bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Wireless Controlled Wide Range Tuneable CCT Lighting System Using Three Component Colour Mixing
Authors: Das Basudeb , Maity Tapas , Mazumdar Saswati
Published: February 2022

This paper proposes a novel approach of wireless controlled, tenable correlated colour temperature (CCT) lighting system with high colour rendering index (CRI) using the concept of colour mixing. Using Grassmann’s colour mixing theory, phosphor coated warm white LED source (CCT 2800 K) is mixed with the blue and green LED light sources to meet the requirement of high CRI and high value of red object identification parameter R9. A detailed mathematical formulation is derived for easy controlling of variable CCT and illuminance and a flowchart of wireless control scheme is incorporated and experimentally validated in this article. As a result, the locus of the blended light source is very close to the Planckian locus on CIE1931 chromaticity diagram with a minimum uv D value of +0.0005. This proposed system provides a very wide range CCT starting from 2800 K to 15000 K with a high CRI value of 94 at CCT 5000 K. Another feature of this blended light source is the true colour identification parameter of red object (R9), which is also increased to 93 at CCT 8000 K. This system has very wide application in industries like textile, food processing etc., in museum, art gallery, and medical application like surgical lighting for its high CRI and R9 value with wide range of CCTs.
The Role of Illumination in Integration and Differential Processes of Visual Perception of Temple Interior Architecture
Authors: Ilvitskaya Svetlana V. , Shchepetkov Dmitry N. , Chervyakov Michael M.
Published: February 2022

Despite Orthodox Christian temples have been actively being built over the last years in Moscow (as part of its programme of building 200 Orthodox churches), the problem of temple illumination is still understudied, and in view of this, the article addresses the temple interior architecture as a set of illuminated spatial compartments (temple zones) with different area lighting. A number of concepts is stated including the following: 1) a luminous environment of a temple is designed as a combined system of natural, artificial, and mixed interior lighting interacting with its architecture and decorations including light accents as well as different lighting effects within the interior; 2) temple illumination has several functions: assisting in church services, arrangement of spaces and compositions, visual and symbolic function, and utility function and, with all importance of daylight temple illumination, artificial and mixed illumination has the main semantic priority of temple lighting.
HADİS USULÜNDE BİR İNTİHAL VAKASI: İBN EBİ’D-DEM VE TEDKÎKU’L-ʿİNÂYE ADLI ESERİ
Authors: ACAR Yusuf
Published: February 2022

Bu makalede, hadis usulü kaynaklarında çok sık olmasa da İbnü’s-Salâh’a (öl. 643/1245) itiraz bağlamında ismi geçen İbn Ebi’d-Dem’in (öl. 642/1244) ve Tedkîku’l-ʿınâye fî tahkîki’r-rivâye adlı kitabının Mukaddimetu İbni’s-Salâh ile olan ilişkisi ele alınmaktadır. Tedkîku’l-ʿınâye’nin intihal olduğu yönünde Şemsuddîn es-Sehâvî’nin (öl. 902/1497) iddiası ile eserin tahkik heyetinin kanaatinin örtüşmesi sebebiyle söz konusu iki eser mukayeseli okunarak aralarındaki ilişki tespit edilmeye çalışılmıştır. Henüz İbnü’s-Salâh hayattayken eseri hakkında çalışma yapılmış olması ve bunun da intihal niteliğini taşıması fevkalade dikkat çekicidir. Şekil, yöntem ve muhteva açısından Tedkîku’l-ʿınâye’deki intihalin boyutlarının ve niteliğinin ortaya konması bu araştırmanın temel hedefidir. Bu arada bahse konu eserin sahip olduğu bazı orijinal yönleri ile müellifinin İbnü’s-Salâh’a yaptığı birtakım eleştirilere de dikkat çekilmektedir.
Rationalizing Nanodeliverables for Effective L-Asparaginase Delivery in Chemotherapy: Update 2020
Authors: Kurakula Mallesh , Gorityala Shashank , Basim Pratap , Sun Mingze , Mannem Chandana
Published: February 2022

L-asparaginase is used as an effective line of treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoma, however, the high cost for this treatment restricts the wide-scale clinical application. Genetic engineering technology is used to recombinantly express L-asparaginase, with high yield, which reduced the costs of production, and overall therapy. Despite the effectiveness of this therapy, intravenous injection of L-asparaginase has some side effects, such as allergic reactions, immunosuppression, pancreatitis, neurotoxicity, hepatitis, coagulopathy, and failure to produce antibodies. To overcome this limitation, Nano-delivery systems using nanoparticles as the carrier of L-asparaginase is used as a new type of drug carrier delivery system. It can increase the permeability of biofilms, enhance drug efficacy, reduce drug toxicity, change the distribution of drugs in the body, and improve bioavailability. In this review, we summarized the application of a variety of nano-lipid and polymers as protein recombinant drug carrier systems, and these nano-carrier systems facilitate to increase the blood circulation time, reduce side effects, and improve the biocompatibility of L-asparaginase medicine. The review specifically adds value as there is no article available that has attempted to elevate the emerging Nanodeliverables and their significance in delivering L- sparaginase safely by achieving maximum therapeutic efficacy.
Sexual Dysfunction Among Female Patients with Breast Cancer Attending Out Patient Clinic in Khartoum Center of Radiation and Isotope (2018)
Authors: Eljaali Azza Mustafa Mohamed , Abdelrahman Abdalla , Ibrahim Mohammed
Published: February 2022

Background: Breast cancer can bring about multiple physical and psychological challenges. Among the greatest challenges, are those associated with female sexual function? Objectives: This study was designed to study sexual dysfunction among female patients with breast cancer attending outpatient clinic in Khartoum center of radiation and isotope Sudan in2018. Method: A cross sectional study was performed on 180 female patients with breast cancer attending outpatient clinic in Khartoum center of radiation and isotope at Khartoum state during 2018. The Data were collected using questionnaire forms then data were analyzed using statistical package for social science (SPSS) v 24.0. Result: In this study 57.2% were in the age group (31-45) years, 75.6% were homemakers, 35.6% had secondary education level. The majority of women had 11-15 years of marriage and 1-5 years of disease, 92.2% were used chemical treatment, 60.6% used surgery, 42.4% used radiation and only 18.3% used hormones. This study revealed that, 41.2% of women had lost sexual interest and desire, 34.5% lost sexual pleasure 22.8% had sexual aversion, 29.7% lost excitement, 25% vaginismus and dyspareunia, 13.4% problem in Sexual performance, 12.5% orgasm dysfunction , 28.8%reduce Sexual satisfaction, 18.9% can't reach Resolution. Conclusion: The study concluded that sexual dysfunctions in women with breast cancer is high, there was correlation between sexual dysfunction with age, duration of disease and treatment methods.
A liberdade de expressão e seus limites: uma análise crítica do marco civil da internet
Authors: Almeida Rosana Santos de , Maciel Jonatas Claudio Farias , Medeiros Raquel Formiga de , Gadelha Hugo Sarmento , Castro Filho Hiran Mendes , Santos Suzana Araujo dos , Marques Agílio Tomaz , Silva Matheus Matos Ferreira
Published: February 2022

A internet se traduz como uma das maiores inovações humanas durante o século XX, tendo nas últimas décadas se dispersado pelo planeta, além de introduzir benefícios ao conhecimento e interação entre os povos, tem proporcionado preocupação na exposição de informações pessoais; política de dados; prática de crimes e disseminação de informações inverídicas. A sociedade em modificação observa quais medidas seriam ideais na preservação da privacidade e honra, e na garantia à liberdade de expressão, fato que permitiu a criação de mecanismos legais para a regulamentação, como o Marco Civil da Internet (2014). Assim sendo, a presente pesquisa se firma na análise da liberdade de expressão consagrada na Constituição Federal e sua relação no âmbito da internet a partir do Marco Civil adotado no país, dessa forma se descrevera as mudanças introduzidas e a teoria da relatividade dos direitos fundamentais nos conflitos entre os princípios. À vista disso, se discorrerá sobre o papel dos provedores de internet e os deveres a serem tomados pelos mesmos, além da responsabilização pelo não cumprimento do previsto na lei. Empregou-se na pesquisa o método dedutivo partindo da liberdade de expressão nas redes sociais e afins, o procedimento histórico a partir da evolução da legislação e o monográfico visando o estudo das premissas levantadas. Constatou-se a carência de meios legais efetivos que visem à punição das condutas delituosas praticadas, bem como a necessidade de uma legislação internacional tendo em vista a universalidade da internet e seus inúmeros problemas.
A matriz SWOT como ferramenta de análise para subsidiar a criação de consórcio intermunicipal na gestão e gerenciamento de Resíduos Sólidos Urbanos
Authors: Bozzini Aloisio Calsoni , Schalch Valdir
Published: February 2022

Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo utilizar a matriz SWOT como ferramenta de análise para subsidiar a possibilidade de criação de um consórcio intermunicipal na gestão e gerenciamento de Resíduos Sólidos Urbanos (RSU), na microrregião da Baixa Mogiana, Minas Gerais (MG). Foi realizado um levantamento bibliográfico, e o diagnóstico da região ocorreu a partir de pesquisa documental e pesquisa de campo. A partir destes resultados foi aplicada a técnica da matriz SWOT.  Os resultados apontam que: a população concentrada na área urbana, com coleta de resíduo domiciliar, bem como a presença de catadores representam uma “força”; a ausência de Usina de Triagem e Compostagem (UTC), de um aterro sanitário, a presença de lixões e aterros controlados configuram entre as “fraquezas”. Uma “ameaça” é o esvaziamento do consórcio durante a fase de implementação. A adoção de consórcio entre os municípios surge como “oportunidade” viável à medida em que alcança ganhos de escala por meio de medidas de caráter regional.
Análise de parâmetros na otimização de vigas de concreto utilizando o algoritmo Colônia de Vagalumes
Authors: Fontes Eliakim Alcântara de Sousa , Silva Mila Crisna Matos da , Rodrigues Leonardo Teles , Mendonça Guilherme Orion Rodrigues , Mello Camila Costa Câmara de Souza
Published: February 2022

Existem na literatura muitos caminhos para se otimizar estruturas, entretanto o uso de algoritmos bioinspirados ainda é pouco explorado. Diante desse contexto, esse artigo busca verificar, utilizando o algoritmo bioinspirado Colônia de Vagalumes, os parâmetros para a otimização de três variáveis do processo construtivo de uma viga através da minoração de suas funções-objetivo, dando, ao final, seu custo de produção por metro linear. Foram analisados diversos valores de parâmetros para se chegar àqueles que melhor se adequassem ao objetivo proposto. Os resultados obtidos mostraram evidências da robustez do algoritmo, atingindo convergência para um valor muito próximo do ideal depois de poucas iterações. Fica clara sua relevância e o seu potencial de uso para elementos construtivos muito mais robustos.
Neonatal mortality: the need for teaching strategies directed to the protection and promotion of children's health
Authors: Santos Leidiene Ferreira , Nascimento Vitória Fernandes Machado , Silva Maitê da Veiga Feitoza Borges , Evangelista Danielle Rosa , Sá Erika Silva de , Silva Juliana Bastoni da , Carvalho Laiane de Paula Aquino Oliveira , Brito Raquel Cristina da Costa , Silva Sorlei Silva e , Nunes Daniela Pires
Published: February 2022

The proper registration of cases of deaths and their analysis contribute to give visibility to the real gaps and demands of health services. The monitoring and the analysis of the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and its characteristics are paramount for the development of health policies and interventions aimed at the promotion and protection of child health. Thus, we aimed to characterize neonatal deaths recorded in Palmas, Tocantins, Brazil, in the period from 1999 to 2018, according to sex, weight and age of newborns, maternal age, and municipality of occurrence. There were 800 deaths of children aged up to 27 days of life in the municipality of Palmas from 1999 to 2018, with a statistical difference in the proportion of neonatal deaths according to the occurrence of the event, gender, and weight, with a higher proportion of early neonatal deaths when their occurrence was in Palmas. Although the municipality of Palmas has recorded advances in infant mortality indicators, specifically in the neonatal component, considering that Brazil proposes to reduce newborn mortality to a maximum of five per thousand live births by 2030, advances will be necessary to qualify perinatal care in the region in order to avoid preventable infant deaths. Thus, an urgent demand is the improvement of prenatal and maternal-infant care services in the municipality in order to favor maternal and infant indicators.
Plant-based pharmacological alternatives in the seizure treatment: A patent review
Authors: Pina Lícia Tairiny Santos , Guimarães Adriana Gibara , Sampaio Laeza Alves , Guimarães Juliana Oliveira , Rabelo Thallita Kelly , Savi Flávia Medeiros , Serafini Mairim Russo
Published: February 2022

Epilepsy, a neurologic condition associated with recurring seizures, affects around 70 million people worldwide and it is responsible for health costs. The current drug therapies used for treating epilepsy have low efficacy and many adverse side effects. In addition, drug resistance can also be found. The association of these factors considerably compromises the patient's pharmacotherapy care. Therefore, natural plant-derived products are promising therapeutic alternatives in the search for new curative options to treat epileptic seizures. Thus, the search was carried out at the patents database in the world, Espacenet, in January 2021 and compiled plant species (extracts, essential oils and isolated plant compounds) with a potential effect on the seizure, published between 2015 and 2020. In recent years, researchers and pharmaceutical companies have developed several methods for obtaining extracts, essential oils and purification of natural compounds, which have proven to be effective for the treatment of epileptic seizures in pre-clinical animal models. These findings hold potential promising for the treatment of epilepsy, especially for the management of drug-resistant, however, these reports are in their early stages and further studies need to be done for these compounds to be marketed.
Síndrome pós Covid-19: estudo de caso
Authors: Rebêlo Veruska Cronemberger Nogueira , Lemos Mikaelli Priscila Rosas , Silva Eva Karoline Rodrigues da , Mesquita Laiana Sepúlveda de Andrade , Cabral Patrícia Uchôa Leitão , Carvalho Ana Flávia Machado de , Oliveira Rauirys Alencar de , Feitosa Maura Cristina Porto , Coelho Nayana Pinheiro Machado de Freitas , Arisawa Emilia Angela Lo Schiavo
Published: February 2022

A Síndrome Pós-Covid-19 (SPC) ou Covid longa (CL) é uma condição clínica oriunda da infecção pelo SARS-CoV-2 que algumas pessoas experimentam após o término da Covid- 19, com variedade de sintomas como fadiga, dor crônica, falta de ar, disfunção cognitiva, perda do olfato, tonturas, dores de cabeça e transtorno de ansiedade e estresse pós-traumático, impactando na qualidade de vida. Pacientes com doenças inflamatórias e autoimunes como Fibromialgia (FM) representam um grupo particularmente vulnerável ao desenvolvimento da CL devido alteração do Sistema Nervoso Autônomo (SNA), uso de glucocorticoides e do isolamento e sedentarismo impostos pela pandemia intensificarem dores crônicas, alterações emocionais e do sono. O objetivo desse estudo foi relatar um caso de SPC em paciente portador de FM com protocolo de tratamento composto por acupuntura e liberação miofascial no ambulatório de um hospital público em Teresina-PI. Os dados foram coletados com os instrumentos Depression Anxiety Stress (DASS-21), Mini Exame do Estado Mental (MEEM), Questionário Nórdico de Sintomas Osteomusculares (QNSO), Questionário de Avaliação de Qualidade de Vida (WHOQOL-BREF), Índice de Qualidade de Sono de Pittsburgh (PSQI), Escala Visual Analógica (EVA) e Algometria. Os resultados mostraram redução dos níveis de estresse, ansiedade e depressão, diminuição das dores musculares, aumento do LDP com redução do afastamento das atividades rotineiras, impactando na melhora da qualidade de vida geral e do sono. Conclui-se que o tratamento com acupuntura associada à liberação miofascial se apresenta como alternativa eficaz para melhoria da SPC em paciente portadora de FM.
Avaliação do impacto da educação em diabetes via rede social no controle glicêmico de pacientes com Diabetes mellitus tipo 1 durante a pandemia da COVID-19
Authors: Abreu Fabiana Silva dos Santos , Carvalho Ana Rachel Teixeira Batista , Lauand Thais Cabral Gomes , Porto Lara Benigno , Souza Andressa de Freitas , Diniz Ana Luiza Rosa , Pedrosa Hermelinda Cordeiro
Published: February 2022

Introdução: Diabetes mellitus (DM) é um importante problema de saúde pública em todo o mundo. Educação estruturada aplicada a pessoas com DM deve fazer parte do tratamento. Objetivo: Avaliar o uso de uma rede social como um meio de educação em DM e o seu impacto no controle da glicose. Métodos: Trata-se de um ensaio clínico randomizado, com amostra constituída de pacientes com DM tipo 1 acompanhados em ambulatório público do Distrito Federal, Brasil. Os participantes foram randomizados para receber videoaulas sobre educação em diabetes via rede social WhatsApp® ou informações educativas durante consultas ambulatoriais, por um período de 12 semanas. Foi aplicado um questionário (Diabetes Knowledge Scale Questionnaire), coletados resultados de hemoglobina glicada (HbA1c) e dados de dispositivos de aferição de glicose, antes e após intervenção. Resultados: Finalizaram o estudo 193 participantes, 95 do grupo intervenção e 98 do grupo controle. Observou-se melhora na pontuação do questionário em ambos os grupos: intervenção (p < 0,001) e controle (p = 0,021). Em relação ao controle da glicose, não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa quando se comparou HbA1c e dados do gerenciamento eletrônico de glicose, entre os dois grupos. Conclusão: Não foi possível estabelecer relação de superioridade da estratégia utilizada, em comparação com informações educativas durante as consultas, na melhora do conhecimento em DM. Os dados também sugerem que apenas a disponibilização de material educativo via WhatsApp® não promove melhora no controle da glicose.
Keeping up with advances in qPCR pathogen detection: an example for QPX disease in hard clams
Authors: Geraci-Yee S , Allam B , Collier JL
Published: February 2022

With marine diseases on the rise and increased reliance on molecular tools for disease surveillance, validated pathogen detection capabilities are important for effective management, mitigation, and response to disease outbreaks. At the same time, in an era of continual evolution and advancement of molecular tools for pathogen detection, it is critical to regularly reassess previously established assays to incorporate improvements of common practices and procedures, such as the minimum information for publication of quantitative real-time PCR experiments (MIQE) guidelines. Here, we reassessed, re-optimized, and improved the quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay routinely used for Quahog Parasite Unknown (QPX) disease monitoring. We made 19 significant changes to the qPCR assay, including improvements to PCR amplification efficiency, DNA extraction efficiency, inhibition testing, incorporation of linearized standards for absolute quantification, an inter-plate calibration technique, and improved conversion from copy number to number of cells. These changes made the assay a more effective and efficient tool for disease monitoring and pathogen detection, with an improved linear relationship with histopathology compared to the previous version of the assay. To support the wide adoption of validated qPCR assays for marine pathogens, we provide a simple workflow that can be applied to the development of new assays, re-optimization of old or suboptimal assays, or assay validation after changes to the protocol and a MIQE-compliant checklist that should accompany any published qPCR diagnostic assay to increase experimental transparency and reproducibility amongst laboratories.
Smartphone Applications for Reproduction: From Rigorously Validated and Clinically Relevant to Potentially Harmful
Authors: Curchoe Carol Lynn
Published: February 2022

Infertility practitioners are increasingly turning to mobile applications (apps) to help improve patient care. Provider-facing apps range from reference to communication tools, to versions of the electronic health record. Some available evidence indicates that mobile apps facilitate patient care by increasing efficiency and accuracy in documentation, information retrieval, and coordination of care.1 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website currently lists dozens of cleared or approved applications for mobile ‘medical device’ apps, and reproductive healthcare has also certainly benefitted from this explosion in mobile technology. Reproductive and fertility-focussed apps now aim to treat and diagnose disease, aid clinical decision-making, and manage patient care. Infertility patients may use apps pretreatment to manage lifestyle factors, during treatment to manage medications and calendar appointments, and for message boards where they can share experiences, and seek or offer peer support. Here, the authors review the history of medical health and research apps, current reproduction-specific mobile applications, and discuss the implications of mobile technology for diagnostic point-of-care, clinical research, and patient health management.
Re-polarisation of Macrophages Within Collective Tumour Cell Migration: A Multiscale Moving Boundary Approach
Authors: Suveges Szabolcs , Eftimie Raluca , Trucu Dumitru
Published: February 2022

Cancer invasion of the surrounding tissue is a multiscale process of collective cell movement that involves not only tumour cells but also other immune cells in the environment, such as the tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs). The heterogeneity of these immune cells, with the two extremes being the pro-inflammatory and anti-tumour M1 cells, and the anti-inflammatory and pro-tumour M2 cells, has a significant impact on cancer invasion as these cells interact in different ways with the tumour cells and with the ExtraCellular Matrix (ECM). Experimental studies have shown that cancer cells co-migrate with TAMs, but the impact of these different TAM sub-populations (which can change their phenotype and re-polarise depending on the microenvironment) on this co-migration is not fully understood. In this study, we extend a previous multi-scale moving boundary mathematical model, by introducing the M1-like macrophages alongside with their exerted multi-scale effects on the tumour invasion process. With the help of this model we investigate numerically the impact of re-polarising the M2 TAMs into the anti-tumoral M1 phenotype and how such a strategy affects the overall tumour progression. In particular, we investigate numerically whether the M2→M1 re-polarisation could depend on time and/or space, and what would be the macroscopic effects of this spatial- and temporal-dependent re-polarisation on tumour invasion.
Raw Data to Results: A Hands-On Introduction and Overview of Computational Analysis for Single-Molecule Localization Microscopy
Authors: Martens Koen J. A. , Turkowyd Bartosz , Endesfelder Ulrike
Published: February 2022

Single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) is an advanced microscopy method that uses the blinking of fluorescent molecules to determine the position of these molecules with a resolution below the diffraction limit (∼5–40 nm). While SMLM imaging itself is becoming more popular, the computational analysis surrounding the technique is still a specialized area and often remains a “black box” for experimental researchers. Here, we provide an introduction to the required computational analysis of SMLM imaging, post-processing and typical data analysis. Importantly, user-friendly, ready-to-use and well-documented code in Python and MATLAB with exemplary data is provided as an interactive experience for the reader, as well as a starting point for further analysis. Our code is supplemented by descriptions of the computational problems and their implementation. We discuss the state of the art in computational methods and software suites used in SMLM imaging and data analysis. Finally, we give an outlook into further computational challenges in the field.
CD26 Inhibition Potentiates the Therapeutic Effects of Human Umbilical Cord Blood-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Delaying Cellular Senescence
Authors: Kim Miyeon , Go Jinyoung , Kwon Ji Hye , Jin Hye Jin , Bae Yun Kyung , Kim Eun-Young , Chang Eun-Ju , Choi Soo Jin , Kim Seong Who
Published: February 2022

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are recognized as potential treatments for multiple degenerative and inflammatory disorders as a number of animal and human studies have indicated their therapeutic effects. There are also several clinically approved medicinal products that are manufactured using these cells. For such large-scale manufacturing requirements, the in vitro expansion of harvested MSCs is essential. Multiple subculturing of MSCs, however, provokes cellular senescence processes which is known to deteriorate the therapeutic efficacy of the cells. Strategies to rejuvenate or selectively remove senescent MSCs are therefore highly desirable for fostering future clinical applications of these cells. In this present study, we investigated gene expression changes related to cellular senescence of MSCs derived from umbilical cord blood and found that CD26, also known as DPP4, is significantly upregulated upon cellular aging. We further observed that the inhibition of CD26 by genetic or pharmacologic means delayed the cellular aging of MSCs with their multiple passaging in culture. Moreover, the sorting and exclusion of CD26-positive MSCs from heterogenous cell population enhanced in vitro cell attachment and reduced senescence-associated cytokine secretion. CD26-negative MSCs also showed superior therapeutic efficacy in mouse lung emphysema model. Our present results collectively suggest CD26 is a potential novel target for the rejuvenation of senescent MSCs for their use in manufacturing MSC-based applications.
Resident Fibroblast MKL1 Is Sufficient to Drive Pro-fibrogenic Response in Mice
Authors: Huang Shan , Shao Tinghui , Liu Hong , Li Tianfa , Gui Xianhua , Zhao Qianwen
Published: February 2022

Fibrosis is an evolutionarily conserved pathophysiological process serving bifurcated purposes. On the one hand, fibrosis is essential for wound healing and contributes to the preservation of organ function. On the other hand, aberrant fibrogenic response may lead to tissue remodeling and precipitate organ failure. Recently lineage tracing studies have shown that resident fibroblasts are the primary mediator of fibrosis taking place in key organs such as the heart, the lungs, and the kidneys. Megakaryocytic leukemia 1 (MKL1) is transcriptional regulator involved in tissue fibrosis. Here we generated resident fibroblast conditional MKL1 knockout (CKO) mice by crossing the Mkl1f/f mice to the Col1a2-CreERT2 mice. Models of cardiac fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, and renal fibrosis were reproduced in the CKO mice and wild type (WT) littermates. Compared to the WT mice, the CKO mice displayed across-the-board attenuation of fibrosis in different models. Our data cement the pivotal role MKL1 plays in tissue fibrosis but point to the cellular origin from which MKL1 exerts its pro-fibrogenic effects.
Transcriptomic Analysis of the Interaction Between FLOWERING LOCUS T Induction and Photoperiodic Signaling in Response to Spaceflight
Authors: Wang Lihua , Xie Junyan , Mou Chenghong , Jiao Yuwei , Dou Yanhui , Zheng Huiqiong
Published: February 2022

Spaceflight has an impact on the growth and development of higher plants at both the vegetative stage and reproductive stage. A great deal of information has been available on the vegetative stage in space, but relatively little is known about the influence of spaceflight on plants at the reproductive stage. In this study, we constructed transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants expressing the flowering control gene, FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT), together with the green fluorescent protein gene (GFP) under control of a heat shock-inducible promoter (HSP17.4), by which we induced FT expression inflight through remote controlling heat shock (HS) treatment. Inflight photography data showed that induction of FT expression in transgenic plants in space under non-inductive short-day conditions could promote flowering and reduce the length of the inflorescence stem in comparison with that of wild-type plants under the same conditions. Whole-genome microarray analysis of gene expression changes in leaves of wild-type and these transgenic plants grown under the long-day and short-day photoperiod conditions in space indicated that the function of the photoperiod-related spaceflight responsive genes is mainly involved in protein synthesis and post-translation protein modulation, notably protein phosphorylation. In addition, changes of the circadian component of gene expression in response to spaceflight under different photoperiods indicated that roles of the circadian oscillator could act as integrators of spaceflight response and photoperiodic signals in Arabidopsis plants grown in space.
Impacts of Metal–Support Interaction on Hydrogen Evolution Reaction of Cobalt-Nitride-Carbide Catalyst
Authors: Zhang Xuan , Li Yu-An , Huang Yaozhen , Mu Haiqiang , Gu Xiaofeng , Li Feng , Wang Zheng , Li Jing
Published: February 2022

Cobalt-nitride-carbide (Co-N-C) catalysts are promising cost-efficient transition metal catalysts for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution, but few works investigate the metal–support interaction (MSI) effect on hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance. Herein, efficient Co-N-CX catalysts with controllable MSI between encapsulated Co nanoparticles and nitrogen-doped graphitic carbon nanosheets were synthesized via a facile organic–inorganic hybridization method. Results demonstrate that the Co-N-C0.025M catalyst with the coexistence of single-atom Co sites and Co nanoparticles prepared by 0.025 M cobalt nitrate shows excellent HER performance, achieving a low overpotential of 145 mV to reach 10 mA cm−2 in 0.5 M sulfuric acid, which is mainly because the optimal MSI, which leads to a moderate hydrogen adsorption energy and improved electroactive sites, not only facilitates the charge transfer to improve the HER kinetics, but also improves the durability of the catalyst by Co-N bond anchoring and encapsulation of active Co species. This work provides guidance to further reveal the influence of MSI on their catalytic activity.
Secoyanhusamine A, an Oxidatively Ring-Opened Isoquinoline Inner Salt From Corydalis yanhusuo
Authors: Wang Lingyan , Xia Huan , Wu Yuzhuo , Wang Yanan , Lin Pengcheng , Lin Sheng
Published: February 2022

Secoyanhusamine A (1), a rare rearranged seco-isoquinoline alkaloid derived from ring oxidative cleavage, was isolated from an aqueous extract of Corydalis yanhusuo tubers, together with its biosynthetic precursor dehydrocorybulbine (2). Secoyanhusamine A (1) was the first example of a highly oxidized isoquinoline inner salt resulting in a 5-(2-azanylethyl)-2-carboxylate-4-oxo-4H-pyran ring system. The biosynthetic pathway of 1 was also postulated. Secoyanhusamine A (1) exhibited potent inhibition against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) with an IC50 value of 0.81 ± 0.13 μM. Molecular simulation docking demonstrated that 1 created a strong interaction with the Asp-74 residue of AChE via attractive charge of the quaternary nitrogen.
Neural Network Pattern Recognition Experiments Toward a Fully Automatic Detection of Anomalies in InSAR Time Series of Surface Deformation
Authors: Milillo Pietro , Sacco Gianfranco , Di Martire Diego , Hua Hook
Published: February 2022

We present a neural network-based method to detect anomalies in time-dependent surface deformation fields given a set of geodetic images of displacements collected from multiple viewing geometries. The presented methodology is based on a supervised classification approach using combinations of line of sight multitemporal, multi-geometry interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) time series of displacements. We demonstrate this method with a set of 170 million time series of surface deformation generated for the entire Italian territory and derived from ERS, ENVISAT, and COSMO-SkyMed Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite constellations. We create a training dataset that has been compared with independently validated data and current state-of-the-art classification techniques. Compared to state-of-the-art algorithms, the presented framework provides increased detection accuracy, precision, recall, and reduced processing times for critical infrastructure and landslide monitoring. This study highlights how the proposed approach can accelerate the anomalous points identification step by up to 147 times compared to analytical and other artificial intelligence methods and can be theoretically extended to other geodetic measurements such as GPS, leveling data, or extensometers. Our results indicate that the proposed approach would make the anomaly identification post-processing times negligible when compared to the InSAR time-series processing.
Hydrothermal Dynamics of Seasonally Frozen Soil With Different Vegetation Coverage in the Tianshan Mountains
Authors: Ma Shen , Yang Bin , Zhao Jingyi , Tan Changhai , Chen Ji , Mei Qihang , Hou Xin
Published: February 2022

The hydrothermal relationship between vegetation and seasonal frozen soil is one of the key research contents in the fields of permafrost ecological environment, hydrology and climate change in alpine mountainous areas. Based on the monitoring data of air temperature, precipitation and soil hydrothermal conditions at the depth of 0–5 m from site TS-04 (with high vegetation coverage) and site TS-05 (with low vegetation coverage) in the alpine grassland of the Tianshan Mountains, this study compared and analyzed the characteristics of freezing-thawing process, temperature and moisture changes of seasonal frozen soil with different vegetation coverage. The results show that the maximum seasonal freezing depth of the two sites is almost comparable, but site TS-04 has a smaller freezing and thawing rate, and a shorter duration of freeze-thaw at all depths. TS-04 also has a smaller annual range of surface temperature and ground-air temperature difference. The analysis indicates that vegetation acts as a thermal buffer and has a good thermal insulation effect on the ground surface. Site TS-04 had high unfrozen water content in the unfrozen period and the water content increased with depth, while the unfrozen water content was low in site TS-05. In addition, the thresholds of soil water content response to rainfall events at 5 cm depth of site TS-04 and site TS-05 were 5 and 11 mm precipitation respectively, which indicated that the high vegetation coverage is conducive to rainwater infiltration, and the underlying soil of the site has a faster response to rainfall events.
Luteolin Potentially Treating Prostate Cancer and COVID-19 Analyzed by the Bioinformatics Approach: Clinical Findings and Drug Targets
Authors: Ye Yu , Huang Ziyan , Chen Manying , Mo Yongfeng , Mo Zengnan
Published: February 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a serious epidemic, characterized by potential mutation and can bring about poor vaccine efficiency. It is evidenced that patients with malignancies, including prostate cancer (PC), may be highly vulnerable to the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Currently, there are no existing drugs that can cure PC and COVID-19. Luteolin can potentially be employed for COVID-19 treatment and serve as a potent anticancer agent. Our present study was conducted to discover the possible drug target and curative mechanism of luteolin to serve as treatment for PC and COVID-19. The differential gene expression of PC cases was determined via RNA sequencing. The application of network pharmacology and molecular docking aimed to exhibit the drug targets and pharmacological mechanisms of luteolin. In this study, we found the top 20 up- and downregulated gene expressions in PC patients. Enrichment data demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects, where improvement of metabolism and enhancement of immunity were the main functions and mechanism of luteolin in treating PC and COVID-19, characterized by associated signaling pathways. Additional core drug targets, including MPO and FOS genes, were computationally identified accordingly. In conclusion, luteolin may be a promising treatment for PC and COVID-19 based on bioinformatics findings, prior to future clinical validation and application.
Future Swiss Energy Economy: The Challenge of Storing Renewable Energy
Authors: Züttel Andreas , Gallandat Noris , Dyson Paul J. , Schlapbach Louis , Gilgen Paul W. , Orimo Shin-Ichi
Published: February 2022

Fossil fuels and materials on Earth are a finite resource and the disposal of waste into the air, on land, and into water has an impact on our environment on a global level. Using Switzerland as an example, the energy demand and the technical challenges, and the economic feasibility of a transition to an energy economy based entirely on renewable energy were analyzed. Three approaches for the complete substitution of fossil fuels with renewable energy from photovoltaics called energy systems (ES) were considered, i.e., a purely electric system with battery storage (ELC), hydrogen (HYS), and synthetic hydrocarbons (HCR). ELC is the most energy efficient solution; however, it requires seasonal electricity storage to meet year-round energy needs. Meeting this need through batteries has a significant capital cost and is not feasible at current rates of battery production, and expanding pumped hydropower to the extent necessary will have a big impact on the environment. The HYS allows underground hydrogen storage to balance seasonal demand, but requires building of a hydrogen infrastructure and applications working with hydrogen. Finally, the HCR requires the largest photovoltaic (PV) field, but the infrastructure and the applications already exist. The model for Switzerland can be applied to other countries, adapting the solar irradiation, the energy demand and the storage options.
Review of Numerical Simulation Research on Submersible Mixer for Sewage
Authors: Fei Tian , Erfeng Zhang , Chen Yang , Weidong Shi , Chenghua Zhang
Published: February 2022

Submersible mixer is the core machinery of sewage treatment, which has a profound effect on the efficiency and performance of the submersible mixing system of sewage treatment. This paper summarizes the scientific research results of submersible mixer in recent years from four aspects: structure and energy characteristics of submersible mixer, numerical simulation calculation method, flow field characteristics, and factors affecting the flow field characteristics. The existing published literature indicates that the structure of submersible mixer for sewage is complicated and the parameters of energy characteristics are special. Few experimental studies are conducted, and mostly numerical calculations are based on clear water as the medium. The mixture model based on the Euler–Euler method is the multiphase flow model currently applied in the field of submersible mixer research. Many factors affect the mixing effect of a submersible mixer, such as installation factors (the location and angle of installation) and impeller design parameters (blade gap, hub-tip ratio, blade angle, etc.), all having a significant impact on the mixing performance. Meanwhile, the development and trends of submersible mixer technology are prospected, and the future directions of further research are proposed: establishing a more suitable numerical calculation method for submersible mixer based on the Euler–Lagrange model; constructing the calculation model with real fluid—solid-liquid two-phase flow as the medium; exploring the influence of various parameters on flow field characteristics of mixing fluid; getting the mixing mechanism of submersible mixer; promoting the development of submersible mixer; and realizing the efficient and stable operation of submerged mixing system.
Environmental Regulation and Corporate Cash Holdings: Evidence From China’s New Environmental Protection Law
Authors: Zhang Chao , Cheng Jinkai
Published: February 2022

Exploiting the 2014 Environmental Protection Law (EPL) in China as quasi-natural experiments, we adopt a difference-in-differences approach to examine the impact of environmental regulation on corporate cash holdings. We document that heavy-polluting firms increase their cash holdings 15% more than non-heavy-polluting firms due to stringent environmental regulation. Further tests show that the heightened environmental uncertainty, the limited access to bank loans, and the decline in obtaining government subsidies for heavy-polluting firms are three plausible channels that allow environmental regulation to increase corporate cash holdings. The effects of environmental regulation on cash holdings are stronger for firms without political backgrounds and those in regions with less dependent on the secondary sector. Overall, our results offer original evidence showing how environmental regulation in emerging economies affects firms’ liquidity management decisions and support the precautionary effect of cash holdings.
Comparative Study in Zebrafish and Medaka Unravels the Mechanisms of Tissue Regeneration
Authors: Chowdhury Kaushik , Lin Shi , Lai Shih-Lei
Published: February 2022

Tissue regeneration has been in the spotlight of research for its fascinating nature and potential applications in human diseases. The trait of regenerative capacity occurs diversely across species and tissue contexts, while it seems to decline over evolution. Organisms with variable regenerative capacity are usually distinct in phylogeny, anatomy, and physiology. This phenomenon hinders the feasibility of studying tissue regeneration by directly comparing regenerative with non-regenerative animals, such as zebrafish (Danio rerio) and mice (Mus musculus). Medaka (Oryzias latipes) is a fish model with a complete reference genome and shares a common ancestor with zebrafish approximately 110–200 million years ago (compared to 650 million years with mice). Medaka shares similar features with zebrafish, including size, diet, organ system, gross anatomy, and living environment. However, while zebrafish regenerate almost every organ upon experimental injury, medaka shows uneven regenerative capacity. Their common and distinct biological features make them a unique platform for reciprocal analyses to understand the mechanisms of tissue regeneration. Here we summarize current knowledge about tissue regeneration in these fish models in terms of injured tissues, repairing mechanisms, available materials, and established technologies. We further highlight the concept of inter-species and inter-organ comparisons, which may reveal mechanistic insights and hint at therapeutic strategies for human diseases.
Comparison of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Outcomes Using Matched Sibling Donors, Haploidentical Donors, and Immunosuppressive Therapy for Patients With Acquired Aplastic Anemia
Authors: Zhang Yuanfeng , Huo Jiali , Liu Li , Shen Yuyan , Chen Juan , Zhang Tingting , Chen Xin , Pang Aiming , Yang Donglin , Zhang Rongli , Ma Qiaoling , Zhai Weihua , He Yi , Wei Jialin , Jiang Erlie , Han Mingzhe , Zheng Yizhou , Feng Sizhou
Published: February 2022

We retrospectively compared the outcomes of 387 consecutive patients with acquired aplastic anemia (AA) who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) with a fludarabine-based conditioning regimen from matched sibling donors (MSD) (n = 108) or haploidentical donors (HID) (n = 91) and immunosuppressive therapy (IST) (n = 188) from 2014 to 2020 at our hospital. Compared with HID-HSCT, MSD-HSCT had a lower incidence of graft failure (1% vs. 7%, p = 0.062), grade II–IV acute graft versus host disease (aGvHD) (16% vs. 35%, p = 0.001), and mild to severe chronic GvHD (cGvHD) (8% vs. 23%, p = 0.007), but an equivalent incidence of grade III–IV aGvHD (8% vs. 12%, p = 0.237) and moderate to severe cGvHD (3% vs. 9%, p = 0.076). HSCT had superior blood count recovery at 3, 6, and 12 months compared with IST (p < 0.001). The estimated 5-year overall survival (OS) of the MSD, HID, and IST groups were 86%, 72%, and 79% (p = 0.02), respectively; accordingly, the failure-free survival (FFS) rates were 85%, 68%, and 56%, respectively (p < 0.001). For patients aged ≤40 years, the OS rate was still significantly superior for MSD-HSCT receipients compared to HID-HSCT receipients (89% vs. 76%, p = 0.024) while the HID-HSCT recipients showed similar OS (76% vs. 78%, p = 0.166) but superior FFS (p = 0.047) when follow-up was longer than 14.5 months in contrast to IST. In a multivariate analysis, HID-HSCT and a conditioning regimen that included busulfan were adversely related to OS among patients who received allografts. In conclusion, MSD-HSCT was the frontline choice for patients with severe AA aged ≤40 years, while HID-HSCT was as effective as IST for patients without an MSD.
Potential of Longan Seed Extract–Loaded Alginate–Chitosan Beads as Drug Delivery System
Authors: Buntum Tanawat , Kakumyan Pattana , Surassmo Suvimol , Thanomsilp Chuleeporn , Suwantong Orawan
Published: February 2022

The potential of a drug delivery system of the longan seed extract (LSE) incorporated in the alginate/chitosan (Alg/CS) beads has been studied. The LSE-loaded Alg/CS beads were prepared using the ionic gelation method via the interaction between protonated amino groups of CS and negatively charged carboxylic groups of Alg. Properties of the LSE-loaded Alg/CS beads were investigated including the morphology of the beads, particle sizes, encapsulation efficiency (%EE), controlled release profile, cytotoxicity, and biocompatibility. From the results, the amount of gallic acid, ellagic acid, and corilagin found in LSE was 25.61 ± 0.48,18.83 ± 3.75, and 21.92 ± 1.42 mg/g (based on the weight of LSE), respectively. The half-maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) of LSE was 24.29 ± 1.08 μg/ml. SEM images of the LSE-loaded Alg/CS beads showed spherical shapes and rough surfaces with some aggregation. The particle sizes were between 1.9 and 2.5 µm with the PDI values of 0.1503–0.3183. Encapsulation efficiencies were between 11 and 18%. The released amount of LSE from the LSE-loaded Alg/CS beads was ranging between 68 and 93%. Moreover, cytotoxicity and biocompatibility tests showed that the beads were non-toxic to both NCTC clone 929 and NHDF cells and promoted the attachment of NHDF cells. Thus, these beads could be used as polymeric drug carriers.