bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Application of CRISPR/Cas9 in Rapeseed for Gene Function Research and Genetic Improvement
Authors: Tian Qing , Li Baojun , Feng Yizhen , Zhao Weiguo , Huang Jinyong , Chao Hongbo
Published: March 2022

Brassica napus L. provides high-quality edible oil and clean energy for humans. For a long time, rapeseed breeders have tried to breed improved varieties through traditional breeding strategies. However, B. napus is an allotetraploid species containing many repetitive sequences. It is very inefficient to change traits through traditional genetic methods such as hybridization and random mutagenesis due to gene redundancy. Today, the burgeoning CRISPR/Cas9 technology has been applied in polyploid rapeseed for gene function research and targeted genetic improvement because of its unique advantages of high efficiency and simplicity. This review summarizes current reports about the application of CRISPR/Cas9 system for gene function research and genetic improvement in rapeseed, involving important agronomic traits such as yield, oil content, and fatty acid composition. The application status of emerging precise genome editing technology in plants and several potential limitations and technical bottlenecks in rapeseed gene editing is discussed, which will provide confidence for researchers in rapeseed gene function research and genetic improvement through genome editing technology.
Calcium Sprays and Crop Load Reduction Increase Fruit Quality and Postharvest Storage in Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium L.)
Authors: Matteo Maritza , Zoffoli Juan Pablo , Ayala Marlene
Published: March 2022

In many fruit trees, the thinning of buds, flowers, or fruits is used to increase the leaf area-to-fruit ratio (LA:F) and reduce competition for carbohydrates. Meanwhile, calcium (Ca) sprays during fruit development are also used to increase fruit quality and postharvest storage. Such practices have been recommended to increase fruit firmness and reduce fruit cracking in sweet cherries. To understand the effects of foliar Ca sprays and crop load reductions in the combination ‘Lapins’/‘Colt’, trained as the Kym Green Bush, a factorial experiment to determine the interactions between both managements was established in the Central Valley of Chile during the 2018/2019 growing season. Two levels of crop load (CL) were established—thinned (50% crop load) and unthinned (100% crop load) during Stage I of fruit development (31 days after full bloom, DAFB). Three timings of foliar applications of CaCl2 (TFA; 0.8%) were evaluated: early 26 DAFB, later 39 DAFB, or late 62 DAFB. Natural fruit contents and concentrations of Ca were determined on unsprayed control trees. Fruit from the thinned trees were significantly larger and heavier and had a higher titratable acidity than unthinned trees did. Significant interactions between TFA and CL were observed for SSC, without a clear trend. Thinned trees were less affected by pedicel detachment, browning, and fruit decay after 45 d of storage (0 °C). In unthinned trees, a foliar CaCl2 spray at Stage I allowed a higher fruit firmness than CaCl2 sprays at Stage II and III of fruit development. The CaCl2 applications at 39 or 62 DAFB reduced the incidence of cracking in thinned trees. Natural Ca concentrations decreased during fruit development, indicating a cessation of Ca import and a dilution by subsequent growth. Our results suggest that the early reduction of crop load has positive effects on fruit quality and condition during storage, and early Ca sprays (Stage I) improve fruit textural properties, even under high crop loads.
Yield Formation Parameters of Selected Winter Wheat Genotypes in Response to Water Shortage
Authors: Hlaváčová Marcela , Klem Karel , Pytela Jaromír , Veselá Barbora , Hlavinka Petr , Smutná Pavlína , Horáková Vladimíra , Škarpa Petr , Trnka Miroslav
Published: March 2022

To ensure the selection of wheat genotypes that are resilient to future climatic conditions, with drought already being the most significant and acute problem in many areas, twenty winter wheat cultivars were tested for drought stress tolerance from the beginning of stem elongation (DC 30; Zadoks decimal codes) for 49 days (until the stage of grain development, DC 73–75) within an automatic phenotyping platform. The control plants were regularly irrigated to 70% of soil water capacity (SWC), while the drought-stressed plants were subjected to controlled drying until the permanent wilting point (15% of SWC) was reached. Then, the drought-stressed plants were rewatered again to 70% of the maximum SWC. After they recovered, the plants were again exposed to ambient weather conditions. The final yield formation parameters were assessed at the fully ripe stage. Our results showed that the genotypes originating in Western Europe manifested the highest response to the experimentally set drought in the grain number per spike measurement, while the genotypes originating in the warmer regions of southeastern Europe manifested the highest response to the experimental drought mainly in thousand grain weight measurement. Similar response patterns were evident for late- and early-maturing genotypes. The results indicate the potential of selecting genotypes with increased drought resistance even within the existing set of cultivars.
Genomic Regions Influencing Preharvest Sprouting Tolerance in Two Doubled-Haploid Wheat Populations (Triticum aestivum L.)
Authors: Khumalo Thobeka Philile , Hlongoane Tsepiso , Barnard Annelie , Tsilo Toi John
Published: March 2022

The current and projected climate change that is represented by increasing temperatures and humidity levels and irregular rainfall patterns promotes the occurrence of preharvest sprouting (PHS) in wheat. PHS results in significant economic losses, globally, which necessitates the need for high-yielding cultivars with increased PHS tolerance; hence, this study was conducted. The current study evaluated two doubled-haploid (DH) wheat populations of Tugela-Dn × Elands and Elands × Flamink across six environments in the Free State Province of South Africa to select genotypes with increased PHS tolerance and further map the underlying loci. Significant effects of DH lines (194) and environments (6) were observed for PHS tolerance. The results of this study validate previous findings that PHS is only expressed when environmental conditions are conducive. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping using single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and silicoDArT markers revealed three additive QTLs with major effects on chromosomes 5B and 7B, and these QTLs were detected more than once, when conditions were favourable. These QTLs explained a phenotypic variation (PVE) varying between 10.08% and 20.30% (LOD = 2.73–3.11). About 16.50% of DH lines performed to the level of Elands (the PHS-tolerant parent) and are recommended for further selection in a pre-breeding or breeding programme. The findings of this study are expected to expedite the on-going breeding efforts for PHS tolerance in winter wheat, which will facilitate the development of PHS-tolerant cultivars adapted to the South African environment.
Conventional and Real-Time PCR Targeting blaOXA Genes as Reliable Methods for a Rapid Detection of Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Clinical Strains
Authors: Depka Dagmara , Mikucka Agnieszka , Bogiel Tomasz , Rzepka Mateusz , Zawadka Patryk , Gospodarek-Komkowska Eugenia
Published: March 2022

Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, particularly those producing carbapenemases, are spread worldwide. A reliable detection of carbapenemases is essential to choose the appropriate antimicrobial therapy and, consequently, prevent the dissemination of carbapenem-resistant strains. The aim of this study is to examine the molecular basis of the carbapenem resistance mechanism and estimation of conventional PCR and real-time PCR usefulness for the detection of oxacillinases when compared to phenotypic carbapenemases detection. The following methods were evaluated: the CarbAcineto NP test, Carbapenem Inactivation Method, CPO panels of semiautomated antimicrobial susceptibility testing method on the BD Phoenix™ M50 system, conventional Polymerase Chain Reaction and real-time PCR. The eazyplex® SuperBug complete A assay was used as the reference method. Among the tested strains, 39 (67.2%) carried the blaOXA-40 gene, while the blaOXA-23 gene was noted amongst 19 (32.8%) isolates. The diagnostic sensitivities of the studied assays were as follows: CarbAcineto NP—65.5%; CIM—100%; CPO—100%; conventional PCR—100%; real-time PCR—100%.
Potential Antioxidative Components in Azadirachta indica Revealed by Bio-Affinity Ultrafiltration with SOD and XOD
Authors: Fan Min-Xia , Chen Gui-Lin , Guo Ming-Quan
Published: March 2022

Azadirachta indica (A. indica) has been widely used due to its diverse pharmacological activities. However, there are currently few studies on its responsible antioxidant ingredients against superoxide dismutase (SOD) and xanthine oxidase (XOD). In this study, the antioxidant activities of A. indica were evaluated by a 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethyl-benzthiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid) and ferric-ion-reducing antioxidant power method. Meanwhile, total polyphenol and flavonoid content were determined to reveal that they were the highest in ethyl acetate (EA) fraction. Next, compounds with the most antioxidant activity were screened out from EA fraction by bio-affinity ultrafiltration liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UF-LC-MS) with SOD and XOD. As a result, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid and (−)-epicatechin were identified as potential SOD ligands with relative binding affinity (RBA) values of 2.15, 1.78 and 1.61, respectively. Additionally, these three ligands could effectively interact with SOD in molecular docking with binding energies (BEs) ranging from −3.84 ± 0.37 to −5.04 ± 0.01 kcal/mol. In addition, carnosic acid exhibited a strong binding affinity to XOD with an RBA value of 2.05 and BE value of −8.24 ± 0.71 kcal/mol. In conclusion, these results indicated that A. indica might have good antioxidant activity and antigout potential, and the UF-LC-MS method is suitable and efficient for screening both SOD and XOD ligands from A. indica.
Text Data Augmentation for the Korean Language
Authors: Vu Dang Thanh , Yu Gwanghyun , Lee Chilwoo , Kim Jinyoung
Published: March 2022

Data augmentation (DA) is a universal technique to reduce overfitting and improve the robustness of machine learning models by increasing the quantity and variety of the training dataset. Although data augmentation is essential in vision tasks, it is rarely applied to text datasets since it is less straightforward. Some studies have concerned text data augmentation, but most of them are for the majority languages, such as English or French. There have been only a few studies on data augmentation for minority languages, e.g., Korean. This study fills the gap by demonstrating several common data augmentation methods and Korean corpora with pre-trained language models. In short, we evaluate the performance of two text data augmentation approaches, known as text transformation and back translation. We compare these augmentations among Korean corpora on four downstream tasks: semantic textual similarity (STS), natural language inference (NLI), question duplication verification (QDV), and sentiment classification (STC). Compared to cases without augmentation, the performance gains when applying text data augmentation are 2.24%, 2.19%, 0.66%, and 0.08% on the STS, NLI, QDV, and STC tasks, respectively.
Study on Traveling Wave Wall Control Method for Suppressing Wake of Flow around a Circular Cylinder at Moderate Reynolds Number
Authors: Liu Xin , Bai Weifeng , Xu Feng
Published: March 2022

In the present paper, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) numerical simulation was utilized to investigate the effectiveness of the transverse traveling wave wall (TWW) method with the expectation of inhibiting the vortex shedding from a fixed circular cylinder. We mainly focused on the variations of four kinds of wave propagation directions, five different maximum wave amplitudes and ten different wave velocities for suppressing vortices shedding and aerodynamic forces. The aerodynamic coefficients and vortex structures under different propagation directions, wave amplitudes, wave numbers and wave velocities were investigated in detail. The results demonstrate that the alternate wake behind the cylinder can be effectively eliminated resorting to the “Downstream” propagating TWW. The mean drag coefficient is positively associated with wave velocity. Drag and lift coefficients remain relatively stable at different wave amplitudes. When the velocity ratio (wave velocity divided by incoming velocity) is 1.5, the lift coefficient fluctuation decreases to the minimum. In contrast, the optimal combination of control parameters under the present Reynolds number is concluded with “Downstream” propagating direction, maximum wave amplitude ratio of 0.02, and velocity ratio of 1.5.
Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacterial Communities in Tilapia Pond Systems and the Influencing Factors
Authors: Fan Limin , Qiu Liping , Hu Gengdong , Song Chao , Meng Shunlong , Li Dandan , Chen Jiazhang
Published: March 2022

This study investigated ammonia-oxidizing bacterial communities in water and surface sediments of three tilapia ponds and their relationship with differences in the ponds, monthly variations in the water, and the physico-chemical parameters. Samples were collected from ponds with different stocking densities, after which DNA was extracted, 16S rRNA genes were amplified, the Illumina high-throughput sequencing was performed, and then the Silva and FunGene databases were used to investigate the ammonia-oxidizing bacterial communities. In total, 308,488 valid reads (144,931 in water and 163,517 in sediment) and 240 operational taxonomic units (207 in water and 225 in sediment) were obtained. Further analysis showed that the five genera of Nitrosospira, Nitrosococcus, Nitrosomonas, Proteobacteria_unclassified, and Nitrosomonadaceae_unclassified were distributed not only in the water, but also in surface sediments of all three ponds. Further, not only the abundance of these five genera, but also their diversities were affected by monthly variations in the water and by sediment differences among the ponds. Moreover, the total nitrogen (TN), nitrate, total phosphorus (TP), and sulphate were the main factors influencing the ammonia-oxidizing bacterial communities in the water, whereas TP was the main influencing factor in the sediments. Moreover, the parameter changes, especially those caused by differences in the ponds, were closely related to the cultivation management (stocking density and feed coefficients).
Counterfactual-Based Action Evaluation Algorithm in Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Yuan Yuyu , Zhao Pengqian , Guo Ting , Jiang Hongpu
Published: March 2022

Multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) algorithms have made great achievements in various scenarios, but there are still many problems in solving sequential social dilemmas (SSDs). In SSDs, the agent’s actions not only change the instantaneous state of the environment but also affect the latent state which will, in turn, affect all agents. However, most of the current reinforcement learning algorithms focus on analyzing the value of instantaneous environment state while ignoring the study of the latent state, which is very important for establishing cooperation. Therefore, we propose a novel counterfactual reasoning-based multi-agent reinforcement learning algorithm to evaluate the continuous contribution of agent actions on the latent state. We compute that using simulation reasoning and building an action evaluation network. Then through counterfactual reasoning, we can get a single agent’s influence on the environment. Using this continuous contribution as an intrinsic reward enables the agent to consider the collective, thereby promoting cooperation. We conduct experiments in the SSDs environment, and the results show that the collective reward is increased by at least 25% which demonstrates the excellent performance of our proposed algorithm compared to the state-of-the-art algorithms.
Review of Probabilistic Risk Assessment Models for Ship Collisions with Structures
Authors: Xiao Fangliang , Ma Yong , Wu Bo
Published: March 2022

Researchers have always been concerned about collision risks between ships and structures on busy waterways, as the consequences can be catastrophic. The models for determining the probabilities of these accidents, however, vary widely, with discrepancies between different model results in the same assessment. The models sometimes lack critical elements or are inherently flawed, and therefore do not represent reality. This paper aims to review the existing probabilistic risk models for ship and structure collisions. The advantages and disadvantages of each model are discussed, which leads to a better method for future model development. This paper reviews the existing literature for the probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) between nautical traffic and offshore infrastructures. This paper differentiates the existing models into three categories: statistics of collision rates, statistical models, and simulation models, as the models are evolving from statistical models to simulation models to derive more accurate results. The advantages and disadvantages of the statistical models were evaluated by comparing the details of the elements contributing to risk. Simulation models with virtual autonomous ships can better reflect the reality and include more risk elements than those described in the existing models. The cores of simulation models and the advantages of different models are elaborated and compared, thus supporting future work in this area.
Transition Metal Coordination Compounds as Novel Materials for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
Authors: Pawlus Klaudia , Jarosz Tomasz
Published: March 2022

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are a novel solar cell alternative characterized by lower toxicity by using coordination transition metal compounds while providing high performance benchmarks, such as power conversion efficiency. Particular attention should be paid to compounds containing Cu, which can act both as dyes and as redox mediators, even though compounds relying on other transition metals are also frequently reported. In this paper, examples of compounds containing transition metals in combination with several ligands are presented, and their basic photovoltaic parameters are given.
Thermal–Mechanical FEM Analyses of a Liquid Rocket Engines Thrust Chamber
Authors: Ferraiuolo Michele , Perrella Michele , Giannella Venanzio , Citarella Roberto
Published: March 2022

The Italian Ministry of University and Research (MIUR) funded the HYPROB Program to develop regeneratively cooled liquid rocket engines. In this type of engine, liquid propellant oxygen–methane is used, allowing us to reach very good performances in terms of high vacuum specific impulse and high thrust-to-weight ratio. The present study focused on the HYPROB final ground demonstrator, which will be able to produce a 30 kN thrust in flight conditions. In order to achieve such a thrust level, very high chamber pressures (up to 50 bar) and consequently high thermal fluxes and gradients are expected inside the thrust chamber. Very complex and high-fidelity numerical FEM models were adopted here to accurately simulate the thermal–mechanical behavior of the thrust chamber cooling channels, accounting for plasticity, creep, and low-cycle fatigue (LCF) phenomena. The aim of the current work was to investigate the main failure phenomena that could occur during the thrust chamber’s service life. Results demonstrated that LCF is the main cause of failure. The corresponding number of loading cycles to failure were calculated accordingly.
Dynamic Identification on an Irregular Structure
Authors: Diaferio Mariella , Foti Dora , Giannoccaro Nicola Ivan , Sabbà Maria Francesca
Published: March 2022

This paper presents the experimental analysis on the “Municipal Headquarters” of Palagianello Town. This is a strategic building with a high complexity at planimetric and altimetric level, so it is interesting the evaluation of its structural dynamic performance in case of seismic emergency management. To this aim, environmental vibrations have been acquired in situ and accelerometers have been positioned in well-defined points. The data were analyzed with an easy and accurate process that includes the Operational Modal Analysis (OMA), to identify the natural frequencies, the mode shapes and the damping ratios with non-destructive testings. Subsequently, the experimental results were compared with those of two numerical models (with and without infill walls) defined by means of the finite element method (FEM); this allowed for better calibration of the model and to arrive at more realistic conclusions about the behavior of the structure. The paper discusses the influence of the stiffness contribution of masonry infills on the dynamic properties of the building. Moreover, it shows that the adoption of ad hoc chosen locations of the sensors could influence the accuracy of the experimental results, especially for structures characterized by irregularities.
A System for Standardizing and Combining U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Emissions and Waste Inventory Data
Authors: Young Ben , Ingwersen Wesley W. , Bergmann Matthew , Hernandez-Betancur Jose D. , Ghosh Tapajyoti , Bell Eric , Cashman Sarah
Published: March 2022

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) provides databases that agglomerate data provided by companies or states reporting emissions, releases, wastes generated, and other activities to meet statutory requirements. These databases, often referred to as inventories, can be used for a wide variety of environmental reporting and modeling purposes to characterize conditions in the United States. Yet, users are often challenged to find, retrieve, and interpret these data due to the unique schemes employed for data management, which could result in erroneous estimations or double-counting of emissions. To address these challenges, a system called Standardized Emission and Waste Inventories (StEWI) has been created. The system consists of four python modules that provide rapid access to USEPA inventory data in standard formats and permit filtering and combination of these inventory data. When accessed through StEWI, reported emissions of carbon dioxide to air and ammonia to water are reduced approximately two- and four-fold, respectively, to avoid duplicate reporting. StEWI will greatly facilitate the use of USEPA inventory data in chemical release and exposure modeling and life cycle assessment tools, among other things. To date, StEWI has been used to build the recent USEEIO model and the baseline electricity life cycle inventory database for the Federal LCA Commons.
Influence of Five Additives on No Loading Swelling Potential of Red Clay
Authors: Yue Bing , Zhao Ziye , Qian Zengzhen
Published: March 2022

In this study, cement, zeolite powder and three industrial by-products (blast furnace slag, steel slag, and fly ash) were selected as additives to study their effects on the swelling potential of red clay with different curing ages and dosages. At the same time, the mechanism of additives reducing the swelling potential of red clay was analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) tests. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) test was used to detect the clay mineral content of the red clay specimens before and after the modification to determine the change in the clay mineral content of the specimens. The direct shear test was used to explore the influence of additives on the strength of red clay. The results show that with 9% cement content, the no loading swelling potential of specimens can be reduced by 82.5% under 28 days of curing, and the cohesion of the specimens can be greatly increased by 82%. However, the specimens with cement have an increase in no loading swelling potential under the condition of no curing. In contrast, when steel slag is used as an additive to modify the swelling properties of red clay, the swelling potential can be reduced without curing, but the addition of steel slag will reduce the cohesive strength of specimens. XRD testing shows that the clay mineral composition in cement-modified specimens and steel slag-modified specimens experienced a relative change, the relative content of montmorillonite and illite decreased, and the relative content of kaolinite increased. Combined with SEM and XRF test results, it is concluded that cement’s reduction in the swelling potential of red clay depends on pozzolanic reaction products filling the pores in specimens and bonding clay particles, so as to reduce the permeability of red clay and increase the resistance during swelling. The addition of cement can also convert hydrophilic clay minerals into nonhydrophilic clay minerals. Compared with cement, the reduction in swelling potential caused by steel slag mainly depends on the adsorption of ions to reduce the adsorption of water molecules on the surface of clay slices.
Typhoon Loss Assessment in Rural Housing in Ningbo Based on Township-Level Resolution
Authors: Li Qiang , Jia Hongtao , Zhang Jun , Mao Jianghong , Fan Weijie , Huang Mingfeng , Zheng Bo
Published: March 2022

The purpose of this paper was to provide a new approach to achieve quantitative and accurate typhoon loss assessment of disaster-bearing bodies at township-level resolution. Based on the policy insurance data of Ningbo city, this paper took rural housing as the target disaster-bearing body and analyzed the aggregated data of disaster losses such as payout amount and insured loss rate of rural housing in Ningbo area under the influence of 25 typhoons during 2014–2019. The intensity data of disaster-causing factors such as the maximum average wind speed in Ningbo area under the influence of 25 typhoons were simulated and generated with the wind field engineering model, and a township-level high-resolution rural housing typhoon loss assessment model was established using a RBF artificial neural network. It was found that the insured loss rate of rural housing under wind damage was higher in the townships of southern Ningbo than in the townships of northern Ningbo, and the townships with larger insured loss rates were concentrated in mountainous or coastal areas that are prone to secondary disasters under the attack of the typhoon’s peripheral spiral wind and rain belt. The RBF neural network can effectively establish a typhoon loss assessment model from the causal factors to the losses of the disaster-bearing bodies, and the RBF neural network has a faster convergence speed and a smaller overall prediction error than the commonly used BP neural network.
Temperature Estimation during Pulsed Laser Sintering of Silver Nanoparticles
Authors: Hussain Arif , Lee Hee-Lak , Moon Yoon-Jae , Kang Heuiseok , Moon Seung-Jae , Hwang Jun-Young
Published: March 2022

During the thermal sintering of metal nanoparticles (NPs) the process temperature plays the most important role in the outcome of the sintering results and the selection of a suitable substrate. Here, temperature calculation during pulsed laser sintering of silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) inkjet-printed on glass substrates is presented. During the pulsed laser sintering of Ag NPs, a minimum line resistivity less than twice the bulk silver resistivity was obtained within around 52 s under a laser power of 276 mW. The temperature field during the pulsed laser sintering of Ag NPs was estimated via a three-dimensional numerical model in which a temperature-dependent thermal conductivity of Ag NPs was adopted. An algorithm for treating the thermal conductivity of the heated Ag NPs in a region by a previous laser shot was devised for the improvement of the temperature field estimation. A maximum temperature of approximately 204 °C over the Ag NPs line was obtained with a 276 mW laser power and a scanning speed of 135 μm/s.
Kinematic Response of End-Bearing Piles under the Excitation of Vertical P-Waves Considering the Construction Effect
Authors: Dai Denghui , Zhang Yanjie , Zhang Yunfei , Wang Zhanbin , Li Zhenya
Published: March 2022

Under most engineering conditions, soil disturbance due to pile installation may cause soil properties to vary within the region adjacent to the pile in the radial direction. This paper derives a rigorous solution to investigate the kinematic response of end-bearing piles under the excitation of vertical P-waves considering the construction effect. The displacement responses of piles and soil, governed by the dynamic equilibrium equation, are theoretically derived with the separation of variables method. The scattered waves induced by the pile–soil system, which is the key factor of the problem, are decoupled from the total wavefields. Moreover, the friction occurring at the interface of the soil and pile shaft are directly obtained. Thus, the present solution can accurately account for the pile–soil interaction. Comparisons between the numerical results of the present method and the available results are performed. A detailed discussion on the kinematic response coefficient, amplification factor, and soil motion is provided.
Low-Frequency Low-Reflection Bidirectional Sound Insulation Tunnel with Ultrathin Lossy Metasurfaces
Authors: Guan Yi-Jun , Xu Yu-Wei , Ge Yong , Sun Hong-Xiang , Yuan Shou-Qi , Liu Xiao-Jun
Published: March 2022

We report both numerical and experimental constructions of a tunnel structure with low-frequency low-reflection bidirectional sound insulation (BSI). The designed tunnel was constructed from a pair of lossy acoustic metasurfaces (AMs), which consists of six ultrathin coiled unit cells, attached on both sides. Based on the generalized Snell′s law and phase modulations for both AMs, the tunnel with the low-frequency BSI was constructed based on sound reflections and acoustic blind areas created by the AMs. The obtained transmittances were almost the same for sound incidences from both sides and were lower than −10 dB in the range 337–356 Hz. The simulated and measured results agreed well with each other. Additionally, we show that the low-reflection characteristic of the tunnel can be obtained simultaneously by thermoviscous energy loss in coiled channels of the unit cells. Finally, an interesting application of the designed tunnel in an open-window structure with low-frequency low-reflection BSI is further simulated in detail. The proposed tunnel based on the ultrathin lossy AMs has the advantages of ultrathin thickness (about λ/35), low-frequency low-reflection BSI, and high-performance ventilation, which may have potential applications in architectural acoustics and noise control.
Sentiment Interaction Distillation Network for Image Sentiment Analysis
Authors: Wu Lifang , Deng Sinuo , Zhang Heng , Shi Ge
Published: March 2022

Sentiment is a high-level abstraction, and it is a challenging task to accurately extract sentimental features from visual contents due to the “affective gap”. Previous works focus on extracting more concrete sentimental features of individual objects by introducing saliency detection or instance segmentation into their models, neglecting the interaction among objects. Inspired by the observation that interaction among objects can impact the sentiment of images, we propose the Sentiment Interaction Distillation (SID) Network, which utilizes object sentimental interaction to guide feature learning. Specifically, we first utilize a panoptic segmentation method to obtain objects in images; then, we propose a sentiment-related edge generation method and employ Graph Convolution Network to aggregate and propagate object relation representation. In addition, we propose a knowledge distillation framework to utilize interaction information guiding global context feature learning, which can avoid noisy features introduced by error propagation and a varying number of objects. Experimental results show that our method outperforms the state-of-the-art algorithm, e.g., about 1.2% improvement on the Flickr dataset and 1.7% on the most challenging subset of Twitter I. It is demonstrated that the reasonable use of interaction features can improve the performance of sentiment analysis.
Use of Process Modelling for Optimization of Molecular Tumor Boards
Authors: Lauk Katharina , Peters Mia-Carlotta , Velthaus Janna-Lisa , Nürnberg Sylvia , Ueckert Frank
Published: March 2022

In Molecular Tumor Boards, a team of experts discuss the individual therapy options of a cancer patient based on their individual molecular profile. The process—from recommendation request, through molecular diagnosis, to a personalized therapy recommendation—is complex and time-consuming. Therefore, process optimization is needed to decrease the workload of physicians and to standardize the process. For this purpose, we modeled the current workflow of the Molecular Tumor Board at the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf on Service-Oriented Architecture using Business Process Modeling and Notation to highlight areas for improvement. This identified many manual tasks and an extensive workload for the physician. We then created a novel, simplified, more efficient workflow in which the physician is supported by additional software. In summary, we show that the use of Service-Oriented Architecture using Business Process Modeling and Notation for Molecular Tumor Board processes promotes rapid adaptability, standardization, interoperability, quality assurance, and facilitates collaboration.
A Perspective for Ménière’s Disease: In Silico Investigations of Dexamethasone as a Direct Modulator of AQP2
Authors: Mom Robin , Robert-Paganin Julien , Mom Thierry , Chabbert Christian , Réty Stéphane , Auguin Daniel
Published: March 2022

Ménière’s disease is a chronic illness characterized by intermittent episodes of vertigo associated with fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus and aural pressure. This pathology strongly correlates with a dilatation of the fluid compartment of the endolymph, so-called hydrops. Dexamethasone is one of the therapeutic approaches recommended when conventional antivertigo treatments have failed. Several mechanisms of actions have been hypothesized for the mode of action of dexamethasone, such as the anti-inflammatory effect or as a regulator of inner ear water homeostasis. However, none of them have been experimentally confirmed so far. Aquaporins (AQPs) are transmembrane water channels and are hence central in the regulation of transcellular water fluxes. In the present study, we investigated the hypothesis that dexamethasone could impact water fluxes in the inner ear by targeting AQP2. We addressed this question through molecular dynamics simulations approaches and managed to demonstrate a direct interaction between AQP2 and dexamethasone and its significant impact on the channel water permeability. Through compartmentalization of sodium and potassium ions, a significant effect of Na+ upon AQP2 water permeability was highlighted as well. The molecular mechanisms involved in dexamethasone binding and in its regulatory action upon AQP2 function are described.
Diverse and Complementary Effects of Ghrelin and Obestatin
Authors: Villarreal Daniel , Pradhan Geetali , Zhou Yu , Xue Bingzhong , Sun Yuxiang
Published: March 2022

Ghrelin and obestatin are two “sibling proteins” encoded by the same preproghrelin gene but possess an array of diverse and complex functions. While there are ample literature documenting ghrelin’s functions, the roles of obestatin are less clear and controversial. Ghrelin and obestatin have been perceived to be antagonistic initially; however, recent studies challenge this dogma. While they have opposing effects in some systems, they function synergistically in other systems, with many functions remaining debatable. In this review, we discuss their functional relationship under three “C” categories, namely complex, complementary, and contradictory. Their functions in food intake, weight regulation, hydration, gastrointestinal motility, inflammation, and insulin secretion are complex. Their functions in pancreatic beta cells, cardiovascular, muscle, neuroprotection, cancer, and digestive system are complementary. Their functions in white adipose tissue, thermogenesis, and sleep regulation are contradictory. Overall, this review accumulates the multifaceted functions of ghrelin and obestatin under both physiological and pathological conditions, with the intent of contributing to a better understanding of these two important gut hormones.
Contact-Free Operation of Epidemic Prevention Elevator for Buildings
Authors: Lai Shu-Chen , Wu Hsin-Hsou , Hsu Wei-Ling , Wang Rong-Jing , Shiau Yan-Chyuan , Ho Ming-Chin , Hsieh Hung-Nien
Published: March 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic broke out in early 2020, and the infection rate of COVID-19 variants is considerably higher than that of the original virus. The pandemic is still spreading globally. In June 2021, two families living on different floors of a building in Fongshan, Kaohsiung, were simultaneously infected with COVID-19. Investigation results suggested that an elevator in buildings was the most likely place where the virus transmission occurred. Building elevators are a necessary vertical transportation facility for residents or workers in high-rise buildings, and people touch elevator buttons while operating elevators. When a passenger carrying the virus touches elevator buttons, subsequent passengers may be easily infected if they touch those buttons and then touch their mouth, eyes, or nose by accident before sanitizing or washing their hands. In this study, we developed a contact-free elevator ride system by applying smart speech recognition, contact-free perceptual buttons, gesture recognition sensors, and a web page browser activated by quick response codes to operate an elevator. This system reduces the risk of virus infection caused by contact during an elevator ride, effectively enhancing pandemic prevention and protecting people’s health.
Substrate-Specific Engineering of Amino Acid Dehydrogenase Superfamily for Synthesis of a Variety of Chiral Amines and Amino Acids
Authors: Zhou Feng , Xu Yan , Nie Yao , Mu Xiaoqing
Published: March 2022

Amino acid dehydrogenases (AADHs) are a group of enzymes that catalyze the reversible reductive amination of keto acids with ammonia to produce chiral amino acids using either nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP+) as cofactors. Among them, glutamate dehydrogenase, valine dehydrogenase, leucine dehydrogenase, phenylalanine dehydrogenase, and tryptophan dehydrogenase have been classified as a superfamily of amino acid dehydrogenases (s-AADHs) by previous researchers because of their conserved structures and catalytic mechanisms. Owing to their excellent stereoselectivity, high atom economy, and low environmental impact of the reaction pathway, these enzymes have been extensively engineered to break strict substrate specificities for the synthesis of high value-added chiral compounds (chiral amino acids, chiral amines, and chiral amino alcohols). Substrate specificity engineering of s-AADHs mainly focuses on recognition engineering of the substrate side chain R group and substrate backbone carboxyl group. This review summarizes the reported studies on substrate specificity engineering of s-AADHs and reports that this superfamily of enzymes shares substrate specificity engineering hotspots (the inside of the pocket, substrate backbone carboxyl anchor sites, substrate entrance tunnel, and hinge region), which sheds light on the substrate-specific tailoring of these enzymes.
Understanding Molecular Mechanisms of Phenotype Switching and Crosstalk with TME to Reveal New Vulnerabilities of Melanoma
Authors: Najem Ahmad , Soumoy Laura , Sabbah Malak , Krayem Mohammad , Awada Ahmad , Journe Fabrice , Ghanem Ghanem E.
Published: March 2022

Melanoma cells are notorious for their high plasticity and ability to switch back and forth between various melanoma cell states, enabling the adaptation to sub-optimal conditions and therapeutics. This phenotypic plasticity, which has gained more attention in cancer research, is proposed as a new paradigm for melanoma progression. In this review, we provide a detailed and deep comprehensive recapitulation of the complex spectrum of phenotype switching in melanoma, the key regulator factors, the various and new melanoma states, and corresponding signatures. We also present an extensive description of the role of epigenetic modifications (chromatin remodeling, methylation, and activities of long non-coding RNAs/miRNAs) and metabolic rewiring in the dynamic switch. Furthermore, we elucidate the main role of the crosstalk between the tumor microenvironment (TME) and oxidative stress in the regulation of the phenotype switching. Finally, we discuss in detail several rational therapeutic approaches, such as exploiting phenotype-specific and metabolic vulnerabilities and targeting components and signals of the TME, to improve the response of melanoma patients to treatments.
Characteristic of Uterine Rhabdomyosarcoma by Algorithm of Potential Biomarkers for Uterine Mesenchymal Tumor
Authors: Tamura Saya , Hayashi Takuma , Ichimura Tomoyuki , Yaegashi Nobuo , Abiko Kaoru , Konishi Ikuo
Published: March 2022

Background/Aim: Patients with uterine sarcoma comprise 2–5% of all patients with uterine malignancies; however, the morbidity of uterine sarcoma is low compared with that of other gynecological cancers. For many cases, malignant uterine tumors are diagnosed during follow-up of benign uterine leiomyoma. Of the uterine sarcomas, rhabdomyosarcoma is considered a mixed tumor containing components of epithelial cells and mesenchymal cells. Therefore, the onset of primary uterine rhabdomyosarcoma during follow-up of uterine leiomyoma is extremely rare. Rhabdomyosarcoma is a relatively common malignant tumor in children, but rhabdomyosarcoma in adults is extremely rare, accounting for approximately 3% of all patients with soft tissue sarcoma. Rhabdomyosarcoma in children is highly sensitive to chemotherapy and radiation therapy; however, the response to chemotherapy and radiation therapy in adult rhabdomyosarcoma is low and survival in adult rhabdomyosarcoma with metastatic lesions to other organs is approximately 14 months. We experienced a case of pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma during the follow-up of a uterine leiomyoma. Materials and Methods: We examined the oncological properties of uterine rhabdomyosarcoma in adults using molecular pathological techniques on tissue excised from patients with uterine leiomyoma. Result: A differential diagnosis was made for this case by molecular pathology, which included candidate biomarkers for uterine smooth muscle tumors. The oncological nature of uterine rhabdomyosarcoma was found to be similar to the oncological properties of uterine leiomyosarcoma. However, in uterine rhabdomyosarcoma, LMP2/β1i-positive cells were clearly observed. Conclusion: It is expected that establishing a diagnostic and treatment method targeting characteristics of mesenchymal tumor cells will lead to the treatment of malignant tumors with a low risk of recurrence and metastasis.
Ectopic Recurrence of Skull Base Chordoma after Proton Therapy
Authors: Santegoeds René G. C. , Alahmari Mohammed , Postma Alida A. , Liebsch Norbert J. , Weber Damien Charles , Mammar Hamid , Eekers Daniëlle B. P. , Temel Yasin
Published: March 2022

Background: Chordoma are rare tumors of the axial skeleton. The treatment gold standard is surgery, followed by particle radiotherapy. Total resection is usually not achievable in skull base chordoma (SBC) and high recurrence rates are reported. Ectopic recurrence as a first sign of treatment failure is considered rare. Favorable sites of these ectopic recurrences remain unknown. Methods: Five out of 16 SBC patients treated with proton therapy and surgical resection developed ectopic recurrence as a first sign of treatment failure were critically analyzed regarding prior surgery, radiotherapy, and recurrences at follow-up imaging. Results: Eighteen recurrences were defined in five patients. A total of 31 surgeries were performed for primary tumors and recurrences. Seventeen out of eighteen (94%) ectopic recurrences could be related to prior surgical tracts, outside the therapeutic radiation dose. Follow-up imaging showed that tumor recurrence was difficult to distinguish from radiation necrosis and anatomical changes due to surgery. Conclusions: In our cohort, we found uncommon ectopic recurrences in the surgical tract. Our theory is that these recurrences are due to microscopic tumor spill during surgery. These cells did not receive a therapeutic radiation dose. Advances in surgical possibilities and adjusted radiotherapy target volumes might improve local control and survival.
Accuracy of Inflow Inversion Recovery (IFIR) for Upper Abdominal Arteries Evaluation: Comparison with Contrast-Enhanced MR and CTA
Authors: Simonini Roberto , Bonaffini Pietro Andrea , Porta Marco , Maino Cesare , Carbone Francesco Saverio , Dulcetta Ludovico , Brambilla Paolo , Marra Paolo , Sironi Sandro
Published: March 2022

Background: Inflow-sensitive inversion recovery (IFIR) is a recently introduced technique to perform unenhanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). The purpose of our study is to determine the accuracy of IFIR-MRA in the evaluation of upper abdominal arteries, compared to standard MRA and computed tomography angiography (CTA). Materials and Methods: Seventy patients undergoing upper abdomen Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in different clinical settings were enrolled. The MRI protocol included an IFIR-MRA sequence that was intra-individually compared by using a qualitative 4-point scale in the same patients who underwent concomitant or close MRA (n = 65) and/or CTA (n = 44). Celiac trunk (CA), common-proper-left-right hepatic artery (C-P-L-R-HA), left gastric artery (LGA), gastroduodenal artery (GDA), splenic artery (SA), renal arteries (RA) and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) were assessed. Results: IFIR-MRA images were better rated in comparison with MRA. Particularly, all arteries obtained a statistically significant higher qualitative rating value (all p < 0.05). IFIR-MRA and MRA exhibited acceptable intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) values for CA, C-L-R-HA, and SMA (ICC 0.507, 0.591, 0.615, 0.570, 0.525). IFIR-MRA and CTA showed significant correlations in C-P-L-R-HA (τ = 0.362, 0.261, 0.308, 0.307, respectively; p < 0.05), and in RA (τ = 0.279, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Compared to MRA, IFIR-MRA demonstrated a higher image quality in the majority of upper abdomen arterial vessels assessment. LHA and RHA branches could be better visualized with IFIR sequences, when visualizable. Based on these findings, we suggest to routinely integrate IFIR sequences in upper abdomen MRI studies.
Analysis of Argyrophilic Nucleolar Organizer Regions (AgNORs) in Acute Leukemia in Adults
Authors: Gajewska Małgorzata , Rutkowska Elżbieta , Kwiecień Iwona , Rzepecki Piotr , Sułek Kazimierz
Published: March 2022

The evaluation of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) uses a simple method used in research into neoplasm. Bone marrow aspirates from 70 patients with acute leukemia underwent morphological, immunophenotypic, and genetic assessment and were stained with silver nitrate. In leukemic cells, the mean AgNORs number, mean AgNORs area, and mean AgNOR-area-to-nucleus-area ratio were calculated in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and selected risk groups. A higher value of all measured AgNOR parameters was observed in patients with AML compared to the ALL group. In AML patients, a higher mean AgNOR area was found in the ELN3 cytogenetic group compared to the ELN2 cytogenetic group. A higher value of the mean AgNOR count was observed in patients with white blood cells (WBCs) > 12 × 109/L than in the group with WBCs ≤ 12 × 109/L, as well as in patients with >20% blasts in peripheral blood (PB) than in patients with ≤20% blasts in PB. In the ALL group, a higher mean AgNOR-area-to-nucleus-area ratio was found in group with the presence of Philadelphia chromosome Ph(+) than without the Philadelphia chromosome Ph(−). AgNOR parameter analysis is a valuable method for differentiation of AML and ALL in adults.