bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Blood Immune Cells in Patients With Decompensated Cirrhosis Including ACLF
Authors: Weiss Emmanuel , de la Grange Pierre , Defaye Mylène , Lozano Juan José , Aguilar Ferrán , Hegde Pushpa , Jolly Ariane , Moga Lucile , Sukriti Sukriti , Agarwal Banwari , Gurm Haqeeqat , Tanguy Marion , Poisson Johanne , Clària Joan , Abback Paer-Selim , Périanin Axel , Mehta Gautam , Jalan Rajiv , Francoz Claire , Rautou Pierre-Emmanuel , Lotersztajn Sophie , Arroyo Vicente , Durand François , Moreau Richard
Published: February 2021

Background and Aims

Patients with cirrhosis and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) have immunosuppression, indicated by an increase in circulating immune-deficient monocytes. The aim of this study was to investigate simultaneously the major blood-immune cell subsets in these patients.

Material and Methods

Blood taken from 67 patients with decompensated cirrhosis (including 35 critically ill with ACLF in the intensive care unit), and 12 healthy subjects, was assigned to either measurements of clinical blood counts and microarray (genomewide) analysis of RNA expression in whole-blood; microarray (genomewide) analysis of RNA expression in blood neutrophils; or assessment of neutrophil antimicrobial functions.

Results

Several features were found in patients with ACLF and not in those without ACLF. Indeed, clinical blood count measurements showed that patients with ACLF were characterized by leukocytosis, neutrophilia, and lymphopenia. Using the CIBERSORT method to deconvolute the whole-blood RNA-expression data, revealed that the hallmark of ACLF was the association of neutrophilia with increased proportions of macrophages M0-like monocytes and decreased proportions of memory lymphocytes (of B-cell, CD4 T-cell lineages), CD8 T cells and natural killer cells. Microarray analysis of neutrophil RNA expression revealed that neutrophils from patients with ACLF had a unique phenotype including induction of glycolysis and granule genes, and downregulation of cell-migration and cell-cycle genes. Moreover, neutrophils from these patients had defective production of the antimicrobial superoxide anion.

Conclusions

Genomic analysis revealed that, among patients with decompensated cirrhosis, those with ACLF were characterized by dysregulation of blood immune cells, including increases in neutrophils (that had a unique phenotype) and macrophages M0-like monocytes, and depletion of several lymphocyte subsets (including memory lymphocytes). All these lymphocyte alterations, along with defective neutrophil superoxide anion production, may contribute to immunosuppression in ACLF, suggesting targets for future therapies.
Genomic Insights Into Clinical Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Strains: A 15-Year Period Survey in Jönköping, Sweden
Authors: Bai Xiangning , Zhang Ji , Hua Ying , Jernberg Cecilia , Xiong Yanwen , French Nigel , Löfgren Sture , Hedenström Ingela , Ambikan Anoop , Mernelius Sara , Matussek Andreas
Published: February 2021

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are important foodborne pathogens that can cause human infections ranging from asymptomatic carriage to bloody diarrhea (BD) and fatal hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). However, the molecular mechanism of STEC pathogenesis is not entirely known. Here, we demonstrated a large scale of molecular epidemiology and in-depth genomic study of clinical STEC isolates utilizing clinical and epidemiological data collected in Region Jönköping County, Sweden, over a 15-year period. Out of 184 STEC isolates recovered from distinct patients, 55 were from patients with BD, and 129 were from individuals with non-bloody stools (NBS). Five individuals developed HUS. Adults were more associated with BD. Serotypes O157:H7, O26:H11, O103:H2, O121:H19, and O104:H4 were more often associated with BD. The presence of Shiga toxin-encoding gene subtypes stx2a, stx2a + stx2c, and stx1a + stx2c was associated with BD, while stx1a was associated with milder disease. Multiplex virulence and accessory genes were correlated with BD; these genes encode toxins, adhesion, autotransporters, invasion, and secretion system. A number of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes, such as aminoglycoside, aminocoumarin, macrolide, and fluoroquinolone resistance genes, were prevalent among clinical STEC isolates. Whole-genome phylogeny revealed that O157 and non-O157 STEC isolates evolved from distinct lineages with a few exceptions. Isolates from BD showed more tendency to cluster closely. In conclusion, this study unravels molecular trait of clinical STEC strains and identifies genetic factors associated with severe clinical outcomes, which could contribute to management of STEC infections and disease progression if confirmed by further functional validation.
Acoustic and Language Based Deep Learning Approaches for Alzheimer's Dementia Detection From Spontaneous Speech
Authors: Mahajan Pranav , Baths Veeky
Published: February 2021

Current methods for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's Dementia include structured questionnaires, structured interviews, and various cognitive tests. Language difficulties are a major problem in dementia as linguistic skills break down. Current methods do not provide robust tools to capture the true nature of language deficits in spontaneous speech. Early detection of Alzheimer's Dementia (AD) from spontaneous speech overcomes the limitations of earlier approaches as it is less time consuming, can be done at home, and is relatively inexpensive. In this work, we re-implement the existing NLP methods, which used CNN-LSTM architectures and targeted features from conversational transcripts. Our work sheds light on why the accuracy of these models drops to 72.92% on the ADReSS dataset, whereas, they gave state of the art results on the DementiaBank dataset. Further, we build upon these language input-based recurrent neural networks by devising an end-to-end deep learning-based solution that performs a binary classification of Alzheimer's Dementia from the spontaneous speech of the patients. We utilize the ADReSS dataset for all our implementations and explore the deep learning-based methods of combining acoustic features into a common vector using recurrent units. Our approach of combining acoustic features using the Speech-GRU improves the accuracy by 2% in comparison to acoustic baselines. When further enriched by targeted features, the Speech-GRU performs better than acoustic baselines by 6.25%. We propose a bi-modal approach for AD classification and discuss the merits and opportunities of our approach.
GaborNet Visual Encoding: A Lightweight Region-Based Visual Encoding Model With Good Expressiveness and Biological Interpretability
Authors: Cui Yibo , Qiao Kai , Zhang Chi , Wang Linyuan , Yan Bin , Tong Li
Published: February 2021

Computational visual encoding models play a key role in understanding the stimulus–response characteristics of neuronal populations in the brain visual cortex. However, building such models typically faces challenges in the effective construction of non-linear feature spaces to fit the neuronal responses. In this work, we propose the GaborNet visual encoding (GaborNet-VE) model, a novel end-to-end encoding model for the visual ventral stream. This model comprises a Gabor convolutional layer, two regular convolutional layers, and a fully connected layer. The key design principle for the GaborNet-VE model is to replace regular convolutional kernels in the first convolutional layer with Gabor kernels with learnable parameters. One GaborNet-VE model efficiently and simultaneously encodes all voxels in one region of interest of functional magnetic resonance imaging data. The experimental results show that the proposed model achieves state-of-the-art prediction performance for the primary visual cortex. Moreover, the visualizations demonstrate the regularity of the region of interest fitting to the visual features and the estimated receptive fields. These results suggest that the lightweight region-based GaborNet-VE model based on combining handcrafted and deep learning features exhibits good expressiveness and biological interpretability.
Modeling Circadian Phototransduction: Quantitative Predictions of Psychophysical Data
Authors: Rea Mark S. , Nagare Rohan , Figueiro Mariana G.
Published: February 2021

A revised computational model of circadian phototransduction is presented. The first step was to characterize the spectral sensitivity of the retinal circuit using suppression of the synthesis of melatonin by the pineal gland at night as the outcome measure. From the spectral sensitivity, circadian light was defined. Circadian light, thereby rectifies any spectral power distribution into a single, instantaneous photometric quantity. The second step was to characterize the circuit’s response characteristic to different amounts of circadian light from threshold to saturation. By doing so a more complete instantaneous photometric quantity representing the circadian stimulus was defined in terms of both the spectral sensitivity and the response magnitude characteristic of the circadian phototransduction circuit. To validate the model of the circadian phototransduction circuit, it was necessary to augment the model to account for different durations of the circadian stimulus and distribution of the circadian stimulus across the retina. Two simple modifications to the model accounted for the duration and distribution of continuous light exposure during the early biological night. A companion paper (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2020.615305/full) provides a neurophysiological foundation for the model parameters.
Integrated Analysis Reveals ENDOU as a Biomarker in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Progression
Authors: Xu Chengzhi , Zhang Yunbin , Shen Yupeng , Shi Yong , Zhang Ming , Zhou Liang
Published: February 2021

Background

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a leading cancer with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. The aim is to identify genes with clinical significance by integrated bioinformatics analysis and investigate their function in HNSCC.

Methods

We downloaded and analyzed two gene expression datasets of GSE6631 and GSE107591 to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in HNSCC. Common DEGs were functionally analyzed by Gene ontology and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed with STRING database and Cytoscape. ENDOU was overexpressed in FaDu and Cal-27 cell lines, and cell proliferation and migration capability were evaluated with MTT, scratch and transwell assay. The prognostic performance of ENDOU and expression correlation with tumor infiltrates in HNSCC were validated with TCGA HNSCC datasets.

Results

Ninety-eight genes shared common differential expression in both datasets, with core functions like extracellular matrix organization significantly enriched. 15 genes showed prognostic significance, and COBL and ENDOU serve as independent survival markers in HNSCC. In-vitro ENDOU overexpression inhibited FaDu and Cal-27 cells proliferation and migration, indicating its tumor-suppressing role in HNSCC progression. GSEA analysis indicated ENDOU down-stream pathways like DNA replication, mismatch repair, cell cycle and IL-17 signaling pathway. ENDOU showed relative lower expression in HNSCC, especially HPV-positive HNSCC samples. At last, ENDOU showed negative correlation with tumor purity and tumor infiltrating macrophages, especially M2 macrophages.

Conclusion

This study identified ENDOU as a biomarker with prognostic significance in HNSCC progression.
Cordyceps spp.: A Review on Its Immune-Stimulatory and Other Biological Potentials
Authors: Das Gitishree , Shin Han-Seung , Leyva-Gómez Gerardo , Prado-Audelo María L. Del , Cortes Hernán , Singh Yengkhom Disco , Panda Manasa Kumar , Mishra Abhay Prakash , Nigam Manisha , Saklani Sarla , Chaturi Praveen Kumar , Martorell Miquel , Cruz-Martins Natália , Sharma Vineet , Garg Neha , Sharma Rohit , Patra Jayanta Kumar
Published: February 2021

In recent decades, interest in theCordycepsgenus has amplified due to its immunostimulatory potential.Cordycepsspecies, its extracts, and bioactive constituents have been related with cytokine production such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, phagocytosis stimulation of immune cells, nitric oxide production by increasing inducible nitric oxide synthase activity, and stimulation of inflammatory response via mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Other pharmacological activities like antioxidant, anti-cancer, antihyperlipidemic, anti-diabetic, anti-fatigue, anti-aging, hypocholesterolemic, hypotensive, vasorelaxation, anti-depressant, aphrodisiac, and kidney protection, has been reported in pre-clinical studies. These biological activities are correlated with the bioactive compounds present inCordycepsincluding nucleosides, sterols, flavonoids, cyclic peptides, phenolic, bioxanthracenes, polyketides, and alkaloids, being the cyclic peptides compounds the most studied. An organized review of the existing literature was executed by surveying several databanks like PubMed, Scopus, etc. using keywords likeCordyceps, cordycepin, immune system, immunostimulation, immunomodulatory, pharmacology, anti-cancer, anti-viral, clinical trials, ethnomedicine, pharmacology, phytochemical analysis, and different species names. This review collects and analyzes state-of-the-art about the properties ofCordycepsspecies along with ethnopharmacological properties, application in food, chemical compounds, extraction of bioactive compounds, and various pharmacological properties with a special focus on the stimulatory properties of immunity.
Novel Oxovanadium Complex VO(hntdtsc)(NPIP): Anticancer Activity and Mechanism of Action on HeLa Cells
Authors: Bai Yinliang , Zhang Honghua , Wang Yali , Zhu Longqing , Shi Tao , Wei Hangzhi , Xiao Jiyuan , Zhang Youcheng , Wang Zhen
Published: February 2021

Oxovanadium complexes, particularly vanadyl (IV) derivatives with hybrid ligands of Schiff base and polypyridyl, have been demonstrated to possess great anticancerous therapeutic efficacy. However, most of the studies on the activity of these oxovanadium complexes have mainly focused on in vitro studies, and animal studies in vivo are extremely scarce. Based on the antitumor test results of four novel oxovanadium complexes in our previous work, this work further conducted a comprehensive antitumor activity study in vitro and in vivo on VO(hntdtsc)(NPIP), which owned the strongest inhibitory activity in vitro on multiple tumor cell proliferation. The cellular mechanism study suggested that VO(hntdtsc)(NPIP) inhibited the cell proliferation via arresting the cell cycle at G0/G1 phase through the p16-cyclin D1-CDK4-p-Rb pathway and inducing cell apoptosis through mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis pathway on HeLa cells. Inconsistent with the effects in vitro, VO(hntdtsc)(NPIP) significantly inhibited the growth of tumor and induced the apoptosis of cancer cells in mice xenograft models according to the results of nude mice in vivo image detection, H&E pathological examination, and immunohistochemical detection of p16/Ki-67 protein expression. Collectively, all the results, particularly studies in vivo, demonstrated that VO(hntdtsc)(NPIP) hold a potential to be the lead compound and further to be an anticervical cancer drug.
Preclinical Neuropathic Pain Assessment; the Importance of Translatability and Bidirectional Research
Authors: Fisher Amy S. , Lanigan Michael T. , Upton Neil , Lione Lisa A.
Published: February 2021

For patients suffering with chronic neuropathic pain the need for suitable novel therapies is imperative. Over recent years a contributing factor for the lack of development of new analgesics for neuropathic pain has been the mismatch of primary neuropathic pain assessment endpoints in preclinical vs. clinical trials. Despite continuous forward translation failures across diverse mechanisms, reflexive quantitative sensory testing remains the primary assessment endpoint for neuropathic pain and analgesia in animals. Restricting preclinical evaluation of pain and analgesia to exclusively reflexive outcomes is over simplified and can be argued not clinically relevant due to the continued lack of forward translation and failures in the clinic. The key to developing new analgesic treatments for neuropathic pain therefore lies in the development of clinically relevant endpoints that can translate preclinical animal results to human clinical trials. In this review we discuss this mismatch of primary neuropathic pain assessment endpoints, together with clinical and preclinical evidence that supports how bidirectional research is helping to validate new clinically relevant neuropathic pain assessment endpoints. Ethological behavioral endpoints such as burrowing and facial grimacing and objective measures such as electroencephalography provide improved translatability potential together with currently used quantitative sensory testing endpoints. By tailoring objective and subjective measures of neuropathic pain the translatability of new medicines for patients suffering with neuropathic pain will hopefully be improved.
Early Evaluation of Fearfulness in Future Guide Dogs for Blind People
Authors: Menuge Fanny , Marcet-Rius Míriam , Jochem Muriel , François Orane , Assali Camille , Chabaud Camille , Teruel Eva , Guillemot Justine , Pageat Patrick
Published: February 2021

Fear is the leading cause of guide dog failure. Detecting the nature and causes of these fears as early as possible is the first step in preventing their occurrence. The process of habituation is a fundamental part of fear prevention. In this study, 11 puppies, all five months of age, underwent an emotional reactivity test (ERT) composed of 12 scored items, classified into three categories: unknown person (UP), sound and visual stimuli (SVS), and body sensitivity (BS). Salivary cortisol was also measured. Foster families were asked to complete a questionnaire concerning puppies’ habituation. The physiological data were correlated with UP (r = 0.71) and BS scores (r = 0.67), but not with SVS scores (r = 0.16), suggesting the ability of these dogs to control themselves when faced with the latter stimulus category. Additionally, the more time a puppy spent alone, the more likely it was to be afraid of SVS (p = 0.05). A correlation, albeit moderate, was detected between cortisol and habituation scores (r = 0.48). These results give us interesting avenues to explore, particularly regarding the importance of focusing on early puppy socialization and habituation to improve the numbers of guide dog candidates becoming successful guide dogs.
Muscle Function and Kinematics during Submaximal Equine Jumping: What Can Objective Outcomes Tell Us about Athletic Performance Indicators?
Authors: St. George Lindsay , Clayton Hilary M. , Sinclair Jonathan , Richards James , Roy Serge H. , Hobbs Sarah Jane
Published: February 2021

Selection and training practices for jumping horses have not yet been validated using objective performance analyses. This study aimed to quantify the differences and relationships between movement and muscle activation strategies in horses with varying jump technique to identify objective jumping performance indicators. Surface electromyography (sEMG) and three-dimensional kinematic data were collected from horses executing a submaximal jump. Kinematic variables were calculated based on equestrian-derived performance indicators relating to impulsion, engagement and joint articulation. Horses were grouped using an objective performance indicator—center of mass (CM) elevation during jump suspension (ZCM). Between-group differences in kinematic variables and muscle activation timings, calculated from sEMG data, were analyzed using one-way ANOVA. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) evaluated between-group differences in time and amplitude-normalized sEMG waveforms. Relationships between movement and muscle activation were evaluated using Pearson correlation coefficients. Horses with the greatest ZCM displayed significantly (p < 0.05) shorter gluteal contractions at take-off, which were significantly correlated (p < 0.05) with a faster approach and more rapid hindlimb shortening and CM vertical displacement and velocity, as well as shorter hindlimb stance duration at take-off. Findings provide objective support for prioritizing equestrian-derived performance indicators related to the generation of engagement, impulsion and hindlimb muscle power when selecting or training jumping horses.
Non-Parametric Evaluation Methods of the Brain Activity of a Bottlenose Dolphin during an Assisted Therapy
Authors: Moreno Escobar Jesús Jaime , Morales Matamoros Oswaldo , Aguilar del Villar Erika Yolanda , Tejeida Padilla Ricardo , Lina Reyes Ixchel , Espinoza Zambrano Brenda , Luna Gómez Brandon David , Calderón Morfín Víctor Hugo
Published: February 2021

Dolphin-Assisted Therapies (DAT) are alternative therapies aimed to reduce anxiety levels, stress relief and physical benefits. This paper is focused on measuring and analyzing dolphins brain activity when DAT is taking place in order to identify if there is any differences in female dolphin’s neuronal signal when it is interacting with control or intervention subjects, performing our research in Delfiniti, Ixtapa, Mexico facilities. We designed a wireless and portable electroencephalographic single-channel signal capture sensor to acquire and monitor the brain activity of a female bottle-nose dolphin. This EEG sensor was able to show that dolphin activity at rest is characterized by high spectral power at slow-frequencies bands. When the dolphin participated in DAT, a 23.53% increment in the 12–30 Hz frequency band was observed, but this only occurred for patients with some disease or disorder, given that 0.5–4 Hz band keeps it at 17.91% when there is a control patient. Regarding the fractal or Self-Affine Analysis, we found for all samples studied that at the beginning the dolphin’s brain activity behaved as a self-affine fractal described by a power-law until the fluctuations of voltage reached the crossovers, and after the crossovers these fluctuations left this scaling behavior. Hence, our findings validate the hypothesis that the participation in a DAT of a Patient with a certain disease or disorder modifies the usual behavior of a female bottle-nose dolphin.
Controversy about the Role of Rifampin in Biofilm Infections: Is It Justified?
Authors: Renz Nora , Trampuz Andrej , Zimmerli Werner
Published: February 2021

Rifampin is a potent antibiotic against staphylococcal implant-associated infections. In the absence of implants, current data suggest against the use of rifampin combinations. In the past decades, abundant preclinical and clinical evidence has accumulated supporting its role in biofilm-related infections.In the present article, experimental data from animal models of foreign-body infections and clinical trials are reviewed. The risk for emergence of rifampin resistance and multiple drug interactions are emphasized. A recent randomized controlled trial (RCT) showing no beneficial effect of rifampin in patients with acute staphylococcal periprosthetic joint infection treated with prosthesis retention is critically reviewed and data interpreted. Given the existing strong evidence demonstrating the benefit of rifampin, the conduction of an adequately powered RCT with appropriate definitions and interventions would probably not comply with ethical standards.
Fluoride Ion Release Characteristics of Fluoride-Containing Varnishes—An In Vitro Study
Authors: Chhatwani Sachin , Hoppe Jennifer , Naumova Ella A. , Arnold Wolfgang H. , Möhlhenrich Stephan C. , Bizhang Mozhgan , Danesh Gholamreza
Published: February 2021

Despite the latest advances in orthodontic treatment, white spot lesions remain a common side effect of fixed appliance therapy. An effective treatment for the prevention of white spot lesions is the use of fluoride-containing products. The aim of the present in vitro study was to check the durability of the tested products for their fluoride release into the surrounding solution. Three varnishes (Protecto CaF2 Nano one-step seal, Bifluorid 12 single dose, and Fluor Protector S) were applied to hydroxyapatite discs and kept in diluted Total Ionic Strength Adjustment Buffer III (TISAB III) solution for fluoride ion release measurement. A group of clear hydroxyapatite discs served as the control group. The carrier discs (N = 40) underwent three thermal cycling runs for 20 days. Before the first run and after each run, the fluoride ion concentration in the solution was measured at appointed times (T) T0, T1, T2, and T3. Fluoride ion release was highest at T1 for all products (median values for Protecto CaF2 Nano one-step seal: 0.09 ppm, Bifluorid 12 single dose: 37.67 ppm, and Fluor Protector S: 3.36 ppm) except for the control group, showing its peak at T0 (0.04 ppm). There was a significant difference between the tested fluoride varnishes at all measurement times. Bifluorid 12 achieved significantly higher fluoride release values than the other products (p < 0.05 at all measurement times). A solitary product application of only once or twice per year, as stated by the manufacturers, cannot be supported.
Emissions Reduction of Greenhouse Gases, Ozone Precursors, Aerosols and Acidifying Gases from Road Transportation during the COVID-19 Lockdown in Colombia
Authors: Camargo-Caicedo Yiniva , Mantilla-Romo Laura C. , Bolaño-Ortiz Tomás R.
Published: February 2021

The aim of this work was to analyze the changes in the emissions from the transport sector during the COVID-19 lockdown in Colombia. We compared estimated emissions from road transportation of four groups of pollutants, namely, greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, N2O), ozone precursor gases (CO, NMVOC, NOx), aerosols (BC, PM2.5, PM10), and acidifying gases (NH3, SO2), during the first half of 2020 with values obtained in the same period of 2018. The estimate of emissions from road transportation was determined using a standardized methodology consistent with the 2006 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories and the European Environment Agency/European Monitoring and Evaluation Program. We found a substantial reduction in GHG emissions for CH4, N2O, and CO2 by 17%, 21%, and 28%, respectively. The ozone precursors CO and NMVOC presented a decrease of 21% and 22%, respectively, while NOx emissions were reduced up to 15% for the study period. In addition, BC decreased 15%, and there was a reduction of 17% for both PM10 and PM2.5 emissions. Finally, acidifying gases presented negative variations of 19% for SO2 and 23% for NH3 emissions. Furthermore, these results were consistent with the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) satellite observations and measurements at air quality stations. Our results suggest that the largest decreases were due to the reduction in the burning of gasoline and diesel oil from the transport sector during the COVID-19 lockdown. These results can serve decision makers in adopting strategies to improve air quality related to the analyzed sector.
Thermal Conductivity Calculations for Nanoparticles Embedded in a Base Fluid
Authors: Mamand Soran M.
Published: February 2021

The Prasher analytical model was used for calculating the thermal conductivity of the embedded nanoparticles of Al2O3, CuO, ZnO, and SiO2 in conventional fluids, such as water and ethylene glycol. The values that were obtained were used in the nanofluid theoretical models for comparison with experimental data, where good agreement was obtained. Liang and Li’s theoretical model was also used to calculate the thermal conductivity of these nanoparticles, where the results agreed with those obtained using the Prasher model. The effect of the liquid nanolayer thickness around the nanoparticles that was used to enhance the effective thermal conductivity of nanofluids was explained. The role of the nanoparticles’ surface specularity parameter, which was size-dependent, was clarified. This theoretical trend provides a simple method for estimating the thermal conductivity of nanoparticles and nanofluids.
Application of Broadband Microwave Near-Field Sensors for Glucose Monitoring in Biological Media
Authors: Zapasnoy Andrey S. , Belichenko Victor P. , Yakubov Vladimir P. , Gorst Aleksandr V. , Mironchev Aleksandr S. , Klokov Andrey V. , Zavyalova Ksenya V.
Published: February 2021

The paper presents results of numerical simulation and experimental testing of a microwave sensor for non-invasive glucose monitoring. The sensor represents a conical horn with a conical conductor inside expanding toward the horn aperture. Such a sensor has a significantly wider passband in comparison with sensors of other designs. It is essential that the sensor geometry provides formation of an extended near-field zone with high electric field strength near the sensor aperture. A clear relationship between the dielectric permittivity of the phantom biological tissue and the frequency dependence of the parameter S11 of the sensor is observed at frequencies in the range from 1.4 to 1.7 GHz. This circumstance can be used to develop a procedure for measuring the glucose level in blood that correlates with the parameter S11 of the sensor. From the viewpoint of monitoring of the glucose content in blood, the most convenient body sensor location is on the hands or feet, in particular, wrists.
Predicting the Safety Climate in Construction Sites of Saudi Arabia: A Bootstrapped Multiple Ordinal Logistic Regression Modeling Approach
Authors: Makki Anas A. , Mosly Ibrahim
Published: February 2021

Construction site accidents can be reduced through proactive steps using prediction models developed based on factors that influence the safety climate. In this study, a prediction model of the safety climate observed by construction site personnel in Saudi Arabia was developed, identifying a set of significant safety climate predictors. The model was built with data collected from 401 active construction site personnel using a bootstrapped multiple ordinal logistic regression model. The model revealed five significant predictors: supervision, guidance, and inspection; social security and health insurance; management’s commitment to safety; management’s safety justice; and coworker influence. The model can correctly predict 67% of the safety evaluations. The identified predictors present proof of the importance of safety support, commitment, and interaction in construction sites and their influence on the perceived evaluations of the safety climate by personnel. Moreover, the prediction model can help construction industry decision makers, safety policy designers, government agencies, and stakeholders to estimate the safety climate and assess the current situation. Furthermore, the model can help form a better understanding and determine areas of improvement, which can translate into higher safety performance levels.
Review of IAQ in Premises Equipped with Façade–Ventilation Systems
Authors: Zender-Świercz Ewa
Published: February 2021

Poor indoor air quality affects the health of the occupants of a given structure or building. It reduces the effectiveness of learning and work efficiency. Among many pollutants, PM 2.5 and 10 dusts are extremely important. They can be eliminated using mechanical ventilation equipped with filters. Façade ventilation devices are used as a way to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) in existing buildings. For their analysis, researchers used carbon dioxide as a tracer gas. They have shown that façade ventilation devices are an effective way to improve IAQ, but require further analysis due to the sensitivity of façade ventilation devices to the effects of wind and outdoor temperature. In addition, legal regulations in some countries require verification in order to enable the use of this type of solution as a way to improve IAQ in an era characterised by the effort to transform buildings into passive houses (standard for energy efficiency in a building).
Impact of Residual Water Vapor on the Simultaneous Measurements of Trace CH4 and N2O in Air with Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy
Authors: Wei Qianhe , Li Bincheng , Wang Jing , Zhao Binxing , Yang Ping
Published: February 2021

Methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are among the most important atmospheric greenhouse gases. A gas sensor based on a tunable 7.6 μm continuous-wave external-cavity mode-hop-free (EC-MHF) quantum cascade laser (from 1290 to 1350 cm−1) cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) technique was developed for the simultaneous detection of CH4 and N2O in ambient air with water vapor (H2O) mostly removed via molecular sieve drying to minimize the impact of H2O on the simultaneous measurements. Still, due to the broad and strong absorption spectrum of H2O in the entire mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectral range, residual H2O in the dried ambient air due to incomplete drying and leakage, if not properly accounted for, could cause a significant influence on the measurement accuracy of the simultaneous CH4 and N2O detection. In this paper, the impact of residual H2O on the simultaneous CH4 and N2O measurements were analyzed by comparing the CH4 and N2O concentrations determined from the measured spectrum in the spectral range from 1311 to 1312.1 cm−1 via simultaneous CH4 and N2O measurements and that determined from the measured spectrum in the spectral range from 1311 to 1313 cm−1 via simultaneous CH4, N2O, and H2O measurements. The measured dependence of CH4 and N2O concentration errors on the simultaneously determined H2O concentration indicated that the residual H2O caused an under-estimation of CH4 concentration and over-estimation of N2O concentration. The H2O induced CH4 and N2O concentration errors were approximately linearly proportional to the residual H2O concentration. For the measurement of air flowing at 3 L per min, the residual H2O concentration was stabilized to approximately 14 ppmv, and the corresponding H2O induced errors were −1.3 ppbv for CH4 and 3.7 ppbv for N2O, respectively.
Maximum Ionization in Restricted and Unrestricted Hartree-Fock Theory
Authors: Cox Hazel , Melgaard Michael , Syrjanen Ville J. J.
Published: February 2021

In this paper, we investigate the maximum number of electrons that can be bound to a system of nuclei modelled by Hartree-Fock theory. We consider both the Restricted and Unrestricted Hartree-Fock models. We are taking a non-existence approach (necessary but not sufficient), in other words we are finding an upper bound on the maximum number of electrons. In giving a detailed account of the proof of Lieb’s bound [Theorem 1, Phys. Rev. A 29 (1984), 3018] for the Hartree-Fock models we establish several new auxiliary results, furthermore we propose a condition that, if satisfied, will give an improved upper bound on the maximum number of electrons within the Restricted Hartree-Fock model. For two-electron atoms we show that the latter condition holds.
A Deep Classifier for Upper-Limbs Motor Anticipation Tasks in an Online BCI Setting
Authors: Valenti Andrea , Barsotti Michele , Bacciu Davide , Ascari Luca
Published: February 2021

Decoding motor intentions from non-invasive brain activity monitoring is one of the most challenging aspects in the Brain Computer Interface (BCI) field. This is especially true in online settings, where classification must be performed in real-time, contextually with the user’s movements. In this work, we use a topology-preserving input representation, which is fed to a novel combination of 3D-convolutional and recurrent deep neural networks, capable of performing multi-class continual classification of subjects’ movement intentions. Our model is able to achieve a higher accuracy than a related state-of-the-art model from literature, despite being trained in a much more restrictive setting and using only a simple form of input signal preprocessing. The results suggest that deep learning models are well suited for deployment in challenging real-time BCI applications such as movement intention recognition.
Study of the Cluster Thinning Grape as a Source of Phenolic Compounds and Evaluation of Its Antioxidant Potential
Authors: Carmona-Jiménez Yolanda , Palma Miguel , Guillén-Sánchez Dominico A. , García-Moreno M. Valme
Published: February 2021

Thinning is a common viticulture practice in warm climates, and it is applied to increase the quality of the harvest. Thinning clusters are usually discarded, and they are considered another oenological industry waste. To valorize this by-product, the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of three red varieties (Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah), thinned at three different times between veraison and harvest, were studied: the first at the beginning of the veraison stage, in a low ripening stage; the second in an intermediate ripening stage; and, finally, the third sampling in the highest ripening stage. These by-products showed high values of total phenolic contents (10.66–11.75 mg gallic acid equivalent/g), which is of the same order as or even higher than that found in grape pomace. In thinned grape were identified 24 phenolic compounds, being the flavan-3-ols (catechin and epicatechin) of particular interest, with mean contents ranging from 105.1 to 516.4 mg/kg of thinned grape. Antioxidant activity similar to that of the vintage grape was found. It is concluded that thinned grape is a good source of phenolic compounds. Its content does not depend mainly on the grape variety; however, it has been possible to establish differences based on the maturity stage of the thinning grapes: the intermediate ripeness stage, with a Brix degree in the range of 15–16 for this area, would be the optimum collection time for cluster thinning. In this intermediate ripeness stage, thinning grapes present a higher antioxidant activity and there is also appreciable anthocyanin content, which is not found for the lowest ripeness stage, since these samples present an intermediate composition in all the families of determined phenolic compounds: anthocyanins, flavonols, flavan-3-ols, cinnamic acids, and benzoic acids. It is important to note that the experiments in this study have been carried out with whole tinned grapes, without separating the skin or the seeds.
In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of 99mTc-Polymyxin B for Specific Targeting of Gram-Bacteria
Authors: Auletta Sveva , Galli Filippo , Varani Michela , Campagna Giuseppe , Conserva Martina , Martinelli Daniela , Santino Iolanda , Signore Alberto
Published: February 2021

Background: Infectious diseases are one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Nuclear molecular imaging would be of great help to non-invasively discriminate between septic and sterile inflammation through available radiopharmaceuticals, as none is currently available for clinical practice. Here, we describe the radiolabeling procedure and in vitro and in vivo studies of 99mTc-polymyxin B sulfate (PMB) as a new single photon emission imaging agent for the characterization of infections due to Gram-negative bacteria. Results: Labeling efficiency was 97 ± 2% with an average molar activity of 29.5 ± 0.6 MBq/nmol. The product was highly stable in saline and serum up to 6 h. In vitro binding assay showed significant displaceable binding to Gram-negative bacteria but not to Gram-positive controls. In mice, 99mTc-HYNIC-PMB was mainly taken up by liver and kidneys. Targeting studies confirmed the specificity of 99mTc-HYNIC-PMB obtained in vitro, showing significantly higher T/B ratios for Gram-negative bacteria than Gram-positive controls. Conclusions: In vitro and in vivo results suggest that 99mTc-HYNIC-PMB has a potential for in vivo identification of Gram-negative bacteria in patients with infections of unknown etiology. However, further investigations are needed to deeply understand the mechanism of action and behavior of 99mTc-HYNIC-PMB in other animal models and in humans.
Anatomical Location of the Vestibulocerebellar Tract in the Healthy Human Brain: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study
Authors: Park Seo Yoon , Yeo Sang Seok , Jang Sung Ho , Cho In Hee
Published: February 2021

The vestibulocerebellar tract (VCT) is regarded as an important pathway of the central vestibular system. We identified the anatomical characteristics of the primary and secondary VCTs in a normal human brain using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography. Thirty-one healthy adults were recruited. A 1.5 T scanner was used for DTI tractography. A seed region of interest (ROI) was placed on the superior and medial vestibular nuclei at the pons level and a target ROI was placed on the uvula–nodulus of the cerebellum for reconstructing the primary VCT. In the secondary VCTs, the seed ROI was placed on the inferior and medial vestibular nuclei at the medulla oblongata level, and target ROIs were placed on the bilateral uvula–nodulus of the cerebellum. The primary VCT originated from the superior and medial vestibular nuclei at the pons level and terminated at the ipsilateral uvula–nodulus of the cerebellum. The component of the secondary VCTs originated from the inferior and medial vestibular nuclei at the level of the medulla oblongata and terminated at the bilateral uvula–nodulus of the cerebellum. Among them, 70.97% in the contralateral secondary VCT crossed at the vermis of the cerebellum. In addition, the fractional anisotropies (FAs) and mean diffusivity (MD) values of the primary VCT were significantly higher and lower, respectively, compared to those of the secondary VCTs (p < 0.05). The contralateral secondary VCT was significantly higher and lower in the MD and tract volume, respectively (p < 0.05), compared to the ipsilateral VCT. Therefore, we believe that the results will be useful for future studies of the vestibular projection pathway in the human brain injury aspect of central vestibular syndrome.
Reliability and Validity of the Six Spot Step Test in People with Intellectual Disability
Authors: Reguera-García María Mercedes , Leirós-Rodríguez Raquel , Fernández-Baro Eva , Álvarez-Barrio Lorena
Published: February 2021

Clinical tests for the evaluation of balance in people with intellectual disability that have been most commonly used depend on the subjective evaluation of the evaluator, easily reach the ceiling effect and are poorly sensitive to small changes; but new tests have been developed, such as the Six Spot Step Test. The aim of this study was to determine the validity and within-day and day-to-day test–retest reliability of the Six Spot Step Test in people with intellectual disability. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 18 people with intellectual disability. The participants conducted the Six Spot Step Test three times and a set of five clinical tests for the balance assessment. The relative reliability was excellent (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) = 0.86 − 0.97), and the absolute reliability ranged between 4.7% and 7.3% for coefficient variation and between 0.6 and 1.2 for the standard error of measurement. Linear regression models showed that that test can explain the results of the Timed Up & Go, Four Square Step Test and the Berg Balance Scale. The Six Spot Step Test proved to be as valid and reliable for the evaluation of dynamic balance in people with intellectual disability as the most frequently used tests for the clinical evaluation of postural control.
Carbon-Based Nanomaterials for Delivery of Biologicals and Therapeutics: A Cutting-Edge Technology
Authors: Mahor Alok , Singh Prem Prakash , Bharadwaj Peeyush , Sharma Neeraj , Yadav Surabhi , Rosenholm Jessica M. , Bansal Kuldeep K.
Published: February 2021

After hydrogen and oxygen, carbon is the third most abundant component present in the cosmos with excellent characteristic features of binding to itself and nearly all elements. Since ancient times, carbon-based materials such as graphite, charcoal, and carbon black have been utilized for writing and drawing materials. As these materials possess excellent chemical, mechanical, electrical, and thermal features, they have been readily engineered into carbon-based nanomaterials (CNMs) such as carbon nanotubes, graphene oxide, graphene quantum dots, nanodiamonds, fullerenes, carbon nano-onions, and so forth. These materials are now widely explored in biomedical applications. Thus, the emergence of CNMs has opened up a gateway for the detection, delivery, and treatment of a multitude of diseases. They are being actively researched for applications within tissue engineering, as vaccine vectors, and for the delivery of therapeutics to the immune system. This review focuses on the recent advances in various types of CNMs, their fabrication techniques, and their application in the delivery of therapeutics both in vitro and in vivo. The review also focuses on the toxicity concern of the CNMs and the possible remedies to tackle the toxicity issues. Concluding remarks emphasize all the CNMs discussed in the review over their possible biomedical applications, while the future perspectives section discusses the approaches to bring CNMs into the mainstream of clinical trials and their therapeutic applications.
Survival Benefit of Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy over Sorafenib in the Treatment of Locally Progressed Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Iwamoto Hideki , Niizeki Takashi , Nagamatsu Hiroaki , Ueshima Kazuomi , Nomura Takako , Kuzuya Teiji , Kasai Kazuhiro , Kooka Yohei , Hiraoka Atsushi , Sugimoto Rie , Yonezawa Takehiro , Ishihara Akio , Deguchi Akihiro , Arai Hirotaka , Shimose Shigeo , Shirono Tomotake , Nakano Masahito , Okamura Shusuke , Noda Yu , Kamachi Naoki , Sakai Miwa , Suzuki Hiroyuki , Aino Hajime , Matsukuma Norito , Matsugaki Satoru , Ogata Kei , Yano Yoichi , Ueno Takato , Kajiwara Masahiko , Itano Satoshi , Fukuizumi Kunitaka , Kawano Hiroshi , Noguchi Kazunori , Tanaka Masatoshi , Yamaguchi Taizo , Kuromatsu Ryoko , Kawaguchi Atsushi , Koga Hironori , Torimura Takuji ,   New FP Study Group,   Kurume Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan
Published: February 2021

BACKROUND: Not all patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) benefit from treatment with molecular targeted agents such as sorafenib. We investigated whether New-FP (fine-powder cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil), a hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy regimen, is more favorable than sorafenib as an initial treatment for locally progressed HCC. METHODS: To avoid selection bias, we corrected the data from different facilities that did or did not perform New-FP therapy. In total, 1709 consecutive patients with HCC initially treated with New-FP or sorafenib; 1624 (New-FP, n = 644; sorafenib n = 980) were assessed. After propensity score matching (PSM), overall survival (OS) and prognostic factors were assessed (n = 344 each). Additionally, the patients were categorized into four groups: cohort-1 [(without macrovascular invasion (MVI) and extrahepatic spread (EHS)], cohort-2 (with MVI), cohort-3 (with EHS), and cohort-4 (with MVI and EHS) to clarify the efficacy of each treatment. RESULTS: New-FP prolonged OS than sorafenib after PSM (New-FP, 12 months; sorafenib, 7.9 months; p < 0.001). Sorafenib treatment, and severe MVI and EHS were poor prognostic factors. In the subgroup analyses, the OS was significantly longer the New-FP group in cohort-2. CONCLUSIONS: Local treatment using New-FP is a potentially superior initial treatment compared with sorafenib as a multidisciplinary treatment in locally progressed HCC without EHS.