bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Review of the National Family Health Survey Data in Addressing India’s Maternal Health Situation
Authors: Raj Papia , Gupta Nilanjana
Published: October 2022

Objective: This study aims to understand the trend of research conducted on issues of maternal health in India considering data provided in five rounds of National Family Health Survey (NFHS).

Methods: Systematic review of literature has been conducted using multi-stage search and review process adapted from Page et al.’s (2021) PRISMA. Initially 14,570 studies were identified and only 134 articles meeting selection criterion were considered in this study.

Results: Approximately 32% studies have focused on regional and state variation of maternal health status; while 27% dealt with utilization of maternal healthcare services; and 19% the socio-economic determinants of maternal health. While few studies have discussed the place of delivery, antenatal care and post-natal care visits, only five studies focus on issues related to women’s autonomy, including their health-seeking behaviour, knowledge, attitude and practices related to maternal health.

Conclusion: Non-communicable diseases and its role in maternal health still remains an unexplored domain of research on maternal health in India. Moreover, there exists geographical skewness in the number of studies conducted, focusing especially on few provinces while none on few others.
Dinámica científica de software de código abierto en países de habla hispana: estadísticas para la bibliometría
Authors: Espinoza-Mina Marcos Antonio , Colina-Vargas Alejandra Mercedes
Published: October 2022

El software de código abierto está ganando espacio, junto con su cultura y filosofía, se lo usa en algunos casos sin percibir que está presente, como es el caso de Mozilla Firefox, Chromium, el sistema operativo Linux o su derivado Android. Por otra parte, hoy en día, la bibliometría cobra mucha importancia, puesto que, constituye una poderosa herramienta, que influencia en las deliberaciones hechas por académicos o la sociedad en general sobre algún tema tratado. En los últimos años, el uso de software de código abierto se ha desarrollado rápidamente en todo el mundo; sin embargo, no se ha encontrado algún consolidado de los temas relacionados de software de código abierto en la producción científica. El objetivo de este estudio fue explorar las dimensiones y tendencias relacionadas con el software de código abierto en países de habla hispana para la identificación de logros importantes y campos de investigación principales con referencia a este tema. Se realizaron cálculos con los datos extraídos utilizando el lenguaje de programación R para el análisis estadístico, junto al paquete Bibliometrix para determinar variables cienciométrícas; mientras que, el enfoque visual bibliométrico se lo realizó utilizando VOSviewer. Los resultados indican que la investigación relacionada con el software de código abierto en los países de habla hispana ha evolucionado en los últimos años. Muestran cómo las realidades en la producción científica son diferentes, variadas y con un carácter multidisciplinario, pudiendo este tema desempeñar un papel crucial en el desarrollo de estas otras disciplinas.
YouTube, Instagram, entornos educativos emergentes en tiempos de teleducación y aprendizaje colaborativo
Authors: Guerrero-Martínez Sandra Fabiola , Martínez-Castillo María Fernanda
Published: October 2022

La sociedad actual se diferencia significativamente por la comunicación multidireccional, la que permite que, los ciudadanos puedan usar los medios, producir con ellos e implicarse con nuevos modelos de participación, convivencia y educación. Lo anterior, hace que surja la pregunta: ¿Cómo se da el uso de redes sociales como entornos emergentes de aprendizaje colaborativo, en tiempos de teleducación? En este primer estudio, con estudiantes y maestros de bachillerato en la ciudad de Guayaquil (Ecuador), se halló que el uso de las redes o plataformas sociales como YouTube e Instagram, ahora son utilizadas como herramientas que apoyan la gestión de la enseñanza-aprendizaje de los profesores y estudiantes. La investigación tuvo un enfoque mixto, exploratorio-descriptivo. Las técnicas utilizadas fueron encuestas y grupos focales, con sus respectivos instrumentos, sus respuestas sirvieron para triangular la información obtenida. El contexto se sitúa con estudiantes de 15 a 20 años y maestros de materias varias, de II y III de bachillerato del año lectivo 2021-2022, a partir del uso de redes sociales como entornos virtuales de aprendizaje (EVA). Estos sujetos de estudio pertenecen a la categorización en la estratificación del nivel socioeconómico C- y D. Los resultados hallados, dejan en evidencia que existe una tendencia en la compartición y creación de contenido por parte de docentes y estudiantes, sobre todo, mediado por las redes sociales YouTube e Instagram, dándole una nueva función a estos recursos en su uso para lograr aprendizaje sustentables y sostenibles (satisfactorios).
Empleo, pérdidas y tributación en el contexto Covid-19 en las pequeñas empresas de Quito, periodo 2019-2021
Authors: Balarezo-Noboa Mauricio Alberto , Cumbal-Flores Héctor Silvio , Vaca-Sandoval Gladys Umbelina , Villamarín-Granja María Yolanda
Published: October 2022

Las medidas adoptadas por el gobierno en el ámbito COVID-19 dejaron huella en los indicadores socioeconómicos a nivel nacional. Las empresas implementaron estrategias para mantenerse activas en el mercado. Es necesario indagar acerca de las afectaciones de estas medidas para favorecer la reactivación económica. El propósito de este estudio fue reconocer los aspectos que afectaron la gestión empresarial de las pequeñas empresas de Quito en época de pandemia, específicamente, analizar los indicadores que den cuenta de la situación del empleo, resultado financiero y su aporte en las arcas fiscales. Se utilizó el método exploratorio con enfoque descriptivo - analítico, comparando los periodos 2019, 2020 y 2021, se revisaron estudios referentes a las incidencias que ha tenido la pandemia en otras latitudes de la región, se utilizó también, la base de datos de la Superintendencia de Compañías del Ecuador que contiene información societaria reportada en estos años, teniendo como resultados relevantes: para el año 2021 se incrementó el número de pequeñas empresas, en 61, al cierre de este mismo año el número de empleados se incrementó en un equivale al 5,61% de los empleados que perdieron su trabajo en el periodo anterior, la recaudación tributaria aumentó en una proporción del 1,75%. En conclusión, la flexibilidad para acceder a fuentes de financiamiento ayudan a formar nuevas empresas pero las condiciones del mercado no favorecieron su desempeño comercial, los aspectos socioeconómicos debilitados no han sido remediados. La estrategia para lograr una gestión eficiente de las pequeñas empresas de Quito es un aspecto a investigar.
A Longitudinal Study of Brazilian Food Production Dynamics
Authors: Mores Giana de Vargas , Dewes Homero , Talamini Edson , Vieira-Filho José Eustáquio Ribeiro , Casagranda Yasmin Gomes , Malafaia Guilherme Cunha , Costa Carlos , Spanhol-Finocchio Caroline Pauletto , Zhang Debin
Published: October 2022

Brazil is among the world’s leading food producers and exporters. The opportunity arose to examine and analyse dynamics of spatiotemporal of major agricultural crop and animal commodities within Brazil. An investigation was carried out on shifts in distribution density across Brazil’s different agricultural production regions between 1990 and 2015. This focused mainly on the midwest region, Brazil’s main agricultural frontier in the 21st century. This process enabled an analysis of the potential areas for maintenance and expansion of food supply chains and confirmed an increase in agricultural production in country’s central region. Geographical transformations were noted in the midwest region’s interior and its frontier with the Amazon biome. Over the study period, geographical midpoints of some key agricultural commodities (e.g., soybean, maize) and beef cattle production shifted towards the midwest’s interior, whereas milk, poultry, and pork production shifted southward. A vital issue in discussing contemporary rural areas, agricultural food production is tied to the quality of life, food supply, distribution, and consumption, as well as social, economic, and spatial inequalities. The development of science and technology applied to agriculture has implications regarding production growth and innovation targeted toward guaranteeing sustainable long-term production.
Synergetic Effect of Different Plant Growth Regulators on Micropropagation of Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) by Callogenesis
Authors: Saleem Yasmeen , Emad Muhammad Zaka , Ali Aamir , Naz Shagufta
Published: October 2022

The response of different plant growth regulators on callus induction and regeneration on three sugarcane genotypes (YT-53, CP-77-400, and NSG-59) was evaluated. Different concentrations of 2,4-D alone and in combination with other plant growth regulators (Kinetin and BAP) were used for callus induction. Kinetin along with IBA, BAP and NAA were analyzed with respect to shoot induction, while NAA and IBA were used for root induction. The best callus response in terms of number of days, callus fresh weight, and frequency in YT-53 was observed on MS media provided with 2,4-D (3 mg L−1) + Kinetin (0.5 mg L−1), while in NSG-59 the best response was on MS+2,4-D (4 mg L−1) + Kinetin (0.5 mg L−1), and in CP-77400, MS+2,4-D (5 mg L−1). For shoot induction, 2 mg L−1 Kinetin was found to be the best for YT-53 and NSG-59, while 1 mg L−1 BAP was found to be the best for CP-77-400 in terms of number of days, shoot numbers, and shoot length. The best media for root induction in terms of number of days, root numbers, and root length was 1 mg L−1 NAA + 1 mg L−1 IBA for YT-53, while this was 3 mg L−1 NAA for NSG-59. The highest root frequency and maximum root length in the minimum number of days was observed in CP-77-400 on MS media provided with 2 mg L−1 NAA.
Failure Behaviour of Jointed Rock Masses with 3D Nonpenetrating Joints under Uniaxial Compression: Insights from Discrete Element Method Modelling
Authors: Cao Rihong , Dai Hua , Yao Rubing , Lin Hang , Li Kaihui
Published: October 2022

It is well known that joints or fissures have an important effect on the failure mechanism of natural rocks. Previously, many numerical and experimental papers have been carried out to study the strength anisotropy and failure characteristics of jointed rocks. However, few studies have been carried out on the failure mechanism of nonpersistent jointed rock masses with different persistence, especially for nonpersistent joints in three dimensions. In the present study, the failure characteristics of a 3D nonpersistent jointed rock mass with different inclinations (θ) and persistence (K) are studied by numerical simulation. For the 3D digital elevation model (DEM), the linear parallel bond model (LPBM) and smooth-joint model (S-J) were used to model the rock-like material and joint interface, respectively. The connections between the geometric parameters of joints and peak strength are revealed. For the peak strength, the joint persistence only plays a minor role in specimens with inclinations of 0° and 90°, and its influence on strength is mainly reflected in the specimens with shear failure (θ = 45°, 60°, and 75°). Based on microcrack accumulation and evolution, four typical failure processes (shear failure, split failure, mixed failure, and intact failure) are analysed from the micro perspective. The shear stress evolution process on the 3D nonpersistent joint of the specimen with different inclinations under K1 = 0.42 was monitored by the measurement circle, and it was found that the distribution of shear stress inside the rock bridge is related to the failure mode of the specimen. For the specimens with θ = 0° and 90°, the shear stress had little change, indicating that there is slight shear slip behaviour on the joint surface. When the inclination is 45°, 60°, and 75°, the shear stress changes obviously during loading, indicating that the shear action is strong in this failure mode.
MyoD-Induced Trans-Differentiation: A Paradigm for Dissecting the Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Commitment, Differentiation and Reprogramming
Authors: Battistelli Cecilia , Garbo Sabrina , Maione Rossella
Published: October 2022

The discovery of the skeletal muscle-specific transcription factor MyoD represents a milestone in the field of transcriptional regulation during differentiation and cell-fate reprogramming. MyoD was the first tissue-specific factor found capable of converting non-muscle somatic cells into skeletal muscle cells. A unique feature of MyoD, with respect to other lineage-specific factors able to drive trans-differentiation processes, is its ability to dramatically change the cell fate even when expressed alone. The present review will outline the molecular strategies by which MyoD reprograms the transcriptional regulation of the cell of origin during the myogenic conversion, focusing on the activation and coordination of a complex network of co-factors and epigenetic mechanisms. Some molecular roadblocks, found to restrain MyoD-dependent trans-differentiation, and the possible ways for overcoming these barriers, will also be discussed. Indeed, they are of critical importance not only to expand our knowledge of basic muscle biology but also to improve the generation skeletal muscle cells for translational research.
Prediction of Lung Nodule Progression with an Uncertainty-Aware Hierarchical Probabilistic Network
Authors: Rafael-Palou Xavier , Aubanell Anton , Ceresa Mario , Ribas Vicent , Piella Gemma , Ballester Miguel A. González
Published: October 2022

Predicting whether a lung nodule will grow, remain stable or regress over time, especially early in its follow-up, would help doctors prescribe personalized treatments and better surgical planning. However, the multifactorial nature of lung tumour progression hampers the identification of growth patterns. In this work, we propose a deep hierarchical generative and probabilistic network that, given an initial image of the nodule, predicts whether it will grow, quantifies its future size and provides its expected semantic appearance at a future time. Unlike previous solutions, our approach also estimates the uncertainty in the predictions from the intrinsic noise in medical images and the inter-observer variability in the annotations. The evaluation of this method on an independent test set reported a future tumour growth size mean absolute error of 1.74 mm, a nodule segmentation Dice’s coefficient of 78% and a tumour growth accuracy of 84% on predictions made up to 24 months ahead. Due to the lack of similar methods for providing future lung tumour growth predictions, along with their associated uncertainty, we adapted equivalent deterministic and alternative generative networks (i.e., probabilistic U-Net, Bayesian test dropout and Pix2Pix). Our method outperformed all these methods, corroborating the adequacy of our approach.
Prosthetic Knee Joint Infection Due to Candida lusitaniae: A Diagnostic and Therapeutic Odyssey: A Case Study
Authors: Giovanoulis Vasileios , Vasiliadis Angelo V. , Koutserimpas Christos , Samonis George , Batailler Cécile , Ferry Tristan , Lustig Sébastien
Published: October 2022

Prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) caused by fungi, although relatively rare, represent a major surgery-related complication. An extremely rare fungal PJI, following revised total knee replacement (TKR) caused by Candida lusitaniae, is reported, and a meticulous review of similar cases is provided. A 74-year-old female, who underwent primary total knee arthroplasty 10 years ago and a revision surgery three weeks ago, presented with signs and symptoms of PJI. C. lusitaniae was eventually isolated from the periprosthetic tissue using the MALDI-TOF VitekMS–bioMérieux technique. Multiple strategies for managing this fungal PJI were performed, and finally, the patient was treated successfully with an intramedullary arthrodesis system and proper antifungal treatment, including fluconazole. A multidisciplinary approach is essential for the diagnosis and treatment of such severe infections. In persistent cases and in cases where revision surgery is extremely difficult to perform, arthrodesis seems to be an effective solution for the elimination of the infection. The efficacy of the therapeutic management of fungal PJIs remains unclear. Therefore, more research should be reported, focusing on proper treatment so that the optimal strategy in treating these severe infections may be established.
Evaluation of Hyperparameter Combinations of the U-Net Model for Land Cover Classification
Authors: Lee Yongkyu , Sim Woodam , Park Jeongmook , Lee Jungsoo
Published: October 2022

The aim of this study was to select the optimal deep learning model for land cover classification through hyperparameter adjustment. A U-Net model with encoder and decoder structures was used as the deep learning model, and RapidEye satellite images and a sub-divided land cover map provided by the Ministry of Environment were used as the training dataset and label images, respectively. According to different combinations of hyperparameters, including the size of the input image, the configuration of convolutional layers, the kernel size, and the number of pooling and up-convolutional layers, 90 deep learning models were built, and the model performance was evaluated through the training accuracy and loss, as well as the validation accuracy and loss values. The evaluation results showed that the accuracy was higher with a smaller image size and a smaller kernel size, and was more dependent on the convolutional layer configuration and number of layers than the kernel size. The loss tended to be lower as the convolutional layer composition and number of layers increased, regardless of the image size or kernel size. The deep learning model with the best performance recorded a validation loss of 0.11 with an image size of 64 × 64, a convolutional layer configuration of C→C→C→P, a kernel size of 5 × 5, and five layers. Regarding the classification accuracy of the land cover map constructed using this model, the overall accuracy and kappa coefficient for three study cities showed high agreement at approximately 82.9% and 66.3%, respectively.
Transits in Oncology: A Protocol Study for a Therapy-Educational Training Built-In Intervention
Authors: Scaglioso Carolina M.
Published: October 2022

The study “Transits in oncology” has been perfected with the collaboration of the UOC of Oncological Mammary Surgery of the Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Senese Siena, specifically by Prof. Donato Casella. The study means to analyze the impact of art-therapy interventions aimed at minimizing psychological distress in women with a diagnosis of breast cancer/mammary carcinoma (anxiety/depression), hence improving their psychophysical wellbeing. To this end, the study employs the evaluation of specific psychological parameters with the purpose of monitoring anxiety and depression levels, while investigating a potential correlation between the anxiety and depression levels and other psychological variables, such as alexithymia. The mammary carcinoma diagnosis, to all effects, constitutes an actual “disorienting dilemma” for the woman: it leads to questioning one’s way of life, and their past and future choices; the upheaval is conducive to a reflective phase that upsets one’s “expectations of meaningfulness”. The art-therapy intervention has been elaborated in a protocol that underscores its transformative methodology qualities: it aims to act on the regenerative potential of the turmoil, for an elaboration of trauma that does not negate it or further it (the feeling that nothing will change and everything will go back to the way it was before), but rather disrupts it. The final goal is to promote new existential practices, generating positive change towards self-awareness, stimulating the activation of one’s latent resources by accessing one’s symbolic world and one’s imagination.
WB-EMS Market Development—Perspectives and Threats
Authors: Berger Joshua , Fröhlich Michael , Kemmler Wolfgang
Published: October 2022

As a time-efficient and highly effective form of training, whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) enables personalised training for a wide range of users due to its personal training character and the individual control of the training intensity. However, due to misuse, negative side effects of WB-EMS have been reported in the past, resulting in expert guidelines for safe and effective WB-EMS application being issued. Furthermore, the use of WB-EMS is now legally permitted only for qualified personnel with certified equipment. This professionalization of the WB-EMS market as per the definition of quality standards for the devices and the personnel ensured a safe and effective WB-EMS application. However, recent market developments are undermining these standards through the growing of WB-EMS offers for the private sector. Hereby, most concepts focus on completely or predominately non-supervised WB application without control of potential overload by a qualified trainer. WB application is by no means trivial and the shift of responsibility for safety and effectiveness from the certified personnel to the trainees themselves is a clear step backwards in the development of WB-EMS use. We conclude that private, inadequately supervised WB-EMS application bears more dangers than potential benefits, not only for the trainees but also for the WB-EMS market as a whole.
Future Perspectives of Ectopic Pregnancy Treatment—Review of Possible Pharmacological Methods
Authors: Leziak Milena , Żak Klaudia , Frankowska Karolina , Ziółkiewicz Aleksandra , Perczyńska Weronika , Abramiuk Monika , Tarkowski Rafał , Kułak Krzysztof
Published: October 2022

Ectopic pregnancy, that is, a blastocyst occurring outside the endometrial cavity of the uterus, affects nearly 2% of pregnancies. The treatment of ectopic pregnancy is surgical or pharmacological. Since surgical management is associated with numerous serious side effects, conservative treatment is sought. The treatment of choice in the majority of cases is based on pharmacotherapy with methotrexate (MTX) in a single- or multi-dose regimen. Although the efficacy of methotrexate reaches between 70 and 90%, its use requires specific conditions regarding both the general condition of the patient and the characteristic features of the ectopic pregnancy. Moreover, MTX can cause severe adverse effects, including stomatitis, hepatotoxicity and myelosuppression. Therefore, clinicians and researchers are still looking for a less toxic, more effective treatment, which could prevent surgeries as a second-choice treatment. Some studies indicate that other substances might constitute a good alternative to methotrexate in the management of ectopic pregnancies. These substances include aromatase inhibitors, especially letrozole. Another promising substance in EP treatment is gefitinib, an inhibitor of EGFR tyrosine domain which, combined with MTX, seems to constitute a more effective alternative in the management of tubal ectopic pregnancies. Other substances for local administration include KCl and absolute ethanol. KCl injections used in combination with MTX may be used when foetal heart function is detected in cervical ectopic pregnancies, as well as in heterotopic pregnancy treatment. Absolute ethanol injections proved successful and safe in caesarean scar pregnancies management. Thus far, little is known about the use of those substances in the treatment of ectopic pregnancies, but already conducted studies seem to be promising.
Factors Associated with Housing Damage Caused by an EF4 Tornado in Rural Areas of Funing, China
Authors: Qiao Peng , Chen Wei , Zhao Jun , Gao Jingyi , Zhai Guofang
Published: October 2022

Rural areas are vulnerable to natural disasters and tend to suffer severe losses. An EF4 tornado occurred in Funing on 23 June 2016, killing 99 people, injuring at least 846 people, and destroying more than 2000 houses. Using a multinomial logistic regression model, this study explored the influencing factors between housing damage and variables of building conditions, tornado intensity, and village environmental factors. The results show that 2-story houses and masonry houses were more likely to be slightly damaged or be in a dangerous state. Furthermore, the building area was positively related to houses in two categories: slight damage (SD) and dangerous and requiring immediate repair (DR), indicating that the larger or taller the house, the more severe the damage. In terms of tornado intensity, houses classified as SD were more likely to be hit by EF4 tornados than by EF3 tornados, and houses were damaged more by EF1 or EF2 tornados. This finding demonstrates that the level of housing damage was not strongly correlated with the tornado intensity. Slightly damaged houses exhibited the highest correlation with environmental factors. The proportion of slightly damaged houses was positively correlated with the water area in the village, unlike the proportion of houses in the DR and unable to be repaired (UR) categories. Moreover, the larger the water area of a village, the less housing damage it suffered. These findings provide new insights into minimizing housing damage in wind disasters to improve disaster prevention planning in rural areas.
Therapeutic Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Treatment of Ocular Graft-Versus-Host Disease
Authors: Harrell Carl Randall , Djonov Valentin , Volarevic Vladislav
Published: October 2022

Ocular GVHD (oGVHD), manifested by severe injury of corneal epithelial cells, meibomian and lacrimal glands’ dysfunction, is a serious complication of systemic GVHD which develops as a consequence of donor T and natural killer cell-driven inflammation in the eyes of patients who received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are, due to their enormous differentiation potential and immunosuppressive characteristics, considered as a potentially new remedy in ophthalmology. MSC differentiate in corneal epithelial cells, suppress eye inflammation, and restore meibomian and lacrimal glands’ function in oGVHD patients. MSC-sourced exosomes (MSC-Exos) are extracellular vesicles that contain MSC-derived growth factors and immunoregulatory proteins. Due to the lipid membrane and nano-sized dimension, MSC-Exos easily by-pass all biological barriers in the eyes and deliver their cargo directly in injured corneal epithelial cells and eye-infiltrated leukocytes, modulating their viability and function. As cell-free agents, MSC-Exos address all safety issues related to the transplantation of their parental cells, including the risk of unwanted differentiation and aggravation of intraocular inflammation. In this review article, we summarized current knowledge about molecular mechanisms which are responsible for beneficial effects of MSC and MSC-Exos in the therapy of inflammatory eye diseases, emphasizing their therapeutic potential in the treatment of oGVHD.
Dynamic Regressor/Ensemble Selection for a Multi-Frequency and Multi-Environment Path Loss Prediction
Authors: Sani Usman Sammani , Malik Owais Ahmed , Lai Daphne Teck Ching
Published: October 2022

Wireless network parameters such as transmitting power, antenna height, and cell radius are determined based on predicted path loss. The prediction is carried out using empirical or deterministic models. Deterministic models provide accurate predictions but are slow due to their computational complexity, and they require detailed environmental descriptions. While empirical models are less accurate, Machine Learning (ML) models provide fast predictions with accuracies comparable to that of deterministic models. Most Empirical models are versatile as they are valid for various values of frequencies, antenna heights, and sometimes environments, whereas most ML models are not. Therefore, developing a versatile ML model that will surpass empirical model accuracy entails collecting data from various scenarios with different environments and network parameters and using the data to develop the model. Combining datasets of different sizes could lead to lopsidedness in accuracy such that the model accuracy for a particular scenario is low due to data imbalance. This is because model accuracy varies at certain regions of the dataset and such variations are more intense when the dataset is generated from a fusion of datasets of different sizes. A Dynamic Regressor/Ensemble selection technique is proposed to address this problem. In the proposed method, a regressor/ensemble is selected to predict a sample point based on the sample’s proximity to a cluster assigned to the regressor/ensemble. K Means Clustering was used to form the clusters and the regressors considered are K Nearest Neighbor (KNN), Extreme Learning Trees (ET), Random Forest (RF), Gradient Boosting (GB), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost). The ensembles are any combinations of two, three or four of the regressors. The sample points belonging to each cluster were selected from a validation set based on the regressor that made prediction with lowest absolute error per individual sample point. Implementation of the proposed technique resulted in accuracy improvements in a scenario described by a few sample points in the training data. Improvements in accuracy were also observed on datasets in other works compared to the accuracy reported in the works. The study also shows that using features extracted from satellite images to describe the environment was more appropriate than using a categorical clutter height value.
Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling: Metal Recovery from Electrolyte and Cathode Materials by Electrodialysis
Authors: Gmar Soumaya , Muhr Laurence , Lutin Florence , Chagnes Alexandre
Published: October 2022

The potential of electrodialysis to recycle spent lithium-ion batteries was assessed by investigating the recovery of lithium(I) from a synthetic solution representative of the aqueous effluent generated by shredding spent lithium-ion batteries underwater. Likewise, electrodialysis was tested for the selective recovery of lithium(I) towards cobalt(II), nickel(II) and manganese(II) from a synthetic solution representative of the leaching liquor of cathode materials. NMR spectroscopy showed that the implementation of electrodialysis to extract lithium from the aqueous effluent produced during battery shredding underwater should take into account the presence of HF generated by PF6− hydrolysis. In particular, it seems relevant to perform shredding under calcium chloride solution in order to precipitate fluoride and reduce HF generation. This work also showed that electrodialysis is an interesting technology for selectively recovering lithium from the leach solution of spent cathode materials, providing that divalent cations were previously removed to avoid metal precipitation inside the electrodialysis membranes. After removing cobalt(II) and nickel(II) at pH 2.8 and manganese(II) partially at pH 5.5 by using the ion exchange resin Dowex M4195, it is possible to extract and selectively concentrate lithium by electrodialysis without coextracting manganese(II) by using a lithium-selective membrane (faradic efficiency of 57.6%, permselectivity for lithium towards manganese of 6.9). Finally, a hybrid flowsheet implementing mineral processing and hydrometallurgy, including electrodialysis, ion exchange and crystallization stages, was proposed based on these results to reduce effluent generation and produce metal salts from spent lithium-ion battery.
Dynamic Behaviours of Monodisperse Double Emulsion Formation in a Tri-Axial Capillary Device
Authors: Dai Yuchen , Cha Haotian , Nguyen Nhat-Khuong , Ouyang Lingxi , Galogahi Fariba , Yadav Ajeet , An Hongjie , Zhang Jun , Ooi Chin , Nguyen Nam-Trung
Published: October 2022

We investigated experimentally, analytically, and numerically the formation process of double emulsion formations under a dripping regime in a tri-axial co-flow capillary device. The results show that mismatches of core and shell droplets under a given flow condition can be captured both experimentally and numerically. We propose a semi-analytical model using the match ratio between the pinch-off length of the shell droplet and the product of the core growth rate and its pinch-off time. The mismatch issue can be avoided if the match ratio is lower than unity. We considered a model with the wall effect to predict the size of the matched double emulsion. The model shows slight deviations with experimental data if the Reynolds number of the continuous phase is lower than 0.06 but asymptotically approaches good agreement if the Reynolds number increases from 0.06 to 0.14. The numerical simulation generally agrees with the experiments under various flow conditions.
Resorbable Nanomatrices from Microbial Polyhydroxyalkanoates: Design Strategy and Characterization
Authors: Shishatskaya Ekaterina I. , Dudaev Alexey E. , Volova Tatiana G.
Published: October 2022

From a series of biodegradable natural polymers of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs)—poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (P(3HB) and copolymers containing, in addition to 3HB monomers, monomers of 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV), 3-hydroxyhexanoate (3HHx), and 4-hydroxybutyrate (4HB), with different ratios of monomers poured—solvent casting films and nanomembranes with oriented and non-oriented ultrathin fibers were obtained by electrostatic molding. With the use of SEM, AFM, and measurement of contact angles and energy characteristics, the surface properties and mechanical and biological properties of the polymer products were studied depending on the method of production and the composition of PHAs. It has been shown in cultures of mouse fibroblasts of the NIH 3T3 line and diploid human embryonic cells of the M22 line that elastic films and nanomembranes composed of P(3HB-co-4HB) copolymers have high biocompatibility and provide adhesion, proliferation and preservation of the high physiological activity of cells for up to 7 days. Polymer films, namely oriented and non-oriented nanomembranes coated with type 1 collagen, are positively evaluated as experimental wound dressings in experiments on laboratory animals with model and surgical skin lesions. The results of planimetric measurements of the dynamics of wound healing and analysis of histological sections showed the regeneration of model skin defects in groups of animals using experimental wound dressings from P(3HB-co-4HB) of all types, but most actively when using non-oriented nanomembranes obtained by electrospinning. The study highlights the importance of nonwoven nanomembranes obtained by electrospinning from degradable low-crystalline copolymers P(3HB-co-4HB) in the effectiveness of the skin wound healing process.
Andrographolide Promotes Uptake of Glucose and GLUT4 Transport through the PKC Pathway in L6 Cells
Authors: Liao Jingya , Yang Ziwei , Yao Yanhong , Yang Xinzhou , Shen Jinhua , Zhao Ping
Published: October 2022

Glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) is a membrane protein that regulates blood glucose balance and is closely related to type 2 diabetes. Andrographolide (AND) is a diterpene lactone extracted from herbal medicine Andrographis paniculata, which has a variety of biological activities. In this study, the antidiabetic effect of AND in L6 cells and its mechanism were investigated. The uptake of glucose of L6 cells was detected by a glucose assay kit. The expression of GLUT4 and phosphorylation of protein kinase B (PKB/Akt), AMP-dependent protein kinase (AMPK), and protein kinase C (PKC) were detected by Western blot. At the same time, the intracellular Ca2+ levels and GLUT4 translocation in myc-GLUT4-mOrange-L6 cells were detected by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The results showed that AND enhanced the uptake of glucose, GLUT4 expression and fusion with plasma membrane in L6 cells. Meanwhile, AND also significantly activated the phosphorylation of AMPK and PKC and increased the concentration of intracellular Ca2+. AND-induced GLUT4 expression was significantly inhibited by a PKC inhibitor (Gö6983). In addition, in the case of 0 mM extracellular Ca2+ and 0 mM extracellular Ca2+ + 10 μM BAPTA-AM (intracellular Ca2+ chelator), AND induced the translocation of GLUT4, and the uptake of glucose was significantly inhibited. Therefore, we concluded that AND promoted the expression of GLUT4 and its fusion with plasma membrane in L6 cells through PKC pathways in a Ca2+—dependent manner, thereby increasing the uptake of glucose.
Functionalization of Morin-Loaded PLGA Nanoparticles with Phenylalanine Dipeptide Targeting the Brain
Authors: Alonso Mario , Barcia Emilia , González Juan-Francisco , Montejo Consuelo , García-García Luis , Villa-Hermosilla Mónica-Carolina , Negro Sofía , Fraguas-Sánchez Ana-Isabel , Fernández-Carballido Ana
Published: October 2022

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, with its incidence constantly increasing. To date, there is no cure for the disease, with a need for new and effective treatments. Morin hydrate (MH) is a naturally occurring flavonoid of the Moraceae family with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties; however, the blood–brain barrier (BBB) prevents this flavonoid from reaching the CNS when aiming to potentially treat AD. Seeking to use the LAT-1 transporter present in the BBB, a nanoparticle (NPs) formulation loaded with MH and functionalized with phenylalanine-phenylalanine dipeptide was developed (NPphe-MH) and compared to non-functionalized NPs (NP-MH). In addition, two formulations were prepared using rhodamine B (Rh-B) as a fluorescent dye (NPphe-Rh and NP-Rh) to study their biodistribution and ability to cross the BBB. Functionalization of PLGA NPs resulted in high encapsulation efficiencies for both MH and Rh-B. Studies conducted in Wistar rats showed that the presence of phenylalanine dipeptide in the NPs modified their biodistribution profiles, making them more attractive for both liver and lungs, whereas non-functionalized NPs were predominantly distributed to the spleen. Formulation NPphe-Rh remained in the brain for at least 2 h after administration.
Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) Tolerance to Cadmium: A Case Study of Proteome and Metabolome of Four Different Flax Genotypes
Authors: Berková Veronika , Berka Miroslav , Griga Miroslav , Kopecká Romana , Prokopová Miroslava , Luklová Markéta , Horáček Jiří , Smýkalová Iva , Čičmanec Petr , Novák Jan , Brzobohatý Břetislav , Černý Martin
Published: October 2022

Cadmium is one of the most toxic heavy metal pollutants, and its accumulation in the soil is harmful to agriculture. Plants have a higher cadmium tolerance than animals, and some species can be used for phytoremediation. Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) can accumulate high amounts of cadmium, but the molecular mechanism behind its tolerance is unknown. Here, we employed four genotypes representing two fiber cultivars, an oilseed breeding line, and a transgenic line overexpressing the metallothionein domain for improved cadmium tolerance. We analyzed the proteome of suspensions and the proteome and metabolome of seedling roots in response to cadmium. We identified more than 1400 differentially abundant proteins representing putative mechanisms in cadmium tolerance, including metal-binding proteins and transporters, enzymes of flavonoid, jasmonate, polyamine, glutathione metabolism, and HSP70 proteins. Our data indicated the role of the phytohormone cytokinin in the observed responses. The metabolome profiling found that pipecolinic acid could be a part of the cadmium accumulation mechanism, and the observed accumulation of putrescine, coumaric acid, cinnamic acid, and coutaric acid confirmed the role of polyamines and flavonoids in tolerance to cadmium. In conclusion, our data provide new insight into cadmium tolerance and prospective targets for improving cadmium tolerance in other plants.
Non-Isothermal Crystallization Kinetics of Polyether-Ether-Ketone Nanocomposites and Analysis of the Mechanical and Electrical Conductivity Performance
Authors: Ye Xin , Hu Zhonglue , Li Xiping , Wang Sisi , Ding Jietai , Li Mengjia , Zhao Yuan
Published: October 2022

High-performance polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) is highly desirable for a plethora of engineering applications. The incorporation of conductive carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into PEEK can impart electrical conductivity to the otherwise non-conductive matrix, which can further expand the application realm for PEEK composites. However, a number of physical properties, which are central to the functionalities of the composite, are affected by the complex interplay of the crystallinity and presence of the nanofillers, such as CNTs. It is therefore of paramount importance to conduct an in-depth investigation to identify the process that optimizes the mechanical and electrical performance. In this work, PEEK/CNTs composites with different carbon nanotubes (CNTs) content ranging from 0.5 to 10.0 wt% are prepared by a parallel twin-screw extruder. The effects of CNTs content and annealing treatment on the crystallization behavior, mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of the PEEK/CNTs composites are investigated in detail. A non-isothermal crystallization kinetics test reveals a substantial loss in the composites’ crystallinity with the increased CNTs content. On the other hand, mechanical tests show that with 5.0 wt% CNTs content, the tensile strength reaches a maximum at 118.2 MPa, which amounts to a rise of 30.3% compared with the neat PEEK sample after annealing treatment. However, additional annealing treatment decreases the electrical conductivity as well as EMI shielding performance. Such a decrease is mainly attributed to the relatively small crystal size of PEEK, which excludes the conductive fillers to the boundaries and disrupts the otherwise conductive networks.
Experimental Study on Interfacial Friction Characteristics of Reinforced Clay
Authors: Zhang Chenyang , Mei Hong , Hu Guochang , Liu Jin , Xue Jian , Zhu Xiaoyong , Lu Hongning , Song Zezhuo , Che Wenyue
Published: October 2022

Clay is one of the important base materials in slope restoration. The adhesion of clay–rock interface plays a decisive role in the repairing effect on rock slopes. Fibers and polymers are widely used as a clay improvement method in rock slope repair. In this paper, the friction effect of sisal fiber and polyvinyl acetate (PVAc)-reinforced clay was studied through the design of an indoor rock-like interface sliding model test. Using modelled test results and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, the reinforced clay was analyzed. The test results showed that the critical sliding angle and maximum static friction force of clay decreased with the increase of moisture content. An excess of fiber content and moisture content weakens the coupling effect of fiber-anchoring clay. Fiber content of 0.8% and PVAc content of 2% had the best effect on enhancing the sliding resistance of clay and provided good adhesion for dangerous interfaces of rock slope at 35° and 45°, respectively. PVAc formed a three-dimensional networked elastic membrane structure to improve the skid resistance and dynamic friction coefficient of the clay. The results provide an effective way for soil improvement and ecological restoration.
Effects of Achieving SVR on Clinical Characteristics and Surgical Outcomes in Patients Who Developed Early-Stage HCV-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Received Curative Resection: Preoperative versus Postoperative SVR
Authors: Hsu Po-Yao , Liang Po-Cheng , Huang Ching-I , Hsieh Meng-Hsuan , Tsai Yi-Shan , Lin Tzu-Chun , Yeh Ming-Lun , Huang Chung-Feng , Wang Chih-Wen , Jang Tyng-Yuan , Lin Yi-Hung , Lin Zu-Yau , Chuang Wan-Long , Dai Chia-Yen
Published: October 2022

The high accessibility to healthcare and increasing awareness of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance after sustained virologic response (SVR) to HCV treatment allow early detection of operable HCC in Taiwan. However, the effects of achieving SVR on patient characteristics and surgical outcomes after curative resection remain elusive. We aimed to compare the clinical presentation and postoperative prognosis among patients with early-stage HCV-related HCC and different viral status. We retrospectively analyzed 208 patients with BCLC stage 0 or A-HCC, including 44 patients who remained HCV viremic, 90 patients who developed HCC after achieving SVR (post-SVR HCC), and 74 patients who subsequently achieved SVR after resection. Patients with post-SVR HCC had a lower degree of hepatitis and better liver function than those who achieved SVR or remained viremic after resection. Notably, 75.6% of patients with post-SVR HCC did not have cirrhosis. Patients with post-SVR HCC and those achieving SVR after resection exhibited comparable recurrence rates and recurrence-free survival, while patients with persistent viremia had the worst surgical outcomes. We concluded that patients with post-SVR HCC had a better liver function but similar surgical outcomes compared with patients who achieved SVR after resection. The low prevalence of cirrhosis in patients with post-SVR HCC highlights the importance of regular surveillance after SVR.
DNAJA3 Interacts with PEDV S1 Protein and Inhibits Virus Replication by Affecting Virus Adsorption to Host Cells
Authors: Zheng Jingyou , Gao Qin , Xu Jidong , Xu Xiaohan , Shan Ying , Shi Fushan , Yue Min , He Fang , Fang Weihuan , Li Xiaoliang
Published: October 2022

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) infection causes huge economic losses to the pig industry worldwide. DNAJA3, a member of the Hsp40 family proteins, is known to play an important role in the replication of several viruses. However, it remains unknown if it interacts with PEDV. We found that DNAJA3 interacted with PEDV S1, initially with yeast two-hybrid screening and later with Co-IP, GST pull-down, and confocal imaging. Further experiments showed the functional relationship between DNAJA3 and PEDV in the infected IPEC-J2 cells. DNAJA3 overexpression significantly inhibited PEDV replication while its knockdown had the opposite effect, suggesting that it is a negative regulator of PEDV replication. In addition, DNAJA3 expression could be downregulated by PEDV infection possibly as the viral strategy to evade the suppressive role of DNAJA3. By gene silencing and overexpression, we were able to show that DNAJA3 inhibited PEDV adsorption to IPEC-J2 cells but did not affect virus invasion. In conclusion, our study provides clear evidence that DNAJA3 mediates PEDV adsorption to host cells and plays an antiviral role in IPEC-J2 cells.