum flow (−46.6% after two weeks and −73.8% after four weeks; on the forehead −56.4% after two weeks and −80.1% after four weeks), and skin lightness (+1.9% after two weeks and +2.7% after four weeks) defined the extract’s effects on the skin barrier. The extract of the Ficus carica cell suspension cultures reduced the transepidermal water loss, the sebum production, the desquamation, and facial skin turning to a pale color from acute stress, suggesting its role as an ingredient to fight the signs of psychological stress in the skin.
Driven Pile Effects on Nearby Cylindrical and Semi-Tapered Pile in Sandy Clay
Authors: Fall Massamba , Gao Zhengguo , Ndiaye Becaye Cissokho
Published: March 2021

A pile foundation is commonly adopted for transferring superstructure loads into the ground in weaker soil. They diminish the settlement of the infrastructure and augment the soil-bearing capacity. This paper emphases the pile-driving effect on an existing adjacent cylindrical and semi-tapered pile. Driving a three-dimensional pile into the ground is fruitfully accomplished by combining the arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) adaptive mesh and element deletion methods without adopting any assumptions that would simplify the simulation. Axial forces, bending moment, and lateral displacement were studied in the neighboring already-installed pile. An investigation was made into some factors affecting the forces and bending moment, such as pile spacing and the shape of the already-installed pile (cylindrical, tapered, or semi-tapered). An important response was observed in the impact of the driven pile on the nearby existing one, the bending moment and axial forces were not negligible, and when the pile was loaded, it was recommended to consider the coupling effect. Moreover, the adjacent semi-tapered pile was subjected to less axial and lateral movement than the cylindrical one with the same length and volume for taper angles smaller than 1.0°, and vice versa for taper angles greater than 1.4°.
Analyzing the Performance of WBAN Links during Physical Activity Using Real Multi-Band Sensor Nodes
Authors: Rozas Alba , Araujo Alvaro , Rabaey Jan M.
Published: March 2021

Wireless body area networks (WBANs) present unique challenges due to their specific characteristics of mobility and over-the-body radio propagation. A huge amount of factors—both internal and external to the network—affect WBAN channel conditions, so a reliable and comprehensive theoretical model of these communications is unfeasible and impractical in real scenarios. Thus, an empirical performance analysis of several WBAN channels is presented in this work, based on the receiver signal strength indicator (RSSI) and packet reception rate (PRR) metrics. Four different static and dynamic activities have been characterized: standing, sitting, cycling and walking. This analysis confirms the theoretical notions of path attenuation due to body parts obstructing the signal path, while serving as a benchmark for the design of future algorithms. The experiments have been carried out with real hardware nodes with wireless interfaces in three ISM bands: 433 MHz, 868 MHz and 2.4 GHz, evaluating the effect of the transmit power and node placement for different subjects. In all scenarios, the PRR metric reaches its maximum of 100% for both sub-GHz bands. Finally, our study concludes that the RSSI metric is sufficient to exploit the periodicity of dynamic activities, without the need for any extra hardware resources.
Process Model Metrics for Quality Assessment of Computer-Interpretable Guidelines in PROforma
Authors: Torres-Sospedra Joaquín , Martínez-Salvador Begoña , Campos Sancho Cristina , Marcos Mar
Published: March 2021

Background: Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) include recommendations to optimize patient care and thus have the potential to improve the quality and outcomes of healthcare. To achieve this, CPG recommendations are usually formalized in terms of Computer-Interpretable Guideline (CIG) languages. However, a clear understanding of CIG models may prove complicated, due to the inherent complexity of CPGs and the specificities of CIG languages. Drawing a parallel with the Business Process Management (BPM) and the Software Engineering fields, understandability and modifiability of CIG models can be regarded as primary quality attributes, in order to facilitate their validation, as well as their adaptation to accommodate evolving clinical evidence, by modelers (typically teams made up of clinical and IT experts). This constitutes a novel approach in this area of CIG development, where understandability and modifiability aspects have not been considered to date. Objective: In this paper, we define a comprehensive set of process model metrics for CIGs described in the PROforma CIG language, with the main objective of providing tools for quality assessment of CIG models in this language. Methods: To this end, we first reinterpret a set of metrics from the BPM field in terms of PROforma and then we define new metrics to capture the singularities of PROforma models. Additionally, we report on a set of experiments to assess the relationship between the structural and logical properties of CIG models, as measured by the proposed metrics, and their understandability and modifiability from the point of view of modelers, both clinicians and IT staff. For the analysis of the experiment results, we perform statistical analysis based on a generalized linear mixed model with binary logistic regression. Results: Our contribution includes the definition of a comprehensive set of metrics that allow measuring model quality aspects of PROforma CIG models, the implementation of tools and algorithms to assess the metrics for PROforma models, and the empirical validation of the proposed metrics as quality indicators. Conclusions: In light of the results, we conclude that the proposed metrics can be of great value, as they capture the PROforma-specific features in addition to those inspired by the general-purpose BPM metrics in the literature. In particular, the newly defined metrics for PROforma prevail as statistically significant when the whole CIG model is considered, which means that they better characterize its complexity. Consequently, the proposed metrics can be used as quality indicators of the understandability, and thereby maintainability, of PROforma CIGs.
Application of High-Frequency Defrosting, Superheated Steam, and Quick-Freezing Treatments to Improve the Quality of Seafood Home Meal Replacement Products Consisting of the Adductor Muscle of Pen Shells and Common Squid Meat
Authors: Negara Bertoka Fajar Surya Perwira , Kim Seung Rok , Sohn Jae Hak , Kim Jin-Soo , Choi Jae-Suk
Published: March 2021

We developed a new seafood home meal replacement (HMR) product containing the adductor muscle of the pen shell (AMPS) and common squid meat (CSM) via high-frequency defrosting (HFD), superheated steam, and quick freezing. Test HMR products were produced by mixing defrosted and roasted AMPS, CSM, and sauce in ratios of 27.5, 27.5, and 45.0% (w/w), respectively, followed by quick freezing at −35 °C in a polypropylene plastic bowl covered with a plastic film. The chemical characteristics, nutritional quality, microbial and sensory properties, and shelf life of the product were examined. The response surface methodology identified the optimal temperature and heating time of the superheated steam for AMPS (220 °C, 1 min) and CSM (300 °C, 1.5 min). Chemical characteristics showed low levels of volatile basic nitrogen (9.45 mg%) and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (1.13 mg Malondialdehyde [MDA]/kg). No significant changes (p < 0.05) were observed in microbial, color, flavor, taste, texture, and overall acceptance at −23 °C for 90 days. After reheating, the sensory scores varied from “like moderately” to “like very much.” The shelf life of the HMR product was estimated to be 24 months. In conclusion, HFD, superheated steam, and quick freezing successfully improved product quality, with little loss of nutrition and texture.
Impact of Grounding Modeling on Lightning-Induced Voltages Evaluation in Distribution Lines
Authors: Mestriner Daniele , Ribeiro de Moura Rodolfo Antônio , Procopio Renato , de Oliveira Schroeder Marco Aurélio
Published: March 2021

Lightning-induced voltages are one of the main causes of shutdown in distribution lines. In this work, attention is focused on the effects of wideband modeling of electric grounding in the overvoltage calculation along insulator strings due to indirect lightning strikes. This study is done directly in the time-domain with the grounding being represented with an equivalent circuit accounting for its dynamics. Results show that the adoption of commonly adopted simplified grounding models, such as low-frequency resistance, may lead to an underestimation of the overvoltage. According to the results, differences in the order of 25% can be found in some studied cases.
Superinsulation Materials for Energy-Efficient Train Envelopes
Authors: Wernery Jannis , Brunner Samuel , Weber Benedikt , Knuth Christopher , Koebel Matthias M.
Published: March 2021

While traction energy is the main energy used in passenger trains, the energy required to condition the passenger area is significant and can account for up 40% of the total energy use. Due to space constraints, passenger train envelopes are usually only insulated with a few centimetres of conventional insulation materials, leading to relatively high U-values and high energy transmissions in climates where heating or cooling is necessary. Here, the use of superinsulation materials in trains for heating/cooling demand reduction was evaluated. Selected commercially available superinsulation materials were screened and benchmarked in terms of thermal conductivity, fire safety, behaviour under vibration and preferred use position within the train envelope. Both the specific vacuum insulation panels and silica aerogel boards that were tested were found suitable for the application in train envelopes in terms of their thermal, fire and mechanical properties. While vacuum panels have the best insulation performance, aerogel boards offer higher flexibility during installation and reduced risk of damage-related performance loss. Both materials can greatly enhance the energy efficiency and thermal comfort of trains and can be implemented cost-neutrally. However, new policy frameworks are likely to be necessary to promote energy efficiency and the broad implementation of thermal superinsulation in trains.
Holonic Reengineering to Foster Sustainable Cyber-Physical Systems Design in Cognitive Manufacturing
Authors: Martín-Gómez Alejandro , Ávila-Gutiérrez María Jesús , Aguayo-González Francisco
Published: March 2021

Value chain is identified as the generator of the metabolic rift between nature and society. However, the sustainable value chain can mitigate and reverse this rift. In this paper, firstly, a review of the main digital enablers of Industry 4.0 and the current state of cognitive manufacturing is carried out. Secondly, Cyber-Physical Systems are conceived from the holonic paradigm, as an organizational enabler for the whole of enablers. Thirdly, the bijective relationship between holonic paradigm and container-based technology is analyzed. This technology allows mapping the physical and virtual holon as an intelligent agent embodied at the edge, fog and cloud level, with physical and virtual part. Finally, the proposed holonic system based on the cyber-physical holon is developed through multi-agent systems based on container technology. The proposed system allows to model the metabolism of manufacturing systems, from a cell manufacturing to whole value chain, in order to develop, evolve and improve the sustainable value chain.
A Hand Motor Skills Rehabilitation for the Injured Implemented on a Social Robot
Authors: Gomez-Donoso Francisco , Escalona Felix , Nasri Nadia , Cazorla Miguel
Published: March 2021

In this work, we introduce HaReS, a hand rehabilitation system. Our proposal integrates a series of exercises, jointly developed with a foundation for those with motor and cognitive injuries, that are aimed at improving the skills of patients and the adherence to the rehabilitation plan. Our system takes advantage of a low-cost hand-tracking device to provide a quantitative analysis of the performance of the patient. It also integrates a low-cost surface electromyography (sEMG) sensor in order to provide insight about which muscles are being activated while completing the exercises. It is also modular and can be deployed on a social robot. We tested our proposal in two different facilities for rehabilitation with high success. The therapists and patients felt more motivation while using HaReS, which improved the adherence to the rehabilitation plan. In addition, the therapists were able to provide services to more patients than when they used their traditional methodology.
Prediction of Theoretical Derailments Caused by Cross-Winds with Frequency
Authors: Kim JunWoo , Song InHo , Koo JeongSeo
Published: March 2021

In this paper, theoretical derailment equations for cross-wind with frequency were derived to assess running safety. For a KTX (Korean high-speed train) unit, the wheel unloading ratios, which are the criteria for evaluating derailments in UIC (International union of railways) and TSI (Technical Specification for Interoperability) regulations, were calculated through the formula under the driving regulations according to cross-wind speeds, and the theoretical results were compared and evaluated through a multibody dynamics (MBD) simulation. In addition, the wheel unloading ratios were calculated for various frequencies of cross-winds. As a result of the formula and MBD, the wheel unloading ratios were shown to increase rapidly regardless of the dampers in suspension when the cross-wind frequency and the natural frequency of a vehicle were in agreement. Finally, we calculated the changes of wheel unloading ratio for different track gauges and found that these theoretical equations could calculate more accurate results than the existing Kunieda’s formula. The formula derived in this study has the advantage of considering various variables, such as fluctuant cross-winds, rail irregularities, and derailment behaviors, which were not considered in previous studies or Kunieda’s formula. It could be used for setting suspensions or railway vehicle specifications in the initial design stage.
Evaluation of English–Slovak Neural and Statistical Machine Translation
Authors: Benkova Lucia , Munkova Dasa , Benko Ľubomír , Munk Michal
Published: March 2021

This study is focused on the comparison of phrase-based statistical machine translation (SMT) systems and neural machine translation (NMT) systems using automatic metrics for translation quality evaluation for the language pair of English and Slovak. As the statistical approach is the predecessor of neural machine translation, it was assumed that the neural network approach would generate results with a better quality. An experiment was performed using residuals to compare the scores of automatic metrics of the accuracy (BLEU_n) of the statistical machine translation with those of the neural machine translation. The results showed that the assumption of better neural machine translation quality regardless of the system used was confirmed. There were statistically significant differences between the SMT and NMT in favor of the NMT based on all BLEU_n scores. The neural machine translation achieved a better quality of translation of journalistic texts from English into Slovak, regardless of if it was a system trained on general texts, such as Google Translate, or specific ones, such as the European Commission’s (EC’s) tool, which was trained on a specific-domain.
Quantum Modular Adder over GF(2n − 1) without Saving the Final Carry
Authors: Kim Aeyoung , Cho Seong-Min , Seo Chang-Bae , Lee Sokjoon , Seo Seung-Hyun
Published: March 2021

Addition is the most basic operation of computing based on a bit system. There are various addition algorithms considering multiple number systems and hardware, and studies for a more efficient addition are still ongoing. Quantum computing based on qubits as the information unit asks for the design of a new addition because it is, physically, wholly different from the existing frequency-based computing in which the minimum information unit is a bit. In this paper, we propose an efficient quantum circuit of modular addition, which reduces the number of gates and the depth. The proposed modular addition is for the Galois Field GF(2n−1), which is important as a finite field basis in various domains, such as cryptography. Its design principle was from the ripple carry addition (RCA) algorithm, which is the most widely used in existing computers. However, unlike conventional RCA, the storage of the final carry is not needed due to modifying existing diminished-1 modulo 2n−1 adders. Our proposed adder can produce modulo sum within the range 0,2n−2 by fewer qubits and less depth. For comparison, we analyzed the proposed quantum addition circuit over GF(2n−1) and the previous quantum modular addition circuit for the performance of the number of qubits, the number of gates, and the depth, and simulated it with IBM’s simulator ProjectQ.
On the Set of Fellini’s Movies: Investigating and Preserving Multi-Material Stage Costumes Exploiting Spectroscopic and Mass Spectrometric Techniques
Authors: Sabatini Francesca , La Nasa Jacopo , Guerrini Camilla , Modugno Francesca , Bonadio Sara , Ursino Federica , Tosini Isetta , Colombini Maria Perla , Degano Ilaria
Published: March 2021

Since the second half of the 19th century, the world of textile production was radically changed both in terms of esthetics and of the performances leading to industrial products whose chemical properties were totally unknown and unexplored. Stage costumes are typical examples of multi-material art objects where different natural and synthetic materials were used to fulfil specific purposes. This research was performed in the framework of a diagnostic and restoration campaign of dresses of two Federico Fellini’s movies (“Il Casanova” and “Roma”). For the characterization of the textile fibers, Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) were employed. The structure of the metallic threads was investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). Dye identification was carried out by High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with Diode Array Detector and mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD, HPLC-ESI-Q-ToF). The analytical approach adopted allowed us to fully characterize the costumes composed of natural, synthetic and artificial fibers dyed with complex mixtures of last generation synthetic dyes. The results collected were fundamental to fine-tune an effective restoration aimed at minimizing the damages due to ageing, inaccurate home-made restoration interventions, or poor conservation conditions.