bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CT-Derived Body Composition Is a Predictor of Survival after Esophagectomy
Authors: Iyer Kartik , Beeche Cameron A. , Gezer Naciye S. , Leader Joseph K. , Ren Shangsi , Dhupar Rajeev , Pu Jiantao
Published: March 2023

Background: Body composition can be accurately quantified based on computed tomography (CT) and typically reflects an individual’s overall health status. However, there is a dearth of research examining the relationship between body composition and survival following esophagectomy. Methods: We created a cohort consisting of 183 patients who underwent esophagectomy for esophageal cancer without neoadjuvant therapy. The cohort included preoperative PET-CT scans, along with pathologic and clinical data, which were collected prospectively. Radiomic, tumor, PET, and body composition features were automatically extracted from the images. Cox regression models were utilized to identify variables associated with survival. Logistic regression and machine learning models were developed to predict one-, three-, and five-year survival rates. Model performance was evaluated based on the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC/AUC). To test for the statistical significance of the impact of body composition on survival, body composition features were excluded for the best-performing models, and the DeLong test was used. Results: The one-year survival model contained 10 variables, including three body composition variables (bone mass, bone density, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) density), and demonstrated an AUC of 0.817 (95% CI: 0.738–0.897). The three-year survival model incorporated 14 variables, including three body composition variables (intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) volume, IMAT mass, and bone mass), with an AUC of 0.693 (95% CI: 0.594–0.792). For the five-year survival model, 10 variables were included, of which two were body composition variables (intramuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) volume and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) mass), with an AUC of 0.861 (95% CI: 0.783–0.938). The one- and five-year survival models exhibited significantly inferior performance when body composition features were not incorporated. Conclusions: Body composition features derived from preoperative CT scans should be considered when predicting survival following esophagectomy.
Urinary Continence Resolution after Bariatric Surgery: Long-Term Results after Six-Year Follow-Up
Authors: Waeckel Thibaut , Ait Said Khelifa , Menahem Benjamin , Briant Anais , Doerfler Arnaud , Alves Arnaud , Tillou Xavier
Published: March 2023

Background: Bariatric surgery is known to improve stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and overactive bladder disorders (OAB). However, there is little long-term follow-up in the literature. Objective: To determine the long-term effect of bariatric procedures on SUI and OAB and their impact on quality of life, we applied the ICIQ and USP questionnaires. Setting: The research was conducted at a French university hospital with expertise in bariatric surgery. Methods: We performed an updated follow-up at 6 years of a prospective cohort of 83 women who underwent a bariatric procedure between September 2013 and September 2014. The women completed the USP and ICIQ questionnaires before surgery, 1 year and 6 years after the surgery. Results: Of the 83 patients, 67 responded (80.7%) in full. SUI remained improved at 6 years: the USP score decreased from 3 [1; 7] before surgery to 0 [0; 1] (p = 0.0010) at 1 year after surgery and remained at 0 [0; 0] (p = 0.0253) at 6 years. The decrease in the OAB symptom score remained statistically significant: 3 [1; 7] before the surgery vs. 2 [0; 5] at 6 years (p = 0.0150). However, this improvement was significantly less pronounced than at 1 year: 0 [0; 1] (p = 0.002). Conclusions: Bariatric surgery seems to be effective at treating SUI and OAB with a long-lasting effects, still noted at 6 years.
Reconstructive Peri-Implantitis Therapy by Using Bovine Bone Substitute with or without Hyaluronic Acid: A Randomized Clinical Controlled Pilot Study
Authors: Rakašević Dragana , Šćepanović Miodrag , Mijailović Iva , Mišić Tijana , Janjić Bojan , Soldatović Ivan , Marković Aleksa
Published: March 2023

Background: The present pilot study aimed to assess clinical and radiographic efficiencies of bovine bone substitute (BBS) merged with hyaluronic acid (HA) in peri-implantits reconstructive surgery. Methods: Peri-implantitis (diagnosed 6.03 ± 1.61 years of implant loading) bone defects were randomly treated either with BBS plus HA (test group) or BBS alone (control group). Clinical parameters including peri-implant probing depth (PPD), bleeding on probing (BOP), implant stability (ISQ), and radiographic changes in vertical and horizontal marginal bone (MB) levels were assessed at six months postoperatively. New temporary and permanent screw-retained crowns were made at two weeks and three months postoperatively. Data were analyzed using parametric and non-parametric tests. Results: In both groups, 75% of patients and 83% of implants achieved treatment success after six months (no BOP, PPD <5 mm, and no further MB loss). Clinical outcomes improved over time within groups; however, without significant difference between them. ISQ value obtained significant increases in the test compared to the control group at six months postoperatively (p < 0.05). The vertical MB gain was significantly greater in the test group compared to the control (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Short-term outcomes suggested that BBS merged with HA could improve clinical and radiographic outcomes in peri-implantitis reconstructive therapy.
A Real-Time Fish Target Detection Algorithm Based on Improved YOLOv5
Authors: Li Wanghua , Zhang Zhenkai , Jin Biao , Yu Wangyang
Published: March 2023

Marine fish target detection technology is of great significance for underwater vehicles to realize fish automatic recognition. However, the complex underwater environment and lighting conditions lead to the complex background of the collected image and more irrelevant interference, which makes the fish target detection more difficult. In order to detect fish targets accurately and quickly, a real-time fish target detection network based on improved YOLOv5s is proposed. Firstly, the Gamma transform is introduced in the preprocessing part to improve the gray and contrast of the marine fish image, which is convenient for model detection. Secondly, the ShuffleNetv2 lightweight network introducing the SE channel attention mechanism is used to replace the original backbone network CSPDarkNet53 of YOLOv5 to reduce the model size and the amount of calculation, and speed up the detection. Finally, the improved BiFPN-Short network is used to replace the PANet network for feature fusion, so as to enhance the information propagation between different levels and improve the accuracy of the detection algorithm. Experimental results show that the volume of the improved model is reduced by 76.64%, the number of parameters is reduced by 81.60%, the floating-point operations (FLOPs) is decreased by 81.22% and the mean average precision (mAP) is increased to 98.10%. The balance between lightweight and detection accuracy is achieved, and this paper also provides a reference for the development of underwater target detection equipment.
First Report with Molecular Confirmation of the Colonial Sphenopid Palythoa mutuki (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Zoantharia: Sphenopidae) Forming Massive Colonies in Southern Jeju Island, Korea
Authors: Yang Hyun-Sung , Cho Young-Ghan , Kim Taeho , Heo Soo-Jin
Published: March 2023

As the global sea surface water temperature increases due to climate change, some zooxanthellate species have extended their habitat range to higher latitudes. Palythoa species, a colonial zooxanthellate cnidarian, is one such example of a range-extending animal. Recently, massive colonies of zoantharians that appeared to be of Palythoa spp. were discovered in a subtidal area of southern Jeju Island. Because a zoantharian-dominated ecosystem could indicate an unhealthy status, the documentation of its occurrence and species identification are crucial for subsequent studies. In this study, we report and confirm the presence of massive Palythoa colonies in Taeheung and Topyeong, off the southern coast of Jeju Island, using in situ underwater images and identify the species by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer rDNA. The resulting Bayesian inference tree clearly demonstrates that the massive colonies consist of Palythoa mutuki and are closely related to P. mutuki collected from the Ryukyu Archipelago in southern Japan. These records provide evidence of the northward expansion of subtropical and tropical marine organisms.
In Search for Reasons behind Helicobacter pylori Eradication Failure–Assessment of the Antibiotics Resistance Rate and Co-Existence of Helicobacter pylori with Candida Species
Authors: Bačić Ana , Milivojević Vladimir , Petković Isidora , Kekić Dušan , Gajić Ina , Medić Brkić Branislava , Popadić Dušan , Milosavljević Tomica , Rajilić-Stojanović Mirjana
Published: March 2023

Helicobacter pylori eradication is characterized by decreasing successful eradication rates. Although treatment failure is primarily associated with resistance to antibiotics, other unknown factors may influence the eradication outcome. This study aimed to assess the presence of the antibiotics resistance genes in H. pylori and the presence of Candida spp., which are proposed to be endosymbiotic hosts of H. pylori, in gastric biopsies of H. pylori-positive patients while simultaneously assessing their relationship. The detection and identification of Candida yeasts and the detection of mutations specific for clarithromycin and fluoroquinolones were performed by using the real-time PCR (RT-PCR) method on DNA extracted from 110 gastric biopsy samples of H. pylori-positive participants. Resistance rate to clarithromycin and fluoroquinolone was 52% and 47%, respectively. Antibiotic resistance was associated with more eradication attempts (p < 0.05). Candida species were detected in nine (8.18%) patients. Candida presence was associated with older age (p < 0.05). A high rate of antibiotic resistance was observed, while Candida presence was scarce, suggesting that endosymbiosis between H. pylori and Candida may not be a major contributing factor to the eradication failure. However, the older age favored Candida gastric mucosa colonization, which could contribute to gastric pathologies and microbiome dysbiosis.
Sustainable Tourism around Ecosystem Services: Application to a Case in Costa Rica Using Multi-Criteria Methods
Authors: Araya Juan , Hernando Ana , Tejera Rosario , Velázquez Javier
Published: March 2023

Tourism is an activity that generates important benefits; in the case of Costa Rica, it focuses its activity on natural areas, using the different ecosystem services (ES) and obtaining economic and social benefits. However, its ecological value can diminish, making it necessary to implement methods to estimate its sustainability. This paper proposes an evaluation of tourism around ES by applying the MIVES method (Value Integrated Model for Sustainability Evaluation), based on the multi-attribute utility theory, which implies that it transforms different variables into a 0 to 1 relationship, where the closer it is to 1, the more sustainable it is. For this purpose, it considered a decision tree, integrating environmental, economic, and social requirements, 6 criteria, and 13 indicators. The method was applied to two sites, Golfito and Jimenez in Costa Rica. It considered the following stages: (i) literature review and expert consultation, (ii) decision tree, (iii) assignment of weights, (iv) sustainability indexes, and (v) sensitivity analysis. The most sustainable site is Jiménez, obtaining an overall index of 0.40 compared to 0.25 for Golfito. The economic and social requirements are the best evaluated, while the environmental requirement was the worst evaluated for both sites. The proposed methodology can be extrapolated to other natural areas.
Liver Transcriptome Analysis of the Black Porgy (Acanthopagrus schlegelii) under Acute Low-Temperature Stress
Authors: Wang Yue , Chen Ziqiang , Wei Mingliang , Lin Zhijie , Shen Mingjun , Zhu Fei , Jia Chaofeng , Meng Qian , Xu Dafeng , Du Shuran , Liu Yanli , Chen Shuyin , Zhang Caojin , Zhang Zhiyong , Zhang Zhiwei
Published: March 2023

High nutritional value and the development of efficient biotechnological methods of controlled production have made black porgy (Acanthopagrus schlegelii) an economically important fish in Chinese aquaculture in recent years. However, aquaculture production of the species faces multiple issues associated with reduced growth rate, low reproduction ability, and high mortality during production, which are associated with the species’ limited tolerance to low temperatures. To date, comprehensive information on the genetic-based mechanisms of cold tolerance and adaptation to low temperature in the species are still unavailable. In this study, the HiSeq™2500 (Illumina) sequencing platform was used to analyze the transcriptomic profile of the liver tissue in the black porgy subjected to different extents of cold shock, including a control temperature group (AS, T = 15 °C), an intermediate temperature group (AL1, T = 10 °C), and an acute low-temperature stress group (AL2, T = 5 °C). For this purpose, three standardized cDNA libraries of AS, AL1, and AL2 were established. We obtained 43,258,908, 48,239,072, and 38,983,833 clean reads from the AS group, AL1 group, and AL2 group, respectively. After pairwise comparison, 70 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the examined fish groups. Among them, 60 genes were found to be significantly differentially expressed after trend analysis. GO annotation and enrichment results showed that they were mainly enriched into three categories: biological processes (12 subcategories), molecular functions (7 subcategories), and cellular components (7 subcategories). KEGG analysis results indicated that all significantly differentially expressed genes were annotated to 102 signaling pathways, including biological rhythm, cholesterol metabolism, glycerolipid metabolism, animal autophagy, FoxO signaling pathway, steroid biosynthesis, and regulation of adipocyte lipolysis and apoptosis. Four of them, namely: G6PC, GPX1, GCK, and HSPE1 were randomly selected for further qRT-PCR verification of data reliability obtained by RNA-Seq technology. In this study, we found that environmental acute cold stress mainly affected the black porgy’s biological processes related to metabolism, apoptosis, and signal transduction. The data that we have reported provides baseline information for further studies concerning the genetic responses of the black porgy under cold stress conditions, the improvement of its aquaculture production, and other economically important matters regarding their limited tolerance to cold shock.
Mechanism of Chiral-Selective Aminoacylation of an RNA Minihelix Explored by QM/MM Free-Energy Simulations
Authors: Ando Tadashi , Tamura Koji
Published: March 2023

Aminoacylation of a primordial RNA minihelix composed of D-ribose shows L-amino acid preference over D-amino acid without any ribozymes or enzymes. This preference in the amino acylation reaction likely plays an important role in the establishment of homochirality in L-amino acid in modern proteins. However, molecular mechanisms of the chiral selective reaction remain unsolved mainly because of difficulty in direct observation of the reaction at the molecular scale by experiments. For seeking a possible mechanism of the chiral selectivity, quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) umbrella sampling molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the aminoacylation reactions in a modeled RNA were performed to investigate differences in their free-energy profiles along the reactions for L- and D-alanine and its physicochemical origin. The reaction is initiated by approaching a 3′-oxygen of the RNA minihelix to the carbonyl carbon of an aminoacyl phosphate oligonucleotide. The QM/MM umbrella sampling MD calculations showed that the height of the free-energy barrier for L-alanine aminoacylation reaction was 17 kcal/mol, which was 9 kcal/mol lower than that for the D-alanine system. At the transition state, the distance between the negatively charged 3′-oxygen and the positively charged amino group of L-alanine was shorter than that of D-alanine, which was caused by the chirality difference of the amino acid. These results indicate that the transition state for L-alanine is more electrostatically stabilized than that for D-alanine, which would be a plausible mechanism previously unexplained for chiral selectivity in the RNA minihelix aminoacylation.
Applications of Infrared Thermography in Ophthalmology
Authors: Gulias-Cañizo Rosario , Rodríguez-Malagón Maria Elisa , Botello-González Loubette , Belden-Reyes Valeria , Amparo Francisco , Garza-Leon Manuel
Published: March 2023

Body temperature is one of the key vital signs for determining a disease’s severity, as it reflects the thermal energy generated by an individual’s metabolism. Since the first study on the relationship between body temperature and diseases by Carl Reinhold August Wunderlich at the end of the 19th century, various forms of thermometers have been developed to measure body temperature. Traditionally, methods for measuring temperature can be invasive, semi-invasive, and non-invasive. In recent years, great technological advances have reduced the cost of thermographic cameras, which allowed extending their use. Thermal cameras capture the infrared radiation of the electromagnetic spectrum and process the images to represent the temperature of the object under study through a range of colors, where each color and its hue indicate a previously established temperature. Currently, cameras have a sensitivity that allows them to detect changes in temperature as small as 0.01 °C. Along with its use in other areas of medicine, thermography has been used at the ocular level for more than 50 years. In healthy subjects, the literature reports that the average corneal temperature ranges from 32.9 to 36 °C. One of the possible sources of variability in normal values is age, and other possible sources of variation are gender and external temperature. In addition to the evaluation of healthy subjects, thermography has been used to evaluate its usefulness in various eye diseases, such as Graves’ orbitopathy, and tear duct obstruction for orbital diseases. The ocular surface is the most studied area. Ocular surface temperature is influenced by multiple conditions, one of the most studied being dry eye; other diseases studied include allergic conjunctivitis and pterygium as well as systemic diseases such as carotid artery stenosis. Among the corneal diseases studied are keratoconus, infectious keratitis, corneal graft rejection, the use of scleral or soft contact lenses, and the response to refractive or cataract surgery. Other diseases where thermographic features have been reported are glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, retinal vascular occlusions, intraocular tumors as well as scleritis, and other inflammatory eye diseases.
Explosion Mechanism of Lubricating Oil Droplets in High-Temperature and High-Pressure Combustion Environments
Authors: Qi Yunliang , Fei Shubo , Wang Zhi
Published: March 2023

Lubricating oil-induced pre-ignition is a critical issue that requires attention in downsized gasoline engines and marine low-speed two-stroke natural gas engines. As a result, the ignition behavior of lubricating oil at high temperatures and pressures has been extensively studied. In some cases, when studying the ignition of oil droplets using a rapid compression machine, an explosion-like behavior of the oil droplets is observed, producing a soot cloud that can spread throughout the combustion chamber, especially when the ignition delay time of the ambient gas is short. To gain detailed insights into the mechanism of oil droplet explosion, the explosion process under initial pressures from 13 to 31 bar and temperatures from 700 to 1600 K was visualized using high-speed photography and microphotography on a rapid compression machine. The effects of temperature and shock waves were experimentally investigated, and droplet deformation after shock wave impact was calculated using a simple model. The results demonstrated that high temperature does not have a significant effect on droplet explosion under the conditions studied in this paper. The shock wave impact is the primary cause of the droplet’s explosion.
Switched Reluctance Motor Design for a Light Sport Aircraft Application
Authors: Abdollahi Mohammad Ehsan , Zahid Ahsan , Vaks Nir , Bilgin Berker
Published: March 2023

This paper presents the design of a switched reluctance motor (SRM) for a direct-drive propulsion application for a light sport aircraft. The SRM is designed to replace a 70 kW permanent magnet synchronous motor used in aerospace application with similar dimensional constraints. As a means of achieving high torque density and efficiency, a multi-objective design framework is used to optimize the geometry parameters of the motor. In order to further reduce the weight, rotor cutouts are implemented. The conduction angles for the asymmetric bridge converter are selected by employing a multi-objective genetic algorithm to map the torque speed characteristics of the motor. The core losses are evaluated with the modified Bertotti method to calculate the motor efficiency and determine the steady-state and transient thermal performance at the base speed. The designed coil winding is wound on a spindle winder, and the coil fitting, fill factor, and the coil retention are validated experimentally.
Micromagnetics of Microwave-Assisted Switching in Co-Pt-Based Nanostructures: Switching Time Minimization
Authors: Thanos Christos , Panagiotopoulos Ioannis
Published: March 2023

Microwave-assisted switching (MAS) is simulated for different CoPt and CoPt/Co3Pt nanosrtuctures as a function of applied DC field and microwave frequency. In all the cases, the existence of microwave excitation can lower the switching field by more than 50%. However, this coercivity reduction comes at a cost in the required switching time. The optimal frequencies follow the trends of the ferromagnetic resonances predicted by the Kittel relations. This implies that: (a) when the DC field is applied along the easy axis, the coercivity reduction is proportional to the microwave frequency, whereas (b) when the coercivity is lowered by applying the DC field at an angle of 45° to the easy axis, extra MAS reduction requires the use of high frequencies.
A Novel Model for Quantitative Risk Assessment under Claim-Size Data with Bimodal and Symmetric Data Modeling
Authors: Yousof Haitham M. , Emam Walid , Tashkandy Yusra , Ali M. Masoom , Minkah R. , Ibrahim Mohamed
Published: March 2023

A novel flexible extension of the Chen distribution is defined and studied in this paper. Relevant statistical properties of the novel model are derived. For the actuarial risk analysis and evaluation, the maximum likelihood, weighted least squares, ordinary least squares, Cramer–von Mises, moments, and Anderson–Darling methods are utilized. For actuarial purposes, a comprehensive simulation study is presented using various combinations to evaluate the performance of the six methods in analyzing insurance risks. These six methods are used in evaluating actuarial risks using insurance claims data. Two applications on bimodal data are presented to highlight the flexibility and relevance of the new distribution. The new distribution is compared to several competing distributions. Actuarial risks are analyzed and evaluated using actuarial data, and the ability to disclose actuarial risks is compared by a comprehensive simulation study, through which actuarial disclosure models are compared using a wide range of well-known models.
The Impact of Anemia-Related Early Childhood Caries on Parents’ and Children’s Quality of Life
Authors: Özyılkan Dila , Tosun Özgür , İslam Aylin
Published: March 2023

Background and Objectives: Today, oral diseases are well-known for their effects, not only on daily life but also on quality of life (QoL). Dental caries, especially early childhood caries (ECC), are considered a public health concern as regards their impact on the life quality of children and parents from multiple aspects. The present research was conducted to assess the effect of anemia on oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in terms of children and parents. Materials and Methods: The current study was performed in two independent stages. In the first stage, the Turkish version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS), and in the second stage, the Turkish version of the Parental-Caregivers Perceptions Questionnaire (P-CPQ) were used to measure the effect of anemia-related dental caries among children and parents. SPSS and Jamovi software were used for all calculations, graphs and comparisons. Results: A total of 204 participants (child–parent pairs) were incorporated in the present study. A considerable number of children (81.5%) reported occasional or more frequent oral/dental pain. Secondly, the subscale scores were determined for child symptoms (2.25 ± 0.067), child function (6.8 ± 0.22), child psychology (3.87 ± 0.128), self-image and social interaction (1.74 ± 0.063), parental distress (3.82 ± 0.143), and family function (3.5 ± 0.121). Additionally, more than half of the parents (56.3%) responded “fair” for the health of their children’s teeth, lips, jaws and mouth. Similarly, the child’s overall well-being was stated as being affected “a lot” by the condition of their child’s teeth, lips, jaws or mouth by half of the parents (49.5%). Conclusions: Anemia-related dental caries has a highly negative impact on the quality of life of children and parents according to both of the questionnaires. Therefore, children with high scores should be prioritized for preventive procedures and timely dental treatments.
Association of Cardiovascular Mortality with Concurrent Coronary Artery Calcification and Physical Activity: A Cohort Study
Authors: Yoo Tae-Kyung , Lee Sung-Ho , Rhim Hye-Chang , Lee Mi-Yeon , Cheong Eun-Sun , Seo Mi-Hae , Sung Ki-Chul
Published: March 2023

Background: Increased coronary artery calcification (CAC) has been reported in individuals with high levels of physical activity (PA). However, the association between increased CAC in a physically active population and cardiovascular mortality has not yet been well-established. This study aimed to investigate the association between PA levels and the presence or absence of CAC and cardiovascular mortality. Methods: A cohort study was conducted from 1 January 2011 to 30 December 2019. Mortality data were updated until 30 December 2020. The study population comprised 56,469 individuals who had completed the International Physical Activity Short Form Questionnaire and had undergone CAC score evaluation using a CT scan. We divided the participants into four groups: physically inactive individuals without CAC, physically inactive individuals with CAC, moderately active and health-enhancing physically active (HEPA) individuals without CAC, and moderately active and HEPA individuals with CAC. The primary outcome was cardiovascular mortality. The Cox proportional hazard model with confounding factor adjustment was conducted. Inverse probability of treatment weighting-based marginal-structural modelling was conducted. Results: The median follow-up duration was 6.60 years. The mean (SD) age of the study participants was 41.67 (±10.91) years, with 76.78% (n = 43,359) men. Compared with individuals without CAC, individuals with CAC demonstrated higher cardiovascular disease mortality regardless of PA level (Inactive and CAC > 0, HR 2.81, 95% CI: 1.76–19.19; moderately active and HEPA HR 3.27, 95% CI: 1.14–9.38). Conclusions: The presence of CAC might be associated with cardiovascular mortality regardless of PA level.
Novel Nafion/Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanosheets Composite Membrane for Steam Electrolysis at 110 °C
Authors: Chen Taipu , Lv Bo , Sun Shucheng , Hao Jinkai , Shao Zhigang
Published: March 2023

Hydrogen is expected to have an important role in future energy systems; however, further research is required to ensure the commercial viability of hydrogen generation. Proton exchange membrane steam electrolysis above 100 °C has attracted significant research interest owing to its high electrolytic efficiency and the potential to reduce the use of electrical energy through waste heat utilization. This study developed a novel composite membrane fabricated from graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and Nafion and applied it to steam electrolysis with excellent results. g-C3N4 is uniformly dispersed among the non−homogeneous functionalized particles of the polymer, and it improves the thermostability of the membranes. The amino and imino active sites on the nanosheet surface enhance the proton conductivity. In ultrapure water at 90 °C, the proton conductivity of the Nafion/0.4 wt.% g-C3N4 membrane is 287.71 mS cm−1. Above 100 °C, the modified membranes still exhibit high conductivity, and no sudden decreases in conductivity were observed. The Nafion/g-C3N4 membranes exhibit excellent performance when utilized as a steam electrolyzer. Compared with that of previous studies, this approach achieves better electrolytic behavior with a relatively low catalyst loading. Steam electrolysis using a Nafion/0.4 wt.% g-C3N4 membranes achieves a current density of 2260 mA cm−2 at 2 V, which is approximately 69% higher than the current density achieved using pure Nafion membranes under the same conditions.
Influence of Laser Direct Energy Deposition Process Parameters on the Structure and Phase Composition of a High-Entropy Alloy FeCoNiCrMn
Authors: Kovalenko Ekaterina , Krasanov Igor , Valdaytseva Ekaterina , Klimova-Korsmik Olga , Gushchina Marina
Published: March 2023

High-entropy alloys are a unique class of alloys with high strength and hardness, good enduring quality and corrosion resistance, as well as other attractive mechanical properties for both scientific research and practical applications. Using these unique alloys together with the dynamically developing technology of laser direct energy deposition (L-DED) carries the prospects of obtaining large-sized complex-profile products with specified increased mechanical properties. The study of the influence of L-DED parameters on the formation of high-entropy alloys will expand knowledge about the influence of temperature and cooling rate on the formation of the structure, on the mechanical characteristics of high-entropy alloys and the formation of defects and use them for thermal processes involving high-entropy alloys. Preliminary modeling will predict the phase composition of alloys in conditions of high heating and cooling rates. In the work, optimal parameters were selected for obtaining high-entropy alloys based on FeCoNiCrMn by L-DED technology. It was also shown that FeCoNiCrMn alloys were divided into areas with a high content of elements (Fe, Co, Cr) and (Mn, Ni, Cu).
High Thermal Stability of a Colony and Basket-Weave Mixed Microstructure in Selective-Laser-Melted Ti-6Al-4V AlloyInduced by Electropulsing
Authors: Wei Lai , Xu Xiaofeng , Zhao Yang , Yan Xudong , Zhou Yachong , Wu Zhicheng , Yu Yongqiang
Published: March 2023

A colony and basket-weave mixed microstructure in the selective-laser-melted (SLM) Ti-6Al-4V alloy was introduced by electropulsing, which showed high thermal stability. The mechanism was investigated by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. It was found that the low content of the β-phase favored the inhibition of microstructure coarsening. The increasing β-phases during the stabilization annealing (700 °C/16 h) rendered the growth of α-lath and -colony. Moreover, the stabilization-annealed colony and basket-weave mixed microstructure still kept the high strength–ductility synergy.
Investigation of the Y Effect on the Microstructure Response and Radiation Hardening of PM V-4Cr-4Ti Alloys after Irradiation with D Ions
Authors: Zhang Yifan , Sun Xiaoyuan , Ma Bing , Wang Jing , Luo Laima , Wu Yucheng
Published: March 2023

In the current work, an analysis of the effects of Y on the radiation hardening and microstructure response of a V-4Cr-4Ti alloy has been conducted after 30 keV D ion irradiation at room temperature using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nanoindentation. The results show that the formation of large Y2O3 and small Y2V2O7 nanoparticles was confirmed, indicating that the addition of Y reduces the amount of dissolved oxygen. The addition of Y has been shown to affect the radiation-induced dislocation loops, radiation hardening, and Ti-rich segregation of the V-4Cr-4Ti alloy. With the addition of Y, the mean size of the radiation-induced dislocation loop decreased, which may result from the strong sink strength of the nanoparticle/matrix interface, interactions between Y atoms and SIA clusters, and the strong binding energy of vacancy–oxygen pairs. Some particles with core–shell structures were observed after ion irradiation, where Ti-rich segregations at the nanoparticle/matrix interface were confirmed. These results indicate that Y might promote abnormal segregation. Possible causes for this include the lower interface energy at the particle/matrix interface and the interaction between oxygen and solute atoms.
Abnormal Trend of Ferrite Hardening in a Medium-Si Ferrite-Martensite Dual Phase Steel
Authors: Khajesarvi Ali , Banadkouki Seyyed Sadegh Ghasemi , Sajjadi Seyed Abdolkarim , Somani Mahesh C.
Published: March 2023

In this paper, the effects of carbon, Si, Cr and Mn partitioning on ferrite hardening were studied in detail using a medium Si low alloy grade of 35CHGSA steel under ferrite-martensite/ferrite-pearlite dual-phase (DP) condition. The experimental results illustrated that an abnormal trend of ferrite hardening had occurred with the progress of ferrite formation. At first, the ferrite microhardness decreased with increasing volume fraction of ferrite, thereby reaching the minimum value for a moderate ferrite formation, and then it surprisingly increased with subsequent increase in ferrite volume fraction. Beside a considerable influence of martensitic phase transformation induced residual compressive stresses within ferrite, these results were further rationalized in respect of the extent of carbon, Si, Cr and Mn partitioning between ferrite and prior austenite (martensite) microphases leading to the solid solution hardening effects of these elements on ferrite.
Inter-Day Variation in the Fasting Plasma Lipopolysaccharide Concentration in the Morning Is Associated with Inter-Day Variation in Appetite in Japanese Males: A Short-Term Cohort Study
Authors: Fuke Nobuo , Ushida Yusuke , Sato Ikuo , Suganuma Hiroyuki
Published: March 2023

Injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a product of gut bacteria, into the blood increases blood triglycerides and cortisol, an appetite-stimulating hormone. Meanwhile, small amounts of LPS derived from gut bacteria are thought to enter the bloodstream from the gut in daily basis. This study aimed to investigate the effect of LPS influx on appetite or lipid metabolism in humans in everyday life. We measured the fasting plasma LPS concentration before breakfast and the corresponding days’ appetite and fat-burning markers for 10 days in four Japanese males (28–31 years) and analyzed the correlation of their inter-day variation. The LPS concentration was negatively correlated with fullness, and positively correlated with the carbohydrate intake. Against our hypothesis, the LPS concentration was positively correlated with the fasting breath acetone concentration, a fat-burning marker. There was a positive correlation between the LPS concentration and fasting body mass index (BMI), but the inter-day variation in BMI was slight. The results suggest that the LPS influx in everyday life is at least associated with appetite in the day.
Cuminaldehyde Effects in a MIA-Induced Experimental Model Osteoarthritis in Rat Knees
Authors: Morais Sebastião Vieira de , Mendonça Priscylla Gouveia , Vasconcelos Cleydlenne Costa , Lopes Paloma Larissa Arruda , Garcia João Batista Santos , Calzerra Natalia Tabosa Machado , Queiroz Thyago Moreira de , Lima Silvia Tereza de Jesus Rodrigues Moreira , Silva Gyl Eanes Barros , Lopes Alberto Jorge Oliveira , Cartágenes Maria do Socorro de Sousa , Domingues Gerson Ricardo de Souza
Published: March 2023

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative disease that has a significant global impact. It is associated with aging and characterized by widespread joint destruction. Cuminaldehyde is a biologically active component of essential oils that has shown promise in the treatment of nociceptive and inflammatory diseases. This study investigated the effects of cuminaldehyde on an experimental model of osteoarthritis induced in rat knees. Cuminaldehyde was found to be as effective as indomethacin in reducing pain in all evaluated tests, including forced walking, functional disability of weight distribution on the legs, and spontaneous pain in animals with osteoarthritis. The knees of animals treated with cuminaldehyde had significantly higher radiographic and histopathological scores than those of animals that did not receive the treatment. Cuminaldehyde also modulated the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In vitro assays showed that cuminaldehyde preferentially inhibits COX-2 enzyme activity. In silico studies demonstrated that cuminaldehyde has satisfactory energy affinity parameters with opioid receptors and COX-2. These findings suggest that cuminaldehyde’s anti-inflammatory activity is multifactorial, acting through multiple pathways. Its nociceptive activity occurs via central and peripheral mechanisms. Cuminaldehyde modulates the immune response of the inflammatory process and may be considered a leading compound for the development of new anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs.
Effect of Supplementation of Lambs with Whole Cottonseed: Impact on Serum Biomarkers and Infection by Gastrointestinal Parasites under Field Conditions
Authors: Kozlowski Neto Vitoldo Antonio , Schmidt Elizabeth Moreira dos Santos , Rubio Camila Peres , Silva Naiara Mirelly Marinho da , Tardivo Renata , Costa Ciniro , Meirelles Paulo Roberto de Lima , Cerón José Joaquín , Tvarijonaviciute Asta , Amarante Alessandro Francisco Talamini do
Published: March 2023

The purpose of this trial was to evaluate serum levels of oxidative stress biomarkers and biochemical analytes in crossbred lambs during the rearing phase in an integrated crop-livestock system (ICLS) to control gastrointestinal parasites. The experiment used 36 crossbred lambs (cross: Ile de France × White Dorper × Texel) divided into two groups. The WCS group was supplemented with whole cottonseed (WCS), and controls had no supplementation. Body weight, blood collection, and fecal analysis of nematode eggs and Eimeria oocysts counting per gram of feces were performed for each animal within 84 days of experiment. The following serum analytes were determined: total protein, albumin, globulin, cholesterol, haptoglobin, and 10 oxidative stress biomarkers: cupric reducing antioxidant capacity, ferric reducing ability of plasma, trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity, thiol, uric acid, paraoxonase-1, total oxidant status, ferric-xylenol orange, advanced oxidation protein products, and reactive oxygen metabolites derived compounds. The inclusion of WCS suggested the benefit in controlling infection as well as inducing an increase in antioxidants and a decrease in oxidants in lambs naturally infected by gastrointestinal parasites. The combination of WCS and ICLS could be a useful tool in controlling gastrointestinal parasite infection without affecting the production performance.
Effect of Selenium Nanoparticles and/or Bee Venom against STZ-Induced Diabetic Cardiomyopathy and Nephropathy
Authors: Lotfy Mona M. , Dowidar Mohamed F. , Ali Haytham A. , Ghonimi Wael A. M. , AL-Farga Ammar , Ahmed Amany I.
Published: March 2023

The main purpose of our study was to examine the role of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) and/or bee venom (BV) in ameliorating diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) and nephropathy (DN) at the biochemical, histopathological and molecular levels. Fifty male albino rats were used in this experiment, divided into five groups: control, Streptozocin (STZ) diabetic, STZ-diabetic treated with SeNPs, STZ-diabetic treated with BV, and STZ-diabetic treated with SeNPs and BV. Biochemically, STZ injection resulted in a significant increase in serum glucose, BUN, creatinine, CRP, CK-MB, AST, LDH and cardiac troponins with a significant decrease in the serum insulin and albumin concentrations. Histopathologically, STZ injection resulted in diabetes, as revealed by glomerulonephritis, perivascular hemorrhage, inflammatory cell infiltrations and fibrosis, with widening of interstitial spaces of cardiomyocytes, loss of muscle cells continuity and some hyaline degeneration. At the molecular levels, the expression levels of miRNA 328, miRNA-21, TGFβ1, TGFβ1R, JAK1, STST-3, SMAD-1 and NFκβ genes were significantly up-regulated, whereas the expression levels of SMAD-7 were significantly down-regulated. It is concluded that SeNPs and/or BV administration ameliorates the deleterious effects resulting from STZ administration through improving the biochemical, histopathological and molecular effects, suggesting their protective role against the long-term diabetic complications of DCM and DN.
New Insights into the Physiology of the Propionate Producers Anaerotignum propionicum and Anaerotignum neopropionicum (Formerly Clostridium propionicum and Clostridium neopropionicum)
Authors: Baur Tina , Dürre Peter
Published: March 2023

Propionate is an important platform chemical that is available through petrochemical synthesis. Bacterial propionate formation is considered an alternative, as bacteria can convert waste substrates into valuable products. In this regard, research primarily focused on propionibacteria due to high propionate titers achieved from different substrates. Whether other bacteria could also be attractive producers is unclear, mostly because little is known about these strains. Therefore, two thus far less researched strains, Anaerotignum propionicum and Anaerotignum neopropionicum, were investigated with regard to their morphologic and metabolic features. Microscopic analyses revealed a negative Gram reaction despite a Gram-positive cell wall as well as surface layers for both strains. Furthermore, growth, product profiles, and the potential for propionate formation from sustainable substrates, i.e., ethanol or lignocellulosic sugars, were assessed. Results showed that both strains can oxidize ethanol to different extents. While A. propionicum only partially used ethanol, A. neopropionicum converted 28.3 mM ethanol to 16.4 mM propionate. Additionally, the ability of A. neopropionicum to produce propionate from lignocellulose-derived substrates was analyzed, leading to propionate concentrations of up to 14.5 mM. Overall, this work provides new insights into the physiology of the Anaerotignum strains, which can be used to develop effective propionate producer strains.
Special Issue “Probiotics and Their Metabolism”: Editorial
Authors: Salman Mohammed Kamal , Mauriello Gianluigi
Published: March 2023

As a general theory, the benefits of probiotics to human health and the prevention of disease are promoted by metabolites, which include antimicrobial compounds, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), organic acids, and bio-actives [...]
A Machine Learning Approach for Prediction of the Quantity of Mine Waste Rock Drainage in Areas with Spring Freshet
Authors: Zhang Can , Ma Liang , Liu Wenying
Published: March 2023

A new machine learning approach was developed to predict the quantity of mine waste rock drainage using weather data as the inputs. The novelty of the approach is that it includes spring freshet (melting of snow/ice in spring) as an input to the drainage flow rate model. Specifically, the machine learning approach integrates the decision tree algorithm to classify the occurrence or absence of spring freshet and a long short-term memory (LSTM) algorithm to predict the flow rate of mine waste rock drainage. The two algorithms are integrated by using the classification result of spring freshet as an input to the flow rate model. The machine learning approach developed was applied to predict the drainage flow rate at a case study mine in Canada. The model developed was trained with the local weather data as the inputs and the historical monitoring data of drainage flow rate as the target (output). The results show that the decision tree algorithm is able to classify the occurrence or absence of spring freshet with an accuracy of 91%. The inclusion of spring freshet as an input to the flow rate model significantly improves the performance of the flow rate model. The sensitivity tests show that changes in temperature and atmospheric precipitation influence the drainage flow rate.
Cerium Synchronous Doping in Anatase for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production from Ethanol-Water Mixtures
Authors: Tong Mei-Hong , Chen Yan-Xin , Wang Tian-Ming , Lin Shi-Wei , Li Gen , Zhou Qian-Qian , Chen Rui , Jiang Xia , Liao Hong-Gang , Lu Can-Zhong
Published: March 2023

Cerium element with a unique electric structure can be used to modify semiconductor photocatalysts to enhance their photocatalytic performances. In this work, Ce-doped TiO2 (Ce/TiO2) was successfully achieved using the sol-gel method. The structural characterization methods confirm that Ce was doped in the lattice of anatase TiO2, which led to a smaller grain size. The performance test results show that the Ce doped in anatase TiO2 significantly enhances the charge transport efficiency and broadens the light absorption range, resulting in higher photocatalytic performance. The Ce/TiO2 exhibited a photocurrent density of 10.9 μA/cm2 at 1.0 V vs. Ag/AgCl, 2.5 times higher than that of pure TiO2 (4.3 μA/cm2) under AM 1.5 G light. The hydrogen (H2) production rate of the Ce/TiO2 was approximately 0.33 μmol/h/g, which is more than twice as much as that of the pure anatase TiO2 (0.12 μmol/h/g). This work demonstrates the effect of Ce doping in the lattice of TiO2 for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production.
Nitrogen Doped Porous Biochar/β-CD-MOFs Heterostructures: Bi-Functional Material for Highly Sensitive Electrochemical Detection and Removal of Acetaminophen
Authors: Yu Qi , Zou Jin , Yu Chenxiao , Peng Guanwei , Fan Guorong , Wang Linyu , Chen Shangxing , Lu Limin , Wang Zongde
Published: March 2023

Acetaminophen (AC) is one of the most common over-the-counter drugs, and its pollutant in groundwater has attracted more attention due to its serious risk to human health. Currently, the research on AC is mainly focused on its detection, but few are concerned about its removal. In this work, for the first time, nitrogen-doped Soulangeana sepals derived biochar/β-cyclodextrin-Metal-organic frameworks (N-SC/β-CD-MOFs) composite was proposed for the simultaneous efficient removal and detection of AC. N-SC/β-CD-MOFs combined the properties of host-guest recognition of β-CD-MOFs and porous structure, high porosity, and large surface area of N-SC. Their synergies endowed N-SC/β-CD-MOFs with a high adsorption capacity toward AC, which was up to 66.43 mg/g. The adsorption type of AC on the surface of N-SC/β-CD-MOFs conformed to the Langmuir adsorption model, and the study of the adsorption mechanism showed that AC adsorption on N-SC was mainly achieved through hydrogen bonding. In addition, the high conductivity, large specific surface area and abundant active sites of N-SC/β-CD-MOFs were of great significance to the high-performance detection of AC. Accordingly, the sensor prepared with N-SC/β-CD-MOFs presented a wide linear range (1.0–30.0 μM) and a low limit of detection of 0.3 nM (S/N = 3). These excellent performances demonstrate that N-SC/β-CD-MOFs could act as an efficient dual-functional material for the detection and removal of AC.