bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self-Ratings of Olfactory Function and Their Relation to Olfactory Test Scores. A Data Science-Based Analysis in Patients with Nasal Polyposis
Authors: Lötsch Jörn , Hintschich Constantin A. , Petridis Petros , Pade Jürgen , Hummel Thomas
Published: August 2021

Olfactory self-assessments have been analyzed with often negative but also positive conclusions about their usefulness as a surrogate for sensory olfactory testing. Patients with nasal polyposis have been highlighted as a well-predisposed group for reliable self-assessment. In a prospective cohort of n = 156 nasal polyposis patients, olfactory threshold, odor discrimination, and odor identification were tested using the “Sniffin’ Sticks” test battery, along with self-assessments of olfactory acuity on a numerical rating scale with seven named items or on a 10-point scale with only the extremes named. Apparent highly significant correlations in the complete cohort proved to reflect the group differences in olfactory diagnoses of anosmia (n = 65), hyposmia (n = 74), and normosmia (n = 17), more than the true correlations of self-ratings with olfactory test results, which were mostly very weak. The olfactory self-ratings correlated with a quality of life score, however, only weakly. By contrast, olfactory self-ratings proved as informative in assigning the categorical olfactory diagnosis. Using an olfactory diagnostic instrument, which consists of a mapping rule of two numerical rating scales of one’s olfactory function to the olfactory functional diagnosis based on the “Sniffin’ Sticks” clinical test battery, the diagnoses of anosmia, hyposmia, or normosmia could be derived from the self-ratings at a satisfactorily balanced accuracy of about 80%. It remains to be seen whether this approach of translating self-assessments into olfactory diagnoses of anosmia, hyposmia, and normosmia can be generalized to other clinical cohorts in which olfaction plays a role.
Self-Care Planning and Sanitary Education in the Prevention of the Diabetic Foot
Authors: Astasio-Picado Álvaro , Cobos-Moreno Paula , Gómez-Martín Beatriz
Published: August 2021

Diabetes Mellitus is the main cause of chronic patients in Spain. An equivocal exploration by the health worker and the client itself leads to the appearance of chronic complications, the most important being diabetic foot. The role of the health worker in the prevention and treatment of this is key. Objectives: This work has the general objective of identifying and providing information to the diabetic client about diabetic foot prevention and care elements to avoid complications. Data sources, study eligibility criteria: The search for the articles was carried out in various scientific databases with the help of a search string, which combined the keywords and Boolean operators. Study appraisal and synthesis methods: Thirty-seven papers were selected after a review of 101 articles. Results: The implementation of a health education program, in addition to performing multidisciplinary work, favors the prevention of diabetic foot ulcers and reduces the risk of amputation. Conclusions and implications of key findings: Nurses must have greater responsibility to inspire patients ‘self-efficacy by making health education programs effective.
Application of Lightweight Convolutional Neural Network for Damage Detection of Conveyor Belt
Authors: Zhang Mengchao , Zhang Yuan , Zhou Manshan , Jiang Kai , Shi Hao , Yu Yan , Hao Nini
Published: August 2021

Aiming at the problem that mining conveyor belts are easily damaged under severe working conditions, the paper proposed a deep learning-based conveyor belt damage detection method. To further explore the possibility of the application of lightweight CNNs in the detection of conveyor belt damage, the paper deeply integrates the MobileNet and Yolov4 network to achieve the lightweight of Yolov4, and performs a test on the exiting conveyor belt damage dataset containing 3000 images. The test results show that the lightweight network can effectively detect the damage of the conveyor belt, with the fastest test speed 70.26 FPS, and the highest test accuracy 93.22%. Compared with the original Yolov4, the accuracy increased by 3.5% with the speed increased by 188%. By comparing other existing detection methods, the strong generalization ability of the model is verified, which provides technical support and empirical reference for the visual monitoring and intelligent development of belt conveyors.
Pesticides Contamination of Cereals and Legumes: Monitoring of Samples Marketed in Italy as a Contribution to Risk Assessment
Authors: Nardelli Valeria , D’Amico Valeria , Ingegno Mariateresa , Della Rovere Ines , Iammarino Marco , Casamassima Francesco , Calitri Anna , Nardiello Donatella , Li Donghao , Quinto Maurizio
Published: August 2021

The evaluation of cereal-based product contamination by pesticide residues is a topic of worldwide importance, and reliable analytical methods for official check analyses and monitoring studies are required for multi-residue analysis at trace levels. In this work, a validated multi-residual analytical method by gas-chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry coupled with a rapid QuEChERS procedure was used for the determination of 37 pesticides (pyrethroids, organophosphorus and organochlorine compounds) in 209 commercially available samples of cereals and 11 legumes, placed on the Italian market in 2018 and 2019, coming from different regions of Italy, eastern Europe, and some non-European countries. No pesticide traces were observed in the analyzed legume samples. A total of 18 cereal samples were found to be contaminated by at least one pesticide, with a concentration level higher than the corresponding quantification limit, but never exceeding the maximum level fixed in the European Regulations. This work is the first part of a surveillance study for pesticide control in food samples.
Does Trans-Stimulation of L-Tyrosine Lead to an Increase in Boron Uptake in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells?
Authors: Gielisch Matthias , Moergel Maximilian , Al-Nawas Bilal , Kämmerer Peer W.
Published: August 2021

(1) Background: For advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a potential therapeutic option, but high concentrations of boron within HNSCC are necessary. Therefore, this in vitro pilot study examined the uptake and concentration of boron in HNSCC cells using the trans-stimulation effect of L-tyrosine when compared to non-stimulated samples. (2) Methods: Two HNSCC cell lines were incubated with L-tyrosine for up to two hours, followed by incubation with three L-para-boronophenylalanine (BPA) concentrations (5, 20, 50 ppm) at eight incubation times (1–4.5 h in half-hour steps). Subsequently, cellular boron uptake was measured via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. (3) Results: No differences between laryngeal and oral SCC cells were seen; therefore, data were pooled. In total, boron uptake was not significantly increased in trans-stimulated samples when compared to the control group (all p > 0.05). Nevertheless, with trans-stimulation, higher BPA concentrations resulted in higher intracellular boron concentrations (5 < 20 < 50 ppm; all: p < 0.05), whereas these differences were less distinct in the non-trans-stimulated group. (4) Conclusions: The effect of trans-stimulation for up to two hours seems to be less relevant for HNSCC, though trans-stimulated HNSCC cells seem to have a more distinct BPA-dose-dependent cellular boron uptake that might be addressed in further research.
Determination of the Function of the Course of the Static Property of PAMs as Actuators in Industrial Robotics
Authors: Matisková Darina , Čakurda Tomáš , Marasová Daniela , Balara Alexander
Published: August 2021

Current efforts are focused on assembling new constructions while applying non-conventional actuators, for example, artificial pneumatic muscles, in engineering manufacturing processes. The reason is to eliminate stiffness and inflexibility of equipment structures that make sharing the working space of the technological equipment complicated. This article presents the results of experimental measurements of pressures in artificial muscles and rotations of the actuator with artificial muscles at various loads, using a testing device of an antagonistic actuator. The measurement results were used to create the function of the course of the static property of the antagonistic actuator with artificial muscles of the Festo type and to determine a mathematical model of the actuator dynamics, while applying the method of least squares.
Integrating InSAR Observables and Multiple Geological Factors for Landslide Susceptibility Assessment
Authors: Lin Yan-Ting , Chen Yi-Keng , Yang Kuo-Hsin , Chen Chuin-Shan , Han Jen-Yu
Published: August 2021

Due to extreme weather, researchers are constantly putting their focus on prevention and mitigation for the impact of disasters in order to reduce the loss of life and property. The disaster associated with slope failures is among the most challenging ones due to the multiple driving factors and complicated mechanisms between them. In this study, a modern space remote sensing technology, InSAR, was introduced as a direct observable for the slope dynamics. The InSAR-derived displacement fields and other in situ geological and topographical factors were integrated, and their correlations with the landslide susceptibility were analyzed. Moreover, multiple machine learning approaches were applied with a goal to construct an optimal model between these complicated factors and landslide susceptibility. Two case studies were performed in the mountainous areas of Taiwan Island and the model performance was evaluated by a confusion matrix. The numerical results revealed that among different machine learning approaches, the Random Forest model outperformed others, with an average accuracy higher than 80%. More importantly, the inclusion of the InSAR data resulted in an improved model accuracy in all training approaches, which is the first to be reported in all of the scientific literature. In other words, the proposed approach provides a novel integrated technique that enables a highly reliable analysis of the landslide susceptibility so that subsequent management or reinforcement can be better planned.
Design of a Dual-Purpose Patch Antenna for Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Induced RF Heating for Small Animal Hyperthermia
Authors: Kim Donghyuk , Hernandez Daniel , Kim Kyoung-Nam
Published: August 2021

The popularity of patch antennas in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has reduced because of the large size required for patch antennae to resonate. Since the size of the patch antenna is associated with the wavelength and the wavelengths that are used in MRI are substantially large, large antennas are used. Methods of reducing patch antenna sizes have been proposed; however, these methods reduce the penetration depth and uniformity. In this study, we reduced the area of the patch antenna by 30% by folding the ground and patch planes in a zigzag pattern. The patch antenna produced two main resonant modes. The first mode produced a uniform magnetic field that was used for MRI. The second mode produced a strong and focused electric (|E|)-field, which was used for radiofrequency (RF) heating. Furthermore, we explored the use of a combination of two patch antennas aligned along the z-axis to provide a circular uniform magnetic flux density (|B1|) field at 300 MHz, which corresponds to the Larmor frequency in the 7T MRI system. In addition, the patch antenna configuration will be used for RF heating hyperthermia operating at 1.06 GHz. The target object was a small rat with insertion of colon cancer. Using the proposed configuration, we achieved |B1|-field uniformity with a standard deviation of 3% and a temperature increment of 1 °C in the mimic cancer tissue.
Study of the Optimal Waveforms for Non-Destructive Spectral Analysis of Aqueous Solutions by Means of Audible Sound and Optimization Algorithms
Authors: García Díaz Pilar , Utrilla Manso Manuel , Alpuente Hermosilla Jesús , Martínez Rojas Juan A.
Published: August 2021

Acoustic analysis of materials is a common non-destructive technique, but most efforts are focused on the ultrasonic range. In the audible range, such studies are generally devoted to audio engineering applications. Ultrasonic sound has evident advantages, but also severe limitations, like penetration depth and the use of coupling gels. We propose a biomimetic approach in the audible range to overcome some of these limitations. A total of 364 samples of water and fructose solutions with 28 concentrations between 0 g/L and 9 g/L have been analyzed inside an anechoic chamber using audible sound configurations. The spectral information from the scattered sound is used to identify and discriminate the concentration with the help of an improved grouping genetic algorithm that extracts a set of frequencies as a classifier. The fitness function of the optimization algorithm implements an extreme learning machine. The classifier obtained with this new technique is composed only by nine frequencies in the (3–15) kHz range. The results have been obtained over 20,000 independent random iterations, achieving an average classification accuracy of 98.65% for concentrations with a difference of ±0.01 g/L.
MFCosface: A Masked-Face Recognition Algorithm Based on Large Margin Cosine Loss
Authors: Deng Hongxia , Feng Zijian , Qian Guanyu , Lv Xindong , Li Haifang , Li Gang
Published: August 2021

The world today is being hit by COVID-19. As opposed to fingerprints and ID cards, facial recognition technology can effectively prevent the spread of viruses in public places because it does not require contact with specific sensors. However, people also need to wear masks when entering public places, and masks will greatly affect the accuracy of facial recognition. Accurately performing facial recognition while people wear masks is a great challenge. In order to solve the problem of low facial recognition accuracy with mask wearers during the COVID-19 epidemic, we propose a masked-face recognition algorithm based on large margin cosine loss (MFCosface). Due to insufficient masked-face data for training, we designed a masked-face image generation algorithm based on the detection of the detection of key facial features. The face is detected and aligned through a multi-task cascaded convolutional network; and then we detect the key features of the face and select the mask template for coverage according to the positional information of the key features. Finally, we generate the corresponding masked-face image. Through analysis of the masked-face images, we found that triplet loss is not applicable to our datasets, because the results of online triplet selection contain fewer mask changes, making it difficult for the model to learn the relationship between mask occlusion and feature mapping. We use a large margin cosine loss as the loss function for training, which can map all the feature samples in a feature space with a smaller intra-class distance and a larger inter-class distance. In order to make the model pay more attention to the area that is not covered by the mask, we designed an Att-inception module that combines the Inception-Resnet module and the convolutional block attention module, which increases the weight of any unoccluded area in the feature map, thereby enlarging the unoccluded area’s contribution to the identification process. Experiments on several masked-face datasets have proved that our algorithm greatly improves the accuracy of masked-face recognition, and can accurately perform facial recognition with masked subjects.
Influence of Meteorological Parameters on Explosive Charge and Stemming Length Predictions in Clay Soil during Blasting Using Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Leskovar Karlo , Težak Denis , Mesec Josip , Biondić Ranko
Published: August 2021

The influence of the meteorological parameters (precipitation and air temperature) during blasting in clay has a direct impact on the success of blasting. In the case of large amounts of precipitation (rain and snow) recorded in the subject area, blasting in clays cannot be carried out due to the grain of the clay and the inability to access the subject area. Moreover, the air temperature in the subject area affects the blasting performance. The most ideal temperature for blasting in clays is between 15 and 25 °C because then the clay has the best geotechnical characteristics. The research was conducted on the exploitation field Cukavec II, which is located near the city of Varaždin in the Republic of Croatia. Amount of precipitation and air temperature were considered to obtain the best blasting effect. Influence of meteorological parameters on the amount of the explosive charge and stemming length when blasting in clays was demonstrated via models based on Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). The ANN model network consists of a Long Short-term Memory (LSTM) part to process time dependent meteorological data, and fully connected layers to process blasting input data. Two types of explosive charges were compared, Pakaex and Permonex V19.
Full-Abstract Biomedical Relation Extraction with Keyword-Attentive Domain Knowledge Infusion
Authors: Zhu Xian , Zhang Lele , Du Jiangnan , Xiao Zhifeng
Published: August 2021

Relation extraction (RE) is an essential task in natural language processing. Given a context, RE aims to classify an entity-mention pair into a set of pre-defined relations. In the biomedical field, building an efficient and accurate RE system is critical for the construction of a domain knowledge base to support upper-level applications. Recent advances have witnessed a focus shift from sentence to document-level RE problems, which are more challenging due to the need for inter- and intra-sentence semantic reasoning. This type of distant dependency is difficult to understand and capture for a learning algorithm. To address the challenge, prior efforts either attempted to improve the cross sentence text representation or infuse domain or local knowledge into the model. Both strategies demonstrated efficacy on various datasets. In this paper, a keyword-attentive knowledge infusion strategy is proposed and integrated into BioBERT. A domain keyword collection mechanism is developed to discover the most relation-suggestive word tokens for bio-entities in a given context. By manipulating the attention masks, the model can be guided to focus on the semantic interaction between bio-entities linked by the keywords. We validated the proposed method on the Biocreative V Chemical Disease Relation dataset with an F1 of 75.6%, outperforming the state-of-the-art by 5.6%.
The Breakage of Shape-Anisotropic Particles under Normal Contact with Different Particle Shape Parameters
Authors: Zhang Yanwei , Jian Qiwei , Zhou Jian , Huang Qinglin , Li Lin , Niu Yiran
Published: August 2021

This paper elaborates the cone–hemispherical gypsum particle breakages under normal contact with different particle shape parameters (contact diameter d, cone angle θ and sphere diameter D) and proposes a simple quantitative approach to discriminate breakage modes. The effects of the particle shape parameters on particle breakage are investigated through analyzing breakage processes, breakage modes and force–displacement curves. Three breakage modes are formed during the breakage experiments: peeling, peeling–splitting and splitting, corresponding to three different normal force–displacement curves. The formation of a conical core is deemed as the precondition for particle splitting. The particle breakage mode transfers from peeling to splitting with the increase in contact diameter d and cone angle θ, but a decrease in sphere diameter D. The critical normal force Fcr is positively linearly related to contact diameter d and cone angle θ, but the relationship between Fcr and sphere diameter D heavily depends on the breakage mode. Furthermore, the critical contact diameter dcr described by cone angle θ and sphere diameter D is proposed to discriminate breakage modes of the cone–hemispherical gypsum particles.
SOPRENE: Assessment of the Spanish Armada’s Predictive Maintenance Tool for Naval Assets
Authors: Fernández-Barrero David , Fontenla-Romero Oscar , Lamas-López Francisco , Novoa-Paradela David , R-Moreno María D. , Sanz David
Published: August 2021

Predictive maintenance has lately proved to be a useful tool for optimizing costs, performance and systems availability. Furthermore, the greater and more complex the system, the higher the benefit but also the less applied: Architectural, computational and complexity limitations have historically ballasted the adoption of predictive maintenance on the biggest systems. This has been especially true in military systems where the security and criticality of the operations do not accept uncertainty. This paper describes the work conducted in addressing these challenges, aiming to evaluate its applicability in a real scenario: It presents a specific design and development for an actual big and diverse ecosystem of equipment, proposing an semi-unsupervised predictive maintenance system. In addition, it depicts the solution deployment, test and technological adoption of real-world military operative environments and validates the applicability.
Direction-Based Hybrid Strategy Combining Pushing and Hitting for Fast Object Singulation
Authors: Khan Muhammad Umair Ahmad , Kim Sanghwa , Lee Ji Yeong , Yi Byung-Ju
Published: August 2021

This paper presents a hybrid singulation strategy for fast object singulation in a cluttered environment. Recent techniques related to object singulation in clutter have employed various kinds of pushing techniques and in some cases have also used hitting techniques. However, these techniques have not addressed the issue related to the direction of pushing and hitting which is vital for fast object singulation. Finding the appropriate direction of hitting and pushing helps in singulating objects quickly in a cluttered environment. This paper proposes the desired direction for pushing and hitting, combined with a hybrid strategy, that results in fast object singulation in a cluttered environment. The number of times of pushing and hitting in terms of time is chosen as the measure of performance. We employ multiple circular disks as the test example and carry out diverse experiments to corroborate the usefulness of the proposed object singulation algorithm. This approach is able to singulate objects quickly in complex formations. In this paper, we have combined both pushing and hitting and also proposed the direction of hitting and pushing in order to singulate objects in clutter quickly.
Modulation of Vestibular Microphonics: A Historical Note
Authors: Wit Hero P.
Published: August 2021

Modulation of microphonics has recently been used to investigate the sensitivity of the utricle in the vestibular organ of the guinea pig. The same technique was used more than 30 years ago to obtain information on the processing of rotational stimuli in the horizontal semicircular canals of the pigeon. Data from that time were reanalysed to give a relation that describes the mechano-electrical transduction (MET) process in vestibular hair cells.
On a Nonlinear Mixed Problem for a Parabolic Equation with a Nonlocal Condition
Authors: Djerad Abdelkader , Memou Ameur , Hameida Ali
Published: August 2021

The aim of this work is to prove the well-posedness of some linear and nonlinear mixed problems with integral conditions defined only on two parts of the considered boundary. First, we establish for the associated linear problem a priori estimate and prove that the range of the operator generated by the considered problem is dense using a functional analysis method. Then by applying an iterative process based on the obtained results for the linear problem, we establish the existence, uniqueness and continuous dependence of the weak solution of the nonlinear problem.
On Uniform Stability with Growth Rates of Stochastic Skew-Evolution Semiflows in Banach Spaces
Authors: Személy Fülöp Tímea Melinda , Megan Mihail , Borlea(Pătraşcu) Diana Ioana
Published: August 2021

The main purpose of this paper is to study a more general concept of uniform stability in mean in which the uniform behavior in the classical sense is replaced by a weaker requirement with respect to some probability measure. This concept includes, as particular cases, the concepts of uniform exponential stability in mean and uniform polynomial stability in mean. Extending techniques employed in the deterministic case, we obtain variants of some results for the general cases of uniform stability in mean for stochastic skew-evolution semiflows in Banach spaces.
The Bigger Picture: Why Oral Mucosa Heals Better Than Skin
Authors: Waasdorp Maaike , Krom Bastiaan P. , Bikker Floris J. , van Zuijlen Paul P. M. , Niessen Frank B. , Gibbs Susan
Published: August 2021

Wound healing is an essential process to restore tissue integrity after trauma. Large skin wounds such as burns often heal with hypertrophic scarring and contractures, resulting in disfigurements and reduced joint mobility. Such adverse healing outcomes are less common in the oral mucosa, which generally heals faster compared to skin. Several studies have identified differences between oral and skin wound healing. Most of these studies however focus only on a single stage of wound healing or a single cell type. The aim of this review is to provide an extensive overview of wound healing in skin versus oral mucosa during all stages of wound healing and including all cell types and molecules involved in the process and also taking into account environmental specific factors such as exposure to saliva and the microbiome. Next to intrinsic properties of resident cells and differential expression of cytokines and growth factors, multiple external factors have been identified that contribute to oral wound healing. It can be concluded that faster wound closure, the presence of saliva, a more rapid immune response, and increased extracellular matrix remodeling all contribute to the superior wound healing and reduced scar formation in oral mucosa, compared to skin.
TRPV1 and TRPA1 Channels Are Both Involved Downstream of Histamine-Induced Itch
Authors: Wilzopolski Jenny , Kietzmann Manfred , Mishra Santosh K. , Stark Holger , Bäumer Wolfgang , Rossbach Kristine
Published: August 2021

Two histamine receptor subtypes (HR), namely H1R and H4R, are involved in the transmission of histamine-induced itch as key components. Although exact downstream signaling mechanisms are still elusive, transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels play important roles in the sensation of histaminergic and non-histaminergic itch. The aim of this study was to investigate the involvement of TRPV1 and TRPA1 channels in the transmission of histaminergic itch. The potential of TRPV1 and TRPA1 inhibitors to modulate H1R- and H4R-induced signal transmission was tested in a scratching assay in mice in vivo as well as via Ca2+ imaging of murine sensory dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons in vitro. TRPV1 inhibition led to a reduction of H1R- and H4R- induced itch, whereas TRPA1 inhibition reduced H4R- but not H1R-induced itch. TRPV1 and TRPA1 inhibition resulted in a reduced Ca2+ influx into sensory neurons in vitro. In conclusion, these results indicate that both channels, TRPV1 and TRPA1, are involved in the transmission of histamine-induced pruritus.
Native Low-Density Lipoproteins Act in Synergy with Lipopolysaccharide to Alter the Balance of Human Monocyte Subsets and Their Ability to Produce IL-1 Beta, CCR2, and CX3CR1 In Vitro and In Vivo: Implications in Atherogenesis
Authors: Manjarrez-Reyna Aarón N. , Martínez-Reyes Camilo P. , Aguayo-Guerrero José A. , Méndez-García Lucia A. , Esquivel-Velázquez Marcela , León-Cabrera Sonia , Vargas-Alarcón Gilberto , Fragoso José M. , Carreón-Torres Elizabeth , Pérez-Méndez Oscar , Prieto-Chávez Jessica L. , Escobedo Galileo
Published: August 2021

Increasing evidence has demonstrated that oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) enhance accumulation of interleukin (IL)-1 beta-producing macrophages in atherosclerotic lesions. However, the potential synergistic effect of native LDL (nLDL) and LPS on the inflammatory ability and migration pattern of monocyte subpopulations remains elusive and is examined here. In vitro, whole blood cells from healthy donors (n = 20) were incubated with 100 μg/mL nLDL, 10 ng/mL LPS, or nLDL + LPS for 9 h. Flow cytometry assays revealed that nLDL significantly decreases the classical monocyte (CM) percentage and increases the non-classical monocyte (NCM) subset. While nLDL + LPS significantly increased the number of NCMs expressing IL-1 beta and the C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2), the amount of NCMs expressing the CX3C chemokine receptor 1 (CX3CR1) decreased. In vivo, patients (n = 85) with serum LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) >100 mg/dL showed an increase in NCM, IL-1 beta, LPS-binding protein (LBP), and Castelli’s atherogenic risk index as compared to controls (n = 65) with optimal LDL-C concentrations (≤100 mg/dL). This work demonstrates for the first time that nLDL acts in synergy with LPS to alter the balance of human monocyte subsets and their ability to produce inflammatory cytokines and chemokine receptors with prominent roles in atherogenesis.
Insight into Calcium-Binding Motifs of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins
Authors: Newcombe Estella A. , Fernandes Catarina B. , Lundsgaard Jeppe E. , Brakti Inna , Lindorff-Larsen Kresten , Langkilde Annette E. , Skriver Karen , Kragelund Birthe B.
Published: August 2021

Motifs within proteins help us categorize their functions. Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are rich in short linear motifs, conferring them many different roles. IDPs are also frequently highly charged and, therefore, likely to interact with ions. Canonical calcium-binding motifs, such as the EF-hand, often rely on the formation of stabilizing flanking helices, which are a key characteristic of folded proteins, but are absent in IDPs. In this study, we probe the existence of a calcium-binding motif relevant to IDPs. Upon screening several carefully selected IDPs using NMR spectroscopy supplemented with affinity quantification by colorimetric assays, we found calcium-binding motifs in IDPs which could be categorized into at least two groups—an Excalibur-like motif, sequentially similar to the EF-hand loop, and a condensed-charge motif carrying repetitive negative charges. The motifs show an affinity for calcium typically in the ~100 μM range relevant to regulatory functions and, while calcium binding to the condensed-charge motif had little effect on the overall compaction of the IDP chain, calcium binding to Excalibur-like motifs resulted in changes in compaction. Thus, calcium binding to IDPs may serve various structural and functional roles that have previously been underreported.
Lepidium sativum Sprouts Grown under Elevated CO2 Hyperaccumulate Glucosinolates and Antioxidants and Exhibit Enhanced Biological and Reduced Antinutritional Properties
Authors: Alotaibi Modhi O. , Khamis Galal , AbdElgawad Hamada , Mohammed Afrah E. , Sheteiwy Mohamed S. , Elobeid Mudawi M. , Saleh Ahmed M.
Published: August 2021

The nutritional and health-promoting properties of plants are largely determined by their tissue chemistry. Tuning growth conditions could affect the accumulation of phytochemicals and, therefore, enhance the biological activities. Herein, the impact of elevated CO2 (eCO2; 620 µmol CO2 mol−1 air) on growth and chemical composition of sprouts of three Lepidium sativum cultivars (Haraz, Khider and Rajab) was investigated. Changes in the sprout actions against some human chronic diseases were evaluated. eCO2 induced biomass accumulation (1.46-, 1.47- and 2-fold in Haraz, Khider and Rajab, respectively) and pigment accumulation and reduced the level of antinutrients in L. sativum cultivars. Compared to the control, eCO2 induced total glucosinolate accumulation (0.40-, 0.90- and 1.29-fold in Khider, Haraz and Rajab, respectively), possibly through increased amino acid production, and their hydrolysis by myrosinase. In line with increased polyphenol production, improved phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity was observed. The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypocholesterolemic, antibacterial and anticancer activities of the produced sprouts were significantly improved by sprouting and eCO2 exposure. PCA indicated that the cultivars showed interspecific responses. Thus, the present study confirms the synergistic effect of sprouting with eCO2 exposure as a promising approach to produce more bioactive L. sativum sprouts.
Role of Phytonutrients in Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics Perspective in Curing Breast Cancer
Authors: Bhattacharya Tanima , Dutta Soumam , Akter Rokeya , Rahman Md. Habibur , Karthika Chenmala , Nagaswarupa Hechanur Puttappa , Murthy Hanabe Chowdappa Ananda , Fratila Ovidiu , Brata Roxana , Bungau Simona
Published: August 2021

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common type of cancer and an important contributor to female mortality. Several genes and epigenetic modifications are involved in the development and progression of BC. Research in phytochemistry, nutrigenomics, and nutrigenetics has provided strong evidence that certain phytonutrients are able to modulate gene expression at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Such phytonutrients may also be beneficial to prevent and treat BC. In this review, we will focus on the nutrigenomic effects of various phytochemicals including polyphenols, phytosterols, terpenoids, alkaloids, and other compounds from different sources. Overall, these phytonutrients are found to inhibit BC cell proliferation, differentiation, invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis, and induce apoptotic cell death by targeting various molecular pathways. They also alter epigenetic mechanisms and enhance the chemosensitivity and radiosensitivity of cancer cells. Such phytochemicals may be used for the effective management of BC patients in the clinical setting in the future. The present article aims to summarize the specific molecular pathways involved in the genetic effects of phytochemicals in BC.
Label Free Glucose Electrochemical Biosensor Based on Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy thiophene):Polystyrene Sulfonate/Titanium Carbide/Graphene Quantum Dots
Authors: Nashruddin Siti , Abdullah Jaafar , Mohammad Haniff Muhammad , Mat Zaid Mohd , Choon Ooi , Mohd Razip Wee Mohd
Published: August 2021

The electrochemical biosensor devices based on enzymes for monitoring biochemical substances are still considered attractive. We investigated the immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOx) on a new composite nanomaterial poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS)/titanium carbide,(Ti3C2)/graphene quantum dots(GQD) modified screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) for glucose sensing. The characterization and electrochemical behavior of PEDOT:PSS/Ti3C2/GQD towards the electrocatalytic oxidation of GOx was analyzed by FTIR, XPS, SEM, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). This composite nanomaterial was found to tend to increase the electrochemical behavior and led to a higher peak current of 100.17 µA compared to 82.01 µA and 95.04 µA for PEDOT:PSS and PEDOT:PSS/Ti3C2 alone. Moreover, the detection results demonstrated that the fabricated biosensor had a linear voltammetry response in the glucose concentration range 0–500 µM with a relatively sensitivity of 21.64 µAmM−1cm−2 and a detection limit of 65 µM (S/N = 3), with good stability and selectivity. This finding could be useful as applicable guidance for the modification screen printed carbon (SPCE) electrodes focused on composite PEDOT:PSS/Ti3C2/GQD for efficient detection using an enzyme-based biosensor.
The Effects of Spinal Manipulation on Oculomotor Control in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Pilot and Feasibility Study
Authors: Cade Alice , Jones Kelly , Holt Kelly , Penkar Abdul Moiz , Haavik Heidi
Published: August 2021

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent, chronic neurodevelopmental disorder that affects oculomotor (eye movement) control. Dysfunctional oculomotor control may result in reading or educational difficulties. This randomized controlled crossover study sought to investigate the feasibility of a larger scale trial and effects of a single session of spinal manipulation on oculomotor control in children with ADHD. Thirty children participated in the study and were randomized into either control-first or spinal manipulation first groups. The results indicate that the trial was feasible. Secondary outcomes showed that there was a significant decrease in reading time after the spinal manipulation intervention compared to the control intervention. Future studies of the effects of spinal manipulation on oculomotor control in children with ADHD are suggested.
Pupillometry Reveals the Role of Arousal in a Postexercise Benefit to Executive Function
Authors: Ayala Naila , Heath Matthew
Published: August 2021

A single bout of aerobic exercise improves executive function; however, the mechanism(s) underlying this improvement remains unclear. Here, we employed a 20-min bout of aerobic exercise, and at pre- and immediate post-exercise sessions examined executive function via pro- (i.e., saccade to veridical target location) and anti-saccade (i.e., saccade mirror symmetrical to a target) performance and pupillometry metrics. Notably, tonic and phasic pupillometry responses in oculomotor control provided a framework to determine the degree that arousal and/or executive resource recruitment influence behavior. Results demonstrated a pre- to post-exercise decrease in pro- and anti-saccade reaction times (p = 0.01) concurrent with a decrease and increase in tonic baseline pupil size and task-evoked pupil dilations, respectively (ps < 0.03). Such results demonstrate that an exercise-induced improvement in saccade performance is related to an executive-mediated “shift” in physiological and/or psychological arousal, supported by the locus coeruleus norepinephrine system to optimize task engagement.
Using Machine Learning Algorithms for Identifying Gait Parameters Suitable to Evaluate Subtle Changes in Gait in People with Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Trentzsch Katrin , Schumann Paula , Śliwiński Grzegorz , Bartscht Paul , Haase Rocco , Schriefer Dirk , Zink Andreas , Heinke Andreas , Jochim Thurid , Malberg Hagen , Ziemssen Tjalf
Published: August 2021

In multiple sclerosis (MS), gait impairment is one of the most prominent symptoms. For a sensitive assessment of pathological gait patterns, a comprehensive analysis and processing of several gait analysis systems is necessary. The objective of this work was to determine the best diagnostic gait system (DIERS pedogait, GAITRite system, and Mobility Lab) using six machine learning algorithms for the differentiation between people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) and healthy controls, between pwMS with and without fatigue and between pwMS with mild and moderate impairment. The data of the three gait systems were assessed on 54 pwMS and 38 healthy controls. Gaussian Naive Bayes, Decision Tree, k-Nearest Neighbor, and Support Vector Machines (SVM) with linear, radial basis function (rbf) and polynomial kernel were applied for the detection of subtle walking changes. The best performance for a healthy-sick classification was achieved on the DIERS data with a SVM rbf kernel (κ = 0.49 ± 0.11). For differentiating between pwMS with mild and moderate disability, the GAITRite data with the SVM linear kernel (κ = 0.61 ± 0.06) showed the best performance. This study demonstrates that machine learning methods are suitable for identifying pathologic gait patterns in early MS.
Can Underground Buildings Be Beneficial in Hot Regions? An Investigation of Field Measurements in On-Site Built Underground Construction
Authors: Alwetaishi Mamdooh , Benjeddou Omrane , Balabel Ashraf , Alzaed Ali
Published: August 2021

Globally, there has been a remarkable growth in the number of underground constructions (UGC) such as railways, offices, hospitals and shopping malls. This expansion is a result of urban area extensions that are limited by the availability of buildable land. Underground construction can also be used to protect people from the harshness of the outdoor conditions. The aim of this research is to investigate the impact of underground construction in hot regions. The major issue with most of the current UGC is the lack of natural ventilation and daylight. This has a clear negative impact on the user’s perception and comfort. The new design elevates the external walls to place some of the windows above ground for the purpose of natural ventilation and providing a view. The study conducted an experiment using an underground room enhanced with field measurements to ascertain the indoor temperature as well as relative humidity. In addition, the study used an energy simulation to calculate building heat transfer and solar heat gain. It was revealed that the use of UGC in hot regions promoted with the addition of natural ventilation can lower the indoor temperature by 3 °C in summer.
Ultrafine Jujube Powder Enhances the Infiltration of Immune Cells during Anti-PD-L1 Treatment against Murine Colon Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Jing Nan , Wang Luoyang , Zhuang Huiren , Jiang Guoqiang , Liu Zheng
Published: August 2021

Whereas dietary intervention with natural nutrients plays an important role in activating the immune response and holds unprecedented application potential, the underpinning mechanism is poorly understood. The present work was dedicated to comprehensively examine the effects of ultrafine jujube powder (JP) on the gut microbiota and, consequentially, the effects associated with the response rate to anti-PD-L1 treatment against murine colon adenocarcinoma. A murine colon adenocarcinoma model with anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy was established to evaluate how dietary interventions affect the microbiota. In vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed the role of SCFAs in the immune response. Oral administration of JP greatly improves the response of anti-PD-L1 treatment against murine colon adenocarcinoma. Such an improvement is associated with the alteration of gut microbiota which leads to an increased abundance of Clostridiales, including Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae, an elevated SCFA production, and an intensified infiltration of CD8+ T cells to the tumor microenvironment. This work demonstrates that JP is particularly effective in modulating the gut microbiota for an improved immune checkpoint blockage therapy by boosting cytotoxic CD8+ T cells in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. The experimental findings of the present study are helpful for the development of dietary intervention methods for cancer immunotherapy using natural nutrients.
The Emerging Role of Suppressors of Cytokine Signaling (SOCS) in the Development and Progression of Leukemia
Authors: Keewan Esra’a , Matlawska-Wasowska Ksenia
Published: August 2021

Cytokines are pleiotropic signaling molecules that execute an essential role in cell-to-cell communication through binding to cell surface receptors. Receptor binding activates intracellular signaling cascades in the target cell that bring about a wide range of cellular responses, including induction of cell proliferation, migration, differentiation, and apoptosis. The Janus kinase and transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathways are activated upon cytokines and growth factors binding with their corresponding receptors. The SOCS family of proteins has emerged as a key regulator of cytokine signaling, and SOCS insufficiency leads to constitutive activation of JAK/STAT signaling and oncogenic transformation. Dysregulation of SOCS expression is linked to various solid tumors with invasive properties. However, the roles of SOCS in hematological malignancies, such as leukemia, are less clear. In this review, we discuss the recent advances pertaining to SOCS dysregulation in leukemia development and progression. We also highlight the roles of specific SOCS in immune cells within the tumor microenvironment and their possible involvement in anti-tumor immunity. Finally, we discuss the epigenetic, genetic, and post-transcriptional modifications of SOCS genes during tumorigenesis, with an emphasis on leukemia.
Correction: McCart Reed et al. The Genomic Landscape of Lobular Breast Cancer. Cancers 2021, 13, 1950
Authors: McCart Reed Amy E. , Foong Samuel , Kutasovic Jamie R. , Nones Katia , Waddell Nicola , Lakhani Sunil R. , Simpson Peter T.
Published: August 2021

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...]
The Role of Redox Potential and Molecular Structure of Co(II)-Polypyridine Complexes on the Molecular Catalysis of CO2 Reduction
Authors: Rebolledo-Chávez Juan Pablo F. , Toral Gionnany Teodoro , Ramírez-Delgado Vanesa , Reyes-Vidal Yolanda , Jiménez-González Martha L. , Cruz-Ramírez Marisela , Mendoza Angel , Ortiz-Frade Luis
Published: August 2021

In this work, we report the electrochemical response of a family of Co(II) complexes, [CoII(L)3]2+ and [CoII(L’)2]2+ (L = 2,2’-bipyridine, 1,10-phenanthroline, 3,4,7,8-tetramethyl-1,10-phenanthroline, 5,6-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline, and 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline; L’ = terpyridine and 4-chloro-terpyridine), in the presence and absence of CO2 in order to understand the role of the redox potential and molecular structure on the molecular catalysis of CO2 reduction. The tris chelate complexes exhibited three electron transfer processes [CoII(L)3]2+ ⇄ [CoIII(L)3]3+ + 1e−, [CoΙΙ(L)3]2++1e− ⇄ [CoΙ(L)3]+, and [CoΙ(L)3]+ + 2e- ⇄ [CoΙ(L)(L−)2]−. In the case of complexes with 1,10-phen and 2,2-bipy, the third redox process showed a coupled chemical reaction [CoΙ(L)(L−)2]− → [CoΙ(L−)2]− + L. For bis chelate complexes, three electron transfer processes associated with the redox couples [CoΙΙ(L)2]/[CoIII(L)2]3+, [CoΙΙ(L)2]2+/[CoΙ(L)2]+, and [CoΙ(L)2]+/[CoΙ(L)(L−)] were registered, including a coupled chemical reaction only for the complex containing the ligand 4-chloro-terpyridine. Foot to the wave analysis (FOWA) obtained from cyclic voltammetry experiments allowed us to calculate the catalytic rate constant (k) for the molecular catalysis of CO2 reduction. The complex [Co(3,4,7,8-tm-1,10-phen)3]2+ presented a high k value; moreover, the complex [Co(4-Cl-terpy)3]2+ did not show catalytic activity, indicating that the more negative redox potential and the absence of the coupled chemical reaction increased the molecular catalysis. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations for compounds and CO2 were obtained to rationalize the effect of electronic structure on the catalytic rate constant (k) of CO2 reduction.
Catalytic CO Oxidation and H2O2 Direct Synthesis over Pd and Pt-Impregnated Titania Nanotubes
Authors: Warmuth Lucas , Nails Gülperi , Casapu Maria , Wang Sheng , Behrens Silke , Grunwaldt Jan-Dierk , Feldmann Claus
Published: August 2021

Titania nanotubes (TNTs) impregnated with Pd and Pt nanoparticles are evaluated as heterogeneous catalysts in different conditions in two reactions: catalytic CO oxidation (gas phase, up to 500 °C) and H2O2 direct synthesis (liquid phase, 30 °C). The TNTs are obtained via oxidation of titanium metal and the intermediate layer-type sodium titanate Na2Ti3O7. Thereafter, the titanate layers are exfoliated and show self-rolling to TNTs, which, finally, are impregnated with Pd or Pt nanoparticles at room temperature by using Pd(ac)2 and Pt(ac)2. The resulting crystalline Pd/TNTs and Pt/TNTs are realized with different lengths (long TNTs: 2.0–2.5 µm, short TNTs: 0.23–0.27 µm) and a specific surface area up to 390 m2/g. The deposited Pd and Pt particles are 2–5 nm in diameter. The TNT-derived catalysts show good thermal (up to 500 °C) and chemical stability (in liquid-phase and gas-phase reactions). The catalytic evaluation results in a low CO oxidation light-out temperature of 150 °C for Pt/TNTs (1 wt-%) and promising H2O2 generation with a productivity of 3240 molH2O2 kgPd−1 h−1 (Pd/TNTs, 5 wt-%, 30 °C). Despite their smaller surface area, long TNTs outperform short TNTs with regard to both CO oxidation and H2O2 formation.