bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Real-World Experience of Measurable Residual Disease Response and Prognosis in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treated with Venetoclax and Azacitidine
Authors: Ong Shin Yeu , Tan Si Yun Melinda , Abdul Halim Nurul Aidah , Christopher Dheepa , Jen Wei Ying , Gallardo Christian , Tan Hwee Yim Angeline , Woon Yeow Kheong , Ng Heng Joo , Ooi Melissa , Wong Gee Chuan
Published: July 2022

The prognostic value of measurable residual disease (MRD) by flow cytometry in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients treated with non-intensive therapy is relatively unexplored. The clinical value of MRD threshold below 0.1% is also unknown after non-intensive therapy. In this study, MRD to a sensitivity of 0.01% was analyzed in sixty-three patients in remission after azacitidine/venetoclax treatment. Multivariable cox regression analysis identified prognostic factors associated with cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Patients who achieved MRD < 0.1% had a lower relapse rate than those who were MRD ≥ 0.1% at 18 months (13% versus 57%, p = 0.006). Patients who achieved an MRD-negative CR had longer median PFS and OS (not reached and 26.5 months) than those who were MRD-positive (12.6 and 10.3 months, respectively). MRD < 0.1% was an independent predictor for CIR, PFS, and OS, after adjusting for European Leukemia Net (ELN) risk, complex karyotype, and transplant (HR 5.92, 95% CI 1.34–26.09, p = 0.019 for PFS; HR 2.60, 95% CI 1.02–6.63, p = 0.046 for OS). Only an MRD threshold of 0.1%, and not 0.01%, was predictive for OS. Our results validate the recommended ELN MRD cut-off of 0.1% to discriminate between patients with improved CIR, PFS, and OS after azacitidine/venetoclax therapy.
Phototheranostics of Splenic Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells and Its Impact on Spleen Metabolism in Tumor-Bearing Mice
Authors: Barnett James D. , Jin Jiefu , Penet Marie-France , Kobayashi Hisataka , Bhujwalla Zaver M.
Published: July 2022

(1) Background: MDSCs play an active role in the immune surveillance escape of cancer cells. Because MDSCs in mice are CD11b+Gr1+, near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) using the NIR dye IR700 conjugated to an MDSC-binding antibody provides an opportunity for targeted elimination of MDSCs. (2) Methods: The efficacy of Gr1-IR700-mediated NIR-PIT was evaluated in vitro using magnetically separated CD11b+Gr1+ MDSCs from spleens of 4T1-luc tumor-bearing (TB) mice. For in vivo evaluation, spleens of Gr1-IR700-injected 4T1-luc TB mice were irradiated with NIR light, and splenocyte viability was determined using CCK-8 assays. Metabolic profiling of NIR-PIT-irradiated spleens was performed using 1H MRS. (3) Results: Flow cytometric analysis confirmed a ten-fold increase in splenic MDSCs in 4T1-luc TB mice. Gr1-IR700-mediated NIR-PIT eliminated tumor-induced splenic MDSCs in culture. Ex vivo fluorescence imaging revealed an 8- and 9-fold increase in mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) in the spleen and lungs of Gr1-IR700-injected compared to IgG-IR700-injected TB mice. Splenocytes from Gr1-IR700-injected TB mice exposed in vivo to NIR-PIT demonstrated significantly lower viability compared to no light exposure or untreated control groups. Significant metabolic changes were observed in spleens following NIR-PIT. (4) Conclusions: Our data confirm the ability of NIR-PIT to eliminate splenic MDSCs, identifying its potential to eliminate MDSCs in tumors to reduce immune suppression. The metabolic changes observed may identify potential biomarkers of splenic MDSC depletion as well as potential metabolic targets of MDSCs.
Endoscopic Management of Esophageal Cancer
Authors: Paiji Christopher , Sedarat Alireza
Published: July 2022

Advances in technology and improved understanding of the pathobiology of esophageal cancer have allowed endoscopy to serve a growing role in the management of this disease. Precursor lesions can be detected using enhanced diagnostic modalities and eradicated with ablation therapy. Furthermore, evolution in endoscopic resection has provided larger specimens for improved diagnostic accuracy and offer potential for cure of early esophageal cancer. In patients with advanced esophageal cancer, endoluminal therapy can improve symptom burden and provide therapeutic options for complications such as leaks, perforations, and fistulas. The purpose of this review article is to highlight the role of endoscopy in the diagnosis, treatment, and palliation of esophageal cancer.
Potential of Gold Nanoparticles in Current Radiotherapy Using a Co-Culture Model of Cancer Cells and Cancer Associated Fibroblasts
Authors: Alhussan Abdulaziz , Palmerley Nicholas , Smazynski Julian , Karasinska Joanna , Renouf Daniel J. , Schaeffer David F. , Beckham Wayne , Alexander Abraham S. , Chithrani Devika B.
Published: July 2022

Many cancer therapeutics are tested in vitro using only tumour cells. However, the tumour promoting effect of cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) within the tumour microenvironment (TME) is thought to reduce cancer therapeutics’ efficacy. We have chosen pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) as our tumor model. Our goal is to create a co-culture of CAFs and tumour cells to model the interaction between cancer and stromal cells in the TME and allow for better testing of therapeutic combinations. To test the proposed co-culture model, a gold nanoparticle (GNP) mediated-radiation response was used. Cells were grown in co-culture with different ratios of CAFs to cancer cells. MIA PaCa-2 was used as our PDAC cancer cell line. Co-cultured cells were treated with 2 Gy of radiation following GNP incubation. DNA damage and cell proliferation were examined to assess the combined effect of radiation and GNPs. Cancer cells in co-culture exhibited up to a 23% decrease in DNA double strand breaks (DSB) and up to a 35% increase in proliferation compared to monocultures. GNP/Radiotherapy (RT) induced up to a 25% increase in DNA DSBs and up to a 15% decrease in proliferation compared to RT alone in both monocultured and co-cultured cells. The observed resistance in the co-culture system may be attributed to the role of CAFs in supporting cancer cells. Moreover, we were able to reduce the activity of CAFs using GNPs during radiation treatment. Indeed, CAFs internalize a significantly higher number of GNPs, which may have led to the reduction in their activity. One reason experimental therapeutics fail in clinical trials relates to limitations in the pre-clinical models that lack a true representation of the TME. We have demonstrated a co-culture platform to test GNP/RT in a clinically relevant environment.
Proliferation and Immune Response Gene Signatures Associated with Clinical Outcome to Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapy in Metastatic Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma
Authors: Costa Svedman Fernanda , Das Ishani , Tuominen Rainer , Darai Ramqvist Eva , Höiom Veronica , Egyhazi Brage Suzanne
Published: July 2022

Targeted therapy (TT), together with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), has significantly improved clinical outcomes for patients with advanced cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) during the last decade. However, the magnitude and the duration of response vary considerably. There is still a paucity of predictive biomarkers to identify patients who benefit most from treatment. To address this, we performed targeted transcriptomics of CMM tumors to identify biomarkers associated with clinical outcomes. Pre-treatment tumor samples from 28 patients with advanced CMM receiving TT (n = 13) or ICI (n = 15) were included in the study. Targeted RNA sequencing was performed using Ion AmpliSeq ™, followed by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) using MSigDB’s Hallmark Gene Set Collection to identify gene expression signatures correlating with treatment outcome. The GSEA demonstrated that up-regulation of allograft rejection genes, together with down-regulation of E2F and MYC targets as well as G2M checkpoint genes, significantly correlated with longer progression-free survival on ICI while IFNγ and inflammatory response genes were associated with a better clinical outcome on TT. In conclusion, we identify novel genes and their expression signatures as potential predictive biomarkers for TT and ICI in patients with metastatic CMM, paving the way for clinical use following larger validation studies.
Sustainable Solar Light Photodegradation of Diclofenac by Nano- and Micro-Sized SrTiO3
Authors: Galloni Melissa G. , Cerrato Giuseppina , Giordana Alessia , Falletta Ermelinda , Bianchi Claudia L.
Published: July 2022

Currently, photocatalytic reactions under solar illumination have attracted worldwide attention due to the tremendous set of associated environmental problems. Taking sunlight into account, it is indispensable to develop highly effective photocatalysts. Strontium titanate, SrTiO3 (STO), is a cubic perovskite-type semiconductor, an inexpensive material with high thermal stability and corrosion resistance that exhibits a similar energy bandgap to TiO2 and can represent an interesting alternative in photocatalytic applications. Particle size can significantly affect both photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical properties of a photocatalyst, thus altering the photooxidation of organic pollutants in air or water. In this context, this research aims at investigating the photocatalytic features of nano- and micro-sized commercial STO powders towards the photodegradation of diclofenac (DFC), a non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug, widely used as analgesic, antiarthritic, and antirheumatic. Both nano- and micro-STO photocatalysts exhibited remarkable photocatalytic efficiency towards DCF, reaching photodegradation efficiency higher than 90% within one hour. Results obtained in simulated drinking water were also compared to those obtained in ultrapure water. Both STOs showed good stability during recycling tests, maintaining high performances after three cycles. Eventually, active species were identified using various scavengers by trapping holes and radicals generated during the photocatalytic degradation process.
Autophagy: A Key Regulator of Homeostasis and Disease: An Overview of Molecular Mechanisms and Modulators
Authors: Gómez-Virgilio Laura , Silva-Lucero Maria-del-Carmen , Flores-Morelos Diego-Salvador , Gallardo-Nieto Jazmin , Lopez-Toledo Gustavo , Abarca-Fernandez Arminda-Mercedes , Zacapala-Gómez Ana-Elvira , Luna-Muñoz José , Montiel-Sosa Francisco , Soto-Rojas Luis O. , Pacheco-Herrero Mar , Cardenas-Aguayo Maria-del-Carmen
Published: July 2022

Autophagy is a highly conserved lysosomal degradation pathway active at basal levels in all cells. However, under stress conditions, such as a lack of nutrients or trophic factors, it works as a survival mechanism that allows the generation of metabolic precursors for the proper functioning of the cells until the nutrients are available. Neurons, as post-mitotic cells, depend largely on autophagy to maintain cell homeostasis to get rid of damaged and/or old organelles and misfolded or aggregated proteins. Therefore, the dysfunction of this process contributes to the pathologies of many human diseases. Furthermore, autophagy is highly active during differentiation and development. In this review, we describe the current knowledge of the different pathways, molecular mechanisms, factors that induce it, and the regulation of mammalian autophagy. We also discuss its relevant role in development and disease. Finally, here we summarize several investigations demonstrating that autophagic abnormalities have been considered the underlying reasons for many human diseases, including liver disease, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, neoplastic diseases, cancers, and, more recently, infectious diseases, such as SARS-CoV-2 caused COVID-19 disease.
A Label-Free Cell Sorting Approach to Highlight the Impact of Intratumoral Cellular Heterogeneity and Cancer Stem Cells on Response to Therapies
Authors: Hervieu Céline , Verdier Mireille , Barthout Elodie , Bégaud Gaëlle , Christou Niki , Sage Magali , Pannequin Julie , Battu Serge , Mathonnet Muriel
Published: July 2022

Cancer stem cells play a crucial role in tumor initiation, metastasis, and resistance to treatment. Cellular heterogeneity and plasticity complicate the isolation of cancer stem cells. The impact of intra-tumor cellular heterogeneity using a label-free approach remains understudied in the context of treatment resistance. Here, we use the sedimentation field–flow fractionation technique to separate, without labeling, cell subpopulations of colorectal cancer cell lines and primary cultures according to their biophysical properties. One of the three sorted cell subpopulations exhibits characteristics of cancer stem cells, including high tumorigenicity in vivo and a higher frequency of tumor-initiating cells compared to the other subpopulations. Due to its chemoresistance, two- and three-dimensional in vitro chemosensitivity assays highlight the therapeutic relevance of this cancer stem cell subpopulation. Thus, our results reveal the major implication of intra-tumor cellular heterogeneity, including cancer stem cells in treatment resistance, thanks to our label-free cell sorting approach. This approach enables—by breaking down the tumor—the study the individualized response of each sorted tumor cell subpopulation and to identify chemoresistance, thus offering new perspectives for personalized therapy.
Calcium Silicate Hydrate Cation-Exchanger from Paper Recycling Ash and Waste Container Glass
Authors: Hurt Andrew P. , Coleman Aimee A. , Ma Haosen , Li Qiu , Coleman Nichola J.
Published: July 2022

Synthetic 11 Å tobermorite (Ca5Si6O16(OH)2.4H2O) and its Al-substituted analogue are layer-lattice ion-exchangers with potential applications in nuclear and hazardous wastewater treatment. The present study reports the facile one-pot hydrothermal synthesis of an Al-tobermorite-rich cation-exchanger from a combination of paper recycling ash, post-consumer container glass, and lime, with compositional ratios of [Ca]/[Si + Al] = 0.81 and [Al]/[Si + Al] = 0.18. The reaction products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction analysis, 29Si magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Hydrothermal processing in 4 M NaOH(aq) at 100 °C for 7 days yielded an Al-tobermorite-rich product that also contained katoite (Ca3Al2SiO12H8), portlandite (Ca(OH)2), calcite (CaCO3), and amorphous silicate gel. The hydrothermal product was found to have a Cs+ cation exchange capacity of 59 ± 4 meq 100 g−1 and selective Cs+ distribution coefficients (Kd) of 574 ± 13 and 658 ± 34 cm3 g−1 from solutions with molar ratios [Cs+]:[Na+] and [Cs+]:[Ca2+] of 1:100. In a batch sorption study at 20 °C, the uptakes of Pb2+, Cd2+, and Cs+ were determined to be 1.78 ± 0.04, 0.65 ± 0.06, and 0.36 ± 0.03 mmol g−1, respectively. The kinetics of Pb2+, Cd2+, and Cs+ removal were described by the pseudo-second-order rate model, which gave respective rate constants (k2) of 0.010, 0.027, and 1.635 g mmol−1 min−1, and corresponding correlation coefficients (R2) of 0.997, 0.996, and 0.999. The metal ion sorption properties of the tobermorite-rich product compared favorably with those of other waste-derived tobermorites reported in the literature. Potential strategies to improve the yield, crystallinity, and sorption characteristics of the product are discussed.
Materials for Chemical Sensing: A Comprehensive Review on the Recent Advances and Outlook Using Ionic Liquids, Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs), and MOF-Based Composites
Authors: Gargiulo Valentina , Alfè Michela , Giordano Laura , Lettieri Stefano
Published: July 2022

The ability to measure and monitor the concentration of specific chemical and/or gaseous species (i.e., “analytes”) is the main requirement in many fields, including industrial processes, medical applications, and workplace safety management. As a consequence, several kinds of sensors have been developed in the modern era according to some practical guidelines that regard the characteristics of the active (sensing) materials on which the sensor devices are based. These characteristics include the cost-effectiveness of the materials’ manufacturing, the sensitivity to analytes, the material stability, and the possibility of exploiting them for low-cost and portable devices. Consequently, many gas sensors employ well-defined transduction methods, the most popular being the oxidation (or reduction) of the analyte in an electrochemical reactor, optical techniques, and chemiresistive responses to gas adsorption. In recent years, many of the efforts devoted to improving these methods have been directed towards the use of certain classes of specific materials. In particular, ionic liquids have been employed as electrolytes of exceptional properties for the preparation of amperometric gas sensors, while metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are used as highly porous and reactive materials which can be employed, in pure form or as a component of MOF-based functional composites, as active materials of chemiresistive or optical sensors. Here, we report on the most recent developments relative to the use of these classes of materials in chemical sensing. We discuss the main features of these materials and the reasons why they are considered interesting in the field of chemical sensors. Subsequently, we review some of the technological and scientific results published in the span of the last six years that we consider among the most interesting and useful ones for expanding the awareness on future trends in chemical sensing. Finally, we discuss the prospects for the use of these materials and the factors involved in their possible use for new generations of sensor devices.
Special Issue: Psychosocial Considerations for Children and Adolescents Living with a Rare Disease
Authors: Lyon Maureen E. , Wiener Lori
Published: July 2022

This Special Issue of the journal Children constitutes an opportune moment to reflect on the psychosocial needs of children living with rare diseases and of their families [...]
Minimally Invasive Approaches for Traumatic Rupture of the Pancreas in Children—A Case Series
Authors: Stundner-Ladenhauf Hannah Noemi , Bauer Leopold , Heil Christian , Holzinger Josef , Stundner Ottokar , Metzger Roman
Published: July 2022

Pancreatic trauma in children is rare; therefore, both scientific knowledge and clinical experience regarding its management are limited. Abdominal sonography and subsequent computed tomography (CT) imaging are the diagnostic mainstay after severe abdominal trauma in many pediatric trauma centers. However, the diagnosis of pancreatic injury is missed on the initial imaging in approximately one third of cases, with even higher numbers in young children. While conservative treatment is preferred in low-grade injuries, surgical interventions may be indicated in more severe injuries. We present a case series including four patients with high-grade pancreatic injury. Two patients were treated surgically with open laparotomy and primary suture of the head of the pancreas and pancreatico-enterostomy, one patient underwent endoscopic stenting of the pancreatic duct and one received conservative management including observation and secondary endoscopic treatment. We want to emphasize the fact that using a minimally invasive approach can be a feasible option in high-grade pancreatic injury in selected cases. Therefore, we advocate the necessity of fully staffed and equipped high-level pediatric trauma centers.
Drying Kinetics of Macroalgae as a Function of Drying Gas Velocity and Material Bulk Density, Including Shrinkage
Authors: Walker Craig , Sheehan Madoc
Published: July 2022

Macroalgae have many potential applications and can make important contributions to sustainability and circular economy objectives. Macroalgae are degradable high-moisture biomaterials and drying is a necessary step, but drying is an energy and capital-intensive part of their production process. This study presents convective drying curves for commercially promising fresh and saltwater species (U. ohnoi and O. intermedium), obtained over a range of industry-relevant drying gas velocities (0.3–2 m/s) and material bulk densities (33–100 kg/m3). Pragmatic diffusion-based drying models that account for the influence of drying gas velocity, material bulk density, and material shrinkage are presented. Results provide critical insights into the validity of diffusion model assumptions for compressible biomaterials and new mechanisms describing gas penetration into such materials are proposed. The drying models provided in this work demonstrate a high degree of accuracy for both species.
DFT–Assisted Structure Determination from Powder X-ray Diffraction Data of a New Zonisamide/ϵ-Caprolactam Cocrystal
Authors: Barbas Rafael , Portell Anna , Prohens Rafel , Frontera Antonio
Published: July 2022

The crystal structure of a new zonisamide cocrystal, an anticonvulsant drug used to treat the symptoms of epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease, with ϵ-caprolactam is reported herein. The structure has been solved by direct space methodologies from powder X-ray diffraction data. The refinement of the structure was conducted by the Rietveld method assisted by the dispersion-corrected density-functional theory (D-DFT) calculations and periodic boundary conditions. Further analysis of the structure reveals several H-bonded synthons and self–assembled dimers that have been further analyzed by DFT calculations and other computational tools such as molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) surfaces and the quantum theory of “atom-in-molecules” (QTAIM).
First Eastern Mediterranean Record of Xenoligophoroides cobitis, the Only Dactylogyrid Monogenean Infecting Mediterranean Gobies: Just Arrived or Missed the Boat?
Authors: Vanhove Maarten P. M. , Giakoumi Sofia , Zogaris Dimitris , Kovačić Marcelo , Huyse Tine
Published: July 2022

Gobies and their ectoparasitic monogenean flatworms are promising models for species diversification because of their species richness. Recent decades have seen the discovery of several new species of Gyrodactylus (Monogenea: Gyrodactylidae) on European gobies, mostly in the sand goby lineage and especially in the eastern Mediterranean. However, the monogenean fauna of other gobies is much less understood. Therefore, we inspected five gobiid species (34 specimens, vouchered, with some representatives sequenced), sampled in Greece, for monogenean ectoparasites. Only specimens of the giant goby, Gobius cobitis, were infected; they harbored Xenoligophoroides cobitis (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) on their gills. Here, we provide the first record from Greece, and the first ITS rDNA and COI sequences of the representative of this monotypic genus. Additionally, 28S rDNA was sequenced and compared with published data from across its known distribution, suggesting clinal variation. No sister-group for Xenoligophoroides could be proposed, nor could we explain the presence of a single known member of this genus on gobies, due to a lack of sequence data of closely related dactylogyrid monogeneans in public databases. Possible hypotheses include either the ancestral long-term presence on gobiids but “missing the boat” of the diversification events in the “Gobius-lineage”, or a recent host switch from a non-gobiid host.
Features Found in Indocyanine Green-Based Fluorescence Optical Imaging of Inflammatory Diseases of the Hands
Authors: Gedat Egbert , Berger Jörn , Kiesel Denise , Failli Vieri , Briel Andreas , Welker Pia
Published: July 2022

Rheumatologists in Europe and the USA increasingly rely on fluorescence optical imaging (FOI, Xiralite) for the diagnosis of inflammatory diseases. Those include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and osteoarthritis, among others. Indocyanine green (ICG)-based FOI allows visualization of impaired microcirculation caused by inflammation in both hands in one examination. Thousands of patients are now documented and most literature focuses on inflammatory arthritides, which affect synovial joints and their related structures, making it a powerful tool in the diagnostic process of early undifferentiated arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. However, it has become gradually clear that this technique has the potential to go even further than that. FOI allows visualization of other types of tissues. This means that FOI can also support the diagnostic process of vasculopathies, myositis, collagenoses, and other connective tissue diseases. This work summarizes the most prominent imaging features found in FOI examinations of inflammatory diseases, outlines the underlying anatomical structures, and introduces a nomenclature for the features and, thus, supports the idea that this tool is a useful part of the imaging repertoire in rheumatology clinical practice, particularly where other imaging methods are not easily available.
Moderation Effects of Government Institutional Support, Active and Reactive Internationalization Behavior on Innovation Capability and Export Performance
Authors: Moreira Antonio , Navaia Eurico , Ribau Cláudia
Published: July 2022

Although innovation capabilities are important drivers of export performance, few studies address how they influence export performance in the context of emerging economies. This paper evaluates the moderating effects of government institutional support and firms’ active and reactive internationalization behaviors on the relationship between innovation capabilities and export performance. The sample analyzed is based on 250 Mozambican small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The results indicate that although innovation capabilities positively influence the export performance of Mozambican SMEs, the moderating effects of government institutional support and firms’ active and reactive internationalization behaviors were not found to be statistically significant.
Driving Intention Inference Based on a Deep Neural Network with Dropout Regularization from Adhesion Coefficients in Active Collision Avoidance Control Systems
Authors: Lian Yufeng , Huang Jianan , Liu Shuaishi , Sun Zhongbo , Li Binglin , Nie Zhigen
Published: July 2022

Driving intention, which can assist drivers to avoid dangerous emergence for the advanced driver assistant systems (ADAS), can be hardly described accurately for complex traffic environments. At present, driving intention can be mainly obtained by deep neural networks with neuromuscular dynamics and electromyography (EMG) signals of drivers. This method needs numerous drivers’ signals and neural networks with a complex structure. This paper proposes a driving intention direct inference method, namely direct inference from the road surface condition. A driving intention safety distance model based on a deep neural network with dropout regularization was built in an active collision avoidance control system of electric vehicles. Driving intention can be inferred by a deep neural network with dropout regularization from adhesion coefficients between the tire and road. Simulations using rapid control prototyping (RCP) and a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulator were performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed driving intention safety distance model based on a deep neural network with dropout regularization. The proposed driving intention safety distance model can guarantee the safe driving of electric vehicles.
A Topology Generation and Synthesis Method for Boost Converters Based on Inductive Volt-Second Balance Theory
Authors: Zhang Shaoru , Zhou Ran , Du Xiuju , Zhang Yanhua , Yang Wenxiu , Zhao Hua , Zhang Jielu , Luo Fang Lin
Published: July 2022

In this paper, a comprehensive method is proposed to derive the boost DC–DC converter from a given gain formula. The given gain formula is obtained by analyzing, generalizing, and summarizing previous boost structures in the literature. The analysis is based on the volt-second balance theory of inductors. Thus, the gain formula is only related to two elements, the connection between components and the duty cycle of the switches. Therefore, the topology corresponding to the gain can be derived and synthesized according to the connection of the inductors and the capacitor components during the commutation of the switch to meet the demand for different boost converters in different applications. Meanwhile, all the three-order gain formulas generated by this method are analyzed and three of them are selected for topology simplification and focus analysis, and the correctness of the selected topologies is verified by the simulation results and experimental results.
An Extra-Contrast Affinity Network for Facial Expression Recognition in the Wild
Authors: Zhu Jiaqi , Liu Shuaishi , Yu Siyang , Song Yihu
Published: July 2022

Learning discriminative features for facial expression recognition (FER) in the wild is a challenging task due to the significant intra-class variations, inter-class similarities, and extreme class imbalances. In order to solve these issues, a contrastive-learning-based extra-contrast affinity network (ECAN) method is proposed. The ECAN consists of a feature processing network and two proposed loss functions, namely extra negative supervised contrastive loss (ENSC loss) and multi-view affinity loss (MVA loss). The feature processing network provides current and historical deep features to satisfy the necessary conditions for these loss functions. Specifically, the ENSC loss function simultaneously considers many positive samples and extra negative samples from other minibatches to maximize intra-class similarity and the inter-class separation of deep features, while also automatically turning the attention of the model to majority and minority classes to alleviate the class imbalance issue. The MVA loss function improves upon the center loss function by leveraging additional deep feature groups from other minibatches to dynamically learn more accurate class centers and further enhance the intra-class compactness of deep features. The numerical results obtained using two public wild FER datasets (RAFDB and FER2013) indicate that the proposed method outperforms most state-of-the-art models in FER.
Traffic Congestion Classification Using GAN-Based Synthetic Data Augmentation and a Novel 5-Layer Convolutional Neural Network Model
Authors: Jilani Umair , Asif Muhammad , Rashid Munaf , Siddique Ali Akbar , Talha Syed Muhammad Umar , Aamir Muhammad
Published: July 2022

Private automobiles are still a widely prevalent mode of transportation. Subsequently, traffic congestion on the roads has been more frequent and severe with the continuous rise in the numbers of cars on the road. The estimation of traffic flow, or conversely, traffic congestion identification, is of critical importance in a wide variety of applications, including intelligent transportation systems (ITS). Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) has been in the limelight for sophisticated ITS solutions. However, AI-based schemes are typically heavily dependent on the quantity and quality of data. Typical traffic data have been found to be insufficient and less efficient in AI-based ITS solutions. Advanced data cleaning and preprocessing methods offer a solution for this problem. Such techniques enable quality improvement and augmenting additional information in the traffic congestion dataset. One such efficient technique is the generative adversarial network (GAN), which has attracted much interest from the research community. This research work reports on the generation of a traffic congestion dataset with enhancement through GAN-based augmentation. The GAN-enhanced traffic congestion dataset is then used for training artificial intelligence (AI)-based models. In this research work, a five-layered convolutional neural network (CNN) deep learning model is proposed for traffic congestion classification. The performance of the proposed model is compared with that of a number of other well-known pretrained models, including ResNet-50 and DenseNet-121. Promising results present the efficacy of the proposed scheme using GAN-based data augmentation in a five-layered convolutional neural network (CNN) model for traffic congestion classification. The proposed technique attains accuracy of 98.63% compared with the accuracies of ResNet-50 and DenseNet-121, 90.59% and 93.15%, respectively. The proposed technique can be used for urban traffic planning and maintenance managers and stakeholders for the efficient deployment of intelligent transportation system (ITS).
Research on Semantic Segmentation Method of Macular Edema in Retinal OCT Images Based on Improved Swin-Unet
Authors: Gao Zhijun , Chen Lun
Published: July 2022

Optical coherence tomography (OCT), as a new type of tomography technology, has the characteristics of non-invasive, real-time imaging and high sensitivity, and is currently an important medical imaging tool to assist ophthalmologists in the screening, diagnosis, and follow-up treatment of patients with macular disease. In order to solve the problem of irregular occurrence area of diabetic retinopathy macular edema (DME), multi-scale and multi-region cluster of macular edema, which leads to inaccurate segmentation of the edema area, an improved Swin-Unet networks model was proposed for automatic semantic segmentation of macular edema lesion areas in OCT images. Firstly, in the deep bottleneck of the Swin-Unet network, the Resnet network layer was used to increase the extraction of pairs of sub-feature images. Secondly, the Swin Transformer block and skip connection structure were used for global and local learning, and the regions after semantic segmentation were morphologically smoothed and post-processed. Finally, the proposed method was performed on the macular edema patient dataset publicly available at Duke University, and was compared with previous segmentation methods. The experimental results show that the proposed method can not only improve the overall semantic segmentation accuracy of retinal macular edema, but also further to improve the semantic segmentation effect of multi-scale and multi-region edema regions.
Research Trends and Applications of PMUs
Authors: Paramo Gian , Bretas Arturo , Meyn Sean
Published: July 2022

This work is a survey of current trends in applications of PMUs. PMUs have the potential to solve major problems in the areas of power system estimation, protection, and stability. A variety of methods are being used for these purposes, including statistical techniques, mathematical transformations, probability, and AI. The results produced by the techniques reviewed in this work are promising, but there is work to be performed in the context of implementation and standardization. As the smart grid initiative continues to advance, the number of intelligent devices monitoring the power grid continues to increase. PMUs are at the center of this initiative, and as a result, each year more PMUs are deployed across the grid. Since their introduction, myriad solutions based on PMU-technology have been suggested. The high sampling rates and synchronized measurements provided by PMUs are expected to drive significant advancements across multiple fields, such as the protection, estimation, and control of the power grid. This work offers a review of contemporary research trends and applications of PMU technology. Most solutions presented in this work were published in the last five years, and techniques showing potential for significant impact are highlighted in greater detail. Being a relatively new technology, there are several issues that must be addressed before PMU-based solutions can be successfully implemented. This survey found that key areas where improvements are needed include the establishment of PMU-observability, data processing algorithms, the handling of heterogeneous sampling rates, and the minimization of the investment in infrastructure for PMU communication. Solutions based on Bayesian estimation, as well as those having a distributed architectures, show great promise. The material presented in this document is tailored to both new researchers entering this field and experienced researchers wishing to become acquainted with emerging trends.
Pre-Commercial Thinning Increases the Profitability of Norway Spruce Monoculture and Supports Norway Spruce–Birch Mixture over Full Rotations
Authors: Ara Mostarin , Berglund Mattias , Fahlvik Nils , Johansson Ulf , Nilsson Urban
Published: July 2022

Pre-commercial thinning (PCT) is a common measure in Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) stands but the profitability of doing PCT and timing of PCT has not been fully investigated over a full rotation. Further, limited knowledge is available for mixed forest management compared to monocultures. In this study, different PCT strategies were tested to investigate the effect of PCT and timing of PCT on the production and profitability of Norway spruce monocultures and mixed Norway spruce–birch stands. A forest decision support system was used to simulate stand development during the whole rotation. Our study findings show that there is a positive effect of PCT on Norway spruce plantations’ long-term profitability but that the timing of PCT has little effect on profitability. However, site variation might influence the effect of PCT timing on the profitability of Norway spruce stands. Moreover, we also found that retaining 1000 Norway spruce ha−1 and 1000 birch ha−1 after PCT supports a mixture of Norway spruce and birch over a full rotation, with little or no economic loss compared to pure Norway spruce stands. Therefore, such a mixture can lead to profitable production while still providing other ecosystem services.
Remote Sensing and Phytoecological Methods for Mapping and Assessing Potential Ecosystem Services of the Ouled Hannèche Forest in the Hodna Mountains, Algeria
Authors: Louail Amal , Messner François , Djellouli Yamna , Gharzouli Rachid
Published: July 2022

Regardless of their biogeographic origins or degree of artificialization, the world’s forests are a source of a wide range of ecosystem services (ES). However, the quality and quantity of these services depend on the type of forest studied and its phytogeographic context. Our objective is to transpose the concept of ES, in particular, the assessment of forest ES, to the specific Mediterranean context of the North African mountains, where this issue is still in its infancy and where access to the data needed for assessment remains difficult. Our work presents an introductory approach, allowing us to set up methodological and scientific milestones based on open-access remote sensing data and already tested geospatial processing associated with phytoecological surveys to assess the ES provided by forests in an Algerian study area. Specifically, several indicators used to assess (both qualitatively and quantitatively) the potential ES of the Ouled Hannèche forest, a forest located in the Hodna Mountains, are derived from LANDSAT 8 OLI images from 2017 and an ALOS AW3D30 DSM. The qualitative ES typology is jointly based on an SVM classification of topographically corrected LANDSAT images and a geomorphic-type classification using the geomorphon method. NDVI is a quantitative estimator of many plant ecosystem functions related to ES. It highlights the variations in the provision of ES according to the types of vegetation formations present. It serves as a support for estimating spectral heterogeneity through Rao’s quadratic entropy, which is considered a relative indicator of biodiversity at the landscape scale. The two previous variables (the multitemporal NDVI and Rao’s Q), completed by the Shannon entropy method applied to the geomorphon classes as a proxy for topo-morphological heterogeneity, constitute the input variables of a quantitative map of the potential supply of ES in the forest determined by Spatial Multicriteria Analysis (SMCA). Ultimately, our results serve as a useful basis for land-use planning and biodiversity conservation.
Influence of the Declaration of Protected Natural Areas on the Evolution of Forest Fires in Collective Lands in Galicia (Spain)
Authors: Rodríguez Gervasio López , Vicente Verónica Rodríguez , Pérez Manuel Francisco Marey
Published: July 2022

Since the adoption of European Union Council Directive 92/43 on the conservation of natural habitats and wild fauna and flora, some opposition has arisen among owners and managers of land affected by the directive. Some studies have indicated that some of this opposition has found expression in subsequent arson fires in these areas. This article analyses the occurrence of arson fires in the SACs (Special Areas of Conservation) included in the European ecological network, Natura 2000, in Galicia (Spain), more specifically in the montes vecinales en mano común (MVMCs), which are privately owned collective lands. We tested whether the declaration of SACs had a statistical impact on the forest fire regime in the period 1999–2014. The analyses focused on the sub-periods of 1999–2004 and 2005–2014, i.e., before and after the approval of the list of sites of community importance in the study area in December 2004. The results obtained show that, after the declaration of protection, there was a statistically significant increase in the area burnt by fire in these areas, mainly on private estates. We also found that the percentage of arson fires after 2004 was higher in SACs than in other territorial units. We found that the percentage of arson fires was reduced less in SACs than in other territorial units. Furthermore, we found that the area burnt per fire after 2004 in SACs was almost double that in the MVMC-SACs (12.04 ha versus 6.64 ha), so it can be concluded that the conservationist policies of the Natura 2000 network in Galicia have not had a positive effect on the forest fire regime.
A High-Throughput Absolute Abundance Quantification Method for the Characterisation of Daqu Core Fungal Communities
Authors: Du Hai , Sun Jia , Zhou Tianci , Xu Yan
Published: July 2022

An inherent issue in high-throughput sequencing applications is that they provide compositional data for relative abundance. This often obscures the true biomass and potential functions of fungi in the community. Therefore, we presented a high-throughput absolute quantification (HAQ) method to quantitatively estimate the fungal abundance in Daqu. In this study, five internal standard plasmids (ISPs) were designed for the fungal ITS2 subregion with high length variations. Five ISPs were then utilised to establish standard curves with a quantitative concentration range of 103–107 cells/g, and this was used to quantify the core fungi, including Basidiomycota, Ascomycota, and Mucoromycota. Using three types of mature Daqu from different regions, we demonstrated that the HAQ method yielded community profiles substantially different from those derived using relative abundances. Then, the HAQ method was applied to the Daqu during fermentation. The initial formation of the Daqu surface occurred in the fourth stage, which was mainly driven by moisture. The key fungi that caused the initial formation of the Daqu surface included Hyphopichia burtonii, Saccharomycopsis fibuligera, and Pichia kudriavzevii. The initial formation of the Daqu core occurred in the fifth stage, which was mainly affected by moisture and reducing the sugar content. The key fungi that cause the initial formation of the Daqu core included S. fibuligera and Paecilomyces verrucosus. We conclude that the HAQ method, when applied to ITS2 gene fungal community profiling, is quantitative and that its use will greatly improve our understanding of the fungal ecosystem in Daqu.
Correction: Endrizzi et al. Relationships between Intensity and Liking for Chemosensory Stimuli in Food Models: A Large-Scale Consumer Segmentation. Foods 2022, 11, 5
Authors: Endrizzi Isabella , Cliceri Danny , Menghi Leonardo , Aprea Eugenio , Charles Mathilde , Monteleone Erminio , Dinnella Caterina , Spinelli Sara , Pagliarini Ella , Laureati Monica , Torri Luisa , Bendini Alessandra , Toschi Tullia Gallina , Sinesio Fiorella , Predieri Stefano , Gasperi Flavia
Published: July 2022

In the original publication [1], there was a mistake in “Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4, and Figure 5” as published [...]
A Comparative Study of Benchtop and Portable NIR and Raman Spectroscopic Methods for the Quantitative Determination of Curcuminoids in Turmeric Powder
Authors: Khongkaew Putthiporn , Cruz Jordi , Bertotto Judit Puig , Cárdenas Vanessa , Alcalà Manel , Nuchtavorn Nantana , Phechkrajang Chutima
Published: July 2022

Turmeric consumption is continually increasing worldwide. Curcuminoids are major active constituents in turmeric and are associated with numerous health benefits. A combination of spectroscopic methods and chemometrics shows the suitability of turmeric for food quality control due to advantages such as speed, versatility, portability, and no need for sample preparation. Five calibration models to quantify curcuminoids in turmeric were proposed using benchtop and portable devices. The most remarkable results showed that Raman and NIR calibration models present an excellent performance reporting RMSEP of 0.44% w/w and 0.41% w/w, respectively. In addition, the five proposed methods (FT-IR, Raman, and NIR) were compared in terms of precision and accuracy. The results showed that benchtop and portable methods were in good agreement and that there are no significant differences between them. This study aims to foster the use of portable devices for food quality control in situ by demonstrating their suitability for the purpose.
Aerogel Assembled by Two Types of Carbon Nanoparticles for Efficient Removal of Heavy Metal Ions
Authors: Yang Xue-Chun , Gao Song , Fu Sha-Qi , Yao Xuan , Jiao Zheng , Zhao Jing-Tai , Zhang Zhi-Jun , Cheng Ling-Li
Published: July 2022

Both sodium alginate and polyethyleneimine (PEI) have a good ability to adsorb heavy metal ions. PEI and sodium alginate were used as important precursors to synthesize positively charged carbon nanoparticles (p-CNDs) with hydroxyl and carboxyl, and negatively charged carbon nanoparticles (n-CNDs) with amino, respectively. The carbon nanoparticles (CNDs) aerogel with a large specific surface area and rich functional groups were constructed by self-assembled p-CNDs and n-CNDs via electrostatic attraction for adsorption of heavy metal ions in water. The results show that CNDs aerogel has good adsorption properties for Pb2+ (96%), Cu2+ (91%), Co2+ (86%), Ni2+ (82%), and Cd2+ (78%). Furthermore, the fluorescence emission intensity of CNDs aerogel will gradually decrease with the increase in the adsorption rate, indicating that it can detect the adsorption process synchronously. In addition, the cytotoxicity test reveals that CNDs have good biocompatibility and will not cause secondary damage to biological cells.